Chapter 807: Red Thread
Chapter 807: Red Thread
Some time later, through his "inside source" Wan Yi, who was a servant of the Gu family, Mo Hua learned that Uncle Gu had likely gone on a blind date. Choosing an opportune moment, he secretly sent a message to Gu Changhuai, asking:
"Uncle Gu, how did the blind date go?"
This question was probably annoying.
Gu Changhuai didn't want to answer, so he remained silent for a long while.
However, as this matter was related to Ye Jin's death, after about an hour, Gu Changhuai finally endured his discomfort and replied, "It failed."
"What kind of failure?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled. "Did the blind date fail, or did the 'interrogation' fail?"
It was only to be expected for a blind date to fail.
The real problem would be if the interrogation failed and they couldn't get any clues.
Gu Changhuai: "Both failed."
Mo Hua sighed: "Uncle Gu, you're already a senior official at the court. How can you be so incompetent? You didn't find out anything at all..."
This reprimanding tone, aged like autumn wind, was very similar to when the Chief Judge scolded someone.
On the other end of the message talisman, Gu Changhuai's expression turned ugly.
This Mo Hua really knew how to irritate people.
Mo Hua asked curiously, "What did you talk about during the date? Did you discuss family backgrounds? How about spirit stones, salary, and cultivation plans? What do you think of that Hua Jiaoxi?"
Gu Changhuai couldn't take it anymore. He directly shut off the message talisman, not wanting to see or reply to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was helpless.
Uncle Gu's tolerance still needed improvement.
Such a small matter, and he couldn't take these words. He was really petty.
Since Uncle Gu wouldn't say anything, Mo Hua could only think of other ways to find out.
Two days later, it was the weekend.
Mo Hua personally went to the Gu family and inquired around until he found Elder Gu Hong in the living room, drinking tea.
When Elder Gu Hong saw Mo Hua, her eyes lit up, and she quickly invited him over, "Mo Hua, come, I have pastries here."
Mo Hua thought to himself:
I'm not a child anymore...
But he still sat down next to Elder Gu Hong, drinking tea and eating the pastries she offered.
The tea was sweet and slightly bitter, and the pastries were crisp and mildly sweet. The combination of the two was quite unique.
As he ate, Mo Hua asked in a low voice, "Elder Gu Hong, how did Uncle Gu's blind date go?"
As soon as this matter was mentioned, Elder Gu Hong's face turned sour, and she seemed annoyed. She complained to Mo Hua, "Let me tell you, that Changhuai is simply stubborn and foolish, like an idiot. He's only good-looking on the outside."
"At first, when the young lady saw his handsome appearance, she couldn't help but stare at him for a long time, and her face turned red. But he, he was like a block of wood, silent."
"That's not the most annoying part. The most annoying thing is that as soon as they sat down and had only a few sips of tea, he started acting like he does in the court, interrogating a criminal. He asked the young lady all sorts of questions..."
"What did he ask? Where are you from? Where do you live? What places have you visited?"
Elder Gu Hong held her forehead, exasperated. "How can you expect a blind date to go well this way?"
"I could only laugh it off and apologize, saying that he's busy with court affairs every day and has developed this habit. I said it would get better after they get married."
"That's how we barely saved the situation, but you could still see that the young lady's face was clearly a bit green..."
"Ai..."
Elder Gu Hong sighed heavily, her teeth itching from anger.
"If he weren't my nephew, I'd rather sit outside and drink the northwest wind than look at him."
Mo Hua nodded.
Indeed, the handsome and cold-faced judge of the court would still be scolded by his elders at home.
"Then... Elder Gu Hong," Mo Hua asked quietly, "what do you think of that 'Hua Jiaoxi'?"
Elder Gu Hong was taken aback, "What do I think of her?"
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded. "I'm just curious, so I'm asking."
Curious?
Elder Gu Hong pondered for a moment and frowned, "To be honest, I feel something's not right..."
"What's not right?"
"Her makeup was too bold, and her expression seemed unnatural. The way she looked at Changhuai seemed like she was coveting his beauty. It seemed a bit..."
Elder Gu Hong lowered her voice and whispered to Mo Hua, "promiscuous."
Mo Hua fell into deep thought.
Elder Gu Hong hesitated for a moment, then asked curiously, "Her behavior doesn't seem like that of a sect instructor. Instead, she seems like..."
