Chapter 819

"Dao Ting Si..."

Mo Hua looked solemn and murmured, "So according to you, Gui Shui Men colluded with Dao Ting Si to secretly strike at you?"

"Correct."

Mo Hua frowned, "How did you find out about these things?"

Gui Shui Men is one thing.

Dao Ting Si is deep water; even if there are corrupt dealings within, a mere "dog driven from home" like a descendant of Shui Yu Men couldn't possibly know.

The old man sneered, "Don't forget what Shui Yu Men's origins are. The 'Yu' in 'Shui Yu Men' originally came from 'Dao Yu.' Generations of our sect's cultivators have served in Dao Ting Si, specializing in pursuit and wielding punishment—behind the scenes, we were even called Dao Ting Si's lapdogs, tasked with all the dirty work. How could I not know the corruption within Dao Ting Si?"

"Moreover, Gui Shui Men is nothing but Shui Yu Men's 'possessed corpse reborn'—colluding with Dao Ting Si is only natural."

"I was hunted down, the Yu family exterminated—on the surface, Dao Ting Si leaves no trace, but to someone like me, every step bears its shadow."

Mo Hua said, "Dao Ting Si's internal situation is also complicated—cultivators from different clans and sects are mixed together; you can't generalize."

The old man said, "Dao Ting Si is a great dye vat; once you enter, you'll eventually be stained. Does it matter what color you were before?"

Mo Hua frowned.

The old man looked at Mo Hua, then sighed deeply and said sincerely:

"Young brother, though you're clever, cautious in action, and your methods rival those of veteran cultivators who've roamed the cultivation world for decades, you're still young, have seen little, and don't yet know the true malice of human hearts."

"In this world, lust corrupts desire, wealth harms the heart, but power—the corruption it brings to the heart—is the most potent."

"Dao Ting Si holds life and death in its grasp, inherits power generation after generation; over time, decay must take root—this is the most unshakable truth in the world."

"Moreover, Dao Ting Si has endured for twenty thousand years—such a length of time is long enough to nurture every single parasite into a monstrous thing."

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly, "There must be upright elements within Dao Ting Si..."

The old man sneered, "Who can tell true integrity from false? Even the clearest water, once poured into a dye vat, will change color. If you don't want to change color, countless others will wish you dead..."

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

The old man looked at Mo Hua, his expression complex, and sighed:

"I've said all I can. The choice is yours, young friend. I don't expect your aid—only that you honor your promise and don't reveal my whereabouts. If disaster comes and Shui Yu Men's lineage is severed, I'll die with unquenched eyes—and even as a vengeful ghost, I'll come to you for an explanation..."

Even if you turn into a vengeful ghost, I'm not the least bit afraid...

Mo Hua thought silently, but after a moment's consideration, he said:

"Your burden's too heavy—Gui Shui Men, Dao Ting Si... I may not be able to handle it all. I'll do my best, but whether I can actually help is uncertain. As for your whereabouts, rest assured—I won't tell anyone."

The old man's expression turned grateful, "Then thank you, young friend."

Mo Hua nodded, "There's one more thing..."

His expression turned cold, "Just now, those two children—weren't they also Yu family descendants? You taught them Shui Yu Men's cultivation methods—aren't you afraid Gui Shui Men will discover and slaughter the entire fishing village?"

The old man froze.

He had deliberately concealed their identities, unwilling to expose Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Shuizi.

Yet he hadn't expected this young cultivator to already know everything.

The old man's face twisted in bitterness as he sighed:

"I truly... have no other choice..."

"If I teach them, they may die. But if I don't, and I die, Shui Yu Men's lineage will vanish completely—how can I face my ancestors of Liezulie Sect?"

Overcome with emotion, the old man's face turned pale, and he burst into violent coughing, blood spilling from his lips.

Mo Hua shook his head; he couldn't blame him anymore.

"Rest well. If you're willing, tomorrow I'll find a cart and take you somewhere to recover."

