616 the list - The Quest for Immortality

Chapter 616: The List A locked diary... What could be inside? Mo Hua's eyes lit up, filled with a strong sense of curiosity. Jiang Lao Da, it seemed, had hidden some unspeakable information within a stack of verbose journal entries... Moreover, the diary was not only sealed but also encrypted—extensive effort just to keep its contents hidden must mean there's something valuable inside! Mo Hua curled his lips into a sly smile, intrigued by the challenge of unraveling its secrets. Zheng Fang had once explained to him that encryption and sealing were distinct processes. Sealing involved constructing indeterminate magnetic patterns, creating a blank "misty magnetic ink" that obscured the text. Encryption, however, disguised the text by distorting a sub-thunder pattern, altering the magnetic flow, and modifying the "agreements" between fixed and unfixed forms, essentially creating a "disguise." The characters you observe are not the actual contents within the jade slip. "To decrypt it, one must decipher the 'encrypted pattern,' correct the distorted 'sub-thunder pattern,' and restore the original text within the jade slip..." In other terms, it meant correcting the "agreements" between fixed and unfixed magnetic patterns. The key lies in the sub-thunder patterns... Every act of a cultivator leaves traces. Encrypting a jade slip is no exception. As long as Jiang Lao Da had viewed the true content of the jade slip using the "encrypted pattern," it would generate a magnetic flow that leaves a trace. While other cultivators might not perceive this trace, Mo Hua, having honed his divine sense alongside enigmatic and derivative calculations, could indeed sense it. The principle was similar to how Mo Hua "unsealed" a jade slip. By sensing the traces, deducing the sub-thunder pattern, and then matching it against known sub-thunder patterns, one could eventually uncover the true encrypted pattern. Decrypting, however, was more complex than unsealing. One had to observe the jade slip, sense the magnetic patterns, and couldn't rely on deriving with the Dao Tablet. Therefore, prolonged deduction was risky. Lingering too long could result in one's divine sense being torn apart by the enigmatic and derivative calculations, causing damage. This added significant time to the process. Mo Hua, patient and methodical, meticulously worked through each strand of magnetic flow, slowly calculating. Fortunately, the mystic pattern sealing the "diary" jade slip was of the same type as the encryption pattern. Thus, after over half a month, Mo Hua successfully uncovered the authentic "encrypted pattern." He exhaled deeply in relief. Not only had he successfully decrypted an "encrypted pattern" for the first time following his initial unsealing, but his repository of sub-thunder patterns had also become richer. His expertise in thunder magnetic formations had advanced steadily. However, he pondered what precisely all this learning, pushed to its extremes, could eventually attain... Mo Hua furrowed his brow in thought. Mastering magnetic flows, thoroughly understanding sub-thunder patterns, would be akin to possessing countless keys. At that stage, would all the sealed and encrypted patterns on jade slips across the world become meaningless to him? Would it mean he could extract all the world's legacies? "That's terrifying..." Mo Hua shivered at the thought. He shook his head, abandoning these "delusional" fantasies, returning to dissect Jiang Lao Da's "diary." Zheng Fang had thoroughly explained the decryption process to him previously. Reflecting on this, Mo Hua sank his divine sense into the jade slip, assembling a sub-thunder pattern derived with great effort from scattered magnetic ink. Using this sub-thunder pattern as the "encrypted pattern," he overlaid it on the magnetic flow-marked text. The sub-thunder flow from the encrypted pattern permeated the surface magnetic ink, infused the unfixed magnetic patterns, seeped into the deeper layers, and rectified the distorted magnetic flows caused by "disguise," thus establishing a genuine connection. Within the jade slip, the text of Jiang Lao Da's diary twisted and reshaped before finally stabilizing, revealing what lay beneath the "disguise." Mo Hua eagerly peered inside. As he read, his expression became increasingly contemplative. These words... Are they a "list"? On the list, there lined one after another, monikers from the cultivator world: "Poisonous Rakshasa, Firemaster, Golden Arhat, Flower Gentleman, Butcher, Bloody Woodsman, Yin Thunder Child, Exquisite Lady, Ghost-faced Shaman, Gallant Dragon..." Replete with the flair of the martial world, yet thoroughly disreputable. The cultivators associated with these names seemed, at minimum, to be criminals, and in many cases likely deviants, if not outright demonic cultivators. Mo Hua was immensely surprised, pondering: "Truly, people are not always what they seem. Has Jiang Lao Da been rubbing shoulders with such a wide array of individuals?" "But something seems off..." The harshness of these names suggested that their owners likely weren't on friendly terms with someone as nondescript as Jiang Lao Da... "These might not be all individuals he personally knew..." "Could this list have come to Jiang Lao Da by chance?" "Or