Chapter 466: The Nasty Thing

Chapter 467: The Nasty Thing

Mo Hua followed Lu Chengyun to the Lu family.

On the surface, Lu Chengyun treated Mo Hua very well—considerate, attentive, meticulous—but he didn’t allow Mo Hua to leave the Lu estate and imposed various restrictions. In reality, it was equivalent to “house arrest.”

Mo Hua went to Lu Chengyun and said he wanted to return home for a visit:

“I’ll be back soon. I just want to tell my little senior brother and little senior sister, so they don’t worry.”

Lu Chengyun took out paper and pen.

“No need to trouble yourself. Just write a letter, and I’ll have someone deliver it.”

Mo Hua waved his hands repeatedly.

“If I just write a letter, my senior brother and senior sister might not believe me. It’s better if I go back myself.”

Lu Chengyun shook his head:

“You, little sir, are clever and have many ideas—I have to be cautious. Writing a letter will suffice.”

Mo Hua muttered, “Is the head of the Lu family being too cautious…”

“Better to be cautious,” Lu Chengyun said slowly, looking at Mo Hua with a calm smile:

“This time, I set up a Manifestation Array and mobilized several Foundation Establishment elders to be able to invite you…”

“If I let you go back, with preparations underway, I might not even be able to find you, let alone invite you.”

Mo Hua sighed helplessly.

“Fine, I’ll just write the letter.”

He picked up the pen and, using Lu family stationery, wrote a letter to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.

The letter was simple: he explained that he had been cordially invited by the head of the Lu family to stay for a while, not to worry, and to eat three meals a day on time—but they would have to prepare the meals themselves.

He did not mention Mister Zhuang.

He noticed that Lu Chengyun seemed unaware that the three of them were traveling with their master.

Mo Hua even speculated that in Lu Chengyun’s understanding, Mister Zhuang might not even exist.

Strange as it seemed, it wasn’t impossible for his master.

After finishing the letter, Mo Hua handed it to Lu Chengyun.

Without even looking at it, Lu Chengyun called a servant and instructed them to deliver the letter to Mo Hua’s residence.

It seemed that as long as Mo Hua stayed, whatever he wrote in the letter didn’t matter.

Mo Hua stayed at the Lu estate for a few days.

Lu Chengyun treated him to the best food and drink.

Even the servants attending him were young and beautiful maidens.

At some of the Lu family’s evening banquets, Mo Hua sat beside Lu Chengyun.

Among the guests, some Lu family women were stunningly adorned, with makeup and elegance, each unique, their gazes lingering on Mo Hua.

Mo Hua returned their looks without shyness.

After scanning them, he compared them silently in his mind and decided none were as beautiful as his little senior sister, and then, bored, he focused on eating.

To be honest, the Lu family’s meals were very good.

But thinking of all the delicacies, obtained by risking the lives of the miners for the Lu family’s enjoyment, made them taste bland to Mo Hua.

Even eating cooked meat, he sometimes sensed a hint of bloodiness.

A few days later, one night, Lu Chengyun found Mo Hua, his figure hidden in the darkness, expression unreadable, voice calm:

“Little sir, I’m taking you to a place.”

Mo Hua couldn’t help asking:

“What place?”

Lu Chengyun smiled slightly, though it seemed not really a smile.

“A place you want to go.”

Mo Hua was puzzled but followed Lu Chengyun.

Lu Chengyun led the way, Mo Hua behind him, followed by two Foundation Establishment elders.

Mo Hua remembered these two elders.

They held compass-type spirit artifacts used for reconnaissance and concealment.

The group left the Lu estate, exited Nanyue City, and arrived at the Lu family mine.

The same mine where five miners had met a gruesome death.

The same mine that had a sinister, riotous reputation at night.

The same mine heavily guarded, which Mo Hua had tried to sneak into earlier but failed.

If Mo Hua’s guess was correct, the mine contained zombies.

All of Lu Chengyun’s schemes and calculations were hidden in this mine.

Of course, the complete Spirit-Pivot Array diagrams must also exist inside.

The mine was still guarded by Lu family cultivators.

Lu Chengyun arrived at the mine entrance but didn’t go in. Instead, he led Mo Hua around the perimeter, eventually stopping at a desolate area with a huge stone.

It was now deep night.

The mountain was dark and eerie, cold winds blowing.

The giant stone loomed imposingly, exuding a chilling corpse aura.

