Chapter 821: A Blow from the Shadows
Mo Hua's expression grew even darker.
A dignified man like me, and they look down on me? Outrageous.
Hao Xuan said to Wang Chen, "Come on, cut us some slack."
Wang Chen shook his head.
"Even if I do, it won't help. Even if I let him through the door, the senior brothers inside won't let him on the boat."
"On the boat?" Hao Xuan asked, confused.
Realizing he'd slipped up, Wang Chen quickly waved it off.
"Nothing, nothing. But this little junior…"
Mo Hua gave him a cold, piercing stare.
Under that gaze, Wang Chen felt a sudden chill in his heart for reasons he couldn't explain. He quickly forced a laugh and corrected himself:
"…This young brother here, so 'promising and youthful,' really isn't suited for what's upstairs. Don't make things hard for me."
Hao Xuan glanced at Mo Hua, asking with his eyes what they should do.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then sighed.
"You guys go ahead."
Then, he secretly used the Great Void Command to send them a message:
"Go see what's going on inside, but be on guard. Don't fall into any traps. If anything goes wrong, make a scene if you have to—just get out safely."
"And don't you dare sneak off to see the 'pretty things' or play those 'fun little games.' There's definitely something fishy inside."
All three nodded silently.
Mo Hua said,
"I'll just wander around the city while I wait. Once you're out, we'll head back to the sect together."
"Got it."
With that, the trio followed Wang Chen into the bustling, noisy restaurant.
Mo Hua could only watch helplessly.
He was incredibly curious—what exactly was in that restaurant that they wouldn't even let him through the door?
So, trying to be patient, he turned around and wandered through Yin Water City.
It was a fairly lively place, filled with many disciples from the Yin Water Sect.
According to Yu Canghai, the higher-ups in the Yin Water Sect had colluded with the Dao Tribunal Division, betrayed the Water Prison Sect, and stolen their legacy. On top of that stolen inheritance, they'd built what was now one of the Twelve Ranked Sects—the Yin Water Sect.
Most disciples of the Yin Water Sect practiced water-type Dao techniques and specialized in interrogation. After graduating, most of them joined the Dao Tribunal Division.
The streets were filled with disciples in Yin Water Sect robes—furtive eyes, cold expressions, and an air of gloom.
There were also plenty of industries affiliated with the sect.
Since their cultivation was tied to water, their industries naturally revolved around it—ferry services, spirit boats, restaurants, fish markets, and leasing or selling waterside cultivation abodes.
Mo Hua strolled around, memorizing the layout of the city, and eventually made his way back to the restaurant.
The restaurant was called "Riverside Pavilion."
It was bustling with noise and laughter. Hao Xuan and the others were still inside, doing who-knows-what.
Mo Hua sent a message, but got no reply.
He wasn't happy.
Either those three idiots got completely distracted, he thought, or there's a formation inside the restaurant blocking the Primordial Magnetic signal.
"Should I sneak in and take a look?"
He circled the building and discovered that the Riverside Pavilion had invested in a high-grade Concealment Detection Array.
If he tried to go in while invisible, he'd be exposed instantly.
Mo Hua scowled.
"You're guarding against me this much? There's definitely something shady going on in there."
As he was pondering how to infiltrate the place, there was suddenly a commotion at the entrance.
A group of cultivators walked out—and among them were Hao Xuan and the others.
As soon as they exited, Mo Hua heard Wang Chen repeatedly apologizing:
"Brother Xuan, honored friends, I truly apologize. Everything was arranged perfectly, but for some reason the higher-ups changed the plan at the last moment. I ruined your evening—I hope you'll accept my apologies."
He pulled out a storage pouch and handed it to them.
"This has some of the Riverside Pavilion's finest wine and our signature braised meat. It's not much, just a small token of apology."
Wang Chen bowed repeatedly, his tone extremely humble.
Cheng Mo's face was stormy. He sneered,
"A bit of wine and meat—what do you take us for? You think we came all the way here for that? Don't waste my time again."
Clearly, he was upset.
Still, despite his words, he accepted the wine and meat anyway.
The group parted ways with Wang Chen and rejoined Mo Hua, then crossed the street to a nearby teahouse.
Cheng Mo promptly "offered" the wine and meat to Mo Hua.
"Here, Senior Brother—your tribute."
Mo Hua checked everything thoroughly—nothing wrong—so he shared it with the others.
