Chapter 85: The Killing Trap Revealed!

Qin Feiyang stepped out of the alchemy chamber, his brows arching immediately. The furious roar from Feng Cheng earlier had already alarmed everyone in the Hall of Alchemical Flames, and now, crowds had poured out to see what was going on. As a result, both sides of the corridor were packed tight with people. Moreover, everyone who saw Qin Feiyang emerge wore a look of open disdain.

"Move aside," the Fatty said, pushing through the throng. He reached Qin Feiyang's side and whispered, "There are a few things I want to discuss with you—let's go back to the alchemy chamber first."

Qin Feiyang nodded. The two of them returned to the chamber and closed the stone door behind them. The Fatty glanced at the cauldron, surprise flickering in his eyes. "There's no scent of medicine, and the temperature's normal. You haven't been refining pills at all this past month?"

A chill ran through Qin Feiyang's heart. This Fatty was certainly observant, missing nothing. "I’ve been cultivating," he answered offhandedly, then asked, "What is it you want to talk about?"

"Right, business." The Fatty’s face grew serious. "Just a month ago, the very night we left the Ling family, they were massacred!"

"What?" Qin Feiyang’s face drained of color. "Who was the real culprit?"

The Fatty shook his head. "They haven’t found the murderer. But everyone suspects you."

"Me?" Qin Feiyang frowned.

"That’s right. Although the Hall Master spoke up for you, and we all know you’ve been in the alchemy chamber this whole month, others do not. With the killer still at large, suspicion is shifting back to you. There are even rumors that you and Ling Yunfei joined forces to slaughter the Ling family," the Fatty said.

"Utter nonsense!" Qin Feiyang erupted. Anyone with half a brain could see that he and Ling Yunfei together could never wipe out the entire Ling family.

"Anger is useless," the Fatty said gravely. "What matters now is finding the real culprit. If this goes on, it will only get worse for you."

A heavy sense of unease settled in Qin Feiyang’s heart. Who was behind all this, pulling the strings from the shadows? Was someone deliberately framing him?

No, that couldn’t be it. If someone truly wanted to frame him, they would have left clues or evidence pointing to him at the scene. That way, when the city lord’s people investigated, they’d come straight to the Alchemy Hall to question him. Yet, no one had sought him out so far, which meant this wasn’t a trap aimed at him.

Could it be a vendetta?

"Fatty, did the Ling family have any enemies outside?" Qin Feiyang asked.

"I never heard of any," the Fatty replied. "But I’m sure it wasn’t outsiders. All four city gates are guarded day and night. If a large group entered Black Bear City, there’s no way it’d go unnoticed. If anyone had the deepest grudge against the Ling family, it’d be the Jiang and Mu families."

As he mentioned these names, both men exchanged glances, a glint of understanding flickering between them.

The Fatty then shook his head. "No, that can’t be. The city lord already expelled the Ling family from Black Bear City. Jiang and Mu have no reason to eradicate them so thoroughly."

Qin Feiyang nodded; it seemed reasonable. But suddenly, a thought struck him. "What if they feared the Ling family might rise again?"

"You mean...?" the Fatty looked at him, puzzled.

Qin Feiyang explained, "Everyone knows the city lord favors the Ling family. Who’s to say they won’t return one day? The heads of the Jiang and Mu families aren’t fools; they must see this, too."

"So, they seized the opportunity to eliminate the Ling family, root and branch?" The Fatty picked up the thread.

Qin Feiyang nodded. All disputes, in the end, boiled down to interests. For the sake of profit, friends could become enemies; even kin might turn on each other. The Jiang, Mu, and Ling families had plotted against one another for years, each seeking the other’s destruction. Now, with such a perfect opportunity, how could they possibly let it slip by?

Moreover, the only ones in Black Bear City capable of wiping out the Ling family silently—aside from the Alchemy Hall, Martial Hall, and the Treasure Pavilion—were the Jiang and Mu families.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Feiyang said, "Fatty, help me with one more thing."

The Fatty grinned slyly. "As long as there’s something in it for me, ten favors would be no trouble, never mind one!"

"Keep an eye on the Jiang and Mu families for me," Qin Feiyang requested.

The Fatty’s brows furrowed at once.

Qin Feiyang smiled flatteringly. "I wouldn’t trust just anyone, but you, Fatty? With your wits, I’m sure you’ll handle it with ease."

The Fatty rolled his eyes and sighed. "I know you’re just buttering me up, but what can I do? I’m a sucker for it. Fine, leave it to me."

He was about to leave when he suddenly slapped his forehead, annoyed. "Look at my memory! There’s a second matter: in a month, the Hall of Alchemy Kings will send people to Black Bear City."

"What are they coming for?" Qin Feiyang asked, puzzled.

