Chapter 844: Poisonous Scheme

The door opened, and outside stood that Senior Brother Ma.

Seeing Ouyang Feng, he asked: "Senior Brother Feng, have you made your decision?"

Ouyang Feng remembered Mo Hua's words, his expression hesitant, then let out a slow sigh, as if having "resigned himself," and said helplessly:

"I agree."

Senior Brother Ma's face lit up; he bowed and said: "Senior Brother Feng, taking this step forward will open boundless horizons for you. The day our Tai'e Sect thrives is not far off."

Ouyang Feng returned the bow but said nothing.

"That junior sister from Hundred Blossom Valley? Consider her a gift marking your rise to glory. A night of passion is worth a thousand gold— I won't delay your good fortune."

After speaking, Senior Brother Ma studied Ouyang Feng's expression, his face showing slight unease. "Senior Brother Feng… you haven't taken the pill yet?"

Ouyang Feng replied coolly: "I wish to remain clear-headed."

Senior Brother Ma frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then nodded:

"True enough— a muddled mind takes away the fun. But without the pill, Senior Brother Feng… you may not fully enjoy yourself."

Ouyang Feng's brow darkened; his face instantly chilled, his gaze toward Senior Brother Ma turning sharp and hostile.

Senior Brother Ma felt a chill in his heart—he knew Ouyang Feng was upright and regarded Hua Qianqian as a younger sister, and would despise crude jests. He immediately forced a nervous smile.

If Ouyang Feng had refused Young Master's arrangement, he might still have had some backbone.

But now that Ouyang Feng had agreed, and would serve Young Master, and with his status and abilities would surely rise to become one of the "Young Masters" in the Inner Chamber, the gap in status was vast— Senior Brother Ma dared not show the slightest negligence.

As for that pill…

Once the deed was done, and the rice was cooked, whether or not he took the pill didn't matter much.

Or perhaps, once they grew addicted to carnal pleasure, they would eventually take the pill themselves.

Senior Brother Ma bowed and said: "A fine night, a beautiful scene— don't waste it. I'll lead the way. Senior Brother Feng, please."

Ouyang Feng gave a slight nod.

He turned back, glanced inside the room, then around him, knowing Mo Hua must be nearby, and finally exhaled softly in relief.

"Let's go."

Senior Brother Ma led Ouyang Feng—and the unseen Mo Hua lurking in the shadows—toward Hua Qianqian's room.

Soon, they reached the door of Hua Qianqian's chamber.

"Senior Brother Feng, make yourself at home. I won't disturb your good fortune," said Senior Brother Ma.

Ouyang Feng nodded, his expression calm, and walked straight inside.

"Senior Brother Feng…" Just before Ouyang Feng entered, Senior Brother Ma suddenly called out, his gaze sharpening:

"Don't blame me for not warning you— a man's life walks but one path. Once chosen, if you hesitate, waver, and vacillate, you'll be rejected by both sides, and end up with no path left— and only you will suffer."

Ouyang Feng glanced at Senior Brother Ma coolly. "I don't need you to teach me that."

Senior Brother Ma's brow twitched. "Good. Then you understand."

Ouyang Feng ignored him, opened the door, deliberately waited a moment, then stepped inside and closed it firmly behind him.

Senior Brother Ma stole a sidelong glance into the room but saw nothing— he felt a pang of regret.

Hua Qianqian's beauty and bearing stirred even his heart, but such fortune was never meant for him.

Such a woman— he had no right to touch her in his entire life.

Senior Brother Ma felt a mix of envy and resentment, turned, and walked to a secret chamber, knocking on the door.

The door opened, and Hua Ruyu stepped out. Seeing Senior Brother Ma, she asked: "How did it go?"

"Done."

"Did he take the pill?"

"He didn't take the pill, but he's resigned himself— he's already entered the room. With beauty before him, in this brothel of lust and perfume, no man could resist. The deed is certain."

Hua Ruyu nodded, then frowned slightly. "Even so, without the pill, it's still risky."

Senior Brother Ma thought a moment, then shook his head. "We can't press too hard now."

"Fine…"

Hua Ruyu knew overdoing it backfired. Given Ouyang Feng's nature, his agreeing was already a victory. Push too hard, and he might rebel.

As long as he tasted pleasure, sank deeper, step by step, he'd never turn back.

"For now, let it be. Wait a few hours, then check the situation. If they truly consummated it, everything will fall into place. Holding this scandal over them, we'll control these two doomed lovers for life."

Senior Brother Ma nodded, yet still puzzled. "But it's just a fleeting affair. Even if they did something, isn't it just a romantic trifle? Not that serious, right?"

"Do you understand anything?" Hua Ruyu shot him a cold look. "To men like you, perhaps it's just a trifle. But for a woman, it's different."

