Chapter 801: Rouge Boat

Mo Hua softly asked, "Hua Tian Jiu Di... how is it a flower method?"

The shop owner was about to speak, but she lifted her head and saw the pale, clear, and handsome face of Mo Hua. She then shook her head and said, "It's nothing good, not suitable for children. You are a good child, don't get involved in those messy things."

"Oh." Mo Hua was a little unhappy and asked again, "Then... how did this Young Master Ye die?"

"How else could he die?" The shop owner pursed her lips. "I heard his ship sank. Six people on board, all drowned. Their faces were completely gnawed by water demons in the water, unrecognizable..."

Mo Hua's gaze slightly condensed, thinking that it was indeed the case.

"Properly fine, how could the ship suddenly sink?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

The shop owner aunt hesitated for a moment, looked left and right, then lowered her voice and said, "It's not that simple. The circles of young masters from these world families are very chaotic..."

"This Young Master Ye was a playboy, usually behaved improperly, extravagant and lustful. This time, I heard he was competing for favor and jealous with other young masters and was hated. Someone secretly hired people, his ship was sunk, and everyone on board drowned."

The shop owner aunt chattered on.

"Who did he offend?" Mo Hua asked.

The shop owner aunt shook her head, "Who knows."

"Didn't the Ye Family investigate?"

"They wouldn't dare," the shop owner said. "The Ye Family in this Yan Shui City indeed has face and status, but in the entire Qian Xue territory, they don't count for much. That Young Master Ye, around Yan Shui City, can still be considered a 'young master,' but compared to those other big world families, those heaven-like young masters who are like dragons where you see their heads but not their tails, I'm afraid he's not even as good as a follower..."

Mo Hua listened, feeling a little emotional in his heart.

People in the world are divided into high and low, noble and lowly, and they oppress each other.

Those who step on others will eventually be stepped on by higher people.

The Ye Family was exactly like this.

Unknowingly, Mo Hua finished eating, didn't ask anything more, then paid the bill and conveniently gave two more spirit stones.

The shop owner aunt refused repeatedly but eventually accepted, then enthusiastically saw Mo Hua off and said a lot of good words.

After leaving, Mo Hua strolled around nearby for a while, then found an inn to stay in the evening.

During this time, he also inquired about some news, but it wasn't very useful, and many were obviously rumors, which couldn't be taken as true.

By early the next morning, Mo Hua ate a few big steamed buns, then hired a carriage and left Yan Shui City.

The Xun Xi only lasted two days, time was limited, and he couldn't delay any longer. He had to return to the sect first.

But before returning to the sect, Mo Hua thought about going to the small fishing village again on the way.

Since experiencing the bloody fishing village incident, demolishing the river god temple, killing the fallen river god, and devouring an avatar of the evil god, Mo Hua had never been to the small fishing village and didn't know how the village was doing now.

It was exactly morning, the sunlight was bright.

The waves of the Yan Shui River sparkled, the grass was lush green, and the river water flowed murmuringly into the distance, like an emerald silk ribbon.

The scenery was very beautiful, but looking at it, Mo Hua felt an uneasy feeling in his heart for some reason.

As if invisible dirt was hidden within this beautiful river water.

Probably more than an hour later, Mo Hua arrived at the small fishing village.

Just at the entrance of the village, many fishing cultivators greeted him, "Good, little young master!"

"The little young master is here!"

"Haven't seen you for a long time..."

Mo Hua also smiled and greeted them.

Not long after, Old Man Yu also came over. Seeing Mo Hua, he was full of gratitude, always shouting "benefactor," and also said:

"It's almost noon. If you don't mind, benefactor, come to our home to drink some fish soup."

Drinking fish soup...

Mo Hua's mood was a little complex.

But he didn't refuse. This time he came to the small fishing village precisely to ask Old Man Yu some things.

Arriving at Old Man Yu's home, his home was still that dilapidated courtyard, but the family was reunited, lively, and full of life.

