Chapter 1316: Meeting

Chapter 1315: Meeting

Huangfu Wen’s blood-soaked corpse caused the situation to turn grave in an instant.

Slaughtering fellow Dao Court comrades, brutally killing the children of Dao Province aristocratic clans.

Bai Zisheng’s actions were of an extremely vile nature.

When the news was sent back to the military camp, it shocked everyone, then swiftly gave way to utter fury.

Even when two armies are at war, envoys are not slain.

Huangfu Wen had merely acted out of goodwill, going to persuade Bai Zisheng. Yet Bai Zisheng not only refused to appreciate it, but repaid kindness with enmity, killing Huangfu Wen instead, arrogant and brutal beyond measure.

What was more, Huangfu Wen and Bai Zisheng were not strangers. They had once fought side by side and shared a measure of comradeship.

“For the sake of a Great Wilderness demoness, to slaughter fellow cultivators, so bewitched by lust that he loses all reason. Truly despicable…”

“This Bai Zisheng truly deserves to die!”

“If he isn’t killed, it won’t quell public anger, nor uphold the laws of the Dao…”

…

True-Person Huá reported the matter to the Dao Court’s Seven Pavilions. Soon after, the Dao Court issued an even higher-level Hunting-and-Execution Order:

“Pursue and apprehend Bai Zisheng at all costs.”

“If he continues to resist, execute him on the spot.”

The situation escalated. What awaited Bai Zisheng next was a true “life-or-death deadlock.”

On Mo Hua’s side, the mission instantly shifted from “arresting Little Senior Brother” to “hunting down Little Senior Brother.”

A chilling, murderous atmosphere spread throughout the entire camp.

Killing intent toward Bai Zisheng began to permeate the camp.

Yet Mo Hua still found it hard to believe, and impossible to understand.

After following True-Person Huá on that trip, he could more or less guess that the Huá Clan was setting up a scheme.

But why?

How did the Huá Clan dare to do this?

And how, exactly, did Huangfu Wen die?

Inside True-Person Zhuge’s tent, Mo Hua and True-Person Zhuge sat at the tea table. The tea atop the table had already gone cold.

Both of them were frowning deeply.

It wasn’t just Mo Hua who felt puzzled, True-Person Zhuge also seemed utterly perplexed. He pondered with furrowed brows for a long while, fingers hooked on the edge of the table, before muttering in a low voice:

“This shouldn’t be…”

Mo Hua asked softly, “What shouldn’t be?”

True-Person Zhuge frowned. “I didn’t see it… he shouldn’t have died…”

Mo Hua instantly understood. “True Person, you mean that you didn’t see any sign of death on Huangfu Wen’s brow, so logically speaking, he shouldn’t have died, right?”

True-Person Zhuge gave a hum, then suddenly startled and looked up at Mo Hua. “How did you know?”

Mo Hua said, “Because I didn’t see it either.”

“Wait—”

True-Person Zhuge’s mind went numb for an instant.

Is that the issue here?

“How could you… see that?” True-Person Zhuge thought for a long while, his heart trembling as he asked incredulously, “Who taught you? Old Mister Xun?”

Mo Hua nodded vaguely.

He couldn’t very well say that no one had taught him directly, that he had gradually comprehended it himself along the way.

If one really had to name someone, then “Senior Martial Uncle” actually deserved more credit.

After all, it was precisely to resist the pressure of Senior Martial Uncle’s fate pattern that he had been forced to study causality, oppose fate calamities, and perceive signs of death.

True-Person Zhuge looked at Mo Hua and shook his head. “That’s still not right. Even if the old master taught you, you’re only at Foundation Establishment. How could you have learned this?”

Mo Hua said softly, “I wouldn’t say I’ve learned it… I can only see a tiny bit…”

True-Person Zhuge’s brows knitted even tighter.

Afraid that True-Person Zhuge would keep pressing the matter, Mo Hua quickly said:

“That’s not the key point. The key is—how exactly did Huangfu Wen die?”

“This Huangfu Wen… he’s a clan disciple of Senior Brother Huangfu, who serves as an administrator in the Seven Pavilions, right?”

Mo Hua’s little maneuver, of course, didn’t escape True-Person Zhuge’s notice.

