“Jing Tan’er” narrowed her eyes and let out a sly laugh, a dangerous glint flashing.
If the next answer wasn’t to her liking, she wouldn’t mind dealing with this boastful brat—whether he was one of her own or not.
Yun Liu, sensing the momentum had built enough, let out a light snort.
He interlaced his fingers before his chest, forming a special gesture.
“Fine, now isn’t the time to steal credit. If we want to subdue the Red Crow, we’ll have to join forces.”
“Let me reintroduce myself.”
“Mingzun Holy Son, Yun Liu!”
The Fake Princess froze, responding with the highest courtesy, though her expression was indescribably complex.
She clutched her stomach, unable to hold back her laughter.
“Pfft! You’re the Holy Son? Then I’m the Holy Maiden!”
Yun Liu curled his lips, muttering harshly.
Facts spoke louder than words.
“Sacred Fire blazing, Desolate Heart burning, Mingzun Breaking Law, Night Lei Blood Cry!”
As the supreme Minghuang Divine Art of the Demon Sect circulated, a radiant aura manifested around the youth, the blazing white Divine Seal exuding killing intent.
“Jing Tan’er’s” small mouth dropped open.
She wiped the corner of her eye, looking as if she’d seen a ghost, disbelief etched on her face.
Finally, she couldn’t laugh anymore.
“You… You really are Mingzun?!”
“What else?”
“Don’t compare me with small fry like you. I infiltrated Shanhai Pavilion by circuitous means, gained the trust of Yu Steward, toyed with Shenhua in the palm of my hand, and made an unparalleled contribution to the Holy Sect. No more need to hide under a righteous identity.”
Yun Liu usually studied a wide range of topics; his Mingzun aura was only first layer, more appearance than substance.
But as a perfectly ‘washed-clean’ subordinate who just got recognized and promoted by the sect leader, isn’t it reasonable for my magic to be a bit weak?
The East Extreme Pavilion Master wasn’t known for strength either—it was common knowledge.
“Small fry? R-really impolite!”
“You’re one thing, I’m another. It’s not strange you don’t know, since Arbiter only recently promoted me beyond rank.”
The Fake Princess was dazed, her mind short-circuiting, her cerebellum shrinking in confusion.
Never mind outsiders not knowing of the Desolate Fire Holy Order— even the Minghuang Divine Seal could only be the personal inheritance of the Arbiter, impossible to fake.
The Mingzun Holy Son and the Night Lei Holy Maiden have always been a pair since ancient times, destined to become Dao partners and rule the eight banners of the Holy Sect.
But how come I, myself, never heard of this?!
Could it be this brat really was the young husband secretly chosen by Master and nurtured as a child?
Impossible!
“No! You’re messing with me? The Sect Leader is clearly still at the main altar, bathing in Sacred Fire to repair her tribulation body, and hasn’t appeared for quite a while!”
Yun Liu looked disgusted, unaware that his fishing had actually caught the real one.
The Demon Sect’s Holy Son had to look the part of a great villain, so he began lecturing the foolish “subordinate” mercilessly.
“That’s why I say you really know nothing—just running over here to mess things up!”
“Arbiter is so powerful that when she learned of this, she was delighted and could casually send a wisp of her divine soul to descend upon the East Extreme, reward me with the Minghuang Divine Art, and order Jing Rui to help me ensnare and hunt the Vermillion Bird.”
“Once I capture the Golden Crow amidst the chaos, the next step is to use Sword Sect’s hand to eliminate the Sakura Dragon of Yingzhou!”
Mentioning the Sect Leader, the youth raised both palms to the sky, his gaze fervent.
He painted grand schemes so skillfully he seemed even more deranged than the fake demoness, like a parasitic tumor rooted deep in Shanhai Pavilion and Shenhua Sect.
“Ah? I… I…”
“Jing Tan’er” was struck speechless by Yun Liu’s barrage, self-doubt creeping in.
Is… is it my fault?
Even someone as cunning as her was stunned by this combination blow, hooked and left gaping.
“What do you mean, since you’ve met the Holy Son, why aren’t you kneeling?!”
Yun Liu raised an eyebrow.
Seeing that his momentum was working, he pressed the advantage.
Even if he was facing a powerful Demon Sect Banner Master, he didn’t show a hint of fear.
Out in the world, your identity is what you make it!
Even a rabbit bites when cornered—so only you can impersonate a princess, and I can’t pose as a Holy Son?
The Fake Princess shrank her neck, stunned by the deception, and step by step fell into the pit she’d dug herself.
If her actions really ruined the Sect Leader’s grand plan and disrupted the East Extreme’s layout, the consequences would be dire.
“Uh, greetings… Holy Son… My lord?”
“Jing Tan’er” gave a graceful bow, grinding her teeth, her expression unwilling and mixed with anger and amusement, her face tinged red.
Her body acknowledged Yun Liu, but her heart refused to accept this little Holy Son, especially since he looked like a weakling you could crush with one finger.
A snot-nosed brat, an ant-like existence—how could he be her equal?
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe it!
The infamous Demon Sect demoness took back her earlier words.
This brat wasn’t just amusing; he was a true monster.
“As long as you know your mistake. When I subdue the Vermillion Bird for the Holy Sect and conquer the East Extreme, your contribution won’t be forgotten!”
Yun Liu nodded, withdrawing his aura, glancing indifferently at the Fake Princess.
“You, what’s your name, which department—hurry up and report!”
You?
How dare you speak like that to your Senior Sister and Holy Wife!
The girl was frustrated.
She never expected her first encounter with Mingzun would end like this, not only failing to tease him, but accidentally picking up a childish husband.
“You ask who I am, didn’t I just say…”
“Say what?”
Yun Liu didn’t take the joke seriously, and never imagined the main villain would parachute right in front of him, having already appeared beside Ji Shiyu earlier.
“N-nothing. Subordinate Ling Tong, forgive my earlier offense, Holy Son.”
The little demoness thought quickly, going with the flow and not rushing to reveal herself.
Fine, let’s see what this arrogant brat can do, bragging about easily taking down the Red Crow.
“So it’s Ling Banner Master.”
Yun Liu’s heart leapt.
Damn, the fake was actually the Soul Capturing Banner Master!
Fortunately, he’d drawn out the real one in time and hadn’t rashly used Bewitching Techniques to test her.
No wonder Sorrow of a Fallen Nation ended in a plot kill.
The mission line had a peak Nascent Soul villain hidden across two entire maps, now he was in real trouble.
If Ling Tong shed her disguise, even Qin Cha, Canghai, and White Whale wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
“The Vermillion Bird patrols the East Extreme like a flying sun, leaving little trace to track. The Shengyu Festival is the best chance to approach, but it’s also when its Sun Wheel aura is strongest, making direct confrontation impossible. I wonder what plan the Holy Son has?”
Yun Liu returned to himself, scoffing.
“You need an outsider to tell me?”
“That day, the Red Crow will rest in Yudu. Our move is to strike while it absorbs Sun Wheel essence!”
This was the true nature of the Black Crow Usurpation, except Yun Liu had made the first move, matching codes with the mastermind.
“The Jing royal family have always been Golden Crow attendants. The Royal Court is the Red Bird’s refueling station. Just tamper with the Sun Wheel Imperial Seal, and the Red Crow will absorb turbid energy and fail to receive sun spirit replenishment, becoming weakened.”
“Refu…eling station? So that’s it.”
The little demoness’s eyes brightened, secretly nodding—her thinking aligned with his.
“Jing Yan already has one foot in the grave. Who else could he entrust the Sun Wheel Imperial Seal to? If not for your interference, I’d have had the key long ago.”