Chapter 941 Old Friend

Mo Hua took another look at the gentle and elegant middle-aged monk in front of him, and said in surprise: "Are you from the Shen family?"

The middle-aged monk cupped his hands and said, "I'm here, Shen Xiuyan."

"Shen Xiuyan..."

Mo Hua silently remembered the name and asked: "Are you the elder of the Shen family? Are you in charge of the affairs of Gushan City?"

The middle-aged monk named "Shen Xiuyan" shook his head, "The affairs of Gushan City are not under my control. I am the elder of Xiaoling Sect."

"Xiao Ling Sect?" Mo Hua had never heard of this sect.

Shen Xiuyan said: "It is a small sect, one of the hundred sects of Qianxue. It is not very popular. It is normal that Mr. Mo has never heard of it."

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded, a little surprised, "Aren't your Shen family a hereditary family of Qian Dao Sect? Didn't you go to Qian Dao Sect to be an elder?"

Shen Xiuyan smiled helplessly, "Qian Dao Sect is one of the four major sects. It is the top sect in Qianxue State. The threshold is too high. How can it be so easy to enter?"

"What's more, the Shen family is a big family. There are many monks in the family, and they fight fiercely among themselves. Everyone wants to join the Qian Dao Sect, let alone the position of elder. Even a teaching job has to be fought over."

"I don't have that background, nor do I have that ability. I wanted to go out and look for opportunities to change my life against the will of heaven... but I didn't find it either."

"I can only accept my fate, pick an ordinary sect among the hundreds of sects of Qianxue, become a tutor, and live my life."

"Of course, I am a Jindan now. With the name of the Shen family, the Xiaoling Sect does not dare to neglect me. It is logical that I will be promoted to the position of 'elder'."

"You are not an ordinary elder," Mo Hua thought again, "I think the other Shen family members respect you quite a bit."

"It's just more than enough than the top," Shen Xiuyan said, "In the Shen family, there are a lot of people who do well, and there are also too many who don't. As an elder who has learned a lot, compared to those who really do Although he is not as good as his direct descendant, he is still much better than the ordinary family disciples who have to look up to others. "

"That's it..." Mo Hua nodded, having a little understanding of the internal situation of the Shen family.

The aristocratic family oppressed the casual cultivators.

But within the aristocratic families, there is also strife with each other.

Not everyone in the big family does well.

"Master Mo," Shen Xiuyan took another deep look at Mo Hua, and then said a little uneasily, "You... why are you looking for me?"

He had completely forgotten the word "ink painting" before and had no memory at all.

Everything about ink painting is also shrouded in a layer of fog and dusty in the corners of memory.

Shen Xiuyan almost instinctively didn't want to think about it, let alone didn't dare to remember it.

It was not until today, when he saw the ink painting with his own eyes, that the cause and effect turned, and the dusty memories were uncovered, that Shen Xiuyan remembered the name "Ink Painting" and everything related to the ink painting.

At the same time, he remembered another "ink painting".

That monster "Mo Hua" is rumored by all the major sects in Qianxue State.

The leader of Qianxue State Boundary Formation Road.

The Taixu Sect’s formation is a monster.

Shen Xiuyan also gradually connected the two people.

The clever and eccentric "little kid" that he met during the corpse disaster in Nanyue City and the demon disaster in Lizhou City is now the leader of the formation that overwhelms thousands of geniuses in Qianxue.

The world has changed, things have changed.

Shen Xiuyan was shocked and felt a sense of disbelief.

The identity of Mo Hua is mysterious, and his origin is equally unfathomable.

So when Mo Hua came to him, Shen Xiuyan felt a little scared, not knowing what Mo Hua was going to do.

Mo Hua said casually: "I want to ask a little bit about the Shen family. It's not a big deal."

Of course, Shen Xiuyan couldn't believe it.

As Mo Hua, there is absolutely no chance that anyone who has anything to do with him will get into trouble.

Shen Xiuyan was silent for a moment and reminded him kindly, "Master... I am from the Shen family."

People from the Shen family naturally protect the interests of the Shen family.

It is impossible to reveal family secrets for an outsider.

"I know," Mo Hua whispered, "but are the interests of the Shen family all your interests? Are all members of the Shen family your relatives?"

"Some benefits are in the hands of other Shen family members. What does it have to do with you?"

"Some people are destined to be the elders of Qiandao Sect when they are born, but you can only be a teacher of Xiaoling Sect..."

These words were like the whispers of a demon, which made Shen Xiuyan's heart tremble.

Not a family, don't enter the same door.

But even a family has its own family.

The larger the family, the more so.

Interest conflicts, uneven distribution, intrigues, intrigues... these are the norm.

What Mo Hua said is absolutely correct.

But Shen Xiuyan still hesitated.

