‘Boss, how generous!’
Gu Ming couldn’t help but give a mental thumbs-up, but on second thought, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The Sect Leader was being so decisive. It seemed this mission was no small matter, and there was a high possibility of it being life-threatening.
What should he do?
He didn’t even have an excuse to refuse.
No, he couldn’t refuse at all.
Although he was the fifth Heavenly King of the Demon Cult, compared to the other four Heavenly Kings who had been established for years, he was just a nobody. Whether it was his background or his overall strength, he didn’t measure up to them. Without the Sect Leader’s backing, it was a question whether he could even keep his footing as the fifth Heavenly King within the cult.
Seeing that Gu Ming remained silent for a long time, the Sect Leader spoke up, “What? Is it not enough? How about another 300 million, or even 500 million?”
Gu Ming nodded vigorously. He had detected a faint chill in the Sect Leader’s eyes. If he didn’t stop while he was ahead, he would be dancing on thin ice.
“Sect Leader, you truly are a leader who understands your subordinates. Under your guidance, the Demon Cult will surely reach new heights of glory. As for that Righteous Path Alliance, you could wipe them out with a flick of your finger. You are truly mighty, Sect Leader!”
Gu Ming unleashed a barrage of flattery, causing the Sect Leader to wave his hand repeatedly, laughing as he scolded, “You’re already a Heavenly King, yet you’re still as improper as ever.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Gu Ming agreed repeatedly.
He noted that the Sect Leader was still as susceptible to this approach as before. At the very least, the coldness in the Sect Leader’s eyes had vanished, and the slight friction between them had disappeared.
“Well then, Sect Leader, let me give you a tour of my territory.”
Gu Ming stepped forward, intending to lead the way while secretly signaling Mu Qianqian with his eyes.
‘Qianqian, quickly get rid of that Jade Pearl White Jade Soup we had for lunch!’
‘Understood, Brother. I’ll get on it right away.’
Just as Mu Qianqian was about to slip away, the Sect Leader spoke.
“I won’t bother with the small talk. I’ll be direct. I didn’t come here personally to tour your territory; I came primarily to give you a task.”
‘So direct? No lead-in at all?’
Thinking this, Gu Ming, who understood the Sect Leader’s temperament well, immediately ordered, “Everyone, disperse. I have important matters to discuss with the Sect Leader. Qianqian, you should leave as well.”
Gu Ming waved his hand, dismissing the soldiers behind him.
“Understood.”
They bowed respectfully and retreated in an orderly fashion. Moments later, everyone had left, leaving only Gu Ming and the Sect Leader.
Gu Ming then asked seriously, “What is it you wish for me to do, Sect Leader?”
‘Something that requires a Heavenly King to do personally definitely won’t be easy,’ he thought.
The Sect Leader did not respond immediately. Instead, he took a small, colorless orb from his robe and tossed it into the air. The orb flew about 5 feet high and burst open, forming a hemispherical barrier that enveloped both Gu Ming and the Sect Leader.
A Sound-isolating Orb.
As the name suggested, it created an invisible soundproof barrier to prevent anyone outside from overhearing the conversation. However, this item was quite expensive because the barrier it formed could move along with the people inside.
Once the barrier was set, the Sect Leader took out a scroll and tossed it to Gu Ming.
Gu Ming opened it, and his eyes widened in shock. For a moment, he panicked, looking back and forth between the scroll and the Sect Leader.
“Sect Leader, this… this… you had someone paint me so handsomely? I’m almost embarrassed.”
The person in the painting looked almost exactly like Gu Ming, though the figure in the scroll appeared more delicate.
The Sect Leader rolled his eyes and said, “Stop being narcissistic. This man is named Ye Yun. He is the white moonlight of the Saintess of Saintess Mountain.”
“Wow, then he’s quite unlucky to share a face with me!” Gu Ming couldn’t help but feel concerned for the future of the Saintess’s white moonlight.
Since he had been promoted to the fifth Heavenly King of the Demon Cult, his portrait had been circulating within the Righteous Path Alliance. Everyone knew who he was.
“Indeed. That is why he was framed and ended up in our hands.”
As he spoke, the Sect Leader studied Gu Ming with a meaningful gaze.
Under the Sect Leader’s stare, Gu Ming couldn’t help but shiver as he parsed the meaning behind those words.
Suddenly, he felt like he was about to explode. “Sect Leader, are you asking me to impersonate this Ye-whatever, go undercover by the Saintess’s side, and then find an opportunity to kill her?”
“The person I chose is indeed clever; you understood immediately,” the Sect Leader said with an appreciative look.
Gu Ming panicked. “Sect Leader, this plan is flawed! Think about it—the Saintess’s actual white moonlight met a tragic end, so wouldn’t a fake like me be even worse off?”
The Sect Leader shook his head. “What you said is only half right. You aren’t going to fully impersonate him; you are going to be a stand-in for the Saintess’s white moonlight.”
“A stand-in?”
Gu Ming was a bit dazed. He knew the words, but they felt strangely foreign in this context.
The Sect Leader ignored Gu Ming’s reaction and continued, “According to the information I’ve received, the Saintess’s emotional state became very unstable after she learned her white moonlight had abandoned her. She could snap at any moment.”
“Therefore, I’ve deduced that her white moonlight is like an indispensable sedative to her.”
“So, you are to become a stand-in for her white moonlight and gain her trust.”
“You don’t need to look for an opportunity to kill her. You can’t do it, and you won’t get the chance anyway.”
“After the incident with the Divine Maiden, those guys in the Righteous Path Alliance will be even more cautious. They won’t let the Saintess fall easily.”
“So, you only need to gain her trust and lure her into our trap.”
“By then, she will be like a turtle in a jar, with no way to escape.”
After hearing the Sect Leader’s explanation, a few doubts arose in Gu Ming’s mind.
He asked, “Sect Leader, why shouldn’t I just pretend to be that Ye person? Wouldn’t it be easier to gain her trust if I possessed his body or read his memories to impersonate him directly?”
The Sect Leader shook his head. “You might be able to fool others, but you cannot fool the Saintess. One of her abilities is ‘Truth.’ Any disguise or deception is laid bare before her.”
“If you tried to impersonate her white moonlight, even several lives wouldn’t be enough to pay for that mistake.”
Gu Ming felt a wave of lingering fear.
He asked again, “Sect Leader, if the Saintess is so unstable, why not just let her perish on her own?”
The Sect Leader shook his head again. “Unlike the Divine Maiden, the source of the Saintess’s power is a heritage. Simply put, as long as the heritage exists, there will always be a second or third Saintess.”
“The people at Saintess Mountain haven’t removed the heritage from her body only because they haven’t found a more suitable replacement.”
“If they find a more suitable and stable replacement, this current Saintess will be discarded.”
The Sect Leader looked at Gu Ming and asked, “Gu Ming, do you have any other questions?”