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Chapter 686: The Well
Chapter 686: The Well
When did it happen?
Mo Hua's first thought turned to the golden lotus three-colored carp.
"I ate the fish and drank the soup, so was it the river god's sinister thoughts that intruded into my sea of consciousness?"
Mo Hua's heart stirred, and he suddenly remembered something, his heart tightening.
Yu'er!
Yu'er had eaten the golden three-colored carp just like he had. If his sea of consciousness was tainted by the evil god's sinister thoughts, then Yu'er's sea of consciousness must also be contaminated.
By now, the night was deep, and Mo Hua didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately got up and went to the neighboring door. Before he could knock, the door opened.
Wen Renwei stood at the doorway, his expression calm but his eyes holding a hint of surprise.
"Young Master Mo?"
Mo Hua quickly said, "I'm here to check on Yu'er."
Wen Renwei's eyes clouded with confusion, but seeing Mo Hua's anxious expression, he didn't dare to be careless. He promptly invited Mo Hua in.
Mo Hua entered, passing through layers of exquisite and elegant screens, and furniture that was not only expensive but also whimsically designed, until he reached the inner bedroom.
Yu'er lay on the bed, drooling from the corner of his mouth, sleeping soundly in a sprawled-out position...
He slept peacefully, his spiritual sense stable, with no signs of anything amiss.
Mo Hua's pupils deepened as he released his spiritual sense, examining Yu'er carefully several times before finally confirming that there were no evil spirits bothering him. Only then did he gently exhale in relief.
However, Mo Hua's brows furrowed slightly.
"Yu'er is fine..."
"Young Master Mo?" Wen Renwei asked softly, "Is there something wrong with Young Master Yu?"
Mo Hua snapped back to attention and shook his head. "No, I was just being overly concerned."
Wen Renwei also relaxed, his brows smoothing out as he said solemnly, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master."
Mo Hua smiled and decided not to disturb Yu'er's sleep. He returned to his own room and pondered, leaning on the table.
It was late, but Mo Hua had no desire to sleep. His mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.
"I ate the meat and soup of that golden lotus three-colored carp, and so did Yu'er, but he's completely fine..."
"That means it's not an issue with the three-colored carp."
"If it's not the carp, then what else could it be..."
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, carefully retracing the events of the past few days in his mind.
From tracking Over-the-River-Dragon, to entering the small fishing village, the blood fog, Old Yu, the Wang family cultivator, and finally leaving the village with the basket containing the three-colored carp...
If his sight had been invaded by sinister thoughts, he should have been able to sense it.
If it wasn't something he saw, then it must have been something he smelled or ate...
Moreover, it was something he ate that Yu'er hadn't...
"If it's not the three-colored carp, then it must be..."
Mo Hua paused in thought, his pupils narrowing slightly. "Old Yu's fish soup?"
In the past few days, the only thing he had consumed that Yu'er hadn't was that fish soup.
Mo Hua frowned.
"Could it be that the fish soup I had at Old Yu's house was the cause of the evil god's taint? But why? What's wrong with a pot of fish soup?" Mo Hua couldn't understand.
Just then, a flash of red suddenly appeared in his mind.
Mo Hua was startled.
He remembered that next to the fish tank where Old Yu kept the silver-scaled fish, there was a smaller fish tank. The tank was sealed shut, so he couldn't see what was inside, but he could vaguely make out a hint of red.
According to Old Yu, the tank contained a rare breed of red-water carp that couldn't be exposed to light.
As Mo Hua thought about it, he realized that the so-called "red-water carp" had an aura very similar to the blood-red fish that had invaded his sea of consciousness.
Old Yu...
Mo Hua's gaze sharpened.
"It seems I'll have to pay another visit to the fishing village when I have the time..."
If there was a problem with Old Yu's fish soup, then it was possible that all the fishing cultivators in the village had been subtly tainted by the evil god without even realizing it.
They were simply unaware of it.
The hardships of the fishing cultivators provided fertile ground for the evil god...
Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he suddenly realized that his eyes felt dry, as if there were still traces of tears from earlier.
Scenes from his dream floated back into his mind.
The joy and sorrow, life and death, the struggles to make a living, the despair of powerlessness, and the pain of being in love yet unable to be together...
They all intertwined in Mo Hua's heart once more.
Mo Hua sighed deeply.
This was just a dream of his, but it could also be the life of countless others...
...
Gu Changhai sent people to keep an eye on the fishing village, but after several days, there was still no sign of "Over-the-River-Dragon."
So, after a few days, when the weekly break arrived, Mo Hua couldn't wait to make another trip to the fishing village.
It was noon, and the sun shone brightly as the fishing cultivators bustled about the village.
From a distance, everything looked lively and ordinary.
But Mo Hua now knew that things were not as simple as they seemed.
