The woman was dressed in a fierce uniform, her hair tied up, and blood on her face, exuding a heroic and valiant aura. She was Situ Fang, whom Mo Hua had known for a long time.

Back in Tongxian City, Situ Fang, along with Zhang Lan and Mo Hua, had once gone to catch a flower thief.

In Nanyue City, Lizhou, Situ Fang, as a Dian Si, also investigated the case of the tragic deaths of the Lu family’s miners and the raising of zombies, along with Mo Hua, his junior elder brother, and junior elder sister.

In a blink of an eye, it had been a good twenty years since they last met.

Situ Fang looked at Mo Hua, stunned for a long while, and said in disbelief, “It’s really… Mo Hua…”

Mo Hua smiled and nodded.

Situ Fang let out a long sigh of relief.

Just now, she had seen that fierce and powerful Fireball Spell, which in one swift move had defeated a dozen barbarian elite soldiers. She had thought the one who struck was some powerful senior master of uncertain good or evil, and her heart had been filled with dread.

She never expected that the one who came to her rescue was actually the adorable little array master she had known back then.

Situ Fang scrutinized Mo Hua.

He looked a little different from before; he was taller, and his features had matured, carrying a handsome charm amidst his delicate appearance.

But his demeanor and temperament were still vaguely the same as before, his eyes still revealing a refreshing clarity.

The unfamiliarity on Situ Fang’s face receded, replaced by an involuntary smile.

“You, you are… Mo Hua?” The man beside her also looked a little surprised.

Mo Hua glanced at him, finding him somewhat unfamiliar.

Situ Fang then said, “This is Situ Xiu, my cousin. You met him in Tongxian City back then.”

Mo Hua suddenly remembered. Indeed, when he had gone with Situ Fang and Uncle Zhang Lan to catch the flower thief, Situ Xiu had also followed along.

However, the Situ Xiu of back then was a hothead, looking down on everyone.

Now, after many years, he seemed to have been refined by worldly experiences, losing that youthful impetuosity and becoming much more composed. He looked so different from before that Mo Hua didn’t recognize him at first glance.

“Long time no see,” Mo Hua greeted him.

Situ Xiu gave an awkward smile, a little reserved.

Situ Fang continued to size up Mo Hua, her face full of surprise, and then she noticed Bai Zisheng beside Mo Hua.

Bai Zisheng’s transformation was much more significant.

The Bai Zisheng of back then was a passionate and righteous young man.

But the Bai Zisheng of today was a handsome, arrogant, and incomparable monstrous prodigy.

However, from his eyes and brows, Situ Fang could still recognize him as the young man who had investigated the corpse case in Nanyue City with Mo Hua back then.

Mo Hua had always called him his junior elder brother.

But…

Situ Fang saw the chains on Bai Zisheng’s body and Mo Hua holding them, and her expression involuntarily turned strange. She asked Mo Hua,

“Isn’t this your… you all…”

Mo Hua quickly shushed her, sighing, “Times have changed, we are different now…”

Mo Hua pointed at Bai Zisheng, “This person, blinded by lust, betrayed the Daoting for a woman and was apprehended by me. Now our positions are different; we are ‘enemies,’ so let’s not mention the past…”

Situ Fang was an acquaintance, and her character was very upright.

Mo Hua wasn’t deliberately trying to hide it from her, but the situation was special now, and it was better not to let others know some things.

Many times, knowing too much was not a good thing.

Moreover, keeping a secret was quite a difficult task.

So, to avoid trouble, it was better to play the part completely.

Bai Zisheng sighed inwardly, feeling a little tired.

Situ Fang looked at the serious-faced Mo Hua, then at the helpless-faced Bai Zisheng, wondering what these two senior and junior brothers were up to…

But since Mo Hua said so, she would take it at face value for now.

Mo Hua, that child, had always had a lot of tricks up his sleeve; no one knew what schemes he was brewing.

Mo Hua repeated sternly, “Sister Situ, I and this person…” He then pointed at Bai Zisheng:

“…have severed all ties and are irreconcilable. Let all the past dissipate like smoke; you should forget it all and never bring it up again…”

Situ Fang, though not understanding, nodded.

Whatever Mo Hua said, it was.

Only then did Mo Hua ask about other things: “By the way, Sister Situ, aren’t you a Dian Si? Why are you here?”

Upon hearing this, Situ Fang sighed softly and wiped the blood from her cheek:

“I was originally in Lizhou, serving my rotation as a Dian Si, hoping to accumulate some merits for a better future. But then the Great Wilderness suddenly rebelled, and beacon fires ignited everywhere in Lizhou. In many small immortal cities, people incited rogue cultivators to cause trouble, attacking the Daoting Si, indiscriminately killing Zhisi, Dian Si, and members of aristocratic families…”

“I had no choice but to return to the main Situ family.”

“But my Situ family’s foundation is in Lizhou, and it was greatly affected by the rebellion. I followed the family, quelling disturbances everywhere to maintain the family business.”

