noveltune Chapter 12: A series of assassinations conceal a deadly trap; a swift and decisive move to wipe out
Chapter 12: A series of assassinations conceal a deadly trap; a swift and decisive move to wipe out
The news that Qin Zhan had subdued Zhang Hao with a single kick spread throughout most of the inner sect in less than half an hour.
A disciple who was promoted from the outer sect through special circumstances beat up a steward's personal disciple as soon as he entered the sect. It was hard for this not to cause a sensation.
In an instant, jealousy, fear, resentment... countless eyes were fixed on Qin Zhan.
The inner sect was already divided into many factions, and Zhang Hao belonged to the old and established inner sect power "Tiger Roar Hall". His loss immediately stirred up a hornet's nest.
Qin Zhan had just returned to his secluded chambers and hadn't even circulated his spiritual energy once when Lin Feng rushed in from the outer door with a grave expression.
"Senior brother, this is terrible! The Tiger Roar Hall has announced that you assaulted one of their people, and if you don't give them an explanation, they'll make sure you can't stay in the inner sect!"
Shi Hu clenched his fists, fuming, "These scoundrels, when they can't beat someone, they resort to ganging up. Should we bring some men to support them?"
Qin Zhan sat upright on the stone bench, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. His expression was calm and composed, but in his heart, he had already calculated everything clearly.
The psychological calculations are obvious:
Tiger Roar Hall was clearly relying on its numbers and background to force him to back down and make an example of him.
If he were to confront them head-on, and they swarm him, even if he won, he would be branded as "unruly and defiant of his fellow disciples," giving the elders ammunition against him.
A head-on confrontation is foolish;
Avoiding them is cowardly;
The best approach is to lure them into taking action, then solidify the "ambush" as "disruptive behavior," thus justifying a counterattack and wiping them out in one fell swoop.
"You all go back first," Qin Zhan said calmly. "I'll handle the inner sect matters myself."
"But senior brother..."
"Don't worry." Qin Zhan raised his eyes, a hint of amusement flashing in them. "If they want to play a game, I'll play a big one with them."
Lin Feng and the other two exchanged glances. Seeing that Qin Zhan was confident, they had no choice but to bow and retreat.
Night was falling, and the moonlight was hazy.
The secluded path behind the inner gate is a perfect spot for cunning and seldom visited, making it an ideal place for treacherous individuals to carry out sabotage.
Qin Zhan deliberately changed into ordinary clothes, pretending to be out cultivating alone, and slowly walked towards the back mountain.
He understood perfectly well:
The people from Tiger Roar Hall must be waiting here.
Sure enough, just as they turned the corner of a bamboo grove, four dark figures suddenly darted out from both sides, blocking their way.
The leader had a sinister look on his face; he was Zhao Lie, a minor leader of the Tiger Roar Hall and a Qi Gathering Realm Level 3 cultivator.
"Qin Zhan, you've certainly delivered yourself to our doorstep." Zhao Lie sneered, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent. "You attacked someone from our Tiger Roar Hall, and you think you can live a peaceful life?"
The three disciples behind him were also at the second level of the Qi Gathering Realm, each exuding a fierce aura, clearly serious.
Qin Zhan glanced around and saw two more auras lurking in the shadows, clearly preparing to launch a sneak attack or do something underhanded.
He chuckled to himself.
With everyone present, the performance can begin.
On the surface, he feigned slight surprise, then quickly regained his composure: "Private duels are forbidden within the inner sect. Do you intend to openly violate this rule?"
"A private fight?" Zhao Lie sneered. "Once we cripple you and throw you into the monster's den, who will know it was us? We'll just assume you were careless in your cultivation and ended up feeding the monsters."
These words brought the conspiracy to the forefront.
Qin Zhan sneered inwardly: What I wanted was for you to admit it yourselves.
He feigned fear, taking a slight step back, and said in a flustered tone, "Don't come any closer! I'm an inner disciple personally chosen by the elders. If you touch me, you'll regret it!"
The effect was immediate.
Zhao Lie and his companions became even more arrogant, convinced of their superiority:
This kid is just a coward from the outer sect. He only beat Zhang Hao because he was lucky. Now that he's met a tough opponent, he immediately shows his fear!
"Too late!" Zhao Lie waved his hand. "Go get him! Cripple him!"
The four instantly surrounded each other, their spiritual energy surging, their moves ruthless, each strike aimed at the dantian and meridians.
The two men in the shadows also made their move at the same time, and two bone-piercing needles coated with anesthetic were silently shot towards Qin Zhan's lower back!
One trap after another, a combination of open and covert attacks, it was a truly deadly scheme.
The disciples who witnessed this scene were all terrified.
Qin Zhan is doomed this time!
On the tree branch at the top of the bamboo forest, a figure in white stood quietly.
Su Qingyuan wore a white dress, and her face looked even more beautiful under the moonlight. Her delicate eyebrows were already tightly furrowed, and her palms were slightly clenched.
She was worried about Qin Zhan, so she secretly followed him and happened to witness the ambush.
She was both anxious and annoyed.
