Chapter 685

The undercurrents in Qianxue Province flowed faster than before.

Yet Mo Hua, the "mastermind behind the scenes," remained completely unaware.

He was currently hungry for his "stomach," and only wanted to fish, to gather some divine relics to "sate his hunger."

Several days later, the fish finally took the bait.

After finishing his class, Mo Hua was eating in the disciples' quarters when he received a message from Gu Changhuai:

"Guo Jiang Long is dead."

Mo Hua asked: "Real death or fake death?"

"Fake death."

"Did you catch the traitor?"

Gu Changhuai fell silent for a moment, then apologized: "No…"

Then Gu Changhuai explained the full story:

"I had limited time and couldn't watch constantly, so I sent someone from the Gu family to infiltrate the Dao Prison disguised as a prisoner, secretly surveilling Guo Jiang Long's neighboring cell."

"At first, everything was calm—nothing happened."

"But last night at midnight, the surveillant suddenly felt icy cold, as if something had entered the Dao Prison; at the same time, he grew dizzy and drowsy. When he woke again, Guo Jiang Long was already dead—his corpse had rotted…"

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened. "Rotting?"

"Yes," Gu Changhuai said. "His body sprouted toxic sores, decaying and stinking. No one in the Dao Prison dared approach."

Mo Hua asked: "Can his identity still be determined?"

Gu Changhuai said: "As usual, his flesh and blood were corrupted by demonic qi; his face was ruined, his meridians destroyed, his spiritual power tainted—but this time the demonic qi was weak, and most of his body remained intact…"

Gu Changhuai sighed. "You can tell the dead man's height and build matched Guo Jiang Long's exactly, he had a water-elemental spiritual root, and there was still a fishy odor on him…"

Mo Hua nodded.

Someone had found a "sacrificial decoy," used demonic qi to destroy features that didn't match Guo Jiang Long, and preserved only those that did: height, build, spiritual root.

It was a lot of effort.

Who exactly was this decoy, and where had they found him?

Gu Changhuai continued: "The Dao Ting Si concluded the case: sudden fatal illness, demonic sores all over the body, died in prison—basic traits matched. They sealed Guo Jiang Long's Juan Sect records."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

Everything matched exactly what he'd heard from Young Master Jin.

"And then?" Mo Hua asked.

"That's it," Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua clearly didn't believe him, firmly stated:

"Uncle Gu, you definitely kept something back—you're hiding something from me."

Mo Hua knew this man well.

Though he was "weak" in spiritual awareness and formations, in the Dao Ting Si—especially in criminal investigations of cultivators—he was a genuine "old hand." How could he possibly let Guo Jiang Long slip away so easily?

Gu Changhuai, caught out, fell silent. "It wouldn't help even if I told you."

"If you don't tell me, you won't catch Guo Jiang Long."

Mo Hua spoke with confidence.

Gu Changhuai froze, his gaze complex, then sighed deeply.

He always felt this kid Mo Hua was like a "little soothsayer"—able to divine everything, nothing could hide from him…

Since that was the case, Gu Changhuai stopped hiding anything.

"Outside the Dao Ting Si, I also had people secretly watching. The next day at Zi hour, a corpse-handling officer transported several executed cultivators' bodies out of the Dao Ting Si for cremation—Guo Jiang Long was among them…"

"Is this officer involved?"

"No, he's unaware," Gu Changhuai said.

"Then… Guo Jiang Long was cremated?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head. "He was swapped halfway…"

"A funeral procession crossed paths with the corpse transport. Someone took advantage of the officer's distraction and swapped two identical coffins."

"The officer took the coffin to the crematorium; the funeral procession took Guo Jiang Long's coffin away and buried it…"

"After burial, I secretly sent people to dig it up—found the coffin empty; Guo Jiang Long was gone…"

Mo Hua was slightly surprised.

This "switching the beams and pillars" tactic was indeed clever.

He silently noted it down—he might use it himself someday.

"Where was the coffin buried?" Mo Hua asked.

"By the Yan Shui River."

Mo Hua paused. "So Guo Jiang Long returned to the Yan Shui River?"

