Chapter Thirty-Nine: Passing Off Fish Eyes as Pearls (Part I)

“Whoosh~” A man descended from the sky, carried by the wind. Immediately, more than a dozen cultivators dropped to the ground and respectfully called out, “Greetings, Hall Master.”

“Hall Master.” Lei Yan scrutinized the man standing among them. He appeared about twenty-something, with a delicate face, dressed in a blood-red robe embroidered with a crescent moon on the chest. The only difference was the color of the crescent—this man’s was golden, while those kneeling wore silver.

This man bearing the golden crescent on his chest was none other than Duan Hong. Following orders, he had led a dozen or so men to ambush near Changchun Valley. Within just a few hours, he had witnessed a large number of cultivators heading toward the valley. Without hesitation, he immediately reported the intelligence. Unexpectedly, this mere information had earned him the position of Hall Master of the New Moon Hall.

In the Blood Moon Sect, only those who had reached the Golden Core stage could hold the position of Hall Master. Duan Hong was merely in the mid Foundation Establishment stage. According to seniority and merit, he would likely never have such an opportunity in his lifetime. A faint smile crept onto Duan Hong’s lips, barely concealed. He waved his hand. “Rise.”

At his command, the group stood. A man with flickering eyes and a small goatee approached, clasping his fists. “Hall Master, what are our next orders?”

Duan Hong’s smile stiffened as he looked toward Changchun Valley, a knot of unease tightening in his chest. “Since the Steward has sent three Hall Masters to join me, it’s clear the Blood Moon Sect covets those treasures. So many cultivators heading to Changchun Valley... I wonder if I’ll even survive to enjoy this position.”

“We have just paid respects and have yet to eat. Shall we—” the goateed man began.

Without replying, Duan Hong nodded slightly.

The man’s face brightened. He signaled the others, then swiftly departed.

One by one, the dozen or so Blood Moon disciples dispersed.

Lei Yan’s spiritual perception immediately spread out, wary of a possible sneak attack from these men.

His brow furrowed as he sensed those disciples in a nearby village. The goateed man held a heart—the heart of a child lying lifeless on the ground. Blood poured from the child’s chest, staining the earth crimson. The man’s lips curled into a sinister grin as he opened his mouth and swallowed the bloodied heart whole.

Lei Yan’s spiritual senses revealed that the others were engaged in similar acts, treating humans as mere food. He disliked this deeply. Rubbing his temple, he cursed inwardly, “Beasts.” His gaze shifted to Duan Hong standing in the clearing. Suddenly, an idea struck him: kill Duan Hong, assume his identity, and incite these men to fight among themselves and with the Red Leaf Valley.

“Shhh!” A stone shot from Lei Yan’s hand toward Duan Hong.

“Who’s there?” Duan Hong’s voice was sharp. His right hand formed a fist and struck into the air. A shadowy fist burst forth, colliding with the stone.

The stone shattered into dust on impact, but the spectral fist pressed on toward Lei Yan’s position.

Without hesitation, Lei Yan dodged like a black shadow slipping into the night.

“Thief! Don’t run!” Duan Hong leapt after him.

Lei Yan smiled faintly as Duan Hong followed, deliberately slowing his pace. This made Duan Hong wary, a strange unease creeping over him, instinctively warning him to retreat. Without hesitation, he halted midair and withdrew backward.

“Tch.” Lei Yan sneered, then accelerated like a bolt of thunder, cutting off Duan Hong’s escape.

“Who are you? Why block my path?” Duan Hong’s expression shifted. Lei Yan’s speed was astounding—he had barely turned before being intercepted.

“I—You’re not worthy of knowing.” Lei Yan’s lips curved slightly as he flashed forward, a fiery fist like a meteor smashing toward Duan Hong.

Duan Hong anticipated the attack, twisting his body and meeting it with a roaring punch.

“Bang.”

The collision sent ripples radiating outward, devastating everything in their path—rocks, flowers, trees—all pulverized.

A fiery vortex hurled Duan Hong backward. He even heard the cracking of his own bones. The fiery spiral traveled up his arm, and with terror in his eyes, he hesitated, then bit his teeth and tore off his right arm with his left hand.

Duan Hong crashed heavily to the ground.

Lei Yan was not unscathed. The massive recoil forced him back a step; his right arm shimmered with crackling electric snakes.

“Path of Lightning,” Lei Yan thought. He sensed the opponent’s attack infused with lightning energy, but it was too weak. Lei Yan had swallowed the first heavenly thunderstorm; this paltry lightning was nothing. The electric snakes entering his body were quickly absorbed and transformed.

“Impossible.” Duan Hong, having just stemmed his bleeding, looked up and saw the electric serpents flickering over Lei Yan’s arm, seemingly integrating into his flesh.

“Nothing’s impossible.” Lei Yan smiled. Crackling sounds erupted from his hand. “I understand lightning far better than you.” Before the words left his mouth, a thunderous serpent of electricity lunged at the half-reclining Duan Hong.

“Boom.”

