Chapter 616: The List
An encrypted journal… What could be inside?
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, curiosity flaring.
This Boss Jiang character had hidden some unspeakable secrets in a mess of rambling notes…
And he'd not only sealed it but also encrypted it—clearly, he went to great lengths to make sure no one would uncover it. That meant one thing: something juicy was inside!
Mo Hua's lips curled up in a sly smile. He wanted to crack it open and see.
Zheng Fang had once explained that encryption was different from sealing.
Sealing involved crafting indeterminate magnetic runes to create a blank "fog-like magnetic ink" that obscured the text.
Encryption, on the other hand, was about "disguising" the text.
To be more precise, it involved distorting secondary thunder runes, altering the magnetic flow, and tampering with the agreement between fixed and indeterminate magnetic forms—so that the displayed text was no longer the real content.
What you saw wasn't what was truly stored within the jade slip.
"To decrypt it, one must decipher the 'cipher rune,' correct the distorted secondary thunder runes, and restore the original text…"
In other words, it meant realigning the agreed structure between fixed and indeterminate magnetic runes.
And the key lay in the secondary thunder runes…
Every action a cultivator takes leaves behind traces.
Encrypting a jade slip was no exception.
As long as Boss Jiang had used the cipher rune to view the true contents of the slip, that rune would've produced a magnetic flow—a trace.
Other cultivators might not perceive it, but Mo Hua, whose divine sense had transformed and merged with Weird Calculations and Deductive Calculations, could sense it.
It was the same principle he'd used before to unseal jade slips.
By sensing the traces, deducing the secondary thunder runes, and then comparing them to the known rune patterns in his collection, he could reconstruct the real cipher rune.
The only problem: decrypting was even harder than unsealing.
He couldn't project the jade slip's magnetic patterns onto the Dao Tablet for deduction.
That meant he couldn't keep deducing for too long, or else his divine sense might be torn apart by the strain of the twisted calculations, leading to real damage.
It would take time.
So, Mo Hua patiently held himself back, step by step, tracing the magnetic flows, calculating slowly.
Thankfully, the seal rune and cipher rune on this "journal" jade slip belonged to the same rune category. After more than half a month, Mo Hua finally cracked the real cipher rune.
He let out a long breath.
This was his first time deciphering a cipher rune after his initial success unsealing a slip!
His secondary thunder rune database had expanded even more.
His mastery of Thunder-Magnetic Array arts had taken yet another solid step forward.
But…
He couldn't help but frown.
If one could perceive magnetic flows and fully master all secondary thunder runes… wouldn't that be like holding countless keys?
In that case, wouldn't the seals and encryptions on every jade slip in the world be useless against him?
Wouldn't that mean he could basically loot every single legacy under the heavens?
"…That's terrifying," Mo Hua thought, slightly horrified by his own potential.
He shook his head and forcibly shoved that delusion back down where it belonged.
Focus. Back to cracking Boss Jiang's "journal."
As for how to decrypt it—Zheng Fang had dumped all the steps on him before.
Mo Hua recalled the process and then sent his divine sense into the jade slip, carefully gathering the scattered magnetic ink to form the painstakingly reconstructed cipher rune.
With that rune in place, he overlaid it onto the words that carried magnetic flow traces—one by one.
The secondary thunder flow generated by the cipher rune seeped from the surface magnetic ink into the indeterminate runes beneath, correcting the twisted magnetic current caused by the disguised text and restoring the real connection.
Inside the jade slip, Boss Jiang's journal text began to warp and twist… until it finally stabilized, revealing its true, undisguised form.
Mo Hua leaned in eagerly.
As he read on, his expression turned... intriguing.
These words— It was a list?
A whole string of names—nicknames used by cultivators in the world of rogue cultivators:
"Poison Rakshasa," "Fire Foreman," "Golden Arhat," "Young Lord," "Butcher of Men," "Bloodwood Cutter," "Thundershade," "Madam Miao," "Ghost-Faced Fiend," "River-Dragon"...
Full of underworld flair—and very, very shady.
These names had the unmistakable stench of crime. At minimum, these people were criminal cultivators. Many were likely demonic or evil cultivators.
Mo Hua was stunned. He muttered in his heart:
"Never judge a scroll by its cover… Boss Jiang's network is this wide?"
But then again—something didn't add up.
These nicknames reeked of ruthlessness. Just from the names, you could tell these people were no saints. And Boss Jiang, with such a plain-sounding name, didn't exactly fit in with this crowd…
"These people might not actually be his acquaintances…"
"Could this list be something Boss Jiang got by accident?"
"Or maybe… he picked it up while dabbling in the dark path—murder, robbery, swindling, and all kinds of shady deals?"
"Or… maybe they're all part of the same organization?"
"But what organization could it be?"
…
Mo Hua had no idea.
And beyond that, there was still one key question…
This "list"… what use was it to him, really?
"Should I hand it over to the Dao Court Division in exchange for merit points?"
