https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-425-The-Hundred-Flowers-Pavilion/12541441/
Chapter 426: Female Cultivators
Chapter 426: Female Cultivators
Elder Su was even adept at pretending to be unfamiliar with the situation, his expression one of practiced innocence.
Mo Hua understood and nodded, "Rest assured, Elder Su. I get it."
Elder Su sighed helplessly, feeling that he had no way to refute her claims.
Fortunately, a group of charming and graceful female cultivators soon entered, causing Elder Su to breathe a sigh of relief.
With these young ladies around, Mo Hua wouldn't be staring at him anymore.
Elder Su smiled and asked Mo Hua, "So, what do you think?"
Mo Hua began to appraise the group of female cultivators.
Indeed, as per Elder Su's instructions, they were all young, with subtle makeup, and no pretentious or coquettish airs about them. They stood in a row, modest and proper.
As Mo Hua examined them, the group of young ladies also took the opportunity to scrutinize Mo Hua and his companions.
Elder Su, as a regular customer, was nothing new to them.
What surprised them, however, were the three young male cultivators—Mo Hua, Bai Zi Sheng, and Bai Zi Xi.
The female cultivators gazed at them with admiring eyes, their beautiful eyes sparkling.
Mo Hua's features were exquisite, like a painting come to life, while Bai Zi Sheng had a heroic sword-like brow and bright, starry eyes. But it was Bai Zi Xi who truly captured their attention; her phoenix eyebrows were breathtakingly gorgeous.
The female cultivators looked at Mo Hua with fondness, at Bai Zi Sheng with admiration, but when their eyes fell on Bai Zi Xi, their faces flushed, and they lowered their eyes, unable to meet her gaze directly. They stole glances at her with shimmering eyes, their hearts fluttering.
This reaction left Mo Hua perplexed.
He, too, stole a glance at Bai Zi Xi, who noticed his furtive look and turned to him, confusion evident on her face. "What's wrong?"
Mo Hua frowned, his brows knitting together as he muttered, "Something's not right..."
Even though she was dressed in men's clothing and exuded a stern aura, with an androgynous beauty, there was no mistaking the femininity in her delicate features.
Mo Hua couldn't understand why these female cultivators were staring at his little senior sister like that, their faces flushed with what seemed like admiration.
Bai Zi Xi, noticing Mo Hua's furrowed brow, thought he might be feeling unwell. She moved closer to him, their shoulders touching, and reached out with her slender hand to touch his forehead. After a moment, she exclaimed softly, "Your forehead feels a little warm."
Lowering her head, she looked at him with concern. "And why is your face flushed?"
Mo Hua's fair cheeks were indeed tinged with a rosy hue.
"It's... a bit stuffy in here," he stammered, feeling flustered.
Bai Zi Xi glanced around at their flowery surroundings and, mistaking his flushed cheeks for discomfort from the heavy scent of cosmetics, suggested, "Let's not come to places like this in the future."
"Mhm," Mo Hua nodded gently in agreement.
The look of Mo Hua's flushed face did not escape Elder Su's notice, and he nodded in satisfaction.
This was more like it.
This was the demeanor one would expect from a young man.
Mo Hua, with his usual quick wit, eloquent speech, and deep, enigmatic eyes, often left Elder Su feeling a bit guilty under his intense gaze.
But now, with his flushed cheeks and shy demeanor, he looked much more endearing.
Elder Su reminisced about his own first visit to such a place, when he had felt equally flustered and his face had been even redder than Mo Hua's.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he asked, "Young Master, didn't you have a question to ask?"
Mo Hua recalled his original purpose and, after taking a discreet sip of tea to calm himself, he spoke up.
"Sisters, I'm looking for information about someone. May I ask if any of you have seen him?"
The female cultivators exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.
Those who came to this place were all guests, and according to the rules of the establishment, they were not supposed to reveal the identities of other patrons.
Elder Su interjected, "Go ahead and answer his questions. I assure you, nothing will happen. If you provide useful information, I'll give you this jade bracelet as a reward."
He placed a exquisite jade bracelet on the table. It exuded a refined and delicate aura, with a subtle flow of spiritual energy, clearly a valuable item.
The female cultivators' eyes lit up at the sight of the bracelet, and they nodded in agreement.
"Please ask away, young master. If we know anything, we will certainly tell you."
Mo Hua inquired, "Have any of you seen a cultivator who looks like a scholar and might be an array master here at the Hundred Flowers Tower before?"
The female cultivators paused, then silently turned their gazes toward Elder Su.
Elder Su immediately protested, "It wasn't me!"
The female cultivators pouted but turned their attention back to Mo Hua.
They thought quietly for a moment, and then one of them, dressed in a blue robe, spoke up. "There are quite a few cultivators who fit that description. Perhaps you could provide some additional details to narrow down the search?"
Mo Hua proceeded to describe Yan Jiao Xu's appearance and demeanor—his serious and rigid yet diligent and responsible attitude.
