CHAPTER 644: CHAPTER 644: SCHEMES

Gu Jin recognized it immediately. "A camera bead. Another semi-god artifact?"

Long Yifan grinned. "Of course. I have a few of them."

Gu Jin shook her head in disbelief. "You’re richer than an empire."

He winked. "I try."

Then both of them turned serious as the projection began to show the images.

The first few were blurred, filled with smoke and shifting colors. But then the image cleared, showing a perfect red and golden circle spinning slowly in the darkness.

Strange runes glowed along its edges.

Gu Jin frowned deeply. "That’s impossible. No natural crack would form such a structure. Someone made this."

Long Yifan nodded. "That’s what I was thinking too. And the pattern looks like a transfer circle, not a summoning one."

Gu Jin crossed her arms. "Which means someone sealed something inside this place."

"Or someone is drawing power from it," Long Yifan added.

Gu Jin’s eyes turned sharp. "Do you think Lady Ling placed that circle?"

Long Yifan gave her a long look. "It’s starting to look that way. Everything she told us about this cursed land could be false."

Gu Jin exhaled slowly.

"From the beginning, her story had holes. She said she was the guardian of the Mage God, but she sent us here to ’purify the cursed land.’ What does that have to do with guarding the Mage God?"

"Exactly," Long Yifan said. "If she really served the god, she should have taken us to the temple or the sacred statue where his fragments are stored. But instead, she brought us here...to a place filled with dark energy and lies."

Gu Jin’s hands curled into fists.

"So this entire thing might be a setup. Maybe this cursed land isn’t cursed at all. Maybe it’s being used to drain power from others."

Long Yifan nodded. "And the one benefiting from it..."

"...is Lady Ling," Gu Jin finished.

Long Yifan looked at her with a serious face.

Gu Jin clenched her fists. "Then she must be coming here."

"Exactly," Long Yifan said. "You might be right. That Cursed Eye was too powerful and too visible. Whoever was drawing power from this place must have told her the moment the Cursed Eye entered the crack."

Gu Jin fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. The smile started soft but slowly turned mischievous. "I have an idea," she said quietly.

Long Yifan blinked. "Oh no," he said, smiling faintly. "Whenever you smile like that, something big happens."

Gu Jin chuckled softly. "You talk too much. Do you want to hear my plan or not?"

Long Yifan leaned closer and whispered, "You really look beautiful when you’re scheming."

Gu Jin rolled her eyes and smacked his arm lightly. "Focus, Yifan."

He rubbed his arm and grinned. "Fine, fine. What’s the plan?"

Gu Jin leaned closer and began to whisper her idea.

Her eyes sparkled with determination, and Long Yifan’s expression slowly changed from surprise to excitement.

When she finished, he stared at her for a second before saying, "That’s... actually brilliant."

Gu Jin crossed her arms proudly. "Of course it is."

Meanwhile, far away in the sacred pool, Lady Ling was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed.

The water around her glowed faintly as the soul of Chang Yin floated above the surface like a mist.

But suddenly, Chang Yin frowned. His eyes opened, and his cold voice echoed through the bathroom.

"Someone tried to look inside the crack."

He snapped his fingers, and a few ashes appeared in his palm. The air around them shimmered with faint red energy.

Lady Ling’s eyes opened at once. "What happened?" she asked, her voice sharp.

Chang Yin stared at the ashes. "A cursed eye was destroyed. Someone was spying."

Lady Ling’s heart skipped a beat. "Could it be... Long Yifan and Gu Jin?"

Chang Yin remained silent for a few moments before nodding slowly.

"Most likely. Those two are not as simple as they look. They must have started to see through your lies."

Lady Ling’s face turned cold. Her fingers curled around the edge of the pool. "So they know."

Chang Yin looked at her and said calmly,

"Even if they know, you can’t take them both head-on. Long Yifan’s cultivation and artifact power, combined with Gu Jin’s cultivation, is not something you can handle yet. Even I, in this weakened state, would not risk it right now."

Lady Ling’s jaw tightened. "Then what should I do? I can’t let them ruin everything we built."

