The Great Trap

1,021 words

Chapter 83: The Great Trap

“You genuinely intend to surrender?” Jia Tianlong found this somewhat unexpected.

“Surrender is surrender, but as for which of us surrenders to whom, that has yet to be decided.” Wang Juechu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he casually rested his hand on his sword hilt, speaking slowly.

“What do you mean by that?” Jia Tianlong’s face darkened. He raised his hand in a sweeping gesture, signaling an encirclement.

Immediately, the Iron Guards behind him surged forward, forming a semi-circular formation around Wang Juechu. They simultaneously drew their crossbows from their backs, leveling the gleaming, green-tipped bolts at him.

It seemed that with a single command from Jia Tianlong, they would unleash a volley of bolts without hesitation, killing Wang Juechu on the spot.

“Do you think that after relocating the sect’s headquarters to Sunset Peak, I never considered the possibility of an enemy invasion we couldn’t repel?” The sect leader seemed completely indifferent to the crossbows aimed at him, his tone carrying a sinister hint of menace.

Hearing this, Jia Tianlong’s heart sank slightly. A premonition of ill omen crept into his mind. He didn’t interrupt the man, but continued to listen with a dark expression, waiting to hear what he would say next.

“The one who moved our sect here was the Seventh Generation Sect Leader, Li. He was not only a man of great talent and bold vision, but also a master of civil engineering and mechanical arts. He could truly be called a genius of his generation.” Pausing here, Wang Juechu’s face showed a hint of admiration.

Then, he continued:

“Sect Leader Li chose Sunset Peak as the sect’s headquarters for two reasons. First, the peak’s terrain is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack—an absolutely ideal location for defense. Second, within the belly of this peak lies a hidden world: a naturally formed, enormous stalactite cave. This cave is incredibly vast, occupying nearly two-thirds of the entire interior of Sunset Peak. Upon seeing this wonder, Sect Leader Li conceived a plan. He used his knowledge of civil engineering, combined with the cave’s topography, to transform the entire mountain into a giant natural trap. Right now, if someone activates the pre-set mechanisms, the entire peak will immediately collapse, burying everyone on it.”

After saying this, Wang Juechu fell silent, sweeping his gaze over the dense crowd before him with a cold, corpse-like stare.

Jia Tianlong was momentarily stunned after hearing this. He naturally didn’t believe such words, but at the same time, he couldn’t immediately find a way to refute the man’s threatening speech.

Others on the peak who had clearly heard these words couldn’t help but stir restlessly. They murmured among themselves, and some of the more alert ones even began to edge closer to the only path down the mountain, prepared to flee as soon as things went wrong.

“Silence! Anyone who moves or causes a disturbance will be killed without mercy!”

Jia Tianlong quickly regained his composure. Seeing that his own people were already in disarray based on a single, unsubstantiated claim, he felt a surge of fury. He knew that if he didn’t act immediately, the situation would spiral out of control. Without a second thought, he loudly issued the order to kill.

Jia Tianlong’s orders were well executed by his trusted subordinates. After a few of the more timid men who tried to flee were cut down, everyone else was cowed, and the commotion subsided.

However, Jia Tianlong understood that this calm was only superficial and temporary. If he couldn’t quickly prove the man’s words were a lie, then neither his own gang members nor those from the other gangs would feel safe staying here. At the first sign of trouble, they would all scatter in panic.

“You don’t expect us to believe your words just because you say so, do you?” Jia Tianlong forced down his anger, preparing to expose the man’s bluff himself.

“Of course not. I have evidence to let you see for yourselves. But listen carefully: if anyone, after seeing my proof, tries to flee or continues their attack, I will have the mechanisms fully activated, and we will all die together.” Wang Juechu’s voice was thick with killing intent, his threat unmistakable.

Jia Tianlong studied the man’s expression closely, trying to find a flaw. Unfortunately, his opponent’s face remained as cold and hard as stone, revealing no signs of deceit or guilt.

This made him start to waver. Could it be that the man wasn’t bluffing, and that such a scorched-earth tactic really existed?

“Activate Mechanism Number Two!” Wang Juechu suddenly turned his head back towards the main hall, barking the order.

Then, he turned his head to the side, fixing his gaze on a smaller stone hall, and paid Jia Tianlong no further attention.

Seeing such blatant contempt, Jia Tianlong was enraged. He swallowed his fury, silently resolving that if the man’s evidence was not convincing, he would give the order to have him turned into a human pincushion on the spot.

However, Wang Juechu’s strange habit of staring intently at the stone hall had also caught the attention of the Wild Wolf Gang’s men. They involuntarily turned their gazes to the same spot, wanting to see what unusual event would occur.

Just as the members of the Wild Wolf Gang were feeling anxious, no one noticed that at the edge of the dense, dark crowd, two men wearing the attire of the Waterfall Sect were bowing their heads and whispering to each other.

