"Miss, you don't want others to know you're a waste, do you?"
In the most secluded corner of the abandoned garden at Holy Might Manor, Miss Xiao Qingruo was cornered against a vine-covered wall by a tall man. Her back was against the wall, her face pale, and her figure seemed somewhat frail and helpless.
"What are you trying to do? I warn you, don't try anything funny!"
Miss Xiao spoke harshly but was clearly nervous. She clenched her fists tightly, nearly biting through her lip.
The one blocking her was not an outsider, but one of her servants - Xue Yi, a second-class attendant and quite a decent martial artist among the eight hundred guards at Holy Might Manor.
Of course, that was just his official identity.
In fact, Xue Yi was no ordinary attendant who would willingly serve and stand guard at Holy Might Manor for life, ready to sacrifice himself at critical moments.
He had a big secret!
Ten minutes ago, he had come here to try practicing that special memory-linked skill. He didn't expect that in this usually deserted garden, someone would suddenly rush in!
Caught off guard in a critical state, he acted on instinct to silence the witness.
As a result, with one slap... he made the young miss of Holy Might spit blood!
To be honest, in that instant Xue Yi felt he was done for!
Not even ten lives would suffice as compensation!
She was the young miss of Holy Might Manor!
Holy Might Manor was one of the Eight Great Founding Master Manors personally granted by the First Human Emperor of the Ancient Divine Dynasty. Though called a manor, it was essentially a sect. Now in its seventeenth generation, each generation had produced exceptional heroes and overlords. Even the Imperial Family was extremely courteous to the manor lords.
Miss Xiao Qingruo in particular was born accompanied by heavenly signs, known as the "Number One Heavenly Maiden of the Divine Dynasty"! She started cultivating at four, entered the Dragon Tiger Realm at eight, broke through to the Primordial Qi Realm at eleven, and opened up her inner world at fourteen. Now at seventeen, she had reached the level of seizing heavenly lifespan and attaining immortality, on par with masters from all sides!
Throughout the Divine Dynasty, countless outstanding young geniuses dreamed of marrying into Holy Might Manor and becoming this young miss' son-in-law.
It was no exaggeration to say that just being able to marry into Holy Might Manor and become Xiao Qingruo's man meant one could basically coast through life in the Divine Dynasty!
Because she was destined to become the empress of the cultivation world!
It was said that even the Sixth Prince of the empire had once considered renouncing his royal status to marry into the manor, but was mercilessly rejected by the manor lord.
If even the prince was treated thus, what more a commoner?
In the past, even stealing a glance at the young miss would warrant a beating for Xue Yi!
But now...
Xiao Qingruo was slapped flying by him, a Primordial Qi Realm attendant!
This young miss, rumored to have reached the immortal realm, actually couldn't withstand a blow from him, a Primordial Qi Realm minion. She spat blood and tumbled seven or eight meters, rolling several rounds on the ground before she could get up!
No matter how Xue Yi wracked his brains, he couldn't figure out why. It was as if he had randomly fired a toy gun at the sky and shot down a spaceship.
Fortunately, his past life experiences had prepared him for many implausible tales, leaving him with a fairly strong psyche.
After a brief moment of shock, fear, and loss, he swiftly calmed himself. His rationality told him something was wrong with this young miss!
Either she was an imposter, or her rumored strength was fake.
So after injuring this suspicious fake, he rushed forward, covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming and grabbing her wrist to check her pulse and energy.
Xiao Qingruo's eyes widened as she struggled futilely to stop him, but her pair of delicate hands, supposedly able to tear apart flood dragons by ten, were now completely powerless, unable to push Xue Yi away at all.
Xue Yi sensed her pulse was very weak, clearly abnormal! A martial cultivator's heart was usually extremely robust - they could spurt blood dozens of feet high when beheaded. He had witnessed this himself.
With Xiao Qingruo's alleged level, her pulse should be slow yet powerful. But what he sensed was a gentle pattering, like light rain.
