In this world, people had always relied on written letters for long-distance communication.
But with the rise of the cultivation era, this method underwent great changes.
One method used special objects as a medium, refining them into magical communication tools.
However, such artifacts were extremely expensive, affordable only to the wealthy, and thus never became common among ordinary people.
The other method was spiritual-infused paper letters.
As long as one wrote the recipient's name and their general location on this special paper, the paper would fold into a crane and fly to the intended person.
But since people were constantly on the move, letters sometimes went missing or failed to reach the recipient.
To solve this problem, cultivators would transfer the recipient's remaining aura from one of their belongings onto the letter, allowing it to lock onto the target's approximate position.
Qin Fen immediately brought the letter to Yuan Hong.
After reading its contents, Yuan Hong smirked with satisfaction.
"Well done."
Qin Fen asked, "My lord, the forest mentioned in the letter should be the same place where we fought the rebels yesterday. Should we take the army and eliminate those rebels in one sweep?"
"No.
First, I cannot be certain Lie Feng truly trusts you.
If this letter is merely a test, attacking now would alert him and make him flee.
Second, it could easily be a trap. He has clearly joined the rebels.
If they set an ambush there, we would suffer heavy losses."
"Then what should we do, my lord?"
Yuan Hong placed his right hand on the table and tapped the surface with his index finger a few times before saying,
"You will go to the meeting first.
If there is no ambush, it means he believes you will assist him.
As long as he doesn't suspect you, I have many ways to deal with him."
"Yes, my lord. But…"
Seeing Qin Fen hesitate, Yuan Hong asked,
"But what?"
"My lord… this humble one wishes to ask for a favor."
"What favor? Speak."
"It's about the slave contract.
I hope that once this matter is over, my lord will destroy it."
Qin Fen was terrified, but he still forced himself to ask.
He didn't expect anything—yet surprisingly, Yuan Hong agreed.
"Very well. I can promise you that.
Once this is done, I will return your freedom."
Qin Fen bowed excitedly.
"Thank you, my lord. I will serve you wholeheartedly."
"Good. You may leave."
Qin Fen turned to go.
But once his figure vanished, Yuan Hong's expression instantly changed, releasing a cold killing intent.
This man is a cowardly fence-sitter, Yuan Hong thought.
He must never be trusted. Keeping him around means risking future betrayal.
I'll promise him for now… and once this is over, I'll eliminate him too.
Meanwhile, Qin Fen happily believed Yuan Hong's empty promise.
On his way to the meeting, his mood felt lighter than it had been in days, and for once, he even allowed himself to feel hopeful about the future.
When Qin Fen arrived at the forest, he looked around.
There was no one in sight.
So he called out, "I'm here!"
Hearing no response, he raised his voice and shouted again, "I'm here!"
This time, a familiar voice came from behind him.
"Didn't think you'd actually come."
Qin Fen turned around—Lie Feng stood there.
Lie Feng asked, "You came alone?"
Qin Fen replied, "Did you expect someone else?"
"I figured you'd assist me in one moment, then sell me out the next."
Lie Feng's words made Qin Fen panic internally.
Fortunately, the darkness helped hide his expressions, and he forced himself to remain calm.
To sound convincing, he deliberately added a hint of anger.
"What do you take me for? Sure, I fear death, but I keep my word."
Lie Feng only snorted and tossed him a large pouch.
Qin Fen caught it.
"What's this?"
"Specially made sleeping powder."
"Sleeping powder? You're planning to drug everyone in the City Lord's estate?"
"That's right."
"I don't mean to discourage you, but… how am I supposed to drug the entire estate?"
"After returning, pour the powder into the well inside the estate.
Everyone will drink water in the morning.
After eight hours, they will fall asleep.
By the time they're unconscious, no amount of noise will wake them.
Tomorrow night, at this exact time, I'll infiltrate the city and kill Yuan Hong."
"So that's your plan."
"Why? This shouldn't be difficult for you.
Dropping powder in a well at night—no one will notice."