"Besides, Ouyang Feng isn't an ordinary man. He's the eldest disciple of Tai'e Sect, virtually the designated sect leader. Even if he doesn't become leader, he'll be an absolute power-holding elder. He needs prestige— he must appear upright to command respect. This trifle? It's just dirty water. For him, it's no blessing."

"Moreover…"

Hua Ruyu smiled darkly. "This trifle could happen anywhere— but never here, on the Rouge Boat."

"Why?" Senior Brother Ma didn't understand.

Hua Ruyu sneered coldly:

"What kind of place is the Rouge Boat? Who comes and goes here? Elsewhere, you might say two hearts were drawn together, passion overwhelming reason. But here, any taint of impropriety is nothing but the dealings of a client and a courtesan."

"How can a lustful worm become sect leader? How can a courtesan ever be lawfully wed? Behind their backs, countless fingers will point, countless whispers will cut. That's why I say— with their status, if they truly do this, they're doomed, never to rise again."

Hua Ruyu's expression turned icy. "If Ouyang Feng were alone, he might never truly serve us. But once Hua Qianqian is dragged in, he's got a leash. For the little sister he grew up with, he'll endure humiliation— he'll never dare rise up…"

Senior Brother Ma was startled inwardly, thinking: Truly, the most poisonous hearts are women's.

This seemingly ordinary romance concealed such vile schemes and calculations.

How many others had this Hua Ruyu tricked with this very method…?

Thinking of this, when he looked again at her pale, exquisite face, he felt no lingering desire— only a cold shiver down his spine.

"Enough," Hua Ruyu said. "Regardless, tonight is Young Master Ouyang's night of pleasure. Let him revel in it— we've fulfilled our task."

"Yes." Senior Brother Ma nodded slowly.

……

Inside a boudoir draped in pink gauze.

Hua Qianqian was bound, her mouth gagged as well. She looked up and saw Ouyang Feng enter the door, first startled, then overjoyed.

But then she suddenly froze, gradually understanding something in her heart. Her face went slightly pale, her eyes filled with disappointment, anger, pain, and contempt.

These shifting emotions were seen plainly by Ouyang Feng. His feelings were complicated and hard to describe; he even felt a touch of shame at his own unworthiness.

If not for Mo Hua, a single stray thought might well have truly made him into the sort of person who inspires disappointment, anger, and contempt.

Ouyang Feng removed the cloth gag from Hua Qianqian's mouth.

Hua Qianqian, like a startled fawn, shrieked:

"Don't come any closer!"

Ouyang Feng froze, then sighed, "Qianqian, I've come to rescue you."

"I don't believe it!" Hua Qianqian's eyes reddened slightly, her pretty face fierce. "Don't take me for a fool. What kind of place is this? How could you just walk in so easily? If you can stroll in so brazenly, you must be in cahoots with those villains. You, you want to…"

Hua Qianqian was both frantic and furious. By the end, tears were already streaming from the corners of her eyes.

"It's really…" Ouyang Feng sighed.

Hua Qianqian simply didn't believe him.

No matter what Ouyang Feng said, she didn't believe him.

Just then, a clear, crisp voice rang out, "Senior Sister Qianqian, we really are here to rescue you."

The voice was very familiar. Hua Qianqian suddenly froze.

The corners of her eyes still bore tear-stains. She turned her head blankly and saw another dear figure suddenly appear beside her.

"Mo… Junior Brother Mo?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded, then said, "Senior Sister, don't worry. Let me undo the chains on you first."

The Spirit-Binding Shackles on Hua Qianqian used three of the twelve Spirit-Binding Arrays of the Dao Ting Si.

Mo Hua dealt with the Dao Ting Si year-round, and was very interested in things like Spirit-Binding Shackles. He had even specially "borrowed" a few sets from Gu Changhuai to study them in detail. So unlocking the array and the shackles was quite familiar work for him.

Of course, the borrowed Spirit-Binding Shackles had been completely dismantled beyond repair, and Mo Hua didn't have the nerve to return them.

Mo Hua took out an iron stylus the size of a needle, dipped it in spiritual ink, carved a few array patterns onto the chains, and the Spirit-Binding Shackles on Hua Qianqian were undone.

The moment the Spirit-Binding Shackles came off, before Mo Hua could say anything, he suddenly felt a fragrance rushing toward his face.

Hua Qianqian threw herself straight at him, hugging him tight, weeping like pear blossoms in the rain.

"Mo… Junior Brother Mo, you scared me to death…"

She had been pampered since childhood and was by no means a person of strong will. Earlier she had only been in a perilous situation, isolated and without help, and so had forced herself to keep a shred of spirit, enduring with great difficulty.

Now that she saw Mo Hua, it was as if she had seen a family member. The fear and grievance in her heart suddenly surged out, and unable to restrain herself for the moment, she hugged Mo Hua tightly, wiping her tears and snot all over him.

