Chapter 714: Chapter 552: The Persistent Spirit
The heart convulsed violently for a moment, the old man’s gaze was sharp and venomous; this was the first time someone had recognized the extraordinariness of the drama robe at a single glance, and the next second, Yang Xiao’s heart was grasped by a soft yet boneless palm, an icy coldness transmitted from the fingertips, piercing to the bone.
"Big Sister is awake!" Yang Xiao realized belatedly, "No, she’s been awake all along, just hiding because she sensed the presence of this Netherworld-level old man!"
Having spent so much time together, Yang Xiao could glimpse some of Big Sister’s emotions through subtle changes; in face of this Netherworld-level old man, Big Sister was very vigilant, even revealing a hint of hostility.
Yang Xiao instantly became alert; Big Sister’s wariness was likely not just because she dreaded the old man’s terrifying power but also because she sensed something.
He couldn’t reveal his true intentions to the old man, nor could he expose Big Sister’s secrets, or the consequences would be unpredictable!
Now the problem was that he wasn’t sure how much the old man had figured out, but he decided to trust Big Sister’s judgment; almost instantaneously, Yang Xiao had a plan in his mind. Ordinary lies would never deceive the man, he could only mix nine parts of falsehood with one part of truth.
"Where did you get this garment?" The old man’s tone was very casual.
The more casual it seemed, the more problematic Yang Xiao felt it was, but his face appeared as normal as he replied, "You mean this garment? It was not something I stole... It was rightfully obtained from a nightmare task."
"What kind of task was it?" the old man continued to ask.
Yang Xiao feigned a reminiscent look and slowly recounted the incident at the Huang Family Mansion, of course, not all of it. He hid some details, telling only an overarching story. It was reasonable for normal human memory to have omissions; remembering everything crystal clear would be suspicious, an incomplete lie was closer to the truth.
This was a three-way game of wits: the old man, Yang Xiao, and the drama robe female ghost. Yang Xiao could feel that whenever he mentioned the lake, Big Sister seemed very averse, and the hand grasping his heart would clench slightly tighter. It felt more like a threat.
The secret was buried in the lake, but not that sunken Hebo Xi Ship at the lake’s bottom; it wasn’t worthy enough. It was the Nine-story pagoda hidden deeper in the colder, darker waters!
That was the drama robe female ghost’s secret!
After listening to Yang Xiao’s narration, the old man appeared contemplative, but as the old man’s next words were uttered, the uneasiness in Yang Xiao’s heart finally took form, "What does the lake look like, how large is it, is there any construction on it...?"
Yang Xiao pretended to ponder, shaking his head after a moment, "It’s not very large, connected to the mansion’s backyard. A construction on the lake..." He paused suddenly, then looked up, asking with confusion, "What are you referring to?"
"For example... an ancient tower?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao immediately realized that the old man knew far more than he had imagined; he knew about the sunken Nine-story pagoda at the lake bottom!
What was more terrifying was that the old man didn’t come out and say it directly but instead pieced together his guesses bit by bit; he wasn’t certain whether the garment Yang Xiao wore was truly the item he was searching for.
But... was it really necessary? The disparity in their strengths was vast, and to uncover the truth, he just needed to capture Yang Xiao.
Only the two of them were here, with Qu Muzhi unconscious, no different from a corpse. The old man had no need to make it so complicated.
Yang Xiao couldn’t understand these points, but since the old man hadn’t taken such actions, there must be a reason for it. Yang Xiao guessed there had to be an unknown reason. Perhaps the old man didn’t want to acquire the item but confirm its ownership.
Regardless, under Big Sister’s formidable power, Yang Xiao firmly stood with her, united in their stance against the outside threat—the old man was the outsider.
He firmly told the old man that there was nothing on the lake but a few broken boats, while at the lakebed, there indeed was a sunken ship.
"The ability of this garment... would you care to share with me?" The old man looked at Yang Xiao, his eyes still carrying that calm demeanor.
Yang Xiao bitterly smiled inside, not wishing to answer, but he couldn’t dare not to; so he nodded obediently, pretending to be compliant, "Senior, the garment’s ability is very good, it can resist damage."
Yang Xiao had seen many magic artifacts that could resist damage, especially garments; thus, such an answer wasn’t out of place. Moreover, the drama robe did indeed have the ability to resist damage.
However, the old man didn’t seem very interested in this answer; one could sense a disappointment in his eyes, more precisely, a sense of loss.
"How dare a Fierce Level Apostle like you, compete in a Class B competition," the old man’s tone contained more concern, "Have you encountered trouble?"
Yang Xiao couldn’t help nodding as if he had latched onto the last lifeline, "Senior, to be frank, I was harmed by the Yu Yuan Sect. Inside that Soul-Capturing Mirror, there’s a ghost that’s very difficult to deal with, and it grows rapidly. I’ve almost been harmed by it several times!"
The old man seemed to recall an experience in the Mirror World from not long ago and slowly nodded his head, "I remember now, there indeed was a ghost last time, but it was hiding."
"Senior, that is precisely why I am here this time, to resolve this issue!" Yang Xiao once again stated his purpose. This Class B competition was almost over; hence the Academy should fulfill their promise and let him into the Scripture Pavilion.
"Hmm, you helped the Academy expose a traitor; I’ll think of a way to help you with this," the old man promised.
At those words, the stone in Yang Xiao’s heart fell to the ground. With this person willing to help, a minor ghost in the mirror was nothing to fret over, "Thank you, senior, for your life-saving grace; I shall never forget!" Yang Xiao bowed solemnly to the old man.
