Chapter 641 – Jia Ren
"He's a traitor from the Broken Gold Sect. Stole something from the Xie family. The Xie family submitted the bounty to the sect. Senior Sister Murong, Senior Brother Feng, and I accepted the mission, came to Bishan City and caught him—then we turned him over to the Dao Prison…"
Mo Hua summarized concisely.
"This man can change his appearance. His entire body and flesh can twist and deform—makes it hard to see his real face. He also cultivates the Broken Gold Sect's Escape Gold Body Technique. Turns into golden light, runs really fast…"
Mo Hua added.
Gu Changhuai's gaze sharpened slightly. He said in a low voice:
"He stole from the Xie family…"
"And soon after, the Xie family was wiped out…"
Mo Hua nodded.
He hadn't thought much of it before, but now, seeing this traitor from the Broken Gold Sect again, he also sensed something fishy about the situation.
And more importantly…
Mo Hua murmured, "How did he get out of the Dao Prison? Could it be…"
There was a mole in the Dao Enforcement Division?
Mo Hua didn't say it outright, but Gu Changhuai clearly understood his meaning. His expression grew heavier.
"I'll have someone look into it."
Gu Changhuai took out his golden Dao Enforcement Division token and seemed to send out a message.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Uncle Gu, the Dao Enforcement token can send messages too? Then what about mine—"
"Yours doesn't work."
"Why not?"
"You're not officially enlisted."
Gu Changhuai was just as concise.
Mo Hua was helpless. "Alright then…"
Being unofficial is like being stateless—same work, different treatment.
He glanced again at the Rouge Shop and asked:
"Uncle Gu, what do we do next? Are we catching him?"
Gu Changhuai sipped his tea and said calmly:
"No rush. Let's observe a bit first…"
If Gu Changhuai wasn't rushing, Mo Hua was even less in a hurry.
He was genuinely curious to see how Uncle Gu, as a Dao Enforcement officer, handled cases on the daily.
How he found clues.
How he arrested suspects.
Know thy enemy, know thyself—never lose a hundred battles.
If, one day… Mo Hua ever got wanted by the Dao Enforcement Division and Uncle Gu came after him… how would he escape?
Of course, that's just hypothetical.
He was a law-abiding cultivator of Qianxue Prefecture!
A good disciple of the Great Void Sect who followed the rules!
Such a day would never come.
But still, there was no harm in studying the process to gain some life experience.
The cultivation world was deep and complicated.
It wasn't just about cultivation methods—you had to understand the world too.
So, Mo Hua sat back down patiently, continued sipping tea, one eye on Gu Changhuai, the other on the Rouge Shop, observing that Broken Gold traitor's every move.
That man's actions were very odd.
He kept going in and out of the Rouge Shop.
Each time, he wore a different face, different clothes—clearly trying not to attract attention.
But Mo Hua noticed that every time he entered, he only had one storage pouch on him.
Yet when he left, he had three or four.
Mo Hua quietly used his divine sense to track him and found that the man never strayed far—he just wandered aimlessly nearby with the storage pouches.
Bishan City was built along steep mountainous terrain.
By the roadsides were deep, jagged cliffs and ravines.
The man would toss the storage pouches into those ravines when no one was looking.
After dumping them, he'd return, grab more, then toss again…
Just like… throwing out the trash…
And judging by the pattern, he'd been doing it for a while now.
While cracking pine nuts, Mo Hua scooted closer to Gu Changhuai and whispered, gossip-style:
"Uncle Gu, is he… disposing of stolen goods?"
Destroying evidence...
Gu Changhuai's gaze narrowed. "Quite possibly…"
"Then should we… grab him now? Catch him red-handed?"
Gu Changhuai shook his head.
"He's been doing this for some time. Clearly, the stolen goods are numerous—we can't rush this…"
"If we act now, we'll startle the snake."
"If Fire Buddha's spies or eyes are nearby, any sudden move will tip them off…"
"We need to wait for the right moment—catch him quietly, away from prying eyes…"
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
Gu Changhuai was about to say more when he suddenly paused. He picked up his waist token, gave it a quick glance, then tucked it away.
Mo Hua, sharp-eyed, asked:
"Did you find the mole?"
Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua and sighed, "No…"
"No?" Mo Hua frowned. "He got thrown into Dao Prison, and now he's out so quickly. Isn't that because of an inside job?"
Gu Changhuai shook his head. "He was released according to protocol."
Mo Hua was surprised.
Gu Changhuai continued: "I had someone check the records…"
"This man's name is Jia Ren—no criminal record…"
"The Xie family said their treasury was robbed, but refused to say what was stolen. And nothing with the Xie family's marks—no artifacts, pills, or manuals—was found on this man…"
"There was no evidence to convict him."
