Chapter 112: Painted Skin
The five old priests quickly carried the corpse of their disciple and retreated. They did not care about the Eyang Sect’s priest who had gone out of his way to help them.
The Eyang Sect’s enlightened light bearer San Tong looked stunned before bursting with anger. He gritted his teeth as his hair stood up and he bellowed, “Anger, anger, rus.h.i.+ng up the head!” His voice has barely faded away when his hair, which had been tied in a bun, broke loose. His long hair began elongating furiously and started dancing in the wind. It felt like the air itself could not contain its exuberant fury and crackling sounds could be heard. Enchanted flames appeared in the air and hit Leyang Wen’s face as quick as lightning.
The short-statured Leyang Wen yelled. He covered his face with both hands, somersaulted and fell to the ground. Puffs of green smoke rose from between his fingers. The long silk which had been wrestling with the flying sword in mid-air lost its master’s control and was immediately shredded by the flying sword.
The Painting Town’s white-haired old man had not expected Leyang Wen to fall so early in the fight. He immediately took out a small writing brush and approached Leyang Wen. He then drew two strokes on his face and the fire was extinguished immediately.
The enlightened light bearer was stunned. He recalled his flying sword and a.s.sumed a guarding stance. With his feet firmly planted, he questioned coldly, “Are you Painting Town’s Leyang Shoujin?”
The white-haired man glanced at the old priest San Tong and replied, “Yes, that’s me.” He propped the short-statured Leyang Wen up and cursed coldly, “Useless thing! Can you still make it?” Although his tone was cold, his gaze was full of compa.s.sion.
When Leyang Wen removed his hands from his face, Wen Leyang who had been spying from afar was shocked. His facial features have become a blackened mess and didn’t even resemble a normal human’s face anymore. However, there was no pain in Leyang Wen’s voice as he smiled brilliantly at the white-haired old man, “I’ll have to trouble you again, Father.”
The white-haired old man grunted without saying a word. He lifted his brush and swiftly drew a few strokes on Leyang Wen’s face.
Wen Leyang and his group were astonished. Under the white-haired old man’s brush strokes, eyes, nose, mouth, and brows appeared on Leyang Wen’s face once again. In a short moment, his face was fully restored!
The short-statured Leyang Wen wrinkled his nose and moved his mouth. He casually took out a small mirror from his pocket and looked at his reflection before smiling at his father Leyang Shoujin, “It always turns out like this, can’t you draw a more handsome face?”
Leyang Shoujin snorted, “You’ve always been this ugly!”
Leyang Wen, with his new look, laughed at the Eyang Sect’s enlightened light bearer who was on his guard. His tone was not hostile, “Dear elder, please excuse us for this crude art of skin painting.”
The enlightened light bearer snorted coldly without saying a word. He saw that there was injustice on the road and he had bellowed. After he finished bellowing the injustice was still there but the road had gone. He could not decide whether to continue his attack or to retreat.
Leyang Wen acted as if nothing had happened, “It’s just as elder San Tong had witnessed, the Qilian Immortal Sect are a bunch of treacherous villains. The great elder had acted out of honor among the sects and all for naught! We’ll let this misunderstanding slide, what does this elder…”
The Eyang Sect’s Righteous Path is one of the Five Blessings. Those from the Painting Town seemed to back down, not wanting to cross such a formidable force.
The enlightened light bearer interrupted the short-statured Leyang Wen, “This poor priest has one single question, Painting Town has always been the first aristocrat of the rogue cultivators for thousands of years but is it dabbling in the dark arts now?”
Leyang Wen made a quirky smile, “Where did this elder get this idea? Although Painting Town is a band of rogue cultivators, we have never shown any mercy towards evildoers. Painting Town had also contributed effort, spilled blood, and lost lives for the sake of the flouris.h.i.+ng of the righteous path and morals, no?”
The enlightened light bearer San Tong laughed coldly, “The reason Painting Town is visiting this Gold-Consuming Lair had been because of the divine beast, no? This old priest kindly advice you to stop here and leave. Then you’ll be free to go. Why don’t you do that?”
