Chapter 1443: Surveillance

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Chapter 1441: Surveillance

The Elder Tian that Bai XiaoSheng spoke of seemed to be an entirely different person from the one Mo Hua had imagined.

Mo Hua frowned. “Are you sure you didn’t get the wrong information?”

Bai XiaoSheng sneered, “I went and asked around myself. How could I be mistaken?”

Mo Hua was somewhat skeptical, but despite Bai XiaoSheng’s seemingly unreliable demeanor, he spent his days mingling in the streets and alleys, and his information was extremely accurate.

Otherwise, Mo Hua wouldn’t have sought his help in the first place.

What he said shouldn’t be entirely baseless.

Elder Tian was proficient in Spiritual Plants. In other words, he was also the most capable of using his knowledge to monopolize Spiritual Plant Formations.

The status of a Formation Master inherently came from their control, or even dominance, over Array Formations.

Where interests were involved, most Formation Masters would not disclose the secrets of their core formations.

The words they spoke might sound pleasant, but when it came to actual actions, they often followed an entirely different set of principles.

In this world, there were far too many people who said one thing but meant another.

Mo Hua fell into deep thought.

Bai XiaoSheng looked at Mo Hua, seemingly still harboring resentment, and complained, “You, Mo Hua, tell me the truth—do you have a single honest word in your mouth?”

All that talk about “Profound Virtue Bears All Things” and “caring for the common people”—was it all nonsense?

He had wasted his emotions for nothing.

Mo Hua, however, replied, “Everything I said was true.”

Bai XiaoSheng retorted, “And you still deny it?”

Mo Hua shook his head. “I spoke the truth, and that’s genuinely what I believed. It’s just that the reality of the situation turned out to be a bit different from my honest words.”

Bai XiaoSheng was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words.

Mo Hua asked again, “So, the cause of Elder Tian’s death… was it truly a sudden illness?”

Bai XiaoSheng pondered for a moment before saying, “I asked around, and everyone said he died from meridian disorder—a sudden, severe illness. This Elder Tian had terrible relationships with others. Most people said it was a good thing he died, calling it retribution. No one really cared about how he actually died.”

Mo Hua frowned. “Was his reputation really that bad? It shouldn’t be.”

Mo Hua felt that he and Elder Tian had gotten along quite well.

If Elder Tian had such a poor reputation, what did that make him?

Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua. “You’re a Formation Master. Among Formation Masters, as long as interests aren’t involved and the discussion is purely about formations, it’s natural to get along.”

“Moreover, you might not even realize it yourself, but Formation Masters are often solitary, even arrogant. They might be amiable toward their peers, but their attitude toward others is mostly quite harsh.”

“Many Formation Masters are cold and ungrateful. Although they hold lofty positions and are revered, their relationships with others are often poor.”

Mo Hua said, “My relationships aren’t that bad, are they?”

Bai XiaoSheng sneered. “How many people secretly wish for your death—do you not know?”

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.

He was well aware that many people wanted him dead.

When he served as the Divine-Shaman in the Great Wilderness, numerous tribal chiefs, traitorous generals, spies, Shamans, and remnants of the Divine Dao had gone to great lengths to ensure the “Divine-Shaman” met his end.

And indeed, the “Divine-Shaman” had “died,” bringing those karmic ties to a close.

In Kun Province, at first, many women had also wished for his death, but that was all because of his senior sister.

Now that the “misunderstanding” had been temporarily resolved, Mo Hua rarely felt such deep resentment anymore.

Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that some people wanted him dead.

What was truly surprising was that these words had come from Bai XiaoSheng’s mouth.

He and Bai XiaoSheng didn’t have many interactions. How could Bai XiaoSheng know that so many people wanted him dead?

Or perhaps, those who wanted him dead were not the same group he was aware of?

Mo Hua asked Bai XiaoSheng, “Who wants me dead?”

Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Don’t you have any idea yourself?”

Mo Hua said, “I think I’m doing alright.”

Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, “What did you do in the Qianxue Prefecture realm?”

Mo Hua was surprised, “Just things in Qianxue Prefecture realm?”

Bai XiaoSheng sighed, “I can’t tell if you’re truly naive or just pretending.”

“The Qianxue Formation Dao Grand Tournament and the Qianxue Sword Debate Grand Tournament—these grand events were originally meant to showcase prodigies.”

“These prodigies would achieve good rankings, then directly enter the Dao Province, join the Dao Court, form alliances through marriage, secure influential positions, and wield power.”

“It’s an unspoken understanding.”

“Yet because of you, everything fell into chaos.”

“Your momentum was too overwhelming. The fame and spotlight from the debates were all snatched away by you.”

“The Four Peerless Prodigies of Qianxue were utterly disgraced. The original plans were completely ruined. Behind the scenes, countless people despise you to the core.”

“These connections are like tangled vines, deeply rooted and complex.”

“If it weren’t for the Ancestor of the Great Void Sect and some other influential figures secretly protecting you behind the scenes, do you really think you could have left the Qianxue Prefecture realm alive?”

Mo Hua frowned, “But… is it my fault? They couldn’t defeat me, couldn’t surpass me—what was I supposed to do?”

Bai XiaoSheng paused, sighing helplessly, “Yes, that’s the most infuriating part.”

This Mo Hua was most annoying in this regard.

He seemed harmless, yet his actions were audacious.

Though clearly audacious, he genuinely had the capital to be so.

And when he was being audacious, he wore an expression of modesty and innocence.

It made people grit their teeth in frustration, yet there was nothing they could do about him.

Mo Hua shook his head, not dwelling on the matter, and instead asked, “What else have you found out about Elder Tian?”

Bai XiaoSheng said, “He’s already dead—what more could there be?”

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered, “Where is he buried?”

“Where else could he be buried?” Bai XiaoSheng replied. “Although Tian Musheng wasn’t well-liked, he was, after all, a powerful elder who contributed much to the Earth Sect. Naturally, he was laid to rest in the Earth Sect’s ancestral tombs.”

“Of course, as a Golden Core cultivator, his position wouldn’t be high—just a spot on the outskirts.”

Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask, “Can I enter the Earth Sect’s ancestral tombs?”

Bai XiaoSheng asked, “Are you an Ancestor of the Earth Sect?”

Mo Hua said, “No.”

“Then are you the Earth Sect’s sect leader? A grand elder? Or do you possess transcendent cultivation, capable of suppressing the entire Earth Sect single-handedly?”

Mo Hua sighed.

Bai XiaoSheng said, “Exactly. How could an outsider like you enter the ancestral tombs? Who knows what you might do there? What if you blew up the Earth Sect’s ancestral tombs?”

Mo Hua asked again, “Did Elder Tian have any family?”

Bai XiaoSheng said, “He did, actually.”

Mo Hua asked, “Who were they?”

Bai XiaoSheng replied, “Not many. This Elder Tian came from a decent background but didn’t have the best fortune. His parents died early, and his Dao Companion passed away in his youth. He only had one son left, named Tian Jizhi, who lives in the Tian family mansion north of the Eastern District.”

“That’s all I’ve managed to find out.”

Mo Hua nodded, “I understand.”

Bai XiaoSheng poured himself another cup of tea, drank it in one gulp, and said, “Alright, let’s leave it at that. I advise you not to waste any more energy on this.”

“Next time there’s this kind of trouble, don’t come looking for me again—it interferes with my proper business.”

“Mm,” Mo Hua nodded, then said gently, “Given our relationship, why be so particular?”

Bai XiaoSheng frowned, “What relationship do we have?”

Mo Hua replied, “My senior sister is your Great-Aunt, and your Great-Aunt is my senior sister.”

Bai XiaoSheng snapped, “You, Mo Hua—in just one sentence, you’ve taken advantage of me twice?!”

“Just tell me if it’s true or not,” Mo Hua said.

