Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 277: An Inescapable Net

Seeing the people from Tiandao Temple appear, the leader was none other than the current temple master, Taoist Priest Yu Ji. Back in the day, when Chu Tianyu first started his career, he had already fought against him, making them old acquaintances.
“In these times, Taoists no longer practice in the mountains but instead enter the mortal world and get involved in worldly affairs. Doesn’t that go against the principles of asceticism?” Chu Tianyu sneered at Yu Ji, who was dressed in a sharp suit and had undergone modifications.
At these words, everyone present, including Yu Ji who had just stopped, was stunned. With Yu Ji’s status and the six elders behind him, they had spent decades secluded in the temple, devoted to studying the mysteries of the universe and martial arts, never leaving the mountains or interacting with outsiders. This time, due to the severity of the situation—and according to the urgent request from the Zhan family—the entire legitimate force in the cultivation world was on the brink of extinction. Forced by necessity, Yu Ji temporarily set aside his cultivation and returned to the mortal world to face the “heavenly calamity.”
Under Zhan Yupeng’s special arrangements, their group had secretly infiltrated the capital, making it impossible for outsiders to know their identities. Yet this man here could instantly recognize their origins—how could this not shock Yu Ji?
Despite his inner surprise and confusion, Yu Ji’s mastery over controlling his emotions prevented him from showing any signs on his face. Instead, he remained calm and said, “Could it be that this friend knows me, or is aware of Tiandao Temple?”
After pausing for a moment and seeing no reaction from Chu Tianyu, he continued, “Although Yu Ji is not very talented, he still knows his limits. All those talk of asceticism is nothing but illusion. On the contrary, I find great significance in the worldly affairs this friend mentioned. Especially regarding you, I not only feel worldly desires but also a profound interest…”

Chu Tianyu smiled slightly at Yu Ji but didn’t pick up on his topic. Instead, he turned to Zhan Tian and said, “Are all your men here? If some haven’t arrived yet, tell them to hurry up. If there are any ambushes, it’s pointless to worry about them. Bring them all out—today I’ll deal with them all at once, so I don’t have to chase after them one by one, which is annoying. By the way, as for that guy pretending to be one of my subordinates—although you pretended quite well and your build is almost identical to mine, I still have some advice for you. Next time, use more professional makeup. There were so many bloodstains on your clothes, yet there wasn’t the slightest smell of blood. Ah, if you’re going to fake it, at least do it better. It’s dark anyway, so it won’t be obvious, but hey, don’t stand upwind—this smell is clearly that of paint. What a failure!” As he spoke, Chu Tianyu shook his head, looking exasperated, a sentiment even his meticulously crafted mask couldn’t conceal.

Facing Chu Tianyu’s words, the old man Yu Ji was utterly speechless. It was clear he wasn’t taken seriously at all—what he said seemed to slip right through Chu Tianyu’s ears. Moreover, from Chu Tianyu’s arrogant tone, it was hard to tell who was actually trapped in whose scheme.

The guy who had been barely alive, pretending to be a disciple of Wu Tang, also straightened up, raised his head, and his eyes suddenly shone brightly as he stared at Chu Tianyu. His expression was indescribable, but certainly extremely complex.

Just as Chu Tianyu waited to see how they would react, his expression suddenly changed. He sensed a familiar presence arriving instantly. As he had expected, Aoxue and the others had indeed appeared!

But what surprised Chu Tianyu wasn’t just Aoxue’s arrival—it was her location. Aside from sensing her presence, he felt a massive cluster of energy, making it impossible to tell how many people there were.

Chu Tianyu had never encountered such a situation before, but fortunately, the answer was revealed soon. In no time, a group of women appeared right across from Tian Dao’s audience. Behind them stood men of various appearances, many of whom dressed as if they were from ancient times, their expressions carrying an otherworldly aura.

At the same time, Chu Tianyu sensed once again that, in addition to the current tripartite encirclement, there were several powerful auras coming from all directions—clearly those who had just arrived and were hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act, creating a situation akin to a vast net. From these auras, Chu Tianyu could easily deduce that those lurking in the dark and the group of women who appeared must belong to the same sect.

“Heh, it seems the game tonight is getting increasingly interesting!” Chu Tianyu thought to himself.

As the group of women approached, the leader was a woman with her hair tied up high, her face resembling Qing Fan. The extraordinary aura emanating from her made people instinctively feel a sense of nobility.

Beside her stood Ao Xue, still wearing the mask that Chu Tianyu had described as shoddy. Around Ao Xue stood girls with expressionless faces. It was unclear whether Ning Shuang hadn’t been allowed to join due to her weak abilities or because Ao Xue was deliberately protecting her.

