In the vast wilderness of the Great Barrens, within the royal domain, lay a remote second-grade mountain territory.

Dozens of miles away, the tremors of battle were incredibly fierce, with forests collapsing and wood and stone turning to dust. Within a second-grade territory, this was a power approaching the upper limit of the rules.

At this moment, a group of Dao Ting and Jiu Zhou (Nine Provinces) elites were locked in combat with Bai Zisheng. The shouts of battle resounded, and a white light illuminated the sky, occasionally accompanied by the roar of a dragon, displaying astonishing power. Mo Hua felt a great urgency but could only watch from dozens of miles away.

He wanted to join the fight too. But when he mingled with the crowd, following other elites and shouting, “Kill Bai Zisheng!”, intending to charge forward and personally apprehend his junior martial brother, Zhuge Zhenren (True Man) grabbed him.

“Don’t go.”

Mo Hua was displeased. “Why not?”

Zhuge Zhenren said, “Bai Zisheng has nothing to do with you. Why are you getting involved?”

Mo Hua earnestly replied, “I promised Hua Zhenren I would help him resolve his worries and find a way to capture Bai Zisheng. One cannot break their word.”

Zhuge Zhenren was speechless. Beside them, Hua Zhenren, despite his deep composure, couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Mo Hua. He had cultivated for hundreds of years but had never seen anyone with such thick skin.

“Really…” Seeing that Zhuge Zhenren and Hua Zhenren didn’t believe him, Mo Hua emphasized again, “I am the foremost in array Dao (path) in Qian Xue (Dry Study) and the number one in the Sword Discourse of Qian Xue. I am one of the top geniuses in the Qian Xue state, a talent rarely seen in hundreds of years. If I don’t act, these other elites probably won’t be able to catch Bai Zisheng…”

“Alright, alright, my little ancestor…” Zhuge Zhenren couldn’t listen anymore and said helplessly, “Please calm down and say less…”

Lest others hear him and truly turn everyone into enemies.

“Then I…”

Mo Hua opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Zhuge Zhenren had already gripped his hand, saying irresistibly, “You will stay with me, drink tea here, and go nowhere else.”

Otherwise, who knows what other mischief he might stir up.

After saying this, Zhuge Zhenren suddenly paused, remembering that he himself had been “restrained” in a similar way by Elder Xun before. He had been very unhappy then. He was naturally aloof and free-spirited, disliking any form of restraint. Yet now, unconsciously, he too had started to “restrain” others?

Time flies, and the world changes, yet he had unconsciously begun to do the very thing he once “hated”? Zhuge Zhenren felt a momentary pang of complex emotions. But the next instant, he looked at Mo Hua and suddenly “empathized” with Elder Xun.

Because on Mo Hua’s face, the words “uncontrollable” were almost explicitly written. It was better to restrain him; if not, who knows what trouble he might cause. In this situation, there was no way to be “free and unconstrained.” In front of Mo Hua, Zhuge Zhenren could only go against his nature and emphasized, “Don’t run off, drink tea.”

“Okay…”

Zhuge Zhenren was doing it for his own good, so Mo Hua had no choice but to unwillingly sit down and watch the distant battle between the elites and Bai Zisheng, silently analyzing the unfolding situation.

“I wonder if junior martial brother can escape…”

“Or will he be captured by the elites of Qian Xue and Dao Zhou? Who will capture him?”

“It’s a pity I can’t catch him myself…”

Mo Hua was muttering to himself when he suddenly heard a clear voice say, “Pour me a cup of tea.” Mo Hua turned to see Hua Ping, dressed in a magnificent gown. Hua Ping had somehow sat down next to him again.

Mo Hua said, “Do it yourself, and you’ll have plenty.”

Hua Ping was startled. “What does that mean?”

Mo Hua repeated, “Do it yourself.”

Hua Ping frowned. “It’s an honor for me to ask you to pour me tea. Others don’t have this privilege.”

Mo Hua pouted. “Then you can keep this honor for others.”

Hua Ping couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Then, thinking of something, she suppressed her temper and asked, “You want to catch that Bai Zisheng?”

