Zhuge Zhenren and Hua Zhenren both looked at Mo Hua.

“Bai Zisheng.”

Hua Zhenren repeated the name, then his eyes flickered as he asked, “Oh, does young friend Mo know him?”

Mo Hua shook his head. “Who is Bai Zisheng? I don’t know him.”

Mo Hua then felt that this was too deliberate, so he asked in a probing tone, “Could he be… from the Bai family of Qianzhou?”

Hua Zhenren nodded. “You know the Bai family?”

Mo Hua nodded. “The Bai family is a major aristocratic family, of course I know them. To be honest, the sect master of our Taixu Gate also has the surname Bai.”

Hua Zhenren looked thoughtful.

Mo Hua then said coldly, “When I was at Taixu Gate, the sect master often reminded us not to become complacent just because we joined Taixu Gate and think ourselves geniuses.”

“The sect master also said that there’s always someone better, and we so-called geniuses are nothing compared to the true prodigies of their sixth-rank Zulong Bai family. Therefore, we must remain humble and eager to learn, and never become arrogant—”

Mo Hua embellished the Taixu sect master’s words with exaggeration and rumor.

Only the Taixu sect master knew that he had never said any of those things.

But Hua Zhenren and Zhuge Zhenren both believed it.

Because those words did indeed sound like something a sect master would say to admonish disciples.

In a sense, it was also true.

There was certainly a significant gap between the disciples of major sects in a fifth-rank state domain and the heirs of a top sixth-rank aristocratic family like the Bai family.

When Mo Hua spoke, he had an indignant expression.

Hua Zhenren then understood why he was so sensitive to the name “Bai Zisheng.”

As a disciple of a major sect like Taixu Gate, he must be proud and arrogant. To be “compared unfavorably” by the sect master like that would naturally make him feel resentful.

Now, hearing of a disciple named “Bai” would naturally trigger a reaction.

Although this young man, Mo Hua, behaved a bit strangely, geniuses are often young and competitive by nature.

Hua Zhenren didn’t suspect much.

Mo Hua asked curiously, “What about this Bai Zisheng? Did he do something bad? Commit a crime? Is he being hunted down?”

“This—” Hua Zhenren was reluctant to say more, but then seemed to realize that since the Daoting had already issued an arrest warrant, this matter would spread sooner or later and was not a secret. So he said, “It is said that this Bai Zisheng originally came to the Great Wilderness for experience, but during the frontline battles, he developed a secret affection for the most beautiful woman of the Great Wilderness Royal Court, which led to some private exchanges and the leakage of military secrets. That’s why the Daoting ordered his arrest—”

Mo Hua was taken aback. “The most beautiful woman of the Great Wilderness Royal Court, who?”

Hua Zhenren said, “Her name seems to be Danling.”

“Danling?!”

Mo Hua was surprised again.

Hua Zhenren looked at Mo Hua with a strange expression. “You know her?”

Isn’t Danling Danzhu’s older sister?

Mo Hua shook his head. “How could I know her? What connection could the most beautiful woman of the Great Wilderness have with me—”

Then Mo Hua asked again, “So, that… good-for-nothing Bai Zisheng was so infatuated that he lost his sense of reason?”

Hua Zhenren nodded, sighing softly. “This Danling is a temptress from the Great Wilderness Royal Court, incredibly beautiful and skilled at seducing with her charms. And this Bai Zisheng is a rare genius, coupled with his youthful arrogance, being tempted by her beauty and making a misstep was almost inevitable—”

Mo Hua nodded.

An aristocratic prodigy and a Great Wilderness temptress, it certainly sounded plausible.

“Is Bai Zisheng’s crime very serious then?” Mo Hua asked.

Hua Zhenren pondered for a moment, then spoke truthfully, “After all, he is a descendant of the Zulong Bai family, and his status is significant. The Daoting also doesn’t want to make things too difficult, so the order issued is merely to apprehend him, clarify some matters, and then hand him over to the Seven Pavilions, or directly return him to the Bai family for them to handle as they see fit—”

Mo Hua nodded.