Mo Hua froze.

Could this giant stone be the gate?

He looked around, frowning. The stone was natural, with no marks of chiseling, nothing resembling a door.

He extended his Divine Sense to inspect.

No illusory arrays nearby.

Then, Lu Chengyun took out a strange bell, black all over, seeming neither wood nor metal.

He shook it gently; the sound was low and dull, not the clear ringing of metal, but heavy, like a dead heart beating.

After a moment, the stone trembled.

Mo Hua’s eyes widened.

The huge stone seemed lifted by great force, revealing a deep mountain path behind it.

The path reeked of corpse energy, thick and dripping.

Lu Chengyun glanced at Mo Hua, smiling faintly, and said warmly:

“Little sir, please.”

Mo Hua composed himself, nodded, and followed Lu Chengyun into the darkness.

The stench made him momentarily dizzy and short of breath.

After a while, the strong aura dissipated, and the path ahead opened up.

Mo Hua looked carefully, even more shocked.

Behind the giant stone was a mine.

A dead-man’s mine.

Inside, coffins were everywhere, a place full of death energy.

He looked back at the entrance.

The natural stone was indeed the gate, secured with thick chains, coiled and extending to an iron turntable.

Two tall iron corpses were stationed at the turntable.

Just now, these two iron corpses, controlled by the black corpse-controlling bell, rotated the turntable, lifting the stone gate.

Mo Hua frowned.

The stone was enormous, yet the two iron corpses could operate the turntable, lifting the gate—requiring tremendous strength and killing power.

Yet Lu Chengyun used them merely to open the door.

Either because the mine had countless iron corpses and these two were expendable,

Or because the gate was extremely important.

Inside was a restricted area, off-limits to outsiders.

Once inside, Lu Chengyun shook the bell again.

The two iron corpses reversed the turntable.

Behind Mo Hua, the chains creaked as the stone gate slowly lowered, sealing them completely.

Even the cold moonlight could not reach this corpse mine.

Mo Hua was trapped in this closed, deathly quiet mine.

A Lu family elder lit a lantern.

In the dark mine, it cast a dim yellow light.

The lantern illuminated Lu Chengyun’s face, shadowed and mysterious.

He looked at Mo Hua, eyes glinting with strange ambition, voice suppressed with excitement:

“Little sir, this mine is my life’s work, the Lu family’s grand enterprise!”

Mo Hua’s heart was shocked, but he frowned and asked:

“Head of the Lu family, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“No rush,” Lu Chengyun smiled faintly.

“Before that, we’ll meet an old friend.”

“An old friend?”

The Lu family elder led the way, lantern in hand.

Mo Hua followed Lu Chengyun through the dark mine.

They walked to a cave.

The cave had a door, inscribed with layers of arrays. The patterns were unclear, but under the lantern’s light, they glowed faintly red.

Mo Hua knew immediately—this was an evil array.

Lu Chengyun inserted a stone talisman into the lock, dispelling the array.

The Lu elder pushed open the stone door, and they entered.

Inside, it was brighter, with many stone chambers.

The chambers bore Bright Flame Arrays.

Inside were some cultivators in gray clothes, pale and corpse-like—they were corpse cultivators.

Seeing Lu Chengyun, they bowed respectfully.

Lu Chengyun nodded slightly, leading Mo Hua to a large hall.

In the center was a stone table, intricately carved.

The room was meticulously arranged, with skulls, bones, coffin nails, exuding a macabre beauty.

The hall was gloomy, surrounded by coffins. In the middle sat a cultivator, thin and scarred, clearly gravely injured, face pale and sullen.

Zhang Quan.

Indeed, an “old friend” of Mo Hua.

Mo Hua thought: “As expected.”

Zhang Quan hadn’t died!

A centipede dies but does not rot.

Mo Hua had always suspected Zhang Quan was hard to kill.

Moreover, the Zhang family had a long lineage in corpse refinement, a talent valuable to Lu Chengyun.

Lu Chengyun wouldn’t let him die easily.

Zhang Quan rose respectfully when seeing Lu Chengyun.

After the formalities, he glanced and saw little Mo Hua by Lu Chengyun’s side.

He thought he was seeing things.

Blinking, once he recognized Mo Hua, his eyes bulged in rage.

Pointing at Mo Hua, trembling, he said,

“Head of the Lu family, this—”

Lu Chengyun introduced:

“This little sir is an extraordinary array master, surnamed Mo, given name Hua.”

