Chapter 1550: Tongxian Cult?

Chapter 1550: Tongxian Cult?

Mo Hua asked, "Is something this trivial really that serious?"

"And this is trivial?" Bai XiaoSheng was at a loss for words. "Leading a mob of rioters is also trivial? Then what in this world isn't?"

Mo Hua frowned, somewhat puzzled.

He had done things far more serious than this in the past.

Once upon a time, he was the one who lit the dragon banner of rebellion in the Great Wilderness, unified the tribes of the Desolate Wilderness, suppressed the gods of the Desolate Wilderness, and he himself was the Divine-Shaman of the Desolate Wilderness...

He had done so many things over the years, changed so many people, and he was still alive and well now. The Dao Court didn't seem to have... come after him, did it?

Mo Hua sighed and waved his hand. "Don't think of the Dao Court as so wicked. They're really not that petty. Something this small wouldn't warrant their displeasure..."

What I did back then was far more excessive.

Bai XiaoSheng sneered.

At this moment, Bai XiaoSheng had no idea that the man before him was a thoroughly dangerous element.

But instinctively, he did sense something slightly off.

This Mo Hua appeared composed and calculating, yet his entire being radiated an unstable aura of someone courting death.

Bai XiaoSheng said firmly, "No matter what, don't drag me into this..."

"I'm a member of the Bai Clan, clean and spotless. I can't afford to have a stain on my record."

"Not to mention, my ancestors rendered meritorious service to the throne. With my forebears' reputation on the line, how could I mess around with you?"

Mo Hua said, "Why are you spouting nonsense? What black mark on your record? What meritorious service to the throne?"

"We're merely sympathizing with the suffering of the common folk, joining the rioters to defuse their internal conflicts and resolve their internal disputes... This isn't rebellion..."

"Besides, I'm utterly loyal to the Dao Court."

Bai XiaoSheng didn't know what to say, so he could only crack a dry smile and say:

"The Dao Court is truly blessed to have you..."

Mo Hua continued to persuade him, "So... if you follow me and quell the Qingchou uprising, it'll count as a great deed of merit."

Bai XiaoSheng waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm not worthy. I'll pass on that great deed."

“This Bai is lacking in talent and knowledge, and is of low cultivation. I am unworthy of your esteem, Master Mo.”

"Don't dirty my cultivation record any further. Many things carry cause and effect. What if someone comes to settle accounts with me later..."

Mo Hua assured him, "Don't worry. I can cover up any minor flaws in your cause and effect."

Bai XiaoSheng sneered.

You're just a Golden Core cultivator. No matter how strong your Causality Technique is, how far can it go? And you claim you can cover up my cause and effect...

Seeing that Bai XiaoSheng didn't believe him, Mo Hua said:

"Really, I'm not lying to you. My Causality Technique is decent. As long as you don't truly rebel, don't actually commit any great act of treason against the Dao Court, I can cover for you..."

Bai XiaoSheng was furious:

"Shut up! What do you mean, as long as I don't rebel or commit treason against the Dao Court, you can cover for me..."

"What does this have to do with me? When did I ever rebel?"

"Exactly," Mo Hua said. "Didn't I just say it? You haven't rebelled, so what are you afraid of?"

Bai XiaoSheng's head was spinning from Mo Hua's convoluted logic.

Mo Hua patted Bai XiaoSheng on the shoulder. "A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe. As long as you conduct yourself uprightly and sit properly, with me to clean up after you, what do you have to fear?"

What I fear is you...

Bai XiaoSheng's face turned cold, and he said resolutely, "No."

Mo Hua's expression also cooled, and he sneered:

"I tried to reason with you nicely, and yet you dare not appreciate it. Then I'll go spread word about how you speak of my martial aunt behind her back, calling her 'old'..."

"Fine, fine, fine..." Bai XiaoSheng hurriedly covered Mo Hua's mouth, conceding defeat:

"Brother Mo, Master Mo, I beg you, I admit defeat. Whatever you say goes. That sharp tongue of yours, please don't go spreading rumors everywhere..."

