Chapter 458: Corpse Mine

Chapter 459: Corpse Mine

Zhang Quan was dead, with no one to verify the truth of his death.

The iron corpse had been taken, and all leads were gone.

Now, the only option was to start with the traitor from the Little Lingyin Sect.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then ran to ask Instructor Yan:

“Instructor, do you think that traitor is in Nanyue City?”

Instructor Yan’s eyes flickered as he sighed:

“I’ve searched for a long time before, but found nothing. Perhaps he’s no longer here…”

Mo Hua shook his head.

“Instructor, you’re lying.”

Instructor Yan was taken aback.

Mo Hua, however, looked completely certain.

Yan couldn’t help but ask, “How do you know I’m lying?”

“I guessed!”

Mo Hua’s voice was crisp.

He looked at Instructor Yan with eyes that were sharply black and white, deep pupils, yet pure and unstained.

Being stared at like this, Yan felt he had nowhere to hide.

Even a trace of guilt stirred in his heart.

After a long silence, struggling internally, Instructor Yan finally sighed and spoke:

“That person… really is in Nanyue City…”

“I didn’t tell you before because one, I didn’t want to involve you, and two, it was only my guess—I had no proof, couldn’t be certain.”

Mo Hua’s eyes brightened. He quickly asked:

“Where in Nanyue City?”

Instructor Yan frowned.

“I guess… in the Lu family.”

The Lu family!

Mo Hua’s gaze shifted as he pondered silently.

The traitor, surnamed Shen, given name Cai, had changed his name and probably his appearance as well. He was hiding in Nanyue City and would almost certainly attach himself to some power.

Being a wandering cultivator was impossible.

First, wandering cultivators live a hard life. He betrayed his master and clan—surely not to struggle through hardship.

Second, he’s a formation master. Hiding among wandering cultivators would draw even more attention, making his identity highly suspicious.

If not a wandering cultivator, he must attach to a faction.

And if he attaches, it must be a major one.

Big trees provide good shade; with lots of people and affairs, he could hide in plain sight.

Nanyue City had three major powers: one, the Dao Court Division; two, the Nanyue Sect; and three, the Lu family.

The Dao Court Division values pedigree—if you’re not “clean,” or at least outwardly reputable, you can’t get in.

The Nanyue Sect is a sect, and the Lu family is a family.

Both are easier to enter if you have ability.

Whether as instructor, outer-branch elder, guest official, or marrying in, there are many paths, and positions are high with good treatment.

Mo Hua had guessed that if the traitor were hiding, he would be in either the Nanyue Sect or the Lu family.

But he wasn’t entirely certain.

Instructor Yan also guessed the traitor was in the Lu family…

Mo Hua asked, “Why do you think he’s in the Lu family?”

Yan said:

“You’re right… I lied to you before. In Nanyue City, I saw this traitor’s formation handwriting. At that time, I said I couldn’t trace its origin—but that was a lie…”

“I found out…”

Instructor Yan’s expression grew serious.

“This formation comes from the Lu family.”

“And that mine—the formation energy there is familiar yet obscure, with a hint of corruption…”

“I suspect the formation used in that mine is the Spirit-Pivot Formation.”

“And that mine is also the Lu family’s.”

“I rented a house near the mine to investigate, hoping to find clues to the traitor…”

Instructor Yan sighed helplessly.

“But unexpectedly, I ran into Zhang Quan, was captured, and trapped in the Walking-Corpse Village…”

“Everything after that—you already know…”

Yan revealed everything.

Mo Hua nodded slowly.

“Indeed, that makes the Lu family the prime suspect.”

Instructor Yan gave a slight nod, then his expression grew weary:

“The Lu family is powerful, controlling several mines, with multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed. They mine, run brothels, gambling houses, restaurants, and hold most of Jinhua Street’s wealth. Their connections in Nanyue City are extensive…”

“I have no ability to investigate the Lu family. Even if I did, I’d probably…”

Instructor Yan sighed deeply.

Mo Hua understood his difficulty.

The Lu family was such a large local power. As an outsider, even a formation master like Yan couldn’t easily probe them.

Even if he did, Yan wasn’t skilled in Dao arts and couldn’t act on what he found.

Reporting to the Dao Court Division about the Lu family betraying their master? Likely, Yan would be the one arrested.

Mo Hua comforted him:

“Instructor, Mo the steward is right—you should also think about your own future, find a Dao partner, and live a peaceful life.”

Yan paused, helpless.

Mo Hua continued:

“Good and evil have their consequences. Perhaps that person will meet his own end someday.”

“For now, just live here, have tea with Mister Zhuang, talk about formations…”

“The rest… let it be.”

Though he spoke like that, Yan’s worries weren’t easily eased.

Still, Mo Hua’s words warmed his heart slightly.

For years, his mood had been gloomy, his character cold and distant.

Others’ concern was rarely felt.

Yet Yan sensed something odd and looked at Mo Hua suspiciously:

“Are you… planning something?”

Mo Hua smiled, shook his head:

“Nothing.”

