Chapter 1516: Is the Courtesan Beautiful?
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Chapter 1514: Is the Courtesan Beautiful?
Where on earth did you get the confidence to think you could counter Feathered Ascension?
Bai XiaoSheng held back again and again… until he finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked Mo Hua with a complicated expression:
“Is this the kind of education you receive at Great Void Sect?”
“Are all Great Void Sect disciples as arrogant as you?”
Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, not understanding what he was talking about: “How could that be? The disciples of my Great Void Sect are all modest, gentle, and courteous.”
“I don’t know about the others, but at least the Little Junior Brothers of my year are all very humble.”
If they were all like you, wouldn’t that be a disaster…
Bai XiaoSheng frowned, deeply worried about the future of Great Void Sect.
One Mo Hua is already this arrogant; if they teach a whole bunch more “Mo Huas,” what then?
It would be a miracle if Great Void Sect didn’t face major chaos in the future.
Bai XiaoSheng sighed and asked Mo Hua, “So, you, this expert, how do you plan to counter Feathered Ascension?”
Mo Hua shook his head, “I don’t know. It seems very difficult.”
Bai XiaoSheng shook his head, feeling that talking to Mo Hua was truly exhausting, as he always spouted nonsense.
A Golden Core countering Feathered Ascension… how could he even say such a thing? And seems very difficult—as if that needed saying?
“Stop thinking about these pointless things,” Bai XiaoSheng sighed. “Be more practical. First, think of a way to avoid Feathered Ascension.”
That’s a True-Person. If you can avoid them, you’re already impressive.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded, “That’s true.”
Can’t afford to provoke them; for now, can only consider hiding.
Bai XiaoSheng glanced at Mo Hua, his heart sinking again, and said, “Also, it’s not just Feathered Ascension. Those young masters from the great clans are enough to give you a hard time.”
“There are some things Feathered Ascension might not do, out of concern for face, but those young masters are lawless and capable of anything.”
“Right now, you haven’t offended just one or two people. You’ve managed to offend the entire top-tier circle of young masters in Kun Province all at once.”
“They are the next-generation successors of the Earth Sect, the Lu Clan, the Wú Clan, the Zhū Clan, and the Jìn Clan.”
Even Bai XiaoSheng found this headache-inducing.
He was from the Bai Clan, but he was only one of the direct descendants, and the Bai Clan was far away.
These young masters before him were the genuine local powers of Kun Province and the future leaders of their clans.
It’s only because Mo Hua has a tough life.
If it were anyone else, acting the way he did, forget about leaving Jade Fragrance Pavilion alive… by now, they’d probably have been ground to dust, with even the ashes scattered who knows where…
But these young masters definitely won’t let it go.
From tonight onward, Mo Hua will surely be labeled as their enemy.
Within Houtu City, he’ll be constrained at every turn. If he keeps a low profile, that’s one thing, but once he makes a mistake, reveals a flaw, or gives them a handle, it’ll be easy for them to gang up on him.
And that’s not even the worst of it.
Because although these young masters have great influence, they are currently only provisional successors and haven’t truly come into power yet. If they ever do gain power and become the true leadership within their clans, then for at least three to four hundred years, Mo Hua will have enemies everywhere and danger at every turn across the entire Kun Province, especially in its largest city, Houtu City.
“You… take care of yourself,” Bai XiaoSheng sighed.
Mo Hua also realized this issue.
Troubles caused by women are the most foolish, the most idiotic, yet also the most fatal—especially when they are very beautiful women.
This Yu Nujiao may appear to be a pure and innocent courtesan, but her schemes run deep. She truly lives up to being the Saintess of the Demonic Path’s Joyous-Union Sect.
However, Mo Hua didn’t really care.
When you have too many lice, you stop itching; when you have too many debts, you stop worrying.
He was gradually getting used to the feeling of being utterly despised.
Moreover, the cause and effect and conflicts with the noble families had always existed, they were only now erupting.
