Immortality Through Array Formations (The Quest for Immortality)

Chapter 578: Human Traffickers

Mo Hua asked excitedly, "Divine Sense Sword Manifestation? How does it work? What kind of sword does it form? How do you control it with divine sense?"

Lord Huangshan's expression was complicated. "How would I know…"

I was the one who got sliced by the Divine Sense Sword, not the one using it…

Mo Hua continued, "So is Divine Sense Sword Manifestation really powerful?"

Lord Huangshan nodded. "Just look at the pitiful state I'm in after being slain by it… should answer your question."

Mo Hua glanced at him skeptically. "But you're not that strong…"

How could someone weak getting chopped prove that the technique was strong?

Lord Huangshan flushed in shame and irritation. "That was then, this is now!"

"Back in the day! I was Lord of the Mountain! This entire mountain range bent to my will!"

"It's only because I strayed from the path, gave in to dark thoughts, and had my cultivation ruined that I ended up like this, defeated at your hands… a tiger fallen to the plains, being—"

Mo Hua's brow twitched dangerously.

Lord Huangshan immediately swallowed the last few words about being "bullied by dogs."

Okay, okay, maybe not bullied by a dog…

This little cultivator isn't just any pup—he's a little tiger... no, a little fierce tiger…

A fierce little tiger that eats people.

Definitely not someone to provoke if he can help it…

Mo Hua still didn't look convinced. "You were really that strong before?"

"Of course!"

Mo Hua muttered, "This is a second-grade micro-state in Qian Province. Even if you were strong, you were just a second-grade mountain god. How strong could that really be?"

"You don't understand… Back then, I—"

Lord Huangshan, his narrow face full of pride, abruptly paused mid-sentence. Then forced a dry laugh and confessed, "…Yeah, okay. Just a second-grade minor mountain god…"

Mo Hua eyed him suspiciously.

Lord Huangshan, feeling guilty, looked up at the ceiling and pretended nothing was happening.

Mo Hua clearly saw through him but didn't act aggressively. After all, the guy had surrendered, and as a mountain god, he deserved some respect.

But Mo Hua was far more interested in the Divine Sense Sword Manifestation…

"What did that sword cultivator look like? Do you know his name or sect?"

Lord Huangshan shook his head. "No idea. I just remember he wore white robes, like an immortal descended. And the sword intent—terrifying. As for his face—I didn't dare look. His name? I wouldn't have dared ask…"

"What sect was he from?"

Still a shake of the head.

Mo Hua sighed and glanced at him in disdain. "Why do you know nothing?"

Lord Huangshan looked deeply aggrieved.

What did you expect me to do? I was trying not to die! You think I had time to interview the guy?

"White-robed sword cultivator… slays evil-tainted mountain god…"

Mo Hua memorized the clue. After joining a sect, he'd find a way to investigate. Maybe he could uncover the identity of that sword cultivator—and learn the method to externalize divine sense into a sword…

Then, the next time he encountered some foul spirit or an evil god like Lord Huangshan, he could just bam!—slash it in one go with Divine Sense Sword!

Mo Hua silently plotted.

Lord Huangshan suddenly shivered.

He didn't know what Mo Hua was scheming in his tiny brain, but it clearly wasn't anything good—probably something terrifying…

Otherwise, why would his neck suddenly feel so cold?

"Esteemed young master…" Lord Huangshan forced a smile that was far too sweet and even a little sycophantic. "The mountain nights are chilly. You should rest early—there's a long road ahead tomorrow…"

He just wanted to send this little ancestor away. The sooner the better.

"I'm not sleepy!" Mo Hua said cheerfully.

He had a Dao Tablet in his sea of consciousness—he didn't even need sleep.

Lord Huangshan felt bitter inside.

Please, dear ancestor… just pretend to be sleepy.

If you don't sleep, this long night is going to be really, really hard for me…

Mo Hua had a lot more questions.

