Chapter 1090: Ming-Pattern Black-Eyed Bee

Jian Yanyou stood up from Jian Taiding’s headless body, licking the fresh blood from his lips. “Who am I? Of course, I am Jian Yanyou, your husband.”

His eyes were already ink-black, his face covered in dense black patterns, and the blood splattered from where he had been lying on Jian Taiding's severed neck made him appear demonic and dangerous.

Yu Yanluo shook her head. “No, you are definitely not him. Yanyou is kind and compassionate; he would never casually kill innocent people.”

“Innocent? He killed me, and he coveted you, his own sister-in-law. How is that innocent?” Jian Yanyou sneered.

Yu Yanluo said coldly, “So you are not the real Jian Yanyou. You don't know how much he doted on his younger brother, giving him whatever he wanted. Apart from me, his wife, he gave him almost everything he could. And no matter what mistakes his brother made, though he might scold him a bit, he would always forgive him in the end.”

“What’s more, you’re alive again this time, and his plot to harm you didn’t cause any serious consequences. Given your usual disposition, you would likely have punished him lightly, never harming his life.”

Jian Yanyou glanced at the headless body of Jian Taiding and grinned. “People always change, especially after I’ve walked through the gates of death.”

Yu Yanluo interrupted him directly, “Even if you change, you wouldn’t become a bloodthirsty monster. You not only cruelly tortured and killed your own brother, but you also drank his blood. The look of enjoyment on your face just now couldn’t be faked. Tell me, what kind of monster are you?”

At this, Jian Yanyou let out a cackling laugh. The sound was chilling, utterly unlike anything a human could produce. “Madam, should I praise your intelligence or your foolishness?”

Hearing his strange voice, clearly no longer the real Jian Yanyou, Zu An quickly shielded Yu Yanluo behind him. The oppressive aura emanating from the other party was too strong, almost comparable to what Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen had made him feel earlier.

He worried the opponent might suddenly attack and harm Yu Yanluo.

Fortunately, Jian Yanyou seemed to have no immediate intention to strike. Instead, he sighed. “Madam, wasn’t it better to feign ignorance? Why did you have to stubbornly expose everything? You could have continued to be the Duchess peacefully. Now, things are going to be difficult, aren't they?”

“That tone, that voice…” Yu Yanluo’s heart suddenly stirred. “Are you Uncle Ming?”

“Madam, you truly have discerning eyes to notice that?” Jian Yanyou seemed a little surprised, making no effort to conceal it.

“How is that possible?” Yu Yanluo and Zu An were both startled. Hadn’t he been trapped by Yu Yanluo in the painting world with just one move before?

A series of events had occurred since, making everyone almost forget his existence.

So he was the true mastermind all along?

Yu Yanluo even specifically took out the Thousand-Mile Mountains and Seas Scroll to check, and found that Uncle Ming was indeed still inside, but he was already a corpse.

“Huh?” Yu Yanluo then realized something was wrong, because her painting world only trapped people; it didn’t activate any killing intent. And with Uncle Ming’s cultivation, he shouldn’t have died in there.

She suddenly looked up at the other party. “How did you get out?”

Jian Taiding—no, it should be Uncle Ming now—smiled triumphantly. “I never actually entered. What your painting captured was merely a shell.”

“A shell?” Yu Yanluo recalled the earlier situation. It had indeed been too easy to trap him.

Zu An’s heart stirred. “Could it be that you infiltrated Jian Yanyou’s body when his remains were just pulled out of the pond?”

Uncle Ming glanced at him in surprise. “Lord Zu is indeed observant and quick-witted. No wonder you were able to uncover the truth about Jian Yanyou’s murder earlier.”

Zu An muttered to himself, “Easily possessing others, discarding bodies at will… Is there really such a heaven-defying cultivation method in the world? Wouldn’t that grant immortality?”

He had also faced the danger of being possessed before. Old Man Mi had coveted his body, but it wasn't this absurd—changing bodies at will, transferring at will?

Yu Yanluo parted her red lips. “I recall a lesser-known branch among the demon races: the Parasitic Bee Clan. Members of this clan can lay their offspring inside a host’s body, and the offspring feed on the host’s internal organs and tissues during their growth, eventually bursting out once fully mature. Legend has it that the top experts of the Parasitic Bee Clan can even possess a target’s physical body and take its place. Could you be from the Parasitic Bee Clan?”

Uncle Ming was genuinely surprised this time. “Madam, you even know about such an obscure demon race? Even demons themselves might not know of this race, right?”

“So you admit it?” Hearing his tone, Yu Yanluo’s expression turned serious.

“That’s right, I am indeed from the Parasitic Bee Clan, and specifically, the most noble of our kind: the Bright-Striped Black-Eyed Bee,” Uncle Ming stated proudly. He made no attempt to conceal it, evidently believing himself to be in complete control of the situation.

“No wonder you’re called Uncle Ming,” Zu An mused. “This world is truly marvelous. First, we encountered the Mosquito Daoist who absorbed human essence and blood, and now a parasitic bee that inhabits human bodies, both having cultivated to become spirits.”

“Did you pledge allegiance to the Duke many years ago and then gain his trust?” Yu Yanluo frowned. “You’ve been so diligent all these years; you truly put on a convincing act.”

“Why would I be so foolish as to work tirelessly for him for decades?” Uncle Ming sneered. “Of course, I found an opportunity to secretly harm Uncle Ming, parasitized his body, and used his body to return to the Duke's mansion.”

Yu Yanluo nodded subtly. She had found it strange when she saw Uncle Ming betray Jian Yanyou earlier.

After all, one’s true character cannot be faked over years of interaction.

Given Jian Yanyou’s high cultivation and influential position, it was impossible for him to lack such discernment.

Now, it finally made sense.

Zu An, meanwhile, thought about how truly miserable the real Uncle Ming was, having worked hard his entire life only to be parasitized by a demon bee.

For a human, death sometimes isn't that terrifying. What's most terrifying is being treated as food by other creatures, or becoming a host living a fate worse than death.

At this point, Uncle Ming couldn’t help but glance at Zu An with a sigh. “When I saw you appear at the Duke's mansion disguised as Jian Yanyou, with no flaws to be found, I thought one of my kind had gotten there first. Fortunately, later I didn't feel…”