https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-138-Plundering-Vitality-Part-One-/12540922/
Chapter 137: The Chase (Part Five)
Chapter 137: The Chase (Part Five)
Mo Hua set off with Zhang Lan and the other two, beginning their journey towards Solitary Cloud Peak.
Mo Hua was remarkably familiar with the mountain paths, to the extent that Zhang Lan found it baffling.
He knew exactly where the paths were, the sources of water, the locations of poisonous areas, and the mist-filled regions.
At times, when it seemed like the path had come to an end, he would lead them through detours in the forest, only to find a new path emerging beneath their feet.
Even before they noticed any demonic beasts, Mo Hua would guide them far away, skillfully avoiding any potential encounters.
Along the way, he casually picked wild fruits and dug up medicinal herbs...
His relaxed and leisurely demeanor made it seem as if they were out for a pleasant stroll instead of pursuing dangerous criminals.
Zhang Lan found it hard to believe.
How could this boy be so familiar with the outer regions of Great Dark Mountain as if it were his own backyard?
This was not the Great Dark Mountain he had imagined.
Even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators should be cautious when venturing into these mountains.
Zhang Lan was stunned, while Si Tu Fang was less observant and only vaguely felt that their journey was smoother than expected.
Si Tu Xiu, on the other hand, wore a mocking expression as he turned to Zhang Lan and said, "You said Great Dark Mountain was dangerous. Why haven't we encountered anything so far?"
Zhang Lan looked at him as if he were an idiot.
This fool truly had no idea what was going on. How could he be so clueless, even with someone leading the way? It seemed his brain was filled with nothing but air...
After walking for a while, Mo Hua suddenly stopped and said, "There's a demonic beast up ahead. We'll need to take a detour."
Their journey had been calm and peaceful so far, and Si Tu Xiu, feeling bored, spoke up, "We're in a hurry. Taking detours is troublesome. It's just a mere demonic beast. Let's just slay it and be done with it."
Si Tu Xiu's voice was loud, and without any attempt to conceal his presence, his words reached the ears of a pair of crimson eyes not far away.
They had been discovered!
Zhang Lan frowned and cursed the fool again.
The demonic beast resembled a sheep, with crimson eyes, curled horns, white fur, and sharp teeth. It stood as tall as a person, its body enveloped in a sanguine aura that exuded a subtle oppressive force.
Upon spotting Zhang Lan and his companions, a flash of bloodlust appeared in its eyes, and it charged towards them.
Zhang Lan and the others had no choice but to brace themselves for battle.
Fortunately, all three of them were late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, so dealing with a single Crimson-Eyed Sheep Demon was not overly challenging.
Si Tu Xiu, despite his mediocre abilities, fought with increasing courage, shouting loudly, "It's just a single demonic beast! It's nothing to be afraid of!"
As his words fell, another demonic beast emerged from the grass.
This one had crimson fur, its mouth dripping with a putrid stench—a Clawed Wolf Demon.
Zhang Lan's heart sank, wishing he could slap some sense into Si Tu Xiu.
They could handle one demonic beast, but facing two was a daunting task.
Si Tu Xiu, with his injuries, felt the burning pain in his wounds and dared not act arrogantly anymore.
The group fought fiercely.
After an hour, the Clawed Wolf Demon was slain, and the Sheep Demon, injured, fled.
Only then did the three of them get a moment to catch their breath.
Zhang Lan's back was soaked in sweat. After catching his breath, he realized that Mo Hua was nowhere to be seen.
He looked around but couldn't spot the boy. Just as he was about to call out, he heard Mo Hua's concerned voice in his ear.
"Uncle Zhang, are you alright?"
Mo Hua had reappeared, holding a bottle in his hand. He rushed excitedly towards the injured demonic beast, seemingly up to something...
During the intense battle, Mo Hua had not shown the slightest hint of his presence, but now he had reappeared as mysteriously as he had vanished.
Zhang Lan's suspicions were confirmed. He believed that even if they had gotten lost and died in these mountains, this young boy might have still been just fine.
