Chapter 811: Rouge

It probably shouldn't be that bad…

Mo Hua thought of Song Jian, trapped in the Ten Thousand Demons Valley—either dazed and lost, or nervously uneasy, utterly without initiative, only ever gnawing on the dried meat he'd given him, living day to day—and silently shook his head.

The Duanjin Sect is full of sharp minds; how could Song Jian possibly rise to power with such wit and tactics?

Just managing to become an elder would be plenty.

Mo Hua put the matter out of his mind.

After returning to the sect, he taught Yu'er some formation techniques, then returned to his room to review his lessons; when midnight arrived, he continued practicing formations at the Dao Stele.

He had nearly mastered the second-rank, eighteen-stroke formation given by Master Xun.

What he was practicing now was the nineteen-stroke formation.

Nineteen strokes was a true high-end second-rank formation.

It was also the limit of what a typical second-rank formation master could control.

For an ordinary formation master, learning a nineteen-stroke formation might require months of contemplation, practice, and study before gradually grasping it.

But for Mo Hua, the nineteen-stroke formation was nearly identical in essence to the eighteen-stroke one.

Thanks to the Dao Stele in his mind sea, his powerful spiritual sense foundation, and the rapid recovery from meditation, his formation practice volume was nearly ten times, even dozens of times, that of an ordinary formation master.

Practice makes perfect.

And his innate comprehension was already high.

After his spiritual sense had been transformed by the Dao, it now harmonized with divinity and drew near the Great Dao, granting him deeper insight into formations.

Added to that, with Master Xun guiding him, as long as his spiritual sense was sufficient, even a high-end second-rank formation like the nineteen-stroke one, he learned quickly.

Practicing the nineteen-stroke formation also significantly improved his spiritual sense.

But this improvement was still far from enough.

Because after nineteen strokes came the great barrier of twenty strokes, separated by an impassable chasm.

Beyond that, every slight advancement required a massive amount of spiritual sense.

Mo Hua sighed faintly.

"It's truly too slow; if things continue like this, I doubt I'll be able to surprise Master Xun…"

He needed to find another way.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu, how's your matchmaking going?"

Soon, Gu Changhuai replied with a grim expression:

"It's not matchmaking—it's an investigation."

"Right, right, it's an investigation."

"I've got a lead."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "What lead?"

Gu Changhuai didn't answer immediately; after a pause, he frowned. "My aunt's side…"

"Don't worry—I'll handle it!" Mo Hua declared confidently.

Gu Changhuai sighed, then said:

"I approached that woman named Hua myself—we met, and she didn't refuse."

"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua nodded.

Uncle Gu was finally showing some progress.

But that Hua instructor had agreed so easily—Mo Hua couldn't help but suspect something.

Yet he reconsidered: perhaps it was because of Uncle Gu's looks that she hadn't refused.

After all, whether man or woman, beauty truly could put food on the table.

Gu Changhuai continued: "I invited… that woman, to a private room in a restaurant in Baihua City. Over dinner, I patiently chatted with her, casually, but gained little."

"That woman wore a fake smile, spoke without a single slip, clearly highly guarded. Whenever I touched on key points, she either feigned modesty, smiling silently, or put on an exaggerated, flirtatious act—truly annoying…"

Mo Hua: "…"

He imagined the scene, internally grumbling:

Feigning modesty, smiling silently, flirting deliberately—wasn't that just flirting with you?

Alas, Uncle Gu had been a Gu Diansi for too long—his thinking was oddly off.

That Hua instructor had flirted with a blind man.

"And then?" Mo Hua asked again.

"Then I escorted her back to the sect…" Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua couldn't help but say: "That's it?"

Gu Changhuai: "What else did you expect?"

"Fine," Mo Hua sighed. "But what's the lead? Surely it's not just this much…"

"Mm," Gu Changhuai said. "During dinner, she casually mentioned a few things…"

"What things?"

Gu Changhuai: "I asked her what she did when not teaching at the sect. She replied she cultivated, prepared lessons, occasionally went out with some sisters to buy flowers, refine flower pills, or buy rouge from the Yanzhi Pavilion…"

Mo Hua pondered these words in his mind, frowning. "These are all very ordinary things."