As soon as he entered the door, Old Man Yu called his two grandsons, "Xiao Shun Zi, Xiao Shui Zi, come, kowtow to the benefactor."

Xiao Shun Zi and Xiao Shui Zi didn't hesitate at all. With a thump, they knelt down and immediately kowtowed twice.

Mo Hua couldn't even stop them.

"No need to be so polite..."

Mo Hua said helplessly.

Old Man Yu was very stubborn, "You saved the lives of these two children. Their cultivation is low, they have no ability to repay you. What does kowtowing twice count for?"

After the two children finished kowtowing, they stood up, two pairs of bright eyes looking at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua also sized them up.

The first time Mo Hua saw these two children was by the Yan Shui River, when he and Cheng Mo and others were squatting and fishing for Jiang Long.

Children of poor families mature early.

At that time, although these two children were young and only had Qi Refining cultivation, they were already very sensible and knew how to help adults.

During the time at the broken temple, the two of them were made sacrifices, offered to the evil god.

After being saved, their breaths were weak, and their faces were pale.

Now, more than a year has passed, and the two children's vitality has obviously recovered. Their faces are a little tanned, but they look more spirited. They have also cultivated the **Bai Lang Jue** cultivation method that Mo Hua gave them. Their bodies are flowing with water energy, their spiritual power is condensed, and their cultivation has also advanced quite a bit.

Their cultivation progress was even faster than Mo Hua had imagined.

Mo Hua was happy in his heart. From his storage bag, he took out two small gifts and gave them to them.

They were a pair of water-repelling jade pendants.

These were festival gifts given to him by some elder of the Gu family during the Gu family's New Year.

Old Man Yu was startled when he saw these two valuable jade pendants and quickly declined, saying, "This is absolutely not acceptable. How can we receive a gift from the benefactor again?"

"It's nothing, take it..." Mo Hua said.

Anyway, he generally didn't use them.

Xiao Shun Zi and Xiao Shui Zi scratched their heads and also declined, saying, "Benefactor, we are good in water nature, no need..."

Mo Hua, however, warned them, "Precisely because you are good in water nature, you must wear a water-repelling jade pendant, just in case..."

"As the saying goes, those who are good swimmers drown easily. The better your water nature, the more likely you are to become arrogant and lose your awe of water."

"And water and fire are merciless."

"One lifetime comes and goes in the wind and water. As long as a little accident happens, your life will be lost, and there will be no chance to remedy it..."

Mo Hua said it quite frankly.

The two children listened with awe in their hearts.

Old Man Yu looked at his two precious grandsons and finally didn't refuse. In the end, he just said, "Come, kowtow to the benefactor again."

Xiao Shun Zi and Xiao Shui Zi made a gesture to bow again, but Mo Hua quickly pulled them to stop, "Okay, okay, that's enough..."

Old Man Yu also didn't pretend anymore and started to arrange lunch.

Living by the water, eating by the water.

The lunch of fishing cultivators was mainly fish.

"The day before yesterday, I caught an emerald-scaled fish. The meat is fresh and tender, the fish soup is delicious, very rare. Normally, I can't catch several in a year. Because this fish is rare, others don't recognize its value and can't sell it for much."

Old Man Yu said with a smile, "I was still wondering why my luck was suddenly so good. It turns out a noble guest is visiting today. Lord River God sent this fish to me so I could properly entertain the benefactor."

He made a living in the water for a lifetime, no matter what happened, he still connected everything he encountered with the "river god."

After a while, Yu Da Chuan, who had gone fishing, also returned. Seeing Mo Hua, he again offered a bunch of thanks.

After everyone sat around the table to eat, Mo Hua was pushed to the main seat.

A bowl of emerald-scaled fish soup was brought up. The meat was fresh and tender, the soup was thick, and the fragrance filled the air.

Mo Hua stared at the fish soup for a long time, confirming that there were no small red fish or other similar evil things inside, then he felt relieved.

He ate some meat and drank some soup. Old Man Yu's family toasted Mo Hua one by one.

The wine was not good wine.

Fishing cultivators also couldn't afford good wine.

