41: Chapter 41: The Conspiracy Unfolds, A Trap Falls

The wind blew in from the western alley entrance, swirling a few dead leaves along the base of the wall.

Chen Xuan carried his wooden sword on his back, walking leisurely along the bluestone road, humming a folk tune he had heard the night before.

He did not stop walking, his peripheral vision sweeping across the street stalls; the marketplace, which should have been filled with vegetable baskets and meat counters, was unusually empty today, and even the old man who sold tofu was nowhere to be seen.

"They really are giving me Face." He chuckled softly, paused for a moment, and then continued walking forward.

After turning the third corner, a dilapidated residence appeared ahead, its door frame crooked and the wall plaster peeling off.

He had passed by this place just the day before yesterday, and at that time, there had been an old beggar squatting at the entrance soaking up the sun, but now there was not a soul to be seen. He narrowed his eyes, reached out to touch the tip of his nose, and did not slow his pace.

Just as he stepped over the threshold of the courtyard, the bluestone brick under his feet made a "click" sound.

His heart skipped a beat, and he plummeted downward.

The ground collapsed into a three-zhang deep pit with slippery walls. Chen Xuan twisted his body in mid-air, trying to gain leverage, but his shoulder hit an iron net; the pre-set mechanism instantly snapped shut, sealing the exit.

Smoke sprayed from the four corners, carrying a pungent odor. He held his breath, pressed his back against the wall, and held his wooden sword horizontally in front of his chest.

Torches lit up overhead, and a circle of men in black surrounded the edge of the pit, holding Sharp Weapons, their gazes icy.

One of them raised his hand and waved, and seven or eight figures leaped into the pit, their blades flashing as they closed in.

Chen Xuan let out a low roar, used his wooden sword to push off the ground, and rolled sideways to dodge the first wave of attacks.

Just as his left foot stabilized, he swept out his right leg, kicking the wrist of one person, sending their weapon flying far away.

As the second person closed in, he took the opportunity to crouch, thrusting his wooden sword upward to strike under the man's armpit, causing him to groan and fall to the ground.

The third person swung a blade down; instead of retreating, he advanced, striking the opponent's chest with his palm, using the leverage to flip backward, his heel crushing a stone upon landing.

But before he could even catch his breath, five or six more experts rushed in from all directions, blades drawn, every move aimed at his throat.

He blocked and parried, using his wooden sword to deflect two short blades, but his shoulder was slashed, leaving a bloody wound. He gritted his teeth, dodged, leaned his back against the stone wall, and sweat seeped from his forehead.

"Playing dirty, are we?" He wiped his Face and sneered. "You should check if I'm someone who's easily fooled."

Before he could finish speaking, a powerful arrow shot down from above, grazing his ear and embedding itself into the wall. Immediately after, several more arrows were fired in succession, forcing him to keep his head down.

He shrank into a corner and heard a whisper from above: "Don't give him a chance to breathe, press the attack!"

Chen Xuan gripped his wooden sword tightly, staring at the encroaching enemies, knowing that fighting them head-on wouldn't work.

Just as he was pondering a way to escape, he suddenly felt the iron net above vibrate, and a wave of cold air rushed toward his Face.

"Clang!"

With a ring of a sword, the iron net was split open from the middle, and Leng Shuang leaped down like a snow crane, her white robes fluttering, her long sword shrouded in layers of white mist.

The moment she landed, she spun and slashed, freezing the ground beneath two assassins, causing them to slip and fall. She didn't even look at them, walking straight to Chen Xuan's side, her voice cold and clear: "Can you still move?"

"I'm not dead yet." He grinned, the blood from his shoulder dripping down his arm.

"Stop talking nonsense." She stood sideways in front of him, sword tip pointing to the ground, cold air permeating around her.

At the same time, Zhao Hongling's roar came from near and far: "Move aside! Whoever blocks me gets cut!"

She swung her twin maces and charged into the courtyard, kicked over the two people guarding the edge of the pit, and leaped down.

Upon landing, she rolled to absorb the impact, stood up, and immediately smashed a mace at the attacker on the left, cracking the man's skull and causing him to collapse on the spot.

She tossed her hair and glared at the surrounding enemies: "Listen to me, all of you! If you touch a single hair on his head, this lady will tear down your ancestral graves!"