Tiger Roar Hall is utterly despicable! Not only did they outnumber the enemy, but they even resorted to using poisoned hidden weapons!
No matter how strong Qin Zhan was, his cultivation level was ultimately only at the peak of Body Tempering. One against six, and by ambush no less...
Spiritual energy had already gathered at her fingertips, ready to save people at any moment.
But just as she was about to move, she saw a fleeting look of confidence in the depths of Qin Zhan's eyes.
Su Qingyuan paused, her heart skipping a beat:
He...was he prepared?
In the arena, just as the bone-piercing needle was about to strike Qin Zhan.
The panic on Qin Zhan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, mocking expression.
"The performance is over, time to wrap things up."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure suddenly transformed into a blur!
With the full power of the "Burning Heaven Battle Emperor Technique," the Chaos Battle Soul saw through all trajectories; hidden weapons, moves, and flaws were clearly visible to him.
Qin Zhan neither dodged nor advanced, but instead charged straight into the crowd!
"You're asking for death!" Zhao Lie roared.
But the next second, he realized how terribly wrong he had been.
Qin Zhan sidestepped the frontal attack and delivered a backhand chop to the back of a disciple's neck, causing the man to collapse on the spot.
Just as another disciple threw a punch, Qin Zhan flicked his finger, sending a wisp of highly refined energy shooting straight to the acupoint on his wrist.
"what!"
The man screamed in agony as his arm instantly lost all strength.
The bone-piercing needles shot from the shadows were swept away by Qin Zhan with two empty strikes, instead changing direction and shooting towards the two sneak attackers who had fired the arrows!
"Ouch!"
Two muffled groans were heard as the two people in the shadows were instantly struck by needles, their bodies paralyzed, and they rolled out.
In less than three breaths, four of the six assassins had fallen!
The reversal came unexpectedly.
Zhao Lie's pupils constricted sharply, utterly horrified:
"You...you did this on purpose?!"
Qin Zhan approached step by step, a mocking smile playing on his lips, both humorous and cutting:
"Otherwise what? Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
I don't go looking for trouble, but you guys insist on sticking your heads out for me to kick, so I can't just refuse, can I?
Zhao Lie was both angry and afraid, and his whole body felt cold.
He then realized that from the very beginning, it wasn't them who were hunting down Qin Zhan, but Qin Zhan who was entrapping him!
"You...you violated the sect rules!" Zhao Lie roared, his voice stern but his voice weak.
"Sect rules?" Qin Zhan sneered, his voice suddenly rising so loud it could be heard throughout the nearby mountains and forests. "It was you who brought hidden weapons, set up ambushes, and gathered a crowd to kill me. I was merely acting in self-defense."
The elders must have heard what I just said very clearly.
As soon as he finished speaking, several figures slowly emerged from the shadows.
It turned out to be several elders patrolling the inner sect, whose route had been "calculated" by Qin Zhan, who lured them over to watch the whole show.
Zhao Lie's face turned deathly pale instantly.
It’s over.
It's all over.
Qin Zhan's game of chess, from the moment he left the gate, was a calculated move that sealed their fate:
Feign weakness to lure the enemy → force the other party to admit to the conspiracy → have the elders witness it → crush them in a counterattack → perfect self-defense.
The depth of their planning and the precision of their calculations are simply frightening.
The elders' faces were ashen, their eyes filled with disgust as they looked at Zhao Lie and the others.
"For gathering a mob to plot against each other, abusing poison weapons, and provoking fellow disciples, all three have had 30% of their cultivation abolished and are sentenced to three months of confinement!"
Zhao Lie and his group were ashen-faced and collapsed to the ground.
Their meticulously planned murder plot ultimately led them to their doom.
Qin Zhan stood still, his clothes spotless, his expression calm, as if he had merely swatted a few flies.
This scene, as observed by the elders in the distance, appeared calm and composed.
To the disciples watching, he was unfathomable;
But what Su Qingyuan saw from the treetop was a sense of peace and a gentle warmth.
She let out a soft breath, her delicate eyebrows relaxed, and a gentle light shone in her cool eyes.
From worry to tension, and now to relief.
A subtle emotion, unnoticed even by herself, quietly blossomed in her heart.
This boy never gives anyone real worry.
He may seem to be all alone, but he is actually very strategic and can turn even the most dangerous situations into exciting ones.
Qin Zhan seemed to sense something and looked up at the treetops.
Under the moonlight, the woman in white moved gracefully, her beauty unparalleled. Their eyes met, and no words were needed.
Su Qingyuan nodded slightly, her eyes filled with approval and tenderness, and then she vanished in a flash.
That one glance touched my heart with tenderness, and feelings began to stir within me.
Qin Zhan withdrew his gaze, suppressed the warmth in his heart, and turned to leave.
After this battle, everyone in the inner sect understood one thing:
Qin Zhan was not only a skilled fighter, but also an excellent strategist.
To provoke him is to court death.
Qin Zhan himself had only one thought in his mind:
These insignificant fry from the inner circle are no match for us.
The real stage is for the core disciples, the sect's secret realms, and even the entire dynasty...