Plan and Change

Let's talk about Li Fan's tactics this time.

A fundamental principle of tactics is to draw the enemy out of the pre-planned battlefield, concentrate superior forces in an unfamiliar environment, and annihilate them. This involves defeating the enemy in motion and inflicting casualties during pursuit.

Li Fan's plan was essentially the same. Jade Toad Granny had been hiding in Lei Marsh for so long, she must know the terrain and secret passages around the Water Mansion like the back of her hand, and there were at least seventeen or eighteen escape routes. It would be a miracle if such a group of people rushed over to catch her like headless flies.

Therefore, the plan is to use the Taiping Ship to lure out Jade Toad Granny, then have the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain launch an ambush to trap her, and wait for Yao Xuanzhou's reinforcements to arrive and finish her off. It's a classic case of besieging a point to attack reinforcements.

The first challenge in this battle is to prevent Jade Toad Granny and Taiping Temple from actually reuniting.

This cunning and treacherous demon king, along with a master cultivator wielding numerous magical treasures, would be no match for the Golden Core disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain if they joined forces. They might even end up slaughtering everyone in their path.

Fortunately, Li Fan gave the princess at Taiping Temple a severe beating. Although the physical damage wasn't great, the humiliation was immense. This pampered princess must be regretting coming out into the public eye now. She most likely won't break free from her tortoise-shell formation to fight.

Even so, if the Taiping Temple's Divine Sense detects that only a few Golden Core cultivators are causing trouble nearby, and Jade Toad Granny, a powerful ally, has arrived, then it's hard to guarantee that trouble won't arise.

Therefore, the primary target is Jade Toad Granny, and an ideal ambush location should be chosen between a place outside the Divine Sense detection range of Taiping Temple and within the Divine Sense detection range of Jade Toad Granny.

This way, Jade Toad Granny will lower her guard after discovering that the Taiping Ship incident is true, Li Fan a chance to launch a sneak attack and severely damage it. After the battle begins, Taiping Temple will also be unable to detect who is fighting. It would be best to try to deceive her twice beforehand, so that she will be suspicious and dare not participate in the battle rashly.

But from here comes the second difficulty: it's impossible for a few Golden Core cultivators to surround a demon king like Jade Toad Granny Chan who possesses two escape techniques. If she wants to escape, she can definitely do so. So Li Fan's plan was to let Jade Toad Granny escape smoothly.

There's a saying that goes, "What you overhear is the truth." You can't lure someone into a trap by actively enticing them; you have to make them willingly walk into it.

So the purpose of this ambush was to make Jade Toad Granny realize that there was such an ambush, that people from Ink Bamboo Mountain were plotting to harm her, so that she could escape smoothly.

Where will it go after escaping? The water mansion where it used to hide has been discovered, so it's no longer safe. Where else could it go? Naturally, it will crawl into the cave where the Profound Heaven Sword Intent was hidden, into the cage that Ink Bamboo Mountain had set up. After all, that was a safe hiding place that it had confirmed itself!

So how can we ensure that Jade Toad Granny will choose to run away when faced with Golden Core cultivator? It's simple: use the Dragon Fetus Feathering Pill to bluff her. Suddenly, three Nascent Soul Stage will jump out to grab her. Given Jade Toad Granny's personality and current strength, how could she dare to fight back? How could she not run away?

Let her discover the trap, then let her escape, let her escape into the ambush and be struck by a Sword Light, then use a magic array to suppress her, dragging her until the main force from Ink Bamboo Mountain arrives to subdue the demon.

A series of traps: first, the cunning toad is ensnared, then the tough turtle is dealt with.

This was Li Fan's plan.

"How about it, is it feasible?" Li Fan asked his two fellow disciples for their opinions, and then opened his hand, revealing two Dragon Fetus Feathering Pills in his palm.

Ma Kui stared at him with his chin agape for a long time before turning to Liu Qing and asking, "... Where did this junior brother come from? Why have I never heard of him before?"

Liu Qing gave Li Fan a deep look, took out a pill, and said, "You really resemble the first ancestor of the Li family. I truly can't guess who you were in your past life."

