Star Trace Gate

Inside the small house in Peach Blossom Courtyard, Zhou Taozhi, whose cultivation level was extremely high, was now showing a hint of fear, trepidation, and caution. He carefully and secretly took out several yellow paper talismans with red characters from under the altar where a small coffin was placed, and then walked to the doors and windows, gently sticking them on.

The storyteller sat on the prayer mat, tilting his head slightly to look at him, thinking to himself, "This old fellow is really quite crazy. Trying to get information out of him is going to be a real challenge."

In fact, before they came to Wudao Academy, he and Ren knew very well that the treasure-gathering chess game in the Peach Blossom Courtyard might not be the most difficult part. The real challenge was how to get the truth of the past from the madman Zhou Taozhi after they had passed through the game.

The other party is a madman, unpredictable and with unfathomable thoughts. If a question is asked incorrectly, causing him to have a breakdown on the spot and wreak havoc at Wudao Academy, the whereabouts of the trio will inevitably be exposed, and they will be in extremely dangerous situations. Also, there were three tomb guardians back then, two of whom died, leaving only Zhou Taozhi as the survivor.

Based on Xiao Pang's account and various details, the two memorial tablets on the altar must be dedicated to the two grave keepers who died back then. And their true cause of death must have been abnormal.

In other words, Zhou Taozhi's survival wasn't necessarily pure luck; it might have been part of some hidden, sordid conspiracy. Therefore, if the storyteller pressed her for details, it could potentially uncover unexpected information. Most importantly, even though Zhou Taozhi was insane, she might not be willing to recount or recall the events of that time…

Getting the truth out of this madman is actually a real test of intelligence and communication skills.

Beside the table, the storyteller relaxed, picked up his teacup, and gazed intently at the crimson tea. With a focused expression, he shook his head slightly and chanted: "Heroes of a thousand years past, a fisherman and woodcutter sing a song. The crow flies and the rabbit darts like a shuttle, in the blink of an eye the wind and rain pass. Brilliant strategies and cunning tactics, heroes with iron horses and golden spears—what will become of the struggle for fame and fortune? There will surely be a cause and effect."

His voice was powerful and resonant, ethereal and lingering, creating a very evocative atmosphere.

"Snapped!"

After the storyteller finished reciting, he did not drink the tea in his cup, but instead placed it heavily on the table, making it make a crisp sound like a gavel striking the ground.

"Ong!"

He used a teacup instead of a gavel to cast a spell in secret, and a strange aura of divine magic permeated the peach courtyard hut. Even the white lanterns hanging on both sides of the hall were now quietly tinged with a crimson hue.

He once again used the secret techniques of the Ancient Path of Words, but this time he did not tell stories. Instead, he used strange secret techniques to influence everything here, trying to pull Zhou Taozhi into the "Illusory Realm of Words" that he had set up, and to calm her mind and listen to his story.

This kind of spell of words and illusions does not change the scenery here. It is just like a teahouse by the roadside or a storytelling stall on a bridge. It can appear anywhere, and its purpose is to make the listener fall into the soul and believe more in everything the storyteller tells.

Under the influence of this bizarre magic, most ordinary people or cultivators will unconsciously enter the "scenario" set up by the storyteller, listen to his narration, and be forcibly instilled with a kind of trust. It is so difficult to guard against and is extremely mysterious.

Not far away, Zhou Taozhi meticulously and carefully finished affixing the talismans, then slowly stood up and walked towards the desk.

The storyteller raised his head slightly, smiled, and asked, "With your esteemed status, Senior Zhou, do you still need to fear some mere imps?!"

"No no no...!"

Zhou Tao waved her hands and shook her head repeatedly: "The ghost staring at me is no ordinary ghost; it's terrifying."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was about to bend down and sit opposite the storyteller when he suddenly paused and glanced around with a sharp look.

"What's wrong?" the storyteller asked.

"Hey, you actually want to affect my soul?!" Zhou Taozhi stood by the table, her brows furrowed, and cursed, "You son of a bitch, you're very impolite."

"what?"

The storyteller frowned slightly, feigning confusion.

"A mere trick, yet you dare to show off your skills before an old master?" Zhou Taozhi's face showed an extremely smug expression. With just a wave of his hand, the two lanterns hanging in the hall flickered violently, dispelling the thin layer of crimson color in just a moment.

"This old fellow is something else..." The storyteller was somewhat surprised, but he didn't show any urgency or unusual expression.

The storyteller had traveled many roads and visited many places, witnessing countless aspects of human life. He knew that those with complex thinking and brilliant minds were more easily influenced by the illusions of spiritual power; conversely, those with stubborn thinking, biased minds, and single-mindedness were less affected.

Among such stubborn, obstinate, and single-minded people, there exists an extreme type of individual: the madman.

Madmen live in their own world; what outsiders say is useless to them, so... they are also difficult to be affected by the illusion of words. Unless you can open the window to their soul and deliver a devastating blow to their spirit.

Clearly, Zhou Taozhi is this kind of person. Moreover, his character is extremely high, so he won't be so easily drawn into a specific situation by the storyteller.

"Shh."

Zhou Taozhi sat down casually opposite the storyteller, then pointed to the two memorial tablets on the altar before saying softly, "It's getting late, my two friends need to rest. What do you want? Tell me quickly...!"

The storyteller looked at him quietly and smiled, "Didn't I say? I don't want your magic weapon, nor do I want any elixirs. I just want the truth."

"Ah."

Zhou Taozhi picked up her teacup and sneered, "Don't be too curious. Many truths involve life and death."

“You’re right.” The storyteller nodded slightly. “For example, the truth about my own life involves the lives of many people…!”

