Chapter 246: Ambush
Chapter 246: Ambush
The criminal cultivators, led by One-Eye, retraced their steps and hid among the bushes on the hillside, peering upwards.
On the secluded slope, only four figures could be seen.
Ji Qingbai and his two companions were still meditating to heal their wounds, their bodies bearing bloody marks from the battle, while the young monk remained vigilant, standing guard beside them.
"They're not running away. Are they just waiting here to die?" Diao Laosan sneered.
However, One-Eye frowned, "I suspect a trick."
"Let's use our spiritual sense to take a look," suggested one of the criminals.
"They'll sense us," One-Eye replied.
"But there aren't any Foundation Establishment cultivators here. We can be careful and take a quick look," another argued.
"It's that brat. His spiritual sense is ridiculously strong. If we try to probe with our spiritual sense, he'll definitely notice," One-Eye said.
"How is that possible?"
"Do you think I'm lying to you?"
...
The criminals bickered amongst themselves for a moment before One-Eye asked, "Big Brother, what should we do?"
The bald criminal pondered, "Ji Qingbai is an outsider and doesn't have many connections in Tongxian City. He won't have many cultivators helping him."
"As for that brat, he seems to be a local demon hunter, but he's too young to know many people."
"Even if there's an ambush, they won't have many people."
"We outnumber them. We can kill them all!"
One-Eye nodded, and flattered, "Big Brother is brilliant!"
The bald criminal's eyes turned cold as he continued, "We are in a risky business. When meat is delivered right to our knives, there's no reason not to eat it."
The group of criminals smiled sinisterly, their eyes gleaming with greed.
"Attack!" commanded the bald criminal.
Like hungry wolves, over twenty criminals rushed up the slope, spreading out to surround Mo Hua and his companions, preventing any chance of escape.
One criminal stepped forward to capture Mo Hua, but as soon as his foot touched the ground, flames erupted.
The criminal was blown back, his body charred and curled up in agony, a pitiful sight.
"Array formation!"
The hearts of the criminals sank as they exchanged uneasy glances, hesitating to take another step forward.
The power of the array was not to be underestimated, and for a moment, no one could be sure who had set it up or how many there were.
The atmosphere turned heavy as the two groups faced off against each other.
Mo Hua's expression held a hint of fear and tension, but Diao Laosan didn't believe it for a second. This little brat was full of tricks, and he doubted he would show such an expression.
His eyes narrowed dangerously as he said, "Brat, stop pretending. Call off your ambush."
Mo Hua's fear and tension faded as he scratched his head, "Was my acting that bad?"
He thought he had done a decent job.
Diao Laosan's eyelid twitched, and he angrily said, "Still playing with words when you're about to die."
"How do you know I'm about to die?" Mo Hua asked.
Diao Laosan raised his dagger, its blade glinting with a sinister light, and said, "Wait till I slit your throat and poke out your eyes. Then you'll know."
Mo Hua remained unafraid, "Then come if you dare."
Diao Laosan took a step forward, but hesitated.
He didn't know if there were more array formations on the ground and dared not act recklessly.
However, One-Eye frowned, "Something's not right."
The young monk's demeanor was too calm.
What gave him such confidence? Was it merely because of the array formations on the ground, or did he have something else up his sleeve?
Now that they had Mo Hua and his group surrounded, he didn't need to worry about alarming them, so he decided to use his spiritual sense to take a closer look.
But as soon as he extended his spiritual sense, he sensed the auras around them, and his face paled with fear, his body turning cold.
"Big Brother!" One-Eye exclaimed.
Before he could say more, figures of demon hunters appeared on the surrounding slopes, encircling the criminals. There were over two hundred of them, a formidable force.
One-Eye's face was filled with terror, and the blood drained from the faces of the other criminals as well.
So many demon hunters!
How could there be so many?
Who could have gathered so many demon hunters in such a short time in the Inner Mountains?
