Chapter 689: Rumors
Chapter 689: Rumors
Despite his suspicions, Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.
With a slight frown, Mo Hua asked, "How did those two children disappear?"
Gu Changhuai replied, "According to the fishermen nearby, the children were playing in the village in the evening. But as night fell, they suddenly vanished."
"Old Yu and his family thought the children were just being playful and didn't want to go home. But as the night deepened and there was still no sign of them, they realized something was wrong. They searched the village all night but found nothing..."
"They looked by the river too, to no avail."
"It's as if they disappeared into thin air..."
"The fishermen suspect that the children wandered too close to the Yin-Water River and were dragged into the water by the river spirits and devoured."
"However, it seems more likely that they were abducted by the River Crossing Dragons."
"If we don't act soon and they are sold by the River Crossing Dragons, it will be harder to rescue them than climbing heaven..."
Gu Changhuai's expression turned solemn.
No...not sold.
A chill ran down Mo Hua's spine.
It was also possible that they had been taken by the River Crossing Dragons as sacrifices to the evil god.
If that was the case, they might never return...
"Has the Daotingsi sent anyone to look for them?" Mo Hua asked.
Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, looking helpless. "The small fishing village is a mixed residence of scattered cultivators outside the Immortal City. Many cultivators here don't have registered identities, so the jurisdiction is loose. The Daotingsi usually doesn't like to get involved because even if they help these unregistered cultivators, it won't count as a merit for them."
"I can only send people from the Gu family to search near the Yin-Water River and around the village..."
"But we've found no clues in those places."
"So, they're either still in the village or..."
"It seems likely that the River Crossing Dragons have taken them to that base you mentioned. We must find the entrance to the base as soon as possible."
"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded.
In truth, he already knew where the entrance to the "base" was, but he couldn't reveal it yet.
After a moment's thought, Mo Hua decided, "I'll come back to the fishing village during the next Shuxun break."
"I'll try to make time to visit as well," said Gu Changhuai.
Mo Hua was about to agree when he suddenly paused and said, "Uncle Gu, you're a third-grade Dianshi and usually busy. Don't come over for now. I'll let you know once I find the entrance."
Gu Changhuai remained silent for a moment before agreeing, "That's probably for the best."
Although he was a Golden Core cultivator, he wasn't necessarily better at finding people than Mo Hua.
Given Mo Hua's intelligence and resourcefulness, Gu Changhuai didn't think he would fare better if Mo Hua couldn't find any clues.
Having gone through various trials with Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai wasn't too worried about his safety.
Unless he encountered a demonic cultivator like Huo Fotuo, who was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment and nearly invincible below the Golden Core stage, Mo Hua should be safe in the second-grade state or even in the small fishing village.
Even if he encountered danger, Mo Hua's abilities should be more than enough to protect himself.
Gu Changhuai had no doubts, so he simply followed the usual routine and advised, "Then be careful."
"Mhm."
After chatting with Gu Changhuai, Mo Hua thought of Old Yu, who was desperately seeking a way to survive for his grandsons, and he couldn't help but sigh.
Misfortune always strikes where it's least wanted. The more unfortunate a person is, the more hardships they seem to face.
In this world, the lives of those who are already suffering tend to get even tougher.
"I hope Old Yu's grandsons weren't taken by the River Crossing Dragons to that blood-fog-covered well..."
During the Shuxun break, Mo Hua once again made his way to the fishing village.
Originally, he had planned to visit Ku Mountain first to meet his old friend, Huang Shanjun, in the ruined temple, chat with him, and then indirectly ask if there was a way to deal with the evil god or anything he should pay attention to.
But now, there was no time.
If they delayed any further, Old Yu's grandsons might not even leave their bones behind.
He would visit Huang Shanjun later.
Mo Hua left the Tai Xu Gate early in the morning and rode in a carriage through Qingzhou City, heading straight for the Yin-Water River. When he arrived at the fishing village, it was already noon.
