Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's provocative words, the three kings' eyes flashed with cold light. They glanced at the two protectors, and then all three of them exerted their strength and charged towards Shen Qianmo, seemingly intending to take her life.
Compared to the murderous intent of the three kings and two protectors, Shen Qianmo remained calm and composed. Her red dress fluttered slightly in the wind, and a lazy smile graced her face. Her dark eyes were calm and collected, showing no fear whatsoever, as if she hadn't seen the three powerful internal forces approaching her. A playful smile appeared on her lips as she slowly counted, "Three, two, one."
"Ah." As soon as Shen Qianmo finished speaking, the three kings and two protectors, who were about to strike Shen Qianmo, fell from the sky at the same time. Their internal energy was also withdrawn. The three of them fell to the ground in great pain, looking at Shen Qianmo with disbelief. "You. You."
"I'm just giving him a taste of his own medicine," Shen Qianmo said calmly, her face showing no change in expression, a playful smile in her eyes.
"Ah. Ah." The three kings and the two protectors roared in agony one after another. The three of them rotted away at an extremely fast speed, and soon, only a pile of white bones remained.
Shen Qianmo stared indifferently at the three kings and two protectors slowly dying before her. Her dark eyes shone with an astonishing light, and a smile curled at the corner of her lips. It seemed as if she were speaking to herself, or perhaps to someone in the shadows, "Half done. Half left. I wonder just what kind of person this Holy Son is."
Chapter Four: Luring the Snake Out of its Hole
"The Holy Son of Southern Xinjiang is truly composed. Two kings and a protector have died, and he has almost lost half of his elite forces, yet he hasn't made a single move." Shen Qianmo gently put down his teacup, his dark eyes unfathomable, like a deep pool.
Sitting opposite him was Situ Jingyan, his fiery red robes draped loosely over his body, the unbuttoned collar revealing a glimpse of alluring skin on his chest. A wicked smile played on his lips, as if a single glance would steal one's soul. His dark eyes were perfectly set in his captivating face, adding to his unfathomable depths.
"The more composed they are, the more terrifying they are." Situ Jingyan made a simple judgment, his brows slightly furrowed. Shen Qianmo was in the open, while the Southern Frontier Holy Clan was in the shadows. If things continued like this, it probably wouldn't be a long-term solution.
Shen Qianmo's brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of seriousness appeared in her dark eyes. She understood this principle all too well. The more composed one was, the deeper one could lie in wait, and therefore, the more dangerous one became.
In the past few days, she had managed to evade several assassination attempts and poisonings by the Southern Frontier Holy Clan thanks to the extraordinary acumen she had honed in the Demon Palace. However, this was not a long-term solution. The Southern Frontier Holy Clan remained lurking in the shadows, revealing nothing, while she could only passively defend herself. Eventually, she would become complacent and fall into their trap.
Moreover, the strength of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan is still unknown. The two kings and five protectors they already know are quite powerful, and there is also a Holy Son whose strength is unfathomable, making them even more difficult to deal with. Even if they were lured into the open, the five of them might not be a match for them.
Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan exchanged a silent glance. Both saw seriousness in each other's eyes. This was the first time they had felt that things were somewhat tricky.
Suddenly, a light shone in Shen Qianmo's dark eyes, and a dazzling smile slowly curved his lips, as beautiful and captivating as the magnificent clouds on the horizon. His tone was leisurely, with a hint of laziness and cunning, "Are the Southern Frontier Holy Clan skilled in mechanisms?"
A hint of amusement flickered in Situ Jingyan's dark eyes. Like a thousand-year-old block of ice slowly melting into a pool of spring water, a smile gently curved his lips. "The Southern Frontier is not adept at traps. However, how should we lure you into a trap?"
Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo were incredibly in sync. Shen Qianmo had only asked one question, yet Situ Jingyan had already guessed her plan: to use traps to deal with the Southern Frontier Holy Clan's forces. However, setting a trap was easy; luring the Southern Frontier Holy Clan into it was not so simple.
"Inviting the enemy into a trap, huh?" Shen Qianmo curled the corners of her lips, a hint of calculation in her dark eyes. The curve of her lips slowly rose, forming a wicked arc, and she said leisurely, "Then let's lure the snake out of its hole first."
Situ Jingyan raised an eyebrow at Shen Qianmo. Since Shen Qianmo had said so, she must have a corresponding plan. Then he would see what good ideas his Mo'er had.
“No matter how well-mannered the Southern Frontier Holy Clan is, they must hate me to the bone for killing two of their kings and four protectors. These days, they must have sensed that someone is protecting me in the shadows, which is why they only dare to act in secret. If I were to go to the outskirts alone, I doubt they would let such a good opportunity pass by.” Shen Qianmo slowly smiled and said calmly.
The Southern Frontier Holy Clan hadn't suffered such humiliation in a century. Leaving the Southern Frontier had cost them half their elite forces; she refused to believe the Southern Frontier Holy Son could swallow this insult. If he were truly so composed, he wouldn't have needed to secretly poison her.
They wanted to kill her, of course they did, but they dared not openly confront her with force because Situ Jingyan and the others were secretly protecting her. So, she would give them a golden opportunity; she refused to believe the Southern Frontier Holy Clan would let such a chance slip by!
If she were to further insult the Southern Frontier Holy Clan, deepening their hostility towards her, the members of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan would likely be even more easily hooked.
Shen Qianmo's thinking was correct, but Situ Jingyan frowned unhappily, grabbed Shen Qianmo's hand, and his dark eyes seemed to spit fire, "Who gave you permission to come up with such a risky method!?"
Shen Qianmo's wrist was suddenly grabbed by Situ Jingyan. She felt Situ Jingyan's unique warmth on her hand. When she looked up, Situ Jingyan's dark eyes were almost spitting fire, filled with opposition and anxiety.
