https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-720-The-Array-and-Artifact-System/12543282/
Chapter 721: Brewing Trouble
Chapter 721: Brewing Trouble
Cheng Mo and the others were perplexed, "Little Shixiong, what do you need these things for?"
Mo Hua replied seriously, "This matter concerns a secret of the Daoting Court, and I can't tell you about it for the time being. Moreover, until I get my hands on these items and study them, I won't be able to confirm anything..."
The secrets of the Daoting Court!
The disciples' hearts trembled at the mention of it.
No wonder he's our Little Shixiong; he even knows about the secrets of the Daoting Court.
"But," a disciple asked doubtfully, "encrypted letters are one thing, but blank jade slips and message tokens with their contents erased... aren't these useless now?"
"Don't worry, I have my methods," Mo Hua assured them calmly.
"Oh..."
The disciples nodded, still somewhat perplexed.
The Yuan Magnet Array was a rather unorthodox and obscure array, considered a branch of the Eight Trigrams Lightning Arrays, yet standing apart from the orthodox and common Five Elements and Eight Trigrams array legacies.
Since the Tai Xu Gate didn't teach it, these disciples had little knowledge about it.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and added, "If we find any clues, we can post a bounty through the Daoting Court. Everyone can join in, and we'll all earn some merit."
Posting a bounty through the Daoting Court!
Everyone was stunned by this suggestion.
Cheng Mo was less surprised, as he knew Mo Hua had some connections within the Daoting Court.
The other disciples, however, were thrilled, and their gazes towards Mo Hua changed, now tinged with respect.
It was one thing for sect disciples to rely on their family connections to get things done through the Daoting Court. But to be able to independently connect with the Daoting Court and post bounties was an entirely different matter.
Moreover, good bounties were hard to come by, and one had to be quick to grab them.
Not only did they have to compete with their fellow disciples, but also with senior brothers and sisters from higher batches.
Most of the time, these juniors with the least seniority could only take on the simplest or leftover bounties, earning meager merit.
"Rest assured, Little Shixiong, leave it to us!"
The disciples eagerly agreed.
From then on, every few days, a fellow disciple would come to Mo Hua to "offer treasures":
"Little Shixiong, Little Shixiong, I used the method you taught me to capture a thief with exceptional water abilities. From him, I found a piece of demon bone that looks like it belongs to a water demon. Take a look and see if there's anything unusual about it..."
"Little Shixiong, your Eight Trigrams Stone Armor is so useful! Those evil cultivators who practiced demon techniques and had incredible might couldn't hurt us at all. Here are some jade slips they carried. The Daoting Court didn't find anything on them, but maybe you can take a look..."
"Little Shixiong, I picked up a broken sword. Not sure if it's of any use..."
"I caught a flower-plucking thief and obtained a jade slip. Please have a look, Little Shixiong..."
...
Within half a month, Mo Hua had accumulated a pile of items.
They were all sorts of oddities.
Some were indeed demonic cultivators' tools, but most storage bags would be confiscated by the Daoting Court after their owners were captured.
Items with obvious demonic energy were not allowed into the Tai Xu Gate either.
So, what Mo Hua obtained were only fragmented and peripheral demonic tools.
These tools were of little use.
However, through derivation, Mo Hua could vaguely see that these tools were imbued with bloody cause-and-effect relationships.
It seemed that recently, some vicious demonic cultivators had used these tools to massacre cultivators in a cold-blooded manner.
There were also some goat horns among the items.
But they truly were just ordinary horns from goat demons, with no relation to the Great Desolation's Evil God.
There was no sect token either...
According to Mo Hua's speculation, these demonic cultivators must have gathered for a reason. It was unlikely that they acted independently, and there was probably a small organization or a branch of a demonic sect behind them.
If that was the case, there was a high probability that they would have sect tokens.
The basic function of a sect token would likely be similar to those of the Tai Xu Gate or other sects, built upon the foundation of the Yuan Magnet Array and expanded for various purposes.
The basic functions would include communication.
If it were more advanced, it might even have something similar to the Tai Xu Gate's "Merit Pavilion," which housed the sect's collection of treasures...
If he could get his hands on such a token, there would be a lot more to "study."
Mo Hua was eager to get his hands on one.
Unfortunately, they hadn't found any sect tokens yet.
Instead, Mo Hua obtained a message token.
A few days later, Yang Qianjun handed a message token to Mo Hua and said, "I was with Cheng Mo and the others near the border of Qian Xue State, in a second-rate small immortal city called Qingping City, to complete a task. After finishing the task, on our way back, we noticed a cultivator acting suspiciously, clearly not from Qingping City. So, we struck up a conversation with him."
