The door was kicked open, and Miss Hua, dressed in luxurious clothes and with a beautiful face, strode in.

Mo Hua was startled, “What are you doing?”

Miss Hua snorted coldly, “Who told you not to open the door?”

Mo Hua was speechless, “It’s the middle of the night. You’re forcing your way into a young man’s room. Don’t you have any manners or morals?”

Miss Hua stared at Mo Hua’s face, confirmed it, and nodded, “That’s right, it’s you. When you were disguised as a servant, serving me tea and water…”

Mo Hua quickly said, “Shush…”

Miss Hua looked a bit smug, seeing Mo Hua’s guilty look.

Mo Hua sighed helplessly, “Alright, what do you want?”

Just as Miss Hua was about to speak, Mo Hua shook his head again, “Don’t forget, whatever you do or say now, the Zhenren can see and hear it.”

Kicking down a door in the middle of the night—others might not know, or might not dare to know, but it certainly wouldn’t escape the perception of the two Zhenren.

Miss Hua was taken aback. She thought about it and realized he was right. She said, “Come with me.”

Mo Hua shook his head, “I’m not going.”

Miss Hua’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, “Don’t force me to use force on you.”

Mo Hua sighed again, “Alright, where are we going?”

Miss Hua crooked her fair finger at Mo Hua, “Follow me.”

She looked just like a beautiful female ghost luring souls in the middle of the night.

Mo Hua, helpless, could only follow her.

They didn’t go too far. Miss Hua led Mo Hua to another private room. She closed the door, sealed the windows, and even activated the formation on the screen.

The room was enclosed, with a faint, lingering fragrance.

Mo Hua was startled again and instinctively protected himself, “What do you want to do?”

Miss Hua glanced at Mo Hua, scoffing, “I’m not scared, what are you scared of? You…”

She was about to say something but stopped, seemingly finding it a bit improper. She then took out a jade pendant and activated it with spiritual power, forming a barrier that enveloped the room.

Mo Hua could tell at a glance that this barrier also blocked sight and sound, using a more sophisticated formation.

Mo Hua said, “This still can’t block the Zhenren’s senses.”

Miss Hua nodded, “I know, but if they try to listen in by force, I’ll be able to detect it.”

Mo Hua nodded.

Miss Hua found a chair and sat down, crossing her legs, looking at Mo Hua, and asked, “Are you Mo Hua?”

Mo Hua nodded.

Miss Hua, however, remained silent.

Mo Hua understood, and politely asked in return, “What’s your name?”

Miss Hua then said, “My surname is Hua, and my given name is ‘Ping’.”

“Hua Ping…” Mo Hua murmured, a thought crossed his mind, and his bad habit immediately resurfaced, “…hua ping (vase)?”

He loved to give people little nicknames for no reason.

Hua Ping’s pretty face turned cold.

Mo Hua shut his mouth.

This was the Hua family’s territory, and the person in front of him was the Hua family’s Eldest Miss. When under someone’s roof, one had to bow one’s head.

Moreover, his other identity as a Shen Zhu was tied to a “blood feud” with the Hua family. Although it was temporarily hidden, he still needed to keep a low profile.

“Are you a disciple of Tai Xu Men?”

“Yes.”

“Are you the top student in Qian Xue Formation Dao?”

“Yes.”

“The number one in Qian Xue Sword Discourse?”

“Yes.”

Hua Ping looked at Mo Hua as if he were a “rare animal,” and asked doubtfully, “Is that fake? You?”

“What about me?”

Hua Ping pouted, “You don’t look like it at all.”

Mo Hua nodded and sighed, “Yes, I pulled some strings. The top student in Qian Xue Formation Dao, I got through connections. The number one in Qian Xue Sword Discourse, I won by cheating, tricking, and ambushing.”

He was too lazy to explain much more.

Prejudice in people’s hearts was like a great mountain.

Hua Ping frowned, “Isn’t your Qian Xue Zhou Jie a cultivation mecca? Can it be so easily faked?”

