Chapter 425: The Hundred Flowers Pavilion

Mo Hua had made up his mind.

Since the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was guarded by the Xian Chen Array, hiding would only reveal weaknesses—so he might as well not hide at all; he would walk in openly!

But he was young; others might not let him in.

In that case, he needed someone to lead the way.

In Nan Yue City, the person he knew best was Sister Situ.

But he couldn't possibly go to Sister Situ and ask her to take him into a brothel.

She would never agree.

And she'd surely think he'd gone bad, damaging her own reputation.

Though young, he was already a Rank-One Array Master—a cultivator with status—and reputation mattered greatly.

Aside from her, the person most familiar to Mo Hua was Elder Su, who often drank tea with him.

And whenever Elder Su spoke of brothels, he did so with laughter and ease, as if he knew them well—likely visiting them often in secret.

Asking him was definitely the right move.

Mo Hua stared at Elder Su with bright, intent eyes.

Elder Su froze.

Mo Hua's simple, direct answer shattered every conspiracy Elder Su had imagined.

This wasn't what he'd expected…

He'd assumed Mo Hua had plotted carefully, aiming for something secret, shameful, and unspeakable.

But the matter turned out to be going to a brothel—this…

Actually, it made sense…

Elder Su blinked, stroked his beard, and thought again.

It didn't seem… wrong.

This was indeed secret, something unwilling to be known, unspeakable—something requiring indirect inquiry…

But this…

Elder Su looked at Mo Hua's clear, innocent eyes and said gently:

"Is this… perhaps a bit too early for you… by a 'billion' or so?"

Mo Hua's face hardened, serious:

"I have legitimate business."

Elder Su was troubled.

You're saying something so unserious with such a serious face—it's hard for me to take this seriously…

Elder Su changed tack: "What if you flip through the family genealogy Lord Lu gave you? See if any girls catch your eye? Tell me quietly—I'll go to Lord Lu and arrange an early betrothal for you?"

Mo Hua frowned. "I really have legitimate business!"

Elder Su was startled. "Really?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded seriously.

Elder Su felt a little embarrassed. He whispered:

"Could you tell me what it is? Of course, it's private—you don't have to say."

Mo Hua thought a moment, then said:

"Didn't I ask you to help me find a Mr. Yan?"

Elder Su was astonished. "He likes this too?"

Mo Hua stared silently at Elder Su.

Elder Su realized his blunder, flustered, quickly corrected himself:

"Is this Mr. Yan… also a fellow enthusiast?"

Mo Hua's gaze grew even more complex.

Elder Su lightly slapped his own mouth—each word made it worse. He dropped the subject entirely and asked:

"Is there any trace of this Mr. Yan in the brothels of Jin Hua Street?"

Mo Hua wasn't sure himself—there might be, or there might not be.

Mr. Yan had vanished; he had no leads yet.

Mo Hua's main goal this time was still to find the gray-robed cultivator who hired people to kill and buy corpses.

Mr. Yan disappeared at the mine; the mine was connected to the gray-robed cultivator.

The two might be linked.

But these points couldn't be spoken plainly.

Mo Hua said: "There probably is."

"I see…"

Elder Su looked at Mo Hua, and his expression gradually eased.

So it was about worrying for his teacher—searching for clues.

He'd truly misunderstood this child…

Elder Su said: "No problem—I'll take care of it. I'll take you!"

Mo Hua said: "Also my senior brothers and sisters—you've met them."

Elder Su hesitated, then nodded:

"No problem."

"Thank you, Elder Su!" Mo Hua smiled, then added with concern, "We're young—will it be alright if you take us?"

Elder Su chuckled, "No problem—brothels aren't only about romance and pleasure; some courtesans are pure entertainers. Listening to songs, watching dances—it's quite pleasant."

Mo Hua nodded, his heart filled with gratitude.

Elder Su had truly done him a great favor this time.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, deciding to repay Elder Su, and whispered to him:

"Elder Su, the array you drew earlier has a small flaw. I didn't tell you before, fearing it might embarrass you. But recognizing and correcting mistakes is how arrays improve. Let me quietly tell you where you went wrong…"

Elder Su froze, his emotions a tangled mess, unsure how to react.

