Chapter 1168: Dan-Zhu
"Born with a Dao Heart, diligent in cultivation, unwavering in focus."
"A naturally flawless Dao Foundation, with incredibly deep roots."
"Built his Foundation at ten, and at twenty, condensed a top-grade Golden Core. Now at the age of thirty-three, he's just one step away from mid-Golden Core stage—a once-in-a-millennium cultivation prodigy of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe…"
Mo Hua was inwardly stunned.
What kind of monstrous genius was this?
Forming a Golden Core at twenty, and not just any core, but one formed without even needing to consolidate his foundation—this was the kind of person Heaven personally chased down to hand out blessings.
Truly, this world never lacked geniuses.
As long as the population is large enough, there will always be some freakish talents who are blessed by fate and favored by the heavens—existences that defy common sense.
"But… why does this Dan-Zhu young lord catch my attention so much? Don't tell me the person I'm supposed to find… is this monstrous genius who formed his Golden Core at twenty?"
"Surely not, right??"
"I'm just at Foundation Establishment. You expect me to teach a Golden Core?"
Mo Hua couldn't stop the internal grumbling.
Still, the premonition of karma usually didn't lie.
Even if this astonishingly gifted Dan-Zhu wasn't the "disciple" he was meant to guide, it was worth trying to form a connection.
The problem was—Dan-Zhu was the young lord of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe, the youngest son of the tribe's chieftain, and deeply cherished.
He usually stayed in the main tribal grounds and was always accompanied by guards. Mo Hua had no way to approach him.
So, he began investigating Dan-Zhu's whereabouts in secret.
Fortunately, with his high talent and popularity, Dan-Zhu was often discussed by tribe members, and it wasn't hard to gather intel.
According to Vermillion Sparrow Tribe cultivators, around mid-month, this Dan-Zhu would always visit smaller sub-tribes, outlying villages, and allied clans in his territory to observe their conditions and console the tribal cultivators.
For this reason, he was deeply loved by the common folk.
A perfect opportunity.
After learning which small tribes fell under Dan-Zhu's governance, Mo Hua headed there in advance and stayed for a few days to blend in and get his face known.
There weren't many tribes under Dan-Zhu's command.
These lands had been gifted to him by his father—the chieftain of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe—to train him in leadership from a young age.
These smaller tribes were relatively simple and honest in their ways.
Blending in was no challenge for Mo Hua.
He spent his time gathering information and waiting patiently.
About ten days later, with several Vermillion Sparrow Tribe guardian elders escorting him, a flamboyantly dressed barbarian youth wearing fiery-colored feathered robes arrived.
Every tribal cultivator along the way bowed respectfully and greeted him:
"Young Lord."
Mo Hua didn't show himself rashly. Hidden in the distance, he peered through the crowd to observe this Dan-Zhu.
First impression: the young lord wasn't tall.
Mo Hua immediately felt a kind of kinship—and great satisfaction.
Most likely due to his overwhelming talent from a young age, his Foundation Establishment and Core Formation had both come too early. His lifespan had extended too quickly, so his "childhood phase" had lasted longer than usual, stunting his physical growth a bit.
Of course, compared to average height, Dan-Zhu wasn't truly short—he just seemed small next to the typically towering and muscular barbarian cultivators.
Mo Hua nodded approvingly.
Short people often had sharper minds and better comprehension.
Other than that, although he had cultivated for thirty-three years, Dan-Zhu still looked very young.
Compared to the lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator, thirty-three was indeed still youth.
His appearance was indeed stunning—handsome, with an exotic charm. His pupils were emerald green, almost like a divine bird.
With such looks and talent, no wonder he was the most favored young lord.
Mo Hua continued observing and found that Dan-Zhu went around visiting elders, comforting children, and even showed leniency to barbarian slaves who committed capital offenses. Throughout, his expression remained filled with compassion and sympathy—it was clear he was truly concerned for his people, not just putting on a performance of benevolence.
Mo Hua was surprised.
He didn't expect someone so naturally and thoroughly "perfect" to exist—brilliant talent, kind heart, even a pure Dao Heart.
Though… he did seem a bit too "pure."
Mo Hua's desire to befriend him only grew stronger.
