Chapter 708: Destiny

A trace of deep fear flashed in the eyes of the blue robed sword cultivator.

Young Master Jin's face turned even colder.

Gu Longhuai, a third-rank standard official in the Dao Court Department of Qianxue State.

A cultivator in the initial stage of the Golden Core realm.

Outside the wine shop, Gu Longhuai stood tall and straight, proud and imposing. Even in simple clothes, it was hard to hide his outstanding demeanor.

Feather-like gorgeous wind blades surrounded his body.

The dense Golden Core cultivation around him, which he made no attempt to suppress, emitted a faint pressure.

Young Master Jin frowned, thought for a moment, then his eyes turned cold and sharp, and he asked angrily:

"Gu Longhuai..."

"All this, was it your secret arrangement?"

Gu Longhuai's face was calm, but there was a hint of surprise in his heart.

He didn't quite understand what kind of scheme Young Master Jin was referring to.

But he was always proud and aloof, too lazy to explain, especially to disciples of aristocratic families with such corrupt Dao conduct. He disdained even a glance.

Gu Longhuai only said faintly:

"Will you surrender, or wait for me to cripple you, bind you with spirit-binding chains, and then throw you into the Dao Prison?"

Young Master Jin smiled sinisterly, completely unafraid, "Standard Official Gu, why are you arresting us?"

"You said it yourself," Gu Longhuai said with a cold and indifferent expression, "Selling cultivators, harming people's lives, refining human dan. Any one of these is enough to throw you into the Dao Prison to suffer all kinds of torture."

Young Master Jin smiled slightly, "I was just spouting nonsense to scare that little brat... Words without proof, Standard Official Gu wouldn't just wrongly accuse a good person like this, would he?"

The corner of Gu Longhuai's mouth held a sarcastic smile, "Things worse than beasts, unworthy of being human, yet you still claim to be a 'good person'?"

Young Master Jin's expression changed immediately, "Standard Official Gu, please be careful with your words!"

Gu Longhuai pointed to Young Master Jin's storage bag, "Don't think I don't know, the human dan are still hidden on your body. Now that both people and stolen goods have been seized, how will you argue?"

"Human dan?" Young Master Jin casually threw the storage bag, his face full of confusion, "Standard Official Gu, what are you talking about? Where are the human dan? Why didn't I see them?"

Gu Longhuai's gaze slightly narrowed.

Young Master Jin pointed to the storage bag on the ground containing the human dan, and said with a smile:

"Standard Official Gu, you're not saying that what's inside this is human dan, are you? How is that possible?"

"Furthermore, even if what's inside is really the 'human dan' you mentioned, I don't know anything about it..."

Young Master Jin pointed to Du Jianglong again, with sarcasm at the corner of his mouth:

"This fishing cultivator said he had high-quality elixirs to sell to me. I was interested, so I specifically came to see. Who knew what elixirs were in his bag, what medicines were stored?"

Du Jianglong's face turned pale.

"This matter might be unrelated to me..." Young Master Jin smiled slightly and continued:

"Perhaps this lowly person was instructed by someone else to frame me... Don't you think?"

Young Master Jin looked at Gu Longhuai with a half-smile, and said slowly, "...Standard Official Gu."

Gu Longhuai wasn't angry, he just nodded slowly and said casually:

"What you said makes sense. How about this, you come with me to the Dao Court Department. I'll clarify the matter, and then release you."

Young Master Jin said, "This matter might be unrelated to me."

"Related or not, we'll talk about it after you enter the Dao Court Department..."

"These elixirs aren't mine..."

"You've touched them, you've stained yourself with karma. We'll talk about it after you go to the Dao Court Department," Gu Longhuai said faintly.

"Standard Official Gu, I said, the words just now were all nonsense..."

"But you said, we just need to verify. We'll talk about it after you go to the Dao Court Department..."

Gu Longhuai was unyielding.

No matter how Young Master Jin argued, he just kept repeating "we'll talk about it after you go to the Dao Court Department," maintaining an air of official business.

