38: Forcing the 'Ghost Lotus' to overturn the table, aren't you afraid that the ancestral hall will become a ghost place?

The Wind Shrine.

Sunagakure's most sacred and heavily guarded location.

The flickering firelight on the cold stone walls distorted everyone's shadows.

There was no wind in the shrine, yet the air carried a stale, stagnant scent of stone and spices, pressing heavily on everyone's shoulders.

The Fourth Kazekage Rasa sat high on the main seat of the shrine, his golden hair still conspicuous in the gloom, his face hidden in shadow, making his emotions unreadable.

On either side were the core members of Sunagakure's Council of Elders. Every face was etched with lines, their eyes sharp. Granny Chiyo closed her eyes in meditation, her fingers twitching unconsciously—a habit of a Puppet Master.

Ebizo leaned back in his chair, as if asleep, but no one truly believed that.

Elder Iwamatsu stroked his goatee, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Tang Yan and the other two standing respectfully below.

Zi Luo tried to straighten his chest; he had even practiced in front of a mirror beforehand—the posture a hero who saved comrades on the battlefield should have when accepting a promotion.

But there were no flowers or applause here, only dead silence. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard for him to breathe, and all the heroic aspirations he had prepared were stuck in his throat.

Qian, on the other hand, kept her eyes down, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath her eyelids, concealing all her emotions.

She appeared relaxed, but only Zi Luo, who was closest to her, could feel that the aura around her was colder than the stones of this shrine.

The so-called "promotion ceremony" was simple to the point of being perfunctory.

The Kazekage merely offered a few casual words of commendation before directly cutting to the chase, not even providing a promotion document.

Zi Luo secretly pouted. At least a new Chunin vest would have been nice.

"Tang Yan." Rasa's voice was steady, yet carried an undeniable authority, stirring a faint echo in the empty shrine. "In the battle of Wind Sand Valley, your contributions were indispensable.

For the future of Sunagakure, the Village hopes that you can 'share' your unique mechanical puppet techniques, especially the method for creating that large-scale destructive weapon."

"Share..." Tang Yan repeated the word, as if savoring some interesting phrase. A moment later, he chuckled softly, his laughter particularly grating in the dead silent shrine.

"Kazekage-sama speaks so nicely." Tang Yan's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every corner of the shrine. "I wonder if Sunagakure's Magnet Release, Scorch Release, and Granny Chiyo's ultimate 'White Secret Technique' can also be taken out and 'shared' so that the Genin in the Village can all learn and contribute together to the future of Sunagakure?"

At these words, Granny Chiyo's half-closed eyelids suddenly snapped open, two sharp glints shooting out.

Ebizo's seemingly sleeping body also stirred. The already solidified air inside the shrine now became as cold as ice.

The Kazekage's face remained hidden in shadow, making it impossible to discern clearly.

Without waiting for their reaction, Tang Yan bowed slightly, his posture impeccably respectful.

"Reporting to Kazekage-sama, that was not an original creation of this disciple, but a partial scroll from a family inheritance. This item is called the 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus.' Its manufacturing conditions are extremely strict, and the required materials are not only rare and hard to find, but most have even become extinct in the Ninja World. Moreover, activating it requires a unique family-inherited technique, which is absolutely not to be taught to outsiders."

Every word was crystal clear, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Impudent!"

Elder Iwamatsu slammed his hand on the armrest, abruptly stood up, and pointed at Tang Yan's nose, reprimanding him sharply.

"You yellow-mouthed brat, how dare you hide secrets in front of Kazekage-sama and the Council of Elders! What nonsense family inheritance? This old man has never heard of it! How can such a world-shaking technique be controlled by your individual power? If you don't harbor ill intentions, why are you unwilling to share it with the Village? I think you are simply disloyal to the Village!"

The old man's voice was stern and severe, spittle nearly spraying onto Tang Yan's face.

Zi Luo, standing by, turned pale with fright and instinctively tried to pull Tang Yan back, but was stopped by Qian's icy gaze.

Elder Iwamatsu looked around and, seeing no one object, grew even more arrogant.

