“Widow?” Han Li was astonished.
“That’s right! The original founder of the Fearsome Flood Dragon Association, Master Mo, died. Does his wife not become a widow?” Sun Ergou blinked and grew somewhat hesitant. He did not know if he said something wrong.
“Who said that the association’s Master Mo died?” As his complexion turned colder, Han Li sensed that something was out of place.
“Everyone in Jia Yuan City knows about this. A year ago, Ghost Hand Mo Juren’s last disciple revealed that he had obtained Association Master Mo’s will and keepsakes. With these in his possession, he announced Master Mo’s death at the Mo estate.”
“Last disciple? What was his name?” Han Li calmly asked, raising his eyebrow.
“He is Wu Jianming, a twenty year-old pretty face. Rumors have it that he has already inherited Mo Juren’s teachings and his martial arts are incomparably high.” Sun Ergou carefully told Han Li. At this moment, he already realized something. He was certain that this person was somehow related to the Fearsome Flood Dragon Association, and seemed to be paying close attention to that Young Master Wu.
“In addition….” Sun Ergou seemed as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t dare to.
“If you have something to say, then speak frankly! Don’t hold back! If this information is true, I will bestow upon you great rewards.”
“I have heard people say that this Young Master Wu is intimate with the Master Mo’s daughter, Mo Yuzhu. I have also heard that they will soon marry each other.” Hearing that there would be compensation, Sun Ergou spoke the truth freely, with a smile on his face.
“Marriage!” Han Li chuckled and suddenly stood up.
He paced back and forth several times in the room. Afterwards, he looked up to the ceiling and stopped. He seemed to be thinking of something.
“Hear this well! Your mission is quite simple. From today on, you will secretly gather information for me regarding the Mo Estate. As for Young Master Wu, the more details about him, the better.”
“Take this silver. If this affair goes well, there will be even more rewards! Go handle it.” Han Li casually tossed Sun Ergou a pouch of silver.
“I will follow your orders. Esteemed Young Master, please be at ease, for I will handle this matter well. This humble man will no longer trouble you and shall take his leave.” Sun Ergou clutched the silver in his hands and walked out, beaming with joy. Before leaving, he had even took the time to politely close the door.
“This esteemed Young Master is truly generous with his money. All he wants me to do is a trivial task of gathering information. It seems that choosing to follow this person on that day was truly the right choice!” Sun Ergou excitedly thought. At this moment, the matter of the Rotten Heart Pill had been pushed to the back of his head.
After seeing Sun Ergou’s happy face as he walked out, Han Li lightly sighed. He suddenly felt somewhat regretful. He had been here for a mere two days and had already given away so much silver. This made him feel like a money squanderer.
“It is no matter. This silver could be considered as silver from Doctor Mo’s account, with even with the addition of a bit of interest,” Han Li thought, finding joy in his sorrow.
“However, this Young Master Wu Jianming is truly a clever person for actually trying to be the first to use his own identity to infiltrate the Mo Estate, effectively acquiring power and wealth simultaneously. His courage is certainly admirable!” Han Li stroked his nose with a cold smile.
“It seems that a visit to the Mo Estate is inevitable. Otherwise, the Precious Warm Yang Jade will not be included in the dowry and instead will lie in that person’s hand,” Han Li thought, somewhat regretfully.
Chapter 106: Blue-Clothed Man
On Southern District’s busiest street, South Hill Street, there was a huge residence the size of several acres. The residence’s courtyard had a large black gate from which a hanging sign revealed two words: Mo Estate. Beneath the sign, eight large, imposing men were stationed evenly on both sides of the gate. Each of these formidable men held his head high and chest out with complete concentration. With just a glance, people would never dare to look down upon their well-trained and valiant appearances.
The three-story Fragrant Restaurant was just across the street from the Mo Estate. The popularity of this large restaurant resounded in the entire Jia Yuan City. In addition, its signature drink, Hundred Scents, was famous for being a great wine, and it attracted many famous customers who passed by.
