Immortality Through Array Formations - Chapter 470

Chapter 470: 459 Chapter Corpse Mine_1

Zhang Quan had died, leaving no evidence behind.

The Iron Corpse had been stolen, and any leads had similarly vanished.

Now, they could only start with the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.

After thinking, Mo Hua ran to ask Instructor Yan:

“Instructor, do you think that traitor is still in South Yue City?”

Instructor Yan’s gaze flickered, and he sighed:

“I’ve searched for a long time and found no clues; perhaps he is no longer here…”

But Mo Hua shook his head, “Instructor, you lied.”

Instructor Yan was stunned.

But Mo Hua was certain.

Unable to resist, Instructor Yan asked, “How do you know I lied?”

“I guessed!”

Mo Hua spoke crisply.

He looked at Instructor Yan with eyes clear and pure, absent of any impurity.

With a gaze like Mo Hua’s upon him, Instructor Yan felt he could not hide anything.

Even guilt sprang up inside him.

Instructor Yan was silent for a long time, internally struggling, before he finally sighed and said,

“That person is indeed in South Yue City…”

“I didn’t tell you before because firstly, I didn’t want to involve you, and secondly, it was just my guess. I didn’t have proof, and I couldn’t be sure.”

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked,

“Where in South Yue City?”

Instructor Yan frowned, “I guess, at the Lu Family.”

The Lu Family!

Mo Hua’s expression shifted as he silently pondered.

The traitor, named Shen Cai, had changed his name and likely his appearance too, lurking in South Yue City, most likely finding a power to attach to.

It was improbable for him to be a Loose Cultivator.

Firstly, because the life of a Loose Cultivator was difficult, and he certainly didn’t betray his master to embrace hardship.

Secondly, as a Formation Master with no ties mingling among Loose Cultivators, he would attract more attention, making his identity even more suspect.

If not a Loose Cultivator, he had to find a power to rely on.

If he were to cling to power, it could only be a major one.

It was cool under a big tree, and with a crowd and various activities, it was easier to settle down.

There were three major powers in South Yue City. One was the Taoist Court, the second the South Yue Sect, and the third was the Lu Family.

The Taoist Court cherished origins, and without a clean–or at least superficially clean–identity, one couldn’t get in;

The South Yue Sect was a Sect, and the Lu Family was a clan.

Both of these, relatively speaking, could be infiltrated if you were capable.

Being an Instructor, an Elder of the Outer Gate or a branch, a Guest Elder, or entering through marriage–there were many options and the positions were rather prestigious with good benefits.

Mo Hua had earlier also guessed that if the traitor were hiding, he was either in the South Yue Sect or the Lu Family.

But he was uncertain.

And Instructor Yan also guessed the traitor was at the Lu Family…

Mo Hua asked, “Why do you think he is in the Lu Family?”

Instructor Yan said, “You were right, previously… I did lie to you once…”

“I’ve seen the traitor’s Formation handwriting in South Yue City, when I told you I couldn’t trace the origin of the Formation, I lied…”

“I have traced it…”

Instructor Yan’s expression was somber, “This Formation, it originates from the Lu Family.”

“And there’s also that mine, the aura of the Formation within it is familiar yet obscure, carrying some malevolence…”

“I guess the Formation used in that mine is the Spiritual Pivot Formation.”

“That mine also belongs to the Lu Family.”

“I too suspected the Lu Family, and is why I rented a house near the mine, hoping to gather some information and find clues about the traitor…”

Instructor Yan was somewhat helpless, “But unexpectedly, I encountered Zhang Quan, got held hostage by him, and was trapped in the Corpse Walking Stronghold…”

“And you know the rest of the story…”

Instructor Yan told everything.

Mo Hua slowly nodded, “Having said this, the biggest suspicion indeed falls on the Lu Family.”

Instructor Yan also nodded slightly, then his expression grew dejected:

“The Lu Family’s influence is too great, possessing several mines, with multiple Foundation Establishment Cultivators, operating brothels, gambling dens, taverns, owning most of the thriving Jinhua Street, ins deeply intertwined relationships within South Yue City…”

“I don’t have the capability to investigate the Lu Family, even if I managed to get to the bottom of it, I fear that…”

Instructor Yan sighed deeply.

Mo Hua knew Instructor Yan’s predicaments.

With the Lu Family being such a significant local force, Instructor Yan, being an outsider and a Formation Master, couldn’t do much.

Even if he gained insights, Instructor Yan wasn’t adept in Taoist Skills and couldn’t take much action.

If he were to report it to the Taoist Court, claiming someone from the Lu Family had betrayed their master,

it was likely that Instructor Yan himself would be the one arrested.

Mo Hua then comforted Instructor Yan saying:

“Instructor, Manager Mo was right, you should consider settling down yourself, find a Dao companion, and lead a peaceful and happy life.”

Instructor Yan paused, somewhat helpless.

Mo Hua continued, “Good and evil will be repaid, who knows, maybe that person might just drop dead someday?”

“For these days, just stay here at ease, drink tea with Mr. Zhuang, chat, talk about formations…”

“Let the other matters take their natural course, don’t lay it too much to heart.”

Although he said this, Instructor Yan’s dilemma was certainly not so easily resolved.

But hearing Mo Hua’s words, Instructor Yan’s heart still felt somewhat warm.

After all these years, he had been somber and somewhat aloof.

It was rare for him to feel someone else’s care.

But then Instructor Yan realized something was off and suspiciously looked at Mo Hua, “Are you… planning to do something?”

Mo Hua smiled and shook his head:

“Nothing.”

What he planned to do, he couldn’t tell Instructor Yan just yet.

Later, he changed the subject and chatted briefly with Instructor Yan before running off to the Taoist Court to find Situ Fang.

