Chapter 849: Mr. Wu
Chapter 849: Mr. Wu
In front of the Demon Guardian Hall, a small square was covered in blood.
A hunt was underway.
Four Golden Core cultivators and two at the peak Foundation Establishment stage were jointly hunting a monstrous creature shrouded in blood aura, standing as tall as two men, with deformed and powerful limbs.
The creature was indeed abnormally strong, with a bizarre form. Its twisted limbs made its movements unpredictable, turning it into a blur of blood shadows that were hard to defend against.
Fortunately, the number of cultivators surrounding it was sufficient, and they followed Mo Hua's instructions to wear it down, avoiding prolonged battles and not seeking personal glory.
Their strategy was defensive, with attacks as a secondary measure, and the primary goal was to trap the creature.
At first, Dian Si Xiao didn't take this strategy seriously. He wanted a quick victory, taking advantage of the situation to kill the creature and retrieve the Fish Bone Token from its belly.
However, after a few rounds of combat, he abandoned this idea.
Mo Hua's assessment was largely correct.
The creature could only be worn down; it couldn't be killed.
Even his Water Sword Energy couldn't penetrate the creature's scales at all.
"What kind of monster is this..."
Dian Si Xiao's pupils dilated, but he suppressed his shock and faithfully followed Mo Hua's plan.
It wasn't just Dian Si Xiao; Gu Changhuai's wind blades and Xia Dian Si's ice swords also couldn't injure the creature.
However, they knew Mo Hua always had a purpose, so they had a general idea of what to expect.
The battle continued.
Blades and sword auras flew, wind blades and spells danced, and the figures of the cultivators and the blood shadows of the creature intertwined in a fierce battle.
Mo Hua found the spectacle fascinating and was thoroughly engrossed.
After more than a hundred rounds of combat, the four Golden Core cultivators still couldn't break through the creature's scales.
However, the creature's blood aura was being rapidly consumed.
Soon, under the combined efforts of the cultivators, the creature's blood aura became increasingly thin, and its movements grew sluggish.
The creature immediately sensed something.
Its eyes flashed with a glint of intelligence, which seemed to contain a mix of ferocity and panic.
Mo Hua was taken aback.
This creature... does it still have a shred of rationality left?
Is it not acting purely on instinct?
Mo Hua recalled how the creature had taken advantage of the chaos during the battle to sneak to the temple entrance, swallow the Fish Bone Token from the guardian statue, close the door, and then escape.
"Something's not right..."
Mo Hua's expression turned thoughtful.
In the battle, the creature's blood aura had almost completely dissipated, and it clearly realized the severity of the situation.
With a sudden roar, the creature's scales turned into spikes, and its body transformed into a blood shadow, charging towards Tianquan Xiao.
It wanted to find a way to escape.
Among the attackers, Tianquan Xiao was the weakest.
The creature knew this and targeted Tianquan Xiao.
Tianquan Xiao couldn't stop the creature. In just one exchange, he was knocked back several dozen feet, supporting himself with his sword and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
A gap appeared in the encirclement.
But Mo Hua had prepared for this and wouldn't let it escape.
The ground array activated, and Gu Changhuai and Xia Dian Si used their spirit locks to bind the creature.
Chains wrapped around the creature's body.
Gu Changhuai blocked its path, preventing it from escaping.
The others joined in, using the array, spirit artifacts, and their own abilities to form a large net, trapping the creature in the middle of the square outside the Demon Guardian Hall.
The creature was furious, thrashing about, but it was helpless.
The blood aura was its life force and its source of power.
With its blood aura damaged, it couldn't last long.
The cultivators attacked with their blades, spells, and techniques. Within a short time, the creature's blood aura was completely depleted.
Its movements slowed, and it finally collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Even so, the cultivators didn't let their guard down.
This was a point Mo Hua had repeatedly emphasized.
Even if the creature was on the ground, they had to be cautious and watch out for any signs of feigning death.
Though the creature couldn't move without its blood aura, it was a good habit to maintain.
Xia Dian Si stood guard with his short sword, while the others surrounded the creature.
Gu Changhuai stepped forward and used the Dao Ting Si's spirit lock to bind the creature's limbs, ensuring it couldn't move.
The creature remained motionless, appearing to be nothing more than a pile of blood-soaked flesh.
The cultivators finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"What now?" Liu Xie asked.
Dian Si Xiao said, "Its body is covered in scales that are impervious to blades. Since that's the case, we should use a long sword to pierce its mouth, through the throat, and into its abdomen to destroy its internal organs and ensure it's dead. Then we can find a way to remove its scales and cut open its belly to retrieve the Fish Bone Token."