Only then did Mo Hua nod with satisfaction and say, "If you'd agreed earlier, we wouldn't have wasted all this breath."

Bai XiaoSheng's urge to silence Mo Hua for good had nearly reached its peak.

Back in the day at the Qianxue Sword Debate Tournament, with so many prodigies from the four great sects and eight grand gates boasting to the heavens, how was it that not a single one of them actually managed to kill this menace Mo Hua?

Leaving him in the world to torment people.

These Qianxue prodigies—how utterly useless could they be!

Bai XiaoSheng's heart was weary. He resigned himself to fate.

Mo Hua turned to Gu Changhuai on the other side and said, "Uncle Gu, you're coming too."

Gu Changhuai was taken aback for a moment, then said slowly, "I... have to be a rioter too?"

I'm an Archive Officer personally dispatched by the Dao Court to the front lines to suppress riots, and now I'm inexplicably supposed to become a 'rioter' myself?

Mo Hua nodded. "The more hands, the greater the strength."

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, then at Bai XiaoSheng, feeling as though he'd truly boarded a pirate ship this time. He let out a sigh: "Fine."

If misfortune was coming, they'd all share it together, no one was escaping anyway.

And so, the rioters of Qingchou Prefecture gained three more members.

"Then what? What exactly do we do?" Gu Changhuai asked Mo Hua again.

Mo Hua said, "I've thought it all through. We find a rioter faction, blend in, and guide them to claim dominance and rule the roost..."

Claim dominance and rule the roost...

Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai exchanged glances, thinking to themselves, And this isn't rebellion? Claiming dominance and ruling the roost, he says...

"But this matter must be done in secret. We can't leave any evidence behind..."

As he spoke, Mo Hua produced three black robes. He put one on himself and handed the other two to Gu Changhuai and Bai XiaoSheng, saying:

"From now on, our identities are different."

"I am a master of the Unorthodox Path—Master Mo. You two are my Dharma protectors, Protector Gu and Protector Bai..."

Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai took the black robes, their expressions complicated.

"Whatever. Playing a protector is still better than playing a beggar..." Bai XiaoSheng thought to himself, then put on the black robe.

Gu Changhuai could only drape the black robe over himself as well, playing the role of protector to 'Master Mo.' Still, he couldn't help but feel somewhat puzzled: "Mo Hua, this kind of thing... do you do it often?"

He looked far too practiced...

Mo Hua said gravely, "How could that be? Guiding rioters is something taboo, how could I possibly do it often?"

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and figured that made sense. Mo Hua had only been cultivating for a little over thirty years, where would he get that much rebellion experience and insight?

Bai XiaoSheng, meanwhile, sneered inwardly, thinking to himself that even if Mo Hua didn't do taboo things, he probably wouldn't do anything properly good either.

Gu Changhuai asked Mo Hua again: "And after that? What do we do?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Follow me."

With that, Mo Hua led Gu Changhuai and Bai XiaoSheng—his two black-robed protectors—around the outskirts of Qingchou City for an hour, until they arrived at the eastern side, at a vast camp converted from market stalls and residential homes.

Only then did Gu Changhuai realize that Mo Hua hadn't been wandering aimlessly in Qingchou City earlier, he'd been scouting the terrain the whole time, sizing up factions.

Now the rebel camp was the territory Mo Hua had scoped out.

The camp was quite expansive, with a large gate at the front guarded by rebels. Above the gate hung a plaque bearing three bold, forceful characters:

"Changshan Army."

Though they were called rebels, these men naturally wouldn't consider themselves as such. Most would instead give themselves a relatively formal and imposing title.

The Changshan Army was one of the weaker and lesser-known factions among them.

Arriving before the Changshan Army's stronghold, Bai XiaoSheng released his Divine-Sense and gave it a brief sweep, then looked somewhat disappointed. He asked Mo Hua, "This is it? You couldn't pick a stronger faction?"

Mo Hua replied, "Only by letting a weak faction rise to dominance can I show off my skills."

Bai XiaoSheng rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, Look at you, so full of yourself. Why don't you just fly up to the heavens?

