The middle-aged scholar approached with an angry expression, seemingly ready to question Wu Wang.

Lin Qi stood up beside him, hands clasped behind his back. Although his cultivation realm was not as high as the middle-aged scholar's, his aura did not falter in the least.

Lin Qi raised his head slightly, his voice cold and distant, "So what if my teacher is dissatisfied with what you have written?"

Wu Wang almost laughed out loud.

This guy is just too arrogant.

Under other circumstances, Wu Wang would let Lin Qi go on the offensive as he pleased—after all, Lin Qi was the Lin Family's Young Master and the bearer of the Yan Emperor's command, a master of confrontation. Even if the situation were to escalate, Wu Wang could find someone to smooth things over.

But at this moment, Wu Wang was trying to get close to the middle-aged scholar to probe his background, so it was necessary for Lin Qi to endure some temporary grievances.

"Lin Qi, please take a seat," Wu Wang said.

"Yes, Teacher," Lin Qi responded softly and returned to his seat to meditate cross-legged.

The middle-aged scholar, however, was stopped by Lin Qi's shout and now lost his earlier aggression. Surrounded by watchful eyes, he seemed unable to advance or retreat.

Wu Wang cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Please forgive me, Senior. My words earlier were careless. They were directed at this fellow, not at you, Senior."

Yang Wudi immediately rose to his feet and gave the middle-aged scholar a sly grin.

The man instinctively stepped back two paces, then with a cold huff and a flick of his sleeve, returned to his own seat.

Wu Wang glanced at Yang Wudi, who immediately suppressed his smile and looked critically at the middle-aged scholar.

As the gazes around them dispersed, Wu Wang sat back at the low table, took the book in his hands, and began to read carefully, soon discovering...

This fiend actually possesses such literary talent?

Wu Wang found a detailed introduction to the middle-aged scholar within the book's pages.

Ji Mo also noticed something and, after finding out the man's "background," returned to Wu Wang and explained in detail.

This person called himself Daoist Wancai and had cultivated for nearly six thousand years. He loved poetry and roamed the great rivers and mountains of the Human Domain. In recent years, the miscellaneous stories he wrote had spread far and wide. He once mocked himself with the lines, "Three hundred poems, no one asks; three idle pieces, known throughout the world." When discussing the Dao with others, he never spoke of cultivation methods but instead explored the pleasures of brush and ink.

"Interesting," Wu Wang mused, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

Ji Mo voiced his confusion, "What is it?"

"Nothing much, I'm just a bit curious about this Senior," Wu Wang replied as he took out a Jade Talisman, inscribed a few lines into it, and handed it to Ji Mo. Their cultivation realms were too low, making it easy for others to overhear if they used voice transmission; the Jade Talisman had several layers of restrictive enchantments around it.

Wu Wang had been thinking of playing the long game to catch a big fish, but after analyzing the information he already possessed, he realized... this middle-aged scholar might very well be the big fish.

Why bother with a long line then? It's time to use the harpoon.

Ji Mo held the Jade Talisman and glanced at it, his expression unchanged. He casually pocketed the talisman and said with a smile, "Isn't the Sect Master going to chat with the Seniors?"

Wu Wang responded with a smile but shook his head, "You know I don't really like dealing with people."

"You're missing out on so much fun," Ji Mo said, a hint of regret in his voice.

After bantering with Wu Wang a bit more, Ji Mo picked up his wine cup and stood up again, this time without asking Zhang Moshan to accompany him.

Soon after, an Elder from the Xuan Nu Sect appeared. She seemed to be a relative of Ji Mo's, as he called her "Aunt." This aunt took Ji Mo to another place, and they naturally left the main hall.

Truth be told, Ji Mo's acting skills were indeed impressive; he must have become quite accustomed to putting on an act as the occasion demanded.

In the Jade Talisman, Wu Wang had only written a few rough steps on how to convince the Xuan Nu Sect to set a trap. Everything else was left to Ji Mo's improvisation.

