5 years had passed since that day.
The world had somewhat calmed down, yet the playful voice of a young boy echoed in the walls of the Mo family of Tianliang.
"Father! Father! Mother is calling for you!!"
Inside a spacious hall, a young boy, dressed in white robes ran with small, hurried steps, his tiny fist clenched with excitement.
His long black hair flowed into the air as a bright, adorable smile adorned his cute little face.
His eyes lit up as he saw Mo Tianxun sitting afar on his throne and quickly called him out.
"Faaaaather!!!" His voice softly echoed through the hall.
Mo Tianxun, lost in his thoughts, absentmindedly ran his fingers through his beard and snapped back into reality as he heard the little kid's voice.
His face lit up as he saw him running towards him.
"What happened, Wu'er?" He asked softly as a smile tugged onto his face.
"Mother is... calling for you!" He replied as he finally stopped in front of his father to recover his breath.
Mo Tianxun rose up at once and gently patted his child, a quiet affection in his touch.
The kid chuckled and smiled at his father, while his father let out a deep, relentless sigh. His expression changed as weariness crept onto his eyes.
'So the time has come huh...' he thought while looking at the kid as tears welled in his eyes.
He turned around quickly to hide and regain his composure, and without turning back, he said softly, "Go play with your friends now."
The little kid, oblivious to worldly affairs, smiled brightly before humming a nod as he left running.
Mo Tianxun's eyes drifted towards the kid, his face a mix of sadness and regret.
'Live well, my son... and do not ever abandon that name of yours... Mo Wusheng...' a thought appeared in his mind as his eyes followed the back of his running child.
It was strange, yet comforting. Not being able to witness his child's future was one thing, but being able to secure his future was something that he had to make sure of.
He turned around and with a smile on his face, vanished without any traces.
***
Outside the pavilion, the chuckles of a small kid echoed throughout the well-paved roads of the Tianliang.
Mo Wusheng ran across the street with an innocent smile that stretched across his face.
The streets were bustling with people. The faint hum of the breezing wind touched his face, making his long, dark hair flow elegantly in the air.
He weaved in through the small gaps in between the crowd. Suddenly, a tall man hidden in the mask of a veil and long black robes came in his way, causing Wusheng to bump and fall backward.
"Ouch..." He groaned as he rubbed his forehead with his hands.
He quickly got up and without hesitation, bowed his head slightly while cupping his hands.
"So-Sorryy!" He softly shouted.
A smile crept onto the man's face as he saw the kid apologizing to him. Thinking that the man had accepted his apology, he uncupped his hands and started to walk again.
"We've found him." The man said in a subtle, calm voice.
The kid had heard those words perfectly but didn't mind them even a bit, thinking they were talking about something else.
He kept moving forward while humming his way through his boredom, until suddenly, he felt a sudden pressure on the back of his neck.
It was too sudden of a thing; his vision blurred as he felt his body losing its balance.
Just as he was about to fall to the ground, he disappeared as though he never existed there in the first place, along with the robed man who was standing beside him.
***
While somewhere far, far away...
A grin slithered onto the face of a mysterious figure—sitting on a throne leisurely while his eyes drifted downwards as though he was observing the whole cosmos.
A heinous, chuckle escaped his lips as his eyes crowned. His silhouette changed in a matter of seconds and he disappeared without leaving a single trace behind.
However, as he disappeared, his voice rang through the entire space as if it were the will of a god.
"So, your time has come, huh? My dear Davey~" his voice felt hoarse, yet soul soothing at the same time. His words were bewitching but powerful enough to make nature resonate with them.