Chapter 1470: Golden Mouse

https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/153522958/f0c44bf3b25e441fbb5733d5052c761e/eyJ3Ijo2MjB9/1.png?token-hash=38kP0RmDZcbXdBLLI8swuazUMjZ_wey8Ib9G0He7U%3D&token-time=1787356800

Chapter 1468: Golden Mouse

Manager Zhao remained silent, causing the atmosphere in the courtyard to grow somewhat heavy, with a palpable sense of pressure.

“Oh, right,” Manager Zhao suddenly remembered something and said, “The items from the last ‘Entering the Earth’ have been sold off.”

He was referring to the valuables from Old Rich Zhou’s tomb.

Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. “So quickly?”

Manager Zhao nodded. “Since they were all ordinary valuables, they were easy to move.”

If it were something like Heavenly Crystals, they wouldn’t be as easy to sell.

Selling in haste would lead to a lower price; to fetch a higher price, one must wait patiently.

That’s why, even now, Manager Zhao’s Heavenly Crystals remained unsold, he was still observing the market.

Mo Hua asked, “How much?”

Manager Zhao replied, “About one million three hundred thousand Spirit stones per person.”

According to the rules of the trade, as the ‘Grave Head‘ and the leader, Mo Hua was entitled to a larger share.

However, Mo Hua insisted on splitting the proceeds equally, including giving Manager Zhao a significantly larger portion.

Manager Zhao further explained, “That batch of valuables was originally worth over ten million, but after accounting for losses from handling stolen goods, greasing palms in the trade, and various other expenses, the price dropped somewhat. Following your instructions, Young Master Mo, this is how much each person ended up with.”

Manager Zhao was very principled and meticulous in his business dealings, and he kept a clear record of all financial matters.

Mo Hua nodded.

One million three hundred thousand Spirit stones was actually quite a substantial sum.

Especially for Iron Mountain Tiger and the others, even though they were mid-Golden Core cultivators, unless they were boasting about some big deal, one million three hundred thousand Spirit stones was a genuine fortune, enough to keep them well-fed and comfortable for quite some time.

“These Spirit stones are too much to carry. Would you like to accompany me to Fortune Pavilion, Young Master? I’ll have the steward bring them to you,” Manager Zhao inquired.

Over a million Spirit stones were too much even for Fortune Pavilion’s manager to carry around casually.

Mo Hua nodded. “Alright.”

Afterward, Mo Hua accompanied Manager Zhao to Fortune Pavilion and retrieved five full Spirit Storage Bags of Spirit stones.

Although it was still some distance from his goal, having such a hefty sum of Spirit stones in hand put Mo Hua in a rather good mood.

“Manager Zhao, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Of course, of course. Take care, Young Master Mo,” Manager Zhao said with a smile, cupping his hands in a respectful bow.

Mo Hua left Fortune Pavilion under Manager Zhao’s respectful farewell.

Manager Zhao watched as Mo Hua departed, and only after Mo Hua had walked far away did the smile on his face gradually fade, his gaze turning deep and thoughtful.

…

Having earned Spirit stones, Mo Hua followed his usual routine and strolled through the market, buying some fruits and snacks to bring back to Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land for Xiao Ju and Little Senior Sister.

Bai Zixi looked at the table full of items, then glanced at Mo Hua and said, “Made money again?”

Mo Hua felt a hint of pride and smiled. “A small profit.”

Bai Zixi shook her head slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at the corners of her lips—one she herself didn’t even notice.

As night fell, Mo Hua returned to his room, placed the remaining one million-plus Spirit stones by his bedside, and began meditating to cultivate.

As he practiced his cultivation and regulated his breathing, the vast quantity of over a million Spirit stones transformed into a torrent of spiritual energy, which was absorbed into his meridians and completely devoured by his Taotie Twelve-Meridian Spiritual Skeleton.

After an unknown length of time, the deep-blue Taotie Spirit Runes flickered briefly across Mo Hua’s body, and the ferocious beast’s aura once again withdrew deeply into the bones within him.

Mo Hua slowly opened his eyes, his thoughts stirring slightly.

Every time he fed Spirit stones to his Spiritual Skeleton Formation, he felt that the aura of this Taotie Life-Bound Formation was fierce and violent.

