Chapter 158: Human. Leather Mask
Chapter 158 Human. Skin Mask
The spring chill was still in the air. When I went to Siji Cliff, I felt the biting cold, but I didn’t notice that my junior uncle was dressed very thinly and was sweating profusely.
The Kunlun Sect does not often punish its disciples.
If punishment is to be given, it is usually done at the Ancestral Hall next to the martial arts training ground.
Siji Cliff is located in a remote area of the Kunlun Mountains.
Fu Jin has always been timid. He would be startled if he saw snakes, insects, rats and ants on Kunlun Mountain. There would only be more in a place like Siji Cliff. When Elder Xiao Ran punished him by making him face the wall on Siji Cliff, Fu Jin must have been very scared.
My mind is in complete chaos after unfollowing you.
Over the past few years, he had always been with Fu Jin and Fatty. Song Jin was a bit withdrawn, but the four of them had argued and complained about each other in one room, but more often than not, they laughed and helped each other.
Suddenly, the fat man was gone, Fu Jin disappeared, leaving only him and Song Jin...
Unfollow. Eyes are moist.
Fu Jin loves reading.
But Fu Jin was also timid, so he was cautious.
He usually reads in the Wind Pavilion, but he deliberately teased Fu Jin, saying, "Come on, let's sneak off to the sixth floor to read."
Fu Jin was startled. "I came to Kunlun Sect to learn martial arts. I don't want to cause trouble or attract attention. Just let me stay in Kunlun Sect in peace and don't drag me into this mess."
He couldn't stop laughing at that moment.
He was just teasing Fu Jin for fun. Fu Jin, with her cautious nature, turned pale with fright when he mentioned secretly going up to the sixth floor.
So he doesn't believe it!
I don't believe Fu Jin would go to the sixth floor of Fengzhong Pavilion in a daze. Fu Jin is a smarter and more cautious person than anyone else.
He found it even more unbelievable that Fu Jin would go to the eighth or ninth floor of the Wind Pavilion to steal the sect's spiritual treasures.
Public opinion can melt metal, and accumulated slander can destroy bones.
Something must have happened to make Elder Xiao Ran mistakenly believe that Fu Jin did these things.
Someone is framing me...
The Kunlun Sect has many disciples, and Fu Jin is one of the most "dutiful" among them.
If possible, the person the other party wants to frame will definitely not be Fu Jin, but someone else.
Fu Jin must have stumbled upon something, or discovered something...
Lost in thought, Junior Uncle stopped and said, "We've arrived."
I only realized what was happening when I unfollowed him, and I was already at Siji Cliff.
Having lived in Kunlun for several years, this is only the second time I've visited Siji Cliff.
When he first arrived in Kunlun, he caused trouble everywhere, but the punishment he received was mostly to kneel in the Ancestral Master's Pavilion.
The last time I went to Siji Cliff was because of Song Jin.
Song Jin was aloof and had never been one of the gentle and kind disciples in the eyes of the elders.
Some people gossiped behind Song Jin's back, saying that he was cold and gloomy. Song Jin didn't say anything, but he held a grudge.
Later, when they went to the back mountain to practice martial arts with the elders, the other party accidentally fell in. Song Jin watched him drown but did not pull him up, and the other party almost got into trouble.
It was Senior Brother Jiuyun who jumped down to save them.
On that occasion, Elder Xiao Ran unusually punished Song Jin by sending her to Siji Cliff to reflect on her mistakes.
Because of his bad mood, Song Jin didn't show much remorse. However, Song Jin didn't push anyone away; he just didn't want to save them. The elders wouldn't expel him from the sect, so they could only let him stay at Siji Cliff for a month.
Song Jin was not well-liked, and no one would take care of him.
Senior Brother Jiuyun is a kind person. Once, when he was on duty delivering meals, he secretly brought him along.
Song Jin is stubborn as a mule; he's become emaciated after only a few days at Siji Cliff, and the food there is terrible.
I unfollowed him and brought him a ton of food: snacks, steamed buns, and chicken legs!
Song Jin looked at him without saying anything, but her eyes reddened.
He didn't say anything about Song Jin.
At this age, I understand everything I need to understand; what others say is useless.
Song Jin was just a loner, and no one spoke up for him. He was also a troublemaker, so it wouldn't make a difference if anyone spoke up for him.
In short, during that period, he was the only one who went back and forth to Siji Cliff to bring food to Song Jin, as well as the homework notes that Fu Jin had compiled, and the things that Fatty bought for him when he went down the mountain.
Song Jin's eyes were red.
On one occasion, he even secretly brought alcohol with him.
Song Jin likes to drink.
