At first glance, Lianshan Xin struck Thousand Faces as utterly unremarkable.
Yet he began to understand how Dai Yueying had fallen into Lianshan Xin's hands.
He had just discreetly employed charm arts, yet Lianshan Xin's gaze hadn't wavered or strayed in the slightest. Thousand Faces realized Lianshan Xin was likely a martial fanatic.
There were indeed people in this world naturally devoid of interest in the opposite sex. Thousand Faces had seen much of the world and found it unsurprising; he merely felt a pang of injustice on Dai Yueying's behalf. An innate charm physique pitted against a martial fanatic was utterly useless.
This did not prevent Thousand Faces from speaking in a soft, delicate voice. Had Kong Ningyue been present to hear it, she would have sworn it was herself speaking.
"Young Master, this humble woman has already married into the Jiang family. Please address me as Young Mistress."
"Very well. Has the Young Mistress heard of my name?" Lianshan Xin asked offhandedly.
He had noticed nothing amiss about 'Kong Ningyue.'
After a brief, assessing glance at Kong Ningyue that revealed no flaws, Lianshan Xin began sizing up the room's layout.
Thousand Faces spoke candidly: "My sixth brother seems to share a cordial acquaintance with you. I heard your admission to Bailudong Academy came through his recommendation."
Lianshan Xin looked slightly surprised. "Even after marrying into the Jiang family, the Young Mistress remains remarkably well-informed."
Thousand Faces explained, "This time, you were the sole candidate successfully recommended to Bailudong Academy. The heir... he also attempted the recommendation route, but was rejected by Lord Heavenly Sword. Because of that, after you passed Lord Heavenly Sword's assessment, he threw a tremendous tantrum at home."
"I see." Lianshan Xin nodded.
The explanation was entirely reasonable.
"Young Mistress, you likely understand why we have come today, do you not?" Lianshan Xin cut straight to the point.
Among the members of the Kong clan, he was familiar only with Kong Ningyuan. He knew none of the others and had no desire to get acquainted.
Times had changed; now, it was the Kong clan who ought to seek favor with him.
Thousand Faces continued in a gentle, tender voice: "The heir and I were wed at the beginning of this year. From our marriage until now, he showed no signs of abnormality."
Lianshan Xin pondered for a moment. Jiang Haoran galloping through the streets and injuring people had happened last year.
He was inclined to believe that Jiang Haoran had still been the genuine article back then.
An undercover agent from the Demon Cult would hardly dare to act so blatantly arrogant and domineering, drawing unnecessary attention.
However, whether the Jiang Haoran from early this year was genuine remained uncertain to Lianshan Xin.
"What is the Young Mistress's view on this imposter heir?" Lianshan Xin asked.
Thousand Faces hesitated briefly, carefully phrasing his words to detach 'herself' from suspicion: "The heir is still young and his temperament unsettled, so our affection was never particularly deep. Our Kong clan is an established clan in Jiangzhou, and from childhood, I grew accustomed to my elders taking three wives and four concubines. I never held extravagant hopes that the heir would remain devoted to me alone. Our marriage was, more than anything, a political union between the Prefectural Estate and the Kong clan."
Lianshan Xin gave a slight nod.
This matched both the intelligence he had gathered and his own surmises.
So far, everything seemed normal, but it was not the answer Lianshan Xin wanted.
Thus, he pressed further: "Since you married into the Prefectural Estate, was interaction between the heir and the Kong clan frequent?"
Thousand Faces abruptly looked at Lianshan Xin, feigning vigilance. "What do you mean by that, Young Master?"
"Do not be nervous, Young Mistress. It is merely a routine inquiry."
Thousand Faces sensed that Lianshan Xin was using the pretext to take aim at the Kong clan.
Recalling the sordid dealings between the Kong clan and the Golden Scale Alliance...
Recalling how the Kong clan had repeatedly brushed him off with excuses...
A flicker of strange light passed deep within Thousand Faces's eyes.
He realized he had misjudged his man.
Lianshan Xin was no martial fanatic; he was simply indifferent to feminine charms, caring far more about power.