perhaps... it is something he picked up from shady dealings, during activities like murder and arson, swindling and deceiving?" "Could they belong to some organization?" "What organization would this be?" ... Mo Hua couldn’t fathom it. Besides, another critical issue persisted. Keeping this "list" seemed futile... "Report it to the Dao Tribunal for merit?" Without actual evidence or a direct report, merely possessing this list wasn’t enough to earn merit. If the tribunal inquired how he obtained the "list," how should he respond? By claiming he was kidnapped by traffickers, then slaughtered them, killed Jiang Lao Da, rifled through his storage pouch, and used his expertise in elemental magnetic formations to unravel the "sealed pattern" and crack the "encrypted pattern" to find this "list"? This series of events seemed unwise to disclose to the tribunal. If he lied, he’d need a tightly woven tale, lest his deception unravel. Even if claiming "self-defense" exempted him from consequences, the tribunal would likely label him a "dangerous element," possibly monitoring him more closely in the future. This could complicate matters for him. "But if not reporting it to the tribunal, what use is there for a list I've spent so much effort decoding?" Mo Hua lay on the bed, arms behind his head, eyes darting thoughtfully at the ceiling. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration brightened Mo Hua's eyes. Names, monikers... As the saying goes, a person's name is like the shadow of a tree. There's only ever a bad name, never the wrong "alias." Take Bald Eagle, for example. Mo Hua didn’t know his real name, but being called "Bald Eagle" likely meant he really was bald, and carved the four-symbol eagle pattern on his head. "Bald" and "Eagle." Not a single false word. So, these aliases—based on these cultivators' appearances, their skills, or their methods in the cultivation world—were likely spot-on. For example, "Poisonous Rakshasa" was clearly a poison expert; A "Firemaster" surely practiced fire arts; "Golden Arhat" suggested a hardy physique, with a "Golden" hinting at metal-element affinities, perhaps even mastery over defensive techniques like Golden Bell Shield. And "Flower Gentleman" must be a dandy, perhaps a rogue practitioner of "Harvest Practices"... ... In other words, these cultivators likely each bore a certain "legacy"! To thrive near the prospering areas of Qianxue State, where talents abound and sects flourish, and to rise to notability, leaving their mark in the world... Their legacies must surely be extraordinary! Jiang Lao Da's list was hence both a criminal roster and practically a... Legacy list! Mo Hua’s thoughts rang clear. A broader perspective was necessary. One shouldn’t merely aim to exploit sect resources. Even criminal or deviant legacies could be exploited!   All it took was capturing them, "persuading" them to reveal the whereabouts of their legacies, and buying spells in the future would become unnecessary. Even capturing them could earn merit! A wonderful win-win! As for selecting legacies... Mo Hua already had a plan. To learn a particular spell or legacy, he’d seek out criminals or deviants of similar attributes. Wanting to master fire spells meant targeting individuals on the list with names like "Fire," "Flame," or "Yan." If he wanted to learn metal-based spells, he'd seek out villains with names containing "Gold," "Vajra," or "Golden Arhat." For water-based spells, he'd look for baddies with names like "Water," "Wave," "River," "Fish," or "Jiao." ... "Following the map to find the horse," each search would indeed be precise. Finding a suitable spell also depended on a bit of luck. However, even without finding an appropriate spell, he could at least earn merit. Mo Hua's eyes glowed with determination. "Jiang Lao Da was quite a helpful fellow!" This list was practically another 'Record of Merits'! Deciding which spell to learn first, which villain's name to call out, and how to locate them, all needed careful planning. Once everything was prepared, he could begin this "roll-call"... With the jade slip in hand, Mo Hua couldn't help but smile. Little did Jiang Lao Da know, though dead, his diary had become a "Diary of Demise." ... What should he learn first? After careful deliberation for half a day, Mo Hua decided he should first master a more comprehensive concealment technique. Good for offense, defense, and especially useful for escaping danger. His current concealment technique was quite inconvenient. He had learned a concealment technique that ideally suited single water-element spiritual roots. As someone with minor five-element roots, including water, his attempts at invisibility were inadequate, sometimes exposing his hands or head. Along with using a concealment array, it was only marginally effective. But now that he'd formed his foundation, and joined Taixu Sect, one of the Eight Great Gates, he'd certainly face prodigious opponents, as well as challenging criminals and menacing corrupt cultivators—necessitating an "upgrade" to his concealment methods. Mo Hua started poring over the list. Those adept in concealment techniques were often thieves or bandits, possibly with names including the word "Hidden," or something like "Skillful Hand" or "Star Plucker." After searching for a while, Mo