Chapter 636: Burial Earth, Gen Mountain
Hua Langjun's death appeared entirely natural—there were no signs of human interference.
After being captured by the Dao Judiciary, he was interrogated and punished, then thrown into the Dao Prison.
From that point on, it was as if he had ceased to exist.
Chained, unfed, untreated—his injuries worsened day by day. No one looked at him again. No one spoke to him again. He was simply… left to die.
Even after his death, it seemed no one knew.
Not even a corpse collector came for him.
But this obviously violated the rules of the Dao Judiciary.
That's why Mo Hua suspected that someone inside the Dao Judiciary must have been a mole—only then could they kill Hua Langjun and silence him without anyone noticing, even inside such a heavily guarded and shadowy prison.
Clearly, Hua Langjun had held leads regarding the Fire Buddha.
Gu Changhuai's face darkened terribly.
"Was it just my imagination…"
In this world, aside from his shibo (Martial Uncle), there was likely no one else capable of such strange and deceptive Divine Sense techniques.
It seemed that in front of high-level cultivators above the Golden Core realm—especially supervisors in major state-level Dao Judiciary branches—this kind of heavenly deduction and karmic probing needed to be used with extreme caution.
Still, Mo Hua might have been right about one thing:
It may have just been a "negligence"... under someone else's control.
Truly worthy of being a Dao Judiciary supervisor.
Gu Changhuai felt deeply unsettled.
Despite claiming "pardon our failure," the officials' words were full of deflection.
Besides, those two prison wardens might genuinely have known nothing about what happened.
"I was negligent and didn't notice the convict's condition. Please forgive me, Supervisor!"
They looked almost possessed…
The two wardens, faces pale with fear, bowed and said:
"Supervisor, please forgive us—we truly didn't know…"
Even if this were reported up the chain, it would amount to little more than a scolding and a dock in pay.
"We don't know how he died. He just… suddenly died."
Gu Changhuai was furious, but there wasn't much he could do.
However, his Martial Uncle's Heavenly Fate Calculation—that was a different story.
If tried, Hua Langjun would have been sentenced to death without a doubt.
Mo Hua blinked.
Just now, while Gu Changhuai was distracted—deep in thought—Mo Hua had secretly used Dark Derivation Fusion to peer into Hua Langjun's karma.
"Uncle Gu, what's wrong?"
His Master's Heavenly Calculations weren't as dangerous—just heavily karmic. On the surface, at least, they were righteous techniques.
But it felt like Gu Changhuai's Divine Sense had changed—become distorted.
He could feel that Mo Hua's aura had shifted—it had become eerie, with a mysterious and unexplainable profundity.
Even the incident with Yu'er last time…
Maybe this wasn't such a serious mistake.
But still, it was best not to be noticed by sharp-eyed people…
"Maybe I'm just overthinking it…"
He summoned the wardens in charge of the prison and began sharply interrogating them.
Negligence, inattention—resulting in a death row prisoner dying a few days early.
Their so-called "negligence" might genuinely have been just that.
Mo Hua took this to heart.
It seemed there were indeed shady people within the Dao Judiciary…
"After the interrogation, no one paid him any mind."
Yet Gu Changhuai had clearly sensed that eerie and dangerous aura from a heretical path…
"What's going on here?"
Just then, Mo Hua turned back. The black gleam in his eyes flashed briefly, then disappeared, leaving his gaze once more pure and clear.
Gu Changhuai's brow furrowed tightly.
His eyelids twitched slightly.
Then, a shiver ran down his spine. He whipped his head around to look at Mo Hua.
But Mo Hua looked the same—eyes deep and limpid, like a bottomless pool. Nothing suspicious.
In that fleeting moment, Gu Changhuai had sensed some kind of alteration of Divine Sense.
If someone mistook him for a "little heretic cultivator"… that would be a disaster.
Seeing that Gu Changhuai was still staring at him suspiciously, Mo Hua struck first:
"Uncle Gu, did you notice something?"
"How do you think Hua Langjun died?"
"Who killed him?"
"Could it be…"
He raised his brows slightly and glanced meaningfully at the two wardens nearby.
The two immediately broke into cold sweat and said anxiously:
"Supervisor Gu!"
"We may have been negligent, but we had nothing to do with this death—truly!"
"We wouldn't dare break the law and kill someone in Dao Prison!"
