Chapter 1581: Ghost Dao Mechanisms

Chapter 1581: Ghost Dao Mechanisms

"I beg Esteemed Master Mo to intervene and save Pei Tanggong..." Wen Zhuangzhu pleaded once more.

Mo Hua glanced at the miserable Pei Tanggong and sighed.

"It is not that this Esteemed Master is unwilling to intervene, but rather that my learning is shallow and my talents meager. Moreover, not understanding the root cause, I fear I cannot save Pei Tanggong."

The dignified Esteemed Master possessed boundless magical power; how could he possibly be unable to save someone?

Wen Zhuangzhu gritted his teeth, clasped his hands, and said, "Esteemed Master, if you are willing to step forward and save Pei Tanggong, it shall count as my Wen family owing you a favor, which will surely be repaid in the future."

Mo Hua's brow lifted slightly, and only then did he feign some reluctance:

"Since that is the case, this Esteemed Master shall tentatively give it a try. However, my learning is shallow and my talents meager; I cannot guarantee whether I can save his life."

Wen Zhuangzhu said, "Yes, please try, Esteemed Master."

Mo Hua nodded, then walked slowly toward Pei Tanggong, who was clutching his face, wailing, and struggling incessantly.

One of Pei Tanggong's eyes had turned blood-red, tinged with black, while his entire face was ashen-pale, as if he were on the verge of turning into a living ghost.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, he also seemed to be enduring an earth-shattering torment.

Lü Jingxiu shared a long-standing friendship with Pei Tanggong. Seeing this, he was equally anxious, yet at a loss for what to do.

After all, the Unorthodox Path, Fāng Arts, Raising Ghosts... such obscure things were not something ordinary cultivators could study.

He could only look at Esteemed Master Mo with a complicated gaze.

Mo Hua looked at Pei Tanggong and pondered for a long time, seemingly expending a great deal of Divine-Sense to contemplate how to save him. Only when Pei Tanggong's breath became feeble and weak, hanging by a mere thread, did he finally sigh:

"So be it. This Esteemed Master shall act once more, and petition for the Tongxian Sect Leader's Edict to save Pei Tanggong's life..."

Hearing the words 'Tongxian Sect Leader's Edict,' Wen Zhuangzhu's heart trembled, deeply sensing its profound weight. He hurriedly clasped his hands in gratitude:

"Esteemed Master Mo's benevolence is profound. You will surely live as long as heaven and earth, with boundless immortal prospects."

Mo Hua nodded slightly, then brought his palms together, his lips parting and closing as he muttered prayers toward the heavens, though no one knew what he was saying. At the same time, an enigmatic and profound aura radiated from his body, as though he were communicating in the unseen with some supreme entity of the Tongxian Cult.

Of course, he was merely communicating with himself.

Seeing this, Wen Zhuangzhu and the others only felt that this Esteemed Master Mo grew ever more mysterious.

After completing his communication, Mo Hua drew a cloth strip of black talismanic sealing paper from his sleeve, handed it to Wen Zhuangzhu, and said:

"Place this over Pei Tanggong's forehead. It may dispel disaster, avert calamity, and save his life."

Wen Zhuangzhu did not know what this seemingly ordinary black sealing strip was, but he reckoned that nothing in the Esteemed Master's hands could be mundane.

This black sealing strip was likely some kind of Edict passed down by the Tongxian Sect Leader, possessing unfathomable, wondrous power.

With reverence rising in his heart, Wen Zhuangzhu bowed, took the black sealing strip with both hands, and then channeled the Jade Serpent Staff, manifesting an Emerald Jade Python that coiled tightly around Pei Tanggong's limbs to stop his struggles and prevent him from mutilating himself.

Afterward, following Esteemed Master Mo's instructions, he placed the black sealing strip over Pei Tanggong's forehead.

Wen Zhuangzhu had originally harbored some lingering doubts, but unexpectedly, the effect was immediate.

The moment the black sealing cloth strip covered his forehead, Pei Tanggong, who had been raving like a madman, wracked with unbearable pain, instantly rolled his eyes back and collapsed to the ground.

Startled, Wen Zhuangzhu immediately stepped forward to check Pei Tanggong's condition, testing his breath and examining his eyes.

Mo Hua asked, "How is he?"

Wen Zhuangzhu stared blankly for a long while before slowly saying, "It seems... the evil influence has dissipated..."

Mo Hua nodded slightly. "Then all is well."

Wen Zhuangzhu sighed, "Esteemed Master Mo truly possesses extraordinary means, and the elder Tongxian Sect Leader is indeed... possessing vast Divine Powers..."

Seeing Esteemed Master Mo resolve Pei Tanggong's sinister omen and save his life with just a single sealing strip, Lü Jingxiu wore an expression of both reverence and fear.

