Chapter 113: Scheme

A bell-like giggle tinkled through the air.

A red-colored figure slowly emerged from thin air.

It was Flaming Femme.

She stood in the air, watching Su Chen with a provocative expression. “So in the end, I wasn’t able to hide from Master Azure Mark. I did arrive here a long time ago, and I wanted to strike at the right moment for you. I wasn’t expecting you to call me out like that.”

“Strike at the right moment for me?” Su Chen chuckled. “You mean, strike at me, right?”

Flaming Femme’s expression shifted uncomfortably. “Master, you must be joking. My life is in your hands. How could I possibly even dare think of betraying you?”

“But you did dare to leak information about me to the Mother Goddess Sect. Otherwise, how could trash like this have shown up here?” Su Chen replied softly.

Everyone’s expression shifted simultaneously when they heard this.

The Mother Goddess Sect’s disciples and Li Daohong’s followers all yelled, “How arrogant!”

Li Daohong and Night God Sun raised their hands to quell their subordinates, however.

On the other hand, Flaming Femme was staring at Su Chen in shock. “You……”

“You still want to deny it?” Su Chen chuckled coldly as he returned Flaming Femme’s stare.

Flaming Femme’s expression had shifted to one of distress. “Why would I throw my life away like that? My consciousness fragment is still in Master’s hands. How could I possibly sell you out like that?”

Su Chen laughed again and replied, “Because someone already helped you remove that restriction. Am I right, Your Highness Li Daohong? The Dream Beauty Bloodline may be most proficient in dream techniques, but dream realms still fall under the category of consciousness techniques. Thus, I’m sure that your consciousness powers are pretty strong as well, right? I bet that the Li Clan has many methods to nullify consciousness control. Otherwise, why would you appear at this moment?”

Li Daohong was taken aback before he began to laugh. “Hey, you surprisingly know a lot about the Li Clan. No wonder Flaming Femme said that you had a vast knowledge base despite your young age. Consider me impressed!”

Flaming Femme’s expression was beginning to turn ugly now. “When did you find out?”

She had been forced to yield to Su Chen just like the Wind-Gathering Clan back in the day. This meant that her obedience was not born out of loyalty. As such, it was only natural that she would try to find ways to regain her freedom.

But she had no idea how to nullify Su Chen’s technique.

Even so, in addition to her status as a member of Fate’s Hands, she had another identity as a high-level spy for the Mother Goddess Sect. She was the one who had initially asked the Mother Goddess Sect to ally with Li Daohong. Because of her high status, there were many powerful individuals willing to support her, which was how she had managed to escape from Su Chen’s control. Otherwise, this secret realm wouldn’t have been opened in front of a human so easily.

Yes, the price for having Li Daohong save Flaming Femme was that he would be allowed to participate in this expedition of Jade Clearmist’s secret treasure realm. That was why he could appear here.

But now, it appeared that this Azure Mark person had been prepared for this all along.

The opponent wasn’t reacting like he had only just found out. This made Flaming Femme and Night God Sun nervous.

Night God Sun’s expression was ugly as well. “What else do you know?”

“What else do I know?” Su Chen tilted his head and thought for a moment before replying, “Oh, just that Flaming Femme is actually a spy that the Mother Goddess Sect planted amongst Fate’s Hands? And isn’t her teacher one of the head bishops of the Mother Goddess Sect branch in Sky City? That kind of person has a social status that puts him above many others.”

Flaming Femme trembled. “Impossible! Impossible! How could you know all that so clearly?”

Wind-Gathering Evergreen and Youthful Abundance were stunned when they heard this revelation as well.

How had the situation turned around so suddenly?

Su Chen chuckled. There was naturally no way that he would mention that he had divined all this from the Origin Bone Scepter, so he instead calmly replied, “How I know this is not important. What’s important is the battle to be fought today.”

Night God Sun squinted. “That is a good point. How you found out is not important anymore. As long as we capture you, that information will reveal itself in due time.”

As he spoke, his entire body began to surge with power as a fierce glow of Origin Energy appeared on his body.

The Harpies around him also prepared to attack.

Su Chen, however, calmly said, “Why are you all in such a hurry to fight? Do you not find it strange? Since I already know all this, why would I put myself in a position where I could be captured?”

Night God sun was taken aback.

Right, since his opponent had clearly anticipated this happening, it was only natural that he would have made his own preparations as well.

He stared intently at Su Chen. “What did you do?”

“That’s the question I was waiting for,” Su Chen chuckled.

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Daohong. “You can remove that consciousness restriction, but can you remove this?”

As he spoke, he hand suddenly formed a strange seal that he subsequently pressed into the air.

Flaming Femme suddenly began to tremble violently.

“Vermilion Blush!” Night God Sun yelled.

Vermilion Blush was Flaming Femme’s true name.

Flaming Femme’s mien was paling rapidly. She lowered her head and glanced at her body, only to find that her midsection had suddenly started bulging unnaturally.

Flaming Femme desperately yelled, “There’s something in me…… Something’s moving around inside of me!”

“You bastard! What did you do to her?” Night God Sun was about to go insane.

