Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 307
The woman continued walking, yet her figure suddenly vanished into thin air in the middle of the street.
Sometime later, an enormous white moth flew into the sky. Its beating wings produced a slight breeze, leaving ripples on the calm river...
It had a pair of glittering eyes. It purposely checked its surroundings to make sure that no one had seen it.
It landed lightly onto a roof. Its b.a.r.e feet tapped softly on the tiles before it flew into the distance, disappearing into the fuzzy night within the blink of an eye.
Chapter 711 - Moth Woman
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
...
"Brother Mo Fan, the sun has risen."
"I know."
"About that thing, can we find the answer on Baidu?" asked Xinxia softly.
{TL Note: Baidu is both a search engine and a forum, like Google and Reddit.}
Mo Fan scratched his head and put down his phone.
Even saving the world was not a problem for him, yet when it came to becoming a real man, how did he not succeed after an entire night?
What had gone wrong? Xinxia had finally stopped struggling with her eyes closed and her lips sealed, but in the end, he had let himself down as he failed to put it in!
"Let's take a snooze and go shopping in the afternoon to take our minds off. We'll try it again at night?" Mo Fan finally compromised, asking Xinxia in a serious voice.
Xinxia nodded and squeezed her way into Mo Fan's embrace with a hint of fatigue. She soon fell asleep, her hands hugging Mo Fan tightly.
When Mo Fan saw the girl fast asleep, he immediately took out his phone and went on Baidu again, trying to find the answer to his awkward question.
Sigh, they all mentioned something about the lack of foreplay… forget it, time to get some sleep. He was truly a failure as a man, it was better if he had simply died in the Ancient Capital!
---
The sunlight around two or three in the afternoon was extraordinarily soothing. It shone down upon a small orange tree in the garden. The unripe fruits on the branches suddenly became l.u.s.trous.
Rapid footsteps could be heard coming from the streets, with the occasional giggles of young girls grabbing the attention of the residents, giving them an urge to peek out of the window to observe their youthful looks.
After dressing up, Mo Fan walked around the street with a totally different feeling compared to yesterday.
Xinxia was rolling the wheelchair herself. She was discussing some of the interesting tales about the ancient town with Mo Fan in a good mood. However, when they arrived at some stairs, she was forced to stop and look at Mo Fan with glittering eyes.
"Brother Mo Fan, can you stop thinking about that problem?" asked Xinxia with a serious yet embarrassed tone.
"Oh, oh, I wasn't thinking about..." Mo Fan laughed and took a step forward, "Holy crap!"
Mo Fan lost his balance as he took an infirm step. Luckily, he was a lot more agile after he became an Advanced Magician. At least he did not fall on his face after tripping.
He quickly rose to his feet and patted the dust off his clothes. He finally realized that he had to lend Xinxia a hand. He quickly went up and carried both Xinxia and the wheelchair down the stairs.
Some girls nearby were giggling. Mo Fan quickly pushed the wheelchair and left the scene in embarrassment.
Xinxia asked Mo Fan to stop when they arrived at the back of an antique store.
"What is it?" asked Mo Fan with a confused look.
"Look at the ground," Xinxia pointed at the somewhat moist path.
Mo Fan glanced forward and saw dead little bugs on the ground. If he pushed the wheelchair further, he would be running over them.
Only Xinxia would notice things like these. If Mo Fan was on his own, he would simply trample them and feel disgusted because they would make his shoes dirty!
"Humph, the ones that drank my blood have probably started a plague, killing so many of them!" said Mo Fan with a hint of disdain.
"They look like moths, not mosquitoes. The ones in our room last night were moths too. They don't drink blood," corrected Xinxia.
"Who cares what they are… they are just an eyesore!" Mo Fan turned the wheelchair and passed by the little dead bugs before continuing forward.
Wuzhen had quite a lot of little alleyways and shops. Everywhere they went was like a different world. It turned out that the little things that each store was selling were popular among the tourists, which included some antique umbrellas, hairpins, scarves, bracelets, or some modern phone bags, purses, decorations and earrings. The girls could spend a whole day browsing the shops. The dazzling jewels urged them to buy all of them just so they could wear different sets every day...
"What's going on, what's going on here, get rid of those disgusting things on the ground. It's affecting the customers. Why must you slack every day at work!" As soon as they went into a shop, they heard the owner yelling.
A young shop assistant wearing a gray felt cap clumsily took the broom and swept the things into the dustpan.
Mo Fan discovered that the things were flying moths the size of mosquitoes at a glimpse. It seemed like these things were everywhere they went today.
On second thought, it did seem perfectly reasonable. Wuzhen was built along a river, thus the air had fairly high moisture, perfect for little creatures like these flying moths. No matter how many couples were visiting the place, they were still no match for the flying moths' speed at laying eggs.
"Greetings... oh, oh..." The shop owner was about to greet Mo Fan and Xinxia, yet a strange look appeared in his eyes when he saw Xinxia on a wheelchair. However, he quickly put up a smile and greeted them.
Mo Fan and Xinxia were already used to it. They simply ignored the look.