“Later, the Daoting’s war in the Great Wilderness suffered losses, and the situation worsened. The Tianquan Pavilion then issued an edict, ordering all aristocratic families to support the suppression of the rebellion, and the Situ family was among them.”

“As a descendant of the Situ family, I naturally had an inescapable responsibility, so I came to the Great Wilderness with my family to suppress the rebellion.”

“Of course, I wasn’t without selfish motives…”

Situ Fang sighed, “The family is large, with many descendants, and competition is fierce. If I don’t achieve some merit, I will naturally be marginalized…”

If others went south to suppress rebellions and earn merits, and she stayed home, avoiding these trials, then in the future, she might no longer have a place in the Situ family.

Situ Fang knew that although she was from the main branch of the family, her lineage was still somewhat distant from the core of the Situ family’s power.

Mo Hua nodded and then asked, “Then who were those people who were chasing you just now?”

Situ Fang replied, “They were barbarian soldiers belonging to the royal court…”

“Royal court subordinates?” Mo Hua pondered.

Situ Xiu, standing nearby, began to explain:

“This entire mountain region is all royal domain, both guarding and supporting the royal court, with many tribes located within it…”

“The ones chasing us were the tribal barbarian soldiers from the royal domain.”

“We’ve had skirmishes before. Today, our luck was bad. My cousin Fang and I were originally going to scout enemy intelligence, but we accidentally fell into an ambush and were chased by that group of barbarians for a long time…”

Situ Fang nodded, still shaken, and said to Mo Hua,

“Fortunately, you came to our aid, otherwise it would have been very difficult for us to escape.”

Mo Hua shook his head, “It was just a small effort.”

“By the way,” Situ Fang looked at Mo Hua again, “Why are you here? This is quite far from Lizhou…”

Mo Hua then said, “I’m similar to you all, but I don’t have a family; I came to build a career for the Daoting.”

“So that’s how it is…” Situ Fang nodded and then asked, “Have you built a career then?”

This was a rather awkward question.

Mo Hua looked a little troubled, “Well… how should I put it, building a career… yes, I did…”

It was just that the direction of this “career” was a little skewed, and the Daoting might not be too pleased.

Situ Fang understood.

She guessed that Mo Hua, though loyal to serve the Daoting, was unlucky and unable to fully display his abilities or achieve much, which was why he was being vague.

“So, are you separated from the Daoting army now?” Situ Fang could roughly tell.

Mo Hua nodded, “Yes.”

“Where are you going next?”

“Not sure yet.”

Situ Fang then warmly invited, “If you don’t have a place to stay for now, why not come with me to the Situ family’s encampment first? After settling down, you can then look for other opportunities to build your career.”

Mo Hua hesitated, “Is that alright?”

Situ Fang smiled, “We are so familiar, old friends, and you saved me and Xiu’er. Both in terms of sentiment and reason, I should at least do my part as a host.”

Mo Hua considered it for a moment, then also smiled and said, “Then I shall trouble Sister Situ.”

Situ Fang was very happy.

However, Situ Xiu, on the side, looked somewhat unwilling and muttered, “I’ve said it many times, don’t call me ‘Xiu’er’…”

Afterward, Situ Fang and Situ Xiu led Mo Hua, bypassing some royal domain tribes, barbarian soldier camps, mountains, swamps, grasslands, and other complex terrains. After about half a day, they arrived at the Situ family’s forward encampment in the Great Wilderness.

The encampment was large, with various tents and houses, and even a market.

Along the roadside were various spiritual artifacts in Daoting or barbarian styles, bone knives, elixirs, totems, cultivation method charts, and so on.

Disciples of various aristocratic families, sects, or scattered Daobing came and went, chatting and trading, appearing quite prosperous and lively.

Mo Hua was very surprised by what he saw.

He hadn’t expected to see such a lively place on the front line where two armies were clashing.

Even more absurd was that he saw a few scattered barbarian cultivators in the crowd, haggling with others.

Situ Fang led Mo Hua to her tent and said, “You sit and rest for a while, I’ll go get some food for you all.”

Mo Hua smiled, “Thank you, Sister Situ.”

Situ Fang nodded with a smile and pulled out Situ Xiu, who had just been about to be lazy.

Mo Hua then sat down at the table.

Bai Zisheng also sat beside him.

Mo Hua whispered, “Mind your status. You are my captive now, a prisoner, you can’t just sit anywhere.”

Bai Zisheng ignored him and instead asked, “Aren’t you going to the royal court?”

Mo Hua glanced left and right, and seeing no one around, he said:

“How easy is it to enter the royal court? The Daoting and the Great Wilderness are still at war, and the front line is like a ‘meat grinder.’ If we go in without understanding the situation, we’ll probably lose our lives.”

“Moreover, the royal court is a fourth-rank mountain realm, with a Yu Hua cultivator guarding it.”

