Chapter 412: The Cave Mansion
Chapter 412: The Cave Mansion
Lu Ming was thoroughly intimidated by Mo Hua's interrogation.
Si Tu Fang, on the other hand, was a bit bewildered and kept sneaking glances at Mo Hua on their way back, filled with perplexity.
Mo Hua seemed so innocent and well-behaved.
How could he be so adept at framing, threatening, interrogating, and coercing others?
Who taught him all this?
The group left the Lu family's mine, leaving the rest to the Dao Ting Court.
It was up to them to investigate Miner Liu's disappearance, determine the cause of death, find out if a cultivator was involved, and identify the perpetrator, as well as handle any subsequent compensation.
Si Tu Fang heaved a sigh of relief and said to Mo Hua, "Thank you so much for your help this time. I'll treat you to something delicious when I have the chance!"
"Thank you, Sister Si Tu!" Mo Hua replied.
After a moment's thought, he added quietly, "Sister Si Tu, can you let me know if the Dao Ting Court finds any leads on the perpetrator?"
Si Tu Fang furrowed her brows slightly.
The Dao Ting Court usually kept their investigations confidential.
However, Mo Hua had been a great help in this matter, and without him, they wouldn't have even found Miner Liu's body. So, she didn't see any harm in keeping him informed.
"How did you find that cave?" she asked, her perplexity from earlier resurfacing.
Why was there an array on an ordinary-looking stone wall, and how did Mo Hua know there was a cave behind it?
"I just have strong spiritual sense and a bit of knowledge about arrays, so I stumbled upon it by chance," Mo Hua replied modestly.
Si Tu Fang's expression was complex, unsure if Mo Hua was telling the truth or not.
But she didn't press further, simply nodding, "Alright, if there are any leads, I'll let you know discreetly."
"Thank you, Sister Si Tu," Mo Hua said with a smile.
The group then bid each other farewell.
Before leaving, Mo Hua gave Lu Ming a meaningful look and said, "You know what you should and shouldn't say, right?"
Lu Ming shuddered and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I understand!"
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
After leaving the Lu family's mine, Mo Hua and his companions returned to the South Yue Inn and informed Master Zhuang about the incident at the mine.
Master Zhuang furrowed his brows but remained silent.
Mo Hua lowered his voice and said, "Master, I suspect that the perpetrator has something to do with the forbidden array."
Master Zhuang smiled slightly and asked, "How did you figure that out?"
"There seemed to be a trace of the forbidden array's aura on the deceased miner," Mo Hua explained.
Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi exchanged glances, clueless as they were unskilled in spiritual calculations.
"Do you know which forbidden array it is?" Master Zhuang inquired further.
Mo Hua shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his voice, "The aura was too faint, and the array traces were too shallow for me to calculate..."
"But..." Mo Hua's eyes widened as he recalled something, "that trace of the forbidden array's aura felt a bit sinister."
"Sinister..."
Master Zhuang's gaze turned enigmatic.
"Master, are there sinister forbidden arrays as well?" Mo Hua asked.
Master Zhuang nodded, "In this world, where there is good, there is also evil, and the same is true for arrays."
"What's the difference between a sinister forbidden array and a regular one?" Mo Hua asked, his curiosity piqued.
Master Zhuang glanced at the intrigued Mo Hua and suddenly smiled, "If you can figure out the answer to that yourself, I won't tell you."
"Figure it out myself?"
Mo Hua was taken aback, whispering, "But I haven't figured it out yet..."
Master Zhuang laughed, "If you can find that forbidden array, you'll understand naturally."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, "So, Master, there really is a forbidden array hidden in Nan Yue City?"
Master Zhuang paused, then smiled enigmatically, "Who knows? I haven't left the inn, so how would I know..."
Mo Hua's big eyes blinked rapidly as he stared at Master Zhuang, his heart gradually filling with certainty.
It must be true!
Whenever Master Zhuang made such an enigmatic expression, it meant that something was definitely going on.
Master Zhuang shook his head slightly and ruffled Mo Hua's hair, "We might have to stay here a bit longer. It's too noisy at the inn, so we should find a cave mansion to stay in."
"A cave mansion?" Mo Hua was surprised.
He had never lived in a cave mansion before.
In the cultivation world, cave mansions were usually very expensive.
Only cultivators with status or influential backgrounds could afford to spend spirit stones on them in Tong Xian City.
For example, Master Luo, a first-grade array master, and the head of the An family, Old Master An.
Although Mo Hua was also a first-grade array master, he wasn't as "corrupt" as Master Luo. He usually charged very few spirit stones when drawing arrays for others.
In the case of scattered cultivators like those from Dong Shan Village, he didn't even accept spirit stones.
As long as they provided their own spirit ink, he considered it free practice.
So, while he wasn't lacking in spirit stones, he was far from wealthy.
"Cave mansions are probably very expensive..." Mo Hua said weakly.
Master Zhuang noticed Mo Hua's expression and smiled, "Now that you're a first-grade array master, it would be strange if you didn't live in a cave mansion. Don't worry about the spirit stones."
"But..."
"You don't have to worry about the spirit stones," Master Zhuang reassured him. "Later, you and your senior martial brothers and sisters will go to the city and choose a cave mansion.
