Chapter 808: Hua Ruyu

Mo Hua remembered her name, it seemed to be…

Hua Ruyu?

Mo Hua glanced at her again and found that this woman was indeed beautiful and exquisite, like a flower, like jade—only her makeup was excessive, the powder applied rather thickly, and between her brows and eyes there was a frivolous, wanton air.

At this moment, her gaze was sharp, watching Mo Hua with a hint of wariness.

"What did you come here for?" Hua Ruyu asked warily.

Mo Hua faltered, then spoke out the excuse he had just thought up:

"Senior Sister Qianqian said that Senior Sister Jin'er died, with no one to remember her, no one to offer sacrifices. Every time she thinks of it, her heart aches and she can neither eat nor sleep in peace, so she prepared the magnolias that Senior Sister Jin'er loved most in life, to come and offer sacrifices to Senior Sister Jin'er…"

Mo Hua's voice was already clear and cold; now, speaking softly, it sounded androgynous, even carrying a hint of huskiness, and for the moment it wasn't jarring at all.

Hua Ruyu didn't grow suspicious, but slightly furrowed her brow.

"Offer sacrifices?"

She turned her head and saw the place where Jin'er had burned herself, a stretch of ashes, where indeed several stalks of pure white magnolias had been laid out.

This was something Mo Hua had just placed there.

The wariness in Hua Ruyu's heart receded slightly. She glanced at Hua Qianqian again, then asked:

"What's wrong with Qianqian?"

Mo Hua's face was panicked as he said softly:

"I don't know either. Sister Qianqian came through the door, laid out the magnolias, said a few words to Senior Sister Jin'er, then suddenly went pale and fainted."

"I don't know if it was from grief too deep, or…"

Mo Hua looked left and right, his expression frightened, eyes showing terror, "…or whether Senior Sister Jin'er possessed her…"

The moment these words were spoken, a chill wind suddenly rose inside the room.

Hua Ruyu's face went deathly pale in an instant.

She looked around in panic, then forced herself to calm down and snapped angrily: "Nonsense! In broad daylight, in my Lu Tangtang Hundred Flowers Valley, what talk is there of ghosts possessing people?"

Mo Hua looked at Hua Ruyu with a gaze full of hidden meaning. After a moment, he gathered his thoughts, put on a frail appearance, and said haltingly:

"Yes… I, I was just, too scared, so I spoke out of turn for a moment…"

Hua Ruyu gave a cold snort. "Speaking out of turn doesn't mean you can talk wild nonsense."

Mo Hua kept his head lowered.

Hua Ruyu studied Mo Hua for a moment, and a sudden gleam flashed in her eyes. "I seem… to have never seen you before?"

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat.

Hua Ruyu's voice also sank, her gaze turning icy as she asked: "Are you a disciple of our Hundred Flowers Valley?"

Mo Hua pressed down the unease in his heart and put on a blank, bewildered look. "I, I am…"

Hua Ruyu's gaze was sharp as she pressed forward step by step, coldly laughing:

"Fine. Since you are a disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley, let me ask you—who am I? What's my name? What is my status?"

Mo Hua was briefly stunned, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Not bad—a freebie question.

Fortunately, during the New Year, he had paid a visit to the Gu family and heard Uncle Gu's "gossip." Elder Gu Hong had also thoroughly dug up this woman's identity information, otherwise he would surely have been exposed.

People who love hearing gossip truly never have bad luck.

"You are… Instructor Hua, like Sister Qianqian, both from the Hua family, serving as an instructor in Hundred Flowers Valley…"

Mo Hua answered slowly and methodically.

Hua Ruyu's gaze condensed slightly.

She actually… truly knows my identity…

Within Hundred Flowers Valley, she lived a quiet, reclusive life and rarely interacted with cultivators outside.

Within the clan, though she was of the main line, her bloodline was somewhat distant; her branch had no ancestor or elder of high virtue and great prestige to rely on, so she was rather marginalized.

