Chapter 806: Hua Ruhu
Chapter 806: Hua Ruhu
Mo Hua remembered her name, it seemed to be...
Hua Ruhu?
Mo Hua glanced at her again, and indeed, this woman was exquisite and beautiful, like a delicate flower, but her makeup was a bit excessive, with thick layers of powder, and between her brows, there was a frivolous and alluring aura.
At this moment, her eyes were sharp, and she looked at Mo Hua with a hint of caution.
"What are you doing here?" Hua Ruhu asked warily.
Mo Hua stammered and gave the reason she had thought of earlier:
"Shijie said that Sister Jin'er had passed away and that no one mourned or paid respects to her. Every time she thought of this, she felt heartbroken and couldn't eat or sleep well. So she prepared Sister Jin'er's favorite magnolia flowers to pay her respects..."
Mo Hua's voice was clear, and at this moment, it was soft and androgynous, with a hint of magnetism, which didn't sound out of place.
Hua Ruhu didn't suspect anything, but frowned slightly.
"Pay respects?"
She turned her head and saw the place where Ye Jin had burned herself to death, now a pile of ashes, with a few pure white magnolia flowers placed there.
These were the flowers Mo Hua had just arranged.
The wariness in Hua Ruhu's heart lessened, and she glanced at Hua Shallow before asking, "What's wrong with Shallow?"
Mo Hua looked flustered and whispered, "I don't know. Sister Shallow came in, arranged the magnolias, said a few words to Sister Jin'er, and then suddenly her face turned pale and she fainted."
"I don't know if it's because she was too grieved or..."
Mo Hua looked around, her expression fearful, and her eyes showed terror, "...or if Sister Jin'er's spirit possessed her..."
As soon as these words were spoken, a cold wind blew inside the house.
Hua Ruhu's face turned pale instantly.
She looked around in panic, then forced herself to calm down and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? It's broad daylight, and here in Hundred Flowers Valley, we don't believe in such things as ghost possessions!"
Mo Hua looked at Hua Ruhu, her eyes full of intrigue. After a moment, she composed herself and put on a weak demeanor, stammering, "I... I was just too scared, so I said something stupid..."
Hua Ruhu coldly humphed, "Even if you lost your tongue, you shouldn't speak recklessly."
Mo Hua lowered her head.
Hua Ruhu examined Mo Hua, and her eyes suddenly gleamed, "I seem to... not recognize you?"
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.
Hua Ruhu's voice turned cold, and her eyes grew icy as she asked, "Are you a disciple of our Hundred Flowers Valley?"
Mo Hua suppressed her nervousness and pretended to be at a loss, "I... I am."
Hua Ruhu's eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, pressing, "Good, if you're a disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley, then I'll ask you, who am I? What's my name? What's my position here?"
Mo Hua was stunned, but she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it was an easy question.
It was fortunate that during the New Year, she had visited the Gu family and listened to Uncle Gu's "gossip." Elder Gu Hong also had a clear understanding of this woman's identity, otherwise, she would have been exposed.
As expected, those who love gossip are often blessed with good luck.
"You are... Hua Jiao Xin (Teaching Heart)
, just like Shijie Shallow, you're from the Hua family and you teach here in the Hundred Flowers Valley..." Mo Hua answered calmly.
Hua Ruhu's eyes narrowed slightly.
So, she really does know my identity...
She kept to herself within the Hundred Flowers Valley and rarely interacted with outsiders.
Within her clan, although she was from the main family, her bloodline was somewhat distant, and there were no elders or highly respected senior cultivators in her branch. As a result, she was somewhat marginalized.
Usually, apart from the disciples of the Hundred Flowers Valley, no one would know her so well.
If someone could recognize her, there shouldn't be any problems.
However...
Hua Ruhu frowned.
Why don't I have any impression of this exceptionally beautiful disciple? But then she thought, with so many disciples in the Hundred Flowers Valley, it's not surprising if I missed one or two.
"What's your name, and which family are you from?"
Mo Hua was about to answer when a thought occurred to her, and she put on a "self-deprecating" expression, "To be honest, I'm from a third-rate family, not a very good background, and my name is..."
Before she could finish, they heard a soft moan, and Hua Shallow, who was lying on the ground, slowly opened her eyes.
Mo Hua's expression brightened, "Shijie, you're awake?"
Hua Shallow's head was still a bit dazed, and when she saw Mo Hua, she said, "Mo..."
Mo Hua secretly pulled her sleeve and gave her a subtle signal.
Hua Shallow shuddered and realized that there was someone else in the room.
She looked around anxiously and turned her head to see Hua Ruhu, then she heaved a long sigh of relief, "Oh, it's Sister Ruhu..."
Hua Ruhu's expression immediately changed.
She treated Hua Shallow with great kindness and even added a hint of affectionate reproach, "You little rascal, what are you doing here?"
