Chapter 90: Substitution
The eve of the Jade Dragon Festival...

In the dead of night, Cao Qin, dressed in night clothes, left Yuhu Hall unnoticed and headed straight to the east of Huodu City, where there was a secluded birch forest.

"Cao Qin is here, you should show up as soon as possible!"

Standing in the dim birch forest, Cao Qin suddenly shouted out of nowhere. The sinister voice was like a thunderclap in the silent forest, or like a drop in the ocean. The lingering sound kept echoing, but there was no response for a long time.

"It's so loud, isn't Master Cao afraid of being discovered?"

A teasing female voice suddenly sounded from behind Cao Qin, and a man in black slowly walked out from behind a tree, with a black scarf covering his face, revealing only a pair of beautiful big almond-shaped eyes, which flashed a cunning light.

"It's the middle of the night in the wilderness, there's not even a ghost, how could there be anyone?" Cao Qin snorted indifferently, "Since you're here, why do you have to hide in front of me? Are you afraid of being recognized?"

The woman couldn't help but chuckle when she heard that, then reached out to take off the black scarf, revealing a pretty and delicate face. At this moment, there was an intriguing smile at the corner of her mouth.

This woman is Xunzhen.

"You shouldn't have asked me to come here." The moment Cao Qin saw Xunzhen, murderous intent suddenly emerged in his eyes, and he said viciously, "You sent me my son's severed hand today, and you dared to ask me out to meet alone in the middle of the night. Aren't you afraid that I will kill you in a rage?"

"Giving away a severed hand is better than giving away a head. Master Cao is a smart man, how could he not distinguish the pros and cons?" Xunzhen ignored Cao Qin's threat, shook his head and smiled faintly, "Master Cao is reluctant to kill me, because if I die, your precious son will disappear with me."

"you……"

"Enough of small talk. Did you bring what I wanted?" Without waiting for Cao Qin to get angry, Xunzhen straightened his expression and asked straight to the point.

Hearing this, Cao Qin snorted angrily: "Did Cao agree to your request?"

"Although Master Cao did not agree verbally, the fact that you came here to see me tonight is enough to explain everything." Xunzhen smiled calmly, "In your heart, your son's life is more important than that painting that does not belong to you at all."

"You asked me out just to talk about this?" Cao Qin insisted, "Then you should have known my answer long ago. I can't possibly give you the map."

"Why?" Xunzhen raised her eyebrows and asked curiously.

Cao Qin looked at Xunzhen with a complicated expression. After a long silence, he spoke very reluctantly, "At first, I did intend to give you the map in exchange for Rui'er. At that time, I thought that the map was not important to the Palace Master. But later I found out that the Palace Master actually sent Master Ding San to come to Huodu to monitor me... In other words, my every move has been seen by the Palace Master. If I compromise with you, I will not be able to explain to the Palace Master in the future. By then, it will not only be Rui'er who will be in trouble, but my entire Cao family. Disobeying the orders of the Palace Master without authorization will surely bring about a catastrophe. If it were you, I'm sure you can tell which is more important, right?"

"If that's the case, then why did Hall Master Cao come here tonight?" Xunzhen asked calmly.

"Because..." Cao Qin hesitated again and again, and his previous anger was replaced by a deep worry. He stammered and pleaded, "Because I want you to release Rui'er. Except for the Jingfenghuayutu, I can give you anything you want. My Cao family is a single-line family. If something goes wrong with Rui'er, it means that my Cao family will be extinct, so I..."

"Son, you want to go back, but you don't want to hand over the Jingfenghuayu Tu. Just because you beg me with sweet words and humble words, I will waste several days of hard work." Xunzhen nodded slightly, then turned her beautiful eyes and asked with a smile, "Master Cao, if it were you, do you think there would be such a cheap thing in the world?"

"As long as you are willing to release Rui'er, I, Cao Qin, am willing to serve you like a slave..."