This must be fake!
Gripping her neck, he sternly demanded, "Which cheap wench dares to impersonate the young miss!"
Hearing this, Xiao Qingruo nearly fainted from anger.
She had no idea why this damned attendant was lying in ambush at her secret place. She had come out today to replenish her energy and maintain her goddess image.
She didn't expect this damned dog to suddenly slap her silly.
It was already infuriating to be slapped, but this bastard even dared verify her background!
Even more infuriating was... he had actually seen through her!
At this moment, Xiao Qingruo felt her head would explode.
The image she had painstakingly crafted over a decade instantly shattered. The foundations she had worked so hard to lay over the years were on the verge of ruin with a careless mistake.
No, she absolutely could not let this happen!
Gritting her teeth, she berated, "Vile wretch, to actually be so rude to me. Do you wish to die!"
Over a decade of playing the young miss gave her words natural gravitas. Ordinary people would cower at her rebuke.
Xue Yi also nearly faltered.
But fortunately, he had guts!
Restraining the young miss, he coldly laughed. "Still threatening me even in the face of death? Speak! Who exactly are you, impersonating the young miss for what purpose?"
"Bastard, I am Xiao Qingruo! Remove your filthy hands at once, or I'll have you chopped to feed the dogs!" In her anxiety, Xiao Qingruo said what she'd never normally say.
As a peerless beauty, she had always been aloof and proud, disdaining to even speak to lowly people.
Even when she did, it was very flatly, with an attitude of transcendent indifference.
But today's circumstances were special. Already injured, she additionally faced exposure, so it was very difficult to stay calm. Her entire future was at stake, after all.
Xue Yi sneered again. "Nice try, but I won't fall for it. Bringing an imposter who looks exactly like the young miss to see the manor lord, if he even mistakes you for a second, he'd kill me first. Even if you're exposed later, I'd still be dead. No thanks."
"Then what do you want!" Xiao Qingruo was also anxious now.
Still gripping her neck, Xue Yi coldly asked, "State your identity and purpose. Why sneak into Holy Might Manor impersonating the young miss? And why come to this abandoned garden?"
Turning red from choking, Xiao Qingruo still insisted through gritted teeth, "I am Xiao Qingruo. I warn you, if you dare be rude to me again, countless others will dice you to death with one call!"
"Still bluffing? If the real young miss wanted me dead, would she need to call for help? A Saint Realm expert like you, two whole realms above me, rendered completely helpless by a Primordial Qi Realm minion. And you still claim to be the young miss?" Xue Yi was utterly unperturbed.
Xiao Qingruo was so angry she nearly spat blood again.
She clenched her teeth so hard her nails drew blood in her palms. Through gritted teeth, she squeezed out, "You've got guts. If you have the ability, release me and we'll go see the manor lord to verify face to face!"
Xue Yi sneered disdainfully. "No thanks, I won't fall for your trap. Bringing an imposter who looks exactly like the young miss to the manor lord, if he mistakenly thinks you're the real deal even for a second, he'd kill me first. Even if you're exposed later, I'd still be dead first. Forget it."
Xiao Qingruo's expression stiffened, also realizing calling for help now would be just as unfavorable for her.
Even if someone came and killed this damned dog first upon seeing her plight, she would still fall under suspicion and risk exposure!
Her own life was far more precious than Xue Yi's. So she couldn't take this risk!
"Not talking? Let's see how long you can keep up this front!"
Seeing the "fake" still beating around the bush, Xue Yi was also getting impatient.
His time was limited. Still on patrol, returning late would surely raise suspicions. He had to resolve this quickly.
He would expose this fake!
Instinct told Xue Yi she must have used some appearance altering art. It was the only way to look so similar.
Reaching out, he touched her face, looking for some life-like mask to peel off.
But his fingers met only smooth, silky skin, wonderfully supple without any artificial texture. Not a mask at all.
