The old Taoist priest raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Do you think the sect is dilapidated? Or do you think my cooking is bad? You're in such a hurry to leave after only one day back? Go away, go away! I think you deserve a beating. I just finished making that plaque, it would be such a waste not to put it up!"
"No, I..."
Before Qin Moyu could finish speaking, the old Taoist priest interrupted him: "Is the sect not good enough? Or are you looking down on this old man?"
The old Taoist priest looked up and questioned him. Only then did Qin Moyu realize that he was already taller than the old Taoist priest and could see so clearly the reluctance hidden behind his stubbornness.
"No." Qin Moyu released the old Taoist's hand and said with a smile, "I will never despise my master."
—Just like my master never disliked me.
"Then why did you leave!" the old Taoist priest said fiercely, his eyes wide.
“Because you’re not my master,” Qin Moyu said, her eyes gentle.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.
After a long pause, the old Taoist priest said with a bewildered look, "What nonsense are you talking about? I am who I am. How could I be fake? If you don't believe me, pinch me and see if I'm real."
As he spoke, the old Taoist priest actually stuck his head out, looking completely indifferent.
Qin Moyu actually reached out and pinched the old Taoist's face.
To be precise, they pinched both sides of the face and pulled them outwards, making the old Taoist priest's face look distorted.
"You dare to pinch me, you little devil!" The old Taoist priest slapped Qin Moyu in annoyance, and Qin Moyu obediently let go.
"I really don't know what's wrong with him this time, thinking about these strange things all the time." The old Taoist rubbed his face, almost pointing his finger at Qin Moyu and scolding him.
Qin Moyu suddenly hugged him: "Thank you, Master."
Before the old Taoist could speak, Qin Moyu continued, "Do you know how I found the flaw—"
"Because you arranged everything too perfectly."
The scenes of the illusion are not constructed out of thin air. They are often built based on the memories of those who enter the formation. They lure people to stay by using the people or things that are most familiar and unforgettable to them. In order to ensure authenticity, the illusion will also dig out memories that the people who enter the formation have "forgotten".
At that time, Qin Moyu had just entered the illusion, and the scene could only construct Qin Moyu's surface memories, so the wooden slip only showed what he still remembered. But when the old Taoist priest reappeared and recalled the object, those memories that Qin Moyu had buried deep were unearthed, and when spoken in the old Taoist priest's tone, it added to the illusion that "this really is him, otherwise he wouldn't know."
The old Taoist priest's reaction upon seeing him was real, the food becoming tastier was real, and the new signboard was real, because these were all constructed based on Qin Moyu's subconscious "expectations."
Qin Moyu had actually heard the old Taoist priest tell her not to leave, but she pretended not to know. The next day, when she tentatively approached the door, the old Taoist priest immediately stopped her. This shows that the key to breaking the illusion was at the door.
The old Taoist priest remained silent. Qin Moyu released the embrace, turned around, and firmly pushed open the fence gate.
"squeak--"
The simple fence gate made a teeth-grinding sound, and the plaque hanging on it was about to fall over.
Qin Moyu took a step forward, and white mist began to rise around them.
He turned around, and the old Taoist priest's figure, along with the familiar courtyard, was gradually swallowed up by the white mist, leaving only a vague outline.
It felt like time had turned back to that afternoon.
It was the same fence gate; the old Taoist priest stood inside, while Qin Moyu stood outside, the scorching sun making everyone restless.
The old Taoist priest complained, but his hands were busy stuffing things into Qin Moyu's storage bag. He was the one who wanted to send Qin Moyu out to train, but he left with a sour face, as if Qin Moyu was some kind of ingrate who was going to abandon him and run away.
"Master, I'm leaving now—" Qin Moyu waved his hand, but there was no reluctance in his eyes, only excitement. Unsurprisingly, he received a glare from the old Taoist priest.
"Let's go, let's go, the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll have peace and quiet!"
"Hehehe!" Qin Moyu made a face at him and hummed a song as she went down the mountain.
The thin, short old man stood in the sunlight, watching Qin Moyu's figure grow smaller and smaller until all that could be seen were distant mountains and nearby forests, then he let out a soft hum.
"You brat."
The fleeting loneliness in his eyes vanished in an instant. With no one around, he remained stern, his patched Taoist robe fluttering in the wind. He simply tied the sleeves together and let the hem of his robe dance as he walked into the house.
The furnishings in the room were the same as before, except that there was a folded coat on the table, left by Qin Moyu.
A draft blew through the room, and the old Taoist priest subconsciously pulled his robe tighter.
—Oh, it's getting cold.
15. Chapter Fifteen: The Battle for Qin Moyu: Suffocation.jpg...
As soon as Qin Moyu emerged from the illusion, a disciple of the Guanlan Sect stepped forward, led him to another location, instructed him to wait there, and then hurriedly left.
Although there are countless people attending the Guanlan Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony, the preliminary test alone eliminates 70%. On his way here, Qin Moyu saw many cultivators who were trapped in illusions and sitting on the ground without any defense. If they were attacked by someone with ulterior motives, they probably wouldn't even know how they died.
The waiting area was a courtyard, filled with many beautifully colored potted plants, as well as stone benches and tables, creating a tranquil atmosphere. Strangely, no one else was in sight.
Standing under the eaves, Qin Moyu took out the jade pendant the old Taoist priest had given him. Perhaps due to the aftereffects of the secret realm, although the pattern was still horribly ugly, Qin Moyu found it increasingly pleasing to the eye, even finding it adorably ugly.
—Oh no, I must have lost my mind.
Qin Moyu was embarrassed when she realized what had happened, and quickly put the jade pendant away to avoid having her aesthetic sense distorted.
"Hey! Bro." Someone suddenly patted Qin Moyu on the shoulder from behind. Qin Moyu turned around and saw a young man in blue.
The boy was surprised that his casual snapshot had captured such a beautiful woman. He paused for a second, his face flushed, and he shyly withdrew his hand, saying softly, "Sorry..."