Chapter 1136: Small Post City

For the rest of the journey, Elder Ji, who had personally killed over a dozen corpse cultivators from Yin Corpse Valley, felt a growing panic in his heart. The more he thought about it, the more regret he felt, and he was filled with incessant vexation.

He cursed himself for his momentary cowardice, for succumbing to Mo Hua's "tyranny" and actually killing cultivators from the Yin Corpse Valley, a major demonic sect.

Now he had truly brought a great disaster upon himself.

But the people were already dead, and regret was useless.

Elder Ji could only hasten his pace to leave Half-Mountain City as quickly as possible, to avoid retaliation from the Yin Corpse Valley cultivators. He also hoped that he wouldn't encounter any more of these ominous and sinister cultivators in the future.

Mo Hua, however, remained expressionless.

When the Blood Sacrifice Array collapsed, the number of demonic cultivators who died by his hand was truly countless.

When it came to killing demonic cultivators, even if Elder Ji killed them non-stop for a hundred years, his 'achievements' would be a mere drop in the ocean compared to Mo Hua's.

Killing just over a dozen Yin Corpse Valley cultivators now was as easy as drinking water for him.

Mo Hua didn't care at all.

Besides, these corpse cultivators were all killed by Elder Ji, so the primary karmic repercussions wouldn't fall on him.

The two continued southward.

Fearful of retaliation from Yin Corpse Valley, Elder Ji dared not slacken his pace in the slightest throughout the journey. He drove the carriage very quickly.

The carriage traveled several hundred more miles, entering a desolate mountain range, where they encountered a large wave of displaced people.

These displaced people were rogue cultivators whose nearby immortal cities had fallen into ruin, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Some of them, famished, began to attack the carriage.

Elder Ji truly wanted to kill a few to deter the others, but out of consideration for Mo Hua, he didn't dare to actually kill them. He merely administered slight punishment and then let them go.

Further on, they entered a dense forest.

Again, cultivators continually assaulted the carriage.

These individuals, with fierce expressions, were dressed in prison uniforms, appearing to be criminal and evil cultivators who had escaped from the Dao Court Bureau. They wielded blood-stained knives and surrounded the carriage.

Mo Hua sat inside the carriage, his expression indifferent.

Elder Ji surmised Mo Hua's intention was that these could be killed.

Just then, having been annoyed by constant disturbances along the way, he had also accumulated a belly full of frustration. So he raised his great saber and no longer held back, slaughtering most of these criminal and evil cultivators.

Only a few lucky ones seized the opportunity to escape. Elder Ji was too lazy to pursue them, spat, and drove the carriage onward.

Along the subsequent journey, there were many similar incidents.

Displaced people, mountain bandits, criminal cultivators, and various cultivators of unknown origin were mixed together, like ants, fleeing everywhere across the land of Lizhou...

Throughout the journey, Mo Hua silently watched all of this, without saying a word.

He wanted to give these displaced people a safe haven.

But the scope of this turmoil was simply too vast. Currently, he had no ability whatsoever to quell this disaster, so he could only watch in silence.

A trace of guilt even arose in Mo Hua's heart.

The Barren Sky Dragon Flag, which served as a beacon, had been lit by his own hand.

In other words, he was the 'instigator' of all this.

But then, after a second thought, Mo Hua felt he was overthinking things. The grand scheme of heaven and earth was already set, and the rebellion had been secretly plotted by others long ago. All of this was a predetermined general trend in the heavenly mechanisms.

Whether he lit the Dragon Flag or not, it would have been the same; the objective facts would not have changed.

Mo Hua frowned, and softly sighed.

The journey thereafter was fraught with further twists and turns.

The further south they traveled, the more tumultuous the journey became.

Immortal cities reduced to ruins, scattered displaced people, cultivators burning, killing, and looting, and occasionally visible mangled corpses of cultivators...

Even Elder Ji, accustomed to committing evil deeds, had a slightly pale complexion.

"Damn it, the world has truly changed..."

