Chapter 1408: Child of the Great Wilderness
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Chapter 1406: Child of the Great Wilderness
Manager Zhao nodded slightly. “Buried.”
“Is it the kind of ‘burial’ I’m thinking of…?” Mo Hua asked.
Manager Zhao shook his head. “Naturally not literally burying you, Young Master Mo… rather…” He pointed downward.
Mo Hua’s thoughts stirred. “A tomb?”
Manager Zhao lowered his gaze and nodded.
Mo Hua said, “A living person entering the earth… is it to… rob a tomb?”
Manager Zhao gave Mo Hua a meaningful look and said in a low tone with profound secrecy:
“Here, we don’t put it that way. Entering the earth is just entering the earth, it has nothing to do with tombs or grave-robbing.”
Quite particular about wording…
Mo Hua thought to himself. After a moment, curiosity got the better of him. “Then where do you enter the earth? In a place like Kun Province, where is there even ‘earth’ to enter?”
Manager Zhao grew even more cautious. Clearly, some things were taboo. He could only hint at them, not speak in detail.
“These matters… can’t be discussed for now. After all, business beneath the earth doesn’t see the light of day.”
Mo Hua nodded in understanding and asked, “Then why tell me about this?”
“Aren’t you short on spirit stones?” Manager Zhao replied.
Mo Hua asked, “Entering the earth… can earn spirit stones?”
“Of course,” Manager Zhao nodded. “Since ancient times, this trade has been the most ‘profitable.’ The living may not have much on them, but those who can be buried in tombs after death, who doesn’t go down with tens of thousands in gold as burial goods?”
Mo Hua nodded.
The disparity of wealth in the cultivation world was immense. Poor cultivators, after death, might be tossed into a mass grave… or not even buried at all, simply thrown into a ravine to be devoured by demonic beasts or have their corpses stolen by demonic cultivators.
But wealthy cultivators were different. Those who could be entombed and buried properly were always accompanied by extraordinary valuable burial goods.
Manager Zhao continued, “This kind of work depends on timing, location, feng shui, and fortune. If luck is on your side and you stumble upon a rich site, with heaven-sent fortune and rare opportunities, you won’t have to worry about spirit stones for the rest of your life.”
Mo Hua asked, “And if luck is bad?”
“Then…” Manager Zhao said, “you accept your misfortune.”
Mo Hua silently looked at Manager Zhou.
Manager Zhao sighed. “Life is a business, there are gains and losses, wins and defeats. Profit always comes with risk. Anything that earns spirit stones will surely carry danger. If someone tells you there’s a way to make guaranteed profit with zero loss, then they’re definitely trying to cheat you…”
“The same goes for entering the earth. Since it offers the chance of sudden wealth, it also brings the risk of sudden death. It all depends on whether you’re willing to gamble.”
“So…” Manager Zhao looked at Mo Hua seriously, “this is an opportunity. You need to think it through carefully.”
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then asked, “Manager Zhao, why are you willing to tell me about this? Do you trust me that much?”
Even though entering the earth was dangerous—wealth and death separated by a single thought—it was essentially gambling with one’s life.
But such an opportunity wasn’t something just anyone could encounter.
He and Manager Zhao only had a shallow business relationship. Yet Manager Zhao was willing to take a risk and offer him this opportunity?
Manager Zhao understood what Mo Hua meant and said,
“These days, I’ve observed how you conduct business, Young Master Mo. You are honest and trustworthy. You must be a person of upright and kind character…”
Mo Hua nodded.
Manager Zhao continued, “Besides, your situation is rather special…”
Being kept by a domineering senior sister, eager to prove himself. Usually having spirit stones withheld, with empty pockets…
Manager Zhao was quite understanding of these circumstances.
Of course, the main reason was still…
“You’re a formation master,” Manager Zhao said. “Formation masters are already rare, and Second-Grade high-tier ones even more so. Most of them live comfortable lives, those willing to risk their lives and enter the earth for wealth are exceedingly rare as pheonix feathers and qilin horns.”
“I’ve been short on people lately and couldn’t find any formation masters. Since you need spirit stones, after much consideration, I came to ask for your opinion…”
Mo Hua pondered for a moment before asking, “Will you be entering the earth as well, Manager Zhao?”
Manager Zhao shook his head. “I only organize the group and take a cut. I won’t go down personally.”
After all, as the manager of the Fortune Pavilion, if he entered the earth and picked up the aura from below, perceptive people would notice, how could he continue doing business? If reported, he’d be in serious trouble. So he only arranged connections and avoided direct involvement to keep his hands clean.
Mo Hua asked, “Then who will go down with me?”
Manager Zhao replied, “If you truly decide to go, I’ll inform you of the details, including where to go, who your companions are, and what to watch out for.”
“Before that, I must keep it confidential. I hope you understand.”
Mo Hua nodded, appearing thoughtful.