It was currently time for the midday meal. As a result, the Fragrant Restaurant was packed with people. All the tables from the first floor to the third floor were packed with eating patrons.
On the road, those who were about to pass by restaurant would smell the strong aroma of food and drool with hunger, completely captivated by the smell.
On the second story, a youth sat next to the window, watching the street. There were quite a few tasty side dishes on his table, along with a bottle of the famous “Hundred Scents”. Behind the youth stood a large, intimidating man. This youth was none other than Han Li, who was scouting for information.
At this moment, Han Li gazed down at something from the window. He turned a small wine cup that was filled to the brim in his hand, but his food sat on the table, untouched. Overall, he seemed absent-minded and careless.
Han Li shot a tilted glance at the nearby Mo Estate before looking down to the streets below him. His face’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Raising his head to drink the cup of wine, he continued to look outside mysteriously.
Han Li had already asked about Doctor Mo’s two biological daughters and his adopted daughter. They had all grown up to become as delicate as a flower, as refined as a precious jade, beautiful and charming. They were known as Jia Yuan City’s three great beauties. As a result, they were often referred to as the three prides of the Mo Estate.
Because of their beauty’s great fame, they have been wooed by far too many young masters and heroic elites to count.
Among these women was Mo Yuzhu, a peerless beauty. Amongst the three, she was the one who was the most pursued. Thus, the news of her betrothal roused a great ruckus and broke the hearts of the men who were trying to woo her. There were a few martial artists that had challenged this Young Master Wu one after another. Wu Jian Ming ended up defeating sixteen of these rivals of love in succession, thus consolidating his reputation as a peerless martial artist and causing him to be inseparable and closely intimate with Mo Yuzhu.
Han Li thought that this matter was truly somewhat amusing and ridiculous. Others didn’t know that this Young Master Wu had some sort of inside information. However, Han Li was aware of the entire situation.
Wu Jianming was sure to have been dispatched from Doctor Mo’s enemy school. It seemed that the Doctor Mo’s long absence had caused his enemies to grow suspicious; this Young Master Wu had probably arrived to scout out the situation. Han Li did not know by what means he had been able to obtain the trust of the Mo Estate, but the letter alone probably shouldn’t have been enough to easily convince Doctor Mo’s wives.
Han Li used his finger to lightly tap the table as he contemplated about the matter.
“Young Master, please sit here! The dishes you ordered should arrive at once.” The waiter wearing a short, white jacket hurriedly led a blue-clothed man, who was twenty-seven to twenty-eight years old, to the second floor. In addition, the waiter had the man sit at an empty table next to Han Li. He then hastily returned to the first floor to take care of the other customers.
This blue-clothed man was handsome. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and somewhat of a heroic air about him.
After he sat down, he took a quick glimpse around his surroundings and just happened to meet Han Li’s gaze.
Han Li felt a profound indescribable valiance from within the man’s gaze that made him feel as if his very being was being absorbed. After a moment of shock, Han Li quickly turned his head away as his complexion faintly
changed.
This person was also greatly surprised. However, after giving Han Li a cold glance, he immediately turned his head, no longer paying any heed to Han Li.
Han Li’s complexion turned somewhat pale. Just a moment ago, a glimpse at that person had given him a feeling like that of having one’s guts seen from inside out, overwhelming him with great shock.
This was Han Li’s first time experiencing such a glance, the kind of glance that made him feel as if his entire being had been completely exposed.
After the blue-clothed man waited for his dishes to fill the table, he began to eat. Not only did he eat quite heartily, he also ate as if there were no one else there.
At this moment, the frustrated Han Li was somewhat restless and worried.
Although he currently didn’t use the Heaven’s Eye Technique to observe the man, he felt quite a large amount of spiritual energy faintly emitting from the man’s body, making Han Li stiff from awe. He clearly understood from this person’s magic power that the man’s cultivation no doubt was far deeper than his own.
