The Trap

"The most precious thing on you..." Yin Tianjie's lewd gaze briefly swept across Wu Xingyu's ample chest, a glimmer of greed flashing in his eyes. Evidently, Wu Xingyu's condition truly set his imagination running wild. He licked his lips slightly, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "Miss Wu, the most precious thing on you, I naturally always desire it... However, to give up a high-level Vermilion Bird technique for this, you're underestimating me a bit too much, aren't you?" Wu Xingyu sighed softly and said quietly, "I originally thought Commander Yin was a gentleman, but it turns out you're quite unromantic... In that case, does this mean we'll have to settle this with our own hands today?"

Yin Tianjie coldly smiled without another word. At this point, any further words were meaningless. To gain enough benefits, one must rely on their own methods. "Very well," Wu Xingyu smiled lightly, "then I won't hold back!" With a slight point of her toe and a twist of her slender waist in mid-air, Wu Xingyu's figure shot towards Yin Tianjie like lightning. At the same time, she raised her right hand, and a whip in her sleeve lashed out at Yin Tianjie like a venomous snake.

Sensing the strong wind within Wu Xingyu's strike, Yin Tianjie snorted in his heart. With his strength, he could feel that the woman in front of him was at least at the Warrior level, though he was unclear about the exact tier. However, given her background, even if she were a few tiers lower than him, she wouldn't be easy to handle. Yin Tianjie slightly shifted his body, retreating half a step backward, and with a nimble twist, his figure spun an odd trajectory in mid-air. His fighting spirit surged, and with a slap, he aimed a palm strike at Wu Xingyu's back.

This sudden attack caused Wu Xingyu's heart to chill slightly. She tilted her body, flicking her wrist, and the whip, like a venomous snake, quickly lashed backwards. "Boom—" The whip and palm collided, fighting spirit tumultuously rolling. The two figures slightly missed each other, and aside from swapping positions, there was little difference from before the engagement. "Commander Yin is indeed very formidable!" Wu Xingyu murmured with a low smile, momentarily dazzling.

But before Yin Tianjie could speak, she moved again, her long whip suddenly becoming rigid, and the fiery red fighting spirit boiled over it, forming a stream of fire that slashed down at Yin Tianjie. "This damned woman!" Yin Tianjie cursed in his heart. He had been slightly distracted by Wu Xingyu's coquettish laugh, not expecting her to be so ruthless. The strong aura from above, though shocking, did not panic Yin Tianjie. With a casual slap, he had already brandished a large knife, swinging it towards the descending whip.

"Clang—" The whip and the knife collided, sparking a series of sparks in the air, causing onlookers' eyes to twitch. The two figures touched and separated instantly, and from the surface, it seemed neither was at a disadvantage. However, Wu Xingyu's palm felt slightly numb, indicating she had taken a small loss in the exchange.

From a higher vantage point, Li Yi, who seemed to be watching the exciting fight, slowly shook his head and said, "What a hassle... It seems neither intends to fight seriously. If this drags on, I don't have the time to watch. I didn't want to show myself, but under these circumstances, it seems I have to step in for things to go smoothly."

Billy, at his side, said, "Young Master, just let me handle it..." "Can you escape under the chase of several Warrior-level experts?" Li Yi asked indifferently. "That... that..." "No more of that...," Li Yi said with a half-smile, looking at Billy, "Since you're following me, I'll let you handle one more thing... After we leave, find a way to spread a message, saying that Yin Tianjie got a high-level Vermilion Bird technique, Wàn Mù Jué, and that he was seriously injured for it... Remember, this message must 'accidentally' reach the ears of the Wan Chao Long family... Do you understand my meaning?"

Billy's expression changed several times. He was somewhat clever and had figured out Li Yi's goal for the night might not be limited to just the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, but also included the Wan Chao Long family. Although he didn't know the specifics of the plan, Billy swallowed hard, clearly understanding what to ask and what not to. Under Li Yi's mysteriously smiling gaze, he nodded firmly.

Li Yi chuckled lightly, then with a slight wave of his hand, a faint aura of fighting spirit enveloped him. His figure, like a phantom, plunged downwards, and an astonishing aura slowly dispersed with his appearance.

"Ssst—" With a soft sound, Li Yi landed between Yin Tianjie and Wu Xingyu. His black robe completely concealed his appearance, and the faint aura around him made him seem even more enigmatic. Li Yi's arrival caused both Yin Tianjie and Wu Xingyu to pause slightly, exchanging a glance before stepping back half a step. Both parties understood that even if they wanted to snatch something, there was no need for a serious fight, and they would not do something foolish like giving others an advantage through their conflict.