Wen Leyang exchanged looks with Wen Buzuo who was beside him. Their eyes were filled with terror, could it be that these people were here to capture the giant pangolin too?
Leyang Wen’s expression did not change but he fell silent for a moment. He abruptly changed the subject, “This brother wants to add something and I hope you don’t mind. The elder is highly skilled in magic and is one of the prominent figures amongst the true cultivators. However, to go against a divine beast, I don’t think that would be enough. Besides, in this Gold-Consuming Lair, there’s bound to be more than one divine beast.”
The enlightened light bearer placed his hands behind him. He inclined his body slightly and squinted at Leyang Wen, “What are you trying to say?”
The short-statured Leyang Wen was smiling fondly but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. He stared squarely back at his opponent, “The divine beast is of the utmost importance. Painting Town does not dare to take this hot potato. We only want a drop of blood from its heart. If this elder agrees, then inside this Gold-Consuming Lair, the Leyang disciples are the Eyang Sect’s to command…”
Just as the conversation between Painting Town and the Eyang Sect got interesting, Wen Leyang suddenly and carefully started making his way back, no longer eavesdropping on the conversation. The others followed him with curious looks and started their retreat very slowly. They were careful not to make even the slightest sound.
Lucky for them, there was not any dry branches or leaves in the Gold-Consuming Lair. This greatly increased the ease of their stealthy movements.
Wen Leyang picked up speed as he went. When he was certain that the other party can no longer sense his movements, he immediately jumped to his feet and broke into a frenzied run. He spoke to the others while running, “The giant pangolin has only just pa.s.sed by behind us!”
The multi-directional searching telegnosis abilities of Painting Town and Eyang Sect’s old priest were dulled by the fearsome force of the Gold-Consuming Lair. Wen Leyang’s spirit sense was still usable and he had felt that a big fellow had silently and swiftly pa.s.sed by right behind their backs.
Naturally, Wen Leyang couldn’t care less about the negotiations between Painting Town and the priest San Tong. He immediately moved back to chase after the giant pangolin.
Wen Buzuo asked while running, “The ground here is tougher than iron. Even if a drill was demonized it shouldn’t be able to make its way past us without making a sound, let alone a demonized pangolin!”
The jade knife Guo Huan took every opportunity he has to jab at Wen Buzuo, “That sh.e.l.l-less b*stard is a divine mountain guardian of the Qilian Immortal Sect. It grew up in here. To be able to pa.s.s without a sound, it must’ve had a metal-repelling or metal-subduing magic item! By the way… what’s a drill?”
The giant pangolin’s direction was the same as the five Qilian Immortal Sect’s old priests. They were headed deeper into the Gold-Consuming Lair and were beyond Wen Leyang’s spirit sense detection limit.
The three-inch nail Wen Bushuo spoke up suddenly, “Wen Leyang, carry Wen Xiaoyi and go on ahead. We’ll be fine!”
The Gold-Consuming Lair now resembled a den of snakes and dragons, every step was full of danger. The only force they know of was the descendants of the Qilian Immortal Sect, Painting Town, and the Eyang Sect. Wen Leyang dared not leave his companions behind and was running at a speed that even the slowest member Wen Buzuo could keep up with as they chased their target deeper into the Gold-Consuming Lair.
Little Chi Maojiu and Luo w.a.n.ggen nodded but Wen Buzuo shook his head, “It’s too dangerous, I’ll feel worried!”
Everyone else shot him a glare. Wen Buzuo added confidently, “Even with Wen Leyang and Wen Xiaoyi added together, one single trick is enough to deceive them. Every step we take in this place is treacherous and it won’t do for them to fall prey to the enemy’s traps! Especially that giant pangolin. If it can avoid Grand Master Chang Li’s stalking, then it’s no ordinary mischief!”
