Chapter 832

Xiao Tianquan's killing intent receded.

The chill behind Mo Hua vanished, but his inner doubts grew deeper.

What exactly is Xiao Tianquan searching for?

Is he connected to the water bandits?

Does he know Water Yánluó?

Mo Hua recalled all of Xiao Tianquan's behavior on this journey.

This raid on the water bandits—at least on the surface—showed no issues with Xiao Tianquan, and he didn't engage in any covert maneuvers.

He carried out every task assigned by Xia Diansi without deviation.

When killing the water bandits, he truly killed, showing no mercy whatsoever.

He even killed more brutally than others.

Mo Hua frowned.

"The Xiao family—Xiao Tianquan… is strange."

Afterward, he thoroughly searched the remaining secret chambers, obtaining one array diagram and uncovering several stolen items.

Then, there was nothing more.

Everything that could be searched had been searched; everything that could be found had been found; what couldn't be found simply couldn't be found.

Mo Hua then sat on a high platform with a good view on the island, gazing at the distant, misty moonlight and rippling waters of the Yan Shui River, waiting for Uncle Gu and Sister Xia's news.

More than an hour later, Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi returned.

Both were dusty and wore grim expressions.

Mo Hua sighed, guessing that Water Yánluó had escaped again.

Gu Changhuai's face was dark. "There's a hidden passage on the island—Water Yánluó left a backup plan and fled through it…"

"We chased after him, but Water Yánluó's water skills are too strong. Once he touches water, he becomes like a dragon, his Dao methods grow stronger, his movement faster—he rides the wind and waves on the river, coming and going as he pleases."

"But he was already wounded, his primordial energy depleted—he was still at a disadvantage. Just as he was about to be cornered, Water Yánluó suddenly swam into the neighboring third-grade river domain…"

"Third-grade?" Mo Hua was surprised.

"Mm." Gu Changhuai nodded.

Mo Hua thought, "If it's third-grade, then Water Yánluó isn't… even a match for you and Sister Xia?"

After all, Water Yánluó was only at Foundation Establishment peak; only with Heavenly Dao suppression could he contend with Gu Uncle's Jin Dan and Xia Diansi's power.

Entering a third-grade territory—wouldn't that be walking straight into death?

Gu Changhuai's gaze was icy. "That beast is indeed seeking death. As soon as he entered the third-grade waters, the cultivation restrictions lifted—I unleashed my Jin Dan power, and with a single wind blade, I severed his arm."

Mo Hua was startled.

Gu Changhuai seemed to understand Mo Hua's thoughts and glanced at him. "You don't really think a Jin Dan can't beat a Foundation Establishment, do you?"

Mo Hua shook his head rapidly, embarrassed. "How could I?"

Gu Changhuai's expression turned displeased, then he frowned and said:

"Just as the next wind blade was about to take Water Yánluó's life… someone intervened to save him."

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head, with a solemn expression. "That person's cultivation is profound, but they hid their identity—used none of their own Dao methods. After rescuing Water Yánluó, they vanished into the water and cannot be found, no matter how hard we look."

"It's as if a fog had shrouded everything…"

"Fog…" Mo Hua's heart trembled.

Beside him, Xia Diansi remained silent, then sighed:

"Though Water Yánluó escaped, the bandit stronghold has been destroyed and the water bandits eradicated. This raid has been quite successful—the Dao Ting Si will reward us."

She glanced at Mo Hua again, her voice gentler. "Thanks to your help in this raid, I'll petition higher-ups to grant you extra merit."

Mo Hua said: "Thank you, Sister Xia."

Xia Diansi had grown accustomed to being called "Sister Xia."

Especially after witnessing Mo Hua's innate talent and mastery in array techniques during this operation, she no longer resisted his calling her "sister."

"I still have some aftermath matters to handle. Take care of yourself—we'll return home at dawn," Xia Diansi said.

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded.

Xia Diansi gave Mo Hua a gentle look, then left.

Mo Hua, however, was curious and quietly asked Gu Changhuai: "Water Yánluó escaped, but Sister Xia doesn't seem worried?"

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua indifferently.

