Though they were veiled, their eyes were filled with a layer of sorrow, evidently unwilling.

But others were different.

Some wore indifferent expressions, dismissive, while others were used to it, and some had ulterior motives, their eyes wanton, alluring men.

Some women even appeared joyful.

It seemed that their beauty, which captivated and gained the admiration of so many men, gave rise to vanity and self-indulgence.

"The human heart is indeed very complex..."

Mo Hua sighed softly.

Apart from the women, the men in the crowd were also varied.

Some were genuinely there for indulgence.

They ate exquisite dishes, drank fine wine, and watched the enchanting dances of the women on stage, mesmerized.

Some, upon watching, revealed a gluttonous expression, called over a servant, named a dancer on stage, the servant nodded and went off to make arrangements.

Afterwards, this person got up and went to their room, and the dancer on stage was replaced.

What happened after they returned to the room, Mo Hua didn’t quite understand, but could roughly guess.

This was one type of man.

There were other disciples who were entirely different.

Their interests clearly weren’t in women, but rather they held wine cups, offering toasts everywhere, flattery, and networking.

They formed cliques among themselves.

Within the state boundary of Qian Learning, within the sects was one circle.

The private friendships between different sects and family disciples formed another circle.

Outside, visiting guests and making friends was just ordinary acquaintance.

But here, drinking together and engaging in amorous affairs naturally formed an extraordinary bond.

They were all noble family’s sons, heavenly prides of the sects, with extraordinary talent and limitless future prospects, possibly taking on important roles in families, sects, and various forces, even in the Taoist Court and Central Dao Court.

At this time, using beauty as a medium, forming connections would naturally lead to alliances, supporting each other for private gain in the future.

For those born into nobility, making connections could add to their glory.

Those with less noble origins were even more eager to cling on and expand their network.

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

No wonder this ticket is so expensive, costing a hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

This isn’t just a "leisure" ticket.

In the eyes of the discerning, this Rouge Boat ticket is equivalent to an "entry pass" to the aristocratic class.

Mo Hua looked around again.

The cultivators at the banquet were all unfamiliar faces, almost none of whom he recognized.

But they appeared young, carried a swagger, and with one glance, it was clear they were all sect disciples of family sects.

They likely included those from the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, and even some disciples below the Qian Learning Hundred Gates.

Mo Hua looked on, secretly alarmed, and his gaze grew more solemn.

This situation might be even more serious than he had imagined...

Apart from these people, there were also some special disciples.

Their cultivation was profound, their aura extraordinary, and at this moment, they were drinking alone in the hall, barely sparing a glance at the women on stage, as if these women were merely "commonplace powder and rouge."

Mo Hua continued to pour tea and water while quietly observing them.

Midway through the banquet, some steward-like individuals arrived, walked respectfully to these obviously more distinguished disciples, and whispered something.

The hall was noisy, and Mo Hua was quite far away, but he vaguely heard phrases like "it’s ready," "please proceed."

Then these people seemed to understand, each stood up, leaving the banquet, and headed outside the hall.

Some attendant servants also followed. subtex./subtex

Mo Hua’s heart stirred.

"Something is up!"

He pondered for a moment, then with a quick shift of his eyes, he quietly moved his footsteps, blending naturally into the group.

There were quite a few servant attendants in the group, one more or less wouldn’t be noticed.

Moreover, his movements were natural, demeanor calm, and he had been pouring wine in the hall for quite some time, so naturally no one suspected him.

Within this group, everyone walked in silence, without speaking; no one questioned him, and he was even less likely to give himself away.

The "screening" of the Rouge Boat was mainly strict at the time of boarding.

Once aboard, the rules were much more relaxed.

It was probably because all aboard were "Honored Guests," and being too strict on the boat could easily offend.

A group of people quietly left the hall.

Mo Hua followed earnestly, moving with the crowd, crossing through the corridor, arriving on the deck, where he saw dense night fog around, murky river waters obscuring the scenery, with only interconnected spirit boats lit with lights, sailing on the Mistwater River.

Under the veil of night, these bright lights gave off a somewhat eerie vibe.

The spirit boats were linked by iron chains, with narrow bridges laid out for cultivators to pass between the boats.

At this moment, not only from Mo Hua’s ship, but from all spirit boats, the specially identified "Honored Guests," came to the deck, converging towards the center of the spirit boat fleet along the narrow chain bridges.

Mo Hua bowed his head and followed silently, within a short span of time, reaching the center of the fleet, onto a much larger, more lavishly decorated, and more luxuriously crafted ship.

Everyone boarded the large ship.

Many among them, without anyone knowing when, had donned masks to conceal their faces, as if not wishing to be recognized.

Of course, some were openly unmasked.

Aboard the large ship, the "grand scene" that Mo Hua anticipated didn’t appear.

Inside the large ship, there wasn’t a larger or more extravagant hall, nor was there a gathering of people indulging in excess, with obscene "wine pools and meat forests."

On the contrary, inside the large ship, it was quite understated, with many, many secret rooms.

From the outside, all the secret rooms looked about the same.