Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 769: What the Fake Becomes Real and the Real Becomes Fake

When the word "mother" was uttered, both Chu Liang and Xue Lingxue were stunned.

...

Earlier...

Chu Liang lay motionless beneath the bed, feigning unconsciousness while secretly eavesdropping on what the third fake king planned to do. When he heard the imposter summon Xue Lingxue, he felt pleased. This fake imposter had done exactly what he had wanted to do.

If the fake Xue Lingxue was summoned here, it would spare him a great deal of trouble. So, he remained hidden beneath the bed, waiting patiently. With the other fake king and Consort Li nearby, at least he wasn’t the only one in this predicament.

After waiting for a moment, Xue Lingxue arrived.

At first, Chu Liang assumed this was the fake Xue Lingxue and debated whether to take action. But the moment he heard the mention of the "Benevolent Melody of Restoration," he immediately sensed something was off. That was an odd question to ask.

However, if this was the real Xue Lingxue, her suspicion made sense. She might be testing whether the imposter king was actually him.

So is the person here the real Xue Lingxue?

At this moment, Chu Liang hesitated, considering whether he should reveal himself, trade honesty for the truth, and acknowledge his teammate.

However, before he could decide, the imposter king suddenly uttered one shocking word, “Mother.”

Both Xue Lingxue and Chu Liang froze.

What crucial part of the plot had they missed?

Chu Liang felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, he felt nervous, hoping that if this Xue Lingxue was real, she wouldn’t expose herself. On the other hand, he couldn’t shake the suspicion. Could it be that these two were actually the impostors?

Thankfully, Xue Lingxue was quick-witted.

When she heard the word, "mother," she rose to her feet and went two steps back, pretending to be shocked. “It’s you?”

There was no need to figure out who exactly it was. Saying "It's you?" would always be the right choice.

“It is I. You didn’t expect it, did you?” the impostor king said as he stood up as well. With an excited expression, he continued, “Jing Wuya locked me up and wouldn’t let me see you. However, he didn’t expect that I would escape secretly and even steal his Mirror of Captured Light. Mother, we can’t help the wicked anymore!”

Xue Lingxue was genuinely stunned this time. “You stole the Mirror of Captured Light?”

It seemed that this fake Han Lingshou was once someone close to Jing Wuya—someone who now sought to abandon the evil ways and follow the path of righteousness.

"That’s right," the imposter king said. "Without this treasure, I wouldn’t have been able to see you at all. Mother, stop clinging to the past at the South Melody Conservatory. Why don’t we find a quiet place to live in seclusion and cultivate? Or we could go to the land of the Yu Dynasty, find a bustling city. In that city, you can play the guqin, and I can dance. We can still live a good life. Why must we live for revenge?"

Xue Lingxue's heart pounded as she processed the flood of information in his words. She felt as if she was finally drawing closer to the truth she had been seeking.

She locked eyes with the fake king and pretended to be angry. "My goal is within reach, and now you show up to ruin everything. You’re clearly trying to oppose me. From this moment on, I no longer acknowledge you as my child, and you are not to call me 'Mother' again."

Hearing this, the fake king’s expression darkened with anger. "Then what should I call you? Liao Yuexian? Wake up! Even if you help them seize the Fuyao Kingdom, you’ll never reclaim the position of master of the South Melody Conservatory! I’ve heard plenty about the Celestial Charm Sect. They’re nothing but a group of troublemakers who bring chaos to the world. How can you believe their promises?"

Upon hearing that name, Xue Lingxue’s heart trembled, and in an instant, many things became clear.

Liao Yuexian... It's her...

Just as she was preparing to escape, a figure suddenly shot out from beneath the bed, and a voice called out, “Is it you, the Dragon Dancer?”

The figure that emerged was identical to Han Lingshou in appearance, yet the demeanor and aura were entirely different. The moment Xue Lingxue saw the figure, she instinctively called out, "Is it you, Chu Liang?"

...

A moment later, the three people inside the room settled back into their seats.

"So it’s Young Hero Chu..." the third fake king sighed, offering a bitter smile as he looked at Chu Liang. "To think I was planning to knock you out with poison incense."

"The one you wanted to knock out has been lying there for a long time now," Chu Liang remarked, casually pointing under the bed.

In this cramped room, three figures shared the exact same face—Han Lingshou’s face. By now, this face was no longer unique.

With a sigh, the third fake king admitted, "I am the Dragon Dancer, and I came here to find my mother."

"Liao Yuexian... She was a senior figure of the South Melody Conservatory," Xue Lingxue said slowly.

At this, Chu Liang glanced at Xue Lingxue, his curiosity piqued.

Xue Lingxue then explained that Liao Yuexian had been a rising star, slightly younger than the current master of the South Melody Conservatory.

