Chapter 621: The Great Evil Karma - The Quest for Immortality

Chapter 621: The Great Evil Karma In the silence of the night, within the disciples' quarters, Mo Hua's thoughts raced. Why did Yin Lao Er claim that the Five Hidden Sect had been annihilated? What led to its downfall? Who was the perpetrator? When the Five Hidden Sect relocated from the Qianxue Prefecture, was it truly due to poor management and the inability to recruit disciples, or was there an undisclosed reason? Mo Hua furrowed his brow, suddenly struck by a realization that this matter seemingly had nothing to do with him. As a mere junior disciple of the Tai Xu Sect, Mo Hua was unfamiliar with the many sects of the Qianxue Prefecture. The Five Hidden Sect was something he'd only just heard of. Even if he wished to investigate, he wouldn't know where to begin. Moreover, he was extremely busy, attending classes, completing tasks, accumulating merits, cultivating, and learning both formations and spells. How could he possibly spare time to look into such matters? The concealment technique of the Five Elements was already his; whatever happened to the Five Hidden Sect, even if true, seemed beyond the concerns of a little practitioner like him. Mo Hua shook his head. He pulled out Jiang Lao Da's diary, breaking the intricate patterns to examine the list within, pondering another matter: Jiang Lao Da was a traitor from the Golden Severance Sect. Yin Lao Er was a traitor from the Five Hidden Sect... Could the other individuals on this list also be defectors from various sects within the Qianxue Prefecture? Could this list essentially be a register of "traitors"? Mo Hua contemplated for a moment, becoming increasingly convinced of his hypothesis. It seemed plausible that these renegades' traditions stemmed from the major sects within the Qianxue Prefecture: the four great sects, eight prominent schools, twelve flows, and the hundreds of smaller sects. In the end, they were merely extracting from the very wool of these religious institutions. As this realization struck him, Mo Hua was stunned. Was he being nourished by a “feast from a hundred families”? A confluence of teachings, leading to a master of all arts? If he continued tirelessly, could he eventually master the ways of a hundred teachings, achieving a state where he could deftly utilize any method at will, creating a circuitry of techniques to become a true master of all spells? Mo Hua was delighted by the thought. Yet when he gazed at the jade slip in his hand, a puzzling question arose: Why were there so many defectors from sects within the Qianxue Prefecture? And why had they grouped together, leaving behind a list now in Jiang Lao Da's possession? Was it a means of mutual protection? Or perhaps, despite becoming outcasts, did they maintain a distinct identity due to their formal heritage, seeking to form an independent organization? Mo Hua, perplexed, lightly ran his calculations—a brief consideration plunged him into a chilling realization. Mo Hua's pupils constricted as he glimpsed, amid chaotic ignorance, an immense, malevolent network—a poppy-like web, steeped in dark desire, drawing practitioners into the depths with its entrancing, fragrant decay. This was…true evil karma! Karma solidified by sin and wickedness, woven into chains of consequence, embodying a corrupted destiny! Mo Hua felt his eyes ache, cold sweat covered his back. He quickly shut his eyes, and upon reopening them, the vision vanished—like an illusion. Yet Mo Hua knew that celestial prompts were never baseless; such "poppy" karma indeed existed. This vast, burdensome karma of sin wasn't merely visible due to his current spiritual insight, but seemed more akin to a revelation—a potential warning, or perhaps orchestrated by someone to make him aware. Mo Hua’s thoughts turned weighty, recalling his experiences since arriving at the Qianxue Prefecture—a whirlwind of events unraveled in his mind. The prefecture, esteemed as a pinnacle of cultivation learning, now seemed different to Mo Hua. On the surface, it remained a thriving hub of sects and prodigies, but beneath, there lingered a shadow of decay and corruption. "It's dangerous…" Mo Hua muttered to himself, aware of the peril tangled within karma. The unfathomable path of the Dao, the shifting celestial mechanisms, painted a world where heaven and earth resembled a grand chessboard, and people served as mere pieces. In these times, avoiding the obscure conspiracies was prudent, especially since tied to him was the karma involving his master and senior uncle. Mo Hua sighed, concerned for his master, whose entangled vast destiny remained an enigma. Even if he did know, as a mere Foundation Establishment practitioner, he lacked the ability to intervene. Then there was his senior uncle… Mo Hua recalled how his senior uncle wielded demonic intent, easily vanquishing Golden and Feathering