"Who are you? Do you intend to meddle in the affairs of our Blood Wolf Mercenary Group?" Scanning Li Yi, Yin Tianjie's eyes flickered with confusion. Despite his keen observation, he couldn't discern the depth of the mysterious figure in black. Li Yi smiled faintly, speaking in a suppressed tone, "Who said I want to meddle in your affairs... Just hand over the item, and you can continue your fight."

"What item?" Yin Tianjie's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Isn't that obvious?" Li Yi's words carried a hint of mockery, "Naturally, it's the high-level Vermilion Bird technique scroll. Hand it over obediently, and I might spare your lives."

"What did you say!" Yin Tianjie's face trembled slightly, a mix of emotions surging within him. He had thought that resolving the issue with Feng Lou would settle everything, but now a mysterious figure in black had appeared. Yin Tianjie didn't believe this person was simply a foolhardy individual. In the clash of these two great forces, the only reason someone would brazenly appear to steal something was if they possessed overwhelming strength, capable of overpowering both parties. This thought brought a gloomy unease to Yin Tianjie's heart.

"This gentleman, did you just rush out here without understanding the situation?" Wu Xingyu suddenly smiled lightly, her seductive gaze landing on Li Yi, filled with a captivating allure. However, Li Yi merely chuckled lewdly, replying, "Girl, save your efforts. If your charm worked on me, why would I embarrass myself by coming here? But looking at you, it seems you haven't gotten your hands on the item yet, right? That's good! It saves me a lot of trouble... It seems the item is over there..."

Saying so, Li Yi's gaze slowly shifted to the mercenaries who had retreated to the side. Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and he pounced towards them like a specter. With a scream, Li Yi's hand now held a scroll glowing with a blue light. He moved aside arrogantly, unrolling the scroll to take a glance, then nodded, "Indeed, this is it... Continue as you were, I have no time to play with you any longer!" With that, he stepped lightly, his surging figure swiftly disappearing into the streets.

This sudden turn of events left both the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group and Feng Lou's people somewhat baffled. Both sides had been preparing for a long confrontation, hoping to eliminate the other to obtain the item. But now, an unexpected interloper had just snatched it away...

Yin Tianjie's face changed colors several times, and finally, grinding his teeth, he followed in the direction where the black-robed figure had vanished. Wu Xingyu stood still, her expression fluctuating, but unlike Yin Tianjie, she didn't recklessly charge forward.

"Boss, what do we do now!? That item is invaluable..." A guard approached her, speaking urgently.

Wu Xingyu clenched her teeth, "Although the item is valuable, we need to be alive to use it... If I'm not mistaken, the aura of that man in black just now was at least that of a King, or perhaps even higher. I have no interest in rushing to my death! As for Yin Tianjie, if he can't catch up to him, so be it. If he does, he's only heading towards his death."

"So, what do we do now?"

"What else can we do? Naturally, we retreat!" Wu Xingyu huffed, "Also, prepare more. If Yin Tianjie doesn't return tonight, we might as well rename Blood Wolf Town. The appearance of this mysterious person, although it cost us the Vermilion Bird technique, could be a great opportunity to eliminate the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group..."

......

Yin Tianjie, gritting his teeth, followed closely in Blood Wolf Town, keenly aware of the immense pressure the man in black ahead of him exerted. He had been stuck at the pinnacle of the Warrior level for so many years, and the high-level Vermilion Bird technique was an irresistible temptation. He was aware that his practice of the high-level Xuanwu technique had brought him this far, but breaking through to the King level was impossible without a significant opportunity. And now, the item stolen by the man in black was precisely that opportunity.

The importance of this technique scroll in Yin Tianjie's eyes was immense.

"Huff—" The man in black suddenly stopped atop the clock tower of Blood Wolf Town. Without even turning around, he spoke in a dry, hoarse voice, "What? You think I dare not kill you? Or do you believe I'm not your match? That smart girl knew she was no match and wisely backed down, but you followed, forcing me to make a move."

Yin Tianjie, clenching his teeth, said, "Yin knows he's no match for you, and I dare not attempt to forcefully take it. I just want to ask what conditions you would require to give me that high-level Vermilion Bird technique."

Li Yi smirked inwardly. His tone remained unchanged, "Conditions? Do you think you're in a position to negotiate?"

Yin Tianjie said gravely, "Yin is no fool. With your skills, it would have been easy to take the scroll silently. But you deliberately showed yourself, especially at such a critical moment. If not for some other purpose, why bother? I pride myself on having some insight, and I believe I'm not wrong in this. To you, this Vermilion Bird technique, although profound, is probably not of much importance. Perhaps, it was even you who released it, right? Regardless of your purpose, since we both have needs, there's no harm in discussing terms."