"This old man proposes that this child is glib-tongued and refuses to cooperate! To prevent the loss of this technique and to preserve this powerful force for the Village, if Tang Yan cannot reproduce the 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus' on the spot or explain its principles in detail, he must accept 'memory assistance' from a specially appointed Ninja of the Yamanaka Clan to prove his innocence!"

"Memory assistance?"

The curve of Tang Yan's lips became extremely dangerous, a nearly cruel mockery.

"Does the Elder mean that if I can't prove it, my memories will be forcibly read? What's the difference between that and a burglar breaking in to rob?"

He took a step forward, his foot making a soft sound against the stone slab, his gaze like a knife, piercing directly at Iwamatsu.

"To obtain this power, the Council of Elders, or rather, Elder Iwamatsu, you can completely disregard my life or death? I'm sure the Elder knows better than I do what the consequences of the Yamanaka Clan's memory reading jutsu are. If lucky, memory confusion, leading to permanent madness; if unlucky, directly becoming an idiot who needs to be fed and watered. Is this how Sunagakure treats 'heroes'?"

His voice grew colder and colder, and by the end, it even carried a hint of a smile, a chilling smile.

"Or perhaps, a foolish hero is a good hero for the Village?"

"Reporting to Kazekage-sama, that was not an original creation of this disciple, but a partial scroll from a family inheritance. This item is called the 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus'." Tang Yan's voice remained steady. "A partial scroll means that even this disciple only knows how it works, but not why. Every production is accompanied by immense risk; a slight mistake can lead to complete destruction. As for the unique technique required to activate it, it can only be understood, not articulated. This technique is absolutely not to be taught to outsiders."

Every word was crystal clear, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Impudent!"

Elder Iwamatsu slammed his hand on the armrest, abruptly stood up, and pointed at Tang Yan's nose, reprimanding him sharply.

"You yellow-mouthed brat, how dare you hide secrets in front of Kazekage-sama and the Council of Elders! What family inheritance? This old man has never heard of it! A guy of unknown origin, who luckily achieved a small Credit, dares to use it to threaten the Village! I think you are simply disloyal to the Village!"

The old man's voice was stern and severe, spittle flying. He looked around and, seeing no one speak, grew even more arrogant.

"This old man proposes! To prevent the loss of such a world-shaking technique and to preserve this powerful force for the Village, if Tang Yan cannot reproduce the 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus' on the spot or explain its principles in detail, he must accept 'memory assistance' from a specially appointed Ninja of the Yamanaka Clan to prove his innocence!"

The air inside the shrine seemed to have been sucked dry.

"Memory assistance?" The curve of Tang Yan's lips became extremely dangerous; he even chuckled softly. "Elder-sama is truly good at naming things. To describe forceful seizure and plunder so elegantly, this disciple is impressed. Why don't you just call it 'brain cleaning' service? One step, guaranteed clean."

He took a step forward, his foot making a soft sound against the stone slab, his gaze like a knife, piercing directly at Iwamatsu.

"Does the Elder mean that if I can't prove something—something I already can't clearly explain—my brain will be forcibly searched? Is this how Sunagakure treats 'heroes'?"

His voice was not loud, yet every word stung.

"To obtain this power, the Council of Elders, or rather, Elder Iwamatsu, you can completely disregard my life or death? I'm sure the Elder knows better than I do what the consequences of the Yamanaka Clan's memory reading jutsu are. If lucky, memory confusion, leading to permanent madness, unable to even find my way home; if unlucky, directly becoming an idiot who needs to be fed and watered. At that time, is the Council of Elders planning to award me a 'Sunagakure's Most Loyal Idiot' medal, or send me to the Land of Wind's Daimyo's mansion to be exhibited as a mascot?"

Tang Yan paused, his gaze sweeping over the silently observing Kazekage, then his tone shifted, his voice suddenly becoming chilling.

"Elder Iwamatsu, why are you in such a hurry? Is it for the 'Village' or for yourself? If this 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus' is controlled by the Council of Elders, whose hands will it specifically fall into? At that time, with this power, will you even need to listen to Kazekage-sama's words?"

The air in the shrine was dead silent.

The previous clamor and reprimands were slapped away by an invisible hand, leaving only heavy breathing and suppressed heartbeats.

