Lu Gu gazed deeply at Mo Hua, his expression calm, seemingly unmoved. He merely retorted, “You want me, a general of the Shugu Tribe, to kill my own great chieftain?”

Mo Hua shook his head, “Not simply ‘kill,’ but ‘avenge.’”

Lu Gu sneered, “What’s the difference?”

Mo Hua replied, “If you kill the great chieftain, that’s rebellion, an act of chaos. But if you avenge your brother by executing the great chieftain, it’s for sibling affection, for tribal justice. On the surface, both are killings, but their essence is vastly different.”

Lu Gu’s eyelids twitched as he listened. Though it sounded like demonic nonsense, it also seemed quite reasonable.

But Lu Gu still didn’t commit, instead looking coldly at Mo Hua and saying, “Are you trying to sow discord within my Shugu Tribe?”

Mo Hua countered, “Does your Shugu Tribe’s relationship need me to sow discord?”

A general whose achievements overshadow his lord.

A great chieftain who discards a tool after use, causing the death of an entire main division.

Indeed, there was no need to sow discord in such a relationship.

Lu Gu had nothing to say, but he remained silent.

Mo Hua looked at him, asking in a low voice, “Are you afraid? Do you fear the great chieftain’s power, cherish your own reputation, covet your position as a general, and dare not avenge your brother’s murder by the great chieftain? Do you want to be a coward? A lackey wagging its tail, begging for mercy before the great chieftain?”

Lu Gu’s eyes turned blood-red, filled with anger as he looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua knew when to stop, softening his tone, “I know you’re not that kind of person. I can help you kill the Shugu great chieftain.”

Lu Gu’s face was as dark as water, and he refused, “No need. I will avenge my brother myself.”

“You’ll avenge him yourself?” Mo Hua sneered, “How will you avenge him? You are merely at the late-stage Jin Dan realm…”

Mo Hua, who was only at the Zhuji realm, could now, without batting an eye or losing his breath, even righteously disdain a cultivator at the late-stage Jin Dan realm.

“A mere late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, just a general, leading a division of barbarian soldiers—with just these, can you truly confront the entire Shugu Tribe? Can you truly execute the great chieftain and avenge your brother?”

Mo Hua’s expression was mocking.

Unexpectedly, Lu Gu looked at Mo Hua with a sneer:

“Wū Xiānshēng, perhaps you underestimate me too much, and overestimate the great chieftain. I, Lu Gu, have fought in all directions, my fearsome reputation is well-known throughout the Shugu Tribe, second only to my brother, Shi Gu. And the great chieftain is old, nearing his end…”

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat.

Was Lu Gu really that strong? Stronger than he thought?

And, was the Shugu great chieftain already an “old good-for-nothing”?

No wonder…

No wonder this great chieftain had to find a way to kill Shi Gu.

With Shi Gu and Lu Gu, both brothers being late-stage Jin Dan generals, if they showed him respect, they would call him great chieftain. If not, they could truly bury him.

He had misjudged the situation a little…

Mo Hua felt a slight urgency in his heart, but his expression remained calm. After a moment of thought, a mysterious smile appeared on his lips, and he looked directly at Lu Gu, retorting:

“Do you really think so?”

Lu Gu was startled. Being looked at by Mo Hua like that, he inexplicably felt a bit of self-doubt.

Mo Hua said, “Do you really believe that your Shugu Tribe’s great chieftain only has this much ability? Do you really believe he’s on his last legs, nearing his end?”

“Don’t forget, in whose hands did your Shugu Tribe’s strongest brother die…”

Lu Gu’s heart chilled, and he couldn’t help but frown.

Seeing this, Mo Hua felt a gradual sense of relief in his heart, then said with a solemn expression:

“Even if, for argument’s sake… even if the Shugu great chieftain truly is, as you say, an old man nearing his end, not your match, how will you find him?”

“Amidst this chaotic era, with turmoil everywhere, do you know where he’s hiding?”

“His cultivation might be weak, his vitality might be declining, but how can you guard against his schemes?”

“How do you know you won’t end up like your brother, General Shi Gu, dying in his schemes?”

“At that time, not only will your brother Shi Gu be a failure. You yourself will become a ‘clown’ played in the Shugu great chieftain’s palm, merely ridiculed by others…”

Mo Hua’s words were like venomous daggers, piercing deeply into Lu Gu’s chest.

Lu Gu’s heart was cold, conflicted, and painful. Finally, he sighed deeply and looked at Mo Hua:

“Why are you helping me?”

Mo Hua clasped his hands before his chest, saying devoutly, “Everything is guided by the Divine Master…”

Lu Gu shook his head, “I’m asking you, why are you helping me? Or rather, what do you want to gain?”

Mo Hua paused slightly, looked at Lu Gu, and said frankly, “This is a transaction.”

“A transaction?” Lu Gu frowned.

