Chapter 1134: Elder Ji

Inside the Canglang Sect Master's residence, Mohua and Sect Master Zhao were drinking tea when Mohua said, "Sect Master Zhao, I will be leaving tomorrow."

Sect Master Zhao was first startled, then secretly pleased. It was as if a great mountain had been lifted from his shoulders. Yet, on the surface, he feigned reluctance: "Young Master Mo, why not stay a few more days...?"

Mohua pondered, his expression thoughtful.

Seeing this, Sect Master Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He had only been speaking out of politeness; surely, Young Master Mo, this "Little King of Hell," wasn't actually considering staying? Truly, words spoken in haste could bring trouble. Sect Master Zhao's mood instantly became anxious.

Fortunately, Mohua eventually shook his head. "No, I must leave. I appreciate your kind offer, Sect Master Zhao."

Sect Master Zhao couldn't help but smile. "Not at all, it's merely what I should do."

Mohua said, "Regarding the plans I discussed with you earlier..."

Sect Master Zhao immediately assured him, "Everything will be implemented exactly as Young Master said."

Mohua looked at Sect Master Zhao and slowly nodded. Although Sect Master Zhao had some small schemes and a bit of hypocrisy, he was indeed quite dependable in his actions, and his heart wasn't truly bad.

Mohua pondered for a moment, then asked, "Sect Master Zhao, do you trust me?"

Sect Master Zhao was taken aback. In such a situation, how could he dare to say no? He nodded. "Naturally, I trust you, Young Master."

Mohua nodded, then his expression grew solemn as he slowly stated, "Soon, within Lizhou, a great catastrophe will strike. War will spread, devastating all life."

Sect Master Zhao was stunned to hear this. He had thought Mohua was joking. How could there be such a disaster and widespread devastation out of nowhere? But seeing Mohua's serious expression, it was clear he wasn't just talking idly, and Sect Master Zhao felt a slight chill in his heart.

Mohua's actions were strange and unpredictable; despite being only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he could sow discord and take lives with just a few words, his methods and temperament unfathomable. Even his own position as Sect Master had been forcefully elevated by Young Master Mo. Considering all this, Sect Master Zhao's expression turned grave.

Mohua's expression was equally solemn. He was currently in a secluded corner of Canglang City, making it difficult to grasp the full picture of what was happening beyond Dahuang and Lizhou. However, he had personally ignited the Desolate Sky Dragon Flag. He had also witnessed the anomalous fiery streaks falling from the sky. The sky above Lizhou now appeared normal, but within the tumultuous clouds, the heavenly secrets had already been stirred, bringing forth an atmosphere of desolation and utter chaos. From the south, scorching waves of air surged forward like a fiery dragon. This was the burning karma, a confluence of iron and life, blood and fire. It was an unstoppable tide.

The current stability of Tongxian City and Canglang City was only temporary, a calm before the storm. They would still face the repercussions of the great calamity. Therefore, early preparations were essential.

"Everything I discussed with you—whether it's the formations, the artifact forging guild, or the provincial roads—must be completed as soon as possible. The sooner they are done, the safer Canglang City will be, and the more self-preservation it will possess." Mohua continued, "Otherwise, the entire Canglang City, and even the entire Canglang Prefecture, will face a great disaster. Even if you are a Core Formation expert and the Sect Master, you won't be able to escape unscathed. You wouldn't want to be wiped out shortly after becoming Sect Master, would you...?"

Sect Master Zhao felt a chill in his heart and immediately said with solemnity, "I will bear Young Master Mo's words in mind..."

Mohua nodded, then took out a jade slip and handed it to him. "Sect Master Zhao, your talent in formations is actually quite good, but being confined to a small place like Canglang City limits your horizons, making it difficult to make further progress in the future. I'm leaving you some formation diagrams and insights. Practice diligently step by step, and perhaps in the future, you might advance even further..."

Sect Master Zhao took the jade slip, half-believing and half-doubting, but a quick scan immediately shook him to his core. He was an early-stage Core Formation cultivator, capable of drawing second-grade, seventeen-pattern formations. He had once been the chief formation elder of the Canglang Sect. In the vicinity of Canglang Prefecture, he was considered a rare formation master, seen only once every five hundred years. His accomplishments in the limited area of Canglang Prefecture could accurately be described as "unsurpassed." There were many times when he felt the "loneliness of the heights"—that there was no one to truly challenge him. That was until he met Mohua.

At first, he hadn't thought Mohua's formations would be significantly superior to his own. It wasn't until Mohua used his mysterious and unpredictable formations to cripple the former Canglang Sect Master that Sect Master Zhao truly understood his prowess. Now, upon seeing the jade slip Mohua gave him and understanding the profound essence of formations explained within, he finally grasped the true meaning of "there is always someone better" and "there is always a higher sky." His past self had merely been a frog looking at the moon from a well.

