Chapter 812 – Battle Begins
"Uncle Gu!"
Mo Hua's expression was grim. He shot Gu Changhuai a glance, a flash of cold light in his eyes, and said in a low voice:
"It might be Water Yama. If we can't capture him—kill him."
Gu Changhuai's gaze trembled slightly, then he nodded.
Gu An and Gu Quan both placed their hands on their blades. Spiritual energy silently surged, blade intent coiling, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Outside the carriage, the man fell silent as well—but the tension only grew thicker.
Just before they acted, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and said:
"Cover your faces."
Gu Changhuai paused, momentarily stunned.
He was a Dao Tribunal Commander, one who acted with full authority of the law. Arresting or killing criminals, he had always done so openly—when had he ever needed to cover his face?
"If we fail to catch him, we shouldn't reveal our identities," Mo Hua whispered.
He was just a small disciple of the Great Void Sect. Though he had arrested and even killed a number of criminal cultivators, he didn't want to be targeted by a vicious fiend like Water Yama.
And more importantly—Uncle Gu's identity shouldn't be exposed either.
Hua Ruyu and this Water Yama seemed to be working together.
And Uncle Gu… was Hua Ruyu's matchmaking candidate.
If Water Yama recognized Gu Changhuai as a Dao Tribunal Commander, the whole operation would be blown. Hua Ruyu would realize her identity and activities had been exposed, and that the matchmaking was a cover.
They didn't yet have solid evidence of her crimes.
If she got wind of things and cleaned up her tracks, it would be much harder to investigate her later.
And beyond all that—there was one more very important reason.
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
Uncle Gu had helped him immensely—and because of that, the evil god's faction had likely already marked him.
If he didn't start laying low… who knew how many people might try to kill him?
Gu Changhuai nodded silently.
Everyone in the carriage pulled out black cloths and covered their faces.
Mo Hua had just tied his mask when he heard Gu Changhuai shout, "Careful!"
A sudden killing intent surged.
A deep-blue water whip, like a venomous serpent, slashed through the carriage roof and lashed toward him.
Mo Hua's heart jumped. He twisted his body, dodging aside just in time.
Gu Changhuai stepped in front of him, drawing his longsword and unleashing several slashes of sword qi to neutralize the whip's residual force.
Wind and water spiritual power collided—waves of force blasted outward, and the entire carriage was blown apart.
The group had no choice but to abandon the carriage.
As the spiritual shockwaves dispersed…
Mo Hua, sheltered behind Gu Changhuai, opened his eyes and looked around.
The area was desolate, overgrown with wild grass. The earth underfoot was damp. Not far off, a rushing river flowed past a battered old ferry dock.
A small boat had pulled ashore there.
On the bank stood a man.
He looked young, with fair skin and a handsome face—but his gaze was twisted and cold, filled with venomous malice.
His right hand held a chain whip.
The whip had nine segments, connected by iron links—part weapon, part shackle.
But to Mo Hua, it looked more like an instrument of torture.
He thought of those fishermen cultivators, bound in chains and forced to kneel to their deaths in the Yu Family's Water Stronghold. The memory darkened his heart.
Eight or nine out of ten… this man was the one who replaced the Fire Buddha as the head of the evil god's enforcers—Water Yama.
But still—Mo Hua was surprised.
This Water Yama looked nothing like he had imagined.
Based on appearances alone, he was just a pale-skinned "pretty boy" who'd grown up by the water, fishing for a living, soaking in rivers so much he looked like a giant albino fish.
If not for the frigid aura of blood-soaked killing intent emanating from him, Mo Hua wouldn't have associated him with Water Yama at all.
Water Yama's gaze swept across the group—lingering especially on Gu Changhuai. His brow twitched, a trace of wariness flickering in his eyes.
But their faces were masked, their clothes plain. He couldn't discern their identities.
After a brief pause, he slowly opened his mouth:
"Who are you people? What are you doing in that carriage?"
Gu Changhuai didn't reply. His eyes were cold and silent.
There was no point speaking to monsters like this.
Seeing no answer, Water Yama grew impatient—his eyes sharp with killing intent.
Just as he seemed ready to strike again, Mo Hua stepped out from behind Gu Changhuai and said in a rough, exaggerated tone:
"That's what we should be asking you!"
"Who the hell are you? Why attack us out of nowhere—and destroy our carriage?!"
He struck first—with words.