The female cultivators shook their heads, indicating that they had no recollection of such a person.
Mo Hua frowned, then turned to Elder Su with an apologetic look on his face. "Elder Su, may I ask them some questions in private?"
Elder Su hesitated, realizing that there might be something sensitive about this matter that required his temporary absence. He nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go next door and listen to some music while you ask your questions."
Mo Hua smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Elder Su."
Elder Su got up and left the room.
Mo Hua was about to inquire further about the gray-robed cultivator when he stopped mid-sentence, having noticed something. He got up and walked to the screen, poking his head around the corner to address Elder Su in the next room.
"Elder Su, don't eavesdrop, okay?"
"I'm a Qi Refining cultivator. How could my spiritual sense be detected just like that?"
This spiritual sense of yours is a bit outrageous...
Or does Mo Hua have some other means of detection?
Regardless, getting caught eavesdropping was still embarrassing.
Su Zhanglao's face turned red, and he coughed, not knowing how to deny it. "Go ahead and ask your questions. I won't listen in."
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
After returning to his seat and confirming that Su Zhanglao wasn't eavesdropping anymore, as well as ensuring no other cultivators were listening in, Mo Hua asked, "Have any of you seen any strange cultivators here at the Hundred Flowers Tower?"
The female cultivators were taken aback by the question.
"What do you mean by strange?"
Cultivators of all sorts frequented the establishment, and while some might be considered strange compared to the average cultivator, they were nothing out of the ordinary in this place.
After all, this kind of establishment attracted all kinds of people, including those with peculiar appearances.
Mo Hua thought for a moment before continuing, "Someone with a strange odor about them."
"What kind of strange odor?"
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly. "Cold, faint, and putrid, like... the smell of a dead person."
The female cultivators were startled by his words. They hadn't expected Mo Hua, at such a young age, to be asking about such eerie things.
But a cold, putrid smell... the scent of a dead person...
What kind of cultivator was he talking about?
The female cultivators frowned, their brows furrowing in confusion, and they all shook their heads.
Mo Hua looked disappointed. "Thank you, sisters. You may leave now."
He then added, "But please don't tell anyone else about our conversation. It could be dangerous."
The female cultivators' hearts skipped a beat, and they nodded in understanding.
Mo Hua then gave each of them a spirit stone.
Their faces lit up with smiles, and they thanked him before leaving one by one.
As the female cultivators were leaving, Mo Hua stopped the one in the green robe.
"Sister, please brew a pot of tea for me."
Mo Hua said with a smile.
The green-robed female cultivator, Qing Lan, paused, and then smiled back. "Of course, as you wish, young master."
Qing Lan sat down at the table, lit a fire, boiled water, and slowly brewed the tea.
Mo Hua leaned in and asked quietly, "You know about that cultivator, don't you?"
Qing Lan's expression turned flustered, but she quickly composed herself and smiled. "Young master, you're joking."
Mo Hua whispered, "It's just us here, and your sisters didn't hear what we're talking about. Just tell me quietly."
Qing Lan hesitated, her face conflicted.
Mo Hua then slipped the jade bracelet that Su Zhanglao had given him into her hand. "This is for you."
Qing Lan was surprised, her face lighting up with joy. After a moment of internal struggle, her eyes firmed with determination, and she nodded.
"Okay."
"Sister, what's your name?"
"Qing Lan."
Mo Hua asked, "Sister Qing Lan, have you seen that cold, putrid-smelling cultivator?"
Qing Lan's expression turned solemn, and she nodded.
Mo Hua waited for her to continue.
Qing Lan said, "That person is a regular customer at the Hundred Flowers Tower. He wears gray robes and usually covers his face, so it's hard to make out his features..."
"He often stays here, but he comes and goes mysteriously. I don't know when he enters or leaves."
"That person has a strange odor about him. At first, I just thought it was odd, unable to pinpoint the exact scent. But when you mentioned it just now, I realized that it does indeed smell a bit like... the scent of a dead person..."
Qing Lan's face was filled with trepidation and a hint of panic.
Mo Hua poured her a cup of hot tea.
Qing Lan took a sip, and her expression eased a little.
Mo Hua asked, "How did you get to know him?"
Qing Lan stammered, "I'm close with Sister Yu Lan. He stayed with her a few times, and that's how I met him."
"But he's a bit eerie and sinister, so I stayed away and didn't interact with him much."
Mo Hua asked further, "Did he always stay with Sister Yu Lan?"
Qing Lan nodded. "Yes, before."
"Before?"
Qing Lan lowered her head, clutching the corner of her robe, her fingers turning white. "Yes."
Mo Hua frowned. "Did something happen?"
Qing Lan bit her lip, trying to hold back, but tears started to fall. "Sister Yu Lan... she... she died..."
Mo Hua was taken aback. "Died?"
Qing Lan's face was ashen. "Not just Sister Yu Lan. Supposedly, all the sisters who attended to him before also died mysteriously..."
"Sister Yu Lan is dead..."
"And the next one would have been me..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