He didn't want to be involved with Mo Hua at all. He couldn't get involved in this kind of big cause and effect that had no edge at all. The further away he could hide, the better.

Mo Hua looked at him deeply and said slowly: "Do you still remember what happened in the ruined temple that night?"

Shen Xiuyan's pupils shrank and he felt a gust of cold wind blowing by, making his bones tremble.

The scene in the ruined temple gradually came to mind again.

That was about ten years ago. He, Old Man Wen, and Young Master Yun followed the clues of the man and arrived outside Lizhou City where demons were dancing. Seeing that it was getting late, they stayed overnight in a ruined temple outside the city.

The night was dark and the three of them were drowsy.

But for some reason, Old Man Wen began to feel hungry and chewed his fingers as "Bigu Pills"; Master Yun took out his sword and stabbed his heart veins;

And he himself took out a knife, cut his neck again and again, blood flowing...

As if he had suffered a terrible nightmare.

Over the years, he occasionally had this nightmare, in which he cut his neck again and again, and blood was all over the ground.

Even his head was cut off and fell to the ground, and his headless body was still cutting the headless neck bit by bit...

Blood dripping, bloody and bloody.

This dream was too real, too scary, and there was no end.

Half asleep and half awake, Shen Xiuyan would be a little dazed, and even a little doubtful.

Doubt whether he was dead, and doubt whether he had walked out of the broken temple that year...

Because all the memories of Mo Hua were gone, in the hazy state, he couldn't remember how he broke the game and how he got out of the temple.

Now that he saw Mo Hua, his memory was traced back bit by bit, and the cause and effect were completed bit by bit, and the things of the year gradually became clear.

Shen Xiuyan frowned, endured the palpitations, and recalled it for a while, and then realized it.

He was indeed saved by this young master.

Otherwise, he would have died in the dilapidated temple outside Lizhou City without knowing why.

He didn't even know how he died...

Seeing that he knew it, Mo Hua said:

"It's not that I want to repay you, but everything in the world has cause and effect. I saved your life, and you did something for me, this is cause and effect. If you don't repay the cause and effect, you will easily get into trouble."

Mo Hua looked serious.

Shen Xiuyan was shocked.

The matter of cause and effect is what old man Wen often talked about, and he didn't believe it.

But since he went into such a muddy water ten years ago in order to "change his fate against the will of heaven", he had no choice but to believe in some things.

He still remembered that the corpse disaster in Nanyue City at that time had nothing to do with him, and he didn't want to care about it.

But after the old man Wen made a fortune, he said mysteriously that there would be great terrors ahead, and life and death were unpredictable. If they could save the monks of Nanyue City or even the whole state, and establish good relationships with them, they might have a glimmer of hope when they encounter desperate situations in the future.

The three of them stayed in Nanyue City and helped suppress the corpse disaster.

It was because of this corpse disaster that they met a little kid named "Mo Hua".

This is the cause.

And this result just happened to be the death disaster in the ruined temple.

If they had not quelled the corpse chaos and did not know Mo Hua, then Mo Hua would not have saved them in the ruined temple, and the three of them would have died without a burial place.

"Cause and effect, good and evil, every sip and every bite, Mr. Zhuang gave us a chance to choose, which was equivalent to giving us a glimmer of hope..."

These were the original words of the old man Wen.

Shen Xiuyan didn't feel anything when he heard it at the time, but the more he thought about it later, the more he felt that the mystery here was really profound.

"Cause and effect..."

Shen Xiuyan looked at Mo Hua silently again.

The memory gradually loosened, and some scenes gradually became clear again.

In the dilapidated temple at that time, under the light of the fire, Mo Hua's eyes were shining, and her little face was rosy. The scene of roasting fish and sweet potatoes in the temple appeared in his mind again.

It was obviously a very cute scene.

For some reason, Shen Xiuyan felt a little scared in his heart.

Because he knew that at that time, in the corner of the dilapidated temple, next to Mo Hua, there was a shadow, and in the shadow, there was a vague Taoist.

He didn't know who this person was at that time, but after hearing the rumors about Lizhou City, he gradually understood.

In order to compete for that opportunity, the Dalishanzhou boundary and the entire Lishan City became a meat grinder for the fight between good and evil.

A large number of Jindan cultivators died like a tide.

Yuhua Zhenren also fell one after another.

And the initiator was that Taoist.

Almost all those who had seen that Taoist, whether they were good or evil, died miserably, even Yuhua, were no exception.

And this young man in front of him, who was almost just a kid in the Qi Refining Realm back then, could actually sit with the Taoist, roast fish and sweet potatoes in front of the Taoist, and even save people under his hands...

Shen Xiuyan felt terrified when he thought about it now.

The more he understood about this matter, the more terrified he felt.

I don’t know if it was a psychological effect, but Shen Xiuyan looked at Mo Hua now and felt that he had a little bit of the temperament of a "weird Taoist".

