Chapter 70: Making The Plan

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Making The Plan

Back on the battlefield, Yizhou continued to stall for time. He never mentioned the Soul Bell directly, but from the things he said, Shi Yan could probably guess that he already knew about it.

His gaze subtly swept toward the side, checking whether everything was ready. The others gave him a discreet signal. They were almost finished.

Although stalling for time was hardly something Yizhou was accustomed to doing, he had no choice but to continue. In truth, he had no desire to play this role in the first place, but there was no one else suitable for the task.

A few days ago, shortly after the incident at the temple, Yizhou, along with Sui Sui and the two Luo sisters went to the City Lord’s Mansion to verify the clues they had gathered. They began by explaining the most obvious motive behind the case, aside from the production of corpse oil: all the victims possessed a strong Yin Attribute.

They then revealed their theory that the culprit intended to take Shan Shuqin’s identity, with the fake Shi Yan serving as a means to get close to the City Lord and ultimately target him. From there, they explained their suspicion that the Yaomei Pavilion was the true culprit behind everything that had happened.

To support this theory, Yizhou presented the evidence they had gathered, one piece at a time.

The first piece of evidence was the talismans. They explained that it was a type of charm spell created by a demon race from the Demon Realm known as the Qingmei Demons. Yizhou explained that Qingmei demons fed on human desires or greed and were particularly skilled in charm and illusion magic. He also pointed out that one of the most important materials required to create these talismans was corpse oil, connecting the Yaomei Pavilion to the temple.

The second piece of evidence was the spirit beast rampage. The beast had been affected by a charm spell, and Yizhou noticed that the power within it was strikingly similar to the aura he had sensed inside the Yaomei Pavilion during his previous visit.

The final piece of evidence was the little statues. During their previous investigation, they had learned that the Yaomei Pavilion distributed these statues to people under the guise of offering blessings. After carefully examining one of them, Yizhou was able to decipher the inscriptions carved into it.

The first inscription was designed to help mortals extend their lifespans by a few years, creating the appearance that the statue truly carried a blessing. However, hidden beneath it was another inscription—a tracking inscription. Most likely, the statues had been distributed to secretly mark specific targets.

After cross-checking the families of the other victims, they discovered that every one of them had received the same type of statue from the Yaomei Pavilion. Even City Lord Xu had been given one. Yet, when they checked other families in the city, they found that the statues had not been distributed indiscriminately.

Throughout the discussion, Yizhou deliberately avoided mentioning the Soul Bell. That was his own hidden agenda, and there was no reason for him to reveal it to the others. The evidence they had presented was already enough to make the City Lord take their suspicions seriously, so there was no need to expose anything further.

After going over the evidence, they began discussing how they could lure the culprit out.

"We can announce that the culprit has already been found," Yizhou suggested. "If they believe the investigation is over, they may lower their guard. Once they think we have stopped looking into the matter, we can deliberately leave an opening for them to make their move."

"This is feasible," Luo Qingya said, nodding in agreement. "We are in the dark while the enemy is in the light. If we can make them believe that we have truly relaxed our guard, they may expose themselves when they think they finally have an opportunity."

City Lord Xu considered their words carefully. "Then the opportunity has to be convincing. It cannot be something that appears deliberately arranged for them. Otherwise, they may realize that it is a trap."

Everyone fell into thought. They needed something that would naturally draw the culprit out while giving them enough room to conceal their preparations. More importantly, it had to involve City Lord Xu himself. If the culprit’s true goal was to get close to him, then the best bait would be an occasion where approaching him would not seem suspicious.

"How about a fake wedding?" Sui Sui who was quiet suddenly suggested.

Everyone’s attention turned toward him.

"Doesnt City Lord Xu plan to get married anyway, It would not be weird to proceed with it after the problem has been supposedly solved," he continued. "Plus, There will be plenty of people gathered for the celebration, which would make it easier for us to conceal our own arrangements. More importantly, during the ceremony, there will be moments when the bride and groom are separated from the guests. If the culprit has truly been trying to get close to City Lord Xu, they could use that opportunity to make their move."

