Chapter 65 Setting an Ambush

Shen Chang'an finally understood what Li Qingqing was up to, dragging Su Xiuyan around for so long.

Right from the very beginning, she had intended to kill Su Xiuyan here. Regardless of whether Shen Chang'an agreed or not, the ultimate outcome would remain unchanged.

Su Xiuyan's movements had been extremely covert, and while no one else was aware of it, he had failed to keep it from Li Qingqing.

Shen Chang'an was not the least bit surprised by this. He had never believed Li Qingqing's claim that all her loyal subordinates had been killed. Without a doubt, some of her people must have infiltrated Su Xiuyan's ranks, simply waiting for the right moment to betray him.

This was almost inevitable. Within the White Lotus Cult, factions were deeply intertwined, and it was hardly unusual for the Holy Son and Holy Maiden to plant spies in each other's camps. On the contrary, Li Qingqing had used this exact situation to dispatch all those around her, ensuring that no one could guess her true intentions.

And the moment Su Xiuyan made his move, Li Qingqing set her own plan into motion.

Her sole objective was to kill Su Xiuyan.

In truth, this was not difficult to achieve. Su Xiuyan was far too arrogant. As a member of the White Lotus Cult, daring to appear so openly was undoubtedly courting death.

Granted, had Li Qingqing not deliberately led Su Xiuyan on a merry chase and leaked his whereabouts, he might not have been discovered so quickly. Yet, devoid of such vigilance, encountering this fate was merely a matter of time.

Throughout this process, Shen Chang'an's role was to lure Su Xiuyan around in circles.

And now... it was up to him, the widely renowned righteous Daoist master, Daoist Lingxiao, to personally lead the charge and strike down the Holy Son of the White Lotus demonic cult.

"I see. Earlier, I happened to spot Su Xiuyan nearby, but seeing that he had numerous subordinates with him, I dared not act rashly on my own and merely kept watch in the vicinity, waiting to see what this fiend was plotting."

Shen Chang'an fabricated a lie on the spot. The fine reputation of Daoist Lingxiao was certainly not enough to suppress the world's covetous desire for the Dragon Vein, and since he could not expose Jiang Yunyi's involvement, he simply decided to follow along with Li Qingqing's arrangements.

"Oh? Daoist Lingxiao has been keeping watch on the White Lotus Holy Son this entire time? Truly, as expected of Daoist Lingxiao, such courage puts the rest of us to shame," someone remarked.

Shen Chang'an chuckled lightly and said, "Everyone flatters me far too much. If I truly possessed such courage, I would have broken in under the cover of night long ago and severed that fiend's head."

"It is not too late now. We have over thirty skilled fighters here. Once we trap that fiend, we will ensure he never returns."

Silently, Shen Chang'an calculated the odds. Su Xiuyan had likely lost the majority of his men within Yuyang City, leaving him with no more than fifty elite fighters. In a direct frontal clash, his own side would still be at a disadvantage.

"Everyone, I noticed that the fiend still has quite a few men. If we engage them head-on, fighting outnumbered will inevitably put us at a disadvantage. The terrain here is favorable; why don't we set up an ambush first? Once they draw near, hold nothing back and unleash whatever techniques you have."

Upon hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances, and someone immediately spoke up, "Daoist Shen is right. Fellow cultivators skilled in concealment techniques, please step forward and mask everyone's presence."

Hesitantly, someone else asked, "However, if we resort to an ambush, might that be considered somewhat dishonorable..."

Shen Chang'an was momentarily stunned. How could someone still be so pedantic?

Li Qingqing stepped closer from the side and murmured, "He's from the Confucian school."

Shen Chang'an's mouth twitched slightly. Through generations of interpretation, Confucian doctrines had been severely distorted over time, resulting in many adherents from that school possessing such rigid and unyielding personalities.

"What sense of righteousness is there to be discussed with these demonic outlaws? When they slaughtered the innocent, did they ever show an ounce of benevolence or righteousness?"

