Chapter 808: The Traitor
There was another matter that Mo Hua had been quietly concerned about.
During a break in class, beneath the shade of a large tree in Demon Refining Mountain...
Mo Hua looked around carefully. Only after making sure no one else was nearby did he whisper,
"You two being captured and thrown into the Ten Thousand Demons Valley—doesn't that mean your sects…"
He paused, then lowered his voice even more,
"…have a traitor?"
Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Mu both showed complicated expressions.
After a moment, Linghu Xiao spoke in a low voice,
"Elder Shangguan told me not to speak about it, but…"
But Mo Hua wasn't "an outsider."
Besides, Mo Hua already knew nearly everything about what had happened in Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
Linghu Xiao continued,
"Elder Shangguan… suspects that some disciples—and possibly even elders—have been secretly colluding with other sects, selling out our own disciples' information."
"He said he's already reported it to the Patriarch. The Patriarch was furious. The Chongxu Sect will be conducting an internal investigation in secret. I've been ordered to keep quiet about it."
Mo Hua nodded.
The specifics were still unclear.
Maybe there really was a traitor inside Chongxu Sect—someone who betrayed the sect purely for personal gain.
Or maybe… it was simply because Linghu Xiao's talent was too dazzling, and some of the old-school elders were jealous, or felt threatened. They might have sold out his whereabouts to get him eliminated by someone else.
If Linghu Xiao could reach his potential, leading the sect into glory, that would in theory benefit Chongxu Sect.
But in reality, the sect's long-term prosperity often clashed with the selfish interests of certain elders.
Some people just wanted to leech off the sect.
Whether the sect flourished or crumbled didn't matter much to them. If it weakened, they'd just jump ship and find another source to drain.
Mo Hua then looked toward Ouyang Mu.
Ouyang Mu just looked… a bit lost.
"That day, I really didn't know anything…"
"I was just cultivating in my quarters, felt a bit tired, went to sleep—and when I woke up, I was already inside the Ten Thousand Demons Valley."
"Did you meet anyone suspicious before that?" Mo Hua asked.
Ouyang Mu thought for a bit, then shook his head.
"Did you take any pills?"
"Yes," Ouyang Mu nodded. "But they were just normal cultivation pills—like Essence Nourishment Pills, or Spirit Gathering Pills."
Mo Hua frowned slightly, then suddenly thought of something.
"Were all those pills yours?"
"Some were mine… but some…" Ouyang Mu paused, suddenly recalling, "Some were given to me by Senior Brother Ma…"
Mo Hua's eyes sharpened.
Just as I suspected.
He had seen that so-called Senior Brother Ma from Tai'a Sect walking with "Little Wood" (Ouyang Mu) at the base of the mountain that day, saying he'd been sent by Ouyang Feng to deliver pills, spirit tools, and jade slips.
Back then, Mo Hua had sensed a faint trace of sinister Qi on that Ma fellow.
He'd assumed it might've just been a coincidence.
But now? That guy was definitely suspicious.
"Where are those pills now?" Mo Hua asked.
"I gave them all to my brother."
"Senior Brother Feng?"
"Yeah," Ouyang Mu replied. "After I got back from the valley, my brother came to my room and took some stuff, said he needed to investigate."
Mo Hua nodded.
Senior Brother Feng was mature, steady, and sharp—clearly, he had picked up on something too.
Since that was the case, it wasn't really Mo Hua's place to intervene further.
And besides, this was internal business between Tai'a Sect and Chongxu Sect. He was just a junior disciple from Great Void Sect—this wasn't his jurisdiction.
After class, disciples were free to go demon hunting.
Ouyang Mu was a bit dull, and didn't really bond much with his fellow Tai'a disciples.
Linghu Xiao was cold and aloof, and didn't get along with others.
So ironically, the Tai'a Sect heir and the Chongxu Sect prodigy ended up hanging out with disciples from Great Void Sect instead.
The elders of Tai'a and Chongxu Sect could only sigh at this development—they weren't happy about it, but there wasn't much they could do.
A few days later, Mo Hua unexpectedly ran into Song Jian in Demon Refining Mountain.
This was his first time seeing Song Jian since the Ten Thousand Demons Valley incident.
Song Jian hadn't changed much—still wore his flashy golden Broken Gold Sect robes, still carried a high-end spirit sword, and still looked like a pretty-boy cultivator.
What had changed… was his entourage.
Ever since the upheaval at Ten Thousand Demons Valley, the Broken Gold Sect had been in turmoil.
The Jin family had fallen from grace, and the Song family had risen to power. They were reshuffling the ranks—sidelining Jin family cultivators, promoting Song family members, and gradually seizing control of the sect.
The Jin family had declined. The Song family was now thriving.
