Chapter 841: The Whores

Thick fog saturated with the aura of a demonic god!

Very similar to the demonic mist that hung over the small fishing village before.

Mo Hua felt a faint intuition: he was drawing closer to what he sought.

Hidden within the thick mist spreading across the Yan Shui River was likely the altar.

Moreover, this aura was far stronger than that of the Bishan Demon Cave or the altar at the fishing village's River God Temple.

This altar was certainly no ordinary one!

Mo Hua's gaze brightened slightly, a quiet anticipation stirring within him.

Yet at the same time, a warning prickled in his mind—as if something "terrible" lurked within the mist, within the altar, holding some unknown danger.

"What could it be…"

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

The spirit boat continued sailing deeper into the fog, surrounded by suffocating night, heavy and oppressive.

After a long while, the spirit boat came to a stop.

The thick mist seemed to have thinned somewhat.

Yet Mo Hua's soul stirred restlessly, as if something were persistently tugging at his inner desires.

This tugging was extremely subtle; had Mo Hua not cultivated the Shocking Spirit Sword and Blood Hell Pupil Technique, and sensed his seven soul fragments, he might not have noticed such a minute change at the soul level.

"The mist has thinned, but desire has grown thicker."

"The outer mist is dense to deter outsiders from peering in…"

"But this inner mist, though appearing thinner, secretly lures one's 'desires,' stirring excitement…"

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened.

After the spirit boat stopped, silence fell outside. After a moment, someone knocked on the door and whispered:

"Honored guest, please close your door. Do not step outside."

Mo Hua glanced at Ye Hong; Ye Hong also frowned, puzzled.

He had never been here before—he knew none of the rules or hidden tricks of the Yan Zhi Boat.

"Let's wait inside for now, and observe what happens…" Mo Hua said.

"Mm." Ye Hong nodded.

After another while, water sounds arose outside—sparse, drifting from afar toward them.

It seemed another vessel was approaching, followed by light, nimble footsteps, as if someone had boarded.

Mo Hua faintly sensed a cloying scent of cosmetics—those who boarded were likely a group of women.

At the same time, soft, alluring voices drifted in, rising and falling, tugging at the heartstrings.

Mo Hua frowned; he knew—the Yan Zhi Boat's "business" had begun…

After another incense stick's time, the commotion outside ceased.

Then someone knocked again: "Thank you for your patience, the feast may now begin."

The person outside spoke only once, then left, moving to knock on the next door, repeating the same words: "Thank you for your patience, the feast may now begin."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Everyone stepped out, converging toward the grand hall.

Mo Hua pondered a moment, then said to Ye Hong: "I'll go take a look. You… stay here. Don't go out yet."

Though Ye Hong was at the peak of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation meant nothing on the Yan Zhi Boat.

Moreover, his appearance clearly marked him as a secluded elder who spent his days managing family affairs, rarely engaging in combat—he had little experience or skill in killing.

Not to mention, he carried the burden of his children's vengeance, his emotions weighed down—he might not control his temper or act calmly if trouble arose.

So it was better for him to stay in the cabin.

Bearing his children's vengeance, Ye Hong did not wish to stay behind—but he was no fool; he knew he understood too little, and reckless probing could backfire and ruin everything. So he clenched his teeth, bowed to Mo Hua, and said:

"Then… I entrust it to Young Master."

Ye Hong bowed deeply to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded, then suppressed his aura and slowly opened the door.

The instant the door opened, a wave of cosmetic scent surged in, mingling with the thick mist and intertwining with its desires, making the heart itch unbearably.

Mo Hua turned his spiritual awareness inward, held his breath, steadied his heart, and cast aside distractions—only then did he suppress this base desire and purify his mind.

Outside, many were already gathered, in small groups, heading toward the grand hall.

Dressed as a servant, Mo Hua quietly followed.

The cultivators along the way, stirred by desire, were too distracted to notice Mo Hua.

Before reaching the grand hall, faint music and dance sounds drifted toward them. After walking a while longer and entering the hall, Mo Hua looked up—and saw that the stage once used for daytime opera had now changed its performance.

A group of elaborately adorned women, veiled in translucent gauze, wore thin robes and danced gracefully to stringed music.

Beneath the sheer gauze, their snow-white bodies flickered in and out of view.

The hall's guests stared with drooling eyes, entranced and spellbound.

Mo Hua also stared blankly for a moment, then grew bored.

Is this it?

What's so impressive about half-naked women flouncing around?

Mo Hua shook his head.

Still, now that he was in the hall, he needed to observe the situation.

So he continued playing the part of a servant, suppressing his aura, standing in the corner, occasionally serving tea or pouring wine—utterly unremarkable.

The hall was already crowded and noisy; no one could possibly uncover him.

Mo Hua observed in silence.