"Then give me the Wind and Rain Painting, and I will ensure that your son will appear in front of you safely tomorrow." Xunzhen refused without further ado, "Otherwise, Master Cao will have to wait to collect his son's body!"

"Do you believe that I will collect your body first?" Cao Qin was immediately furious. He glared at Xunzhen with a pair of red eyes, and made a fierce gesture, as if he was ready to attack Xunzhen at any time.

"If you dare to act rashly, your son will surely die." Xunzhen said coldly without fear, "Besides, you may not be able to kill me!" Having said that, Xunzhen glanced around inadvertently, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Cao Qin was panting heavily in anger, and his finger joints were cracking. But even so, he still didn't dare to attack Xunzhen, not because he was afraid that Xunzhen would ambush him, but because he didn't dare to gamble with his son's life.

"Girl... don't go too far!" Cao Qin gritted his teeth and said, "You are forcing me like this now, which is tantamount to asking me to choose between losing my son and having my entire family executed. You should know that no matter which of the two results, I, Cao Qin, will never accept it."

"Master Cao." Xunzhen's tone softened as he tried to comfort her. "The reason you couldn't agree to my request is because Ren Wuya sent Ding Ao to spy on you. In fact, this is why I asked you to meet alone: ​​to avoid the sight of outsiders and give Master Cao a way out. Right here and right now, you hand over the Wind and Rain Painting to me. Heaven and earth will know, you and I will know. Apart from that, no third person will ever know."

As if he was bewitched by Xunzhen, or perhaps Cao Qin was simply weak-willed, he actually began to hesitate.

After thinking it over, Cao Qin frowned and said, "If you have a way... to prevent me from being punished by the Palace Master, then I will give you the map...

Xunzhen seemed to have anticipated this result. She nodded with satisfaction and said, "In fact, before inviting Master Cao to come here, I had already prepared a gift for you, a gift that will ensure that you can rest assured."

"What is it?"

Under Cao Qin's puzzled gaze, Xunzhen pulled out a simple scroll from his sleeve and said, "Master Cao, do you know what this is?"

Cao Qin shook his head with confusion in his eyes.

Xunzhen slowly unfolded the scroll, and suddenly an ancient painting that was very similar to the "Jingfenghuayu Tu" appeared in front of Cao Qin. Similar to the real "Jingfenghuayu Tu", this painting also depicted mountains, rivers and meridians, and was written in the characters of the Jin Dynasty. No matter the style or the degree of wear and tear, it was very similar. For those who had never seen the "Jingfenghuayu Tu", it would be difficult to tell which was real and which was fake.

Cao Qin exclaimed in astonishment: "You are..." "This is the 'Jingfenghuayutu' given to Hall Master Cao. You can use this picture to report to Ren Wuya." Xunzhen explained, "Not only has Ren Wuya never seen the real Jingfenghuayutu, I think you, Hall Master Cao, are the only one in the entire Tianshan Yulong Palace who has seen the Jingfenghuayutu with your own eyes. So whichever picture you say is real, it is real, and the fake one is also real. Whichever picture you say is fake, it is fake, and the real one is also fake."

"This..." Cao Qin was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. He just stared at the fake picture in Xunzhen's hand like a fool.

"I have shown my sincerity. What do you think, Master Cao?" Xunzhen asked with a smile, "If Master Cao is willing to exchange with me, then we will be friends. How can I watch you suffer as a friend? In addition, I have a small gift to give you, so that Master Cao will be prepared. In the martial arts world, more friends mean more paths. Master Cao is a smart man. Whether to watch his son die in vain or make friends with me, I believe you should know how to choose."

Under Xunzhen's repeated instigation, Cao Qin hesitated again and again, but finally he could not overcome his inner love for his son. He stretched out his trembling hands and slowly took out the real "Jingfenghuayutu" from his arms.

As soon as he saw the picture, Xunzhen's eyes suddenly flashed with excitement.

"Where is Rui'er?" Cao Qin asked anxiously with a grim expression.