What he intended, he couldn’t reveal to Yan yet.

He changed the subject, chatted briefly, then ran to the Dao Court Division to find Situ Fang.

Speaking openly there was inconvenient, so they went to a secluded teahouse.

Mo Hua lowered his voice:

“Situ sister, has your division ever accepted bribes from the Nanyue Sect?”

Situ Fang was taken aback, thought for a moment, and nodded.

“And from the Lu family?”

She nodded again.

Mo Hua fell silent, then asked in another way:

“Is there any sect or family in Nanyue City that hasn’t bribed him?”

Situ Fang hesitated:

“There might be, but such powers probably don’t exist anymore…”

Mo Hua couldn’t believe it.

“He’s that greedy?”

Situ Fang replied carefully:

“He’s my direct superior. I can’t easily judge him.”

Mo Hua understood.

Meaning he was so greedy that even she had nothing to say.

Frowning, Mo Hua asked:

“No one manages him at all?”

Situ Fang coughed twice and said quietly:

“The Dao Court Division has power. With power comes greed—just a matter of degree.”

“There are those who don’t, but they’re rare.”

“Power and wealth feed each other.”

“Have power, and people will bring spirit stones to you. You don’t even need to lift a finger—they’ll put them in your pocket.”

“Have spirit stones, and you can use them to buy power…”

Mo Hua nodded, suddenly puzzled:

“Situ sister, why does what you’re saying sound so much like Uncle Zhang Lan?”

Situ Fang looked a bit annoyed:

“That’s exactly what he told me.”

Mo Hua was stunned.

She sighed:

“He worried I was too honest, too naive, so when I became a steward, he told me these things.”

At first, she didn’t believe it.

Later, as steward, seeing more, she had no choice but to believe.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked:

“Which steward received the most bribes?”

“That would be the Lu family.”

“Are they the richest?”

“Yes.” Situ Fang nodded and sighed:

“Half of Nanyue City’s mines belong to the Lu family. Half of the city’s mine cultivators serve them—of course they’re rich.”

He guessed there was a missing thought: most of the Dao Court Division in Nanyue City is also bought by the Lu family…

Mo Hua cursed inwardly.

Situ Fang glanced at him, frowned, and warned:

“Don’t oppose the Lu family.”

“A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Their power is vast, connections deep, and relations complex. Unless the Dao Court acts, even if a local power does many evil deeds and colludes with the local Dao Court Division, it will all be perfectly hidden.”

“You can’t cut the grass and hope to kill the roots…”

The Situ family acted within rules even in Nanyue City.

Occasionally interests conflict, but they don’t rip open relations.

Nanyue City’s problems are deeply rooted.

Not something the Situ family alone can solve.

And Situ Fang was just a steward.

She and Mo Hua were close; she feared he wouldn’t understand the stakes and might recklessly get involved.

Mo Hua nodded, smiling:

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

After confirming the Lu family’s ties to the Dao Court Division, Mo Hua went to the Lu family mine.

On the surface, the mine was as busy and noisy as always.

But Mo Hua noticed the formations around had changed.

They were more complete, and guards more vigilant.

The mine’s perimeter had many “Revealing Dust” formations, and the gate even had a “Revealing Image” formation…

It was as if the formations were guarding against him.

Meanwhile, the guards were replaced.

The Lu family cultivator Lu Ming was transferred.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivators now stationed the mine.

They no longer had maidens fanning them or feasting, but sat calmly, serious, occasionally sending out divine sense to scan the surroundings, as if on alert.

“Something’s wrong…”

Mo Hua murmured.

With Foundation Establishment cultivators, Revealing Dust and Image formations, it would be hard to sneak in.

He planned to wait until night.

But at night, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators were still there.

Mo Hua swept his divine sense, detecting corners where more Lu family cultivators were hiding.

At night, no one mined, but the guards were stricter.

No chance for Mo Hua.

“This is a big problem…”

He waited outside until midnight.

Finally, some movement came from inside the mine.

A cold, sinister aura emanated.

But unlike before, it was subtle.

The energy inside was weak, hard to detect.

As if deliberately restrained, or completely hidden by formations.

Unlike before, when dense, sinister, corrupted energy made one’s heart race.

Now, the mine’s aura was faint, and movement minimal.

Even ordinary cultivators passing by might not notice anything unusual.

Mo Hua’s expression turned serious.

He sat cross-legged, released his divine sense, carefully sensing the mine’s aura.

After a moment, he opened his eyes, certain in his heart.

His guess was correct.

The mine’s aura—was zombies!

Before, he hadn’t been clear.

But after dealing with Zhang Quan, visiting the Walking-Corpse Village, seizing the Corpse Control Bell, taking the “Zombie Diagram,” and even “consuming” a few zombies,

Mo Hua was now very familiar with it.

That deathly aura came from corpses.

The stench was from decayed walking corpses.

The corrupt formations were the Spirit-Pivot evil formations drawn on the zombies.

The previous densely packed, sinister aura that made one’s heart race? That was because countless zombies were hidden in the mine!

This Lu family mine—was a corpse mine!