Chapter 945: Kidnapping
Chapter 945: Kidnapping
Shen Qingsheng stared at Mo Hua with a venomous expression.
Mo Hua was startled, and the few Golden Core cultivators around him, who were tomb raiders, exchanged glances. The old man who was called "Mr. Pi" glanced at Mo Hua and asked, "Do you know him?"
Before Mo Hua could say anything, Shen Qingsheng coldly laughed, "I knew you'd eventually return to Solitary Mountain, so I had people keep an eye on you early on. But you, you little brat, kept disappearing and reappearing, and as soon as you entered the mountain, you vanished. I've been searching for you for so long, and I've finally managed to find you..."
Shen Qingsheng pointed at Mo Hua and said, "This time, no one will protect you!"
His tone was arrogant, and he didn't pay any attention to Mr. Pi and the others.
Or perhaps, in his eyes, an old man at the peak of Foundation Establishment and three ordinary Golden Core cultivators were of no significance.
He was a disciple of the Shen family and the Qian Dao Sect. He had often seen Ascended True Men, not to mention a few "country bumpkin" Golden Core cultivators.
Mr. Pi and the others' faces turned indifferent.
Mo Hua felt helpless, stretched out his hand, and showed the shackles on his wrist to Shen Qingsheng, saying, "I've been captured, and I can't make decisions. If you want to kill me, it depends on whether these seniors agree or not..."
"Hmph!"
Shen Qingsheng coldly snorted, pointing at Mo Hua and saying to Mr. Pi and the others, "Give me this kid, and tell me how many Spirit Stones you want."
Mr. Pi's eyelids twitched, and the other three Golden Core cultivators' faces also turned grim.
"Sir, we didn't come to capture this young man, and we can't make decisions for him either. We just want to ask him for a small favor. After the task is completed, we will let him go. At that time, you can settle your grudges on your own..." Mr. Pi said as politely as he could.
"Why so much chatter?" Shen Qingsheng frowned. "Hand over the person I want quickly, and stop talking so much."
"What if I don't let him go?"
"Don't let him go?" Shen Qingsheng coldly laughed and waved his hand. The group of people behind him stepped forward.
Mr. Pi's face turned ugly.
A short and stout Gray Cloak Golden Core Cultivator beside him whispered, "Mr. Pi, what should we do now?"
Mr. Pi's gaze darkened as he looked at Shen Qingsheng's group and said, "It's better to avoid trouble. We have an irregular background, so it's best to minimize complications."
"What about the matter of offering tribute..."
"We'll find another way."
"Alright."
The two men whispered, and after discussing, Mr. Pi said, "This young man can be handed over to the young master."
Shen Qingsheng's eyebrows rose, "Consider yourselves lucky."
Mr. Pi pushed Mo Hua forward.
Mo Hua looked helpless.
He had originally planned to follow them into the tomb and then decide what to do, but Shen Qingsheng's interference ruined his plans.
As Mo Hua was about to fall into his hands, Shen Qingsheng's expression became more excited, "You damn brat, this time you won't have a Golden Core cultivator protecting you. Let's see what you can do now that you're in my hands. I'll..."
Mo Hua raised his eyes and gave him a faint glance.
This glance was like the one from that day, and in a daze, the nightmare seemed to reappear, causing terror to surge within Shen Qingsheng, who immediately covered his eyes and screamed in response to the stimulus. But after a moment, he realized that nothing had happened.
Mo Hua had simply given him an ordinary glance.
Shen Qingsheng was immediately enraged, his face turning crimson, and he shrieked, "You dare to humiliate me! You want to scheme against me!"
Mo Hua was speechless.
After giving him a glance, he didn't even use his Pupil Technique, and this was his character...
Shen Qingsheng seemed to sense Mo Hua's disdain and became even more furious, "You're about to die, and it's not just because of your luck or my Shen family's incompetence. Those two Golden Core bodyguards were too cowardly to dare to lay a hand on you. I've dismissed them and replaced them with my personal followers."
