Chapter 667: Led Astray

"Did you… slaughter them all?"

Yi Li said in a low voice.

He was a spiritual cultivator; when being pursued earlier, he had been forced to engage the black-robed cultivators, and was taken down in a single encounter.

He had only just woken now, his head still a little dizzy, and for the moment couldn't quite make sense of the situation.

Mo Hua nodded. "Slaughtered them all!"

"But…" Sister Situ hesitated. "There were a lot of them on the other side. We can't beat them, can we…"

When they had met earlier, a rough estimate put the enemy's numbers at over twenty.

Although some had died now, at least ten or more remained, and it was unknown whether they had other reinforcements.

Moreover, among those ten-odd black-robed men, there seemed to be a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Both numbers and cultivation were at a disadvantage…

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said carefully, "A straight-up fight is indeed a bit difficult, so we need to think of some methods and plan things thoroughly."

"Plan…"

Cheng Mo and the other two nodded hesitantly.

It was just that they didn't have much similar experience, and for the moment didn't understand exactly what there was to "plan."

"No rush for now…" Mo Hua said calmly. "The top priority is to first find these black-robed traffickers, scout out the situation, and then act as we see fit."

"We can't just let them kidnap cultivators and then get away scot-free…"

"That's true…"

Cheng Mo and the other two nodded.

"It's just that…" Yang Qianjun sighed and said, "We were being hunted and fled the whole way. We don't even know where those black-robed men went…"

Mo Hua asked, "Where did you run into these black-robed cultivators?"

"In a valley to the east…" Yang Qianjun said.

"Then let's go take a look first, see if there are any clues," Mo Hua said.

Yang Qianjun paused slightly, then nodded and said:

"Alright."

At this point, there was no other choice.

Afterwards, they waited for the group to sit in meditation and heal, recovering their blood and qi, and once their spiritual power had mostly recovered, everyone rose and set out.

A party of six headed east along the mountain path. After roughly half a shichen, they arrived at a valley.

Mo Hua released his divine sense and frowned slightly.

There wasn't a single figure left in the valley.

Everyone went in to search.

On the soil, gravel, and shallow grass on the ground there were cart ruts, faint footprints, and the marks of boxes set down on the ground.

Apart from that, there were no other traces.

It looked as though a group had stopped here briefly, and not long after, split into two.

One group had pursued Cheng Mo and the others.

The other group had taken the kidnapped cultivators and set off.

Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances and sighed.

"They're gone…"

"And we don't even know where they went…"

Mo Hua's pupils deepened, and within his eyes, the patterns of cause and effect surfaced, threads of karmic qi imprinting into his vision.

A moment later, Mo Hua pointed toward the mountain path on the left. "They went this way."

The others were taken aback.

Cheng Mo asked, "How do you know?"

"I'm guessing!"

Mo Hua said matter-of-factly.

Then he said casually, "Let's go…"

Having spoken, Mo Hua took the lead and headed toward the left.

Hao Xuan immediately followed.

Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances, all somewhat baffled, but instinctively still followed behind Mo Hua.

On the left was a mountain path; beyond the path was a forest; beyond the forest was a valley; beyond the valley was a stream…

Along the way, there were no cart ruts or any traces of cultivators passing through.

But Mo Hua walked forward without looking back, his gaze focused, his steps firm.

As if he had seen with his own eyes the movements of those black-robed cultivators.

Cheng Mo found it very strange.

But in a situation with no clues like this, no one knew which direction to go, and with someone leading the way, he could only follow along.

After walking another incense stick's worth of time, Mo Hua's eyes lit up. He suddenly stopped, turned to Cheng Mo and the others, pressed down with his palm, and said in a low voice:

"Crouch down."

Everyone obediently crouched down, lowered their bodies, crept forward a few steps, and using rocks and bushes for cover, peeked down.

Below the slope was a ruin.

Within the ruin, the walls had collapsed, and there were scattered ores, iron ingot molds caked with mud, and furnaces.

From the look of it, it seemed to be an abandoned weapon-refining shop.

The artifact forge was sizable, its interior concealed by ruined walls and broken pillars, and the entrance gate was dried and shattered.

