Chapter 709: Fate

A deep wariness flashed through the eyes of the sword cultivator in the blue water Dao robe.

Young Master Jin's face grew even darker than water.

Within the borders of Qianxue Province, a third grade Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si… Gu Changhuai.

An early-stage Jin Dan cultivator.

Outside the tavern, Gu Changhuai stood tall and proud; even in coarse clothes, he could not conceal his outstanding bearing.

Feather-like, resplendent wind blades circled his body.

The thick, unrestrained Jin Dan cultivation around him radiated a faint pressure.

Young Master Jin's expression instantly changed. "Gu Diansi, please choose your words carefully!"

Then, right in front of him, the wanted cultivator Crossing-River Dragon conducted a forbidden pill transaction with Young Master Jin.

As expected of a seasoned Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si—his ability to cast a net of charges was truly extraordinary.

It was a group of people.

Xie Liu smiled and said, "Although I, Xie Liu, am no talent, I am still an instructor of the Guishui Sect. If Gu Diansi wishes to slander me, I must find some way to prove my innocence."

With this, the matter was settled; every last one of Young Master Jin's party was captured.

Then, on this "Young Master's" body, as if he had inherited something, black mist suddenly thickened, a terrifying evil desire sprouted, and poppy chains spread forth.

But in their hearts, they also felt some disbelief.

The entire tavern, struck by the Dao law, had every table, chair, fence, and wall reduced to fine powder.

The two faced each other from afar.

Young Master Jin said, "This matter has nothing to do with me."

Gu Changhuai remembered that when he had disguised himself, put on a bamboo hat, and was drinking outside the tavern, Mo Hua happened to pass by.

"You will also come back to Dao Ting Si with me and explain this matter clearly."

The Guishui sword Qi touched the feather screen.

Gu Changhuai was not angered; he only nodded slowly and said casually:

"What you say also makes sense. How about this—come with me to Dao Ting Si for a trip. Once I've questioned things clearly, I'll let you out."

"Whether it's related or not, let's go into Dao Ting Si first…"

Languid music lingered, graceful figures danced, amid pink silks and satins, a scene of decadent luxury.

Divine sense locked on, then his fingers tapped rapidly; blue light flickered with a whoosh, and one Water Prison Art after another temporarily bound Young Master Jin and the others.

"Gu Diansi, our cultivations are equal. Today I shall seek your guidance—to see whether my Guishui Sect's sword art is superior, or your Gu family's Dao law is a step better."

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "Oh right, Uncle Gu, how come you're here?"

Gu Changhuai sighed softly.

In the Yanshui River, thick fog spread, and a magnificent ship slowly emerged.

When Gu Changhuai said this, he suddenly paused and asked:

This Gu Changhuai was truly hateful! He didn't care what you said at all, didn't argue with you, only single-mindedly wanted to drag you into Dao Ting Si.

Xie Liu's attack on Gu An, Gu Quan, and Mo Hua lacked solid evidence.

He refused to believe that their Dao Ting Si would truly dare to tear faces with the Jin family and the Severing Gold Sect, and come knocking to take people?

Xie Liu's gaze was icy; his Guishui sword held level, sword Qi surging around him.

Threads of wind-attribute spiritual power, like bone-burrowing maggots, hid murderous intent, wind eroding his spiritual power and flesh.

Young Master Jin smiled a sinister smile, utterly unafraid. "Gu Diansi, on what grounds do you arrest us?"

Young Master Jin suddenly said through gritted teeth, "Gu Changhuai!"

"You, a mere Foundation Establishment, threatening me, a Jin Dan?"

Gu Changhuai pressed his foot down hard, grinding Young Master Jin's face into the mud, and sneered coldly and indifferently:

But Young Master Jin and the others had long sensed something was wrong; the instant Gu Changhuai struck, they were already thinking of escaping.

They all seemed to be "Young Masters."

