Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 90 - 89: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Chapter 90: Chapter 89: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Liu Ji did not take long to subdue her opponent. Her cultivation was already at the mid-Fourth Realm, and even against a cultivator at the late Heavenly Gang Realm, she could generally handle it.

After capturing the person, she dragged him in front of Li Fan and threw him to the ground.

The Heavenly Gang Realm cultivator was a middle-aged man, whose aura was weak at that moment, heavily injured. He looked up at Li Fan with an extremely uneasy expression.

The information he received was just to ambush a Third Realm cultivator; why did it turn out like this?

"Who sent you?" Li Fan asked as he looked at him.

"I am a protector of the Wanxiang Sect." The man lifted his head and stared at Li Fan, full of momentum, seemingly unaware of his predicament.

"Wanxiang Sect?" Li Fan recalled that Xiao Mo, the Young Master of Wanxiang Sect?

It seems Yin Qing indeed betrayed him, selling the information. Did Yin Qing go to Wanxiang Sect to report?

Han Zong and Situ Chan walked over, and hearing the man’s words, they both immediately thought of Yin Qing. Their expressions were also unpleasant, and they felt a bit guilty, because of this, Brother Xiao Fan was put in danger.

"Who told you the information?" Li Fan continued to ask him, wondering if there might be other possibilities behind this matter, besides Yin Qing reporting to Wanxiang Sect.

"This matter requires you to ask our Sect Leader. Given your extraordinary abilities, I presume you have a significant identity. Why not let me go back to relay a message, and have a sit-down discussion with our Sect Leader to resolve this matter?" The Wanxiang Sect protector said.

"A discussion?" Li Fan showed a different expression.

This Heavenly Gang Realm cultivator seemed not to be placing himself in the correct position?

"Our Wanxiang Sect is considered a major sect, with the Sect Leader at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, and he has wide connections, familiar with the top families in Chuzhou. Although you may have some reliance, if you insist on a mutually destructive outcome, the final result is yet to be known." The opponent’s voice carried a hint of threat.

"Destroy his cultivation." Li Fan said to Liu Ji.

Upon hearing Li Fan’s words, the man’s expression changed drastically, then his eyes turned into a furious glare, roaring, "You..."

Before he could finish, a scream erupted, as Liu Ji’s palm landed on him, the sound of bones cracking could be heard. He collapsed softly on the ground, his aura rapidly weakening, becoming a cripple.

"Go back and tell the Sect Leader of Wanxiang Sect to come see me." Li Fan said to him, seemingly that someone had sold out Wanxiang Sect, unaware of who the ambushed person was.

The man stared up at Li Fan, a look of malice in his eyes.

Is this guy mad?

"Just say that Li Fan of Li Mountain wants to see him." Li Fan said in a low voice, then turned and left.

Hearing the words Li Mountain, the man’s face became deathly pale, as if he remembered something, his anger flaring up strongly, though not directed at Li Fan, but at the person who gave the information to Wanxiang Sect.

Was it a coincidence, or were they being manipulated?

...

Wanxiang Sect, while not the top power within Chuzhou City, was still a first-class power.

At this moment, in the main hall of Wanxiang Sect, a person sat in the upper seat, with many people below.

The person at the top was wearing a purple robe, embroidered with cloud patterns. He lifted his wine glass to take a sip, his eyes revealing a sharp killing intent.

This person was Xiao Yuntian, the Sect Leader of Wanxiang Sect. Not long ago, his son Xiao Mo was killed in the wilderness.

Someone informed him of who the killer was and where they lived, and he had already sent people to kill that person and bring back their head to see him.

Xiao Mo was his most favored offspring, meant to inherit his legacy, but he was killed.

This enmity must be avenged.

"Sect Leader." At this moment, someone hurriedly walked in from outside, looking flustered.

"Hmm?" Xiao Yuntian frowned, asking, "What’s wrong with the elder?"

"Protector Zhang just returned, his cultivation crippled, and the other two were killed on the spot." The newcomer said, causing Xiao Yuntian’s eyes to shoot out a sharp ray as he stood up.

He had received information that the person who killed his son Xiao Mo was a Third Realm cultivator.

With one Heavenly Gang Realm martial cultivator and two Third Realm cultivators, it should have been an easy task.

Did the opponent have a Fourth Realm cultivator?

Could the information he received have been inaccurate?

"Why?" Xiao Yuntian asked coldly.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, Protector Zhang claimed... that person told him to return and relay to the Sect Leader that Li Fan of Li Mountain wants to see you!" The newcomer said.

"Crack..." The wine glass in Xiao Yuntian’s hand shattered instantly, his eyes turning a livid green, his hand holding the shattered glass slightly trembling.

His heart also kept sinking, different from the anger earlier, replaced by a sense of fear, with a coldness spreading throughout his body.

He had been manipulated.

Someone used him as a pawn.

"Sect Leader, how should we handle this?" The elder asked, and the people in the main hall were also discussing, with expressions of panic.

Li Mountain...

These two words weighed on them like a mountain.

The Li Mountain disciple killed the Young Sect Master, surely having learned something. Now, Wanxiang Sect sent someone to kill the person from Li Mountain.

This was already a dead end.

"You all can leave first." Xiao Yuntian said; he needed to calm down.

"Yes, Sect Leader." The group gradually exited, still discussing as they left, already thinking about how to protect themselves.

They found no reason to accompany Wanxiang Sect to their demise.

Xiao Yuntian slumped into his chair, closing his eyes.

Others at Wanxiang Sect might escape, but the one from Li Mountain would definitely not spare him.

Unless he abandons Wanxiang Sect now and flees far away.

But would the Chen family let him go?

At this moment, footsteps were heard.

Xiao Yuntian opened his eyes and saw a young man entering the hall from the side door.

