Chapter 818: The Water Prison Legacy
Chapter 818: The Water Prison Legacy
An hour ago, everything was fine.
But in the blink of an eye, he had blown up and killed a Xiao-born daotingsi's zhispi? !
Gu Chang Huai drew in a cold breath.
That damn brat!
When it comes to stirring up trouble, he's truly unmatched!
Among all the disciples of Taixumen, there's probably no one who can compare to him.
"What happened?" Gu Chang Huai asked urgently.
Mo Hua replied, "I..."
"Never mind, don't explain now. The message talisman said it's not safe..." Gu Chang Huai interrupted.
Ever since he witnessed Mo Hua effortlessly restore the erased words from a message talisman created by the daotingsi, he had little trust in the security of such talismans.
Even those crafted by the daotingsi themselves.
"Did anyone else find out?"
"Not yet." Mo Hua replied.
Yu Canghai was an insider and didn't count as an "other" person.
As for the group of masked cultivators, they were all dead, so naturally, they didn't count as people either.
Gu Chang Huai breathed a sigh of relief. "Stay where you are and don't move. Slightly conceal yourself and make sure no one discovers you. You don't need me to teach you that, right?"
"Yes, I understand." Mo Hua replied.
After putting away the message talisman, Gu Chang Huai, feeling anxious, was about to get up and leave. However, he was suddenly stopped by a gentle voice.
"Where are you off to, Gu diansi?"
Gu Chang Huai turned his head and saw Xiao diansi, squinting and wearing a smile.
This Xiao diansi was the real power holder among the Xiao family in the Qian Xue daotingsi. He had been in office for more than 150 years.
He always had a smile on his face, but he was a hypocrite, smiling on the outside but not in his heart.
Initially, Gu Chang Huai didn't think much of it.
But ever since Mo Hua met this Xiao diansi and secretly gave him the nickname "Smiling Tiger," he couldn't help but think of those three words whenever he saw Xiao diansi.
"Smi...Xiao diansi," Gu Chang Huai's eyebrows twitched as he almost blurted out the nickname, "I...I have something to take care of."
"Oh?" Xiao diansi smiled, "What's the matter that's so urgent?"
'One of the Xiao family's zhi has been blown up.'
Gu Chang Huai thought to himself.
But outwardly, he said, "A guilty cultivator was blown up during the capture process, and I'm going to take a look."
Xiao diansi was nonchalant, "If he's a guilty cultivator, then he deserves his fate. There's no need for you, Gu diansi, to take this matter into your own hands."
Gu Chang Huai's expression became somewhat complex, and then he calmly said, "I'm just not at ease and want to take a look."
"What about over there at Xia diansi..." Xiao diansi hesitated.
"I'll explain to him afterward." Gu Chang Huai replied.
Xiao diansi shook his head and sighed, "Gu diansi, I'm not trying to criticize you, but sometimes you also need to consider the situation. That Xia diansi... "
He pointed upwards and lowered his voice, "He's sent by the higher-ups. If you offend him, it might not bode well for your future in the daotingsi."
By "higher-ups," he was naturally referring to the daoting.
Gu Chang Huai understood this very well.
He also knew that the Qian Xue zhou jie was fraught with hidden currents, and there was likely a hidden motive behind the daoting sending a diansi at this time.
But that was none of his concern.
Gu Chang Huai said in a deep voice, "I am a diansi, and I only know how to follow the laws. Even if someone from the daoting comes, I will still do what needs to be done."
Xiao diansi looked at Gu Chang Huai as if he were looking at a fool and couldn't help but laugh, "Gu diansi has his own principles. Admirable."
Gu Chang Huai gave a perfunctory bow and turned to leave.
Xiao diansi watched his departing figure and shook his head with a cold smile.
...
After leaving the daotingsi, Gu Chang Huai hurried back to Qingzhou City on horseback. He changed into the daotingsi's robe and chose a good horse from the Gu family before rushing along the Yanshui River to the small fishing village without rest.
