Chapter 254: Encirclement
After finishing the formation, Mo Hua retreated quietly without alerting the criminal cultivators, using the cover of the grass.
"I've completed the formation, leaving only one gap. Tomorrow, we'll go through there."
Mo Hua showed the gap in the formation to Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan nodded. "Good work."
Lu Hui asked, "Head Enforcer Zhang, do you know if Young Master Kong Sheng is in the valley?"
Zhang Lan shook his head. "I've been watching all afternoon, haven't seen him."
Mo Hua had just probed with his Divine Sense; the valley was full of criminal cultivators, not a single other cultivator, let alone Kong Sheng. He was probably truly reduced to bones and ashes.
Lu Hui's expression gradually grew serious. If Kong Sheng really was dead, how could he report back to the Kong family?
Zhang Lan ignored him, instead assigning several cultivators to keep watch in shifts while the rest rested, closing their eyes to recover. At dawn, they would strike.
The noise in the cave gradually subsided, occasionally punctuated by snores and murmurs.
As daylight broke, the criminal cultivators were still sprawled about. The few posted near the valley entrance were nodding off.
Having remained hidden here for so long without being discovered, some laxity was inevitable.
Zhang Lan drew his blade, exchanged a glance with the others, and lowered his voice: "Move!"
They entered the valley through the formation gap. Upon encountering the criminal cultivators, they immediately covered their mouths and noses and slit their throats.
After killing several, they were suddenly discovered. A criminal cultivator shouted, "Who's there? How dare you!"
Chaos erupted, and the battle began.
Mo Hua stayed outside the valley. His participation wasn't crucial, so he watched from the perimeter.
Soon, some criminals were defeated, fleeing toward the valley entrance, only to step onto the Earth-Fire formation.
Flames flared, sending them flying, crashing to the ground in a pitiful state.
Lu Hui, seeing this from a distance, twitched. The formation's power far exceeded his expectations.
What level of formation master was this little cultivator?
Meanwhile, the battle inside the valley became increasingly tense.
These criminal cultivators weren't easy opponents, but still, their groggy heads from drunken sleep made the overall situation favorable to the Dao Court.
Zhang Lan used his agility to weave through the criminals while forming sword energy in his hand, attacking several spiritual cultivators.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on the fleeing Bald Monk. He shouted, "Bald Monk! Don't let him escape!"
Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai engaged him, and Lu Hui joined the fray.
Zhang Lan wanted to assist but was occupied dealing with other spirit cultivators, as leaving them unchecked would turn his men into targets.
The Bald Monk was powerful, but three against one was too much, and he gradually fell behind.
Ji Qingbai saw an opening and struck with his Hidden Wood Blade, surging with pale cyan spiritual energy.
The Bald Monk couldn't dodge in time, about to be hit, when Lu Hui suddenly twisted his sword to strike Ji Qingbai from behind.
"Watch out!" Mo Shan shouted.
Ji Qingbai tried to pull back, but it was too late.
Mo Shan, still fighting the Bald Monk, swung his blade to deflect Lu Hui's attack, but the impact sent tingling through his arm and disrupted his energy, leaving him vulnerable.
Seeing this, the Bald Monk's eyes flashed coldly, his blade wrapped in pale wind-edged energy, striking at Mo Shan.
The Bald Monk's wind-element spiritual root made him incredibly fast, both in movement and attack.
Mo Shan had just deflected Lu Hui's blade, his energy unbalanced, unable to dodge this strike.
Ji Qingbai spun, crossing his blade in front of Mo Shan, blocking the attack. The spiritual force reverberated, and he spat blood.
The Bald Monk seized the gap and, like the wind, escaped the triple encirclement.
Lu Hui ignored him and moved to attack Ji Qingbai. Zhang Lan formed a water sword, placing it in front of him.
"Head Enforcer Lu, what are you trying to do?" Zhang Lan asked coldly.
Lu Hui's expression remained calm. "I intend to kill the Bald Monk. Unfortunately, he escaped."
"Is that so?" Zhang Lan's expression darkened.
"And if not?" Lu Hui smirked darkly.
