Chapter 1517: Unrest and Riot

Chapter 1517: Unrest and Riot

The mere thought of the riot spreading, igniting the Great Spirit Field Realm like gunpowder, with the fury of billions of spirit farmers sweeping across the entire Kun Province, chilled the atmosphere in the secret chamber to its coldest point.

Mo Hua's gaze was grave as he asked, "Why did the riot break out?"

Gu Changhuai said in a deep voice, "It's said to have started with a small-scale famine disaster."

Mo Hua was highly sensitive to the words 'famine disaster' and his expression changed immediately upon hearing them.

"Famine disaster?"

Gu Changhuai felt that Mo Hua's reaction was somewhat excessive and was a bit surprised, but he still nodded.

The disasters of the Great Wilderness replayed in Mo Hua's mind. That prolonged great famine—one that had scorched the earth for a thousand miles, driven people to cannibalism, and sparked tribal slaughter—resurfaced in his heart. Scene after scene of misery, images he could not forget even if he tried. And that… terrifying figure of the Strange Dao.

Mo Hua's voice carried a hint of dread. "What… kind of famine disaster?"

Gu Changhuai was somewhat puzzled. "What kind?"

Mo Hua asked in a low voice, "Was there an invisible evil mist? Did the vegetation wither? Did the cultivators in the famine… show any abnormalities? Were there any… signs of people eating people?"

Mo Hua fired off a series of questions. Gu Changhuai was taken aback, unsure what Mo Hua was describing. Is this a famine disaster you're talking about, or the end of the Cultivation World?

Gu Changhuai simply shook his head. "What you're describing is a bit too exaggerated; it shouldn't be that severe…"

"The famine in places like Qingchou and Guitian is a soil problem. The land lost its nutrients, the crops withered, and the local spirit farmers lost their harvests. With no relief provided, they became refugees."

"Refugees eat when they can and starve when they can't. When too many gather together, trouble easily brews, and it eventually escalates into a small-scale riot…"

Mo Hua breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, but he still did not dare let his guard down. He asked cautiously, "Is it really that simple?"

Gu Changhuai said, "That's what the Dao Court Division's intelligence says, but..."

"As for what truly happened, and whether there are other factors, no one can say for certain…"

Gu Changhuai's brow also furrowed.

The affairs of this world always seemed simple, reducible to a word or two.

What happened in prefectures like Qingchou and Guitian could be summed up as a small-scale riot. But if one truly delved into the details, the web of human affairs and cause and effect was far more complex.

Mo Hua asked again, "Then how does the Dao Court Division plan to handle it?"

Gu Changhuai said, "According to standard procedure, we provide disaster relief while pacifying the people. If anyone stirs up trouble amid the chaos, we suppress them by force. These are the Dao Court's established protocols. Kun Province is no exception, many matters have precedents to follow…"

"However…" Gu Changhuai's gaze darkened, "the Great Spirit Field Realm is a special case. Some of the Dao Court's usual practices may not be applicable here."

Mo Hua asked, "What situation?"

Gu Changhuai said, "Local customs."

Mo Hua was taken aback, his thoughts stirring, and then he said, "Folk sacrificial rites?"

Gu Changhuai nodded.

After pondering for a moment, he slowly said, "Based on my personal visits to the countryside to observe, in the vast Great Spirit Field Realm, nearly every spirit farmer household has set up incense offerings and ancestral tablets. Village heads have ancestral halls and altars. The objects of worship are also bizarre and varied."

"Some worship ancestors, some worship the earth, the city gods, or Ksitigarbha. Others worship things of unknown origin, whether ghosts or gods, or even whether they truly exist…"

"Spirit farmers are poor, but they dare not be the least bit careless in their sacrifices. They would rather go without a meal than miss a single stick of incense."

"The Great Spirit Field Realm is too vast, and the population too numerous. The scale of this folk sacrificial tradition is unimaginable, and its sacrificial system is so interwoven and mixed that it's utterly chaotic."

"Moreover, the vast majority of spirit farmers are ignorant yet shrewd, timid yet brutish. You can bully them or curse them, and sometimes they won't care. But if you dare to desecrate their folk customs and beliefs, it becomes a matter of life and death."