Mo Hua said, “Its fame is undeserved. The entire cultivation world is just a makeshift show. Everyone is just a fraud.”

Mo Hua’s honesty surprised Hua Ping a little.

Other young prodigies would boast endlessly in front of her, praising themselves as unparalleled.

Only Mo Hua was open and honest with her, speaking nothing but the truth.

Hua Ping nodded, her hair ornaments swaying.

Mo Hua asked her, “What about you? Are you the Eldest Miss of the Hua family?”

Hua Ping said, “Of course.”

“Which branch?” Mo Hua asked.

Hua Ping said, “If I told you, would you know?”

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head, “No, I know nothing about the Hua family. The only person I know is Zhenren Hua.”

“Exactly,” Hua Ping said, “The Hua family is so large, with complex bloodlines. If I told you, you wouldn’t be able to distinguish them.”

“Then…” Mo Hua asked again, “What do you want with me?”

Hua Ping thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, “I came to warn you. Don’t tell anyone about what happened in Da Mo Cheng, especially my uncle.”

Mo Hua was slightly stunned.

That’s all?

But then his mind quickly turned, and he understood.

The Hua family was so large and had complex bloodlines, which meant there were many factions, each with its own plans and schemes.

Although Hua Ping called Zhenren Hua “uncle,” her actions didn’t seem to be entirely under Zhenren Hua’s control.

Currently, Elder You seemed to be a “businessman,” profiting from war in the Barren Lands.

This Miss Hua Ping had some connection with the Da Huang Men… No, not just the Da Huang Men, but also that Young Master Shi from Yin Shi Gu.

And Zhenren Hua?

Zhenren Hua was responsible for controlling the overall situation of the Barren Lands? And… managing those bandaged people, conducting “slicing” research on human bodies?

These three individuals were connected, but they didn’t seem to be entirely on the same side.

Mo Hua frowned in thought.

Hua Ping asked, “Hey, what are you thinking about?”

Mo Hua snapped out of it, shook his head, “Nothing.”

Hua Ping stared at Mo Hua for a moment, then said, “Don’t say it, you look quite handsome when your eyes sparkle like that when you’re deep in thought.”

Mo Hua’s face darkened.

Hua Ping asked again, “So?”

Mo Hua was puzzled, “What?”

Hua Ping said, “What I just told you, about Da Huang… the matter of Da Mo Cheng, you’d best keep it a secret.”

Mo Hua nodded, “Don’t worry, as long as you don’t say anything, I won’t either.”

Hua Ping looked at Mo Hua’s clear eyes, confirming that Mo Hua was an “honest person,” and only then did she relax.

Then she had other curious things she pestered Mo Hua about, asking, “I heard you’re the old ancestor’s illegitimate child? Which old ancestor?”

“You’re so young, whose old ancestor is it, having children in their old age?”

“How did you become the top student in Formation Dao? Who pulled strings for you?”

“You…”

The usually proud Hua Ping was now chattering away at Mo Hua with endless questions.

Mo Hua really didn’t want to answer.

Just then, he heard a cough by his ear.

A powerful divine sense was penetrating the barrier.

Hua Ping’s expression also cooled, and she muttered, “I haven’t finished asking yet…”

However, she also knew that someone was reminding her to stop.

Although Hua Ping felt disappointed, she didn’t want to defy it. She said to Mo Hua, “Next time I knock, remember to open the door.”

After speaking, she ignored Mo Hua, removed the jade pendant barrier, deactivated the screen formation, pushed open the door, and walked away with her head held high.

Mo Hua sighed, thinking to himself:

“Women are so troublesome…”

He shook his head and left the fragrant room, heading towards his own guest room.

Just as he reached his door, he heard a faint voice behind him:

“A single man and a single woman, in the middle of the night, what are you up to?”

Mo Hua was startled. He turned around and saw Zhenren Zhuge standing in the night, looking at him with a strange expression.

Mo Hua, helpless, opened the door that had been kicked in and said to Zhenren Zhuge, “Come in and talk…”

Zhenren Zhuge, holding his fan behind his back, leisurely entered the room.

