Chapter 770: Reel Them In!

When Jing Wuya stepped into the room, Chu Liang remained seated at the desk, looking just as he had before. The only difference was that the space beneath the bed had grown even more cramped.

Chu Liang immediately slipped into his role as the first fake king, rising to greet him. "General."

"Hmm." Jing Wuya cast him a brief glance before saying, "Earlier, you asked to meet Xue Lingxue. I sent word to her. She should be arriving soon."

Chu Liang’s eyes lit up at the news. Suppressing the excitement surging within, he replied, "It is an honor that you’ve taken my suggestion into consideration, General."

"This decision was partially influenced by what you said, but not entirely," Jing Wuya said, his tone deep and furious.

He continued, "My adopted daughter, the Dragon Dancer, is the child of the woman impersonating Xue Lingxue. My adopted daughter stole something of great importance from me—the Mirror of Captured Light."

He paused before turning to Chu Liang. "I don’t know if the Dragon Dancer has met up with her mother. If I had summoned the fake Xue Lingxue to the Royal Wave Bureau, there's a chance that the Dragon Dancer would be alerted. So instead, I followed your suggestion and arranged for the imposter to meet you here in the palace. If she still dares to come, it means she hasn’t met up with her daughter yet.

"When she arrives later, I want you to probe her during your conversation. Find out if she has my Mirror of Captured Light."

"Understood," Chu Liang responded immediately.

They had been searching for Liao Yuexian to settle this matter, and if Jing Wuya could lure her here, it would be the perfect opportunity to capture everyone in one decisive move.

However, beneath the bed, the Dragon Dancer panicked when she heard this. If her mother arrived unaware of the situation, she could walk straight into danger and be harmed by Jing Wuya.

Before she could make a sound, Xue Lingxue pressed a gentle hand on her shoulder, sending a controlled surge of foundational qi through her body. The Dragon Dancer’s vision blurred, and she lost consciousness.

"I will hide in the shadows so I can act at any moment," Jing Wuya declared, scanning the room before setting his gaze beneath the bed. Without hesitation, he strode forward.

Chu Liang hastily called out, "General..."

"Hmm?" Jing Wuya turned around and looked at him.

Good lord. There is already a full table of mahjong players crammed under the bed. If this hulking suit of armor squeezed in too, they might as well suffocate on the spot.

"The space under the bed is cramped and dusty. It would be unbefitting of your dignified status," Chu Liang said smoothly, gesturing toward the screen. "General, why not hide yourself behind the screen instead?"

"Alright."

Jing Wuya said no more. He simply shifted the screen further back and restrained his aura as he concealed himself behind it. With his heavy armor making it difficult to crouch, he found nothing unusual about the arrangement.

Chu Liang felt a headache coming on.

This room...is running out of oxygen.

Fortunately, once Liao Yuexian appeared, they would move in and capture everyone in one decisive strike. Chu Liang had already contacted his esteemed teacher through the Circle of Immortal Friends, and both Di Nufeng and Daoist Yan had arrived near the City of Azure Waves, waiting for Chu Liang’s signal to move in.

Since Jing Wuya was confident he could handle Liao Yuexian, it meant her cultivation was, at most, at the peak of the seventh realm. She definitely was not a master of the Heavenly Origin. With two skilled fighters from Mount Shu joining, handling both of them would be more than manageable.

They had barely waited when a guard outside suddenly reported, "Your Majesty, there... there's something strange."

"Oh?" Chu Liang responded. "What is it?"

The guard hesitated before saying, "Miss Xue Lingxue has arrived outside the bedchamber, claiming she was summoned by Your Majesty, but—"

"Quickly, let her in! Don’t be a busybody!" Chu Liang interrupted urgently.

If Jing Wuya found out that two Miss Xues had arrived, he might start getting suspicious. Cutting the guard off before he could say anything more was the safest move.

The doors to the bedchamber swung open once again, and the familiar face of Xue Lingxue stepped inside.

At the same time, Chu Liang discreetly sent a message through the Circle of Immortal Friends.

[Chu Liang]: "Reel them in!"

...

Liao Yuexian, the fake Xue Lingxue, stepped in with a smile. "You wanted to see me?"

Noticing that only Han Lingshou was present, she raised an eyebrow. "Alone?"

Hmm... I alone am an army.

