Lu Hui was unexpectedly struck by his blade, something Bald Tuo never anticipated.
He couldnât understand how Lu Hui, who had been dodging, suddenly stopped dodging halfway through.
Could it be that he was overconfident, so he deliberately didnât dodge this strike?
But an opportunity like this was rare. After a moment of shock, Bald Tuo regained his composure and unleashed his blade again, aiming for Lu Huiâs lower body.
Lu Hui felt a sharp pain in his chest and, seeing Bald Tuoâs cunning strike, felt a chill in his heart. He struggled to break free from the Water Prison Technique and dodged backward.
However, slowed down by the Water Prison Technique, his thigh was still sliced by Bald Tuo.
Furious, Lu Hui endured the pain and drew his sword. His sword was swift and vicious, stabbing into Bald Tuoâs right chest.
Bald Tuoâs eyes gradually became lifeless as he slumped to the ground.
Lu Hui, covered in blood, also slowly fell.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
In the secluded woods, the two men had fought to the death, blood flowing freely. In the end, they wounded each other and fell beneath each otherâs blades and swords.
This scene was very much in line with the script Mo Hua had premeditated in his mind.
Mo Hua nodded, feeling very satisfied with what he saw.
Zhang Lan, on the other hand, was stunned.
What kind of spell was this? Where did this kid Mo Hua learn it from?
It really was a case of killing someone without even bothering to blow away the dustâ¦
Zhang Lan saw Mo Huaâs confident demeanor and knew he had a way to deal with Lu Hui, but he didnât expect it to be so surprising.
Using a subtle trick and letting someone else do the dirty work, he had trapped Lu Hui without any effort.
Lu Hui perishing along with Bald Tuo was perfectly reasonable and had no faults at all.
âShall we go and check?â Mo Hua asked.
Zhang Lan came back to his senses, nodded, but delayed for a while, waiting for Lu Hui to bleed a bit more, before he and Mo Shan approached the fallen duo.
Mo Hua followed behind them.
The three of them reached Lu Hui and Bald Tuo. They carefully checked their breath and couldnât help but look at each other with a hint of regret.
Bald Tuo wasnât dead. Lu Huiâs thrust was to his right chest, and it hadnât damaged his heart. He still had a breath in him.
Lu Hui had lost a lot of blood and was temporarily unconscious, but the wound on his chest wasnât actually severe, so he hadnât died either.
âDo bad guys always have such hard livesâ¦â Mo Hua couldnât help saying.
What to do next?
Lu Hui, after all, was a Supervisor from the Taoist Court. Should they leave him to die?
Mo Shan and Mo Hua both looked at Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan sighed and said, âThis is so exhausting.â
Then he found a spot, sat down leisurely, and said, âThe scenery here isnât bad; letâs rest here for a while.â
Mo Hua looked around. The woods were secluded, surrounded by deadwood, with leaves beneath their feet. Where was this good scenery?
But Mo Hua nodded and said, âIndeed, the scenery is nice.â
Then he too plonked down to sit on the ground and even took out wine, meat, and snacks from his storage bag. The three of them began to eat pleasantly together.
Lu Hui was off to the side, still bleeding.
After a while, Lu Hui didnât die; instead, he gradually regained consciousness, whispering in pain.
He shakily took pills from his storage bag with his right hand, consumed them, and after refining their power, the blood on his chest slowly stopped.
Mo Shan unsheathed his sword, intending to finish him, but Zhang Lan held him back.
Zhang Lan shook his head and said, âNo need to dirty your own hands.â
Lu Hui struggled to his feet, and upon seeing Zhang Lan and the others, his expression changed, hating them for not helping and fearing they would finish him off.
Zhang Lan feigned concern and said, âCourt Leader Lu, are you alright?â
Lu Hui forced a smile, âThanks to Court Leader Zhangâs blessing, I wonât die yet.â
âThatâs good to hear. I was genuinely worried about you being severely injured.â
Lu Huiâs smile was filled with insincerity, âThank you for your concern, Court Leader Zhang.â
But inside he was cursing bitterly, âWorried? Worried that I wonât die?â
A venomous look flickered in Lu Huiâs eyes.
He had noted this debt; he would settle accounts with them later.
But he didnât dare show this hatred openly, keeping it inside to avoid provoking Zhang Lan and Mo Shan and being silenced by them for good.
Lu Hui forced a laugh and said, âThe kindness of you all, I, Lu Hui, will keep in my heart. After I meditate and adjust my breath for a while, shall we then resume our journey back?â
Zhang Lan nodded and said, âThat sounds good.â
So Lu Hui continued to meditate and heal his wounds.