Water Yama sneered coldly, "Your carriage? That's clearly Miao'er's—"
Miao'er?
Mo Hua's eyes flickered.
Another new name.
Water Yama caught himself mid-sentence. After those two syllables, he clammed up—his expression turned colder.
"It's my carriage. You stole it. And you have the nerve to ask me questions?"
"Got your name carved on it? Try calling it—see if it answers you," Mo Hua retorted shamelessly.
Water Yama couldn't out-talk Mo Hua. His eyes narrowed with fury.
"You sharp-tongued brat. I'll flay you alive."
Mo Hua scooted closer to Gu Changhuai, leaning on the big boss's aura like a fake tiger:
"Come on then. Let's see you try."
Water Yama didn't fall for the bait. His face remained cold, but his eyes turned thoughtful.
These masked strangers had hidden their presence well and made no move yet—he couldn't tell who they were.
And for them to arrive here—on that carriage, no less—was already suspicious.
Had their plans been exposed?
Or had something gone wrong on Miao'er's end?
Besides, the carriage had been sealed with layers of formations. Without the mechanism key, it shouldn't even be accessible.
Most cultivators wouldn't know about the carriage—let alone this remote riverside dock.
"Who are these people? What's their goal?"
Water Yama's eyes darkened. He was still lost in thought when a sudden sense of danger struck his heart.
A divine premonition—an omen from the Evil God.
He looked down—beneath his feet, faint yellow runes were creeping like snakes, slithering along the ground.
"A formation?!"
Water Yama's face changed.
He moved immediately, body blurring as he tried to escape the array's range.
The moment he looked down, Mo Hua realized he'd been discovered. He shouted:
"Get him!"
At the same time, he activated the Earthen Prison Array.
But Water Yama was too alert. Even while talking, Mo Hua hadn't fully distracted him—so the array hadn't been completed before it was noticed.
Forced to trigger it early, the array's effect was far from optimal.
Light flashed on the ground—earthen walls rose to form a prison, aiming to counter water with earth and trap Water Yama.
But Water Yama's body flickered—he had already escaped most of the array's range.
The remaining walls managed to catch one of his legs—but he blasted them apart with a surge of powerful water force.
As soon as he broke free and found his footing, Gu An and Gu Quan attacked in unison!
Twin blades arced through the air like twin crescent moons, slicing toward Water Yama's neck.
Both men were late Foundation Establishment cultivators, striking with full force—holding nothing back.
"Linked Blade Technique?!"
Water Yama's eyes darkened, but he remained calm.
His thick water spiritual power surged as he flicked his chain whip, transforming it into layers of whip shadows that neutralized the blade light from Gu An and Gu Quan.
Their combined strike was deflected.
Then, Water Yama struck back with a reverse lash, his whip coiling with sinister water-qi as it lashed toward Gu An.
Gu An raised his blade to block, but the sheer force sent him flying several zhang backward. At the same time, the whip's tip nicked his shoulder.
A wave of icy-cold spiritual energy seeped in instantly, bringing a pain like torture.
Gu An's face turned pale. He cried out in shock:
"Water-Torture Whip!"
Water Yama sneered, "At least your eyes aren't completely useless."
He raised his whip like a venomous serpent, ready to end Gu An in a single, decisive strike.
Gu An, his body invaded by water poison, was in agony—he wanted to dodge but couldn't.
Gu Quan tried to help, but he was a step too slow.
Just then, a wind-attribute sword light tore through the air, streaking straight for Water Yama's head.
Wind-element sword qi was known for its speed.
But this strike wasn't just fast—it was also razor-sharp, its edge fierce and deadly.
Water Yama clicked his tongue in frustration and was forced to abandon Gu An. He gathered all his strength, whipping his chain forward to block the incoming sword qi head-on.
The wind sword qi shredded his whip shadows, but didn't inflict significant damage to him.
Still, Water Yama dared not be careless.
Sure enough, in the next instant, a flicker of movement flashed before him—Gu Changhuai had already closed the gap and brought his longsword slashing down.
Water Yama's expression turned grim. He swung his chain whip and took the strike head-on.
For a moment, they were evenly matched. A clash of spiritual force followed, and they both separated.
Once he regained his footing, Water Yama stared at Gu Changhuai with a solemn gaze and asked coldly, "Core Formation?"
Gu Changhuai didn't respond.