Li Fan smiled. "Who I was in my past life is unimportant. In this life, I am only Qingyue, a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain."

Following the plan, at dusk, Li Fan's Sword Light flew to what appeared to be the watery islet where the toad was hiding.

Although he made a lot of plans, things can never keep up with changes. If he couldn't lure Jade Toad Granny out with his silver tongue and charm that makes housewives swoon in the first step, or if Jade Toad Granny was too cautious to seize the opportunity right in front of her, or if he misjudged something and ended up letting the toad feast on him, then all his subsequent arrangements and backup plans would be in vain.

But that's life; sometimes you have to take a gamble. You'll never know if it's chocolate or something else until you put it in your mouth and taste it!

In short, Li Fan also discovered that perhaps it was his true nature to enjoy the thrill of risking his life, being in dangerous situations, and being drenched in blood. To put it bluntly, he was someone who would rather die than not do stupid things, and he couldn't help but do them, finding it increasingly enjoyable and addictive.

So this time he put on his most expensive clothes: formal attire, boots, jade pendants, sachets, hair ornaments, and celestial robes—everything was complete. He combed his hair, applied powder, and dressed himself up like a model of elegance... cough cough! Objectively speaking, describing him as merely handsome is a bit inaccurate; he certainly deserves the description of having a golden appearance and jade-like features, a rhinoceros-headed and jade-cheeked face, extraordinary and unparalleled for generations...

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, do you seem to have some misunderstanding about the meaning of these terms?'

Nonsense! Your appearance reflects your inner self! If you believe you are the most handsome, then you are the most handsome!

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said... Well, having confidence is a good thing. Oh, it has appeared. Stay calm and proceed as planned.'

Li Fan also sensed the wind behind him, so he took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, turned around, and looked up at the figure that appeared not far behind him.

This was a beautiful and intelligent young girl. Judging from her appearance, she was only about seventeen or eighteen years old, and she had no trace of demonic aura. She wore a light yellow embroidered dress and a white fluffy jacket draped over her shoulders. When she smiled, she had two shallow dimples on her face, just like the girl next door, full of vitality and not at all like a toad.

Indeed, this person's physique and appearance are exactly as described by Ma Kui and Liu Qing.

She is Jade Toad Granny.

Li Fan was about to speak when he caught sight of what she was draped over her shoulders. His heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat poured down his back. It wasn't a fur coat; it was a Persian cat with heterochromia (different colored eyes).

So the lines they had rehearsed turned out to be, "Li Yi greets her senior."

"You recognize me?" The girl smiled and reached out to touch the cat's ears.

The cat rubbed its head against the wall, blinking its blue and yellow eyes, and purring softly.

Li Fan immediately bowed respectfully and presented the soft whip at his waist with both hands, saying, "The treasure ship Taiping Ship is being besieged by cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain. The master of Taiping Temple begs your help."

The girl smiled sweetly as before and asked the same question, "You recognize me?"

Li Fan took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "This junior has only heard of your reputation..."

"When did I come to your shop using the name Jade Toad Granny? Was it Ink Bamboo Mountain who told you?" She suddenly brought her face close to Li Fan's, grabbed Li Fan right wrist pulse point, and smiled sweetly with her eyebrows arched. "What, you cultivate the Wuji Golden Core? That's rare. Where did you obtain this wonderful method?"

Completely unaware of the other party's stealth approach, and even the Qi sensation was not strong, it was as if a beam of light suddenly reflected in front of them.

He was instantly killed.

Li Fan's pupils shrank instantly, but he remained calm and said, "Senior, you have great insight. This is the secret dual cultivation technique of Emei, the <Guizang Great Technique>! I spent 40,000 strings of cash to form a connection with Lingyunzi's Lingyunzi of Emei and obtain this divine skill, the Dual Cultivation Wuji Golden Core!"

As for your esteemed name, which resounds South Border, I naturally mentioned it when I drank with Fellow Daoist Lu Yu of Ink Bamboo Mountain."

