Chapter 1498: Refugees

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Chapter 1496: Refugees

Upon hearing this, Zhū Mùchén was also somewhat surprised and couldn’t help but turn to look at Elder Lu. “Elder Lu, did someone die in the manor?”

Elder Lu hurriedly smiled and said, “Young Master Chén, don’t listen to this… your Senior Brother joking around. We are a proper villa—how could anyone die here?”

Zhū Mùchén glanced at Elder Lu, then at Mo Hua.

Elder Lu probably wouldn’t lie to him, but Little Senior Brother couldn’t be wrong either.

Back in the Great Void Sect, no matter how outrageous Little Senior Brother’s words or arrangements sounded, they were never wrong.

Zhū Mùchén said, “Elder Lu, could it be… that some accident happened that you’re not aware of?”

Elder Lu sighed. “Young Master Chén, please don’t overthink it. Yunyi Villa is only so big, how could something happen here without me knowing?”

Seeing that Elder Lu didn’t seem to be lying, Zhū Mùchén felt uncertain and couldn’t help but turn again to gauge Little Senior Brother’s expression.

But Mo Hua stated firmly, “Someone definitely died.”

Otherwise, Underworld Agents wouldn’t have appeared at Yunyi Villa.

“And,” Mo Hua narrowed his eyes, “quite a few people might have died.”

One or two wandering ghosts wouldn’t warrant dispatching four Underworld Agents.

Moreover, these four Underworld Agents carried heavy Yin Qi, and one of them even had ox horns, indicating they had some cultivation.

Although they couldn’t do anything to him, they could easily capture the souls of ordinary cultivators, even those at the Golden Core stage.

The fact that four Underworld Agents were dispatched together meant that many lives must have been lost nearby, most likely through violent deaths rather than natural ends.

Under the pressure of Mo Hua’s gaze, Elder Lu remained composed and said calmly, “Young Master Mo, you jest. No one died means no one died. I manage Yunyi Villa—it’s impossible for such a murder case to occur here.”

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, knowing that Elder Lu was a seasoned old fox, and shook his head. “Elder Lu, human lives are ultimately a serious matter. If this isn’t investigated clearly, and the Dao Court Division pursues it…”

Elder Lu said coldly, “What a coincidence. My Zhū Clan has several Archive Officers from our own family in the Dao Court Division. Shall I have them come and investigate?”

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and said gently, “Having your own Archive Officers investigate such matters might invite criticism. Coincidentally, I also know a few Archive Officers dispatched from the Dao Court. Why not invite them to investigate?”

Mo Hua emphasized the words ‘Dao Court’ heavily.

Upon hearing the words “Dao Court,” Elder Lu immediately broke into a cold sweat inwardly. He then looked at Mo Hua and sneered, “Young Master Mo, you are Senior Brother to Young Master Chén and a guest of our Zhū Clan. Isn’t it inappropriate to be so aggressive?”

Hearing this, Mo Hua was slightly taken aback but remained expressionless. However, considering Little Junior Brother Zhū Mùchén, he did hesitate somewhat.

Unexpectedly, Zhū Mùchén didn’t seem to mind and said earnestly, “Elder Lu, Little Senior Brother is right. If lives were truly lost, it’s better to investigate thoroughly.”

Little Senior Brother’s eyes couldn’t tolerate even a grain of sand.

Upon hearing this, Elder Lu immediately thought: ‘This is bad. This Mo fellow’s ability to bewitch people is this formidable?’

The dignified young master of the Zhū Clan was almost brainwashed into a little fool by him.

Could this Young Master Mo be some kind of spirit disguised in human skin?

And why is he so invested in this matter?

Elder Lu frowned deeply.

Seeing his expression, Mo Hua discerned Elder Lu’s thoughts and softened his tone.

“Paper can never wrap up fire. The more you try to conceal something, the bigger the problem becomes.”

Zhū Mùchén nodded in agreement beside him. “Elder Lu, speak the truth.”

Elder Lu had a splitting headache, but faced with such a scheming Young Master Mo and a naive Young Master Chén, he had no choice. After a moment’s thought, he sighed and said: “People have died.”

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered. “Who died?”

Elder Lu shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t know their identities. I only know they were… refugees.”

“Refugees?” Mo Hua’s gaze narrowed.

Zhū Mùchén also exclaimed in surprise, “There are refugees nearby?”

As a young master from a noble family, he had been well-protected. In the environment he grew up in, there was no such thing as “refugees.”

He had never imagined that refugees were right beside him. They might even have died near him not long ago.

Elder Lu said, “They weren’t local refugees. They likely drifted here from hundreds of miles away.”

Zhū Mùchén asked, “Why did they become refugees?”

The question was rather naive, but since it was asked by the young master of their Zhū Clan, Elder Lu patiently explained: “Farmers depend on the land for their livelihood, but the harvest depends on fate.”

“Droughts, floods, locust plagues, Famine Disasters… and human-made calamities like gambling and debt. Once they can no longer make ends meet and can’t survive, they have to sell their land.”