After watching for a while, he began to discern some patterns.

This was a "business"; the women on stage were all "merchandise," and the so-called music and dance were merely methods of self-display.

As merchandise, naturally, they were ranked by quality.

The women on stage were divided into tiers; their "value" differed, and so did the cultivators who attended to them.

Mo Hua was not certain whether all of them were truly forced.

From just a few glances, Mo Hua could roughly judge that some of the women were indeed forced.

Though veiled, their brows and eyes carried a layer of sorrow, clearly unwilling.

But others were different.

Some wore cold indifference, others seemed accustomed, and still others had ulterior motives—their eyes and brows were sultry, fawning over the men.

Some women even looked delighted.

As if flattered by their beauty making so many men obsessed and adoring, they felt vanity and self-indulgence.

"Human hearts are indeed complex…"

Mo Hua sighed softly.

Besides the women, the men in the hall were also different.

Some truly came here to indulge in wine and women.

They ate fine dishes, drank fine wine, watched the women's seductive dances, and wore dazed expressions.

Some, as they watched, grew hungry-eyed, summoned a servant, and named a dancing woman; the servant nodded and went to arrange it.

Afterwards, the man rose and returned to his room, and another woman took the stage.

What happened after he returned to his room, Mo Hua did not fully understand, but he could guess roughly.

These were one kind of man.

Yet some young lords were entirely different.

Their interest clearly lay not in women, but in holding wine cups, circulating to toast, flattering, and forging connections.

They formed cliques and factions among themselves.

Within the Ganxue region, the sects formed one circle.

Private associations between disciples of different sects and different noble families formed another circle.

Outside, visiting and befriending were merely ordinary social ties.

But here, drinking together and engaging in amorous affairs naturally created extraordinary bonds.

They were all noble youths, sect prodigies, endowed with exceptional talent and boundless futures, likely to hold key positions in their families, sects, and other major powers, even within the Dao Ting Si and the Central Dao Ting.

Now, using beauty as coal, they forged connections; in the future, they could unite as one, aiding each other for personal gain.

Those of noble birth could enhance their status further by befriending others.

Those of lower birth must actively cling and expand their networks.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

No wonder the admission fee was so high—ten thousand spirit stones.

This was not merely a ticket for "entertainment."

To those with intent, this ticket to the Yanzhi Boat was equivalent to an "entrance pass" to the noble elite.

Mo Hua looked around again.

The cultivators at the tables looked unfamiliar to him; he recognized almost none.

But their faces were young, their demeanor arrogant; one glance told him they were all noble sect disciples.

They likely included disciples from the Sida Sect, the Eight Gates, the Twelve Streams, even the Hundred Sects of Ganxue, and some beneath them.

Mo Hua watched, secretly startled, his gaze solemn.

This situation might be even more serious than he thought…

Besides these people, there were some young lords who were special.

They possessed deep cultivation and an extraordinary aura; now, in the hall, they drank alone, barely glancing at the women on stage, as if these women were merely "common cosmetics."

Mo Hua, while serving tea and water, secretly watched them.

Halfway through the feast, some officials approached, respectfully walking to these clearly more exalted disciples and speaking softly.

The hall was noisy; Mo Hua was far away, but he caught fragments like "already prepared," "please proceed," and similar phrases.

Then, as if understanding, these men rose one by one, left the banquet, and walked toward the hall's exit.

Some servants followed.

Mo Hua's heart stirred.

"Something's up!"

He thought for a moment, his eyes flickered, and he quietly shifted his steps, blending naturally into the group.

There were many servants in the group; one more or less made no difference.

Moreover, his movements were natural, his expression calm, and having served wine all afternoon in the hall, no one suspected him.

And in this group, everyone walked in silence, no one spoke to him; naturally, he could not be exposed.

The Yanzhi Boat's "screening" occurred mainly at boarding, where security was extremely strict.

Once aboard, the rules became considerably looser.

Probably because those aboard were all "esteemed guests"; strict inspections on the boat would easily offend people.

The group walked silently out of the hall.

Mo Hua followed with a serious face, joining the crowd through the corridor to the deck, where thick night mist shrouded everything, the river dark and hazy, the scenery unseen—only the linked spirit boats, glowing with lanterns, sailed upon the misty waters.

Under the cover of night, these bright lanterns carried an air of strangeness.

Between the spirit vessels, iron chains connected them, with narrow bridges laid atop the chains for cultivators to pass between the vessels.

At this moment, not just on Mo Hua's vessel, but on every spirit vessel, the special "distinguished guests" had come to the deck, moving along the iron-chain bridges toward the center of the long line of vessels.

Mo Hua lowered his head, hands hanging at his sides, silently following along; less than a cup of tea's time later, he reached the central vessel—a much larger, more ornate, and extravagantly crafted ship.

