Behind Yuhua Temple was a bamboo forest.
Wu's complexion was somber as he quickly moved through the bamboo forest on a small path.
Around him, the rustling of bamboo leaves mingled with the faint hissing of insects, and countless red glowing compound eyes peered out from the shadows.
When they detected it was Wu, they silently retreated.
He arrived at a thatched hut deep within the bamboo forest.
Large and small pottery jars nearly filled the entire room, and he strode toward two jars labeled "Xuan Tong" and "Xuan Zhuang."
Wu reached out and shattered the seals on the jars to take a look inside.
What should have been lively mother insects inside had already flipped onto their backs; they had been dead for some time.
"Useless!"
In a rage, he knocked over both jars, his usual air of immortal grace replaced by a ferocious visage.
His clear, bright eyes transformed into a pair of vertical pupils.
Under his skin, countless black lines squirmed, and black energy seeped out from his body, presenting a dreadful sight.
The deaths of two useless disciples were of no consequence.
But he had lost his Magic Artifact.
That was a true Magic Artifact!
In the 130 years of Yuhua Temple's inheritance, they had only accumulated three.
And in the span of just one month, he had lost two.
How could he not be furious!
Pacing in the thatched hut with ragged breaths, Wu's thick, bushy eyebrows slowly knotted into a bulge.
It seems there really is a master in Baohe County Town. I originally thought that person sealing my Jade Buddha was merely an accident. But now Xuan Tong and Xuan Zhuang are dead. Given the distance they could have traveled in two days, they certainly hadn't reached Baohe County. They were intercepted and killed before reaching the town! Even wearing the Hundred Faces Mask, they couldn't escape; could the opponent be from the True Intent Realm? All of Huang Tan Manor's True Intent experts are well-known and notable individuals. Xie Changhe of the Diancang Alliance, Daoist Priest Mihua from Fuyun Mountain, Ye Jiaolong of the Eighteen Creeks of Black River, Jin Siji of the Taibao Sect... Wait, the Taibao Sect!
His frown suddenly vanished as Wu's black energy swirled around him.
It was the sect of Qian Yuchuan, the second-eldest of the Qian Family. Could it be the Taibao Sect targeting me?
Contemplating while sitting in the chair, the more Wu thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.
The Qian Family ancestors were once wealthy merchants, and though their fortunes had declined in recent generations, they lived modestly in Baohe County thanks to their familial legacy.
Their estate was still not to be underestimated; according to Qian Yuzhe, they possessed nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver.
This did not even include their gold, jewelry, ancient paintings, and the like.
"If the Taibao Sect wishes to contend with me for their riches, then they should not blame me for abandoning my monastic discipline."
Glancing around the room full of pottery jars, Wu twirled his beard, a cold gleam flickering in his vertical pupils, sharp as the tip of a knife.
「Baohe County.」
In front of the Liu Family Butcher Shop, a burly man with a thick waist, a date-red face, a single reddish-yellow eyebrow, and arms as thick as pillars stood there, looking like a ferocious black bear in human form.
Inside the butcher shop, the workers glanced at the formidable giant at the door, exchanging looks, not daring to utter a word.
"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you all just standing around? Aren't you doing business anymore?"
Smiling and sniffing, a man wearing a red bellyband came from the backyard. Seeing the workers idle, Liu the butcher stuffed the bellyband into his chest and shouted loudly.
Shoving aside the dazed workers, Butcher Liu was about to speak when he caught sight of the rough, ugly giant, which made him recoil.
"Sir, what would you like?" Butcher Liu shrank his neck, squeezed out a smile, and asked politely.
The burly man shook his head, stepped forward twice, and pointed at the meat stall. "I want ten jin of lean meat, cut into minced meat, with no fat on it at all."
"Right away! Quickly prepare what the customer ordered!" Liu the Butcher called to his workers.
"Wait. Don't let them cut it. I want you to do it," the burly man demanded.
