Chapter 839 – Shameless Pair
The mist was thick with the aura of an evil god.
It was eerily similar to the foul fog back in the fishing village.
Mo Hua felt it in his bones—he was getting closer and closer to what he was looking for.
Somewhere within the mists spreading over the Yanshui River… the altar might be hidden.
And this aura—it was far more intense than the ones at the Bìshan Devil's Den or the River God Temple in the fishing village.
This altar... is definitely no ordinary thing!
Mo Hua's eyes glinted faintly, a subtle sense of anticipation rising within him.
But at the same time, a warning stirred in his heart—as though something terrifying lurked within the fog, within the altar. A kind of unknown danger.
"What could it be…?"
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
The spirit boat pressed onward, deeper into the fog. Darkness seeped in from all sides, suffocating and heavy.
After a long while, the boat came to a halt.
The surrounding fog had thinned slightly.
But instead of relief, Mo Hua's soul began to stir restlessly—as if something unseen were constantly teasing at his inner desires.
The tugging was subtle, extremely so. If Mo Hua hadn't cultivated the Sword of Divine Dread and the Blood Prison Eye, if he hadn't attuned his seven soul aspects, he likely wouldn't have sensed such delicate shifts on the soul level.
"The fog has thinned… but the desire has thickened."
"The outer fog was thick to block outsiders' perception…"
"But inside, though it looks thinner, it's secretly stirring up 'desire,' making people... excited…"
Mo Hua's gaze sharpened.
After the spirit boat stopped, everything fell quiet. Then came a knock at the door, and a low voice:
"Honored guests, please close your doors and remain inside."
Mo Hua glanced at Ye Hong, who also frowned in confusion.
He was also here for the first time—unfamiliar with the rules of the Rouge Boat, unsure what schemes lurked beneath its surface.
"Let's stay in the room and observe for now," Mo Hua said.
"Alright," Ye Hong nodded.
A little later, water sounds echoed again—light and scattered, drawing nearer.
It seemed more boats had arrived. Soon came the soft sound of footsteps—someone boarding.
Mo Hua faintly caught a sweet, heavy scent of powder and perfume. Judging by the aura, the newcomers were women.
There was also a delicate, flirtatious murmur rising and falling—soft, enchanting, teasing to the ear.
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
He knew then—the Rouge Boat's "business" was beginning.
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the noise outside quieted.
Another knock came.
"Apologies for the wait, honored guests. The banquet is ready."
The voice spoke just once before moving on to knock on the next door, repeating the same message again and again.
Footsteps filled the corridor as people stepped out and headed toward the hall.
Mo Hua paused in thought, then told Ye Hong:
"I'm going to take a look. You... stay here. Don't go out yet."
Ye Hong might be at Foundation Establishment Peak, but on the Rouge Boat, that level of cultivation was nothing.
Besides, his entire demeanor screamed "clan elder who's been stuck managing things behind the scenes for years"—not someone experienced in combat or handling crises.
And more importantly, he carried the grief of losing his children. That kind of bottled-up pain might cause him to lose control if something went wrong.
Better he stayed out of trouble for now.
Ye Hong didn't want to stay behind, but he wasn't reckless. He knew too little. Blindly poking around might ruin everything.
So he clenched his teeth, cupped his hands, and said:
"Then… I'll be counting on you, young master."
He gave Mo Hua a deep bow.
Mo Hua nodded, suppressed his aura, and slowly opened the door.
The moment it opened, a rich fragrance of cosmetics and perfume rushed in—mingled with the fog and the desire it carried. It made one's heart itch.
Mo Hua turned his senses inward, calmed his breath, guarded his mind, and banished the distracting thoughts, clearing his heart.
Outside, many people were already gathering in pairs and trios, heading toward the main hall.
Mo Hua, dressed as a humble servant, quietly followed behind.
Thanks to the influence of the desire-tinged fog, everyone's minds were slightly euphoric—no one noticed him.
Even before reaching the hall, he could hear the faint sound of dance and music.
A moment later, he entered.
Mo Hua looked up and saw that the stage used for daytime opera had been changed completely.
Now, a group of dazzling women danced gracefully. Each wore a translucent veil over their face and thin, revealing clothes. Their movements flowed like water with the music.
Under the gauzy layers, their fair skin glimmered—barely concealed.
The guests in the hall stared, entranced, their eyes full of hunger and desire.
Mo Hua stared for a while… and then quickly grew bored.
That's it?
Dressed like that, twisting and wriggling around? What's so great about that?
He shook his head slightly.
Still, since he was here, he needed to observe carefully.
Mo Hua stayed in character, acting like an ordinary attendant. He stood quietly in the corner, occasionally serving tea or pouring wine—utterly inconspicuous.