The wine was excellent, aged to perfection. The meat was tender and flavorful, the kind you couldn't normally buy even if you had the money.
Well, Mo Hua thought, at least the Yin Water Sect is sincere in its apology.
While eating and drinking, he spread out his divine sense. The teahouse was lively with casual chatter—no suspicious figures. Only then did he quietly ask:
"So, what exactly did you guys do in there?"
The three of them exchanged glances and all shook their heads.
"Not much," Hao Xuan said. "Just watched some dancing…"
"Dancing?" Mo Hua narrowed his eyes. "You sure it was... proper dancing?"
Hao Xuan nodded hesitantly.
"I think… it was probably proper…"
"How do you define 'proper'?" Mo Hua asked.
"They… wore clothes. That counts, right?" Hao Xuan replied.
Mo Hua nodded.
"Yeah, that's reasonably proper."
"Then what? That's all?" he asked again.
Situ Jian added,
"Yes, just dancing. But I suspect it was only the warm-up. That guy Wang Chen clearly wanted to take us somewhere else afterward…"
"But before he could make arrangements, a senior from the Yin Water Sect came in looking grim. He whispered something to Wang Chen, and then everything got canceled."
Mo Hua felt both regret and confusion.
Why cancel the event?
Did they realize we were onto them? Did Water Yama raise the alert after what happened before? Or… was it something else?
He thought for a while but couldn't figure it out.
"Let's head back."
This was Yin Water City—firmly within the Yin Water Sect's territory—and staying too long made him uncomfortable.
"Alright." The others nodded.
They left the teahouse, hired a carriage, and set off back to the Great Void Sect.
As the carriage rolled leisurely through the city gates and down the wide road, Mo Hua continued to mull over everything that had happened.
Halfway through the journey, just as he furrowed his brow in thought, he suddenly sensed something. His eyes widened as he flung open the curtain.
His pupils shrank.
Up ahead was another carriage.
It was enclosed, richly decorated, embroidered with vibrant, multicolored flowers.
A carriage from the Hundred Flowers Valley!
It was traveling just ahead of their own, apparently also having just left Yin Water City.
Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat. He immediately shouted: "Cheng Mo!"
The coach-driving Cheng Mo turned around.
Mo Hua pointed to the "flower-covered" carriage and said,
"Follow that one."
Cheng Mo looked a little puzzled but didn't hesitate. He flicked the reins and drove the carriage forward.
Mo Hua quickly added,
"Keep it low-key—don't let them notice us!"
"Ah, got it."
The big guy, Cheng Mo, immediately reined in the speed and silently tailed the "flower carriage."
The Hundred Flowers Valley carriage continued down the road.
Mo Hua's group followed discreetly by carriage. They passed through Great Void City, then Tai'a City, circled around a few times, and finally arrived at Hundred Flowers City.
The flower carriage, giving off a faint fragrance, rolled into the city.
Cheng Mo asked,
"Little Senior Brother, are we heading in too?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied,
"Leave the carriage. We go in on foot."
Cheng Mo nodded.
The group left their carriage outside Hundred Flowers City and entered on foot. Fortunately, the flower carriage wasn't moving fast, so they were able to catch up again.
They continued to follow it until it reached the gates of Hundred Flowers Valley.
The carriage door opened, and four or five female cultivators stepped out, all wearing the sect robes of Hundred Flowers Valley. Each had outstanding beauty in their own unique way as they entered the sect grounds.
They were chatting and smiling along the way, but their expressions were subtly off.
Some looked calm, others appeared dejected, a few sighed in quiet relief, and some had dull eyes and blank faces.
Mo Hua frowned.
"No Hua Ruyu?"
He had thought Hua Ruyu might be in the carriage as well.
He focused carefully, memorizing the faces of the female cultivators who had stepped out, and sighed quietly to himself.
The Hundred Flowers Valley business… is far from over.
Beside him, Hao Xuan saw Mo Hua crouching in the bushes, staring intently at the women from Hundred Flowers Valley. He couldn't help but whisper a warning:
"Little Senior Brother… don't start following in my cousin's footsteps…"
Mo Hua blinked, puzzled.
Hao Xuan pointed toward the valley gate.
"You'll get beaten up. Real bad."
…Mostly from the shame.
His cousin Hao Se had thick skin and didn't care, but Mo Hua—being the youngest senior brother among all the Great Void disciples—couldn't afford to lose face like that.
Mo Hua waved dismissively.