As a Dao Ting Si, he had used many cruel methods and knew various ways to kill.
Though the others found it somewhat brutal, it seemed to be the only option.
Mo Hua suddenly said, "Wait."
Xiao Diansi turned around, looking at Mo Hua with some surprise. "Young Master, what's wrong?"
Mo Hua stroked his chin, examining the monster's face, and muttered softly, "Could this monster be... Mr. Wu?"
"Mr. Wu?"
Everyone in the room was taken aback, though some were confused, not knowing who Mr. Wu was.
Mo Hua pointed at Shui Yanluo. "He knows."
Mr. Wu...
Shui Yanluo's expression changed, and he found it hard to believe. He stared at the monster for a moment, his heart growing more and more uneasy. He then said coldly, "Mr. Wu... is the chief administrator of the Dragon King Temple. He is the high priest of the divine lord. Every time I bring offerings to the divine lord, Mr. Wu is responsible for presiding over the ceremony."
Divine lord?
Gu Changhuai frowned.
Xia Diansi also looked puzzled.
This was the first time they had heard this term.
The evil deity's minions might be listed in the Dao Ting Si's records, but the hidden, unseen, unheard, unknown, and indescribable evil deity did not exist in their understanding of cultivation.
Even Shui Yanluo himself, though he knew of the "divine lord," might not truly understand what it meant.
Those who do not cultivate the divine way are mere mortals, unable to see the true form of the divine.
"Who is the divine lord?" Gu Changhuai asked.
Shui Yanluo's expression turned solemn, and he said coldly, "How can you, mere mortals, understand the greatness of my divine lord? How can you dare to speak his name?"
"Enough," Xia Diansi frowned. "All this talk of gods and deities..."
In her eyes, Shui Yanluo was not only a despicable sinner but also a madman who believed in gods.
Such people were often deranged, which explained why he had committed so many atrocities.
As for the so-called "divine lord" he worshipped, who knew what kind of wild deity or evil entity it was.
It might not even exist.
There were more pressing matters at hand.
Xia Diansi turned to look at the monster lying on the ground, bound by iron chains, and after a moment's thought, said, "If he really is Mr. Wu, he must know some important information. If we cut out his innards and slice open his belly to retrieve the fishbone token, he will surely die..."
"This temple is strange. It's better to keep him alive for now and question him."
Mo Hua nodded. "Indeed..."
This Mr. Wu was still useful.
If he died, they would have no way to find the altar.
Xiao Diansi had some concerns. "Even if this monster is Mr. Wu, his appearance is neither human nor ghost, and he seems to have lost his mind. How can we question him?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up. "Let's bleed him."
"Bleed him?"
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "His current form must be related to the blood in his body..."
And this blood might very well be dragon blood...
"If that's the case, draining all the blood from his body might cleanse his soul from the corrupting influence, allowing him to regain some sanity."
"What if we kill him by bleeding?" Xiao Diansi asked.
Mo Hua sighed. "Then it's his bad luck. We did what we could, and if he dies, we can still cut open his belly and retrieve the fishboneXiao Diansi thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright."
However, the monster's body was covered in scales, making it difficult to bleed him.
Xiao Diansi searched for a while and finally found a weak spot under the monster's armpit, where the scales were thinner. After some effort, he managed to pierce the armpit with his longsword.
The wound oozed thick, dark blood, but it didn't flow freely.
Xiao Diansi said gravely, "He's consumed too much human flesh, making his blood too dirty and thick. It's almost fused with his flesh. Even with the scales broken, the blood won't flow."
"This is problematic..."
Mo Hua frowned, thought for a moment, and then remembered a technique he hadn't used in a long time: the Blood Suction.
This was a technique his senior sister had given him long ago in Tongxian City.
He used it to hunt beasts, extract their blood, and mix it with spirit ink for his own use.
Mo Hua rolled up his sleeves and said, "I'll do it!"
Then, under everyone's curious gazes, he placed his palm on the monster's armpit, channeling his divine consciousness to draw the blood out.
The monster's blood, thick and dark, began to flow out under Mo Hua's divine consciousness.
Everyone was surprised.
Xia Diansi couldn't help but ask, "Mo Hua, how do you know so much?"
"Indeed," Mo Hua nodded. "I'm a wandering cultivator. Poor children learn early. You need to know a bit of everything to survive."
Xia Diansi: "..."
A talented array master from the Tai Xu Sect, a guest of the Gu family, needed to learn such things to "earn a living"?
Xia Diansi didn’t believe a word of it.
Mo Hua chatted idly while simultaneously draining the monster’s blood.
