Chapter 680: "The Black Hand"
In the small grove by the banks of the Smoky River—Guo Jianglong, covered in wounds, knelt on the ground.
Cheng Mo and the other three stood across from a group, tension thick in the air.
Leading the opposing group was a haughty young man in a gold-threaded brocade robe, sneering coldly. Around him stood six or seven other young cultivators, all wearing hostile expressions.
This golden-robed young master, along with his companions, were all at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
Mo Hua, concealed atop a tree, crouched silently. After a moment's thought, he decided not to reveal himself rashly.
Cheng Mo had just been ambushed by the golden-robed youth. Though he blocked the sword strike, his blood was still churning, and he growled angrily: "Who the hell are you people?"
The golden-robed youth sneered with disdain, "You're not qualified to know."
Situ Jian's eyes narrowed. He said gravely, "Broken Gold Sect. That sword qi just now—it's from their signature technique, the Broken Gold Sword Command."
Being a sword cultivator himself, Situ Jian was familiar with the prominent sword sects of Qianxue Prefecture.
Though he hadn't learned every technique, he could recognize many just from their characteristics.
Mo Hua blinked in surprise from his perch above.
Broken Gold Sect?
No wonder...
He had thought that sword qi seemed familiar. It was the very same as the sect-defining technique he'd obtained from Boss Jiang—the Broken Gold Sword Command.
He had even practiced it himself...
Except—he wasn't a proper sword cultivator. His hastily-learned sword qi was weak and shallow, like a cheap imitation. Compared to the fierce, honed sword aura of that golden-robed youth, they were worlds apart. No wonder he didn't recognize it at first.
"Broken Gold Sect…"
Mo Hua's gaze swept over the golden-robed youth and his companions, his expression thoughtful.
The golden-robed cultivator, now that his identity was exposed, looked even more arrogant.
"Oh? So you recognize the Broken Gold Sword Qi? At least you've got some eyes on your head."
Yang Qianjun snorted coldly, eyes sharp:
"So what if you're from the Broken Gold Sect? We're completing a bounty for the Dao Court under sect orders. You think you can just swoop in and steal it from us?"
The golden-robed youth scoffed. "And you think you're the only ones doing bounties?"
With a dramatic flourish of his sleeve, he pointed at the kneeling Guo Jianglong:
"This criminal—our prey. We've been tracking him for days, cornered him completely, just waiting to reel him in. But then you little brats barged in and captured him first, snatching the credit. And now you ask who's being unreasonable?"
Cheng Mo cursed furiously, "Bullshit! You were tracking nothing! You're just glory-snatching scavengers! Trying to save face? Ha! You should be pasting gold on your asses instead of calling them faces!"
The golden-robed youth flushed with shame and anger.
Born of noble lineage and accustomed to respect, he had never been humiliated like this. His gaze darkened.
"You little bastard… you've got a death wish!"
Cheng Mo stood his ground, unafraid. Yang Qianjun gripped his spear tightly, and Situ Jian raised his chin:
"You're a noble brat, fine. But so are we. You've got a sect? So do we. What—gonna kill us here in the wild now?"
The golden-robed youth hesitated, his expression twitching.
He couldn't...
If it were rogue cultivators, sure—kill them, toss out a scapegoat if the Dao Court came sniffing. There were always ways to get out of it.
But killing sect disciples? That was another matter entirely.
A nearby Broken Gold disciple whispered flatteringly, "Young Master Jin, no need to dirty your hands. We'll take care of it—break a few ribs, humiliate them thoroughly..."
"Even if they complain, they'll just be embarrassing themselves."
Another chimed in with a mocking tone, "Exactly. Let these fresh-out-of-the-nest brats learn that you don't mess with people above your pay grade…"
The golden-robed youth—Young Master Jin—nodded loftily.
"Very well. I'm not petty…"
He glanced down at the kneeling Guo Jianglong with a snort. "Leave our prey behind and apologize. Do that, and I'll let you walk away. Otherwise…"
His smile twisted, and golden sword qi shimmered menacingly around him.
"Don't blame me for teaching you some manners on behalf of your sect."
Cheng Mo couldn't stand his smug face and was just about to curse again when his Taixu Token buzzed. He took it out and saw a single word on it:
"Go."
It was from Mo Hua.
The others received the same message.
They exchanged glances and subtle nods.
Young Master Jin also noticed the token and frowned. "You're disciples of the Great Void Sect?"
When they traveled for missions, Cheng Mo's group wore casual robes, not their sect uniforms.
Young Master Jin had guessed they were sect disciples, but until now didn't know which one.
Cheng Mo raised his chin. "That's right. Afraid now, aren't you?"