"If handled poorly and you violate a folk taboo, it will only add fuel to the fire and trigger an even larger riot…"

The more Gu Changhuai spoke, the heavier his tone became.

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened, and his expression turned serious as well.

Then he recalled some words from Lín Youfāng, the geomancer he had befriended during the grave-robbing incident.

The flourishing of the Unorthodox Path in Kun Province was likely also connected to these folk sacrificial rites.

Any existence of the Divine Dao—whether ghost or god—needed to consume incense offerings. Incense offerings were the transformation of human faith and Divine-Sense Thoughts.

The more people there were, the more abundant the incense offerings, and the more fertile the soil for the Ghosts and Gods Esoteric Arts.

Mo Hua had been to the Great Spirit Field Realm before, to the Zhū Clan's estate.

He had only taken a cursory glance, yet in passing, he had inadvertently encountered an Underworld Agent capturing souls.

At first, Mo Hua thought it was a coincidence. But now, hearing Gu Changhuai's words, he grew increasingly convinced that the Underworld Divine Dao's influence in Kun Province was far greater than he had imagined. Because the incense offerings were simply too abundant.

In the Underworld Divine Dao world, nurtured by folk incense offerings, it had existed for countless years, accumulating immeasurable faith.

These vast seas of incense offering thought power were enough to evolve a strictly ordered underworld realm where gods and ghosts coexisted.

And this underworld realm was closely connected to the mortal world.

Calamities in the mortal world would affect the underworld. And once the causes of the mortal world were stirred, they would also touch the effects of the underworld.

On the surface, it might appear to be merely a riot caused by a small-scale famine disaster. But this was only the surface appearance of the mortal world, no one knew whether there were other man-made calamities, nor whether there were underworld causes and effects at play…

Even for Mo Hua, deducing through such complex shifts in the situation caused a faint ache in his Sea of Consciousness.

Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, then asked again: "What about the noble families? Any movements? And the Earth Sect?"

"That's exactly what's strange…" Gu Changhuai frowned. "The noble families are very quiet, and the Earth Sect hasn't made any extra moves either."

By all logic, with the Great Spirit Field Realm in turmoil, the noble families and the Earth Sect should have been quite panicked.

After all, with a riot breaking out, once the Dao Court began pursuing accountability, local powers like the Earth Sect would find it hard to escape blame. But the current situation was contrary to all expectations, exuding a strange subtlety from every angle.

Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai and asked: "Uncle Gu, are you going to the Great Spirit Field Realm?"

Gu Changhuai nodded. "I'll go tomorrow, first to the Qingchou Prefecture Realm to assess the riot situation."

As an Archive Officer personally appointed by the Dao Court, he had to look into any sign of trouble within Kun Province's territory, let alone a major event like a riot. However, this was clearly also a red-hot branding iron.

If it wasn't handled properly and the Dao Court was enraged, Gu Changhuai as the Archive Officer would be implicated and held guilty.

That was how it was working for the government—one might enjoy temporary glory, but with the slightest misstep, the fall would be harsh.

Mo Hua intended to accompany Gu Changhuai to the Qingchou Prefecture Realm to investigate the details of the riot. But with departure set for tomorrow, the timing was too tight, there simply wasn't enough time. A round trip would consume who knew how long. Mo Hua still had many things of his own unfinished.

Gu Changhuai also didn't want to involve Mo Hua, so he said: "Focus on your own cultivation and don't worry about other matters. This isn't something you should concern yourself with."

"And also…" Gu Changhuai thought for a moment, then took out several pouches of Spirit stones and handed them to Mo Hua. "Here's a million Spirit stones. Take them and use them."

Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. "Liu Sān's bounty came through? Only a million?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head. "It's not that easy. The Dao Court Division's Spirit stones aren't so readily handed out… This million is from me."

Mo Hua was taken aback. "You're giving this to me, Uncle Gu?"

Gu Changhuai nodded. "You should be short on Spirit stones."

Mo Hua asked: "What about you then?"

