Chapter 689: The Divine Path (Bonus Chapter for Patron Taishang Dalu Tian Xianshou Di Jun)

Lao Yutou fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"This method is called the 'River Sacrifice to Avert Calamity'—a fish-cultivator who passed through told me about it…"

"That day, while fishing in the river, my boat suddenly sank—perhaps it hit a reef at the bottom, or brushed against some water demon's horn…"

"I've heard countless tales of fish-cultivators who drowned after their boats sank in the river."

"Back then, I panicked and swam desperately toward shore, but halfway there, the water demon locked onto me…"

"Just as I thought I'd die in the Yan Shui River, a passing fish-cultivator wounded the water demon and dragged me, against all odds, to the bank…"

"That's how I saved my life…"

Lao Yutou sighed, still trembling with lingering fear.

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened. "What did that passing fish-cultivator look like?"

Lao Yutou thought a moment. "He was one who often dove into the water—excellent swimmer, skin as pale as a white fish in the river, faint eyebrows, odd-looking, but stare long enough and you'd find him kind-eyed and gentle…"

Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly.

The River Dragon…

"And then?"

"Then…" Lao Yutou mused, "I was deeply grateful and offered to repay him, but he waved it off, saying… oh, we're all just trying to survive on the water; when one's in trouble, you help each other—it's nothing, no need to thank me."

"A good man…" Lao Yutou sighed, then continued:

"I invited him for wine—though it was cheap stuff, he didn't turn it down."

"After three rounds, we hit it off and talked about the hardships of fish-cultivators—he said he had no parents, no children, lived alone and destitute."

"I told him the opposite—I had a whole family, but we were doomed to a life of poverty, with no hope ahead."

"My two grandsons have decent spiritual roots, but we have no Spirit Stones to fund their cultivation."

"It's my fault as a grandfather—I've held them back."

Lao Yutou's expression turned ashamed, then he shook his head and went on:

"When he heard this, he hesitated, lips parting as if to speak, but he held back, drinking silently instead."

"But I noticed his hesitation, so I told him: say what's on your mind—no need to hold back."

"He just kept shaking his head; I pressed him again and again, until he finally sighed and told me about this 'River Sacrifice to Avert Calamity' method."

"He said he'd only heard of this ritual from old cultivators—he didn't know if it worked."

"He said there's a kind of blood-fish in this world—you must be utterly sincere in heart and mind, nourish it with blood, and when its jaws split open and its fins turn into human-like limbs, you throw it into a well to offer to the River God; if the River God grants his blessing, your wishes will come true…"

"I found it strange—I couldn't understand why sincerity and blood were needed, why offer to the River God by throwing it into a well instead of the river itself…"

Mo Hua asked curiously, "What did the fish-cultivator say?"

Lao Yutou frowned. "He said he didn't know either—this ancient method was passed down exactly like this, not a single detail could be changed."

"He said since it's a ritual for the River God, these are the River God's ways—how could mere human cultivators understand?"

"I hesitated."

"He asked if I wanted to try it. He added that not everyone who used this method would gain the River God's blessing—but it was worth a shot…"

"If I truly wished to perform this 'River God' sacrifice, he'd, out of our friendship, get me the 'blood-fish'—no Spirit Stones needed, just wine would do."

"Spirit Stones are precious, but this kind of wine? Worthless."

"I thought: why not try? Even if it failed, I'd only lose a little wine—no big deal."

"Besides, this man had saved my life—he had no reason to harm me now."

"He told me all this out of genuine goodwill—for my sake…"

Mo Hua frowned as he listened.

Lao Yutou, unaware of the truth, sighed again and looked at Mo Hua. "Young Master, you probably already know what happened next…"

Lao Yutou felt a pang of emotion:

"I did it. I received the River God's blessing—I caught a three-colored carp and sold it for eight thousand Spirit Stones. My two grandsons now have a future…"

At this, Lao Yutou's expression turned suddenly terrified:

"But this must never be revealed—if it is, the River God will curse you, and all blessings vanish."

Lao Yutou gazed at Mo Hua with pleading eyes:

"Young Master, old man begs you—please, pretend you saw nothing."

Mo Hua's expression was complex, his thoughts shifting—he nodded.

"Fine. I won't tell anyone."

