Chapter 1501: Tusheng
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Chapter 1499: Tusheng
The young man knelt before the graves of his parents, younger sister, and over thirty others for half a day, like a numb stone statue, devoid of life.
Mo Hua silently watched him for that entire half day before finally asking, “What is your name?”
Only then did a flicker of emotion stir in the young man’s hollow eyes.
The Demonic Cultivators had met gruesome deaths, and his loved ones had been laid to rest. The bone-deep hatred and hysteria from that day were gone, but it seemed as if all vitality had been drained from him.
Hearing Mo Hua’s question, he replied weakly, “Tusheng…”
His voice was frail and hoarse.
Mo Hua nodded slightly and asked again, “What is your surname?”
The young man said gloomily, “I have no surname… My parents said a surname didn’t matter. What mattered was being able to eat a mouthful of food on this land and survive. So they just called me… Tusheng.”
Mo Hua sighed softly and asked, “Do you have any other family left in this world?”
The young man shook his head.
Mo Hua asked, “Where do you plan to go next?”
The young man still shook his head.
Mo Hua then said gently, “Then come with me. I’ll find you a place to stay.”
The expressionless young man was taken aback.
He looked up at Mo Hua, seemingly surprised that this strikingly handsome young master, whom he had only met by chance, would say such a thing. But he still shook his head.
Mo Hua asked, “You don’t want to?”
The young man said, “I don’t want to trouble you. I… am a lowly person. I can only find a way to survive on my own.”
“What if you can’t survive?” Mo Hua asked.
“Then…” A hint of relief actually appeared on the young man’s pale face. “I can reunite with my parents and younger sister.”
Tears welled in his eyes, but he smiled with a sense of solace.
“While alive, I have no family left. But if I die, I won’t be alone. My family will be waiting for me down there…”
Mo Hua’s heart trembled, his feelings indescribably complex. He asked again, “Then… don’t you want revenge?”
“Revenge…” The young man was startled, pulled out of his sorrowful state.
His gaze cleared somewhat, but after a moment of thought, only a bitter smile remained on his face. “I… I’m afraid I can’t take revenge…”
Most of the Demonic Cultivators in the Wang Village demon den were already dead.
The only one still alive was that White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief at the peak of the Golden Core middle stage. The young man had witnessed the battle that day and personally experienced the terrifying power of that great demon and the horror of its Magical Treasure.
This was simply not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him could handle.
Now he was only at the Foundation Establishment middle stage, while that demon had already reached the Golden Core middle stage. By the time he cultivated to Foundation Establishment late stage, that great demon might even advance to the Golden Core late stage.
By the time he achieved Core Formation, that demon’s cultivation might progress even further.
Cultivation was like this: once you fell behind, you kept falling behind. When lagging by an entire major realm, ordinary cultivators basically had no chance of catching up.
Moreover, he was a refugee—where would he get Spirit stones to cultivate?
Once the people of Kun Province lost their land and became displaced, it was as if fate had struck them down. Merely surviving was already a struggle; there was no hope of further cultivation progress in this lifetime.
Besides, spirit farmers in the Great Spirit Field Realm were generally not permitted to break through into the Golden Core Realm.
Cultivating to Foundation Establishment made them laborers. But once they entered the Golden Core Realm, it would violate taboos. Even if he cultivated his entire life, he might never reach the Golden Core Realm.
The young man’s expression was desolate and filled with unwillingness.
Mo Hua looked at the youth and slowly asked, “Don’t you want to give it a try?”
Upon hearing Mo Hua’s words, the youth’s expression shifted, his inner turmoil evident.
Mo Hua’s gaze was bright, as if he could see into the heart of others, and he spoke gently, “If you wish to die, it’s simple—you can do so at any time. But the chance to live is only this one. Whether you can seek vengeance depends solely on your resolve…”
The youth’s face turned pale as he pondered for a long while, his fingers clenched so tightly they turned purple.
He knelt before Mo Hua and kowtowed once, saying, “I wish to seek vengeance. I beg Young Master Mo to grant me this.”
Mo Hua extended a finger, casting a spell to lift the youth to his feet, and said, “There’s no need to call me ‘Young Master.'”
The youth looked somewhat bewildered. “Then… how should I address you?”
After a moment’s thought, Mo Hua followed convention and said, “Call me ‘Sir.'”
The youth was taken aback for a moment before bowing respectfully to Mo Hua and replying, “Yes, Sir Mo.”
Thus, the journey to the Great Spirit Field Realm came to an end.
Originally, the plan was to stay for three more days, as Zhū Mùchén needed to inspect some estates further away. However, the chaos caused by the Demonic Cultivator and the tragic deaths of the refugees had disrupted their plans. For Zhū Mùchén’s safety, Elder Lu dared not let the young master remain at Yunyi Villa any longer, lest something go wrong.
With Zhū Mùchén returning, Mo Hua, who had merely tagged along, had no reason to stay either. Moreover, he needed to take the youth named ‘Tusheng’ away from the Great Spirit Field Realm.
Initially, Elder Lu objected, wanting to keep Tusheng at Yunyi Villa. But Mo Hua spoke up, and Zhū Mùchén firmly sided with his Little Senior Brother.