After over a month of such rough travel and camping, Mo Hua and Elder Ji finally reached Little Inn City, several thousand miles away.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Little Inn City, Mo Hua looked up, and was quite surprised.

Compared to other war-torn regions, Little Inn City was remarkably peaceful, even bustling and appearing very lively.

If not for everything he had seen and heard along the way, with desolation and ruin everywhere, Mo Hua might have even thought that what he saw before him was merely an illusion.

"Is this truly Little Inn City?"

Mo Hua turned his head, looked at Elder Ji, and asked.

Elder Ji looked bewildered, as if he couldn't quite believe it either. He murmured:

"By location, it should be right... I've been here a few times before for business and making connections..."

Mo Hua swept his divine sense across the city and was astonished to detect several profound auras of Golden Core cultivators, causing him to frown.

"Little Inn City is a third-grade immortal city?"

Elder Ji replied, "It's a second-grade immortal city, but it's located in a third-grade territory."

Mo Hua looked at Elder Ji.

Elder Ji then explained, "This is an inn city, specifically for transportation hubs. But this place is too remote and too poor, so there are very few permanent cultivators."

"The cultivators who pass through are mostly itinerant merchants with meager family assets. They are mainly Qi Condensation cultivators, with very few Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone Golden Core ones."

"Therefore, Little Inn City, though located in a third-grade provincial territory, has no Golden Core cultivators at all, and can only be considered a second-grade immortal city."

"But now, for some reason, despite the ongoing war, it has become more populous..."

Elder Ji looked at the bustling city before them, and also frowned. Then he turned to Mo Hua and asked, "Young Master, what do you think..."

Mo Hua thought for a moment, and said, "It's fine. Let's enter the city first."

Elder Ji hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

Mo Hua said, "Say what you want to say."

Elder Ji chuckled awkwardly, "Young Master, you see, along this journey, I've driven the carriage for you, guided you, and killed for you. Even if I haven't earned merits, I've certainly endured hardships."

"Later, if we can't find that steward, it truly has nothing to do with me, and I'm really quite helpless. Could you please consider sparing my life..."

Mo Hua's expression was indifferent, showing neither joy nor anger.

Elder Ji's heart was filled with trepidation.

"Enter the city." Mo Hua said.

Elder Ji, resigned, could only say, "Yes," while praying inwardly:

"You damn bastard, Steward Wang, you embezzled my spirit stones, and I didn't hold a grudge, but for heaven's sake, don't you dare die on me. If you die, I might have to go down with you. This 'Little King of Hell' kills people not only without batting an eye, but without even seeing any blood. I don't even know what kind of death I'll have..."

Elder Ji muttered inwardly, and then drove the carriage with Mo Hua, to the front of Little Inn City.

Little Inn City was lively inside, but its gates were tightly shut.

In front of the gates, several Foundation Establishment body cultivators were even standing guard, blocking the way.

Mo Hua's carriage was naturally also stopped.

With Lizhou in turmoil, Little Inn City's defenses were naturally very strict. Ordinary cultivators were simply not qualified to enter the city.

At this moment, Elder Ji's identity came in handy once again.

He was a third-grade elder of the Canglang Sect, with an extraordinary status.

In his daily life, he indulged in drinking, gambling, and womanizing, socializing extensively. He had countless shady friends from various factions.

Elder Ji first presented his Elder's token from the Canglang Sect, then mentioned the names of a few acquaintances, and displayed a few 'calling cards', which earned him the unanimous respect of the city's defending cultivators.

"So it's Elder Ji of the Canglang Sect, I've long heard of your esteemed name, my apologies for the oversight," a Foundation Establishment cultivator said, cupping his hands.

"You're too kind." Elder Ji replied with a touch of arrogance.

"However," the Foundation Establishment cultivator said, somewhat perplexed, "why would an esteemed elder like yourself... be driving a carriage personally?"

Elder Ji's face darkened, but in front of others, not wanting to tarnish his reputation, he said:

"This journey, I am escorting a Young Master of noble status. You must not offend him."

