Chapter 250

"Kong Sheng?" Mo Hua frowned. "Is this a Kong family caravan?"

Yu Chengyi shook his head. "It's an ordinary caravan, carrying pills, passing through Qingxuan City to do business in Xiancheng."

Mo Hua was puzzled. "Then why is that Kong family young master with this caravan?"

Yu Chengyi's expression turned complicated. "He reportedly came himself to kill Ji Qingbai and his son, then take Fu Lan back…"

Mo Hua fell silent. "Is he a Foundation Establishment cultivator…?"

Yu Chengyi sighed. "Same as you—Qi Condensation Seventh Layer."

Mo Hua's expression also turned complicated. "He must've had his brain eaten by pigs."

He dares to travel alone with a caravan, even enters the inner reaches of Great Heishan—does he not know how to write the word 'death'?

Yu Chengyi said: "They say Kong Sheng was spoiled since childhood, selfish and volatile. He's gotten everything he wanted, done whatever he pleased, and no one dared defy him. He's beaten fellow cultivators, forcibly taken female cultivators—yet no one dared intervene…"

"Later, on the street, he saw Fu Lan's beauty and developed wicked intentions, demanding she become his concubine. When Fu Lan refused, he pressed harder, causing her mother's death. Finally, Ji and his son, enraged, beat him—but still dared not kill him."

"Kong Sheng, furious, ordered Kong family cultivators to hunt down Ji and his son. Later, he even bribed criminal cultivators to settle this grudge."

"But the criminal cultivators failed. Kong Sheng, beside himself with rage, wanted to come himself. The Kong family refused. Filled with malice, he disguised himself and secretly joined the caravan heading toward Xiancheng."

Yu Chengyi told everything plainly.

Mo Hua found it unbelievable—this Kong Sheng was even dumber than Qian Xing.

Qian Xing at least knew to bring a gang of lackeys, and rarely left the city.

This Kong Sheng, no lackeys, dares to travel out—and thinks he can kill people himself.

Does he really think no one will kill him?

"So he spent spirit stones hiring criminal cultivators to kill them, then disguised himself and left the city—only to be killed by those same criminals?" Mo Hua said slowly.

"In short, that's the gist…" Yu Chengyi's expression was complex. "But whether he's dead isn't certain—he might just have been kidnapped."

Mo Hua felt a surge of satisfaction and laughed. "Karma's a bitch. He deserves it. Better dead—alive, he's just wasting spirit stones."

Yu Chengyi couldn't help laughing, then sighed again. "But this situation's troublesome."

"What does it matter to us if he's alive or dead?" Mo Hua asked.

"Kong Sheng had a grudge against Ji and his son, and vanished in Great Heishan. The Kong family suspects Ji did it, and demands we hand him over."

Mo Hua raised an eyebrow. "Are they dreaming? How dare they treat us like this?"

Yu Chengyi nodded. "Indeed, they're being too oppressive."

Mo Hua worried: "Can we beat the Kong family?"

Yu Chengyi smiled. "Don't worry. Even Qian family can't touch us—how much less a foreign clan like the Kongs? If they dare cause trouble, our blades aren't for show."

Mo Hua nodded in relief. "If they come, kill them all—they're probably all no good!"

Yu Chengyi added: "Still, even if they won't come themselves, they'll pressure us through Qingxuan City's Dao Ting Si."

"Can Qingxuan City's Dao Ting Si interfere in Xiancheng's affairs?"

"That's Dao Ting Si's business—I don't know the details. We'll see how it goes."

"Hmm." Mo Hua nodded.

After speaking, Yu Chengyi parted from Mo Hua to meet Elder Yu.

Mo Hua was curious, so when Zhang Lan came to the eatery for wine, he asked: "What's the latest on the Kong family young master?"

Zhang Lan had just sat down, wine still in his mouth, and sighed at the question.

He'd only just heard about Kong Sheng from Zhou Zhangsi—now Mo Hua was already asking him for news.

Zhang Lan couldn't help saying: "How do you know everything?"

"That's not important," Mo Hua waved his hand, eyes fixed on Zhang Lan. "Will Qingxuan City's Dao Ting Si interfere?"

Zhang Lan sighed.

Fine—he hadn't even answered the first question, and Mo Hua was already asking the second.

But in Xiancheng, Mo Hua knew too many people—from Zhou Zhangsi to every hunter on the mountain, even the kids running through the streets—he probably knew all their names.

It was normal he knew about Kong Sheng.

Besides, he suspected he'd need Mo Hua's help with this matter.

Zhang Lan said: "The current Dao Ting Si conclusion is that the Kong family young master was kidnapped by criminal cultivators—we must enter the mountains to capture them and rescue him."

"He's not dead?"

Mo Hua was disappointed.

Zhang Lan winked at Mo Hua. "You hoping he's dead?"

Mo Hua nodded honestly. "Even if he dies badly, that's fine."

Zhang Lan paused, then thought it over—Mo Hua had a point. If Kong Sheng died, Qingxuan City lost a menace.

"Still, we have to look for him. And Qingxuan City's Dao Ting Si will send people to help us."

"How many will they send?"

"Not many—no more than three or four. Too few won't help; too many might look like interference in our Dao Ting Si's affairs—could invite trouble."

"Three or four is fine." Mo Hua nodded. "Won't the Kong family send anyone?"

Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, looking at Mo Hua with deep meaning.

"Isn't Qingxuan City's Dao Ting Si effectively the Kong family's own?"

"Oh~" Mo Hua understood.

In Qingxuan City, everyone knew the truth.

The Kong family used Dao Ting Si to act—legally, and efficiently.

Dao Ting Si's operations were far more convenient than their own.

"You'll still need to help with this," Zhang Lan added.

"Not going." Mo Hua refused outright.

For other matters, he would have agreed, out of respect for Zhang Lan.

But for this matter, Mo Hua would certainly not help.

Kong Sheng is the sort of man who deserves to be sent to his death by the Earth Fire Array, not someone he'd waste time saving.

"Don't refuse so quickly," Zhang Lan smiled. "It's not to save Kong Sheng—it's those criminal cultivators. Don't you want to capture them?"

"That bald one?"

"Exactly," Zhang Lan nodded. "Leaving him in the mountains is always a threat. If he gathers more criminal cultivators and grows strong, your hunts for demons in the mountains will become far more dangerous."

Mo Hua was still reluctant.

Zhang Lan said, "After it's done, Dao Ting Si will reward you."

"Reward?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "What kind of reward?"

"You'll find out when the time comes. I won't let you lose out," Zhang Lan smiled.

"Tell me now."

Mo Hua was curious—what exactly would Dao Ting Si give him?

But Zhang Lan teased, refusing to say, only replying, "Once you help us capture Guangtou Tuo, you'll know what the reward is."

Mo Hua blinked and smiled. "If you don't tell me, I won't help."

Zhang Lan wasn't fooled; he smiled back. "Fine, don't help. But don't come crying to me later."

Uncle Zhang Lan is truly a shrewd one… won't act until he sees the rabbit.

Mo Hua sighed. "Alright."

After all, he wanted to capture that bald man anyway—this was a convenient chance, and he could still squeeze some benefits from Dao Ting Si.