"Please believe us, Supervisor!"
"Supervisor, we beg you…"
Gu Changhuai was overwhelmed by their shouting, and his train of thought was broken—he forgot all about Mo Hua's oddness.
"Enough." Gu Changhuai's eyes went cold as he swept his gaze over them. "This matter will be handled by the book. You'll be punished as required. Dismissed."
The two dared not object and quickly bowed:
"Yes, sir."
Then they left.
Gu Changhuai wanted to say something to Mo Hua, but when he looked up at the cold, damp ceiling of the Dao Prison, he hesitated—then gave up.
"Let's go." Gu Changhuai said.
"Okay."
Mo Hua followed Gu Changhuai out of the prison.
But just before they left, Mo Hua quietly turned his head and glanced once more at Hua Langjun's corpse.
This man—who once had rosy cheeks and a flowery face, dashing and flirtatious, who had lingered in brothels and harvested countless women…
Now died alone, unnoticed.
All that remained were tattered robes and a decaying, filthy corpse.
Truly, all worldly pleasures—flesh and indulgence—were illusions.
And yet…
Hua Langjun's death had been too natural.
There were no traces of foul play at all.
Even when Mo Hua had used Dark Derivation Fusion, turning his pupils jet black, he hadn't been able to detect the slightest karmic thread.
This method of killing was terrifyingly sophisticated.
"The best way to hide karma… is to make everything appear natural. Leave no karmic threads behind…"
Mo Hua silently etched this insight into his heart.
"I'll have to study this well…"
…
After leaving the Dao Prison, Gu Changhuai's expression was as dark as water.
After thinking for a moment, he ordered someone to bring over all of Hua Langjun's remaining belongings—evidence, and his storage pouch.
Then he chose a quiet Dao Judiciary chamber, and began going through them alone.
Mo Hua leaned over beside him, trying to sneak a peek.
Seeing this, Gu Changhuai quickly covered the items and shook his head. "You can't look."
"Why not?" Mo Hua asked.
"You're still a kid…"
Mo Hua didn't understand.
Gu Changhuai sighed when he realized Mo Hua truly didn't get it, and reminded him:
"Hua Langjun was a flower thief…"
That storage pouch of his was packed with bedroom arts, erotic paintings, dual-cultivation manuals, beauty catalogues… all kinds of vulgar, obscene, and absolutely not age-appropriate materials…
No way Mo Hua was allowed to see those.
Otherwise, he might get corrupted.
Mo Hua suddenly remembered—when he caught Hua Langjun back then, his Senior Sister Murong hadn't let him look at that stuff either.
"Fine, I won't look," Mo Hua muttered, laying on the table, staring straight at Gu Changhuai.
Gu Changhuai felt uncomfortable under Mo Hua's stare and frowned. "What are you looking at me for? Go do something else. I'm investigating here…"
Mo Hua raised three fingers.
"Article Three of our agreement: If we go out, I follow you everywhere. I don't act on my own. I don't run wild."
"You said it yourself!"
Mo Hua was perfectly justified.
Gu Changhuai got a headache on the spot.
He'd slipped. Tripped on his own words. Dug his own grave.
This kid's too sharp.
He'd exploit even the tiniest loophole.
"…Fine." Gu Changhuai sighed, giving up. He let Mo Hua be and started combing through Hua Langjun's storage pouch on his own, searching for clues.
The pouch had been sealed by the Dao Judiciary—outside cultivators couldn't have tampered with it.
If anyone inside had tried something, they would've left traces.
So far, it looked untouched.
With years of investigative experience, Gu Changhuai carefully examined everything piece by piece, hunting for any useful leads.
But most of it… was downright indecent trash.
The more he saw, the more annoyed he got.
Finally, when he came across a jade slip, his expression shifted—he clearly realized something.
Even though Mo Hua wasn't allowed to see the pouch, he had been watching Gu Changhuai the whole time. The moment that expression changed, Mo Hua caught it.
His eyes lit up. "Uncle Gu! Did you find something?!"
Gu Changhuai was about to nod—then suddenly shook his head, tucking the jade slip into his robes. "Nope."
"I saw it!" Mo Hua said firmly.
"Saw what?"
"I saw your expression change," Mo Hua replied. "You definitely found something!"
Gu Changhuai's scalp tingled.
This kid has to be possessed by some ancient monster.
