Chapter 1499: You're Dead Too

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Chapter 1497: You’re Dead Too

The pale-faced youth continued to curse incessantly, his expression fierce and hysterical, yet filled with an indescribable sorrow.

Zhū Mùchén felt a pang of sympathy upon seeing this.

But Elder Lu beside him had a cold gaze and said, “Kid, if you dare curse again, I’ll cut out your tongue.”

The youth still cursed, “You old beast!”

Elder Lu was furious and immediately raised his hand, intending to strike the youth’s head.

Zhū Mùchén quickly grabbed Elder Lu’s arm and said, “Elder Lu, don’t act rashly.”

Elder Lu said, “Young Master Chén, this boy’s words are vicious, his nature must be lowly, and he harbors deep resentment. Even if we don’t kill him, we should cripple him. Moreover, he just tried to ambush you, Young Master. That is truly a heinous crime.”

Zhū Mùchén sighed, “He’s only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if he ambushed me, he couldn’t have harmed me.”

Elder Lu said, “Better safe than sorry. When it comes to your safety, Young Master, we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.”

However, Zhū Mùchén, thinking of how the youth’s family had died tragically, ultimately felt a sense of compassion. Even though the youth’s words were filled with venomous curses, he was unwilling to resort to harsh measures.

Mo Hua, however, pointed at the youth and said: “Gag him, tie him up, and throw him aside. First, dig up the corpses underground.”

Upon hearing this, the youth immediately glared angrily at Mo Hua, opening his mouth to curse, but the guards nearby stuffed a cloth strip into his mouth, tied him up with ropes, and dragged him aside.

With his mouth gagged, the youth could no longer curse, and the desolate land in the night returned to silence.

Zhū Mùchén looked at the youth with pity.

Elder Lu remained expressionless, his eyes flickering slightly, but he said nothing more. In front of Mo Hua, he took no further action.

Mo Hua then ordered the guards, “Continue digging.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

The Zhū Clan guards continued digging up the corpses.

After that, nothing unexpected happened. In less than half an hour, thirty or forty corpses were all dug up and laid out on the ground one by one.

These corpses wore tattered clothes and were indeed refugees.

The tied-up youth, upon seeing these corpses, froze for a moment. It seemed to have stirred up memories, and sorrow welled up within him. He stopped struggling and screaming, tears streaming from his reddened eyes.

Seeing this, Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

Truly a pitiful child.

Afterward, Mo Hua collected his thoughts and walked around the desolate land, examining each of the thirty or forty dead bodies.

These corpses had not been dead for long and had not been buried for long, so they had not yet decomposed.

Moreover, just as Elder Lu had said, these dead bodies had no visible injuries but wore expressions of terror, their Divine Souls empty.

“Were their souls taken by Underworld Agents?”

“Or… did someone use Divine Thought-type Dao Arts to kill them?”

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then slowly walked up to the youth, removed the cloth gagging his mouth, and asked with a deep gaze: “What is your name?”

The youth, immersed in grief, was about to curse, but when he looked up and met Mo Hua’s profound gaze, he inexplicably felt a chill in his heart, as if all his courage had been drained away.

He dared not curse, but he was unwilling to speak either, only sneering stubbornly.

Mo Hua asked again, “Are your parents among them?”

This question seemed to enrage the youth. His eyes immediately turned red, and he said hoarsely, “You… killed my parents.”

Mo Hua shook his head, “This is my first time seeing you. How could I have killed your parents?”

The young man was taken aback, realizing that Mo Hua’s face was indeed unfamiliar—not one of those who had beaten and cursed him and his parents before.

Then his gaze shifted to Elder Lu, and with reddened eyes, he cursed, “It was this old beast who killed my parents!”

Upon hearing this, Elder Lu immediately flew into a rage, “You insolent brat, what nonsense are you spouting?”

Mo Hua turned to glance at Elder Lu, and Zhū Mùchén also looked at him.

Only then did Elder Lu suppress his anger and slowly say, “Young Master Chén, Young Master Mo, do not listen to this little beast’s nonsense.”

Mo Hua looked back at the young man and asked, “Did you personally witness this elder killing your parents?”

“He attacked us…” the young man said.

“Attacked, or killed?” Mo Hua pressed.

Under Mo Hua’s intense gaze, the young man replied, “It was… an attack…”

Mo Hua said, “So, you only saw this Elder Lu attack and drive you away, but you did not personally witness him killing anyone?”

The young man’s voice grew quieter, but then his face flushed with anger and indignation: “I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but after he attacked us during the day, a group of men in black came in the middle of the night and killed us all. My parents died too.”

The young man’s eyes were bloodshot. “If it wasn’t this old beast, who else could it be?”

Repeatedly called an “old beast,” Elder Lu, who had always held a position of high authority within the family, now wore a twisted expression and said coldly, “Boy, if I had acted, how could I have left a single survivor like you?”

Before he could finish speaking, Elder Lu suddenly grew suspicious. He stared at the young man, frowning: “Wait… All of you refugees died. How did you, this boy, survive?”

Logically, under such circumstances, there should have been no survivors.

