Chapter 35: Mistress of Meng Hua Lou

As Luo Feng sent word, Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Qingyan quickly headed toward his cave dwelling.

“Master, your cultivation retreat was far too short,” Mo Luo Sa returned first, landing beside him with evident discontent—his days of ease and leisure had been far too brief.

Luo Feng glanced at him: “Cultivation retreats naturally vary in length. Do you still have enough Cosmic Sand?”

“Master understands me,” Mo Luo Sa grinned foolishly. “I’m nearly out.”

“Use it sparingly,” Luo Feng tossed him a black jade vial.

Catching the vial, Mo Luo Sa scanned its contents—over a hundred Cosmic Sand grains and several piles of Chaotic Crystals—and his smile brightened immensely: “Master is truly benevolent; not a single soul in Hu Yang City is more generous than you.”

“Enough, enough—no more flattery,” Luo Feng chuckled.

He forbade Mo Luo Sa from causing trouble, yet the man had no income—he had to be given some pocket money.

At that moment, Mo Yu Qingyan also returned, piloting a small flying vessel. He retracted it and darted straight to Luo Feng’s side, bowing respectfully: “Master.”

“You’ve been enjoying yourself too, haven’t you?” Mo Luo Sa said from beside him. “Many factions have come to court me—surely they’ve also approached you.”

“Yes.”

Mo Yu Qingyan replied respectfully: “During your retreat, some factions in Hu Yang City couldn’t visit you, so they came to court me. I refused most, but I couldn’t refuse thirteen major factions—I accepted their gifts. Their total value amounts to roughly three hundred Cosmic Sand!”

After all, he was merely a servant; each faction’s gift to him wouldn’t be overly valuable, but out of respect for Luo Feng’s face, the major factions each gave at least ten Cosmic Sand.

“If Qingyan collected so much, you must have received even more,” Luo Feng said, turning to Mo Luo Sa. “You just said you were nearly out.”

Mo Luo Sa grinned foolishly—he’d accepted all the gifts, but had dismissed every request for favors: “Master knows, expenses in Hu Yang City are high.”

“Did they give you gifts with any requests attached?” Luo Feng asked.

“No requests,” Mo Luo Sa said. “I only gave them a communication seal imprint—they can contact me, and I’ll relay messages to you.”

“I also didn’t promise anything—just provided a way to reach me,” Mo Yu Qingyan added. “But my elder brother’s Master, the Eternal True God of the Zhu Clan, ‘Zhu You,’ asked me to deliver a message: he wishes to host a banquet for you.”

Luo Feng nodded: “The Zhu Clan is indeed the most powerful native family in Hu Yang City. It’s worth meeting.”

“Shall I notify Zhu You Shenjun?” Mo Yu Qingyan asked.

“Mm,” Luo Feng nodded.

Mo Yu Qingyan immediately sent the communication seal message, then quickly reported: “Master, Zhu You Shenjun invites you to meet tonight at Meng Hua Lou.”

“It’s been some time since I last visited Meng Hua Lou,” Luo Feng nodded. “Accept his invitation.”

……

When Luo Feng emerged from his retreat, Gao Wu Shui went to visit his Master, ‘Mo Li Xiao,’ of the Mo Li Clan.

“How far have you progressed in your comprehension of the ‘Three Swords Shatter Heaven Beast’?” Mo Li Xiao asked his favorite disciple.

“The Three Swords Shatter Heaven Beast is truly an Eternal-level mechanical relic,” Gao Wu Shui replied. “Even after studying it this long, I can barely perform all its techniques.”

Mo Li Xiao nodded approvingly: “Your willpower is extraordinary, and you excel in arrays. To have fully mastered all techniques of the Three Swords Shatter Heaven Beast so soon after becoming an Eternal True God—I knew I didn’t misjudge you!”

“Master, as a newly elevated Eternal True God, I’ve been promoted to one of the Ten Commanders of Hu Yang Guard. Many Eternal True Gods are resentful,” Gao Wu Shui said quietly.

The ten Generals of the Hu Yang Army and the ten Commanders of the Hu Yang Guard are all capable of commanding army-class mechanical relics. Mo Li Xiao himself commands one such army.

Thus, there are nineteen coveted positions.

Strength equals power, and power equals resources. Competition for these nineteen positions is fierce.

The five great families, along with their affiliates, have over a hundred Eternal True Gods! The intensity of competition is unimaginable. As a newly elevated Eternal True God, Gao Wu Shui’s seizure of one position naturally stirred resentment among many.

