342: Imposters now

[Fang Chen had no choice but to sit down with a cold Face: "Read my fortune, how should this illness be treated?"]

[You looked at him with a grin: "There's no need to calculate this, just cut it off."]

[He stood up abruptly, staring at you, his teeth grinding audibly.]

[But soon, he took another deep breath and forced himself to remain calm: "Great Master Qin, I believe we have never met before, nor have I ever offended you. Why are you making things difficult for me?"]

[You shook your head and smiled:]

["Little Fang, don't overthink it."]

["My fortune-telling stall has its own rules... Since I've performed the reading, I will point out a clear path."]

["Otherwise, wouldn't I be ruining my own reputation?"]

["Great... Master... Qin..." Fang Chen enunciated each word, his voice as cold as ice shards,]

["My grandfather, Fang Yanbo, is an Elder of the Fengyun Pavilion. Are you really not going to give me any Face at all?"]

["Heh," you chuckled softly, "My woman is Cheng Rongrong. Do I really need to give you Face?"]

[As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell into a sudden, deathly silence, as if even the air had frozen.]

[Fang Chen's pupils shrank violently as he glared at you, his teeth grinding audibly:]

["You... what nonsense are you talking about?! Cheng Rongrong is the Prodigy of Fengyun Pavilion. How could she possibly be your woman?!"]

["Oh, just good luck, I suppose," you said casually, "I married into the Cheng Family."]

[You didn't care about the words "marrying into the family" at all.]

[You were naturally wild and untamed, acting only according to your own whims; why would you care what others thought?]

[Moreover, saying you had married into the family made it easier for people to believe.]

[If you said you had taken Cheng Rongrong as your wife, no one would likely believe it—unless you revealed your true identity.]

[Seeing how calmly you spoke, Fang Chen actually believed it a bit more.]

[No wonder... you were fortune-telling in Wangyue Tower.]

[As soon as this thought surfaced, the suppressed rage in his chest could no longer be controlled.]

[He had liked Cheng Rongrong back then, but after she entered the Fengyun Pavilion, the disparity in their status became too great, and he was forced to give up.]

[Later, he focused solely on pursuing cultivation. After taking a spirit awakening pill to awaken his Spiritual Root, he relied on his family background to scour for spiritual materials and Medicinal Pills everywhere, reaching a point of near-obsession.]

[Your words, however, were like a fire that violently ignited the obsession buried deep in his heart.]

[That sense of unwillingness and jealousy boiled in his Bloodline like venom.]

[He stared at you intensely, his eyes widening as if they might split open.]

[From childhood to adulthood, when had he ever suffered such frustration as in these recent years?]

[Since the Tianhuang Continent began cultivation, his originally high-and-mighty status had undergone a massive change.]

[He even felt that he was inferior to some of the Genius Disciples in the Sects.]

[However, no matter how hard he worked, his current cultivation was only at the Late Stage of Qi Refining.]

[He watched as he had already reached middle age.]

[If he had focused on the Martial Dao back then, he probably would have more strength than this.]

[The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.]

[Suddenly—]

["Pfft!"]

[A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, actually fainting from pure rage.]

["Master!!"]

["Young Master—!!"]

[The accompanying guards hurriedly rushed forward, frantically picking him up and rushing out the door in a panic.]

[You watched as Fang Chen was carried away, your heart as calm as water.]

[Fang Chen's incident didn't cause much of a stir in the hall.]

[People seeking fortunes still came in an endless stream, and the long line remained like a Dragon, stretching from Wangyue Tower all the way to the next street.]

[As evening approached—]

[Your expression suddenly tightened!]

[Your Divine Sense detected a Cultivator at the Late Golden Core Stage, wearing a dharma robe that concealed his aura and a black mask, quietly appearing at the Wu Residence.]

[With his concealment methods, unless a Nascent Soul Cultivator was personally present, no one would be able to accurately judge the depth of his cultivation.]

[But on this Tianhuang Continent, besides Chen Yuanyuan... there shouldn't be a second Nascent Soul Cultivator.]

[Because your sister Qin Yu was still in seclusion at the academy and wasn't here.]

[One could only say his luck was truly bad—]

[In this Imperial City, you happened to be presiding.]

[You already had a general idea of why he appeared at the Wu Residence—]

[This person was most likely the fellow who was impersonating your identity.]

[You immediately packed up your fortune-telling stall and returned to your wing room amidst sounds of regret.]

[As for the person you were watching, after seeing that line of eye-catching blood-red words at the Wu Residence, his body shook violently.]

[Without hesitation, he flipped his hand to activate an "light evasion talisman"—]

[The Talisman exploded, turning into a ball of blazing light that enveloped his entire body, then streaked through the air like a meteor, escaping a hundred miles outside the city in the blink of an eye.]

[He looked back toward the Imperial City and breathed a sigh of relief, his tone carrying a hint of mockery:]

["Heh... it seems the people of Fengyun Pavilion are nothing special, actually carving words on the ground so obviously."]

[But soon, he spoke to himself with a trace of melancholy and conflict:]

["Wait, why did they have to carve the words on the ground?"]

["Don't they want to know who exactly is the impostor?"]

["Can those people from Fengyun Pavilion actually find me?"]

[However, he didn't notice at all—you were already standing quietly behind him.]

[After all, this was a mere hundred miles away; given your cultivation, his escape was simply a joke.]

["You're right, I also think the way the Fengyun Pavilion people handle things... could be improved," you said indifferently.]

[Your sudden voice gave him a huge fright, and he couldn't help but shiver all over.]

[He hurriedly turned around and, seeing it was you, his eyes were filled with terror.]

["You... how did you appear?"]

[You didn't answer immediately, but looked at him seriously.]

[The feeling he gave you was very strange, like a mysterious sense of familiarity.]

[Although he wore a mask to hide his aura, it was completely useless against you.]

[You checked his bone age; he was not yet thirty years old.]

[Even if you had seen him before, it was likely over twenty years ago, when he was probably only a few years old.]

[Now that he's grown up and his appearance has changed, it's quite normal.]

[What made you even more curious was that the "Spotless Sword Body" inside you actually emitted a faint hum.]

[You were certain that this effect only appeared when you were near him.]

[This feeling was very subtle; if one didn't sense it carefully, it would be hard to detect.]

[This made you extremely curious.]

["What is your name? Why are you impersonating the Sect Master of Fengyun Pavilion?" you asked directly.]

["If you want to know who I am, first see if you have the ability!" His voice was both expectant and excited.]

[As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and a pitch-black Magic Treasure short sword shot toward you.]

[To his great shock—]

[This Lifebound Treasure, which had always been invincible for him, actually stopped in front of you, as if blocked by an invisible wall, unable to advance even a fraction.]