Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2043 Chapter 977: Defying Fate (2)

The sequence of events was extensive, beginning with the initial clues unearthed at Solitary Mountain and leading to skirmishes with grave robbers. From there, it escalated into the infiltration of the Shen Family's ancestral graves, a horrific corpse plague, and the "Ten Thousand Corpses Sealing the Coffin" ritual. Mo Hua had witnessed a gathering of monsters and villains, including the Prince of the Great Wilderness, the Sovereign of the Demon Sect along with his Second Elder, several late Golden Core stage beast cultivators, and the young master of the Mystic Demon Sect.

The dark history of the Shen Family, the true nature of the mass grave pit, the sinister motives behind their burials, and the plot to restore the Great Wilderness royalty... all of it was laid bare. However, Mo Hua chose to withhold certain secrets that specifically touched upon the Evil God and the Divine Way of Lord Yellow Mountain.

Apart from those hidden details, Mo Hua provided Master Xia with an exhaustive account of the facts. Even a man of Master Xia’s stature—someone who held a high-ranking position and possessed vast knowledge—found the narrative nearly impossible to believe.

The pit of ten thousand, a noble family orchestrating massacres, the Demon Sect "nurturing dragons," and the Great Wilderness insurrection... the web of cause and effect was far too tangled. The gravity of these revelations was immense.

Specifically, acts like "nurturing dragons" and "rebellion" were direct violations of the absolute red lines drawn by the Taoist Court. While such crimes might remain buried in shadows, their exposure would cause a massive upheaval. If the public were to learn of this, the Taoist Court would be forced to intervene, inevitably leading to a violent and bloody purge.

Master Xia felt a surge of internal alarm. He cast another glance at Mo Hua, his sense of wonder deepening. In a den of demons where late Golden Core battles raged and chaos reigned, how had this young boy managed to emerge completely unscathed? Not only was he missing no limbs, but he was also sitting here calmly, sipping tea within the Taoist Court’s halls.

Master Xia’s brow furrowed. The young geniuses of the Xia family might possess superior roots, higher Cultivation levels, or loftier goals, but when it came to sheer capability and mental fortitude, very few could hope to match this boy.

A long silence followed as Master Xia processed the heavy information Mo Hua had shared. After a few moments, his eyes sharpened, and he spoke in a measured tone: "Little brother, by telling me all this, are you asking me... to take action against the Shen Family?"

Mo Hua countered with a question: "Will you?"

Master Xia replied, "The Shen Family detonated half of Solitary Mountain. Everything within was reduced to rubble and buried deep beneath the earth. Even if incriminating evidence existed, it has likely been obliterated. Without concrete proof, convicting the Shen Family is an impossible task."

Master Xia spoke those words, but Mo Hua was well aware that even with evidence, the man might not move against the Shen Family. Great aristocratic families are driven by profit, and the Taoist Court operates on political balance. Concepts like "fairness" and "justice" are rarely the top priorities.

Master Xia was no exception. He wasn't necessarily a villain, but he wasn't a saint either. In every interaction, he would instinctively weigh the gains and losses to find the most advantageous path. He would recruit those he found useful, but he would just as easily discard them once their value vanished.

The situation with the Shen Family followed the same logic. If Master Xia held "evidence," his first instinct would be to use it as leverage to extract the maximum benefit for himself and the Xia family.

Mo Hua never actually expected Master Xia to destroy the Shen Family. His goal was simply to hand Master Xia a "blade"—an opportunity to carve a piece of profit out of the Shen Family’s assets. As a representative of the powerful Xia clan and the supreme Taoist Court, Master Xia’s involvement alone would place the Shen Family under immense strain.

The Shen Family would be too occupied with this pressure to worry about anything else. Even if Master Xia eventually chose to "collude" with them, it would only be after he had extorted a massive price. The cost of "silencing" a Taoist Court inspector would be astronomical. The Shen Family would be forced to bleed resources and suffer a heavy blow to their foundations.

Any move that weakened the Shen Family was a victory. As a fifth-grade aristocratic family, they were a titan within the Qian Learning State Boundary. Mo Hua, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator, couldn't hope to topple them alone. Despite the exposure of the Solitary Mountain incident, the schemes of the Shen Family’s Old Ancestor meant the final outcome might still be uncertain.

Therefore, Mo Hua’s strategy was to cause as much disruption as possible. If the Shen Family was exhausted by external threats, they wouldn't have the energy to target him. Furthermore, as others began to feast on their interests, the Shen Family’s Vital Energy would be depleted, triggering internal strife.

A giant centipede does not stop twitching even after death. The collapse of a great family is rarely a sudden event. For now, this was the limit of what Mo Hua could achieve. He wasn't sure exactly how much the Shen Family would lose, but he had full confidence in the avarice of the elite families and the manipulative tactics of the Taoist Court.

He didn't need to worry about the rest. Mo Hua looked at Master Xia and spoke with apparent sincerity:

"I have no fondness for the Shen Family, but the Solitary Mountain affair is too massive for me. I need to focus on my Cultivation and lack the capacity or the power to handle this."

"Furthermore, upholding the Taoist Law and serving the public is the sacred duty of the Taoist Court. As a humble Sect disciple, I have fulfilled my obligation by reporting the truth. The resolution of the Solitary Mountain matter can only be handled by you, Inspector Master."

Mo Hua’s words were filled with righteous intent, yet they served to distance him from the fallout. From this point on, it was the Taoist Court’s problem.

Inspector Xia stared intently at Mo Hua. "Is that truly all?"

"Yes," Mo Hua confirmed with a nod.

"You have no other requests?"

Mo Hua paused to reflect before saying, "Just one. Please do not mention my involvement. If the Shen Family realizes I was the one who leaked this, they will stop at nothing to harass me. I just want to cultivate in peace at Taixu Gate."

Inspector Xia nodded gravely. "That goes without saying. You have my word."

Whistleblowers were granted strict protections under Taoist Court protocol. Moreover, given Mo Hua's unique status, the Taoist Court was obligated—both by logic and emotion—to safeguard his identity. To do otherwise would be to slight Taixu Gate and destroy the credibility of the Inspector’s office.