Upon arriving at the village, he followed Mo Hua's instructions and walked downstream to climb up the desolate mountain. There, he saw Mo Hua squatting on the ground, studying something, with an unfamiliar elderly man with weak aura beside him, and four neatly laid-out corpses on the ground.
Gu Chang Huai glanced at Mo Hua and then at the four corpses, and he drew in another cold breath, "You blew up four people?"
"No, no," Mo Hua waved his hands repeatedly, "Not that many, just one."
"And you still think it's not enough?" Gu Chang Huai said in a displeased tone.
Mo Hua smiled awkwardly.
"What really happened?" Gu Chang Huai asked with a frown.
Mo Hua explained briefly: "These people are assassins. They were chasing this elder with their faces covered. I happened to meet them and helped the elder by killing them instead. Of course, I only helped a little..."
Mo Hua tried to distance himself from the situation.
But Gu Chang Huai didn't believe him at all.
With array marks of explosions all over the place and the burn marks on these people's bodies caused by the arrays...
How could this be considered "helping a little"? These people were most likely killed by Mo Hua.
Mo Hua continued, "After they died, I searched their bodies but didn't find anything suspicious. However, one of them..."
Mo Hua pointed to the badly mutilated corpse on the ground, "He learned the methods of a guilty cultivator and had a small storage box embedded in his teeth. Inside was an zhi that had the character 'Xiao' written on it..."
Gu Chang Huai's eyes narrowed.
Mo Hua handed the token to Gu Chang Huai and asked, "Uncle Gu, take a look. Is this the Xiao family's zhi?"
Gu Chang Huai took it, glanced at it, and his expression became solemn.
The token was indeed the zhi of the Xiao family of the daotingsi.
Gu Chang Huai turned to look at Mo Hua, assessed the current situation, and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thankfully..."
He had thought that Mo Hua had intentionally set up an array and blown up the Xiao family's zhi due to a conflict.
Fortunately, the situation was not that difficult to handle.
Gu Chang Huai silently put away the token.
Mo Hua looked worried and asked, "Uncle Gu, what should we do now?"
Gu Chang Huai's eyebrows twitched, "What do you mean, 'what now'?"
Mo Hua pointed to the corpses on the ground, "This Xiao family's zhi..."
Gu Chang Huai frowned, "What Xiao family's zhi? Where did you get that idea?"
Mo Hua was taken aback.
"You showed courage and righteousness by killing a few masked bandits. What does this have to do with the Xiao family?"
Gu Chang Huai said sternly, "In this remote place, there's only a guilty cultivator who failed to kill and was killed instead. Where did this zhi come from?
Mo Hua nodded in realization. "Uncle Gu truly is an experienced official of the Dao Court."
"He sure knows the procedure well." Gu Chang Huai's gaze shifted back to Yu Canghai, a slight frown on his face.
"There's still a lot for me to learn," he muttered.
Addressing Mo Hua, he asked, "Who is this elder?"
"This elder's name is Yu Canghai. He's a descendant of the Water Prison Sect," Mo Hua replied.
Yu Canghai, upon noticing Gu Chang Huai, narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you from the Dao Court?"
Although Gu Chang Huai was not wearing the official robe of the Dao Court, his austere brows and dignified demeanor set him apart from ordinary cultivators. Yu Canghai could instantly recognize his affiliation.
Moreover, Gu Chang Huai possessed the cultivation base of a Golden Core.
A Golden Core cultivator within the Dao Court would undoubtedly hold a position of power as an official!
Yu Canghai's expression turned guarded.
Gu Chang Huai's cold gaze met his, and he asked, "So what if I am?"
Yu Canghai let out a cold laugh. "There's not a single decent person in the Dao Court!"
Gu Chang Huai's expression darkened with displeasure.
Mo Hua quickly interjected, "That's enough, both of you."
There was no need for a centuries-old Golden Core official to argue with a stubborn old man whose age was indiscernible.
Mo Hua turned to Yu Canghai and explained, "Your enemy is the Gui Water Sect. I can't protect you, but Uncle Gu can."