Mo Hua closed the door and turned to Zhenren Zhuge, “You know everything?”

Zhenren Zhuge poured himself a cup of tea, “The door was kicked open, how could I not know?”

He then looked up at Mo Hua, “Fortunately, she kicked your door. If you dared to kick her door in the middle of the night, you’d probably be ‘slowly sliced to death’ by the Hua family by now.”

“Exactly,” Mo Hua nodded and sighed, “They’re all people, why is the treatment for men and women so different?”

He was a decent, self-respecting young man, and his door was kicked in by a bad woman in the middle of the night, and no one even cared.

“Alright, stop being glib.” Zhenren Zhuge took a sip of tea, looked at Mo Hua, and asked with a puzzled gaze, “Do you have a relationship with this Young Miss of the Hua family?”

“No relationship…” Mo Hua denied, and just as he was about to say something, he looked around.

Zhenren Zhuge said, “Don’t worry, no one else can hear.”

Only then did Mo Hua think of telling Zhenren Zhuge what Hua Ping had just told him, including Hua Ping’s previous visit to the Da Huang Men and her meeting with Young Master Tuoba. But just as he was about to speak, he realized that he had already promised Hua Ping not to disclose these matters.

Mo Hua could only sigh again, “I promised her I wouldn’t say…”

Zhenren Zhuge was surprised, “Are your relations so good that you already have little secrets?”

“No,” Mo Hua denied.

Zhenren Zhuge didn’t ask further. After thinking for a moment, he earnestly advised Mo Hua:

“I’ll just remind you, the Hua family waters run deep and are very dangerous. You must never provoke the women of the Hua family.”

Mo Hua understood this principle.

But then he couldn’t help but mutter to himself:

“The Hua family is too dangerous, and their women shouldn’t be provoked. So what if I… provoked a woman from the Bai family instead?”

Zhenren Zhuge looked at Mo Hua with a wary gaze, “Are you muttering something in your heart?”

Mo Hua quickly shook his head.

Zhenren Zhuge hadn’t expected Mo Hua to be thinking of provoking an even more formidable woman.

He simply reiterated his usual admonition:

“Anyway, you know what’s in your heart, I can’t manage all that much. I can only tell you that not everyone in this world is good, especially some women, who are inherently trouble. They’ll steal your Qi and ruin your luck. Cultivate your Dao and your heart, don’t be entangled by these troublesome women…”

“You’re young and full of vigor, I’m afraid you won’t be able to control yourself and will go astray…”

Mo Hua nodded, “Zhenren, please rest assured, I won’t go astray.”

Even if he did go astray, it would be with his little Shijie.

Zhenren Zhuge slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t actually worried about Mo Hua’s lack of resolve, but rather about the “Qian Xin Yin Qing Duo Yu Jin Zhen” in Mo Hua’s mind acting up.

If this golden needle were to lose control and cause unforeseen changes, it would be big trouble.

Especially in the middle of the night, with a young man and a young woman, one handsome and one beautiful, if desire were to be aroused, it would be a huge problem.

He even suspected that the Hua family was “setting a trap” for Mo Hua—if it weren’t for the fact that Miss Hua’s status was truly too high to be used as bait.

Presumably, even Zhenren Hua wouldn’t dare to use this Eldest Miss as bait.

“Be careful yourself, and protect yourself when you’re out and about.” Thinking this, Zhenren Zhuge said no more and turned to leave.

But Mo Hua suddenly called out to Zhenren Zhuge, “Zhenren…”

Zhenren Zhuge turned his head, and Mo Hua quietly asked him, “Why is the Hua family going to capture little… that kid Bai Zisheng?”

“Zhenren Hua said the Dao Ting ordered it,” Zhenren Zhuge replied.

Mo Hua shook his head, “Even if the Dao Ting ordered it, given the Hua family’s nature, they might not comply.”

Zhenren Zhuge was somewhat surprised, “You know the Hua family well?”

Mo Hua could only say, “I… just feel that way…”

Zhenren Zhuge pondered for a moment, then asked, “Is that Bai Zisheng related to you?”