Manager Zhao glanced at him, seeming a bit reluctant, and sighed again.
“Logically speaking, I hope you will go. After all, once the group is formed, I’ll earn my commission. But emotionally, I truly hope you think it over again and again, very carefully…”
His expression turned solemn. “Entering the earth is no joke. You can encounter anything down there, especially since you are… a physically weak formation master. If something happens, I would feel deeply troubled.”
Mo Hua nodded slightly and asked, “If I don’t go, will you fail to form the group?”
“It’ll be troublesome,” Manager Zhao admitted. “I’ll try to find someone else. If I can’t, then so be it, just missing out on a deal and losing some spirit stones.”
He said it lightly, but judging by his demeanor, it was clear the loss wouldn’t be small amount.
Mo Hua asked, “Can I have a few days to think?”
Manager Zhao nodded. “Of course, but only three days. If you agree after three days, we set out immediately. If not, we’ll act as though this never happened and never speak of it again.”
“Alright,” Mo Hua said.
Manager Zhao solemnly warned him once more, “Entering the earth is no child’s play. Fortune and disaster lie within a single thought. Please consider carefully, young master, and don’t act recklessly. Spirit stones can be earned again, but you only have one life.”
“And…” Manager Zhao pointed to the sky, then to the ground, lowering his voice with a grim expression,
“Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know… no third person must ever know.”
“Not even your senior sister.”
“If this matter is exposed, it could bring disaster upon you, with endless consequences. Remember this well, and do not forget.”
Matters that cannot see the light of day become extremely serious once exposed.
Thus, Manager Zhao’s expression was frighteningly severe.
Mo Hua nodded. “I understand.”
After their discussion, Mo Hua left Fortune Pavilion, went to the market to buy some demon bones and the like, and then returned to the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land.
…
Inside the guest room.
Mo Hua set up a brazier and used Great Wilderness demon bones for divination, calculating the fortune or misfortune of this “entering the earth” venture.
In the flickering firelight, cracks spread chaotically across the bones, forming an unclear pattern.
Mo Hua glanced at them, his expression turning strange.
Although his karmic divination might not be “godlike,” but it was certainly refined, there was no way he couldn’t even determine a general sense of fortune or misfortune.
“Is it because nothing has been decided yet, the location, the companions, all are unknown, so the outcome cannot be determined?”
“Or… has the karma beneath the earth been obscured by someone for some reason?”
The whole matter felt somewhat strange.
“So… should I go?”
Mo Hua frowned.
Truth be told, he really wanted to.
In a place like Kun Province, the existence of such a trade as “entering the earth” intrigued him greatly.
How wondered how exactly did one enter the earth? Who lay buried beneath? Could one truly dig up treasures and become rich overnight?
Moreover, Mo Hua was indeed in dire need of spirit stones…
According to Manager Zhao, it was currently the off-season. There were no major jobs, and the orders from Fortune Pavilion simply couldn’t satisfy his needs.
At this rate, when would he ever fully feed the Taotie spiritual skeleton?
He had to take a gamble and see if he could seek wealth amidst danger.
“It’s just entering the earth… I’ll go once to see what it’s like down there. Surely I won’t be that unlucky to run into something… ‘big,’ right…”
Mo Hua muttered to himself.
Then, looking at the Great Wilderness demon bones before him, he suddenly recalled an even more important matter.
“The Child of the Great Wilderness…”
How was the child that was inside Qing Zhu’s womb, the one he had saved by reversing life and death using the Yin-Wood Rejuvenation Formation, how was he doing now?
Previously, Mo Hua had calculated the vitality of the people of the Great Wilderness once.
After his divine sense recovered, every so often, whenever he thought of someone, he would casually run a calculation, just to confirm whether acquaintances and friends were still alive.
For many people, although their situations were unclear, Mo Hua could tell they were most likely still alive.
But only this one—the child in Qing Zhu’s womb, the sole bloodline of the Great Wilderness Royal family, the infant deeply connected to Shentu Ye—no matter how he calculated, he could not trace his karma.
Mo Hua’s expression grew grave. After pondering for a moment, still uneasy, he used the Great Wilderness demon bone divination technique to calculate once more.
This time, he even employed both the Heavenly Secret Derivative Algorithm and the Heavenly Secret Deceptive Algorithm.
Yet still, he gained nothing.
As if this child simply did not exist within the threads of karma.
“The only bloodline of the Great Wilderness Royal family… is he alive or dead? And where will he go…”
Mo Hua’s gaze grew profound.
…
At this moment, in the Great Wilderness.
North of the Royal court, south of Desert City.
On a desolate stretch of desert, after a long and bitter escape, a pale woman covered in blood was holding a tightly swaddled infant in her arms.
The woman, delicate and beautiful, was none other than Situ Fang.
