Chapter 464: Secrets
Chapter 464: Secrets
Mo Hua asked, "What was your mother like?"
Shui Sheng's expression turned guarded, and he glanced at Mo Hua. Seeing the clarity in his eyes and the gentleness in his demeanor, devoid of ridicule or sarcasm, he slowly replied, "My mother... she had a questionable identity..."
The life of a courtesan was not something he could easily speak of.
"I know. She came from poverty and had no choice but to endure that life..." Mo Hua added, "And what else?"
Shui Sheng paused, then relaxed, a smile of affection spreading across his face.
"My mother was very good to me! She used to make me all sorts of flower cakes and crystal trotters."
"She had a beautiful smile and spoke gently. She loved to ruffle my hair..."
...
Shui Sheng shared many fragmented memories, each a snapshot of his life with his mother.
These were probably the only warm memories from his childhood.
So, when Shui Sheng spoke of his mother, his eyes curved in a smile, his expression innocent and filled with longing.
"What about your father?"
Shui Sheng's face fell instantly, his expression carrying a hint of disdain.
It was as if his father wasn't worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as his mother.
"My... Master..."
He couldn't even bring himself to call Su Zhanglao 'father'.
Shui Sheng continued, "He puts on a front..."
"He acts like he knows everything, but he never tells me anything, thinking I'm unaware."
"I know more than he thinks. But since he doesn't say anything, I keep quiet too..."
Mo Hua thought to himself:
You two are indeed father and son...
Both of you are feigning ignorance while being fully aware.
"Master also wants me to study formations..."
Shui Sheng lowered his head. "But I... I have a questionable background and no talent. Studying formations isn't something someone like me should do."
"And formations are difficult. I just can't seem to grasp them."
"Out of all Master's disciples, I'm the slowest. They know things I don't, and they understand concepts that elude me. They can create formations that I can't even draw..."
"Master scolds me when I don't perform well, and the worse I am, the angrier he gets."
"But he also values me greatly and often keeps me by his side. The poorer my performance, the more effort he puts into teaching me."
"The other disciples are jealous and exclude me..."
"I don't like staying there..."
Shui Sheng's expression turned dejected.
Mo Hua nodded, understanding Shui Sheng's predicament. He asked, "Do you want to study formations?"
Shui Sheng hesitated before nodding. "Yes."
"I don't really care about it myself, but I want to make my mother happy. Her wish was for me to become a respectable formation master, just like my... Master."
"That way, no matter my background, people wouldn't look down on me."
"My mother is no longer here, and I can't see her, but whenever I study formations or think about becoming a formation master, I feel her spirit watching over me, silently accompanying me..."
Shui Sheng's voice caught, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Mo Hua, too, thought of his own mother.
Even though he was currently wandering far from home, unable to eat his mother's cooking or be by her side, she was always waiting for him.
After his travels and upon mastering formations, he could return to her.
But for Shui Sheng, it was different. He would never see his mother again in this lifetime...
Mo Hua sighed and patted him on the shoulder, offering encouragement. "Don't worry, you can master formations."
Shui Sheng felt both grateful and unworthy of this encouragement. He stammered, "My... my talent is too lacking..."
Mo Hua whispered, "Su Zhanglao's talent isn't that much better than yours."
Shui Sheng's eyes widened. "Really? But he's a first-rate formation master."
Mo Hua whispered, "You're father and son. How different can your talents be? If he can become a first-rate formation master, you definitely can too."
Shui Sheng wouldn't have believed these words ordinarily.
Even father and son could have vastly different talents.
But coming from Mo Hua, who had already achieved the rank of a first-rate formation master at such a young age, these words carried significant weight.
Shui Sheng's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he mumbled, "I... I can really become a first-rate formation master?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Yes, but your foundation is weak, so you'll need to put in more effort and time..."
"If not in twenty years, then in thirty. If not in thirty, then in fifty. If not in fifty, then in a hundred..."
"As long as you remain focused and persevere, you will definitely become a first-rate formation master, and your mother's spirit will rejoice."
"First-rate formation master..."
Shui Sheng's eyes began to shine.
"Yes." Shui Sheng nodded earnestly.
Mo Hua smiled gently, pleased.
Indeed, Shui Sheng's talent fell short of Su Zhanglao's, but not to the extent that he couldn't learn formations.
Moreover, he had a solid foundation, a first-rate formation master as his master and father, and the support of his sect. With proper guidance and dedication, mastering formations to become a first-rate formation master was well within his reach.
With a weak foundation, he studied diligently without seeking clarification, which naturally led to a lack of understanding.
This father and son duo complicated a simple issue, which is why they were both unhappy with each other.
Su Zhanglao had a relatively open-minded temperament, but when it came to the only child of his beloved, he unknowingly became biased and clouded his own judgment.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then instructed:
"Just remember, you want to learn array formations, and nothing else matters."
