Mo Hua's gaze narrowed slightly. "Yu'er's temperament... has something gone wrong?"
Gu Changhuai's expression was complicated as he nodded and said in a heavy voice, "Yu'er's temperament has become somewhat... capricious, his moods shifting endlessly."
"But at the same time, his talent has grown more and more extraordinary. His comprehension has become exceedingly high. He learns anything at a glance, and some techniques he can master on his own without anyone teaching him. Occasionally he even says strange things that ordinary people cannot understand."
Gu Changhuai sighed.
Yu'er was the child of the Shangguan and Wen families, born of a direct-line marriage between the two clans. His spiritual root had been excellent from the start, and his bone structure was superior as well.
This should have been a good thing, but now, for some unknown reason, Yu'er's talent had increased explosively.
It was so strong that it was somewhat absurd, enough to make one afraid.
Especially since this explosive talent, compounded with the mutation in his temperament, made it all the more eerie.
Gu Changhuai said with worry, "I went to see Yu'er. Usually he seems fine, but when he is alone, he talks to himself. It's as if he is mumbling to himself, yet also as if he is conversing with someone."
"His temperament is inverted and erratic. One moment calm, the next irritable. One moment somewhat cowardly, as if afraid of something, the next with fierce eyes and a violent expression."
"Occasionally the cruelty and coldness that show in his eyes make even me, a Dao Court Department Inspector who has spent years hunting criminals and seeing the worst offenders, feel a chill..."
Gu Changhuai's brows were tightly knit, as if even now the memory of those cruel eyes made his heart palpitate.
Mo Hua was silent for a moment, then asked, "What is the Shangguan family's attitude?"
Gu Changhuai shook his head. "What attitude could they have? They can only try to hide and cover things up, keeping Yu'er from contact with outsiders."
"The Shangguan family head has also invited some experts and gifted individuals to examine him, but they all went mad."
Mo Hua asked, "Went mad?"
Gu Changhuai nodded. "Whoever tries to cure Yu'er will go mad."
Mo Hua's gaze sank slightly. "How severe is the madness?"
"It's manageable," Gu Changhuai said. "After about half a year, they gradually recover. But over time, no one dares to touch Yu'er anymore."
"Everyone also regards Yu'er as a..."
A monster.
Gu Changhuai said silently in his heart, but could not bear to say it aloud.
Hearing this, Mo Hua's expression was complicated, and he too sighed softly.
Gu Changhuai turned to look at Mo Hua and, thinking of the past, felt endless emotion.
Yu'er, though born into a wealthy and noble family, had suffered from a weak spirit and bitter fate since childhood, plagued by nightmares and repeated calamities.
This pitiful child, from young to old, had perhaps spent his most peaceful and happiest days following Mo Hua around and cultivating in the Taixu Sect.
But ever since Mo Hua left the Taixu Sect and departed from the Qianxue Prefecture, those days had gone and would not return.
Yu'er could only face those invisible nightmares and trials alone.
Even if one wanted to help, one did not know how.
Gu Changhuai's heart ached for Yu'er. He looked at Mo Hua again, was silent for a long time, and finally spoke, "Mo Hua, Yu'er... what exactly is going on with him? Do you know?"
Mo Hua sighed deeply in his heart.
Yu'er... he was the evil fetus of the Evil God.
He was the chosen seed of calamity, a natural high-grade divine fetus.
Mo Hua was silent for a long time, then sighed. "It is probably a rebellious phase. The more obedient a child is when young, the more prone to rebellion they become when they grow up. Yu'er is probably like that..."
Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua silently, his gaze seeming to say, 'Do I look like a fool to you?'
Whose child's rebellious phase is like this?
Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked again, "Then what about Aunt Wan? With Yu'er like this, is Aunt Wan all right?"
Gu Changhuai frowned. "Cousin Wan... she's actually fine. Yu'er's temperament is abnormal, his mood ever-changing, but only by Cousin Wan's side does he become somewhat stable. Earlier, when some gifted individuals and experts examined Yu'er, there were some incidents. If Cousin Wan had not been standing guard outside, the consequences might have been worse."
It might not have been as simple as going mad.
"That is good..." Mo Hua slowly let out a breath. At the same time, he pondered inwardly, A mother and child linked in heart.
No matter how vicious the evil fetus, Aunt Wan was still its "mother." In her presence, it did not dare be too reckless.
At least for now...
Thinking of this, Mo Hua sighed slowly. "Yu'er will have to grow up eventually, and he will have to endure trials. Many things in life must be borne by himself. Even nightmares must be broken free from on his own, and pain must be digested by himself."
