The complication in this matter was that, although both he and the King of Jin were certain that the person who attacked Yanhai Tower and killed Feng Miaojun was most likely Yun Ya, they had no concrete evidence and couldn’t make baseless accusations.
Mo Tizhun had pursued for hundreds of li and set this trap specifically to lure Yun Ya into revealing himself. If he had shown his face and been seen by Jin people, the matter would have been irrefutable, giving Jin a handle to challenge Wei.
What was infuriating was that Yun Ya had calculated this point just as precisely, preparing an escape route in advance.
Tie Xinning, however, looked at Feng Miaojun’s corpse and smiled: “He didn’t win, and we didn’t exactly lose.”
By now, the fire on the table had consumed the window curtains and ignited the clutter in the corner. In the bright flames, both men saw “Feng Miaojun’s” face beginning to change.
Her upturned nose flattened slightly, her eyes lengthened a bit, and her jawline rounded… Within a few breaths, her face had completely transformed, changing from the previous delicate beauty to merely passable prettiness.
She wasn’t Feng Miaojun at all.
Then, a transparent, round-headed little bug crawled out of her mouth, looking somewhat adorably foolish. It tumbled down, landing right in Mo Tizhun’s palm, where it curled into a small ball and stopped moving.
Unless someone had the eyesight of these two men, no one standing two zhang away could have seen the strange creature in his hand.
Mo Tizhun lamented: “So close to success.” He put the creature away.
This thing was called a Shape-Shifting Gu, which after being tamed could be swallowed by a person. It would reside between the layers of flesh, helping its host alter their appearance.
Unlike disguise techniques, it didn’t work superficially but subtly adjusted the host’s facial bones and muscles. From this perspective, the face was real, not like disguised materials that could be removed.
To revert to one’s original appearance, either the Shape-Shifting Gu had to be extracted, or the host had to die—although the Gu didn’t consume much energy, it was still a parasite. When the host died, it had to quickly find a new home.
Mo Tizhun had arrived quickly, but Yun Ya had fled earlier, not witnessing the changes in “Feng Miaojun” after death. Otherwise, he would have known he killed the wrong person.
Tie Xinning remarked with undisguised envy: “Two years ago, a pair of Shape-Shifting Gu was also sold in Bohe City. By the time I arrived, someone had already bought them.” These creatures were rare, with many seeking them. Even the few in Mo Tizhun’s possession were a special reward from the King of Jin before the wedding escort departed.
Mo Tizhun blew a breath at the burning wooden window. This action was like pouring oil on fire—the flames suddenly leaped up high.
Only then did the two men walk out. Looking back, half the wooden house was already burned.
Nearby guests came over to watch the commotion, while Princess Hanyue stood at a distance, gazed for a moment, then turned and left.
With the house and the person inside burned together, the witness was gone. Even if Yun Ya returned later, he wouldn’t see the impostor’s true appearance.
Back at the main camp, another maid from the Princess’s entourage went to Tie Xinning’s quarters and bowed to Mo Tizhun, who sat in the main seat. With a clear voice, she said: “Thank you for your assistance, Grand Preceptor.” She raised her sleeve to cover her face.
When she lowered her hand, her face had transformed into one of delicate charm and beauty, a countenance that could cause fish to sink and geese to fall.
She extended her hand, holding a tiny curled-up Shape-Shifting Gu. Mo Tizhun waved his hand, declining to take it: “After this incident, Yun Ya probably won’t return. But for safety’s sake, continue this disguise for a few more days. I’ll head back now; take care of yourself.” With that, he went to bid farewell to the Princess.
Having traveled hundreds of li without catching Yun Ya in the act, only managing to resolve this little girl’s immediate danger, he felt quite frustrated. Yet as he walked away, only solemn respect remained in his heart.
Before the establishment of the Haoli Empire, many formations had been lost, the Small Mountain-Moving Formation being one of them. Mo Tizhun had obtained the ancient immortal’s legacy through coincidence, yet to his surprise, Yun Ya also knew how to set up this formation.
He had crossed paths with the Grand Preceptors of the other four countries and could gauge their strength, but Yun Ya was the only one whose depth he could never fathom. The two men kept revealing more and more trump cards, seemingly without end.
Feng Miaojun was sincerely grateful to him.
This was a trap laid in advance by Mo Tizhun, requiring cooperation from both the Princess and Feng Miaojun. Yun Ya couldn’t determine Feng Miaojun’s whereabouts, but conversely, how could they predict which direction Yun Ya would pursue? After much deliberation, Mo Tizhun and his disciples, along with Feng Miaojun, still believed there was a slightly higher possibility that he would track the Princess’s escort.
The high-end Shape-Shifting Gu naturally belonged to Mo Tizhun, and the “Feng Miaojun” in Caixing City and by the Princess’s side were both body doubles played by his loyal agents. Feng Miaojun herself was disguised as a palace maid, guiding the second body double’s speech and actions.
The brilliance of this plan lay in using two agents to impersonate Feng Miaojun—the first using disguise techniques, and only the second using the Shape-Shifting Gu. After Yun Ya exposed the first one’s disguise, he would be inclined to believe that the second Feng Miaojun he captured was real.
This was a small psychological flaw in human nature, especially since Mo Tizhun had employed the rare Shape-Shifting Gu, which few people in the world possessed. Details determine success or failure. Yesterday, the body double had accompanied the Princess to collect maple sugar; if Yun Ya had been hiding in the forest, he would have had a careful look. Furthermore, even the necklace Mo Tizhun gave to Feng Miaojun was hung around the substitute’s neck.
What questions would Yun Ya ask the body double? Feng Miaojun had pondered this for days, teaching the double the answers and also telling her about the events at Juping Village. The reason was simple: intuition.
She intuitively felt Yun Ya would ask about past events, especially since their face-to-face interactions had been limited. This intuition had no source, just as Yun Ya inexplicably felt that Feng Miaojun was connected to the person stealing his spiritual power.
In this encirclement, the two Grand Preceptors each displayed their extraordinary abilities, benefiting only her, the fisherman.
Aiding Miao Fengxian had exposed her to Yun Ya’s view. Even if Wei temporarily didn’t cause her trouble, she had still been marked. Mo Tizhun’s action eliminated her worries.
Feng Miaojun herself knew there was another brilliant aspect to this approach: Yun Ya would no longer equate “Feng Miaojun” with the person stealing his spiritual power—indeed, she also knew Yun Ya had harbored this suspicion, prompting his journey to Caixing City.
From now on, she could hide in the shadows again, no longer drawing his attention. As long as Mo Tizhun’s “third disciple” didn’t come back to life, everything would be fine.
Mo Tizhun could have let her take the stage but used a body double instead, showing his protective intent. But from another perspective, this indicated she still had value. If one day Mo Tizhun deemed her princess identity useless, wouldn’t those two body doubles be cautionary examples for her?
To survive, one must prove one’s value.
Looking at Yun Ya’s actions, she finally confirmed that her long-standing fear and avoidance of him were justified—seemingly frail and gentle, but in reality, Grand Preceptor Yun’s cold-heartedness was unmatched. This experiment also proved that Yun Ya wouldn’t leave her even the slightest chance; if it had been the real Feng Miaojun standing before him, they would have perished together by now.