Chapter 825: The Little River God
"Uncle Gu, stop the boat."
Mo Hua immediately shouted.
Gu Changhuai brought the boat to a halt, turning his head with a puzzled expression—only to see Mo Hua leaning over the boat's edge, his head nearly dipping into the water, peering at something unseen.
At the same time, Mo Hua lowered his voice and softly called out:
"Little Silverfish~"
The waters of Smokewater River shimmered a translucent green, hiding the bottom from sight.
After a moment, a flash of silver darted across the surface. A small, almost imperceptible little fish swam up to the boat.
"Benefactor, I'm here…"
It wagged its tail joyfully.
It really was Little Silverfish!
Mo Hua's face lit up with delight, then puzzled, he asked, "Weren't you in the fishing village? How did you end up here?"
Little Silverfish said something, but its voice was so faint Mo Hua couldn't hear clearly.
He leaned in closer to the water's surface and finally heard the soft whisper:
"…Thanks to you, Benefactor… I now have a shrine to reside in, offerings to feed on, and incense to nourish my spirit. I'm much better now."
"The River God's authority has recovered a little—I can now merge with Smokewater River—but my divine power is still weak, so I can only move around this nearby river domain."
"This river area is near the fishing village."
"I was enjoying incense offerings at the village when I sensed your presence, so I swam over to see you..."
Little Silverfish swam back and forth happily in the water, occasionally flicking up tiny splashes. It truly looked much livelier.
Mo Hua nodded.
So that's what happened…
The waterways of Smokewater River nearby were extremely complicated and disorienting—it never occurred to him that they were actually this close to the fishing village.
But thinking about it… it made perfect sense.
Water Yama had led this group of heretical cultivators to wipe out the Yu family's water stronghold. They had even ambushed Elder Yu near the fishing village.
So their base of operations wouldn't be far from there either.
Magistrate Xia saw Mo Hua crouched at the boat's edge, murmuring into the water, and couldn't help but ask in confusion:
"Mo Hua, who are you talking to?"
She hadn't cultivated Dao-based divine sense, so she couldn't see Little Silverfish at all.
Mo Hua turned back, raised a finger, and softly hushed her:
"Big Sister Xia, keep your voice down… I'm talking with the Little River God."
Little Silverfish's voice was so faint that any noise would drown it out.
Magistrate Xia: "…"
Her brain seemed to disconnect for a moment. She couldn't make sense of what Mo Hua was saying.
Little River God?
She glanced at the water—nothing was there.
Then she looked back at Mo Hua, her brows furrowing.
A perfectly normal kid… and now he's suddenly acting all mystical and mumbling to the water?
Gu Changhuai, however, didn't find it strange at all.
Although…
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
He couldn't tell whether Mo Hua was being serious or just making things up to mess with them.
Knowing Mo Hua, both were equally likely.
Gu Changhuai wasn't surprised if Mo Hua saw things others couldn't, or knew things ordinary cultivators didn't.
And he wouldn't be surprised if Mo Hua was just straight-up bluffing either.
Of course, Mo Hua wasn't bluffing.
At that moment, still leaning over the boat, he quietly asked, "Little Silverfish, do you know your way around these rivers?"
The little silver fish in the water nodded. "I know all the waterways nearby."
"Then do you know if there's a group of water bandits around here?"
"Water bandits?" Little Silverfish tilted its tail curiously. "Are they like water demons?"
"No," Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, "They're humans—but bad ones. Reeking of blood, and burdened by murderous karma."
As soon as he said that, Little Silverfish became excited, nodding rapidly.
"Yes, there are some people like that! They smell really bad—filthy and fishy, drenched in killing aura. They gather in one spot, but I don't go near them because they're gross."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Take me to them. I'll help cleanse them of their sins."
"Mm-hmm!" Little Silverfish nodded energetically. "I'll take you right away!"
It didn't really understand what "cleansing sins" meant, but since its benefactor had asked, it was more than happy to help.
After all, it was a rare chance to repay the kindness shown to it.
Little Silverfish fluttered its tail and began swimming forward, its voice like a soft whisper: "Benefactor, follow me~"
Mo Hua nodded, then pointed in the direction Little Silverfish was swimming and said to Gu Changhuai:
"Uncle Gu, this way."
Gu Changhuai was silent for a moment.
Mo Hua added, "The Little River God knows where the water bandits are. It'll lead us there."
…The Little River God.
Gu Changhuai turned to look at the seemingly empty river surface and let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright then..."
Let's hope the kid's not just messing around.
