Tong Yue was stunned for a moment before astonishment swept across his face. “Golden… leaf… King?”
It was just a moment ago that one Goldenleaf King had arrived, so how could another one pop up all of a sudden?
Was there more than one Goldenleaf King? That didn’t seem likely.
“Aren’t you going to pay respects to the Goldenleaf King? It has only been a short while; have you already forgotten your manners?” Seeing how his subordinate was staring intently at the Goldenleaf King with a shocked expression on his face, not showing the slightest politeness at all, the Greenleaf King frowned in displeasure.
“M-my apologies, Your Highness! I was so shocked for a moment that I lost myself.” Tong Yue hurriedly fell to the ground and kowtowed.
“Shocked?” The Greenleaf King was perplexed.
Tong Yue might not have been the strongest of his subordinates, but he possessed exceptional capability in getting work done. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dispatched the other party and entrusted him with the important responsibility of laying down the groundwork for their great army. For him to be so shocked as to even forget his bearings for a moment, just what could have happened?
“I-it’s… Just a moment ago, a powerful tribesman arrived, and he claimed to be the Goldenleaf King. As such, when I heard that this lord over here is the Goldenleaf King as well, I lost myself for a moment,” Tong Yue quickly explained.
“Claimed to be the Goldenleaf King?” The Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King glanced at one another and froze.
The Goldenleaf King’s face darkened, and he took a step forward. “What do you mean? Are you saying that someone tried to impersonate me?”
“This…” Tong Yue wasn’t sure how he should respond.
The Greenleaf King gazed at Tong Yue and demanded authoritatively, “What is going on?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, the matter goes like this. Just a moment ago, when my men were in the midst of rounding up a group of master teachers, a tribesman appeared and claimed that he is the Goldenleaf King. Currently, he is still in the opposite hall, interrogating those master teachers!” Tong Yue swiftly explained the matter anxiously.
“Claimed that he is the Goldenleaf King?”
“Interrogating those master teachers?”
The two Kings frowned doubtfully.
“Take us there. I would like to see the person who dares to impersonate me!” With a livid expression, killing intent began seething from the Goldenleaf King, ready to explode at any moment.
To think that someone would be so brazen as to impersonate as him, an Otherworldly Demon King… Unforgivable!
Tong Yue shot a discreet glance toward the Greenleaf King, and it was only upon seeing the latter’s nod that he began to lead the way. “Kings, this way please!”
Barely after taking two steps, the Greenleaf King suddenly stopped and instructed, “Wait a moment, there is no need to rush into it. Tong Yue, have your men seal the surroundings first. Make sure to do it discreetly so as to not alarm whoever is inside. We can head in after that is done.”
“Yes, Your Highness!” Tong Yue nodded.
If what Tong Yue had said was real, it was very likely that the impersonator would have malicious intentions in mind. Naturally, they would have to apprehend him for interrogation so as to learn his aims.
Tong Yue quickly took his leave before issuing several instructions to his men. Following which, the two hundred Otherworldly Demons from before swiftly moved out and encircled the hall that Zhang Xuan was in discreetly.
The movements of these Otherworldly Demons were structured and orderly, sealing every single blind spot as they got into position. Putting aside Zhang Xuan, it would be nigh impossible for even a Saint realm 3-dan expert to escape from their encirclement.
“Alright, let’s go take a look!” Seeing that the preparations were ready, the Greenleaf King waved his hand, and the group swiftly made their way over to the hall.
…
Seeing that none of the master teachers were willing to trust even a single word of his, Zhang Xuan waved his hand helplessly. “You might not trust me, but give this some thought. If I truly was an Otherworldly Demon King, would I waste my breath with you all here? I would have just dispatched my men to have all of you killed!”
“You must be trying to obtain some crucial intelligence from us. You are trying to numb us with expressing goodwill!” a master teacher spat through gritted teeth.
“Obtain crucial intelligence for you all?” Zhang Xuan shook his head in frustration. “I am the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, do you think that your standing can possibly be higher than mine? Do you actually think that I will need to pry words out of your mouth to obtain crucial intelligence? Just think about it!”
