52: Chapter 52 Visiting Night Moon Lake

Two weeks later, at the Night Moon Pool.

The Night Moon Pool was hidden deep within the mountains, surrounded by towering ancient trees with interlacing branches that almost completely blotted out the sky.

Even during the day, the light in the forest was dim, and the atmosphere was cold and tranquil.

The pool's water was a deep emerald green, its surface exceptionally calm like a giant piece of dark jade, reflecting the occasional moonlight or sparse stars leaking through the canopy.

"This is where the Six Senses Fireflies are raised." Shen Moyan stood atop his Flying Sword, the yi mo gourd tied to his waist.

The originally blood-red surface of the yi mo gourd had turned bright yellow and was tied with a red string; this was the disguise he had designed to prevent it from being recognized.

"Where exactly are they..."

Shen Moyan frowned. He saw an old man standing by the edge of the pool, seemingly waiting for someone.

"Deng Jinhua?"

Shen Moyan was somewhat surprised.

What was someone from the Merit Examination Department doing here?

"You've come." In the vast pool before Deng Jinhua, a dark shadow flickered, and the faint patterns of orderly scales flashed by.

"You're a bit late this time, late by over a month." The voice from the pool sounded somewhat annoyed.

"Delayed by trivial matters in the department." Deng Jinhua nodded, looking down at the surface of the pool, though it was unclear who he was addressing.

Yao Race, Flood Dragon!

Shen Moyan raised an eyebrow and suppressed his breath to hide himself.

"This year's Three Examinations questions are all here." Deng Jinhua's expression was indifferent as he tossed a Jade Slip into the pool.

After a long while, a muffled yet joyful low hum came from the pool.

"Not bad."

"The Holy Sovereign will remember your contribution, human."

The next moment, the dark shadow vanished, and a leather pouch floated to the surface, sewn from the skin of some Yao Beast.

Deng Jinhua hooked his hand, and the leather pouch flew into his grasp.

Observing in secret, Shen Moyan realized it was a Storage Pouch made from the skin of a Luwu subspecies.

With such an extravagant display, the contents must be very precious.

"Hehe, it is my honor to be remembered by your Holy Sovereign." Deng Jinhua's lips curled slightly. He looked around, tucked the Storage Pouch into his sleeve, and departed on his flying boat.

Only long after Deng Jinhua had left and the dark shadow in the pool had vanished did Shen Moyan, hiding ten miles away, reveal himself.

"Deng Jinhua is trading examination questions with the Yao Race?"

A Deputy Director of the Merit Examination Department is actually associating with the Yao Race.

Shen Moyan thought about many things in that moment.

The Three Examinations included many subjects: Legal Principles, Array Patterns, Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Artifact Refining... everything was there.

Ultimately, talents would be selected based on a Cultivator's aptitude in various fields, ensuring that those with specialized skills were not disadvantaged.

"And it's the 'Three Examinations,' which includes the Prefecture Level Examination."

"Deng Jinhua, a mere Deputy Director of the Merit Examination Department with a third profound rank office, shouldn't be able to access something this significant."

"There's someone behind him, or rather, a group..."

With the questions leaked, does the Yao Race intend to send its members to infiltrate the various departments of the Holy Court?

"'This year'... it seems the Yao Race's infiltration plan has been underway for a long time."

Pondering the conversation between Deng Jinhua and the other party, Shen Moyan found it hard to maintain his composure for a moment.

No wonder war broke out so suddenly in his previous life, quickly spreading across the entire Langya Prefecture.

Over many years, many Yao Race spies who infiltrated the Holy Court must have already attained high positions, able to stir up trouble in Langya Prefecture with every move.

Shen Moyan's mind raced. Gao Sheng, as the Commandery Governor, even had Wu Race Bloodline; it wasn't a coincidence.

No wonder many Directors of Kongsang Prefecture were absent when the great war broke out back then.

That they could flee was very likely because they had received word, or perhaps they were internal agents for the Yao Race themselves.

"If I can memorize these exam questions, then after I restart, I could disguise myself as Deng Jinhua and establish a connection with the Yao Race. Could I use that to seize the things that originally belonged to the group behind Deng Jinhua?" Shen Moyan was overjoyed.

Having stumbled upon such a secret, he could entirely use it for his own profit.

He could go to the Kongsang Prefecture Academy now, wait a few years, memorize all the questions after they are released, and then restart to impersonate Deng Jinhua and contact the Yao Race that had been waiting for a month.