"This time, the henchmen are personally trained by me. I tell them who to kill, and they kill. You won't have such good luck again."
Mo Hua looked at Shen Qingsheng's followers.
Most of them seemed unfamiliar, as if they had indeed been replaced.
The Foundation Establishment disciples had sinister expressions, and the two Shen family Golden Core cultivators stood in front of Shen Qingsheng like two loyal hawks.
Mo Hua's little finger touched the shackles on his wrist and began planning his escape in his mind.
Shen Qingsheng waved his hand, and the two Golden Core cultivators behind him approached Mo Hua.
As they drew closer, Mr. Pi spoke up, "Wait!"
The Shen family's Golden Core cultivators stopped in their tracks, and Shen Qingsheng's face turned displeased.
Mr. Pi's gaze deepened, and he said, "Young master, you just said that you'd give us Spirit Stones if we gave you the person. Now that we're giving you the person, where are the Spirit Stones?"
Unexpectedly, Shen Qingsheng's face turned, and he said, "Spirit Stones? What Spirit Stones? When did I say that?"
Mr. Pi's gaze intensified.
Shen Qingsheng sneered, "Spirit Stones are something I can give, but you can't take them."
"If I give them to you, it's a gift. You asking me for them, what does that make it? Are you trying to collect a debt from me, or are you trying to humiliate me?"
The faces of Mr. Pi and the others turned dark, and one of them clenched his fist, causing a layer of earth and stone to cover his arm.
Shen Qingsheng remained unfazed, and with a cold smile, he said, "What, you want to make a move? This entire mountain range is under the control of my Shen family. Once you start, don't even think about leaving Solitary Mountain."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Pi was taken aback, his expression wary. "Are you from the Shen family?"
"Indeed," Shen Qingsheng nodded.
Mr. Pi contemplated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Alright, we're at fault. Please do as you wish, Young Master."
Seeing their submission, Shen Qingsheng immediately scoffed, his demeanor becoming more arrogant. "A bunch of country bumpkins, making me waste so much effort..."
Although his voice was light, Mr. Pi and the others still heard him. One of them, a thin-faced Golden Core Cultivator with a pointed chin, immediately had a change in expression, unable to suppress his anger.
Shen Qingsheng, seeing his defiance, coldly said, "What? You want to make a move? Come on, if you have the ability, kill me, the young master. Don't blame me for not warning you. I'm from the direct lineage of the Shen family, and my father is a powerful elder in the Shen family. This Solitary Mountain is under his management. If you dare to make a move, don't even think about leaving Solitary Mountain alive. As long as I tell my father, none of you, regardless of your family background, will be able to escape unscathed..."
After being ridiculed like this, Mr. Pi and the others surprisingly calmed down. They exchanged glances, their expressions indifferent, and remained silent.
Mo Hua's eyelids twitched slightly.
Shen Qingsheng pointed at Mo Hua and said to a Golden Core Cultivator beside him, "Bring him over to me."
The Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator then approached Mo Hua, walked up to Mo Hua's side, drew his sword, and held it against Mo Hua's neck.
Mr. Pi and the others didn't stop him.
This Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator, with Mo Hua in tow, walked towards Shen Qingsheng.
Shen Qingsheng watched as Mo Hua, who he despised, was handcuffed and had a sword held against him, taking one step at a time towards him, his expression becoming more sinister.
However, none of them noticed that behind them, one of Mr. Pi's companions suddenly disappeared, merging into the earth.
Mo Hua, with the sword held against his neck, walked a few steps forward, then suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground.
His fall seemed very natural.
The Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator, who was escorting Mo Hua, cursed inwardly, "Useless, even stepping on a pebble would make him fall." He reached out to grab Mo Hua's shoulder.
But just as he was distracted, as he reached for Mo Hua, the ground beneath the Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator suddenly trembled, and a pair of large hands, like stone claws, emerged from the ground, firmly grasping the Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator's legs and dragging him into the earth.
The Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator's expression changed drastically, but before he could break free, half of his body was already buried in the earth.
