Chapter 256: Schemes
Chapter 256: Schemes
On the fringes of the forest, the battle between the bald monk and Mo Shan continued to rage on.
The bald monk, unable to gain the upper hand and equally unable to escape, believed his end was near. However, after a few more exchanges, he noticed something peculiar—the demon hunter wasn't fighting with lethal intent. The mysterious cultivator in the shadows, who had been using strange techniques to confine him, seemed content to merely immobilize him rather than deal a fatal blow.
It seemed these two had no intention of taking his life.
The bald monk felt a mix of relief and indignation. They were toying with him! Neither killing nor letting him go, they were like hunters enjoying themselves at the expense of their prey. This was a blatant humiliation!
"This is going too far!" The bald monk flew into a rage.
Unwilling to await his fate, the bald monk alternated between using talismans and feigning defeat, desperately seeking an opportunity to flee. But no matter how many chances he tried to create, he would invariably be immobilized by the Water Prison technique, his efforts amounting to nothing.
In the face of Mo Hua's Water Prison technique, his schemes were utterly futile.
The bald monk was both alarmed and furious. Who was this mysterious cultivator in the shadows? He felt like his every move was under the cultivator's control, with no chance of escape.
Amidst his surprise and anger, a question nagged at his mind: "Things have come to this point, yet they don't kill me. What are they trying to achieve?"
As the bald monk continued to struggle against Mo Shan, he caught sight of two more figures approaching in the distance—Zhang Lan and Lu Hui.
The bald monk's heart sank further. "It's over. There's no way I can escape now."
Mo Hua, hidden in the forest, also lit up with excitement.
Having practiced the Water Prison technique to trap the bald monk several times, he had become quite adept at it and was now even starting to find it a bit boring.
Even a cat would get tired of playing with a mouse after a while.
He had been waiting for Lu Hui, and now, the prey had finally arrived.
A slight smile curved Mo Hua's lips.
Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had been searching the mountains for a long time. Upon seeing Mo Shan engaged in battle with the bald monk, they immediately became alert, quickening their pace and closing the distance in a few flashes.
The three of them formed a triangular encirclement around the bald monk.
Despair flashed across the bald monk's face, and he said bitterly, "You dogs of the Daotinsi, must you be so ruthless and merciless?"
Zhang Lan cursed, "What nonsense are you spouting? You despicable creature, you should've died long ago!"
The bald monk's face twitched.
Lu Hui's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "Bald Monk, I have a question for you. Did you kidnap the young master of the Kong family?"
The bald monk frowned. "What young master of the Kong family?"
"About half a month ago, did you rob a merchant caravan?"
"I've robbed many caravans. How would I know which one you're talking about?"
Lu Hui's eyelid twitched. "Then let me ask you this. What did you do with the cultivators you robbed?"
A sinister smile played at the corner of the bald monk's mouth. "That depends on whether they were male or female. Males were killed on the spot, while females were... entertained before meeting the same fate."
At this point, he knew he had no chance of escape. He would face death either way, so he saw no point in hiding the truth.
Lu Hui's heart sank. If that was the case, then the young master of the Kong family had likely been killed without even realizing who his captor was, not having the chance to reveal his identity.
Zhang Lan said, "Let's take him to the Daotinsi for questioning." With that, he formed a water sword and launched an attack on the bald monk without further ado.
Lu Hui also drew his sword and aimed for the bald monk's heart meridian.
Mo Shan's eyes flickered as he recalled Mo Hua's instructions. When the time came to act, he pretended to be out of breath and delayed his move, creating a brief opening in their encirclement.
The bald monk, experienced in battle, immediately seized this opportunity. Joy flashed in his eyes as he saw a glimmer of hope in what he had thought was a hopeless situation. He had expected to die or, at best, fall into the hands of the Daotinsi. Yet, at the last moment, Mo Shan's feigned mistake had given him a chance to escape.
But to his surprise, the shadowy figure remained inactive, refraining from employing their unusual techniques.
"What a chance!" Guiding Light exclaimed joyfully, his eyes gleaming with determination as he exerted himself to sprint away, the wind swirling around him.
Lu Hui clicked his tongue in annoyance and shot a glance at Mo Shan before pursuing Guiding Light, employing his movement technique.
Guiding Light had killed Young Master Kong, and they couldn't let him escape now.
Zhang Lan, perplexed by Mo Shan's earlier blunder, shot him a curious glance. In his experience, Mo Shan was a seasoned fighter who rarely made such rookie mistakes.
Then he noticed Mo Shan giving him a subtle signal, his eyes flickering meaningfully towards the distant figure of Lu Hui.
Zhang Lan paused, realization dawning on him, and a mischievous smile tugged at his lips.
At that moment, Mo Hua emerged from the trees, and the three exchanged knowing glances, their intentions clear without words. They sprang into action, giving chase to both Guiding Light and Lu Hui.
Lu Hui, focused on his pursuit and employing his movement technique with all his might, cursed inwardly. "How could they let that bald monk escape when the three of them were surrounding him? These demon hunters are truly idiotic."
However, this turn of events suited his purposes. As long as he caught up to Guiding Light first and subdued or killed him, the credit for this mission would be solely his.
Not only would he fulfill the Daotinsi's assignment, but he would also avenge Young Master Kong.
He could expect substantial rewards from both the Daotinsi and the Kong family for his efforts.
Lu Hui's heart burned with determination as he pushed himself harder in pursuit of Guiding Light.
Meanwhile, Mo Hua and his companions trailed behind at a distance, neither closing in on Lu Hui nor letting Guiding Light out of their range. If Lu Hui lost his quarry, Mo Hua would kindly offer Zhang Lan's assistance in tracking down the bald monk.
With Mo Hua's spiritual sense locking onto him, there was no way Guiding Light could escape.
And so, the chase continued, with Lu Hui in hot pursuit of Guiding Light.
It took over half an hour for Lu Hui to finally intercept Guiding Light, engaging him in close combat.
Mo Hua and his companions halted at a distance, opting not to join the fray.
Exhausted from his prolonged battle with Mo Shan and the subsequent escape attempt, Guiding Light was now at the end of his rope.
Lu Hui, too, had depleted a significant amount of spiritual energy, but he was in much better shape than his opponent.
However, he couldn't shake off the nagging question of why Guiding Light, with his exceptional movement techniques, always seemed to fall short of escaping.
But there was no time to ponder this mystery, as he needed to bring Guiding Light down as soon as possible.
After over a dozen intense exchanges, the outcome of the battle became clear.
Lu Hui's sword pierced Guiding Light's shoulder, forcing him to his knees. Knowing his end was near, Guiding Light's eyes blazed with resentment as he swung his blade towards Lu Hui's chest.
However, he knew his own strike would be in vain; his body, weary from the prolonged battle, moved too slowly to land a successful blow.
Lu Hui responded with a contemptuous smile.
Guiding Light's attack posed no threat, and he could easily dodge it by taking a single step back.
As Lu Hui prepared to retreat, his foot hovering slightly above the ground, a chilling glint flashed in Mo Hua's eyes, hidden in the distance. With a slight gesture, she unleashed a spiritual chain of energy, ensnaring Lu Hui and freezing him in place!
Caught halfway through his evasive maneuver, Lu Hui's eyes widened in shock, his soul trembling in that fleeting moment.
Before he could recover, Guiding Light's blade slashed across his chest, tearing through his soft armor and drawing forth a gush of blood.
(End of Chapter)
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