Chapter 99: Wang Li’s Diabolical Plan
Wang Li, wearing the mysterious White Eagle Mask, stepped forward, his gaze unwavering as it fixed upon the captured Song delegation. Patriarch Song Weiguang, his arrogance momentarily subdued, squirmed under the masked figure’s scrutiny.
“Patriarch Song,” Wang Li’s voice, a low rumble muffled by the mask, echoed through the tense silence, “if you wish to see another sunrise, a certain course of action must be taken.”
A flicker of hope ignited in Song Weiguang’s eyes. “What do you demand, Eagle Masked Expert?” he rasped, his voice humbled.
“A communication talisman,” Wang Li replied, his words measured. “Record a message for your wife, detailing the failure of the marriage proposal. Inform her that, while the alliance is not to be, a lucrative trade agreement has been established. The Xia Family will gladly accept large quantities of raw materials from your territory, in exchange for a generous discount on the finished weapons, artifacts, and armor we shall forge.”
Song Weiguang’s brow furrowed. This wasn’t a death sentence. Relief washed over him, a stark contrast to the chilling fear that had gripped him moments ago. He dared to speak, his voice regaining a hint of its former arrogance. “How long will we be detained?”
“Until a confirmation message arrives,” Wang Li replied coolly. “Once your wife acknowledges receipt of your communication talisman, you will be released.”
A genuine smile broke through Song Weiguang’s facade. This was far better than he anticipated. “A few days at most!” he exclaimed. “I shall send the confirmation talisman today itself!”
Wang Li offered a curt nod. Turning to the Xia Family guards, he issued a series of commands, his voice tinged with authority. “Escort them to the dungeons. Before any communication talisman leaves the manor, bring it to me for inspection. No hidden messages will be tolerated.”
The guards acknowledged the order, their movements swift and efficient. They led the Song delegation away, their faces grim expressions of captured prey. With the hall emptied, Xia Qingwu cast a questioning glance at Wang Li as he removed the White Eagle Mask.
“Letting them go?” she asked, her voice laced with concern. “Just a communication talisman in exchange for their freedom?”
Wang Li met her gaze with a sly smile. “They may leave the Xia Family,” he clarified, “but they’ll never reach the Song Family Manor.”
Surprise flickered across Xia Qingwu’s face. “Explain,” she urged.
“Firstly,” he began, “their cultivation will remain suppressed by powerful talismans for at least a few days. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator in that state will barely muster the strength of a peak Foundation Establishment expert. As for Song Yichen, with his Core Formation realm, he’ll be lucky to conjure Qi Refining levels of power.”
Xia Qingwu’s eyes narrowed. “You plan to eliminate them, then?” she questioned, a hint of unease creeping into her voice. “But how? Using Xia Family experts directly would leave a trail back to us.”
Wang Li shook his head. “A far more subtle approach, my love. We’ll leak their travel route to a few of our vassal families, the ones with a… cordial relationship with certain demonic gangs. Let those bloodthirsty demons deal with the Song delegation.”
A mischievous glint entered Xia Qingwu’s eyes. “Diabolical,” she chuckled, a thrill coursing through her veins. “We’ll appear magnanimous, sending them off with a fabricated trade deal. All the while, the Song Family suffers a devastating loss.”
“Precisely,” Wang Li grinned. “Furthermore, after the inevitable pursuit of the demonic gangs, we can offer our condolences and perhaps even propose an alliance with the new Song Family matriarch – Song Weiguang’s wife. A convenient way to distance ourselves from the incident and even gain a potential ally.”
Xia Qingwu’s smile widened. “Brilliant,” she breathed, her admiration for his cunning growing.
The next few days unfolded with an air of calculated precision.
The first step involved Song Weiguang recording a carefully worded message on a communication talisman. With a frown etched on his face, he confirmed the rejection of the marriage proposal and fabricated a trade agreement between the two families.
Wang Li scrutinized the communication talisman with his keen eyes, his Heavenly Fate Pupils searching for any hidden messages or trickery. Satisfied, he released the talisman, watching it streak towards the distant Song Family manor, a harbinger of the coming storm.
Meanwhile, Wang Li and Xia Qingwu set their second act in motion. They summoned trusted elders from vassal families known for their ties to demonic gangs.