Such a person was the easiest to exploit—and the sharpest blade.
Perhaps he could use him to excise that disobedient thorn, the Kong clan.
With that thought, Thousand Faces suppressed his inner killing intent for the moment and decided to give Lianshan Xin an opportunity.
When killing his subordinates, Lianshan Xin's blade had fallen without hesitation. Moving against the Kong clan, Lianshan Xin surely wouldn't hold back either.
With this in mind, Thousand Faces cooperated: "Two families united by marriage, sworn under one roof, an eternal bond of good fortune, equal in name and standing. My marriage to the heir was meant to foster frequent visits between the Kong clan and the Prefectural Estate. Both the heir and I understood this."
Lianshan Xin's eyes brightened. "Does the Young Mistress mean to say that this imposter heir frequently came and went from the Kong residence?"
Thousand Faces replied, "My father shares a close friendship with the Prefect, and the heir often brought me back to the Kong clan. These matters can easily be verified; they are necessary social ties for marriages between established clans, as you surely understand."
"Established clans have many rules, and coming from ordinary stock, I do not understand them all that well," Lianshan Xin admitted candidly. "Young Mistress, was the heir close with Kong Sanlang?"
"Sanlang is my brother of the same mother, so naturally he was close to the heir. Does Nine Heavens oversee even such matters?" Thousand Faces countered.
Lianshan Xin smiled faintly.
Excellent.
With the testimony recorded to this point, he already had sufficient grounds to investigate Kong Sanlang.
As long as he investigated Kong Sanlang, he was confident he could prove Kong Sanlang's collusion with Thousand Faces.
When that time came, he could also vent some wrath on Huang Jingji's behalf.
Lianshan Xin had not forgotten that Huang Jingji had pledged allegiance to him.
Helping Huang Jingji regain his vigor and father a child would be difficult, but helping him take vengeance first would be far easier.
"Have you recorded everything?" Lianshan Xin looked toward Du Jiu.
By now, the Prefectural Estate had been taken over by the agents of Nine Heavens.
As Lianshan Xin's dedicated subordinate, Du Jiu had already arrived.
Outside, Zhuo Biyu was questioning the other maids. She and Lianshan Xin conducted separate interrogations to prevent Kong Ningyue and the maids from colluding on their stories.
Unlike Lianshan Xin, once Jiang Haoran had been confirmed as an imposter, Zhuo Biyu was more inclined to believe Kong Ningyue was compromised.
Lianshan Xin, on the other hand, did not care about Kong Ningyue in the slightest.
His sights were set squarely on Kong Sanlang.
Du Jiu nodded. "Young Master, it is all recorded."
"Very well. In that case, Young Mistress, we shall trouble you no further. Please do not leave the estate over the next few days. Before the matter is fully unraveled, we will likely question you again."
Lianshan Xin was courteous, according Kong Ningyue, as a newly widowed woman, ample respect. At heart, he was someone inclined to treat others with goodwill.
Thousand Faces was somewhat surprised by Lianshan Xin's demeanor, not expecting him to let her off so lightly without the slightest harassment.
Could this fellow truly be an upright official entirely devoted to public duty?
Thousand Faces experienced a momentary daze.
Just then, Lianshan Xin spoke again: "By the way, how did you know I had joined Nine Heavens?"
Thousand Faces explained, "After the incident with the heir—that imposter—news quickly reached our inner quarters. Furthermore, with the Prefectural Estate now under Nine Heavens' control, your questioning me naturally marks you as one of their men. That isn't hard to guess, is it?"
"Indeed, it is not hard to guess. You possess exquisite intellect, Young Mistress," Lianshan Xin praised.
Thousand Faces's heart tightened. He inwardly cursed the man for being thoroughly suspicious; despite showing no flaws, Lianshan Xin remained so guarded.
"I had assumed you had seen the letter Zeng Ningbing wrote to the heir," Lianshan Xin remarked.
"I did see the heir holding a letter, but I did not read its contents. Was it written to the Second Prince by Fairy Ningbing?" Thousand Faces asked with a bewildered expression.