“Once they lose their land and can’t find work locally, they have no choice but to become ‘refugees.'”

Zhū Mùchén’s eyes dimmed. “How pitiful.”

Elder Lu gave a light, cold laugh and sighed. “Young Master Chén, you’re still young and innocent. You don’t know how treacherous the world can be.”

“These refugees are not pitiful at all. Some are even despicable.”

“Once they lose their land, they want to get something for nothing. They drift around like locusts, stealing, taking, robbing everywhere. They even attack farms. Killing and looting are common occurrences. Calling them a bunch of ‘scoundrels’ wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

“So,” Mo Hua said coldly, “you killed them all?”

Elder Lu was startled and hurriedly said, “How could that be? To put it bluntly, these scoundrels are no different from rats in my eyes. Killing them would dirty my hands and tarnish the estate’s reputation.”

“Then what did you do?” Mo Hua asked.

Elder Lu said helplessly, “I just ordered the guards to drive these refugees away.”

He added truthfully, “Since Young Master Chén was coming to the Yunyi Estate, I naturally couldn’t let these refugees taint the young master’s sight, nor could I allow them to pose any threat to Young Master Chén’s safety.”

“When these refugees are starving, they’ll do anything. We have to be cautious.”

Although Elder Lu was acting in his own interest, Zhū Mùchén still frowned, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.

Mo Hua asked, “So these refugees… didn’t die?”

Elder Lu said, “They died.”

Mo Hua’s gaze narrowed slightly.

Elder Lu explained, “The day before you and Young Master Chén arrived at the estate, these refugees—about thirty or forty of them—all died.”

Mo Hua’s pupils contracted. “How did they die?”

Elder Lu frowned and shook his head. “I truly don’t know.”

“A few days ago, this group of refugees came to harass the estate. They were starving and stole and looted. I subdued them and then ordered the guards to drive them over twenty miles away to a barren wasteland.”

“But I was worried these refugees might cause trouble, so the next day I sent someone to check on them again.”

“Only then did we discover that all those refugees had died in that wasteland.”

Mo Hua’s gaze darkened.

Even Zhū Mùchén looked astonished. “All of them… dead in one night?”

Elder Lu nodded. “Not a single living soul remained in the wasteland. And the manner of their deaths was strange—these refugees had almost no external wounds, yet every one of them wore expressions of terror, as if they had seen something horrifying before they died.”

Zhū Mùchén asked, “And then?”

Elder Lu sighed. “I thought it was an ill omen and didn’t want these corpses to disturb your enjoyment, Young Master, so I ordered them to be buried together in another wasteland twenty miles away.”

Zhū Mùchén sighed, feeling sympathy but unsure what to say.

After a moment’s thought, Mo Hua said, “Take me to see where they were buried.”

Elder Lu was taken aback. “Now… at this hour?”

It was the middle of the night.

Mo Hua nodded. “Now. There’s no time to waste.”

A death scene usually leaves traces behind. If we go too late and something changes, we might lose all clues.

Elder Lu hesitated, clearly reluctant to go.

Zhū Mùchén then said, “Elder Lu, let’s go together.”

Hearing this, Elder Lu’s expression changed, and he quickly objected, “No, Young Master Chén, you absolutely cannot go.”

How could we let Young Master Chén set foot in such a lowly, filthy place? Besides, it was deep in the night and in the countryside—there was no guarantee of safety. If anything happened to Young Master Chén, his position as an elder would likely be at risk.

“No, absolutely not,” Elder Lu insisted.

Zhū Mùchén’s face hardened. “I must go see for myself. If you won’t take us, Elder Lu, then I’ll go with Little Senior Brother.”

Elder Lu looked troubled.

Mo Hua said, “Under cover of night, bring some men with you. We’ll go and return quickly to see what really happened.”

Seeing Elder Lu still hesitating, Mo Hua added: “Killing thirty or forty people at once, even if they were refugees, is no small matter. Today they kill refugees, who knows if they might come for Yunyi Villa tomorrow? Don’t you want to find out who the killer is?”

Elder Lu frowned deeply, clearly sharing this concern.

“Unless,” Mo Hua looked at Elder Lu, “you were the one who led the men to kill these refugees. That’s why you’re trying so hard to stop us from going.”

Elder Lu’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up and saw Young Master Chén watching him with suspicion. He couldn’t help but resent inwardly:

This Young Master Mo, with his honeyed words and hidden daggers, is truly a master at sowing discord.

Elder Lu sighed. “Fine, I’ll take you. But we only look briefly, we can’t stay long.”

Mo Hua hummed in agreement.

Zhū Mùchén also nodded.

Afterward, Elder Lu gathered over ten guards overnight, took the fastest and best carriage, and left Yunyi Villa.

Among these guards, four were Golden Core cultivators. Combined with Elder Lu, this was a relatively formidable escort force.

In a small place like Yunyi Villa, Golden Core cultivators weren’t that common. Even in major clans, Golden Core cultivators were considered mid-to-high-ranking members—a significant combat force.