Like, how does one become a mountain god? What exactly is "good karma"?

If a mountain god gives in to evil, do they turn into an evil god?

Why do they need incense offerings?

Why do they accept worship?

On and on and on…

There was still a long time until dawn. Mo Hua wanted to ask all of them, one by one, but just as he opened his mouth—

He paused. His eyes flicked toward the door.

Lord Huangshan noticed the shift in his expression and was caught off guard.

Moments later, he also froze.

"…Someone's coming," Mo Hua said.

Lord Huangshan's eyes widened in shock.

Now he understood—this little cultivator's divine sense was truly no ordinary thing.

In his own mountain domain, Mo Hua could sense movement even before he could.

"…Should we hide?"

Lord Huangshan gave Mo Hua a hopeful glance, silently seeking permission.

Mo Hua nodded, and Lord Huangshan sighed in relief, instantly turning into a wisp of white smoke that merged into the mountain god statue.

Mo Hua wiped away the fire-warming array on the ground, then used Waterstep Technique to "walk" straight up the wall and onto a rafter—concealing himself behind a huge (but half-broken) beam.

Then he activated a concealment technique.

Soon after, faint footsteps echoed outside the temple.

Though soft, in the silence of the mountain night—especially to Mo Hua—they were clear as day.

Two unfamiliar cultivators crouched near the temple door, peering in. They swept the area with their divine sense, then relaxed and called back—

"Boss, no one's inside."

More voices followed.

"It's late, and this damned trail sucks…"

"We've been exhausted for days…"

"Let's rest in the temple a bit…"

"Mountain Lord, bless us…"

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"…My brain's in my head, my life's in my own hands—what blessing? Screw the mountain god!"

…

A group of people noisily entered the ruined temple.

From his hiding spot between the rafters, Mo Hua peeked out under moonlight.

The once-empty temple now bustled with over ten people.

Most were early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Some carried knives. Others wore swords. A few were pushing carts filled with storage boxes—contents unknown.

At the head of the group was a middle-aged man in green robes with a scholarly demeanor, carrying a sword. He seemed to be their leader.

Although also early Foundation Establishment, his cultivation was clearly deeper than the others', and his steps carried deliberate precision.

Mo Hua heard the others call him "Boss Jiang."

Boss Jiang looked around the temple and nodded. "We've been traveling nonstop. Everyone's tired. Rest here tonight. We'll head out early tomorrow. Deliver the goods, earn some spirit stones, and life gets easier."

His tone was gentle and refined.

The other cultivators nodded, dropped their luggage, and found clean spots to sit cross-legged.

Some took out dry rations. Some drank to unwind. Some collapsed and slept on the spot.

Others chatted in hushed tones. Mo Hua pricked up his ears.

"How many days left, boss?"

"Three to four, maybe…"

"How much will we make?"

"Don't worry about it—we'll find out soon…"

"The others?"

"Just us now…"

…

They chatted for a long while.

Mo Hua listened with increasing confusion. He didn't quite get what they were discussing and leaned in to catch more, when suddenly Boss Jiang's expression changed.

"Something's wrong."

The other cultivators were startled.

"What is it, boss?"

"What happened?"

Boss Jiang stood and slowly scanned the temple. His eyes narrowed. "There's someone here."

Mo Hua was surprised.

The others looked shocked, leapt up, and unleashed their divine senses—but found nothing.

"Boss, no one's here…"

Boss Jiang knelt and touched the floor. His eyes sharpened. "The ground's still warm—someone was here recently, using it for warmth."

He then found the mountain potato skins Mo Hua had eaten and discarded.

Holding them up, his brow furrowed.

Suddenly, someone called out in alarm, "Boss! Over here!"

Boss Jiang rushed over. On the floor were faint crisscrossing patterns, hastily smudged…

His heart skipped a beat. "This is… a formation?!"

His once-gentle gaze turned razor-sharp. "Everyone—on guard!"

In an instant, the entire temple's mood changed.

