Chapter 66: Real? Fake?

The instant Master Yin Xuan shot out that Buddhist bead, I quickly formed a seal and shouted: "Feng Wu, come out!"

Feng Wu was instantly in my hand; without thinking, I pulled the bowstring taut toward the direction the bead was flying.

But I didn't expect Jin Wuya to also act at the same time, forcefully pulling the red rope and hauling me up.

My hand trembled, the bowstring snapped loose, and my aim was gone.

Besides, I couldn't control Feng Wu's aim anyway; five or six bursts of fire shot out simultaneously, one of them hitting the bead and shattering it into mist instantly.

Another burst of fire grazed Master Yin Xuan's eye socket, burning off half his eyebrow.

Master Yin Xuan touched his scorched eye corner, first angry, then when his gaze fell on the golden scale on Feng Wu's bow, he suddenly laughed.

I don't know if I was mistaken, but at the very moment he laughed, I seemed to see his pupils change.

His black pupils turned into a pair of dark blue vertical slits!

But the change lasted only an instant before quickly returning to normal.

Sweat beaded on my palm gripping the bow; I could delay no longer, I raised my hand again and aimed Feng Wu at the six‑petaled lotus below.

Now Jin Wuya has already figured out the cause of Jin Chengyang's death, and what I must do is destroy the rain‑summoning formation and take the golden scale embedded in the former abbot's forehead.

Six clusters of fire were shot out again by Feng Wu, whistling as they struck the six‑petaled lotus.

Before I could figure out how to save myself, the red rope around my ankle suddenly loosened, and then I was hauled up with force!

The next moment, I was lying prone inside the bronze bell, with Jin Wuya right beside me.

Jin Wuya had clearly been hung upside down—a position extremely hard to escape from—but now he was lying comfortably on the inner wall of the bell.

His waist was bound with the red rope that had just tied me; he threw the other end to me: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, hold tight—when the bell swings out, let go at once, I'll bring you down!"

As he spoke, he already swayed his body left and right, making the whole bronze bell rock.

After a big swing, both Jin Wuya and I broke free from the bell.

Jin Wuya grabbed the red rope of the upside‑down red‑dressed girl beside him and slid down, while my body fell faster than his.

At a height of barely four or five centimeters above the ground, the red rope tightened and I landed steadily.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye; at the moment my feet touched the ground, I could hardly believe it was real.

Jin Wuya's tremendous explosive power was beyond my expectation.

Our seamless cooperation and absolute trust were also beyond what I had anticipated.

I glanced back; Jin Wuya was about to land as well.

Meanwhile, the flames Feng Wu had shot fell down and were shattered by the rotating six‑petaled lotus.

Not far away, Master Yin Xuan stood silently, watching us the whole time without immediately intervening.

He was performing a ritual!

But I couldn't worry about that any longer; I rushed straight for the former abbot's physical body, intending to seize the golden scale.

Yet I was grabbed again; Jin Wuya shook his head at me: "Don't go! Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, that golden scale is fake."

"Fake?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"How could that be?"

"When the bell opened and Jin Wuya touched the golden scale, I was there the whole time."

"Although much of its merit and mana had been depleted over the years, the unique aura emanating from its edge would not change."

"I won't mistake it!"

"Hurry up!"

Jin Wuya suddenly shouted; I instinctively followed his gaze and saw Master Yin Xuan forming a seal with his hands, and the six‑petaled lotus finally stopped turning.

Yet the former abbot's corporeal form was shrouded in a faint black aura.

On his forehead, the golden scale that should have gleamed with golden light turned black at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The golden scale is fake!

It really is fake!

How could this be? I… just as I was reeling in shock, Master Yin Xuan stood behind the former abbot.

Is that Master Yin Xuan?

Although he still looks the same, everything about him seems to have changed.

His eyes had become dark blue vertical slits, the corners of his eyes slightly raised, and a fine layer of black scale‑like stuff covered his neck.

Those scales were tiny, packed tightly together, making my scalp tingle.

More importantly, a golden scale was clearly embedded in his forehead!

Our eyes met; he grinned at me, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth…

He wore a monk's robe, so I couldn't see what was beneath, but his whole aura was completely different from the former Master Yin Xuan.

He looked… like a snake that had taken human form!

How could this happen?

What on earth is this Master Yin Xuan?

Jin Wuya was also shocked: "Holy shit, a monster!"

Feng Wu silently reappeared in my hand; although Jin Wuya and I had just managed to save ourselves, facing this Master Yin Xuan our chances of victory are virtually nil.

At least I still have Feng Wu protecting me, while Jin Wuya has nothing.

While shielding him as we retreated toward the front hall, I said: "It's already past midnight; per our agreement, Senior Sister Qingying should already be thinking of how to meet us—just run for the gate, I'll handle the rest."

Jin Wuya opened his mouth to refuse; he couldn't just abandon me like that.

But before he could speak, Master Yin Xuan interjected: "Meeting up? Are you waiting for her?"

He waved his hand; a foul wind swept over, and the clanking of iron chains rang out from the altar.

Beneath the altar, Li Qingying lay soaked, bound by iron chains, on the brink of death, covered in wounds and unable to open her eyes.

How could this be?!

My gaze shifted to Master Yin Xuan again, and gradually I began to understand.

As it turns out, they're keeping a spirit monster in Jiyu Si!

It turns out we've been misled from the very beginning.

What "top lottery pick" to select sacrificial offerings for the rain‑summoning Formation Array? That's all a smokescreen!

Master Yin Xuan enshrined that spirit monster in Jiyu Si, and even his body could be handed over to it at any time.

No wonder he's always calm and unhurried—he acts with impunity.

Who could have imagined that?

My gaze went back and forth between the former abbot's forehead and Master Yin Xuan's forehead several times, and I almost burst out with a wry smile.

No wonder, at the start, neither I nor Jin Wuya could tell that scale was fake—because the real Golden Scale was all around us.

Even that spirit monster is probably being raised in the former abbot's belly.

And Li Qingying has cultivation, so she isn't so easily captured.

It hasn't even rained yet—why is she soaked all over?

Thinking of that, I suddenly recalled the hot spring pool in Jiyu Si—it was like an enlightening pour of sweet dew.

Li Qingying's true form is a red carp; she's alone, and if we tried to confront Jiyu Si head‑on to rescue us, the difficulty would be great.

So she must have thought of taking the water route!

But I never expected that a snake with even higher cultivation would be waiting for her in the waterway!