Chapter 135: A Chance Encounter (Part III)
Chapter 135: A Chance Encounter (Part III)
Old Zhao was severely injured, his breath faint and weak.
The group rushed to his aid, feeding him healing pills to protect his vital meridians before sending him down the mountain. Through the night, they knocked on He Xinglintang's door.
Mr. Feng intervened and saved his life.
However, while his life was spared, he remained unconscious.
According to Mr. Feng, he had been marked for death and pursued relentlessly, exhausting his spiritual energy and losing too much blood, hence his comatose state.
He needed time to recuperate; only when his qi and blood were nurtured would he awaken.
Fortunately, he had been found just in time; any later, and it might have been too late to save him.
Upon learning that Mo Hua had discovered and rescued the man, Mr. Feng paused, then smiled with relief, patting Mo Hua's head affectionately.
"You're a lucky child."
Mo Hua felt slightly embarrassed.
Old Zhao's wife, overwhelmed with worry, had fainted several times. Hearing that her husband was alive but unconscious, she finally relaxed, her tense spirits easing.
She took the time to thank Mo Hua, gifting him a few Daoist robes she had sewn herself, with two lines of small characters embroidered on the collar: "Peace and Longevity."
It was a sincere blessing.
Liu Ruhua pulled her inside to chat and comfort her gently. By the time she took her leave, her spirits had visibly improved.
However, Mo Hua still had something on his mind.
Mr. Feng had said that Uncle Zhao had been marked for death, not hunted by a demon beast.
Who in Tongxian City would target a late-stage Qi Refining demon hunter for death? Mo Hua couldn't fathom it.
Elder Yu had already dispatched people to investigate, and they should have some leads by now. Even if they couldn't uncover the truth, once Uncle Zhao woke up, they would likely get their answers.
Nevertheless, these matters were for Elder Yu and the others to worry about, not Mo Hua.
He had done what he could.
He just hoped that Uncle Zhao would wake up soon so that their family could be reunited.
In the following days, Mo Hua devoted extra effort to his cultivation.
Each day, he spent an additional hour meditating and cultivating, refining spirit stones.
For cultivators, consistency was key. By persevering in their daily practice, they accumulated progress over time, naturally achieving their goals.
There was no need to cultivate for extended periods each day; an hour of dedicated practice was sufficient.
The extra hour Mo Hua spent wasn't particularly efficient, and the amount of spiritual energy he could refine was limited. But since he was just a step away from the sixth layer of Qi Refining, Mo Hua wanted to make a final push and cross that threshold.
A few days later, he indeed felt he was approaching the sixth layer.
With solemnity, Mo Hua burned incense, bathed, prepared spirit stones, and focused his spirit, ready to break through.
And then he failed.
He couldn't cross that threshold...
Mo Hua's face darkened, and he slung his storage bag over his shoulder, heading back into Dahei Mountain.
Breakthroughs in cultivation were fickle things; he'd leave it to fate and not bother trying anymore.
He might as well stock up on more demon blood for his array practice.
Upon entering Dahei Mountain, Mo Hua noticed a decrease in the number of demon hunters.
In the past, he would encounter numerous familiar faces within half a day, but now, even after wandering for a whole day, he only came across one or two.
Mo Hua met a demon hunter team he wasn't very familiar with, mooched some demon blood off them, treated them to beef, and inquired about the situation. That was when he learned the reason for the decrease in hunters.
Due to the attempt on Old Zhao's life, Elder Yu was concerned and had dispatched people to investigate. He also asked everyone to refrain from entering Dahei Mountain for a few days, which explained the scarcity of demon hunters in the area.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows. With fewer people around, the number of demon beasts would naturally increase.
His prolonged stay in the mountain now posed a certain risk.
What if he was pursued by a demon beast with no one around to lend a hand?
"Should I head down the mountain now?"
After some thought, Mo Hua shook his head. His spiritual sense was already quite strong, rivaling that of most late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. He could detect demon beasts from a distance and wouldn't be caught off guard.
