115: Chapter 115 Painted Skin, Encoffining (4k)

[Prisoner Que Wuhua has died]

[Reward: Demon Sound True Art Cultivate experience...]

...

[Prisoner Liu Niang has died]

[Participation: Medium]

[Obtained Reward: Five years of cultivation base]

[Obtained Reward: Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic (Minor Achievement)]

Chen Ran's brows twitched slightly.

In the next moment, a vast memory flooded into his mind like a tide.

Countless unfamiliar scenes exploded within his Sea of Consciousness.

Deep in the mountains of Miaojiang, a poisonous miasma permeated the air.

An old woman with white hair sat cross-legged amidst a pile of Gu insects, clutching a pitch-black centipede in her hand.

The centipede burrowed into her palm, the flesh churning, yet not a single drop of blood flowed out.

The old woman opened her eyes, a strange green light flashing within them.

Chen Ran closed his eyes, enduring the stinging pain in his Sea of Consciousness as he digested this newly Acquired Cultivation Technique.

"Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic", a second-grade poison art from Miaojiang.

Its core lay in the breeding of poisonous insects, using Gu insects to confront enemies in ways that were impossible to guard against.

It was extremely rare in the outside world; ordinary Jianghu people would steer clear upon hearing its name.

According to the memories, the Cultivation Technique was divided into three stages.

The Minor Achievement Realm allowed for the breeding of ordinary Gu insects to devour people.

The Major Achievement Realm allowed one to condense poison into force, making the blood itself toxic.

The Perfection Realm could trigger the Awakening of the "Ten Thousand Calamities Poison Body", granting immunity to a hundred poisons and allowing one to emit deadly toxins with every breath.

Chen Ran opened his eyes, a flicker of thought passing through them.

To him, this Cultivation Technique was indeed somewhat useless in the Early Stage.

The Glazed Golden Body Art he Cultivated had already reached Perfection, and his Physical Body's strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Ordinary Gu insects couldn't even bite through his skin, let alone burrow into his body.

Breeding poisonous insects required a great deal of time and resources, making it difficult to see results in the short term.

But soon, Chen Ran discovered the true value of this Cultivation Technique.

The "Ten Thousand Calamities Poison Body" awakened at the Perfection of the "Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic" complemented his Blood Transformation Great Art perfectly.

The Blood Transformation Great Art already used blood as a weapon; if the blood itself were poisonous, its power would increase exponentially.

At that point, every drop of his blood would be a lethal poison.

Enemies would die upon contact and be injured by a mere touch.

With a thought from Chen Ran.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the heavenly book of prison suppression slowly flipped open.

On the golden pages, lines of ancient text emerged.

He Without hesitation invested the five years of cultivation base he had recently Acquired, directly pushing the "Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic" to Major Achievement.

Boom!

The memories of the Cultivation Technique flowed rapidly through his mind.

Chen Ran only felt the True Qi within his body begin to riot, circulating frantically along a path it had never taken before.

The True Qi surged into his internal organs, bringing bouts of tearing pain.

His heart rate suddenly accelerated, and his blood boiled within his vessels.

The liver, spleen, lungs—every organ was undergoing a subtle transformation.

Chen Ran gritted his teeth, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

This pain lasted only for a moment before being replaced by an indescribable sense of comfort.

He could clearly feel a strange power added to his blood.

It was toxin, yet not entirely toxin.

It was more like a completely new form of life.

Chen Ran took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

He raised his right hand, and with a thought.

A strand of dark green poison force condensed at his fingertips, glinting with an eerie luster under the candlelight.

The poison force fell into the teacup on the table, and the tea instantly turned dark green, emitting a pungent odor.

Fine cracks even appeared on the walls of the cup, clearly corroded by the toxin.

Chen Ran nodded in satisfaction.

"This does look a bit like a poison art, though I don't have any Gu insects on me..."

The Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic at the Major Achievement Realm was already capable of condensing poison into force, killing invisibly.

In a few more weeks, once the Cultivation Technique reached Perfection and the Ten Thousand Calamities Poison Body awakened, that would be the true qualitative change.

He stood up and stretched his limbs.

The True Qi in his body flowed smoothly, more condensed than before.

With five years of cultivation base plus the Cultivation Technique Breakthrough, his strength had climbed another level.

After handling the scrolls at hand, Chen Ran got up and left.

...

East Street of the Capital City, Zuixian Restaurant.

This was an old, established teahouse where people from all walks of life loved to gather.

Chen Ran pushed the door and entered.

A wave of heat hit him, mixed with the scent of tea, the smell of cooking, and the clamor of voices.

The main hall was packed with people: well-dressed merchants, travel-worn escorts, and porters in tattered clothes.

A faint tea fragrance drifted through the air, mixed with the aroma of melon seeds and peanuts.

Chen Ran found a seat by the window and sat down.

The waiter briskly brought over a pot of hot tea and placed a handful of melon seeds on the table.

"Please enjoy, guest."

The teahouse was bustling with noise.

In the elegant seats on the second floor, several Jianghu travelers were talking loudly, with hearty laughter ringing out from time to time.