Lianshan Xin studied Kong Ningyue carefully and detected no flaw, thinking to himself that he had grown overly paranoid.
He had simply been surrounded by too many Demon Cult fiends lately. Even Zhuo Biyu, a prospective young master of Heavenly Sword's lineage, was an undercover cult operative, making everyone around him seem like a heretic.
He needed to temper this increasingly severe occupational habit of jumping at shadows.
"Brother Jiu, hand the testimony to the Young Mistress to review. Young Mistress, if you find no discrepancies with what was said, please sign your name and press your thumbprint."
Thousand Faces took the testimony, confirmed there were no issues, signed Kong Ningyue's name, and pressed an ink print.
"Your handwriting is superb, Young Mistress," Lianshan Xin praised. "The strokes are so dashing and untamed. As the saying goes, handwriting reveals the person. It seems you never wished to be confined to the inner chambers and longed instead for the vast world outside."
Thousand Faces gave Lianshan Xin a searching look, then sighed regretfully: "You flatter me, Young Master. In the past, I truly did yearn for the freedom of the jianghu. Alas, born into the Kong clan and provided for in luxury from childhood, I naturally had to follow the clan's arrangements. I possessed no right to be willful."
"What you say is true," Lianshan Xin consoled. "Nine times out of ten, life does not go as one wishes. Being able to live well in the present is already a blessing."
*At his core, this fellow is actually a good person.*
Thousand Faces sneered inwardly, feeling he had overestimated Lianshan Xin.
To his eyes, such tender-hearted goodness was merely an impediment to achieving great things.
Naturally unaware of what Thousand Faces was thinking, Lianshan Xin put away the deposition and stepped out of the room with Du Jiu.
Upon reaching the courtyard, he saw Zhuo Biyu standing before a group of maids.
"Lady Zhuo, how did your inquiry go?"
"A considerable harvest."
Zhuo Biyu looked at Lianshan Xin with a rather peculiar expression.
"Lianshan Xin, you really do attract a lot of hate."
"What do you mean?"
Zhuo Biyu pointed to a maid on the left. "Repeat to him what you just told me."
The maid glanced at Lianshan Xin and whispered, "Last night, after receiving a letter, the heir discussed what to do with the Young Mistress. The Young Mistress said that for the sake of the Second Prince's face, Fairy Ningbing's request had to be granted. She said this was Jiangzhou, and there were plenty of ways to handle Lianshan Xin—just find a few people, have Lianshan Jingcheng treat them to death, and then they'd have an excuse to make trouble for him. No matter how domineering Nine Heavens was, they couldn't possibly meddle in such trivial matters."
Lianshan Xin's expression instantly darkened. He stared intently at the maid, unleashing the spiritual pressure naturally generated by his True Intent realm to ensure she lacked the will to lie to him.
Only then did he ask in a low voice, "Last night, after receiving the letter, the heir discussed how to deal with me with the Young Mistress?"
"Yes, this servant would not dare deceive you, My Lord."
The maid's legs trembled.
Lianshan Xin believed she dared not lie to him.
Which meant just now, Kong Ningyue had lied.
Yet he had noticed no trace of deceit on Kong Ningyue's part.
Was his own perception too shallow, or was Kong Ningyue's guile too profound?
How could a woman confined to the inner chambers possess such profound cunning?
When someone adept at household intrigue encountered an agent of Nine Heavens, could such petty parlor tricks really hold up?
Lianshan Xin then recalled the bold, unrestrained calligraphy he had just seen from Kong Ningyue.
At the time, he had praised it casually out of polite courtesy.
Now—he felt more and more that such strokes could hardly belong to a cloistered woman of the inner quarters.
"What's the matter with you?" Zhuo Biyu noticed Lianshan Xin's uneasy state.
Calming his tension without showing it, Lianshan Xin shook his head. "Nothing. This maid's statement contradicts Kong Ningyue's testimony. It seems Kong Ningyue feared my retaliation and deliberately concealed her disrespect toward me."
Zhuo Biyu scoffed lightly. "I wondered what it was. That's completely normal. Whenever criminals are interrogated, their first instinct is always to say whatever benefits them."
