Chapter 1447: Grave Head
https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/153522958/f0c44bf3b25e441fbb5733d5052c761e/eyJ3Ijo2MjB9/1.png?token-hash=38kP0RmDZcbXdBLLI8swuazUMjZ_wey8Ib9G0He7U%3D&token-time=1787356800
Chapter 1445: Grave Head
The entire low hill, with its complex terrain, was actually the domain of a massive Earth-Ground Formation.
The earth’s aura, the mountain’s topography, the veins of stone, and some Formation Mediums buried underground had transformed the entire surrounding area into a “Formation.”
Yet the formation itself was extremely subtle.
All traces of the formation’s aura had been drawn deep into the earth.
If not for Mo Hua being a skilled Formation Master, with even a rudimentary understanding of the Earth Sect, he would never have detected it.
Mo Hua’s interest was immediately piqued.
In this cultivation world, formations below the Third-Grade that could evade his immediate perception were exceedingly rare.
Moreover, this was, to date, the most complete and largest-scale Earth-Ground Formation Mo Hua had actually encountered in Kun Province.
Truly, this Elder Tian had prepared quite a “gift” for him.
For now, Mo Hua set aside thoughts of the carriage. His attention was entirely captivated by the large-scale Earth-Ground Formation before him.
A carriage hauling corpses naturally couldn’t compare to the allure of a formation.
Besides, as long as he could break the formation, he would inevitably find that carriage.
Mo Hua began wandering back and forth across the low hill.
At the same time, he released his Divine-Sense, identifying each element of the formation one by one, “reconstructing” it within his Sea of Consciousness, and recording it on a jade slip.
After spending a full hour traversing the entire hill, Mo Hua managed to outline the contours of the entire Earth-Ground Formation…
But that was as far as he could go.
After sketching the formation’s contours and the basic flow of the array, no matter how much Mo Hua tried to deduce further, he couldn’t fully reconstruct the large-scale Earth-Ground Formation before him.
This indicated that the principles behind this formation somewhat exceeded his current understanding of formations.
Even his Derivative Algorithm was ineffective.
The more unfamiliar the formation, the more difficult the Derivative Algorithm became.
The more complex the formation, the more strenuous the Derivative Algorithm.
And if the formation’s principles and logic fell outside his realm of comprehension, in many cases, the Derivative Algorithm simply couldn’t penetrate deeper.
For simpler formations, it was manageable. For example, with a basic one-star formation, even if he didn’t fully understand it, deducing some simple Formation Patterns wasn’t a major issue.
But for a formation like the one before him—large-scale, complete, systematic, and a well-preserved Earth-Ground Composite Formation—attempting to deduce the internal Formation Patterns, let alone the deeper structures, based solely on its surface contours was nothing short of a fool’s dream.
The Heavenly Secret Derivative Algorithm was not omnipotent.
Or rather, his experience with formations had not yet reached the level where he could encompass all formations under heaven.
Mo Hua’s brow furrowed slightly.
He circled the nearby hills two more times but still found no trace.
The carriage was gone, and the old man called Uncle Ping had also vanished without a trace.
The core of the Earth-Ground Composite Formation remained beyond his sight for now.
He had no starting point to dismantle the formation.
Forcing his way through… would likely alert the enemy and trigger unforeseen complications.
After some thought, Mo Hua moved farther away, stepping out of the formation’s range. Then, he took out some demon blood and began drawing his ghostly, scribble-like “Imperial Decree” on a patch of open ground.
But after drawing for a long time, there was no reaction at all.
Mo Hua frowned, “Is there an Earth God in this place?”
He tried drawing for a while longer, but there was still no movement.
It was likely that the Earth God didn’t have a “territory”—not every place was under its jurisdiction.
Of course, there was another possibility: the Earth God of this place was sneaky and didn’t dare show itself to him.
Mo Hua mentally noted this down.
He circled around the vicinity once more but still found nothing.
Sitting on a nearby hilltop, he waited for a long time, but no one emerged.
That carriage and the person called “Uncle Ping” seemed to have vanished just like that.
The situation was at a standstill once again.
By now, Mo Hua could roughly conclude that this place was the “burial” site personally chosen and prepared in advance by the Earth Sect’s Elder Tian.
