Everything Was Going Too Smoothly

The night was as deep as water. Outside the grand courtyard of the Situ Mansion, a watchman in grey garments walked by leisurely while calling out the hour.

It was the third watch of the night. Except for the gambling dens and brothels which were still brightly lit, the rest of Flame City was plunged in pitch darkness. The sprawling estates and grand mansions stood like dormant tigers, emitting rhythmic snores.

Amidst this heavy darkness, seven or eight figures drifted past like phantoms, simultaneously appearing ten zhang away from the mansion.

"Marshal, what should our next move be? Give the order," a deep voice broke the darkness, yet it was restrained within a radius of a few feet by a silent barrier.

Humo’s expression was grave as he spoke in a low voice, "Hold your positions for now. This operation must succeed in one blow without the slightest mishap. Black Iron, take this Vulcan Troop-Mobilization Token. I have left my battle intent within you; the moment my battle intent stirs, use this token to mobilize the city garrison guards without fail!"

"Understood! Marshal, Black Iron shall accomplish the mission!" Black Iron accepted the token, his figure flickering before vanishing into thin air.

Humo turned his gaze to the remaining individuals. These were all newly advanced Metal-attribute Battle Kings, and under his guidance, their combat powers had fully stabilized, rendering their respective battle arts and techniques even more proficient.

Looking at them, Humo spoke in a hushed tone, "Brothers, although your task is simple, you must not lower your guard. When I give the order shortly, strike the ground outside the Situ Mansion with your utmost strength. It is best to completely fuse your Metal-attribute battle energy deep into the earth, temporarily turning the ground within ten zhang into metal. Remember, hold nothing back. If possible, turn the entire Situ Mansion into a solid block of iron! I'd like to see how those fellows hiding in the secret chambers can endure that!"

"Yes, Marshal!" the rest replied in low voices, their tones muted yet carrying a trace of suppressed excitement.

Elsewhere, outside the Xu Family estate, Hu Baimei yawned, rubbed her dainty nose, and muttered to herself, "Making people work so late without rest, this master of mine is truly too wicked."

Scarcely had she finished muttering when Humo’s voice echoed in her mind: "Mei'er, handle that side. Have them freeze the entire Xu Family estate, then quickly withdraw. Remember, just make sure those fellows from the Golden Soul Palace have a clear target. Withdraw as soon as that is done."

"Understood, understood. These things are too simple and require no teaching. After we withdraw, where shall we rendezvous?" Hu Baimei yawned once more, asking in a soft voice.

"Outside the city. Lure those people outside the city walls, primarily to make the two factions cross paths. Assemble in the small woods outside the city afterward. Your identities must absolute not be exposed, otherwise not only will my entire plan go up in smoke, but the Hu Family will also face immense danger." Humo’s tone was exceptionally solemn. Hu Baimei’s expression turned slightly serious as well; then, she let out a charming giggle and replied softly via telepathy, "Rest assured, my dear master, when has Mei'er ever disappointed you? Just tend to your side of matters with peace of mind."

Hearing that sweet, alluring voice, Humo felt his bones nearly turn to mush. He gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment, offered a wry smile, and said no more.

Outside the Xu Family estate, Hu Baimei turned around and looked at the burning-eyed warriors of the Polaris Squad. Her smile suddenly grew richer, wisps of fragrance slithering into their noses like tiny serpents.

"Listen up. Your marshal has entrusted you few to me this time, so you must all be very excited. Hehe, work hard, and it'd be best if you could seal off this entire courtyard for me. If you pull this off, Big Sister here has rewards in store for you!" Hu Baimei effortlessly resumed her role as a killer of men. As soon as these words left her lips, any man's combat prowess would inevitably skyrocket—something Humo could never hope to emulate.

The few who accompanied her were all newly promoted Water-attribute Battle Kings. Naturally, under Humo’s assistance, their cultivations had also fully stabilized. They had been eager to properly display their might, and now, fueled by Hu Baimei’s encouragement, their morale surged instantly.

"Rest assured, Girl Mei'er, we will definitely accomplish the mission!" a simple-minded, brawny man said with a smile. Knowing Hu Baimei's identity, they had no objections to the term "Big Sister."

"Execute," Humo commanded in a deep voice.

The previously calm atmosphere was shattered instantly!

Five Metal-attribute Battle Kings struck simultaneously, their vast Metal-attribute energy instantly merging into the earth. Their battle power extended rapidly, soon enveloping the entire Situ Mansion.

A short while later, several roars echoed from within the Situ Mansion. Humo immediately waved his hand, and the five Metal-attribute Battle Kings flew toward the city gates in unison. Soon after, the Xu Family side also completed its task, and the large force of the Golden Soul Palace lurking within the Xu Family estate shattered the ice and pursued them out of the city.

Every single detail had to be calculated with absolute precision, for Humo knew that the slightest deviation would plunge the Hu Family into unprecedented danger. Offending three major sects simultaneously was no child's play.

However, Humo was extremely confident this time. When the Lingbo Technique broke through to the fourth layer, what he gained left him both excited and perplexed.

