Chapter 27: Closing the Gate to Catch the Dog

Jun Wen stared at Feng Xi, completely dumbfounded.

"No, how can you lie with such a straight face as if you're telling the truth?"

Then, he remembered Feng Xi’s performance in front of Xue Tianjue and fell silent. It wasn't that Jun Wen was slow-witted; it was just that he had never encountered anyone who lied as naturally as breathing. It seemed even the demons weren't this devious—or, well, this good at acting.

The two wandered for another hour before running into Song Yudie of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. Song Yudie was the youngest disciple of Sect Leader Lu Zhenkuan and the "little junior sister" of the sect, pampered by everyone.

Feng Xi got straight to the point: "Senior Sister Song, I can’t stand Shen Zhilan. She’s neither as smart as me nor as pretty as you, so why does she get all the attention? If the Hunyuan Sect takes first place in this secret realm, who knows how much others will shower her with praise! So, why don’t our two sects team up to take down the Hunyuan Sect? Actually, let’s make it three. The Beast Taming Sect has already agreed to an alliance with our Xuantian Sect; now we just need the Ten Thousand Swords Sect."

Feng Xi was adept at reading people and understanding their motives, knowing exactly where to apply pressure. As expected, Song Yudie didn't hesitate for a moment. She had long disliked Shen Zhilan. Just because she possessed a top-tier water spiritual root, she acted so smug, as if she were the most capable person under the sun. *If we eliminate you now, let’s see what you have to be arrogant about!*

They soon found Liu Shaobai from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. While he held no personal grudge against Shen Zhilan, he had long craved the top spot. Since there was an opportunity to team up and take down the Hunyuan Sect, why wouldn't he? Yuan Zongheng of the Beast Taming Sect felt the same way. Once the six of them gathered, they reached a consensus.

Then came the question of how to execute the plan.

Feng Xi blinked her eyes: "Fellow seniors, Lu Xiu-han is at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. Even though Shen Zhilan is only at the third level, she must have plenty of good items on her. If we clash head-on, we’ll win, but we’re bound to get injured, which isn't worth it. Especially for me—I’m a little weakling, and it would be terrible if I held you back. Why don't we catch them off guard and take them down in one fell swoop? What do you think?"

Liu Shaobai was more calculating and agreed with Feng Xi. Even a small gap in cultivation was a hurdle; there was indeed a disparity between them and Lu Xiu-han. "What do you suggest?"

Feng Xi countered with a question: "Do you know why I left the Hunyuan Sect? Besides being framed by Shen Zhilan, the main reason is that Lu Xiu-han wants to kill me. As for whether Shen Zhilan put him up to it, I don't know. So, in a moment, I will wander into his sight alone. He will definitely pursue me to kill me. I’ll lure him into our pre-arranged ambush. Since he’ll be single-mindedly focused on killing me, that will be the perfect moment for an ambush."

Feng Xi gave herself a mental pat on the back. As long as Lu Xiu-han showed murderous intent toward her, Shen Zhilan’s guilt for stealing her herbs and framing her would be set in stone. This would place her on the moral high ground, giving her the upper hand in public opinion whenever she clashed with Shen Zhilan in the future.

However, after Feng Xi finished speaking, Jun Wen frowned and said, "No! I don’t agree! This is too risky! Lu Xiu-han is at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment; he could end your life in an instant!"

"Fifth Senior Brother, Lu Xiu-han is doing something shameful, so he won't attack the moment he sees me. He has to confirm you aren't around first. That time difference is enough for me to lead him into the trap. Besides, how can one catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den? I’m not even afraid of Xue Tianjue, so why would I be afraid of a mere Lu Xiu-han?"

Jun Wen couldn't win against her and had to agree. Song Yudie looked Feng Xi over and remarked, "I didn't expect you to have such guts, though it's a pity your cultivation is so poor."