"Could it be not a disguise, but she actually looks alike?" He was very surprised in his heart.
If that was the case, then there must be an enormous conspiracy behind this!
"Speak up! Or I'll force you!" Xue Yi said in a low voice.
In order to coerce this "fake" to speak up quickly, he started using means- putting his hand on the crisscross part of her clothes on her chest and pulling it down, attempting to threaten her.
"What are you doing! Don't touch me!"
When Xiao Qingruo sensed his actions, she shrieked like a cat who got its tail stepped on.
Having her cheeks touched was one thing, but he actually wanted to pull her clothes off, this guard was doomed!
However, she had not lost her reason yet, and kept her voice low, so as to not let anyone outside hear.
"Speak up! Or I'll just take you right here, then strangle you and bury you! This abandoned garden might not even have someone come once in a few months, by the time you've rotted into a skeleton, no one will be able to recognize you! Even if you really are the young miss, no one will know!" Xue Yi said viciously.
"No, don't do that!"
At this point, Xiao Qingruo was completely panicking.
She didn't want to die, much less be violated! Being the Goddess was really enjoyable, her list of pursuers lined up could make up a million word novel, and the feeling of being admired and ordering people around everyday was also extremely addicting. If she died, then all of that would be gone!
"You... What do you want to know?" She asked with a crying face, life and death held in someone else's hands, she had no choice but to submit.
Xue Yi repeated: "Who... are... you!"
"I really am... no, no, I'm not Xiao Qingruo!"
She wanted to admit it.
But suddenly thought, if she admitted it and this scumbag spread it around, what would she do?
She didn't have the ability to kill anyone herself, even if she safely walked out of this garden, she could get some brawny men to sneak in and chop this dog into pieces in the middle of the night, then feed him to the dogs!
Although the final words of a worthless guard probably wouldn't affect her prestige, she still had to be cautious!
As the saying goes, a tiny breach may collapse the dam, the tiniest carelessness could cause fatal harm, she didn't dare take the risk!
"Then who are you? Who sent you here?" Xue Yi asked.
"I, I am... I am Xiao Qingshui, Xiao Qingruo's twin sister. She has good talent while I have poor talent, she always keeps me locked up, and I only managed to escape today to take a look at the outside world." Xiao Qingruo's mind raced and she quickly came up with this excuse.
"Huh? Twin sisters?" A row of question marks popped up over Xue Yi's head.
This reason was too far-fetched, he wasn't some country bumpkin who'd never seen TV shows or read books before, how could he possibly believe this?
He immediately applied some strength and pulled her clothes down a bit more, threatening: "I don't have time to waste with you, you'd best tell the truth, otherwise I can only skip the interrogation and directly take care of you."
"Ah! No, don't!"
The cold feeling on her chest caused Xiao Qingruo to become even more flustered.
Seeing this guard who was hard to fool, and even dared to offend her, she was completely stumped.
She replied: "I... I'll tell the truth. I really am Xiao Qingruo, actually... actually I'm a cripple, unable to cultivate. All these years, it was all an act..."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Xue Yi didn't quite understand.
Xiao Qingruo bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and said with a pained expression: "I'm telling you, but you can't tell anyone else..."
At this time, a new plan had already flashed through her mind.
The pitiful appearance was all an act.
She wasn't some weak girl, her heart was quite black!
When under the eaves, one had no choice but to lower one's head. Seeing that Xue Yi was hard to deal with, she could only temporarily reveal part of the truth to trade for her own safety.
After getting out of danger, she would find a quiet time in the middle of the night, get a few brawny men to sneak in carrying machetes, and under the cover of darkness, silently chop this dog into pieces and feed him to the dogs!
"Speak. Make it quick."
Xue Yi vaguely realized something was off, his expression also became solemn.
He was limited on time and didn't dare delay too long, hurrying Xiao Qingruo to speak faster.
Xiao Qingruo was also straightforward, not beating around the bush anymore, because her time was also limited.