Jade Toad Granny Chan was taken aback, glancing suspiciously at the silent Persian cat perched on her shoulder. "... You actually know people from Emei... and Lu Yu... what's your relationship with him?"

Li Fan calmly looked up and glanced at the cat. "This junior and Fellow Daoist Lu's son have a life-or-death bond, having gone through life-or-death trials together."

"..." Jade Toad Granny hesitated, then released her grip, pulled the Persian cat from her shoulder into her arms, and stroked it for a while without any reaction. Finally, she said, "Alright. Come with me then."

Li Fan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly realized, "What's going on? This isn't right!"

"Senior, the Taiping Ship is under siege..."

Jade Toad Granny glanced at the dozing cat in her arms, then smiled and looked at Li Fan, "Do you know what your master is doing in Lei Marsh?"

Li Fan frowned, his mind racing. He looked at Jade Toad Granny had somehow taken the whip from her hand, and said, "This junior guesses that she has come to deliver something to you, senior."

Jade Toad Granny's smile remained unchanged. "No wonder she didn't tell you directly, otherwise she probably wouldn't have dared to come to me herself... What I bought from Taiping Ship wasn't this whip, but a person. But one thing is one thing. Taiping Temple couldn't deliver the goods, yet they asked me to step in. Sending you here is like handing you over to me as a deposit for her plea for help."

Buying people? If the cargo on that ship refers to people, then it's true that the Storage Jade couldn't be used to transport them. But what about what the eunuch said earlier? And this Jade Toad Granny Demon, who eats people, actually pays to buy them?

Li Fan didn't understand at first.

The girl tilted her head and looked at Li Fan. "What, aren't you going to try to fight back? I'm seriously injured right now, maybe you can escape?"

Sword intent, how to explain it.

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, she's lying. At least the human body before her is nearing the Perfected Realm the Nascent Divine Transformation realm, completely unharmed.'

Holy crap, that cat playing with a ball... and it didn't even meow when its owner lied, that's going too far...

Li Fan spread his hands, "This junior's meager skills are not worth showing off in front of a senior. Please just swallow my food whole and don't chew it raw. I'm afraid of blood and pain, and I'm very timid."

The Persian cat rolled its eyes and meowed.

Okay, I'll remember you.

Jade Toad Granny seemed relieved, laughing heartily. "You think I enjoy eating people? Those are just lies from Ink Bamboo Mountain trying to smear my reputation. There's so much meat in these mountains and marshes, why would I eat people..."

You really don't eat people? Didn't you say you were seriously injured? What a smooth talker, full of lies...

"... Besides, human flesh is sour and astringent, and only tender young boys are palatable. Right now, I need a superior furnace to replenish my strength, so eating it raw would be a waste."

When Jade Toad Granny looked at his face, Li Fan sighed inwardly, "Alas, my damned charm..."

"However, your appearance is really just average, and I don't want to force myself. Since you're afraid of pain, how about I get you drunk to death and then pickle you up and eat you?"

This toad dares to look down on me???

'The Dao of Profound Heaven Sword Intent, hahahahahahahahahahaha!'

Jade Toad Granny wasn't surprised to see Li Fan's face change color. "However, I remember hearing that Heaven cherishes life and should always leave a way out, not take everything away. You must be resentful to have lost your life like this."

Just then, I have a dangerous mission that I need help with. I originally wanted to ask your master for help, but it seems she won't be able to get here in time. However, your cultivation is quite solid, after all, it's a legitimate method of the Xuanmen, so perhaps it can be of use.

"If you're willing to lend me a hand, I'll not only spare your life, but also give you a great opportunity. If you can seize it, you might even have a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. At that time, I'm willing to sacrifice some things to cultivate together with you, a mutually beneficial and win-win situation, even better than before. What do you say?"

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent, hahaha! What a great opportunity! Oh, what a pity the female toad looked down on it, and she wasn't even willing to accept it, ahahaha, I'm dying of laughter!'

Li Fan's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Whatever needs to be done, please give your orders, senior. I would never dare to be negligent."