He hadn't caught any criminals. There was no actual achievement involved. Plus, without a mission order, even if he turned it in, it might not even earn him any merit.
And what if the Dao Court Division asked how he got the list?
What would he say?
"Well, I got kidnapped by human traffickers, killed them all, slew Boss Jiang, looted his storage ring, found a jade slip from the Broken Gold Sect, happened to be an expert in Primordial Magnetic Arrays, cracked the 'seal runes,' deciphered the 'cipher runes,' and voilà, here's a criminal list!"
Yeah… somehow, that didn't feel like something he could share.
And if he lied, he'd have to concoct a really airtight story—or else he'd definitely get caught.
Even if they decided it was "self-defense" and didn't hold him accountable, the Dao Court Division would still label him as a "high-risk individual" and keep a close eye on him.
That would make future endeavors… inconvenient.
"But if I don't hand it over… what the heck am I going to do with a list I spent so much effort decrypting?"
Mo Hua lay on his bed, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling and blinking as he pondered.
Then—suddenly—a spark of inspiration lit up his eyes.
Names… nicknames…
There's a saying: "A person's name is like a tree's shadow."
You can pick a bad name, but nicknames never lie.
Like that "Vulture" guy.
Mo Hua never learned his real name, but with a nickname like "Vulture," odds were he really was bald—and sure enough, the guy had a Four-Symbol Eagle Array etched into his scalp.
One "bald," one "eagle." Perfectly accurate. Not a single lie.
So this list of nicknames? Odds were, they were based on the cultivators' appearance, techniques, Dao arts, or their preferred methods in the cultivation world.
For example:
"Poison Rakshasa"—obviously someone skilled in poison.
"Fire Foreman"—probably trained in fire-element techniques, good at fire Dao arts.
"Golden Arhat"—the name suggests a strong physical body. With "gold" in the title, likely a cultivator of metal Dao arts, possibly something like a "Golden Bell Shield."
"Young Lord" (郎君)—definitely a smooth-faced scoundrel practicing some kind of evil dual-cultivation method…
In other words: every one of these cultivators likely carried a legacy!
To survive and make a name for themselves in a region like Qianxue State, where geniuses abound and sects run deep—yeah, their inheritances wouldn't be anything ordinary.
Boss Jiang's list wasn't just a criminal roster.
It was a legacy list!
Mo Hua's mind suddenly cleared like blue skies after a storm.
"I need to think bigger!"
Why limit himself to fleecing sects?
Even evil cultivators and criminals had some very fleece-able coats!
As long as he could capture them and "convince them with reason," he could pry out their legacies.
That way, he wouldn't need to waste merit buying spells or techniques anymore.
He might even earn merit for taking them down!
Absolute profit! No losses!
As for how to pick which legacies to aim for…
Mo Hua had a plan.
Whatever kind of technique or legacy he wanted to learn—he'd go after criminals of that attribute.
If he wanted to learn fire-element spells—he'd hunt for names with "Fire," "Flame," or "Blaze" in them.
If he wanted metal-type spells—he'd look for names with "Gold," "Vajra," or "Golden Arhat."
If he wanted water-element techniques—he'd seek names with characters like "Water," "Wave," "River," "Fish," or "Flood Dragon."
…
"Follow the clues, find the mark."
Whether he got the exact technique he wanted or not would still depend a bit on luck.
But even if the legacy wasn't useful—he'd still earn merit!
Mo Hua's big bright eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Boss Jiang… was truly a good man!"
This list wasn't just notes.
It was a whole new Merit Logbook!
As for which technique to start with, which criminal to target, and how to track them down, how to accept missions…
He'd have to consider all those logistics carefully.
Once everything was ready, it'd be time to start calling names.
Mo Hua clutched the jade slip, a smile blooming on his face.
Boss Jiang, long since dead, had no idea—
That the journal he left behind had become… a Death Note.
What should I learn first?
After half a day of deep thought, Mo Hua concluded:
He should start by learning a better stealth technique.
Good for both offense and defense. And great for escape.
His current stealth spell was far too clumsy.
It was originally meant for cultivators with pure water spiritual roots.
Mo Hua had the minor five-element root, which included water—but the mix was messy. His stealth wasn't complete—his hand or head might randomly pop out.
Only by combining it with a stealth formation did it feel somewhat reliable.
But now he was at Foundation Establishment—and a disciple of one of the Eight Great Sects, the Great Void Sect.
The enemies he'd face from here on out would include elite geniuses… and a whole bunch of slippery criminals and evil cultivators.
It was time for a stealth upgrade.
Mo Hua began scanning the list.
Cultivators good at stealth usually did petty thievery or robbery—their names likely included characters like "Hidden," or flashy titles like "Mystic Hands" or "Star-Picker."
After searching for quite a while, Mo Hua finally found his first lucky winner:
"Hidden Second Brother (隱老二)."
