Chapter 839: Hatred

As the lantern festival approached, Yan Shui City was bustling with activity.

The streets teemed with vehicles and pedestrians; cultivators of all kinds crossed paths, markets clustered densely, and the air rang with noise.

Mo Hua and the others found a small tavern, booked a private room, confirmed no one was eavesdropping, then began speaking in hushed tones.

"At this critical moment, the sect leadership seems reluctant to set sail…"

"But the lower ranks are making a big fuss—they all count on this to make extra gains."

"Besides, the storm has passed; Dao Ting Si has already backed off—no signs of any action."

"As for the higher Dao Ting, it has always been performative—when something happens, a bit of spirit stone bribe smooths it over and the matter is quietly buried."

"Other noble families are also applying pressure—after all, it's not just us… not just the Gui Shui Sect that profits from this; others want their share too…"

"So this time, the ships will still sail—but more discreetly."

…

Wang Chen told Mo Hua everything he knew about the inner details.

Mo Hua nodded; seeing Wang Chen's worried expression, he said:

"Don't worry—I've left a record for you at Dao Ting Si. You were coerced by the sect into doing this. As long as you remain loyal and commit no major offenses, when Gui Shui Sect is exposed, you'll be exempt from punishment."

Wang Chen was overjoyed and bowed deeply. "Thank you…"

He glanced at Mo Hua, unsure how to address him.

Hao Xuan prompted him: "Little Brother."

"Oh," Wang Chen mumbled, following along, "Thank you, Little Brother."

Mo Hua nodded, tacitly accepting the title.

"All Gui Shui Sect ships dock during the day; after sunset, around the hour of You, they'll all set sail together into the Yan Shui River."

"Some of the ships are ordinary pleasure vessels, meant for tourists to release lanterns and enjoy the scenery; others look identical on the outside, but their destinations and purposes are entirely different…"

Wang Chen said to Mo Hua.

"We have to wait until sunset…" Mo Hua murmured.

Wang Chen nodded. "But you can board early—I've arranged it with the senior brother in charge. I can bring you aboard ahead of time. You can wander around the ship, get familiar with the situation, and when the hour of You arrives, you'll naturally sail along with the fleet to your destination."

"Is that senior brother reliable?" Cheng Mo asked.

Wang Chen hesitated. "He's not particularly reliable—but he's greedy. I gave him some spirit stones; as long as it's about the spirit stones, he'll be dependable."

"Good." Mo Hua nodded.

After finalizing the plan, Wang Chen led Mo Hua and the others to a magnificent, luxurious pleasure boat.

Gui Shui Sect disciples guarded the boat's entrance; tourists boarded only with a token.

"Little Brother, wait a moment."

Wang Chen told Mo Hua and the others, then ran ahead to speak with a Gui Shui Sect senior brother.

The senior brother glanced at Mo Hua and the others from afar, gave a slight nod, then waved them over.

Mo Hua and the others stepped forward.

"Follow me…"

The Gui Shui Sect senior brother said, then walked ahead without waiting.

But he didn't lead them onto the boat—he took them instead to a quiet, isolated storage shed nearby, and blurted out:

"Ten thousand spirit stones each."

Mo Hua was startled. "That expensive?"

The Gui Shui Sect senior brother sneered. "Do you know where you're going? What kind of blissful pleasure den is that? Ten thousand spirit stones is already a discount—this is only because of Brother Wang's favor. Otherwise, it'd be at least eleven thousand."

Mo Hua hesitated, then gritted his teeth. "Fine…"

This was all for the investigation—if it were for himself, he'd never waste spirit stones like this.

Besides, he planned to get reimbursed by Uncle Gu later.

Hao Xuan and the others also felt the sting, but they were all noble heirs—they could afford it. And Mo Hua had said this was a Dao Ting Si assignment, with plenty of merit to be earned.

Merit couldn't be bought with spirit stones.

As long as merit could be gained, spending spirit stones was worth it.

If spirit stones were insufficient, valuable spirit artifacts could be used as equivalents.

Everyone handed over a storage pouch filled with spirit stones or spirit artifacts to the Gui Shui Sect senior brother.

But when it came to Mo Hua, the Gui Shui Sect senior brother stared at him left and right, pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed his mind and shook his head:

"He can't go."

"Why not?" Wang Chen asked in confusion.

The Gui Shui Sect senior brother looked serious. "Do you know exactly where I'm taking you?"

