Chapter 816: Old Grudges
Chapter 816: Old Grudges
(Dedicated to Brother Mu Baijin Yu, a big fan of Silver Alliance)
Words are powerless. Only with a sword in hand can one have a say. The sharper the sword, the more confident one's speech becomes.
At this moment, the surroundings of the cave were covered in Mo Hua's intricate killing arrays, giving him the confidence to speak.
"Come out," Mo Hua said indifferently.
The person in the cave didn't know what Mo Hua had done outside, but he could sense the killing intent and the oppressive pressure that made him anxious.
"Fellow cultivator, to be honest, I am severely injured and my legs are inconvenient. It's really not convenient for me to go out..."
"Fellow cultivator, if you don't mind, why don't you come into the cave for a chat?"
Mo Hua coldly snorted in his mind.
He wouldn't go in.
The identity of this person was unknown, and the dangers within the cave were uncertain. Only a fool would rashly enter.
"I won't go in. You come out," Mo Hua said firmly.
"Fellow cultivator, my injuries are too severe, and I am unable to move freely. Please forgive me..." The elderly voice from within the cave sounded apologetic.
Mo Hua shook his head and said indifferently, "I don't want to hear any excuses, reasons, or explanations. I'm giving you five breaths worth of time and two choices. Within five breaths, either you come out by yourself, or I blow up the cave and force you out."
Upon hearing this, the person in the cave hated it.
"To encounter such an unyielding old fox is truly troublesome..."
Mo Hua had already started counting outside the cave.
From five to one, no matter who the cultivator in the cave was, he was prepared to blow it up.
Time was precious, and he didn't want to waste it.
"Five... four..."
The cultivator in the cave sensed Mo Hua's decisiveness and his expression changed immediately. "Wait, fellow cultivator, let's talk..."
"Three..."
"Alright, alright, I'm coming out!" The elderly voice from within the cave hurriedly replied.
Mo Hua stopped counting and looked at the cave with vigilance in his eyes. He circulated his spiritual power, directing a wisp of it to his fingertips, ready to cast a fireball at any moment.
He directed two other streams of spiritual power to the soles of his feet, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
After a while, rustling sounds came from within the cave, as if someone was getting up. Soon, shallow footsteps approached, accompanied by the tapping of a bamboo staff.
The footsteps drew closer.
In just a few breaths, a figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.
Bathed in the moonlight, Mo Hua could roughly make out his appearance.
The person who emerged from the cave was an elderly man with a short and thin stature. In the moonlight, his expression looked somewhat gloomy, and his eyes had a sharp glint.
At this moment, he leaned on a bamboo staff, his breath unstable and his footsteps light, appearing to be truly injured.
As Mo Hua looked at the old man, the old man also saw Mo Hua, and his gloomy expression turned to one of obvious astonishment.
Even though he had already guessed from Mo Hua's voice that the cultivator outside was probably young, he still found it hard to believe when he saw Mo Hua's youthful face.
How could someone who was so meticulous and unyielding in speech be such a young brat?
Moreover, judging from his cultivation, he was only at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment.
His spiritual power was weak, and even among those at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, he was only considered mediocre.
The old man couldn't help but feel annoyed.
How could he, a respectable Golden Core cultivator, be forced into such a situation by a mere Foundation Establishment brat? It was truly unreasonable!
The old man wanted to take a step forward, but Mo Hua stopped him. "That's enough. Don't move."
The old man stopped and looked around, only then realizing that he was standing right in the middle of countless killing arrays. His eyes widened in surprise.
A second-grade high-tier array! The arrays were filled with a daunting killing intent.
The anger in the old man's heart instantly vanished, and his attitude softened as he said to Mo Hua, "Alright."
When one is under the eaves, one has to bow their head.
Although he didn't know how this Foundation Establishment brat had managed to set up so many high-tier second-grade killing arrays in such a short time, arrays were arrays.
They did not discriminate.
Even in the third-rate province, a Golden Core cultivator would not wish to be "blessed" by so many second-grade high-tier killing arrays.
Moreover, this was in the second-rate province, where cultivation was limited.
And he was already heavily injured, having fled for several days, like a flickering candle in the wind.
The old man's eyes narrowed, and he glanced up at Mo Hua before cupping his hands and asking, "May I ask your surname and given name, your sect, and your master's name?"
