The person across immediately recognized it, probably because even though the worlds are different and there is a deviation in the planes of existence, the details of the Penglai Jade Branch across versions are particularly similar?

Gu Mo’s thoughts flashed by. Since he was recognized directly, he didn’t bother to hide it. While seemingly admitting openly, he casually fibbed that it was a family specialty, after all, there’s no reason to lay all the cards on the table at the first meeting.

Joking is not nonsense, adapting is not random fabrication. Even in the name, it’s explicitly stated as Penglai’s Jade Branch, so naturally, it is a famous product from Penglai Immortal Mountain.

Right now, the entire Penglai Island is in his hand. Saying it this way seems quite reasonable—

Although this specialty doesn’t actually exist on Penglai Island, and Witch Naoki has never heard of such a thing, the Penglai Jade Branch in his hand was also snatched from Kaguya. But that doesn’t stop Gu Mo from claiming that... after all, isn’t that how legends go?

—The Jade Branch is a famous product from Penglai Immortal Mountain...

—And Penglai Immortal Mountain is now his home...

According to this logic, combining these two pieces of information, the Penglai Jade Branch naturally becomes something grown from his home, no problem at all!

"W-wait! Where did you say you live?!"

The silver-haired girl deeply frowned, while Her Highness the Princess blurted out instinctively, asking this question.

"Didn’t hear it clearly? Let me say it again... Penglai Mountain, Gu Mo."

The young man in the moonwhite Daoist robe looked at her strangely, coughed lightly, clasped his hands, made a bow, and repeated what he had just said.

"How is this possible! How could it be Penglai Mountain?!" Hearing his earnest reiteration, the black long-haired girl, who had just thought she misheard, widened her beautiful eyes, her doll-like face full of disbelief.

"Hmm? Why wouldn’t it be possible? You have also recognized that this is the Penglai Jade Branch, so naturally, it’s something grown from Penglai Mountain, right?"

Gu Mo blinked his eyes, seemed even more curiously looking at her, couldn’t help but to scrutinize this black long-haired girl a bit more, while also paying attention to the expression of the silver-haired girl. He noticed that although the latter’s expression remained unchanged, her eyebrows visibly raised.

Instantly, he muttered in his heart, seemingly thinking that both of them obviously did not believe him. Could it be that in this world, there is some setting about the Penglai Jade Branch that he didn’t know?

Emmm... wait, or is it that in this world, the people across are also from Penglai Immortal Mountain or have some connection with it, are they very knowledgeable about Penglai Mountain? If so, when he said that, it was only natural to be suspected.

This situation is just like meeting a stranger and during the introduction, the other person says they currently live in such-and-such place, but that address turns out to be your home... Not suspecting would be suspicious, even the most carefree person would immediately understand the other is a scammer.

—If that is indeed the case, then it would be awkward.

"Uh, you..."

Meanwhile, the black long-haired girl across also didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Is this person pretending to be clueless or is he serious?

Although she said that, the Penglai Jade Branch, as she had revealed, comes from the branch of the divine tree in the Penglai legend, with silver as the branch, gold as the stalk, and the fruit as jade, but that was in the long-ago past... before the Key Stone was drawn up into the Celestial Realm, sweeping all life from earth.

As the dividing mark of eras, it belongs to a time so ancient that even Eirin had not witnessed it.

Let alone events before this dividing mark.

It is the most ancient myth that can be traced back to, the beginning of this world, but in current times, it’s just history passed down orally. As for things like the Penglai Jade Branch, they are remnants of that ancient era, one of the very few proofs of that time’s existence.

Indeed, it is a famous product in the Penglai legend, from the divine tree on the Immortal Mountain.

But even Penglai itself has long vanished, even for the lunar civilization, it is an elusive ancient legend, what is left besides the legend itself, is only the Penglai Jade Branch. Moreover, this peculiar plant was, to begin with, rare, and after the lunar people moved to the Moon, all were taken from the earth.

That’s right, there is no actually existing Penglai Jade Branch on earth, only on the Moon.

Precisely speaking, only the last three Jade Branches remain—

One of the Jade Branches was used not long ago by Eirin in making the Penglai Elixir. The remaining two branches were not elsewhere, one was kept by Eirin herself, and the last one was in the careful possession of Her Highness the Princess.

This was the true key to the five difficult trials she posed earlier; even if someone got incredibly lucky and gathered the other four already exceedingly rare treasures, getting one of Penglai’s Jade Branches was absolutely out of the question... This was supposed to be an infallible plan; who could have foreseen the current situation?

This is why they were so puzzled before. If neither of them had lost the Jade Branch in their possession, then where did the Jade Branch in this person’s hand come from?

Could it be... someone else has found Penglai Mountain?

