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Chapter 1420: Lu Zhenlong
(TN: This is a temporary chapter. It will be updated when I receive the Raws.)
The woman with a face as beautiful as flowers and the moon uttered an angry, delicate rebuke that abruptly rang out in Fortune Pavilion, instantly causing everyone to freeze in surprise. One after another, gazes turned toward her.
Mo Hua was somewhat dazed. He didn't understand why these people, having nothing better to do, always seemed to enjoy looking in his direction.
Moreover, he truly didn't seem to recognize the woman before him.
Mo Hua frowned slightly. "You are...?"
It might have been better if he hadn't asked. His question only made the "flower of fortune" even angrier. "You actually don't recognize me? Are you truly foolish, or are you just pretending?"
Mo Hua replied honestly, "I really don't remember."
The woman gritted her teeth, enunciating each word clearly, "I am Lu Zhenlong!"
"Lu Zhenlong..."
Mo Hua was taken aback. He stared at the woman's face, scrutinizing it carefully, then suddenly understood. "So it's you. You've applied rouge and makeup—I didn't recognize you at all."
This statement precisely struck a nerve.
What do you mean, 'I applied makeup, so you didn't recognize me'? Is the difference between me with and without makeup that significant? Does applying makeup equate to changing my face?
Lu Zhenlong was so furious she felt her lungs might explode.
Mo Hua found it strange, thinking to himself that he hadn't said anything offensive. Why was this woman so easily angered?
Lu Zhenlong took a deep sigh, then looked at Mo Hua and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Mo Hua replied, "I... came to buy some things."
Lu Zhenlong sneered, suddenly pointing at Mo Hua. "You... come back to the Lu Clan with me."
Mo Hua shook his head. "I won't go."
Lu Zhenlong's expression turned icy. "That's not up to you. Today, whether you want to or not, you will go. If you refuse, I'll have the elders tie you up and take you there."
Mo Hua sighed. "Why do you want me to go to the Lu Clan?"
Lu Zhenlong bit her jade-like teeth, her eyes filled with resentment. "Don't forget what you did to me back then. This young lady will never forget it for the rest of her life. Now that you've fallen into my hands, don't even think about running away."
With these words, the misunderstanding grew immense. The onlookers were all stunned, their mouths agape.
Manager Zhao looked at Mo Hua as if beholding a "divine being," his gaze filled with sincere reverence.
Mo Hua said irritably, "Could you perhaps reconsider your wording? Do you even know what you're saying?"
Lu Zhenlong retorted, "I don't care. All that matters is that today, you've landed in this young lady's territory. Don't even think about escaping!"
Mo Hua sighed again.
Lu Zhenlong called out, "Guards!" She pointed at Mo Hua. "Seize him!"
The guards nearby looked awkward, unsure whether they should obey the young lady's order to forcibly seize this handsome youth in public.
The guards remained motionless, while the other managers, stewards, and guests all turned their gazes, to varying degrees, toward Mo Hua. They were curious about just what kind of extraordinary person this man, whom the Lu Clan's young lady wanted to seize, could be.
Mo Hua's mood was complicated.
Manager Zhao hurriedly said, "Young master, let's leave for now."
Mo Hua nodded.
Manager Zhao then walked ahead, leading Mo Hua toward the exit of Fortune Pavilion. However, he couldn't help but ask along the way: "Young master, you and this young lady of the Lu Clan..."
Mo Hua explained, "Back when we were studying at the sect, we occasionally crossed paths a few times. She ended up holding a grudge against me."
It probably wasn't as simple as just crossing paths a few times.
If it were merely occasional encounters, how could the Lu Clan's young lady be so "preoccupied" with him, even to the point of wanting to seize him publicly?
There were likely many more entanglements involved.
For a moment, Manager Zhao's mind was filled with wild imaginings.