In the main hall on the first floor, watchmen, porters, and small vendors were crowded together, chatting while cracking melon seeds.

On the stage, a white-haired storyteller held a gavel, reaching a thrilling part of his tale.

The old gentleman wore a blue cloth robe; though it was washed pale, it was ironed neatly.

He struck the gavel on the table, the sound crisp.

"They say that the Young Lord of the Demon Sound Sect, Que Wuhua, was already a sixth-rank expert at a young age."

The storyteller's voice rose and fell with a touch of theatrical flair.

"This man was fickle and ruthless; inside and outside the Capital City, who knows how many women from good families suffered at his hands."

"A few days ago, the Demon Suppression Division captured him and threw him into the Imperial Prison."

"It was thought he would be executed at Caishikou Execution Ground in three days, but who knew that a great disturbance would occur in the Imperial Prison last night."

Everyone below the stage pricked up their ears.

Some put down their teacups, others stopped cracking melon seeds.

"What disturbance?" someone couldn't help but ask.

The storyteller kept them in suspense, slowly picking up his tea bowl to take a sip.

He scanned the audience, and seeing everyone staring at him, he continued with satisfaction.

"At the hour of the rat last night, a serious offender named Niu Hong in the Imperial Prison suddenly went mad and broke free from his steel chains."

"This Niu Hong possessed immense strength; he charged into Que Wuhua's cell and literally tore him to pieces."

"I heard the scene was a bloody mess, even the jailers of the Demon Suppression Division were badly frightened."

Crack!

The gavel struck again.

The audience below immediately erupted.

"Que Wuhua died just like that?"

"A sixth-rank expert, how could he be killed by a serious offender?"

"I heard his cultivation was crippled at the time and he was heavily injured, with no power to fight back at all."

In a corner, a man with a fleshy face spat.

"Good riddance, such a beast should have died long ago."

Someone nearby agreed.

"Exactly, scum like that doesn't deserve to die even a hundred times."

But some people shook their heads and sighed.

"What a pity, such a young sixth-rank expert; as long as he didn't die, he would have been a prominent figure in the Jianghu."

In the elegant seats on the second floor, several Jianghu travelers were also discussing it.

A middle-aged man in a brocade robe put down his wine cup and sneered.

"A person like Que Wuhua deserves to die."

"However, the Demon Suppression Division's methods are ruthless enough, not even leaving a corpse for the Demon Sound Sect."

Chen Ran held his teacup, listening expressionlessly.

He scanned the surroundings and found that the Jianghu people in the teahouse had various reactions.

Most of the common folk cheered, saying Que Wuhua got what he deserved.

Jianghu people shook their heads and sighed, lamenting that a Genius of a generation had fallen just like that.

Others lowered their voices, questioning the truth of the matter.

"I think there's something fishy about this."

In a corner, a middle-aged man in a green robe spoke up.

He looked like an accountant, but he spoke with great logic.

"Que Wuhua is the Young Lord of the Demon Sound Sect; there must be experts backing the sect."

"How could the Demon Suppression Division let him die so sloppily?"

"In my view, this is mostly a smokescreen put out by the Demon Suppression Division, wanting to lure the people of the Demon Sound Sect into a trap."

Several people nearby nodded in agreement.

"Makes sense, the Demon Suppression Division has always been cunning."

"Maybe Que Wuhua didn't die at all, but just used a fake death to escape."

"It's also possible the Demon Suppression Division intentionally released fake news, waiting for the Demon Sound Sect to come and snatch the body so they can wipe them all out."

Chen Ran put down his teacup, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

These Jianghu people were quite clever, having guessed some of the truth.

But what they didn't know was that Que Wuhua had indeed died, though the cause of death had hidden details.

As for the Demon Suppression Division's plot, it was likely even more complex than they imagined.

After finishing his tea, Chen Ran got up and left the teahouse.

...

At the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Division, deep within the Imperial Prison.

Chen Ran followed several jailers into a morgue.

It was cold and damp here, with a faint smell of blood permeating the air.

Several corpses were covered with white cloths, neatly arranged on stone platforms.

Chen Ran glanced at those corpses, his expression odd.

He had thought the matter was over today, but he hadn't expected the Demon Suppression Division to actually bring the person back from the Imperial Prison.

What were they trying to do?

Do they want me to piece the body together?

"Lord Chen."

An old jailer came forward to greet him.

This old jailer was surnamed Sun; he had worked in the Imperial Prison for over thirty years and was used to life and death.

He pointed with his hand:

"Que Wuhua's body is at the very back."

Chen Ran nodded and walked to the stone platform at the very back.

He lifted the white cloth and saw Que Wuhua's corpse.

He had expected a bloody mess, but to his surprise, the corpse had been repaired to be perfectly intact.

His face was serene and his skin was fair, as if he were just asleep.

"This is?" Chen Ran turned to look at Old Sun.

"It was done by the Coroner of the Imperial Prison," Old Sun explained.

