Chapter 127: The Conspiracy of Rofley

“Yeah, we meet again. But, I must say, I’m not at all pleased,” Zhang Wen smiled, subtly positioning himself to shield Iniel from view.

“Why? Didn’t you return to the Star and Moon already? Why are you here? And why are you attacking us?” Iniel stared at Lofei, confused and furious.

“Hehe… I’m really sorry! I originally had no intention of targeting you. My goal is simply Zhang Wen alone. You’re just terribly unlucky, going anywhere else but choosing to follow this man straight into hell,” Lofei replied with a gentle smile.

However, Iniel, whose sixth sense was exceptionally sharp, could clearly sense the cruelty hidden beneath that gentle smile. Her body involuntarily trembled.

“By the way, aren’t Kentuckians known to dislike cooperating with ordinary people? Why would you team up with Zhang Wen?” Lofei, now in control, leisurely asked Iniel instead of rushing to confront Zhang Wen.

“This is the guidance of generations of Kentucky sages,” Iniel replied solemnly. “The Kentucky clan is facing a life-or-death crisis. And this man…” Iniel glanced at Zhang Wen. “He carries the hope for Kentucky’s revival.”

“Pfft! He? The hope for Kentucky’s revival?” Before Iniel had even finished speaking, Lofei burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Hehe… There’s just too much to laugh about. Don’t you think so?” Lofei continued laughing. “What guidance from generations of Kentucky sages? They’ve been dead for so many years. How could they possibly guide you now?”

“You ignorant fool, don’t you dare disrespect our ancestors! How could you, an outsider unrelated to the Kentucky clan, possibly understand our heritage?” Lofei’s words truly enraged Iniel.

Since getting to know Iniel, Zhang Wen had seen her angry many times, but never had he seen such an expression of pure fury on her face.

“Hehe! I’m just stating facts. What can you do with anger? Also, even if the generations of Kentucky sages truly guided you to believe that Zhang Wen is the one destined to lead Kentucky’s revival, I regret to inform you that those generations of Kentucky sages made a colossal mistake. Because… this guy is going to die right here today,” Lofei said confidently, her figure once again melting away like soft candy thrown into fire, dissolving into the ground and vanishing completely.

Where did she go? As Lofei conversed with Iniel, Zhang Wen, already channeling the Spring Water Technique to its fullest, had pushed his six senses to their absolute limits!

Though Zhang Wen outwardly remained unfazed by Lofei’s disappearance, inwardly he was just as tense, every nerve on edge. The reason he had accurately pinpointed Lofei’s location earlier wasn’t because he had truly sensed her presence. He had merely used the air currents stirred up during Si and Kai’s clash with Wala’s group, straining to catch a glimpse of something unusual on the wall.

Lofei dared to claim she would kill Zhang Wen here. This confidence was not the empty bravado of a talentless fool!

Even Zhang Wen himself had to admit that with this shape-shifting technique alone, Lofei had become one of the most troublesome opponents he had ever faced!

Even with his six senses enhanced by the Spring Water Technique, Zhang Wen could barely sense the faintest trace of Lofei’s presence! Before this, only that terrifying young female assassin, Vicky, under Leika’s command, had made Zhang Wen feel such helplessness.

“Hehe! Teacher Zhang Wen, you figured out my position just now, didn’t you? Why don’t you come over and play with me now? I can grant the little girl’s refusal just now. All you have to do is defeat me, and I’ll do anything you want,” Lofei’s ethereal and eerie laughter echoed once again, reverberating repeatedly through the tunnel.

“This woman…” Zhang Wen gritted his teeth, barely managing to mutter.

Lofei was no ordinary foe. As a highly renowned master from the Southlands and a top disciple of the Thunder God Omega, every word she spoke now was not meant to tease Zhang Wen—it was a declaration of her confidence and certainty in killing him. In the current situation, these words would not stir any carnal desire in her opponent, but they could shake his confidence.

However, naturally, for Zhang Wen, who had fought countless battles, survived endless crises, and encountered every imaginable feminine trick, Lofei’s little ploy was far from enough to shake his inner composure.

Zhang Wen still managed to focus his entire attention, carefully sensing his surroundings.