Mo Hua's tone was wistful. "...Some things, even if one can help for a time, cannot be helped for a lifetime."
Gu Changhuai was startled. He mulled it over for a moment and, though his heart could not bear it, could only nod and sigh, "That is true..."
But though he said so, where Yu'er's safety was concerned, Gu Changhuai could not help but worry.
Mo Hua was actually the same. Though he said this aloud, in his heart he was still very worried.
Yu'er had accompanied him in childhood, cultivating together in the Taixu Sect. He was both obedient and pitiful. How could Mo Hua not worry and miss him?
Moreover, this matter likely also served as a reminder: The matter of the evil fetus in the Great Wilderness... was likely not over yet.
Mo Hua's gaze focused slightly.
"If there is a chance... it would be good to go see Yu'er."
But judging from the current situation, that would likely be very difficult. Who knew when he would see Yu'er again, or what Yu'er would become.
At the very least, he had to first resolve the problems in the Great Spiritual Field Realm.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly. He turned to look at Gu Changhuai, saw that his face was slightly pale, clearly from having been pursued for a long time, and suddenly felt puzzled. He asked:
"Uncle Gu, does Venerable Green Face want to kill you that badly?"
Gu Changhuai nodded. "Naturally. I want to kill him too."
Venerable Green Face was the chief culprit of the rebellion. Gu Changhuai was the Dao Court Inspector ordered to suppress it. Their positions were opposed, so naturally only one side could live.
But Mo Hua still felt there was an indescribable sense of incongruity in this.
Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Gu, is it not the great clans who most want you dead? Did they not make a move against you?"
Gu Changhuai said, "The great clans naturally want me dead, but they do not dare kill me openly."
Mo Hua said, "Would it bring Dao Court retribution?"
Gu Changhuai nodded. "Killing an Inspector specially appointed by the Dao Court is a grave crime."
Mo Hua asked, "What about assassination?"
Gu Changhuai said, "The upper echelons of the Dao Court can calculate cause and effect. Do not think that killing in secret means it is not killing. As long as the Dao Court wants to investigate, they will certainly be able to find out."
Mo Hua nodded slowly and asked again, "But last time at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion, why did the demonic sects dare to kill you?"
Gu Changhuai corrected him. "Actually, those demonic cultivators did not truly intend to kill me."
Mo Hua suddenly understood and remembered. "Right, they wanted to harvest and supplement from you."
Gu Changhuai did not really want to discuss this further.
But Mo Hua nodded and said, "They wanted to use female charms to 'corrode' you. If you did not agree, they would forcibly 'harvest and supplement' you."
"Killing a Dao Court Inspector is a great taboo and will stir cause and effect."
"But using female charms to corrode, or harvesting yang to supplement yin, is hard for the Dao Court to investigate. After all, it is a private matter and not pleasant to speak of."
"Even in the worst case, if you were harvested to death, Uncle Gu, it would still be a scandal. The Dao Court would lose face, so it would be difficult to pursue openly."
Gu Changhuai said helplessly, "It's enough that you know this in your heart. There's no need to say it out loud..."
Mo Hua nodded and continued, "So whether it is the Earth Sect, the Kun Prefecture great clans, or the demonic sects, none of them can directly kill you."
"But once you entered the Qingzhou Prefecture, the situation changed."
"Venerable Green Face is a villain and the chief culprit of the rebellion. He is already lawless, and killing you, a Dao Court Inspector, is even more justified in his eyes."
"The Earth Sect, the great clans, and the demonic sects all wish for you to die in the Qingzhou rebellion. That way, they remove a thorn in their side without incurring cause and effect."
Gu Changhuai did not speak, but his expression was indifferent, clearly unsurprised by this.
Yet Mo Hua still felt there was something he could not figure out. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly asked quietly, "Uncle Gu, when the Dao Court sent you here, was there also some other... unspeakable purpose?"
Gu Changhuai's brow twitched, but he still did not speak.
Mo Hua asked, "Is there?"
Gu Changhuai sighed. "Did you not say yourself that it is unspeakable? How could I tell you?"
Mo Hua frowned and continued pondering.
Afraid that he would keep asking, Gu Changhuai could only say, "You may speculate on your own, but do not ask it aloud. I cannot say anything either way."
"Some matters are not as they usually are."
"And besides..." Gu Changhuai sighed again.
"The urgent task is to resolve the rebellion in the Qingzhou Prefecture. The situation is rotten, and there is no time to wait any longer."