The group of gate-guarding cultivators felt a chill in their hearts.

To have an elder from a third-grade sect personally escort him, this Young Master was truly extraordinary.

They didn't even inspect the carriage, and simply let them pass.

Their duty to guard the city was against miscellaneous individuals.

For cultivators of noble status and high cultivation, they naturally didn't need to, nor were they qualified to, check their backgrounds.

Elder Ji held his head high, drove the carriage, and entered Little Inn City.

The streets were bustling with people, quite lively.

Moreover, Foundation Establishment cultivators comprised more than half of them.

This was extremely rare in remote second and third-grade provincial territories like Lizhou.

Even Canglang City, a relatively larger third-grade power, had never had so many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, considering the world's current turmoil, a place where one could 'settle down' was exceptionally rare. Thus, it was somewhat normal for so many Foundation Establishment cultivators to gather here.

Elder Ji temporarily settled the carriage in a somewhat luxurious inn within the city.

Afterward, he led Mo Hua to the inn station within the city to find Steward Wang, whom he knew.

From the inn to the inn station, it was about three miles.

No one knew how tormenting this seemingly ordinary walk was for Elder Ji.

He was terrified that if they arrived at the inn station and couldn't find Steward Wang, Mo Hua would get angry, then look at him, and he would start digging out his own heart.

This bloody scene made Elder Ji's heart pound with fear.

But as luck would have it, his worst fears came true.

After much difficulty, they finally reached the inn station, and he inquired with an old steward he recognized, only to hear the old steward say:

"Steward Wang resigned and left five years ago."

Elder Ji's composure instantly crumbled.

He grabbed the old steward and desperately shook him, saying, "Left? Why would he resign when things were fine?"

The old steward replied, "He complained about earning too few spirit stones."

Elder Ji was furious: "Too few spirit stones? Was he the only one in the world earning so little? Didn't everyone start that way? He was a steward, after all; did he have no sense of responsibility? Just quit whenever he felt like it?"

The old steward found Elder Ji a bit inexplicable.

Elder Ji then asked, "Then do you know where Steward Wang went?"

The old steward shook his head. "He probably went to find a trade that would earn him more spirit stones. How would I know his exact whereabouts?"

Elder Ji was both anxious and enraged.

The old steward was somewhat frightened. "I'm old and frail, Elder; please be lenient."

Elder Ji's fury was hard to quell.

Mo Hua then said, "Since we can't find him, let's return to the inn for now."

Elder Ji dared not refuse.

The two then returned the way they came. Back at the inn, Mo Hua sat at the table. Elder Ji personally brewed and poured tea for Mo Hua, his face showing lingering fear, terrified that Mo Hua might take his life at any disagreement.

After half a day, Mo Hua slowly spoke:

"Three days."

Elder Ji was startled.

Mo Hua said, "Three days for you to find clues about that Steward Wang. If you find him, there will be room for discussion; if not..."

Mo Hua didn't elaborate, but Elder Ji understood.

He was immediately grateful, "Thank you for the extension, Young Master Mo. Your great kindness, Elder Ji will never forget."

Elder Ji thanked him profusely in front of Mo Hua, but once he was out the door, he suddenly realized something.

"The one who wanted to kill me was this Mo fellow in the first place."

"He merely gave me a three-day extension. And for him not killing me these three days, I'm supposed to be grateful to him?"

"Damn me... I'm so despicable..."

Elder Ji was both resentful and angry.

He resented his own lack of resolve, and resented Mo Hua's malevolent and domineering nature.

But anger aside, the person still had to be found. He wouldn't dare to joke with his own life just to spite the 'Little King of Hell'.

Three days was a very short time.

And any slight slackening, these mere three days, would become his last 'remaining lifespan'.

Elder Ji dared not slacken in the slightest.

He barely ate or slept, investigating through the night.

Utilizing his connections and pulling many strings, after three days and two nights of investigation, Elder Ji finally found a clue about Steward Wang.

This Steward Wang had earned some spirit stones in his early years, and once kept a concubine.