Generally speaking, apart from disciples within Hundred Flowers Valley, no one would know her so well.

If she could recognize her, there should be no problem.

Only…

Hua Ruyu's brow furrowed.

Why did she have not the slightest impression of this fairy-like, jade-beautiful disciple?

But on second thought, with so many disciples in Hundred Flowers Valley, it seemed quite normal to have missed one or two.

"What's your name, and what family are you from?"

Mo Hua was just about to speak when a sudden inspiration struck him. He put on a look of "inferiority" and said:

"I won't hide it from you, Instructor. I'm from a third grade family, my background isn't great, and my name is…"

Before he could finish, a soft "mm—" was heard, and Hua Qianqian, lying on the ground, slowly opened her eyes.

Mo Hua's face lit up with joy. "Senior Sister, you're awake?"

Hua Qianqian's head was still a bit dizzy. Seeing Mo Hua, she opened her mouth and said: "Mo…"

Mo Hua secretly tugged at her sleeve and gave her a look.

Hua Qianqian gave a start, then realized there was actually someone else in the room.

Her expression uneasy, she slowly turned her head and saw Hua Ruyu, then immediately let out a long breath of relief. "So it's Sister Yu…"

Hua Ruyu's face changed at once.

Her attitude toward Hua Qianqian was extremely gentle, even carrying a touch of affectionate complaint. "You little rascal, what did you come here for?"

"I…"

Mo Hua immediately secretly tugged at Hua Qianqian's sleeve again and gave her a meaningful look.

Hua Qianqian followed Mo Hua's gaze and saw the magnolia flowers placed nearby; she immediately understood, her eyes filled with sorrow:

"I've come to see Sister Jin…"

Hua Ruyu's eyes showed contemplation; after a moment, she sighed, her expression sympathetic. "We're all heartbroken over what happened to Jin'er, but she couldn't bear it, and there's nothing we can do."

"This place is where Jin'er took her own life. You'd better not come here again—it'll only stir up grief and hinder your cultivation."

"The dead are gone; those still alive must do their best to live on…"

Hua Qianqian stared blankly, then nodded.

"Alright, go back now…" Hua Ruyu said gently.

"Yes," Hua Qianqian bowed her head. "Then, Sister Yu, I'll take my leave."

"Go."

Hua Qianqian turned back one last time to look at the spot where Ye Jin had burned herself, her expression filled with melancholy, then took Mo Hua's hand and left.

After Hua Qianqian departed, Hua Ruyu's gentle expression gradually turned cold.

She walked around the room, found nothing unusual, and finally fixed her gaze on the bed where Ye Jin had burned herself—and on the few pure white magnolia flowers Mo Hua had placed before it—her gaze hostile.

"Magnolia…"

Hua Ruyu snorted coldly, suddenly feeling a chill in her heart, as if someone were watching her.

Unsettled, she refused to stay longer, stepped out of the room, and closed the door.

At the moment the door shut, she suddenly remembered Mo Hua, and couldn't help but admire her.

"What a striking little girl…"

"Most remarkable is her aura—pure as uncarved jade, celestial, utterly unlike any other woman who daubs on powder and paint."

"From a third-grade family—neither too noble nor too lowly."

"I never noticed such a fine specimen before…"

Hua Ruyu found it hard to believe, yet secretly rejoiced.

She silently etched Mo Hua's face into her mind, then closed the door and departed with graceful steps.

…

And in the high pavilion of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

The woman, clad in splendid Hundred Flowers robes, with an icy aura, who had been fixated on Mo Hua, now wore an unusual expression.

The resentment in the room had dissipated…

Exorcism and sealing of malevolent spirits?

Divine Path inheritance?

Could this young cultivator really possess such ability?

The woman's expression showed faint surprise.

In her cultivation experience, cultivators with Divine Path inheritance were already exceedingly rare.

