Chapter 842: A Poisonous Scheme
The door creaked open—outside stood the same Senior Brother Ma.
Seeing Ouyang Feng, he asked, "So, Brother Feng, have you come to a decision?"
Ouyang Feng recalled Mo Hua's words. His expression wavered, and after a moment, he sighed deeply—as though resigning himself to fate—and said helplessly,
"I agree."
Senior Brother Ma's eyes lit up at the reply. He cupped his hands with a smile:
"Brother Feng, by taking this step forward, your future will be limitless. The day our Tai'a Sect flourishes is just around the corner."
Ouyang Feng cupped his hands in return, saying nothing.
"That junior sister from Hundred Flower Valley," Ma added with a knowing grin, "consider her your gift for rising to prominence. A spring night is worth more than gold—I won't delay your joyous evening."
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly scrutinized Ouyang Feng's expression and hesitantly asked,
"Brother Feng… you didn't take the pill?"
Ouyang Feng replied flatly,
"I wanted to stay sober."
Ma's brow furrowed slightly. After a brief pause, he nodded.
"Fair enough. Clouded minds do dull the fun. Still… without the pill, I'm afraid Brother Feng may not fully enjoy himself."
Ouyang Feng's expression chilled, and his gaze turned sharp—clearly displeased.
Ma felt a chill in his heart. He knew Ouyang Feng was upright by nature, and viewed Hua Qianqian like a younger sister. Such suggestive talk clearly offended him, so Ma gave a sheepish laugh.
If Ouyang Feng had refused the Young Master's offer, he might've still had leverage.
But now that Ouyang Feng had agreed to serve the Young Master, and with his talent and status, he'd likely rise to become one of the Young Masters himself someday—Ma no longer dared to be careless.
As for the pill…
As long as the deed was done, once rice was cooked into porridge, whether the pill was taken or not wouldn't matter.
And perhaps, once he had a taste of pleasure and indulgence, he'd eventually take it willingly on his own.
Ma cupped his hands.
"Such a fine night shouldn't go to waste. Allow me to show the way. Please, Brother Feng."
Ouyang Feng nodded slightly.
He glanced back into the room, then scanned the surroundings. Sensing that Mo Hua was likely nearby, he finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"Let's go."
Ma led Ouyang Feng—and the invisible, stealthily trailing Mo Hua—toward Hua Qianqian's room.
Before long, they arrived at her door.
"Brother Feng, the rest is up to you. I won't intrude on your good fortune," Ma said.
Ouyang Feng gave a calm nod and headed for the room.
But just before he entered, Ma called out again, gaze slightly narrowed.
"Don't say I didn't warn you… A man walks but one path in life. If you pick a road but keep hesitating and wavering, you'll end up stuck between both sides—alone, with nowhere left to go. In the end, you'll only hurt yourself."
Ouyang Feng cast him a cold glance.
"I don't need you to teach me that lesson."
Ma's brow twitched slightly.
"As long as you understand."
Ouyang Feng ignored him, opened the door, deliberately waited a few breaths, then stepped inside and shut the door behind him.
Ma glanced into the room out of the corner of his eye—but saw nothing. A bit of disappointment crept into his expression.
Even he found Hua Qianqian's beauty and poise alluring. But such a fine thing… was never meant for the likes of him.
A woman like her… he'd never have the right to touch in his whole life.
He turned away, full of envy—and some bitter resentment—and walked to a hidden chamber. Knocking on the door, he was soon greeted by Hua Ruyu.
Seeing him, she asked calmly,
"How did it go?"
"Handled."
"He took the pill?"
"Didn't take it. But he's given up resisting, and he's in the room now. With a beauty like that in front of him, in this desire-laced Rouge Boat—what man could resist? The night will go well."
Hua Ruyu nodded, though she frowned slightly.
"Even so… without the pill, it's not quite foolproof."
Ma thought for a bit and shook his head.
"Can't push him too hard now."
"Fair…"
Hua Ruyu understood too—pressing too hard would backfire.
Given Ouyang Feng's nature, the fact that he agreed at all was already a rare outcome. If they forced him more, he might snap.
It didn't matter—once he tasted the pleasure and got pulled in, it would be a slippery slope. He'd never claw his way out again.
"We'll leave it for now. Wait a few hours and check in. As long as something happens between the two of them, everything else will follow naturally. With this scandal in our hands, those two poor doves will be in our grasp for life."
Ma nodded, though he still seemed puzzled.
"But… a brief affair like that—it's just a fling, isn't it? Why does it matter?"
"What do you know?" Hua Ruyu shot him a cold glare.
"To men like you, maybe it's just a fling. But for a woman—it's not the same."