Having them erupt sooner was actually a good thing—once conflicts break out, cause and effect becomes clearer bit by bit.
Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened slightly as he sank into contemplation.
After that, the journey was uneventful.
Several hours later, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Little Yuan Mountain blessed land.
Mo Hua and Bai XiaoSheng got off together and entered the courtyard gate of the minor blessed land.
Mo Hua was “a person of Little Yuan Mountain,” so naturally he had to return.
Bai XiaoSheng, as a ‘guard’, had to return to ‘report’ on his duties and incidentally pay respects to the “elders.”
By now, the night was already deep, but within the courtyard of the minor blessed land, tranquil lanterns were still lit, looking warm in the darkness.
As Mo Hua entered the small courtyard, he saw, in the night, a figure clad in white robes—his Little Senior Sister, ethereal and detached—still reading by lamplight.
The clear moonlight shone quietly upon her, making her look like an immortal banished beneath the moon, untouched by worldly desires.
Gazing at this figure, Mo Hua’s heart grew calm.
The opulent towers and jade palaces of the flower street, the dazzling array of blossoms, the courtesan’s striking beauty, and all those vulgar, extravagant desires and distracting thoughts seemed to have been purified away.
Mo Hua’s gaze softened as he called out softly, “Senior Sister.”
Bai Zixi raised her eyes to look at Mo Hua, her expression cool yet carrying a gentleness unknown to others. “You’re back?”
“Mm,” Mo Hua nodded.
Bai XiaoSheng couldn’t read the atmosphere—mainly because he hadn’t even considered, or rather didn’t dare to consider, that possibility.
Seeing Mo Hua and Bai Zixi exchanging glances, Bai XiaoSheng also cupped his hands in greeting and said, “Little Grandaunt.”
Mo Hua could call her Senior Sister, but he had to call her Little Grandaunt. This was another reason Bai XiaoSheng disliked Mo Hua.
Little Grandaunt Bai Zixi glanced at Bai XiaoSheng in passing and nodded. “Mm.”
Bai XiaoSheng then stood solemnly, not daring to say another word.
Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua, and a thought stirred in her mind. Suddenly, she parted her jade-like teeth and asked, “Was the courtesan beautiful?”
Bai XiaoSheng’s face showed surprise.
Mo Hua felt inexplicably pressured, but after thinking for a moment, he answered objectively, “She was alright… just so-so.”
Bai XiaoSheng’s eyelids twitched.
Mo Hua, you’re the first person to say that the peerless courtesan pursued by tens of thousands in Houtu City is “just so-so.” And to say it right in front of Little Grandaunt, you really know how to spin a tale.
“She is a courtesan, after all…”
Bai Zixi’s face was delicate and exquisite, but her tone was curious. “Just so-so?”
Mo Hua nodded and said sincerely, “In my heart, she’s just so-so.”
Bai XiaoSheng rolled his eyes at Mo Hua again.
Ever since being with Mo Hua, the number of times he’d been left speechless had increased so much that he was nearly developing a habit of eye-rolling.
Bai Zixi still wanted to chat privately with Mo Hua, but with a ‘junior’ present, it wasn’t very convenient to speak openly.
Bai Zixi gave a slight nod and said to Mo Hua, “It’s getting late, Junior Brother. You should go rest.”
Mo Hua actually wanted to chat a bit longer with Little Senior Sister, but with Bai XiaoSheng present, it really wasn’t appropriate to say much more.
So he simply replied with an “Mm,” and said, “Then I’ll head back to my room first. Senior Sister, you should rest early too.”
Bai Zixi gave a slight nod.
Mo Hua couldn’t help but take another glance at Little Senior Sister before turning and walking toward his room, his figure gradually disappearing down the corridor.
After Mo Hua left, Bai Zixi remained seated in the small courtyard, a book held in her fair hands.
Her ice-crystal-like eyes shifted thoughtfully, as if pondering something.
Bai XiaoSheng stood respectfully nearby.