Xinxia proceeded to choose the hairpins she liked while Mo Fan browsed the shop indifferently. When he saw the corpses of the flying moths in the trashcan, he asked casually, "Hey boss, does your town have many of these things?"
"Yeah, they never stop appearing. The council has already organized a few disinfections, but these things show up again every spring. I hate them the most; I have a strong urge to spray them with insect repellent every time I see them!" replied the shop owner.
"I don't like them, either," said Mo Fan.
"(Sigh), who would like them? I remember there was a plague of them some years ago. There were so many moths that they were as dense as the haze in Shanghai and Beijing. The sky was completely blocked off by the moths. It was impossible to see anything. Everyone had to cover up tightly if they wanted to go outdoors. Even the smallest gap would allow them to squeeze into your clothes. Even though they don't do any harm, it was simply disgusting!" complained the shop owner.
"That ridiculous?" said Mo Fan.
Flying moths as dense as a haze, how many moths would be flying in the sky?
"The disinfections are useless. I tell you that there's a Moth Woman in our town, but no one believes me. One day, I was drinking with my friends until late at night. When I was walking on the street, I saw a woman with wings like a moth. Her physique was stunning, and she wasn't wearing many clothes. Her legs were long and white. When I was about to get closer, a bunch of flying moths lunged at me to block my vision. The next thing I knew, she had already disappeared," interrupted the shop assistant who was sweeping the floor.
The owner smacked the shop assistant on the head and scolded, "You still dare to mention it, you took my money and went drinking and gambling, and now you're trying to cover it up with such a lousy excuse. I bet you've read too many stories, and went crazy thinking about women all the time!"
"I swear I'm telling the truth. Besides, I'm not the only one that says that in this town," the shop assistant argued while running around the store.
"I'm not your uncle if I believe your nonsense! If I believed it, I would give you the shop!" The owner chased after the shop assistant.
"You've said it! I'll find her tonight and take a picture of her. If she's real, you'll give me the shop!" said the shop assistant.
"Humph, go ahead!" snapped the owner.
Chapter 712 - Substitute, Mo Fan
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Drinking some alcohol, enjoying the night breeze, listening to some pleasant melodies, the two had a rather enjoyable night.
The highly-anticipated late-night slowly came. The moonlight shone upon the stone bridge like a layer of frost. However, a cloudy veil slowly loomed over the town. A soft flapping sound echoed in the sky above the town. The clear night suddenly turned cloudy, even the river was no longer clear as before...
------
Mo Fan hardly ever had the chance to go on a holiday, a time without hunting down demon creatures, cultivating, training or being in the presence of magic. He was currently enjoying his vacation with his loved one in a pleasant town, just like an ordinary university student.
Time usually went by faster when it was more enjoyable. Six days were gone fairly quickly. The town seemed to have lots of secrets and interesting things waiting to be discovered, but the two had no choice but to continue during their next visit.
When Mo Fan was about to leave Wuzhen with Xinxia, he happened to spot a few City Hunters at the town entrance. Mo Fan was quite familiar with their logo.
"Did something happen?" asked Xinxia when she saw the City Hunters entering the town in a rush.
"Perhaps," Mo Fan had no intention to be a busybody. The City Hunters were capable of settling the matter themselves.
------
The two returned to Hangzhou by car. Mo Fan sent Xinxia back to school with a hint of reluctance.
Mo Fan was planning to see her off, yet the authorities were already urging him to report to the national team. He had no choice but to leave Xinxia in the hands of Tang Zhong, Lu Ping, Glorkian, and Digaeus.
"Glorkian, if anyone bullies her there, I'll hold you responsible!" Mo Fan warned the golden-haired teacher.
"Don't you worry!" Glorkian gave his promise confidently.
Mo Fan kissed Xinxia on the forehead and smiled, "Call me if you miss me,"
"Mmm, you too," Xinxia nodded.
---
Mo Fan felt lost, staring at the blue sky on the plane heading to the capital.
Perhaps it was because Xinxia had never been so far away since she came to stay at his home. Mo Fan could not stop worrying, knowing that she was going somewhere far away.
Perhaps his possessive d.e.s.i.r.e toward her was too strong, so he was feeling extremely uncomfortable after parting with her.
On second thought, it was definitely a good thing for her. He would be leaving the country for quite some time. She now had something to keep her busy. It was better than living like a colorful sparrow kept in his overprotective cage...
------
Upon arriving at the capital, the air was still as bad as before. The sky was shrouded by a gray-brown murk, preventing him from seeing the blue sky and the white clouds.
However, Mo Fan was a fairly optimistic person. He was about to embark on his journey of traveling across the world to distribute his seeds. When he remembered that he would be traveling to different countries, visiting some fascinating places, kicking the asses of some foreign dogs who were indulging in their sense of superiority, and picking up some foreign chicks, he could not help but whistle on his way to the national team.
As he arrived at the destination, he immediately saw five aged Magicians with dark expressions standing at the entrance.
One of the advisors was short with a fat belly, and glared at Mo Fan, who was carrying a shoulder bag. He snapped in an unfriendly manner, "So you're the substitute called Mo Fan!"
"I'm Mo Fan, but when did I become a substitute?" Mo Fan was startled. He looked at Dean Song He in confusion.