Mo Hua stared back at Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai sighed helplessly, then spoke:

"Water Yánluó is a fish—but also bait. Now a bigger fish has taken the bait; there's no harm in that."

"Though this big fish swallowed the bait and swam away, at least it surfaced."

"This is Qian Xue Province, still under Dao Ting Si's planning. A fish that surfaces—even if large—isn't feared. What's feared is one that stays hidden beneath the water."

Mo Hua understood and nodded.

For the Dao Ting Si and the Xia family, this raid on the water bandits wasn't an end—it was only a beginning.

What follows will likely be even more complicated.

He wondered whether he'd still be able to muddy the waters and fish for advantage…

As Mo Hua pondered, Gu Changhuai suddenly asked him: "By the way, why did Water Yánluó chase you with red eyes?"

Mo Hua froze.

Because I stole his lifeline…

Gu Changhuai watched Mo Hua in silence.

Mo Hua coughed once, mumbled:

"Because… he was secretly packing up and running away, and I caught him in the act, so he got angry and wanted to kill me. Uncle Gu, you know—people like Water Yama have tiny hearts…"

Gu Changhuai immediately knew Mo Hua was lying.

But then he thought again—these bandits wanting to kill Mo Hua seemed perfectly normal.

Sometimes he even wanted to strangle the brat himself.

Gu Changhuai suddenly felt a pang of understanding, and let the matter drop.

"I've got things to attend to too. Stay put and behave yourself. We'll head back together later," Gu Changhuai said.

"Mm," Mo Hua replied.

Then Gu Changhuai also rose and left.

Gu Changhuai and Xia Diansi both went off to handle the aftermath.

The surroundings were empty, save for the scattered corpses of the water bandits—and Mo Hua alone.

He grew bored, so climbed back onto the platform, sat on its edge, and gazed at the distant scenery.

Half an hour later, it was Mao Hour.

The east had turned pale white; the sun rose slowly, dispersing the mist over the island, its bright morning light shining upon the ground littered with water bandit corpses.

Mo Hua sat atop the platform, silently watching the sun rise.

Beneath his feet, the corpses of the water bandits would never see it again.

…

Another hour passed, and Dao Ting Si's cleanup work was finished.

It was faster than Xia Diansi had expected.

Because Mo Hua had already turned the island upside down, they merely had to count heads, inventory the stolen goods, compile the list, and bring everything back to Dao Ting Si.

Mo Hua had cleaned it thoroughly, saving them considerable effort.

Xia Diansi sighed inwardly.

After the inventory, they assembled their forces.

Some surviving water bandits had been knocked unconscious, bound with chains, and taken along to Dao Ting Si.

Then everyone boarded the Spirit Boat and returned home.

When they came, it had been night—the river cold, the surroundings dim and oppressive.

Now, returning, it was morning; clear sunlight spilled across the river, glittering on the waves.

Everyone's spirits lifted slightly.

Only Xiao Tianquan remained silent, lost in thought.

After another half-hour's journey, the Spirit Boat docked; the group stepped onto solid ground, their hearts finally at ease.

After returning, they would treat the wounded, comfort the families of the dead—this campaign against the water bandits could now be temporarily concluded.

Fighting and casualties were inevitable.

This was well understood by all Dao Ting Si cultivators who had served long years.

Though Mo Hua felt regret, he had done everything he could.

Otherwise, without breaking the Eight Gates Eight Trigrams Array, they would have been trapped within the bandits' array on the island, locked in bitter combat—and Dao Ting Si's casualties would have been far worse.

Compared to the success of the raid, these casualties were already minimal.

After this, Mo Hua had no further role.

He planned to return to his sect and study the new treasures he'd acquired—when, just then, a voice reached his ear:

"Xia Diansi, shouldn't we check the storage bags?"

At these words, everyone froze.

Xia Diansi was also taken aback.

Gu Changhuai's gaze turned icy, fixed on the speaker.

The speaker was Xiao Tianquan.

Xia Diansi said coolly, "Didn't we already check?"

According to Dao Ting Si's rules, all Dao Ting Si cultivators were forbidden to carry their own storage bags during missions.

