Chapter 815 – Mountain Cave
"How have Shunzi and Shuizi been cultivating lately?" Mo Hua asked Old Yu.
At the mention, Old Yu's expression filled with relief and pride. "Those two kids have been quite diligent with their cultivation. They've been progressing well, and that's saved me a lot of worry. Honestly, it's all thanks to you, Benefactor. If you hadn't helped, those two would've likely met a terrible fate. There's no way they'd be bouncing around so cheerfully like they are now…"
Saying this, Old Yu let out a deep sigh, his face filled with emotion.
Mo Hua replied humbly, "I didn't really do much."
Then he turned his gaze toward the two children playing in the courtyard, his eyes deep. After a pause, he asked, "Have they been… acting strange lately?"
"Strange?" Old Yu was puzzled.
Mo Hua clarified, "I mean—has anything gone wrong with their cultivation? Any lingering effects from when they were abducted last time?"
Since it concerned his grandsons, Old Yu's face turned serious. He thought carefully, furrowing his brows deeply. Finally, he shook his head. "No strange behavior."
Then he looked a bit nervous and asked, "Benefactor… did something happen?"
"No," Mo Hua let out a quiet breath. "Just being cautious. It's good to hear they're fine."
Old Yu was relieved.
He personally poured another cup of tea for Mo Hua. "Here, drink, drink."
Mo Hua said nothing further.
Thus, the day passed quietly into the afternoon. As the sun began to dip, Mo Hua stood to take his leave.
"Benefactor, why not stay a little longer?" Old Yu offered warmly. "I can catch something fresh tonight and treat you properly…"
Mo Hua hesitated. "There's still work at the sect—I can't let my cultivation be delayed."
As cultivation was a cultivator's foremost duty, Old Yu didn't insist.
The two children had also woken by then. Seeing that Mo Hua was leaving, their faces fell with reluctant sadness, and they walked him out of the village with heavy hearts.
Mo Hua patted their little heads and gave them a few kind reminders before turning and leaving.
Old Yu's family then returned to their daily labors.
Old Yu mended nets, tidied fishing gear, then with his hands behind his back, took his two grandsons to the Yanshui riverside.
They had set some fish traps earlier.
The three of them walked along the riverbank, checking the traps to see if they had caught any greedy, foolish fish or shrimp.
After some distance, they reached the ferry landing.
At the dock, a boat had just pulled in.
Onboard was Yu Dachuan, Old Yu's son. He had gone out early and caught quite a few fish. Now the family of four sat together sorting the catch.
Big, healthy fish with good appearance were saved for sale.
The lower-quality or damaged ones would be kept for their own meals.
Smaller, immature fish were returned to the river.
Though tiring, the family worked hard and happily.
When the work was done, Shunzi and Shuizi said excitedly, "Grandpa, we want to go catch fish by hand!"
Old Yu knew they were tired and wanted to play, so he waved them off, "Go on, go on…"
But he added sternly, "Only go to the river shoals—don't go into deep water, or river demons might drag you under and eat you alive."
The two boys both nodded. "Okay, Grandpa, don't worry!"
"Go on, then."
The kids ran off gleefully.
They followed the river downstream to the shoals and began catching fish by hand.
The water was shallow there. The fish were small and not worth fishing professionally, but it was safe—no river monsters. Kids often played here, learning to swim and practicing catching fish.
Shunzi and Shuizi splashed in the shallows for a while, then began hand-fishing.
The fish they were after were tiny, grass-blade-sized things—plump little fish with no bones.
They had been practicing the White Wave Manual Mo Hua gave them, along with its matching White Wave Movement Technique and Water-Diverting Demon-Avoidance Spell—their aquatic abilities had become excellent.
And because they had once been offered as sacrifices to the River God, their souls were subtly infused with divine river energy, making them especially attuned to water.
Their breath flowed naturally in the river, and with their sharp eyes and quick hands, they easily caught fish one after another.
After a bit, the taller Shunzi said, "I've caught ten! How about you?"
Shuizi counted and replied, "Nine."
Shunzi nodded. "Then I'll catch ten more, and you catch eleven. When we both have twenty, we'll go back. These little fish can be raised in clean water. Next time Brother Mo visits, we'll grill them and treat him to a meal."