"The matter has become a hot topic now. If I return my son to you today, how will you explain it to Ren Wuya?" Xunzhen said, "As the saying goes, help people to the end and send Buddha to the west. Since Master Cao is willing to give me the map, I will help you complete the whole set of drama and ensure that you are flawless."

"What do you mean?" At this moment, Cao Qin was already confused and at a loss. How could he have any opinion?
"Didn't you send someone to inform me that I would redeem you in person at Ye Zilin at the beginning of the morning hour tomorrow?" Xunzhen said, "I will send someone to take Young Master Ling to Ye Zilin tomorrow." Without waiting for Cao Qin to ask, Xunzhen took the initiative to guarantee, "Don't worry, Young Master Ling will not lose a single hair during this period. Master Cao, my goal is the Wind and Rain Painting. If I can get this painting, do you think I will cause myself more trouble? Young Master Ling is of no use to me. If I don't return it to you, how can you let me go easily? I'm not stupid, I still understand this principle."

"Do you think I will believe you?" Cao Qin asked suspiciously.

"Master Cao must have misunderstood." Xunzhen said with a smile, "Now it's not you who is helping me, but me who is helping you. If Master Cao doesn't need my help, I will go back and bring Master Ling here now, and you can take him home later. How do you think?"

Cao Qin thought over and over again. Although he wanted to rescue Cao Rui immediately, he knew that if he took Cao Rui back tonight, he would not be able to explain it to outsiders. Moreover, if he was not careful, there would be many loopholes, which would arouse suspicion. Instead of doing this, it would be better to wait one more day.

"Then... I will give you this picture tomorrow..."

"Master Cao, do you think I don't know that you have secretly informed the Yulong Palace about setting an ambush in Ye Zilin tomorrow?" Xunzhen's eyes turned cold and he snorted, "Could it be that Master Cao still wants to play tricks on me now? Tomorrow I will send people to Ye Zilin, and they will not come back safe and sound. I have done my best to help Master Cao star in this drama. If Master Cao continues to make excuses, then we can each do our own thing!" After saying that, Xunzhen was about to turn around and leave.

"Wait." Cao Qin hurriedly stopped him, "I was the one who said something out of turn just now. I beg you not to hurt Rui'er. This painting of the wind and rain... I'll give it to you!" As he said that, Cao Qin gritted his teeth and threw the painting to Xunzhen, letting out a helpless sigh.

Xunzhen unfolded the painting and examined it carefully. After a long while, he put it away with satisfaction. Then he threw the fake to Cao Qin and said with a smile, "Master Cao, I hope we can each get what we need and live in peace."

"You just said that if I give you the painting, you will give me a small gift. What do you mean?" Cao Qin asked, "You are not just cooperating with me to act out a play, right?"

"Of course there are more than that." Xunzhen said, and then he took out three more scrolls from his sleeves, threw them all in front of Cao Qin, and said with a smile, "Here are three more fakes, Master Cao, please accept them all!"

Seeing this, Cao Qin couldn't help but smile bitterly and said self-deprecatingly: "Why? Are you planning to ask me to sell fake paintings?"

"To trade with my people tomorrow, you will need a map, right?" Xunzhen said with a smile, "Besides trading, there should be someone secretly eyeing the Jingfenghuayu map, and maybe they will take action tomorrow. I prepared a few more maps for you, with no other intention, just to be prepared. Moreover, you can gain Ren Wuya's trust by mixing the true and false, the real and the fake, and maybe he will praise you for being cautious. In this way, won't Master Cao get another benefit?"

Cao Qin thought for a moment, accepted all four fake pictures, and said in a deep voice: "I only care about Rui'er's safety. I will trust you tonight. I hope you will keep your word. If not, even if I risk being executed, I will report this to the Palace Master. When the Tianshan Jade Dragon Palace issues a hunting order, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, you will be torn into pieces."

"I know the power of Hall Master Cao, and I will never play tricks again!" Xunzhen pretended to be quite obedient and nodded repeatedly, "I swear to heaven that at the beginning of the morning hour tomorrow, Master Cao will appear in Ye Zilin safely."