For special missions, Dao Ting Si provided standardized storage bags for Diansi and Zhisi to hold their spiritual weapons, as well as special-issue spiritual stones and pills.

After mission completion, the storage bags were collected and verified one by one.

This ensured that Dao Ting Si cultivators did not secretly hoard "stolen goods" for personal gain.

This rule could not eliminate "hoarding" entirely—but it could eliminate eight or nine out of ten cases, easily.

That was sufficient.

No rule could be 100% effective; preventing most corruption was already a significant achievement.

Earlier on the island, Xia Diansi had naturally followed procedure and checked all cultivators' storage bags.

"We checked, but not all…" Xiao Tianquan said, then glanced silently at Mo Hua, "This young brother's storage bag was not checked."

He wore a solemn expression, as if strictly upholding "official duty."

Xia Diansi frowned.

Gu Changhuai's expression was cold: "He's not one of Dao Ting Si."

Xiao Tianquan replied solemnly: "Though not of Dao Ting Si, he accompanied Dao Ting Si on this mission—he should abide by Dao Ting Si's rules…"

Xiao Tianquan looked at Gu Changhuai, eyes gleaming, "Surely, Gu Diansi isn't trying to shield this young brother?"

Gu Changhuai's eyelid twitched slightly; his gaze grew colder.

The atmosphere grew tense for a moment.

Xia Diansi turned her head, glanced at Mo Hua, and looked troubled.

Logically, he should be searched.

But Mo Hua's situation is special; if no one mentioned it, no one would be so crude as to search a lowly cultivator's storage bag.

Yet now that Xiao Tianquan has brought it up, we must treat it as a matter of principle.

Otherwise, as a Xia family Gu Diansi, it would be hard for me to command respect.

The Xia family gathers many geniuses; the competitive pressure among disciples is immense.

I can order them around, but behind my back, I will surely face gossip and criticism.

Still, if we truly search Mo Hua…

Xia Diansi looked at Mo Hua, her gaze seeking confirmation.

Mo Hua touched the blood-linked, invisible Nanzi Ring on his right thumb, then nodded and said:

"Everyone is being searched; I naturally cannot be an exception."

He smiled calmly and handed his storage bag to Xia Diansi without hesitation.

Xia Diansi glanced at Mo Hua in surprise, then sank her spiritual sense into the storage bag and removed everything inside.

There were spirit stones, but not many.

Some spare pills, bearing the Grand Void Gate's sect seal, some marked with the Gu family's insignia.

These pills were given to Mo Hua by Elder Murong and Wen Renwan.

There were also some spirit swords, spirit artifacts, array coal, and more.

But all were clearly legitimate, with not a single item of pirate loot.

The only unusual thing was the array diagrams.

A large pile of array diagrams, densely layered and stacked together.

Moreover, these array diagrams were extremely complex in composition.

They included those from the Grand Void Gate, the Shangguan family, the Wen family, the Gu family, and others looted from the island.

From entry-level first rank to high second rank, everything was present, and broadly comprehensive.

The five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—along with the Eight Trigrams' Gen Mountain Array, Li Fire Array, Dui Marsh Array, Kan Water Array, and some Yuan Ci-type arrays—all manner of types were included.

Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

Even cultivators who didn't understand arrays knew these arrays were profound and complex.

The more one understood arrays, the more one realized how difficult it was to study these diagrams.

To carry so many, such complex array diagrams on one's person, this young brother must possess an exceptionally profound array lineage, and his array cultivation must be remarkable; his perseverance and dedication to learning arrays are extraordinary—he will surely achieve limitless heights in array cultivation.

The gazes of all the Zhisi toward Mo Hua became deeply respectful.

Xia Diansi was also astonished.

A full storage bag of array diagrams…

No wonder he has such advanced array cultivation at such a young age.

With such talent, high comprehension, and such diligence and eagerness to learn, at his age, this is truly rare…

Xia Diansi exhaled in relief.

She had indeed felt uneasy inside.

She had thought that, given his youth, Mo Hua's self-control might be weak, and after turning the island upside down, he might have secretly kept something.

That was only human nature—even some Gu Diansi couldn't escape such tendencies.