The old man bowed, calmly saying, "Thank you, young friend."

"I won't disturb you further." Mo Hua turned to leave, but the old man suddenly called out, "Young friend..."

He turned back, glanced at the dense, countless killing arrays surrounding the cave, and his scalp prickled, "These arrays..."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't kill you," Mo Hua said.

"It's not that..." The old man's head ached.

At least take them down.

The entire cave was packed with killing arrays—like filling a room with explosives, ready to detonate at the slightest touch—how was he supposed to sleep?

Mo Hua ignored him and walked away.

Let him dismantle them himself.

He'd worked hard drawing these arrays—he hadn't even used them yet; why would he tear them down?

Of course, mainly because he was lazy.

Besides, the killing arrays weren't even set up at his own doorstep.

Outside the cave, the old man watched Mo Hua's retreating figure, indifferent to his fate, and helplessly shook his head.

This young cultivator was truly a bit of a rogue.

Night was heavy, the moon cold and bleak, the desolate mountain offering no shelter.

The old man could only sigh bitterly and return to the cave.

After all, it was his last night...

Leaving the desolate mountain, Mo Hua returned to the small fishing village, confirmed that Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Shuizi had safely returned home and were sound asleep, and finally relaxed.

But this couldn't go on.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took out his message talisman and sent a message to Gu Changhuai: "Uncle Gu, there's something very important..."

Within moments, Gu Changhuai replied irritably:

"What time is it? Still not asleep?"

Mo Hua looked up and saw the sky was pitch black; it had long passed midnight, likely already the Yin hour.

It does seem a bit late…

But Mo Hua said, "Uncle Gu, you're not asleep either?"

Gu Changhuai: "The Dao Ting Si is particularly busy…"

Mo Hua: "Aren't you been sidelined?"

Gu Changhuai: "…"

Mo Hua's heart jolted; he suddenly understood. "Uncle Gu, you… you didn't fall for that flower instructor during a blind date, did you? That's why you can't eat or sleep, right?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Gu Changhuai gritted his teeth in fury.

If this brat Mo Hua were right in front of him, he'd rip off his ears.

"A new Gu Diansi came to the Dao Ting Si—he's a nuisance, and there's too much work…" Gu Changhuai said.

"New Gu Diansi?" Mo Hua blinked. "Who is it?"

Gu Changhuai fell silent. "You wouldn't know even if I told you. And don't go prying into Dao Ting Si affairs."

"Oh."

Gu Changhuai added, "It's this late—what do you need?"

Mo Hua was about to speak, but suddenly remembered the old man from Shuiyu Men named Yu Canghai, and his heart chilled slightly. He asked:

"Uncle Gu, is the Gu family considered a 'Qingliu'?"

Gu Changhuai frowned, pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"I dislike the words 'Qingliu.' Dao Ting Si cultivators must follow the Dao's laws, act on facts, arrest when needed, kill when needed, and uphold justice—there is no such thing as 'Qingliu' or not."

"Still, in others' eyes, our Gu family is indeed seen as a 'Qingliu'…"

Mo Hua nodded; he now understood, and finally spoke:

"I met someone connected to the Yu family's water village. He said the Yu family's massacre was ordered by the Qianshui Men, carried out by evil cultivators."

"Moreover, this man is a descendant of Shuiyu Men…"

It was deep night; Gu Changhuai had worked all day and was originally weary, but at these words, his expression snapped alert.

"Truly?"

Mo Hua sighed. "When have I ever lied to you?"

You've lied to me plenty of times.

Gu Changhuai thought.

But now was no time for idle talk. Gu Changhuai asked: "Where are you now?"

Mo Hua: "I'm at the small fishing village."

"The small fishing village by the Yan Shui River?" Gu Changhuai frowned. "Why are you there?"

"It's a long story—I'll tell you in person," Mo Hua said.

The transmission talisman is too slow.

Besides, I still need to decide what I can and cannot say.