"This is the natural advantage I have by possessing 'As I Have Written'."

Shen Moyan felt a surge of excitement.

For all these years, he had been focused solely on his Cultivation, his eyes fixed on the mountain peak, forgetting the scenery on the mountainside.

Pausing to rest occasionally would also be of great benefit to climbing the solitary peak of immortality.

Suddenly, Shen Moyan remembered that Jiang Zhiqiu hadn't become an Inspector yet; he would pass the Prefecture Level Examination next year.

Right now, Jiang Zhiqiu is probably still in Kongsang Prefecture preparing for the Prefecture Examination.

In this life, he had to build a good relationship with the Jiang Family.

After all, the Jiang Family possessed a Holy Court Gold Token and could unleash a devastating weapon like an Immortal Lord Dharma Idol.

"Paper Cutting to Form Humans can do these things on my behalf, so I don't have to do everything personally."

Having to do everything himself was undoubtedly too undignified for someone like Shen Moyan, who had long held a high position.

In the Great Qi Martial World, with a wave of his hand, any noble family or hero had to follow his will.

Even those young ladies of noble birth and top courtesans, whom the common folk could only admire from afar, were his to take as he pleased.

But in this world, he basically trusted no one.

In his previous life, City Lord Chu Sheng was cut down by Ni Gaoyuan and others who had been his subordinates for decades; the memory was still fresh, and he didn't want to become the next City Lord Chu Sheng.

"The prerequisites for successfully commanding Paper Cutting to Form Humans are suitable Materials and Six Senses Fireflies."

Shen Moyan reined in his thoughts, bringing his straying plans back on track.

Thus, he spent his time scouting around Night Moon Pool, using his Divine Sense to search for Six Senses Fireflies.

But three days passed, and he still found nothing.

"Could they not be near the pool?"

As sunset approached, Shen Moyan gazed at the distant Night Moon Pool, his thoughts wavering.

That Flood Dragon hadn't left the pool; diving deep into the water to investigate might carry the risk of being discovered.

After thinking for a long time, Shen Moyan prepared to utilize his advantage.

He still looked like a ten-year-old child.

As long as he suppressed his aura, no one below the Purple Mansion realm could see through his true state.

Thus, he disguised himself as a playful child, skipping toward Night Moon Pool and 'accidentally' falling into the water.

Within his Divine Sense, there were quite a few Mortals nearby, so the Flood Dragon likely wouldn't make any major moves.

Underwater, he tried to peer at the bottom of the pool, but what he saw gave him quite a shock.

The pool was bottomless and incredibly deep, with nothing but pitch black in his field of vision.

His Divine Sense was like a clay ox entering the sea; it sank three thousand meters and still couldn't touch the bottom. Instead, he felt a chill originating from ancient times creeping up along his Divine Sense.

"Night Moon Pool, a bottomless giant hole leading who knows where..."

Shen Moyan emerged from the water, gasping for air, filled with fear and uncertainty.

He suddenly remembered his experience in the Northern Wilderness of the Great Qi, searching for caves to build a shelter.

Upon the wild lands was a glacier, where there were many puddles of water everywhere.

At first glance, they were unremarkable.

Because the small pits were often only the size of a bowl's mouth, covered by a thin layer of fresh snow or transparent ice crystals, they appeared harmless.

But once you slipped, you would instantly be swallowed by absolute darkness and cold, with not even an echo returning to the surface, and your remains would never be found.

Because beneath the puddles lay bottomless abysses.

They were wounds in the ice cap, leading directly to the bottom of the glacier, hundreds or even thousands of meters deep.

The Night Moon Pool before him was so similar to those lethal glacial puddles in his memory!

They both used a humble or even ugly appearance to disguise the danger within, enough to cause one's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

The traps on the glacier swallowed the Physical Body, but this dark pool before him... Shen Moyan could clearly perceive that what emanated from the depths of Night Moon Pool was no longer just physical depth, but was mixed with a pure yet sinister fluctuation of Spiritual Qi, as if some ancient and powerful existence was being nurtured there.

"That Flood Dragon came from another sea region; there is likely an underground ocean here, and the pool leads to different waters."

Shen Moyan emerged from the water, soaked through, his ink-black long hair clinging to his temples and cheeks, with water droplets continuously falling along his jawline.

The contrast between the apparent smallness and the actual unfathomable depth made his heart tremble with awe.

As his thoughts expanded to the entire Shanhai Realm, he withdrew all contempt, and his gaze became deeper.