"Probably…"

"Can you still track him?" Mo Hua asked.

Gu Changhuai sighed. "Once a water-elemental cultivator enters the river, it's like releasing a fish into water or a bird into the forest—deep waters, vast forests, no trace remains."

"And he must have changed his face—no one could recognize him."

"Water-elemental cultivators in the Yan Shui River aren't many, but not few either—I could investigate them one by one, but that would surely alarm the snake, and I couldn't keep the long line fishing for the big catch…"

"Oh…" Mo Hua nodded.

He didn't hesitate, eagerly said: "Uncle Gu, I'll go find him for you!"

Gu Changhuai narrowed his eyes, sensing something odd. "Are you waiting for me to agree to some condition?"

Mo Hua feigned sadness: "Uncle Gu, am I really that kind of person? Punishing evil and promoting good is the duty of righteous cultivators—I, as a proud member of the Grand Void Sect..."

"Then don't say anything."

"I'll tell you!" Mo Hua said at once, then unleashed a flood of pre-prepared words:

"Just three small conditions: if you get any leads on human traffickers, let me know; when you need manpower, lend me a hand;"

"... and finally, next time, can I complete the bounty first, and then you issue the bounty afterward? That way, Dao Ting Si's procedures move faster, and you won't delay my merit points..."

Huo Fotuo's merit points still haven't been credited!

Dao Ting Si is bloated and burdened with redundant procedures—Mo Hua harbors deep resentment.

Gu Changhuai took a slow breath.

Are these really three small conditions?

Which one is small?

You're small in stature, but big in mouth.

"No!" Gu Changhuai refused.

"Don't be like that—I never said I wouldn't negotiate..." Mo Hua said weakly.

Gu Changhuai's forehead throbbed.

So you're treating me, the Dao Ting Si's Diansi, like some merchant haggling over prices?

Gu Changhuai: "I can only agree to one."

"Two?" Mo Hua ventured.

"One. If not, forget it."

"Sigh... fine, one it is."

Mo Hua reluctantly accepted.

Gu Changhuai said: "The human traffickers' case is classified—I can't tell you. The bounty matter concerns Dao Ting Si's system—I can't agree to that. But if you're in danger or need support, I can help you..."

Protecting Mo Hua's safety was also his cousin's wish—in a way, it was for Yu'er's sake too.

Gu Changhuai gave himself a reason in his heart.

Gu Changhuai continued: "Next time you're on leave, come to the Gu family. I'll give you a Gu family secret order—it can command the Gu family cultivators within the nearby second-rank minor Xiancheng Dao Ting Si..."

Mo Hua was stunned.

A Gu family secret order?

Commanding Gu family cultivators inside a second-rank Dao Ting Si?

Mo Hua felt embarrassed. "This... isn't it too valuable...?"

"Then don't take it."

"I'll take it!" Mo Hua hurriedly said.

Not taking a free advantage makes you an idiot.

He needed manpower to track the evil god's trail.

Cheng Mo and the others would help, but there were only four or five of them—too few.

Besides, their cultivation levels were too low—they needed more training before they could be useful.

Gu Changhuai added: "This Gu family secret order, in my hands, is for 'commanding.' In your hands, it's only for 'saving your life.' Don't misuse it. Don't try to order Gu family disciples around or force them to do outrageous things—they won't obey..."

"If I find out you've abused this order, I'll take it back!"

Gu Changhuai's face was stern.

"Yes yes! Don't worry!" Mo Hua promised. "I won't do anything outrageous!"

Satisfied with Mo Hua's promise, Gu Changhuai finally exhaled.

"I'll tell you the other leads on Guo Jiang Long. If you find him, good. If not, don't force it."

"Alright!" Mo Hua nodded.

Then Gu Changhuai told Mo Hua everything: where Guo Jiang Long buried the bodies, where he vanished, and all the investigation leads Dao Ting Si had gathered along the Yan Shui River.

On his leave, Mo Hua rushed to the Gu family without delay.

