Chapter 1561: The Imposter Lord Xue Haigu
In addition to Mist-Hidden Lake, Song Wen selected three other locations as backup options.
He then stored the map jade slip and hurried to each of the four sites to personally inspect them.
After careful comparison, he concluded that Mist-Hidden Lake remained the most suitable place for the transaction.
The mist hovering above the lake was formed by condensed water vapor, which couldn’t block divine sense probes but effectively obscured vision.
Scattered across the lake were several small islands. Perhaps due to the perpetual mist, these islands received little sunlight, and the sparse Spiritual Qi in the area meant they were mostly barren, with only tenacious weeds clinging to life in the rock crevices.
After circling the lake and thoroughly examining each island, Song Wen dove into the water.
Diving to the lakebed, he conducted a detailed underwater investigation, eventually discovering several underground rivers in the lakebed’s ravines.
It was through these hidden currents that the Gorge River’s accumulated waters drained away.
After memorizing the locations of all the underground rivers, Song Wen emerged from the water and flew toward Yanyin City.
He randomly chose an inn, rented a private room, and settled in.
Soon, the appointed day to meet Lord Xue Haigu arrived.
Noon.
Lord Xue Haigu’s message arrived precisely on time.
Gou Jun, the hour has come. You must now reveal the location and time of our transaction.
Instead of replying, Song Wen placed a pre-prepared note on the wooden table.
The note read: Hurry to the mist-hidden lake. Remember, you must come alone.
He placed the note inside a jade box, then cast two magic seals to create restrictions on the box.
Next, he retrieved a jade bottle and sprinkled the highly poisonous powder it contained over the box.
With these preparations complete, Song Wen immediately left the private room, exited the inn, and flew westward.
Only then did he retrieve his Communication Jade Slip and reply to Lord Xue Haigu.
Xianyuan Inn, private room nine. I have left the transaction details inside the room.
After delivering the message, Song Wen wasted no time. He immediately took to the skies, heading toward Mist-Hidden Lake.
Lord Xue Haigu’s journey to the secret chamber would take some time. Song Wen intended to use this window to reach the lake first.
As for coating the jade box with poison powder, it was merely a ploy to make Lord Xue Haigu suspicious, suspecting a trap within. This would force him to handle the box with extreme caution, further delaying his arrival.
Mist-Hidden Lake wasn’t far, only a few hundred thousand miles from Yanyin City.
Song Wen arrived swiftly. He summoned his Cosmic Transformation Incarnation and had it land on a small island at the lake’s center. Meanwhile, Song Wen himself submerged beneath the water, concealing himself among the jagged rocks at the bottom of an underground river.
A dozen breaths later, Song Wen heard Shadow Void’s voice in his sea of consciousness.
“Master, someone’s approaching. It’s… Yu Bi.”
“Yu Bi?”
Song Wen’s heart jolted.
Shouldn’t it be Lord Xue Haigu? Why was Yu Bi here instead?
Had Lord Xue Haigu broken their agreement and enlisted Yu Bi’s help?
But Song Wen quickly dismissed this theory.
If Yu Bi had truly come to assist Lord Xue Haigu, why would Lord Xue Haigu have him reveal himself now, rather than after obtaining the Life-Replenishing Fruit?
Song Wen suddenly considered another possibility.
The person who had been communicating with him through the Communication Jade Slip all along wasn’t the real Lord Xue Haigu, but Yu Bi himself.
This would explain the ‘Lord Xue Haigu’ on the other end of the Communication Jade Slip’s desperate obsession with the Life-Replenishing Fruit.
With his lifespan nearing its end, Yu Bi likely coveted the Life-Replenishing Fruit above all other treasures in the world.
A chill ran down Song Wen’s spine at this realization.
If this theory held true, the image stone he had obtained from the Hall of Myriad Affairs was deeply compromised.
The ‘Lord Xue Haigu’ depicted in the image stone’s recording was likely a complete fabrication, let alone the Sky-Blue Glazed Fruit and Taiyin Netherfire.
But why would Yu Bi impersonate Lord Xue Haigu?
And why wouldn’t he contact Song Wen under his true identity?
Song Wen’s mind raced with conflicting thoughts, but there was no turning back now. He could only observe the situation unfold.
“Did he come alone?” Song Wen asked.
“Yes, he was by himself,” Shadow Void replied.
This answer secretly relieved Song Wen.
With only Yu Bi arriving alone, self-preservation seemed assured.
Yu Bi quickly located the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation on the island in the lake. He immediately descended to a hundred zhang above the fellow daoist, his sharp gaze piercing through layers of white mist to fix on the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
“You’re Gou Jun?”
“This junior is indeed Gou Jun. However, Senior doesn’t appear to be Lord Xue Haigu,” the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation replied, tilting its head to look up at Yu Bi, its eyes filled with intense vigilance.
“Who this old man is matters little. What matters is our transaction. Where’s the Life-Replenishing Fruit? Hand it over now!” Yu Bi’s voice carried an undeniable air of authority.
“Then where are the Sky-Blue Glazed Fruit and Taiyin Netherfire Senior promised? This junior won’t hand over the Life-Replenishing Fruit until I see both spiritual objects,” the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation replied calmly, showing no trace of fear.
A murderous intent immediately flashed in Yu Bi’s eyes.
“Do you think this is still a mere exchange of messages? How dare you defy me to my face? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you in my anger?”
“Senior could kill this junior with ease, of course. But once I’m dead, you can forget about ever obtaining the Life-Replenishing Fruit,” the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation retorted.
“Kill you, and all your treasures will naturally become mine,” Yu Bi said.
Upon hearing this, the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation’s face broke into a mocking smile.
“Senior, do you truly believe I would dare come here to trade with you in person without taking any precautions?” the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation asked.
“What do you mean by that?” Yu Bi demanded coldly.
“To guard against you, Senior, I didn’t bring the Life-Replenishing Fruit with me. Kill me, and you’ll never find it,” Song Wen said.
Yu Bi’s aged face flushed with barely concealed fury.
“Where have you hidden the Life-Replenishing Fruit? Tell me the truth, and I might spare your life,” Yu Bi said.
“Senior seems to be mistaken. I will never hand over the Life-Replenishing Fruit until I obtain the Sky-Blue Glazed Fruit and Taiyin Netherfire. You can kill or torture me as you please. After all, I’ve already consumed one Life-Replenishing Fruit, making this one worthless to me. My lifespan is dwindling, and without the Sky-Blue Glazed Fruit and Taiyin Netherfire, I have no chance of reaching the Great Ascension Realm and will die within a few years anyway,” the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation said.
“You’ve already consumed the Life-Replenishing Fruit?” Yu Bi asked, visibly surprised.
“Naturally,” the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation replied. “Otherwise, with my lifespan dwindling, why would I part with such a precious fruit for trade?”
Yu Bi fell silent.
His sharp gaze, like a razor’s edge, swept over Song Wen. After a long moment of contemplation, he flipped his hand and produced five jade boxes.
One by one, the boxes were opened, revealing five spirit fruits, each about the size of a chicken egg.
These fruits resembled perfectly formed treasure pearls, their translucent sky-blue flesh faintly glowing with golden light from within.
Without a doubt, these were the Sky-Blue Glazed Fruits—beautiful yet lethally poisonous.
“Gou Jun, I’ve come here genuinely seeking a trade. To demonstrate my sincerity, I’ll hand over these five Sky-Blue Glazed Fruits first. Once you produce the Life-Replenishing Fruit and I confirm its authenticity, I’ll immediately give you the remaining Sky-Blue Glazed Fruits and the Taiyin Netherfire.”
(End of the Chapter)