Mo Hua had also made some calculations.
Although Solitary Mountain City was a Third Grade place, it was one of those very poor Third Grade territories.
The Golden Core cultivators that came and went were generally at the initial stage.
Now that his movement technique had integrated Concealment Technique, Water Passing Step, and Water Shadow Illusion, even if he couldn’t defeat an Initial Golden Core cultivator, he could still escape without any problem.
Once Mo Hua thought everything through, he tidied up slightly, then concealed himself and ventured into Solitary Mountain alone.
...
As Mo Hua entered Solitary Mountain, in Solitary Mountain City, Shen Xiuyan had already boarded a carriage, preparing to return to the Little Spirit Sect.
He had handed over the Shen Family’s archives, even some less important ones, to Mo Hua, which could be considered "leaking information."
Though it wasn’t a major mistake, it was better to avoid trouble.
Once the matter was concluded, it was better to leave early to avoid any involvement.
Besides, to be honest, Shen Xiuyan couldn’t help but feel uneasy when he saw Mo Hua, thinking about his origins, and he really didn’t want to have dealings with Mo Hua.
Shen Xiuyan drove the carriage, ready to head back to the sect.
But as soon as the carriage moved a few steps, it encountered a person head-on.
This person had an ordinary appearance, but an extraordinary aura, dressed like an elder of the Shen Family; it was the powerful elder of the Shen Family, Shen Shouxing.
"Xiuyan?" said Shen Shouxing.
Shen Xiuyan had no choice but to greet him, "Brother Shouxing."
"Heading back to the sect so early?" asked Shen Shouxing.
"There are some matters at the sect."
Shen Shouxing nodded, then said, "I have something I wish to ask you, please come with me."
Shen Xiuyan felt a bit unsettled, but Shen Shouxing’s cultivation was high, and his authority greater than his, so he didn’t dare to refuse.
Though they had some private connections, in a family, connections were not as strong as interests.
"Alright," said Shen Xiuyan.
The two went to the living room where tea was served.
Shen Shouxing then dismissed everyone else, seeing no one around, he was silent for a moment, then said to Shen Xiuyan, "A few years ago, you asked for a divination for me..."
"A divination?"
Shen Xiuyan was stunned, and then slowly relaxed.
He thought it was about Mo Hua’s matter, but it turned out to be a false alarm...
"That divination said," Shen Shouxing frowned, "in my entire life, I’ll only have one son?"
Shen Xiuyan didn’t know why Shen Shouxing brought this up but after pondering for a moment, he suddenly realized.
He was considering "reopening" his practice because it had been exhausted.
Shen Xiuyan nodded, "That’s right."
"The divination result cannot be changed?"
Shen Xiuyan paused momentarily, and said, "That divination, I asked someone from Mystery Valley to perform. The Elder from Mystery Valley said the cause and effect are predetermined, and this is your fate, whatever actions you took, whatever results they have, it cannot be changed."
This divination had some oddities.
Originally, he wanted Old Wen to perform this divination.
Old Wen was from Mystery Valley and had a treasure called the Three Talents Divination Copper Coin; it wasn’t exactly like he could foresee things like a god, but he could predict auspicious and inauspicious outcomes.
Back then, he followed Old Wen and Young Master Yun, the three of them traveled to Tongxian City, South Yue City, and Li State City.
Throughout the journey, they very much benefitted from his divination arts.
But after experiencing that incident, upon their return, Old Wen was frightened, saying he was afraid of becoming entangled with strange cause and effect, so he sealed away all his divination skills.
For fifty years, he vowed not to question the heavenly secrets or look at cause and effect, concentrating instead on preserving his life.
He had no choice but to ask Old Wen for an introduction, requesting another Elder from Mystery Valley to perform the divination for Shen Shouxing.
At that time, after finishing Shen Shouxing’s divination, the Mystery Valley Elder’s face turned ashen as he uttered many unpleasant words.
Shen Xiuyan couldn’t tell Shen Shouxing exactly what was said, so he could only selectively relay phrases about "predetermined cause and effect" to him.
He also informed him: in this lifetime, he will only have one son.
But this divination was only casually performed.
At that time, both Shen Xiuyan and Shen Shouxing didn’t really pay any attention to it.
The cause and effect were elusive and vague; after all, a divination was just a divination, it couldn’t explain anything.
But now, Shen Shouxing truly only had one son. None of his publicly recognized Dao Partners or secretly kept concubines had shown any signs of pregnancy.
This was slightly peculiar.
Now, his only son Shen Qingsheng was acting wanton, causing trouble.