How on earth did Mo Hua know? Had he seen that pig monster? But how could that be possible? Qian Xing’s expression was one of shocked disbelief. Mo Hua’s face was expressionless, but his heart was even more shocked than Qian Xing’s. He hadn’t expected that someone from the Qian Family had actually been to Black Mountain Stronghold, and that person was Qian Xing! Who had taken him to Black Mountain Stronghold? Mo Hua asked, "Who took you there?" Qian Xing was unwilling to say. "Do you think I won’t know if you don’t tell me?" Qian Xing replied defensively, "If you knew, why would you ask me?" Mo Hua was momentarily taken aback, realizing that Qian Xing wasn’t a fool; he had become clever at this crucial moment. "If you don’t speak, don’t expect to return alive," Mo Hua threatened again. "If I say it, my great-grandfather won’t let me off either!" Mo Hua was startled, "Great-grandfather?" The color drained from Qian Xing’s face in an instant. Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing with a complex expression. He had just internally praised Qian Xing for not being a fool, yet the fool had blurted out the truth himself. He had said his great-grandfather wouldn’t let him off, meaning that it was his great-grandfather who had taken him into the mountains. Qian Xing’s great-grandfather was... the Qian Family elder! Mo Hua’s gaze grew increasingly cold. It was... the Qian Family elder. If he remembered correctly, rumors from outsiders claimed that the Qian Family elder was halfway into the grave, almost dead. There is great fear in life and death. So was he refining Human Life Pills to save his own life out of fear of death... Qian Xing regretted and was afraid in equal measure, his voice trembling as he said: "What exactly... do you know?" Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing without answering, but instead asked, "Have you been to Black Mountain Stronghold?" Qian Xing was somewhat taken aback, "What place is Black Mountain Stronghold?" It seemed that Qian Xing didn’t know where he had been... Mo Hua continued to inquire, "Why did your elder take you into the mountains and let you know about his using humans to feed the Monster Beasts?" If Mo Hua wasn’t mistaken, most of the Qian Family disciples probably didn’t know about the matter of Black Mountain Stronghold. Even many Qian Family elders might not be aware of it. The Qian Family elder, out of fear that the matter would be exposed, even kept it from the Qian Family disciples, fearing that any leaked information might reach the Taoist Court and lead to their annihilation by the Taoist Soldiers. But why then, did he tell Qian Xing about it? Although Qian Xing was of the direct line, he was dissolute, with a good Spiritual Root but a lazy nature, all of his thoughts focused on bullying others using his status; he didn’t seem like a core disciple that the Qian Family put effort into nurturing. "I won’t tell," said Qian Xing, his face ashen. Mo Hua silently looked at Qian Xing and said, "But you’ve already spoken, you’ve already told me the Qian Family’s most confidential matter." Qian Xing protested in panic, "Impossible, how could this be a secret..." "Do you know what your great-grandfather has done?" Qian Xing was disoriented, muttering, "It was just killing people, feeding the Monster Beasts, what’s the big deal. If they’re not from my Qian Family, whether they live or die, what does it matter?" Mo Hua looked at him with a profound gaze, "It seems you know nothing." Qian Xing’s gaze was bewildered, "Know nothing about what?" "If I were to report this matter to the Taoist Court, your Qian Family could possibly be executed to the last man!" Qian Xing’s eyes widened in disbelief, "It’s impossible! It was just killing a person, just killing a person... How could it possibly..." "But don’t worry, you might not live to see the day your Qian Family is executed..." Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Because you leaked a secret, your elder might kill you first!" "You’re lying to me!" "Shall we make a bet?" Qian Xing was both fearful and angry. What was the use of betting? If he won, there were no benefits; if he lost, he would die. Qian Xing didn’t believe Mo Hua’s words, but deep down, he vaguely knew that Mo Hua was right. This was a matter not to be divulged. If outsiders found out, the elder would be the first to kill him. Even if he was the elder’s great-grandson... So, kill Mo Hua. Then no one would know. As soon as this thought arose, Qian Xing quashed it himself. Mo Hua was no longer the person he used to be; he was entirely beyond Qian Xing’s capabilities to provoke, and he was no match for Mo Hua. Even if he resorted to some schemes, they would surely be seen through by Mo Hua. In an instant, Qian Xing felt a sense of desperation, like a drowning man unable to catch his breath. Suddenly, he thought he had found a lifeline. Qian Xing appeared frantic, and with a plop, he knelt before Mo Hua, "Mo Hua, save me! You’re so smart, you must be able to save me!" Mo Hua remained unmoved, and in confusion said, "Have you lost your mind? Why should I save you? It’s already good enough that I don’t kill you." Qian Xing hastily said, "If you save my life, I’ll tell you everything!" Mo Hua’s eyes flashed, "Really?" Qian Xing nodded and said, "Really, I’ll tell you everything!" After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua found a tree stump to sit on, "Fine, then tell me about the matter of your ancestor murdering people to feed the Monster Beasts, from beginning to end." Qian Xing hesitated. Mo Hua said, "As long as you tell me, I’ll teach you how to save yourself." Qian Xing still hesitated, then after a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright!" Qian Xing recalled the sequence