Human skin lantern 10

Not long after the alley returned to silence, Xiao Congzhi appeared. He glanced at the pool of blood on the ground, then composed himself and hurried in the direction Xie Mowen had gone.

Just as the two of them were beginning to suspect Qian Lin, they also realized that after Xu Tan was punished by Sun Rang, Xu Shuyan would most likely choose to return to the Martial Alliance. If Xu Tan stopped pressuring her to marry him, Xu Shuyan would stay in the Martial Alliance peacefully.

It won't be easy for the masked man to make another move.

Therefore, the best time to make a move was on Xu Shuyan's way back to the Martial Alliance from the government office. In order to prevent the masked man from using something similar to Qilin blood, Xiao Congzhi did not accompany Xie Mowen to see Xu Shuyan off.

If the masked man is indeed Qian Lin, Qian Lin knows that the young master Mo, whom Xu Shuyan admires, has only average martial arts skills, and he also knows that Xiao Congzhi has very high martial arts skills. If Xiao Congzhi is not on the way back, Qian Lin will most likely choose to take action directly.

Xie Mowen then put on a show and left marks along the way with fake blood.

Xiao Congzhi followed the markers and eventually left the city through a hidden spot, heading straight for the desolate mountains outside the city.

The marker eventually disappeared deep in the wilderness. Xiao Congzhi hid in a tree, looking around. When he saw a familiar figure, he quietly approached and made a slight noise.

Xie Mowen, who was hiding in the bushes, suddenly looked up after sensing Xiao Congzhi's presence.

The two exchanged a smile, and Xie Mowen suddenly leaped up into the tree.

"How is it?" Xiao Congzhi asked.

Xie Mowen pointed forward: "Go a mile further in this direction, there's a cave. The masked man went inside."

Just one more mile ahead lies the depths of the mountains.

Do you think he is Qian Lin?

"It's highly likely that the physique is similar, but the lightness skill is not like that of a young person."

Xiao Congzhi nodded and moved towards the cave. The masked man's purpose was still unclear, but the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous the situation would become.

Xie Mowen didn't say much and silently followed behind Xiao Congzhi.

Many questions remain unanswered. Who is the masked man? Is he the same person who cursed Xu Shuyan sixteen years ago? If it is Qian Lin, what is his motive? Why has he remained inactive for sixteen years? And why does he possess something resembling Qilin blood?

However, now is not the time to leisurely analyze the causes and consequences.

In a short while, Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen arrived at the cave entrance. It was pitch black inside, with gusts of cold air mixed with the chilling wind wafting out, giving it a sinister and terrifying feel.

Xie Mowen unconsciously grasped Xiao Congzhi's wrist, just as he had done in Qilin Village. Xiao Congzhi merely glanced at him without saying a word.

In complete silence, the two entered the cave. At first, there was a long, narrow, and dark passageway, just wide enough for two people to pass sideways.

Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen each touched one side of the stone wall and slowly moved forward. After an unknown amount of time, a little light finally appeared in front of them. It was not white light, but a dim, yellowish halo.

The two switched places, with Xie Mowen walking in front to explore the place where there was light.

After a moment, Xie Mowen pulled Xiao Congzhi's wrist forward, indicating that there was no one in front of them.

So the two of them walked together into the place where there was light.

It was a spacious place, about the size of a room, illuminated by the candlelight from countless lanterns.

On the smooth stone wall, one after another, hang the most traditional round lanterns. The lantern paper has no patterns, it is a simple yellow, so the light shining through the lantern paper is such a hazy yellow.

It was very quiet here; apart from the occasional crackling of the candlelight, there was not a sound at all.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came from the other side of the cave, first strong and then gentle, causing the lanterns in the room to sway slightly and the candlelight to flicker, as if it had dimmed a little.

Xiao Congzhi leaned closer to Xie Mowen and whispered in his ear, "There are twenty-five lanterns here in total."

There are a total of 26 victims in the Haining disappearance case, excluding Guo Shaoyu, there are 25.

It's hard to believe this is just a coincidence.