"As for the Broken Gold Sect…"
"They said it was a mistake. This man wasn't their disciple. The one who actually stole their legacy and betrayed the sect was someone else…"
"So technically, he's not a traitor from the Broken Gold Sect either."
"The only thing we could charge him for… was working as an 'underground prostitute' in an unregistered brothel…"
"But…"
Gu Changhuai's expression turned complicated. "He's a man."
"So, the Dao Enforcement Division could only charge him with fraud and moral misconduct. We jailed him for one month and released him…"
"Whatever's going on behind the scenes, we can't prove it. But on the surface, everything checks out…"
Mo Hua was speechless.
Seriously?
He looked again at the many-faced, ever-changing "Jia Ren" and silently mocked:
If this guy's clean, then I'm a Nascent Soul Emperor…
But more importantly—so many questions now tangled in his mind.
First, the Xie family…
Did they really lose something?
If so, what was it?
Was it Jia Ren who stole it?
If not, why would the Xie family lie?
And is it connected to their extermination?
And why did the Broken Gold Sect initially say Jia Ren was a traitor, then later completely deny it?
What happened behind the scenes?
The Xie family massacre… the Fire Buddha's disappearance…
What was Jia Ren's connection to all of it?
Just as Mo Hua was pondering, he noticed Jia Ren's behavior suddenly change.
A squad of Dao Enforcement officers happened to pass by on patrol, triggering Jia Ren's alertness.
He couldn't keep disposing of the goods, so he stashed three storage pouches and took a secluded path, heading north into the deserted mountain area.
Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.
Sure enough, Gu's eyes lit up. He placed three spirit stones on the table and stood up.
Mo Hua estimated those three spirit stones covered his tea as well and nodded in satisfaction, then silently followed Gu Changhuai.
The back mountain of northern Bishan City was even steeper.
Jia Ren was extremely cautious.
This time he'd disguised himself as a stocky short cultivator with a herb basket on his back, weaving through mountain trails, pausing often to look back.
Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua followed from a distance.
Luckily, both had powerful divine senses—Jia Ren had no chance of escape.
Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Gu, are we making a move?"
Gu Changhuai nodded.
"How?" Mo Hua asked again.
They needed to capture him alive, fast and precisely. No time to let Jia Ren react, run, or alert others.
Mo Hua was no stranger to catching people—but he still wanted to hear how Uncle Gu or the Dao Enforcement Division would do it.
With a plan in mind, he could compare notes with Uncle Gu afterward. Plug any holes, refine his technique.
Gu Changhuai, wholly focused on Jia Ren and the Fire Buddha matter, didn't suspect anything and said calmly:
"Lay a trap on his inevitable path—set up an array for an ambush…"
"Place shackles laced with poison on the ground…"
"Use a Sonic Boom Array to disorient him momentarily…"
"Take the opportunity to subdue him…"
"Then seal his limbs with Spirit Locks…"
"Preparation must be thorough, execution fast and ruthless—no chance for counterattack, no chance for suicide…"
"That's the standard Dao Enforcement arrest protocol…"
…
As Gu Changhuai explained, Mo Hua kept nodding by his side.
Gu Changhuai spoke, while Mo Hua stood nearby, nodding the whole time.
Although he already knew some of it, there were many subtle techniques and details that were new—definitely worth learning from.
When Gu Changhuai finished explaining, he reminded Mo Hua:
"Remember—three rules. You're not making a move."
"Mm-hmm," Mo Hua agreed immediately.
Gu Changhuai gave a small nod, then with a flicker of his figure, he dashed across the rugged mountainside. With a few agile steps, he moved ahead of Jia Ren.
Mo Hua silently followed as well.
But he only hid off to the side, extended his divine sense, and obediently observed.
Jia Ren still walked ahead, unaware of anything wrong.
His destination was a cliff ahead.
Before the cliff, Gu Changhuai had already placed several specially-made array plates from the Dao Enforcement Division and buried a few shackles beneath the ground.
His technique was practiced, movements swift and clean.
The trap itself was very well laid.
With a humble heart and eager curiosity, Mo Hua committed the Dao Enforcement Division's ambush style and trap-setting habits to memory.
Once everything was set, Gu Changhuai hid nearby in ambush.
Moments later, Jia Ren appeared.
He glanced left and right, saw nothing suspicious, and walked step by step toward the cliff, pulling a storage pouch from his robes, preparing to toss it into the ravine.
But after only a few steps—clang!—an intense jolt of pain surged through his leg.
"Shit!"
Jia Ren looked down—one of the shackles had clamped onto his calf like a tiger's maw.