Hua finally identified a potential "lucky candidate": Yin Lao Er. The entry contained only the name, no description, but Mo Hua had a gut feeling that this individual was surely a master of concealment! Having settled on a name, the next step was to find this Yin Lao Er... But how to locate him? Mo Hua furrowed his brow in thought—start with the Dao Tribunal? As a mere disciple of Taixu Sect, the Dao Tribunal likely wouldn't recognize him. He held a bronze badge from the Dao Tribunal. But this badge was unofficial, from Tongxian City's second-grade tribunal in Liyu State. Whether it would be recognized here in Qianzhe State was uncertain. Moreover, even if he managed to locate Yin Lao Er, he'd need assistance to capture him. He couldn’t be certain of subduing a seasoned rogue like Yin Lao Er on his own, being just an early Foundation stage cultivator. After contemplating, Mo Hua concluded there was just one way forward: taking up tasks. He'd need a stroke of luck, hoping for a mission posted in the sect's bounty ledger for capturing Yin Lao Er. Given that all the criminals on Jiang Lao Da's list operated near Qianxue State, if Yin Lao Er caused enough trouble, he would undoubtedly draw the attention of the Dao Tribunal. Owing to insufficient manpower, the Dao Tribunal would post bounties to the sect. This would allow Mo Hua to "legitimately" capture Yin Lao Er, claiming his reward, and obtain the hidden technique's legacy. The situation would undoubtedly require a bit of luck and "opportunity." Over the following days, any free time Mo Hua had outside classes and meals was dedicated to perusing his Taixu Order, reviewing the "bounty ledger," sifting through each task. Whenever he saw terms like thief, invisibility, or concealment, Mo Hua paid keen attention. However, such bounties were rare, and after eight or nine days, there had been little progress. Then, one afternoon, after a satisfying meal, Mo Hua sat chatting with fellow disciples at the disciple residence. Among them were the burly Cheng Mo, the sword prodigy Si Tu Jian from Liyu State, Zheng Fang of the Zheng family from Zhen State, and other friendly peers. Mo Hua regaled them with stories. He spoke of how fearsome the monsters in Black Mountain were. How thrilling and dangerous it was for monster hunters to track their prey. What zombies were like. What differentiated a walking corpse, an iron corpse, and a copper corpse, and how one becomes a corpse king. The sight of zombie tides engulfing the hills. And incidents in remote wildernesses involving soul-stealing deviants and cannibalistic demonic cultivators. These tales left the sheltered genius disciples from aristocratic backgrounds utterly amazed. Cheng Mo widened his eyes, murmuring: "Mo Hua, are you pulling my leg..." "Believe it or not..." Parched from storytelling, Mo Hua grabbed a teapot and took a few hearty gulps. Cheng Mo still harbored disbelief, "You're so young—monster hunting, zombie tides, marauding deviants... It's spooky not to call your bluff..." "Take it or leave it!" Mo Hua couldn't be bothered. "I don't buy it..." "Then why were you listening so raptly earlier?" Cheng Mo was momentarily at a loss. Though skeptical, Mo Hua's vivid narrative was indeed engrossing. Si Tu Jian, equally captivated, suddenly recalled another subject. "Speaking of monster hunting..." Si Tu Jian began, "Apparently, there's monster hunting in the sect, too." "Sect? Monster hunting?" Mo Hua was taken aback. "Is that a thing?" "You weren't aware?" Si Tu Jian asked puzzled. Mo Hua nodded. As a rogue cultivator new to Qianxue State and unfamiliar with sect life, no one had filled him in. While Wen Ren Wan had imparted some guidelines, she couldn't possibly have covered everything in exhaustive detail; some information was bound to slip through the cracks. Mo Hua asked, "Where can one hunt monsters?" Si Tu Jian responded, "Nearby Qianxue State, there's a 'Monster Refining Mountain' with many beasts left there intentionally by mighty cultivators for sect disciples to practice their arts and collaboratively slay monsters..." "However, it's a bit distant." "Newly initiated disciples are prohibited from entering Monster Refining Mountain; it's restricted until at least mid-Foundation stage." "The mountain houses some rare beasts whose materials are invaluable for crafting magical tools, especially spirit swords..." "Forging swords?!" Mo Hua's eyes gleamed. Si Tu Jian was also intrigued, "Yes, some spirit swords apparently require bones from specific beasts in Qianxue State's Monster Refining Mountain for forging..." Mo Hua nodded slightly, contemplating how this aligned with the legacy of the Sword of Broken Gold he possessed, which included "Sword Forging Techniques." It detailed how to forge the swords needed for swordsmanship... He wanted to ask more but suddenly felt a thrill in his heart, as if something he'd been waiting for had come to pass. The concealment technique! Mo Hua quickly accessed his Taixu Order and indeed found a new batch of tasks. There was one task that appeared rather ordinary but caught Mo Hua's eye in a particular way: "A bounty posted by the Dao Tribunal in Qianxue State..." "Regarding a bizarre robbery-murder case..." Today's chapter includes an additional section, albeit slightly delayed~   (The chapter ends)