Young Master Jin only felt his dignity crushed underfoot by Gu Changhuai, shattered to pieces; his eyes bloodshot, he screamed hoarsely:

Gu Changhuai nodded. "I understand. You attempted murder and still want to resist arrest."

Mo Hua, however, flatly denied it and praised:

"What thing? Uncle Gu, your disguise was flawless—how could I possibly recognize you?"

Gu Changhuai only said lightly:

Xie Liu smiled, but only his lips moved, not his eyes. "Gu Diansi, you actually recognize me…"

Mo Hua's pupils jolted, and he sucked in a breath of cold air.

The night was thick, the river water dark; yet this ship blazed with bright lanterns, light smoke and romance, resplendent in every corner.

Gu Changhuai glanced at him. "It's nothing. You also have to go in."

But all of this was shrouded in fog, hazy and indistinct, nothing clearly visible.

Young Master Jin smiled slightly. "I was talking nonsense, just trying to scare that little brat… Words alone are no proof; Gu Diansi wouldn't wrong a good man just like that, would he?"

Gu Changhuai's face was composed, yet a sliver of surprise stirred in his heart.

Once the Dao law subsided, the wind blades dispersed.

Gu Changhuai glanced at the wound on his arm and nodded. "Assaulting a Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si—you struck first. This is the evidence."

Directing Gu An and the others also seemed effortless for him, exactly like a "little Gu Diansi" of Dao Ting Si.

Go into Dao Ting Si first—go into Dao Ting Si and say what the hell!

Once inside Dao Ting Si, you're no longer master of your own fate; even if you don't die, after the punishment, you'll lose a layer of skin.

"Yes." Gu An accepted the order and restrained Young Master Jin.

Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow. "You're resisting arrest?"

The Gui Shui sword in his hand could only hold out for a moment before dimming.

He had indeed arrived early, wearing a straw hat, drinking wine outside for a long time.

"Your Jin family is a noble house—does my Gu family not count as one too?"

Mo Hua fixed his gaze, trying to see his face clearly.

That meant he'd been marked.

After speaking, Gu Changhuai sprinkled some powder onto the wound.

Suddenly, the Young Master surrounded by adoring stares seemed to sense something, and slowly turned his head.

The Jin Young Master was bound and pinned to the ground, yet still sneered, "Do you know who I am?"

Mo Hua felt uneasy and asked quietly, "Uncle Gu, if you humiliate him like this, won't he seek revenge later?"

After entering the tavern, the boy stood tall and proud, his confidence growing.

Gu Changhuai paused briefly, then spoke only what he could say:

"The human traffickers' case has been under investigation by Dao Ting Si for a long time. We have some leads and have been watching certain people."

"See? No matter who it is, when crushed underfoot, they all look the same. You regard others as vermin, yet in their eyes, you're just another lowlife."

Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Divine Fan.

The Jin Young Master not only accepted the human pills, but also boasted, saying he "trafficked cultivators, took lives, and secretly refined Forbidden Jin Dan."

Gu Changhuai extended his right hand, and before him appeared a magical fan, radiant with flowing light and astonishing spiritual energy—the Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Divine Fan.

This time, this child Mo Hua had once again helped him greatly…

Gu Changhuai had used an advanced Dao technique to suppress Xie Liu, a Jin Dan cultivator, and his spiritual energy had not yet fully recovered—he was momentarily stretched thin.

As long as he wasn't caught red-handed by Gu Changhuai, he could later hide within his sect or clan to lie low.

"This Xie Liu of the Gui Shui Gate is one of them."

In moments, a black-purple tangle of cosmic fate and karmic threads slowly rose above the flower boat, weaving and twisting into something ugly and filthy, yet saturated with corrupt desires—like a filthy heart, or a rotting "poppy."

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, then frowned and asked:

"Why are you here?"

And among those fawning over him was a Young Master who looked about Mo Hua's age, but taller and clearly of far greater status.