"To recruit talent, of course. Supposedly, there are only three spots. One is reserved—originally meant for Cheng Yi. But with you here, he won’t get it. So be careful. He’ll likely try to remove you from his path," the Fatty warned.

Qin Feiyang frowned. "If everyone joins the Hall of Alchemy Kings, what’s the difference between the reserved spot and the other two?"

"There’s a big difference," the Fatty replied. "The one with the reserved spot can start refining pills right away upon entering the Hall. They get special treatment—better chambers, accommodations, even pill recipes. The other two must serve as menial labor for a year before they can even step into the alchemy chamber."

"That’s a huge gap," Qin Feiyang muttered. Serving as a menial was a waste of a year—never mind the humiliation and contempt from others.

It seemed that he must secure that reserved spot.

"Where’s Cheng Yi now?" Qin Feiyang asked.

At the mention of this, the Fatty couldn’t help but smirk. "After getting out of the pig cage and hearing you’d taken over this alchemy chamber, he ran to argue with the Hall Master. But guess what happened?"

"Don’t keep me in suspense," Qin Feiyang urged.

"The Hall Master was going to give him chamber number six, but after his tantrum, he got a severe scolding and was sent to chamber 110 instead."

"110? Isn’t that the one I used when I first arrived?" Qin Feiyang asked, astonished.

"Exactly! It’s the worst chamber. For him, that’s worse than death. To make matters worse, Ling Yan, Ji Jin, and Lu Hong all received decent chambers. You should’ve seen his face when he entered 110—it was priceless!" The Fatty laughed gleefully, his whole body quivering with mirth.

"If a man doesn’t know his place, talent alone is useless," Qin Feiyang sneered.

"But rumor has it he’s preparing to fight for the reserved spot, so he won’t show his face for a while," the Fatty added.

"So I can’t kill him for now?" Qin Feiyang raised an eyebrow.

"What?" The Fatty was startled. "You still want to kill him?"

"For those who never change their ways, only death brings true peace. When he reappears, let me know at once," Qin Feiyang said coldly, his eyes gleaming with a murderous light.

"No problem," the Fatty agreed after a moment’s hesitation. He then took a letter from his breast, tossed it to Qin Feiyang, and said, "Ling Yunfei asked me to give you this this morning. No need to thank me."

With that, the Fatty left the alchemy chamber.

Qin Feiyang opened the letter, read it carefully, then tucked it away and entered the old castle to continue copying the fourth stroke.

As dusk fell, he appeared in the alchemy chamber once more, then left the Hall of Alchemical Flames under countless scornful gazes. He walked straight out of the hall, heading for the eastern city gate.

His eyes swept across the mountains ahead, then locked onto a small grove. Without hesitation, he strode toward it.

A short time later, Qin Feiyang entered the woods and made his way deeper in. After what seemed like several hundred breaths, he emerged at the bank of a river.

By the light of the moon, he could see a huge black boulder on the far side of the river. Ling Yunfei stood atop it.

"You finally made it," Ling Yunfei greeted him with a smile.

Qin Feiyang leaped across the river and landed on the boulder. "How is Auntie?" he asked.

Ling Yunfei replied, "The first few days, she was withdrawn and didn’t speak much. But she’s much better now. She said she must find a time to invite you for a meal and thank you properly."

"That’s good," Qin Feiyang smiled. "So, why did you ask me to meet you here today?"

"Me?" Ling Yunfei blinked in surprise. "I thought you called me here."

"Me?" Qin Feiyang was baffled. "Didn’t you have the Fatty send a message asking me to meet you here?"

"No, it was your messenger who brought a letter to me," Ling Yunfei insisted, producing a piece of paper from his breast. He unfolded it and held it out. "Look, it’s clear as day."

"Hmm?" Qin Feiyang examined it, his expression growing grave. He quickly pulled out his own letter. Comparing the two, he saw that the handwriting was identical—clearly written by the same person. Even the content was word-for-word the same.

"How can this be?" Ling Yunfei was equally stunned, staring at the two letters.

Qin Feiyang’s eyes flickered, then suddenly his face changed. He growled softly, "This is bad—we’ve walked into a trap. It’s a deathtrap! Run!"

"A deathtrap!" Ling Yunfei’s body trembled.

Both men spun around, preparing to leap back across the river. But at that moment—

Boom!

Several shadowy figures burst from the river, sending up waves several meters high as they lunged at Qin Feiyang and Ling Yunfei.

"Retreat!" Qin Feiyang shouted.

Both jumped down from the boulder. As soon as their feet touched the ground, the massive stone behind them exploded with a thunderous crash, shattered into countless fragments. Shards of rock flew at them from all directions.

They were caught in the thick of it. Dozens of fragments struck their bodies, sending blood spraying from their mouths. They stumbled back uncontrollably and finally crashed into a patch of grass, collapsing.