Chapter 584: Nightmare

Yu'er, now in Mo Hua's hands, walked step by step beside this passing, kind young brother toward Xiancheng.

The sky had darkened; shadows around were sparse and silent.

Night cloaked the mountain forest.

But after a while, noise stirred again—as if cultivators constantly moved and crossed in the shadows.

Mo Hua's spiritual sense perceived every trace of these people clearly, but since he did not know their identities or origins, he showed no sign.

These cultivators were heading outward; the closer they got to Xiancheng, the quieter they became.

Near midnight, they were still twenty li from Xiancheng.

Yu'er had walked for several hours; his face was pale, utterly exhausted, his calves heavy as lead, unable to lift his feet—but he seemed afraid of being kidnapped again, or eager to see his parents soon and spare them worry, so he gritted his teeth and endured.

Mo Hua released his spiritual sense to survey the surroundings, then patted Yu'er's small head:

"Let's rest here for the night; we'll enter the city at dawn…"

Yu'er whispered: "Yu'er isn't tired…"

Mo Hua said: "It's too late; the city gates may be closed. Get a good sleep first, restore your energy."

There were many Xianchengs in the cultivation world.

Different provinces, different Xianchengs, had different gate regulations.

From Mo Hua's past travels, he knew some Xianchengs imposed curfews at night.

Some had none, but during major upheavals, they would shut the gates and seal them with arrays, forbidding cultivators from entering or leaving.

If Xiancheng had a curfew, the two of them would have to spend the night outside the gates.

Outside the gates, many cultivators would camp overnight, waiting to enter at dawn.

The area outside was crowded and noisy; those spending the night were a mix of good and evil, hard to tell apart—better to avoid it for safety.

Mo Hua didn't mind, but Yu'er was different.

He was a child who had been "kidnapped and sold."

Yu'er was still a child, and truly could not hold out—he nodded obediently.

Outside Xiancheng lay a vast mountain forest.

Mo Hua found a secluded, safe corner, surrounded by rocks and concealed by Lin Mu, and tapped his finger on the ground, drawing a Warm Fire Array.

A warm golden glow rose, dispelling the oppression of night and the chill of mountain winds, bathing Yu'er's face in a rosy hue.

Yu'er's eyes sparkled; he seemed to forget his fatigue, staring at Mo Hua with his mouth open:

"Brother, arrays can be drawn like this!"

No brush, no paper—just a finger tap, and an array appeared on the ground…

So calm. So cool.

Like a true expert!

He had never seen anyone draw an array this way before.

Yu'er looked at him with awe.

Mo Hua felt a tiny bit proud: "When you grow up, I'll teach you to draw like this!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Yu'er nodded eagerly, eyes full of anticipation.

The night was chilly; mountain winds howled.

Mo Hua took out a small blanket and draped it over Yu'er.

Yu'er wrapped himself entirely in the blanket; his small body warmed up, but then he frowned slightly, stole a glance at Mo Hua, and bit his lip without speaking.

Mo Hua saw through his thoughts and smiled: "Hungry?"

Yu'er's face flushed faintly; he whispered:

"Mm…"

Since being kidnapped, he had barely eaten anything; after being rescued by Mo Hua, they had rushed on the road. Now, resting and warming up, his little stomach finally growled.

Mo Hua smiled, took out dried meat, mountain sweet potatoes, and assorted wild fruits and dried nuts, and placed them on the Warm Fire Array to roast.

The heat seeped into the food.

Aroma spread with the warmth.

Yu'er stared like a kitten spotting dried fish, unable to look away.

The two roasted by the fire, eating roasted meat, roasted sweet potatoes, and wild-flavored dried fruits.

Yu'er devoured them happily.

After eating, Mo Hua took out fruit wine for Yu'er to drink.

The fruit wine was sweet, rich and lingering, with a hint of alcohol that dispelled the fatigue and hardship of the journey.

"Delicious!"

After drinking, Yu'er imitated Mo Hua by licking his lips.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two wrapped themselves in blankets and slept beside the Warm Fire Array.

