Chapter 37 Part 1

Although Cai Zhao had complained more than once that Qingque Town was not prosperous enough, its vast area and large population far exceeded that of Falling Blossoms Town. The settled population alone was nearly two thousand people, totaling about three hundred households. Chang Ning and Cai Zhao followed the two men from a distance, carefully concealing themselves along the way, and finally saw them enter a quiet alley and disappear.

It was an ordinary, unremarkable alley, of which Qingque Town had at least thirty, if not fifty.

There were three double-leaf doors on each side of the alley, indicating that six families lived there. As the saying goes, a great hermit hides in the city; who would have thought the suspicious individuals would be dwelling here. The question was, behind which door did the two men go?

Chang Ning suggested they could start a fire in the alley. Once everyone was forced out, they would know which house was suspicious.

Cai Zhao, of course, disagreed, but Chang Ning's words inspired another idea in her—she went into town and bought thirty or forty hard-boiled eggs with their shells dyed red. Then, she found a pair of articulate, street-smart siblings around ten years old and had them go door-to-door, knocking with a basket.

Once the door was opened, they were to say that their family had just moved into the next alley, that their aunt had just given birth to a son, and they were giving out some red eggs to the neighbors to share the joy—Chang Ning and Cai Zhao watched from a distance at an angle.

Chang Ning was puzzled. "What can you tell from this?"

"Senior Brother Fan said that the local custom is to give red eggs in even numbers, otherwise it's bad luck for one's own family. But I had them give an odd number to each house," Cai Zhao said in a low voice.

As expected, out of the six households, three that received an odd number of red eggs immediately kindly reminded the siblings to go back and tell their parents about the local custom. One of these families even returned an egg on the spot, thus receiving an even number of red eggs.

Two other households, although they didn't say anything, hesitated at the door for a moment while holding the eggs.

There was only one household where the door was opened by a middle-aged man dressed like a steward. However, this man's demeanor was cold, his words tinged with impatience, and his movements were powerful and vigorous, clearly a martial artist. After hearing the siblings' purpose, he took the red eggs without a word, casually tossed them a silver nugget, and immediately shut the door.

"It's this one." This time, even Chang Ning could see it.

The rest was simple.

Chang Ning and Cai Zhao first leaped into the house next to that residence, knocking out anyone they encountered with a simple tap. Then, they observed the target house over the wall—the flowers and trees in the courtyard showed signs of withering, clearly having been untended for some time. Five or six brocade-clothed guards armed with weapons patrolled back and forth.

In truth, the best time to sneak into someone's residence is at night. As the poem goes, "Drifting in with the wind at night, smoothly and without a sound." No matter how skilled your lightness skill, brazenly running into someone's courtyard in broad daylight was a bit too arrogant.

Fortunately, it was cold at this time of year, with short days and long nights. The sky gradually dimmed, and dusk arrived.

The aroma of cooking food wafted from every household. Just then, several more brocade-clothed guards approached from the distance, evidently coming to take over the shift after their meal. The guards here were overjoyed and rushed forward to greet them before they even got close.

This was the moment Chang Ning and Cai Zhao were waiting for. Like two wisps of light smoke, they 'floated' into a blind spot beneath the courtyard wall. The few people closest to them had their backs turned, while those facing them were far away. They seized this opportunity to move swiftly.

Actually, Chang Ning wasn't afraid of being discovered, but since the girl was determined to hold back, he had to go along with her wishes.

The courtyard had three sections from front to back. Cai Zhao was all too familiar with this type of residential structure. Seeing two connected side-halls next to the main house in the second section, she pulled Chang Ning and slipped inside.

Once inside, Cai Zhao was stunned.

This type of side-hall was usually for maids and servants to live in, so they could attend to the master in the adjacent main house. Unexpectedly, this room was exquisitely and comfortably furnished. Even the tablecloth in the central hall was made of fine brocade, and the tea set on it was of expensive, solid-colored jade porcelain. So, were these people just ridiculously wealthy, to the point that even their servants could live in luxury, or was there another meaning to it?