However, as this matter concerned the young lady of the Lu Clan, Manager Zhao dared not pry too deeply. Moreover, fearing it might stir up more trouble, he could only say: "Young master, you should return early these days... be mindful of your personal safety."
Manager Zhao emphasized the words "personal safety" heavily, as if afraid someone might have designs on Mo Hua's person.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
After leaving Fortune Pavilion, indeed, many gazes covertly locked onto Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was well aware of this, so he walked into the crowd as usual. However, after just a few turns, his figure vanished into the sea of people.
Those who had been watching him were left stunned, forced to wander aimlessly through the market district like headless flies.
Some time later.
Inside a luxurious carriage adorned with gold and jade fittings and carpeted with plush feathers.
Lu Zhenlong still wore an expression of anger as she asked, "He got away?"
"Yes."
"Have you sent people to investigate?"
Beside her sat a beautifully dressed woman in brocade robes, who nodded gently and said softly: "It's all been checked. Fortune Pavilion has records; this Young Master Mo went there to conduct business with Manager Zhao."
"Business?" Lu Zhenlong was slightly taken aback. "What kind of business?"
The brocade-clad woman replied, "He draws formations for Fortune Pavilion, and Fortune Pavilion pays him in spirit stones."
Lu Zhenlong thought for a moment, displeased, and said, "Isn't that just... doing odd jobs for Fortune Pavilion?"
The brocade-clad woman said, "He is a Formation Master; it's different."
"What's different?" Lu Zhenlong pondered briefly, then sneered, "Well, well, the esteemed Mo Hua, the little senior brother of the Great Void Sect, who showed off his might and stole all the limelight during the Grand Sword Debate Assembly."
"Yet once he leaves the sect, his true colors are revealed—he has to rely on drawing formations for others, doing odd jobs to earn spirit stones."
"Just a mere Mo Hua, nothing more than that."
The brocade-clad woman's eyes flickered slightly. "This Young Master Mo seems to have some connection with... that person from the Bai family... It might be best if we don't provoke him."
Lu Zhenlong sneered, "So what? His surname is Mo, not Bai. Aristocratic families only recognize bloodlines and surnames. As long as he doesn't bear the Bai surname, it doesn't matter."
Memories of past events resurfaced in her mind.
Although Mo Hua wasn't entirely without merit, the offense of having a Fireball Technique blasted in her face was too great for Lu Zhenlong to ever forget.
"Within the Qianxue Prefecture Boundary, my Purple Mist Gate may not compare to the Great Void Sect, but once we leave the sect and enter Kun Prefecture, things are different again."
"I will definitely make this Mo fellow pay for what happened back then!"
Lu Zhenlong vowed, "Just wait and see how I deal with him in the future."
The brocade-clad woman sighed. "Cousin, you must be careful not to anger the clan head."
Lu Zhenlong nodded. "Don't worry."
Meanwhile, on another street, Mo Hua's vanished figure quietly reappeared.
Having confirmed that no one was following him anymore, Mo Hua relaxed slightly. Then he frowned again, muttering to himself.
"So it was Lu Zhenlong."
He genuinely hadn't recognized her at first.
Over a decade had passed since the Qianxue Sword Debate back then. Lu Zhenlong had grown up a bit, and her appearance had changed somewhat.
Moreover, Lu Zhenlong was now "dressed up" in full regalia.
Women, after all—change their clothes, adjust their makeup—if you're not familiar with them, it really isn't easy to recognize them.
Mo Hua and Lu Zhenlong weren't close to begin with, and after more than ten years apart, it wasn't strange that he didn't recognize her.
This was perfectly normal.
I just don't understand why I couldn't recognize her—she seemed particularly angry, as if she held some grudge against me.
Mo Hua reflected on the past and realized he didn't seem to have any feud or resentment with Lu Zhenlong.
Why was she so angry?
Surely it couldn't be because she lost to me in the Grand Sword Debate Assembly and held a grudge over it.