“Just this one pot, otherwise I would have gone in too, and there would be no one to bring you anything,” he emphasized.
Song Jin smiled.
While drinking, he said softly, "I know you just want to see him splashing around in the water a little longer."
Song Jin looked at him.
He sighed, "It's really annoying."
Song Jin laughed again.
He said to Song Jin, "Next time, be more flexible. If the elders ask, just say you were so scared that you couldn't move your legs, your face was deathly pale, and your throat felt like it was stuck together, so you couldn't make a sound."
"Be flexible, don't suffer losses." He patted Song Jin on the shoulder.
Song Jin just smiled.
“Here, Fu Jin gave this to you. He said you’re most afraid of missing your studies. Read it secretly, there’s a quiz the day after tomorrow.” He handed it to Song Jin, who took it and drank all the wine in the pot.
He was quite dizzy when he came down from Siji Cliff that day.
The next day, Song Jin stayed at Siji Cliff for a whole month.
The disciples led Song Jin down the Cliff of Repentance to the elder, who asked if she knew she had done wrong.
He took a deep breath. He had been told what to say last night. He just needed to lower his head a little and be more flexible, and this matter would be over.
But Song Jin did not.
Song Jin said, "I don't want to pull him up. I want him to thrash around in the water a little longer."
Fatty, Fu Jin and he were both at their wits' end.
And so, Song Jin was sent back to Siji Cliff to face the wall in meditation.
The Kunlun Sect has been established for one or two hundred years, and Song Jin is the number one stubborn mule since the beginning of time!
"Satisfied? Comfortable?" He looked at Song Jin again.
Song Jin remained silent.
"Brother! Would it kill you to be a little more flexible?" He was furious. "This place is full of rats, insects, snakes, and ants, and it's so dark and gloomy. Do you like being here?"
Song Jin replied, "I am who I am, and I will not change."
Unfollow: "..."
Unfollowing someone and suddenly feeling discouraged is understandable.
At the end of the year, everyone in the Kunlun Sect happily scrambled for uncooked dumplings, because if they didn't, they wouldn't get any to eat.
Only Song Jin didn't try to take it: "It's not tasty raw, I won't eat it."
There's no way to unfollow.
The Kunlun Sect was at a loss, because Song Jin hadn't saved anyone, but he hadn't argued with the elders or done anything else.
So, for the next month, he was running back and forth between the two places.
Because he was busy with schoolwork at that time, he could only go once every two or three days at most.
But every time he came, Fatty and Song Jin would ask him to bring a lot of things.
Senior Brother Jiuyun always turned a blind eye.
By the time Song Jin finally emerged from Siji Cliff, it was already the end of the year.
Kunlun Sect's number one stubborn mule hadn't done anything particularly wrong, but after being imprisoned on Siji Cliff for two months, he was finally released just before the Lunar New Year when they were eating dumplings.
Then, during the lively Lunar New Year season, a bunch of people were scrambling for dumplings, but the stubborn donkey wouldn't join in, saying that raw dumplings didn't taste good!
He, Fu Jin, and the fat man each gave one to the stubborn donkey, pried open its mouth, and stuffed it with food.
Those were his memories of Siji Cliff.
It was two or three years ago...
"We've arrived, this is the room." Junior Uncle stopped.
Unfollowing also puts my thoughts aside.
It's called a room, but it's actually a room built into the cliffside cave, with iron railings on the outside and a door on the inside.
Being alone inside, besides listening to the wind at the edge of the cliff and keeping company with the occasional snakes, insects, and rodents that come out for a stroll, one can be so bored that there is nothing to do all day.
Unfollow and follow Junior Uncle inside.
“The law enforcement disciples and several elders have all come to check, and they didn’t find anything special in the room. But the person disappeared at Siji Cliff. There are disciples on duty inside, and the outside is a cliff.”
The junior uncle lit the wall lamp with a tinderbox and then put down the lantern.
Actually, the light from the wall lamp is very dim, just enough to illuminate the area in front of the person in the room who is reflecting on their actions.
He unfollowed the lantern, picked it up, and followed his junior uncle to examine it carefully.
Although several elders and law enforcement disciples had already examined the area, he and his junior uncle were familiar with Fu Jin, and perhaps the two of them could find some clues.
The two went their separate ways.
The room was small, consisting of only walls and a cliff on one side, which is why disciples were allowed to bring books to Siji Cliff.
Fu Jin loved reading and had spent some time at Siji Cliff, where he had accumulated quite a few books.
Seeing the book reminded me of something.
Junior Uncle stood up: "Didn't find anything."
The person who unfollowed asked out of curiosity: "Are these books still there?"
