Chapter 437

Second Master Liu lay on the ground, surrounded by the Big Family, obviously having been kicked and beaten.

Given what just happened to everyone, his miserable life is absolutely unsalvageable.

But everyone tacitly stopped, because Second Master Liu's condition looked off.

His true form is a black snake; although he has cultivated a human shape, in this situation of strong backlash and being surrounded, he would usually be unable to sustain it and would revert to his original form.

But he didn't.

He still maintained his human form; on the skin exposed outside, black fine scales had already appeared, gradually spreading point by point to every corner of his body.

Between the fine scales, dark red blood kept seeping out, and the blood gave off a strong incense scent.

As this incense smell continually seeped out of his body and was blown away by the wind, the color of the copper coins inside his body also gradually turned black.

"The mana of incense blessing on him is gradually disappearing." Hu Sanmei said, "His life is ebbing away, but I can't understand why he hasn't revealed his true form."

Hui Moqiong also stroked his chin and said, "Yeah, where is his true form?"

Bái Sōnglán said, "Based on my understanding of evil monks, even if he died, the copper coins on him would just be stained with blood, not change color like this."

Yes.

Back then, the copper coin person statue on the god altar changed color because the genuine Dībā pò had already been contracted by Liu Junyan and drawn out of the statue.

The copper coins on the statue gradually faded, finally turning white like paper copper coins.

And the Dībā pò is still formed by the superposition and condensation of golden copper coins, never having changed.

"He's fake!" I realized something, instantly certain, "He hasn't fused with the copper coin person! I know what's going on!"

Everyone looked at me.

I brought up some past events: "Initially, we were entrusted by Jin Wuya to go together to Jiyu Si to resolve matters; after investigating to the end, we discovered that the incumbent of Jiyu Si was actually enshrining Second Master Liu's spirit tablet, and we retrieved the first Golden Scale of Liu Junyan from him."

Li Qingying quickly nodded: "Right, back then we were few and weak, and it took a lot of effort."

Hui Moqiong asked, puzzled: "What does this have to do with the copper coin person?"

"After Dahui Chan Master cultivated the Dībā pò, he gradually couldn't control his desires, so he suppressed him with an ancient copper coin offered before the Buddha for a hundred years; but he didn't expect him to break through that suppression and become the Copper Coin Person—this is the origin of the Copper Coin Person."

"Could there be a possibility that Second Master Liu being enshrined by Jiyu Si was the same method? Moreover, he likely wasn't receiving offerings from just a single temple."

"Using incense offerings and copper coins to forge a body, they wanted to create another Copper Coin Person this way."

"If successful, they would then mass-produce them."

"One could say that Wangting Mountain is a production base."

"There, there are not only stitching monsters, but also fake Copper Coin Persons like Second Master Liu."

"However, it seems they haven't succeeded with either of these."

"Second Master Liu has been made into something neither human nor monster, which is hardly surprising."

"But if Second Master Liu could become like this now, and it's not from fusing with the Copper Coin Person, then where is the genuine Copper Coin Person?"

"I took a few steps to stand before Second Master Liu, grabbed his collar to make him meet my eyes, and demanded: 'Who is your master? Speak!'"

"Second Master Liu remained silent, his narrow eyes just staring at me, his gaze full of mockery."

"I recalled his former fear of his father, and my only encounter of staring down Liu Zhengfeng, and my scalp went numb."

"That guy looks in poor health; he starts panting heavily after just a few words, coughing all day long."

"Logically, Second Master Liu shouldn't be afraid of him."

"But he's terrified to death!"

"My mind raced a thousand times, and I continued questioning: 'Is it Liu Zhengfeng? Or Tuolan?'"

"'Xiao Jiu, you're as annoying as Liu Junyan!' Second Master Liu finally spoke, 'Why do you always stick your nose in whatever I do? And that damned little blind guy, his eyes gouged out, relying on a Thousand Soul Banner, he's actually been jumping around under our noses for so many years—truly each one more hateful than the last!'"

"The little blind guy..."

"He wouldn't mention my senior sister for no reason; my heart skipped a beat."

"I almost instinctively roared: 'What did you do to my senior sister!'"

"The last time I spoke with Tang Tang on the phone, Tang Tang didn't say that a new round of stitching had begun, and that my aunt was afraid they'd set their sights on Yu Nian, so she hid her, right?"

"Could it be that my aunt and Yu Nian met with disaster together?"

"Second Master Liu gave a sinister laugh: 'I have to say, you have a great aunt—whatever we want, she personally delivers it to our hands; also, thank you well, Xiao Jiu. We've struggled for years without success, but you managed it in one go on that little blind guy's body; with her, we're practically given wings like a tiger.'"

"Bang!"

"Hui Moqiong kicked him with one foot, directly sending Second Master Liu flying over two meters away."

"Second Master Liu fell hard to the ground, coughing up blood in big gulps, yet he still lay there smiling triumphantly."

"My head swelled in circles with his laughter, and I felt somewhat dazed."

"What does it mean that I have a good aunt?"

"His meaning is, my aunt betrayed Yu Nian?"

"No, obviously not that."

"My aunt has done so much for me; how could she possibly collude with the other side?"

"She has no such motive."

"Then there's another possibility: my aunt has been kept in the dark all along, indirectly harming Yu Nian."

"The person whom my aunt trusts completely, whom she could turn to for help at a critical moment… the Seven Halls Yama?!"

"I shook my head hard."

"I've seen the Seven Halls Yama before; such a cold existence probably wouldn't deign to collude with someone like Second Master Liu, right?"

"But people are like that; once the seed of doubt is planted, the mind will sprout all sorts of fantasies."

"For instance, right now I can't help but wonder why the Seven Halls Yama is imprisoned on Hu Shan, unable to leave at will."

"Thinking back to when we were on Cangwu Mountain, Feng Xianqiu said to my aunt, 'Today I'll give you a good lesson on behalf of the King of Tai Shan'… could it really be the Seven Halls Yama?"

"From the Ghost King Butterfly onward, to my aunt fusing with the other half of her soul, every appearance of the Seven Halls Yama has been straight for my aunt."

Even if Liu Junyan goes to ask him for help, it still depends on whether he is willing to see her.

Such a person, is he just keeping to himself, or is his stance fundamentally different from ours? Therefore his goal is clear, as long as my aunt?

Let's be bolder in speculation: if from the beginning, my aunt discovered the stitching monster, it might also have been the Seven Halls Yama who let her discover it, right?

Under such circumstances, to protect Yu Nian, my aunt very likely hid Yu Nian in Hu Shan.

Yu Nian fell into the hands of the Seven Halls Yama, who then handed her over to Wangting Mountain… thus forming a perfect closed loop.

One stitching monster experiment after another failed, but with Bái Sōnglán's help we successfully implanted the Buddha Eye into Yu Nian's eye, giving them hope.

The next round of stitching subjects is Yu Nian…