At the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land.
Mo Hua walked into the courtyard, holding the marriage-candidate roster Jiang Yingluo had given him, looking somewhat preoccupied.
In the quiet, elegant courtyard, Bai Zixi sat at the table sketching formation diagrams. Little Orange wasn't around; at this hour, she was likely tending to her tangerine tree again. The tree had grown wonderfully, seemingly on the verge of bearing fruit.
Little Orange was overjoyed, spending all day crouched by it, watching over her precious tree, afraid some careless big bird might peck it to pieces.
Rong Zhenren wasn't in the study either; Mo Hua didn't know what she was up to. The little courtyard had grown quite still.
Mo Hua walked closer, looking at his Little Junior Sister. He quietly drew near and sat down beside her.
Bai Zixi sensed Mo Hua's presence, stopped her formation work, and looked back at him. "What did Zhao Zhao talk to you about?"
Remembering that Earth Sect Senior Sister Jiang Yingluo, who seemed to hold considerable power in the sect and was bright, imposing, and somewhat overbearing, being called "Zhao Zhao" by his junior sister, Mo Hua felt a faint, subtle sense of dissonance.
He handed the roster from his sleeve to Bai Zixi.
Bai Zixi took it and found a collection of beautiful women; some slender, some plump, each with her own charms, and read it with great interest. Then, startled, she looked up at Mo Hua.
"Senior Sister Jiang... wanted me to find a Dao partner and marry into a great clan," Mo Hua said directly.
Bai Zixi's heart skipped a beat. Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she asked softly, "Then... what do you think?"
Mo Hua shook his head. "How could I possibly agree..."
Bai Zixi asked, "You don't want a marriage alliance with a great clan?"
Mo Hua was silent for a moment, then sighed softly. "Every good thing in this world comes at a price... Marrying into a prestigious clan is not so easy to climb. On the surface, it means no worries about food or clothing and a bright future, but once you eat from their hand, you owe them. There would be too many restraints, and in many matters you'd find yourself going along against your will..."
Mo Hua knew that, as a disciple of the Taixu Sect, his reputation seemed great. But his actual identity was merely a minor rogue cultivator from Tongxian City in Lizhou.
Between rogue cultivators and great clans, especially the monopolizing powers, there was almost an irreconcilable contradiction.
Unless he was truly willing to be a dog for the great clans, conflict was bound to erupt eventually. And even if he did play the dog, the great clans would never truly respect him.
All those fame, wealth, and beautiful Dao partners were like sugar-coated cannonballs. In the end, it was all an illusion, a grand dream.
Mo Hua understood this very clearly.
Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua and asked, as if casually, "Then... are none of the great-clan marriages acceptable?"
Mo Hua's heart quivered. He turned to look at his Little Junior Sister, his eyes full of tenderness and affection, yet his feelings were complicated and hard to express.
There were many matters inside great clans, marriage alliances in particular, that he had gradually come to understand through his recent exposure. He knew that things were nowhere near as simple as he had once imagined.
Even the Earth Sect's marriage alliance had such complex inner workings and deep entanglements of interest. It went without saying that the sixth-rank Bai clan of Qianxue Prefecture, which had the merit of helping a dragon rise, might have marriage ties reaching all the way up to the Heavenly Gate.
Even Mo Hua found it hard to get a clear read.
Especially after speaking with the Earth Sect's senior sister, Mo Hua had thought all the way back and gradually understood some things.
His own path of cultivation was full of uncertainties.
The ancient Heavenly Derivation Art, the Dao-transformation of his divine sense, breaking through realms by solving the Puzzle Arrays, the life-bound Taotie spirit-bone array, the low-grade dragon qi locking his golden core...
Mo Hua didn't know what he would eventually cultivate into, nor what upheavals his path would face. Once those karmic threads suddenly twisted, they could trigger unknown mutations and make his life spin out of control.