Just like the "weird Taoist" in his childhood...

Such a person came to him to ask for cause and effect...

Shen Xiuyan felt cold in his heart and didn’t dare to say a word of "no".

"Mr. Mo, please tell me...As long as I know it and it doesn’t involve the core secrets of the Shen family, I will tell you everything I know." Shen Xiuyan said sincerely.

Mo Hua nodded, quite satisfied, and asked him: "The Shen family has a mountain on Gushan, do you know?"

Shen Xiuyan nodded, "I know."

"What is that mountain used for?" Mo Hua asked.

Shen Xiuyan pondered for a moment, "This is the mine that the Shen family bought in Gushan back then, used to mine yellow copper ore. Now that it has been mined, it is vacant and has no other use."

"No other use... Why is it sealed and no one is allowed to get in?"

"I'm not sure about this," Shen Xiuyan pondered for a while, "Generally speaking, mines that have been vacant for many years after mining are very dangerous. There are miasma, evil spirits, and poisonous gases breeding, and there may be ferocious monsters living there. If they are not maintained for a long time, the rocks are prone to collapse..."

"Not letting others get close may be to prevent accidents."

"After all, if a cultivator died in the Shen family's mine, it would be troublesome for the Shen family if the news spread."

Mo Hua nodded slightly, thinking that there was some truth in it.

He asked again: "Then did your Shen family build a temple in Gushan City?"

"Temple?"

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded, "Temple, or altar, secret room, palace and other places for worship."

This question is a bit tricky and weird.

Shen Xiuyan thought about it and shook his head. "In the past, poor miners would worship some mountain gods or spirits to pray for safety when they went down to the mines."

"But this is because they are poor and have low cultivation. When they encounter danger, they cannot protect themselves and can only pin their fate on the ethereal gods and monsters."

"The Shen family's mines are deep and solid. Most of them are mined with spiritual tools. There are not many people going down the mines. There is no need and they almost never build these things..."

Mo Hua nodded, his eyes slightly fixed, and asked again: "Then will your Shen family... kill the whole family?"

Shen Xiuyan's face froze.

Is it really appropriate to ask him, the elder of the Shen family, such a sharp question in person...

"No." Shen Xiuyan denied it flatly.

"Really?"

"Mr. Mo," Shen Xiuyan sighed, "My Shen family is at least a fifth-grade family inherited from the four major sects. It is a legitimate sect. It is impossible to openly violate the law of Taoism and do such a thing of "killing the whole family" without reason or excuse."

"If the Dao Tingsi knows about this and reports it to the court, my Shen family will have to bear the consequences."

Mo Hua was suspicious, "But the young master of your Shen family seems to be very arrogant and wants to kill people at the slightest disagreement."

That's because he is stupid, his eyes are full of assholes.

Shen Xiuyan cursed secretly.

He is really spoiled, lawless, and dares to do anything.

"There are many playboys in noble families, there is nothing we can do about it." Shen Xiuyan said, "Not only the Shen family, but other big noble families are like this too. They all have some shady dealings behind the scenes."

"The noble family is too big and has too many people. No matter how strict the family rules are, they can't control it."

"However, there are still a few direct descendants who have someone to support them and are qualified to do whatever they want. Most children of noble families still have to abide by the rules and don't have that much freedom."

"Even if these direct descendants really made a mistake and killed someone, it doesn't mean that there is no impact at all."

"In most cases, noble families will find some side disciples to "take the blame" for the direct descendants and go to the Daoting Division to confess their crimes to calm things down."

"There is nothing in this world that is completely free of cost, but..."

"But," Mo Hua said, "privileged people will pass the cost on to others."

Shen Xiuyan sighed and nodded.

"The young man in the Hongyan Tower in Gushan is called 'Young Master Qing'?" Mo Hua asked again.

"Yes," Shen Xiuyan said, and told Mo Hua the name of the son of the Shen family, "His name is Shen Qingsheng."

"Shen Qingsheng..." Mo Hua repeated, "Is he also a direct descendant of the Shen family?"

"Strictly speaking, not really." Shen Xiuyan said.

"What do you mean?"

Shen Xiuyan said: "This Shen Qingsheng, he is a direct descendant who was promoted halfway through, his blood is not very pure, and he is not protected by the ancestors."

"Then he is so powerful?" Mo Hua was puzzled.

Shen Xiuyan explained: "His father is a real powerful elder, and his jurisdiction includes Gushan. In Gushan, it can be said that he is a man of one hand."

"Shen Qingsheng also benefited from this. As long as he is in Gushan City, almost no one dares to control him. Over time, he has become lawless."

"What is his father's name?" Mo Hua asked.

"Shen Shouxing." Shen Xiuyan said.

