Chapter 1108: Chapter 683 Blood Mist (Added for Alliance Leader Wind Chocolate~) Chapter 1108: Chapter 683 Blood Mist (Added for Alliance Leader Wind Chocolate~) The undercurrents at the Qianxue State Boundary ran swifter now.
Yet Mo Hua, the orchestrator behind the scenes, remained oblivious to it.
Right now, with a âhungry stomach,â all he wanted was to fish and catch some Divine Remains to âsate his hunger.â
Several days later, finally, a fish took the bait.
After finishing his class, Mo Hua was eating at the Discipleâs Residence when he received a message from Gu Changhuai:
âCrossing River Dragon is dead.â
Mo Hua asked, âReally dead, or feigned?â
âFeigned.â
âDid you catch the mole?â
Gu Changhuai hesitated, then spoke apologetically, âNoâŠâ
Thereafter, Gu Changhuai explained the details:
âIâm short on time and canât always keep watch, so I had someone from the Gu Family disguise as a prisoner to infiltrate Taoist Prison and secretly monitor the cell next to Crossing River Dragon.â
âInitially, all was calm, nothing happened.â
âBut last night around midnight, the monitor suddenly felt icy all over, as if something had entered Taoist Prison. At the same time, he felt dizzy and drowsy, and when he awoke, Crossing River Dragon was already dead, his body decayedâŠâ
Mo Huaâs gaze sharpened, âDecayed?â
âYes.â Gu Changhuai continued, âHis body developed venomous sores, foul and necrotic, and no one in Taoist Prison dared approach him.â
Mo Hua inquired, âCould his identity still be recognized?â
Gu Changhuai replied, âAs always, his flesh was corroded by demonic Qi, his facial features decayed, meridians completely destroyed, and spiritual power tainted. But this time, the demonic Qi wasnât intense, so much of his body was leftâŠâ
Gu Changhuai sighed, âYou could tell, the deceasedâs physique and stature matched those of Crossing River Dragon, possessing a Water Series Spiritual Root, and there was a fishy smell on himâŠâ
Mo Hua nodded.
This was a case of finding a âscapegoatâ, whose dissimilar traits were obliterated by demonic Qi, leaving only the height, physique, and Spiritual Rootâthe traits that matched Crossing River Dragon.
Clearly, a lot of cunning was at play.
And who this scapegoat was, and where they were found, remained a mystery.
Gu Changhuai continued, âSudden onset of the severe ailment, demon sores covered his body, died in prison, basic traits matched, Taoist Court Officials concluded the case and sealed Crossing River Dragonâs files.â
Mo Hua slightly nodded.
All this matched exactly what he had heard from Mr. Jin.
âWhat happened next?â Mo Hua asked.
âThatâs all.â Gu Changhuai replied.
Mo Hua clearly didnât believe it, asserting confidently:
âUncle Gu, you must have kept a backup plan, thereâs something youâre hiding from me.â
Mo Hua understood Uncle Gu.
Although he was âno goodâ with Divine Sense and Formations, at the Taoist Court, especially in handling Sin Cultivatorsâ criminal investigations, he was genuinely a crafty old fox. How could he just let Crossing River Dragon escape so easily?
Gu Changhuai was found out and resignedly said, âThereâs no use telling you.â
âIf you donât tell me, youâll never catch Crossing River Dragon.â
Mo Hua confidently stated.
Gu Changhuai was startled, his look complicated, then he deeply sighed.
He always sensed that Mo Hua, like a âMinor Religious Con Man,â could deduce and predict so much, nothing could be hidden from himâŠ
Since that was the case, Gu Changhuai didnât hide it anymore.
âOutside the Taoist Court, I secretly arranged someone to keep watch, the next day at 1 p.m., an Enforcement Leader transporting the executed Sin Cultivatorsâ corpses from the Taoist Court for cremationâCrossing River Dragon was among themâŠâ
âIs there an issue with this Enforcement Leader?â
âNo, he was unaware.â Gu Changhuai explained.
âAnd then⊠was Crossing River Dragon cremated?â
Gu Changhuai shook his head, âHe was swapped in transitâŠâ
âA funeral procession passed by the corpse transport carriages, someone took advantage while the Enforcement Leader wasnât looking, and swapped two identical coffins.â
âAfterward, the Enforcement Leader transported the corpses to the crematorium, while the funeral procession took away the coffin containing Crossing River Dragon and buried itâŠâ
âAfter the burial, I secretly had people dig up the coffin; inside, it was found empty, Crossing River Dragon was goneâŠâ
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.
This âsubstitute-the-spuriousâ tactic was indeed clever.
He silently noted it; perhaps he could use it himself in the future.
âWhere was the coffin buried?â Mo Hua asked.
âAlong the Mistwater River.â
Mo Hua was startled, âSo, Crossing River Dragon has returned to Mistwater River?â
âSeems likelyâŠâ
âIs there any way to track him down?â asked Mo Hua.
Gu Changhuai sighed, âFor such a Water Series Cultivator, entering the river is like letting a fish swim or a bird fly into the forest; where the woods are deep and the waters vast, no traces remain.â
âAnd he must have altered his appearance, no one could recognize him.â
âThe Water Series Cultivators of Mistwater River are not too few, nor too many; I could check one by one, but that would likely alarm others, making it impossible to cast a long line to catch a big fishâŠâ
âOhâŠâ Mo Hua nodded.
He was straightforward, earnestly offering, âUncle Gu, let me find him for you!â
Gu Changhuaiâs gaze narrowed, sensing something amiss, âAre there conditions youâre waiting to propose?â
Mo Hua feigned heartbreak, âUncle Gu, am I such a person? Punishing evil and promoting good is the duty of a Righteous Dao Cultivator, especially as a member of the esteemed Taixu GateâŠâ
âNever mind then.â
âIâll tell!â Mo Hua immediately spoke, then delivered a prepared spiel:
âJust three small conditions: if there are clues about human traffickers, let me know; when you need manpower, support me a bit;â
ââŠand finally, can I complete the rewards first before you issue them according to task content? This way the process at Taoist Court goes quicker, merit points wonât be delayedâŠâ
The Fire Buddhaâs merit points havenât come through yet!
Taoist Court organization is cumbersome, process redundant, Mo Hua resented deeply.
Gu Changhuai took a deep breath.
Are these three small conditions?
Which condition is small?
Though young, his demands are not.
âNo!â Gu Changhuai refused.