Gu Changhuai said: "Apart from cultivation, I keep to myself and rarely go out. I don't spend many Spirit stones. If you're in urgent need, use them first."

Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart.

Uncle Gu—apart from his cold face and sharp tongue—had a very kind heart. But Mo Hua was also too embarrassed to take advantage of Uncle Gu's generosity.

A clean and honest Archive Officer couldn't squeeze much profit from his position.

Moreover, this honest Archive Officer was away from home, without family backing, and surrounded by enemies in Houtu City. And Mo Hua's Spirit stone shortfall couldn't be solved by a mere million anyway.

Mo Hua said: "It's fine, Uncle Gu, you keep them. I'm not in that much of a hurry."

What he was in a hurry for was four billion, not one million.

Gu Changhuai was somewhat surprised. "You're really not in a hurry?"

"Mm," Mo Hua nodded, then lied: "I've calculated it. Before long, I'll be coming into a large sum of Spirit stones…"

Gu Changhuai couldn't tell whether Mo Hua was telling the truth or not.

After all, the words that came out of Mo Hua's mouth were sometimes hard to distinguish between human speech and ghost talk. But Gu Changhuai wasn't one to dawdle either, so he just nodded: "Alright then. Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay," Mo Hua said.

Gu Changhuai put the Spirit stones away again.

Seeing this, Mo Hua's mind stirred, and he asked: "Uncle Gu, that Liu Sān... how is he doing?"

At this, Gu Changhuai's gaze darkened, and he shook his head: "Liu Sān's condition is very poor. He was harvested too harshly through dual cultivation. His Sea of Consciousness is still clouded, he can't speak any meaningful words. We don't know what he went through, or what secret he might have learned."

Mo Hua looked thoughtful and asked: "Do you want me to take a look?"

"You…" Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, then shook his head with a sigh. "Liu Sān's identity is special. He can't be contacted by anyone outside the Dao Court Division."

Mo Hua said: "I could technically count as a member of the Dao Court Division."

Gu Changhuai shook his head. "You're an auxiliary member. That doesn't count."

Mo Hua felt helpless. Employment status discrimination was just so annoying.

"Then if your rules ever loosen up, or if there's a need, let me know. You know, Uncle Gu…" Mo Hua said, "I've always been very good at interrogation."

This time it was Gu Changhuai's turn to feel helpless.

He naturally knew that Mo Hua was very skilled at interrogation, he'd known it from early on, and the impression was deep. But Liu Sān was, after all, somewhat different…

Gu Changhuai sighed. "Alright. If I need you to step in, I'll come find you again."

Mo Hua nodded. "Mm."

After that, Mo Hua wanted to ask a few more things, but suddenly someone knocked on the door.

Gu Changhuai opened it, it was an Executive Officer of the Gu Clan, who spoke quietly to Gu Changhuai at the doorway. Gu Changhuai's expression darkened a few shades further.

He nodded and said, "I understand. Go prepare first."

The Executive Officer bowed to Gu Changhuai, then clasped his hands toward Mo Hua in greeting, and left.

Mo Hua asked, "More trouble?"

Gu Changhuai sighed. "The situation at the Great Spirit Field Realm isn't looking good. I'll have to set out this afternoon."

Mo Hua knew the matter was serious, so he said, "Then I won't keep you, Uncle Gù."

"Mm." Gu Changhuai nodded.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then brought up one last matter. "That child, Tusheng... Uncle Gù, keep an eye on him. He's a bit special… very important."

Gu Changhuai's expression shifted slightly at these words.

He knew Mo Hua was no ordinary person—well-informed, and sometimes even able to foresee the future like some kind of mystic.

If he said something was "very important," it could not possibly be simple. But Gu Changhuai was swamped with official duties and could barely manage his own affairs.

After a moment's thought, he sighed and said, "I'll leave him with Director Yu. Director Yu's cultivation is high; the child should be safe by his side."

Director Yu, at Peak Golden Core and Half-Step Feathered Ascension, was already a cultivator of rare and formidable strength, one of the few beneath the Feathered Ascension realm.

Mo Hua nodded. "That works."

After that, the situation was tense, and the two did not linger in idle talk. Each went their own way.