When Wen Buzuo had finished speaking everyone was satisfied. In terms of physical strength, Wen Leyang was the strongest out of all of them. In terms of weapons, Wen Xiaoyi’s blunderbuss was the boss. However, in terms of scheming and the Jianghu experience, a single drop of spittle from Wen Buzuo was enough for the two to learn for half a year. This was why every time the elders have given Wen Leyang a mission outside of the mountain, they would also dispatch the brothers Bushuo and Buzuo to accompany him.
The jade knife Guo Huan gave a take-on-everything laugh, “He’s got me…” Wen Buzuo did not wait for him to finish and b.u.t.ted in, “First, you should find out what a plumber or a drill is!”
The jade knife Guo Huan wanted to retaliate in anger but Wen Buzuo changed the subject, “The Qilian Immortal Sect have secluded themselves in the Gold-Consuming Lair for two thousand years. The giant pangolin was originally their divine mountain guardian so it must have returned here to seek their protection. I reckon that there will be a few fights left before this thing is resolved.”
The group continued the discussion in hushed tones as they kept an even pace. They were like agile panthers, racing silently through the dark night. Wen Leyang’s pores open and closed swiftly. He extended his spirit sense in waves towards his surroundings and did not dare let his guard down. When he heard Wen Buzuo’s statement, he replied in a low voice, “We’re only here to question the giant pangolin regarding the whereabouts of Grand Master Chang Li. We don’t have to fight anyone.”
Unexpectedly, Wen Buzuo scolded him angrily, which was a rare occasion, “That’s careless talk! The pangolin had encountered you on Mount Emei and Grand Master Chang Li had destroyed the foundation of the Qilian Immortal Sect. Do you honestly think that a single question would be enough to settle this? They will fight you to the death. The moment we meet the Qilian Immortal Sect we are lifelong enemies! Do you still not consider them as enemies in your heart?”
“Also,” Wen Buzuo’s tone was no longer raucous but was low and solemn, “There has been no word from Chang Li since she had left to chase after the giant pangolin. Whether she’s been hurt, tricked, or has abandoned us to look for Grand Master Tuo Xie once she got news about him are all variables that depend on us capturing the giant pangolin. If you don’t treat it as your enemy, how are you supposed to flush out the truth from it?”
The rarely outspoken Wen Bushuo nodded and wanted to say something but Wen Buzuo, who had just closed his mouth, took the reins of the conversation once again, “This time, our aim is to capture and interrogate, not to ask nicely! I don’t care whether it’s the Qilian Immortal Sect, Painting Town, or the Eyang Sect, anyone who gets in the way is our enemy, our nemesis! Brother, you had wanted to say something?” The last bit was aimed at his little brother the three-inch nail.
“What you’ve just said!” Three-inch nail’s tone was a little despondent.
Wen Leyang ground his teeth. This was a habit he had picked up during his ten months in Mount Emei’s belly. Every time when he wanted to break the wall, he would grit his teeth. Before he knew it, it has become a reflex for him. Every time he panics or becomes serious, the Life and Death Poison inside his body would accelerate with his emotional state and cause him to grind his teeth.
He had originally thought that the forces in the Gold-Consuming Lair were of no consequence to him. Now, according to Wen Buzuo, the Qilian Immortal Sect would definitely protect their divine beast while Painting Town and the Eyang Sect have come to s.n.a.t.c.h the divine beast. Suddenly, they’ve all become their enemies.
Wen Buzuo had expressed some hundred solemn words and felt extremely at ease, as if the sky was high and the clouds were clear. He regained his smug villainous look, hastened his footsteps and ran beside Wen Leyang, “But I don’t understand, why gave you the impression that the Eyang Sect and Painting Town were here to capture the giant pangolin?”
Wen Leyang had a helpless look on his face.
Wen Buzuo continued, “The giant pangolin was already a divine mountain guardian beast since two thousand years ago. His prowess certainly isn’t below the two rabbit demons. However, Painting Town and the Eyang Sect looked so confident, what was their confidence based on?”
