Chapter 9: An Ordinary Person Falls into a Trap

Ning Chen and Ning Yong sat by the window on the second floor of the restaurant, keeping a vigilant watch over the street below.

“Look, there’s Ning Zhuo,” whispered one.

“Let’s go!”

The two of them moved swiftly, reaching the intersection ahead of time and pretending to bump into Ning Zhuo by chance.

“Ning Zhuo?” Ning Yong called out.

Ning Zhuo turned to look at them, pausing for a moment before offering a gentle smile. “It’s you two, Ning Yong and Ning Chen.”

They were his classmates.

Ning Chen put on a wistful air. “We haven’t seen each other since the Grand Examination. Feels like it’s been ages.”

Ning Zhuo’s heart gave a small stir. “Time seems long when many things happen, even if it’s only been a short while.”

Ning Yong jumped in. “I heard about you. After the exam, you had a falling out with your uncle and aunt, refusing their help.”

“Is it hard living on your own?”

“How do you earn spirit stones to keep up your cultivation?”

Ning Zhuo hesitated, then replied, “I’m working odd jobs at a mechanical workshop for now. What about you two?”

Ning Yong grinned with pride. “We’ve already joined the Monster Hunters’ Guild! We’re out getting supplies for a trip outside the city. Tonight, we’ll be hunting monsters in the Demon Caverns with some of the senior guild members.”

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re going into the Crimson Flame Demon Caverns? Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? If you’re scared of death, you’ll never accomplish anything,” Ning Yong declared, puffing out his chest with contempt. “We’re still young. This is the time to go out and make a name for ourselves. Without risk, how can there be reward? Without money, how could I ever hope to build my foundation?”

Ning Chen added, “Don’t listen to him boasting. There are cultivators from the Ning clan in the Monster Hunters’ Guild. Have you heard of Master Ning Zhanji?”

“We’ll be entering under his leadership, and tonight is a lull in the volcanic activity—very safe.”

Ning Chen did his best to put Ning Zhuo’s mind at ease.

Ning Zhuo looked on, a trace of envy in his eyes.

Seeing this, Ning Yong pressed further. “Honestly, Ning Zhuo, why bother with odd jobs at a workshop? Why not join us in the caverns?”

“There are countless treasures hidden in the Demon Caverns.”

“How much do you make in a week? Who knows, you might find a single spirit herb in the Crimson Flame Caverns that’s worth your whole week’s wages!”

Ning Zhuo shook his head, waving his hands in refusal. “My grades in swordsmanship have always been mediocre at best. Fighting monsters is too dangerous—I just can’t do it.”

“Coward,” Ning Yong snapped, glaring at him and about to say more.

Ning Chen stopped him with a glance, then smiled at Ning Zhuo, “If I were you, Ning Zhuo, I’d go back and apologize to my uncle and aunt. Have them use their connections to get me a job in the family’s enterprises. That’s far better than working outside.”

Ning Zhuo shook his head at once, a youthful resolve in his tone. “Things have gone this far—I can’t just give in now.”

Ning Chen chuckled softly. “And if I were your uncle or aunt, seeing you scraping by in some obscure little workshop, what would I think?”

“Maybe I’d think: See? This Ning Zhuo is reckless and arrogant. Without our help, he’s doomed to struggle and fall to the very bottom among cultivators!”

Ning Zhuo’s brows furrowed, his expression darkening as if his defenses had been breached.

Ning Chen smiled inwardly, pressing the advantage…

A short while later.

Watching Ning Zhuo’s departing figure, Ning Yong remarked, “Ning Zhuo’s grades are better than ours, but what does that matter? He still fell for our goading and agreed to join us tonight.”

Ning Chen sighed. “He’s just like us—an ordinary person.”

“In his place, if someone schemed against me, I’d fall for it too.”

“Ah…”

Seeing his companion’s spirits sink, Ning Yong offered comfort. “Ning Zhuo may be our classmate, but we now serve under Master Ning Zhanji. This was his direct order. What does a bit of old school friendship matter compared to our future? We were never close to him anyway!”

Ning Chen shook his head slightly. “Enough. At least now we can give Master Ning Zhanji an answer.”

“Let’s go.”

As evening fell, Ning Zhuo arrived alone at the rendezvous point.

Ning Yong greeted him with a smile and led him inside.

Ning Chen brought him before Ning Zhanji.

Ning Zhanji was a burly, middle-aged man with narrow eyes and a powerful presence. He gave Ning Zhuo a once-over, his expression unreadable. “Since you’re of the Ning clan, I’ll make an exception and let you join the team this time.”

“But remember, you follow my orders in all things.”

“I understand, sir!” Ning Zhuo replied promptly.

Ning Zhuo’s mind flashed through all he knew of Ning Zhanji.

Years ago, the Ning clan had begun deliberately sending cultivators out to various organizations in and around Firescarlet Immortal City.

Ning Zhanji was one such figure.

He was formidable in battle, decisive, and famously bold. He had a knack for seizing fleeting opportunities in combat, which earned him a reputation as a leader.

This time, Ning Zhanji had been asked by Ning Ze to take on this task, and with suitable compensation, he had sent Ning Chen and Ning Yong to provoke Ning Zhuo into joining.

After a quick assessment—third level of Qi Refinement, unremarkable—Ning Zhanji looked away.

Soon, more than fifty people had gathered.

Most of them bore the Ning surname. The few outsiders present were closely connected to the Ning clan as well.

Ning Zhanji led the group toward the Crimson Flame Demon Caverns.

Firescarlet Immortal City was a classic mountain city.

Most of its buildings were clustered on the mountainside. The higher one went toward the center, the higher the elevation, with the volcano’s crater at the very heart. The further out, the lower the terrain, with the city’s edges sprawling down toward the mountain’s base.

Ning Zhuo and his companions made their way from the mountainside upward. They passed through several checkpoints, the inspections along the way rather lax, and at last reached the summit.

At the peak, the spiritual energy thickened, growing hot and oppressive.

The air was heavy with the acrid stench of sulfur, sharp enough to sting the nose.

Though night had fallen, the crater glowed with a perpetual, brilliant light. By its illumination, Ning Zhuo could see wisps of white smoke drifting above the volcano’s mouth.

Flitting through the smoke were many cloud sparrows, darting in and out.

Ning Zhuo and the others reached the edge of the volcano.

Looking down, they saw a broad, flat expanse of rock within the crater.

The crimson rocks radiated searing heat. Some of the red stones were tightly fused; others were separated by cracks, beneath which bright, orange-red magma flowed. Here and there, open mouths gaped in the rock.

Some of these openings spat fire intermittently; others oozed magma, while others still were bottomless, leading deeper underground.

The mountain walls and rocky floor met at nearly vertical angles, forming a ring of glassy, smooth stone—clearly shaped by human hands. The whole crater resembled a giant, open-mouthed cup.

The closer they drew to the center, the more numerous—and larger—the pit openings became.

Finally, Ning Zhuo’s gaze settled on the very heart of the rocky expanse.

There, at the center, lay a lake of molten lava.