Chapter 708

The river dragon's scalp prickled; he gritted his teeth and said:

"If I don't deliver it, I might not die—but if I do, I'm certainly dead."

Mo Hua said coldly: "If you don't deliver it, you're still certainly dead… You're useless anyway. I'll bind you, pierce you with several blood holes, and dump you into the Smoke Water River to feed the water monsters."

"If you deliver the pills, at least you won't die right now."

The river dragon's heart turned cold.

He knew this seemingly kind-faced but cruel young master wouldn't joke with him.

This young master was ruthless; if he said he'd kill, he wouldn't hesitate.

After long inner struggle, the river dragon finally said:

"Fine, I'll deliver it! But I…"

The river dragon glanced back, then silently boarded the small boat.

"Gu family…"

The river dragon nodded.

At the opposite table sat four cultivators, dressed plainly but adorned with fragrant sachets, jade pendants, and ornate ornaments—all exquisitely luxurious.

The water-blue robe sword cultivator frowned slightly.

The third-grade state border had exceeded their cultivation range; if anything went wrong, they might not be able to protect Mo Hua fully.

Outside the courtyard, a few tables were scattered about, though far more humble.

The man nodded and said: "Follow me."

The Jin Se young master, pinned by the blade light, gritted his teeth and said:

"Fine!"

The Jin Se young master's gaze twisted; his expression grew ugly.

The Jin Se young master paused, then laughed instead of growing angry: "You're serious?"

"Who are you, vermin? Hiding your face and tail!"

"Confess early, and save yourself the suffering."

If the opponent's cultivation was higher and they couldn't win, it was simply used as bait to see what kind of fish would take the "bait."

The water-blue robe sword cultivator looked at Mo Hua and said calmly:

The river dragon shook his head: "No."

After drifting for an unknown length of time, to an unknown location, Mo Hua suddenly froze, sensing around him, then his face darkened:

"Third-grade state border!"

Gu An and Gu Quan's expressions turned furious, but they said nothing yet.

"Fine, fine! You want me to admit it? Today I'll tell you—you're right!"

Gu An and Gu Quan had not noticed him at all before.

The Jin Se young master's expression froze.

A single light slash of the sword cleaved a trench several feet wide into the ground.

And one of them, Mo Hua recognized.

Mo Hua frowned: "Will we encounter other cultivators along the way?"

The water-blue robe sword cultivator's eyes flickered; he whispered: "Better not stir up trouble…"

Yet he dared not show his dissatisfaction.

And he also trained in the Gu family's Twin Linked Saber Art; though inferior to the Broken Gold Sword Art, his deep cultivation compensated, so it wasn't much weaker.

The boat was small, made of wood, able to hold only four or five people.

Outside the tavern, a cultivator in coarse robes and a wide-brimmed hat slowly stood up.

On the contrary, Young Master Jin's face turned pale from the shock of the blade's force.

Gu An closed in and struck again with a saber.

The tavern was open-air and spacious.

Just as the sword light neared within a zhang of Mo Hua, a dazzling, brilliant light suddenly erupted—wind blades sprouted in pairs, forming a barrier like the fanned feathers of a Kong Que, delicate and magnificent, shielding Mo Hua in the center.

Saber edge met sword aura; blood qi and sword qi clashed, shattering a square table into fragments.

Mo Hua pondered a moment, then said: "We'll go too."

The Jin Se young master's rage flared instantly.

But the few on the boat all felt uneasy, each on full alert, vigilantly guarding against something.

The sword technique was interrupted; spiritual energy became chaotic.

The river dragon glanced slightly back, then barked: "Give me the spirit stones first, then I'll give you the fish."

The blue-robed sword cultivator's pupils shrank; he involuntarily looked outside the courtyard.

Both sides paused briefly; the Jin Se young master stood firm, his gaze sweeping over Gu An and Gu Quan, and said coldly:

To avoid suspicion, the spirit-binding chains on the river dragon had been removed, his clothes changed to ordinary fisher's garb, and no other restraints applied—he looked perfectly normal.

Someone beside the Jin Se young master said: "Those two brothers cultivate the Gu family's Linked Saber Art; this brat must be from the Gu family…"

"Jin Dan sword aura will kill you in an instant—no pain."

Mo Hua did not answer.

The river dragon led the way.

The Jin Se young master sneered, pinched his fingers, and summoned a golden sword light, striking toward Gu An.

The water-blue sword aura resembled a true spiritual sword, slicing a blinding streak of water-light straight for Mo Hua's heart meridian.

"Little Brother An, Little Brother Quan—he confessed himself. Break his limbs and take him to the Dao Ting Si."

Several disciples in ornate robes sneered, then condensed golden sword light—most of them seemed to be disciples of the Golden Break Sect.