Yet after feeding it, the Taotie seemed to ‘fall into slumber‘ once more, with all its fierce aura dissipating into nothingness.

The Twelve Meridians Taotie Life-Bound Absolute Formation also appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary, unremarkable formation capable of accumulating spiritual power, with no other peculiarities beyond that.

Although a Life-Bound Magical Treasure capable of accumulating spiritual power was itself exceedingly rare—typically only nurtured by prodigies from great clans in the Cultivation World—this Twelve Meridians Taotie Spiritual-Skeleton Absolute Formation was different. Nurturing this thing was far too difficult.

Merely comprehending this Taotie Absolute Formation was already an incredibly daunting feat.

After learning it, being able to carve the Absolute Formation onto one’s own bones using the Bone Carving method, connecting it to the twelve meridians, was even more challenging.

Not to mention, the appetite of this Life-Bound Formation was terrifying, requiring tens of billions of Spirit stones to feed.

No matter how he thought about it, it couldn’t possibly have only the simple and straightforward function of accumulating spiritual power.

If it truly were that simple, wouldn’t all his hardships and efforts, the immense Divine-Sense, time, and Spirit stones he had expended, have been wasted?

“This Taotie Spiritual-Skeleton Absolute Formation had better truly be extraordinary,” Mo Hua silently thought to himself.

Otherwise, he would genuinely go dig up the Great Shaman Priest’s ancestral grave.

He wasn’t joking in the slightest.

Mo Hua gathered his thoughts, calmed his emotions, and then observed the state of spiritual power within his body.

The third meridian, the Hand Lesser-Yin Heart Meridian, was already more than half fed.

Approximately another five hundred thousand or so Spirit stones were needed to fully saturate it, this progress was already quite rapid.

The Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, Hand Juéyīn Heart Enveloping Meridian, and Hand Lesser-Yin Heart Meridian, these three were the principal Yin meridians of the hand.

Starting from the fourth meridian onward, it would begin with the Hand Yángmíng Meridian.

“Hand Yángmíng…”

At this thought, Mo Hua suddenly felt a slight shock, realizing he might have overlooked something:

“The three Yin meridians of the hand, the three Yang meridians of the hand, the three Yin meridians of the foot, the three Yang meridians of the foot… altogether twelve principal meridians, inherently divided into Yin and Yang.”

“And the Twelve Meridians Taotie Spiritual-Skeleton Absolute Formation, traversing the twelve meridians, could also be said to be composed of Yin and Yang?”

“In other words, the Twelve Meridians Taotie Spiritual Skeleton Formation is itself both a Taotie Formation and could be considered a Yin-Yang Formation?”

Knowledge of meridians was common sense in the path of cultivation, something Mo Hua took for granted, often leading to oversight, he wouldn’t deliberately ponder it.

But ever since comprehending the relationship between Earth-Ground Formations and Yin-Yang, carefully contemplating these connections now made Mo Hua increasingly alarmed the more he thought about it.

Had he been studying the Twelve Meridians Taotie Formation all this time, which was essentially a “Yin-Yang Formation”?

Was this merely a coincidence?

Or was there some cause and effect subtly drawing them together?

Mo Hua pondered for a long time, his brow tightly furrowed.

The concept of Yin-Yang was still too ancient and broad; for now, he could only speculate without any concrete understanding.

But Mo Hua also deeply understood that some things, even if not fully grasped or momentarily unclear, must be carried in thought constantly.

Only over time could bits and pieces of insight accumulate and settle.

Once enough had accumulated, like streams converging into the sea, it might undergo a qualitative transformation under some fortuitous circumstance, leading to enlightenment of the Dao.

This was Sudden Enlightenment.

Mo Hua had experienced Sudden Enlightenment many times.

In this world, there was no such thing as unwarranted Sudden Enlightenment.

All sudden enlightenment is built upon extensive contemplation and practice over time, not something that arises out of thin air.

After finishing his cultivation, Mo Hua sat in meditation to consolidate his cultivation base. Only then did he have the leisure to ponder matters beyond himself:

The foremost concern was the Great Spirit Field Realm.

