Under the influence of the Formless Killing Intent, the school of fish surrounding Zhou Qing'ang instantly went mad.
Ignoring the spiritual pressure radiating from him, they swarmed forward, jostling one another to devour his flesh.
Deprived of his soul's autonomous protection, it took only a brief moment before a plume of fresh blood dyed the surrounding seawater crimson.
Not a single bone of Zhou Qing'ang remained.
A stone-like heart gleaming with seven-colored light, perforated with seven apertures, separated out at the scene of the incident.
Its glow was exceedingly dim.
With its master dead, this Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart had lost its nature as a wonder of Heaven and Earth. It turned into an ordinary, unremarkable stone and sank to the seabed.
Li Fan waited where he was for several days. Seeing that the anomaly of a cultivator's fall had not drawn any others over, he finally returned. Disregarding everything else, he absorbed only the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart to recharge True Reversion.
Afterward, without alerting anyone along the way, Li Fan quietly returned to Wanxian Island.
Zhou Qing'ang's disappearance had not yet drawn anyone's notice.
For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to be unreachable during a ten-day outing was utterly routine.
Li Fan was in no rush to report Zhou Qing'ang as a spy. Instead, he first set about comprehending the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart.
"Slick and adaptable in all directions, mind as deep as the sea; bewitching the hearts of others, confounding truth and falsehood."
Three days later, Li Fan let out a long breath, a peculiar light flashing in his eyes.
"Though it is only a medium-grade wonder of Man and brings no special benefits to cultivation, as a Foundation Establishment wonder for a spy, it could not be more ideal."
Within his dantian, True Reversion radiated a gentle luster, gradually shifting into the shape of the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart.
Li Fan felt a faint sensation, as though he had draped himself in countless layers of illusory coats. Others would no longer be able to easily pierce through to his inner thoughts.
"What a marvelous treasure!" Li Fan praised silently.
Next, he examined the accompanying secret technique, Appearance Shifts with the Heart.
This was not a cultivation method either, but rather a disguise secret technique specifically created for the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart by Zhou Qing'ang's organization.
Once a specific appearance was fixed in the mind, the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart and the secret technique stimulated each other, allowing one to instantly transform into another person's likeness.
Both physique and facial features differed completely from the original.
Moreover, it was a genuine physical change that could not be seen through by spells such as Dispel Delusion.
The only pity was that it could alter only appearance; it could not disguise one's personal aura.
That was why Zhou Qing'ang had always been exceedingly cautious whenever traveling disguised, seeking out uninhabited, remote spots to conceal and rein in his aura.
It was just that against Li Fan, who possessed the Formless Killing Intent, no amount of caution could have helped him.
As Li Fan studied Appearance Shifts with the Heart in his mind, he pondered.
"I already had the idea of using True Reversion to swap Foundation Establishment wonders and impersonate others.
"Now, with the Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart and this disguise secret technique, impersonating someone else will be even more convincing.
"Furthermore, I have the Golden Chapter of Thousand Mechanisms and the Jade Cosmos to discern qi dynamics, and the Stealing Heaven Changing Sun Art to read fate.
"If I can imitate and alter both qi dynamics and fate alongside appearance, it truly will be impossible to tell real from fake.
"If this succeeds..."
Li Fan's thoughts surged, idea after idea springing to mind.
"Once my clone in this life claims the hundred thousand contribution points from the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, it won't be short on things to do."
To test just how effective this Seven-Apertures Exquisite Heart was, Li Fan took a teleportation array to Liuli Island.
He saw no sign of He Zhenghao, having no idea where the man had gone.
Li Fan paid him no mind for the moment. Changing into a different appearance, he went before Manager Zhao and babbled a string of nonsense.
Sure enough, Manager Zhao's peculiar ability to discern truth from falsehood proved useless, easily fooled.
Leaving Manager Zhao rooted to the spot in utter shock, Li Fan slipped away to an empty corner and shifted back to his original appearance.
He sent a transmission to He Zhenghao: "Where are you right now, Daoist brother?"
Before long, He Zhenghao's somewhat weary voice came through: "I took on a mission to build a defensive array for a fellow Daoist's island abode. May I ask what Daoist Brother Li Fan needs me for?"
Li Fan gave a cold chuckle. "What missions are you still taking? He Zhenghao, don't you know impending disaster is about to fall upon you?"
He Zhenghao froze slightly. "Why do you say that, Daoist brother?"
"This must be discussed in person. Return to Liuli Island at once. The situation is urgent—delays will only invite disaster," Li Fan said sternly.
"Alright... Wait for me, Daoist brother." Perhaps because Li Fan's performance during the Spirit Mist Grass incident had thoroughly convinced him, He Zhenghao harbored not the slightest doubt toward Li Fan's words. His voice was flustered, and he disconnected the transmission right away.
Nearly half a day passed before He Zhenghao finally arrived, tardy.
His face was haggard and his expression exhausted, as if he had not slept properly for a long time.
A hint of panic lingered in his eyes, barely held down by force.
"Daoist brother..." He Zhenghao began to speak upon seeing Li Fan.
Li Fan waved a hand, cutting him off directly.
Following Li Fan's meaningful glance, He Zhenghao activated the Mountains and Rivers Starry Array.
Li Fan's ominous posture only deepened his unease.
"Daoist Brother He, how well do you know Zhou Qing'ang, the overseer of Tai'an Island?" Li Fan asked.
He Zhenghao blinked, answering truthfully, "Fellow Daoist Zhou? Quite well, quite well. He's on good terms with me and often consults me on array knowledge. Why do you ask, Daoist brother?"