Mo Hua shook his head, “No relation.”

Zhenren Zhuge said, “Then don’t worry about it so much. This matter has nothing to do with you or me, and you absolutely must not interfere or act impulsively. Remember, when you’re out and about, the less trouble the better. If something goes wrong with this matter, the Hua family will definitely resent you again.”

“Alright…” Mo Hua nodded.

“You be careful, I’m going back.” Zhenren Zhuge finished speaking and stood up, intending to leave again. But as he turned, his peripheral vision caught sight of the formation on Mo Hua’s table, and he suddenly paused.

He picked up a formation diagram from the table, looked at it for a few moments, his pupils constricted, and then he looked at Mo Hua:

“Did you just draw this?”

Mo Hua slowly said, “Yes… I just sketched a few lines casually while reading a formation book.”

Zhenren Zhuge’s relaxed demeanor suddenly vanished, and his gaze sharpened, “You… sketched it casually?”

Mo Hua slowly nodded.

“You…” Zhenren Zhuge seemed unable to believe it, carefully choosing his words, “You… established your foundation? Who… taught you the laws?”

“No one really taught me…” Mo Hua scratched his head, humbly saying, “I just casually comprehended a bit while drawing formations…”

Drawing formations, casually, comprehended a bit…

Zhenren Zhuge muttered the words to himself, as if hearing someone tell ghost stories in broad daylight.

Mo Hua didn’t quite understand and asked doubtfully, “Is it not normal to just casually comprehend some laws?”

In that instant, Zhenren Zhuge seemed to feel the mockery and humiliation from someone who had established their foundation, and for a moment, a tiny bit of murderous intent arose.

It was indeed difficult to talk to Mo Hua sometimes without feeling a slight urge to kill.

Zhenren Zhuge took two deep breaths before suppressing this “improper thought.”

He sternly put the formation diagram Mo Hua had drawn into his sleeve, grit his teeth and said “I’m leaving,” and then walked straight out.

Mo Hua didn’t know why Zhenren Zhuge had suddenly become unhappy.

However, he didn’t take it too much to heart.

Zhenren, after all, were ascended beings, high-level cultivators. Sometimes their personalities were like women’s, generally unpredictable and temperamental.

One should be tolerant of others’ character flaws.

Mo Hua believed himself to be quite magnanimous in this regard.

He used a formation to reinforce the kicked-in door, then sat back down, continuing to read by candlelight and study the principles of formations.

After a night’s rest, everyone set off the next day.

However, this time, there was an extra person in the group.

Hua Ping, the Eldest Miss of the Hua family, had also followed along, saying she wanted to help apprehend Bai Zisheng.

Mo Hua didn’t know if this “vase” Eldest Miss was simply joining for the excitement, or if she had some designs on his little senior brother. He didn’t bother to ask.

For some reason, Hua Ping was also much quieter. She would occasionally glance at Mo Hua along the way but didn’t bother him again.

Seven more days passed, and they entered the heartland of the second-grade Wang Ji Shan Jie. Finally, there was news of Bai Zisheng.

Dao soldiers reported successively that clues about Bai Zisheng had been found.

Even a few days prior, some aristocratic family prodigies had exchanged blows with Bai Zisheng, but they had been unable to capture him.

Hearing these messages, Mo Hua’s heart trembled slightly.

He could feel that he was getting closer and closer to his little senior brother.

After many years apart, he wondered what his little senior brother looked like now.

Two more days passed, and the group arrived at a military camp on the edge of the mountain range.

This was a large military camp, with many cultivators stationed there, including disciples of aristocratic families and many Dao soldiers.

Zhenren Hua led Mo Hua and the others towards a main tent in the center.

As they approached the main tent, they could hear some commotion; it seemed there were many young people arguing inside.

The argument was so loud that it could be heard outside the tent.

Mo Hua’s expression was slightly stunned.

He could actually sense some familiar auras from inside the tent, and even from the sound of the argument alone, he could distinguish several familiar voices.