59: Chapter 59: Call Everyone Over

Mo Xiaochuan had been away from home for two days.

The sky outside was already pitch black, and Chen Xiuyun was still sitting in the main hall, her bowl of rice mostly cold.

Liu Chunmei had persuaded her twice, but she had only eaten a few bites.

"Mother, in the past, whenever Xiaochuan went out on business, he would always let us know in advance."

"This time he left in such a hurry, and it has already been two days. We don't even know what he has found out."

Mo Shoutian sat on the other side of the table, holding a tobacco pouch in his hand, but he hadn't lit it.

During the day, he had already sent someone to Qingshi Town to inquire about news of Mo Xiaochuan.

It would take two days for a round trip.

"He is now a Golden Core Cultivator, not the child who used to go hunting in the mountains."

Mo Shoutian said:

"There aren't many people nearby who can hurt him. Let's wait a bit longer; the person we sent out will be back tomorrow."

Chen Xiuyun looked at him.

"Father, are you worried too?"

Mo Shoutian placed the tobacco pouch on the table.

"He hasn't returned for two days, how could I not be worried at all?"

"But it's useless for us to worry; we must wait for news first."

As they were speaking, the sound of a carriage came from outside the door.

Immediately followed by a thump-thump knocking sound on the door.

Mo Shoutian put on his old leather jacket and walked out.

Opening the door, he saw it was Mo Qingshi.

Mo Qingshi walked into the courtyard wrapped in a thick leather jacket.

"Brother Shoutian."

"Did you just come back from Jiuzhou City?"

"Yeah, just got back."

"Come in, Qingshi, let's talk inside."

"Brother Shoutian, I won't go inside. I'll just say a couple of words and leave."

"I saw Xiaochuan last night."

Hearing this, Chen Xiuyun and Liu Chunmei also walked out from the main hall.

Mo Shoutian asked:

"Where did you see him?"

"A small town north of Qingshi Town."

"We came back from Jiuzhou City and stayed the night at an inn there. That's where we ran into Xiaochuan. He was afraid you would worry, so he asked me to bring a message to you."

Chen Xiuyun hurriedly asked:

"What message?"

"Xiaochuan said he is completely safe, is investigating a matter, and cannot come back for the time being."

Mo Qingshi relayed word for word what Mo Xiaochuan had said last night.

"He asked me to tell Brother Shoutian and Xiuyun not to worry."

"I asked him when he would return, and he said he didn't know yet, maybe a few days, or maybe longer."

"He will come back after the matter is settled."

Chen Xiuyun asked again:

"Did he say where he is going next?"

"No."

Mo Qingshi shook his head.

"I asked him what he was investigating, and he didn't tell me either."

After listening, Mo Shoutian looked at the worried-looking Chen Xiuyun and said:

"Being able to have Qingshi bring back the message shows that nothing has happened to him, so we don't need to worry."

Chen Xiuyun nodded.

Seeing that the message had been delivered, Mo Qingshi spoke up:

"Brother Shoutian, Sister-in-law, Xiuyun, I have delivered Xiaochuan's message. If nothing else, I'll be heading back first."

Mo Shoutian nodded.

Just as Mo Qingshi was about to turn and leave,

the sound of horse hooves came over, and several of them couldn't help looking in the direction of the sound.

However, because it was dark, they couldn't see clearly who it was, only that two people were riding horses and galloping towards this side.

In the blink of an eye, the two arrived at the gate of Mo Shoutian's courtyard.

At this time, Mo Shoutian also recognized the two of them and was about to speak when he was interrupted by them.

Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman shouted simultaneously:

"Uncle Shoutian!"

"Xiaozhuzi, Xiaoman, why are you back?"

Mo Xiaoman panted heavily and said:

"Uncle Shoutian, the Xuanyang Sect has been destroyed by the Baihe Sect."

Mo Shoutian stared at him.

"When did this happen?"

"Last night."

Mo Xiaozhu took over the conversation and said:

"The Baihe Sect Master achieved a Breakthrough to the Golden Core and led people to attack the Xuanyang Sect."

"Sect Master Lu and two Elders all died, and most of the remaining Disciples laid down their weapons. Now the Xuanyang Sect has fallen into the hands of the Baihe Sect."

Mo Shoutian immediately asked:

"What about the other six children from our village?"

