Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 183 Role Playing
"Congratulations, Master, on attaining the Dao and condensing the Sea!" Li Qingyan's voice came over at this moment, his tone full of respect.

Chen Ye glanced back at her and found the woman standing there with her head bowed, looking excited.

"Don't you have anything you want to ask?" Chen Ye asked with great interest.

Li Qingyan's body trembled slightly, and she lowered her head even further. "This servant dares not. Master's methods are beyond the comprehension of us mortals. Such speed is only to be expected."

That was a perfectly watertight statement.

Chen Ye knew perfectly well that this woman probably mistook him for some old monster who had possessed another body or been reincarnated.

But that's fine too; she takes the initiative to use her imagination to explain it for herself, saving me the trouble.

"Alright, stop flattering me." Chen Ye waved his hand, then changed the subject, "What level is my current strength among the inner disciples of the Blood Lotus Sect?"

This is his most pressing concern right now.

After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan pondered for a moment before cautiously replying, "Master, if we only consider the cultivation level of the early stage of the Sea Condensation Realm, it can only be considered as slightly below average among the inner disciples. After all, most inner disciples have been immersed in the Sea Condensation Realm for many years, possessing abundant true essence and profound foundation."

“However…” She paused, glancing furtively at Chen Ye as if carefully choosing her words.

"But what? Just say what you have to say, stop beating around the bush." ​​Chen Ye said impatiently.

"Yes!" Li Qingyan's heart skipped a beat, and she dared not keep him in suspense any longer. "However, if we add your unpredictable swordsmanship, Master... I dare to guess that even a core disciple of the Inner Realm would probably not be your match."

This was indeed what Li Qingyan was thinking, because the powerful and domineering aura that Chen Ye exuded when he broke through had made her heart pound.

In addition, based on what she had seen and heard while following Chen Ye on missions these past few days, she felt that even core disciples of the Inner Realm might not be a match for Chen Ye.

Chen Ye nodded, somewhat satisfied with the assessment, and then said, "The spirit pearls produced in the Blackwater Lake Wharf area are of too low grade to be of any use to my current cultivation, so I want to go and take a look at the inner waters."

The next crossing of the Ark of the Other Shore requires a higher-grade spirit orb as fuel.

This is fundamental to his improvement, so he can't afford to neglect it.

Upon hearing the words "inner waters," Li Qingyan's expression instantly changed.

That place didn't hold any good memories for her, because that's where she was kicked out.

“Master, the inner waters of Blackwater Lake… are completely different from the docks here.” Li Qingyan’s tone became serious. “The spirit pearls produced there are of a higher grade, at least seventh grade, but they are also much more dangerous.”

"The underwater environment there is more complex, with powerful underwater monsters emerging one after another, and even some strange restrictions left over from ancient times. Even a cultivator at the Sea Condensation Realm could perish there if he is not careful."

"Most importantly, those who control the inner waters are now the core disciples of the sect. These people are all ruthless and very difficult to deal with."

As Chen Ye listened, his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on his knees.

Core disciple...Inner Realm...

This is indeed a problem.

Although he is now at the Sea Condensation Realm, he is still a criminal.

If a criminal tries to gain benefits by going to the territory of a core disciple, the consequences are predictable once discovered.

Even if he could fight, he couldn't fight against so many opponents. After all, the Blood Lotus Sect was a major sect of the demonic path with a deep foundation. If he really angered them, they might send a few Core Formation elders over, and he would probably have no choice but to run away.

"Didn't you used to be in charge of managing inland waterways?" Chen Ye suddenly asked.

A hint of humiliation and resentment flashed across Li Qingyan's face as she said in a low voice, "Yes, I was indeed in charge of collecting spirit pearls in a certain area of ​​the inner waters before. Although it wasn't an important position, it was much better than this outer dock. It's just a pity that I was framed by villains and lost in the internal power struggle of the sect, which is why I was demoted here."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye fell into deep thought, and Li Qingyan dared not disturb him, so she could only stand quietly to the side and wait.