Sharing veiled instructions, they subtly guided these families to ensure their demonic allies patrolled specific routes, routes that conveniently intersected with the one Song Weiguang’s delegation would take. The message was clear – an opportunity awaited them.
The days that followed were filled with tense anticipation.
Finally, three days later, a confirmatory communication talisman from Song Weiguang’s wife arrived. Relief and joy radiated from the message, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing among the Song Family’s members within the Xia Family Manor. With confirmation received, the Xia Family enacted their final act.
Elder Yu, a formidable figure at the Nascent Soul Realm, led a team of guards. They descended upon the dungeons, where the Song delegation awaited their release. Instead of freedom, they were met with a chilling display of power. Elder Yu, with practiced movements, affixed even more potent restrictive talismans onto the unsuspecting Song cultivators. These talismans, imbued with complex formations, further crippled their cultivation, ensuring they remained at the peak Foundation Establishment level.
Their protests and pleas fell on deaf ears. The Xia Family guards, schooled in absolute obedience, escorted the weakened delegation out of the manor. Unknown to them, two figures trailed behind, cloaked in darkness.
Wang Li along with his loyal cousin Wang Xiangyi, followed them at a distance. Their mission? To intercept any desperate attempts by the Song delegation to send a message revealing the truth.
Two days passed in a blur of tense silence. The Song delegation, their arrogance replaced by simmering resentment, pressed onward. Their journey, initially filled with anticipation of a successful negotiation, had morphed into a desperate struggle for survival. The constant suppression of their cultivation weighed heavily on them, a constant reminder of their humiliation at the Xia Family.
Then, it happened. As they traversed a desolate canyon, a guttural roar shattered the silence. From the rocky cliffs above, demonic figures descended, their eyes glowing with a predatory hunger. The demonic gang, alerted by the Xia Family’s subtle machinations, had arrived.
The ensuing battle was a one-sided massacre. The lead demonic cultivator, a hulking brute at the peak Core Formation Realm, unleashed a torrent of dark energy, easily suppressing the Song delegation. Their attempts at resistance were pitiful. With their cultivation crippled, even their combined might couldn’t match a single demon.
Wang Li watched with a detached coldness, his Heavenly Fate Pupils activated. He scanned the scene, ensuring no member of the Song delegation escaped the demonic onslaught.
Their meticulous plan had borne fruit.
Not a single Song cultivator remained alive.
The demonic horde, their faces smeared with blood and a crazed glint in their eyes, began looting the fallen.
They stripped the bodies of valuables, their movements practiced and efficient. But they sought more than just earthly riches.
Wang Li noticed them harvesting the fallen cultivators’ cores, pulsating with residual spiritual energy. A dark energy, tinged with cruelty and bloodlust, emanated from the harvested cores.
This was the work of a Demonic Gang that practiced a grotesque cultivation method, one fueled by the stolen essence of their victims.
After stripping the bodies bare, the demonic horde gathered their gruesome spoils and retreated into the dense forest, leaving behind a grisly scene.
Wang Li, with a cold smile, deactivated his Heavenly Fate Pupils. He had all the information he needed.
“They were quite thorough,” Wang Xiangyi remarked beside him, a hint of disgust lacing her voice.
“Indeed,” Wang Li agreed. “Now, the interesting part begins. We need to find their lair.”
With newfound purpose, Wang Li and Wang Xiangyi plunged into the dense forest, following a faint trail of demonic energy that lingered in the wake of the retreating horde.
They moved with practiced ease, their heightened senses scanning their surroundings for any sign of demonic activity.
Hours bled into dusk as they navigated the treacherous terrain. The dense undergrowth snagged at their clothes, and an uncanny silence hung heavy in the air. Finally, Wang Li held up a hand, his eyes gleaming with a predatory glint.
“There,” he whispered, gesturing towards a barely discernible cave entrance hidden amidst the gnarled roots of a towering ancient tree.
A faint hum of demonic energy emanated from the cave, confirming their suspicions. This was the demonic gang’s hideout, the place where they would refine the stolen essence and utilize it to bolster their cultivation.
A cruel smile stretched across Wang Li’s face.