The young man sneered, “Heaven has eyes, letting me live to take revenge on you. One day, I will kill you, you old beast.”

Elder Lu was furious, on the verge of wanting to silence the young man by crippling his tongue.

Mo Hua then said, “Enough.”

Out of respect for Mo Hua, Elder Lu suppressed his hatred and refrained from acting.

Instead, the young man continued to curse relentlessly.

Mo Hua said, “You, shut up too.”

The young man gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot from the loss of his loved ones, and insisted: “I refuse. None of you are good people. You all deserve to die. I wish I could eat your flesh and drink your blood… to avenge my dead parents.”

“…They were all killed by you, all dead. Only I… survived. Heaven let me live to kill all of you…”

Mo Hua silently watched the young man and suddenly said, “Then haven’t you realized that you are actually dead too?”

Upon hearing this, Elder Lu, Zhū Mùchén, and the surrounding guards were all startled.

The young man panicked at first, then sneered: “What nonsense are you talking about? How could I be dead? If I were dead, how could you be speaking to me? Are you dead too?”

Mo Hua remained calm and said nothing more, as if his earlier words had been nothing but a jest.

Elder Lu was suspicious but didn’t dwell on it too much.

After a moment of thought, Mo Hua added, “Elder Lu… would not have acted to kill you. With his cultivation level, if he had truly acted, you would not have survived.”

“Even now, if he wanted to kill you, he could.”

The youth was filled with hatred and rage, his face etched with unwillingness, yet deep down he understood that the handsome yet sinister-looking young master before him was likely speaking the truth.

Mo Hua said, “I will help you find the murderer and avenge you.”

Hearing this, the youth was taken aback, then his gaze turned cold. “Why?”

Mo Hua replied, “I am a rather upright person. I enjoy acting bravely for justice and cannot stand such evil deeds that harm the innocent.”

The youth sneered, thinking Mo Hua might be a bit unhinged.

Elder Lu and the Zhū Clan guards also looked bewildered, unsure why this Young Master Mo had such thick skin.

In contrast, Zhū Mùchén nodded, as if it were only natural. In his heart, his Little Senior Brother had always been an extremely upright person.

Mo Hua asked, “Well?”

The youth remained silent.

Mo Hua added with a hint of coldness, “Don’t blame me for not warning you. Without my help, not only will you fail to avenge your family, but you may not even know who your enemy is. Even if you survive, carrying a deep grudge with no way to seek revenge, you’ll be nothing more than a walking corpse…”

The youth’s eyes trembled, clearly filled with inner torment. After a long struggle, he finally asked, “How… will you help me take revenge? What price must I pay?”

Mo Hua said, “It’s simple. I have a secret technique that can reveal the whereabouts of the one who killed your parents, your sister, and these companions. However, I need a piece of your flesh and blood as a catalyst.”

The youth frowned. “Just that?”

Mo Hua nodded. “Acting bravely for justice is my hobby. I seek no reward.”

The youth was somewhat dazed and slowly nodded. “Just a piece of flesh and blood? Take it as you please.”

For revenge, he was willing to sacrifice even his life, let alone a bit of skin and flesh.

Mo Hua then took out a dagger and cut a small, thin piece of flesh from the youth’s palm, promptly storing it in his sleeve.

Hidden in his sleeve was a jade vial, into which he secretly placed the youth’s flesh and sealed it tightly.

Mo Hua sensed something unusual about this youth, so he intended to take this piece of flesh back for thorough study.

As for using a technique to locate the murderer, given Mo Hua’s current harmony through Cause and Effect, he didn’t need any catalyst at all.

The deaths of thirty or forty refugees together, killed through “Soul (魂) Extraction and Spirit (魄) Refining,” left far too many traces in terms of both Baleful Qi and cause and effect.

(TN: Extracting the Hun Soul, Refining the Po Soul.

魂 (Hún) – Soul / Ethereal Soul

魄 (Pò) – Corporeal Soul )

At this level of cause and effect and Baleful Qi, Elder Lu and the others might not perceive it, but in Mo Hua’s eyes, it was almost as clear as a beacon.

He was merely finding an excuse to cut a piece of flesh from the youth.

After cutting it, Mo Hua hid his hand in his sleeve, made a few subtle gestures, and immediately understood.

But outwardly, he still put on a show, drawing a jumble of random things on the ground—some words, some Formation Patterns, and even a pig and a dog to confuse onlookers.

Once finished, Mo Hua wiped away the patterns on the ground and said with a serious expression, “I know where the murderer is.”

Elder Lu stared at Mo Hua for a long while, feeling as though his brain was about to twist into knots, unable to comprehend what Mo Hua had drawn or how he could possibly deduce the murderer’s location.

“Young Master Mo, how do you know—”

Before he could finish, Zhū Mùchén interrupted, “Elder Lu, Little Senior Brother has his own ingenious methods. There’s no need to ask further. We’ll just follow him.”

Zhū Mùchén spoke with a serious expression, unconditionally trusting his Little Senior Brother.