Mo Hua nodded. “I want to see how strong this so-called Bai family elite really is, that the sect leader praises him to me every day.”

Hua Ping seemed to see through Mo Hua’s thoughts and chuckled softly. Mo Hua suddenly asked Hua Ping in return, “What about you? Do you know this Bai Zisheng?”

Hua Ping shook her head.

Mo Hua said, “Then why are you getting involved?”

Hua Ping said, “I heard that Bai Zisheng has an ambiguous relationship with that demoness of the Great Barrens, so I specifically came to see.”

Mo Hua didn’t understand. “See what?”

Hua Ping said, “Naturally, to see what the most beautiful woman in the Great Barrens looks like…”

Mo Hua suddenly realized, “Oh, you’re jealous.”

Hua Ping’s expression was indifferent. “No.”

Mo Hua said, “Then you’re vain and want to see who is more beautiful compared to the most beautiful woman in the Great Barrens.”

Hua Ping sneered. “No.”

Mo Hua said, “When women are vain, they usually won’t admit it themselves.”

Hua Ping was somewhat annoyed. “You…”

Mo Hua said, “You’re getting agitated, which proves I’m right.”

Hua Ping gritted her teeth. “What about you? Don’t you want to catch Bai Zisheng to prove you’re stronger than the Bai family’s disciples? Aren’t you vain too?”

Mo Hua looked bewildered. “I never said I wasn’t vain…”

Seeing Mo Hua impervious to criticism, Hua Ping took a deep breath, still feeling a pain in her chest. Hua Ping gritted her teeth and said, “You can be vain, but I can’t?”

Mo Hua still looked bewildered. “I didn’t say you couldn’t be vain. I just stated objectively that you are vain, without saying anything more. And look, you’re now admitting your own vanity…”

“Bang—”

Hua Ping crushed the teacup in her hand and stormed off angrily. Mo Hua shook his head. Young people are just impetuous and lack patience…

Hua Zhenren watched Mo Hua, with just a few words, infuriate his Hua family’s eldest daughter, looking incredulous. Zhuge Zhenren was also stunned for a moment. After some deep thought, he couldn’t help but ask Mo Hua, “Mo Hua, why don’t you just marry into the Hua family? That way, you’ll be family with them, and the Hua family’s ancestor will naturally remove the golden needle from your head.”

“And looking at you, even if you marry in, you probably won’t suffer any grievances…”

After all, you’re the one making others suffer.

Mo Hua looked at Zhuge Zhenren. “Zhenren, can you be serious?”

We’re doing serious business here. How can you make such jokes about something as important as marriage?

Zhuge Zhenren fanned himself and stopped talking.

On the other side, the battle to apprehend Bai Zisheng continued. From day to night, three mountaintops collapsed, and the terrain between the mountains changed. The fighting was extremely fierce, but in the end, Bai Zisheng could not be held. Bai Zisheng, like a white dragon, forcefully broke out of the encirclement, leaving only an afterimage behind. Only an afterimage; nothing else was clearly visible.

Mo Hua’s heart trembled, wanting to pursue, but Zhuge Zhenren watched him, so he couldn’t chase.

At night, in the military camp. Mo Hua, in the name of Hua Zhenren, obtained some meat and wine in the camp. He then proceeded to roast meat by himself in a small grove by the road. Mo Hua roasted the meat while counting on his fingers.

Sure enough, after a short while, Feng Zichen, looking disgruntled from his defeat, walked over. Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he waved at him. Feng Zichen stopped, caught in a dilemma. Fleeing would seem weak and a bit shameful. Not fleeing would mean facing Mo Hua alone, and Feng Zichen was a bit… lacking in courage.

Feng Zichen hesitated, not knowing what to do. Mo Hua then called his name, “Feng Zichen, come here.” Feng Zichen’s heart involuntarily jolted, like a disciple whose name had been called by an instructor, his soul snatched away by Mo Hua.