But the issue remained—how should he approach this young master?
He himself was a "blacklisted" nobody with a murky background.
He couldn't just walk up and say:
"I am the great and mighty Lord Shaman, here to guide you on the path of cultivation. Become my disciple—learn from me, and I guarantee you'll master it all…"
This young master was kind-hearted, not brainless.
If he didn't beat Mo Hua to a pulp, it'd already be a miracle.
Even if Dan-Zhu let him off, the Golden Core bodyguard elders guarding him definitely wouldn't.
Mo Hua shook his head.
And the more embarrassing part—he was still just at Foundation Establishment. What nerve did he have to try and "scam" a peerless genius prodigy who had formed his Golden Core at twenty?
Mo Hua sighed and couldn't help muttering to himself:
"Why am I still stuck at Foundation Establishment…"
But what's done is done. No point dwelling on it.
Mo Hua glanced up at the young lord Dan-Zhu, mind spinning on how best to "trick"—no, how to befriend him.
He ran through a dozen ideas, but none of them seemed feasible.
Forget Dan-Zhu—just the Golden Core bodyguards around him would be hard to fool.
Mo Hua even considered sneaking around at night and using a Dao Heart Demon Seed to "send a dream," but the guards around Dan-Zhu's residence were heavily fortified.
And he didn't have much time to think it over—just two days.
After Dan-Zhu finished his rounds, he'd be returning to the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe's main grounds.
Miss this chance, and he'd have to wait a whole month. And who knew what might happen in that time?
He had to plan fast.
Mo Hua spent the next two days scheming… and still couldn't think of anything workable.
Now it was already the second day.
Dan-Zhu was scheduled to leave at dusk after one final day here, and Mo Hua was getting anxious.
After pondering for a long time, he recalled how kind-hearted Dan-Zhu was and how much he cared for the tribal cultivators—then, suddenly, inspiration struck.
Seizing the moment while no one was watching, Mo Hua ran to a nearby mountain and collapsed a small cliff.
Rocks and dirt tumbled down in a landslide, damaging many tribal homes.
Luckily, Mo Hua had precisely controlled the formation and timed it perfectly—he triggered the collapse when most people were attending a tribal gathering, meaning no one was around.
No casualties. But the damage was significant.
Panic spread across several nearby sub-tribes. Everyone was terrified the cliff would collapse again and bury them alive.
Naturally, the news reached Dan-Zhu's ears.
Worried, he came at once to inspect the area.
He first checked the houses hit by falling rocks and, upon confirming no one had been injured, finally relaxed.
Then he immediately ordered his people to construct temporary housing for the homeless tribal cultivators.
Still uneasy, he personally led two of his elder guards to the mountain to investigate. He wanted to know why the cliff had collapsed for no apparent reason.
After climbing and trekking through the rugged terrain, the three arrived at the mountaintop.
The two guardian elders examined the area for a while and finally reported:
"Young Lord, it looks like the mountain face eroded and collapsed naturally."
Dan-Zhu asked, "Any signs of sabotage?"
"Hard to say…" one elder replied. "On the surface, no. But whether someone tampered with it secretly... that's harder to confirm. Most of the rock face has already fallen."
The other elder added thoughtfully, "Thankfully no one was hurt… And besides, who would be so bored they'd come up here just to blow up a mountain for fun…"
Dan-Zhu pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said:
"Check once more. Ensure the area is safe. Tell everyone to stay vigilant…"
"These common tribesfolk don't have high cultivation. Even a small accident could be fatal—we can't take this lightly."
"Yes, Young Lord!" the two Golden Core elders replied.
Dan-Zhu then instructed the local chieftains and elders to carry out proper resettlement and eliminate potential hazards.
Destruction is easy—construction is hard.
Mo Hua had caused just a bit of minor destruction, yet it kept everyone busy for half a day.
By the time night fell and Dan-Zhu was ready to depart, his guardians advised otherwise.
"Young Lord, it's too late. The night beasts stir—traveling now would be dangerous. Why not rest here for the night?"
Dan-Zhu declined. "A cultivator should not fear hardship or danger, no matter how long the night."
But soon, some of the local cultivators—grateful for Dan-Zhu's kindness—approached him to express their thanks.
