Chapter 411: Cause of Death
Chapter 411: Cause of Death
Si Tu Fang asked the Lu family cultivator, "What is the purpose of this mine?"
The Lu family cultivator's face turned pale, and he clenched his jaw, refusing to answer.
Si Tu Fang issued a threat: "People have died here, and if you don't speak up, the Dao Court will investigate thoroughly. Your Lu family will definitely not be able to escape this."
The Lu family cultivator replied, "Some mine cultivators died. My Lu family will compensate with spirit stones, that's all."
After saying this, as if he had figured something out, his voice took on a more confident tone. "Yes, that's right! Some mine cultivators died, and my Lu family will compensate with spirit stones..."
He coldly laughed, "This mine has many interconnected tunnels, and it's normal to have some abandoned entrances."
"These mine cultivators didn't know any better and ventured in here on their own, only to be eaten by demonic beasts. What does this have to do with my Lu family?"
"Those worthless lives deserved their fate!"
As Si Tu Fang listened, her anger rose, and she felt the urge to strike him.
Mo Hua quickly stopped her. "Sister Si Tu, getting angry won't help."
Si Tu Fang furrowed her delicate brows but stopped nonetheless.
Mo Hua turned to the Lu family cultivator and said, "Usually, when a mine cultivator perishes in an accident, compensating with some spirit stones is sufficient. However, this time, it's different. This is a case of murder, a violation of the Dao Laws..."
The Lu family cultivator sneered, "Then who killed them?"
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
The bloody and tragic scene before them indeed made it difficult to determine who the perpetrator was, or even if it was a human at all.
The Lu family cultivator laughed, "If you can't find the culprit, how can you call it murder? I think these mine cultivators were being reckless and daring when they entered this mine, probably intending to steal our Lu family's mineral resources. They ended up trapped and were subsequently devoured by demonic beasts..."
As the Lu family cultivator spoke, his conviction grew, and his demeanor became increasingly arrogant.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, and then he suddenly smiled brightly, framing the cultivator, "I understand now. It was you who plotted their deaths and killed these mine cultivators!"
The Lu family cultivator was taken aback, "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? I don't even know them, and besides, these people are mere mine cultivators—poor ghosts. What wealth would they have that would make me want to harm them?"
Mo Hua said, "Not knowing them makes it easier to make a move, and besides, wealth isn't always apparent. How would you know they had nothing of value if you didn't kill them and search their storage bags?"
The Lu family cultivator was enraged, "You're slandering me!"
"Of course, I am," Mo Hua added silently in his mind.
Then he feigned regret and said, "Since you refuse to confess, we'll have no choice but to take you to the Dao Court, lock you up in the Dao Prison, and interrogate you under torture..."
The Lu family cultivator coldly laughed, "You wouldn't dare."
"Why wouldn't I?" Mo Hua asked.
"The Chief Judge and my Lu family..." The Lu family cultivator trailed off, his face changing as he realized he had said too much.
Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he understood.
Since the Lu family was the largest clan in Nan Yue City, owning the most mines, they must have had dealings with the Chief Judge.
And from the looks of it, these "dealings" were far from ordinary.
On the surface, the Dao Court and the Lu family seemed to operate independently.
When something happened, the Dao Court would investigate and hold the Lu family accountable.
But behind the scenes, there were probably some under-the-table transactions taking place.
Mo Hua paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed coldly, "Even if the Chief Judge and the Lu family have a good relationship, it has nothing to do with you..."
"You're just a small cultivator in the Lu family. Do you think the Lu family will stand up for you, or that the Chief Judge will personally intervene for you, over the lives of five mine cultivators?"
"Do you think you're worth it?"
The Lu family cultivator's heart sank, and the arrogance faded from his face.
Mo Hua continued, "We'll take you back, lock you up in the Dao Prison, and announce that you killed the five mine cultivators..."
"What do you think the Lu family will do then? Will they incur the wrath of many to protect you, or will they let you take the fall to calm the situation?"
The Lu family cultivator's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
Mo Hua saw the fear in his eyes and sighed, pretending to be detached and averse to trouble, "To be honest, we don't really want to get involved in this matter..."
"But those mine cultivators keep causing trouble at the Dao Court, and the Dao Court is helpless."
"Higher-ups need an explanation, and Sister Si Tu needs to report back."
"Who killed these five mine cultivators is actually irrelevant."
"No one cares about the truth."
"All that matters is finding someone to shoulder the blame, admit the crime, and put an end to this incident..."
Mo Hua patted the Lu family cultivator's shoulder, "The decision has been made, and that person is you..."
The Lu family cultivator trembled, "You're lying to me!"
But his voice shook, and his heart lacked conviction.
He didn't know Mo Hua's identity, but he knew who Si Tu Fang was.
Si Tu Fang was indeed the Chief Judge of the Nan Yue City Dao Court.
On the surface, she seemed to be investigating the truth for the sake of the mine cultivators.
However, the Dao Court was notorious for its corruption, and its officials often had hidden agendas.
He couldn't be sure which side Si Tu Fang was really on.
Moreover, with so many disciples in the Lu family, why had they specifically chosen him to guide them?
Mo Hua gave Si Tu Fang a subtle signal.
Si Tu Fang scowled and smiled sinisterly, "Take him away. We'll have an explanation for the Chief Judge, and as for the head of the Lu family... He probably won't care about a mere mid-stage Qi Refining disciple."
Bai Zi Sheng reached out to grab him.
The Lu family cultivator struggled and shouted, "You have no evidence! You can't arrest me or convict me!"
Mo Hua snapped his fingers, "That's right, we need to fabricate some evidence."
