Chapter 459: The Corpse Mine
Chapter 459: The Corpse Mine
Zhang Quan was dead, and with his death, the truth had died with him.
The Iron Corpse had been stolen, and the trail had gone cold.
The only lead left to pursue was the traitor from Little Spirit Seclusion Sect.
Mo Hua thought for a moment before seeking out Yan Jiaoxi and asking, "Master Yan, do you think the traitor is still in Nanyue City?"
Yan Jiaoxi's eyes flickered, and he sighed, "I've searched for a long time, but found no clues. Perhaps he's no longer here..."
But Mo Hua shook his head, "Master Yan, you're lying."
Yan Jiaoxi was taken aback.
Mo Hua, however, was adamant.
Intrigued, Yan Jiaoxi asked, "How do you know I'm lying?"
"I guessed," Mo Hua replied crisply.
His eyes, clear and distinct, fixed upon Yan Jiaoxi, were deep and pure, untainted by deceit.
Under Mo Hua's gaze, Yan Jiaoxi felt his secrets unraveling.
A twinge of guilt pricked at his heart.
After a long silence, Yan Jiaoxi struggled internally before sighing, "That man... he's indeed in Nanyue City..."
"I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want to involve you, and also because it was just a guess. I had no evidence, no certainty."
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled, and he quickly asked, "Where in Nanyue City?"
Yan Jiaoxi frowned, "I suspect he's with the Lu family."
The Lu family!
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed as he pondered this new information.
The traitor, Shen Cai, had likely changed his name and appearance, hiding in Nanyue City, and would most probably seek the protection of a powerful force.
He wouldn't survive as a rogue cultivator.
Firstly, the life of a rogue cultivator was arduous, and he certainly hadn't betrayed his master and ancestors to endure such hardships.
Secondly, as an array master without any connections, he would stand out among rogue cultivators, making his identity even more suspicious.
If he didn't go rogue, he would seek the protection of a powerful faction.
And when seeking protection, he would naturally gravitate towards the most influential ones.
After all, it was safer under the wings of a formidable power, and with many people coming and going, he could easily hide among them.
In Nanyue City, there were three major forces: the Daotang Court, the Nanyue Sect, and the Lu family.
The Daotang Court valued lineage and would only accept those with a clean—at least seemingly clean—background.
The Nanyue Sect was a sect, and the Lu family was a clan.
Compared to the Daotang Court, these two were more accessible if one had the necessary skills and abilities.
One could become an instructor, an outer sect or distant branch elder, a guest advisor, or even marry into the family, with many options available, each offering a high status and good treatment.
Mo Hua had previously suspected that if the traitor was hiding, he was either with the Nanyue Sect or the Lu family.
But he hadn't been entirely sure.
And now, Yan Jiaoxi also guessed that the traitor was with the Lu family...
"Why do you think he's with the Lu family?" Mo Hua asked.
Yan Jiaoxi replied, "You're right, I did lie to you before..."
"I encountered that traitor's array techniques in Nanyue City, and I told you I couldn't trace the origin of the array. That was a lie..."
"I did find out."
Yan Jiaoxi's expression turned solemn, "That array technique originated from the Lu family."
"And the array aura in that mine, familiar yet obscure, carried a hint of evil..."
"I suspect the array used in that mine is the Spirit Pivot Array."
"That mine also belongs to the Lu family."
"It was my suspicion of the Lu family that led me to rent a house near the mine, hoping to gather some information and find clues about the traitor..."
Yan Jiaoxi sighed helplessly, "But who would have thought that I would encounter Zhang Quan and be held captive in the Zombie Village..."
"You know the rest..."
Yan Jiaoxi revealed everything.
Mo Hua nodded slowly, "Indeed, the Lu family now seems like the most likely suspect."
Yan Jiaoxi also nodded slightly, his expression turning dejected, "The Lu family's influence is too strong. They control several mines and have multiple Golden Core cultivators. They own brothels, gambling dens, and inns, and they dominate most of the prosperous Jinhua Street in Nanyue City. Their connections are deeply entwined..."
"I don't have the ability to investigate the Lu family, and even if I did find something, I'm afraid..."
Yan Jiaoxi sighed deeply.
Mo Hua understood Yan Jiaoxi's dilemma.
As an outsider, even as an array master, Yan Jiaoxi had no way to probe into the affairs of such a large local power as the Lu family.
And even if he did discover something, Yan Jiaoxi, being unskilled in Daoist techniques, wouldn't be able to do much about it.
If he reported to the Daotang Court that the Lu family was harboring someone who betrayed and killed their master and ancestors, it was more likely that Yan Jiaoxi himself would be arrested instead.
Mo Hua comforted Yan Jiaoxi, "Master Yan, Elder Mo was right. You should also consider your future and find a Daoist partner to settle down with."
Yan Jiaoxi paused, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
Mo Hua continued, "Good and evil have their retribution. Perhaps that person will meet their end one day, and their crimes will be exposed."
"For now, just stay here at ease, drink tea with Mr. Zhuang, chat, and discuss array techniques..."
"Let everything else take its natural course, and don't worry too much."
Although these words were spoken, Yan Jiaoxi's heart was not so easily unburdened.
However, hearing Mo Hua's words, Yan Jiaoxi felt a warmth in his heart.
Over the years, his mood had been gloomy, and his temperament had become somewhat reclusive.
He rarely felt the warmth of another's concern.
But soon, Yan Jiaoxi's expression changed as he looked at Mo Hua with suspicion, "Are you... planning something?"
Mo Hua smiled and shook his head, "Nothing much."
What he intended to do was not something he could share with Yan Jiaoxi just yet.
