Chapter 631: Tea House
Chapter 631: Tea House
Within the perception of Shen Shi's hazy consciousness, two figures could be seen in the boudoir of the Wang Family's matriarch, though their actions were unclear.
Mo Hua wanted to go in and drag out the Flower Thief, but Murong Caiyun stopped him.
"You're still young, don't taint your eyes with such sights."
Mo Hua blinked, not quite understanding, but obediently stayed back.
Thus, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu waited outside, keeping guard.
Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian entered the boudoir.
Soon after, a woman's sharp scream pierced the air from within the room, followed by the sound of shattering glass. A disheveled man, his clothes in disarray, fled through the broken window, pursued by spells and spirit needles that left him vomiting blood and in a pitiful state.
Piqued by curiosity, Mo Hua sneaked a glance into the boudoir through the broken window.
Inside, the room was in disarray, with robes and skirts strewn across the floor.
A disheveled woman, her face covered in grime, huddled under a blanket, shouting indignantly:
"How dare you!"
"Who are you people?"
"This is the inner chamber of the Wang family, how dare you trespass!"
Outside, the Flower Thief, Hua Langjun, was already intercepted by Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.
Murong Caiyun sneered at the woman, "As the matriarch of the Wang family, you dare to bring a seducer into your chambers and still have the audacity to act so shamelessly!"
The woman glared at Murong Caiyun with contempt, "What seducer?"
"What do you know, little girl? Langjun loves me. He told me that he only seduces other women to cultivate, never giving his true heart..."
"But with me, it's different. That's why he only consorts with me and never takes my essence."
As the woman spoke, jealousy and resentment welled up within her. "Those lowly women, they're so fortunate to be chosen by Langjun..."
Murong Caiyun felt her anger rising, her teeth clenching in fury, momentarily at a loss for words.
Mo Hua, eavesdropping from outside, offered a "kind" reminder, "Maybe he doesn't take your essence because he's fattening you up like a pig, waiting until your cultivation is higher before draining you all at once..."
Mo Hua's words were sharp and piercing, yet his expression remained sympathetic.
After all, the truth was plain to see—a dog couldn't change its habit of eating feces, and a seducer wouldn't refrain from taking what they desired.
"Pigs are always fattened before they're slaughtered..." Mo Hua added.
The woman froze at his words, her defenses crumbling instantly.
Rage and humiliation surged within her, her face reddening as she pointed a trembling finger at Mo Hua, "You... you..."
Before she could unleash a torrent of curses, Hua Qianqian swiftly struck an acupoint with a spirit needle, rendering her unconscious.
Despite having the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment, this woman had lived a life of luxury and indulgence, spending her time keeping a secret lover behind her husband's back. Her true strength was pathetically weak.
As for the woman's fate, it would be decided by the Wang family and the opinions of the higher-ups in the Dao Court.
The immediate priority was to capture the seducer, Hua Langjun.
Having escaped through the broken window, Hua Langjun fled for his life, only to be intercepted by Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu, who had been waiting outside.
Ouyang Feng's longsword danced like the wind, while Shangguan Xu's heavy sword was as immovable as a mountain.
Together, they surrounded Hua Langjun, leaving him no avenue of escape.
Mo Hua stepped out and immediately recognized the man—his handsome features marred by an unnaturally pale complexion and a dissolute expression. It could be none other than the infamous Hua Langjun.
Like most seducers, Hua Langjun possessed exceptional agility, but his mastery of the Dao was lacking.
In a duel with Ouyang Feng, he was clearly outmatched, yet he remained unhurt, surrounded by a pinkish aura, his movements graceful like falling petals. For the moment, he could hold his own, with no imminent threat to his life.
Soon, a crowd of Wang family cultivators gathered, their expressions a mix of shock, embarrassment, and anger.
Some sneered, enjoying the spectacle; others covered their faces, ashamed; while a few seethed with righteous indignation.
A group of cultivators from the Wang family joined forces to capture Hua Langjun.
However, their clumsy attempts only provided him with an opportunity to catch his breath.
Mo Hua, initially irritated by their interference, soon realized their true intentions. Their evasive gazes and hesitant actions betrayed their hidden agenda.
If Hua Langjun were captured, the Wang family's reputation would be irrevocably tarnished. The scandal of the matriarch harboring a seducer would rock the entire Lushan City, bringing shame to the family for centuries.
The best-case scenario for the Wang family would be to capture Hua Langjun and kill him, destroying all evidence and denying the incident altogether.
The second-best option would be to let him escape, failing to catch him in the act, thus reducing the whole affair to mere "rumors."
