No one would have expected this scene, probably not even Mr. Miao, who had died.....
The cave was now unspeakably bloody. Master Huang, once the epitome of refinement, was pinned to the wall, his muscles flayed, his skin peeled, and his organs hollowed out. His death was extraordinarily tragic, and the perpetrator, was an all too familiar figure.....
"Wang... Wang Ye?" Weichi Peng swallowed hard, staring at the figure who was both familiar and somewhat foreign, unsure of what to do.
"Oh?" The figure turned around, it was indeed the handsome, scholarly face of Wang Ye, who upon seeing Weichi Peng, immediately revealed a familiar smile, "Shi Zhang has arrived?"
Weichi Peng was silent. He had succeeded to the name Weichi Peng at the age of nine, and even the children of lesser status in his family knew his real name. Wang Ye was one of the few who knew, but the person in front of him... was he really Wang Ye?
Chen Qing also frowned in silence. He believed Wang Ye to be ruthless, but he hadn't expected him to be this extreme. Moreover, he couldn't understand how Wang Ye, having been turned into a puppet, could have managed to kill Mister Hua Pi.
This went against the setting.....
"Lord Chen really didn't let me down." Wang Ye looked at Chen Qing, wiping the bloodstain on his hand with Master Huang's clothing, "To design a path that led these two into a desperate situation and to create such an opportunity for me..."
As he spoke, two glows appeared behind Wang Ye, one as bright as daylight containing complex runes and a flying elephant that joyfully leaped through space, the other was pitch-black, with a Shadow Fish swimming freely within the darkness.
"Flying Shadow....." Wang Ye looked at the playful black fish with almost indulgent eyes, "One of the seventy-two Earth Fiends, recorded in 'Record of Unusual Tales', this technique was mastered by Mr. Miao Cai, the head Yin-yang Official of the former Emperor Huizong's era. After the fall of the King of Qin, the Miao family completely disappeared without a trace, I never expected to encounter it."
"Dual techniques....." Looking at Wang Ye perfectly balancing the two techniques, Weichi Peng's expression was both strange and wary.
He always felt that this once-close friend had become unfamiliar.
"How did Lord Wang manage this?" Chen Qing asked frowningly, "As far as I know, Mister Hua Pi's control over his puppets is absolute!"
"Reversal Sorcery....." Wang Ye said with a laugh, "Actually, I'm not very skilled at it, after all, I've only been practicing the art for a few years. At that critical moment, I barely managed to use it on my core, hoping to give Mister Hua Pi a taste of his own medicine at the last moment, and not to let my desperate struggle be in vain. However, I didn't expect my luck to be this good, and it just so happened to negate the secret technique Mister Hua Pi laid on me at the end....."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's mouth twitched. What the other party said seemed simple: Reversal Sorcery could allow the reversal of time and space in a targeted location, theoretically able to counter Mister Hua Pi's secret technique. However, Wang Ye was clearly under control at the time.
To use Reversal Sorcery, it would have to have been hidden in the brain core before being controlled, so that it wouldn't be discovered.
How divine was this foresight?
How did he know he would be turned into a puppet by Mister Hua Pi?
And to have hidden Reversal Sorcery in the brain core in advance?
The key was that the formidable magician, Mister Miao, had suffered a severe injury, giving up his brain core, leaving Mister Hua Pi without a protector. Otherwise, Mister Miao could have reversed Wang Ye's technique once again.
Could the plot be this coincidental?
Chen Qing felt an unusual sense of strangeness. It seemed like a coincidence, but it also felt like a script that had been written in advance. Could Wang Ye really be that lucky?
"Heh....."
While Chen Qing was pondering, the previously silent Weichi Peng spoke, "Scholar, the letter left by Old Wei said that the brothers who were turned into puppets can't be restored?"
"Yes....." Chen Qing nodded.
"What about him?" Weichi Peng pointed at Wang Ye, "Is he the real person?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing looked towards Wang Ye, a cold glint in his eyes!
Glancing around, there was only one exit. Wang Ye couldn't activate Flying Star at close range, and this Weichi Peng seemed quite fierce. Working together with Ghost Doll, they should be able to kill him!
Seeing the malice in Chen Qing's eyes, Wang Ye frowned and then smiled as he took something out.
As soon as he brought out that thing, it left Chen Qing frozen in place.
It was none other than the Mirror Demon he had been yearning for!
"I'm very sorry to have involved Lord Chen in such dangerous affairs, but for the sake of the Imperial Court, for His Majesty, I had no choice but to act, I hope Lord Chen won't hold it against me....." Saying this, he threw the object in his hand toward Chen Qing, "Take this as my apology!"
Ghost Doll, fearing a trick, quickly caught it and then retreated in front of Chen Qing, who took a look, and all of Ghost Doll's information instantly appeared on the mirror.
It was the real deal.....
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Qing immediately smiled and said, "Lord Wang, what are you saying? Though I haven't yet started my official duties, I also owe a great debt to His Majesty's grace. To serve the Imperial Court is my honor; how could I mind the risks? Moreover, you have saved my life, Lord Wang. I am grateful beyond words, why would I resent anything....."
