Chapter 137: Appearance and Bone Structure
Chapter 137 Appearance and Bone Structure
"The Wuyou Sect's disguise technique focuses on the skin, while its marrow-washing method focuses on the bone structure."
"Bone structure can make a person look younger, and disguise techniques can make a person look younger."
“This person has been searching for a way to reverse aging, and it seems he has found it…” Wang Sumo recalled his meeting with He Huai’an.
He Huai'an's composure, resourcefulness, and tactful approach to things make people feel like they're basking in a spring breeze...
This is something that He Huai'an, at his age, can hardly achieve.
Rejuvenation...
In a sense, marrow cleansing can even change the meridians and bones in the body, which means constantly returning the body to its youthful state.
Disguise can make a person look like they've truly turned back the clock...
He Huai'an found an identity that no one would suspect;
Then he created an identity for himself that he had no martial arts talent, so no one would pay much attention to him, nor would they use him as a target or an enemy.
He Huai'an's rejuvenation was premeditated.
Step by step, it's going according to plan...
The old man was still in shock and speechless.
Wang Sumo looked at him again and calmly said, "The Kunlun Ring comes from the bottom of Kunlun Mountain, gathering the essence of heaven and earth and the treasures of the sun and moon. Wearing it will keep evil spirits away and poisonous insects away... When did the Kunlun Ring go missing?"
Wang Sumo went through one thing after another.
The old man said in a deep voice, "Thirty years ago..."
He is already in his sixties.
Thirty-five years ago, he became a disciple of the Kunlun Sect. Thirty years ago, his master was going to pass on the position of sect leader to him, but he lost the Kunlun thumb ring.
How could he forget?
People are like this: once they get caught up in unpleasant memories of the past, they either interrupt themselves or unconsciously start thinking about more...
Wang Sumo took a deep breath and said softly, "Grandpa, if you could, could you tell me about the Kunlun Sect incident?"
She had never actually asked the old man about it.
Knowing full well it's someone else's sore spot, she still deliberately touches it, even with her closest relatives, reopening old wounds; but this time is different, she truly has a vague feeling that He Huai'an's shadow must have been present in the Kunlun Sect decades ago...
In the past, He Huai'an has appeared in many different identities.
Dong Fan, the eldest son of Qingyun Manor and a member of the Sujin lineage, is a disciple of the Wuyou Sect...
There's also Bai Cen's senior brother.
Although his identity changes frequently, he can only appear in one place at a time.
In chronological order, He Huai'an of Qingyun Manor is now, Dong Fan was ten years ago, Bai Cen's senior brother was more than ten years ago, the disciples of Wuyou Sect were more than twenty years ago, and there may also be the Kunlun Sect from more than thirty years ago...
These events seem unrelated, but when they come together, they eventually lead to the success of He Huai'an.
Therefore, every step He Huai'an took was meticulously planned.
He doesn't appear anywhere for no reason; wherever he appears, it must be because there's something he wants there.
For example, when tracing the lineage of Jin to the bottom of the tomb, or for example, that Kunlun thumb ring...
Because the Kunlun thumb ring is said to "keep evil spirits at bay and keep poisonous insects away," it is an essential enhancement if one wants to find what they want in a large tomb.
However, the Kunlun Sect was at its peak at that time, so it was impossible for them to openly try to seize the Kunlun Ring.
So the only option is infiltration...
And coincidentally, after doing all these things, a scapegoat is needed.
The old man just happened to become his scapegoat.
He Huai'an was able to withdraw unscathed from the Kunlun Sect.
The Kunlun Sect also declined due to internal strife...
He Huai'an should have been at the Kunlun Sect. There's another clue—when he was in the western part of the Bewitching Town, there were Kunlun Palm fingerprints on the wall where the man-eating fish lived.
The old man said it belonged to his fellow apprentice.
However, those trapped in the Enchanted Town were almost all unaffiliated wanderers from the martial arts world.
The Kunlun Sect is a prestigious sect, and its Kunlun Palm technique is renowned throughout the martial arts world. Its disciples would not risk their lives for the martial arts secrets that might be found in the Bewitching Town.