Damn it, still only a vague shadow. She should be on the right side, approaching slowly, but… how could such a vague judgment allow him to attack? If he made a mistake and left an opening, this woman’s attack could be fatal! Damn! I underestimated her! I never thought she would personally strike with such determination! And even worse, she was a rare dual master of physical and mental techniques!

Zhang Wen gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He clearly understood that if things continued like this, within no more than five minutes, he would end up exactly as Lofei predicted—lying on the ground, a corpse.

“Hey! Lofei, why are you targeting me? Even if your master, Thunder God Omega, is determined to claim the title of Southlands’ Overlord, there’s no reason for you to come after me, right? I’m not even a high-level master. I’m clearly not a contender for the Southlands Overlord title.”

“Hehe! Teacher Zhang Wen, you’re not really trying to get an answer from me—you’re just trying to trick me into speaking so you can pinpoint my location. Truly worthy of being the strategist who led Almice Academy to victory over Themis Academy! Your cleverness is really quite charming!” Lofei giggled, immediately seeing through Zhang Wen’s trick.

What made Zhang Wen’s heart sink even further was that the voice he had previously been able to detect faintly from a direction now seemed to come from every corner of the tunnel—front, back, left, and right simultaneously!

“Giggle! Don’t be discouraged! Besides changing my appearance, I can also freely alter the direction my voice travels!” Lofei laughed, continuing to chip away at Zhang Wen’s confidence. “As for your question just now, I don’t really know how to answer. Honestly, I don’t understand either. Why would my teacher place so much importance on someone like you—a weakling I could crush with just my pinky finger—and insist that you must be eliminated from this competition?”

“But well, it’s my teacher’s order. Since I can’t figure it out, I’ll just follow instructions. Hehe! Here I come, Teacher Zhang Wen!” As she spoke, Lofei’s voice suddenly appeared directly behind Zhang Wen.

Her figure materialized as if teleporting from nothingness, and in her right hand was a short dagger shimmering with a deadly, seductive glow.

“Tsk!” The moment Lofei appeared, Zhang Wen reacted instantly. He leapt forward fiercely, desperately trying to escape her attack range.

However, Lofei swung her dagger and still managed to stab Zhang Wen in the back. A flash of light, and her body vanished once again as quickly as it had appeared.

“Damn it!” Zhang Wen clenched his fists as he steadied himself. He could clearly feel that Lofei’s strike had torn through his combat suit, leaving a wound at least half a foot long on his back!

“Giggle! Teacher Zhang Wen, scolding me like that really makes me quite unhappy!” Without giving Zhang Wen a moment to catch his breath, the moment he uttered “damn it,” Lofei reappeared almost in the exact same position behind him.

Slicing sound!

Another half-foot-long wound appeared across Zhang Wen’s back.

Damn it!

This time, Zhang Wen didn’t even have time to register the pain. Only one thought flashed through his mind before he forced himself to leap forward once again, barely dodging Lofei’s third strike.

“Oh? Looks like you really can sense my position! Teacher Zhang Wen, you’re truly fascinating! No wonder my teacher holds you in such high regard.” Each time Lofei spoke, she appeared beside Zhang Wen. But each time, her position shifted slightly. Unable to pinpoint Lofei’s exact location, Zhang Wen could only dodge at the last second when she appeared. While this allowed him to evade all her fatal attacks, it also meant his body kept accumulating wounds.

This can’t go on like this—I’ll end up getting killed by this woman eventually. But… how can I find her with her shape-shifting technique? Zhang Wen thought bitterly. To be honest, he had already admitted to himself that against this madwoman, Lofei, he was truly helpless…

“Watch out! She’s behind your right side!” Just as Zhang Wen was nearly losing all hope, Iniel suddenly shouted urgently.

“Huh?” Zhang Wen instinctively hesitated for a moment, but his second reaction was lightning-fast. In that split second, he decided to trust Iniel completely, leaping to his left without sensing Lofei’s exact position.

About half a second after Zhang Wen jumped away, the arc of Lofei’s dagger sliced through the air where he had just stood. And true to Iniel’s warning, Lofei’s figure flickered into existence less than half a meter behind Zhang Wen’s previous position!