"If the unrest is allowed to spread, not only the Qingzhou Prefecture, but most of the Great Spiritual Field Realm will likely fall into turmoil."
"By that time... even if the Earth Sect does not kill me, the great clans do not kill me, and the demonic sects do not kill me, I, as the Dao Court Inspector, will still be hard-pressed to escape the blame."
Mo Hua was startled and nodded.
The rebellion in the Qingzhou region should have had nothing to do with Uncle Gu. He had merely happened to be here and needed to suppress it.
But the problem was that in this world, many things were simply unreasonable.
Once the Great Spiritual Field Realm truly fell into chaos, Uncle Gu, as Inspector, was a natural "scapegoat."
No matter what he did or whether he was wrong, the Dao Court would hold him accountable.
If there were enough slander and false accusations, his life might even be at risk.
The Dao Court might truly "borrow" his head to appease some grievances.
Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and asked Gu Changhuai, "Then what do you plan to do about the rebellion?"
Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "It is very difficult. For now, I can only first gather the local Dao Court cultivators of Qingzhou, then find a way to suppress the rioters and bandits and set a trap to kill the chief culprit."
Mo Hua asked, "Are there still Dao Court cultivators in the Qingzhou Prefecture?"
"There are," Gu Changhuai nodded, "but likely not many."
"After the rebellion broke out, the first thing the rioters did was surely rush into the local Dao Court Department and kill the cultivators there."
"The Dao Court Department cultivators had high cultivation, but their numbers were limited after all. Under the tide-like siege of the disaster victims, they could only be defeated in the end. Some died while others fled. I estimate not many remain."
"But if these local Dao Court Department cultivators can truly be gathered, they would still be a considerable help."
"Then if..." Mo Hua asked, "the local Dao Court Department cannot suppress the rebellion?"
Gu Changhuai sighed. "Then the only option is to petition the Dao Court and request Dao soldiers to suppress it. At that point, it really will be nothing but slaughter."
Requesting Dao soldiers to suppress it was already the last resort.
Dao soldiers did not care about much. They would only carry out the harshest military suppression in a short time, even if it meant rivers of blood.
Mo Hua did not wish to see such a scene either, so he said, "Then let's continue this way for now. It's best if the Dao soldiers are not mobilized."
He had personally witnessed and experienced the war between the Dao Court's Dao soldiers and the Great Wilderness's savage warriors.
"War is a matter of great importance to the state, the ground of life and death, the path of survival and ruin. It must not be neglected."
War must never be started lightly. Once war begins and one falls into the struggle of arms, it will inevitably consume enormous resources. Wherever the great army passes, not a blade of grass will grow, and countless lives will be lost.
And war was far more than what appeared on the surface.
Mo Hua had verified the Dao through divine sense and could perceive part of the heavenly mechanism. He knew even better that once war began, the heavenly mechanism would fall into chaos and the overall situation would tremble.
At that time, various patriarchs and great powers would seize the opportunity to begin a new round of games.
On the surface, it might seem only a small-scale war to "suppress a rebellion," but under the calculations and pushes of various masters of heavenly mechanism, no one could say what it would ultimately become.
If there were also a terrifying expert of Senior Uncle's level laying schemes in the shadows, then the entire Great Spiritual Field Realm, and even Kun Prefecture, might step by step fall and become a hell on earth.
At this moment, the signs of war were not yet apparent. Other cultivators might not have realized this and might hold a casual attitude toward such a "suppression" war in a small prefecture.
But Mo Hua was exceptionally keen to the aura of such "great calamity."
Calamity arises from the minute; fierce winds rise from the green duckweed.
A small-scale war could very well become a spark that ignites unimaginable disaster...
Gu Changhuai did not understand cause and effect, but from Mo Hua's solemn expression, he could sense that this was not simple, and thus did not dare take it lightly in the slightest.
...
The next day, after a brief rest, the group set out at dawn.
Following Mo Hua's instructions, Gu Changhuai and the others removed their Dao Court Department uniforms and changed into ordinary gray robes.
The Dao Court Department uniform symbolized identity and served as a deterrent. Ordinary bandits and rioters did not dare provoke them easily.
The great clans and experts along the way also did not dare make things difficult, and generally cooperated when matters arose.
But the uniform symbolized Dao Court authority and was also very conspicuous.
Now, under Mo Hua's leadership, their actions shifted from open to covert, and naturally they had to be more low-key.
Thus, a group of gray-robed cultivators, led by Mo Hua in black robes, moved through the bloodstained lands of the Qingzhou Prefecture.