Beside Mr. Pi, another short and thin Golden Core Cultivator activated his Earth Escape Technique, sticking close to the ground, and appeared above the Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator's head. With his hands like claws, he pressed down on the Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator's head, his long fingers deeply piercing the death points on both sides of his forehead.
The last one, a slightly older Golden Core Cultivator in gray robes, swiftly and fiercely struck with his long sword, directly severing the neck of the Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator.
Fresh blood splattered into the air, spraying out and staining the ground red.
Mo Hua, having pretended to stumble and fall earlier, was unharmed and untouched, not a drop of blood on him.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pi's three Golden Core Cultivators acted in perfect coordination, decisive in their actions, and both concealed and ruthless.
By the time the screams of the Shen family's Golden Core Cultivator echoed, he was already dead, his body and head separated.
Shen Qingsheng and the others were momentarily shocked and terrified. "How dare you, you thieves..."
But Mr. Pi and his companions didn't give them a chance. Having decided to take action and kill, they naturally aimed for a swift resolution.
The three ruthless Golden Core Cultivators had calm and deep expressions, not uttering a word, as they moved to kill Shen Qingsheng and his group.
On this trip, Shen Qingsheng had only brought two Golden Core Cultivators, while the rest were all at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Generally speaking, near Solitary Mountain City, two Golden Core Cultivators as bodyguards were already sufficient, let alone in the Shen family's territory, where these cultivators were more than enough to protect him as he walked with arrogance. This had always been the case.
But the situation was different now.
Those who dared to engage in tomb raiding were truly desperate.
One at the peak of Foundation Establishment, three Golden Core Cultivators, one of whom seemed to be at the mid-stage of Golden Core, and all of them were experienced and cunning in their travels through the cultivation world.
In terms of experience and power, they were overwhelmingly superior.
The other Golden Core Cultivator from the Shen family couldn't hold on for dozens of rounds and was also killed.
The remaining Foundation Establishment Cultivators were slaughtered.
Blood and severed limbs were scattered everywhere, and only Shen Qingsheng remained, his face pale, filled with inexplicable fear, muttering, "I'm from the Shen family, I... my father is..."
The short and stout man slapped him.
The slap was like iron and stone.
Shen Qingsheng was slapped and flew backward, landing on the ground, feeling dizzy and seeing stars. He spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out.
"Damn it, I'll teach you a lesson. If you don't behave, we'll have to kill you."
The man stepped forward, intending to strangle Shen Qingsheng.
But Mr. Pi said, "Leave him, we might need him."
The man understood his intention and nodded. "Alright." He spat a mouthful of saliva at Shen Qingsheng, then took out some ropes and tightly bound him, his skin turning red from the tightness, looking painful.
He didn't treat Mo Hua as gently as he did because Mo Hua was more obedient and understood the situation.
Only then did Mr. Pi look towards Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's face was filled with "fear" as he asked, "You... how can you kill people?"
The short and stout man coldly smiled. "Kid, you've seen too little of the world. This is just the beginning..."
Mr. Pi coldly said, "Enough, don't talk back."
As the man was killed, trouble was undoubtedly stirred up. It's safer to leave with the dead."
"Okay."
The others stepped forward to confiscate the storage bag, discarding any items that might reveal their tracks, before using earth to cover the remains and blood of the Shen Family cultivator.
They worked efficiently, clearly not their first time doing this.
After finishing, the burly man walked forward and lifted the unconscious Shen Qingsheng.
Mr. Pi glanced at Mo Hua, who obediently walked in front of him, and only then did Mr. Pi nod.
"Let's go down the mine."
The group entered the mine, where they broke open a wall in a corner, revealing a narrow stone passage.
The short and thin Golden Core cultivator went in first.
After a while, the burly man carried Shen Qingsheng and also entered the passage.
Mr. Pi pointed at Mo Hua and said, "Go down."
Mo Hua obediently entered the narrow stone passage.
Next was the gray-robed Golden Core cultivator holding a long sword.
Lastly, Mr. Pi entered.
He stayed behind to set up a formation, sealing the stone wall, before joining the others in the passage.