The encounter with someone from the Ten Evils Hall at the Xuan Nu Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony seemed coincidental but possessed a certain inevitability. The Young Master's earliest contact with the Ten Evils Hall had involved Wang Lin and that old woman; their presence alone illustrated the depth of the Ten Evils Hall's infiltration into the forces of the Human Domain.

Every so often, each Sect would open its doors to accept new disciples. Since they generally lacked the means to discern the true nature of Divine Souls, it was all too easy for spies of the Ten Evils Hall to infiltrate. The most troublesome spies were not these fiends with the bloodline of Evil Gods, but rather those ordinary members of the Human race who had turned to the Ten Evils Hall and bore no distinguishing 'mark.'

Therefore, when Wu Wang first noticed something off about the middle-aged scholar, he subconsciously regarded him as a guest sent by some other Sect to observe the ceremony.

It never crossed his mind that this fiend from the Ten Evils Hall, under the guise of a renowned itinerant cultivator, could also have such a side business—writing 'biographies oriented towards female characters' that became popular throughout the Human Domain, leading to an invitation from the Xuan Nu Sect to observe their ceremony.

「A moment later」

Ling Xiaolan floated back gracefully and went straight to Wu Wang, whispering, "Brother Wuwang, my master wishes to see you."

As she spoke, a blush crossed her face, but it went unnoticed by others due to the veil covering it.

Wu Wang stood up and smiled, "Wait here for me for a moment. I'll be right back."

The two Elders smiled knowingly, and Lin Qi also offered a warm smile. They all watched as Wu Wang and Fairy Ling left together. Laughter and conversation slowly spread within the hall.

Once outside the hall, a Lotus Platform bloomed beneath Fairy Ling's feet. She moved aside, offering Wu Wang half the space. However, the Lotus Platform was not spacious, and standing on it together would inevitably lead to physical contact.

Wu Wang nonchalantly took out that dazzling mined Longsword, stepped onto it, enveloped his feet with layers of Mana, and they both rose into the air. The brilliance of the sword was so intense that it made many Immortals in the great hall's eyes sting, accompanied by the sounds of jade and porcelain shattering. Faintly, they could hear people muttering things like "wasteful," "squandering heavenly treasures," "unworthy of being human," and so on.

... Wu Wang thought. You get used to it after seeing it so much.

After traveling several hundred zhang, they entered a bamboo forest, with Ling Xiaolan leading Wu Wang quickly towards a bamboo house.

Just as they entered the Formation near the bamboo house, Ling Xiaolan immediately frowned.

"Are you sure? Is that Daoist Wancai really a person from the Ten Evils Hall?"

"Yes, I'm about ninety percent sure," replied Wu Wang. "Even if he isn't from the Ten Evils Hall, he carries the blood of an Evil God."

"What a pity," Ling Xiaolan shook her head slightly. "I quite liked the stories he wrote."

Wu Wang smiled. "You read them too, Fairy?"

"Yes, I borrowed them from my senior sister. Cultivation can sometimes be quite monotonous," Ling Xiaolan spoke softly, already standing before the wooden door. "My master and several grandmasters are waiting for you here. The infiltration of a spy from the Ten Evils Hall into the Xuan Nu Sect is a matter of grave concern. You'll need to explain properly. Follow me."

Ling Xiaolan pushed open the door to the bamboo house. Apart from Ji Mo sitting in the corner, seven elderly women and matrons were also present. They all looked up at Wu Wang, most of them displaying warm smiles. Only Ling Xiaolan's master, whom Wu Wang had met once before, regarded him with a gaze full of scrutiny.

「An hour later.」

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the bamboo shadows swayed.

Ling Xiaolan and two of her senior martial sisters led the way. The scholar-like Daoist Wancai, stroking his beard, followed behind, slowly coming to a stop outside the bamboo forest.

