Once you succumb to the allure of profit and take the wrong first step, you will continue to be drawn by the profit, making mistakes step by step.
Until finally, when the grave mistake is made, even if everyone knows it’s wrong, the profit is so deeply rooted that it cannot be changed at all.
In the end, everyone can only watch helplessly as the towering edifice topples little by little, crushing everyone beneath it.
Perhaps for the cultivators with a conscience inside the Gui Water Sect, this is how they feel...
Mo Hua sighed.
Then he contemplated for a moment and asked, "Uncle Gu, do you know when exactly the Gui Water Sect will launch the Rouge Boat? Any clues?"
"I have some..."
"What clues?"
Gu Changhuai did not hide it from Mo Hua, "Three days later, the annual lantern festival of Mistwater City will take place, bringing together cultivators, as usual, releasing river lanterns, taking boat rides, and taking a night cruise on the Mistwater River. According to information from the Taoist Court, during that time, the Gui Water Sect will slip the Rouge Boat among the pleasure boats, releasing it into the Mistwater River, then diverging at a predetermined point, ultimately converging at their destination, where they will begin their business of amorous services..."
"I see... quite a few tricks they have..." Mo Hua mumbled, and then immediately noticed something was off, asking curiously, "Uncle Gu, why tell me this?"
"Don’t you want to know?"
"I want to know, but..."
Usually, Uncle Gu keeps things to himself until he’s really pressed about it, so why is he acting so abnormally today?
When something unusual happens, there must be ghosts lurking about.
"...Do you have some request from me?" Mo Hua asked shrewdly.
Gu Changhuai sighed.
It’s good for the child to be clever, but being too clever can be a bit unappealing.
"It’s not a ’request,’ it’s an assignment from the Taoist Court." Gu Changhuai insisted.
Mo Hua raised an eyebrow, "Oh... what do you need me to do?"
Gu Changhuai didn’t correct his wording anymore and said helplessly, "You need to sneak in as well..."
"There are two types of Rouge Boats: one for sect disciples to indulge in and another for family cultivators across the cultivation world to entertain themselves with."
"To avoid any oversight, there must be insiders on both kinds of boats."
"As for the family cultivators’ side, I can infiltrate. But on the sect disciples’ boat, I don’t have a good informant."
Initially, Gu Changhuai thought about finding someone from the Shangguan Family or the Gu Family to board and investigate.
But those disciples either have enough cultivation but lack agility or are clever enough but slightly lacking in strength, and when it comes to sneaking in and gathering intelligence, the aptitude compared to Mo Hua is vastly different.
And many sect disciples, including those from the Shangguan and Gu Families themselves, he couldn’t trust.
After much consideration, in Gu Changhuai’s heart, he actually felt Mo Hua was the most reliable.
"You sneak in, and if you find anything, you can tell me. After all, even if I don’t tell you, you would eventually sneak in yourself..." Gu Changhuai said.
Mo Hua nodded; that was true, Uncle Gu knew him quite well.
He was definitely going to the Rouge Boat on this mission.
However, he had a concern.
"Uncle Gu, the Rouge Boat... seems to be that kind of place, right? If I’m going to gather intelligence, you need to give me a ’proof.’" Mo Hua said.
Gu Changhuai was stunned, "What proof?"
"It’s just," Mo Hua said, "there’s a record at the Taoist Court proving that I boarded the boat to assist the Taoist Court with investigations, not for personal leisure!"
Otherwise, if the Taoist Court conducts a ’purge’ and sweeps him up in it, he’d lose face terribly.
Gu Changhuai paused and sighed helplessly.
One has to admit that Mo Hua, this kid, is quite thoughtful, leaving no room for error.
"Alright." Gu Changhuai agreed.
"So, how do I sneak in?" Mo Hua asked again.
"That’s for you to find out by yourself." Gu Changhuai said.
With Mo Hua’s shrewdness, Gu Changhuai had no doubt he would be able to sneak in.
"If you need anything, just let me know."
Gu Changhuai finished speaking and said nothing more.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, was pondering in his heart how exactly he could sneak onto the Rouge Boat.
"Mistwater City, Lantern Festival, Rouge Boat..."
Mo Hua pondered over it and figured that he could only turn to Hao Xuan and the people from Gui Water Sect, like Wang Chen, for help.
In the following days, he was busy preparing for this matter.
With Hao Xuan’s help, he also got in touch with Wang Chen from Gui Water Sect, gathered some clues, prepared some Formations and Pills, and set off on the day of the ten-day break.
He first visited the Gu Family and discussed specific matters with Gu Changhuai, planning to head directly to Mistwater City afterward.
But before he could leave the Gu Family’s house, Elder Gu Hong blocked his way.