"And don't forget, Ouyang Feng isn't just any man. He's the eldest senior of the Tai'a Sect—almost guaranteed to become the next sect master. Even if he doesn't, he's bound to be a powerful elder someday. He needs prestige, needs to be upright to earn the respect of others. A scandal like this? It's a bucket of filth—and for him, it's a stain that never washes away."
"And besides…"
Hua Ruyu sneered coldly.
"This kind of fling can happen anywhere. But it must not happen on the Rouge Boat."
"Why not?" Ma was baffled.
Hua Ruyu scoffed, voice thick with contempt:
"What do you think this Rouge Boat is? And what kind of people come and go here? Anywhere else, you might say it was passion, mutual desire. But here? The moment something dirty happens, it's seen as nothing but a trick between a john and a whore."
"A lecher has no right to be sect master. And a courtesan? She'll never be married with honor. They'll be gossiped about for the rest of their lives—spat on behind their backs."
"That's why I said, with their statuses, if something does happen between them—it'll be a fall they can never recover from."
Her eyes turned frosty.
"If Ouyang Feng were alone, he might not willingly serve us. But if Hua Qianqian goes down too, he'll be shackled. For the sake of his childhood friend, he'll swallow his shame. He won't dare fight back."
Ma's heart chilled as he listened.
Truly… the most poisonous thing in the world—is a woman's heart…
This seemingly harmless "romantic encounter" was laced with such venomous schemes.
He couldn't help but wonder—how many people had Hua Ruyu trapped with this same tactic?
Looking again at her flawless face, he felt no desire—only cold fear.
"Enough," Hua Ruyu said, her voice snapping him out of it.
"Whatever the case, tonight is a happy night for Young Master Feng. Let him enjoy it to the fullest—we've done our part."
"Yes," Ma murmured, nodding slowly.
…
Inside the boudoir, the curtains were heavy with the scent of rouge and powder.
Hua Qianqian was tied up, her mouth gagged. When she saw Ouyang Feng enter the room, her eyes widened in surprise—then lit up with joy.
But in the very next instant, she froze, her face gradually turning pale as realization dawned. Her gaze filled with disappointment, anger, pain, and disdain.
Ouyang Feng saw the shift in her emotions and felt a turmoil of guilt and shame rise in his heart—ashamed that, if not for Mo Hua's warning, he might have truly become the kind of man who would make someone feel such disgust and betrayal.
He gently removed the cloth gag from her mouth.
Immediately, Hua Qianqian cried out like a startled deer,
"Don't come any closer!"
Ouyang Feng froze, then sighed.
"Qianqian, I'm here to rescue you."
"I don't believe you!" she snapped, eyes red with tears and her pretty face full of fury.
"Don't treat me like a fool. This place—how could you just walk in so easily? If you were able to stroll in like this, then you must be working with those scum! You—you want to…"
Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and rage. By the end, tears had already begun to stream from the corners of her eyes.
"It's true…" Ouyang Feng murmured sadly.
But Hua Qianqian wouldn't believe him.
No matter what he said, she simply wouldn't believe him.
At that moment, a clear and familiar voice rang out:
"Senior Sister Qianqian, we really are here to rescue you."
That voice was unmistakable—Hua Qianqian froze in place.
Tear-streaked and dazed, she turned her head… only to see a familiar figure quietly appear nearby.
"Mo… Mo-Junior Martial Brother?"
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll undo those shackles first."
The bindings on her were Spirit-Locking Chains, sealed using three of the Twelve Spirit-Sealing Formations of the Dao Tribunal.
Mo Hua, having dealt with the Dao Tribunal often, had taken a special interest in these kinds of restraints. He had even "borrowed" a few sets from Gu Changhuai to study and disassemble. Needless to say, he had become quite familiar with unlocking them.
(Of course, since those restraints were completely dismantled in the process, Mo Hua never quite had the heart to return them…)
He took out a needle-thin iron stylus, dipped it in spirit ink, and etched a few formation patterns on the chain. Soon, the Spirit-Locking Chains came undone.
No sooner were they released than a sweet fragrance rushed at him.
Hua Qianqian immediately threw herself into Mo Hua's arms, hugging him tightly as she broke into sobs.
"Mo… Mo-Junior Martial Brother, I was so scared…"
She had grown up pampered and cherished, not someone with a particularly strong will. It was only because she had been cornered in a desperate situation with no one to rely on that she had barely managed to hold herself together this long.
But now, seeing Mo Hua felt like seeing family. All her fear and grief burst forth in a wave, and she clung tightly to him, crying into his chest, smearing tears and snot all over him.
Mo Hua was enveloped in the scent of her perfume and her soft, trembling body. She hugged him so tightly he could barely breathe.
With a helpless look, he gently patted her back and said,
"Alright now, Senior Sister Qianqian… it's okay. You're safe."
