Chapter 696: Shadowless Technique
Chapter 696: Shadowless Technique
"What's going on with this person?"
The once lively and joyous banquet suddenly took a strange turn with the appearance of these peculiar figures, leaving everyone with an inexplicable sense of unease.
Everyone present had turned their attention to them, some recognizing them, while others didn't. But no one knew what was going on, and as they watched them in the late hours of the night, they felt a peculiar discomfort.
As the eerie gaze of the newcomers fell upon him, Second Master's cheerful expression faded, and he slowly rose from his seat, as if his shoulders had been weighed down. With great effort, he stammered, "How dare I? Master Peng, you... you should sit inside."
"Sit inside?"
Iron Fist Peng Senran let out a cold laugh, his face illuminated by the candlelight, revealing a sinister expression. In a cold voice, he said, "I can't sit there. There are ten people at this table, yet you sit at the head. I ask you, do you even consider me your master?"
Upon hearing this, Second Master's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he realized the gravity of the situation.
Technically, he was the one sitting at the head of the table, but in theory, the General Guardian of Supplies should be the one sitting there. If age was the criterion, Elder Sun should take that seat. And if skill was considered, he now suspected that his own disciple should be the one sitting there.
However, those who had come to witness the ceremony were extremely mindful of etiquette and insisted on honoring him, an old man, by forcing him to sit there. If he were to yield, would he let Iron Fist Peng take his place?
As Iron Fist Peng's aggressive demeanor intensified, Hu Ma, sitting beside him, furrowed his brows and gave Iron Fist Peng and his disciples a deep look. He leaned towards Elder Sun and whispered, "Is he alive or dead?"
"Or perhaps, is he possessed by something?"
"..."
For now, they couldn't afford to focus on anything else. With just a glance, they knew that something was amiss with this person who had come and gone. There was an eerie aura in his aggressive demeanor.
"He's not dead, he's alive."
Elder Sun, standing beside him, instantly understood what Hu Ma was asking. The Year Guardians had keen instincts, and they could spot clues with a single glance. Surprised, he said, "I recognize this man, but how did he end up here?"
"This man is a Year Guardian, and it's not easy for a wild demon to possess him."
"Even if we assume that a demon has forcefully possessed a Year Guardian, it's impossible to hide the demonic aura so completely."
"..."
Sitting to the side, Master Tang quickly scanned the scene and whispered, "It doesn't seem to be a puppet technique from the Soul Binding Art or a life-borrowing technique from the Life Fate Sect. The Soul Binding Art can manipulate souls, but it requires piercing the forehead."
"The Life Fate Sect can borrow lives, but the borrowed person's speech and actions will resemble the lender's. This person has stiff joints and a dark aura on his face, clearly affected by a technique, but..."
As he spoke, he shook his head, "But I can't see any clues at all?"
Listening to their conversation, Hu Ma confirmed his suspicions. In addition to what they had mentioned, there was another way to tell if someone was being controlled—by looking into their eyes, a common method both within and outside the Dao.
Regardless of how normal a controlled person's speech and actions might be, staring into their eyes would reveal dilated pupils, a blank gaze, or some strange color in the depths.
Iron Fist Peng walked stiffly and breathed irregularly, clearly something was amiss, but his eyes were unusually lively.
To solve a problem, one must identify its key. With three Grand Masters and numerous skilled individuals present, it was surprising that none of them could see through the situation, leaving everyone hesitant to act.
"It's indeed Iron Fist Peng, but we can't let him disrupt the festivities."
Hu Ma whispered to Elder Sun and Master Tang, then discreetly signaled Xiao Hongtang to check the surroundings of the village. He was about to stand up and apprehend the man.
But Elder Sun signaled him to wait and whispered, "When things deviate from the norm, there's something amiss. Don't act rashly. I'll test him."
He stood up, feigning surprise, and carefully examined the newcomer. Then, he exclaimed, "Is that you? Iron Fist Peng, you've also come to witness the mountain sacrifice?"
"It's only been a few years since we last met. You wouldn't have forgotten me, would you? Not even a greeting?"
"..."
Hu Ma immediately understood. Unlike himself, Year Guardians often didn't travel around, and they mostly interacted with others from their own sect. With Mingzhou and Ganzhou being close, people from the same sect often knew each other, at least by name and face.
Since they couldn't identify any issues for the time being, they had to treat the newcomer as a normal person. Through their conversation, they could uncover the problem.
"Hey, Elder Sun, of course, I saw you."
Upon hearing this, Iron Fist Peng took a step forward and said, "I didn't just see you; I also saw Master Tang. You two are Grand Masters, and I should pay my respects to you."
"But today is different. Even if I see you, I have to pretend I don't. Why? Because the person sitting next to you should call me Master!"
"If that's the case, you should come over and pay your respects to me first!"
"..."
Listening to his words, both Hu Ma and Master Tang were slightly surprised. They couldn't detect any flaws earlier, but now they were certain that Iron Fist Peng was still himself, not controlled by anyone, and his thoughts were his own.
