A Web of Deception

That night, He Suosi found himself restless, unable to sleep. He rose, deciding to practice the rather questionable cultivation technique that had caused his soul to jump bodies twice now. Yet, following the spiritual energy circuits outlined within the jade slip, he found himself unable to extract even a single wisp of energy.

‘Does it only function when one is teetering on the brink of death?’

He Suosi tried to mentally prompt the flow of energy, but he still failed. Giving up, he sat at his desk to read. As he did, a hint of weariness finally crept over him. He propped his head up and dozed off, his eyes half-closed.

Just then, a series of muffled thumps—thump, thump, thump—suddenly echoed through the room.

He Suosi started, instantly jolting awake. He gazed around in confusion for a moment before realizing the sound came from the small window beside him—the only window in the room.

He didn’t know what the original Pei Nishang had been thinking. Compared to Yu Anlin’s former room, Pei Nishang’s chamber resembled a cage. Aside from the main door, it featured only a single, small square window. All four walls were lined with bookshelves overflowing with a myriad of books, interspersed with various lighting fixtures. To reach the bed, one had to navigate a literal maze of these towering shelves. The first time He Suosi had visited as Yu Anlin, he’d thought that anyone living here would surely develop depression.

That window rarely opened, and even when it did, all one could see was a cluster of oleander bushes. Once the season passed, it became nothing more than a verdant tangle of withered branches and dead leaves, offering little to admire.

Yet, at this moment, that very window was being knocked upon.

He Suosi had always considered himself skilled and daring. Although startled, he quickly frowned and walked to the window. Through the yellowed paper pane, a faint human silhouette was vaguely discernible.

‘If it’s someone Pei Nishang knows, how should I respond?’ A thought flashed through his mind, but He Suosi had already spoken, “What is it?” If it was indeed an associate of Pei Nishang, asking “Who are you?” would expose him instantly.

“The task is complete,” the person replied. Their voice was hoarse, like sandpaper grinding together.

“…”

‘What task?’

He Suosi remained silent for a moment before responding with a simple, “Oh.”

“Then where are the things you promised me?” the voice pressed.

“…” He Suosi steeled himself. “You will receive them, naturally.”

After saying this, He Suosi intended to probe further, hoping to extract information about what the other party truly desired. However, the person was decisive; upon receiving the answer, the shadow vanished from the window.

‘Damn it! How am I supposed to know what I owe you if you don’t tell me!’

He Suosi gritted his teeth, wondering whether he should pursue them. Before he could hesitate for more than a few seconds, another knocking sound came from beside the bed. He Suosi thought the person had returned, but then he heard a new voice from outside.

It was a young girl’s voice. Though hushed, its clear and melodious quality was still evident. “Master is brilliant. That person indeed used Shadow Escape to flee. I have already slain them using the method you imparted.”

“…” ‘What the hell!’

In that moment, He Suosi’s mind reeled. Yet, having weathered many storms, he quickly regained his composure. “Has that other matter also been dealt with?” He was actually asking about the “task” the previous person had mentioned, consumed by curiosity. Moreover, not knowing this could lead to a total exposure of his identity.

However, the girl replied, “Wei Jiaren did not discover the Hooked Serpent Grass seeds. Yu Jiaren‘s courtyard also contains All-Encompassing Flowers. The All-Encompassing Flowers are easily spotted, so this servant dared not plant too many.”

He Suosi: “…” ‘Huh?’

“I also checked on Wei Jiaren‘s maid,” the girl continued. “That person certainly had skill. Even if traces of enchantment are detected, it will be attributed to drug-induced control.”

‘Wait, wait, let me process this.’

He Suosi analyzed her words. Firstly, Hooked Serpent Grass was a potent poison, typically used in small doses in elixirs for paralysis. The pollen of the All-Encompassing Flower, conversely, induced hallucinations. Together, these two would form an excellent, if dangerous, aphrodisiac. However, the girl’s words suggested they were mere red herrings. The man who had just been killed was clearly the one responsible for the illusion work.

‘…For what purpose? Framing someone?’

He Suosi calmly stated, “You’ve done well. Do you wish for a reward?”

The girl immediately replied in trepidation, “How could this servant dare ask for a reward? This servant only wishes to be of use to Master.”

“…You are quite perceptive,” He Suosi said, his expression unreadable.

“Thank you, Master,” the girl sweetly responded. She then bowed and departed. Outside the window, only the swaying shadows of the oleander branches remained, accompanied by the rustling whisper of the wind.

“This world is too complex,” He Suosi murmured to himself. He then stepped on a dark shadow at his feet that hadn’t moved with him.

The shadow instantly shrieked, “You little brat, release your grandpa! Or I’ll make you regret it!”

He Suosi quickly planted his other foot on it as well. “Speak so loudly again, and I’ll really make you regret it.” As he spoke, he formed a hand seal, setting up a silencing array. Then, he pointed his index finger at the shadow, which immediately let out a piercing scream.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Stop it, please, my lady! I surrender! Aaaaaaaah…”

He Suosi moved his feet, then lightly swiped the floor. With his index finger and thumb, he pinched up a small black paper cutout. The paper was shaped like a bird, with tiny wings and a beak. Once He Suosi picked it up, it inflated in mid-air, gaining three-dimensional volume.