Holding Situ Jingyan's hand in return, Shen Qianmo gave him a reassuring smile and said softly, "I won't let anything happen to myself. We'll set up traps in the suburbs first, and then you guys will provide support from the surrounding area. I'll just lure them into the traps."
“But the people of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan aren’t brainless. If you go to the outskirts alone for no reason, won’t they be suspicious?” Situ Jingyan felt a little relieved after hearing Shen Qianmo’s answer. If he was there to help her, Shen Qianmo would definitely be fine, because he would never allow anything to happen to her in front of him.
Shen Qianmo's eyes darkened, but the smile on her lips remained unchanged. She said calmly, "Since they already know you're lurking in the shadows, why not appear openly before them? Then I'll head to the outskirts, and you'll go in the opposite direction, letting them see us part ways. Given the Southern Frontier Holy Clan's resentment towards me, they will surely choose me over you."
"But if I go in the opposite direction, how can I meet you?" Whenever he encounters a problem related to Shen Qianmo, Situ Jingyan always loses his composure. In his eyes, nothing is more important than Shen Qianmo. He is so focused on Shen Qianmo's safety that he forgets that he could have gone to meet her earlier via another route.
Looking at Situ Jingyan's expression, Shen Qianmo felt both sweet and amused. She reached out and tapped Situ Jingyan's forehead, laughing, "Of course you took the shorter route and infiltrated there earlier."
Situ Jingyan was touched by Shen Qianmo's words, and a hint of embarrassment flashed in his dark eyes. How could he not have thought of something so simple?
"Alright, let's do it that way. But setting up the traps these next few days without the Southern Frontier Holy Clan's eyes and ears won't be easy," Situ Jingyan said. His brow furrowed slightly. The Southern Frontier Holy Clan was lurking in the shadows, watching them all the time. They had to make sure the Southern Frontier Holy Clan didn't know about the traps; otherwise, if the Southern Frontier Holy Clan discovered their plan, it would all be for naught, and they would only expose themselves.
“Of course we can’t do this ourselves.” Shen Qianmo nodded slightly. If they went in person, they would likely be discovered by the Southern Frontier Holy Clan and give themselves away. Moreover, a trap designed to kill the Southern Frontier Holy Clan is definitely not something that can be completed in a day or two.
"Who came to mind?" Situ Jingyan saw the confidence in Shen Qianmo's eyes and realized that Shen Qianmo already had someone in mind. Coincidentally, he also thought of a very suitable person. He asked with a wicked smile.
"Xuanlou".
"Xuanlou".
They spoke in unison. A tacit understanding flashed in Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan's eyes, and they both smiled.
Xuanlou is indeed the most suitable candidate. Because the person who sets up the traps and mechanisms must be someone who has no connection with the Tianmo royal family, is not currently in Nancheng, and has not had any contact with them in Nancheng.
At the same time, this person must be someone that Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan can absolutely trust, and must be extremely proficient in mechanisms and formations. You must know that although the people of the Southern Border Holy Clan are not good at mechanisms and formations, they are not completely ignorant of them either. If the mechanisms and formations are not sophisticated enough, and the first attack fails, there will be no second chance. Xuanlou is a master of various mechanisms and formations.
If there's anyone in this world who can surpass Xuan Lou in terms of mechanisms and formations, it's probably only Situ Jingyan. Therefore, sending Xuan Lou here is the most appropriate thing to do.
However, Xuanlou is still in Tianmo. Even if they rush over immediately, it will take seven days, and setting up the traps and formations will take at least three days. That means they still have to delay for ten days.
No one knows what will happen in these ten days. Every day that the Southern Frontier Holy Clan lives increases their danger.
"How about we play a game of cat and mouse?" A sly glint flashed in Situ Jingyan's dark eyes as he smiled wickedly and said leisurely.
Shen Qianmo narrowed his dark eyes slightly, immediately understanding Situ Jingyan's meaning. He smiled approvingly, like a fox, and replied, "Not a bad idea."
The danger of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan lies in their lurking in the shadows. If Shen Qianmo and Situ Jingyan were to also shift from the open to the covert, occasionally causing trouble for the Southern Frontier Holy Clan, it would surely be quite interesting.
Upon receiving the message from Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo, Xuanlou rushed towards Nancheng without stopping. Meanwhile, Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo were occasionally waging guerrilla warfare against the Southern Frontier Holy Clan, which was quite interesting.
"Where do you think they're hiding?" Shen Qianmo, dressed as an old woman, put her hand on Situ Jingyan, who was dressed as an old man, and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear as she looked around with her dark eyes.
Situ Jingyan held Shen Qianmo's hand, his back hunched, looking like he couldn't walk anymore. He was panting and said in a low voice, "I don't know. The Southern Frontier Holy Clan is really good at hiding their tracks. If we hadn't disguised ourselves and avoided them these past few days, we don't know how many times we would have been assassinated."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qianmo nodded in agreement. The martial arts of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan are extremely unpredictable, especially their ability to conceal their movements, which is unparalleled. Often, they will know the whereabouts of the Southern Frontier Holy Clan, but then immediately lose contact with them again.
Suddenly sensing a familiar aura, Shen Qianmo frowned slightly. Having been chased for so long, although she couldn't fully master the strange techniques of the Southern Border Holy Clan, she was very familiar with the unique aura of those techniques.
Seeing the fleeting seriousness in Shen Qianmo's eyes, Situ Jingyan understood that Shen Qianmo must have sensed something. Although Situ Jingyan's martial arts skills were superior to Shen Qianmo's, his sensitivity to auras was not as good. After all, Situ Jingyan had always ruled various forces as a powerful figure, unlike Shen Qianmo, who had grown step by step and experienced many assassinations and conspiracies.