But since Mo Hua deliberately changed the topic, True-Person Zhuge couldn’t be bothered to pursue it further—and in truth, the crux of the matter wasn’t there anyway.

True-Person Zhuge nodded. “He’s from the Huangfu Clan.”

Mo Hua said, “Then why not ask Senior Brother Huangfu? He should be familiar with him.”

True-Person Zhuge said, “We might not be able to ask much…”

Mo Hua didn’t understand. “Why?”

True-Person Zhuge replied calmly, “Great aristocratic clans aren’t small clans. They number at least tens of thousands. Many people of the same clan may never meet each other in their entire lives.”

“To outsiders, they all bear the surname ‘Huangfu’ and seem like one family. But within an aristocratic clan, they may simply be strangers who share the same surname—perhaps not even as close as you and your fellow junior disciple…”

Mo Hua was startled.

He had never considered this before. He had subconsciously believed that as long as they belonged to the same aristocratic clan and shared a surname, even if they weren’t close, there would still be some blood ties.

Back in Tōngxiān City, scattered rogue cultivators with the same surname were basically relatives.

Even those with different surnames—so long as they were neighbors—were generally quite familiar with one another.

And in the entire Tōngxiān City, most rogue cultivators—like Elder Yu, Uncle Yu, Uncle Meng, Uncle Chu, Aunt Jiang, Uncle Zhao… regardless of surname, were all fairly close to Mo Hua, treating him like family.

But aristocratic clans seemed to be different.

Among scattered rogue cultivators, people of different surnames could be like family, supporting each other through hardship.

Yet within aristocratic clans, clan members sharing the same surname could be like complete strangers, passing each other as though they’d never met.

And because interests within aristocratic clans are sharply entangled, once conflicts of interest arise, relatives may cease to be kin—and instead become enemies.

The closest and the most distant—both are aristocratic clans.

“The Huangfu Clan’s side won’t be easy to investigate…” Mo Hua frowned. “Then Huangfu Wen’s death might be hiding a lot of shady details…”

“True Person, even you didn’t see any sign of death on him, so was his causality deliberately obscured by someone?”

“Did he go voluntarily to persuade that Bai Zisheng?”

“What exactly did he say to Bai Zisheng?”

“Was it really that Bai Zisheng… who personally killed him?”

…

Mo Hua fired off a string of questions at True-Person Zhuge.

True-Person Zhuge’s expression remained indifferent. He didn’t answer.

Mo Hua lowered his voice further. “True Person, is the Huá Clan setting up a scheme… planning to make a move against Bai Zisheng?”

True-Person Zhuge’s forehead twitched. He immediately formed hand seals, summoned a Bagua Disc, condensed Feathered-Ascension spirit runes out of thin air, sealed the surroundings, and cut off sound, information, and causality.

Only after finishing all this did True-Person Zhuge look at Mo Hua, saying irritably:

“You child, how do you dare say anything that comes to mind?”

Mo Hua replied nonchalantly, “There aren’t any outsiders. We’re all on the same side—just chatting a bit…”

True-Person Zhuge couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Mo Hua.

Who’s ‘on the same side’ with you?

Mo Hua said, “Oh?”

True-Person Zhuge said nothing.

Mo Hua took it as tacit agreement, nodded, and said, “That’s what I figured.”

Then he asked again:

“True-Person, how exactly does the Huá Clan dare to do this? Bai Zisheng is still someone of the Bai Clan. If they set a trap to harm a direct-line descendant of the Bai Clan, aren’t they afraid of retaliation?”

True-Person Zhuge’s brows furrowed as well. This was precisely what puzzled him.

“Under normal circumstances… they wouldn’t dare. But Bai Zisheng’s situation is not ordinary…”

Mo Hua said, “What do you mean?”

True-Person Zhuge sighed. “Bai Zisheng’s Natal Longevity Talisman shattered once…”

Mo Hua froze slightly.