"Look at him," he pointed at Mo Hua and lowered his voice, "…does he look like someone who visits brothels?"

Mo Hua had had enough.

One refusal was bad enough—now he'd been rejected twice in a row.

Mo Hua exploded: "Why don't I look like someone who visits brothels?!"

Sister Situ quickly tugged his sleeve, her expression torn between amusement and exasperation.

This wasn't something worth arguing over…

There was no need to fight for pride.

But the Gui Shui Sect senior brother refused to let Mo Hua board—no matter what, not even with more spirit stones.

Wang Chen's pleas made no difference.

"I may have a small weakness—I enjoy earning spirit stones—but I can't break the rules above, not even in obvious ways."

His face is too young—no, absolutely not…

In the end, the conversation came to nothing; with no other option, Mo Hua was left alone, watching helplessly as Cheng Mo, Sister Situ, and Hao Xuan boarded the boat.

Mo Hua was angry, but also worried about Hao Xuan and the others.

Fortunately, he had prepared some measures beforehand.

Cheng Mo and the others each carried a talisman array he had prepared in advance, for self-protection in case of emergencies.

In addition, Mo Hua gave each of them a set of water-repelling armor and taught them spells to repel water and ward off demons, instructing them to abandon the boat at the first sign of trouble.

Sister Situ also held a message-seal.

It was exclusive to Dao Ting Si, specially obtained by Mo Hua from Gu Changhuai.

Yan Shui City is far from Grand Void Gate; without the Meta-Magnetic Core as a relay, once on the Yan Shui River, the Meta-Magnetic field weakens further—Grand Void Seal might not transmit messages.

Thus, a message-seal that does not rely on the Meta-Magnetic array relay, but can transmit one-to-one within a limited range, was essential.

As for Mo Hua himself, he could only find another way to sneak aboard.

Mo Hua wandered around outside.

Within Yan Shui City, branches of the Yan Shui River flowed through, so there were many piers, each now crowded with elegant pleasure boats.

All these pleasure boats set out onto the Yan Shui River precisely at the hour of You.

But the problem was, from the outside, all the boats blended together—colorful and dazzling—with no way to tell which were ordinary pleasure boats and which were hidden brothel vessels, the "Crimson Boats."

Even if found, one still had to find a way to board them.

Mo Hua tried several times, but found he could neither locate the Crimson Boats nor devise any good way to sneak aboard.

With noon approaching, he decided to find somewhere to eat, hoping a full stomach might bring fresh ideas.

With time limited, Mo Hua chose convenience and picked a small eatery near the marketplace, ordered a few favorite dishes, and ate his noodles until satisfied.

At checkout, it cost five spirit stones.

The shopkeeper, holding the five spirit stones, beamed and kept praising Mo Hua.

But Mo Hua suddenly grew still.

Five…

Ordinary diligent cultivators earned spirit stones one by one, and spent them one by one.

Yet on the pleasure boats…

A single ticket cost one hundred thousand spirit stones.

Mo Hua turned and glanced around.

Between the market stalls, most were petty vendors, their business transactions rarely exceeding one or two spirit stones.

Even so, they labored hard, enduring hardship without complaint.

In this world, some cultivators struggled to survive on just a few spirit stones.

Yet others squandered one hundred thousand—or even millions—on fleeting pleasures.

Yan Shui City's lantern festival bustled with traffic, seemingly prosperous.

But was this prosperity truly real?

Beneath this splendor, who would spare a glance for these impoverished cultivators?

Mo Hua's pupils narrowed, his heart filled with indescribable emotion.

"The way of man diminishes the insufficient to serve the surplus."

This so-called "prosperity" might merely be the manifestation of human exploitation pushed to its extreme.

When things reach their peak, they reverse; when splendor peaks, it declines.

Prosperity born of exploitation is, at its core, merely a phase of decay.

Mo Hua unexpectedly thought of the Qian Ancestor of Great Heishan, of his master's uncle who bred Dao Nai, and sighed silently.

…

After eating, Mo Hua continued wandering through Yan Shui City.

But there was still no progress regarding the Crimson Boats.

"Should I go find Uncle Gu and sneak aboard with him?"

Mo Hua considered it, then shook his head.

Uncle Gu's side had too many Dao Ting Si members; such covert investigations could not involve them.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Besides, he couldn't let Uncle Gu know he'd been denied boarding simply because he "didn't look like a man who visits brothels."

