Chapter 1256: Reunion at Dan Que

In the battle against the Wujiu Tribe, losses were heavy: roughly ten thousand barbarian soldiers died, and fifty thousand barbarian slaves perished.

Although the Wujiu Tribe also lost about fifteen thousand elite troops, their losses were comparably devastating.

But for Mo Hua, this was by no means something to rejoice over.

A pyrrhic victory—even if won—still meant defeat.

At the same time, the Wujiu Tribe's threat now lay directly before them.

This was the strongest enemy across the entire Zhu Que Mountain Realm for the foreseeable future.

War with the Wujiu Tribe had always been inevitable.

Not to mention that, due to this ambush, both sides had suffered heavy losses and forged a blood feud, ensuring a future of unrelenting, mortal enmity.

Elder You, the Hua Clan, and even the Hua Clan's Ancestor were the hidden "black hands."

And this Wujiu Tribe, with its numerous troops and powerful generals, was the open "mighty foe."

Both these enemies must be dealt with.

In the following days, Mo Hua remained in seclusion, constantly pondering the overall situation of Da Huang and corresponding strategies.

During this time, Shu Gu Tribe also faced other frictions, with constant minor and major clashes.

The situation was chaotic, affairs tangled, and every cause and effect crowded together, forming a tangled web of karmic threads.

Mo Hua had to not only perceive the grand picture but also personally trace out trivial matters, lest hidden karmic turning points within them alter the overall outcome.

To overlook any of them would bring dire consequences.

Thus, Mo Hua, worn down by mental exertion, had his mind in constant, high-speed operation.

His spiritual awareness often cycled through exhaustion, recovery, exhaustion again, recovery again—a long and arduous loop.

Yet thanks to this, Mo Hua's spiritual awareness was also being tempered from another angle.

Constant contemplation of human affairs, warfare, grand trends, and the karmic logic underlying these objective phenomena gradually deepened and thickened his powerful spiritual awareness, until, unconsciously, it subtly carried a trace of the Principle of Cause and Effect.

This was a gradual, imperceptible transformation—even Mo Hua himself barely noticed.

Amidst this chaotic busyness, several days later, another event occurred.

A small group of elite barbarian soldiers launched a night raid on Shu Gu Tribe; after a brief battle, their commander was captured by the Four Oddities of Shu Gu and brought before Lord Lugu.

The barbarian commander was stubborn, cursing Lord Lugu and listing Shu Gu Tribe's crimes, his words brimming with contempt.

Yet as he cursed, he suddenly froze.

For he saw the boy beside Lord Lugu—his eyes a deep vermilion, strikingly beautiful.

"L-Lord?" the barbarian commander exclaimed in shock.

Seeing Dan Zhu also froze, then studied the blood-smeared barbarian commander kneeling below, finally recognizing his face.

"—Chi Yan?"

Chi Yan was the barbarian commander's name; he was a personal guard of the Great Chieftain's line from the Dan Que Tribe.

Everyone present was stunned, finally realizing that the raiders were Dan Que Tribe soldiers.

The man they had captured was a Dan Que Tribe commander.

Chi Yan, bound in chains, knelt below the hall.

Dan Zhu immediately ordered his men to remove Chi Yan's restraints.

After the chains were removed, Chi Yan glanced at Dan Zhu, then at Lord Lugu, then surveyed the surrounding Shu Gu Tribe Jin Dan cultivators—his expression complex, yet he said nothing, his thoughts unreadable.

Mo Hua learned of this incident only afterward.

Dan Zhu told Mo Hua what had happened.

Yet as he spoke, his expression was conflicted—joy mixed with confusion and unease.

Mo Hua asked Dan Zhu: "Are you close to Chi Yan?"

Dan Zhu shook his head slightly. "He was my father's man. He's seen me many times, but we were never close. He did, however, have a strong bond with Lord Chifeng."

Mo Hua asked: "Did you speak with him?"

