Chapter 466

Mo Hua's heart tightened; he frowned and asked:

"Above iron corpses… are they copper corpses?"

Lu Chengyun made no reply, only smiled mysteriously and asked:

"Young Master, what do you think?"

Mo Hua did not answer, but furrowed his brow, thinking, then countered:

"Master Lu, how did you know I knew?"

Mo Hua's words were convoluted, but Lu Chengyun understood anyway, and smiled faintly:

"Your eyes."

Mo Hua froze. "Eyes?"

"Yes," Lu Chengyun said. "Normally, when you see me, though courteous and polite, your expression is guarded, your gaze skeptical…"

"But today, it's different…"

"Before I came, your attitude toward me was the same as always."

"Yet when you left, your gaze toward me was unusually open."

Lu Chengyun chuckled bitterly. "Others might not notice anything, but I'm naturally suspicious—I dwell on every trace, every hint."

"Your change in gaze made me suspicious."

"I thought about it… and figured it out."

"Your open gaze means you no longer suspect me."

"Not suspecting me could mean you trust me—or that you've uncovered my secrets, so there's no need to suspect."

Lu Chengyun looked at Mo Hua, half-smiling. "I needed to confirm."

"So I left Elder Su ahead of schedule and waited for you on your way back, hoping to speak with you alone."

"But you took a detour—as if you didn't want to see me."

Lu Chengyun sighed. "I was disappointed, and that's when I understood."

Mo Hua was speechless inside.

This Lu Chengyun—no wonder he was a son-in-law—his mind was this sensitive, this suspicious.

Even a slight difference in his gaze was enough to make him suspect.

"What if, when I was at Elder Su's residence, I hadn't said goodbye, but slipped away secretly?" Mo Hua asked him.

Lu Chengyun raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be even more suspicious?"

"What if I hadn't taken the detour?"

"If you hadn't taken the detour, wouldn't it be just like now?" Lu Chengyun smiled faintly. "We sit down, drink tea, and I ask Young Master to lend me a hand."

Meaning—he couldn't escape it either way…

Mo Hua sighed, feigning innocence:

"Why must Master Lu fixate on a thirteen-year-old cultivator like me—low in cultivation, weak in power, barely skilled in arrays, never had ill intent?"

Lu Chengyun's eyelid twitched.

Of that sentence, only "thirteen-year-old" was likely true.

The rest was nonsense no demon would believe.

Lu Chengyun poured himself a cup of tea, sipped lightly, and said slowly:

"Young Master, I knew the moment you arrived in Nan Yue City."

Lu Chengyun shook his head, deeply impressed. "At such a young age, a Grade-One Array Master—I've lived this long and never seen one with my own eyes. You've truly opened my eyes."

"Beyond the mountains lie higher mountains; beyond people stand greater ones…"

"The cultivation world really does produce all kinds of talents."

"A thirteen-year-old Grade-One Array Master—I knew your origins must be significant, and your purpose here must be deliberate."

"You've been asking around about a certain Mr. Yan."

"To be honest, this Mr. Yan and I have some acquaintance—he possesses clues to an extremely secret array."

"As an Array Master, you're seeking him because of that array, aren't you?"

Mo Hua said nothing—neither yes nor no.

Lu Chengyun smiled faintly again. "I originally didn't care much—but you dug deeper and deeper, learned more and more."

"You traced the mines, uncovered Zhang Quan, followed the clues to the Corpse Village—and even, with Sister Situ's help, wiped out the Corpse Village…"

"Meanwhile, you discovered the arrays on the corpses themselves—and dared to take one back for study…"

"I could only activate the array to make the iron corpse lose control, forcing you to destroy the array…"

"And now, you've pieced it all together—you've found out that Zhang Quan's master is me…"

Lu Chengyun paused here, sighed, and said helplessly:

"In all my years, I've never met an Array Master as clever and troublesome as you."

Mo Hua's mind raced, quickly sorting through it all:

In Lu Chengyun's mind, he was an obscure but talented young Array Master seeking Mr. Yan to find the Ling Shu Array.

He traced the mines, captured Zhang Quan, destroyed the Corpse Village, and finally deduced that the cultivator behind Zhang Quan was this very Lu family patriarch.

All his actions were aimed at the array.

In other words, he didn't know Mo Hua's connection to Mr. Yan, didn't know Mo Hua had learned of the Xiao Ling Yin Sect's past, or that he was a son-in-law…

Mo Hua exhaled slightly in relief.