In contrast, the arrangements that great sects and great clans made for their true core direct-line descendants were extremely meticulous. Jiang Yingluo was such a case, and his Little Junior Sister was similar.
At least, judging by his junior sister's current progress, she could cultivate step by step all the way to Feather Transformation.
And him?
Mo Hua asked himself, he still didn't even fully understand the concept of Feather Transformation. How exactly one went from golden core to Feather Transformation, and how one finally soared into the sky, he had no clue.
His cultivation art was the Heavenly Derivation Art, his path was the Divine Path, proving the Dao with divine sense.
When his path of Divine Sense reached Feather Transformation, compounded by his life-bound Taotie and all sorts of bizarre karmic entanglements, what kind of monstrous form he would take after Feather Transformation? No matter how rich Mo Hua's imagination was, he couldn't picture it.
And this was only the uncertainty of cultivation.
Mo Hua's very existence was also extremely "dangerous."
Too many terrifying karmic threads lurked in his fate.
The Divine Path struggle that devoured each other, life and death.
The Ghostly Path life-and-death feud with his Senior Uncle, tangled in the workings of heavenly fate.
And if he wanted to save his master, he had no idea how many enemies he would face in the future, nor how many perils...
Earlier, Mo Hua had been more naive. His heart only held his Little Junior Sister, using her as an anchor for his humanity, and he hadn't thought so far ahead.
But now that he was truly before his junior sister, he couldn't help but begin to worry about all the hidden dangers in worldly life and karma.
Mo Hua deeply knew that if he himself was an extremely dangerous man, then those closest to him, those most deeply entangled with him in karma, would be in just as much danger. Even his Little Junior Sister would have to bear the dangers of the Divine Path and Ghostly Path for him...
With this thought, his mood grew even more complicated.
"I..." Mo Hua hesitated, then said in a low voice, "I don't know."
Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua, as if thinking of something, and asked, "Little Junior Brother, what do you think of Zhao Zhao?"
Mo Hua was taken aback. "What do I think?"
"Mm," Bai Zixi nodded.
"Senior Sister Jiang..." Mo Hua hesitated.
"She's a little domineering, but she's fair, and she didn't make things hard for me. There are people in the Earth Sect who want to harm me, but because she's holding them down, they didn't dare make a move."
Bai Zixi nodded slightly and asked, "Then, Little Junior Brother, what plans do you have for the future?"
Jiang Yingluo had asked the same question before. Now his Little Junior Sister was asking it too.
But Mo Hua still didn't know how to answer.
His plans for the future were not clear. The situation was uncertain, and he didn't know what fate he would have to bear. He only knew that, under the general trend, his future would be full of thorns, treachery, and slaughter.
Mo Hua said slowly, "I..."
He hesitated, the words not yet out.
Bai Zixi seemed to already know. She nodded, then reached out a jade-like hand and gently pressed it against Mo Hua's lips.
"Little Junior Brother, remember, just act according to your Dao Heart and choose the road you yourself must take."
Mo Hua felt the delicate warmth against his lips. He looked up and met his junior sister's clear, cool eyes, full of doting affection. His heart stirred with an indescribable flutter, mixed with a boyish shyness.
He only nodded and said softly, "Mm, Senior Sister."
...
The days that followed taught Mo Hua that Senior Sister Jiang Yingluo of the Earth Sect had been right, he truly didn't have many choices.
The great clans' blockade against him was comprehensive.
The spirit stones in Mo Hua's hands were running out, and the hunger of his life-bound Taotie spirit-bone array grew deeper and deeper. Yet he couldn't earn even a single spirit stone through his own abilities.
It wasn't that he lacked skill; it was that skill was useless.
The Earth Sect had dominated Kun Prefecture, cultivating and expanding for ten thousand years. They had long monopolized all the resources and connections in Houtu City. Unless he agreed to marry into the Earth Sect and become their running dog, there was basically no other road to take.
Because this was Houtu City—on the Earth Sect's "turf."
