Chapter 1508: Eldest Young Master
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Chapter 1506: Eldest Young Master
Sixth-rank aristocratic families, realms beyond Profound-Hollow-Void—these secrets shrouded in mist were still too obscure. Mo Hua’s heart was filled with doubts, but as they arrived at the pleasure street, it was no longer appropriate to press further.
Many things in the world were like the tip of an iceberg. What people saw was merely an insignificant fragment; the true secrets were often hidden in the unseen depths of the ocean.
Just like the Guīxū concealed within the Endless Abyss, veiled by Martial Uncle’s intricate schemes. Without stepping inside to take a look, no one could know what was truly happening within. Yet, if one truly ventured inside, they might die without even knowing how…
Mo Hua sighed softly, then cast aside these distracting thoughts, refusing to dwell on them further. These matters were still too distant, and there were unresolved issues right before him.
This Flower Banquet was likely no ordinary feast either, and he could not afford to be careless.
Gathering his thoughts, Mo Hua alighted from the carriage. Led by Bai XiaoSheng, they passed through the alley and walked several more miles before entering Drunken Flower Street.
This was Mo Hua’s second time visiting the pleasure street. The entire Drunken Flower Street remained as before: jade towers like celestial realms, lights dazzling and brilliant; beauties like fairies, clad in light garments, dancing gracefully amidst a sea of flowers, their songs and dances unceasing—a scene of prosperous splendor.
Yet, having returned from the Great Spirit Field Realm, Mo Hua found the contrast before him even more jarring. Some suffered from hunger and cold, displaced and homeless. Others, having their fill and warmth, indulged in desires, building lavish stages of pleasure.
At this very moment, in the depths of the night within the Great Spirit Field Realm, spirit farmers were likely starving, freezing, refugees being slaughtered, their skins flayed and bones extracted by Demonic Cultivators, their souls extracted and spirits refined. Yet here in Drunken Flower Street, it was an unawakening land of tenderness, a den of extravagance where female charms served as the medium and gold and silver as the lifeblood.
Mo Hua frowned slightly, but this was not the first time he had witnessed such things, and he had long anticipated them. Moreover, he was now in Kun Province, without power or influence, lacking even a single soldier under his command, and could do nothing about it.
Bai XiaoSheng, who cultivated the Dao of All Living Beings and understood the joys and sorrows of humanity, saw Mo Hua lost in thought and inexplicably grew nervous, thinking to himself, “Is this kid… thinking about something dangerous again?”
Bai XiaoSheng furrowed his brow but dared not ask. Afterward, the two walked in silence through the pleasure street, heading straight to the Jade Fragrance Pavilion.
This time, as he was attending the “Flower Banquet,” Mo Hua did not wear a mask. Besides, wearing one would be useless.
Ever since entering Drunken Flower Street, Mo Hua could sense over a dozen strands of Divine-Sense lingering around him. None of these Divine-Senses were ordinary. The vast majority were at the Late Golden Core Stage, or even Peak Golden Core. A few, cold and tinged with Blood Fiend Qi, likely belonged to Feathered Ascension cultivators from the Demonic Sect—though Mo Hua could not identify who they were.
The only Feathered Ascension cultivator he could recognize was True Person Rong. True Person Rong had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; though outwardly cold, she secretly cared about his safety.
The Divine-Senses of these powerful cultivators, while seemingly independent, secretly checked and balanced one another. Mo Hua pretended to notice nothing, entering the Jade Fragrance Pavilion naturally, like an ordinary “guest.”
But the moment he stepped inside, a woman in an embroidered gown and long skirt approached him, her smile as radiant as a flower yet gentle and graceful, saying: “Young Master Mo, greetings. I have been awaiting your arrival for some time.”
The woman paid no heed to others, only smiling and speaking warmly to Mo Hua, as if she had been waiting here specifically for him. Mo Hua glanced at her and noticed she had changed her makeup and style, yet her facial features remained vaguely familiar. Somewhat surprised, he said: “Miao Niángzǐ?”
Miao Niángzǐ seemed pleasantly surprised and smiled, “I never imagined Young Master Mo would still remember this humble one. I am truly honored.”
Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua, inwardly shocked: What? Mo Hua only visited a brothel once, and he already has an old flame? Moreover, this Miao Niángzǐ seems to be the popular courtesan of Jade Fragrance Pavilion. Is his charm with women this strong?
Bai XiaoSheng looked at Mo Hua’s face again and sneered inwardly, Indeed, pretty boys are always favored by women. How detestable…
Mo Hua’s expression, however, remained calm. He looked at Miao Niángzǐ and said in a detached tone, “You dare show your face?”
Under Mo Hua’s indifferent gaze, Miao Niángzǐ’s heart tightened abruptly. This was someone even the Incense Master deeply feared. Rumors said this Young Master Mo could take lives with just a glance, though she didn’t know if it was true…
But as a woman of the brothel, accustomed to playing roles, she showed no fear on her face. Instead, she adopted a pitiful expression and sighed: “As the saying goes: men fear choosing the wrong profession. In truth, women are the same. Once I entered this profession, mingling in the world of pleasure, I was no longer in control of my fate. I merely do as the superiors command… What else can I do?”
Miao Niángzǐ furrowed her brows slightly, looking endearing. Her words were half-truths, but Mo Hua didn’t bother arguing. He simply said, “Lead the way.”
Only then did Miao Niángzǐ secretly sigh in relief. With a smile, she respectfully said, “Young Master Mo, please.”
Miao Niángzǐ walked ahead with graceful steps, leading the way for Mo Hua. They entered the main hall, passed through the lobby, crossed red curtains, walked under a colorful suspended ceiling, went through a moon gate, and entered the inner courtyard, where they saw the four pavilions named “Spring Flowers, Snow Moon.”
This path was familiar to Mo Hua from his previous visit. Bai XiaoSheng, a frequent guest, strolled along even more casually.
But what followed was different. Miao Niángzǐ led Mo Hua to the “Spring” pavilion, the largest, most luxurious, and most exclusive of the four pavilions. Even Bai XiaoSheng, with his extensive connections and wide social circle, had only entered it once before.
At the entrance of the Spring pavilion, Miao Niángzǐ was stopped by two Golden Core middle stage guards. Before the Spring pavilion, even Golden Core middle stage cultivators could only serve as guards, protecting the interests of this pleasure-driven affair.
Miao Niángzǐ turned to Mo Hua and said, “Please show your invitation, Young Master.”
“This is the usual procedure. I hope you’ll understand,” Miao Niángzǐ said apologetically.
Mo Hua nodded and took out the jade-colored invitation adorned with a large golden peony. The guards inspected it, gave Mo Hua a deep look, and allowed him to pass.
Bai XiaoSheng followed Mo Hua inside as well. The invitation stated that one or two attendants could be brought, so the guards assumed Bai XiaoSheng was Mo Hua’s attendant.
After entering the Spring pavilion, they ascended the grand vermilion lacquer and gold-inlaid staircase, climbing higher and higher until they reached a dazzling sea of flowers, a bright moon hanging high, and a resplendent hall veiled in snowy hues. This seemed to be the main venue for the courtesan banquet.
Mo Hua shook his head slightly, inwardly muttering “How corrupt,” before stepping into the grand hall.
The hall was already filled with many young masters exuding an air of luxury. The invitation had not been extended to Mo Hua alone, and this courtesan banquet naturally wasn’t held solely for him. Those who could attend such a feast were certainly no ordinary young masters.
As Mo Hua surveyed the scene, his heart grew slightly tense. Every young master present was at the Golden Core stage, their cultivation solid and profound—clearly top-tier prodigies nurtured with immense resources by the upper echelons of various aristocratic clans. They also radiated an aura of immense confidence and composure.
When Mo Hua entered the hall, all the young masters turned to look at him in unison, their gazes carrying a hint of surprise and solemnity. Mo Hua was an unfamiliar face.
Not only at this courtesan banquet but within the entire circle of aristocratic clan descendants in Houtu City, Mo Hua’s face was a stranger—an outsider. Yet, despite this, his handsome features were known to every young master present.
Whether it was due to the lofty and unattainable young lady of the sixth-rank Bai Clan, True Person Rong’s exceptional favoritism, or the recent stir of events, they had all heard of Mo Hua, the prodigy of Great Void Sect, and had a rough idea of his appearance.
