City Lord's Mansion.
"What did you say? Purple Sun Villa was attacked by demonic cultivators?" Fei Si, who had been handling official business, rose to his feet at once, his face full of shock.
"How is Young Master Meng Chong?" he immediately asked.
Only after learning that Meng Chong was unharmed did the boulder lodged in his throat finally sink back into his heart.
He immediately ordered a team of cultivators dispatched to Purple Sun Villa as reinforcements.
"I'll go first!" How could Fei Si still care about the official business in his hands? He leaped into the air, his figure streaking like a rainbow toward Purple Sun Villa.
"Meng Chong's placement in Purple Sun Villa, both before and after, had been extremely secretive."
"But he had only been there for such a short time before demonic cultivators attacked!"
"Was it really demonic cultivators?"
Dark clouds shrouded Fei Si's heart.
He was the current Fire Persimmon Immortal City's lord's right-hand man. Ruthless by nature and skilled in schemes, he handled many matters that the city lord could not conveniently do himself and that Chi Dun lacked the brains to do.
Earlier, Fei Si had discovered that Zhou Zhu of the Zhou family was relying on his own talent to force his way through his injuries, his Power Dispersion proceeding at astonishing speed and posing an enormous threat to Meng Chong.
Thus, he made arrangements, activated the Zhou family's hidden agent, and plotted against Zhou Zhu, greatly delaying Zhou Zhu's Power Dispersion.
Zheng Jian of the Zheng family had also used artifact-refining methods and was progressing quickly, so Fei Si simply plotted against him as well.
Finally, in order to disguise himself, he activated a death warrior and deliberately had him ambush Meng Chong. Meng Chong killed him in return, making a show of himself before the Three Great Families and indirectly displaying the City Lord's Mansion's strength.
Naturally, Meng Chong knew nothing about this. Other than Fei Si and the city lord, no third person knew.
As for the Ning family, Fei Si had also kept an eye on Ning Xiaohui. But she was still bargaining with her family for greater benefits and had not begun Power Dispersion at all, so she posed no threat. Fei Si therefore did not act against her.
The City Lord's Mansion had, of course, also planted an insider in the Ning family. But Fei Si's thinking was this: there was no value in activating the insider to strike. It would be better to spare the Ning family, creating the appearance that among the four factions, only the Ning family had not been attacked.
In that case, what would the Zhou and Zheng families think?
Using this point, Fei Si had lightly laid down a trap and schemed against the Ning family.
Precisely because he had done so much, the moment he heard that Meng Chong had been attacked, he immediately faced a great enemy!
"Could the other three families have seen through the truth and secretly retaliated against us?"
"Then which family was it?"
"And how did word leak from our side?"
The four factions of Fire Persimmon Immortal City were in a state of balance. They were all righteous-path forces; even if they sought revenge, they would not lay it openly on the table or tear their faces apart. Instead, they would strike with black hands in the dark.
Arranging or disguising oneself as demonic cultivators was the most common method of all.
Fei Si descended into Purple Sun Villa, sending a wave of air churning and kicking up a cloud of dust.
He swept his gaze around and saw traces of fierce battle everywhere. Among the broken walls and ruined structures lay the corpses of many cultivators, along with countless shattered Mechanical Components.
The Foundation Establishment peak Sword Cultivator who had previously been driven back by Han Ming and escaped with a Space Escape Talisman had already returned.
At the sight of Fei Si, the Sword Cultivator's face turned deathly pale, and he hurried forward to bow.
"Fleeing from battle? I'll deal with your crimes later!" On his way here, Fei Si had already received the cultivators' urgent report and knew everything that had happened during the attack.
The Sword Cultivator bowed his head and accepted the order on the surface, but inwardly, he had never regretted it.
A colleague at the same Foundation Establishment Realm as himself had taken the initiative to attack that mechanical demonic cultivator and had never returned.
Clearly, his chances of survival were slim.
At least he had kept his life!
As for being punished, he would take it. So long as he lived, there would be a future and possibilities.
Fei Si passed the Sword Cultivator and hurried toward the Pill Refining Room.
Inside the Pill Refining Room, Meng Chong was half-squatting as he tended to Sun Lie, who lay on the ground.