The formation insights contained in this jade slip, progressing from shallow to deep, embodied an incredibly profound mastery of second-grade formations. Every word was a gem, exquisitely precise. In other places, such profound formation knowledge would be fiercely sought after by countless formation masters, willing to fight to the death for it. Yet, Young Master Mo had casually given him such important insights for free... Even his own formation master, whom he had bowed to countless times in this life, had never treated him so kindly. Sect Master Zhao's heart was filled with a mixture of emotions.

Mohua instructed him, "Study well. External fame and fortune are ultimately fleeting. For a formation master, formations are the foundation of one's existence."

Sect Master Zhao was deeply moved for a moment, and cupping his hands, he said, "Thank you, Young Master Mo, for imparting this knowledge."

After that, Mohua gave some final instructions regarding the aftermath, and the next day, he departed.

Sect Master Zhao personally escorted Mohua to the entrance of the Canglang Sect, then, with a mixture of relief and respect, said, "May Young Master Mo have a smooth journey and a brilliant future. Please take good care of yourself."

Mohua also said, "Sect Master Zhao, take care," and then boarded his carriage, leaving the Canglang Sect.

The carriage proceeded along the main road, heading out of Canglang City. The scenery along the way unfolded before his eyes.

The magnificent, luxurious, and corrupt high-rises in the main city had all been demolished and converted into a Scripture Depository, where basic cultivation techniques and spell texts of the Canglang Sect were available for borrowing.

Beyond the main city was the outer city, where rogue cultivators gathered. The streets were slightly more vibrant now. Many rogue cultivators were contributing to the construction of the Canglang Sect's artifact forging guild and provincial roads, earning spirit stones to supplement their households. The children on the streets could finally eat a full meal. Consequently, these impoverished streets had a little more joy and laughter. Poverty was the root of all evil. Sometimes, eliminating poverty was also a form of "slaying demons and devils." As for their future, that would depend on their own efforts.

Finally, the carriage circled to the outer city. Mohua inspected the artifact forging guild and the provincial roads once more, confirming that everything was being implemented step by step according to his formation diagrams. Only then did he truly feel at ease.

At this point, he also understood why the Canglang Sect had previously built such a large artifact forging guild and wide provincial roads. It wasn't merely because the Canglang Sect wanted to exploit others. More importantly, these were preparations made by Sect Master Duan for his "rebellion." The artifact forging guild was for forging "military equipment" for cultivation wars. And the provincial roads were channels connecting Canglang Prefecture, Daheishan Prefecture, and even, in the future, using Lizhou as a springboard to reach Kanzhou, north of Lizhou.

With military equipment and established routes, the Canglang Sect could then use the secret techniques of witchcraft to train fierce "wolf soldiers" and conquer the entire Canglang Prefecture, as well as the surrounding regions. It had to be said that Sect Master Duan's ambition was truly vast, his schemes deep enough, and his actions meticulous. No one would have expected that he, the Sect Master of a third-grade sect, would dare to harbor thoughts of "rebellion."

Mohua sighed softly. Fortunately, both Sect Master Duan and Mr. Wu had been eliminated by him before the incident. Although the Desolate Sky Dragon Flag was ultimately lit, at least the "spark" of rebellion in Canglang City had been extinguished beforehand. The foundation of the rebellion no longer existed. Otherwise, at this very moment, Canglang City would likely have already been engulfed in war. The flames of war would have swept across the entire Canglang City and even the surrounding areas, and under the "wolf-like" aggression of the Canglang Sect, Tongxian City would not have been spared. Now, at least Tongxian City, Daheishan, and even the entire Canglang Prefecture still had "breathing room" and a chance to prepare for the coming calamity. This was truly a blessing in disguise. Mohua felt a sense of relief.

After that, he left Canglang City alone by carriage.

Before leaving, Mohua had considered meeting Escort Leader Luo to say goodbye. After all, he had few "acquaintances" in all of Canglang City. But after some thought, Mohua decided against it. The karma he carried was too great; the "rebel" dragon flag was still with him. Meeting Escort Leader Luo at this time would not only be unhelpful but could very likely harm him. It was truly difficult for Escort Leader Luo to run his business and make a living. It was better to avoid adding more trouble than less, so he wouldn't increase his karma.

However, if not Escort Leader Luo, there was another "acquaintance" Mohua intended to see.

The carriage left Canglang City and traveled two li south to a crossroads at the foot of a mountain. At the crossroads stood two individuals dressed in black Daoist Court robes, escorting a ragged prisoner whose head was covered with black cloth, a scar visible on his chest, and whose hands and feet were bound by spirit-binding chains.

