Chapter 221 Trapped in a Deadly Scheme

Chapter 221 Trapped in a Deadly Scheme

When Duanmu Linger saw Ning Xiaochuan being dragged into the room by Duanmu Jishuang, she knew things had taken a terrible turn. Though Ning Xiaochuan was a beast, he was certainly no match for that seductive fox spirit, Duanmu Jishuang.

She was just about to rush in and save him, lest he too became a plaything beneath Duanmu Jishuang.

Boom!

The door shattered into pieces.

Ning Xiaochuan scrambled out of the room in a panic, his clothes disheveled as he landed on the ground, shouting, "Let's go!"

Never before had Ning Xiaochuan been so flustered—it was as if he had encountered a flood or a wild beast. With a push of his toes, he vaulted over the wall and fled.

Duanmu Jishuang stepped out, clad in a snug, moon-white fur robe that revealed her long neck, a generous expanse of pale skin at her chest, and her slender, jade-like legs. Standing there half-naked on the pavilion, she stared at Duanmu Linger and laughed. "That young man’s body is simply perfect. How could you be so careless as to let such a fine specimen appear before me? Haha, I’ve decided to take him for myself."

"Slut!" Duanmu Linger spat coldly before turning and leaving.

Ning Xiaochuan returned to the Ling Qi Pavilion, letting out a long sigh of relief as he straightened his disheveled robes and fastened them with his belt.

That had been far too close.

He circulated the Profound Qi within his body, running it through eighteen full cycles before the boiling heat in his veins finally settled.

Boom!

Duanmu Linger kicked the door open and strode inside, casting a cold smirk at Ning Xiaochuan. "Now you see what kind of woman she is, don’t you? Though, I must say, your performance today was beyond my expectations."

"Oh?"

Duanmu Linger said, "You’re the first man Duanmu Jishuang has ever taken into her room who managed to escape. Impressive. I’m starting to believe you might not have done those beastly things to the Ruthless Ghost Envoy after all."

"You should’ve believed me sooner."

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "But your sister is really too much… Doesn’t your father discipline her at all? Just lets her run wild like this?"

Duanmu Linger scoffed. "Many heroes spend their whole lives without ever managing to control their own children. Besides, this is the Demon Sect—far worse things happen here. Stay long enough, and you’ll stop being surprised. Duanmu Jishuang has her eyes on you now. You’d better watch your back."

With that, she turned and left without another word.

Ning Xiaochuan watched her retreating figure and smiled faintly, paying no heed to her warning. Instead, he pulled out a small girl’s dress from his robes and clumsily dressed the Small Mystic Beast in it.

He had snatched the dress in haste from Duanmu Jishuang’s room, and it still carried a faint trace of powder fragrance. Though it was a bit too large for the Small Mystic Beast, it fit well enough.

The Small Mystic Beast blinked her big, sparkling eyes and said, "Daddy, I still don’t have a name."

Knowing she wouldn’t drop the habit, Ning Xiaochuan didn’t press the issue. After a moment of thought, he said, "Then you’ll be called Xiao Ling’er."

"Why Xiao Ling’er?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Because your mother’s name is Ling’er, and you’re her daughter, so naturally, you’re Xiao Ling’er."

"Oh. Daddy, I’m hungry," Xiao Ling’er said pitifully, staring at Ning Xiaochuan with wide eyes.

Ning Xiaochuan gently patted her head and said, "Go to sleep first. When you wake up, your mother can feed you milk."

"I don’t want milk, I want grass," Xiao Ling'er said seriously, her eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochuan’s Heaven and Earth Bag.

"You want profound medicine?"

Ning Xiaochuan opened the Heaven and Earth Bag, and a dazzling brilliance burst forth. The fragrance of dozens of profound medicines filled the entire room.

Xiao Ling'er was overjoyed. She wobbled over, picked out the highest-grade sixth-grade profound medicine from the pile, and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing with her small, snow-white teeth.

"She’s so young, yet she can distinguish the grade of profound medicines. Is this her innate talent?" Ning Xiaochuan wondered.

