“There are actually people like this,” Mystic Cloud Master froze, “How could the Prison Mountain Realm harbor such a deranged existence, and someone capable of beheading Xie Chong must be a master among masters… Why would a master do something like this?”

“Who knows, maybe he’s just plain insane,” Snowy Owl replied with indifference, “Those bandits earlier weren’t much different from demons either. They killed and tortured for selfish reasons… People like that, once they gain power, will choose to become a demon’s lackeys. I’m not surprised.”

Lin Yu nodded.

“Motives aren’t that important. But knowing such a person exists isn’t a bad thing,” Lin Yu exhaled, “At least we have a new lead—since there’s an accomplice, let’s start by investigating the accomplice.”

“I really don’t know who that accomplice is, I know too little about them…” Mystic Cloud Master said helplessly.

“But I have a clue. The person who hired Golden Fortune Escort Agency to transport Xie Chong’s body is a wealthy man from Yan Town, short with a mole on his left cheek. It might be a false identity, but following that thread should yield results.”

As Lin Yu spoke, Mystic Cloud Master nodded.

“Yan Town… that town isn’t too far from here,” he said, taking several talismans from his sleeves. “I have several swift-travel talismans you heroes can use to speed your journey. With them, you can make the round trip in half a day.”

“Ahead, won’t you come with us, Taoist?” Seagull asked curiously.

“I can’t leave,” Mystic Cloud Master shook his head. “My five Taoist temples are the key to restraining the Thousand-Eyed Thousand-Silk Demon Lord. If I leave, the temples will lose their suppressive force, and its control over Twin Saw Mountain and the surrounding area will only strengthen.”

“So… you’ll have to trouble you heroes to go alone.”

Lin Yu agreed and quickly stepped forward to take the swift-travel talismans, tucking them into his chest. “No big deal. But Taoist, one more thing—where is Xie Chong’s remaining body that you have?”

Mystic Cloud Master was taken aback, then gave a wry smile. “You’re remarkably sharp, young friend. How did you guess that I still have Xie Chong’s remains?”

“I could deduce in some way that parts of Xie Chong’s remains must be on the nearby peaks,” Lin Yu said calmly. After all, both the Little Fire Dragon trio and Snowy Owl’s trio entered the dungeon nearby, and their tasks were all related to Willow Town, so it’s highly likely there are Xie Chong remains or similar items in this area. “If the bandit strongholds around here don’t have them, then they must be in your Taoist temple, Senior Mystic Cloud Master.”

Mystic Cloud Master sighed. “Right, they are indeed hidden in my temple.”

He turned, took a box from under the altar, and opened it. Inside lay a gray left thigh.

The texture and feel of that left leg matched the remains Lin Yu carried on his back; the cut was equally neat and smooth, and the two could be fitted together.

But that left leg was entirely covered with yellow paper talismans, apparently suppressing its aura.

“Although you heroes and my young friend are not villains, you are people I trust, this Xie Chong remnant is too important,” Mystic Cloud Master hesitated. “That is why I initially hid Xie Chong’s remains… after all, splitting them into five and only getting two pieces back would be far too dangerous.”

“Even if you friends aren’t villains, if someone targets them…”

Mystic Cloud Master whispered, but Lin Yu interrupted him.

“There’s certainly risk… but now we have to take it,” Lin Yu said seriously. “Senior Mystic Cloud Master, you and I both know the Thousand-Eyed Thousand-Silk Demon Lord is growing stronger. It already dares to extend its silk strands outward; given time, can you truly suppress it any longer?”

“Besides, we now know it has an accomplice outside,” Lin Yu said in a low voice. “If we don’t act or resort to drastic measures, what’s the difference between that and watching this demon slowly return to the world?”

“Handing Xie Chong’s remains to me might be the only way to lure out that mysterious person who’s been operating in the shadows!”

Lin Yu finished, and Mystic Cloud Master pondered before slowly nodding.

“You make a good point, young friend. At this stage, only a gamble remains!”

With that, Mystic Cloud Master began to remove the talismans.

Instantly…

The same remnant aura as the one on Lin Yu’s back surged forth. The vigorous life force of the two combined, producing an effect greater than the sum of its parts!

Bang!

The left leg flew from Mystic Cloud Master’s hand and instantly reattached to the remaining body on Lin Yu’s back, rejoining perfectly.

Mystic Cloud Master watched in astonishment, tension, and worry. “So it is true. Once the seal is removed, at this distance… Xie Chong’s body will automatically reunite!”

“This aura will surely attract the Thousand-Eyed Thousand-Silk Demon Lord’s covetousness—if you’re heading to Yan Town, go quickly.”

Lin Yu, however, shook his head calmly.

“No rush, Taoist. Wait a moment.”

Lin Yu turned and looked toward the temple entrance.

Sure enough…

A figure stepped out from the doorway.

At the same time, a leisurely voice sounded.

“As expected, Xie Chong’s body is within.”

Lin Yu looked at the newcomer and smiled without surprise. “Hello, dear ‘Chen Yuanye’ senior brother.”

“Hello, my dear junior sister.”

The figure emerged from the shadow, revealing Chen Yuanye’s scruffy face.

“I didn’t expect you’d see through my disguise so quickly,” Chen Yuanye said softly. “When did you realize I wasn’t really Chen Yuanye?”

“At first,” Lin Yu tilted his head and said, “you claimed you were trapped there for an entire year. Though your clothes and armor were tattered and you were filthy and bearded, that place didn’t look like somewhere a person could live for a whole year underground.”

“Where are the traces of your eating, drinking, and… other daily life?” Lin Yu sighed. “Your acting was excellent. If I judged solely by your performance, I would have almost truly believed you were Chen Yuanye…”

At that, Lin Yu couldn’t help but admire him inwardly—this was the best acting he had seen so far. Every line, every reaction, every display of genuine feeling was incredibly convincing; it didn’t feel acted at all.

His performance even outshone most of Lin Yu’s own improvisations—truly, geniuses in the Ten Realms are countless, and even in Lin Yu’s strongest fields there can be rivals of equal skill.

What a pity though…

“But your costume, makeup, and set design get zero points, friend… You could’ve said a week, two weeks, anything. Why insist on a whole year?”

Lin Yu said regretfully.

Chen Yuanye shrugged casually. “I had no choice, because the real Chen Yuanye really did disappear a year ago.”

Lin Yu froze at that, then it clicked. “Oh, I see… So the person who spoke with me underground and traveled with me along the way was the real Chen Yuanye, not someone ‘acting’!”

“Of course,” Chen Yuanye said smugly, “the genuine article is always easier to fool people than a fake—just fabricate a year’s worth of memories in his mind, then release the original.”

Lin Yu heard that and felt a bit disappointed.

“Well… I thought I’d finally met a rare acting prodigy!”