"I..."
Mo Hua quickly pulled Hua Shallow's sleeve again and gave her a suggestive look.
Following Mo Hua's gaze, Hua Shallow spotted the magnolia flowers in the distance and immediately understood, her eyes filling with sorrow, "I came to see Sister Jin'er..."
Hua Ruhu's eyes narrowed in thought, and after a moment, she sighed and showed sympathy, "We're all very sad about Jin'er's death, but she took her own life, and there was nothing we could do. This place is where Jin'er ended her life, so it's best if you don't come here again. It will only stir up painful memories and hinder your cultivation."
"The dead are gone, and the living must continue on..."
Hua Shallow's expression was dazed, and she nodded.
"Alright, go back now..." Hua Ruhu said gently.
"Okay," Hua Shallow nodded, "Then Sister Ruhu, I'll take my leave."
"Go on."
Hua Shallow turned back to look at the spot where Ye Jin had burned herself one last time, her expression filled with melancholy, and then she left with Mo Hua.
After Hua Shallow left, the warmth that had appeared on Hua Ruhu's face gradually faded, and her expression turned cold again.
She walked around the room but found nothing unusual. Finally, her gaze fell on the bed where Ye Jin had burned herself and the few pure white magnolia flowers that Mo Hua had placed there, her eyes narrowing in displeasure.
"Magnolias..."
Hua Ruhu coldly humphed, suddenly feeling a chill in her heart as if someone was watching her.
She felt uncomfortable and didn't want to stay any longer, so she left the house and closed the door.
In that instant of closing the door, she suddenly remembered Mo Hua, and her heart couldn't help but praise.
"Such a pretty little girl..."
"The most distinctive feature is her natural and pure aura, a heavenly quality that sets her apart from all the other made-up women in the world.
Hua Ruhu felt a mix of disbelief and delight. She quietly committed Mo Hua's appearance to memory, then closed the door and gracefully walked away.
...
In the high tower of the Hundred Flowers Valley, a stunningly beautiful woman with an icy demeanor, who had been focusing her attention on Mo Hua, now wore an unusual expression.
The vengeful aura in the room had dissipated...
Exorcise ghosts and seal evil spirits?
Divine Way legacy?
How could such a young cultivator possess such abilities?
The woman's expression was one of surprise.
In her cultivation experience, cultivators with a Divine Way legacy were extremely rare.
And among those who studied the Divine Way, only a handful were able to reach a level where they could suppress ghosts, and vanquish malevolent spirits—mostly elderly cultivators with centuries of experience, profound cultivation, and extremely strong divine sense.
The young ones were inadequate.
Young cultivators, with their low cultivation levels and unstable hearts, tended to have unsteady divine senses. When encountering evil and cruel ghosts that disturbed the hearts of people, they often became playthings or prey for the ghosts.
Thus, the number of Divine Array Masters who could actually venture out and survive was extremely small, and they were all old fellows.
The woman glanced at Mo Hua again as she exited the Hundred Flowers Valley disciples' residence, her gaze sharp.
This young cultivator appeared to be only in his teens or twenties. Who was he, and who was his master, that he could disperse the ghostly thoughts of the deceased?
The woman's expression turned pensive as her thoughts raced. Several times, she was tempted to capture this young cultivator and question him.
However, after a moment's thought, she abandoned the idea.
If she were to capture him, the situation would become a big deal.
A male cultivator had entered the Hundred Flowers Valley—even though he was young and hadn't done anything outrageous, it would still easily spark controversy.
In an all-female sect, such rumors were highly taboo.
Moreover, it was extremely rare to find a young cultivator proficient in the Divine Sense arts.
And the master who taught such a disciple must also be an extraordinary person.
Cultivators skilled in the ways of the divine sense often had eccentric personalities or bizarre methods, and it was best not to offend them lightly.
Considering that he wasn't a profligate or a playboy, and had entered the Hundred Flowers Valley not to pursue romantic affairs but to exorcise ghosts and protect the cultivators, she decided to turn a blind eye to this matter...
The woman turned back and sat before the Hundred Flowers Heaven's Secrets Plate once more, intending to continue observing the evolution of the hundred flowers and divining the future.
But as soon as she looked, her pupils constricted.
On the Heaven's Secrets Plate, where a hundred flowers of various colors had been blooming, the lush flowers were now withering.
However, at this moment, the speed of the flowers' withering had noticeably slowed down...
The purplish-black decay that had afflicted the wilted flowers was also gradually disappearing.
The "Hundred Flowers Withering" formation... was being delayed?! The woman was momentarily incredulous.
She had spent nearly a hundred years and tried every conceivable method, yet she couldn't reverse the "Hundred Flowers Withering" formation. But now, suddenly, there was a turning point?
The woman immediately turned her head, looking out from the fragrant mist-shrouded tower toward the outside of the Hundred Flowers Valley.