There was less smoke rising from the fishing village, as most of the fishermen were too busy searching for the missing children to eat. They scattered in all directions, calling out, "Xiao Shun'er" and "Xiao Shui'er"...
Xiao Shun'er and Xiao Shui'er were the nicknames of Old Yu's grandsons.
These fishermen were helping Old Yu look for his missing grandchildren.
Although the fishing village was poor, the villagers lived together, ate together, and interacted daily, so they had a strong sense of community.
Some fishermen, despite their usual disagreements with Old Yu, were still helping with the search.
The children were innocent.
The fishermen might go hungry for a few days, but they could endure it.
However, if the children were lost, it meant the loss of two young lives, their own flesh and blood. No one wanted to face the heartbreak of never seeing their children again.
Mo Hua sighed.
After some thought, he first went to Old Yu's house.
In Old Yu's house, there were a few elderly cultivators with white hair and frail bodies, who seemed to be the village elders.
Old Yu sat under the eaves, his eyes vacant and his spirit broken.
His shoes were worn out. Despite being a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a strong physical body, he had walked for an unknown amount of time and distance, and his feet were cracked and bleeding.
"...Take a rest..."
"We'll find them slowly... no need to rush."
The elders tried to comfort him.
But Old Yu was like a wooden statue, unresponsive.
It was only when Mo Hua entered that Old Yu's lifeless eyes showed a glimmer of movement. Regret and self-loathing flashed across his face, which was now devoid of color.
"I... I was wrong..."
Old Yu looked at Mo Hua, tears streaming down his face.
"Young Master, I was wrong. I shouldn't have ignored your advice..."
"I was too greedy."
Old Yu slapped himself hard on the face. "Why couldn't I control my greed?"
"I deserve to die..."
Old Yu's eyes were red with anguish and remorse.
Hearing this, the elders were taken aback, exchanging confused glances.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked softly, "Old Yu, what happened?"
Old Yu lowered his gaze, his expression conflicted. Finally, his body seemed to deflate as he gave up resisting and slumped, sighing, "That day, I listened to your advice, Young Master, and I thought it made sense. One shouldn't be greedy or make excessive demands of the River God.
"After I woke up, drenched in cold sweat, I realized that I had been too naive. The complexities within the sect run deep, and as a solitary cultivator, I am ignorant of such matters."
"Eight thousand spirit stones are a significant sum for solitary cultivators like us, but to the influential clans and sects, it is but a drop in the bucket."
"These spirit stones are far from enough to secure a promising future for my grandchildren."
"But I am useless. I'm just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, old in age, and was only able to break through by sheer luck. I have no profound cultivation heritage or any other remarkable abilities..."
"I can only... rely on the River God."
Sadness and bitterness filled Old Yu's voice.
Mo Hua sighed and asked, "And then what happened?"
"Then..." Tears flowed down Old Yu's face again. "Then, I suffered the consequences of my greed..."
"The River God punished me."
"It took away my two grandchildren as punishment."
"My two beloved grandchildren will never return..."
Despair and hopelessness consumed Old Yu's expression.
Mo Hua frowned.
Suddenly, an elderly man exclaimed in shock, "You offered sacrifices to the River God? What... what did you use?"
The old man's reaction startled everyone present.
Puzzled, Old Yu replied in a hoarse voice, "A small blood-red fish..."
The old man's face turned deathly pale, and he cried out, "We're doomed..."
Mo Hua was taken aback and quickly asked the white-haired elder, "Elder, what is the origin of this blood-red fish?"
The elder's eyes widened in fear as he answered, "It's an omen of destruction for our village..."
The others looked confused, to which the elder explained, his eyelids twitching and his voice turning cold, "I've lived for three hundred years, and a long time ago, I heard a story about a fishing village in this area..."
"That fishing village was larger than ours, and there were many more cultivators living there."
"Initially, everything was peaceful and prosperous, though not wealthy. The villagers had enough to eat and live by."
"But then, for some unknown reason, people started dying in the river, and the cultivators lived in constant fear and anxiety."