Those who had mastered the Divine Path to the point of suppressing ghosts and slaying evil spirits were mostly elderly cultivators with centuries of cultivation, profound cultivation levels, vast experience, and extremely deep spiritual senses.

The young ones couldn't do it.

Young cultivators lacked high cultivation, unstable Dao hearts, and fragile spiritual senses; when confronted by vicious, malevolent spirits that disturbed the mind, they usually became the spirits' playthings or prey.

Thus, every true Divine Path array master who ventured out into the world and survived was an old geezer.

The woman glanced again at Mo Hua emerging from the Hundred Flowers Valley's disciples' quarters, her gaze sharpening.

This young cultivator looked no more than twenty—what was his origin? Who was his master? How could he dispel the ghostly thoughts of the dead?

The woman fell silent, her thoughts churning; she repeatedly considered seizing the young cultivator to demand answers.

But after a moment's thought, she abandoned the idea.

If she seized him, the matter would become too big.

A male cultivator entering the Hundred Flowers Valley—even though he was young and had done nothing improper—would still invite gossip.

A sect composed entirely of women most feared such rumors.

Moreover, cultivators young enough to master the Divine Path were vanishingly rare.

And whoever trained such a disciple must be no ordinary person.

Cultivators who mastered spiritual sense arts were either eccentric in character or wielded strange methods—never to be trifled with lightly.

Since he was no lecher, and had entered the Hundred Flowers Valley not to seduce or chase after beauty, but to purge evil spirits and protect cultivators' safety, I'll pretend I didn't see it…

The woman turned back, sat again before the Hundred Flowers Celestial Disc, and prepared to continue observing the evolution of the Hundred Flowers, seeking to glimpse future heavenly patterns.

But as she fixed her gaze, her pupils shrank instantly.

On the Celestial Disc, where crimson and purple flowers bloomed in profusion, the blossoms were now withering.

Yet now, the speed of the Hundred Flowers' decay had clearly slowed…

The black-purple rot on the withered flowers was also gradually fading.

The "Hundred Flowers Withering" pattern… had been delayed?!

The woman found it hard to believe.

The "Hundred Flowers Withering" pattern—she had spent nearly a century trying every possible method to reverse it—had suddenly changed?

The woman immediately turned her head, from the high pavilion shrouded in floral mist, toward the outside of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

On the mountain path outside the valley, where flowers clustered like brocade.

Mo Hua's figure grew ever more distant.

The woman's expression shifted several times, then settled again into icy calm—yet her inner thoughts churned uncontrollably.

"Just who is this young cultivator…?"

"At such a young age, possessing such ability—he must have a master guiding him… Who is his teacher?"

The woman's heart suddenly trembled, and against her will, she glanced toward the high hall.

Upon the high hall, behind a screen, hung a precious sword.

The sword rested in its scabbard, its ancient patterned blade like a treasure sealed away from all time and edge.

Etched upon it in silver hooks and iron strokes were two characters:

Longquan.

……

Outside the Hundred Flowers Valley.

Mo Hua and Hua Qianqian followed the mountain path out of the Hundred Flowers Valley, straight to the Hundred Flowers City beyond, returning to Hua Qianqian's cave dwelling named "Qianxiang Ju."

Inside the cave dwelling, Murong Caiyun was still waiting for them.

Seeing the two had returned safely, Murong Caiyun exhaled in relief, then asked: "How did it go?"

Hua Qianqian froze.

The moment she stepped through the door, a chilling wind struck her mind, and without reason, she fainted—she knew nothing of what happened after.

Hua Qianqian could only turn her head to look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said: "It should be fine now…"

"Jinjie left behind a great deal of resentment before she died; most of that resentment in the room has now dissipated…"

But the karmic ties of the vengeful ghost clung to him.

Yet Mo Hua did not mention this.

If he did, he would have to explain too much—and it would worry Qianqian-jie and Murong-jie.

"That's good."