The worst-case scenario would be if Hua Langjun fell into their hands—Mo Hua and his senior martial siblings—and was handed over to the Dao Court, where he would be tried, convicted, and the truth would be permanently etched into the records.
In that case, the Wang family would be irrevocably disgraced.
Therefore, their primary goal was to capture Hua Langjun themselves. Failing that, they must prevent him from falling into the hands of Mo Hua and the other sect disciples...
Understanding their motives, Mo Hua smiled faintly and refrained from taking action, choosing instead to sit back and watch the unfolding drama.
The behavior of the Wang family cultivators did not surprise him. As they realized their inability to capture Hua Langjun, they began to deliberately obstruct Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.
Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu soon caught on and grew irritated. Their attacks became less restrained, no longer holding back their strength.
Since the Wang family cultivators were pretending to help while hindering them, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu decided to "accidentally" strike them with a few sword slashes, taking advantage of their guilty consciences to keep them silent.
Faced with their own injuries, the Wang family cultivators dared not make a fuss.
However, this turn of events played into Hua Langjun's hands, as the chaos provided him with an opportunity to escape. With a few nimble maneuvers, he managed to put several yards between himself and his pursuers.
This distance was enough for him to make a getaway.
Ouyang Feng, slightly annoyed, channeled his spiritual power, his sword intent chilling. He was about to forcefully strike down, not only Hua Langjun but also the obstructing Wang family cultivators.
Just then, a faint voice called out, "Brother Feng..."
Ouyang Feng paused, turning to see Mo Hua standing by, his sleeves tucked behind him, a calm expression on his face, signaling with his eyes.
Ouyang Feng understood and sheathed his sword, as did Shangguan Xu with his heavy sword.
Everyone watched as Hua Langjun climbed over the wall of the rear courtyard, breaking through the array, and headed for the outer wall of the Wang family compound.
His escape caused quite a commotion, with people shouting and animals scurrying in his wake.
The entire Wang family was in an uproar, a chaotic mess of shadows and noise.
And so, Hua Langjun escaped.
Mo Hua had seen enough. Nodding, he rose to his feet and set off with Murong Caiyun and the others in pursuit of Hua Langjun, leaving the Wang family compound behind.
There was no way he could flee from Mo Hua's grasp. And even if he somehow managed to break free, Mo Hua still had the Tianji Divination to trace his every move and find him without fail.
From the moment he appeared before Mo Hua, he was like a cooked duck, destined to end up on the dinner table, with no chance of flying away.
After leaving the Wang family and shaking off their pursuers, it took Murong Caiyun and her group less than half an hour, guided by Mo Hua, to locate Hua Langjun. They found him in a secluded cave on the outskirts of Lushan City, where he had fled and believed he had finally escaped, taking a moment to rest and recover.
Hua Langjun's face was filled with shock as he exclaimed, "How did you find me here?"
This cave was his secret hideout, known only to him.
Ouyang Feng didn't bother to respond and instead pointed his Yellow Maple longsword at Hua Langjun, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, "It's time for you to face your end."
Hua Langjun responded with a cold smile, his expression still arrogant, clearly not considering Ouyang Feng and the others as worthy opponents.
If he had escaped once, he could do it again.
His agility was unparalleled in this second-rate immortal city, allowing him to move freely, seducing and stealing from women without anyone daring to stop him.
But what he didn't know was that his previous escape had only been possible because a certain young cultivator had chosen not to intervene...
However, things were different now.
Mo Hua had no intention of letting him get away this time.
Hua Langjun's smile remained defiant as he gracefully leaped to his feet, preparing to flee once more.
From a distance, Mo Hua lifted a finger, and water vapor instantly condensed, forming a binding seal that locked onto Hua Langjun, who was mid-air, stepping on the wind.
Hua Langjun's arrogance faded as he found himself trapped by the sudden appearance of the water prison technique, his eyes filled with shock.
And like a kite whose string had been cut before it even had a chance to fly, he fell straight to the ground.
Ouyang Feng, his anger long simmering, stepped forward, sword in hand, and struck Hua Langjun down once more as he desperately tried to break free from the water prison.
Shangguan Xu joined in, adding a few more strikes with his sword.
Murong Caiyun, filled with disgust for such scum, showed no mercy. Her five-colored spiritual light seared through Hua Langjun's limbs, ensuring he would never escape again.
Beside her, Hua Qianqian, her pretty face stern, continuously stabbed him with spiritual needles...
Hua Langjun could only writhe on the ground, begging for mercy, a far cry from his earlier arrogance.
And with that, the capture was complete.
Hua Langjun's legs were broken, and he was bound with spiritual locks.
