Translator: CinderTL
After considerable effort, Song Wen transformed himself into an elderly man in the Divine Transformation Stage and donned a black cloak.
He then strode out of the tavern under the curious gazes of the shopkeeper and several attendants.
Song Wen had reserved a private room for fifty mid-grade spirit stones but ordered no food or drink, then left in such a secretive manner. It was hard not to attract attention.
However, the shopkeeper and attendants didn't pry.
In the Immortal Cultivation World, everyone had their secrets.
Once clear of the tavern, Song Wen paused to consider his next move. He retrieved Shi Man's Communication Jade Slip and replied:
[Senior Shi Man, may I ask why you summoned this junior to Veiled Moon Hall?]
His suspicion that Shi Man might harbor ill intentions was merely speculation.
Having confirmed his immediate safety, Song Wen decided to seek clarification.
Shi Man's response arrived swiftly, her tone sharp with displeasure:
[Gou Jun, why did you take so long to reply? We've located the stall owner you mentioned—a rogue cultivator named Shi Chang. His appearance matches your description perfectly, and he's a Poison Cultivator with late Divine Transformation Stage cultivation, exactly as you reported. However, since none of us have seen this stall owner in person, Young Master Chi Pei has ordered you and me to investigate Shi Chang's lair together to confirm his identity.]
After reading the message, Song Wen's expression turned peculiar.
First, his excessive paranoia had rendered his previous disguise efforts utterly futile.
Second, the Veiled Moon Hall had actually found someone who resembled Master Ji Yin.
This Poison Cultivator named Shi Chang, now targeted by the Veiled Moon Hall, was undoubtedly facing an unwarranted calamity.
Could he have committed some unspeakable atrocity to warrant such misfortune? How could such a low-probability event possibly befall him?
[Senior Shi Man, please forgive this junior's delayed response. I was refining a Corpse Puppet and couldn't reply immediately. I will cease the refinement and proceed to the Veiled Moon Hall at once.]
[You needn't come to the Veiled Moon Hall. Simply wait above Cloudveil City.] Shi Man commanded imperiously.
Song Wen pocketed the Communication Jade Slip and hurried into an inn, quickly reapplying his disguise as the bald-headed Gou Jun.
He then soared into the sky above Cloudveil City, where he found Shi Man already waiting.
Standing beside her was another figure—a male cultivator in the Divine Transformation Stage, radiating faint Corpse Qi, clearly a practitioner of Corpse Dao.
"Senior Shi Man, this junior apologizes for the delay. Please forgive me for keeping you waiting."
"This time, I'll let it slide," Shi Man rebuked sternly. "But if there's a next time, don't blame me for forgetting our past ties."
She then pointed to the male cultivator beside her. "This is Wu Yuan, a steward of Veiled Moon Hall. He's at the late divine transformation stage and possesses immense power. With Steward Wu Yuan here, our mission will be safe and secure."
Song Wen clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed respectfully to Wu Yuan.
"Greetings, Senior Wu Yuan."
Wu Yuan merely glanced indifferently at Song Wen before shifting his gaze away, offering no response.
This complete disregard for Song Wen, a rogue cultivator, was also a slight to Shi Man's dignity.
Though Shi Man's cultivation was inferior to Wu Yuan's, she held the position of outer sect elder at Veiled Moon Hall, granting her significantly higher status.
Wu Yuan's lack of respect for Shi Man stemmed either from his disdain for those who climbed the ranks through shortcuts or from his knowledge of her impending downfall, which bred contempt in his heart.
With a wave of his hand, Wu Yuan summoned a Giant Flying Ship.
"Your pace is too slow. I'll take you there by ship. We need to move swiftly and return quickly."
Shi Man showed no reaction to Wu Yuan's condescension. She simply beckoned Song Wen aboard the ship.
The Giant Flying Ship shot northwestward at breakneck speed, covering hundreds of miles before arriving above a mountain valley shrouded in deathly stillness.
The mountain valley was shrouded in a layer of gray, poisonous mist.
The toxic fumes had spread for miles, leaving the land barren and lifeless.
"Shi Chang, I am Shi Man, the Outer Sect Elder of Veiled Moon Hall. Come out and pay your respects immediately!" Shi Man infused her voice with Spiritual Power, her words resonating across the heavens and earth.
The Poison Mist slowly flowed downward, revealing a transparent barrier beneath.
Inside the barrier, the valley floor was covered in a thick layer of corpses—both human and demon beast. Wisps of gray poison gas rose from the decaying remains.
A gaunt figure stood atop the mountain of bones.
A flicker of surprise crossed Song Wen's eyes.
The man bore an uncanny resemblance to his revered master. Even the distinctive mustache was identical.
"Greetings, Elder Shi Man. What brings you three here?"
Shi Man replied, "Shi Chang, we've heard you can refine a poison called 'Corroding Heart Cold.' Is this true?"
A flicker of barely concealed panic flashed across Shi Chang's face.
He instinctively assumed that someone from Veiled Moon Hall had died from Corroding Heart Cold, and that Song Wen and the others had come to apprehend the culprit.
Clearly, the Veiled Moon Hall had received false intelligence, believing Shi Chang could refine Corroding Heart Cold and thus identifying him as the culprit.
"Senior Shi Man, please be wise. This humble one has never refined any such poison, nor have I even heard of it before."
Shi Man retorted, "Don't try to deny it, Shi Chang! This person beside me purchased Corroding Heart Cold from you."
Shi Chang followed Shi Man's pointed finger and looked at Song Wen.
"This... great master, we seem to have never met before!"
Song Wen was speechless.
They had come to request medicine, yet Shi Man was acting aggressively.
Truly, those who rely on the Veiled Moon Hall grow accustomed to arrogance.
Wu Yuan showed no objection to Shi Man's behavior, as if it were perfectly natural.
It was as if every cultivator in the Qicang Domain should obey the Veiled Moon Hall without question.
Shi Chang, a mere rogue cultivator in the Divine Transformation Stage, was naturally expected to bow his head and obey.
"Gou Jun, is this the stall owner you saw before?" Shi Man asked.
"This junior cannot be certain. The appearance is very similar, but the aura seems slightly different. The stall owner deliberately concealed their aura, and this junior's cultivation level was too low to discern their true aura." Song Wen carefully scrutinized Shi Chang, his brow furrowing slightly as he gave an ambiguous answer.
Shi Chang's resemblance to Master Ji Yin was too striking to dismiss outright, as that would undoubtedly arouse suspicion from Shi Man and Wu Yuan.
However, a definitive confirmation would backfire if Shi Chang possessed nothing related to the Corroding Heart Cold, exposing Song Wen's lie.
"Senior Shi Man, please understand, I am truly not the stall owner you seek," Shi Chang hastily explained.
Shi Man hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
Just then, Wu Yuan roared, "This matter is simple. Shi Chang, you will personally deactivate the mountain valley's formation and allow us to search your cultivation cave and Storage Ring. If nothing related to the Corroding Heart Cold is found, your innocence will be proven. Otherwise, I will forcibly break the formation and perform a soul search on you!"
(End of the Chapter)
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