Chapter 88: Bizarre Demon Technique

Strange — they're all my own disciples; where's that bunch of old immortals?

So what was that murderous aura just now?

Li Guishe rubbed his eyes hard, then glared around again; the gloom in his heart lifted, and the fierce look faded from his face.

"Master, we have enemies — you never mentioned them?" Hong Ya tilted her head and asked suspiciously.

Zhao Zhixin's face was grim as he said, "Master, since we have enemies, why not take the disciples with us to kill them at their door?"

Wang Yu nodded, speaking a complete sentence for once — clearly he was deeply puzzled: "Master, you've always taught us to cut the grass and pull out the roots, to strike first — how can we let our enemies live?"

Hong Ya patted her small chest, showing a bit of fear on her face.

She swallowed and muttered, "Right, Master, if we don't kill all our enemies, I can't sleep at night, Eldest Senior Brother can't enjoy his meals, Second Senior Sister has to clutch a knife while bathing, Third Senior Brother has to keep poison needles in his mouth when he speaks, Fourth Senior Brother gets distracted while striking the Iron Man Stake..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Li Guishe hurriedly cut off Hong Ya's chatter — his head hurt from listening.

Liu Xie stepped forward, his expression rather grave as he said, "Are the enemies too strong for the disciples to help Master?"

Li Guishe looked at Liu Xie, the most steady of his disciples, and quickly shook his head: "Master simply had too many enemies in his youth, and we don't have enough people."

Liu Xie frowned: "No matter how many enemies, as long as we keep killing day after day, there will come a day when they're all wiped out."

Liu Xie didn't wait for Li Guishe to speak, then pointed at Feng Mu, who was eavesdropping on the ground: "If Master thinks we're too few, just take in two more disciples — I think this Feng Mu, with a little training, will soon be able to kill with us."

Feng Mu's face twitched, and inside he trembled nonstop.

Even though he had already thought 【Douqiong Martial Hall】 was no ordinary place, to openly speak of nothing but killing in front of uninitiated disciples still broke through the bottom line of Feng Mu's imagination.

As the storybooks say, 【Douqiong Martial Hall】 from head to toe had not a shadow of an orthodox sect — it was a proper demonic cult.

The master was an old demonic fiend, and the seven disciples he taught were each more crooked than the last — all demonic spawn of the same vein.

It just... felt extremely compatible with me!

Li Guishe looked at his fine disciples, half gratified and half troubled.

He straightened his expression and coughed: "No way — those old things are crafty and cowed by Master's fame, hiding here and there for decades; I've never found their traces."

Liu Xie indicated understanding, then said: "Then Master, tell us the enemies' information afterward, and we disciples will go find them together — we'll surely dig them out."

Hong Ya and the other disciples all nodded in deep agreement, even Yuan Xidi on the ground was knocking the floor with his chin.

Feng Mu said nothing; with his wisdom, he naturally heard the subject in Li Guishe's words — probably it had to be reversed to get the truth.

He didn't care to expose it, quietly burying his head in the ground.

Li Guishe laughed heartily, said okay loudly, then changed the subject: "You just said this brat injured Old Four?"

Liu Xie answered: "Eldest Senior Brother sent Old Four up to test his mettle; you know Old Four's temper — a bit crazy — and this brat looks simple, but actually isn't easy to deal with."

Liu Xie, in a few words, recounted to Li Guishe everything that had happened on the Platform just now.

Hong Ya stood to the side, occasionally adding embellishments.

Li Guishe pondered for a moment, then asked: "So, that murderous aura just now came from this brat alone?"

"Yes!" several disciples answered at once.

Li Guishe first frowned, muttered "so evil," then his eyes lit up, his eyeballs rolled around, and he hehehed aloud.

"Ruthless and decisive, bold and strong — good material."

Li Guishe moved like an ape, landing soundlessly and crouching beside Feng Mu; his withered hand, like a dead branch, grabbed Feng Mu's nape.

Just a light grab and lift, and Feng Mu couldn't move — his bones seemed out of control, held sideways in midair, trembling weirdly from skin to flesh to bone, like sifting chaff.

As if an invisible force, or a fishing line, ran from the back of his neck along his spine, through his whole body inside and out, manipulating every bone and muscle.

"Skin loose, flesh scattered — inferior."

"Tendons short and stiff — inferior."

"Blood deficient, spirit full — medium."

"Bone shape uneven — inferior."

"Bone tough — inferior!"

"Bone dense — superior!"

"Bone strength — superior!"

Feng Mu stared horrified at the skinny old man; the old man's mouth full of yellow teeth pointed at his bone quality like reading a menu, while the latter's expression changed like a monkey — frowning one moment, baring teeth the next, yin and yang shifting endlessly.

