Chapter 292: Skin Stripping Technique
Chapter 292: Skin Stripping Technique
"Is it done?"
Hu Ma followed the sound, but couldn't see clearly at first.
He hadn't yet cultivated his seven orifices, so his vision wasn't as precise. Combined with Ji Tang's swiftness, he could only vaguely see several silver needles piercing Ji Tang's body.
But they weren't inserted deeply, some were just barely on the surface, as if a slight movement would cause them to fall off.
The New Year Guardian's cultivation of the Five Organs allowed him to enter deep into the organs without any issues. Moreover, Ji Tang had already entered the Palace, making him even more mysterious. How could these silver needles, barely piercing his body, make him so afraid?
As doubt crept into Hu Ma's heart, the Red Wine Miss maintained a calm demeanor. Ji Tang seemed to sense something terrifying, and with a fierce shout, surging Yin energy rippled around him. Even the great saber in his hand seemed to emanate a murderous aura.
Facing this surge of malevolence, Hu Ma was startled and quickly drew his saber, blocking in front of the Red Wine Miss.
He had just witnessed the Red Wine Miss engaging with Ji Tang, and it was evident that after receiving those few moves, the Red Wine Miss was already in a perilous and strenuous situation.
Although his skills were inferior to the Red Wine Miss, he could still assist in close-quarters combat.
"Huh?"
After retreating, the Red Wine Miss had already drawn a red thread from her sleeve. Without even glancing at Ji Tang, who was about to charge forward, she was surprised to see Hu Ma blocking her path, and couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation.
As New Year Guardians, Old Bai Gan and this leader of the Beggar Gang had vastly different abilities. Yet, without hesitation, Hu Ma dared to stand in front of her, showing his sense of responsibility.
No wonder Little White had feelings for him...
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, she held one end of the red thread in her mouth, then lifted her eyes to look at Ji Tang.
"Whoosh!"
On the other side, Ji Tang appeared furious and aggressive, ready to charge forward and fight to the death. But unexpectedly, he feinted, taking two steps forward before suddenly turning around and running. His feet kicked up two trails of dust, moving even faster than a galloping horse.
"He's running?"
Hu Ma hadn't expected Ji Tang to be so ferocious a moment ago, not even bothering to give a warning before killing.
Now, he was fleeing with equal decisiveness, again without any warning.
However, the Red Wine Miss behind him suddenly let out a low laugh, "This is the most troublesome aspect of a New Year Guardian—they can fight and flee, like a wild donkey, and no one can catch up."
"But today, he won't escape..."
"..."
Amidst her low laughter, Ji Tang ran for over ten zhang. In his haste to escape, he reached out to pull out the silver needles that had just been inserted into his body.
Unexpectedly, as he grasped the silver needles, they seemed ready to fall with a slight shake. But as he tried to pull them out, the moment he pinched the end of a needle, it suddenly came to life, piercing deeper into his body.
The harder he tried to pull them out, the faster the silver needles burrowed into his flesh.
This bizarre change startled Ji Tang, and he dared not pull harder. Instead, he quickened his pace, only wanting to get as far away as possible.
However, before he could create much distance, he suddenly felt a scorching sensation on the right side of his body, as if someone had held a burning spirit money and thrust it towards his eyes.
In a panic, he turned his head and saw a desolate grave in the nearby field. Beside the grave, an old man in a black cotton coat, wearing a gua pi cap, held three incense sticks high and bowed deeply.
In front of him was a red chest guard, which he was bowing to.
Amidst the chaos, Ji Tang's heart skipped a beat. The red chest guard seemed vaguely familiar, reminding him of the one his wild wife used for her intimate play.
At that moment, an inexplicable dizziness overcame him, and he momentarily forgot he was fleeing. His pace slowed.
Suddenly, anger welled up inside him, and he felt that his current hasty escape was a great humiliation. It was as if the Little Shopkeeper and Han Womzi were behind him, mocking him with their laughter.
He no longer wanted to flee; he only felt that his dignity at this moment was more important than anything else.
He wanted to turn around and fight them again.
"Not good..."
This thought didn't prompt Ji Tang to actually turn around and fight, but it did slow down his escape.
After several breaths, Ji Tang finally realized the issue, "Have I gone mad? Do I want to turn back and fight? One incense stick's worth of time has passed. If I can kill, I'll kill; if not, I'll retreat. Wasn't that my initial plan?"
Every time he took action, he set a rule of one incense stick's worth of time for himself. This was to remind himself:
When a New Year Guardian takes action, they have the time of one incense stick. If they can accomplish their task within that time, they do so; if not, they should be aware and retreat.
It was precisely because he had strictly adhered to this rule for many years that he could still retain a shred of rationality, even in moments of mental confusion, and make the right choice.
With this realization, he roared, dispelling the dizziness in his head. Simultaneously, he changed direction, avoiding the main road and instead darting into the nearby field, crossing it swiftly as he fled.
