Chapter 172: It's A Counter Trap

"Prepared three Gold Gleam squads, eh..."

Li Luo's eyebrows went up, and apprehension started to set in. Only he and Bai Mengmeng were left here, and they were outnumbered. Another three Gold Gleam squads would put them in serious trouble.

"You've really planned this out well, I see," Li Luo said slowly.

They must have purposely let Zhao Kuo know about their plans and then set up Xu Ge's squad with him. A secret alliance. They already knew all about Zhao Kuo's plan from the start.

Even after separating Xin Fu, they had taken the extra precaution of getting three Gold Gleam squads to lie in ambush.

Layer after layer—it was a meticulous plan indeed.

"Of course. Against you, prudence is the best course of action. Our first strike has to be decisive so we, the Governor Squad, can make a name for ourselves. No matter the price, we will not fail.

"Naturally, many of the suggestions came from Shi Huang. Li Luo, you have to admit that sometimes your enemies know you even better than yourself," Shen Ya gloated.

Shi Huang spoke up coldly. "Li Luo, I swore to you I'd take my revenge! Ever since that day I lost at Tianshu!"

"That's a very blatant declaration of war," Li Luo said.

Shen Ya trembled with charged resonant power, but he did not attack yet. "Li Luo, I know that your dual resonances are fearsome. You even beat Duze Beixuan. I'm not so foolish as to attack you yet." His smile turned into one of mockery.

"I intend to wait for the cavalry to arrive. With three Gold Gleam squads as reinforcements, you'll know what it means to be caged. Sorry, Li Luo, your first taste of failure in the Astral Sage College will be at my hands."

...

Boom!

Three squads were locked in a furious fight in the forest.

The Sky Blade Squad completely ignored Zhao Kuo's squad, leaving them entirely to Xu Ge. The four of them were entirely focused on attacking Xin Fu.

Xin Fu was an Upper Flowering, while the four Sky Blade Squad members were Lower Flowering. Individually, they were weaker, but against their combined might, it was Xin Fu who was in trouble.

Their combination of attacks could only be dodged, not countered. Occasionally, he sent back an attack that met with a well-prepared defense, easily blocked.

His only option was to use the unique prowess of a shadow resonance and play for time.

"Haha, Violet Vibrance students are nothing much. Scampering up and down like a monkey." The Sky Blade Squad’s leader, Liu Que's, voice dripped with scorn.

Xin Fu ignored it. He knew that they were trying to goad him to fight head on. And then he would lose badly.

A good shadow assassin had to be patient enough to wait for an opportune moment.

Seeing Xin Fu immune to his goading, Liu Que gave up the approach, falling silent and concentrating on attacking.

On the other side, Zhao Kuo and his squad were locked in a heated battle against Xu Ge's squad.

"Xu Ge, you mutt! How dare you betray us!" Zhao Kuo shouted at him. He was burning with anger and guilt at having let Li Luo down.

He had spread the information about the Governor Squad to Li Luo. And yet he had played straight into their hands.

The grubby hands of a willing and eager ally, Xu Ge.

The leaked intel had definitely put Li Luo and the others at risk.

"Keke, don't blame me, blame yourself for not being careful enough." Xu Ge snickered.

"Both our squad and Brother Luo's squad will remember you," Zhao Kuo promised ominously.

Xu Ge squirmed a little. He wasn't afraid of Zhao Kuo, but of Li Luo's Violet Vibrance squad... that was still a presence to be feared. Still, he had already committed so much. No backing out now.

"Oh, and what does that remembrance do? Are you going to kill me?" Xu Ge asked.

"All we have to do is sink you both today, and Li Luo's group will be the first Violet Vibrance squad to lose their place!

"Quickly, finish them off!" he shouted to his squad.

They obliged, doubling down on their resonant power and forcing Zhao Kuo and the others backwards. The situation was on the verge of tipping.

But just as they were pressing forward for the final blow, a few more people darted out of the trees ahead.

Xu Ge and the others hesitated, then they quickly fell back to a safe distance.

"Who dares?!" he yelled. 

Zhao Kuo and the others were surprised as well, unsure of who the new intruders were.

A Gold Gleam squad walked out into the open. Their leader was the one who had met with Li Luo—Ye Hua.

Ye Hua cracked his neck experimentally.

"Excuse me, was it you guys who ordered a Handsome Hunk’s Beating?"

...

Three Gold Gleam squads were hurrying through the woods.

"Quick, quick, Shen Ya's already given the signal. Go and surround Li Luo!" The three leaders urged their teams.

"If we beat a Violet Vibrance squad, we'll be famous!"

"Wooh, can't wait!"

Their advance was jerked up short by a sudden hailstorm of arrows. The sudden attack forced them to duck down for desperate cover.

"Who's that?!" a squad leader shouted. 

Four Gold Gleam squads walked out of the woods.

"Friends, we're all minding our own business here. What are you doing?" the three attacking squads demanded.

One leader of the four squads grinned. "Going to attack Li Luo and his friends?"

The three squads were silent, their hearts sinking.

"Sorry, but we took a reward too. We just need to keep you here to earn a nice, sweet amount of school points. So do us all a favor and just wait right there."

The leader waved, and his four Gold Gleam squads jumped them.

...

Deep in the mountains.

Li Luo made himself comfy on his tree, peacefully looking down at Shen Ya and his squad. Time ticked on, and he showed no intention of attacking.

Shen Ya was starting to feel uncomfortable. Once their reinforcements arrived, Li Luo's chances of winning would evaporate. Why was he not more worried?

If he was not worried, then Shen Ya was worried.

It was a worry that only grew steadily with each passing moment.

His reinforcements were late...

Li Luo suddenly burst into laughter. "Well?" he said mildly. "Tardy reinforcements?"

Shen Ya and the others looked at him with dismay. "What did you do?!" Li Luo laughed gaily, his hands resting lightly on his swords. "I didn't underestimate you at all... but you underestimated me.

"Did you think that Li Luo was just a handsome face to make you feel better about yourselves, ugly boys?"

A vein pulsed on Shen Ya's temple, but he took a deep, calming breath.

"The reinforcements were just for backup. Even without them, do you really think our full complement will lose to the two of you?

"Li Luo, I'll finish you today!"

Shen Ya's resonant power flared up.

"Get them!" he growled. All four shot towards Li Luo.