Chapter 820: Enticement
Chapter 820: Enticement
Upon returning to the sect, Mo Hua's days resumed a peaceful rhythm. He dedicated himself to his daily routine of cultivation and studying array formations.
However, during his leisure time, his curiosity about the ancient sect that possessed a legacy of ancient sword techniques, which had existed before the schism of the three branches—Ta A, Chong Xu, and Tai Xu—remained unabated.
He approached the matter indirectly, asking around to see if anyone within the Tai Xu branch knew the name of that ancient sect.
None of the disciples had any knowledge about it.
He even inquired among the elders, including Xun Zi You, Xun Zi Xian, and the gentle Elder Murong, but they all claimed ignorance on the matter.
Mo Hua pondered his options and concluded that his best chance for an answer lay with Elder Xun.
On this day, after receiving instruction on the intricacies of the nineteen-patterned Bagua formation from Elder Xun, Mo Hua seized the opportunity to voice his lingering doubt: "Elder, I heard from others that our Tai Xu branch descended from an ancient sect dedicated to the sword path. Do you happen to know the name of that ancient sect?"
Elder Xun was taken aback, his gaze at Mo Hua filled with a hint of strangeness. "Why do you ask about this?"
"I'm just curious," Mo Hua replied.
Elder Xun's expression turned intricate, and after a moment, he heaved a sigh, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "That matter is too distant in the past. That name... it's not to be mentioned again, and I don't know..."
Although Elder Xun claimed ignorance, Mo Hua sensed from his demeanor that he was not entirely uninformed.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment before realizing something. He asked, "You said 'not to be mentioned again.' Who forbids it from being mentioned?"
Elder Xun's gaze sharpened, but he didn't elaborate. Instead, he patted Mo Hua's shoulder and said, "Focus on studying formations. Don't ask about other things."
"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.
If Elder Xun refused to speak about it and discouraged further inquiries, there was likely a hidden story that was not meant to be shared.
Elder Xun glanced at Mo Hua once more, deep in thought. After a moment, he couldn't resist asking, "How has your spiritual sense progressed?"
Mo Hua replied honestly, "It has improved a little, but the progress is very slow..."
"Is that so..." Elder Xun sighed softly.
He knew that this rate of progress was normal.
After all, the second-grade nineteen-pattern formation was already approaching the limit of spiritual sense for the Foundation Establishment stage. Advancing further from this point would be extremely challenging.
Cultivation had its boundaries.
Once one neared these boundaries, even the spiritual power that could be cultivated through elixirs and cultivation techniques would become exceedingly difficult to improve, akin to ascending to the heavens.
Not to mention spiritual sense, which lacked dedicated cultivation techniques.
However, Elder Xun couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "Elder, is my spiritual sense really that important?"
Elder Xun shook his head, his expression gentle. "It's nothing. Just focus on your cultivation and don't let other matters distract you..."
There were some things that couldn't be revealed yet.
He didn't want to burden Mo Hua with too much at once.
After saying this, Elder Xun fell silent.
He gazed at Mo Hua, who was gradually growing up before his eyes, and after a moment of contemplation, his eyes flickered as if a decision had been made. "Mo Hua."
Mo Hua turned to face Elder Xun.
Elder Xun's expression was solemn as he slowly said, "The situation in the Qian Xue State is treacherous and unpredictable. What happens soon may very well determine the rise and fall of our Tai Xu branch..."
"This matter is fraught with complex causes and effects, and there are too many variables. No one knows the outcome, so the stronger your spiritual sense is, the better the chances for our sect."
Mo Hua's heart trembled.
The rise and fall of the Tai Xu branch? He had suspected that the matter was significant, but he never imagined it to be so critical.
And these words were coming from the enigmatic Elder Xun.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment before nodding seriously. "Elder, I understand."
...
After leaving Elder Xun, Mo Hua suddenly felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
Enhancing his spiritual sense was crucial to the fate of the sect, so he couldn't afford to slack off.
It wasn't a matter of personal gain anymore.
The circumstances compelled him to take action, and taking a small amount wouldn't be enough; he needed to consume a substantial quantity.
Time was of the essence...
Mo Hua thought for a moment before sending a message to Gu Chang Huai. "Uncle Gu, have you looked into the Xiao family?"
Gu Chang Huai: "This is a matter for the Court. You shouldn't ask about it."
Mo Hua was a little unhappy, so he said, "Uncle Gu, I've already told you about the Shui Yu Sect and Elder Yu. Isn't it time for you to show some brotherhood and tell me about the Xiao family? That would be 'reciprocity' on your part."
Gu Chang Huai fell silent.
