Trap

Jiang Feng finally realized what was wrong!

By all rights, aside from martial cultivators and luminous beasts, all other living things, including ordinary people, would emit faint ripples of luminous energy from their bodies. But in this alley, apart from himself, there was not a trace of energy fluctuation around him!

The trees behind the walls, the swaying grass in the cracks of stone—all appeared full of life to the naked eye, yet if he switched to his luminous energy vision, they were utterly lifeless.

Jiang Feng had never encountered such a situation before; he had no idea what could cause the environment to become this way.

His toes barely touched the ground as he swiftly retreated. At the same time, he shouted, “Ah Miao, go back! Don’t come any closer!”

A flash of insight struck him—he suddenly understood what was happening!

This was a trap, a snare set using Ah Miao as bait!

The enemy had used a little girl to lower his guard and lured him here. Was Ah Miao truly innocent? Her every movement, every expression, flashed before his mind’s eye. He quickly judged that this little girl must be aware of the situation—she had deliberately led him into the trap!

For a girl of only five or six years to have such acting skills—if not for her slip at the very last moment, he would never have suspected a thing. Yet in the end, she was moved by Jiang Feng’s warmth and, at the critical moment, issued a warning.

His emotions were tangled, but ultimately settled into a sense of relief.

For that warning alone, all that he had done was not in vain.

That moment of complexity vanished in a flash. Jiang Feng continued his rapid retreat, intent on escaping this bizarre alleyway.

But as he was moving back, he suddenly sensed something and froze in place, halting abruptly. The transition from movement to stillness was so sudden, yet it felt natural, without a hint of strain.

A wave of searing heat brushed his ear, laced with a chilling coldness that made his skin crawl. “A mere fledgling martial cultivator, with a kind heart and impressive abilities,” a voice whispered, each word clear and distinct, though tinged with an awkward, unfamiliar accent.

Not a local? Had Jiang Huaiming hired someone from elsewhere?

The breath shifted from his left ear to his right. Jiang Feng’s back stiffened, goosebumps rising along his spine. “Fifteen hundred gold coins to deal with you. A bit pricey, but still worth it.”

Fifteen hundred gold coins?

Jiang Feng suddenly relaxed, letting out a soft chuckle. “I never imagined I was worth so much.”

“Oh?” The voice was so close, it was as if someone whispered into his ear. “You have quite the nerve. Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

Jiang Feng replied, “You’re a professional, paid to do a job. Now that it’s come to this, I doubt I have any hope of preserving my life.”

A strange amusement crept into the voice. “Oh? Then why aren’t you afraid?”

Jiang Feng countered, “If I were afraid, would that make you let me go?”

“Of course not,” came the blunt reply.

“Exactly,” Jiang Feng said. “You bribed Ah Miao to bring me here—good judgment. Struck swiftly and decisively—admirable skill. With such professionalism, why are you delaying now, wasting time instead of finishing the job?”

He spoke smoothly, his thoughts and words crystal clear. “It seems your goal isn’t just my life. Since there’s something else you want from me, perhaps we can discuss it?”

A note of approval entered the voice. “Very good. Then what do you think I want from you?”

“I don’t even know who you are,” Jiang Feng replied. “How could I guess?”

The voice behind him suddenly turned hoarse. “Then why don’t you try and guess?”

Jiang Feng remained unruffled. “I haven’t even seen you. How could I guess? Perhaps you should show yourself and let me admire your face?”

There was a pause, then a note of praise. “You’re an interesting one! If I hadn’t already taken the money, I might have let you go.”

“Money is a trivial matter,” Jiang Feng said. “Look, I’m learning to craft treasure artifacts. In the future, I might become an artifact master—the most lucrative profession on the continent. Fifteen hundred gold coins may be out of my reach now, but to the future me, it’ll be a pittance. The question is whether you’re willing to make this investment.”

The voice listened patiently, nodding. “Indeed, artifact masters are quite profitable. Your proposal is tempting…”

“Then why not act on your impulse?” Jiang Feng pressed. “I can promise you half of all my future earnings, at your disposal.”

The searing, icy breath left Jiang Feng’s back. Suddenly, peals of laughter erupted, so intense the speaker could barely breathe. “Very good! Truly tempting!”

At that moment, Jiang Feng swung his hand, and the wooden bucket he held, crackling with electric light, exploded backward with all the luminous force he could muster, stirring up a fierce gale in the alley. Leaves whirled as the force slammed toward the figure behind him!