But many people had lost to me in the Grand Sword Debate Assembly—she wasn't the only one.
Mo Hua shook his head, still feeling that women's thoughts couldn't be reasoned with in the usual way.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided to let it go, hoping only that this Lu Zhenlong wouldn't cause him any trouble.
Mo Hua took some time to stroll down another street, bought some things, and brought them back to the minor blessed land for Xiao Ju and his senior sister.
But some troubles are ultimately unavoidable.
Life in the minor blessed land was peaceful. As long as he retreated into it, the outside world's disturbances couldn't reach him.
But once he left the minor blessed land, things were different.
Some time later, Mo Hua went to the Fortune Pavilion as usual to ask Manager Zhao about market conditions and pick up some formation orders.
Grave robbing was only temporary and couldn't be done openly.
After all, Mo Hua was a Formation Master and needed to make a living legitimately by drawing formations.
Manager Zhao handed some formation orders to Mo Hua, hesitating several times before sighing: "Young Master Mo, be careful."
Mo Hua nodded, bid farewell to Manager Zhao, and left the Fortune Pavilion.
Not long after, he was blocked by a group of people led by several young masters dressed in fine clothes.
At the forefront were three young masters from prominent families, all at the early Golden Core stage.
Behind them were over a dozen attendants and guest advisors, ranging from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core cultivation.
"So you're that... Young Master Mo?" said the leading young master, who had a pale complexion and wore blue robes.
Mo Hua nodded and asked, "Who are you?"
The blue-robed young master replied, "My surname is Wu, from the Wu family of Kunzhou. These two are from the Jin family and the Zhu family."
The Jin young master was somewhat thin, while the Zhu young master was slightly more portly.
The Wu, Jin, and Zhu families were all major clans in Kunzhou.
Mo Hua asked, "Do you need something from me?"
The young master surnamed Wu said, "We heard you know Miss Lu?"
Mo Hua simply nodded, "We've met a few times, but we're not close."
Young Master Wu sneered, "Don't play dumb. We've all heard that you offended Miss Lu back then and made her very unhappy. Today, we're here to seek justice for her."
Of course, the rumors weren't exactly like that.
The rumors said that Mo Hua had toyed with her affections and abandoned her, causing Miss Lu to turn love into hatred.
However, Young Master Wu and the others, who admired Miss Lu, naturally couldn't believe that this "pretty boy" in front of them—who had nothing but his looks—could have caught Miss Lu's eye.
Mo Hua, of course, knew nothing of these rumors and only asked curiously, "And how do you plan to seek justice?"
Young Master Wu snorted coldly, "Naturally, by making you suffer a bit."
Mo Hua looked puzzled, "You want to attack me?"
Young Master Wu said grimly, "Today, we're going to beat you up until you're bruised and bloodied, with a swollen face, so you can no longer rely on that pretty face of yours to get by."
Young Master Wu's expression was fierce, the other young masters wore cold smiles, and the group of guest advisors and thugs behind them all looked menacing.
They seemed ready to tear Mo Hua limb from limb at the slightest disagreement.
"But..." Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Isn't it forbidden for cultivators to fight within Houtu City?"
Young Master Wu froze for a moment, his expression stiffening slightly.
Mo Hua continued, "Since fighting isn't allowed in Houtu City, how do you plan to teach me a lesson?"
Young Master Wu's face turned pale.
The other young masters and their thugs also fell silent.
It was indeed a rule in Houtu City—cultivators were strictly forbidden from engaging in private duels, and violators would face severe punishment.
This was a prohibition issued by the Dao Court Division. While these scions of noble families might secretly flout it to settle personal grudges, that was only when no one was watching. In broad daylight, in full view of the public, they truly dared not disregard the Dao Court Law Decree. Otherwise, the Dao Court Division would issue a formal reprimand to their families.
Young Master Wu sneered, "Who says we don't dare to fight?"
