Chapter 215: The Ancestor_1
“Taoist Prison is not a place cultivators can enter at will. Ordinary cultivators had better not set foot in there in their lifetimes, for it is not a pleasant place.”
Mo Hua nodded, feeling that Zhang Lan’s words made sense.
He wanted to be a “law-abiding” good cultivator; it was better to avoid places like the Taoist Prison whenever possible.
There were also many Formations inside and outside the Taoist Court.
These Formations were quite subtle and not low in rank, some Mo Hua could discern, but others he could not.
Mo Hua also did not dare to look too closely.
After all, this was the Taoist Court, and if he caught sight of some forbidden Formations, that would truly be troublesome.
Zhang Lan brought Mo Hua before Court Leader Zhou and respectfully performed a salute.
Mo Hua followed suit with his salute, then sneakily raised his head to size up Court Leader Zhou.
Court Leader Zhou was very old with graying hair, his figure slightly hunched, and his face genial. But within his gaze, there was still the dignity of someone who held a high position.
Court Leader Zhou looked at Mo Hua and nodded, unable to resist praising him a few times.
Mo Hua reciprocated with his own flattery toward Court Leader Zhou, picking up on the phrases Zhang Lan had told him, such as “peace and order under your rule,” “tremendous hard work and outstanding contributions,” and the like.
Sure enough, the smile on Court Leader Zhou’s face grew even brighter.
He glanced at Zhang Lan and said, “This child is indeed extraordinarily intelligent.”
Zhang Lan chuckled with mixed emotions:
“Isn’t he intelligent? These sycophantic phrases were all given by me, and in a blink of an eye, he has used them all…”
Court Leader Zhou then inquired about the matter of Formations.
Mo Hua honestly answered.
However, as Court Leader Zhou himself was not adept in Formations, his questions seemed profound but were actually quite basic. Mo Hua found them effortless to answer.
Court Leader Zhou was even more pleased, looking at Mo Hua with appreciative eyes.
Enough had been said, as the conversation was merely casual small talk with no deep discussions intended.
Court Leader Zhou, who oversaw the Taoist Court in Tongxian City, was busy with affairs, so Mo Hua and Zhang Lan saluted and took their leave.
Before they left, Court Leader Zhou stopped Mo Hua, saying:
“I have spoken to the Qian Family about your matter; do not worry about it, just concentrate on your Formation studies.”
Mo Hua, momentarily taken aback, then smiled and replied, “Thank you, Court Leader Zhou!”
Court Leader Zhou stroked his long beard, nodding with satisfaction.
What he wanted to hear was that “thank you.”
In the cave dwelling of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, Qian Hong wore an expression of disbelief.
The Patriarch had just advised him to be circumspect and no longer make things difficult for that Junior Formation master named Mo Hua.
Qian Hong quickly said, “Patriarch, Mo Hua is so young and already a first-rank Formation Master. If we let him be, I’m afraid our Qian Family will soon have no place in Tongxian City.”
The Patriarch of the Qian Family was at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage in cultivation but was already old, his Blood Qi gradually weakening, and his cultivation also declining. Unless something significant happened, he would not interfere with the family affairs.
His cloudy eyes fixed on Qian Hong, he slowly said, “You should have acted earlier. Had you together with a few Foundation Establishment Elders quickly struck and killed the boy, now it’s too late…”
The breath of the Patriarch of the Qian Family was weak; his voice hoarse and his speech faltering.
Qian Hong respectfully replied, “Grandson wanted to be cautious and not act rashly, avoiding leaving any evidence behind.”
The Patriarch of the Qian Family scrutinized him with a discerning look, remaining silent.
Feeling the pressure, Qian Hong felt compelled to add, “The elders in the family all have their own agendas, and I fear they will not heed my commands.”
The Patriarch of the Qian Family looked disappointed, “You are the Family Head; if they do not listen to your command, whom do you blame?”
His words carried a significant weight, implying that Qian Hong was incompetent and unable to command respect.
Qian Hong did not dare to argue and respectfully lowered his head, “The Patriarch’s reprimand is just.”
“You…” the Patriarch of the Qian Family coughed, “are cruel, but not cruel enough; selfish, but not selfish enough; you can endure, but do not endure to the end.”
The Patriarch of the Qian Family sighed, “You have a bit of everything, yet you lack a bit in every aspect.”
