Chapter 540 - 301: Master? What a Joke! (Part 2)
Chapter 540: Chapter 301: Master? What a Joke! (Part 2)
But this time, it was different.
A figure stood quietly in the secret passage, watching Chu Qing and his group.
Behind that figure was a secret chamber.
Someone was boiling water, the faint aroma of seasonings wafting through the air; in front of the boiling pot sat a middle-aged man.
He tilted his head, gazing at the empty rack, and sighed softly:
"I wondered why Old Bai hadn’t come yet... turns out he ran into some trouble."
"Are you Wang Kuan?"
Chu Qing asked softly.
"Indeed, I am."
Wang Kuan nodded:
"Judging by your voice, you’re quite young; making it all the way here, it’s been quite the feat.
"What, do you intend to play the hero? Uphold justice for the people?
"Kid, let me tell you, heroes don’t live long, so why bother?"
Chu Qing did not respond to his question but instead asked:
"Is human flesh... really that tasty?"
"Why not try some and see?"
Wang Kuan cast a glance back at Chu Qing, his eyes glinting with a strange light:
"Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never forget it."
"Does Li Shengxing eat it too?"
"Mainly for the master; I, as a servant, occasionally sneak a taste."
Wang Kuan waved gently:
"Let me introduce you; the person standing before you was chosen by the master as a personal guard.
"Surname Xu, name Zhen, once killed the King of Fengyang with a single punch; even the seven great masters of Fengyang City couldn’t take his life after battling for three months... his martial arts prowess is perhaps only second to the master."
Chu Qing raised an eyebrow:
"A master?"
"I wouldn’t dare."
Xu Zhen slightly cupped his hands, but in his eyes, cold intent gleamed as he looked at Chu Qing.
Chu Qing nodded, extending a hand to grab him directly.
Xu Zhen’s pupils contracted, his arms vibrated, emitting faint sounds of wind and thunder, and then he steadied his stance and threw a punch.
The fist wind rose, wind and thunder moved!
But there was a snap, and the fist landed in Chu Qing’s palm, stirring not a single splash.
Xu Zhen’s expression changed drastically, only feeling a brute force coming from Chu Qing’s five fingers, accompanied by the sound of crackling; his prideful iron fist, in Chu Qing’s hand, was as fragile as tofu, instantly crushed into pieces.
"Ah!!!!"
Xu Zhen couldn’t help but scream in pain.
He wanted to struggle, but Chu Qing’s hands moved continuously, each strike landing on Xu Zhen’s body with a cracking sound.
With a casual tug, Xu Zhen was lifted into the air, and with a flick of the wrist, he spun repeatedly; Chu Qing’s hands moved continuously, meticulously shattering every bone in his body from top to bottom.
Finally, with another flick of the wrist, Xu Zhen was tossed to the front of Wang Kuan.
The pot was knocked over, the coals underneath burning the skin, emitting a pungent smell of meat.
Yet Xu Zhen, with all his bones crushed—leaving only his skull intact—couldn’t evade even if he wanted to, and his struggles were futile. He could only lay atop those coals, wailing incessantly.
Amidst Wang Kuan’s sudden change of expression, Chu Qing slowly spoke:
"It seems that in front of me, he indeed doesn’t dare to call himself a master; calling himself a joke might be more accurate."
Wang Kuan suddenly looked at Chu Qing:
"Who exactly are you?"
With a slight curl of his fingers, Wang Kuan felt utterly powerless, unable to resist as he was drawn directly into Chu Qing’s hand.
Their eyes met, and Chu Qing’s eyes were devoid of warmth:
"You will know soon enough."
As he spoke, Wang Kuan suddenly felt a force rushing into his meridians; he tried to resist, but sadly, his inner strength was but a firefly compared to Chu Qing’s bright moon, completely negligible.
Yet, Chu Qing didn’t completely disregard it.
Instead, he seemed somewhat intrigued:
"This force... seems off."
Wang Kuan’s force was toxic and adhesive, seeming to possess the ability to corrode inner strength.
However, with Chu Qing’s Divine Jade Nine Chapters: Yin and Yang Qi, this force was rendered insignificant.