Mo Hua replied, "Then try it."
Young Master Wu fell silent again.
Mo Hua shook his head, finding it all rather tedious, and said, "Since you don't dare to fight me, I'll be on my way."
He had no interest in wasting time with these noble scions.
And with that, Mo Hua truly left.
Young Master Wu and the others stood frozen in place.
One of the guards stepped forward and said to Young Master Wu, "Young Master, something's off. Usually, when we stand here with so many people, looking fierce and saying harsh words, we don't even need to actually fight—the other side would kneel, kowtow, or beg for mercy. But this kid isn't scared at all."
Young Master Wu's face darkened, and he hurriedly called out, "Stop!"
Mo Hua stopped and turned to look at him.
Young Master Wu threatened, "If you run now, once we find out where you live, we won't let you off."
Mo Hua asked, "Have you found out where I live?"
Young Master Wu fell silent again.
If he could have found out, he wouldn't have been blocking the entrance of Fortune Pavilion in the first place. Houtu City was vast, with countless grand mansions and deep courtyards—how could he possibly track Mo Hua down?
Mo Hua shook his head, thinking these outwardly fierce but inwardly weak noble scions were not only boring but also not very bright. If they wanted to pick a fight, they should at least come up with a few ways to pressure him. What was the point of blocking someone like a reckless fool?
Young Master Wu could only say, "Anyway, don't leave. Let's... have a sparring match."
Mo Hua retorted, "Why should I spar with you?"
Young Master Wu said, "Don't you want to prove your courage and strength to Miss Lu?"
Mo Hua shook his head. "No."
Young Master Wu was taken aback. "Don't you want Miss Lu to look at you in a new light?"
"No."
Young Master Wu gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Do you want Miss Lu to think you're a coward who's afraid to fight?"
Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled. "What does it matter?"
Lu Zhenlong had nothing to do with him.
Young Master Wu took a deep breath and suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
This person, despite having the face of a pretty boy, was as stubborn as a tough piece of meat—unyielding and impossible to pressure. Yet, Young Master Wu remained determined, his face pale with anger, and insisted: "Let's fight, just one fight..."
It seemed he wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal. In fact, he looked as if he might even kneel and beg Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was truly exasperated and asked, "It's not that I don't want to fight you, but isn't private dueling forbidden in Houtu City? How can I spar with you?"
Young Master Wu said, "There are dedicated arenas for cultivators to spar."
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised that such a place existed in Houtu City. In that case, it wasn't entirely out of the question to "spar" a bit.
It had been a long time since Mo Hua had sparred with anyone.
However, sparring was still quite a waste of time.
After some thought, Mo Hua suddenly asked Young Master Wu, "Is there a prize?"
Young Master Wu was taken aback. "A prize?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Young Master Wu asked, "What kind of prize do you want?"
Mo Hua replied, "Something simple—Spirit stones."
Young Master Wu nodded. "Alright, Spirit stones it is."
Mo Hua asked, "How much are you offering as the prize?"
Young Master Wu hesitated for a moment before tentatively suggesting, "Ten thousand?"
Mo Hua looked disdainful and turned to leave.
Ten thousand Spirit stones? Was he trying to treat him like a beggar? His time was far too valuable for that.
Seeing this, Young Master Wu hurriedly said, "We can add more, we can add more."
Only then did Mo Hua stop and turn back to ask him, "How much more?"
Young Master Wu tried again, "Twenty thousand?"
Mo Hua said, "Make it fifty thousand. I'll spar with you once."
Afraid that Mo Hua might really leave, Young Master Wu nodded and said, "Alright… fifty thousand it is."
Mo Hua said, "Lead the way."
Young Master Wu then led the others ahead, showing Mo Hua the way.
After walking for a while, Young Master Wu suddenly paused, instinctively feeling that something about the situation seemed off, but he couldn't quite pinpoint where things had started to go wrong.
(End of Chapter)