Junior Uncle said gently, "Since the person is missing, try not to move anything here. The enforcement disciples have searched through all the books and found nothing, so put them back in their original places. Do not move the layout here."
Junior Uncle looked at him: "Before you came back, I privately asked the enforcement disciples. Fu Jin had been here all along. Fu Jin disappeared just when Elder Xiao Ran found evidence that Fu Jin had gone to the eighth or ninth floor of Fengzhong Pavilion. He sent the enforcement disciples to Siji Cliff to take Fu Jin for questioning. When the enforcement disciples opened the door, the person was gone."
I was slightly surprised to unfollow.
Junior Uncle sighed softly: "Therefore, Elder Xiao Ran and the other elders all believe that Fu Jin has accomplices, that someone tipped him off, and that he was rescued."
At this point, Junior Uncle looked at him and said, "Everyone in Kunlun knows that you and Fu Jin are best friends. Luckily, you and Jiu Yun were not in Kunlun Mountain when you were on your way back after sending Fatty back. Otherwise, even if you are innocent, you would not be able to escape responsibility."
Unfollow him and see.
Junior Uncle hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Ah Guan, forgive me for speaking frankly, but no one knows where Fu Jin is right now. However, you should not get too involved in this matter."
The person who unfollowed was surprised: "Why?"
Junior Uncle sighed softly: "Ah Guan, public opinion can melt metal and destroy bones. You are Senior Brother's closed-door disciple and only disciple. Kunlun Sect has been established for one or two hundred years, and there are countless people who covet the position of sect leader. Senior Brother was able to take over as sect leader because none of these factions wanted the other's disciple to succeed him. In the end, after weighing the options, Senior Brother, who likes to live a carefree life, was forced to take on this role."
Unfollowing him was something he had never told Chiyu (the fishmonger) before.
Junior Uncle continued, "That's why Senior Brother likes you; you're very much like him when he was young. The Kunlun Sect is old and decaying everywhere. Senior Brother took over as sect leader and always wanted to do something, but these elders are stuck in their ways. Everyone is afraid that Senior Brother's changes will affect the interests of their own faction. So you've seen it too: the bigger the Kunlun Sect is, the harder it is to do something."
Unfollowed and furrowed brows.
Junior Uncle looked at him and said, "You are Senior Brother's direct disciple. In the past, Senior Brother did not accept disciples. As long as Senior Brother did not reform, these factions would not conflict with Senior Brother. Senior Brother did not dare to tell you directly because he was afraid that if others found out, you would not even be able to enter Kunlun's selection. Elder Nie Hui still saw through it and arranged for Jiu Yun to take care of you because he was afraid that you would be kicked out by the other elders."
“When you came to the Kunlun Sect, these people couldn’t sit still. But when you first arrived in the sect, you were like a headless fly, running around everywhere, causing trouble here and there, and these elders just turned a blind eye.”
Junior Uncle chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head, saying, "But later, you became more and more powerful, even showing signs of catching up with Pang Jiuyun. These elders had long harbored resentment towards you, but they couldn't find fault with you. Now, with Fu Jin's matter before us, no matter what the truth behind this matter is, Fu Jin is no longer with the Kunlun Sect."
Junior Uncle earnestly said, "Ah Guan, the reason I brought you here today is to tell you that things have come to this point. If the enforcement disciples and Elder Xiao Ran can't find out, then you shouldn't investigate anymore. Don't get involved in this matter. The truth behind it is no longer important. Whether Fu Jin went to the eighth and ninth floors of the Wind Pavilion and stole things from the pavilion is not important. What's important is not to let anyone use this as leverage to hold you back and put pressure on your senior brother."
He was surprised to unfollow, but he had to admit that every word his junior uncle said shocked him.
I tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.
The fat man is dead, Fu Jin is missing, and he hasn't seen Song Jin yet. He always feels that something in the dark is connecting all of these things, but he can't figure it out.
He understood his junior uncle's instructions; his junior uncle didn't want him to cause trouble for his master.
He got up, leaned against the headboard, and sighed.
Fatty is gone, Master is injured, Fu Jin is missing. It seems that all of a sudden, amidst unspeakable undercurrents, Kunlun has undergone a dramatic change...
I unfollowed him with my eyes wide open, and I had a feeling that something was about to happen.
But that feeling of powerlessness is like ants gnawing away at you little by little. You grab one, and there are countless others. The more you try to get rid of them, the more they slowly coalesce into a face. He can't see the face clearly, but he is being bitten so hard that he can't breathe.
I was suddenly jolted awake by the unfollowing, only to realize it was all a dream.
Sweating profusely, I came to my senses and saw someone squatting by the bed.