Cai Zhao's mind was a bit muddled. Chang Ning, however, heard a very faint noise outside the door. Without a second thought, he pulled Cai Zhao into a hidden alcove next to the washroom behind the house, letting the heavy, thick curtains conceal them while leaving a tiny slit to observe the situation outside.

Before long, the door was pushed open, and a luxuriously dressed young man entered, accompanied by a strange clanking of metal.

This man was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, of medium build, with delicate features, but his vitality was extremely poor. His skin was deathly pale, his eyes were red, and he looked both weary and annoyed. He was clearly wearing the most expensive fabrics and a white jade crown that was priceless, yet he wore a frown of distress, looking like a degenerate gambler who had been chased by debt collectors to a dead end only to find he had no wife or daughter to sell.

He sat hunched at the table, staring blankly into space. Just then, the half-open door was pushed open again, and two brocade-clothed guards entered. One of them said, "Young Master Qian, please extend your feet."

Young Master Qian shuddered, and the sound of metal clanked from his body again. "...I just finished eating, can't you let me rest a bit?"

The brocade-clothed guard said, "Once you are locked up, you can still rest, Young Master."

Helpless, Young Master Qian resignedly extended his legs. Around his ankles was a pair of cold, black iron shackles.

The brocade-clothed guard pulled two thumb-thick iron chains from the wall. With two clicks, he fastened them to the shackles, locked them, and then carefully placed the key in his breast pocket.

Cai Zhao and Chang Ning exchanged a look, seeing the same understanding and confusion in each other's eyes.

—To be able to live in such a refined and luxurious room, the owner clearly had some status. However, the moment the shackles were revealed, they immediately understood. This Young Master Qian must be a very important prisoner.

To watch over him, those people had even used a smokescreen, deliberately having him live in a side-hall meant for servants.

To be treated so well as a prisoner instead of being in a dungeon, it was either because they were wary of this Young Master Qian's identity, or he had some other use for them—Cai Zhao had a feeling it was the latter.

So, what use could that be?

After locking him up, the two guards left, leaving Young Master Qian alone to continue sighing at the table.

Before he could even let out ten sighs, the door creaked open again. Young Master Qian jumped up like a startled bird.

—Chang Ning and Cai Zhao had already seen that this 'Young Master Qian' had unsteady footing and a straight posture, indicating his martial arts skills were not very high.

Three people entered from outside.

The first person had sharp eyes, his inner energy contained within. It was visible to the naked eye that he was a master with powerful internal arts. After entering the room, he stood to the side with his hands clasped behind his back, his long aquiline nose particularly noticeable.

The second person was a young man in his early twenties, quite handsome.

The third person was a short, middle-aged man with his head bowed—Cai Zhao found this person very familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

Chang Ning suddenly pressed her shoulder and made an abacus-calculating motion with his other hand.

Cai Zhao's mouth fell open silently—she remembered. Wasn't this short, middle-aged man one of the stewards who had been reporting accounts in Qi Yunke's room at noon? So, was this steward bribed, or was he a spy sent by the enemy from the start!

Her heart was in turmoil, and she almost missed the conversation that followed.

Young Master Qian became very agitated upon seeing the man with the aquiline nose. "Are you trying to work me to death? Even a mule needs a break! Don't you know how much I'm worth? The last one nearly depleted all my cultivation. And you're here again! Again!"

"You also said that was half a month ago." The man with the aquiline nose gave a sinister smile. "We've been serving you good soups and medicines all these days. Don't tell me you haven't recovered a bit of your cultivation. Who are you trying to fool?"

Young Master Qian immediately deflated and sat down dejectedly.

The man with the aquiline nose continued, "Rest assured, Young Master Qian, we wouldn't bear to truly work you to death. This one will only take three to five days. We'll have to trouble you to display your divine skill."

Young Master Qian lifted his eyelids. "Who is it this time?"

The handsome young man stepped forward. "Me."