Several Elders who had originally agreed with Iwamatsu were now sitting upright, eyes downcast, as if they were stone or wooden statues.

Kazekage Rasa leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlocked in front of him, his golden hair lacking luster in the dim light.

He didn't look at anyone, his gaze fixed on a worn floor tile in the center of the shrine, as if studying its patterns, or perhaps waiting for a good show to begin.

Tang Yan broke the dead silence.

"Perhaps you all don't know, but the 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus' I used in the battle of Wind Sand Valley was merely a censored version recorded in the partial scroll."

His voice was not loud, but it was like a needle, piercing through everyone's strained nerves.

The three words "censored version" carried a malicious amusement that made Elder Iwamatsu's recently softened face turn a liver-like purple again.

Tang Yan seemed not to notice, continuing to speak, every word articulated with extreme clarity.

"I still possess an uncensored, more powerful, and more... 'clean' 'Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus'." He paused, allowing everyone enough time to savor the meaning of the word "clean." "Its toxicity is so potent that once activated, a three-mile radius will become a dead zone, where not a blade of grass will grow for a hundred years. As for fifty miles around, the air will be filled with poison, all life will perish, and not even a single scorpion in the sand will remain."

"You!" Elder Iwamatsu trembled with rage, his finger pointing at Tang Yan quivering. "You are threatening Sunagakure! You harbor rebellious intentions! Your heart deserves to be condemned!"

"Threatening?" Tang Yan chuckled softly, his laughter particularly grating in the empty shrine. "Elder Iwamatsu, why does it sound like you're praising me? After all, to be able to threaten the entire Village with one's own power is not an honor just anyone can achieve."

He took another step forward, closing the distance between himself and Iwamatsu.

"You want to kill me and seize my treasure, and you won't even let me struggle a bit? What is your intention in repeatedly pressuring me? Are you sure you want to force my hand here today?" His gaze suddenly sharpened, sweeping over Iwamatsu, then turning to the Elders beside him. "Granny Chiyo, what do you think? Advisor Ebizo, do you also agree with Elder Iwamatsu's proposal to gamble the safety of the entire Village on an old fool's greed?"

The two who were named twitched their eyelids, their bodies tensing further.

Tang Yan withdrew his gaze, refocusing it on Iwamatsu. "Can you represent Kazekage-sama? Or rather, does the Council of Elders now answer only to you?"

"Those present, before making a decision, had best consider whether you are capable of bearing the corresponding consequences."

"Forcing the Village's ultimate weapon to rebel, who will bear this responsibility? Elder Iwamatsu, will you?"

Even if I die here today, I can't guarantee how many of you present will survive. But I can guarantee that this Wind Shrine, along with the land outside it, will completely vanish from the map.

A hint of disbelief and disdain flickered across Iwamatsu's face. "Alarmist! Your Ninja Tool scrolls have already been confiscated, you..."

"Do you think I'm out of tricks just because you confiscated my scrolls?" Tang Yan interrupted him, his mockery undisguised. "Elder Iwamatsu, your knowledge is, frankly, too limited to the small circle of Ninjutsu."

A faint, indescribable sense of danger emanated from Tang Yan.

His hand seemingly casually lifted, dusting off non-existent dust from his sleeve.

"I truly didn't bring the Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus with me. That thing takes up too much space and is too conspicuous. What I brought are all colorless, odorless, fast-acting, and especially... aesthetically pleasing little toys."

The corners of his mouth curved up, revealing a chilling smile.

"For example, something that makes a person slowly rot, starting from the skin, then the flesh, and finally even the bones turn into a puddle of pus. The process is very slow, not very painful, but consciousness will remain clear. Guaranteed to let everyone around see it clearly."

The air in the shrine solidified, even breathing sounds disappeared.

In the corner, an Elder who had remained silent cleared his throat and added in a supposedly clever, hoarse tone, "Tang Yan, don't forget your sister is still living in the Village."

Before he finished speaking, Tang Yan's gaze drifted over, without anger in his eyes, only a calmness like looking at a dead man.

"I advise you, it's best not to bring my sister into this." His tone was flat, as if stating an irrelevant fact. "She is my only family, so of course I have to protect her. That's why half a year ago, I put a special poison primer on her."

