Chapter 0: 41. Invisible Slash (Physical)
Zhao Xinting, already filled with rage, never expected to be bombarded by the imposter in front of him. He was so furious that his “three spirits” leaped out of his body, making him feel like an overinflated balloon on the verge of bursting.
But as he thought about it, the words spoken by this imposter and these terrible experiences felt eerily familiar.
“Little Zhao’er, you say he’s an imposter, but I see no signs of disguise on him at all,” Ye Yaoh asked Qin Gou, her gaze filled with suspicion.
“His disguise skills are already god-like,” Qin Gou said with a knowing smile. “Otherwise, Old Xu and Old Ren wouldn’t have been so easily fooled by you back then, would they?”
Old Xu and Old Ren?
Were they referring to the two great protectors, Xu Changhan and Ren Tianxing? Zhao Xinting’s eyes widened, and he said coldly, “How would you, imposter, know about that?”
“These are my personal experiences, how could I not know?” Qin Gou snorted, his tone righteous and stern. “Besides, if you’re going to impersonate me, Zhao, at least do it professionally! Look at your dressing and appearance – so garish and flashy, what’s that supposed to be? Am I, Zhao Xinting, such a sissy?”
“You audacious dog, how dare you…” Zhao Xinting was about to fly into a rage. He had specifically chosen to wear this green robe to imitate his esteemed master, Qin Gou. The other party’s words not only insulted him but by calling him a ‘sissy’ at the end, Zhao Xinting froze. A terrifying possibility suddenly struck him.
“What? Still not admitting it? How many times have I told you, I, Zhao Xinting, am a man of integrity, a true iron-blooded man. My personality and demeanor are completely different from yours, you ‘sissy’. No matter how you imitate me, you’ll never grasp my essence. Why must you constantly live in my shadow? Isn’t it better to be yourself?” Qin Gou sighed with deep, contemplative eyes, pitying his misfortune and angered by his lack of ambition, speaking with heartfelt sincerity.
As soon as he finished speaking.
Zhao Xinting stared intently at Qin Gou, examining him from head to toe. No… it couldn’t be that coincidental, could it?
Then, feeling a familiar wink from the other party, the Purple Extreme Demon Lord, whose internal organs were filled with monstrous flames and boundless rage, instantly shivered. He deflated like a sun-dried eggplant, his face becoming glum and full of resentment.
He finally understood the other’s true identity. This guy was a swindler… the number one ‘Great Liar’ in the world!
Qin Gou observed this scene and nodded slightly, then coughed and asked, “Cough, cough, why aren’t you talking? Have you given up? Can’t keep up the pretense anymore?”
“Yes, I’ve given up. Completely given up,” Zhao Xinting said, his scalp tingling, nodding repeatedly.
“My good boy!” Qin Gou immediately showed a gratified smile and asked gently, “Then, in front of Her Majesty the Empress, can you prove it for me? Tell me yourself, who am I?”
“You are Zhao Xinting, genuine and true!” Zhao Xinting forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
“And yourself? State your true identity.” Qin Gou gave Little Zhao an encouraging and appreciative glance.
“Your humble servant is a ‘sissy’! Because I admire Lord Zhao’s majestic presence so much, I’ve done many foolish things. It is truly a matter of grave sins!” Zhao Xinting said with a mournful face, secretly resolving that if his master asked again, he, the Purple Extreme Demon Lord, would break his own meridians and die on the spot to repay heaven, earth, emperor, parents, and master.
Qin Gou said with satisfaction, “Your Majesty the Empress, do you understand now?”
Ye Yaoh lightly nodded her head and glanced indifferently at Zhao Xinting. “So that’s how it is. Since he has confessed himself and admitted to impersonating Little Zhao’er, I naturally will not allow you to suffer any further grievances. Guards! Immediately escort this person…”
“Your Majesty, he is already an acquaintance of mine. Please allow me to settle him down and deal with him as I see fit,” Qin Gou said, cupping his fists in a salute. If Ye Yaoh’s subordinates were to lose their temper and truly anger Little Zhao, the entire Great Liang Dynasty would be wiped from the Cultivation World in an instant.
Ye Yaoh smiled playfully. “I wasn’t going to agree, but your use of the word ‘deal with’ is very pleasing to me. So be it.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Qin Gou felt at ease and said with a gentle, elegant smile, “Then I will follow Your Majesty’s previous command and await you in the sleeping quarters.”
“Wait, I’ve changed my mind.”
Ye Yaoh walked up to Qin Gou, took his hand, and a sly smile touched her lips. “I will go with you. And before that, you are absolutely forbidden to have any further contact with this… ‘sissy’. I don’t want you, my clever one, to play any tricks like swapping the prince for a fake. Don’t try to fool my sincere feelings with a fake Zhao Xinting.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Gou deliberately showed a guilty expression and shook his head vigorously.
“Hahaha, it’s too late. You shouldn’t have helped me expose this fake just now. You’ve dug your own grave! You can no longer escape my grasp.”
Ye Yaoh felt smug, thinking she had indeed foreseen everything. She forcefully pulled Qin Gou’s arm and eagerly left the main hall with him for the sleeping quarters, joyfully stepping into a bottomless pitfall.