The three-inch nail snorted, “Who cares!”
Wen Buzuo chuckled, “It’s boring to be running actually…”
Wen Leyang frowned after he heard Wen Buzuo’s statement. He suddenly thought of a detail that he had overlooked until now.
On Mount Emei, the adopted father of the Rainbow brothers, the favus-headed old man, had abilities which were on par with the elites from the Five Blessings. Under the combination of attacks from the One Word Palace’s Third Elder Wei and the little stutterer, he had resorted to self-explosion in hopes that they would go down together.
The giant pangolin’s prowess certainly wasn’t beneath the two rabbit demons but he did go through a lot of trouble to escape from the clutches of the favus-headed old man.
Wen Leyang wanted to share his thoughts with the others but he abruptly stopped and pinned himself to the ground like a nail. He put out a hand to stop Wen Buzuo who had not been able to stop in time…
A scarlet-colored longsword, like a dying ember, was embedded in the ground at the edge of Wen Leyang’s sight. The depths of the Gold-Consuming Lair, including the ground, was a dense copper color. The scarlet sword stood out brightly from the background. Wen Xiaoyi raised her blunderbuss once again and looked around her in a state of alarm. Although she could not see any further than five meters in the dark, it was worthy to note that her eyes still had a clear, spring-like glow in it.
The blade of the longsword was sharp. Wen Buzuo pulled it out of the metallic ground and it gave a light ping. He immediately let out a low cry and the sword slipped from his grip, falling down to the ground. Wen Leyang was quick to act and grabbed the hilt of the sword before it could hit the ground again.
Wen Buzuo’s right hand was trembling as if he had just been electrocuted. He said to Wen Leyang in a low voice, “It vibrated very strongly just now!”
Wen Leyang nodded, he had felt it too. The long sword had s.h.i.+vered twice in his grip but quickly lost its strength. At the same time, the dying glow faded from the blade and it turned dull.
“There’s still some remnants of its Master’s will inside of it, that’s why it had vibrated. This sword’s Master had just recently died!” Not knowing about drills and plumbers did not affect Guo Huan’s understanding of cultivation, “This sword had been refined in the element of Fire so it inhibits Metal!”
“Inhibits Metal? Someone wants to inhibit Metal in the Gold-Consuming Burrow?” Wen Buzuo muttered softly. He knew that he would not reach any conclusions. He followed the group to investigate further inside.
Other than the ‘dead’ flying sword, they were surrounded by deep darkness. It was thick and dense, like a shapeless leech and tightly wrapped around everyone. They did not feel anything while they were running swiftly but as soon as they had slowed down to search, they were hit with a sudden realization. In this world which seemingly has its own rules, other than their heavier and heavier breathing and their quickening heartbeats which were like beating drums, there was absolutely nothing else!
After they had continued on for another six kilometers, Wen Leyang stopped again and inhaled deeply. A dozen lifelike bronze statues of priests were blocking their way.
A total of eighteen bronze statues had been seemingly placed in random positions. Some were sitting in the lotus position, some were in the ‘p.a.w.n Opening Angel’s Guide’ position, and some were kicking the bucket. All their poses were different as they stood before the group. The three-inch nail Wen Bushuo was worried that this was a trap. He took out a short knife and threw it at a statue. With a crisp clang, sparks flew from between the knife and bronze statue, s.h.i.+ning briefly in the dark night.
Wen Leyang and his group carefully made their way over. The bronze statues were very lifelike. Every statue had a panicked expression on their face, as though they had been fighting an enemy to their deaths. Their robes looked as if they were still waving in the wind. On the hems of their robes, there’s a fully shaped coral-like tree branch hanging as an accessory.
The jade knife Guo Huan snorted coldly, “The Qilian Immortal Sect’s trademark, the Exquisite Ice.”
Previously at the Painting Town’s bonfire camp, Wen Leyang and his group had not dared to get too close. They did not even get a close look at any insignias on the Qilian Immortal Sect’s old priests’ body.