"That cultivator's answers were flawless, but his eyes occasionally dodged our gaze, as if he was hiding something."
"I found it strange, so I pretended to leave but secretly followed him. In the end, we discovered that he was disguising himself with a human skin mask, and we don't know what his intentions were."
"I joined forces with Cheng Mo and a few others to capture him and hand him over to the Daoting Court. They confiscated most of his belongings, but I managed to bring back this message token. All the information on it has been erased..."
Mo Hua took the message token and examined it.
It was light green in color, imbued with the scent of medicinal pills and blood.
He immersed his spiritual sense into the token and found that it was indeed blank, with all information wiped away.
That was how it appeared on the surface.
But Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly as he swept it with his profound gaze, seeing through the blank facade to the chaotic magnetic lines, fixed formatted magnetic lines, and subtle yet indelible secondary lightning lines beneath.
All things leave traces, and all actions have consequences.
Beneath the surface, there were always signs to be found, but not everyone could see them.
"Is this message token really useful?" Yang Qianjun asked curiously, seeing Mo Hua's focused expression.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Thank you, Big Brother Yang."
Yang Qianjun smiled, "I'm glad to be of help, Little Shixiong. No need to be so polite."
Yang Qianjun was a few years older than Mo Hua, and they addressed each other accordingly.
Mo Hua called him "Big Brother," and he called Mo Hua "Shixiong."
After returning to the disciples' residence, Mo Hua began working on restoring the message token.
On the brightly lit desk lay an array plate, array paper, and writing tools.
Mo Hua first disassembled the message token, transcribed the fixed magnetic lines, recorded the secondary lightning lines one by one, and then simulated it on another array plate.
From Master Xun, he had obtained a copy of 'Annotations on Fixed Magnetic Lines', which revealed that the seemingly abstract and complex fixed magnetic lines were essentially a form of 'symbolic language' in array form.
Although the annotations were limited in scope, covering only some common interpretations, they were sufficient for Mo Hua's current needs.
With the help of these annotations, Mo Hua was able to decipher the meaning of the fixed magnetic lines.
He first reproduced the fixed magnetic lines on the array plate.
Then, based on this, he simulated the secondary lightning lines to restore the erased content of the message token.
As the magnetic lines were restored and the array activated, the missing words gradually reappeared.
'April... fourteenth...'
'Fellow sect members, gather in Qingping City...'
The rest of the message was incomplete, either due to an error in replicating the fixed magnetic lines or a mistake in interpreting the secondary lightning lines.
Mo Hua continued his deductions.
'Gather in Qingping City... destroy...'
Destroy? Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression turning solemn as a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.
He continued his deductions, and the final two characters slowly emerged.
'...the entire clan.'
Mo Hua took a sharp breath as he connected the dots: 'April fourteenth, fellow sect members, gather in Qingping City, destroy... the entire clan?'
A chill ran down Mo Hua's spine as he recalled the horrific scenes of the massacre in Bishan City's Xie family, where cultivators had been slaughtered, dismembered, and left to writhe and scream in agony.
He found it hard to believe that these demonic cultivators were plotting another genocide.
But... whose clan were they targeting?
The crucial information on the message token remained elusive.
Mo Hua examined the restored content over and over, double-checked the fixed magnetic lines, and inspected the secondary lightning lines again, but to no avail.
All he knew was that the demonic cultivators were planning to annihilate a clan in Qingping City, but he had no idea which family or tribe it was.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
Annihilate the entire clan...
Were these demonic cultivators also under the command of the Evil God?
What was the purpose of their genocidal mission? Mo Hua racked his brains, trying to connect the dots with everything that had happened in Qianxue State.
In Bishan City, a second-rate city, the Xie family, had been wiped out.
Near Bishan City, the demonic sect had built the Bishan Demon Hall, within which there was an altar.
By the Yan Shui River, a fishing village from years past had also been effectively annihilated.
The village had become the Evil God's place of preaching, connecting nightmares to reality, and now housed the River God Temple, with an altar at its deepest point.
So, was this 'annihilation' a prelude to constructing demonic temples and altars for the Evil God?
But why? Mo Hua pondered the events in the fishing village, and a suspicion took root in his mind.
Establishing altars required the taming of demons.
The blood and flesh of those slaughtered in the annihilation would be used to nurture bloodthirsty demons.
The lingering souls of the cultivators would be sacrificed to create demon spirits.
Additionally, the array formations, the river of blood, and the wall of bones within the Demon Hall all required 'human' materials.