At first glance, the entire forge appeared normal, but upon closer inspection, two dark shadows could be seen in the shadow beneath the gate.

They were two black-clad guards.

Cheng Mo's heart leapt—"Found them!"

He turned to look at Mo Hua, astonished: "You actually got it right!"

Mo Hua humbly replied: "Just lucky."

Cheng Mo nodded, confused.

Sister Situ and Yang Qianjun silently gave Cheng Mo a side-eye.

You actually believe him when he says "lucky"?

Throughout this journey, there wasn't a single trace—how could Mo Hua have guessed the direction perfectly by pure luck?

Still, since Mo Hua claimed it was luck, they wisely refrained from pressing further.

"What now?" Sister Situ asked. "Try to sneak in and scout the enemy's strength?"

"Use concealment to enter?"

They knew Mo Hua had mastered concealment techniques and possessed a rare concealment artifact: Water Conceal Jade.

"No need," Mo Hua shook his head. "There are sixteen people inside—one Foundation Establishment mid-stage, the rest Foundation Establishment early-stage."

Everyone froze.

Cheng Mo asked: "How do you know?"

Mo Hua casually replied: "A sweep of my spiritual sense revealed it all…"

Cheng Mo frowned: "Why can't I see it?"

Mo Hua said: "Because I'm a formation master—my spiritual sense is just a bit stronger…"

After saying this, Mo Hua pulled out a sheet of paper and sketched a rough map of the abandoned forge.

Simultaneously, he used simple stick figures to mark the positions of each black-clad guard.

"Two by the gate—they're on lookout. Beyond the corridor, behind Shi Zhu, there's a big guy…"

Everyone's expressions turned complex.

Your spiritual sense is only "a bit" stronger…?

Mo Hua continued: "At the very back is a hall. Three Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators patrol outside—it's their qi that's slightly stronger."

"Inside the hall, the Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator is holding position."

"In the corner of the hall are boxes and sacks—those must contain the kidnapped cultivators…"

Mo Hua laid out the forge's layout and the black-clad cultivators' positions with perfect clarity.

Cheng Mo lifted his axe, his eyes blazing with battle lust.

He hated these black-clad cultivators for kidnapping people—and for hunting him down—and declared at once:

"I'm charging in and killing them all!"

Mo Hua stared at him, speechless.

Cheng Mo blinked. "Aren't we supposed to fight?"

Mo Hua sneered: "Fight your own damn head!"

Mo Hua raised his index finger and lectured him sternly: "Plan ahead, or you'll fail. Always act with strategy."

"Even when you fight, use your brain—follow a method, don't just rush in blindly…"

Cheng Mo scratched his head. "How do I plan?"

Mo Hua drew a route on the paper with his pen:

"Stay hidden, leave no trace, don't alert anyone else…"

"Start with the two black-clad guards at the gate—kill them one by one."

"Beyond the gate is the corridor, then the eaves—eliminate them one by one like that, then find a way to kill the Foundation Establishment mid-stage black-clad leader."

"This is the safest, lowest-risk, and most spirit-efficient approach…"

Everyone watched Mo Hua in silence, suddenly viewing him in a new light.

"So… shall we move now?" Cheng Mo whispered.

Mo Hua shook his head. "I'm not done yet."

Cheng Mo blinked. "Not done?"

Mo Hua pulled out Qian Jun Bang and asked Hao Xuan: "Can you ambush someone with a club?"

Hao Xuan nodded honestly. "No…"

"I'll teach you!" Mo Hua patiently instructed. "Your movement is agile, your steps light—you're perfect for ambushes like this…"

"I've inscribed the Qian Jun Array onto this club."

"You sneak up quietly, activate the array, then strike when they're unprepared…"

…

After finishing his lesson, Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan: "Remember?"

Hao Xuan nodded dully. "Remembered…"

Mo Hua patted his shoulder. "Don't worry—first time's awkward, second time's familiar—you'll get used to it…"

Hao Xuan looked dazed.

Mo Hua turned to Sister Situ: "Situ, coat your sword with poison…"

Sister Situ looked bewildered: "I don't have any…"

"No problem—I brought some."