Shuizi chirped happily, "Okay!"
They remembered Mo Hua's kindness—how he'd treated them to spiritual meat earlier—and they wanted to return the favor with tasty grilled fish.
Off to the side, Mo Hua blinked, his expression complicated.
He had seen everything.
When he left the village earlier, he hadn't returned to the sect—instead, he cloaked his presence and silently followed Old Yu's family.
With his nineteen-pattern divine sense and mastery of the Fivefold Stealth Technique, there was no one in the entire fishing village capable of detecting him.
He hadn't expected that Shunzi and Shuizi cared for him this much.
Mo Hua's heart stirred with emotion.
The purest kindness was always the most precious.
The two children continued playing.
Shunzi, being older and a bit sharper, caught fish faster. Soon, he'd caught another ten small fish.
Then he stopped and waited for his brother to catch up. Once Shuizi had his full eleven, both boys had exactly twenty fish.
"Let's go home," Shunzi said.
"Mm!" Shuizi agreed cheerfully.
One carrying a fish basket each, hand in hand, they returned to the village—carefree and full of joy.
After they left, the deserted riverbank shimmered—and Mo Hua slowly emerged from thin air.
Watching their retreating figures, his expression was clouded with confusion.
He murmured, "No abnormalities… Could I have been wrong?"
A moment later, Mo Hua's figure vanished once again.
The sun dipped into the horizon, painting the sky in red.
In the little fishing village, the fisher-cultivators returned home, smoke curling up from chimneys.
Shunzi and Shuizi also returned to their house.
Their family gathered for dinner, laughing and chatting as they ate. Afterward, the two boys did a bit of cultivation before peacefully drifting off to sleep.
Mo Hua's gaze sharpened. Sitting cross-legged on a high tree branch outside the village, he closed his eyes and began to meditate.
Time passed bit by bit.
A crescent moon hung high as night deepened, and the little fishing village grew increasingly quiet.
Near midnight, Mo Hua, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
At the same time, movement stirred in the village.
Two small shadows stealthily climbed over the wall of Old Yu's house. Landing silently, they crept along the village path and slipped out toward the outskirts.
It was none other than the two children, Shunzi and Shuizi.
Mo Hua's eyes flickered with light. Like a phantom, he silently followed behind.
The two children were completely unaware.
They walked all the way out of the village and, beneath the pitch-black sky, continued down the lonely riverbank, heading farther and farther into a secluded area.
Eventually, they arrived at the base of a desolate mountain.
The two kids exchanged glances, then supported one another as they climbed up the rugged mountain path.
They climbed until they reached halfway up the mountain, where the slope leveled out and wild grass covered the ground.
Amidst the overgrowth, a cave was hidden.
The two children knelt at the cave entrance and respectfully called out, "Senior, we've come."
Not long after, an old and hoarse voice echoed from within, "Good. The cultivation technique I passed on to you—have you been practicing it diligently?"
Shunzi replied respectfully, "We've remembered your teachings and have not slacked off."
Shuizi nodded along.
"Very good…"
The voice inside sounded weak, accompanied by a suppressed cough.
After a pause, the elderly voice continued:
"Next, I will teach you something else."
The two children's eyes lit up. "Senior, what else will you teach us?"
"Didn't you say…" the voice coughed, "that your grandfather and parents often go down to the river? You're afraid river monsters might attack them. So you wanted to learn some protective techniques, in case of danger—so you might save yourselves and even rescue others…"
"What I'll teach you now is a spell. It can condense your water-based energy into a fine, hidden weapon—perfect for paralyzing or harming an enemy."
The children were overjoyed and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Senior!"
Shuizi curiously asked, "Senior, what's this spell called?"
Shunzi also asked, "Yes, and what about the cultivation method you taught us? I never learned its name…"
But the voice within the cave rasped, "Don't ask. There's no need to know. No matter what legacy I pass to you—just focus on learning it well."
The two children hesitated.
Though they were young and grateful for this senior's teachings, they weren't foolish. A technique with no origin, not even a name—clearly there was something off.
The old voice inside spoke again:
"There are some things… that are better unknown."
"To know too much is not always a blessing."