“Great-Aunt is Great-Aunt, and you are you—there’s a huge difference. Don’t be shameless and compare yourself to her.”

Mo Hua retorted, “Don’t be disrespectful.”

Bai XiaoSheng shot back, “You’re the one being disrespectful!”

As they were bickering, a figure in moon-white robes suddenly approached, and a clear, elegant voice asked, “What’s going on?”

Bai XiaoSheng immediately lowered his gaze, stood up respectfully, and bowed, “Great-Aunt.”

Mo Hua remained seated, smiling gently as he greeted her, “Senior sister.”

Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, then turned to Bai XiaoSheng and asked, “What are you arguing about?”

Bai XiaoSheng hurriedly replied, “It’s nothing.” He then shot Mo Hua a meaningful look.

Mo Hua also said, “It’s nothing, we were just chatting.”

Bai Zixi looked at both of them and softly hummed in acknowledgment.

In the presence of Bai Zixi, his “Great-Aunt,” Bai XiaoSheng felt quite pressured and said, “It’s getting late, I should take my leave. I’ll visit you again next time, Great-Aunt.”

Seeing this, Bai Zixi didn’t try to keep him, as the difference in their seniority was quite significant. She simply nodded and said, “Be careful on your way.”

Bai XiaoSheng smiled and replied, “Yes.” Then, turning away, he secretly gave Mo Hua a threatening look, as if to say, “Don’t speak ill of me in front of Great-Aunt.”

Mo Hua softly hummed in acknowledgment.

Afterward, Bai XiaoSheng bowed to Bai Zixi and took his leave.

Once Bai XiaoSheng had left, Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua and couldn’t help but ask, “You didn’t bully XiaoSheng, did you?”

Mo Hua, who was in the middle of drinking tea, coughed and said helplessly, “I’m only at the early Golden Core stage, while he’s at the peak of Golden Core. He’s also a hundred years older than me. If anyone’s bullying anyone, it’s him bullying me.”

Bai Zixi thought for a moment and agreed, so she said, “If XiaoSheng bullies you, let me know.”

Mo Hua nodded, “Alright.”

Bai Zixi said, “Go study the Array Formation.”

Mo Hua looked at the ethereally beautiful senior sister before him, his heart skipping a beat, and softly hummed in acknowledgment.

After studying the Third-grade High-tier Formation with his senior sister for a while, until dusk fell and they had dinner, Mo Hua finally returned to the guest room.

Once everything quieted down, Mo Hua still couldn’t stop thinking about Elder Tian.

Bai XiaoSheng had wide connections, so the information he gathered shouldn’t be wrong.

But Mo Hua felt that this matter shouldn’t be so simple.

Unfortunately, he only had one Straw-Dog left for the straw-dog technique, and he was reluctant to take the risk of using it to calculate Elder Tian’s karma.

He thought about it all night, and the next morning, after finishing his cultivation, he went to the Eastern District again.

This time, he didn’t go to the Fortune Pavilion but to the Tian family mansion that Bai XiaoSheng had mentioned—the place where Elder Tian had lived before his death.

The Tian family mansion was located in the northern part of the Eastern District, with grand gates and a serene, elegant setting—a typical “affluent neighborhood.”

The cultivators who could settle and build homes here were either of high status or possessed considerable wealth.

Among this row of “vermilion gates and grand mansions,” Elder Tian’s residence was the largest and most prominent.

In the land-scarce Houtu City, this was highly unusual.

From this perspective, Elder Tian must have been immensely wealthy, and the rumors of him monopolizing spiritual plants for profit were certainly not unfounded.

The Tian residence was surrounded by array formations.

After all, it was the residence of a Formation Master Elder, so the formations were bound to be tight, with most being Third-Grade.

However, these couldn’t stop Mo Hua.

Mo Hua used his concealment technique to find a hidden corner near the wall. Just as he was about to pry open a gap and break the formation, he discovered that the formation before him had already been “pried” open by someone else.