This Tián Mùshēng had deceived his own son and even two Feathered Ascensions, but he hadn’t deceived Mo Hua.
Yet even Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless in the face of the Earth-Ground Formation before him.
Moreover, Mo Hua couldn’t be certain what lay beneath the Earth-Ground Formation.
Whether there were other mechanisms, traps, or hidden dangers in the tomb Tián Mùshēng had prepared for him…
“This is a bit… boring…”
Mo Hua sighed softly.
Although they couldn’t be considered old friends, they had met a few times after all. To guard against him like this…
It was just too distant.
He wasn’t a bad person; he wouldn’t grind his bones to dust…
Mo Hua refused to give up, lingering in the area for a long time. But the Array Formation remained unfathomable—he couldn’t unravel it, break it, or find any other flaws.
Before he knew it, another whole day had passed without any progress.
He couldn’t stay long at Elder Tian’s burial site either.
With no other choice, Mo Hua had to retreat for the time being.
Afterward, Mo Hua walked along mountain paths and country roads for a full day and night before finally returning to Houtu City.
As he entered the city gates, sunlight poured down, and the streets bustled with people, lively and vibrant.
No longer dealing with murderous Feathered Ascensions, corpses, Earth Ghosts, or Earth Gods, Mo Hua felt a sense of relief.
But at the same time, he couldn’t help feeling dejected, as if the trip had been in vain.
If he had to say, there were some gains: he had glimpsed some secrets, like the two hidden Feathered Ascensions, Elder Tian’s secrets, and the ghosts and gods of Kun Province.
But the most crucial thing—Tián Mùshēng’s coffin—was just one step away from being found, which was truly a pity.
This matter would have to be carefully considered over time.
Mo Hua shook his head and went straight back to Little Blessed Land. After washing away the dust of the journey, he went to see his senior sister.
Senior Sister was sitting on the veranda of the Bamboo Chamber, sipping clear tea and reading a book on formations.
The mountain breeze gently tousled her hair, and her demeanor was relaxed and content.
Mo Hua, who had been on the move for over ten days, was momentarily stunned by the serene and beautiful scene.
Bai Zixi noticed someone entering the courtyard and lifted her gaze from the book. She glanced at Mo Hua, her eyes seeming to reveal a sense of peace and tranquility.
“You’re back?”
“Yes,” Mo Hua nodded.
“Did you finish your business?” Bai Zixi asked curiously.
Mo Hua sighed softly, “Almost… but I got stuck at the last step.”
Bai Zixi’s eyes flickered slightly.
Mo Hua said, “I’ll tell you everything once I’ve figured it all out.”
Bai Zixi gave a soft “Mm.”
Previously, the two of them had been talking. But now, the atmosphere suddenly turned a bit quiet.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then took the initiative to step forward and sat beside Bai Zixi.
They sat very close, and Mo Hua could see the porcelain-like jade skin of his senior sister and smell the faint, orchid-like fragrance. All the fatigue from the journey seemed to vanish in an instant.
“Senior Sister, it’s time… to study the Array Formation…”
Mo Hua’s voice was a bit soft, and for some reason, his face was slightly flushed.
Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, her eyes flickering, and nodded gently.
In the elegant Bamboo Chamber, the senior sister and junior brother sat together, enjoying the gentle breeze and the mountain scenery as they flipped through the book.
In the distant pavilion, True Person Rong silently watched this scene, her brows tightly furrowed. Her hand twitched slightly, as if she wanted to do something, but after hesitating for a long time, she ultimately did nothing, only letting out a helpless sigh.
Mo Hua spent another three days like this.
Aside from drawing Array Formations with his senior sister, during his free time, he still couldn’t stop thinking about Tián Mùshēng’s corpse.
If before, it was just curiosity, now, more and more secrets were involved, growing deeper and deeper.
Mo Hua increasingly felt that this Tián Mùshēng must be an extremely crucial figure.
A sudden, unexplained death, Feathered Ascension surveillance, Earth Ghosts pulling the coffin, an Earth-Ground Formation hiding the corpse…
His body likely concealed great mysteries.
And these mysteries were probably hidden within Elder Tian’s corpse.