Gu Changhuai remembered again the Fire Buddha, killed by Mo Hua's ambush, and sighed:

"Fine. Watch yourself."

"Besides, even if what's inside really is your so-called 'human pills,' I know nothing about it…"

Gu Changhuai was unmoved.

Gu Changhuai's face was expressionless. "There are countless people who hate me. If I feared every little thing like this, how could I serve as Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si?"

Gu Changhuai hesitated slightly, then said, "I'll send Gu An and Gu Quan to escort you."

Xie Liu poured spiritual energy into the Gui Shui sword, forming a dark, poisonous, powerful Gui Shui sword qi, then thrust it forward—the qi pierced the air, straight toward Gu Changhuai's chest.

This seemed like a ritual, a handover.

The group walked along the riverbank toward the nearby Xiancheng.

The crowd toasted him.

Mo Hua shook his head. "I'm not afraid of a second-grade prefecture—even if I meet the Fire Buddha, I can run away."

He simply couldn't understand: both were at the early stage of Jin Dan, yet their power gap was so vast…

The blue-robed sword cultivator froze.

Mo Hua said simply: "In the fishing village, I destroyed the traffickers' base, captured the Overriver Dragon, learned they were trafficking cultivators and killing them to make pills, so I made the Overriver Dragon deliver the pills—we followed him, hoping to trace his contact. That's how we ended up here…"

He was no match for Gu Changhuai even for a single blow!

Mo Hua, standing nearby, stared in stunned silence.

Some words, once spoken, cannot be unsaid; some deeds, once done, cannot be denied.

They dressed in robes like beasts, raised cups, and clinked goblets.

The Jin Young Master pointed at the Overriver Dragon, sneering:

"This fishing cultivator claimed he had fine pills to sell me. I was curious, so I came to take a look—but what kind of pills and medicine was he hiding in his bag?"

"My great-grandfather was the sect leader of Duanjin Gate eight hundred years ago. My grandfather is now the Grand Elder of Duanjin Gate. My father is the Vice Sect Leader. My mother is a True Disciple Elder of Duanjin Gate…"

"You, a sect disciple, dare threaten me, the Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si?"

Xie Liu understood, and smiled at Gu Changhuai:

"Gu Diansi, when one seeks to condemn, what excuse is too far-fetched?"

Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow, lifted his foot, and stamped it onto the Jin Young Master's face—his expression now more arrogant than the Jin Young Master's.

He didn't quite understand what "game" he meant.

On the other side, Xie Liu was also captured by Gu Changhuai and bound with a third-grade Spirit-Binding Chain that sealed his body and meridians.

Gu Changhuai froze at the words, his expression surprised.

In an instant, he handed Gu Changhuai a pile of "evidence" to arrest people.

The four Jin Young Masters instantly turned to golden light and fled into the distance.

Though they struggled for several rounds, with Mo Hua watching them, they couldn't escape.

He wanted to walk near the ferry dock and hire a carriage, to avoid walking himself.

Gu Changhuai barely twisted aside, avoiding the vital points.

"But since you said it, you must prove it—let's go to Dao Ting Si first…"

No matter how the Jin Young Master argued, Gu Changhuai only replied, "Let's go to Dao Ting Si first," in a perfectly official manner.

But as he walked, a doubt began to surface unbidden in Mo Hua's heart.

The sword cultivator in the pale-blue Daoist robe, Xie Liu, who was also an inner-sect instructor of the Guishui Sect, heard this and his expression turned icy, a cold glint in his eyes.

Crossing-River Dragon had said the pills would be delivered to "Young Master."

"One day, I'll make sure you die a wretched death!"

But that he had struck first, ambushing a Jin Dan Gu Diansi of the Dao Ting Si — that was ironclad evidence.

In an instant, it was as if a blue lark spread its wings.

When on earth had this happened?

Young Master Jin sensed something was off and shot Xie Liu a covert look.

Gu Changhuai's gaze grew gradually colder.

