Thousand Illusions

Gradually, a faint cluster of golden light rose from above the dagger.

Yang Xiao's vision blurred, and an impoverished scholar and a noble young lady appeared in his mind, making love beneath the moon.

Yet after it was over, the poor scholar actually transformed into an ugly, hunchbacked old man and left in a cloud of dust without even looking back.

The scene shifted.

A renowned hero of the martial world won a beauty's hand through a contest for marriage, only to climb over the wall and leave after getting what he wanted, transforming into that ugly, hunchbacked old man.

Wealthy wanderers, country squires, mountain bandits, horse raiders... the images kept changing.

The hunchbacked old man constantly changed identities, moving between different women, yet he was never exposed.

Until one day, while the Heavenly Master of the Peace Sect was in seclusion, the old man impersonated the Heavenly Master, snuck in with the Saintess of that generation, and even got her pregnant.

After the Heavenly Master emerged from seclusion, he flew into a thunderous rage and hunted the old man for three years, finally killing him and taking the dagger away.

Because the matter was far too humiliating, the truth was hidden by that generation's Heavenly Master.

As for this dagger, the Heavenly Master studied it for many years but never found any clues, so he tossed it into the Peace Sect's Treasure Pavilion.

In the blink of an eye, several thousand years passed. This pitch-black, lightless dagger that looked utterly ordinary was completely ignored and treated as trash to stand on.

One day, a young man who had just joined the Peace Sect accidentally rendered a great service. In the Treasure Pavilion, he sensed that the dagger was extraordinary, so he took it away and studied it day and night.

Although this young man studied it for many years, he still found no clues.

But to his delighted surprise, the young man discovered that by comprehending the dagger day and night, he could actually change his bearing and appearance.

This caused him, whose original aptitude and bones were only lower-grade, to be constantly favored and supported by all kinds of female seniors and older sisters, allowing him to make a comeback all the way and eventually cultivate to the point of a second blood exchange.

The images ended there.

"The ugly, hunchbacked 'Jade-Faced Love Saint,' Song Xiaoyao? The present life's 'Passionate Young Master,' Song Que?"

"Could the child that generation's Saintess carried after sleeping with Song Xiaoyao have been Song Que's ancestor?"

The more Yang Xiao thought about it, the more possible it seemed.

The Thousand Illusion Dagger had gathered dust in the Peace Sect for several thousand years, yet no one had ever been able to understand it, or even sense it. Why could Song Que sense it?

If this dagger was something that belonged to Song Que's ancestor, then it was not strange at all.

"Song Que, haven't you always looked down on me? At the end of the day, aren't you just a duck?"

"And even in your dreams, you'd never imagine that your Song family's ancestral treasure would, through a freak combination of circumstances, not only fall into my hands, but also have all its secrets understood by me."

Yang Xiao's heart stirred, and he rose to pick up the dagger.

Whoosh—

In an instant, "Yang Xiao" vanished from where he stood.

An ugly old man with a face full of wrinkles and a hunched back immediately appeared inside the inner room.

"Zhao Hu is skilled in disguise, and he learned his disguise art from Boss Zhao."

"And as Song Que's trusted aide, it isn't surprising that Boss Zhao could learn disguise art from Song Que."

"But no matter how strong Song Que's disguise art is, it still can't compare to this Thousand Illusion Dagger of mine."

With a thought from Yang Xiao, the hunchbacked old man disappeared instantly.

Yang Xiao's own figure appeared in the same spot once more.

"So the Thousand Illusion Dagger, when stained with hair, sweat, or human blood, can only imitate appearance, and it's very easy for acquaintances to see through."

"Only by devouring flesh and blood, supplemented by soul-searching to obtain the target's memories, can it perfectly replicate the target's physique and aura, making truth and falsehood impossible to distinguish."

After carefully digesting the vast memories in his mind, Yang Xiao finally understood that although Song Xiaoyao killed people and searched souls at the drop of a hat, and though he repeatedly carried beauties home in his arms, he had also suffered the backlash of the Thousand Illusion Dagger.

At first, Song Xiaoyao paid it no mind. By the time he realized something was wrong, seventy or eighty percent of his lifespan had already been devoured by the dagger, and his life was about to reach its end.

