Chapter 415: A Clue
Chapter 415: A Clue
After moving into the cave mansion, Mo Hua intended to enjoy some peace and quiet. However, just a few days later, visitors began to arrive one after another, each bearing invitations.
The first visitor was the owner of a trading house, reportedly a direct disciple of the Nanyue Sect.
Mo Hua offered him a simple reception.
This owner, surnamed Zheng, was not very old and had cultivated to the ninth layer of Qi Refining. He was dressed in fine robes and adorned with jade, presenting himself as a young master.
Young Master Zheng was also very courteous when he met Mo Hua, and the two chatted briefly.
Mo Hua quickly understood the situation.
Young Master Zheng was a direct disciple of an elder named Lin from the Nanyue Sect. His parents were in the business of artifact refining, and their substantial wealth allowed him to join the Nanyue Sect as an inner disciple.
However, there was intense competition among the direct disciples within the inner sect.
Fearing that their son would be at a disadvantage, his parents decided to invest in a trading house for him, allowing him to earn spirit stones and build connections with the sect and other local cultivation forces.
But a trading house couldn't be established without the support of influential backers.
His cultivation partner was from the Lu family, and half of the trading house was considered part of her dowry.
Young Master Zheng, impressed by Mo Hua's young age and extraordinary knowledge of formations, was eager to befriend him. That was why he sold the cave mansion to Mo Hua at a relatively low price.
Mo Hua learned some of this information from Young Master Zheng himself and the rest by spending two spirit stones to inquire from the employees of the trading house.
Since Young Master Zheng didn't seem to have ill intentions, Mo Hua treated him with courtesy and respect.
After drinking a few cups of tea, Young Master Zheng took his leave, saying, "I'll have my subordinates send a few boxes of fine tea to Young Master Mo later."
He probably thought Mo Hua's tea was not good, but he didn't want to say it outright.
The tea must not have been very good, as Mo Hua had bought it for only five tenths of a spirit stone.
Good tea was very expensive.
Usually, he would just "freeload" and drink tea at others' places instead of buying his own.
He had only bought the tea out of necessity after purchasing the cave mansion, in case he had visitors.
Whether the tea was good or not, it would be consumed either way, so Mo Hua wasn't picky about it.
But since Young Master Zheng offered to send him tea, Mo Hua didn't stand on ceremony and thanked him with a smile, "Then I must thank Young Master Zheng."
Pleased that Mo Hua had accepted his goodwill, Young Master Zheng returned the smile and bade farewell with a bow.
Subsequently, Mo Hua received visits from other formation masters who came to drink tea and exchange formation knowledge.
He also received gifts from some of the neighbors.
Two days later, Elder Su unexpectedly arrived as well.
Mo Hua served the tea that Young Master Zheng had sent, letting Elder Su taste it.
Elder Su took a sip and asked, "Is this... tea from my Nanyue Sect?"
"You could tell?" Mo Hua asked in surprise.
"I drink it every day," Elder Su smiled, "I can recognize it just from the aroma."
After a moment of contemplation, Elder Su asked, "Who gave this tea to Young Master Mo?"
"A young man surnamed Zheng," Mo Hua replied.
Elder Su frowned, "Surname Zheng?"
"The one who's dressed lavishly, wears a jade pendant, is a little chubby, and runs the trading house..." Mo Hua described.
"Oh, Zheng Yu," Elder Su recalled, "He gave this tea to Young Master Mo?"
Elder Su was a little surprised. In just a few days, he realized that Mo Hua had already made quite a few acquaintances among the cultivators in Nanyue City.
There were even quite a few gifts piled up at the door when he arrived.
"I met him when I bought the cave mansion," Mo Hua explained.
Elder Su nodded.
Mo Hua then inquired about Teacher Yan again.
Elder Su shook his head, "I sent someone to ask around again, but we still haven't found any clues about this Mr. Yan."
"I see..." Mo Hua nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, Elder Su."
"It's a minor matter, not worth mentioning," Elder Su said politely.
After a moment of thought, he hesitated before asking, "Young Master Mo, have you been to the Lu family's mines?"
Mo Hua was slightly surprised, but he kept his composure and calmly nodded, "Yes, I have."