That’s good then.

But then he was somewhat puzzled and asked, “What is Bai Zisheng’s current cultivation realm?”

Hua Zhenren said, “Peak Foundation Establishment.”

Mo Hua was startled. “How is he only Peak Foundation Establishment?”

Hua Zhenren looked at Mo Hua with a strange gaze.

Mo Hua considered his words. “Isn’t he… a prodigy of the Bai family? How is his cultivation only at Peak Foundation Establishment now?”

Hua Zhenren slowly said, “It is said that… this young master of the Bai family suffered a great mishap when he was young, damaging the origin of his protective Dao, which is why he was delayed—”

Suffered a great mishap, damaged the origin of his protective Dao…

Mo Hua’s heart trembled.

His junior brother’s natal longevity talisman had shattered once…

In a sense, it had shattered to save him.

Mo Hua felt a pang of guilt.

Then he noticed something amiss and asked, “Does a Peak Foundation Establishment disciple require you, a Zhenren, to personally apprehend him?”

Hua Zhenren frowned. “The trouble is precisely that he’s Peak Foundation Establishment.”

“What do you mean?” Mo Hua didn’t understand.

Hua Zhenren explained, “The Great Wilderness Royal Domain is a bit special. Besides the Grand Fourth-rank of the Royal Court and a few transitional Third-ranks, most of the continuous mountain ranges are all Second-rank—”

“This unbalanced mountain range layout, where Second-ranks surround a Fourth-rank, is uncommon in the Daoting’s Nine Provinces, but in the Great Wilderness, it has become the norm. This is also the main reason why the Great Wilderness Royal Court is easy to defend and difficult to attack.”

“If one wants to attack the Royal Court, they must primarily rely on Second-rank Foundation Establishment forces.”

“And this Bai Zisheng, as soon as his actions were exposed, he immediately dove into the Second-rank Royal Domain. Trying to catch him is like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

“Even if he is caught, no one can hold him.”

Mo Hua asked, “Is this Bai Zisheng very strong?”

Hua Zhenren sighed lightly, “Few people from the Bai family are weak. This Bai Zisheng, among the Bai family’s disciples, is an exceptional talent, unbelievably strong—to an extent that’s almost ridiculous.”

“Actually, the Daoting had previously issued some orders, and various forces in the Nine Provinces also sent their own clan prodigies to apprehend Bai Zisheng.”

“But all those prodigies couldn’t hold him.”

“Even Golden Core cultivators went, but in the Second-rank mountain ranges, Golden Core cultivators were restricted and were actually beaten so badly by this Bai Zisheng that they couldn’t even raise their heads—”

Mo Hua nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.

As expected of his junior brother, he hadn’t embarrassed him.

But then again, to be so infatuated by a woman that he lost his sense of reason, getting pursued by the Daoting and surrounded by everyone, was truly foolish.

Although he himself was also pursued by the Daoting, how could that be the same?

He was pursued because he served as a Divine Priest in the Great Wilderness, unifying the desolate lands and achieving “great accomplishments.”

It was a completely different scale.

Mo Hua shook his head, thinking, “I can’t tell anyone that this idiot is my junior brother, lest he make me lose face too—”

Mo Hua then asked Hua Zhenren, “The prodigies couldn’t apprehend this Bai Zisheng, so you, a Zhenren, need to personally go and catch him?”

Hua Zhenren nodded. “It’s not that I’ll personally catch him. In a Second-rank mountain range, it’s not convenient for me to act. I’m just going to oversee and plan, to prevent any unexpected situations.”

“Oh—” Mo Hua nodded. He thought for a moment and then suddenly said, “How about I go too?”

“You?” Hua Zhenren was startled.

Zhuge Zhenren also felt a headache coming on.

This little ancestor, why does he have to get involved in everything?