The carriage slowly stopped, and Mohua lifted the curtain. One of the Daoist Court officials stepped forward and bowed, "Young Master Mo, as per Sect Master Zhao's instructions, we have brought the person to you." Mohua nodded. "Thank you for your trouble." The two officials escorted the prisoner onto the carriage, cupped their hands, saying, "This person is yours to deal with as you please," and then took their leave. On the carriage, only the prisoner and Mohua remained.

The prisoner was covered in blood, clearly having been tortured, and continued to struggle. Mohua removed the black cloth from his head and said calmly, "Elder Ji, long time no see."

The miserable Elder Ji stared wide-eyed at Mohua, his gaze filled with both shock and fear. But his mouth was locked by shackles, making it impossible to speak. The Daoist Court's torture implements were quite comprehensive, with many types of restraints that could almost entirely bind a person's limbs, mouth, nose, and even their meridians and qi sea. Mohua flicked a finger, and an ink trace appeared, unlocking the shackles on Elder Ji's mouth.

Elder Ji spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at Mohua with a mixture of suppressed pain and venom. If not for Mohua, the Sect Master of Canglang Sect wouldn't have died, and he would still be the elder who indulged in sensual pleasures every day, living a joyful life. This Mohua was simply a "bringer of disaster"...

Mohua, however, sat leisurely on a soft wolf-skin blanket, taking a sip of tea. He said indifferently, "If you look at me like that again, I'll gouge out your eyes..."

Elder Ji's body trembled, and he instinctively lowered his head, not daring to meet Mohua's gaze directly. A moment later, realizing how spineless he was, Elder Ji felt a surge of anger. But even with that anger, he still dared not look up at Mohua. He remembered all too clearly how Sect Master Duan had been toyed with until death, and how Mr. Wu had mutilated himself.

Elder Ji lowered his head reluctantly. After a while, he heard Mohua's voice say, "You should thank me. It was I who had Sect Master Zhao pull you out of the Daoist Prison. Otherwise, given your crimes, you would have endured cruel torture for the rest of your life and eventually died a miserable death in there..."

That might be what he said. But Elder Ji felt no gratitude whatsoever in his heart. After all, if not for Mohua, he would never have ended up in the Daoist Prison in the first place.

Elder Ji cautiously raised his head, glanced at Mohua, and asked, "You... why did you get me out?"

Mohua did not hide it. "I want to ask you a few things."

Elder Ji frowned. "What things?"

Mohua asked, "Where did the scar on your chest come from?"

Elder Ji replied, "I've told you before, I was injured by a beast."

"What kind of beast?" Mohua asked.

Elder Ji's expression shifted slightly, then he slowly said, "A... tiger demon..."

Mohua raised an eyebrow and asked again, "What did it look like? Where did it injure you?"

Elder Ji was silent for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Why are you asking about this?"

There was no smile on Mohua's face. "Are you questioning me?"

Elder Ji froze, then a flicker of indignation and anger rose within him. But when he looked up and met Mohua's eyes, as dark as ink and as deep as an abyss, that trace of courage instantly vanished.

"It was... outside Tongxian City, in Daheishan. A mid-second-grade tiger demon with black and white stripes, extremely ferocious. It bit to death over a dozen of my brothers before it was finally subdued..."

Mohua's gaze deepened slightly. "And then?"

"Then..." Elder Ji's eyes flickered slightly. "Then, naturally, we killed this tiger demon, dismembered its body, and avenged my brothers..."

Mohua's expression grew somewhat cold as he asked again, "Why did you, out of all places, go to Tongxian City to kill a second-grade tiger demon?"

Elder Ji said in a low voice, "Because we had sect matters to attend to, we happened to pass through Tongxian City and stayed overnight in Daheishan. At night, we lit a fire, and this beast, being so reckless, charged at us. Naturally, we had no choice but to... kill it..."

Mohua slowly nodded. He took out a strangely shaped iron plate, threw it on the ground, and then commanded Elder Ji, "Kneel on it."

Elder Ji naturally couldn't bring himself to kneel. Mohua's eyes turned icy, revealing killing intent. Elder Ji had no choice but to kneel on the iron plate. But the moment his knees touched the plate, Elder Ji instantly shrieked, his expression changing drastically as an indescribable, piercing pain penetrated his flesh and bones.

Elder Ji's face went completely pale, and he immediately struggled, trying to stand up. Mohua pointed a finger, and a Water Prison spell descended, binding Elder Ji's limbs and firmly securing him to the formation-infused iron plate.

Elder Ji felt as if millions of needles were piercing his knees. These needles were also intertwined with the power of the Five Elements: sometimes burning like fire, sometimes numbing like water, sometimes piercing like metal, sometimes poisoning like wood, sometimes stiffening like earth... the sensations circulated endlessly, and the layers of pain were refined and varied, truly unique. Elder Ji felt like dying. He had never suffered such agony in his life.