Back when a new master was being chosen, both Liao Yuexian and the current master of the South Melody Conservatory were strong contenders. However, the current master had gained fame earlier and held more seniority, ultimately securing the position. Enraged by the outcome, Liao Yuexian left the South Melody Conservatory and was never seen again.

With her level of cultivation in the art of guqin, she could easily impersonate Xue Lingxue. In fact, many of the compositions that Xue Lingxue now played had originally been composed or modified by her.

The Dragon Dancer suddenly shook her head. "That’s not true. My mother didn’t lose because she was lacking—she was defeated by underhanded means."

According to her, Liao Yuexian had been the most gifted musician the South Melody Conservatory had seen in a hundred years. When she competed for the position of master, her chances of winning were extremely high.

However, at the critical moment, rumors began spreading that she had ties with a diabolical sect.

At the time, Liao Yuexian was at the height of her popularity. But because of this slander, she lost her chance to become the master. Filled with resentment, she became consumed by the desire for revenge.

Eventually, she wandered to the Fuyao Kingdom, where she crossed paths with members of the Celestial Charm Sect. They promised to help her reclaim the South Melody Conservatory, but in exchange, she had to assist them in overthrowing the Fuyao Kingdom’s current king.

And the one working alongside her in this scheme was none other than Jing Wuya.

Liao Yuexian spent most of the year traveling, so she left her daughter at the Royal Wave Bureau, where she was taken in by Jing Wuya and worked under him. The Dragon Dancer, known as Jing Yue, was, in truth, Liao Jingyue.

It wasn’t until she met Hu Sanlang that she began to long for freedom. She realized she couldn’t spend her life shackled by her mother’s regrets and hatred.

Hu Sanlang had believed Dragon Dancer was impersonating Xue Lingxue because of her striking resemblance to her mother. When he investigated, he hadn’t been able to get close enough to confirm the details.

His attempt to abduct the Dragon Dancer ended up becoming the turning point in her decision. She no longer wanted to take part in these sinister schemes.

However, Jing Wuya had kept the Dragon Dancer by his side not merely to help Liao Yuexian care for her child, but to use the Dragon Dancer as leverage to threaten and control Liao Yuexian. The moment he sensed something was off, he locked her up and refused to give her any chances of meeting up with her mother.

Yet, the Dragon Dancer had long familiarized herself with the hidden passages of the Royal Wave Bureau. Using her knowledge, she not only managed to escape unnoticed but also stole Jing Wuya’s most prized treasure—the Mirror of Captured Light.

After careful thought, she decided to enter the palace and summon Xue Lingxue under the king’s authority. She believed this would give her the best chance of seeing her mother. With this identity, issuing commands and capturing Jing Wuya would be much easier.

However, she hadn’t anticipated that, upon infiltrating the palace, the real Xue Lingxue would appear instead of the fake one.

Looking at Xue Lingxue, the Dragon Dancer gave a bitter smile. "I didn't expect you to be a fake."

Xue Lingxue corrected her softly, "I am the real one."

Chu Liang sighed and thought, When you expect the fake but the real one appears, in a way... the real becomes the fake.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, "If you truly want to defeat Jing Wuya and restore peace to the Fuyao Kingdom, we can work together."

The Dragon Dancer hesitated, glancing between the two of them.

Xue Lingxue added, "Hu Sanlang is waiting outside. We can let him in so you can speak with him."

"There's no need for that. It’s too dangerous here. I don’t want him involved," the Dragon Dancer rejected outright. But after a brief pause, she added, "I do trust you both, and I’m willing to work with you."

Just as Chu Liang was about to discuss the plan in detail, a voice suddenly called from outside, "Your Majesty, the General of the Royal Wave Bureau requests for a meeting!"

That old rascal again? Had he somehow caught wind of our plan to eliminate him?

Chu Liang sighed helplessly and pointed under the bed. "You two, hide for now to avoid alarming him."

Thankfully, Han Lingshou was a pervert with an oversized bed that was more than spacious enough. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been able to accommodate so many people hiding beneath it.

...

In the courtyard, Han Lingshou let out a heavy sneeze. "Achoo!"

Lin Bei advised from the side, "Elder Brother Han, put on some clothes before you catch a cold."

"It's fine. You won't be able to understand the key of the Tortoise-Shell Bondage Method if I don't explain with my clothes off," Han Lingshou declared, baring his upper body while giving Lin Bei a very scholarly presentation.

Lin Bei sighed in admiration. "It is truly one of life's great blessings to receive such dedicated instruction from Elder Brother Han!"

Han Lingshou chuckled. "Hehe, I just felt an instant connection with you. We’re kindred spirits!"

"Hehehe!" Lin Bei laughed heartily. "We’re all brothers here!"