The Quest for Immortality

Situ Fang asked the Lu Family cultivator, ”What exactly is this mining cave used for?”

The Lu Family cultivator’s face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth, refusing to speak.

Situ Fang threatened,

”Someone died in here, if you don’t talk, the Taoist Court will investigate thoroughly, and your Lu Family definitely won’t be able to escape involvement.”

The Lu Family cultivator said, ”A few Mining Cultivators died, so they died. My Lu Family will compensate with Spirit Stones.”

After he finished speaking, it seemed he figured it out and thus gained some confidence.

”Right, right! A few Mining Cultivators, my Lu Family will compensate with Spirit Stones…”

He sneered, ”This mining well is intricately connected, and some abandoned entrances are nothing out of the ordinary.”

”These Mining Cultivators didn’t know what was good for them, dug their way in, and were... just eaten by Monster Beasts, what does that have to do with my Lu Family?”

”Just a few worthless lives, it serves them right to die!”

Situ Fang, her anger surging, immediately wanted to beat him up.

Mo Hua hurriedly stopped her, ”Sister Situ, getting angry is useless.”

Situ Fang frowned, but still restrained herself.

Mo Hua then turned his head and said to the Lu Family cultivator:

”Normally, the death of a Mining Cultivator is an accident; indeed, just compensating with some Spirit Stones would suffice, but this time it’s different. This is murder, a violation of the Taoist Law…”

The Lu Family scoffed, ”Then who killed them?”

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

The scene was bloody and terrible; indeed, no one knew who had killed them, or even if they had been killed by a person.

The Lu Family cultivator laughed, ”Without a murderer, how can you call it murder? To me, it looks like these Mining Cultivators, arrogantly assuming too much, entered this mining cave wanting to steal from my Lu Family’s mines, only to end up trapped and then eaten by Monster Beasts…”

The Lu Family cultivator became more and more assured as he spoke, his demeanor growing increasingly haughty.

Mo Hua’s eyes shifted, and with a suddenly bright smile, he falsely accused:

”I understand now; you committed murder for wealth, killing these Mining Cultivators!”

The Lu Family cultivator was taken aback, ”You little ghost, what nonsense are you spouting? I don’t even know them, plus they’re just Mining Cultivators, all paupers; what wealth could they possess that would be worth my while to kill them for?”

Mo Hua said, ”The fact you don’t know them makes it easier to act against them. Besides, wealth isn’t always visible. If you didn’t kill them, without searching their Storage Bags, how could you know they carried no wealth?”

The Lu Family cultivator, annoyed, said, ”You’re slandering me!”

Nonsense, do I even need to say it? Mo Hua silently thought.

Then he regretfully continued, ”Since you refuse to confess, we can only take you to the Taoist Court, lock you up in the Taoist Prison, and subject you to a severe interrogation…”

The Lu Family cultivator sneered, ”You wouldn’t dare.”

”Why wouldn’t I?”

”The Court Leader and my Lu Family…”

He halted mid-sentence, his face changing color, not daring to continue.

Mo Hua’s gaze flickered as he understood.

Since the Lu Family was the largest Clan in South Yue City, possessing the most mines, they surely had dealings with the Court Leader.

And judging by the looks of it, these ”dealings” were out of the ordinary.

On the surface, the Taoist Court and the Lu Family each did their own thing.

If there was an incident, the Taoist Court would also investigate and hold the Lu Family accountable.

But behind the scenes, there would likely be some transactions.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then sneered, ”Even if the Court Leader has a relationship with the Lu Family, that doesn’t concern you…”

”You’re just a minor cultivator in the Lu Family. For the lives of five Mining Cultivators, do you think the Lu Family would protect you, or would the Court Leader step in for you?”

”Do you think you’re worth it?”

A chill ran through the Lu Family cultivator’s heart, and the arrogance faded from his face.

Mo Hua continued, ”We’ll take you back, lock you up in the Taoist Prison, and publicly announce that you killed five Mining Cultivators…”

”What do you think the Lu Family will do? Will they provoke a public outrage to protect you, or will they let you take the fall to appease the situation?”

The Lu Family cultivator’s gaze trembled.