Was it forced? But looking at his expression, there was clearly no sign of unwillingness.
"Master?"
Elder Sun's expression became even more surprised, and he laughed, "I know your skills well. It's been a few years since we last met. Have you entered the Duke's residence?"
"If we're talking about skills, there's a Year Guardian in this village. He's the one who taught me. Instead of paying respects to the Year Guardian by his side, why would he go out and pay respects to you, a second-rate master?"
"..."
Iron Fist Peng heard the mocking tone in Elder Sun's words, and his face became increasingly difficult to maintain.
However, he actually understood the situation, and in front of Elder Sun, he tacitly acknowledged that he was a second-rate master. He clenched his teeth and coldly said, "My skills are not worth mentioning, and the talents in his village are also not worth mentioning."
"I'm standing here today just to ask..."
As he spoke, he took a step forward and suddenly raised his voice, "Zhou Hui, didn't you kowtow and call me Master?"
Second Master's heart was already in disarray. At this moment, the village was filled with young apprentices who had been invited out of respect and face. Since the establishment of the Great Sheep Village, it had never been as prosperous as it was today.
But at this moment of prosperity, losing face made it even more unbearable.
He nodded slightly, "Yes, I did."
After hearing this, Iron Fist Peng's heart settled, and he continued, "Did you teach the martial arts I taught you to your disciples?"
Second Master trembled and could only nod, "Yes."
Iron Fist Peng's face suddenly turned stern, and he said, "Did I give you permission to pass it on?"
Second Master's lips trembled, and he was unable to speak.
The others beside them didn't notice anything amiss with Iron Fist Peng, but they also felt that something was wrong. Yang Gong's face turned cold, and he glanced at Xu Administrator at the end of the table, his eyes full of inquiry.
Xu Administrator was also startled, and he slowly shook his head, indicating to General Guardian of Supplies that he was a guest and this matter was not his concern. It wasn't time to behead anyone yet.
"Hmph, even if you did pass it on, it's not a big deal..."
Iron Fist Peng, seeing that Second Master wasn't speaking, laughed coldly. Suddenly, he turned his gaze towards Hu Ma and shouted, "I'm not questioning whether you passed on this technique or not, but I'm asking you, since you did pass it on, shouldn't they call me 'Master'?"
"You..."
Upon hearing these words, the usually tough Second Master's body even trembled.
He didn't want Hu Ma and the others to pay respects to him, and he already felt guilty for becoming a stumbling block for the children.
But at this moment, the atmosphere grew tense, and Hu Ma could no longer sit still. He was about to stand up and speak when suddenly, a wine jar smashed in front of Iron Fist Peng, spilling wine everywhere, startling everyone.
It was the Elder Patriarch sitting next to Second Master, who had already drunk quite a bit of wine.
At this moment, the other guests either didn't understand or didn't see through the situation, but the Elder Patriarch was already furious. After smashing the wine jar, he still wasn't satisfied. He turned to Second Master and shouted, "Second Brother, I've figured it out. This person is the one you followed to learn your skills when you were young, isn't he?"
Second Master nodded with difficulty.
Upon hearing this, Iron Fist Peng became even more smug, but before he could speak, the Elder Patriarch suddenly lost his temper. He picked up a stone from the side and was about to rush forward, cursing, "I'll smash you, you bastard..."
"You just want to bully my brother, don't you?"
"When you were young, you tricked him into running away with you, saying you'd teach him skills. He followed you for eight or nine years, and when he returned, he was sickly and on the verge of death. How long did it take for him to recover?"
"You have the skills, and it's up to you whether you teach them or not, but why do you have to cheat people?"
"Even if it's an animal, if you raise it for seven or eight years, you should feed it well so it can work."
"You took people away, but you didn't give them silver or teach them skills. Even if you're a fraud, after using them, at least give them a clear answer before you leave, so they can let go of their hopes. This fool has been waiting all this time for nothing, wasting his entire life..."
"..."
This tirade shocked everyone around, and they all looked up, their eyes filled with anger.
After the Elder Patriarch's outburst, someone stopped him from rushing forward with the stone. He threw it aside and shouted at the young men in the village, "You're just standing there staring with your eyes wide open! Your Second Master is being bullied, so why aren't you beating this bastard to death?"
"..."
"Huala!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the village, especially the young men, became furious and rushed forward. Some even grabbed their heads and pitchforks.
Zhou Liang, Zhao Zhu, and the others couldn't bear it anymore and stood up, their eyes fixed on Hu Ma.
This scene caused Iron Fist Peng's face to change, and he suddenly glared, shouting, "Whether I teach or not is my business. I'm only asking him about the kowtow he made to me back then. Wasn't it his own choice?"
"You kowtowed and called me Master, but now you can't fulfill your duties. It's disgraceful. I see that the Great Sheep Village has no face to perform the Mountain Sacrifice!"
(End of Chapter)
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