They praised his benevolence, saying he was the hope of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe. Then, with great enthusiasm, they invited him to stay the night so they could properly host him as a show of respect and admiration.
Dan-Zhu couldn't refuse and agreed to remain.
That evening, the small tribe lit bonfires and held a feast in his honor.
A group of rosy-cheeked young girls sang and danced before him.
Someone even presented a deliciously roasted piece of exotic spirit beast meat, saying it had been a gift from a passing friend—and offered it to Dan-Zhu to try.
The festivities lasted until midnight.
Dan-Zhu stayed in the central lodge—the largest and sturdiest building in the tribe.
The lodge was well-built and fortified. Around it were temporary barbarian formations set up for alerts and defense.
Two squads of barbarian warriors patrolled nearby.
At the entrance, two Golden Core guardian elders stood watch.
The security was strict.
But compared to some purpose-built military outposts or mobile field camps, this defense was still considered "basic."
To an array master like Mo Hua, it was full of holes.
"The opportunity's here…"
Under cover of darkness and with his stealth arts concealing him, Mo Hua slipped through the patrolling barbarian ranks and reached the lodge's main gate.
Outside the gate, the two guardian elders were sitting, chatting and grilling meat.
There was a sound-isolation formation around the lodge to ensure Dan-Zhu could rest and cultivate without being disturbed.
Of course, that also meant any sounds from outside wouldn't be heard inside.
The two guardian elders were just sitting there, happily grilling and chatting.
Mo Hua didn't rush in. Out of habit—and sheer curiosity—he decided to eavesdrop for a bit.
The two early-stage Golden Core guards couldn't detect him with their divine senses.
And the sound outside the house couldn't pass through the soundproof formations inside, which were set up to ensure Young Lord Dan-Zhu could cultivate and rest in peace.
Likewise, sounds from outside couldn't be heard inside the house.
So the two guards spoke fairly freely, though they still kept their voices low, just in case they disturbed Young Lord Dan-Zhu.
"...I wonder when we'll ever be done with this guard duty..."
The bulky guard elder, dressed in wolf pelts, chewed on some tough jerky, clearly unenthusiastic.
The other replied, "You're a Golden Core cultivator, and you get to guard Young Lord Dan-Zhu. That's a rare honor—what more do you want?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling to guard the young lord. I truly am loyal to him. A young man like him—so gifted, so kind—he's a once-in-a-lifetime figure. But..."
"But what?"
"But... the young lord's heart is too good. And that's where the trouble lies."
Hearing this, the other elder's expression turned a bit solemn.
Young Lord Dan-Zhu was the youngest among his siblings, handsome, with eyes like a vermillion bird, and immensely talented. Naturally, he was deeply cherished.
But that also meant… he was too sheltered.
And his heart—far too kind.
That was the real problem.
The true face of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe wasn't what the young lord saw.
"The Vermillion Sparrow Tribe's tributes are hefty," said the burly elder. "But the ones from the young lord's assigned sub-tribes are very light. That's because Young Lord Dan-Zhu, sympathizing with the people, begged the chieftain for leniency. And the chieftain agreed—just this once."
"But that's not normal. Nor is it right."
"With no tributes, the smaller tribes rejoice, sure—but what does the young lord gain? He can't build a foundation for himself."
"And without a foundation, how will he compete with the First or Third Young Lords in the future?"
The other elder shook his head. "The young lord holds a special position. The First and Third Young Lords—his older brothers—do care for him. There's no need for rivalry."
The bulky one looked grim. "If only it were that simple..."
"The Great Chieftain has four children. Young Lord Dan-Zhu is the youngest. Aside from the second daughter who serves at the royal court, the First and Third Young Lords have each cultivated for over a hundred years—they're both in their prime, and no pushovers."
"Sure, they treat Dan-Zhu well—when there's no power struggle involved."
"But once succession comes into play—who's going to care about brotherhood then?"
"The Vermillion Sparrow Tribe is a top-tier Third Grade Tribe. It commands nearly a million under its banner."
"Back when the ancestor was alive and the tribe at its peak, we were even worthy of the Grand Wilderness Royal Court, once offering the totem of the Vermillion Bird."