Gu Changhuai headed for the Great Spirit Field Realm, while Mo Hua left the Dao Court Division, preparing to return to Little Luan Mountain.

But before returning to Little Luan Mountain, Mo Hua deliberately took a detour to Fortune Pavilion to see Manager Zhao.

It had already been quite some time since he'd last seen Manager Zhao, though in the long years of cultivation, that span of time wasn't really all that long.

Manager Zhao was still very warm when he saw Mo Hua.

Mo Hua asked Manager Zhao whether there was any business lately, he wanted to gather enough Spirit stones as soon as possible to raise his cultivation to the Golden Core middle stage. But Manager Zhao seemed to hesitate, wearing a very troubled expression.

Mo Hua sensed something was off and asked, "What's wrong?"

Manager Zhao dismissed the attendants around them and led Mo Hua to a secluded spot, then asked in a low voice, "Young Master Mo… did you do something earlier?"

Mo Hua asked, "Do what?"

Manager Zhao couldn't tell whether Mo Hua genuinely didn't know or was playing dumb, so he sighed and said, "Young Master Mo… did you visit a brothel?"

Mo Hua was taken aback. "You know about that too?"

Manager Zhao said, "Not only do I know, I also know that the brothel you visited, Young Master Mo, was no ordinary one."

"It was the largest brothel in Houtu City."

"Not just the largest, it was the brothel where the top courtesan flower queen resides."

"And that's not all. You even shared a room with that courtesan… and had a romantic rendezvous?"

Mo Hua frowned and corrected him. "We played the zither and discussed the Dao."

Manager Zhao waved his hand. "Same thing. Same meaning."

A man and a woman alone in a room... what difference was there between playing the zither and playing at romance?

Then he cast a complicated look at Mo Hua, a gaze of awe, admiration, and boundless reverence.

To think he could even charm the top courtesan…

This Young Master Mo was truly a god among men. He could snatch a woman away from the most elite young masters of Kun Province... and succeed at it.

This Young Master Mo was truly ferocious.

He was clearly 'kept' by his senior sister, living as a kept man, and yet he could still go off and seduce a courtesan.

To eat soft rice with such hard resolve, it was genuinely admirable.

This Young Master Mo's ability to charm women was nothing short of transcendent; one had no choice but to respect it.

He himself had been fooled by Mo Hua's 'innocent' exterior before, thinking he was a pure youth with no knowledge of matters between men and women, who would have thought this Young Master Mo was actually a master among masters?

Manager Zhao marveled inwardly.

Mo Hua frowned. "What are you muttering about me in your head?"

Manager Zhao startled, snapping back to reality, and cast another reverent glance at Mo Hua before sighing. "Young Master Mo, women are all poison."

Mo Hua asked, "What do you mean?"

Manager Zhao said helplessly, "I mean, women come with trouble. The prettier the woman, the more trouble she brings."

"You did something with that courtesan that countless men dream of but can never achieve."

Mo Hua was speechless. "It wasn't that dream-worthy. We just played the zither and discussed the Dao."

Even a romance would have been extraordinary… Manager Zhao thought to himself, then his expression turned somewhat serious, and he said with worry, "But you've earned too much jealousy, offended far too many people."

Mo Hua understood somewhat. "So..."

"So," Manager Zhao sighed, "our Fortune Pavilion doesn't dare do business with you anymore."

Mo Hua frowned and asked, "Does Fortune Pavilion have shares held by the great clans?"

Manager Zhao nodded, his expression helpless. "You've hit the nail on the head, Young Master. In a place like Houtu City, who can make a living without some connection to the Earth Sect and the great clans?"

"Fortune Pavilion is no exception. Fortune, fortune—without the great clans, where would the fortune come from?"

"And it's not just our Fortune Pavilion—"

Manager Zhao silently glanced at Mo Hua, hesitated for a long while, and finally let out a sigh, lowering his voice to say: "I've also heard that the Earth Sect, the four great families, and the other clans have jointly issued a financial prohibition against you, Young Master Mo..."

"From now on, anywhere in Houtu City, you won't be able to earn… not even a single Spirit stone!"

(End of Chapter)