Chapter 115: [115-0] Chapter 115: The Trap

"Since you also think so, then let Xue Min and Xue Ying go. If the Ji Clan refuses to open the city gates and let our army in, then when they let them out, we will directly seize the opportunity to control the gates and not give them a chance to close them." Ma Tong did not look back, only nodding as he spoke.

As Ma Tong's voice fell, two Iron Blood Guards spurred their horses forward.

These two were none other than Xue Min and Xue Ying, both eighth-rank Martial Masters.

The gray-clad old man took a list from his bosom and handed it to one of them.

The two took the list, bowed to Ma Tong, and spurred their horses straight toward the East City Gate.

Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen and Liang Jingtang stood side by side on the gate tower, watching Xue Min and Xue Ying ride toward the gate, the corners of their mouths curling into mocking sneers.

"Hehe, it seems they are prepared to persuade us to surrender!" Liang Jingtang said.

"It seems to be two eighth-rank Martial Masters. Tsk tsk, it seems they really know our background well. If two eighth-rank Martial Masters were to suddenly launch an attack, I'm afraid the gate wouldn't be able to be closed once opened." Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the two who had already reached the foot of the city wall.

"Since that's the case, then let's follow their wishes, open the city gate, and invite them both in for a visit. Two eighth-rank Martial Masters—this appetizer is already quite generous." Liang Jingtang said.

"I have the same intention." Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen stroked his goatee and said.

Xia Daoming, who was standing behind the two like an ordinary disciple along with Yuchi Xiao and the others, couldn't help but curl his lip as he watched the old man and his master pretending to be profound and acting like experts who had everything under control.

"Then I will go down personally. With the secret technique of concealment passed down by my Tenglong Martial Hall, they will absolutely not be able to see through my Grandmaster cultivation." Liang Jingtang said.

"Then I will trouble Hall Master Liang!" Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen cupped his hands.

"You are too polite, Old Master!" Liang Jingtang returned the salute and leisurely descended the gate tower.

The dull creaking sound of the wooden and stone parts of the heavy city gate rubbing against each other as it slowly moved echoed in the silent night.

The city gate was slowly opened.

Xue Min and Xue Ying rode their tall, fine horses, walking into the city gate with their heads held high and arrogant expressions.

The dull creaking sound echoed once more.

Then, with a loud "Boom—", it fell shut.

The city gate was tightly closed again.

Xue Min and Xue Ying looked back at the tightly closed gate, the corners of their mouths curling into disdainful sneers.

Outside the city.

Ma Tong and the others saw the city gate close again, and the corners of their mouths also curled into disdainful sneers.

"They've gone in! We can prepare too!" A cruel, ferocious grin appeared on Ma Tong's rather handsome face.

As Ma Tong's voice fell, an Iron Blood Guard beside him waved a command flag, and the army slowly advanced toward the city.

"My City Lord is currently on the gate tower, so I ask you two to follow me up." Liang Jingtang cupped his hands toward the two Iron Blood Guards.

"Hmph, the City Lord has such a high-and-mighty attitude. My Guangwei Army has arrived at the border, and not only does he not open the gates to welcome us, but now he even sits high on the gate tower without coming to greet us personally! Could it be that he wants the city to be slaughtered?" Xue Ying sneered, his gaze sweeping disdainfully over Liang Jingtang and the soldiers guarding the gate.

If it weren't for that Immortal Master wanting greater resentment, he could have killed these people and opened the city gate directly with their strength.

"Hehe, how could that be? Then I will send someone to invite the City Lord down to welcome the two Envoys." Liang Jingtang raised his eyebrows, revealing a hint of anger, then "forcibly" suppressed it, cupped his hands toward the two Iron Blood Guards, and then signaled to a city-guarding soldier.

That soldier immediately ran toward the gate tower.

Xue Ying and Xue Min saw this, and the corners of their mouths curled into increasingly contemptuous sneers.

Sitting on their tall, fine horses, they held their heads high, looking toward the spacious main street connected to the city gate.

