Skin-Painting Martial Scholar

After Xia Qi'an and the other two entered Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Zhang Hu turned and left with a sinister grin.

Unexpectedly, the moment he turned, his neck was seized by a hand as strong as an iron clamp.

The grip was so powerful that Zhang Hu couldn't muster any strength and was lifted into the air.

The Bloodline Power from the hand felt like a scorching hot iron brand, making Zhang Hu yelp in pain and emit black smoke from his body.

Xia Qi'an held Zhang Hu, feeling him as light as a feather and ice-cold to the touch.

Zhang Hu really isn't human!

Xia Qi'an's face was frosty as he asked coldly, "What are you laughing at?"

Zhang Hu struggled frantically but couldn't break free, like a moth caught in a spiderweb. "N-nothing... Good sir, spare my life..."

Then, Xia Qi'an's palm tightened its grip.

"Poof!" Zhang Hu exploded like a puff of black smoke and then drifted towards Tiger Leaping Gorge.

All that remained on the spot was a beast-skin garment sewn from various animal hides.

This garment was pieced together from different animal skins, with small patches of human skin mixed in, resembling a skin pouch made from the pelts of various creatures.

Skin-Painting Ghosts are formed from people devoured by Tiger Demons, and they exist by attaching themselves to the Tiger Demon.

As long as the Tiger Demon is not dead, they can put on human skin again and be reborn.

And after a Skin-Painting Ghost dies, it will inevitably return to the Tiger Demon to be reborn.

Therefore, by following the direction of the escaping black smoke, they could find the Tiger Demon's location.

"This ghostly creature looks no different from a normal person and can even move around in broad daylight. How did you realize he was unusual?" Su Changqing asked curiously, looking at Zhang Hu who had turned into black smoke.

"Earlier, when I took the wood-chopping knife from Zhang Hu, I noticed the handle was cold," Xia Qi'an replied casually.

"So that's how it is!..."

Su Changqing understood. Zhang Hu had been clearing the path with the wood-chopping knife, so the handle should have been warmed up long ago.

Yet, when Xia Qi'an took the knife, he didn't feel any warmth, which was clearly abnormal.

Moreover, Xia Qi'an had Crimson Pupils; he had seen from the start that Zhang Hu was a Skin-Painting Ghost but had remained silent.

Afterward, the three followed the black smoke into Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they walked out of the gorge entrance, they were surrounded by a group of bandits wearing beast skins, wielding swords and spears, and with bizarre appearances.

"Yo! That kid Zhang Hu brought three more idiots..." one of the lackeys said excitedly.

"Those two in official uniforms have good skin pouches; the boss will definitely be pleased..."

On the mountaintop, the bandits chattered noisily.

Seeing this, Su Changqing leaned close to Xia Qi'an and asked in a low voice, "Should we make a move?"

Xia Qi'an shook his head. "Let's blend in with them and get into the stronghold first!"

Su Changqing nodded slightly.

Afterward, under the shouts of a group of lackeys, Xia Qi'an and the other two were driven like cattle towards the Tiger Demon's stronghold.

Upon reaching the stronghold gate, Xia Qi'an noticed that it was quite well-constructed, with a layout that was difficult to attack and easy to defend. The outer perimeter was enclosed by sharpened wooden stakes, like a wall of bronze and iron.

Additionally, in the open spaces of the stronghold, human skins were hung on wooden poles, fluttering like banners.

These human skins were all taken from robust young men and women from the villages below, and they had to be good-looking ones.

These high-quality skin pouches were naturally reserved for the Tiger Demon, and the lackeys in the stronghold were not qualified to use them.

These lackeys, like Zhang Hu, could only make do with beast skins and some substandard human skins stitched together.

Seeing this, Su Changqing trembled with anger, almost drawing his sword.

Xia Qi'an quickly held him back. "Wait a little longer... The big one hasn't come out yet!"

Then, a person emerged from a cave deep within the stronghold.

This person was handsome but dressed in a very peculiar manner, like a martial scholar from an opera.