Young Master Jin didn't speak.

His expression also became difficult.

Talk about it after entering the Dao Court Department, what the hell is there to talk about after entering the Dao Court Department!

Once inside the Dao Court Department, his body wouldn't be his own. Even if he didn't die, he would suffer torture and lose a layer of skin.

What's more, the higher ranks of the Dao Court Department had "karma and law forms."

Some words, once spoken, are spoken. Some things, once done, are done. They simply cannot be denied.

He could argue outside, but once inside the Dao Court Department, he couldn't argue even if he wanted to.

Young Master Jin hated him in his heart.

This Gu Longhuai is truly hateful! He simply doesn't care what you say, and he doesn't get entangled with you. He only wants to get you into the Dao Court Department.

At that point, he would be like a fish on a chopping board, to be kneaded by Gu Longhuai.

The blue robed sword cultivator on the side said in a deep voice, "Standard Official Gu, Young Master Jin's identity is noble. Is it improper to send him to the Dao Court Department?"

Gu Longhuai glanced at him, "It doesn't matter, you have to go in too."

The blue robed sword cultivator was startled.

Gu Longhuai said expressionlessly: "Xie Liu, inner disciple of Gui Water Gate, you wanted to kill a Gu family cultivator in front of me today. The Dao Court Department will deal with it. And Tai Xu Gate..."

Gu Longhuai glanced at Mo Hua, "...this little disciple with no strength to tie a chicken."

"You also have to come back to the Dao Court Department with me to explain this matter clearly."

Mo Hua was a little unhappy.

Xie Liu, the sword cultivator in the blue robe, and the inner disciple of Gui Water Gate, heard the words and his expression turned icy cold, his eyes filled with cold light.

Gu Longhuai looked at him, his expression still indifferent.

Xie Liu smiled, but it was a forced smile, "Standard Official Gu, you actually recognize me..."

Gu Longhuai smiled faintly, "If I didn't recognize you, how could I call you an 'evil beast'?"

Xie Liu's face twitched slightly, his gaze sharp, but a little chilled in his heart.

Recognized...

Then he had been targeted.

When exactly did this happen?

Young Master Jin also sensed that something was wrong and subtly winked at Xie Liu.

Xie Liu understood in his heart, and then smiled at Gu Longhuai and said:

"Standard Official Gu, if you want to add a charge, what's the worry about not having words?"

Gu Longhuai said indifferently, "Oh? You mean I fabricated and made up a crime? Do you know that by slandering a standard official of the Dao Court Department, your crime is increased by one level."

Xie Liu frowned. He knew that when it came to verbal skills, he was no match for this standard official of the Dao Court Department.

He clenched his hand, and a long sword appeared.

This was his life magic treasure, Gui Shui Jian.

It was also one of the twelve major sects of Qianxue State, the standard inheritance magic treasure of Gui Water Gate.

Gu Longhuai raised an eyebrow, "You want to resist arrest?"

Xie Liu smiled, "Although I, Xie Liu, am not talented, I am barely a teacher of Gui Water Gate. If Standard Official Gu wants to slander me, I must find a way to prove my innocence."

Gu Longhuai nodded, "I understand. You failed to kill, and you still want to resist arrest."

Xie Liu's expression was difficult.

As expected of a standard official with extensive experience in the Dao Court Department, his ability to impose crimes was indeed extraordinary.

Young Master Jin was a little impatient and said to Xie Liu:

"Don't waste words, escape quickly."

As long as he wasn't caught on the spot by Gu Longhuai, he could just hide in his sect or clan and avoid the storm.

He simply didn't believe that the Dao Court Department would really dare to fall out with the Jin family and Po Jin Gate, and come to their door to arrest people?

Xie Liu's gaze was icy cold, he raised Gui Shui Jian horizontally, and sword energy surged all around him.

"Standard Official Gu, our cultivation levels are similar. Today I will ask for your advice and see if my Gui Water Gate's sword technique is more formidable, or if your Gu family's Dao technique is superior."