At the same time, Mo Hua's delicate eyebrows rose, and he pointed at the criminals with his small hand, his voice crisp, "It's you who are about to die!"
Before his words had even landed, the demon hunters on the slope charged down, a swarm of black pressing down on them like a dark cloud, their momentum fierce.
He also guessed that this little monk's identity was extraordinary.
By capturing him, they could use him as leverage to threaten the group of demon hunters and possibly find a way out of this predicament.
Two of the criminals rushed towards Mo Hua, but halfway there, they were blasted back by the Earthfire Array.
Seizing the opportunity, a few other criminals dashed through the array, but one was blocked by Ji Qingbai, and another was punched back by Yu Chenyi.
The remaining few finally reached Mo Hua, but before they could lay a hand on him, he deftly retreated using the Flowing Water Step, leaving them grasping at thin air.
The demon hunters swarmed forward, and the over twenty criminals were quickly overwhelmed by the tidal wave of hunters, unable to hold their ground for long.
Mo Hua withdrew from the battle, sweeping his spiritual sense around. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he raised his hand to cast a fireball at a distant bush.
The Fireball Technique exploded, and a pained hum came from the bush, revealing Diao Laosan's small frame, who had been hiding there.
Mo Hua pointed and shouted from a distance, "Capture that shorty! Don't let him get away!"
The nearby demon hunters immediately rushed towards Diao Laosan upon hearing his command.
Diao Laosan inwardly cursed Mo Hua. He hated himself for learning the Concealment Technique, as it seemed that Mo Hua had a perfect counter to it.
Now that his concealment was useless, he felt like a mouse crossing the street in broad daylight, an easy target for everyone.
Aside from waiting for death, he had no other options.
After a few exchanges, Diao Laosan was knocked to the ground by a demon hunter's punch and pinned down, his arms bound tightly with iron chains so he couldn't move.
The outcome of the frontal battle was equally unsurprising. Several criminals were killed on the spot, and most of the rest were captured, with only two managing to escape.
One was the one-eyed cultivator, who got lucky. During the demon hunters' pursuit, a beast suddenly jumped out and blocked their path, allowing him to escape by chance.
The other was the bald criminal, who had exceptional agility and was extremely cunning.
He shouted about capturing Mo Hua, but when he saw that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, he was the first to flee. With his ghost-like speed, the demon hunters couldn't catch up to him.
The battle concluded with only a few injured demon hunters, easily healed with a few healing pills.
On the other hand, the criminals were all wounded, some with missing arms or legs, bound by iron chains and held captive together.
These chains were usually used to restrain beasts, making them extremely sturdy. With the criminals' injuries, they had little chance of escape.
Yu Chenyi's face lit up with joy. "Just when I was worried about capturing these scumbags, they delivered themselves right to our doorsteps, asking to die."
Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Yu, what should we do with these criminals?"
Yu Chenyi thought for a moment and replied, "Let's beat them up first, interrogate them, and see if we can get any useful information. Then, we can send them to the Daoting Court and claim the bounty."
These criminals had committed murder and robbery, and judging by their appearance, they were repeat offenders. According to the Dao laws, they deserved death.
The demon hunters could claim the reward money, and the Daoting Court would get the credit. It was a win-win situation, and they wouldn't even need to dirty their hands.
Mo Hua nodded and then pointed at Diao Laosan with his small hand, "That shorty is mine. I want to ask him some things."
Yu Chenyi paused for a moment, then reached out and grabbed Diao Laosan, pulling him out and examining him closely before exclaiming in surprise, "It's you!"
He recognized the criminal as the thin, black-robed cultivator who had used the Concealment Technique when the Qian Family attacked the Spirit Mine. They had suffered quite a bit back then because of him.
Yu Chenyi twisted Diao Laosan's arm, breaking it and rendering him unable to fight back, before tossing him in front of Mo Hua. "Ask away."
Mo Hua stared intently at Diao Laosan, then suddenly smiled, revealing a friendly and gentle expression.
"Give me the formula for the Concealment Technique!" (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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