Wang Ye looked at Chen Qing with a smile that was not quite a smile, while Weichi Peng was somewhat baffled and then frowned, "Is he real?"
Chen Qing nodded, "Mister Hua Pi created Lord Wang's puppet with the aim of deceiving His Majesty, so naturally it had to be nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Therefore, it was necessary to transplant Lord Wang's flesh, bones, organs, and even his brain core into the special puppet body, and then use a secret technique to dispose of Lord Wang's self, leaving behind a puppet with Lord Wang's memories."
"But at the last moment, the reversal sorcery in Lord Wang's brain core cracked Mister Hua Pi's secret technique, so he didn't lose himself. Although his body changed, his essence is still that of Lord Wang..."
"Eh?" Weichi Peng was skeptical, "Is that so?"
"Of course, it is..." Chen Qing said with a smile, "This can be seen from the fact that Lord Wang was able to kill Mister Hua Pi."
"I see..." Upon hearing this, Weichi Peng's face still showed delight; Wang Ye was his friend, and he naturally hoped for the best for him.
"But with this change... can your body still recover?" Weichi Peng asked with concern.
Wang Ye gave a wry smile and shook his head: "I'm afraid not, and I also ask Shi Zhang to keep this a secret for the time being. I will certainly report the situation to my master and His Majesty when I return, but unless it's necessary, it naturally should not be made public, lest it draw strange looks from others."
"That's true, that's true..." Weichi Peng nodded again and again. This person turned into a puppet, which sounded incredibly eerie. If it were made public, it would be the end of Wang Ye's prospects in the Imperial Court.
Even if he wasn't burnt as a monster, he'd only be able to live in the shadows. As a friend, he naturally didn't wish such an end for him.
Chen Qing, on the other hand, silently observed Wang Ye.
It's just a change of body?
That line was of course just said for Weichi Peng to hear; Chen Qing didn't know what the thing before him was, but it definitely wasn't Wang Ye.
It was like the digital lifeforms popular in his previous modern life, where one's consciousness and memories were uploaded into a computer, creating a digital lifeform that was completely identical to one's personality. Some people boasted it was another form of immortality.
But is that uploaded version, drafted by intelligence, still you?
That question, perhaps, only he knew...
In his view, this thing before him had Wang Ye's memories, personality, and even his abilities, but it was definitely not Wang Ye!
What would happen if such a mysterious entity were to mingle in the Imperial Court?
Chen Qing had no choice; he had to play along with the other party in this act.
The other party knew about the Mirror Demon, and if he acted forcefully, the other party would certainly reveal the use of the Mirror Demon. The Mirror Demon's abilities were too heaven-defying; if the Imperial Court knew of its existence, they would never allow it to remain in his hands, which would greatly hinder his future plans.
Now, both parties hold a secret of the other, reaching a delicate balance of cooperation...
"What do we do now?" Weichi Peng asked gravely, "Return to the Capital City to report the matter?"
"We must return to the Capital City..." Wang Ye nodded, "There are only five days left until the Crown Prince's consort selection. Time is pressing; we must find the Thousand-Faced Fox before it begins, don't you agree, Lord Chen?"
"That is indeed the case!" Chen Qing said with a smile and a bow, "Now that Mister Hua Pi is dead, it's better to let the Imperial Court handle the subsequent investigation of his accomplices. The priority is to find the Thousand-Faced Fox that has infiltrated the Capital City!"
---------------------------------------------------
"Mister Hua Pi... is dead!"
In a corner of Capital City, a towering figure respectfully reported the news.
If Master Huang were here, he'd recognize that this person was the Mountain Ghost who initially protected and ensured his safety!
"In Lyuzhou, with Mr. Miao and Hei Wu's support, to suffer a total loss?" An aged female voice filled with indignation questioned, "Wang Ye was already captured by you guys; who in Lyuzhou City has such ability?"
"There's also Weichi Peng..." Mountain Ghost shook his head, "I've said before, that kid from Weichi Clan is extraordinarily powerful. In my absence, he shouldn't be confronted head-on."
"Mr. Miao is steady and calm, he wouldn't provoke trouble unnecessarily. Weichi Peng may be formidable, but he's not a schemer. How could he possibly wipe out the entire Lyuzhou force?"
"That makes sense..." Mountain Ghost nodded, "There must be some expert assisting them. Could it have been Liu Yu who personally went to Lyuzhou?"
"Impossible... With so many eyes on a character like Liu Yu, how could he have quietly made his way to Lyuzhou?"
"The old fogeys from Tiandu?"
"Those scaredy-cats from Tiandu?" The aged voice scoffed, "They don't have the guts to come out, so what makes you think they'd interfere with our plans?"
"Then I can't imagine who else it could be..." Mountain Ghost shook his head, "Now the situation is incredibly dangerous. Are we still going to participate in the Crown Prince's consort selection in five days?"
"Participate, why not?" The aged voice chuckled, "As long as the Siao Imperial Family dares to choose, I dare to go!"
"Mister Hua Pi is dead..." Mountain Ghost reminded, "That means Mirror Master is also..."
"It doesn't matter..." The aged voice laughed, "We are prepared!"