42: Chapter 42 Xu Mingxuan's Promotion

"Sit, why aren't you sitting?"

"Junior Brother is covered in muddy water and fears staining Senior Brother's white jade seat. Please forgive me."

Xu Mingxuan and Shen Moyan sat in a tense, expectant silence; the atmosphere was slightly delicate.

"Then it's a pity for this table of fine wine and delicacies," Xu Mingxuan sighed.

Shen Moyan did not respond but instead waved his hand, and the wine cup on the table suddenly flew into his grasp.

Then, he raised his hand and silently poured out the wine in the cup onto the deck.

On the boat, the wine made a sizzling corrosive sound as it hit the floor. White mist rose, accompanied by a pungent odor.

As the white mist dissipated, an all-white Gu insect appeared where the wine had spilled. Its mouthparts were hideous as it wriggled and struggled violently.

"Senior Brother's wine is too strong; I cannot handle it."

Shen Moyan crushed the Gu insect underfoot, his expression unchanged.

As a veteran of the Jianghu, he saw through Xu Mingxuan's scheme at a glance.

"Brain Corpse Gu. If I had drunk this cup of Gu, I would be under your control, wouldn't I?"

Shen Moyan said abruptly.

He had calculated through divination that I would pass through here and waited in advance.

Setting up this trap to capture me—what is he plotting?

Clap, clap, clap.

Xu Mingxuan clapped his hands helplessly and stood up slowly.

"Junior Brother is exceptionally clever. As your Senior Brother, I am truly proud of you."

He narrowed his eyes, looking directly at Shen Moyan.

"Junior Brother, you must have learned most of the story behind this at the Academy."

Shen Moyan's eyes narrowed. As expected, he was the one who placed that formation dao atlas.

He hadn't approached Jiang Qingshui as expected, so naturally, he hadn't disrupted Wild Goose Formation True Monarch's arrangements.

"Of course. May I ask what instructions Senior Brother has for me?"

Holding the heavenly demon sword in a reverse grip, Shen Moyan confronted him.

"You see the current situation—the vast sea submerging the province, countless souls perishing. This matter must be reported to the Sword Sect. Please act immediately, Junior Brother."

Xu Mingxuan also drew his sword. The blade's light was chilling, but the Sword Intent was incredibly familiar to Shen Moyan.

Shen Moyan's expression froze as he retorted:

"Can't you do it yourself, Senior Brother?"

What a shit-stirrer, calling someone else to mess things up again.

"I have more important things to do. The heavy responsibility of contacting the Sword Sect is now in your hands," Xu Mingxuan explained calmly.

"As for the Gu in the wine, I can explain. I was afraid that you..."

"Sorry, I cannot comply." Shen Moyan shook his head, unwilling to listen to his nonsense.

Interrupted, Xu Mingxuan's eyes turned solemn:

"Junior Brother, you know the weight of personal grudges versus the Sect. Shall I force you to make contact, or will you do it yourself?"

Clap, clap, clap.

The heavenly demon sword floated behind him, its tip pointing straight at the opponent. Shen Moyan clapped his hands with a strange smile.

"The Biyang Sword Sect emerges once every ten thousand years. Its members are fixed, and its Disciples are extremely few."

"By all logic, Senior Brother Xu couldn't possibly not recognize me, He Liang."

"Furthermore, a Disciple of the Sword Sect would never waste words if they could use their hands."

Shen Moyan spoke unhurriedly, watching the other's expression.

"Am I right?"

"Prefect Gao... True Lord Mingxuan."

Shen Moyan stared at the other's long sword.

He had been suspicious since their first meeting.

But now, he saw clearly.

The patterns on Xu Mingxuan's sword were identical to the Sword Mountain thrust into the Great Qǐ plane in his past life.

Exactly the same.

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Great waves outside struck the small boat, causing it to sink into the depths of the sea.

"Junior Brother He, you're making things very difficult for me."

Xu Mingxuan—no.

Gao Sheng's lips curled up as he scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.

"Prefect Gao, this should be one of your Incarnations, right? Your original body is still at the Prefectural Governors Mansion, maintaining your role as the Prefect saving people."

Two frauds pretending to be Sword Sect Cultivators—whichever one was exposed first would be at a disadvantage in their interaction.

Shen Moyan was not flustered at all. He continuously circulated the Scripture of Severing All Manifestations; it was impossible for Gao Sheng to control his consciousness.

Even after laying his cards on the table, the other party did not strike immediately. It seemed he truly believed Shen Moyan was from the Biyang Sword Sect.

Or perhaps, capturing him was something the current opponent simply couldn't do?

He had even resorted to the lowly tactic of using Gu.

Every move of his Guizang Realm true body was being watched by outside Cultivators. Even here, if Gao Sheng used even a bit of Divine Ability, it would be detected by those with ulterior motives.

Shen Moyan narrowed his eyes. From the opponent's perspective, he could easily deal with him, silencing him and extinguishing his soul lamp to attract the Sword Sect's attention.

But the uncertainty was too great; there was no guarantee that the death of this 'Disciple' would draw the Sword Sect into the fray.

"Junior Brother He, what will it take for you to contact the Sword Sect?" Gao Sheng asked with a dark, stern face.

Shen Moyan chuckled inwardly.

The other party saw him using a bit of the Biyang First Rising Art and assumed he was from the Biyang Sword Sect.

Little did he know that Shen Moyan himself was also an impostor.

"Contacting the Sect is fine, but Prefect Gao, please inform me—or rather, the Sword Sect—of your plans in full detail."

"My Biyang Sword Sect is also interested in what treasure could be so attractive to someone of your status as a Prefect once Wild Goose Formation True Monarch's Formation is complete."

Shen Moyan made an audacious demand, circulating the Biyang First Rising Art as the phantom of a great sun slowly emerged behind him.

Gao Sheng gazed at the solar phenomenon behind Shen Moyan, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Shen Moyan grinned, appearing perfectly composed on the surface.

In reality, he was prepared to use his Final Stroke at any moment.

If the opponent made any suspicious move, he would restart.

"...Olden Mountain and Sea, the jade stuff truly lives up to its reputation."

"Fine, I shall forge a good connection with the Sword Sect today." Gao Sheng sighed, slowly sheathing his sword and lightly brushing the inner wall of the small boat.

Excellent, the bluffing was a success.

Shen Moyan also sheathed his sword but did not lower his guard.

The walls of the small boat immediately became transparent. Beneath the sea, the submerged buildings of Kongsang Prefecture came into Shen Moyan's full view.

The magical boat was like a submarine, traveling beneath the surface of the sea.

"Do you see that thing?"

Gao Sheng reached out and pointed toward a faint shadow deep on the seabed.

A giant tree was rooted thousands of meters deep on the ocean floor.

Shen Moyan narrowed his eyes, looking at several human-shaped black shadows on the nearest branch.

He looked closer and couldn't help but freeze in place.

Those human-shaped shadows were actually living people!

Looking further, hundreds of millions of living people were suspended from the branches of the giant tree on the seabed.

Men, women, old, and young—it was as if invisible nooses were around everyone's necks, hanging them from the branches. It formed a nightmarish scene that would make a child wail.

Furthermore, the flesh of those living people was writhing, transforming into round, human-faced fruits.