"Second Boss... these are today's dried meat..." a lackey with a wild boar skin around his neck said fawningly to the newcomer.

The Second Boss, dressed as a martial scholar, pointed at Xia Qi'an. "Save this one's skin pouch for me. Send the other one to the First Boss. As for that big fellow, let the brothers kill him and eat his meat!"

"Yes..."

The lackeys immediately grinned with delight.

Of course, a few were disappointed at not getting a skin pouch.

"Attack..."

Seeing this, Xia Qi'an inwardly cursed his bad luck and immediately roared.

Hearing this, Su Changqing and Bata pounced on the surrounding lackeys like hungry tigers.

Xia Qi'an used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, transforming into several afterimages. His movements were as fast as lightning, crossing hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye. A massive fist smashed into the second-in-command's face like a meteorite.

"Yowww..."

The second-in-command, the Jade-Faced Martial Scholar, was sent flying by the punch, crashing into the cave like a cannonball.

Seeing this, Xia Qi'an's brow furrowed. With that last punch, he felt as if he had hit cotton – it was soft and yielding, with no sensation of striking a solid object.

As expected, the second-in-command, the Jade-Faced Martial Scholar, soon burst out of the cave, as lively as ever.

"Yow yow yow... Who goes there?..." The Jade-Faced Martial Scholar spoke like an opera singer, his voice sharp and ear-piercing.

At this moment, a massive fist print was indented on the second-in-command's originally handsome face, his features contorted as if he were a crumpled dough, looking incredibly bizarre.

Yet, the Jade-Faced Martial Scholar acted as if nothing had happened, shouting and cawing at Xia Qi'an.

Xia Qi'an knew he wasn't human, so he ignored him and unleashed a Vajra's Fury directly.

"Bold lunatic... Overestimating yourself..."

The Jade-Faced Martial Scholar, relying on the Tiger Demon's centuries of cultivation, possessing strength equivalent to a martial artist in the Mid Bone Forging Realm, directly took Xia Qi'an's punch.

"Bang..."

The force of the Great Strength Vajra Fist passed through his body.

The Jade-Faced Martial Scholar's back exploded like an airbag, and a burst of black energy leaked out.

"Yowww..."

The Jade-Faced Martial Scholar quickly clutched his back.

His skin pouch was shattered by the fierce and domineering punch, and the Jade-Faced Martial Scholar immediately fell into a panic.

Filled with fear, the Jade-Faced Martial Scholar shook his shoulders, and the human skin cloak transformed into a black smoke, fleeing towards the depths of the cave.

"He escaped?"

Xia Qi'an hadn't expected this Chou Ghost to be so decisive.

He immediately called out to Su Changqing and Bata to pursue.

As for the Skin-Painting Ghosts in the stronghold, they were all minor spirits that depended on the Tiger Demon for existence.

Su Changqing and Bata joined forces, and like a autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, they quickly annihilated the enemies.

"Bata... You truly are a good servant!" Su Changqing gave Bata a thumbs-up.

Xia Qi'an shouted at him, "Enough! The big one is still inside! I estimate that Tiger Demon inside probably has over a thousand years of cultivation..."

"What? That's equivalent to a martial artist in the Spirit Condensation Realm? Are the three of us enough for him to feast on?" Su Changqing was shocked, his mouth agape wide enough to swallow an egg.

Xia Qi'an shook his head. "It's still a bit short of entering the Spirit Condensation Realm. The three of us still have a chance!"

"However... to be safe... let's call for backup first..."

With that, Xia Qi'an took out a Cloud-Piercing Arrow, which shot across the sky like a meteor, leaving a long fiery trail.

"I thought you'd just charge in like a bull, hot-headed! I didn't expect you to call for backup too..." Su Changqing teased.

"Say one more word of that nonsense... and I'll stuff my fist in your mouth!"

Hearing this, Su Changqing compared Xia Qi'an's fist to his own mouth and shuddered.

With that said, Xia Qi'an beckoned Bata, and they strode into the cave.