Chapter 1571: The Great Philanthropist

Chapter 1571: The Great Philanthropist

"Why can't it be dug up?" Mo Hua asked.

Why can't it be dug up... Under normal circumstances, when a normal cultivator sees a tomb, their first thought wouldn't be to dig it up, would it?

Moreover, this isn't an ordinary tomb...

Great General Chang sighed. "It is possible that this place is the tomb of Fellow Cultivator Lü Chongshan. Fellow Cultivator Lü's reputation for benevolence spread far and wide, and his prestige is immense. Within Qingchou City, the Lü Family's influence still remains, they have over a dozen Golden Cores alone."

"If this truly is Fellow Cultivator Lü's tomb, digging it up rashly would likely incite public outrage and harbor deep resentment among the cultivators of the Lü Family from top to bottom."

Mo Hua, however, was indifferent and said calmly: "What if I insist on digging it up?"

"This..."

Great General Chang let out a sigh.

If it were an ordinary matter, he naturally wouldn't dare contradict Esteemed Master Mo's wishes; whatever the Esteemed Master said was law.

Yet this matter concerned Lü Chongshan, that great philanthropist, so they truly couldn't be careless.

Great General Chang thus said, "Naturally, nothing Esteemed Master says is impermissible. It is just that... after all is said and done, we must inform the master of the Lü Family beforehand. Otherwise, whether in terms of reason or propriety, it cannot be justified."

Mo Hua asked, "Does the Lü Family have a head of the family?"

Great General Chang replied, "Yes, it is Lü Chongshan's eldest son, named Jingxiu."

Mo Hua pondered slightly, then nodded. "Fine, go inform him."

Great General Chang cupped his hands. "Yes."

With that, Great General Chang withdrew.

Mo Hua kept his head bowed, looking down at the tomb in the deep pit, gazing at the mud doll soaked in overflowing fleshy pulp and the ghost-head on the tomb doors, wearing a pensive expression.

About an hour later, Great General Chang returned.

Behind Great General Chang was a group of people, around a dozen in total. Each was dressed in splendid robes and possessed impressive cultivation.

The leader was a middle-aged cultivator whose face was handsome as crowned jade, possessing a Golden Core middle stage cultivation and an extraordinary bearing.

Presumably, this was Great Philanthropist Lü's eldest son, and the current family head of the Lü Family: Lü Jingxiu.

The party arrived in haste.

The fair-faced Lü Jingxiu instinctively glanced at Right Protector Bai XiaoSheng first, marveling at the profound depth of his cultivation.

Turning his head, he then looked at Mo Hua, who was cloaked in a black robe with an unfathomable aura. Wearing a respectful expression, he cupped his hands and asked:

"Are you... the Esteemed Master of the Tongxian Cult?"

Mo Hua gave a slight nod. "I am."

Lü Jingxiu bowed solemnly once more and said, "I am Lü Jingxiu, humbly serving as the current head of the Lü Family. Greetings, Esteemed Master. May the Esteemed Master enjoy celestial blessings forever, with longevity equal to the heavens."

Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. He nodded, pointed toward the deep pit, and asked, "Take a look. Is this your late father's tomb?"

Lü Jingxiu had already learned some of the context from Great General Chang beforehand.

Peering down into the deep pit now, he was initially revolted by the muddy flesh and blood. But upon turning to see the tomb doors—especially the ghost-head carved upon them—his expression changed drastically.

Yet immediately after, his brows furrowed tightly, clearly harboring some doubt.

"Well?" Mo Hua asked.

"This..." Lü Jingxiu's brows knitted tightly as he replied, "Reporting to Esteemed Master, I... am not quite certain."

"You aren't certain?" Mo Hua nodded. "Then perfect. We'll open the tomb on the spot to confirm. Men—"

Lü Jingxiu's face changed dramatically. "Wait!"

Mo Hua watched him in silence.

Under Mo Hua's gaze, Lü Jingxiu felt an inexplicable chill and tremendous pressure, yet he still gritted his teeth and said, "Esteemed Master... why must you open my late father's tomb?"

Mo Hua said slowly, "Didn't you say you weren't certain? Since you aren't certain, this might not necessarily be your father's tomb. Naturally, we need to open it to check and confirm."