Tusheng was merely a refugee youth with no family or connections, unrelated to the Zhū Clan.
Elder Lu could think of no way to stop them. In the end, Mo Hua, Zhū Mùchén, and Tusheng boarded the same vermilion carriage they had arrived in and left the Great Spirit Field Realm via the Formation Expressway, embarking on their journey back to Houtu City.
Elder Lu stayed behind to handle the aftermath.
On the expressway connecting the Great Spirit Field Realm to Houtu City, a vermilion carriage raced like the wind. Inside, Zhū Mùchén occasionally glanced at the refugee youth.
After bathing and changing into clean clothes, the youth seemed like a different person—his features delicate, his skin slightly tanned, his aura restrained, and his demeanor quiet, bearing no resemblance to the ferocious and savage appearance he had shown that day.
“Your name is… Tusheng?” Zhū Mùchén asked.
Tusheng nodded, looking at Zhū Mùchén with a hint of apology. “Young Master Zhū, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, it was a misunderstanding,” Zhū Mùchén replied.
“Besides, I’m a Golden Core cultivator. You couldn’t have harmed me anyway.”
“Mm…” Tusheng murmured softly, a trace of melancholy in his voice.
“By the way,” Zhū Mùchén asked curiously, “why did you choose to ambush me that day, out of all those people?”
Tusheng explained, “You were dressed like a young master, surrounded by people. You must have been of high status, and you looked the weakest…”
This left Zhū Mùchén feeling somewhat displeased. However, he was good-natured and didn’t dwell on it. He had never been fond of fighting and killing, so being weak wasn’t a big deal.
Zhū Mùchén then asked, “Do you… truly have no family left?”
Tusheng’s expression dimmed, and he remained silent.
Zhū Mùchén realized he had misspoken.
Having grown up in luxury, cherished by his parents, he could hardly imagine that there were people in the world who, at such a young age, had lost their loved ones and were left with no one to rely on.
Zhu Muchen could empathize with this pain. Yet for him, this pain was also filled with a strong sense of unreality.
In his perception, such agonizing and despairing things seemed fundamentally out of place in this world.
Zhu Muchen took out a pile of fruits and dried meat, handing them to Tusheng, saying, “It’s still a long way to Houtu City. Have something to eat first.”
Tusheng hesitated slightly.
Zhu Muchen simply stuffed the food into his hands.
Tusheng instinctively took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up as he began devouring it ravenously, as if he had never tasted anything so delicious in his life.
Watching him, Zhu Muchen felt a mix of relief and inexplicable sorrow. “There’s plenty more. Take your time…”
Mo Hua sat nearby sipping tea, silently observing the two, his own emotions equally complex.
This little junior brother of his, Zhu Muchen, though born into a great noble family, was too kind-hearted, unaware of the dangers and exploitation in the world.
If any upheaval occurred in Kun Province, his situation would inevitably become fraught with contradictions, sharp and intense.
As for this youth named Tusheng… Mo Hua shifted his gaze toward him.
No matter how many times he looked, he could still sense that this Tusheng was, in fact, already a “dead man.”
That night, he had likely perished alongside his parents, younger sister, and companions at the hands of the Demonic Cultivators in Skull Cave.
His body no longer housed a ‘Divine Soul.’
This was precisely why, when he emerged from the ground that night to ambush his little junior brother Zhu Muchen, no one else had detected any killing intent.
Even Elder Lu had failed to notice. Because Tusheng was already “dead.” Yet the problem was… despite being dead, he seemed to live on as if nothing were amiss—able to eat, sleep, and unaware of his own condition.
For the moment, Mo Hua couldn’t quite comprehend why this was.
He could only marvel at the vast and all-encompassing world of cultivation, where anything could happen. Who knew how many Laws and phenomena existed beyond his own understanding?
Tusheng undoubtedly harbored secrets.
Therefore, no matter what, Mo Hua had to bring Tusheng out of the Great Spirit Field Realm.
This place, the Great Spirit Field Realm, appeared tranquil and peaceful on the surface, but beneath it lay a landscape riddled with flaws, even beginning to show signs of cancerous decay…
The experiences of the past few days flashed through his mind one by one. Gazing out the window at the scenery, Mo Hua’s eyes gradually grew profound.
…
Meanwhile, in the Great Spirit Field Realm.
About thirty miles west of Yunyi Villa, in a desolate Earth God temple seldom visited by people.
Elder Lu, dressed in black robes and veiled, was arranging offerings and lighting Incense Offering on the temple’s offering altar.
He had told Zhu Muchen that disturbances had occurred at Yunyi Villa and that he needed to stay behind to handle the aftermath.
Yet no one could have anticipated that Elder Lu, who had stayed to manage the situation, was now burning incense in an Earth God temple.
The temple was quiet and deserted, with no signs of life around. But after a while, another black-clad, veiled cultivator entered. Tall and gaunt, with an eerie presence, one of his eyes had rotted away, leaving only bone.
Without a word, he walked to the offering altar and lit a stick of incense for the Earth God. Only after offering the incense did he speak in a low voice, “Lu, you old dog. You betrayed our agreement and dared to kill my fellow disciples of Skull Cave.”
