Lord Shenxiu
Chapter 135: Human Skin Mask (Congratulations to Alliance Hierarch Xia Mu You!)

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Human Skin Mask (Congratulations to Alliance Hierarch Xia Mu You!)

Half an hour later, the courtyard was filled with members from the Divine Capture Bureau.

Even within Anshan City, there were offices of the county government from the Great Wu Dynasty, though their presence was weak.

After someone sent the message, Yan Wushuang immediately brought people and rushed to the scene.

"Why... do the officials always arrive last, the very last to reach the scene?"

Zhong Shenxiu couldn’t help but complain upon seeing this.

If it weren’t for his better abilities in combat, he might have been secretly attacked by this Five Poison Sect Disciple and ended up worse than Wu Tieyi.

Today, Yan Wushuang was dressed in his Divine Capture Bureau Dragon Fish Suit, with a Yanling Saber hanging at his waist. He said nothing but meticulously examined the scene.

The Five Poison Sect Disciple, who had fainted, was naturally tied up securely and properly handled.

According to the old constables, such disciples of the Five Poison Sect liked to conceal poisonous substances and powders on their bodies, and getting even a little on oneself could mean having to amputate limbs to save one’s life.

"Miao people show reverence to the south; this posture is indeed indicative of their preferred method post-murder."

Yan Wushuang looked at the corpse of Wu Tieyi and made his assessment.

At that moment, a constable was already holding Wu Tieyi’s human skin mask and comparing it with the body.

Those two dark, hollow eyes were glaring, clearly not at peace in death.

Even Zhong Shenxiu felt eerily disturbed.

He looked again at the Five Poison Sect Disciple; the person had yellowish parched skin, broad face, and large ears, which quite mismatched the triangular-eyed face of Wu Tieyi. Zhong Shenxiu could not help but exclaim, "Just now... The fake Wu Tieyi I saw was an exact likeness. How can their facial structures be so different... No, should I say, can a skinned human face immediately turn into a mask and be put to use?"

This was unscientific! At least, it didn’t conform to biology!

Zhong Shenxiu silently added another line of thought.

"This is the Five Poison Sect’s secret Disguise Technique, which allows them to skin a person’s face alive and immediately replace it with their own, making them virtually impossible to distinguish from the real person..." Yan Wushuang didn’t seem surprised. "Furthermore, a true master of disguise in Jianghu can disguise a living person as a dog!"

"I still find it quite magical."

Zhong Shenxiu stepped forward and carefully inspected the Five Poison Sect prisoner.

He was certain that the other hadn’t used any Blood and Flesh Magic; it was merely a human skin laid over the face, and then he was concealed just like that.

Upon another glance, he found it unbearable to look; there were even drops of residual blood from the human skin on the opponents face.

Zhong Shenxiu carefully recalled his earlier memory, yet the face of the fake Wu Tieyi had become quite blurred.

’This...’

’It seems not that the other’s disguise technique is sophisticated but rather that my own mental blind spot was hit?’

’He fooled everyone just by wearing a bloody skin face!’

’It’s too strange... Some sort of magic? It doesn’t feel like it and... maybe it has to do with the specific posture they arranged Wu Tieyi’s body in...’

This feeling made him very uncomfortable because he had been fooled.

It was as if someone put on a dog mask and everyone started treating him like a dog, ignoring all the glaring inconsistencies.

This was even beyond what could be discerned by the inner strength enhanced eyesight.

Zhong Shenxiu felt that just a moment ago, he had been deceived through some special ritual by the other party’s senses.

’This Five Poison Sect is too sinister.’

He murmured to himself apprehensively, feeling even more fearful in hindsight.

"This human skin mask?" Zhong Shenxiu spoke up, pointing to Wu Tieyi’s face.

He felt a twinge of regret. If the Pastor’s abilities were still available, might he have seen a soul crying out in agony on this piece of skin?

"This is evidence, of course it must be handed over."

Yan Wushuang answered officially, "We’ll take the person; the Divine Capture Sect thanks you for your cooperation."

"My martial arts..."

Zhong Shenxiu hurriedly posed the most critical question.

"This time we only captured a disciple; we need to go back and interrogate him thoroughly. If we can obtain more information about their stronghold, that would be a significant accomplishment."

Yan Wushuang’s voice was grave, and then he threw over a scroll: "This is the liver wood Chapter of the Five Elements Thief Palm. If you participate in the upcoming operations and establish more merits, it might not be impossible to exchange for more."

...

"Liu Yi, you must hold on!"

After the people from the Divine Capture Sect had left, Wei Baizhu came over, still terrified, "This time it was Wu Tieyi, next time it could be us, ya know. This Five Poison Sect is too sinister, too terrifying... Although the Five Elements Thief Palm is powerful, it’s not worth losing your life over!"

"I understand."

Zhong Shenxiu held the scroll in his hand, deep in thought.

He certainly understood the Divine Capture Sect’s intentions; giving him sections of the Five Elements Thief Palm one by one was like the carrot in front of the donkey—visible but out of reach, which was always the most tempting.

’Well, the first four Chapters are fine, but by the time it comes to the last, it’ll probably be when the knives come out. At the very least, they’ll agree to give me the whole thing only if I join them, but... I don’t need the whole thing!’

Zhong Shenxiu inwardly scoffed, ’Each additional Chapter decreases the Heavenly Show Points required to deduce the complete cultivation technique... Once I’ve obtained the fourth Chapter by feigning compliance, I’ll immediately let go. The Divine Capture Sect will probably only be able to watch helplessly!’

It was like fishing; he was eating bait without hooks upfront, and the real hook was definitely hidden in the fifth Chapter.

No martial artist could endure having four Chapters and yet agonizingly lacking one to achieve the Five Elements Unification.

But he was different. With four Chapters, the upcoming deductions of Heavenly Show Points would be sufficient to bear.

With this trump card, he could still get quite a good deal from trading with the Divine Capture Sect.

So, he at least needed to cooperate with the Divine Capture Sect once more to get the fourth Chapter, devour the bait, and return the hook.

He looked around and noticed fear on the faces of Wei Hongyao and other fellow disciples; no one even wanted to get close to Wu Tieyi’s house. They were clearly psychologically scarred, which left him somewhat speechless.

Originally, he and Yan Wushuang had planned an outing to lure enemies, aiming to catch one or two Five Poison Sect Disciples.

Unexpectedly, their adversary, bold and skilled, had directly infiltrated Anshan City and brazenly committed murder in Shanyao Hall.

Zhong Shenxiu himself was not afraid, but anyone else from Shanyao Hall who encountered today’s impostor Wu Tieyi would certainly face death.

’Maybe... I should move out?’

’However, after catching a small fish today, disciples from the Five Poison Sect probably won’t dare come again. If someone does come, they’ll likely show up at my door directly, with overwhelming strength. It’d be more practical to run...’

Thinking this, Zhong Shenxiu grew even more curious about what Gu Qingying possessed that could draw such attraction from the Five Poison Sect.

That black widow clearly pursued him persistently, yet he was just collateral.

Even so, because of a slight possibility, the Five Poison Sect managed to send others to test him.

’Maybe... I have underestimated the allure of the four great odd books and the secret techniques ranked on the list of the world’s martial artists...’

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