Dean Song He was aware of Mo Fan's situation, thus he smiled as he was about to give him an explanation.
To his surprise, Advisor Feng Li with the tiger stripes on his forehead said coldly, "You should be relieved that you are still a substitute when you joined through the back-door."
"Mo Fan, you didn't take part in the final phase of the competition. Even though you have enough votes and nominations, they still can't make you official because you were absent," Dean Song He explained to Mo Fan.
"Fine, substitute it is," Mo Fan shrugged and went over to the other candidates indifferently.
He had only taken a few steps when he was surprised at noticing a few familiar faces.
"Mo Fan, HAHAHA, I was going to say, there's no way you weren't on the list! Don't you forget about the promise between us!" Zhao Manyan was the first to come up to him. His golden hair was perfectly combed!
"Impressive, you actually managed to secure a spot," Mo Fan patted Zhao Manyan on the shoulder and exclaimed in surprise.
"What is there to be impressed about? He simply relied on the money of his family to secure the votes. He's no different than a substitute who has joined through the back-door like you," a voice from among the crowd exclaimed with a strong hint of jealousy.
"There are many people in the team, but only between five to seven of us will be participating in the competition. It's fine that the extra spots are given to some rich asses. After all, we are supposed to get the best treatment since we are representing the national team in the tournament," said a woman with a beauty mark near her lips.
Zhao Manyan felt extremely awkward upon hearing the words.
The truth was, he did manage to secure the spot through the financial support of his Zhao Family. The five advisors were clearly aware of it, too. In terms of strength and talents, Zhao Manyan was still a fair distance away from the others who were selected through the standard procedure.
"He's fairly good-looking, maybe some of the Councilmen have some special interest, HAHAHA..." said a muscular man with a rough appearance.
The man was almost two meters tall. His muscles were about to burst his clothes open. He was like a beast with a human figure. Mo Fan wondered what Elements the man had.
"Brother, it looks like you aren't too welcome here," Mo Fan glanced at the three who commented.
The ones that uttered the remarks were a man with a powerful background, the woman with the beauty mark, and the beast-like man.
The others were not too bothered, as it was exactly what the woman with the beauty mark had mentioned. Only between five and seven people would participate in the tournament, but the team that was to go on training consisted of more than ten people. It was expected that someone had joined the team through some other methods.
Zhao Manyan had already made it clear. He was not planning to secure the spot through the school.
However, none of it mattered much to Mo Fan, as long as he was in the team.
The two did not come to earn glory for their country. Their goal was to spread their seeds across the world!
"Considering how handsome and rich I am, it's normal for people to be jealous. I'm quite used to it already," Zhao Manyan let out a self-mocking chuckle. Seeing that Mo Fan was didn't care, he simply ignored the comments from the others.
The two joined the team with arms around each other's shoulders. However, Mo Fan was surprised when he saw a man and a woman with stern expressions in the team.
The man was not much of a surprise. He was Ai Tutu's brother, Ai Jiangtu, a Space Element expert. Mo Fan already knew that he was a seeded candidate of the national team, and he would most likely be appointed the captain.
However, Mo Fan was quite surprised to see the woman. He had met her before too, as she was none other than the female Commander he bumped into at the top of the mountain in the Burning Valley, Nanyu!
Nanyu had the same clean, short hair. Her handsome appearance made it easy for people to mistake her gender. It was not because her appearance was leaning towards the masculine, but her stern and imperious aura completely covered up her charm as a woman. Despite that, instead of making her less appealing, it only gave men a stronger urge to pry open her heart.
Chapter 713 - Getting Fresh
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"It's been a while," Mo Fan smiled and greeted Nanyu.
Nanyu simply glanced at Mo Fan without any expression.
On the other hand, Ai Jiangtu nodded at Mo Fan as a way of welcoming him to the team.
"You two, hurry up and line up. Right there," urged Dean Song He.
Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan went to the back of the line. It seemed to be the place for substitutes.
Zhao Manyan had already met Nanyu too. As they walked to the back of the line, he whispered into Mo Fan's ears, "That girl is the second most difficult chick to pick up in this team!"
Mo Fan nodded in agreement. It was indeed challenging to tackle her down. Her pride and unyielding spirit as a soldier would easily crush any man's dignity. Most importantly, even the girls would stand no chance against her peerless charm!
"Wait, second most difficult?" Mo Fan was startled. He glanced at Zhao Manyan who was wearing a perverted grin and asked, "There's someone harder than her?"
"There, the one who's also a substitute like us," Zhao Manyan pointed at the girl who was standing all by herself, like an ice statue at the back of the line.
Mo Fan was busy talking to Zhao Manyan, thus he did not even notice there was someone standing at the back of the line.
Even though she was standing at the least remarkable spot, her long, silver hair was absolutely breathtaking. Her outstanding figure was covered in a tight-fitting long black dress with pear blossoms on it. Together with her pair of black heels, it was the perfect combination of iciness and beauty, like a black rose blossoming in a world of ice. Its loneliness and nobility granted it a deadly, seductive charm. It had a holiness that one could only observe from a distance, for fear of thorns covered in deadly poison!
