Chapter 830: The Forbidden Box
Xiao Tianquan's killing intent had withdrawn.
The chill at Mo Hua's back faded, but the doubts in his heart only grew deeper.
What exactly was this Xiao Tianquan… looking for?
Was he connected to the water bandits?
Did he know Water Yama?
Mo Hua recalled the many little signs he'd noticed about Xiao Tianquan along the way.
In this entire operation against the water bandits, at least on the surface, Xiao Tianquan hadn't shown any suspicious behavior. He had followed Magistrate Xia's assignments to the letter.
He had actually killed water bandits—and with zero hesitation.
In fact, he killed more ruthlessly than the others.
Mo Hua furrowed his brow.
"The Xiao family… Xiao Tianquan… Something's fishy."
After that, he finished combing through the last remaining hidden chambers, acquiring another set of formation diagrams and uncovering a stash of stolen goods.
Beyond that, there wasn't much else.
What needed searching had been searched. What could be found had been found. What couldn't be—well, that was that.
Mo Hua picked a scenic lookout point on the island, sat atop the high platform, and gazed at the hazy moonlight and rippling waters of the Yan River, quietly waiting for news from Uncle Gu and Sister Xia.
About an hour later, Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia returned.
The two looked weary and travel-worn, their faces stern.
Mo Hua sighed. He could guess it now—Water Yama had escaped again.
Gu Changhuai's face was a bit dark. "There was a secret tunnel on the island. Water Yama had prepared an escape route in advance and fled through it…"
"We chased him down, but Water Yama is terrifying in the water. Once he touches the river, he's like a flood dragon—his spells stronger, movement faster, slicing through the currents like he owns them."
"But he had been injured earlier, and his energy was depleted. Eventually, he started to fall behind. Just when he was about to be cornered, he suddenly dived into a neighboring third-rank river zone…"
"Third-rank?" Mo Hua blinked, surprised.
Gu Changhuai nodded. "Yeah."
Mo Hua pondered. "If it's third-rank territory… wouldn't that make Water Yama even less of a match for you and Sister Xia?"
After all, Water Yama was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm. In the second-rank zone, where Heaven's Law suppression was active, he could barely hold his own against Golden Core cultivators like Uncle Gu and Magistrate Xia.
Once he crossed into a third-rank zone—with no suppression—wasn't he basically asking to be killed?
Gu Changhuai's gaze turned cold. "That beast really was asking for death. Once he crossed into the third-rank waters, with no suppression, I unleashed my full Golden Core strength. A single Wind Blade—and I chopped off his arm."
Mo Hua was startled.
Gu Changhuai seemed to understand his expression and glanced sideways at him.
"You didn't actually think I, a Golden Core cultivator, couldn't beat a Foundation punk… did you?"
Mo Hua shook his head frantically, laughing awkwardly. "Of course not."
Gu Changhuai snorted, then frowned again.
"Just when I was about to finish him off with the next Wind Blade… someone suddenly stepped in and saved him."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Gu Changhuai shook his head, his face serious. "This person's cultivation is very deep—but they stayed completely hidden. They didn't reveal a single trace of their own Dao technique. After rescuing Water Yama, they slipped beneath the water and vanished. We searched everywhere but couldn't find them."
"It was as if… a layer of fog had swallowed everything."
"Fog…" Mo Hua's heart trembled.
Standing beside them, Magistrate Xia hadn't said a word. Now, she finally sighed:
"Though Water Yama escaped, at least his stronghold was destroyed and the bandits wiped out. This mission wasn't in vain. The Dao Court will certainly reward us afterward."
Then she glanced at Mo Hua, her voice softening:
"We couldn't have done it without your help. I'll file a report to make sure you receive extra merit points."
"Thank you, Sister Xia." Mo Hua smiled.
By now, Magistrate Xia had gotten used to him calling her "Sister Xia."
Especially after seeing his talent and accomplishment in formations firsthand, she had no objections at all to this "little brother" giving her that title.
"I still have some post-operation matters to deal with. Take care of yourself. Once dawn breaks, we'll head back." she said.
"Alright." Mo Hua nodded.
Magistrate Xia gave him a warm glance, then walked away.