Xie Liu infused spiritual power into Gui Shui Jian, turning it into a sinister, powerful Gui Water sword energy. Then he thrust it forward, the sword energy broke through the air and went straight towards Gu Longhuai's chest.

Gu Longhuai raised his hand, turning it into a feather screen.

The Gui Water sword energy touched the feather screen.

It only held for an instant, then the sword energy instantly shredded the feathers, pierced the screen, and went towards Gu Longhuai.

Gu Longhuai barely managed to dodge, avoiding the vital point.

The sword energy scratched his arm, leaving a bloody mark, and blood dripped out.

Young Master Jin saw this and couldn't help but sneer.

"The Gu family's Dao technique is only so-so..."

Xie Liu also showed pride in his eyes, but a moment later, his face changed slightly, feeling that something was wrong.

Gu Longhuai looked at the wound on his arm and nodded, "Attacking a standard official of the Dao Court Department, this is your first move. This is evidence."

Having said that, Gu Longhuai sprinkled some medicinal powder on the wound.

This was not to stop the bleeding, but to keep it bleeding, to prevent the wound from healing quickly and leaving no evidence.

There was no solid evidence that Xie Liu attacked Gu An, Gu Quan, and Mo Hua.

But his attack on a Golden Core standard official of the Dao Court Department with his first move was solid evidence.

Xie Liu's face was extremely grim.

He couldn't understand how Gu Longhuai, who seemed proud and arrogant, could be so despicable in doing things.

Gu Longhuai held out his right hand, and a feather fan, flowing with light and radiating with astonishing spiritual power, appeared before him.

The Seven Color Peacock Feather Treasure Fan.

A magic treasure passed down from the ancestors of the Gu family.

At the same time, Gu Longhuai's dantian ignited with dan fire, and his body was covered with a layer of fine light, as if a green luan had spread its wings, a peacock had fanned its tail, and gorgeous wind blades and feather wings appeared behind him, arranged in scales, radiating magnificent light.

He used the superior magic treasure of the Gu family ancestors, the Seven Color Peacock Feather Treasure Fan, to unleash the superior Dao technique of the Gu family, the Wind Transformation Feather Art.

For a time, Gu Longhuai was like a green luan immortal banished from heaven, with an extraordinary appearance and astonishing spiritual power all around him.

Xie Liu's face instantly turned pale.

He exerted all his strength, pushing the Gui Water sword energy to the extreme, wanting to decide the outcome with Gu Longhuai.

But with just a wave of Gu Longhuai's finger, the Seven Color Peacock Feather Treasure Fan burst into light, and the Wind Transformation Feather Art turned out feather blades, blooming with magnificent seven-colored killing intent.

In an instant, it was as if a green luan vibrated its feathers.

All the feather blades condensed into a gorgeous hurricane and swept towards Xie Liu.

Xie Liu had no way to avoid it.

In just one round, Xie Liu's sword light was shredded, and his sword energy was instantly swallowed.

The Gui Shui Jian in his hand also only held on for a moment before its light dimmed and it lost its color.

Then Xie Liu's entire person was wrapped in wind blades.

Traces of wind system spiritual power, like bone-eating maggots, hid killing intent and dissolved his spiritual power and flesh.

The entire wine shop was affected by the Dao technique, and all the tables, chairs, and fences turned into dust.

When the Dao technique stopped and the wind blades scattered,

Xie Liu knelt on the ground, covered in injuries, his eyes filled with despair.

He couldn't understand how, clearly both were in the initial stage of the Golden Core realm, the difference in strength was so great...

He was actually no match for this person surnamed Gu!

Mo Hua, who was watching from the side, was also stunned.

He knew that Uncle Gu was powerful, but he didn't expect that Uncle Gu, who was not limited by the realm and could display his Golden Core cultivation, life magic treasure, and Golden Core realm superior Dao technique, was actually so powerful.

Both flashy and powerful!