In no time, the creature’s form began to "slim" down.
Its scales also withered and faded, gradually merging with its skin.
As more blood was drained, the monster grew thinner, and its deformed body began to resemble a human form.
The crowd was secretly alarmed.
This blood-soaked monster was indeed a human...
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the bleeding was almost complete.
The creature had also returned to its original form.
It was a short, thin, pale-faced old man with some monster scales still remaining on his hands and feet.
Shui Yanluo examined his face and sighed, “It’s indeed ‘Wu Xiansheng’...”
Mo Hua glanced at the thick, foul-smelling blood that had been drained from him, feeling a bit regretful.
“There’s no dragon blood...”
This “Wu Xiansheng” had dragon scales covering his body and had undoubtedly consumed dragon blood.
Mo Hua had hoped that using his blood-draining technique, he might extract some dragon blood, which he could then secretly keep for research.
Unfortunately, that hope was dashed.
Wu Xiansheng was still unconscious.
“We need to wake him up,” Mo Hua said.
Wu Xiansheng, who guarded the Dragon King Temple and presided over the sacrifices, was certainly no good person.
With time running short and the need to find a way out, they couldn’t afford to waste time waiting for him to wake up naturally.
Waking him up was a task for the many Diansi present, not Mo Hua.
Xia Diansi took out a few pills and fed them to Wu Xiansheng.
Mo Hua couldn’t tell if they were for replenishing blood or poisoning him to hasten his demise.
After a moment, Wu Xiansheng’s complexion improved slightly, but he still didn’t wake up.
Xia Diansi wanted to give him a few more pills, but Gu Changhuai was already impatient.
He grabbed Wu Xiansheng by the neck, lifted him up, and slammed him to the ground a few times.
Mo Hua’s eyes twitched as he could faintly hear the sound of bones breaking.
But it had to be said, this method of “waking” him up was indeed effective.
A moment later, a feeble, old voice croaked out.
“S-Stop... cough... stop...”
Gu Changhuai let go and threw Wu Xiansheng to the ground.
Wu Xiansheng slowly got up, feeling dizzy and sore all over, with severe blood loss and a significant loss of energy. He felt as if he had been thrown into a hellish prison, taking a while to recover his senses.
He looked at the group with a pained expression, frowning and said, “Who are you? Why have you come to my Dragon King Temple and dared to disturb the peace of my deity? Are you not afraid...”
“Shut up,” Gu Changhuai said impatiently, “We’ll ask the questions. Answer honestly, or we’ll kill you now.”
Wu Xiansheng sneered, “Ignorant fools, how dare you...”
Gu Changhuai grabbed him by the neck again, lifted him up, and slammed him to the ground a few more times.
This time, Wu Xiansheng was subdued.
The pain made him realize his dire situation.
“Sir, ask your questions, and I will answer truthfully,” Wu Xiansheng rubbed his broken ribs and clasped his hands sincerely.
Gu Changhuai said, “Why did you steal our tokens and prevent us from leaving?”
“Steal tokens?” Wu Xiansheng was taken aback.
Gu Changhuai’s gaze turned cold, “You don’t know?”
Wu Xiansheng frowned, thinking for a moment, and said hesitantly, “Why would I steal your tokens? What tokens? Besides, I don’t even know you, why would I steal your tokens?”
Gu Changhuai frowned, and the others exchanged glances, with Mo Hua feeling a bit puzzled.
This Wu Xiansheng remembered nothing?
Mo Hua said, “Then what do you remember?”
“Remember... what?” Wu Xiansheng was still confused.
“Just,” Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, “What were you doing in your last memory before this?”
Wu Xiansheng clasped his hands and said devoutly, “I was sitting in front of the temple hall, giving a routine lecture to the temple’s believers, preaching the greatness of the deity.”
“And then...”
Wu Xiansheng tried to recall, and his expression suddenly changed, his eyes wild.
“I think I heard the deity’s revelation. He said that a great crisis would befall the temple, and a powerful enemy of the deity would come to kill the believers, seize the temple, desecrate the altar, and usurp the deity’s authority...”
“Then, then, I...”
Wu Xiansheng’s brows furrowed, his expression pained, as if he couldn’t remember anything more.
He suddenly looked around, seeing the dead temple guards, the scattered limbs, and the blood-soaked ground, feeling a wave of nausea and shock.
His face filled with anger, he pointed at the group and said, trembling, “Y-You... it’s you...”
“You are the enemies of the deity!”
“You killed the believers in my temple! Your methods are so cruel, your hearts so evil, you...”
Wu Xiansheng’s anger overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t speak.