But if it were someone else, even with far superior inner power compared to Wang Kuan, they might have been tricked.
"What martial arts are you practicing?"
Chu Qing coldly looked at Wang Kuan.
Subdued by Chu Qing’s inner power, Wang Kuan remained immobile, though he could still speak, yet he bit his lip tightly and said nothing.
It was Wu Qianhuan’s voice that came from the side:
"Are you practicing the Heart Transformation Demon Skill?"
Wang Kuan suddenly raised his head:
"You..."
Before he could say another word, his expression grew even more exaggerated:
"How is it in your hands!? Give it back to me!!"
Hearing this, Chu Qing also turned to look, only to see Gentle holding a small booklet, handing it to Wu Qianhuan.
Wu Qianhuan looked at the cover and saw the name...
Chu Qing blinked:
"This... did you pick it up?"
Gentle nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, found it in this secret passage."
Chu Qing thought he must have been blind... how was this thing in the secret passage, and yet he hadn’t seen it at all?
Or perhaps, this was some inherent special ability to find things?
Although, Gentle hadn’t picked up anything strange recently, and Chu Qing had nearly forgotten that this girl had such a heaven-defying talent.
Gentle then handed the Heart Transformation Demon Skill to Chu Qing.
Chu Qing didn’t rush to open it, first taking Wang Kuan out to kill.
In the entire Qiushi Manor, Chu Qing let no one escape.
At first, they pinned their hopes on the guards, on Wang Kuan, but later realized no matter how many guards came, it was futile.
As for Wang Kuan...
He had already fallen into Chu Qing’s hands.
Only then did they think of running.
But escaping couldn’t just be done directly; many began to pack their things, gold, and valuables... after leaving, they still needed to eat and couldn’t leave empty-handed.
Yet this delay proved fatal for them.
In the end, almost everyone in Qiushi Manor was killed by Chu Qing.
Only then did Yu Shiliu lead Chu Qing to find those imprisoned in cages.
The ages of these people averaged not too old; those reaching twenty were considered the oldest, while some were as young as seven or eight, with others eleven or twelve.
Yu Shiliu himself was merely sixteen this year.
Releasing them from the cages, they all looked cautiously at Chu Qing.
Both children and teenagers, not one dared to speak.
All with faces of caution and care.
Chu Qing looked at them, a silent sigh in his heart.
How to settle them afterward was also a problem.
But in the end, they couldn’t be ignored...
He instructed Yu Shiliu to take them out to wait.
Meanwhile, Chu Qing placed Wang Kuan on the ground, taking out the Heart Transformation Demon Skill to read.
At first glance, Chu Qing’s brow furrowed slightly.
The pattern of this Heart Transformation Demon Skill seemed somewhat familiar... upon closer inspection, it became clear that this demon skill and the Resentful Heart Demon Skill practiced by Tang Xi and Luoyu Hall of Celestial Dance City were likely of the same origin.
The Resentful Heart Demon Skill is rooted in ’resentment,’ fostering a breath of bitter hatred.
The Heart Transformation Demon Skill, however, is based on ’fear,’ requiring the practitioner to be utterly terrified; if it can frighten someone to death, so practicing with a carved heart would yield the best results.
However, the book in Wang Kuan’s hand was not the complete Heart Transformation Demon Skill.
It only recorded the introductory cultivation techniques of the first three levels.
Therefore, the first question Chu Qing asked Wang Kuan was:
"Where did you obtain this secret manual?"
Wang Kuan said nothing, only sneered:
"If you have the guts, just kill me..."
"Killing you was always the intent; there’s no escaping that.
"However, how much torture you endure before death, that is something you can decide."
As Chu Qing spoke, he flipped his palm, and at the center of his forehead, his philtrum, and on both temples, faint traces of Yin and Yang Qi emerged.
Then, slowly, his palm descended onto Wang Kuan’s head.
In an instant, a piercing scream erupted from Wang Kuan’s mouth.
The Profound Celestial Black Gold Palm!
This was indeed a method of torture; once unleashed, it felt like being pierced by thousands of needles, with pain rivaling even the dissection of a chest and lungs, leaving one’s meridians severed.
It was no less severe than Wen Fusheng’s Soul-Piercing Finger.