Chapter 258: Chapter 257: Trapping and Killing_1 “` Lu Hui, already severely wounded, struggled in vain as he was no match for the two first-rank Monster Beasts. The two Monster Beasts were not about to let the flesh in their mouths escape and began to tear and bite at Lu Hui ferociously. The scene was somewhat gruesome, and Mo Hua felt a bit uneasy, but he thought that Lu Hui had it coming. A moment later, Mo Hua suddenly sensed something with his Divine Sense, and said to Zhang Lan, “The cultivators from the Taoist Court are on their way.” In his Divine Sense, he could already detect the breath of the Taoist Court cultivators. Zhang Lan nodded his head. Lu Hui could die, but he should not be consumed; at the very least, his body needed to be preserved as evidence for all to witness. Otherwise, who would know whether Lu Hui’s death was related to them or not? Zhang Lan then shouted, “Audacious beasts, how dare you kill Court Leader Lu!” Having said that, Zhang Lan gathered Sword Qi of the water element and struck at the two Monster Beasts. The Sword Qi hit the Monster Beasts, causing them pain; they howled and glared at Zhang Lan with fierce eyes. Mo Shan also took the opportunity to attack the beasts while Mo Hua assisted by restricting them with the Water Prison Technique. The Water Prison Technique was less effective against late-stage first-rank Monster Beasts, binding them for barely a moment, but that brief instant was enough to hinder their attacks, providing Mo Shan with an opportunity. After some trouble, Mo Shan finally rescued Lu Hui from the jaws of the Monster Beasts. Having their meal snatched away, the two Monster Beasts enraged, one pounced towards Mo Shan, and the other charged at Zhang Lan. Mo Shan, relying on his profound cultivation and exquisite Taoist Skills, began to battle one of the Monster Beasts, mainly evading and holding his own. Mo Hua set off fireworks and then, using the movement technique Water Passing Step, tangled with the other Monster Beast to buy time. Against two first-rank Monster Beasts in a direct confrontation, they were no match. They could only look for a way to delay for a while until the cultivators from the Taoist Court arrived upon seeing the fireworks. Zhang Lan, while remotely assisting with the Water Sword Technique, couldn’t help but be secretly astonished. Mo Shan was to be expected, a Monster Hunter with rich experience and outstanding strength, managing to hold off a late-stage first-rank Monster Beast was not an issue. But little Mo Hua, merely at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, was also able to tangle with a late-stage first-rank Monster Beast by leveraging his movement technique, and even appeared to hold his ground convincingly. Each time the Monster Beast pounced to tear, scratch, or bite, Mo Hua cleverly dodged every attack, displaying the meticulous beauty of the Water Passing Step technique to perfection. In his spare moments, he could even cast a few spells. Sometimes it was a Fireball Technique to harass, sometimes the Water Prison Technique to entrap the enemy. His spellcasting was extremely fast, releasing them with a flick of his hand, so even in close quarters with the Monster Beast, he always found time to conjure spells. Although his spells were like mere itches on the beast, causing little harm, they did indeed strike the Monster Beast solidly. The Monster Beast, no matter how frustrated or humiliated, couldn’t touch Mo Hua at all, unable to even graze him to tickle. Zhang Lan felt conflicted. The Water Passing Step was clearly the Ultimate Technique of the Zhang Family, yet it was being employed to perfection by Mo Hua, a little cultivator not of their kin. It made him start to wonder whether the technique should bear the name Mo or Zhang. “You better not let the elders of my Zhang Family see you, or else they would certainly pull you into the family,” Zhang Lan thought to himself as he watched Mo Hua. After holding on for a while, the Taoist Court cultivators arrived to back them up, about fifteen or sixteen in total, from both Tongxian City and Qingxuan City. Now with numbers on their side, the two Monster Beasts let out reluctant roars and had to retreat back into the forest. A Qingxuan City Taoist Court cultivator, upon seeing Lu Hui, exclaimed in shock, “Leader Lu! What happened to you…?” One of Lu Hui’s arms had been eaten by a Monster Beast, his body was covered in blood, and his breath grew weaker and weaker, with a mouthful of blood he couldn’t swallow. He pointed at Mo Hua but was unable to speak. Zhang Lan then grabbed Lu Hui’s shoulders and shook him hard, his expression one of sorrow as he said: “Court Leader Lu, what has happened to you? Court Leader Lu, say something!” Lu Hui’s last breath slipped away with the shaking, his head drooped, and he passed away. Upon seeing this, Zhang Lan wore a look of disbelief and mournfully said, “Court Leader Lu, how could you just leave us like this?!” Mo Hua watched, his eyes wide open in amazement. “` Zhang Lan, the seasoned veteran of the Taoist Court, acted as if it were all real. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖 Those unaware might even think he had deep ties with Lu Hui. Such acting, both genuine and contrived without any hint of discord, made Mo Hua feel quite inferior. Once Zhang Lan confirmed that Lu Hui had indeed stopped breathing, he lamented, “Court Leader Lu first fought fiercely against Bald Tuo, subduing him, and then to prevent Bald Tuo from falling into the jaws of the Monster Beasts, he struggled with the beasts to the death. He unfortunately perished in the line of duty. His actions and resolve are both admirable and praiseworthy.” The Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City looked at each other in bewilderment. Was the person Zhang Lan spoke of really their Court Leader Lu? He wasn’t that kind of person at all… The words “admirable and praiseworthy” had nothing to do with Court Leader Lu, even in eight lifetimes. He certainly wouldn’t risk his life for a public office in the Taoist Court. Zhang Lan gave them a cold look, “Court Leader Lu is dead, yet you remain unmoved. Do you harbor dissatisfaction with Court Leader Lu?” Upon hearing this, the hearts of the Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City tightened. They immediately bowed their heads, adopting a mournful expression, and said one after another, “With the death of Court Leader Lu, we are stricken with grief, finding it hard to believe. We ask for Court Leader Zhang’s assistance in dealing with the aftermath.” Zhang Lan nodded, “Catching Bald Tuo is a shared credit, and Court Leader Lu’s contribution is indispensable. His body should be sent back to Qingxuan City for a proper burial.” With Lu Hui dead, the only Supervisor left here was Zhang Lan, so naturally, his word was law. Moreover, with the capture of Bald Tuo, they each had a share of the merits; it wasn’t a wasted trip. As for Court Leader Lu, dead is dead. What could they, several Enforcement Leaders, do? They couldn’t possibly oppose Zhang Lan, the Supervisor. The Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City bowed and agreed, “We shall follow what Court Leader Zhang has instructed.” Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction and instructed, “First, send the body of Court Leader Lu back to the Taoist Court in Tongxian City, let the Court Leader take a look, and then send it back to Qingxuan City.” “Yes.” The Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City took Lu Hui’s body and left the mountain first, while Mo Hua, alongside Zhang Lan, returned to the valley where the Sin Cultivators took shelter. Ji Qingbai and several Cultivators from the Taoist Court were cleaning up the battlefield. Upon seeing Mo Hua, they looked around and couldn’t help but ask, “Where is Lu Hui?” Mo Hua sighed, “Court Leader Lu died in the line of duty.” Ji Qingbai showed an incredulous expression. How much time had passed, and he had died in the line of duty? That was Lu Hui! The Supervisor of Qingxuan City’s Taoist Court, who made a tiger of himself and committed all sorts of evil. So many Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City were helpless against him, how come he perished in the line of duty upon arriving at Tongxian City? After pondering for a moment, Ji Qingbai slowly came to understand and cautiously asked, “There won’t be any problems, will there?” Mo Shan glanced at Mo Hua and said helplessly, “We didn’t lay a finger on him.” Mo Hua laughed, “It was Bald Tuo and the Monster Beasts who killed Lu Hui; it has nothing to do with us.” Zhang Lan also nodded, “With not a shred of evidence, the Taoist Court won’t pursue the matter.” Ji Qingbai stood dumbfounded for a long while, unable to comprehend how Lu Hui could be killed without leaving any trace of evidence. But he didn’t need to know. All he had to realize was that the evil Court Leader Lu was dead. A stone that had been weighing on his heart finally fell to the ground. The Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City could also breathe a little easier. Ji Qingbai bowed his hands in respect and said solemnly, “On behalf of the Loose Cultivators of Qingxuan City, I thank you all!” Zhang Lan waved his hand, “I haven’t done much, if you want to thank someone, thank Mo Hua.” Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Hua in surprise. Mo Hua chuckled, “It was but a small effort.” All he had done was cast a few Water Prison Techniques; indeed, it was but a small effort.