Zhou Tao felt that the other party's words were cryptic and confusing, and even she, a madwoman, couldn't keep up with his pace, so she suddenly found it interesting: "What's the truth about you? Tell me!"

"Look, aren't you curious too?" the storyteller retorted with a smile.

Zhou Taozhi immediately revealed an exasperated expression: "Are you going to tell me or not?!"

"Um……!"

The storyteller deliberately drew out the word, then turned to look at the memorial tablet on the altar, his gaze somewhat vacant, and asked, "Zhou Taozhi, are you aware of the many major events that have recently occurred in the Village of Illusions? For example, there was a traitor in the village who, on the eve of the death anniversary, helped a death row inmate escape from prison and even killed many prison guards...!"

Zhou Taozhi seemed to have ADHD, unable to sit still on the futon. While smoothing his messy white hair, he casually replied, "Although I haven't left the Peach Blossom Courtyard for a long time, there are still quite a few people coming here every day to challenge the chess game... Of course, I've heard about this important matter, but what does it have to do with you?"

In the dimly lit inner room, the storyteller gradually withdrew his gaze. His face, illuminated by the white lanterns, appeared even more sinister and vicious. He asked in a low, deliberate voice, "If I told you that the traitor who helped death row inmates escape and killed many prison guards... was actually me. Do you think this truth would involve the lives of many people?"

Admitting to being a traitor to his face?! What the hell is this... Even Zhou Taozhi, who has been insane for a long time, was stunned and bewildered after seeing the storyteller's expression and hearing his words.

"I was the traitor! I secretly gave that death row inmate the Divine Power Powder and told him the exact location of the Dragon Pillar, allowing him to sneak into the array's core chamber, destroy the great array... and then kill the night watchman, ultimately escaping successfully." The storyteller deliberately elaborated on the details of the escape, almost completely recreating his experience that day: "Ha, the hardest part of rescuing that death row inmate was actually obtaining the Divine Power Powder, which only the Li and Yin families possessed. I secretly prepared for a long time, but never had the opportunity. Until the day of the Li-Yin conflict, when Li Taishan won against Yin Hong, causing chaos in the Yin family, I finally found a chance to sneak into the Yin family's alchemy hall and steal the Divine Power Powder... After that, the entire Yin family migrated, and the stolen Divine Power Powder became impossible to prove. Haha, even the heavens are helping me clean up my mess... However, that death row inmate was too stupid; while hiding from the jailer, he left several footprints in the array's core chamber, providing evidence for the court inspectors."

"But that doesn't matter. Those idiots on patrol wouldn't even think that I'm the mole, no matter how hard they rack their brains."

Zhou Taozhi stared blankly at the storyteller, his eyes becoming somewhat unfocused. He seemed unable to understand why the other person would tell him these things and why he would reveal his identity as a traitor.

"Even if you want to turn yourself in, you shouldn't come to me..." Zhou Tao's frantic mind was already boiling wildly. He gradually became stubborn, constantly asking himself, "Why did he tell me all this? Why, why...?!"

However, while he was puzzled, he was also certain that the other person was not lying. He was convinced that the scholar in front of him was the mole who had recently caused such a stir in the village of illusion.

This certainty stemmed primarily from the details the storyteller had just recounted. Although Zhou Taozhi was insane, he still set up the Treasure Chess Game daily, attracting many people to try and observe. These people were either preachers from the Enlightenment Academy or highly accomplished students, all of considerable status. When discussing recent village news, they revealed many hidden secrets. And the storyteller's details perfectly matched the clues Zhou Taozhi had overheard.

Madmen are both stubborn and obsessive; their thinking on a matter is often more single-minded than that of normal people, and they are willing to go down a dead-end path. Therefore, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the storyteller was the mole. After all, he could explain in detail how he stole the Divine Elixir, and his account of the Yin family's migration was seamless and logically sound.

Inside the hall, the dim candlelight crackled softly as Zhou Taozhi craned her neck, her gaze intensely focused, and asked, "Why are you telling me all this? You seem... full of bad intentions! Are you trying to harm me?!"

"You have two friends, one named Li Fengchen and the other named Xue Que. Do you remember them?" the storyteller asked with a sinister look in his eyes.

“I remember, aren’t they right here?!” Zhou Taozhi quickly raised her arm and pointed in the direction of the confession table: “Look, they’re sitting over there drinking tea.”

"Your dear friend Xue Que once had a child, a boy, did you know that?" the storyteller asked.

"Bullshit!!! Xue Que cultivates the Buddhist path, which requires abstaining from the seven emotions and six desires. How could he possibly have a child?!" Zhou Taozhi immediately retorted excitedly, "Who are you?! Tell me now, or I'll kill you...!"

"Damn, Xue Que has entered the Buddhist order. I should have chosen Li Fengchen instead..." The storyteller cursed Li Xiaopang in his heart, but did not show any panic. He simply said, "It is precisely because he has entered the Buddhist order that he cannot tell others that he has had a child."

“Xue Que and I are sworn brothers, we talk about everything. If he really had a son, why would he hide it from me?” Zhou Taozhi said with suspicion, “You’re lying!”

The storyteller didn't refute him, but calmly looked at him and asked, "Do you really dare to say that you understand Xue Que one hundred percent? Do you dare?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Taozhi's expression immediately turned painful, her gaze unfocused, as if she were recalling something unpleasant.

"Twenty-seven years ago, you, Xue Que, and Li Fengchen embarked on a journey away from home, and then were forced to separate during the attack by intruders. Xue Que was seriously injured while saving you. Am I wrong?" The storyteller used his eloquence to recount the information that Li Xiaopang had secretly investigated.