He had been speaking gently, his energy calm and placid, but now he erupted with sudden ferocity. The man was caught off guard, stumbling back two steps as he smashed the bucket aside, instantly enraged!

He was far stronger than Jiang Feng; Jiang Feng’s full-force attack left him unharmed. In a flash, he suppressed the storm in the alley and was about to seize Jiang Feng again—only to find the alley empty, not a soul in sight!

...

Jiang Feng dared not hold back for an instant.

He had used his Falling Thunder Palm with all his might, but only to escape the opponent’s control for a moment. He darted into a dead end, activating the Nameless Ring at once, concealing both his form and the fluctuations of his luminous energy.

Now, he hid in the corner, breath held, not daring to move, his heart ice-cold.

He finally understood why this alley had become as it was!

Why there wasn’t a trace of luminous energy in the trees or grass; why he hadn’t sensed this person’s approach until he was already behind him.

It wasn’t until the man had spoken to him for some time that Jiang Feng noticed the faint stench in the searing breath—a trace of demonic aura!

This was no ordinary man. It was a demon, one who had concealed his aura and hidden himself in this slum!

When had he infiltrated this place? What was his goal? Did anyone know of his presence?

Ah Miao, her mother and sister, and all the others here—did they know him? Did they know he was a demon?

If so, had they betrayed humanity and were aiding him?

And what about Jiang Huaiming…

Fifteen hundred gold coins. Jiang Huaiming had actually hired such a creature to kill him. Did he know the true identity of his hireling? If not, how did he learn of this person? What was the source of his information, and what purpose led him to make contact?

The matter was enormous, the unknowns too many; Jiang Feng’s mind was in turmoil.

But he quickly suppressed all these thoughts.

For him, the most important thing now was to escape and inform Wen Liangji!

The demon, having lost sight of Jiang Feng, erupted in rage. He smashed a fist into the wall, shattering it silently, wisps of black smoke curling from the edges. He roared, “Damn it! Where are you hiding? Come out!”

Of course, Jiang Feng would not obey such a command. There was only one thing on his mind—

Ah Miao had been following behind him; the moment she heard his shout, the clever girl had turned and fled.

Where had she run to? Was she far enough away?

Unable to find Jiang Feng, the demon rampaged through the alley, smashing everything in sight. He bellowed, “Come out! If you don’t, I’ll kill everyone here—especially that little girl, Ah Miao! I’ll tear the flesh from her bones, piece by piece, and eat it all until nothing’s left!”

Eat people? So it was indeed a demon…

Jiang Feng’s heart pounded, but amidst this tension, his mind only grew clearer, as though doused in icy water.

His earlier attack had exhausted all the luminous power in his blood. With the alley under demonic influence, there was no luminous energy in the air—and even if there were, he couldn’t risk absorbing it and revealing his position.

At this moment, the residual luminous power in his Yuan Branch began to flow, and the Celestial Mechanism Cube silently emerged, collecting and analyzing data from the surroundings.

Jiang Feng studied the area slowly and carefully.

The information about demons that Wen Liangji had given him surfaced in his mind.

From the earlier exchange, this must be a Warrior-class demon—the kind Wen Liangji had warned him to avoid at all costs.

A Warrior-class demon’s strength was equivalent to a Celestial Martial Warrior, an entire rank above him. In a direct confrontation, he would be completely suppressed.

However, he had faced a Celestial Martial Warrior before. He had once used the punch Ye Xiao had taught him to blow off Wu Cang’s head with his own hands.

Should he try that move again?

But this time, he had no allies nearby. Once he struck, he would collapse into unconsciousness…

As he weighed his options, the demon suddenly sneered, his tone growing cold.

“You’ve bought yourself enough time. Now, the real party is about to arrive. No matter—what can a brat who’s just awakened possibly do?”

Suddenly, his demonic aura surged forth!

Black energy erupted from him, swiftly enveloping the entire area.

Within the Heavenly Heart Seed, the Celestial Mechanism Cube whirred at high speed as torrents of data flooded in. The cube’s assessment of the man’s strength climbed ever higher!

In an instant, the alley was filled with demonic energy. Hiding in the corner, Jiang Feng was nearly overcome with nausea from the stench.

It wasn’t just the aura—the cube’s analysis made his face go pale.

This demon was no mere Warrior-class; he had been hiding his true power!

He was far stronger than Jiang Feng had thought—he must be a Commander-class demon!

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Revised the synopsis a bit...

Thanks to fatfox911 for the constant support~~~