The fatigue was gone. Swords drawn, spiritual power surged, and everyone's expression turned grim.

But moments passed… and still, the temple was silent.

No matter how they looked—visually or with divine sense—they found nothing.

"Boss… maybe you're mistaken?"

Boss Jiang frowned, then slowly shook his head. "No. The formation was only just erased. The warmth hasn't even faded. Someone was definitely here not long ago."

"In this desolate wilderness, with only one ruined temple for miles, that person wouldn't have gone far."

"Most likely… they saw our numbers and hid."

"Or worse… they're lying in wait."

Everyone stiffened.

"Boss, what should we do?"

Boss Jiang thought for a moment, then looked around and called out loudly:

"Fellow Daoist—why not show yourself?"

"A chance meeting is still fate."

"We have no grudges with you and mean no harm. In these wild mountains, let's be friends instead."

…

Boss Jiang's words were polite—but Mo Hua didn't budge.

Boss Jiang spoke politely, but Mo Hua remained unmoved.

You can never know what's in someone's heart just by their face—who knows if this group is good or bad?

Boss Jiang talked until his lips were dry, but seeing that there was still no response from the surroundings, his gaze turned cold and his voice sank:

"Fellow Daoist, if you won't appreciate kindness, don't blame me for being rude…"

"I'll tear down this ruined temple, smash this statue, and level this place to the ground. Let's see where you hide then!"

Tear down the temple?

Mo Hua froze. He looked down and saw Lord Huangshan's face showing anger, but also helplessness.

He had fallen so far—how could he stand up to a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators?

If his home was destroyed, if the mud statue he relied on was smashed, he might really lose his foundation entirely.

Mo Hua himself didn't mind.

The mountain was huge, the night was dark—even if the temple was flattened, he could still escape. But Lord Huangshan? He was a mountain god—no temple, no place to run…

And Mo Hua still had tons of questions for this fallen mountain god.

After thinking it through, he canceled his concealment spell and chirped brightly:

"I'm coming out!"

Boss Jiang was stunned by the voice. He had assumed that anyone sleeping in a remote ruin like this must be some seasoned rogue cultivator used to walking mountain roads at night.

But this voice—why did it sound so young?

Before he could react, a small figure jumped down from the rafters. A young cultivator with a small frame, handsome features, and an innocent face landed before them.

Boss Jiang was dumbfounded. Then a chill crept into his heart, and he couldn't help but ask:

"Are you… human? Or ghost?"

Mo Hua rolled his eyes. "You're the ghost."

Boss Jiang heard the boy's voice and saw his expressions—alive and vivid—not like a ghost at all, but clearly a living cultivator. He let out a small sigh of relief.

But then frowned again. "You're here… alone?"

Mo Hua of course wasn't going to admit that. He just said:

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"I got separated from my master, senior brother, and senior sister. Just resting here for now. I'll look for them in the morning."

He has a sect…

Boss Jiang frowned slightly but didn't press it.

There was one thing, though, he couldn't figure out, so he asked seriously:

"Why couldn't we sense you when we entered?"

Mo Hua answered righteously:

"How should I know?"

"If you couldn't detect me, shouldn't you be asking yourselves why?"

"Maybe your cultivation's too low. Maybe your divine sense is too weak. Maybe your alertness is lacking?"

"What does that have to do with me, a kid?"

The group blushed with embarrassment and anger—but had no way to refute it.

They really… could only blame themselves.

What, were they supposed to complain that the kid hid too well?

Seeing that they were so wonderfully self-aware, Mo Hua nodded approvingly.

One of the burly men leaned close to Boss Jiang and whispered:

"What now?"

"Should we…"

His eyes flashed coldly and he mimed a slicing gesture with his hand.

His movements were small, voice very quiet—but Mo Hua, with his powerful divine sense, still caught it.

He pretended not to.