He asked again, "So, do we knock on the door now?"

Mo Hua said calmly, "I am now a revered master, a lofty expert. Have you ever seen an expert knock on a door?"

Bai XiaoSheng looked at Mo Hua's low-key yet arrogant demeanor and wore a helpless expression.

Mo Hua added, "Also, from now on, remember to address me as 'Master Mo.' You are now Protector Bai. Don't forget your place or show disrespect to your superior..."

Bai XiaoSheng suppressed his irritation again and again before grinding his teeth and saying, "Yes... Master Mo..."

Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction. Then, remaining concealed, he circled the Changshan Army camp once, found a flaw in the Formation, broke it, and led Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai openly into the main hall at the center of the camp.

At this moment, a group of people was gathered around a sand table in the main hall, discussing matters.

At the head was a cultivator honored as Great General Chang. He was advanced in years, with white hair and beard, and possessed a cultivation base at the Late Golden Core Stage.

However, his origins were clearly humble, his cultivation foundation shallow, and he was aged and weakened. Add to that the constant slaughter and bloodshed brought on by the rebellion, and his eyes were filled with the grimness of war.

To maintain the greater situation, he had exhausted his mind and heart, and his Golden Core was already showing signs of drying up.

Yet even so, this Great General Chang remained the backbone of the Changshan Army in Qingchou Prefecture.

Matters both great and small all demanded his attention.

At this very moment, a group of rebel commanders surrounded Great General Chang, pointing at the Qingchou military map and discussing strategy.

Mo Hua ignored everyone and walked straight to the high seat at the center of the main hall.

Though he was an outsider, at this moment he sat down with the swagger of a master of the house.

Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai, two Golden Core protectors, attended to Mo Hua on either side.

From a distance, it almost carried a hint of the might and bearing of the once-all-powerful Divine-Shaman of the Great Wilderness.

Meanwhile, at the center of the main hall, Great General Chang and the others were still discussing military affairs, immersed in the tense atmosphere of dark clouds pressing down upon the city, threatening to crush it. Every face was grim.

After talking for a while, it seemed no good solution could be found.

Great General Chang simply waved his hand to dismiss the crowd, saying:

"Return to your posts, think of plans, and we'll discuss again tomorrow."

"Yes, General!"

"Take care, General."

The commanders saluted and dispersed one by one.

Once everyone had left and no one remained, Great General Chang sat alone in the deathly silent hall, only then daring to reveal his exhaustion.

He kept his eyes tightly shut, enduring his old wounds, his breathing heavy and labored.

A thousand tangled affairs, battles on all sides, sons and brothers fallen, comrades with no food to eat—all of it pressed down on his heart like mountains. They drained his spirit nearly to the point of emptiness, until even drawing breath was a struggle.

Great General Chang took a long while before he could finally ease himself from the pressure of the bloody storm and the chaos of calamities that had weighed upon him.

But no sooner had he relaxed than he was struck with a sudden shock, feeling as though the entire great hall was enveloped by an eerie aura, as if plunged into an ice cellar, with a bone-piercing chill spreading through his body.

It was as if... some demon had descended upon the world, sending an involuntary shiver down one's spine.

Great General Chang's pupils dilated. He sprang to his feet, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, and turned to look.

There, upon the high seat of the great hall, he saw that at some unknown moment, three black-clad figures had appeared.

The one seated had a form both eerie and elusive, his presence so faint as to be nearly imperceptible, yet somehow it made one's heart tremble.

The two black-robed cultivators standing beside him were tall and slender, their auras sharp and biting, their cultivation profound as mountains, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Three figures in black—one like an abyss, two like mountains.

In the midst of such a violent and bloody situation, when had these three mysterious figures in black managed to appear within this great hall? He, a Golden Core Great General, had been completely unaware, utterly oblivious.

Not good!

A chill ran through Great General Chang's heart, and a glimmer of killing intent flashed through his aged gaze. In an instant, he whipped out a silver spear meant to guard the mountains—the Mountain-Suppressing Silver Spear—and as Golden Core Power surged and trembled, man and spear became one. Like a savage beast, he lunged toward the seated Mo Hua.