After a long silence, Chen Ye’s voice rang out again, “My identity as a criminal is ultimately a problem, so I want to change my identity now.”

"Change your identity?" Li Qingyan was still a little confused.

“That’s right!” Chen Ye nodded. “Change them to Blood Lotus Sect disciples.”

Li Qingyan was stunned for a moment before stammering, "Master, I'm afraid..."

"You think it's impossible?" Chen Ye saw through her thoughts.

"This servant...this servant is foolish." Li Qingyan quickly lowered her head.

However, she did find it impossible, because although the Blood Lotus Sect was a legitimate demonic sect, its cultivation techniques progressed very quickly and had very low requirements for spiritual roots. It did not even need to examine one's character like righteous sects, thus attracting a large number of people to join it.

This has led to the Blood Lotus Sect having very high screening standards, especially carefully examining a person's background to ensure that they are not a spy sent by an enemy sect.

This hurdle alone is not something Chen Ye can easily overcome, after all, his status as a criminal is on record, making it impossible for him to pass the review.

"I understand your concerns," Chen Ye said calmly, "but these are not problems."

As he spoke, Chen Ye's mind stirred, and the professional mark of the Mirage Court Musician in his sea of ​​consciousness lit up slightly.

The next second, an invisible wave emanated from him.

Li Qingyan felt a blur before his eyes, and when he looked again, he was stunned!

Chen Ye sat there quietly, his facial features unchanged and his figure unchanged.

But the feeling she gives is that of a completely different person!

If Chen Ye was a peerless sword hidden in its sheath, though its sharpness was concealed, its calm, collected, and decisive temperament still gave people a sense of pressure from the bottom of their bones.

Now he is like a piece of warm and beautiful jade.

His gaze was no longer so deep and sharp, but instead held a touch of just the right amount of arrogance and a hint of naive innocence.

His posture was no longer as upright as a pine tree, but rather carried a slightly casual laziness unique to scions of aristocratic families.

Even the aura of true essence emanating from his body underwent subtle changes.

The star essence that was originally solid, cold, and carried a hint of malevolence has now become light and agile. Although it seems to be weaker, it has gained a kind of peace and purity that only a prestigious and orthodox martial art can possess.

This...how is this done?
Disguise?
wrong!

Li Qingyan himself had also practiced some rudimentary disguise techniques, but those could only change appearance, and at most imitate voice. It was impossible to change a person's temperament and true energy so thoroughly!

This is no longer a disguise, this is a complete transformation!
“This…” Li Qingyan’s throat went dry, and he couldn’t utter a single word.

"How is it?" Chen Ye asked.

His voice changed too.

No longer as steady and deep as before, but clear and melodious, with a touch of the unique magnetism of a young man, and the ending tone habitually rises slightly, revealing a natural confidence and arrogance.

Li Qingyan felt a chill run down his spine.

What kind of sorcery is this?
"Do you still think it's impossible now?" Chen Ye looked at her, a playful smile on his lips.

Li Qingyan shivered, snapping out of her shock, and her awe of Chen Ye reached its peak.

Old monster!

He's definitely an old monster who has been reborn through possession!

She couldn't think of any other explanation besides this one.

Only those ancient monsters who have lived for countless years can possess such unpredictable and miraculous abilities, be able to cultivate from a mortal to the Sea Condensation Realm in a month, and be able to disguise a person's temperament and aura so perfectly!

In an instant, Li Qing understood everything. She immediately knelt down, her forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground. "Master is all-powerful. It was this servant who was blind and short-sighted!"

She no longer had the slightest doubt about Chen Ye's plan.

With such incredible disguise skills, coupled with the intelligence provided by her as an inside agent, infiltrating the Blood Lotus Sect would be easy, if not impossible.

"Get up," Chen Ye said calmly.

He was very satisfied with Li Qingyan's reaction.

The skill's effect was even better than he had anticipated. With the added advantage of the Mirage Court Performer's natural talent for illusion, this skill was no longer just a simple disguise, but rather a profound form of role-playing.

