: The Trap is Set

City Lord's Manor.

"What did you say? The Purple Sun Villa was attacked by demonic cultivators?" Fei Si, who was handling affairs, stood up abruptly, his face full of shock.

"How is Young Master Meng Chong?" he immediately asked.

Only after learning that Meng Chong was safe did the boulder in his heart finally settle.

He immediately ordered a team of cultivators to be dispatched to support the Purple Sun Villa.

"I'll go first!" Fei Si no longer cared about his official duties. He leaped into the air, his figure like a rainbow, flying toward the Purple Sun Villa.

"The arrangements for Meng Chong's stay at the Purple Sun Villa were kept extremely secret."

"But he had only just arrived when he was attacked by demonic cultivators!"

"Are they really demonic cultivators?"

A dark cloud loomed in Fei Si's heart.

As the right-hand man of the current Fire Persimmon Immortal City's lord, Fei Si was cunning and ruthless, skilled in schemes. There were many tasks the city lord couldn't handle openly, and Chi Dun lacked the wit to manage them, leaving Fei Si as the only one capable.

Previously, Fei Si had discovered that Zhou Zhu of the Zhou family, relying on his natural talent, was forcefully suppressing his injuries and dissipating his cultivation at an astonishing speed, posing a significant threat to Meng Chong.

So, Fei Si made arrangements, activating a spy within the Zhou family to sabotage Zhou Zhu and severely delay his progress in dissipating his cultivation.

As for Zheng Jian of the Zheng family, who was using artifact refinement methods and progressing just as quickly, Fei Si decided to sabotage him as well.

Finally, to cover his tracks, he sent a death warrior to deliberately attack Meng Chong. Meng Chong counterattacked and killed the assassin, gaining recognition among the three great families and indirectly showcasing the strength of the City Lord's Manor.

Of course, Meng Chong himself was unaware of this plot. Aside from Fei Si and the city lord, no one else knew.

As for the Ning family, Fei Si had also taken note of Ning Xiaohui. However, she was still negotiating with her family for more benefits and hadn't even begun dissipating her cultivation, posing no threat. Thus, Fei Si saw no need to act against her.

The City Lord's Manor naturally had spies within the Ning family as well. But Fei Si reasoned that activating them to take action would be pointless. Instead, he let the Ning family off the hook, creating the impression that they were the only one of the four major forces not attacked.

How would the Zhou and Zheng families interpret this?

Fei Si used this to set a subtle trap, indirectly targeting the Ning family.

It was precisely because he had orchestrated so much that the news of Meng Chong being attacked put him on high alert!

"Could it be that one of the other three families uncovered the truth and is secretly retaliating?"

"If so, which family is it?"

"How did the information leak?"

The four major forces of Fire Persimmon Immortal City maintained a delicate balance. Since they were all orthodox factions, any retaliation would not be overt. Instead, it would be carried out covertly, without openly breaking ties.

Arranging or disguising attacks as the work of demonic cultivators was the most common tactic.

Fei Si landed in the Purple Sun Villa, stirring up a wave of air and kicking up a cloud of dust.

With a single glance, he saw traces of fierce combat everywhere. Among the broken walls and rubble lay the bodies of many cultivators, along with scattered parts of shattered contraptions.

The peak Foundation Establishment sword cultivator, who had been repelled by Han Ming and escaped using a teleportation talisman, had returned.

Seeing Fei Si, the sword cultivator turned pale and hurried forward to bow.

"Deserting your post in the face of the enemy—you will be punished later!" Fei Si had already received an emergency report on his way, detailing the events of the attack.

The sword cultivator lowered his head in obedience, but inwardly, he felt no regret.

His colleague, also at the Foundation Establishment stage, had taken the initiative to engage the contraption-wielding demonic cultivator and never returned.

It was clear that his fate was grim.

At least he had survived!

As for punishment, he would accept it. As long as he was alive, there was still a chance for everything.

Fei Si brushed past the sword cultivator and hurried to the alchemy room.