The main street was pitch black and quiet in a somewhat eerie way.

Xue Ying and Xue Min frowned slightly, a trace of inexplicable unease rising in their hearts.

Even if the City Lord of Li Cheng had made up his mind to surrender, with the army at the border, it was impossible for the common people to be this quiet; at this time, it should be chaotic everywhere, and panic should be spreading throughout the city!

【115-36】 panic should be spreading throughout the city!

But to say something was wrong or that there was some conspiracy, that shouldn't be the case.

Li Cheng was a bit large, but it was located in a remote area and lacked resources; it had never been favored by experts, and it had just experienced a great slaughter, with most of its experts dead or injured and having destroyed their own martial arts. What tricks could they play in front of their army?

Just as Xue Ying and Xue Min were secretly finding their own unease and suspicion laughable, a white-haired old man in white clothes walked down from the gate tower.

"It's just an old eighth-rank Wu Shi!" Xue Ying and Xue Min looked at each other, both seeing the mockery and contempt in the other's eyes.

"I heard that you two insisted that I come down personally?" Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen stood with his hands behind his back.

"You are City Lord Ji?" Seeing that Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen was still putting on the airs of a City Lord when death was imminent, Xue Ying couldn't help but feel it was very funny and asked with a playful expression.

"That's right, it is indeed me. You bunch of rebellious scoundrels, why don't you stay in Lingzhou properly instead of running to my Li Cheng in the middle of the night?" Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen lectured with his hands behind his back.

Uh!

Xue Ying and Xue Min were stunned.

Did this old guy have water in his brain?

"How bold, you old scoundrel, to dare speak such wild words! Could it be that your Li Cheng wants to be slaughtered?" Xue Ying quickly shouted sternly, terrifying blood-Qi energy surging within his body, emitting a chilling and fierce aura.

"The ones who want to be slaughtered are you!" Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen's expression suddenly sank, his hand pressed against the hilt of his blade, and like lightning, he drew it out.

A blindingly white blade light streaked across the night sky, and a white tiger faintly appeared in the halo, emitting a soul-stirring killing intent.

"Grandmaster!" Xue Ying's face turned pale, and he was just about to draw his blade.

The blade light had already swept across.

A massive head and fresh blood soared into the sky together.

The head flew in the air, its face still filled with an expression of disbelief and horror.

Almost at the same time, under the night sky, a fierce wind rose, and a dragon claw reached out, directly grabbing the head of the terrified Xue Min and twisting it violently.

His neck was twisted like a twist, and then his entire head was torn off.

At such a close distance, a Grandmaster facing a careless and contemptuous eighth-rank Wu Shi meant a one-hit kill.

"Satisfying!"

Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen and Liang Jingtang looked at each other and smiled.

The soldiers guarding the gate were first shocked, then their blood boiled, and their gazes toward the two were filled with fanaticism and awe.

The two enjoyed such gazes very much.

Just as the two were feeling very satisfied, they saw a figure slip down from the gate tower, then squat down and skillfully grope around on the two Iron Blood Guards.

The two looked at that familiar figure and those skillful movements, and the expressions on their faces instantly froze.

"Damn it, a poor wretch!"

"Another poor wretch! To be an eighth-rank Wu Shi and yet have a list be of any use—what a waste!"

Xia Daoming stood up very disappointed, shaking the list paper in his hand.

"Daoming, such things can be left to subordinates to do in the future." Liang Jingtang felt that he was losing face.

He was now a dignified Martial Arts Grandmaster and the Hall Master of Tenglong Hall!

His disciple doing this made him lose a lot of face.

"Master, you don't understand the fun of opening a blind box." Xia Daoming said.

Liang Jingtang looked at Xia Daoming, wanting to discipline him like he did Yuchi Xiao and the others, but he didn't dare.

He could only silently turn his head and look at Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen, saying, "Old Master, let's go upstairs."

"That's fine!" Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen nodded.

He didn't dare to nag too much.