"Don't you want to grow stronger in cultivation? To build your foundation? Don't you want to reach the Foundation Establishment stage—and then gaze toward the Golden Core stage? To learn real skills and live proudly, without being bullied by others?"
The children's expressions turned solemn, and they nodded firmly.
"We do!"
"Then learn well. Don't ask about the rest."
"Yes, Senior."
The voice said, "Now, I'll teach you the incantation for this spell, the key to circulating your spiritual energy, and the meridians it must pass through… remember it all carefully."
Shunzi and Shuizi replied seriously, "Understood!"
Then the hoarse voice began imparting the spell's details.
The two children listened intently.
"This spell stems from the same source as the technique I previously taught you. Once you've cultivated the technique well, this spell's power will rise significantly. Without it, it would be just a mediocre trick."
"The key to this spell lies in catching your opponent off guard. The moment your spiritual power condenses into a hidden weapon and pierces their body, it acts like bone-devouring poison—immensely painful and difficult to remove."
"But the challenge lies in the precise control of spiritual power. The meridian circuits involved are complex and require years of practice before you can…"
At this point, the voice suddenly stopped.
Shunzi blinked in confusion. "Senior… before we can what?"
"Nothing…" the voice slowly replied. "Did you memorize everything I just taught you?"
Shunzi and Shuizi both nodded. "Yes, we remember it all."
"Good. One more thing… this spell—you must practice it diligently. But unless absolutely necessary, do not use it lightly. And never mention the techniques or spells I've taught you to anyone."
"Understood, Senior," the two children said earnestly.
"Mm. That's all for today. You may go."
The two bowed respectfully toward the cave, then carefully climbed back down the mountain the way they had come.
After the children had left—
Silence fell over the cave entrance midway up the mountain.
The night was deep. The moonlight was cold.
After a while, the old voice inside the cave spoke again:
"Which fellow cultivator is out there? Since you've come, why not show yourself?"
Mo Hua, who had been quietly pondering outside the cave, was startled.
…He actually noticed me?
He's probably a high-level cultivator...
The person in the cave spoke again, "We are but strangers brought together by fate. I bear no ill will. Fellow Daoist, why hide in the shadows? Why not show yourself?"
Mo Hua considered for a moment, then slowly revealed his figure. Yet the night was so dark that his silhouette remained hazy and indistinct.
The person inside the cave sensed someone had indeed appeared, and his tone instantly sank as he asked:
"Fellow Daoist, may I ask your origins? Why have you come here?"
Though he tried to sound calm, Mo Hua could detect deep caution in his voice—and a trace of hidden hostility.
This man's behavior is suspicious...
Mo Hua thought to himself:
"Not sure how he managed to see through my concealment… but if he did, that means his divine sense is stronger than mine."
"At least late Foundation Establishment... no, even late Foundation cultivators likely couldn't detect me. He must be at least Core Formation."
"But his aura is weak, and his breath unstable—clearly seriously injured."
"Hiding in this cave and not daring to show himself… he must be in a bad state."
"And this is still a second-grade provincial territory. Even if he's at Core Formation, with Heaven's suppression here, he's like Uncle Gu—helpless, only able to exert Foundation Peak strength at best."
Mo Hua quickly assessed the situation. Then, without a word, he began setting up formations outside the cave.
The person inside immediately sensed something was off, and his tone changed:
"Fellow Daoist, what are you doing?"
"Fellow Daoist?"
"Why do you remain silent?"
…
Mo Hua completely ignored him.
In a situation where things were unclear and he held no advantage, he wasn't about to waste time talking.
As the formation grew more elaborate, the man in the cave noticeably softened his tone.
"Fellow Daoist, if you have any requests, please say them."
"I truly bear no ill intentions."
"Fellow Daoist, why not come inside the cave? Let us have a proper conversation—perhaps even become friends…"
Still, Mo Hua paid him no mind and continued to inscribe his formation with utter focus, as if no one else were there.
Only once the formation was fully laid did he finally stop.
By this point, the area around the cave was densely packed with killing formations—like an enormous spider web completely encasing the cave, brimming with deadly intent.
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, then finally spoke:
"Alright. Now we can talk."
(End of this Chapter)