Mo Hua only felt a fragrant softness filling his arms, a soft body clinging tightly to him. He nearly couldn't catch his breath.

He was somewhat helpless and could only pat Hua Qianqian on the back, gasping, "Alright, Senior Sister Qianqian, it's fine now…"

Hua Qianqian sobbed for a while before realizing she was hugging Mo Hua and had even rubbed her tears all over his clothes. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she slowly let Mo Hua go, sitting down obediently.

Mo Hua said gently, "I've discussed it with Senior Brother Feng. He'll be in the open, I'll be in the shadows. We'll get you out, Senior Sister. Don't worry."

"Mm," Hua Qianqian nodded obediently.

Seeing Hua Qianqian's emotions settle, Ouyang Feng also breathed a sigh of relief. Then he rose, checked the surroundings, and went to the door to sense for a moment. Confirming there was no problem, he said:

"Let's think of a way to escape from this Rouge Boat. The others don't matter, but Qianqian must be sent away. We can't let anyone discover she's here, and it's best not to let anyone know she ever appeared on this Rouge Boat…"

Though this was his first time on this Rouge Boat, he understood it better than most.

Such a filthy place was absolutely no place for a woman. It was best not to have any connection to it at all, or it would give people something to gossip about, and no amount of washing in a lifetime would clean it away.

An ordinary cultivator might not care, but the greater the noble clan, the more they valued such reputations.

Moreover, Hua Qianqian was still the legitimate daughter of the Hua family of Hundred Flowers Valley.

Though Mo Hua was not very clear on the affairs of noble clans, he vaguely sensed the gravity of the matter.

But as things stood now, it didn't seem easy to rescue her.

He himself knew concealment and was skilled in arrays, so it wasn't much of a problem, but Senior Brother Feng and Senior Sister Qianqian couldn't manage it. Moreover, both of them were being watched.

Even if they got off the Rouge Boat, outside was the vast, misty Yanshui River. They still couldn't escape.

Ouyang Feng thought for a while, then turned to look at Mo Hua. "Junior Brother Mo, you… didn't come aboard alone, did you?"

"I did come aboard alone," Mo Hua said, "but I have people behind me."

"People?"

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded and said quietly, "It's the Dao Ting Si."

Ouyang Feng was inwardly astonished upon hearing this.

Junior Brother Mo was indeed deeply connected with the Dao Ting Si.

And the Dao Ting Si…

Ouyang Feng frowned. He hadn't expected that the Dao Ting Si would truly dare—and be able—to investigate all the way to the Rouge Boat, and at just the right time tonight.

He couldn't shake a feeling that something was off.

"The Dao Ting Si is going to move against the Rouge Boat tonight?"

"That was the plan," Mo Hua nodded. "But the water route of the Guishui Sect is well hidden, and this Rouge Boat is shrouded in thick fog. The Dao Ting Si people lost their bearings. Only I happened to slip in along with them by chance."

"Although I gave them a lead, the fog is too thick. They may not be able to find their way over…"

At this point, Mo Hua suddenly said, "Wait a moment, let me ask again."

He had been busy running back and forth keeping watch, without a moment's leisure. Now that he had a spare moment, he took out his Message Jade and sent a message to Gu Changhuai:

"Uncle Gu, have you found the way?"

For a long time, Gu Changhuai did not reply.

"Could this thick fog even block the sensing of magnetic essence?" Mo Hua muttered.

Just then, the message talisman trembled; Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, and when he looked again, he saw a message from Gu Changhuai:

"Found it."

Mo Hua exhaled in relief, yet also found it hard to believe. "They actually found it?"

Gu Changhuai only said: "The Xia family has deep connections…"

The Xia family…

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

In the Gui Shui Sect, someone must have been a spy for the Xia family, slipping ashore before the boat sank.

This matter, it seemed, had far more secrets he didn't know.

"Where are you now?" Mo Hua asked.

Gu Changhuai said: "Dao Ting Si has mobilized forces, divided into seven water routes, racing along the Crimson Boat's path—but the Yan Shui River is vast, and this strange fog obscures everything. Spiritual sense can't reach far, so we don't know the exact location."

"I see…" Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, "Let me see if I can make some noise to point you in the right direction."

Gu Changhuai frowned, then said: "Be careful. There's likely a Gui Shui Sect Jin Dan on the Crimson Boat."

"Jin Dan?" Mo Hua froze.

But after thinking, it seemed normal enough.

Though the Crimson Boat was only second-grade, carrying mostly Foundation Establishment disciples and sailing only within second-grade territories, it still needed a Jin Dan to hold the line.

"Only one?" Mo Hua asked.

Gu Changhuai sighed. "What are you thinking? Jin Dan aren't cabbage. In third-grade families, Jin Dan can be ancestral elders."