“A crow?”

“Get lost! Your grandpa is a Roc!” The black bird was clearly terrified; though its words were impolite, its voice was subdued.

“I’ve never heard of a Roc excelling in illusion arts and Shadow Escape,” He Suosi remarked playfully, eyeing the bird in his hand. It had expanded to roughly the size of his palm, entirely black. Without a close look, one couldn’t even distinguish its two round bird eyes. He Suosi had already realized this bird was the man with the coarse voice from earlier. Now as a bird, its voice was crisp and clear.

Upon hearing He Suosi’s words, the bird retorted, “Who says a Roc can’t excel at this? Grandpa is a Roc!”

He Suosi didn’t argue. He detected no trace of a divine beast’s aura on this bird, and its cultivation was merely at the Golden Core stage—possibly even less now that its physical body was damaged. However, he felt a certain fondness for this bird that had miraculously survived. Perhaps it was because he, too, had narrowly escaped death.

Moreover, since it was now a bird in his possession, there was no chance of escape. With that thought, He Suosi drew a talisman in the air with spiritual energy, then imprinted it onto the bird with his mental power.

The black bird trembled all over, then became agitated. “You, you, you! What did you do to me?!”

He Suosi smiled innocently. “As a spirit beast, do you not have the mental resolve to form a contract with someone?”

“What are you doing?!” the black bird wailed. “You’re wasting your only contract slot on me? You don’t actually believe I’m a Roc, do you? Are you an idiot?!”

He Suosi merely smiled. In truth, he knew a method that allowed him to contract multiple spirit beasts. Using it on this bird was simply because he found it interesting. He stroked the bird’s slick feathers and chuckled, “From today onward, you are my spirit beast. And I, your master, shall give you a name—Little Black it is.”

“Go eat shit!” Little Black cursed without hesitation.

He Suosi frowned slightly. “Little Black, how can you be so rude to your master? It seems you’ve forgotten your recent punishment.”

Little Black’s fine neck feathers bristled. It immediately declared, “Master! Your grandpa… I mean, I acknowledge you as master!”

Seeing that it had relented, He Suosi asked the question that intrigued him. “Little Black, what was it you wanted from Pei Nishang earlier?”

Its small eyes darted. The black bird looked at He Suosi and asked, “You’re not Pei Nishang?”

He Suosi didn’t want to explain his soul-swapping situation to a bird yet, so he said, “Pei Nishang wants to kill you. Do you still think of her so fondly?”

The black bird retorted, “Your grandpa wants to kill her! What, is she dead already?”

He Suosi chuckled. “Trying to trick information out of your master?”

The black bird shook its head vigorously. “No, no, no! I just think you’re truly formidable. To pull off such a grand deception within the Guangyu Immortal Sect, and to replace Pei Nishang of all people…”

He Suosi ignored the flattery. “You want to know what Pei Nishang wanted?”

The black bird then said, “Although Pei Nishang isn’t the Pei family head now, the entire Pei family looks to her as their leader. The entire Reincarnation Pavilion belongs to her. I wanted something from the Reincarnation Pavilion, but I couldn’t afford it, so I had to make a deal with her.”

“Don’t evade the main point. What was it?”

The black bird finally conceded, “Alright, your grandpa wants a Soul-Returning Pill. If you ask me why I want a Soul-Returning Pill, just kill me now.”

He Suosi stroked the feathers on the black bird’s head. “How could I be such an unfeeling master? What did Pei Nishang ask you to do?”

“It’s just baffling,” the black bird said. “When did you appear? Pei Nishang only killed Yu Anlin the day before yesterday and was planning to frame that Wei girl. But you went and killed her instead.”

He Suosi: “…”

He Suosi finally understood. Although he had previously thought Pei Nishang’s methods were too extreme, her cleanup was delicate. She had intended to kill Yu Anlin (his previous body) and make it look like someone else had done it. Pei Nishang, as the manager of the entire inner residence, wouldn’t escape blame easily, so she needed a scapegoat.

Even with this understanding, the logic still eluded him. He Suosi humbly inquired, “How did she plan to frame her?”

The black bird declared righteously, “How would your grandpa know? I never bother myself with such petty affairs.”

He Suosi gently rubbed the top of its head. Little Black shivered, then quickly said, “In any case, my task was to hypnotize that Wei girl’s personal maid and make her accuse the Wei girl of killing Yu Anlin.”

He Suosi remained perplexed. “If Yu Anlin goes missing, the Immortal Monarch will surely investigate personally. Even if you are skilled in this art, you are only at the Golden Core stage. How could he not discover the truth?”

“That much I don’t know,” Little Black replied. “She probably had a backup plan.”

He Suosi pondered. A concoction made from Hooked Serpent Grass and All-Encompassing Flower could be used as a smokescreen to conceal the traces of the illusion technique. However, such a hallucinatory method could easily lead to death and couldn’t be sustained long-term. Wouldn’t that be a massive flaw?

This thought made his mind even more muddled. The night wind was desolate. He Suosi looked around, feeling that what he had initially perceived as a simple harem dispute was steadily growing into something far more dangerous.