"Strange and odd — I, your old man, use the Bone-Reading Art to feel your bones, yet can't judge the quality of this bone?"

"If judged by the Bone-Reading Art, you should have inferior bone quality, but strangely... heh heh heh."

"If the bone is inferior beyond measure, blood deficient and flesh slack, why is the bone strong and power heavy? And if the bone is strong and power heavy, how can it be inferior and blood deficient? Isn't that contradictory?"

"Like a clay embryo — initially pinched messily by a naughty child, a complete mess, but when finally set, a grand master mixed in some refined gold, forcibly raising its quality?"

"Or like a piece of iron rust — crude and worthless, no one asks about it, yet a blacksmith picks it up, hammers and forges it a thousand times; though its appearance remains crude, inside it has become a piece of pig iron that can be used?"

Li Guishe didn't avoid Feng Mu, muttering to himself like this — as if speaking to himself, or as if asking Feng Mu.

Besides profound martial arts, Li Guishe also studied numerology, knowing that the principles of this world are most unfair — often the strong grow stronger, the weak weaker, the rich richer, the poor poorer.

Just as with one's fate, the numbers of heaven: the superior are superior in all, with no weakness; the inferior are inferior in all, with no strength; or all are mediocre and ordinary.

Someone like Feng Mu, mixing great superiority and great inferiority in one body — not to say nonexistent, but one in ten thousand; either born with an anomaly, or changed against heaven later in life.

A faint green light gleamed in Li Guishe's eyes; he stared at Feng Mu without blinking, making the latter's spine chill, as if his whole body had been stripped naked and examined.

The disciples looked at one another, all showing thoughtful expressions; Feng Mu's back turned cold, his head went numb, feeling that this old man before him didn't want to take a disciple — he wanted to dissect him.

Feng Mu guessed right — Li Guishe had indeed entertained a dangerous thought.

Li Guishe fixed Feng Mu's eyes; his turbid old eyes gleamed with green light, his gaze was venomous and wouldn't be fooled by Feng Mu's simple face — he saw through the gloom hidden in Feng Mu's eyes.

This brat wasn't as honest as he looked; his mind was actually very deep.

But then Li Guishe thought again — the disciples his vein taught were never gentlemen; if he really took in an honest, simple one, that would be the real headache.

One simpleton like Li Bashan under his door was enough; add another, and he'd want to curse even in his sleep.

Moreover, this person brought the 【Bizarre Demon Technique】; perhaps in the unseen it was the Ancestral Masters showing their spirit — if I were to cut him open, that would be hard to justify, wouldn't it?

The evil thought faded, and Feng Mu immediately felt the bone-chilling gloom on his back lessen.

Then he heard Li Guishe say faintly: "Forget it, you brat have secrets, this old man won't ask more. Our school is neither an orthodox sect nor one that pries into everything."

"Since we are a heretical sect, our actions need no restraint. This old man sees you are not a kind sort either, so I'll only ask you one thing..."

Li Guishe paused here, his tone slightly stopping. He let go of his hand, composed his expression, put on a kind and benevolent look, stood with his hands behind his back, and spoke slowly in the tone of a peerless master of the age:

"This old man sees you and I have fate. Are you willing to enter my school and take me as your master?"

Li Guishe thought in his heart at the same time: "Brat, if you are willing, then you are the disciple sent by the Ancestral Masters. If you are not willing, then I will dissect you, and the Ancestral Masters cannot blame me."

Feng Mu fell to the ground, his stiff body regaining control. He looked at the kind eyes Li Guishe struggled to maintain, and his heart shivered again and again.

He hurriedly climbed up and said loudly: "To receive Master's discerning eye, this disciple is blessed for three lifetimes."

Li Guishe felt both disappointed and happy inside. He bared his teeth, the kindness on his face instantly destroyed completely, and he said coldly with teeth clacking: "Kowtow!"

Feng Mu never thought there was gold under his knees. He knelt quickly, and his forehead knocked against the ground.

He thought in his heart: Forget kowtowing a few times, even kowtowing eighty-one times; forget calling him Master, even changing to call him Father—what could it matter?

If resentment arises later and we turn against each other, who would strike softer than whom!

Boom boom boom—

Three kneelings and nine kowtows!

"Enough." Li Guishe called a stop and sighed: "Since you have kowtowed and paid respects, from today on, you are the last closed-door disciple I accept. As long as I live one day, I will protect you for one day."

Whether Li Guishe was sincere or not, Feng Mu took it as nonsense, but on his face he said gratefully: "This disciple, as long as I live one day, will serve Master like my own father."

Li Guishe waved his hand. He was not the type to move people with words, so he continued: "Remember this. Although my school hangs the 【Dou Qiong】 signboard, it is actually called the 【Rong Gui Sect】, and the Ancestor's name is Li Jiangxian."