Mo Hua was "asleep," but in truth he was drawing arrays in his spiritual sea, while keeping his spiritual sense alert, guarding against beasts or other cultivators with ill intent.

After a while, Mo Hua suddenly froze.

He noticed Yu'er's small body curled tightly together.

Mo Hua opened his eyes and saw Yu'er's eyes tightly shut, his face pale—as if haunted by something terrifying in his dream, frightened and helpless, tears streaming down his cheeks, trembling uncontrollably.

Mo Hua sighed.

"Yu'er…"

Mo Hua whispered, his voice carrying a touch of spiritual intent, reaching Yu'er's ears.

Yu'er slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred with tears.

Mo Hua waved to him gently and said, "Cold, aren't you? Come here."

Yu'er hesitated for a moment, wiped his tears, wrapped himself in his small blanket, and ran to Mo Hua's side.

Mo Hua shared part of his blanket, wrapping Yu'er in it too, then patted his head. "Don't think too much—by dawn, you'll see your parents…"

"Mm." Yu'er nodded his little head.

"Sleep now…"

Mo Hua's voice was soft, yet gentle and firm.

Yu'er felt his frightened heart gradually calm, his body no longer trembling with fear.

The blanket grew much warmer.

Yu'er quietly exhaled in relief.

He stole a glance at Mo Hua and saw him meditating with closed eyes, unaware—so he crept closer, unnoticed.

Mo Hua carried a clear, tranquil aura.

Satisfied, Yu'er slowly closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.

This time, he slept soundly.

In his dream, there were no memories of being kidnapped and terrified.

No greedy, ugly faces of adults.

No heart pierced by the world's malice.

No fear or despair.

And not even…

Those nightmares that, since he could remember, sometimes surfaced in his dreams…

In the wild, untamed Dashan, where living humans were sacrificed, flesh and blood were bait, all life treated as straw dogs—nightmares filled with pure malice, bloody and cruel, bizarre and grotesque, nurturing the world's sins…

…

The night was silent.

Yu'er slept well.

At dawn the next day, Mo Hua took Yu'er to Qingzhou City.

Outside Qingzhou City, Dao Ting Si patrols were stationed.

Mo Hua was stopped from entering.

Mainly because he was so young, carrying a child even smaller than himself, standing out strangely among a crowd of cultivators.

The patrol officer couldn't help asking:

"How old are you…?"

"Fifteen…"

"What are you entering the city for…?"

"To seek study in Qianxue Province…"

"Just you?"

"And my younger brother!" Mo Hua patted Yu'er.

Yu'er immediately stood straight, chest out, head high, nodding vigorously to show Mo Hua's brother was right.

The patrol officer was troubled.

His orders were: "Any suspicious cultivator carrying a young cultivator must be thoroughly questioned."

But what if a young cultivator carried another young cultivator—was that suspicious?

The rumors he'd heard were that a young master from the Gu family had been kidnapped by traffickers.

But strangely, the boy's portrait could not be disclosed.

They could only screen by age…

The officer glanced at Yu'er. "This little boy looks like a young master."

He looked again at Mo Hua, his mind buzzing with doubt.

A trafficker… wouldn't be this young, would he?

Besides, if he truly were a trafficker, he'd try to escape the city, not boldly attempt to enter it…

"Looks like I'm overthinking…"

Seeing the officer muttering to himself, Mo Hua asked, "Has something happened…?"

"Yes, it's the Gu family…"

The officer nodded, then realized he'd spoken too much—he immediately hardened his expression:

"Children shouldn't ask what they shouldn't!"

"Oh…"

"Enter the city!"

"Oh!"

So Mo Hua took Yu'er's hand and walked through the city gate, entering Qingzhou City with calm dignity.

Qingzhou City was full of bustling life.

Arriving in Qingzhou City meant half a foot had already stepped into Qianxue Province.

He could find a way to join Qiandao Sect.