Outside the valley, on the mountain path adorned with blooming flowers.
Mo Hua's figure gradually moved further away.
The woman's expression shifted several times before settling back into calmness, her countenance as cold as an iceberg, though her thoughts were in turmoil.
"Who exactly is this young cultivator...?"
"At such a young age, he must have a formidable master... Who is this mysterious master?"
Suddenly, the woman's heart trembled, and she found herself looking at the high hall next to her.
In the hall, a screen obscured the view, and hanging in the middle was a sword.
The sword was sheathed, its patterns ancient, as if it were a treasure that had sealed away all its sharpness and glory.
On it, the words "Dragon Spring" were engraved in a style reminiscent of iron brushwork.
...
Outside the Hundred Flowers Valley.
Mo Hua and Hua Shallow left the valley and made their way down the mountain path, eventually arriving at the Hundred Flowers City outside the valley and returning to Hua Shallow's cave abode, named "Shallow Fragrance Residence."
Inside the cave abode, Murong Caiyun was still waiting for them.
Seeing that the two had returned safely, Murong Caiyun breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How was it?"
Hua Shallow was taken aback.
As soon as she had entered, she felt a chill in her brain and fainted without knowing why. She had no recollection of what had happened afterward.
Hua Shallow could only turn to Mo Hua for an explanation.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "It should be fine now..."
"Jin'er Shijie left behind a lot of vengeful energy before her death, but most of the vengeful energy in that room has now dissipated..."
However, the cause and effect of the vengeful spirit were now entangled with him.
But Mo Hua didn't mention this.
If he were to explain, there would be a lot to clarify, and it would also worry Shallow Shijie and Murong Shijie.
"That's good," Murong Caiyun nodded, then furrowed her brows, "But what about Jin'er's death..."
Mo Hua shook his head, "It's not clear yet, there's definitely something else going on, but don't worry, I'll ask an uncle who's a judge in the Taoist court to help investigate. If Jin'er Shijie truly suffered an injustice, we will definitely get her justice."
Murong Caiyun felt relieved.
Hua Shallow also expressed her gratitude sincerely, "Thank you, Mo Shimei."
Mo Hua's face darkened as he immediately realized he was still wearing the Hundred Flowers Valley's robe and hairstyle, so he took off the robe.
Hua Shallow wanted to stop him but couldn't, and she pouted unhappily, "Can't you wear it a little longer..."
She hadn't had her fill of looking at him yet.
Murong Caiyun, standing beside her, also felt a little bit of regret.
But Mo Hua had already changed back into the Tai Xu Sect's robe, once again becoming the "little shixiong" of Tai Xu Sect, pure as jade and with a cool gaze.
It was getting late, and Mo Hua had to return to his sect.
Before leaving, he specifically instructed Hua Shallow, "Shallow Shijie, you fainted earlier due to the influence of the vengeful energy, so for the next three days, focus on resting and avoid mental stress. Don't overuse your divine sense, either."
"Also, wear a calming jade pendant, burn sandalwood in your room, and eat nourishing and light food."
"If you notice any abnormalities with your divine sense, have nightmares, or see eerie illusions, be sure to tell me as soon as possible."
Seeing Mo Hua's solemn expression, Hua Shallow nodded obediently.
Murong Caiyun looked at Mo Hua with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Alright, I'm leaving now," Mo Hua waved his hand.
"Mhm," Hua Shallow thought for a moment and added, "If there's anything I can do to help with Jin'er's matter, please let me know."
...
After that, Mo Hua returned to the Tai Xu Sect.
The sky had already darkened, and the disciples were in their residences.
Mo Hua recalled the day's events once more, quietly pondering in his heart.
Firstly, dealing with vengeful ghosts was indeed troublesome.
Within his sea of consciousness or in nightmares, his divine sense was indeed quite powerful.
But in reality, when ghosts possessed others, or parasitized within evil creatures, or even just loitered in the air with sinister Yin energy for a short time, he had no good way of dealing with them.
Jin'er Shijie, who had transformed into a half-step "vengeful ghost," had possessed Shallow Shijie. If she hadn't been afraid of being sealed and perishing along with her physical body, never to resolve her grudge, she wouldn't have left Shallow Shijie's body.
In that case, Shallow Shijie would have been in grave danger.
Even if she were rescued later, her vitality would have been severely damaged.
And he could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything.
"It seems that I need to find a way to learn more about ghost-subduing and exorcism techniques in the Divine Way..."
Otherwise, if some petty ghost dared to provoke him in the future, it would be too frustrating to have such powerful divine sense yet be unable to do anything because he couldn't project it out of his body or kill them.
For now, the most accessible option was the true "Divine Sense Transformation Sword" manual.
He had to continue practicing the Eye-Embedded Sword Light technique.
In addition, there was the "Path Demons."
