The Quest for Immortality

The intricacies of Corpse Refinement are so plentiful...

It seems that outsiders see the excitement, while insiders know the manifold ways.

Mo Hua’s thoughts stirred slightly, and he spoke again in a deep voice,

”Then let me test you once more, suppose... I refined a corpse that can be used to command a multitude of zombies, what should this type of ’corpse’ be called?”

”To command a multitude of zombies...”

Lu Ming furrowed his brows, thought for a while, and then said with some uncertainty, ”I can’t quite remember...”

Mo Hua said, ”It’s an open book exam; you can consult the texts.”

Lu Ming was somewhat bewildered, ”Open book?”

”Mhm.” Mo Hua nodded, with a demeanor that showed he was lenient, not wanting to trouble you if you couldn’t answer, and would even let you look it up in a book.

Lu Ming felt a little touched.

He immediately took out several books on Corpse Refinement from his storage bag, searched through them a few times, and then hesitantly said,

”There are... a few kinds...”

”There is one called ’Corpse Bell’, which involves embedding a Corpse Controlling Bell within the zombie’s body to control other zombies...”

”There’s one called ’Lantern Corpse’, where the corpse is used as a lantern, burning ointment to lead the way...”

”And there is one, called ’Corpse King’...”

”Corpse King?”

Mo Hua’s expression showed a trace of surprise.

Lu Ming, somewhat unsure of himself, asked, ”Is there something wrong?”

”Right,” Mo Hua nodded, ”it is the Corpse King, you’ve answered correctly.”

If it can command thousands of zombies, then what Lu Chengyun refined must be none other than a Corpse King...

Corpse King...

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then asked,

”Let me test you once more, how is this Corpse King refined, and what effects does it have once created?”

Lu Ming flipped through the books and then said,

”It seems to be more complicated than the normal Corpse Refinement...”

”The corpse selected for refining a Corpse King has to be particular; ordinary ones won’t do.”

”The multitude of zombies it commands should ideally have subjugated to it in life, under its control...”

”This way, after death, when turned into zombies, the residual instinct to submit makes them easier to control by the ’Corpse King’...”

”The chances of controlled zombies going rogue or rebelling are thus much reduced.”

After pondering, Lu Ming gave an example,

”In the past, a powerful Corpse Cultivator obliterated a Sect, refined the Sect Leader into a Corpse King, then turned the Sect disciples into zombies.”

”As a result, these ’disciple’ zombies were naturally under the control of the ’Sect Leader’ Corpse King...”

”There are also records stating that small nations in the Southern Barbarian Land were slaughtered by Demon Cultivators...”

”The monarch was killed and turned into a ’Corpse King’, and the people of the nation were massacred and then transformed into zombies, thus turning the entire nation into a Corpse Kingdom...”

Mo Hua’s face remained unchanged, but inwardly he couldn’t help but sigh.

An entire Sect, even a whole nation of cultivators...

All had parents and kin, yet met with a terrible fate, not even finding peace in death.

Demon practitioners indeed wrought much slaughter.

In their selfish and unscrupulous practice of cultivation, nothing was off-limits...

Lu Ming continued,

”This type of monarch has the right qualifications to become a ’Corpse King’, an excellent corpse prototype for refining a Corpse King.”

”But such means are the methods of powerful practitioners of the Demon Path; ordinary Corpse Cultivators with their crude methods of Corpse Refinement couldn’t possibly do it...”

...

Mo Hua asked some more details, and Lu Ming answered them one by one.

Pleased, Mo Hua nodded approvingly and praised,

”You have studied diligently; this puts my mind at ease. Tomorrow, in front of Lu Family Head, I will speak well of you, promote you, so that your Corpse Path prospers and you stand out from the crowd...”

”Don’t disappoint my expectations...”

As Mo Hua thought about Instructor Yan’s manner, he put on a look of ’earnest instruction’ on his face.

But Lu Ming wore a troubled look, hesitating to speak.

Mo Hua spoke displeasedly, ”What? You’re still not satisfied?”

”I... I...” Lu Ming stammered, not daring to say it.

After an internal struggle, he finally pleaded earnestly, ”Gentleman, could you perhaps... speak to Lu Family Head and let me out?”

”What do you mean?” Mo Hua asked in a grave voice.

”I...” Lu Ming replied with a bitter smile, ”I don’t want to become a Corpse Cultivator...”

Mo Hua deliberately frowned, ”How can you be so ungrateful?”

Lu Ming grew anxious and quickly waved his hands,

”I wouldn’t dare...”

Mo Hua ’hmphed’, ”Lu Family Head treats you so well, providing you with opportunities to become a Corpse Cultivator, to learn Corpse Refinement. This is your blessing, as well as your chance as a disciple of the Lu Family to contribute your efforts to the family. Yet you don’t know how to cherish it?”

Lu Ming felt like crying without tears:

”Once I become a Corpse Cultivator and enter the Demon Path, my whole life is over...”

He wouldn’t be able to find a partner, fulfill filial duties.

No matter how high his cultivation, he could only hide in the shadows, deal with corpses all day, and would be hunted by the Taoist Court, shunned by society, and who knows, one day he might be exposed and then ”eliminated in the name of justice.”

Thinking of this, Lu Ming regretted so much that his gut turned green.

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

This Lu Ming, although a bit slow, still had some sense.

Pretending to be hesitant, after much contemplation, Mo Hua slowly exhaled a sigh,

”Alright, meeting you is also a kind of fate. If you’re unwilling to be a Corpse Cultivator, I won’t make it difficult for you.”

”But it’s probably impossible to persuade the Family Head to let you leave...”