Gu Changhuai said nothing, while Great General Chang wore a respectful expression, taking it as a matter of course.

Bai XiaoSheng, on the other hand, furrowed his brows.

Recalling Mo Hua's various subtle actions just moments ago, his heart thumped, and he could not help but think:

Did this kid Mo Hua calculate all along that Wen Zhuangzhu would act rashly, and anticipate that Pei Tanggong would suffer this ordeal?

Yet he said nothing.

He just stood by and watched.

Watching Wen Zhuangzhu puncture the Golden-Armored Mighty Warrior's eyes in a moment of fury, suffer the backlash, and Pei Tanggong get possessed by evil affliction while trying to save Wen Zhuangzhu.

And then, this Mo Hua continued to watch.

Watching Pei Tanggong wail miserably and Wen Zhuangzhu stand helpless.

Even when Wen Zhuangzhu begged him for help, he was still putting on an act.

Only after Wen Zhuangzhu promised him a favor did he leisurely step in.

In the end, others suffered the torment, while he played the hero.

Bai XiaoSheng shook his head.

Too wicked...

How could a person be so wicked...

Then Bai XiaoSheng had another thought:

Women don't love men who aren't bad. Could it be precisely because this kid Mo Hua is so wicked that women like him so much?

Is that why Yu Nujiao, the top courtesan of the Jade Spring Pavilion, talked of zither and love with him for just a single spirit stone?

Could it... really be like that?

Bai XiaoSheng fell into deep thought. Then he immediately snapped back to his senses, realizing he shouldn't speak too ill of Mo Hua in his heart, lest the fellow notice.

Furthermore, there's one more thing...

Bai XiaoSheng instantly shifted his gaze to the Golden-Armored Mighty Warrior whose eye had been shattered. After scrutinizing it for a moment, his eyes narrowed.

By now, how could he not understand?

This Golden-Armored Mighty Warrior was definitely not merely a Puppet, not merely a machine controlled by Spiritual Power, mechanisms, and Formations.

Inside it, there were bound to be certain sinister ghost entities sealed away, serving as the driving force behind the warrior's slaughter.

Ghosts were inherently bloodthirsty, cruel, craving slaughter, relentless until death.

Thus, while these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors appeared on the surface to be eight Golden Stone Puppets, they were actually eight Evil Ghosts clad in golden armor.

"Ghost Dao Mechanism Art..."

Bai XiaoSheng's heart sank. To think someone in this world could actually create such a thing.

Was this the work of that Great Philanthropist Lü?

Using Evil Ghost mechanisms to guard a tomb, was this Great Philanthropist Lü truly a 'philanthropist'?

Bai XiaoSheng's eyes turned slightly cold.

While he was lost in thought, murmurs arose from the hall. Bai XiaoSheng turned his head and saw Pei Tanggong, with the black cloth over his forehead, slowly awakening.

His face was as pale as paper, his eye corners ashen, his pupils faintly bloodshot, yet his aura had gradually stabilized.

Wen Zhuangzhu immediately asked, "Tanggong, are you alright?"

Pei Tanggong shook his head, his gaze somewhat dazed. Rolling his eyes upward, he glanced at the black cloth strip on his forehead and asked:

"This is..."

As he spoke, he reached up to peel off Mo Hua's black cloth stip.

Wen Zhuangzhu hastily grabbed his hand and sighed, "Tanggong, you were struck by evil, and it was Esteemed Master Mo who intervened to save you..."

"Esteemed Master Mo..." Pei Tanggong was taken aback for a moment, seemingly recalling some memory. He then glanced around, his gaze drifting before finally settling on Mo Hua, and slowly said:

"Thank you, Esteemed Master Mo, for saving my life..."

Mo Hua nodded slightly without saying a word, merely looking at Pei Tanggong with a peculiar gaze.

Pei Tanggong coughed a few times and lowered his gaze, seemingly in unbearable pain, yet also seemingly avoiding Mo Hua's eyes.

Wen Zhuangzhu sighed, "It was my momentary carelessness that harmed you, Tanggong..."

Pei Tanggong seemed to recall something and said in a raspy voice:

"No need to take it to heart, Wen Zhuangzhu. We are both native Golden Core cultivators of Qingchou, closely bound to one another, and should naturally watch over and help each other. This time, it was this old man who was... careless. I thought that having lived for many years and seen much of the world, I had some understanding of the Ghost Art path. Yet who would have thought that knowing and doing are different; knowing of something and dealing with it are entirely two different matters..."

"Sinister and evil ghost entities are venomous beyond measure, impossible to guard against, and simply not something ordinary cultivators can handle."