Mo Hua, however, remained curious. He whispered to Gu Changhuai:
"Water Yama escaped, but Sister Xia didn't seem particularly anxious?"
Gu Changhuai gave him a side-eye.
Mo Hua stared right back.
With a sigh of resignation, Gu Changhuai finally replied:
"Water Yama is a fish—but also a bait. Now that a bigger fish has taken the bait, that's not necessarily a bad thing."
"Even if the big fish ran off with the bait, at least it showed its face."
"This is Dry River Prefecture. It's still the Dao Court's turf. No matter how big the fish is, we're not afraid—as long as it's surfaced. What we fear is the kind that hides deep underwater and never reveals itself."
Mo Hua suddenly understood and nodded.
For the Dao Court and the Xia Clan, the destruction of the water bandits wasn't the end—it was just the beginning.
What came next… would be even messier.
He wasn't sure if he'd still have a chance to sneak in and fish in troubled waters.
As Mo Hua was pondering, Gu Changhuai suddenly asked:
"By the way—why did Water Yama have red eyes and chase you so madly?"
Mo Hua froze.
Because I stole his lifeblood treasure…
Gu Changhuai just stared at him.
Mo Hua coughed and quickly replied with a vague story:
"Uh… he was secretly packing up to escape, and I happened to catch him. He panicked, got mad, and tried to kill me. You know how petty people like him are, Uncle Gu…"
Gu Changhuai knew at once the kid was bluffing.
But after thinking about it, it wasn't weird for criminals like these to want Mo Hua dead.
Honestly, sometimes he had the urge to strangle this little brat.
Gu Changhuai felt a strange moment of kinship… and dropped the subject.
"I've got things to take care of too. Stay here and behave. We'll leave together soon." he said.
"Got it." Mo Hua replied.
And with that, Gu Changhuai also left.
Now that both Gu Changhuai and Magistrate Xia were busy handling the aftermath, the surroundings felt oddly quiet. Only the corpses of the water bandits lay scattered around—leaving Mo Hua completely alone.
Bored, he climbed back onto the high platform, dangling his legs and watching the scenery.
Half an hour passed, and the time reached Mao hour—around 5 a.m.
The eastern sky brightened. The sun slowly rose, scattering the river mist and casting radiant golden light over the island…
...and over the corpses strewn across the ground.
Mo Hua sat atop the high platform in silence, watching the sunrise.
While below his feet—those dead water bandits would never see it again.
An hour later, the Dao Court's cleanup was complete.
Faster than Magistrate Xia had expected.
Thanks to Mo Hua's earlier full sweep of the island, all they needed to do now was count heads, tally the stolen goods, and cart everything back to the Dao Court for processing.
Mo Hua had been thorough—saving them a lot of hassle.
Magistrate Xia felt quietly impressed.
Once the accounting was done, the team regrouped.
The surviving water bandits—those who hadn't been killed—had been knocked out, shackled with chains, and were now being taken back as prisoners.
With everything wrapped up, the group boarded the spirit boat to return home.
They had come under moonlight, the river dark and cold, shrouded in gloom.
Now, they returned in daylight—the river sparkling under the sun, cheerful and warm.
Everyone seemed to relax a little.
Everyone… except Xiao Tianquan.
His expression remained grim, eyes deep with thought.
After another half-hour, the spirit boat docked. Everyone stepped back onto solid ground—safe and secure.
Back at the Dao Court, all that remained was to treat the wounded, bury the fallen, and finalize the aftermath.
The operation against the water bandits could finally be closed, for now.
Battles always brought casualties.
The veteran cultivators of the Dao Court understood that well.
Although Mo Hua felt a little regretful, he had already done everything he could.
If not for him breaking the Eight Gates Eight Trigrams Formation and countering the bandits' traps on the island, the casualties might have been much worse.
Considering the scale of the operation, the losses were already minimal.
As for Mo Hua— His role here… was done.
He planned to return to the sect first and study the nice things he'd just obtained. But just then, a voice rang out beside his ear:
"Magistrate Xia, shouldn't we inspect the storage pouches?"
The moment the words were spoken, everyone froze.
Even Magistrate Xia looked momentarily stunned.
Gu Changhuai's gaze turned cold as he looked at the speaker.
The one who had spoken—was Xiao Tianquan.
