Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 354 Trap
After listening to his detailed explanation, Song Xian nodded calmly and asked, "What is He Jian's cultivation level?"

"Eighth level of Qi Refining cultivation." Zhou Hua kept his head down.

Is he still in Fengyuan Town?

“I forced him to reveal the truth, but I was afraid that he would hold a grudge and expose this secret to the public, thus ruining the sect leader’s important affairs. Therefore, I killed him and Xiaoqing.”

Do you know exactly where that island is?

"This disciple already knows that the island is called Black Turtle Island, located about 500 to 600 miles southeast of the South Port Wharf of Anyuan City. The island is a habitat for black turtles, and there are many black turtles there."

Song Xian glanced at him: "You killed He Jian, how can you be sure he's telling the truth? What if the location he gave is fake?"

Zhou Hua paused for a moment, then replied, "It was my oversight. But I don't think he would lie about this. After all, he has already told me everything he needed to, so there's no need for him to try to be clever on this matter."

"He didn't know that his disciple had already decided to silence him. Putting himself in his shoes, if it were his disciple, he would never spread false information."

“If I take him away and go to Black Turtle Island based on his false information, and find that he gave me incorrect information, I will definitely come back to settle accounts with him.”

Song Xian didn't say anything more, and waved his hand: "Huang Ye, you go out first, I have some things to ask you privately."

"Yes." Huang Ye responded and left. When Zhou Hua saw that he had been sent away, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes under his lowered head.

With a wave of his hand, Song Xian unleashed a burst of spiritual energy, causing the heavy stone door to slam shut with a bang, and Zhou Hua's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Zhou Hua, come forward."

"Yes." Zhou Hua responded, raised his head, and saw Song Xian staring intently at him. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his head again, walking step by step to Song Xian's side.

"Can you trust me?" Song Xian asked calmly.

But to Zhou Hua, it was like a thunderclap. He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing slightly. "This disciple trusts the sect leader."

Song Xian pulled out a golden talisman, which was the Mind-Bewitching Talisman: "I will stick this talisman on you in a moment. You must not use your spiritual power to resist it, understand?"

Zhou Hua's voice trembled slightly: "May I ask, may I ask the sect leader, what is the purpose of this talisman?"

"Don't worry, this talisman won't harm you at all. You trust me, so just do as I say."

"Yes," Zhou Huaqiang replied calmly.

Song Xian then affixed the mind-controlling talisman to his forehead. As spiritual power surged in, the golden talisman immediately shone brightly, transforming into specks of golden light that entered his body from his forehead.

Zhou Hua clenched his fists and tensed his body, but in the end he did not dare to resist.

As the golden light entered, his gaze gradually lost focus, his tense body slowly relaxed, and his clenched fists fell limply to his sides.

Seeing that the mind-controlling talisman had worked, Song Xian immediately asked, "Is what you said about the rogue cultivator He Jian true?"

"fake."

Song Xian's eyes narrowed, his gaze sharpening: "Who sent you?"

"Duan Quan told me to say that."

Song Xian was startled. Duan Quan was an inner sect steward of the Luoyun Sect.

This must be the idea of ​​the Luoyun Sect. They must have wanted Zhou Hua to do this in order to lure him out of Luojia Mountain and ambush him from outside, just like Jiang Feng did to the Kong family. There is no other reason.

In this way, the Luoyun Sect will definitely take action against the Hunyuan Sect.

They exploited his desire to obtain the strange fire, fabricating this lie in an attempt to lure him out of Mount Luojia.

Zhou Hua was a disciple trained by the sect since childhood and also the captain of the intelligence peak. It was most appropriate for him to report this matter.

Thank goodness! Song Xian felt a chill run down his spine. Luckily, he had mastered the Mind-Bewitching Talisman; otherwise, he might have really fallen into the trap of the Falling Cloud Sect.

Zhou Hua is a direct descendant of the sect, and his family is all in Tianshan. I never expected that he would work for Luoyun Sect. I don't know if he was a spy planted by Luoyun Sect from the beginning, or if he was turned by Luoyun Sect after joining the sect.

In fact, Song Xian had already had some doubts when he answered. After all, a fake is a fake, and it can't be completely seamless.

Although Luo Yun Sect knew that he wanted information about the Strange Fire, they had no idea what this Strange Fire actually was.

Song Xian's instructions to the intelligence peak were vague, only stating that they should search for information about the special flame.

According to He Jian, black flames appeared inside the Black Turtle Island palace. With his cultivation level, it was virtually impossible for him to escape. The power of the strange fire was immense; once released, how could a Qi Refining cultivator possibly escape? This is the most illogical part.

But none of that matters now. It's a foregone conclusion that the Luoyun Sect will deal with me. If this plan fails, they will definitely launch a full-scale attack.