Dan Zhu nodded.

Mo Hua paused, then asked: "Did he ask you why you're aligned with Shu Gu Tribe?"

Dan Zhu glanced at Mo Hua in surprise, remembering how his master foresaw all things—he nodded. "Yes. He didn't understand—and was quite angry."

After all, it was Shu Gu Tribe that had killed Dan Que Tribe's people, and Dan Zhu had been ordered by the Great Chieftain to lead troops against Shu Gu Tribe.

But later, by chance, famine broke out, chaos erupted, and countless events unfolded.

Now, Dan Zhu—the Dan Que Tribe's young master—stood alongside Lord Lugu, the current Great Chieftain of Shu Gu Tribe.

Chi Yan, witnessing this, could not help but be stunned—and inevitably harbor resentment.

It was no surprise: on the surface, Dan Zhu appeared to have failed to defeat the enemy and instead defected to them.

To ordinary people, it might not matter—but Dan Zhu is the young master.

Chi Yan could never accept it. Though he said nothing, his expression betrayed his true feelings.

And being looked upon by Chi Yan with eyes of "disappointment" and suspicion, Dan Zhu felt a storm of conflicting emotions—he was deeply unsettled and had no idea where to begin explaining.

Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, then said to Dan Zhu:

"Chi Yan is the Great Chieftain's man. His raid on Shu Gu Tribe likely means—the Dan Que Tribe's main force, including your father, the Great Chieftain of Dan Que, is probably nearby?"

Dan Zhu froze, his face clearly brightening with joy—but then surprise flickered across it, as if he hadn't expected to encounter his father.

Mo Hua asked: "Didn't you ask him?"

Dan Zhu said: "I did. But Chi Yan said"—he frowned—"that he got separated from the main force, wandered alone, struggled to survive, saw Shu Gu Tribe here, and so launched the raid to steal grain."

Mo Hua shook his head. "He's lying."

His small squad numbered barely twenty men. Even if given ten times his courage, he would never dare raid the main base of Shu Gu Tribe.

Moreover, Dan Que Tribe and Shu Gu Tribe share a "blood feud." If caught, there is only one outcome: death.

Chiyan is no fool; he wouldn't risk his life over such a small amount of grain.

The only possibility is that he was ordered by the Great Chieftain of Danque to investigate the Shuguo tribe's true strength.

As a barbarian general, he must obey the Great Chieftain's command.

Only then would he risk his life to spy on the Shuguo tribe.

But the Shuguo tribe is now under Mo Hua's "control," with Mo Hua having long ago set up numerous alert arrays and layered trapping tactics around them.

Most barbarian cultivators have no experience fighting Mo Hua and don't know that this "Lord Wuzhu" is, in truth, a repulsive array master.

Unaware of the depth of Mo Hua's arrays, Chiyan charged straight into them and was inevitably caught like a turtle in a jar.

Yet when Dan Zhu asked Chiyan why he had come, Chiyan lied.

This shows Chiyan distrusts Dan Zhu—he harbors deep suspicion toward this former junior chieftain of Danque and refuses to speak truthfully.

Dan Zhu clearly realized this too; his expression darkened slightly, then he raised his head to look at Mo Hua, his eyes holding a trace of hope.

Mo Hua understood his thoughts and asked: "You want to see your father?"

Dan Zhu nodded.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Alright, I'll think of a way."

Dan Zhu's expression brightened.

"But—" Mo Hua's gaze grew solemn, "have you thought this through?"

Dan Zhu froze, his expression sinking again—he knew what Mo Hua meant.

"Once you meet your father again and rejoin the Danque tribe, that will be the moment you must choose."

"Will you stand firm on your grand vow, strengthen your Dao heart, and press forward step by step through thorns—even if those thorns are stained with your father and brother's blood?"

"Or will you compromise for the sake of familial love, willingly abandon your inner convictions?"

"This is your life's choice—and you can no longer escape it."