There were chaotic formation patterns on it.

Not only had it been tampered with, but it seemed someone had also sneaked in, just like he intended.

However, the vulnerabilities in these formations had later been repaired.

After a brief thought, Mo Hua gave up.

He would never follow the same path another “thief” had already taken.

Because it was bound to be problematic and could easily alert others.

After some consideration, Mo Hua decided not to act rashly. Instead, he circled the Tian residence once, using the simplest method to observe it briefly.

At this time, the Tian residence was still draped in white cloth, clearly immersed in the atmosphere of Elder Tian’s passing, giving off a somewhat oppressive feeling.

There were many maids and servants inside the residence.

This also seemed off. According to Bai XiaoSheng, Elder Tian’s parents had passed away early, his Dao Companion had died young, and he only had one son named Tian Jizhi.

With just the two of them living in such a large residence, why would they keep so many servants? Why such extravagance?

Mo Hua frowned, feeling that this Elder Tian was becoming more and more suspicious.

He circled the Tian residence once more but gained no further insights.

He couldn’t simply walk into the residence to take a look, as that might complicate matters and arouse suspicion.

After some thought, Mo Hua decided he could only resort to the clumsy method of “waiting by the tree stump for a hare,” hoping to uncover some clues.

He took out a Message Transmission Token.

This token was one he had crafted himself for “private messaging” with his little senior sister.

The magnetic runes and secret runes inside were all compiled by him, ensuring excellent confidentiality.

“Senior Sister, I won’t be returning tonight,” Mo Hua messaged.

There was no reply from the other side, likely because his little senior sister was cultivating and hadn’t seen it.

Mo Hua set aside the token for the moment and continued observing the Tian residence. About half an hour later, a message finally appeared on the token:

“Mm.”

A single word, concise and to the point, indicating she had received the message—very much in line with his little senior sister’s personality.

Mo Hua put down the token but then remembered something and couldn’t help but message: “Senior Sister, aren’t you going to ask what I’m doing?”

Bai Zixi: “Definitely nothing good.”

Mo Hua sighed.

After a while, as if sensing Mo Hua’s mood, Bai Zixi messaged: “What mischief are you up to?”

Mo Hua sighed again: “I’m investigating something… related to a Formation Master Elder. It has to be kept secret for now. I’ll tell you more when I have updates.”

Bai Zixi didn’t press further, simply saying: “Be careful.”

Mo Hua: “Mm.”

After that, there were no more messages from his little senior sister.

Having informed her, Mo Hua put away the Message Transmission Token and continued with his task.

Near the Tian residence in the Eastern District, there were other mansions, but their formations were much weaker and had more flaws.

Mo Hua glanced around, chose a comfortable rooftop with a good view, jumped onto it, dismantled the original formation, and casually modified some formation patterns to conceal himself.

With everything prepared, Mo Hua sat down cross-legged in place.

Simultaneously releasing a wisp of Divine-Sense, he patiently observed every movement within the Tian residence from a distance.

Time in Houtu City slowly passed until nightfall.

Mo Hua remained in place, secretly watching the activities of the Tian residence.

After an unknown length of time, the calm of the night was unexpectedly filled with numerous shadowy auras.

Mo Hua’s gaze darkened slightly. These “auras” were likely similar to him—individuals who had come to covertly monitor the Tian residence.

But the problem was, Elder Tian was already dead. What were they “monitoring”?

“There’s something wrong.”

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened. Just at that moment, his expression suddenly changed as he turned to look toward a patch of darkness in the distance.

In the far-off, pitch-black darkness, there was a “faint and elusive” figure.

For even him to perceive it as “faint and elusive” meant that this person’s Divine-Sense was exceptionally powerful and extremely concealed. In terms of Divine-Sense cultivation alone, this individual was likely even above him.

“Feathered Ascension.”

Mo Hua’s pupils contracted.

A Feathered Ascension cultivator was personally monitoring the residence of the already deceased Elder Tian.