Chapter 1575: "Alternate Identity"

Chapter 1575: "Alternate Identity"

Bai XiaoSheng stared blankly at Mo Hua, asking: "Respected Big Brother of the underworld, tomb raiding titan, the Black-Faced Fiend... That's you?"

Mo Hua's face darkened.

Seeing his expression change, Bai XiaoSheng gasped in shock, "It really is you?!"

Gu Changhuai was quite shaken as well. He had only brought it up because hearing Mo Hua claim he knew how to raid tombs suddenly made him realize that the vibes of Black-Faced Fiend and Mo Hua were strikingly similar.

Not only did they feel similar, even the names bore a certain resemblance.

A title like [Black-Faced Fiend] was indeed just the sort of moniker Mo Hua would come up with.

So he had merely ventured a guess, who could have thought he would actually hit the mark...

Gu Changhuai still found it somewhat hard to believe, asking, "How did you end up becoming the notorious master tomb raider, the Black-Faced Fiend?"

Just how many burner identities does this Young Master have?

Feeling rather sheepish, Mo Hua weakly defended himself in a small voice:

"Not that grand, just a 'minor' tomb raider, a very small-time tomb raider..."

"And I'm not really a robber... I just wanted to investigate a few things. Following the clues, I happened to track them underground, and through sheer coincidence, popped open a few tombs along the way. That was all..."

Bai XiaoSheng wore a look of utter disbelief. "Unbound by Ksitigarbha, showing no face even to King Yama, how could someone like that be a minor tomb raider?"

Mo Hua said displeasedly, "Don't talk nonsense! That's just people bragging after having too much to drink."

"Out in the world, reputation is all built on grand bluffs. The more you boast, the bigger your face looks, but how much of it is actually true?"

"Was it really just boasting?" Bai XiaoSheng asked.

Mo Hua replied, "If I really had such great skill to be some underworld Big Brother or a legendary tomb raiding titan, how massive would my faction have to be? How many tomb robbers would be serving under me? Wouldn't all the tombs in the entirety of Kun Province have been plundered clean by me already? How could I possibly end up all by my lonesome, running all the way out to this Qingchou Prefecture?"

Bai XiaoSheng paused slightly, thinking that this did make sense. But then he grew suspicious again, unable to resist asking Mo Hua:

"You didn't come to Qingchou Prefecture to scout the terrain, did you?"

"Setting things up so you can call your brothers over later to pull off a massive heist, looting every single tomb in the Great Spirit Field Realm?"

Mo Hua rolled his eyes at Bai XiaoSheng, utterly speechless.

"Stop measuring the mind of an upright gentleman with the heart of a scoundrel. Am I that kind of person? How could I possibly do something like that?"

"I'm here to quell the chaos. What scouting the terrain? Does that make any sense?"

Bai XiaoSheng muttered, "Who could say for sure with you..."

Too lazy to bother with him, Mo Hua turned toward Gu Changhuai and asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Uncle Gù, how did you come to know about the Black-Faced Fiend? That name shouldn't be that famous, right?"

He had previously assumed the Black-Faced Fiend was merely a minor alias, hardly worth paying attention to.

Besides, his identity as the Black-Faced Fiend was quite concealed; nobody was supposed to know...

Gu Changhuai sighed. "Your reputation isn't small in the slightest..."

"Any ordinary tomb raider with some real ability hides their traces, terrified that their name might spread and attract the attention of both the authorities and the underworld."

"Someone like you, who brazenly makes a big display and proclaims themselves a 'Big Brother,' is practically unprecedented. Only master thieves and grand raiders with immense power, profound backgrounds, great abilities, and zero fear of exposure would dare to pull that off."

"Moreover, tomb raiding is an inherently perilous trade. Once you enter the earth, danger is treacherous and unpredictable; whether one lives or dies is entirely up to fate."

"Many illustrious tomb raiders often perish underground right as they make a name for themselves, man and reputation extinguished together, leaving behind not even a ripple."

"Yet this Black-Faced Fiend of yours is different. Legends of you have circulated through the underworld without pause."