As long as Chen Ye sets a character in his mind, this skill will allow him to perfectly match the character's setting in terms of appearance, voice, temperament, and even the subtle fluctuations of true energy.

For example, just now Chen Ye had mentally created an image of himself as a young cultivator from a prestigious family, with outstanding talent and just starting out.

The effect was immediate.

"Thank you, Master." Li Qingyan stood up tremblingly, but still dared not look Chen Ye in the eye.

"Now let's discuss the specific plan." Chen Ye regained his original voice and demeanor and sat back down in his chair. "I need a flawless identity, a background that can withstand the scrutiny of the Blood Lotus Sect."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan immediately got into the zone.

She knew this was her chance to shine.

“Master, the best way to infiltrate a sect is to participate in the sect’s entrance examination for recruiting disciples,” Li Qingyan said thoughtfully. “Every three years, the Blood Lotus Sect sets up examination points in some of the large cities under its jurisdiction to recruit qualified mortals or rogue cultivators. Judging by the time, the next entrance examination will be in about six months.”

"Six months? That's too long." Chen Ye shook his head immediately.

He doesn't have that much time to wait.

Li Qingyan seemed to have anticipated his response and immediately added, "Besides this large-scale public recruitment, there is another way."

"explain."

“That’s a recommendation,” Li Qingyan explained. “According to the sect’s rules, each inner disciple has one recommendation quota per year. They can recommend a rogue cultivator to skip the preliminary test and directly participate in the inner sect’s second test. As long as they pass the second test, they can directly become an outer disciple. If they perform exceptionally well, they may even be noticed by an elder and directly accepted as a personal disciple.”

"A recommendation?" Chen Ye's eyes lit up. "You have that quota?"

“Of course I have one.” Li Qingyan’s expression was somewhat embarrassed. “Although I have been demoted to this position, I still retain my status as an inner disciple, and this recommendation quota is still reserved, but…”

"Just what?"

“But those I recommend will inevitably be under the close scrutiny of the sect’s review officers,” Li Qingyan said with a wry smile. “After all, I am currently a criminal, and they will definitely suspect that the people I recommend have ulterior motives. Therefore, the review of their identity and background will be more than ten times stricter than the normal process.”

This is indeed a problem.

Chen Ye stroked his chin.

But on second thought, Chen Ye felt that this was even better.

The more rigorous the review, the more it can dispel other people's doubts once it is passed.

“You don’t need to worry about the censorship,” Chen Ye said. “We just need to make up an identity that they can’t find any problems with.”

Li Qingyan nodded: "Yes, then... what kind of identity should we make up for you?"

“First of all, it can’t just appear out of thin air; there must be some traceable evidence,” Chen Ye said clearly. “Secondly, the origin of this identity must be remote enough, preferably outside the Blood Lotus Sect’s sphere of influence. This will make it more difficult for them to investigate and make them more likely to believe our fabricated story.”

"Secondly, the background of this identity should ideally be that of a descendant of a fallen immortal cultivation family. This would not only explain the origin of my cultivation level, but also make my joining the Blood Lotus Sect seem reasonable."

As Li Qingyan listened to Chen Ye's analysis, her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She discovered that her master was not only incredibly powerful, but also extremely meticulous.

These standards have virtually plugged all possible loopholes.

"Master is wise!" Li Qingyan exclaimed sincerely. "Following this line of thought, I have thought of a suitable place."

"Oh? Tell me."

“East of the Blood Lotus Sect’s territory, across an endless swamp, lies a mortal kingdom called the Song Kingdom,” Li Qingyan said slowly.

“The spiritual energy there is thin, and the cultivation sects are declining. The strongest are just some small families with only cultivators at the Sea Condensation Realm. Because of the endless swamp as a natural barrier, our Blood Lotus Sect has very little control over that place. We have only symbolically supported a few representatives and collected some offerings.”

“The State of Song…” Chen Ye murmured the name.