Otherwise, those two Feathered Ascension figures wouldn’t have fought so fiercely or gone to such lengths to seize it.
Mo Hua roughly knew where Tián Mùshēng was buried.
But how to break the Earth-Ground Formation, find the tomb, and pry open Tián Mùshēng’s coffin…
Mo Hua was still somewhat at a loss.
That mountain forest lingered in his mind.
As days passed, Mo Hua felt increasingly uneasy.
In the end, he couldn’t rest easy. Without finding Elder Tian’s corpse, he simply couldn’t feel at peace.
But how to find it?
After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua finally came up with a solution that wasn’t really a solution.
That day, Mo Hua went to the Fortune Pavilion again, found Manager Zhao, and said, “Manager Zhao, I want to Enter the Earth.”
This wasn’t the first time Mo Hua had brought this up. He had frequently pestered Manager Zhao before, and Manager Zhao, now accustomed to it, still shook his head and said, “No.”
Mo Hua frowned. “After all this time, still no?”
Logically, the rumors should have died down by now.
Manager Zhao sighed. “There’s no way around it. My reputation is ruined. Everyone says I, Manager Zhao, am a black-hearted shopkeeper who specializes in endangering the lives of those who Enter the Earth.”
Mo Hua felt a bit sympathetic, then added, “But… your reputation is ruined, but mine isn’t, right?”
Manager Zhao silently looked at Mo Hua and said, “Guess who ruined my reputation?”
Wasn’t it because of you, Mo Hua? Whoever Enters the Earth with you dies, whoever goes tomb-raiding with you loses their life—with a near one hundred percent mortality rate—how could my reputation as the organizer not be ruined?
Manager Zhao sighed deeply. “Reputation is something built up over years. It’s hard to build but easy to ruin.”
Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and asked again, “Is there really no way at all?”
Manager Zhao sighed. “Just wait it out. Time can heal all wounds. After five or ten years, or maybe twenty or thirty, people might forget about this… Only then can I, as the organizer, resurface in the underground realm…”
Mo Hua asked, “How about now?”
Seven or ten years, how could I possibly wait that long.
Manager Zhao said, “It’s not possible…”
Seeing Mo Hua persistently bothering him, he patiently explained: “It’s not that I don’t want to, but right now, no one dares to form a team with me anymore.”
“Tomb raiding requires a ‘sponsor.’ In local slang, it’s also called a ‘grave head.’ The grave head discovers a good tomb, gives you the lead, issues the document for forming the team, and only then can you go gather people, arrange the itinerary, plan the process of entering the earth, and even the profit-sharing ratio afterward…”
“The previous grave heads were Old Mo and Huáng Pízǐ.”
“Both of them were seasoned veterans, quite renowned in the underworld. The two tombs they raided were also discovered after they painstakingly investigated them.”
“But now, both of those grave heads are dead. My credibility is no good anymore. Without a ‘sponsor’ to give me the lead and issue the document to search and explore tombs, how could this team possibly be formed… I really am, ‘a skilled woman can’t cook without rice…'”
Manager Zhao was very helpless.
Mo Hua suddenly understood and nodded.
Manager Zhao thought Mo Hua had been persuaded and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard Mo Hua say, “Then I’ll do it.”
Manager Zhao was stunned, “You?”
Mo Hua nodded, “I’ll be the grave head, give you the lead and document, and you go form the team.”
Manager Zhao looked astonished, “You?”
Mo Hua nodded, “Me!”
Manager Zhao frowned and said, “Where did you get the clues? Which tomb do you want to raid?”
Mo Hua said, “I can’t say for now, but it’s definitely a ‘big tomb.'”
Mo Hua wasn’t sure either if Elder Tian’s tomb was a big tomb, but he’d blow the horn first to make Manager Zhao take it seriously.
Manager Zhao indeed felt a tremor in his heart.
If this mysterious Young Master Mo said it was a “big tomb,” it was probably truly remarkable.
“Who is buried in this tomb?” Manager Zhao asked again.
Mo Hua shook his head, “I can’t say for now…”
Manager Zhao asked again, “Really, you’re not tricking me?”
Mo Hua’s gaze was sincere, “Do I look like someone who lies?”
