On Smoke Water River, a large fog enveloped a small spirit boat.

Shui Yanluo stood at the front of the boat, rowing, while Xie Liu, hugging his sword, stood at the stern, his face grim, staring at the three people: Mo Hua, Ouyang Feng, and Hua Qianqian.

Ouyang Feng was healing, Hua Qianqian’s lips were tightly pursed, and her gaze held some unease.

In contrast, Mo Hua had a curious expression, looking left and right as if he were on an outing, admiring the scenery on both sides of the river.

However, it was nighttime, and the fog was thick.

There was not a single piece of scenery for him to look at.

Mo Hua then asked, “Hey, where exactly are we going?”

Xie Liu’s forehead twitched.

Mo Hua’s relaxed and somewhat cheerful demeanor ignited a fire in his heart.

It was as if this group of people consisted of Shui Yanluo, the boatman, Xie Liu, the guard with the sword, and Mo Hua, the young master on an outing, asking where they were going to play.

Didn’t this damned little ghost understand his current situation?

But he couldn’t kill him yet.

He indeed needed several hostages, and going to that place required bringing several living people as preparation for emergencies.

Xie Liu suppressed the killing intent in his heart, allowing Mo Hua to jump around in his sight for the time being.

Seeing that Xie Liu wasn’t paying attention to him, Mo Hua turned his head to look at the front of the boat again.

Shui Yanluo was rowing the boat.

Mo Hua stared at Shui Yanluo for a while and said, “You clearly only have one arm, but you row the boat quite well. Did you often row boats for people before?”

Mo Hua continued, “It’s so boring here, and none of you are speaking. Aren’t you bored?”

Shui Yanluo couldn’t quite understand how this little ghost had lived for so long in the cultivation world.

From childhood to adulthood, did no one really want to kill him?

Shui Yanluo calmed his heart and continued rowing the boat.

Mo Hua, bored, leaned on the edge of the boat, stretched his hand into the water, and paddled, hoping to see if he could encounter a small silver fish and get some secrets from it.

Ouyang Feng silently watched Mo Hua, sighing in his heart.

A firm Dao heart, a calm demeanor when facing major events, and composure in the face of change and danger.

Perhaps this was the spirit that those seeking immortality and the Dao should possess.

When three people walk together, one of them must be my teacher.

Even though Mo Shidi was young, there were truly many things worth learning from him…

Hua Qianqian, on the side, also had her eyes fixed on Mo Hua, and for some reason, she also felt much more at ease.

The group then sailed quietly in the thick fog.

Only the sound of Mo Hua splashing the water with his hand echoed softly.

After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua, who still hadn’t summoned a small silver fish, suddenly felt his heart sink. He raised his head to look ahead and saw a blurry, enormous object vaguely appearing in the thick fog.

A strange aura slowly spread out.

“This is…”

Mo Hua’s pupils slightly contracted, and his heart involuntarily tightened a few notches.

Sensing the aura ahead, Shui Yanluo also hesitated for a moment, but thinking that the matter of the Hongzhi Boat had been exposed and a large number of cultivators from the Dao Ting Si were right behind, the vast Smoke Water area had no place to hide except for the place ahead.

Shui Yanluo gritted his teeth and steered the spirit boat forward.

After the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, the spirit boat rowed closer and closer.

The blurry, enormous object in the thick fog also slowly emerged.

It was a large temple.

It was an isolated, large temple floating in mid-air, built on the water surface, resembling a giant water beast.

Mo Hua displayed a “shocked” expression and somewhat uneasily asked Shui Yanluo:

“This… what place is this? How can such a large temple be built on water?”

Shui Yanluo let out a cold laugh.

Now the little ghost knows fear.

Shui Yanluo thought to himself, maintaining an indifferent expression on the surface, “You will know when you go in.”

Then Shui Yanluo steered the spirit boat directly to the front of the temple. There was a long staircase in front of the temple, extending straight down from the temple gate to the water’s edge.

Shui Yanluo jumped onto the stairs and turned his head to look at the three people: Mo Hua, Ouyang Feng, and Hua Qianqian.

Mo Hua didn’t move.

Xie Liu then pointed his sword tip at him and commanded, “Go up honestly.”

“Go up then go up… Uncle Gu’s defeated subordinate, not good at fighting Gold Dan, but quite skilled at bullying Foundation Building…” Mo Hua muttered.

Xie Liu’s face twitched.

Seeing that he was about to get angry, Mo Hua immediately leaped onto the shore.

Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian naturally followed behind Mo Hua.

Last was Xie Liu. After tying the spirit boat securely, he also ascended the stairs.

