FVN Chapter 144 The Killing Trap
Chapter 144 The Killing Trap
Chapter 144 The Killing Trap
Linglong City, Yanxing Residence.
Sunlight streamed through the wooden windows, casting interplay of light and shadow inside the room.
Tianpo sat on a wooden chair by the window, his gaze fixed like a hawk on Wu Bin, who was sitting restlessly opposite him.
"Old Wu," Tianpo suddenly spoke, his voice low, "you're not quite right today."
Wu Bin's fingers tightened around the teacup, but his voice was a little dry: "What are you saying? I'm still the same as always."
Tianpo didn't reply, but glanced out the window for a moment before turning back to him: "Where's your newly accepted disciple? Why isn't he here?"
"The child is young and new to Linglong City. Everything is new and exciting to him. Who knows where he's run off to?" Wu Bin picked up his teacup, trying to hide his inner turmoil.
Tianpo shook his head, his eyes sharp as knives: "That's not right. You've always been strict when accepting disciples, not even letting them leave the courtyard for the first three months. When did you become so lenient?"
Cold sweat slid down Wu Bin's forehead.
He knew he couldn't hide it anymore.
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Only the faint sounds of the distant street market could be heard outside the window.
Tianpo stopped pressing him and simply watched him quietly.
After a long pause, Wu Bin slumped his shoulders, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said in a hoarse voice, "I—I'll talk."
He closed his eyes and recounted, in fits and starts, how he was captured, how he was tortured, and how he was forced to sign a blood pact.
His voice still trembled as he spoke of the horrific torture in the bronze bull.
Upon hearing this, Tianpo showed no anger on his face; instead, a strange light flashed in his eyes.
"A good opportunity. Old Wu, do me a favor. Find a way to lure Fang Yuan out of Linglong City, the more secluded the better. I want to kill him myself."
Wu Bin shuddered and shook his head repeatedly: "No! I am bound to him by blood; my life and death are in his hands!"
"If you don't do it," Tianpo's voice suddenly turned cold, like icicles under the eaves in the dead of winter.
"You must die now. You should know the Master's methods after betraying Zhenyang Tower."
Wu Bin's face was ashen, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak for a long time.
There are no safe paths to either side; ahead lies a precipice, and behind lies an abyss.
Seeing this, Tianpo leaned forward slightly and began to gently persuade him.
"Don't worry, I have my own arrangements. There is a Dragon-Trapping Gorge thirty miles outside the city, a place with a dangerous terrain. I will go there later to set up the Nine Netherworld Spirit-Locking Array in advance."
"Once you lure him into the formation, the formation will isolate him from the outside world. At that time, I will strike with lightning speed and take his life before he can activate the blood pact."
He paused, looking at the struggle in Wu Bin's eyes, and continued, "After the mission is accomplished, you will not only be blameless, but you will also be credited. You will be a hero who went deep behind enemy lines, endured humiliation and hardship, and ultimately cooperated to kill the enemy."
The Lord will not only eliminate any future troubles for you, but will also bestow a generous reward upon you, ensuring a bright future for you.
"Are you really capable of killing him before he activates the blood pact?"
Tian Po's lips curled into a confident smile: "Unless he has Foundation Establishment cultivation, I'm 100% confident."
Seeing Tianpo brimming with confidence, Wu Bin gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word from deep within his throat: "Okay!"
Just then, the door was violently pushed open, and Tianpo looked closely and frowned.
"Tianpo! You lied to me?!" he roared hoarsely, pulling a small jade bottle from his robes and slamming it to the ground.
"This is not the 'Bewitching Elixir' that puts cultivators to sleep at all!"
Tianpo slowly rose, his tone apologetic: "Brother Zhang, please calm down. Perhaps I was in a hurry and took the wrong medicine. How is your father now?"
"What do you think!" Zhang Ruoju's eyes were bloodshot, his acting was incredibly realistic.
"He went mad after taking this damned stuff! He's currently on the island in the middle of the lake! His magic is running rampant! In a few moments, he'll probably go completely insane, break off the island, and bring disaster to his entire clan!"
Tianpo looked regretful. "Brother Zhang, please accept my condolences."
"Condolences?" A cold glint flashed in Zhang Ruoju's eyes. "Tianpo, stop pretending! Now, join forces with me! Kill that old bastard before he causes any greater trouble!"
"If you help me quell this chaos, I will agree to all the conditions Zhenyang Tower previously proposed!"
Tian Po raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? Brother Zhang, you didn't say that before."
"That was then!" Zhang Ruoju roared. "If that old bastard goes crazy again, the entire Zhang family will be destroyed, and you'll get nothing!"
Tianpo's eyes narrowed.
When Zhang Ruoju visited before, he described the "Disorientation Powder" that caused cultivators to lose their minds and reduce their cultivation as the "Bewitching Dew" that caused them to fall into a deep sleep.