But before that, he had to safely deliver this "little burden," Yu'er, into his parents' hands—otherwise, he couldn't rest easy.

Qingzhou City was still quite prosperous.

The street was noisy, bustling with people, and the stalls on both sides displayed pills, talismans, artifacts, and formations of every kind—a dazzling array.

Mo Hua and Yu'er strolled along, browsing as they went.

Yu'er looked around in every direction, eyes full of curiosity.

Mo Hua, however, was thinking:

"How do I find Yu'er's parents?"

"The Gu family…"

Along the way, Mo Hua had indeed overheard a few people mention the "Gu family"…

Among the traffickers, that Boss Jiang had mentioned it, and so had the Enforcement Officer before entering the city…

Could Yu'er be a young master of the Gu family?

Mo Hua then asked Yu'er, "Yu'er, is your surname Gu?"

Yu'er dragged her gaze away with great difficulty from the skewers of candied hawthorn on the roadside, thought for a moment, then answered a beat late:

"I'm not surnamed Gu."

"Then is your mother's surname Gu?"

Yu'er shook her head.

Mo Hua frowned.

Not surnamed Gu, then she has nothing to do with the Gu family…

Yu'er looked at Mo Hua with a guilty expression. "Brother, I'm sorry, my mother won't let me tell people my surname…"

"It's fine." Mo Hua said with a smile to comfort her. "When you're out and about, you have to stay on your guard—even with me."

Yu'er still felt guilty.

Mo Hua then bought Yu'er a skewer of candied hawthorn.

Yu'er immediately brightened up, nibbling and biting away until her little mouth was bright red.

"Is this your first time eating it?"

"Mm." Yu'er nodded. "My mother won't let me eat it."

Mo Hua sighed.

He was a bit confused.

Whose child is Yu'er, after all?

Not letting her eat candied hawthorn…

Was the family too poor to afford it, or too rich and afraid she'd upset her stomach?

"Yu'er, is your home big?"

"Mm!" Yu'er stretched out her tiny arms and drew a big circle. "Very, very big!"

Mo Hua nodded. "Then she's a child of a great clan…"

But it didn't seem certain either…

A child's idea of "big" and an adult's idea of "big" were still different.

When he was little, he'd thought Tongxian City was very, very big, and the road from Chengnan to Chengbei was very, very long…

But now this "very, very long" road, he could walk it in half a shichen…

"Then do you have any impression of Qingzhou City?"

Mo Hua asked again.

Yu'er licked her candied hawthorn, tried hard to recall, then shook her head. "I don't know, I think they all look pretty much the same…"

Mo Hua was startled, then nodded.

That was indeed true.

These immortal cities, big and small—once you'd seen enough of them, they all seemed more or less alike.

But this made things troublesome…

No real leads, hard to find…

Yu'er thought for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Brother! I remembered! I have relatives in Qingzhou City—my mother said she was bringing me here to find relatives!"

"What relatives?"

Yu'er shook her head.

"What's their surname?"

Yu'er still shook her head.

Mo Hua sighed.

Well, at least it was a lead.

After that, Mo Hua asked around some more, then found a noodle shop by the gate of Qingzhou City and sat down.

He'd inquired: the Gu family was the most powerful clan in Qingzhou City—no, in fact across the entire Qianxue State border region, in all the immortal cities great and small.

A fifth-rank clan!

And according to the rumors and gossip in the city, a young master of the Gu family—no one knew which branch—had been kidnapped by traffickers, and his whereabouts were still unknown.

As for this young master, his name, his surname, what he looked like—the Gu family had not disclosed anything to the outside.

Perhaps his status was special, and there were taboos.

The Gu family only told the public that any leads on kidnapped young cultivators under ten years old could be reported to the Gu family, and if verified, the Gu family would reward them generously.

They might even grant an enrollment slot for a school in the Qianxue State border region…

An enrollment slot…

Mo Hua already had his Ru Sect token, so he didn't really need it.

And that Gu family Young Master, he's nowhere to be found.

