This was a young nobleman, elegantly dressed and handsome as jade.
His fair and striking features carried a natural air of nobility.
His appearance was unfamiliarâMo Hua was seeing him for the first timeâyet there was an odd sense of dĂ©jĂ vu, as if the two of them shared some karmic entanglement from long ago.
Mo Hua gazed at the nobleman, his thoughts unsettled.
At the same time, the young noblemanâs eyes were fixed on Mo Hua. For a brief moment, surprise flickered across his face; then his brows arched, and he spoke indifferently:
"You are... Mo Hua?"
Mo Huaâs heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm. "You know me?"
"Qianxue State Boundary, Formation Leader..." The young noblemanâs tone held a hint of approval and a touch of nonchalance. "My cousin Jun Cai lost to you once. He mentioned youâyour Formation skills are impressive."
Mo Hua responded blandly, "You flatter me."
He looked the young nobleman over again and asked, "May I ask, sir, your esteemed surname and given name?"
The young noblemanâs lips curled into a cold smile, tinged with displeasure.
It seemed he was always the one being greeted, his name spoken with humilityânever had anyone failed to know his name, let alone dared to ask him directly.
He looked down on Mo Hua with pride, not wanting to answer, but for some reason, found himself willing to make an exception with Mo Huaâs unusual aura.
The young nobleman said coolly, "Qian Taoist Sect, Shen Linsu."
Qian Taoist Sect, Shen Linsu, Shen...
Mo Huaâs pupils contracted minutely.
This youthful nobleman, handsome as jade, was actually a disciple of the Shen Family from the Qian Taoist Sect?
Mo Hua glanced behind the young nobleman.
There were six cultivators following him.
Three of them at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with refined bearingâclearly heir-apparent sons from elite families of the Qianxue state boundary.
Two were middle-aged, their cultivation profoundâGolden Core Cultivators.
The last was an old man, whose depth was utterly unfathomable.
Mo Hua couldnât gauge the old manâs origins, but having dealt with many High-Rank cultivators, his instincts told him: this elder must be a Feather Transformation Realm True Man.
Shen Linsu went out with three top-tier clan followers, two Golden Core Guards, and a Feathered Immortal as escort.
Even in the Shen Family, or the Qian Taoist Sect, this level of treatment marked him as an extraordinary favored son of heaven.
Shen "Linsu"... just as the name implies.
Mo Huaâs thoughts churned beneath a calm facade.
Shen Linsu glanced at Mo Hua again, andâalmost as if compelledâsaid, "On the seventh day of the new year, Iâm hosting a Daoist tea gathering. Will you attend?"
At these words, the three disciples behind Shen Linsu all changed expression.
The two Golden Core Guards looked astonished.
Even the Feathered Immortal now fixed a deep gaze upon Mo Hua.
A tea gathering?
This is probably no ordinary feast.
Mo Hua shook his head. "Weâre barely acquaintances."
Shen Linsuâs eyelid twitched. "I rarely invite anyone personally."
"Oh..." Mo Hua replied indifferently.
Shen Linsuâs face hardened, his eyes cold and sharp. He scoffed, "I give you a chance, and you canât take it." Flinging his sleeve, he turned and walked away.
The three young clan followers quickly hurried after him. As they passed Mo Hua, they cast him sidelong glances, eyes glinting with jealousy and scorn at his supposed ignorance.
The two Golden Core cultivators and the Feathered Immortal also silently followed behind Shen Linsu.
And just like that, the group vanished into the crowd.
Once theyâd gone, Mo Hua finally let out a long breath, cold sweat beading in his palm. Not daring to linger, he hurried to Qingzhou Cityâs gate, boarded the Gu Familyâs carriage, and headed straight for the Sect without pause.
The brightly lit Qingzhou City receded into the distance.
The carriage left the bustle behind and rolled into the deep night.
Inside, Mo Hua couldnât help sinking into thought:
"That omen just now... it wasnât an illusion. Those âpoppy-likeâ karmic chains were exactly the same as the ones on Rouge Boat."
"Shen Linsu must be connected to Rouge Boat."
"Could Shen Linsu be the very ânobleman,â the one surrounded by praise, onboard Rouge Boat?"
"Back in the Valley of Ten Thousand Demonsâwas the nobleman I hunted through those nightmare visions also him?"
"Is he the mastermind? Or at least, is he the person of highest power and status behind both the Rouge Boat and Demon Valley affairs?"
Mo Huaâs expression was grim.
Human encounters truly are unpredictable and strange.
Heâd never imagined he would run into the ânoblemanâ of the Shen Family, in such an offhanded moment, utterly unprepared.
The Shen Family...
Is Mr. Tu backed by the Shen Family? By the Qian Taoist Sect?
It would make senseâand itâd be easier to settle all accounts at once.
But he had no evidence yet; he couldnât prove whether his deduction was true.
Shen Linsuâs status was indeed loftyâbut was he truly the Young Mastersâ Pavilionâs nobleman? Was he truly the one behind the Rouge Boat, Demon Valley, even Mr. Tuâs chosen âmastermindâ?
He had no proof of any of this.
And also...
"Does he really know who I am?"
Mo Hua frowned. "He knows my name is Mo Hua, disciple of Taixu Gate, Formation Leader of Qianxue State Boundary, but he shouldnât know my real identity..."
"Otherwise, he would have killed me outright just nowânever mind inviting me to his Daoist tea gathering, to sit and drink tea together."
"And that tea gathering... probably not a genuine invitation. Who knows what he plans to serve..."
"Could I kill him? Probably not..."
"Besides, with Golden Core followers and a Feathered Immortal for protection, I canât afford to provoke him. All I can do is keep my distance and hurry back to the Sect first..."