Tension hung in the air, a biting chill enveloping them.
Two silver-haired fairies, dressed in white like snow, identical Bingling fairies, faced off in silence.
White Whale frowned and stepped back, on high alert, unable to tell truth from falsehood.
“Huh? Which one is the real Bingling Fairy!”
“Is there even a question?”
“Is there even a question?”
The two Yan Binglings spoke in unison.
“Huh?”
Yu Shen Yinglian was momentarily confused, looking left and right, her gaze dazed.
‘The woman beside me who calls herself Senior Sister-in-law is definitely strange, but her swordsmanship and artifacts are spot-on—even Senior Brother didn’t suspect anything.’
‘But the cool old maid opposite has a much stronger aura, exactly like the stereotype in Junior Sister’s memory, as if the whole world owes her money.’
‘Two Masters? Ah Lian’s big promotion crisis—does she have to wait for one more to die before becoming Senior Sister? Being Senior Sister is so tiring.’
Yan Bingling’s eyelashes trembled; she instinctively sensed a strong threat, her Qi Sea surging.
“It’s you.”
Though she didn’t know why her soul had split, she could finally face the demonic incarnation of the dark side of the sword heart. This was the inner demon that had long plagued her.
Now, this wretch dared to steal her avatar, not only pilfering the sword case but also audaciously taking possession of Liuer, and fleeing down the mountain, infuriating Yan Bingling even more.
“It’s me.”
The other Yan Bingling laughed softly, emboldened.
Behind the thought-provoking words, murderous intent was about to be unleashed.
“Green Lotus!”
“Green Lotus!”
Their hearts were in sync, their words and actions mirrored. A cyan flying sword shot out from the sword case on the little pink-haired girl’s back, but it hung strangely in the air.
The principal flying sword shifted left and right, also frozen—both were its masters, and neither could pull it away.
Both Aunt Masters called out furiously, this time each holding a gleaming flying sword.
“Hundred Calamities!”
“Thousand Years!”
Sword Qi was sharp; at the drop of a hat, they would start a fight.
A fake? No, it was an avatar.
Canghai fell into thought. A fake couldn’t possibly handle a life-bound treasure so skillfully—that meant both were real!
With the cultivation of the Head of Tianxiang, such divine abilities weren’t strange, but the strange thing was why their temperaments were so different, and why they acted independently and hostilely toward each other, leaving everyone unable to tell which was the true body.
Yun Liu quickly stepped between them, trying to calm things down. Truly, before one wave subsided, another arose.
“My dear auntie, let’s talk this out. Put down your weapons first.”
“Who’s your auntie? Don’t you understand you’ve been played for a fool? Quickly return to your master’s side and stay away from that demon!”
The Dao Heart Master scolded sternly, ordering around, still unaware of what the incarnation had done to her beloved disciple.
The demon-fallen foster mother, however, crooked her finger, seductive and provocative, taunting freely.
“Liuer has grown up, more than you can imagine. He’s no longer a disciple you can order around. Be good, come into your mother’s arms. Momma will dote on you.”
“Hehehe, that sounds so harsh. It’s a mutual agreement—how is that called deception?”
“Silence! You demonic incarnation, do not presume to act in my identity!”
“I won’t shut up. Aren’t I you, and aren’t you me? Admit it—I am the truest version of your inner self.”
Anyway, the bystanders’ heads were already spinning. From the sound of it, it was a case of split personality.
As expected of the legendary Frost Sky Sword Demon—she could even argue with herself.
“Stop!”
Yun Liu rubbed his forehead, deciding to discuss it in detail later.
“First, let the attending physician say a fair word. If you two start fighting here, in the end, you’ll only hurt yourselves, right?”
The two paused, snorted coldly, and reluctantly agreed.
Whether the avatar or the true body fell, the one who suffered was themselves. With their injuries not yet healed, if they stirred up more trouble, they might end up dying and dissolving. Moreover, the two were born as one, their life pulses connected, destined to be evenly matched—neither could completely erase the other. The demon-fallen foster mother and the Dao Heart Master had to acknowledge this fact.
Family shame should not be spread abroad. This was clearly not the place to argue.
The group had just reunited when another incident occurred. They temporarily took refuge on an undersea sandbar.
Shipwreck Bay was a refugee camp in the eyes of the merfolk. Humans who sought a sliver of opportunity in the whirlpools were no different from scavengers here.
Among the countless ruined spirit boats, a magnificent pagoda stood strangely at the seafloor.
No one knew how far-reaching the behind-the-scenes power of Shanhai Pavilion was, able to run businesses throughout the Nine Provinces, and looking quite prosperous—much more impressive than Divine Tree Yingzhou and East Pole Province.
“Rules cannot be broken. Once through this door, even Yan Bingling must follow Steward You’s rules.”
“Yo! Boss, we meet again. I never expected you to be such a troublemaker.”
Before Yun Liu could greet her, Youyou smiled and waved, her smile meaningful, already aware of the instigator of recent troubles.
Judging by the Kanban girl’s lively appearance, one could tell that the Boundless Sea had more profit than Yingzhou. The business was thriving, and the pavilion’s scale surpassed that of East Pole Province.
Yun Liu looked up and down at the fluorescent mansion and joked, “If it’s the Boundless Sea business, please let me take over, Great Immortal Youyou!”
“Pfft, you wish. You refused to take over the mess at Divine Tree Yingzhou, and now you want to compete with me for the good stuff? No way!”
The refusal was expected.
The Boundless Sea was a money tree. The renowned Mirage Sea Market of the Nine Provinces was run behind the scenes by a Pavilion deacon.
Yun Liu’s heart stirred, and he casually asked, “May I ask who the Master of Boundless Pavilion is?”
“It’s not a secret; I can tell you for free. Here, my boss is the Chief of the Merfolk, Madam Yingluo. Even if you don’t seek her out, she will come to you, a colleague from a neighboring province, to build connections.”
Youyou grinned mischievously, quite pleased about the fall of that pest from the Divine Tree—business could expand again.
Yun Liu nodded, thinking that was normal.
So the Master of Boundless Pavilion was the master of Qiongxiao Palace. Here, one inevitably dealt with the Yao race.
In Shipwreck Bay, besides the forces of the Five Islands, there were also visitors from other domains lurking here. When traveling the Nine Provinces, most did not show their true faces.
Everyone arrived at a secluded corner on the second floor and sat down, looking at each other, not knowing where to begin.
Yun Liu tapped the table, sorted out the timeline, and said with a bitter smile, “I’m sure everyone can see that Aunt Master is sick.”
“You’re the one who’s sick!”
The demon-fallen foster mother rolled her eyes.
“She’s the one who’s sick!”
The Dao Heart Master sneered.
Canghai and White Whale nodded in agreement.
A case of soul division was unheard of, and it was severe—probably even the Medicine King of Penghu would be helpless.
One regarded the other as a flawed inner demon in her sword intent, eager to eradicate her; the other would sooner or later tear off the hypocritical mask of the self-righteous, secretly laying traps.
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