"Indeed. I was briefly incensed, but it is understandable. After all, she is Kong Ningyuan's sister; I still must grant him that face."
Lianshan Xin glared angrily back toward Kong Ningyue's boudoir, then said to Zhuo Biyu, "Let's go. I've finished investigating most of it."
"Finished already? What was the result?"
"It has little to do with Kong Ningyue."
Lianshan Xin and Zhuo Biyu chatted as they walked outward, their strides relaxed as usual.
Yet as they turned the corner out of the courtyard, Lianshan Xin noticed a faint sheen of sweat forming on Zhuo Biyu's forehead.
Torrential rain was pouring down, but with Zhuo Biyu's cultivation, she was already impervious to cold and heat, completely untouched by the rain.
Lianshan Xin's heart sank.
*Did she notice something amiss as well?*
*A signal unique to Demon Cult operatives?*
"Is Lord Heavenly Sword still in the Prefectural Estate?" Lianshan Xin asked casually.
"Yes. Prefect Jiang arranged a room for Master to recuperate."
The two exchanged a glance.
Lianshan Xin suddenly surged into violent motion: "Lord Heavenly Sword, a Demon Cult expert is here!"
Before his voice had faded, Lianshan Xin was already a hundred meters away.
At the exact same instant, Zhuo Biyu drew her blade, spun around, and unleashed a fully charged slash.
*Boom!*
The next moment, Zhuo Biyu slammed straight into Lianshan Xin. Together, they crashed through two courtyard walls, both coughing up blood.
"*Cough, cough*—Lianshan Xin, you owe me... two strikes now."
Zhuo Biyu's injuries were far heavier than Lianshan Xin's.
Before Lianshan Xin could feel touched, he saw Tian Ji rushing over at high speed, only to be struck back even faster, crashing right onto Lianshan Xin once more.
"Fuck—brother, what kind of jinx are you?! *Cough, cough*—the mess you provoked, your granddad here can barely shield you!"
Pinned on top of Lianshan Xin, Tian Ji cursed him while spitting blood.
Lianshan Xin wasn't angry. At this moment, he felt complete respect for Zhuo Biyu and Tian Ji.
When trouble struck, they truly charged in.
Yet just what manner of expert was this 'Kong Ningyue'?
Neither Zhuo Biyu nor Tian Ji, both Grandmasters, had been able to withstand a single exchange!
"Troublesome!"
A furious roar rang out, closely followed by a colossal palm descending from the sky.
The mere aftershocks of the massive palm swept Zhuo Biyu and Tian Ji aside; in the very next instant, it would crush Lianshan Xin into minced meat.
Yet at the critical juncture, an immortal sword soared into flight.
A flying sword far smaller than the colossal palm tore through the sky-blotting demonic palm, piercing directly toward Kong Ningyue's room.
*Boom!*
"Heavenly Sword!"
Amidst the massive roar echoed the enraged howl of Thousand Faces as a stream of black smoke fled outward at breakneck speed, sword light flashing within it from time to time.
*He didn't die?!*
Lianshan Xin froze.
Then he realized: it was Thousand Faces.
In all of Jiangzhou, the only Demon Cult fiend capable of escaping with his life under Heavenly Sword's blade was Thousand Faces.
Thousand Faces could actually disguise himself as a woman?
Lianshan Xin had assumed it was one of Thousand Faces's top subordinates, never expecting to run into the master himself.
Cold sweat instantly drenched his body; only now did he realize how narrowly he had escaped death.
Yet in the next moment, Lianshan Xin bellowed at the top of his lungs:
"Thousand Faces of myriad forms, you cannot escape the Heavenly Eye! Thousand Faces, I, Lianshan Xin, am your destined nemesis! This round, you lose!"
When making a name for oneself in the world, one's status was self-proclaimed.
The fastest way to achieve fame across the jianghu was to step on already renowned experts.
Lianshan Xin resolved to skip straight to the top: using his True Intent realm cultivation, he would step over the Great Grandmaster Thousand Faces. Riding Thousand Faces's reputation, he would directly claim a future seat among the Nine Heavens.
A victory!
Chapter 79