Chu Liang forced a bitter smile in his heart, but on the surface, he remained cautious and respectful as he replied, "Esteemed Senior, that’s correct. I’m merely following the general’s orders and thought it best to invite you here."

"Heh." Liao Yuexian chuckled. "You’ve done well. Since you’ve taken the king’s place, you should also adopt his mindset to avoid any flaws in your disguise."

She certainly spoke from experience. Her impersonation of Xue Lingxue was so flawless that even Tie Chui, who had known the real one for years, hadn’t noticed a thing.

Chu Liang nodded in acknowledgment before asking, "But when will I be able to return to my true form?"

Liao Yuexian cast him a mocking glance, as if she had already foreseen his fate—that he was nothing more than a disposable pawn, destined to be silenced forever by Jing Wuya sooner or later.

With a sigh, she replied, "Once we have full control of the kingdom."

"To restore my original form, would I still need the Mirror of Captured Light?" Chu Liang asked. "Do you know where that value artifact is now?"

At the mention of the artifact, Liao Yuexian furrowed her brows. "The Mirror of Captured Light? Isn’t that Jing Wuya’s treasure? Where else would it be?"

Behind the screen, Jing Wuya’s eyes flickered as he processed her response. It confirmed that Liao Yuexian and her daughter had yet to see each other.

Just as he was about to step forward, a panicked voice rang out from outside the door.

"Your Majesty!" The guard’s voice trembled, barely holding back tears. "A woman wreathed in flames has broken in! She says she’s from Mount Shu and demands to see you immediately!"

"A woman wreathed in flames?" Liao Yuexian’s expression changed instantly. "Could it be Di Nufeng of Mount Shu? What is she doing here?"

Chu Liang shook his head repeatedly. "I don’t know."

"That woman is a lunatic. It’s best not to provoke her. Let her in. I’ll find a place to hide for now," Liao Yuexian said. Her eyes darted around the room before settling on the space beneath the bed.

"Uhhh." Chu Liang quickly stepped forward to stop her. "The space under the bed is cramped and dusty. I fear it might ruin your image."

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Hmm..." Liao Yuexian hesitated before shifting her gaze toward the screen behind them.

Chu Liang hurriedly added, "That area is cluttered with miscellaneous items. I’m afraid there’s no room for you to stand."

"Hmph." Liao Yuexian snorted grumpily before leaping straight up, landing atop the ceiling beams. She restrained her aura and hid herself there.

Chu Liang then called out toward the palace gates, "Let her in! Do not block her way!"

Before Chu Liang could finish speaking, a pained scream rang out from the guard who had delivered the message. A split second later, the doors to the bedchamber burst open with a thunderous crash.

The figure that strode through the doorway was a tall and slim woman with fiery red lips and flowing hair. Behind her, a pair of divine phoenix fire wings blazed brilliantly. It was indeed Di Nufeng, the peak master of the Mount Shu Sect’s Silver Sword Peak.

Di Nufeng stormed in, her sharp gaze sweeping across the room before locking onto the only person in sight. Without hesitation, she shouted, "Password!"

This was what Chu Liang had arranged with her. If not, with this extremely common-looking face he has right now, who knew what kind of misunderstandings might arise?

Without missing a beat, Chu Liang immediately shouted in response, "You owe, you pay!"

Without hesitation, Di Nufeng answered, "Fair and square!"

The moment Chu Liang and his teacher confirmed each other's identities, Di Nufeng raised her hand and unleashed a surging wave of Samadhi True Fire.

Boom!

Like a sentient, fire-wreathed bird, the divine flames spread and engulfed the entire bedchamber. Not even ashes were left behind.

The once-grand palace hall, along with its lavish furnishings, vanished into nothingness.

And with it, every hidden individual inside was fully exposed. Both Jing Wuya and Liao Yuexian looked stunned.

Jing Wuya, who had been hiding behind the screen, had narrowly avoided the divine fire's reach.

Meanwhile, Liao Yuexian, who had hidden near the ceiling beams, was nearly incinerated on the spot. At the last moment, a flicker of light flashed around her as she dropped to the ground.

The fire touched her face and instantly burned her illusionary disguise away, revealing her true form.

She turned out to be a beautiful woman in her early thirties, with sharp, elegant features and an air of cold allure.

Chu Liang, the only one who was aware of everything that had happened in this room, wasted no time. He pointed directly at the two figures and shouted, "Don't let them escape!"

With that single command, a wild phoenix was set free!

Boom!