This "one of our own" was named Li Xin, and he looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He was a member of the Red Lotus sect who had been successfully turned by Elder Sun five years ago.
The reason he was able to be turned was because Elder Sun discovered that he was originally the son of the Guiyuan Sword Sect's leader, but more than ten years ago, the Guiyuan Sword Sect was massacred by the Red Lotus Sect Leader for a sword manual from their sect.
Li Xin, who was traveling, escaped a calamity. Later, by chance, he met the cult leader, who said he would help him find the murderer who slaughtered his entire family.
So he joined the Red Lotus Cult, hoping to use this opportunity to find out the truth.
However, the cult leader never kept his promise and repeatedly used him to do dangerous things.
Elder Sun found him and told him the truth about what happened back then, making him see the true face of the Red Lotus Cult. Therefore, Li Xin decided to cooperate with Elder Sun to deal with the Red Lotus Cult.
Within the Red Lotus Cult, Li Xin was primarily responsible for intelligence gathering.
However, the cult leader was very cunning and would not tell him many important matters. Instead, he would discuss major decisions with the Grand Protector.
Originally, he was just an ordinary believer, but with the help of the intelligence provided by Elder Sun, he rose rapidly through the ranks within the church.
The ten guardian deities each had their own assigned areas and responsibilities.
Within the Red Lotus Sect, the Ten Protectors each have their own responsibilities. They govern different areas, and while they are interdependent, they also implicitly compete with each other.
The cult leader himself is extremely low-key and rarely appears in public. Only his chief protector, who has always followed him, knows his true appearance and whereabouts.
That night, he infiltrated the military camp, found Prince An, and told him about the cult leader's plan, also showing him Li Xi's token. They then set a trap to lure the three protectors and captured them.
The secret messages that reached the cult leader were all from him, so the cult leader did not suspect anything and instructed him to stay with the others in the Red Shirt Army and fight with the Holy Maiden to reach the capital.
"Brother Li, could you please tell us about the habits of these people?" Li Xi said to Li Xin.
To disguise oneself as one of those four, one must not only perfectly replicate their appearance, but also imitate their speech and behavior flawlessly to avoid giving oneself away.
The process of making the face mask is very complicated, and various rare herbs and special oils need to be added to ensure that it adheres to the skin, is not easy to fall off, and can change naturally with facial expressions.
Du Yifei poured three whole days of effort into making six exquisite dough sheets.
Each mask is meticulously crafted to ensure an exact replica of the original person's appearance.
They also incorporate special technology that allows them to perfectly adhere to the skin. Even with subtle changes in facial expressions, they appear natural and lifelike.
What's even more remarkable is that he also specially customized a muscle suit for Li Xi to match her face.
These muscle suits are not only made of special materials that can simulate the texture and feel of human muscles, but they have also been meticulously adjusted to fit Li Xi's body lines to ensure a perfect fit and to showcase a physique and sense of power similar to the prototype.
This design undoubtedly adds more possibilities and depth to the art of disguise, making the entire disguise even more impeccable.
Since meeting Li Xi, Du Yifei no longer has to worry about money. He also learned Li Xi's skill of listening to dice, which made him very successful at the gambling table. However, he gradually found it boring.
Now he is wholeheartedly devoted to the study of this unique skill, determined to carry forward and promote his family's unique skills.
"Du Yifei, look who's here!" Li Xi was leading a young man in.
The man was slender, handsome, and appeared aloof and arrogant.
It was him? Du Yifei was stunned for a moment.
Li Xi was unaware of the strangeness between the two and enthusiastically pulled Yun Jin Gongzi to stand in front of Du Yifei.
"Du Yifei, do you think Young Master Yun Jin looks like me?"
The identity of the Holy Maiden is still useful within the Red Lotus Cult, but she has other more important things to do.
Yun Jin was about the same height and build as her, so she asked him to play the role of her saintess.
Du Yifei slowly shifted his gaze from Young Master Yun Jin back to his own, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, forced a smile, and nodded, saying, "They are indeed similar. If one does not look closely, it would be difficult to tell the difference."
"Young Master Yun Jin, I have long admired your name. It is truly an honor to meet you today." Du Yifei bowed respectfully, his words polite but unable to conceal the complex emotions within him.
Young Master Yun Jin nodded slightly, his voice clear and magnetic: "Brother Du, you are too kind. I have come here on Li Xi's behalf to temporarily assume the duties of the Holy Maiden. I hope Brother Du will give me your guidance."
Seeing that the two seemed to have no animosity towards each other, Li Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. That put things at ease.
The "deceased" Prince An and Lu Yi and Lu Er disguised themselves as the three great protectors, while Li Xi disguised himself as Black Wolf.
Black Wolf was a bit more muscular than her, but the difference wasn't that great when he wore the muscle suit.
Hongying and Chen Quan returned just before they set off.
However, no useful information was found; perhaps someone stole a lot of things from there back then.
She first entered the secret room when she was ten years old.
After her entire clan was wiped out, she devoted herself to seeking revenge and never returned home, until Xiaoxi found her...
Could there have been a traitor among them back then? That would explain why the clansmen were so easily poisoned and committed suicide.
So after she returned, she told Li Xi some things and then left again, as there were some things she needed to investigate!
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace far away in Kyoto, a gloomy atmosphere hung heavy over the vast expanse.
The news of Prince An's assassination spread like wildfire throughout the palace.
Upon learning this devastating news, the emperor was overcome with grief and fainted due to a sudden rush of blood to his head.
When the emperor awoke, his face was as pale as paper, and his eyes revealed deep sorrow and despair.
At this critical moment, the emperor made a major decision: to establish Prince Jing as the crown prince and to entrust him with overseeing the country.
This decision caused a great uproar both inside and outside the court, but the emperor's mind was made up, and no one could change his mind.
However, the emperor's health was not good.
Having just experienced the grief of losing his son, he fell into a coma again. When the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager learned of this, they returned to the palace from their separate residence.
Since the body of Prince An could not be found, Prince Jing ordered a cenotaph to be built to express his condolences and to announce it to the world.
The sudden death of Prince An caused great sorrow among the people, and a somber atmosphere permeated the streets and alleys.
The former crown prince was deposed, the Prince of Liang was demoted to a commoner for his crimes, and the third prince, Prince An, was assassinated on his way to lead troops to quell the rebellion.
Rumors are circulating among the people that the reign of Emperor Jingyuan is nearing its end, and that last year's prophecy is about to come true.
Amidst this turbulent time, the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager also fell ill, prompting Prince Jing to summon Meng Zhelan to the palace for treatment.
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