And Song Jian, as a core heir of the Song family—and someone considered a "contributor" in the Ten Thousand Demons Valley crisis—naturally rose with the tide.
Now, wherever he went, he had nearly twice as many attendants as before.
Some Jin family side branches, desperate to survive, had even thrown themselves at him to curry favor—becoming his "lapdogs" and flattering him constantly.
Song Jian was now strutting around like a prince.
But when he saw Mo Hua, that arrogant aura visibly dimmed.
His expression turned complicated, and he seemed like he wanted to speak several times but held back.
"Mo…"
Before he could even speak, one of the Broken Gold Sect disciples behind him sneered loudly:
"That little brat from Great Void Sect up ahead! No sense of respect—daring to block Young Master Song's path?"
"Yeah! Move now, or we'll make sure you regret it!"
"Step aside, quick!"
His lackeys barked with typical arrogance.
Mo Hua's expression turned… subtly amused.
The Great Void Sect had destroyed Ten Thousand Demons Valley and indirectly caused the Jin family's downfall. That allowed the Song family to rise to power.
Yet the Song family's attitude toward the Great Void Sect was basically no different from the Jin family's.
Not just the upper echelon—even the Broken Gold Sect disciples shared the same disdain.
Worse still, many of them had caused trouble in Demon Refining Mountain and been ruthlessly beaten by Great Void Sect disciples—all thanks to Mo Hua's trap-laden formations.
So naturally, they now viewed the Great Void Sect with hostility.
Seeing someone in Great Void robes, they instantly grew aggressive.
Of course, they didn't recognize Mo Hua.
He rarely showed himself—always working behind the scenes.
So these disciples had no idea that the "trap master" who'd been slapping them silly… was the very young man standing in front of them.
They just assumed he was another random Great Void disciple—and started bossing him around.
Mo Hua wasn't exactly a patient man.
He'd already beaten Broken Gold Sect disciples before.
He was just about to consider whether he should call for backup and properly educate these clueless fools, when—
"Mo Hua!"
Song Jian suddenly spoke.
He drew his sword, pointed it at Mo Hua, and sneered coldly:
"You offended me back then—destroyed the sword embryo I'd nurtured for eighteen years to forge my life-bound treasure. I remember it clearly. Today, I'll settle that score with my blade!"
His lackeys immediately jumped in:
"Young Master, there's no need to dirty your hands with this trash!"
"Let me deal with him! I'll cut him down in seconds!"
"These Great Void mutts are nothing! I volunteer to avenge you, Young Master!"
"Let me handle it!"
But Song Jian's gaze turned icy cold.
"This is my grudge. Who said you could interfere?"
The flunkies quickly backpedaled:
"Y-Yes! Of course, Young Master is right!"
"That brat isn't even worthy to last a single exchange against you!"
…Unfortunately, their flattery hit the wrong nerve.
Song Jian's face turned red with embarrassment and fury.
"Shut up!"
"Yes, yes…" The crowd quickly echoed in obedience.
Song Jian said, "You all stay here. I'll…"
He glanced at Mo Hua, his tone a little awkward, "…settle this one-on-one with this brat, then we'll return to the sect."
"As you command."
The group responded in unison.
Song Jian looked around, then pointed with his sword toward a small forest and said coldly to Mo Hua:
"I don't want to win unfairly. Let's fight in the woods—just the two of us, no interference, to the death!"
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
"Fine."
The two of them entered the forest, one after the other.
The Broken Gold Sect disciples remained outside as ordered, but they exchanged puzzled glances.
One frowned,
"Why bother with all that? If he's got a grudge, why not just gang up on the kid and be done with it?"
"Exactly…"
Someone sneered,
"Which is why I say—Young Master Song is a fool."
Now that Song Jian was out of sight, respect vanished and arrogance surfaced.
After all, they had attached themselves to Song Jian for his status, not his personality.
In terms of ability, they didn't feel inferior to him—just unlucky in their family backgrounds.
Another disciple chuckled,
"Or maybe Young Master Song is afraid of losing. That's why he picked a quiet place to fight—so even if he gets beat by that brat, he won't embarrass himself in public."
"You really think Young Master Song might lose…?"
"To that brat?"
"Why not?"
"Come on, no way. That kid's Qi and spiritual energy are so weak. If Young Master Song loses to that, he might as well quit cultivation…"
Laughter erupted among them, full of schadenfreude.
Inside the forest.
Song Jian walked to a secluded spot, sheathed his sword, and sat down on a large stone with a sigh.
Mo Hua blinked in confusion.
"You're not going to fight?"
Song Jian looked helpless.
"How could I? I can't beat you."
If it had been before, he might've held onto a sliver of pride, thinking he could defeat Mo Hua and avenge his destroyed Broken Gold Sword—the one he'd spent 18 years nurturing for his life-bound artifact.