He instinctively turned the boat and rowed in the direction Mo Hua pointed.
Magistrate Xia watched all this, but didn't try to stop them.
Still, confusion churned in her heart, and the way she looked at Mo Hua grew increasingly perplexed.
Little Silverfish's small body flickered as it swam ahead, leading the way.
Mo Hua followed the faint silver glimmer in the water, directing Gu Changhuai's steering.
The boat glided quietly, with only the sound of rippling water beneath the hull.
Though only a sliver of its divine authority had returned, as the River God, Little Silverfish still knew every inch of its domain intimately.
No one knew Smokewater River better.
And no one was more suited to guide them.
After some time, as they entered a new section of the river, Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia both suddenly sensed something. Their expressions shifted.
They released their divine senses and scanned the area, then exchanged a glance—both looking surprised.
They had actually… found it.
Meanwhile, Little Silverfish stopped and turned back to Mo Hua.
"Benefactor, we're here."
Mo Hua looked up. In front of them stretched a broad riverbank.
It was covered in wild grass and overgrowth.
But Mo Hua knew—this wasn't a simple sandbank. It was more like a small island formed by years of water flow and sediment buildup.
The surrounding marshes acted like a natural labyrinth, isolating the island from the outside world.
If it weren't for Little Silverfish leading the way, no outsider could've found it.
Mo Hua scanned the area carefully.
The island was surrounded by dense aquatic vegetation and looked deserted. But Mo Hua could sense the presence of multiple cultivators within.
Their auras were thick with blood and evil—they were clearly not the good kind.
In addition, he detected the presence of array formations.
It seemed the area around the island had several arrays—detection traps, killing formations, even water-earth defense formations.
"A bunch of water bandits… they shouldn't be able to set up arrays like this. So did the Yin Water Sect build these for them?"
Mo Hua frowned. Then he turned back and asked:
"We've found the water bandits. Now what?"
Magistrate Xia thought for a moment, glanced at Gu Changhuai, and said slowly:
"According to intel, there are no Golden Core cultivators among them. The two of us can try taking them down together?"
Gu Changhuai considered it, then shook his head. "We can't."
"This is a second-grade provincial border. It's a small place—not like your Dao Province where you can freely use high cultivation."
"Golden Core cultivators fighting here must suppress their cultivation strictly—no slip-ups allowed."
Gu Changhuai asked: "Have you ever fought someone while suppressing your cultivation?".
Magistrate Xia paused, frowning slightly, then reluctantly admitted, "No…"
"There you have it," Gu Changhuai said flatly. "When you suppress your cultivation, you're basically fighting with your hands tied. You can't bring even a fraction of your true strength to bear. There's no way you'd be able to take down this group of water bandits. In fact, if you're not careful, you might even fall into one of their traps."
"A Golden Core overpowering a Foundation Establishment cultivator—sure, that works… but only when there are no restrictions."
"When the fight actually begins, there are a dozen variables to juggle. The outcome becomes unpredictable."
"Besides, Water Yama isn't as simple as you think."
"This man is unlike any ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator—his techniques are strange and unpredictable. If we don't have the upper hand in cultivation, figuring out a method to subdue him won't be easy…"
After saying that, Gu Changhuai pointed at the small island. "And look at this place—surrounded by water. The moment those water bandits lose, they'll just dive into the river. You and I don't cultivate aquatic techniques—how exactly are we supposed to catch them then?"
"This is their base of operations. If we plan it well, we might be able to wipe them out in one strike. But if we act rashly and make mistakes, we'll throw away this golden opportunity…"
"It's easy to ruin a chance—but once it's gone, trying to recreate it? Might as well dream of plucking stars."
Gu Changhuai's expression was cold, and his tone wasn't the least bit polite.
Whether it was intentional or not, the usually quiet Gu Changhuai had suddenly become uncharacteristically talkative—perhaps just to annoy Magistrate Xia.
Sure enough, her expression turned frosty.
She understood the logic.
But her lack of experience in low-tier provincial cases meant she had overlooked certain things—and Gu Changhuai had seized the opening to give her a not-so-gentle verbal smackdown, both openly and subtly.
She was clearly a little angry, and her gaze toward Gu Changhuai was anything but friendly.
But she quickly composed herself and responded with an even tone, purely businesslike:
"Then in your view, Deputy Gu, what should we do?"
Her tone was calm and without emotion—just a professional inquiry.