Manager Zhao was taken aback, nodded, and thought to himself, indeed… this Mo Hua, although he might be a bit “playboy,” having been with many women, and a “scoundrel” when it came to women.
But in business and interpersonal dealings, he was always honest and straightforward.
Even so honest that it was somewhat “touching.”
“Then…” Manager Zhao said, “I’ll go form the team?”
Mo Hua said, “Form it!”
“…” Manager Zhao added, “What kind of tomb is this exactly? You have to give me at least some information… roughly what can be looted, what traps there are, what kind of helpers are lacking, how much the reward will be, what taboos there are… so I can spread the word and recruit people to go with you into the earth…”
Mo Hua said, “The key point is to find people skilled in ‘Tomb Scouting‘…”
Manager Zhao frowned, “Tomb Scouting? Don’t you know where the tomb is?”
Mo Hua told the truth, “I only know the general area, but the specific entrance needs to be found with others.”
The place where ‘Uncle Ping’ hid the body was definitely a tomb.
Concealing the tomb was an Earth-Ground Formation.
Mo Hua currently couldn’t fully understand the core of this Earth-Ground Formation and couldn’t approach it from the perspective of array formations.
That leaves only the other path—to see if among those tomb raiders from the underground business, there might be some unorthodox methods that could open the door for me.
Those tomb raiders, who have been plundering tombs for years, are bound to have one or two tricks up their sleeves—unspeakable secrets and hidden arts.
Perhaps they could be of help.
Those who survive in the cultivation world and make a living by their own skills are hardly simple, even if their cultivation is low—they should never be underestimated.
Manager Zhao nodded, unsurprised.
What Mo Hua said was true—tombs are extremely dark and hidden places. Even knowing their location, finding the entrance requires considerable effort.
Manager Zhao nodded again and asked, “What’s inside the tomb?”
Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened as he slowly replied, “There might be… treasures of the Earth Sect.”
Manager Zhao’s expression shifted slightly. “An Earth Sect tomb?”
Mo Hua nodded. “Similar to the one Old Mo found the first time…”
Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao’s eyes lit up immediately.
Old Mo had once unearthed a Heavenly Crystal from that tomb. Though Old Mo was dead, the Heavenly Crystal was real.
Manager Zhao immediately said, “Alright!”
But then, he hesitated, feeling something was off.
Seeing Manager Zhao fall silent, Mo Hua asked, “What’s wrong?”
Manager Zhao frowned. “Young Master Mo, you act as the Grave Head, and I organize the group… I can’t help but feel like we’re scheming behind the scenes, setting up a trap to harm others…”
Mo Hua defended himself, “How could that be?”
Manager Zhao eyed him suspiciously.
Mo Hua explained, “I’m doing this for your sake… You can’t just stay out of the underground business forever, right? You need to find opportunities, establish some normal connections, and restore your reputation in the underworld.”
“Let others know that not every group Manager Zhao organizes is a ‘dead end.'”
Manager Zhao’s expression was complicated, tinged with desolation. “Can my reputation really be restored?”
Mo Hua reassured him, “It can, definitely.”
Manager Zhao sighed. “Alright, then… I’ll spread the word in the underworld and ask around… It’ll work out, but the outcome depends on luck.”
Mo Hua nodded. “Good.”
Manager Zhao nodded as well, then suddenly remembered something. “I almost forgot… What identity will you use as the ‘Grave Head’ to issue the Document and recruit people?”
Mo Hua was taken aback. “Identity?”
Manager Zhao said, “Like a nickname. You can’t possibly use your real identity, right?”
“Otherwise, if you become famous in the future, everyone will know that Young Master Mo is a skilled figure in Kun Province’s tomb-raiding world.”
“That’s true. Let’s use a different name,” Mo Hua agreed.
This matter had to be kept secret, and he couldn’t afford to expose his identity.
“What name should we use?” Manager Zhao asked.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, choosing from three long-favored nicknames: “Ghost’s Bane,” “Black-Faced Fiend,” and “Heavenly Calamity Star.” He said:
“Let’s go with ‘Black-Faced Fiend.'”
“You can spread the word in the underworld, saying ‘Black-Faced Fiend’ is issuing a Document to lead people to fortune…”