Chapter 482: Beast

Chapter 483: Beast

Lu Ming began with the old ancestor of the Lu family.

Although he was a disciple of the Lu family, he was relatively marginal, young in age, and inexperienced. He hadn’t inquired into these secrets, nor did he know them. Speaking of them now was somewhat difficult:

“So… it might sound disrespectful, but… the old ancestor was extravagant and indulgent, and… somewhat lustful…”

Mo Hua already knew this.

Many of the brothels on Jinhua Street were built by “Lu Skin-Stripper” purely for indulgence and pleasure.

But there were other things even Mo Hua didn’t know…

Lu Ming lowered his voice: “It’s said… the old ancestor didn’t even spare the women of his own family…”

Mo Hua was stunned. “Family women? The Lu family?”

Lu Ming nodded shamefully.

“And then?”

Lu Ming hesitated, struggling to speak, before finally lowering his voice:

“It’s said that any female disciple of the Lu family, if she was beautiful, whether from the main branch or a side branch, whether unmarried or already married, would… be taken advantage of by the old ancestor…”

Mo Hua’s eyes twitched.

He really did such things?

He shouldn’t call him “Lu Skin-Stripper”—he should be “Lu Beast” instead…

“Of course, these are just rumors… not necessarily true.”

Lu Ming sounded uncertain, but tried to save face for his ancestor:

“The old ancestor was strict. If others hated him and spread slander or filthy stories, it could also be possible…”

Mo Hua, however, thought it was very likely true.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Flies don’t bite eggs with no cracks.

Clearly, the Lu family old ancestor was the rotten egg the flies had targeted.

“And then?”

Mo Hua asked again.

He wanted to know the connection between the Lu family old ancestor and Lu Chengyun, and why the ancestor was willing to defy everyone to make a son-in-law from outside the family the head of the clan.

Lu Ming said, “This matter starts with Miss Zhu.”

“Miss Zhu?”

“Lu Zhu is the direct great-granddaughter of the old ancestor,” Lu Ming explained. “The old ancestor doted on this great-granddaughter.”

Lu Ming lowered his voice:

“It’s said that Miss Zhu wasn’t actually the old ancestor’s great-granddaughter, but his biological daughter…”

Mo Hua frowned, his expression one of disgust.

This is utterly beastly…

Lu Ming felt ashamed and tried to clarify:

“Of course, this is just a rumor…”

“And then?” Mo Hua asked again, suddenly wondering, “This Miss Zhu… isn’t she Lu Chengyun’s Dao partner?”

Lu Ming nodded. “Yes.”

“Not only that,” Lu Ming whispered in shock, “the family head… was actually a son-in-law.”

Their mighty Lu family, dominating Nanyue City, and the family head was a mere son-in-law.

Lu Ming still found it hard to believe.

If he hadn’t entered the corpse mines, dealing only with people who kept dark secrets and learned dark things, he might still not know.

Mo Hua slightly nodded, showing no surprise.

Lu Ming exclaimed, “Little sir, you already knew?”

Mo Hua remained calm and noncommittal, only saying:

“Continue.”

Lu Ming looked at Mo Hua, feeling him even more unfathomable.

To know such hidden matters…

Lu Ming paused, then continued with more “rumors”:

“It’s said… Miss Zhu once met the family head outside Nanyue City and instantly fell in love.”

“They traveled together, talked happily, and afterward Miss Zhu tried every means to have the family head marry into the family…”

Mo Hua shook his head.

This story was melodramatic and clichéd.

He had heard countless similar tales in Tongxian City.

Typically, thieves or playboys would use this method to lure women.

And it was effective—almost guaranteed to work.

Lu Chengyun, with his refined and gentle appearance, turned out to be a man who advanced himself by clinging to women.

He probably put considerable effort into seducing the Lu family’s young lady.

Every word, every action, every moment carefully planned and rehearsed…

Mo Hua’s impression of Lu Chengyun plummeted.