A Barrier appeared ahead, and Daoist Wancai ceased his advance, smiling as he inquired, "Saintess Ling, didn't you say a few fellow Daoists wished to meet me? Why have we come to such a secluded place, with a Formation ahead?"

Ling Xiaolan turned around, blinked gently at Daoist Wancai, and transmitted her voice, "This matter obviously cannot be made public. One of my grandmasters wishes to invite you for a cup of tea to discuss poetry and literature.

"I implore you, Senior, to keep this visit confidential, as it concerns my grandmaster's reputation."

"Oh?" Daoist Wancai let out a light chuckle, his expression devoid of any flaws, seemingly filled with anticipation. He said, "If it is an Elder of the Xuan Nu Sect, then she is certainly no superficial pursuer of elegance. A kindred spirit is hard to find, truly hard to find. Please, Saintess, lead the way!"

"Please, Senior. We shall wait here," Ling Xiaolan said with a smile, then opened a gateway in the Barrier.

With his hands behind his back, Daoist Wancai calmly walked past Ling Xiaolan and, without much hesitation, entered the Barrier. Ling Xiaolan sealed the Barrier and stood quietly with two other Xuan Nu Sect disciples, showing no sign of anything unusual.

A light mist drifted through the bamboo forest, adorned with starlight and the murmur of a stream. Suddenly, the tinkling sound of a qin drifted over, leading Daoist Wancai to walk slowly toward a pavilion.

Daoist Wancai stroked his beard with a smile. Although he had yet to see a single person, he could not help but admire, "The scenery here is indeed pleasant."

Suddenly, a clear, bright male voice came from the side, "Wouldn't the Senior like to compose a poem?"

A male voice? Daoist Wancai frowned and turned towards the sound, only to see Wu Wang's figure stepping out from behind a stone pillar.

"You?" Daoist Wancai showed a hint of disappointment, smiling wryly as he said, "Could it be that Sect Master Wuwang, because I, this humble Daoist, offended you earlier in the great hall, is dissatisfied and had Fairy Ling bring me here to teach me a lesson?

"This is the Xuan Nu Sect. Even if Sect Master Wuwang's influence reaches the heavens, you should restrain yourself here."

... Wu Wang thought.

"Senior, let's not beat around the bush," Wu Wang said. "Now that it's come to this, why still put on airs?"

"I don't understand what you mean," Daoist Wancai said, hands behind his back and chest puffed out, speaking loudly. "I have always conducted myself with integrity and uprightness. My actions are always clear and aboveboard, and I have friends in many places.

"If Sect Master Wuwang has a personal grudge against me, just come at me directly. There's no need for circumlocutions; that would only lower my opinion of you."

Wu Wang feigned surprise. "Could it be that I misunderstood? Senior, you're not from the Ten Evils Hall?"

"Ten Evils Hall?" Daoist Wancai looked as if he had heard something utterly ludicrous, nearly bursting into laughter. "How could I be a spy for the Ten Evils Hall?

"Sect Master Wuwang, you truly are trying to fabricate a charge against me! I, Daoist Wancai, write books and share knowledge; I travel the world with a scholarly heart free from any misdeeds!"

"Is that so?" Wu Wang swept his palm over the stone table in front of him, upon which two golden jade wine goblets appeared. "Since that's the case, I invite you, Senior, to come over and choose one cup to drink. I can tell you plainly, Senior, that I have placed two drops of... Evil God blood in these, taken from the fiends of the Ten Evils Hall."

As soon as the words "Evil God blood" were spoken, the smile on Daoist Wancai's face instantly stiffened.

Almost immediately, oppressive auras rose from various places in the forest, and more than a dozen Xuan Nu Sect masters locked their presence onto Daoist Wancai.

He looked down slightly, his expression uncertain, the light in his eyes trembling.

Soon after, Daoist Wancai forced a cold smile and spoke in a low tone, "I'd like to ask, how did I give myself away?"

Wu Wang was just about to speak, to try to break the man's mental defenses.