Mo Hua was alone and weak, powerless to fight such a behemoth.
For the first time, he felt deeply the embarrassment of living under someone else's roof.
The current situation was different from Tongxian City, Qianxue Prefecture, or the Great Wilderness. No matter how bad those situations had been, Mo Hua had always had his own "territory," his own "power," and he could plan and build on his own ground.
But in Kun Prefecture, Mo Hua didn't truly have a "territory" of his own in any real sense.
...
Apart from the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land, the only place Mo Hua could go to was the Dao Court Department.
Three days later, Mo Hua went to the Dao Court Department again.
Gu Changhuai had gone to deal with the uprising in the Great Spiritual Field Realm and still hadn't returned; the result was unknown.
Mo Hua only found Yu Cangming, the deputy head of the Demon Suppression Department, and while drinking tea, asked him about a few things.
After all, Mo Hua was an "outsider" and couldn't find out much information. But Yu Cangming was different. He held a high position, and since he had been jointly handling cases with Inspector Gu, he was relatively well-informed about many matters.
Although Yu Cangming thought Mo Hua might not be a good person, there was still the kindness of having been "saved," and Gu Changhuai trusted Mo Hua quite a bit. So Yu Cangming didn't hide anything.
"Two days ago, Inspector Gu sent word back. He said Qingchou and Guitian were even more chaotic than expected. The clans exploit the people, demonic cultivators stir up trouble, refugees don't even have enough to eat, and they keep causing incidents... Unless harsh suppression is used, it will be very hard to pacify."
"As for Huangrang and Nansui, they're chaotic in a different way. The situation is like being stuck in a mud pit, sinking deeper with no way out."
Yu Cangming sighed, his expression grave. "If things go on like this, and the situation gets worse, with uprisings intensifying, the Dao Court Department can only send a report upward and request the mobilization of Dao soldiers to crush the rebellion."
"Mobilize Dao soldiers?" Mo Hua's eyes sharpened. "Are there Dao soldiers near Houtu City?"
Yu Cangming said, "All under heaven is Dao land. How could there be no Dao soldiers stationed?"
Mo Hua couldn't help asking, "Where are the Dao soldiers of Houtu City stationed?"
Yu Cangming said, "Dao soldiers are generally garrisoned deep in the mountains or in uninhabited wilderness. Camps are rotated regularly. Their exact locations are known only to the upper levels of the Dao Soldier Department; it's classified. We're only responsible for the application. Approval and deployment are handled by the Dao Soldier Department."
Mo Hua frowned. "But... the war in the Great Wilderness hasn't been settled yet. Won't the Dao Court's forces be stretched thin?"
Yu Cangming shook his head. "No matter how stretched thin, it's not like there's none. At least there are still troops to suppress the spiritual farmers' rebellion."
Mo Hua's gaze darkened slightly, and he nodded.
Rebellions, Dao soldiers, clans, demonic sects. The situation was becoming more and more turbulent. But...
Mo Hua was still hesitant.
Just then, Yu Cangming said, "By the way, Young Master Mo, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Mo Hua was surprised and nodded. "Deputy Director Yu, please speak freely."
Yu Cangming thought for a moment, then said slowly, "I want to bring Tusheng into the Demon Suppression Department. What do you think, Young Master Mo?"
Tusheng, joining the Demon Suppression Department?
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, but even more so, he was puzzled, "Why would Deputy Director Yu ask me about this kind of matter?"
Yu Cangming sighed. "I've already spoken to Tusheng. He said he only listens to Mr. Mo. So I had to come ask you."
Mo Hua thought for a moment and looked at Yu Cangming. "Deputy Director Yu... do you think very highly of Tusheng?"
Since it concerned Tusheng, and he needed Mo Hua's consent, Yu Cangming didn't hide anything. He nodded. "This child has talent. I want to teach him cultivation and pass on some Dao arts to him. If he learns well, I wouldn't be unwilling to pass on some of my signature skills. I can't take him as a personal disciple, but I can certainly take him as a registered disciple..."