After a while, seeing that Bai Zixi still hadn’t spoken, he bowed and said respectfully, “Little Grandaunt, XiaoSheng will take his leave now, so as not to disturb your quiet cultivation.”
But after he finished speaking, Bai Zixi didn’t respond. Bai XiaoSheng kept his head lowered, unsure of what to do—he couldn’t leave, yet he didn’t dare ask anything more.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, just as Bai XiaoSheng was growing anxious, he suddenly heard his Little Grandaunt’s voice beside his ear:
“Did you and Little Junior Brother have a lively time tonight?”
Bai XiaoSheng frowned, unsure what his Little Grandaunt meant by this. Still…
“It was indeed quite lively…” Bai XiaoSheng replied.
“Oh?” Bai Zixi’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. “How lively exactly?”
When Little Grandaunt asked, Bai XiaoSheng had no reason not to answer. Besides, he had no obligation to keep secrets for someone as insignificant as Mo Hua.
So, like pouring out beans from a bag, Bai XiaoSheng recounted everything Mo Hua had done at the courtesan banquet for Bai Zixi.
For example:
“Others sent Heavenly Crystals, silk fans, ice garments, rouge… but none of them got to see the flower queen.”
“That kid Mo Hua only sent one Low-grade spirit stone, and the courtesan took a liking to him.”
“Mo Hua even went upstairs alone, who knows what he did with the flower queen.”
“When Mo Hua came back down, he got into a jealous fight with a bunch of young masters and ended up brawling.”
By the end, even Bai XiaoSheng couldn’t help but look impressed, admitting reluctantly, “That kid Mo Hua, say what you will, but he’s quite skilled at charming women. He managed to win over a flower queen with just one Spirit stone—”
Bai Zixi’s expression turned peculiar.
Curious, she asked, “What did that flower queen look like?”
“Well…” Bai XiaoSheng stammered, “Naturally… she looked like a courtesan… but it’s hard to describe.”
Bai Zixi asked, “Do you have a portrait?”
Bai XiaoSheng shook his head. “No.”
Bai Zixi gave him a faint look. “Do you dare lie to your elder?”
Bai XiaoSheng felt a chill in his heart.
Bai Zixi softly “Mm”-ed and said, “Bring it here for me to see.”
Only then did Bai XiaoSheng reluctantly present the Portrait of the Courtesan from the Top Ten Beauties of Kun Province, which he had painstakingly and meticulously drawn stroke by stroke, to his Little Grandaunt.
Bai Zixi took it, glanced briefly at the portrait, and then said to Bai XiaoSheng, “Alright, you may go back now. Rest early, don’t stay up late.”
Bai XiaoSheng thought to himself, I’m over a hundred years old—it’s not like I’m still growing. What’s wrong with staying up late?
He stole a glance at the portrait in Bai Zixi’s hands. “What about this portrait.”
Bai Zixi silently looked at him. Bai XiaoSheng understood the hint and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to say, “Then I’ll… offer it as a tribute to Little Grandaunt.”
Bai Zixi nodded approvingly, her gaze gentle and kind.
Bai XiaoSheng felt a pang of heartache and said mournfully, “Then this junior… will take his leave… and not disturb Little Grandaunt any longer.”
“Alright,” Bai Zixi said, “go ahead.”
Bai XiaoSheng had no choice but to bow respectfully, then left with reluctance, looking utterly dejected.
He silently added this debt to Mo Hua’s account.
Although the painting had been “confiscated” by Bai Zixi, his little grandaunt, he dared not hold a grudge against her.
He could only blame Mo Hua. “Getting involved with this kid always brings trouble—not only causing trouble but also costing money…”
Bai XiaoSheng muttered to himself as he left the Little Luan Mountain blessed land.
In the small courtyard, Bai Zixi finally unrolled the courtesan painting, carefully examining the beauty depicted—from her charming eyes and brows, to her pure cheeks, delicate red lips, refined chin, graceful figure, and vibrant red dress.