Shen Chang'an quickly cut the man off and spoke directly.

Many of the martial artists who had gathered around were Jianghu wanderers, and upon hearing Shen Chang'an's words, they felt it struck straight at their own thoughts.

"Well said, Daoist Shen. To show mercy to these people is to be cruel to the innocent souls who died at their hands."

"Everyone has a duty to slay the adherents of the demonic cult. Principles and righteousness are meant for decent people, not these cult scumbags."

Seeing the crowd's righteous indignation, the Confucian scholar who had spoken earlier opened his mouth to reply, but ultimately failed to utter another word and retreated to the back.

"Very well. I have studied Su Xiuyan's route beforehand; he is bound to pass through this area shortly. Hide yourselves quickly. I shall stay at the rear and lure him here."

"Daoist Shen, you intend to act as the bait? This..."

Shen Chang'an waved a hand and said, "I share a grievance with Su Xiuyan; the sight of me will no doubt fill him with a desperate urge to kill me. As long as I am here, we need not worry about him refusing to step into the trap. Furthermore, you are all well aware of my strength. With me as the bait, it will naturally be much more secure."

After listening to this, the crowd could not help but feel that Daoist Lingxiao was a righteous man with a fearless spirit of self-sacrifice, possessing supreme martial prowess and boundless confidence in his own abilities.

Yet, what Shen Chang'an was actually thinking was simply to wait for the chaotic battle to erupt and seize the opportunity to execute Su Xiuyan directly.

Despite acting as the bait, to draw the enemy deep into the trap, his chosen position was actually at the very rear of the entire formation. Should a battle break out, the danger he faced would be relatively minimal.

Without further hesitation, trusting in Shen Chang'an's formidable reputation and acknowledged strength, the crowd dispersed to conceal themselves according to his instructions.

At that moment, Shen Chang'an witnessed a truly eye-opening spectacle.

He saw one person press flat against a tree trunk, instantly transforming into the very bark of the tree, while another leaped gracefully into the air, turning into a small bird that landed gently upon a branch.

Someone else reached out and pulled down the surrounding brushwood, wrapping the foliage entirely around themselves, while a fourth person merely gave a casual shake of their body and vanished into thin air on the spot.

Employing a myriad of distinct techniques, the group concealed themselves completely in the span of a few moments.

Meanwhile, Shen Chang'an sat proudly and imposingly at the very rear, his eyes fixed on the distance like cold stars.

Both Li Qingqing and Jiang Yunyi intended to hide as well; if they remained in the open, Su Xiuyan would inevitably grow suspicious.

Just as the two women were about to leave, Shen Chang'an suddenly reached out and grabbed Jiang Yunyi's hand, causing her to freeze in surprise.

"Daoist Shen, what is it?"

With a faint smile, Shen Chang'an drew two talisman papers from his robe and placed them into Jiang Yunyi's palm.

"Miss Jiang, take these two talismans to protect yourself."

"Oh, thank you, Daoist Shen..."

Even as he spoke, Shen Chang'an did not let go of her hand, instead taking the opportunity to stroke her knuckles a few times.

"Daoist Shen..." Jiang Yunyi's face flushed crimson.

Chuckling softly, Shen Chang'an murmured, "Miss Jiang's hands are quite lovely, I couldn't help myself..."

Burying her head against her chest, Jiang Yunyi abruptly yanked her hand free and fled shyly toward an empty patch of ground in another direction.

Li Qingqing frowned slightly and remarked, "Daoist Shen certainly knows how to flirt with young maidens."

"A graceful and modest maiden is a good match for a gentleman. Miss Li, hurry and hide, Holy Son Su is about to arrive." With those words, Shen Chang'an turned and walked back.

Li Qingqing stared at his retreating back for a moment before slowly fading into the surrounding forest.

Dear reader, this chapter has concluded. Wishing you a pleasant reading experience!