"For a moment, this old man didn't even have the power to strike back..."

Wen Zhuangzhu's expression was grave. "Tanggong... after you encountered the ghost, what exactly happened?"

Pei Tanggong wore a complicated expression. "It was... nothing much, only it felt like..."

Pei Tanggong mechanically shook his head and hesitated, "It felt as if... something ate a bit of my Divine-Sense. Just as I was struggling, I suddenly fainted. It must have been Esteemed Master Mo's wondrous means that saved this old man..."

"It was not this Esteemed Master," Mo Hua said.

Pei Tanggong froze.

"It was not this Esteemed Master who saved you," Mo Hua said slowly. "It was our sect's Sect-Master True-Person, the Tongxian Sect Leader, who issued an Edict to save you, Tanggong."

Mo Hua spoke with complete seriousness.

Bai XiaoSheng reflexively rubbed his forehead, thinking:

Would you die if you didn't put on an act? What Tongxian Sect Leader? Where did any Tongxian Sect Leader even come from?

Pei Tanggong, however, wore a solemn expression, clasping his hands as he said, "The Tongxian Sect Leader possesses vast Divine Powers, living as long as heaven and earth, shining alongside the sun and moon."

Mo Hua nodded slightly and said, "The Tongxian Sect Leader shall bestow blessings upon you."

Pei Tanggong clasped his hands and said, "I thank the Sect Leader for bestowing blessings."

Wen Zhuangzhu looked at Mo Hua with an eager expression.

Mo Hua said to him as well, "The Sect Leader shall bestow blessings upon you too."

Only then was Wen Zhuangzhu delighted, saying, "The Sect Leader enjoy boundless immortal blessings; I thank the Sect Leader for bestowing blessings."

Even Gu Changhuai could hardly bear watching any longer.

If this continued, the fame of the Tongxian Cult would truly spread across the entirety of Qingchou Prefecture.

Who knew into whose ears the Tongxian Sect Leader's illustrious name might eventually reach...

Gu Changhuai sighed, "Esteemed Master, let us continue forward. Relocating the tomb for Great Philanthropist Lü is the primary matter..."

Although everyone present knew full well that this trip was not for relocating Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb, appearances still had to be maintained on the surface.

Mo Hua nodded.

However, before leaving...

Mo Hua glanced around, a glint flashing across the depths of his eyes. Pointing his finger, he said, "This Esteemed Master shall take all of these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors away..."

Great General Chang was taken aback.

Lü Jingxiu's expression changed drastically.

Pei Tanggong and Wen Zhuangzhu, who had just been seeking the Tongxian Sect Leader's blessings, were also startled, their expressions shifting slightly. Furrowing their brows, they slowly said:

"Esteemed Master, this... might not be appropriate..."

"What is inappropriate about it?" Mo Hua asked.

Lü Jingxiu stepped forward and said coldly, "These Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors are the tomb guards of my late father. Esteemed Master, for you to demand to 'take' them the moment you open your mouth, isn't that... a bit too excessive?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "These Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors are not guards, but 'cages.' Inside each one is an Evil Ghost locked away, used to drive the golden armor to slaughter and feast on blood. Therefore, they are not guards, but 'Ghost Guards', bloodthirsty, flesh-craving, brutal Golden-Armored Ghosts."

Mo Hua turned to look at Lü Jingxiu. "Your late father was a well-known great philanthropist far and wide across Qingchou Prefecture, performing good deeds and accumulating virtue throughout his life. How could he place such things in his tomb to harm people? Not to mention, these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors make no distinction between kin and foe, even trying to kill you, Family Head Lü. How could they possibly be your late father's guards?"

Lü Jingxiu's face flushed red, left utterly speechless.

Mo Hua sighed, "Therefore, some treacherous and evil person must have deliberately placed these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors in your late father's tomb with malicious intent."

"Since that is the case, for the sake of Great Philanthropist Lü's untarnished reputation, these eight Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors must be moved out..."

"This Esteemed Master shall brave the danger himself and use the secret arts of the Tongxian Cult to eliminate the ghostly menace and purify these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors..."

Mo Hua wore a solemn expression.

Pei Tanggong's pupils quivered, and he sighed, "The ghost entities within this golden armor are exceedingly ferocious. There are likely seven more of them, their types unknown."

"Though you possess vast magical power, Esteemed Master, if you were inadvertently harmed by these Evil Ghosts, it would become our sin instead..."

Mo Hua said with a righteous air, "If I do not enter hell, who will? If I do not suppress the Evil Ghosts, who will? As an Esteemed Master of the Tongxian Cult, how could I fear death?"