Lü Jingxiu hurriedly said, "It is not entirely impossible either... In short, a tomb is a Yin Residence, and the dead must be respected. It must not be opened lightly..."

Mo Hua mused, "Logically speaking, your father's tomb should have been interred in your Lü Family's ancestral graveyard, not appearing in a place like this..."

"Thus, in all likelihood, this tomb is not your father's."

"If I wish to open this tomb, you cannot stop me."

Lü Jingxiu braced himself and said, "May the Esteemed Master discern clearly: even if the design of these tomb doors does not belong to my father, it should belong to an ancestor of my Lü Family. In any case, it must absolutely not be opened..."

"Oh?" Mo Hua said with keen interest, "And if I insist on opening it?"

Lü Jingxiu stiffened, his expression turning solemn as he said slowly, "Esteemed Master, our Lü Family respects your vast magical power for eliminating the rioters, putting down the turmoil, and achieving peerless merit. But if you insist on making things difficult for our Lü Family and wish to dig up our ancestors' tomb, then even if it means being smashed to pieces or mutual destruction, our Lü Family will have no choice but to... oppose you, Esteemed Master."

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow slightly, finding it somewhat amusing. The majesty and Baleful Qi around him thickened slightly.

Lü Jingxiu's face instantly paled by several shades.

Great General Chang was even more startled, terrified that the Esteemed Master might actually take action. In a panic, he said immediately, "Esteemed Master, forgive him!"

Mo Hua's gaze deepened slightly, and he turned to look at Great General Chang.

With deep awe, Great General Chang advised in a low voice, "Esteemed Master... this matter is of grave consequence and must not be rushed. I beg the Esteemed Master to think twice..."

Great General Chang was also very anxious.

He and Lü Chongshan could be considered old acquaintances, and Lü Jingxiu was his junior; there was mutual sentiment between them.

If a disagreement arose and Lü Jingxiu provoked the Esteemed Master, drawing his wrath, the consequences would be dire.

Great General Chang knew the Esteemed Master's Divine Powers better than anyone.

He truly did not wish to see such an irreversible outcome occur, so he could only do his utmost to mediate.

Mo Hua fell silent, remaining noncommittal.

Great General Chang sighed softly again. "The Lü Family has always maintained a good reputation and vast connections. Opening a tomb is no trifling matter. In the end, it must be properly discussed before a decision is reached; otherwise, I fear it will hurt the hearts of the people..."

After speaking, Great General Chang bowed deeply to Mo Hua. "Above all, I beg the Esteemed Master to consider this carefully..."

Standing at the side, Lü Jingxiu said nothing, but his face was pale, clearly daunted by Esteemed Master Mo's intimidating presence as well.

At this very moment, a single thought from Mo Hua would determine the fate and future of his Lü Family.

Mo Hua glanced at Lü Jingxiu, then at Great General Chang. Realizing that this matter might truly not be so simple, he gave a slight nod. "We shall do as the old general suggests. We will discuss this matter another day."

Great General Chang let out a long breath of relief and cupped his hands.

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Esteemed Master."

Lü Jingxiu said nothing, but he bowed to Mo Hua as well, his expression heavy as stagnant water.

...

Afterward, according to Great General Chang's proposal, all the elders of the Lü Family would gather in two days to discuss the matter of opening the tomb together.

Though the situation was urgent, Mo Hua could still afford to wait two days.

Besides, he also had a few things he needed to understand.

The next day, at the Qingchou Division Office.

Inside the great hall, where sound was isolated and cause and effect were sealed off by Mo Hua's Formation.

The three top figures of the Tongxian Cult—Esteemed Master Mo Hua, Left Protector Gu Changhuai, and Right Protector Bai XiaoSheng—were holding a discussion together.

Gu Changhuai said, "I checked the dossiers left behind by the Division Office, questioned several people, and also had Gu An and Gu Quan conduct open and secret investigations..."

"Looking at this Lü Chongshan's actions... he truly was a great philanthropist."

Mo Hua was slightly taken aback. "A genuine benefactor, not a 'hypocrite'?"

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "He built bridges, paved roads, and provided relief to impoverished cultivators. Whenever there were famines in past years, he would have the Lü Family open their granaries for disaster relief, helping many spirit farmers survive starvation..."

