Yang Quding agreed wholeheartedly. "How could they know about our … miraculous abilities?"
Even under such circumstances, Yang Quding still remained cautious and did not elaborate.
However, this conversation was not a riddle for Lin Shanye, who knew each other well. So, it was not a big problem.
"Ahem …" Lin Shanye coughed again. "Zhishou Tower, seeing that they can't pry open our mouths, is prepared to use soul-searching on us."
"Soul-Searching?" Yang Quding sneered. "Looks like Zhishou Tower is really at their wit's end."
In interrogation, soul-searching was the most backward and helpless option.
The memories obtained from soul-searching could only be random fragments.
However, a cultivator's lifespan ranged from hundreds of years to tens of thousands of years. How many memories would that be?
Randomly extracting a few fragments from such a huge memory bank was equivalent to shredding thousands of scriptures in a Sutra Depository and then pulling out a few fragments to check their contents.
It was no exaggeration to say that 99% of the time, soul-searching would yield useless information.
So, as long as there was a better option, no one would use soul-searching.
"Lin Shanye's" eyes flashed.
After hearing this news, he did not seem worried at all …?
The prison was unusually dark. His face was shrouded in shadows, making it impossible to see his face clearly.
Soul-Searching meant tearing a person's soul into countless fragments.
This also meant that once soul-searching was used, the victim would be deader than dead.
How could Yang Quding be so calm in the face of imminent death?
He could be fearless, but he should not be so nonchalant about it.
Yang Quding was acting as if this was not a big deal at all.
Was Yang Quding really that determined, or …?
Was this really not a big deal?
"He" could not be sure.
"But it's fine … I'll just have to ask."
"That's right. I thought they were really capable, but it seems like their methods are enough to deal with the cultivators of the Underworld …" Lin Shanye said in a mocking tone. "As for us, why would we be afraid of a mere soul search?"
"He" was trying to lure Yang Quding into revealing more information.
Yang Quding said disdainfully, "How can mere cultivators of the Hades be compared with us?"
"That's not entirely true. At the very least, they were fearless in the face of death," Lin Shanye said. "Even we might not be able to do that … cough cough …"
"That's true," Yang Quding nodded, then said, "That's the only thing worth praising about them. However, they can even betray their own race, and they don't have much ability. If it weren't for the Hades, they would forever be low-level cultivators. There's really nothing valuable about such a lowly life."
He actually admitted it … Even though he was facing the impending Soul Search as if nothing had happened, he admitted that he might not be as fearless as the cultivators of the Hades in the face of death.
'This … is not right.'
It was completely wrong.
This was a complete contradiction.
What the hell is going on?
"Lin Shan Ye" was silent for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses.
It was a bold guess.
Unless … Yang Quding's death this time wasn't a real one.
Unless he had two lives?!
How was that possible?
"Lin Shan Ye" was shocked by his own idea.
Before this, "he" had never heard of any secret method that could resurrect a person from the dead and give them two lives.
No, he had to confirm this.
So, "Lin Shan Ye" said, "I don't think the Zhishou Tower really wants to use the Soul Search on us. It's more likely that they want to use this method to put pressure on us, to make us fear the threat of death so that we'll talk.
They want to act as if they're really willing to kill us. They're afraid that we'll think they won't dare to kill us, so we'll keep our mouths shut. "
"Haha … They won't know that this is not why we're so fearless. It's not that we don't think they won't kill us, it's that we're not afraid of death at all …" Yang Quding grinned, his expression ferocious and crazy. "If that's the case, why would we talk so easily?"
Very good. Yang Quding did not refute. It meant that there was something wrong with him … But what was it?
"Lin Shanye" thought. He raised his head and looked into Yang Quding's eyes, but he didn't say anything.
Yang Quding continued, "I just don't know what's wrong with the Zhishou Tower. Why are they suddenly targeting us?"
"We're both Deacons of the Spirit Chuan Sect. How dare they take us down without any evidence?"
"Who gave them the courage to do so?"
"Lin Shan Ye" pretended to be listening attentively, but still said nothing.
"Zhishou Tower thought that they had done a flawless job. Little did they know that after some time, when it's time to synchronize our memories … we'll know everything that happened to us," Yang Quding said coldly.
Synchronize our memories? We'll know everything that happened to us?
Yang Quding's words set off a storm in "Lin Shan Ye"'s heart.
"His" brain worked well. From these two sentences and Yang Quding's previous words, "he" had already come to a preliminary conclusion.
So, it wasn't two lives, but … there were two Yang Qudings?
At this thought, "Lin Shan Ye" could not help but feel a faint sense of fear.
What was going on?
The unknown was often the most frightening thing.
"Yes," "Lin Shan Ye" finally agreed. "The Zhishou Tower knows nothing about the methods of the Spirit Chuan Sect."
Then, "he" said awkwardly, "Cough cough … It's just that we didn't complete the task given to us by our superiors. I'm afraid we'll be held accountable …"
"That's not a big problem. Our sect has attached great importance to this matter. The disappearance of the two of us will probably be discovered soon. With our sect's response, we should be able to fill in the gaps immediately," Lin Shan Ye said.