“Ignore those useless fools,” Mo Li Xiao said coolly. “Who wields a mechanical relic matters more than the relic itself! I command one army—and I can suppress the combined force of the other nine!”

“When you were a Void True God, your spiritual will already reached the peak of an Eternal True God. And you’re skilled in arrays—you’re naturally suited to command mechanical relics. Once you’ve accumulated enough, I’ll find an opportunity to have you take command of one of the Ten Hu Yang Armies.”

“Command one of the Ten Hu Yang Armies?” Gao Wu Shui was stunned—and felt immense pressure.

“The Ten Hu Yang Armies are far more important than the Hu Yang Guard. The difficulty of commanding mechanical relics is also much higher. You need sufficient accumulation—ideally, your spiritual will must break through to the Chaos Sovereign level. Only then will even the Lord’s Mansion not oppose your command of an army,” Mo Li Xiao said.

Gao Wu Shui nodded: “I understand.”

Even as a Void True God, his spiritual will had reached the peak of an Eternal True God. He was determined and eager to break through to the Chaos Sovereign level.

“Go,” Mo Li Xiao nodded.

Among all his disciples and subordinates, Gao Wu Shui was the most suited to command mechanical relics—hence Mo Li Xiao’s heavy investment in him.

Gao Wu Shui bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Walking through a garden in the Mo Li Clan’s cave dwelling, Mo Li Fei Yun and Diao Rong Qi, who had been waiting, immediately blocked his path.

“Senior Gao Wu,” Mo Li Fei Yun called out.

Gao Wu Shui had to stop, feeling a headache coming on.

He had reached Eternal True God status but had never pursued romantic love. In the Origin Continent, bloodline cultivation systems dominated, and flesh-based lifeforms could reproduce.

Yet life spans on the Origin Continent were generally immense—True Gods lived for thirty thousand cycles; Void True Gods lived endlessly.

They needed no food or drink—absorbing heavenly energy alone sustained them forever. Many cultivators had no intention of seeking partners.

Gao Wu Shui was no exception.

Cultivation itself held endless delight—why seek a wife?

“Fei Yun,” Gao Wu Shui forced a smile. His Master’s favor meant he couldn’t afford to neglect Mo Li Fei Yun. “Since we’ve met today, why not go out together?” Mo Li Fei Yun’s entire focus was on Gao Wu Shui.

“Commander Gao Wu, Fei Yun mentions your name almost every day,” Diao Rong Qi chuckled beside her. “I say, why not move into the Mo Li household? Then you could see her every day.”

“Yes, yes! Move into our home! We have over a dozen Eternal True Gods living here—plenty of space,” Mo Li Fei Yun added.

Gao Wu Shui was about to speak when a young Mo Li Clan member flew over from afar, scrutinizing him: “Commander Gao Wu Shui!”

“Young Master Mo Li Lian,” Gao Wu Shui smiled.

“Mo Li Lian, what are you doing here?” Mo Li Fei Yun snapped.

Mo Li Lian sneered.

The Mo Li Clan was vast. Mo Li Lian was a prodigy of the younger generation, personally tutored by Mo Li Xiao, and one of the clan’s few with potential to become an Eternal True God.

But Gao Wu Shui was Mo Li Xiao’s most beloved disciple.

Mo Li Lian had long regarded Gao Wu Shui as a rival. Now that Gao Wu Shui had become an Eternal True God first and been promoted to one of the Ten Hu Yang Commanders, Mo Li Lian naturally felt envy and resentment.

“Commander Gao Wu Shui is known for his hatred of evil—I deeply admire him,” Mo Li Lian said, flipping his hand to reveal a golden memory stone. “This memory stone contains evidence of the crimes of Mei Wu Qi of the Mei Wu Clan. Mei Wu Qi’s wickedness surpasses even that of the darkest factions. I wonder how Commander Gao Wu will deal with such a monstrous villain?”

!.

“Mo Li Lian!” Mo Li Fei Yun rebuked. “Mei Wu Qi is an Eternal True God of the Five Great Families’ Mei Wu Clan. If he’s to be judged, it’s the Five Great Families’ duty—not the Hu Yang Guard’s!”

“According to Yu Kingdom law, the Hu Yang Guard handles all violations within Hu Yang City. I’d like to see if Commander Gao Wu is truly as righteous as he claims,” Mo Li Lian sneered.