She suddenly realized that she was talking to Mo Hua and not her group of "old sisters," so she stopped awkwardly.
"She seems like what?" Mo Hua asked in confusion.
"Nothing," Elder Gu Hong said, "never mind."
Mo Hua had his suspicions.
Whenever he was around, they always left him hanging like this.
Seeing that Mo Hua wanted to ask more, Elder Gu Hong quickly pushed the pastries towards him, "Eat the pastries. You're still growing. You need to eat more..."
Whenever this topic was brought up, Mo Hua became worried.
"Elder Gu Hong, will I stop growing taller from now on?"
Elder Gu Hong said solemnly:
"Don't say that. You're just physically weak and lacking in qi. You're just growing a little slower. There's nothing that can be done about it. In the future, when your cultivation base rises and you undergo a transformation, you will definitely grow into a tall and handsome young man, even more handsome than Changhuai..."
"You have a mild-tempered and gentle disposition, like a beautiful jade. Unlike Changhuai, he's like a smelly rock, so stubborn."
Elder Gu Hong was still very angry when she brought up this matter.
"Let me tell you, with his looks, if he had a bit more sense, he would have countless beauties around him. Why would I need to put in so much effort?"
"You can't polish a turd!"
Mo Hua asked, "Then what should we do about Uncle Gu's blind dates in the future?"
"What else can we do?" Elder Gu Hong said, "Let's leave it at that for now. How can I find him another match in a short time? If he continues to be so temperamental and offends the other party again, where would I put my face?"
"That's true," Elder Gu Hong hesitated, "but sometimes, you can't judge a book by its cover, especially when it's the first meeting. It's too hasty to make a conclusion based on a first impression. Let's wait and see..."
Mo Hua nodded. "That makes sense."
He also wanted Uncle Gu to sacrifice his "looks" and meet this Hua Ruoyu again. Perhaps they could uncover some other clues.
Elder Gu Hong glanced at Mo Hua, her eyes shining with appreciation. "Changhuai is beyond help. When you grow up a little more, I'll help you find a good match."
Mo Hua's expression froze.
He hadn't expected that his casual curiosity would lead the conversation to himself.
"Elder," Mo Hua said softly, "I'm not in a hurry yet..."
Elder Gu Hong shook her head. "You should be. These things should be planned early on."
She spoke sincerely, "You're different from other children. Although you have Master Xun to support you, you don't have a strong family background, and your spiritual root is not ideal..."
"In my eyes, you're a great child, but when it comes to marriage negotiations, those big families and sects are very realistic. Your background and spiritual root will be seen as shortcomings."
"Based on my experience, you must not aim for the proud daughters of heaven from those big families."
"Most of those young ladies have high and mighty attitudes, arrogant temperaments, and look down on others. They are not suitable for you."
"Moreover, the bigger the family, the more rules and restrictions there are when it comes to marriage. Even if you two like each other and it's a mutual decision, the elders and ancestors of those big families will definitely disagree."
"Your abilities won't matter in such a situation."
"After all, how can you, as an individual, compare to the accumulated wealth and power of their families over thousands, or even tens of thousands of years?"
"You can't fight against something that's too big."
Elder Gu Hong sighed, deep in thought.
"Ideally, it should be a young lady from a medium-sized family. A third-rate family is a bit low, so somewhere around a fourth-rate family would be the most suitable."
"Someone with a gentle temperament, considerate, and knows how to care for others. It would be best if she's also an array master."
"Even a quasi-fifth-rate family would be fine..."
As she spoke, Elder Gu Hong's eyes lit up, "If you're willing, I can help you choose someone from the Gu family!"
Yes, why hadn't she thought of this before?
The Gu family was a quasi-fifth-rate family.
As a powerful elder in the family, she had some say in such matters.
She was familiar with most of the young ladies in the Gu family.
And she had also seen Mo Hua's talents and character.
If he married into the Gu family, perhaps they could even keep Mo Hua in the family.
Elder Gu Hong's eyes lit up with happiness, and she quickly asked Mo Hua, "What do you think?"
Mo Hua's head spun, "No, Elder Gu, it's too early for this."
"It's not too early," she insisted. "You don't have to worry about it. Just focus on your cultivation, and I'll keep an eye out for you."
Elder Gu Hong's eyes sparkled as she looked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua couldn't handle the pressure and quickly said, "I'll go check on Uncle Gu."