"Relax. It's not what you think. Besides, I won't get caught."
Hao Xuan recalled Mo Hua's stealth skills and nodded.
"Fair point."
So far, he had never seen Little Senior Brother get caught doing anything.
Once the flower-robed women disappeared into the colorful sea of flowers within Hundred Flowers Valley, Mo Hua said:
"Let's head back."
Though they didn't know exactly what Mo Hua was doing, they were used to this by now. Whatever Little Senior Brother said—they just rolled with it.
Still, on the way back, Cheng Mo couldn't hold in his curiosity:
"Little Senior Brother, why did we tail that carriage?"
"I'm investigating a case. It's connected to the Dao Tribunal Division," Mo Hua answered honestly. "But I can't tell you the details yet."
"A case?" Cheng Mo's eyes lit up. "Does it pay contribution points?"
Mo Hua's eyes glinted with amusement.
"Not from the Dao Tribunal Division… but if you guys help me out, I can hand some over."
He was practically drowning in contribution points these days—from drawing formations, hunting demons, taking bounties…
Plus, after the Ten Thousand Demon Valley incident, Venerable Elder Xun had rewarded him handsomely in the name of the sect.
The Tai'a Sect and the Chongxu Sect also chipped in to express their thanks.
At first, he'd been thrilled. He'd constantly pull out the Great Void Token to check his points. But the thrill wore off fast, and now… it felt kind of pointless.
He didn't even bother checking anymore—he had more than he could use.
Cheng Mo knew Mo Hua was loaded, so he didn't hesitate to smile and say,
"Thanks, Little Senior Brother! Just say the word—we'll do what we can!"
Mo Hua nodded.
Of course, things with the Yin Water Sect and Water Yama were deep waters—he didn't plan to let Cheng Mo and the others get too involved. Just errands, information gathering—lightwork.
One good hero still needs three helpers.
Trying to do everything alone was bound to lead to oversights.
"Seems like we didn't get much out of this trip," Situ Jian said. "Should we just head back to the sect?"
There was some gain—just not obvious.
Mo Hua kept those thoughts to himself.
He had picked up a few threads, but digging deeper would take time and effort.
Then he suddenly turned to Hao Xuan, his eyes flashing.
"Hao Xuan, you and that childhood friend of yours—Wang Chen—were you close?"
"We were… okay," Hao Xuan said cautiously. "Little Senior Brother, you're not thinking of going after him, are you?"
They'd grown up together. There was a bit of childhood sentiment there.
But if Little Senior Brother really did go after him… Wang Chen was toast.
Hao Xuan knew full well: Wang Chen might look tall, but even ten of him wouldn't survive a round of Mo Hua's schemes.
Mo Hua asked,
"What's his personality like?"
Hao Xuan considered.
"Kinda slick, a bit cowardly. Sometimes scheming… but not a bad guy overall."
Mo Hua nodded.
"Got it. Then let's go after him."
Hao Xuan's face twisted.
"Little Senior Brother…"
"You don't get it," Mo Hua said seriously. "The situation with the Yin Water Sect is extremely complicated. If things go south, your buddy could be done for."
"Going after him now is saving him. Leaving him alone? That'd be what really ruins him."
Hearing this, Hao Xuan's expression turned grim.
He hadn't realized things were that serious. He wanted to ask more but held back—seeing how solemn Mo Hua was.
Know your limits. Know what secrets you're allowed to know.
And Hao Xuan… knew his limits.
"So, how do you plan to go after him?" he asked softly.
"Any preferences?" Mo Hua countered.
Hao Xuan clenched his teeth.
"Well, he's still my childhood friend… so if we have to do it, maybe go easy on him? Let him save some face."
Mo Hua blinked.
"It's not that bad. Just a knock on the back of the head, drag him to the side, ask a few questions—simple."
Hao Xuan let out a breath of relief.
Phew… just a sneak attack. No bloodshed needed...
Mo Hua looked at Hao Xuan and said,
"Let's have Cheng Mo do the knockout. You're too close with Wang Chen—I'm worried you won't go through with it."
To his surprise, Hao Xuan shook his head and said,
"He's my childhood friend—we grew up together. If someone has to knock him out, it should be me. I don't trust anyone else with it."
Hao Xuan's expression was firm.
Mo Hua couldn't quite tell whether Hao Xuan was genuinely worried about Wang Chen's well-being, or if he had just gotten way too into this whole "sneak-attack" business and didn't want anyone else stealing the job.