Elder Ji then led Mo Hua to find this concubine of Steward Wang.

The concubine, a woman in green robes with alluring eyes and a captivating demeanor, pursed her lips when Elder Ji mentioned Steward Wang, and said:

"That faithless man, don't even mention him."

Elder Ji grew impatient. "Where is he?"

The woman in green replied, "He disappeared. Years ago, he gave me spirit stones and supported me. Once the spirit stones were spent and he became poor, he didn't dare to see me anymore."

Elder Ji gnashed his teeth in frustration. "Did he tell you where he went?"

The woman in green sneered, "How would I know about that scoundrel's affairs?"

Elder Ji was at a loss.

If Mo Hua hadn't been there, he would have had a myriad of ways to deal with women.

But in Mo Hua's presence, he dared not act too presumptuously.

Mo Hua's gaze swept around, taking in the woman's living quarters completely. Suddenly, he caught sight of a jade pendant, and a thought sparked in his mind. He spoke:

"Is this jade pendant Steward Wang's?"

The woman in green's expression subtly changed, but under Mo Hua's gaze, for some reason, she didn't dare to hide it. "Yes, he gave it to me..."

Mo Hua hooked a finger, using his divine sense to guide and manipulate objects from a distance, and the jade pendant was drawn into his hand.

The woman in green's eyes widened in alarm, only then realizing that this impossibly handsome youth standing behind the scarred man was also a high-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Mo Hua caressed the jade pendant, a slight thought in his mind. He took out twenty spirit stones and tossed them to the woman in green.

"I'll buy this jade pendant."

Seeing the spirit stones, the woman in green's face lit up with joy. She hastily said, "Thank you, Young Master."

Mo Hua said to Elder Ji, "Let's go."

Elder Ji had no choice but to leave with Mo Hua. As they reached the door, Elder Ji stopped and said to Mo Hua:

"Young Master Mo, perhaps you should go first? I'll 'process' this young woman thoroughly, and she'll surely tell me everything, wishing she were dead."

Mo Hua's gaze turned slightly cold, and he showed some distaste. However, remembering Elder Ji's usual character and behavior, he wasn't particularly surprised. He merely shook his head and said:

"She knows nothing."

Elder Ji was puzzled. "How do you know?"

Mo Hua said calmly, "No one can lie in front of me..."

At least no cultivator below the Golden Core stage had the ability to evade his divine sense's perception.

Elder Ji's heart jolted, and his expression became solemn. "Then..."

Mo Hua, still caressing the jade pendant in his hand, said calmly, "I already have a clue."

Elder Ji didn't understand.

Mo Hua said, "Follow me." Then, his eyes, holding a deep inner light, began to glow with the white light of heavenly divination. Through the surface of reality, he peered at the white karmic aura on the jade pendant, silently calculating the flow of this aura.

Ever since learning the Great Barren Demon Bone Divination Art, Mo Hua's understanding of karma had become even more thorough.

Along with it, his control over heavenly divination had also deepened significantly.

His perception of karmic aura had also become sharper than before.

For ordinary cultivators, he didn't even need to use the Demon Bone Divination Art. Just by using an old item as a karmic medium and performing a slight calculation in his mind, he could find some karmic traces.

Mo Hua then followed the aura on the jade pendant, passed through Little Inn City, finally leaving the main street, and walked directly to a tall warehouse in the outer city's northwest corner.

Mo Hua looked up at the warehouse, confirming that the aura stopped right in front of it.

Elder Ji didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and knocked on the door, but the knocking sounded dull and strange, and there was no response.

Elder Ji let out a wolf-like howl, exerted force with his hand, his knuckles bulging with veins, and intended to forcefully blast open the warehouse door.

Just then, a cultivator walked out from beside them, and angrily reprimanded:

"Where did this brute come from, daring to damage my warehouse door?"

Elder Ji's expression was displeased, but when he turned and saw the newcomer, a short cultivator of compact build, his expression immediately brightened.

