60: Chapter 60 The Snow Is Falling Heavier

As the knocking outside the courtyard sounded, Mo Shouyi and Mo Shoucheng stopped in their tracks.

Mo Qingshi went over to open the courtyard gate, but standing outside were actually Mo Dahu and Mo Xiaohu.

A layer of snow had fallen on both of them, and their faces were frozen red.

The two horses tied outside the gate were panting heavily, looking like they had hurried back all the way.

"Dahu, Xiaohu, why are you back?"

Mo Xiaohu glanced into the room, and seeing that everyone was there, he asked curiously:

"Why are you all here?"

"Let's go inside first."

After the two entered the courtyard, Mo Qingshi looked behind them to make sure no one was there and then closed the courtyard gate.

As soon as the two entered the main hall, Mo Shoutian asked:

"Did something happen in Qingshi Town?"

"Brother Shoutian, the people of the Baihe Sect went to the shops early this morning."

Mo Xiaohu said:

"They said the Xuanyang Sect is gone, and from now on Qingshi Town will be under the jurisdiction of the Baihe Sect. Families like ours that originally depended on the Xuanyang Sect must all switch to depending on the Baihe Sect."

"I asked why, and that person only told us to do as we were told. I didn't dare to ask any more."

Mo Dahu continued:

"They went to the restaurant, the apothecary, and the inn."

"The shops must continue to open, goods cannot be moved out, and account books cannot be hidden. In a few days, they will re-inventory each Family's properties, population, and tributes."

Mo Shoutian asked:

"Did they ask us to go to Qingshi Town?"

"No."

Mo Dahu shook his head.

"They only told us to go back and wait. Judging by their tone, they will send people to inspect each Family."

Mo Shoutian looked at Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman.

"It looks like the people of the Baihe Sect will come to Mo Family Village sooner or later."

"The two of you cannot show your faces again, and don't go back to your own homes for now. From now on, you have never returned. If the people of the Baihe Sect ask, just say the Family has never received any news from you."

After saying this, he instructed everyone in the room:

"No one can speak of this matter."

Everyone nodded.

Mo Shoutian turned to look at Liu Chunmei and Chen Xiuyun.

"How many Spirit Stones can be accounted for on the Family's accounts?"

Chen Xiuyun thought for a moment.

"Over three thousand blocks."

"Take out half and pack it separately."

Hearing this, Mo Mancang couldn't help asking:

"Brother Shoutian, isn't half too much?"

"The Baihe Sect hasn't even spoken yet, and we are going to hand over half of the Spirit Stones we saved up over more than a decade?"

Mo Shouyi also said:

"If we take out so much all at once, will they think the Mo Family has even more in their hands?"

Mo Shoutian looked at the people in the room.

"Eleven years ago, we were looking for Xiao'er in Baitou Mountain. Uncle Changfu saw that no one dared to answer, so he stood up himself, wanting to say a word for everyone."

"The leader of the Baihe Sect said only one sentence: who told him to stand up, and with a wave of his hand, he severely injured Uncle Changfu."

"He died right in my arms, don't you know?"

No one else spoke in the room.

After a while, Mo Shoutian continued:

"The people of the Baihe Sect don't need any reason at all to kill a Mortal."

"So this time we cannot wait for them to speak. Besides Spirit Stones, pick out some of those aged herbs from the Family as well."

Mo Mancang couldn't help saying:

"We are already taking out half of the Spirit Stones, and we still have to give herbs?"

"Give them."

Mo Shoutian looked at him.

"If Spirit Stones are gone, we can earn them back; if herbs are gone, we can gather them again. As long as people are still here, these things can all be saved up again in the future."

Mo Mancang didn't speak again.

Mo Shoutian turned and said:

"Chunmei, Xiuyun, sort out the Family's general ledger and the tribute records given to the Xuanyang Sect over the years."

"Uncle Changlin, take a few people to the storeroom and pick out the aged herbs."

"Shouyi, Shoucheng, Dashan, Xiaoshan, you go pick some fine beast meat and beast bones, and prepare them all."

Mo Changlin and the others responded and stood up respectively.

Mo Shoutian looked at Mo Dahu and Mo Xiaohu again.