Thus, when this familiar yet unfamiliar, renowned yet obscure Young Master Mo stepped into the hall and entered their ‘hunting ground,’ he naturally drew the attention of all the young masters.
However, in this particular setting, no one truly acknowledged Mo Hua, nor did anyone speak to him. After all, Mo Hua was not part of their circle.
Mo Hua paid no mind to this. Instead, guided by Miao Niángzǐ, he calmly walked to his seat and sat down with ease, treating the gazes of others as if they were nothing.
After Mo Hua took his seat, the young masters gradually withdrew their attention, no longer scrutinizing him. Before long, more young masters in luxurious brocade robes arrived, prompting everyone to rise and greet them. Mo Hua, the outsider, was even further ignored.
Miao Niángzǐ excused herself and departed, seemingly having other matters to attend to. Moreover, she dared not linger with Mo Hua for too long.
Mo Hua’s surroundings grew even quieter, but he himself enjoyed the tranquility, leisurely pouring and sipping tea. Beside him, Bai XiaoSheng, accustomed to grand occasions, poured himself wine from a flask.
After drinking for a while, Mo Hua turned to Bai XiaoSheng and suddenly asked, “Do you know all these young masters?”
A Sound-Isolating Formation had been set up near the banquet seats. Mo Hua swept his Divine-Sense over it and found the soundproofing effect acceptable before speaking to Bai XiaoSheng.
“What’s there to know or not know…” Bai XiaoSheng tore a strip of meat from a large pork knuckle on the table, placed it in his mouth, chewed slowly, and said to Mo Hua in a relaxed manner, “They’re all the top-tier young masters from the aristocratic clans of Kun Province.”
Pointing discreetly at individuals, Bai XiaoSheng whispered to Mo Hua:
“That one… wearing the vermilion qilin robe, is the second son of the Zhū Clan Head. He has a high chance of becoming the next Zhū Clan Head in the future.”
“The one in the golden opulent robe is the third young master of the Lu Clan. He’s also the most talented disciple of his generation in the Lu Clan. Now in his forties, he’s already at the Golden Core middle stage, with a Superior-Grade Golden Core…”
“The one in the multicolored robe is the tacitly acknowledged successor of the Wú Clan…”
“And that one in the white crane and cloud brocade attire is also the most esteemed young master of the Jìn Clan’s next generation…”
These were essentially the default future helmsmen of the major clans in Kūn Province.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly. Previously, he hadn’t attended the lantern festival hosted by the Earth Sect, never expecting that the figures he missed at the festival would all be encountered here in a brothel.
Indeed, those you’re not meant to meet, you won’t see no matter how hard you try. Those you are meant to meet, you’ll encounter anywhere.
“Damn, they’re actually visiting a brothel?”
Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua. “What are you saying? Aren’t you also visiting a brothel right now?”
Mo Hua was taken aback, thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s true…”
Since he was also visiting a brothel, he couldn’t criticize others, though his purpose for being here was different.
Mo Hua surveyed his surroundings, quietly committing to memory these successors of Kūn Province’s major clans. After watching for a while, he frowned slightly, where were the people from the Earth Sect? Since this was a gathering of successors, it made no sense for the Earth Sect, the most powerful force in all of Kūn Province, not to send anyone…
As Mo Hua pondered this, his gaze suddenly shifted, turning toward the stairway entrance veiled by flowers and moonlight.
Almost simultaneously, a tall, imposing young master, surrounded by a group of attendants, slowly entered. This young master wore a russet-yellow dragon robe, and the moment he appeared, his presence dominated the room, silencing the entire hall.
Everyone rose to their feet. Even the successors of the four great clans—the Wú, Lù, Jìn, and Zhū Clans—stood up slowly, cupping their hands in salute to the young master in the russet-yellow dragon robe:
“Greetings, Eldest Young Master.”
“Eldest Young Master, our respects.”
Eldest Young Master… the Eldest Young Master of the Earth Sect?
Mo Hua frowned slightly. At that moment, every young master in the hall had risen, except for Mo Hua and his ‘follower,’ Bai XiaoSheng.