He looked around, watching the sudden changes in everyone's expressions, and that chilling curve on his lips reappeared.

"This item is called 'King of Hell's Primer.' It's colorless, odorless, and won't cause any harm to the host; it can even strengthen the body. But it has an interesting characteristic: 'Child-Mother Linked Hearts.' The child primer is on me, and the mother primer is on my sister. Once the host of the mother primer's heart stops beating, the child primer on her will instantly activate."

Tang Yan raised his hand, gently rubbing the tip of his index finger with his thumb, his movements elegant, but his words were laced with venom.

"At that time, centered around her, a toxic gas far more troublesome than the Wrath of Buddha Tang Lotus will instantly spread. It won't corrode flesh and blood, it will only paralyze nerves and then dissolve bones. Everyone present, including Kazekage Rasa, will probably have three breaths of time to contemplate life, and then they will turn into puddles of rotten flesh without bone support, collapsing here, consciously feeling themselves slowly suffocate."

He paused, adding, "So, you must protect her. If anything happens to her, every single one of you present will be buried with her."

The Elder who spoke turned pale, his legs weakened, almost sliding off his chair.

Elder Iwamatsu's face changed from liver-colored to bluish-purple, his lips trembling, wanting to utter some harsh words, but finding himself unable to say a single one.

He had originally thought it would be easy to manipulate a powerless junior, but he never expected the other party to completely disregard conventions, immediately resorting to a suicidal fighting style. This young man was terrifyingly calm, every word like a precise surgical knife, dissecting his hypocritical facade and striking at the vital points.

He somewhat regretted being the first to speak out; now not only did he gain no benefit, but he had become the one on the hot seat.

"Alright."

Kazekage Rasa finally broke the silence. His steady voice was not loud, but it instantly suppressed all the tension and madness.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze, which had been fixed on the floor tiles, slowly lifted, looking directly at Tang Yan for the first time, his deep eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny and probing.

"Elder Iwamatsu, the joke has gone far enough, don't scare the junior anymore."

Iwamatsu seemed to grasp at a straw, quickly climbing down the ladder, though the muscles on his face were still twitching uncontrollably. He forcibly straightened his back and heavily snorted at Tang Yan: "Hmph, glib talk! Since you boast your puppetry and poison arts are so superb, then I'll give you a chance to prove yourself!"

He immediately turned to the Kazekage, bowing, "Kazekage Rasa, deep within the shrine, a masterpiece from the First Puppet Master Monzaemon's later years is sealed—the Scarlet Scorpion. This object is evil, and for many years no one has been able to repair it, nor dared to approach it easily. If Tang Yan can make it react in the slightest, it will be enough to prove his talent and value in puppetry, and this old man can temporarily suspend pursuing his crime of hoarding secrets!"

These words, seemingly giving Tang Yan a chance, were actually a challenge.

The notorious reputation of the Scarlet Scorpion was known to all high-ranking Sunagakure officials.

It was a work from Monzaemon's most deranged period, said to have incorporated some forbidden power in pursuit of ultimate lethality, filled with ominousness; those who touched it either died or were injured.

Asking a young man whose Ninja Tool scrolls had even been confiscated to touch it was tantamount to sending him to his death.

Tang Yan's face showed no expression after hearing this, but he almost laughed out loud in his heart.

This old fellow really won't give up until he hits a wall.

This old fellow wanted to use the danger of the Scarlet Scorpion to either make him retreat in the face of difficulty, or make him make a fool of himself in public, or even... die without a witness.

Iwamatsu's calculations clattered loudly, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out, carrying a hint of sinister anticipation.

"The Elder's suggestion is indeed a method worth considering." Tang Yan's voice had no fluctuations.

He looked at the silent Kazekage Rasa: "If I can make the Scarlet Scorpion react, does that mean the Village acknowledges my ability and will no longer insist on the so-called 'sharing' and 'memory reading'?"

Rasa's gaze shifted between Tang Yan and Iwamatsu for a moment, finally settling on Tang Yan's overly calm eyes, and he slowly nodded.

"Granted."

A single word, heavy as a thousand pounds.

Elder Iwamatsu could barely conceal the smile on his lips; he leaned back, ready to enjoy a good show.

