Chapter 1418: All Dead?

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Chapter 1416: All Dead?

The Tomb Master Zombie’s internal organs had long since rotted away. Influenced by the underground Yin Evil Qi, it underwent Corpse Transformation, its flesh and blood filthy and turbid.

Mo Hua used his single-edged knife to poke and prod around, the scene somewhat nauseating.

However, he had witnessed too many terrifying scenes of evil entities before, so his tolerance was decent.

After rummaging around for quite a while, Mo Hua finally found a suspicious “object”.

Using the tip of his knife, Mo Hua fished out a blood-stained item from the zombie’s belly and tossed it onto the ground. With a flick of his right hand, he cast the Water Rain Technique, washing away the bloodstains and grime. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the object was actually a bone fragment.

Judging by the material, it should be a piece of human bone.

But Mo Hua was proficient in causality, and from this bone, he sensed a sense of incongruity.

This was indeed a human bone, but it did not belong to the tomb master himself. Instead, it seemed more like…

After disemboweling, someone had inserted another person’s bone into the tomb master’s corpse.

Mo Hua used the tip of his knife to poke at the bone again, turning it over and examining it repeatedly. He noticed that on the surface of the bone fragment, there was a faint formation pattern.

His eyes lit up. He immediately focused his Divine-Sense, carefully scrutinizing it for a while. After a moment, his brows furrowed slightly.

“What… kind of formation pattern is this?”

It wasn’t an Earth-Ground Formation, nor an Earth-element formation. It didn’t belong to any of the Five Elements formation patterns.

Judging from its structure, it wasn’t an Eight Trigrams formation pattern either.

As for other types… it didn’t quite resemble those either…

“Three Talents, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Yao-Lines, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams…”

Mo Hua silently counted through them one by one in his mind, yet none seemed to match.

Among the major formation categories, he had studied the Four Symbols, Five Elements, and Eight Trigrams the most and was most proficient in them.

He hadn’t formally studied the Three Talents or Seven Stars, but he had encountered them before and knew what their patterns looked like.

As for the Six Yao-Lines formation, it was a secret transmission of the demonic sects. Though sinister and unorthodox, it still wouldn’t deviate from the fundamental framework of formations. Mo Hua hadn’t learned it, but with his profoundly deep attainments in formations, if he truly saw one, he wouldn’t fail to recognize it.

Yet this formation pattern before him didn’t seem to fit into any known category.

If it at least had some structural complexity in formation style or contained some underlying Laws, Mo Hua could at the very least attempt to derive and comprehend it through Derivative Algorithm.

But this formation pattern… had nothing.

Completely empty.

It looked like a purely “meaningless” Formation Pattern, possessing only form but no meaning whatsoever.

As if someone had casually scribbled it without any intent behind it.

“What kind of formation is this exactly…?”

Mo Hua frowned.

He pondered for a while longer but still couldn’t discern anything. Soon after, he noticed that the tomb’s gloomy putrid stench was making it difficult for him to breathe.

After staying underground for so long, maintaining an internal circulation of spiritual power, he was starting to feel uncomfortable.

“I’ll take it back and study it slowly…”

Mo Hua thought to himself. He then took out a clean cloth, wrapped up the bone fragment bearing the meaningless formation pattern, and stored it in his Storage Ring.

Mo Hua had a premonition that this thing would be quite important to him.

Afterward, he looked around once more, sweeping his Divine-Sense through every corner to ensure nothing else was left behind. Only after confirming this did he turn to leave.

He stepped over Old Mo’s severed limbs, exited the tomb chamber, and saw Da Shan’s corpse.

Retracing his path, he passed through the mechanism corridor and saw what remained of the scholar—a mass of flesh—and Qian Jin’s cold corpse still lying outside the door.

The entire tomb was filled with the dead… and all of them had died not too long ago.

Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions.

Entering a tomb carried risks. Immense profit and sudden death are separated by only a thin line apart. Manager Zhao’s words had indeed come true.

Mo Hua considered giving these people a proper burial, but he didn’t know how or where to bury them.

Moreover, under these circumstances, the four of them were either drenched in blood, reduced to pulp, or torn into pieces… there was no way to bury them properly.

Grave robbers were not exactly good people to begin with.

Since they had chosen this path, dying underground and becoming food for corpses was perhaps their final destination.

One must respect each person’s causality…

Mo Hua sighed softly and refrained from doing anything unnecessary. Instead, he erased all traces he had left behind along the way. Then he passed through the mechanism passage and retraced his steps out.

…

After walking through the winding tomb passages, when Mo Hua finally emerged from the tomb and reached the surface, the bright sunlight once again shone upon his face.

For a moment, he felt as though he had crossed into another world.

As if he had returned from the realm of the dead into the living world.

Above ground, one is human; below ground, one is a corpse.

The earth truly accommodates all things, including life and death.

Mo Hua filled in the entrance to the grave and set up a few formations, altering the terrain to completely conceal the opening.

After finishing all this, he went to the edge of the abandoned village, searching for some wild grass, but still found nothing suitable.

