I looked at Zhu Zining and said, "I'm curious, why would Lin Xian cooperate with you in using secret techniques?"

"It won't hurt to tell you," Zhu Zining said, "I have the Nine-Headed Serpent Jade in my hand. As long as I want, anyone can cooperate with me."

Zhu Zining wasn't telling the truth. The Nine-Headed Serpent Jade can bewilder targets, but it must have certain limitations. Otherwise, why didn't Zhu Zining use the Nine-Headed Serpent Jade directly on me and Ye Yang?

I asked again, "Where is Lin Xian?"

"In my hands!" Zhu Zining looked at me with a smile and said, "Shouldn't you be holding a knife to Lin Zhao's throat right now? Lin Zhao is the only bargaining chip you have."

"Only by threatening me with her can you gain a glimmer of hope. Why don't you use it?"

I said calmly, "I have my limits!"

Zhu Zining laughed and said, "People in the Jianghu can't have limits, and they especially can't let their opponents know their limits. Otherwise, your limits will become your death warrant."

"Since you don't want to threaten me with Lin Zhao, then I'll have to threaten you!"

Zhu Zining's face suddenly darkened. "Release Lin Zhao, and I can let that ghost spirit beside you go. As for you two, you can only be buried at the bottom of the river."

"Letting the ghost spirit go, Nie Xiao Chun, is my limit!"

"You can choose now."

I calmly looked at Zhu Zining and said, "Purple Earth is indeed a land that traps kings! However, the king who will be buried here today may not be me!"

Zhu Zining smiled and said, "Oh? Could it be that the person to be buried is me?"

"Forget it, there's no point in arguing with you!"

"I think using other methods to force you to choose quickly would be better."

Zhu Zining raised her hand as she spoke. "Prepare!"

The Taiping soldiers around us raised the strong bows and crossbows in their hands, and even a few people raised their firearms.

The ghost-weapon-entwined blades emitted a chilling murderous aura, pressing towards us like a tangible substance. Lin Zhao and Ye Yang simultaneously changed positions, adopting a defensive stance on this small rock of only a few square meters.

It was foreseeable that once the Taiping Army attacked, the rock we were on would be surrounded by a dense rain of arrows and bullets. We could only rely on our body-protecting true energy to withstand the continuous attacks until our true energy was exhausted and we were riddled with holes.

Lin Zhao whispered to us, "In a moment, I'll hold them back, and you guys try to break through. Zhu Zining needs the Huangquan Twin Lotus in my body. She won't kill me. Don't worry."

As a sneer appeared on the corner of Zhu Zining's mouth, a murderous glint flashed in my eyes.

The two of us roared almost simultaneously, "Release the arrows!"

In the brief moment that Zhu Zining was stunned, all the Taiping soldiers suddenly turned around, faced the direction of Zhu Zining, and released their bowstrings. A sky-covering rain of arrows fell towards the hillside in an instant.

The guards beside Zhu Zining simultaneously waved their weapons to block the rain of arrows. As the whistling force and the brilliant green light exploded on the mountain, most of the Taiping soldiers were already brandishing their weapons, pressing towards the hillside where Zhu Zining was located, covering the entire mountain.

This time, not only was Zhu Zining stunned, but even Lin Zhao and Ye Yang were dumbfounded.

Lin Zhao stammered, "How did you do that?"

I explained, "This is a scheme jointly set up by Ling and Lao Liu! It's all to kill Zhu Zining."

As I was speaking, hundreds of Reincarnation Division disciples appeared on the hillside where Zhu Zining was located. The other party fearlessly guarded Zhu Zining's side, forcibly blocking the frantically charging Taiping soldiers.

The Reincarnation Division disciples who could be brought by Zhu Zining to act as guards were all top experts. If they were released into the Jianghu, each of them would have the strength to support a sect.

However, more than 30,000 Taiping soldiers died in battle on the Dadu River that year. The continuous army was enough to exhaust these hundred or so experts to death.

Bright red blood and oily green phosphorescence splattered within ten meters of Zhu Zining, but she still stared at me from afar with an unchanged expression.

Based on this bearing and composure alone, Zhu Zining deserved to be called a hero of her time.

Zhu Zining said calmly, "Little Li Po, I really didn't expect that you would set up a trap for me. When did you start?"

Although Zhu Zining was standing in the midst of thousands of troops, her voice clearly reached my ears.

I responded with internal force, "I started setting up the trap for you a month ago."

"You were too confident, actually saying in front of me that the next target was Lin Zhao. I would be sorry for your arrogance if I didn't make some use of Lin Zhao."

Zhu Zining instantly understood many things: "Xue Shaoyuan is your sleeper agent?"

"Not entirely!" I replied, "A month ago, Ling contacted the Coffin Gate. At that time, Xue Shaoyuan pointed out to us a hidden chess piece he had hidden in Bu Family Village."

"At the same time, he himself proposed to deceive you into the game with his death."

I looked directly at Zhu Zining. "Zhu Zining, you have been immersed in conspiracies all your life, only knowing how to guard against betrayal, but never enjoying loyalty."

"You don't understand the loyalty of the Coffin Gate people to the art of the Dao!"