He had only taken a sip of the fish soup in the fishing village, and his sea of consciousness had been invaded by the evil god's sinister thoughts.
That meant most of the cultivators in this village probably also had the blood-red fish in their sea of consciousness.
Other people's spirits were sealed within their own seas of consciousness.
Since Mo Hua couldn't enter another person's sea of consciousness, he naturally couldn't see what was inside.
He could only look for clues through external signs...
Mo Hua's pupils deepened, golden light appearing in his eyes as he released his spiritual sense, carefully scanning the fishing village. It was then that he discovered some things he had overlooked before.
Like the others, Old Yu's gaze would occasionally turn dull and lifeless, but his complexion had improved significantly.
It seemed that with the spiritual stones, he could send his two grandsons to join a sect, giving them a better future and sparing them a lifetime of hardship. Old Yu seemed to have a newfound lease on life, his spirit rejuvenated, and his eyes now held a spark of vitality.
It was already noon, and like all the other fishing cultivators in the village, his family was having fish soup for lunch.
Mo Hua stared at the fish soup, but surprisingly, he couldn't detect anything amiss.
It was just ordinary fish soup.
The soup was made with common spirit fish caught from the Misty River.
Old Yu did keep a small tank of peculiar "red-water carp," but it remained sealed, untouched.
Mo Hua frowned. Could he have guessed wrong? Could it be unrelated to the fish soup? After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to enter the village just yet and instead concealed himself to observe the surroundings of the small fishing village.
The village was built at the foot of a mountain, on a flat piece of land surrounded by forests, with the Misty River flowing nearby, just across a road.
As Mo Hua wandered around, his confusion only deepened.
"There's nothing..."
There were no idols of the evil god for worship.
No signs of parasitic creatures of the evil god.
No traces of evil cultivators, demon cultivators, or a demonic temple like the one in Bi Shan.
Not even an altar.
From all appearances, it was just an ordinary fishing village.
Of course, if it truly were ordinary, that would be a good thing...
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn.
Hunting required patience, and he decided to wait a little longer.
Thus, Mo Hua made his way to a large tree outside the village, where he employed the Flowing Water Step, coating his feet with spiritual energy and adhering to the tree trunk. With his hands tucked behind his back, he climbed up to the tallest branch and sat there, legs crossed, eyes sharply focused on the village below.
He wanted to see if he could find any more clues.
And so, Mo Hua sat, his gaze unwavering, until nightfall.
The night cast a veil of darkness over the village, shrouding everything in a murky haze.
The world grew dim.
The sky was devoid of stars, illuminated only by a half-moon that hung coldly, its pale light carrying a hint of desolation.
After an uneventful afternoon, Mo Hua, who had been battling drowsiness, suddenly felt a surge of alertness as if something was about to happen.
Indeed, nearly an hour later, as the night deepened and most of the village's lights went out, leaving only faint fishing fires flickering in the darkness, something began to unfold.
In Old Yu's house, the old man, who had been dozing off, opened his eyes.
He looked around to ensure everyone was asleep before quietly getting up, carrying the small fish tank containing the "red-water carp," tied securely with a hemp rope, on his back. With a hunched back, he crept out of the house and into the night.
From a distance, Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, and he, too, quietly descended from the tree, melding into the shadows of the night as he stealthily followed Old Yu.
The fishing village, bathed in the night's silence, took on an eerie atmosphere.
Old Yu, with his bent back, appeared indistinct in the night as he shuffled forward with the fish tank on his back, resembling an ancient river monster that had crawled out of the river.
He kept walking.
Mo Hua quietly trailed behind.
They reached a deserted courtyard on the outskirts of the village, a place rarely visited by others. Old Yu finally stopped and set down the fish tank.
In the courtyard was a well, built with pale white stones that reflected a chilling light in the moonlight.
Old Yu untied the tank and carefully removed several blood-red fish with sharp teeth and bizarre fins, resembling the ones from Mo Hua's dream.
Though Mo Hua was not a fishing cultivator and couldn't identify the exact species, he knew they were certainly not carp.
Old Yu respectfully tossed the blood-red fish into the well and then knelt on the ground, bowing three times as he said,
"Great River God, Old Yu has come to fulfill his vow..."
"Thank you, Great River God, for your blessings..."
Old Yu bowed three more times and expressed his gratitude. "That day, the winds and waves were strong, and I nearly lost my life as half my body was submerged in the river. Thankfully, the Great River God protected me, turning danger into safety. I survived, and I was able to catch that extraordinary golden lotus three-colored carp..."
"With that fish, my two grandsons' futures are secured. Someone in our family will no longer have to struggle against the winds and waves, risking their lives to make a living..."
Old Yu sighed. "However, that fish almost got taken away, but fortunately..."
"Fortunately, a 'little benefactor' came to my aid, driving away the lackeys of the Wang family and buying my fish..."