Little Chi Maojiu was still a child so he curiously touched and tapped the statues. He was laughing and wanted to say a few words when he felt his shoulder tense up. A pair of hands were firmly holding onto him!
Little Chi Maojiu screamed and made a low yell to summon his vital fire to cast a spell. A familiar voice sounded beside his ear, “Don’t move!” The person who was holding him was Wen Leyang.
The brothers Bushuo and Buzuo had caught up with them and took out emerald-colored hollow bamboo needles from their traveling bag. Their hands worked expertly and started to pour a medicinal powder into them. Little Chi Maojiu finally understood. He opened his mouth to ask, stunned, “I was poisoned?”
When he said that, Chi Maojiu was startled by himself. His voice was sharp and hoa.r.s.e, sounding like two rusty iron files rubbing against each other. Then his body tensed up as if his skin, flesh, and bones were starting to turn into metallic bronze. His body was stiff and cold and he could not move.
Wen Buzuo replied in a low tone, “It’s the Metal Poison!”
The three Wen Bucao disciples all wore solemn expressions. Even Wen Buzuo had put away his smile and there was a certain hostility about him. Wen Leyang carefully placed Chi Maojiu on the ground. Bushuo and Buzuo poured the red medicine powder into the needles which were quickly placed on the meridian points around his heart.
Luo w.a.n.ggen did not need to be asked. He pulled his zombie along and took a few steps back. He looked around with heightened senses, guarding against any possible attacks.
Little Chi Maojiu was unable to speak or move now. Even his eyes were slowly turning a sunset bronze color. However, he still had his senses. As the bamboo needles pierced his chest, it formed a boiling line of fire. The coldness in his limbs was attacking the line of fire, trying to spread to his chest! Although the Miao Bujiao were not knowledgeable in the art of poison, even they knew that if a potent poison reaches your chest cavity, you were done for.
Wen Xiaoyi jumped down from Wen Leyang’s back, took out a carrot and tapped it lightly on Chi Maojiu’s forehead. It made a ‘ding’ sound.
Chi Maojiu was only around ten years of age. When he heard his forehead sounding like a gong, he was scared to the verge of crying.
He wanted to cry but could not do so…
Wen Bushuo’s fingers worked continuously like the wind, switching the needles in a flurry. He said in a low voice, “The Fire element is not enough, we can’t protect the heart’s vessel!”
Wen Xiaoyi did not seem panicked at all. She giggled and pointed at Wen Leyang and said, “’You’ve Got Me’!” As she was saying this she hit the human gong once again with the carrot, finding the sound quite enjoyable.
Wen Leyang chuckled and smacked himself on the forehead, “I forgot about it when I panicked…” His voice has barely faded away when his expression changed abruptly and he growled in a low voice, “’You’ve Got Me’, don’t run!”
The Buddha’s Light Bug, upon hearing that its master wanted it to detoxify little Chi Maojiu, immediately crawled out from Wen Leyang’s chest. It frantically crawled along his shoulder and back while letting out a buzzing wail.
Wen Xiaoyi laughed until she forgot to hit the gong. She tried hard to suppress her laughter as she said, “It’s worried that if it uses its Fire element to inhibit Metal, its own poison’s toxicity will be reduced.”
Wen Leyang finally got a hold of the bug after going through much trouble. ‘You’ve Got Me’ saw that its master was insistent and finally gave in pitifully. It jumped onto little Chi Maojiu’s chest, shook its head and tail and swatted the bamboo needles aside. Wen Xiaoyi laughed, “Oh? The little thing is throwing a tantrum!” Wen Leyang didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.
After that, ‘You’ve Got Me’ flashed its iron spikes and rolled in a circle above little Chi Maojiu’s heart. Although the bug was reluctant to make an entrance, once it started working it was still a professional. Little Chi Maojiu felt his chest burn with a heat that was countless times more intense than the line of fire. The heat forced the potent Metal Poison back in an instant.
