Grudge Breaker

Chapter 399 Inviting the Foolish Enemy into the Trap (Part 2)
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“Mengda, actually, all of this I did stemmed from repaying a debt of gratitude.”

"Repay a debt of gratitude?" Meng Mengda was taken aback.

"Yes, to repay a debt of gratitude."

"Heaven and earth are ruthless, and I am like a straw dog. In my youth, I lived a life of hardship under the roof of others and had no idea what self-respect was. Fortunately, I met a benefactor who guided and cared for me, which is why I am who I am today."

Uncle Fei bent down and moved closer to Meng Mengda, who was sitting on the ground, his eyes gleaming.
"Mengda, tell me, if you were me, and your benefactor had some schemes, would you help him without regard to the cost?"

"Will...uh, will it?"

Meng Mengda felt intimidated by Uncle Fei's gaze and gave a weak reply. Uncle Fei seemed satisfied with his reaction, nodding and saying to himself,
“Years ago, when my benefactor helped me escape from dire straits, he had no idea that I knew the art of controlling beasts; now, it is my greatest honor to be able to do my part for my benefactor.”

……

"So you've been hiding your top-tier beast tamer abilities and lying low in the Si Chen Manor to repay a debt of gratitude?"

"Yes."

"So you ordered Jing Zheng to ambush Lord Si Chen and his brothers to repay a debt of gratitude?"

"Yes."

"So you want to ruin Lord Sichen's reputation, also to repay a debt of gratitude?"

"Yes."

……

"Uncle, I understand."

Meng Mengda got up, patted the back of his robe, and sat down in the empty chair next to Uncle Fei.

“Repaying kindness is of course the right thing to do, but you, my benefactor, have clearly done something unjust. Isn’t this kind of repayment of kindness tantamount to aiding and abetting a tyrant?”

"Meng Mengda! Who do you think you are? You mustn't slander your benefactor!"

Uncle Fei flew into a rage and slammed his left hand on the nearby table. The tabletop, made of ebony, cracked instantly—it was ebony, a material as sturdy as metal or stone.

Because of this palm strike, the mystery that had been confining Meng Mengda for some time was finally unveiled.

He had his suspicions about Uncle Fei. On the night he was investigating Lü Chi's death and sneaking back to the Sanzu River camp from Shennv Peak, for a moment, Meng Mengda had an intuitive suspicion about Uncle Fei, who was lying in wait in his room. So he touched Uncle Fei's right hand under the pretense of serving tea. With his "Lens of Immersion," if Uncle Fei was really the murderer, he would definitely be able to get some visual information from his hand.

However, Meng Mengda cast the spell without anyone noticing, but he "saw" nothing—Uncle Fei's hands were rough and warm, but nothing new—just like the man himself.

Now he understood, he understood completely.

Uncle Fei is left-handed.

Therefore, to capture "murder information," you need to touch the hand that committed the "murder"—the left hand.

Monda clearly overlooked this detail; no, it should be said that Uncle Fei had kept it well hidden.

Thinking back, Uncle Fei always habitually tucked his left hand into his sleeve and stood with his hands behind his back, appearing calm and composed. At the time, I thought it was just to maintain his image, but now I realize that he really "held back a trick up his sleeve".

……

When Uncle Fei saw Meng Mengda looking at his left hand with a "regretful glint" in his eyes, he only paused for a moment before understanding what Meng Mengda was thinking.

"Ha, Mengda, you're still too young. Did you think I didn't know you'd been trying to trick me into revealing information?"

“From the moment you realized it was me, from the moment you grinned and asked me for tea and sat down on the ground, Mengda, you acted like you were at my mercy, simply because you wanted to find out as much as possible.”

"You still think that even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, you'll bring the information you got from me to your Lord Si Chen. Am I right?"

“Mengda, do you have even a shred of sympathy for me, an outcast of the Fei family? No. It’s pathetic, you don’t even have yourself in your heart, only the tasks assigned to you by the Sichen Manor.”

With a thin layer of sarcasm on his lips, Uncle Fei extended his left hand toward Meng Mengda.

"Want to touch it?"

Or should I ask this—dare you?