The Kunlun Sect is far beyond the Thousand Mountains, unlike the Rakshasa Alliance, and would not send its disciples to investigate the secrets of the Bewitching Town.
Therefore, there is only one possibility that the Kunlun Palm or the Kunlun Blood Palm appeared in the Bewildering Town.
Either the other party discovered clues and tracked them down, or they were deliberately trapped here by He Huai'an to be eliminated completely...
Either way, it increases the possibility that He Huai'an had once appeared in the Kunlun Sect.
The line in Wang Sumo's mind became clearer and clearer.
What remains are questions about what exactly happened to the Kunlun Sect decades ago, why the old man left the Kunlun Sect, and the possible role He Huai'an played in it.
If all of this is clear, perhaps we can truly piece together He Huai'an's traces in the martial arts world over the years, as well as his true identity...
Wang Sumo rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the leaping fire in front of her.
He Huai'an has been meticulous and prepared for any eventuality throughout his journey.
Before everything is settled and there is clear evidence, we cannot do anything, otherwise we will put Bazhenlou and everyone involved in this matter in danger.
Wang Sumo continued adding firewood to the fire, his mind as restless as the flickering flames before him.
Suddenly, Wang Sumo seemed to remember something, and her heart skipped a beat, filled with unease.
He Ping and He Qingque are still in the Enchanted Town.
If the Enchanted Town really is He Huai'an...
Wang Sumo had a bad feeling. She also remembered her dream last time. She suddenly dreamed that a red-faced monster from the town of Bewitching Souls suddenly rushed out from somewhere. It wasn't coming for her, but it suddenly grabbed He Qingque by the neck. She was startled and dragged He Qingque away.
This thought made her increasingly panicked.
But taking a deep breath and thinking carefully, even if it really was He Huai'an, given his cautious and meticulous nature, he probably wouldn't easily take action against the people around him.
He Qingque was young, and He Ping took care of her. He Ping was also the personal disciple of Master Huo.
He Huai'an would have some concerns.
But the town of Bewitching Souls holds countless secrets for He Huai'an.
He Qingque is reckless, and He Ping is too clever. If they discover any clues, what will happen...?
Wang Sumo felt increasingly uneasy, wondering how He Ping and He Qingque were doing.
A thought suddenly arose in Wang Sumo's mind: should he find a reason to get He Ping to bring He Qingque to Bazhenlou?
It must be a reasonable reason that won't arouse He Huai'an's suspicion.
But He Huai'an is such a cautious person; having planned for so many years, he wouldn't overlook any potential danger...
Do not act rashly before careful consideration.
Wang Sumo added another piece of firewood to the fire.
"Girl, come with me." The old man stood up, and Wang Sumo understood and followed him up to the second floor of Bazhenlou.
Most of the people around were asleep, because they were used to trusting their companions on night duty, so everyone in Bazhenlou slept very well.
Huo Ling doesn't sleep well; she coughs at night.
Qingwu was taking care of him while half-asleep; so was Uncle Ding.
He Zhen didn't sleep; she was also on night duty.
Most of the eaves lamps in the Bazhenlou Pavilion were turned off, leaving only a little light.
There was no one on the second floor, so the old man took her there. Wang Sumo knew that the old man was probably going to tell her about the Kunlun Sect from decades ago.
Surrounded by mountains on two sides, the second floor of Bazhenlou offers a very distant view.
The sky was still dark, and the dim light from the second floor fell on the old man's profile, revealing a tired face.
"Back then, when I separated from the old man and Ruan Niang, I was seriously injured. I originally thought I was going to die in the capital. At that time, I also felt some regret that my ten-year promise with Lao He had not been fulfilled, and that I had not yet gone to a prestigious sect..."
I felt resentful, but my eyelids kept getting heavier.
No matter how unwilling I was, I could only slowly close my eyes. Before I fell to the ground, I saw a figure blocking my way...
When I woke up again, I was lying in an oxcart.
The world is spinning, and I feel dizzy and lightheaded.