It seemed Lu Chengyun was merely sharp-witted, relying on the Lu family's power to keep tabs on every whisper in Nan Yue City.

But he didn't know everything.

That makes things easier…

Lu Chengyun saw Mo Hua's big eyes rolling around, unsure what he was thinking, and asked:

"Young Master, have you made your decision?"

"What?"

"Will you, or will you not, corpse-craft for my Lu family?"

Mo Hua spoke with righteous indignation: "I am a proper cultivator—I do not engage in such heretical arts."

Lu Chengyun spoke with refined elegance:

"On the surface, I am also a proper cultivator."

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

Lu Chengyun added: "Only by appearing proper can one carry out heretical deeds more conveniently."

Mo Hua actually found this somewhat reasonable.

He asked again: "What if I still refuse?"

Lu Chengyun's expression gradually grew cold.

Mo Hua asked: "Lord Lu, do you intend to kill me?"

Lu Chengyun paused slightly, then smiled gently:

"Young Master, you are a man of great talent—I cannot bear to kill you."

Mo Hua was genuinely curious, and asked:

"Then, if I truly refuse, what will you do, Lord?"

Lu Chengyun smiled:

"The best outcome, of course, is for Young Master to lend me your strength. Any demand you make, name it."

"If you seek fame, I shall make you a de facto senior elder of the Lu family—act as you please, unbound by restraint;"

"If you seek profit, I shall give you a share of the mine's output—mountains of Spirit Stones, ensuring your path is forever secure;"

"If you seek power, you may command a hundred thousand corpses—at a single order, enemies are devoured to dust; in your realm, you shall have no rival;"

"If you harbor tender feelings, yearning for romance, the female cultivators of Jinhua Street shall be offered to you as concubines; you may choose any woman of the Lu family you desire, and wed her, to spend this life together…"

Lu Chengyun spoke with passionate fervor.

Even Mo Hua found himself somewhat swayed.

With such a tongue, if he went into deception, he'd fool anyone at once.

Lu Chengyun turned again:

"But if Young Master feels our Dao paths diverge and we cannot walk together, then it is indeed regrettable."

"Your origins are extraordinary—I have no wish to become your enemy."

"The best solution is for you to leave, never again to set foot in Nan Yue City, never again to meddle in its affairs."

"Whatever you know, bury it in your heart—do not reveal it."

"Let us part amicably; my Lu family will offer modest gifts, as a token of goodwill."

"But if Young Master refuses to aid me, yet refuses to leave, then you are deliberately opposing my Lu family."

"For the sake of family interests, even if your background is immense, my Lu family must fight to the death—until fish die and nets tear."

Lu Chengyun sighed:

"If we come to blows, we shall never sit together again to drink tea…"

Lu Chengyun's expression held both regret and sorrow.

But Mo Hua found it insincere.

Lu Chengyun was a man who appeared refined and elegant, yet inwardly cared only for profit—he would never consider sentiment or feel sorrow.

Mo Hua frowned.

The matter had come to this—he must choose.

Breaking with the Lu family would be unwise.

Leaving Nan Yue City meant losing the chance to obtain the Ling Shu Array.

And once he left, re-entering would be difficult.

After he left, how many mining cultivators would die in the mine, how many corpses would multiply?

In the drunken revelry of Jinhua Street, how much blood and tears would flow…

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"I can agree to you—but I have one condition."

Lu Chengyun's eyes brightened slightly, and he hurriedly said: "Young Master, speak."

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened, revealing his edge:

"I want that array—the one drawn on the Iron Corpse's heart meridian, the one that controls the corpses!"

Lu Chengyun paused slightly, then his smile widened:

"Good!"

Lu Chengyun's gaze toward Mo Hua grew even more admiring:

"Fame, wealth, and worldly gain are fleeting clouds; beautiful women are but flesh and skin;"

"For an array master, the array is the foundation of existence—the true Dao of seeking immortality!"

"Young Master, amid such temptations, holds fast to his Dao heart—no wonder, at such a young age, you have achieved so much…"

Lu Chengyun spared no praise.

Mo Hua pretended to be utterly elated.

Lu Chengyun bowed and said, "Young Master, after you!"

Mo Hua returned the bow and said, "Young Master Lu, after you!"

Lu Chengyun was very satisfied, then rose to his feet first.

Mo Hua followed behind him.

Just moments ago, Mo Hua had intended to destroy the Lu family; now he had transformed into a minor Artisan following Lu Chengyun, aiding the tyrant.

Thank you to the online benefactors Xie Guiren and kevinjiang!

(End of Chapter)