"With a chieftainship of that magnitude on the line... what's brotherly love worth?"
"Shhh—" the other elder grabbed his arm, "Don't say too much. Walls have ears."
The burly elder snorted. "It's just you and me here. Not even a ghost nearby. Who's gonna overhear?"
Mo Hua, crouched on a beam overhead, nodded to himself.
The big guy tore off a piece of meat and sighed again.
"It's not that I'm overthinking things. But we, as the young lord's personal guards, are tied to him. If he thrives, so do we."
"But if he falls... we'll fall with him."
The other elder said, "The young lord is extremely gifted, kind-hearted, and deeply respected within the tribe…"
The burly one sighed. "That's the problem—the 'kindness.' A kind man can't command troops. He's too gentle."
"Excessive kindness only invites disaster."
"And this 'respect' and 'adoration'…?" He sneered. "People are simple and fickle. They love whoever benefits them. The day those benefits stop—or even decrease a little—they'll turn on him in a heartbeat."
"Right now, the young lord's reputation is sky-high. That's both a blessing... and a curse. Like a sharp dagger—one wrong move, and it could stab him in the heart."
"In his position, it's not about who's kindest—it's about who's dirtiest."
"But how could someone as pure as the young lord get dirty?"
"We're bound to him. If he prospers, we prosper. If he suffers, we all go down. How could we not worry?"
The big man looked utterly troubled.
So did the other elder, now sunk in heavy silence.
The fire crackled and popped quietly, the only sound left between them.
Seeing there was nothing more to hear, Mo Hua slipped past the door and entered the inner house.
The defensive formations were practically useless.
He passed through them easily and entered the room. Inside, the furnishings weren't particularly luxurious, but it was spacious. Monster heads decorated the walls and floor, alongside beast pelts—a strong barbarian aesthetic.
At the center, Young Lord Dan-Zhu lay on a fur-covered couch, sleeping in his clothes. His breathing was calm—he was clearly fast asleep.
In his hand, he still clutched a scroll made of hide.
Before him was a map of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe, marked with various scribbles—messy but diligent.
It seemed the young lord had been thinking about something for a long time, deeply preoccupied. Eventually, his divine sense became exhausted, and he drifted off to sleep unknowingly.
Even in sleep, his brows were tightly furrowed.
Clearly, being the prodigious genius at the center of attention, the beloved Young Lord of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe, came with overwhelming pressure.
And because he'd been so protected from a young age, he only ever needed to focus on cultivation—he knew little of the outside world.
Naturally, his heart must be full of uncertainty and confusion.
But none of this could he say aloud.
He was the chosen genius, admired and praised by all. Even if he felt lost, anxious, or pained, he had to hide it. He had to maintain the image of "the young lord." Otherwise, he'd invite doubt—and disappointment.
He probably had no concept of the ruthless internal power struggles of the tribe—the brutal reality of brothers killing each other for power and fame.
Mo Hua let out a soft sigh. After all, he was still just a "boy"...
So young. So full of confusion, questions, and completely unaware of the darkness that lurks in human hearts.
What Mo Hua didn't realize, as he sighed with such sentiment, was that he himself was actually several years younger than Young Lord Dan-Zhu.
Nor did he realize... that the most "sinister" person Dan-Zhu would ever encounter in his life was him—this black-hearted "Daoist Mo."
As the lamplight flickered, Mo Hua melted into the shadows and silently approached the sleeping young lord.
Dan-Zhu slept deeply.
Mo Hua's voice, like the murmur of the night itself—low and eerie—slipped into Dan-Zhu's ears, planting a faint and subtle suggestion in the young lord's pure but troubled heart:
"O boy chosen by the Divine Lord…"
"Your fate is about to change."
"Your confusion will be dispelled."
"Your doubts shall find answers."
"Like daylight scattering the darkness, the Divine Lord shall illuminate your path."
"Tomorrow, at the hour of the dog (7–9 PM), as you pass Mount Danyang, take the northwest fork in the road. There, you will see the sign granted to you by the gods."
"In that moment, all your uncertainty will vanish. Your path of cultivation will unfold before you."
"And you shall truly become the hope of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe… the chosen child of destiny... selected by the Divine Lord."
(End of this Chapter)