“Yes,” Mo Hua nodded, “I will avenge you, help you execute the Shugu great chieftain, and you…”

Mo Hua’s eyes were bright, and a sacred ambition flowed from their depths:

“…You must serve the Divine Master, honor the Divine Master’s name, obey the Divine Master’s command, and for the Divine Master, fight in all directions, spreading the Divine Master’s prestige to every corner of the Great Wilderness through trials of iron and fire…”

“This is the Divine Master’s blessing, the destiny of the Great Wilderness, and also my… mission as a Wū Zhù.”

For a moment, Lu Gu’s heart was also swayed by Mo Hua’s demeanor and words, giving rise to strong wavering.

Lu Gu suppressed this impulse of faith and slowly said,

“Alright, I will make this transaction with you…”

Mo Hua nodded, “Deal.”

Lu Gu waited for a while, realizing that Mo Hua had no other words, nor any other form of agreement, no spiritual contract, blood pact, or divine covenant. He couldn’t help but look bewildered, “That’s it?”

Mo Hua nodded, “That’s it.”

Lu Gu frowned, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word after agreeing? Aren’t you afraid I’ll betray you?”

Mo Hua did not possess the cultivation realm or ability to restrain a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator.

He was only at the Zhuji realm.

Nor was he truly an “evil god” who could control followers through blood pacts on an altar, like the Lord of the Great Wilderness.

Therefore, Mo Hua could only appear “indifferent”—he had no other option even if he wasn’t indifferent.

Mo Hua’s expression was calm, “You can betray me; your betrayal of me is insignificant, but…”

Mo Hua looked at Lu Gu, his gaze deep, “Betrayal of the Divine Master is unforgivable.”

“Never betray the Divine Master…”

Lu Gu’s eyes sharpened. He pondered something and slowly nodded.

The transaction was complete.

Mo Hua saved Elder She from Lu Gu’s hands, then had Chi Feng disable Elder She’s legs and temporarily imprison him.

Elder She likely harbored other secrets.

But these secrets probably couldn’t be extracted through questioning. He needed to use him as a “catalyst” to gradually uncover the underlying cause and effect himself.

Afterward, Mo Hua, Lu Gu, Chi Feng, and others crossed the Hengduan Mountains to survey the situation.

The overall situation was indeed as Elder She had described.

Beyond the Hengduan Mountains, warfare continued, and chaos reigned.

The army of the Wūjiù Tribe had defeated the Bìfāng Tribe, as well as Yányì, Huǒyīng, Hóngluán, and other Grade 3 tribes that once held considerable power in the Zhūquè Mountain Realm.

Large tribes were defeated and fragmented into smaller and medium-sized tribes, like scattered sand, flowing everywhere.

This was still a chaotic scene.

And in this chaotic situation, the “Wūjiù Tribe” was a formidable predator, extremely dangerous.

The situation was dire. The Wūjiù Tribe was constantly growing stronger, continuously warring, and would eventually conquer the Zhūquè Mountain Realm, becoming Mo Hua’s biggest obstacle in proving his Dao in the Great Wilderness.

But Mo Hua then reconsidered: the Wūjiù Tribe was like an alligator, stirring up the waters, devouring all the major tribes.

This implicitly weakened the power of the local tribes in Zhūquè Mountain.

At the same time, it also fragmented the large tribes, making it easier for him to “take a bite.”

In the world, good and bad are intertwined, blessings and misfortunes coexist.

Many times, it depends on the perspective; one must seek opportunities in “bad things.”

Mo Hua’s thoughts became clearer.

The Wūjiù Tribe was too strong, and he was not.

Next, he would avoid the Wūjiù Tribe and continue to “annex” some small tribes within the Hengduan Mountain region, as well as the medium and small tribes that had split off after the defeat of larger tribes.

This process would naturally not be easy.

But General Lu Gu, who had reached an agreement with Mo Hua, virtually solved all problems.

Before, Lu Gu and Mo Hua were outwardly “allies,” but Lu Gu was not proactive. Many times, Mo Hua would say something, and he would reluctantly do it with a cold expression.

After Mo Hua agreed to help him avenge, Lu Gu’s mindset naturally changed.

Even for revenge, he could not be passive.

Lu Gu was a Shugu general, at the late-stage Jin Dan realm. After Shi Gu’s death, he was almost the strongest general in the Shugu Tribe.

Once Lu Gu became serious, he would naturally sweep through smaller and medium-sized forces.

In this way, Lu Gu fought at the front, while Mo Hua absorbed barbarian cultivators in the name of the Wū Zhù at the back, expanding his power.

His “force” grew larger and more complex.

Deserters and defeated soldiers from large tribes, wandering and scattered soldiers from medium tribes, and the old, weak, women, and children from small tribes.

Basically, all kinds of people.

Mo Hua was not picky; as long as they submitted, he would accept them, first “devouring” all the personnel.

Then he would find ways to slowly “digest” them, unify their consciousness and actions, unite everyone, make all the pieces live and die together, thereby gradually becoming a “great dragon” on the chessboard, capable of securing victory…

After “eating” such medium and small tribes for a while, Mo Hua finally encountered the remnants of the Shugu Tribe.

The Shugu Tribe had also been defeated under the Wūjiù Tribe’s conquest, and many barbarian soldiers scattered and fled.

These remnant Shugu cultivators gave Mo Hua the opportunity to understand the battle situation and deduce the causal movements of the Shugu Tribe.

Mo Hua had learned the locations of the Shugu main tribe and its main divisions from Lu Gu beforehand.

Now, he confirmed the distribution of forces under the famine from these Shugu remnants, and then deduced the overall situation based on the Wūjiù Tribe’s marching routes and war outcomes, identifying the mountain ranges where the Shugu main tribe and its main divisions might be hiding after their defeat.

This kind of task required insight into the harmony of heaven, earth, and humanity, an understanding of the Great Wilderness situation, sophisticated deduction methods, and profound divine sense computational power.

Basically, only Mo Hua could do it.

After calculating all this, Mo Hua circled several points on the map, drew a line, and said to Lu Gu:

“Follow this route, advance forward, avoid the Wūjiù Tribe, find the Shugu main tribe, and then…”

Kill the Shugu great chieftain in the chaos of war.

Mo Hua didn’t explicitly say the latter part.

But Lu Gu knew it well, and a fierce light flickered in his eyes like wildfire.

Afterward, the army advanced according to Mo Hua’s arrangements.

Along the marching route, crossing mountains and ridges, they indeed encountered more Shugu barbarian soldiers.

Without exception, all these people were subdued by Lu Gu and became part of Mo Hua’s army.

Lu Gu was a general with outstanding prestige, commanding a main division.

These Shugu remnants had no reason not to surrender to Lu Gu.

Only, they did not know that the objective of their revered General Lu Gu on this journey was to kill their great chieftain.

However, half a month later, before they could reach the Shugu great chieftain, they first encountered another Shugu main division.

The general of this main division was named “Can Gu.”

Can Gu was also a late-stage Jin Dan Shugu general, with significant power. Although he had lost some troops in the war against the Wūjiù Tribe, he was still not to be underestimated.

Can Gu’s personal strength was only slightly inferior to Lu Gu’s, and his fierce reputation was not as great as Lu Gu’s, but if they truly fought, the outcome was unknown.

Mo Hua didn’t particularly want to get into a conflict. Anyway, apart from him and Lu Gu, hardly anyone else knew that their purpose on this trip was to kill the Shugu great chieftain.

Therefore, he just needed to concoct some “lies” and persuade Can Gu to let them pass.

This kind of thing certainly couldn’t be handled by Mo Hua.

Although he was a Wū Zhù, he was an outsider, closely related to the Danque Tribe. If he were to negotiate, it would inevitably arouse Can Gu’s suspicion and lead to unnecessary distrust.

Therefore, only Lu Gu could go to talk. He had to negotiate well with Can Gu, asking for passage to the great chieftain’s territory.

Both were generals, and they had some past interactions, so it wasn’t impossible to talk.

But Mo Hua was not at ease. He thought of many phrases, recorded them in a jade slip, and handed it to Lu Gu, saying:

“If you don’t know what to say, or how to say it, just read what’s on the jade slip. It’s best to achieve our goal without fighting.”

Lu Gu took the jade slip and said, “Oh.”

Then he went to talk with Can Gu, and the negotiation broke down.

Before the discussion ended, Lu Gu and Can Gu started fighting, blowing up the mountaintop.

Mo Hua, from a distance, heard only an earth-shattering sound, felt the rocks crumbling, and the ground shaking beneath his feet. The powerful force of a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, like huge waves, came in successive bursts…

Mo Hua sighed deeply.

When Lu Gu returned, Mo Hua asked him, “What did you say?”

Lu Gu, with a ferocious, angry expression, merely sneered:

“That useless Can Gu, after all these years, is still so incredibly stupid. His mouth is full of idiotic words, and his brain is filled with demonic excrement…”

Mo Hua asked, “Is that what I taught you to say?”

Lu Gu fell silent.

Mo Hua asked him again, “What did I tell you to say?”

Only then did Lu Gu take out the jade slip Mo Hua had given him, flipped through it, his expression somewhat complex, but he still didn’t speak.

It was like checking the answer sheet after an exam, finding not a single matching answer, but unwilling to accept that he was wrong.

Mo Hua sighed again, feeling utterly speechless.

There was actually someone in this world who wouldn’t even copy the answer given to him…

Truly…

Then Mo Hua deeply reflected on himself.

He actually trusted Lu Gu to negotiate well with Can Gu.

He was the truly stupid one…

Lu Gu secretly glanced at Mo Hua, who looked unhappy, and his voice involuntarily lowered a few decibels:

“Now… what do we do?”

“What else can we do?” Mo Hua shook his head and sighed, “Fight…”