Mo Hua shook his head. "I ask the questions, you give the answers!"
Now that the old man was standing in the middle of his killing arrays, Mo Hua held the initiative. How could he give him the opportunity to ask questions?
The old man's face twitched, and he nodded. "Alright."
"What's your surname?" Mo Hua asked.
The old man's expression remained unchanged. "My surname is Zhao."
"And your name?"
"My single given name is 'Hai'."
"Are you not from the Qian Xue Province?" Mo Hua asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"You are correct, fellow cultivator," the old man replied. "I am from the Zhao family, a third-rate sect south of the Chaoyun Province, and I hold the position of elder in my clan..."
Zhao Hai, elder of the third-rate Zhao family.
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
This old man was similar to him in that he lied effortlessly, boasting without even needing to prepare.
He was definitely not surnamed Zhao.
Nor was his name 'Zhao Hai'.
As for being an elder of the Zhao family south of Chaoyun Province, such a far-fetched claim was impossible to verify immediately, and Mo Hua had no intention of wasting time on it.
"Elder Zhao," Mo Hua said with cupped fists.
The old man returned the gesture and said, "May I ask your surname, fellow cultivator...?"
"I'm not done asking my questions yet," Mo Hua interrupted.
The old man paused, then said with a forced smile, "Please ask, fellow cultivator."
Mo Hua stared at the old man, who claimed to be 'Elder Zhao', and asked, "Who injured you?"
The old man sighed. "A group of passing evil cultivators suddenly attacked me. I was caught off guard and ended up severely injured."
"Little friend, do you know those two children?" The elder asked, puzzled.
Mo Hua silently stared at him without speaking.
His silence implied, 'I ask the questions, and you give the answers. You don't have the right to ask questions yet.'
The elder's eyelids twitched, and he sighed, "I've been healing my wounds in this cave, and I happened to meet those two children, who showed their sincerity by bringing me water and food. Their kindness is truly rare. So, I wanted to pass on some of the Zhao family's legacy to them and repay their kindness by forging a virtuous connection."
Mo Hua nodded, but in his heart, he thought: 'More nonsense...'
Children from poor families are always hungry. If they have something to eat, they would usually keep it for themselves instead of offering it to others.
As for the talk of karmic cause and virtuous connections, it was all rubbish.
What do you know about karma and virtuous connections?
The elder studied Mo Hua's expression, unsure if he believed him or not, and asked in a soft voice, "Little friend, I've answered your questions. May I ask if you could..."
"Since you've told me, I won't make things difficult for you. I'll remove these arrays," Mo Hua nodded.
The elder breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go back into the cave.
But suddenly, Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "You're from the Water Prison Sect!"
At the mention of the "Water Prison Sect," the elder's pupils trembled, and his fingers twitched imperceptibly. Three water needles shot out at a tricky angle, speeding towards Mo Hua with deadly intent.
Mo Hua had already sensed the killing intent.
This old man had intended to kill him from the start.
As the elder made his move, Mo Hua executed the Flowing Water Step, using his agile footwork to dodge the deadly attack with a simple sidestep.
What nimble movement!
The elder, seeing that his ambush had missed, swayed his body, intending to pounce again.
However, Mo Hua pointed a finger, and water vapor condensed into a confining cage, trapping the elder.
But the next moment, a blue light flashed around the elder, and the water cage easily shattered.
After breaking free, the elder's expression changed as he recognized the technique:
"Water Prison Technique?!"
Moreover, it had been cultivated to such a masterful level.
He looked at Mo Hua in disbelief and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
After landing, Mo Hua stood firm and said with certainty, "You are indeed from the Water Prison Sect..."
The Water Prison Technique originated from the Water Prison Sect, and it was their ultimate technique.
To date, only two people had managed to escape it.
One was the Water King Yanluo, and the other was this elder.
The Water King Yanluo must have had some connection to the Water Prison Sect.
And now, it seemed that this elder was also a descendant of the Water Prison Sect.
The elder stared intently at Mo Hua, his expression fluctuating as he couldn't discern whether Mo Hua was an enemy or a friend.
"A senior immortal from my sect once saved a descendant of the Zhao family, and as a token of gratitude, he was gifted the secret manual of the Water Prison Technique, which is how I also learned this spell," Mo Hua explained concisely.