Changing the subject, Mo Hua chatted with Yan Jiaoxi for a while longer before heading to the Daotang Court to find Situ Fang.
As it was inconvenient to speak freely at the Daotang Court, the two found a secluded teahouse.
Mo Hua lowered his voice and asked, "Sister Situ, has anyone in your court ever accepted bribes from the Nanyue Sect?"
Situ Fang nodded again.
Mo Hua fell silent, then changed his line of questioning. "Then, is there any sect or family in Nanyue City that hasn't bribed him?"
Situ Fang hesitated. "There might be, but such a force probably no longer exists..."
Mo Hua was incredulous. "Is he that corrupt?"
Situ Fang chose her words carefully. "After all, he is my superior, and it's not appropriate for me to comment on his right and wrong."
Mo Hua understood. In other words, he was so corrupt that she was at a loss for words.
Frowning, Mo Hua asked, "Isn't anyone doing anything about his corruption?"
Situ Fang coughed softly and lowered her voice. "The Daotang Court has power, and where there is power, there is corruption. It's just a matter of degree."
"There are some who aren't corrupt, but they are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns."
"Power and money go hand in hand."
"As long as you have power, people will offer spirit stones to you, and they will even put the spirit stones into your pocket without you lifting a finger."
"And with spirit stones, you can naturally buy more power..."
Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly found something strange. "Sister Situ, why do you sound so similar to Uncle Zhang Lan when you say these things?"
Situ Fang showed a hint of disdain. "He's the one who told me all this."
Mo Hua was stunned.
Situ Fang sighed. "He was afraid that I was too honest and naive, so when I first became a Disciple, he told me these things."
At first, Situ Fang didn't believe it. But after becoming a Palace Maid herself and seeing more of the world, she had no choice but to accept it.
After a moment of reflection, Mo Hua asked, "Then, who does Qian Zhangsi take the most bribes from?"
"It has to be the Lu family."
"Are they the richest?"
"Mm." Situ Fang nodded. "Almost half of the mines in Nanyue City belong to the Lu family, and most of the miners in the city work for them. How could they not be rich?"
Mo Hua's inner monologue added: "And probably half of the Daotang Court officials in Nanyue City have been bought by the Lu family..."
"Don't go against the Lu family..." Situ Fang looked at Mo Hua with a furrowed brow and warned him. "The Lu family has a vast influence, deep roots, and complex relationships. Unless the Daotang Court intervenes, it's impossible to deal with such a powerful local force. Even if they do many bad things, they can always collude with the local Daotang Court officials and cover everything up."
"You can't cut the grass without pulling out the roots..."
Even the influential Situ family had to follow the rules when they came to Nanyue City.
While their interests sometimes conflicted, they never let it affect their relationship.
The problems in Nanyue City were deeply entrenched.
It wasn't something the Situ family could solve even if they wanted to.
Moreover, Situ Fang was just a low-ranking Official.
Situ Fang and Mo Hua had a deep friendship, and she was concerned that his zeal might lead him to get involved without understanding the risks, only to find himself unable to extricate himself later.
Mo Hua nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
After confirming the connection between the Lu family and the Daotang Court officials, Mo Hua paid another visit to the Lu family's mine.
On the surface, the mine appeared as bustling and chaotic as ever.
However, Mo Hua noticed that the surrounding formations had changed.
They were now more comprehensive, and the security was tighter.
On the outskirts of the mine, there were many Dust-revealing Arrays, and even at the entrance, an Image-projecting Array had been set up...
These arrays seemed to be specifically designed to prevent his intrusion.
At the same time, the monks guarding the mine had been replaced with a new batch.
The Lu family monk named Lu Ming had been transferred elsewhere.
There were now two Foundation Establishment cultivators overseeing the mine.
Unlike before, they didn't indulge in the comforts of beautiful maids, exquisite food, and fine wine. Instead, they sat quietly with solemn expressions, occasionally releasing their spiritual sense to sweep the area, as if on guard against something.
"This is very suspicious..." Mo Hua muttered to himself.
With the presence of Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Dust-revealing and Image-projecting Arrays, it wouldn't be easy to sneak in.
Mo Hua decided to wait until nightfall to take a look.
But even at night, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators remained on guard.
When Mo Hua swept the area with his spiritual sense, he found Lu family monks hiding in various corners.
Although no one was mining at night, the security was even tighter than during the day, giving him no opportunity to act.
"This is a big problem..." Mo Hua thought.
He decided to wait outside until midnight.
Finally, at the hour of the rat (midnight)
, some movement could be heard from within the mine, accompanied by a sinister aura.
However, unlike before, these movements were very subtle.
The aura inside was also weak and difficult to detect.
It seemed to be deliberately restrained, or perhaps it was being concealed by some kind of formation.
It was completely different from the dense, eerie, and heart-pounding feeling he had felt before.
Now, the mine's aura was weak, and the movements were small.
Even a passing cultivator might not notice anything unusual about the mine.
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn.
He sat cross-legged, releasing his spiritual sense to carefully sense the aura of the mine.
After a moment, Mo Hua opened his eyes, his heart certain.
His guess was correct.
The aura in the mine belonged to corpses!
Previously, he hadn't been sure.
But after his encounters with Zhang Quan, his visit to the Zombie Village, stealing the Corpse-controlling Bell, seizing the "Zombie Diagram," and even consuming a few zombies, Mo Hua had become very familiar with them.
That death aura was the corpse aura of zombies.
The putrid smell was the stench of decay from zombies.
The eerie formations were the evil spirit pivot formations drawn on the zombies.
The dense and eerie feeling he had felt before was because this mine contained countless, innumerable zombies!
The Lu family's mine was a corpse mine!
(End of Chapter)
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