Chapter 48: The Art of Skin Painting
A flicker of surprise flashed in Head Constable Wang’s eyes. He frowned and said, “You just said there was something unusual about this room?”
Guo Caiyun smiled faintly and turned to Li Yanchu. “Daoist Master, what do you think?”
Li Yanchu shook his head. “Surely it’s not the absence of the scent of cosmetics, is it?”
As soon as he said that, the entire room fell silent.
Some of the officers looked puzzled, not understanding why Li Yanchu would say such a thing.
However, Head Constable Wang seemed to have caught on. “Daoist Master Yanchu, are you saying that since this room belonged to Gongsun Hong, and he spent all day with that woman named Su Su, there ought to be the scent of rouge and powder in the air?”
Li Yanchu smiled. “Exactly.”
He turned to look at Guo Caiyun. “Is that what you meant?”
Guo Caiyun gave a charming smile and shot him a look of approval, completely ignoring her husband Qiao Wu, who stood behind her.
Qiao Wu seemed unusually detached. Ever since the pair had arrived, he hadn't said a word, as if he were completely oblivious to everything happening around him.
“What exactly is wrong with this room?! And where on earth has Gongsun Chong, the leader of the Five Lakes Gang, gone?!” Head Constable Wang shouted angrily.
Guo Caiyun spoke softly, “There’s no scent of cosmetics in this room. That can’t simply be because someone cleaned it. That leaves only two possibilities: either Mr. Gongsun’s woman doesn’t use any cosmetics… or...”
She trailed off with a mischievous smile and looked sweetly at Li Yanchu.
Head Constable Wang, growing agitated, suddenly drew his longsword with a loud clang, and it gleamed coldly in the light. “If you keep dodging the question and speaking in riddles, don’t blame me for being merciless!”
Guo Caiyun blinked playfully and laughed with a crisp, clear tone. “Since you don’t trust me, I’ll take my leave.”
And in the very next moment, Guo Caiyun vanished without a trace. Only her silent, expressionless husband remained in the room.
Seeing this, Head Constable Wang’s eyes widened in shock. “Witchcraft!”
With that, he lunged forward, stabbing his sword toward Qiao Wu. His sword, made of refined steel and carrying the full weight of his explosive strength, wasn't something any ordinary person, tree, or even a block of stone could withstand. This sword strike was powerful enough to pierce straight through anything.
However…
Clang!
Suddenly, something unexpected happened. When the sword struck Qiao Wu, it let out a sharp, metallic ring, like steel clashing against stone. The sword then snapped in two! There was some kind of bizarre force protecting Qiao Wu’s body.
But then, Qiao Wu didn’t take the opportunity to counterattack. Instead, his body suddenly collapsed like a deflated sack, shriveling at an unnatural speed. In the blink of an eye, he had become nothing but a flattened human skin, lying limp on the floor.
Seeing this, Head Constable Wang turned pale with fright, and everyone in the room looked on in horrified disbelief.
Li Yanchu’s gaze darkened, and a trace of realization emerged in his heart. “This seems to be the Art of Skin Painting[1]. No wonder there was no trace of demonic qi. But for someone to have cultivated this technique to such a level… it's truly terrifying.”
Still, Li Yanchu remained calm and continued, “Head Constable Wang, perhaps we should withdraw for now. Escort the prisoners back and wait until dawn before making any further moves.”
Head Constable Wang, still shaken, nodded in agreement. The group returned to the room where the prisoners were being held. Elder Wu sat on the floor, and the rest of the gang members were all quietly behaving themselves.
Suddenly, Head Constable Wang noticed an officer trembling in the shadows. He barked sharply, “Who’s there?!”
A young officer stepped forward; it was none other than Song Hu. Song Hu's face was deathly pale, and he pointed behind Head Constable Wang with his mouth open in terror but unable to speak.
Head Constable Wang was just about to reprimand him when a sudden gust of wind rushed past the back of his head, raising goosebumps along his neck.
Everyone watched as the “Song Hu” who had been following behind Head Constable Wang suddenly made his move, slashing a saber toward Head Constable Wang’s neck. Caught off guard, Head Constable Wang had no time to react.