Mo Hua took out the "iron board" and began the interrogation process, obtaining several jade slips, a cultivation technique for stealing essence, a scroll of evil body techniques, two pornographic paintings, spiritual stones, bewitching pills, and some personal items belonging to women, such as scented pouches and clothing.
As these items were "extracted," Murong Caiyun promptly "confiscated" them, not wanting Mo Hua to be corrupted by such things.
"I'll give you more merit points later. You don't need these unclean things. Hand them over to the Dao Court, or return them to their rightful owners..." Murong Caiyun instructed.
"Oh..."
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
He had no use for evil cultivation techniques.
However, he was curious about Hua Langjun's body technique manual and wanted to study it to understand the principles behind the evil cultivators' movements and look for any potential weaknesses.
He also wanted to examine the jade slips for any information or clues related to the Sinful Sect.
But since Murong Caiyun wasn't willing to let him see them, there was little he could do.
As a notorious womanizer, Hua Langjun likely carried items that were inappropriate for Mo Hua's young eyes, things that would taint his innocence.
Oh well, Mo Hua thought to himself, perhaps it's better that I don't see them...
And so, he tried to comfort himself.
The rest was a simple matter of tying up loose ends.
Hua Langjun was to be taken to the Dao Court, where he would be imprisoned and await trial.
This was a standard procedure, but back at the Wang family, chaos ensued.
What a family did behind closed doors was usually of no concern to others.
However, when such matters were brought to light, it became a different story, especially when it involved a family head's lack of discipline and the defilement of his wife's chambers.
Upon further inquiry, Mo Hua learned that the Wang family head and his partner had long been estranged, each pursuing their own interests.
The family head himself was no saint either.
But even he was shocked to discover the extent of his wife's secret affairs, especially her deep involvement with a seducer like Hua Langjun.
Mo Hua shook his head, disapproving of their behavior.
This couple, a pair of scumbags, seemed well-suited for each other.
However, Mo Hua, still young, had little interest in such romantic entanglements.
His goal in coming here was to capture Hua Langjun, earn merit points, and learn array formation techniques.
Everything else was of little concern to him.
With Hua Langjun's capture, their mission was complete.
Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu took custody of Hua Langjun, escorting him to the Dao Court in Lushan City, where they would record his confession and complete the necessary paperwork.
Meanwhile, Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian returned the stolen or extorted personal items, such as hairpins, scented pouches, and clothing, to the female cultivators who had fallen victim to Hua Langjun's schemes.
Some of these women had willingly given in to his charms, while others had been forced.
Their personal belongings had been taken by Hua Langjun as leverage for blackmail and threats.
It wouldn't be appropriate to hand these items over to the Dao Court, so Murong Caiyun thoughtfully returned them to the victims, ensuring their privacy.
Whether it was escorting Hua Langjun or returning these personal items, it would take some time.
The group split up to handle these tasks and planned to meet up later outside Lushan City before returning to their sect.
Mo Hua, having no part in these tasks, wandered outside the city, admiring the scenery while waiting for his senior martial siblings.
As he waited, his stomach began to rumble, and he extended his spiritual sense, soon discovering a teahouse nestled among the green mountains and clear waters in the distance.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he sent a message to Murong Caiyun, "Senior Martial Sister, I'll wait for you all at the teahouse outside the city!"
And with that, he nimbly leaped through the mountain paths, his steps light and cheerful, until he reached the teahouse.
The teahouse was modest in size, but it had set up a canopy outside, with several tables and chairs for customers.
A few scattered cultivators sat there, snacking on dried fruits and sipping cool tea as they chatted leisurely.
The owner, an elderly man with a stooped back, approached with a smile, "Would you like some tea, young master?"
"It's fine, I'll have a big bowl of noodles!"
"Alright," the old man agreed with a smile, "Please wait a moment, young master."
Mo Hua chose a table with a nice view of the wind and water, a pleasant scenery, and a clean-looking setting.
Before long, the noodles were served.
They looked decent, and after tasting them, Mo Hua found that while they weren't particularly delicious, they weren't bad either. He wasn't a picky eater, so he focused on slurping up the noodles.
As he ate, Mo Hua's thoughts returned to the task at hand.
Hua Langjun...
If he recalled correctly, the name "Hua Langjun" was also on Elder Jiang's "list."
So, this Hua Langjun was also a renegade disciple from a sect in the Qian Xue Province. Why did he suddenly appear in Lushan City?
Previously, at the Dao Court, Mo Hua had browsed through Hua Langjun's file.
This Hua Langjun was very cautious in his actions, mostly appearing in more remote immortal cities outside the Qian Xue Province.
The immortal governance in those cities was less strict, and the morals were more relaxed, with many brothels and red-light districts.