Beside her, her cousin Situ Xiu, clad in tattered armor and equally battered, said, “Cousin, should we go save Miss Dan Ling?”
Situ Fang’s face turned bitter. “We’re being hunted. Dan Ling risked her life to draw the enemy away. If we go back now, we’d just be throwing our lives away.”
Dan Ling was at the Golden Core realm, while the two of them were only at Foundation Establishment.
Situ Xiu looked up at the desolate, lifeless desert, despair written all over his face. “Where do we go next? And what about this child?”
“We…”
Situ Fang’s voice was hoarse. For a moment, her heart was filled with desolation and confusion.
The entire Great Wilderness no longer had a place for them. Li Province was in chaos, and they couldn’t returned Situ Clan either. At the very least, the child in her arms absolutely could not be taken there, or it would invite great disaster.
Situ Fang lowered her head to look at the child in her arms.
The child had grown a little, with his skin slightly dark, lips tightly pressed. Yet on his hands and feet were faint dragon scales, and deep within his eyebrows lay a trace of faint golden-brown hue.
Just one glance was enough to know this was no ordinary child.
In fact, every time Situ Fang looked at him, a sense of reverence would rise uncontrollably in her heart.
She understood better than anyone that if this child were seen by those with ill intent, it would instantly stir monstrous waves. Countless unknown cultivators would come to harm him, and she would fail Mo Hua’s trust.
But how could she protect him?
Could she even protect him at all?
Now that Mo Hua’s fate was unknown, how should this mysterious child be settled?
Situ Fang felt both pain and confusion in her heart.
Situ Xiu had never been one to make decisions. Seeing his cousin lost in thought only made him more distressed.
Suddenly, Situ Fang exclaimed. “Mo Hua!”
Situ Xiu was stunned. “Where? Where is Mo Hua? Didn’t he disappear?”
Situ Fang said, “Mo Hua’s home!”
Situ Xiu still didn’t understand.
A glimmer of light appeared in Situ Fang’s eyes. “Take this child to Tōngxiān City, to Mo Hua’s home… that’s his territory.”
“Only then does this child have a chance to grow up safely…”
The Great Wilderness was unsafe. The Situ Clan was unsafe. The only safe place was Tōngxiān City.
Realization dawned on Situ Xiu. “But…” he hesitated, “the journey won’t be easy.”
The Great Wilderness was still in turmoil. Near Desert City lay the Sea of Sand. Even after crossing it, Li Province remained in chaos, danger lurked at every step.
A resolute expression appeared on Situ Fang’s pale yet beautiful face. “Enough talk. Let’s go!”
Mo Hua had shown her kindness. She had promised him she would protect this child, and she would do everything in her power.
Situ Xiu sighed. “Alright.”
He was used to listening to his cousin anyway, and Mo Hua had saved his life too.
Without further hesitation, Situ Fang fed the child a sip of water, took a fasting pill herself, tightened the swaddling cloth, and set off once more across the vast, desolate path.
Along the way, disasters spread, war raged, and they didn’t know how many countless dangers they would face before reaching Tōngxiān City.
Yet Situ Fang’s expression remained firm and unyielding.
…
Back in the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land.
Mo Hua finally decided to go underground once, to see what the situation beneath the earth was like.
He first bid farewell to True-Person Rong. “True-Person, I need to go out for a while. It might take some time.”
True-Person Rong nodded, clearly not too interested in engaging with Mo Hua.
Mo Hua then went to say goodbye to Xiao Ju, telling her that he was heading out to do some business.
Xiao Ju looked quite worried, her face full of concern. “You’re not going to run into danger out there and die, never to return… will you?”
Mo Hua: “…”
Xiao Ju said, “I often hear people say that wealth stirs people’s hearts. If you go into business and happen to earn spirit stones, it’s easy for others to covet your wealth and take your life.”
In Xiao Ju’s heart, Mo Hua was very valuable. Precisely because he was valuable, he was even more likely to be targeted and harmed.
Just the thought of Mo Hua being killed for his wealth and left dead by the roadside made Xiao Ju feel a bit sad.
Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions and sighed. “Thank you for your concern.”
Finally, Mo Hua went to bid farewell to his Little Senior Sister.
Bai Zixi didn’t ask much, only looked at Mo Hua deeply. “Nothing will happen… right?”
Mo Hua nodded. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Mm.” Bai Zixi nodded, then softly added, “Remember to come back.”
Mo Hua smiled. “Alright.”
After that, he packed some belongings into his storage bag and headed east, toward the Eastern District’s Prosperity Street, to the Fortune Pavilion to find Manager Zhao.
When Manager Zhao saw Mo Hua, he seemed somewhat surprised, yet not entirely so. He simply sighed and said:
“Young Master, please follow me. I will take you to meet a few people.”
Mo Hua nodded and followed behind Manager Zhao, thus officially beginning his first “burial” journey in Kun Province…