Volume 1, Chapter 53 – Identity Fully Exposed

“If you insist on proof, then fine.”

Cheng Hongling shook her head pityingly. “There’s a small red mole on your right buttock. Aside from me, very few people should know about this—unless you’ve slept with many others.”

“Shut… shut up!”

Miao Xiang instantly flushed with embarrassment, frantically reaching out to cover her junior sister’s mouth.

“You were the one who demanded proof.”

Cheng Hongling nimbly dodged, her expression merciless.

“Fine… fine, you’re the real one!”

Miao Xiang’s face burned red as she hastily changed the subject. “So what do we do now? That impostor looks exactly like you. Even if we see her, it’ll be hard to tell the difference.”

Cheng Hongling frowned at this, then suddenly brightened. “How could I forget? According to my father, her feet are much larger than mine. From now on, if you see someone who looks exactly like me, don’t focus on the face—check the feet. If they’re significantly bigger than mine, it’s definitely the impostor.”

She lifted the hem of her skirt slightly, revealing her petite feet clad in pink-and-white embroidered shoes.

“That makes it much easier to tell. No matter how skilled the impostor is, she can’t shrink her feet, right? I’ll inform the other senior sisters so they don’t get fooled again.”

Miao Xiang nodded eagerly.

“Then I’ll leave this matter to you, Senior Sister Miao Xiang. I must go now.”

Cheng Hongling thanked her politely.

“Why? Didn’t you just say you came to catch the impostor? Why leave so soon?”

A trace of reluctance flashed across Miao Xiang’s face.

“I need to report back to Sect Leader Qin about the impostor’s large feet. If even you all can’t tell the difference, how can the other disciples?”

Cheng Hongling explained.

“That’s true.”

Miao Xiang agreed wholeheartedly.

With that, Cheng Hongling activated her movement technique and vanished from the county town like a ghost.

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“Did I forget something?”

Miao Xiang also left her “post”, gathering the other four senior sisters at their inn to relay the information.

“Damn it! I was fooled by that impostor twice!”

Ruan Lingyu gritted her teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

“Eldest Senior Sister, judging by your expression… did the impostor take liberties with you again?”

Yun Fei teased.

“Nonsense! How could that happen?”

Ruan Lingyu bristled with embarrassment.

“Her reaction says it all—she definitely suffered another loss.”

Su Qingying delivered a cold, merciless jab.

“Eldest Senior Sister, don’t worry! Once we catch her, I’ll avenge you.”

The fiery Shen Yuan declared righteously.

“Worried? Me? Oh, I’m so worried! Hehe…”

Ruan Lingyu’s forced laughter dripped with menace.

“Eldest Senior Sister, don’t be angry. Even if you were taken advantage of, it’s not a big deal. That impostor might not be our junior sister, but she really is a woman—I checked personally.”

Miao Xiang couldn’t bear it and quickly tried to console her.

“Really? That’s a relief!”

Ruan Lingyu’s expression softened slightly. Losing forty taels of silver was one thing, but her chastity was priceless.

“In that case, let’s continue our surveillance. Remember—from now on, if you see someone who looks exactly like our junior sister, ignore the face and check the feet.”

Yun Fei instructed.

“Wait… I think I forgot something?”

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Just as everyone was about to leave, Miao Xiang frowned and muttered to herself.

“Forgot what?”

Ruan Lingyu asked reflexively.

“Oh no! How could I forget this?!”

Miao Xiang smacked her forehead. “Last time I saw the impostor, she was leaving the government office with a middle-aged couple. If we question the staff, we might uncover her true identity!”

“That’s perfect! This is a crucial lead.”

Yun Fei grew excited.

“But it’s the county government office. Even as cultivators, we can’t just barge in.”

As the eldest, Ruan Lingyu reminded them.

“We can’t go in, but can’t the people inside come out?”

Yun Fei smirked confidently and began assigning tasks. “Junior Sister Shen Yuan, your mission is to investigate the government officials and report back to me. The rest of you, continue surveillance.”