So sharp, it's spooky.
But Gu Changhuai stuck to his guns. "I said no, so it's no."
"…Fine." Mo Hua sighed.
He's a proud Dao Judiciary Supervisor at the Golden Core stage, now shamelessly denying everything like a rogue.
And Mo Hua? Just a junior cultivator. What could he do?
He had no choice but to change the topic. "Uncle Gu, where are we going next?"
Without hesitation, Gu Changhuai replied, "Hua Langjun is dead. The trail's cold…"
Then, seeing the doubtful look Mo Hua gave him, he coughed, averted his gaze, and said casually:
"We'll just head home."
Mo Hua nodded. "Then Uncle Gu, you go ahead."
"Mm." Gu Changhuai nodded, then froze. "You're not coming?"
"I have other business."
"What business?"
Mo Hua didn't hide it. "I want to go to Bishan City, and check out the annihilated Xie Clan."
Gu Changhuai frowned. "The Xie Clan's grounds have been reduced to scorched earth and sealed off by the Dao Judiciary. You won't get in. And Bishan City isn't safe right now—you can't go."
Mo Hua quietly suggested, "Then how about… you take me?"
"No." Gu Changhuai refused immediately.
"Then I'll go myself," Mo Hua said. "You just tell Aunt Wan that I'm not returning to the Gu Clan. After I'm done in Bishan City, I'll head back to the sect."
Mo Hua looked calm, but his eyes sparkled with sly intent.
Gu Changhuai paused—then instantly understood.
This brat was threatening him.
If he didn't bring Mo Hua back personally, his cousin would scold him into oblivion. She might even panic.
He had to deliver Mo Hua safely and in one piece.
But if Mo Hua refused to return, he couldn't exactly force him either.
If he tried, and Mo Hua tattled to Aunt Wan—he'd really have no way to explain himself.
After all, Mo Hua was the Gu Clan's "little benefactor." They couldn't just dismiss his wishes.
So Gu Changhuai had no choice. Wherever Mo Hua wanted to go… he'd have to tag along.
Gu Changhuai ground his teeth in frustration.
Mo Hua waited, calm as ever, for his reply.
After a long silence, Gu Changhuai finally compromised. "…Fine. I'll take you. But once we've visited Bishan City, you come back with me. No more games."
"Deal!" Mo Hua beamed. "It's a promise!"
…
It was already late, so the two stayed overnight at an inn in Luanshan City.
At dawn the next day, they had a simple meal, then set out for Bishan City, not far away.
This was Mo Hua's second time entering Bishan.
Cliffs cut across the terrain, towering like blades. Craggy peaks interlocked with one another.
Most of the cave dwellings had been built into these sheer cliffs—spectacular and majestic.
But the atmosphere within the city was tense.
Pedestrians walked silently, faces nervous and grim.
After all, the Fire Buddha had slaughtered the entire Xie Clan in front of the Dao Judiciary and the city's cultivators.
Reduced their ancestral home to ashes. Annihilated the clan. Destroyed centuries of legacy in one day.
Bishan City was now filled with fear.
Gu Changhuai's face was darker than ever. He looked like he wanted to drag the Fire Buddha's entire group of criminal cultivators out and execute them on the spot.
Before long, they arrived at the ruins of the Xie Clan estate.
All they saw was wreckage—charred ground as far as the eye could see.
Outside the ruins, Dao tiles had been embedded in the ground.
These tiles bore array runes—linked end-to-end to form a faint, invisible barrier that sealed off the scorched remains of the Xie estate, blocking all outsiders.
It was a Dao Judiciary perimeter formation.
"You stay out here," Gu Changhuai ordered.
Mo Hua disagreed, but couldn't do anything about it. So he stood at the barrier and peered inside.
And from that glance—he noticed something.
Though the place was blackened and burned, there were still traces of an array around the Xie Clan's outer perimeter.
"A Tier-2 Gold-Earth Gen Mountain Composite Array…"
Mo Hua murmured under his breath.
When Gu Changhuai heard the name of this array, he froze slightly.
