Chapter 374 - Psychological Attack (1/2)
The solemn Xiao Chen read the letter: “Honorable Senior Brother, the Devil’s Practice follower Xiao Chen has escaped with tremendously improved cultivation. I fought him at the Falling Flowers Valley the other day but fled when I saw that I’m no match for him. I fear he’ll seek revenge. Senior Brother, please return to the sect and prevent a catastrophe…”
The one who penned the letter was Qi Heng. Xiao Chen took a deep breath. He didn’t have to think hard about it. Qi Heng must have sent this letter to Danyang Zi using a flying pigeon but Su Lianyue happened to intercept it.
The rain finally stopped after a while but the cold wind on the mountain continued to linger. The gusts of wind rustled noisily as they sent the tree branches and leaves nearby quivering. Su Lianyue took a step forward. “Do you plan on allowing Danyang Zi to return and discuss how to deal with you or do you plan on burying him here forever…?” Her tone gradually turned dark toward the end of her sentence. One could detect a hint of a terrifying murderous intent that stood in stark contrast to her charming image earlier.
Even Xiao Chen could feel a chill nipping at his bones. He turned to the letter into ashes and said coldly, “Tell me your plan.”
He had gotten a taste of Danyang Zi’s strength earlier and knew his cultivation was far above Qi Heng’s. Moreover, Danyang Zi would pose an immense threat to him if the former was allowed to step into the true Apotheosis Realm. Even Gui Feng would have a hard time dealing with cultivators in that realm. With such intense enmity between him and the Order of the Divine Fire, the Order would soon hunt him down even if he didn’t provoke them. Rather than sitting around and waiting for death, he would rather make the first strike and cut off one of Order’s vital members!
“Since you’re so frank, I’ll get straight to the point as well.” Su Lianyue chuckled and walked up to him. She whispered into his ear, “There’s a place called the Precipice Peak 65 kilometers south from here. The Order of the Divine Fire is stationed there…”
…
The night quietly enveloped the mountains as Xiao Chen and Su Lianyue traveled about 50 kilometers south. The weather at the Miasma Mountain Range was incredibly unpredictable. During the day, dark clouds would fill the sky and yet the bright moon would show itself at night. Suddenly, the sound of rustling shattered the silence and two people landed in front of them.
“You’re both too slow, don’t you think? Brother Yi Yeqiu and I have been waiting here close to two hours.”
The one who spoke was a man clad in red. It was the man that Xiao Chen previously met, Seven Killings. Su Lianyue smiled sweetly. “We were delayed on our way here. Forgive us.”
Her suggestive-sounding words made Seven Killings smile and look at Xiao Chen. “Brother Xiao, we meet again.”
Xiao Chen ignored his greeting, choosing to pay attention to the man next to Seven Killings. The man’s facial features appeared sharp and distinct under the moonlight. Cold Qi hovered between his eyebrows. There was no expression on his pale, gloomy face. He crossed his hands in front of his chest. In his right hand was a sheathed sword, indicating that he would use his left hand in killing. This must be Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall.
Seven Killings noticed his attention on Yi Yeqiu and laughed. “Let me make the introductions. This is Yi Yeqiu from the Dark Shadow Hall. After autumn (Qiu) comes the dreary wind; in the cold water, one worries all night long.”
Xiao Chen continued to ignore him. He didn’t expect to meet the three great fiends of the Devils’ sects. If it wasn’t for their shared enemy, he would never work with Devil’s Practice followers. He would have to deal with his grudge against Feng You in the future!
Yi Yeqiu didn’t look like he was about to walk up and greet him either. He continued to be expressionless. If his chest wasn’t moving up, one would have thought that he was dead.
Su Lianyue said, “Once news spreads that you’re working with the three of us, I fear that it’ll be even harder for you to return to the Orthodox Path…”
“They don’t deserve to be called the Orthodox Path.” Xiao Chen interrupted her with a cold voice. Whenever he recalled how Wan Gufeng and his accomplice massacred the Three Pure Sect, he would find the term “Orthodox Path” even more ridiculous and despicable.
Wan Gufeng would never dare to personally enter the Human World and commit a massacre without permission from the higher-ups. But what was truly despicable weren’t the both of them or even the Order of the Divine Fire, but the so-called Orthodox Path! A year had passed since and he never heard of the Immortals’ League interrogating the Order or any sect criticizing the Order. This was the laughable Orthodox Path! The only thing that differentiated them from the Devil’s Practice was nothing more than their cultivation methods!
Seeing his resentment gradually becoming more apparent, Su Lianyue smiled. “Forget it. Danyang Zi is a peak Nirvana Realm cultivator. We should discuss how to deal with him.”
The three Devil’s Practice followers had come here to eliminate Danyang Zi. One of the reasons was naturally the extraordinary treasure, but there was also another reason. In the past half six months, the Order of the Divine Fire had been gaining more fame and prestige in the Orthodox Path. In just three months, they eliminated ten or so smaller Devils’ sects and boost the morale of other Orthodox sects. This struck fear in the smaller Devils’ sects. Being Devil’s Practice followers, how could they allow this to continue? How could they not quell the Order’s might?
However, the three of them all had their own schemes. Why would they stand here so amiably if they didn’t have a mutual enemy in Danyang Zi?
A gust of cold wind flitted across their lapels, causing a burst of rustling noises. Seven Killings said, “The cave on the Precipice Peak is very, very long. Even on our swords, it’d take us fifteen minutes to fly up there. Both sides are connected and the terrains are steep. The Order of the Divine Fire’s people are experts of long-range fire attacks and they have three Nascent Soul Realm cultivators too. We’re at a clear disadvantage here. But if we distract them with some fake attacks, what do you think Danyang Zi would do?”
Su Lianyue said, “He’s a cunning old man. He’ll definitely be able to tell that those are feints. But he has always been arrogant and conceited, so he’ll massacre our true group of attackers waiting in the rear by himself.”
Seven Killings laughed. “The Fairy knows me best. When he’s by himself without anyone to help, do we still have to worry that we can’t cut off his head? So all we have to do is send a few troops to fake the attack and wait for him to dig his grave at the back.
“First make a feint, then lure him to the back. Brother Seven Killings, your plan is clever indeed,” Su Lianyue commented. She then turned to look at Xiao Chen with a smile. “What do you think?”
…
The wind that swept the forest was so cold that it cut right into one’s bones. 15 kilometers south from here was a cave called the Precipice Peak. There were around fifty to sixty people inside. The cave was spacious and the walls were lined with a torch every ten feet or so, casting a red glow on everyone’s faces.