Chapter 158: The Interrogation of Zhu Wannian

In contemporary times, if you tell someone that you share a completely pure friendship with a certain woman, people will inevitably look at you with a knowing, wicked smile and murmur, "Oh sure, it's pure—with a condom on."

After tonight, if Hu Mo were to tell Hu Yihu that his relationship with Hu Baimei was completely pure, he would undoubtedly receive a vicious beating from Hu Yihu, followed by a torrent of scathing curses.

"Pure? You spent the entire night calling out to each other and you call that pure? You brat, you're practically asking for a beating!" Hu Yihu stared at Hu Mo with burning rage, his flying spittle almost enough to drown the young man.

However, this effect was remarkably obvious. When Wang Xu and the others witnessed this scene, embarrassment washed over them, and one by one they prepared to take their leave. They fancied themselves "refined gentlemen" and "masters of a generation"—how could they possibly have the gall to linger and watch others indulge in carnal pleasures?

Early the next morning, Hu Yihu hurried off to inspect the border. He did not pay too much attention to Hu Mo's affairs, merely telling him to proceed with caution and remember his lesson.

Indeed, Hu Mo could be considered to have learned his lesson this time. His journey thus far had been far too smooth-sailing; without this setback, he might truly have believed that everyone else was a fool.

After a night of recuperation, his combat strength had unexpectedly recovered to nearly seventy percent. He did not know whether this was due to the formidable restorative powers of the Three Treasures or the intense stimulation brought by Hu Baimei. That feeling of surging desire left unrequited was something Hu Mo would probably never forget for the rest of his life.

Just past noon, Hu Mo leaned back in the rattan chair in the small courtyard, speaking to himself in profound puzzlement: "What on earth is going on? Where did the problem lie? Why did they see through me?"

Only Hu Mo was in the courtyard. Since Hu Baimei possessed the token given by Zhu Xinyue, she had returned to the imperial palace early in the morning. After all, danger lurked everywhere around Zhu Xinyue, and having Hu Baimei by her side allowed Hu Mo to feel somewhat more at ease.

"Those two sects were acting like they were putting on a play right from the start. The only possible explanation is that they already had a countermeasure in place before this incident, and then used that pre-arranged strategy to deal with me. I really was too foolish this time, underestimating them. Someone as upright as me is truly unsuited for plotting and scheming," Hu Mo thought to himself. This form of self-consolation managed to dissipate quite a bit of the gloom that had previously hung on his face.

Just at that moment, the air in the courtyard suddenly distorted to a certain degree, forming an air vortex. Immediately afterward, a familiar aura flooded the entire courtyard. All of this happened without the slightest warning.

Hu Mo’s expression tightened. He instantly stood up and said very respectfully, "Your great-grandson Hu Mo pays his respects to Great-grandfather. I had no idea Great-grandfather was gracing us with your presence, and I failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me."

"Hmph! You little brat sure have a mouthful of polite pleasantries, though I wonder if your heart actually matches your words." Zhu Wannian stepped out of the air vortex, his crimson robe fluttering in the wind like the descent of the God of Fire.

The moment he appeared, the temperature in the courtyard rose sharply. Nearly half of the water in the nearby small pond evaporated, seemingly vanishing into thin air. A variety of scents filled the air—most notably the smell of cooked fish from the pond, along with several small birds that had been completely boiled through.

"Haha, Great-grandfather, if you sprinkled a little seasoning into that pond, it would be a whole pool of fish soup. I never expected Great-grandfather to have the refined taste of a soup maker!" Hu Mo chuckled heartily, completely ignoring Zhu Wannian's previous interrogation. With a gentle wave of his large hand, a stone stool slowly drifted toward Zhu Wannian, landing steadily right behind him.

Zhu Wannian was somewhat surprised. Just moments ago, because he had freshly exited the spatial rift, his combat energy fluctuations had been somewhat violent. Yet, amidst these saint-grade combat energy fluctuations, Hu Mo had not suffered the slightest injury and even looked rather comfortable. This truly exceeded his expectations.

He slowly sat down, his expression stern as he gazed at Hu Mo. Hu Mo smiled, picked up the teapot nearby, poured a cup of tea, and handed it over.

Zhu Wannian was even more astonished. Given that even the water in the pond had completely vanished, the fact that there was still tea in the teapot could only be explained by one of two possibilities: either someone had utilized tyrannical water-attribute combat energy to completely suppress the fire-attribute energy, or Hu Mo's control over fire-attribute combat energy surpassed Zhu Wannian's own, meaning Zhu Wannian's fire energy had failed to exert any significant influence on him.

Both of these possibilities seemed entirely out of the question to Zhu Wannian, yet this very scene was playing out right before his eyes.

Baffled—it was utterly baffling!

"Have a cup of tea first, Great-grandfather. Although my humble tea cannot compare to the prized varieties of the Fire God Valley, it possesses a unique, refreshing fragrance. It is said that this tea tree was personally planted by my grandmother back in the day, and yields only a pound or two each year. Grandfather always treasured it and couldn't bear to drink it, so I stole a bit to properly honor you, Great-grandfather," Hu Mo said with a beaming smile. At those words, Zhu Wannian's expression suddenly softened.

"Qing'er planted this? Heh, then I truly must have a taste." Zhu Wannian smiled faintly, gazing at the tea in the cup before him as his thoughts seemed to drift far away from his physical body.

