: The Ordinary Person Falls for the Trap

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2024-07-31

Ning Chen and Ning Yong sat by the window on the second floor of a restaurant, keeping a constant watch on the street below.

"Look, Ning Zhuo is here."

"Let's go!"

Moving quickly, the two hurried ahead to the intersection, pretending to bump into Ning Zhuo by chance.

"Ning Zhuo?" Ning Yong called out.

Ning Zhuo looked at them, paused for a moment, then smiled. "It's you two, Ning Yong, Ning Chen."

These two were Ning Zhuo's former classmates.

Ning Chen feigned nostalgia. "It feels like so long since we last saw you after the big exam."

Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred slightly. "Though the time has been short, if many things have happened, it naturally feels longer."

Ning Yong cut in, "I heard about your situation. After the exam, you had a fallout with your uncle and aunt, refused their help."

"Are you managing alright on your own now?"

"What are you doing to earn spirit stones and sustain your cultivation?"

Ning Zhuo hesitated briefly. "I’m currently doing odd jobs at a mechanics workshop. What about you two?"

Ning Yong chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice. "We’ve joined the Demon Hunting Association!"

"We’re buying supplies to head out of the city. Tonight, we’ll enter the demon cave with the association’s seniors to hunt demon beasts."

"Exciting, isn’t it?"

Ning Zhuo’s eyes widened in surprise. "You’re going into the Crimson Flame Demon Cave? Isn’t that too dangerous?"

"What’s there to fear? If you’re afraid of death, what can you accomplish?" Ning Yong puffed out his chest, looking disdainful. "At our age, we should be out exploring. No risks, no great rewards. Without money to speed up cultivation, when will I ever build my foundation?"

Ning Chen added calmly, "Don’t listen to him bragging. There are Ning family cultivators in the association. Have you heard of Lord Ning Zhanji?"

"We’ll be entering the cave under his leadership. Tonight is also a low tide for the underground flames, so it’s very safe."

Ning Chen did his best to ease Ning Zhuo’s concerns.

Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but show a trace of envy.

Seeing this, Ning Yong extended an invitation directly. "Honestly, Ning Zhuo, why bother with workshop work? Just come down into the cave with us."

"The demon cave is full of treasures."

"How much can you earn in a week? Who knows, you might find a spiritual plant in the Crimson Flame Demon Cave that’s worth your whole week’s pay!"

Ning Zhuo shook his head and waved his hands in refusal. "My swordsmanship grades have always been average at best. Fighting demon beasts is too dangerous for me. I can’t do it."

"Coward!" Ning Yong glared, about to say more, but Ning Chen stopped him with a look.

Smiling at Ning Zhuo, Ning Chen said, "If I were you, Ning Zhuo, I’d go back and apologize to your uncle and aunt. Ask them to pull some strings and get you into a family business. The benefits are far better than any outside job!"

Ning Zhuo immediately shook his head, showing the stubborn pride of youth. "Since things have come to this, I could never lower my head like that."

Ning Chen chuckled lightly. "Then if I were your uncle or aunt, seeing you reduced to scraping by in some small workshop, what would I think?"

"Maybe I’d think: See, this Ning Zhuo doesn’t know his limits. Without our help, he’s stuck in hardship, sinking to the bottom among cultivators!"

Ning Zhuo’s brow furrowed, his face darkening as if his defenses had been breached.

Ning Chen smiled inwardly, pressing his advantage...

A short while later.

Watching Ning Zhuo’s retreating figure, Ning Yong remarked, "Ning Zhuo’s grades were better than ours, but what good did it do him? He still fell for our taunts so easily and agreed to join us tonight."

Ning Chen sighed. "Ning Zhuo is just like us—ordinary."

"Put yourself in his shoes. If I were him, targeted like that, I’d probably fall for it too."

"Ah..."

Seeing his companion’s low spirits, Ning Yong tried to comfort him. "Even though Ning Zhuo was our classmate, we serve Lord Ning Zhanji now. This was a direct order from him. What’s a little school friendship compared to our future? We weren’t even that close to him anyway!"

Ning Chen shook his head slightly. "Forget it. At least this way we can give Lord Ning Zhanji a proper report."

"Let’s go."

By evening, Ning Zhuo arrived alone at the meeting point.

Ning Yong greeted him with a smile and led him inside.

Ning Chen brought him before Ning Zhanji.

Ning Zhanji was a burly middle-aged man with narrow eyes and long eyebrows. He looked Ning Zhuo up and down expressionlessly. "Since you’re also from the Ning family, I’ll make an exception and let you join the team this time."

"But remember, you must follow my commands and arrangements at all times."

"This junior understands!" Ning Zhuo replied promptly.

In his mind, Ning Zhuo quickly recalled the intelligence he had on Ning Zhanji.

Years ago, the Ning family had begun deliberately sending cultivators to various organizations within and around Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

Ning Zhanji was one of them.

He was known for his strong combat prowess and decisive, swift actions. He had a talent for seizing fleeting opportunities on the battlefield, which had earned him recognition as a commander-type figure.

This time, Ning Zhanji had been approached by Ning Ze, accepting payment to send Ning Chen and Ning Yong to provoke Ning Zhuo into joining.

After a brief appraisal, Ning Zhanji withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself, "Qi Refinement level three—utterly unremarkable."

Soon, the team assembled, totaling over fifty people.

Most shared the Ning surname. The few outsiders were also closely connected to the Ning family.

Ning Zhanji led the group toward the Crimson Flame Demon Cave.

Fire Persimmon Immortal City was a typical mountain city.

Most buildings were concentrated on the mountainside. The city center, located higher up, was the volcanic crater at the summit. The outskirts sloped downward into the foothills.

Ning Zhuo and the others ascended from the mountainside. They passed several checkpoints with lax inspections before finally reaching the summit.

At the top, the spiritual energy was noticeably denser and hotter.

The air carried a strong, pungent smell of sulfur.

Though it was night, the crater glowed with bright flames. By this light, Ning Zhuo saw plumes of white smoke drifting above the crater, with Cloud Sparrows darting in and out among them.

The group reached the crater’s edge.

Looking down, they saw a broad, flat expanse of rocky ground inside the crater.

The crimson rocks continuously radiated intense heat. Some rocks were tightly packed together, while others had gaps revealing flowing, bright orange magma below. There were also various openings in the rock surface.

Some openings periodically spewed flames, others oozed magma, and some were bottomless pits leading deeper underground.

The crater walls were almost vertical, glazed smooth with obvious signs of artificial modification. The entire crater resembled a giant open cup.

Moving his gaze toward the center, Ning Zhuo noticed the number of openings increased, their sizes growing larger.

Finally, his eyes settled on the very center of the rocky ground.

There lay a lake of magma.

(End of )