Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

Li Ping remained silent for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly...

That's absolutely impossible.

At that time, he needed connections and a foothold.

To take root in Xiyun County

Even knowing that the mountains are filled with deadly traps and deadly schemes, he would still rush in without hesitation—living towards death is his way of survival.

Chen Boyong slowly leaned back in his chair, the wooden armrests creaking slightly.

"Some causes and effects are better known too early..."

"It will only make you die faster."

"To be kept in the dark and manipulated like a pawn, that feeling..." A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "is truly unpleasant."

Li Pingdao

Chen Boyong turned his gaze to him and stared at him.

After a long pause, the old man smiled.

"The courage you possess now is greater than when you were in the ruined temple."

"It has gotten much bigger."

"If a fish is caught too many times, it will eventually learn to bite the fisherman's hand."

As soon as he said that, Ren Jun's fingers tightened slightly.

Pei Xing's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he did not offer any further verbal defense for anyone.

Chen Boyong remained silent for a moment.

"Having this kind of mindset wouldn't be considered foolish."

"Since you want to see that hook, I can point you in the right direction with a clue."

"This Dragon-Locking Formation beneath Jiangning City was not my doing."

"I merely used the shell left behind by previous people to hide some objects that cannot be exposed to light."

"It also conveniently kept those vicious dogs outside at bay."

"As for those who are eager to uncover the truth, it's not just the Si family and the Shangguan family, those two small fry."

"The key point of the formation in the Liuxiang area has been compromised, and all sorts of monsters and demons in Jiangning City are now at large."

"I'm afraid none of them will be able to maintain their composure any longer."

"In the teacher's mind, are there already candidates who are being questioned?"

Suspicion is useless

Chen Boyong said,

"Only when the bait is cast will the fish bite."

Li Ping turned his gaze to the array-breaking nails on the table, and suddenly he understood the matter.

The teacher did not immediately seal off Liuxiang.

Ren Jun also did not personally handle the task of retrieving the nails.

Su Wanming knew perfectly well that the well was off-limits, but she still left him some oiled paper and face powder.

Everyone seemed to know a little bit, yet they only gave him a little bit.

By this time, the formation-breaking nail had been delivered to the prefectural governor's mansion.

Next, who's in a hurry?

Who will show their face?

"Therefore, this single 'breakthrough nail' is a ready-made bait."

Li Ping spoke first.

"From the moment this thing was returned to Xue Qi, the whole scheme was already set up."

Chen Boyong did not deny it.

"Since it's bait, it can't just rot in the prefectural governor's warehouse."

Li Ping raised his head.

"Even a blind man would know that the goods have fallen into the hands of the government if they were kept in your possession."

"Who would dare to rob us now?"

"If you want to catch a big fish, you have to make everyone in this whole city think..."

"This treasure is still with me, a mere cultivator in the Qi Refining stage."

Ren Jun frowned.

"What you're doing now is gambling with your own life."

Miao Jun was able to use Hu Lie as a tool back then.

Li Ping looked at him.

"Shangguan Jue now dares to use Xue Qi's life to test the waters."

"Isn't the most skillful act performed by these powerful families to kill with the help of others?"

"This time, let's be the ones wielding the knife."

"Forcing them to stick their necks out themselves"

Chen Boyong squinted his eyes.

The study was so quiet that the only sound was the crackling of the lamp wick.

Su Wan leaned against the side and finally spoke.

"You already have a plan in mind?"

Li Ping carefully rewrapped the formation-breaking nail and put it into his pocket.

"Let the word out that Xue Qi gave me the formation-breaking nail before he died."

"Then leak this news to Shangguan Zhao, let him know that his good cousin is trying to keep the magic weapon for himself."

"He secretly mobilized the family's assassins."

"at last"

He paused for a moment.

"We need to make Shangguan Jue believe that Shangguan Zhao has already set his sights on that 'Records of Mountain Books'."

Pei Xing frowned deeply after hearing these words.

"Is your intention to incite internal strife within the Shangguan family?"

"These powerful families have always maintained a facade of harmony while harboring deep-seated animosity."

Li Ping began to speak.

"Since there's a crack, let's just hammer a nail in."

Ren Jun looked at him, his eyes filled with a complex expression.

"You've only been in Jiangning for a few days, yet your appetite has already grown so large that you want to devour both branches of the Shangguan family."

"Senior brother, you're mistaken."

Li Ping smiled.

"They were the ones who first extended their reach into Xiyun County, trying to use me as a pawn they could discard at will."

"I've never been one for a good temper. If any fool tries to use me as cannon fodder—"

"I'll just chop off any claws that get in my way."

The sky outside the window had already brightened.

The morning bell rang at the prefectural governor's mansion.

The lingering sound of the morning bell drifted from the layered eaves of the prefectural governor's mansion, enveloping the distant city of Jiangning like a thin mist.

Li Ping stood in the center of the study, touching the Breaking Formation Nail in his arms.

The cold, copper nails were pressed tightly against his chest.

He recalled the night Miao Jun died in the mountains.

That man died without ever clarifying for whom he had served.

By now, one aspect of the answer has already been revealed.

Shangguan

Shangguan Jue

Furthermore, there exists an old account book that connects and extends from those towering mountains all the way to the city of Jiangning.

But there's clearly more to this story than meets the eye.

The lock at the bottom of the well in Liuxiang is currently open.

The situation underground has only just begun to unfold.

But what kind of people were recorded in that old ledger that Zhou Cheng hid at the cost of his own life?