But after what happened in Ten Thousand Demons Valley…
That illusion was shattered.
He couldn't beat him. Not even close.
Hell, if they did fight, he might not even be able to locate Mo Hua before getting taken down.
And besides… Mo Hua had saved his life in that valley.
After hesitating a moment, Song Jian let out a deep sigh and mumbled something almost inaudible:
"…Thank you…"
Mo Hua leaned in.
"What?"
Flushing with embarrassment and frustration, Song Jian snapped,
"Thank you!"
"Oh…"
Mo Hua nodded, unfazed.
"So you came to thank me? For saving your life in Ten Thousand Demons Valley?"
"Something like that…"
Song Jian's expression twisted for a moment before falling into silence again.
Mo Hua observed him carefully, eyes glinting with curiosity.
"You're… troubled about something, aren't you?"
"No," Song Jian said stiffly.
Mo Hua, of course, didn't believe that.
"If you are, you can talk to me. I might not help, but I can give you advice."
Song Jian didn't plan to say anything—but when he looked up at Mo Hua and saw those clear, steady eyes… somehow, the words just came.
Besides, when it came to Ten Thousand Demons Valley, Mo Hua was the only one he felt could understand.
His expression dimmed, and slowly, he said:
"I realized… my parents don't actually care whether I live or die."
Mo Hua blinked.
"What makes you say that?"
"When I was in Ten Thousand Demons Valley," Song Jian said, "they cut off one of my fingers and sent it to my parents. But my parents didn't react at all."
"Jin Gui told me… they were weighing the pros and cons—debating whether or not to rescue me. If the price was too high, they'd rather just let me die. Cry a few tears, grieve a little, and move on. After all, I'm not their only son."
"At first, I didn't believe him…"
"But when I came back, although they were happy I survived, it wasn't the overwhelming joy I'd expected."
"They had known for some time that I was trapped in Ten Thousand Demons Valley, but they took no action. And it wasn't just them—many elders in the Song family knew as well. But after… some kind of internal calculation, it seemed they had decided…"
Song Jian's face twisted in pain.
"…to abandon me."
"Abandon you?"
Mo Hua was genuinely surprised.
"Yeah," Song Jian murmured. "They were scheming something. Even my own parents got some benefits out of the deal. That's probably why they didn't care too much if I lived or died."
"Me coming back alive… it was more like a bonus gift to them."
His eyes turned cold.
Mo Hua frowned.
He'd heard tales about how ruthless and cold-blooded aristocratic clans could be—but seeing it happen to Song Jian was unexpected.
"How many brothers do you have?" Mo Hua asked.
"Two older ones," Song Jian replied. "I'm the youngest, and I've never been as talented as them. Not as hardworking, not as ruthless…"
He pointed toward the edge of the woods.
"And I don't really command respect."
"Now that the Song family is on the rise, I'm surrounded by flunkies. Can't even get rid of them. But deep down… I know they look down on me."
He used to live in comfort, never thinking about these things.
But after dancing on the knife's edge in the Ten Thousand Demons Valley… everything became clear.
"In this world, you can't rely on anyone."
"Not your sect, not your clan, not your parents, not your brothers… and definitely not that pack of lapdogs."
There was a dazed look in Song Jian's eyes.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then clapped him on the shoulder.
"That's why you can only rely on yourself."
Song Jian replied bleakly,
"I know that… but I can't even rely on myself…"
"No problem," Mo Hua said with cheerful confidence.
"You can rely on me."
Song Jian stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
A Great Void Sect disciple, no blood ties, no obligation—why the hell would he offer to help someone from Broken Gold Sect?
Mo Hua just shrugged,
"Did I save your life or not?"
Song Jian nodded,
"I… guess so."
"So that makes us blood brothers, doesn't it?"
"I… guess so…"
Song Jian hesitated.
Mo Hua said cheerfully,
"There we go! The road to the Dao is long and winding. Seeking the Great Way is a lifelong journey, so the most important thing is to have like-minded Dao companions who can support each other and mutually benefit!"
"I already saved your life. You still don't trust me?"
Song Jian looked unsure.
"But… we're on different sides."
"What 'sides'?"
"We're from different sects…"
Mo Hua looked genuinely confused.
"And what's that got to do with you? You're not the sect master of Broken Gold Sect—just a regular disciple. Why stress over something like that?"
"But I'm from the Song family… and the Song family belongs to the Broken Gold Sect. I'm a Song disciple…"
Before he could finish, Mo Hua sighed:
"And what's that got to do with you?"
"You're a Song disciple, but when it came down to it, the Song family was ready to sell you out. You said it yourself—they can't be trusted. Your parents have three sons, and they can't even treat you all fairly. When push comes to shove, all they weigh is profit."