Only Zhao Xinting and the eunuch Geng Hong remained in the main hall.
Zhao Xinting looked bewildered. “Can it be played like this?” Is Master disguised as himself and pursuing women? Impossible. I can’t figure it out. I really can’t.
“What should I call you?” Geng Hong asked.
Zhao Xinting gritted his teeth. “Call me Brother Pao.”
“Cough, cough, Brother Pao, please follow me.”
“Where? I have a very important matter to discuss with the Empress of Great Liang. Where is the Jade Slip I submitted earlier?” Zhao Xinting asked, his brow furrowed.
Geng Hong chuckled twice. “Don’t worry, your esteemed self has already saved your life in front of His Majesty. I won’t make things difficult for you anymore. I will escort you to a side hall to rest for now. Everything else will be arranged by your esteemed self.”
Afterward, Zhao Xinting was led to a side hall by Geng Hong. As Zhao Xinting entered the hall alone, a familiar little Taoist nun approached him intimately.
“A’Qin, was that matter handled smoothly?” Li Yuanzhen asked, her beautiful eyes blinking.
“What did you call me?” Zhao Xinting asked in surprise.
“A’Qin, I always call you that. Aren’t you already used to it?” Li Yuanzhen’s eyes revealed a hint of suspicion.
Ao Banwei repeated Li Yuanzhen’s previous question with a hint of depth. “Master, was your plan this time successful?”
“What plan? And who are you? I don’t understand what you’re talking about at all,” Zhao Xinting said hazily.
For a moment, Li Yuanzhen and Ao Banwei exchanged glances. “You’re being evasive and vague, just as A’Qin said before he left… It seems this action made him very upset and unwilling to talk much.”
“Then, Sister Yuan Zhen, do you know what you need to do? We must not disappoint Master,” Ao Banwei encouraged Li Yuanzhen.
Li Yuanzhen stared intently at Zhao Xinting, her expression turning serious. “I understand. A’Qin, rest assured, I will not let you suffer any pain. I guarantee you a swift and clean end.”
“What? Little Taoist nun, what do you intend to do? What exactly do you want to cut?” Sensing a hint of danger, Zhao Xinting’s scalp tingled, and he quickly retreated a few steps.
“Invisible Slash!”
In a flash, Li Yuanzhen stomped her foot, and a silver sword radiating cold light rose from the ground. She grasped it in her hand and, with a gust of wind that stung the skin, stabbed lightning-fast at a spot less than three inches from Zhao Xinting’s forehead.
However, the familiar sound of shattering porcelain did not occur. Instead, an invisible force erupted from Zhao Xinting’s body, forcefully deflecting Li Yuanzhen’s silver sword.
“As expected, the actual cultivation is too different. My ‘Invisible Slash’ has no effect,” Li Yuanzhen said with some shame.
Zhao Xinting was both shocked and angry. Just as he was about to scold them, a soft and ethereal voice sounded: “Dragon-binding Rope!”
A golden rope in Ao Banwei’s hand instantly tied up Zhao Xinting, immobilizing him securely. “Sister Yuan Zhen, don’t give up. Master already predicted that ‘Invisible Slash’ wouldn’t work, didn’t he? Do you remember what he instructed you to do?”
“Do my best to comfort his worries. Feel free to improvise!” determination flashed in Li Yuanzhen’s heroic phoenix eyes. She immediately pushed the pitiful Little Zhao, who was bound like a mummy, onto a grand tutor’s chair.
“Damn it, what do you want to do?” Zhao Xinting roared hysterically.
Ao Banwei bit her red lips slightly and said softly, “Master, don’t worry, we know what we’re doing.”
“You know nothing! You’ve got the wrong person!” Zhao Xinting was furious, gritting his teeth. “Who is your Master? Am I, Zhao Xinting, your Master? I don’t remember taking you as a disciple!”
Upon hearing this, Ao Banwei was slightly stunned.
Li Yuanzhen’s eyes, however, were filled with tenderness and pity. She said heartbrokenly, “A’Qin must have suffered so much, he’s still pretending to be the Purple Extreme Demon Lord to save face even when he comes to us, unwilling to admit who he truly is!”
Hearing this, Ao Banwei was deeply moved to tears, choking up. “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, Master wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation.”
“Damn Great Liang Empress! A’Qin, rest assured, I will do my utmost to uphold justice for you and make sure that Ye Yaoh gets what she deserves! But before that, let my ‘Invisible Slash’ help you completely end this painful memory!”
“Sister Yuan Zhen, didn’t your ‘Invisible Slash’ spirit tool no longer work?” Ao Banwei asked, confused.
“The spirit tool ‘Invisible Slash’ indeed no longer works…”
Li Yuanzhen pulled out a knee-high dark iron hammer from her Nas (storage ring) and clasped it in her arms. The massive hammer easily blocked the sunlight, casting a terrifying shadow on Zhao Xinting’s pale face, which was covered in cold sweat.
“But I still have another, the most effective one: Physical Invisible Slash!”
Zhao Xinting: “Isn’t this just ‘Hammer Slash’?”
“Bang!”