Duan Hong rolled aside sharply. The ground beneath him caved in, forming a pit over two meters wide.

As he flipped, his eyes glanced at the crater. Before he could feel relief, a sizzling sound pierced his ear, and a sharp pain struck his chest. “Cough…” he spat blood.

“You… we have no grudges. Why do this?” Before he could finish, his head lolled to the side.

Lei Yan snorted coldly, withdrawing his hand from Duan Hong’s chest. He wiped his hand and began searching the body, soon uncovering several silver notes, a secret manual, and a dimensional pouch.

Opening the pouch, Lei Yan found several blood-red robes, a blood-red token, and several mid-grade spirit stones.

“How convenient.” Lei Yan smiled. He had plenty of blood-red robes, but none embroidered with a golden moon. He donned one such robe and approached Duan Hong’s body. Now, he needed to change his appearance.

With a thought, part of his demonic artifact “Earth Origin” flowed over Duan Hong’s face like water.

Simultaneously, Lei Yan’s own face underwent subtle transformations—skin contracting and expanding to replicate Duan Hong’s features. In moments, his face was entirely that of Duan Hong. The “Earth Origin” artifact detached from Duan Hong’s face and merged with Lei Yan’s body.

“This should do.” Lei Yan touched his face and muttered, “Explode.” His body vanished from the spot.

Meanwhile, the residual fiery aura in Duan Hong’s body erupted violently; limbs flew, blood splattered.

Lei Yan swiftly moved to where the dozen or so Blood Moon disciples had gathered. They chatted excitedly. The goateed man laughed, “How many did you eat just now?”

“Not many. Three,” replied another.

“Pfft, only three? I ate ten,” the goateed man scoffed.

Lei Yan stepped among them, frowning at their conversation. Using true energy to control his voice, he commanded, “Enough talk. We move to Changchun Valley now.”

“Damn it. Just got lucky and now acting all high and mighty,” the goateed man muttered, unaware that the man before him was no longer Duan Hong. With a flattering smile, he said, “Hall Master, the other three Hall Masters haven’t arrived yet. Should we wait?”

“There are three more Hall Masters?” Lei Yan thought, but showed no sign of surprise. “No time to wait. It’s risky. Let’s go.”

“Wait!” A rough voice boomed from the sky as a man in a blood-red robe descended.

Lei Yan looked up. The man’s features were grotesquely exaggerated—eyes like copper bells, eyebrows thick as firewood, a bulbous nose, and lips turned outward like two hanging sausages. A ghastly sight, fit to scare spirits at night.

“Mid Golden Core stage,” Lei Yan identified coldly, eyeing the newcomer.

“You must be the new Hall Master,” the man sneered. “No idea what the Steward sees in you. Mid Foundation Establishment level and still made Hall Master? What a joke.”

“The Steward has his reasons. If you’re unhappy, take it up with him,” Lei Yan retorted bluntly.

Before Lei Yan finished, the goateed man beside him tugged on his arm, signaling him to hold back. This newcomer was the Full Moon Hall Master, second only to the elders in rank, known for a fiery temper and quick to fight.

“You think being Hall Master puts you on my level? What a—” The threat was cut short as the man lunged at Lei Yan.

The others scattered like startled birds. Lei Yan narrowed his eyes, knowing he couldn’t match a Mid Golden Core opponent head-on. He shifted slightly, dodging the attack.

“Boom.”

The Full Moon Hall Master’s fist missed, but Lei Yan’s lightning-wreathed punch gouged the ground, tearing a trench several meters long.

The Full Moon Hall Master’s face darkened. He missed not only once but multiple times. Lei Yan’s nimbleness embarrassed him. Another punch thundered toward Lei Yan, but again, he evaded effortlessly.

Punch after punch, only a few grazed Lei Yan’s body. The Full Moon Hall Master grew frustrated. “Boy, if you survived that last hit, you’ll die for sure now.” Suddenly, he halted, clutching his right arm as electric snakes burst forth. Stones and soil lifted from the ground, as if drawn by some force.

“Heavenly Thunder Nine Devour.” The man roared, raising his arm as lightning surged from it.

Lei Yan watched the bolts coldly, unfazed. These electric snakes were too thin to compare with true heavenly thunder. If heavenly thunder was as thick as an arm, these snakes were mere toothpicks—spectacular to see but negligible in harm.

His brow furrowed as his perception detected the snakes rapidly thickening, now as thick as chopsticks. Yet, ironically, the Full Moon Hall Master seemed to be collapsing under the strain—his face pale, skin sunken, body compressing inward.

Lei Yan prepared to face the “Heavenly Thunder Nine Devour” while curious if his opponent would self-destruct.

Suddenly, a figure raced swiftly toward them.

“Bang.”

The figure arrived at the Full Moon Hall Master’s side and struck his neck with a hand blade. The man’s body went limp, unconscious. The thunder dissipated, and the recoil sent the attacker flying backward.

“Bang.”

A huge crater formed where the man landed, dust billowing into the air.