Magistrate Xia said calmly, "Weren't they already inspected?"
According to Dao Court regulations, all cultivators under the Dao Court were prohibited from using personal storage rings or pouches during missions.
For special operations, the Dao Court would issue standardized storage pouches to magistrates and enforcers for holding spirit tools, as well as Dao Court-provided spirit stones and medicinal supplies.
Once the mission concluded, all storage pouches would be collected and verified.
This was meant to ensure no one smuggled out "stolen goods" or pocketed loot for themselves.
This rule didn't entirely eliminate "private gain," but it prevented 80–90% of it—which was good enough.
No rule was perfect. As long as it stopped the majority of corruption, it was considered effective.
Earlier on the island, Magistrate Xia had indeed followed protocol and checked everyone's pouches.
"Yes, they were checked—but not all," said Xiao Tianquan. He then glanced at Mo Hua. "This young man's pouch wasn't checked."
His expression was serious, putting on the face of someone strictly following "procedures."
Magistrate Xia couldn't help but frown.
Gu Changhuai's voice turned icy. "He isn't one of our Dao Court."
Xiao Tianquan kept a solemn tone. "True, he isn't—but he did act with the Dao Court, so he should follow Dao Court rules."
Then, staring at Gu Changhuai, his eyes glinting, he said:
"Could it be… that you, Magistrate Gu, are trying to shield this young man?"
Gu Changhuai's eyelid twitched. His gaze turned even colder.
The atmosphere instantly tensed.
Magistrate Xia turned toward Mo Hua, her expression conflicted.
By rights, a check was indeed warranted.
But Mo Hua's situation was special. If no one brought it up, no one would've been tactless enough to demand to search a little Foundation-stage cultivator's belongings.
But now that Xiao Tianquan had raised it—things had to be done "by the book."
Otherwise, even as a Xia family magistrate, she would find it difficult to command respect.
The Xia family was full of geniuses. The competition among disciples was intense.
Though she had the authority, behind her back there would inevitably be gossip and criticism.
Still… if she truly had to check Mo Hua's belongings—
Magistrate Xia looked at Mo Hua, her gaze seeking his opinion.
Mo Hua lightly rubbed his right thumb, where his Storage Ring, bound by blood, was hidden—undetectable by others. Then he nodded and said:
"Since everyone else was checked, I shouldn't be the exception."
He appeared completely open and calm, handing over his storage pouch to Magistrate Xia without hesitation.
Magistrate Xia looked at him with a touch of surprise. She then sent her divine sense into the pouch and took out everything inside.
There were spirit stones, though not many.
Some backup pills—marked with the insignia of the Great Void Sect, and a few with the Gu family emblem.
These pills were gifts from Elder Murong and Wenren Wan.
There were also a few spirit swords, magical tools, array materials, and the like.
But all clearly came from legitimate sources—not a single item was from the water bandits' stash.
The only outlier… was the formation diagrams.
A massive pile of them—dense, layered, stacked high.
And their contents were wildly varied.
Some came from the Great Void Sect, some from the Shangguan clan, the Wenren clan, the Gu family—and some had clearly been collected from the island.
They ranged from entry-level first-grade to high-grade second-grade, and covered a wide range of topics.
The five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—as well as trigram arrays like the Gen Mountain Array, the Li Fire Array, the Dui Marsh Array, the Kan Water Array, and even some Primordial Magnetic-type formations. The variety was dazzling.
Everyone gasped softly.
Even those unfamiliar with formation arts could tell these diagrams were high-level and complex.
And those who were familiar… knew all too well the immense difficulty of studying such a vast range of formations.
To be carrying so many—such a dense and advanced collection—meant this young cultivator had an extremely deep formation background. His talent in formations was clearly impressive, and his determination and persistence in studying them… extraordinary.
His future prospects on the path of formations were surely limitless.
The enforcers' gazes toward Mo Hua turned deeply respectful.
Even Magistrate Xia felt some awe.
A whole storage pouch full of formation diagrams…
No wonder he had such advanced array skills at such a young age.
Gifted, insightful, hardworking, and studious. For someone his age… this was truly rare and commendable.
Magistrate Xia let out a silent breath of relief.
She'd honestly been a bit anxious earlier.