Then, with Shui Yanluo leading the way and Xie Liu, the Gold Dan cultivator, at the back, “kidnapping” the three people, Mo Hua, Ouyang Feng, and Hua Qianqian, they walked along the long staircase towards the interior of the grand temple.

Walking to the front of the temple, Mo Hua looked up and saw red walls and gold tiles that had weathered countless wind and rain, and above the high door and flying eaves, a large plaque hung.

On the large plaque, three large characters were engraved in ancient and natural calligraphy:

Long Wang Miao.

Dragon King…

Mo Hua’s expression was one of shock.

He had only heard that this world had many divine beasts, such as true dragons, true phoenixes, Qilin, Pixiu, the Four Saints, the Four Fierce, etc.

But he had only regarded these as ancient cultivation legends, and until now, he had never personally seen any of them.

But now, in front of him, there was a “Dragon King Temple”.

Even if it wasn’t a true dragon, just a river dragon, it was probably not simple.

As Mo Hua was pondering, Shui Yanluo looked around and frowned, saying, “Where are the people guarding the temple?”

Xie Liu released his divine sense, and his gaze also condensed, “Transferred away?”

Shui Yanluo slightly shook his head, “Impossible… This is an important place, how could no one guard it?”

Xie Liu slightly nodded.

Shui Yanluo again sized up the temple gate, his gaze slightly sinking, “I always feel that this temple seems different from before, with heavier yin and baleful qi…”

“En.” Shui Yanluo nodded.

There was no movement at the temple gate.

Shui Yanluo didn’t dare to take any action.

Xie Liu also held his breath and concentrated.

Only Mo Hua looked at the temple gate with anticipation.

After a while, it seemed that Shui Yanluo’s voice was transmitted to somewhere and received a response.

Outside the temple gate, a bloody light flashed on the fish bone token.

The copper statue of the water demon holding the fish bone trembled, and a sinister green light emitted from the copper statue’s eyes. Then, accompanied by a muffled “boom” sound, the old gate of the Long Wang Miao slowly opened.

“However, I advise you one thing,” Shui Yanluo’s gaze was not good, and he especially looked at Mo Hua and said, “Don’t play small tricks, otherwise I would rather not have that thing and still kill you.”

“En en.” Mo Hua said perfunctorily.

He didn’t believe that Shui Yanluo would not want that box.

Shui Yanluo’s current skills, especially the Ten Thousand Soul Evil Transformation Formula and the Blood Prison Eye Technique, all relied on the Water Prison Forbidden Box to cultivate.

Without the forbidden box, don’t expect any progress in his lifetime’s means.

Furthermore, this box was a secret item passed down by the headmaster of the Shui Lao Sect. It was estimated that there were other good things inside, but he temporarily couldn’t open it.

It would be strange if this Shui Yanluo could bear to give it up…

Mo Hua thought silently in his heart.

Then Shui Yanluo led the way and walked into the Long Wang Miao.

Mo Hua followed behind, but before stepping over the threshold, he hesitated a bit.

He hid a Tian Ji copper coin in his sleeve.

Mo Hua really wanted to calculate the fortune and misfortune of this trip.

But he had a premonition in his heart that he absolutely could not calculate. As long as he calculated, he would be perceived by someone and it would ruin things.

Mo Hua stroked the copper coin, restrained the impulse to derive, put the copper coin away again, and slowly stepped over the threshold of the Long Wang Miao.

The group then walked into the depths of the Long Wang Miao like this.

A moment later, in the thick fog, a bloody color emerged.

The gate of the Long Wang Miao slowly closed, like a huge demon beast closing its blood-basin mouth…

On the Hongzhi Boat.

The battle had basically settled.

The cultivators on the Hongzhi Boat, whether from families or sects, were suddenly startled by Mo Hua’s explosion on this spring night.

Then the sea of fire spread, causing panic, and when they encountered the cultivators of the Dao Ting Si, they had almost no remaining resistance.

The people from the Dao Ting Si arrested those who should be arrested, and if there were those who stubbornly refused to repent, they would not show mercy.

At this time, they were basically dealing with the aftermath.

But one person was relatively an exception, and that was Ye Hong.

He was just brought to Gu Changhuai and Xia Dian Si by the people from the Dao Ting Si.

The Dian Si surnamed Gu…

Xia Dian Si looked at Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai’s expression was calm. He took the letter, glanced at it, and raised his eyebrows.

Ye Hong breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands, saying:

“This is natural.”

“Good, you go down first,” Xia Dian Si said.

“Yes,” Ye Hong cupped his hands in salute, but his expression became somewhat hesitant again. He asked in a low voice, “That young master, I don’t know where he is now…”

The Hongzhi Boat exploded, and a large fire spread. Ye Hong searched for a long time but still didn’t find Mo Hua’s figure, and his heart was inevitably somewhat worried.