Young Master Jin snorted. "Great Void Sect? Please. It's not even one of the Four Great Sects. You think Broken Gold Sect would be scared of you?"
"Besides…"
He smirked darkly. "Your sect is in decline. Undisciplined disciples, lazy cultivation, that sword debate of yours gets worse every year. You're not even worthy of being one of the Eight Great Sects anymore."
"At this rate, it's only a matter of time before my Broken Gold Sect takes your place."
Cheng Mo cursed, "Gold-bricked dumbass! Keep dreaming! You'll be waiting till hell freezes over!"
Young Master Jin's eyes gleamed dangerously.
Situ Jian immediately held Cheng Mo back and muttered, "Don't escalate this. Let's just go."
Cheng Mo shut up reluctantly.
The other side had more people, higher cultivation, and were clearly senior disciples. Fighting here would be reckless.
Cheng Mo gave Guo Jianglong a kick, and the four of them grouped up, gripping their spirit weapons tightly and backing slowly out of the woods.
As they drew farther away, one of the Broken Gold disciples asked quietly:
"Young Master… shall we...?"
Young Master Jin's expression was frosty. "They're from the Great Void Sect. We can't move on them lightly. If things blow up, even the sect won't be able to shield us. Not like with those small sect nobodies…"
The man bowed. "Understood."
And so, the Broken Gold group simply stood there with scornful gazes, watching Cheng Mo and the others retreat.
Once they were far enough from the grove, anger surged again among the four.
"Damn Broken Gold bastards!"
"Shameless!"
"We worked our butts off to catch that guy, and they just waltzed in and stole it because they outnumber us!"
"That was six hundred merit points!"
Cheng Mo clutched his chest in pain.
The others sighed. After all their effort, the hard-earned merit had flown away.
Yang Qianjun frowned. "Wasn't our sect the one that picked up this bounty? How did Broken Gold know about it?"
"Did they not even accept the task and just plan to snatch the guy to turn in themselves?"
"Or maybe they just happened to pass by, saw us, figured we were easy targets, and made their move?"
Everyone shook their heads, equally baffled.
Then Situ Jian suddenly froze. "Where's Mo Hua?"
He looked around, assuming Mo Hua was just hidden nearby.
"Little Senior Brother?" he called softly.
But the woods were silent.
Hao Xuan pulled out his Taixu Token, glanced at it, and said, "Little Senior Brother told us to go ahead to the ferry. He'll meet us there later."
"What's he going to do?" Cheng Mo asked.
Hao Xuan shook his head. "Who knows what's in his head…"
"Should we head to the ferry?" Cheng Mo asked again.
Situ Jian thought about it, then shook his head. "We wait here. We're close to the grove—if something happens, we can back him up."
"Those Broken Gold bastards won't dare kill us. Worst case, we take a beating. But Mo Hua's alone—if they catch him, it could be much worse…"
Even though Mo Hua was a Taixu disciple, on paper he had no family backing.
The Broken Gold crew might not show him any mercy.
Everyone nodded solemnly.
…
Back in the grove, Mo Hua was still lying in the tree, head poking out, quietly watching below.
Dusk had fallen. The sun dipped beneath the horizon, taking its glow with it, and the light among the trees dimmed further.
With Cheng Mo's group now gone, only Guo Jianglong remained—along with that arrogant "Young Master Jin" and his pack of fawning Broken Gold Sect cronies.
Young Master Jin kicked Guo Jianglong over and stepped on his back, his gaze cold and indifferent.
"Wretch. You've committed countless crimes—do you finally understand your retribution has come?"
Guo Jianglong spat blood and sneered, "Worthless trash from a pompous sect, acting all high and mighty. You dare step on this grandpa's head...?"
Young Master Jin ground his foot down harder. Guo Jianglong groaned in pain and swallowed the rest of his foul words.
The other Broken Gold disciples all looked furious.
"Young Master, no need to waste words on this beast. Crush his throat, shatter his meridians, then throw him to the Dao Court and claim the reward."
"To insult our Broken Gold Sect—does he even know how to spell 'death'?"
Young Master Jin gave Guo Jianglong another kick. "Speak! Where are the rest of your accomplices?"
Guo Jianglong spat out another mouthful of blood but remained silent.
Young Master Jin frowned and ordered, "Fan out and search. See if any of his companions are lurking nearby."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The group dispersed in pairs, gradually moving outward.
The grove fell silent once more, leaving only the domineering Young Master Jin and the battered Guo Jianglong behind.
Night had fully descended, cloaking the woods in a hazy veil. Young Master Jin's cold eyes scanned the area, and he swept the surroundings several times with his spiritual sense before finally stepping off Guo Jianglong's back. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed him a pale-red pill.