Qian Hong immediately knelt down and kowtowed, “Please give your grandson another chance. I will decisively cut the Gordian knot and kill that Junior Formation Master!”
“You can’t kill him now…”
The Patriarch of the Qian Family slowly said, “Even if you did, it would not be much better than if you did not.”
Qian Hong didn’t understand, “Please enlighten me, Patriarch.”
“Go back and count for yourself, if that Junior Formation Master were killed, just how many people would take offense?”
The murky eyes of the Patriarch of the Qian Family gradually closed, “Go, think it over carefully.”
Qian Hong bowed his head and respectfully withdrew.
In the vast and hollow cave dwelling, only the Patriarch of the Qian Family was left.
He looked down at his hands that resembled dried sticks, noticed the brown age spots on the back of his hands, and the occasionally peeling dead skin, his eyes numb.
The Patriarch of the Qian Family muttered, his voice hoarse beyond measure.
After speaking, he began to cough violently, as if he were about to cough out his heart and lungs.
The old Qian Family Patriarch quickly took a jade bottle from his bosom, shakily poured out a pill, and placed it in his mouth with great care, closing his eyes to assimilate the medicine’s strength.
Once the medicine took effect, the coughing subsided.
Only then did the Patriarch of the Qian Family slowly open his eyes, which faintly showed traces of blood.
“But… I still don’t want to die…”
After leaving the Patriarch’s cave dwelling, Qian Hong immediately had people inquire who had spoken to the Patriarch and what had been said.
At night, someone reported to him:
“It was the Court Leader from the Taoist Court who specifically visited the Patriarch, seemingly advising the Qian Family not to trouble the Junior Formation Master.”
Qian Hong frowned, “With no kinship or obligation, why would the Court Leader speak up for that Junior Formation Master?”
He also recalled what the Patriarch had said, “If that Junior Formation Master were killed, just how many people would I be offending…”
Qian Hong went over the list of people Mo Hua knew and had someone inquire around, eventually receiving a piece of paper.
Qian Hong glanced at it and then slumped into his chair.
The sheer number of names on the paper gave Qian Hong an unbearable headache:
The Court Leader from the Taoist Court intended to protect Mo Hua, and Supervisor Zhang Lan from the Taoist Court was acquainted with Mo Hua, with the Zhang Family standing behind Court Leader Zhang.
Among the Monster Hunters, it goes without saying that Elder Yu is overprotective.
Regardless of their level, most of the Monster Hunters have been benefitted by the young man and were willingly safeguarding him.
Among the Loose Cultivators, the majority of Artifact Refiners and Alchemists also knew Mo Hua.
Especially the widely connected Old Mr. Feng, who had watched Mo Hua grow up.
The young master of the An Family was friends with Mo Hua. Old Master An was inherently at odds with the Qian Family, and naturally, he would side with Mo Hua in any issue. Moreover, as a leading Formation Master, it made even less sense for Old Master An not to help.
Among the Formation Masters of Tongxian City, the leading Formation Master Luo had made it known that the city’s Formation Masters should not trouble Mo Hua.
Even within the Qian Family, Master Qian was unwilling to oppose Mo Hua.
And the three visiting members of the Bai Family from afar, especially the pair of siblings, also seemed to have a good relationship with Mo Hua. Some had seen them strolling through the streets together during the Monster Hunting Festival…
Qian Hong counted these connections one by one, unable to suppress the tingling sensation on his scalp.
Mo Hua was just a teenager, how did he end up knowing so many Cultivators?
If he truly killed Mo Hua, wouldn’t he instantly create a massive problem?
Qian Hong was both shocked and fearful inside.
As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon does not suppress the local serpent.
By all accounts, the Qian Family was the legitimate “local serpent” of Tongxian City.
But now it seemed, if the Qian Family were the local serpent, then this lad Mo Hua was a genuine “Local Dragon.”
Given this situation, how could he possibly lay a hand on him? And how could he dare to do so?
How could things have developed to this point?
Qian Hong’s head throbbed with pain, and it took him a while to finally exhale a breath of relief. He massaged his forehead, and despite his reluctance, he could only helplessly say:
“Given the current circumstances, we can only plan in the long term, and bear with it for now…”
He didn’t want to let Mo Hua off the hook, but at this point, he had no choice but to bear with it.
Just endure for now, there will always be an opportunity…