"Fine!" Gu Changhuai thought for a moment. "I'm still at the Dao Ting Si in Qianxue Province—I can't leave yet. Once I finish what I'm handling, I'll come find you tomorrow morning."

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

After the conversation, Mo Hua put away the transmission talisman, crouched atop a large tree at the village's edge, and sat in silent thought.

This matter was still too large, involving too many factions.

He could sneak around in the murky waters, but he lacked the power to fully uncover the truth.

Even protecting that old man from Shuiyu Men was beyond his ability.

After weighing all options, he could only rely on Uncle Gu.

But there was a problem.

Mo Hua himself trusted Uncle Gu completely.

Though his temper was bad, his face was always sour, his words sometimes harsh, and he was never gentle or considerate—he was truly a good man.

But that old man from Shuiyu Men? Not necessarily.

He was deeply suspicious of Dao Ting Si cultivators; if he learned Uncle Gu's identity as a Jin Dan Gu Diansi, he might refuse to cooperate.

"Forget it—I'll deal with it when the time comes…"

Mo Hua thought.

Besides, that old man might not even be a good person, and his words might not all be true.

When Uncle Gu arrives, with his Jin Dan Gu Diansi presence to intimidate, perhaps more truths will surface.

After that, Mo Hua closed his eyes and sat in meditation, sinking his spiritual awareness into his mind sea to practice formations on the Dao Stele.

Now that his spiritual awareness had reached Nineteen Marks, he could learn more formations—every second counted.

Only by learning more formations and refining his spiritual awareness to its limit would he gain access to even greater formations in the future.

Until dawn, when the east brightened.

Mo Hua opened his eyes, exhaled slowly, and stretched.

Then, under the morning sun as purple qi rose from the east, he took out a spirit stone and cultivated briefly before waiting for Gu Changhuai.

In the small fishing village, fishing cultivators rose one by one and began their hard day's work.

Mo Hua sat atop the great tree, waited a while, grew inexplicably anxious, and sent a message:

"Uncle Gu, when will you arrive?"

No reply came from the other side.

After a long while, Gu Diansi replied, sounding somewhat resigned: "The new Diansi is troublesome; I can't leave just yet. I'll come over in two hours."

"Fine. Remember to hire a larger carriage," Mo Hua said.

"Alright."

After that, Mo Hua could only endure the wait.

But as he waited, he suddenly realized a problem:

Wouldn't that old man from Water Prison Gate have run away?

They were strangers, no kin or ties. Though he'd told Mo Hua so much of his past, he might not truly trust him at all.

"I should go check…"

Mo Hua thought silently.

He didn't delay—he rose at once, followed the path Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Shuizi had taken last night, reached the desolate mountain, and climbed lightly along the cliff face.

Before the cave, the dense killing array still stood.

But when Mo Hua swept his divine sense through it, he found the cave empty—no trace of human presence whatsoever.

"He's gone…"

Mo Hua sighed.

Still, it wasn't entirely surprising.

The old man of Water Prison Gate had lost his clan and family, been hunted relentlessly, and saw enemies everywhere—he could never easily trust someone like Mo Hua.

But his forehead was dark with ill omen; if he ran now, he'd surely lose his life.

"Should I chase him?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then decided against it.

Since he didn't trust him, Mo Hua had no desire to meddle further and save him again.

Others' fates deserved some respect.

Those meant to die, would die.

Mo Hua turned to leave—but halfway, he frowned.

"Wrong…"

Mo Hua turned back, released his divine sense, scanned the surroundings, and his gaze sharpened: "Someone else has been here…"

The grass bore crushed traces—multiple footprints.

Faint, mixed spiritual energy lingered nearby—five-element traces, but with slightly more yin-cold water energy.

This was human energy.

Mo Hua's divine sense had evolved into a divine perception, attuned to such energies after nearing godlike awareness.

He walked to the cave entrance.

Though daylight was bright, the cave remained pitch-black.

Mo Hua hesitated briefly, then didn't enter rashly—he pulled out a small tiger, sent it ahead to scout. It triggered no traps, so Mo Hua crept in quietly.