Boss Jiang replied in a low voice:

"No rush. Let's see how things unfold…"

He couldn't quite figure out the boy's background—his identity was unclear.

Boss Jiang furrowed his brow in thought, then his eyes lit up as he asked:

"Little brother, did you draw the formation inside the temple?"

The warmth array, right…

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then nodded: "Yeah, I did."

Boss Jiang was stunned—then overjoyed.

"You actually know how to draw formations?!"

"Mhm…"

Boss Jiang's expression instantly softened into a friendly smile.

A little cultivator… who can draw formations…

That price just went way up.

"Put away your swords and blades, don't scare the young man," Boss Jiang instructed. Then turned to Mo Hua, his voice as gentle as spring rain:

"We're just honest merchants passing through. Afraid of being robbed, we got a bit too cautious. Please don't mind us, little brother."

Mo Hua nodded, signaling he didn't mind.

Though inside, he rolled his eyes.

"Honest merchants"… yeah, I've seen real ones before. Who are you trying to fool?

Boss Jiang invited Mo Hua to sit and even offered him some dried rations and wild fruit.

Mo Hua didn't eat.

Boss Jiang didn't take offense and asked kindly, "Little brother, to be able to draw such a fine formation at your age—truly impressive!"

Such a fine formation? A warmth array?

That flattery missed the mark entirely.

Mo Hua responded indifferently, "It's okay, I guess…"

Boss Jiang probed further: "Can you draw first-grade formations?"

Mo Hua nodded, "You could say that."

Boss Jiang was overjoyed. "Then your future is boundless, little brother!"

He raised his wine cup and declared, "I'll drink a cup in apology—for the rudeness earlier!"

Then downed it in one go.

Mo Hua generously replied, "No problem. I didn't take it to heart."

Boss Jiang offered more compliments, eyes subtly flickering, before asking quietly:

"May I ask… who is your master?"

"Master said not to tell anyone," Mo Hua replied. "But my master is amazing—can draw third-grade formations like it's nothing."

"My martial uncle is even more impressive—but I can't tell you that either."

Boss Jiang smiled, but was quietly calculating.

So, a master at the Golden Core level…?

Hmm, a bit low.

Kid's got talent with formations, but the sect background sounds average…

Can't ransom him for much. Might be better to just… sell him directly.

Boss Jiang had made up his mind. Suddenly slapping his forehead, he feigned surprise:

"Your master…"

"On my way here, I happened to run into a powerful expert who said he was looking for his disciple—he mentioned the disciple had extraordinary talent and deep knowledge of array formations. Now that I think about it, you and that description match quite well…"

"That expert might be your master!"

Mo Hua silently watched him perform, expressionless, and asked flatly:

"Were my senior brother and senior sister with him too?"

Boss Jiang replied confidently, "Yes, there were two others with him—a man and a woman, both refined and elegant, real standouts."

Mo Hua feigned "surprise" and replied with a deadpan tone:

"Ah, wonderful. They're my master, senior sister, and senior brother."

Though Boss Jiang felt something off in Mo Hua's tone, he was too focused on his own scheme to notice. He sighed and said:

"It's just unfortunate—they took the wrong path…"

"Wrong path?" Mo Hua asked in "surprise."

"Mm," Boss Jiang replied with regret, "They went toward Qingzhou City—it's a long detour. Staying here in the mountains, you're not likely to run into them."

Mo Hua's expression dimmed slightly.

Boss Jiang observed him carefully and made his judgment.

This kid's clever, cautious even—but still just a kid. Inexperienced. Bring up his master, and he'll let his guard down. A few well-placed lies, and he's ours.

So he smiled warmly and said, "Since your master is such a powerful man, it'd be our honor to build good karma with him. Why don't we take you to find him? It's right on our way to Qingzhou City."

"Really?" Mo Hua asked, eyes wide with expectation.

"Of course." Boss Jiang grinned kindly.

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled. "That's great! Thank you, big brothers!"

