Chapter 240

Yu Chengwu brought the two black-robed cultivators to Elder Yu, locked them in a sealed room, and interrogated them under torture to see if he could extract any information.

Mo Hua was also curious, so he went along to watch the spectacle.

Yu Chengwu questioned them inside, while Mo Hua sat outside with Elder Yu, sipping tea.

Soon, the screams from inside ceased. Yu Chengwu emerged, splattered with blood—not his own—and his expression was thoughtful.

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Did you find out anything?"

Yu Chengwu glanced at Mo Hua, reluctant to answer.

Elder Yu simply said, "Speak."

Yu Chengwu paused, then said:

"They confessed—they're criminal cultivators."

"Criminal cultivators?" Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

Elder Yu explained: "They are cultivators who violated Dao Ting Si laws, committed grave crimes, and are now wanted by the Dao Ting Si."

"What crimes did they commit?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

Yu Chengwu shook his head. "They didn't say. Probably serious offenses—speaking up would mean death anyway. I didn't press further. After all, we're not Dao Ting Si. This isn't our jurisdiction."

Elder Yu asked, "Anything else?"

"Yes," Yu Chengwu nodded. "According to them, their group has over twenty members, mostly criminal cultivators wanted by Dao Ting Si. With nowhere else to turn, they banded together to kill, rob, and earn spirit stones."

Elder Yu snorted. "A pack of beasts."

Mo Hua asked, "So what should we do?"

Elder Yu said, "First, deliver these two scum to Dao Ting Si. If they're truly wanted, we might earn a reward. After that…"

Elder Yu set down his teacup, thought for a moment, then said, "After that, wait to see what Dao Ting Si does. Capturing criminal cultivators is their duty. Unless they issue orders, we shouldn't interfere lightly."

"But if we encounter them in the mountains, don't hold back. If you can fight, fight. If you capture them alive, take them to Dao Ting Si for the reward. If you can't capture them alive, kill them and dump their bodies in the ravines to feed the beasts."

"A pack of scum—alive, they're just wasting spirit stones!"

Elder Yu cursed again.

Yu Chengwu nodded, but his brow remained furrowed. "I suspect those two didn't tell the truth."

Elder Yu raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"These cultivators are seasoned veterans in the cultivation world. They always speak half-truths. When they say twenty-plus members, there may be more. When they claim they banded together to kill and rob, their true intentions are likely far more complex."

Elder Yu nodded. "Spread this word. All hunters entering the mountains must be cautious, stay alert, and act according to circumstances."

"Yes," Yu Chengwu bowed.

Elder Yu added to Mo Hua: "You must be extra careful. If there's no need, don't enter the inner mountains. Even if you must go, stay vigilant."

"Don't worry," Mo Hua nodded.

He still had to enter the inner mountains—but he'd need to be far more cautious.

Otherwise, with his speed at drawing arrays, he'd burn through his spirit ink in no time.

First-grade late-stage spirit ink was far too expensive to buy with spirit stones.

Though Mo Hua wasn't short on spirit stones now, that was only relative to his Qi Condensation stage. To reach Foundation Establishment, he'd need a massive sum—he had to save up in advance.

After this, all hunters entering the mountains became more cautious.

Whenever hunters entered, Yu Chengyi or Seeing Mo Shan had to patrol nearby with the South-Pointing Compass.

If any battle erupted, they'd immediately confirm the location and provide timely backup if danger arose.

Thus passed seven or eight days, all quiet.

A few suspicious cultivators were spotted, but they only dared to glance from afar before slipping away silently.

On this day, as usual, Mo Hua drained the blood of several beasts and sat alone by a small stream, washing his hands.

After washing, he looked up—and suddenly saw thick fog spreading, obscuring all sight beyond a hundred feet.

Mo Hua's heart tightened—he suspected trouble was coming.

He extended his spiritual sense. Within it, the fog carried an extremely faint pale-blue spiritual energy, mixed with potent miasma and dense mist.

These elements blended chaotically, disrupting his spiritual perception.

Mo Hua remembered Seeing Mo Shan's warning.

If thick fog appeared, do not move recklessly—otherwise, you might stray into Shenshan and lose your life.

But staying put was also dangerous.

Mo Hua took out brush and ink, drew several arrays nearby, then covered them with earth and stones to hide their traces. Only then did he relax, sat cross-legged in the center, and patiently waited for the fog to clear.

After half an hour, the fog suddenly vanished.

The fog in the inner mountains came quickly—and vanished just as fast.

Mo Hua packed his things, preparing to leave, when suddenly he saw a blood-soaked cultivator sprinting toward him from afar.

The cultivator spotted Mo Hua, his face filled with terror, and cried out: "Run!"

Mo Hua recognized him—it was Ji Li!

Ji Li's face was pale, his body covered in wounds, his breath faint. He hadn't run far when a black-clad giant strode up and slashed his back with a blade.

Blood gushed like a spring. Ji Li collapsed slowly to the ground, yet still stared at Mo Hua, whispering:

"Run…"

The black-clad giant glanced dismissively at Ji Li, then turned to Mo Hua, his voice gravelly: "You know him?"

Mo Hua nodded.

The giant grinned savagely. "Good. Then you'll have company on your way to death."

He stepped forward toward Mo Hua.

After a few steps, the giant frowned, looked down—and saw Ji Li's blood-drenched hand gripping his pant leg tightly, preventing him from advancing toward Mo Hua.

Ji Li tried to say something, but couldn't get the words out; he only coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood from his throat.

The black-clad big man smiled contemptuously, stepped on Ji Li's hand and crushed it, then continued striding toward Mo Hua.

Yet Mo Hua still stood dumbly in place, not moving at all.

"Scared stupid?"

The black-clad big man sneered inwardly.

It was understandable — such a small child, with death at hand, panicking and losing his wits was perfectly normal.

Cruelty gleamed in the black-clad big man's eyes as he kept walking forward.

Just as he was about to step within one zhang of Mo Hua, a sliver of doubt suddenly rose in his heart:

How had this slightly older child survived in the Inner Mountain?

The Inner Mountain had demon beasts, miasma, heavy fog, poisonous swamps, and also scoundrel cultivators like them who committed every evil.

This child, all alone, should have died long ago.

The big man felt some doubt inside, but his foot had already stepped out and landed solidly on the ground.

Immediately the big man's brow furrowed as he sensed something amiss.

Something beneath his foot seemed to have shattered — the sound was crisp and delicate, like a spirit stone, and at the same time there was a sensation of spiritual energy flowing.

In his peripheral vision, the stone beneath his foot was faintly glowing red.

The big man looked up again, only to find that Mo Hua had already drifted back; where on his face was the dullness and blankness from moments ago? On that small face his expression was calm, and in his clear eyes there was even a hint of playful mockery.

The big man was first puzzled, then suddenly jolted awake. "Not good!"

Thanks to Xie Xie and Hao Tian Ri Yue for the tips~