“Yes,” Li Qingyan continued, “I once went there while on a mission. As far as I know, there is a cultivation family named Lin in the Song Kingdom. The Lin family was once wealthy and produced a cultivator at the Core Formation stage, but they gradually declined. In this generation, the strongest family head is only at the early stage of the Sea Condensation stage.”

"Most importantly, the Lin family had an internal strife more than a decade ago, and the direct line was almost completely wiped out. Only the young master Lin Xun escaped with the desperate protection of his servants, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since. The sect's spies in that area also investigated the matter, but in the end, nothing came of it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye's eyes lit up.

Because this identity was practically tailor-made for him!

A young master who has fallen on hard times, burdened with a blood feud, and possesses extraordinary talent, is on the run...

This setting is such a perfect fit!
"This is it." Chen Ye made a decisive decision. "From now on, I am Lin Xun, the fugitive young master of the Lin family."

“Yes, Master. We still need to carefully examine the details of the internal strife in the Lin family and your experiences during your years on the run, and we need to make sure that the fabrication is flawless.”

“Of course I know that.” Chen Ye nodded. “Now, give me all the information you know about the Lin family and the Song Kingdom. The more detailed the better.”

"Yes, Master!"

Li Qingyan dared not delay and immediately bowed to accept the order and left.

Watching her hurried departure, a glint of light flashed in Chen Ye's eyes.

The first step of the plan has been successfully taken.

Next, it's time to play the role of Lin Xun well.

This was not difficult for him.

After all, he was a professional court musician.

In the following days, Chen Ye did not do any more missions, but devoted all his energy to preparing for his new identity.

Li Qingyan was very efficient and quickly compiled a detailed document about the Song Kingdom and the Lin family, which he then handed to Chen Ye.

Chen Ye spent an entire day reviewing the intelligence report more than a dozen times, ensuring that he had memorized every detail.

The Lin family was once the dominant power in the capital of the Song Kingdom. A thousand years ago, they produced a Core Formation True Person, and their glory was boundless. Unfortunately, their descendants were unworthy, and the family gradually declined due to a lack of successors.

When it came to the previous patriarch, Lin Xiaotian, his cultivation was stuck at the mid-stage of the Condensing Sea Realm, and he could never break through. However, a genius named Lin Bo'an emerged from a branch of the family. He cultivated to the Condensing Sea Realm at a young age and was ambitious, always coveting the position of patriarch.

Fifteen years ago, Lin Bo'an colluded with foreign enemies and launched a rebellion while the family head, Lin Xiaotian, was in seclusion and breaking through a bottleneck.

That night, the Lin family was drenched in blood.

The patriarch, Lin Xiaotian, died from a qi deviation. His wife, in order to protect their only son, Lin Xun, who was only seven years old, was killed by Lin Bo'an with a single palm strike. In the end, a loyal old servant fought desperately to lead young Lin Xun out of the encirclement, and his whereabouts became unknown.

Lin Bo'an naturally took over as the head of the family, claiming to the outside world that the family head had failed in his seclusion and went berserk, killing indiscriminately, and that he was forced to take action in order to stabilize the overall situation.

Due to the chaotic scene and the lack of witnesses, the matter ultimately became an unsolved case.

"This script is good."

Chen Ye put down the jade slip, a satisfied look on his face.

He has a deep-seated hatred for his enemies, has a history of fleeing, and his motives are sufficient and logically consistent.

His next task is to fill in the details, making the story more complete and realistic.

"Li Qingyan".

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Li Qingyan replied immediately.

"Where did I go during my fifteen years on the run? What did I experience? What extraordinary encounters did I have? And how did I cultivate to the Sea Condensation Realm? All of these require a reasonable explanation," Chen Ye said.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan immediately understood Chen Ye's meaning.

This is a test for her.

She hesitated for a moment, then cautiously said, "Master, I think your experience should not be too complicated, but it also shouldn't be too bland."

"Go on."

(End of this chapter)