Immortality Through Array Formations

Chapter 1909: Chapter 933: Hua Valley Master (Part 3)

”But over these past few years, Changhuai, whether it’s due to a turn of fortune or meeting a ’noble person,’ has achieved quite a lot of merit working in the Taoist Court.”

”Just recently, he even eradicated a Demon Sect with over a thousand members.”

”That’s quite an accomplishment. It seems the Taoist Court is even considering promoting him to ’Deputy Court Leader.’ At his age, with hard work, his cultivation could reach Feather Transformation, and with more experience, if fortune favors him, he might even become the Court Leader of the Qianxue State Boundary in the future.”

”Even if he doesn’t become the Court Leader of the Qianxue State Boundary, being placed in other slightly inferior Fourth or Fifth Grade State Boundaries as a local Court Leader, with great authority in hand, his prospects are still limitless.”

Even Mo Hua was astonished, ”Uncle Gu has such a promising future?”

Elder Gu Hong looked pleased, ”Changhuai himself is not lacking. In the Taoist Court, in terms of qualification, family background, and capability, he is top-notch. Of course, his temper is somewhat lacking, and his popularity isn’t the best. But being a Supervisor is about offending people, so that’s not much of a shortcoming.”

”Previously, the biggest issue was his ’performance,’ which was middling, so whether he got promoted or not was indifferent.”

”But now, he’s proven his achievements, and he has the experience. That previous Supervisor from the Xiao family...who was that?”

”Xiao Zhenhai?” Mo Hua chimed in.

”Right,” Elder Gu Hong said, ”Xiao Zhenhai, originally more experienced than Changhuai, also more adept at networking, but it seems he got himself into trouble? Is he gone now?”

”Yes.” Mo Hua nodded.

Got himself killed.

”So,” Elder Gu Hong continued, ”now in the Taoist Court, when you count them all, Changhuai stands out. If not promoting him, then who? He’s a man of the Gu family. If he was lacking in ability, being suppressed would be one thing. But now that he has both ability and experience, who dares openly put my Gu family at a disadvantage?”

Mo Hua slightly nodded.

Elder Gu Hong remarked, ”Among these great families, indeed there are many who are not so sharp, but each can be sharper than the other when it comes to shrewdness. Seeing Changhuai’s situation and knowing he has boundless prospects, potentially becoming a ’Court Leader,’ their attitudes change entirely.”

”These past few days, those talking about this almost broke the threshold down.”

Elder Gu Hong couldn’t help but be a bit pleased, boasting to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was also happy for Uncle Gu.

However, he also had his own little plans.

Mo Hua quietly asked, ”But... isn’t Sister Xia good?”

Elder Gu Hong was momentarily startled, then sighed, ”That girl is certainly good, but still, as I said before... Changhuai might not be up to match...”

”The future ’Court Leader’ wouldn’t be a match?”

”You mentioned, it’s ’the future,’ who can say for sure about the future?” Elder Gu Hong shook his head, ”To other families and small families, the position of Court Leader is extremely precious, but to the Daozhou Xia Family, it’s not so crucial. Furthermore, the appointment to Court Leader, before it’s settled, everything is uncertain...”

Mo Hua mused, ”What if... I speak with Master Xia on his behalf?”

Elder Gu Hong, surprised, asked, ”You have ties with Master Xia?”

”A little,” Mo Hua answered.

Just a little tie from chatting recently.

Elder Gu Hong patted Mo Hua’s shoulder, pleased, ”I appreciate your intentions, but in matters like these, they can’t be forced. A person’s destined marriage in life, sometimes, is fate, and ultimately, it depends on Changhuai’s own affinity.”

”You shouldn’t expend favors on him. Among great families, favors are very precious. Without a family to rely on, save these favors for yourself for the future, and don’t always fret over others.”

Elder Gu Hong’s words were sincere and considerate of Mo Hua.

Mo Hua felt grateful and nodded, ”Elder Hong, I understand.”

...

After bidding farewell to Elder Gu Hong, Mo Hua went to see Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai was in the study, perusing the files of the Taoist Court.

Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask, ”Isn’t the Demon Sect matter finished?”

”There’s still some wrapping up to do,” Gu Changhuai looked up, glancing at the fruits in Mo Hua’s hands, ”You came from Aunt Hong’s?”

