Because only one person was killed, the backlash wasn’t too severe.
Soon after, this bit of evil qi was refined by Mo Hua into the Blood Prison Pupil and the spiritual power for turning evil.
After refining, Mo Hua began to meditate calmly and contemplate the cause and effect of the evil qi, making comparisons in his mind.
Now, the source of the evil qi on him comes from two people.
One is that young man in a wolf robe, the nephew of the sect leader of the Canglang Sect.
The other is Elder Sun of the Canglang Sect.
The young man in the wolf robe was killed by Mo Hua’s own hands.
Elder Sun was executed by Luo Master with a large ring blade after Mo Hua disabled his right leg and arm.
One was killed directly, the other indirectly.
Direct killing brought a much stronger backlash of evil qi.
But indirect killing, since it doesn’t directly involve cause and effect, resulted in much lighter evil qi.
This is also one of the reasons why Mo Hua wanted Luo Master to kill Elder Sun.
He wanted to compare the cause and effect involved in direct and indirect killing and the degree of evil qi backlash.
This question is crucial.
It directly influences how he should control the killing karma, how to eliminate the hidden danger of evil qi thereafter.
Mo Hua’s killing karma is too heavy, the evil qi too deep, it really is a special case without precedent for reference.
Therefore, he can only study it himself and find a way on his own.
In the balance between killing and not killing, fortune and resentment, merit and fateful evilness, righteous Dao and evil path, he must seek a subtle equilibrium.
If he can avoid killing, he will.
But if forced to kill, he must find a way to minimize the degree of backlash.
Currently, it seems the best way is to have others kill for him.
To be a hidden hand, moving the pieces in the dark, manipulate others to fight and kill, while he tries to avoid cause and effect and refrains from personal action.
"Playing chess..."
The thought of playing chess sparked Mo Hua’s memory of the chess master grandpa he met when he left the Qian Learning State Boundary and arrived in Cloud Crossing City.
Mo Hua suspected in his heart that this grandpa must be a high-level expert.
Just how high, he didn’t know, but surely very strong.
This was evident from his chess skills.
The ability to play chess on par with Mo Hua and even surpass him in skill undoubtedly marked him as a master among masters.
Moreover, there is an elusive aura around him, even somewhat resembling "Grandpa Gui."
Back while playing chess, Mo Hua didn’t think much.
Later, upon reflection... though still unable to fathom it, with intuition aligned with heavenly secrets, he could almost conclude:
This grandpa is definitely connected to the blood-sacrifice calamity in the Qian Learning State Boundary.
Furthermore, this grandpa should be one of the behind-the-scenes "pushers," subtly influencing the cause and effect of events.
Yet this kind of character he had never heard of before, let alone met.
If not for the fortuitous encounter near departure, he probably wouldn’t have seen him.
Mo Hua pondered.
This implies the true "masters" are hidden behind the scenes.
If they don’t grant you the chance, you may never discern their true appearance, only fall prey to their chessboard as a pawn, unknowingly fighting and killing.
"If one wants to escape the identity of a ’pawn,’ even to leap off the board and become a player, orchestrating from behind the scenes..."
"One must first learn how to retreat to the ’backstage’..."
Tasks, have others do them.
People, have others kill them.
Avoid cause and effect as much as possible.
The less cause and effect, the less likely to be schemed against, the less likely to be caught, the less likely to become a pawn, manipulated by others.
Mo Hua nodded slowly.
Evil qi is also a wake-up call, and it provides him with an opportunity.
In the Qian Learning State Boundary, there was no choice, many things had to be personally handled.
But now things are different, he is "free."
No longer constrained by the Qian Learning State Boundary, no longer bound by the sect, traveling alone, the world is vast.
Often, others don’t know him.