Phase 2
Luo Kai ponders about how Tian Shen escaped.
He shouldn't be able to.
Besides, Luo Kai would at least be able to detect something is wrong with the atmosphere Qi if he truly used a stealth or teleportation skill that exceeds the interceptor array capability.
It makes no sense. He is in the Core Formation realm, How is it possible?! The thought of it is something out of this world.
"Wait...out of this world?" Luo Kai mumbles.
Now that he remembers it, there are rumours of a young master from the upper realms that became the patriarch of a small declining sect. Luo Kai hasn't seen the patriarch himself but the rumours claimed the patriarch, named Wang Ji, has red short hair and black eyes with a slim figure.
!!!!!!!!!
...
"Hahaha!!! It makes so much sense now!! That bastard is from the upper realms, I won't be surprised if he can escape an 'inescapable' cage!" Luo Kai exclaims.
Luo Kai heaves a sigh of relief. With this information, Luo Kai swiftly pieced together a plan to take down Wang Ji while keeping his reputation intact.
The Luo family have many supporters and an extensive reputation that exceeds just Tiansu alone. This naturally makes the Luo family's "voice" much more credible than some run-down sect patriarch.
He simply has to release rumours of Patriarch Wang Ji committing mass kidnapping and murder to create forbidden pills. Afterwards, they can exterminate the entire Heavenly Divine Dragon sect while improving their righteous prestige, killing two birds with one stone. It is even possible to push all the recent mysterious disappearance cases and deaths to Wang Ji, the truth will be completely buried together with the sect.
Luo Kai smirks. "I will bring you down, Wang Ji. This is the price you must pay."
--------------------
"Ugh..."
Xie Mo wakes up to a smelly and damp floor.
He lifts his head to see himself inside a cell.
!!!
"Bastard-"
His attention was moved to the two rotting corpses beside his face.
!!!!!!!!!
Xie Mo jerks up and backs off to the wall, accidentally kicking something. It's Chunhua, still out cold.
"What the..." Xie Mo mumbles.
Xie Mo instantly pinches his nose once he comes to his senses. The stench of blood suffocated him.
"Where am I? The last thing I remember is..."
Upon that thought, he notices that this is the dungeon hidden deep below the mountains. Ji Qiang contributed to the uprise of the Luo family. Thus it is natural that he watched the growth and infrastructures of the Luo family. Although many things have changed, this dungeon is still the same.
"This dungeon is supposed to be a prison...Yet why is littered with corpses and filled to the brim of blood." Xie Mo mumbles.
He attempts to circulate Qi but notices many parts of his meridians clogged. It's not broken thankfully.
Xie Mo sits with his legs crossed and forcefully pushes the substance clogging his meridians into his fingertips. Drips of greenish-red liquid flow out from under the nails and drip onto the floor.
*tsccch...*
The poison is highly corrosive.
...
Another attempt at Qi circulation and it worked this time. Xie Mo clicks his tongue.
He stares at the children in the cell opposite, they are alive and dead.
Xie Mo clenches his fist. "Those bastards...Luo Jin, what wonderful descendants you have..."
"I heard some noise over there." Says a patrolling member.
?!
Xie Mo quickly sticks to Chunhua and draws an illusion array.
*thud thud thud*
"H-Huh? They are gone! BOTH OF THEM?!"
"WHAT? NOT AGAIN! FUCK!"
"SEARCH THE ENTIRE DUNGEON. FUCK FUCK FUCK!"
They run off haphazardly.
"Huff huff..." Xie Mo's face is pressed against Chunhua's chest. He pushes himself away when the coast is clear to get a grasp of the air.
"Alright...escape is my priority. There should be a secret passage leading out to the lowest level of the dungeon." Xie Mo breaks the lock and steps out of the cell.
...
He looks back at Chunhua and clicks his tongue. "Damn it..."
In the end, Xie Mo decided to carry Chunhua on his back and escaped with her.
