Chapter 252: Lu Hui
He still didn't know what kind of "reward" he would get this time.
Mo Hua was curious, but since Zhang Lan had made up his mind not to say, there was no way he could find out.
Mo Hua asked again, "That bald guy, is he strong?"
Zhang Lan shook his head. "Bald Monk has done plenty of evil, but his cultivation isn't very high. At most, he's only a little stronger than an ordinary criminal cultivator."
"And he's considered the big brother?"
"He's fast, agile, and survives a long time."
Mo Hua understood, he'd earned his position through experience.
Then he asked, "What kind of body technique does the bald guy use?"
Previously, when Bald Monk had been surrounded, he managed to escape from hundreds of demon hunters, showing that his body technique was indeed exceptional.
Zhang Lan explained, "He has a wind-type spiritual root and learned a body technique called Gale Technique. It's not suitable for prolonged combat, but it's incredibly fast, perfect for escaping danger."
Mo Hua wanted it too, but since he wasn't a wind root, he couldn't learn it. Too bad.
He had a water element, so he could study the concealment technique, though the effect would be weak. But wind-based body techniques were completely out of reach.
Gale Technique—just the name implied extreme speed.
Mo Hua wondered if his Water Prison Technique could even trap this bald guy.
He pondered silently, then asked, "So, what do you need me to do?"
"You placed that… Si'nan Mother-and-Child Compass Formation system in the Inner Mountain, right…"
Zhang Lan muttered inwardly about how awkwardly named the formation was; it sounded complicated, and it was impressive that Mo Hua could even draw it.
He continued, "When the time comes, use the formation to assist the Dao Court Division in capturing Bald Monk."
"No problem." Mo Hua nodded, then asked, "And then?"
"That's it."
"Just that simple?"
"Just that simple." Zhang Lan leisurely took a sip of wine. "If it were complicated or truly dangerous, you wouldn't be going."
There were no Foundation Establishment cultivators among the criminal cultivators; their leader was Bald Monk, along with some others. Mo Hua couldn't defeat them, but escaping was easy.
Besides, helping to locate them using a formation was essentially effortless, just a matter of time.
Mo Hua was still curious. "Why not just ask Elder Yu? Normally, anything related to demon hunters should fall under his jurisdiction. Plus, I already gave my dad and Uncle Yu a copy of the formation."
"Division Chief went to Elder Yu, and the elder said we should ask you," Zhang Lan explained.
"Elder Yu said that?" Mo Hua was surprised.
Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow. "Elder Yu wants you to do him a favor. That way, if anything happens in the future, as long as it's not a major incident, the Dao Court Division will cover for you."
"And it's not dangerous, either, otherwise Elder Yu wouldn't have allowed you to take the risk."
Zhang Lan couldn't help commenting, "Your Elder Yu really treats you well."
"Of course!" Mo Hua smiled.
Zhang Lan shook his head, then reminded him, "In a few days, Dao Court Division personnel from Qingxuan City will arrive. Then we'll enter the mountains together."
"A few more days? By then, even if Kong Sheng isn't dead, he's almost done for, right?" Mo Hua said.
"That works perfectly," Zhang Lan smiled.
Mo Hua paused, then smiled. "Indeed."
A few more days would pass. They'd rescue Kong Sheng and then catch Bald Monk—fewer troublemakers, and Great Black Mountain would be peaceful again.
Zhang Lan chatted with Mo Hua about trivial matters, and after finishing meat and wine, he got up to leave.
Just a few steps away, he suddenly turned and whispered to Mo Hua, "Don't tell anyone about that matter."
Mo Hua froze. "That matter? Which one?"
"The matter of the Flowing-Water Step."
"Oh." Mo Hua remembered, then said, "Don't worry. If you don't say anything, I almost forgot. Whoever asks, I'll say the Flowing-Water Step wasn't taught by you."
"That's good."
Zhang Lan nodded, though inwardly he felt uneasy. "Keep it in mind, don't spread it, but don't really forget it either."
After all, the Flowing-Water Step was a secret technique of the Zhang Clan, he couldn't forget it.
A few days later, just as Zhang Lan had said, Dao Court Division personnel from Qingxuan City arrived.
Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan and met the cultivators from Qingxuan City.
Their leader was a thin, stern-faced, somewhat greedy-looking middle-aged cultivator, ninth level of Qi Refining, named Lu Hui, a Head Law Enforcer Officer of the Dao Court Division of Qingxuan City, holding the same rank as Zhang Lan.
Three others were late-stage Qi Refinement: one seventh level and two eighth levels, lower-ranked officers of the division.
Zhang Lan and Lu Hui exchanged polite, insincere greetings. Mo Hua had no desire to engage with such people, so he stayed silent.
Lu Hui wore a fake smile, praised Zhang Lan slightly, then said he wanted to see Ji Qingbai.
Zhang Lan didn't refuse, curious about Lu Hui's intentions.
He arranged for Ji Qingbai to be brought to the Dao Court Division. Lu Hui got straight to the point, demanding that Ji Qingbai go with him into the mountains to help rescue Young Master Kong Sheng of the Kong family.
Ji Qingbai frowned. "Officer Lu, what do you mean by this?"
What did Kong Sheng's life or death have to do with him?