Seeing Mo Hua's bright, eager gaze, Gu Changhuai felt a twinge of regret—but since he'd already promised, he couldn't go back on his word. He gritted his teeth and handed Mo Hua a jade secret order engraved with the character "Gu."

"Only for rescue and support—don't misuse it!"

Gu Changhuai repeated the warning.

"Yes yes!"

Mo Hua swore solemnly.

Gu Changhuai exhaled, then finally gave him the order.

Mo Hua took the "Gu family secret order." It felt smooth, cool, and heavy in his hand—clearly extremely valuable.

Uncle Gu is a great person!

Mo Hua thought to himself.

He put the order into his storage pouch—but felt it wasn't respectful enough, so he moved it into his Nàzi Ring instead.

With the Gu family secret order in hand, he now had a "backing" when operating near the sect in second-rank minor states—he could act more easily and with greater confidence.

Mo Hua felt his spine straighten.

But having received such a favor, he must not slack off.

He had to help Uncle Gu—really, help himself—find the "dead" Guo Jiang Long.

He couldn't betray Uncle Gu's trust.

Especially not betray this precious Gu family secret order!

Mo Hua's expression turned solemn. He nodded.

After bidding farewell to Gu Changhuai, he went to see Xu Wanyi, had a meal together with Yu'er, and then Mo Hua set off for the lower reaches of the Yanshui River.

This time, he went alone.

Because it was a covert tailing mission with no merit points to earn for now, he didn't bring Cheng Mo and the others.

Arriving at the Yanshui River, Mo Hua found the grave where Guo Jiang Long had faked his death and buried a body.

The grave had no headstone—just a mound of earth, with some symbolic feng shui burial-protection arrays laid out around it.

Near the riverbank, the soil was half-damp.

Mo Hua didn't even need to dig; a sweep of his divine sense told him the coffin inside was empty.

But the lingering aura inside the coffin, Mo Hua could still clearly identify—it belonged to Guo Jiang Long.

His gaze grew deep, and the Heavenly Mechanism surfaced.

Wisps of karmic traces stretched out from within the coffin, drifting into the river, and then vanished without a trace in the vast waters.

Recalling the other clues Uncle Gu had mentioned, Mo Hua concealed his body and investigated them one by one along the Yanshui River.

There were indeed traces of Guo Jiang Long in the river, along with some pale-white karmic dotted lines, but all of them were very faint.

Though faint, this also meant Guo Jiang Long was still active nearby.

Guo Jiang Long cultivated water-element techniques, living by water; this river was his second life, the waterway within it was his lifeline—he couldn't have gone far.

Moreover, the most dangerous place is the safest place.

Mo Hua calmed his mind, found another spot where the karmic line ran deepest, sat down while concealed, and prepared to wait for the rabbit to come to him.

At the same time, he took out the few technique manuals he had obtained from Guo Jiang Long and quietly flipped through them.

First was the "White Wave Art" technique.

This technique, Mo Hua couldn't learn it, nor did he need to, but the meridian routes, acupoints, flaws, and shortcomings within it all needed careful study.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

Only by knowing Guo Jiang Long's techniques could he better counter him.

Next was the White Wave Art movement technique.

This was a water-element movement technique, but it was completely different from Mo Hua's Flowing Water Steps, which focused on dodging to preserve his life.

The White Wave movement technique emphasized the unity of man and water—when executed in water, one moved like a fish, freely swimming, unrestricted.

Mo Hua felt this might be useful in the future, so he studied it a bit.

Time was limited, and there was no need to master it thoroughly; being able to make do was enough.

There was also a secret art for evading demons in water, called the Water-Driving Demon-Avoidance Art, which allowed a cultivator to avoid aquatic demon beasts, as well as other unknown dangers like poisonous weeds and whirlpools.

In a sense, it was more like the experience and arts of a "demon hunter."

Except this kind of demon hunter was not of the mountains, but of the waters.

Things related to demon hunters, Mo Hua instinctively found very interesting.

So this one had to be learned too.

The cultivation world was vast, and learning had no end.

And so Mo Hua went on, flipping through these few techniques and Dao arts while splitting his attention to monitor the movements in the water.

The more he read, the more Mo Hua came to understand the Yanshui River.

