Mo Hua was also shocked, feeling admiration.
In a sense, this brother is also a tough person.
But he was also quite puzzled and asked, "Why do you want to go to the Hundred Flower Valley so much?"
Hao Se replied earnestly:
"There isnât any special reason, just an ordinary âlife goalâ, since itâs a life goal, why would it need a reason?"
Mo Hua found himself speechless.
Off to the side, Hao Xuan sighed, "My cousin is actually quite talented, but he is... a bit abnormal..."
Hao Se looked displeased but did not refute.
Hao Xuan continued, "Logically, if he worked a bit harder, and if the family pulled some strings, it wouldnât be impossible for him to be accepted into one of the Four Great Sects, but because he always âmakes shocking remarksâ, the family feared heâd cause trouble, so they had to put him into the Taixu Gate to keep me company. We grew up together, so I understand his temperament and can keep an eye on him..."
So thatâs how it is...
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
Hao Se, however, "persisted in his opinion" saying, "Whatâs the big deal about the Four Great Sects? If I could enter the Hundred Flower Valley, who would care about the Four Great Sects?"
Hao Xuan tore off a drumstick and handed it to Mo Hua, "Junior brother, have some chicken, just ignore him."
"Oh..." Mo Hua took the drumstick, took a bite, and suddenly asked curiously, "Hao Se..."
Because he was munching on the drumstick, his speech was unclear, and the "Hao Se" in his mouth turned into "lustful"...
Hao Se quickly corrected him:
"Itâs Hao Se, not lustful!"
"Mm-hmm." Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "Hao Se, you said a senior sister in the Hundred Flower Valley committed suicide, what exactly happened?"
Hao Seâs expression turned sorrowful.
Though he was in the Taixu Gate, his heart was in the Hundred Flower Valley, so he was always concerned about matters there.
"I often roam around near the Hundred Flower Valley, so I also befriended a few senior sisters from there..."
"How did you make their acquaintance?"
"After getting beaten a few times, we got to know each other..."
Mo Hua: "..."
Hao Xuan felt very embarrassed but still explained:
"My cousin would roam around the Hundred Flower Valley whenever he had time. The disciples there discovered him and, thinking he was up to something, beat him up a few times. After the misunderstanding was cleared, they got to know each other..."
This really was a case of "no beating, no acquaintance"...
Hao Se waved his hand and said, "Those are just minor issues, whose life doesnât have a few small setbacks. The important thing is what happened next..."
Hao Se took a sip of wine, frowned, and said, "Last year, when I gave some New Year gifts to the senior sisters in the Hundred Flower Valley, I noticed something was off with their expressions, so I asked if anything had happened. They wouldnât say, but after I reassured them repeatedly that I wouldnât leak it to outsiders, they finally told me..."
Reaching this point, Hao Se said to Mo Hua and Hao Xuan, "You guys also have to promise not to leak this, then I can tell you..."
Hao Xuan and Mo Hua silently nodded in agreement.
Hao Se, satisfied, continued:
"The senior sisters said that during the New Year, most of the sisters returned to their families to celebrate, but some stayed at the Hundred Flower Valley due to the long journey, needing to retake exams, or being delayed by personal matters."
"On the festive day, everything was going well, until suddenly, a fire broke out in one of the Discipleâs Residences."
"The fire wasnât large, and the Elder on duty quickly extinguished it. It didnât spread, nor did it cause much damage."
"Initially, the Elder was a bit angry, thinking some disciple had been negligent and hadnât shut off the Pill Furnace properly before leaving, causing the furnace to catch fire and lead to the blaze."
"But when the Elder entered the Discipleâs Residence, his expression changed dramatically."
"Inside the Discipleâs Residence was a charred body. A female disciple had been burned alive during the New Year... just like that."
Mo Huaâs gaze intensified, "Was it suicide?"
Hao Se shook his head, "I donât know either, but the Hundred Flower Valley investigated and found no signs of anyone else being involved. The room had been occupied by the senior sister alone the entire time."
"This incident even alerted the Sect Leader."
"Yet neither the Sect Leader nor the other Elders could find any other clues, and they finally concluded unanimously that it was a suicide..."
Hao Se recounted the information he had heard.
Mo Hua furrowed his brow.
He kept feeling that something about this matter seemed odd.
But this was an issue for the Hundred Flower Valley.
Mo Hua was very busy. He had to balance cultivation, classes, learning formations, and investigating the Water Yama case, leaving him with no time to meddle in such matters.
Moreover, the Hundred Flower Valley not only prohibited male disciples but also barred any male cultivators from entering.
Even if he wanted to get involved, he couldnât.
As for the promising senior sister who had immolated herself, he could only sigh and feel a sense of regret in his heart.
Hao Se also showed a saddened expression.
Seeing the atmosphere turn somber, Hao Xuan said, "Letâs not talk about this anymore. The Hundred Flower Valley will naturally give an account of the matter. Letâs discuss something else."
Hao Se nodded in agreement.
He had been feeling sad himself, and now that he had spoken about it, he felt a little relief.
Moreover, cases of sect disciples committing suicide or dying werenât unheard of in the Qian Learning State Boundary.
There were even cases where some male and female disciples, dissatisfied with marriages arranged by their families since childhood, had eloped in a suicide pact...
With so many people, anything was possible.
Hao Xuan picked another topic, letting the matter pass.
The three of them ate meat, drank wine, and chatted for a while before Hao Se needed to return to the clan.
Before leaving, Mo Hua suddenly paused, as if driven by a mysterious force, and asked:
"Hao Se, do you know who that senior sister who committed suicide was?"
Hao Se thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I donât know. I never met her, but I heard that this senior sisterâs surname was âYeâ..."
Surname Ye...
Mo Huaâs pupils contracted.