His head was about to be severed, but then…
At this moment, Li Yanchu appeared behind him in a flash and grabbed the attacking Song Hu’s arm in mid-swing. The venomous, treacherous strike was halted.
Li Yanchu sneered coldly, “What’s wrong? Not going to keep up the act?”
That “Song Hu” gave a stiff, twisted smile. He looked deeply unsettling as he suddenly punched toward Li Yanchu’s head.
However, Li Yanchu was faster!
The Forty-Two Divine Astral Hands! Old Ape Worships the Moon!
His surging blood and qi blazed like sharpened blades.
Shhkk!
With one palm strike, Li Yanchu cleaved off “Song Hu’s” head, which hit the ground and rolled several times. At this moment, Li Yanchu stood tall; his expression was solemn, and his presence was awe-inspiring.
Zhang Zhiliang, who had been following closely the whole time, was inwardly shocked. So the Daoist Master had been holding back that day after all…
Women are naturally more fearful of ghosts and evil spirits, and under such a terrifying atmosphere, Wang Wanrong was especially anxious.
Just now, when she saw two versions of Song Hu, she was so frightened that her face turned pale. But she hadn’t expected that as soon as Li Yanchu made his move, it would be a strike of earth-shattering force that subdued the evil spirit in an instant.
Head Constable Wang, still shaken, muttered, “Damn it, I almost fell for that ghost's trick.”
Everyone felt a chill crawl up their backs.
Oh, heavens…
Just now, one of those filthy creatures had actually blended in among them. A ghost was the one shouting ‘catch the ghost’!
Thinking of this, Liu Chenglin patted his chest in lingering fear. “Thank goodness for Daoist Master Yanchu. Otherwise, we really would’ve been deceived by that thing.”
Li Yanchu appeared calm and composed. But just then, he gave a cold sneer. “You fiends really don’t know your place!”
Boom!
With a single punch, a fierce gust of force swept forth, carrying a terrifying, unstoppable power. Half of Liu Chenglin’s body was blasted to pieces, and in an instant, only half of his body remained. But instead of a burst of blood, his body dissolved into a flurry of paper scraps, which scattered and vanished into the air.
The back-to-back shocks left Head Constable Wang feeling suffocated, as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
“Daoist Master Yanchu, what the hell is going on?!” Head Constable Wang exclaimed in terror.
Li Yanchu’s gaze turned icy, and his voice was as cold as frost as he said, “Head Constable Wang, is there really a man named Liu Chenglin among your officers?”
Head Constable Wang looked confused. “Daoist Master Yanchu, what do you mean by that?”
Li Yanchu didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at him with a piercing gaze.
Seeing this, Head Constable Wang was momentarily stunned. Then, as if something suddenly dawned on him, a look of utter shock spread across his face.
That’s right. Who is Liu Chenglin!?
There was no officer named Liu Chenglin! The other officers quickly caught on as well; they had absolutely no recollection of an officer by that name, nor did they recognize the Liu Chenglin, who had just rushed in!
Head Constable Wang exclaimed, “But why did I so naturally believe that I knew him? That there really was an officer named Liu Chenglin?!”
His words echoed the bewilderment in the hearts of the other officers.
Li Yanchu spoke slowly, “It’s the ship. Something about it has affected your minds, similar to an enchantment or soul-bewitching technique.”
Head Constable Wang suddenly understood what had happened.
Li Yanchu continued calmly, “And not only that, this ship may not actually be the Five Lakes Gang's main vessel at all.”
He paused, then said gravely, “It might be… a paper ship.”
“What!?” Head Constable Wang cried out in disbelief.
Li Yanchu said slowly, “If you don’t believe me, come with me to the deck.”
The whole matter was too bizarre. Even coming from Li Yanchu, it still felt impossible to believe. It was a massive ship; how could it be made of paper?
1. 画皮之术 (huà pí zhī shù) literally means “the art of painting skin”, and in Chinese folklore and cultivation fiction, it refers to a sinister or deceptive technique used to disguise oneself by wearing or imitating human skin. The term is most famously associated with 《聊斋志异》 (Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio) by Pu Songling, in the story 《画皮》 (Painted Skin), where a beautiful woman turns out to be a demon wearing a painted human skin to seduce and consume humans. ☜
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