Xie Mowen's expression darkened slightly as he stared at the lantern in front of him without saying a word.

The lantern paper looks extremely thin and transparent, making one wonder what kind of process was used to make it.

What is burning?

What scent is faintly wafting in the wind?

Xiao Congzhi pressed down on the folding fan in his hand, moved his wrist which was being held, and gestured to continue walking forward.

The two crawled into another opening, which led to another narrow passage. This time, it was even darker, yet it made them feel like they were being spied on.

This feeling was unsettling, and the two of them simultaneously sped up.

Suddenly, Xie Mowen stopped in his tracks, and Xiao Congzhi immediately reacted, holding his breath slightly.

They noticed someone ahead.

Further ahead, there was light, but it was much darker than the place before.

This time, Xiao Congzhi went first. As they walked out of the cave, they found themselves in a completely different world.

The space was enormous, divided by randomly scattered boulders. Light emanated from the deepest part, where people could be heard, including Xu Shuyan, who was sobbing softly.

In such an open space, the echoes were very strong. Xiao Congzhi gestured in Xie Mowen's palm, then broke free from Xie Mowen's grasp and walked forward. Xie Mowen understood, using his inner strength to envelop himself, concealing his breathing so that it could not be detected, before following Xiao Congzhi out of the cave entrance.

The scattered boulders are about one and a half times the height of a person, and each one can easily hide two or three people.

Using the faint light and the cover of the boulder, Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen gradually approached the deepest part.

"It's you! Sect Leader Qian!!" Xu Shuyan's exclamation came unexpectedly, bringing bombshell news and confirming Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen's guesses.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Qian Lin burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Perhaps he was too happy, and no one asked, Qian Lin began to vent to himself: "Sixteen years ago I cursed you to die, but I never thought that someone with no sense of right or wrong would ruin it. For sixteen years, Xu Tan has protected you perfectly. Fortunately, heaven has been kind to me, and you have fallen into my hands today."

Although Xu Shuyan was terrified, she realized that the person in front of her was not only the mastermind behind the chaos that had engulfed Xiacheng for the past month, but also the one who had placed a curse on her sixteen years ago.

Xiao Congzhi and his companion, hidden in the shadows, were now very close and could see Xu Shuyan and Qian Lin. Qian Lin was standing with his back to them in front of an iron table, slowly sharpening his curved knife, while Xu Shuyan was tied to a chair next to him.

"Why...why do you want to?" Xu Shuyan asked with difficulty.

Qian Lin glanced up casually, chuckled, and clearly didn't want to answer Xu Shuyan's question.

Xu Shuyan didn't have a deep impression of Qian Lin. This leader of the Diancang Sect would only come to the Martial Alliance during festivals. They had only met a few times, but based on that memory, Qian Lin and her father didn't have a bad relationship.

"Why do you hate my father?" Thinking of her father kneeling in the hall not long ago, utterly humiliated and miserable, Xu Shuyan couldn't help but ask.

Qian Lin laughed maliciously and said contemptuously, "When did I ever say I hated Xu Tan? I hate you!"

"Sixteen years, sixteen years, every time I saw you I wanted to strangle you." Qian Lin continued to pour out his heart, "When Nanzhou was pursuing you, I was planning to wait until you entered my Diancang Sect and were no longer under Xu Tan's protection, then I could do whatever I wanted with you! Unfortunately, Jiang Xu of the Qingcheng Sect beat me to it."

"The entire Qingcheng Sect is full of martial arts fanatics. I thought I had no chance left, but then an ancient book fell from the sky and I learned about this Spirit Refining Method. Hahahahahahahaha, this is heaven helping me! Hahahahaha, don't panic, you will soon become my power and be at my command! Haha ...

Xiao Congzhi, who was hiding behind a boulder, pulled Xie Mowen's hand and wrote words on his palm.

"Didn't Qian Lin know that the curse on Xu Shuyan was only half lifted?"

Xie Mowen followed suit and replied in Xiao Congzhi's palm, "I'm afraid so. Shao Cheng learned this from Xu Tan."