Yu Canghai shook his head resolutely. "I don't trust anyone from the Dao Court. Even if it means my death, I won't accept their help. Once I rely on the Dao Court, the lineage of the Water Prison Sect will eventually be severed..."
"But if you die now, the lineage of the Water Prison Sect will be lost anyway," Mo Hua pointed out.
Yu Canghai paused, considering this.
Mo Hua sighed. "Things have already taken a turn for the worst. If you listen to Uncle Gu, there might still be a chance for you to survive and pass on the sect's lineage. Otherwise, the Water Prison Sect will truly be finished."
Yu Canghai's expression fluctuated, and he eventually let out a sigh of resignation.
Although he was a bit stubborn, he was not foolish. He quickly understood his predicament.
At this point, he had no room to bargain.
Mo Hua turned to Gu Chang Huai and added, "He's from the Water Prison Sect and was hunted by evil cultivators under the orders of the Gui Water Sect, which has connections with someone in the Dao Court."
Having connections with the Dao Court implied the presence of an inside traitor.
The involvement of the Gui Water Sect hinted at corruption within the sect.
Additionally, the mention of evil cultivators likely tied into the case of the Yu Family's Water Village extermination and the Water Asura.
In an instant, Gu Chang Huai realized that this old man with a Golden Core cultivation was a key figure.
The displeasure in Gu Chang Huai's eyes softened slightly as he nodded. "Very well."
Now that things were clear, Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.
The next step was to clean up the mess.
"I'll call someone to collect these corpses," Gu Chang Huai said. "We'll tell others that these were river pirates on the Yanshui River who intended to commit crimes, but they were killed by the Dao Court instead. You two must also keep this matter confidential."
"Okay," Mo Hua nodded. "Oh, right, Uncle Gu, there are also..."
Gu Chang Huai frowned. "A few what?"
Mo Hua pointed toward the depths of the mountain. "There are four more bodies over there..."
Gu Chang Huai looked at Mo Hua silently.
Mo Hua lowered his voice, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I only helped a little; it's not like I killed them myself."
Gu Chang Huai took a deep breath and sighed. "Alright."
With a single move, eight lives had been taken.
And there was also a member of the Xiao family's executive.
Fortunately, this stinky brat, Mo Hua, wasn't his nephew. Otherwise, he would have been exhausted to death or annoyed to death by now.
...
Gu Chang Huai then called for someone from the Gu family to come and collect the bodies and clean up the scene.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, rode in the Gu family's carriage with Yu Canghai back to Qingzhou City.
For the time being, Yu Canghai would stay with the Gu family, and his identity would be that of a Golden Core cultivator friend of Gu Chang Huai who was passing through the Qian Xue Province and had come to visit.
This explanation would not raise any suspicions.
After all, who didn't have a few cultivator friends after a lifetime of cultivation?
However, those within the Gu family who were familiar with Gu Chang Huai's temperament knew that there was something amiss.
Given Gu Chang Huai's short temper, he really didn't have many cultivator friends.
But since it seemed to be related to the Dao Court's business, no one asked further questions.
Thus, Yu Canghai was temporarily settled.
At the Gu family residence, Yu Canghai enjoyed a comfortable environment with ample food and drink, and he had no shortage of healing pills. With no fear of pursuit, his injuries would gradually improve over time.
Yu Canghai also shared everything he knew about the Water Prison Sect, the Gui Water Sect, and the Dao Court with Gu Chang Huai.
Mo Hua listened by their side.
Yu Canghai's account was mostly consistent with what Mo Hua had heard before, without much new information.
The only difference was the mention of the Water Asura.
"Have you seen the Water Asura?" Gu Chang Huai asked.
At the mention of the Water Asura, Yu Canghai's face twisted with anger, his eyes filled with deep hatred. "Even if I turn to ash, I will never forget him!"
"What does he look like?" Mo Hua asked.
Yu Canghai's eyes turned icy. "He appears to be a clean-faced young man, with a pale complexion and cold eyes. His demeanor is sinister, and he is skilled in water-type techniques, wielding a Nine-Lock Flood Dragon Whip."