Si Tu Fang watched Mo Hua curiously and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm collecting demonic beast blood," Mo Hua replied.
"Demonic beast blood? What's it for?" Si Tu Fang inquired.
"For making spiritual ink, which is used for drawing formation arrays," Mo Hua explained.
Si Tu Fang was astonished. "You know how to set up formation arrays too?"
Zhang Lan looked up at the sky, his thoughts unspoken.
So you actually believe him when he says he only knows a little...
After Mo Hua finished collecting the demonic beast's blood, he said, "We need to hurry now, or we won't make it before dark."
Then, sounding a bit reproachful, he added, "You wasted quite some time dealing with that demonic beast."
Si Tu Fang blushed a little and asked, "You knew the demonic beast would be troublesome, which is why you wanted us to take a detour, right?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Si Tu Xiu, still unconvinced, argued, "This time we were just unlucky to run into two of them..."
"If there was only one, would I have asked you to take a detour?" Mo Hua asked.
Si Tu Xiu fell silent.
Si Tu Fang's heart skipped a beat as she listened.
This child, Mo Hua, had known there were two demonic beasts all along, and they had only realized it when the second one appeared...
After Mo Hua finished collecting the demon's blood and saw that Zhang Lan and the others had mostly recovered, he said, "We need to hurry now."
The three of them nodded.
Mo Hua took a few steps, then turned back and admonished, "Be sure to listen to me, or it could be dangerous."
Si Tu Fang felt a bit embarrassed, and even the stubborn Si Tu Xiu, covered in bruises, lowered his head.
From then on, the three of them followed Mo Hua quietly. Their journey was relatively smooth, but it was getting late, and it looked like they would have to spend the night in the mountains.
Mo Hua found a passing demon hunter and said, "Uncle Zhou, please tell my mother that I won't be home for dinner tonight. I'll go back tomorrow."
"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?" the demon hunter asked.
"Yes, yes, I'll be fine. I have Uncle Zhang and the others from the Path Court with me," Mo Hua assured him.
"Alright then, take care."
Mo Hua waved goodbye to the demon hunter, then turned and said, "Let's find a place to spend the night. We can head to Solitary Cloud Peak tomorrow."
Zhang Lan frowned. "Can't we go tonight?"
"You want to catch people, right? It's not easy to do that at night, and there are more demonic beasts around," Mo Hua explained.
Zhang Lan nodded. "I guess we have no choice then."
Mo Hua found a small campsite nearby, lit a lantern, and took out some meat from his storage bag to offer to Zhang Lan and the others.
Si Tu Fang took a bite and her eyes lit up. "This is delicious! Did your mother make this?"
"Yes, she did!" Mo Hua said proudly.
Si Tu Fang ate a few more mouthfuls, then said, "It's a pity that this meat has no spiritual energy."
"Wandering cultivators can't afford spirit meat," Mo Hua said.
Si Tu Fang quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to say that this meat isn't good."
To make up for it, she took out some cakes from her storage bag and offered them to Mo Hua.
Si Tu Xiu didn't say anything, but he also offered Mo Hua some wine.
However, the wine was too strong, and after taking a sip, Mo Hua coughed and didn't drink any more.
Zhang Lan, on the other hand, was not picky and gladly ate and drank whatever was offered.
After they had their fill, they lay down to rest.
Mo Hua couldn't sleep. He still had to enter his sea of consciousness to draw the formation at midnight. He noticed that Zhang Lan was lying down but had his eyes open, clearly not sleepy either, so he went over and quietly asked, "Uncle Zhang, can you tell me about the Flower Pluckers?"
Zhang Lan's eyebrows rose. "You want to become a Flower Plucker?"
Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.
Zhang Lan laughed. "What do you want to know?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment. "The Path Court promulgated the Dao Laws, prohibiting indiscriminate killing, looting, and capturing. In the Dao Laws, capturing is mentioned alongside indiscriminate killing and looting. Does that mean it's a serious crime?"
Zhang Lan's expression turned serious, and he asked in return, "Do you know what capturing means?"
(End of Chapter)
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