Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

“Did you manage to see him one last time?” Mo Fan asked.

“I did,” Zhao Manyan nodded.

“It’s Zhao Youqian, right? Do you want to get revenge? I can help you,” Mo Fan offered.

“Not now,” Zhao Manyan shook his head.

Zhao Youqian was a maniac. Zhao Manyan was worried that Zhao Youqian might harm his mother if his brother knew he was still alive.

Besides, he was still too weak now. Zhao Youqian might not be able to cast a single spell, but he had lots of experts protecting him. Zhao Manyan could not even take on the scarfaced Bacon.

Zhao Manyan had matured a lot. He knew that if he was too preoccupied with the thought of getting revenge, he would just let his father down. Didn’t his father hold onto his last breath just long enough to learn he was still alive?

Many people believed that death was honorable, and being reckless was being brave. However, most of the time, the people that chose to die were only trying to be freed from their burdens, as they were not brave enough to face the heavy blows and carry the anticipation of the people that had passed away. Choosing to die was actually the cowardly act here!

Zhao Manyan did not want to do anything stupid, nor would he let his father down. He would live comfortably, live longer than anyone else, and live freely!

“How did you know?” Zhao Manyan was quite surprised that Mo Fan knew Zhao Youqian had set him up, and the fact that he was still alive.

“I guessed it. I was in Hangzhou not long ago when the Black Totem Snake vaguely sensed that Baxia was approaching the shoreline of our country, so I guessed that you were coming back. I’ve been waiting at your father’s hospital ever since. I’m glad that I was right,” Mo Fan said.

Mo Fan recalled that Zhao Manyan was discussing his brother after being reminded by Mu Ningxue.

Zhao Manyan and Zhao Youqian were brothers by blood, thus it was difficult for Mo Fan to even think about the possibility. However, he immediately arrived at the conclusion after asking Lingling to investigate the Zhao Clan.

The discovery was very heartbreaking; to think that even a family member related by blood would do such a thing. It would shatter even the strongest belief…

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. It was only a matter of time until my father passed away. Zhao Youqian tried to kill me, but I’m still alive. Nothing has changed,” Zhao Youqian said.

“If you’re not planning to get your revenge for now, what are you thinking of doing?” Mo Fan asked.

“I was thinking of the same thing too… it seems like the plan we initially had isn’t going to work now,” Zhao Manyan said.

“Yeah, we were supposed to be derelict in our duties as we went on and get laid by the Japanese lolis, the mature women and b**ches in America and England, but we ended up winning the first place in the World College Tournament and becoming the role model of the people in our country,” Mo Fan exclaimed in mock protest. He could not understand which part had gone wrong along the journey that led them accidentally to performing as exemplars during the World College Tournament.

“Maybe I’ll travel around the world for a year or two to liven up myself. I’ll worry about what to do later,” Zhao Manyan said.

“Ah, traveling, why don’t you come with me? I’m on a job that involves a lot of traveling too. I bet you’ll like it. To make it better, the government is paying all the fees!” Mo Fan said.

“Sounds great, where are we going first?” Zhao Manyan’s eyes glittered after hearing Mo Fan’s plan.

The truth was, Zhao Manyan wanted to become stronger. He believed the traveling that Mo Fan mentioned was clearly going to involve training too. It was more efficient to go on adventures than just cultivating diligently. He accepted as soon as Mo Fan mentioned it.

“We’re going to Yantai. Speaking of which, it might have something to do with you too,” Mo Fan said.

“Me?” Zhao Manyan was confused.

“The creature that escorted you here is the Totem Beast Baxia, right?” Mo Fan said.

“Hehe, so you already knew! I wasn’t sure in the first place until he showed up in Venice. I thought I was dead for sure, but he brought me to a place, I have no idea where. I was seriously injured. It took me months just to recover, so I ended up spending all my time cultivating at that shitty place,” Zhao Manyan said.

“I didn’t think you would be so lucky,” Mo Fan said.

“Baxia isn’t fond of interacting with humans. I think he has gone back to the Pacific Ocean. Besides, I’m too weak, so he wasn’t too fond of me, either. It took a great effort just to convince him to bring me back here,” Zhao Manyan explained.

“A tsundere old turtle, so it seems. I’m curious how spectacular it would be if he was standing together with the Black Totem Snake,” Mo Fan said.

“He wasn’t fond of the Black Totem Snake either, even though they are brothers. They are like the kind that don’t want anything to do with one another,” Zhao Manyan said.

“…” Mo Fan felt his head hurting. It explained why the Black Totem Snake never mentioned that he had a brother.

“What did you mean by traveling?” Zhao Manyan asked.

“We are looking for Totem Beasts!”

Zhao Manyan’s jaw dropped.