Back when he looked at the cultivators Yu Zhitong and Monk Golden Light, he had only seen feeble, pathetic magic powers that completely lacked the fundamental essence of life. Upon his encounters with them, he had been able to easily get rid of them both. Thus, Han Li still didn’t understand a lot about cultivators. In his mind, cultivators were a mysterious existence. He truly didn’t know how how he should respond to another cultivator stronger than himself.
“Could I not treat this blue-clothed man like Monk Golden Light and unceremoniously eliminate him with my own hand?” Han Li’s mind could not help but think in the worst direction.
While Han Li’s thoughts were in turmoil and fear, the blue-clothed man had finished eating. He wiped his mouth with a hand towel, dropped a silver ingot on the table, and left like a breeze. From the beginning until the end, he never looked at Han Li again after their initial glance; it seemed that the man had completely forgotten about Han Li.
Han Li waited until after this person had completely left the restaurant before exhaling deeply and lying down on his chair, paralyzed. Although the time during which the blue-clothed man ate was short, Han Li felt as if an entire day had passed by. The stress placed upon his mind was far too great. He felt as as if he had just fought a battle of life and death.
At this moment, the blue-clothed person appeared at the corner of the street. A thirty-year old man wearing a yellow jacket was waiting there for him.
“Old Fourth, why have you come so late? We still have to meet up with Eldest Brother and the others!” The yellow-jacketed man had some discontent in his voice.
“Hehe! Second Eldest Brother, don’t be angry! It’s just that I haven’t had mortal food for several years. I just went to have a taste!” The blue-clothed person said with a joyful smile.
“You glutton! How many times do I have to say this? We Immortal cultivators should cleanse our heart of desires and abstain from gluttony, but you never listen! Your consumption will, at the very least, damage your nature greatly.” The yellow-jacketed man glared at the blue-clothed person and sourly lectured him.
“Hehe! I know, I know, you don’t have to tell me that again! Oh yeah, back at the restaurant, I saw another cultivator.” The blue-clothed person tried to change the topic, hastily mentioning his encounter with Han Li.
“Oh! Really? Was his magic power deep or shallow?” Sure enough, this had captured the yellow-jacketed man’s attention.
“His magic power was quite light. It seemed as if his cultivation base had just reached the seventh or eighth layer. He barely has the qualifications to participate in the Immortal Ascension Assembly.
“This truly does not make sense. With such shallow magic power, did he come to the Lan Province to exploit some sort of opportunity? Could it be that he truly believes that he will come across unexpected success and obtain the final victory at the great Immortal Ascension Assembly?” The blue-clothed man flung these words from his mouth.
“Is he young or old?”
“He looked to be seventeen to eighteen years old.”
“If that is the case, he definitely followed his elders here in order to increase his experience and broaden his horizons. I reckon that in the Immortal Ascension Assembly ten years from now, this talent would genuinely be able to participate.” The yellow-jacketed man said with a smile.
“I say! When you say it like that, his talent can be considered decent. If he comes back in ten years, he could reach my level.” The blue-clothed man said proudly.
“Stop boasting! Your cultivation base has merely reached the tenth layer. Every year the Immortal Ascension Assembly produces many cultivators at this level. Once you’ve trained to the eleventh or twelfth layer, then you will be given the qualifications to boast.” The yellow-jacketed man said while laughing cheerfully.
“Truly, if I hadn’t used the Foundation Establishment Pill, I could have trained to a level higher than the tenth layer, but then, what Immortal Ascension Assembly could I have participated in? I wouldn’t have been able to find a master.” The blue-clothed man pouted and murmured before following the yellow-jacketed man and leaving the area.
Chapter 107: Mo Yuzhu
Han Li naturally did not know about the conversation between the blue-clothed man and the yellow-jacketed man. He was still celebrating the fact that he had just escaped from a calamity. Although he was angered by the blue-clothed man’s disregard for him, Han Li was extremely clear about the disparity in their strengths. Now that he had “escaped”, he felt as though he had just escaped death, so Han Li became extremely relaxed.