He didn’t know that the explosion was caused by Mo Hua, so he was worried that Mo Hua was involved.

Gu Changhuai said, “You don’t need to worry, he should be fine.”

With Mo Hua’s cleverness, if he set up the array himself and it blew himself up, that would be strange.

“Yes.” Ye Hong saluted.

He was just at the peak of Foundation Building, from a third-rank family. Facing Gu Changhuai, a Dian Si of the Dao Ting Si at the Gold Dan realm, he was naturally very respectful.

Ye Hong turned to leave, but when he reached the door, he bumped into someone and was involuntarily startled.

“Xiao Zhi Si?”

Seeing the situation, Gu Changhuai’s gaze slightly condensed, “You all know each other?”

Ye Hong then said, “Our Ye family is a third-rank family in Smoke Water City. Xiao Zhi Si once stayed in Smoke Water City for some time due to official business, and by chance, I had several encounters with him and can be considered to have some friendship.”

Xiao Tianquan also cupped his hands and said, “Before in the Ye family, I thank Elder Ye for your hospitality, but…”

Xiao Tianquan’s gaze flashed and he asked, “Elder Ye, why are you here?”

“This… it’s hard to say in a few words…” Ye Hong sighed. Seeing that it wasn’t the time to speak, he said, “Young Master Xiao has public business to attend to, so I won’t disturb you further. If there is an opportunity another day, I will fulfill my duty as host and properly entertain Young Master Xiao.”

Xiao Tianquan clasped his fist, “Thank you, Elder Ye.”

Their relationship seemed quite good.

Seeing the situation, Gu Changhuai didn’t mind.

The cultivators of the Dao Ting Si had their respective duties on the surface, but privately, some personal connections were inevitable.

After Ye Hong left, Xiao Tianquan reported:

“Xia Dian Si, Gu Dian Si, everything has been handled.”

“The fire has been extinguished, the cultivators who fell into the water have been rescued as much as possible, and those who couldn’t be saved died in the mouths of the water demons.”

“Those injured by the array have also been treated with pills, and together with others, they were tied with spirit-binding locks and escorted onto the Dao Ting Si’s boat. After returning, their identities will be checked and they will be dealt with.”

“Some key figures have also been apprehended and recorded in the case file.”

“But, Shui Yanluo has disappeared…”

Xiao Tianquan’s gaze was somewhat condensed.

While speaking, another person entered from outside the door.

This person wore the robes of a Dao Ting Si Dian Si, with a deep aura and agile steps. He was also a Gold Dan cultivator, but his eyes were slightly narrowed, and his face wore a smile that looked somewhat insincere, revealing a hint of disharmony.

This person was Xiao Dian Si.

Mo Hua had given him a nickname before, calling him a “smiling tiger”.

“This Gold Dan cultivator, surnamed Xie and named Liu, was once an inner disciple instructor of the Gui Shui Sect. His qualifications are not shallow, and after a few more years, he could be promoted to ‘elder’.”

“But he is very close to the Duan Jin Sect and was involved in a case before that was related to the direct lineage of the Duan Jin Sect.”

“This case was not big or small, but it was more or less a mistake and caused the Gui Shui Sect to lose face. Therefore, this Xie Liu was expelled from the sect.”

“But I didn’t expect that after being expelled from the sect, he would still do these dirty jobs.”

“The Gui Shui Sect is really… unfortunate for the sect…”

Xiao Dian Si narrowed his eyes and sighed.

Gu Changhuai’s expression was somewhat strange.

He knew in his heart that Xie Liu might be doing dirty jobs, but these dirty jobs were originally also those of the Gui Shui Sect. To be honest, the Gui Shui Sect was even dirtier.

However, everyone was a Dian Si, and on the surface, they would definitely still say some polite words.

“This Xie Liu seems to have escaped…”

Xiao Dian Si continued, “I used punishment to interrogate several people and obtained some clues from their mouths.”

“According to them, the Hongzhi Boat was secretly set up with an array by someone, which then suddenly exploded, and a large fire spread. The Gold Dan realm Xie Liu and the wanted ‘Shui Yanluo’ kidnapped three young cultivators and went towards the depth of the thick fog…”

Gu Changhuai frowned, “Kidnap…”

He looked at Xia Dian Si, and their gazes met, their expressions all somewhat condensed.

“Xie Liu must be brought to justice, and Shui Yanluo cannot be allowed to escape again. How about this, I and Gu Dian Si will go chase, and the Hongzhi Boat here will be left to Xiao Dian Si to help with the aftermath.”