"That little benefactor is a good person. Old Yu has been blessed."
"But I believe it was all due to the guidance of the Great River God, who led that little benefactor to save me..."
Old Yu bowed a few more times and then clasped his hands together. "Old Yu has no other wishes... I only ask that the Great River God bless my two grandsons, so they may smoothly join a sect..."
"I don't seek wealth or greatness, nor do I seek to achieve greatness in cultivation. I only ask that they be able to make a living without having to face the winds, waves, and water demons. I only wish for them to live peaceful lives. Old Yu will have no regrets even if he dies..."
"Great River God, whatever you desire, I can give it to you.
As soon as Old Yu finished speaking, there was a splash of water from the well, along with a faint hint of crimson, before everything returned to normal.
It was as if something had enjoyed the offering.
The fish was dead, its blood mingling with the well water.
Mo Hua was stunned, suddenly realizing the truth.
It was the well water! If his guess was correct, all the cultivators in the small fishing village drank from this well.
Old Yu had tossed the crimson fish into the well, contaminating the water.
The fishing cultivators of the village, by drinking the well water, had unknowingly allowed the evil god's taint into their consciousness.
And as for himself... it was the fish soup cooked with water from Old Yu's well that had allowed the evil god's sinister thoughts to invade his consciousness.
Thus, at midnight, he had found himself involuntarily immersed in the painful nightmare woven by the evil god...
No, it wasn't a nightmare "woven" by the evil god...
Mo Hua glanced at Old Yu, who was continuously kowtowing, and sighed inwardly.
It was likely a nightmare collectively "woven" by the hardships and suffering of all the poor fishing cultivators in the village, based on their own experiences...
After offering the crimson fish to the well, Old Yu resealed the fish tank.
There were still some fish left in the tank that needed to be nurtured carefully before they could be offered to the well.
Once he had finished his task, Old Yu stood up to leave, but suddenly, in the quiet of the night, he heard a crisp voice calling out.
"Old Yu..."
Startled, Old Yu slipped and fell to the ground.
As he struggled to get up, his eyes darted around anxiously, and he saw a small figure slowly appearing in the distance, illuminated by the moonlight.
This figure was very familiar.
In the cold moonlight, Old Yu recognized the figure as the "little benefactor" who had helped him drive away the Wang family cultivator and bought his three-colored carp.
However, at this moment, the little benefactor's face was no longer warm and friendly.
The moonlight cast a cold, white glow on his face.
His eyes held an unfathomable depth.
Old Yu turned to look at the well and then back at Mo Hua, his voice trembling, "You... you saw everything?"
Mo Hua nodded slowly.
Old Yu's face twisted with anxiety as he pleaded, "Please, I beg you, don't tell anyone about this..."
Mo Hua remained silent.
"No one can know about this..." Old Yu said, his voice filled with fear. "Otherwise, everything I've done will be for nothing. My two grandsons' futures will be ruined, and I will be punished by the River God..."
"Please..."
Mo Hua continued to say nothing.
Old Yu pleaded for a while longer, but when he saw that Mo Hua was unmoved, a malicious aura began to rise within him. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his words became distorted, sounding more like the cries of a fish demon than a human.
He had lost his sanity, and his face twisted with malice as he lunged at Mo Hua.
"If you don't agree, I'll kill you!"
But as he rushed forward, seeing the pity in Mo Hua's eyes under the moonlight, Old Yu's heart trembled once more.
Memories flashed through his mind.
Mo Hua drawing the formation for him, helping him drive away the bullying Wang family cultivator, and spending a fortune on spiritual stones to buy his three-colored carp...
The bloodshot color gradually faded from Old Yu's eyes, and the malicious aura dissipated, leaving only helpless sorrow.
He slowly knelt before Mo Hua, tears streaming down his face. "Please... I beg of you..."
He kept kowtowing.
Driven to his knees by the hardships of life, he could only beg and kowtow, over and over again...
Mo Hua's heart twisted with bitterness, and he sighed. "I agree."
Old Yu was taken aback.
Mo Hua continued, "I won't tell anyone, but you have to tell me what's going on."
"Who taught you to raise these crimson fish?"
"And who told you that raising these fish would make your wishes come true and bring you good fortune?"
Old Yu hesitated for a moment, then looked at Mo Hua pleadingly.
"I will keep my word," Mo Hua said. "Tell me, and I won't say anything. Otherwise..."
A cold, sharp glint appeared in Mo Hua's eyes.
Old Yu's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly recalled how this young master had effortlessly defeated two Wang family cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and several others at the Qi Refining stage.
He, a fishing cultivator unskilled in combat, stood no chance against this fearsome young master.
Old Yu sighed deeply and relented. "Fine, I'll tell you..."
(End of Chapter)
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