Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 22 Passing Off Fake as Real

Who are you?

The sound wasn't loud, but it sent chills down Zhou Li's spine.

His spiritual senses were completely unaware that there was another person beside him, and he didn't even know when she arrived or how long she had been watching him.

This person... is a master.

Zhou Li slowly turned around and saw a figure in a gray robe standing not far away.

She was hunched over, leaning on an ebony cane, her wrinkled face framed by a pair of old eyes that were fixed intently on him.

Zhou Li recognized the old woman; her name was Yu Poluo, and she was an old servant of Yuwen Zhao. She had been with Yuwen Zhao on that day at Ziyun Peak.

She had watched Yuwen Zhao grow up since he was a child and loved this playboy to the core. Zhou Li didn't know why she hadn't come with Yuwen Zhao this time. Perhaps Yuwen Ji had sent her away. If she had come along, she would have had no chance at all.

At this moment, Yupoluo's figure flickered and she flew to Yuwen Zhao's body, her withered fingers gently stroking Yuwen Zhao.

It was icy to the touch; all life had been lost.

"Who...who killed my Zhao'er?!" Yu Poluo suddenly looked up, his dim yellow eyes instantly turning scarlet, and the pressure of a Golden Core expert was released without reservation.

Zhou Li clung tightly to the rock wall to avoid being blown away by the pressure. The anger of the Golden Core cultivator made the entire cave tremble.

The only reason he knew he was still alive was that this spirit body had not yet cultivated, and Yupoluo did not believe that Yuwen Zhao was killed by him.

If she discovers the truth, he will surely die today. Zhou Li desperately thought of a solution.

Yupoluo said coldly, "If you don't speak now, you'll never be able to speak again."

As she spoke, Yupoluo gently raised one hand and pointed to Zhou Li's figure.

There was no time to wait. In desperation, a brilliant idea flashed through Zhou Li's mind, and he uttered his first words upon arriving in this world:

"Don't worry, I'm not dead yet."

The spirit's voice was clear and melodious, but Zhou Li was oblivious to all that; all he could think about was Yuwen Zhao's usual tone and manner of speaking.

That's right, he wanted to deceive everyone by pretending to be Yuwen Zhao, as this was the only way he could have a chance of survival.

Zhou Li raised his hand and pointed to Yuwen Zhao's corpse, then pointed to himself, trying to make his voice sound relaxed: "Grandma, luckily I'm smart enough to possess this Five Elements Spiritual Body, otherwise I would really be dead here today."

Yupoluo was startled; she stared intently at Zhou Li's face.

This was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, with a tall and straight figure, handsome features, and clear and calm eyes, showing none of Yuwen Zhao's arrogance.

But that one word "mother-in-law," that tone, that manner...

Yupoluo tightened his grip on his cane and shouted angrily, "How dare you impersonate Zhao'er! Who are you?"

Zhou Li took a deep breath, knowing he had no way out. He began to recall what he had heard in the mustard seed bowl about the things Yuwen Zhao and his mother-in-law had experienced together.

"Grandma, have you forgotten that last month at the Insect Garden, my golden beetle lost to Pei's black-backed longhorn beetle? You comforted me by saying that insect fighting is like a game of chess, and winning and losing are common occurrences."

A flicker of surprise crossed Yupoluo's eyes, but he still said incredulously, "Nonsense! Zhao'er is still cultivating her Qi, how could she have learned the art of possession?"

Zhou Li's mind raced. He knew he couldn't show any weakness: "Perhaps it's the power of the Soul Jade? Back then, that bastard Yuwen Ji ambushed me with the Five Thunder Talisman. I was seriously injured and on the verge of death, so I tried to control this spirit body with the Soul Jade."

He then pointed to Yuwen Zhao's corpse: "Look, I just ordered the ants to take out the soul jade from my body and fuse it with mine."

"You know this ant. That day when we went to Ziyun Peak together, it was controlled by the Soul Jade. This can't be faked." After saying that, Zhou Li's ant body flew up and landed on the human's shoulder.

After saying this, Zhou Li looked at Yu Poluo, gambling that Yu Poluo didn't know the principles behind the Soul Jade. In Zhou Li's mind, someone who hadn't personally used the Soul Jade wouldn't know its mysteries.

Yupoluo was indeed unaware of the wonders of the Soul Jade. The Soul Jade of the Imperial Spirit Pavilion was extremely rare, each piece being a priceless treasure, which an old servant like himself could not possibly come into contact with.

