I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Chapter 106: Dangers lurking on all sides

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the bluestone pavement, elongating the figures of Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli. As they treaded through the light and shadow, a shadow cast a shadow over their hearts. The alley was deep and quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling streets outside. Lei Yi stepped lightly, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily, his right hand quietly grasping the hilt of his sword.

"Come out! Hiding is not a gentleman's behavior." Lei Yi's voice echoed in the empty alley, but received no response.

"Brother Lei, could it be that we saw it wrong?" Dongfang Liuli asked in a low voice. She held the sword at her waist, her palms slightly sweaty.

"No." Lei Yi said firmly, "I can feel that there are people here, and..."

Before he could finish his words, a dark figure descended from the sky, its hand flashing with a cold light as it aimed straight at Lei Yi's throat. Lei Yi was prepared, and he moved to the side, barely dodging the fatal blow.

"Dang!" With a crisp sound, the assassin's dagger collided with Lei Yi's sword, sparks flying everywhere. In the dim light, Lei Yi saw the assassin's appearance clearly: dressed in black, with his face masked, revealing only a pair of cold and ruthless eyes. It was the dreaded Xuanying killer in the martial arts world!

The Shadow Killer missed his target and disappeared into the shadows again. Lei Yi didn't dare to be careless, keeping his attention focused and searching for any trace of the assassin. He knew that Shadow Killer's forte was assassination, and if he caught the opportunity, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Whoosh!" A sharp arrow shot out from the darkness, heading straight for Lei Yi's face. Lei Yi swung his sword to block, but the arrow was deflected and stuck in the wall, the tail still trembling slightly.

"Despicable!" Dongfang Liuli shouted angrily, unsheathing the long sword in his hand. The sword light swept like a streak of silk in the direction where the arrow came from. However, there was no one there.

The two stood back to back, vigilantly observing their surroundings, but could not find any trace of the Xuanying Killer. Just then, a loud noise came from the alley, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps, clearly indicating that a number of people were rushing towards them.

"Oh no, we've fallen into a trap!" Lei Yi's face changed, and he immediately realized that all this was deliberately arranged by someone. They deliberately spread the news to lure him here, and then arranged for the Xuanying assassin to assassinate him, the purpose of which was to expose his strength in front of everyone!

As expected, a crowd poured into the alley, surrounding Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli. Leading the way was the Poison Dragon Cult leader. He looked at Lei Yi with a sullen expression and sneered, "Young Master Lei, I didn't expect you to have such skills. You truly are a hidden talent!"

"What do you mean?" Lei Yi asked calmly.

"What do you mean?" The Poison Dragon Cult leader sneered, "You just used force, violating the convention rules. Don't you deserve an explanation?!"

The crowd erupted in discussion, with representatives from various sects whispering among themselves, looking at Lei Yi with suspicion and hostility. The head of the Jianxuan Sect frowned, while the Qingfeng Lay Buddhist wore a nonchalant expression.

Lei Yi looked around, realizing he had fallen into a trap. Nothing he said would help. He took a deep breath and was about to explain when Dongfang Liuli suddenly stepped forward.

Dongfang Liuli took a step forward, and her clear voice echoed through the noisy alley: "Everyone, wait a minute! Things are not as simple as the leader said. Brother Lei has been wrongly accused!"

Upon hearing this, the Poison Dragon Cult leader's eyes flashed with a sinister look, but he feigned surprise and asked, "What do you mean, Miss Dongfang? Are you saying that I'm lying?"

Dongfang Liuli met his gaze fearlessly and said loudly, "Of course the leader wouldn't lie, it's just that someone is deliberately concealing the truth!" She looked around, sweeping over the whispering crowd, and finally landed on a huddled figure not far away. "Miss Hongxiu, isn't that right?"

Miss Hongxiu was startled by the sudden roll call and waved her hands in panic, saying, "I... I don't know... I just heard some noise, so I came over to check..."

"Are you sure you're just watching?" Dongfang Liuli pressed on, her tone sharp. "Do you dare to say you didn't spread rumors, saying that Brother Lei got into a fight in the alley and used force that violated the rules of the conference?"

Miss Hongxiu's face turned pale, and she stammered, unable to speak. Dongfang Liuli saw this and became more certain of her suspicions. This was all manipulated by someone behind the scenes, with the sole purpose of framing Lei Yi!

"Liuli, that's enough." Lei Yi grabbed Dongfang Liuli's hand, signaling her to stop. He knew that Miss Hongxiu's few words alone could not prove his innocence, but would only arouse more suspicion.

"But..." Dongfang Liuli wanted to say something else, but Lei Yi stopped him with a look. He turned around, looked directly at the Poison Dragon Cult leader, and said in a deep voice, "If you want an explanation, I can, but I have only one request."

A hint of pride flashed in the eyes of the Poison Dragon Cult leader, but he pretended to be silent and said, "Young Master Lei, please speak."

"I want to talk to you alone." Lei Yi said word by word, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

A commotion erupted in the crowd, everyone speculating about what Lei Yi was up to. The Poison Dragon Cult leader was also taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Great! Young Master Lei is indeed a straightforward person. I love dealing with people like you!"