The cave was narrow, its walls worn and crumbling.

Inside were bloodstains, broken spiritual artifacts, empty pill vials, bloodied clothing, and more…

The old man had left.

From the traces, he'd fled in haste—seemingly sensing someone was coming to kill him, forcing him to depart early.

"The pursuers arrived?"

Mo Hua's expression shifted slightly; his gaze deepened, pupils turning ink-black, as karmic patterns surfaced.

After a moment, he activated a concealment technique, hid his form, left the cave, and followed one direction deeper into the mountains.

This mountain was desolate—only weeds, scrub trees, no demonic beasts, no other minerals.

Nearby fishing cultivators lived solely by fishing and rarely ventured into the hills.

The deeper he went, the more desolate it became.

Yet precisely because it was desolate, human spiritual energy and karmic traces stood out sharply.

Mo Hua followed the karmic trail, walking deeper into the mountains, unaware how long he'd traveled—until ahead, he heard movement.

Mo Hua approached and saw seven or eight cultivators surrounding an old man.

The old man was Yu Canghai of Water Prison Gate.

The other seven or eight wore varied robes but all masked their faces, radiating lethal intent, their cultivation between Foundation Establishment late-stage and peak.

They didn't fight directly—they used a wheeling assault to drain him, aiming to exhaust him until his energy ran dry.

Yu Canghai was already critically wounded; under this constant assault, his face turned as pale as paper.

Among the eight cultivators, their leader bellowed:

"Old fool, you're at death's door—why not surrender now and avoid unnecessary suffering?"

Yu Canghai's breath was unsteady, his voice trembling, yet he roared angrily:

"You bastards! Even if I die today, I'll drag you all down with me!"

He surged his spiritual energy, condensing water into needles that shot outward.

But the seven or eight cultivators, seeing he was serious, immediately withdrew—avoiding direct clash, then pounced again like rabid dogs once his energy waned.

Even a fierce tiger fears being torn apart by a pack of wolves.

Especially when that tiger is already gravely wounded.

He was merely holding on by the foundation of his Jin Dan.

But clearly, he couldn't last much longer.

Yu Canghai's face showed despair, his heart cold—he thought: Will my Water Prison Gate's Dao lineage end here…?

At that very moment, a clear, youthful cultivator's voice came from beside him:

"Elder!"

The battlefield fell silent.

The cultivators locked in combat all ceased fighting and turned to look, seeing Mo Hua with an expression of "nervousness."

Mo Hua's expression was resolute: "Elder, I shall faithfully pass on the Water Prison Sect's legacy and never betray your expectations!"

With that, he "suffered in pain," turned, and ran off at once.

Everyone froze for a moment.

Yu Canghai also froze, then understood—this boy was drawing fire away from him.

And the seven or eight masked cultivators indeed looked stunned.

"Big brother, what do we do?"

"How is there another one who slipped through?"

"He's escaping!"

The leader of the masked cultivators immediately roared:

"Split up! Three of you chase that boy; the rest follow me to hold this old man—no survivors allowed!"

"Yes!"

One masked cultivator with a sinister gaze spoke up: "I'll go too—I have experience chasing targets; this brat won't escape my grasp."

The leader hesitated a moment, then nodded.

Thus, four of the cultivators went after Mo Hua.

The remaining four continued to surround and attack Yu Canghai.

Yu Canghai's pressure dropped sharply, but at the same time, his heart sank.

"That boy is only at Foundation Establishment mid-stage—chased by four Foundation Establishment late-stage assassins… I wonder if he can escape…"

Though he did it to help me, it was still far too reckless…

Yu Canghai sighed inwardly.

On the other side, Mo Hua indeed did not "escape."

He was relentlessly pursued by the four Foundation Establishment late-stage assassins, weaving a wide loop through the forest.

"Brat, don't run!"

"Keep running, and I'll break your legs—make you beg for death but unable to die!"