Dan Zhu's face twisted in pain, clearly still tormented inside. "Mr., I—"

Mo Hua shook his head. "Don't say it. Ask your heart. Words can deceive others—and yourself—but your heart cannot."

Dan Zhu nodded silently.

Mo Hua confirmed again, seriously: "Do you truly wish to see your father now?"

Dan Zhu's expression shifted uncertainly, his heart restless—but finally, he nodded firmly. "Yes."

Mo Hua slowly nodded. "Good."

Some things can never be avoided.

Dan Zhu will inevitably face the day of choice.

Mo Hua went to see Chiyan himself, speaking without preamble:

"Take me to your Danque tribe's Great Chieftain."

Based on certain clues and intuitive causal insight, he could roughly determine that the Danque tribe's current location was not far from the Shuguo tribe's.

Yet when he tried to calculate it using causal arts, he still could not determine it.

Probably the Danque tribe's main location had been concealed by some "celestial fate" technique.

That was why Mo Hua could not calculate it.

Since that minor counter-calculation by Elder You, Mo Hua had become far more humble about his causal arts—he no longer believed he could calculate every event in the world with a single thought or gesture.

The world is vast, filled with wonders beyond imagining.

Some things simply cannot be calculated—that is normal.

Since he could not calculate it, he naturally had to find someone to guide him.

But Chiyan glanced at Mo Hua and shook his head. "I lost contact with my tribe long ago; I am homeless and do not know where the Great Chieftain is."

Mo Hua's eyes were clear as a mirror; he looked at Chiyan and said calmly: "I am Lord Wuzhu. I can tell truth from lie at a glance."

Under Mo Hua's gaze, Chiyan somehow felt as if his skin had been stripped off—he was laid bare, utterly exposed.

Chiyan opened his mouth to speak, but Mo Hua shook his head.

"My patience is limited."

Chiyan's face turned grim. After a pause, he spoke slowly: "I will not take you to see the Great Chieftain."

Mo Hua smiled faintly. "Are you afraid I'll harm your chieftain?"

Chiyan said nothing.

After all, the Shuguo tribe's Great Chieftain had only recently died—his grave had barely grown grass. Mo Hua's belief stirred, and he assured firmly:

"Rest assured—I have no intention of harming the Danque Great Chieftain. After all, he treated me with great courtesy before. I owe him this favor. My visit is to discuss urgent matters concerning the Danque tribe's fate and the future of the Great Wasteland—"

Chiyan still shook his head. "I don't believe you."

Mo Hua said: "Do you think I'm bluffing?"

Chiyan frowned. He felt every thought, every flicker of his mind, was laid bare before this young Lord Wuzhu—and the feeling grew colder by the second.

Yet he still shook his head, stubbornly: "No matter what you say, it won't change anything."

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened. He spoke slowly: "If you won't let me meet the Great Chieftain, then what of Dan Zhu Shaozhu? You don't want him to return to the Danque tribe either?"

Chiyan's face changed, his expression darkening further, his voice low and bitter:

"What have you done to Dan Zhu Shaozhu? Why would a Jin Dan-level barbarian prodigy, a noble of Danque, obey a Foundation Establishment Lord Wuzhu? Why would he lower himself to associate with these thieves of the Shuguo tribe?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "These are matters you cannot know."

Chiyan's eyes burned with hatred.

Mo Hua's expression grew colder. He said:

"Take me to the Great Chieftain. I have urgent matters to discuss with him. If you delay and miss the opportunity, your crime is unforgivable."

As for Dan Zhu Shaozhu—his heart knows the truth. You need not interfere."

"This is the last time I'll ask you," Watching Mo Hua said coldly. "My time is limited, and I don't want to waste words. If you refuse, I'll have the Shugu Tribe kill you. Even Seeing Dan Zhu's pleas won't save you."

Chiyan could feel the icy, ruthless killing intent in Watching Mo Hua's eyes.