Mo Hua and Gu Chang Huai exchanged a glance, both of them nodding slightly.
This description matched the "Water Asura" they had briefly encountered and clashed with at the ferry that night.
Yu Canghai continued, "I hid my identity and came to the Qian Xue Province, enduring countless hardships to find the remaining descendants of the Water Prison Sect."
"They lived in a water village, eking out a meager existence. Their highest cultivation level was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. They knew nothing about the Water Prison Sect's past or their true identities. They also couldn't grasp the sect's inherited techniques."
"I concealed my cultivation and aura, disguising myself as a fish merchant to interact with them. I was contemplating whether to reveal the truth and pass on the Water Prison Sect's lineage to them, thus fulfilling my lifelong wish. But before I could make a decision..."
Pain flashed in the old man's eyes. "My whereabouts were discovered, and the entire water village was slaughtered."
"I am a Golden Core cultivator, but in a second-rate province, I can only exert the power of the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. I could only watch helplessly as my descendants of the Yu family fell one by one under the blades of those vile beasts."
"Filled with rage, I was then ambushed by the Water Asura and poisoned with water poison. I could only endure the pain and flee to save my life."
"After that, they relentlessly pursued me, forcing me to hide and flee for my life. I had already lost all hope and was prepared to make a desperate last stand. But then, I accidentally discovered that there were still surviving members of my Yu family in a small fishing village along the Yanshui River, and a glimmer of hope reappeared..."
"I secretly passed on some cultivation techniques and spells to those two children. Although it might also bring them disaster, at this point, I can't afford to worry about that anymore..."
Yu Canghai sighed and looked at Mo Hua. "You already know what happened afterward.
Mo Hua nodded, then fell into contemplation for a moment before asking curiously, "Since your strength is limited in a second-rate province, why didn't you go to a third-rate province when you were being pursued by those Foundation Establishment cultivators?"
The elder smiled bitterly. "I would've died even faster if I went to a third-rate province."
Mo Hua was perplexed.
The elder sighed. "Here in the second-rate province, those chasing me are mostly at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Even with my suppressed cultivation, I still have the upper hand."
"But if I went to a third-rate province, those coming after me would likely be Golden Core cultivators from the Gui Water Sect, or perhaps even multiple late Golden Core cultivators. As a mid Golden Core cultivator, I would undoubtedly perish if they besieged me."
Mo Hua's eyes widened in realization.
The laws of Heaven's Path were a double-edged sword, bringing both blessings and misfortunes. While it restricted his ability to save others, it also saved his life.
Otherwise, the twelfth-rate Gui Water Sect could have directly sent Golden Core cultivators or even a Nascent Soul cultivator to wipe out Yu's Water Village and Yu Canghai himself in an instant.
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with newfound understanding.
The grand formation of Heaven's Path, with its checks and balances, seemed to bring many disadvantages...
For instance, Gu Chang Huai, a Golden Core cultivator, struggled against Fire Buddha and Water Yanluo, who were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage and possessed exceptional demonic cultivation techniques.
However, on the flip side, without the restrictions of Heaven's Path, they would be facing even more formidable demonic cultivators.
Higher-level demons would likely be able to slaughter countless low and mid-level cultivators with a mere flick of their hands, causing untold carnage.
A place like the small fishing village would have been destroyed countless times.
And if a being like the Lord of Desolation wasn't constrained by Heaven's Path, a mere glance could corrupt countless cultivators' hearts, leading them astray into the path of evil and becoming sacrifices to his dark desires...
"Wealth, power, and even cultivation should not be allowed to expand without limit," Mo Hua murmured, a chill running down his spine as he grasped a cruel but undeniable truth. "If left unchecked, they will inevitably bring catastrophe to the weak and the poor, resulting in the collapse of the Great Dao and the annihilation of all life, reducing everything to nothingness..."
"Perhaps," he continued, his voice steady despite the chilling realization, "this is the way of Heaven."
