Chapter 467: The Bad Thing

Mo Hua followed Lu Chengyun to the Lu family.

Lu Chengyun treated Mo Hua outwardly with great kindness, attentive and meticulous, yet forbade him from leaving the Lu family, imposing various restrictions—effectively placing him under house arrest.

Mo Hua thus sought out Lu Chengyun and said he wished to return home for a visit:

"I'll go and come right back—I just need to tell my senior brother and senior sister so they won't worry."

Lu Chengyun took out paper and brush. "No need for such trouble. Little Master, write a letter—I'll send someone to deliver it for you."

Mo Hua waved his hands repeatedly. "A letter? My senior brother and sister might not believe it—I'd better go myself."

Lu Chengyun shook his head:

"Little Master has seven chambers of wit and no shortage of ideas—I must be cautious. A letter will suffice."

Mo Hua muttered, "Is the Lu family head too cautious…?"

"Better to be cautious," Lu Chengyun said, gazing at Mo Hua with a slow smile.

"This time, I set up the Manifestation Array and mobilized several Foundation Establishment elders just to bring you here…"

"If I let you return home and give you time to prepare, I might not find you again—or even persuade you to come back."

Mo Hua sighed. "Fine, I'll write the letter."

Mo Hua picked up the brush and wrote a letter to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi on Lu family stationery.

The letter said little—only that he had been warmly invited by the Lu family head and would be staying as a guest for a while, urging them not to worry, to eat three meals on time, but that they'd have to cook for themselves.

Mo Hua did not mention Mr. Zhuang.

Because he realized Lu Chengyun seemed unaware that the three of them had been traveling with their master.

Mo Hua even suspected that, in Lu Chengyun's mind, Mr. Zhuang might not even exist.

This was absurd, yet his master… seemed capable of such things…

After writing the letter, he handed it to Lu Chengyun.

Lu Chengyun didn't even read it—he called a servant and ordered him to deliver the letter to Mo Hua's cave dwelling.

It seemed that as long as Mo Hua was kept here, what he wrote in the letter didn't matter.

After that, Mo Hua stayed at the Lu family for several days.

Lu Chengyun treated Mo Hua to fine food and drink.

Even his attendants were young, beautiful maidservants.

Mo Hua was invited to sit beside Lu Chengyun at some of the Lu family's banquets.

At these feasts, several Lu family women, dressed in dazzling finery and heavy makeup, each uniquely alluring, cast shimmering glances toward Mo Hua.

Mo Hua returned their gazes openly.

After surveying them all, he silently compared them in his mind and decided none were as beautiful as his junior sister—then lost interest and ate his food in silence.

To be fair, the Lu family's meals were quite good.

But whenever he thought these delicacies were paid for with the lives of the miners, enjoyed only by the Lu family,

the food tasted bland in his mouth.

Even eating cooked meat, he sometimes sensed a metallic, bloody taste.

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

"Little Master, I'll take you somewhere."

Mo Hua asked involuntarily:

"Where?"

Lu Chengyun smiled—but it seemed he hadn't smiled at all. "Somewhere you want to go."

Mo Hua was puzzled, but followed Lu Chengyun outside.

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

Mo Hua remembered these two elders.

They carried the surveillance and concealment compass spirit artifact.

The group left the Lu family, exited Nan Yue City, and arrived at the Lu family's mine.

The very mine where the five miners had died horribly at the start.

The same mine, dark and restless at night.

The same mine, heavily guarded by the Lu family, which Mo Hua had tried and failed to sneak into days ago.

If his guess was correct,

the mine concealed zombies.

All of Lu Chengyun's schemes and plots were hidden within this mine.

Of course, the complete Spirit Pivot Array diagram must also exist here.

The mine was still guarded by Lu family cultivators.

Lu Chengyun reached the mine's entrance but did not enter—he led Mo Hua around the mine's perimeter until they reached a desolate spot, stopping before a massive boulder.

It was deep night.

The mountain was dark, eerie, silent, chilled by icy winds.

The boulder stood cold and imposing, radiating a corpse-like chill.

Mo Hua froze.

Was this boulder the entrance?

Mo Hua glanced around, frowned—the boulder was entirely natural, without any chisel marks, clearly not an entrance.

He extended his spiritual sense to probe.

There was no illusion array nearby.

Just then, Lu Chengyun took out a strange bell, its body pitch-black, neither wood nor iron.

He shook it gently; the bell's sound was low, without the clear ring of metal, instead muffled, like a dead man's heart beating.

The bell sounded, and after a moment, the great stone trembled.

Mo Hua's gaze was one of shock.

This great stone seemed to have been lifted by some tremendous force, revealing a deep mountain path behind it.

Beyond the mountain path, the corpse aura grew heavier, thick enough to drip.

Lu Chengyun glanced at the stunned Mo Hua, smiled faintly, and said gently:

"Young Mr., please."

Mo Hua collected himself, nodded, and followed Lu Chengyun into the gloomy depths.