Mo Hua's expression was "panicked," his back fleeing in haste.

After chasing for a while, Mo Hua suddenly veered toward the mid-slope and returned to the cave where Yu Canghai had previously hidden.

He seemed to be "desperate and reckless," diving headfirst into the cave.

The assassins chasing him paused, stunned for a moment.

"There's a formation outside the cave."

"Should we go in?"

Three of them looked to the cultivator with the sinister gaze—clearly deferring to his judgment.

The cultivator with the sinister gaze pondered a moment, then said coldly:

"The formation outside the cave must have been set by that old fool, Yu Canghai."

"A brat his age wouldn't understand formations at all."

"But what if…" someone hesitated.

"No matter," the cultivator with the sinister gaze glanced at the surrounding formations and said calmly, "these are clearly killing formations—if they detonate, that brat will die for sure. Even if he truly controls them, he'd never have the guts to die with us."

The others all nodded.

"No time to waste—enter quickly and 'catch the turtle in the jar,' capture this brat, then use him to pressure that old man."

"Capture both of them, torture them to death, and the Water Prison Sect will be utterly extinguished."

The cultivator with the sinister gaze sneered.

Then the four formed a formation and walked side by side toward the cave.

But once inside, they found not a single figure within.

"What's going on…"

"Where is he?"

The cultivator with the sinister gaze frowned, pondered, then suddenly felt dread—he whirled around to look outside the cave.

Only then did he realize: the young cultivator they had been chasing had long been standing outside the cave, smiling, utterly calm, with no trace of earlier panic.

Mo Hua had pretended to enter the cave.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he quietly activated his concealment technique and slipped out, tricking these four into going in instead.

"No good—we've been tricked!"

All four felt a sudden shock and desperately tried to flee.

But Mo Hua would give them no chance.

Before they could move, Mo Hua outside the cave softly spoke:

"Detonate!"

A dense array of high-grade Rank-Two killing formations exploded at once—flames erupted, golden blades slashed, the earth unleashed its killing intent.

Boom—the killing formations activated.

Swirling spiritual energy surged and vibrated, shattering the cave and annihilating all four masked cultivators!

So many high-grade killing formations—even Jin Dan cultivator Yu Canghai would have felt wariness, let alone these Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators.

Mo Hua nodded, thoroughly satisfied.

Now, the killing array he painted would finally be put to use—no waste.

Waste is shameful.

After all, he had painstakingly painted this array with spirit ink, spirit stones, and consumed his spiritual sense; not using it would be a pity.

After eliminating the four, Mo Hua returned the same way to find Yu Canghai.

Arriving at Shenshan, he discovered the four who had been attacking Yu Canghai had now become three.

One lay on the ground, face icy and cold, seemingly poisoned by water toxicity, his breath faint.

Mo Hua was slightly surprised.

Indeed, even a dying camel is bigger than a horse.

This Yu Canghai was still quite formidable.

Seeing Mo Hua return, not only Yu Canghai, but also the remaining three assassins, were greatly startled.

"Kid, how did you escape?"

The lead cultivator said grimly.

Mo Hua smiled, his expression gentle. "I killed the ones chasing me—naturally, I escaped."

At these words, all the cultivators present changed expression drastically.

But Mo Hua wasted no time with them—he was already preparing to form a fireball.

About an incense stick's time later, the remaining three were also dead.

Two against three, with Mo Hua and Yu Canghai working together, the three Foundation Establishment cultivators lost their numerical advantage and became lambs awaiting slaughter, utterly unable to fight back.

Thus, all eight assassins were eliminated.

Several corpses lay scattered on the ground.

Yu Canghai looked at Mo Hua, his expression astonished, his heart shaken.

This young boy—what kind of divine being was he? He was only at Foundation Establishment mid-stage, looked unimpressive, yet he slaughtered Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators with such ease…

But Mo Hua's expression remained calm. He said to Yu Canghai, "Rest first. Heal your wounds."

Don't die again—I'd have saved you for nothing.

