54. The Truth on the Verge of Being Revealed
A fake???
Based on the system’s usual reliability, Gong Yiling instinctively felt she had been deceived.
But that shouldn’t be possible.
This sword was undoubtedly an Immortal Artifact, although she couldn’t determine its grade without holding it and using the system.
And the auction house’s leader had said so himself, and none of the Sword Alliance members had doubted it. It had to be real.
Puzzled, Gong Yiling instinctively grasped the hilt.
The moment she touched it, a powerful force surged towards her, as if trying to shatter her spiritual sea.
“Holy shit!”
Just as Gong Yiling realized she had been tricked, the Heavenly Saint Technique of the Myriad Paths activated, forming an invisible net within her, trying to expel the intruder.
And to her surprise, the seemingly immense power was like a docile child under the influence of the net, quickly surrendering and returning to the sword.
As for the sword’s attributes, she no longer needed to check. It was undoubtedly the Wind and Cloud Sword.
“Youyuan?” Leng Yuli, seeing her break out in a cold sweat, rushed over to support her. “What’s wrong?”
“No…” Gong Yiling, still shaken, held her shoulder. “Did you… really not feel anything just now?”
Leng Yuli nodded. “No… nothing…”
Well, she did feel a brief jolt, like an electric shock.
But the sensation quickly vanished, so she thought nothing of it.
After she explained this to Gong Yiling, Miss Gong froze.
“System, system, system! Get the hell out here!”
System: “I’m here, I’m here. Don’t be so agitated.”
Gong Yiling: “How can I not be agitated? If this girl didn’t react to the sword, doesn’t that mean she’s the Eight Desolations Sword Master?”
What the hell? The Eight Desolations Sword Master was Leng Yuli?
That wasn’t right. Why? It shouldn’t be.
This girl didn’t even know any sword techniques, and she had been sent to the Sword Alliance by her own family. How could she be the Sword Master?
Of course, the system’s next words eased her worries.
“Host, if you were a longsword, and your destined master met you today, what would you think?”
“I’d be overjoyed, of course.”
“So, the reason she isn’t the Eight Desolations Sword Master is already clear, isn’t it?”
Oh, right…
Gong Yiling recalled how the sword, when held by Leng Yuli, had shown no sign of its usual sharpness, its aura completely gone. That wasn’t how an artifact recognized its master.
However, that feeling seemed more like…
Awe.
“If so, why didn’t the sword react to Leng Yuli at all?”
“If the host doesn’t know, then why would the system know?” The system replied calmly. “Everything will reveal itself in time. You’ll know her true identity eventually.”
So many times she hated this thing. It clearly knew, but it just wouldn’t tell her, even acting as if she were asking a ridiculous question.
“Youyuan?”
Leng Yuli’s voice pulled her out of her conversation with the system. “What’s wrong? This sword…?”
“Nothing.” Gong Yiling quickly patted her head and smiled. “It was probably just asleep, so it didn’t react. And when I touched it, it woke up.”
Leng Yuli blinked, muttering, “Is that even a thing?”
Gong Yiling nodded and smiled. “Yes. So, Yuli, don’t touch it again. It looks dangerous.”
Leng Yuli sighed, disappointed. “Alright, my life is more important…”
They then looked at the sword on the ground, neither daring to touch it again. In the end, they used the same crude method as the host and tied it up with a string.
As they were dealing with this, Gong Yiling replayed all the strange events in her mind.
Mainly, the parts concerning Leng Yuli.
There were only two.
First, the strange, regal aura she had displayed when learning the 160 Great Hammer technique.
Second, the sword’s intent had no effect on her.
After repeatedly pondering these two points, Gong Yiling received a message from Mo Ke.
—About those black-clad men.
“Son of a bitch!”
Mo Ke, having ridden for eight hundred miles, almost slammed his fist on the table.
“What’s wrong? Did you eat a firecracker?” Gong Yiling couldn’t help but complain. “You’re so agitated.”
“You have no idea how troublesome those guys are.” Mo Ke, after venting, took a large gulp of water and said, “They always travel in pairs, avoiding all contact with others. It’s incredibly difficult to track them.”
“But I’m a step ahead of them. Although they’re careful, they still have a weakness. And that is, the restroom—”
“Pfft!!!!!”
Gong Yiling had a terrible thought.
Could this guy have learned some kind of ninjutsu, transformed into a toilet, and then… well, the following scene was a bit too much to imagine.
“Immortal Master?” Mo Ke was startled by her exaggerated reaction. “What’s wrong?”
“Old Mo, I’m curious.” Gong Yiling said earnestly, “Although dedication is a good thing, you shouldn’t just disregard your own humanity. Look at what you’re doing.”
“Huh?” Mo Ke scratched his head, puzzled. “Is it… strange?”
Come to think of it, was what he did really that strange?
He just staked out the restrooms, disguised himself as a mushroom, and listened to their conversations.
Although it sounded a bit perverted, it was a very effective method. That’s how he overheard some very important information.