”Yes,” Mo Hua nodded, ”Elder Hong told me there are many people proposing, and you’re almost ready to marry...no, you’re almost ready to take a Dao companion.”

Gu Changhuai paused in his actions, slowly uttering an ”Oh.”

Mo Hua observed his expression and quietly asked, ”Uncle Gu, what do you think?”

”What are you thinking about?”

Mo Hua felt that he was playing dumb, so he probed, ”What do you think of Sister Xia?”

Gu Changhuai was stunned for a moment and then said lightly, ”...Just like that.”

Seeing his heart and mouth were in disagreement, Mo Hua sighed, thought for a moment, and said:

”Uncle Gu, let me tell you a story...”

”When I was little, there was an instructor for Formation enlightenment named Mr. Yan. On the surface, he seemed like just a Formation instructor in Little Immortal City, but in truth, he carried the blood feud of a devastated Sect, spending his life searching for the Sect’s traitor, with a single-minded focus on reclaiming the Sect’s heritage.”

”Instructor Yan had a chubby junior brother who always persuaded him to find a Dao companion to pass on his legacy, but Instructor Yan always refused.”

”In the end, after relentless efforts, Instructor Yan found the traitor and reclaimed the heritage, planning to devote all his remaining efforts to rebuilding the Sect.”

”I once thought Instructor Yan would die alone.”

”But later, Instructor Yan met a female Formation Master, and upon merely seeing a portrait of her, he rushed to pursue her without a second thought, and they were married in less than two months...”

”Instructor Yan also told me to never let go of what you can grasp.”

”So,” Mo Hua concluded, ”in this life, if there’s no destined meeting, just focus on your own affairs.”

”But if there truly is a destined meeting, you must seize it, or you’ll regret it for a lifetime.”

Mo Hua looked serious.

Gu Changhuai stared blankly at Mo Hua and after a moment couldn’t help but ask, ”How old are you? How do you have so much nonsense in your head?”

Mo Hua replied, ”I can’t help it, naturally smart, that’s just how it is.”

Gu Changhuai’s face darkened, responding with resignation, ”Alright, alright, off you go, I still have things to do.”

After saying that, he lowered his head and resumed looking at the document.

”Alright then, I won’t disturb you.” Mo Hua said with a little reluctance and left.

After Mo Hua left, Gu Changhuai looked at the document for a while but couldn’t help recalling Mo Hua’s words in his mind.

He lowered his head, looked at his hands, and muttered:

”Never let go of what you can grasp...”

...

After leaving Gu Changhuai’s study, Mo Hua wandered around the Gu Family a few more times before planning to return to the Sect.

As in previous years, after having dinner, he typically wouldn’t stay overnight.

Now, he had enough time to return, and after going back to the Sect, he could practice Formations again in his Sea of Consciousness.

As for Uncle Gu’s romance, it was something he had to figure out himself, Mo Hua had done his best.

The Gu Family personally sent a carriage to take Mo Hua back to the Sect.

But at this time, coinciding with the festival, Qingzhou City was bustling with traffic and very crowded; he needed to get outside the city to catch the carriage.

Mo Hua wasn’t in a hurry, taking this opportunity to stroll around and enjoy the night scenery of Qingzhou City.

At this moment, red lanterns like dragons, colorful fireworks filling the sky, amid the pitch-black night, thousands of trees blooming, extraordinarily beautiful.

Mo Hua strolled through the night scene while making his way out of the city.

As he walked, suddenly someone brushed past him.

Because there were already many people on the street, at first, Mo Hua didn’t pay it any mind, but as they passed by, a sudden chill rose from his heart.

A blur appeared before his eyes and a mass of dark purple Heavenly Mechanism Causality slowly emerged, weaving and twisting together, ugly and dirty, yet suffused with a depraved desire, like a filthy heart or a decaying ”poppy.”

The poppy gradually bloomed...

Just like that night by the Mistwater River, when he first saw the Rouge Boat.

Mo Hua’s pupils trembled, and he immediately turned around.

At that same moment, the young nobleman who had brushed past him seemed to feel something as well and turned his head.

In an instant, their eyes met, and they clearly saw each other’s faces.