Everyone boarded the large ship.

And many among them, at some point, had already donned masks, concealing their faces, as if unwilling to reveal their true identities.

Of course, some remained unmasked, open and unhidden.

After boarding the large ship, the "grand spectacle" Mo Hua had expected did not materialize.

Inside the ship, there was no larger, more luxurious hall, no crowd of revelers, no decadent scenes of wine pools and meat forests.

Instead, the interior of the ship was remarkably subdued, divided into countless small private chambers.

From the outside, all the private chambers looked nearly identical.

These special "distinguished guests," holding their tokens, walked to their respective chambers, opened the doors, entered, and never emerged again.

What would happen afterward, Mo Hua did not know.

The line continued forward; more and more people entered rooms, leaving fewer and fewer behind.

Mo Hua, as he passed a corner, naturally turned aside, then vanished with a concealment technique—disappearing without a trace.

After concealing himself, Mo Hua found a secluded corner in the cabin, crouched quietly, and began pondering what to do next…

This large ship was completely unlike what he had imagined.

All secrets had been divided and sealed within individual private chambers, leaving him at a loss where to begin.

Even if he wanted to investigate, he had no idea which chamber to start with.

If he chose the wrong one, exposed himself, and was discovered, he would be adrift on the Smoke Water River—with no village ahead, no inn behind—likely doomed.

But most importantly, how could he break into these private chambers?

Mo Hua selected a nearby private chamber, let his gaze shift, and used the Heavenly Mechanism Calculations to deduce its structure several times; he finally had a rough idea, and silently exhaled in relief.

"Good, it's only a second-grade array…"

This ship was meant to host Foundation Establishment sect disciples and operated only within second-grade prefectures, so a second-grade array was sufficient.

Though second-grade, every single array was high-grade second-grade—clearly considerable effort had been invested.

The array types were numerous, covering the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, reinforcement, soundproofing, image projection, and even anti-penetration barrier arrays—diverse and varied.

Mo Hua's foundation in second-grade arrays was solid, and his knowledge broad; he could dismantle these chamber arrays, but it would take considerable time.

Moreover, people constantly passed along this corridor; any attempt to act would surely draw attention.

There was simply no opportunity for him to safely break the arrays.

"Is there another way?"

As Mo Hua pondered, footsteps suddenly approached nearby—someone was coming.

He immediately stilled his thoughts, held his breath, and concealed his form.

Many areas of this grand vessel were equipped with image-projection arrays, but not every single one.

Cultivators skilled in concealment might not detect the positions of these arrays.

But Mo Hua, being both a concealment cultivator and an expert array master, could spot image-projection arrays at a glance; finding a safe spot where concealment wouldn't be breached was not difficult.

Thus, Mo Hua remained still, hidden.

Soon after, someone walked past him.

It was a woman, clad in a pink silk robe, her figure graceful, leaving behind a faint floral scent wherever she passed.

She did not notice Mo Hua and walked straight past him.

Mo Hua had paid her no mind—until his peripheral vision caught her face, and he froze.

He didn't recognize her, but she seemed familiar…

Why?

Mo Hua was puzzled.

He strained his memory, then suddenly recalled.

Hundred Flowers Valley!

This pink-robed woman was a disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley.

Previously, through Hao Xuan's connection, he had first approached Wang Chen, attempting to board the Rouge Vessel via a winehouse in Gui Shui City—but failed.

On his way back, he noticed a Hundred Flowers Valley carriage departing Gui Shui City, found it suspicious, and followed it all the way to Hundred Flowers Valley.

Several beautiful female disciples had stepped down from the carriage and entered the valley; one of them was this very pink-robed woman who had just walked past him.

"Hundred Flowers Valley…"

Mo Hua's mind stirred; he quietly followed her.

The woman moved with light, agile steps, navigating the private chambers with familiarity—clearly well-acquainted with the vessel.

After about an incense stick's time, she stopped before a private chamber and knocked gently.

After a moment, the door opened, revealing a woman's face—delicate features, but heavily made up.

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This woman was… Hua Ruyu!

Mo Hua's heart gave a slight jolt.

She was on this ship too!

Hua Ruyu glanced left and right, saw no one else, and softly scolded, "Why are you so late?"

"I…"

Before the woman in pink could speak, Hua Ruyu shook his head. "Come in and talk."

"Mm."

The woman in pink nodded and entered Hua Ruyu's room.

Then Hua Ruyu closed the door.

Mo Hua frowned.

"Can't hear anything…"

Hua Ruyu must be up to something on this Lipstick Boat. And there's definitely a secret between her and this pink-robed disciple of the Hundred Flowers Valley.

But as soon as they shut the door, I can't hear a thing…

"I need to think of a way…"

The secret chamber adjoined the corridor; the door was sealed tightly, and the walls couldn't be broken through.