The River Dragon looked panicked. "I… I know nothing…"

The River Dragon hurriedly explained: "Every time I board the small boat, it drifts on the river, and within less than an hour, it brings me to my destination."

At that moment, a tall Golden Break Sect disciple said to the Golden Young Master: "Hold them off—I'll activate the sword incantation and finish this quickly!"

Around the hour of Xu, a lone, abandoned dock indeed drifted into view from afar—a small boat.

"Is it you, little brat? Or are you a lapdog, fattened on scraps by the noble houses of Dao Ting Si?"

Master She felt bitterness in his heart.

The sword light shattered against the woven feathers of the wind blades and dissolved on its own.

They didn't care, but the Young Master Mo could not suffer even a single mishap.

This place seemed inhabited—apparently not some remote spot.

"Let's take a look first…"

Mo Hua's expression was calm, his gaze indifferent.

"I traded in cultivators, killed some lowlife scum, forged human pills—so what?"

Mo Hua picked one item from Master She's storage pouch and tossed it to the River Dragon—it contained the human pills Master She had previously forged.

Brothers Gu An and Gu Quan began fighting together, unleashing the Gu Family's Twin Linked Sabers against the Golden Young Master's group.

One struck the head, one the heart meridian, one straight for the dantian.

"Where to?" Mo Hua asked.

The Golden Young Master said nothing; after a moment, he sighed softly:

"I told you to sell fish properly and live a peaceful cultivation life—why did you bring me a swarm of flies?"

Mo Hua lightly flicked his finger, and three fireballs roared out in sequence.

Gu An and Gu Quan were shaken by the sword intent, their faces turning pale.

The River Dragon named a number.

The Golden Young Master had no time to gather sword qi—he could only retreat.

Master She kept his eyes down, nose straight, perfectly obedient.

Gu An whispered: "Young Master Mo, should we return?"

Mo Hua frowned.

Mo Hua was a formation master and had seen the Heavenly Dao Array firsthand—he was sensitive to regional qi. Now he clearly felt the surrounding qi deepen, and his own cultivation energy shrank considerably.

The River Dragon waited at the dock; Mo Hua and the other two watched from behind.

It meant: behave, keep your mouth shut, don't cut off your own path to survival.

"Even if I admit it, what can you do about it?"

The man complained: "First check if the fish is fresh, then give me spirit stones?"

Then the Golden Break Sect disciples shifted positions, changing their assault pattern.

But Mo Hua quietly slipped a Fire Dispersal Formation Disc into his arms.

The River Dragon hesitated slightly, then leapt from the boat onto shore and followed the man straight toward a nearby tavern.

Mo Hua said.

These human pills are used to fish.

Gu An said sternly: "We are of the Gu Family!"

"But the destination changes each time—I don't know where it is…"

The area was enclosed by bamboo fences; inside stood tables for passing cultivators to rest and drink.

Gu An and Gu Quan each gripped their sabers, blood qi surging, determined to overpower the Golden Young Master's group.

Mo Hua shook his head.

The River Dragon bowed: "The Golden Young Master is pleased."

They had no courage to watch such bloody combat.

Though uneasy, Gu An and Gu Quan could only nod.

The Golden Young Master's face twisted with fury: "No! Kill them! They must die—especially that insolent brat!"

Mo Hua thought briefly, then said: "Then lead the way."

"But so what?"

Mo Hua merely wanted to know who these "Young Masters" were—he might not even act.

Mo Hua's expression turned cold: "Don't make demands. Deliver the pills—I'll let you walk into Dao Ting Si alive. Refuse, and you go straight to the Underworld."

But Mo Hua felt unsatisfied.

At the dock, a man waited already; seeing the River Dragon, he asked:

Before the Golden Young Master finished speaking, Mo Hua immediately knew their cover was blown—he acted decisively:

Yet, whether he forgot in his haste or believed his sword skill sufficient, he did not activate the Golden Body technique or summon a Golden Body talisman beforehand.

The tall Golden Break Sect disciple fell back, using the others as cover, forming the sword incantation and summoning a golden sword to gather sword light.

Mo Hua shook his head.

The River Dragon, clutching the formation disc, dared not disobey—he faithfully led Mo Hua and the other two to a remote, long-abandoned dock downstream on the Yan Shui River.

"Who's going to manage me?!"

The River Dragon said: "I'll go with you—so you won't claim behind my back that my fish isn't fresh."

Gu An and Gu Quan also felt a chill.

He frowned and asked: "Brat, who are you? I should've… never seen you before, right?"

If this man truly wields the Golden Break Gate's Golden Break Sword Art, the situation will be troublesome.

"Selling cultivators, killing human lives, violating prohibitions, secretly refining human pills… each is a grave crime!"

Anyone would step on their own head!