She'd worried that since Mo Hua was still young and inexperienced, his willpower might waver, and after rummaging through the island, he might have "skimmed" a little off the top.
It was understandable—even some enforcers did the same.
But she hadn't expected Mo Hua to be so upright and honest. Not a single coin of ill-gotten wealth had been taken.
As for the formation diagrams… they were from varied sources and hard to trace.
Even if some had indeed been picked up from the island, no one would dare raise an objection.
Formation masters were highly respected.
For a formation cultivator to collect a few diagrams—that was entirely within reason.
Besides, the island's formations were broken by Mo Hua himself. He hadn't asked for any special payment, so taking a few diagrams was more than justified.
She had judged a noble soul with a petty heart.
Magistrate Xia felt a trace of guilt and looked at Mo Hua with newfound admiration.
This child… if he joined the Dao Court and remained true to himself, upright and incorruptible—he could go far as a future Magistrate.
Her heart full of appreciation, she looked toward Xiao Tianquan and said calmly:
"Enforcer Xiao, well?"
Xiao Tianquan's gaze lingered in Mo Hua's pouch for a long moment. In the end, he seemed reluctant—but still cupped his hands and said:
"No problem."
Then he turned toward Mo Hua, bowing lightly and smiling:
"Brother, it seems I was too abrupt. Please don't take offense."
Mo Hua smiled with narrowed eyes. "It's nothing at all."
Seeing Mo Hua wasn't bothered, Magistrate Xia gave a light nod and ordered:
"Alright, let's return."
And so, the group began the return journey. Nothing unexpected happened along the way.
But in Mo Hua's heart… he was now certain:
This rabid hound, Xiao Tianquan, was definitely searching for something.
And that thing—was extremely important.
So important, that even in such a moment, he had no choice but to speak up, risking offending both Uncle Gu and Magistrate Xia… just to search Mo Hua's pouch.
"Because if he didn't check now, once we returned to Qianxue Prefecture and everyone went their own way… he'd never have a chance to find out whether I'd picked up something from the island."
"So what exactly is he looking for…?"
"What kind of item could be that important?"
"Could it be… that jade box belonging to Water Yama?"
Mo Hua rubbed his thumb again. After a moment of deep thought, his gaze turned sharp.
"No matter what, I'll remember this grudge…"
"Openly targeting me in front of everyone… even revealing killing intent, trying to take my life…"
Mo Hua's eyes turned cold.
…
Once they reached the Qianxue Prefecture's border, Magistrate Xia and the others returned to the Dao Court.
Gu Changhuai didn't say much, but he personally escorted Mo Hua to the gates of the Great Void Sect.
He seemed to have noticed something, but didn't press the matter. He only reminded Mo Hua:
"Be careful of the Xiao family. Focus on cultivating in the sect. Don't wander around needlessly."
"Understood, Uncle Gu. Don't worry," Mo Hua replied.
Gu Changhuai gave a faint nod, then turned and left.
Mo Hua displayed his sect token and entered the mountain gate alone.
By the time he returned, it was midday.
Mo Hua first found Elder Song to report his return from leave. Then he went back to his quarters, bathed, burned incense to dispel the blood-scent, changed into the Great Void Sect's Daoist robes, and—like nothing had happened—ran off to attend class.
The teaching elder knew Mo Hua had the support of Venerable Elder Xun, and that he was a "special case" within the sect, so he didn't say much.
The other disciples were also used to Mo Hua frequently heading out to "draw formations," so no one found his return strange.
Just like that—he had been hunting bandits in the morning, and by afternoon, he was back in class like a well-behaved disciple.
That night, after dinner, Mo Hua practiced formation arts with Yu'er for a while before returning to his quarters. After shutting the doors and windows and sealing the defensive formations, he carefully pulled out the jade box he'd snatched from Water Yama's hands, retrieving it from his Storage Ring.
The jade box felt heavy in his hands. On the surface, it seemed to be crafted from some unknown, water-blue jade material.
On the box, an image was carved.
In Water Yama's secret chamber, Mo Hua hadn't had time to study it carefully. Now, back in the sect, he finally had a moment to examine it closely.
A grim prison, grotesque torture devices, and a variety of prisoners—each suffering horrendous punishments—struggling, screaming, howling in pain.