The elder's heart skipped a beat when he heard the words "senior immortal."
Immortal was the term used for those who had achieved ascension.
If there was an immortal senior in his sect, then this young man's background was likely not simple.
Even if it wasn't a top-tier sect, it was probably at least on par with the Hundred Gates of Qian Xue.
The Water Prison Sect had once been illustrious, but that was a thousand years ago. Now, they were in decline and couldn't compare.
The elder's attitude towards Mo Hua became more respectful.
"Since there is such a connection, I apologize for my rash actions earlier. However..." The elder's expression turned solemn. "Please don't involve yourself further in the matters of the Water Prison Sect. It's a matter of great magnitude, and it's not something you should meddle with."
Mo Hua's eyebrows rose, "Are you being pursued?"
The elder's expression darkened, "I told you, this matter is not something you should..."
"I can help you," Mo Hua interrupted.
"Help me?" The elder was taken aback, and his expression turned ugly. "Do you know how deep the waters are that you're stepping into?"
Mo Hua nodded, "I have some idea."
The elder sneered.
"You're just a young boy who knows nothing of the world. How dare you involve yourself in the affairs of the Water Prison Sect? If you meddle carelessly, you'll likely find yourself in a grave."
"In my sect, there is the Elder Dongxu, immortal seniors, and many Golden Core elders who are close to me," Mo Hua stated.
"I also have connections with the noble families and friends in the Court of Judges," he added.
"Tell me what's going on, and perhaps I can help you. But if you don't..."
Mo Hua stared at the faint black line on the elder's glabella and continued with certainty, "...you probably won't live past two months."
The elder was completely intimidated by Mo Hua.
He hadn't expected that this young cultivator, who didn't seem that old, would have such a wide network of connections.
More importantly, when Mo Hua spoke, he exuded a calm and unperturbed aura, indicating that he was indeed capable and well-connected.
This young man was likely a descendant of a powerful family or sect...
He couldn't afford to offend him.
Moreover, what Mo Hua said made sense.
The elder knew that if he continued hiding, he wouldn't last long.
And his lifelong wish was still unfulfilled...
The elder's expression was conflicted, but in the end, he sighed, "Fine, ask what you want. If you're willing to help afterward, that would be great. But if you're not, please leave quietly and don't reveal my whereabouts."
"Good!" Mo Hua agreed.
This old man, despite his underhanded tactics, was at least honest.
"You're not really surnamed Zhao, are you?" Mo Hua asked.
The elder cupped his fist, "Please forgive me, little friend. We are strangers who met by chance, so I naturally can't reveal my real name.
"Yu Canghai..."
Mo Hua quietly committed the name to memory before asking, "Who is pursuing you?"
The elder sighed, his face contorting with hatred. "It's... Guishui Gate..."
"Guishui Gate?"
Mo Hua was taken aback.
He hadn't expected the Guishui Gate to be involved in this matter.
But something wasn't right...
Frowning, Mo Hua asked, "Did you see with your own eyes that disciples of the Guishui Gate were pursuing you?"
The elder shook his head. "Guishui Gate wouldn't act directly. They hide in the shadows. The ones who actually carried out the pursuit and attempted to kill me were some rogue xiuzhen practitioners hired by the Guishui Gate."
Mo Hua's pupils narrowed. "Do you have any evidence?"
The elder let out a cold laugh. "What more evidence do I need? The current high-ranking members of the Guishui Gate are traitors from the Water Prison Gate. They betrayed the Water Prison Gate, defected to the Daoting, and after the Water Prison Gate's downfall, they stole the Water Prison Gate's legacy, rebranded themselves, and replaced the 'Water Prison Gate' with the Guishui Gate, becoming one of the twelve currents today!"
"There is a deep-seated hatred between the Guishui Gate and our Water Prison Gate! To cover up their misdeeds from back then, these vile beasts of the Guishui Gate want to annihilate every last one of us descendants of the Water Prison Gate!"
Mo Hua's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred.
He had no idea that there was such a history between the Guishui Gate and the Water Prison Gate.
So, was the Guishui Gate also manipulating the situation with the Yu Family's Water Fortress?
Mo Hua sighed inwardly: "The relationships between the aristocratic families and sects are indeed intricate and complex. If one doesn't dig into it personally, they would never know just how many connections and entanglements exist beneath the surface."