Murong Caiyun nodded, then frowned again:

"What about Jinjie's death…"

Mo Hua shook his head. "Not clear yet. There must be hidden truths here, but don't worry—I'll ask my uncle, a Gu Diansi of the Dao Ting Si, to investigate. If Jinjie truly suffered injustice, he'll see justice done for her."

Murong Caiyun felt a deep sense of comfort.

Hua Qianqian's eyes shone with gratitude as she sincerely said:

"Thank you, Mo shimei."

Mo Hua's face darkened—he immediately realized he was still wearing the Hundred Flowers Valley's robe and had his hair styled in their bun. He promptly stripped off the robe.

Hua Qianqian tried to stop him but failed, her face sour:

"Couldn't you have worn it a little longer…"

She hadn't had enough time to look.

Beside them, Murong Caiyun secretly felt a faint pang of regret.

Mo Hua had already changed back into the Grand Void Gate's robe, once again the clear and jade-like, cool-eyed "Little Brother" of the Grand Void Gate.

The hour was late; Mo Hua was returning to his sect.

Before leaving, he specifically warned Hua Qianqian:

"Qianqian-jie, you fainted because the resentment energy invaded you. For the next three days, rest is essential—avoid mental strain and overuse of your spiritual sense."

"Wear jade pendants that calm the mind, burn sandalwood incense indoors, and eat light, nourishing foods."

"If you notice any abnormality in your spiritual sense—nightmares, strange illusions—tell me immediately."

Hua Qianqian, seeing Mo Hua's serious expression, nodded obediently.

Murong Caiyun watched Mo Hua, her eyes slightly surprised.

"Alright, I'm off," Mo Hua said, waving.

"Mm," Hua Qianqian thought for a moment, then added, "If you need help with Jinjie's matter, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Good!"

Mo Hua nodded.

……

Afterward, Mo Hua returned to the Grand Void Gate.

Night had fallen; inside the disciples' quarters.

Mo Hua recalled all that had happened during the day, silently pondering.

First, dealing with vengeful ghosts was still troublesome.

Within his mind-sea or nightmares, his spiritual sense was indeed powerful.

But in the physical world, ghosts could possess others, or dwell within evil objects, or briefly drift through the air, steeped in chilling yin energy.

He had no good way to counter them.

Jinjie, having become a half-step "vengeful ghost," had clung to Qianqian-jie's body—only because she feared that if she severed the link, she'd be sealed and destroyed with the body, unable to resolve her karmic grudge.

Otherwise, Qianqian-jie would have been doomed.

Even if rescued afterward, she'd suffer massive depletion of her primordial energy.

And Mo Hua could only watch helplessly, powerless to act.

"It seems I must find ways to learn more techniques from the Divine Path that subdue ghosts and ward off evil…"

Otherwise, if some petty ghost dares to taunt him in the future, he'll have a powerful spiritual sense but be unable to manifest it outside his body to strike—leaving him utterly frustrated.

For now, the most accessible option is the true "Spiritual Sense Transforms into Sword" true scripture.

The technique of "swordlight in the eyes" still needs more practice.

Also, there is "Dao Nie."

After Jinjie's horrific death, she had already begun transforming into a vengeful ghost—she was a half-step "vengeful ghost."

At the same time, traces of the Dao Nai appeared on her body.

"Dao Nai…"

For some reason, whenever Dao Nai was mentioned, Mo Hua could not help but think of his Senior Uncle.

He couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but he always felt there was at least some shadow of his Senior Uncle in it.

Yet upon closer thought, it was unlikely.

From what he had witnessed when he first arrived in Shancheng, his Senior Uncle should have been at the Liu Yuhua realm, and very likely at its peak, just one step away from Dong Xu.

But no matter what, he was not yet Dong Xu.

The Qianxue Province was a fifth-rank territory, home to many great clans and major sects, with numerous Dong Xu ancestors residing there.