Lu Ming continued, “Miss Zhu expressed her feelings to the old ancestor.”

“The old ancestor disagreed. He thought the family head was handsome but morally corrupt, not a proper son-in-law.”

“Miss Zhu, spoiled by the old ancestor, was headstrong. She had to get what she wanted and pestered the ancestor relentlessly, forcing him to agree and let the family head marry into the family.”

“Fasting, taking poisonous pills, self-mutilating meridians… all sorts of unbearable methods were tried…”

“The old ancestor, helpless, finally relented.”

“After marrying in, the family head took the surname Lu. The old ancestor even gave him a name: Lu Chengyun.”

Lu Chengyun…

Mo Hua stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Was the Lu family old ancestor mocking him?

The name seemed auspicious—‘riding the clouds upward,’ ascending lightly, an aspirational goal for a cultivator.

But for Lu Chengyun, it was subtle.

He was a son-in-law. Using “Chengyun” could imply he clings to the Lu family, riding their influence?

Deep down, the old ancestor probably looked down on him, using this name to remind him forever: he was a son-in-law, dependent on the Lu family…

One with ill intentions, one sarcastic.

These two were truly alike.

Mo Hua asked again, “How many in the Lu family know about this?”

Lu Ming shook his head. “Very few. Before entering the corpse mine, I stayed in the Lu family a long time and never heard a whisper…”

Mo Hua thought: “They must have sealed it carefully…”

“Yes,” Lu Ming nodded. “Miss Zhu…”

“Miss Zhu forbade anyone from mentioning the family head’s marriage.”

“All who knew were silenced. Even the personal maids were replaced.”

“Outwardly, it was only said that the family head was from a side branch of the Lu family, his parents deceased, but his talent was exceptional, so the old ancestor allowed him to marry Miss Zhu.”

Mo Hua asked, puzzled: “Marriages within the same surname—are they allowed?”

Lu Ming nodded: “Same clan, different branches, beyond three generations, blood ties are weak enough. After checking the genealogy, marriage is permitted.”

Mo Hua slowly nodded, then asked:

“Lu Chengyun is a son-in-law—how did he become family head?”

“Because of the mines.”

Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed. “Mines…”

Lu Ming explained: “Miss Zhu was devoted to the family head. With her support, he quickly gained real power and began managing some mines…”

“At first, nothing much, but after a while, the mines under the family head’s management produced nearly double the yield of other Lu family mines…”

Nearly double…

Mo Hua’s expression turned cold.

Why would he get so much more for no reason?

Mo Hua thought of the zombies in the mine.

Before, he had only guessed; now he could roughly confirm.

Lu Chengyun used corpses to mine.

From the moment he managed the mines, Lu Chengyun secretly raised zombies for mining…

Others mined with living workers.

Lu Chengyun mined with living workers by day and the “dead” by night, naturally increasing the mine’s yield.

He used this to gain real power within the family.

For the family, profit is the ultimate reality.

By doubling the mine’s yield with zombies, even the old ancestor would have been impressed.

As for the methods Lu Chengyun used…

With the old ancestor’s character, even if he knew, he probably wouldn’t care.

“So, he became family head because the mines were profitable?”

Lu Ming nodded. “Probably.”

“Probably?”

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered. Noticing Lu Ming hesitating, he said:

“You have something else to say, don’t you?”

Lu Ming frowned and slowly said:

“I also heard a rumor…”

Mo Hua nodded, signaling him to continue.

Lu Ming said: “It’s said the old ancestor… indulged excessively, depleted his body, ruined his foundation, and was ambushed by enemies, gravely wounded and untreated.”

“Before dying, he wanted to designate the next family head.”

“At first, the family proposed someone else. The old ancestor’s choice wasn’t Lu…”

Lu Ming felt calling out the family head’s name was disrespectful. Seeing Mo Hua showed little reverence for Lu Chengyun, he braved it:

“…It wasn’t Lu Chengyun either, but Elder An from the clan.”