Could this elven beauty actually sense Lofei’s location? The moment he caught sight of Lofei’s figure, an idea so incredible it shocked even himself flashed through Zhang Wen’s mind.

“Quick! She’s on your left!” Iniel shouted again.

This time, Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate—he immediately followed Iniel’s instructions, leaping several meters to the right!

“Hmph? Beautiful Kentucky girl, I was originally planning to spare you. But now you dare to interfere with my plan…” Lofei’s voice now carried both anger and shock.

“Watch out!!” This time, Zhang Wen didn’t need Iniel’s warning—he already knew exactly where Lofei would appear.

In an instant, his Ghost Step technique reached its peak. His body seemed to transform into a blur, darting past Iniel.

“Ahh!” The suddenly embraced elven beauty let out a startled cry. Almost simultaneously, the arc of Lofei’s dagger flashed, mercilessly aiming straight for Iniel’s heart.

The sharp blade, shimmering with deadly brilliance, entered Iniel’s vision, causing her breath to involuntarily stop.

Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate either. As his left arm wrapped around Iniel, his right arm shot up.

Puh! The dagger easily sliced through the combat suit covering Zhang Wen’s arm, cutting through the skin and muscle beneath.

“Hmph!” Zhang Wen grunted, the sudden, sharp pain making it impossible for him to maintain balance while using his full Ghost Step technique. In the next moment, he had already carried Iniel dozens of meters down the tunnel, both of them rolling together.

“Tsk!” A flash of determination crossed Iniel’s face. She furrowed her brow in anger and vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Zhang Wen, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Protected by Zhang Wen, Iniel landed after being thrown more than ten meters away without a scratch. The moment they landed, she jumped up, anxiously firing off questions at Zhang Wen in rapid succession. In fact, the elven beauty was so caught up in her concern that she didn’t even notice she was still in Zhang Wen’s arms, and his right arm, wrapped around her, had just so happened to land directly on her chest.

“I’m fine. But that woman’s shape-shifting technique is really troublesome. Even with your guidance, I can barely dodge her attacks. There’s no way I can counterattack!” Zhang Wen struggled to his feet without hesitation, immediately activating his Ghost Step again, fleeing down the tunnel in the opposite direction with Iniel in tow.

“Hehe! Trying to escape? It’s useless. This underground tunnel is completely sealed off. Except for that door we came through earlier, there are no other exits. No matter how much you run, it’s pointless!” Lofei’s sinister laughter seemed to echo right beside them.

“So what do we do now?” After escaping the immediate danger, Iniel had already realized the awkwardness of being held in Zhang Wen’s arms. However, the current situation left her no time or mood to address the embarrassment. Blushing, she lifted her head, struggling against the rushing air currents caused by their high-speed movement, and shouted loudly at Zhang Wen.

“Iniel, can you really sense Lofei’s position?”

“Yes…” Iniel felt a bit uneasy at the sudden seriousness in Zhang Wen’s voice.

“How did you do it? At a time like this, don’t tell me again it’s those ancient Kentucky sages guiding you!”

“I… I just feel it. Ever since I was little, my intuition has always been sharp. When I played games with friends, I could always find whatever they hid. It’s the same with Lofei. Somehow, I just knew she was there!”

“So you’re saying your sixth sense is sharper than an average person’s?” Zhang Wen asked, half questioning, half muttering to himself.

“Um… maybe.” Elniel looked at Zhang Wen in confusion, unsure of why he was asking all this.

But then, Zhang Wen suddenly leaned down and stared intently into Elniel’s delicate, blushing face.

“Elniel.”

“Huh?” Under Zhang Wen’s unwavering gaze, Elniel’s face quickly flushed red.

Although due to her Kentucky bloodline, Elniel possessed a more mature and seductive figure compared to the average imperial woman, at her core, she was still just an eighteen-year-old girl!

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Zhang Wen asked seriously.

“Eh… Eh?!” Elniel blinked, then blushed furiously as she exclaimed, “Why are you asking me this?”

“Nothing. Well, sorry.” Zhang Wen apologized. Then, he leaned down and kissed Elniel firmly on the lips.

