Situ Fang asked the Lu Family cultivator, "What exactly is this mining cave used for?"
The Lu Family cultivator's face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth, refusing to speak.
Situ Fang threatened,
"Someone died in here, if you don't talk, the Taoist Court will investigate thoroughly, and your Lu Family definitely won't be able to escape involvement."
The Lu Family cultivator said, "A few Mining Cultivators died, so they died. My Lu Family will compensate with Spirit Stones."
After he finished speaking, it seemed he figured it out and thus gained some confidence.
"Right, right! A few Mining Cultivators, my Lu Family will compensate with Spirit Stones…"
He sneered, "This mining well is intricately connected, and some abandoned entrances are nothing out of the ordinary."
"These Mining Cultivators didn't know what was good for them, dug their way in, and were... just eaten by Monster Beasts, what does that have to do with my Lu Family?"
"Just a few worthless lives, it serves them right to die!"
Situ Fang, her anger surging, immediately wanted to beat him up.
Mo Hua hurriedly stopped her, "Sister Situ, getting angry is useless."
Situ Fang frowned, but still restrained herself.
Mo Hua then turned his head and said to the Lu Family cultivator:
"Normally, the death of a Mining Cultivator is an accident; indeed, just compensating with some Spirit Stones would suffice, but this time it's different. This is murder, a violation of the Taoist Law…"
The Lu Family scoffed, "Then who killed them?"
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
The scene was bloody and terrible; indeed, no one knew who had killed them, or even if they had been killed by a person.
The Lu Family cultivator laughed, "Without a murderer, how can you call it murder? To me, it looks like these Mining Cultivators, arrogantly assuming too much, entered this mining cave wanting to steal from my Lu Family's mines, only to end up trapped and then eaten by Monster Beasts…"
The Lu Family cultivator became more and more assured as he spoke, his demeanor growing increasingly haughty.
Mo Hua's eyes shifted, and with a suddenly bright smile, he falsely accused:
"I understand now; you committed murder for wealth, killing these Mining Cultivators!"
The Lu Family cultivator was taken aback, "You little ghost, what nonsense are you spouting? I don't even know them, plus they're just Mining Cultivators, all paupers; what wealth could they possess that would be worth my while to kill them for?"
Mo Hua said, "The fact you don't know them makes it easier to act against them. Besides, wealth isn't always visible. If you didn't kill them, without searching their Storage Bags, how could you know they carried no wealth?"
The Lu Family cultivator, annoyed, said, "You're slandering me!"
Nonsense, do I even need to say it? Mo Hua silently thought.
Then he regretfully continued, "Since you refuse to confess, we can only take you to the Taoist Court, lock you up in the Taoist Prison, and subject you to a severe interrogation…"
The Lu Family cultivator sneered, "You wouldn't dare."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"The Court Leader and my Lu Family…"
He halted mid-sentence, his face changing color, not daring to continue.
Mo Hua's gaze flickered as he understood.
Since the Lu Family was the largest Clan in South Yue City, possessing the most mines, they surely had dealings with the Court Leader.
And judging by the looks of it, these "dealings" were out of the ordinary.
On the surface, the Taoist Court and the Lu Family each did their own thing.
If there was an incident, the Taoist Court would also investigate and hold the Lu Family accountable.
But behind the scenes, there would likely be some transactions.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then sneered, "Even if the Court Leader has a relationship with the Lu Family, that doesn't concern you…"
"You're just a minor cultivator in the Lu Family. For the lives of five Mining Cultivators, do you think the Lu Family would protect you, or would the Court Leader step in for you?"
"Do you think you're worth it?"
A chill ran through the Lu Family cultivator's heart, and the arrogance faded from his face.
Mo Hua continued, "We'll take you back, lock you up in the Taoist Prison, and publicly announce that you killed five Mining Cultivators…"
"What do you think the Lu Family will do? Will they provoke a public outrage to protect you, or will they let you take the fall to appease the situation?"
The Lu Family cultivator's gaze trembled.
Mo Hua, watching his reaction, sighed and pretended to be someone who didn't want to get involved, to avoid trouble:
"Actually, we didn't want to get involved in this matter…"
"But those Mining Cultivators keep making trouble at the Taoist Court; the Court had no other choice."
"The higher-ups need an explanation, and Sister Situ has to provide an answer."
"Who killed those five Mining Cultivators, in reality, is irrelevant."
"Nobody cares about the actual truth."