Zhu Youqing, Zhu Wannian's eldest daughter and Hu Mo's biological grandmother. According to Hu Mo's memories, Zhu Youqing had passed away consumed by grief after the disappearance of her husband, Hu Meng. Ever since then, Hu Yihu had completely broken ties with the Fire God Valley, and no one knew the reason why. Hu Mo had asked him about it more than once, but Hu Yihu would always interrupt him in a fit of rage. As time went on, Hu Mo grew too weary to ask again.

"Indeed, it is still that same taste. Qing'er was always skilled at growing tea because this old man was extremely fond of it. Alas, it has been over a dozen years since I last tasted tea personally grown by Qing'er. The few tea trees in the Fire God Valley were already reduced to ashes by the subterranean fire. With people gone and tea burned to cinders, perhaps this is simply heaven's will." A deep sorrow hung on Zhu Wannian's face. Whenever he thought of his eldest daughter, his mood plummeted into profound depression.

Under normal circumstances, he probably would have flown into a rage and unleashed his fists to vent his frustration. However, as he looked at Hu Mo, that impulse mysteriously quieted down, replaced by a remarkably benevolent smile on his face.

"Great-grandfather, do not be sad; life in this world is always like this. Precisely because Grandmother passed away consumed by grief, we should live even more happily. That way, when Grandmother watches over us from the netherworld, she will also be very happy, won't she?" Hu Mo said with a smile, though a trace of melancholy lingered in his heart. How he wished he could have a grandmother—this could be considered a dream he had held across three lifetimes.

Zhu Wannian nodded lightly and was just about to continue speaking. Suddenly, as if recalling something, he gave a bitter smile and patted his forehead, saying, "You brat, with your little detour, this old man almost forgot why I came looking for you. Stop playing word games with me and speak—what on earth are you doing all this for? What is the Hu family's true intention?"

One had to admit that this topic shifted rather abruptly, and for a moment Hu Mo almost failed to react in time.

After a short while, he smiled faintly and replied, "Great-grandfather, what kind of disaster do you think my actions will bring to Tianhuo? What problems will they cause for the Fire God Valley?"

Zhu Wannian was slightly taken aback; he shook his head and said, "The conflict between the Ice Wave Sect and the Golden Soul Palace will not bring disaster to Tianhuo. On the contrary, it holds many benefits, and it certainly won't cause any problems for the Fire God Valley."

Zhu Wannian's tone was extremely calm, a wise light flickering in his eyes.

"Since that is the case, why does Great-grandfather care so much? If I were to say that all of this is for the Tianhuo Empire and the Fire God Valley, would that still not make sense?" Hu Mo took a sip of tea and smiled faintly.

Zhu Wannian slowly set down his cup, shook his head, and said, "Great-grandson, do you really think your great-grandfather has lived the better part of his life in vain? Do you think I can't see through your little tricks? I merely wanted to hear you say it with your own mouth—what exactly do you, and what does the Hu family, want to do?"

As Zhu Wannian's words fell, an invisible pressure immediately radiated through the air. That pressure seemed to gather from all directions, pressing down upon Hu Mo. Despite the protection of the Three Treasures, he still felt an unbearable burden.

A sharp glint flashed in Hu Mo's eyes as he stared unblinkingly at Zhu Wannian. "Very well, since Great-grandfather wishes to know, why should I hide it? What I am doing is solely for the Hu family, so that the Hu family may endure forever. Furthermore, it is to uncover the truth behind my father's disappearance back then and bring the true mastermind to justice. That is my goal, and it is something our Hu family must accomplish in the future! Great-grandfather, if your own grandson had encountered such a fate, would you simply stand by with folded arms and pretend to know nothing?"

Hu Mo's tone rose high and clear. With just these few sentences, his imposing aura instantly surged, leaving even Zhu Wannian secretly startled in his heart.

Especially when Hu Mo uttered the word "grandson," Zhu Wannian's emotions underwent a drastic transformation, and a profound look of guilt suddenly appeared on his face. His inner self seemed to be struggling and wrestling with something, as if an old scar had been forcibly torn open.

After a long while, he let out a long sigh and said, "Great-grandson, if your only wish is simply to protect the Hu family, then you should not act so recklessly in the future. Do not think Wang Xu and the others are fools; those old foxes are unfathomably deep, and even this old man cannot fathom their true intentions. You are already the focus of everyone's scrutiny within Flame City. If you truly wish to secure your safety in Flame City, you had best... stop."

Zhu Wannian looked at Hu Mo with a weathered face, his tone exceptionally low. Hu Mo's hand gripped the teacup tightly. The moment that word—"stop"—was spoken, the teacup in his hand transformed at a visible rate into a crimson liquid that dripped from his grasp. He sneered, stood up, and said indifferently, "Great-grandfather, I have already walked this far. Asking me to stop is simply out of the question. However, I can guarantee you this: if they want to strike me down and destroy the Hu family, they do not yet have the capability!"

As Hu Mo finished speaking, an arresting aura erupted from his entire body. This was a roar originating from the depths of Hu Mo's soul.

Zhu Wannian's hair and beard fluttered in this gale of energy. Though astonished, a look of deep worry still remained on his face.

"Alas, little fellow, is all of this alone enough?" Zhu Wannian said in a low voice, shaking his head.

"If you add this young lady, is it still not enough?" Beside Hu Mo, a massive tear suddenly ripped through the previously calm space. From within that fissure, a pair of delicate, slender hands reached out. That familiar aura left Hu Mo's expression frozen, followed instantly by a surge of wild ecstasy!