Mo Hua shook his head. "We didn't kill these people."
Mr. Wu roared in anger. "Impossible!"
"They... were killed by you," Mo Hua said, his gaze clear and resolute as he looked at Mr. Wu.
Mr. Wu's expression froze, and he began to shake his head rapidly, muttering, "Impossible, how could I have killed them? I... I didn't..."
"Not only did you kill them," Mo Hua continued, "you also 'ate' them..."
Mr. Wu's face turned deathly pale. He was both frantic and furious, pointing at Mo Hua and shouting, "You little brat, you're spewing lies! How could I possibly eat people? I..."
"Look at what's on the corner of your mouth."
Mo Hua's voice was calm, but to Mr. Wu, it sounded as cold as the ghosts from hell.
Mr. Wu touched his mouth and only then did he taste the blood. He could even feel bits of flesh stuck between his teeth.
The blood was human, and the flesh...
Mr. Wu's eyes rolled back as he suddenly vomited violently onto the ground, as if trying to expel his liver and gallbladder.
Mo Hua watched Mr. Wu and muttered to himself, "He really didn't know..."
The others looked at Mr. Wu, who was nearly vomiting his guts out, and then turned to Mo Hua, speechless.
Mr. Wu vomited for a long time until he was almost on the verge of expelling his intestines. Only then did he manage to catch his breath.
But he still couldn't accept the fact that he had killed the believers of the Divine Lord and devoured their flesh.
"It must be you, it must be you! You killed them, it has nothing to do with me..."
Mr. Wu screamed hysterically.
Shui Yanluo, not wanting to bear the blame, said sincerely, "Mr. Wu, you should recognize me. I am also a believer of the Divine Lord. I..."
"Shut up!" Mr. Wu shouted, "I understand now, it must have been you who brought these evil people here. You betrayed the Divine Lord, you are a sinner of the Divine Lord!"
Shui Yanluo's face turned grim.
Xiao Diansi's eyes flickered, and he said, "Mr. Wu seems to know nothing. He's of no use to us now. Since that's the case, we should cut open his stomach and retrieve the token so we can leave."
Mr. Wu's expression froze. "What do you mean, cut open my stomach?"
Xiao Diansi looked at him and said slowly, "You transformed into a monster, stole our token, and swallowed it."
Mr. Wu said, "Impossible!"
Xiao Diansi didn't waste any more words. "I'll cut open your stomach, retrieve the token, and show it to you."
Mr. Wu, terrified, said, "How can you do that? I'm already severely injured. If you cut open my stomach, how can I survive? Even if I don't die, I'll be left with half a life."
Xiao Diansi said coldly, "Whether you live or die is none of my concern. I only want the token."
"But there really isn't a token in my stomach."
"How do you know there isn't?"
"How could I not know what's in my stomach?"
"I don't believe you."
"You..."
Xiao Diansi drew his sword and was about to cut open Mr. Wu's stomach.
Mr. Wu, pale and powerless, said, "There really isn't a token. I don't feel any foreign object in my stomach..."
But Xiao Diansi didn't listen. He believed in seeing is believing.
Just then, Mo Hua suddenly said, "Xiao Diansi, Mr. Wu's stomach might really not have the token."
Xiao Diansi was slightly taken aback and frowned. "Why?"
Mo Hua explained, "When he transformed into a monster, his flesh became too corrupt and could corrode external objects. The token, which looked like a fragile fish bone, has probably been corroded by the blood and decay after being in his stomach for so long..."
"Yes, yes," Mr. Wu, grasping at a straw, nodded repeatedly. "This little brat... Little Daoist Master is right!"
Xiao Diansi's expression was cold and unyielding, and he remained silent, deep in thought.
Seeing the opportunity, Mo Hua said to Mr. Wu, "Now that the main gate of the Dragon King Temple is sealed, do you know any other way to leave?"
Mr. Wu hesitated.
Mo Hua's tone turned colder. "Don't blame me for not warning you. Xiao Diansi is not someone to be trifled with. If you're of no use, even if there's no token in your stomach, he will still cut you open..."
Mr. Wu's face turned as white as paper. After a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and said, "There is a way out..."
"What way?"
"I... I have hidden another token..."
Mo Hua's eyebrows raised. "Where have you hidden it?"
Mr. Wu, his expression filled with fear, hesitated for a moment before finally speaking slowly, "I hid it... in the altar..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, then a faint smile curved his lips.
---
PS:
A new month has begun, and I'm hoping for some support with the monthly votes.
Not having any votes would be too sad (tears)~
Additionally, there will be an extra chapter today, so look forward to the regular update time. ~(.)
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