"Mengda, are you really ready to accept everything you're about to see?"

……

Seeing Uncle Fei extend his hand, Meng Mengda, whose secrets had been exposed, hesitated, fearing that he would be unable to bear the truth he was about to see.

"I will count to three, and after that I will withdraw my hand, and you will have no more chances."

The mockery in Uncle Fei's eyes faded.

"three--"

"Snapped!"

Without hesitation, Meng Mengda grabbed Uncle Fei's hand.
.
"Snapped!"

Suddenly, a hand patted Ding Heran on the shoulder, who was hiding near Jinglan's camp and waiting to meet Meng Mengda as planned, startling him so much that he almost turned into a rocket on the spot.

"why you!"

Upon seeing who it was, Ding Heran was secretly alarmed. Just who was this person? He had clearly set up the Burning Vision Seal, which would warn any living creature that suddenly appeared within a ten-mile radius, so why was there no reaction to this person?!
"Commander Ding, what are you doing hiding here?"

The newcomer appeared calm, but his eyes, like those of an eagle or a wolf, were filled with vigilance.

"That's what I should be asking you! Where did you come from? You didn't make a sound at all!"

Ding Heran glanced around unwillingly—in fact, there was no need to look, as his Burning Hope Seal was in no way going slack off.

The person who patted him on the shoulder was Hua Zhezhan, the only female general in the Upper Realm, a distant cousin of Princess Qin Xueying, and also the envoy of the Realm Lord's Mansion for this Sorcerer Ranking Trial. Sigh, so many titles.

Ding Heran wasn't familiar with her. She had only heard Song Weichen mention the matchmaking event a few times, and she had also seen her at the entrance of Goddess Peak on the day the trial started, so she wasn't exactly a stranger.

Seeing that Hua Zhezhan was still looking at her with the same eyes she had for a suspect, Ding Heran met his gaze without any politeness. "What, is the Sichen Mansion's investigation getting in the way of General Hua's business?"

"Investigate a case? What kind of case?"

"General Hua, since this is a case, aren't you asking too many questions?" Ding Heran said with a half-smile and a hint of provocation, "You're being very suspicious."

"suspicious?"

Hua Zhezhan slightly curled the corners of his lips and pointed to a huge rock not far behind Ding Heran.
“I slept there for at least two hours. When I came out, I saw you peeking around here. Madam Jing’s temporary residence is not far away. What were you looking at? Perhaps you were lusting after her beauty? Commander Ding, I advise you to tell the truth. Otherwise, this general will not mind taking you to see Lord Si Chen as a representative of the Lord’s Mansion.”

"You're coveting my beauty, aren't you..."

Ding Heran was exasperated. He realized he had been careless. He had noticed the boulder when he came, but he hadn't seen the narrow crevice, much less expected someone to be sleeping inside. It turned out this woman had been huddled there the whole time. Since she wasn't a living being that had suddenly wandered into the restricted area, the Burning Vision Seal naturally hadn't given any warning. Now, if this woman actually did something, not only would he lose face, but he would also jeopardize everything. Thinking this, Ding Heran softened his stance.

“General Hua, it was He Ran’s recklessness that led me to say you were suspicious. However, I was indeed investigating a case. If our actions attract attention at this moment, all our efforts will be in vain. Please understand that if you wish to see Lord Si Chen after completing the mission, He Ran will be happy to guide you.”

Upon hearing this, Hua Zhezhan showed no expression. He coldly sized up Ding Heran twice, then sat down behind him with his sword in his arms, concealing all his presence as if he had suddenly appeared.

"In that case, I will accompany you."

"This……"

Ding Heran sincerely wanted to persuade Hua Zhezhan to leave, after all, anyone sitting behind such a powerful figure would feel uneasy, but the other party had obviously already shut down, and he was also worried that her movements would alert the enemy and put Meng Mengda in a bad position inside the cave.

After some deliberation, Ding Heran could only reluctantly refocus his attention on Jinglan's camp—completely unaware of the look Hua Zhezhan was giving him behind him—a look of pure, bloodthirsty rage, like that of a large carnivore looking at its prey.