Cao Qin took a deep look at Xunzhen, then lowered his head to look at the four fake pictures in his hand, and an indescribable complexity flashed across his face. After hesitating for a long time, he whispered, "There is one thing...if you are willing to say it, then tell me, if you are not willing, forget it!"

"Master Cao, please speak!"

"The "Jiaofenghuayu Tu" is real or fake... Not many people have seen the original..." Cao Qin pondered, "How can you tell that the one I gave you is definitely the original? Aren't you afraid that I might use a fake picture to deceive you? Or have you seen the original before? Otherwise, you can't imitate the fake picture so vividly..."

"I really took great pains to make these fakes." Xunzhen smiled faintly, "Since Master Cao is willing to believe me, then I will not lie anymore. In fact, there is a little-known secret hidden in the Jingfenghuayu map that can help people distinguish the authenticity. The mountain paths and meridians in the map are all depicted with black lines, except for a gap in the lower left corner, which is about the size of a fingernail and is outlined with blue lines. Because the colors are very similar, people who don't know it can't notice it at all. Even if they notice it, they may mistake it for being a little old because it is so old. There are also the Jin Dynasty characters in the picture, most of which are bright yellow, but the second and second to last characters are inlaid with gold threads. So as long as you recognize these three places, even if you have never seen the original before, you can tell whether it is real or fake at a glance."

"Then how do you know these secrets?"

"Master Cao, the less you know about some things, the better." Xunzhen evaded the question with a half-smile.

"Since you know the secret of distinguishing the true from the false, does the Palace Master also know it?" Cao Qin still had doubts.

"It's possible that he knows, or it's possible that he doesn't." Xunzhen answered vaguely, "Just like you bet that I would release your son, you also need to take a gamble on whether Ren Wuya knows this secret! What's more, your chances of winning are far greater than losing."

Seeing Xunzhen avoiding the question, Cao Qin knew that he had no choice at this point, so he made up his mind, bowed deeply to Xunzhen, then quickly left and disappeared into the darkness.

"When the real is fake, the fake is real; when the fake is real, the real is fake! Little did you know that among these fake pictures I gave you, there is also the one that Yulong Palace will give me tomorrow." Xunzhen murmured to himself, "Cao Qin, Cao Qin, when you hand over the last picture to Ren Wuya tomorrow, no matter whether the picture is real or fake, your life will be in danger. This is your destined calamity. Since you were ordered to go to Quanzhou, you were destined to die soon. So you didn't make a wrong choice this time. It's not a loss to be able to use a piece of your personal belongings to save your precious son's life before you die. Alas!"

With a long sigh, Xunzhen carefully put away the Jingfenghuayutu, then covered his face with the black scarf again, and flew up lightly with his feet, disappearing into the dense forest in a few flashes.

……

　This is a flashback, and the truth and falsehood are already clear. There were foreshadowings before, for example, Cao Qin hesitated to hand over the map to exchange people, but he hurriedly changed his attitude after hearing that Ding San was in Huodu. Also, before Ye Zilin redeemed people, Lei Biao asked Cao Qin what to do if the robbers didn't come? At that time, Cao Qin swore "No!", but then found out that he had spoken out of turn, and hurriedly changed his words and said "It should... No way." In fact, Cao Qin had colluded with Xunzhen, so he knew that the kidnappers would definitely come. And so on and so forth, I wonder if you have already seen through it? Haha, I am a scholar, I just want to do my best to write a good story and live up to your support and love. In addition, the updates will gradually increase steadily. Now we have to prepare for the sprint to the shelves, but we will never deliberately split the chapters for the sake of one more chapter. If each chapter is split into 2,000 words, the daily updates can now be easily divided into two chapters, but the integrity of the story and the coherence of reading are bound to be somewhat discounted, and I hope you can understand and forgive me. The scholar thanks you, thanks you, thanks you again and again!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)