Chapter 408: The Mine

The disappearance of the ore cultivators was something Mo Hua wanted to understand, but he had to wait until Sister Situ clarified things on her end.

For the next three days, Mo Hua still searched daily in Nan Yue City for Teacher Yan, yet found not a single clue.

Instead, it was Sister Situ who got news first.

At the same small teahouse, Sister Situ invited Mo Hua for tea, then said to him:

"I asked the families of the missing ore cultivators what happened—they refused to speak, and instead caused trouble, accusing Dao Ting Si and the Lu family of colluding to oppress the common people…"

"The Lu family?"

"The mine belongs to the Lu family."

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.

Sister Situ continued: "I detained them for several days; once they grew afraid, they finally told the truth."

"What did they say?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

Sister Situ sighed:

"These missing ore cultivators disappeared because they were stealing ore…"

"Stealing from the Lu family?"

"Yes." Sister Situ nodded. "They reportedly told their families before vanishing that they were about to get rich and wouldn't have to suffer hardship anymore."

"Then they left at night and never returned…"

Mo Hua understood. "They were afraid the Lu family would find out and refuse to compensate them with spirit stones, so they dared not speak the truth?"

"Yes."

Sister Situ looked helpless.

The Lu family probably wouldn't just refuse compensation—they might even demand restitution from the families of the missing ore cultivators.

Because stealing ore is a grave taboo among ore cultivators.

The ore they stole was, in name, the Lu family's.

"No wonder…" Mo Hua nodded.

That's why they caused trouble and refused to tell the truth.

Of course, part of it was also because they saw Sister Situ was soft-hearted, so they grew bolder.

"Sister Situ, what do you plan to do?" Mo Hua asked.

Sister Situ pondered: "I can keep the theft quiet… But right now, the most important thing is to find these missing ore cultivators—alive or dead, we must give their families an answer."

Sister Situ sighed. "And if these ore cultivators are truly dead, we must find a way to demand compensation from the Lu family—otherwise, their families, deprived of income, won't survive."

Mo Hua felt a pang of sympathy and asked:

"Will the Lu family pay?"

"I asked. The Lu family said they won't compensate unless they find the bodies of these ore cultivators inside the mine."

Mo Hua frowned. "Has the Lu family always done this?"

"Yes," Sister Situ nodded. "No body, no spirit stones."

She added:

"The Lu family's policy is indeed heartless, but in the past, some ore cultivators faked their deaths to scam compensation, so we can't blame them too harshly."

Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked: "Do we have any leads on these missing ore cultivators?"

"Yes." Sister Situ pulled out a map and handed it to Mo Hua.

"I've marked on this map when each missing ore cultivator left home and which mountain peak they entered the mine from."

Sister Situ sighed again:

"Originally, their families refused to speak of any of this—but now that they're afraid, they've finally told me."

"After all, once this information is out and reaches the Lu family, it becomes leverage against them."

"Even if these missing ore cultivators are dead, they'll die in vain—their families will get not a single spirit stone in compensation."

"Then let's investigate secretly, without letting the Lu family know," Mo Hua whispered.

Sister Situ nodded—but halfway through, she suddenly realized and corrected:

"I'll investigate, not 'we.' What are you, a child, doing getting involved in something like this?"

Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he smiled:

"Sister Situ, you've been so kind to me—I want to help you."

Sister Situ's heart warmed, then she sensed something off and eyed him suspiciously:

"Really?"

"Really!" Mo Hua nodded seriously.

Sister Situ still refused:

"No. This matter is suspicious—I won't drag you into it."

Mo Hua said: "A fence needs three stakes; a hero needs three helpers."

"I, along with my senior brother and senior sister, will help you. Besides, the mine has arrays—there are places you might not find alone…"

Sister Situ frowned.

The arrays were indeed a problem…

The mine contained many arrays; without knowing them, one could easily overlook crucial spots.

She knew a little about arrays, but not enough to discern their secrets.

Asking another array master seemed impossible.

The Lu family held the greatest power in Nan Yue City and was friendly with other array masters—none would help her search the mine.

As for Mo Hua's array skills, she didn't know how good they were—but Zhang Lan had praised them.

Born into the Zhang Lan clan, his vision was still quite good; when he praised Mo Hua's array-drawing skill, Mo Hua's arrays must indeed be quite impressive…

Situ Fang hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind:

"Alright, but you must be careful—mines are no trivial matter; you cannot afford the slightest negligence."

"Sister Situ, rest assured."

Mo Hua nodded.