Mo Hua pulled out several small vials from his storage pouch, sighing slightly:

"Poison isn't easy to get, especially potent kinds—the Dao Court regulates them, and sects forbid refining them. All we can do is apply a simple 'paralysis' poison…"

Mo Hua then turned to Yang Qianjun:

"Brother Yang, you should coat your spear with poison too…"

Yang Qianjun nodded, his expression complicated.

"Yi Li, can you use the Drowning Choke Technique? When killing, seal the throat with water spiritual power so the target can't scream…"

"And Cheng Mo, hold this root between your teeth—then when you swing, you won't shout…"

"Just smash it right on the forehead with one axe blow…"

…

Cheng Mo finally couldn't hold back; his eyelid twitched as he whispered:

"Mo Hua… you… weren't you once a bandit? Used to 'kill and plunder'?"

Mo Hua shot him a glare, face dead serious:

"Don't talk nonsense! I'm a proper disciple of the Grand Void Gate—a law-abiding cultivator!"

Sister Situ and the others looked skeptical.

To stop them from thinking more, Mo Hua said:

"Move out!"

Cheng Mo and the others nodded.

Right now, eliminating this group of black-robed traffickers and rescuing the kidnapped cultivators was the urgent priority.

If the methods are dirty, so be it.

They were forced into this—all because of their 'Little Senior Brother' leading them astray…

…

Before the abandoned alchemy workshop.

Two black-robed guards still hid in the shadows.

If they approached carelessly, they'd be spotted and alert the traffickers.

Mo Hua's six of them crept forward silently.

As the two black-robed guards turned their backs to each other, Hao Xuan struck first.

Wearing the Water-Stealth Jade, he activated a wind-style body technique, his footsteps soundless as he slipped behind one of them.

Then he raised his Thousand-Pound Club and—*clang! *—smashed it into the back of the guard's skull.

The black-robed guard staggered violently, stars exploding in his vision, legs unsteady.

Before he could react, Sister Situ summoned her poisoned Li Huo Sword and pierced his heart meridian.

The poison paralyzed his meridians, locking him in place.

The other black-robed guard noticed the commotion, turned around—and was instantly trapped by Mo Hua's Water Prison Technique.

Yang Qianjun's long-prepared spear shot through the air and speared straight through his chest.

The guard opened his mouth to scream, but Yi Li swiftly activated the Drowning Choke Technique, sealing his throat with water spiritual power, silencing him.

Though the technique was obscure, Yi Li came from the Yi family, a lineage of spell specialists—he wasn't proficient, but he could still use it.

Then each of them added a finishing strike or spell.

The two guards were taken down effortlessly and silently.

The whole process was remarkably easy.

Cheng Mo and the others were stunned.

Mo Hua gave a slight nod. "Continue…"

Next was a black-robed giant in the corridor.

The giant was massive, his blood aura thick—he was clearly a body cultivator.

Mo Hua handed the Water-Stealth Jade to Cheng Mo.

Cheng Mo remembered Mo Hua's instructions, the branch clenched between his teeth; though awkward, he crept like a thief toward the giant's back.

But Cheng Mo's spiritual sense was weak, and he had no stealth experience—he was detected the moment he stepped within four paces.

The black-robed giant's eyes bulged.

"Who—"

Mo Hua shouted: "Yi Li!"

Yi Li reacted instantly, firing a Drowning Choke Technique that sealed the giant's throat, trapping his words inside.

At the same time, Mo Hua instantly immobilized the giant with a Water Prison Technique.

Cheng Mo struck immediately, his blood aura surging, both axes raised high, coated in Mountain-Shattering Force.

By habit, Cheng Mo had wanted to roar.

But the branch in his mouth silenced him.

Like a stallion with a bit forced into its mouth, Cheng Mo, furious, poured all his strength into his axes and brought them down hard.

The twin axes crashed down with Mountain-Shattering force, carving deep gashes into the giant's back, exposing ribs.

Then Sister Situ unleashed her sword, Yang Qianjun added his spear.

Together, they brought down the body cultivator.