"But why did the Zhishou Tower suddenly attack us?" Lin Shan Ye guessed. "Is it because we've made a big move by transferring the cultivators back from Longcheng Pass?"
"That's the only reason," Yang Quding agreed at first, but then raised his doubts. "But it's still a little strange. Logically speaking, even if they found out that we've transferred the cultivators back to Longcheng Pass, they should've asked us about the situation in the name of the sect. Why would they attack us directly?"
"Cough cough …" Lin Shan Ye coughed weakly again and did not speak.
"Hmm …" Yang Quding could only continue. "It might be because the Tianji Observatory Water Moon took over the Zhishou Tower. The Tianji Observatory's spirit cultivators often don't need evidence when they discover something …"
"The Tianji Mirror, tsk tsk …" He shook his head and was very afraid. "This is a terrifying Taoist instrument that even we are afraid of."
Who wouldn't be afraid of the Tianji Realm's ability to detect the secrets of the heavens?
Lin Shan Ye was not surprised.
However, it was still the same principle. If one did not do anything wrong, they would not be afraid of ghosts knocking on their door.
Would the Sword Sect be afraid of the Tianji Mirror?
In the eyes of the straightforward sword cultivators of the Sword Sect, the Tianji Mirror was roughly equivalent to a "broken copper used by women to comb their hair".
It had no lethality at all. How could the cultivators, who regarded the "sword" as their life item, be interested in it?
"This is actually just your personal guess, isn't it … cough cough …" Lin Shan Ye shook his head and said, "Using the Tianji Mirror will consume one's lifespan, and it will also be contaminated by the karma of heaven and earth. Even if the Tianji Observatory took over the Zhishou Tower, why would they use the Taoist instrument on us without a reason?"
"That's not entirely true," Yang Quding said coldly. "Didn't all of this have been foretold?"
He cleared his throat. "Didn't the sect discover that the Sword Sect was paying attention and investigating us a long time ago? Perhaps the Sword Sect and the Tianji Observatory had communicated with each other?"
"The young master of the Sword Sect has a very deep relationship with the Tianji Observatory.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Doesn't this mean that the Sword Sect and the Tianji Observatory have been in contact for a long time? Otherwise, why would the Tianji Observatory take such good care of Lu Qingshan and think so highly of him? "
"Then you're wrong. The Tianji Observatory didn't think highly of Lu Qingshan because the Sword Sect and the Tianji Observatory were in contact. It was because the Tianji Observatory thought highly of Lu Qingshan that the Sword Sect and the Tianji Observatory were in contact in the end …" Lin Shan Ye retorted inwardly.
"You're right …" Lin Shan Ye agreed.
"But since we've been noticed, do you think we can still successfully complete this mission?" He asked again. "I'd like to hear, cough … your opinion."
"Lin Shan Ye" was also very vague with his words, as if saying, "You should know what I'm talking about."
Yang Quding did not have the slightest doubt about this.
Because the two of them were currently in the prison of the Warden, their conversation might be secretly monitored by the Zhishou Tower's cultivators.
Hence, their conversation had always been so vague from the beginning to the end. There was always a layer of fog between them, as if they were speaking in riddles.
"Encrypted conversation."
"Of course," Yang Quding said calmly. "This isn't a mission that was conceived on the spur of the moment. It's been planned for so many years. How could it be delayed or fail because of this little bit of attention?"
"Besides, they … can only pay attention to it." He sneered, implying that the Zhishou Tower and the Tianji Observatory would not be able to find out anything at all.
It was not that he was arrogant. Based on the current situation, this was indeed the case.
Planned for so many years?
"Lin Shan Ye's" heart sank. He felt that the fog was getting thicker and thicker.
"After all, the Tianji Observatory has the Tianji Mirror," Lin Shan Ye reminded him.
The Tianji Mirror was an unreasonable existence.
"The Tianji Mirror is powerful, but based on our understanding, the more important the Tianji, the more lifespan it consumes. They won't use it easily, at least not in a short period of time."
Yes, under the circumstances of not knowing the target of the Spirit Huan Sect, there was no reason to use the Tianji Mirror so easily.
However, from Yang Quding's words, "at least not in a short period of time," they could gather another piece of information. The mission that the cultivators of Longcheng Pass had to carry out would not take too much time and could be completed in a short period of time.
A storm was brewing in the air.
"Originally, everything was ready except for the east wind. Who would have thought that something would happen on our side … cough cough …" Lin Shan Ye probed again, this time going straight to the heart of the matter.
"It's not that everything is ready. Although our people are in place in all the major provincial cities, that thing is not only in the major provincial cities. It's just that the others are not in the open. Besides, they are all in the hands of other Taoist sects. We still need to make more preparations."
"Dong!"
Although it was still very vague, he had finally obtained an extremely crucial piece of information.
"That thing …"
'Lin Shan Ye' felt relieved and secretly made a hand gesture.
Moments after "he" made the gesture, the sound of footsteps was heard again.
The two warden cultivators appeared again.
Yang Quding's face darkened, and he immediately shut his mouth.