“Han Li, do you think our sect leader is telling the truth or not? Is this huge Sunset Peak really hollow inside? I’ve been here a few times before; how come I never felt anything was off?”

“Could it be that Sect Leader Wang is bluffing, just to buy time?”

“Or…”

One of the young men launched a relentless verbal assault on the other, who remained silent, as if desperately wanting him to explain his doubts.

These two were none other than Han Li and Li Feiyu, who had originally been on their way to Elder Li’s residence.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Mountain as a Killing Field

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The Double-Edged Sword of the ‘Great Trap’ Wang Juechu’s threat is a classic example of a “scorched-earth” or “mutually assured destruction” tactic. In the logic of Chinese jianghu (martial world) politics, a leader’s ultimate defensive card is often not a powerful army, but a mechanism that ensures the attacker gains nothing from victory. The concept of transforming a natural fortress like a mountain into a giant killing field reflects a deep-seated strategic paranoia in Chinese war and political literature. Retreat is never an option if the cost of victory is higher than the cost of retreat. The Alliance of Desperation Jia Tianlong’s coalition is a fragile patchwork of smaller gangs bound by hostage-taking and bribes, not loyalty. This mirrors the reality of feudal Chinese power structures. A warlord’s greatest vulnerability is often not his enemy, but the cohesion of his own camp. The moment Wang Juechu introduces the specter of a shared, hopeless death, the coalition’s true weakness is exposed: its members are only in it for profit, not loyalty. The Silent Leader Wang Juechu’s performance—the cold stare, the calculated pause—is a masterclass in the art of the bluff. In xianxia and wuxia strategy, projecting unwavering certainty and contempt for the enemy’s weaponry is a powerful tool. By not begging for proof, but offering it with a tone of absolute threat, he seizes the psychological initiative from a physically superior opponent. The Price of Desperation The Wild Wolf Gang’s swift execution of fleeing members is not just savagery; it’s a desperate tactical move. In a world where morality is secondary to survival, a leader must crush the instinct to flee faster than the enemy can create it. This reinforces the dark forest logic of the jianghu: a single moment of hesitation can collapse an entire army.

Chapter Overview

The battlefield of Sunset Peak becomes a stage for psychological warfare this chapter. Jia Tianlong, confident in his numerical superiority, confronts the newly-revealed master of the Seven Mysteries Sect, Wang Juechu. But instead of a desperate last stand, Wang unveils a chilling bluff: the entire mountain is a giant trap rigged to collapse and bury everyone alive. The narrative brilliantly shifts from a physical conflict to a battle of nerves, as Jia Tianlong must determine if his enemy’s threat is a desperate lie or a genuine scorched-earth policy. Meanwhile, the true observers of this high-stakes drama are none other than Han Li and Li Feiyu, watching and whispering from the shadows, their own agenda quietly diverging from the sect’s fate.

Key Plot Points

Jia Tianlong commands his Iron Guards to surround Wang Juechu, ready to execute him on the spot with crossbows. The threat is immediate and overwhelming.
Facing certain death, Wang Juechu does not beg or negotiate. Instead, he drops a bombshell: the entire Sunset Peak is a massive, pre-constructed trap capable of collapsing and killing everyone on it. He claims he will activate it if attacked.
The revelation causes instant panic among the Wild Wolf Gang’s allied forces. Some begin to edge toward the escape path.
Jia Tianlong quickly restores order by executing the most panicked deserters, demonstrating his iron-fisted control, but he knows the calm is fragile.
He attempts to call Wang Juechu’s bluff, demanding concrete proof. Wang coldly complies by ordering the activation of “Mechanism Number Two,” refusing to elaborate further.
As the entire gang’s attention is fixed on the expected evidence, the chapter’s final reveal is that Han Li and Li Feiyu are present in the crowd, disguised in Waterfall Sect uniforms, quietly discussing the situation. Their presence signals that their own plans are now in play, separate from the sect’s leadership.

Reading Guide

Jia Tianlong is a man of action, used to overwhelming his problems with brute force and logistics. Wang Juechu’s psychological gambit is the perfect counter. The tension here isn’t about who is stronger; it’s about who will blink first. Note how Jia Tianlong’s initial confidence cracks when he realizes he can’t read his opponent. His demand for “proof” is actually a sign of his own uncertainty. The real power in this chapter belongs not to the man with the most crossbows, but to the man who can command the stage. Wang Juechu’s act of turning his back on Jia Tianlong is a calculated power move of immense audacity. Finally, keep an eye on Han Li and Li Feiyu. Their quiet observation in the periphery is a classic RMJI move. They are not soldiers in a grand battle; they are opportunists assessing the landscape. Their presence here confirms their true goal is not to win the war for the sect, but to execute their own survival plan while everyone else is distracted. The question now is: what is Jia Tianlong going to see when Mechanism Number Two activates?