Chapter 265: Birds of a Feather

Chapter 265: Birds of a Feather

Mo Jin gazed at the jagged reefs not far away, where black waves crashed relentlessly against the rocks, then shattered into white foam, slowly fading into nothingness.

The same fate befell the confidence he had mustered two hours prior.

"Brother Jin, do you think those Wojin can handle Li Jun?"

A voice tinged with worry echoed beside him.

Mo Jin remained entranced by the sea, "Since Father sent them, they should manage."

"Actually, I think our Mo Army could handle this ourselves. Why seek outsiders?"

"These despicable Wojin have always been driven by greed. This time, inviting them here—who knows what price we'll pay."

Mo Jin's eyes, once unfocused, gradually sharpened, his rigid head turning to face the Mo Jia standing behind him.

The specialty metal, capable of withstanding blows and rapid recovery, the sapphire mechanical eyes with night combat, scanning, and reconnaissance capabilities, and countless modified weapons mounted on the armor—each inch crafted by his own hands, forged with personal effort and resources.

"Hu Lu, how many years have we been linked?" Mo Jin's voice sounded unusually dry and hoarse.

The mechanical eye on Hu Lu's chest flickered, "At least seven or eight years. You became a Mo Xù, and I was awakened from the Mo Realm."

"Time flies."

Mo Jin sighed, "By the way, I've never asked about your past before becoming a Ming Gui. Tell me today?"

"What's there to tell?" Hu Lu chuckled, "As those in the Buddhist sequence say, that's all in a past life."

"Still, speak. Better to avoid future regrets."

Hu Lu tilted his head slightly, his posture conveying doubt.

Today, Mo Jin felt peculiar—not just melancholic, but overly sentimental.

Though this thought passed quickly, he attributed it to the recent betrayal.

Honestly, it was his first time seeing Mo Ke Xiansheng so unhinged.

Just witnessing it was terrifying; imagine facing the wrath of Mo Jin directly.

Hu Lu fell silent, as if struggling to recall distant memories.

"Before becoming a Ming Gui, I was just an ordinary Mo Xù Eight. No talent in research, no skill in crafting. I had to become a wanderer, but even the Ming Gui ignored me. I drifted for decades, my genes showing signs of losing vitality, never advancing."

"Actually, drifting like that my whole life wasn't so bad. Unfortunately, during the 'WuDun Schism,' I was sent to rescue a martial arts prodigy. The moment I arrived, before I could even see who needed saving, a guardian deity slapped me into mush."

Hu Lu clapped his palms together, self-deprecatingly, "As easily as swatting a fly."

"Luckily, my neural core wasn't destroyed, so before dying, I uploaded my consciousness into the Ming Gui Realm's mainframe. As for how I became a Ming Gui, I'm not sure."

"According to the Huang Liang Shen Qi Forum's predecessors, a Mo Xù consciousness uploaded into the Ming Gui Realm retains its personality, logic, and thoughts. Fewer than one in ten achieve stable integration without fragmenting into useless data."

Hu Lu's tone carried relief, "Some become Ming Gui due to unyielding will, others from deep-seated resentment. Either way, something special is needed to preserve consciousness during upload. As for someone like me, with no potential or grudges, becoming a Ming Gui was pure chance."

"Perhaps I was born for this. At least, following you, Master, I've lived a life I never dared dream of."

Mo Jin nodded woodenly, his hoarse voice asking, "Hu Lu, what was your name before becoming a Ming Gui?"

"That's obsolete now. Once a Ming Gui, you're no longer human, so the old name is irrelevant."

"Tell me."

Hu Lu stared in shock, "Brother Jin, what's wrong with you today? Why ask this? Wait—I think my name was Sun Ran."

"Sun Ran. That's right."

Mo Jin repeated the name, the hesitation and turmoil in his eyes slowly fading.

"What's right?"

"You weren't killed on that rescue battlefield, were you?"

Hu Lu trembled violently, staggering backward.

"Brother Jin, I don't understand."

"If your name is Sun Ran, then it's true. You betrayed your partner out of cowardice, selling them out. When discovered, they wounded you gravely. On the brink of death, you chose to become a Ming Gui."

Mo Jin's eyes were icy, "Your becoming a Ming Gui wasn't chance—it was due to your towering resentment."

"What are you joking about?"

"No wonder the Ming Gui Realm matched us. We're truly birds of a feather."

Mo Jin's lips curled in mockery, both at Hu Lu and himself, "But this is fine. At least I can help you kill a martial arts prodigy—avenging your past self."

At that moment, a speedboat cut through the undulating sea, approaching the shore at astonishing speed.

As it neared grounding, a figure leapt from the boat, black feathers swirling in the sea wind, like a ferocious seabird descending upon Mo Jin.

The man shook his wolf-tailed warrior hairstyle, hands clasped within the wide sleeves of his feathered robe.

"Excuse me, are you from the Mo Army?"

"I am Mo Jin."

"So you're the Golden Master. I'm A Shi Yuan from the A Shi Group's Martial Department."

Though the man seemed respectful, Mo Jin clearly saw disdain in his eyes.

"Are these the three complete Mo Jia you promised us? Seems like no deal was made?"

A Shi Yuan tapped his waist-mounted long sword with his elbow, "Need help? Free of charge."

"No need."

"What do you mean, Mo Jin?" Hu Lu's voice panicked.

Only now did he notice the other two Mo Jia had knelt, their Ming Gui control cores forcibly removed by their hosts.

"You used me as a bargaining chip?!"

Realizing too late, Hu Lu roared, "You betrayed me!"