Lu Hui pretended to be concerned. "Brother Ji, with Young Master Kong missing, you cannot escape responsibility…"
Ji Qingbai's gaze grew cold.
Lu Hui continued, "Previously in Qingxuan City, you and your son injured Young Master Kong without reason and then fled out of fear. Young Master Kong, impulsive and seeking justice, ended up in Great Black Mountain and met with misfortune, his life unknown.
If you don't go rescue him, both morally and legally, it would be hard to justify."
Ji Qingbai's anger rose. "Lu Hui, don't slander me! It was clearly Kong Sheng who provoked us!"
Lu Hui sighed. "This has evidence. Local cultivators and Kong family attendants can testify that you attacked Young Master Kong for no reason. Now, your word alone carries no proof, how can you clear your name?"
Clearly a setup.
Zhang Lan frowned, and Mo Hua also felt irritated.
Ji Qingbai sneered. "Has your Dao Court Division of Qingxuan City become the Kong family's lapdogs?"
Lu Hui's expression darkened. "Brother Ji, you are slandering our Dao Court Division."
Ji Qingbai snorted silently.
Lu Hui straightened his face. "I also heard that Young Master Kong's disappearance was due to your collusion with local cultivators, secretly taking action. It's not impossible…"
"You!" Ji Qingbai was furious.
Zhang Lan frowned. "So, Officer Lu implies that our Tongxian City laws are lax, with cultivators colluding to deliberately harm Young Master Kong?"
Lu Hui clasped his hands. "Officer Zhang, don't take offense. It's only a rumor."
Zhang Lan's gaze turned icy. "Without proof, Officer Lu should speak cautiously!"
Lu Hui smiled, unconcerned, then added: "Whether this matter is true or false depends on Brother Ji's actions…"
"If Brother Ji can intervene and successfully rescue Young Master Kong, the rumors will naturally collapse. Any offense by you and your father toward the Kong family can be forgiven. Otherwise, the Kong family will not let you off."
Lu Hui's eyes glimmered with malice. "Brother Ji, what do you think?"
Ji Qingbai's expression was unsettled.
He had already hidden in Tongxian City, yet the Kong family and their lackeys still pursued him. All he wanted was a safe place to live.
Ji Qingbai sighed helplessly. "As Officer Lu says."
"Good! Then tomorrow we enter the mountains."
Lu Hui nodded, his eyes dark and sharp.
After Lu Hui left, Ji Qingbai looked serious.
Mo Hua asked, "Uncle Ji, this Lu Hui… he's not a good guy, is he?"
Ji Qingbai smiled wryly. "You noticed?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Like a snake, sneaky and sinister, flicking his tongue as he speaks."
Ji Qingbai sighed. "Lu Hui is greedy, ruthless, cunning, and utterly devoted when working for the Kong family."
"Has he done many evil deeds?"
"Whenever the Kong family committed evil and were reported to the Dao Court Division, he covered for them—through threats, bribery, or coercion."
Ji Qingbai's expression darkened further. He said slowly, "Two years ago, Kong Sheng harmed a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl. She was violated and humiliated, ultimately taking her own life.
Her father reported it to the Dao Court Division but was imprisoned and tortured by Lu Hui for several days before being released. Ashamed and feeling helpless, he ended his own life…"
"That incident caused a huge uproar at the time, but in the end, it went unresolved."
Mo Hua shivered, then looked at Zhang Lan. "To let things get this bad, no one intervened?"
Zhang Lan was angry too but could only sigh. "There's nothing we can do. Local powers are deeply entangled with interests—it's hard to eliminate corruption."
Mo Hua asked, "The Dao Court should have an oversight agency, right?"
Zhang Lan was slightly surprised. "How do you know that?"
"I guessed," Mo Hua said.
The Dao Court couldn't just leave local divisions unchecked; otherwise, rogue officers could act freely.
Zhang Lan nodded. "The Dao Court does have an Inspection Division to monitor local offices. But they operate secretly, with limited personnel, so they can't cover everything."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Uncle Zhang, you're an aristocratic clan member, right?"
Zhang Lan sensed trouble. "What are you thinking?"
"Can you report this to the Inspection Division?"
Zhang Lan sighed. "It's not that simple. The nine provinces are vast. Even the Zhang Clan doesn't have influence everywhere. The Inspection Division might not be able to handle it."
"Worth a try," Mo Hua said.
Zhang Lan sighed. "Fine, I'll send a message. But don't expect too much. Strong outsiders rarely suppress local powers, especially in small regions where forces collude. Even if you weed out the grass, the roots remain."
"Even just weeding the grass is fine," Mo Hua said. "Thank you, Uncle Zhang."
Ji Qingbai also looked moved, clasping his hands. "Thank you, Officer Zhang!"
Zhang Lan waved. "It's my duty. In the short term, there won't be news. First, focus on capturing those criminal cultivators and finding Kong Sheng. Whether he's alive or dead, we need a resolution.
And watch out for Lu Hui, he's cunning."
Mo Hua nodded. "Don't worry."
Lu Hui, huh…
Mo Hua silently memorized him.
Daring to come to Tongxian City and cause trouble, he wouldn't get away easily.
(End of chapter)