City Lord’s Manor.
“What did you say? The Purple Sun Courtyard was attacked by a demonic cultivator?” Fei Si, who was busy handling affairs, stood up abruptly, his face full of shock.
“How is Young Master Meng Chong?” he asked immediately.
Upon learning that Meng Chong was unharmed, he felt a great weight lift from his heart.
He immediately issued an order to dispatch a team of cultivators to support the Purple Sun Courtyard.
“I’ll go first!” Fei Si couldn’t care less about the paperwork in his hands.
With a leap, he ascended into the air, streaking towards the Purple Sun Courtyard like a rainbow.
“Meng Chong’s arrangements at the Purple Sun Courtyard were exceedingly secret.”
“But he had only just arrived there, and already a demonic cultivator launched an assault!”
“Is it truly a demonic cultivator?”
Fei Si’s mind was clouded with suspicion.
He was the right-hand man of the current City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City, known for his cunning and schemes.
Many things that the City Lord could not conveniently handle, and which Chi Dun couldn’t manage, were left to him.
Previously, Fei Si had found that Zhou Zhu of the Zhou family, relying on his innate talent, was fiercely opposing his injuries, with his spiritual power dissipating at an alarming rate, posing a significant threat to Meng Chong.
So he made arrangements to activate the Zhou family’s hidden agents, secretly sabotaging Zhou Zhu and greatly delaying his rate of spiritual dissipation.
Zheng Jian from the Zheng family was also progressing quickly with artifact refining techniques, so Fei Si sabotaged him as well.
Finally, to cover his tracks, he deployed a sacrificial warrior to stage an assault on Meng Chong.
Meng Chong countered and killed the attacker, thus making a name for himself among the three families and indirectly demonstrating the strength of the City Lord’s Manor.
Of course, Meng Chong was unaware of all this.
Only Fei Si and the City Lord knew the full story.
As for the Ning family, Fei Si had his eye on Ning Xiaohui, but she was still negotiating with her family for her own benefit and hadn’t dispersed her spiritual power, so she posed no threat, and Fei Si left her alone.
The City Lord’s Manor had also planted spies within the Ning family.
However, Fei Si calculated that activating these agents would serve no purpose.
It would be better to let the Ning family alone, creating the impression that only the Ning family had not been attacked among the four powers.
How would the Zhou and Zheng families interpret that?
Fei Si subtly laid a trap for the Ning family.
Because of all these schemes, when he heard Meng Chong was under attack, he treated it as a matter of utmost importance!
“Could one of the other three families have figured out the truth and retaliated in secret?”
“But which family could it be?”
“And how did they discover our plans?”
The four factions in Fire Persimmon Immortal City maintained a delicate balance.
Although they all represented the righteous path, any vengeance would be carried out covertly, without openly confronting one another.
Arranging an attack disguised as a demonic cultivator was a very common tactic.
Fei Si landed within the Purple Sun Courtyard, stirring up a gust of wind that sent a cloud of dust swirling.
He scanned the area quickly, observing the evidence of a fierce battle.
Amid the broken walls and rubble, lay the bodies of numerous cultivators and scattered mechanical components.
The foundation establishment sword cultivator who had escaped Han Ming’s attack by using a Void Traversing Talisman had already returned.
Upon seeing Fei Si, the sword cultivator’s face went pale, and he hastily came forward to pay his respects.
“Deserting on the battlefield—you’ll answer for it later!”
Fei Si had already been briefed on the entire assault during his journey and knew all that had transpired.
The sword cultivator lowered his head obediently, though he felt no remorse.
A fellow foundation establishment cultivator who had actively engaged the mechanical demon cultivator had not returned.
It was evident his fate was grim.
At least he had saved his own life!
As for the punishment, he would endure it.
As long as he was alive, there was hope and a future.
Fei Si ignored him and strode quickly to the alchemy chamber.
Inside, Meng Chong was crouched over, tending to Sun Lie, who lay on the ground.
Sun Lie’s complexion had already improved significantly.