He was shocked to unfollow her and was about to speak when he realized that the other party was Song Jin.
Song Jin, who always had an indifferent expression, looked at him the same way, then put her index finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.
"Song Jin? You..." He unfollowed her and got off the bed, asking quietly.
Song Jin: "Come with me."
Without a second thought, he unfollowed her, nodded, and followed Song Jin out of the room in the dark.
Song Jin quietly led him past the disciples patrolling and guarding the sect, and arrived at the back gate of Fengzhong Pavilion.
The Pavilion in the Wind?!
What else could Song Jin have brought him to Fengzhong Pavilion for?
It must be related to Fu Jin!
Unfollowing him was surprising, and his junior uncle's words came to mind—don't get involved in this matter; the truth behind it is no longer important. Whether Fu Jin actually went to the eighth and ninth floors of the Wind Pavilion and stole things from the pavilion is irrelevant. Don't let anyone use this as leverage to hold you back.
Song Jin asked in a low voice, "Do you believe Fu Jin?"
After unfollowing him and coming to her senses, she nodded firmly: "What do you think?"
"Okay." Song Jin said in a deep voice, "I'm the one who rescued Fu Jin."
Unfollowing was surprising.
Song Jin continued, "Siji Cliff has been built for one or two hundred years. The senior disciples of the sect who were familiar with Siji Cliff have long passed away. Have you forgotten? I was imprisoned at Siji Cliff for two months. Even if the disciples of the Kunlun Sect take turns guarding it, no one has ever stayed there for such a long time. No one in the entire Kunlun Sect is more familiar with Siji Cliff than me."
Surprised by the unfollowing, she reached out and put her hand on Song Jin's shoulder, her voice low with excitement: "So, Fu Jin didn't die, you rescued her?"
Song Jin nodded: "I am the person with the worst interpersonal relationships in the entire Kunlun Sect. When Fu Jin got into trouble, I didn't 'handle' it. No one would suspect me."
He unfollowed her and breathed a sigh of relief: "Where's Fu Jinren? What happened to her?"
Song Jin lowered her voice: "At that time, I went to my junior uncle to get medicine. He was treating a disciple under Elder Xiao Ran. I mentioned that something had been stolen from the eighth and ninth floors of Fengzhong Pavilion, and I suspected that Fu Jin was behind it. So I secretly went to Siji Cliff and told Fu Jin about it."
He frowned as he unfollowed her: "What did Fu Jin say?"
Song Jin: "You know, Fu Jin is the smartest one among us. He immediately realized that someone had framed him and used him to steal the treasures from Fengzhong Pavilion. It was premeditated, a trap waiting for him to fall into. If he is taken to the elders, he will definitely not be able to clear his name. Going there will only lead to his death, because only the dead cannot speak."
Take it with a grain of salt.
Although Fu Jin is timid, she is definitely decisive and intelligent. Fu Jin must have thought of something!
Song Jin: "Due to the emergency, I took Fu Jin and left from the cliff."
He gasped, "Such a high cliff."
Song Jin chuckled: "In the last one or two hundred years, I've been the only one who's gone down there. There's a huge cave down there, hidden in a crevice, and no one can see it from the outside. Those iron stakes look sturdy, but they actually have gaps. During the two months I was there, I climbed out and I know how to fasten them back up without leaving a trace. So, I left with Fu Jin."
Unfollow me and feel at ease.
Then, grasping Song Jin's arm, he couldn't help but tremble. In the entire Kunlun, the one who could seemingly save Fu Jin was actually Song Jin, whom no one expected!
If it weren't for Song Jin, then Fu Jin should already be...
Just then, someone came by, and Song Jin pulled him along. The two of them climbed through the window into the Wind Pavilion to escape. The Wind Pavilion was filled with bookshelves of all sizes, very secluded, and moreover, it was a restricted area, more hidden than other places.
"Come with me." Song Jin lowered her body and followed.
I went up to the sixth floor, then the seventh floor. Although I was terrified about unfollowing them, I still followed them up until we reached the eighth floor.
I've never unfollowed anyone before and never reached the eighth floor.
The sixth and seventh floors of the Fengzhong Pavilion are completely different from the eighth floor; there are not as many cabinets, and there are very few books.
I randomly picked up a book after unfollowing him; it was titled "The Art of Suspended Needle Puppetry".
The name is chilling.
Song Jin said, "These are all forbidden books from Kunlun, as you can see."
The person who unfollowed realized: "Did someone steal forbidden books from here?"
Song Jin nodded: "They stole the forbidden book and then framed Fu Jin because that person knew that everyone else could defend themselves, but Fu Jin couldn't."