Jin'er Shijie, after her tragic death, had already shown signs of transforming into a vengeful ghost, becoming a half-step "vengeful ghost."
At the same time, traces of "Path Demons" had also appeared on her.
"Path Demons..."
For some reason, whenever Mo Hua mentioned "Path Demons," he would involuntarily think of his Master.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that his Master was somehow involved in this.
But when he thought carefully about it, it didn't seem likely.
From what he had witnessed in Lishan City, his Master was likely at the Yu Hua Realm, and there was a high probability that he was at the peak of that realm, just a step away from breaking into the Cave Void Realm.
But regardless, he was not yet at the Cave Void Realm.
And the Qian Xue State was a fifth-grade realm with numerous great aristocratic families and powerful sects residing within. There were also quite a few Cave Void Realm elders.
No matter how strong his Master was, he shouldn't have taken such a huge risk, acting under the watchful eyes of the Taoist Court, surrounded by so many aristocratic families and sects, and in the presence of so many Cave Void Realm elders, to plant demonic thoughts in his Dao heart and create trouble.
Mo Hua shook his head.
He was probably overthinking it...
If he were his Master, the top priority at the moment would definitely be to find a way to cross the heavenly moat and break into the Cave Void Realm. Then, with the ability to shatter the void that came with that realm, he could spread Path Demons all over the world.
He shouldn't have had the time to waste in the Qian Xue State.
Mo Hua put this thought aside and continued to consider Ye Jin Shijie's matter.
After this trip to Hundred Flowers Valley, Mo Hua had a better understanding of the situation.
Ye Jin Shijie had indeed committed suicide.
But she probably did so because she had read about "people dying tragically and turning into vengeful ghosts filled with resentment" in the Cultivation Hundred Prohibitions. That was why she chose such a cruel and painful way to end her life by self-immolation.
There must be some hidden details.
And Mo Hua was now almost certain that Ye Jin Shijie's death was definitely related to one person.
A face with heavy makeup appeared in Mo Hua's mind.
"Hua Ruhu!"
This teaching disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley was very suspicious! Why was it that only she, among the other elders, discovered their secret inspection of Ye Jin Shijie's room, where she had burned herself? Why did she look at him with such caution?
Why did she have a guilty expression on her face when she was in Ye Jin Shijie's room?
Also, her subtle expressions during their conversation were very strange. She was overly cold to him but overly enthusiastic towards Shallow Shijie...
He had to find a way to investigate her...
Mo Hua immediately took out his transmission token and sent a message to Gu Changhuai:
"Uncle Gu, go on a blind date quickly!"
For a long time after sending the message, Gu Changhuai did not reply to Mo Hua.
He probably saw it but didn't want to bother replying.
So, Mo Hua said, "It's important!"
After sending this, Mo Hua suddenly realized that everyone who urged others to go on a blind date felt that they were doing something "important."
Mo Hua quickly added, "It's related to Ye Jin Shijie's death."
Sure enough, after he sent this sentence, Gu Changhuai replied:
"Really?"
"Really!"
"What's the connection?" Gu Changhuai asked.
"It's not clear yet," Mo Hua said, "That's why I need you to go on a blind date, to see her for yourself and ask about her background. With your years of experience as a Taoist Court judge, you can judge whether this Hua Jiao Xin has any problems."
"I somehow feel that..." Gu Changhuai frowned, "...you're tricking me into going on a blind date."
Mo Hua was speechless. "How could I use such a serious matter to trick you?"
After all, it involved Ye Jin Shijie's murder case.
Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, feeling that it made sense.
Although Mo Hua was unpredictable, most of the time, he was quite reliable.
But Gu Changhuai still refused, "I won't go."
"Why not?"
"I can go to inquire, but I won't go on a blind date."
Mo Hua was annoyed. "If you go to 'inquire' as a Taoist Court judge, won't you alert the suspect? Going on a blind date is more natural and inconspicuous, and you can ask about the news as a matter of course. Even if you ask some offensive questions, others will only think that you have low EQ and won't think too much about it..."
Gu Changhuai: "..."
"Uncle Gu, go. As a Taoist Court judge, this is your duty and righteousness."
Gu Changhuai fell silent.
Mo Hua added, "You only need to go this once, and I'll handle Elder Gu Hong's matters from now on."
Gu Changhuai thought for a long time before finally sighing and conceding,
"Fine..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "I'll send you all the suspicious points now, so you can beat around the bush and ask her about them. Also, go on the blind date as early as possible, the earlier, the better..."
Mo Hua wrote a long message and sent it.
But Gu Changhuai didn't reply.
However, Mo Hua knew that with Uncle Gu's personality, since he had agreed, he would definitely keep his word and not go back on his promise.
In the following days, he cultivated peacefully within the sect while waiting for news from Uncle Gu's "blind date."
(End of Chapter)
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