Then, he ran off.
Elder Gu Hong shook her head with a smile, not bothering to stop him, but she quietly kept this matter in mind.
She pondered for a moment and murmured, "I should try to tie a red thread for him..."
She was an impulsive person, and so she immediately returned to her residence and took out the Gu family genealogy from a box.
On the genealogy, there was a separate page that recorded the names and birthdates of the female members of the Gu family.
This was a secret within the family, and only someone in her position as a special elder could access it freely.
Elder Gu Hong took out a red thread, and her eyes glowed as she passed the thread over each name on the genealogy.
"I wonder which young lady from the Gu family will be fated with Mo Hua..."
Elder Gu Hong wondered silently.
But as she tried to tie the red thread, nothing happened.
She frowned, and her eyes glowed even brighter. However, in the next moment, something strange happened.
The red thread in her hand suddenly snapped.
Elder Gu Hong was taken aback.
If it didn't work, it shouldn't have snapped.
She had no choice but to take out another red thread and, after reciting a secret mantra, continued to try to tie the red thread for Mo Hua.
But after trying a few more names, the red thread snapped again.
Elder Gu Hong was stubborn and tried a few more times, but the thread kept breaking.
Her expression turned solemn.
"Is this a coincidence? Could it be..."
Elder Gu Hong's eyes narrowed slightly, and she took out an even thicker red thread, woven with golden silk and inlaid with red jade, symbolizing a 'golden and jade union'.
"I refuse to believe it today..."
Elder Gu Hong continued to try tying the red thread for Mo Hua.
The golden and jade union red thread was indeed extraordinary, and after trying more than a dozen times, although there was no reaction, the red thread remained intact.
In fact, when she passed it over the name of a direct descendant of the Gu family, the red thread showed a faint response.
Elder Gu Hong was slightly pleased, but just then, her heart skipped a beat.
She looked down and saw that in an instant, a crimson flame had appeared out of thin air and burned the red thread to ashes...
Not only was the red thread burned, but the golden silk was also broken into pieces, and the red jade turned to powder.
Elder Gu Hong was stunned.
The red threads... they were all broken...
Even the golden and jade union was burned.
It seemed that Mo Hua's red thread was not meant to be tied by her.
This destiny was not to be meddled with by others.
Elder Gu Hong's heart began to fill with a guess, and her face paled as she muttered, "Who is this terrifying person that Mo Hua is destined to marry in the future..."
...
On the other hand, Mo Hua, who had no idea how many red threads Elder Gu Hong had broken, wandered around the Gu family compound and finally found Gu Changhuai in a secluded study room.
A doubtful expression crossed Gu Changhuai's face. "Aunt Gu won't give up that easily..."
In the past, after each time Gu Hong said, "I won't bother with you anymore," ten days or half a month would pass, sometimes even one or two months, before she would say, "I've picked another young lady for you. You'll definitely like her. Make time to go and meet her."
"Really!" Mo Hua nodded. "But there's a small condition."
A look of "I knew it" appeared on Gu Changhuai's face as he asked, "What condition?"
"You have to arrange another meeting with the instructor Hua from Hundred Flowers Valley, and then chat and ask her some questions." Mo Hua explained.
Gu Changhuai frowned. "Is this Aunt Gu's condition?"
"The first part was said by Elder Hong, but the latter part was my idea." Mo Hua was very honest.
Gu Changhuai remained silent.
He didn't want to deal with boring people, especially boring women.
Mo Hua then said solemnly, "This is the only remaining clue we have in this case so far. At my age, I can't arrange a blind date for you. Uncle Gu, if you don't investigate, there will be another unjust soul in this world, and Ye Jin will never be able to rest in peace!"
Gu Changhuai was an experienced official, so he wouldn't be easily swayed by Mo Hua's words.
However, Mo Hua was actually right.
While blind dates were unimportant, the case had to be investigated.
"Alright then," Gu Changhuai sighed, "I'll make time to meet her again."
Mo Hua instructed, "You must be gentle and refrain from acting like a court official. Even if you have to pretend, act like a graceful and elegant young master."
Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua indifferently, "Why don't you go instead?"
Mo Hua smiled awkwardly, "These kinds of 'adult' matters are more suitable for you, Uncle Gu."
After all, you're already over two hundred years old...
Gu Changhuai frowned, looking troubled.