This was the case with the fishing village.
Before the Bishan Demon Cave was completed and the Dark Court intervened, Huo Fotuo had already destroyed much of the Demon Hall's secrets, leaving few clues behind.
However, Mo Hua had a good idea of what had transpired.
Everything followed certain rules, and the Evil God's preaching, sacrifices, and altar construction would undoubtedly adhere to specific procedures.
'Treating all beings as mere dogs, and all lives as 'cattle'—this is the path of the Evil God...'
Mo Hua's eyes turned cold, and he sighed deeply.
Soon, doubt crept into his mind again.
For such plans to be carried out under the Dark Court's watchful eye, there had to be inside accomplices within the Dark Court.
Moreover, leading these rebellious and insane demonic cultivators in their covert annihilation missions required a powerful and ruthless leader with comparable cultivation.
Previously, it had been Huo Fotuo, a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, practicing forbidden techniques.
But now that Huo Fotuo was dead, who could be orchestrating these events? Mo Hua drew a blank.
'April fourteenth, four days from now...'
In four days, another clan would fall victim to the demonic cultivators.
A chill ran through Mo Hua's heart.
However, he was currently under 'house arrest'...
After some thought, Mo Hua sent a message to Gu Changhai: 'Uncle Gu, in four days, the demonic cultivators will annihilate a clan in Qingping City...'
Gu Changhai remained silent for a long while before responding: 'How did you find out?'
Mo Hua was about to answer when he paused, realizing that Gu Changhai's question was not asking how he had learned about the situation but rather how he had come to know about it.
This meant that Gu Changhai already had prior knowledge of the demonic cultivators' plan.
Mo Hua was taken aback: 'Uncle Gu, you already knew?'
Gu Changhai sounded helpless in his reply: 'We captured a few criminal cultivators and extracted some information through harsh interrogation...'
Gu Changhai then asked again: 'But how did you find out?'
As the head of the Law Enforcement Hall, Gu Changhai was responsible for maintaining law and order in the surrounding areas, and it was his duty to capture criminal and demonic cultivators. Thus, it was not surprising that he had obtained this information.
However, Mo Hua, a sect disciple who rarely left his residence, had uncovered the demonic cultivators' plot. How had he done it?
After all, Gu Changhai had only learned about this himself a couple of days ago.
Gu Changhai's brows furrowed.
Mo Hua told the truth: 'I restored a message token and saw it there...'
A message token...
Gu Changhai sighed inwardly, realizing the reason.
Indeed, array masters were too formidable.
His subordinates in the Law Enforcement Hall had worked tirelessly, conducting surveillance and interrogating the captured demonic cultivators day and night to finally extract this crucial piece of information.
Yet, Mo Hua, with his array skills, had effortlessly deciphered everything from a single message token...
It was frustrating to compare their efforts.
Of course, Gu Changhai understood the difference.
The Law Enforcement Hall handled tedious and laborious tasks, while Mo Hua's work was highly technical.
Especially when it came to intricate arrays, the difficulty level far exceeded their surveillance and interrogation efforts.
Gu Changhai let out another sigh.
(End of Chapter)
"I understand," Cheng Mo nodded, then asked, "Uncle Gu, do you know which family the demonic cultivators are targeting for extermination?"
Gu Changhai hesitated slightly before replying, "We haven't found out yet."
"What will the Daoting Court do then?" Cheng Mo inquired.
Gu Changhai fell silent.
"You don't have to tell me everything, just give me a hint," Cheng Mo urged.
Gu Changhai sighed after a moment of hesitation, "It doesn't matter which family... "
Cheng Mo understood, "So, the plan is to set up a trap and catch them red-handed. As long as the demonic cultivators enter the city and attempt to exterminate a family, we will surround and capture them."
"That's why it doesn't matter which family they are targeting. Am I right, Uncle Gu?"
Gu Changhai: "..."
You've said it all, what else is there for me to say? "More or less," Gu Changhai replied vaguely.
Cheng Mo pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Uncle Gu, Qingping City is a second-rate immortal city, and it's not small. Won't the Daoting Court need more people...?"
Gu Changhai's eyes narrowed, his tone turning cautious, "What are you planning to do?"
Cheng Mo whispered, "I can find some helpers for you."
Gu Changhai scoffed, "You don't need to worry about that. Just stay put in the sect, focus on your cultivation, and study arrays. Don't get involved in these matters."
"While the Daoting Court doesn't have abundant manpower, we certainly don't need your help yet..."
Cheng Mo muttered, "There's a second-rate immortal city near Qianzhou, where demonic cultivators are gathering to plot the extermination of a family. They dare to do such a thing..."