"These words were indeed ordinary," Gu Changhuai said. "But when she said them, her tone changed slightly, her expression grew tense, her gaze instinctively avoided mine—as if she suddenly realized she had said something she shouldn't have."

"The words were fine, but her demeanor was off."

"And that fleeting expression vanished instantly; afterward, her smile widened, she grew warmer toward me, even leaned close to pour me wine…"

"Clearly trying to use her beauty to distract me, making me overlook what she'd said."

Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

For a moment, he actually thought Uncle Gu was impressive…

Observant in detail, calm-minded, beauty could not shake his resolve.

"Do you know which phrase was suspicious?" Mo Hua asked.

Gu Changhuai nodded. "Yanzhi Pavilion."

"Yanzhi Pavilion?"

Gu Changhuai paused, then said:

"I thought back carefully. When she said those three words, her expression was normal—but after speaking them, she clearly froze, then immediately realized she shouldn't have said them, and hurried to cover it up…"

"Is there a Yanzhi Pavilion in Baihua City?" Mo Hua asked.

"Yes," Gu Changhuai said. "I sent Gu An and Gu Quan to investigate. Baihua City has four Yanzhi Pavilions, but the woman usually visits only one—this one is called 'Baixiang Pavilion.'"

"Baixiang Pavilion…" Mo Hua murmured, then asked, "Is there something wrong with this Baixiang Pavilion?"

"On the surface, nothing's wrong," Gu Changhuai said. "So I used it as a lead and revisited the woman. After some inquiry…"

Gu Changhuai frowned slightly. "... The woman surnamed Hua visits Baixiang Pavilion every ten days or so to buy rouge and cosmetics. After purchasing them, she doesn't return to her sect immediately—instead, she boards a carriage from Baihua Valley and leaves Baihua City directly, passing through several nearby Immortal Cities, then continues outward beyond Qianxue Zhou's borders…"

"Afterward, she passes through several smaller Immortal Cities, then returns to Qianxue Zhou via Qingzhou City, passing by Dao Ting Si's entrance before returning to Baihua Valley."

Mo Hua was confused. "Why does she go through such a long detour?"

"To buy rouge," Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua found it hard to believe. "Just to buy rouge?"

Gu Changhuai: "Yes. Later, I checked again and confirmed she bought different types of rouge and cosmetics in each Immortal City, to varying degrees."

Mo Hua murmured: "This… seems suspicious…"

Gu Changhuai sighed. "I initially thought so too, so I asked my cousin. She said there's nothing wrong—women are like this, they just need to buy so much rouge and cosmetics…"

Mo Hua: "… "

"Then what else? Any other clues?" Mo Hua asked again.

It couldn't be that after all this, we only learned that Teacher Hua likes buying rouge and cosmetics.

Gu Changhuai frowned. "The time was short, so the information is limited. Getting this much is already good—how can we pick and choose? But…"

Gu Changhuai hesitated, then sent a message:

"There's one final detail, somewhat suspicious… After leaving Baixiang Pavilion and circling back to Baihua Valley, the small Immortal Cities she passed through included Yan Shui City!"

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow.

"Yan Shui City!"

The Yan Shui City where the Ye family resides—the same Yan Shui City through which the Yan Shui River flows.

The clues were beginning to connect.

But Gu Changhuai had no further information.

After all, he'd only taken Hua Ruyu out to dinner once, and their conversation wasn't extensive. Getting this much was already impressive.

"Uncle Gu, invite her out a few more times—you might uncover more," Mo Hua urged.

Gu Changhuai frowned. "No."

"Why?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled. "You get to eat, go on a date, and investigate—all in one. Isn't that perfect?"

"You go yourself. I'm busy for now. In a few days, I'll go to Yan Shui City to look around," Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua immediately said: "I'm coming too, Uncle Gu. Take me with you."

"What would you do there?" Gu Changhuai asked.

"To uncover the true cause of Sister Ye Jin's death and give her justice!" Mo Hua said firmly.

Hearing this, Gu Changhuai, guided by his instinct as Dao Ting Si's Gu Diansi, felt a flicker of doubt.

Something's off.

Mo Hua, though decent-hearted, was no naive do-gooder.

Why would he care so deeply about the death of a female disciple from Baihua Valley?

What does Baihua Valley's matter have to do with a disciple of Grand Void Gate?

Something's very wrong…

Gu Changhuai sent a message: "Are you hiding something from me? Tell me honestly—why are you investigating this?"

Mo Hua felt a twinge of guilt but kept his expression serious.

"I'm truly just seeking justice for Sister Ye Jin!"

Altars, demons, evil spirits—those were just side matters.

Besides, in Baihua Valley, he'd promised the half-step ghost, Sister Ye Jin, that he'd avenge her.

Some things couldn't be spoken lightly.

Once spoken, they bound one to karmic debt—you couldn't break your word.

So saying he was seeking justice for Sister Ye Jin wasn't false.

Seeing he couldn't pry the truth from Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai gave up.

Even if he had pried it open, he didn't know whether Mo Hua—with his seven or eight layers of cunning—was telling the truth.

Let him be.

"During the ten-day break, come to Dao Ting Si… no, come to my family's home. I'll take you to Yan Shui City," Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua was overjoyed and nodded eagerly:

"Yes yes, thank you, Uncle Gu!"

"And remember—about my aunt…"

Gu Changhuai truly had no way to deal with Elder Gu Hong, so he repeated himself once more.

"Don't worry, I have my own method," Mo Hua assured.

Only then did Gu Changhuai feel at ease.

After that, Mo Hua spent several more days loitering around the sect, attending classes, hunting demons, sketching arrays, and soon it was time for the ten-day break.

After making all preparations, he set out early in the morning for the Gu household.

Upon arriving at the Gu household, he greeted Xu Wanyi, ate some pastries, then went to the study to find Gu Changhuai.

Beside Gu Changhuai were two other people.

Seeing them, Mo Hua's face lit up, and he greeted with a smile: "Little An, Little Quan, long time no see."

Gu An and Gu Quan both bowed in return and smiled: "Little Young Master."

Mo Hua asked curiously, "You're going too?"

"Yes," Gu An nodded. "Since we're investigating a case, more people mean more leads—we might as well run errands for Young Master."

"That's true."

Seeing Mo Hua arrive, Gu Changhuai said directly: "Let's go. Get there early and return early—don't dawdle."

"Alright," Mo Hua nodded.

Then the group set off in the Gu household's carriage.

Leaving the Gu household, the carriage traveled straight, passed through Qingzhou City, followed the Yan Shui River, and headed toward Yan Shui City.

The Gu household's carriage was fast; it did not stop at any of the several small Xiancheng along the way, and after roughly an hour and a half, they arrived at Yan Shui City.

In Yan Shui City was a place called "Shuixiang Pavilion," which sold cosmetics and powders.

It was precisely where Hua Ruyu, the instructor from Baihua Valley, had purchased cosmetics when passing through Yan Shui City.

Most who entered Shuixiang Pavilion were women.

Even if men entered, they accompanied women—rarely did male cultivators enter such a cosmetics shop alone.

Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai, then at Gu An and Gu Quan, and asked: "How do we investigate?"

The four of them—three grown men and one small boy—walking in and asking questions would look extremely suspicious.

Gu An said: "I know several female Dao Ting Si officers, of clean backgrounds and reliable character—I've already arranged with them to help gather information inside the cosmetics shop. They'll arrive shortly."

Mo Hua froze, staring at Gu An in shock.

Truly, one cannot judge a person by appearance—Little An, who seemed so honest and steady, had such connections.

He turned his head and glanced at Gu Changhuai, then shook his head slightly.

Meaning: Look at Little An—a mere officer—who knows several female Dao Ting Si officers. Uncle Gu, you, a Gu Diansi, are single, and don't know a single female cultivator.

Mo Hua didn't say it aloud.

But Gu Changhuai read his expression and understood his meaning—his face darkened instantly.

Still, in front of Gu An and Gu Quan, he refused to argue with Mo Hua.

After a while, two women indeed arrived.

Both were Foundation Establishment cultivators, not wearing Dao Ting Si robes, but dressed in elegant, stylish gowns, plainly adorned—looking like ordinary aristocratic girls fond of beauty.

The two Misses bowed to Gu Changhuai first, then greeted Gu An.

Gu An smiled: "I rely on you two Misses."

The two female Dao Ting Si officers smiled back: "It's our duty."

