CHAPTER 601: SIX HUNDRED AND ONE - EXTRAORDINARILY SKILLED

"Brother Yun Xiao, if you have anything to say, feel free to speak. Yan will brave any danger for you without hesitation!"

Since Yun Xiao did not start trouble upon arrival but entered his own room and leisurely drank tea, he hardly looked like he was here to settle accounts after the autumn, which emboldened Yan Zong somewhat.

Moreover, Yan Zong was well aware that compared to the great vengeance of the three major families of the Imperial City who wanted to annihilate the Jade Pot Sect, his prior offensive remarks were trivial.

"Could it be that you wish to take action against the Qingshan Sect? That would be excellent. My Yinfeng Sect is willing to take the lead and serve as the vanguard!"

This thought made Yan Zong overly speculative, even more so the more he thought about it. Nowadays, since Yun Xiao had destroyed the three major families of the Imperial City, there was no reason to spare the Qingshan Sect, the chief culprit seeking to destroy the Jade Pot Sect.

The Yinfeng Sect Leader was calculating happily in his heart; he knew that if Yun Xiao and the Jade Pot Sect were to obliterate the Qingshan Sect, there likely wouldn’t be any accidents. By then, his Yinfeng Sect, serving as the vanguard, would very likely replace the Qingshan Sect and become one of the new three major sects of the Xuanyue Empire.

"Uh... Sect Leader Yan, you’ve thought too much. We currently have no plans to move against the Qingshan Sect!"

Yan Zong’s wild imagination made Yun Xiao pause for a moment, almost causing him to spit out his tea. He quickly swallowed it and offered an explanation.

"Isn’t it so?"

Hearing Yun Xiao’s words, Yan Zong felt somewhat disappointed but dared not ask more, fearing he might anger the young master before him. His Yinfeng Sect could not afford such wrath.

"To be honest, I am here this time to... borrow the face of Sect Leader Yan for a bit!"

At this point, Yun Xiao no longer kept him guessing, and his words immediately startled Yan Zong, who stepped back several paces, Meridian Qi surging, his face full of wariness.

"You... you want to make a human skin mask?"

As the master of the Yinfeng Sect, Yan Zong was quite knowledgeable and thought of a mysterious technique of changing faces, which involved peeling off someone’s facial skin and treating it in a certain way, ultimately assuming that person’s identity—a particularly vicious and bizarre technique.

Imagine having one’s facial skin removed; even if one were still alive, it would undoubtedly be a fate worse than death. As a sect master, Yan Zong could never agree to such terms.

"It seems that what Sect Leader Yan just mentioned about braving any danger without hesitation is not so believable!"

Seeing Yan Zong’s defensive posture, Yun Xiao still held the teacup in his hand and chuckled lightly, causing the latter’s face to switch between shades of green and white. Indeed, this was quite a rapid face-slapping moment.

"But this time, Sect Leader Yan has thought too much again. With my skills, if I needed a human skin mask to replicate your face, wouldn’t that be too embarrassing?"

With these words, Yun Xiao finally reassured Yan Zong. Recalling their initial encounter in the Imperial Palace and Yun Xiao’s incredibly lifelike disguise, he seemed to guess something.

"Today, my teacher and I are here to ask Sect Leader Yan not to go out for the next few days, as it would definitely reveal my activities. Could you do this, Sect Leader Yan?"

This was the real purpose of Yun Xiao’s visit to the Yinfeng Courtyard late at night. He intended to use Yan Zong’s face to infiltrate the Imperial Palace, but if another Yan Zong appeared outside, wouldn’t that immediately expose him?

"So it’s just this matter, it really startled me!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Zong breathed a sigh of relief, and then his expression became determined and upright as he said: "Rest assured, within half a month, I will not step out of this room!"

While Yan Zong spoke those words, he was somewhat curious in his heart, thinking that although his face as the master of the Yinfeng Sect could deter many, at this crucial moment, whose face could possibly be more useful than Yun Xiao’s own?

"Could there be some concerns?"

Not being a fool, the Yinfeng Sect Master speculated a little and already had an idea, but at this time, he would not inquire too much. Whatever Yun Xiao needed to say would be said, and asking about things he wouldn’t mention was futile.

"Hehe, considering Sect Leader Yan’s character, I’m actually somewhat uneasy!"

Just as Yan Zong was righteously asserting his stance, Yun Xiao chuckled lightly, then made a gesture to Yu Shu beside him. The latter understood and swiped at his Waist Storage. A somewhat familiar black jade vessel suddenly appeared in his palm.

"Sect Leader Yan, this is the unique poison of our Jade Pot Sect: the Seven-Day Mountain Breaking Pill! You must have heard of it, right?"

Ignoring Yan Zong’s slightly changing expression, Yun Xiao pointed at the Black Jade Vessel in Yu Shu’s hand and continued: "Seven days—if Sect Leader Yan does not appear in public for seven days, regardless of whether my plan succeeds, my teacher will take action to relieve you from the severe poison of the Seven-Day Mountain Breaking Pill. How does that sound?"

As Yun Xiao spoke these words with a faint smile on his face, Yan Zong could no longer smile, and instead, his expression darkened considerably.