"Hmph. Good thing you didn't lie to me," Li Fan said coldly. "Had you uttered half a lie just now, I would have turned around and left on the spot."
He Zhenghao's heart pounded with growing dread.
Seeing that the mood was sufficiently set, Li Fan stopped stringing him along and produced an image-recording stone.
He played the conversation between Zhou Qing'ang and the severed stone face.
...
"That He Zhenghao suffered heavy losses this time as well. By applying for these hundred thousand contribution points, I also intend to seize this opportunity to deepen our relationship.
"He is skilled in arrays and even participated in laying out the Island-Protecting Grand Formation. He has little guile. With his assistance, we will surely gain complete mastery over the array that much sooner."
...
At first, because Zhou Qing'ang had not appeared in his true form, He Zhenghao had watched in confusion.
Yet as the dialogue unfolded, He Zhenghao instantly realized what had happened.
And the moment his own name surfaced in the exchange, his face drained of all color.
Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Putting away the image-recording stone, Li Fan looked at He Zhenghao, his expression grim. "Daoist Brother He, just how much information about the Island-Protecting Grand Formation did you leak?"
"No... not much! Really not much!" He Zhenghao stammered in self-defense, shaking all over.
"Still not going to confess honestly?! Must I really submit this image-recording stone and have the people from the Martial Practice Hall interrogate you?!" Li Fan snapped angrily.
He Zhenghao shuddered violently from head to toe, but then caught the underlying implication in Li Fan's words, and a sudden spark of hope flared in his eyes.
Clutching both of Li Fan's hands, he pleaded repeatedly, "Daoist brother, save me! Daoist brother, save me!"
Li Fan flung his hands off. "If you truly want me to save you, then tell me everything regarding this Zhou Qing'ang honestly!"
With a weeping grimace, He Zhenghao recounted the matter in full detail.
Listening to him, Li Fan was momentarily at a loss for words.
As it turned out, a substantial portion of the outer-structure array data Zhou Qing'ang had submitted really had been courtesy of He Zhenghao.
"He was constantly trying to curry favor with me, flattering my skill in arrays, and then asking me for pointers on formation details.
"I grew a bit puffed up from all the praise, so I..."
"Who could have known that a fellow overseer in the Congyun Sea like Zhou Qing'ang was actually a spy?!"
"How could I have let my mind be blinded by his sweet talk?!"
He Zhenghao looked on the verge of tears.
"Whether you knew or not does not alter the fact that you leaked secrets of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals," Li Fan said coldly.
"Daoist Brother He, you ought to know the consequences, don't you?"
He Zhenghao shivered. "Dismissal from office, rigorous investigation. Demotion of clearance level, perhaps even having my cultivation crippled..."
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, feeling as though the rest of his life was plunged into absolute darkness.
On top of that, he had already squandered his life's savings down to the last coin, and over these recent days, he had been frantically taking on missions to reaccumulate contribution points.
He was thoroughly exhausted, both in mind and body.
Under this multi-pronged blow, He Zhenghao could hold out no longer. His composure collapsed, and he burst into loud wailing.
"Why am I so miserable?! I lost my entire life's savings, and now I'm saddled with a disaster like this!
"How am I supposed to live?!"
Li Fan remained unmoved.
After crying for a while, seeing that Li Fan showed no reaction whatsoever, He Zhenghao could not help feeling a bit awkward.
Wiping away his tears, He Zhenghao said in a choked voice, "Daoist brother, you must save me!
"This image-recording stone must never be turned in! Otherwise, my future is utterly ruined!"
Li Fan countered, "Exposing a spy is a tremendous merit. You surely know that, don't you, Daoist brother?"
He Zhenghao stammered, "I... I can compensate you, Daoist brother."
Li Fan chuckled. "You are penniless right now, Daoist brother. What could you possibly compensate me with? I certainly do not lack contribution points. You might not know, but in that Spirit Mist Grass incident, I made a neat six hundred thousand!"
Hearing this, He Zhenghao's eyes widened in sheer disbelief as he stared at Li Fan.
"What, you don't believe me?" Li Fan asked sideways.
"I believe you, I believe you!" He Zhenghao nodded hurriedly.
The envy and regret in his eyes deepened even further. "Oh, how I regret not heeding your words back then!"
After a pause, He Zhenghao pondered a moment and said, "I have half a volume of the Detailed Explanation of the Hundred Meridians Formation Diagram, which is my life's..."
Before he could finish, Li Fan cut him off.
"Arrays don't interest me much. Taking up that array repairer post was merely a stepping stone to enter service."
He Zhenghao hesitated and fumbled for a long time before struggling out another offer: "I also have a daughter, who is likewise at the Foundation Establishment stage. I can introduce her to you, Daoist brother..."
Li Fan's expression hardened, and he righteously refused, "What kind of man do you take me for?! Never mention such a thing again!"
He Zhenghao breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then his face fell into a grimace of thought once more.
He could tell by now that Li Fan truly did intend to spare him.
Yet it seemed Li Fan genuinely wanted something from him as well.
Apart from those things, however, what else did he have left to his name?
After pondering for a long time without finding an answer, He Zhenghao could only manage a bitter smile. "Daoist brother, stop toying with me. Tell me straight out—what is it you want?"
Li Fan gave a faint smile and patted He Zhenghao on the shoulder.
"I want you."
He Zhenghao blinked in confusion, his face turning pale a split second later as he reflexively leaped backward, staring at Li Fan with wary alarm.
"Haha, what on earth are you thinking, Daoist brother?"
"What I mean is, from this day forth, I want you to follow my lead in everything."
Standing before He Zhenghao, Li Fan spoke slowly, each word deliberate.
Chapter 199