“This…”
Everyone was stunned as there was some logic to Zhang Xuan’s words.
However, at that moment, Lu Feng roared, “Don’t fall for his eloquence! Even as the esteemed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, it is impossible for him to know everything! He must have captured us to learn about the secrets regarding the Subterranean Gallery.”
Once bitten, twice shy. He had suffered greatly due to the lies of the fellow before him once, and he would never allow history to repeat itself.
“I concur; we shouldn’t trust him! Those who aren’t our kind will eventually turn against us! If he isn’t an Otherworldly Demon, why would he appear before us with such coincidental timing? How could he possibly have so many Otherworldly Demons obey his orders?”
“The Otherworldly Demons are devious. He is bound to be up to something with this abrupt show of goodwill. We mustn’t fall for his trap!”
A few other master teachers roared indignantly.
“You all…” Zhang Xuan’s eyes flew around the place.
He had come here to save them only to end up pleading to save them, and even at the end of it, they still refused to budge. The world was truly unbelievable.
Unable to hold back his wrath anymore, Zhang Xuan snapped furiously, “Up to something… A bunch of frail elderlies, do you really think that you, who already have a foot in the grave, have anything I need?”
The ages of these men added together amounted to several dozen thousand years. What could Zhang Xuan possibly hope to gain out of them?
“We…” A master teacher was just about to refute Zhang Xuan’s words when the Byzantium Helios Beast’s face suddenly darkened. “Master, bad news. We have been encircled…”
Having reached Spiritual Perception realm, it was far more sensitive of its surroundings than anyone else in the hall. The movements outside were slight, but the Byzantium Helios Beast was still able to feel them vividly.
“Encircled?”
Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly activated his Eye of Insight and looked out of the window. amid the endless darkness, he could see many Otherworldly Demons positioned around the hall, sealing all possible routes of escape. Even though each of them had concealed their aura well, there was no doubt that the army would collapse upon anyone who attempted to escape.
What is going on? Zhang Xuan’s heart turned cold at that sight.
Hadn’t he convinced them that he was the Goldenleaf King just a moment ago?
Why would they suddenly go so far as to encircle the surroundings, as if preparing to kill him?
Zhang Xuan swiftly turned to the Byzantium Helios Beast and said, “You should return for now.”
With a glance, he could already tell that it was impossible to break through the other party’s defenses and escape.
“Yes!” The Byzantium Helios Beast nodded before returning to the Myriad Anthive Nest.
After stowing away the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan began warping his physique once more to return back to the form of an Otherworldly Demon.
Shortly after he was done, the doors to the hall opened from the outside, ‘jiya’, and three men walked in with wide strides.
The one leading the way was Tong Yue, and the other two trailing behind looked rather unfamiliar. However, the energy coursing through their bodies felt powerful and relentless, creating a huge pressure on those facing them.
Saint ream… 4-dan experts? Zhang Xuan’s face twitched as the hands hidden beneath his sleeves clenched tightly into fists.
He had never expected to encounter a Saint realm 4-dan expert there.
He had been thinking that even in the worst-case secenario, he would still be able to forge a bloody path out with the army he had. But with the emergence of experts of such caliber, this plan had become infeasible.
Knowing that he was cornered, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel anxious within. Nevertheless, he knew that it was precisely in such situations that he had to maintain his composure and rationality. Driving his Soul Depth, he gradually regained himself.
“Tong Yue, didn’t I tell you not to have anyone disturb me? Do you really think that I dare not kill you?” With a livid face, Zhang Xuan glared at Tong Yue with killing intent tinged in his words.
He had no idea where he had erred for the other party to have seen through his disguise, but he could only follow through at this point. Otherwise, he could very well be killed on the spot.
If only that bunch of dim-witted master teachers had been able to think rationally and do as he had said, they could have very well been out by now! Such a crisis wouldn’t have occurred either.
“It is not that I wish to disturb you, but… our King and the Goldenleaf King has arrived, and upon hearing that you claimed to be the Goldenleaf King as well, they instructed me to bring them here to meet you,” Tong Yue replied.
