Xiao Man found Jin Yao's reluctance amusing. He had the desire but not the courage. The second son of the Jin family was nothing more than that!
Her face, however, was full of innocence. "Second Young Master, if I go, Wen Ting probably won't take the bait. He wants to attack you, and you are the best lure. If we really want to ambush him, with you making the move, it will be effortless. Besides, with Elder Shen present, you will certainly be safe."
Jin Yao knew he would be safe with Elder Shen there, but he still didn't want to risk it. After all, Wen Ting was notoriously wicked. If anything were to go wrong, he would lose his life!
"That's right, Second Young Master is of noble status and cannot be put in danger. Moreover, even with Elder Shen present, there's no guarantee of absolute safety. It would be more prudent for me to act as the lure. However, I cannot guarantee that I can draw him out," Xiao Man continued, seeing Jin Yao's silence. SuDan Novel Network
"With Elder Shen there, there will be no accidents. It's just that Wen Ting is capricious, and his target might not be me. That's why I hope you will try. After all, everyone knows you are my subordinate. If Wen Ting's target is indeed me, you will definitely attract him. If he remains indifferent, it means his target is not me," Jin Yao said, his words sounding noble despite his cowardice, which he wished to conceal. "Moreover, he is the young master of the Beast Taming Sect, and I am a young master of the Jin family. If we clash, it will be a conflict between the Beast Taming Sect and the Jin family, which is no trivial matter. It's best if we can avoid it."
Xiao Man nodded as if suddenly enlightened. "Second Young Master, if Young Master Wen remains indifferent, do we then not have to concern ourselves with him?"
"Naturally."
"Alright, I'll be the lure." Xiao Man agreed without hesitation, appearing utterly guileless.
"I'll go with you," Nangong Yu immediately followed.
Elder Shen glanced at Jin Yao from the corner of his eye, feeling a pang of disappointment. Of the two young masters, the second was far inferior to the eldest. If it were the eldest, he would have unhesitatingly offered himself as bait in such a situation, luring the enemy out and annihilating them in one fell swoop. Yet, the second young master lacked such a desperate resolve.
He was, after all, a flower raised in a greenhouse, lacking the ability to withstand storms. The second young master's talent was merely average, and his current cultivation was propped up by elixirs. Not only could he not compare to the three top prodigies, but he was even inferior to this Xiao Qin!
"Elder Shen, do you think Xiao Qin can draw Wen Ting here?"
"Not necessarily," Elder Shen retracted his thoughts and said slowly, "Whether he comes or not, we must be prepared. If he comes, we will strike him down. If he doesn't, it's still good to be wary."
"Elder Shen, if Wen Ting comes, do you have the confidence to kill him?"
"Killing him is not the problem; the problem is how to deal with it afterward," Elder Shen's voice held no discernible emotion, as if nothing could move him.
"That's easily handled," Jin Yao sneered. "Aren't pawns meant to be used?"
"Do you think the Beast Taming Sect will believe that two Golden Core stage youths can kill their young sect master?" Elder Shen asked calmly. Wen Ting had been running rampant alone for so many years not just because of his status as the young master of the Beast Taming Sect; his own strength was formidable. Even the young masters of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Heavenly Spirit Sect might not be his match.
"Elder, you mean..."
"The Beast Taming Sect's status as one of the Four Great Sects is not easily fooled," Elder Shen said slowly. "If Wen Ting dies in the trial grounds, the Beast Taming Sect will investigate everyone who entered, including you."
"I am a young master of the Jin family; they cannot bully me."
"Bully?" Elder Shen savored the word. Had the Beast Taming Sect not bullied enough people? Because the Beast Taming Sect could train spirit beasts, both aristocratic families and sects would defer to them. Among the Four Great Sects, the Heavenly Sword Sect was the strongest, while the Heavenly Spirit Sect and the Beast Taming Sect were the weakest but the wealthiest, precisely because of their alchemy and beast-taming abilities.
"Elder, Wen Ting must die."
"If Wen Ting does not attack us within the trial grounds, we don't need to act. Once we are out of the trial grounds, we will gather more people before making a move. Since we are going to act, we must ensure it is foolproof. Then, even if he is killed, no one will know who did it," a bloodthirsty glint flashed in Elder Shen's eyes.
"That's a good idea. Then we can only pray he doesn't court death."
As soon as Xiao Man and Nangong Yu separated from Jin Yao, they immediately picked up their pace, distancing themselves from Jin Yao's group.
Suddenly, a green light shot towards Xiao Man. Nangong Yu reacted instantly, reaching out and catching the incoming green light. A small, emerald green snake was thus captured.
"Let me go, let me go," Zhu Qing struggled, crying for help, "Master, save me."
"Master?" Nangong Yu looked at Xiao Man.
Xiao Man chuckled and took Zhu Qing from Nangong Yu's hand. "Zhu Qing, where did you go? I couldn't even sense your presence in the East Yue Forest."
"You still say that. I almost lost my life while investigating the ruins," Zhu Qing quickly climbed onto Xiao Man's shoulder. However, as soon as it settled, the little phoenix flew out and was about to peck at Zhu Qing. Zhu Qing, startled, quickly hid in Xiao Man's sleeve. "Master, this is..."
"Huo Wu, don't bully Zhu Qing."
Huo Wu flapped its wings triumphantly. "Mother, why did you take such a useless spirit beast?"
Zhu Qing, hearing Huo Wu call it useless, became indignant. It poked its head out of Xiao Man's sleeve. "How am I useless? I even brought back news for Master. Master, that Jin Yao intends to kill you."
"Yes, I know."
"You know?" Zhu Qing was confused. "Since you know, why are you still with him?"
"Mutual utilization, that's all," Xiao Man said slowly. "This person has considerable ambition, but his strength is very ordinary. However, I wanted to gather some information from him. But now it seems my current identity might not be usable."
"Master, he plans to kill Wen Ting and frame you."
"If Wen Ting were that easy to kill, he wouldn't be Wen Ting," Xiao Man sneered. "I rather hope Wen Ting goes to trouble them. That way, we can sit back and watch a dogfight."
Nangong Yu's lips curved slightly. "If they don't fight, we'll create some opportunities for them."
"Good idea," Xiao Man looked at Nangong Yu. "A'Yu, why don't we have a competition to see who can get more treasures?"
"Since it's a competition, there must be a reward," Nangong Yu reached out and put his arm around Xiao Man's waist. "If I win, you kiss me. If you win, I kiss you."
Xiao Man's face darkened. "Is there a difference?"
"Yes, it depends on whether you initiate or I do!" Nangong Yu said with a wide smile. "Of course, I prefer it when you initiate!"