The Quest for Immortality

The disappearance of the mining cultivators was something Mo Hua wanted to understand, but he had to wait until Situ Fang had gotten a clear answer.

In the following three days, Mo Hua still sought Instructor Yan in South Yue City every day, but still without a clue.

Instead, it was Situ Fang who came up with some news first.

It was in that same small teahouse, Situ Fang invited Mo Hua for tea and then said to him,

”I went to ask the families of the missing mining cultivators what exactly happened; they wouldn’t speak and were being obstinate and unreasonable, claiming that the Taoist Court and the Lu Family were in cahoots, oppressing the good people…”

”The Lu Family?”

”The mine belongs to the Lu Family.”

”Oh,” Mo Hua nodded.

Situ Fang continued, ”So I detained them for a few days, and once they got scared, they finally told the truth.”

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

Situ Fang sighed and said,

”These missing mining cultivators disappeared while trying to steal from the mines…”

”Steal from the Lu Family’s mine?”

”Yes,” Situ Fang nodded. ”They told their families before they disappeared that they were about to strike it rich and wouldn’t have to live in hardship anymore.”

”Then, under the cover of night, they left and never returned…”

Mo Hua understood, ”They were afraid that if the Lu Family found out, the Lu Family wouldn’t compensate them with spirit stones, so they didn’t dare speak up, right?”

”Yes.”

Situ Fang seemed somewhat helpless.

It was likely that the Lu Family would not only refuse to compensate with spirit stones but would also demand compensation from the families of the missing mining cultivators.

Because stealing from the mine is a major taboo for mining cultivators.

The ores they stole were nominally owned by the Lu Family.

”No wonder…” Mo Hua nodded.

So that’s why they were being obstinate and not telling the truth.

Of course, part of the reason was that they saw Situ Fang had a soft heart, and they became pushy because of it.

”Sister Situ, what do you plan to do?” Mo Hua inquired.

Situ Fang pondered and said, ”I can keep quiet about the theft, but right now the most important thing is to find these missing mining cultivators, dead or alive, we need an explanation.”

Situ Fang sighed, ”And if these mining cultivators really are dead, we also need to figure out a way to get some compensation from the Lu Family, otherwise, these mining cultivators’ families, without income, won’t be able to survive.”

Mo Hua also felt some sorrow and couldn’t help asking,

”Will the Lu Family compensate?”

”I have asked them, and the Lu Family said that unless the bodies of these mining cultivators are found in the mine, they won’t compensate.”

Mo Hua frowned, ”Has the Lu Family always done things this way before?”

”Yes,” Situ Fang nodded. ”No body, no compensation in spirit stones.”

She explained further,

”The Lu Family’s approach is certainly uncompassionate, but before, there indeed were mining cultivators who faked their deaths to claim compensation, so it’s difficult to fault them too much.”

After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua asked, ”Then do these missing mining cultivators have any leads?”

”Hmm.” Situ Fang took out a map and handed it to Mo Hua.

”When these missing mining cultivators left and which hilltop they entered the mine from, I have marked on the map.”

Situ Fang sighed again,

”These things, their families originally didn’t want to speak of, now they’re afraid, so they finally revealed it.”

”After all, once these things are said and the Lu Family knows about it, they will have leverage.”

”These missing mining cultivators, even if they are dead, will have died in vain, their families won’t receive a penny of compensation.”

”Then we’ll investigate secretly, without letting the Lu Family know,” Mo Hua whispered.

Situ Fang nodded, but halfway through, she suddenly realized and corrected,

”I will investigate, not we. What are you, a child, doing getting involved in this kind of thing?”

Mo Hua’s eyes flickered, and he smiled, saying,

”Sister Situ, you’ve been so kind to me; I want to help you too.”

Situ Fang felt a warmth in her heart but then sensed something amiss and looked at Mo Hua skeptically,

”Really?”

”Really!” Mo Hua nodded earnestly.

Still, Situ Fang refused,

”No, this matter is a bit strange, I can’t involve you.”

Mo Hua said, ”It takes three stakes to fence in a hog, three helpers to make a hero great.”

”Me, as well as my senior brother and sister, will all help you. Besides, there are formations in the mine; you may not be able to find some places…”

Situ Fang frowned, thinking to herself.

Indeed, formations were a problem…

There were indeed many formations in the mine, and without knowledge of formations, it’s very easy to miss some key places.

She herself knew a little bit about formations, but not much, and likely she couldn’t unravel their intricacies.

Asking another Formation Master didn’t seem right either.

In South Yue City, the Lu Family had the greatest influence, and they were also on good terms with other Formation Masters; no Formation Master would help her if she went to the mines.

And although she didn’t know how good Mo Hua’s skills in formations were, Zhang Lan had praised them.

Zhang Lan, born to a noble clan, had good judgment. If he praised Mo Hua’s drawing formation skills, then Mo Hua’s abilities in formations must indeed be exceptional…

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

”Alright, but you must be careful, the mines are no trivial matter, and you must not be negligent at any cost.”