Mo Hua's words made him feel a twinge of guilt.
He had to admit that he had taken advantage of Mo Hua's generosity.
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Chang Huai sighed. "I can tell you, but be careful when it comes to the Xiao family."
"The Xiao family has produced generations of cultivators who serve in the Court, and they are experts in the ways of punishment. They are ruthless in their methods, especially now that you have the life of one of their members on your hands. It would be best to avoid any involvement with them..."
"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded. "I understand."
Gu Chang Huai let out a breath.
He didn't know if Mo Hua truly understood or was just pretending, but he continued anyway. "I did some investigating, and there is indeed a connection to the Xiao family in all of this."
"Ye Jin's elder brother, Ye Xiu, died on the Yan Shui River. When the Ye family went to the Court to remove their registration, the official in charge of the process was from the Xiao family."
"On the other hand, when Hua Jiang Long killed Ye Xiu, who was disguised as 'Lin Gongzi,' the case was also handled by someone from the Xiao family."
"Coincidentally, the same person handled both cases."
"This person turned one case into two unrelated incidents."
"And you know this person..."
"I know him?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
There weren't many people he knew from the Xiao family, unless it was...
"Xiao Tian Quan?" Mo Hua asked.
The only people he could think of from the Xiao family were Xiao Mian Hu, the smiling tiger, and Xiao Tian Quan, the howling sky hound.
Xiao Mian Hu was the smiling tiger, a Court official in the Qian Xue State who always wore a smile, but it never reached his eyes.
Xiao Tian Quan was the howling sky hound, a direct descendant of the Xiao family who had just joined the Court and already had a multitude of people willing to risk their lives for him. He was destined for great things.
Smiling Tiger was a Registrar, so it was unlikely that he handled everything personally.
Aside from him, the only other possibility was Howling Sky Hound...
Gu Changhuai sighed in helplessness. "I've told you, stop giving people nicknames."
"It's not my fault," Mo Hua argued. "He chose a name that's too similar to his."
"Xiao Tianquan, Howling Sky Hound," Mo Hua muttered, emphasizing the similarity in their tones.
Gu Changhuai couldn't refute Mo Hua's point, so he reluctantly conceded. He then continued, "Not only are they closely associated with the Ye family, but the Gui Shui Gate as well. In fact, many of their disciples are originally from Gui Shui Gate, practicing their inherited arts."
"It's not just that," Mo Hua added. "I've been going through the archives of Qian Xue State and found that in the past two hundred years, many cases involving criminal cultivators had the Xiao family's involvement."
"Some criminal cultivators were captured but released due to lack of evidence. Others were sentenced to death, only to mysteriously perish in the prison before their execution. There were even cases of suspicious identities, with one person having two names or two people sharing one name, and the Xiao family handled the aftermath in the case files..."
Mo Hua frowned. "Won't someone investigate the Xiao family for these actions?"
"No one will investigate," Gu Changhuai said flatly.
Mo Hua paused, contemplating the implications. He soon understood the underlying reason.
The Path Court had an excess of officials, many of whom were slackers. For matters that didn't offer any benefits, they would simply go through the motions and do the bare minimum.
As long as the Xiao family kept their operations covert and maintained a decent facade, no one would bother to dig into these old cases and risk offending one of the Path Court's major factions.
"What about the deceased Registrar?" Mo Hua asked.
"Which one?"
"The one I... blew up," Mo Hua said quietly.
The death of one of their own should have elicited some response from the Xiao family.
Gu Changhuai's expression became complex as he sent a message:
"The Xiao family took care of the registration themselves, claiming that one of their disciples died valiantly while fighting bandits on the Yan Shui River. Unfortunately, he met his end at the hands of a 'ruthless and vicious' water bandit."
"This 'ruthless and vicious' water bandit... they're not talking about me, are they?" Mo Hua asked.
"Just be aware of it," Gu Changhuai replied.
"..." Mo Hua fell silent.
"So, the matter is closed on the surface, but rest assured, the Xiao family will not let it go. Be very careful, and don't say anything that might expose you and bring trouble upon yourself," Gu Changhuai warned.
"I understand, thank you, Uncle Gu," Mo Hua said gratefully.
With everything said, Gu Changhuai added, "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be going now. The Path Court has sent down a Registrar who's quite troublesome and ill-tempered. I'll be busy dealing with that, so take care of yourself."
A Registrar sent by the Path Court?
Mo Hua wanted to ask who this Registrar was, but Gu Changhuai had already ended the communication.
Mo Hua shook his head. Uncle Gu was not a very forthright person.