Gu Changhuai was slightly taken aback by her composure and, after a pause, his own tone softened a bit unconsciously:
"First, scout out the enemy properly. Confirm their numbers, verify whether there are any Golden Core cultivators, map out the terrain around here—and then return to mobilize reinforcements and make a solid plan…"
"The more critical the situation, the less we can afford to chase immediate results."
Magistrate Xia's eyes flashed subtly as she looked at Gu Changhuai and gave a small nod.
Mo Hua watched from the side, glancing between the two, and nodded approvingly like a proud matchmaker general watching his reluctant soldiers bond.
With the strategy settled, it was time for the actual reconnaissance.
By now, dusk had fallen, and the sky was growing darker by the moment.
The three of them rode the small boat, using thick water plants for cover, and circled around the island.
Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia were both Golden Core cultivators, with formidable spiritual sense.
Though Mo Hua was only at mid Foundation Establishment, his divine sense had nearly reached its peak—just one rune short of forming a Golden Core.
(Granted, that one rune was still maddeningly out of reach.)
Still, compared to these water bandits, Mo Hua's divine sense was way ahead of the curve.
So with a bit of caution, they weren't worried about being discovered.
The island had scattered outposts stationed around it, but because of the vast gap in divine sense, Mo Hua could detect them clearly—while they had no idea anyone was near.
And with Little Silverfish leading the way…
The warning formations hidden in the water were easily discerned by Mo Hua.
So even after over an hour of scouting, the trio remained completely undetected.
By then, night had fully fallen.
The darkness melted into the water—sky and river alike were pitch black, with only the stars offering pinpricks of light.
The previously quiet island suddenly came alive with movement.
Flickers of green fire ignited.
Then came the sounds of people—loud voices, shouting, laughing, swearing—getting closer from the interior of the island toward the shore.
Next came the splash of boats entering the water.
Human voices mixed with the sounds of the river—rowdy and chaotic.
"Damn, finally nightfall…"
"Wonder what we'll be able to plunder tonight."
"Haven't killed anyone in days—my blade's getting rusty."
"I haven't touched a woman in a month. I'm getting rusty…"
"Go to hell, you sick freak…"
…
A rowdy bunch of bandits boarded boats and set out, carrying eerie green ghost fires—like nocturnal demons patrolling Smokewater River.
Gu Changhuai silently counted heads.
Once the bandit flotilla had left and silence returned, he said:
"Roughly two hundred of them went out. Based on standard bandit behavior, they usually leave half behind. That means there are probably still two hundred or so on the island."
"In total, about four hundred."
"No Golden Core cultivators spotted so far—though it's possible one just isn't on the island."
Meanwhile, Mo Hua had already sketched out a rough map of the island's formations and layout.
"Should we return now?"
Gu Changhuai paused for a moment, then shook his head. "No rush. Wait until daylight. These bandits are now prowling the river. If we head out now, we'll likely run into them."
"And when that happens, it'll be a problem whether we kill them or not."
Killing them would alarm the island.
Not killing them, given these bandits' nature, would only invite more trouble.
So the three of them stayed on the boat.
Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia took turns keeping watch.
Mo Hua pulled out a small blanket, bundled himself up tightly, curled up in the boat's cabin, and went to sleep—his divine sense diving into his spiritual sea to continue practicing formation techniques at the Dao Tablet.
The path of formations was one of persistent discipline.
No matter what was happening outside, he couldn't let it interrupt his daily training—unless absolutely necessary.
As for safety?
This was a second-grade provincial border, and he had two Golden Core-level Deputy Judges babysitting him. Mo Hua felt totally at ease.
Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia both kept watch over Smokewater River with wary expressions. When they turned back, they saw Mo Hua curled up like a cat, sleeping soundly in the cabin.
Both couldn't help but sigh.
This kid… really had nerves of steel.
How could he sleep like this in the middle of a mission?
The two of them stared at Mo Hua for a while, then their gazes met mid-air. Startled, they looked away at the same time—without saying a word.
And so, Mo Hua practiced formation techniques all through the night.
Just before dawn, he opened his eyes, neatly folded his blanket, stored it in his storage ring, then pulled out a jug of fruit wine and two strips of jerky and began munching.
Halfway through his breakfast, he noticed two pairs of eyes on him.
Mo Hua grabbed another handful of jerky and offered it over. "Uncle Gu, Sister Xia—want some?"
"You eat," they both said, their expressions complicated.
"Oh," Mo Hua replied.
Mo Hua didn't insist and happily continued chewing.
By the time he finished breakfast right on schedule, the sky in the east had begun to brighten with the first fish-belly white light. From afar came movement—the water bandits who had gone out were returning.