”Once you’re out, you’ll surely leak the secrets of this Corpse Mine.”

”Just stay here peacefully...”

Lu Ming’s face was ashen.

Without escaping, sooner or later, he would end up refining corpses.

If he succeeded, he would be inseparable from the zombies.

Should he fail, the zombies might lose control and devour him—it was entirely possible.

It was over...

A chilling sense of dread filled Lu Ming’s heart.

Suddenly, he glanced at Mo Hua, who appeared calm and collected despite his young age. Even amidst the dread of the corpse mines, he seemed utterly composed, stirring a glimmer of hope in Lu Ming’s otherwise bleak heart.

He quickly got up and kowtowed to Mo Hua, saying,

”I beg young master to save me!”

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, then asked in confusion,

”Why should I save you?”

Mo Hua leisurely took a sip of tea before continuing,

”Promoting you is but a trivial matter, a mere word for me. I could mention it offhand and owe a favor, which is no big deal.”

”But saving you is much more troublesome, and I might even offend the Lu Family Head.”

”What’s in it for me?”

Mo Hua’s words left Lu Ming speechless.

Lu Ming was somewhat dazed.

Indeed, with no blood or affection between them and a rather shallow relationship, why would this young gentleman save him?

What did he have?

He didn’t have many Spirit Stones, he wasn’t a young maiden in her twenties, his cultivation wasn’t high, his talent wasn’t great, and even if killed for Corpse Refinement, he wouldn’t make for a high-quality zombie...

A chill went down Lu Ming’s spine, and he didn’t even realize it.

On ordinary days, he might occasionally bully others on account of his position, feeling good about himself, but he hadn’t expected that when a real problem arose, he would turn out to be so worthless...

Without any means, without any capability at all.

Mo Hua added, ”If you can offer something beneficial, I’ll consider, just consider, whether to save you or not.”

A bitterness enveloped Lu Ming’s heart.

What could he offer?

This young gentleman was of no ordinary status, with unfathomable means.

What benefit could catch such a young master’s eye?

But with his life at stake, he was unwilling to give up and, holding onto a thread of hope, said,

”I am willing to pledge my life in service of young master, to climb mountains of swords and descend into seas of flames if that’s what it takes!”

Mo Hua’s eyes brightened.

He had been waiting for those words.

First, Mo Hua expressed his disdain, ”You, with your low cultivation and status, who is neither proficient in Taoist Skill nor Corpse Refinement, a mere disciple of the Lu Family, would be of little use to me, even if you served me.”

These words struck Lu Ming with such embarrassment he couldn’t lift his head.

Mo Hua feigned contemplation, then sighed,

”However, who can blame me for being young with a kind heart? I’ll test you. Do a small favor for me, and if you succeed, I’ll save you once.”

As if revived from a dead end, Lu Ming’s expression lit up with immense joy, and he hastily said,

”Please, young master, give your commands!”

”Help me inquire about the Lu Family Old Ancestor and the affairs of the Lu Family Head...”

Lu Ming was taken aback, ”What about them?”

Mo Hua’s large eyes shifted, and he whispered,

”Help me inquire about the Lu Family Old Ancestor and the affairs of the Lu Family Head...”

Lu Ming was taken aback, ”What about them?”

”Anything will do,” Mo Hua said. ”Gossip, anecdotes, rumors... whether substantiated or hearsay, gather them stealthily and report them back to me...”

Lu Ming felt doubtful and a bit frightened as he quietly asked,

”Why, why do you want to know these things?”

Mo Hua’s face stiffened, solemnly responding,

”I want to confirm whether the Lu Family Head is a bad person or not...”

Lu Ming gaped, ”Bad... a bad person?”

”Yes!” proclaimed Mo Hua, ”In this world, the worse a person is, the more they can achieve.”

”Now that I’m working for him, naturally the worse he is, the better.”

”The more wicked he is, the more he disregards kinship, shameless, thick-skinned, and unscrupulous; the greater his chances of success...”

Lu Ming was bewildered.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether the young gentleman was praising or cursing the Family Head...

”Do you understand?” Mo Hua asked Lu Ming.

Lu Ming feigned understanding and nodded.

”Good, go ahead and do it,” Mo Hua nodded, ”but be discreet, do not get exposed, and remember, this matter has nothing to do with me. I am just a kind-hearted, innocent person who wants to help you escape suffering.”

Lu Ming nodded, ”Yes, young master!”

Afterward, he went to gather information.

When Mo Hua had time, he would also release his Divine Sense to keep an eye on what Lu Ming was doing.

Lu Ming wasn’t very bright, and Mo Hua feared he might botch the task.

Fortunately, although he was inquiring, he wasn’t overly deliberate.

Sometimes he just needed to start a conversation, letting other corpse cultivators chat among themselves while he eavesdropped.

Being of low status himself, a recognized Lu Family disciple, no one suspected him; in fact, nobody even cared about him.

A few days later, Lu Ming reported back to Mo Hua with the information he had gathered.

He had news about the Lu Family, the Lu Family Old Ancestor, and also about Lu Chengyun...

The matters involving the Lu Family Old Ancestor were more or less the same as those Mo Hua had heard from Qinglan.

Harsh, greedy, extravagant, and unpredictably temperamental.

Not only did he exploit the mining cultivators harshly, but he was also especially cruel to his own disciples, frequently resorting to beating and berating them while living lavishly and treating others stingily.

Aptly resembling his nickname ”Capitalist Lu.”

Indeed, there are only mistaken names, not mistaken nicknames.

And from Lu Ming’s words, Mo Hua learned some rumors concerning the relationship between Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family Old Ancestor...