"Furthermore, rumor has it that entering the earth alongside you is as though one has Ksitigarbha's protection and King Yama's blessing, one simply cannot die..."

"Add to that the people intentionally singing your praises, and over time, your reputation naturally grew ever grander."

"Even though you haven't raided any earth-shattering grand tombs, in this line of work, simply staying alive consistently while constantly being flattered by others guarantees that your fame won't remain small..."

"Since I am..." Gu Changhuai paused slightly, swallowing the words "Archive Officer," and said helplessly, "How could I not investigate you?"

Sensing trouble, Mo Hua asked, "The Dao Court Division hasn't already opened a case on me, have they?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Gu Changhuai glanced sideways at Mo Hua. "The underworld's universally acknowledged Big Brother, a titan among thieves, boasting such a colossal name, it would be strange if the Dao Court Division didn't open a case on you..."

"In fact, I personally opened your dossier..."

Mo Hua: "..."

Mo Hua asked again in a small voice, "Did you find anything?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head, half-awed and half-resigned:

"Your movements are elusive. Just as the rumors say, you dress in black like a Ghostly Phantom, unpredictable like Wuchang, active solely underground; the moment you surface, you evaporate into thin air, vanishing without a trace."

"Hardly anyone has ever laid eyes on this legendary 'Big Brother Black-Faced Fiend' above ground."

"Yet it's not entirely devoid of leads. Iron Mountain Tiger, Skinny Cicada, and Pangolin, those tomb raiders spread your name everywhere, so they are undoubtedly tied to you."

"There is also Manager Zhao of Fortune Pavilion. He walks both sides of the law, dealing in both black and white markets; he surely shares profit-related ties with you..."

"It's just that..." Gu Changhuai sighed, "none of these people are simple. Iron Mountain Tiger and his crew are all Golden Core Cultivators, veteran tomb raiders who are as slippery as eels. As for Manager Zhao, serving as the manager of Fortune Pavilion, he is as slick and tactful as they come, needing no further elaboration..."

"The Houtu City Dao Court Division investigated for a period without any progress, so the matter was temporarily shelved."

"Not long after, the Qingchou rebellion broke out. With no time to spare for you, the grand tomb-raiding titan, I rushed non-stop to Qingchou Prefecture. Who would have thought..."

Gu Changhuai shot a glance at Mo Hua, feeling deeply helpless inside.

After all that investigation, it turned out this tomb raiding titan was right beside him all along.

Who could have possibly imagined that instead of being a respectable young master—the beloved Crown Prince of Great Void Sect, the Little Senior Brother of his generation, the Qianxue Formation Dao Champion, a peerless sword debate prodigy—he went off to play at robbing tombs instead...

Mo Hua could only offer an awkward yet polite smile.

Then, his eyes flickered as a thought struck him. He asked Gu Changhuai, "Then, Uncle Gù, did you also investigate that Manager Zhao?"

Gu Changhuai nodded. "We did."

Mo Hua asked, "There's something suspicious about him, isn't there?"

Gu Changhuai looked somewhat puzzled. "Weren't you and Manager Zhao in cahoots?"

One was the Black-Faced Fiend in charge of raiding tombs, while the other was the middleman responsible for organizing gatherings and fencing stolen goods.

Mo Hua shook his head. "Not anymore."

He was no longer in Houtu City, nor did he have any ongoing business dealings with Manager Zhao. They could hardly be considered a team now.

Currently, he was on the same side as Uncle Gù.

"So," Mo Hua whispered, "does this Manager Zhao have secrets? Did the Dao Court Division uncover anything?"

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment. He originally hadn't intended to speak of it, but realizing there was nothing that truly needed to be kept secret, he shook his head:

"This Manager Zhao appears unassuming and treats others with modesty. Yet, he is an extraordinarily troublesome figure."

"He has operated in Houtu City for many years, driven purely by profit, dipping his fingers into countless trades, yet no one has ever managed to catch him slipping."

"Tomb raiding is a prime example."

"Quite a few people in Houtu City actually know that Manager Zhao is a prominent 'middleman.' Disseminating information, setting up gatherings, fencing stolen goods... he handles it all personally, skimming a cut from the middle, yet he manages to keep himself detached from the fallout every single time without getting his hands dirty."