Unwilling to accept it, Song Xiaoyao simply smashed the pot since it was already cracked and turned his rotten idea onto the Peace Sect's Saintess, ultimately being hunted to death by the Heavenly Master.

However, this flaw was no great matter for Yang Xiao, who possessed the Myriad Phenomena Heaven-Swallowing Art.

"This dagger was once stained with Boss Zhao's blood, and also with Song Que's blood. Then wouldn't I..."

Yang Xiao's heart stirred, and his face immediately twisted, transforming into Boss Zhao's features.

A cold, unruly aura immediately spread in all directions beneath the night sky.

Even Yang Xiao's height actually increased quite a bit along with it!

Very soon, Boss Zhao disappeared from where he stood.

Another elegant and handsome young nobleman immediately appeared in the inner room.

It was just that this young nobleman's build was on the thin side, and he was not particularly tall. Though he could still be called romantic and dashing, he was far inferior to Song Que. One look, and anyone could tell he was a fake.

"My phantom can devour flesh and blood, and it obtained Boss Zhao's memories, but I don't know Song Que's memories. This should be the difference behind the different simulation results."

Yang Xiao tested it a few more times and reached his final conclusion.

As for the hunchbacked old man?

Though Yang Xiao had not devoured this man.

But as the former owner of the Thousand Illusion Dagger, this man's aura had long since merged with the Thousand Illusion Dagger as one.

As long as Yang Xiao activated it with a secret art, he could simulate it perfectly, without the slightest flaw.

Unfortunately, the Thousand Illusion Dagger could only replicate the target's aura. Yang Xiao's cultivation was still Iron Skin, and aside from using it to bluff people, it was not of much use.

"This Blood-Exchange secret medicine simply isn't for sale. I'm now at the pinnacle of Iron Skin and must break through as soon as possible. I have to find a way to get the secret medicine..."

Gazing at the sky, which had already begun to glow faintly, Yang Xiao rubbed his aching temples. The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. He turned and left his small courtyard, walking all the way toward Vermilion Bird Tower.

"Good morning, Lord Yang."

At the steamed-bun stall at the corner of the alley, Old Liu did not even need Yang Xiao to give an order. He immediately wrapped up three baskets of soup dumplings in lotus leaves and handed them to Yang Xiao with a face full of smiles.

Yang Xiao had given him a large sum of broken silver in advance, allowing Old Liu and his granddaughter to rent a place in the outer city and have somewhere to settle in this chaotic age. Naturally, he was deeply grateful to Yang Xiao and treated him with utmost respect.

"Morning, Old Liu."

Yang Xiao picked up the soup dumplings, casually pinched the little face of Old Liu's granddaughter beside him, carved from powder and jade, then turned and left.

"Grandpa even said Uncle Yang had no thoughts about me. A girl's face—how can it be touched so casually?"

Through the keen hearing brought by the Nine Cicada Auditory Arts, Yang Xiao listened to the little girl's muttering behind him. His face darkened, and he suddenly wanted to slap himself.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Yang Xiao's pupils shrank, and he abruptly looked to the left.

At the corner of the alley on the left, a figure vanished in a flash.

If not for Yang Xiao's extraordinary hearing, even another Iron Skin realm cultivator probably would not have noticed the slightest clue.

"Not good. I'm being followed!"

Yang Xiao's heart sank. Pretending as if nothing had happened, he strolled forward unhurriedly.

When he passed a deserted, remote alley, Yang Xiao suddenly accelerated. In the blink of an eye, he had run without a trace.

Hurried footsteps actually sounded from several directions at the same time.

Before long, three burly men with temples bulging high walked into the alley from different places and gathered together.

The three looked at one another, all unable to help frowning.

"Just three ordinary Iron Skins, and they actually dared to follow me? They're simply courting death!"

Separated by only a wall, Yang Xiao, hiding in the shadows, was just about to make his move when his pupils suddenly shrank. He quickly held his breath and stood still, not daring to breathe loudly.

In the distance, a mass of brilliant gray mist was rushing over at a speed as fast as lightning.

This person was overflowing with killing intent, and the gray mist above his head was actually a full—nine inches tall!