With the strength of Hunyuan Sect, it was no match for Luoyun Sect. In addition, Pang Tong led the cultivators recruited by Bianxi City to Humen City, leaving them without any external support.

Song Xian suspected that Pang Tong's personal leadership of the expedition to Humen City might also be the result of the Luoyun Sect's instigation. In that case, there would be no need to worry about the Beast Taming Sect getting involved.

The Luoyun Sect must have planned this all along. They must have agreed with the Fengxing Sect that while the Fengxing Sect was attacking Humen City, the Luoyun Sect would take advantage of everyone's attention being on Humen City to eliminate the Yushou Sect's forces in Bianxi City, thereby gaining complete control of Bianxi City and then joining the Yunxuan Sect.

"Is Huang Ye in cahoots with you?" After a moment of silence, Song Xian asked.

Zhou Hua was Huang Ye's subordinate and also brought by him, which made him somewhat suspicious of Huang Ye.

"No."

Hearing this answer, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had always trusted Huang Ye implicitly, and consulted with him on all matters, big and small, inside and outside the sect. If Huang Ye was also an informant for the Luoyun Sect, that would be terrifying.

Actually, he didn't quite believe that Huang Ye was an inside man, because if Huang Ye was from the Luoyun Sect, then the Luoyun Sect wouldn't have needed to send Zhou Hua; they could have just had Huang Ye report on the matter directly. Everyone knew that he valued and trusted Huang Ye highly.

"Besides making up these stories, what else did Duan Quan ask you to do?"

"He told me to get back to him as soon as possible."

"How should I respond? How can I contact him?"

"He asked me to contact Lu Kui and have him send the message out."

Lu Kui and Song Xian's faces were gloomy. It was truly a case of pulling up a radish and bringing out the mud. This Lu Kui was also a disciple of the sect, currently serving on Luojia Mountain as a disciple of the Guardian Hall. Duan Quan was probably worried that Zhou Hua would be monitored after reporting this matter, or be left in Tianshan without a chance to relay the message, so he sold another informant he had planted.

Lu Kui was working at Luojia Mountain, so it was easy for Duan Quan to contact him, and it wouldn't arouse suspicion.

There may be more than just these two spies planted by the Luoyun Sect in the Hunyuan Sect. There might be others as well. There's nothing that can be done about it. After all, the Hunyuan Sect has only been established for a short time and has expanded rapidly in recent years, so it's inevitable that some spies have infiltrated.

Let alone the Hunyuan Sect, even some large sects that have existed for hundreds or thousands of years are not immune to spies planted by other forces. With the strength of the Luoyun Sect, it would be easy for them to place a few people within the Hunyuan Sect.

Song Xian then asked some detailed questions, such as whether he had any secret codes or coded language to communicate with Lu Kui, and whether he knew about any spies planted by the Luo Yun Sect within the sect.

After a short while, Zhou Hua stammered and couldn't speak anymore. Then, he swayed and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Seeing that he had fainted, Song Xian took out a crimson talisman from his hand, placed it on his chest, and it turned into crimson light and entered his body.

Then he waved his hand, and spiritual energy shot out, opening the heavy stone door once again.

"Someone come here!" he called out, and his spiritual energy carried far and wide with his voice.

"What are your orders, Sect Leader?" A disciple entered from outside and bowed to him.

"Find Huang Ye."

"Yes." The disciple responded and left.

Soon, Huang Ye entered the room and was startled when he saw Zhou Hua lying unconscious on the ground. He was even more surprised when he looked up and saw Song Xian's gloomy face.

This was the first time he had seen Song Xian with such a gloomy expression, and he couldn't help but have a bad feeling. He asked cautiously, "Sect Leader, what... has happened?"

Song Xian waved his hand to dismiss his followers and disciples, took a deep breath, and said in a low, cold voice: "Zhou Hua is a spy of the Luoyun Sect. What he said was done under the instructions of Duan Quan, who wanted to lure me out of Luojia Mountain and ambush me on Black Turtle Island."

Huang Ye's eyes widened instantly, his pupils dilated, and he unconsciously swallowed. After a few moments of silence, he immediately prostrated himself and begged for forgiveness: "This disciple is guilty, please punish me, Master."

He didn't ask Song Xian how he knew. He knew Song Xian's character; if he said that, he must have solid evidence. In addition, Zhou Hua was lying on the ground unconscious, which proved that what he said was true.

What he was more worried about now was arousing Song Xian's suspicion. He was neither a direct descendant of the Hunyuan Sect nor Zhou Hua, whom he had brought with him. It would be difficult to clear his name with just words.

"Get up! This matter has nothing to do with you. I didn't call you here to punish you, but to discuss something with you. Since the Luoyun Sect has resorted to this tactic, it means they are determined to attack us. What suggestions do you have?"