Just like when he first entered Great Heishan—from unfamiliar to familiar, and then to knowing every blade of grass and every tree on the mountain like the back of his hand.

Now the Yanshui River, in Mo Hua's eyes, was gradually becoming clear as well.

The flow of the river water, the drifting water weeds, the swimming spirit fish, and the dangerous water demons lurking in the murky mud, waiting to strike…

In a flash, Mo Hua felt he had developed a subtle connection with the Yanshui River.

This stretch of river water also seemed, little by little, to be resonating with Mo Hua's divine sense from afar.

The Yanshui River, originally rippling with dangerous waves, gradually became "intimate" and familiar, like the pond at his own home…

This feeling was quite mysterious.

Just then, Mo Hua's divine sense stirred slightly.

In the familiar river water, an even more familiar aura suddenly swam over from afar.

Guo Jiang Long!

Mo Hua didn't even need to look; he could sense it in an instant.

The misty waters stretched vast, sparkling with rippling light.

Guo Jiang Long lurked in the Yanshui River, following the current like a big fish, swimming freely at will.

This gave Mo Hua an illusion.

It was like the fish he had released, leisurely swimming back into his own "pond"…

Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly.

In the Yanshui River, Guo Jiang Long followed the current, swimming forward.

Mo Hua, meanwhile, kept his body concealed and followed Guo Jiang Long in the water, walking forward along the riverbank.

After walking like this for a long time, Guo Jiang Long still stayed in the river, swimming with the current, never coming ashore.

Mo Hua patiently followed.

After who knows how long, until night fell and the water's surface was dark, Guo Jiang Long finally turned around in the water and swam toward the bank.

Near the bank, Guo Jiang Long first floated at the river's edge, pausing for a while until he was sure no one was around, then he leapt ashore with ease.

By the faint moonlight, Mo Hua saw his figure clearly.

The previous Guo Jiang Long had a beardless face, snow-white all over, like a white fish.

Now he looked like a rough man, with a dark and rugged face, long bushy whiskers, also bare-chested, but with thick body hair, tightly knotted and dark muscles—like a big black fish.

On the surface, he didn't look like the same person as before at all.

Mo Hua snorted inwardly:

"Little guy, changed your 'cloak' and think I won't recognize you?"

A person's appearance may change, but the essence of their Qi remains unchanged.

This superficial alteration of skin and flesh could never fool Mo Hua's divine sense.

"Still, the big fish has finally surfaced…"

Mo Hua felt a faint joy in his heart.

The river dragon, now on land, cautiously glanced left and right before pulling several dead fish from his storage pouch and placing them in a fish basket.

Then he slung the basket over his back and walked toward the shore with the dead fish.

Mo Hua followed silently behind him.

On land, the moonlight grew slightly clearer, casting its pale glow upon the narrow path.

The rugged-faced river dragon walked straight ahead, utterly unaware that behind him trailed an invisible little cultivator—a "water ghost."

After walking for a long while, the road widened, revealing a small fishing village ahead.

The fishing village was dilapidated, littered with old nets and fish baskets.

The air carried a faint fishy stench.

It was already night; in the silent village, only a few dim, flickering yellow lanterns glowed intermittently.

Mo Hua froze, calculating the direction in his mind, and suddenly realized this small fishing village was the very place the fishing cultivators had pointed to when they invited him home.

The river dragon walked straight into the small fishing village.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then followed him inside.

The small fishing village was poor, quiet, yet peaceful.

The river dragon kept walking ahead; Mo Hua followed step by step behind.

As they walked, the river dragon turned into a narrow, secluded hut—and vanished entirely.

Mo Hua frowned, extending his divine sense to scan the surroundings, but found nothing.

"Where did he go?"

Confused, Mo Hua decided to use the Heavenly Mechanism to trace the karmic threads.

His pupils deepened, and celestial patterns surfaced within his eyes as he gazed around.

A cold, sinister aura suddenly emerged.

The once tranquil village, dotted with soft lantern light, was suddenly shrouded in a faint veil of crimson blood mist.

(End of Chapter)