“Huh?” Completely unprepared, Elniel had her first kiss stolen from her. Her mind went blank for a moment before she naturally began to struggle! The anxious, nearly tearful elven beauty hit Zhang Wen’s chest with all her strength, her long legs kicking wildly.

“Oh! Teacher Zhang Wen, I never thought you had such a romantic side! Even at the end, you didn’t forget to leave one last kiss for the girl beside you.” Lofei’s voice, at the most inappropriate moment, rang out beside them.

However, whether it was Elniel’s struggle or Lofei’s haunting voice, Zhang Wen had no time to pay attention to either. He focused all his attention on that kiss with Elniel.

Of course, Zhang Wen’s intention was definitely not to take advantage of her. At the moment his lips touched hers, Zhang Wen had already begun circulating all the Spring Water Manual battle energy he had cultivated since arriving in this world, following a strange path through both his and Elniel’s bodies.

With every cycle, the energy of the Spring Water Manual changed slightly. After dozens of cycles, Zhang Wen felt as though suddenly putting on a pair of glasses with his spiritual senses. What had been blurry in his perception became crystal clear.

Everything around him was clearly reflected in his senses, nothing could escape his awareness! And the range of this perception had expanded more than tenfold beyond what Zhang Wen had before!

This girl… Zhang Wen looked in astonishment at Elniel in his arms. He had never expected that this Kentucky clan’s chosen sage would possess such powerful spiritual perception!

And in Zhang Wen’s arms, Elniel also felt exactly what Zhang Wen felt. The struggling elven beauty trembled, and her movements instinctively stopped.

Then, Elniel’s eyes widened. Before her were Zhang Wen’s eyes—clear and bright, seemingly carrying a hint of a smile, yet completely devoid of any lewdness.

They gazed at each other silently for a moment, and Elniel’s face flushed red once again.

“Sorry.” Zhang Wen released Elniel’s lips and gently set her down. Then, he abruptly turned around, activated his Ghost Steps to the fullest, and in the blink of an eye, he had appeared dozens of steps away.

Staring at Zhang Wen’s scarred back, Elniel covered her burning cheeks with both hands.

“Oh? Not planning to run anymore, Teacher Zhang?” Though puzzled by Zhang Wen’s unexpected advance, Lofei’s tone was still filled with confidence in victory.

“No, not that I don’t want to run. It’s just no longer necessary.” Zhang Wen smiled calmly, staring straight ahead as he slowly spread his arms wide.

“Haha! So you’re ready to accept your fate? If you had done this earlier, I could have saved so much effort!” Lofei laughed loudly. As she uttered the last word, she once again strangely appeared behind Zhang Wen.

“Farewell, Teacher Zhang!” As she spoke, Lofei’s dagger, glowing with battle energy, slashed out another dazzling arc, aiming straight at Zhang Wen’s back.

However, at the very moment the deadly dagger pierced Zhang Wen’s body, Lofei’s expression suddenly changed drastically. Because she had already sensed that she had struck not Zhang Wen himself, but merely an illusion!

The next instant, Zhang Wen’s figure already appeared at Lofei’s right side—the weakest point in her defense immediately after swinging her dagger!

Boom!

Zhang Wen’s fist struck Lofei’s body with full force.

However, unlike what Zhang Wen had expected, Lofei did not fly backward. Instead, her body melted like soft mud, reappearing a few steps away.

“How is this possible? It can’t be! How could you possibly detect where I am?” Lofei’s face no longer bore her earlier confident smile, only twisted fury.

“You don’t have to believe it. The facts are right in front of you.” Zhang Wen smiled slightly and drew back his right fist.

“No… it’s not like that. Haha! I get it. Teacher Zhang has always had good luck. You just happened to guess correctly again! Do you think this will shake my confidence? Impossible. Haha!” After a brief moment of losing composure, Lofei suddenly laughed again. Her body vanished from sight as her laughter continued.

Indeed, Lofei’s shapeshifting technique completely deceived Zhang Wen’s eyes. Within his line of sight, Zhang Wen could detect no abnormalities. However, a technique that could deceive the eyes could not deceive Zhang Wen’s now greatly enhanced spiritual perception.

Boom!

This time, before Lofei could reappear, Zhang Wen had already thrown his right fist, wrapped in silvery battle energy!