Then the two female officers entered Shuixiang Pavilion together, while Gu An and Gu Quan began questioning shopkeepers outside.

Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai found a teahouse, sipping tea and cracking pine nuts while asking about gossip.

After roughly an hour and a half, the group met again at the teahouse, reserved a private room, and compiled all the gathered information.

"The owner of Shuixiang Pavilion is a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator, slightly stout, a native of Yan Shui City."

"When we asked if his cosmetics were good, he boasted that his powders were the most popular in Yan Shui City—not only local aristocratic girls came to buy from him, but even women from great clans and sects across Qianxue Province often came here to purchase cosmetics…"

"I said I didn't believe him, so he listed some names—including a female elder of Baihua Gate."

"Elder?"

"Probably just him exaggerating—he deliberately called the instructor an elder."

Mo Hua nodded.

The female Dao Ting Si officers added: "We then casually asked about this 'female elder' from Baihua Valley, and learned that this 'female elder' indeed came here periodically to buy cosmetics and powders."

"And not just to buy cosmetics—when she saw beautiful young girls, she would approach them to chat. She herself was stunningly beautiful, deeply knowledgeable about cosmetics and makeup, and as a 'female elder' of Baihua Valley, she easily struck up conversations with these girls."

"According to the owner, if they got along well, this 'female elder' from Baihua Valley would even recommend some girls to join Baihua Valley—one of the 'Twelve Streams' of Qianxue."

Recommend… into Baihua Valley?

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened.

Gu Changhuai's expression also grew slightly grim.

This instructor Hua Ruyu, wandering among cosmetics shops in various Xiancheng, likely had ulterior motives…

"We only managed to gather this much…"

said the two female Dao Ting Si officers.

Gu Quan added: "I asked nearby shopkeepers—they confirmed that, periodically, a carriage embroidered with flowers and lavishly decorated would park outside Shuixiang Pavilion."

"That carriage must belong to Baihua Valley."

"But the carriage is sealed—almost nothing can be seen from outside."

"And each time it stays, roughly half an hour, then departs Yan Shui City, heading upstream along the Yan Shui River…"

"Based on their descriptions, I've roughly reconstructed the carriage's appearance…"

…

Afterward, the others mentioned some scattered, miscellaneous bits of gossip.

These pieces of information might not be useful, but to be safe, none could be overlooked.

When the gossip ended, Gu Changhuai nodded:

"You've worked hard."

Then he nodded to Gu An.

Gu An rose and smiled: "I'll escort the two Misses, and buy them some rouge and powder as a token of thanks."

The two female Diansi smiled their thanks, clearly delighted.

Afterwards, Gu An saw the two female Diansi off.

Gu Quan then took out a jade slip and meticulously recorded all the information, lest some seemingly ordinary but crucial detail be missed.

When Gu An returned, Gu Changhuai's eyes held deep thought.

Gu An frowned and said: "Gu Diansi, this Flower Instructor may indeed be problematic."

Gu Changhuai gave a slight nod.

"Though there may be issues, at present there seems to be no solid evidence—not even clear clues…" Gu Quan said.

"Yes, it's clear she acts with great caution; her conduct leaves no openings—it's impossible to tell what she's truly aiming for."

Gu An pondered for a moment, finding no lead, then asked Gu Changhuai:

"What should we do next?"

Gu Changhuai paused, then said: "Follow the route of her carriage, along the Yan Shui River—we'll travel it ourselves. Even a long snake slithering over land can't leave not a single trace."

After speaking, Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua also nodded: "Yes, that's exactly what I thought."

Afterwards, the group left Yan Shui City, rode in their carriage along the main road toward the next destination, all four pairs of eyes scanning the route for any possible traces.

Yet after watching for a long time, all the way to the next Yun Shui City, they found not a single suspicious clue.

Gu Changhuai frowned and could only say: "Keep moving forward…"

But Mo Hua said: "Wait."

Gu Changhuai froze.

Mo Hua held the copper coin left by his master, closed his eyes slightly, and silently activated his spiritual awareness to perform divination.

Moments later, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes, turned his head backward, his gaze sharp:

"We don't go forward—we go back."

"Go back?" Gu Changhuai asked.

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded. "There's something wrong with the road we came on…"

The thread of cause and effect was broken in one small section…

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