It's forged?

Yin Weiyin flipped it back and forth, but it never felt right.

The sound of knocking interrupted her thoughts from outside the door.

"Lady Die, are you ready yet?"

Yin Weiyin's gaze sharpened. She didn't have time to think further and tucked the token into her chest. Then, with one hand, she pressed against the Trance Butterfly, while the other pinched her throat.

"Ready, I'll come out now."

The voice belonged unmistakably to the Trance Butterfly.

Yin Weiyin raised a hand and brushed her face, and the hazy gleam of the Illusion Technique swept over her, cloaking her original appearance. To others, she now looked exactly like the Trance Butterfly.

It was time for her to meet Chen Yi.

"I wonder if my current Illusion Technique will fool him," Yin Weiyin muttered inwardly.

She walked slowly out of the private room, pushed open the door, and saw the Huang brothers waiting outside.

Huang the elder bent over obsequiously and said, "Master Zhao is already urging us."

"Alright." Yin Weiyin dared not say too much, lest she expose herself.

She was about to leave, but Huang the elder stepped forward, blocking her way.

Yin Weiyin tensed momentarily but quickly relaxed as she observed his demeanor.

Huang the elder pointed inside the room. "Lady Die, can I grab one to play with?"

Yin Weiyin pondered quickly. If she allowed him inside, he might notice something odd, and Illusion Technique was her only weapon here. However, illusions required some physical basis; conjuring them from thin air would undoubtedly reveal the trick.

But would she really have to pull out a prostitute to appease this man?

Wouldn't that make her an old madam running a brothel?

"Woof, woof."

Just as she was thinking, the sound of a dog barking echoed down the corridor.

Yin Weiyin's eyes flicked to the side. She smirked slightly, something almost… mischievous.

...............

Elsewhere.

After the banquet, Chen Yi, Lu Ying, and Jiang Shangli were escorted to a private room.

Chen Yi did a brief inspection, tapping the walls and feeling the screen panels to ensure the room was safe—no guards posted, no one eavesdropping.

Then, he turned his gaze to Jiang Shangli.

County Magistrate Jiang shivered slightly but acted unbothered. He sat at the tea table and began grinding tea leaves as though nothing was wrong.

Chen Yi spoke, "County Magistrate Jiang, this isn't quite what you promised us earlier, is it?"

This Lonely Smoke Sword is still putting on a show, huh… Jiang Shangli pretended to act dumb and asked, "What's not the same?"

"Some things aren't matching up."

"Didn't I bring you to this Clear Wind Pavilion? If not for me, Young Master Long would still be blind and fumbling around."

Jiang Shangli spoke casually as he poured the ground tea leaves into the bowl, preparing the brew. The boiling water poured in from up high, striking the tea soup and creating intricate ripples.

"Young Master Long, don't dismiss the intention of a well-meaning man."

Whoosh!

Before his words had fully landed, Chen Yi suddenly lunged forward. His energy condensed into his arm, striking out with a palm aimed directly at Jiang Shangli's face!

Jiang Shangli's eyes flashed with a sharp brilliance, a fierce expression rising instantly as the rushing wind stirred his hair. He slightly tilted his head without advancing or retreating. With one elbow raised, he intercepted Chen Yi's arm directly.

Chen Yi's body twisted mid-motion, instantly switching techniques. His transformed elbow sought a hard collision with Jiang Shangli's raised arm. Jiang Shangli finally stepped back—but only by half a step. The two elbows missed by three inches, but Chen Yi switched again in an instant, feinting like a false stab, then extended his fingers like a sword, thrusting straight towards Jiang Shangli's throat!

Jiang Shangli moved his other hand. The tea scoop in his hand turned into a sword, releasing an energy burst that sent his robes billowing. He raised his hand high, and the edge of the tea scoop collided with Chen Yi's extended fingers. All forty-eight wooden slats of the scoop shattered instantly.

The two stepped back simultaneously.

"A County Magistrate with such deep Martial Arts skills."

Jiang Shangli smiled faintly. "My role as County Magistrate isn't just an embroidered beast on silk robes."

"Oh, then I suppose you're an actual beast in tailored clothing."

"Say what you will."

Jiang Shangli twisted the fractured tea scoop and said,

"If I had chosen to team up with Zhao Yan to kill you back then, you wouldn't have walked out alive."

Chen Yi remained silent, his head slightly lowered, as though he was reflecting.

Jiang Shangli's cold smile stretched further. As he prepared to resume making tea, one of the jade buttons near his collar suddenly slipped loose, falling into the boiling tea with a soft splash.

This deeply hidden County Magistrate narrowed his eyes slightly but remained calm, finishing the tea preparation without flinching.

Then, holding the teacup in both hands, he turned to Chen Yi with a smile.

"Here. A cup of tea for Young Master Long, my gesture of apology."

Chen Yi did not take the tea.

"If no offense was committed, why apologize?"

"Even if there was offense, national interests must come first above all." Jiang Shangli said slowly, "I trust Young Master Long. As long as you walk out of this room today, Lifeng Pavilion won't live to see tomorrow's sunrise."

Chen Yi thought it over briefly. Coming to the Clear Wind Pavilion at Jiang Shangli's invitation, he had been prepared for a trap all along and knew success wouldn't come in one attempt.

Zhao Yan's Martial Arts weren't weak, likely stuck at the bottleneck between fourth and fifth grades. Meanwhile, the Clear Wind Pavilion housed many skilled assassins. Chen Yi was confident he could take them all down single-handedly, but protecting Lu Ying at the same time was another matter entirely.

In such a situation, he couldn't trust his odds, especially with Jiang Shangli standing before him.

As for leaving Lu Ying at the inn, Chen Yi was concerned about her safety there alone. Even with Zhou Yitang's Sword Intent, it wasn't a cure-all. If any openings were exposed, disaster could strike.

Given all that, their only option was to break the stalemate from within.

The current scenario was nothing short of precarious.

Zhao Yan suspected he had already allied with Jiang Shangli, while Jiang Shangli suspected he had schemed together with Zhao Yan. Both sides were playing pretend, and he was positioned as a double agent.

Chen Yi smiled and said, "Shall we talk, then?"

Jiang Shangli responded, "Let's talk."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.