In addition, since it was a secret medicine unique to the Zhenyang Pavilion Master, he wasn't worried that Zhang Ruoju would recognize it.
So I've come to believe most of what he said.
Seeing that Tian Po remained silent, Zhang Ruoju said urgently, "Ever since I told you the family secret three years ago, I've been in the same boat. What does your attitude mean now?"
Tianpo asked, "When do we set off?"
"Now!"
"Old Wu, you stay here and carry out the plan. Brother Zhang and I will be right back."
Seeing that Tian Po believed his lies, Zhang Ruoju breathed a sigh of relief.
Once Tianpo dies, no one will know that I betrayed the family secret three years ago, and I will no longer be subject to his control.
But—where did Tianpo get the mind-numbing powder?
Isn't this a secret medicine that can only be redeemed with Tingyu Pavilion contribution points? Could he also be a Tingyu Pavilion assassin?
The thought sent a chill down his spine, but with the die already cast, there was no time for further thought.
The two rose into the air on the wind, transforming into two streaks of light that swept across the rooftops of Linglong City and headed straight for the lake deep within the Zhang family mansion.
However, just as they were flying over the island in the middle of the lake, a sudden ominous sign arose in their hearts.
It's so quiet!
We've fallen for their trap!
The thought struck my mind like lightning.
Tianpo's expression changed drastically. His internal magic power surged violently, and his figure abruptly stopped in mid-air, about to retreat rapidly.
But it was too late!
"Where do you think you're going!"
Zhang Ruoju roared from behind.
His cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining erupted without reservation.
Zhang Ruoju clenched his fist and threw a punch. A massive, solid fist aura tore through the air, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, and slammed down hard on Tianpo's back.
Before the fist even landed, the terrifying gale had already stirred up towering waves in the lake below.
Tianpo was forced to twist his body, and he thrust out both palms at once. His powerful half-step Foundation Establishment magic power transformed into a light shield, blocking in front of him.
boom-!!!
The light shield trembled violently, and Tianpo's figure was involuntarily propelled towards the island in the middle of the lake by this immense force.
"Zhang Ruoju, you!" Tianpo was furious.
His mind raced, and he decided to forcefully change direction and break through from the side.
However-
Dozens of sharp and incomparable invisible sword energies wove together a dense sword net, sealing off all his escape routes.
Immediately afterwards, Zhang Ruoju's fist struck again, forcing him into the island in the middle of the lake.
Upon entering the island, countless array symbols lit up, creating a transparent barrier that enveloped the entire island, allowing entry but not exit.
The island, which was previously shaken by the aftermath of the battle, is now as stable as a mountain.
He stumbled and fell to his feet, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water.
He looked around and saw three figures slowly walking out from three directions, surrounding him in the center.
Li Qingyi strolled out from the pavilion in the center of the island, her blue robe fluttering, her expression serene.
Zhang Niancheng emerged from behind a bamboo grove, his gaze sharp as lightning.
Zhang Ruoju landed on the shore, blocking the last escape route to the lake, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
Looking at the encirclement, Li Qingyi chuckled softly, "In the past, it was usually me who was surrounded and killed. Today, it's the first time we've joined forces to surround and kill others."
Zhang Niancheng smiled, his hands behind his back, his voice booming: "After this battle, young friend, you will be the Zhang family's most steadfast ally!"
Tian Po's gaze swept over the three, finally settling on Li Qingyi's face. His pupils constricted: "The young master of Tingyu Pavilion?! What a Zhang family! To actually join forces with these rats in the gutter—aren't they afraid that if this gets out, they'll be despised and attacked by all the cultivators of the Xuan Kingdom?!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Niancheng laughed even louder: "So, Vice Master Tian, only if you keep your mouth shut forever can this secret be buried with you—beneath the blue waves of this lake!"
Li Qingyi stepped forward, her fingertips seemingly picking up a vibrant green bamboo leaf, which she toyed with, her tone playful: "Vice Pavilion Master Tian is mistaken. My Tingyu Pavilion has a wide range of businesses, not just hiring murderers."
Occasionally, he would also intervene to help those in need, doing good deeds such as "punishing the wicked and eliminating evil."
For example, today, helping the Zhang family clean house and eliminating you, this scoundrel who attempted to swallow up others' property, would be a good deed.
As he finished speaking, he flicked a bamboo leaf with his fingertip.
The bamboo leaf transformed into an incomparably sharp sword light, shooting straight at Tianpo's brow.
At the same time, Zhang Niancheng clasped his hands together, and the array patterns on the ground shone brightly. Several thick chains of magical power burst from the ground and wrapped around Tianpo's feet.
Zhang Ruoju let out a low roar, his body leaping out like a cheetah, his fist striking like a collapsing mountain, aiming for Tianpo's back.
Three cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining attacked simultaneously!
The war is about to start.
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