Maybe he didn't want to speak, to avoid exposing his identity.
Or maybe he just didn't feel like exchanging words with a murderous beast like this.
Water Yama frowned, then mocked, "A grand Core Formation cultivator, hiding behind a mask like some sneak? Afraid of embarrassment?"
This was a second-tier province.
And he himself was already at peak Foundation Establishment.
With the suppression of higher realms here, a Core Formation cultivator couldn't exert much more strength than him.
He might not be able to kill a Core cultivator, but a Core cultivator might not be able to kill him either.
So Water Yama wasn't afraid—just silently evaluating.
"Core Formation realm, wind-attribute spiritual root, sword cultivator…"
To his knowledge, no such person existed.
And although the man had reached Core Formation, his swordsmanship looked a bit awkward—not the work of a top sword cultivator.
Was that his true skill level? Or…
Was he deliberately using clumsy swordplay to hide his true cultivation legacy, to avoid revealing his identity?
"I need to find out who these people are… or the young master's plans might be exposed…"
So Water Yama thought silently.
Then his eyes gleamed with cold light, and he suddenly struck again—his whip lashed out like a serpent, its tip darting toward Gu Quan on the side.
Gu Quan was alert, but clearly outmatched. His reaction lagged by half a beat. By the time he saw Water Yama attack, it was already too late.
Caught off guard, he could only raise his blade to block.
But the block wasn't complete. The whip's tail still struck his arm—and he, too, tasted the pain of water poison invading his body.
Water Yama moved to press the advantage—
But Gu Changhuai's longsword arrived again, the tip aimed straight at the back of his skull.
Water Yama had no choice but to abandon Gu Quan, turn around, and continue dueling Gu Changhuai. His heart simmered with anger.
Gu Changhuai was even more frustrated.
If this were a third-tier province, he could use his full Core Formation power—then capturing or killing Water Yama would be as easy as flipping his hand.
But in this second-tier region, he was forced to suppress his cultivation. Much of his strength was sealed away.
Without Core Formation power, he was just peak Foundation Establishment.
Perhaps a little stronger than most, but not by a huge margin.
And to avoid exposing his identity, he couldn't use his natal spiritual artifact or the Gu Clan's signature techniques.
So at the moment, trying to save others under Water Yama's assault left him stretched thin.
Judging from their earlier clashes, Water Yama's cultivation was deep, his techniques toxic and sinister—he was no pushover.
To truly subdue him would require considerable effort.
Gu Changhuai's sword moved like the wind as he lunged at Water Yama again.
Water Yama's eyes gleamed. Water spiritual power surged within him as he fought back with his poison-forged whip.
Gu An and Gu Quan, both poisoned and weakened, couldn't recklessly re-enter the fray. They could only support from the side and block Water Yama's escape.
Mo Hua, meanwhile, stood by with his arms crossed.
It wasn't that he didn't want to fight—but his minor techniques wouldn't help much here, and might even hinder his allies.
The situation was still unclear.
If his trump cards couldn't end things in one decisive move, it was better not to use them yet.
After all, once exposed, those cards would lose their surprise factor—and he'd lose his chance to strike from the shadows.
As for this Water Yama…
Mo Hua observed from the sidelines, watching the fight for a while, and roughly assessed:
First of all—he was no match for the Fire Buddha.
Mainly because—he lacked that same overwhelming pressure.
Even in terms of cultivation, there was clearly a gap.
His Dao arts leaned toward the sinister and poisonous. Using a nine-section chain whip as a spiritual weapon, the technique he displayed—according to Brother An just now—was a spell called the Water-Torture Whip.
As for the grade of this technique, that was unclear for now.
But in terms of power, it was clearly inferior to the Fire Buddha's Falling Flame Forbidden Art. Its poisonous and insidious nature, however, was just as dangerous—perhaps even more so.
Gu An and Gu Quan were both late Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet they fell into a disadvantage after being struck by Water Yama's Water-Torture Whip for just a moment. It nearly cost them their lives.
In a cultivator's duel, it's not the strong that's most feared—but the sinister.
A strong opponent can be guarded against; a sinister one, however, strikes before you even realize it.
But Mo Hua didn't believe that Water Yama had become the new leader among the Evil God's henchmen just because of his sinister methods.
Whether Water Yama still had other hidden trump cards was hard to judge…
So Mo Hua focused all his attention on watching the fight between Water Yama and Gu Changhuai. On one hand, he was learning firsthand how combat between cultivators worked.