"So Qian Lin hasn't been inactive these past few years; rather, he's been unable to make any moves."

"If he hadn't been holding back, his martial arts skills wouldn't be as good as Xu Tan's."

"Are you familiar with the methods of spirit refining?"

"Never heard of it, but..."

Xie Mowen looked up and exchanged a glance with Xiao Congzhi as he wrote this. They knew what was coming next without saying a word. This Spirit Refining Method, judging from its name, utilizes the spiritual energy that humans are born with, similar to the method of using Qilin blood.

As for how to refine spirits, the two of them unanimously thought of the room full of lanterns they had just seen.

In the blink of an eye, Qian Lin's knife-sharpening speed gradually increased, and it was obviously almost finished.

Xu Shuyan could no longer care about the shock she felt at what Qian Lin had revealed. Trembling, she forced herself not to think about what the curved knife was going to be used for.

"Very fast, hahaha. I'm very experienced."

After saying that, Qian Lin, carrying an extremely sharp curved knife, slowly walked towards Xu Shuyan...

Uncontrollable screams were deafening, echoing through the cave in layers.

Suddenly, a piece of gravel was shattered, and a figure flew out from the side, kicking Qian Lin away at an extremely fast speed, protecting Xu Shuyan behind him.

It was Xu Tan.

Following behind Xu Tan were Yun Shaocheng, Ji Buyu, Jiang Ai, and Yang Yanshu.

When Xu Shuyan screamed, they had already entered the cave. Xiao Congzhi and the other man sensed the approach of the group, so they did not move to rescue Xu Shuyan.

"?" Xiao Congzhi gently swiped Xie Mowen's palm.

"I notified Shao Cheng."

"?"

"The Demonic Sect has a method of using insects to send messages." Xie Mowen knew what Xiao Congzhi was asking.

"So, what identity will you use to go out now?"

Xie Mowen took out a black veiled hat from his pocket, the same one he wore at Xu Shuyan's coming-of-age ceremony.

It is obvious that Xie Mowen will appear here as the leader of the Demonic Sect.

Not far away, Qian Lin, who had been kicked away, slowly stood up, staring at the group of people in front of him with a sinister look in his eyes. Their appearance was not what he expected.

Xu Tan was also taken aback when he recognized Qian Lin. This person, with whom he had a shallow but polite relationship, was actually the mastermind behind a series of disappearances.

"It's you! Why is it you?"

Qian Lin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, nonchalantly raised his scimitar, stared at Xu Tan, and did not answer.

Xu Shuyan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her father and whispered to Xu Tan, "He was also the one who cast the curse sixteen years ago."

Xu Tan first looked at his daughter in shock, not understanding why she knew about the curse. Then he looked at Qian Lin in surprise. If he remembered correctly, more than ten years ago, when they were young, he and Qian Lin had a good relationship.

"Qian Lin, I have never done anything to wrong you, yet you have done this to me!" Xu Tan raised his long sword, pointing it directly at Qian Lin.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Qian Lin couldn't help but laugh loudly, and amidst the echoes, he revealed a shocking secret, "Back then, I was in love with you. If that woman hadn't been pregnant with your child, I wouldn't have been so hopeless!"

The phrase "shocking words" refers to the fact that it startled everyone present, including Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen, who were still hiding.

Behind these twenty-odd lives, is it not a blood feud, but rather a story of love and affection between family members?

Even the composed Jiang Ai couldn't quite control his expression, and the ever-unrestrained Ji Buyu blurted out: "Alliance Leader Xu and Madam Xu are childhood sweethearts who love each other deeply. Their marriage was a well-known match in the entire martial arts world. Even if they don't have children, do you think you have any hope?"

What Ji Buyu said, Qian Lin must have known perfectly well more than a decade ago. It's just that some obsessions have become unrecognizable after nearly twenty years. A person who has sold his soul has long been trapped in his own ridiculous logic.