Mo Hua, watching his reaction, sighed and pretended to be someone who didn’t want to get involved, to avoid trouble:

”Actually, we didn’t want to get involved in this matter…”

”But those Mining Cultivators keep making trouble at the Taoist Court; the Court had no other choice.”

”The higher-ups need an explanation, and Sister Situ has to provide an answer.”

”Who killed those five Mining Cultivators, in reality, is irrelevant.”

”Nobody cares about the actual truth.”

”All that’s needed is someone who can take the blame, admit the guilt, and quell the situation…”

Mo Hua patted the Lu Family cultivator’s shoulder, ”The decision from above is that this person is you…”

The Lu Family cultivator jerked in reaction, ”You’re lying to me!”

But his tone trembled, lacking conviction.

He didn’t know Mo Hua’s identity, but he knew of Situ Fang’s.

Situ Fang was indeed a Supervisor of the Taoist Court in South Yue City.

On the surface, she appeared to be seeking the truth for the Mining Cultivators.

But the waters of the Taoist Court were murky, and its officials corrupt; showing one face while keeping another hidden.

He couldn’t be sure which side Situ Fang was really on.

And of all the Lu Family disciples, why was it him they chose to lead the way?

Mo Hua gave Situ Fang a signal with his eyes.

Situ Fang then darkened her face, her smile sinister, ”Take him back. It’ll give the Court Leader something to report; and as for the Family Head of the Lu Family… they surely won’t miss a mere Qi Refinement Middle Phase Disciple.”

Bai Zisheng reached out to grab him.

Struggling, the Lu Family cultivator shouted, ”You have no evidence, you can’t arrest me or convict me of any crime!”

Mo Hua slapped his forehead, ”Right, we need to create some evidence.”

After saying that, Mo Hua pulled out more than a dozen Spirit Stones, crushed them, and stuffed them into the Lu Family cultivator’s hands.

The Lu Family cultivator was stunned, ”What are you doing?”

Mo Hua claimed brazenly, ”These Spirit Stones are the evidence of your murderous greed!”

The Lu Family cultivator found it absurd.

Was this little ghost no longer bothering to pretend?

Could he be so blatantly framing him?

The Lu Family cultivator hastily threw all the Spirit Stones on the ground, ”I didn’t do it, it wasn’t me...”

Mo Hua sneered, ”You refuse the toast only to drink a forfeit?”

The Lu Family cultivator asked, ”And what else can you do to me?”

Mo Hua’s gaze shifted slightly, and a faint sinister air appeared on his face, his voice low and tinged with eeriness:

”Locking you in this cave and sealing it with a Formation, forcing you to stay with these five dead Mining Cultivators...”

”A few days later, when we come to check, everyone will find you right at the crime scene, along with the deceased. You’ll have no explanation then.”

The Lu Family Cultivator said, ”I will say... it was you who framed me!”

Mo Hua instantly reverted to a face of innocent naiveté, ”Who would believe that?”

The Lu Family Cultivator’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

”Oh, right.” Mo Hua had another thought, ”You might not even live to see that day. Who knows what’s in this cave? It devoured Mining Cultivators, it’ll probably eat you too...”

”It’s possible that you’ll be devoured by it the day after you’re locked in...”

”But that also works perfectly, we can say you were killed while trying to rob and murder, resulting in mutual destruction.”

”Anyway, whatever happens here, nobody else will ever know...”

The Lu Family Cultivator looked at Mo Hua in disbelief.

What on earth was this young devil capable of? How could he scheme so expertly, one trick after another?

Left with no choice, the Lu Family Cultivator nodded and said:

”Fine, I agree.”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, he took advantage of Mo Hua’s distraction to get up and run, but he didn’t get far before feeling his body tighten, restrained by something.

Looking down, he found his body bound by faint blue water-shaped lock chains.

The Lu Family Cultivator was horrified.

What kind of spell was this?

Mo Hua, on the other hand, let out a cold laugh.

Bai Zisheng quickly stepped forward and dragged the Lu Family Cultivator back.

Pretending to lose patience, Mo Hua gestured to Bai Zisheng and said:

”Seal him inside. I’ll draw the Formation.”