Nevertheless, he decided to maintain a low profile.
Mo Hua smeared his clothes with grass juice, stuck a few branches in his hair, and even dirtied his face.
This way, the demon beasts wouldn't be able to scent him, and from a distance, they wouldn't be able to discern his form due to the grass and branches.
As for his dirty clothes, his mother would help him wash them when he returned home.
As he ate, Mo Hua suddenly sensed some movement. He peered through the grass and spotted several figures walking toward him from a distance.
From their attire, they didn't seem to be demon hunters.
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn, and he lowered his body, secretly releasing his spiritual sense.
His spiritual sense detected three people—two men and one woman—all with late-stage Qi Refining cultivation. Their spiritual power was subtle and difficult to discern, and they seemed to be arguing about something.
Mo Hua pricked up his ears, curious to hear more.
"We've been searching for several days, but we haven't found anything..." a man said intermittently.
"Be patient... That person is extremely cunning..."
"...Despicable and shameless... If we find him, I'll tear him to pieces..." This was a woman's voice.
Who are they talking about? Could it be Uncle Zhao...?
Mo Hua held his breath and listened intently.
As the trio drew closer, their voices became clearer, and Mo Hua felt that one of the voices sounded vaguely familiar.
"...If we still can't find him, you should go back first." The man in front suggested.
"I'm not going back!" The woman asserted.
"Is this the capability of your Tongxian City's Daotingsi? Can't even find a person?" The other man scoffed, his tone somewhat strange.
"That thief is very familiar with Dahei Mountain. He's hiding in the mountain, and our search is like finding a needle in a haystack."
"Even if it's like finding a needle in a haystack, we still have to find it..."
"You're not local cultivators, so you don't understand. Dahei Mountain is filled with demon beasts and is extremely dangerous..."
"It's just a second-grade state-level demon mountain. How dangerous could it be?"
"Ignorance is bliss..."
"Hmph, I'm not like you, timid and hesitant! Whether it's demon beasts or that thief, I'll slash anyone I see..."
The man in front suddenly stopped and coldly smiled, "Stop boasting. We've been watched for quite some time, and you didn't even notice?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'?"
The man fell silent for a moment, then abruptly drew his sword and pointed it at the grass where Mo Hua was hiding. With a cold voice, he said, "Don't hide anymore, come out!"
Upon hearing this, the other two were stunned for a moment, and a flash of horror appeared in their eyes. They both took half a step back, drew their swords, and stood there with grave expressions, following the direction of the man's sword.
The mountain rocks were rugged, and the wild grass was lush, with nothing unusual in sight.
The more ordinary it seemed, the more alarmed they felt.
The sword-wielding man had a cold and cautious look on his face.
If he hadn't happened to use his spiritual sense and discovered a faintly discernible figure hiding in the grass, they wouldn't have known that someone had been spying on them all this time!
These three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators had been observed by someone through their spiritual sense without them noticing! The stronger the spiritual sense, the deeper the cultivation, coupled with expertise in concealment and cunning schemes...
The sword-wielding man couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine as he thought of this.
Mo Hua, hiding in the grass, knew he had been discovered, so he slowly stood up.
The three people saw the grass rustling, and then a thin figure appeared.
There were strange branches on his head, and he wore what looked like a cultivator's robe, but it was stained with grass juice. His face was dirty and black, making it hard to discern his features.
His spiritual power seemed weak, or perhaps he was deliberately hiding his aura.
"Is it a human or a demon beast?"
The sword-wielding man's expression grew more tense, and he felt a chill in his heart, unsure if he should make a move.
Then he saw the figure, which he couldn't tell was human or beast, wave at him. With a crisp and cheerful voice, the figure said, "Uncle Zhang, long time no see!"
The sword-wielding man was left dumbfounded.
He recognized that voice, and now he could also recognize that figure...
"Mo... Mo Hua?!?"
"Yup." Mo Hua nodded happily.
Zhang Lan was completely stunned, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground.
(End of Chapter)
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