Chapter 3875 — Into the Trap
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
Before him, no secret could remain hidden. Of course, this soul-searching art could only be used once the target had lost all power to resist, and the target's spiritual sense had to be weaker than the user's own. And once it was used, the victim's spiritual sense would collapse entirely; even if they survived by some stroke of luck, they would be reduced to a muddled idiot for the rest of their days.
Yu Jiang knew full well that if he kept up the deception, Nan Tianguan in his fury might well strike him down on the spot. And then, forget about seizing the Xingmo Stone and looking forward to becoming the strongest Golden Core cultivator, whether he would even live to see the end of the day was a matter of grave doubt. At best, he would be a babbling fool, and what in the world would there be left to look forward to then?
In that instant, Yu Jiang was so terrified that his sweat poured down like rain.
He did want to concoct another lie, to keep covering up the secret of the Xingmo Stone. But under the crushing weight of Nan Tianguan's pressure, even a man as cunning as a fox like Yu Jiang found his mind a total blank.
Making up a lie was easy, but making up one so airtight that even Nan Tianguan could find no flaw in it was simply impossible on such short notice. And if even the slightest flaw were spotted, Yu Jiang was finished. With his strength, there was no chance he could escape Nan Tianguan's grasp.
At that moment, Yu Jiang was so sick with regret that his very guts turned green, and he wished he could slap himself silly with both hands, eighteen times over. What sort of man was Nan Tianguan, that he had ever been so possessed as to think of using him? Was it not sheer madness?
Now look at the mess. He had not gained a single scrap of advantage, and instead had landed himself in the fire.
"Have you thought it over? If you are unwilling to speak, then do not blame me for setting aside the bond between uncle and nephew in our sect!" As he spoke, Nan Tianguan made ready to act. There was no one around at the moment, so there was nothing to hold him back.
Yu Jiang was startled out of his wits and did not dare hesitate another instant. He said hurriedly, "Hold, Uncle. It is not that your disciple wished to conceal it deliberately. The truth is that the matter is a long tale, and I feared I would waste your time. Now that you wish to hear it, your disciple would not dare hide the smallest part."
"Good. Speak." Nan Tianguan's expression eased somewhat.
Words could lie, but the soul-searching art never could. Had it not been for the fact that this secret art also damaged his own spiritual sense and thus was not fit for frequent use, he would never have spared Yu Jiang's little life; most likely he would have acted long ago.
But Yu Jiang did not know this. His life came first. In the end, driven into a corner, he had no choice but to relate the whole affair to Nan Tianguan truthfully, including even the Xingmo Stone. The only thing he left out was the matter of Nan Tianyong's death at his hands.
With the Xingmo Stone to hold his attention, Nan Tianguan would not care at all about such a small hidden matter. When he heard what the Xingmo Stone could do, the eyes of this lofty senior disciple and steward of the Chongtian Pavilion lit up at once.
"The Xingmo Stone. Nephew, are you certain this thing can assist a cultivator in advancing to the Golden Core stage, and that it allows a perfect breakthrough, making the cultivator the strongest of Golden Core experts?" Nan Tianguan's tone carried a note of urgency.
Though in both seniority and worldly experience he was far above Yu Jiang, he had never, after all, buried himself in a place like the Scriptural Pavilion for a full three years, poring over nearly every ancient text. It was hardly surprising that he did not know the purpose of the Xingmo Stone.