Chapter 300 - Battle of the Minds

“Cai Xiaoting, Sun Yufei, didn’t I tell you to beat it home? What are you doing here, and captives again no less?” Zhuo Fan mocked them for all their little worth.

The two kneeled there bitterly and wretched. Not once making eye contact with Zhuo Fan.

Long Xingyun said startled, “Brother Zhuo, you know them?”

“Meet the Luo clan traitors. His father was an elder in the clan and even close to the old Clan Head. Despite their transgression, Yunhai had a good heart and spared them.” Zhuo Fan shrugged, “Oh, and why did you capture them? Don’t you know killing them is far easier?”

Long Xingyun gasped then said solemnly, “To tell you the truth, we stumbled upon them not long after we escaped the Killing Blood Marsh. I wasn’t planning on sparing them, but we found this map on them as well as two keys and a Brimming Sacred Pill…”

Ahe-he-hem!

Long Kui’s signal came a tad too late however. The damage was done.

Long Xingyun now realized the error of his ways. [Telling him about the map and keys was enough. What was I thinking bringing up the Brimming Sacred Pill?]

Zhuo Fan perked up at the mention of those three little words and his eyes practically shined, “Brother Long, what of the vial?”

“Uh, we found it.”

“I realize that, but won’t it be safer with me?” Zhuo Fan’s demonic smile came next, followed by a genial smile, “What if it were to fall in Huangpu Qingtian’s hands? That would be awful. We can’t have everyone’s interests be laid to waste because of one man, now do we?”

Zhuo Fan’s righteous speech didn’t forget to include the public interest. Long Xingyun lost the moral high ground and handed the pill in defeat.

He had hoped to enter the Radiant Stage with this pill, but now… That ship had sailed!

Long Xingyun wished he could tear his running mouth off. How could he be so stupid?

Xie Tianyang and Long Kui knew Zhuo Fan’s character the best and only had sighs of pity. [Once it’s in Zhuo Fan’s clutches, there’s no getting it back.]

With a gratified flash of light, Zhuo Fan tucked the pill in the safety of his ring. He looked at the despondent Long Xingyun even more pleased.

With three Brimming Sacred Pills in the bag, uh, ring, only the last one was left and he’d have milked the Esoteric Debate dry.

Finding two extra keys on Long Xingyun as well, were the icing on the cake.

It just so happened that he had a pair of keys as well. He could already open the fire and earth exits now!

He could now leave this place whenever he wished with his spoils. Victory was at hand! The only problem was punching through Huangpu Qingtian’s blockades.

Alone, he’d be home by now. But with so many people dragging their feet behind him…

Zhuo Fan’s eyes landed on the kneeling duo, “Brother Long fears the map may be a trap.”

“That is what I assume, yes.”

Long Xingyun brushed past Zhuo Fan’s open appropriation of his wealth and said, “They say as early as two weeks ago, Huangpu Qingtian sent them in search of the keys to have full control of the battlefield. But I still feel this is too much of a coincidence. We just got out of danger yet met with these two who had the map we wanted. The more I think about it the more I suspect it. That is why I had them on a leash until Brother Zhuo returned to discuss it.”

Zhuo Fan nodded inside. Long Xingyun was sloppy by nature, but he had a good head on his shoulders at least.

The array map was clearly dubious, but for this fleeing group, it held absolute interest. The odds for a trap waiting for them was most likely certain.

Even if he absolutely knew about it being a trap, its value outweighed the risks.

[This is one bait I can’t refuse.]

Zhuo Fan squinted at the pair, “You better answer my every question. If I found out you’re lying, I’ll make it so even death would be your most cherished wish!”

The two shuddered but nodded, the fear had them soaked in sweat.

Zhuo Fan began, “Did Huangpu Qingtian make you wait for us?”

“N-no. Like we said, we stumbled upon you as we searched for the exits. There’s nothing else to it!” Cai Xiaoting blurted.

Zhuo Fan stared him down. The man was frantic, but finding no lies, he continued, “Did you make this map after finding the arrays?”

“No, the arrays are too spread out. It’s impossible for us to find them.” Cai Xiaoting shook his head. Fearing Zhuo Fan would find his answer lacking, he rushed with, “There were five teams of us, each with its own area to search. We used a jade slip to keep in touch and made the map.”

“What of the two keys and pill?”

“We found them along the way. We used to have two pills, but a Profound Heaven expert stole one to take the credit and you took the last one…” Cai Xiaoting was heartbroken, his voice trailing off.

[How could we be so down on our luck? The two pills were our promise to greatness.]

But at some point, their other Profound Heaven expert team member took one for himself and when they thought the other was enough to get something good, they ran into these guys.

[Forget about merits when we’re having enough trouble keeping our heads!]

The two fell deeper in despair.

Zhuo Fan saw them squirm and nodded. Long Xingyun added, “Brother Zhuo, what if this is a trap as well…”

“There’s no need to say it. They were once part of the Luo clan and understand them enough to know if they lie.” Zhuo Fan’s eyes glinted.

Long Xingyun and the rest were overjoyed.

That validated the map as being genuine. They could survive this!

Zhuo Fan shook his head however, “Don’t be so quick to celebrate. The map could still be fake.”

[What?!]

The crowd was stunned.

Grinning, Zhuo Fan revealed a deep gaze, “They are truthful, yes, but that doesn’t guarantee Huangpu Qingtian was honest to them as well.”

Now they looked puzzled as to why Zhuo Fan was still smiling.

[Doesn’t that make this map useless?]

In another place, Huangpu Qingtian pointed at an identical map Zhuo Fan had, “You Yushan, you will set up an ambush at the metal exit. Yan Bangui, you will stake out the fire exit. Me and Lin Xuanfeng will be watching the earth one. Remember what I said. Others do not matter but one person has to breathe their last at all costs. Make sure they die in excruciating pain and suffering.”

The three felt uneasy.

“Eldest young master, we understand your wish. But will killing this person have any effect on Zhuo Fan?” You Yushan frowned, “With how we handed the exits’ locations along with keys and even a Brimming Sacred Pill, they can now flee without worry. Wouldn’t it have been better to give them a fake map?”

With an evil grin, Huangpu Qingtian mocked, “Imbecile, you think you can fool Zhuo Fan’s cunningness with a fake one?”

“But, isn’t he far too paranoid to believe even the real one?” Yan Bangui frowned.

Huangpu Qingtian smiled, “All the more reason why we gave him everything, to believe. Even the two prisoners are real. The two were purposefully kept in the dark, limiting their knowledge to the array map, keys and pill. It’s all because my men guided them from the shadows. Their words are without a doubt genuine. He will never realize we’d even lie to our men all so we could trap him. No matter how shrewd he is, he will never get one falsity out of those two.”

The others lit up, with Lin Xuanfeng giving a thumbs up in his flattery, “Eldest young master is wise. Versed in pen and sword!”

“Humph, this is part of Sir Leng’s plan. I have nothing to do with it.” Huangpu Qingtian shook his head, holding the very last Brimming Sacred Pill vial in his hand.

You Yushan looked at it with a sigh, “Of our three pills, we only have one.”

“What are you so worried about? With Zhuo Fan’s greedy nature, he won’t be satisfied with just three. He will want the last one as well! We just have to deal with him and the others will be easy pickings!” Huangpu Qingtian sneered, “Follow the plan and we will have the three vials as well as his head. Ha-ha-ha…”

Huangpu Qingtian’s cackle got everyone excited.

The operation to eradicate Soaring Demonic Dragon was a go…