"Then what should I do?"

Mo Hua thought and thought, found no solution, and decided to cast a divination.

He entered a teahouse, rented a private room, ordered a pot of Yunwu tea, and amid swirling mist, drew out three copper coins.

"What to divine? Crimson Boats?"

Mo Hua paused, about to toss the coins—when suddenly, his heart jolted.

Before his eyes, black-purple karmic threads coiled, and a giant poppy flower opened its mouth, as if to swallow him whole…

Mo Hua's pupils flared; he clenched the coins tightly and halted the divination.

"Cannot divinate…"

The three characters "Crimson Boats" contained immense karmic weight.

As if divining them would trigger something, alert certain people, and draw him into unknown dangers…

The vision just now was an intuitive karmic omen.

"Cannot divinate… then what?"

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, stirred his spiritual sense, and suddenly realized it wasn't that calculation was impossible—it was that the three characters "Yanzhi Zhou" could not be calculated.

Yanzhi Zhou could not be calculated; doing so would invite karmic hazards, but that did not mean other matters could not be calculated.

He could approach obliquely, starting from other matters.

What other matters?

Water Yama? Gui Shui Sect? Smoke Water River altar?

The karmic ties tied to these all seemed significant…

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, his eyes brightening.

"Sister Ye!"

Sister Ye might merely have been a "trivial" victim in the Yanzhi Zhou incident, but her karmic thread could serve as a Yan Yinzi.

Mo Hua spread his palm again, silently murmured "Ye Jin's death," then tossed the copper coin; when it fell back into his palm, he examined the hexagram.

Two heads, one tail.

The two heads-up coins were stacked atop each other.

"What does this mean?"

Mo Hua was confused.

He had no systematic Heavenly Fate transmission; he couldn't even read the basic copper coin divination hexagrams.

Does this mean the killer is two people?

One head, one tail.

But why are these two heads-up coins stacked together?

Mo Hua couldn't figure it out; he decided to make the calculation simpler.

"The killer who killed Ye Jin…"

No, Sister Ye Jin committed suicide.

The killer who drove her to death?

There might be many such people—hard to calculate…

Then he could only calculate "those connected to Ye Jin…"

Mo Hua tossed the copper coins again; this time the hexagram was much simpler: three coins lined up in a row, with white karmic energy drifting above them.

It pointed to… direction?

Mo Hua guessed and speculated, feeling his calculation must be right.

He tucked away the coins, paid for his tea, left the teahouse, and walked straight ahead, following the direction of the white karmic energy on the coins.

He passed through streets, crossed market districts, reached the ferry dock, and crossed a row of colorful spirit boats; the karmic energy finally lingered before a noticeably smaller, older pleasure boat.

Mo Hua looked up, studying it carefully.

The boat bore no obvious markings; he could not tell which sect or clan it belonged to.

Moreover, the boat was clearly old, its layout outdated; he could not tell what it had once been used for, now hastily converted into a pleasure boat.

Among the lavish pleasure boats, the vessel itself was unremarkable.

At this moment, crowds flowed back and forth—some boarding, some disembarking—but all required a token.

"Does this boat hold karmic ties to Sister Ye Jin?"

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

The boat was protected by a Manifestation Array; without a token, he could not slip in, so he found a nearby teashop, sat down, and observed for a while.

After about half an hour, Mo Hua, sipping tea, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart; he looked up and saw a green-robed cultivator descending from the boat.

The man was middle-aged, his cultivation aura roughly at Foundation Establishment peak, his hair half-white, expression calm, gaze indifferent, yet with a trace of sorrow and stubbornness in his eyes.

Cultivators passing by bowed and greeted him.

He returned each greeting in turn.

"Water Yama?" Mo Hua's gaze sharpened, then he muttered inwardly, "But it's not him…"

Water Yama had one arm severed by Gu Uncle; his injuries were severe.

This green-robed cultivator bore no wounds.

His aura also differed from Water Yama's.

As he pondered, the green-robed cultivator disembarked and walked straight to a nearby tavern.

Mo Hua hesitated briefly, then followed; he saw the green-robed cultivator ascend alone to the second floor, enter a private room, seemingly to discuss matters—soon after, two other cultivators descended.

These two cultivators wore casual attire, but Mo Hua sensed their strong water-spirit energy.

