The Quest for Immortality

Hua Qianqian was the daughter of a True Transmission Elder in Hundred Flower Valley, well-loved, and inevitably she was to enter the Inner Gate and receive the true teachings of Hundred Flower Valley.

However, she did not want others to gossip and wished to earn her achievements and merit points to be promoted to a True Disciple of the Inner Gate in Hundred Flower Valley.

These were all pieces of information Mo Hua gathered from Senior Sister Murong, then pieced together with the cases of nearby disciples.

The accuracy was probably not far off.

In any case, within the Qianxue State Boundary, there were so many Sect Disciples who wanted to earn merit points.

Shangguan Xu, who was quite acquainted with Mo Hua, nodded and smiled.

Hua Qianqian also smiled sweetly, her eyes brimming as she greeted Mo Hua.

But Mo Hua always felt that this Senior Sister Hua looked at her with a bit of ”ill intent.”

She didn’t know what Hua was plotting in her mind.

Seeing Mo Hua glance her way, Hua Qianqian’s eyes sparkled even brighter, revealing an unusual brilliance.

Mo Hua felt a bit of danger and immediately edged closer to Senior Sister Murong.

Murong Caiyun looked resigned.

After everyone gathered, they began heading toward Canglang Mountain.

Canglang Mountain was not far from the Qianxue State Boundary, and the Daoist Court in charge of the Qianxue State Boundary, a Fifth Grade one, was located along the road to Canglang Mountain.

The group needed to first visit the Daoist Court to confirm their identities, accept the bounty, and inquire about clues regarding the deceased.

The sound of horse hooves clopped, and after more than an hour, they arrived at the Daoist Court.

Mo Hua alighted, looked up, and saw an extremely grand and solemn Court Hall. The tower was towering with gold-winged eaves, dignified and solemn.

It was like a massive seal pressed between the mountains, guarding the entire Qianxue State Boundary.

Above it were seven large characters: ”Qianxue State Boundary Daoist Court.”

This was the Qianxue State Boundary, Fifth Grade Daoist Court...

Mo Hua was immensely shocked.

In front of such a grand and austere Daoist Court, Mo Hua felt like a tiny sapling under a large mountain, fragile in the breeze.

Ouyang Feng patted Mo Hua’s shoulder, speaking warmly,

”This authority includes some bluster; you will understand more once you come here a few more times…”

Mo Hua was taken aback, looked up again, and realized,

”Formation?”

Ouyang Feng was a bit surprised, then he laughed,

”Exactly, this Daoist Court Hall was built incorporating an amplifying authority formation, so people seeing it for the first time feel insignificant and also feel…”

Ouyang Feng pointed up and whispered, ”Daoist Court Authority is vast and inviolate…”

”So that’s how it is…”

Mo Hua nodded.

Knowing the trick involved, her awe diminished somewhat, and then following Murong Caiyun inside, she was even more disappointed.

This Daoist Court, from the outside, indeed looked very imposing.

But from the inside, it was bloated with bureaucracy and filled with a sense of decay.

And most of the Enforcement Leaders and Department Heads had stern faces, speaking rigidly with a hint of condescension.

Unpleasant faces, unpleasant words.

If it were Third Grade or Fourth Grade, it would have been tolerable.

But several mere Second Grade Enforcement Leaders also had a self-important air.

Occasionally, there were also Daoist Court Cultivators with sharp eyes and profound cultivation, obviously formidable, but they were few and far between and seemed out of place with the overall atmosphere of the Daoist Court.

Mo Hua wanted to ask something, but considering walls have ears, especially within the Fifth Grade Daoist Court with many Great Cultivators, who might overhear, she refrained from asking.

Murong Caiyun led the way, verified their identities, accepted the bounty, and then gathered a few scrolls, completing the formalities.

She was a noble family’s son and a Taixu Gate Disciple, with impressive looks and talent, so the Cultivators from the Daoist Court were quite polite.

Everything went smoothly without much cold treatment or difficulty.

”So, they judge the person by their appearance…”

Mo Hua muttered to herself.

Just as they were about to leave, they were stopped by an Enforcement Leader who said, ”Hold on, Supervisor Gu has a message for you…”

Supervisor Gu?

Mo Hua was startled, her heart leaping, could it be...

After a moment, a man approached from a distance. Mo Hua glanced over and thought, surely it is he...

The man had a handsome face, wearing the Daoist Court Supervisor Taoist Robe, elegantly mannered, his attitude not too arrogant, but his brows revealed a trace of rebellious pride.

It was Gu Changhuai, a young master from the Gu Family, with whom Mo Hua had several encounters.

Gu Changhuai spoke with a cool, even tone, appearing calm but also somewhat conceited,

”This matter is very tricky; I didn’t want you disciples to take it on, I informed the Daoist Court and had just removed this task, but then found out you had already accepted…”

”There are rules for everything; since you have taken it, there’s nothing to be done, but there are a few points I want to remind you…”

Gu Changhuai walked while speaking to himself, hardly glancing at Murong Caiyun and the others.

Until his peripheral vision caught Mo Hua...

Gu Changhuai was visibly startled.

Mo Hua could even see Gu Changhuai blink slightly, as if confirming whether he had mistaken the person.

A face so innocent and well-mannered, a pair of clear, deep eyes, impossible to find a second one in the whole Qianxue State Boundary, he couldn’t have been mistaken.

After a moment of silence, Gu Changhuai slowly said,

”Mo… Hua?”

”Yes,” Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, politely saying, ”Hello, Uncle Gu.”

Murong Caiyun looked surprised, and the Enforcement Leader beside her clearly hadn’t expected Mo Hua to know Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai tried to control his emotions but still couldn’t help asking Mo Hua,

”What are you doing here?”