The hall was loud and crowded. No one noticed anything unusual about him.
Mo Hua kept watching in silence.
And slowly, patterns began to emerge.
This was a business—the women on the stage were goods. The so-called dance was just a way for the "products" to present themselves.
As merchandise, they naturally had different grades.
The dancers were divided into ranks—each with different "value" and different clientele.
Mo Hua couldn't tell for sure if they were all here against their will.
But after a few glances, he could guess that some of them definitely were.
Even though their faces were veiled, sorrow lingered in their eyes. Clearly, they were not here by choice.
But others were different.
Some looked indifferent, used to it. Some were sly and seductive, clearly playing their role with intention. A few even looked… happy.
As if they enjoyed being admired, envied—savoring the vanity of captivating so many men.
"Human nature… truly complicated," Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
The men in the room were just as varied.
Some were clearly here to indulge themselves—eating fine food, drinking wine, staring at the stage in lustful dazes.
Some, when they found a dancer they liked, would summon a servant and point her out. The servant would nod and make arrangements.
Then the man would get up and return to his room. A new dancer would take the stage.
What happened after they returned… even if Mo Hua wasn't certain, he could more or less guess.
That was one kind of man.
But there were others.
They weren't here for the women. They were here to network—roaming the hall with wine cups, toasting others, flattering, forging connections.
Factions were forming.
In the Dry Learning Prefecture, sects had their own internal cliques.
But the real elite social circles were outside the sect walls—between the young lords and noble sons of various factions and clans.
Outside, a guest is just a guest.
But in here? Sharing drinks, sharing women—that was a whole other kind of bond.
These men were all scions of prestigious families, geniuses of major sects. With bright futures ahead, they'd likely end up as key figures in their clans, sects, or even the Dao Court itself.
So here, with beauty as the bait, they formed alliances—mutual aid pacts for future gain.
Those with strong backgrounds strengthened their ties.
Those with weaker roots scrambled to attach themselves to power, expanding their network.
Mo Hua sighed to himself.
"So this… is the true face of the Rouge Boat."
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
No wonder the ticket cost a full hundred thousand spirit stones.
It wasn't just a pass for "pleasure and indulgence."
To those with discerning eyes, this Rouge Boat ticket was a golden admission pass into the world of power and privilege.
He looked around again.
Most of the cultivators at the feast were unfamiliar faces—people he didn't recognize at all. But from their youthful features and arrogant expressions, it was obvious: they were all disciples of major clans and sects.
Likely covering the Four Great Sects, Eight Major Gates, Twelve Streams, and even extending to many of the Hundred Sects under Qianxue Prefecture.
Mo Hua watched with quiet alarm. His gaze grew heavy.
"This might be far worse than I expected…"
And aside from these "regular elites," there were some others—more unusual.
Their cultivation was deeper, their presence more composed. They sat alone, drinking quietly, barely sparing the dancing women a glance—as if those beauties were nothing but vulgar distractions.
Mo Hua, while serving tea and wine, secretly kept an eye on them.
Midway through the banquet, several steward-like figures approached these more distinguished individuals. They bowed respectfully and whispered a few words.
The room was noisy, and Mo Hua wasn't close enough to hear clearly, but he caught fragments like:
"Everything is ready."
"Please follow me."
Soon after, these individuals seemed to understand and got up one after another, leaving the feast and heading out of the hall.
Some servants followed behind them.
Mo Hua's eyes sharpened.
"Something's up."
After a moment of thought, his eyes flicked, and he casually adjusted his steps, silently merging into the procession.
There were plenty of attendants in the group—one more or one less made no difference.
And because he moved naturally and had already been serving drinks in the hall for quite a while, no one suspected a thing.
The entire group walked in silence. No one spoke. No one asked him any questions. So, of course, he didn't expose himself.
Security on the Rouge Boat had been tight—before boarding.
Once aboard, things were far more relaxed.
After all, everyone who made it aboard was a "distinguished guest."
Inspecting them too closely would only risk offense.
Just like that, the group quietly left the hall.
Mo Hua followed along with a straight face as they passed through corridors and stepped onto the deck. There, thick fog cloaked everything, and the river shimmered in the darkness—scenery barely visible.
Only the linked chain of spirit boats lit the way, each one glowing as it drifted along the Yanshui River.
Under the cover of night, the lights looked oddly eerie.
The spirit boats were connected by iron chains, with narrow bridges built atop for cultivators to cross between vessels.
Now, not just Mo Hua's boat—but all the spirit boats—had guests of special status coming onto the decks, converging toward the central ship of the floating fleet.
Mo Hua kept his head down, hands to his sides, and followed silently.
In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, they arrived.
Before them was a larger, more extravagant, and lavishly decorated ship.
Everyone boarded.