Judging from his conversation with Lín Youfāng, the situation in the Great Spirit Field Realm might be far from optimistic.

The circumstances there were likely far more complex than he had imagined.

Moreover, it wasn’t just an issue of spirit farmers, the Great Spirit Field Realm seemed to possess an extremely unique “Divine Dao World.”

This Divine Dao World was also relatively unfamiliar to Mo Hua.

The Divine Dao World was formless, yet it undeniably existed.

Mo Hua was a cultivator who had proven the Dao through Divine-Sense, and his connection to the Divine Sense World ran much deeper than that of ordinary cultivators.

Based on Mo Hua’s experience thus far, every region within the Nine Provinces of the Cultivation World had its own ‘Divine Dao‘ ecosystem.

The Divine Dao in Tongxian City was the weakest, as it was an extremely remote and small place. Even so, Mo Hua had encountered a ‘Little Green-Faced Ghost‘ within the Second-in-Command’s landscape visualization diagram at Blackwind Stronghold.

This was Mo Hua’s first brush with danger and also marked the beginning of his journey into the Divine Dao.

In the Qianxue Prefecture realm, there were few folk deities. The only ones Mo Hua had encountered were the down-and-out HuángShān Jūn and the Little River God from the small fishing village.

However, he had “devoured” quite a few minions of evil gods and various Divine Corpse Remains.

The Great Wilderness had no folk deities either. Apart from the shared deity of the tribes, there were mostly Barbarian Gods worshipped by various tribes.

But Kun Province was likely a different story altogether.

If Mo Hua’s speculation was correct, Kun Province was probably dominated by minor folk deities, such as the ‘Earth God‘ he had previously encountered.

Additionally, the Ghost Dao was also flourishing here.

However, the Ghost Dao in Kun Province leaned more toward heterodox Unorthodox Paths, such as raising little ghosts for one’s own use.

This likely differed somewhat from genuine Ghost Dao cultivators like Ghost-Child Wanderer, who truly cultivated Ghost Arts.

Considering all of this, Mo Hua was eager to visit the Great Spirit Field Realm in person to see for himself.

But the problem remained the same: the Great Spirit Field Realm was far away, and the journey there and back would take a long time.

With billions of spirit farmers in the Great Spirit Field Realm and the situation being so intricate and complex, it was unlikely he could stay there for long. What could he possibly achieve by merely taking a look?

No matter how capable he was, he was still only an Early Golden Core Stage cultivator, isolated and unfamiliar with the place. What could he change even if he went?

These were all very practical issues.

Mo Hua’s brows gradually furrowed. After pondering for a long time, he let out a soft sigh.

“First, earn some Spirit stones and fully nourish the Spiritual Skeleton.”

At the very least, he needed to fully nourish the third and fourth Spiritual Skeletons, advancing his cultivation to the Mid Golden Core Stage, before considering wading into the murky waters of the Great Spirit Field Realm.

Many things were extremely challenging and could not be resolved by a single person’s efforts in a short time.

Moreover…

Mo Hua flipped his palm, and a seemingly delicate and adorable yet greedily malicious golden mouse appeared.

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened.

“Where exactly… did this mouse come from?”

…

At the same time, in Fortune Pavilion.

Manager Zhao was standing in a lavishly decorated hall, respectfully reporting to a person seated at the head of the room. He detailed the recent business categories and various Spirit stone revenues to this individual.

The person at the head merely listened quietly with closed eyes, offering no response.

After finishing his report, Manager Zhao stood quietly to the side, head bowed and expression deferential, showing utmost respect.

After all, the person before him was the Chief Manager of Fortune Pavilion and a True-Person of profound cultivation who had achieved Feathered Ascension. Whether in terms of status or cultivation, he was a level above him.

Manager Zhao dared not show disrespect.

After an unknown length of time, the Chief Manager finally opened his eyes and nodded, saying, “Not bad. Given the poor market conditions, it is truly no easy feat for you to maintain the business like this.”

Manager Zhao hurriedly lowered his head and replied, “You flatter me, Chief Manager.”

The Chief Manager gave a slight nod, waved his hand, and said, “You may leave.”

“Yes,” Manager Zhao responded respectfully with a bow.