Speaking in the Taoist Court was inconvenient, so they found a secluded teahouse.

Mo Hua lowered his voice and asked:

“Sister Situ, has your Court Leader ever accepted bribes from South Yue Sect?”

Situ Fang was startled, thought for a moment, and nodded.

“And has he received bribes from the Lu Family?”

Situ Fang nodded again.

Mo Hua fell silent, then asked in a different way:

“Is there any sect or family within South Yue City that has not bribed him?”

Situ Fang hesitated:

“There might be some, but such forces are likely already gone…”

Mo Hua found it hard to believe, “He’s that greedy?”

Situ Fang tactfully said, “After all, he is my immediate Court Leader, and I shouldn’t really discuss his rights and wrongs.”

Mo Hua understood.

It meant that his greed was beyond words.

Mo Hua frowned, “He’s so greedy, and no one handles him?”

Situ Fang coughed twice, and then whispered:

“The Taoist Court has power, and with power comes greed, it’s just a matter of how much.”

“There are those who aren’t greedy, but they are few and far between.”

“Power and money coexist.”

“As long as you have power, people will naturally bring Spirit Stones to you, even doing so without you lifting a finger.”

“And when you have Spirit Stones, you can naturally use them to exchange for power…”

Mo Hua nodded, then looked puzzled:

“Sister Situ, your tone, why does it sound so much like Uncle Zhang Lan…”

Situ Fang showed some disdain, “That’s what he told me.”

Mo Hua was stunned.

Situ Fang sighed, “He was afraid I was too honest, too naive, so when I first became a Supervisor, he told me all this.”

Situ Fang initially didn’t believe it.

But after becoming a Supervisor and seeing more of what happens, she had to believe it.

Mo Hua pondered for a while, then asked again:

“Which family has bribed Court Leader Qian the most?”

“That would definitely be the Lu Family.”

“Is the Lu Family the richest?”

“Uh-huh.” Situ Fang nodded and sighed:

“Most of South Yue City’s mines are owned by the Lu Family, and most of the Mining Cultivators in South Yue City work for them, how could they not be rich?”

Probably left out one line: Most of the Taoist Court in South Yue City might have been bought by the Lu Family…

Mo Hua mused internally.

Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua, furrowed her brow, and suddenly cautioned:

“Don’t go against the Lu Family…”

“The mighty dragon does not suppress the local snake. The Lu Family has a vast influence, deep connections, and complex relationships. Unless the Taoist Court intervenes, such local powers, even if they commit many misdeeds, could cover up everything completely with the help of the local Taoist Court.”

“You can’t remove the roots by cutting the grass…”

Their Situ Family, having arrived in South Yue City, also acted according to the rules.

There were occasional conflicts of interest, but they wouldn’t tear each other apart.

The problems in South Yue City are deeply entrenched.

They were not something the Situ Family could resolve just because they wanted to.

Moreover, Situ Fang was just a Supervisor.

Situ Fang and Mo Hua had a deep friendship and she feared he was unaware of the stakes, acting impulsively with his passion, and might not be able to extricate himself later.

Mo Hua nodded and chuckled:

“Don’t worry, I’m aware.”

Having confirmed the relationship between the Lu Family and the Taoist Court, Mo Hua visited the Lu Family’s mine again.

On the surface, the Lu Family’s mine was as noisy and busy as ever.

But Mo Hua noticed that the formations around had changed.

The formations were more complete, and the guards were more strict.

Many Expose Dust Formations were laid around the perimeter of the mine, and at the gate, even an Expose Shadow Formation was set…

These formations seemed as if they were set against him…

Meanwhile, the Cultivators guarding the mine had also changed.

That Cultivator from the Lu Family named Lu Ming, was transferred away.

The foundation establishments for the Lu Family in charge of the mine were increased to two.

They no longer had beautiful maids fanning them, nor delicacies and fine wines, but sat quietly in meditation, their expressions solemn. Occasionally, they even released their Divine Sense to scan around as if they were guarding against something.

“Very problematic…”

Mo Hua muttered internally.

With Foundation Establishment, Expose Dust Formation, and Expose Shadow Formation, it was not easy to sneak in anymore.

Mo Hua planned to check it out at night.

But at night, those two Foundation Establishments were still there.

Mo Hua swept his Divine Sense around and could even spot many Lu Family Cultivators hidden in various corners.

There was no mining at night, yet their guard was tighter.

They didn’t give Mo Hua any chance.

“The problem is quite serious…”

Mo Hua simply waited outside until midnight.

Only around 1 p.m. did some noise finally come from inside the mine.

A chilly aura wafted toward him.

But unlike before, these noises were very subtle.

The aura inside was also weak, hard to detect.

It seemed deliberately contained, or perhaps, entirely concealed by some formation or other.

It was starkly different from the dense, sinister, and heart-throbbing sensation Mo Hua had felt before.

Now the mine’s aura was weak, the noises slight.

Even ordinary Cultivators passing by might not notice anything unusual about the mine.

Mo Hua’s expression grew solemn.

He sat down cross-legged, released his Divine Sense, and intently sensed the aura of the mine.

A moment later, Mo Hua opened his eyes, confident in his heart.

His guess was right.

The aura inside the mine was that of zombies!

He hadn’t been sure before.

But after dealing with Zhang Quan, going to the Corpse Walking Stronghold, snatching the Corpse Controlling Bell, seizing the “Zombie Image,” and even “eating” a few zombies.

Mo Hua was now very familiar.

That Death Qi was the Corpse Qi from a zombie’s body.

That rotting smell was the putrid stench from a Walking Corpse.

The sinister formation was exactly the Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation painted on the zombies.

Previously, the overwhelming aura that caused one’s heart to thrill was because this mine contained countless, innumerable zombies!

This mine of the Lu Family was a Corpse Mine!