...
After the weekend break, Mo Hua returned to the sect.
According to his speculation, Uncle Gu would need a day or two to prepare himself mentally, and then on the third day, he would arrange to meet with Instructor Hua from Hundred Flowers Valley.
Most likely, on the fourth day, the two would meet.
If Uncle Gu could really find out something, it would probably be in four to five days.
During this time, Mo Hua mainly stayed in the Beast Refining Mountain.
A new course called "Beast Hunting" had been introduced to the cultivation curriculum of Tai Xu Gate, formally teaching disciples how to reasonably hunt magical beasts in the Beast Refining Mountain.
This course was opened according to tradition.
Previous batches of Tai Xu Gate disciples would only officially and extensively enter the Beast Refining Mountain for beast hunting during their fifth year of joining the sect.
This was the case not only for Tai Xu Gate but also for other sects.
In the first year of consolidating their Foundation Establishment, disciples would occasionally venture into the Beast Refining Mountain to test the waters.
In the second year, after their cultivation had stabilized, the sect would teach them a beast hunting course, allowing them to hunt beasts on a larger scale.
However, Mo Hua's batch was special.
With Mo Hua, the "senior brother" who was proficient in formations, leading the way, the group of disciples had already been hunting in the Beast Refining Mountain in a "militarized" manner.
The sect's plans couldn't keep up with these changes.
The elder in charge of teaching beast hunting soon found himself "unemployed" after starting his new job.
Because there was nothing left to teach...
Everything he was supposed to teach, these disciples had already mastered, and they were even getting tired of killing beasts.
Helpless, he could only report to the sect master.
"It's that child, Mo Hua, again..."
The Tai Xu Sect Master sighed.
He kept hearing this name from time to time.
Finally, after a discussion among the elders, the sect master specially approved the advancement of the beast hunting course, allowing these disciples to transition directly from theory to practice and enter the Beast Refining Mountain for beast hunting.
The beast hunting course usually lasted an entire day.
As a result, in addition to the weekend break, Tai Xu Gate's disciples now had extra time every ten days to stay in the Beast Refining Mountain for hunting.
Mo Hua was now like a fish in water in the Beast Refining Mountain.
In addition, he also met Ouyang Mu and Ling Hu Xiao from the other sects.
Although the beast hunting progress of Tai He Gate and Chong Xu Gate wasn't as fast, when they learned that Tai Xu Gate had already allowed their disciples to hunt extensively, they didn't want to lag behind, so they also loosened their restrictions.
This was the first time the three of them had met since the incident in the Myriad Demon Valley.
Ouyang Mu and Ling Hu Xiao were very grateful to Mo Hua.
After all, the three of them had faced life and death together in the Myriad Demon Valley, and it was Mo Hua who had ultimately saved them, allowing them to escape with their lives. Their bond could be described as "thicker than water."
"Senior Brother Mo, if there's anything in the future, just tell me, and I'll definitely do it!" Ouyang Mu said solemnly.
Ling Hu Xiao also said, "Me too."
Mo Hua waved his hand, "It was just a small matter, don't mention it."
Because it was currently "class time," the three of them could only chat occasionally and couldn't talk too much.
However, their relationship became even closer.
Mo Hua also secretly shared some sword-forging insights he had "blackmailed" from Jian Gu Tou with Ouyang Mu, allowing him to secretly study and improve his sword-forging skills.
Ouyang Mu now looked at Mo Hua with the same admiration he would give to an older brother.
As for Ling Hu Xiao, Mo Hua directly and openly called him "Xiao Xiao."
He had wanted to call him that for a long time, but because they weren't close enough before, he had felt a little embarrassed.
Ling Hu Xiao was a little angry.
Perhaps this nickname didn't fit his lonely and aloof personality.
It also didn't match the temperament of a future peerless sword cultivator who was destined to reach the pinnacle of the sword path.
But due to Mo Hua's "life-saving grace," he had no room for "resistance," so he could only grudgingly accept it.
And as Mo Hua kept calling him that, he gradually got used to it.
Of course, up till now, only Mo Hua dared to call him "Xiao Xiao" to his face.
He only allowed Mo Hua to call him that because Mo Hua had saved his life, which set him apart from others.
This was the bottom line that he, as a proud and aloof sword cultivation genius, could tolerate, and it was also his last act of "stubbornness."
(End of Chapter)
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