He took out more than a dozen spirit stones, crushed them, and stuffed the fragments into the Lu family cultivator's hands.
The Lu family cultivator was stunned, "What are you doing?"
Mo Hua falsely accused, "These spirit stones are the evidence of your greed and murder!"
The Lu family cultivator was bewildered.
Was this brat even going to try to disguise his framing?
Could anyone be so brazen?
The Lu family cultivator hurriedly threw the spirit stones on the ground, "I didn't do it! It wasn't me..."
Mo Hua coldly smiled, "Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink?
"After a few days, we'll bring people here to investigate. By then, everyone will discover you at the crime scene, right alongside the deceased, and you won't be able to deny it."
The Lu family cultivator said, "I will say... that you framed me!"
Mo Hua instantly put on an air of innocent naivety again, "Who would believe that?"
The Lu family cultivator's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
"Oh, that's right," Mo Hua suddenly remembered, "you might not even live that long. Who knows what lurks in this cave, something that can devour mine cultivators might also feast on you..."
"You might be locked in here one day and devoured the next..."
"But that would be just as well, we can say that you killed them out of greed and met the same fate."
"Anyway, no one will ever know what truly happened here..."
The Lu family cultivator stared at Mo Hua in disbelief.
What was the background of this little brat? How could he be so cunning and manipulative?
With a helpless nod, the Lu family cultivator conceded, "Alright, I agree to your terms."
Before he could finish speaking, the Lu family cultivator seized the momentary lapse in Mo Hua's attention and attempted to flee. However, he had barely taken a few steps when he felt a restraining force binding him.
Looking down, he saw that his entire body had been shackled by faint blue, water-shaped chains.
The Lu family cultivator's face paled in shock.
What kind of magic was this?
Mo Hua let out a cold laugh.
Bai Zi Sheng took a large step forward and dragged the struggling cultivator back.
Feigning impatience, Mo Hua signaled to Bai Zi Sheng and said, "Seal him inside, I'll draw the array."
Si Tu Fang hesitated for a moment but remained silent.
Bai Zi Sheng raised an eyebrow and pulled the Lu family cultivator by the collar, dragging him towards the cave where the mine cultivators had met their grisly end, the air thick with the stench of decay.
Terrified, the Lu family cultivator realized that this young boy was not bluffing. He struggled and pleaded, "Let me go! Let me go! I'll tell you everything!"
Bai Zi Sheng glanced at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua nodded.
Bai Zi Sheng dragged the Lu family cultivator back and dropped him in front of Mo Hua.
Staring at him, Mo Hua said, "I will ask you a few questions. If you answer well, I will let you go. But if you hide anything, you can join those mine cultivators..."
The Lu family cultivator's face was ashen, and he nodded.
"What is the purpose of this mine?"
The Lu family cultivator shook his head.
Mo Hua's eyes turned cold, and he was about to send the cultivator into the cave.
Panicking, the Lu family cultivator quickly said, "I, I... I really don't know!"
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, "Then what do you know?"
"I... I only know..."
The Lu family cultivator hesitated and sighed, "I only know that these mines were built by the order of the head of the Lu family, and the arrays inside were also personally set up by him."
"After these mines were built, they were sealed, and no one has ever entered them..."
"I don't know what's inside either."
"The head of the Lu family has strict orders that no cultivator is to know about these mines, and no one is allowed to enter..."
The head of the Lu family, huh...
Mo Hua frowned, then asked, "How did these mine cultivators die?"
The Lu family cultivator stammered, "I don't know about that either... How would I know they would sneak into these mines?"
"You didn't notice?"
"They came in the middle of the night. It's eerie and creepy here at night, who would come to this mine for no reason?"
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, "Eerie and creepy?"
The Lu family cultivator realized he had said too much and fell silent.
"This cave might be damp or dim, but it's not exactly eerie," Mo Hua said.
"Well..." The Lu family cultivator's eyes shifted.
"You don't want to talk about it?" Mo Hua asked.
The Lu family cultivator nodded, but then seeing Mo Hua's displeased expression, he shook his head.
"Then tell me, why is it eerie?"
The Lu family cultivator hesitated, swallowed, and slowly said, "It's said that there are ghosts in this mine at night..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Ghosts?"
The Lu family cultivator nodded, "Every night, the yin energy is heavy, and there are creaking sounds. The entire mine trembles slightly, as if someone is digging something..."
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the Lu family cultivator continued, "Some say it's the mine cultivators who died unjustly in the mine, turning into ghost cultivators. When the yin energy is heavy at night, they return to the mine to dig, just like when they were alive..."
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
It seemed that the mine cultivators had come to steal minerals from the mine and ended up meeting their demise at the hands of these unknown ghosts.
However, even with this explanation, there were still many unanswered questions.
Mo Hua asked the same questions over and over, and the Lu family cultivator stammered through his answers, but it seemed he was not lying. More secretive information was likely beyond his knowledge as a mere mid-stage Qi Refining disciple of the Lu family.
Mo Hua also took the opportunity to inquire about the Lu family, and finally, he nodded, "Alright, I won't make things difficult for you since you're so cooperative."
The Lu family cultivator felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.
However, Mo Hua's expression turned doubtful as he asked, "What if the Lu family finds out that you told me all this?"
The cultivator's heart sank as the weight returned, and he quickly pleaded, "Little friend, young master, little ancestor... please, you must not tell anyone..."
If the Lu family found out, they would surely not let him off.
Mo Hua reluctantly agreed, "Fine..."
He then cautioned, "But you have to listen to me from now on. If anything else comes up, I will ask you again..."
"By the way, what's your name?"
The Lu family cultivator felt like crying but had no tears, "Lu Ming."
(End of Chapter)
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