The group disappeared into the mine, leaving behind only the covered remains of the brutally killed Shen Family cultivator on Solitary Mountain.
...
Mo Hua felt a strong, musty odor mixed with earth's stench as he entered the wider passage. He quickly covered his mouth and nose, holding his breath, and then used his spiritual power to protect his breath, finally feeling better.
At that moment, the others also entered the passage.
Mo Hua looked around and realized the passage was about two people high, with sturdy walls and multiple paths, but the depths were pitch black, concealing something with a chilling cold air seeping through.
The place was eerily silent, as if death was slumbering within.
Mo Hua felt a chill down his spine.
Suddenly, a sharp howl broke the silence, startling Mo Hua. He turned and saw Shen Qingsheng, who had somehow regained consciousness.
Not only Mo Hua, but even Mr. Pi and the others were startled, breaking into a cold sweat.
Shen Qingsheng, unaware of the danger, had woken up.
"Oh no!"
The burly man's face paled, immediately covering Shen Qingsheng's mouth to prevent any sound. The others held their breath, afraid to make a sound.
After a moment, the passage remained quiet.
The burly man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered, "Don't be scared of something..."
Mr. Pi's expression grew serious as he took out a compass, examined it for a moment, and then breathed a sigh of relief. "Good..."
The burly man turned and glared at Shen Qingsheng, "You little brat, trying to get us killed?"
Shen Qingsheng's eyes widened, filled with both fear and anger. "I... I'm from the Shen Family... How dare you..."
The burly man smirked and whispered, "Without the Shen Family, you're just a waste. You don't know the dangers of the cultivation world. Killing you is nothing..."
Mr. Pi frowned, "Why talk so much? Knock him out again."
Among them, the elder known as Mr. Pi, despite being only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, spoke with authority.
The burly man slapped Shen Qingsheng on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious again.
"It's getting late. Let's find the direction quickly," Mr. Pi whispered.
The others nodded in agreement.
Mr. Pi led the way, holding the compass in his left hand and forming hand seals with his right, observing the compass's indications and discerning the passage's direction, guiding the group forward.
The others followed silently, not uttering a word, seemingly afraid to disturb Mr. Pi or the 'things' in the tomb.
Mo Hua also followed quietly.
However, his thoughts weren't focused on the dangerous passage, but on Mr. Pi, who was holding the compass and discerning the direction.
A true master reveals their skill with a single move.
Mo Hua was certain that Mr. Pi possessed genuine abilities.
Previously, when they chatted on the mountain, Mo Hua confirmed that Mr. Pi had a unique heritage, a 'Earth Array' that wasn't something an ordinary formation master could learn.
Mr. Pi undoubtedly had a hidden heritage.
Moreover, this heritage likely had a significant background.
Not to mention, their act of tomb raiding was akin to stealing meat from the dead.
Mr. Pi's formation abilities and experience were undoubtedly extraordinary, with a unique insight. Without genuine skills, one couldn't survive in this line of work.
"I wonder if I can obtain Mr. Pi's heritage..."
"Even if I can't obtain it, learning something is still beneficial."
Mo Hua thought to himself.
So, he quietly followed Mr. Pi, appearing calm on the surface but occasionally peeking at Mr. Pi's compass and hand seals, mentally simulating his deduction process.
On the stone walls of the passage, formation patterns were carved.
These formations, with their subtle auras, seamlessly integrated with the earth, are likely a type of "Earth Array" specifically designed for tombs.
To deduce these formations and determine their locations using a compass is a mentally exhausting task.
Mr. Pi's entire focus is on the compass, until his spiritual awareness is exhausted. When he takes a moment to rest, his peripheral vision catches Mo Hua's eyes secretly watching him.
These eyes are deep and profound, as if something profound and unfathomable is flowing within them.
Mr. Pi's heart trembles, and when he looks again, he finds Mo Hua's gaze as clear as water, so clear that it even reflects his own shadow.
Mr. Pi silently watches Mo Hua.
