Chapter 235: An Old Acquaintance
Chapter 235: An Old Acquaintance
The Fireball Technique that was just displayed was executed with great skill and packed a powerful punch, undoubtedly cast by a Ling Xiu.
It was rare for a Ling Xiu to be among the demon hunters. Even if one joined a demon hunting team, they wouldn't act alone, but as part of a group.
Demon hunting teams usually consisted of five or six people, sometimes even eight, nine, or more, and they were always well-equipped. There was no way this group of people could take them on.
If they were surrounded by demon hunters, they wouldn't be able to escape.
These people were in a risky business, and they knew that their lives could be forfeit if they let their greed get the better of them.
The leader of the group of cultivators panicked and made a quick decision. "Retreat!"
The seven foreign cultivators hastily withdrew.
Upon seeing this, Ji Qingbai and the others, who had been barely holding their ground, felt a great weight lift from their shoulders. They sheathed their weapons and leaned against the storage boxes, catching their breath.
Ji Qingbai, in particular, felt incredibly relieved.
This encounter had been extremely dangerous. There were only the two of them from the Ji family, and if they had slipped up, the Ji family line would have ended—a truly unfortunate turn of events for the family.
With these thoughts in mind, Ji Qingbai felt grateful. He cupped his hands toward the mountain and asked, "Thank you, but may I ask which brother from the demon hunting team lent us a hand?"
The other three people also looked in the direction of the voice.
On the mountain, among the rugged rocks and swaying bushes, a small figure appeared—Mo Hua.
Mo Hua scratched his head and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Uncle Ji."
Ji Qingbai and his father were like brothers, and Mo Hua felt uncomfortable being addressed as "brother."
Ji Qingbai was taken aback. Why was it a child?
As he looked more closely, he realized that the child before him seemed vaguely familiar.
With a painted-brow and a delicate appearance, he looked similar to someone from the Mo family.
Ji Qingbai had met Mo Hua before, and the impression left by Mo Hua was a deep one.
"Are you… Mo Hua?" Ji Qingbai asked, incredulous.
"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded.
"How… how did you end up here? Are you alone? Where's your father?" Ji Qingbai looked around, perplexed.
The other three men also exchanged glances, equally puzzled.
"We can talk about that later," Mo Hua said. "Now's not the time."
"Then, what now…?" Ji Qingbai was a little dazed.
"We run," Mo Hua said simply.
The inner mountain was vast, and there might not be other demon hunters nearby. Even if they heard the firework, it wasn't certain that anyone would come to their aid.
And even if someone did come to help, it might take a while for them to arrive.
If those seven cultivators regained their senses and turned back soon, the trouble would be enormous.
Ji Qingbai instantly understood and, without further ado, began to prepare for their departure.
Ji Qingbai didn't plan to bring the large storage boxes with them, but as they were about to leave, he hesitated. These boxes contained all their belongings.
Noticing Ji Qingbai's reluctance, Mo Hua said, "Take them with us."
Ji Qingbai was astonished by his words and hesitated again. "But what if those people catch up to us…?"
"If they do, I'll know in advance and we can abandon the boxes then. It won't be too late," Mo Hua said.
Ji Qingbai was taken aback. How could one know about such things in advance?
Mo Hua remained calm and composed.
Even if those cultivators pursued them, with his spiritual sense, he would be able to detect them ahead of time, giving them ample time to react.
As long as they had time to prepare and set up their formations, even if a few more cultivators joined the chase, Mo Hua was confident he could make them regret their decision.
"Also, if we take the boxes, they might not dare to pursue us. If we leave them behind, they'll know we're fearful, and they'll definitely come after us," Mo Hua added.
Ji Qingbai immediately agreed. "Alright!"
The storage boxes were loaded onto a one-wheeled cart, and Ji Qingbai and the burly man took turns pulling it. Ji Li supported the injured female cultivator, while Mo Hua led the way.
As they made their way along the mountain path, Mo Hua occasionally took out a compass to check their direction before choosing a new path.
At the campsite, Mo Hua distributed hemostatic pills and other healing elixirs to the group. Ji Qingbai, upon smelling the pills, exclaimed in surprise, "These elixirs...they're of exceptional quality!"
Mo Hua nodded. "My grandfather, Mr. Feng, crafted them specially for me."
These elixirs were refined by the skilled alchemist, Mr. Feng, using a top-tier alchemy furnace adorned with a first-rate array, ensuring their superior quality.
Mo Hua had rarely been injured since venturing into the inner mountains, so he had kept these emergency elixirs for a long time, and now they finally came in handy.
"You mean Mr. Feng of Xinglintang?" Ji Qingbai asked, slightly taken aback, before nodding in understanding. "No wonder."
Mr. Feng was a renowned first-rate alchemist who had saved countless lives, even in Qingxuan City, where he was well-respected.
Ji Qingbai consumed two pills and handed the rest to Ji Li and the young female cultivator.
The female cultivator, who had sustained the most severe injuries and lost a significant amount of blood, took the pills, relaxed, and soon fell into a deep slumber.
Ji Li remained by her side, his expression a mix of worry and tenderness.
Mo Hua noticed their interaction and asked curiously, "Are you two a couple, Brother Ji?"
Ji Li's face turned crimson. "N-no...not yet."
"Not yet means you're almost there, right?" Mo Hua probed further, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "If you get married, can I come to the wedding?"
He had never attended anyone else's wedding before.
Ji Li's face reddened even more.
Amused by the exchange, Ji Qingbai smiled and said, "If you don't mind, we'll definitely invite you."
"Deal!" Mo Hua exclaimed cheerfully.
The atmosphere in the campsite lightened a little.
Ji Qingbai then asked, "By the way, how did you end up alone in the mountains? It's dangerous here. Where's your father?"
"I can take care of myself," Mo Hua replied. "My father has other matters to attend to."
Ji Qingbai regarded Mo Hua with a mixture of astonishment and regret.
Despite his young age, Mo Hua had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining and was capable of navigating the inner mountains alone, demonstrating a remarkable familiarity with the terrain and a calm demeanor in the face of crises.
Indeed, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Mo Hua seemed to have inherited his father's talent for beast taming.
However, Ji Qingbai sighed inwardly, lamenting the fact that Mo Hua had followed in his father's footsteps and become a beast tamer.
Noticing the hunter's mark hanging from Mo Hua's neck, Ji Qingbai sighed silently.
Once one became a beast tamer, it was difficult to divert their attention to the study of arrays.
Ji Qingbai hoped that Mo Hua would pursue the path of an array master rather than solely focus on becoming an exceptional beast tamer.
While beast tamers were commonplace among solitary cultivators, array masters were a rarity.
Given Mo Hua's remarkable talent, it would be a shame for him not to study arrays and become an array master.
Ji Qingbai couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
Sensing Ji Qingbai's pensive mood, Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Ji, what brings you to Tongxian City? Is there something you need here?"
Ji Qingbai paused, as if recalling something unpleasant, and then smiled bitterly. "We couldn't make a living in Qingxuan City anymore, so we came here to find a way to survive."
(End of Chapter)
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