Mo Hua felt a sudden daze.
Back then, when Mr. Zhuang had taken him as an apprentice, he too had said something similar at first: he couldn't take him as a personal disciple, but he could first make him a registered disciple...
Mo Hua's nose stung faintly. He looked at Yu Cangming and asked after a moment's thought, "Is it because Tusheng's aura is obscure... and he's suited for assassination?"
Yu Cangming's brow twitched at those words, but he recalled that this Young Master Mo was, after all, nearly demonic in intellect and extraordinary in many ways. Some things couldn't be hidden from him.
So Yu Cangming nodded. "That's right. This child... is the best fit for this assassination lineage of mine that I've ever seen."
Assassination inheritances were already an extremely niche branch of Dao arts. They were extremely powerful, capable of killing a strong enemy in a single strike. But their drawback was also enormous: if the layout went wrong, the calculations erred, or the one strike failed, you could easily lose your own life.
Hence, seeds suited to inherit this kind of Dao art were extremely rare.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and didn't refuse. "As long as Tusheng agrees."
Tusheng had come from the refugees of the Great Spiritual Field Realm. Although he had reached Foundation Establishment, he hadn't had any proper inheritance in terms of cultivation. Being able to receive Deputy Director Yu's guidance could count as Tusheng's good fortune.
Moreover, Tusheng was a "Living-Dead Corpse Embryo," and his situation was very dangerous. If he could cultivate beside Deputy Director Yu, he would also gain a powerful protective charm, which would let Mo Hua feel a bit more at ease.
Seeing Mo Hua soften, Yu Cangming was relieved. "Thank you, Young Master Mo."
Mo Hua shook his head. "Deputy Director Yu being willing to guide Tusheng in cultivation is his blessing. It's just..."
Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. "Is bringing Tusheng into the Demon Suppression Department in accordance with the rules?"
Positions in the Dao Court Department all required examinations and reviews; a post was hard to secure. The Demon Suppression Department was probably similar. Even if Tusheng's cultivation and spiritual root could pass the examination, he probably wouldn't pass the Dao Court's "review".
Yu Cangming waved his hand and sighed. "The Demon Suppression Department doesn't have that much to worry about. It's not exactly a good posting."
Mo Hua asked, "It's different from the Dao Court Department?"
Yu Cangming said, "A Dao Court Department position means you can coast through life and collect a salary—it's the 'iron rice bowl.'"
"But a position in demon suppression, many times, is a 'death warrant.'"
After all, the Demon Suppression Department had to slay demons and exorcise evil. It was bitter and exhausting, with your life tied to your belt—one mistake and you'd die.
Yu Cangming said flatly, "Everyone fights for an iron rice bowl, but who wants a death warrant?"
Especially in the current age.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly, then asked, "Then the Demon Suppression Department must at least give merits, right?"
Yu Cangming said, "Naturally."
With such hard work, how could there be no merits?
Sects, clans, and even the Dao Court all had similar merit systems within the overall framework.
Mo Hua then asked, "And when people in the Demon Suppression Department kill demons and earn merits, what can they exchange?"
Yu Cangming thought for a moment. "Nothing much different from usual—spirit stones, cultivation arts, spells, spiritual objects, spirit tools, pills, and so on..."
Mo Hua took a sip of tea and casually asked, "Can formations be exchanged too?"
Yu Cangming nodded. "Naturally."
Mo Hua asked, "What kind of formations?"
Yu Cangming thought for a moment. "Few people exchange for formations, but generally they can: Five Elements formations, ordinary Eight Trigrams formations, some magnetic formations, and Seven Stars formations..."
The cup in Mo Hua's hand shattered on the spot, spilling tea over his hand.
He looked up, staring blankly at Yu Cangming, hardly daring to believe his ears, "Just now you said... the Seven Stars formation?"