True-Person Zhuge continued, “Not many people know about this, but among the truly great Dao Province clans, it’s not much of a secret, especially since it involves the Bai Clan of the Sixth-Grade Ancestral Dragon territory…”

“The Natal Longevity Talisman isn’t just for personal protection, or simply an extra life. For great clans like the Bai Clan, it’s also a lock of origin—meant to safeguard the direct bloodline, so it won’t be lost or exploited by those with ulterior motives…”

“Once the Natal Longevity Talisman shatters, it’s equivalent to losing this ‘origin lock.’ The bloodline is left unprotected. That’s an enormous hidden danger… It means that if someone is bold enough, they truly might dare to make a move against a direct descendant.”

Mo Hua hurriedly asked, “If the Natal Longevity Talisman shatters, is there any way to remedy it? Can another one be planted?”

True-Person Zhuge shook his head. “Do you think a Natal Longevity Talisman is a cabbage you can plant whenever you like? It uses Profound-Hollow-Void origin as the catalyst, how precious is that? Being able to plant one even once is already ancestral blessing and heaven-granted fortune.”

“So it really can’t be replanted?” Mo Hua asked.

True-Person Zhuge originally wanted to say no, but when the words reached his lips, he changed them:

“In this world, nothing is absolute. It’s not that it’s impossible… unless you yourself possess peerless talent, carry some utterly unique great destiny—one that concerns the rise and fall of an entire sect or clan—and are entrusted with immense expectations by the old ancestors…”

“In that kind of situation, even if one shatters, people will still exhaust every means to plant another one for you.”

“But such cases are exceedingly rare.”

“Those who can have a Natal Longevity Talisman planted in the first place are already as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. To shatter one and still have another planted, that’s phoenix feathers among phoenix feathers. The odds are probably only slightly higher than ascending to immortality…”

“At the very least, this Bai Zisheng likely doesn’t have that kind of fortune.”

Mo Hua’s gaze dimmed.

True-Person Zhuge sighed softly again. “A Natal Longevity Talisman… and it actually shattered. I really don’t know what Bai Zisheng did to end up like this…”

Strong guilt surfaced in Mo Hua’s eyes.

He still remembered what happened back then.

Outside Lishan City, that Demonic-Dao Holy Son had led a group of ferocious Golden Core demonic cultivators, trying to capture him to threaten his master.

In that desperate situation, Little Senior Brother and Little Senior Sister shattered their own life-bound Natal Longevity Talismans with their own hands to protect him.

Mo Hua felt a bitter ache in his heart:

“Little Senior Brother’s Longevity Talisman… actually shattered because of me…”

Seeing the change in Mo Hua’s expression, True-Person Zhuge asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Mo Hua shook his head, steadied his emotions, and said in a slightly hoarse voice,

“So the reason the Huá Clan could make a move against litt—Bai Zisheng is because his Natal Longevity Talisman… shattered, leaving him without protective means…”

True-Person Zhuge nodded. “That should be the prerequisite. If Bai Zisheng’s Longevity Talisman hadn’t shattered, even if others had designs, they wouldn’t dare act rashly.”

“And once the Longevity Talisman shatters, it’s basically equivalent to losing one’s status as a core direct descendant.”

“Planting a Longevity Talisman for you doesn’t mean it belongs to you alone. It represents the entire clan’s expectations and recognition of you.”

“You must shoulder the responsibility of a direct-line prodigy—cultivating diligently for the clan and seeking benefits for it.”

“But now that you’ve shattered the Longevity Talisman, it’s equivalent to losing a portion of Profound-Hollow-Void origin in your hands, causing the clan enormous losses.”

“That, in itself, already counts as a ‘grave fault.’”

“Although the circumstances might excuse punishment, you’d still be labeled ‘unfit for heavy responsibility’ and gradually marginalized by the clan.”

“But…” Mo Hua frowned deeply, “Even if he’s marginalized, he’s still a direct descendant of the Bai Clan, isn’t he? If the Huá Clan really makes a move against him, would the Bai Clan really let it go?”

“And that’s exactly the problem…” True-Person Zhuge said gravely. “Under normal circumstances, the Huá Clan wouldn’t do something so irrational…”

“But if the Huá Clan truly did it, that means there’s a deeper reason, some enormous benefit they can gain from it.”

“A benefit so great that the Huá Clan would rather offend the Bai Clan than let it slip through their fingers…”

Mo Hua felt a heavy weight in his heart. “That benefit is… what?”