His gaze was clear, innocent—like a bright-eyed little deer.

Boss Jiang felt reassured and said, "It's late now. Let's get some rest. At dawn, we'll set off together to find your master."

"Okay!"

Mo Hua nodded with heartfelt "enthusiasm."

So the group rested in the ruined temple.

Mo Hua quietly "fell asleep." His long lashes fluttered, and his breathing was slow and steady—just like any ordinary child.

Boss Jiang stood near the temple gate, far from Mo Hua, and whispered with a few other cultivators.

"Boss, why bring the kid along?"

"He knows formation art. Good price on that…"

One cultivator frowned, "But his spiritual root's trash. Bit of a waste."

Boss Jiang scoffed, "You don't get it. One talent covers a hundred flaws. As long as he knows formations, that's enough. It's not like a sect is buying—we don't need to be picky."

"Didn't the old man say not to stir up trouble…?" someone said cautiously.

"This one time is fine," Boss Jiang whispered. "Whether it's one or two, we're selling them all the same. After this deal, it'll be hard to keep going. Better grab what profit we can…"

"Besides, Qianzhou's huge. Factions are all over the place."

"A master at the Golden Core stage? That's nothing special…"

"Once someone disappears, it's like tossing a stone in the sea—gone forever…"

...

They murmured on.

Meanwhile, the "sleeping" Mo Hua slowly cracked open one eye, having caught most of the conversation.

These cultivators were traffickers!

They specialized in kidnapping and selling cultivators.

Their faces were friendly, but their hearts were rotten.

In Qianzhou, where sects were everywhere and countless cultivators came to study, their targets were young disciples like him.

Sometimes they demanded ransom, sometimes they sold them off.

If the child had good spiritual roots or talent, the payoff was massive—whether through ransom or black-market sales.

And some who fell to the demonic path used young cultivators' blood, meridians, and spirit roots as ingredients for alchemy.

Like the ancestor of the Qian family—he used human lives to craft the "Life Extension Origin Pill."

For such pills, talented children with pure bloodlines were the best possible ingredients.

Selling them to demonic cultivators? Also highly profitable.

Mo Hua considered all this, then slowly closed his eyes again and continued pretending to sleep.

The wild mountain night was deep and silent.

Until dawn arrived.

"Little brother… little brother…"

Someone came to wake him.

Mo Hua "awoke" groggily, rubbing his eyes with his small hands.

Boss Jiang smiled warmly and said kindly, "It's morning. Time to get going. We'll take you to find your master…"

Find Master…

Mo Hua looked dazed, emotions "mixed," but he smiled and said: "Okay!"

The group packed up and got ready to leave.

At that moment, a soft whisper came from the clay statue:

"Little sir, be careful. These people aren't good."

As it was a divine sense transmission, only Mo Hua could hear it.

"I know…" Mo Hua nodded, then waved toward the main hall's clay statue. "I'm off. I'll come back to visit sometime."

The other cultivators looked on, confused.

But seeing Mo Hua acting like a child—perhaps sentimental—they didn't think much of it.

From the statue, a puff of white smoke formed into Lord Huangshan's face.

He forced a smile at Mo Hua…

But in his heart, he was weeping:

"Don't… don't come back to visit. I don't want to see you again…"

With everything packed, Mo Hua left the ruined temple alongside Boss Jiang and his group, walking toward the distant Qingzhou City under the morning glow.

It was also on the way to Qianxue State, so it suited Mo Hua just fine.

Lord Huangshan silently watched them go, feeling worried.

"Those dozen cultivators all carry heavy karmic burdens. They're not decent folk…"

"That little cultivator… will he be okay…?"

But then he paused.

They weren't decent—but that little cultivator… might be even worse?

What kind of child thinks about EATING a mountain god?!

Lord Huangshan's expression became blank as he watched Mo Hua striding proudly among a group of human traffickers.

For a moment… he honestly didn't know who he should be worried about anymore.

(End of chapter)