Feng Zichen could only reluctantly walk towards Mo Hua, thinking to himself, “Anyway, my movement technique isn’t as good as his, so I can’t escape. I can only accept my fate…”

Feng Zichen walked up to Mo Hua. Mo Hua patted the spot next to him and said, “Sit.” Feng Zichen sat down. Mo Hua handed him a skewer of roasted meat. “Eat meat.”

Feng Zichen, as if under torture, put the meat into his mouth and chewed a few bites. At first, his mind was elsewhere, and it tasted like chewing wax, but as the savory, spicy, and smoky flavors spread in his mouth, his eyes lit up.

“Is it good?” Mo Hua asked.

Feng Zichen nodded. Mo Hua gave him another skewer and said gently, “If it’s good, eat more.”

Feng Zichen felt as if he was being bewitched by a “demon,” feeling that something was amiss, but his body just couldn’t resist. “No, I can’t eat things given by Mo Hua…” Feng Zichen insisted in his heart, but when he came to his senses, he found that he had already accepted Mo Hua’s roasted meat and put it in his mouth. The aroma of the roasted meat had already spread in his mouth. It was too late to regret.

Feng Zichen chewed the meat while regretting deeply in his heart. …Damn Mo Hua!

As Feng Zichen ate, another familiar person walked over from a distance, tall and sturdy, with bulging muscles, and a steady aura like a Vajra. It was Shi Tiangang, the senior disciple of the Jin Gang Men (Vajra Sect).

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he also greeted him, “Brother Shi, over here.” Shi Tiangang also stiffened. The past grudges and favors were indeed a mix of both, creating a delicate relationship. He was a bit unsure how to interact with Mo Hua. But seeing Feng Zichen next to Mo Hua, happily eating meat, Shi Tiangang decided to give in. Anyway, he wasn’t alone…

Shi Tiangang walked over to Mo Hua, greeting him somewhat distantly, “Mo Hua… long time no see…” Mo Hua nodded happily and said, “Brother Shi, sit down, let’s eat meat together.” Shi Tiangang thought for a moment, then sat down beside them, and like Feng Zichen, began to eat roasted meat. After one skewer, he couldn’t stop.

Mo Hua roasted meat, counted on his fingers, and waited for passing elites. Before long, more people arrived. It was Ao Zheng of the Long Ding Zong (Dragon Cauldron Sect). Mo Hua called out to him. Ao Zheng snorted coldly, looking very arrogant, but his body was honest, silently sitting by the bonfire.

Next was Song Jian. Mo Hua called him as usual. Song Jian glanced at the situation, sneered, expressing his disdain for Mo Hua, and then sat down next to Mo Hua. After that, it was Xiao Ruohan of the Tian Jian Zong (Heavenly Sword Sect)…

In this way, Mo Hua kept calling names, and the Qian Xue elites gathered around him grew more numerous. Before long, a crowd had gathered. This group of geniuses surrounded Mo Hua, gathered around the bonfire, eating meat and drinking wine. It almost looked like fellow disciples having a gathering.

Seeing that almost everyone had gathered and started eating, and the time was right, Mo Hua said indifferently, “Tell me, why couldn’t you all take down a mere Bai Zisheng…”

Everyone’s heart skipped a beat. Then some felt shame and anger, but looking up at Mo Hua, all their anger vanished without a trace. Others might not have the right, nor the ability, to criticize them. But Mo Hua was different. When Mo Hua questioned them, they couldn’t even utter a word of rebuttal. After all, strictly speaking, they had all been Mo Hua’s “defeated opponents” in the past.

“That Bai Zisheng…” Shi Tiangang sighed softly, “is indeed very strong.” Mo Hua wondered, “How strong? Stronger than me?”

Isn’t that obvious? Everyone present silently thought to themselves. Don’t you know how strong you are?

Shi Tiangang then said tactfully, “He’s strong in a different way…” Mo Hua’s strength lay in his many methods and cunning moves. His actual strength, whether in cultivation, foundation, blood energy, or spiritual power, was extremely ordinary, even considered “bottom-tier” among the Qian Xue elites.