Elder Lu didn’t know what to say, increasingly feeling that Mo Hua seemed less like a person and more like a ghost.

Even the young boy looked utterly confused.

Mo Hua stood up, pointed to the right, and said calmly, “The murderer is to the right. Follow me.”

Elder Lu frowned, “Young Master Mo, we’re going now?”

Mo Hua nodded, “Since we’re investigating a murderer, naturally we go now. The sooner the better, otherwise delays may lead to complications.”

“But…” Elder Lu worried, “It’s so late, what about Young Master Chen…”

Mo Hua said, “Don’t worry, I’m his Senior Brother. I guarantee he’ll be fine.”

Zhu Muchen also nodded, “Don’t worry, with Little Senior Brother here, nothing could possibly happen to me.”

Elder Lu truly felt like ten thousand oxen and horses were stampeding through his heart. He finally sighed and ordered: “Protect the young master. We’re going.”

“Yes,” the guards responded.

The night grew deeper and heavier. The carriage followed Mo Hua’s directions along the road.

After traveling twenty li, Mo Hua had everyone dismount and proceed on foot, suppressing their auras.

After walking another ten-plus li, they came upon a small village.

It was an ordinary little hamlet. A roadside sign read “Little Wang Village,” with about a hundred households inside.

It was already late at night, and most villagers were asleep. The entire village was extremely quiet.

Mo Hua led the group to the north side of Little Wang Village, stopping before a dust-covered farmhouse.

The house was empty, its door locked. Clearly no one lived there anymore. From the outside, it looked utterly ordinary, with nothing special about it. Yet Mo Hua’s expression grew somewhat grave.

Because all those invisible killing intents and Baleful Qi were converging on this uninhabited farmhouse.

Mo Hua swept his Divine-Sense and said slowly, “There’s a hidden passage inside. Outside, there’s a Formation—an Evil Formation, used for concealment and killing enemies.”

“Evil Formation?” Elder Lu’s face changed slightly.

Mo Hua nodded.

“Then the person inside… is a Demonic Cultivator?” Elder Lu frowned deeply. “Were those refugees killed by a Demonic Cultivator?”

Beside them, the bound boy’s eyes turned red again for a moment. He wanted to say something but couldn’t speak.

Afraid he might make noise, Mo Hua sealed his mouth again, saying only, “I’ll avenge you for you, but don’t move around recklessly, lest we alert the enemy.”

The boy still wore a pained expression.

Mo Hua sighed and said to Elder Lu, “The righteous and the demonic cannot coexist, Elder Lu. It’s time for you to show your mettle.”

Elder Lu was taken aback, “Me?”

Mo Hua nodded, “Among us, your cultivation is the highest. Naturally, you take the lead.”

Elder Lu hesitated briefly, then nodded, “Indeed, the righteous and the demonic cannot coexist… But how do we attack? Isn’t there an Evil Formation?”

“It’s simple,” Mo Hua said. “I’ve examined it. This Evil Formation is the work of a mediocre talent. We don’t even need to break it; we can just walk through.”

He took out paper and brush, redrawing the layout of the house and courtyard ahead according to the Formation’s framework, then boldly outlined two safe paths: “These two paths are the Formation’s hubs, one in front, one in back. Both can be traversed safely.”

“Other areas cannot be entered because they’re set with Evil Path traps, probably things like White Bone Formations. If you mistakenly enter, they’ll explode. Just avoid them.”

Elder Lu was skeptical, “It’s that simple?”

Mo Hua nodded, “It’s that simple.”

Elder Lu frowned, “Young Master Mo… you’ve studied Evil Formations too?”

Mo Hua: “No”

How could he possibly have studied Evil Formations?

“However, these are all formations, and the principles are the same, allowing one to draw inferences from one case to another. Moreover, this Evil Formation may seem intricate to outsiders, but to those in the know, it’s actually quite simple, it can be seen through at a glance. Just trust me on this.”

Elder Lu, unsure of the truth, nodded slowly.

“Also,” Mo Hua thought for a moment before retrieving some black cloth strips from his storage bag and handing them to Elder Lu, instructing, “Have all cultivators entering tie these black cloth strips around their foreheads, covering their Divine-Sense. They must not remove them under any circumstances.”

“These black cloth strips have been blessed by a great master. Wearing them on the forehead will ensure your safety.”

“After that, lead your people and charge straight in. Remember this—” Mo Hua gave Elder Lu a resolute look, “Once inside, kill anyone you see without hesitation. Do not speak a single word, nor entertain any other thoughts. Keep only one word in mind: kill!”

Elder Lu shuddered inwardly, wondering what background this Senior Brother of Young Master Chén came from and what kind of education he had received.

Why did it seem like he was accustomed to silencing witnesses by killing them?

After giving his instructions, Mo Hua patted Elder Lu on the shoulder and asked, “Understood?”

Elder Lu nodded instinctively, “Understood.”

“Good,” Mo Hua nodded, pointing at the Demonic Cultivator stronghold before them, “…go and kill.”

…

Translator Notes:

Mo Hua captured a “Elder Lu”. A golden core fire type pokemon.