"Ding Heran, I never imagined your life was so valuable," Hua Zhezhan chuckled to himself. "It almost makes me want to take action against you right now."

But then she turned her gaze back to Jinglan's temporary residence, inside that dark cave—the beasts were patiently waiting for a predator's feast.
.
"This...this is..."

In just a moment, Meng Mengda came to his senses, his lips moving as if he didn't know what to say.

Through Uncle Fei's hand, he did indeed "see" some scenes. He saw Uncle Fei as a child hiding in a filthy beast cage area, using the Fei family's unique beast-taming technique under the cover of darkness, while reaching out his left hand towards a spirit beast that had just entered the area. The next instant, an inscription appeared in the spirit beast's pupil and disappeared, so fast that Meng Mengda couldn't make out the exact characters. However, he could easily guess that it was Uncle Fei's real name, and that this spirit beast had become Uncle Fei's caged creature.

He also saw that when he was a boy, Uncle Fei stood respectfully behind a person wearing a cloak and bowed his head. The person's back... Meng Mengda got goosebumps. Why did it feel so familiar?

Then the scene changed again. He saw Uncle Fei sitting on the eaves of Si Chen's mansion. That eaves... that's right! It's Lord Si Chen's Tingfeng Mansion! Uncle Fei's left hand was wrapped in some purple miasma, which made him look like a wisp of black mist. Every now and then, two or three Po Yuan Masters would walk by outside Tingfeng Mansion, but strangely, no one noticed Uncle Fei on the eaves.

Meng Mengda continued to concentrate on "watching." Hmm... there seemed to be someone in the room under the eaves where Uncle Fei was sitting. A woman's voice could be faintly heard, sounding like she was cursing? Wait, Uncle Fei laughed? What was he saying?
"I went to great lengths to find the person for you, and you brought him back. Lord Mo, now it's up to you to see how you perform. Don't let me down." After saying this, Uncle Fei pointed to the back mountain of Si Chen Mansion not far away, and a dark purple eerie aura snaked away like a small snake.

A person? Who is it? Who is under the eaves? Who did Uncle Fei help Lord Si Chen find? Meng Mengda was about to look again when the scene changed again—he saw Lü Chi.

Lu Chi bowed to himself. Right, he was currently from Uncle Fei's perspective, so Lu Chi was bowing to Uncle Fei. Uncle Fei extended his left hand and affectionately patted Lu Chi's shoulder… Hmm? Lu Chi's lips were moving? What did he say? Meng Mengda was completely focused.

Lu Chi looked up, his eyes changing from humble to resolute. Meng Mengda finally heard him clearly: "Uncle Fei, I apologize."

Immediately afterward, Lü Chi's sword flashed out like lightning, but stopped abruptly just before it touched Uncle Fei—wait, what's that on Lü Chi's neck?
Was it a bee the size of a hummingbird? It was pulling the sharp stinger from Lü Chi's neck; the stinger was the color of a blood-red moon, gleaming with an ominous light.

Meng Mengda recognized it; it wasn't a bee at all, but an extremely rare and exotic beast from the Jade Mountain in the upper realm, named "Qinyuan." Its stinger could cause "mental blindness." Not to mention mortals, even a great immortal would "fall into a fog, his mind in complete disarray, and be gone in the time it takes to drink a few cups of tea" if stung by it.

...Lu Chi's expression changed.

Meng Mengda wanted to look again, but everything had returned to calm. He was still at Jinglan's temporary camp on Goddess Peak, with Uncle Fei's eyes fixed on him with great interest.

"Mengda, have you found the answer you're looking for?"

"Uncle Fei..."

Mondal still had many questions, but at least he figured out one thing.

"You did kill Lü Chi."

"No, to be precise, it was you who used the divine beast 'Qinyuan' to bewitch Lü Chi on the day the Eldest Princess held a flower-viewing and music-listening banquet at the back mountain of Sichen Mansion. You bewitched Lü Chi to work for you at the medicine hall, which is why he left that half-footprint on the roof."

"Later, after he regained his senses, he intended to go to the Sanzu River to capture you and bring you to justice, but he was entangled by the Soul-Eating Beast you commanded and eventually died in the cave."

