The Heaven-Peering Mirror

"Commander, you give us too much credit. We all came from an obscure village in the Endless Mountains. How could there be any question of a sect?" Xiao Changlin glanced at Ye Fan and said to the commander.

Commander Zha was clearly unconvinced. The others were easy enough to account for: they were mortals of flesh and blood, as anyone could see. But this Ye Fan gave off an unfathomable impression. Even someone in the Golden Core Realm could not see through him.

Commander Zha released his divine sense, enveloping Ye Fan as he tried to examine him closely.

Ye Fan only felt his mind go hazy for a moment, as though something had touched his divine sense. It lasted just an instant, so he paid it little mind. What he did not know was that Commander Zha had already probed him thoroughly in that instant.

"That can't be right. This boy is brimming with Spiritual Qi. He shouldn't be a mere mortal of flesh and blood!"

Suddenly, a possibility occurred to Commander Zha. "An Innate Spirit Body."

At some point, the constable had slipped behind the group. From what the commander had said, there was clearly something suspicious about them. Could they be spies from the Wu Kingdom?

Ye Fan and the others naturally noticed the constable behind them as well. They immediately grew tense. Had something gone wrong?

The people ahead of them in the line also turned to look. The group wore ordinary clothes and did not look like wicked people. Could it be that one might know a person's face but not their heart? They silently moved away from the spot.

"Young friend Ye, the city lord's manor has a treasure called the Heaven-Peering Mirror. It can reveal every secret of the body. Would you be willing to come and see it?" Having thought of this possibility, even Commander Zha could not remain composed. He immediately wanted to take Ye Fan and the others to the city lord's manor.

"Commander Zha, I don't know what Ye Fan has done to trouble you, but we truly came from the Endless Mountains. There isn't a word of falsehood in it!" Xiao Changlin said anxiously.

"You are... er, may I ask your esteemed surname, sir?"

"My lord, this commoner's surname is Xiao! I would not dare call it esteemed!"

"Mr. Xiao, this is only a guess of mine. If I'm right, it will be a tremendous blessing for both young friend Ye Fan and your Hundred Stars Village!"

"Please put your mind at ease, Mr. Xiao. This will not harm young friend Ye Fan in any way! I give you my word as commander."

"Well..." Xiao Changlin still did not dare agree on his own. While he was at a loss, Ye Fan spoke up.

"Since you believe there is something strange inside me, Commander, I'm willing to go to the city lord's manor and get to the bottom of it. That will put my own mind at ease too."

"Excellent. Then please follow me!" With that, he led the way to the city lord's manor.

The group followed close behind.

"Huh? Could that kid have something else the commander has taken a liking to?" the constable muttered to himself in confusion.

"Maybe that kid's about to soar to great heights! I'm so jealous!"

The constable thought no more of it and went to the granary entrance to carry out his duties.

The city lord's manor was not far from the Ever-Normal Granary, and the group arrived before long.

The servants in the manor were each busy with their own tasks. Although the city lord had disappeared, Commander Zha had kept the news from spreading, and the manor continued to run in an orderly fashion as usual.

"Commander Zha, I did not know you were coming and failed to come out to greet you. Please forgive me!" An old man spotted the commander's party and hurried over, cupping his fists in greeting.

"Steward He, please forgive my unannounced visit. I have an important matter to attend to, so I've come to trouble the city lord's manor!" Commander Zha cupped his fists in return.

"What matter is troubling you, Commander? Might this old man be of assistance?"

"Steward He, this matter must not be made public. You see..."

"Oh, quite right. This old man was muddleheaded. Please forgive me, Commander. Let us go inside to discuss it in detail! Please..."

"Someone, bring tea..." The commander and the others followed Steward He into the main hall.

Before anyone could speak, several maids entered carrying porcelain tea sets. They filled the cups and withdrew of their own accord, closing the doors behind them as they left.

Xiao Changlin and his companions could not help growing tense.