Elder Su seemed hesitant to continue.
"Is there something inappropriate about it?" Mo Hua asked.
Elder Su pondered for a long time before sighing, "The Lu family's mines are a bit complicated. It's better if Young Master Mo doesn't get involved."
Mo Hua lowered his voice, "Does the Lu family have something unseemly to hide...?"
Elder Su quickly waved his hands, "No, no, Young Master Mo, don't jump to conclusions."
He continued, "The Lu family's mines are legitimate and compliant with the rules. They have been audited by the Daotinsi, and the mine cultivators work there voluntarily. The Lu family doesn't withhold spirit stones, provides compensation for accidents, and there's nothing unseemly about it."
Mo Hua wore an expression that suggested he had no personal stake in the matter but was nonetheless very curious, and he quietly asked, "I heard from my friend at the Daotinsi that five mine cultivators died miserably in the mine... Their deaths were truly tragic..."
Elder Su was surprised, "You have a friend at the Daotinsi?"
"Sort of," Mo Hua nodded.
Since he had worked with Sister Situ Fang and even shared meals with her, she could be considered a friend.
Elder Su's expression became complex.
Wasn't this little formation master visiting Nanyue City for the first time?
It was one thing for him to be acquainted with Zheng Yu, but now he also had a friend at the Daotinsi?
However, none of this mattered to him, so he simply sighed and said, "Every year, people die in that mine. Anyone who dies inside meets a tragic end."
"Every year?"
"Yes."
Mo Hua frowned, "How many people die?"
"It's hard to say," Elder Su mused, "There are definitely hundreds, and if there's a major accident, it could be in the thousands..."
"Major accident?"
"Mine collapse, demonic beast rampage, leakage of filthy qi, and so on."
Mo Hua's heart softened, "So many people die?"
Elder Su sighed, "There's no other way. In Nanyue City, we rely on the mountains for sustenance. The mines are our only option, and the cultivators can only make a living this way..."
"It's a bit better now. At least the Lu family compensates with spirit stones when someone dies."
"In the past, deaths went uncompensated..."
Mo Hua was astonished, "In the past, they didn't compensate with spirit stones at all?"
Elder Su nodded, "They're loose cultivators. No one cares if a few of them die."
Mo Hua also sighed.
Elder Su then realized that the topic had strayed a bit too far, so he said, "In any case, the matter of the mines involves the livelihoods of mine cultivators, family interests, and even the power of the Daotinsi. It's very complicated..."
"As formation masters, it's best to remain detached from worldly affairs and not get involved in such trivial matters.
Mo Hua nodded:
"Rest assured, Elder Su, I know my limits."
Elder Su heaved a sigh of relief.
He didn't know if Mo Hua truly took his words to heart, but hearing this response was enough to put him at ease.
The two chatted for a while longer before Elder Su took his leave.
Mo Hua, however, remained pensive, stroking his chin in confusion.
How did Elder Su know that he had been to the mines?
If he wanted to find out about his whereabouts, he certainly could have.
But why would he inquire about Mo Hua's movements when they weren't particularly close? Could this matter be related to the Lu family? Mo Hua recalled that the South Peak Sect and the Lu family had a close relationship...
As expected, the next day, Mo Hua received an invitation.
The invitation came directly from the head of the Lu family.
The wording was concise, without explaining the reason, simply requesting Mo Hua's presence at the Lu family residence to discuss formations.
Discuss formations...
It seemed that the Lu family had learned of his identity as a First-Rank Formation Master, or else the head of the family wouldn't have sent an invitation personally.
In a Second-Rank State, the status of a First-Rank Formation Master was quite prestigious.
And in South Peak City, the only person who knew of Mo Hua's status as a First-Rank Formation Master, as far as he knew, was Elder Su.
It appeared that Elder Su and the Lu family had a close relationship.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
Should he go?
Would there be any danger? After some thought, Mo Hua decided to go.
Without reason, the Lu family wouldn't dare or need to harm a First-Rank Formation Master.
Even if they intended to, it would be done secretly, without a trace.
They wouldn't send an invitation and openly invite him to their home only to make a move.
Moreover, Mo Hua was also curious.