After a while, she realized she was still hugging him—and that she'd soaked his robes. Her face turned red with embarrassment, and she shyly let go and sat down quietly.
Mo Hua smiled gently.
"I've made arrangements with Senior Brother Feng. He's acting openly while I stay in the shadows. We'll get you out of here safely. Don't worry."
"Mm." Hua Qianqian nodded obediently.
Seeing her calm down, Ouyang Feng finally sighed in relief. He stood, carefully checked around the room, and listened at the door for a moment. After confirming there were no immediate dangers, he said:
"We need to think of a way to get off this Rouge Boat. The others don't matter, but Qianqian must get out—quietly. It's best if no one even finds out she was ever on this boat."
This Rouge Boat—though it was his first visit—he knew more about it than most.
A place like this, steeped in filth, was not where a girl should ever set foot. Even a single trace of it would be enough to ruin her reputation forever.
For ordinary cultivators, that might not matter. But for noble families and prestigious sects, reputation was everything.
And Hua Qianqian was the direct descendant of the Hua clan of the Hundred Flower Valley.
Mo Hua, though not too familiar with the world of noble clans, could vaguely sense how serious this was.
But judging by the current situation, it wasn't going to be easy.
He could hide himself, and his mastery of arrays would let him move stealthily. But Senior Brother Feng and Senior Sister Qianqian were another story—both were under surveillance.
Even if they escaped the Rouge Boat, they'd still have to cross the vast, mist-covered Yan Shui River. There was no easy way out.
Ouyang Feng pondered for a moment before turning to Mo Hua.
"Mo-Junior Martial Brother… You didn't come aboard alone, did you?"
"I did," Mo Hua replied. "But I've got backup."
"Backup?"
"Mm." Mo Hua nodded and lowered his voice. "The Dao Tribunal."
Ouyang Feng's heart jolted.
So Mo-Junior Martial Brother really does have deep ties with the Dao Tribunal…
And the Dao Tribunal— Ouyang Feng frowned. He hadn't expected them to actually investigate the Rouge Boat—and arrive tonight of all nights.
Something about the timing unsettled him.
"So the Dao Tribunal plans to strike tonight?"
"That's the plan," Mo Hua confirmed.
"But the Yin Water Sect travels in secret via hidden water routes, and this Rouge Boat is shrouded in thick fog. The Dao Tribunal lost their bearings. Only I happened to sneak in by pure luck."
"I passed them clues, but with this mist… they might not find the place."
He paused, then added,
"Wait—I'll ask again."
He'd been too busy keeping an eye on things to check in earlier. Now that he had a moment, he took out a communication talisman and sent a message to Gu Changhuai: "Uncle Gu, have you found the path yet?"
A long while passed without a reply.
"Can this fog even block Primordial Magnetism sensing?" Mo Hua muttered.
Just then, the talisman trembled. His heart skipped as a message came in from Gu Changhuai: "We found it."
Mo Hua let out a breath of relief, though he could hardly believe it.
"They really found it?"
Gu Changhuai simply replied:
"The Xia Clan has deep connections…"
The Xia Clan…
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
Seems like someone in the Yin Water Sect had sold them out to the Xia Clan—jumped ship before the boat sank.
There was still a lot he didn't know about what was going on behind the scenes.
"Where are you now?" Mo Hua asked.
Gu Changhuai replied:
"The Dao Tribunal has split into seven water teams, tracking the Rouge Boat's route. But the Yan Shui River is vast, and the mist distorts divine sense. We don't know your exact location."
"Got it…" Mo Hua thought for a moment. "I'll try to stir something up to mark our position."
Gu Changhuai frowned, then warned: "Be careful. There should be a Yin Water Sect Golden Core on that boat."
"Golden Core?" Mo Hua was surprised.
But after a moment's thought, it made sense.
Even though this Rouge Boat was only second-grade—hosting mostly Foundation Establishment disciples—and stayed within second-grade territory, a Golden Core cultivator would still be needed to keep things under control.
"Only one?" Mo Hua asked.
Gu Changhuai replied helplessly: "What do you think? Golden Cores aren't cabbages. Even in third-grade clans, a Golden Core is called Patriarch."
"And besides, the Yin Water Sect is running a shady business. The fewer people involved, the better. In second-grade territory, one Golden Core is enough if nothing goes wrong. If something does go wrong, even an Immortal Ascension cultivator wouldn't save them."
Mo Hua nodded, finding the logic sound, then asked:
"Do we know who this Golden Core cultivator is?"
Gu Changhuai replied,
"We can't confirm for now. Most of the Yin Water Sect's elders are under watch, but after checking everyone, none of them seem particularly suspicious."