But Old Man Yu's family was full of hospitality. Mo Hua felt good while drinking, except that the wine had a strong flavor and was a bit spicy on the throat.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yu Da Chuan went back to the river.

The two children, Xiao Shun Zi and Xiao Shui Zi, lay sprawling on the roof eaves, taking an afternoon nap.

Old Man Yu then brewed a pot of tea and chatted with Mo Hua in the room.

After chatting for a while, Mo Hua took the opportunity to ask:

"Grandpa Yu, do you still remember that 'young master' who drowned in the Yan Shui River?"

"Which young master?" Old Man Yu didn't think of it for a moment.

"Just when we first met, I said I was fishing, and you advised me to leave quickly, saying that someone had just died by the river a few days ago, and the corpse was gnawed by water demons, completely unrecognizable..."

"Oh..." Old Man Yu thought of it and nodded, saying, "There is such a thing."

Mo Hua asked, "Do you know who that young master was?"

Old Man Yu shook his head, "I'm not clear about this. I only heard he was from Yan Shui City, and he was a young master from a third-grade family. I'm not clear about his identity."

"This kind of thing is embarrassing to talk about. I estimate their family also didn't publicize it too much..."

Mo Hua nodded, his gaze shifted, and he said in a low voice, "Grandpa Yu, didn't you also mention... Rouge Boats before?"

Old Man Yu froze, his gaze towards Mo Hua becoming subtle.

His expression was serious, he hesitated repeatedly, and finally said earnestly:

"Benefactor, I know you are young and easily interested in this kind of thing. But your blood is strong now, guard against lust. That smoky willow place is absolutely not something you can get involved in casually, otherwise, it will ruin your cultivation foundation..."

"Wait until you grow up a bit, arrange a proper marriage, marry a wife, and then consider these matters of men and women..."

Old Man Yu advised in the tone of an experienced person.

Mo Hua's expression froze, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.

He could only say helplessly, "Grandpa Yu, you're thinking wrong. I have a proper matter."

"A proper matter?" Old Man Yu was startled.

Mo Hua then lowered his voice and said, "It's a case from the Dao Ting Division."

Old Man Yu's expression immediately became tense.

Mo Hua said, "I'm only telling you secretly, you absolutely must not tell others."

Old Man Yu had a natural awe for the words "Dao Ting Division". Although he often scolded the Dao Ting Division for being corrupt and incompetent and superficial, when he actually encountered the Dao Ting Division, he was still very respectful and didn't dare to be negligent.

"Certainly, certainly!" Old Man Yu's head nodded like a rattle-drum.

Mo Hua then asked, "What exactly is a Rouge Boat?"

Old Man Yu glanced left and right, saw the adults going to work on the river, his two young grandsons sleeping soundly, and no other people nearby. He then said in a low voice:

"Just a flower boat."

"Flower boat?"

"This 'flower' is not a flower, it refers to people, specifically those young, beautiful female cultivators. A flower boat means a pleasure boat carrying this kind of female cultivators, doing... flesh business." Old Man Yu said quietly.

Mo Hua suddenly realized, "That's just a brothel on the water?"

"Right." Old Man Yu nodded.

Mo Hua frowned, "But in the territory of Qian Xue State, sects are everywhere, disciples are like clouds, with the purpose of teaching and learning the Dao, the learning atmosphere is prosperous, and all brothels are prohibited, aren't they?"

Not only within the Qian Xue State territory, but also in the surrounding territories, according to regulations, this kind of business is not allowed to exist.

Old Man Yu sighed, "Human nature is like this, where can you ban it..."

"That flower boat," Mo Hua asked, "Grandpa Yu, have you been on it before?"

Old Man Yu quickly waved his hand, "That kind of place, how can someone like me go there?"

"Then how do you know that what they do inside is flesh business?" Mo Hua said.

Old Man Yu smiled, "Although this old man is stupid and my cultivation is clumsy, I've lived long and seen a lot. Many things are understood at a glance."