Zhang Lan snorted. "Don't let me see you use dirty tricks again, or I'll really kill you."
Lu Hui didn't flinch. "Are you trying to slander me, Head Enforcer Zhang?"
Zhang Lan ignored him, chasing after the Bald Monk.
A flicker of malice passed in Lu Hui's eyes.
Among these people, only Zhang Lan made him uneasy, but that was all.
Though Zhang Lan's family was higher in status, they all served as Chief Head Enforcers of the Dao Court, under different divisions. Lu Hui didn't need to care too much about Zhang Lan's attitude.
His original plan had been to rescue Young Master Kong and curry favor with the Kong family.
But now, it seemed the young master's fate was grim.
In that case, killing Ji Qingbai would justify his return to Qingxuan City.
The Ji father and son had clashed with the Kong family, then fled to Tongxian City. If they lived safely, the Kong family's influence over other scattered rogue cultivators in Qingxuan City would weaken.
If others imitated them, the Kong family couldn't command respect.
The spiritual stones for Lu Hui's lifestyle and cultivation came from the Kong family; their interests were his interests. So he would eventually move against the Ji father and son.
If they were in Qingxuan City, he had countless ways to imprison them and easily set an example.
Now, with them staying put and protected by Demon Beast Hunters, the only option was to eliminate them locally, discreetly.
Ji Qingbai was just an ordinary rogue cultivator.
He could "accidentally" kill Ji Qingbai and face minor punishment—a slap on the wrist—and the matter would be buried.
Lu Hui, as a Dao Court Head Enforcer Officer, could trust that no one would dare act openly against him. Whether Zhang Lan or the Demon Hunters, anyone acting against him would be held accountable by the Dao Court.
"Too bad we didn't get him just now. But there's still time; there will be another chance."
Killing Ji Qingbai would curry favor with the Kong family, killing the Bald Monk would earn great merit—a win-win.
The failed attempt would make Ji Qingbai cautious, so an immediate opportunity might not arise. They couldn't let the Bald Monk escape.
A gleam appeared in Lu Hui's eyes as he pursued the Bald Monk.
Ji Qingbai wanted to follow but was stopped by Mo Shan. "Brother Ji, Lu Hui wants to kill you."
Ji Qingbai fumed. "I'll kill him first, or he'll drag you all down."
"He's a Dao Court Head Enforcer Officer. If you kill him, things will get worse."
"But…"
Mo Shan's voice was stern. "Finish these criminal cultivators first, then deal with him."
Ji Qingbai hesitated, sighed, and nodded reluctantly.
The drunken and groggy criminal cultivators, attacked by surprise, gradually fell behind.
One by one, they were taken down. Only a one-eyed cultivator struggled, but even he couldn't hold out long.
His mobility was poor; his last escape had been luck. Now trapped in the valley, escape was nearly impossible.
The Bald Monk, using Wind Escape, had reached the valley entrance and saw the Earth-Fire formation.
"Where the hell did this formation come from? Blocking my way!" he spat.
He dared not rush in, thinking quickly. His eyes turned cold, and he grabbed a criminal cultivator, hurling him toward the entrance.
Caught off guard, the criminal was blown to pieces by the Earth-Fire formation, fate unknown.
The Bald Monk continued throwing other criminals to trigger the formation.
Criminal cultivators who once treated each other like brothers abandoned all loyalty when benefits disappeared.
Mo Hua's Earth-Fire formation was powered by spirit stones.
Though he had used many, they were finite. After several explosions, the stones would be depleted.
Moreover, ordinary mountain rock wasn't high-grade formation material. After repeated detonations, the Earth-Fire pattern would gradually degrade.
Soon, a gap appeared in the formation.
By then, Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had reached the valley entrance.
The Bald Monk, seeing this, grew desperate. No longer hesitating, he used his agility to escape beyond the valley.
Mo Hua, hiding in the grass outside, raised his right hand slightly, spirit power swirling rapidly.
A Water Prison Technique could have trapped the Bald Monk.
But after a moment, he lowered his hand, letting the Bald Monk slip past the formation, leaving only a residual shadow as he fled into the distance.
(End of Chapter)