While Meng Chong was not skilled in healing, Sun Lie, as a grand alchemist, carried various healing pills with him.
“Young Master Meng Chong, are you alright?”
Fei Si’s face was filled with urgency, and his first question was directed at Meng Chong, his concern and worry apparent.
Although he already knew Meng Chong was safe, this was the time to express it.
Sometimes, what seemed like empty words was not meaningless; it conveyed an attitude, and that attitude often signified loyalty.
Meng Chong looked at Fei Si, shook his head to indicate he was unharmed.
“If you’re fine, then why are you exposed and emitting a fragrance?”
Fei Si found it odd but wisely refrained from voicing his observation.
Then he turned his attention to Sun Lie, speaking with little courtesy: “Sun Lie, it’s fortunate Young Master Meng Chong is unharmed; otherwise, you’d bear the blame!”
“Your death would be a small matter, but Young Master Meng Chong has supreme Immortal Talent and is the hope of the Meng family."
"If you had dragged him down, even ten lives wouldn’t suffice to repay the loss.”
Although Sun Lie was a grand alchemist, he was only at the peak of foundation establishment and had not reached the golden core stage.
In fact, even if Sun Lie had been a golden core stage cultivator, Fei Si would still scold him without hesitation.
That was his craftiness.
Sun Lie leaned against the wall, half-reclining, and gave Fei Si a big, dismissive eye-roll.
He was straightforward in nature and didn’t hold much regard for someone like Fei Si.
Even if Fei Si was in the golden core stage, so what? Sun Lie wouldn’t hesitate to talk back.
Since they were all righteous path cultivators, they should abide by the rules of righteousness.
Cultivation level wasn’t everything.
Sun Lie immediately retorted, “Dragging down Meng Chong? It was your City Lord who personally asked me to assist."
"Do you think I wanted to get involved with the mess of Lava Immortal Palace?”
As a grand alchemist, even if his cultivation level wasn’t high, Sun Lie was highly skilled in his craft and received respect wherever he went.
Fei Si glanced at the wasted materials in the furnace and snorted, “Well, look at what happened. You failed to assist Young Master Meng Chong."
"This location has been exposed, and it’s now much riskier to stay here.”
Sun Lie let out a mocking laugh, “Fei Si, which ear of yours heard me say I failed this time?”
“I succeeded!”
“What?” Fei Si was stunned.
“Huh?” Meng Chong looked at him, puzzled.
“Elder Sun, I haven’t finished dispersing my power yet.”
“Hahaha.” Sun Lie did not hurry to explain and instead threw his head back in laughter, clearly pleased.
Fei Si sneered, pointing at the wasted materials in the furnace, “Facts speak louder than words, Sun Lie. After all this, what’s the point in your stubbornness?”
“Hahaha!” Sun Lie’s laughter grew louder, filled with mockery.
But soon, he winced in pain, his laughter cutting off as he grimaced.
“Cough… cough…!” Sun Lie coughed violently, his throat convulsing before he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blood carried a strong aroma of alcohol.
“Such a waste…” Sun Lie stared at the blood and slapped his thigh in regret.
Meng Chong quickly offered him another pill, “Elder Sun, enough talking; take your medicine!”
Sun Lie pushed his hand away.
“Medicines aren’t something you just take more of. I already took one, and the medicinal power is now circulating through my body, slowly absorbing over time."
"Any more, and it’d be overkill.”
Fei Si narrowed his eyes, sensing something peculiar. “What are you regretting?”
Sun Lie looked at the blood on the ground and said, “That was Thousand Flame Fierce Soul Wine, brewed from thousand-year spirit flame flowers, pure soul essence, and water from Flame Springs. It was rich in aroma and packed quite a punch, and I almost finished it!”
Meng Chong chuckled, “Elder Sun, don’t regret it. It’s just Thousand Flame Fierce Soul Wine. I’ll ask my grandfather, and I’m sure he’ll get you another jar.”
Sun Lie finally broke into a smile, looking at Meng Chong, “Good child. It was all worth it, setting up this situation for you.”