As she looked, Bai Zixi’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, and she remarked curiously, “So this is what a flower queen looks like…”
“Little Junior Brother lied to me. This is… quite beautiful.”
Bai Zixi whispered to herself, extending her slender, snow-white fingers to poke the beauty’s cheek in the painting, a hint of mischief and amusement flashing in her gaze.
…
Inside the guest room.
Mo Hua was also unable to sleep, still pondering how to counter Feathered Ascension. Yet, no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t come up with any ideas.
From a cultivation standpoint, this was indeed nearly impossible.
The gap between the Early Golden Core Stage and the Feathered Ascension Realm was immense.
Moreover, due to the unique nature of the Feathered Ascension Realm—involving flight, True Qi, the Great Heavenly Cycle, and higher-level Laws—this gap was even greater than the one between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.
But this was a problem he had no choice but to face.
Houtu City was a Fifth-Grade Province, home not only to Feathered Ascension cultivators but also Profound-Hollow-Void ones, making it extremely dangerous for him.
Profound-Hollow-Void cultivators were less of an immediate concern; without unexpected circumstances, the Ancestor would not easily emerge or act recklessly.
However, the pressure from Feathered Ascension cultivators was palpable.
Coupled with the increasingly sharp conflicts, not only the upper echelons of the noble families and the Feather Ascension True Persons but also a host of prodigious disciples had their eyes on him.
“Surviving in a Fifth-Grade Province is no easy task…”
Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened as he sighed silently in his heart.
Mo Hua remained awake throughout the night, his mind occupied with thoughts of countering Feathered Ascension and establishing a foothold in the Fifth-Grade Prefecture Realm.
Yet, by morning, he had made no progress. As dawn broke and sunlight streamed into the room, Mo Hua exhaled a heavy breath, clearing his cluttered thoughts before rising as usual to sit in meditation and cultivate.
After completing his Minor Heavenly Cycle cultivation, Mo Hua finally got up and headed to True Person Rong’s study.
Along the way, the morning sun shone brightly, and cranes danced gracefully in the sky.
Inside the study, True Person Rong was sitting upright, her gaze fixed on something on the desk as if nothing had happened.
Mo Hua clasped his hands and said sincerely, “Thank you, True Person Rong, for stepping in to help.”
True Person Rong gave a faint “hmm,” her eyes still on the desk, and replied indifferently, “No need for thanks. Just cause less trouble next time.”
But Mo Hua insisted earnestly, “I must thank you. Regardless, I owe you a favor, and this cause and effect must be repaid. If you ever need help in the future, I will do my best.”
True Person Rong knew Mo Hua was exceptionally talented and something of an oddity. However, he was still only at the Early Golden Core Stage, his cultivation too low. She merely responded with a perfunctory “hmm.”
After that, True Person Rong fell silent, lowering her head to gaze at the desk, her expression extremely focused.
Seeing that True Person Rong wasn’t speaking and was instead staring intently at the desk, Mo Hua couldn’t help but feel curious.
He stole a glance, wanting to know what True Person Rong was doing.
At that glance, Mo Hua’s expression immediately changed.
At first, he thought True Person Rong was, as usual, deducing cause and effect. But that wasn’t the case—what True Person Rong was looking at were two thin glass lenses.
Inside the glass lenses, a small red dot was slowly squirming, resembling both blood and flesh.
“What is this…” Mo Hua’s pupils contracted slightly.
Only then did True Person Rong look up at Mo Hua and say, “…It’s the piece of flesh and blood you gave me.”
Mo Hua’s heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, “Can you analyze anything from it?”
Upon hearing this, True Person Rong’s brows slowly furrowed as well.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked solemnly, “Where exactly did you get this flesh and blood? It wasn’t through orthodox means, was it?”
Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat as he asked, “Is there something wrong with this flesh and blood?”
“If my analysis isn’t mistaken, this should be…” True Person Rong’s face darkened with a shadow:
“Living Dead Corpse Embryo.”