Chapter 147: Clues

Hua Chongyang glanced at the security guard, who had turned pale with fright. The guard was holding an ugly peachwood figurine in his hand, and Hua couldn’t help but take a few more looks at it.

“Little Flower, where are you looking? I’m right here in the peachwood. Don’t you recognize me anymore?” Mo Bai sounded displeased.

Hua Chongyang stared at the peachwood figurine and asked, “Big Brother Mo? It’s been years. How did you end up like this? Still as handsome as ever, huh?”

“By the way, let that kid go. He’s with me,” Mo Bai said.

Hua Chongyang loosened his grip, and the guard quickly placed the peachwood figurine on the ground before bolting. I caught my breath, picked up the figurine, and asked, “Mo Bai, why did you come out?”

Mo Bai replied, “Don’t worry. Once Lord Hua sees me, he won’t dare act up. Let me talk to him.”

Hua Chongyang looked at me, then at the impressionistic peachwood figurine. “He’s not from the Guo family, so who is he? Where did he learn insect magic? He must be here for my silver jar, and he even lied about having a copper one.”

Hua Chongyang glanced at the jade ruler I had dropped on the ground, waiting for Mo Bai’s response. Mo Bai chuckled, “Seeing that jade ruler, you should know—he’s the successor of Ye Guyi. If he really wanted to kill you, it’d be effortless.”

“But how does he know insect magic?” Hua Chongyang still didn’t trust me.

Sweat beaded on my forehead. If Hua Chongyang wasn’t buying it, Mo Bai’s words wouldn’t matter.

“Haha, Little Flower, you’re still as suspicious as ever,” Mo Bai said. “But he’s the one who just drove away the silver-armored corpse. He’s the one holding the jade ruler. As for why he knows insect magic—well, for years, the Guo family has been spying on your secrets, just as you’ve been spying on theirs. Maybe he’s already uncovered the Guo family’s insect magic secrets.”

I added, “Exactly. The Guo family has no secrets left. And they’ve already taken my copper jar.”

Hua Chongyang suddenly smiled, his hairless face looking even more eerie.

“So it was all a misunderstanding! Come, let’s have a dog meat hotpot. Grandson, let’s eat and then get some sleep,” Hua Chongyang called out.

Hua Mancheng and Jiese finally relaxed.

Soon, an old-fashioned hotpot was brought out, the red oil bubbling fiercely. Two dogs, poisoned by corpse miasma, were thrown in whole. Steam rose as scallions and cilantro were tossed in. Around the pot were plates of roast chicken, kung pao chicken, and braised chicken with potatoes.

Jian Guo and I sat together, exchanging silent glances. Though Jiese was well-intentioned, the real decision-maker was Hua Mancheng, while the true authority lay with the old monster Hua Chongyang. In the end, we decided to sneak Jiese out and head straight to Fufeng.

Mo Bai sat on the table, unable to eat, especially since it was dog meat. I had Xie Xiaoyu taken back by Xiao Jian.

Hua Chongyang ate voraciously, quickly piling up a mountain of bones. I never ate dog meat, especially not from animals killed by corpse miasma, so I had no appetite. I just watched him devour his meal.

After Hua Chongyang finished, Hua Mancheng said, “Grandfather, shouldn’t you go back to sleep?”

Hua Chongyang scowled. “I just got out! With the Guo family coming, you expect me to go back to sleep? Use your brain, grandson!”

Though he was scolding Jiese, Hua Mancheng’s face darkened.

Hua Chongyang turned to me. “You said there’s a copper jar containing tears. I have a silver one—could it also hold tears? And could there be a golden jar too?”

I was munching on a chicken leg when he asked. “I’ve seen a copper-armored corpse and now a silver one. Next time, we might even encounter a golden one. So, if there’s a copper jar and a silver jar, a golden one wouldn’t be surprising.”

Hua Chongyang gnawed on a dog’s tail. “Hah! This thing’s huge—must be a foreign breed… Maybe there really is a golden jar. But honestly, I have no idea what’s inside it.”

I wondered: I had a copper jar but didn’t know about the silver one. Hua Chongyang had the silver jar but didn’t know about the copper one.

Perhaps there was a golden jar too, and whoever had it might not know about the other two—each existing in isolation.

If the copper jar belonged to the Guo family and the silver jar to the Hua family, where would the golden jar be? My mind raced.