"Hehe, that kid Lü Chi." Uncle Fei nodded, seemingly approving of Meng Mengda's analysis. "Just like you, he's good in every way, but he's too young and doesn't know his own limitations."

Uncle Fei narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through Meng Mengda the Lü Chi who had quietly stopped him at the Si Chen Mansion on the day the Grand Duke hosted the Qin Listening Banquet.

"Let me think... what did he say back then?" Uncle Fei's voice was somewhat ethereal.

“Oh, he said, ‘Uncle Fei, I’ve found some clues that indicate the white-robed man’s disappearance is related to you. It’s a serious matter, and to avoid unnecessary suspicion about the Si Chen Manor, I request that you come with me to the Si Chen Palace council hall.’”

"I was taken aback for a moment, thinking, 'Good bastard, how did he find out about me? There's no reason for it.' But I acted as usual, only asking him if he was drunk and talking nonsense, and, 'What if I don't agree?'"

"Then……"

Uncle Fei refocused his gaze on Meng Mengda. "Lu Chi said his last words in a conscious state: Uncle Fei, I apologize."

Uncle Fei looked at his hand, the left hand that had secretly controlled countless beasts, the "murderous" hand that had led to Lü Chi's death.

"Mengda, so you see, you young people just don't understand the benefits of leaving room for maneuver in everything. Whether it's in life or in work, keeping your achievements hidden and having a backup plan will always surprise you at crucial moments, right?"

……

With each word Fei Shu spoke, Meng Mengda felt a chill in his heart and felt even more sorry for Lü Chi's death.

If Lü Chi hadn't been worried about the arrival of the Eldest Princess that day, and the two murders in the mansion, Xiao An and Du Juan, and feared that publicly capturing Uncle Fei would affect the reputation of the Si Chen Manor... he wouldn't have died.

Meng Mengda sighed like an old man, "If I had the chance, I would really like to ask Lü Chi, Uncle Fei, you hid it so well, when and where did he begin to suspect you?"

Meng Mengda stood up and walked to the center of the guest room, carefully examining the temporary residence for nobles set up in the cave once more. Finally, his gaze returned to Uncle Fei.
"Uncle Fei, let's get started."

"I guess you'll make me the next Lü Chi, right?"

Uncle Fei laughed loudly upon hearing this, his eyes gleaming. "Mengda, you don't believe me when I say you're too young. Let me teach you one last trick: you can't use the same plan twice, otherwise even if you succeed the first time, you'll fail."

"Could it be..." Meng Mengda was speechless for a moment. Looking at his reflection in Uncle Fei's eyes—the disguise potion had not worn off, and he still looked like Jing Zheng—he felt a sudden panic.

"Could it be... that you intend to use the same beast-taming technique on me as you did on Jing Zheng... to turn me into the next Jing Zheng?"

"Confused."

Uncle Fei shook his head, much like a teacher dissatisfied with a student's answer.
"You haven't transformed into a beast, so how can I use 'Sealing Contract' on you?"

"Then, what exactly do you want to do to me?!" Meng Mengda was on the verge of collapse, and his words became increasingly incoherent. "Lord Sichen knows that I'm here with Jinglan. If I can't get back safely, don't be so smug. Sooner or later, Jinglan will find out about you!"

"Heh, is that so?" Uncle Fei's smile was sinister.

"Who says you can't get back safely?"

He looked at the bamboo curtain behind Mengmengda and clapped his hands rhythmically twice, as if sending a signal to someone.
"Come out."

"Yes!"

As the sound faded, a man entered through the door. He was eight feet tall, with slightly graying temples and dark, rough skin. Beneath his leather armor, a few glimpses of his hands were visible, covered with a thick layer of black hair.

"you……"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Meng Mengda was too shocked to utter a complete sentence.

That was the real Jing Zheng.

　Hey, long time no see! The missing person is back! Actually, I wasn't really missing, just had a really heavy workload... So, I'll be updating at a leisurely pace, and you can read at a leisurely pace too. The only thing I can guarantee is no padding, no bad endings, and no cuts. By the way, even though the New Year has been over for several days, I still wish you who have read this far a Happy New Year and all the best!

　　(End of this chapter)