Bai Zisheng, on the other hand, was simply “strong”… In a literal sense, he had almost no weaknesses, purely possessing extremely powerful combat ability. “Thick blood energy, abundant spiritual power, fierce spear techniques, fast movement techniques; he can attack and defend, advance and retreat… no flaws, no weaknesses, purely strong.”

Previously, they argued with the Dao Zhou elites, verbally disparaging Bai Zisheng, purely for the sake of face. But if Bai Zisheng were truly not strong, how could he be worthy of so many of their elites joining together to apprehend him? These words that glorified others’ power, they wouldn’t say to outsiders, but in front of Mo Hua, they had no need to lie. Moreover, with Mo Hua’s discerning eye, they couldn’t hide it anyway.

Mo Hua slowly nodded, but still felt something was amiss: “Even if Bai Zisheng is strong, with your combined strength, it’s impossible that you couldn’t capture him…”

Mo Hua had fought against Shi Tiangang, Ao Zheng, and Xiao Ruohan, and knew that these people, in terms of “hard strength,” were all top-tier. Even if his junior martial brother was strong, he absolutely couldn’t suppress everyone.

Xiao Ruohan said coldly, “We couldn’t strike a killing blow.” Mo Hua was startled. Ao Zheng also said, “This isn’t the Qian Xue state, nor the Sword Discourse Assembly. Without the protection of the Dao Discourse Array, we can’t unleash killing moves without any worries, risking our lives.”

“Although that Bai Zisheng is indeed very annoying, we really can’t risk our lives and cultivation foundation just to catch him…” “Yes,” Feng Zichen also said, “Furthermore, the Dao Ting’s order was to ‘apprehend,’ not to ‘kill.’ We are only apprehending someone, not truly killing. If we were to kill him, we would in turn be held accountable by the Dao Ting.”

“Not only that…” Shi Tiangang shook his head and said, “This Bai Zisheng is from the Zu Long Bai family. We were ordered to apprehend him and fight him; the Bai family won’t say anything. But if we truly ganged up and killed Bai Zisheng, the Bai family would absolutely not let it go… The Bai family is no small matter.”

“Besides, Bai Zisheng is truly not easy to kill…” “He looks like a heroic young man in white, but he has copper skin and iron bones, abundant blood energy, his spear strikes like a dragon, sweeping across all directions, truly having the aura of ‘an enemy of ten thousand men’…”

Everyone discussed animatedly. Mo Hua nodded slightly. Although they were talking about Bai Zisheng, he felt a little proud. After all, this was his junior martial brother…

Shi Tiangang asked, “Mo Hua, are you… not planning to act?” Others heard this and their gazes sharpened, all looking at Mo Hua. Mo Hua said helplessly, “I also wanted to make a slight move and experience the strength of this so-called Bai family elite. But I can’t; my elders in the sect won’t allow it.”

“However, now that I think about it, it’s good that I didn’t act. Otherwise, if I had acted and instantly suppressed Bai Zisheng, wouldn’t all your efforts have been in vain?”

Everyone nodded upon hearing this, thinking that Mo Hua was indeed Mo Hua. Just a few casual words from him gave people the urge to strangle him.

Afterward, everyone chatted for a while, exchanged information, and reminisced for a bit. As night deepened, they all dispersed. Mo Hua returned to his tent and continued to ponder about his junior martial brother, analyzing the related causes and effects.

But at this moment, the Tu Mo Ling (Slaying Mo Edict) was very noisy:

“What a disgrace!”

“A group of ‘elites’ from the Tu Mo Meng (Slaying Mo Alliance) sitting together with Mo Hua in broad daylight, eating roasted meat?!”

“Is this something a person can do?”

“Where is your dignity?”

“Where is your hatred?”

“Where is your shame?”

“Where is your backbone?”

“Scions of noble families, elites of Qian Xue, bah! Which one of you looks like an elite?”

“Normally, in the Tu Mo Ling, you shout slogans like ‘Slay demons and eliminate Mo’ so loudly, but what happened? In front of Mo Hua, a bunch of you didn’t even dare to fart!”

“And you even ate roasted meat with him?!”

“Don’t you feel ashamed?”

“Disgraceful!”

“It’s disgraceful to even talk about it!”