On the other hand, he was observing Water Yama's techniques closely, trying to spot any clues—any signs of another hidden, terrifying trump card.
Know thy enemy and know thyself, and a hundred battles will bring no danger. This was a hunter's creed.
Demon hunters, when slaying beasts, must first understand the beast.
And when facing a powerful opponent, the first thing to do is understand their strength and skills—not charge in recklessly.
That is the mark of a true demon hunter.
Otherwise, no matter how many lives you have—it won't be enough.
Mo Hua watched from the sidelines, trying to see through Water Yama.
Meanwhile, Gu Changhuai and Water Yama were still locked in intense battle.
Gu Changhuai held the upper hand, but only slightly.
Water Yama was at a disadvantage, but showed no signs of defeat.
The fight had entered a stalemate—but Water Yama was beginning to feel uneasy. He had a growing sensation… as if a deep, piercing gaze was watching him from the shadows, seeing through everything he did.
His eyes swept across the four before him.
He saw nothing unusual.
A Core Formation cultivator, two who had already fallen to his whip, and one mid-Foundation runt.
None of these four seemed to be the source of that gaze.
Then, remembering the driverless carriage—one that no one should have been able to command—which had seemingly betrayed him, delivering this mysterious group to the remote riverside…
And also, the formation on the ground, laid without him ever noticing…
Water Yama felt a creeping sense of dread.
"Something's wrong…"
"I can't hold back anymore. I need to break this deadlock—if I delay any longer, something unexpected might happen."
Water Yama steeled himself.
He ramped up his offense, pouring even more spiritual power into his whip. The water poison turned a deep blue—he clearly intended to end this quickly.
Gu Changhuai's gaze remained cold. His sword strikes were steady and flawless.
His swordsmanship might not be exceptional, but it was enough to keep Water Yama pinned down.
The two clashed for dozens more rounds.
Then, suddenly, Water Yama disengaged and turned to flee toward the river.
"He's trying to escape!"
Gu Changhuai and the others tensed.
Gu An, already prepared, charged forward without hesitation, gritting his teeth and placing himself directly in Water Yama's path.
But in the next instant, something inexplicable happened—Gu An's eyes suddenly went vacant, his entire body froze in place, as if shocked stiff.
What?
Mo Hua froze too—then his expression changed, and he shouted:
"Watch out!"
Yet only a moment later, Gu Quan—who had rushed forward to support Gu An—suffered the same fate. His pupils lost focus, his mind seemed overtaken by some strange force.
Gu Changhuai sensed something was wrong. His face turned grim.
He gathered all his focus, sharpening his senses, watching Water Yama like a hawk.
But to Mo Hua's disbelief—even Gu Changhuai, at Core Formation, suddenly lost focus the very next moment.
His eyes dimmed, and he stood frozen in place.
A chill crept up Mo Hua's spine.
"What the hell is this Water Yama…"
"What did he just do?"
These events had unfolded in mere seconds.
Before his eyes, all three of his companions had become dazed in an instant—and Water Yama had already raised his whip, preparing to strike them down.
Mo Hua panicked. With no time to think, he quickly formed a fireball between his fingers to try and delay the attack.
But the moment his fireball finished forming—
Water Yama had already vanished.
At the same time, a bone-chilling aura surged from behind him.
Mo Hua made a snap decision. He activated Flowing Water Steps, his body moving like rippling water, flickering a few steps forward.
At that very instant, a sinister whip cracked down where he had just been standing.
A soft "Hmm?" sounded.
Water Yama reappeared, staring at Mo Hua with a strange look.
"Water-based movement technique?"
Water Yama muttered lowly.
And—not just any water movement technique…
This one was highly refined.
This little brat had clearly poured a lot of effort into mastering it; he used it with impressive fluency and precision.
An ordinary Foundation Peak cultivator wouldn't have been able to dodge his attack—yet this boy had.
Just what kind of movement technique is this?
Water Yama's gaze grew cold. His figure flickered like a predator in the depths—ominous and elusive—as he closed in on Mo Hua once again.
His whip lashed out once more.
But right at the critical moment, Mo Hua dodged it again.
At the same time, Mo Hua's own heart was pounding.
What kind of movement technique is he using?
It felt like he was fighting a water ghost—slippery, shapeless, impossible to predict…
(End of this Chapter)