Han Womzi had prepared to stop him, so he couldn't take the main road.
He clung to this thought, treading on the soft mud between the fields, and with each step, he sank into a deep pit, rushing forward with large strides.
But before he could get far, he suddenly spotted a woman sitting sideways on a donkey's back on a small path overgrown with weeds in the fields ahead. She had a voluptuous figure, a charming face, and wore a soft, delicate garment, indicating she was likely from a wealthy family in the city and shouldn't be here.
As she watched Ji Tang rush towards her, she didn't try to hide or avoid him. Instead, she held a peach branch in her hand, plucked from an unknown source, and smiled gently, tapping the donkey's head with it.
The donkey immediately let out a loud bray, its belly quivered, and it released a stream of yellowish urine.
The urine soaked the muddy field, and Ji Tang, who was running at full speed, suddenly felt his feet slip and sink into the soft ground. He was taking long strides, but the ground seemed to have turned into a swamp, and he nearly fell.
Even this swamp carried a stench of urine.
"Has Han Womzi set up an expert to block my path?"
Ji Tang's heart filled with anger, and he had an urge to rush forward and tear the woman on the donkey's back to pieces. But he clenched his teeth and endured, forcefully pulling his right leg out of the mud, then using his left leg to push off the ground and leap forward.
As he fled on his two legs, his momentum was like a galloping horse, but now, using only his left leg, he jumped over ten feet high and over thirty feet forward. When he landed, he pushed off again, jumping even higher and farther, quickly putting distance between them.
"Swift Legs?"
Even the woman on the donkey's back, by the side of the field path, was slightly surprised. She pursed her lips and smiled, "It's a shame he's lame."
"There's nothing else I can do..."
Ji Tang knew the situation was worse than he had imagined. After a long time of running, he felt the silver needles on his body had already penetrated halfway into his flesh, and the unknown danger made his heart race.
With a firm resolve, he escaped the field and suddenly turned his head, rushing towards the direction of the mountain gully outside the town. This was the agreed-upon location where the Grand Elder and the Eight Great Vajras had gathered the minor leaders to divide the spoils and disband.
If he could escape, he would never put them in danger, but now that he was in trouble, he couldn't help but rely on their strength.
When he reached a place with more people, his options would increase.
Even if it was just to have them temporarily protect him, giving him a chance to remove the silver needles, it would be good.
But as he rushed with all his might, he finally reached the small mountain gully where his sect members had gathered, and he suddenly smelled a strong stench of blood, which hit him in the face. Even he reacted for a moment before realizing that the bloody smell didn't come from his body.
The first thing he saw when he arrived was a single person.
This person wore a black robe, had loose, flowing hair, and their age was indiscernible. In front of them was a fire pit, and they were squatting, roasting a saber in their hand.
Or, to be precise, roasting the blood on the saber.
The blood was almost completely dried, sizzling and emitting a scorched smell.
Behind this person, Ji Tang saw the Eight Great Vajras of the Beggar Sect, the Grand Elder who had just been serving him, and the minor leaders he had summoned from various places.
They had all been killed, and their bodies were piled up behind the man in the black robe, forming a mountain. The fresh blood on the saber he was roasting was likely from these people.
"Don't worry, Ji Tang, I've already dispersed your followers..."
Sensing Ji Tang's hurried approach, the man roasting the saber over the fire slightly lifted his head, smiling radiantly at Ji Tang, his face filled with amiability.
But in that instant, Ji Tang felt his scalp tingle, and his eyes bulged.
The rational voice that had just been urging him to escape vanished in that moment.
He couldn't even form a complete sentence, but he suddenly roared, leaping high into the air with the momentum of his charge, his stolen treasure saber gripped in both hands, exerting a thousand pounds of force as he slashed down towards the fire pit.
The man in the black robe, however, merely lifted his head, smiled at Ji Tang, and flipped his saber upwards.
As the saber flipped, it seemed to draw the fire from the pit, forming a fire dragon that solidly blocked Ji Tang's strike.
Ji Tang's strike, executed with the strength of a Palace Entry Guardian, was completely blocked, and the man in the black robe remained unmoved, his robe fluttering and sparks flying around him.
Ji Tang took a deep breath, finally understanding the trap he had fallen into.
...
...
"He's running..."
Hu Ma looked at the empty path ahead, then turned to Red Wine Miss, unable to resist reminding her.
He's already out of sight...
"He won't get far..."
But Red Wine Miss merely smiled, a red thread between her lips, "I just want him to run and see how blocked his path is."
"When he believes he can't escape, that's when the New Year Guardian will truly close the net..."
"..."
As she spoke, she curled her index finger around the red thread, and her little finger lightly hooked the taut thread, causing it to vibrate with a loud 'hmm'.
(End of Chapter)
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