Pei Tanggong said, "Your righteousness is noble, Esteemed Master. But if we truly allow you to brave such peril, the families and gentry of our Qingchou territory would surely feel uneasy. It would be better to discuss this matter further..."

Pei Tanggong's attitude was very polite, yet his right hand trembled as he pulled an unknown red pill medicine from his sleeve and popped it into his mouth.

This pill medicine seemed to be some sort of potent tonic. After taking it, Pei Tanggong's complexion turned ruddy at a visible pace, and his aura thickened significantly.

Wen Zhuangzhu also held the Jade Serpent Staff, gazing at Mo Hua with a calm yet cold expression.

The families, landlords, wealthy men, and gentry of small places, even if they cultivated to the Golden Core stage, possessed profit-driven natures all their lives.

On ordinary days, they would remember small favors and show superficial gratitude.

Yet the moment real interests were involved, they would turn hostile in an instant.

Esteemed Master Mo had helped them and saved them, and Wen Zhuangzhu was grateful for that.

Yet now, for Esteemed Master Mo to monopolize these eight Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors alone was something they could never agree to.

No matter how ignorant of goods he was, he knew how precious these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors were, so exquisitely crafted, made of such rare materials, with heavy armor so resilient, and perhaps even sealing ghost entities within.

If Esteemed Master Mo took one or two warriors, out of respect for the Tongxian Sect Leader, he could nod in agreement; that would not be excessive.

However, wanting to monopolize them all was simply too greedy.

Pei Tanggong, having taken the medicine, and Wen Zhuangzhu, having drawn his Magical Treasure, both wore cold expressions, clearly unwilling to agree.

Seeing the atmosphere suddenly turn tense again, Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows slightly and slowly stepped in front of Mo Hua.

Though Bai XiaoSheng did not move, killing intent began to coalesce around him.

Mo Hua, however, looked completely unfazed, clearly having anticipated this all along. He let out a sigh:

"Since that is the case, then forget it. Let these Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors be kept temporarily by your native families of Qingchou."

The moment Mo Hua spoke these words, everyone froze once more.

Clearly, no one had expected that this Esteemed Master Mo, whose words carried the weight of decrees, would suddenly become so accommodating.

He was even letting go of all eight Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors?

Both Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai found it unbelievable; this did not seem like Mo Hua's usual character.

Mo Hua asked, "How about it?"

Pei Tanggong and Wen Zhuangzhu exchanged a glance and said, "If so, then we naturally... comply with the Esteemed Master's wishes..."

Mo Hua nodded, then turned to Great General Chang and said, "Great General Chang, you are a native of Qingchou. Go and collect all of the Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors."

The moment this was said, Pei Tanggong and Wen Zhuangzhu's expressions changed drastically.

Their hearts were filled with shock, fury, and disbelief.

They had forgotten that Great General Chang of Changshan Chou was also the Family head of a local Qingchou Family.

Bai XiaoSheng and Gu Changhuai felt enlightened. Now that makes sense...

When it comes to playing mind games, who could possibly beat Mo Hua? That kid probably has seven apertures in his mind...

Great General Chang was also dazed for a moment, but quickly caught on. Marveling at the Esteemed Master's sharp wit and superior calculations, he said:

"I obey the Esteemed Master's command."

"Wait!" Wen Zhuangzhu shouted.

Mo Hua looked at him and asked, "What? Do you wish to go back on your word?"

Wen Zhuangzhu said, "This... I fear..."

"You just agreed to it."

"Yet this..." Wen Zhuangzhu's face turned unsightly.

An eerie aura drifted around Mo Hua, and he spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Breaking a promise made to this Esteemed Master will incur karmic retribution... Have you thought it through?"

A threat of karmic retribution, if spoken by anyone else, would not be worth a sneer.

Yet coming from the mouth of this Esteemed Master Mo, it felt somewhat terrifying.

A chill inexplicably rose in Wen Zhuangzhu's heart.

Seeing that Mo Hua's aura was turning ominous, Pei Tanggong's expression shifted, and he sighed:

"Since that is the case, having Great General Chang keep them temporarily makes no difference..."

"Once we leave the tomb, we can discuss it further..."

Only then did Mo Hua rein in his aura and nod. "Mn."

Great General Chang did not think that far ahead; whatever the Esteemed Master said, he simply did.

He produced a high-grade military storage bag and swept up all eight glittering yet ghostly Golden-Armored Mighty Warriors from the Mechanism Passage into it.

Watching this scene, Wen Zhuangzhu felt an ache in his heart, his expression turning somewhat grim.

Pei Tanggong also watched this scene. His turbid eyes gradually turned icy cold, and barely noticeable threads of blood surfaced within his depths.

Amidst those threads of blood, there were also extremely faint strands of golden thread...

(End of Chapter)