Moreover, among this group was Mo Hua, an anomaly.

Zhu Muchen himself was also a Golden Core cultivator, so generally speaking, the safety of this trip was still assured.

Although Elder Lu had concerns, he could not withstand Young Master Chen’s stubbornness, especially fearing Mo Hua’s slanderous words, and could only compromise.

Under the cover of night, the guards drove the carriage onward.

Elder Lu, Mo Hua, and Zhu Muchen sat inside the carriage.

As they traveled, Elder Lu suddenly remembered something and looked at Mo Hua with some confusion, asking: “Young Master Mo… how did you know that someone had died near Yunyi Villa?”

Mo Hua thought for a moment, feeling that one should still be honest, and said: “Last night while sleeping, an ox-headed Underworld Agent from the underworld came to find me. I heard them.”

Elder Lu was stunned on the spot, only managing an awkward smile after a long pause, thinking to himself that this Young Master Mo was truly capable of blowing things out of proportion, and not a single word from his mouth could be trusted. He had actually asked him for the truth, his mind must have gone bad.

Zhu Muchen was also momentarily dazed, his thoughts swinging between “Little Senior Brother is truly amazing, able to speak with Underworld Agents” and “Is Little Senior Brother teasing me?”

Mo Hua’s expression remained calm. Usually, when he told the truth, no one believed him, he was used to it.

However, judging from Elder Lu’s expression, it seemed this elder truly did not understand matters related to the Underworld Bureau in Kun Province.

The deaths of the refugees and the Underworld Agents entering the premises might indeed have nothing to do with him?

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered slightly, and he said nothing more.

The carriage traveled along the small path in the night, arriving at the destination not long after.

Mo Hua got off the carriage and saw the night as dark as ink, the crescent moon above cold and desolate, surrounded by gloomy wasteland.

In the center of the wasteland was a large patch of freshly turned soil, piled together like a mass grave.

Mo Hua turned to Elder Lu and asked, “You buried them just like this?”

Elder Lu sighed helplessly, “It was done in haste.”

He considered it fortunate that he had managed to bury these refugees at all. If not for fearing that the corpses would offend Young Master Chen’s eyes, he would not have cared even if these refugees were left exposed in the wilderness.

Mo Hua scanned the surroundings with his Divine-Sense, discerning the environment, and as if noticing something unexpected, he said to Elder Lu: “Dig them up.”

Elder Lu frowned, “Really dig them up?”

Mo Hua nodded, “Dig. How else can we examine the bodies?”

Zhu Muchen also nodded, “Dig.”

Elder Lu sighed and turned to give orders, “Someone, dig up the grave and exhume the bodies.”

“Yes, Elder Lu.”

A group of guards left two to guard Zhu Muchen while the others used iron knives and shovels to begin digging up the earthen graves.

In the pitch-black night, a group of cultivators dug up corpses in the wasteland. The moonlight was cold, and occasional mountain breezes brought unknown low cries, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Not long after they began digging, a sudden change occurred.

Something burst out from the mass grave—resembling a person, yet also like a corpse—and lunged fiercely toward Zhu Muchen.

This “thing” had been buried in the soil.

Strangely, neither Zhu Muchen, his guards, nor even Elder Lu had detected it before.

When the sudden change occurred, Zhu Muchen instinctively panicked.

His cultivation was not weak, but he disliked violence and rarely ventured out, so he seldom encountered such sudden dangers.

Elder Lu was also caught off guard.

But before he could react, Mo Hua had already lightly tapped, and a Water Prison descended out of thin air, tightly binding the thing in the darkness and pinning it to the ground.

Elder Lu glanced at Mo Hua with a look of surprise, then turned his gaze to the shadowy figure, his heart filled with anger. He immediately reached out, intending to crush this “shadow” to death.

But Mo Hua said, “Stop.”

Elder Lu halted his hand and looked at Mo Hua.

“Let’s see what it is first,” Mo Hua said.

Only then did Elder Lu, his expression grim, withdraw his hand.

Mo Hua slowly walked forward and, under the moonlight from the sky, looked at the ‘thing’ that had darted out in the darkness. He discovered that the shadowy figure was actually a young boy, his face smeared with dirt, appearing ghastly pale under the moonlight—almost inhuman.

Not only Mo Hua, but even Elder Lu was taken aback, his brows furrowed tightly.

Zhū Mùchén looked bewildered. “Is he… human?”

As soon as Zhū Mùchén spoke, the pale-faced boy’s eyes immediately blazed with overwhelming hatred, his voice hoarse as he cried out: “You beasts! You all deserve to die! You killed my parents, you killed my sister… beasts! You all deserve to die!”

His voice, filled with misery and despair, sounded eerie in the darkness of the night.

Elder Lu frowned. “This kid… is he also a refugee? How is he still alive? Why wasn’t he discovered when they were buried?”

Mo Hua stared at the boy’s pale face, feeling an indescribable sense of strangeness, and slowly sank into deep thought.