Mo Hua continued observing, releasing his spiritual sense—not using his Trick Calculations, just relying on Deduction. He traced the residual spiritual marks of the formation and muttered softly:
"Around the outer edge of the Xie Clan estate…"
"Originally, it was a Tier-2 Gold-Earth Gen Mountain Composite Array—a defensive formation combining the Five Elemental Metal-Earth structure with the Gen Mountain of the Eight Trigrams…"
"But the array patterns were altered…"
"Only the metal-element runes were changed—the rest remained untouched…"
"No, wait… the changes to the metal patterns influenced the earth patterns—altering the array's structure and effect…"
"Which turned the Tier-2 Gold-Earth Gen Mountain Composite Array into…"
"A Tier-2 Burial Earth Gen Mountain Composite Array…"
"This trap formation buried the entire Xie Clan… in their own home."
The more Gu Changhuai listened, the more disturbed he became. He asked gravely:
"Who told you all this?"
"…What?" Mo Hua was momentarily confused.
"About the Xie Clan's array?" Gu Changhuai's expression was grave.
Mo Hua blinked. "Why would anyone need to tell me? Isn't it obvious just by looking?"
Obvious just by looking…
Gu Changhuai turned his head to glance at the pitch-black scorched ruins in front of them.
Obvious your head!
It's all charred rubble. Everything's burnt to a crisp. What the hell is there to see?
Gu Changhuai was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.
Yet what Mo Hua described… matched the Dao Judiciary's forensic investigation almost exactly.
The only difference was—the Judiciary had summoned multiple Tier-2 array masters, spent three whole days, working from dawn to dusk, meticulously piecing through the ruins to reconstruct how the array had been tampered with.
Only then did they figure out what had been altered.
And Mo Hua?
He just strolled up here, took one glance—not even stepping inside the barrier—just looked from outside…
And figured out everything?
Gu Changhuai's emotions were a chaotic mess.
The facts were right in front of him, yet his sense of logic refused to accept something so absurd.
"You… really figured it out by just looking?"
Gu Changhuai frowned deeply.
"Of course!" Mo Hua replied proudly. "I'm a disciple of the Great Void Sect!"
Not to mention, he'd been studying formations under Elder Xun.
Every time he earned merit, he exchanged it for formation manuals at the Merit Pavilion. By now, he'd studied countless Tier-2 arrays.
With Elder Xun's guidance and the rich legacy of the Great Void Sect, Mo Hua's formation foundation had become rock solid.
At this point, he was already a true Tier-2 Array Master from a major sect in all but official title.
Gu Changhuai's frown deepened.
What's this got to do with the Great Void Sect?!
It wasn't even a formation-specialized sect! Where the hell did their disciples get this kind of insane array mastery?
Even formation-focused sects wouldn't be this outrageous!
And he hadn't even been a disciple for a full year yet…
How much could he possibly have learned?
Gu Changhuai stared hard at Mo Hua for a moment, then suddenly had a thought and asked:
"Do you want to go in and take a closer look?"
Mo Hua was stunned. "Really?"
Gu Changhuai nodded.
Mo Hua grew suspicious.
Uncle Gu… was acting strangely.
Earlier, he'd refused to let Mo Hua enter the Xie estate.
Now, without being asked, he was offering it himself?
Still, who turns down a good thing?
"Alright!" Mo Hua agreed.
Gu Changhuai pulled out a golden waist token.
It was forged from pure gold, elegant and dignified—far more prestigious than Mo Hua's humble bronze badge.
Mo Hua looked at it with barely concealed envy.
But… for now, he could only look.
Gu Changhuai held the golden token and lightly traced it across the perimeter array.
A faint, invisible barrier silently opened.
"Let's go."
Gu Changhuai took the lead.
Mo Hua hesitated a moment, then followed. They crossed the array and stepped into the ruined grounds where the entire Xie Clan had been slaughtered.
The moment his foot touched the scorched ground—burned dry by blood—
A wail pierced his ears.
It was a scream of agony—piercing, filled with boundless suffering.
Though it was broad daylight, Mo Hua's vision turned hazy.
A sea of fire erupted before him in the dark.
Inside the flames, countless figures screamed, struggled, ran—souls in torment, trapped in a hellish inferno.
Executioners with twisted expressions raised their blades—slaughtering, dismembering, reveling.
One blade after another plunged into flesh—splitting open chests, slicing open bellies, pulling out still-warm, dripping entrails…
The fire roared. Blood and flames mingled.
Faces twisted with madness—monsters dancing in carnage.
And the victims—they died like livestock at a butcher's block…
(End of Chapter)