Chapter 341: Dao-Sin
Mo Hua nodded silently.
He had thought he had considered everything, but he hadn’t expected there were still so many things he hadn’t thought of…
After Mo Hua left, lost in thought, Mister Zhuang gazed blankly at the dense blood energy rising from the mountains.
He didn’t know how long he stood there before sighing softly with a hint of regret:
“Is this my karma?”
Old Kui quietly appeared behind him and said calmly: “Not everything is about you. Don’t be so self-important.”
Mister Zhuang shook his head.
Old Kui glanced at him lightly.
“So? You don’t want to leave yet?”
Mister Zhuang sighed.
“I’ll wait until this is settled.”
“Wait for what?”
“Wait until this matter comes to an end, until the Dao-Sin has a conclusion. Then I will depart and no longer be entangled in the karma of this place.”
Old Kui reminded him,
“The Daoist has already been here.”
“Just a Daoist, not him personally.”
Old Kui frowned.
“The Dao-Sin here has already spread, the news has reached the Dao Court and alarmed the Tianxu Pavilion. Your movements will be deduced—they’ve been keeping a watchful eye on you…”
“Let them deduce it. It’s not the first time it’s been deduced,” Mister Zhuang said indifferently.
Old Kui knew he couldn’t persuade him. Mister Zhuang, in a polite sense, had strong will; in a less polite sense, he was as stubborn as an ox.
Old Kui snorted coldly.
“It’s hard to reason with a damned fool.”
He turned to leave, but Mister Zhuang suddenly said softly,
“Thank you.”
Old Kui paused.
“Did you take the wrong medicine?”
Mister Zhuang smiled bitterly.
“I’ve always remembered your kindness.”
“What?” Old Kui asked curiously. “You’re still thinking of repaying me?”
Mister Zhuang smiled.
“If that day ever comes.”
“Only the living can repay debts of gratitude. What can the dead repay? The dead can only repay with ghosts.”
Old Kui didn’t mince words. After saying that, he turned and left, though his back carried a hint of loneliness.
Inside the bamboo chamber, only Mister Zhuang remained.
He continued to stare silently at the mountains, at the towering blood energy, and after a long while, whispered softly:
“Senior Brother… haven’t you committed enough sins?”
Meanwhile, at the heart of the Nine Provinces, in Dao Prefecture, within the Dao Court, atop a prominent high pavilion, an elderly man with white hair and beard was playing a game of chess.
Before him was only a chessboard—no pieces.
Opposite him was only a meditation cushion—no opponent.
On the cushion sat no one, just as on the chessboard there was not a single piece.
The old man sat silently, staring at the empty board, expressionless, as if both present and existing in nothingness.
After a moment, he slowly spoke:
“Come in.”
A white-robed cultivator, who had been waiting outside, stepped forward respectfully, placed a jade slip on the table, and then withdrew with proper deference.
The old man stared at the board, then looked at the jade slip for a long time before complaining:
“No one plays chess anymore…”
He shook his head, turned his gaze to the jade slip.
The slip had two short lines written in faint golden spiritual power:
“North of Li Prefecture, Second-Rank Black Mountain Prefecture, Tongxian City.
A Dao-Sin has emerged, taking the form of a great demon, named Fengxi.”
The old man glanced at it, then ignored it, continuing to stare at his empty chessboard. After a moment, he suddenly sensed something:
“Li Prefecture… Tongxian City…”
He opened his right hand; spiritual power shimmered in his palm, forming a tangible manifestation—a Heavenly Dao compass with Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Two Principles, and Four Symbols.
The compass rotated through layers of calculations, finally aligning perfectly.
The old man was slightly astonished.
“It really is here…”
He then retrieved a jade slip marked “Nine Provinces Map” and, using the compass for calculations, traced a clear path with his finger, quietly instructing:
“Send it down.”
The white-robed cultivator at the door bowed, took the jade slip, and withdrew.
Soon, the slip reached the high-level cultivators of the Tianxu Pavilion. Their expressions shifted as they studied it, deep in thought.
After a while, cultivators began leaving the pavilion, some solemn, some excited, some harboring hidden intentions.
The old man, aware of everything happening in the Tianxu Pavilion, remained indifferent and placed the first chess piece on his empty board.
After placing it, he muttered complaints:
“Don’t let me deduce it. If I do, it will be troublesome for me…”
“Can’t you just stay quiet? You’re happy, I’m happy—why must you cause me trouble?”