"Later, a passerby told them that they had angered the River God, and the River God had inflicted divine punishment upon them."
"They had to dig a well, raise blood-red fish with human blood, and offer them to the River God."
"By doing so, the River God, pleased with their devotion, would forgive them."
"The villagers were skeptical, but they followed the instructions, and indeed, no more deaths occurred in the river."
"However, as they continued to raise these fish, they noticed that the villagers started acting strangely, their eyes vacant and their reactions sluggish, as if they had become 'walking corpses'..."
"It was as if something had consumed their minds..."
The elder's voice trembled slightly as he recalled the terrifying events.
"Then, one day, the entire village disappeared without a trace."
Mo Hua's pupils contracted. "Disappeared?"
The elder nodded. "Yes, they vanished. No one knew what happened. The villagers, their homes, everything was gone."
"At the same time, a thick fog would blanket the area within a ten-mile radius every night, so dense that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face."
"Anyone who dared to venture into the fog never returned."
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn as he fell deep in thought.
"Oh, wait," the elder suddenly paused, as if remembering something. "There was one person who came out."
Mo Hua was taken aback. "Who?"
The elder shook his head. "I was just a child when I heard this from the elders, so how would I know who it was?"
"I only remember that the cultivator had long eyebrows and carried a sword. Despite everyone's warnings, he walked straight into the fog."
"Everyone thought he was doomed, but just before dawn, he walked out alive."
"Although he didn't seem physically injured, his face was pale, as if he had gone through a fierce battle and suffered severe wounds."
"After he emerged, he gave two warnings: first, he told everyone not to enter the blood fog, as it would be a gamble with their lives; second, he warned them never to raise the blood-red fish, or else the village would face destruction."
"However, his words were a bit strange."
"It was just fog; there was nothing blood-colored about it."
The elder shook his head, continuing, "Nonetheless, that swordsman cultivator was no ordinary person, and his words were heeded and passed down through the generations..."
"Eventually, the fog dissipated, and the fishing village was gone without a trace."
"Nearly a hundred years later, our current fishing village was established."
"As for the swordsman cultivator, he had either passed away or grown too old, and the two warnings he left behind were almost forgotten, along with the terrifying taboo they held."
The elder concluded his story with a sigh.
Hearing this, the others looked anxious and fearful.
However, some remained skeptical. "This talk of village destruction is too far-fetched."
"It's probably just rumors and hearsay."
"Yeah, why bring up gods and disasters? Xiao Shunzi and Xiaoshui'er probably fell into the river and were taken by water demons..."
"Nonsense! How could they survive if they were taken by water demons?"
"I think they were most likely abducted by human traffickers. They might be found and brought back in a few days..."
"If they were taken by human traffickers, how can we find them now?
"I have nothing left... Not even a shred of hope remains..."
Old Yu's gaze was vacant, his spirit broken, as if all hope for his life had been cruelly crushed in an instant.
Mo Hua's pupils contracted, sensing that Old Yu's willpower was being drained away.
At the same time, something in the fish tank in the room seemed to be rapidly expanding and growing in a distorted manner.
Mo Hua's eyes turned cold, and with a flick of his finger, a beam of golden light shot out, piercing the air and shattering the small fish tank that Old Yu used to keep the blood-red fish.
The tank shattered, spilling river water all over the floor.
A red demon leaped out.
It had sharp fangs, scaly skin, and gills that had transformed into limbs. Its eyes were hollow and numb, and it stood upright like a human.
It was the blood-red fish that Old Yu had been raising.
"Step back!" Mo Hua warned the others, and then he raised his hand, sending several fireballs hurtling towards the blood-red fish demon.
The fireballs weren't particularly powerful, only causing the demon to stumble.
The fish demon cackled maniacally, its form twisted and arrogant.
Mo Hua calmly pointed his finger again, sending another set of fireballs towards the demon.
The fish demon seemed to be getting used to its new body, moving more nimbly to dodge the fireballs. Its gaze towards Mo Hua turned vicious and contemptuous.
Mo Hua maintained his calm demeanor, continuing to cast fireball spells.