That was a hell of a job! As expected of Mo Fan, the man who was always caught up in things that no one would even bother doing!

If Zhao Manyan had not come into contact with Baxia, he would be calling Mo Fan crazy right now. Totem Beasts were like ancient artifacts that had existed in the last era. They might be buried thousands of meters deep under the ground. They were most likely going to end up finding some bones and remains of the Totem Beasts…

However, Zhao Manyan now believed there were still Totem Beasts alive across the world. Some had indeed died off, but there were those that were secluded from mankind, similar to Baxia, by living in the territories of demon creatures!

“It’s going to be an interesting job. By the way, do you know that there’s still a seal on the wooden clapper? I can only unleash its full potential with an equivalent level of strength. Baxia isn’t willing to take my orders because I haven’t completely opened the seal of the wooden clapper,” Zhao Manyan said.

“That’s great then! Once you use the power of other Totem Beasts to crack open the seal, you’re basically invincible in the country. I bet Zhao Youqian wouldn’t even dare to lift his finger if you sent Baxia after him,” Mo Fan said.

Zhao Manyan nodded. He needed power, and the only way he could be powerful enough to face Zhao Youqian was with the Totem Beast!

Zhao Manyan no longer looked so lost after having a goal and a direction in mind. Zhao Manyan could not wait for the day that he finally earned the approval of the tsundere old turtle and gained his formidable power!

—

Zhao Manyan went back to school. He secretly bought an apartment as a playground for him and his girlfriends. His family was clueless about it, meaning that Zhao Youqian would not be looking for him there, either.

The place was very close to Mo Fan’s place. Mo Fan asked Zhao Manyan to give him Baxia’s Totem Seal. That way, he finally had the complete Totem Seal of the Black Tortoise!

The Totem Seal of the Black Tortoise might not be useful now, but who knew that it might turn out to be an important clue that would help them track down the other Totem Beasts. Mo Fan was still unsure if the Totem Beasts were connected to one another.

Zhao Manyan went back to his apartment to organize the information he had on Totem Beasts. Meanwhile, Mo Fan was lying on the resting chair on the balcony of his apartment.

He was the only person in the apartment. Both Ai Tutu and Mu Nujiao were nowhere to be seen.

Mo Fan suddenly sat upright after some time. He took out the Little Loach Pendant below his shirt.

Finding the Totem Beasts was indeed exciting, and the benefits were incredible too. However, they were not the main reason why Mo Fan was interested in them…

Little Loach, the special pendant that had been keeping Mo Fan company for a long time, felt alive to him too.

Nanyu had an interest in learning ancient lore, and had mentioned that the Little Loach Pendant was a vessel stronger than the wooden clapper.

If the wooden clapper was the symbolic vessel of Baxia, the descendant of the Black Tortoise, what was the Little Loach Pendant?

The Little Loach Pendant’s existence had always been a mystery. Mo Fan believed it might have represented a Totem Beast in the past, too…

He could only solve the mystery by finding the Totem Beast it was representing!

“Little Loach, you have a seal on you too, right? Every time you eat something delicious, the seal will open a little, giving me great benefits… I bet the energy that the Totem Beasts have is your favorite too!” Mo Fan murmured to himself, looking at the Little Loach Pendant.

Mo Fan’s rate of improvement was still too slow. At least, he thought it was slow, compared to how quickly Mu Ningxue was improving.

Mu Ningxue had been cultivating diligently. The power she received from activating the pieces of the Ice Crystal Bow was quite remarkable, too.

Since Mo Fan had six Elements to take care of, just being diligent was never going to be enough for him, not to mention that he would have eight Elements in total once he became a Super Mage.

Therefore, it was necessary to upgrade the Little Loach Pendant further!

Well, it might be inappropriate to say it was upgrading…

Initially, Tangyue told Mo Fan that the Little Loach Pendant was the kind of magic equipment that was able to grow, thus Mo Fan assumed that the Little Loach Pendant had been growing after devouring the things it was interested in.

However, it turned out that the Little Loach Pendant was most likely a symbolic vessel placed under a seal. It was closely related to the Totem Beasts. Every time it devoured some suitable source of energy, it would open the seal restricting its powers a little bit, thus granting Mo Fan more energy and benefits!

Mo Fan understood what he had to do after arriving at that conclusion.

It was also the reason why Mo Fan had accepted the job right away after Shao Zheng told him about the Totem Beasts.

There was nothing that could make him stronger as efficiently as the Little Loach Pendant. If he already had a mountain of gold waiting to be dug up, why would he bother wandering around aimlessly?

Besides, Mo Fan was very eager to learn the secrets of the Little Loach Pendant!

If Baxia was already so powerful, how powerful would the Totem Beast that the Little Loach Pendant was linked to be?