of events, his face turned pale, and he began, "When I was seven years old, I went to my great-grandfather’s place to play. Tired from playing, I fell asleep on the great-grandfather’s bed. In a half-asleep state, I was awakened by some noise. When I opened my eyes, I saw a cultivator, impaled through the chest by my great-grandfather’s arm..." "Who was that cultivator?" asked Mo Hua. Qian Xing shook his head, "I don’t know, it’s been so many years, I don’t clearly remember his appearance, but I heard him shouting, ’The Qian Family will not die a good death’ and things like that." That must have been someone seeking revenge on the Qian Family. With so many wrongful deeds over the years, the Qian Family had made quite a number of enemies. "Was it someone at the Foundation Establishment level?" "It should have been," Qian Xing nodded and continued, "Seeing the blood, I screamed in fright. Great-grandfather was also surprised; probably because my cultivation was too low and my presence too weak, he had not noticed me before. Then, great-grandfather warned me not to speak of what I had seen." Mo Hua frowned, "Someone seeking revenge, your great-grandfather killed the man, speaking out about it wouldn’t be anything special, right?" Qian Xing shook his head, "What great-grandfather told me not to speak of wasn’t this matter." Mo Hua was taken aback, "Then what was it?" Qian Xing struggled with his expression, hesitated for a long time, but eventually admitted, "Great-grandfather’s end was nearing, his Spiritual Power gradually declining, and his body was aging. Normally, the great-grandfather I saw was old and kindly, with a declining appearance, but that night..." Qian Xing swallowed, his voice trembling, "His eyes were red, his body was robust, and his hair was only half white. He looked very frightening..." Mo Hua was profoundly shaken. The Qian Family ancestor, he had indeed taken the Human Life Pill to extend his own life. "What happened then?" Mo Hua asked further, wanting to know what happened next. Qian Xing said with lingering fear, "Great-grandfather looked at me, with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes. I kowtowed to him, calling him ’Great-grandfather’ and tearfully begged him, promising not to speak out. Great-grandfather seemed to be moved by compassion, but still hesitated, uncertain whether to spare me." "After thinking for a while, great-grandfather asked me, ’Do you want to be the Family Head of the Qian Family?’ I said ’I don’t want to,’ and disdain clearly showed in great-grandfather’s eyes. I immediately corrected myself, ’I do want to!’ Only then did great-grandfather smile a little and said, ’Then follow me.’" Mo Hua’s eyelids twitched, "Did he take you to Big Black Mountain?" Qian Xing nodded his head. "Where in Big Black Mountain?" Qian Xing shook his head again, "I don’t know. I was in a daze, and before I knew it, great-grandfather had taken me into a Pill Room. The Pill Room was red; the walls, the Pill Furnace, the herbs, everything I saw was red. The bricks on the ground looked like they were paved with blood, and the smell was nauseating. And in the Pill Room, there was a pig..." "Great-grandfather, in front of me, fed that cultivator to the pig." At this point, Qian Xing suddenly appeared in agony, "But... the cultivator was not yet fully dead... he was eaten while still crying out in despair. I can’t forget his appearance and his painful expression..." Having said this, Qian Xing was soaked in cold sweat, gasping for air heavily. He had kept this incident hidden in his heart for many years, never daring to speak of it. He would also have nightmares frequently, dreaming of the Pig Monster eating a person. That’s why after being struck by the Illusion Technique, he became very severely delirious. Because in the Illusion Technique, what he saw was the most terrifying scene from his memory, of the Pig Monster eating a person. The Illusion Technique was so vivid, it was as if he experienced being devoured alive, bite by bite, by the Pig Monster and the despair of being swallowed into its belly. Mo Hua sighed inwardly, then frowned again and said, "I see how you usually behave, arrogant and presumptuous, it doesn’t seem like you’re someone with a shadow in your heart?" Now that Qian Xing had bared his soul’s secret, gone was his previously overbearing demeanor; he said with a pale face, "It was great-grandfather, he told me there was no need to consider people as human beings." Mo Hua frowned, "What do you mean?" Qian Xing explained, "After that, I had nightmares every day, dreaming of the Pig Monster eating people, appearing dazed. Great-grandfather then told me..." "You think of that dead cultivator as a human being, that’s why you find it terrifying. If you don’t consider him as human, it’s just like a pig eating a dog, or a dog eating a pig, what’s there to be afraid of?" "Remember one thing, if you want to achieve great things, you don’t need to consider people as human beings." "Besides people from the Qian Family, no, besides yourself, others may not necessarily be human. They are pigs and dogs, cattle and horses, they are laborers, they are tools, they are the stepping stones to lay the foundation for your Great Dao. You must step on them to achieve Dao and become immortal!" "After listening to great-grandfather’s words, I stopped thinking of other cultivators as human beings... It was their duty to toil like oxen and horses for the Qian Family. The cultivator who was eaten by the pig, he was not a person either. His death was his own concern, being eaten was just for feeding pigs." "Thinking this way, my heart felt much better, and I stopped having nightmares so often." By eradicating humaneness, naturally, one would no longer feel guilt.