Chapter 316: Reality and Illusion

Chapter 316: Reality and Illusion

The term "scraping by on the streets" sounds polite, but to put it bluntly, he was just a street thug and scoundrel.

He had assumed his life would go on like this, but unexpectedly, one day he encountered someone on the street.

That person was dressed somewhat oddly, bundled up from head to toe, and from their demeanor, it was clear they were in a hurry.

Cao Ming, who had been hustling on the streets, was adept at all manner of scams and theft.

Spotting such a person, he quickly hatched a plan, knowing that people like this usually had urgent matters to attend to. Even if they lost something, by the time they noticed, they would have already gone far away.

By then, finding him would be extremely difficult.

So, he deliberately bumped into the person and took the money pouch from their waist.

He slipped into a dark alley, intending to check his spoils, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

"That person was a martial arts master. I thought I was doomed, but unexpectedly, they didn’t kill me.

"Instead, after observing me for a moment, they took me away.

"They told me that my bone structure was good, making me excellent material for martial arts.

"But my temperament was lacking, and without guidance, even if I gained martial skills, I would inevitably face disaster.

"At that point, my life was in their hands, and though I didn’t fully believe their words, I could only nod and agree, hoping to save my life.

"Seeing that I was obedient, they told me that they could offer me immense wealth.

"But for this wealth to last, I had to follow their instructions.

"If successful, I would become one of the most powerful figures in the entire southwest.

"I was skeptical, but I also felt that they had no reason to deceive me. With no other choice, I naturally agreed.

"For the next two years, they had me do one thing."

Cao Ming paused slightly here: "They had me imitate someone..."

"Who?"

Su Mo immediately asked.

Cao Ming frowned:

"Himself.

"They had me imitate his every move, his every word.

"It had to be done flawlessly, without the slightest hint of a flaw.

"During this process, I followed their guidance and continuously practiced both internal and external martial arts.

"...Internally, I practiced two martial arts: the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra and the Yixuan Divine Art.

"With the Yixuan Divine Art complementing it, the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra naturally progressed well.

"In just two short years, my martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds."

"As for the techniques of fists and palms, they were all techniques from Wusheng Hall. My progress was initially very slow.

"But as my internal strength improved, the external techniques gradually became more refined.

"Then... then one day, out of the blue, he invited me to drink.

"After some casual conversation, I suddenly felt a sudden dizziness, and the next moment, I completely lost consciousness.

"When I opened my eyes again, I felt intense pain on my face.

"When I reached up to touch, I found that my face was wrapped in layers of bandages.

"I wanted to remove them, but he suddenly appeared and told me that the wound should not be touched for at least ten to fifteen days.

"Otherwise, all previous efforts would be for nothing.

"I asked him what he had done to me, and he nonchalantly replied that he had just... given me a new face."

Upon hearing this, Su Mo raised an eyebrow in surprise. The method used by this Mr. Jun was not just a disguise, but actually performing surgery on someone's face?

Could his medical skills truly be so advanced?

Naturally, Cao Ming pressed for details about this matter.

Only then did Mr. Jun tell him that the great fortune he had promised was the position of the hall master of Wusheng Hall.

The surgery on his face today was to transform him into Wan Yutang.

The person he had been emulating for the past two years was also Wan Yutang.

Cao Ming was utterly stunned, thinking that the person standing before him was the real Wan Yutang.

But unexpectedly, the man shook his head.

At that time, he did not reveal his identity, only telling Cao Ming that if he wanted to obtain this great fortune, he must follow instructions without question.

If he did not want to become Wan Yutang and gain this great advantage, he only needed to say so, and he would let Cao Ming leave.

Although Cao Ming had been a street ruffian, it did not mean he was ignorant of how treacherous people could be.

Wherever human hearts lie, there is the jianghu.

This applies whether you are a street ruffian or a court official.

He knew that although the other party's words sounded pleasant, if he refused, he would be killed without a doubt.