He decided that from now on, he wouldn't share any new information with Uncle Gu unless he needed his help. When the time came, he would use this information to "bargain"... no, to make an "equal exchange" with him.
Knowledge had its price and shouldn't be given away for free.
After putting away the communication token, Mo Hua sat at his table in the disciples' residence, deep in thought.
With this new information, he now had a vague understanding of the situation regarding the Yan Shui River.
The Xiao family of the Path Court served as their "protection umbrella."
The Gui Shui Gate was the public face of the operation.
Water Asura and his group were their hidden claws.
And then there was the Hundred Flowers Valley...
Mo Hua wasn't sure how deeply the valley was involved, but at the very least, that Flower Instructor was responsible for "supplying" and perhaps even "transporting" the girls.
All these forces formed a net that covered the Yan Shui River.
And at the center of this net was most likely...
The Rouge Boat.
However, now that he knew about this net, Mo Hua found it difficult to take action.
There hadn't been any progress with the Hundred Flowers Valley.
According to Uncle Gu, Flower Ruyi had become very cautious lately, staying within the valley and avoiding any outside contact.
As for the Gui Shui Gate, Mo Hua wasn't familiar with them at all, nor did he know anyone from there or have any informants within their ranks.
Water Asura was tricky to capture and couldn't be dealt with casually. With his alertness and exceptional water abilities, their next attempt had to be meticulously planned to ensure he couldn't escape.
Otherwise, if they failed again and exposed their hand, he would become even more cautious, making future attempts as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
As for the Xiao family, there was no need to mention them.
After killing one of their Registrars, Mo Hua had a cause-and-effect relationship with them, so it was best to stay away from them for now.
"It seems like there are clues everywhere, but when it comes to taking action, I find it difficult to know where to start..." Mo Hua sighed.
"Where should I begin?"
In the following days, Mo Hua kept pondering this issue but couldn't come up with a solution.
Then, one day during lunch at the disciples' dining hall, Hao Xuan suddenly approached him.
"Little Senior Brother, there's a situation!"
"A situation?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
"Yes!" Hao Xuan nodded, his face serious. "Someone is enticing me!"
Cheng Mo, who was gulping down his drink, choked and coughed, his face turning red. He couldn't help but ask, "Enticing you?"
"Yes!" Hao Xuan affirmed.
"A woman?" Cheng Mo inquired.
"A man."
Cheng Mo's expression became a little strange.
Hao Xuan quickly waved his hands and explained, "Not like that! It's not that he's enticing me, but he's enticing me to go to a place I shouldn't."
Mo Hua's eyebrows rose in interest. "What place?"
"He didn't say," Hao Xuan replied. "He just said that he would take me to a place of 'indulgence,' with beautiful sights and fun activities."
"I asked him what was so beautiful and fun about it, but he just smiled ambiguously and said that I would know when I got there. I didn't believe him, so he told me that the place was a paradise of earthly delights, and anyone who went there once would never forget it.
"I'm a little tempted..."
Hao Xuan was honest, his face reddening slightly, but he continued earnestly, "But I remember, Little Senior Brother, you warned me that someone from Tai Xu Sect might harbor ill intentions and secretly entice us to do bad things. I was immediately on guard, so I pretended to agree and then came to tell you about it."
Mo Hua said reassuringly, "Very good."
He even poured a cup of fruit wine for Hao Xuan himself.
Hao Xuan drank the wine poured by his Little Senior Brother, a proud smile spreading across his face.
"Who's enticing you?" asked Si Tu Jian, who was sitting beside them, his curiosity piqued.
Taking a sip of his drink, Hao Xuan replied, "It's one of my childhood friends. Our two families live quite close to each other, and since he and I are the same age, we played together often when we were young. But after we joined different sects, we became busy with our own cultivations and gradually lost contact."
"Which sect did he join?" Mo Hua asked.
"Gui Shui Sect." Hao Xuan answered.
Gui Shui Sect...
Mo Hua's eyes flickered slightly.
"Little Senior Brother, what should we do now? Should I refuse him?" Hao Xuan asked.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "No, you should agree."
Hao Xuan was taken aback. "Agree?"
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded. "Not only should you agree, but you should also casually mention that one of your fellow disciples also wants to check it out and ask if he's willing to take him along."
"Little Senior Brother, are you talking about yourself?" Hao Xuan asked.
Mo Hua nodded. "That's right."
Cheng Mo, who was standing beside them, spoke up eagerly, "If you're going, Little Senior Brother, then I want to go too!"
Even the usually serious Si Tu Jian chimed in, "I'll come along as well."
Mo Hua was speechless. "Why would you want to come with me?"
