NOVGO.NET Chapter 746: 316 Illusion and Reality_2
Chapter 746: Chapter 316 Illusion and Reality_2
As for Lady Wan, just let her have her way.
As long as he could beat her, then she had his complete obedience.
And once the wound on his face completely healed, he formally became the Great Hall Master of the Wusheng Hall.
In the blink of an eye, more than a decade passed, until now.
However, his martial arts still fell short of the true Wan Yutang, so he spent most of his time in seclusion, practicing in the mountains behind the hall.
Not to master some peerless martial arts, but simply not to expose his inadequacy in martial arts.
Lady Wan, not content to be alone, kept male concubines and reveled night after night.
During the years that followed, Cao Ming, relying on his own cunning, managed to uncover quite a few matters.
For instance, he discovered that Lord Jun was named Jun Luo, and the place where Wan Yutang was imprisoned was the Endless Prison, information he learned only later on.
He also considered venturing into the Endless Prison to investigate for himself, but the prison was fraught with danger, full of countless traps, and the slightest misstep meant certain death.
Therefore, he told Lady Wan about the entrance to the Endless Prison.
Hoping this woman would take the risk on his behalf, but alas… Although Lady Wan had her obvious flaws, when it came to caution, she was just as, if not more, prudent than Cao Ming.
Thus, over all these years, Lady Wan never dared to venture into the Endless Prison.
Having said all this, he seemed to have divulged everything that was to be said, appropriate or not.
Su Mo furrowed his brows, searching the man’s face, yet found not a single scar.
After some contemplation, he spoke up:
“You say you’ve never been to the Endless Prison?
“But last night, you told Lady Wan that the Old Ghost locked up in the Endless Prison is now a good-for-nothing who would kneel and kowtow for a bun, didn’t you?”
“…That was just to force her to descend into the Endless Prison; I only said that to spur her on.”
Cao Ming hastily explained: “Although this woman is incredibly ambitious and has no real marital ties with the true Wan Yutang,
“Because she cannot obtain him, all the more she yearns to possess him.
“This has been her constant affliction for all these years.”
Su Mo nodded slightly and pressed on:
“Last night, I heard you talking to Lady Wan, mentioning that you were plotting a significant matter and afraid that I would notice. What would that be?”
“That’s not me…”
Cao Ming quickly explained: “It’s… Lord Jun.
“I don’t know why, but he is adamant about arranging a marriage between Li Xuechun and Wan Yilan.
“And he instructed me to treat it as a matter of utmost importance.
“…You should understand that although I may seem to be in charge as the Hall Master of Wan Yutang, in reality, I am nothing but a pawn in Lord Jun’s hands.
“Where would I dare defy his orders?
“Let alone the fact that the truth about my identity is in his hands, I’ve also been poisoned by him. If he wishes me dead, I’d lose my life in an instant.
“This is also why I stubbornly refused to speak when you first questioned me.
“The pain caused by the poison is unbearably intense—once it acts up, my veins run dry, and the torment bends my body into something inhuman.”
Hesitating a moment, he continued:
“I had not realized… that Su, the Chief of the Escort’s methods, were far from limited to this…”
However severe a poison may be, at least it grants death.
Su Mo’s Suffering People Scripture, due to Master Hongyun’s reluctance to take lives, out of reverence for the heavens’ principle of cherishing life, simply prolongs suffering.
Compared to that torment, whatever poison there was paled in comparison.
“Hm… How did you come across Wan Cangxin?”
“It was last night.”
Cao Ming instantly replied: “However, it wasn’t me who found him, but the people from the Dark Hall.
“The area behind the mountain is where Lord Jun has focused his defences, hiding arrays and stationed many Dark Hall operatives.
“Stepping blindly into that area would immediately alert the operatives of the Dark Hall.
“And before that, the mountain had been scouted on multiple occasions, yet the identity of the interloper remained unknown.
“Something befell Wan Cangxin last night that left him disoriented, and he stumbled onto the mountain, alarming-master level operatives from the Dark Hall.
“They then informed me, and only then did I go retrieve Wan Cangxin… Unexpectedly, for someone so young, his martial arts are truly unfathomable.
“Had it not been for Lord Jun’s intervention, even if I could have captured him, it would have raised alarm amongst many others.
“Afterward, Wan Cangxin was taken away by Lord Jun, claiming he was to be sent to the Endless Prison.”
“Ah?”
Su Mo’s eyebrows rose slightly: “Why not kill him and cover it all up?”
“This… I do not know either.”
Cao Ming could only say: “Lord Jun acts in unpredictable and secretive ways, like a Divine Dragon seen in head but not in tail; his objectives and plans remain inscrutable even after all these years…
“Indeed, I don’t even know where he typically resides.
“However, I suspect that he’s actually hidden in the Endless Prison…
“Oh right, another thing—Lord Jun seems particularly keen on exploring the Da Xuan Ruins.
“Over the years, he has led high-level operatives from the Dark Hall to investigate time and again, although he always seems dissatisfied upon his return.”
After this monologue, the conversation was nearly at its end.
After a bit more thought, Su Mo asked about several other matters concerning the Endless Prison.
Only then did he confirm that what Xiao Feng said was accurate: there were indeed many entrances to the Endless Prison.
Although Cao Ming did not know them all, based on what both Xiao Feng and Cao Ming had said, it seemed the entrances to the Endless Prison could be found throughout the entire Wusheng Hall.