It was the decisive, cold-blooded resolve of one who held power over life and death.

Chiyan thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "Fine—I'll take you to the Great Chieftain."

Many things were indeed beyond what a mere barbarian general like him could decide.

The matter concerning the young lord Seeing Dan Zhu could only be dealt with by the Great Chieftain himself.

He might be able to stop this strange shaman Watching Mo Hua, but he couldn't stop the young lord Seeing Dan Zhu from going to see the Great Chieftain.

Watching Mo Hua looked into Chiyan's eyes and gave a slight nod.

Afterwards, Chiyan led the way, guiding Watching Mo Hua and his party to the Danque headquarters to meet the Great Chieftain.

Accompanying them were Chifeng, the two elders Bashan and Bachuan, and several other elite barbarian soldiers of the Danque Tribe.

Watching Mo Hua knew there had long been some grudge between the Danque and Shugu tribes, so he didn't bring any Shugu people along, to avoid provoking either side and causing unnecessary conflict.

The best course for now was to let Seeing Dan Zhu meet his father and brothers first, then see how things stood.

One person walked through the mountains.

Chiyan led the way the whole time. After walking for a while, he glanced at Chifeng, held back several times, but finally couldn't resist. Finding a moment, he frowned and asked in a low voice:

"Lord Chifeng, it's one thing for the young lord to believe that swindler, but how could you also be taken in by him, running errands for him like a servant?"

Chifeng's expression was solemn. "The Shaman is wise and valiant. You must not show him disrespect."

Chiyan's face went blank with shock, then took on an expression of utter disbelief.

He couldn't understand how the once battle-hardened, steady and experienced Lord Chifeng could now act like a stone man with a "bewitched mind."

His mouth knew nothing but to chant that the Shaman was wise and brilliant.

What level of "soul-capturing art" had that pretty boy actually cultivated?

He could accept that the young lord was naive and didn't know how treacherous people could be, but how could even the worldly and experienced Lord Chifeng be so thoroughly bewitched?

Chiyan felt a chill in his heart, finding it all too terrifying.

He couldn't help but move a little farther from Watching Mo Hua, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead, not daring to look at Watching Mo Hua even once, nor to speak to him.

The group simply kept walking forward like this.

After about half a day's travel, they arrived before an inverted sand waterfall, where sand and gravel poured down like a cascade, dust billowing in great clouds.

Chiyan found the bearings, located a deeply hidden groove, then took a stone key from his mouth, inserted it into the groove and twisted. A mechanism clicked and turned.

A hidden door emerged from behind the sand waterfall.

Chiyan turned back to look at Watching Mo Hua. "The Great Chieftain and the others are in the secret encampment behind the sand waterfall."

Watching Mo Hua nodded. "Lead the way."

Chiyan stepped into the sand waterfall first.

Chifeng followed closely behind, scouting the path for Watching Mo Hua, to prevent any of the Danque people from plotting against the Shaman.

But Seeing Dan Zhu hesitated before the sand waterfall for a long time.

Whether it was the apprehension of returning home after so many years to face his father and brothers, or the cruel choice between loyalty and family that tore at his heart like a knife, he was torn and uneasy.

Yet what had to come would come in the end.

Finally, Seeing Dan Zhu drew a deep breath, and with such conflict and pain, stepped into the sand waterfall, ready to face his fate.

Watching Mo Hua gazed at Seeing Dan Zhu's back, was silent for a moment, then walked into the sand waterfall together with him.

One followed the other.

Seeing Dan Zhu was taller than Watching Mo Hua, and his cultivation was higher as well.

By cultivation alone, it was Seeing Dan Zhu in front protecting Watching Mo Hua.

But by loyalty and destiny, it was Watching Mo Hua, the "Master," walking behind, escorting Seeing Dan Zhu.

He was watching the road ahead for Seeing Dan Zhu, making sure his "disciple" would not stray down the wrong path in life.