The Eldest Young Master’s gaze naturally fell upon Mo Hua and his companion. Seeing that someone in the Jade Fragrance Pavilion dared to be so disrespectful, the Eldest Young Master’s expression darkened first, as if a dragon’s fury stirred within him. But upon clearly seeing Mo Hua’s face, his pupils contracted slightly. After a brief moment of thought, he indifferently shifted his gaze away, paying no further attention.
He had recognized Mo Hua as well, but Mo Hua was simply not part of their circle. Given his status, there was no need to lower himself to acknowledge Mo Hua.
The Eldest Young Master, like the moon surrounded by stars, took his seat at the very center of the hall. Though the seats appeared identical, the central position subtly held a higher status, clearly reserved specifically for the Earth Sect’s Eldest Young Master as a mark of respect.
Only after the Eldest Young Master was seated did the other young masters sit down again. The atmosphere in the hall returned to normal, with everyone raising glasses and engaging in conversation. However, it was evident that the socializing now revolved entirely around the Eldest Young Master.
All the scions of prominent families, according to their status, took turns offering toasts to this Eldest Young Master, exchanging a few words. The successors of the Lu, Wu, Zhu, and Jin families also offered their toasts, but their tone was calm, neither humble nor arrogant, maintaining the dignity of their clans. However, others—those not quite at the pinnacle or from slightly weaker backgrounds—displayed varying degrees of humility, some even bordering on obsequiousness.
Mo Hua and Bai XiaoSheng, on the other hand, simply drank tea and wine by themselves, detached from it all. Though they were in the same grand hall, attending the same banquet, they seemed to exist in a different world, part of two entirely separate circles. No one even spared them a glance. For a moment, Mo Hua’s surroundings felt rather desolate.
After a while, he turned to Bai XiaoSheng and asked, “When you attended banquets before, was it like this too, with no one paying you any attention?”
Bai XiaoSheng grinned. “How could that be? What kind of person do you think I am?”
“If it weren’t for you, with my social skills, I’d have been drinking with these young masters long ago. If I offered a toast, who wouldn’t drink? Who would dare refuse?”
Bai XiaoSheng patted Mo Hua’s shoulder and sighed. “But there’s no helping it. Who asked you to be Mo Hua? You’re disliked, your social standing isn’t great. If I didn’t keep you company and chat with you, you’d be sitting here all alone, lonely and pitiful.”
Mo Hua was speechless, replying indifferently, “Thank you so much.”
Bai XiaoSheng sighed again. “Between the two of us, what’s there to say?”
After a moment of thought, Mo Hua lowered his voice and asked, “Then… do you know this Eldest Young Master?”
Bai XiaoSheng said, “I’ve met him, shared a drink, but we’re not close.”
“Is he from the Earth Sect?”
“Yes.”
Mo Hua frowned. “Why is he called ‘Eldest Young Master’? What’s his background? What’s his status in the Earth Sect?”
“Well…” Bai XiaoSheng evaded, “That involves Earth Sect secrets, so I can’t say much. Just know that this Eldest Young Master holds a very high position in the Earth Sect, with noble lineage. It’s best not to provoke him.”
Mo Hua’s gaze deepened, offering no further comment.
Bai XiaoSheng picked up the wine jug again and poured himself a drink. Meanwhile, Mo Hua stared intently at the Eldest Young Master’s figure from behind, particularly the large ochre-yellow dragon coiled around his back, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Mo Hua’s mind stirred. A flicker of black and white flashed in his eyes as he subtly activated a trace of the Heavenly Secret Derivative Algorithm and the Heavenly Secret Deceptive Algorithm.
In that fleeting moment of intertwined black and white, the Heavenly Secret trembled, and the scene before him abruptly changed. Behind the Earth Sect’s Eldest Young Master, the ochre-yellow dragon’s body began to ooze a dark purple, viscous, twisted filth resembling rotting flesh and blood.
This filth carried cause and effect, harboring desires, silently blooming like poppy flowers.
Though this Karmic Vision was somewhat distant in time, Mo Hua could never forget it.
“Qianxue Prefecture realm, the Rouge Boat, poppy flowers, the Young Masters’ Pavilion…”
Mo Hua’s pupils suddenly contracted. “This Eldest Young Master of the Earth Sect… is from the Young Masters’ Pavilion!”