"That's all you need me to do?"
Lie Feng sneered.
"What, did you expect to join me in killing people? Do you even have the guts?"
Qin Fen's pride flared, but he forced himself to endure.
"Fine. If there's nothing else, I'll go carry out the plan."
Lie Feng didn't stop him, only stared sharply as Qin Fen disappeared into the night.
After returning to the City Lord's estate, Qin Fen immediately reported Lie Feng's plan to Yuan Hong.
Yuan Hong grinned.
"Good plan.
If he succeeded, I wouldn't even know how I died."
Qin Fen asked, "What should I do then?"
"Let him come.
When he enters the estate, I'll have men lying in wait. We'll capture him in one strike."
"My lord, I fear he may escape again. If he slips away, everything will be wasted."
Yuan Hong smirked.
"Thank you for reminding me.
Once he enters the city, I'll activate the city-protecting formation.
No one will be able to leave Zhongzhou."
The city-protecting formation, as its name implied, shielded the entire city.
Its activation mechanism was located within the City Lord's estate.
Once activated, neither those inside nor outside could freely pass through unless a specific direction of the barrier was opened intentionally.
There was one other way—breaking the barrier through brute force.
But since the formation was powered by spirit stones, each attack only consumed a small portion of its energy.
Even with many cultivators attacking day and night, breaking it within a month was nearly impossible.
Hearing Yuan Hong's arrangements, Qin Fen finally felt reassured.
If Lie Feng escaped again, Qin Fen knew he would be the next person Lie Feng came to kill.
This encirclement had to be perfect.
He said, "My lord is wise."
The next morning, Yuan Hong summoned his trusted subordinates and explained the situation.
Normally, he would have relied on his four disciples—but with Zhang Shun and the others dead, he could only use the people before him as substitutes.
He said,
"That's the situation.
Tonight, none of you are to leave.
Hide anyone with combat ability inside the estate.
When you hear noise, strike immediately and catch him off guard.
Understood?"
The men exchanged uneasy glances, saying nothing.
Yuan Hong's voice deepened.
"What's wrong? Didn't you hear me? Do you need me to repeat myself?"
Sensing his displeasure, one man quickly spoke,
"My lord, we heard you clearly. It's just…"
"Just what? Speak plainly."
The man hesitated but eventually gathered his courage.
"My lord… it's not that we don't want to help, but… even Zhang Shun was no match for him.
What can we possibly do?"
Yuan Hong understood immediately—they were terrified after witnessing Lie Feng's strength firsthand.
He couldn't blame them. They were simply stating the truth.
But even if their strength was limited, any help increased the chances of success, and he needed every advantage.
"I've treated you all well. Is this the moment you intend to scatter like frightened birds?"
They immediately knelt.
"We wouldn't dare!"
Seeing they still respected him, Yuan Hong said,
"I understand your concerns. But this battle is critical.
As long as we win, you can continue enjoying your privileges as before.
I don't expect you to fight him head-on. Just restrain him, and I will handle the killing.
You will all be heavily rewarded afterward.
Now, you know what to do?"
Hearing they only needed to restrain Lie Feng, the pressure on them lessened, and they answered,
"Yes, my lord. We will prepare at once."
Late at night, everyone hid throughout the estate.
Some held rope nets and iron chains.
They remained completely silent, not daring to move, waiting for Lie Feng to appear.
Time passed… too much time.
It was already well past the appointed hour.
Yuan Hong whispered irritably to Qin Fen,
"Why isn't he here yet? Did you remember the time incorrectly?"
Qin Fen began to panic inwardly—Yuan Hong's tone was clearly souring.
"My lord, I remember his words clearly. He did say he would come tonight."
The answer did nothing to appease Yuan Hong.
His brows furrowed sharply as he opened his mouth—
—but sudden hurried footsteps echoed through the estate.
Everyone tensed instantly, ready to pounce.
A figure burst into view, panting heavily as he shouted:
"Something's wrong!
The rebels—they're raiding the prison!"