He wanted to know what kind of person the head of the Lu family was.
Mo Hua informed Mr. Zhuang of this matter.
Mr. Zhuang merely nodded without saying anything.
Mo Hua felt relieved. Mr. Zhuang's silence indicated that this matter wasn't particularly risky.
Bai Zisheng wanted to go with him, but Mr. Zhuang asked him to stay.
"Practice the formations I taught you a hundred times..." Mr. Zhuang said.
Bai Zisheng pouted as he watched Mo Hua leave by himself, looking relaxed.
Mo Hua arrived at the Lu family residence.
There was a dedicated disciple from the Lu family who welcomed him at the entrance, escorting him inside with the utmost respect and leading the way.
Mo Hua took this opportunity to observe the Lu family's mansion.
His first impression was that the Lu family was incredibly wealthy!
If the Sun family was a minor wealthy family, then the Lu family was a grand landlord.
The scale of their mansion and the grandeur of its architecture surpassed even the Qian family in Transcendental City.
This was even more evident in their formations.
The Lu family seemed to have a complete formation lineage, likely possessing a First-Rank Formation Master within their ranks, in addition to their abundant spiritual stones.
Thus, the formations throughout their mansion were the best Mo Hua had seen so far, even surpassing the ones he had created for the alchemy and artifact refining shops.
Of course, compared to a true grand formation like the Five Elements Demon Beast Extermination Array, they were still far behind.
The Lu family disciple led Mo Hua to the study of the family head.
This was also Mo Hua's first time meeting the head of the Lu family.
What surprised him was that the head of the Lu family was an extremely gentle and cultured middle-aged cultivator, treating others with the warmth of a spring breeze, and possessing a handsome countenance that easily inspired goodwill.
After exchanging a few words, Mo Hua discovered that the family head had a high attainment in formations, at least at the First-Rank level.
During their conversation, the family head also expressed great admiration for Mo Hua.
The two talked for an hour, discussing formations, trivial matters, the customs of South Peak City, and various anecdotes about the cultivation world.
Not once did they bring up the topic of the mines.
Mo Hua presented himself as shy and polite, while the family head was enthusiastic and attentive.
They bade farewell on amicable terms.
Before leaving, the family head presented Mo Hua with numerous gifts, including formation manuals, spiritual ink, formation brushes, and some spiritual meat snacks and local specialties of South Peak City.
He then had the Lu family's luxurious carriage personally escort Mo Hua back to his door.
Riding in the Lu family's extravagant and comfortable carriage, Mo Hua returned home and tossed the large and small storage bags into the courtyard.
Bai Zisheng stood there with his mouth agape. "Mo Hua, did you scam them?"
Mo Hua shot him a glare. "I didn't scam anyone."
Bai Zisheng shook his head. "We're fellow disciples. Don't lie to me."
He then asked, "Did the Lu family give you all these things?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Bai Zisheng frowned. "Why?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. There must be a problem," Mo Hua mused.
However, he couldn't yet guess what the problem was, so he decided to put this matter aside for the time being.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
The most urgent task at hand was to find Yan Jiaoxie.
Yan Jiaoxie had been his teacher, imparting him with the fundamentals of the Dao.
But now, it seemed that the situation in South Peak City was a bit complicated.
There were power struggles, the tragic deaths of mine cultivators, and the sinister Absolute Formation...
If Yan Jiaoxie had indeed come here, he might have encountered some unforeseen danger.
Mo Hua wanted to find Yan Jiaoxie as soon as possible to ensure his safety.
However, despite his efforts, he still couldn't find any clues, so he decided to seek Situ Fang's help.
As the magistrate of the Dao Court, Situ Fang should have more means to find people than he did.
Situ Fang agreed to his request.
A few days later, she visited and shared two pieces of information.
First, there was indeed a cultivator named Yan, who seemed to be a teacher, and had come to South Peak City a few years ago. He had rented a house near the mines in the southern part of the city but hadn't lived there for a long time.
According to the nearby cultivators, one evening, this Mr. Yan had left his house and headed toward the mines, never to return...
The second piece of information was that they had found a lead regarding the five mine cultivators who had died tragically...
(End of Chapter)
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