“Of course, I’m using a new technique to control her. The best way to describe it is a kind of bug that I have been developing lately. I have been doing many experiments related to lifeform alteration, and I finally made a breakthrough not too long ago. Once I plant this bug in someone’s body, it will move around inside that person’s body according to my commands. I have been lacking a research subject, however, so I will be eternally grateful to Flaming Femme for volunteering herself as an experimental subject. It seems that the effect is pretty good. Right, what should I name this bug? Perhaps I should call it Gluttonous Parasite. What do you think? Pretty good, right?”

Night God Sun trembled as he stared at Flaming Femme, who was already doubled over and sweating profusely from the pain.

Su Chen coldly continued, “Once I activate this parasitic bug, it will begin to furiously devour her internal organs. Of course, she can handle some internal damage given how strong she is, and she shouldn’t die immediately. But unfortunately, that bug won’t come out until it completely devours the host’s body. So although she might stay alive for some time, that only means that she will feed my parasite a few more meals. But don’t worry; once it’s eaten its fill, it will come out on its own.”

“I don’t believe you!” Flaming Femme began to yell loudly.

Her body began to burn brightly as flames enveloped her entire body.

She was extremely proficient in manipulating fire, so she could easily light herself on fire without harming herself. Any small bugs inside her body should have been burned to a crisp.

Su Chen, however, sighed. “If the Gluttonous Parasite were that easy to deal with, then would I have spent so much effort in fostering it? I could’ve just found any old bug and used that instead.”

Indeed, the parasites weren’t burned to a crisp. Instead, they began to make chirping noises, not out of fear, but rather of excitement.

Their appetite only grew with the sweltering heat.

“AHHH!” Flaming Femme howled in pain as she clutched her stomach.

Her internal organs were being devoured rapidly. Even though she was attempting to use all kinds of Arcana Techniques, and the Harpies around her were doing their best to heal her with their restorative Arcana Techniques, all they could do was increase Flaming Femme’s lifeforce and her rate of regeneration. They were unable to destroy the Gluttonous Parasites. As long as those bugs remained in her body, the biting wouldn’t stop, so any treatment could only delay, not prevent, her inevitable end.

This delaying would even further increase the pain that she felt.

Flaming Femme’s shrieks and howls of pain could be heard for miles, causing all of the nearby Harpies to tremble in fear.

Even Wind-Gathering Evergreen and Youthful Abundance trembled in fear, wondering if Azure Mark had placed these parasites into their bodies as well.

But after a moment’s thought, they realized that that was impossible.

After all, given how strong he was, he could have easily dealt with them without resorting to such measures.

Night God Sun was also growing agitated.

It wasn’t just because Flaming Femme’s teacher had a high status amongst his religious sect, but also because he had romantic feelings for her. When he saw her in such horrendous pain, but also knew that there was nothing he could do, he compulsively yelled, “Stop! Stop those parasites and let them out. I am willing to swear on my honor that we are willing to back out of this expedition right now! Everything you find here will belong to you!”

Su Chen, however, frowned. “Your promise isn’t even worth a single cent to me. You want me to let her go? Fine. Get out of here now, and let Flaming Femme remain as my subordinate. When I’m done using her, I will return her to you.”

“Impossible!”

“That’s not up to you to decide,” Su Chen coldly rebuked.

Night God Sun was stunned.

At that moment, Flaming Femme suddenly said, “Sun, don’t listen to him. This person is incredibly despicable. Even if you agree to his demands, he won’t spare me. And when have the Harpies ever feared death? Even if I die, I must drag this bastard down with me! Sun, remember to avenge me!”

Flaming Femme’s entire body began to burn as she said this.

Unlike before, however, she was actually burning herself this time.

This time, she was really immolating herself. Flaming Femme would rather die than be captured by Su Chen.

“Vermilion Blush!” Upon seeing Flaming Femme’s suicide attempt, Night God Sun cried out in sorrow.

Su Chen disdainfully said, “You seem quite decisive, but unfortunately, you still haven’t truly killed yourself yet.”

The others didn’t know this, but he was very clearly knew that Flaming Femme was protected by a legendary Arcana Technique. She had left a portion of her body with the Mother Goddess Sect so that even if she were killed, she would be able to come back to life as long as her soul returned to that portion of her body.

Of course, the price of this resurrection-type Arcana Technique was immense. Her strength would fall greatly, and it was only possible to use this kind of technique once a lifetime.

This was Flaming Femme’s real escape route. It was only because the cost was so high that she had been unwilling to use it so casually.

Now, however, Flaming Femme had no choice but to do use it in a bid to escape from her opponent’s control.

Unfortunately, her opponent was Su Chen.

And his consciousness power was unrivalled here.

In addition to that, he had broken through many of his previous obstacles with Li Daohong’s contributions to his consciousness power, and he had also gained the knowledge in Jade Clearmist’s library.

Amongst that library’s pool of knowledge was an Arcana Technique that could see through Yin and Yang and take control of a person’s consciousness.

With it, Su Chen was able to lock onto Flaming Femme’s consciousness with but a glance.

“Trying to leave? You’d better stay here.” Su Chen reached out and grabbed Flaming Femme’s consciousness with his hand.

However, because it was his first time using this technique and thus he was still unfamiliar with it, this grab actually caused Flaming Femme’s consciousness to shatter into pieces.

“NO!”

If Night God Sun had only been pretending earlier, the current heartbreak he was experiencing was as real as it could be.