The female cultivators all furrowed their brows but shook their heads one after another.
Mo Hua looked somewhat disappointed and said:
"Thank you, sisters. You can go now."
Afterward, he warned them, "But don't talk about our conversation with anyone else, okay? It would be very dangerous."
The female cultivators' hearts chilled, and they all nodded their heads.
Mo Hua then gave each of them a Spirit Stone.
They couldn't help but smile warmly, thanking him in unison: "Thank you, Young Master," and then filed out.
As the female cultivators left, Mo Hua stopped the one dressed in green.
"Sister, could you brew a pot of tea for me?"
Mo Hua asked with a smile.
The woman in green was taken aback, but then she also smiled and said:
"I dare not refuse a command from the Young Master."
So the woman in green sat at the table, lit the fire, started the stove, poured the water, steeped the tea, and gently simmered it.
Mo Hua then quietly asked her:
"You know about that cultivator, don't you?"
The woman's expression turned frantic, then she composed herself and said with a smile:
"Young Master must be joking."
Mo Hua whispered, "It's just us here, no one is eavesdropping, and your sisters don't know what you've said. You can just tell me quietly."
The woman in green hesitated.
Mo Hua then stuffed Elder Su's jade bracelet into her hand, "This is for you."
The woman in green was startled, her face lighting up with happiness, and then she struggled with her emotions. After a moment of hesitation and a determined look in her eyes, she nodded and said:
"Alright."
"Sister, what's your name?"
"Qinglan."
Mo Hua asked, "Sister Qinglan, have you ever seen that cold, rot-smelling cultivator?"
Qinglan's expression became solemn, and she nodded.
Mo Hua waited for her to continue.
Qinglan then said, "That person is a regular at the Hundred Flower Tower, always dressed in grey, often with his face covered, his features unclear..."
"He stays here often but vanishes like a ghost; I don't know when he comes in, nor when he leaves."
"He carries an odd odor with him. At first, I only found it strange and couldn't identify it, but now that you've mentioned it, Young Master, I realize that the scent does resemble...the smell of the dead..."
Qinglan's face showed both fear and panic.
Mo Hua poured her a cup of hot tea.
After drinking the tea, Qinglan felt somewhat better.
Mo Hua pressed on, "How did you come to know him?"
Qinglan stammered, "I'm close to Sister Yulan, and he used to stay with her. I've seen him several times."
"But he's somewhat eerie, so I was afraid and didn't interact with him much."
Mo Hua asked further, "Does he always stay with Sister Yulan each time?"
Qinglan nodded, "He used to."
"He used to?"
Qinglan lowered her head, gripping her clothes tightly, her fingers turning white, "Yes."
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, "Did something happen?"
Qinglan pursed her lips, trying to hold back, but tears still ran down her cheeks, "Sister Yulan... she's dead..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Dead?"
Qinglan turned pale, "Not just Sister Yulan. It's said that all the sisters who once served him died mysteriously in the end..."
"Sister Yulan is dead..."
"And next, it'll be my turn..."