Mo Shan, on the other hand, joined with Zhang Lan to chain up Bald Tuo, who still had a breath left in him.
Mo Hua glanced at Bald Tuo with a hint of disdain.
What a waste this Bald Tuo is, he mused, not even capable of killing Lu Huiâitâs a squandered opportunity.
Perhaps it was just Lu Huiâs luck that the blade didnât strike a vital spot, which is why he didnât die.
However, Mo Hua wasnât in a rush; this was Big Black Mountain, the domain of Monster Hunters, and in a way, his territory too.
Lu Hui stood no chance of leaving alive.
Once Lu Huiâs wounds had healed enough for temporary movement, everyone stood up and set off, keeping a watchful eye on Bald Tuo as they walked back along the mountain trail.
When they arrived at a fork in the road, Mo Hua suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a small path to the left.
Mo Shan caught on immediately, understanding what was happening and promptly following Mo Hua.
Zhang Lan, unfamiliar with the mountain trails, naturally followed Mo Hua as a matter of course.
Lu Hui, of Qingxuan City, clueless about Big Black Mountain, proceeded with caution, unaware of anything wrong with this path, so he unwittingly followed along.
Aside from being narrower and more desolate, there wasnât much difference in this mountain path.
The fog wasnât thick, and the miasma wasnât particularly strong.
Lu Hui had no suspicions, but as he walked, he suddenly smelled a pungent, fishy odor.
He looked around and noticed the source of the smell came from a clump of grass in Mo Huaâs hand.
Lu Hui frowned and asked, âYoung brother, what kind of grass do you have there?â
Mo Hua didnât hide it from him, âItâs Demon Smelly Grass.â
âWhatâs it for?â
Seeing that he didnât recognize it, Mo Hua explained, âThere are many Monster Beasts in the mountains. This grass is fishy and pungent; it can repel Monster Beasts.â
Lu Hui, not being a Monster Hunter, didnât see a problem at first.
âCan I see it?â
âSure.â
Mo Hua readily handed the Demon Smelly Grass to Lu Hui.
Upon receiving it, Lu Hui meticulously inspected the grass, finding nothing unusual about it, nor any sign of tamperingâaside from an abnormal stench, there was nothing special.
Was this kid really just using the grass to drive away Monster Beasts?
As Lu Hui pondered while walking, he suddenly noticed that Mo Hua and the others had silently moved ahead of him, now a good ten steps away.
Startled, before he could think more deeply, he felt an icy chill on his back.
Slowly turning around, he discovered two Monster Beasts that had appeared out of nowhere in the bushes at either side of him.
One beast had red skin and sharp teeth dripping saliva; the other had white fur with long horns and blood-red eyes.
Both Monster Beasts were staring intently at him.
Lu Hui, aghast, immediately realized the truth.
Demon Smelly Grass, Demon Smelly Grass, with its rotting stench.
Cultivators dislike it, but beasts are fond of itâhow could it possibly be used to drive away Monster Beasts?
This Demon Smelly Grass, intended to attract Monster Beasts, was now in his hands.
âDamn it, this brat tricked me!â
Enraged, Lu Hui hastily threw the Demon Smelly Grass away, but it was too lateâboth Monster Beasts had set their sights on him and began to pounce.
With his injuries still fresh, Lu Hui couldnât dwell on them at this moment.
He exerted his spiritual power and blood qi surged as he sprinted with all his strength.
If caught by the Monster Beasts, he would undoubtedly be devoured today. In this life-or-death situation, even if his wounds reopened and blood seeped out, he couldnât afford to care.
Lu Hui pushed his movement technique to the extreme and was indeed marginally faster than the Monster Beasts, putting some distance between them and lessening the pressure on his back.
Just then, he saw Mo Hua ahead, turning to flash him a smile.
âWhatâs this brat smiling about?â
Taken aback, Lu Hui watched as Mo Hua raised his hand slightly, made a hollow grip, and then gently clenched.
Mysterious and eerie spiritual power suddenly appeared, forming into water chains, instantly securing him.
In the blink of an eye, Lu Hui understood it all.
Why Bald Tuo, despite his swift movement technique, couldnât get away; why he, although capable of dodging that blade, couldnât evade it either.
âWas it this deceitful little brat?!â
Lu Hui understood, but it was all too late.
The Water Prison Technique had locked him tight.
In less than two breaths of time, the Monster Beasts caught up with him, their gaping jaws and sharp teeth piercing through his shoulder.