Gu Longhuai's evaluation in Mo Hua's heart rapidly rose.

And Young Master Jin and the others had long ago sensed that something was wrong. The moment Gu Longhuai made his move, they had already thought of escaping.

But in their hearts, they were still a little hard to believe.

This Xie Liu was barely an inner disciple of Gui Water Gate, and his cultivation and Dao techniques were not bad. He didn't expect to be defeated in one move.

This Gu Longhuai... is indeed a formidable enemy!

Young Master Jin's heart went cold, and he made a quick decision, "Retreat quickly!"

Escape as many as possible, and quickly return to the sect to call for reinforcements to block Gu Longhuai.

As long as they weren't caught by the Dao Court Department, anything else was fine.

Young Master Jin and the four others instantly turned into golden light and fled into the distance.

Gu Longhuai had just used a superior Dao technique to suppress Xie Liu, a Golden Core realm cultivator, and his spiritual power had not fully recovered. For a time, he couldn't pay attention to them.

But Mo Hua obviously wouldn't let them run off.

With his divine sense locked on, he quickly pointed his fingers, and blue light flashed quickly. One after another, water prison techniques temporarily bound Young Master Jin and the others.

Gu An and Gu Quan, in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment realm, chased after them without a word, first chopping them with knives to cripple their legs, and then tying them with spirit-binding chains.

Although the few of them struggled for a few rounds, with Mo Hua watching from the side, they simply couldn't escape.

On the other side, Xie Liu was also caught by Gu Longhuai and bound with a third-grade spirit-binding chain, trapping his flesh and meridians.

With the dust settled, Young Master Jin and his group were all caught.

After Gu Longhuai collected the evidence and confiscated the storage bags of the few people, he was about to take these few people to the Dao Prison.

Young Master Jin suddenly said with a hateful voice: "Gu Longhuai!"

Gu Longhuai looked at him indifferently.

Young Master Jin was tied up and pressed to the ground, but he still sneered, "Do you know who I am?"

Gu Longhuai said indifferently, "No matter who you are, if you violate the Dao laws, you must enter the Dao Prison."

"Bah!" Young Master Jin cursed, "What are you pretending to be serious about with me?"

"Dao laws are used to restrain the common people. Noble families of the world and loose cultivators are cheap. How can they be mixed together and apply one law?"

Gu Longhuai's gaze gradually turned cold.

Young Master Jin said coldly, "Who do you think I am?"

"My ancestor eight hundred years ago was the Sect Master of Po Jin Gate. My grandfather is the current Great Elder of Po Jin Gate. My father is the Vice Sect Master of Po Jin Gate, and my mother is a True Disciple Elder of Po Jin Gate..."

"It can be said that half of Po Jin Gate, which ranks high among the twelve major sects of Qianxue State, is the property of my Jin family..."

"I advise you to think carefully. Don't make a big fuss, otherwise even if you are a standard official of the Dao Court Department, you won't be able to walk away!"

Young Master Jin's attitude was extremely arrogant.

Gu Longhuai raised an eyebrow, lifted his foot, and stepped on Young Master Jin's face. For a moment, his expression was even more arrogant than Young Master Jin's.

"You, a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, threaten me, a Golden Core?"

"You, a sect disciple, threaten me, a standard official of the Dao Court Department?"

"Your Jin family is an aristocratic family, how is my Gu family not?"

Gu Longhuai exerted force under his foot, stepping on Young Master Jin's face into the mud, and sneered indifferently:

"Do you see? No matter who it is, when stepped on, they all look the same. You regard others as cheap seeds, unaware that in others' eyes, you are also a cheap person."

Young Master Jin felt that his dignity was being trampled on the ground by Gu Longhuai and crushed into pieces. His eyes were red, and he said hoarsely:

"Gu Longhuai!"

"One day, I will make sure you don't have a good death!"

"I will make sure you suffer ten thousand calamities and don't recover. I will make you..."