"There must be insiders in the Daoting Court."
"Uncle Gu, do you really trust the people in the Daoting Court?"
Gu Changhai fell silent, his expression growing solemn at Cheng Mo's question.
The existence of insiders was something everyone was aware of but never spoke about.
If they were to set up an ambush in Qingping City, they would need a large number of people.
Aside from the Gu family cultivators, there would undoubtedly be other Daoting Court cultivators involved.
While Gu Changhai trusted his family members, he couldn't be sure about the others. He had no way of knowing their true nature or what they were hiding in their hearts.
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Changhai asked Cheng Mo, "Where will you get the manpower from?"
He was genuinely curious.
Cheng Mo replied proudly, "They are all my fellow disciples from the Tai Xu Gate. I know them well, and their backgrounds are clean, at least cleaner than those in the Daoting Court."
And they all call me "Little Shixiong."
Gu Changhai's eyes widened in surprise at Cheng Mo's words.
This little guy's connections and influence in the Tai Xu Gate were becoming more and more unfathomable.
However, Gu Changhai still had his concerns, "No, it's too dangerous. Those demonic cultivators are at least in the middle or late stages of the Foundation Establishment."
Cheng Mo reassured him, "Don't worry, they won't engage in direct combat. They'll just help set up the net and guard the perimeter. They'll only need to pick off any stragglers."
The dangerous task of direct confrontation would, of course, be handled by the experienced and battle-hardened Daoting Court officers.
Gu Changhai nodded slightly.
That would be acceptable...
After some consideration, Gu Changhai added, "Are you trying to help them earn merit?"
"Of course!" Cheng Mo replied without hesitation, "There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
Cheng Mo continued, "Moreover, I'm close to you, Uncle Gu. It's fine if I work for free sometimes and suffer a little loss."
"But it's different for them. They are all heirs of prominent families, and they care about their reputation. If they go on a mission and don't earn any merit, it would be hard for them to explain."
Gu Changhai rolled his eyes.
This little rascal, always spouting nonsense.
When has he ever worked for free, let alone suffered a loss? Most of the time, it's the other way around, with others suffering losses because of him.
"Fine," Gu Changhai sighed.
Cheng Mo asked cautiously, "Then, how much merit can you offer?"
"Two hundred," Gu Changhai replied.
Cheng Mo shook his head, "At least four hundred."
Gu Changhai felt a headache coming on.
After some reluctant bargaining, they finally settled on three hundred merit points.
Cheng Mo had done his best.
As the "Little Shixiong," this was the most he could do.
However, for an ordinary disciple, three hundred merit points were still a substantial amount.
The next day, during lunch in the dining hall, Cheng Mo quietly said to Cheng Mo, "There's a big task that requires about fifty people. Each person will receive three hundred merit points upon completion."
Cheng Mo's heart skipped a beat.
Fifty people, three hundred merit points each! This was indeed a major task! "Little Shixiong, where did this task come from?" Cheng Mo asked in a lowered voice.
Cheng Mo replied, "I can't tell you the specifics for now, but you'll know when the time comes. This task is quite risky, so we need experienced people."
Cheng Mo nodded, "Of course."
"Also," Cheng Mo thought for a moment before adding, "they should be people we are familiar with, whose backgrounds we know well, so that we can keep this matter confidential."
"Additionally, try to find heirs from families outside of Qianzhou, those with minimal connections to the local powers in Qianzhou."
"If you must choose someone from a local family, make sure your relationship is excellent, like with Hao Xuan."
Cheng Mo was puzzled, but he trusted Cheng Mo implicitly.
Whatever Cheng Mo said was the truth, and he knew better than to ask unnecessary questions.
"Rest assured, Little Shixiong," Cheng Mo patted his chest, "I'll take care of it!"
After that, Cheng Mo secretly gathered fifty disciples.
Aside from Si Tu Jian, Yang Qianjun, Hao Xuan, and Yi Li, whom he was close to, most of the others were disciples with whom he had interacted and whose characters he trusted.
With three hundred merit points on offer, there was hardly any reason to refuse.
They readily agreed without hesitation.
Cheng Mo swept his spiritual sense over the group, nodding in satisfaction.
This should be enough manpower.
Once again, Cheng Mo collaborated with Gu Changhai from within the Daoting Court, employing his keen spiritual sense to seize an opportunity in front of a group of senior brothers and sisters. He swiftly claimed a bounty with a massive merit reward but a vague and ambiguous description.
It was like snatching a large chunk of meat from a pack of hungry wolves...
(End of Chapter)
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