"So why are you worrying yourself over them?"
Song Jian felt thoroughly bamboozled.
"But… you destroyed my life-bound sword embryo…"
Mo Hua shrugged.
"It was just a sword embryo."
Song Jian flared up.
"Just a sword embryo? I've carried that thing since I first learned swordsmanship. I've been nurturing it for eighteen years—eighteen years, always by my side!"
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated—and heartbroken—he became.
Mo Hua let out a long sigh and asked in return:
"We cultivators, what is our ultimate pursuit?"
Song Jian blinked, then hesitantly said,
"Immortality?"
"Exactly! Immortality!" Mo Hua said.
"And how long is immortality?"
Song Jian frowned.
"If you've achieved immortality, you live as long as the heavens and earth. Who cares how many years it is?"
"Right!" Mo Hua nodded.
"So your life goal is to live for ten thousand years or more. Are you really going to obsess over a mere eighteen years spent nurturing a sword embryo?"
Song Jian was stunned.
Suddenly, Mo Hua's words… started making sense.
If his goal was to become immortal—to live forever…
Then eighteen years was nothing. A fleeting moment.
Why keep clinging to it?
Mo Hua patted his shoulder again,
"That's why you need long-term vision. Don't sweat short-term wins or losses. If your mind stays narrow, you'll never reach the peak of the Dao."
Song Jian found himself nodding without realizing it.
Still, he had concerns.
"You talk about helping each other, but how? I'm not going to betray the Song family or the Broken Gold Sect."
"No one's asking you to," Mo Hua said.
"All I mean is: we share some intel. If I need information, you tell me. If you're in trouble, I help you out."
"On the surface, you're still a core disciple of Broken Gold Sect, a direct heir of the Song family, enemies with Great Void Sect. But secretly, we cooperate and grow together."
"That way, we both have a safety net—and one more path to survival when things go south."
"What do you think?"
Song Jian thought about it carefully—and found Mo Hua's proposal surprisingly appealing.
He would never betray his family or sect.
But privately cultivating a powerful ally?
That sounded very smart.
His thoughts drifted back to everything that happened in Ten Thousand Demons Valley.
He sighed inwardly.
In terms of raw power, Mo Hua was just too strong…
Not in the conventional sense—but strange, elusive, impossible to grasp.
If he ever had to fight Mo Hua again, he had zero confidence.
But if he could be Mo Hua's ally?
That was far more reassuring.
"Alright…"
Song Jian gave a small, silent nod—and felt a massive weight lifted off his chest.
Mo Hua was about to say more, but just then, a voice called his name from outside the woods.
He said,
"Remember, if anything happens, come find me at Demon-Taming Mountain."
"Mm." Song Jian nodded.
Mo Hua then launched a few Fireball Spells into the clearing.
Song Jian blinked, then quickly understood and joined in—slashing nearby trees with his sword to make it look like a fierce battle had taken place.
Then the two of them walked out of the forest, keeping up the act of mutual hostility.
Outside, Cheng Mo and Situ Jian were calling for Mo Hua's name while standing in a standoff with the Broken Gold Sect disciples.
When they saw Mo Hua emerge safe and sound, their tense faces relaxed.
Mo Hua wiped imaginary sweat from his brow and pointed at Song Jian with a cold sneer:
"Pretty boy! Next time, I'll make you regret it!"
Song Jian blinked—then sneered back,
"You were just lucky this time! Next time we meet, I'll tear you to pieces!"
With a snort, he arrogantly turned and walked away.
Cheng Mo, disgusted by the display, muttered angrily,
"That arrogant brat! Let me slash him down a peg—"
"Alright, alright," Mo Hua stopped him.
"It's getting late. Time to go."
"You okay, Senior Brother?" Situ Jian asked.
"How could anything happen to me in Demon-Taming Mountain?" Mo Hua replied.
Situ Jian thought about it—then nodded.
"Yeah… good point."
With that, both groups went their separate ways.
The forest quieted once again.
No one but Mo Hua and Song Jian knew about the secret agreement they had just formed.
And since it happened during official sect classes, Elder Xunzi You wasn't watching Mo Hua closely, so he remained completely unaware.
On the way back, Mo Hua thought to himself:
"Tai'a Sect has a mole. Chongxu Sect has a mole.
Now, even Broken Gold Sect… technically has a 'mole' too."
And that mole… was one he had just planted.
The better Song Jian did for himself, the easier it would be for Mo Hua to maneuver in the future.
"If he could one day become an elder, that'd be perfect…"
Then Mo Hua suddenly paused, blinking as a thought struck him.
"Wait a second… could it be… this brat might actually end up as Sect Master of Broken Gold Sect someday?"
(End of this Chapter)