“Whether you live or die now depends on your own fate…”
…
The old man rambled on, but no one heard, no one responded.
He then turned back, picked up the jade slip, and reread the two lines silently, murmuring:
“Tongxian… an interesting name… Fengxi? Who’s feeding the pig this time?”
“Good thing it’s only second-rank…”
He placed this jade slip with others of similar design.
The other slips read similarly:
“Qian Prefecture, Second-Rank Wendaoshan Prefecture, Qiandeng City. Dao-Sin emerges, a great evil, ancient name Huapi.
Annotation: Evil god’s lingering remnant, hidden in the visualization diagram, Qiandeng City has been relocated.”
“…
Gen Prefecture, Third-Rank Longji Mountain Prefecture, Longshan City. Dao-Sin emerges, a great ghost, ancient name Wuchang.
Annotation: Ghostly and formless, known too late, Longshan fell, becoming a ghost city; not a single cultivator survived.”
“…
Kan Prefecture, Fourth-Rank Jingwei Prefecture, Sanchuan Ancient Crossing. Dao-Sin emerges, a great demon, ancient name Xiangliu.
Annotation: Relocation failed; Xiangliu’s poison inundated Sanchuan, over half of the relocated cultivators perished.”
“…
Kun Prefecture, Fourth-Rank Cangyun Prefecture, Cangyun City. Dao-Sin emerges, a great corpse, ancient name Hanba.
Annotation: Cangyun Prefecture destroyed, turned into a sea of corpses…”
…
The old man frowned.
In recent years, Dao-Sins have been appearing more and more frequently.
“Dao-Sins emerge frequently, and the world falls into chaos… Is it the Great Dao exploiting too harshly, the Heavenly Dao unbalanced, causing human hearts to produce sins, or is someone—or something non-human—laying plans in secret?”
He fell silent in thought.
Finally, he looked up at the sky, staring for a long while before muttering:
“I watch the sky every day. Where are the formations? That Zhuang kid—is he fooling me?”
——
In Tongxian City, inside the Mo family’s eatery.
Mo Hua was still pondering the great formation when he noticed his parents packing their things.
“Father, Mother, are we relocating the city?”
Mo Shan nodded with a sigh.
“The Dao Court has already notified us. We need to prepare in advance.”
“Everyone is leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Where to?”
Mo Shan said,
“The chief official is still discussing, but likely south of Li Prefecture—either uncultivated wasteland or barren mountains, with no cultivators. We’ll have to reclaim land and settle anew.”
Mo Hua said quietly,
“It sounds hard…”
“Reclaiming land is the lesser concern, just a bit of hardship. The hardest part is the journey itself—likely not peaceful. Not all cultivators will reach the destination safely,” Mo Shan sighed.
Mo Hua nodded.
Along the way there may be places like Great Black Mountain, with treacherous terrain, poisonous miasma, wild beasts, and criminal or evil cultivators.
Even some families, sects, or Dao Court branches along the way may not be friendly.
“What about Uncle Ji’s family?”
“They’re coming with us,” Mo Shan said, a hint of melancholy in his voice.
“Uncle Ji’s family has nowhere else to turn. They arrived in Tongxian City, and Ji Li married Fu Lan—finally together, a stable life… but then the great demon appeared. Now they too must wander…”
And the future remained uncertain, not guaranteed to be peaceful.
After all, Qi-Refining cultivators are the lowest in the cultivation world—lives are hard, fragile, and they cannot endure too many risks.
In the following days, scattered cultivators and former companions Mo Hua knew were all preparing to relocate.
Mo Hua sighed.
The great formation likely could not be completed…
He would probably have to leave with the relocation.
Once the city relocated, it would likely be a permanent farewell to Tongxian City—and to Mister Zhuang, as well as fellow disciples Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi…
Mo Hua’s mood was heavy.
At dusk, a guest suddenly arrived at the eatery: Master Luo.
Mo Hua asked curiously,
“Master Luo? Aren’t you relocating?”
Master Luo shook his head helplessly.
“I am relocating, but not south of Li Prefecture. I’m moving north, to the Third-Rank Lanling Prefecture. I have old friends there, and several sects have invited me to serve as an elder.”
Mo Hua was surprised.
Master Luo explained further:
“It’s not just me. Cultivators with status and influence in Tongxian City will not relocate to the harsh south. Everyone has connections.”
Master Luo handed Mo Hua an invitation: “Little Mo, you also have your connections.”