Even if his Senior Uncle were stronger, it would be impossible for him to risk such great danger—under the Dao Ting Si's watch, surrounded by so many Shijia Sects and sects, before the eyes of so many Dong Xu ancestors—to plant the Demon Seed in his Dao Heart and stir up trouble.

Mo Hua shook his head.

He was probably overthinking…

If he were his Senior Uncle, his immediate priority now would surely be to cross the heavenly chasm and break into Dong Xu, then use the Dong Xu realm's ability to shatter space to cultivate Dao Nai across the world.

He shouldn't have time to waste in the Qianxue Province.

Mo Hua set the thought aside and turned his attention back to Senior Sister Ye Jin.

After this trip to Huagude Sect, Mo Hua had largely figured it out.

Senior Sister Ye Jin had indeed committed suicide.

But she likely chose such a cruel and painful method—burning herself alive—after reading in the "One Hundred Prohibitions of Cultivation" the record that stated: "When a person dies a horrific death, filled with resentment, they transform into a vengeful ghost."

There must be hidden circumstances behind it.

And Mo Hua now could almost certainly conclude that Senior Sister Ye Jin's death was tied to one person.

A face heavily painted with makeup surfaced in Mo Hua's mind.

"Hua Ruyu!"

This instructor of Huagude Sect was deeply suspicious!

Why, when he and Senior Sister Qianqian secretly sneaked into Senior Sister Ye Jin's room to investigate, did none of the other elders notice—yet only this instructor, at the late Foundation Establishment stage, spotted them?

Why did her gaze toward him carry such wariness?

Why did she wear an expression of guilt inside Senior Sister Ye Jin's room?

Moreover, her subtle expressions during conversation were odd: overly cold toward him, yet overly warm toward Senior Sister Qianqian…

He needed to find a way to investigate…

Mo Hua immediately took out his Message Token and sent a message to Gu Diansi:

"Uncle Gu, go on a blind date!"

After sending the message, Gu Diansi did not reply for a long time.

He had probably seen it, but chose not to respond.

Mo Hua then said: "It's serious business!"

After sending it, Mo Hua suddenly realized that every person who pushes someone else into a blind date always believes they're doing "serious business."

Mo Hua quickly added: "It's related to Senior Sister Ye Jin's death."

As expected, after sending this line, Gu Diansi replied:

"Really?"

"Really!"

"What's the connection?" Gu Diansi asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Mo Hua said, "that's why you need to go on the blind date—observe her in person, ask about her background. With your years of experience as Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si, judge whether this Hua instructor has any issues."

"I feel…" Gu Diansi frowned, "you're tricking me into going on a blind date?"

Mo Hua sighed: "How could I use something this serious to trick you?"

After all, it involved Senior Sister Ye Jin's murder case.

Gu Diansi nodded slightly, thinking that made sense.

Although Mo Hua was erratic, he usually acted reliably.

But Gu Diansi still refused: "No."

"Why?"

"I can investigate, but I won't go on a blind date."

Mo Hua snapped: "If you go as Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si to 'investigate,' won't you alarm the snake? A blind date is perfect—natural, flawless, and lets you inquire without suspicion. Even if you ask offensive questions, people will just think you're socially inept, never suspecting ulterior motives…"

Gu Diansi: "…."

"Uncle Gu, go. As Gu Diansi of Dao Ting Si, this is your duty—and your moral obligation."

Gu Diansi fell silent.

Mo Hua added: "Just do this once. Afterward, I'll handle Elder Gu Hong."

After long thought, Gu Diansi finally sighed and gave in:

"Fine…"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "I'll send you all the suspicious details right away—Uncle Gu, probe subtly, ask her many questions. And go on the blind date as soon as possible—sooner the better…"

Mo Hua wrote a long message and sent it over.

But Gu Diansi did not reply.

Still, Mo Hua knew that, given Uncle Gu's character, once he agreed, he would definitely follow through—never break his word.

In the following days, he calmly cultivated within the sect, waiting for Uncle Gu's "blind date" update.

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