Many of the guests had, at some point, put on masks—concealing their faces, unwilling to reveal their true identities.
Of course, some remained unbothered, showing their faces boldly.
Mo Hua had expected a spectacle aboard this main vessel.
But instead of some grand scene, there was nothing so extravagant inside.
No massive banquet halls. No riotous gatherings. No vulgar "pleasure dens."
Surprisingly, the ship's interior was subdued and discreet. It was divided into numerous private chambers.
From the outside, all the rooms looked the same.
The elite guests used their tokens to unlock and enter their assigned chambers—after which, none of them came back out.
What happened after that, Mo Hua had no way of knowing.
The group continued to move forward. One by one, guests entered the rooms, and the number of people remaining shrank rapidly.
Seizing the moment as he passed a corner, Mo Hua smoothly turned and slipped out of line—activating his concealment and vanishing without a trace.
Now hidden, he found a secluded corner within the ship's interior, crouched low, and began to think through his options.
"This big ship... it's nothing like I imagined."
All the secrets were scattered and locked away in individual chambers.
This left him with nowhere obvious to start.
Even if he wanted to investigate, where should he begin?
If he picked the wrong room, revealed himself, and got caught... he'd be stranded here on the Yanshui River—cut off from help, with no escape. His odds of surviving would be slim.
And the biggest issue—how to open the rooms?
Mo Hua picked a nearby chamber, eyes flickering. He began silently deducing with his Heavenly Pattern calculations.
A short while later, he let out a faint breath.
"Whew... just a Grade-2 formation."
The ship was designed to host Foundation Establishment cultivators from second-tier states, so Grade-2 formations made sense.
Though Grade-2, the formations were all top-tier within their class—clearly crafted with care.
There were many types—covering Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, reinforcement, soundproofing, concealment, and even barriers to block wall-phasing techniques. A real array of defenses.
Luckily, Mo Hua's foundation in Grade-2 formations was incredibly solid and wide-ranging.
These could be dismantled—but would take time.
Problem was, this hallway had foot traffic. If he started dismantling now, he'd definitely be spotted.
He had no window of opportunity to work uninterrupted.
"There's gotta be another way…"
Just as he was deep in thought, footsteps sounded nearby.
Mo Hua instantly silenced his mind, held his breath, and concealed himself again.
The grand ship had many imaging formations set up, but it was impossible to cover everything.
A normal concealment cultivator might not even notice the danger zones.
But Mo Hua? He was both a concealment expert and an advanced array master.
He could spot imaging formations at a glance, so finding a safe, hidden spot was no challenge.
And so, he waited—silently.
Soon, someone walked by.
A woman, dressed in a soft pink robe. Her figure was graceful, and the air around her carried a faint floral fragrance.
She didn't notice Mo Hua at all—passing right by him.
Mo Hua hadn't paid her much mind… until he caught her face out of the corner of his eye.
He suddenly froze.
He didn't recognize her… but she looked oddly familiar.
Why?
Mo Hua frowned in confusion.
He thought back carefully—and then it hit him.
Hundred Flowers Valley!
This pink-robed woman was a disciple of the Hundred Flowers Valley.
Back when he tried to use Hao Xuan's connection to meet Wang Chen and get on the Rouge Boat through a tavern in Yin Water City, he had failed.
On the way back, he saw a carriage from the Hundred Flowers Valley leaving the city—it caught his attention, so he quietly followed it all the way to their sect.
Several beautiful female disciples had gotten off that carriage.
Among them... was this pink-robed woman.
"Hundred Flowers Valley…"
Mo Hua's mind stirred.
He quickly and silently followed her.
The woman moved gracefully, weaving between the chambers with practiced ease. Clearly, she was very familiar with the layout of this ship.
After about the time it takes to burn incense, she stopped before a room and knocked lightly.
Moments later, the door opened.
Another woman appeared, her features delicate but buried beneath layers of heavy makeup.
Mo Hua's eyes widened slightly.
It was… Hua Ruyu!
She was on this ship too!
Hua Ruyu glanced around, and seeing no one else, whispered accusingly:
"Why are you only just getting here?"
"I—"
Before the pink-robed girl could answer, Hua Ruyu shook her head and said:
"Come in. We'll talk inside."
"Mm."
The girl nodded and entered the room.
Hua Ruyu closed the door behind her.
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
"I..."
"Can't hear a thing..."
Mo Hua frowned.
There was definitely something fishy about Hua Ruyu being on the Rouge Boat. And this pink-robed disciple from the Hundred Flowers Valley? She was definitely in on it too.
But once that door shut—he couldn't hear a single word.
"Gotta think of a way…"
The chamber was tightly sealed from the corridor. The door was shut tight, and the walls couldn't be breached.
Then… maybe try from the outside?