Outside they could still wriggle out of it with excuses, but once inside the Dao Ting Si, no amount of arguing would save them.

"Gu Changhuai…"

At the same moment, within Gu Changhuai's dantian, dan fire blazed to life; a fine halo of light enveloped his body, as if a blue lark unfurled its wings, a Kong Que spread its tail; behind him appeared a resplendent fan of wind-blade pinions, layer upon layer, their radiance exquisite.

Gu Changhuai said expressionlessly, "Inner-sect instructor of the Guishui Sect, Xie Liu — today, before my very eyes, you meant to murder a cultivator of the Gu family, a Gu Diansi of the Dao Ting Si, of the Grand Void Gate…"

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, "…a little disciple without the strength to truss a chicken."

Gu Changhuai met his gaze, his expression still utterly calm.

Gu Changhuai said indifferently, "Whoever it is, break the Dao Code and they go to the Dao Prison."

Gu Changhuai gave a contemptuous smile, kicked out, and knocked Young Master Jin unconscious; then, as if dragging a dead pig, he tossed him to Gu An.

As long as their little group wasn't caught by the Dao Ting Si, everything could be talked around.

Suddenly his vision blurred, as if some heavenly mechanism were drifting before him.

Seeing this, Young Master Jin could not help but snort with laughter.

Young Master Jin's attitude was utterly arrogant.

"Did you already know I was here, that's why you're so bold?"

To avoid complications overnight, Gu Changhuai decided to escort the few of them first to a nearby Dao Ting Si, then gather Gu family hands and transfer them to the Dao Ting Si of the Qianxue State border.

His expression also turned ugly.

Gu Changhuai pointed at Young Master Jin's storage bag. "Don't think I don't know — the Human Pills are still hidden on you. Now the culprit is caught red-handed; what excuse can you possibly make?"

"Will you surrender quietly, or wait until I cripple you, lock you up with Spirit-Binding Shackles, and throw you into the Dao Prison?"

"Bah!" Young Master Jin cursed loudly. "What act are you putting on for me?"

"The Dao Code is for keeping the lower sort in line. Noble clans are honored, loose cultivators are cheap — how could you lump them together and apply one law to both?"

"You've touched it, so you've karmic ties on you now. We'll talk it over at the Dao Ting Si," Gu Changhuai said flatly.

Xie Liu's face darkened.

Gu Changhuai glanced at him indifferently.

Gu An and Gu Quan, both at late Foundation Establishment, rushed forward; without a word they hacked first, crippling the men's legs, then bound them with Spirit-Binding Shackles.

Xie Liu, covered in wounds, knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with despair.

They came to a fork in the road, right at the edge of the state border, with two paths ahead.

Neither Young Master Jin nor Xie Liu was the Young Master.

Crossing-River Dragon's face went pale.

And just at that moment, the mist on the boat thinned a little, and Mo Hua dimly made out a few human figures.

"The Gu family's Daoist arts are nothing special…"

"These pills aren't mine…"

What's more, a high-grade Dao Ting Si has something called a "Karmic Cause Record."

Mo Hua could not help but feel a touch of genuine respect.

Gu Changhuai's gaze sharpened slightly.

Gu Changhuai was to escort Young Master Jin to the Dao Ting Si within Xiancheng, while Mo Hua had to take the second-grade waterway of the Yanshui River on his way back to the Grand Void Gate.

"As for this Young Master Jin — you told me about him that day, so I kept it in mind and had someone keep watch on him."

Even Gu Changhuai found it a little hard to believe.

Xie Liu, too, showed a flash of smugness, but a moment later his expression shifted slightly — something felt off.

"This matter has nothing to do with me…" Young Master Jin said with a faint smile, then went on:

"Perhaps this commoner, having listened to someone's instigation, meant to frame me — it's not impossible…"

Still, it was a little dangerous…

Was Young Master Jin really the "Young Master"?

From what they could see so far, probably not.

"Gu Changhuai!"