cultivators, akin to chopping vegetables—what chance did he, an unnoticed Foundation Establishment disciple, stand? Without his master’s balancing foresight, the senior uncle was terrifyingly formidable. Moreover, there was some “friction” with his senior uncle—learning his cunning calculations by stealth, consuming his demonic thoughts, and even eating a bowl of his noodles... though the calculations were learned openly, the demonic thoughts consumed unwillingly, and the noodles bought with his spirit stones…but knowing his senior uncle’s temperament, grudges were likely held. Mo Hua lay over the desk, lost in thought, gradually organizing his plans. The Qianxue Prefecture surely housed grand plots; similarly, there was a profound danger surrounding the senior uncle. Yet for now, those schemes and dangers mattered little to him. His priority was survival and steady development, enhancing his cultivation and spiritual knowledge where possible, especially mastering the arts of formations and spells, ensuring a smooth graduation from the Tai Xu Sect and safely forming his golden core. He needed to gather intel to preempt any looming threats, arming himself with foreknowledge. With renewed determination, Mo Hua intensified his disciplined pursuit of cultivation. Meanwhile, within the Dao Tribunal of the Qianxue Prefecture, Gu Chang Huai, weary from the duties of an officer, returned to the tribunal. Despite his travel-worn state, a clear and proud demeanor persisted on his handsome face. Life on the road, tracking down rogue practitioners, was grueling. Back at the tribunal, administrative formality awaited. Despite impatience, Gu Chang Huai restrained himself, diligently reviewing the numerous dossiers. Suddenly, recalling an urgent matter, he turned to the attendant officer beside him, "What’s the status on that robbery-homicide case?" "The one you're referring to…" The officer hesitated, anxious not to respond incorrectly, as the tribunal handled myriad cases and apprehension loomed over failing to provide the expected reply. Gu Chang Huai furrowed his brow, "Yin Lao Er." "Yes," the officer remembered, hurriedly sifting through the dossiers, "The case is nearing closure…" "Closure?" Gu Chang Huai's gaze sharpened. The officer swallowed nervously, unsure of the tribunal chief’s expectations, "Yes, Chief. It's nearing completion…" "Yin Lao Er has been apprehended?" "Already confined to the Dao Penitentiary, judged and sentenced according to his crimes…" "How was he captured?" The officer skimmed through more files, responding, "Rumor has it… he was found in the Cang Lang Mountains, his concealment unraveled, and disciples from the Tai Xu Sect, Tai Ah Sect, and Hundred Blossoms Valley collectively apprehended him, delivering him to the tribunal…" "Are you certain it’s Yin Lao Er?" "Confirmations through lineage, spirit root, techniques, and spiritual power affirm it's indeed him." Perplexed, Gu Chang Huai queried, "No other cultivators involved?" "Nothing noted in the records, presumably none…" Gu Chang Huai’s gaze grew dark, a turbulent array of thoughts clouding his mind. Something didn’t add up… The sequence of events recorded in the dossier matched the timeline, but they didn’t align logically with how things should have unfolded. How did they track the trail, identify the concealment, and then apprehend the target? As the chief officer of the Dao Tribunal, Gu Chang Huai was well aware of the difficulty in capturing a rogue practitioner adept in stealth and assassination. It seemed unlikely that a few relatively inexperienced disciples from the sects could manage to capture Yin Lao Er within just a day or two. "Take me to see Yin Lao Er," Gu Chang Huai ordered. "Yes, sir." The officer nodded. Gu Chang Huai was led by the officer into the underground penitentiary, where he finally laid eyes on Yin Lao Er. Confined in a cell that suppressed spiritual abilities and shackled with second-grade chains, Yin Lao Er had been brutalized to the point of having his limbs broken, teeth missing, and overall in a wretched state. Gu Chang Huai furrowed his brow, "Are our tribunal's punishments normally this harsh?" The officer grimaced, "It wasn’t us... He was in this condition when they brought him in." "His limbs were severed, tendons cut, teeth shattered, and his knees... seem to have been genuflected on something sinister, completely destroyed..." Perplexed, Gu Chang Huai asked, "Who did this?" "Probably those sect disciples..." Gu Chang Huai’s frown deepened. The officer hesitated, "Sir, is this against protocol?" Gu Chang Huai scoffed, "What’s out of line about it? They are rogues. If you’re not harsh with them, they’ll be harsh with you. It’s just that..." He glanced again at Yin Lao Er, his eyelid twitching, "These methods seem too adept..." Since when did sect disciples become so ruthless? "Were any of those disciples injured?" Gu Chang Huai