He must first settle this little Young Master Yu, and find his family.

"Go straight to beg the Dao Ting Si?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Mo Hua didn't know the Dao Ting Si in Qingzhou.

Moreover, the Gu family matter seems to have grown huge—most of the Dao Ting Si's Zhishi and Gu Diansi have gone searching for the Gu family's little Young Master; they may not care about Yu's case at all.

These aren't even the main issue.

Mo Hua suspects that within the Dao Ting Si, some cultivators may be colluding with human traffickers…

This is what Uncle Zhang Lan warned him about.

The Dao Ting Si isn't that clean; the interests entangled within its branches across the lands are extremely complex.

People's hearts are hidden behind their chests; you fear not the ten thousand possibilities, but the one in ten thousand.

No outsider can be trusted.

Best to hand Yu over to his own biological parents.

"He has relatives in Qingzhou city…"

"Then go door-to-door asking?"

Mo Hua shook his head again.

That won't work either.

Those who've established themselves in Qianzhou all have substantial backgrounds and high thresholds—you may not even get past their gates.

Besides, it would waste too much time.

Likewise, if someone claims to be Yu's 'relative,' no matter how affectionate they act, Yu is still young—he likely couldn't tell whether they're truly kin or someone with ill intent…

Deep down, Mo Hua felt both methods had problems.

Once passed through an outsider's hands, something will inevitably go wrong.

This was a faint warning that occasionally arose in his mind after learning the Heavenly Mechanism Calculation—though still weak, unclear, and not very accurate, it sometimes proved remarkably useful as a decision-making reference.

After much thought, Mo Hua decided on the simplest, dumbest, yet most direct method:

Stake out the gate!

Everyone entering or leaving Qingzhou must pass through the gate.

Qingzhou city is the hub connecting the Qianzhou scholarly world.

Yu's parents, if they're searching for him, will eventually pass through Qingzhou and appear at its gate.

As Mo Hua thought this, his heart leapt—as if the karmic cause he foresaw would, according to some Heavenly Mechanism, become reality in the foreseeable future…

Mo Hua was shaken.

This was…

True Heavenly Mechanism Calculation?

No, or rather, the embryonic form of true Heavenly Mechanism Calculation…

In Mo Hua's mind, the figure of Mr. Zhuang surfaced again; he mimicked his master's posture, pinching his fingers into a seal, closing his eyes, and summoning his spiritual awareness…

Moments later…

Nothing happened…

Mo Hua rubbed his chin.

He suspected that when his master performed calculations, pinching his fingers and forming seals was merely for show—to appear more "immortal and ethereal"—but in reality, it did nothing.

Now, imitating his master, his mind went utterly blank—he couldn't calculate anything.

Or perhaps because what he was learning now was only "Spiritual Awareness Calculation," far below the level of "Heavenly Mechanism Calculation."

He merely occasionally received faint premonitions related to Heavenly Mechanism, after performing many calculations.

After all, his master had never taught him "Calculating Heavenly Mechanism…"

Mo Hua sighed.

He didn't yet fully understand what Heavenly Mechanism was.

How to calculate it? He knew even less.

"Heavenly Mechanism Calculation…"

"If I encounter other Heavenly Mechanism methods in the future, I must find a way to obtain them, study them, compare and contrast, and perhaps through analogy, comprehend true 'Heavenly Mechanism Calculation'…"

Mo Hua nodded.

He couldn't just let others calculate him.

He himself must occasionally calculate others as well…

Mo Hua turned to look at Yu and instructed:

"We'll wait right here. Watch the gate—if you see anyone you recognize, your parents, relatives, teachers, or your family's carriage or horses, tell me immediately…"

"Mm!" Yu nodded.

Then the owner brought two bowls of noodles—one large, one small.

Mo Hua ate while pondering "Heavenly Mechanism Calculation" in his mind.

Yu imitated Mo Hua, slurping his noodles loudly; occasionally he looked up, saw Mo Hua beside him, felt a little reassured, then lowered his head again to eat.