However, as he was leaving, he couldn’t help but glance into the main hall.

This hall, though splendidly decorated, spacious, and bright, was actually the Chief Manager’s private domain.

Within the entire Fortune Pavilion, those qualified to enter this hall could be counted on one hand, and without exception, they were all at the level of core managers or above.

Manager Zhao himself had visited very few times.

And at this very moment, placed in the center of the hall was a massive Geomantic Realm Compass Disk. On various parts of the disk, numerous small golden mice were arranged.

These Little Golden Mice were exquisitely crafted, exuding an air of cunning and cleverness.

Though the details differed from the golden mouse Mo Hua had shown Manager Zhao, their style was identical.

Looking at the entire compass disk filled with mice, Manager Zhao felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine for some reason.

“What is it?”

A deep, resonant voice sounded.

Manager Zhao snapped out of his daze, looked up at the Chief Manager, and met a pair of stern, profound eyes fixed on him. His heart trembled slightly as he said: “It’s nothing… Perhaps I’m a bit tired today and occasionally feel a bit distracted. Please forgive my foolishness, Chief Manager.”

The Chief Manager silently watched Manager Zhao.

Manager Zhao kept his head lowered, his expression unchanged, but inwardly, he felt uneasy.

After an unknown length of time, the Chief Manager slowly spoke, “Manager Zhao, you have worked diligently and tirelessly for Fortune Pavilion. You have done well.”

“This month, I will increase your commission by ten percent.”

Manager Zhao was taken aback, then his face lit up with joy as he clasped his hands and said, “Thank you, Chief Manager.”

The Chief Manager gave a slight nod. “You may leave.”

“Yes,” Manager Zhao dared not delay any longer. He respectfully bowed and left.

After Manager Zhao departed, the Chief Manager, dressed in golden robes and luxurious attire, sat in the main seat, silently watching Manager Zhao’s retreating figure. After a moment, he slowly said: “Merchants seeking wealth is only natural and right.”

The Chief Manager’s gaze deepened as he turned his eyes to the Geomantic Realm Compass Disk in the center of the hall.

On the vast compass disk, mice were scattered everywhere. These mice were all made of gold, shimmering brilliantly under the light.

It was just unclear where the gold on these mice came from.

And who had given these mice their Golden Bodies.

At this moment, in one corner of the compass disk, a golden mouse lay stiffly, its golden color having faded.

There were many mice on the compass disk, and if one didn’t look carefully, it would be easy to miss.

It was only now that the Chief Manager noticed the state of this mouse, his expression darkening slightly.

“The Feng Shui Arrangement has been broken?”

“The Golden Mouse has died?”

“Who has the audacity… to dare ruin my arrangement?”

A sharp glint flashed in the Chief Manager’s eyes as he retrieved another mouse from his sleeve.

However, this mouse was clearly different, inlaid with pearls and jade, its tail even adorned with segments of golden coins.

The Chief Manager held this Gold Coin Mouse, silently channeling a spell to first calculate the cause and effect within.

However, as the cause and effect shifted, the Chief Manager paused once more, a flicker of astonishment crossing his stern face:

“Could it be… the work of a master?”

“Who among the masters possesses such skill, capable of disrupting my Feng Shui Arrangement and even severing the cause and effect?”

“Even a vengeful ghost… could be utterly erased.”

The Chief Manager narrowed his gaze, his thumb adorned with a jade ring tapping rhythmically on the table. After a long moment of contemplation, he finally said, “Enough. Since it’s a master, I’ll grant you this face.”

“But let there be no next time.”

A faint golden light shimmered in the depths of the Chief Manager’s eyes, carrying an inhuman ferocity.

…

Translator Notes:

Ghost-Child Wanderer – the late-stage Golden Core cultivator from {Skull Cave}

Speculation: It would be wild if this Chief Manager turned out to be Elder You of the Hua Clan, who somehow achieved Feathered Ascension and is carrying out the Hua Clan’s scheme here. I mean, Hua Ping warned Mo Hua not to meddle, so this operation might actually be part of the Hua Clan’s plan, especially since Elder You and Hua Ping seem to belong to the same branch, as they appeared together at Young Master Tuoba’s banquet.