“Elder An, in his early Foundation Establishment stage, only 150 years old, vigorous, experienced, steady, and highly respected—everyone thought he would become family head.”

“But unexpectedly, before dying, the old ancestor suddenly changed his mind.”

“He insisted on Lu Chengyun as family head. No one’s opposition mattered.”

Mo Hua frowned.

Had Lu Ming made some deal with the old ancestor?

What deal could there be before death?

Given Lu Skin-Stripper’s selfish nature, it probably concerned only his own interests, not the family’s.

Mo Hua’s eyes turned cold.

He thought of the golden altar, the yellow cloth covering, the strange being offered in the jade incense burner—part human, part demon, part corpse…

A chill grew in Mo Hua’s heart.

“What about Elder An?” Mo Hua asked.

“Disappeared…”

“Dead or missing?”

Lu Ming shook his head: “I only heard he disappeared. It’s said that after Lu Chengyun became family head, Elder An was sidelined, grew resentful, and didn’t return from an errand.”

“Some speculate the family head killed Elder An.”

“But there’s no proof, so it was left unresolved…”

Mo Hua nodded.

Then Elder An was likely dead.

Lu Chengyun, seemingly gentle, would surely eliminate rivals, kill Elder An, and perhaps even use his corpse for corpse-raising.

Among the iron coffins of the Ten-Thousand-Corpses Formation, Elder An’s body might be there.

After that, nothing much happened.

This was all Lu Ming had learned.

Everything else was trivial and unimportant.

Mo Hua took out a blanket and handed it to Lu Ming:

“I’ll keep my promise and save your life.”

“But for now, don’t think about escaping. You won’t get far. Stay here quietly for a while.”

“This blanket has a formation on it that can conceal your body.”

“If something goes wrong in the corpse mine, find a corner, cover yourself with the blanket, and stay put.”

“After the trouble passes, find a chance to slip out.”

“Whether you survive depends on your own fate.”

“This is as far as I can help.”

Lu Ming clutched the blanket nervously: “W-what trouble?”

“Don’t ask. If you know, you’d be dead.”

Lu Ming shivered, then asked worriedly:

“Will this blanket really work?”

“The formation on it is mine; of course it works.”

Mo Hua said confidently.

Lu Ming looked at Mo Hua’s small face and inexplicably felt reassured.

Mo Hua reminded him again:

“Don’t learn corpse-raising, don’t practice it. If you kill someone, raise corpses, fall into demonic paths, I can’t save you. You might even force me to kill you someday…”

Lu Ming nodded repeatedly.

After leaving Lu Ming, Mo Hua went again to the Ten-Thousand-Corpses Altar.

It was late at night, and the altar was empty.

Mo Hua controlled Big Tiger to open the hall’s door, then used a small zombie to open the mural door, arriving before the golden altar.

The altar gleamed with gold, exceedingly luxurious.

Mo Hua had not paid attention before.

Now, it perfectly matched the taste of the Lu family old ancestor.

Could the altar’s offerings… be the old ancestor himself?

And the face on the mural, cruel and half-corpse, was it also him—“Lu Skin-Stripper”?

Good thing he hadn’t lifted the yellow cloth.

Otherwise, it would have been dangerous.

But not lifting it meant he couldn’t verify his suspicions.

Mo Hua was troubled.

At that moment, the mural at the entrance moved.

Mo Hua’s heart tightened. “Someone’s coming?”

Who would come to the altar now?

Zhang Quan, or Lu Chengyun?

Mo Hua sent the small zombie to lie quietly in a coffin, then used Divine Sense to scan the surroundings. Seeing no traces, he concealed his presence and hid behind the altar.

Soon, ink rippled on the mural, forming an entrance.

A robed, fine-clothed, gentle-faced cultivator entered.

It was Lu Chengyun.