Mo Hua frowned.
"That's strange…"
"In any case, be careful," Gu Changhuai said. "I'm keeping the message talisman in my hand. If anything happens, tell me immediately."
After thinking for a moment, Gu Changhuai added,
"If the situation becomes truly dangerous, don't hold back. Go all out and create a big enough disturbance. As long as we see something unusual and can determine your location, we'll rush over immediately—no hesitation."
Mo Hua found those words a little odd.
What did he mean by "don't hold back" and "create a big disturbance"?
He'd always worked low-key. When had he ever caused that kind of scene?
Still, Mo Hua nodded.
"Got it."
After ending the conversation, Mo Hua fell into thought. Ouyang Feng watched him silently for a while, then asked,
"How's it going?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment.
"The Dao Tribunal is already on the way. But with the heavy mist, they've lost their sense of direction. I need to think of a way to guide them here."
Ouyang Feng's face grew serious.
"Can we use the chaos to sneak Qianqian out?"
The personnel within the Dao Tribunal were quite mixed. If they surrounded the Rouge Boat and happened to discover Hua Qianqian during the sweep, it would still become a scandal.
Even if there were explanations, too many people meant too many mouths. No one could stop the rumors from spreading.
There's a kind of guilt that exists just because others believe you're guilty.
Mo Hua looked at Hua Qianqian's tear-stained face and nodded.
"Alright."
He had already considered this. The whole Rouge Boat situation wasn't something he could fully resolve.
It involved the so-called Young Lord Pavilion, various noble clans, and sects—an abyss far deeper than he could wade into. He neither had the ability nor the need to get dragged into that mess.
What he could do was play a small part—drive the tiger to devour the wolf.
Lead the Dao Tribunal, the tiger, to swallow the Rouge Boat, the wolf. Afterward, he could assess the chaos and maybe fish in the troubled waters.
As for the deeper schemes behind it all… he was outside the core of it. What he knew was limited, and there was no need to rack his brain over it right now.
His priority was protecting Senior Sister Qianqian. And if there was still an opportunity, find that altar.
Mo Hua and Ouyang Feng discussed a few ideas and gradually came up with a plan.
Hiding his presence, Mo Hua crept to the edge of the Rouge Boat and quietly set up a Firework Array at the perimeter—planning to set it off at the right time to guide the Dao Tribunal's forces in.
But after finishing that setup, Mo Hua suddenly recalled what Uncle Gu had said:
"Don't hold back."
Mo Hua thought about it… and decided to follow that advice.
Outside the Firework Array, he added several high-grade second-tier killing arrays: a Blazing Fire Array, a Fiery Blaze Array, and even a Golden Blade Array, among others.
Now these were serious business. Lethal formations with real destructive power—if they detonated, the boat might not just be exposed, but sunk altogether.
These arrays were ones Mo Hua had only recently learned and hadn't had a chance to test.
Back in the sect, there was nothing to blow up. So these arrays had no outlet.
But now? A perfect opportunity, with a conveniently placed spiritual vessel waiting to be sacrificed.
Mo Hua was also curious—just how powerful were these formations when triggered? Would anything need tweaking or improvement?
And not just on the main flower-shaped central vessel—he even set fire-elemental killing arrays on some of the other nearby boats.
The cultivators aboard, of course, were too busy with… "serious business" to notice anything out of place. No one realized someone had turned the boat into a floating powder keg.
After checking everything one last time, Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction.
These arrays weren't going to be set off immediately. If triggered too soon, they'd alert the enemy and spoil the plan.
The best timing would be when Uncle Gu's message came through—then he'd light the fuses and cause chaos. While everyone scrambled, the Dao Tribunal would close in for the kill.
With all that ready, Mo Hua quietly returned to the boat.
His next goal was to get Senior Sister Qianqian out before everything blew up and the Dao Tribunal showed up.
He still remembered where the secret room was, but when he reached it again, something in his expression shifted.
The door was open—and there was killing intent inside.
And… the sharp stench of blood.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed. He immediately concealed himself, walking into the room soundlessly, lighter than a feather.
The room was a mess. The screen was shattered, sword marks crisscrossed the walls—it had clearly just seen a vicious battle.
In one corner, Hua Qianqian stood pale as a ghost, fear written across her face.
Ouyang Feng stood in front of her, holding a longsword. His gaze burned with killing intent, but his aura was weak.
Blood stained the corner of his mouth. A whip mark ran across his shoulder, deep and raw, stretching down to his chest…
And across from them—stood a man.
His face was twisted with malice, eyes glowing wickedly. He held a long whip in one hand. The other arm was empty—clearly severed. A dark and violent aura clung to him like a shadow.
It was none other than—Water Yama.
(End of this Chapter)