inquired. "When they brought Yin Lao Er here, I saw them, and each seemed as lively as a dragon. None appeared to have any injuries..." "Hmm." Gu Chang Huai nodded, turning to leave, but just as he was about to exit, he caught sight of burn marks on Yin Lao Er’s face, causing him to pause. "Did you use fire torture?" "No," the officer replied softly, "We only used the spirit wood planks from the Thousand-Jin Willow for a few blows..." Gu Chang Huai examined the fire marks on Yin Lao Er’s face, "This is... from a Five Elements Fire technique..." It didn’t resemble sword or blade marks, nor were there pinburn marks typical of fire torture... It was akin to being scorched by an exploding fire, suggesting... "Fireball spell..." Gu Chang Huai murmured. The fireball spell itself was nothing extraordinary; it was an entry-level spell that any cultivator with a fire spiritual root would know. Everyone could do it... Gu Chang Huai paused, his eyes sharp as a past incident surfaced in his memory. He recalled that over half a year ago, outside Qing City at the food stall, the traffickers who abducted Yu Er were mostly killed by fireball spells. Gu Chang Huai rapidly assessed in his mind… Their group consisted of five: Ouyang Feng practiced the Ouyang family’s sword techniques, Shangguan Xu also wielded a sword, Hua Qianqian cultivated the White Flower Spirit Array of the Hundred Blossoms Valley. Murong Caiyun practiced the Five Elements Spiritual Light technique of the Tai Xu Sect. Among them, none favored the fireball spell, nor did they usually attack using such a spell. That left only one individual. Gu Chang Huai’s gaze intensified. It was that little cultivator with the Five Elements spiritual root, who had supposedly stumbled across and rescued Yu Er by chance… Mo Hua! Gu Chang Huai furrowed his brow. Something about this situation felt off. Mo Hua had claimed he happened upon Yu Er, serendipitously saving her. Such an explanation was entirely unbelievable! If not by coincidence, did he single-handedly use the fireball spell to kill a dozen traffickers, then rescue Yu Er? That seemed… Even less believable… Such a tale wouldn't even fool an imbecile. Gu Chang Huai found himself perplexed. His years of case-handling intuition told him that the little cultivator Mo Hua was definitely hiding something significant. Yet his cousin entrusted the boy deeply, and Yu Er was close to him. Gu Chang Huai couldn’t simply investigate outright. But leaving things unchecked could surely become a significant issue in the future… Gu Chang Huai’s eyes flickered, recalling the depth of Mo Hua's gaze—outwardly transparent yet peculiarly deep, unlike an ordinary person's eyes... Half noble, half wicked. Seemingly straddling the boundary between righteousness and malevolence. Gu Chang Huai sensed intuitively that practitioners with such eyes were either extraordinarily talented or would become world-shaking villains. "I need to find time to investigate further..." ... At the Tai Xu Sect, one day after finishing a meal, Mo Hua sprawled out on a grassy area, leisurely flipping through a tome on formations. Suddenly, a burly "junior brother" ran over, calling out: "Mo Hua!" Mo Hua looked up, surprised to see Cheng Mo, and curiously asked, "What's up?" "The elder told me someone is looking for you." "Who?" "How would I know..." "Alright then," Mo Hua put away his book, brushing the grass off his robe, "I’ll go check it out." Cheng Mo eyed Mo Hua suspiciously, "Mo Hua, you always seem so busy..." Mo Hua replied, "That’s because I dedicate myself to my cultivation!" "It’s not the cultivation," Cheng Mo shook his head, "I feel like you’re always up to other things..." On tiptoe, Mo Hua patted Cheng Mo's shoulder with a sigh, "You’re still young; some things you'll find out later. After a year in the sect, I'll take you out, 'dear junior brother'…” Cheng Mo retorted, slightly embarrassed, "You’re two years younger than me!" "Learning knows no age; the accomplished are respected!" "That’s only because of Master Xun’s reputation that I call you ‘little senior brother,’ don’t get too full of yourself…” “You were calling me ‘big brother’ just recently…” “You…” ... After some playful banter, Mo Hua made his way to the side hall outside the sect's gate, met the elder, who directed him to the person waiting outside for him. It was Gu Chang Huai. Mo Hua was startled. In the Qianxue Prefecture, he hardly knew people who would come looking for him, apart from Wan Yi or a Shangguan family guard under her directive to deliver items. But he didn't expect Gu Chang Huai to be the one. "Uncle Gu?" Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise. Gu Chang Huai nodded slightly, "I'm here to check on you and… ask about Yin Lao Er's situation." "Oh," Mo Hua nodded. While they conversed, a distant Tai Xu Sect elder, seemingly drinking tea nonchalantly, discreetly kept a portion of his spiritual awareness on Gu Chang Huai. Gu Chang Huai sighed internally. Coming here was no simple task. With his special status as the chief officer of the Dao Tribunal, his every move was marked by that role. Visiting a sect to speak with a disciple would inevitably draw scrutiny. Gu Chang Huai had to elaborate, claiming he was fulfilling a familial duty to see a younger relative, thus gaining the elder’s permission. Still, what he discusses would trigger the elder’s wariness. Gu Chang Huai could only subtly probe about the Yin Lao Er matter. Since much of it was documented in the dossier and he just needed to supplement some details, Mo Hua selectively shared what he could, feigning ignorance or vague recollection when necessary where he couldn’t comment. Faced with this, Gu Chang Huai could do little. After a round of questioning, Mo Hua remained cautious and reticent, divulging nothing unnecessary. Finally, unable to resist, Gu Chang Huai tentatively asked: "Mo Hua, do you… happen to know the fireball spell?" Mo Hua was momentarily taken aback. Fireball spell? Why is Uncle Gu asking me this? Before he could answer, a cough emanated from afar; the Tai Xu Sect elder calmly remarked: "My Tai Xu Sect disciples learn whatever they wish. Outsiders have no say." Gu Chang Huai frowned, feeling helpless. Indeed, the Tai Xu Sect offered no loophole for him to exploit. Mo Hua's eyes darted around before turning back, gratefully bowing toward the elder, then saying, "Elder, rest assured, Uncle Gu and I are well acquainted. There’s some family matter to discuss..." The elder raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" "Yes, indeed," Mo Hua nodded, then bowed again, "Thank you for your trouble, Elder." The elder’s expression softened a bit, nodding at Mo Hua, "Very well, continue." With that, he retracted his awareness and resumed drinking tea. Gu Chang Huai looked at Mo Hua in surprise, "You seem to have quite a standing in the sect?" Mo Hua modestly replied, "It's just alright." Mostly, he was riding the coattails of Master Xun’s influence, benefitting from it slightly. In that brief moment, he had pieced things together. Gu Chang Huai, being a chief officer, was concerned with issues likely tied to the case. Likewise, being Wan Yi’s cousin, he had a vested interest in matters pertaining to her and Yu Er. Gu Chang Huai's specific inquiry suggested that the matter somehow involved Mo Hua as well. The only incident Mo Hua could think of was the utilization of the fireball spell to eliminate traffickers. That must have left the particular 'fireball spell' evidence which prompted Gu Chang Huai's suspicion. However, Mo Hua wasn't concerned. He had been abducted by traffickers and in "self-defense" managed to kill about a dozen of them, subsequently rescuing Yu Er. Even if he was reported to the Dao Tribunal, it wouldn't pose any problem since his actions didn't contravene Dao laws. He preferred anonymity for convenience and refrained from publicizing the incident. But if it did get out, the Dao Tribunal might even commend him! Telling Uncle Gu about it shouldn’t cause any issue. Most importantly, he had Wan Yi supporting him. Wan Yi was righteous and loyal, definitely taking his side. While Gu Chang Huai might seem intimidating, in front of Wan Yi, he was just like a little brother, unable to do anything to him! In fact… An idea sparked in Mo Hua's mind as he considered Gu Chang Huai's possible usefulness. He realized that his strategy of following Jiang Lao Da’s "list" to hunt rogue practitioners and learn spells in pursuit of becoming a master of spell techniques, wasn’t particularly convenient. Locating rogue practitioners was tedious. Even when they were found, it wasn’t certain that corresponding tasks were available. Task assignments operated on their own system, onerous and complex. Therefore, he needed "connections" for subtle manipulations… Such as identifying the rogue practitioner he wished to target through the list and learning the desired spell. Following that, he needed to gather intelligence about the rogue practitioner from the Dao Tribunal. Then ideally, if he could maintain good relations with Uncle Gu… He could have Uncle Gu commission tasks through the Dao Tribunal, allowing Mu Rong Shi Jie to take the assignment, and he could tag along to complete the task in an assisting role... This way, the heritage would be acquired, merits earned, forming a perfect "closed loop." Everything remains within their circle! Time and effort would be saved, and efficiency improved significantly. As the thought crossed his mind, Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with excitement. Seeing Mo Hua’s eyes suddenly light up left Gu Chang Huai feeling inexplicably uneasy, a subtle sense of dread creeping in. He had come to probe Mo Hua, yet somehow it seemed he was the one walking into a snare… (End of the chapter)