Chang Yin’s eyes glowed faintly.

"It’s simple. First, find out if they truly know the truth or if they are only guessing. If they know too much, kill them immediately. If they are only suspicious, keep them close and wait for the right time."

Lady Ling frowned. "And how should I kill them?"

"Just like we prepared previously. Use the forbidden land," Chang Yin said. "You already prepared the sealing array there. Invite them to a public challenge. Say it is to prove their title as the Mighty Mage Couple. Once the public watches them enter, activate the circle. It will suppress all their elemental powers. When that happens, I can take form inside and finish them with one blow."

Lady Ling thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"That would work. My original plan was to announce their title and make them enter the forbidden land for five days to prove their worth. The audience would believe it is a trial. But inside, you would kill them silently. However, it was ruined..."

Chang Yin smirked. "Exactly. But your plan is now in danger. If they already suspect you, they won’t go easily."

Lady Ling’s brows furrowed deeply. "You’re right. If they learned about the circle in the cracks, then everything could collapse."

Chang Yin’s voice grew colder. "Then find out how much they know. If they’re only testing you, play along. But if they know the truth..."

Lady Ling finished his sentence quietly. "Then I’ll destroy them myself."

Chang Yin nodded. "Good. I’ll wait for your signal."

In the next second, his soul slowly faded away, disappearing into the mist. Lady Ling stayed still for a few moments. Her expression softened, but her eyes still glowed faintly with red light.

"Gu Jin and Long Yifan," she whispered, "you both truly are troublesome."

Just as she was about to stand up, a knock came from outside.

"Enter," she said calmly.

The door opened, and a familiar subordinate stepped in. It was Maya.

"My Lady," Maya said, bowing respectfully, "Gu Jin and Long Yifan are here. They wish to meet you immediately."

Lady Ling’s expression changed. "Now?"

"Yes," Maya said. "They said it is urgent."

Lady Ling frowned. ’What are they planning now?’ she thought. ’If they suspect me, why would they come straight here?’

She nodded calmly. "Very well. Prepare a room. I’ll meet them shortly."

After drying herself and changing into her elegant robe, Lady Ling walked out.

The long corridor outside was quiet, the only sound being her soft footsteps.

When she reached the living room, she saw Gu Jin and Long Yifan waiting.

Gu Jin looked calm, but there was a faint shadow in her eyes. Long Yifan, on the other hand, looked serious but slightly nervous.

Lady Ling studied them both carefully. Are they pretending? Or are they truly here to talk?

"Gu Jin, Long Yifan," she said with a gentle smile, "to what do I owe this sudden visit?"

Long Yifan took a step forward. "Lady Ling, we need to talk about the cursed land."

Lady Ling nodded slowly. "Maya, leave us."

Once the Maya left, the air grew heavy.

Lady Ling folded her hands in front of her and asked softly, "What did you discover?"

Long Yifan exchanged a glance with Gu Jin, then said seriously,

"We think there is something bigger behind the cursed land. Maybe even something beyond our world."

Lady Ling blinked. "What do you mean?"

Gu Jin spoke next, her voice calm but steady.

"When we tried to pour our energy into the crack, we felt strange illusions. It was like everything we saw was fake. So, we used a cursed eye to look deeper."

Lady Ling’s fingers tightened, but she kept her face calm. "And what did you find?"

Long Yifan looked serious. "We found a magic circle. It was red and golden, and it was feeding energy to something...or someone."

Lady Ling frowned. "Feeding energy?"

Gu Jin nodded. "Yes. That’s why we think everything we were told might be part of something much larger. Maybe even a secret organization trying to control the world."

For a moment, Lady Ling almost laughed out loud. ’They think it’s an organization? Not me?’ she thought with disbelief.

Still, she kept her expression neutral and said, "That is a serious claim. Do you have proof?"

Long Yifan shook his head. "Not yet. But we’re planning to find out. We thought it was best to tell you first."

Lady Ling looked at both of them silently. ’So they really have no idea. They suspect something, but not me.’

To test them, she tilted her head slightly and asked, "You don’t suspect me, do you?"