She spoke of her secret.
"I actually don't have any spiritual roots, ever since I was little I couldn't cultivate."
"The reason I exhibit powerful cultivation talent and realm is because I have a treasure that can simulate energy undulations to create illusions, deceiving other people's senses."
"When I was four, I picked up a 11 lb rock, used illusion to make others think it was 1100 lbs, so everyone thought I'd entered the Quenching Body Realm."
"When I was eight, I was playing by the riverside, used illusion to make the guards think I drove away a flood dragon, when it was actually just a small lobster."
"When the Lord tested my powers and realm, I also used illusion to deceive him, making him think I had a god-grade physique and exceptional cultivation."
"My treasure is very powerful, it can deceive anyone below the Saint Realm, never failing over all these years, I didn't expect to be seen through by you..."
Xue Yi's brows furrowed tightly upon hearing this, feeling that this was too outrageous.
"The treasure? Let me see!" He stretched out his hand, not quite believing it.
Xiao Qingruo shook her head. "Can't, it's inside my head, I can't take it out."
"Inside your head?"
Xue Yi's heart thudded, instantly realizing something.
It was impossible to fit a treasure inside a human brain, or she would have died long ago.
What she meant was probably "system" right?
The most powerful illusion system?
The most powerful showing off system?
Or the most powerful scamming system?
This girl... could she also be a transmigrator?
Hiss...
How interesting!
However, he didn't plan on exposing his own origins!
As the saying goes, no secrets can be kept between fellow villagers, you'll get shot in the back! This girl could play these scams so seamlessly for over a decade without slipping up, she was clearly extremely crafty, he absolutely could not let her know too much, or things would get troublesome!
"You, you can let me go now right?"
Xiao Qingruo put on a pitiful appearance.
She was very beautiful, the title of Goddess didn't just refer to her abilities and talent, but her looks were also top-notch, although still quite young and hadn't fully exhibited her charms yet, she was already a peerless beauty capable of toppling states and cities. A normal man seeing her would surely soften.
Being looked at pitifully by her watery eyes, Xue Yi... had absolutely no reaction, and even wanted to punch her to death.
Things had become troublesome now.
Extremely, extremely troublesome!
This wasn't an imposter, but the real deal!
He had unintentionally uncovered the young miss's greatest secret, and even assaulted her, what to do now?
Kill her?
No, if she died, Xue Yi would also die, one life for one life, both sides would suffer losses.
But in the current situation, if he didn't kill Xiao Qingruo, Xiao Qingruo would definitely find a way to kill him when she went back!
He definitely didn't believe this young miss would let him off!
What should he do?
Xue Yi's mind spun quickly, pondering seriously for a while.
Soon, a plan came to mind!
He temporarily released Xiao Qingruo's neck.
Xiao Qingruo quickly got up, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, said "Thank you", then wanted to leave.
"Hold on, I haven't let you leave yet."
Xue Yi flashed forward in a step, blocking her path.
"You... What more do you want?" Xiao Qingruo asked fearfully.
Xue Yi walked towards her with an evil smile, step by step.
Xiao Qingruo became more panicked.
Xue Yi was too tall, she was only 1.65 meters, while Xue Yi was 1.9 meters. She had to crane her neck to even see this man's face.
Seeing the ill intentions on this scoundrel's face, she was very worried that this crafty man had guessed she planned to backstab him after. Then knowing he didn't have the power to resist her as the young miss, wanted to go down in flames, satisfying himself first by taking her chastity before he died, doing a "Dying under the peony, as a ghost be a libertine".
Very possible!
The situation was very bad!
Xiao Qingruo retreated.
Xue Yi pressed step by step, she became more panicked.
Thud
Unknowingly, she retreated to the corner.
Xiao Qingruo clenched her clothes tightly, nervous.
Xue Yi grinned and said: "Young miss, you also don't want other people finding out you're actually a cripple right?"