Elder Lu lit incense, bowed three times, and said coldly, “You deserve to die.”
In the eyes of the White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief, a sinister flame began to burn, clearly indicating his rising anger.
Seeing this, Elder Lu also grew furious and cursed under his breath, “Are all of you in the Demonic Sect brainless?”
“I’ve emphasized repeatedly—stay out of my affairs, and I’ll stay out of yours. Kill or eat people, I don’t care, but don’t stir up cause and effect near my Yunyi Villa.”
“Yet you bastards went and killed thirty or forty people in one go, leaving the corpses right there, expecting me to clean up your mess. And of all times, you did it right before Young Master Chén’s inspection visit the next day. Do you… not take Zhu Shǒulù seriously at all?”
Elder Lu’s expression was extremely grim.
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief’s gaze was icy, but his tone softened slightly. “They were just over thirty refugees. You’re an elder—with your abilities, you could have easily resolved this. Why didn’t you help me cover it up?”
“I already helped you by burying those corpses to keep it hidden… It’s just that Young Master Mo dug them up.”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief said, “Just buried them?”
Elder Lu laughed in extreme anger. “What, should I have eaten the corpses instead?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief frowned. “Burn them…”
Elder Lu cursed, “You’re a Demonic Cultivator, I’m not… Lighting a fire to burn corpses, with the ashes drifting for miles, are you afraid no one would notice?”
“That Young Master Mo is as cunning as a ghost.”
“Your corpses were buried in the ground, completely unnoticed, yet he found out about them over twenty miles away two days later.”
“If we had burned them and the ashes drifted, do you think he wouldn’t have smelled it as soon as he stepped out of his carriage and followed the scent straight to the corpses?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief fell silent for a moment, then muttered angrily, “Still, you didn’t have to leave no survivors! The deaths of my companions are no small loss.”
Elder Lu sneered, “Could I have spared them? Young Master Mo was watching right there. If I hadn’t killed them, wouldn’t I have been treating him like a fool? Do you think he’d believe me?”
“If he reported me to the Dao Court Division with a charge of ‘colluding with Demonic Cultivators,’ I’d be like mud stuck to my pants—impossible to clean off.”
“This Young Master Mo is an extremely troublesome character.”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief frowned, but the thought of losing over a dozen carefully trained Demonic Path disciples pained him deeply.
“Even so, you could have left a few alive… The Demonic Path is currently in need of personnel, urgently short on hands.”
Elder Lu frowned in thought, then said after a moment, “I originally intended to spare a few, but I never expected you Demonic Path cultivators to be so incompetent. I led my men in, barely even used my full strength, and killed them all in just a few rounds.”
“Even you, as their leader, didn’t even have time to react.”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief angrily retorted, “Impossible! The Evil Path techniques of my Skull Cave could never be so weak.”
Elder Lu also felt something was off. The Demonic Cultivators of Skull Cave practiced Ghost Arts, which were notoriously difficult to deal with—not so easy to kill.
The only explanation was—Elder Lu slowly said, “Could it be that the black cloth given by that Young Master Mo counters your Skull Cave’s cultivation methods?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief asked, “What is that black cloth…?”
Elder Lu shook his head, “That Young Master Mo only said… covering it on the forehead can protect the Sea of Consciousness, preventing evil from invading.”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief’s pupils trembled. Could this Young Master Mo truly possess such means to counter his Skull Cave? Killing intent surged in the demonic chief’s eyes.
“Elder Lu, why haven’t you tried to kill this Mo fellow?”
Upon hearing this, Elder Lu laughed in extreme anger, “Why don’t you kill him?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief fell silent, his gaze fierce.
Elder Lu sneered, “I am an elder of the Zhū Clan. This Young Master Mo is a prodigy of the Great Void Sect, the Little Senior Brother of my Zhū Clan’s young master. How dare I show him disrespect?”
“On the contrary, you, a great demonic chief at the Golden Core middle stage, not only didn’t kill that young master but were instead frightened off by a single word from him.”
“Didn’t you say…” Elder Lu’s gaze was contemptuous, “that this Young Master Mo has been issued a Demon Slaying Order? Yet you dare not kill him?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t know the details. It’s said… this Mo Hua is unfathomably strange. Back then, he personally killed our Skull Cave’s Ghost-Child Wanderer, who was at the Late Golden Core Stage…”
Elder Lu was taken aback, his mind turning quickly before spotting the flaw, mocking, “He killed Ghost-Child Wanderer, but not you?”
“What? Are you, at Golden Core middle stage, stronger than Ghost-Child Wanderer at Late Golden Core Stage?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief was also stunned for a moment.
Elder Lu continued with a cold laugh, “You Demonic Path cultivators are truly becoming more and more degenerate, believing any nonsense, timid and hesitant… Where is the demeanor of a Demonic Cultivator?”
“This Young Master Mo appears kind-hearted but is ruthless inside—a truly formidable person. If he could really kill you, he would have done so long ago. Why would he waste words with you?”
The White-Bone-Eyed Demonic Chief thought it over and, for a moment, found this reasoning quite convincing.