Green venom oozed from the shackle.
It seeped into his bloodstream, spreading rapidly through his body.
A numbing sensation crept outward.
A trap—with paralytic poison!
Jia Ren's expression changed drastically. Ignoring the pain, he tore at the shackle, ripping off a large chunk of flesh from his leg and breaking free, turning to flee.
But just then, the Soundblast Array activated at four corners.
Outside the array, Mo Hua only heard a low, muffled hum.
But inside the array, Jia Ren's vision blurred, ears rang painfully, and his divine sense became sluggish.
Even his flesh seemed to shudder under the sonic pressure.
But within moments, a jade pendant on Jia Ren shattered, releasing a flash of cleansing light—he snapped back to his senses.
"A Dao Enforcement Soundblast Array?!"
Jia Ren's pupils shrank. He reached into his robes and pulled out a talisman.
But before he could use it, a wind blade slashed in, leaving a bloody gash on his arm. The talisman fell to the ground.
That wind blade had been incredibly fast and razor-sharp.
Jia Ren turned—and saw Gu Changhuai, his expression cold as ice.
Sensing Gu's cultivation, despair filled Jia Ren's face.
"Golden Core?!"
Before he could react, Gu Changhuai moved like the wind. In an instant, he was beside Jia Ren, gripped his shoulder with one hand, and with a burst of spiritual power, crushed Jia Ren's left arm.
Jia Ren broke into a cold sweat from the pain, eyes full of fear. With a shake of his right hand, he revealed several pills from his sleeve, trying to quickly shove them into his mouth.
Gu Changhuai pointed a finger—another wind blade sliced down, severing the tendons in Jia Ren's right hand.
His hand dropped limp, and the pills scattered to the ground.
They were a sinister green.
Gu Changhuai, experienced as he was, instantly recognized them—deadly poison pills.
"Trying to kill yourself?"
Gu Changhuai's gaze narrowed—but something suddenly felt wrong. He looked up—and saw Jia Ren biting down hard on a tooth, trying to swallow it.
Poison hidden in a tooth?
A cold gleam flashed in Gu Changhuai's eyes. His right hand instantly locked around Jia Ren's throat, while his left hand punched hard into Jia Ren's abdomen.
Urgh! Jia Ren choked, vomiting out the poisoned tooth.
He still tried to resist, to struggle—but he was out of tricks. Even his suicide plans had been foiled.
Meanwhile, the paralytic poison from the shackle had spread through his body via the bloodstream.
Jia Ren cursed internally, but his divine sense was already growing fuzzy—his vision darkened, and he passed out.
Gu Changhuai pulled out a spirit chain, locked up all of Jia Ren's limbs, then yanked out his teeth and tossed him behind a hidden boulder.
At this point—Jia Ren was captured.
Mo Hua stared, a bit dazed.
This Uncle Gu… was not quite what he had imagined.
He always looked arrogant, like he didn't care about anyone.
But his methods were shockingly meticulous.
Even as a Golden Core-ranked official, dealing with a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was still serious, cautious, and thorough. Every step planned—no room for error.
Not even a chance to escape.
Not even a chance to die!
Mo Hua felt he'd learned a lot.
Throughout the entire process, he had obediently followed Uncle Gu's orders and refrained from interfering.
Now that Jia Ren had been subdued, Mo Hua stepped out from hiding, jogged up to Gu Changhuai, and looked at the unconscious Jia Ren with surprise:
"This Jia Ren actually tried to kill himself?"
He'd never met a criminal cultivator who'd instantly choose death the moment they got caught, without even trying to talk their way out.
Gu Changhuai frowned, speaking grimly:
"I was only preparing for the worst, just in case—but I didn't expect that Jia Ren really would rather die than fall into my hands…"
"Which means…"
Gu Changhuai's gaze grew sharp.
Mo Hua finished his sentence: "...This guy knows a lot. And what he's hiding is huge."
He probably really was connected to the Xie family massacre—and possibly had leads on the Fire Buddha.
Maybe even more…
"Are we interrogating him now?" Mo Hua asked.
"Yes."
Gu Changhuai nodded.
But before that, they needed to follow protocol and search the storage pouches.
He opened all four or five of the pouches that Jia Ren had originally intended to discard.
A strong stench of blood rushed out.
Sure enough, the contents were all "stolen goods."
Some were spiritual weapons—ghastly curved blades, flensing swords, and gutting halberds—each stained with blood.
At the sight of the blood, Mo Hua's mind buzzed, and his vision turned red.
Within a sea of fire, the horrific images of the Xie Clan's cultivators dying in agony, their twisted, monstrous forms, resurfaced in his mind.