As if merely being near Mo Hua, those bloody, cruel, corrupted nightmares would slowly fade away…

Mo Hua and Yu waited at the gate for days.

At Qingzhou's gate, carriages and horses surged, countless cultivators came and went.

Yet after waiting for several days, eating five or six bowls of noodles, they still gained no result.

Mo Hua began to doubt whether he had guessed wrong…

"It should be right…"

Mo Hua frowned, concentrating hard; in his mind, a carriage and a face faintly emerged, leaving a trace…

…

At this moment, in Qingzhou City, the Gu family.

In a quiet yet luxurious hall.

A beautiful woman in palace attire waved her slender hand, shattering all the ornate tables, chairs, porcelain, and screens; even the walls reinforced by arrays cracked with fine fissures.

The maids outside the room turned pale, bowed their heads, and slipped away silently.

Opposite the woman sat a strikingly handsome man, dressed in lavish robes, his cultivation aura evident, offering a bitter smile.

"Wan'er, don't be angry…"

The palace-clad woman's beautiful eyes reddened with fury. "How can I not be angry? The direct bloodline of the Shanggu family—could it be kidnapped? Do you think I'm a fool?"

The man in lavish robes spoke softly: "Wan'er, no one wanted this…"

"Shanggu Yi!" the woman hissed. "Yu'er is my child. You don't care, but I do. Yu'er is so young, so gentle… he is my life!"

The handsome man's eyes darkened with pain. "Yu'er is my flesh and blood too—how could I not care?"

"Then what has your Shanggu family done?" the woman demanded sharply.

The man in lavish robes said bitterly: "Wan'er, you are Shanggu family now—don't speak like this. If Father finds out…"

"So what if he finds out? He's always disliked this marriage, and he's always hated me…"

The palace-clad woman looked at the man; the affection once in her beautiful eyes had turned cold as blades, thick with deep hatred.

"He dislikes me, so he dislikes Yu'er, his grandson."

"I tell you this—if Yu'er is gone, I will hate the Shanggu family for the rest of my life!"

Her voice trembled slightly, carrying both resolve and the agony of severing ties with the one she loved:

"Including you… Shanggu Yi!"

The man's heart felt as if pierced by knives. "Wan'er…"

The palace-clad woman hissed: "Tell me now—exactly who took Yu'er? What have you found? Where is Yu'er?"

The man sighed, his face heavy with sorrow.

He knew his wife was deeply emotional, adoring her son beyond all else. He had dared not tell her the truth, fearing she would break from grief, so he had concealed everything, claiming they had leads and would soon find Yu'er.

But now he could no longer hide it—he had no choice but to speak plainly:

"On the surface, this incident… seems like a coincidence…"

"Yu'er went out to view the lanterns, surrounded by many people—but in the blink of an eye, he vanished…"

"We investigated, but the Heavenly Mechanism was like water—leaving no trace…"

"We cannot tell who took Yu'er or why, but we can faintly trace that after his abduction, someone was transporting him outward…"

"It was a gang of human traffickers…"

"They split into several groups, leaving Qingzhou City in batches, seemingly aiming to take Yu'er beyond Qianzhou—to some unknown place…"

"In recent days, the Shanggu family, the Gu family, and Dao Ting Si have all deployed countless cultivators to investigate."

"The Shanggu family operates in secret, while the Gu family and Dao Ting Si work openly—but we find one group, kill one group; kill one group, find another. No matter how many we eliminate, there are always obscure survivors who somehow, perfectly, slip Yu'er out bit by bit…"

"As if everything had been calculated…"

"So the elders have deduced…" The man's heart filled with icy dread as he spoke painfully, "that a great being, one who comprehends the Heavenly Mechanism, has devised a divine and demonic scheme in secret, aiming to…"

The man paused, drew a deep breath, his voice trembling.

"Abduct Yu'er—the child born from the first-ever direct-line marriage between the Shanggu and Wenren great clans…"

(End of Chapter)