These fireballs were also dodged by the demon, but they exploded on the ground, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust.
Taking advantage of the cover, Mo Hua quickly sketched out intricate patterns with his fingers, channeling his spiritual energy to form several second-grade Earthfire Arrays near the demon.
Mo Hua's movements were swift and stealthy.
As the smoke cleared, the demon finally noticed the fiery array patterns beneath its feet, its ugly pupils widening in shock.
But it was too late.
Intense flames erupted, engulfing the demon completely.
A pitiful wail echoed as the newborn fish demon was blown to pieces by the Earthfire Arrays, turning into a cloud of bloody mist.
The elderly cultivators present were stunned, not understanding what had just happened as Mo Hua disposed of the demon.
Although the demon was dead, the bloody mist remained.
Mo Hua stepped forward, approaching the mist, which, as he had expected, drifted into his nostrils and mouth.
After inhaling the mist, Mo Hua immediately sat down and entered a meditative state, his spiritual sense sinking into his sea of consciousness.
Within his consciousness, the blood-red fish demon reappeared, cackling wildly. Its dead fish-like eyes spun incessantly, revealing its hunger as it believed it had returned to its own domain.
But the next moment, Mo Hua's figure materialized.
The demon paused, caught off guard.
Mo Hua's body glowed with golden light, and with a swift motion, he grabbed the demon by the throat and squeezed, crushing the small demon's throat in an instant.
Mo Hua then withdrew from his consciousness, opening his eyes.
The courtyard was silent.
The elderly cultivators wore expressions of shock and confusion, unsure of what had transpired or what Mo Hua had done.
Old Yu's eyes reflected not only shock and confusion but also lingering despair.
Mo Hua sighed softly, his heart heavy.
He now understood the cruelty of giving someone a glimmer of hope, only to snuff it out completely, leaving them with even greater despair.
This kind of despair could instantly drain a person's will to live, creating an intense and painful longing.
It was the perfect offering for the evil god.
Mo Hua looked at Old Yu, who seemed like a lifeless shell, and sighed. "The River God is a lie."
Old Yu's gaze shifted slightly, his eyes hollow.
"There is no River God," Mo Hua continued. "Your sacrifice was in vain. The fish you raised is useless; it's just an ordinary 'water demon'..."
"Your grandchildren weren't taken by the River God but by human traffickers."
"The Daotingsi has been tracking this trafficker for some time now."
Old Yu slowly came back to his senses. "Daotingsi?"
Mo Hua nodded and took out his bronze Daotingsi waist token. "I'm actually from the Daotingsi. I came to this small fishing village because we suspected that the trafficker was hiding among you, but you just didn't realize it..."
"Your grandchildren were taken by this trafficker."
"The Daotingsi already has leads and is sending people to investigate. You don't need to worry; we should have results soon..."
Hope began to shine in Old Yu's eyes once more.
Mustering all his strength, he climbed to his feet and bowed to Mo Hua, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you, young master... Please..."
However, his willpower had been drained, and his spiritual sense devoured, leaving him extremely weak and pale.
Mo Hua helped him up and gently instructed, "The Daotingsi is investigating this matter secretly to avoid alerting the culprit. Don't mention this to anyone..."
Old Yu nodded solemnly.
His grandchildren had been taken by human traffickers, not the River God, so there was still hope... still a chance.
A spark of longing and the will to live reappeared in his eyes.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
While it was true that they had been taken by human traffickers, in reality...
It was no different from being taken by the evil god.
Mo Hua left Old Yu's house and walked through the small fishing village, deep in thought, contemplating his next move.
He knew he had to visit the well at the bottom of the shaft, no matter what.
And from the conversation he had overheard from the elderly villagers, he now had an idea of what that well truly was.
A chill ran down Mo Hua's spine, and his expression grew solemn.
If the rumors he had heard were true, then this well was likely an entrance.
An entrance to the fishing village that had been corrupted by the evil god and disappeared hundreds of years ago...
(End of Chapter)
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