He didn't try to convince Lao Yutou, nor did he attempt to explain that the River Sacrifice was a lie—that what he worshipped wasn't a River God at all, but likely a demonic deity.

In this world, the deluded cannot be reasoned with—words fall on deaf ears.

Mo Hua didn't waste his effort. He simply said:

"I won't tell anyone—but you can't keep raising those fish, nor can you perform any more rituals in the well."

Lao Yutou's face twisted in conflict.

Mo Hua gave him one reason he'd understand:

"Greed invites the River God's punishment."

"You've already received enough of his blessing. If you keep offering, demanding endlessly, you'll anger him—and bring disaster upon yourself."

Lao Yutou's face instantly turned fearful—he nodded frantically.

"Yes, yes, Young Master is right!"

"Don't be greedy—it's enough already. My luck's been more than enough. If I push further, something bad will happen."

Mo Hua nodded.

Lao Yutou exhaled deeply and bowed sincerely to Mo Hua.

"Many thanks for the tip, young master."

Mo Hua gave a slight nod. "Alright, I'm off then. Just pretend I was never here."

Having said that, Mo Hua turned cleanly and left without delay.

Old Yutou's expression was somewhat dazed. Only now did he begin to wonder—why had this young master appeared so late at night in the little fishing village?

What on earth had he come here to do?

Old Yutou couldn't figure it out, but on second thought, he figured this too must be the River God's will.

The River God had let this young master drive away the Wang family cultivators, buy his fish, fulfill his wish, and give his two little grandsons a chance to enter a sect.

Now it must also be the River God who sent this young master to enlighten him.

One must not be too greedy.

Old Yutou nodded deeply, glanced back at the well, shouldered his fish tank, turned around, and left.

After Old Yutou left, the area around the well was utterly empty, no one else around.

After a moment, a tiny human figure condensed once more, and the figure appeared—it was Mo Hua.

He had coaxed Old Yutou away, then stealthily returned while concealed, arriving before the well.

Mo Hua had seen this well during the day, but hadn't paid it any attention. He hadn't expected the oddity to lie within this very well.

Mo Hua lay prone at the Jingkou and peered down into the well.

The well was a patch of inky blackness.

Mo Hua released his divine sense and probed deep into the well. After a short while, he detected water inside, and within the water, faintly visible, several blood fish.

Going deeper, it was a chaotic murk—he couldn't sense anything at all.

"The evil god is hiding in this well water?"

"How is it hiding?"

"Parasitizing flesh and blood? Building an altar? Or is there an evil god's preaching idol sunk in the well water?"

"But that doesn't add up either…"

Mo Hua frowned. "If the evil god were parasitizing the bottom of the well, then every fishing cultivator in the village would have long been corrupted by it. Why would it still need to trick Old Yutou into raising fish to spread 'plague'-like evil thoughts…"

"And besides, if the evil god were at the bottom of the well, I would have discovered it long ago."

Within Mo Hua's eyes, black and white flickered in a flash. He used both Ghost Calculation and Derivation Calculation in tandem, looking into the well.

There was indeed blood mist surfacing in the well, but it was very faint.

Even fainter than the crimson blood mist he had glimpsed that day through Heavenly Mechanism Derivation Calculation when he had tailed Guo Jiang Long into the little fishing village.

This was impossible…

And based on Mo Hua's understanding of the nature of evil-thought entities, if the evil god—or some divine corpse of the evil god—were truly parasitizing the bottom of the well, it would by now have been unable to resist bursting out, cackling wildly as it tried to devour him.

"Where on earth is the evil god hiding?"

"What secret is hidden in this well?"

Mo Hua knit his brows, thought for a long while without a clue, and couldn't help sighing.

Divine sense… I'm so hungry…

Nothing to "eat"…

Mo Hua peered into the well again, like a child craving a taste of "fish soup," unable to resist thinking:

"How about… jumping into the well to take a look?"

The moment this thought arose, Mo Hua suppressed it.

His divine sense may be strong, but his physical body was very weak.

If he jumped into the well alone and ran into an evil entity—even the evil god—he could still handle it for a while. But if he ran into a fierce water demon, one moment of carelessness could cost him his life.

Not worth taking that risk.

But Mo Hua really wanted to know what was at the bottom of the well.

Frowning, he thought it over and over, then suddenly his eyes lit up as he remembered he still had a "little toy."