The two walked side by side to the gate tower, Xia Daoming kicked Xue Ying along the way, then took the list and followed the two up to the gate tower.

Once on the gate tower, Xia Daoming lowered his head to look at the list.

The more he looked, the colder Xia Daoming's expression became.

The rumors

were indeed true; the Guangwei Army not only wanted a great deal of wealth, but also specifically demanded twenty-four pregnant women who were nine to ten months pregnant.

"It seems that there is a nine-in-ten chance that there is an evil cultivator practicing evil arts in the Guangwei Army!" Xia Daoming handed the list in his hand to Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen.

Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen looked at it, silently passed it to Liang Jingtang, and the expression on his face became extremely heavy.

After Liang Jingtang looked at it, his expression also became heavy.

"Ma Tong is easy to deal with, but we know nothing about the evil cultivator. Daoming, do you have the confidence to deal with him?" Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen asked.

"According to Ding Chu Shan, those who can directly participate in secular power struggles are generally only Qi Refining cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage, to avoid things getting out of hand and causing misery to the world, and also out of fear that a little secular power struggle will spread to the Cultivation World.

Moreover, those who participate in local secular power struggles are generally mostly early and mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators; there are rarely late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Mangzhou has no spiritual energy or spiritual veins and is not a place valued by cultivators, so I think there won't be any late-stage Qi Refining cultivators participating in the struggle here. If it's just early and mid-stage Qi Refining, it should be easy for me to kill them.

However, this evil cultivator must be practicing some evil arts or refining some powerful and poisonous magic treasure. I have never had any experience dealing with this aspect, so it's better to be careful.

Therefore, this battle should still follow the original plan: you two be in the front, and I will hide in the dark. Once I see the situation clearly, I will suddenly strike, trying my best not to give him a chance to use his spells and magic treasures." Xia Daoming thought for a moment and said in a deep voice.

Seeing that Xia Daoming said it should be easy to kill early and mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen and Liang Jingtang felt a great sense of relief.

If others didn't understand this guy, didn't they understand him?

Even if he had ten parts of certainty, he could forcibly squeeze out three or four parts.

Otherwise, with his terrifying strength of being able to kill enemies six zhang away with a single punch, why would he still hide behind them and act like a small person!

They didn't know that Xia Daoming had hidden his strength last time, being able to strike enemies ten zhang away with a single punch, nor did they know that this guy was actually already a tenth-rank Grandmaster, capable of striking enemies twelve zhang away with a single punch.

Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have bothered to ask that question just now.

"Daoming is indeed far-sighted. He had already considered and calculated that this day would come when he was plotting for Li Cheng, so he has always kept a low profile.

Shouli, you must learn more from Daoming. If you can learn one or two parts of his ability, I will truly be at ease handing the Ji Clan over to you." Soon, Elder Ji Yuanzhen Yuanzhen turned his head and said earnestly to Ji Shouli behind him.

"Yes, Father, I will definitely learn from the Young Master." Ji Shouli stepped forward and said solemnly.

"You must also learn from Daoming!" Seeing this, Liang Jingtang also turned his head and exhorted Yuchi Xiao and the others.

"Okay!" Yuchi Xiao and the others curled their lips dismissively and answered casually.

Isn't this nonsense?

Ever since the Junior Brother revealed his strength, hasn't he always been the one teaching on behalf of the master!

Even you, old man, were able to become a Grandmaster because of the Transforming Dragon Fruit he gave you.

Liang Jingtang was originally waiting for Yuchi Xiao and the others to step forward and learn solemnly like Ji Shouli, but as a result, this group of disciples had this reaction, and his old face immediately fell.

A bunch of rebellious disciples, I'll discipline you when we go back later!

PS: Continuing to beg for monthly tickets, and also begging for subscriptions, thank you very much.

Thanks to Qiu Zhi Shenguang, Wannian De Dengdai, Dan Cha Pi Xiang, and other book friends for their tips.

(End of chapter)