He gave up for the time being, then walked east along the road and found Old Mo’s carriage tied by the roadside.

The spirit horse pulling the carriage was still grazing. Seeing Mo Hua approach, it neighed softly.

Mo Hua patted the horse. “Let’s head back.”

The horse didn’t care whether the grave robbers were alive or dead, it simply followed orders.

Mo Hua fed it a few stalks of spirit grass, then boarded the carriage.

The spirit horse pulled the carriage, carrying only Mo Hua as it began the journey back to Houtu City.

The horse trotted along cheerfully, but the carriage felt empty with only Mo Hua inside.

Five had set out, but only one returned, a stark and chilling reality.

Calm, yet lonely.

Mo Hua felt a faint sense of solitude.

Indeed, life is unpredictable, and death can come at any moment. People don’t only die of old age; they can die at any time.

With such thoughts weighing on his mind, Mo Hua rode the carriage, alone, back toward the Houtu City…

…

The carriage traveled for half a day and a full night.

The next morning.

In the eastern district of Houtu City, inside the Fortune Pavilion.

Having just finished handling some business and now sitting behind the counter with nothing to do, Manager Zhao frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy.

“By my calculations, it should be about time…”

“That young Master Mo, i’s his first time entering a tomb… I wonder… if he ran into danger…”

Such a frail formation master… if he encountered danger, or got tricked by those seasoned grave robbers, what then?

If something really happened, would that domineering senior sister of his come looking for him to demand answers?

Manager Zhao reclined in his chair, lost in thought. Just as he was muttering to himself, he suddenly saw a handsome young man approach the counter—it was Mo Hua.

Manager Zhao was instantly overjoyed. He looked him over from head to toe, confirming that Mo Hua’s arms and legs were intact and his expression normal. The heavy stone in his heart finally settled.

“You’re back?” Manager Zhao asked.

“Yes.” Mo Hua nodded.

“This isn’t a place to talk. Let’s go to a private room upstairs.”

“Alright.”

Manager Zhao brought Mo Hua upstairs, ordered someone to serve fine tea, and personally poured him a cup for Mo Hua. After sizing him up again, he finally asked:

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine…” Mo Hua nodded.

“That’s good, that’s good…” Manager Zhao sighed in relief, picked up his teacup, took a small sip, then glanced beside Mo Hua and asked in confusion:

“Where’s Old Mo? Why didn’t he come with you?”

“He’s dead,” Mo Hua said.

Manager Zhao choked on his tea, thinking he must have misheard.

“Dead?”

“Dead.” Mo Hua nodded.

“What about scholar?”

“Dead.” Mo Hua replied.

“Da Shan?”

“Dead.”

“And that other one…?”

“Also dead.”

Manager Zhao’s mouth fell wide open with shock. “All dead??”

Mo Hua sighed, looking somewhat saddened. “All dead.”

Manager Zhao set down his cup, furrowed his brow, and began tugging at his beard absentmindedly, his mind a complete mess. After a moment, he finally remembered what he should ask:

“Where did they die?”

“In the tomb,” Mo Hua replied.

“How did they die?”

“In all sorts of ways…”

“Then… what about you?” Manager Zhao stared blankly at Mo Hua. “You… didn’t die?”

Mo Hua was a little speechless. “If I died, who are you talking to right now?”

“Right…” Manager Zhao slapped his forehead, realizing he had asked the wrong question, then rephrased it:

“They all died, and you’re the only one who survived?”

A group of seasoned grave robbers—all dead down there—and you, a newcomer, came back alive?

Who are you kidding?

What are you… metal in the Five Elements? Is your fate forged of iron? Is your life really that tough to take?

Manager Zhao wore an expression of utter disbelief.

Then his expression turned serious as he asked:

“On this trip… did you obtain anything valuable?”

Manager Zhao fixed Mo Hua with an intense gaze.

Mo Hua nodded calmly, then took out a warm, lustrous “crystal” from his storage bag and placed it in front of Manager Zhao.

Manager Zhao frowned, initially paying little attention, but as soon as he picked up the crystal and examined it, his whole body trembled.

Mo Hua frowned slightly and said. “I’m not sure if this counts as something valuable…”

“But ever since we dug this thing out, Old Mo and the others started acting a bit differently…”

“As we were walking, for some reason, Old Mo suddenly stabbed Qian Jin and killed him.”

“When we passed through a mechanism passage, Old Mo tripped scholar up and got him killed too.”

“After that, Da Shan and Old Mo started fighting. At first, Da Shan had the upper hand, beating Old Mo so badly he was barely recognizable…”

“But I had no idea that Old Mo was actually at mid-stage Golden Core cultivation, hiding it all along…” Mo Hua shook his head and sighed. “He seized an opening in Da Shan’s defense, suddenly revealed his true strength, and stabbed Da Shan to death as well.”

“Then Old Mo tried to tempt me.”

“He said we could split this crystal, asked me to draw formations for him… even said he’d take me to Jade Spring Pavilion for fun and said I should stick with him from then on…”

Manager Zhao’s face tightened, and he hurriedly asked, “And then?”