"They're from Gui Shui Sect…"

And as they walked, they muttered:

"This old bastard—he hires his boat without haggling…"

"…got him good…"

They seemed to be discussing a deal.

Though their voices were low, Mo Hua still heard them.

After they left, Mo Hua pondered briefly, then made up his mind.

He rose, went upstairs, found the green-robed cultivator's private room, and without pretense, pushed the door open.

Inside, the green-robed cultivator, deep in thought and frowning, was startled by the sudden intrusion; his expression flickered with irritation.

But when he saw Mo Hua's face, he froze.

"Young Master, we don't seem to know each other?"

The green-robed cultivator said, his gaze darkening slightly.

"Not knowing me doesn't matter—now you know."

Mo Hua didn't waste words; he got straight to the point: "I'd like to ask you for a small favor."

The green-robed cultivator frowned and asked cautiously, "What favor?"

Mo Hua said slowly, "Take me aboard. I'm going where you're going tonight."

Upon hearing this, the green-robed cultivator's expression changed instantly, and he sneered:

"Young Master, don't joke. My ship is already full—I can't take you on."

With that, he swept his sleeve and rose to leave.

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Ye Hong."

The green-robed cultivator froze, turned to look at Mo Hua, and regarded him with solemn eyes: "You know me?"

Then, after a brief thought, he suddenly understood.

Only someone who knew him would dare approach him so boldly.

He studied Mo Hua again.

Mo Hua wore no sect robe, only ordinary clothing. Though plain, his face was as beautiful as jade, his gaze clear as water, and his bearing extraordinary—no less imposing than this elder who had spent years within his clan.

The green-robed cultivator realized this young boy was of unknown origin and likely dangerous, so he said:

"Even if Young Master knows Ye Hong, it makes no difference—my ship is full, I cannot take anyone else. Young Master, take care. I take my leave..."

The green-robed cultivator gave a perfunctory bow and rose to leave.

He stared straight ahead, not glancing at Mo Hua once, passing him by—just as he was about to exit the private chamber, Mo Hua's cold voice came from behind:

"Your two children are both dead, aren't they..."

The green-robed cultivator trembled, whirled around, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Mo Hua, voice shaking:

"You... who are you?"

Mo Hua replied calmly, "Do you want revenge?"

The green-robed cultivator suppressed his emotions and spoke calmly:

"Birth, aging, sickness, death—these are the natural ways of life. Where there is life, there is death. All mortals are the same. My two children merely left before me..."

Mo Hua said, "Your son died on the Smoke Water River. His boat was overturned, his throat slit, then torn apart and devoured by water spirits..."

"Your daughter died in your sect. She set fire to herself, burning alive—so that, in agony and despair, she could become a vengeful ghost and punish those who killed her..."

Mo Hua's words, each syllable sharp as a dagger, pierced the man's heart.

The man clenched his fists tightly, nails digging into flesh. At last, he sighed, voice hollow:

"They're already dead. What use is speaking of this? I'm merely dragging out my remaining days..."

"No," Mo Hua shook his head, gazing at the green-robed cultivator, silent. "You want revenge."

He could sense the deep fury and boundless hatred within the man's soul.

Midlife, both children dead.

This unyielding hatred burned red as blood.

The green-robed cultivator's expression shattered—Mo Hua had exposed his hidden heart. Even a flicker of killing intent surfaced in his eyes.

Yet Mo Hua remained calm: "If you don't trust me, you'll never get revenge."

Never get revenge...

Never get revenge!!

These words enraged the green-robed cultivator. His long-suppressed malice surged forth, clouding his mind.

In an instant, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, fixed on Mo Hua with murderous intent—as if Mo Hua were his enemy.

Mo Hua showed no emotion. A faint golden swordlight flickered in his eyes.

The moment the green-robed cultivator's gaze met that swordlight, the killing intent and malice he had buried for so long collapsed like an avalanche, vanishing instantly.

He felt a piercing pain in his spirit, his mind growing foggy.

But Mo Hua held back—he struck only enough to awaken. Moments later, the man regained his senses, the malice gone, his mind clear again.

He looked at Mo Hua with lingering dread:

"You... who are you?"

Mo Hua's expression remained calm, silent.

The man understood Mo Hua had no intention of revealing his identity now, so he did not press further.

Then, frowning deeply, he hesitated long before sighing heavily and speaking slowly:

"Fine. If I can avenge my innocent children, I will do anything..."

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