Chapter 259. The Willing Victims Take the Bait, Grand Ambitions, Escalating Situation

Jiang Ningxian tilted her beautiful face upward, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth. She had a unique presence about her, but when she smiled, she was genuinely adorable. Her remark also carried a teasing, mischievous edge.

Lu Yuan chuckled, clearly amused.”Oh? What exactly does Fairy Jiang mean by that?”

“Fairy Jiang is way too formal. Just call me Little Xian’er[1] from now on. We’re good friends, aren’t we? My family calls me that, too,” said Jiang Ningxian with a smile.

“You’ve spread word that you’re gravely injured. Once people believe it, they’ll come looking for you on their own. But what they won’t know is that you’ve already become a Sage. They’ll think they can settle the score with you.

“Honestly, I’m glad you’re not my enemy. Because even someone like me would find you a massive headache,” Jiang Ningxian remarked. She was smart, so all it took was one glance for her to see through Lu Yuan’s plan.

Of course, it helped that she had access to a great deal of information. Without that, even someone as perceptive and smart as her could have been fooled.

After all, the idea that Lu Yuan had sustained severe injuries from fighting those Immortals just made too much sense.

The other reason she was grateful not to be his opponent was Lu Yuan’s talent and the way his mind worked. Both were frightening.

“Those who seek to kill will find themselves killed in return. Since they want to kill me, they should be prepared for the consequences of doing that. Besides, this plan of mine is nothing more than bait.

“Anyone who never wanted to be my enemy in the first place has nothing to worry about it. Besides, the world is still changing. There’s no telling when Sages beings will descend here.”

“The Celestials and the Three-Headed Ghosts are definitely after my life. I’d rather not hunt them down one by one. That’s all there is to it.”

Lu Yuan laid bare his goal. If this were only about the beings from the Outer Cosmos at the Venerable King Realm, it wouldn’t be worth this much effort. The real goal was to draw out the Sages behind them.

He knew that Sages would inevitably descend. Once they were here, he would strike and deliver a devastating blow to the beings from the Outer Cosmos.

Just as he had said, those who did not wish to be his enemy, like the Jiang Clan, could find a way to work with him instead.

“I understand. In that case, is there anything you need me to help with?” Jiang Ningxian asked. Since she could help him, she might as well lend a hand. The thought of toying with those scheming invaders sounded rather entertaining.

“No.” Lu Yuan shook his head. “I can do this on my own.”

Even though the relationship between them had already moved beyond the boundaries of a simple collaboration, he didn’t want to owe anyone too many favors.

“Well then, good luck.” Jiang Ningxian did not press the matter. “If any news comes from the Outer Cosmos, I’ll let you know right away.”

With that, she flashed Lu Yuan a bright smile, clasped her hands behind her back, and skipped her way into her residence. He watched her go with a smile of his own, and then he turned around to leave.

He returned to his training chamber to stabilize his gains.

Everything unfolded exactly as planned. As more and more information was released, the rumors about Lu Yuan’s injuries grew louder. Some of the beings from the Outer Cosmos couldn’t contain themselves and fought with Earth’s Awakened.

The officials responded swiftly, but not with the hard line they had taken before. Instead, they issued warning after warning and nothing more. Their actions made the ordinary citizens wonder—was King Lu truly dying?

Before, the officials’ response to provocations had been aggressive. They’d retaliate and even take the initiative sometimes. Now, they had become far more conservative for some reason. The Celestial Court had also not mobilized anyone.

In a nutshell, the officials had done nothing but send out warnings and deploy a few units of Awakened in response.

It’d be strange if no one found their actions suspicious. The public became anxious. If something had really happened to Lu Yuan, there would be no one left to keep the beings from the Outer Cosmos in check.

When that day came, life would become difficult for everyone.

Soon, the situation escalated. Some people went so far as to travel to Mount Tai and demand answers.

Lu Yuan had not appeared for quite some time now, and it was starting to feel abnormal. His previous seclusions had lasted a month or two at most. This time, his seclusion had already exceeded three months, and it was still ongoing.

The officials gave no response to the demands for answers. Unfortunately, their silence alone spoke volumes. Nearly everyone was now convinced that Lu Yuan was severely injured. Some even believed that he was already dead.

Upon seeing such topics being discussed fervently online, the officials knew that it was time, and they released an official statement. Their official statement declared that the recent claims about how King Lu had suffered grievous injuries were complete nonsense.

King Lu was in seclusion, working to reach a higher realm. This was a critical juncture; hence, he had yet to emerge from seclusion. They urged the citizens and the Awakened alike to avoid engaging in baseless speculation.

To most people, the statement read as a denial. And it was a weak one; it was so weak that it almost sounded like an excuse.

Everyone knew that Lu Yuan was Huaxia’s strongest Awakened. Like the nuclear weapons of the old era, he served as a deterrent against the beings from the Outer Cosmos. Of course, they would never admit the truth.

└Has something actually happened to King Lu?

└No way. There’s no freaking way. He’s the strongest. Invincible Beneath the Stars.

└But… the government is being so sus. I think King Lu is actually dying. I mean, come on, he was up against Immortals.

They debated back and forth as a cacophony of emotions, including fear and confusion, gripped their hearts.

Without Lu Yuan, what would Earth’s future look like? Right now, countless beings in outer space were watching them with hungry eyes.

“Ha! I knew it. Lu Yuan must be dead by now. Otherwise, he’d have shown up by now.”

“They really thought they could deceive us? What a joke. He’s a mere Venerable King, and he went up against Immortals. How could he possibly walk away unscathed?”

“He’s reached the end of his road. He was far too arrogant, and it has finally come to bite him! It won’t be long before we hear news of his death. Just wait and see!”

“Why wait? Think about how long he has been suppressing us! Think about how long he has been keeping us from seeking out the blessed lands of this world!

“I say we take the initiative and kill him ourselves! Let’s wash away the humiliation with his blood!”

“Exactly. He’s critically wounded and on the verge of death. His strength has to be a fraction of what it was. And that group of humans at Mount Tai? They’re nothing!”

“Good. Then let’s plan this out. Gather everyone and figure out how to make that Lu Yuan pay the highest possible price.”

The beings from the Outer Cosmos were ecstatic. Now, they were fully convinced that something had happened to Lu Yuan. In fact, they were already scheming to wash away the humiliation of being suppressed.

Of course, none of them dared to act by themselves. A man’s reputation was like his shadow, and Lu Yuan had thoroughly dominated these beings from the Outer Cosmos. He was terrifyingly strong and could slaughter even Sages.

Even injured, he was not someone any ordinary individual could handle. With that in mind, they planned to assemble as many allies as possible to guarantee their success.

Upon making up their minds, they immediately moved to execute it.

Just then, the Zhou Family hiding deep in the mountains heard the news as well.

1. The “Xian” in Jiang Ningxian’s name is the character 仙; it means Immortal, or a fairy (仙子), which is why the others have been calling her Fairy Jiang. But now, she is asking Lu Yuan to call her Little Xian’er which is a… cheesy endearment (lit. little fairy sweetie kind of vibe) ☜

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep