Chapter 170: Setting Up the Scheme

Having understood the full cause and effect of the situation, Cloud Lian stood with her mouth agape, temporarily speechless.

This man, who clearly never gambled, had been unable to resist the coaxing of others and a momentary lapse into greed.

He had become obsessed during his first time at the table, racking up such a massive debt.

Refusing to sell his so-called ancestral home afterward, he actually thought of using his daughter to pay the debt.

It truly left her not knowing what to say.

“Senior Brother, what should we do… now?”

Cloud Lian turned to look at Chen Yuyang, her voice unconsciously softening.

Chen Yuyang’s brow furrowed slightly.

He remained silent and did not answer immediately, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Li San and the young girl.

Seeing this, the leading man took a step forward.

“Immortal Master, you have heard the whole story. No one forced him; he chose this himself. Furthermore, Li San clearly owes us money, and it is written in black and white. According to both reason and law, he must pay us back.”

Chen Yuyang nodded slowly.

“Indeed, by reason and law, you are not in the wrong.”

After saying this, Chen Yuyang shook his head slightly and turned to Cloud Lian.

“Junior Sister, this matter ends here. Let us go.”

“But this—” Cloud Lian still wanted to argue a few more words for the girl, but she met the rather stern gaze Chen Yuyang directed at her.

“Junior Sister, do you remember the promise you made me when we came out?”

The boy’s voice was not loud, but it caused Cloud Lian’s heart to shudder.

She naturally remembered.

Before they left, her senior brother had warned her that while away from home, she must follow all his arrangements.

Her lips moved, but in the end, Cloud Lian lowered her head and responded in a small voice, “…I understand, Senior Brother.”

Chen Yuyang said no more.

He glanced back at the scene in the courtyard and then said, “I will no longer involve myself in this matter. We are leaving now.”

….

As his voice fell, Chen Yuyang’s toes lightly tapped the ground.

Spiritual power lifted his body as he took to the air, flying through the sky.

Cloud Lian bit her lip, casting a final glance at the girl who was now slumped on the ground with eyes full of despair.

Ultimately, she sighed, circulated her spiritual power, and followed Chen Yuyang into the air.

The two transformed into two streaks of light and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Watching them fly away, the last sliver of hope in the girl’s heart was extinguished.

Tears surged like a breaking dam, and unable to endure any longer, she let out a cry of despair.

The leading man, seeing that the two had finally left, felt his tense nerves relax.

He breathed a long sigh of relief, followed by a smug, cold sneer.

He stepped forward and kicked the girl’s leg with his foot, snorting.

“Did you hear that? Even the two Immortal Masters have spoken. Little girl, follow us obediently, or we’ll have to get rough!”

The girl said nothing and only wept.

However, she no longer resisted, allowing the men to haul her up and lead her away.

From beginning to end, Li San remained silent.

He even jerked his head away to look at a corner of the courtyard when the men began dragging his daughter.

On the other side.

Chen Yuyang and his companion flew to a height of 100 zhang, disappearing into the clouds.

High in the sky, the fierce winds whipped the boy’s robes and ruffled the girl’s hair.

Cloud Lian looked down at the fading outline of the town below.

Recalling Chen Yuyang’s coldness from earlier, she could not help but feel a secret sense of disappointment.

Her senior brother had stepped in without hesitation before, leading her to think he was going to save someone from disaster.

In the end, was he really just going to sit by and watch all this happen?

Though Li San was at fault, how was the girl to blame?

Since they saw it and had the ability, lending a hand wouldn’t have taken much effort…

Why did they have to leave like this in the end?

Cloud Lian could not understand.

But just then, Chen Yuyang suddenly stopped in front of her.

Cloud Lian frowned.

‘What is Senior Brother doing?’

Before she could ask, the answer was revealed.

Chen Yuyang formed a hand seal, and spiritual power began to flow.

Then, that power wrapped around the two of them in a unique way.

The surrounding light distorted, and their figures vanished.

This was the Invisibility Art.

It was not a particularly profound technique and was useless against cultivators who possessed spiritual sense.

But… for mortals, this was truly a divine method.

“Senior Brother, are you going to—” A flash of surprise appeared in Cloud Lian’s eyes, and she immediately prepared to ask a question.

“Shh, follow me.”

Saying this, Chen Yuyang changed direction and headed back toward the town below.

Only this time, no one could see their existence.

In the town, several men were dragging the girl along.

She no longer cried out or struggled, merely letting her tears fall silently.

The men took the girl straight toward a brothel in the center of town.

They pushed her into a room in the back courtyard, leaving two strong men to guard the door.

Before long, a madame dressed flamboyantly and reeking of powder walked over with a swaying gait.

The leading man gave a few instructions to the madame.

After receiving her full compliance, he quickly left the brothel alone.

The man walked through several streets and alleys, eventually stopping in front of a rather grand mansion.

High above the gate hung a plaque with golden characters.

Zhang Manor.

“This is…” Seeing this, Cloud Lian’s eyes suddenly lit up as if she had realized something.

Chen Yuyang chose this moment to offer a brief explanation.

“That Li San might look like someone whose gambling addiction took over.”