"Over the years, whether tomb raiders betrayed each other or ended up entirely dead underground, no matter what disaster occurred, Manager Zhao was able to resolve it single-handedly."

"Even many ruthless, cutthroat tomb raiders harbor dread toward him. They see Manager Zhao as a smiling tiger, a black-hearted god of wealth. Once crossed, he will orchestrate a trap to ensure those entering the tomb die within, monopolizing all the profits for himself..."

"Yet even so, nobody dares make a move against him. Even knowing he is dangerous, plenty of people still seek him out for business."

"From this, one can see just how much weight this Manager Zhao carries in the underworld..."

Gu Changhuai laid out the details for Mo Hua one by one.

Mo Hua nodded; he had always sensed that Manager Zhao was far from ordinary.

Thinking carefully now, the things Manager Zhao pulled off were indeed beyond the reach of ordinary men.

Conducting business for profit, licking blood off the blade's edge, it was never as mild as it seemed on the surface.

Robbing a person of their wealth was tantamount to killing their parents.

For Manager Zhao to remain on smooth terms with everyone and settle so many messy affairs meant he was far from standard; it required ruthless methods and formidable backing.

Not to mention, so many people in the underworld feared him like a tiger.

Of course, that reputation as a 'smiling tiger' and 'black-hearted god of wealth' was, to some degree, thanks to Mo Hua, the lethal jinx whose traps never left anyone alive...

It was he who had ruined Manager Zhao's public image.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, his gaze sharpening slightly as he asked again, "Within Fortune Pavilion... is there also a Chief Manager?"

Hearing the title Chief Manager, even Gu Changhuai's expression turned noticeably solemn, hesitating to speak lightly.

Seeing this, Mo Hua asked, "Is this Chief Manager very formidable?"

Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, exhaled a sigh, and said solemnly:

"The Chief Manager of Fortune Pavilion is a Feathered Ascension Realm True-Person, a legendary figure who keeps his head in the clouds and his tail out of sight, wielding heaven-spanning influence. Very few people have ever seen his face. Yet many interests in Houtu City, particularly large-scale transactions involving colossal fortunes, are handled almost entirely by him..."

"Trying to investigate this mysterious Chief Manager is practically impossible... Almost nobody dares to investigate, nor possesses the ability to do so..."

The Chief Manager of Fortune Pavilion is actually that powerful...

Mo Hua fell deep into thought, then asked, "Then what kind of relationship does Manager Zhao have with this Chief Manager?"

"On the surface, they are superior and subordinate," Gu Changhuai said. "However, according to rumors from certain informants, Manager Zhao of Fortune Pavilion is shrewd, highly capable, and draws wealth from all directions, making him the Chief Manager's most trusted confidant. Many of the Chief Manager's ventures, when brought to ground level, are actually executed through Manager Zhao's hands..."

Mo Hua nodded at this, thinking to himself:

You sly old dog, Manager Zhao. When I asked if you knew the Chief Manager back then, you actually claimed you weren't familiar with him...

Claiming his rank was low and that he rarely interacted with the Chief Manager.

He had clearly lied on purpose to deceive him.

Mo Hua quietly marked a little demerit against Manager Zhao in his heart, while simultaneously wondering:

According to Uncle Gù, much of the dealings in Houtu City, especially large-scale ventures involving astronomical profits, are connected to this Chief Manager...

Then... what about the Grand Formation under the name of 'Xīrǎng'?

If such a Grand Formation truly existed, its planning would inevitably involve vast webs of profit.

That mysterious Chief Manager would certainly never stand idly by; he would undoubtedly have a hand in it...

It was only a question of what role the Chief Manager played within it...

Mo Hua asked again, "Is there any other information regarding this Chief Manager?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head. "None. Besides, when it comes to figures of the True-Person caliber, the Dao Court Division has no authority to manage them at all. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Mo Hua asked.

Gu Changhuai sighed. "Nothing..."

Then, shifting the topic, he continued, "These matters are too far removed; you won't come into contact with them anyway. Let us handle the matter before us first. Right now, the pressing priority remains opening the tomb."

Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Are you truly going to be fine doing it alone?"

Mo Hua nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem."

Bai XiaoSheng also nodded, speaking with a faint smirk:

"Indeed. He is, after all, the underworld's universally acknowledged Big Brother, the tomb raiding titan, Lord Black-Faced Fiend himself. Raiding a mere tomb is a piece of cake for him."

Mo Hua snapped, "Shut up."

Bai XiaoSheng retorted, "Mind your tone. I'm one or two centuries older than you, don't forget your manners."

Mo Hua said, "My generational seniority is higher than yours!"

Bai XiaoSheng replied, "What seniority? You're just putting gold on your own face. A mere Mo Hua, talking about seniority with me..."

Seeing them, Gu Changhuai sighed inwardly.

He had previously assumed that this eldest master of the Bai Clan, coming from a great clan, possessing dignified bearing, and carrying an air of authority in ordinary times, was surely a serious person.

Yet the moment he stayed with Mo Hua, his true nature was laid bare.

At such an age, he could still bicker childishly with Mo Hua...

Gu Changhuai genuinely did not know what to say. He could only sigh, "Prepare to open the tomb early; time waits for no one..."

No matter how unserious Bai XiaoSheng was, he ultimately understood priorities. Hearing Gu Changhuai's words, he held his tongue.

Mo Hua nodded as well, though another matter suddenly crossed his mind. Puzzled, he asked Gu Changhuai:

"By the way, Uncle Gù, Great Philanthropist Lü... wasn't subjected to Corpse Dissolution?"

According to Dao Court regulations, a Golden Core cultivator of his cultivation and influence ought to have undergone Corpse Dissolution.

"He was not," Gu Changhuai said slowly. "Utilizing my superior authority as a Dao Court Archive Officer, I reviewed the secret archives of the Qingchou Division Office. There is a line recording that someone petitioned for 'Corpse Dissolution Exemption' on Great Philanthropist Lü's behalf, yet the strange thing is..."

Gu Changhuai frowned. "Who submitted this record, whose maneuvering it passed through, and who ultimately granted permission is not recorded in detail."

"This violates regulations, yet an irregular record was nonetheless entered into the division's secret dossiers as a formally binding document, which is even more bizarre..."

"Therefore, I too wish to open the tomb to see what exactly is going on inside..." Gu Changhuai said in a deep voice.

Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

The doubts surrounding this Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb were truly multiplying.

…

Afterward, Mo Hua hesitated no longer.

Since the obstacles were cleared, the local families of Qingchou dared not oppose the will of him, the Esteemed Master, for the time being.

The Lü family had also 'welcomed' him to dig up the grave.

Mo Hua was no longer polite. Pondering briefly, he set the date for the Tomb Breaking and grave opening for tomorrow.

Given the gravity of the matter, he used the [Demon Bone Divination Art] that night to divine good and bad fortune in advance.

Yet the hexagram returned by the Divination was remarkably murky.

It was gray, tinged with a sinister chill, carrying an immense sense of detachment.

It felt as though he were divining the cause and effect of an entirely different world, which truly took Mo Hua by surprise.

At the same time, however, his curiosity only deepened.

The cause and effect tied to Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb was unlikely to be insignificant...

…

At noon the following day, outside Qingchou City.

The sunlight was piercing, yet tinged with a blood-like hue.

Before the cold, gloomy earthen burial pit.

The Changshan Army had cleared the perimeter in advance; at this moment, the area before Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb was desolate and empty, devoid of any outsiders.

Mo Hua, the Great Esteemed Master of the Tongxian Cult, along with his left and right protectors, and Great General Chang.

Furthermore, there was the head of the Lü family, Lü Jingxiu, along with a white-haired elder and an unfamiliar middle-aged cultivator clad in yellow robes, a total of seven people gathered before the tomb.

These seven individuals—seven Golden Cores—led by Mo Hua as the Esteemed Master, were the final lineup chosen to open the tomb and relocate the grave of Qingchou City's renowned Great Philanthropist Lü.

(End of Chapter)