A water-blue jade box, engraved with a blood-soaked prison scene.
It radiated a strong aura of Slaughter Qi.
"Is this… a visualization diagram?"
Mo Hua was puzzled.
He released his divine sense, focusing intently on the carved image for a long time—but detected nothing unusual.
No signs of evil spirits rising.
There didn't appear to be any vengeful souls or fierce ghosts residing within the image.
Aside from the cold, oppressive aura—it was empty.
"Not a visualization diagram? Just… a box?"
Mo Hua frowned and tried to open the jade box.
But after several attempts, the box didn't budge in the slightest.
Narrowing his eyes and examining it carefully, he finally noticed that—despite its appearance—this "box" didn't have a single visible seam. No lid. No lock. It was like one solid block of flawless jade—seamless as the heavens.
"Not a visualization diagram. No evil spirit."
"No lock. No opening. Can't be opened."
"And I have no idea what's inside."
Mo Hua found himself stuck.
"Should I try to capture Water Yama and ask him?"
That thought had barely surfaced before Mo Hua dismissed it.
Water Yama had been rescued by a Golden Core cultivator. No one knew where he was hiding now—capturing him again would be extremely difficult.
And even if he were caught, it probably wouldn't help.
Given Water Yama's temperament, if he knew Mo Hua had taken his jade box, he'd want to rip him to pieces. He definitely wouldn't reveal its secret willingly.
So what now?
Just… stare at it?
Curiosity and a strange sense of urgency welled up in Mo Hua's heart.
He really wanted to open the box—to know what was inside.
Ever since he gained a bit of insight into Heavenly Fate Divination and learned about the laws of cause and effect, Mo Hua occasionally experienced a kind of mysterious intuition.
And now, that intuition whispered to him—this jade box… might be immensely important to him.
"Could it be…"
Mo Hua's heart gave a faint thump—expectation rising.
"If I can't go to Water Yama, then there's only one other person I can turn to."
The other inheritor of the Water Prison Sect.
A few days later, during his rest break, Mo Hua took the opportunity to visit the Gu family again—not to see Gu Changhuai, but to find Yu Canghai.
This elder of the Water Prison Sect was likely the last surviving Golden Core cultivator of the sect.
When Yu Canghai saw Mo Hua, he was quite polite. He cupped his hands and greeted him:
"Little friend, long time no see."
Though he was a Golden Core cultivator and Mo Hua was only Foundation Stage, he treated Mo Hua as an equal.
After all, standing before him was a disciple from a powerful sect, backed by strong allies and influential connections. As a fallen Water Prison Sect elder, Yu Canghai couldn't afford to act superior.
Mo Hua exchanged a few pleasantries, then subtly shifted the conversation—asking about various aspects of the Water Prison Sect, especially its methods of inheritance.
But Yu Canghai was cautious and composed. His answers were well-measured and watertight.
He didn't sound evasive or rude—but he also didn't give away anything that could be considered a sect secret.
Mo Hua couldn't get the information he wanted. His eyes flickered slightly, and then he lowered his voice and said quietly:
"A few days ago, I went to capture Water Yama…"
Even someone as composed as Yu Canghai was startled by this. He jumped to his feet, face filled with shock and disbelief. His body trembled uncontrollably.
Mo Hua saw the elder's reaction and instantly knew—Uncle Gu hadn't told him about Water Yama.
Yu Canghai wanted to ask more, but didn't know where to start. In the end, his voice trembled as he said:
"That… that monster, he…"
Mo Hua sighed. "He didn't die. He escaped."
Yu Canghai slumped back into his seat, deeply disappointed.
"But in Water Yama's hands, there seemed to be something very unusual…" Mo Hua frowned.
"Something?" Yu Canghai echoed, frowning as well.
"Mm," Mo Hua nodded, feigning ignorance as he described, "It's a jade box—water-blue in color. There's a carved image on it—a prison scene, where people are being tortured. Their expressions are filled with agony and despair…"
Mo Hua hadn't finished speaking before Yu Canghai's eyes widened in horror. His face turned pale, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably:
"Th-the… Water Prison Forbidden Box…"
Mo Hua's eyes gleamed faintly.
So that's what it's called.
(End of Chapter)