So he had no option but to comply.

After the bandages on his face were removed, Cao Ming had a totally transformed look.

Only then did he realize that Wan Yutang's appearance partially resembled his own, about forty to fifty percent.

It was at this moment that he understood that when they met on the street that day, the other party was not only drawn to his potential but also to his face.

However, to become the hall master of Wusheng Hall, he also had to learn a few things.

For example, the real Wan Yutang had been locked away for a long time in the Endless Prison.

The Wan Yutang of the past two years was actually the disguise of that mysterious man.

This man had a daughter with Madam Wan, named Wan Yilan.

However, he never cared for this daughter or Madam Wan.

After disguising himself as Wan Yutang, he explicitly stated that Wan Yilan was of great use to him and must not be killed.

As for Madam Wan, he could do as he pleased.

As long as he could outwit her, he could do as he pleased.

Once the wounds on his face fully healed, he officially became the hall master of Wusheng Hall.

Over a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, up to this day.

However, his martial arts still differed from the real Wan Yutang's, so he spent most of his time in seclusion on the back mountain.

He wasn't trying to master some peerless martial arts; he simply didn't want his skills to be exposed.

Madam Wan, unwilling to remain idle, kept male companions and indulged in nightly revelries.

In the years that followed, Cao Ming, relying on his cunning, uncovered many things.

For example, he learned that Mr. Jun was named Jun Luo, and that Wan Yutang was imprisoned in the Endless Prison, a fact he only discovered later.

He had once considered venturing into the Endless Prison to investigate, but it was fraught with dangers and countless traps, where a single misstep could mean instant death.

So, he told Madam Wan about the entrance to the Endless Prison.

He wanted this woman to go in his place, but unfortunately... despite Madam Wan's obvious flaws, she was no less cautious than Cao Ming.

As a result, Madam Wan never dared to enter the Endless Prison in all these years.

With that, he had pretty much said everything that needed to be said, and some that didn't.

Su Mo, frowning, searched the man's face but couldn't find even the slightest trace of a scar.

After a moment of thought, he spoke:

"You said you've never been to the Endless Prison?

"But last night, you told Madam Wan that the old ghost imprisoned in the Endless Prison is now a pathetic wretch who would kneel and call someone 'grandpa' for a mere bun?"

"...I only said that to pressure her into going to the Endless Prison," Cao Ming hastily explained. "Although this woman has great ambitions, she never had a real marital relationship with the true Wan Yutang.

"Precisely because she couldn't have him, she wanted him even more.

"This has been her obsession for all these years."

Su Mo nodded slightly and continued:

"Last night, I overheard you and Madam Wan talking about you plotting something big, and you were afraid I'd find out. What was it?"

"That... wasn't me," Cao Ming quickly said. "It was... Mr. Jun.

"I don't know why, but he insisted on marrying Li Xuechun to Wan Yilan."

"And he made it my top priority to handle.

"...You should also understand that although I appear to be Wan Yutang, in charge of this region, in reality, this so-called Hall Master is nothing more than a pawn in Mr. Jun's hands.

"How could I dare to defy his commands?

"Not to mention that he holds the truth of my identity, I am also poisoned by him. If he doesn't want me to live, I could be dead in an instant.

"This is also why, when you first asked me, I insisted on not saying anything.

"Because the poison causes extreme pain. Once it takes effect, the blood vessels dry out, and the person is tormented to the point of resembling neither human nor ghost."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"But I didn't expect... Chief Escort Su's methods to go far beyond that..."

No matter how cruel the poison, at least it kills.

Su Mo's Painful Mantra, however, only causes suffering, as Master Red Cloud cannot bear to kill, believing in the virtue of sparing life.

Compared to this pain, any poison seems mild.

"Hmm... How did you come across Wan Zangxin?"

"It was last night."

Cao Ming immediately replied: "However, it wasn't me who discovered him, but the people from the Dark Hall.

"The back mountain is a key area set up by Mr. Jun, complete with formations and numerous Dark Hall personnel.