Mo Hua immediately rummaged through his storage bag and took out a "little tiger" from within.

This was a puppet, specially carved for him by Elder Kui. Inside, Mo Hua had also drawn a Spirit Pivot Array, allowing him to control it with his divine sense and move it freely.

The little tiger was bright-eyed and eager.

Mo Hua looked at it, feeling a touch of nostalgia.

Since entering the Qianxue State boundary, he hadn't used these "little tigers" in a long time. Now that he needed to scout the bottom of the well, it was just right to try using one.

However, the little tiger was made of wood and would float on water.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, took a few iron blocks, tied them to the little tiger's body, and then tossed it into the well.

"Plop" went the sound.

The little tiger hit the water, then, weighed down by the iron blocks, slowly sank toward the bottom of the well.

The bottom of the well was dim, and divine sense couldn't perceive clearly.

The little tiger also couldn't "swim."

Mo Hua could only do his best to use his divine sense to guide the little tiger, paddling its claws, slowly inching along the bottom of the well.

He didn't need the little tiger to scout in great detail either—just confirming whether there was danger at the bottom would do.

After paddling for a long while and moving a short distance, the little tiger suddenly trembled, as if bumped by something.

Mo Hua's heart gave a jolt.

Then from the well came a muffled but intense "paddle paddle" sound of water.

It sounded like a school of fish swimming back and forth in agitation.

In less than a moment, Mo Hua felt the little tiger being swallowed by something, and then its aura vanished completely.

Mo Hua froze, then felt a surge of relief.

"Good thing I didn't rush down…"

But his little tiger… had lost one…

Mo Hua felt a faint sadness.

"What exactly is at the bottom of the well, that swallowed my little tiger?"

Mo Hua frowned, suddenly recalling that night he dreamed—the blood-red fish demon in his consciousness, forged from the evil god's intent: fanged and toothed, eyes fierce, fins turned to legs, walking upright.

Mo Hua had a faint suspicion.

These bloodfish, cast into the well, were likely being bred as "蛊."

They absorb human blood and devotional energy, devouring each other in the well water, eventually evolving into a massive, blood-red fish demon coiled deep within the well.

This fish demon is the "medium" of the evil god's corruption.

It is not yet powerful.

But once fed enough, once it keeps devouring and growing, the entire well will become a source of corruption, spreading through the well water to taint the surroundings.

And the entire fishing village will become a "breeding ground" for the evil god's spread.

Mo Hua felt a heavy weight in his heart, yet remained deeply confused.

If so, then this well is merely the evil god's "medium" for preaching, not its origin.

These fish cannot be the evil god.

Where, then, is the evil god's true body?

Mo Hua tried to imagine himself in its place.

If he were a "minor evil god," or a devout "divine servant" preaching for the evil god, he would never put all his eggs in one basket.

That means he would never place the preaching medium and the evil god's root in the same well.

The evil god's true body must be hidden, unknown, inviolate and untouchable.

The preaching medium must also be hidden—but widely disseminated, like well water, poisoning the faithful.

The two must be connected, yet not entirely severed.

"If that's the case, this well is deeply suspicious…"

The evil god's secret is likely hidden within the well, for beyond this well, within a ten-li radius, there is no other trace of the evil god's presence.

"But what is the secret? Where is it hidden? How is it hidden?"

Mo Hua scratched his head, baffled.

The bottom of the well is dangerous—he cannot go there—but outside the well…

Mo Hua circled the well again, yet found no other trace.

Not a single clue.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly: "The evil god's preaching is truly inscrutable and unpredictable…"

But he refused to give up—he searched every inch of the area around the well.

Yet until the east turned pale, nearly dawn, he found nothing.

Mo Hua sighed, forced to abandon the search for now.

He concealed himself, slipped away from the well, and headed straight to the familiar large tree at the village entrance, climbing its branches to resume patient observation.

"I refuse to believe I can't catch your tail…"

Mo Hua sat cross-legged, irritated.

The sunrise rose; the small fishing village was as usual.

Mo Hua stared and stared—from morning until noon, then watched as smoke rose from every home in the village, as they drank fish soup.

Mo Hua's emotions were complicated.

That fish soup… must not be drunk…

The more they drank, the heavier the evil god's corruption.

But he had no way to warn them, no way to raise the alarm, and could not alert the enemy—he could only find the evil god's origin first, and see if a solution could be found at the root…

Mo Hua sighed.

