Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 59: The Mo Clan of Yancheng

"The Mo Clan of Yancheng?"

Hearing the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar name, Mo Yu's brows furrowed slightly. "What kind of family is this?"

"The Mo Clan is one of the four major families in the northeastern province of the Jia Ma Empire. While it's not as powerful as colossal clans like the Nalan family, it's still formidable. They've been entrenched in the northeast for years, acting like local overlords. Few dare to provoke them, and their power easily surpasses that of our Xiao family," Xiao Zhan explained, his brow tightly knitted.

"Uncle, are you saying that my Mo family in Wu Tan City is connected to this Mo Clan in Yancheng?" Mo Yu asked, already suspecting the answer as he thought about his father's background.

Xiao Zhan nodded. "Your grandfather came from the Mo Clan of Yancheng. Years ago, after failing a mission and being punished, his cultivation was crippled. He came to Wu Tan City, where my father took him in as the Mo family's steward. Since then, your family has been rooted here, in the Xiao family, for the past forty years."

Hearing that his grandfather's cultivation had been destroyed, anger flickered in Mo Yu's eyes. "And my father's death? Was it also related to the Mo Clan in Yancheng?"

Sensing the deep killing intent in Mo Yu's voice, Xiao Zhan shook his head, as if envisioning the day the young man might storm the Mo Clan in the future. While the Mo Clan was powerful, with Mo Yu's talent, it wasn't impossible for him to accomplish such a feat.

Xiao Zhan glanced up at the bright moon and sighed. "After being exiled by the Mo Clan, your father was unwilling to accept his fate. He devoted himself entirely to cultivating and improved rapidly. By the time he was just over thirty, he had broken through to become a Dou Grandmaster, almost catching up to me in strength."

Thinking of Mo Yu's father, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. The two had once been inseparable training partners, but now, they were separated by life and death.

Mo Yu nodded. For a servant to marry a woman of the Xiao family, his father must not have been a useless man.

"And then?" Mo Yu continued, "Did my father try to return to the Mo Clan and was killed by them?"

Xiao Zhan shook his head slowly. "No. After learning of your father's strength, the Mo Clan sent people to contact him. They discussed matters about your family's possible return to the clan. I don't know the exact details, but after that meeting, your father returned to Yancheng, and we never heard from him again. Your grandfather spent all his savings trying to find out what happened, only to learn that your father had died unexpectedly. Our Xiao family also used all our connections to investigate and found out that your father died on a mission for the Mo Clan. But what that mission was, the Mo Clan never explained."

"The Mo Clan!" Mo Yu's eyes flashed with cold killing intent as he processed Xiao Zhan's words. His grandfather's crippled cultivation and his father's death—all of it was tied to this Mo Clan!

"And how strong is the Mo Clan?" Mo Yu asked after a moment, regaining his composure as he absentmindedly stroked his ring, made from the Frost Magic Beast.

"The strongest in the Mo Clan is their Great Elder, a man named Mo Cheng. His reputation is well known throughout the eastern part of the empire. Years ago, he single-handedly wiped out the Black Whirlwind Bandit Group, which was notorious in the east. The bandits had three Dou Grandmasters and over a dozen Dou Practitioners. Their strength was comparable to the top three families in Wu Tan City. But Mo Cheng wiped them all out by himself. His fierce nature earned him the nickname 'Butcher Mo'," Xiao Zhan explained in a serious tone.

"A Dou Spirit…" Mo Yu muttered under his breath.

"Yes, a Dou Spirit," Xiao Zhan confirmed. "But while his strength is impressive, what really gives Mo Cheng his influence is another connection he has." As he said this, Xiao Zhan's expression darkened.

"What connection?"

"When he was younger, Mo Cheng was a disciple of the Yun Lan Sect. Although he later left the sect, he continues to offer them substantial tributes every year. As a result, the Mo Clan has a close relationship with the Yun Lan Sect, and the sect provides them with significant support."

As Xiao Zhan explained, Mo Yu gained a clearer understanding of the Mo Clan of Yancheng. Suddenly, a memory surged to the forefront of his mind. Now he knew why the Mo Clan had felt familiar!

This Mo Clan was the same one that Xiao Yan later destroyed to save Qing Lin, with the help of his bodyguard Hai Bodong!

With this realization, Mo Yu could also guess the likely reason for his father's death. According to what he knew, the Mo Clan had been researching ways to transplant magical beast limbs onto humans to gain great power. In the original story, they targeted Qing Lin for her Green Snake Three-Flower Pupils, which led to their conflict with Xiao Yan, ultimately resulting in the Great Elder's death.

The Mo Clan had likely conducted countless inhumane experiments to develop this technology.

It wasn't hard to imagine that they had lured Mo Yu's father back with the promise of returning to the clan, but only if he underwent a similar experiment—transplanting magical beast parts into his body. If it worked, the Mo Clan would gain a powerful fighter; if it failed, they'd lose nothing, as he was merely an outcast.

"Such a cunning plan, Mo Clan!" Mo Yu thought bitterly, his anger toward this seemingly insignificant family deepening. His desire for power surged even more. The Mo Clan might be a notable force in the northeastern part of the empire, but in the grand scheme of the northwest continent and the Dou Qi world, they were nothing. Even small families like theirs were desperately striving for more strength in this might-makes-right world.

If this research had been done by someone else, Mo Yu might have found it interesting. But since the Mo Clan had crossed his path, he would destroy them when the time came.

"Xiao Yu, the Mo Clan is incredibly powerful. After your father's death, our family's influence has dwindled. We wanted to seek justice, but we were powerless," Xiao Zhan said with a sigh.

Mo Yu shook his head. "The Xiao family has already shown my family great kindness by taking us in for three generations. One day, I will repay that debt."

Seeing that Mo Yu bore no ill will, Xiao Zhan let out a breath of relief and added, "The Mo Clan's Great Elder is not only a Dou Spirit but also has close ties with the Yun Lan Sect. If you want revenge, it's best to wait until you're stronger."

Mo Yu nodded. He understood that with his current strength, he was no match for a Dou Spirit. There was still a long road ahead before he could take on the Mo Clan…

(End of chapter)