The Quest for Immortality

Because at present, everything is advancing according to plan.

So this timing is just right, enough for me to do some small maneuvers.

If Mo Hua’s guess is correct, the Water Yama is at the center of the island’s Formation.

Even if the Water Yama is not here, this is the control hub of the Formation and the key to the entire bandit’s lair, there are definitely secrets hidden inside.

I can sneak in first and see if I can fish in troubled waters and gain some benefits.

This Water Yama, carrying the legacy of the Water Prison Sect, is a treasure trove, and I absolutely cannot let him get away.

But this siege of the water bandits is led by Xia Canonical Official, with involvement from the Xiao family, Uncle Gu has no say, and I can’t seek a backdoor way either.

If the Water Yama really gets caught and falls into the hands of the Xia family, then all the good things on him won’t be mine.

At most, I’ll get some Spirit Stones and Merit Points afterward.

Although Spirit Stones are good, I’m not lacking them now.

As for Merit Points, there’s no need to mention.

Mo Hua has plenty of Merit Points now.

And the things on the Water Yama cannot be exchanged with Spirit Stones and Merit Points.

Therefore, if you want a piece of the pie, you must learn to seize the opportunity.

If there is no opportunity, then create one.

This timing now is the ”opportunity” carefully crafted by using the principles of the Eight Gates and Eight Trigrams, and by advising on Xia Canonical Official’s siege plan.

At this moment, most of the water bandits have been killed.

The Formation can’t stop me.

The Water Yama is besieged by the Taoist Court Officials and must be running for his life.

It’s perfect for me to use invisibility and fish in troubled waters.

And in about an hour, Uncle Gu along with Xia Canonical Official will lead the Taoist Court Cultivators to attack here.

This is the retreat route.

If there are any changes, I just need to find a way to hold off for an hour until Uncle Gu and the others come to rescue me.

And whether I can get a piece of the pie depends on this hour.

Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed slightly, shining with a hunter’s intent in the darkness.

He concealed himself and moved closer to the center of the bandit’s lair.

The center of the bandit’s lair is a large stone fort, surrounded by wooden fences.

This seems to be the Leader’s residence and the place where the water bandits gather for meetings, as well as the center protected by the Eight Gates Eight Trigrams Formation.

Outside the stone fort, many water bandits are guarding, and some Formations are laid out.

But these Formations are not sophisticated.

Most importantly, there is no deliberate set of revelation or dust-revealing Formations specifically to counter concealment.

Generally speaking, they indeed don’t have much use for them.

But the current situation is a bit unusual.

Mo Hua, with his superb Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, moved into the stone fort like a Ghost or Specter.

No one noticed him.

Entering the stone fort, Mo Hua immediately noticed the Water Yama in the hall.

At this moment, the Water Yama was gathering with several people who seemed to be small leaders of the water bandits, discussing something at the table in the middle of the hall.

Rather than discussing, it’s like ”arguing.”

”...Who brought those Taoist Court dogs here?!”

”How the hell would I know?”

”Someone must have leaked the information...”

”There’s a traitor among us!”

”The terrain around the lair is treacherous, even I don’t know the way.”

”Without an insider leading these dogs, I don’t damn believe they could have snuck into the lair.”

”And the Formation too...”

”Wasn’t this Formation supposed to be as solid as gold soup, that no one could break it? Why the hell does it seem like paper?”

”Every advance and retreat is within others’ calculations.”

”What’s the damn use of talking about this now? The urgent task is to find a way to fend off the enemy!”

”One must settle internal affairs before dealing with external threats, don’t you understand?”

...

The group of people argued noisily, each holding their views, debating endlessly.

”Enough!”

Sitting on high, the fair-skinned, defiant-browed Water Yama appeared deadly serious.

The Water Yama seemed to hold significant authority, as the water bandits sitting below fell silent and dared not speak further.

After a moment, finally, someone spoke in a deep voice:

”Big Brother, the Taoist Court is about to break in, what do we do now?”

Someone then shouted: ”Big Brother, let’s kill these dogs!”

”How do you kill them? There’s a Golden Core on the other side,” a nearby water bandit sneered.

”So what about the Golden Core? This is a Second Grade State Border. If we truly fight to the death, it’s not certain who will die...”

”What the hell are you boasting about? Foundation Establishment defeating a Golden Core, show me you can kill one?”

”Damn it, you look down on me...”

...

The group of fierce bandits started arguing again.

Water Yama’s face was icy, internally cursing, as they were a bunch of idiots, who only knew how to fight, without a shred of brains.

”Enough!” Water Yama said impatiently, ”As long as the green hills remain, there will be no lack of firewood to burn. I have a backup, and we will escape through a secret passage.”

”Big Brother, how can this be? We’ve lost so many brothers, to just flee like this is too... cowardly...”

Water Yama swung his hand, and a vicious water torture whip was lashed forward.

The speaking small leader of the water bandits had a bloody mark on his face, causing him unbearable pain.

Water Yama’s gaze was icy: ”Didn’t you hear what I said?”

The small leader immediately looked alarmed, and dared not speak further, while the others also shut their mouths.

Water Yama nodded slightly, with a cold glint in his eyes, ”The vengeance for our brothers will be exacted sooner or later; there’s no rush. The urgent task is to evade their sharpness, settle these accounts later.”

”Yes!”

”Big Brother is right!”

”We follow Big Brother’s command entirely!”

...

The group of water bandits agreed one after another.

Water Yama said: ”You all retreat first, you have 30 minutes to tidy up; after that, we will depart...”

”Yes!”

The group of water bandits rose to take their leave and gradually exited the hall.

Only Water Yama was left in the hall.

Water Yama remained with a stern face, then muttered, spitting out, ”There really are Taoist Court dogs here...”