The sword cultivator in the pale-blue robe at the side said in a low voice, "Gu Diansi, Young Master Jin's status is honored — is it really appropriate to send him into the Dao Ting Si?"

"One could say that of the twelve streams of the Qianxue State border, the Broken Gold Gate, which ranks among the foremost, is half the family property of my Jin clan…"

But he had always been aloof and couldn't be bothered to explain, especially not to such a noble-clan scion with a rotten Daoist cultivation — he wouldn't spare him a glance.

Gu Changhuai frowned and said, "Be more careful next time. This is a third-grade state border — there are Golden Core stage criminal cultivators about. A Golden Core cultivator is a whole major realm above your measly early Foundation Establishment cultivation. One careless slip and your life is gone."

Gu An and Gu Quan also cupped their fists in farewell to Mo Hua.

The color drained from Xie Liu's face in an instant.

In a single exchange, Xie Liu's sword-light was shredded, his sword-qi swallowed up on the spot.

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, sighed inwardly, feeling a touch of emotion.

Xie Liu's facial muscles twitched, his gaze sharp, but a chill crept through his heart.

Young Master Jin pointed at the storage bag on the ground containing the human pills and smiled:

"Gu Diansi, you're not seriously saying this contains human pills? How could that be?"

This was his life-weapon, the Gui Shui Sword.

"Take it back."

Using the Gu family's ancestral top-grade treasure, the Seven-Colored Kong Que Feather Fan, to activate the Gu family's ancestral top-grade Dao art, the Ling Feng Hua Yu Jue.

Recognize…

Xie Liu frowned, knowing he could never match this Dao Ting Si Diansi in verbal sparring.

Gu Changhuai's evaluation in Mo Hua's mind rose rapidly.

Gu Changhuai smiled faintly, "If I didn't know you, how could I call you a 'monster'?"

Thus, Mo Hua parted ways with Gu Changhuai and the others, walking alone back along the Yan Shui River.

Young Master Jin grew impatient and said to Xie Liu:

"Enough talk. Get out while you can."

He never imagined that Gu Changhuai, who looked so proud and aloof, could be so despicable in action.

Young Master Jin frowned, thought for a moment, then his gaze turned icy, his voice filled with anger:

Soon he would be fish on the chopping block, entirely at Gu Changhuai's mercy.

He knew Uncle Gu was powerful, but he never imagined that Uncle Gu, unbound by realm restrictions, could unleash Jin Dan cultivation, his life-weapon, and a top-grade Jin Dan realm Dao art—could be this powerful.

"I advise you to think carefully. Don't escalate this. Even if you're Dao Ting Si Diansi, you'll regret it!"

Young Master Jin's group had been captured; this place was no longer safe to stay.

Xie Liu was at least an inner-disciple instructor of Gui Shui Men; his cultivation and Dao arts were no slouch—yet he fell in a single blow.

All the feather-blades coalesced into a dazzling hurricane, sweeping toward Xie Liu.

Mo Hua bid farewell to Gu Changhuai and the others.

Then Xie Liu's entire body was engulfed by wind-blades.

Xie Liu had nowhere to evade.

"Was all of this your hidden scheme?"

After gathering evidence, Gu Changhuai seized their storage bags and prepared to escort them all to the Dao Prison.

Truly, one cannot judge by appearance—Uncle Gu, with his dashing looks, possessed such noble integrity.

"These past few days, Xie Liu and this Young Master Jin seemed to be meeting. I found it suspicious, so I came to investigate myself…"

"You said it yourself," Gu Changhuai said coldly. "Trafficking cultivators, taking lives, crafting human pills—any one of these charges is enough to send you to the Dao Prison and subject you to endless torture."

The sword-qi sliced his arm, leaving a bloody gash, blood dripping out.

Yet he never expected that in the blink of an eye, Mo Hua and Gu An and Gu Quan had arrived at the tavern with Guo Jiang Long.