"They are all still alive."

Mo Xiaoman hurriedly said:

"They are young and run slowly. If the eight of us escaped together from the back mountain, none of us would be able to get away."

"The Baihe Sect Master said that as long as they dropped their weapons, they could live. We told them to throw away their weapons and blend in among the surrendered Disciples."

Mo Shoutian fell silent for a moment.

"Come, let's talk inside the house first."

Several people followed Mo Shoutian back into the house.

As soon as they entered the house, Mo Xiaoman continued:

"Uncle Shoutian, the Baihe Sect will definitely take over Qingshi Town and Xianren Valley next."

"The Spirit Stone and tributes that our Mo Family handed over to the Xuanyang Sect every year are all recorded in the ledgers, and there are Mo Family shops in Xianren Valley."

"As long as they flip through those ledgers, they will find Mo Family Village sooner or later."

Mo Shoutian didn't speak immediately.

More than a decade ago, people from the Baihe Sect had entered Baitou Mountain to search everywhere for the missing Elder Xu.

Mo Changfu and Mo Xiaoer also died back then.

Over the years, the Baihe Sect had never come to Mo Family Village again, and the Mo Family had always been attached to the Xuanyang Sect, which was how they had lived in peace for ten years.

Now that the Xuanyang Sect was gone, they had to call people over to discuss it.

"It just happens that the heavy snow has sealed the mountains these past few days, and they are all in the village. Qingshi, go call your father, Mo Shouyi, Mo Shoucheng, Mo Chenghai, Mo Mancang, Mo Dashan, and Mo Xiaoshan all over here."

"Alright, Brother Shoutian, I'll go right now."

Mo Qingshi turned and ran outside the door.

Watching Mo Qingshi leave, Mo Shoutian looked at Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman, and turned to say to Liu Chunmei:

"Chunmei, get something for Xiaoman and Xiaozhuzi to eat."

Liu Chunmei nodded and went to the kitchen.

At this time, Mo Shoutian looked at the two again and said:

"Xiaozhuzi, Xiaoman, the two of you tell me in detail what happened last night."

Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman nodded and recounted from beginning to end what happened at the Xuanyang Sect last night.

After hearing this, Mo Shoutian was startled in his heart, not expecting the people of the Baihe Sect to be so ruthless.

Just at this time, Mo Changlin, Mo Shouyi, and others arrived at Mo Shoutian's house one after another.

After everyone had arrived, Mo Shoutian had Mo Qingshi close the courtyard gate securely.

Then he looked at everyone and said:

"The Xuanyang Sect, to which we are attached, has been annihilated by the Baihe Sect."

When everyone heard this, they thought they had heard wrong.

Mo Shouyi said:

"Brother Shoutian, are you saying the Xuanyang Sect is gone? Annihilated by the Baihe Sect?"

The other few people also looked at Mo Shoutian with incredulous gazes.

Mo Shoutian nodded with certainty.

Then he looked at Mo Xiaozhu and said:

"Xiaozhuzi, tell everyone the whole process."

Right after Mo Xiaozhu finished speaking, Mo Mancang was the first to ask:

"Then what should we do now?"

The people in the room all looked at Mo Shoutian.

Mo Shoutian thought for a moment and said:

"I reckon they're similar to the Xuanyang Sect, demanding that we submit tributes on time as their dependents, it's just a matter of a little more or a little less."

Mo Changlin frowned and said:

"The Baihe Sect has just destroyed the Xuanyang Sect; they might not necessarily do things according to the old rules."

Mo Shoutian fell silent for a moment.

"That's why we can't panic now."

"The people in Qingshi Town and Xianren Valley will carry on business as usual first, and see how the Baihe Sect plans to handle the former affiliated families of the Xuanyang Sect."

Having said that, he looked at Mo Shouyi and Mo Shoucheng.

"Call your eldest sons over."

"One goes to Qingshi Town, and the other goes to Xianren Valley, to take what we discussed over there."

Mo Shoutian looked at Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman again.

"The two of you temporarily do not go out, and do not let anyone else in the village know you are back."

The two nodded simultaneously.

"Understood, Uncle Shoutian."

Mo Shouyi and Mo Shoucheng got up and went out of the house.

Not long after, the sound of knocking on the door came from outside the courtyard once more.