"Shen Shouxing, Shen Qingsheng..." Mo Hua nodded, "I remember it."

He asked almost everything he wanted to ask.

This trip did find some clues, but not too many...

Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Elder Xiu, can you help me find some files about Gushan City from the Shen family? Especially those related to the mines back then."

Shen Xiuyan frowned.

Mo Hua said, "Forget about the confidential ones, just general files will do."

The truth is often hidden in the general details.

Besides, Shen Xiuyan probably can't get the confidential files.

Shen Xiuyan was a little embarrassed, but after thinking about it, he didn't refuse.

He really didn't dare to owe Mo Hua anything.

"Okay, I'll check it when I go back." Shen Xiuyan said.

"Thank you, Elder Xiu." Mo Hua was very polite.

Shen Xiuyan looked at Mo Hua, hesitant to speak, and finally said slowly: "Mr. Mo, you should try... not to get involved in the Shen family's affairs."

The Shen family is big and powerful, and its power is also intertwined.

After all, Mo Hua only has the foundation building cultivation, and it is not very wise to go against the Shen family.

Besides, it was difficult for him to deal with it.

But Shen Xiuyan could only mention it in a tactful way. He didn't dare to teach this young master how to act.

"Also, in Gushan City, be careful of Shen Qingsheng." Shen Xiuyan added.

"Will they target me?" Mo Hua raised his eyebrows.

"It's not them," Shen Xiuyan shook his head, "it's Shen Qingsheng."

Seeing that Mo Hua didn't understand, Shen Xiuyan explained:

"Shen Shouxing is a powerful elder. He doesn't come from a good family. He has climbed up step by step over the years. Such a person is a hungry wolf in the face of interests. But on the contrary, when it comes to interests, he is very clear in his mind and knows what risks he can't take and who he can't offend."

"If Shen Shouxing finds out about the position of the young master in Taixu Sect, he should know the limits and won't take action against the young master. But it's hard to say about his son..."

"Shen Qingsheng is Shen Shouxing's only son. He has been spoiled since he was a child. He is arrogant and vindictive."

The dandies of aristocratic families have always been unwilling to be disciplined. If they really obeyed the discipline, they would not be dandies.

Mo Hua nodded, "Thank you Elder Xiu for reminding me, I understand."

Shen Xiuyan didn't know if Mo Hua really understood, but he didn't say much.

"Then, Young Master Mo, I..." Shen Xiuyan whispered.

Mo Hua bowed, "Elder Xiu, please go slowly. I won't keep you here."

After getting Mo Hua's permission, Shen Xiuyan breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he was a Jindan and an elder of the Qianxue Baimen Sect, he didn't dare to put on airs in front of Mo Hua.

Even when he thought of the cause and effect of Mo Hua, the people related to him, and the scenes in the dilapidated temple, Shen Xiuyan felt cold in his heart.

"Take care, young master. Shen will take his leave first."

Shen Xiuyan saluted Mo Hua with his fists, then turned around, slowly walked out of the wilderness, got on the carriage, and walked away on the mottled mountain road.

The night was dark, and Mo Hua looked at Shen Xiuyan's back, with a thoughtful expression.

After a while, he no longer hesitated and walked to the other side of the forest.

On the other side of the mountain road, a carriage was parked. Master Gu was leading the horse and standing in front of the carriage, with a vigilant expression.

On seeing Mo Hua, Master Gu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Young Master, is the matter settled?" Master Gu asked.

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded, "It's done."

"Okay." Master Gu said.

He did not ask Mo Hua who he met or what he did, but acted as if he knew nothing, "I will take you back to the sect now."

The journey to Taixu Gate was long and the sky was dark, so Master Gu was not very reassured and did not dare to be careless.

"Thank you, Master Gu." Mo Hua said.

Then he got on the carriage and returned to Taixu Gate under the personal escort of Master Gu at night.

...

Two days later, Gushan City, Shen's family.

In the luxurious study.

Not long after recovering, Shen Qingsheng, who was still a little pale, had red eyes and screamed hysterically:

"How could it be like this?!"

"Dad, I am your son!"

"That little bastard from Taixu Sect, he humiliated me, he plotted against me, he almost... killed me!!"

Opposite Shen Qingsheng stood a middle-aged man with a hooked nose and a somewhat ordinary face. This man was Shen Qingsheng's father, and the powerful elder of the Shen family, Shen Shouxing.

Shen Shouxing glanced at his son indifferently, and asked in a low voice:

"How did he humiliate you, how did he plot against you, and how did he almost, kill you?"

Shen Qingsheng was ashamed and angry, and gritted his teeth and said: "He, he... looked at me..."

"You mean..." Shen Shouxing's face was indifferent, "He only looked at you and almost killed you?"

Shen Qingsheng's face turned blood red, and it hurt like a branding iron.