The light flashed, and a voice came from within.
"Lu Xiaoyou, is Gu Daoyou at the Spirit Talisman Residence?"
"Uncle Gu is in seclusion. Is there something you need from him, Senior?"
Mo Xuan felt a surge of joy and quickly said, "I just tried to contact him, but the communication jade slip had no response. I was worried something had happened. It's good that you're here."
Lu An nodded and replied, "It must be that Uncle Gu has cut off external communication for his seclusion. Do you need me to go and call him?"
"No need. This matter also concerns you. You can inform him when the time comes."
"To get to the point, a member of the Fang family has come to Gugu County. He is a Core Formation cultivator in the early stage and is currently a guest at my residence."
Lu An's heart stirred. Indeed, after dealing with the three Foundation Building cultivators from the Fang family, he knew they wouldn't let the matter rest easily. Today, they even sent a Core Formation cultivator directly. This matter might not be resolved easily.
However, it was puzzling why a member of the Fang family would be visiting the County Protector.
"Senior, what did the Fang family come here for?"
Mo Xuan chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"He invited me to join forces against Gu Daoyou and promised me some rewards."
"What's laughable is that those rewards are useless trinkets, as if I've never seen anything of value before. They are merely attempts to brush me off."
"But he doesn't realize that I am also one of the founders of the Three Talismans Sect. To come to me to deal with my own sect members is extremely ridiculous."
"Now, I've found a reason to keep him here temporarily. I'm sure he will have to leave on his own once he sees I won't agree."
Upon hearing this, Lu An began to consider the implications.
At the time of the Three Talismans Sect's establishment, the County Protector had shown no reaction. Only he and Gu Chuanfei knew that the County Protector was also a member of the Three Talismans Sect.
Moreover, it was widely believed that the establishment of the Three Talismans Sect posed the greatest threat to the County Protector, leading to a strained relationship between them.
The Fang family's request for the County Protector's help was akin to hitting the target directly.
However, this might be an opportunity—a chance to narrow the gap between the Three Talismans Sect and the Fang family!
After pondering for a moment, Lu An's eyes gleamed with insight. He spoke:
"Senior Mo, you might as well agree to this matter."
Mo Xuan raised an eyebrow and then realized what Lu An meant.
"You mean…"
"Exactly. You should pretend to help him deal with Senior Gu, and then at the crucial moment, turn against him. Make Gugu County become his place of demise!"
A gleam of sharpness appeared in Mo Xuan's eyes, and his aura grew intense.
"Excellent, excellent. This plan is feasible!"
If they could keep this early-stage Core Formation cultivator from the Fang family here, the Fang family would be left with only two Core Formation cultivators. At that point, the gap between the Three Talismans Sect and the Fang family would close rapidly.
Although the Fang family's ancestor was a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, with their sect's grand formation and geographical advantages, they would not be afraid of him in the slightest.
By then, both parties would truly be on the same level.
Moreover, according to Gu Chuanfei, the Fang family possessed several "Extreme Secret Realm" quotas, which the County Protector had long coveted. If they could destroy the Fang family and obtain those quotas, he would have a chance to explore the "Extreme of Core Formation," which had never been heard of before.
"Good, I will go find him and agree to this matter."
Lu An quickly stopped him and said, "Senior, don't be so hasty. Agreeing so readily might raise suspicion. It would be better to take this opportunity to negotiate for more benefits."
"But this needs to be handled carefully. It should be within his acceptance range, and he shouldn't have this item on him, but rather, it should be transferred from elsewhere."
"After all, once he is gone, his storage bag will naturally be left behind. It will be yours and Senior's eventually. Isn't it a waste to not take advantage of it now?"
Mo Xuan laughed heartily upon hearing this.
"Your thoughts are astute. After this matter, the Fang family will surely regret having opposed you."
The two discussed some details, agreed on a time and place, and then ended the communication.
Half a month later, in an unknown mountain outside Gugu County.
At the mountain peak, there was a pavilion built by predecessors, equipped with a stone table and four stone benches. From this pavilion, the view was open and the scenery beautiful. Many scholars and poets often visited to appreciate the mountain scenery.
Today, two figures sat in the pavilion: one was the County Protector of Gugu County, and the other was a member of the Fang family.
The two seemed to be waiting for someone, and while waiting, they chatted casually.
"Friend Mo, I have sent the Blood Spirit Grass you requested. Don't go back on your word."
Half a month ago, he had persuaded Mo Xuan to join forces against Gu Chuanfei. To his surprise, Mo Xuan had demanded a hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Grass. This herb was a crucial ingredient for advancing Core Formation, which caused him considerable pain.
Fortunately, after some negotiation, Mo Xuan agreed to accept a fifty-year-old Blood Spirit Grass instead. He had made arrangements to procure it from elsewhere.
Mo Xuan was naturally delighted to receive the Blood Spirit Grass and readily agreed to help him deal with Gu Chuanfei.
"Brother Fang, you're too kind. Gu Chuanfei and I are not related. Moreover, his establishment of the Three Talismans Sect in Gugu County seriously threatens my position."
"If I had been confident, I would have taken action against him long ago. How could I wait for Brother Fang to come?"
The middle-aged man from the Fang family nodded, acknowledging this.
If anyone was most impacted by the establishment of the Three Talismans Sect, it would naturally be the County Protector. He had no doubt that the County Protector was even more eager to eliminate Gu Chuanfei than he was.
"However, will he come as you invited?"
"Typically, he wouldn't. But this time, it's an invitation in the form of an exchange meeting. Brother Fang has also offered the rare Flame Crystal. He cultivates fire-type techniques and will definitely not pass it up."
"Once he arrives, with the grand formation I've set up here, once activated, it will suppress his true energy by thirty percent. Once he is inside the formation, he will definitely find it impossible to escape!"
The middle-aged man pondered for a moment and found no issues with this plan. He spoke first:
"Looks like this trip is foolproof. But there's one thing I must clarify beforehand: Gu Chuanfei's storage bag must all be mine."
"That goes without saying. Didn't we agree before? I only need the Blood Spirit Grass."
The middle-aged man nodded and laughed heartily.
At that moment, two figures flew in from afar—it was Gu Chuanfei and Lu An.
"Do you have any good news, friend? Why are you smiling so happily?"
Gu Chuanfei landed on the ground and asked with a smile.
A hint of hostility flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes, but it was quickly hidden.
"This must be Fellow Daoist Gu, I beg your pardon."
"And this young friend is?"
Gu Chuanfei returned the greeting and explained, "This is a junior from my family, named Lu An."
"Lu An greets the senior."
The middle-aged man's heart moved; this person was Lu An, which made things easier to resolve.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh heartily again.
Seeing this, the others also laughed along, making it hard to tell who was the happiest.
"Fellow Daoists, when does this exchange begin?"
"I heard there is a rare item like the Flame Crystal. Is it not an exaggeration?"
The middle-aged man from the Fang family smiled slightly and looked meaningfully at Mo Xuan, "Brother Mo, since Fellow Daoist Gu is eager, shall we start?"
Mo Xuan glanced at Gu Chuanfei and subtly nodded.
"Alright."
Then he slammed his hand on the table, and a large formation that had been prepared earlier rose up, enveloping everyone inside.