Yupoluo frowned, yet a glimmer of hope lingered in his eyes: "You mean... the Soul Jade has the power to transfer souls?"

"I don't know that," Zhou Li said, not giving a definitive answer, "but I am indeed still alive."

Zhou Li began to recount what had just happened, from the infighting among the three, to Yuwen Ji's betrayal and escape, and then to Ji Qingshan's death. All these details were true, but he omitted the process of his counterattack.

Yupoluo glanced at Ji Qingshan's blood-soaked corpse, sensed the remnants of the Five Thunder Talisman in the area, and then looked at the clothes Zhou Li was wearing.

Her voice trembled slightly as she asked, "Are you really...Young Master?"

"Genuine or genuine."

The ebony cane in Yupoluo's hand clattered to the ground.

She staggered forward, tears streaming down her face, and tremblingly tried to kneel down: "This old servant failed in protecting her master, causing the young master to suffer this calamity. I deserve to die a thousand deaths..."

Zhou Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this hurdle was over. He was somewhat glad that he had changed into Yuwen Zhao's clothes; if he had worn Ji Qingshan's, it would have been difficult to explain.

Zhou Li helped Yu Polu up and said, "This is not your fault, Granny. It was my insistence on coming to find the Golden Silkworm of Salvation that gave those two an opportunity."

Mentioning Yuwen Ji, Yupoluo's eyes flashed with a terrifying killing intent: "This old servant swears that I will take Yuwen Ji's dog life!"

Then she said worriedly, "Even if the Soul Jade is miraculous, changing bodies is no trivial matter. Please allow me to take a good look."

As she spoke, she reached out and grasped Zhou Li's wrist, transferring a wisp of true energy to him.

Zhou Li felt a warmth in his heart, but also a sense of guilt.

The old woman's feelings for Yuwen Zhao were genuine, and his deception at this moment left him no way out; otherwise, he wouldn't even have a chance to survive.

After a while, Yupoluo said happily, "This body is indeed a five-element spiritual root. Although I have never cultivated, my spiritual body is naturally formed and all my meridians are open."

She glanced at Yuwen Zhao's corpse on the ground and gasped with heartache: "It's just a pity about the original owner of this body... Young master, don't worry, I will escort you back to report to the ancestor."

Go back? Zhou Li's heart skipped a beat. Absolutely not!

Who was the patriarch of the Yuwen family? He might be able to fool Yupoluo with his imposter's identity, but in front of that old monster, he would probably be exposed in just a few words.

"No!" Zhou Li immediately shook his head, his tone resolute. "I can't go back! Not only can I not go back, but I also can't let Yuwen Ji know that I'm alive."

"Why is that?" Yupoluo asked, puzzled. "The Ancestor loves the young master so much, he will surely seek justice for you."

"Grandma is overthinking it," Zhou Li casually made up. "Since I'm alive, in the eyes of the Ancestor and Elders, Yuwen Ji's crime doesn't warrant death; he'll only be slightly punished. But what about after that? I have to be on guard day and night against Yuwen Ji, who hates me to the bone and still has influence in the clan. Right now, with all my cultivation gone, this is the most dangerous time."

"Then... what does Young Master mean?"

"I need time to grow and a stable environment to cultivate. It won't be too late to return to the clan when my cultivation is sufficient."

"...As you say, young master." Unbeknownst to her, Yupoluo had already adopted the Zhou rituals as her guiding principle. "What should be done with these two corpses?"

Zhou Li thought for a moment and said, "Let's stay here. The Ji family will find out sooner or later, and they will hold Yuwen Ji accountable. It has nothing to do with me."

After a moment of silence, Yupoluo took out another item from his sleeve and handed it to Zhouli.

"Young master, this mustard seed bowl is one you're used to using; please keep it safe."

Zhou Li's heart skipped a beat. How could he have forgotten this? The mustard seed bowl was Yuwen Zhao's magical artifact, and the hand seals for controlling it were complex. He had never learned them. Wouldn't it expose him if he took it?

He quickly shook his head and said, "Grandma, please keep this for me. Now that I can no longer appear as Yuwen Zhao, wouldn't it be like walking into a trap to flaunt this mustard seed bowl in public?"

Upon hearing this, Yupoluo sighed and said, "Alright, then I'll leave it here for now."