"In daily life, he genuinely enjoyed charity and cultivated virtue. In his private conduct, there were no flaws: he was neither greedy for wealth nor lustful, had never bullied others, and bore no grudges with anyone. He even named his eldest son 'Jingxiu,' signifying a lifelong pursuit of great virtue."

"The Lü Family has been passed down for six hundred years, and even before him, they were already the wealthiest family in Qingchou City."

"Ever since this Great Philanthropist Lü became the family head, he accumulated virtue every day and his prestige spread far and wide, causing the Lü Family's wealth to grow even more..."

"Even though everyone in Qingchou City knew the Lü Family was exceedingly wealthy, during the riots, not a single rioter dared to rob even a shred of fabric from the Lü Family. That was all because this Great Philanthropist Lü had such a massive reputation for virtue in life that the rioters feared divine retribution..."

Gu Changhuai sighed. "If a person like this is also a 'hypocrite,' then it would truly be hard to say what counts as true virtue and what counts as hypocrisy in this world."

Hearing this, Mo Hua's gaze shifted slightly, finding it somewhat surprising as well.

Matters seemed a bit different from what he had anticipated...

At the side, Bai XiaoSheng also remarked, "Speaking of which, back when I was a beggar, I also ate the Lü Family's relief grain."

"Relief grain?"

"Yeah."

Mo Hua said in surprise, "You actually ate that?"

Bai XiaoSheng sneered. "Back then, I was a beggar, you understand? Isn't it only natural and right for a beggar to eat relief food? Why couldn't I eat it?"

Mo Hua: "..."

"Though..." Bai XiaoSheng said regretfully, "that was only at the beginning when the Lü Family opened their granaries for relief; I ate for a few days... Later, the riots intensified and there were too many refugees. The Lü Family was probably terrified as well, so they shut their doors, stayed inside, and didn't dare provide relief anymore. I had no choice but to starve..."

"I have to admit, the feeling of starving is truly awful..."

Bai XiaoSheng sighed.

He was a scion of the Bai Clan, accustomed to fine clothes and rich food for years. In his youth especially, he didn't even know how the word 'starvation' was written.

Even less did he know that there were so many people in this world who couldn't fill their bellies.

Having said this, Bai XiaoSheng looked at Mo Hua and said, "Now you understand why Great General Chang advised you to think twice, right?..."

"Even a beggar received the Lü Family's kindness. Nearly all the factions and people throughout Qingchou City have accepted favors from the Lü Family."

"If you touch the Lü Family and dig up Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb, you will offend everyone in Qingchou City."

"Even if you are the invincible Esteemed Master, it will arouse far too much discontent and resentment."

"Even if they dare not say anything openly or raise a hand against you, your prestige as 'Esteemed Master Mo' of the Tongxian Cult will surely plummet. After all, when you think about it..."

Bai XiaoSheng curled his lip and said with disdain, "What decent person goes around digging up other people's graves for no reason?"

Not to mention the tomb of a universally praised Great Philanthropist.

Only someone with a black heart like you, Mo Hua, could do such a thing.

Mo Hua asked Bai XiaoSheng, "Then do you think a great philanthropist's tomb would look like that?"

This question stumped Bai XiaoSheng.

After pondering for a moment, Bai XiaoSheng drew in a slight breath of cold air and said slowly, "That's true too..."

What kind of great philanthropist would have a tomb that looked so ghastly and sinister?

"Could there be some misunderstanding in this?" Bai XiaoSheng frowned. "Did something get mixed up?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "Hard to say..."

He had originally thought that this Great Philanthropist Lü was bound to be a 'sanctimonious' hypocrite who performed charitable deeds on the surface while committing every manner of evil in secret.

Then his tomb becoming like that would make complete sense.

Seeing it now, however, matters seemed a bit complicated.

To figure it out, the tomb certainly had to be opened.

Yet this ghost-head stone tomb wasn't something that could be opened at will as he had previously thought.

Should I... take advantage of the night when no one is around, turn invisible, and secretly grave-rob it? I'm very proficient at this sort of thing; it'll be done in no time...

Mo Hua pondered internally.

Bai XiaoSheng suddenly felt an inexplicable chill. Though he didn't know what Mo Hua was thinking, a single guess was enough to tell that he was harboring no good intentions, probably brewing some wicked scheme in his belly...