City Lord Xu thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding. "That could work. If we proceed as planned, they may believe that we have truly stopped investigating and that I have lowered my guard."

"Then we can use the wedding as bait," Luo Qingya said.

City Lord Xu nodded. "Once the culprit appears, we can activate the ancestral formation of the Xu family. It was left behind by our ancestors specifically to suppress demonic cultivators. As long as we can lure the culprit into its range, the formation should be able to suppress and prevent them from escaping."

"Then everything depends on activating the formation at the right moment," Luo Qingya said.

After some further discussion, everyone agreed that the plan was worth attempting. The wedding would proceed as normal while the City Lord’s Mansion secretly prepared an ambush. One group would be responsible for evacuating the surrounding civilians, while another would arrange the formation and wait for the culprit to reveal themselves.

There was only one problem.

Someone had to play the groom.

City Lord Xu was naturally the first person they considered. After all, he was the culprit’s true target, and having him appear as the groom would make the bait far more convincing.

However, the suggestion was quickly dismissed.

"I cannot do it," City Lord Xu said. "I am the only one who knows how to draw the ancestral formation. If I am involved in the battle, there will be no one to activate it when the time comes."

That alone was enough to rule him out. The formation was their greatest advantage against the demon, and its activation had to be perfectly timed. City Lord Xu could not afford to leave his position merely to act as bait.

Moreover, City Lord Xu was not particularly suited for directly confronting a powerful demon. They needed someone who could withstand the culprit’s attacks and stall her until the formation was ready.

Their gazes gradually shifted toward Yizhou.

Sui Sui looked at him as well. The more he considered it, the more suitable Yizhou seemed. Though only at the Golden Core stage, he was still the strongest person present and the one most capable of confronting the culprit without being overwhelmed before the ancestral formation could be activated.

It could also be an opportunity for Yizhou to build a better reputation, this was his initial reason for suggesting this method.

In the novel, the post-rebirth Yizhou had been too much of a loner. He rarely bothered to help others if there was nothing to gain, he focused only on his own interests, and consequently made countless enemies while accumulating bad karma. If Sui Sui wanted to change the world’s trajectory, he could not allow Yizhou to follow the same path.

He wanted people to admire Yizhou rather than fear him. To achieve that, Yizhou first needed to change his attitude toward the world. He had to care more, involve himself more, and stop acting as though everything around him were an irritating nuisance.

This was actually the best opportunity to do so because he had only just been reborn. Although Yizhou had already begun to blacken, the future tragedies that would eventually push him completely over the edge had yet to happen. There was still a chance to change the course of events and stir the plot before it reached that point.

The novel mentioned that, around this time, Yizhou still retained some of his humanity and had not yet fallen completely into the Demonic Heartless Path. He still possessed enough human emotion to be influenced, which was why he believed in the protagonist’s innate kindness at the beginning of the novel. Jiayou Lord Male Lead.

Making a contribution this time would be a good start. The motive behind it might not be entirely selfless, but as long as the outcome was good, that was what mattered. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

This was definitely his fanboy self acting up and want to see the male lead and female lead work and join together early. hehe.

Sui Sui became so absorbed in the thought that he completely forgot they were using false identities and such things would not matter anyway.

"If Cultivator Aotian does not mind, would you be willing to play the part of the groom?" City Lord Xu asked.

"Right, right, Senior Brother. There really is no other choice besides you," Sui Sui said enthusiastically. He nodded several times, his expression filled with complete agreement with the City Lord’s suggestion.

"Oh?" Yizhou raised an eyebrow.

He turned his attention toward Sui Sui, studying him for a moment. The little fool was unusually enthusiastic about the matter, and Yizhou could not help but wonder what was going through his head. Seeing how readily Sui Sui had pushed the responsibility onto him, a trace of amusement appeared in Yizhou’s eyes.

He suddenly felt like teasing him.

"Isn’t there still you?" Yizhou asked, his gaze lingering on Sui Sui. "You’re a male too. Why does it have to be me?"

