BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 117 Scheming

At this moment, He Zhongluo no longer knew what to do.

He shouted into the communicator:

“What’s going on?! Didn’t you say Kong Dalong was here? Liu Zhiyou! Liu Zhiyou… are you dead?!”

No matter how he shouted, there was no response.

Just as he began to think Liu Zhiyou had also been mysteriously killed by Kong Dalong, a weak voice came from the pile of bodies:

“…Don’t you get it yet? Liu Zhiyou is Kong Dalong’s accomplice. There’s more than just him among us…”

The speaker was Zhu Nan.

His chest had been blown open, his clothes shredded. Fortunately, this cautious man had worn a spirit-infused bulletproof vest hidden beneath his clothing. That soft armor saved his life.

Yu Meiren beside him was not so lucky—his chest had a massive hole, and he was already completely dead.

“It’s the Phosphorus Ignition Technique… He Sai’s Phosphorus Ignition Technique…” Zhu Nan pointed at Yu Meiren’s wound and continued weakly.

“Kong Dalong never entered Unit 810. He went into Unit 811 across the hall. The moment you all went downstairs, he opened the door to 811 and used He Sai’s ignition technique while everyone’s attention was on you. That’s another dozen lives gone…”

He Sai may have looked like a dwarf, but among them he was one of the strongest in spellcraft. He had created a technique using high-concentration phosphorus powder hidden under his fingernails. When activated, he would flick the powder onto his target and ignite it through a spell. The phosphorus would erupt into extreme heat instantly, burning a hole straight through flesh and bone.

These words finally made everything click for He Zhongluo.

Right—Liu Zhiyou had been the last person to leave Unit 808. He was also the one who brought out that box of strange items. At the time, He Zhongluo had even considered inspecting it, but worried it might be part of a trap formation, he held back.

Now he understood—it was all a setup between Liu Zhiyou and Kong Dalong.

Zhu Nan, barely clinging to life, forced a bitter smile.

“I surrender… Kong Dalong’s life or death has nothing to do with me anymore. I need to survive first… farewell. If he really dies in your hands, just let me know later. I’d like to live the rest of my life without fear for once…”

With that, he slowly limped toward the stairwell.

He Zhongluo had intended to stop him, but seeing his condition—half-dead already—he decided it was pointless. Keeping him would only create another burden.

So he let him go.

After confirming with the remaining “fellow sect members” that the attack truly came from Unit 811, He Zhongluo turned to the He family uncle and nephew below.

“You two come up… Kong Dalong is over there. We—what’s wrong with you two?”

Only then did he notice something strange.

He Huan and He Sai were standing rigidly in place, motionless, their expressions distorted.

“What is it… did you two fall into Kong Dalong’s trap as well?”

He frowned.

“I came down first and didn’t see any formation. Besides, you two specialize in formations—how could you miss it?”

He Sai’s face turned dark.

“Are you blind, He Zhongluo? Do we look like we’re fine?!”

He ground his teeth.

“Kong Dalong set a delayed formation. Nothing happens at first—you can’t feel it at all. But after one minute, it activates automatically. Any movement inside the formation triggers a blood-boiling death…”

“He calculated this far ahead…” He Zhongluo muttered, suddenly unwilling to act rashly.

He hesitated, then cracked his whip.

“You two grab hold of this. One chance—I’ll pull you up.”

He flicked the whip downward like a steel rod, extending it through the hole toward them.

The He uncle and nephew grabbed it without hesitation.

But at that moment—

No one noticed that a figure had appeared behind He Zhongluo.

It was Zhu Nan—who had supposedly left.

While He Zhongluo focused entirely on the two below, Zhu Nan drove a dagger straight into his back.

The blade pierced his heart.

He Zhongluo didn’t even have time to struggle. He stood there, exhaling his last breath.

Zhu Nan calmly threw his corpse down the hole.

BOOM.

The body landed right in front of the He family pair.

A dead body entering the formation triggered the delayed activation.

Blood burst from their seven orifices. In seconds, both collapsed into lifeless mud.

He Huan died instantly.

He Sai, with slightly stronger cultivation, spat out a mouthful of dark blood before staring upward.

“…You’re not Zhu Nan…”

“You’re Kong Dalong in disguise…”

The man standing above smiled.

“Wrong. I am both Zhu Nan and Kong Dalong.”

He wiped his face casually—and his appearance shifted back into that of an old man.

“In the past, I asked that old gentleman on the sea to add the name ‘Zhu Nan’ into the decree. Over the years, I’ve used that identity to lure quite a few of you out.”

He looked down at He Sai.

“Still confused why that man on the sea issued the decree?”

He Sai, already dying, forced out broken words through blood:

“…He… gave you… the chance… to finish this…”

The old man chuckled.

“He’s not that bored. He just wanted me to finish quickly and go see him.”

He sighed.

“Nearly twenty years ago, something interesting also happened around me…”

He paused, watching He Sai collapse.

“Ah… you’re going too fast.”

All around him, the people who had been surrounding him were already dead.

While He Zhongluo was distracted trying to rescue the He family pair, everything had ended silently.

He returned to Yu Meiren’s side, retrieved the phone he had left with the corpse, unlocked it, and dialed a number.

When the call connected, he spoke in Zhu Nan’s voice:

“Zheng Anran, hurry here… He Zhongluo has injured Kong Dalong, but he escaped. They’re searching the entire building… don’t let him get away again… your manpower isn’t enough—bring Lin Zhongtian and the others too…”