“And then…” Mo Hua sighed, “Old Mo suddenly dropped dead.”

Manager Zhao was stunned. “Dropped dead?”

Mo Hua nodded, “It seemed like he was infected with some kind of Corpse Poison, a very potent one. One moment he was trying to lure me to the Jade Spring Pavilion, and the next, his lips suddenly turned purple, his face turned green, and he just dropped dead on the spot…”

“And then?”

“Then I picked everything up and brought them back to you,” Mo Hua said.

Manager Zhao’s expression was a sight to behold… extremely colorful.

In all his years as a middleman, he had never encountered anything so absurd.

Yet, somehow, every cause and effect lined up perfectly, so much so that even a seasoned veteran like him couldn’t find a single flaw.

Old Mo, was the type—warm on the surface but ruthless at heart—killing Qian Jin and the scholar was entirely in character.

Da Shan trying to kill Old Mo was also normal.

And as for Old Mo, he had done too many wicked deeds and was bound to meet his end. Having spent years tomb-raiding, dying from a potent Corpse Poison was hardly surprising.

Most importantly…

Manager Zhao glanced again at the crystal in his hand, his heart suddenly trembling.

With this thing, everything made even more sense.

Old Mo killing others to monopolize this treasure was entirely plausible.

Even he himself would likely find it hard to resist such temptation.

Just then, a puzzled voice sounded, “Manager Zhao, what… is this stone?”

Manager Zhao was taken aback and looked up at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua’s gaze was clear as he looked straight back at him.

“This is… it is…”

Manager Zhao hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words.

His eyes flickered with inner struggle several times, wanting to speak but stopping himself. His heart went through waves of turmoil and testing, but in the end, he let out a long sigh and said:

“It’s… a Heavenly Crystal.”

“Heavenly Crystal?” Mo Hua’s gaze shifted slightly. “What is that?”

Since he had already spoken, Manager Zhao decided not to hide anything and sighed. “It’s… an extremely precious Primordial Innate Spirit Crystal. In other words, a Supreme-grade spirit stone.”

Mo Hua asked, “Then it must be very valuable?”

Manager Zhao sighed. “Yes… very valuable.”

“How many spirit stones is it worth?” Mo Hua asked.

Manager Zhao shook his head. “I am not sure.”

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback. “Not sure?”

He could tell Manager Zhao wasn’t lying.

Manager Zhao explained, “Things like Heavenly Crystals are priceless and have no real market. Moreover, each one differs in attributes, purity, and innate law characteristics, so their value varies greatly.”

“And it also depends on whether someone is willing to make an offer.”

“Things like this are undoubtedly precious, but to sell them at a good price depends on whether there’s demand and how much the buyer is willing to pay…”

“Different needs and different buyers can lead to huge disparities in market prices. So, if you ask me how many Spirit stones this Heavenly Crystal is worth, I can’t say for sure. I’d need to inquire around and contact some experts who might be interested…”

Manager Zhao patiently explained to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded. “Alright, then I’ll leave this Heavenly Crystal with you. When you sell it for spirit stones, just remember to give me my share.”

Manager Zhao was utterly astonished. “You’re just giving it to me like that?”

Mo Hua replied naturally, “I don’t know anyone here in Kun Province, nor do I know who to sell it to. Things like this should naturally be handled by you, Manager Zhao. Wasn’t that our original agreement?”

They had agreed that any valuable items taken from tombs would be handed to Manager Zhao, who would sell them and split the spirit stones among them.

“Well… that is… indeed… what we said…”

Manager Zhao sighed inwardly.

But very few people could truly act on such an agreement.

Especially when it came to a treasure like a Heavenly Crystal…

Manager Zhao looked at Mo Hua and thought to himself that this Young Master Mo was indeed no ordinary person. His honesty and integrity in dealing with others were truly rare in a lifetime.

Such youthful, untainted sincerity even made Manager Zhao—who had long been immersed in the scheming and struggles of the merchant world—feel somewhat ashamed of himself.

Manager Zhao nodded and said. “Alright, I’ll find some buyers and try to get a good price. When the time comes, I’ll give you your share, Young Master.”

Mo Hua nodded, then took out two more large storage bags and placed them in front of Manager Zhao.

Pointing to one of them, Mo Hua said, “This one also contains things from the tomb. It can be sold and split into spirit stones as well. As for this one…”

He pointed to the other storage bag. “These are Old Mo and the others’ ‘belongings.’ There are spirit stones, pills, jade slips, and so on inside. Manager Zhao, just handle them as you see fit…”

Looking at the two large storage bags before him, Manager Zhao felt another wave of admiration in his heart, he couldn’t help but sigh again inwardly.

What an honest, sincere and straightforward young man!

In this age of deceit and scheming, such a pure and kind-hearted person still existed… and he happened to be a talented and promising young formation master.

“That old bastard Old Mo, I already warned him, yet he still dared to compete with me for people…”

“He even tried to lure young master Mo to the seductive and alluring red-dust hell of the Jade Spring Pavilion, trying pollute his Dao Heart. He truly deserved to die!”

Manager Zhao thought coldly in his heart.