“Xia Dian Si’s actions are very good, but,” Xiao Dian Si narrowed his eyes, unable to see any emotion, but his tone revealed some worry:

“It may not be too safe for the two of you to go… Xie Liu is not a righteous person, and that Shui Yanluo is cunning, both are not easy to deal with.”

“Moreover, they are cornered at this time and have escaped into the depths of the thick fog, which indicates that there may be a hiding place for evil demons and heretics in the depth of the thick fog. It is also not impossible that other Gold Dan evil cultivators are hidden inside…”

Xiao Dian Si turned his eyes again and said, “Of course, Xia Dian Si and Gu Dian Si, with their deep cultivation, wisdom and courage, are also outstanding figures on one side of the talented Dao Ting Si, and naturally do not fear these evil demons and heretics.”

“But precisely because of this, if the two of you encounter an accident and have any mishap, it will be a great loss to our Qian Xue Dao Ting Si. Please consider carefully before acting…”

Xiao Dian Si had been immersed in the Dao Ting Si for many years. Without mentioning anything else, his speaking skills were evident.

Xia Dian Si then said, “Then according to Xiao Dian Si’s opinion, what should be done?”

Xiao Dian Si pondered and said, “Since that is the case, why not… I will go with the two of you. Even a lion fighting a rabbit uses its full strength. With three Gold Dan cultivators acting together, even if that Xie Liu and Shui Yanluo have three heads and six arms, they absolutely cannot turn the sky upside down…”

Xia Dian Si had some reservations, “But, this Hongzhi Boat…”

Xiao Dian Si said, “The matter of the Hongzhi Boat has been handled properly. The Dao Ting Si will send people to take over later, and the subsequent matters are trivial and do not require us to worry.”

“Instead, time is urgent on Xie Liu’s side. If we don’t chase, I fear we won’t be able to catch up.”

Xia Dian Si thought for a moment and slowly nodded.

In this situation, it was indeed better for all three of them to go.

Moreover, Xia Dian Si also knew in her heart that although Xiao Dian Si put on a very humble posture, in terms of position, everyone was a Dian Si. On the surface, she was in charge, which was due to the Xia family’s face.

In reality, she did not have the power to give orders to other Dian Si.

Xiao Dian Si lowered his posture like this and had already given enough face, so she couldn’t refuse too much either.

“Then good, we will go together and capture Xie Liu and Shui Yanluo together and bring them to justice,” Xia Dian Si said.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Tianquan in the field also cupped his hands and said:

“Xia Dian Si, your subordinate is not talented, but also wants to go together.”

“You?” Xia Dian Si was slightly startled.

Xiao Tianquan said righteously:

“Shui Yanluo is extremely evil and everyone has a duty to punish him. The last time I let him escape, I couldn’t eat or sleep well. This time I will definitely bring him to justice. Please fulfill my request, Dian Si.”

“Yes.” Xiao Tianquan cupped his hands.

Gu Changhuai only regarded Xiao Tianquan as eager to earn merit and didn’t take it to heart.

However, Xiao Dian Si, on the other hand, looked at Xiao Tianquan with a hint of indifference and a hint of hostility in his eyes.

After the Dao Ting Si prepared the spirit boat.

Gu Changhuai, Xia Dian Si, and Xiao Dian Si from the Xiao family, as well as Xiao Tianquan, rode the spirit boat together and sailed towards the depth of the thick fog.

As they went, the always narrowed-eyed, insincerely smiling Xiao Dian Si turned his head to look at the messy, blood and fire-mixed Hongzhi Boat that was still not burned out, and his eyes slightly widened.

His eyes reflected a sea of blood.

A wisp of baleful qi flowed within it.

Inside the Long Wang Miao.

Mo Hua and his group were still walking towards the interior of the temple.

The inside of the temple was very spacious, with high walls and flying eaves, very grand, but it was empty all the way, with a deathly silence and no movement at all.

Shui Yanluo and Xie Liu felt more and more that something was wrong as they walked.

Even Mo Hua felt a hint of unease in his heart.

Walking to the front of a large hall, Shui Yanluo hesitated for a moment, stepped forward, knocked on the door, and said:

“Mister Wu, I have brought the ‘offering’.”

There was no reaction from inside the door.

“Mister Wu?”

Shui Yanluo frowned.

“Where are the people guarding the temple? Where have they all gone?”

“Mister Wu, are you here?”

“Mister Wu…”

Shui Yanluo’s voice became lower and lower, and his mood also became heavier and heavier.

Just at this moment, something dropped with a sound. Shui Yanluo’s expression stiffened, and he suddenly backed several steps, leaving his original spot.

At the same time, something fell from the beam and smashed onto the ground.

The crowd fixed their eyes on it.

It was a blood-dripping corpse.

(End of this chapter)