Xie Mo is arrogant. But that is Xie Mo's personality, not his morals. In the upper realm, Ji Qiang was respected and admired as the bringer of justice. Ji Qiang is righteous and stands with the unfortunate ones.
Xie Mo isn't naive, sometimes, he puts aside his morality for the sake of the majority. However...
"There is a line that must not be crossed... Fucking Lunatics..." Xie Mo mumbles.
----------------------------
--------------
Xie Mo was betrayed by the Luo family earlier than intended.
-5000 fate points
+500,000 points
10,500 points remaining
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A sudden notification pops up when I fly on my sword back to the sect.
Earlier than intended...
So the Luo family planned to keep Xie Mo as a "crop" and harvest from him when the time is right. Looks like they got desperate because of me.
I shouldn't stop my momentum. My next stop will be Shao Hui at Qiang Jin.
System, extract knowledge about the Luo family's relations from infected Luo members and Bolin.
--------------
90,000 points consumed.
--------------
I smile. The Luo family have a very extensive reputation and many backers or supporters. Not bad.
Many relations include Merchants, Government officials, and sects.
But it is not a problem, I have a plan in mind. Whether Shao Hui takes part in my plan does not matter but he will save me a lot of trouble.
The Patriarch of the Luo family should have figured out my identity, he will soon launch an all-out attack.
When I arrive at Mou Wei's residence, he helped me send a notice to Shao Hui who resides in the small pavilion at Qiang Jin.
A servant guide me to the pavilion and they wholeheartedly welcomed me.
The pavilion has two guards, a woman and a man both in the Core Formation realm. "Greetings Patriarch Wang, the young master is busy at the moment." both of them respectfully bow at me.
A merchant comes out of the building and guides me in. "Please wait here for the time being."
After 10 minutes. Shao Hui walks out of a room with a few old men. Those old men look pissed.
They immediately retract their annoyance when they see me and bows at me before leaving in a hurry.
"Patriarch Wang? Is there anything I can do for you?" Says Shao Hui.
"Shao Hui, I have something I need to show you," I say.
Shao Hui looks around and nods at the others.
"Follow me, Patriarch, we shouldn't discuss this out in the open."
I follow Shao Hui into another room with one table placed.
The other members follow after me.
"Please have a seat." Says Shao Hui. "What do you need to show me for you to come all the way here?"
I place the basket of pills I stole from the Luo family onto the table.
!!!!
The stench spreads quickly as everyone glares at the pills.
"Where did you get this?!" Shao Hui exclaims.
"The Luo family. I managed to escape by a hair's breadth away. They are kidnapping people and extracting their life essence; the core reason why the Luo family have so many powerhouses."
...
The atmosphere becomes tense as countless curses toward the Luo family are made.
Shao Hui clicks his tongue. "Bai Bingwen, get your team ready, it is their first commission."
"Yes sir." A ragged man with a long beard says.
"Spread rumours about the Luo family. The Luo family is related to the recent mysterious disappearance and death, they have been using those people to create life essence pills. Lin Suyin, start the operation I told you about." Says Shao Hui.
A young woman with short hair bows. "Understood."
Shao Hui managed to decipher Luo Kai's train of thought. Luo Kai has a reputation, he cannot tarnish it by bullying an insignificant sect. He will first have to make a reason for his attack and it is mostly by rumours.
If a rumour spreads about the Luo family before their rumour circulates, it would make it seem that the Luo family is attempting to reject the rumour and push the blame. That can arouse suspicions and temporarily limit the Luo family's movement.
Shao Hui smiles at me. "Patriarch. You do not need to worry, thank you for your help. I will try and guarantee your sect's safety."
Shao Hui makes it sound like he asked me for a favour.
"Shao Hui," I say. "I have a plan in mind, do you want to take part in it?"
?
"It has something to do with the supporters and backers of the Luo family," I say.