"Why?" Unfollow and then follow back.
Song Jin said in a deep voice, "In all these years, you've never said that Fu Jin never bathes with us, and when she's sick, she doesn't let us help her..."
Song Jin counted them one by one, her eyes growing increasingly surprised.
Song Jin said in a low voice, "She is a girl."
Unfollowing has stalled.
Song Jin said, "I knew a long time ago, but I didn't say anything because this kind of thing has nothing to do with me, and I also felt that it had nothing to do with others. But there is a reason why Fu Jin is so cautious."
He unfollowed her and continued, "Why did you come here?"
Song Jin said softly, "It's not safe for Fu Jin to stay in Kunlun. On the way back with her down the mountain, I was thinking about something. Someone stole something in her name. If we knew, could we find the person who framed Fu Jin?"
I was slightly surprised to unfollow you; indeed.
Song Jin led him to a hidden compartment: "Elder Xiao Ran is very tight-lipped, even the sect leader doesn't know. I checked all the hidden compartments here, and there are things in all of them. These people were very careful when they stole from the hidden compartments and put the things back in them."
After unfollowing, I went forward to the hidden compartment.
Song Jin reached out to take it, and the unfollow notification appeared: "Song Jin".
Song Jin smiled and took it out anyway: "Look, what's different here?"
Unfollow and examine carefully: "Floating dust?"
Song Jin nodded: "Yes, surface dust. If there is surface dust, it was already there. If there is no surface dust, it was newly placed."
The person who unfollowed asked out of curiosity: "Why didn't the law enforcement disciples and elders notice?"
Song Jin looked at him and said, "Because these are all forbidden books, the disciples of the sect dare not examine them carefully. As long as the items are still there, they will not examine them in such detail as to Fu Hui."
I was about to ask how you could do that, but then I remembered that Song Jin never cared what others in the sect thought of her.
So when someone fell into the icy pool, he wouldn't save them. The elder told him to reflect on his actions, but he remained at the Cliff of Reflection, never truly reflecting. Even the first time he emerged from the Cliff of Reflection, when the elder asked him if he knew he was wrong, he continued to do as he pleased.
Compared to other disciples of the Kunlun Sect, only Song Jin was willing to risk getting herself into trouble and rescue Fu Jin at that time...
"What did you find?" After thinking it through, I decided to just ask directly after unfollowing.
Song Jin put the item back in the nearby hidden compartment, then led him to another inconspicuous hidden compartment, and pushed it open.
Hold your breath and watch as he expertly retrieves a bundle from a hidden compartment.
It's not a book, it's a burden.
With a furrowed brow, Song Jin took something out of her bundle and looked at the words on the top of the hidden compartment: "Kunlun Longevity Scripture".
The Kunlun Longevity Classic?
The books here have eerie titles, like the first one, "The Art of the Suspended Needle Puppet," and this one, "The Kunlun Longevity Classic."
Song Jin did indeed take out a scripture, the Kunlun Longevity Scripture, from the bundle, but there were other things in the bundle as well.
Amidst curious glances, Song Jin took out a "water pouch"?
The two exchanged a glance. Song Jin unscrewed the water pouch, and a pungent smell wafted out. She fanned her nose and asked, "What is this?"
Song Jin took a deep breath, picked up the copper basin beside her, and poured out the contents of the water bag.
Something was floating in the clear water, which had a rather pungent smell.
Unfollowed in surprise: "Human skin mask?!"
Song Jin nodded.
"This is..." Despite the pungent smell, nausea, and vomiting, he pulled the human skin mask out of the box.
The human skin mask is extremely well-made, but when laid flat in your hand, you can't tell whose face it is.
After exchanging a glance with Song Jin, Song Jin took a deep breath and said, "I'll do it."
My heart was pounding.
Song Jin carefully applied the thin mask, pressing it firmly against her skin, smoothing it out, then looked up, her entire body stiffening: "Xu Zhichong?"
Song Jin: "Xu Zhichong?"
Unfollow them, clench your fists, and look at Xu Zhichong's face, who entered Kunlun in a year!
Why Xu Zhichong?
Song Jin quickly removed the human skin mask from her face. The two looked at each other, then trembled with fear!
"How could Xu Zhichong's face be here?" Song Jin's face turned pale. He had only come in to check before, but he had never dared to put on the human skin mask himself.
Unfollowed frowned: "From the very beginning, the person we knew was Xu Zhichong wearing this human skin mask."
Song Jin bit her lip: "Who exactly is it..."
[Author's Note]
There will be red envelopes for all weekend updates, sent out together at 12 noon on Monday.
There will be more this afternoon, wait for me.
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