Seeing the young man, Xiao Yuntian realized it was as he guessed, that the other side would not let him go so easily.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have implicated Wanxiang Sect.

"Mr. Chen, what a tactic." Xiao Yuntian no longer spoke politely as he used to, but said coldly.

The person arriving was none other than Li Fan’s acquaintance, Chen Yan from the Chen family in Lin’an County, whom he had met several times.

Chen Yan was from the main line of the Chuzhou Chen family, involved deeply in the Li Mountain affair, and had extensive ties with the Chuzhou Court.

Back then, the Chen family believed Li Mountain was doomed. They contributed effort, and if Li Mountain fell, the Chen family could naturally benefit, with a chance to become the strongest family in Chuzhou.

However, things did not go as planned. Li Mountain did not fall. Upon learning that Li Fan entered Chuzhou City, undoubtedly, the most worried was the Chen family.

Especially Chen Yan, Li Fan’s first target, would likely be him.

However, they still didn’t know if, aside from Li Fan, there were any other Great Sword Cultivators from Li Mountain present.

"Uncle Xiao, this Li Mountain disciple killed Brother Mo; shouldn’t we avenge him?" Chen Yan said, "Brother Mo was your chosen heir; the revenge for a murdered son is irreconcilable."

Xiao Yuntian stared at Chen Yan, realizing that without telling them the truth, he had made him the scapegoat?

Now, it’s not just about one son’s life or death, but the life and death of the entire Wanxiang Sect.

"What does the Chen family want?" Xiao Yuntian asked.

The Chen family hid behind the scenes, not daring to act, using him as the scapegoat?

"It’s not what the Chen family wants. Li Fan killed Brother Mo and knows of Wanxiang Sect’s collusion with demons. Li Mountain will not spare Wanxiang Sect, nor will they spare Uncle Xiao." Chen Yan said.

"So?" Xiao Yuntian asked.

"Kill Li Fan to avenge the murdered son, and afterward, Uncle Xiao can take Wanxiang Sect’s resources and flee far away. The Chen family will arrange for Uncle Xiao’s family and find another place to live, hidden and nameless." Chen Yan said coldly, eyes sinister.

After hearing news of Li Fan’s arrival in Chuzhou City, the Chen family was most fearful.

Since the Li Mountain incident, they had been anxious, worried about Li Mountain’s revenge.

With Li Fan’s appearance, one can imagine their feelings.

However, unable to part with the Chen family’s enterprise for fear of retaliation from Li Mountain, they are unwilling, still wanting to gamble.

Of course, the Chen family was also preparing a way out, letting some younger generations of Chen’s main line leave the family. This way, even if the Chen family gets destroyed, the Chen family’s lineage would continue.

Hearing Chen Yan’s words, Xiao Yuntian’s face grew grim; the Chen family was ruthless.

This blocked all his escape routes, obediently leaving, there might be a chance to flee.

Disobedience would probably mean no chance at all, and even his family would be controlled.

The Chen family wouldn’t act directly, having Wanxiang Sect do it instead.

Although Chen Yan didn’t know what happened on the mountain that day, he knew that Li Fan was the junior brother of Wen Ruyu.

Killing Li Fan couldn’t be done by the Chen family’s hand.

Moreover, taking this opportunity to see if Li Fan came alone, or if there is a Great Sword Cultivator from Li Mountain behind him.

The Chen family naturally wouldn’t test in person, leaving it to Wanxiang Sect instead.

"Do I have a choice?" Xiao Yuntian coldly gazed at Chen Yan.

"I will have people assist Uncle Xiao’s actions," Chen Yan said. "But Uncle Xiao must remember, this has nothing to do with the Chen family."

After speaking, Chen Yan turned and left.

After he left, Xiao Yuntian slammed the nearby table, shattering it.

Before him was a dead end.

Act, and there’s a slim chance of survival.

Don’t act, certain death.

...

At the inn, someone from the Cui family arrived and found Li Fan.

"Mr. Li, I am Cui Zhanfeng from the Cui family. The Family Head learned of the situation here and sent us over." The leading person from the Cui family was an elder, who clasped his hands upon seeing Li Fan.

The Cui family wielded great influence in Chuzhou City. Now Cui Lengzhou managed the Cui family, and after Li Fan left, he immediately had people watch for Li Fan’s news. Upon learning of the assassination attempt against Li Fan, he promptly dispatched people to protect him.

Cui Zhanfeng was a senior to Cui Lengzhou, at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, enough to handle even if the Sect Leader of Wanxiang Sect came.

"Thank you, Senior. However, I’m afraid this matter is not suitable for the Cui family to get involved," Li Fan said.

"Rest assured, Mr. Li, the Family Head has instructed us accordingly. He understands the sensitive relations between Li Mountain and the Court, but he believes in gratitude and ought to repay it. Mr. Li’s matters are the Cui family’s matters. Moreover, our Cui family does not partake in the disputes between Li Mountain and the Court, only ensuring Mr. Li’s safety," Cui Zhanfeng said.

"Alright." Li Fan nodded. He knew a bit about Cui Lengzhou’s character, and since he had decided to do so, there was no need to persuade him otherwise.

"Additionally, Miss Hongyi also misses Mr. Li." Cui Zhanfeng continued, "For safety’s sake, why not move into the Cui family residence? This way, today’s incident won’t happen again."

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior." Li Fan shook his head. He knew this was probably not Miss Li Hongyi’s idea but rather Cui Lengzhou’s own decision to match him with Miss Li.

"However, there are two friends. I still hope Senior can help arrange for them."

Now that the forces in Chuzhou City knew he had arrived, many would likely want him dead. Han Zong and Situ Chan were close to him and might also get into trouble. It was necessary to arrange a way out for them as well.