Chapter 385: Clues

Sun Ze tugged at the corner of his mouth and shouted angrily:

“Brat, the Sun family won’t let this go—”

Mo Hua didn’t hold back and slammed his staff onto Sun Ze’s head.

Sun Ze felt a dizzying buzz in his forehead.

“Think carefully before you speak,” Mo Hua reminded him.

Gritting his teeth and steeling his heart, Sun Ze thought: A real man doesn’t suffer losses right in front of him. He begged:

“Little brother, it’s my fault. I was ignorant. I didn’t dare instruct you. Please, be magnanimous and spare me.”

Mo Hua, of course, didn’t believe a word, but he didn’t care. Instead, he said:

“I’m going to ask you a few questions. If you answer them, I’ll let you go. If not… maybe your father should have another son.”

Mo Hua was just trying to scare Sun Ze.

Sun Ze broke out in a cold sweat. His father didn’t need another son—there were already two.

He was the legitimate eldest son. If he died, the second son would conveniently inherit the family head position.

Moreover, his younger brother’s formation skills were better than his. His father would certainly be pleased, at most pretending to shed a few tears.

Sun Ze hurriedly said:

“Sir, ask me anything! I’ll tell you everything!”

Mo Hua glanced at him skeptically, thinking: Why is this guy’s backbone so soft? I haven’t even hit him much with the Thousand-Pound Staff, and he’s already obedient.

“Then I ask you: does your Sun family have an ancestral formation?”

Sun Ze’s heart skipped a beat. This brat was clearly after their family’s ancestral formation.

He hurriedly nodded:

“Yes!”

“Where is it?”

Sun Ze shook his head:

“No!”

Mo Hua tapped him with the staff:

“Which is it—yes or no?”

Sun Ze bit the pain and said:

“My father said the Sun family has this inheritance, but he also said that the Sun family has no clues to the formation and cannot find it…”

Mo Hua asked in confusion:

“So your ancestors didn’t pass it down to you?”

Sun Ze didn’t know how to answer.

Mo Hua suddenly said:

“Oh, right. Even if it was passed to you, you wouldn’t be worthy of it.”

Monopolizing formations, exploiting spirit farmers, bullying others.

Besides, their formation skills were low; the Sun family didn’t even have a first-rank formation master. Even if they found the ultimate formation, they couldn’t learn it—it would just be a waste.

Sun Ze was embarrassed and angry but dared not argue. He only asked, trying to redirect:

“Sir, what formation are you looking for?”

Mo Hua stared at him and immediately saw through his thoughts:

You want me to reveal the clue? You think I’d tell you?

Sun Ze forced a laugh:

“No, no, of course not.”

But inwardly he cursed: This brat is cunning like a ghost…

Before he could finish, another blow landed on his head.

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and coldly said:

“Were you cursing me in your heart?”

Sun Ze’s head throbbed, and his mouth twitched as he hurriedly said:

“No, no! I wouldn’t dare!”

“Then what else do you know about this formation?” Mo Hua asked again, weighing the Thousand-Pound Staff in his hand, threatening:

“You better tell the truth. If I catch you hiding anything, the consequences are on you. Answer me to my satisfaction, and I’ll let you go.”

Mo Hua combined severity with leniency, giving Sun Ze a glimmer of hope.

He had practiced this questioning routine several times:

From Old Diao to learn about the concealment technique, from Qian Xing to get the Qian family ancestor’s conspiracy.

When to strike, what to ask, when to give hope—Mo Hua had mastered the rhythm.

Sun Ze was skeptical that Mo Hua would actually let him go but dared not doubt.

If he didn’t believe it, Mo Hua might just finish him off with a fireball technique.

He still wanted to inherit the Sun family’s wealth, and he wasn’t about to hand it over to his younger brother.

So he told everything he knew—like pouring out beans—about the Sun family ancestor and the inheritance for the descendants.

Sun Ze didn’t know much, so Mo Hua didn’t get any extra clues, but at least his guess was confirmed.

The Sun family ancestor had indeed hidden the ultimate formation within the spirit fields.

He didn’t leave the formation with the Sun family or pass it down to descendants.

It was still unknown where exactly it was hidden, how it was concealed, or what formation techniques were used…

Mo Hua repeated some questions several times, going over details with Sun Ze.

Sun Ze was dizzy but managed to answer.

