Chapter 255: The Setup

The battle between the bald monk and Mo Shan continued at the edge of the forest.

The bald monk could not defeat him, nor escape; he had originally thought his end was near.

But after several more rounds, he unexpectedly realized the demon hunter had no intention of killing him.

The hidden cultivator wielding strange magic used only binding spells to trap him, never lethal attacks to take his life.

These two seemed to have no desire to kill him.

The bald monk exhaled in relief, yet immediately felt shame and rage.

They were mocking him!

Neither killing nor releasing him—like a hunter playing with his prey.

This was utter manipulation and humiliation!

"This is too much!" the bald monk roared in fury.

The bald monk refused to wait passively for death; he alternated between using talismans and feigning weakness, desperately seeking any chance to flee.

But no matter how many opportunities he seized, the Water Prison spell always pinned him in place, turning all his efforts to dust in an instant.

Before Mo Hua's Water Prison spell, his schemes were utterly useless.

The bald monk was stunned and furious.

Who was this hidden cultivator?

Every move he made was under the man's control, leaving him not a single chance to escape.

Amid his shock and rage, the bald monk also felt deep confusion:

"At this point, why won't these two kill me? What do they truly want?"

After prolonged combat with Mo Shan, the bald monk's peripheral vision caught two figures approaching from afar—Zhang Lan and Lu Hui.

His heart sank further:

"Damn it, now I'm truly trapped."

Mo Hua in the forest also brightened his gaze.

He had practiced the Water Prison spell several times and had grown proficient; now he even found it boring.

Even cats grow tired of playing with mice.

He had been waiting for Lu Hui—and now, the prey had finally arrived.

Mo Hua smiled faintly.

Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had searched the mountains for a long time; now seeing Mo Shan locked in combat with the bald monk, both perked up, quickened their movements, and in a few flashes, arrived at the scene.

The three formed a pincer formation, surrounding the bald monk.

The bald monk's face twisted with despair as he snarled:

"You dogs of the Dao Ting Si, must you hunt me to the very end?"

Zhang Lan cursed: "What nonsense! You beast—you've deserved death since day one!"

The bald monk's face twitched.

Lu Hui's gaze sharpened. "Bald Monk, I ask you: was the Kong family's young master taken by you?"

The bald monk frowned. "What Kong family young master?"

"Didn't you raid a caravan half a month ago?"

"I've raided countless caravans—how should I know which one you mean?"

Lu Hui's eyelid twitched. "Then let me ask again: what did you do with the cultivators after robbing the caravan?"

The bald monk curled his lips into a sinister grin. "Depends on whether they were male or female—males got killed on the spot, females got played with first, then killed."

At this point, escape was impossible.

His crimes would earn him death at the Dao Ting Si anyway, so there was no point hiding the truth.

Lu Hui's heart sank—if so, then the Kong young master had likely been killed without even having time to reveal his identity.

Zhang Lan said: "Let's move. Take him to the Dao Ting Si for questioning."

Without another word, he formed a Water Sword with his fingers and launched an immediate attack on the bald monk.

Lu Hui drew his sword and stabbed toward the bald monk's heart meridian.

Mo Shan's eyes flickered—he remembered Mo Hua's instructions—and feigned exhaustion, delaying his strike by a fraction of a second.

The three's encirclement instantly developed a gap due to Mo Shan's hesitation.

The bald monk, seasoned in battle, seized the opening instantly, his expression bursting with wild joy.

He had believed death was certain—even if he survived, he'd fall into the Dao Ting Si's hands—yet now, Mo Shan's mistake had granted him a sliver of hope.

He dodged Zhang Lan's Water Sword, parried Lu Hui's blade, then used the recoil to leap backward, spotting the gap between the three, and unleashed his Wind Escape technique with all his strength—his body flashed out of their encirclement.

Even after breaking free, the bald monk remained uneasy.

He feared the hidden cultivator might still bind him with magic.

But then he realized—the hidden cultivator had not moved, nor cast that strange spell!

"Perfect chance!"

The bald monk rejoiced, his eyes gleaming as he surged forward, wind swirling around him, leaving a trail of afterimages behind.

Lu Hui scoffed, shot a resentful glance at Mo Shan, then activated his movement technique and chased after the bald monk.

The bald monk had killed the Kong young master—he could not be allowed to escape.

Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Shan with mild confusion.

In his memory, Mo Shan was battle-hardened—he wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

Then he saw Mo Shan give him a subtle glance, followed by a knowing look toward the retreating Lu Hui.

Zhang Lan froze, then slowly understood, a sly smile creeping onto his lips.

At the same time, Mo Hua stepped out from the forest.

The three exchanged a glance, all understanding without words, then their forms flickered as they chased after the Bald Monk and Lu Hui.

Lu Hui, who was fully exerting his body technique in full-speed pursuit, cursed inwardly.

"The three of them surrounded the Bald Monk and still let him escape—these demon hunters are utterly foolish."

But this was fine too; as long as he caught up to the Bald Monk first, captured him, or killed him outright, the credit for this mission would be his.

He would have fulfilled Dao Ting Si's task and avenged Young Master Kong.

Dao Ting Si's reward goes without saying, and the Kong family would owe him a favor—benefits would not be lacking.

Lu Hui's heart burned with eagerness; he pushed himself harder, chasing after the Bald Monk.

Mo Hua and the other two trailed far behind, neither approaching to join Lu Hui nor letting the Bald Monk slip away.

If Lu Hui lost the trail, Mo Hua would kindly have Zhang Lan point him in the right direction.

With Mo Hua's spiritual sense locked onto him, the Bald Monk had no chance of escape.

Thus, Lu Hui chased while the Bald Monk fled.

After more than half an hour, Lu Hui finally intercepted the Bald Monk and engaged him in combat.

Mo Hua and the other three stopped at a distance and did not advance.

The Bald Monk, having just fought a bitter battle with Seeing Mo Shan and then exhausted himself running, was now at his last breath.

Lu Hui's spiritual energy had also been depleted, but far less than the Bald Monk's.

Yet he felt a pang of doubt—why, when the Bald Monk's body technique was clearly excellent, had he never managed to escape?

But he had no time to ponder this; he needed to subdue the Bald Monk as soon as possible.

The two fought with all their strength for over a dozen rounds, and gradually the outcome became clear.

Lu Hui's sword pierced the Bald Monk's shoulder.

The Bald Monk knelt half on the ground, knowing he was a candle in the wind, unable to hold on; filled with resentment, he slashed his blade fiercely at Lu Hui's chest.

But he knew in his heart that, weakened by prolonged battle, his strike was slow—this blow would not land on Lu Hui.

Lu Hui smiled with contempt.

This slash posed no threat; he need only step back one pace to avoid it unscathed.

Lu Hui lightly tapped his toe, preparing to retreat—yet he failed to notice Mo Hua's eyes flash with cold light, his small hand gently grasping, as spiritual chains suddenly appeared and locked him in place!

Lu Hui, mid-step, suddenly found himself immobilized—instantly, his soul nearly fled his body in terror!

Before he could recover his wits, the Bald Monk's blade slashed into his chest.

The blade pierced through his chest armor, the edge sinking into his flesh, blood spurting out instantly.