Chapter 136: The Flower Thief
Zhang Lan felt that his already shameful cultivation record had been splattered with yet another bold stroke, thanks to this kid, Mo Hua.
He had been on full alert as if facing a deadly foe… only to find out the "threat" was a little Qi-Refining fifth-layer cultivator.
How embarrassing!
Unable to hold it in, Zhang Lan complained, "You, such a small child, what are you doing running around in the mountains?!"
"I do lots of things in the mountains," Mo Hua replied seriously. "I draw topographic maps, set up formations, collect demon blood, find spices, pick herbs, mine ores…"
He counted them off one by one on his fingers.
Zhang Lan's head throbbed. "Alright, alright, I get it!"
What kind of nonsense was this?
He didn't really believe it anyway. The Black Mountain wasn't a place a child could just stroll into.
Even he—already in late Qi-Refining—had to be cautious while venturing here. Mo Hua, a fifth-layer cultivator, would've been gobbled up by the first demon beast he met.
And this talk of setting formations and gathering herbs… utterly ridiculous.
Zhang Lan didn't believe it.
But he also knew the boy was strange, hard to judge by common sense.
So though he doubted it, he didn't say anything more.
The two people behind him, however, were still too shocked to even listen to Mo Hua's chatter.
Their awestruck expressions made Zhang Lan feel a little better, at least he'd recovered a shred of dignity.
Mo Hua glanced at the two behind Zhang Lan and asked curiously, "Who's that sister?"
"She's not your 'sister,' wrong generation," Zhang Lan said. "Call her 'aunt.'"
The female cultivator shot Zhang Lan a glare sharp enough to flay skin, then turned toward Mo Hua with a warm smile.
"Elder sister's surname is Situ, single name Fang. Don't listen to your Uncle Zhang; just call me 'sister.'"
Zhang Lan was speechless.
Mo Hua called out sweetly, "Sister."
Situ Fang's smile bloomed like a flower.
The man beside her said arrogantly, "I'm Situ Xiu."
Mo Hua responded perfunctorily, "Oh."
Zhang Lan sighed, then told Mo Hua, "Go wash your face, look at you, all dirt and soot."
He still hadn't fully recovered from the chill that had run through him earlier when Mo Hua appeared like a ghost.
Mo Hua went to a nearby brook and washed his face clean.
The grimy little face instantly turned rosy and fair, like a porcelain doll.
Situ Fang looked him over a few more times, then couldn't help praising, "Your features are exquisite, you're really quite handsome!"
"Thank you, Sister! You're very pretty too!"
Mo Hua returned the compliment politely.
Situ Fang's smile grew even brighter.
Zhang Lan sighed again and said, "It's getting late. You should head back now."
Situ Fang nodded. "There are demon beasts in these mountains. It's dangerous here, how about Sister sends you down the mountain?"
Zhang Lan rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten why we're here?"
Situ Fang hesitated.
Mo Hua asked curiously, "What are you doing in the mountains?"
"Dao Court Division business, classified," Zhang Lan replied.
"You're looking for someone, right?"
Zhang Lan's head throbbed again. "How do you know that?"
"I heard you talking just now."
Zhang Lan sighed, helpless before the boy.
Mo Hua's black eyes flickered. "How about I help you look?"
Situ Fang smiled. "Thank you, little brother, but it's too dangerous, we can't let you go."
Zhang Lan stood silently to the side.
Mo Hua looked at him and reminded, "The Black Mountain is huge. If you don't know the paths, you could wander for half a month and still not find anyone."
Zhang Lan frowned, pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright, you'll come with us."
Situ Fang's brows knitted. "Are you insane? He's still a child!"
Zhang Lan said helplessly, "Without him guiding us, we won't just fail to find our target, we might get lost ourselves."
Situ Xiu sneered. "Oh, and with this brat leading us, we won't get lost?"
"No," Zhang Lan said firmly. "We would get lost. He won't."
"How can you be so sure—"
"If he could get lost, he wouldn't have made it up here alone."
It clicked for Zhang Lan, Mo Hua never did anything beyond his grasp. If he offered help, he must be confident.
Situ Fang and Situ Xiu fell silent. The image of Mo Hua silently appearing from the grass replayed in their minds… along with that moment of eerie, unexplainable dread.
Perhaps it wasn't the boy who needed protection, it was them who should be worried.
"That thief is quite dangerous…" Situ Fang murmured, still uncertain.
Zhang Lan said, "There's three of us, surely we can keep him safe."
Situ Fang had nothing to say to that. Situ Xiu just snorted coldly.
Mo Hua then asked, "Who are you looking for? Any clues?"
Situ Fang looked toward Zhang Lan.
Since things had gone this far, Zhang Lan didn't hide it anymore.
"We're tracking down a Flower Thief."
Mo Hua blinked. "A Flower Thief?"
He'd heard the term before—but not in the cultivation world—so he wasn't sure if it meant the same thing.
Zhang Lan explained, "A Flower Thief refers to a cultivator who uses evil methods to forcibly absorb a woman's essence to boost his own cultivation. Such criminals are forbidden by the Dao Laws and hunted by the Dao Court Division."
Situ Fang jabbed Zhang Lan with her elbow and whispered, "That's enough, don't talk about such things in front of a child." Her cheeks flushed slightly.
Zhang Lan hadn't thought much of it before, but after that, he also felt awkward continuing.
Mo Hua, however, looked a little disappointed, he'd wanted to hear more.
"Do you have any leads?"
"Yes, a portrait." Zhang Lan unfolded a drawing.
The man depicted was young and handsome, though there was a trace of wickedness in his eyes.
"So young?" Mo Hua asked.
"He practices that depraved dual-cultivation art," Zhang Lan said. "Looks young, but he's actually over a hundred. If he goes a month without 'absorbing,' his face starts to wither and age."
Mo Hua was stunned. "There's really such a cultivation method?"
"There are countless twisted and cruel arts out there," Zhang Lan warned. "But don't you ever try one. Those who walk the Evil or Demonic Dao lose their humanity completely."
Mo Hua nodded quickly, taking it to heart.
Zhang Lan continued, "We got word that this Flower Thief, wanted by the Dao Court Division, fled here to Black Mountain. He likely won't dare enter the inner range, so he's probably hiding somewhere between Lone Cloud Peak and Broken Cliff."
Hearing this, Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully. "If he's in the outer mountain, he won't escape."
Situ Fang smiled. "Then we'll count on you."
"Mm!" Mo Hua nodded earnestly.
A Flower Thief hiding in the outer mountains… one who practiced evil arts… over a hundred years old… and the "Uncle Zhao" being hunted…
Could the person chasing Uncle Zhao be this Flower Thief?
Mo Hua wanted to find the man himself, to ask and uncover the truth.
(End of Chapter)