As Mo Hua walked, he released his divine sense, observing firsthand the current ecology and survival conditions of the cultivators in the Qingzhou Prefecture.
The result was extremely grim.
Along the way, it was already a scene of a complete "famine year," even giving off a feeling of "the end of times."
The land was cracked, as if covered in abscesses, bleeding corrupted blood.
The vast majority of villages were abandoned, walls collapsed and houses ruined, ten homes empty out of ten.
Broken corpses lay across the ground, half-eaten by demon dogs, their eyeballs pecked out by vultures.
Occasionally a few living people appeared, all with deranged expressions and bloodshot eyes, either killing or being killed.
In some small settlements, a few village clan cultivators still gathered, but food was scarce. Their survival was uncertain, living in constant fear with bitter faces.
This scene continued until they entered within two hundred li of the outskirts of Qingzhou City, where it finally changed.
Qingzhou City was the largest immortal city in the Qingzhou Prefecture.
Of course, Qingzhou was a small region. Even the largest immortal city in the prefecture was nothing compared to Houtu City in either scale or prosperity.
And after the rebellion broke out, what this largest immortal city in the Qingzhou Prefecture was like, not only Mo Hua did not know, but even Gu Changhuai did not understand well.
He had been pursued by Venerable Green Face and had had no chance to enter Qingzhou City.
Now, with Mo Hua's help, Gu Changhuai had temporarily escaped Venerable Green Face's pursuit and thus had the opportunity to find a way to see Qingzhou City.
Qingzhou City was the center of the entire prefecture. By reason and emotion, they had to understand the situation there.
And a hundred li from Qingzhou City, Mo Hua could already see many figures.
Unlike the desolate wilderness, quite a few cultivators had gathered outside Qingzhou City at this time.
These cultivators lived scattered in camps, settlements, and even large-scale village fortresses within a range of over a hundred li outside Qingzhou City.
Of the cultivators still alive in the entire Qingzhou Prefecture, at least two-thirds were probably gathered here.
By the Dao Court's classification, these cultivators were all "rioters."
Mo Hua did not rashly approach. He only stood in the distance, took a look from afar, and swept his divine sense across, observing most of the rioters' living conditions.
Although these cultivators before him were all called "rioters," their internal composition varied greatly.
Some were true "rioters", like Venerable Green Face and his followers. They had originally been bandit cultivators and criminal cultivators, hands stained with blood, having done every evil deed imaginable. They were taking advantage of the disaster to incite rebellion.
They did not only kill Dao Court Department personnel, but other cultivators, rich households, wealthy families, and spiritual farmers were all killed and robbed in kind.
Besides these, some "rioters" were cultivators from small clans and minor forces who had been dragged along by the greater tide and had no choice but to rebel.
Otherwise, they would be the first to be torn apart by the "rioters," killed and robbed clean.
The rest were the local spiritual farmers.
Spiritual farmers were the most numerous, and their internal circumstances were even more complex.
Naturally, there were those with crooked minds, those who drifted with the current, and those hiding malicious intent.
But the vast majority of spiritual farmers had rebelled only because they were forced by livelihood, merely wanting a meal.
Some might not even count as rioters, but simple disaster victims, starving people, famine refugees, and displaced. They chewed bark and ate wild grass, trying every possible way to survive.
At this moment, all these people were gathered together, bearing the title of "rioters," yet dense as ants, struggling to survive.
Under the great calamity, the myriad forms of sentient beings, their countless hardships and sorrows, were all laid bare before Mo Hua's eyes.
Mo Hua watched for a long time, his feelings complicated, unable to speak for a long while.
Finally, he could not help frowning and said slowly, "Uncle Gu, there is actually no need to suppress the rebellion."
"Suppression cannot solve the problem either. The vast majority of them are simply... looking for food."
"Find a way to let them eat a meal, and the rebellion will naturally be resolved..."
"If they cannot eat their fill, the rebellion will always remain."
Gu Changhuai was startled, then his expression also became extremely complicated. He said in a heavy voice, "You are right, but... under the current circumstances, that idea is not really feasible..."
Mo Hua's gaze froze slightly.
Gu Changhuai said, "They are rioters. The Dao Court most likely will not think about how to fill their stomachs. Not just the Dao Court, but the Houtu City Dao Court Department, the Earth Sect, the Kun Prefecture great clans, everyone will not do so..."
Mo Hua seemed to realize something, and his expression gradually became as calm as water.
Gu Changhuai's expression was grave as he said slowly, "You should have also realized... that allowing these people a full meal is far, far harder than killing them."
If they were all killed, naturally no one would go hungry.