The Quest for Immortality

Gu Changhuai sighed, got up to close the doors and windows, sealed the Formation, and then frowned, ”This Rouge Boat affair... it’s very odd.”

”Odd?” Mo Hua was somewhat confused.

Gu Changhuai said, ”The Rouge Boat has been destroyed, and most of its Disciples have been captured.”

”The Gui Water Sect has also been brought under control, subsequently taken over by the Taoist Court, primarily by the Xia family. Some deeply involved Elders, Instructors, and even Disciples within the Sect have been imprisoned in the Taoist Prison, punished according to their crimes, with the lighter ones being detained for decades, and the heavier ones facing execution by garrote, or even being dismembered by formation...”

”Families and influences connected to the Rouge Boat’s romantic industry, more severely, have been directly raided by the Court Official, with the rest stripped of power, demoted, their assets confiscated, and ordered to rectify, many of which cannot escape punishment.”

”Isn’t this quite good?” Mo Hua said.

Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, ”On the surface, it seems so. The atmosphere has improved, and not just the Rouge Boat, but some other gray areas in the open and hidden have also become restrained. Every Family Sect uses it as a warning, strictly controlling their Disciples, not daring to act recklessly anymore, but...”

Gu Changhuai frowned even more tightly, ”I always feel that all of this has been ’orchestrated’ by someone else.”

”Orchestrated...”

Mo Hua’s brow also slightly furrowed, ”Uncle Gu, you mean someone knew in advance that the Rouge Boat couldn’t be preserved, so they cut off the tail to save the body, sacrificing the pawn to protect the king?”

Gu Changhuai was startled, nodding, ”Yes, and possibly, it’s not just as straightforward as ’sacrificing the pawn to protect the king.’

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

After saying this, he also faintly sensed something strange.

Although the Rouge Boat affair had some twists, at least the previous plans regarding the Dragon King Temple went too smoothly.

The Dragon King Temple was designed by Mr. Tu to entrap his ”deity” self.

He indeed fell into the trap.

The Evil Embryo got planted into the Life Soul.

Then... what about the Rouge Boat?

If the Dragon King Temple was used for scheming, how could the Rouge Boat not involve some plotting?

What was the Rouge Boat used for?

Mo Hua frowned, pondered for a moment, and suddenly thought of something, asked:

”Uncle Gu, on the Rouge Boat, which sects do the Disciples belong to?”

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and said, ”Within the Qian Learning State Boundary, many sects generally have, not to mention the Qian Learning Hundred Gates. Those who could board the boat were undoubtedly prominent Disciples from each sect, and the rest of the Twelve Streams, Eight Great Gates, also had people on board.” 𐍂ᴀΝ∅βЁs̩

”Oh, your Taixu Gate was not there. I heard that before setting sail, they refused to board all Taixu Gate Disciples due to some apprehensions.”

Mo Hua’s expression was not of relief but rather solemn, ”What about the Tai’a Sect?”

Gu Changhuai frowned, ”The Tai’a Sect had quite a few, and they were all Foundation Establishment Late Stage Heavenly Pride Disciples.”

”Rushing Void Sect?”

”The Rushing Void Sect was the same.”

Afterwards, Mo Hua listed several more sects, without exception, all had Disciples who boarded the Rouge Boat. .

And these Disciples had common characteristics.

Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with excellent talent, held high status within the Sect.

This originally was nothing, as the Rouge Boat, being a medium for beauty trading, connecting with nobles, mutually clinging, the Disciples coming and going naturally couldn’t be mediocre.

Most of them were Heaven’s Chosen Sons.

In normal times, this would seem normal.

But now it seems that these Heaven’s Chosen Sons are surely related to something extremely important:

The Dao Debate Conference!

These Tai’a Sect, Rushing Void Sect, and even some other sects, friendly with the Taixu Gate, yet keeping a distance from the Four Great Sects, their Heavenly Pride, are very likely candidates for this session of the Dao Debate Conference!

But now, they were all taken down in one fell swoop?!

A chill arose in Mo Hua’s heart.

He finally understood what the Hidden Hand behind the Rouge Boat, or rather Mr. Tu, intended to do.

He knew the Rouge Boat couldn’t be saved, so he set a trap, infiltrating the Tai’a Sect, Rushing Void Sect, these ”hostile” sects.

And then, taking advantage of the Taoist Court’s investigation of the Rouge Boat, lured Disciples from these ”hostile” sects onto the Rouge Boat.

Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf.

This way, those Disciples found by the Taoist Court to have been in and out of the Rouge Boat would definitely be recorded.

Either imprisoned in Taoist Prison or expelled from the sect, even if the sects manage to protect them, they absolutely couldn’t participate in the Dao Debate Conference anymore.

The core strength to participate in the Dao Debate Conference got siphoned.

The result is naturally obvious.

Mo Hua’s gaze was solemn, ”On the Rouge Boat, is there... not a single Disciple from the Four Great Sects?”

Gu Changhuai nodded, ”No, the Four Great Sects have strict rules, with a thriving sect culture. This time, not having Disciples go to the Rouge Boat is a stroke of luck among misfortunes...”

Gu Changhuai sighed, ”Otherwise, if the Disciples of the Four Great Sects also went to the Rouge Boat to seek pleasure, flirting and romancing, the face of my entire Qian Learning State Boundary would be gone...”

Mo Hua’s heart sank slightly.

Perhaps they didn’t go to seek pleasure, flirting and romancing.

But what they did might be more excessive than this...

The so-called ”Young Masters’ Pavilion”, with immense power, those who enter the Pavilion are either respected or noble, certainly can’t have no connection with the Four Great Sects.

It’s just, he has no proof.

Moreover, in the eyes of most cultivators in the Qianxue State Boundary, the Four Great Sects hold a transcendent position, being truly prestigious academies, holy places of Dao pursuit.

The Disciples within the sect are all outstanding people.

Even Uncle Gu, not knowing the inside story, is very likely to think so.

But Mo Hua, dealing with all sorts of sect ”gentlemen” more frequently now, realized that things are far from being that simple.

And this matter, is very likely the ”trick” of the Four Great Sects.

Before the sect’s reform, directly making the Tai’a Sect, Rushing Void Sect, and those sects capable of coveting the Four Great Sects’ position lose their most core Disciples.