Chapter 1078: Ning Xiaoma is Ye Mo
After her initial shock, Ling Xiaoshuang’s face flushed crimson. She had never felt so embarrassed. She had just claimed to know Ye Mo for a long time, only to be instantly exposed before everyone. It was clear she was either lying or harbored a secret affection for him. This mortified the South Peace State's second beauty; she couldn't even offer an explanation. Her face burned, and a profound awkwardness settled over her. She never expected Ning Xiaoma to be Ye Mo. Why was the Soar Into Existence prodigy so lecherous? The thought made her frown.
Wen Caiyi turned to Gu Wei. “From what I know, although you and Ye Mo entered the solo cultivator hall together, you never spoke. How did he help you then?”
Gu Wei’s heart sank; he’d talked too much. He knew Wen Caiyi could kill him as easily as crushing an insect. Gritting his teeth, he saluted with his fists. “Martial Sister Wen, Ye-Qianbei may be deceased, but before his death, he asked his friend, Fu Rong Qianbei, to give me some pills. I am deeply grateful.”
“Fu Rong?” Wen Caiyi murmured, then asked with a frown, “If he could arrange for someone to deliver items, his death wasn't sudden, was it?”
“I wouldn’t presume to guess. But Fu Rong Qianbei said he was Ye-Qianbei’s friend,” Gu Wei replied, sensing Wen Caiyi’s apparent conflict with Ye-Qianbei and remaining cautious.
Wen Caiyi sneered. “Where is this Fu Rong now?”
She found the coincidence suspicious. Fu Rong discovering the Truth Fall Palace forbidden grounds and becoming Ye Mo's friend seemed unlikely. Since she didn't know Fu Rong, investigating him was the key to understanding Ye Mo.
Ye Mo’s claim of being Fu Rong was a calculated move, designed to steer Wen Caiyi's investigation. Fu Rong's background was mysterious; Ye Mo was confident he wouldn't reveal his true origins easily—otherwise, he wouldn't have sought the bitter bamboo. Therefore, Wen Caiyi's investigation of Fu Rong would yield little.
Gu Wei added, “Fu Rong Qianbei said he was going to level six. He wasn't sure if he would survive. I didn't see him after leaving.”
Wen Caiyi fell silent, pondering their supposed friendship. Had Fu Rong been killed by Ye Mo, or vice versa?
“Show me Fu Rong’s face,” Wen Caiyi finally requested.
“Yes.” Gu Wei quickly sketched Fu Rong for Wen Caiyi.
Wen Caiyi frowned deeper. The sketch was accurate. She knew Ye Mo possessed a stealth chi magic artifact that could alter his chi, but not his face. Otherwise, she wouldn't have recognized him on the rocky beach.
Wen Caiyi ceased her questioning, turning to Ling Xiaoshuang with a smile. “The Martial Brother Xiaoma you’ve known for so long is dead. Martial Sister Ling Xiaoshuang, I must leave now. Continue your inquiries.”
Ling Xiaoshuang, having regained her composure, ignored Wen Caiyi. She addressed Gu Wei. “Where is Ye Mo from?”
“Ye-Qianbei is from Mo Yue City. He asked Fu Rong Qianbei to deliver a message for me to oversee Mo Yue City,” Gu Wei responded.
“Mo Yue City?” Ling Xiaoshuang questioned.
Gu Wei explained, “Mo Yue City is a mortal city. It lacks spirit chi, but Ye Mo Qianbei is its city lord.”
“He’s the city lord of a mortal city?” Ling Xiaoshuang was even more suspicious. Could the two Ye Mos be different people? Even if so, a Nascent Soul state level three cultivator wouldn't be a mortal city's lord. It's probably not the same person, she mused. He was only Golden Core not long ago. How quickly had he supposedly reached Nascent Soul level three? Even Yuan Guannan wouldn’t advance this fast.
Could ‘Ye Mo’ be Yuan Guannan? Had Yuan Guannan activated the Soar Into Existence jade tablet?
Ling Xiaoshuang’s confusion deepened. Then, a memory surfaced. At the trial tablet, a cultivator mentioned Ye Mo using a purple magic artifact. At the spirit rest tower, she'd seen Ning Xiaoma with a purple kitchen knife. Could that be the artifact?
If it wasn't a coincidence, Ning Xiaoma was undoubtedly Ye Mo. But why did he seem like two different people? He was lecherous toward her but had made the female cultivator with Wu Yu cry. She'd confirmed with Qingyi and Qinghan that Ye Mo hadn't harmed them and had helped them. Did he have dual personalities, or did he simply treat her differently?
Blushing, she shook her head. Perhaps he was simply flirting. But Yi Pandie was as beautiful—had he already pursued her? It seemed unlikely. Yet, he showed no romantic interest in Yi Pandie.
She decided to question Yi Pandie. Why had her perception of Ning Xiaoma shifted so drastically?
She took a step, then paused. Something clicked. Ye Mo hadn’t harassed her immediately. She'd mentioned his familiarity first, prompting his advances.
Why the familiarity? She was certain she'd never seen Ning Xiaoma before.
At the Trial Tablet Square?
Clarity struck. She was certain Ye Mo was Ning Xiaoma! She remembered the feeling of familiarity—she’d sensed Ye Mo’s cultivation essence and chi at the trial tablet.
It was him. Disappointment washed over her. Her master had implied a heroic figure; instead, he was a lecher. No wonder he'd died in the Truth Fall Palace.
“Thank you,” Ling Xiaoshuang said, losing interest in Mo Yue City.
Ning Xiaoma was lecherous, yet capable, even killing Tian Aofeng.
Hold on!
Ling Xiaoshuang slapped her forehead, a bitter smile spreading across her face. She felt foolish. Ye Mo had clearly flirted only after she'd mentioned his familiarity. He'd been afraid of recognition, deliberately provoking her. His secret departure from South Peace City confirmed he'd killed Tian Aofeng and hadn't wanted to be discovered.
If she was correct, Ye Mo likely originated from the Heartless Sea and was the Mo Ying the Lightning Cloud Sect suspected.
Such a clever man! He'd disrupted her thought process with his flirting, forcing her to gather information before arriving at the truth. Intellectually, she was far behind him. Jing Yingli would have seen through it instantly.
Knowing Ning Xiaoma was Ye Mo, Ling Xiaoshuang didn't believe his death in the Truth Fall Palace. She needed to inform her master immediately and also speak to the female cultivator from the Eternity Sea in Mo Yue City.