At that moment, they truly thought so, and the fact that the other party actually admitted this statement flabbergasted them.

The silver-haired girl gently pulled the princess’s sleeve, signaling her not to speak, letting herself handle it. She understood that while Kaguya was not someone known to lose her composure easily, the matter was simply too shocking.

"Did you say... you live on Penglai Mountain?"

Eirin looked over the demon maiden with narrowed eyes, coolly gazing, raising a fan to hide the lower half of her face, momentarily pausing on the attire style of the two, then turned her gaze to the young Daoist on the other side, and asked in a rather flat tone.

"Can you tell me where Penglai Mountain is?"

"Well, this..."

Gu Mo tugged at the corner of his mouth, feeling that he might really be Li Gui encountering Li Kui. At least in this world, that’s the case; the other party might be the real deal.

Especially after he carefully observed the silver-haired maiden across from him, he realized that although she looked very young, around eighteen years old, her demeanor was unmistakably serene. Her way of speaking, expressions, and movements all had that distinctive, aloof aura of an Immortal.

She also had a faint medicinal fragrance reminiscent of Kikyo.

"If it’s inconvenient to disclose the location and there’s a need to keep it confidential, I can understand..." At this moment, the silver-haired maiden continued speaking, her tone still calm, "You don’t have to tell me the location; can you instead describe what Penglai is like?"

Now she was almost certain that this person was just talking nonsense.

"..."

"..."

Gu Mo also picked up on the certainty in the silver-haired maiden’s tone and subconsciously interpreted it in another direction.

It seems he really has been impersonating someone in front of the real person. Strictly speaking, he indeed comes from Penglai, but he also had to consider that this was no longer the previous world. In the current realm, she should be the legitimate one, and insisting on this claim would be pointless.

He sighed softly and waved his hand: "Alright, alright, just forget what I said earlier... But speaking of which, why are you so certain I couldn’t possibly come from Penglai? Are you saying you’re from Penglai?"

Though a bit awkward, he was more curious.

— Damn, it really was fake!

— This person was just fabricating everything earlier! They don’t even know the truth about Penglai!

The black, long-haired maiden became a little irritated, having almost been deceived by him. Hearing his curious inquiry, she snorted, her eyes rolling, and quickly spoke before Eirin could answer: "Hmph, of course, we are Penglai people!"

This statement wasn’t entirely incorrect; they had taken the Penglai Elixir, not inhabitants of Penglai Immortal Mountain.

Indeed.

His luck wasn’t great, it seemed. He ended up impersonating right before the real deal...

Gu Mo pondered with a slight nod: "May I have your names, please?"

The noble and elegant as a princess black, long-haired maiden chuckled softly, raising her graceful swan-like neck mockingly mimicking his earlier speech: "Remember well... I am Penglai Mountain, Kaguya!"

But—

"Kaguya?"

That name is indeed famous.

Gu Mo’s expression turned peculiar as he glanced at the Jade Branch floating in front of him, then at the elegant maiden across from him: "Wait, is it that Princess Kaguya? But isn’t Princess Kaguya supposed to be the Princess of the Moon? How could she be from Penglai Mountain?"

This time, it was the other side’s turn to be slightly stunned.

Particularly, the silver-haired maiden’s eyes flickered noticeably, turning instantly vigilant.

She quickly stepped forward, shielding the somewhat puzzled princess behind her, and stared sharply at the young Daoist across from them: "You! How do you know about this?!"

Kaguya’s name was already known on this land, but neither humans nor demons should know her true identity. After all, the Moon people had moved to the Earth long, long ago, severing all contact with the surface. Where did this person get their information?

Could this not be a coincidence, but rather a preconceived notion?

But looking at his demeanor, it didn’t seem like it... Besides, he had no reason to expose himself earlier, right?

"Uh, so it really is..." Gu Mo finally confirmed their identity, supporting his chin as he thoughtfully studied the black-haired maiden before him.

Indeed, it was the renowned Princess Kaguya, both Princess of the Moon and the absolute protagonist of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter... No wonder they emphasized the matter of Penglai’s Jade Branch earlier.

Zi had mentioned before that a Princess of the Moon was exiled to Earth.

He had actually thought of the legend of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter at that time and even planned to visit the princess after dealing with the problem of Demon Cherry Blossom during this venture... Yet unexpectedly, she appeared on her own, seeking them out directly?

At this moment, with the night breeze stirring, her long golden hair gently swayed. Beside her, Yakumo Zi also nodded thoughtfully.

Having observed everything so far, she confirmed one thing—

It appeared that he knew of the Princess of the Moon, but only by name, without any real connection. In fact, neither recognized each other at their encounter, even mistakingly challenging each other because of the misunderstanding.