Her sentiment was shared by the other three. This Feng Xi certainly had courage. As for the previous incident with Xue Tianjue, they, like Lu Xiu-han, thought it was just Xiao Baidao trying to polish her reputation. That was the reality: when you lack strength, no matter how you prove yourself, there will always be voices of doubt. Feng Xi knew this, which was why she didn't dare to slack off, seizing every moment to cultivate. When she became strong enough, all those voices of doubt would naturally vanish.

Once the plan was settled, they began tracking Shen Zhilan and Lu Xiu-han. Before long, they encountered several panicked Xuantian Sect disciples who revealed that the pair had just eliminated some of their sect-mates less than five miles away.

Feng Xi immediately had Jun Wen and the others find hiding spots to set the ambush, and they activated artifacts to conceal their aura. Of course, a poverty-stricken sect like the Xuantian Sect didn't have such high-quality goods, but Song Yudie and the others... they were fully equipped. Feng Xi was so envious she could die. She decided she would spare no effort to make money in the future so she could afford such gear.

With everything arranged, Feng Xi ran flusteredly toward the direction of Shen Zhilan and Lu Xiu-han. She soon spotted them, paused for a second, and then turned to run.

A cruel grin spread across Lu Xiu-han's face. "Junior Sister, that idiot Feng Xi has delivered herself to our doorstep. I’m going to finish her off!"

Shen Zhilan hesitated. "Second Senior Brother, maybe we should let it go. What if someone finds out..."

"Junior Sister, don't worry. I’ll find a secluded spot to finish her, then make it look like she was eaten by a demonic beast. No one will suspect us. Just leave it to me; I’ll be back in a moment!"

With that, Lu Xiu-han darted off in the direction Feng Xi had fled, completely failing to notice the smug look on Shen Zhilan's face.

Seeing Lu Xiu-han chasing her, Feng Xi shouted while running: "Lu Xiu-han, don't come any closer! My Fifth Senior Brother will be here any second, and Xing Wu is coming too!"

The more she said this, the more reassured Lu Xiu-han felt, convinced she was bluffing and that Jun Wen and Xing Wu couldn't possibly be nearby. To be safe, however, he didn't attack immediately, instead following Feng Xi at a distance like a cat playing with a mouse.

Feng Xi’s voice began to tremble: "I’m telling the truth! My Fifth Senior Brother really is nearby! And I’m a direct disciple—you can’t kill me!"

Lu Xiu-han merely sneered, saying nothing. Seeing that the area was indeed empty and sensing no other auras besides Feng Xi’s, he grinned maliciously. "Feng Xi, if that old geezer Xiao Baidao hadn't interfered, I would have sent you on your way long ago! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for provoking Junior Sister Zhilan. Someone as useless as you is not worth keeping alive!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab her. He didn't use his flying sword or spiritual arts, partly out of arrogance and partly to avoid causing too much commotion. He was certain he would catch her, as Feng Xi had almost no cultivation.

However, Feng Xi evaded his hand at a strange angle and used a Binding Spell to entangle his legs. Feng Xi adhered to the principle of "less is more," focusing her training on only two techniques: the Flame Spell and the Binding Spell. Her Binding Spell, in particular, was nearly perfect—even Xue Tianjue had been caught by it, let alone Lu Xiu-han. Of course, that was provided the opponent was caught off guard.

The moment Lu Xiu-han’s legs were bound, Jun Wen and the others jumped out, unleashing a barrage of spiritual arts and flying swords. While Lu Xiu-han’s cultivation was indeed higher than theirs, being immobilized and caught by surprise forced him into a purely defensive position; he had no chance to counterattack. He was both furious and bewildered, unable to fathom why the Beast Taming Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect would be colluding with the Xuantian Sect.

"Stop! Are you all insane?!"

No one listened to him. Once the fighting had started, there was no turning back.

Feng Xi watched from the sidelines, secretly gloating. "Elimination" meant crushing the jade token Lu Xiu-han wore. Once crushed, the person would be teleported out. If that was all that happened, it would be too easy on him. She had to do something more; otherwise, it wouldn't justify the effort she had put into this scheme.