Chapter 308 - 283: Lure to Kill

Chapter 308: Chapter 283: Lure to Kill

Jiang Xu heard the call from the Sound Transmission Talisman and felt something was amiss.

Logically, if it were Liang Fan’s father, he should have called his son by his real name.

Yet, the person had called him "Sun Fan," a discrepancy that Jiang Xu’s keen perception immediately caught.

As his suspicions solidified, Jiang Xu’s gaze grew inscrutable, and a cold sneer tugged at the corners of his lips.

"So that’s how it is."

His previous assumptions were instantly shattered.

He originally thought the greatest danger would be in the Gladiatorial Arena, a risk stemming from the Magical Combat with members of the Huang Clan.

But he never expected the real killing blow would be this.

Jiang Xu’s gaze drifted westward.

He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and began to weigh the pros and cons of the meeting.

After a moment, he moved with steady, stealthy steps. His figure quickly vanished from the courtyard as he hurried west, following the setting sun.

...

West of the Gladiatorial Arena, within a hidden restrictive Array, a composed yet sinister-looking middle-aged Foundation Establishment Cultivator sat ramrod straight.

His gaze was as deep and unfathomable as a frozen pond, and faint ripples of Spiritual Power emanated from his body.

This was the very Cultivator who had been hired by the two Sun Family brothers to get revenge on Jiang Xu for breaking their arms.

Clearly, he was the mastermind who had sent the Sound Transmission Talisman, using the name of Liang Fan’s father.

This time, he had changed his strategy. He planned to use the clan’s gladiatorial matches as a pretext to lure Jiang Xu outside the city and carry out his meticulously planned assassination.

This middle-aged Cultivator was experienced, seasoned, and accustomed to using all sorts of tricks to lure his targets out of safety.

In the past, he had countless times cleverly lured his targeted Sun Clan kinsmen out of the Immortal City under various pretexts, only to silently follow and launch a fatal attack in the desolate wilderness, far from any prying eyes.

His methods were unpredictable and exceedingly cautious, so he had never aroused widespread suspicion or panic within the clan.

Within the Immortal City, the Sun Clan, with its long history and deep roots, maintained ironclad control over its members. The slightest anomaly could not escape the watchful eyes of the clan’s overseers.

Every move a clan member made was closely monitored. Any suspicious sign could trigger a massive internal investigation, making it nearly impossible to secretly assassinate a fellow clansman within the city.

But once a case moved outside the Immortal City, especially to the fringes of the Sun Clan’s territory, the situation changed dramatically.

When handling the death of a clansman outside the city, clan investigators, guided by years of experience and a kind of unwritten tradition, would immediately suspect outside forces. They would assume it was outsiders, covetous of the Sun Clan’s wealth or resources, who had deliberately caused trouble.

Even if slight evidence pointed to someone within the clan, it would not be readily attributed to a clansman’s actions, but rather dismissed as a frame job by outsiders.

This principle of judgment, though perhaps logically flawed, served to maintain a certain degree of internal unity and stability within the clan.

The clan used this to reinforce its members’ fear of the world outside the city.

They were made to believe that the outside world was fraught with danger, that outsiders were like wolves at the door, constantly coveting the Sun Clan’s interests and talent.

As a result, clan members with the aptitude of a Spirit Root were more willing to remain under the clan’s protection, focus on their Cultivation, and contribute their power to the clan’s prosperity.

Over time, this psychological conditioning—this fear of the outside world—had ironically become a unique tool for consolidating the clan’s power and retaining talent.

Thus, the middle-aged Foundation Establishment Cultivator had exploited this loophole to succeed time and again. Now, he intended to play the same old trick, luring Liang Fan out of the city to end his life beyond the clan’s sphere of influence.

The middle-aged Cultivator added Liang Fan’s name to the list for the gladiatorial combat against the Huang Clan.

His intention wasn’t to have Liang Fan killed by the other clan during the duel.

If that happened, Liang Fan would indeed be dead, and the middle-aged Cultivator’s commission would be fulfilled.

However, any fortuitous opportunities or treasures Liang Fan might possess would be taken by the rival clan.

That was an outcome the middle-aged Cultivator could not accept.

After all, the main reason he had accepted this commission was for the Treasure on Liang Fan.

Otherwise, he never would have taken on such a thorny commission.

While Liang Fan was infamous within the clan, infamy was still a form of fame.

With that notoriety, everything that happened to Liang Fan would be under greater scrutiny.

When Liang Fan died, the clan’s investigators would surely be much more thorough.

And that would mean a greater chance of the middle-aged Cultivator’s actions being exposed.

But his greed for the Treasure on Liang Fan outweighed the potential danger that would follow his death.

After all, people are prone to wishful thinking.

Everyone thinks their misdeeds are perfectly concealed, that no one can trace it back to them.

’As for the possibility of Liang Fan turning the tables and killing me... ’ The middle-aged Cultivator had, in fact, considered it.

But his concern wasn’t being killed by Liang Fan himself, but by Liang Fan’s father.

’What if Liang Fan’s father isn’t actually dead? What if he shows up while Liang Fan is out of the city? Wouldn’t my actions right now be suicide?’

After all, the middle-aged Cultivator’s own Cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

For Liang Fan’s father to have escaped pursuit from the Sun Clan Elders, his Cultivation couldn’t possibly be at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. He had to be at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, at the very least.