"They make a boat, hang some flowers, cover it up, and think they can hide it from others, but the more they try to cover it up, this kind of male thief and female prostitute thing is like a cat stealing fish, the fishy smell can't be hidden..."

Mo Hua listened and couldn't help but look up at Old Man Yu.

People live a lifetime, each with their own way.

Even some unknown small people will have some unique experiences or insights.

Mo Hua asked again, "Grandpa Yu, have you personally seen a Rouge Boat?"

Old Man Yu nodded solemnly, "Seen it several times..."

"Those times, I was fishing on the river, busy too late, just collected the net, still not rested. By the time I looked, it was already past midnight..."

"At this time, a large fog would suddenly rise on the river. The fog was hazy, and nothing could be seen. After a while, red and green lights would light up, and one by one, flower boats would sail over from upstream. The boats were hung with curtains, colored lamps, gorgeous beyond belief, and there were sounds of men and women laughing, stirring the soul..."

"Across the river bank, you can smell a strong rouge fragrance, so it's called a 'Rouge Boat'."

"These boats don't stop, they always sail towards the distance, and I don't know where they finally dock..."

Mo Hua was a little surprised, "Not just one boat?"

Old Man Yu nodded, "Right, there are many. When I saw them, there were generally seven or eight boats, covered by the thick fog, swimming forward in a line."

Mo Hua wrinkled his brow.

What Old Man Yu said seemed to be a little different from what he had seen...

That night in the middle of the Yan Shui River, he had also seen a flower boat.

The night was thick, the river water was dark, but on that flower boat, the lights were brilliant, the light smoke was romantic, and charming sounds lingered.

But this flower boat was only this one.

Moreover, there was also a group of "young masters" on the boat.

He had even vaguely looked across the black fog in the dark and saw a "young master" on the boat who was surrounded by stars and the moon, but his eyes were blood red like a demon, looking at him from a distance...

The scene of that night reappeared in Mo Hua's mind, and he was lost in thought for a moment.

"Benefactor, benefactor..."

Old Man Yu called several times, and Mo Hua finally came back to his senses.

Old Man Yu saw Mo Hua's serious expression and couldn't help but feel a little tense. He asked in a low voice, "What kind of case is involved with this Rouge Boat, is it very serious?"

Mo Hua didn't know.

He just said it casually.

"It's still not easy to say..." Mo Hua saw that Old Man Yu was a little uneasy, so he said, "However, this case doesn't have much to do with you. I'm just casually asking."

Old Man Yu then felt relieved.

Mo Hua still wanted to ask something, but then he saw Little Shun Zi and Little Shui Zi under the distant roof eaves flipping over, rubbing their eyes, seeming to be awake. He didn't ask again.

Some things are indeed not good for children to hear.

It was already past noon, the heat had subsided, and the sun began to set.

Mo Hua then took his leave.

Old Man Yu strongly urged him to stay the night, "I didn't prepare anything good at noon. In the evening, I have already instructed Da Chuan to go to the river to catch a big fish and make a full fish banquet to treat the benefactor..."

Full fish banquet...

Mo Hua was indeed a little tempted.

But he really didn't have time.

The Xun Xi had ended, and he still had to return to the sect as soon as possible. If he was late, he would have to rush through the night.

"Grandpa Yu, I appreciate your kindness, next time..." Mo Hua politely declined.

Old Man Yu kept trying to persuade him, but seeing that he really couldn't stay, he used a fish basket to pack several silverfish and let Mo Hua take them back to eat. Afterward, he personally saw Mo Hua to the doorway.

Before leaving, Mo Hua released his divine sense again and swept the small fishing village to confirm that there was no trace of the evil god, then he felt completely at ease.

As soon as he withdrew his divine sense and turned to leave, he suddenly detected something, his expression changed slightly, and he turned his head to ask:

"Is there still incense being offered in the fishing village?"

"Yes," Old Man Yu nodded, his face pious, "A small immortal child was enshrined a few days ago to protect everyone's safety."

"Small immortal child?"

Mo Hua was stunned.

Who is it?