Chapter 127: Divide and Conquer

Night fell.

An abandoned manor stood in the darkness. The Twin Eagle Alliance had traveled here to regroup, finding the location secure with clear lines of sight in all directions.

A massive black-scaled python coiled around the perimeter, its keen senses on high alert against any sneak attacks. Two second-tier silver wolves patrolled the grounds; the slightest disturbance would not escape their notice.

Far away, Jiang Min crouched atop an ancient tree, hidden by the foliage. She carefully parted the leaves, her gaze fixed on the patrolling gray wolves and the coiled, slumbering python.

"The Twin Eagles are so vigilant, and the rest of the gang is huddled together without scattering. A sneak attack won't be easy," Jiang Min murmured, stroking her chin as her eyes darted thoughtfully.

Though she coveted the white jade fragment, she was not one to act recklessly. After the Twin Eagle Alliance left Blue Stone Valley, she had trailed them from a distance, observing their strengths and weaknesses. The Alliance was formidable. With the Black and White Eagles working in tandem, supported by numerous powerful spirit beasts and over twenty Foundation Establishment disciples who could form hunting arrays and deliver finishing blows, their strength was sufficient to sweep aside any other Foundation Establishment cultivators. They were invincible in the City of Villains. Even a powerful faction like the Blood Gang had been buried by their hands. Jiang Min never underestimated her opponents.

"They maintain an offensive and defensive formation at all times while traveling, making it hard to strike. Now that they are resting here, if I don't act now, I won't have another chance. How can I take them down..."

She turned various strategies over in her mind. In such a situation, she would need to employ some cunning.

Inside the manor, the gang members stayed tightly packed to prevent infiltration. The Black and White Eagles were strolling through the derelict garden, discussing their plans.

"With the silver wolves dead, our advantage is growing," the White Eagle said languidly. "As long as we remain stable, the top spots are ours. However, I am most worried about the person who took the tokens from Chu Dongliu, Yun Qianli, and Liu Fenglian. Where are they hiding, and how many Villain Tokens do they have?"

They constantly monitored the fluctuations in the top rankings. Even when people hid their tokens, the changes usually left a trail. Yet, when the names of those three disappeared, no one else’s token count had risen accordingly. Perhaps those three had simply masked their token auras to confuse others, but they had to consider the worst-case scenario: that one person had claimed all three tokens and was hoarding them without refining them to climb the rankings.

"It’s likely a lone wolf," the Black Eagle analyzed solemnly. "The dangerous ones—Li Si the talisman master, He Chunshan the sword cultivator, Liu Fenglian the Buddhist cultivator... who else was there?"

The White Eagle shook his head and gestured helplessly. "In the City of Villains, meetings usually result in death or injury, and those who give up leave the city. Our intelligence is limited, especially regarding lone cultivators."

"Then keep having people inquire about the whereabouts of the Cloud Gang, the Mountain-Backing Society, and the Thunder Gang. Once we take their tokens, we won't need to worry about anyone surpassing us," the Black Eagle said in a deep voice.

...

"Only two hundred people left. I can't drag this out any longer." Jiang Min pulled her gaze from the scroll and refocused on the distant manor, her eyes narrowing. "They move as a unit; feints and luring the tiger from the mountain won't work. What other way is there to break them up?"

Suddenly, the peach branch at her wrist sensed a familiar aura from the west.

"Hmm? More evil spirits?" Jiang Min’s eyes brightened, and a smile played on her lips. She had an idea.

Heading west, she spotted a familiar dark mist enshrouding a grove of trees. The nauseating scent of blood drifted on the wind. "The mist has grown stronger. It seems Liu Fenglian's puppet has improved. Perfect, that's exactly the help I need."

She revealed herself and walked toward the black mist. Sensing her approach, Liu Fenglian paused, her brows knitting for a moment before a sweet, innocent smile spread across her face. She walked out to greet her.

"Sister? Are you looking for me?"

The black mist contracted, revealing the puppet doll. It was wearing a new, beautiful dress, indicating Liu Fenglian was in a good mood. As the doll flew back to her, Jiang Min laughed. "Your little darling has grown stronger."

Liu Fenglian cradled the puppet, stroking its long hair. Seeing it tremble slightly, she said innocently, "But it’s still very afraid of you, Sister."

"Want to cooperate? I only need your 'little darling' to help me with the Twin Eagle Alliance. I take the tokens of the Black and White Eagles; you take the rest."

Liu Fenglian was taken aback by the direct proposal. "The Twin Eagles' strength lies in their spirit beasts. My darling is just an evil spirit; its suppression of beasts is limited. How can it disrupt the Alliance? If they discover me, I won't be able to handle them."

Though the tokens held by the gang members were far fewer than those of the leaders, they were numerous, and the accumulation was significant. Furthermore, she wouldn't have to fight; she only needed to deploy the puppet. Still, wary of the Eagles' power, she hesitated.

Jiang Min simply asked, "What is the function of that blood mist?"

"Interfering with divine sense, affecting the mind, and consuming flesh and blood..." As Liu Fenglian spoke, her eyes lit up. "Wait, is that your target?"

Hearing the capabilities of the mist, Jiang Min felt reassured. "You don't need to do anything else. Just release the blood mist to disrupt them. I'll handle the rest."

...

At the abandoned manor, a massive wave of bloody black mist, carried by a sudden gale, surged from all directions. In an instant, the entire manor was enveloped.

The black-scaled python, the silver wolves, and every cultivator inside were caught off guard. As the thick, bloody stench filled the air, wails, screams, and cries of pain erupted from within the fog. It felt as if they had been plunged into a sticky sea of corpses; countless blood-red tentacles sprouted from the mist, latching onto them and attempting to take root.

"It’s Liu Fenglian!"

Her methods were well-known in the City of Villains. The cultivators immediately realized who was attacking. Though hindered by the fog, they quickly deployed spiritual barriers and mental-cleansing techniques to resist. These were Foundation Establishment cultivators with strong vitality, and most were able to withstand the initial effects.

However, inside the mist, they lost all perception of their companions, even those standing right beside them.

The Black and White Eagles, who had been conferring, were also trapped. The White Eagle reacted fastest, shouting with all his spiritual power, "Ascend!"

He activated his magic treasure to fly into the sky, breaking free of the mist. But when he looked down... he saw only the Black Eagle emerging from the fog nearby. No one else followed.

Looking down at the thick, impenetrable darkness, the White Eagle asked in disbelief, "Are they all dead?!"

The Black Eagle’s expression was grim, his voice cold with suppressed rage. "Liu Fenglian’s methods aren't enough to kill Foundation Establishment cultivators that quickly. There must be someone else lurking in this fog, picking them off one by one while they are clustered together..."

"Liu Fenglian has an accomplice, and they are still inside the mist!"