Yu Canghai sighed and bowed his hands.

"Thank you."

This "thank you" carried far more sincerity.

Afterwards, Yu Canghai began meditating to regulate his qi, while Mo Hua began "searching the bodies."

But on the four dead men, he found nothing valuable—only spare spirit stones and pills in their storage bags.

Mo Hua was disappointed.

"They're quite cautious…"

He thought for a moment, then remembered the cave where four masked cultivators he had blown up still lay.

Once Yu Canghai's injuries had improved somewhat, Mo Hua returned to the cave with him.

The cave was shattered, its ruins scattered with traces of the array.

Only then did Yu Canghai realize Mo Hua had not lied—the other four had indeed died by his hand, and his heart grew cold.

Indeed, one cannot judge a person by appearance.

The younger they look, the more ruthless they are at killing.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, pointed at the cave, and said to Yu Canghai, "Senior, dig out those four for me."

Yu Canghai did not know what Mo Hua intended, but he followed Mo Hua's instructions and began digging through the rubble.

Though injured, he had rested a while earlier, and now digging through debris was not difficult.

Less than half an hour later, four corpses were dug out and laid side by side, neatly arranged.

Mo Hua lifted their face coverings and found he did not recognize any of them.

Moreover, these four had been killed by the array—most of their faces had been destroyed by the explosion, making identification even harder.

Mo Hua began searching their bodies again.

After a while, his gains were still meager.

It seemed they had traveled light to remain discreet—their storage bags contained only basic pills, spirit tools, and scattered spirit stones.

To blend in, the group traveled light, their storage bags containing only basic pills, spiritual tools, and a few scattered spirit stones.

Mo Hua shook his head and sighed.

But he was still unwilling to give up. Drawing on his experience hunting Dao Ting Si cultivators and his long history dealing with criminal cultivators, he gathered his spiritual sense and began meticulously scanning each body from head to toe…

Yet he still could not let go; drawing on his experience with Dao Ting Si cultivators and years of dealing with criminal cultivators, he gathered his spiritual sense and meticulously searched the man from head to toe.

Among the four, one man's tooth had a clearly different material.

Among the four, one man's tooth was clearly made of a different material.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

He remembered from past dealings with criminal cultivators: some shattered their own teeth and replaced them with tooth-shaped "storage containers."

These containers were tiny, able to hold only palm-sized items, but extremely discreet.

Had he not had extensive experience hunting criminal cultivators, he would never have suspected it.

Mo Hua pulled out the tooth, then used his spiritual sense to draw out an object from within.

Mo Hua pulled out the man's tooth, then used his spiritual sense to draw forth an object from within.

And its design was strikingly familiar.

And the design was extremely familiar.

Mo Hua frowned, studying it for a moment, then suddenly recognized it as a Zhishiling of the Dao Ting Si.

He had been around Gu Changhuai long enough to recognize most of the Dao Ting Si tokens.

The lower-end ones, like his own "outsider" bronze waist token, and the higher-end ones, like Gu Changhuai's Diansi token.

The most common were these Zhishiling worn by Zhishi within the Dao Ting Si.

Gu An and Gu Quan both carried this type.

Mo Hua's heart sank slightly; he flipped the Zhishiling over, glanced at it, and his pupils shrank.

On the back of the Zhishiling was carved a single character:

"Xiao!"

The Xiao family of the Dao Ting Si!

Was this man, blown to pieces, a Zhishi of the Xiao family of the Dao Ting Si?!

Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, and a growing sense of unease settled in his chest.

After a brief thought, he pulled out the transmission token and silently sent a message to Gu Changhuai: "Uncle Gu, come quickly…"

Moments later, Gu Changhuai replied:

"What's wrong?"

Mo Hua: "I think… I just blew up a Xiao family Zhishi…"

Far away in the Qian Xue Dao Ting Si, Gu Changhuai saw these words and his heart jolted violently; his right hand clenched so hard he nearly crushed the transmission token.

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