After his encounter with the blue-clothed man, Han Li’s heart couldn’t calm down, so he could not recover his initially peaceful state of mind. Sighing, Han Li stood up and prepared to leave the inn.
At this moment, the sounds of horses galloping suddenly rang out in the large street outside of the inn. The sound was getting closer and closer as the horses galloped into the vicinity.
He was just about to stand up, but his attention was piqued. He sat back down and cast his gaze once again to the large street. According to the report by Sun Ergou, the sounds that the incoming horses were making was the sign that the Most Estate’s eldest daughter, Mo Yuzhu, was returning back to the city from her travels outside. Rumors had it that this precious lady from the Mo Estate didn’t enjoy doing what other girls her age did. Ever since she was young, she only showed interest in wielding the spear and becoming the leader of a gang. Thus, her elders organized an expert from the Fearsome Flood Dragon to teach her martial arts.
What was truly shocking was that this Miss Mo especially loved hunting, a sport that was supposed to be an activity exclusive to males. Every two to three days, Miss Mo would travel to the forest outside the city to hunt. This incited the various clans’ young masters, who wanted to woo her, to go hunting with her, chasing after eagles and hounds in hopes of obtaining her good will. Naturally, after Young Master Wu had arrived, he too joined in this activity.
After Han Li had heard the news, he was also curious about this eldest daughter from the Mo Estate. After all, a girl with such a character was rarely seen. He hoped that such a lady wouldn’t disappoint him.
Now, there were over ten horse riders galloping from the end of the street. The frontmost riders consisted of a man and a woman. The male had a pair of sword-shaped eyebrows, a bright gaze, a lanky figure, and the look of a handsome, heroic youth. The female was wearing a fiery red hunting suit, along with a purple-colored veil to cover her face, hiding her facial features.
In the blink of an eye, the group of hunters passed the front of the inn, past Han Li’s sight, and finally stopped at the gate of the Mo Estate.
The two burly guards who were originally standing there immediately greeted them. One of the guards, a man with a face full of pockmarks, respectfully greeted:
“Eldest Miss and Master Wu, both of you are back. How was today’s harvest?”
>
“Not too bad! Tang Er, lead the horse away and help me take care of this wild game.” The female wearing the hunting suit ordered. Before she dismounted her horse, she extended her hand to take off the veil that had been covering her face, revealing a face that could startle hearts and move souls.
“Roger that, Miss!” The one named Tang Er showed that he dared not to even gaze upon the enchanting visage of this female as he hurriedly took over the reins and led the horse away, walking towards a side gate.
Although the inn and the Mo Estate were a distance away, Han Li could still see about seventy to eighty percent of the girl’s features as he involuntarily drew in a huge breath. That shining snow-white skin, that dainty little nose, those black, sparkling eyes, and those ruby red lips were all capable of sinking fishes and causing geese to fall from the skies.
“This lady is none other than Mo Yuzhu! No wonder she’s capable of causing all the young masters in Jia Yuan City to go crazy for her. For such a supreme beauty, even toppling over empires wouldn’t be strange.” Han Li could not help but to think of her in such a way.
By this time, the other hunters behind the handsome youth had all dismounted. Servants came forth and led their horses away.
The youth smiled as he walked in front of Mo Yuzhu and whispered something to her, causing Miss Mo’s face to redden. She gently hammered the shoulder of the male youth before shyly glancing at him and eventually running through the gate. The youth laughed as he walked inside with a elegant demeanor.
“This person was Wu Jianming? He really does know how to coax a girl. In any case, his looks are still passable.” Han Li sourly stated in his heart. He knew that if they were to compete based on looks, there was no way for him to win against the handsome youth.
“It seems that Mo Yuzhu and this handsome young master have a deep relationship!” He furrowed his brows, feeling slightly pressured. It seemed to him that this matter would not be settled as easily as he had imagined.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 50