"The higher-ups said that although Que Wuhua is dead, he still needs to be taken to Caishikou Execution Ground for public execution in a few days."

"We can't let the people see a pile of mangled meat, so the Coroner pieced and repaired the body."

Chen Ran sighed inwardly.

The Imperial Prison truly was a place of hidden talents; even a Coroner had such skills.

Looking at the pale Young Master, a thought occurred to Chen Ran.

He scanned the surroundings, and after confirming no one was watching, he reached out and covered Que Wuhua's face.

With a thought, he activated the "Painted Skin" talent.

Whoosh!

A large amount of memory flooded into his mind.

Que Wuhua's appearance, demeanor, speaking habits, and even some subtle small movements poured into his mind.

...

"Lord Chen, there's something I must remind you of."

Old Sun suddenly lowered his voice.

"The Demon Suppression Division intentionally let out vague rumors this time, making the outside world think Que Wuhua isn't dead."

"The goal is to lure the people of the Demon Sound Sect to snatch the body so they can wipe them all out."

"But for us jailers, the risk isn't small."

"If the people from the Demon Sound Sect get desperate and strike during the execution, we could be in danger."

Chen Ran withdrew his hand, his expression calm.

"Rest assured, since the Demon Suppression Division dares to do this, they must have a backup plan."

He paused and asked again, "When is the execution scheduled?"

"Noon the day after tomorrow, at Caishikou Execution Ground," Old Sun replied.

Chen Ran nodded and turned to leave the morgue.

He had already obtained what he wanted.

This Yao Race talent was indeed Heaven-Defying.

Painted Skin combined with Que Wuhua's memories was enough for him to disguise himself as Que Wuhua himself.

Night fell.

In an abandoned ruined temple in the south of the Capital City.

Over a dozen dark shadows gathered here, the atmosphere oppressive.

These people were all secret agents of the Demon Sound Sect in the Capital City, specifically responsible for intelligence and support.

Leading them was a middle-aged man in a black robe, known as Elder Jin.

His cultivation was not weak, having reached the Late Stage of the fifth rank, and his status within the Demon Sound Sect was quite high.

Elder Jin sat on a worn-out prayer mat, his face grim.

"Everyone, I presume you've all heard the news regarding the Young Lord."

Elder Jin spoke in a low voice.

"The Demon Suppression Division released rumors saying the Young Lord died in a riot in the Imperial Prison last night."

"But I don't believe it."

The people below looked at each other.

"Elder Jin, why don't you believe it?" someone asked.

"Young Lord Que is a sixth-rank expert; even if his cultivation was crippled, he wouldn't be killed by a serious offender."

Elder Jin sneered.

"More importantly, the rumors from the Demon Suppression Division are contradictory, clearly fishing for something."

Another man in black spoke up: "Then what should we do?"

Elder Jin fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Whether Young Lord Que is dead or alive, we must go and confirm."

Seeing the crowd hesitate:

Elder Jin sighed.

"Factions are numerous within the Demon Sound Sect, and the struggle for the position of Sect Leader among the True Disciples has reached a fever pitch."

"We took Young Lord Que's side years ago; if he is truly dead and the opposing faction takes power, we are dead for sure."

"So, even if there is only a shred of hope, we must go and save him."

The crowd fell silent.

They all understood that Elder Jin was telling the truth.

Internal strife within the Demon Sound Sect was intense, and the consequence of picking the wrong side was nothing but death.

"Noon the day after tomorrow, execution at Caishikou Execution Ground."

Elder Jin stood up.

"I have already contacted the experts within the sect; someone will be there to support us."

"Our task is to create chaos and take the opportunity to reclaim the Young Lord."

"If he's alive, I want to see him; if he's dead, I want to see his body."

While everyone was discussing, a knocking sound suddenly came from outside the ruined temple.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three light taps, slow in rhythm.

Everyone instantly became alert.

This stronghold was extremely secret; besides their own people, it was impossible for outsiders to know of it.

Elder Jin's eyes narrowed, and he gestured for everyone to be on guard.

A man in black walked cautiously to the door and looked out through the crack.

In the next moment, he froze completely.

"El... Elder Jin..."

The man in black's voice was trembling.

"What is it?" Elder Jin frowned.

The man in black swallowed hard and said tremulously, "It's... it's the Young Lord."

What?

Everyone's expression changed in unison.

Elder Jin rushed to the door in three steps and checked for himself.

Through the crack in the door, he saw a familiar figure.

Robes of white fluttering, face handsome—it was indeed Que Wuhua.

Elder Jin took a deep breath and opened the door.

Outside the door, "Que Wuhua" stood quietly, a faint, non-existent smile on his lips.

"Everyone, long time no see."

The crowd stared blankly at the person in front of them, unable to speak for a moment.

Elder Jin was the first to react:

"Young Lord, you... you're still alive?"

"Que Wuhua" smiled and walked into the ruined temple.

"Alive, though you could also say I've died once."

His voice carried a hint of raspiness, yet it was full of magnetism.

"The Demon Suppression Division thought they killed me, but they didn't know I had a backup plan and escaped."

..."}],