The foul stench of corpse aura gave Mo Hua a momentary dizziness and Qi Zhixi.

After a moment, the thick air dispersed, and the view ahead opened wide.

Mo Hua fixed his eyes and looked, his expression even more shocked.

Behind the great stone was a mine.

Only this mine was a mine of the dead.

Within the mine, coffins were everywhere, a scene of utter deathly stillness.

Mo Hua turned again to look at the cave entrance.

This naturally formed giant stone was the great door; thick chains were fixed to the stone, coiling and extending to wrap around an iron turntable.

At the iron turntable stood two iron corpses of tall, large frames.

It had been these two iron corpses, controlled by that pitch-black corpse-controlling bell, that drove the turntable, pulled the chains, and hoisted the giant stone door.

Mo Hua furrowed his brow tightly.

This giant stone was huge and heavy, yet these two tall iron corpses could drive the turntable and hoist the door — their strength must be tremendous, and their killing power extremely strong.

Yet such two powerful iron corpses were used by Lu Chengyun merely to open a door.

Was it because, within this corpse mine, iron corpses were extremely numerous, and these two were not missed as fighting force?

Or was it because this great door was extremely important?

Within the door lay a forbidden ground where one must stop, not to be discovered by outsiders at all, let alone trespassed.

After the few entered the mine, Lu Chengyun shook the bell again.

The two iron corpses, driven by it, began to turn the wheel in reverse.

Behind Mo Hua, accompanied by the creak-creak of iron chains, the giant stone door slowly fell once more, sealing inside from outside completely.

Even the cold moonlight could not find this deathly still corpse mine.

Mo Hua was also left within this sealed and deathly still mine.

An elder of the Lu family lit a lantern.

Within the pitch-black mine, there was this one point of pale yellow light.

The lantern's light cast Lu Chengyun's face in shifting brightness and shadow.

He looked at Mo Hua, a strange ambition faintly showing in his gaze, his voice carrying a suppressed excitement:

"Young Mr., this mine is Lu's lifework, and the great enterprise of my Lu family!"

Mo Hua was shaken within, but still frowned and asked:

"Patriarch Lu, what exactly do you want me to help you do?"

"No rush," Lu Chengyun said with a calm smile, "before that, let us first meet an old friend."

"An old friend?"

The Lu family elder, carrying the lantern, led the way ahead.

Mo Hua then followed Lu Chengyun, walking slowly forward within the pitch-black mine.

They walked all the way to a mountain cave.

The cave had a door, upon which were carved layer upon layer of formations; the array patterns could not be seen clearly, but under the lamplight they showed a faint blood color.

Mo Hua knew at once that this was an evil formation.

Lu Chengyun took out a stone talisman, fitted it into the keyhole, and dispelled the formation.

The Lu family elder pushed open the stone door, and the group entered the cave.

Within the cave it was much brighter, with many stone chambers, upon which were drawn bright-fire formations.

Within the stone chambers were also some cultivators, dressed in grey, faces pale, bodies carrying corpse aura — by the look of them, all corpse cultivators.

These corpse cultivators, upon seeing Lu Chengyun, one after another bowed their heads in salute.

Lu Chengyun nodded slightly, and led Mo Hua all the way to a great hall within.

In the middle of the great hall was a stone table, but carved far more exquisitely.

The surroundings were fully furnished, and quite tasteful at that — skulls, white bones, coffin nails — exuding a ghastly, deathly still beauty.

The great hall was grim; coffins stood around it, and in the middle sat a cultivator, his frame gaunt and withered, his body covered in wounds, clearly still recovering from grave injuries, his complexion sullen and bloodless.

It was none other than Zhang Quan.

He could indeed be counted as Mo Hua's "old friend."

Mo Hua thought to himself: "Just as I thought."

Zhang Quan was not dead!

A centipede dies but does not stiffen — the saying goes.

Mo Hua had felt that Zhang Quan would not die so easily.

Moreover, the Zhang family had inheritance, generation after generation skilled in the art of corpse-refining; to Lu Chengyun, he was also a rare "talent."

Lu Chengyun would not so easily let him die.

Zhang Quan rose upon seeing Lu Chengyun, bowed with clasped hands, his manner respectful.

After completing the bow, Zhang Quan was just about to speak.

A flicker of firelight filled the hall; he glanced hastily and suddenly saw the small Mo Hua beside Lu Chengyun.

He thought he had mistaken his eyes.

Zhang Quan blinked, and once he recognized Mo Hua's tiny face, his eyes bulged out in rage.

He pointed at Mo Hua, his hand trembling, "Lord Lu, this…"

Lu Chengyun introduced him:

"This young Mr. is an exceptional array master, surnamed Mo, named Hua."

Zhang Quan had no need for introduction.

Mo Hua's eyebrows and eyes, his every frown and smile, were branded into his soul like hot irons; each memory brought the agony and fury of being scorched.