Your King? Goldenleaf King? Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the world spin around him and he nearly keeled over.
Surely, I couldn’t have been so unlucky, could I?
I was only going to make use of the name for a brief moment, but the owner of the name just had to appear with such unholy timing. Did I offend the God of Fortune somehow?
The previous time I feigned as the special envoy of the Poison Hall, the real special envoy also arrived shortly after I began, nearly causing my ship to capsize1. I thought that luck would return to me after that unfortunate event, but it seems like it has only gotten worse. This time, while I am pretending to be the Goldenleaf King, not only did the man himself appear, even the Greenleaf King came along with him as well…
How could my luck be so poor at such a crucial moment?
At this point, the Goldenleaf King stepped forward and bellowed with a livid face, “Who are you? Why are you making use of my name?”
“Who are you?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up as he returned the question.
With no other plausible way out, he could only make this gamble.
“I am the Goldenleaf King!” the Goldenleaf King replied furiously.
“Audacious! Where the hell did you find the guts to impersonate me? Tong Yue, what are you waiting for? Take that man down!” Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously with a majestic wave of his hand. After which, he gracefully placed his hands behind his back and emanated a powerful aura, which hinted at incomparable strength. “I am the Goldenleaf King!”
After uttering those words, he warped his muscles to assume an appearance identical to the Goldenleaf King opposite to him.
His previous appearance was modelled after his puppet. Since the real Goldenleaf King had arrived, it went without saying that he should adopt the same appearance as the other party.
“You!” Seeing that the other party was not only making use of his name but had even morphed into his appearance right before his eyes, the Goldenleaf King felt so furious that he could explode.
Can you be any faker?
To morph into my appearance before everyone’s eyes, are you seriously taking everyone here to be blind?
On the other hand, after changing into the Goldenleaf King’s appearance, Zhang Xuan said haughtily, “This is my original appearance. I only morphed my appearance because I didn’t want to show my true face to others!”
Seeing how the other party was so brazen as to fearlessly pose as the Goldenleaf King before the both of them, the Greenleaf King finally came to the end of his patience and snapped, “Who in the world are you? I have travelled through the seal along with the Goldenleaf King, so there is no mistake about his identity!”
Naturally, he trusted the Goldenleaf King, who had travelled through the seal with him, more than a stranger who had seemingly come out of nowhere.
“No mistake about his identity?” Zhang Xuan waved his hands in frustration and sighed deeply. With a look of pity, he said, “Greenleaf King, you are too naive! You should have taken a closer look at that fellow beside you before putting your trust in him. You might not know who the fellow beside you is, but I do! He once impersonated me in the past, and I taught him a lesson after I found out about it, but that cunning beast managed to slip away. I truly couldn’t have thought that he would get to you. If only I knew, I would have killed him back then when I had the chance!”
“What did you say?” Hearing the story get more and more preposterous, the Goldenleaf King felt so furious that killing intent seethed within his veins.
It was one thing for that fellow to impersonate him, but to shamelessly claim that he was the real one before him… Just where did the other party find his guts?
Furthermore, I impersonated you? And you taught me a lesson?
How can you lie through your teeth without your face reddening in the slightest?
Where is your sense of shame?
“Don’t you know very well what I am saying?”
Shaking his head with a deeply disappointed expression, Zhang Xuan bellowed wrathfully, “You beast, how could you betray my trust in you? I treated you like my own son, imparting my cultivation techniques and battle techniques to you just so that you could grow to become a decent demon. Yet, taking advantage of your deep knowledge of me and my techniques, you disguised as me and went around swindling others. You ingrate, show your true form!”
After which, Zhang Xuan turned to Tong Yue and the Greenleaf King and sighed deeply. “To tell you the truth, he is actually a tamed beast that I raised. In our years together, he learned all of my habits and skills, which allowed him to pass himself off as me.”
“Tamed beast?” The Greenleaf King and Tong Yue were taken aback.
The latter couldn’t help but ask, “Tamed beast? But our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe doesn’t have any spirit beasts or saint beasts.”