"This, this..." Sui Sui stammered, suddenly finding himself at a loss for words. Yizhou’s question was annoyingly reasonable. After a brief struggle, he quickly came up with an excuse and said, "Well, isn’t it because I’m just a small fry? Besides, I’m not as strong as you are. You’re definitely more suitable."

As he spoke, Sui Sui secretly glanced at Yizhou, hoping he would understand the hint and simply accept the role without making things difficult.

Yizhou, of course, understood far too well.

He gave Sui Sui a meaningful look that clearly said, It’s not impossible. But what are you offering me in return?

Sui Sui froze.

The two exchanged a silent stare for several seconds.

In the end, Sui Sui could only silently accept his fate. He had wanted Yizhou to take the role so badly that he had apparently forgotten one important thing—Yizhou never did anything for free.

And so, after some very quiet bargaining that no one else understood, Yizhou was finally chosen as the groom despite his initial refusal.

Once the groom was decided, the matter of the bride naturally came up.

Shan Shuqin was naturally out of question because she is only a mortal and have no fighting power.

Sui Sui’s spirits immediately lifted. The best candidates were undoubtedly the women from the Vermillion Moon Palace. They were strong enough for the role, and he already had someone in mind—either Luo Qingya or Luo Qingxue. After all, both of them was destined to become Yizhou’s future love interest.

Although these two sisters were not the ultimate Female lead in Sui Sui’s heart, they were still female leads, If he could pair Yizhou with one of them, perhaps the two would have a chance to spend more time together and naturally develop feelings for each other. It would be the perfect opportunity to bring them closer and help Yizhou return to the path of a proper stallion protagonist so he wouldn’t be too lonely in the future like in the novel.

Sui Sui was just about to make his suggestion when Yizhou spoke.

"Although it is only a fake marriage, I don’t think we should treat it carelessly," Yizhou said. "Especially when it involves the women from the Vermillion Moon Palace. If their reputation were affected because of this, it would be troublesome don’t you think?"

Sui Sui paused.

That actually made sense.

Before he could think of another suggestion, Yizhou’s gaze shifted toward him, a faint trace of amusement appearing in his eyes.

"Fortunately, there is no need to trouble them," Yizhou said, turning his gaze toward Sui Sui.

Sui Sui’s heart sank as a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him.

"I think my Junior Brother here can do the work."

Sui Sui stared at him. "Why me?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Yizhou raised an eyebrow. "Earlier, you said I was the most suitable candidate for the groom because of circumstances. By that reasoning, you should be the most suitable candidate for the bride since you also fit the bill."

"That’s not what I meant!"

"Isn’t it?"

Sui Sui was rendered speechless.

Yizhou remained perfectly composed, but the amusement in his eyes betrayed him. He was clearly enjoying this far too much—as though he were saying, Still want to make me the groom? Then I’ll make you the bride instead.

"Besides, the idea was yours to begin with, it is just right you also contribute" Yizhou added.

Sui Sui immediately fell silent.

He had been caught.

Before he could think of a rebuttal, Luo Qingya and Luo Qingxue both nodded.

"I think this is fine," Luo Qingya said.

Sui Sui turned toward her in disbelief.

How could she agree so easily?

This was not how things were supposed to go!

He had been counting on this opportunity to bring Yizhou together with one of the women from the Vermillion Moon Palace. Yet instead of helping him, Luo Qingya had just pushed him straight into the role of bride.

Luo Qingya, however, had her own reasons. She still remembered the mark she had once seen on Sui Sui and had long since drawn her own conclusion about the relationship between the two. If anything, having Sui Sui take the role seemed like the safest choice.

Luo Qingxue also nodded. "I don’t see a problem with it."

The other women followed suit, and the matter was settled before Sui Sui could even raise an objection.

Sui Sui stood there in stunned silence.

Across from him, Yizhou merely raised an eyebrow.

His expression seemed to say, What are you going to do about it?

Sui Sui could only swallow his protest.

It seemed that this time, he had truly dug his own grave.