The moment Ao Xue saw Chu Tianyu, she was stunned, her shock beyond description. Her reaction was noticed even by the middle-aged woman beside her, who glanced at her curiously, prompting Ao Xue to snap out of it and lower her head guiltily, her heart tumultuous.

Although Ao Xue avoided the woman’s curious gaze by lowering her head, she would occasionally lift her eyes to steal glances at Chu Tianyu, trying to confirm her thoughts.

Seeing this, Chu Tianyu didn’t worry too much. He was determined to go all out today. Even if they discovered his identity, it didn’t matter—it was only a matter of time anyway.

Although the impostor pretending to be a Wutang disciple had been exposed by Chu Tianyu, the real Wutang disciples must have been captured by them. Given their methods, it was likely that the real disciples were in trouble, possibly even killed. With their tactics, it would be difficult for them to uncover any clues about the Wutang or even the entire Xuanji Sect. The Zhan family sending someone to pretend to replace them was likely to catch them off guard, either to deceive them or to launch a surprise attack—killing two birds with one stone.

So, Chu Tianyu didn’t bother hiding his identity any further. His task for today was to act as a bait, luring them out to uncover the forces behind the Zhan family and learn more about Ao Xue’s sect as well.

With his mind made up, Chu Tianyu casually turned his gaze toward Ao Xue. It seemed he gave a slight smile to the middle-aged woman, but in Ao Xue’sa quick glance eyes, that smile seemed aimed solely at her, carrying an indescribable meaning, as if to convey, “Hehe, nice to meet you again… what a coincidence.”

This made Ao Xue quickly lower her head again, her heart pounding wildly. She was completely thrown off balance, never expecting that the person they had discussed as a threat to deal with was actually him!

As her mind became chaotic, concern arose in her heart for Chu Tianyu’s dangerous situation. This concern instantly overshadowed all other emotions, even dispelling her initial panic. Remembering the preparations they had made and the hidden threats, she suddenly raised her head, casting anxious and fervent glances at Chu Tianyu without hesitation, making eye contact with him and sending him signals repeatedly.

Although Chu Tianyu continued to maintain a casual gaze, he did not miss a single change in Ao Xue’s expression or demeanor. He saw everything and understood fully her concern for him, which stirred something inexplicable in his heart.

To the middle-aged woman, however, the “eye contact” between Chu Tianyu and Ao Xue seemed completely different. Faced with Chu Tianyu’s “ambiguous” expression, she thought he was just a bold and skilled man who disdained their arrival, perhaps showing off his confidence as a master fighter.

But she never imagined that he was actually communicating with her beloved disciple through eye contact. What surprised her even more was that her precious disciple, Ao Xue, knew everything about this man she had tried so hard to figure out out…

Yet Ao Xue refused to say a single word!

“Are you the one who killed my Holy Blood disciple?” the middle-aged woman asked, staring directly at Chu Tianyu.

Her words filled Chu Tianyu with joy. It seemed true to what he and his master had guessed—the Qilin bloodline of the Zhan family was controlled by someone else.

“That’s right!” Chu Tianyu replied calmly.

“Why?” the middle-aged woman asked, frowning.

“If no one bothers me, I won’t bother them!”

“May I hear the reason?”

Before Chu Tianyu could respond, the woman suddenly pushed forward with both hands, sending the mass of white mist formed by the people behind her rushing at Chu Tianyu. At the same time, she spun like a whirlwind, generating countless ice blades that charged straight at him.

Her sudden ambush was hard to believe—how could a woman of such noble bearing commit such despicable acts while speaking? Unfortunately, though this tactic would have succeeded against anyone else, it only ensured her failure against Chu Tianyu.

Chu Tianyu snapped, “You’re all the same kind of scoundrels. It seems you, like the Zhan family, talk about propriety, wisdom, benevolence, righteousness, and faith, putting on an air of virtue, but in reality, you’re nothing but despicable people who resort to any means necessary. What else do you know besides ambushes and sneak attacks? Well, since I have the chance today, I’ll teach you a lesson in what it means to be human!” As he said “putting on an air of virtue,” Chu Tianyu casually glanced at Yu Ji…

This made Yu Ji’s face turn red instantly. Filled with anger and shame, he waved his hand, signaling the six elders to join him in the attack.

Meanwhile, as his words faded, Chu Tianyu’s sleeves were filled with true energy. With his hand free, he met the first wave of white mist sent by the woman head-on with a single wave of his hand.