Hearing the man's domineering tone, Butcher Liu frowned but suppressed his displeasure. He smiled and said, "Alright, I'll cut it myself."
Turning, he took ten jin of lean meat from the counter and carefully minced it.
It took nearly half an hour. Butcher Liu put down his knife and let out a breath of relief. "Shall I wrap this up for you, sir?"
"No rush." With a wave of his large hand, the burly man pointed again. "And another ten jin, all fat, with no lean meat on it, also minced."
At these words, the smile on Butcher Liu's face vanished completely, and his lips pursed.
"What, you won't cut it?" the man sneered, glancing sideways and raising his voice.
"I'll cut it, I'll cut it right away." Butcher Liu inhaled deeply, chose another ten jin of pure fat, and meticulously minced it.
This task took another good half hour.
Drenched in sweat, Butcher Liu put down his cleaver, forced a smile, and ground his molars. "Shall I wrap it up for you, sir?"
"No rush. Now I want ten jin of 'inch-gold' cartilage, also finely minced, with no meat on it."
"Damn it! Are you looking for trouble?!" Butcher Liu leaped up, clenching the cleaver. He cursed in anger and was about to signal his workers to teach the burly man a lesson.
"That's right! I am here to look for trouble." Seeing Butcher Liu explode with anger, the burly man laughed instead. He reached out, snatched the cleaver, and clenched it in his hands.
He twisted the steel cleaver into an iron ring.
After ruining the cleaver, the burly man struck out. BAM! BAM! Butcher Liu was sent sprawling, clutching his now-blackened eye and crying out in agony, "Help! Murder! Quick, call the officials!"
"These two punches are payback for your insult! If you want to call the officials, go ahead. I, Lu Da, always go by my true name!"
Leaving his name, Lu Da laughed heartily and walked away. The crowd of onlookers fell into a chilling silence, no one daring to intervene.
"What the hell are you standing around gawking for? Go after him!"
Scolded by Butcher Liu, the workers hurriedly chased after the burly man but dared not get too close, only watching from a distance.
The burly man strode through streets and alleys like a shooting star.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared down an alley.
When the workers caught up, they saw only an elegantly dressed, middle-aged man with slightly graying temples walking out of the alley.
"Excuse me, sir, did you see a dark-faced man enter this alley?"
"I haven't seen anyone."
Shaking his head lightly, the scholarly middle-aged man walked away composedly.
The workers were left scratching their heads in confusion. Could such a large man really vanish into thin air?
「Chunlai Restaurant.」
Inside Room Three, marked 'Jia'.
Once the scholarly middle-aged man entered the room, he turned and bolted the door.
Then he reached under his chin, pinched a piece of skin, and pulled it upward.
SCHHHH—
The mask was torn off, revealing the youthful face of a clean-cut young scholar with bright eyes.
"Phew... The effect of this mask is truly a Divine Marvel. At the very least, ordinary people would never recognize me."
Looking at the Hundred Faces Mask in his hand, Qi Xiu rubbed his cheek and smiled.
After ruminating sleeplessly for two nights, he had finally gotten a rough grasp on how to use this Magic Artifact. After feeding the mask enough Blood Meal, he could suppress the malevolence within by reciting the controlling spell. The sign that suppression was successful was the disappearance of cracks on the mask. Once cracks reappeared on the mask, it indicated that the malevolence inside was resurging, and he would have to remove the mask quickly to prevent its insidious energies from corrupting his mind. To disguise himself as an ordinary person and change his appearance and physique, half a pig or two live chickens could maintain the effect for around six Hours, showing that fresh Blood Meal worked better.
"However, if feeding it Blood Meal is just for suppressing the malevolence within the artifact, then I have other methods," Qi Xiu mused, placing the Hundred Faces Mask on the table. "After all, I'm quite adept at mere suppression."
His eyes moved thoughtfully as he turned, picked up a calligraphy brush, and lightly dipped it in ink.
Then, with a radiant smile, he slowly walked over to the mask.
...