“That benefit is…”

True-Person Zhuge stroked his chin and slowly raised his head to look at Mo Hua. “…How would I know? I’m not a roundworm living in the Huá Clan’s belly.”

Mo Hua said, “Could you… take a guess?”

True-Person Zhuge replied coldly, “Don’t try to coax words out of me. How am I supposed to guess something like that?”

Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.

True-Person Zhuge stared at Mo Hua coldly. “I’ve already said this much. With your intelligence, you should understand what I mean. Do not get involved in this matter, don’t even stick a single finger into it. Otherwise, you’ll either offend the Bai Clan or offend the Huá Clan.”

“Among the Bai Clan, there are plenty of lunatics, and they’re vicious killers. If you offend the Bai Clan, you might not even know how you die someday.”

“As for the Huá Clan, their scheming runs deep. For the sake of benefits, they’ll calculate anything. If you offend the Huá Clan, you might not even be able to walk out of the Great Wilderness alive.”

“As for some of the previous grudges, they can be set aside, perhaps they really were misunderstandings. But if, in this matter, you once again ruin the Huá Clan’s plans, then when the Huá Clan flies into a rage, even I, a True Person, might not be able to protect you… understand?”

Mo Hua nodded. “I understand.”

True-Person Zhuge didn’t know whether he truly understood or only pretended to, but as long as he agreed, that was enough.

As long as there was no trouble and not too many entanglements…

“Oh, right,” True-Person Zhuge suddenly remembered something. “Your reputation in the Qianxue Prefecture seems… not small?”

Mo Hua said, “I already told you, I’m the Qianxue Formation Dao Champion, first place in the Sword Debate. How could my reputation be small?”

“More than that, I think…” True-Person Zhuge said doubtfully. “Those so-called heaven’s chosen, seem to be quite familiar with you?”

Mo Hua nodded. “My network of connections is actually pretty broad…”

Do you really think that counts as a ‘network’?

True-Person Zhuge couldn’t even be bothered to comment.

But immediately afterward, a faint karmic warning arose in his heart. “You wouldn’t… also be very familiar with that Bai Zisheng, would you?”

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. He even looked a little speechless as he asked in return:

“True Person, do you yourself think that’s possible?”

True-Person Zhuge frowned and seriously thought about it. It did indeed seem… rather unlikely…

Two people who had nothing to do with each other, how could they possibly know one another?

No matter how broad this kid’s connections were, they couldn’t possibly be that broad.

“That’s good, then,” True-Person Zhuge said solemnly. “In any case, remember this: from now on, you may only watch—you must not intervene. This murky water, black to the core—you’re not allowed to touch it with even a single finger.”

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

I don’t want to touch it either… but…

“That’s my only Little Senior Brother…”

Mo Hua nodded and said, “True Person, don’t worry.”

…

After that, Mo Hua truly followed True-Person Zhuge’s instructions, staying out of the matter and letting events unfold on their own.

And the pursuit of Bai Zisheng was fully driven by the Huá Clan.

No matter how strong Bai Zisheng was, he was ultimately only at Foundation Establishment. With the Huá Clan sealing his karma and laying down layer upon layer of illusion formations, he was finally trapped within the Wangji region, on a solitary peak of the Second-Rank Lesser Black Tortoise Mountain Realm.

On that lonely peak, the Huá Clan, together with a crowd of heavenly prodigies, launched the final encirclement and suppression of Bai Zisheng, who was accused of colluding with the Great Wilderness and slaughtering his fellow cultivators.

Mo Hua also took part in this encirclement.

He did not personally take action, but as an observer, from several li away, he witnessed with his own eyes his Little Senior Brother being besieged and attacked by the Huá Clan and hundreds of prodigies.

And after many years, Mo Hua finally saw his Little Senior Brother’s appearance with his own eyes.

Sword-like brows, star-bright eyes; handsome and upright. Clad in bloodstained white battle armor, alone with spear in hand, standing between heaven and earth.

Within his brows and eyes surged obsession, defiance, and contempt.

At first glance, one could tell that this was no ordinary person—he bore the bearing of a “white dragon among men,” powerful and noble.

The instant Mo Hua saw his Little Senior Brother, he understood.

The person the Huá Clan truly wanted to “slice apart” may well have been his Little Senior Brother from the very beginning…