Chapter 188: I will kill you
Afterwards Mo Shan followed the same methods and began capturing the Qian family's formation masters.
The Qian family's guards were not weak cultivators, yet they had to deal with the Demon Hunters while also preventing Mo Shan from snatching people; for a time they were worn out from running back and forth.
The situation became dire. The Qian family's formation masters, who normally paid attention to posture and bearing, threw all decorum to the wind and ran for their lives, wishing they could sprout two extra legs.
In the end Mo Shan only managed to catch three formation masters; the others had escaped.
The battlefield after the melee was a mess. Some Demon Hunters were injured, and several Qian family cultivators lay on the ground wailing.
Mo Shan and the other Demon Hunters bound the formation masters and the remaining Qian family cultivators, then brought them back to the Artifact Refining Workshop.
The hunters dumped the Qian family men on the ground. Mo Hua, who had been perched atop the high wall, gave a beckoning gesture.
Mo Shan nodded, and Mo Hua leapt down, and landed lightly.
He had just used the Flowing-Water Step to climb to the high gate of the Artifact Refining Workshop, sitting atop the wall to observe everything happening outside.
Although the Qian family cultivators had avoided the Earth-Fire array, once they entered the Artifact Refining Workshop any movement that produced spiritual fluctuations would trigger the compass Child-array. The patrolling Demon Hunter squads carried the Mother-array compasses; when the Child-array responded they would go to assist.
On the surface the Qian family appeared to be creating diversions and striking unexpectedly, yet their positions were already fully exposed.
Thus, the infiltrating Qian family cultivators had not caused much trouble before being suppressed one by one.
Mo Hua was curious how they had avoided the Earth-Fire array.
He had asked Uncle Chu about it on purpose.
When it came to setting traps, Demon Hunters excelled, and Uncle Chu among them was the most adept at traps.
Mo Hua had consulted Uncle Chu and personally studied and applied many techniques; his trap-setting skill was counted among the best of the Demon Hunters.
He had inspected the Earth-Fire array laid outside and found nothing wrong. Why then had the Qian family discovered it?
Mo Hua climbed up on the wall and swept his Divine Sense around.
With Elder Yu, who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, absent, Mo Hua's Divine Sense was the strongest among those present. The ordinary Divine Sense of a ninth level Qi-refining cultivator could not compare.
Then Mo Hua discovered the Qian family's formation masters, and suddenly understood.
At once he felt pleased.
A fish delivered to the door should not be left un-caught.
Mo Hua found Mo Shan, explained the reason, and said, "Keep an eye on the formation masters and capture them alive!"
Mo Shan nodded, then led a team of well-qualified Demon Hunters and flew after those formation masters. After a skirmish they finally brought a few of them back.
"A pity, we only caught three, the others got away," Mo Shan said regretfully.
Mo Hua nodded repeatedly. "That's enough, that's enough."
"What are you going to do with these formation masters?" Mo Shan asked curiously.
"Hand them over to Elder Yu," Mo Hua replied. "I expect everyone will have meat to eat for the next month." Mo Hua smiled.
...
The next day Elder Yu came to the Artifact Refining Workshop. When he saw the Qian family's formation masters he was surprised and asked, "How did you capture them?"
"They came to our doorstep," Mo Hua said.
Elder Yu was slightly stunned. "Has Qian Hong lost his mind?"
"They tried to break my Earth-Fire array and ended up making a fool of themselves," Mo Hua said.
The Qian family's formation masters had kept their distance, believing that by avoiding personal risk they would be safe. They never expected Mo Hua's Divine Sense to be so strong that he could detect them from afar.
After hearing the account Elder Yu could not help but praise the boy: Mo Hua had a meticulous mind and used his Divine Sense skillfully.
Even though Elder Yu's Divine Sense was much stronger, a casual sweep might still miss such people and would not necessarily connect them with formation masters.
Elder Yu nodded. "You've all worked hard. Leave the rest to me; tonight we'll eat well."
With that Elder Yu took the captured formation masters to the Qian residence.
These formation masters could not be killed; otherwise the Qian family would not let the matter drop. Training a formation master cost a great deal, and the Qian family might not be able to raise another.
Even if they did kill them, the Dao Court Division would be difficult to explain things to. The public rules still had to be observed. In Tōngxiān City, unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to cause fatalities.
Since killing was not permitted and they could not keep them, the only option was to extort.
Moreover, formation masters were a heavy bargaining chip. Elder Yu intended to squeeze quite a sum.
Qian Hong was so furious he vomited blood. He had investigated beforehand and believed Elder Yu would not be at the Artifact Refining Workshop that night. The formation masters had kept their distance and could not have been discovered by the Divine Sense of Qi-refining cultivators.
He had even sent bodyguards to follow them; with such caution, how could they still be captured?
How had they been taken?
Qian Hong could not fathom it.
At that moment Elder Yu had already brought the formation masters to the door. This time he did not roar or curse; rather he was in an excellent mood, his expression unusually pleasant.
Like a gambler who had won, he held the chips and waited for the dealer to exchange them for spirit stones.
They were the losers, but also the house; they were to pay out the spirit stones, and the very chips had been sent out by them.
Qian Hong's anger showed in his clenched teeth but his face remained expressionless. He snorted and said preemptively, "Elder Yu, you are a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator who kidnaps the Qian family's formation masters and dares to come here to extort?"
Elder Yu waved his hand. "Spare me the nonsense. Who is playing games here? Everyone knows what happened; why pretend otherwise?"
Qian Hong scoffed, "I will report this to the Dao Court Division."
"Fine, go ahead," Elder Yu replied without fear. "While you're at it, tell them how the Qian family caused trouble at the Artifact Refining Workshop, how many of our people you injured, how much you smashed, how many arrays you ruined, and how much you delayed our construction…"
"So you, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, come to bully juniors?" Qian Hong sneered.
Elder Yu chuckled. "I did not take action this time. From beginning to end I knew nothing of it. You made trouble and were caught; I only learned this morning and came to seek an explanation."
Qian Hong looked at him coldly. "What explanation do you want?"
"Show some sincerity and I'll return the people to you. That way you save face and no one is offended," Elder Yu replied.
Qian Hong's eyelids twitched. Save face? Keep the peace? Did Elder Yu care about such things?
"What sincerity do you want?"
"What else is there?" Elder Yu countered.
Gritting his teeth, Qian Hong said, "Five hundred spirit stones per person!"
Elder Yu shook his head. "That's not sincere enough."
"How much then?"
"These are formation masters, you must pay more!" Elder Yu said.
"How many do you want?" Qian Hong demanded.
Elder Yu named a price without hesitation. "Ten thousand per person."
Qian Hong rose in fury. "Don't push your luck!"
Elder Yu tried to soothe him. "You are the Clan Patriarch, don't lose your composure. I did not say you could not haggle…"
Qian Hong, restraining his rage, asked again, "How much do you want?"
Elder Yu bargained back and forth, counting spirit stones as if Qian Hong were a vegetable vendor in the market.
After the final negotiations Elder Yu took the spirit stones and left satisfied.
Qian Hong's face was ashen. He struck the table in anger and the desk turned to splinters.
"Yu Changlin, I will kill you!" he snarled.
(End of chapter)