"Do you two distrust me?"

His gaze swept over the Black Jade Bottle, and Yan Zong’s voice came out low, aware of the grand reputation of the Seven-Day Mountain Breaking Pill. Once ingested, he feared that not only his life but the entire Yinfeng Sect would be at the mercy of the Jade Pot Sect.

"Sect Leader Yan, actually, this is for your own good. In fact, I have a permanent solution, would you like to hear it?"

Yun Xiao didn’t mind Sect Leader Yan’s tone at all and asked, "Do you want to hear it?" The next moment, he spoke on his own: "That is to simply kill Sect Leader Yan. A dead man, perhaps, will never reveal his whereabouts, right?"

As the last two sentences were spoken, the smile on Yun Xiao’s face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a touch of indifferent chill, and between the fingers of his right hand, there seemed to be pulsing blood-red flames.

"Ah, Sect Leader Yan, I actually do not wish for our two sects to become enemies, but you know, this disciple of mine, I really can’t manage him anymore!"

Beside him, Yu Shu also emitted faint Meridian Qi, and the words he spoke, Sect Leader Yan did not believe a single word, wondering if these two master and disciple were putting on a double act.

"Fine, I’ll take it!"

Sensing the subtle aura on these two, and remembering the fate of the three major families in Imperial City, Sect Leader Yan finally bowed his proud head and took the Jade Bottle from Yu Shu’s hand, opened the cap, and swallowed it down in one gulp.

gulp!

Seeing that Yan Zong had swallowed the Seven-Day Mountain Breaking Pill, Yun Xiao nodded in satisfaction, then with a wave of his right hand, a large pile of items had already appeared on the table in front of him.

By now, both Yu Shu and Yan Zong knew what Yun Xiao was planning to do. They stared unblinkingly at the young man, watching Yun Xiao’s face gradually change, eventually turning into the face of Yan Zong.

Click! Click! Click!

Originally, Yan Zong was a bit shorter than Yun Xiao, but as Yun Xiao stood up, a strange noise suddenly rang in their ears, and then Yun Xiao became as tall as Yan Zong.

"It’s truly a divine skill!"

Until Yun Xiao took out a set of clothes identical to Sect Leader Yan’s from his Waist Storage, even Yan Zong, who had been forced to ingest the Seven-Day Mountain Breaking Pill, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

At this moment, Yan Zong saw Yun Xiao standing not far across from him, looking just like looking in a mirror; he believed that even the Yinfeng Sect elders outside would absolutely not recognize him if Yun Xiao didn’t speak.

"Hey? Who are you? Why do you look exactly like Yan?"

While Yan Zong was feeling sentimental, the person opposite had already spoken, and with that voice entering his ears, his last trace of doubt instantly vanished.

Because the voice coming from Yun Xiao’s mouth was exactly like Yan’s, if not for the different positions where the two men stood, even Yu Shu would have difficulty telling which was his own disciple.

"Brother Yun Xiao, you can stay in this room for as long as you like. If you need anything, just call Yan!"

After successfully disguising himself, Yun Xiao didn’t delay any further, pushed the door and went outside, not forgetting to turn back and respectfully call out to the room. That gesture made Yu Shu behind him feel a surge of emotion.

"Sect Leader, that Yun Xiao... Young Master, is he going to stay in our Yinfeng Courtyard?"

Seeing Sect Leader coming out, Great Elder Ji Tongshan hurriedly stepped forward, casting a veiled glance at the now-closed room door before finally asking.

"Yes, Brother Yun Xiao wishes to use my Yinfeng Courtyard for a few days. Unless he commands, you must not disturb him, offenders will be punished according to sect rules!"

Yun Xiao imitated Yan Zong’s voice perfectly without revealing any flaws, causing all the elders to nod and answer, then he turned his head and said, "Sect Leader Yu Shu and I are off to take care of some matters, do not seek me these few days, I will return once everything is settled!"

"Yes!"

Among the respectful responses of the Yinfeng Sect elders, Yun Xiao and Yu Shu walked away, and those elders did not recognize that the person following Yu Shu was that fearsome young man.

Following Yun Xiao out of the Jade Pot Courtyard, Yu Shu couldn’t help feeling sentimental again, thinking how his disciple handled matters flawlessly.

Not only did he prevent Yan Zong from going out, but the whereabouts of "Yun Xiao" had also been accounted for. If anyone asked, many Yinfeng Sect elders could testify that Yun Xiao had indeed been staying in the Grand Sect Leader’s room of the Yinfeng Courtyard all along.

Afterwards, the two returned to the Jade Pot Courtyard. The night passed uneventfully and when dawn arrived the next day, the disguised Yun Xiao directly headed to the Imperial Palace.

Of course, Yu Shu did not follow this time, as given the current relationship between Jade Pot Sect and the Royal Family, if both Yan Zong and Yu Shu went together, they might not even be able to enter the doors of the Xuanyue Palace.

As Yun Xiao approached the Xuanyue Palace, within the vast Imperial Palace, a man and a woman were brooding with anger on their faces, unable to hide the rage they felt.