Though he occasionally missed a detail, nothing contradicted itself, which suggested he was telling the truth.

Mo Hua decided not to press further.

Sun Ze was the eldest legitimate son of the Sun family.

Though lazy and oppressive to spirit farmers, it wasn’t wise to kill him now.

Otherwise, the Sun family would act recklessly.

The family head was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and with the family’s territory being local, it wasn’t smart to burn bridges.

“Go.”

Mo Hua kicked Sun Ze.

Sun Ze forgot his embarrassment and anger, and instead asked in confusion:

“You’re really letting me go?”

“Why, don’t you want to?” Mo Hua raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to give you another beating?”

Sun Ze jumped in fright and quickly said:

“I’ll go, I’ll go!”

Without waiting for Mo Hua to say more, he got up and limped away.

He didn’t even glance at the other Sun family cultivators.

In this, he was like the spoiled Qian Xing of the Qian family.

Better a dead comrade than a ruined self.

Even if the “comrade” was from their own family.

As he ran, Sun Ze glimpsed the sparkling water in the spirit fields.

His reflection showed a ruined figure: blackened, scorched face, both arms burned—it looked pitiful.

He couldn’t believe it.

What kind of fireball technique had that brat used?

Why was it so powerful?

Even worse, it almost exploded on his face, ruining his looks.

He wanted to curse Mo Hua but felt a chill and forced the words down.

No cursing!

If he did, and that brat noticed, he’d be finished with a fireball—he couldn’t risk it.

Small impatience can ruin big plans.

He needed to run back and tell his father.

His father was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This brat was only a Qi-refiner. Even with a sharp fireball, he wouldn’t be a match.

Sun Ze realized this and ran faster, wishing he had all four limbs to speed up.

Mo Hua guessed he would go to his father, Sun Yi.

Sun Yi was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But Mo Hua had concealment techniques; even if he couldn’t win, he could escape.

If the Sun family really overstepped and angered him, he could invisibly sneak into their estate, secretly reconfigure a formation, and collapse it with the Reverse-Spirit Formation, reducing their family head to ashes.

But that step wasn’t needed yet.

Mo Hua frowned.

His master, Old Kui, and the little senior brothers and sisters were all at the Sun family.

If he tore ties with the Sun family now, he didn’t know how his master would react.

While he was thinking, a carriage came slowly from the distance.

Old Kui was driving, and Dabai was pulling the carriage.

Mo Hua relaxed.

Nothing could escape his master’s notice.

Or perhaps it was all within his master’s expectations.

Dabai saw Mo Hua and whinnied.

Mo Hua immediately approached and hugged Dabai’s neck.

Then he met Mister Zhuang and told him about finding Sun Ze provoking him, beating him, and knocking down seven or eight Sun family cultivators.

Mister Zhuang said calmly:

“Minor matter, no problem.”

Mo Hua whispered:

“Master, don’t you think I was reckless, not showing restraint?”

Mister Zhuang said:

“Restraint when powerless is caution. Restraint when capable is cowardice.”

“I don’t recall ever teaching you to turn the other cheek.”

Mo Hua relaxed and smiled.

Mister Zhuang glanced at him and said gently:

“When I take you out traveling, I usually won’t intervene. You rely on yourselves.

But if you truly encounter danger, even if the sky falls, I’ll protect you. Relax, and do what you think is right.”

“Yes, Master!”

Mo Hua smiled and nodded.

Nearby, Bai Zisheng looked at the sprawled Sun family cultivators in the spirit fields with regret and disappointment.

Regret for not protecting the little junior brother in time.

Disappointment for missing such a good scene.

Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, noticing his energy was spent but his body uninjured, complexion good, face flushed, and nodded slightly.

…

Sun family mansion.

Mister Zhuang had excused himself to Sun Yi in advance, claiming he wanted to visit Qianjia Town; Sun Yi didn’t suspect a thing.

Once Mister Zhuang left, Sun Ze returned, black-faced and dusty, and Sun Yi finally understood why Mister Zhuang had left…

Sun Ze dared not hide anything, recounting everything in detail.

As soon as he finished, Sun Yi was both shocked and furious.

“What did you say?!”

He smashed the table to pieces, eyes wide:

“Eight or nine Sun family cultivators, beaten into submission by a brat barely out of diapers?”