The Jianxuan Sect's leader, who had been silent until then, finally spoke. He stepped forward and addressed Lei Yi, "Young Master Lei, I believe you're not the reckless type. There must be something hidden behind this matter." He paused, then added meaningfully, "Of course, if Young Master Lei trusts me, please tell me the whole story. I'll definitely make a decision for you!"

How could Lei Yi not understand the hidden meaning behind the Jian Xuan Sect leader's words? He was forcing him to hand over the mysterious inheritance! He took a deep breath and was about to speak when he saw a figure flash by in the crowd and disappear in the blink of an eye...

Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli walked side by side on the bustling street. The clamor of the crowd around them did nothing to dispel the gloom that enveloped Lei Yi's heart. The Jianxuan Sect leader's words seemed fair, but in reality, they held hidden agendas, simply an attempt to coerce him into submission. And the fleeting figure sent alarm bells ringing in his heart.

"Brother Lei, look!" Dongfang Liuli suddenly pulled his sleeve and pointed to a tea stall not far away.

Lei Yi followed her gaze and saw the girl with red sleeves sitting by a tea stall, vividly describing something to the people around her. She was sometimes filled with righteous indignation, sometimes sobbing softly, portraying herself as a victim, while Lei Yi became a bully and a ruthless villain.

"That damned woman!" Lei Yi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He knew that Miss Hongxiu was just a pawn, and that someone else was truly manipulating all this, but he had no time to worry about that right now. Rumors were like a plague; once spread, they spread quickly, making it impossible to defend against them.

"Brother Lei, what should we do now?" Dongfang Liuli asked worriedly. She knew how dangerous the situation Lei Yi was facing, but she believed that as long as they worked together, they would be able to overcome the difficulties.

Lei Yi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that now was not the time to act impulsively. He had to find evidence to prove his innocence, otherwise he would bear this stigma forever.

"Liuli, I need your help." Lei Yi looked at Dongfang Liuli with a firm gaze and said, "I decided to sneak into the Poison Dragon Cult's temporary residence and look for evidence that they are framing me."

Dongfang Liuli's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this. "Brother Lei, this is too dangerous! The people of the Poison Dragon Cult are all ruthless and cruel. It's too risky for you to go alone!"

"I know, but I have no choice." Lei Yi held Dongfang Liuli's hand, his tone unquestionable, "Trust me, I will definitely come back safely."

Dongfang Liuli looked at Lei Yi's determined eyes and knew she couldn't stop him. She took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay, I'll help you!"

As night fell, the entire city was shrouded in a silent darkness. Lei Yi, dressed in black, silently infiltrated the Poison Dragon Cult's temporary residence. He moved nimbly, moving through the courtyard like a ghost, without alerting anyone.

Soon, he found the Poison Dragon Cult leader's study. He gently pushed open the door, and a faint smell of blood filled his nose, making him shudder. He looked around and found the study empty, with only a single oil lamp on the desk emitting a dim glow.

Lei Yi walked to the desk and carefully looked through the documents. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a letter with the words "About Lei Yi's Plan" written on it.

He was delighted and quickly opened the envelope, only to find a blank piece of paper inside. At this moment, a cold laugh suddenly came from behind him: "Mr. Lei, are you looking for this?"

Lei Yi turned around suddenly and saw the leader of the Poison Dragon Cult standing at the door, holding a piece of paper in his hand and a sinister smile on his face.

"It seems I underestimated you after all." Lei Yi said calmly, his hands behind his back, feigning composure, trying to hide his inner panic. He should have expected that the Poison Dragon Cult leader was so cunning and treacherous that he would not easily leave any evidence behind.

"Mr. Lei, you are too modest. You planned all this carefully, so how could you not have thought that one day it would be exposed?" The leader of the Poison Dragon Cult played with the paper in his hand, his tone full of teasing and sarcasm.

"If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext." Lei Yi sneered, "Do you think you can kill me by fabricating some evidence?"

"Whether there is evidence or not is not up to you to decide." The Poison Dragon Cult leader put away his smile, his eyes becoming fierce. "However, you will soon not have the chance to speak."

As soon as he finished speaking, the walls surrounding the study suddenly moved inward, and the originally spacious study instantly became a secret room, trapping Lei Yi inside. At the same time, dense runes appeared on the ground, emitting an eerie red light. A powerful confining force bound Lei Yi tightly, leaving him unable to move.

"This is the 'Ten Thousand Snakes Devouring Heart Formation' of my Poison Dragon Cult. Once it is activated, you will never be able to escape even if you have extraordinary abilities!" The leader of the Poison Dragon Cult looked at Lei Yi with a cruel smile on his face.

Lei Yi's heart sank, knowing he was truly in dire straits. He struggled desperately, trying to circulate his spiritual energy, but found that all his meridians were blocked by an invisible force, unable to mobilize even a single bit.

"It's useless. Give up! You're destined to be my sacrifice!" The Poison Dragon Cult leader approached Lei Yi, his eyes gleaming with greed. He stretched out his dry palm and grabbed at Lei Yi's crown, wanting to absorb his essence and blood to improve his own cultivation.

At this critical moment, Lei Yi suddenly felt the restraining force weaken for a moment. His eyes flashed as he quickly scanned the surrounding runes, finally spotting a tiny flaw in the corner...