"Without knowing the specifics, anyone who rashly enters will be immediately detected by the Dark Hall.

"Before that, the back mountain had been searched multiple times, but the intruder's identity was never uncovered.

"Last night, Wan Zangxin, distracted for some reason, wandered to the back mountain, alerting the Dark Hall's martial arts masters.

"They informed me, so I went to capture Wan Zangxin... I didn't expect that, despite his youth, his martial arts were truly profound.

"If it weren't for Mr. Jun's intervention, capturing him would have alarmed many people.

"After that, Mr. Jun took Wan Zangxin away, saying he would be sent to the Endless Prison."

"Hmm, why?"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow slightly: "Why not just kill him to silence him?"

"This... I really don't know."

Cao Ming could only say: "Mr. Jun's actions are mysterious and unpredictable, like a dragon that reveals its head but hides its tail. What his goals are, what he intends to do—over the years, I haven't been able to uncover anything...

"I don't even know his usual hiding place.

"But I suspect he's hiding in the Endless Prison...

"By the way, there's one more thing. Mr. Jun seems particularly keen on exploring the ruins of Da Xuan.

"Over the years, he has repeatedly led the Dark Hall's martial arts masters to investigate, but each time he returns, his expression is grim."

With this, the conversation was pretty much over.

After a brief pause, Su Mo inquired further about the Endless Prison.

He learned that Xiao Feng was right; the Endless Prison actually had many entrances.

But Cao Ming didn't know all of them. According to both Xiao Feng and Cao Ming, the entrances to the Endless Prison could be scattered all over Wusheng Hall.

But each entrance was very well-hidden, often in unexpected places.

After getting more details, Su Mo suddenly pointed and knocked Cao Ming out.

He then glanced at Bei Zhangzhi, who was completely stunned.

From Cao Ming's words, he realized something big had happened in Wusheng Hall.

And the hall master who had once favored him had been replaced long ago.

The real hall master was suffering, the one who favored him was Jun Luo, and the fake impostor had taken over for years.

No wonder Wusheng Hall was in chaos, yet he hadn't done anything.

For a moment, Su Mo felt completely lost, unsure what to do.

Su Mo shook his head and tapped Bei Zhangzhi.

After asking Ji Feiyang to watch these two closely, everyone left the secret chamber and went back upstairs.

Before they could sit, Swordsman Qilin spoke first.

"Can we believe this guy?"

"Whether it's true or not, we can find clues by investigating."

Yu Lingxin then said, "I'll head to Minghu County tonight to check it out. If he's lying, his true identity will be obvious. Now that we have him, he won't escape."

Su Mo glanced at her and nodded slightly.

"Miss Yu is right, but we can hold off on this for now."

"Take a look, everyone."

He pulled out two things from his pocket.

The first was the blueprint of the Endless Prison he had taken from Madam Wan's secret room last night.

The other was the Heavenly Craft Compendium obtained from the Hidden Sword Hermit.

He opened the Heavenly Craft Compendium and compared it to the Endless Prison blueprint.

Seeing this, everyone was shocked.

Yang Yizhi frowned deeply: "This seems to be the same thing?"

"Exactly."

Su Mo nodded: "Last night, this blueprint looked familiar to me. Just now, when Bei Zhangzhi mentioned the Heavenly Palace Record and the Protective Palace Record, I understood.

"It's not the Heavenly Palace Record, nor the Protective Palace Record, but the Heavenly Craft Compendium.

"They discovered a half-page fragment from the Da Xuan ruins, and what was recorded on it was precisely this Endless Prison."

"But unfortunately, only half of it is genuine; the other half is a shoddy addition."

"So, for others, the Endless Prison is extremely perilous, but for us, it's a walk in the park?"

Yang Yizhi immediately laughed: "Su Mo, where did you get this Heavenly Craft Compendium?"

"This is a long story, Uncle Yang. I’ll fill you in later."

