Chapter 329: Too Careless

Although the protective curse sigil caught Chen Fei off guard for a moment,

the difference in cultivation levels between him and the man was far too great!

The curse that had lunged to bite at Chen Fei’s divine sense was instantly shattered by a single pulse of his will.

The man’s eyes briefly cleared—then went dull again, as if under a spell.

“It was Holy Mother A-Yue who ordered me to follow you,”

the man answered mechanically.

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.

Holy Mother A-Yue—seemed like a high-ranking figure within the Matriarch Cult.

“How did you spot me?” Chen Fei asked next.

“Your appearance. Anyone who doesn’t look like they’re from Eastern Pavilion gets tailed,”

the man answered flatly.

Chen Fei’s face turned slightly red.

He had completely forgotten this detail.

People from Eastern Pavilion had distinct facial features, quite different from Chen Fei’s.

Right now, he stood out like a bald man among a crowd with full heads of hair—glaring and obvious.

Even worse—

all that coded communication and secret meeting with the spice shop owner had been a complete joke.

His cover was already blown from the moment he arrived!

Chen Fei suddenly understood another purpose behind the Dark Gate’s policy of solo operations:

training.

Sometimes, even a small mistake could expose not just the agent,

but also the entire local intel network.

“Too careless…”

Chen Fei exhaled, eyes full of helplessness.

Ever since joining Heaven’s Apex, he had become too accustomed to relying on raw strength to solve problems.

He had started to overlook the finer points that used to matter greatly.

“Looks like I’ve already been exposed…”

There was no point in asking further.

Chen Fei simply extended a finger, tapped the man lightly, and then stepped back.

The man’s eyes quickly cleared again. He looked around, confused.

“Huh? Why am I in this alley…? Oh right! I was supposed to offer tribute to the Matriarch!”

“Ah, this damn memory of mine—I must’ve come to buy something for the offering!”

He smacked his forehead and hurried off.

Chen Fei didn’t delay.

His face twisted subtly as he used a disguise technique,

emerging onto the streets with the appearance of an ordinary Eastern Pavilion citizen.

Thinking back, he remembered how people had looked at him strangely when he first entered the city—

but he hadn’t paid attention at all.

Instead, he had rushed to make contact with the spy network.

How embarrassing.

Shaking his head with some self-mockery, he returned to the third floor of the inn.

Now, he waited.

Would the informant still show up?

If not, Chen Fei was confident in locating and rescuing them himself.

Even if it was a costly mistake, at least it would be a learning experience.

If someone did show up…

A trace of cold light flashed through Chen Fei’s eyes.

Time passed slowly.

Unable to stomach the local tea, Chen Fei simply sat on the bed with his eyes closed, conserving his energy.

Knock knock knock.

The door.

He opened his eyes and returned to his normal appearance.

Three knocks—

then one long, two short. The secret code.

Chen Fei opened the door.

Standing outside was Amudu, holding a sealed envelope.

“Sir, I’ve gathered the information you requested. It’s all here,”

he said respectfully, expression unreadable.

His acting was so convincing, Chen Fei almost felt inferior.

Chen Fei took the envelope and opened it.

A burst of gray smoke billowed out and smacked him in the face.

Amudu suddenly raised his head.

Seeing Chen Fei’s face wrapped in smoke, he grinned.

“Success!”

Chen Fei staggered onto a chair.

“You… you betrayed the Dark Gate!”

“Dark Gate? Ha! The Matriarch has already absolved me of my sins.

You people—hypocrites all!

Without the Matriarch, I’d still be deceived by your lies!”

Amudu’s expression twisted with rage and hatred.

Just then, the door opened.

A graceful woman stepped inside, her face covered by a shimmering golden veil.

“They say Heaven’s Apex disciples are peerless talents.

From what I see, you’re not so impressive.”

Her words dripped with scorn.

Chen Fei looked at her and narrowed his eyes.

“And who might you be?”

The woman giggled, her voice light and melodious.

“Tell him who I am.”

Amudu immediately dropped to his knees.

“Holy Mother A-Yue! Boundless in divine power!

Savior of the suffering! Liberator of the tormented!”

The rest of the cultists also dropped to the ground, faces filled with fanatical devotion.

Chen Fei stared coldly as Holy Mother A-Yue looked at him with amusement.

“Soft skin, pretty face. You might be fun to play with.”

“You’ve inhaled my Fairy Mist Powder. Your cultivation is now useless.

Let’s see how long you last.”

She stepped toward him with a smile.

“Heaven’s Apex disciples—so full of pride, so blind.

And so, so easy to manipulate.”

Chen Fei didn’t argue.

In truth, the Matriarch Cult’s ambush tactics had completely blindsided Heaven’s Apex.

In direct combat, their disciples were more than a match for evil cultivators.

But raw strength alone wasn’t enough to handle every situation.

Heaven’s Apex’s biggest losses so far had all come from arrogance.

This was the classic tale of peace dulling the sword.

And now, Chen Fei understood the sect’s true intention.

This mission was a trial by fire—

a chance to forge their proud disciples into true warriors.

Those who survived would become stronger.

Those who failed would be weeded out.

“The path of cultivation was never meant to be smooth,”

Chen Fei muttered as he slowly sat up.

“I admit—I was careless.

The Matriarch Cult’s curse sigils are quite interesting, I’ll give you that.”

A-Yue’s expression changed instantly.

She spun around, preparing to flee.

But how could Chen Fei let her escape?

He raised his hand.

A heavy pressure slammed onto A-Yue’s shoulders, causing her face to twist in alarm.

“Looks like I’ll have to handle this myself,”

Chen Fei said softly.

The death of the Fire Gate Master had likely not been an accident,

but the result of careful, multi-pronged planning by the evil cultivators.

This mission to eliminate Eastern Pavilion’s royal family would be no smooth ride, either.

But that wasn’t Chen Fei’s concern for now.

“For your blasphemy against the Matriarch, you shall lose your eyes and your nose!”

A-Yue roared, refusing to go down without a fight.

She formed a hand seal, shouting a curse.

Instantly, Chen Fei’s vision went black.

His nose stung sharply, and he could no longer feel it.

“A curse technique? That’s new…”

Even though he was injured, Chen Fei wasn’t angry—he was intrigued.

A-Yue was only a Spirit Realm cultivator,

yet she had used a curse to disrupt his senses.

This technique… had potential.

“Interesting. Very interesting indeed.”