Mo Hua crept forward and added a fireball spell, only then relaxing.

Three of the sixteen black-robed traffickers were dead.

At this moment, Hao Xuan remembered something and asked Mo Hua:

"Should we keep them alive? Check their identities?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "No need…"

"Right now the enemy outnumbers us. We have to be ruthless. We can't insist on keeping them alive, or things will go wrong."

"Once we have the absolute upper hand, then we can think about taking prisoners."

Sister Situ and the others all nodded.

Afterwards, the group used the same method—inside the abandoned artifact-refining shop, using the terrain for cover, coordinating with each other, taking down these black-robed cultivators one by one.

Before they knew it, of the sixteen black-robed cultivators, only four remained.

These four were all near the great hall at the very end.

Outside the hall were three early Foundation Establishment cultivators; inside the hall was one mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. The other trafficked cultivators were also inside the hall.

Mo Hua had originally wanted to draw a formation and send all four of them off together.

But with the trafficked "hostages" inside, he couldn't be that blunt.

The group rested for a while, took some pills, and meditated to recover some spiritual power, then began the final "hard fight."

Kill these four black-robed men and rescue the trafficked cultivators.

Six against four—our side had the numerical advantage.

But on the other side there was still one mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

And this mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator's background was unknown, as were all the tricks he had up his sleeve.

A lion uses its full strength even against a rabbit.

Mo Hua had originally wanted to play it safe—take out the three outside first, then have all six of them deal together with the mid-Foundation Establishment black-robed leader inside.

But there were still "hostages" inside.

If a fight broke out and these black-robed cultivators went mad and started "tearing up the tickets," that would be bad.

"I'll go in stealth to take a look…"

Mo Hua said softly.

He wanted to sneak in and use one "Small Meteor Art" to send that mid-Foundation Establishment black-robed leader on his way.

Simple and efficient—once and for all.

At the same time, the other five were also given their assignments, joining forces to deal with the three early Foundation Establishment black-robed cultivators.

Take down two first, then focus fire on the last one.

That way, whether or not he managed to kill the leader, the outside would be cleared.

Sister Situ said worriedly, "Mo Hua, isn't it too dangerous for you to go in alone?"

"It's fine." Mo Hua said casually, "My concealment art is good. I'm just going in to take a look."

Then Mo Hua thought for a moment and added, "After I go in, if there's no movement inside, don't make a move yet…"

"But the moment there's even the slightest movement, you have to strike immediately and take out those three outside."

"Got it!"

Cheng Mo and the others all nodded.

Once the plan was settled, Mo Hua, right in front of everyone, gradually concealed himself and vanished without a trace.

Flesh and blood, spiritual power, divine sense aura—all of it gone.

Everyone's heart jolted.

"He really… doesn't leave a single trace…"

"What kind of concealment art is this?"

Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe.

On the other side, Mo Hua, still concealed, slipped past the three patrolling black-robed men outside the great hall and tiptoed inside.

Inside the great hall, wind blew in from all sides; it was wrecked and broken.

In the corner, there really were a few sacks, and also boxes—the trafficked cultivators were hidden inside.

And that black-robed leader was right in the middle of the hall.

Mo Hua focused his gaze and frowned slightly.

This black-robed leader's behavior was very strange.

He was devoutly kneeling on the ground, seemingly worshipping something, muttering under his breath, but his words were slurred and unclear, mumbling nonsensically—no one could tell what he was saying.

"Never mind… I'll just send him off first…"

Mo Hua took light steps, walking forward, slowly approaching behind this black-robed leader.

Just then, on the black-robed leader's body, a blood-colored phantom suddenly appeared.

This phantom was neither solid nor empty, wreathed in blood-colored light, with a long neck, horns on its head, and a ferocious appearance.

Like some sort of… evil-thought demon.

After the phantom appeared, it turned its head, and a pair of blood-red eyes stared fixedly at the concealed Mo Hua.

Mo Hua's pupils contracted.

At the same time, the kneeling, worshipping black-robed leader shuddered all over, whipped his head around to look at the empty space where Mo Hua was, and barked:

"Who?!"

(End of chapter)