As the Kazekage's words fell, in the deepest part of the shrine, the massive stone door engraved with complex runes emitted a muffled "creak" and slowly opened to both sides.

Years of accumulated dust fluttered down, and a cold, violent, chaotic Chakra aura, like an invisible torrent, surged out.

The temperature inside the shrine plummeted. Several Elders standing in the front row were caught off guard and, hit by this aura, all took a step back, their faces drained of color.

One of the Elders even gagged, as if an invisible hand had clutched his throat, looking utterly disheveled.

Chiyo and Zi Luo were even more on high alert, their entire Chakra instinctively circulating, barely able to resist the mental pressure.

"This is... the Scarlet Scorpion..." Zi Luo's voice was a little dry, his eyes filled with horror.

Beyond the stone door was an even darker space.

Countless black chains, as thick as arms, extended from the walls and floor in all directions, like a giant spider web, tightly binding a grotesque object in the center.

It was a massive, crimson-colored scorpion-shaped puppet.

It lay dormant in the darkness, its scorpion tail barb raised high, shimmering with an ominous purple light, as if it would come to life the next second and tear everything in sight to shreds.

The puppet's carapace was not smooth metal, but covered with countless tiny barbs and eerie blood-red patterns, looking not like applied color, but more like something permeating from within.

Just the emanating aura made everyone present feel a shudder from their very souls.

The shrine was dead silent, with only the heavy breathing of the crowd.

Elder Iwamatsu's triumphant expression also froze; he hadn't expected the Scarlet Scorpion's ferocity to have reached such a degree that merely looking at it made one uneasy.

Immediately, he looked at Tang Yan, even more certain in his heart that this kid was doomed.

Tang Yan, however, started walking, unhurriedly approaching the puppet emitting an ominous aura.

'To make a pile of scrap metal look like this, Monzaemon was truly a genius.' Tang Yan thought to himself, 'Too bad his brain wasn't very good.'

The moment he approached, the Myriad Forms Ingenuity Box in his mind suddenly vibrated violently.

A warning he had never experienced before, and a nearly greedy craving, simultaneously surged into his consciousness.

Fragmented information flow clearly emerged:

...Detecting 'Seven Souls' Mechanism Core... 'Scorpion' Soul... Core structure incomplete... Soul power out of control and rampaging... Forced contact... will inevitably suffer backlash...

Warning: Collecting the Three Souls and Seven Souls Mechanism Cores can complete the Myriad Forms Ingenuity Box and unlock all functions.

Tang Yan's footsteps did not falter in the slightest; instead, his heart settled down.

So that's how it is.

He extended his hand, and a faint jade-colored glow appeared from his palm, quickly covering his entire arm—it was the Xuan Yu Hand. The cold Chakra aura, upon approaching three inches from his arm, dissipated on its own like ice and snow meeting the sun.

Under everyone's surprised and uncertain gazes, his hand did not touch the spiky crimson carapace of the Scarlet Scorpion.

Instead, he gently stroked the cold, hard black chains wrapped around the puppet.

The surface of the chains was engraved with dense runes, emitting a continuous suppressive force.

"Thump, thump."

Tang Yan curled his fingers and lightly tapped twice on the cold chains, producing a crisp yet somewhat hollow sound.

He turned his head, looking at the ever-changing expression of Elder Iwamatsu, and the increasingly deep eyes of the Kazekage.

"This puppet is not damaged beyond repair."

His voice was very calm, but it made Elder Iwamatsu's heart pound.

"The real problem," Tang Yan's fingers slowly slid along the patterns of the chains, "are these things that seal it."

He paused, a playful curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Or rather, this isn't a seal at all."

He withdrew his hand, looking around at everyone's confused and shocked expressions, finally adding his conclusion.

"But... feeding."

Worshipping a dangerous object like a god, and continuously supplying energy with rune chains, calling it a seal. These old fellows really mistake ignorance for individuality.

Iwamatsu's face instantly turned liver-colored: "You... what nonsense are you spouting!"

At the same time, the Myriad Forms Ingenuity Box's prompt clearly appeared in Tang Yan's mind:

"Discovered 'Mechanism Core · Seven Souls' fragment of 'Hatred.'"