“You saw that Yu Hua from the Great Wilderness last time, didn’t you? Who knows what he grew up eating, he’s like a little giant, too absurd… A Yu Hua letting loose is no joke.”

“Therefore, we can’t act too hastily; we need a thorough plan.”

“The great matter of forming a Golden Core is just one step away; there must be no more mishaps…”

Last time when he tried to form a Golden Core, he was unprepared and ambushed by a group of unscrupulous Tianji大佬 (great masters).

Mo Hua took this as a serious lesson.

This time, he must eliminate all hidden dangers and hold the possibilities entirely in his own hands.

Bai Zisheng nodded slowly.

He always trusted Mo Hua when it came to using his brain.

Mo Hua then said, “So, we must first understand the environment and the situation before making a plan.”

“Also…” Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and whispered, “Your situation is also very special right now. The Hua family is still watching you, and the Daoting will probably still be hunting you down. I need to find some connections, pull some strings, and find a safe place to stay. Otherwise, if we’re out in the open every day, eating and sleeping in the wind, once we’re chased, we’ll be back in the same situation as before, fleeing for our lives…”

Bai Zisheng nodded slightly, but he still didn’t quite understand.

What connections could Mo Hua find?

This was the Great Wilderness, the front line of a war.

He, a dignified direct descendant of the Bai family, a family prodigy, was ambushed, and no one came to his aid.

How much influence could his junior elder brother, a rogue cultivator by birth, have, even if he had joined a sect and was favored by his teachers?

While he was wondering, footsteps came from outside the door. Situ Fang returned, bringing some wine, dried meat, and fruits.

“The fighting is intense, so this is all I could find, I’m sorry,” Situ Fang said apologetically.

Mo Hua didn’t mind and smiled, “Thank you, Sister Situ.”

He and Bai Zisheng then had a simple meal.

Bai Zisheng showed no awareness of being a “prisoner,” eating meat and drinking wine.

Mo Hua found the wine spicy and put it down after taking a sip.

After eating for a while, Mo Hua asked Situ Fang, “Sister Situ, how many Situ families are there in Lizhou?”

Situ Fang paused, not understanding why Mo Hua asked this, but after thinking, she replied, “Lizhou is very large; there are at least ten or so families named Situ.”

“Which family is the largest?” Mo Hua asked again.

Situ Fang said, “The largest is the Situ family I belong to.”

“Then…” Mo Hua asked again, “Is there someone named Situ Jian in your Situ family?”

“Situ Jian?” Situ Fang’s face changed.

Mo Hua asked, “You know him?”

Situ Fang nodded, then shook her head, “I don’t know which Situ Jian you’re talking about? But there is indeed a prodigy named ‘Situ Jian’ among the direct descendants of our main Situ family… I just haven’t met him…”

“Haven’t met him?” Mo Hua was a little surprised, “Isn’t he a prodigy of the main Situ family? How could you not have met him?”

“Situ Jian is a genius. When he was very young, the clan fully supported him to go to a great prefecture for study, completely out of the league of us ordinary direct descendants…”

Situ Fang said with a wry smile:

“Although my lineage is also direct, it’s quite far from the main family; not a single True Person has emerged in all these years. But Situ Jian is a sword dao prodigy, rarely seen in centuries in the family, and also the youngest son most favored by the patriarch, a prodigy celebrated by all. His status is extremely high, and ordinary people… even those from the main family, rarely get to see him.”

Mo Hua was stunned, “Situ Jian is that powerful?”

Situ Fang nodded seriously.

Mo Hua then became a little confused.

Was this genius Situ Jian, as described by Sister Situ, the same person as his junior elder brother “Situ Jian” from the Tai Xu Sect?

“Where did this Situ Jian study?” Mo Hua asked.

Situ Fang replied, “That’s a family secret; we’re not clear about it, only that it’s a great prefecture for cultivation somewhere.”

“Then…” Mo Hua asked again, “Is this Situ Jian… also in the Great Wilderness now?”

Situ Fang nodded, “Yes. The Daoting issued a summons, and as a prodigy of the clan, he naturally came.”

“Can I meet him?” Mo Hua asked.

Situ Fang looked a little troubled, “This… I actually don’t have the qualifications to meet him either.” Then she asked, “Brother Mo, do you know him?”

Mo Hua said, “Possibly…”

Situ Fang was surprised, “Possibly?”

Mo Hua nodded, “But I’m not sure if it’s the same person, so I need to meet him to find out.”

Situ Fang frowned, thought for a long time, and finally sighed, “This… I’ll have to ask the elders.”

“Hmm, thank you, Sister Situ.”

Mo Hua said, feeling a bit helpless in his heart.

He also vaguely realized that when they were in the Tai Xu Sect, a group of junior elder brothers followed him around every day.

But after graduating and leaving the Tai Xu Sect, these junior elder brothers returned to their own families, and one or two of them might not be so simple anymore…

Happy New Year’s Day, everyone.
(End of chapter)