Mo Hua also looks at Mr. Pi.
Mr. Pi's eyes flash, and he quietly turns his head, saying nothing. Then, he continues to lead the way.
Mo Hua heaves a sigh of relief.
After walking for a while, the group arrives at a gate.
On the gate, intricate formations are carved.
"We're here," says a tall man among the group, relieved.
Mr. Pi gives everyone a look, signaling them to be quiet. He then takes out a formation diagram, a bronze formation brush, and some spirit ink, along with blank formation paper. He begins to record on the paper while using formation patterns to deduce and attempt to break the gate's formation.
The tall man and a few others are on guard, standing around the gate to prevent any unexpected events.
Shen Qingsheng is dizzy, and Mo Hua stands by.
The formation on the gate seems familiar to Mo Hua, but he hasn't seen it before and hasn't truly studied it, so he doesn't know the intricacies of the formation.
He really wants to see how Mr. Pi is breaking the formation, but he's also afraid of arousing Mr. Pi's suspicions. So, he stands obediently, making no moves.
Mr. Pi continues to deduce the formation.
Mo Hua stands there, watching.
After an unknown amount of time, Mr. Pi seems to have finally deduced the formation. He begins to use the bronze brush, dipped in ink, to outline the formation patterns on the gate.
Mo Hua forces himself not to look.
But after a long time, Mr. Pi still hasn't finished, and Mo Hua can't hold back any longer. He glances at the formation with the corner of his eye.
With this glance, Mo Hua realizes that Mr. Pi has actually finished drawing.
Mr. Pi seems to have completed the drawing, but the formation on the gate remains unbroken. He looks at it with a heavy gaze, checking for any issues.
However, no matter how much he checks, he can't seem to find the problem.
Mo Hua's "little senior brother" instincts kick in, and he naturally starts checking Mr. Pi's "homework" as well.
On the first check, Mo Hua doesn't find any issues because he isn't actually familiar with this type of "Earth Array."
But the way of formations is interconnected.
Mo Hua has an extremely deep foundation in formations, and he has a special understanding of the earth's essence.
As he continues checking, Mo Hua begins to grasp some of the intricacies.
By the third check, he finally discovers the subtle intricacies of the formation's spiritual energy flow and where the formation went wrong.
Mo Hua wants to tell Mr. Pi.
But he hesitates, afraid of hurting Mr. Pi's pride.
After all, having someone else point out issues in a formation you drew yourself is quite a blow to one's pride.
Especially since Mr. Pi is clearly an experienced senior formation master.
For a junior like him to point out mistakes might be too much for Mr. Pi to accept.
So, Mo Hua forces himself to remain silent.
He hopes Mr. Pi will find the problem on his own.
But Mr. Pi is struggling.
He furrows his brows, flipping through the formation, checking and rechecking, spending a full half-hour, yet he can't seem to find where he went wrong.
Mo Hua watches, and finally, he can't take it anymore.
He extends his white fingers, pointing at a formation pattern in the corner, and in an extremely gentle tone, he says to Mr. Pi:
"Senior, I don't quite understand... but doesn't this formation pattern look a bit strange?"
Mr. Pi is startled, following Mo Hua's gaze, and after deducing the pattern a few times, he realizes the issue:
"Yes, this is where it's wrong."
"Really?" Mo Hua looks confused.
"Younger brother, you have a good eye," Mr. Pi praises.
Mo Hua scratches his head, feeling embarrassed: "It's just luck. Please don't laugh at me, senior."
Mr. Pi takes the bronze brush, corrects the pattern, and infuses it with spiritual power. Indeed, in just a moment, the formation glows, the patterns flow, and the gate's formation begins to crack, inch by inch.
The formation on the gate is broken, and Mr. Pi takes the bronze brush, beast blood ink, the discarded deduction drafts, and the referenced formation diagram, putting them away. He then erases the formation patterns on the gate to prevent others from stealing his heritage.
After doing all this, Mr. Pi finally catches up with the group.
But when he looks at Mo Hua, his face is extremely dark.
(End of Chapter)
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