Then… try from outside?

Mo Hua remembered that outside the boat, by the water, there should be windows and doors.

He nodded, memorized the location of the secret chamber, then searched nearby for a path, finally finding a ventilation window at a corner at the end of the corridor.

Mo Hua climbed out through the window, then walked along the wooden beams of the Lipstick Boat until he reached the room where Hua Ruyu was.

Outside the room, there was indeed a window facing the water.

But this window was tightly shut; he could not see inside, nor hear a single sound.

"I need to break the formation on the window."

Generally, formations on the outside of a spirit boat are tighter than those inside.

Breaking a formation from outside is far harder than breaking it from inside.

Mo Hua felt uneasy, observing the formations on the door and window, then suddenly realized with surprise: the formation inscribed on the door and window was the Divine Mist Formation.

And beneath the Divine Mist Formation lay the Divine Lock Formation, within which lingered faint traces of malevolent energy—as if some demons or monsters were sealed inside.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then understood.

The defenses on the outside of a large Lipstick Boat must be stronger than those inside.

Therefore, someone had placed a dual Divine Dao formation on the exterior of this large Lipstick Boat, supplemented by sealed demons to prevent others from spying.

On a large Lipstick Boat, even the most complex ordinary formation could be cracked by someone.

But Divine Dao formations are different—these formations are nearly lost, almost no one knows how to use them; add some demons, and it becomes utterly foolproof.

Mo Hua had to nod in agreement. "It's indeed a good idea."

Then he unraveled the Divine Dao formation, and at the same time, the demonic thoughts sealed within the formation slipped into his mindsea, only to be instantly crushed by him.

Other formations would require more effort.

But Divine Dao formations were much simpler.

Mo Hua broke the formation, pulled out a small dagger, and quietly carved a tiny hole in the window, then pressed his eye to it.

Now he could see the interior.

A red-and-pink bed, a colorful phoenix screen, a rouge makeup case placed before the bed, exquisite jade artifacts scattered everywhere—clearly a woman's boudoir.

At this moment, Hua Ruyu sat across from the pink-robed disciple at the table, lips moving softly, speaking words he could not hear.

"No sound?"

Mo Hua froze.

There was also a soundproof formation inside the room.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, took out a silver needle, wrapped it with iron wire, and thrust it through the gap in the window into the key point of the soundproof formation.

On the silver needle, he engraved the Listening Formation with micro-carving technique.

The silk thread at the needle's end was wrapped around his ear—now he could hear the sounds within the room.

…

"Don't think so much…"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Beauty and figure are gifts from Heaven bestowed upon women—we must make full use of them…"

"But…"

"No 'buts'…"

"Think: your birth isn't noble. If you married normally, you'd only be matched with ordinary men. With your looks, how could any common man possibly be worthy of you?"

"On this Lipstick Boat, the cultivators who come and go are all scions of noble houses—high-ranking, prestigious. Even if you can't marry them, a few nights of fleeting intimacy won't leave you at a loss."

"Seize the opportunity—don't waste your beauty…"

"Let go of your meaningless pride and sense of shame, and you'll understand the pleasure…"

"Yes, Instructor…"

"Don't call me Instructor here."

"Yes, Sister."

"Alright, go now. Young Master Zhao is waiting for you."

"Mm."

The pink-robed disciple nodded, then, whether resigned or enlightened, her expression lightened slightly as she withdrew gracefully.

Mo Hua frowned.

What a fine instructor Hua Ruyu is—truly good at "teaching."

She's shameless herself, yet uses these arguments to corrupt others.

After the pink-robed disciple left, only Hua Ruyu remained in the room. She began to undress, preparing to bathe inside.

Mo Hua figured there was nothing worth watching, so he decided not to look.

Just at that moment, the knocking sounded again.

Hua Ruyu's gaze darkened slightly. He threw on a robe, walked to the door, glanced outside, and then, all smiles, welcomed the person in.

The visitor was a man wearing a mask, one sleeve hanging empty—he seemed to be missing an arm.

"Missing an arm…"

Mo Hua's pupils contracted.

Without needing to think further, once inside, the man took off his mask directly, revealing a fair, handsome, but somewhat sinister face.

Hua Ruyu stepped forward and embraced the man; the two gazed at each other, their eyes brimming with deep affection.

"Lang-lang, why have you only just come?"

"Did you miss me…"

"Mm, missed you terribly."

"My good Miao-er…"

Every word between them was full of tender longing.

Mo Hua listened until his teeth ached, and felt a bit nauseated.

A moment later, he couldn't help but secretly draw in a cold breath.

It really was Water Yama!

And this Water Yama actually had a thing going on with Hua Ruyu!

That shameless pair!

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