Soon, the entire sixth-grade profound medicine, with its astonishing medicinal power, was devoured by her.

A faint glow enveloped her body, and a bright light flickered at the center of her forehead.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if a purple star was suspended within her mind, slowly rotating. On the surface of the star, there were towering mountains, vast oceans, and surging rivers—like a magnificent world.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at her forehead, stunned by the sight. He was about to channel profound Qi into his eyes to get a clearer look at the star when suddenly, the light in her forehead vanished.

"Xiao Ling'er, eat another profound medicine," Ning Xiaochuan said.

He believed that if she consumed more profound medicine, the light in her forehead would reappear.

"Full… Xiao Ling'er sleepy…" After saying this, she closed her eyes and fell asleep on the bed.

Ning Xiaochuan gave her a deep look and sighed. How had he suddenly become a babysitter?

Putting away the Heaven and Earth Bag, he prepared to begin his cultivation.

Ning Xiaochuan had already mastered the Seventh Level of 'Heaven and Earth Profound Qi,' increasing his absorption rate of profound Qi to sixty-four times—a speed comparable to that of a Martial Venerable.

Once he activated his profound Qi, a massive vortex would form within his Martial Arts Heart Palace, frantically absorbing the energy.

As Ning Xiaochuan cultivated, a graceful and alluring woman entered his room, wearing only a tight-fitting fur garment that barely covered her most vital areas. Yet, the two snow-white peaks at her chest strained against the fabric, as if threatening to burst free.

Her feet were bare, delicate like golden lotuses, making no sound as they touched the ground.

With his mental transmission ability, Ning Xiaochuan immediately withdrew his profound Qi and opened his eyes. "Duanmu Jishuang."

"Hehe, young master… The night is lonely. Would you care to share your thoughts with this servant?"

Like a beautiful midnight ghost, Duanmu Jishuang exuded an intoxicating fragrance as she threw herself into Ning Xiaochuan’s arms. Her slender jade-like arms wrapped around his neck, and her seductive red lips pressed deeply against his chest.

"Miss Duanmu, if you don’t leave my room immediately, don’t blame me for being impolite," Ning Xiaochuan said coldly.

"Come on, be ruthless with me, show me violence!" Duanmu Jishuang reached out to undo Ning Xiaochuan's belt, her slender jade hands exuding extreme delicacy.

Ning Xiaochuan had not an ounce of goodwill toward such a woman. His gaze darkened, and from his chest, 180 strands of Sword Qi shot forth, slashing toward her.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Duanmu Jishuang was a Martial Artist at the third level of the Transcendent Realm. Seeing the Sword Qi coming at her, a look of astonishment flashed in her eyes.

She hadn’t expected Ning Xiaochuan to be so unromantic—he was the first man to ever strike her with such ferocity.

Though surprised, her movements were anything but slow. She flipped backward like a serpentine beauty, coiling behind Ning Xiaochuan and swiftly stripping off his robe.

Clad in a tight-fitting inner garment, Ning Xiaochuan summoned arcs of lightning from his palm, condensing them into a brilliant Lightning Ball.

"Roar!"

The Lightning Ball transformed into a ferocious Lightning Divine Beast, its claws shredding the Divine Ability Duanmu Jishuang had unleashed. The impact sent her flying, her fair body now crackling with streaks of electricity.

"There’s no man I’ve ever wanted that I couldn’t have. You’re practically begging for death!" Duanmu Jishuang, furious, conjured a Profound Qi Sword, her figure turning into an elegant silhouette as she unleashed a Sword Dao Divine Ability.

The Sword Qi fragmented into 360 razor-sharp scales, slicing through the air with piercing whistles.

Ning Xiaochuan struck out with a palm, unleashing a storm of Heavenly Thunder that shattered the Sword Qi and blasted Duanmu Jishuang. The force hurled her out of the room, smashing through the wall and sending her tumbling into the snow outside.

