Murong Sheng Rui cupped his chin in one hand, watching Feng Mo Ran with great interest.
"Is the National Preceptor ordering me?"
"Murong Sheng Rui, if Chu Qing Ge and her son escape, you know the consequences." Feng Mo Ran was somewhat annoyed. What he disliked most about Murong Sheng Rui was his excessive casualness and his tendency to act on whims, disregarding the bigger picture.
Murong Sheng Rui stretched lazily, unmoved. "That is merely your bargaining chip. As for me, I do not need such a chip."
"You..." Feng Mo Ran was exasperated. He had never expected Murong Sheng Rui to be so capricious, wanting to watch Chu Qing Ge and her son escape with folded arms. "Why aren't you pursuing them? You must capture Chu Qing Ge and her son."
The hidden guards by Feng Mo Ran's side wished to pursue, but Nangong Yu had brought a considerable number of men with him. Breaking through Nangong Yu's defenses to capture someone was not a simple task.
Nangong Yu's expression was calm. As long as Feng Mo Ran was without his bargaining chip, he would not have to worry about Xiao Man being held hostage. Moreover, Xiao Man was currently weak, and he did not wish for her to suffer any harm.
However, what he hadn't expected was that Si Ye, who had been protecting Chu Qing Ge's escape, would return with Chu Qing Ge!
"Why did you retreat?"
Si Ye wore a bitter expression. "My lord, we are surrounded."
Nangong Yu looked at the constantly closing circle of people, a cold smile playing on his lips. His gaze fell on Murong Sheng Rui. "You have quite the methods, bringing out the Dragon Shadow Guards."
Murong Sheng Rui stood up, looking at Nangong Yu with composure. "I do not wish to help Feng Mo Ran, but I also do not wish to let you go. I only want your life!"
Nangong Yu let out a cold laugh. "Because she chose me and abandoned you, are you jealous?"
Murong Sheng Rui's expression immediately turned extremely unsightly, as Nangong Yu had struck a nerve. He was not just jealous; he also harbored hatred. He hated that Du Gu Man had abandoned the adopted son she had raised for over ten years for someone she had just met. He also hated Du Gu Man's pampering of Nangong Yu. All of this should have been his.
"You want to kill me, but do you have the ability?" Nangong Yu's expression was a mixture of amusement and mockery. "I almost forgot, you were poisoned with marrow cleansing and lost all your cultivation. You don't have the National Preceptor's ability to trick Lan Ruo Yu into becoming his cauldron to detoxify himself."
Feng Mo Ran's expression was somewhat strange. "Enough with the nonsense. With the men you brought, do you really think you can leave here alive?"
"I naturally know you have arranged numerous traps here, waiting for us to walk into them." Nangong Yu said slowly. "You don't think I would be foolish enough to walk into a trap, do you?"
Murong Sheng Rui walked to Feng Mo Ran's side and stood there, his gaze chillingly fixed on Nangong Yu. Both had hurt her, yet Xiao Man had not broken ties with Nangong Yu and instead protected him at every turn, while she showed him no mercy.
"I have only one objective: to take your head as a gift for A Man." Murong Sheng Rui gestured, and Wei Wuji had already charged forward, his target clearly stated: kill Nangong Yu.
However, Nangong Yu was never a pushover, nor was he easily bullied. Back then, Nangong Yu had pursued Qiu Zi Qiu for a thousand li. Even though Qiu Zi Qiu was a martial arts master, he had ultimately died at Nangong Yu's hands. Now, his martial arts had become even more refined. How could he fear Wei Wuji and the others? The only thing he felt wary of was Feng Mo Ran, who was waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack at any moment.
Seeing Murong Sheng Rui's men move, Feng Mo Ran did not rush to attack. Nangong Yu was always cautious and surely had a backup plan. He could not rashly advance. However, Nangong Yu's presence here meant that Xiao Man would not be far behind, and this matter had to be resolved quickly.
Feng Mo Ran seized an opportunity. Seeing a flaw in Nangong Yu's defense, he lunged forward, his fingers forming claws and striking at Chu Qing Ge, who was hiding behind Nangong Yu. Chu Qing Ge, holding her child with one hand and her sword with the other, blocked Feng Mo Ran's attack. However, her cultivation was too shallow, and she was no match for Feng Mo Ran, spitting blood on the spot.
Seeing this, Nangong Yu knew that a direct confrontation was not in their favor. The army could not enter this area, and while his hidden guards were elites among elites, they were struggling against two opposing forces.
"Retreat into Devil City." Nangong Yu made a swift decision. In open terrain, they had no advantage, but once inside Devil City, with its complex terrain, they still had a fighting chance. Moreover, he absolutely could not let Chu Qing Ge fall into Feng Mo Ran's hands, thereby controlling Xiao Man, nor would he allow himself to fall into Feng Mo Ran's hands.
Nangong Yu led Chu Qing Ge charging into Devil City. Feng Mo Ran discovered his intention and wanted to stop him, but blocking Nangong Yu was not an easy task.
Chu Qing Ge, holding her child, charged into the city with Nangong Yu. Even though she knew Devil City was fraught with danger, it was still safer than facing Feng Mo Ran and his forces outside.
"Your Majesty Yu, this is not my child." After shaking off their pursuers, Chu Qing Ge realized the child she was holding was not hers.
"Your child is safe. At this time, she should have already been delivered to Xiao Man." Nangong Yu meticulously identified the paths. The roads within Devil City led to different places, and one wrong step could lead to a trap. Fortunately, Xiao Man had given him a map, otherwise, he truly wouldn't have known how to navigate.
"Then this child?"
"This is a female infant bought from a farming couple. They had too many children and couldn't afford to raise her, so they wanted to drown this newborn. We happened to need a child to impersonate yours, so we bought her," Nangong Yu explained as he led the way. "Stay close to me and don't get lost. There are many traps and mechanisms inside; even Xiao Man would not dare to be careless here."
"Okay." Chu Qing Ge held the child tightly. Her parents had abandoned her, but she wouldn't. If they could survive and leave, she would adopt this child and let her live with Zi Yang.
"Your Majesty Yu, can you send a signal to A Man and tell her not to come?" Chu Qing Ge hurried to catch up with Nangong Yu. "This is a trap, a trap meticulously set by Feng Mo Ran. His target from the beginning was A Man."
"I know." Nangong Yu's voice was steady. "Not only do I know, but Xiao Man also knows. However, Xiao Man has no choice but to come."
"Why?" Chu Qing Ge asked in surprise. "The child is safe now, and I have escaped from Feng Mo Ran. Why does she still need to come?"
"Because Empress Yue Xian is in Feng Mo Ran's hands. Furthermore, Feng Mo Ran is responsible for the lives of General Xiao and Wen Mo Han. Xiao Man will never let him go. Even if she knows this is a trap, she will step into it without hesitation. Only by willingly entering the trap can we understand what Feng Mo Ran truly desires."