His only wish in the first half of his life was to forge an unparalleled zombie.

In the second half, it was to make that zombie devour Mo Hua.

Zhang Quan had hidden here for a long time, thinking daily of killing Mo Hua.

But he never imagined he would see Mo Hua, alive and lively, right here in this corpse mine.

Zhang Quan could not hold back; he glared furiously and immediately wanted to strike down Mo Hua.

Sensing Zhang Quan's killing intent, Mo Hua instantly hid behind Lu Chengyun, poking out his small head and sticking out his tongue at Zhang Quan.

Zhang Quan nearly fainted again from rage.

His mind lost control; he could no longer bear it and slapped his palm toward Mo Hua.

The palm's force was thick, spiritual energy condensed into substance, meant to kill Mo Hua outright.

But halfway through the strike, Lu Chengyun blocked it.

"Brother Zhang, do not act rashly."

Lu Chengyun's expression was gentle, his tone icy.

Zhang Quan, filled with fear, calmed down, but his lingering anger flared as he snapped:

"Lord, this brat he…"

Lu Chengyun spoke calmly: "I know you have grievances, but that is all in the past…"

Zhang Quan could not believe it: "Why?"

Lu Chengyun spoke slowly:

"Because our great undertaking needs the young Mr.'s help. This young Mr. Mo is now our honored guest, and must not be offended."

Mo Hua nodded beside him:

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Zhang Quan was furious, yet helpless.

He glanced at Lu Chengyun's cold expression, his gaze restrained, then his face flushed and paled in turns as he gritted his teeth:

"Fine, I will not pursue it!"

Zhang Quan finished speaking and pointed at Mo Hua:

"But he must return what he stole from me!"

Mo Hua feigned ignorance: "I don't remember stealing anything from you."

Zhang Quan gnashed his teeth: "The altar items!"

"Oh." Mo Hua blinked. "Those were yours? I saw no one claiming them, so I took them casually. Even trash shouldn't be wasted, right?"

Zhang Quan choked on his breath, unable to speak.

Lu Chengyun sighed helplessly: "Young Mr., don't provoke him."

Mo Hua fell silent.

Lu Chengyun sighed again and added:

"It seems this is a misunderstanding. Why not return the items and bury old grudges? Young Mr., what do you say?"

Mo Hua hesitated a moment, then nodded, turning to Zhang Quan:

"Alright, I'm doing this for Lord Lu's sake."

Mo Hua began rummaging through his storage pouch, finding in a corner the dismantled Control Zombie Bell.

After his junior sister had taken it apart, she never reassembled it.

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

Mo Hua dumped the scattered pieces of the Control Zombie Bell onto the table with a rustling sound.

Zhang Quan stared, stunned.

"This… is my Control Zombie Bell?"

The blood cords, strange patterns, bell body, chimes… all torn apart as if "dismembered."

Zhang Quan glared at Mo Hua:

"How did you take it apart?"

Mo Hua thought: It wasn't me who took it apart—it was my junior sister.

But if my junior sister took it apart, it's almost the same as if I had.

Mo Hua said: "I thought it was fun, so I took it apart to study it…"

Zhang Quan's scalp prickled.

After a long while, he regained his composure and spoke slowly, word by word:

"And... my ancestral portrait!"

Lu Chengyun's expression faltered at these words, a hint of greed flickering in his eyes.

Mo Hua was reluctant, but he knew he couldn't let small things stand in the way of the greater good, so he grudgingly took out the bundle containing the ancestral portrait.

Zhang Quan felt both guilty and overjoyed.

What weighed on him was that a momentary lapse had cost him the Laozu Sect, bringing disgrace upon his ancestors.

What thrilled him was that, now that it was recovered, he could finally offer some comfort to the departed spirit of the Laozu Sect.

Zhang Quan immediately snatched the ancestral portrait, opened it for a look, and a broad smile spread across his face.

Yes, it was his ancestral portrait.

But as he kept looking, the smile on his face slowly froze.

Something was wrong...

Why did it seem like there were fewer people in this portrait?

Where were the people?

Where did they go?

Zhang Quan stared at Mo Hua in disbelief. "Where are my Zhang family's ancestors?"

Mo Hua pointed at the portrait in his hand. "Aren't they staying in the portrait?"

Zhang Quan said angrily, "Why are a few of them missing?"

Mo Hua pouted. "How would I know?"

Zhang Quan said resentfully, "The portrait was in your hands—how could you not know?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe they went visiting..."

Zhang Quan's mouth fell open. "Visi... visiting?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded, his face the picture of matter-of-factness. "After staying so long, they want to get out and stretch their legs. Isn't that perfectly normal?"

"It's just that the cultivation world is a very dangerous place. If you go visiting, you might not necessarily make it back. If you run into peril and get eaten by some 'bad thing,' that's entirely possible too..."

This chapter ran a bit long, so it ended up being written a bit late~

(End of chapter)