Cheng Mo assumed a serious expression as he explained, "We don't have any other intentions. We're mainly concerned about your safety, so we want to protect you."
Mo Hua: "..."
Si Tu Jian thought for a moment, then instead of joking around, he said seriously, "Little Senior Brother, it might be a bit dangerous for you to go alone."
Mo Hua pondered for a while before sighing, "Alright."
Although he didn't think there would be much danger, he still had Hao Xuan to consider. Hao Xuan's abilities were average, and if something unexpected happened, Cheng Mo and Si Tu Jian could lend a helping hand.
There was another reason for his decision. If Hao Xuan brought him alone, the Gui Shui Sect might not agree. But if they brought three disciples from Tai Xu Sect at once, the Gui Shui Sect would be more likely to give their approval.
Mo Hua guessed that the Gui Shui Sect disciples might have some sort of quota to meet for recruiting new members.
Adding one more person might not make much of a difference, but bringing three at once would be too tempting to refuse.
"Hao Xuan, go ask your friend. Tell him there are three fellow disciples who also want to check it out and ask if that's okay with him," Mo Hua instructed.
Hao Xuan nodded. "Okay, I'll ask him."
The next day, Hao Xuan got back to Mo Hua with an update. "I've talked to my friend, and he seems hesitant and a bit wary. He asked me about the three fellow disciples, so I told him one is from a prominent family in Gen State, another is from a sword-wielding family in Li State, and as for you, Little Senior Brother, I said you're from an inconspicuous family but a genius in array formations."
"He seemed delighted to hear about the two disciples from prominent families, but he pretended to be hesitant and said he couldn't make the decision himself and would have to ask his Senior Brother. However, it didn't take long for him to come back and say that his Senior Brother agreed and that we can all go together."
Mo Hua nodded and asked, "When are we leaving?"
"During this break, he said the sooner the better. That place isn't open to just anyone, and even if you're qualified to go, you still have to wait in line. If we go too late, we might not get a spot."
"Since it's our first time, we'll get special treatment."
The more Mo Hua heard, the more he felt that this resembled a "scam."
In a sense, it probably was a "scam," but one that didn't involve bloodshed.
It was a scam that targeted one's spiritual heart.
Without a steadfast spiritual heart, a person was no different from a pig.
"Alright." Mo Hua nodded.
A few days later, during the xun xiu, Mo Hua, Cheng Mo, Si Tu Jian, and Hao Xuan gathered and set off toward the Gui Shui City outside the Gui Shui Sect, guided by Hao Xuan.
Within the boundaries of Qian Xue State, each sect had its own academic fairy city.
These fairy cities provided sect disciples with daily necessities such as pills, talismans, spiritual tools, and array formations.
They also had inns, restaurants, and teahouses for entertainment and leisure.
Many cultivators resided in these cities.
The Gui Shui Sect was no exception.
Upon arriving at Gui Shui City, Hao Xuan led Mo Hua and the others to a restaurant, where they met up with Hao Xuan's childhood friend.
Hao Xuan introduced him, saying, "This is Wang Chen. We grew up together, and he now cultivates at the Gui Shui Sect."
Mo Hua sized up Wang Chen.
He was about the same height as Hao Xuan, with a slender build. His features were neither strikingly handsome nor ugly, giving off an unassuming air. However, his eyes often flickered, revealing a hint of cunning.
As Mo Hua observed Wang Chen, the latter was also scrutinizing him and his companions.
When Wang Chen's gaze landed on Cheng Mo and Si Tu Jian, he didn't show any particular reaction, but when he saw Mo Hua, his expression suddenly turned uneasy, and he said to Hao Xuan, "No can do, Xuan Ge."
"Why not?" Hao Xuan asked.
Wang Chen stole a glance at Mo Hua and whispered to Hao Xuan, "You said you had three fellow disciples, but who's this little junior brother?"
Mo Hua's face darkened.
Hao Xuan quickly explained, "He's a fellow disciple, not a junior brother."
Not only was he not a junior brother, but he was also the Little Senior Brother of Tai Xu Sect.
Wang Chen looked troubled and sighed, "But he looks so young... it doesn't seem appropriate for him to go to that kind of place."
His face was too baby-faced.
And those eyes, so innocent and pure, untouched by worldly matters.
Wang Chen lowered his voice even further and whispered in Hao Xuan's ear, "...and that kind of place, it's not really suitable for him."
There was another reason he didn't voice out loud.
In his eyes, this "junior brother" of Tai Xu Sect seemed to fit the taste of certain people a little too well.
If he were to go there, he might catch the attention of some young masters, and that would only bring him harm.
(End of Chapter)
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