Mo Hua’s heart trembled, and for a moment she didn’t know what to say. The secret of the Qian Family’s ancestor was discovered by Qian Xing, who didn’t want to kill his great-grandson, but feared he would leak the secret. So he simply told him some truths, hoping to cultivate Qian Xing as the next Family Head of the Qian Family. A Family Head of the Qian Family who regarded others as pigs, dogs, cattle, and horses. After finishing his words, Qian Xing’s expression suddenly turned to one of terror, and he said, "Mo Hua, save me!" Why hadn’t his great-ancestor aged, and yet had to pretend to be frail and decrepit? Why, after killing people, did they have to feed the bodies to the pigs? Why did he warn him not to talk about it, and even for an instant, harbor the desire to kill his great-grandson? Qian Xing didn’t know the answers to these questions and didn’t dare to ask or probe, but he knew there must be some unspeakable secrets involved. He didn’t know, but Mo Hua must know! If Mo Hua knew, she must have a way. Having been bested by Mo Hua many times, he knew that Mo Hua was clever and difficult to deal with. In other words, she must possess the ability to help him! If the ancestor learned that he had divulged these matters, his death would be certain! Even if not killed, there would be no place for him in the Qian Family anymore. Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing and then said: "Pretend you know nothing." "Pretend?" Qian Xing was stunned, then he shook his head desperately, "No, I can’t, my guilt will show. The ancestor will see through it; I can’t hide it from him!" Mo Hua said, "Then don’t pretend, just pass out." "What do you mean…" Mo Hua pointed to several Qian Family disciples lying around, "Aren’t they passed out?" Qian Xing was slightly taken aback. Mo Hua continued, "It’s understandable that you came to trouble me, although ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth; it’s also reasonable that you overestimated your abilities and are no match for me; and if I knock you unconscious, with you knowing nothing, naturally no one will suspect what you might have said, or what I may have learned. All of these actions are reasonable…" Qian Xing tugged at the corner of his mouth, "How long will I be unconscious?" "Three or four days, then when you wake up, you just play the fool and pretend to be ill again, confining yourself indoors," Mo Hua instructed. "And after that?" Qian Xing was still not reassured. Mo Hua’s gaze became stern, "You don’t need to concern yourself with what comes after. Your ancestor won’t trouble you again." Qian Xing didn’t understand, "What exactly are you planning to do? The ancestor has strong cultivation powers, and he’s not someone you can handle." Mo Hua silently looked at him, "Do you want to know?" Qian Xing was about to nod but then, realizing the implications, replied with a terrified expression: "Don’t tell me! Please, don’t tell me anything!" Mo Hua looked at him approvingly, "As long as you say nothing, no one will know what you’ve said." "Okay!" Qian Xing nodded repeatedly. At this point, he had no other options. In all his life, the greatest misfortune he suffered was learning things he shouldn’t have known. This was a loss he did not want to experience a second time. Qian Xing thrust his head forward towards Mo Hua, bracing himself as he said: "Go on then, hit me hard, make me stay unconscious longer, I don’t want to know anything!" Mo Hua unceremoniously lifted the Thousand Jun Stick and with a clang, struck Qian Xing on the head. Qian Xing swayed and collapsed to the ground. Mo Hua followed up with a few more strikes, making sure not to kill him, but ensuring he would stay unconscious for a few more days. This was the best solution Mo Hua could come up with for the time being. Qian Xing couldn’t be killed; if he were killed, it would be difficult to handle matters with the Taoist soldiers Court, and hard to explain to the Qian Family. Moreover, it would likely startle the enemy. Letting him go back was even less likely. With thoughts like his, he couldn’t keep anything from the Qian Family’s ancestor; what he had said and what Mo Hua had learned would be easily guessed by the ancestor. The only option was to knock him out first and then, in the coming days, find a way to deal with the Qian Family’s ancestor! Mo Hua set off a firework, and after a while, some Monster Hunters came rushing over. Seeing the Qian Family Cultivators scattered all around, they looked startled. Mo Hua briefly explained the situation and asked a few uncles from the Monster Hunters to send these people back to the Qian Family. Then she returned to Tongxian City and found Elder Yu, asking him to discreetly arrange a meeting with a few people; it was urgent, and she had important matters to discuss. Elder Yu didn’t understand why, but he followed Mo Hua’s instructions and passed the message along. Before long, Zhang Lan from the Taoist Court, Yang Jiyong from the Taoist soldiers Court, and her father Mo Shan were meeting in Elder Yu’s living room. There weren’t many people, but all the influential forces were represented. Everyone had a grave expression, looking at Mo Hua with curiosity, unsure of what she was about to reveal. Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, and seeing that there were no other Cultivators around, he lowered his voice and said: "Qian Xing came looking for trouble with me…" Zhang Lan was taken aback, "Did you kill him?" Mo Hua was speechless, "No." Zhang Lan let out a sigh of relief, "You made it sound so serious, I thought you had killed Qian Xing and were looking for us to help you deal with the aftermath…" Mo Hua’s expression was complex, "I’m not that kind of person, am I…" Zhang Lan silently thought to himself, who knows what you’re capable of? "What did you do to Qian Xing?" Zhang Lan asked again. "I knocked him out." "That’s it?" "And four or five disciples of the Qian Family, I’ve also injured them," said Mo Hua. "By yourself?" Mo Hua nodded. Zhang Lan exclaimed in surprise, "You’ve become that powerful now?" Mo Hua humbly replied, "It’s okay, I guess." "So then, what do you need us for?" "Qian Xing will probably be out for three or four days." Zhang Lan nodded. "During these three or four days, we need to figure out a way to take down the Qian Family’s old ancestor!" Mo Hua declared with emphasis. The living room fell silent for a moment. Everyone exchanged glances, not quite sure what to say for a while. Zhang Lan wondered if there was something wrong with his ears, "What’s the connection between you knocking out Qian Xing and your wanting to take down the Qian Family’s old ancestor?" Mo Hua explained, "The old ancestor once killed a Cultivator, and then took the Cultivator to Black Mountain Stronghold, feeding him to that pig in the Pill Room." Zhang Lan’s expression changed dramatically, "How do you know that?" "Qian Xing told me," Mo Hua said. "Why would he tell you these things?" Zhang Lan found this unthinkable. Mo Hua said, "It’s kind of complicated to explain, but while he’s unconscious for these few days, we can strike first. Once he wakes up and the Qian Family’s old ancestor becomes aware, it will be hard for us to make a move." Zhang Lan pondered for a moment, then looked over at Yang Jiyong, "What does the Taoist Soldiers Court have to say about this?" Yang Jiyong said thoughtfully, "I believe what Mo Hua says, but to mobilize the Taoist Soldiers, we still need solid evidence." Mo Shan also frowned and said, "Additionally, there’s another issue, what exactly is the role of the Qian Family’s old ancestor in Black Mountain Stronghold?" Zhang Lan nodded, "If we can’t clarify his identity, even if we catch him, it will be difficult to convict him." "Is he the Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold?" Elder Yu shook his head, "No, the aura doesn’t match." "This is strange," Zhang Lan said in confusion, "If the Qian Family’s old ancestor really visited the Pill Room and consumed the Human Life Pill, then he must be a core member of Black Mountain Stronghold. His identity would be no small matter. Yet of the four Householders, none are him." For a while, everyone felt increasingly perplexed by the thickening mystery. The Qian Family’s old ancestor clearly had ties to Black Mountain Stronghold, yet on their side, there wasn’t a single identity that matched up. Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then voiced his doubt, "Is the big boss of Black Mountain Stronghold necessarily the Householder?" Elder Yu was taken aback, "What do you mean by that…" Mo Hua said, "Generally speaking, isn’t the leader of a stronghold also called ’Camp Leader’?" Zhang Lan furrowed his brow, "If the old ancestor of the Qian Family is the Camp Leader, then who is the Householder?" If the Qian Family’s old ancestor was the Camp Leader, it would be unlikely to have someone unrelated as the Householder, the public leader of Black Mountain Stronghold. Elder Yu suddenly seemed to recall something, abruptly stood up, and said, "The Householder…" "Elder?" Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu with some confusion. Elder Yu’s pupils contracted slightly, and he said in a shocked tone: "The Householder… could possibly be… the Qian Family’s Chief Elder!" Mo Hua was startled, "Isn’t the Qian Family’s Chief Elder the one who…" Elder Yu nodded, "Exactly, the one who was said to have died in the mountains over two hundred years ago, the Qian Family’s Chief Elder!" All present were deeply shaken! 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮 If this was the case, then this Black Mountain Stronghold was in essence another Qian Family! A hidden Qian Family unknown to the public, not bound by blood ties—a shadowy Qian Family!