The Young Masters would feel they have disgraced their status and would no longer be worthy to serve them.

Mo Hua frowned, his expression gradually turning cold.

In the courtyard of the tavern, Guo Jiang Long stood respectfully.

Mo Hua nodded slightly, but saw Guo Jiang Long had stopped there, and asked: "And then?"

The Young Master Jin did not avoid it; he directly took out the medicine vial, sniffed it at his nose, and nodded:

"Be careful," Mo Hua warned.

Without waiting for Gu An and Gu Quan to react, the blue-robed sword cultivator flicked two fingers, and sword qi pierced the air.

Thus, despite being outnumbered, Gu An and Gu Quan held their ground.

Gu An and Gu Quan's gazes were serious; they pushed their blade techniques to their limits, silently guarding Mo Hua behind them.

Gu An instantly broke his invisibility and slashed his blade toward the Young Master Jin.

The tall disciple of the Golden Break Gate, fully focused and exerting all his strength to control his sword, had no defense—and was struck at three vital points by three fireballs.

The blue-robed sword cultivator's gaze held a hint of displeasure, but he did not defy the Young Master Jin's wishes.

This sword's spiritual energy was refined, its power terrifying.

They waited until the sun set behind the mountains, dusk fell, and night grew deep.

But Gu An's blade still grazed his cheek, slicing from top to bottom, severing several strands of hair.

But Gu An showed no retreat; he was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, his cultivation higher than the Young Master Jin's.

"I don't care if you're named Jin or Silver—you've already violated the Dao's laws…"

"Do you think I'm the same kind of 'person' as those lowly cultivators bound by Dao's laws?"

"At the hour of Xu tonight, a boat without a crew will pass by the ferry crossing…"

"Where's your fish?"

Going back… is also acceptable.

The three of them, concealed, quietly boarded the boat.

Guo Jiang Long placed the storage bag containing the "human pills" on the table.

Guo Jiang Long's face turned pale; with no other choice, he finally nodded in agreement.

Mo Hua, full of righteous indignation, said: "So you admit it? You admit to selling cultivators, taking human lives, and secretly refining human pills?"

The great battle was about to erupt; the tavern instantly descended into chaos.

A Jin Dan sword cultivator?!

From behind the Young Master Jin, a man slowly stepped forward, clad in a water-blue Dao robe, his face Bai Xi, his aura profound.

"There's another person!"

Then the group set out.

"A moment ago your tone was so bold—why are you silent now? You think the Dao Ting Si can't hold you? Your face is bigger than your ass?"

Guo Jiang Long sighed and said:

"Downstream of the Yan Shui River, there's a small ferry crossing—though called a crossing, it has been abandoned for years, with no human traces…"

"And then," Guo Jiang Long smiled bitterly, "I don't know anymore…"

"Kill!" the Young Master Jin said with cruel glee, "I take full responsibility for all consequences!"

"Attack together!"

A thread of exquisitely refined, almost solid Jin Dan water spiritual energy gathered at his fingertip, forming a sharp blade of sword qi.

If someone mocks you, cut them down and throw them into the river to feed the water monsters—then no one will dare look down on you again.

Mo Hua said nothing; he pondered for a moment, then put on a righteous expression and questioned the Young Master Jin:

But as soon as they took a step forward, a solid, crystal-clear water-shaped sword qi suddenly appeared, slicing before them.

But if, conversely, someone mocks you and you remain silent, offering no response, everyone will despise you.

"Yes," Gu An and Gu Quan replied solemnly.

No one spoke; the surroundings fell silent, save for the rushing river.

Once the two had walked far enough, Mo Hua and Gu An and Gu Quan reached the shore and followed them at a distance, all the way to the tavern.

The Golden Break Gate disciple who cast the sword art spat blood.

The Young Master Jin seemed to realize he was no match for Gu An.

Mo Hua's expression was displeased.

Before departure, Mo Hua gave Master She a dangerous glance.

The cold moonlight spilled onto the lake's surface, serene and beautiful.

The small boat, beyond his control, drifted wherever it pleased—he had no say in it.

Gu An and Gu Quan were stunned.

These three fireballs moved with extreme speed and struck with cunning precision.

"If you're not honest, I'll blow you up!" Mo Hua threatened.

Then, while the man strained every ounce of strength, pushing his spiritual flow to its limit, accumulating his sword qi to its peak…

Guo Jiang Long wanted to cry but had no tears.

If a real fight breaks out, in a second-grade prefecture, Gu An and Gu Quan alone are enough.

The Young Master Jin's gaze was venomous.

This small boat was painted with water-element navigation and cruising arrays; tweak the arrays slightly, and it could drift back along the same path.

The boat gave a slight lurch, sank deeper into the water, then drifted lazily downstream with the current.