By now, Sun Lie's complexion had improved considerably.
Meng Chong was not skilled at treating others, but Sun Lie was a master pill refiner and carried many healing pills with him.
"Young Master Meng Chong, are you all right?" Fei Si wore an anxious expression. His first words were to ask after Meng Chong, his concern and nervousness overflowing.
Though he already knew Meng Chong was unharmed, this was the time to make a display.
Many times, empty words were not useless; they could convey a certain attitude. And an attitude often revealed one's stance.
Meng Chong glanced at Fei Si and directly shook his head, indicating that he was fine.
"If he's unharmed, why is he naked and giving off a fragrance?" Fei Si found it strange, but he would never say it aloud.
He then fixed his gaze on Sun Lie and said bluntly, "Sun Lie, it's fortunate Young Master Meng Chong is unharmed. Otherwise, you could never escape blame!"
"Your death would be a small matter. Young Master Meng Chong possesses Superior Grade immortal aptitude and is the Meng family's hope. If you dragged him down, ten lives would not be enough to repay it."
Though Sun Lie was a master pill refiner, he was ultimately only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, not the Golden Core Realm.
In truth, even if Sun Lie were in the Golden Core Realm, Fei Si would still have scolded him without restraint.
That was where Fei Si's cleverness lay.
Sun Lie leaned half-reclined against the wall and gave Fei Si a huge eye roll.
He was free and easy by nature and did not think much of people like Fei Si. So what if Fei Si was in the Golden Core Realm? He would still snap back without hesitation.
They were all righteous-path cultivators, so they had to act according to righteous-path rules.
Cultivation did not represent everything.
Sun Lie immediately retorted, "I dragged Meng Chong down? Your city lord personally invited me to act. Do you think I wanted to wade into the muddy waters of the Magma Immortal Palace?"
As a master pill refiner, even if Sun Lie's cultivation was somewhat lacking, he possessed excellent craftsmanship. Wherever he went, he would be treated with courtesy and would never fare poorly.
Fei Si glanced at the ruined medicinal ingredients in the pill furnace and snorted coldly. "Wonderful. This time, you failed to help Young Master Meng Chong. You've exposed this place, making it even more dangerous to remain here from now on."
Sun Lie sneered. "Fei Si, which ear heard me say that I failed this time?"
"I succeeded already!"
"Hm?" Fei Si was stunned.
"Ah?" Meng Chong froze for a moment. "Old Sun, my cultivation hasn't completely dispersed yet."
"Hahaha." Sun Lie did not hurry to explain. Instead, he threw back his head and laughed with immense satisfaction.
Fei Si sneered, pointing at the ruined medicinal ingredients in the pill furnace. "Facts speak louder than words, Sun Lie. At this point, what's the use of stubbornly talking tough?"
"Hahaha!" Sun Lie's laughter rose higher, thick with mockery.
But soon, he tugged at his wound. His laughter abruptly stopped, and a pained expression appeared on his face.
"Cough, cough, cough... urgh!" Sun Lie coughed violently. Then his Adam's apple rolled, and he spat out a large mouthful of bloody liquid.
The bloody liquid gave off a powerful aroma of wine.
"What a pity, what a pity." Sun Lie stared at the bloody liquid and slapped his thigh.
Meng Chong quickly handed him more pills. "Old Sun, stop talking and hurry up, take some pills."
Sun Lie pushed his hand away. "Pills aren't better the more you take. I just took some; their medicinal power is already filling my body and will slowly be digested over time. Any more would not do."
Fei Si narrowed his eyes, sensing something strange. "What are you regretting?"
Sun Lie stared at the bloody liquid on the ground and said, "That was Thousand Flame Soul Wine! It was brewed with Thousand Year Spirit Flame Flower, Pure Soul Essence, and Flame Spring Water. Its fragrance was rich, its kick fierce, and I was almost done drinking it!"
Meng Chong let out a sigh. "Old Sun, don't feel sorry about it. Isn't it just Thousand Flame Soul Wine? I'll ask my grandfather for it. He'll definitely give you another jar."
Only then did Sun Lie grin and look at Meng Chong. "Good child. My efforts to set a trap for you weren't in vain."
Before you continue