Their faces were filled with undisguised excitement, and their bodies were stained with blood—whether human or from water beasts was unclear.
Dozens of boats returned fully loaded.
Some carried the mangled corpses of water demons, still dripping with blood.
Some boats sat low in the water, filled with gilded storage chests—likely looted from merchant ships.
Others carried fresh corpses, male and female, stacked like dead fish. What they were for was anyone's guess.
Magistrate Xia's face turned pale, her eyes cold, with killing intent surging in her gaze.
Gu Changhuai glanced at her silently and simply said, "Don't be impulsive."
Magistrate Xia didn't reply, but her clenched fingers had gone white.
And so, the three of them continued silently observing as the water bandits, satisfied and swaggering, returned to the island under cover of the dense water plants.
They clearly weren't done enjoying themselves.
"Damn it's already morning—we didn't even get our fill."
"I barely got to make a move…"
"Those damned Dao Court dogs—wish they'd all drop dead. Then we wouldn't have to keep hiding like rats."
"Or better yet, no sun at all—twelve hours of darkness a day and we could go wild…"
"Fucking sun… there it is again…"
Mo Hua watched this group of arrogant brutes with the same cold gaze, silently thinking to himself:
"Don't worry… in just a little while, you'll never see the morning sun again."
…
After the bandits returned, the three of them waited a while longer. Once the surroundings fell quiet, they quietly rowed away.
Little Silverfish led them, guiding the group all the way back to shore.
As soon as his feet touched solid ground again, Mo Hua felt an odd sense of stability—as if truly "grounded." He felt much more at ease.
He turned and walked to the riverbank, waving at Little Silverfish.
"Thanks this time. Head back and rest. Next time I come see you, I'll bring you some treats."
Little Silverfish spun around happily in the water and chirped, "Goodbye, Benefactor!" before transforming into a streak of silver light and diving into the depths of Smokewater River, vanishing into the rippling waves.
Gu Changhuai followed Mo Hua's gaze, but—still seeing absolutely nothing—frowned and couldn't help but ask:
"You're talking to the river god? Why does it sound like you're talking to a pet?"
Mo Hua replied, "I have a good relationship with the river god. And Uncle Gu, that tone of yours is disrespectful. Be careful—next time you take a boat, the river god might just flip it."
Gu Changhuai shook his head, a bit helpless.
Later, the group returned to Qingzhou City and gathered in a private room of the Gu family's teahouse to discuss their plan.
Ever since returning, Magistrate Xia had looked grim. Her gaze was icy now, filled with killing intent as she spoke coldly:
"Not a single one of those demonic bandits can be allowed to escape!"
"And that Water Yama—he deserves to die a thousand deaths!"
"I'm going to mobilize personnel. Within three days, we'll wipe out that entire nest of scum!"
This time, Gu Changhuai didn't object much, but he reminded her:
"Your Xia family may be a great clan, but this is still Qianxue Province. Three days might not be enough."
"And if you rush to mobilize, not all the people you summon may be trustworthy…"
His expression grew a bit serious.
But Magistrate Xia replied, "It's fine. Leave the manpower to me."
Seeing the calm confidence on her face, Gu Changhuai didn't say more.
"Then there's the issue of formations…"
Gu Changhuai continued, "We'll need to quietly break the island's formations—without alerting anyone."
"And more than that, it would be best if we could set up formations around the island—to trap those bandits. Otherwise, once battle breaks out and they scatter, we won't be able to catch all of them. Some will definitely slip away."
"If regular bandits escape, it's not too bad. But if Water Yama gets away, this whole operation will have been for nothing."
Magistrate Xia frowned and paused before replying:
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple…"
"I checked before too. The island's terrain may look rough and wild, but it actually follows a hidden Eight Trigrams layout. The internal formations are divided into eight gates."
"And these eight gates—rather than being for defense—are more like escape routes. So long as the exits aren't sealed, the bandits will always have a 'life gate' through which they can flee."
"How do you plan to break that formation? How do we seal it?" she looked at Gu Changhuai.
Gu Changhuai fell silent.
How would he know how to break or seal formations?
His cultivation knowledge was almost entirely disconnected from formation arts.
Well… maybe not entirely disconnected—he could still recognize most of the commonly used formations and knew a few basic principles.
In the past, he'd probably say he had a "rough understanding" of formations.
But that was before.
Now…
Gu Changhuai silently turned to look at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua accepted the unspoken cry for help and gave a firm nod.
"Sister Xia, don't worry. Leave the formations to me!"
(End of this Chapter)