The onslaught of the men in black stalled slightly, but they soon closed in again.

A soft sound came from the top of the wall; Liu Ruyan lifted her skirt and leaped onto the broken wall, scattering a cloud of pale pink smoke from her sleeves.

The smoke spread extremely fast, and the assassins who came into contact with it immediately had glazed eyes and sluggish movements.

Standing high up, she called out: "Someone is setting up a formation at the western gap, and there are archers hiding in the rafters!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of light appeared from the southwest, and Dugu Xue charged in with her sword; her sword light was like a rainbow, breaking through the defenses of three people in succession.

Her white robes were stained with dust, and her sword blade dripped with blood. She said coldly: "The encirclement is closing in; we are being pinned down."

"Then don't let them have their way!" Chen Xuan stood up abruptly, wiped the tip of his nose, held his wooden sword horizontally, and said, "The five of us have never lost!"

Leng Shuang nodded, cold Qi condensing on her sword blade, ready to fight again.

Zhao Hongling spat out a mouthful of blood: "Should have fought long ago! I've been holding back for two days, and that's enough!"

Liu Ruyan took a small bottle from her bosom and poured out a few pills to distribute: "These are for refreshing your mind; take one if you can't hold on."

Dugu Xue looked around and lowered her voice: "They aren't waiting for us to break through; they are waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. We cannot delay any longer."

Chen Xuan looked toward the pit entrance; the torches were gathering in greater numbers, and the sounds of battle were pouring in from all directions. He knew that the real encirclement had just begun.

Just at this moment, the sound of the third watch drum came from the distant bell tower.

As the drum sound faded, dozens of men in black leaped down simultaneously from the roofs on all sides; all were masked, holding Sharp Weapons, and upon landing, they immediately formed a formation, advancing step by step.

The space inside the pit was not large to begin with, and this round of reinforcements almost filled every gap.

Archers occupied the high ground, axemen blocked the retreat, and several others held chains and iron hooks, clearly intending to capture them alive.

Leng Shuang's sword light flashed rapidly, freezing the path of two people, but her breathing was already becoming rapid, and her cold Qi was not as dense as before.

Zhao Hongling's twin maces danced like a wind wheel, smashing down three people, but she was hit in the forearm by a hidden weapon, and blood flowed freely.

Liu Ruyan scattered the hallucinogenic smoke again, but the opponents seemed prepared, covering their Faces with cloth, and their speed of advance did not decrease in the slightest.

Dugu Xue thrust her sword at two people, forcing back one corner, but she failed to open a Breakthrough. She said in a deep voice: "They came prepared; this is not a normal ambush, it is a death trap."

Chen Xuan leaned his back against the stone wall, his chest heaving, using his wooden sword to support his body.

He looked at the enemies closing in before him, and then looked at the four women beside him.

Leng Shuang's Face was pale but she was still holding on, Zhao Hongling's eyes were wide with anger and she refused to retreat, Liu Ruyan's fingertips trembled but she still guarded the wall, and Dugu Xue's sword blade was stained with blood but she refused to bow her head.

He suddenly laughed.

"This is good; at least I don't have to carry this alone."

Leng Shuang glanced at him, her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing.

Zhao Hongling cursed: "You're still laughing at a time like this?"

"Should I cry instead?" He loosened his wrist and stared at the pit entrance. "They think we are trapped, but actually... they have also trapped themselves."

Liu Ruyan frowned: "What do you mean?"

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a sharp shout from above: "Release the cages!"

In an instant, several iron cages descended from the sky, crashing down and separating the five of them.

Each cage was made of refined steel, the bars as thick as a child's arm, and the mechanism locked upon falling.

Chen Xuan was locked in the center, Leng Shuang was trapped in the southeast, Zhao Hongling was stuck in the northeast, Dugu Xue was locked in the southwest, and Liu Ruyan, who had landed on the northwest wall, was also covered by a cage.

The men in black ceased their attacks and instead lined up neatly, surrounding the outer circle, swords drawn, arrows notched.

A figure cloaked in black robes slowly walked onto the roof of the ruined residence, looking down at the five people in the pit, their voice hoarse: "Chen Xuan, you've had your glory."

Chen Xuan looked up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and grinned: "You, hiding your head and showing your tail, have the nerve to talk about my glory?"