He listened, torn between laughter and tears, as Mo Hua pointed out the flaws in his array.

But as he listened further, Elder Su's expression grew serious.

Mo Hua's words were utterly precise—he had indeed made a mistake.

Elder Su frowned slightly.

But the problem was, the array he had drawn, Mo Hua had only glanced at twice—never studied it closely.

Just two glances, and he spotted the flaw?

Elder Su couldn't help but be secretly startled.

Just how profound was this young master's mastery of arrays…

…

After leaving, Mo Hua told Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi what Elder Su had agreed to.

"We'll pose as servants and follow Elder Su into Hundred Flowers Pavilion."

"Agreed."

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi nodded.

Three days later, at night, lanterns flickered to life, and Jin Hua Street glowed brightly.

Mo Hua and the others followed Elder Su to Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

All three wore light blue servant robes.

Mo Hua was delicate and charming, Bai Zisheng stood tall and heroic, while Bai Zi Xi tied up her long hair, dressed as a young boy.

Her skin was Bai Xi, her face subtly altered—less beautiful than before, yet exquisitely refined, her demeanor cold and elegant, her eyes long and narrow, radiating a fierce, breathtaking beauty.

Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng both stared, stunned by her beauty.

Elder Su was also momentarily stunned; inwardly, he became certain: these two siblings of Mo Hua must come from great origins.

Such bearing and appearance could not be ordinary.

Elder Su grew far more respectful toward them.

Jin Hua Street was bustling, glittering with gold and jade, intoxicatingly decadent.

Mo Hua and the others followed behind Elder Su, walking along Jin Hua Street toward Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

Jin Hua Street had more than one brothel.

Every time they passed other places—Yi Hong Courtyard, Yi Cui Pavilion, Ju Fang Garden—the female cultivators would flirtatiously smile at Elder Su:

"Elder Su, it's been so long since you visited me."

Elder Su was mortified, wishing he could cover his face.

Normally it wouldn't matter—but now he was with these three children. If he ruined his image in Mo Hua's eyes, it would be over.

Throughout the journey, Elder Su pretended calmness, yet his old face flushed red with embarrassment.

But the streetlights were red too, casting a rosy glow on Mo Hua and the others' faces, so Elder Su's embarrassment went unnoticed.

After enduring the whole way, Elder Su finally brought Mo Hua and the others to the main gate of Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

Sure enough, a woman in sheer attire stepped out, frowning with a plaintive expression:

"Elder Su, you haven't come in so long…"

Elder Su cleared his throat. "Today, only music and dance."

The woman immediately composed herself, smiling as she bowed:

"Very well, Elder Su, this way, please."

Elder Su handed her a pouch of spirit stones. "Prepare a pot of the finest Guose Tianxiang wine, brew a new batch of Chu Shui Furong tea, and a box of Bai Hua Zheng Yan pastries…"

The woman beamed. "Of course."

Elder Su glanced at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded.

Elder Su led Mo Hua to a spacious, elegant private seat before the flower hall, separated by a water lily and orchid screen.

After they sat down, Mo Hua couldn't help but praise:

"Elder Su, you're very familiar with this place."

Elder Su smiled, about to nod—then caught himself mid-motion and quickly shook his head:

"Not familiar, not familiar—I've only been here… twice."

He didn't dare say anything too absurd.

"Oh."

Mo Hua clearly didn't believe him.

Under Mo Hua's gaze, Elder Su felt like sitting on needles, so he tried changing the subject:

"Young Master, aren't you looking for someone? You could ask the ladies here."

Mo Hua nodded, but asked doubtfully:

"How do I ask?"

Elder Su cleared his throat, and a woman stepped forward, smiling as she bowed:

"What are your orders, Elder?"

"Find some young ladies — ones who know etiquette, who understand propriety. Don't wear too much rouge and powder, nothing too seductive, and preferably a bit younger…"

Elder Su gave the instructions with practiced ease, and the woman acknowledged the order and left.

Elder Su nodded calmly, then turned his head and saw Mo Hua looking at him with open admiration, his big eyes blinking.

Mo Hua had only just opened his mouth to say something when Elder Su hurriedly said:

"I'm also… just repeating what I've heard others say. I'm not familiar with it, really not familiar at all…"

(End of chapter)