Indeed. Sect disciples depend on Merit Points for cultivation resources, spell points, all expenses, and advancement within the sect system. The more Merit Points, the better. Even for the Taoist Court, it was the same. Mo Hua mentioned, "The matter with Fire Buddha carries no Merit Points," Gu Changhuai said. "This is a matter for the Taoist Court and will not result in missions for the sect." After all, Fire Buddha was a murderous fiend who wiped out entire families with blood-stained hands. If a sect disciple were to accept the mission and act recklessly, only to die at the hands of Fire Buddha, that would be a huge problem. "Doesn't count as sect Merit Points, but can it count as Taoist Court Merit Points?" "Granting Merit Points will do..." Mo Hua had an "I'm not picky" look. Gu Changhuai sighed. "Alright then..." He certainly couldn't withhold the Taoist Court's Merit Points. However, seeing Mo Hua's delighted expression, Gu Changhuai always felt somewhat uncomfortable. This kid Mo Hua, with many schemes hidden in his heart, surely had other reasons. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 He briefly recalled everything related to Mo Hua from start to finish, his heart fluttering with alarm: "You aren't planning to secretly learn Fire Buddha's Meteor Fire Skill, are you?!" Mo Hua remained composed, silently glancing at Gu Changhuai: "Uncle Gu, do you think I could learn it?" Gu Changhuai scrutinized Mo Hua for a moment, then exhaled a sigh of relief and began to ease his mind: "Right, you couldn't learn it anyway..." The Meteor Fire Skill is a forbidden technique, extremely powerful in spiritual dominance, implying it requires a Top-Grade Spiritual Root and robust Spiritual Power to cultivate and employ. Although Mo Hua is clever, his Spiritual Root and Spiritual Power are far less than one-tenth of his aptitude. Lacking the required quality and capability, even with his intellect, he wouldn't be able to learn the forbidden technique. Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment then agreed. "You can mix in with the Taoist Court officials and join the pursuit of Fire Buddha, but there must be Three Talents of agreement..." "Three Talents of agreement?" "Yes," Gu Changhuai listed them: "First, it must not delay your sect's cultivation, and leaves of absence are not allowed. You can only help during your breaks; don't leave the sect on regular days." "Second, you must not take action. Fire Buddha and even his accomplices are all at the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, beyond your capability. You might escape once or twice by luck, but if you fail even once, you could lose your life..." "If anything of the Three Talents happens to you, I would have trouble explaining to your cousin, and Yu Er would definitely be heartbroken..." "Third, if we go out to pursue Fire Buddha, you must follow closely behind me, never leaving my side, and must not act recklessly or presumptuously..." ... "Mhm mhm mhm." Mo Hua nodded continuously. His requirements were not high; being able to mingle with the Taoist Court was enough. As for future matters, he would play it by ear... Since he had already "revealed" his identity in the Taoist Court and reached an "agreement of cooperation," the Three Talents, with Uncle Gu, Mo Hua was no longer shy, swiftly asking: "Uncle Gu, what exactly happened the night the Xie family of Bishan City was exterminated?" "How did Fire Buddha enter Bishan City?" "Why didn't anyone from the Xie family escape?" "Why was the Xie family annihilated?" "After the annihilation of the Xie family, where did Fire Buddha go? Wasn't he found? Are there any clues?" ... Mo Hua asked like a "curious baby," endlessly firing a barrage of questions... Gu Changhuai found himself with a headache. He knew this kid was a big trouble. But having boarded this "thief's ship," it was too late for regret. Gu Changhuai released his Divine Sense to make sure nobody was around and then took a swig of his drink to lubricate his throat, furrowed his brows, and spoke in a heavy tone: "That day you reported the case, I personally led people in search of Fire Buddha..." "However, at the boundary between Luan Mountain City and Bishan City, there were only some traces of fire but no sight of Fire Buddha and his people." "I dispatched more people to investigate, but Fire Buddha and his crew seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if someone had covered their tracks..." "And days later, the annihilation of the Xie family occurred..." "The specifics of the case are still being investigated, and it's hard to confirm details, so I can only tell you the general situation..." "Somebody tampered with the Xie family's formation." "The original external defensive formation was altered into an internal trapping formation." "That night, deep in slumber, Fire Buddha suddenly appeared within the Xie house, swiftly casted spells, raining down meteor fire, instantly killing many and igniting the houses, quickly spreading the fire..." "Then, dozens of ruthless sin cultivators took advantage of the fire to slaughter the Xie family cultivators..." "In a rush, the Xie family activated the formation, hoping to use it to fend off enemies, but instead, the formation trapped them, leaving no escape, burying them in the sea of flames..." "Fire Buddha's methods were extremely cruel." "It seemed, just as the rumours said, Fire Buddha had a deep hatred for the Xie family, slaughtering wasn't enough; he had to dissect the bodies of the Xie family, crush their bones and scatter their ashes..." "Because the formation isolated them, outsiders, including various supervisors and enforcement leaders of the Taoist Court, couldn't get in, and those inside couldn't get out..." "Thus, in front of the Taoist Court and all the cultivators of Bishan City, Fire Buddha slaughtered the entire Xie family..." Gu Changhuai said this much, barely able to conceal his anger on his face. Mo Hua too felt a twinge of compassion, silently sighing. "What happened after that?" Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. "If the formation was sealed, turning into a trapping formation that trapped the entire Xie family, it should have trapped Fire Buddha as well. If the Xie family had no way to escape, then Fire Buddha could not have escaped either..."