No details—just the name.
But Mo Hua's instincts told him this guy had to be a stealth expert!
Target locked in. Next step: track down this 'Hidden Second Brother.'
But how to find him?
Mo Hua frowned—should he try approaching the Dao Court Division?
But he was just a lowly disciple from the Great Void Sect. The Dao Court Division wouldn't even recognize who he was…
Sure, he had a bronze badge from the Dao Court Division—
But it was an auxiliary badge, issued by the Dao Court in a remote second-grade immortal city in Lì Prefecture. Here in Qiān Prefecture? They might not even acknowledge it.
And even if he did find Hidden Second Brother, he'd need someone to help him capture the guy.
Otherwise, as a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he might not be able to handle a slippery veteran like that.
After thinking it through, Mo Hua realized there was only one viable path: take a mission.
He'd have to try his luck and see if the sect's "Bounty Register" happened to post a task for capturing Hidden Second Brother.
Everyone on Boss Jiang's list operated near the Qianxue State region. As long as Hidden Second Brother stirred up trouble, the Dao Court Division would surely take notice.
And if the Dao Court Division lacked the manpower, they'd definitely forward the bounty to the sects.
That way, Mo Hua could legitimately take the mission, hunt down Hidden Second Brother, fleece him, and get that stealth inheritance.
It all came down to a bit of luck… and fate.
—
In the following days, whenever Mo Hua wasn't in class or eating, he'd pull out his Great Void Token and obsessively refresh the Bounty Register, flipping through every mission, one by one.
Anything with words like thief, stealth, or concealment, he'd flag immediately.
But such missions were rare.
Eight or nine days passed… and still no leads.
—
One afternoon, after a satisfying meal, Mo Hua was lounging in the disciples' quarters, chatting with a few of his sectmates.
There was big guy Cheng Mo, sword cultivator prodigy Situ Jian from Lì Prefecture, Zheng Fang from the Zheng Clan of Zhen Prefecture, and a few other close friends.
Mo Hua was telling stories.
He described how terrifying the monsters in the Great Black Mountain were.
How dangerous and thrilling monster-hunting could be.
What zombies were like.
The difference between walking corpses, iron corpses, and bronze corpses—and how to become a Corpse King.
The sight of a corpse tide flooding across the hills…
And the wicked dealings of evil cultivators who stole souls, or demonic cultivators who ate people in desolate mountain valleys.
The noble young heirs—raised in their cushy clan mansions—were all stunned speechless.
Cheng Mo's jaw dropped. He muttered:
"Mo Hua… you're not making this up, right?"
"Don't believe me? Fine." Mo Hua waved him off, sipping tea from his pot.
Cheng Mo still looked doubtful. "You're so young—talking about monster hunting, corpse tides, demons and devils… if you're not bluffing, I'll eat my sword…"
"Believe what you want."
"I don't believe it…"
"Then why were you listening so intently just now?"
Cheng Mo froze. He had been enthralled. Mo Hua told it so vividly—it sounded so real.
Situ Jian was also listening with fascination, but something suddenly clicked in his memory.
"Speaking of monster hunting…" Situ Jian said, "The sect actually has a place for that."
"The sect? Monster hunting?" Mo Hua blinked. "That's a thing?"
"You didn't know?" Situ Jian asked, surprised.
Mo Hua shook his head.
He was a rogue cultivator, new to Qianxue State, and this was his first time joining a sect. No one had really explained this stuff to him.
Wenren Wan had told him a few things, but she couldn't possibly cover everything in detail—some things were bound to be missed.
"Where can you hunt monsters?" Mo Hua asked.
"There's a place in Qianxue State called Demon Refining Mountain," Situ Jian explained. "It's home to tons of beasts—left there intentionally by powerful cultivators for sect disciples to train in Dao arts and teamwork while slaying monsters."
"But it's pretty far."
"New disciples aren't allowed in Demon Refining Mountain. You need to be mid-stage Foundation Establishment at the very least."
"The beasts there? Many are rare species. Their materials are extremely valuable—especially for crafting spirit weapons. Spirit swords, in particular…"
"Sword forging?!" Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
Situ Jian nodded with a gleam of anticipation. "Yep. Some spirit swords can only be forged using bones from specific beasts found in Demon Refining Mountain."
Mo Hua nodded slightly, suddenly thinking of the inheritance in his hands—the Broken Gold Sword Control Manual, which included a whole section on sword forging techniques.
It detailed how to craft the sword necessary for proper sword control…
He was about to ask more when his heart suddenly jolted—as if something he had been eagerly waiting for had finally arrived.
Stealth Technique!
Mo Hua immediately opened the Great Void Token—and sure enough, a batch of new missions had just been added.
Among them was one that, while seemingly ordinary at a glance, stood out glaringly to Mo Hua:
"Reward posted by the Dao Court Division of Qianxue State…"
"A strange and brutal ambush-and-murder case…"
(End of this Chapter)