Jian Guo deliberately dropped his chopsticks and shouted, “Hey, old man standing there! Get me another pair!” Chui Ye, who wasn’t allowed at the table, was serving drinks. His face twitched, but he obediently fetched new chopsticks.

The hotpot feast lasted until dawn. Hua Chongyang refused to go back to sleep, insisting on accompanying Jiese for a walk. Hua Mancheng’s protests fell on deaf ears. “Even if my great-grandson won’t go to Famen Temple, I will!”

Left with no choice, Hua Mancheng told Jiese to take good care of him. By the time we rested, thick frost had formed outside—winter in the northwest arrived much earlier than in the south.

**The next noon.**

We reviewed the surveillance footage from the night before. The old beggar was too disheveled to identify clearly. As for the silver-armored corpse—well, it wasn’t wearing pants, so I didn’t look too closely.

Hua Chongyang insisted on going back to the temple with Jiese. Jiese privately assured me not to worry.

Jian Guo and I discussed it—having the old monster around was risky, but at least it meant extra security. We’d just have to be cautious.

Since I needed Jiese’s help to find Xie Lingyu, I didn’t object.

Hua Mancheng’s face grew increasingly sallow, yet strangely radiant.

“Nephew, have you figured out how to expel this parasite?” Hua Mancheng asked as we prepared to leave. Jiese also looked at me with concern.

I shook my head. “The only way is to force it out. But if something goes wrong, I can’t guarantee the outcome.”

Hua Mancheng smirked. “Do it. The Hua family isn’t afraid of a little pain.”

Since he insisted, I had no reason to refuse. Expelling the parasite was the simplest solution—but also the most dangerous.

The moment Hua Mancheng extended his hand, Chui Ye pleaded, “Master, maybe we should reconsider…”

I had thought of poisoning the parasite, but the liver was already a detoxifying organ—any parasite living there would be resilient.

The parasite in Hua Mancheng was metal-attuned, weak to fire. I concentrated, placing my hand on his, and activated my sensing ability. The parasite in his liver stirred.

Hua Mancheng howled in pain as I intensified the expulsion.

Ten minutes later, he let out a foul fart, then rushed to the bathroom. Half an hour later, a golden parasite was expelled.

I still didn’t know its name.

Though I could control parasites, the intricacies of their cultivation eluded me—like a doctor who could cure without understanding the science.

So I wasn’t a true insect master. Just lucky.

The golden parasite was burned, and Hua Mancheng swallowed a strange pill, his complexion gradually returning to normal.

**…**

Two vans left Xi’an for Fufeng. Due to sudden freezing temperatures, many highways were closed, forcing us onto slower provincial roads.

Jian Guo, Xie Xiaoyu, Xiao Jian, and I rode with Mo Bai. Jiese and his great-grandfather took the other van. I had no desire to see Hua Chongyang—aside from his silver jar, he meant nothing to me.

Jian Guo frowned. “That Hua Chongyang gives me the creeps. I’d love to punch him. What’s his real motive for tagging along?”

I shrugged. “Could there be another reason?”

Jian Guo hesitated. “If Jiese let slip that we’re going to Famen Temple for Xie Lingyu… You know how pure-hearted he is. Hua Chongyang could’ve easily pried it out of him.”

“Xie Lingyu is just a spirit my grandfather arranged for me. What does she have to do with the Hua family? She’s an outsider,” I said, puzzled.

Jian Guo smirked. “Things are never as simple—or as complicated—as we think. A man like Hua Chongyang wouldn’t let you go just because of Mo Bai’s words. I doubt he even believes you’re Ye Guyi’s successor. He probably still suspects you’re from the Guo family. Your story wouldn’t fool me, let alone an old monster.”

He was right. Hua Chongyang was centuries older than us—outsmarting him was impossible.

Seeing Jian Guo’s confidence, I said, “If you’ve got a plan, just say it.”

Jian Guo grinned. “I don’t. But someone does—that ugly, dumb peachwood figurine. Ask her about Hua Chongyang.”

Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that?

I took out Mo Bai and asked about Hua Chongyang.

Mo Bai laughed. “Finally asking me? Beg, then. If you beg nicely, I’ll tell you.”

“I beg you, oh handsome and dashing Mo Bai, please enlighten me.”

Mo Bai didn’t expect such directness. “No fun. I thought you’d grovel more. Fine, I’ll tell you.”

What Mo Bai revealed shocked me—and it spanned centuries, unraveling the origins of both the Guo and Hua families.