But lacking evidence, he could only watch, unable to act.

"Gu Diansi, I already said—what I said just now was just idle talk…"

The Gu family's ancestral treasure.

Gu Changhuai suddenly looked like a celestial phoenix descended from heaven, his features extraordinarily handsome, his spiritual energy astonishing.

"Mm."

He clenched his hand in the air, and a long sword materialized.

He hadn't expected Mo Hua's investigation to progress so quickly.

Young Master Jin fell silent.

"I'll make you suffer eternal damnation—I'll make you…"

But Gu Changhuai merely pointed a finger—the Seven-Colored Kong Que Feather Fan blazed with light, and the feather-blades born from Ling Feng Hua Yu Jue unleashed a breathtaking, seven-colored killing intent.

It was past Zi Shi.

This Gu Changhuai… was truly a formidable enemy!

Young Master Jin's heart turned cold—he made an instant decision: "Retreat now!"

Whoever can escape, escape. Go back to Zaoxiehui Sect to summon reinforcements and stop Gu Changhuai.

"Mm-hmm."

He pushed his Gui Shui Sword-qi to its absolute limit, determined to settle matters with Gu Changhuai in one decisive clash.

"Oh…"

But Mo Hua clearly wouldn't let them escape.

Young Master Jin said coldly, "Do you think I'm someone to be trifled with?"

It was also one of the twelve standard transmission treasures of Gui Shui Men.

After only a moment of stalemate, the sword-qi instantly shredded the feathers, pierced through the screen, and surged toward Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai let out a soft hum.

One path led to a nearby third-grade Xiancheng, the other to the second-grade Yan Shui River region.

The opportunity was too good—he seized it, solidifying the evidence and capturing Young Master Jin and the others in one sweep.

Xie Liu's face turned grim.

This wasn't for stopping the bleeding—it was for making it bleed, to prevent the wound from healing too quickly and erasing the evidence.

Where was Xie Liu?

He was a Jin Dan, a Gui Shui Men instructor, but he seemed to take orders from Young Master Jin—he probably wasn't the one.

Young Master Jin seethed inwardly.

Gu Changhuai's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Something not even fit to be a beast, not even fit to be a person, and yet you dare call yourself a 'good person'?"

From within the black mist, draped in a splendid human skin yet like a demon, he turned his blood-red eyes toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua said nothing more, only nodded obediently.

With a raise of his hand, Gu Changhuai transformed into a feathered screen.

Mo Hua was a little unhappy.

So flashy and yet so powerful!

At that moment, Mo Hua seemed to give him a meaningful look, his gaze lingering for a beat longer, as though he had seen through something.

Does that mean these "Human Pills," after passing through Young Master Jin's hands, would change hands once more and be delivered to the real "Young Master"?

Could those real "Young Masters" also be nearby?

Waiting for Young Master Jin to deliver these "Human Pills," refined from young cultivators with excellent spiritual roots?

Mo Hua frowned. Just as he was pondering, a sudden chill ran through his heart, and he sharply turned his gaze toward the Yanshui River beside him.

Gu Changhuai said calmly, "Oh? So you mean I'm making something out of nothing, fabricating charges? Do you know that this constitutes slander against a Dao Ting Si Gu Diansi — a crime that doubles the punishment?"

Mo Hua followed behind as well.

That Xie Liu actually still wanted to silence them by killing.

"You'd agree, wouldn't you," Young Master Jin said, looking at Gu Changhuai with a half-smile, and slowly added, "… Gu Diansi."

"Human Pills?" Young Master Jin tossed the storage bag aside with a careless flick, his face a picture of bewilderment. "Gu Diansi, what are you talking about? Where are there any Human Pills? Why don't I see any?"

Mo Hua's gaze darkened, his brows furrowing even tighter.

But the black mist blocked their view, and neither of them saw the other clearly.

Yet somewhere in the unseen depths, it was as though a fate was slowly turning…

(End of this chapter)