Gao Wu Shui took the memory stone and probed it with a thought—its contents caused his expression to shift slightly.

“Are these crimes genuine?” Gao Wu Shui asked Mo Li Lian. “When the ordinary city of Fang Jiucheng was overrun by monstrous beasts, countless residents died. You claim that hundreds of millions of True Gods were captured by Mei Wu Qi and imprisoned in his ‘City of Sin’?”

The Nine Jiang Chaos Region had three major cities and one hundred eighty-nine ordinary cities.

Ordinary cities held only a handful of Eternal True Gods and were far less secure.

“You’ve only just become an Eternal True God. If you lived longer, you’d learn these things gradually,” Mo Li Lian shook his head. “Mei Wu Qi, to show off, has taken many scions of the Five Great Families into his relic, the ‘City of Sin.’ Many of their own scions witnessed it firsthand! The hundreds of millions from Fang Jiucheng? Merely a fraction of the ‘sinful subjects’ in his City of Sin.”

“Of course, most of those captured have long since been tortured and destroyed,” Mo Li Lian sneered. “Such a vile creature—Commander Gao Wu, what will you do about him?”

Gao Wu Shui said nothing and turned to leave.

“Hates evil? I’d like to see how he hates evil when facing Mei Wu Qi of the Mei Wu Clan!” Mo Li Lian watched him depart, utterly dismissive.

“Mo Li Lian, what exactly are you trying to do?” Mo Li Fei Yun couldn’t believe it.

“Don’t you see? I’m provoking—provoking Gao Wu Shui against Mei Wu Qi!” Mo Li Lian said. “Whichever one suffers, I find it satisfying.”

“I’ll tell my father about this,” Mo Li Fei Yun said.

“Do as you please.”

Mo Li Lian turned and walked away.

Night fell.

Luo Feng arrived at Meng Hua Lou with Mo Luo Sa and Mo Yu Qingyan.

“Luo He Brother,” Zhu You was already waiting.

“Zhu You Brother arrived early,” Luo Feng said.

“Haha, an opportunity to host Luo He Brother? Of course I came early. The banquet is all arranged—please,” Zhu You smiled. His hair writhed like tiny snakes; his face, covered in green mystical patterns, bore a radiant grin.

Luo Feng and Zhu You flew together, while their servants and attendants followed behind.

“The Zhu Clan has been rooted in Hu Yang City for over a million cycles, passing down through generations. There’s scarcely a secret in Hu Yang City the Zhu Clan doesn’t know,” Zhu You laughed. “In terms of information, even the Yan Feng Guild, the Lord’s Mansion, and the Food Kingdom factions—within Hu Yang City, they all pale beside the Zhu Clan.”

Luo Feng nodded—he believed this.

The Zhu Clan was too vast, having infiltrated every industry in Hu Yang City, including the Hu Yang Army and Hu Yang Guard, where Zhu Clan experts held key positions.

“Who in Hu Yang City doesn’t know the Zhu Clan’s reputation?” Luo Feng remarked.

“Luo He Shenjun. Zhu You Shenjun,” the Mistress of Meng Hua Lou personally greeted them—she dared not offend either of them if she wished to survive in Hu Yang City.

“Shall I have the Mistress of Meng Hua Lou play music?” Zhu You didn’t even look at her, but smiled at Luo Feng. “If Luo He Brother wishes to hear it, I’m certain the Mistress will oblige.”

“It’s up to Luo He Shenjun whether he wishes to listen,” the Mistress of Meng Hua Lou smiled lightly.

Zhu You’s command meant the Mistress had no choice.

“No need. Just send A Luo Ya,” Luo Feng said.

The Mistress of Meng Hua Lou paused slightly, then smiled: “Luo He Shenjun truly favors A Luo Ya.”

“Your illusions are too powerful—I can’t bear them,” Luo Feng chuckled.

“Then quickly send A Luo Ya,” Zhu You said, continuing to fly ahead with Luo Feng.

The Mistress of Meng Hua Lou watched silently.

Though Zhu You appeared utterly friendly before Luo Feng, he handled countless affairs for the Zhu Clan—both the Lord’s Mansion and the Food Kingdom factions granted him respect, and the Eighteen Great Dark Factions dared not oppose the Zhu Clan.

“Ever since that time, Luo He refuses to listen to my illusionary music,” the Mistress of Meng Hua Lou felt a pang of disappointment. Compared to Xie Tian Yan and Sang Shui Yun, she longed more to influence Luo He.

(End of Chapter)