Mo Hua recalled that the outer walls of the ship, facing the water, should have windows or openings.
Nodding to himself, he memorized the room's location, then scouted around nearby. Eventually, at the far end of the corridor, around a corner, he found a ventilated window.
He climbed out through the window, clung to the wooden beams along the hull of the Rouge Boat, and crept toward the room where Hua Ruyu was.
Sure enough, there was a water-facing window outside her chamber.
But it was shut tight. He couldn't see in. He couldn't hear anything either.
"Gotta break the array on this window…"
Normally, external formations on a spirit boat were much stricter than the internal ones.
Breaking them from the outside was significantly harder than doing so from within.
Mo Hua felt a little uneasy. He studied the formations on the window carefully—and was suddenly surprised to discover: it was a Divine Mist Array.
And beneath the Divine Mist Array… was a Divine Locking Array, within which he detected faint traces of demonic energy—as if demons were sealed inside.
After a moment's contemplation, Mo Hua understood.
The outer defenses of the Rouge Boat had to be stronger than the interior.
That's why someone had laid two layers of divine-path formations around the large Rouge Boat—and sealed demons inside to guard against prying eyes.
Ordinary formations, no matter how complex, could be broken by the right cultivator.
But divine-path formations were different. They were nearly lost arts—rare and mysterious.
Add some sealed demons into the mix? Practically foolproof.
Mo Hua nodded in reluctant agreement.
"Smart. Really smart."
Then he proceeded to dismantle the divine formation.
At the same time, strands of demonic thought sealed in the array surged into his mind—only to be crushed instantly in his sea of consciousness.
As for other formations, they'd require more effort.
But divine-path formations? That was Mo Hua's specialty.
With the array broken, he pulled out a small dagger and quietly carved a tiny hole in the window.
Then he leaned in to peek inside.
There it was—a woman's private chamber. Rouge-draped bed, colorful phoenix screen, makeup table set with rouge and powder, jade ornaments placed neatly throughout. Clearly a lady's boudoir.
Inside, Hua Ruyu and the pink-robed disciple were sitting at a table, lips moving softly in conversation—though Mo Hua still couldn't hear a word.
"Still no sound?"
He blinked.
The room must've been protected by a soundproofing array as well.
After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua took out a silver needle, wrapped it with a thin iron wire, and inserted it through the gap in the window—right into the weak point of the soundproofing array.
He had carved a Sound-Hearing Formation into the needle using a miniature inscription technique.
The wire wrapped around his ear, allowing him to pick up the conversation inside.
"Don't overthink it…"
"What's wrong with it, really?"
"Beauty and grace are gifts from the heavens to us women. Naturally, we should make full use of them…"
"But…"
"No buts."
"Think about it. You weren't born into a great family. If you marry in the usual way, you'll only end up with some common man. And with your looks, how could those kinds of men be worthy of you?"
"This Rouge Boat is different. All the cultivators who come here are outstanding talents from noble clans—sons of power and prestige. Even if you can't marry them, a few nights of 'fleeting dew' won't be a loss."
"Seize the opportunity. Don't waste your beauty…"
"Let go of meaningless things like pride… and shame. Then you'll understand the sweetness of it all…"
"Yes… teacher…"
"Don't call me 'teacher' here."
"Yes… sister."
"Good. Off you go. Young Master Zhao is still waiting."
"Mm."
The pink-robed girl nodded. Whether it was acceptance or resignation, her expression relaxed a bit as she gracefully took her leave.
Mo Hua frowned deeply.
"What a charming little teacher... Poisoning people with that twisted logic."
"She's shameless enough on her own, and now she's dragging others down with her?"
After the pink-robed disciple left, Hua Ruyu was alone in the room.
She began to undress, preparing to take a bath.
Mo Hua, no longer interested, prepared to look away—
—when suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
Hua Ruyu's eyes darkened slightly. She quickly slipped on a robe, walked to the door, peeked outside—and then broke into a full smile, welcoming someone in.
The guest was a man.
He wore a mask, and one sleeve of his robe hung limply—his arm was missing.
"One arm…"
Mo Hua's pupils contracted.
He didn't need to think twice.
As soon as the man stepped in, he removed his mask, revealing a handsome but sinister face.
Hua Ruyu walked up and wrapped her arms around him. The two locked eyes, faces filled with passion and affection.
"Xie Lang, why'd you take so long?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Mm, I missed you so much."
"My sweet Miaor…"
Their whispers were sticky with honeyed intimacy.
Mo Hua's ears twitched in disgust.
His teeth hurt just from listening.
But soon after—his expression changed to one of sheer shock.
It was Water Yama!
And worse—this Water Yama was sleeping with Hua Ruyu!
"Those two filthy dogs!"
(End of this Chapter)