The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

Noticing the shock plastered across Jiamo Lin's face, the man who had been so confident and certain of victory only moments ago now found himself standing entirely alone.

"Patriarch Jiamo, this old man is sincere about wanting to cooperate with you."

Looking at the fallen secret guards, Jiamo Lin felt a surge of wariness in his heart, having failed to even see how the other party had made his move.

Yet, as a patriarch, his face was something he needed to maintain, and it was of great importance.

"Cooperation? How do you intend to cooperate?"

Seeing the shift in Jiamo Lin's attitude, Li Xingluo did not hide anything and stated his purpose for seeking him out directly.

After hearing what Li Xingluo had to say, Jiamo Lin lowered his head in contemplation, his eyes darting around in their sockets.

From time to time, he would glance up at the person completely shrouded in black robes, unsure for a moment whether he should believe him.

If the cooperation proposed by Li Xingluo and the facts he laid out were true, this was undoubtedly the best opportunity to eradicate the An Family.

As long as the An Family ceased to exist, the remaining Mu Family would have no choice but to submit to him, Jiamo Lin.

But if it were a lie and this person had been sent by the An Family, the consequences were clear; Jiamo Lin fell into a dilemma.

"Patriarch Jiamo, opportunities only come once. If you do not intend to cooperate, this old man will certainly not force you. I shall take my leave!"

Li Xingluo did not hesitate, turning to leave while his peripheral vision naturally remained fixed on Jiamo Lin.

Just as Li Xingluo prepared to leap away, Jiamo Lin called out to stop him.

"Fine, I agree to cooperate with you."

The corners of Li Xingluo's mouth curled up naturally, his sense of triumph evident, though he turned and vanished completely, revealing nothing further.

"Congratulations to Patriarch Jiamo for choosing a good path."

"May I ask, Senior, why you wish to target the An Family? Given your strength, you could surely wipe them out all on your own."

"This old man likes your ambition, but I do not like people who sit back and reap the rewards. As for choosing you as a partner, it is simply fate. Patriarch Jiamo, does that answer satisfy you?"

Li Xingluo gently turned the ring on his finger, and a red light enveloped his entire body, his aura becoming imposing and aggressive.

Even Jiamo Lin, who had already reached the level of a Dou Ling, felt a shock in his heart, overwhelmed by the sheer pressure.

"Satisfied."

"If you do not believe me, you may go to the Aus Auction House to inquire about the situation. However, the operation is set for tomorrow night. You must seize the opportunity; naturally, I do not wish for any unpleasant outcomes to occur, otherwise..."

Li Xingluo drifted away, leaving only that hollow sentence hanging in the night air.

Following Li Xingluo's departure, the secret guards who had been lying on the ground began to wake up, unaware of what had just transpired.

Jiamo Lin could not help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking of the words Li Xingluo had left unfinished.

Initially, Jiamo Lin might not have believed what Li Xingluo said, but after seeing his guards collapse silently, his heart had been thrown into chaos.

This person was too terrifying. Jiamo Lin actually chuckled to himself; the An Family, was it?

After leaving the Jiamo Family, Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian did not rush away, but instead hid in the shadows. Soon, the main gate opened, and a man hurried out in a panic.

Li Xingluo let out a long sigh; this Jiamo Lin was truly not easy to deal with.

"Xingluo, why do you believe Jiamo Lin will help you attack the An Family?"

Xiao Yi Xian asked the soul-searching question. To intimidate Jiamo Lin earlier, Li Xingluo had long since had Xiao Yi Xian scatter an odorless, colorless poison all around him.

Anyone who approached would immediately collapse, and before leaving, Li Xingluo had personally scattered the antidote powder, using Dou Qi to catalyze it so that no one would notice.

"Because Jiamo Lin is an ambitious man. He has long wanted to unify Maple Forest City, but for years he has been hindered by the strength of the An and Mu Families. Now that he knows he can join hands with the Aus Auction House to take down the An Family, how could he not be tempted?"

Li Xingluo grasped Jiamo Lin's inner desires, and Xiao Yi Xian nodded, half-understanding.

"Then where are we going now?"

"We wait outside the An Family. Let them play out the rest of the show."

Li Xingluo gave a sly chuckle, his figure moving lightly toward the An Family estate, with Xiao Yi Xian following closely behind.

The next night, a man hurried into the An Family estate in a flustered state.

Before long, several middle-aged men who appeared to be elders led a group of An Family disciples, following the man's lead as they walked quickly toward a certain location.

Once the group had left, Li Xingluo knew his opportunity had arrived. With a flash, he vaulted over the wall and entered the An Family estate.

The only elder remaining in the An Family saw Li Xingluo suddenly appear in the council hall.

His eyes filled with panic, and at a loss for what to do, he pointed at Li Xingluo and asked, "Who, who are you? How dare you trespass into the An Family?"

Li Xingluo did not respond to the An Family Elder, instead walking slowly toward him.

The An Family Elder felt a chill emanating from Li Xingluo and hurriedly shouted out.

"Someone, come here! Someone..."

Li Xingluo stopped three steps away from the An Family Elder, his cold, icy gaze locked onto the man.

"Don't bother. No one is coming."

At this moment, Xiao Yi Xian walked in from outside the door, carrying two An Family disciples in one hand and tossing them directly in front of the elder.

They lay motionless, thin trails of black blood leaking from the corners of their mouths. The An Family Elder's pupils dilated in sheer terror.

This was death by poisoning; he immediately understood that the two people opposite him were Poison Masters, and in the Chuyun Empire, Poison Masters were even more terrifying than Alchemists.

"You..."

"Don't struggle. The An Family has very few guards left, and your life is in my hands. Do you want to live or die?"

Li Xingluo took a step toward the front left, and behind him, a ball of purple Dou Qi ignited in Xiao Yi Xian's hand, pulsing with a terrifying aura.

With a casual wave, the purple Dou Qi landed on the lifeless corpse, instantly enveloping it, though the stench was truly unbearable.

The An Family Elder, already pale with fright and devoid of any will to resist, stared at the two in terror.

"Well? Have you made up your mind?"

Seeing that the situation was dire, the An Family Elder fell to his knees with a "thud" and began kowtowing incessantly.

He muttered, "Don't kill me..."

The desired effect had been achieved; Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian exchanged a glance, and Xiao Yi Xian withdrew her Dou Qi.

Li Xingluo leaned over to look at the kowtowing An Family Elder, finding it laughable. Was this the An Family, one of the three great families of Maple Forest City? How could an elder be so spineless, surrendering before they had even exerted any real effort?

"If you don't want to die, you only need to do as this old man says. If you dare to harbor any ulterior motives, this old man will ensure you wish you were dead."

Granted a reprieve, the An Family Elder was overjoyed, lifting his fawning face.

"Rest assured, Senior, this lowly one would not dare. I only wonder what it is you require of me?"

"It is simple. Your An Family has been in Maple Forest City for hundreds of years; surely you have scraped together quite a few good things."

Li Xingluo did not continue, and the An Family Elder wore an embarrassed expression.

When he saw Xiao Yi Xian raise her hand, he immediately caved.

"Senior, this lowly one will take you to the An Family treasure vault right away."

Seeing the An Family Elder was so sensible, Li Xingluo tossed a round, bulging pill onto the ground.

"Eat it."

It was not that Li Xingluo did not trust this coward, but he needed to prevent future trouble. After all, even a cornered rabbit will bite.

The An Family Elder was ten thousand times unwilling, but when he saw the flash of killing intent in Li Xingluo's eyes, he immediately picked up the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.