Bai XiaoSheng hurriedly said, "Don't you dare act rashly..."

If this blew up and stirred up more trouble, he had no idea if he'd ever be able to leave Qingchou Prefecture in his lifetime.

Gu Changhuai also sighed. "Qingchou City has just stabilized, and the people's livelihoods have only slightly eased. It is not suitable to stir up further incidents right now..."

"Let us wait until the Lü Family elders gather to discuss it together, and see if we can resolve it through gentle means as much as possible..."

After a moment's contemplation, Mo Hua nodded. "Alright then..."

...

The next day, according to Great General Chang's arrangement, the influential elders of the Lü Family gathered together with Esteemed Master Mo in the great hall of the Qingchou Official Department to discuss 'opening the tomb.'

In reality, however, the number of attendees was several times larger.

Not only were there people from the Lü Family, but nearly every Golden Core, clan leader, landowner, and gentry member of prominence within Qingchou City had gathered in the hall.

These were the local families who had previously kept their doors shut to protect themselves and managed to survive the Qingchou riots.

They were the neutral faction.

Gathering here today, their purpose was naturally to speak up for the Lü Family before Esteemed Master Mo and seek justice for Great Philanthropist Lü.

The moment Mo Hua entered the hall, he swept a glance across the room and discovered that, including the elders of the Lü Family, there were fully seventy to eighty Golden Cores present.

This was somewhat unexpected even for Mo Hua.

During the riots, when the rioters were burning, killing, and looting, not a single one of these Golden Cores dared show their faces.

Now that the Green-Faced Multitude had been crushed and the riots subdued, these people finally stepped forward to be active, dressed in fine clothes to uphold "justice."

Mo Hua shook his head slightly, paying little mind to the hall full of Golden Cores. Instead, he walked straight to the sole high seat in the center of the hall, casually sat down, rested his arm, and scrutinized everyone from above.

This was his habit back when he was the Great Wilderness Divine Shaman.

Mo Hua also habitually radiated a trace of the aura belonging to one long accustomed to holding supreme authority, composed and reserved, yet overbearing and profound.

This aura washed over the room in an instant.

Even his Left and Right Protectors beside him, Gu Changhuai and Bai XiaoSheng, were momentarily startled and looked his way.

Let alone the local Qingchou Golden Core cultivators standing below.

Originally, these seventy to eighty Golden Cores had intended to present a united front to debate right and wrong, but that momentum was completely doused in an instant.

As Mo Hua took the high seat and released his aura, the entire hall fell into dead silence; for a time, not a single person dared speak.

Only a few Golden Cores with profound cultivation dared cast a fleeting glance at Mo Hua.

This was their first time meeting this Esteemed Master Mo of legendary Divine Powers.

Previously, they had thought that no matter how vast his Divine Powers were or how illustrious his achievements, this Esteemed Master Mo was ultimately only in the Early Golden Core Stage.

Among their seventy to eighty people, the lowest cultivation was on par with that.

With so many of them gathered together, how could they possibly fear this Esteemed Master? It was the two protectors beside him who seemed somewhat troublesome instead.

Yet now, being in the presence of Esteemed Master Mo and feeling an inexplicable yet immensely oppressive aura, cold sweat broke out in everyone's hearts.

This was the invisible pressure naturally carried by someone who had resided in a high position for a very long time.

Just what kind of person was this Esteemed Master Mo? Could he truly have been an immensely powerful, monumental figure in the past?

Otherwise, he couldn't possibly possess such an imposing demeanor; by simply sitting there in an ordinary manner, his slender frame radiated an aura as vast as mountains and seas.

The Tongxian Cult... could it truly be an overwhelmingly massive sect?

Did the disciples within the sect number in the millions, or perhaps tens of millions?

Only in such a sect could an Esteemed Master, who wasn't even the sect master, be nurtured into possessing such world-shaking majesty.

"The Tongxian Cult's Divine Powers are vast..."

"Esteemed Master Mo's magical power is boundless..."

The slogans circulating throughout Qingchou City echoed in their ears once more.

At this very moment, everyone present felt a shiver in their hearts, indelibly etching into their memories this lawless, domineering sect, and this Esteemed Master Mo who wielded monstrous authority.

(End of Chapter)