"The Gui Shui Sect is doing something beneath notice—so they'd want as few people involved as possible. Besides, this is second-grade territory. If nothing goes wrong, one Jin Dan is enough. If something does go wrong, even a Liu Yuhua won't help."

Mo Hua nodded, agreeing. He asked:

"Do you know who this Jin Dan is?"

Gu Changhuai: "No leads yet. Most Gui Shui Sect elders are under surveillance, but after checking everyone, no one stands out as suspicious."

Mo Hua frowned. "That's strange…"

"Just be careful," Gu Changhuai said. "I'm holding the message talisman. If anything happens, tell me immediately."

Gu Changhuai paused, then added: "If things get truly dangerous, don't hold back. Let loose—make as much noise as you can. We'll spot the disturbance, identify the direction, and rush over immediately…"

Mo Hua found this odd.

What did "don't hold back" and "make noise" even mean?

He always operated quietly—how could he possibly make much noise?

Still, Mo Hua replied: "Alright."

After their conversation ended, Mo Hua fell into thought. Ouyang Feng watched him silently, then asked after a while: "How's it going?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said: "Dao Ting Si is on the way, but the fog is too thick—they can't find their way. I need to figure out how to guide them here…"

Ouyang Feng thought for a moment, then spoke with a solemn expression:

"Can we slip Qianqian out during the chaos?"

Dao Ting Si personnel are too complex. If they surround the Crimson Boat and discover Hua Qianqian during the search, this will become a scandal.

Even if we explain it, with so many ears, we can't control what people say.

There's a crime called "others believe you are guilty."

Mo Hua glanced at Hua Qianqian's tear-stained face and nodded. "Alright."

Mo Hua had considered it: the Crimson Boat affair was beyond his ability to resolve.

It involved the Young Master Pavilion, various clans, and sects—its depths were immense. He couldn't manage it, and had no reason to wade into such murky waters.

His goal was to lend a small hand—to drive the tiger to devour the wolf.

Lure Dao Ting Si, the tiger, to devour the Crimson Boat, the wolf, then exploit the chaos to fish in troubled waters.

As for the hidden calculations of the various factions behind it all—he was outside the scheme, knew little, couldn't see through it, and had no need to worry about it now.

His task was to protect Sister Qianqian, and if an opportunity arose, find that altar.

Mo Hua discussed further with Ouyang Feng, and a rough plan formed in his mind.

He concealed his presence, crept to the outside of the Crimson Boat, and laid out a smoke-and-fire array along its hull, preparing to trigger fireworks at the right moment to draw Dao Ting Si closer.

But after setting it up, Mo Hua suddenly remembered Gu Shu's words: "Don't hold back…"

Mo Hua pondered, then decided to "follow the good advice." Outside the smoke-and-fire array, he laid down a high-grade second-grade Fire Array, the Li Fire Array, and the Golden Blade Array, among others.

These arrays were deadly—powerful killing arrays. Once detonated, they might sink the entire boat.

These high-grade arrays were all newly learned by Mo Hua, never yet tested for their full power.

In the sect, there was nothing to blow up—these arrays had no use.

Now, however, was perfect: a ready-made spiritual boat to destroy.

Mo Hua also wanted to see how powerful these arrays truly were, and whether any adjustments were needed.

Not just the central grand flower-boat—he also planted fire-based killing arrays around nearby spiritual boats.

The cultivators aboard were busy with their "important business," paying no attention to anything else, so none realized what terrible things had been laid upon their vessel.

After completing the setup, Mo Hua checked everything once more and nodded.

These arrays wouldn't be detonated yet—too soon would alarm the enemy.

He'd wait until Gu Shu sent word, then trigger them in sync—amid the chaos, when Dao Ting Si arrived to surround the boat, everything should proceed smoothly.

After preparing everything, Mo Hua returned to the boat.

He planned to find a way to get Sister Qianqian off the boat before the arrays detonated and Dao Ting Si closed in.

Mo Hua still remembered the location of Hua Qianqian's secret chamber, but when he arrived there with ease, his expression suddenly changed.

The door was open; there was killing intent inside.

And there was… the stench of blood.

Mo Hua's gaze darkened; he immediately concealed himself, stepped as lightly as a feather, and slowly entered the secret chamber.

The room was in disarray, the screen shattered, sword marks scarred every surface—as if a fierce battle had just taken place.

On one side of the room, Hua Qianqian's face was pale as paper, her eyes filled with fear.

Ouyang Feng stood before Hua Qianqian, gripping a long sword, his eyes brimming with murderous intent, yet his aura was weak.

Blood stained his lips; a whip wound slashed across his shoulder, oozing blood all the way down to his chest…

Across from the two, another person stood.

The man's face was grim, his eyes gleaming with malice; one hand held a long whip, the other arm was gone, and thick waves of deadly aura radiated from him.

It was Shui Yanluo.

yifan

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