"Steward Wang!"

Steward Wang was also stunned when he saw Elder Ji. "Elder Ji?" He looked left and right, his expression utterly bewildered. "How did you even find me here?"

Elder Ji glanced at Mo Hua, and increasingly felt that this 'Young Master Mo' possessed uncanny and unfathomable methods. Before, he was like a ghost; now, he was like a 'divine charlatan'.

But he dared not say anything, simply grabbing Steward Wang. "I've been looking for you for a long time. Come, I have something to ask you."

Steward Wang, however, was somewhat nervous. "This isn't the place to talk..." He glanced around, and beckoned to Elder Ji. "Follow me."

He then led Elder Ji and Mo Hua to a small room nearby.

Inside the room, there was tea and wine, and half-eaten fruit and other dry provisions.

Elder Ji sneered, "You're living quite a leisurely life."

Steward Wang forced a smile. "Just trying to make a living."

Elder Ji suddenly frowned. "Why did you leave your perfectly good job at the inn station and come here?"

Steward Wang sighed helplessly. "Elder Ji, you know as well as I do, that the inn station is a dead-end job, earning very few spirit stones. I'm a lavish spender of spirit stones, and if I stayed there, I'd probably starve to death..."

Elder Ji asked him, "So you earn spirit stones here in this warehouse?"

Steward Wang smiled, but didn't speak.

Elder Ji knew that this Steward Wang was greedy for wealth, cunning, and fond of engaging in shady dealings. He was too lazy to bother with it, and simply said:

"I have something to ask you. Be honest... Ten years ago, where did you transport the 'goods' I entrusted to you?"

"Ten years ago?" Steward Wang's face crumpled. "How could I possibly remember that?"

Elder Ji's expression turned ugly. "The goods were sealed. It was a... demonic beast, chained securely, caged properly, and wrapped in demon skin paper. From the outside, it just looked like a large box of 'demonic beast' hides and bones..."

Steward Wang realized. "I... I have some recollection..."

Elder Ji quickly asked, "Where was it sent?"

Steward Wang said, "This was a large shipment, carried by 'sand ships'. It should have gone through the sand sea at the border of Lizhou..."

Elder Ji's expression changed. "Through the sand sea, that means, it crossed the Lizhou border and was sent to the Great Barrens?"

Steward Wang nodded. "It should be..."

"Where in the Great Barrens?"

Steward Wang looked troubled. "That was too long ago. I can't possibly remember every detail. I'll have to find a way to check the records at the inn station."

Elder Ji said, "Then go check."

Steward Wang gave a bitter smile. "I resigned from the inn station job, so how can I check there now?"

Elder Ji lost his patience, and said fiercely:

"Damn it, what do I care about all that? I don't care what methods you use, just go find it for me. If you find it, all will be well. If you don't, I'll die, and you won't live either."

Steward Wang's face turned ashen. "This..."

Elder Ji sneered, "I'll give you..."

Elder Ji paused here, glanced back at Mo Hua, and tentatively said, "Ten days?"

Mo Hua watched him silently.

Elder Ji whispered, "Nine days?"

Seeing Mo Hua still indifferent, Elder Ji gritted his teeth. "Five days! Five days' time!"

Mo Hua nodded slightly.

Elder Ji turned his head and said to Steward Wang, "You have five days to find it out for me. Otherwise, damn it, don't blame me for being impolite."

Steward Wang, whose cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, was no match for Elder Ji at all. Now, threatened with his life by Elder Ji, he could only nod repeatedly, his face filled with dread, saying:

"I... I'll think of something..."

"Don't try any tricks. My head is currently tied to my belt, and so is yours," Elder Ji threatened.

Steward Wang could only give a bitter smile.

In the following days, Mo Hua made Elder Ji have several nightmares, transferring the pressure onto him.

Elder Ji, in turn, passed this pressure onto Steward Wang.

Steward Wang did not disappoint Elder Ji's expectations. He exerted all his strength, and in just four days, he found out the whereabouts of that 'shipment'...