Situ Fang hesitated for a moment but said nothing.

Bai Zisheng arched an eyebrow and, gripping the collar of the Lu Family Cultivator, dragged him towards the foul and decaying cave—the site of the Mining Cultivators’ tragic demise.

The Lu Family Cultivator was terrified.

Only now did he realize that this little devil meant business!

Struggling, he pleaded hastily, ”Spare me! Spare me! I’ll tell you everything!”

Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua nodded.

Bai Zisheng then dragged the Lu Family Cultivator back and dumped him in front of Mo Hua.

Mo Hua looked at him and said, ”I’ll ask you a few questions. Answer well, and I may spare you. If you hide anything, you’ll join those Mining Cultivators...”

The Lu Family Cultivator’s face turned ashen, and he nodded.

”What’s the purpose of this mine shaft?”

The Lu Family Cultivator shook his head.

Mo Hua’s gaze turned frosty, ready to throw him in.

The Lu Family Cultivator hastily said, ”I, I... really don’t know!”

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened, ”Then what do you know?”

”I... I only know...”

The Lu Family Cultivator hesitated, sighed, ”I only know that the mine shafts were ordered to be built by the Family Head, and even the Formations inside were personally arranged to be painted by him.”

”After these shafts were constructed, they were sealed off, and no one has ever entered them...”

”I don’t know what’s inside.”

”The Family Head has strictly ordered that the matter of the mine shafts must not be known to any Cultivator, nor is any Cultivator allowed to enter...”

The Lu Family Head, huh...

Mo Hua frowned, then asked further:

”How did these Mining Cultivators die?”

The Lu Family Cultivator mumbled, ”That I know even less... How would I know they would sneak into these mine shafts?”

”You didn’t notice?”

”They came in the middle of the night when it’s eerie and spooky—who would want to go into these mine pits?”

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened, ”Eerie and spooky?”

The Lu Family Cultivator knew he had misspoken and remained silent.

Mo Hua said, ”This cave might be damp or dark, but it doesn’t seem ’eerie and spooky’...”

”This...” the Lu Family Cultivator’s gaze darted around.

”Don’t want to talk?”

The Lu Family Cultivator nodded, then seeing Mo Hua’s unfriendly expression, became alarmed and shook his head.

”Go on, why is it ’eerie and spooky’?”

The Lu Family Cultivator hesitated, swallowing hard before slowly saying:

”It is said that at night, this mine is haunted by ghosts...”

Mo Hua was startled, ”Ghosts?”

The Lu Family Cultivator nodded, ”Every night, waves of Yin energy and creaking noises fill the mine, the entire shaft vibrating subtly, as if someone is chiseling away at something...”

The Lu Family Cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:

”Some say they are the spirits of those Mining Cultivators who died unjustly within these pits. When the Yin energy is strong at night, they return to the mines as Ghost Cultivators and continue to dig as they did in life...”

Mo Hua knitted his brows.

It seemed that those Mining Cultivators had ventured into the mine to steal, and met some unknown ghostly specter at night, which led to their deaths.

But even with this, there were still many unanswered questions.

Mo Hua repeated his interrogation several times.

The Lu Family Cultivator stammered his answers, consistent every time, which made him seem truthful.

As a mid-phase Qi Refinement disciple of the Lu Family, he likely didn’t know more confidential matters.

Mo Hua also casually gathered some information about the Lu Family before finally nodding and saying:

”Since you’ve been so cooperative, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

A huge weight lifted in the Lu Family Cultivator’s heart.

Mo Hua then expressed his concern, ”But if the Lu Family finds out that you’ve told me all this...”

The stone that had just lifted in the Lu Family Cultivator’s heart now sank back down, and he hastily said:

”Young friend, young master, dear ancestor... please don’t tell anyone...”

If word got out, the Lu Family certainly wouldn’t let him off easily.

Mo Hua grudgingly said, ”Fine...”

Then he sternly reminded, ”But you must behave. If I have questions in the future, I’ll come to you...”

”By the way, what’s your name?”

The Lu Family Cultivator, on the verge of tears, replied, ”Lu Ming.”