Gu Longhuai smiled contemptuously, kicked him, knocking Young Master Jin unconscious, and then threw him to Gu An like a tied-up dead pig.

"Take him back."

"Yes." Gu An took the order and held down Young Master Jin.

Mo Hua was a little worried and quietly asked, "Uncle Gu, if you humiliate him like this, won't you suffer his revenge later?"

Gu Longhuai said expressionlessly, "There are many people who hate me. If I were afraid of such a small matter, how could I still be a standard official of the Dao Court Department?"

"Oh..."

Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a little solemn respect.

Indeed, people cannot be judged by their appearance. Uncle Gu, who looked so flashy, actually had such backbone.

Gu Longhuai looked at Mo Hua, suddenly frowned, and asked:

"How did you get here?"

Mo Hua said simply, "I destroyed the human trafficker's base in the fishing village, caught Du Jianglong, found out that they were abducting cultivators and killing them to refine elixirs. Then I had Du Jianglong deliver the elixirs, and we followed, wanting to follow the vine to find the melon, and see who he was in contact with. Then we tracked him here..."

Gu Longhuai was startled to hear this, his expression surprised.

He didn't expect Mo Hua's progress in investigating the case to be so fast.

Giving orders to Gu An and the others also seemed very natural, just like a "little standard official" of the Dao Court Department.

However, it was still a bit dangerous...

Gu Longhuai frowned and said, "Be careful next time. This is a third-rank state boundary, and there are criminal cultivators in the Golden Core period. A Golden Core cultivator is a whole big realm higher than your mere Foundation Establishment initial stage cultivation. If you're not careful, your little life will be gone."

"Mhm mhm."

Mo Hua didn't say much, just nodded honestly.

When Gu Longhuai said this, he suddenly paused and asked:

"Did you know I was here earlier, and that's why you were so bold?"

Gu Longhuai remembered that when he was disguised, wearing a hat, and drinking wine outside the wine shop, Mo Hua just happened to pass by.

At that time, Mo Hua seemed to look at him with a meaningful glance, his gaze lingered for a moment, as if he saw something.

After walking into the wine shop, the kid puffed out his chest and became more confident.

Mo Hua immediately denied it and praised him:

"What are you talking about, Uncle Gu? Your disguise is seamless, how could I possibly recognize you?"

Gu Longhuai gently snorted.

Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, "Right, Uncle Gu, how did you get here?"

Gu Longhuai thought for a moment and only said what he could:

"The Dao Court Department has been investigating the human trafficker case for a long time, and we have some clues. We've also been watching some people."

"This Xie Liu of Gui Water Gate is one of them."

"As for this Young Master Jin, you told me about him that day, and I kept an eye on him and had people watch him."

"These past few days, Xie Liu and this Young Master Jin seemed to be meeting. I felt something was fishy, so I personally came to check it out..."

Gu Longhuai sighed slightly.

He had indeed arrived early, wearing a hat, and had been drinking wine outside for quite some time.

However, he had no evidence, so he could only watch and couldn't act.

He didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, Mo Hua and Gu An and Gu Quan would actually follow Du Jianglong to the wine shop.

Then, in front of him, the criminal cultivator Du Jianglong and Young Master Jin conducted the forbidden elixir trade.

Young Master Jin not only accepted the human dan, but also spoke arrogant words, saying that he "sells cultivators, harms people's lives, and privately refines forbidden elixirs."

That Xie Liu actually wanted to silence them.

In one fell swoop, he gave Gu Longhuai a bunch of "handles" to arrest people.

Gu Longhuai was almost in disbelief.

The opportunity was rare, so he simply went with the flow and acted, securing solid evidence, and catching Young Master Jin and the others, arresting them all.

Gu Longhuai looked at Mo Hua, sighed inwardly, and felt some emotion.

This time, this child Mo Hua helped him a lot again...

Young Master Jin and his group had already been caught. This place was not suitable to stay for long.

To avoid any unexpected changes, Gu Longhuai planned to first take these few people to the nearby Dao Court Department, and then summon people from the Gu family to transfer them to the Dao Court Department of Qianxue State.