A formation—and a teleportation formation said to only exist on the profound continent, at that. Over the past few days, Humo had tested it several times and finally confirmed that this teleportation formation was genuine.

What puzzled him, however, was how astonishingly simple this formation was to set up. It was just like the formation currently in the small woods, which was sustained using merely a few trees and runes—something simply unbelievable to Humo.

Yet, facts were facts. When Humo and Hu Baimei rendezvoused, they utilized the teleportation formation in the small woods to instantly travel a hundred miles away. Moreover, this type of teleportation formation was single-use, leaving behind not the slightest trace after transmission, which ingeniously set the stage for the orchestrated drama.

When the two parties from the Ice Wave Sect and the Golden Soul Palace crossed paths near the small woods, a scene unfolded that exceeded even Humo's wildest imagination. The disciples of these two sects looked at each other like mortal enemies with eyes burning red; before a single word could be exchanged, they immediately clashed.

Jin Haonan's fury over the deaths of numerous Ice Wave Sect disciples and the severe wounding of Shui Tianyi had yet to be vented. Seeing the Ice Wave Sect take the initiative to provoke them instantly ignited his battle intent.

"Good grief, I've been holding back from messing with you lot, yet you're so ungrateful. Today, I'll wipe out your entire force!" Jin Haonan licked his lips, his bloodthirsty gaze sweeping across the surroundings. Wherever his eyes fell, all the trees were reduced to powder.

The disciples of the Ice Wave Sect were likewise burning with suppressed rage. Shui Tianyi had been inexplicably attacked by the Golden Soul Palace and nearly killed on the spot; he was still recovering at the Ice Wave Sect's stronghold, and even if he healed completely, his cultivation level would inevitably plummet.

Now, the Golden Soul Palace actually had the audacity to provoke them on their own doorstep—especially near their secret stronghold. The implications were glaringly obvious: provocation coupled with threat!

Although the Ice Wave Sect wasn't as bellicose as the Golden Soul Palace, that didn't mean they feared them! The two sects had previously maintained an ambiguous relationship, but this series of events had pushed tensions to a boiling point. Since things had reached this pass, they naturally wouldn't sit and wait for death.

"Jin Haonan, you wretched scum! Since your Golden Soul Palace has torn off its mask of civility, why should my Ice Wave Sect fear you? Hear me, members of the Ice Wave Sect, annihilate the enemy with all your might and avenge Elder Tianyi!" a white-haired, white-bearded elder roared furiously. In an instant, the temperature near the small woods plummeted by hundreds of degrees, freezing even the soil until it resembled blocks of iron—a temperature infinitely approaching the primordial chaos water.

Humo and Hu Baimei concealed their presence, watching the fiercely battling factions from afar. Hu Baimei kept making playful little gestures, occasionally covering Humo's face or burrowing into his clothes, filling him with a dry, scorching heat that made him want to look up and scream: *Is this what they call me bullying her?!*

Nonetheless, Humo maintained his concentration, observing the two groups in the battlefield while muttering inwardly: *They seemed eager to fight anyway; me giving them a push isn't necessarily a bad thing. To think that I, Humo, secretly lent them a helping hand—I truly am quite magnanimous!*

Seeing Humo lost in some sort of self-absorbed reverie and completely ignoring her, Hu Baimei grew somewhat irritated. She pinched the soft flesh around Humo's waist hard, causing him nearly to cry out in pain.

"What are you doing? Trying to assassinate your master?!" Humo rubbed his sore spot pitifully, looking dangerously close to tears.

"Assassinate my master? Master loves to joke. This humble one is merely a pitiful, coerced weakling; how would I ever dare to assassinate my master? Alas, being a maidservant is truly difficult nowadays. Serving one's master with such devotion only to be ignored, and on top of that, being accused of attempted assassination... I... I am truly pitiful to the extreme." Hu Baimei put on a tearful, pear-blossom-in-the-rain expression, inflicting psychological torture that filled Humo with sorrow. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret: Which of his nerves had been miswired to bring this nemesis along?

"Alright, alright, don't expose our position. We're lurking in the shadows right now, not watching a show out in the open," Humo whispered by way of reminder, his eyes never leaving the battlefield.

"I know, of course, which is why I've been very quiet," Hu Baimei said with a straight face. Truth be told, if Hu Baimei's state just now could be called quiet, then the bloody slaughter before their eyes was a silent film.

"Still, these people are truly foolish to fall for the trap so easily. It seems humanity is regressing day by day; the spring of our Battle Beast clan probably isn't far off!" Hu Baimei said with a giggle, immediately covering her mouth afterward and pretending to have been quiet all along.

Humo frowned, a subtle knot forming in his heart. Indeed, certain words spoken by Hu Baimei genuinely raised his suspicions, for everything had gone far too smoothly—so smoothly that it followed the script down to the letter.

Just then, a voice resounded in his mind—a deeply familiar voice.

"Great-grandson, leave quickly! You've fallen into a trap!"

Humo's body trembled violently. Realizing something was terribly wrong, he grabbed Hu Baimei's hand. The very second he lifted his foot to step forward, a torrential storm of swords and ice rained down from the sky. Crisis was imminent!

(Out and just got back, apologies for the late update.)