Chapter Fifteen: The Inescapable Net

As for the subtle intentions of Lu Qingzong, Liu Chen naturally could not fathom them. After all, he merely possessed the ability to sense emotions, not to read minds. Still, the conversation had begun well enough; Liu Chen felt confident that he could glean some useful information from Lu Qingzong's lips.

"Where is he now?" Liu Chen asked, his tone gentler than before.

Observing the change in Liu Chen's expression, Lu Qingzong finally felt hopeful that he might survive this encounter. The tension wrought by the threat of death loosened within him, and as his mind relaxed, it grew more agile. Weighing his options carefully, he considered how best to answer Liu Chen's question.

"Lu Qingcai usually travels about; I can't say precisely where he is. But yesterday, Master Changming issued an order for all members of the Lu family to gather together. I suppose Lu Qingcai would not be exempt, so he must be in Xin City now."

Though Lu Qingzong pondered his response internally, he dared not let it show before Liu Chen. He spoke in vague terms, offering only his best guess.

"Suppose? That's a fine word. What do you think I should do now?" Liu Chen's face darkened as he sensed Lu Qingzong's emotions waver. He fixed Lu Qingzong with a stare as he asked.

This shift in expression came easily to Liu Chen, but it terrified Lu Qingzong, whose heart nearly leaped out of his chest—not because Liu Chen's face was particularly menacing, but simply because Liu Chen's martial prowess was beyond his comprehension. Even if Liu Chen were smiling, Lu Qingzong would not dare to breathe heavily, much less now, when dissatisfaction was so plainly written on his face.

"Um, um—" Lu Qingzong stammered, mouth trembling, unable to muster any composure to weigh his answer. His nerves were so frayed that his speech turned to stuttering.

Listening to Lu Qingzong struggle to piece together a coherent sentence, Liu Chen tried to maintain a gentle demeanor but could not help feeling impatient. He frowned at Lu Qingzong.

Liu Chen had not anticipated Lu Qingcai's fright would render Lu Qingzong so helpless; he did not grasp how terrifying his own display of strength was to the other man.

Yet, when fear reached its peak, Lu Qingzong calmed slightly. After composing himself, he spoke carefully, "I truly don't know exactly where Lu Qingcai is. But my third uncle is a Yuanming sorcerer—he's different from me and certainly knows more. He returned from Xin City yesterday; if Lu Qingcai is there, he would know."

Faced with a mortal crisis, Lu Qingzong abandoned all scruples and revealed his third uncle without hesitation.

"Your third uncle—is he the Taoist who commands the mighty retainers? That he knows more than you is obvious; do you think I need you to tell me that?"

Liu Chen found Lu Qingzong's answer distasteful. He understood that a man’s moral boundaries weaken in the face of death, but to betray his own kin so readily for survival was something Liu Chen could not condone.

Moreover, what Lu Qingzong said was of no value and offered nothing Liu Chen sought, so he grew impatient.

Lu Qingzong quickly noticed this impatience. He knew his words surely failed to satisfy Liu Chen, so after a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Lu Qingcai is the hope of our generation in the Lu family; ordinary folk would never know his whereabouts. If you truly wish to find him, you must either go to Xin City directly or seek information from someone like my third uncle. If you require it, I can tell you the layout of He Fortress—just promise not to kill me!"

Having spoken, Lu Qingzong felt a burden lift from his heart; his fate now rested entirely in Liu Chen's hands.

Lu Qingzong’s sudden candor left Liu Chen momentarily bewildered. He weighed whether to trust Lu Qingzong, and considered if he ought to follow the suggestion and head to He Fortress to confront the third uncle.

There was much to consider.

Could Lu Qingzong’s words be trusted? Was it worth interrogating someone at the fortress? What if he found himself trapped inside—would there be danger? If so, how should he prepare...

A thousand tangled threads knotted themselves in his mind, making it difficult to decide.

Liu Chen, shaped by the tranquil habits of twenty-first-century abundance, lacked the decisiveness to cut through confusion in an instant; so the atmosphere stagnated.

This stifling mood only increased Liu Chen’s irritation, while for Lu Qingzong, it felt like waiting for a death sentence—unbearable in the extreme. At last, unable to endure, he spoke, hoping to prompt Liu Chen to make a decision.

"In truth, if you set out for Xin City now, it will already be too late. Master Changming has ordered thirty-two Yuanming sorcerers to station themselves outside the city; in half a day at most, they will form the Heavenly Net Grand Array. Within its range, any member of the Lu family can summon thirty-two celestial retainers or even incarnations of the saints in an instant.

In such a case, no matter how formidable your martial arts, you could never defeat Lu Qingcai, who has become a Yuanming sorcerer. And if he truly is in Xin City, all he needs is a brief delay to call upon his kin in the city and the county’s soldiers."

Lu Qingzong poured out all he knew about the Heavenly Net Grand Array, painting a picture of what Liu Chen might face. Thanks to the Lu family’s fine education, his explanation was convincing; at least, it sounded plausible to Liu Chen.

Imagining himself surrounded by a host of Taoists in Xin City, Liu Chen felt a bit uneasy. While his skills seemed extraordinary in Lu Qingzong's eyes, Liu Chen was aware of his own limits—his abilities derived only from the peculiarities of his zombie body.

Apart from that, he was merely an ordinary person who had practiced martial arts for less than a day. To infiltrate enemy territory and fight in unfavorable conditions seemed a daunting task.

"The Heavenly Net Grand Array you mentioned—how does it work? I recall it’s a formation your talisman sect uses to guard its mountain gate. How is it being set up in Xin City?"

Liu Chen knew something about the array, mostly from explanations given by Taoists. They had not gone into detail, but had described its power, calling it ‘the vast sky net that lets nothing escape,’ the most supreme formation in the world.

Yet, supreme things are never simple to arrange—they are, in fact, exceedingly difficult. Liu Chen could not fathom why the enemy would deploy such a formation at this time. Was it to block the rebels?