But she never imagined Mo Hua's character was so upright and open, taking not a single coin of ill-gotten wealth.

As for these array diagrams… their origins are inherently complex and hard to trace.

Even if some of these diagrams were indeed taken by Mo Hua from the island, no one would dare speak ill now.

Array masters are naturally respected.

For an array master to take a few diagrams is entirely justified.

Moreover, Mo Hua was the one who broke the island's arrays, and he never demanded special compensation—taking a few diagrams is only natural.

I was the one who judged a gentleman by the standards of a petty man.

Xia Diansi felt an unexpected pang of guilt, and her regard for Mo Hua rose further.

If this child one day enters Dao Ting Si and becomes a Gu Diansi who upholds his heart and remains upright and unbending, he may well achieve great things.

Xia Diansi inwardly approved, then glanced at Xiao Tianquan and said calmly:

"Xiao Zhisi, what do you say?"

Xiao Tianquan's gaze lingered several times over Mo Hua's storage bag, then, though seemingly reluctant, he bowed and said:

"No issue."

He then bowed to Mo Hua and smiled: "Xiao Mou was impulsive—please forgive me, young brother."

Mo Hua smiled warmly: "No problem, no problem."

Seeing Mo Hua didn't hold a grudge, Xia Diansi nodded slightly and ordered:

"Alright, return to base."

Afterward, the group returned smoothly, encountering no further trouble.

But Mo Hua had now confirmed…

This Especially Xiao Tianquan was indeed searching for something.

And that something was extremely important.

Even at this critical moment, he had to unreasonably step forward, risking offense to Uncle Gu and Xia Diansi, to search my storage bag.

"If we don't investigate now, once we return to Qianxue Province, everyone goes home, and Xiao Tianquan will never know whether I truly found anything on Shuidao Island..."

"What is he trying to find on me?"

"What could be so important?"

"Could it be... that jade casket of Water Yanluo?"

Mo Hua rubbed his thumb again, pondered for a moment, then his gaze sharpened.

"Regardless, I'm keeping this score..."

"Publicly targeting me, daring to show me murderous intent, wanting to kill me..."

Mo Hua's gaze grew slightly cold.

Upon reaching Qianxue Province, Xia Diansi and the others returned to Dao Ting Si.

Gu Changhuai, though silent, personally escorted Mo Hua back to the Grand Void Gate's mountain gate.

He seemed to have sensed something, but said nothing more, only warned Mo Hua:

"Beware the Xiao family. Cultivate well within the sect. Don't wander off without cause."

"Yes, Uncle Gu, don't worry," Mo Hua said.

Gu Changhuai gave a faint nod and turned away.

Mo Hua then presented the Grand Void Token and entered the mountain gate alone.

After returning to the sect, it was exactly noon.

Mo Hua first went to Elder Song to cancel his leave, then returned to the disciples' quarters, bathed, burned incense, purged the blood aura, changed into his Grand Void Gate Dao robe, and acted as if nothing had happened, heading off to class.

The teaching elder, knowing Mo Hua had Old Master Xun backing him and was a "special case" in the sect, said nothing.

The other disciples also knew Mo Hua often went out to "paint arrays," and over time had grown accustomed to it, so they found nothing unusual.

Thus, Mo Hua had just laid out an array to exterminate bandits in the morning, and now in the afternoon he was obediently attending class in the sect.

At night, after dinner, Mo Hua practiced arrays with Yu'er for a while, then returned to the disciples' quarters, closed the doors and windows, sealed the array, and carefully withdrew from his Nai Zi Ring the jade casket he had seized from Water Yanluo.

The jade casket felt heavy in his hand; from its exterior, it appeared forged from an unknown, water-blue jade material.

Upon the jade casket was carved a single image.

In Water Yanluo's secret chamber, Mo Hua had not had time to examine it closely; now that he was back in the sect, he finally had the chance to study it carefully.

A stern prison, grotesque instruments of torture, all manner of criminals enduring horrific tortures, struggling, screaming, wailing.

A water-blue jade casket, a blood-smeared prison image.

It radiated intense malevolent energy.

"Is this... an observation chart?"

Mo Hua was puzzled.