The warden cultivators had come for Lin Shan Ye and treated Yang Quding as if he was nothing.
"Lin Shan Ye, get ready to go," one of the warden cultivators said coldly.
It seemed that they were going to take Lin Shan Ye to search his soul.
"Haha …" Lin Shan Ye was very calm, as if nothing had happened.
Yang Quding snorted at this.
The two warden cultivators' faces darkened. Without saying anything else, they took Lin Shan Ye and left the prison.
They walked down the long corridor until they were almost at the end and stopped in front of a quiet room. Then, they stood outside the door and said respectfully, "House Master, the person you wanted is here."
A female voice came from inside the room. "Bring him in."
The two warden cultivators did not suspect anything. They opened the door and brought Lin Shan Ye in.
In the quiet room sat a female Taoist priest in a Taoist robe.
She was the Water Moon Observatory Master.
She waved her hand at the two warden cultivators, and they left, closing the door behind them.
After the two left, the Water Moon Temple Master immediately made a gesture with one hand. A spiritual light flew toward Lin Shan Ye, and the runes on his body disappeared.
After removing the runes on "Lin Shan Ye", the Water Moon Temple Master asked gently, "How was it?"
"Lin Shan Ye" first bowed to the Water Moon Temple Master, and then ripples appeared on his body like water.
Amidst the ripples, his figure and appearance changed rapidly.
His originally chiseled face slowly became round, and his burly figure also became more graceful.
In a flash, the ripples disappeared.
However, the burly man had become a stunning woman.
The one standing there was no longer Lin Shan Ye of the Spirit Huan Sect. He was clearly the disciple of the Water Moon Temple Master, the possessor of the illusory spirit meridian, Lin Yao!
This was the so-called Tianji Temple method that the Water Moon Temple Master had mentioned.
Neither torture nor bewitchment could force Yang Quding to speak.
If they could not force him, they would make him speak.
Towards his own companions, he would not have such a strong sense of vigilance.
The illusory spirit meridian was not of much help in battle, but it had many wonderful uses in other aspects.
"Master, I've learned something." Lin Yao, who was using Lin Shan Ye's identity to get information from Yang Quding, said calmly.
The Water Moon Temple Master's eyes flashed. "Tell me."
Lin Yao immediately repeated her conversation with Yang Quding to the Water Moon Temple Master without missing a word.
She repeated it from a god's point of view, and did not add any of her analysis or emotional influence to avoid affecting the Water Moon Temple Master's judgment.
After listening to Lin Yao's recount, the Water Moon Temple Master's eyes flashed with astonishment. She praised sincerely, "Your intelligence is far beyond my expectations."
"In terms of the skill of getting information, you can even catch up with the warden." She sighed. "But they are all old foxes, and you are still so young. Moreover, I have not taught you this."
"This was taught to me by Lu Qingshan. He said that if you want to know the answer to a question from someone, the best way is not to make him answer, but to find a way to make him refute or agree." Lin Yao did not take credit for herself and spoke honestly.
This is very interesting … The Water Moon Temple Master raised her eyebrows and said in surprise, "He also taught you this?"
How could a sword cultivator have such an exquisite mind?
Lin Yao nodded and added, "He also said that when I want to ask a friend or colleague a question, he may only answer a part of it. If I want to know more, the best way is not to ask, but to say nothing."
"Hmm?!" The Water Moon Temple Master made a nasal sound.
Lin Yao explained, "What he meant was that after you ask a question, you should immediately shut your mouth and not interrupt. You should carefully look into the other person's eyes.
The atmosphere will become awkward because of the silence, and the other person will unconsciously say more. "
The Water Moon Temple Master's eyes gradually flashed with a strange light. Lu Qingshan's handsome face appeared in her mind again. After carefully thinking about these words, she could not help but sigh. "This kid … is really not simple. He is full of treasures."
She shook her head and stopped thinking about Lu Qingshan. She asked again, "What do you think of Yang Quding's words?"
Lin Yao deliberated for a moment. First, she said that there were two Yang Quding's.
"Similar to what I thought …" The Water Moon Temple Master closed her eyes. She seemed to be recalling something in her mind.
After pondering for a moment, a piece of information flashed in her mind.
The Water Moon Temple Master suddenly opened her eyes. "Wait?!"
At this moment, she suddenly remembered something that happened seven years ago.
Seven years ago, the first Seven Regions Dao Symposium was held.
During that Seven Regions Dao Symposium, the Tianji Temple cooperated with the Da Xia Kingdom's Green Brow Monarch to catch the traitor, the Spirit Huan Sect's Sect Master Changgeng.
However, the Spirit Huan Sect was extremely resolute. They immediately gathered all the cultivators in the sect and executed Sect Master Changgeng under the watchful eyes of countless people. Only then did the Spirit Huan Sect regain some of its reputation.
This incident did not seem to be a big problem.
However, when combined with the information that Lin Yao had just provided, there were two Yang Quding's.
Did that mean that there were two Sect Masters Changgeng?!
If that was the case, then Sect Master Changgeng should not have cared about being executed in public, just like how Yang Quding acted when he was being Soul Searched …
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