The Quest for Immortality

Entry of male cultivators is strictly forbidden in the Hundred Flower Valley.

Even the Supervisor from the Taoist Court isn’t allowed in, let alone a minor disciple like me from the Taixu Gate.

”Can’t go, can’t go...”

Mo Hua shook his head repeatedly, abandoning the idea.

Fortunately, two days later, news finally came from Gu Changhuai’s side.

”The interrogation is over...” Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua: ”Crossing River Dragon isn’t dead, right?”

Gu Changhuai was speechless: ”Why do you always hope he’s dead...”

Mo Hua replied: ”Not really, it’s just that I feel like he’s always on the brink of dying, so I asked.”

These henchmen of the Evil God tend to die suddenly if anything goes wrong.

Mo Hua was quite experienced.

Gu Changhuai: ”Don’t worry...”

”Did you find out anything?” Mo Hua asked.

”Yes.” Gu Changhuai sent a transmission, saying, ”We found something, but it’s different from what you mentioned.”

Mo Hua: ”What’s the discrepancy?”

Gu Changhuai: ”The young master who died wasn’t surnamed Ye, but Lin.”

”A Lin?” Mo Hua was stunned.

”Yes.”

How could it be Lin?

Mo Hua frowned.

He had studied Heavenly secret Calculation and had a strong premonition in his heart that Young Master Ye was the one who died on the Mistwater River, his throat slit by Crossing River Dragon.

But Crossing River Dragon claimed the person he killed was surnamed ”Lin,” not Ye...

Could Crossing River Dragon be lying?

Mo Hua shook his head.

At this point, considering Crossing River Dragon’s crimes, he would either face execution or spend a life in Taoist Prison, so he had no reason to lie about such a trivial matter.

”Lin... Ye...”

Mo Hua’s thoughts stirred, and he asked: ”Could it be that Young Master Ye was using a false name? Maybe he used ’Young Master Lin’ to conceal his identity while indulging in festivities?”

Gu Changhuai: ”There’s a possibility.”

Mo Hua asked again: ”Did Crossing River Dragon say anything else?”

Gu Changhuai: ”He did, but not much useful. He only mentioned acting on orders to kill a young master surnamed Lin to silence him, with the intent to eliminate everyone on board without leaving any trace.”

”For Crossing River Dragon, killing is routine. As for other matters, he neither inquires nor dares to inquire.”

So, there are no clues...

Mo Hua frowned, hesitated for a moment, but still asked: ”Uncle Gu, have you heard of the ’Rouge Boat’?”

On the other side, Gu Changhuai was reviewing dossiers at the Taoist Court when he saw Mo Hua’s message, especially the words ”Rouge Boat,” and was startled.

He couldn’t help but ask: ”How much do you know?”

Mo Hua was suddenly enlightened.

It turned out Uncle Gu knew as well.

Mo Hua replied: ”Not much, just heard recently...” .

Gu Changhuai didn’t entirely believe him, but he had no way to force Mo Hua to talk.

Mo Hua wouldn’t speak, and Gu couldn’t pry his mouth open to force a confession.

Gu Changhuai could only advise: ”Be cautious, don’t be too curious, that place is dangerous...”

A place where lewdness and filth reside.

The people there are dubious and have varied quirks.

For Mo Hua, it’s dangerous in every sense.

Naive Mo Hua clearly didn’t understand what Gu Changhuai meant; he only thought it was ”dangerous” in the general sense.

”Rest assured, Uncle Gu, I know what I’m doing.” Mo Hua said.

No, you really don’t...

Gu Changhuai wanted to say more but hesitated, ultimately remaining silent.

Mo Hua added: ”Crossing River Dragon surely knows about Rouge Boat, did you ask him?”

Gu Changhuai: ”I did, but as soon as I mentioned those words, Crossing River Dragon looked horror-stricken and shook his head desperately.”

”He dared not speak?”

”Yes, likely subjected to some kind of ’silence curse.’ If he speaks about Rouge Boat, he might die instantly.” Gu Changhuai said.

Only then did Mo Hua remember that Gu Changhuai had mentioned similar matters before.

”Is it a silence curse?”

”Hard to say, there are many methods to silence someone, it’s difficult for the Taoist Court here to judge quickly.” Gu Changhuai said, ”I feared for his life, so I didn’t press further.”

Mo Hua frowned.

Crossing River Dragon knows about Rouge Boat, but he dares not speak; once he does, he’ll lose his life.

That explains why those young masters employ Crossing River Dragon for murder.

Because his mouth is sealed.

Which means the clues are severed...

”This Young Master Lin, does he have a confirmed identity?”

”No, the Taoist Court couldn’t find it.” Gu Changhuai said.

Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.

Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, sighed, and transmitted to Mo Hua:

”The deceased ’Young Master Lin’ is untraceable, but I found that on the Ye family’s side, there is a deceased ’Young Master Ye.’”

Mo Hua was taken aback.

Gu Changhuai: ”I had someone retrieve a dossier from the Taoist Court in Mistwater City. According to the records, over a year ago, the Ye family went to the Taoist Court to deregister a lineage, the deregistered cultivator being a direct lineage of the Ye family, named ’Ye Xiu.’”

”Ye Xiu?” Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed, ”Ye Jin, Ye Xiu, Jinxiu... Is it possible he’s...”

”Yes.” Gu Changhuai said, ”The one whose lineage was deregistered is Ye Jin’s elder brother.”

As Gu Changhuai spoke, he opened a dossier beside him and transmitted:

”Ye Xiu, a direct lineage of the Ye family in Mistwater City, age twenty-eight, Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, died from a violent water poison after a water demon attack while traveling by boat.”

”His father, Ye Yun, applied, and the Taoist Court approved the deregistration.”

Mo Hua suddenly realized.

Now it’s clear.

The Ye Xiu deregistered by the Ye family is the elder brother of the deceased Ye Jin’s master sister.

He went to Rouge Boat to indulge and didn’t use his real name, instead going under the alias ”Young Master Lin.”

Something unknown happened on Rouge Boat.

After that, Ye Xiu was eliminated by Crossing River Dragon.

But Ye Xiu used the name ”Young Master Lin,” so the Crossing River Dragon didn’t know his true identity, thinking he killed a ”Young Master Lin.”