……

After the discussion ended, two days later.

Situ Fang brought Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zi Xi to the Lu family's mine.

With miners missing and the Dao Ting Si investigating, the Lu family had no reason to refuse—and dared not refuse.

Yet the Lu family's mine overseer wore no friendly expression.

Thus Situ Fang led Mo Hua and the other two, along with a Lu family cultivator as escort, into the mine.

This was Mo Hua's first time entering a mine.

Previously, on the road, he had only watched from afar, hearing only the clinking and clanging, sensing it as noisy and busy.

Now, up close, he realized how grueling the miners' labor was.

In the Xiao Huangzhou region, the weather was scorching hot; the rocks and stones were baked blistering hot.

These miners, their skin blackened by sun and dust, went bare-armed, bent over, their bodies crisscrossed with whip scars, forced by overseers to labor tirelessly to extract ore.

The mine here produced Qing Shi iron ore.

This type of iron ore was cheap, hard in texture, and required tremendous effort to excavate.

These miners had to labor an entire day to earn just one spirit stone.

Only body cultivators could handle this job.

Even strong-bodied body cultivators often could not endure it.

This was merely the outer mountain; deep within the mine shafts, it was dark, damp, and thick with foul qi—not only exhausting, but far more dangerous, where one misstep could cost your life.

Mo Hua felt a pang of unease.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi also frowned.

Bai Zisheng could not help saying to Mo Hua:

"These miners… they're too miserable…"

The Lu family cultivator beside them snorted, "What's miserable about this? People have high and low, noble and base—this is their fate, this is what they're meant to do."

"On the contrary, they should thank the Lu family—if not for us, they'd labor all day and still not earn even one spirit stone."

After speaking, the Lu family cultivator added with a sneer:

"Young brother, in the Lu family's mine, watch your tongue."

Bai Zisheng shot him a knife-like glare.

The Lu family cultivator grew angry.

Bai Zisheng unleashed the spiritual pressure of his Peak Nascent Soul cultivation.

The Lu family cultivator turned pale and reluctantly fell silent.

Situ Fang beside him was also startled.

Mo Hua's junior brother looked only a few years older than Mo Hua, yet his spiritual power was so profound…

Clearly, Mo Hua's lineage was no ordinary one.

His array skill must also be high.

"I hope he can find something—find those missing miners…"

Situ Fang thought silently.

The group wandered the outer mountain, questioned a few miners, found nothing, and decided to enter the deeper mine shafts.

The Lu family cultivator smirked coldly again:

"You may enter the shafts, but don't say I didn't warn you—the shafts are extremely dangerous; you outsiders can't just…"

Bai Zisheng gave him a blade-like stare.

The Lu family cultivator fell silent, daring not to speak further.

Then the group entered the mine shafts.

The term "mine shafts" referred collectively to the tunnels, caverns, and stone chambers inside the mine.

Inside the shafts, it was cold, damp, and suffocating.

The stone walls bore arrays, which generally served to reinforce the walls and prevent collapse, as well as provide lighting, ventilation, and purification.

Mo Hua glanced at the arrays and shook his head.

The arrays here were indeed extremely crude.

They offered only minimal reinforcement and faint illumination.

With the outer walls unstable and foul qi trapped inside, accidents were inevitable.

Clearly, the Lu family did not care about the miners' lives.

"The lives of free cultivators mean nothing…"

Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart.

The group walked step by step along the shafts.

Mo Hua walked while studying the arrays, reconstructing the shaft layout in his mind.

These arrays were shockingly shallow.

Mo Hua saw through them at a glance—no need for divine sense calculations; after a few glances, he understood them completely.

Having seen through the formation, he naturally understood the mine's layout.

The mine tunnels deceive, but the formation does not.

At first, the Lu family cultivator led the way, but after walking a while, Mo Hua walked ahead.

The Lu family cultivator frowned.

This young cultivator has never been here before—how could he know this place better than I do?

Sister Situ's gaze sharpened slightly, surprised.

Mo Hua led the group along the mine for half a day, yet found nothing.

The Lu family cultivator grew impatient, "Enough already. The mine is so vast—no matter how you search, you'll still…"

Before he could finish, Mo Hua stopped.

He stared at the stone wall before him, his gaze hardening, then pulled out brush and ink and sketched several formation lines.

The formation lines glowed faintly, then dissolved into one another.

The stone wall trembled, shedding dust, revealing a dark, gaping entrance.

Sister Situ was momentarily stunned.

The Lu family cultivator turned pale.

(End of Chapter)