Mo Hua nodded. “Yes! I’ll go too. I’m afraid you won’t be able to catch this Bai—Bai Zisheng.”

Hua Zhenren smiled faintly. “What? You think you can catch him if you go?”

“Of course,” Mo Hua dropped the act, looking as if he was “laying all his cards on the table.” “By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of my reputation. You know I’m the junior brother of Taixu Gate, a two-time champion of formation arts, and the top person in the Qianxue Sword Debate. Looking at Taixu Gate, no, looking at the entire fifth-rank Qianxue Great State Domain, I am one of the absolute top prodigies—”

Mo Hua’s boasts were so grand, a mere Qianzhou couldn’t contain them.

Hua Zhenren and Zhuge Zhenren were momentarily “shocked” into silence by him.

“I can suppress so many prodigies, dominate in the Sword Debate, and stand above my contemporaries, so my strength is naturally beyond doubt—”

“Those whom others cannot defeat, I can defeat; the petty thieves others cannot catch, I catch effortlessly; this Bai Zisheng, whom others cannot apprehend, I can easily seize.”

“Hua Zhenren, trust me, give me a chance, and I will definitely help you capture this Bai Zisheng!!”

Mo Hua vowed solemnly, with an indescribable confidence on his face.

Hua Zhenren’s mind was a bit chaotic at the moment.

He even doubted if this young man was truly the same person he had captured from the desolate lands.

How could he say such “wild” and boundless words with a humble expression?

Didn’t he feel ashamed saying these things?

At least look at your own mediocre spiritual roots, weigh your frail body, how could you possibly utter the words, “one of the absolute top geniuses in the entire Qianxue Great State Domain”?!

Hua Zhenren looked at Zhuge Zhenren.

Zhuge Zhenren felt a strange sense of shame. With such a little ancestor, he truly had no choice.

Zhuge Zhenren could only blame the Hua family: “Your Hua family’s golden needles have damaged his brain—”

Hua Zhenren was momentarily unable to refute.

Mo Hua, however, looked at Hua Zhenren with bright eyes. “Take me with you, I’ll help you catch this Bai Zisheng.”

Hua Zhenren was silent and glanced at Zhuge Zhenren.

Zhuge Zhenren shook his head.

Hua Zhenren then tactfully said, “Allow me… to consider it.”

Zhuge Zhenren also pulled Mo Hua. “We will take our leave now.”

Mo Hua was somewhat unwilling, but he knew that this matter was not his to decide, so he reluctantly followed Zhuge Zhenren and left the Hua family’s residence.

Back at Zhuge Zhenren’s cave dwelling.

Mo Hua said to Zhuge Zhenren, “Zhenren, this Bai Zisheng, infatuated and having lost his sense of reason, violated the Daoting’s laws. His crime is unforgivable. Let’s go and apprehend him.”

Zhuge Zhenren found it strange. “You’re so keen on apprehending this Bai Zisheng?”

Mo Hua honestly said, “The sect master always tells me how powerful and amazing their Bai family disciples are. I want to meet them—”

Although Zhuge Zhenren also felt that Mo Hua’s insistence on apprehending Bai Zisheng was a bit out of place.

But after thinking about it, prodigal disciples are usually like this; normally amiable, but once they become competitive, no one yields to anyone else.

Especially someone like Mo Hua, who was clearly doted on by the ancestor but was “compared unfavorably” by the sect master in front of him.

But the Taixu sect master was truly innocent.

He had a Buddhist temperament; he had never disparaged Mo Hua, it was entirely Mo Hua spreading rumors about him.

Zhuge Zhenren still shook his head. “This matter is led by the Hua family. You cannot go with them.”

Mo Hua asked, “Zhenren, aren’t you and Hua Zhenren on good terms?”

Zhuge Zhenren said, “That’s me; I am Yu Hua, so he is polite to me. But you are just a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If I can protect you, it’s fine, but if I can’t, then you will be in great danger.”