Trusting Yun Fei’s judgment, the others accepted their roles.

Thanks to her charm, Shen Yuan had the entire office’s roster figured out before sunset—even the gender of the guard dog.

That evening, during dinner, she delivered her report.

“Ping’an County is remote and underdeveloped—a low-tier jurisdiction. The new magistrate is clean-handed, so he abolished all unnecessary positions, leaving only a Registrar Yuan as his assistant. Beyond that, there are only low-level constables and coroners.”

She first summarized the general situation.

“The registrar? Perfect. He’ll be our target. As the registrar, he must be familiar with the local populace. Even if he doesn’t know the impostor’s background, he’ll recognize the middle-aged couple she was with.”

Yun Fei deduced immediately.

“Right. Registrars handle population records.”

Ruan Lingyu agreed.

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“Did you find out where he lives?”

Yun Fei asked Shen Yuan.

“Of course. Don’t you trust my work?”

Shen Yuan grinned proudly.

“Then let’s not waste time. We’ll go now.”

Yun Fei set down her bowl—whether she had eaten enough or not was unclear.

Thus, the five fairies swiftly made their way to Registrar Yuan’s residence.

At that moment, Registrar Yuan had just returned home and hadn’t even picked up his chopsticks when someone knocked on his door.

Grumbling internally, he opened the door—only to find five stunningly beautiful young women standing outside, each more radiant than the last. His irritation evaporated instantly, forced down by sheer awe.

“May I help you?”

He asked politely. He wasn’t foolish—in this world, girls of such beauty were either noble or wealthy.

“Registrar Yuan, correct? We’d like to ask about someone.”

Ruan Lingyu, her high ponytail lending her a heroic air, took the lead.

“Who are you inquiring about?”

Registrar Yuan asked reflexively, his guard lowered by the presence of such lovely visitors.

“About ten days ago, a girl slightly taller than me, wearing a veil, came to the government office with a middle-aged couple. We want to know who she is.”

Ruan Lingyu stated their purpose.

“Ten days ago? With a veil? You don’t mean the girl who was drugged by the constables, do you?”

Registrar Yuan’s memory stirred. After all, the veiled girl had caused quite a scene at the government office, leaving a lasting impression. But remembering didn’t mean he would talk—he was, after all, a pillar of the local government… or at least its left-hand assistant.

“My apologies, but I don’t know who you’re referring to. If there’s nothing else, I must bid you good evening.”

Without hesitation, he prepared to shut the door, appearing the very picture of integrity.

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“Let me be frank—we’re disciples of the Honghua Sect. We’re not troublemakers. We urgently need to identify that girl.”

Ruan Lingyu directly produced her cultivator’s token.

“Honghua Sect fairies?! Please, come in! I’ll tell you everything I know!”

Registrar Yuan’s demeanor transformed instantly, his earlier resolve crumbling as he bowed and scraped.

“No need. Just tell us who she is.”

Ruan Lingyu grew impatient.

“She called herself Qi… Qi Huang! Claimed to be from the prefectural city. She came to register her marital status—said she was marrying into a family in Huatian Village.”

Registrar Yuan spilled Huang Qi’s secrets without hesitation, true to his word.

“What was the family’s surname?”

Yun Fei pressed.

“Huang! The household head is Huang Kairong. Qi Huang was to marry his son, Huang Qi.”

Registrar Yuan elaborated helpfully.

“Excellent. Thank you, Registrar Yuan. The Honghua Sect won’t forget this favor.”

Yun Fei dangled the promise of future goodwill.

“Are you fairies planning to find her? She likely isn’t in Huatian Village now.”

Overjoyed, Registrar Yuan eagerly volunteered more information.

“Then where would she be?”

Ruan Lingyu frowned.

“Last time, Qi Huang couldn’t complete the marriage registration because she lacked an identity tablet. She’d surely return home to fetch it. My guess is she’ll revisit the government office soon to finalize the paperwork.”

Here, Registrar Yuan paused dramatically.