Chapter 346 - 303: Kid, What’s Your Name?
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Mo had turned three years old.
In those three years, although Xiao Mo’s days were rather uneventful, he found them to be incredibly happy.
Having lived several lifetimes, this was the first time Xiao Mo had ever experienced a mother’s love, which made him cherish it all the more.
As for Xiao Mo’s presence within the Xiao Mansion, it was practically nonexistent…
This was especially true after Prince Xiao’s other concubines gave birth to two more children. Then, Xiao Mo’s presence was reduced to virtually zero.
But when Xiao Mo was two years and nine months old, a Maid from the Xiao Mansion came to find his mother.
Xiao Mo didn’t know what the Maid said to his mother, because Cuicui had carried him away.
He only knew that when he returned, his mother was sitting in the courtyard in a daze, a hint of sorrow on her face.
It was only through the conversation between his mother and Aunt Cui that Xiao Mo learned what was going on.
It turned out that all children of the Xiao Mansion, whether from the main family line or born of concubines, were to begin martial arts training when they turned three.
Therefore, Xiao Mo, an illegitimate son, also had to go.
The only difference was that legitimate heirs received one-on-one instruction from powerful Martial Dao experts.
But illegitimate sons like Xiao Mo were simply assigned to ordinary masters. It was like being an Outer Disciple in a Sect, receiving no special treatment.
Still, compared to an ordinary family, this was already quite a good opportunity.
After all, many poor families spent their entire lives worrying about their next meal, let alone learning martial arts.
The reason his mother was worried was that the path of martial arts was arduous and full of hardship, and she didn’t want him to suffer so much.
But how could his mother possibly refuse?
“Mo’er…” That evening, Zhou Ruoxi held her child’s small hand, her expression troubled. “Mother wants to talk to you about something…”
“Mother, what is it?” Xiao Mo’s big eyes blinked as he pretended not to know anything.
“It’s like this.” Zhou Ruoxi gently bit her lip. “Because you’re three now, Mo’er, and the children of our Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion must learn martial arts. So in a few days, you’ll have to go to the training grounds to practice. Are you willing, Mo’er?”
“Martial arts? Mother, what are martial arts?” Xiao Mo tilted his head.
“Martial arts is… well, it’s practicing some very powerful moves. In the future, Mo’er will become a very powerful person,” Zhou Ruoxi said after a moment of thought.
“Then I want to do it, Mother!” Xiao Mo said earnestly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
“But Mo’er, practicing martial arts is very hard,” Zhou Ruoxi said, her voice filled with reluctance.
“It’s okay! I’m not afraid! Once I become a powerful person, I can protect you, Mother. Then no one will be able to bully you anymore.”
Hearing her son’s words, Zhou Ruoxi froze for a moment, her eyes misting over with tears. “Yes, alright. Then Mother will wait for Mo’er to practice hard and protect me after you’ve mastered your skills.”
Xiao Mo nodded forcefully. “I will work hard!”
“Such a good boy, Mo’er. Come, let Mother hold you.”
Zhou Ruoxi pulled her child into her embrace.
“Mother, are you crying?” Xiao Mo asked.
“Of course not.” Zhou Ruoxi secretly wiped her tears away.
“You’re lying, Mother. You were crying.”
“Silly child.” Zhou Ruoxi gave a radiant smile. “Mother is just happy…”
…
「Seven days later.」
Zhou Ruoxi took her son’s hand and led Xiao Mo to the Xiao Mansion’s training grounds.
As soon as they arrived at the training grounds, Xiao Mo saw many children around his own age.
The oldest among them were five, while the youngest were three-year-olds like Xiao Mo.
All the five-year-olds were distant relatives of the Xiao family, while most of the three-year-olds were close relatives.
The fact that distant relatives could only begin training at five served to ensure the superiority of the Xiao family’s direct line.
Zhou Ruoxi saw one of the Xiao Mansion’s masters and hurried forward. She said a few words to him, then took out a small piece of gold, trying to secretly press it into his hand.
But Xiao Mo watched as the master, whose name was Huang Shan, pushed the small piece of gold back. No matter how much his mother insisted, he refused to take it.
He even seemed a little angry.
In the end, his mother had no choice but to give up.
Xiao Mo, however, was quite curious.
’Does this Master Huang really have such strong principles?’
“Mo’er, Mother can’t stay here with you. I have to go back now. I’ll come pick you up in the evening.” Zhou Ruoxi looked at her child reluctantly, instructing him again and again, “Master Huang is rather strict. You must listen to him and not make him angry, understand?”
“I understand, Mother.” Xiao Mo nodded seriously.
“Then Mother will be going…” Zhou Ruoxi wanted to stay with her child a little longer, but she could see Master Huang in the distance, already looking like he wanted to shoo the parents away.
“Goodbye, Mother. I’ll be good.”
“Yes, Mo’er is the best.”
Zhou Ruoxi ruffled Xiao Mo’s hair, then finally stood up and walked away, looking back every few steps.
“Alright! You little brats, get over here!”
After Zhou Ruoxi left, Master Huang shouted, calling all the little runts over.
“Starting today, I am your Tutor. Just call me Master Huang! Here, I don’t care about your background. You have only one identity: apprentice!
I specialize in Spear Technique!
But before you practice the spear, you practice the fist!
I will start by teaching you Fist Technique.
Now! Run two laps around the training grounds.
Ready, run!”
At Master Huang’s command, the older children immediately started running laps around the training grounds.
The little kids who were scared stiff were kicked a few times by Master Huang before they snapped out of it and hurriedly followed.
After the run came leg stretches, “Middle Section” training, stance-holding, and other basic exercises.
Many of the children started bawling on the ground in the middle of the exercises, but after a scolding, they could only continue training.
In comparison, three-year-old Xiao Mo didn’t make a single sound. His horse stance was even more solid than the others’.
When Master Huang saw Xiao Mo’s proper form, he was inwardly surprised.
“Hey, you, kid, get over here!” Master Huang shouted at Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo stood up and walked over to Master Huang.
Without a word, Master Huang grabbed Xiao Mo’s joints and bones, pulling and twisting them until they CRACKED AND POPPED.
After checking Xiao Mo’s Root Bone, Master Huang was even more astonished.
’To think I’d find such a promising seedling here.’
“Kid, what’s your name?” Master Huang asked.
“Xiao Mo,” Xiao Mo replied.
Master Huang memorized his name. “Xiao Mo, even though you’re only three and don’t know anything, you must have a goal to practice martial arts!”
“I have a goal!” Xiao Mo replied.
“Oh?” Master Huang smiled. “Then tell me, kid, what is your goal?”
“I want to protect my mother! And I want to become a Grand General so I can give my mother a good life!”
“Protect your mother and become a Grand General?” Master Huang was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. “HAHAHA… That’s a good goal, indeed, but kid, it’s not something you can achieve just by talking about it.”
Master Huang settled into a horse stance and held out his palm. “Come. Now, use all your strength and punch me.”
Xiao Mo blinked, unsure of what the master was planning, but he did as he was told, punching Master Huang’s palm with all his might.
“Harder!”
“Have you not eaten?”
“How are you going to protect your mother like this?”
“Again! Punch!”
“Become a Grand General and give your mother a good life? What a load of crap! Put some force into it for me!”
“That’s more like it!”
“Again!”
“Again!”
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