“But think about it carefully. Why was he suddenly invited for drinks? Why did someone just happen to leave the table midway and ask him to gamble in their place? Why was his luck incredibly good while he was acting as a substitute? Why did he start losing as soon as he played for himself, and why was there someone immediately ready to lend him money when he ran out? This happened one step after another; clearly, someone was setting a trap for him.”

“However, for us, we have just arrived. The other party’s identity is unknown, and their purpose is unclear. Although we could have acted directly, I feared it might alert the enemy, and we would not have the moral high ground.”

“Therefore, the best way was to let them think we truly stopped caring. Once they let their guard down, we can follow the vine to the melon.”

Cloud Lian suddenly understood, and her cheeks began to feel slightly hot.

It turned out her senior brother was not heartless; he just thought deeper and further than she did.

She… had misjudged him.

“I am sorry, Senior Brother. I… I thought you really weren’t going to help her… After all, by reason and law, the other party really didn’t do anything wrong.”

Chen Yuyang shook his head and then said, “The other party took advantage of Li San’s personality and set a trap for him.”

“Li San is stupid, and using his daughter to pay a debt is wicked. But isn’t the person who set the trap for him even more wicked?”

“Yet the one who set the trap is beyond reproach according to reason and law. Do you think that is right?”

Cloud Lian lowered her head and remained silent.

Chen Yuyang also knew that what he was talking about was an unsolvable problem.

Putting mortals aside, were similar things not common in the Realm of Cultivation?

“However, putting those questions aside for now, Cloud Lian…”

As he spoke, Chen Yuyang’s voice suddenly turned cold and took on a hint of sternness.

“In the events just now, you committed errors!”

Cloud Lian’s heart tightened instantly.

“Me? Where did I go wrong?”

The girl thought back carefully but did not feel she had any major issues.

Chen Yuyang did not answer immediately.

He kept his eyes fixed below, and only after the man entered the Zhang Manor did he slowly raise one finger.

“You have three errors.”

“First, at the very beginning when we encountered this, why did you hesitate?”

“This…” Cloud Lian was momentarily speechless.

Chen Yuyang continued:

“I saw it. You wanted to act at the time, but you hesitated because of my presence. This is a taboo. Cultivation is about seeking a clear mind. By acting like this, it will be easy to plant heart demons for yourself in the future.”

“When you encounter such things again, do not hesitate. If you feel you should act, then act directly. Do not ask about right or wrong; as long as you do not betray your own heart, that is enough.”

Cloud Lian nodded as if she had gained some insight.

Chen Yuyang then raised a second finger.

“Second, you made a hasty judgment before knowing the full picture.”

“We are cultivators. To mortals, we are no different from immortals. We can indeed easily do many things and easily change the fates of others. But it is precisely because of this that we must be even more cautious and decisive when interfering in these matters.”

“The more you possess the power to decide everything, the more you must use it prudently. Otherwise, it will not be you who masters this power, but the power that seduces you.”

Cloud Lian bit her lip and did not argue.

Chen Yuyang raised a third finger and continued: “Third, you are too easy to read.”

“When we act, we should not show joy or anger on our faces. In what just happened, you were angry, then guilty, and then unable to make a decision. All of this was sensed by that man.”

“Didn’t you notice? When you were angry at Li San, the man said things to make you even angrier. When you felt guilty, he continued to speak about reason and law so you couldn’t find a fault, making you feel even more guilty.”

“As a cultivator, your thoughts were actually manipulated by a mortal. This was only a small matter. If you were facing a powerful enemy, such a personality would be a massive weakness for both yourself and others.”

The succession of words from Chen Yuyang made Cloud Lian’s cheeks burn.

She was too ashamed to lift her head and could only repeatedly agree.

“Yes, yes, Senior Brother, I understand. I… I will pay attention in the future…”

Seeing that her attitude in admitting her faults was sincere, Chen Yuyang’s tone softened slightly.

“Fine, I am not trying to scold you. Besides, traveling in the mortal world is meant to let people discover and correct problems. As long as Junior Sister remembers the lesson and does not repeat it next time, that is all that matters.”

“Mhm!”

Cloud Lian nodded heavily, secretly understanding.

Her senior brother was truly acting for her own good; that was why he spoke so harshly.

Thinking of this, Cloud Lian stole a glance at Chen Yuyang’s handsome face.

Even though he was a few years younger than her, his insight, experience, and temperament far surpassed her own.

It made her unconsciously want to rely on him.

Having finished his lecture, Chen Yuyang said no more.

The two remained hidden in the air, continuing to observe the situation.

After entering the main gate of the Zhang Manor, the man passed through the front hall as if he knew the path well, heading straight for an exquisite courtyard in the back.

In the courtyard, a young man dressed in a white silk robe was lazily reclining in a grandmaster chair.

The man had a handsome face, but between his brows was a hint of a playboy’s aura.

Beside him, three beautiful maids were waiting on him.

One girl knelt on the ground, massaging his legs.

One stood behind him, kneading his shoulders.

There was even one standing by his side, holding a plate of grapes; she peeled them with her teeth before feeding them into the man’s mouth.

Upon seeing that person, both Cloud Lian and Chen Yuyang’s gazes sharpened.

It seemed that this was the mastermind behind the scenes.