Young Master Qian was speechless. "Who asked about your people? I'm asking who is the unlucky bastard I'm supposed to turn into this time?! Don't give me another portrait. Have you forgotten how the last one turned out to be a mess? I've said it before, I must see the real person, and they have to be alive, alive!"

The information revealed in their back-and-forth exchange gave rise to a terrifying thought in Cai Zhao's mind, a horrifying thought she dared not even consider closely. She turned her head and saw that Chang Ning also wore a similar expression of astonishment.

The man with the aquiline nose smiled. "We have Old Chen to thank this time. If he hadn't tricked the person down the mountain, Young Master Qian would have been helpless."

Steward Chen cupped his hands. "My martial arts are weak. It was thanks to the 'Soul-Bewildering Needle' that I was able to capture him."

"Well said, well said. Steward Chen is sensible and discreet. We will certainly not treat you poorly," the handsome young man said.

At the command of the man with the aquiline nose, two more men entered, carrying a heavy sack. Judging by its shape, there was a person inside.

Chang Ning and Cai Zhao recognized these newcomers; they were the two men they had been tailing all afternoon.

The two men placed the sack on a nearby lounge chair, untied the opening, and slowly revealed a delicate, unconscious face...

Cai Zhao covered her mouth, simultaneously feeling the hand on her shoulder tighten. She looked up and to the side, seeing Chang Ning's jaw clench—the person in the sack was Fan Xingjia.

The man with the aquiline nose said to the two men, "After we're done here, you will accompany Xiao Gong back up the mountain. Old Chen is from the outer courtyard, after all, and his reach is limited. If Xiao Gong slips up in his words or actions, you two must cover for him in time."

The two men cupped their fists in acknowledgement, then closed the door and left.

Young Master Qian stood up and walked to the lounge chair. After looking for a while, he said doubtfully, "This person's hands and feet are delicate, his bones are slender and fragile. He doesn't look like someone with high martial arts. Why do you want to become him?"

The man with the aquiline nose laughed heartily, quite pleased with himself. "You don't need to worry about that. Xiao Gong, you go sit properly and wait for Young Master Qian to perform a 'live transformation' for us, hahaha."

The handsome young man smiled and sat down properly at the table.

Young Master Qian took a pair of scissors from the cabinet next to the lounge chair and slowly cut open the sack. Then he began to 'feel'—from the top of Fan Xingjia's skull, to the back of his head, his ears, then his forehead, the bridge of his nose, his cheeks, his neck, and so on downwards...

It was as if a butcher was stroking an animal awaiting slaughter, deciding where to make the first cut, or like a bone-setting master applying oil to a client, carefully and slowly feeling along the muscle textures.

—The scene was indescribably bizarre. Cai Zhao felt a wave of nausea she couldn't control.

While Young Master Qian was 'working', the man with the aquiline nose turned his head and said, "Old Chen, this kid surnamed Fan is Qi Yunke's direct disciple. Do we really have to replace him?"

Steward Chen said in a low voice, "We have to. This kid became suspicious as soon as your men arrived on the mountain. To make matters worse, he's in charge of general affairs, so there are always dealings. At noon today, when that little girl from the Cai Family was spouting nonsense in front of Qi Yunke, others were half-convinced, but I could tell this Fan kid took it to heart. Luckily, I was cautious. I slipped over to the guest courtyard after lunch and, sure enough, caught this kid secretly rummaging through your men's luggage."

The man with the aquiline nose's expression tightened. "Did he find anything?"

"Not yet. I used a pretext to lure him out," Steward Chen said. "However, if we let him be, it's only a matter of time before he finds a flaw. This kid may look cheerful all day, but he's very meticulous. That warrior named Li Debiao had barely settled in on the mountain before he figured out he practices the Poisonous Scorpion Finger. Heh, such skills are not practiced by us righteous sects."

The man with the aquiline nose sighed. "I already told them to only bring swords and sabers up the mountain, leaving all those insidious poison darts and other things like sickles, hooks, forks, and crutches behind. I didn't expect a flaw to be exposed anyway. He is a disciple of the Qingque Sect, after all, with a discerning eye."