That damn cat meowed again. Damn it!

Jade Toad Granny didn't mind, smiling as she led the way. "It's good that you agreed. But speaking of which, Taiping Temple has always preferred to use eunuch slaves, and in the last hundred years or so, there have been few suitable members of the royal family in the Li Country. The fact that they're willing to give you to me this time shows that they've really suffered a great calamity..."

... Or is it because you had too many dealings with the Lu Family, and now that they've fallen, the Taiping Temple wants to use you as a tool to kill someone? That's typical of those nobles, hehehe, killing three birds with one stone, a very clever scheme, hehehe..."

Li Fan followed her expressionlessly, using a water-avoidance spell to submerge into the water mansion. "If what you suspect is true, senior, there must be a huge conspiracy and trap on the Taiping Ship. Since you are seriously injured, for your sake, you should not meddle in the affairs of the Taiping Temple."

The cat continued to meow.

Jade Toad Granny Chan smiled, pursing her lips, "So you're calling your master by his name right away? You've got quite a temper. But you don't need to be so angry. I'm the most trustworthy person. Taiping Temple kept its promise and delivered what I asked for. I'll naturally lend your master a hand later."

The same applies to you. If you can seize this opportunity, it could be a tremendous turning point. Since you still have connections with the Lu Family, there are ways I can use you.

Perhaps, I can even help you advance further and become the master of the Taiping Temple. Hehehe..."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes and looked at Jade Toad Granny, "... I heard that you have a great grudge against Ink Bamboo Mountain. Do you intend to use Taiping Temple as a medium to unite the forces of various countries to wipe out Ink Bamboo Mountain?"

Jade Toad Granny Chan nodded and smiled, "That's right."

Li Fan continued, "I know my chances of survival are slim. Before I die, I only wish to ask one question: what deep-seated hatred do you have with Ink Bamboo Mountain? With your cultivation level, wouldn't it be better to travel far and wide, living a carefree life?"

"Your name is Li Yi? You do have some of the courage of the Li family ancestors. There are too few people who can face life and death with a smile and not change their expression. No wonder Taiping Temple dared not keep you..." Jade Toad Granny did not answer, but led him to a stone door in the cave.

"This is the place. When I first discovered this ancient immortal's ruins, I was only at the Golden Core stage. I owe my current status to a fortuitous opportunity I found here."

Jade Toad Granny took the Persian cat off her shoulder and let it run off to play. Her hands moved swiftly, forming hand seals and breaking countless restrictions. She then pushed open the stone door and entered.

Li Fan stood frowning in front of the stone door. He could see that the secret room was a cave passage. The most striking feature was the abundance of white and blue crystals within the cave's rock strata, resembling some kind of natural crystal vein. This vein was naturally not marked on Tian Shuzi's map, and its destination was unknown.

But Li Fan could clearly sense the surging true qi flowing within the tunnel, and it possessed both the Dark Underworld and Return to Dust attributes. This was probably the domain where the Jade Toad Granny had consistently cultivated and attained enlightenment.

Well, not only did they fail to catch the big fish, they also dragged it into its own territory.

The situation had deviated from Li Fan's Oldest One plan. In any case, his current individual strength was no match for Jade Toad Granny. If the conflict dragged on for too long, Ink Bamboo Mountain might activate Plan B, which would implicitly acknowledge Li Fan's failure. This plan would involve them coming to the Water Mansion to search for Jade Toad Granny, as originally intended.

The toad will probably be alerted eventually and kill him instantly to escape, right? What should I do...?

Jade Toad Granny turned her head and saw him hesitate. She smiled and said, "Are you afraid? There's no need to be. This isn't a trap, but a tremendous opportunity. I always keep my word. I said I'd help you and give you a way out. I will never go back on my word."

Li Fan squinted at the old toad, then stepped into the mine.

"What a coincidence! I, Li Yi, am also a man of my word, an honest person who never deceives the young or old..."

The Persian cat crouched on the ground and meowed at him.

You little brat! If I come back alive, I'll have you taken to the Discipline Institute for breeding!