He released his spiritual sense, focused entirely, stared at the prison image on the casket for a long time—but detected nothing unusual.

No evil spirits emerged.

There seemed to be no vengeful ghosts or malevolent souls dwelling within the image.

Aside from the cold malevolent energy, Mo Hua sensed nothing else.

"Not an observation chart? Just a casket?"

Mo Hua frowned and tried opening the jade casket again.

But after several attempts, the casket remained utterly immovable.

Mo Hua squinted and examined it closely—he realized that though it looked like a "casket," it had not a single seam, no lid, no lock, as if it were a single, seamless block of jade brick...

"Not an observation chart. No evil spirits."

"No lock. No seam. Can't open it."

"And I don't even know what's inside."

Mo Hua was momentarily at a loss.

"Try to capture Water Yanluo and ask him?"

The moment this thought surfaced, Mo Hua rejected it.

Water Yanluo had been rescued by a Jin Dan and vanished somewhere—he was truly hard to find now.

Even if he were captured, it would likely be useless.

Given Water Yanluo's nature, if he knew Mo Hua had stolen his jade casket, he would have devoured him alive, crushed every bone in his body, and would never reveal the casket's secret.

So what should be done with this jade casket?

Could he just stare at it forever?

Mo Hua's curiosity stirred, suddenly replaced by urgent desire.

He desperately wanted to open the jade casket and see what lay inside.

Since he had glimpsed a bit of the Heavenly Mechanism Algorithm and understood some principles of cause and effect, Mo Hua occasionally experienced inexplicable "intuitions."

Now he faintly felt this intuition: this jade casket might be critically important to him...

Could it be...

Mo Hua's heart skipped slightly, hope rising.

"Can't find Water Yanluo—then I must find another person."

Another heir of the Water Prison Gate.

Several days passed, during the ten-day break, Mo Hua slipped away again to the Gu household—this time not to seek Gu Changhuai, but to find Yu Canghai.

This elder of the Water Prison Gate might now be its sole surviving Jin Dan.

Yu Canghai, upon seeing Mo Hua, was remarkably courteous, bowing and greeting him:

"Little friend, it's been a long time."

He was a Jin Dan, while Mo Hua was at Foundation Establishment, yet in how he treated Mo Hua, it was more like addressing an equal.

After all, before a major sect disciple like Mo Hua, who had a "powerful background" and "deep connections," he, a down-on-his-luck Jin Dan of the Water Prison Sect, did not dare to put on any airs at all.

Mo Hua exchanged a few pleasantries, then began to probe indirectly, asking some questions about the Water Prison Sect, especially about the sect's form of inheritance.

But Yu Canghai was, after all, deep and calculating, answering just enough and giving nothing away.

Neither appearing to brush him off, nor offending Mo Hua.

Yet not saying too much either, so as not to leak the sect's secrets.

Mo Hua couldn't get the information he wanted, his gaze flickered slightly, so he lowered his voice and quietly asked, "A few days ago, I went to capture Water Yama Luo…"

Even though Yu Canghai was deep and calculating, at this moment his heart lurched, he suddenly stood up, his expression shaken.

Mo Hua, seeing Elder Yu's expression, knew that Uncle Gu had not told him about the Water Yama Luo matter.

Yu Canghai wanted to ask, but didn't know how to bring it up, and finally said in a trembling voice:

"That beast… he…"

Mo Hua sighed, "He didn't die, he escaped."

Yu Canghai was greatly disappointed and slumped back into his seat in dejection.

"But Water Yama Luo seemed to have something in his hand, very strange…" Mo Hua said, frowning.

"Something?" Yu Canghai frowned.

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded, pretending not to know, and described it to Yu Canghai, "It's a jade case, water-blue, with a pattern carved on it. In the pattern is a prison, and inside the prison there are people undergoing cruel torture, their expressions pained and desperate…"

Before Mo Hua finished speaking, he noticed Yu Canghai's eyes suddenly widen, the man utterly stunned and lost, his body trembling uncontrollably:

"Wa… Water Prison Forbidden Case…"

Mo Hua's gaze shifted slightly.

So that was its name.

yifan

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