"Take it."
Guo Jianglong swallowed the pill, and his color visibly improved.
From his hidden spot above, Mo Hua raised a brow and let out a soft, "Oh~"
"So these two… know each other?"
Young Master Jin looked at Guo Jianglong's wretched state and frowned. "Useless."
Guo Jianglong seemed about to reply, but Young Master Jin cut him off. "Wait."
He took out two array flags, and with a wave of his sleeve, hurled them like darts into the ground.
Spiritual power rippled from the flags, and a faint, nearly invisible white barrier rose up, enclosing both him and Guo Jianglong.
A soundproofing array?
Mo Hua blinked and muttered inwardly:
"Pretty cautious…"
Still, trying this little trick in his presence? That was a bit like showing off carpentry in front of Lu Ban.
With a sweep of his divine sense and a bit of mental calculation, he easily spotted the gaps in the flow of spiritual power. In a flash, his powerful yet subtle divine sense pierced through the array's barrier.
The two below were still completely unaware.
And they were now having a very private conversation.
"…Useless!"
"…It wasn't that I was incompetent, it's just that those brats were too slippery…"
"Nets, traps, arrays—they got me off guard, netted me, dragged me ashore, then swarmed me in the woods…"
"It wasn't carelessness—they were just too thorough."
Guo Jianglong continued, "I suspect someone was behind it. Hiding in the dark, orchestrating everything. Sinister, cunning, experienced…"
"Enough!" Young Master Jin snapped with disgust. "You failed—don't make excuses. It's not your first day running jobs."
His expression darkened. "If this gets screwed up, you think the 'young masters' will care to hear your side of the story?"
Mo Hua froze.
Young masters…?
As in, plural?
So this Young Master Jin wasn't the real one?
Guo Jianglong paled noticeably at those words. His eyes filled with fear.
"Yes… yes, it was my mistake. I was careless, fell into those little brats' trap… almost ruined everything for the young masters…"
"I'm a fool…"
Guo Jianglong stammered, full of fear and remorse.
Only then did Young Master Jin nod in satisfaction. But moments later, he frowned again. "How did those sect brats find you?"
Guo Jianglong's face was bitter. "I don't know…"
He cultivated the White Wave Art, and was used to moving freely through water—stirring storms, disappearing without a trace.
Yet today, inexplicably, someone found his trail. A trap had been laid, and he'd been forcibly dragged out of the river and up onto land.
He thought back carefully, and his expression darkened. "Could someone be targeting me?"
Young Master Jin didn't look much better, but after a pause, he shook his head.
"Unlikely."
"If someone were truly targeting you, they wouldn't just send a few kids."
"Most likely they just accepted a bounty from the sect—trying to earn some merit… But the fact that they managed to catch you means they've got some skill."
Young Master Jin sneered, then turned cold again as he glared at Guo Jianglong.
"I told you to keep a low profile. All you had to do was kill a few people. How the hell did you leave a trace for the Dao Court to find?"
"If not for that, these sect brats would never have come after you."
Guo Jianglong looked helpless. "It wasn't intentional. I was just going to sink their boat and let the river fiends eat them…"
"But that guy named Lin had a Water-Avoiding Pearl on him! The river beasts couldn't touch him. I had no choice but to use a Three-Jiao Hook and rip out his throat. That's how I left behind traces… and got noticed by the Dao Court…"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
Lin?
So the young master from the group who'd died—his surname was Lin?
Mo Hua mentally jotted it down as Young Master Jin continued coldly:
"Things are tense right now. I'll get you sent into the Dao Prison later. You'll 'die' in there, the Dao Court will close your case and seal the records. After things cool down, you can come out with a new face and name—and keep working for the 'young masters'…"
Guo Jianglong bowed his head. "Many thanks, Young Master Jin. But…"
Young Master Jin's eyes narrowed. "Speak."
Guo Jianglong lowered his voice, clearly uneasy.
"Why… have things gotten so dangerous lately?"
"So many of our blood-sworn brothers—either caught, killed, or hiding like rats…"
"Those still able to breathe, to operate out in the open—you could count them on two hands…"
"Even the Venerable One… just a step away from Golden Core, terrifying in power—even he…"
Guo Jianglong trembled in fear.
Young Master Jin's face turned grim. His gaze sharpened.
"Mister Tu suspects… we've been targeted."
"For so many years, there was never a leak. No slip-ups. But in just this past year, one blood-sworn after another has fallen…"
"Carelessness, sloppiness—they left clues, got noticed by the Dao Court. Then the Dao Court issued bounties, and sect disciples took them, hunting for merit."