Then, Mo Hua frowned and asked, "When the Water Prison Gate was destroyed a thousand years ago, the prevailing narrative was that... your Water Prison Gate had 'fallen into demonic ways'. Is that true?"
The elder replied, "Of course not. That was slander and defamation!"
The elder's tone was very assertive.
But when Mo Hua asked him to explain what really happened, the elder stammered and couldn't give a clear answer.
Mo Hua understood the situation.
The elder probably didn't know the full story either. He was simply defending his sect's honor based on the belief that 'my sect must be innocent'.
After all, it had been over a thousand years, and as a Jin Dan cultivator, the elder wouldn't have lived that long, nor could he possibly know the truth.
"Then, when the Water Prison Gate was destroyed, shouldn't everyone have been imprisoned? How could there still be descendants?" Mo Hua asked curiously.
The elder sighed. "When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter. A sect naturally has many branches and leaves—so many elders, disciples, and in-laws connected to other aristocratic families. It's impossible to truly settle all accounts."
"At most, they would capture and execute the main culprits, such as the sect leader, elders, and inner disciples, to make a show of it."
"As for the many other xiuzhen practitioners with connections to the sect, they could just bribe the higher-ups, and even the Daoting would turn a blind eye and not pursue the matter to its conclusion."
"Some of our Yu Family's xiuzhen practitioners were able to survive by doing just that..."
The elder's expression turned gloomy. "But that being said, we could only flee and live in hiding, concealing our identities and never returning to Qianzhou..."
"Then why did you come back?" Mo Hua asked.
"Because..." The elder's face was filled with sorrow. "...I'm about to die..."
"Life as a fugitive is not easy, and I later encountered a great calamity. The Yu Family's bloodline is almost extinct..."
"Seeing that the bloodline was about to be severed and that there would be no one left to carry on the legacy of the Water Prison Gate, I had no choice but to take the risk and return to Qianzhou, hoping to find some trace of the lost Yu Family descendants based on scant clues."
"Fortunately, Heaven does not extinguish the hopes of mankind, and I did find them..."
The elder's expression was not one of relief but rather, one of even deeper pain.
Mo Hua's pupils contracted.
The words "Yu Family's Water Fortress" resurfaced in his mind.
As he looked at the elder, his eyes held a hint of pity and sympathy.
Mo Hua could guess what had happened next.
This elder had found the Yu Family's Water Fortress, but in doing so, he had also exposed the fact that the Yu Family's Water Fortress was descended from the Water Prison Gate.
This fact might even have been unknown to the people of the Yu Family's Water Fortress themselves.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have completely erased the names of their ancestral water-based xiuzhen techniques.
This elder had found the Yu Family's descendants and those with whom he shared a blood connection.
But it was also because of him that...
The Yu Family's Water Fortress had been wiped out.
The elder's expression was filled with despair and sorrow.
He clearly understood the consequences of his actions.
He had intended to pass on the legacy of the sect, but instead, he had brought about an even more thorough extinction.
The struggle for the sect's legacy was cold and cruel.
The elder's heart twisted in pain, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Mo Hua took out a pill and handed it to him, asking, "Was this also done by the Guishui Gate?"
The elder took the pill from Mo Hua but did not ingest it. Instead, he gritted his teeth and said, "It must be the Guishui Gate!
"It must be those beasts!"
"One day, I will make them pay for their crimes with blood. I will make sure they die without a place to be buried, and I will use their flesh and blood to honor the ancestors of the Water Prison Gate!"
Mo Hua remained silent.
The elder's words sounded a bit like those of a demonic cultivator.
But who was he to judge? One could not understand another's pain until one had experienced it themselves.
If he, Mo Hua, had fallen into the same situation, he might have done something even more ruthless and cruel.
"Have you reported this matter to the Daoting?" Mo Hua asked.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the elder's expression turned sinister, and he sneered, his voice as cold as a night owl's. "Guess... why the Guishui Gate knows my identity? Why were they able to track my whereabouts? Why were they able to silently annihilate the entire Yu Family's Water Fortress?"
Mo Hua's pupils trembled, and a chill ran down his spine.
"You mean..."
The elder continued, "If we're talking about dirt, the dirtiest place in this world is probably the Daoting..."
(End of Chapter)
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