Zhang Quan didn’t need the introduction.

Mo Hua’s features, every expression, were etched into his mind, each recollection a tormenting, burning pain.

For half his life, his only wish was to create peerless zombies.

The latter half was to use them to eat Mo Hua.

Hidden here for years, Zhang Quan had dreamed daily of killing Mo Hua.

He never expected to see Mo Hua alive in this corpse mine.

Enraged, he glared, ready to strike.

Sensing Zhang Quan’s killing intent, Mo Hua ducked behind Lu Chengyun, sticking out his small head and sticking his tongue out at Zhang Quan.

Zhang Quan nearly fainted from anger.

Losing control of his mind, he finally could not endure and swung his palm at Mo Hua.

The palm was thick and solid, imbued with spiritual force, aiming to kill.

But halfway through, Lu Chengyun stopped it.

“Brother Zhang, don’t act rashly.”

Lu Chengyun’s expression was calm, voice cold.

Zhang Quan, fearful, calmed down, though his anger remained, and he said sharply:

“Master, this little brat—”

Lu Chengyun said calmly:

“I know there’s past grievance, but that’s over…”

Zhang Quan asked in disbelief: “Why?”

Lu Chengyun replied slowly:

“Because our grand enterprise needs Little Sir’s help. Now, Mo Hua is our honored guest. He must not be offended.”

Mo Hua nodded beside him:

“Exactly! Exactly!”

Zhang Quan was furious but helpless.

He glanced at the indifferent Lu Chengyun, restrained his gaze, then, face flushing red and white, gritted his teeth:

“Fine, I won’t pursue it!”

Pointing at Mo Hua, he said:

“But he must return what he stole from me!”

Mo Hua feigned ignorance:

“I don’t recall taking anything of yours.”

Zhang Quan ground his teeth:

“The things on the altar!”

“Oh,” Mo Hua blinked.

“Those are yours? I saw no one using them, so I took them. Even trash shouldn’t go to waste, right?”

Zhang Quan was speechless.

Lu Chengyun sighed:

“Little sir, don’t anger him further.”

Mo Hua fell silent.

Lu Chengyun sighed and said:

“Seems like a misunderstanding. Best to return the items, forgive each other. Little sir, what do you think?”

Mo Hua hesitated, then nodded, saying to Zhang Quan:

“Fine, for the sake of the Lu family head.”

He lowered his head, rummaging in his storage bag, and found the dismantled corpse-controlling bell.

It had been taken apart by his little senior sister and never reassembled.

There were no strong arrays inside, so Mo Hua had forgotten about it.

He held the scattered pieces in both hands and dumped them on the table.

Zhang Quan was stunned.

“This… is my corpse-controlling bell?”

Blood cords, strange markings, bell body… completely dismantled, as if dismembered.

Zhang Quan glared at Mo Hua:

“Why did you dismantle it?”

Mo Hua thought: Not me, my little senior sister did.

But dismantled by her or by me, it seemed the same.

He said:

“I thought it’d be fun to study it…”

Zhang Quan’s scalp tingled.

After a moment, he composed himself and said slowly:

“And… my Ancestor Chart!”

Lu Chengyun’s expression flickered with covetousness.

Mo Hua was reluctant but knew he couldn’t be petty now, so he reluctantly handed over the Ancestor Chart.

Zhang Quan was both guilty and overjoyed.

Guilty for losing it, disgracing the ancestors.

Joyful because it was finally recovered, allowing him to honor their spirit.

He snatched the chart, opening it, smiling broadly.

Indeed, it was his Ancestor Chart.

But as he looked, his smile froze.

Something was missing…

Where were the people?

Zhang Quan stared at Mo Hua in disbelief: “Where are my Zhang ancestors?”

Mo Hua pointed at the chart in his hands:

“Aren’t they in the chart?”

Zhang Quan yelled:

“Why are a few missing?”

Mo Hua shrugged:

“How would I know?”

Zhang Quan fumed:

“The chart is with you! How could you not know?”

Mo Hua thought a moment, said:

“Maybe they went visiting…”

Zhang Quan’s jaw dropped:

“Visiting…?”

“Yes,” Mo Hua nodded casually.

“Stayed too long, wanted to move about. Isn’t that normal?”

“Just remember, the cultivation world is dangerous. If you go visiting, you might not return. You could meet danger, even be eaten by some ‘nasty thing’…”