So I'm not dead yet, though I'm probably close to it. But a voice beside me said calmly, "You're in good shape! Just tough it out. You're dizzy because you were on the oxcart. Oxcarts are cheap and slow, and with the sun so strong, we're both getting heatstroke, so it's normal to feel dizzy. It's okay, keep sleeping, it'll be cooler under the shade of a tree soon..."
I kept my eyes closed, still half asleep, because I didn't have the energy to recall what had happened.
My mind is completely foggy, filled only with thoughts of "oxcart," "heatstroke," and "keep sleeping"...
When I woke up again, it was night.
This time it wasn't an oxcart, but a dilapidated woodshed.
Although it was a woodshed, the door was open for ventilation. And I finally saw that face; in the moonlight, sitting at the doorway, it vaguely resembled a towering mountain.
He munched on a chicken leg and said casually, "You still have some silver on you. I used your silver to buy a chicken leg. You can't eat it now, so wait until you're better. I'll eat it for you first."
I was both angry and amused.
"If you can laugh, you're almost better. You're not that delicate. This chicken leg really doesn't taste good..." I saw him throw away the chicken leg, and then the dog at the door suddenly snatched it away.
He suddenly felt reluctant to leave: "You stay here by yourself for now, don't go out, I'll go chase the dog."
I was both annoyed and amused. I'm completely immobile, and he told me not to go out while he went to chase the dog away...
At least give me a drink of water before I leave.
This guy.
My whole body and head ached, and I couldn't make a sound. I could only use all my strength to prop myself up and search for water everywhere, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Things that I could do effortlessly under normal circumstances became like a disease to me at that time.
Not far away, I crawled for almost half an hour, supporting myself on my hands.
After finally finishing the drink in one gulp, I saw the man sitting on a stool outside the woodshed, enjoying the breeze. He was watching me climb for so long with great interest while leisurely munching on the chicken leg he had snatched from the dog's mouth...
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo thought of Bai Cen, who had tried to steal the cake from Dahuang back then.
But at least Bai Cen didn't take a bite.
The person went down...
"And then?" Wang Sumo leaned on the railing. The night breeze was cool, and she could see that the old man's tired eyes actually held longing and anticipation.
Wang Sumo understood; the person they were talking about was very important to the old man.
The old man wanted to tell her about the Kunlun Sect, so this person was... Wang Sumo was slightly surprised—this person was the former head of the Kunlun Sect, the old man's master.
The old master's favorite disciple was the old man.
The elder originally intended to pass the leadership of the Kunlun Sect to the old man...
So, this part is the story of how the old man met the senior.
Wang Sumo suddenly realized that this must be the memory that the old man cherished the most, and also the memory he was most afraid to recall.
Lost in thought, I suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance.
Old Master Qu and He Zhen became alert. Zhao Tong and Bai Cen, who had been asleep, as well as Old Master Weng and Jiang Yutang, all opened their eyes.
The sound of hooves was rapid, and there was no sign of them stopping!
They came directly to Bazhenlou!
Zhao Tong, who was already in the tree, said to the old man, "I'll go take a look."
Bai Cen also quickly went up to the second floor of Bazhenlou. Wang Sumo could vaguely see the figure of a woman on horseback.
“It’s a girl…” Bai Cen saw it clearly, and as they got closer, he recognized her. “She looks kind of familiar.”
The old man suddenly frowned, then his brows relaxed slightly: "It's Zhen girl."
Ah Zhen?
Wang Sumo was slightly taken aback.
Zhenniang?
Bai Cen was also stunned.
Then the two looked at each other in surprise.
— I always feel like the story of Bewitching Town isn't over yet. Something seems off. It started off so excitingly, and then it just abruptly ended... I'm a little worried about He Qingque and He Ping, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
—However, I'm so smart, I already told He Ping the secret code for the money exchange… I told He Ping where Ah Zhen is. If something really happens, he'll go find Ah Zhen, and Ah Zhen will come to me. He Ping is such a smart person, he'll definitely understand.
The two looked at Ah Zhen leaping down from her horse into the night, and their hearts sank.
[Author's Note]
See you this afternoon! [Sprinkling flowers]
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