"What's more suspicious is—those posting the bounties are the Dao Court, but those accepting them are just regular sect disciples. They might not even know the full story."
"On the surface… nothing seems off."
His voice turned icy.
"That's why I believe… there must be an invisible, powerful 'black hand' manipulating all of this from behind the scenes…"
He spoke with certainty.
Up in the tree, Mo Hua couldn't help but glance down at his own fair, delicate hands and blinked in confusion.
Guo Jianglong's voice trembled, hoarse with fear:
"We… we can't figure out who this 'black hand' is?"
Young Master Jin's gaze darkened. "Mister Tu didn't say… but I already have a suspect in mind."
Mo Hua leaned in, curious.
Young Master Jin said solemnly: "This person… is most likely the Dao Court's Chief Justice…"
A pause. Then his voice cut like a blade: "…Gu Changhuai!"
Mo Hua froze.
Young Master Jin continued, "The Gu family has served in the Dao Court for generations—rigid and old-fashioned. They're not our kind of people."
"This Gu Changhuai is a direct descendant of the Gu family. He's a Golden Core cultivator, eccentric, unpredictable, and impossible to read."
"His cultivation and techniques are all top-tier—he's no one to underestimate."
"He even wields forbidden arts. That so-called 'Fire Venerable'—unmatched under second-grade Golden Core across the entire province—was slain by Gu Changhuai himself!"
Young Master Jin's eyes burned with resentment and dread.
"Even if he's not the mastermind behind all this, Gu Changhuai is definitely an extremely important pawn of whoever is."
"That man… is a mortal enemy to us."
Guo Jianglong nodded solemnly, completely convinced.
Mo Hua… wasn't even sure what to say.
Young Master Jin glanced at Guo Jianglong and said coldly:
"Remember my words—these days, you must act with absolute caution."
"Times have changed. You can't afford to leave any more traces. If you bring disaster down upon us, implicate the young masters, and ruin the grand plan—don't think you'll get to die easily."
Guo Jianglong pressed his lips together and nodded shakily.
Still uneasy, Young Master Jin added, "And another thing—keep your mouth shut."
"No matter who asks, don't say a word. If they press too hard, you just…"
He raised two fingers and made a slicing motion across his neck.
Guo Jianglong went pale.
Young Master Jin patted his shoulder and said,
"Death of the flesh doesn't mean real death. You've seen some things—you should understand…"
Guo Jianglong looked terrified but said nothing.
Young Master Jin nodded in satisfaction. "Don't forget what I said…"
Suddenly, there were sounds at the edge of the woods—someone approaching.
Young Master Jin flicked his fingers, shooting out two sword auras that shredded the soundproofing flags to pieces. Then, with one swift kick, he knocked Guo Jianglong flat.
Guo Jianglong collapsed to the ground and pretended to be unconscious.
Soon, the Broken Gold Sect disciples who had gone out to search returned and reported respectfully:
"Young Master, there are no signs of the wretch's accomplices nearby."
Young Master Jin looked displeased. After a moment, he sighed.
"Forget it. One catch is enough. Pick two people to escort this 'Guo Jianglong' to the Dao Court—claim the reward, and split it evenly."
The disciples were all visibly delighted and bowed, "Thank you, Young Master!"
Young Master Jin gave a slight nod. With one last contemptuous glance at Guo Jianglong, he turned and left arrogantly.
The rest of the disciples followed behind, leaving only two to carry the "unconscious" Guo Jianglong toward the Dao Court.
Before long, the grove was empty once more, completely silent.
Only then did the invisible Mo Hua leap down from the tree and silently slip away, unseen and unheard.
Originally, he had planned to head straight for the ferry and regroup with Cheng Mo and the others, but after leaving the grove and walking a bit, he unexpectedly ran into them halfway.
The four of them were lying in wait in the grass, eyes fixed on the direction of the grove—clearly waiting for him.
Mo Hua felt a flicker of warmth in his heart and revealed himself.
The four jumped in surprise and quickly asked:
"Mo Hua, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Mo Hua replied.
Everyone let out a breath of relief. Then Cheng Mo asked, "So… are we heading back to the sect now?"
He looked a bit downcast, and the others—Situ Jian, Yang Qianjun, Hao Xuan—also seemed a little disheartened.
Their target had been snatched away. The 120 contribution points each of them should've earned were gone.
But Mo Hua shook his head. "Not yet. We're not walking away empty-handed."
The group blinked and turned to look at him.
Mo Hua straightened his back and said with conviction, "A gentleman's revenge doesn't wait overnight. They dared to rob us—now we're going to rob them back!"
(End of this Chapter)