Ning Xiaochuan stepped forward, staring down at Duanmu Jishuang sprawled in the snow. "One must learn self-respect."

A trickle of blood dripped from Duanmu Jishuang’s lips as she glared venomously at Ning Xiaochuan, vowing in her heart to make him suffer a fate worse than death.

"Whoosh!"

An Ice Sword streaked through the night sky, piercing the air with a sonic boom.

"Thud!"

The Ice Sword plunged down, pinning Duanmu Jishuang to the ground. Its blade pierced her heart, blood gushing like a spring from the wound.

Just like that, Duanmu Jishuang was dead.

Even Ning Xiaochuan was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events.

"Who’s there?"

Ning Xiaochuan leaped onto the high courtyard wall, scanning the night sky.

That Ice Sword had come from outside the Ling Qi Pavilion.

"Thud! Thud!"

A flurry of footsteps echoed below.

Hundreds of demonic Martial Artists, holding torches, stormed into the Ling Qi Pavilion, surrounding Ning Xiaochuan.

Lin Zhirong emerged from the crowd, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of Duanmu Jishuang lying in a pool of blood. He lifted her into his arms. "Jishuang... Jishuang... She’s... dead!"

His gaze burned with fury as he glared at Ning Xiaochuan. "Who are you? Why did you kill her?"

The demonic Martial Artists all fixed murderous stares on Ning Xiaochuan, unsheathing their Short Swords, ready to carve him into a thousand pieces.

Ning Xiaochuan replied coldly, "And who are you?"

"I am her husband. Who do you think I am? A life for a life. Today, I will grind your bones to dust to avenge my wife!" Lin Zhirong declared.

"So you're the young master of the Lifeless Dao. Heh." Ning Xiaochuan inexplicably felt the urge to laugh. "Your timing is impeccable. The moment Duanmu Jishuang was pinned to death, you barged in. Yet when your wife was seducing me earlier, where were you? I can't help but think... you're the one who killed her."

Duanmu Linger and Zi Zhui'er arrived at the scene.

"Lin Zhirong, what right do you have to storm into my Ling Qi Pavilion? How did Duanmu Jishuang die?" Duanmu Linger exclaimed in shock.

Lin Zhirong sneered. "She died at the hands of the man you brought back, Duanmu Linger. You bear half the responsibility for your sister's death."

Duanmu Linger stared at Ning Xiaochuan, then glanced at Duanmu Jishuang's half-naked body on the ground. A thought crossed her mind: Did Duanmu Jishuang really go to Ning Xiaochuan to seduce him, only to be killed by him instead?

The possibility wasn't unfounded.

Noticing the lipstick mark on Ning Xiaochuan's chest and his missing outer robe, Duanmu Linger became certain of her suspicion.

Ning Xiaochuan was as good as dead. No matter how deserving of death Duanmu Jishuang might have been, she was still the daughter of the Bloodthirsty Demon Dao Lord. How could anyone dare kill her so recklessly?

Ning Xiaochuan calmly stated, "I didn't kill her."

"Still lying? You won't admit it until you see your own coffin!"

A sinister glint flashed in Lin Zhirong's eyes as he activated the Lifeless Art. A rotating treasure wheel materialized behind him, and in an instant, he closed the distance, slashing the wheel toward Ning Xiaochuan with overwhelming killing intent.

Lin Zhirong was a rising star of the Demon Sect, having reached the Fourth Layer of the Transcendent Realm. Among the younger generation, he was virtually unmatched. Killing Ning Xiaochuan, in his mind, would be effortless.

The truth was, Duanmu Jishuang had died by Lin Zhirong's Ice Sword.

He had long wanted to kill her but never found the opportunity.

After all, Duanmu Jishuang was the Demon Emperor's granddaughter. No matter how promiscuous she was, Lin Zhirong wouldn't dare lay a hand on her.

Tonight, he had finally seized his chance. Now, all he needed was to silence Ning Xiaochuan—then he could pin everything on him.

The thought only deepened the murderous intent in Lin Zhirong's eyes.