Su Mo put away these two items and then said:

"I found this in Madam Wan's hidden chamber. Cao Ming may not be aware, but although Madam Wan is cautious, she has already started investigating the Endless Prison.

"With her great ambition, she would never ignore the Endless Prison.

"Perhaps she held off because the timing wasn't right."

At this point, he paused:

"In all of Wusheng Hall, one of the best hiding places is the Endless Prison.

"Now, there’s no time to waste. I’ll head there right away."

"We’ll come with you!"

Yang Yizhi and the others spoke almost simultaneously.

Su Mo glanced at the swordsman and his companions, hesitated slightly, and said:

"These two individuals are of great importance. If our assumptions are wrong, Cao Ming might not be Cao Ming, and Mr. Jun could be a figment of our imagination.

"At this point, we can't afford any mistakes...

"So, Uncle Yang, you should stay here.

"Madam Wan may still be after Wan Yutang’s legacy. If she really searches here, Hall Master Xing will be the best cover.

"The Endless Prison... Yang Xiaoyun and I will handle it."

This...

Yang Yizhi hesitated, frowned deeply, but after a final glance at Su Mo, he nodded gently:

"Alright, your wits and skills have already surpassed mine.

"If trouble arises, I believe that with just the two of you, you can protect Yun'er."

"Dad… why would I need Su Mo’s protection? Otherwise, wouldn’t that just cause him trouble?"

Yang Yizhi chuckled, nodding with relief: "Good, my Yun'er is a natural fighter.

"Then you two go ahead, be quick. It's time to wrap things up in Wusheng Hall."

Su Mo nodded: "Yes."

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun nodded simultaneously, then exited the premises.

Time was of the essence. Today, Madam Wan's scheme had just come to fruition, and no one knew what she might do tonight.

To avoid any risks, the faster they acted, the better.

Su Mo took Yang Xiaoyun by the hand, and in the blink of an eye, they had left the town.

As they sprinted toward Wusheng Hall, Su Mo stopped abruptly.

Yang Xiaoyun's ears perked up, and she glanced at Su Mo:

"Is there a fight?"

Su Mo nodded.

This was Wusheng Hall's territory, near the sect's main gate. Who could be fighting here?

Immediately, he dragged Yang Xiaoyun toward the source of the noise. In no time, they saw several figures trading blows and sword slashes, locked in a fierce battle.

The one holding his ground in the night was none other than Xiao Feng!

He was facing two opponents.

One of them was the Tenth Hall Master, Deng Fengbai, and the other was the Eleventh Hall Master, Lai Wenxiu.

However, at this moment, these two individuals had abandoned all pretense of dignity as Hall Masters.

Every move was ruthless, every strike lethal, with fists and palms targeting vital points on Xiao Feng's chest and abdomen.

Suddenly, Xiao Feng drew and sheathed his saber in one swift motion.

In an instant, the blade gleamed like lightning, and a sharp blade aura surged forth, sweeping horizontally across the battlefield.

Su Mo's eyes widened in recognition, recognizing that this move was derived from the Great Blaze Divine Saber.

It resembled the third strike of Hu Sandao's technique, which had the power to cut through a thousand soldiers.

However, Xiao Feng had only seen Xiao Xiong training in this technique in the past. Before he succeeded as the Second Hall Master, he had not been able to learn this skill.

Now, having created his own Guicang Blade technique, he had incorporated the "form" of this move and enhanced it.

Compared to the original saber technique, its power had become even more profound.

Faced with such a strike, Deng Fengbai and Lai Wenxiu opted to retreat, perching on tree trunks.

Lai Wenxiu laughed heartily:

"What a Great Blaze Divine Saber! Too bad it's just a cheap knockoff."

Deng Fengbai sneered:

"Cut the chatter. Kill him quickly so we can report back."

"Report back?" Xiao Feng paused, silent. "Both of you are my seniors. Today, you suddenly join forces to kill me. Who ordered this?

"What did I do to deserve this?"