“Furthermore, once one reaches Yu Hua, unless there is a conflict over major Dao interests, they generally won’t completely fall out.”

“But if we truly fall out, then the situation might be—” Zhuge Zhenren’s expression was grave, “extremely severe.”

Mo Hua nodded.

But he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing about his junior brother’s situation.

He really wanted to go and apprehend his junior brother.

Mo Hua said seriously, “The problem with the golden needles in my mind is very serious. Lately, my mind is often hazy, and the things I say are often inappropriate. Perhaps these are symptoms of the after-effects worsening.”

“If Hua Zhenren were to abandon us at this moment, and my golden needle illness just happened to flare up, wouldn’t I be without anyone to diagnose me? Wouldn’t I be doomed?”

Zhuge Zhenren frowned. This was indeed a very tricky problem.

Mo Hua’s safety was still the most important.

“So,” Mo Hua said, “we must follow the Hua family, follow Hua Zhenren. Wherever they go, we go. If problems arise, we’ll find them, lest the Hua family gets me killed without paying the price.”

Zhuge Zhenren frowned, then sighed.

This young man, he didn’t know how he trained his eloquent tongue—everything he said seemed to make perfect sense.

Zhuge Zhenren thought carefully again, realizing that what Mo Hua said was also true. For now, it seemed best to follow the Hua family.

But this matter… it was too troublesome… it truly didn’t suit his lazy nature.

“I’ll consider it again—” Zhuge Zhenren said.

“Mm-hmm.” Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.

Afterward, Mo Hua waited for Zhuge Zhenren to consider, while making straw dogs.

But Zhuge Zhenren was by nature uninhibited, leisurely, and slow. Mo Hua was afraid he might become too lazy and gloss over the matter, so he went to Zhuge Zhenren every day for tea, doing his best to persuade him to follow the Hua family on this apprehension mission.

Zhuge Zhenren was truly pestered to his wit’s end.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t even bother.

Up until now, no one had dared to pester him daily like this.

But this was the little ancestor.

He couldn’t be beaten, couldn’t be scolded, couldn’t be constrained, couldn’t be spoken ill of.

If he went and “courted death” by himself, it would still be Zhuge Zhenren who suffered the consequences.

Zhuge Zhenren’s scalp tingled, and finally, left with no other choice, he could only agree, “Alright, I’ll take you with me, but it’s agreed—”

Zhuge Zhenren carefully warned, “You must obey my words, you cannot act recklessly, you cannot leave my sight, you cannot offend the Hua family, and you cannot compete or fight with other aristocratic family disciples—if you really encounter Bai Zisheng, don’t engage him, to avoid causing too much conflict.”

In his lifetime, Zhuge Zhenren had never given such careful instructions to anyone.

But that wasn’t all.

Zhuge Zhenren’s gaze darkened, and he added, “This Bai Zisheng, after all, is a direct descendant of the Bai family, from the sixth-rank Zulong domain—the Bai family’s rise was stained with blood. The Bai family’s original ancestor achieved great merit by supporting the dragon, his battle achievements were immense back then, with corpses scattered across the land, earning him the title ‘Slaughter Immortal among Men.’ If you truly offend the Bai family and invite a killing calamity, even Taixu Gate might not be able to protect you.”

Mo Hua’s heart turned cold. He hadn’t realized that the Bai family’s “fierce reputation” was so strong.

He had thought the Bai family was a refined, cultured, and reasonable major aristocratic family.

Mo Hua said cautiously, “I understand—Zhenren, please rest assured.”

Seeing that Mo Hua understood, Zhuge Zhenren sighed again, suddenly feeling very tired.

Ever since he met Mo Hua, this “little ancestor,” his former leisure seemed to have vanished forever.

“Tomorrow, we will depart,” Zhuge Zhenren said.

“Good!”

Mo Hua nodded, his heart inexplicably leaping with joy.

Departing tomorrow to apprehend his junior brother!