It was easier for these philanderers to hide in such places.
But why would he suddenly come to a place like Lushan City to prey on female cultivators from minor families?
Did he go astray in his cultivation of evil arts?
Or was it an addiction?
Surely he didn't think that in a second-rate province, no one could catch him...
As Mo Hua slurped his noodles, these thoughts swirled in his mind.
Suddenly, voices caught his attention, and he looked up to see another group of cultivators arriving.
The one leading them was tall and had a kind face. He was followed by two burly men and a skinny one.
"Two pots of tea, two plates of jerky, and four plates of dried fruit..."
They ordered tea and snacks and then found a secluded corner to sit and chat quietly.
Mo Hua didn't pay much attention at first and continued eating his noodles. However, his spiritual sense was strong, and his hearing was sharp, so he faintly caught the words "Hua Liulang."
"Hua Liulang?"
Mo Hua was taken aback, thinking he might have misheard, so he slowed down his noodle-eating and pricked up his ears to listen carefully.
After a while, he heard:
"Hua Liulang..."
"...Why isn't he here yet?"
"He promised..."
Mo Hua was puzzled.
This Hua Liulang...
Could he be Hua Langjun?
Were they a group?
Mo Hua didn't show any reaction and continued eating, but he extended his spiritual sense to its limit, eavesdropping on their conversation.
"...Missing the appointed time... Can he bear the consequences?"
"That good-for-nothing..."
"A lazy donkey shits and pisses all over the place..."
"Cultivating such a bird-brained technique, unable to control his lower body, what a waste..."
"Who knows... Probably lazing around in some woman's bed..."
"Hopefully, he won't die from overindulgence..."
"If he does, he deserves it..."
...
Mo Hua frowned as he listened, feeling more and more that they were talking about the same person.
He felt that the "Hua Liulang" they were referring to was the same philanderer he and his senior martial siblings had just captured—Hua Langjun.
What should he do? Find a way to capture them too?
Should he use the Earth Fire Array to take them all out at once?
...
Mo Hua shook his head.
Without knowing the full story or their backgrounds, it would be reckless to act impulsively, which could lead to misunderstandings.
Additionally, in his haste, he hadn't assessed their cultivation levels.
If these people were at the early Qi Refining stage, it would be manageable, but if they were at the middle Qi Refining stage, it would be more tricky.
The Earth Fire Array was only a thirteen-pattern formation.
It could injure those at the middle Qi Refining stage but might not be able to kill them.
Above the thirteen-pattern formations, most of the arrays he had learned from Master Xun's guidance were for production or confinement, and he hadn't mastered many killing arrays.
Moreover, with his current spiritual sense, he couldn't deploy a killing array above the thirteen-pattern level instantly.
It would take a dozen or so breaths, which was a bit too slow.
And in broad daylight, the array patterns would be too conspicuous and easily noticed.
It was better to be cautious.
Mo Hua thought to himself.
"Finish the noodles first, and then... wait for my senior martial siblings to arrive. With their help, we can figure out a way to capture these cultivators and get some answers..."
Acting alone would be too rash and risky.
Having made up his mind, Mo Hua continued eating his noodles with a sense of relief.
However, knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles.
So, while eating, Mo Hua took the opportunity to discreetly observe their movements with his peripheral vision, hoping to gauge their cultivation levels and the specifics of their techniques.
There were four cultivators in this group.
The two burly men seemed to be practicing a body-refining technique, as they had robust qi and blood, but they kept it well-contained.
Since he didn't know their backgrounds, Mo Hua was cautious about using his spiritual sense to probe too deeply, lest he draw their attention.
In addition, there was the skinny man, who had a sullen demeanor.
He seemed to be a spiritual cultivator, but Mo Hua couldn't discern the specifics of his cultivation method.
Among them, the leader was the tall man with a kind face.
While the others chatted and cursed "Hua Liulang," he remained silent, only drinking his tea and eating dried fruit.
He didn't touch the jerky on the table.
Mo Hua found this strange and turned slightly to glance at the cultivator, and as he did, a sense of familiarity washed over him. He felt that this man was the one he was looking for.
But he didn't know the man at all...
Mo Hua frowned and took another look, his pupils narrowing slightly.
Tall and kind-faced...
Under his ordinary cultivator's robe, a small section of red fabric with golden trim was visible at the cuff.
His head was covered with thick hair, tied in a topknot, but within the topknot were a few fiery red spots, carefully hidden...
Red kasaya and fire-dot scars...
Could he be...
Mo Hua's pupils dilated in shock.
Fire Buddha Tu?!
(End of Chapter)
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