Mo Hua also followed behind.

The group walked along the river path towards the nearby immortal city.

They reached a fork in the road, which was just on the edge of the state boundary. There were two roads ahead.

One led to the nearby third-rank immortal city, and the other led to the second-rank Misty River area.

Gu Longhuai wanted to take Young Master Jin to the Dao Court Department inside the immortal city, while Mo Hua wanted to return to Tai Xu Gate through the second-rank domain of Misty River.

Mo Hua then said goodbye to Gu Longhuai and the others.

Gu Longhuai hesitated slightly and then said, "I'll have Gu An and Gu Quan escort you."

Mo Hua shook his head, "I'm not afraid in the second-rank state boundary. Even if I encounter the Fire Buddha, I can run away."

Gu Longhuai thought of the Fire Buddha, who was ambushed by Mo Hua and died in his hands, and sighed:

"Okay, be careful yourself."

"Mhm."

Gu An and Gu Quan also cupped their hands and said goodbye to Mo Hua.

Thus, Mo Hua separated from Gu Longhuai and the others and walked back alone along the Misty River.

He wanted to walk to the ferry nearby and then hire a carriage to save himself the trouble of walking.

But as he walked, a doubt lingered in Mo Hua's heart.

Was Young Master Jin really the "young master"?

Looking at it now, probably not.

What about that Xie Liu?

Although he was a Golden Core and a teacher of Gui Water Gate, he still seemed to have to look at Young Master Jin's expression when doing things, so he shouldn't be either.

Du Jianglong said that the elixirs would be delivered to the "young master."

Neither Young Master Jin nor Xie Liu was the young master.

That means that these "human dan," after passing through Young Master Jin's hands, would be transferred again and delivered to the real "young master"?

Would those real "young masters" also be nearby?

Waiting for Young Master Jin to deliver these "human dan" refined from young cultivators with superior spiritual roots?

Mo Hua frowned, and just as he was thinking, his heart suddenly went cold. He suddenly looked towards the Misty River on the side.

In the Misty River, a thick fog spread, and a gorgeous ship slowly sailed out.

It was already past midnight.

The night was deep, and the river was dark, but this ship was brightly lit, with light smoke and mist, a scene of prosperity everywhere.

Decadent music lingered, and graceful figures danced. Amidst pink satin, it was a scene of extravagance.

Mo Hua's gaze sank, and his brows furrowed tighter.

Suddenly, a hazy scene appeared before his eyes, as if destiny was fluctuating.

Although it was momentary, a group of black and purple karmic destiny slowly appeared on the flower ship, intertwining and twisting together, ugly and dirty, but also soaked with fallen desires, like a filthy heart, and also like a rotten "poppy."

Mo Hua's pupils shrank, and he sucked in a breath of cold air.

And just at this moment, the fog on the ship dissipated somewhat, and Mo Hua vaguely saw some human figures.

This was a group of people.

They wore official clothes, like beasts, raising their cups to drink together, clinking glasses.

They all seemed to be young masters.

And surrounded like stars holding the moon was a "young master" who looked almost the same age as Mo Hua, but was taller than Mo Hua and had an obviously very noble identity.

The crowd raised their glasses to him in respect.

This seemed to be a kind of ceremony, a kind of handover.

Then, on the body of this "young master," something seemed to be inherited. The black fog suddenly thickened, terrible evil desires bred, and chains of poppies spread.

Mo Hua stared intently, wanting to see his face clearly.

But all this was covered in fog, hazy, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Suddenly, the young master, who was surrounded like stars holding the moon, seemed to have an induction and slowly turned his head.

From within the black fog, he wore a body of gorgeous human skin, yet like a demon, with scarlet eyes, he looked towards Mo Hua.

The two looked at each other from a distance.

But the black fog blocked them, and neither of them could see the other clearly.

Only in the darkness, a kind of destiny seemed to be slowly turning...