"The two of you return to Qingshi Town immediately. The restaurant, apothecary, and inn will open as usual; whatever the Baihe Sect tells you to do, you do."

"Alright, we will head back now."

Mo Dahu and Mo Xiaohu didn't stay long either, turning and leaving the main hall.

After Mo Changlin and the others went to take care of their tasks, Mo Shoutian came to the Cultivation room in the backyard.

The light was still on in the Cultivation room.

Mo Shoutian called Nannan out.

"Nannan, if the people of the Baihe Sect stand in front of you, can they tell that you have Cultivated?"

Nannan thought for a moment and said:

"Brother Xiaochuan taught us the secret technique of hiding Qi."

"As long as Xiao Niuzi, the two other people, and I don't use spiritual power, ordinary people shouldn't be able to tell."

"The remaining few people still cannot hide their Qi, and if someone with high cultivation approaches, they might discover it."

"Can the four of you definitely hide it?"

Nannan shook her head.

"If they specifically use spiritual power to check, I don't know if we can get past it."

Mo Shoutian walked to the door and glanced into the courtyard.

The snow was still falling, and the footprints just left had already become much shallower.

"Those who cannot hide their Qi, go into Baitou Mountain with Xiaozhu and Xiaoman right now."

"Change into hunters' clothes, and bring only dry rations, fur coats, and ordinary hunting knives. Without a message from the Family, no one is allowed to return."

Nannan asked:

"Godfather, what happened?"

Mo Shoutian told her about the destruction of the Xuanyang Sect and the Baihe Sect taking over the Mo Family's properties.

Hearing this, Nannan immediately said:

"I'll go tell them right now."

"Except for you and Xiao Niuzi, everyone else must leave."

Nannan asked:

"The other two people can also hide their Qi."

"Even if they can hide it, they still leave."

Mo Shoutian said:

"Fewer people is safer."

Nannan nodded, turned, and went into the Cultivation room.

Not long after, the remaining people changed their clothes and followed Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman into Baitou Mountain under the cover of night.

When Mo Shoutian returned to the main hall, Liu Chunmei and Chen Xiuyun were counting the Spirit Stones.

Liu Chunmei looked at the Spirit Stones on the table and sighed.

"We worked so hard to save them up for so many years, and half of them have to be given away all at once."

Chen Xiuyun didn't stop her hands.

"Father is right. As long as giving these things away can save our lives, that's enough; if they're gone, we can earn them back later."

Mo Shoutian walked to Chen Xiuyun's side and asked in a low voice:

"Xiuyun, has Xiaochuan asked you to keep any important things for him over the years?"

Chen Xiuyun shook her head.

"No."

"broken jade or some old items, not even those?"

"No."

Chen Xiuyun looked at him and asked:

"Father, are you looking for something?"

"It's nothing."

Mo Shoutian didn't continue speaking.

"If the people of the Baihe Sect ask about Xiaochuan, just say he went to Jiuzhou City on business."

"Don't guess about things you don't know, and don't make explanations for him."

"I understand, Father."

Mo Shoutian stood under the eaves, watching the snowflakes falling continuously in the courtyard.

The heavy snow had only stopped for a few days, but for some reason it started falling again today, and it was growing heavier and heavier.

At the same time, inside Xianyuan Pavilion in Qingshi Town.

Duan Qingfeng sat in front of the table, with two rosters left behind by the Xuanyang Sect placed before him.

He opened the ledger of the affiliated families, his gaze stopping on the page of the Mo Family.

"This Mo Family has four businesses in Qingshi Town and another shop in Xianren Valley?"

The Baihe Sect Disciple beside him said:

"The Mo Family originally started by hunting beasts and gathering herbs, and over the years their business has indeed grown larger and larger."

Duan Qingfeng picked up the Xuanyang Sect's Disciple roster again.

"How come out of the eight people the Mo Family sent into the Xuanyang Sect, only six are left?"

"The other two are called Mo Xiaozhu and Mo Xiaoman. After the Xuanyang Sect was breached last night, the two of them disappeared."

Duan Qingfeng glanced at the three characters of Mo Family Village again.

"Are both of them from Mo Family Village?"

"Yes."

Duan Qingfeng closed the roster.

"Prepare a few people."

"Tomorrow, make a trip to Mo Family Village."