The expressions of Young Master Jin and his party instantly turned solemn.

Young Master Jin's group consisted of six people, most at mid-Foundation Establishment, only one at late Foundation Establishment—but their cultivation was far inferior to Gu An and Gu Quan's, and their combat experience paled beside those two Dao Ting Si enforcers.

The small boat drifted slowly, like an ordinary fishing boat returning at dusk, inching toward the riverside ferry dock.

"Surrender myself? I fear even Dao Ting Si's humble temple couldn't hold me."

The River Dragon said: "Just caught it—must be fresh."

But precisely because the one goading him was a greenhorn brat, he felt a surge of rage stuck in his throat, utterly impossible to swallow.

Outside the courtyard, several others were drinking; one of them wore coarse cloth, a wide straw hat, and sipped strong liquor.

Then the group split into two: Gu An and Gu Quan followed Mo Hua, traveling alongside the River Dragon, to trace the clues and uncover the legendary "Young Master."

This blade was faster.

"I thought you were a prominent evil master—turns out you're just a coward hiding behind others, making them die for you."

This was already the third-grade state realm where Jin Dan cultivators could unleash their full power!

Gu An and Gu Quan's senses were slightly dull, but with Mo Hua's reminder, they realized something was off.

The sword cultivator in the blue water robe merely sneered, speaking with condescending superiority:

"Kneel down, bow three times, and swear never to speak of what you've seen or heard today—I'll let you go."

Gu An and Gu Quan, who had been vigilantly alert, relaxed slightly and felt gratitude toward Mo Hua.

The man shook his head. "Too high—I need to ask my employer."

Mo Hua pondered, then slowly revealed his form.

Mo Hua's gaze lingered on the man for a moment, then shifted away; afterward, he walked into the tavern courtyard with Gu An and Gu Quan.

The fish were nearly biting—the hook was too close to the catch to pull back now.

This was because Heaven's laws had raised the realm restrictions.

So weak, yet still trying to show off like some master—ended up failing to survive two moves against Young Master Gu.

Young Master Jin grew angry, then sneered:

"You greenhorn brat, what do you know? Dao laws apply to the lowly—they don't touch me."

The small boat continued drifting; after an unknown length of time, Mo Hua spotted the shore—there was a ferry dock, with several lanterns glowing upon it.

This small boat had brought them into the river domain of the third-grade state realm!

He knew it!

He knew this brat was goading him.

The atmosphere instantly became tense, swords drawn.

The other Gu family cultivators escorted Master She and the other black-clad men toward the Dao Prison.

If even this greenhorn brat dared publicly mock him, call him a "coward," a "wimp," what would become of his reputation?

Young Master Jin said nothing.

This mind-spirit monster was terrifying—the River God himself might have been slain by him—he dared not provoke Mo Hua's wrath.

Such a young cultivator…

Most crucially, though they were in the third-grade state realm, Mo Hua's heavenly omens had shown no sense of imminent death—the razor-thin peril that usually preceded fatal danger.

Mo Hua was surprised.

If the opponent's cultivation was weak, they could catch him red-handed.

"Too careless…"

Gu An and Gu Quan nodded.

The man asked again: "How many spirit stones do you want?"

"Good quality, strong flavor."

Mo Hua instantly recognized it—the true sect heritage of the Broken Sword Sect: the Golden Yu Sword Art.

Sometimes, in this world, face equals authority.

"Attack!"

In an instant, blades flashed, swordlight danced, killing intent surged.

Waterweeds were emerald green, river light shimmered.

Young Master Jin was disheveled, his face twisted with fury.

Gu An and Gu Quan activated the Water-Stealth Jade; Mo Hua cast the Lesser Five Elements Concealment Technique—the three concealed themselves and followed behind the River Dragon.

He, a full late Foundation Establishment, a second-grade evil alchemist and second-grade evil array master, had sunk to being threatened by a child.

If Gu An and Gu Quan couldn't win, sending anyone else would be pointless.

Then the two groups went their separate ways.

Mo Hua sneered, "Dare to do it, dare not admit it—you're a coward too."

Gu An and Gu Quan also wore expressions of anger.

"The Gu family?" Young Master Jin sneered. "The Gu family will die too!"

Young Master Jin's gaze turned feral, his mouth curled into a grin.

The battlefield remained evenly matched.

"What does it matter if I kill a few lowly vermin and refine a few batches of pills?"

Inside the tavern, some patrons who had merely come to drink scattered like birds and beasts at the sight of the rising tension.

It was none other than the "Young Master Jin"—the man Mo Hua had met once, and who secretly had ties with the River Dragon.

He was tall and slender, his features handsome, his expression cold and proud, looking down with contempt at the blue-robed sword cultivator.

"Foul beast, who are you trying to kill?"

(End of Chapter)