"Whether your master praises or scolds you, pay no heed."
"If there's something you don't understand, go and ask him. If he refuses to answer, keep asking until you get a clear explanation. Don't feel embarrassed about it."
"Treat his nagging, complaints, and chastisements as if they were the wind passing by your ears."
"The most important thing, the only thing that matters, is for you to learn array formations!"
Shui Sheng's eyes lit up with understanding, and he nodded solemnly at Mo Hua.
Seeing that Shui Sheng had grasped the essence of his words, Mo Hua smiled softly, his eyes narrowing.
A moment later, Mo Hua's expression turned serious as he recalled something. He slowly asked, "Shui Sheng, I want to ask you something."
"Go ahead, Little Master. Feel free to ask me anything," Shui Sheng replied with a smile.
Mo Hua asked with a hint of apology, "How did your mother die?"
Shui Sheng was taken aback, his smile fading as his expression turned pained. With determination, he answered, "My mother was killed!"
Mo Hua frowned slightly. "Have you ever told your master this?"
Shui Sheng nodded. "Yes, I've told him many times. I always tell him that my mother was killed."
"He believed me at first, but gradually, he stopped believing it..."
Mo Hua's gaze intensified. "Do you know who did it?"
Shui Sheng shook his head, his voice filled with disappointment. "I don't know..."
His eyes then narrowed with hatred as he continued, "But I know it must have been the Lu family!"
"The Lu family?" Mo Hua echoed, slightly taken aback.
"Yes, the Lu family!" Shui Sheng emphasized.
His expression turned sorrowful as he explained, "The Baihua Tower is owned by the Lu family. Not only my mother, but many of the aunties and sisters there were sold to the Lu family."
"The Lu family could hit or scold them as they pleased."
"Even if they were tortured to death, the Daotinsi wouldn't care."
"My mother, just like the other aunties and sisters, must have died at the hands of the Lu family!"
Shui Sheng's eyes turned red with unshed tears, and his voice grew angrier as he spoke.
Mo Hua felt a pang of sympathy and asked, "Did you witness it yourself?"
Shui Sheng shook his head.
"Do you have any evidence?" Mo Hua inquired further.
Shui Sheng lowered his head and shook it again, his voice muted. "I have no evidence, and I don't have the ability to find any. My master doesn't want me to go looking either..."
Su Zhanglao was probably worried about him encountering danger.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought.
The Lu family built Jinhuai Street, forced the Mines to sell girls, and established the Baihua Tower, not just for their own pleasure and profit but also to bribe and curry favor with various factions' cultivators through indulgences.
The factions they aimed to influence included the Daotinsi, Nanyue Zong, and other families and sects.
By doing so, they would all be in the same boat.
Shui Xian was the bargaining chip in this scheme.
And Su Zhanglao, as the Nanyue Zong's influential elder with a Foundation Establishment cultivation and a first-rate formation master, was naturally a target for their schemes.
However, they hadn't anticipated Su Zhanglao's deep emotional involvement.
Shui Xian's life was cut short, a tragic beauty.
But was that truly all there was to it?
Could it be that Shui Xian had discovered some secret of the Lu family, and that was why she died?
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then took out several portraits.
These portraits were of the individuals he suspected of being traitors of Xiaolingyin Zong: Lu Huaiyi, Lu Huaisheng, Lu Huaide, Shen Cai, and Jiang Long.
"Do you know any of these people?" Mo Hua asked.
Shui Sheng examined the portraits and furrowed his brows. "They seem vaguely familiar, but I don't recognize any of them..."
"Is there anyone who stands out to you?" Mo Hua inquired further.
Shui Sheng studied the portraits for a while longer and then shook his head. "No..."
He asked, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Little Master, is there something wrong with these people?"
"Someone did something bad, and these individuals are all suspects. I want to investigate," Mo Hua explained.
Shui Sheng asked in a soft voice, "What bad thing did they do?"
"It's too dangerous to discuss," Mo Hua replied.
"Oh." Shui Sheng nodded in understanding.
Suddenly, a look of confusion crossed Shui Sheng's face, and he asked, "These people don't seem to be from the same group. Why are they all suspects?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "Basically, they all understand array formations, they're all married into the Lu family, they hold real power, and they have status within the Lu family. Moreover, they've all overseen the mines at some point..."
Shui Sheng nodded, whispering, "Oh, just like the head of the Lu family..."
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat as he felt a chill run down his spine.
"What do you mean, 'just like'?" he asked urgently.
"Well... they're more or less the same," Shui Sheng counted off on his fingers, "they understand array formations, they're married into the family, they have status, and they control the mines..."
Mo Hua's breath caught in his throat, and his face reflected his utter disbelief. Could the head of the Lu family be a son-in-law?!
(End of Chapter)
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