Huang Ye then stood up, feeling somewhat moved. He hadn't expected that after this incident, Song Xian not only didn't suspect him, but also sought him out for advice.

"The most urgent task is to inform the Beast Taming Sect of this matter immediately. Since the Falling Cloud Sect has decided to take action against our sect, it must have already secretly contacted the Cloud Propagation Sect. The Beast Taming Sect cannot sit idly by."

“It takes at least half a month to travel from here to the Beast Taming Sect’s mountain gate. The Falling Cloud Sect won’t wait that long. I estimate it will be no more than five or seven days. If they see that we are not making any moves and don’t fall for their trap, they will launch a full-scale attack.”

"Then, according to the sect leader's wishes?"

"Now we can only rely on ourselves. Go and find Senior Brother Zixiang."

"Yes," Huang Ye replied and left. Very
Quickly, George Lam and Su Zhirou arrived. Song Xian briefly recounted the events, and both of them were greatly shocked upon hearing it.

"Husband, could there be a mistake?" Su Zhirou had some feelings for the Luoyun Sect after all, and she was unwilling to believe it.

Song Xian knew she was kind-hearted, but he didn't explain further: "The most urgent task is to stabilize the Luoyun Sect and buy us time. The Luoyun Sect is still waiting for Zhou Hua's reply. If Zhou Hua doesn't send a message to the Luoyun Sect within twelve hours, they will know that the matter has been exposed and will definitely launch a full-scale attack."

Knowing that the sect was now facing a life-or-death crisis, Lin Zixiang's breathing became heavier. After a brief moment of silence and contemplation, he looked solemnly at Song Xian.

"What are the sect leader's plans?"

Although he was unhappy that Song Xian had transferred him from Tianshan to Luojia Mountain, he also knew that Song Xian was more decisive than him when it came to crucial moments.

"Zhou Hua needs to send a message to Luoyun Sect through Lu Kui, a disciple of the Guardian Hall. If we can control Zhou Hua and make him obediently send the message according to our wishes, we can buy ourselves more time."

"How can we ensure that Zhou Hua delivers the message to Lu Kui as we intend?"

“I’ll handle that. What I’m worried about is Lu Kui noticing the flaw or something going wrong during the handover. Senior Brother Zixiang, I need you to keep a close eye on Lu Kui’s every move so he doesn’t notice anything.”

"Okay." Lin Zixiang agreed without hesitation: "Besides that, what else do you need me to do?"

"Let's deal with Zhou Hua first; we don't have much time left."

.........

In the dimly lit secret room, Zhou Hua slowly opened his eyes, feeling dizzy. He instinctively wanted to get up and rub his forehead, but as soon as he moved, he heard the rattling of iron chains.

He suddenly opened his eyes wide and realized that his hands and feet were bound to thick chains in a prisoner's position. In front of him stood a burly figure with broad shoulders and a pair of tiger eyes staring at him with a cold glint. It was none other than Song Xian.

"Master...Master." Zhou Hua was terrified, his pupils contracted sharply, and his voice trembled.

"When did you get in touch with Duan Quan of the Luoyun Sect? Was it before you joined the sect, or after you joined?" Song Xian asked expressionlessly, his voice as calm as still water.

To Zhou Hua, however, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. He was terrified and felt as if he had been sentenced to death, and his body trembled involuntarily.

Although he didn't remember the specifics of the questions asked after being hypnotized by the mind-controlling talisman, he did remember that Song Xian had put a golden talisman on his forehead before he lost consciousness.

Given his current predicament and Song Xian's direct mention of Duan Quan's name, he knew that his scheme had been exposed. However, his strong will to survive still forced him to cling to a sliver of hope, like a drowning person struggling desperately.

"What Duan Quan? This disciple has never heard of him! Sect Leader, please understand, this disciple is innocent!"

"Duan Quan told you to fabricate false information about a special flame for me, and then have you contact Lu Kui to send the message out. Zhou Hua, now that things have come to this, don't hold any hope. Just cooperate honestly and tell me everything you know, and I might consider sparing your life."

Song Xian remained expressionless, his voice flat, showing no anger or disappointment, as if he were merely discussing a trivial matter.

However, Zhou Hua collapsed. His trembling body seemed unable to withstand the pressure, and he knelt down softly. Instantly, his face turned ashen, and tears welled up like a spring. He began to sob and cry.

“Look at you, a grown man. Things aren’t beyond redemption. It hasn’t caused any serious consequences yet, has it? As long as you pull back from the brink and are willing to repent, I can let bygones be bygones.”

Zhou Hua suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with hope, as if he had grasped a lifeline, and began to kowtow violently.

"Master, spare me! Master, spare me! This disciple knows he was wrong. This disciple had no choice."

(End of this chapter)