"This is... the blood of Xie Clan cultivators," Mo Hua said solemnly.
Gu Changhuai paused. "How do you know that?"
Mo Hua replied, "I can tell."
Gu gave a helpless look. "Forget it. I won't ask."
Besides the bloodstained murder weapons, there were also some "squeaky clean" spiritual items.
No blood. No killing aura. Just everyday-use spirit tools: lighting lamps, ventilation talismans, fire-proofing charms, dust-cleansing brushes, incense burners for focus...
Things commonly used in a cultivator's daily life.
Both Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai were surprised.
"These... belonged to the Xie family?"
"They killed the Xie family and looted their property?"
But then—why throw it all away afterward?
Wasn't that just... robbing for nothing?
They couldn't have just killed for fun and regretted it later, tossing the loot to avoid Dao Enforcement tracking them down…
But the Fire Buddha and his crew—those bloodthirsty criminals—didn't seem like the "regretful" type.
Gu Changhuai's eyes narrowed with caution. He frowned in deep thought.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Could they have been... looking for something?"
Gu glanced at him. "Looking for something?"
"Yeah." Mo Hua carefully explained,
"They wiped out the whole Xie family to find something.
This Jia Ren first tried to steal it from them,
but failed.
That thing must've been important—important enough that the Fire Buddha decided to kill them all to get it."
"So they raided the Xie Clan, took everything back with them to search through, then burned the place down to erase the trail."
"And the discarded items?
They must've gone through them and found nothing, so they tossed them."
"As for the bloodstained weapons—they'd want to get rid of them too, to avoid leaving evidence for the Dao Enforcement... or karmic traces someone could track."
Destroying these items in a refining furnace would've been too loud, too slow.
Better to use the cliffs and deep ravines of Bishan City—toss the goods where no one would ever find them.
Even if someone did discover them—it'd be years down the line.
Gu Changhuai looked a little stunned.
This kid's brain really turns fast.
And honestly—it did sound plausible.
He thought for a moment and nodded. "That's one possibility. But just a possibility—don't jump to conclusions."
"Before we know the truth, making assumptions can lead you astray."
Mo Hua nodded. "Understood."
That said... he still felt his theory held some weight.
At the very least, it was a valid line of investigation.
Gu Changhuai searched through Jia Ren's personal storage pouch.
It was pretty standard—just like what any ordinary cultivator might carry: spirit stones, pills, weapons, and a few jade slips with techniques.
But nothing special.
None of the jade slips were sealed, encrypted, or wiped—clearly, Jia Ren had been cautious. He hadn't carried anything important on him.
Mo Hua double-checked everything.
There was evidence—yes. But not much in the way of clues.
It was clear Jia Ren was involved in the Xie family massacre—possibly even scouted beforehand, and helped dispose of the loot afterward.
In other words, he was neck-deep in it.
But beyond that? Nothing.
No concrete leads on the Fire Buddha.
Which meant—it was time to interrogate Jia Ren.
Gu Changhuai took out a pill and fed it to him. Less than a stick of incense later, Jia Ren stirred with a frown and opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Gu Changhuai's handsome—but to him, utterly loathsome—face.
Gu's voice was icy:
"You work for the Fire Buddha?"
Jia Ren just sneered, expression full of "go ahead and kill me"—and said nothing.
Gu asked question after question:
"Where is the Fire Buddha?"
"Why did you wipe out the Xie family?"
"What's your relationship with the Fire Buddha?"
But Jia Ren was like a walking corpse. No reaction. No fear of death. Just silence.
Gu Changhuai's brow furrowed. He was out of patience.
There was no way around it now—he'd have to use force.
He took out a second-grade branding iron, inscribed with a fire-element array. It glowed red-hot and seared flesh instantly.
He pressed it onto Jia Ren's skin.
A hiss. Flesh sizzled. The smell of charred meat.
Jia Ren winced, face twitching in pain—but still said nothing.
Mo Hua, off to the side, couldn't stand it anymore.
"Uncle Gu... I don't think that's working."
He quietly pulled out his own weapon: a bloodstained iron plate.
"Wanna try mine instead?"
Gu Changhuai stared at the iron plate, stunned.
And Jia Ren, who had been unaware of anyone else in the area, suddenly heard that clear, youthful voice—and finally realized someone else was here.
...But why did that voice sound so familiar?
It sounded just like that brat—the one he wanted to slice into a thousand pieces.
Jia Ren slowly turned his head.
A fair, delicate face. Eyes like ink. Features like a painting.
The walking corpse-like Jia Ren suddenly sprang to life like a zombie, eyes bulging in rage:
"You...?! It's YOU?!"
(End of Chapter)