For a moment, Mo Hua was lost in thought, a glimmer of ancient and profound insight shining in his eyes.
Cultivators sought the Dao, and upon attaining it, they became immortals.
And in that moment, Mo Hua felt he had caught a glimpse of the true nature of the "Dao" he sought.
Yu Canghai and Gu Chang Huai, who were conversing, noticed his pensive state and exchanged puzzled glances.
They couldn't understand why a few words had seemingly triggered such a profound realization in Mo Hua, causing his eyes to reflect an ancient and profound wisdom.
The two men fell silent, unsure of what to say.
After a while, Mo Hua snapped out of his reverie and noticed the curious gazes of Gu Chang Huai and Yu Canghai. "What is it?" he asked.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Gu Chang Huai inquired cautiously.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just had a small epiphany," Mo Hua replied humbly.
Gu Chang Huai's expression grew complex, and Yu Canghai's eyes flickered with uncertainty as he, too, studied Mo Hua.
After a brief silence, the three of them chatted for a while longer before Gu Chang Huai took his leave.
"I need to head back to the Dao Court to take care of some matters," he explained, glancing at Yu Canghai. "You stay here and recuperate. I'll come back if I have any more questions."
Despite Yu Canghai being at the mid Golden Core stage, Gu Chang Huai, who was only at the early Golden Core stage, showed no respect and spoke bluntly without any courtesy.
Yu Canghai understood his position and bowed slightly, not saying a word.
Mo Hua waved his hand. "Take care, Uncle Gu."
Before leaving, Gu Chang Huai looked at Mo Hua once more and instructed, "Go back to your sect earlier today and try to stay indoors. Also, remember not to mention the matter about the Xiao family's executive to anyone."
Mo Hua nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."
Although Gu Chang Huai left, he wasn't overly concerned.
After all, Mo Hua had a knack for keeping secrets, and blowing up a Dao Court executive, whether it was the Xiao family's or colluding with sinful cultivators like the Xiang family, might not even be worth mentioning to him.
After Gu Chang Huai's departure, Mo Hua quietly asked Yu Canghai, "Elder Yu..."
He addressed Gu Chang Huai as "Uncle" due to his Golden Core cultivation, but he opted for a more respectful term for Yu Canghai, a stranger.
However, Yu Canghai was wary of Mo Hua, suspecting that he had an extraordinary background. "I dare not accept such a title, young friend. If you don't mind, please call me Elder Yu."
He had indeed been an elder in his clan.
If the Water Prison Sect still existed, his mid Golden Core cultivation would have qualified him for the position of elder.
"Okay, Elder Yu," Mo Hua said curiously. "What are the inheritances of your Water Prison Sect?"
Yu Canghai paused, then looked at Mo Hua with caution. "Our Water Prison Sect's inheritances can only be passed down to descendants of the sect."
In other words, he wasn't going to divulge any information.
"I'm just asking," Mo Hua muttered.
He was a little curious, but not too eager to learn.
Yu Canghai didn't give a clear answer.
"By the way," Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why was the Water Prison Art ineffective against Water Yanluo when I used it to trap him, and it didn't work on you either?"
Yu Canghai was taken aback. "You fought Water Yanluo?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Sort of..."
It was more of a stalemate than a clear victory or defeat.
Yu Canghai's impression of Mo Hua improved even further.
A cultivator at the mid Foundation Establishment stage facing off against Water Yanluo and escaping unscathed was no small feat.
Having fought Water Yanluo himself, Yu Canghai knew how tricky he could be.
Moreover, being able to stand against Water Yanluo...
Yu Canghai's goodwill toward Mo Hua increased.
After some hesitation, he finally spoke up. "Our Water Prison Sect's inheritances are also divided into three tiers."
"And within these tiers, there is a hierarchy where the higher tier can suppress the lower."
"The ordinary Water Prison Art is considered a lower-tier technique in our sect's system. Even if one masters it perfectly, it won't be effective against the higher-tier techniques of our sect."
(End of Chapter)
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