"Alright then…" Mo Hua nodded.
They briefly discussed and finalized the plan.
That night, Hao Xuan invited Wang Chen out, saying he had something to talk about.
Wang Chen didn't suspect a thing.
Since it was still during their ten-day break, the Yin Water Sect had no curfew, so Wang Chen headed out alone, striding confidently toward the nearby Yin Water City.
When he reached the base of the mountain, passing through a quiet, deserted trail, Hao Xuan activated his movement technique, silently looped behind him, triggered the formation—and whack! Knocked him out cold.
Cheng Mo and Situ Jian rushed forward, tied Wang Chen up tightly, and dragged him into the nearby bushes.
Mo Hua had already set up a small Primordial Magnetic Array nearby for early detection, plus a sound-isolation formation and other concealment tricks—ensuring complete security.
Then Cheng Mo gave Wang Chen a slap to wake him up.
Wang Chen stirred, his head still spinning. As the haze lifted, he suddenly jolted—and was about to shout.
Cheng Mo immediately clamped a hand over his mouth and growled hoarsely,
"Don't make a sound—or I won't be polite."
Wang Chen instantly realized he was surrounded by several masked "thugs," bound in chains, locked by sealing formations—he couldn't move an inch. He quickly nodded obediently.
Cheng Mo let go.
Wang Chen trembled as he asked,
"Wh-Who are you people? What do you want? I'm from the Yin Wat—"
"Shut up! I ask, you answer!" Cheng Mo barked.
After spending so much time with Mo Hua, he had picked up some interrogation etiquette—number one: be firm. Don't let the target ramble.
"Okay…" Wang Chen answered timidly.
But as he stared at Cheng Mo, the more he looked, the more familiar he felt. Then he glanced at the others—and it all clicked.
Wang Chen wasn't an idiot. He quickly pieced everything together and asked, shocked,
"You guys… Brother Xuan?!"
From behind, Hao Xuan sighed and muttered,
"Told you the masks were overkill. He was bound to recognize us."
"Doesn't matter if he recognizes us. This is called respect."
"Respect the craft."
"Professional standards must be upheld…"
Wang Chen was completely dumbfounded. Then he got mad and yelled,
"Brother Xuan, we've got no beef! Why are you doing this to me?!"
Hao Xuan sighed and recited the excuse Mo Hua had prepared:
"It's not me… It's my seniors. They think you played them for fools. You promised something fun and exciting, but all they got was disappointment…"
"That's right," Cheng Mo added, gripping Wang Chen's collar in his big hands and growling,
"You trying to mess with us, huh? A couple of girls twirling around upstairs, bland as plain soup, and that's all? You think someone like me—a proper young master—can be bought off with that kind of crap?"
Wang Chen knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't dare blame Hao Xuan. He quickly begged for mercy:
"Please, good sirs, it's not that I didn't want to take you. There was… a last-minute change. They canceled everything—I had no choice!"
Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and shot Cheng Mo a glance.
Cheng Mo instantly tightened his grip and snarled,
"Still making excuses? Still trying to lie to me? Nothing ever happens—yet the moment I show up, everything goes wrong? You think I'm cursed or something?"
"No! I swear! I wouldn't dare lie to you!" Wang Chen swore hastily.
"Fine," Cheng Mo loosened his grip a little,
"Then explain it. What 'change' ruined my night?"
"Well…" Wang Chen hesitated.
Cheng Mo grabbed him again.
"What, can't even make up a lie now?"
"No, no, it's not that!" Wang Chen coughed out.
"It's… it's the Dao Tribunal Division."
"Dao Tribunal?" Cheng Mo blinked in surprise.
"Yes…" Wang Chen was nearly breathless.
Cheng Mo eased off again.
"Explain clearly."
Wang Chen gasped, coughed, and finally said,
"The senior brothers said… said the Dao Tribunal came to inspect us. They shut everything down and told us to stay low—send all guests away."
Cheng Mo glanced at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's brow furrowed as he asked in a deep voice,
"Why would the Dao Tribunal come to investigate? Don't think we don't know—your Yin Water Sect is tight with the Tribunal. Why would they turn around and investigate their own people?"
Wang Chen forced a bitter smile.
"I don't know either. But I heard… this time it wasn't the local Tribunal. It was someone from higher up…"
"Higher up?"
Wang Chen trembled and whispered,
"The central Dao Tribunal."
(End of this Chapter)