"Steward He, for this matter, I need to borrow the city lord's Heaven-Peering Mirror. Would you be willing to make the arrangements?"

"Commander Zha, there's no need to say that. While the city lord is away, we naturally follow your orders. You do this old man too much honor by asking!" With outsiders present, the steward merely said that the city lord was away.

"Please wait a moment, my lord. I'll fetch it at once."

"Sorry for the trouble, Steward He!"

Steward He pushed the door open and left. Xiao Changlin and the others looked at one another, unsure what to do.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony. This is top-grade spring tea. Please, have some!"

"Thank you, Commander!" Though Xiao Changlin had his doubts, if the commander wanted to make things difficult for them, surely he would not go to all this trouble. He felt a little calmer. He picked up his teacup and lifted the lid, and a delicate fragrance wafted into his nose. Good tea...

Seeing Xiao Changlin start to drink, Ye Fan and the others copied him with an air of importance, though they looked rather awkward doing it.

Commander Zha had been watching them all along. Their words and manners did not seem feigned. Perhaps they really had come from the mountains.

Before long, Steward He pushed the door open and came in with a servant, who carried an exquisite wooden box in his arms.

"All right, put it on the table. You may leave."

"Yes."

The servant gently set the wooden box on the table and tiptoed out of the room.

"Commander Zha, this is the Heaven-Peering Mirror. I'll take my leave now. If you need anything, just call for me."

"Thank you, Steward He! Please, attend to your business!"

Steward He withdrew from the room once again, closing the doors behind him.

The Heaven-Peering Mirror could probe heaven and earth and peer into the sun and moon. Nothing in the myriad things of the world could escape its scrutiny. No matter how deeply something was hidden, its true form would be exposed before the Heaven-Peering Mirror.

Commander Zha carefully took out the mirror and stood it on the table. "Young friend Ye, please stand in front of the mirror! Don't worry, it won't harm your body."

Hearing this, Ye Fan walked straight up to the mirror. Now that they had come this far, if he did not let the commander examine him, probably none of them would be able to leave. Did they really think someone who had risen to the position of commander would be a modest gentleman?

Ye Fan was not worried either. If they truly faced danger, he could immediately take everyone into the Inner World. They might not be able to win a fight, but surely they could still run!

Ye Fan examined the mirror closely. It was no different from Xiao Ke'er's mirror. The only difference was that this one was much larger, the size of a millstone.

Commander Zha circulated his Spiritual Qi, and the Heaven-Peering Mirror immediately became a riot of colors. Its colors shifted constantly, a most peculiar sight. This was a treasure.

The Heaven-Peering Mirror emitted waves of white light that enveloped Ye Fan. Commander Zha watched the changes in the mirror closely as its radiance flowed and shifted unpredictably.

Enveloped in the white light, Ye Fan felt no discomfort. It seemed the treasure really was harmless to the body. He relaxed a little.

Just then, the Heaven-Peering Mirror began to tremble, and the whole table rumbled as though it might shatter at any moment. Commander Zha immediately withdrew his Spiritual Qi, and only then did the mirror slowly settle down.

"This is..."

Ye Fan himself was startled too. Could the mirror really have discovered his secret?

Commander Zha picked up the Heaven-Peering Mirror and examined it closely. Nothing like this had ever happened before! This young friend Ye Fan truly was extraordinary.

Normally, when the Heaven-Peering Mirror examined someone, their potential was reflected in the mirror. The greater their potential, the stronger the light; the lesser it was, the dimmer the light. Now the Heaven-Peering Mirror had shifted unpredictably, never settling down, and had even risked shattering! Could this boy possess heaven-flooding potential...

This boy must stay. The Wu Kingdom's spies must never learn of him. Given time, his name will surely shake the region!

Commander Zha put the Heaven-Peering Mirror back in its wooden box, but what he did not know was that a tiny, barely visible crack had appeared in it. It had probed beyond its own limits and suffered a backlash.