It couldn’t possibly be that the Patriarch of the Qian Family was hiding right behind this entrance.
Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, only to feel that the atmosphere behind the entrance was abnormally murky and the scent of blood was thick, making it impossible to discern anything.
What to do?
Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, but decided to take a look inside.
He would not venture deep, just have a peek at the entrance, and just one look.
If there was a special situation inside, he would exit and call for help.
If there wasn’t anything special inside, or if it was unrelated to the Patriarch of the Qian Family, he would still be able to leave quietly.
The crack at the entrance was quite large, and since it was not sealed tightly, Mo Hua, who was of a small stature, directly crawled in.
Behind the entrance was a dark downward staircase, at the end of which shone a dim crimson light.
Mo Hua’s heart tightened, sensing something was not right, but he still grimly continued down the staircase.
After only a few steps, he heard harsh snoring sounds, along with the sound of an old conversation.
These sounds, like the thick Blood Qi, seemed trapped in this space; they couldn’t be heard from afar and were too noisy up close, as if some method had been employed.
The staircase was narrow and deep, but not very long, and Mo Hua quickly reached the end.
On the right side at the end of the staircase was a spacious stone chamber.
Concealing his presence, Mo Hua hugged the stone wall and poked his small head around the corner for just a moment, glancing into the stone chamber.
Then a chill ran down his spine as cold sweat broke out all over him.
It’s the Patriarch of the Qian Family!!
This old fogey, he’s actually here?
Mo Hua calmed his heart and pondered carefully, his feelings becoming complicated thereafter.
Encountering the Patriarch of the Qian Family had its pros and cons.
The good part was that others wouldn’t run into the Patriarch of the Qian Family and wouldn’t face danger.
The bad part, however, was that he had run into him...
Mo Hua sighed helplessly.
The deep Formation was just for misdirection.
Everyone thought that the Patriarch of the Qian Family would definitely be hiding deep within the nest, but unexpectedly, he was hiding right at the entrance!
This Patriarch of the Qian Family truly had an unconventional way of thinking, acting entirely out of the ordinary!
Had the Patriarch of the Qian Family noticed him?
Mo Hua tensed up inside but then realized that there was no Divine Sense probing around him, and the Patriarch of the Qian Family was talking to someone with an unaltered tone, which reassured him.
It seemed his Concealment Technique hadn’t been uncovered.
Mo Hua sneaked another glance and noticed that the stone chamber was bloody and chaotic, filled with various odd medicinal herbs and porcelain bowls containing colorful herb juices.
In the center of the stone chamber, a pig lay on the ground, emitting a grating snoring sound.
Next to the pig, there were two Cultivators, one was the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and the other, astonishingly, was the Family Head of the Qian Family, Qian Hong!
Mo Hua felt puzzled.
The Qian Family was under lockdown, with all Cultivators forbidden to go out.
How could Qian Hong be here?
As the Family Head of the Qian Family, though without much real power, his status was second only to the Patriarch of the Qian Family.
The matters of the Black Mountain Stronghold, could they be related to him as well?
Mo Hua thought it over but couldn’t figure it out.
Regardless of the reason, it was better to slip away first.
The pig was still breathing, which meant the pill hadn’t been refined yet.
The Patriarch of the Qian Family hadn’t taken the Pills, so he was still at the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, and moreover, he was a severely injured Cultivator of the Middle Phase.
He should first slip away, send out a signal, call people over, and together they could finish off the Patriarch of the Qian Family.
The issues with the Black Mountain Stronghold could be completely settled then.
As Mo Hua turned to leave, he heard the Patriarch of the Qian Family sigh,
"Hong’er, it hasn’t been easy for our Qian Family..."
Mo Hua silently cursed inside, "This old bastard really has no shame, if your Qian Family hasn’t had it easy, does that make the life of the impoverished Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City easy?"
Nevertheless, he stopped in his tracks, wanting to know what exactly the Patriarch of the Qian Family wanted to say.
Was there a secret within that he was not aware of?
After all, these Evil Skills and peculiar Pill Recipes were not something a regular Cultivator could obtain.
The Patriarch of the Qian Family continued, "Do you know what this world is really like?"