The potent poison behaved like an octopus tentacle that had been stabbed by a barb as it started contracting violently. ‘You’ve Got Me’ was aggressive as its small body moved and leaped in quick motions. Its Fire element metal spikes stabbed continuously into little Chi Maojiu’s body. Every stab was accurately on the end point of the poison.
Wen Buzuo was stunned, “Since when did ‘You’ve Got Me’s’ poison become so fierce?” ‘You’ve Got Me’ was only a larva attracted when Wen Leyang had captured it with limited poison toxicity. Now, it can even push back the potent Metal Poison that even the Death Trademark could not handle. Although the theory of the inter-inhibition of the elements plays a role here, no matter if its inter-generation or inter-inhibition, it all comes down to the strength of the poison.
Wen Leyang saw that ‘You’ve Got Me’ was showing off its powers and felt elated. He explained while chuckling, “It had bitten the senior of the Sun Dynasty Palace before… If I remember correctly his name was Yu Lingzi. Yu Lingzi had a small red flying sword and a fire-marked tiger. It took other people’s Fire element and refined it into its own Fire Poison. It’s quite formidable now, even the Jilong Sect’s Qing Niao had been injured by it.”
‘You’ve Got Me’ was a bug of the Fire element. Its nature was to absorb the powers of the Fire element. Yu Lingzi’s small sword ‘Fire Tail’ and the fire-marked tiger’s fire element were not too fearsome on their own but after ‘You’ve Got Me’ had refined it into its own poison, it became something else entirely. It was just like the filings from an iron mine being refined into a steel knife, although the quant.i.ty has been reduced, the nature of it was far superior to its original form.
Little Chi Maojiu could feel that every point touched by ‘You’ve Got Me’ made his stiff skin and bones turn soft like heated wax. He slowly regained the feeling in his whole body.
The three-inch nail Wen Bushuo took off little Chi Maojiu’s shoes and cut a small incision on his sole. ‘You’ve Got Me’ was still fighting off the Metal poison. It slowly jumped from his chest to the belly, then crawled onto his thigh before making its way downwards to the calf. After a while, thick bronze blood slowly trickled out of the incision on his sole. It made crisp ringing sounds as it dripped on the ground.
After ‘You’ve Got Me’ has finished detoxifying Chi Maojiu, its formerly dark red body turned even darker. It then flipped over and played dead. Wen Xiaoyi scolded it affectionately while she carefully placed it on her palm. ‘You’ve Got Me’ rolled over, greeted Wen Xiaoyi then flipped over and continued playing dead.
Little Chi Maojiu wanted to jump up but was pinned down by the brothers Bushuo and Buzuo. Wen Leyang put ‘You’ve Got Me’ away and started helping them. They started p.r.i.c.king him lightly with the newly reloaded bamboo needles, “It’s true that we had fought poison with poison, but that does not mean that all is well after we have inhibited it. There might still be some poison left in your body so we must be careful. Don’t worry, this will be over in a second.”
The potent poison had been nullified and the remaining conditioning and getting rid of remnant poison was a walk in the park for the disciples of the Wen Bucao. Wen Buzuo said with a grin, “I’m sorry, the bronze impenetrable body that you have just refined has been destroyed by us. I say, Big Dragon’s Root, don’t you go and touch everything that you see after this okay? If you were poisoned to death in front of us, the Second Mother would be sure to strangle me to death with her black vines. Heh, that would the fulfilment of my nightmare.” Wen Buzuo still bore a grudge about when he was fighting the ‘Swarm of Bees’ in the Miao Stockade Village.
Chi Maojiu blushed. He then glared at the eighteen bronze statues and cursed, “Who would be so despicable as to apply poison on these bronze statues?”
Wen Buzuo chuckled, “Hey, it sounds like you’re also cursing us Wen Bucao…” As he was saying this he abruptly changed his tone. He squinted his eyes and spoke solemnly, “Boy, can’t you see? Those aren’t bronze statues! If you had died just now, you’ll be just like them – a stiff corpse encased in bronze!”