Qian Lin turned to look at Ji Buyu, his eyes revealing something chilling. Everyone became alert, after all, the Emei Sect Leader Liao Heyun was likely killed by Qian Lin, so Qian Lin's martial arts skills should not be underestimated.

"What is the method of refining spirits?"

A sound came from the shadows on the other side.

The group looked over warily, and out from behind the boulder was Xiao Congzhi.

"Young Master Xiao..."

“萧从之？你怎么会在这里？”钱霖显然还记得萧从之上门把他爱徒华南州狠揍一顿的事。

Xiao Congzhi didn't glance in Xu Tan's direction, but instead took two steps toward Qian Lin, stopped, and asked again in a deep voice, "What is the method of refining spirits?"

Qian Lin didn't want to answer, but seeing the suspicious looks in everyone's eyes, he couldn't help but speak freely: "Ancient books say that all people have spirits. By refining one's spirit and using it, one can transcend the mortal realm and become an immortal."

Xiao Congzhi stared at Qian Lin, slowly stroking the handle of the folding fan in his hand. As expected, what Qian Lin said was true: refining spirit was about refining the spiritual energy that humans were born with, in order to obtain the power that cultivators of a thousand years ago possessed, which was superior to that of mortals.

Xu Tan and the others, who were not far away, had no knowledge of the concept of spiritual energy among mortals and were completely confused. Just as they were about to ask a question, a voice came from the darkness behind Xiao Congzhi.

"How do you refine spirits? By skinning them, gouging out their eyes, and turning them into lanterns?"

Xie Mowen's voice, filtered through the thin veil, echoed through the vast cave, sounding somewhat ethereal.

He did not fully reveal himself, and because he was wearing a bamboo hat, Xu Tan and the others did not recognize his identity. However, his words reminded them of the cave full of lanterns that they had passed by on their way here.

Exactly twenty-five lanterns, their thin, slightly yellow paper emitting a dim light, carried through the room, along with waves of strange odors.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, and dared not think too deeply about how to refine the spirit. Where were those who had disappeared now?

But Qian Lin thoroughly enjoyed the reactions of the crowd, his tone low and tinged with excitement: "With eyes that can see the spirit and skin that can carry qi, I can make lamps to burn, and thus gain supreme power."

As he spoke, Qian Lin pulled something out of his pocket, and in the dim light, it was easy to see that it was a human eyeball.

Although Xu Tan and the others still only had a vague understanding, they could deduce from the conversation that Qian Lin's martial arts skills had not improved rapidly, but rather that he had gained power through some kind of evil magic, and that he was about to unleash that evil magic.

Everyone raised their weapons, and Xie Mowen, who was still hidden in the shadows, spoke again.

"You make it sound so easy. Of those twenty-five lives, how many spirits did you successfully refine?"

Qian Lin's arrogant demeanor faltered, and he asked, "How did you know?"

Xiao Congzhi answered the question for Xie Mowen: "If every lamp succeeds, you will have twenty-five lamps. Wouldn't you be able to do whatever you want in the martial world? You could directly storm the Martial Alliance to intercept Xu Shuyan, or even secretly capture people without waiting for the right opportunity?"

Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen had initially guessed that there was a limit to the number of times this power could be used, but they never expected that the limit would be so exhausting.

Ji Buyu deciphered the meaning from Xiao Congzhi's words and asked, "Does Young Master Xiao mean that this fellow doesn't have much... much... power?" Ji Buyu still couldn't calmly pick up those lanterns made with human lives.

Qian Lin glared at Ji Buyu with red eyes. He was furious that his trump card had been exposed. Indeed, refining spirits was extremely difficult to succeed. He only had two spirits in total and had been carefully calculating. So far, he had only used one spirit when dealing with the Emei Sect Leader.

"Hahaha, so what if you know this? You can't even guess how many lamps I have left, enough to make you all lose your lives today." Qian Lin began his empty city ruse.

But Xie Mowen saw through his lie with a single sentence: "I'm afraid what you want to activate right now is the only one."

As he spoke, Xie Mowen slowly emerged from the shadows.