These three figures in black, who could infiltrate the Changshan Army camp without a sound, were surely all formidable foes.

Among them, the seated figure in black was clearly of the highest status, and moreover, his cultivation was not apparent, his flesh and blood frail—he could be killed first.

With a single thrust of his spear, Great General Chang carried the momentum of toppling mountains and quaking peaks.

Mo Hua's frame was slight, like a wisp of black smoke before the collapse of a mountain.

Just as the Mountain-Suppressing Silver Spear was about to pierce Mo Hua's body, a pure white longsword slashed through the air, severing the spear's momentum.

Bai XiaoSheng slowly stepped forward to stand before Mo Hua, releasing an imposing aura that bordered on Peak Golden Core, like an insurmountable towering mountain.

Great General Chang retreated several steps before steadying himself. Sensing the sheer strength of the auras emanating from these black-robed cultivators, his heart shook violently, and his expression turned gravely solemn.

But the enemy was this powerful, there was simply no way to contend with them.

Great General Chang's voice was aged, his face heavy, as he slowly spoke:

"Might I ask, what divine beings have graced us?"

Bai XiaoSheng, sword in hand, slowly withdrew to the side, revealing Mo Hua behind him.

Matters of deception like this were naturally best left to the professionals.

Seated upon the high position, clad in black robes, inscrutable and unfathomable, Mo Hua now slowly spoke, his voice clear and bright:

"Old General, there is no need to be tense. We bear no ill intentions."

Hearing that this black-robed cultivator's voice was so young, Great General Chang was startled, then furrowed his brow and asked:

"You... who exactly are you?"

Mo Hua's voice was solemn and distant as he slowly intoned:

"We are exalted masters of the Tongxian Cult."

Not only Great General Chang, but even Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai were secretly taken aback.

Tongxian Cult?

What in the world was that? Mo Hua had never mentioned it... Did such a sect or religious order even exist?

Great General Chang's expression shifted even more.

Tongxian Cult... Though he did not know what force the Tongxian Cult was or what origins it had, the very words Tongxian—reaching immortality—sounded utterly profound and extraordinary at first hearing.

What ordinary cultivator would dare speak of immortality? This Tongxian Cult was very likely an ancient and powerful hidden sect.

Great General Chang's heart grew wary. Not daring to show any negligence, he clasped his hands and said: "May I ask what business the three exalted masters of the Tongxian Cult have in storming my Changshan Army camp?"

Mo Hua cut straight to the point, his voice ethereal and far-reaching: "Old General, your opportunity has arrived."

Great General Chang's pupils contracted. "An opportunity?"

Mo Hua slowly nodded, his voice ethereal and profound, as if speaking with the mouth of an immortal:

"Our Tongxian Cult, by decree of Heaven and in accordance with the Dao, delivers salvation to all living beings. Now that we witness great chaos across the realm, the Famine Disaster manifesting in Qingchou, the masses plunged into misery, and the fields strewn with the starved dead—all of this defies the Heavenly Dao and human morality."

"The True-Person of our Sect, moved by boundless compassion, cannot bear to see the people of Qingchou suffer the torments of war and the Famine Disaster. Thus, He has dispatched us envoys down the mountain to punish the wicked, uphold the righteous, rescue the suffering, and quell the calamity..."

"With the Dao in our Heart, we carry out the great Power of Vows, so that the way of Heaven may bring peace, the way of Earth may bear virtue, and the way of humanity may establish its destiny—so that all living beings may thrive and multiply, generation upon generation without end..."

"To accumulate such immeasurable merit and virtue, this is the path to Tongxian, the way to eternal life, and the fundamental doctrine of our Tongxian Cult..."

As Great General Chang listened, his expression shifted unpredictably, his heart shaken to its core.

Even Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai were stunned into silence, almost unable to tell truth from falsehood...

This... was this right?

...

Translator Note: Tongxian = Connecting to Immortals / Gateway to the Immortality)

(End of Chapter)