By now, Young Master Qian had finished feeling Fan Xingjia's arms and hands, even rubbing his fingertips for a long time. Now he was starting on Fan Xingjia's chest—watching a man feel another man, Cai Zhao was covered in goosebumps.

No wonder she could never get into those male romance books at the bookshop. She really wasn't into this. But she was a tolerant connoisseur; it didn't matter if she didn't like it, as long as the customers did.

Xiao Gong grew a bit impatient. "It's getting late, Young Master Qian, please hurry. This kid isn't married, he's a virgin chicken who's never even had a lover. He's not keen on honing his martial arts either, so he won't be taking off his clothes to practice all the time."

Young Master Qian turned his head back. "Can you not interrupt? Is the Body Switching Grand Method something to be trifled with? Why do martial artists insist on aptitude and talent when accepting disciples? It's because everyone's muscle texture, meridians, bones, and Dantian are different. Even the joints have slight variations. That's why some people are suited for sabers, some for swords, and some for meteor hammers..."

The man with the aquiline nose said, "Don't be angry, Young Master Qian, but what Xiao Gong said makes sense too. This time is just for an emergency, there's no need to be so meticulous. Young Master Qian, please begin as soon as possible." Though his words were polite, the coercive intent was unconcealed.

Helpless, Young Master Qian could only retrieve a flat, black sandalwood box, about half a foot square, from the cabinet. He placed the box on the table, and upon opening it, a flash of silver light shone out. Inside were densely packed silver needles, several hundred of them.

Cai Zhao had never seen so many silver needles in her life. They varied in length, thickness, and design. Some had flat, round heads, some had wedge-shaped tails, some were thin at the tip and thick at the back, and some even looked like slender triangular prisms...

Young Master Qian selected twenty-seven or twenty-eight needles of various shapes, wiped each one with an oil that emitted a strange odor, then walked behind Xiao Gong and told him to remove his upper garment.

Once everything was ready, he focused his mind and qi. Suddenly, with a burst of force from both hands, he inserted the needles into Xiao Gong's head, the back of his neck, his shoulders, his spine, and his lower back in one continuous motion. After finishing the back, he quickly leaped to Xiao Gong's front and inserted more needles into his forehead, cheeks, and neck.

This Young Master Qian didn't seem to have high martial arts skills, but this set of finger techniques was unbelievably fast, his ten fingers flying so quickly they almost became a blur.

After inserting the needles, he immediately pressed both hands on the Baihui acupoint on top of Xiao Gong's head and held his breath to circulate his energy.

This cultivation method was extremely unorthodox. The circulating Young Master Qian only had a bit of cold sweat on his forehead, without a single trace of qi leaking from his body. Instead, Xiao Gong's body steamed with heat, wisps of white vapor rising from where the needles were inserted, like an improperly sealed steamer.

The white vapor blurred Xiao Gong's features. Vaguely, Cai Zhao seemed to see his appearance and body change. The flesh in some places bulged slightly, while in others it sank. Even his shoulders widened by several inches.

Xiao Gong had a slender waist, but under Young Master Qian's power, his waist actually grew a full circle thicker.

The room was silent. Everyone stared intently at the bizarre changes happening to Xiao Gong's body, as if the Painted Skin Demon from ancient legends had truly appeared in the mortal world, tearing off a bloody human skin to wear, deceiving the world.

Cai Zhao felt a chill run up her spine.

After an unknown amount of time, Young Master Qian said in a low voice, "It's done."

He seemed utterly exhausted, stumbling back a few steps and collapsing onto the lounge chair behind him.

The white vapor around Xiao Gong slowly dissipated, revealing a familiar and frightening silhouette—Fan Xingjia!

He excitedly touched his face and pulled a small silver mirror from his waist pouch, looking at it from left to right. "It really changed, hahaha, it really changed, how interesting..."

Seeing such an excited and strangely demonic expression on Fan Xingjia's face, Cai Zhao felt as if ten thousand ants were crawling past her pillow, a deeply unsettling feeling.