Mo Hua was taken aback but soon began to understand. His master was testing his knowledge.
On the surface, they were searching for a cave mansion, but in reality, Master Zhuang was examining his understanding of array formations, spiritual energy, and various cultivation principles.
"Yes, Master," Mo Hua agreed.
In the afternoon, Mo Hua, along with Bai Zi Sheng and Bai Zi Xi, took to the streets of Nan Yue City to rent a cave mansion.
Buying one would be too expensive, and since they only planned to stay temporarily, renting was a better option.
Although Mo Hua had never lived in a cave mansion before, he was well-versed in the intricacies of finding one.
Having grown up in Tong Xian City, he had always gotten along well with his peers, including Da Hu and Da Zhu, who were around the same age as him.
Later, as an array master, he had cultivated a vast network of connections among the adults as well.
Through his exposure to their conversations, he had picked up on the nuances of the lower-level cultivators' world.
While Nan Yue City was not Tong Xian City, the customs and rules of the lower-level solitary cultivators were more or less the same.
Typically, renting or buying a cave mansion required going through a go-between known as a "tooth merchant."
The intermediaries of the tooth merchants were usually referred to as "tooth men."
Mo Hua located one such tooth merchant and approached a clever-looking tooth man, expressing his intention to rent a cave mansion.
The tooth man glanced at the three young children before him, his expression confused and his demeanor somewhat cold. He thought Mo Hua was playing a prank on him.
"What kind of cave mansion could three kids be looking for?" his skeptical gaze seemed to say.
Mo Hua produced a spirit stone and handed it to the tooth man.
The tooth man's eyes widened as he weighed the spirit stone in his hand, and a smile immediately spread across his face. "What kind of cave mansion would the three of you like to see?"
Whether these three children decided to rent or not, he had already earned this spirit stone.
It didn't matter if they didn't buy. He could consider it a tip for taking these kids on a tour, and he wouldn't be at a loss.
"Just show us what you have," Mo Hua replied, as he really didn't know what kind of cave mansion he was looking for.
"Sure!"
The tooth man eagerly led the way, taking them on a tour of the cave mansions listed in the tooth merchant's registry.
As he walked ahead, the tooth man enthusiastically described each property:
"This cave mansion is great—it's spacious and very roomy..."
"This one is also good—it's small and very exquisite..."
"This cave mansion is excellent—it's situated on high ground and is very imposing..."
"This one is favorable too—it's in a low-lying area and is very low-key..."
No matter what, he always emphasized the positives. If the mansion was large, he'd call it "spacious." If it was small, he'd describe it as "exquisite." If it was on high ground, it was "imposing," and if it was low-lying, it became "low-key." He always managed to find a flattering description...
Mo Hua listened quietly, thinking that he should learn this kind of sales talk.
If he mastered this skill, he could flatter people with his words as if it were second nature.
At first, the tooth man maintained a reserved attitude, but as he considered that his clients were just children, he thought there was no point in trying to deceive them.
Besides, it wasn't certain if they would rent or not, so he gradually relaxed and began to speak more frankly...
"This cave mansion is nice, but it's just for show. It looks good, but it's uncomfortable to live in..."
"Let's skip this one—it's shoddy workmanship..."
"This one is a pity. It has all the trappings—artificial mountains and water features, and a complete array formation—but someone died here..."
"How did they die?" Mo Hua asked, his curiosity piqued.
The tooth man shook his head. "It's not clear... Some say it was a cultivator who went crazy during cultivation and died with their meridians ruptured. Others claim it was a case of revenge, where the victim was hacked to death. There's also a rumor that he offended the Lu family and was killed, then thrown into the mine..."
"Did the Lu family really do something like that?" Mo Hua inquired.
The tooth man started to answer but suddenly realized his mistake. "It's just a rumor... just a rumor," he said with an awkward smile.
As they moved on to the next cave mansion, he continued, "This one is also excellent in every way. The layout is exquisite and beautiful, and there's a flower and wood array in the garden. You can activate the array formation with spirit stones, filling the garden with lush flowers and a fragrant scent. But it's best not to rent this one either..."
"Why not?" Mo Hua asked.
The tooth man lowered his voice. "It's the residence of the Chief of the Dao Ting Court, used for keeping his mistress..."
Mo Hua was shocked. "You know all this?"
The tooth man shrugged. "This kind of gossip is unknown to outsiders, but we insiders hear it all the time. I've heard it so much that my ears are calloused."
Bai Zi Sheng also asked, "Then what happened?"
The tooth man relished in the drama. "It all came to light, of course. The Chief's wife caught him in the act, tore the mistress's face, and used poison powder to disfigure her permanently."
"The Chief tried to stop her but failed, and he ended up getting torn apart as well..."
Mo Hua was stunned. After a moment, he couldn't help but exclaim, "The lives of cultivators in Nan Yue City are quite colorful..."
The tooth man hummed in agreement. "When you have enough food and clothing, you start to desire pleasure. These cultivators of high status have no shortage of spirit stones, and naturally, they look for ways to amuse themselves. There's no shortage of sordid stories like this..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