"As for why it is called this name, you will understand it yourself in the future."

"Alright. You were injured sparring with Old Fourth just now. Today, Master won't say more. Once your injuries improve, Master will teach you martial arts according to your aptitude."

After speaking, Li Guishe didn't waste words. He glanced at the disciples and left slowly with his hands behind his back.

After Li Guishe left, the seven fellow disciples gathered around. Even Yuan Xidi had climbed up and reported their names one by one in order.

Feng Mu forced himself to stand and returned their greetings one by one.

They did not seem like the type to show concern. Their natures were mostly cold. After reporting their names, they each dispersed.

Only Second Senior Sister Liu Xie and Seventh Senior Sister Hong Ya remained.

Master Li Guishe was unconstrained, and Eldest Senior Brother Li Bashan was a simpleton. So usually Second Senior Sister Liu Xie handled affairs.

At this moment, Liu Xie stayed behind to give a few pointers to the newly joined Junior Brother.

Liu Xie: "The 【Rong Gui Sect】 has only nine of us, not too many rules. Master doesn't value these. You will understand everyone's temperaments after getting along for a period of time."

"You should have seen it. The 【Rong Gui Sect】 does not walk the righteous path. We act without taboo and use any means. Hope you are mentally prepared."

"So there are no sect rules. Only two things you must keep in your heart."

"One: do not betray Master and Ancestors. Two: do not kill fellow disciples!"

"You had not yet entered the school just now. You sparred with Old Fourth and had killing intent. I won't say anything. Pay attention to the limits yourself in the future."

"As for the rest, you will understand slowly. In short, one meaning: since you have entered the 【Rong Gui Sect】, from now on we all eat from the same pot. Everyone's lives are tied to the same ladle. No one should despise anyone."

Liu Xie didn't say much. After speaking, she had Hong Ya support Feng Mu to rest in the Inner Courtyard.

Hong Ya supported Feng Mu as they walked toward the Inner Courtyard. Probably because she was finally not the youngest in the sect, she was in high spirits and chattered nonstop.

"Second Senior Sister just speaks coldly, but she is actually the most steady. When we go out to kill people, Second Senior Sister usually plans. Over these years, not a single survivor has escaped. Hehe."

"Don't worry. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are all very capable. Capable enemies will be snatched by them to deal with. You and I are the youngest. Most likely we just have to carry corpses and dig pits. Sigh~"

"Don't look. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are usually cold, but after getting along, you'll know they are warm-hearted. What's the phrase to describe them?"

Feng Mu looked at Hong Ya speaking terrifying topics with an innocent face. His mouth corner twitched: "Cold outside, warm inside?"

Hong Ya smiled with joy: "Yes, that's the meaning."

Feng Mu cursed in his heart: "Cold as ice usually, warm-hearted when killing people, right."

Hong Ya brought Feng Mu into the Inner Courtyard, chose an empty one-story house, let him lie on the bed, and sprinkled medicine on his chest and wrapped it with gauze.

She said: "What Second Senior Sister just said, actually in my understanding, it all comes down to one meaning."

Feng Mu looked at her, waiting for this somewhat talkative Junior Sister to explain.

Hong Ya said proudly: "When you kill people, don't forget to bring Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters. When Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters kill people, they naturally won't forget you either."

"The benefits of killing are shared by everyone. The disasters of killing are borne by everyone!"

"Like this, if one day someone causes a great disaster and their clan is exterminated, and everyone is implicated and dies together, no one will blame anyone."

"Going down there all neat and tidy, only then can we continue to gather and play. As Third Senior Brother says, our 【Rong Gui Sect】 is called not disbanding even after death. Hehehe."

Feng Mu truly felt his scalp go numb. The key was that he actually felt what Hong Ya said made some sense.

Hong Ya had a face full of longing, seeming very much looking forward to that day's arrival.

"Junior Brother, go to sleep. I will call you to eat tomorrow morning." Hong Ya realized she was being a bit talkative. Embarrassed, she scratched her head and was about to leave.

Feng Mu lay on the buckwheat pillow, turning his head to see Hong Ya off.

The latter's footsteps suddenly stopped. She turned and looked at him with innocent big eyes, asking: "By the way, Junior Brother, do you have enemies outside?"

"If you have enemies, you definitely can't sleep, right. Like this, you tell me. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters will go deal with them overnight for you. I guarantee you sleep well. Like this, when you wake up tomorrow morning, the first thing you see will be the enemy's head beside the pillow. How about it?"

Feng Mu imagined the scene of waking up tomorrow morning. His heart was moved. Somewhat shyly he said: "Speaking of which, I seem to really have an enemy outside..."

Chapter End