Suddenly, Daoist Wancai's expression changed again. His body trembled, eyes filled with panic, and he muttered incessantly, "What do I do? How could I be exposed? How could I have been exposed?"

Then Daoist Wancai sternly snapped in a cold voice, "Shut up!"

And then, in a trembling voice, he continued, "But we really have no connection with the Ten Evils Hall. If we explain properly to them, they will give us a way out."

"I told you to shut up!" Daoist Wancai suddenly raised his left hand to grasp his own throat, then his right hand seized his left wrist, forcefully prying it open. "You, I, and them—there can be no coexistence!"

"Umm, fellow Daoists..." Wu Wang raised his hand to call out.

Daoist Wancai abruptly looked up, his body emitting two voices simultaneously, one furious, the other pleading, "Who exactly are you? How did you see through my identity! Please, can you spare me?"

Wu Wang immediately said, "Elders, please restrain him first! We must interrogate him quickly!"

Daoist Wancai's eyes flashed sharply, one side of his face snarling, the other sorrowful. His aura abruptly intensified, and he rushed straight toward Wu Wang.

Sword light flashed; a middle-aged swordswoman appeared by Wu Wang's side, her Longsword shimmering with wave-like brilliance as Daoist Wancai's arm was hurled into the air. Several beams of white light shot out, and the Heaven and Earth in the vicinity almost instantly solidified.

Although Daoist Wancai's power had surged to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, the many concealed Xuan Nu Sect experts nearby were almost all superior to him in cultivation, and they effortlessly subdued him.

Wu Wang picked up one of the wine goblets before him and took a sip.

A nun—no, a venerable Fairy Immortal called out, "Isn't that wine..."

"Ah," Wu Wang downed the wine in one gulp and laughed. "Just a bluff."

The blood of an Evil God was so precious; how could he have any leftover? He had used it all up long ago. What had just transpired was nothing more than him mimicking the Divine Power fluctuations of the Evil God's blood with his own aura, which for him was all too simple.

Several figures remained hidden in the woods; these were the Xuan Nu Sect Seniors who had just been in the bamboo house with Wu Wang discussing how to catch the culprit. They arrived at the pavilion, and Ling Xiaolan also flew in quickly from outside the Barrier.

Daoist Wancai, bound by several Immortal Ropes and his Primordial Spirit immobilized by several mist-shrouded nails, alternated between a dazed expression and a cold countenance.

"Elders, let's question him on the spot," Wu Wang urged.

"Good."

An elderly crone leaning on a snake-headed wooden staff approached Daoist Wancai and said coldly, "You treacherous scoundrel! You infuriate this old woman to no end!"

"Hah," Daoist Wancai sneered but ignored her completely.

Ling Xiaolan's master approached with a stern face and said, "Let me do it."

The crone huffed and walked away with her cane. Ling Xiaolan's master, looking down from her superior position at Daoist Wancai, suddenly kicked out. Her toe accurately struck his chin, sending him flying. Then, she effortlessly pulled him back with the Immortal Rope and kicked him in the face again, as if he were a ball.

Soon, this Daoist nun grabbed a sheathed Longsword and relentlessly beat Daoist Wancai about the head and face, creating a rather bloody scene.

Wu Wang opened his mouth to speak several times but, frightened, swallowed his words back down.

「Finally, an hour later,」

Daoist Wancai lay gasping on the pavilion floor, his facial features no longer discernible.

PHEW. Ling Xiaolan's master exhaled softly, tossing the blood-stained Scabbard aside. As if remembering something, she turned and asked, "Right, what were we supposed to ask him?"

GULP. Wu Wang swallowed, his throat trembling slightly.

He suddenly understood why Fairy Ling had once said that she 'knew a little' and 'wasn't particularly skilled.' The standard for comparison was utterly appalling!

"Ask him about matters related to the Ten Evils Hall."

Ling Xiaolan's master nodded slightly, looking at the figure on the ground with a hint of regret. "Then let me interrogate him again."

"No! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! You shut up... Let ME talk!"

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