Did Cui Hao Really Have Tactics

The journey resumed the following day.

But this time, if Cui Hao had been moving sluggishly before, now he was outright dragging his feet. Three steps forward, then a pause; two more steps, then another rest. It wasn’t just walking—it seemed like merely staying alive took all his effort.

Lin Luoyu tried to coax him along the way, but Cui Hao’s attitude was clear: If you’re unhappy, just leave me behind.

Boiling water couldn’t scald a dead man, and their pace was now slower than an ordinary mortal’s. It was almost as if they were begging for the demonic cultivators to catch up.

Yet, perhaps the demonic cultivators had truly lost their trail—or maybe they feared Lin Luoyu’s background—because despite the painfully slow progress, no pursuers appeared.

By now, Donggua had a rough idea of Cui Hao’s plan.

But… this plan was far too crude. And yet, he still wore that smug, confident look?

With this level of skill, you shouldn’t even think about scheming against others. Why not leave the planning to a professional like me?

“No, no—my heart’s racing, my spiritual energy won’t obey me. I need to rest, or I’ll risk qi deviation,” Cui Hao declared, planting his feet and refusing to take another step.

Lin Luoyu’s expression remained calm, though her brows furrowed slightly. Still, she halted.

Xigua, ever practical, simply found a shady spot to rest.

Donggua stood still, her gaze steady as she watched Cui Hao.

Rubbing his waist, Cui Hao walked up to Lin Luoyu, produced a sound-isolating talisman, and whispered something to her.

Lin Luoyu frowned, standing motionless for a moment before finally turning away. As she stepped out of the talisman’s range, she instructed the other two:

“Stay here and be careful. Keep an eye on him—I’ll return later.”

With that, her figure swiftly vanished into the distance.

After a pause, Cui Hao turned his attention to Donggua.

“Didn’t expect those demonic cultivators to be such cowards. At this point, we’ll have to rely on ourselves.”

Donggua shot him a sidelong glance. “What do you mean?”

“To bring someone down, you must be willing to suffer yourself,” Cui Hao said, his expression darkening. “If there are no demonic cultivators, we’ll just have to fake them. Later, throw a few punches, inflict some injuries on yourself—”

“Hold on,” Donggua interrupted impatiently. “Do you really think your senior sister is that stupid? ‘Virtuous’ doesn’t mean ‘gullible.’”

Cui Hao looked at her like she was an idiot. “Whether she’s stupid or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that even if she suspects something’s off, she’ll still act. You think this is a scheme? No—it’s an open gambit!”

Donggua scoffed in response.

Surprisingly, Xigua spoke up: “There’s some logic to it.”

Donggua glared at him—Are you teaming up with him just to annoy me?

Xigua shook his head slightly. “The truth will reveal itself later. But some decisions must be made now.”

Cui Hao raised a brow. “Brother Xigua, you’re so sharp—why not lend half your brain to Donggua? Talking to her is exhausting.”

Before Xigua could reply, Donggua punched him square in the head.

Thunk!

The crisp sound suggested it was a good melon.

“I hadn’t even said anything…” Xigua’s voice remained calm as he lifted his face from the dirt.

Donggua sneered. “And you wouldn’t have said anything good.”

“I wasn’t planning to. But since you hit me, I won’t let it slide.” Xigua wiped the dirt from his face with his remaining hand. “Even if I gave you half my intelligence, you still wouldn’t understand Cui Hao’s plan.”

Thunk!

Another crisp sound.

Donggua smirked. “Who said I’d stop at one punch?”

Xigua exhaled silently. This melon really is half-witted.

Taking a deep breath, Donggua turned back to Cui Hao.

Cui Hao cautiously retreated two steps. “You can hit him all you want—but don’t hit me.”

“Explain your idea. You’re going to fake severe injuries? Trick your senior sister into using that thing?” Donggua crossed her arms.

Cui Hao cleared his throat. “Drop the ‘fake.’ That’s about right.”

Donggua nodded approvingly. “As expected of a high-ranking disciple—truly ruthless. Fine, I’ll help. I’ll make sure it’s convincing.”

“I have my own methods—no need for your help.” Cui Hao took another step back, then added, “But if I’m ‘badly injured,’ you two need wounds too. Otherwise, my senior sister will see through it.”

Xigua glanced at Donggua’s contemplative expression and quickly interjected:

“I’m already severely injured—half of me is gone. Donggua, maybe I should sit this one out?”

Donggua shot him a glare. “No. We’re going all in. I’ll go easy on you—just a couple of hits.”

Xigua sighed inwardly. Donggua’s emotions are in chaos—her true nature is fully exposed now.

Cui Hao seemed tailor-made to unravel her. Every word, every action disrupted her composure, as if he knew exactly what she was and how to provoke her.

It was almost as if he’d identified the weak link between them from the start—and had detailed intelligence on Donggua.

Something was clearly off. Even Xigua’s subtle hints couldn’t snap her out of it.

At this point, even a private message wouldn’t help—it’d only leave more traces.

Though Xigua had been quiet most of the journey, his silence and deliberate indifference had allowed him to observe Cui Hao and Lin Luoyu closely.

Their relationship wasn’t what Cui Hao claimed. At the very least, they were familiar with each other.

Cui Hao was definitely hiding something crucial.

But Xigua couldn’t voice these suspicions outright. If he did, it’d only ignite Donggua’s temper, sending things spiraling out of control.

Fine. We’ll just have to adapt as we go.

At the very least… while Cui Hao was suspicious, there was no undeniable proof yet.

Some things could still be explained away.

“Do what you want—I’ll handle my own part.” Cui Hao retrieved a pill from his spatial ring. “Only one of these, so don’t expect me to share. Figure out how to hurt yourselves.”

Donggua eyed it skeptically. “What’s that? Will it even work?”

Cui Hao smirked. “You wouldn’t understand the resources of a major sect. If it didn’t work, would I dare use it?”

Her suspicion lessened slightly, but she said nothing more.

Xigua remained sprawled on the ground.

At this point, whatever happens, happens.

---

Some distance away, Lin Luoyu stood with her arms crossed, fingers tapping lightly against her sleeves as she watched the direction she’d come from.

She was waiting for the “right moment” Cui Hao had mentioned—but inwardly, she was skeptical.

Even with the detailed intelligence from Master… Cui Hao’s plan is too reckless.

How could this possibly fool anyone?

After a few more moments, a violent surge of spiritual energy erupted from the direction she’d left, followed by a deafening shockwave.

Did they really take the bait?

Lin Luoyu found it hard to believe, but she still followed the plan, moving slowly toward the gathering spot.

Whether it was Cui Hao’s genuine cunning or these two being utterly foolish, she couldn’t tell.

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