"Young Master... Young Master Mo... please..." Elder Ji's voice trembled, unable to form words from the pain. Mohua ignored him, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip to clear his throat, and then slowly said, "I don't like it when people lie to me. Take your time to think. When you're ready to tell the truth, then speak. Otherwise, your words aren't as pleasant to listen to as your screams..."

In his heart, Elder Ji increasingly felt that Mohua was a "little devil" who had just crawled out of the underworld. Strange, sinister, and malicious. Despite his innocent face, he found joy in tormenting others. The formation torture device continued to operate, and the pain persisted.

Elder Ji couldn't bear it any longer and quickly shouted, "I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" But Mohua continued to drink his tea, as if he were "deaf," completely ignoring him. Elder Ji yelled, "I'll tell you! I've told you!" Mohua still didn't seem to hear. The pain deepened. Elder Ji was on the verge of a breakdown. "Young Master, Sir... Ancestor, I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

It was as if Mohua had only just heard him. He withdrew the Water Prison spell, deactivated the formation on the torture device, and sighed lightly. "See? If you'd just spoken earlier, wouldn't it have been over? Why suffer so much..."

Elder Ji was filled with hatred, anger, and fear. He now fully understood that in this young man's hands, he had no room to negotiate. If he truly displeased Mohua, this young man could genuinely "play him to death." His previous judgment was likely correct. This Young Master Mo, who didn't seem to like women or men, was either someone of noble character who transcended base desires, or a "pervert" with an abnormal disposition who stopped at nothing.

Mohua said, "Answer my previous question again. Did you really kill that tiger?"

Elder Ji, no longer daring to conceal anything, replied, "I... I don't know."

Mohua looked at him calmly. Elder Ji shivered with fear and said, "I truly don't know; I sold it to someone else."

"Sold it?"

"Yes," Elder Ji said quickly, "I sold it!"

Seeing Mohua's disbelief, Elder Ji hastened to explain, "About ten years ago, an extraordinary cultivator came to Canglang City. I... I... took him... for food, drinks, and entertainment..." He continued, "He had a great time, so he made a deal with me... asking me to catch 'tigers' for him."

Mohua's eyes narrowed slightly. "Catch tigers?"

Elder Ji nodded. "Yes, catching tigers, especially powerful tiger demons that dominate a region and gather in the mountains, preferably those with unique bloodlines and the character 'King' on their foreheads... But Young Master, as you know, tiger demons are kings among demonic beasts and already rare. Tiger demons with the 'King' character on their foreheads are even rarer. I initially didn't want to agree, but that person said that if I succeeded, he would give me many benefits. He would also grant my Canglang Sect an immense opportunity. Unsure, I spoke with the Sect Master. The Sect Master agreed and even allocated a group of people to join me in hunting tiger demons. Later, I asked around and found out that outside Tongxian City, deep in the Daheishan mountains, lived a large tiger with black and white stripes. So, I exerted immense effort, losing over ten of my men, and finally captured this tiger demon... After capturing it, I delivered the tiger demon to that extraordinary 'distinguished guest.' And that distinguished guest indeed gave me many things as promised: cultivation techniques, spirit stones, and even beautiful women..."

Mohua's gaze shifted slightly. "What about the immense opportunity he promised your Canglang Sect?"

Elder Ji shook his head. "I wouldn't know about that. You'd have to ask the Sect... the former Sect Master." For him, having spirit stones and beautiful women was enough.

Mohua then asked, "Who is this distinguished guest, and where is he now?"

Elder Ji shook his head. Seeing Mohua's displeased expression, he quickly added, "Young Master, I truly don't know. Since he was a 'distinguished guest,' I wasn't qualified to ask about his identity. My only responsibility was to host him, accompany him in eating, drinking, and entertainment; I was not involved in anything else."

"Can he be found?" Mohua asked.

"Well..." Elder Ji frowned, thinking hard for a moment. He slowly said, "There's only one clue... At the time I captured the tiger demon, I had it thoroughly bound and escorted it south of Canglang City to a cultivation city called Xiaoyi City. Then, on the 'distinguished guest's' orders, I personally handed it over to a manager at the local post station... But this was ten years ago..."

"Xiaoyi City..." Mohua's gaze narrowed slightly, then he pointed at Elder Ji and said, "Lead the way to Xiaoyi City now."

Elder Ji looked troubled. Mohua said coldly, "Find this person, and I will spare your life. If you can't find him, there's no need for you to live anymore."

Elder Ji had no choice but to say bitterly, "Yes..."

After that, Elder Ji changed out of his prisoner's uniform, had his chains removed, and, dressed in a gray long robe, sat in front of the carriage, driving it for Mohua, heading south towards Xiaoyi City.