Inside, Meng Chong was half-kneeling, tending to Sun Lie, who lay on the ground.

Sun Lie's complexion had improved significantly.

Although Meng Chong wasn't skilled at healing others, Sun Lie, as a master alchemist, carried many restorative pills with him.

"Young Master Meng Chong, are you unharmed?" Fei Si asked with visible urgency, his concern and anxiety evident.

Even though he already knew Meng Chong was safe, it was important to show the right attitude.

Often, seemingly unnecessary words were not useless—they conveyed a stance, and stance often indicated one's position.

Meng Chong glanced at Fei Si and shook his head, indicating he was fine.

"If you're fine, why are you half-naked and smelling fragrant?" Fei Si found it strange, but he would never voice that thought.

He then turned to Sun Lie, his tone harsh: "Sun Lie, it's fortunate Young Master Meng Chong is unharmed. Otherwise, you would be held responsible!"

"Your death would be a small matter, but Young Master Meng Chong possesses supreme immortal aptitude—he is the hope of the Meng family. If you had dragged him down, even ten of your lives wouldn't be enough to atone."

Although Sun Lie was a master alchemist, his cultivation was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, not the Golden Core stage.

In fact, even if Sun Lie were a Golden Core cultivator, Fei Si would still have berated him.

This was part of his cunning.

Sun Lie, leaning against the wall, rolled his eyes at Fei Si.

He was a man of informal character and had little patience for people like Fei Si. Even if Fei Si was a Golden Core cultivator, so what? Sun Lie would still talk back.

They were all orthodox cultivators and should act according to orthodox rules.

Cultivation level wasn't everything.

Sun Lie immediately retorted, "I dragged him down? It was your city lord who personally asked me to help. Do you think I wanted to get involved in this mess with the Molten Flame Immortal Palace?"

As a master alchemist, even if his cultivation was lacking, Sun Lie's skills ensured he would be treated with respect wherever he went. He could live comfortably without involving himself in such troubles.

Fei Si glanced at the ruined herbs in the alchemy furnace and snorted coldly. "Now look at this. You failed to help Young Master Meng Chong this time. This location has been exposed, and the risks of staying here are even greater."

Sun Lie sneered. "Fei Si, which ear heard me say I failed this time?"

"I've already succeeded!"

"Huh?" Fei Si was stunned.

"Ah?" Meng Chong was also taken aback. "Elder Sun, I haven't finished dissipating my cultivation yet."

"Hahaha!" Sun Lie laughed heartily, looking very pleased with himself.

Fei Si smirked, pointing at the ruined herbs in the furnace. "Facts speak louder than words, Sun Lie. What's the use of stubborn denial at this point?"

"Hahaha!" Sun Lie's laughter rose, full of mockery.

But soon, his laughter aggravated his injuries, and he winced in pain.

"Cough, cough, cough... Ugh!" Sun Lie coughed violently, then swallowed and spat out a large mouthful of bloody liquid.

The liquid reeked strongly of alcohol.

"What a pity, what a pity," Sun Lie muttered, staring at the blood and slapping his thigh.

Meng Chong quickly handed him another pill. "Elder Sun, don't say anymore. Take some medicine first."

Sun Lie pushed his hand away. "More medicine isn't always better. I've already taken some, and the effects are spreading through my body. It'll take time to digest. Any more would be counterproductive."

Fei Si narrowed his eyes, sensing something unusual. "What are you pitying?"

Sun Lie stared at the bloody liquid on the ground. "That was Thousand Flame Fiery Soul Wine! Brewed with千年灵焰花 (Thousand-Year Spirit Flame Flowers), pure soul essence, and water from the Flame Spring. It had such a rich aroma and potent kick—and I had almost finished it!"

Meng Chong sighed. "Elder Sun, don't regret it. It's just Thousand Flame Fiery Soul Wine. I'll ask my grandfather to get you another jar."

Sun Lie finally broke into a smile and looked at Meng Chong. "Good kid. It was worth setting up this trap for you."

(End of )