As he sighed, Mo Hua's gaze flickered—and he froze.

He spotted an acquaintance…

A man with a full beard, bulging muscles, dark skin—seemed like a giant skilled in water…

It was Sun Dahei in disguise!

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

He finally caught him!

Sun Dahei, who had vanished from the fishing village for days, had reappeared.

It was noon; Sun Dahei carried a fish basket, dressed as a fish cultivator, walking through the village as if no one were around, and no one suspected him.

Sun Dahei wandered aimlessly through the village, seemingly checking on the fish cultivators, or perhaps searching for something.

Especially when passing Old Yu's house, his gaze grew deeper, as if lost in thought.

Then he carried his fish basket and left the village.

Mo Hua followed quickly and saw Sun Dahei reach the Yan Shui River, then dive straight in.

Afterward, he swam like a giant black fish, freely roaming beneath the water.

Mo Hua's spiritual sense was strong; he had studied the White Wave Scripture, mastered the White Wave Body Technique, and the method of repelling water and demons—his spiritual sense now had a faint resonance with the Yan Shui River.

Though Sun Dahei appeared sunk deep in the riverbed, he remained always within Mo Hua's sight.

Every move he made was clear to Mo Hua.

And the River Dragon remained utterly unaware.

Mo Hua kept watching; the River Dragon kept swimming. As night fell, Mo Hua grew anxious.

This was already the second day of the two-day break.

By nightfall, he had to return to the sect for class.

But he had followed this far—if he missed it now, the trail would be lost, and such an opportunity might never come again.

Moreover, the matter of the Demonic God demands prompt action.

Mo Hua gritted his teeth and sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu, I've made a major discovery—please request a day's leave for me from the sect!"

Uncle Gu was the Gu Diansi of the Dao Ting Si; his request on my behalf carried far more weight than mine would.

Tonight, no matter what, I must uncover the River Dragon's secrets—and the truth behind the Demonic God of the small fishing village…

Mo Hua's gaze hardened.

After that, the River Dragon swam lazily through the Yan Shui River as before, catching several fish, until night fell and he finally climbed ashore.

After landing, he took out his fish basket, filled it with the dead fish he had caught, slung it over his back, and headed toward the small fishing village.

Mo Hua followed silently.

Entering the village, the River Dragon glanced warily left and right, then took the same route as before, turned into the same narrow alley, and vanished outright.

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

But this time, he had a rough idea.

The night was pitch black; the moonlight was cold.

The air grew increasingly oppressive.

Mo Hua stepped lightly over the damp ground of the small fishing village, breathing in the intensifying stench of fish, and walked straight toward the well at the village's rear.

At the well's edge, Mo Hua's eyes brightened slightly.

Indeed, the River Dragon was here!

Mo Hua stepped forward quietly and saw the River Dragon set his fish basket aside, then pull from his robe a brush and an inkstone.

The brush's bristles were black, seemingly made from human hair.

The inkstone was white, cold and bone-like; after grinding ink for a moment, fresh blood oozed forth.

With the human-hair brush dipped in the blood-ink from the bone inkstone, the River Dragon drew upon the well's rim a peculiar, ancient, and obscure pattern.

Seeing this, Mo Hua's heart tightened.

"This is… a Demonic Dao array pattern?"

So the River Dragon was also an array master?

Beside the eerie well, the River Dragon drew the crimson array pattern with reverent eyes and humble expression.

Mo Hua watched secretly from the side.

As the array pattern grew denser, the aura within the well grew stranger.

Finally, when the River Dragon completed the final stroke, the well shuddered violently—and as if causality reversed.

In Mo Hua's perception, the well had become utterly different…

An overpowering stench of rotting fish surged toward him.

Strange crimson mist poured from the well, spreading outward until it engulfed the entire small fishing village.

As if the well's "seal" had been broken…

Mo Hua was stunned; he stared at the array beside the well, his expression solemn.

What kind of array was this…?

It could seal the Demonic God's aura beneath the well…

Mo Hua furrowed his brow, struggling to comprehend—then a thought flashed into his mind.

"Seal…"

Mo Hua's pupils contracted.

Could this be the nearly lost…

Divine Dao array technique… spoken of by Huang Shanjun?!

(End of Chapter)