”Don’t worry, Sister Situ,”

Mo Hua nodded.

...

After discussing the plan, two days later.

Situ Fang took Mo Hua, along with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, to the Lu Family’s mines.

The mining cultivators had gone missing, and the Taoist Court was conducting an inspection, so the Lu Family had no grounds to refuse, nor did they dare to.

But the overseer in charge of the mine did not wear a welcoming expression.

Thus, Situ Fang led the three of them, accompanied by a Lu Family cultivator, into the mine.

This was Mo Hua’s first time inside a mine.

On the way there, he had only looked on from a distance, hearing the constant clang and clatter, a noisy and busy scene.

Only upon seeing it up close did he understand the hardship of the mining cultivators.

In the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, the weather was scorching hot, heating the rocks until they were searing.

The miners, their skin darkened by the sun, were bare-armed, bent at the waist, their backs showing lash marks, as they mined the ore under the foreman’s supervision, to the best of their abilities.

The mine produced blue iron ore.

This type of iron ore was cheap and hard, requiring a lot of effort to excavate.

The mining cultivators had to toil for an entire day to earn just one spirit stone.

Those who hadn’t undergone body cultivation simply couldn’t do this job.

Even for the physically strong body cultivators, many might not be able to endure it.

And this was just the outer mountains—if one went into the deeper mines, which were dark, damp, and full of filthy qi, not only was it more strenuous, but it was also more dangerous. A single misstep could cost them their lives.

Mo Hua felt uncomfortable at the sight.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi frowned as they observed.

Bai Zisheng couldn’t help but say to Mo Hua, ”These mining cultivators, they’re really suffering...”

The accompanying Lu Family cultivator snorted dismissively, ”What suffering? People are born to different stations, high and low, noble and base. This is their fate, their lot in life.”

”On the contrary, they should be grateful to our Lu Family. Without us, they couldn’t earn even one spirit stone after a hard day’s work.”

After saying this, the Lu Family cultivator then gave a veiled warning, ”Young brother, please mind your words within our Lu Family’s mine.”

Bai Zisheng looked at him coldly, ”I don’t like the tone of your voice. Speak to me like that again, and I’ll twist your mouth sideway.”

The Lu Family cultivator grew angry.

Bai Zisheng displayed the imposing aura of a peak Ninth Level Qi Refining cultivator.

The Lu Family cultivator turned pale and begrudgingly shut his mouth.

Situ Fang was also somewhat surprised.

This junior brother of Mo Hua’s appeared to be only a few years older than Mo Hua, yet his spiritual power was so profound…

It seemed that Mo Hua’s mentor was indeed extraordinary.

Therefore, his expertise in formations was likely to be high as well.

”I hope he can notice something and find those missing mining cultivators…” Situ Fang thought silently to himself.

The group wandered around the outer mountain for a while, asked a few mining cultivators, but found nothing, and so decided to look in the deeper mines.

The Lu Family cultivator said with a forced smile, ”You can go into the mine, but don’t blame me for not warning you. It’s very dangerous in there, not somewhere outsiders can simply...”

Bai Zisheng sent a sharp, knife-like glare his way.

The Lu Family cultivator stopped speaking abruptly, not daring to say more.

Afterward, everyone entered the mine.

A mine is a general term for the internal tunnels, caves, and chambers within a mountain.

The mine was cold, damp, and the air stifling.

The stone walls were carved with formations which generally served to both reinforce the walls to prevent the mine from collapsing and provide functions like lighting, ventilation, and filth removal.

Mo Hua glanced at the formations and shook his head.

The formation patterns carved there were indeed very rough.

They offered only minor reinforcement and dim lighting.

As such, with external walls unstable and filthy qi accumulating inside, accidents were likely to happen easily.

It seemed the Lu Family didn’t hold the lives of these mining cultivators in high regard.

”The lives of loose cultivators don’t seem to count for much...” Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart.

The group progressed step by step along the mine.

As Mo Hua walked, he studied the formation patterns and reconstructed the layout of the mine in his mind.

The formations were extremely rudimentary.

Mo Hua could see through them at a glance; he didn’t even need to use Divine Sense Calculation. With just a few glances, he understood everything clearly.

Understanding the formations naturally meant grasping the layout of the mine.

The paths might be misleading, but the formations were not.

Initially, the Lu Family cultivator led the way, but after a while, Mo Hua began leading instead.

The Lu Family cultivator frowned.

This young cultivator, clearly here for the first time, how could he be more familiar with this place than him?

Situ Fang also watched with a puzzled gaze, somewhat astonished.

Mo Hua led the group along the mine for half a day without any discoveries.

The Lu Family cultivator started to get impatient, ”That’s enough, isn’t it? The mine is so vast, no matter how much you look...”

Before he could finish, Mo Hua stopped.

He fixated on the wall in front of him, then took out his ink and brush, drawing several formation patterns.

Then, with a flash of light from the patterns, they dissipated into each other.

The stone wall trembled and crumbled, revealing a pitch-black opening.

Situ Fang was slightly taken aback.

The Lu Family cultivator turned stark white.