The Ultimate Kidnapper

At the entrance of Shiqiu Hutong, residents of Taiye Prefecture saw a crater in the cobblestone pavement.

The pit emitted occasional crackling and popping sounds, the sonic waves generated by Fragrant Dream's continuous punches.

Jiang Xueming felt increasingly uneasy as he fought; the cries of pain from the ghosts and demons did not diminish and remained full of energy.

Looking again at Hunwei, the Iron Cat caught the evil Daoist and delivered a powerful punch, burying his head into the ground.

At first, you could still see some bluestone bricks and moss, but later it was just yellow mud mixed with broken pebbles.

Even though the Great Immortal Kunwu was practically turning into a diamond drill for digging wells and tunnels, his face covered in mud, he could still manage to squeeze out a breath and shout out—

"--Hero, spare my life!"

Jiang Xueming understood clearly; Kunwu's vital energy had indeed not been harmed.

This made him vaguely uneasy. Fragrant Dream's fists were always invincible. Following the craniotomy procedure just now, even the strongest monster would be dead.

He picked up the fellow and looked at him closely.

Two gleaming eyes emerged from a clump of mud, exuding a cunning and sly air.

Kunwu: "Hey hey hey, fellow Daoist. Why did you hit me?"

At that moment, the Immortals was terrified. But he couldn't show it, because the special ability of a spirit made him immune to such a powerful physical attack.

However, if one were to summon a spirit to launch an attack and curse the black-robed monk, and were struck to the brink of Gate of Death, causing the spirit to shatter and the mind to lose control, then there would be no hope of redemption.

"Shouldn't I have hit you?!" Jiang Xueming lifted Kunwu up and examined the face of this evil Daoist priest closely.

With a single breath from Fragrant Dream, Kunwu's face was clean, completely unharmed!

Jiang Xueming felt a little vulnerable.

What kind of freak is this? The Fragrant Dream's punches can penetrate at least fifteen millimeters of homogeneous armor, and it can tear apart the Flash Butterfly —and this sorcerer actually took it with his face? Not even a scratch?

"SD! You didn't use enough force?"

Big Cat immediately replied, "I used all my strength! It landed squarely on his face!"

"It didn't feel like my bones were being shattered!"

Even after breaking open the floor tiles and splashing out mud, this head is still rock hard! Something's wrong! Something's really wrong!

"Fellow Daoist, how can your external avatar speak on its own?" Kunwu was pretending to be confused when he knew the truth, Judas had already conveyed the specific image of the Fragrant Dream to the members of the alliance.

Kunwu was so shocked by the sight of the silver-helmeted tiger that he had to spout some useless nonsense to regain his fighting spirit.

"Hey, hehe."

Kunwu's face was rosy, but he was covered in rags. The moment Fragrant Dream grabbed him by the collar, he truly thought he was going to die.

Thanks to the superpower of [Defying Heaven and Changing Fate]!

My external avatar is nothingness...

Before Kunwu could even mentally make a decision, a large, hot, and powerful hand had already pressed down on his head.

Jiang Xueming attempted to use the power of Fragrant Dream to hypnotize this stubborn, unyielding piece of meat.

But a few seconds passed.

Kunwu seems completely unaffected!

"Fellow Daoist?" Kunwu was unable to resist. Although his arms were free, when he raised his hand to push, he was immediately intercepted by Jiang Xueming.

In terms of speed, strength, precision, and reflexes, Kunwu is far from being Jiang Xueming's match.

The moment he recognized the gunsmith, his fighting spirit almost completely collapsed.

But what about the current situation?

This guy doesn't seem as terrifying as Judas described...

"Fellow Daoist, why are you scratching my face? How rude of you!"

Jiang Xueming showed no intention of withdrawing his hand. As time passed, the monster showed no signs of drowsiness whatsoever.

Even the main body of the boss, after being continuously hypnotized, will gradually fall into a deep sleep. But why is it completely ineffective against this guy?

Is he a pure spirit?

Is he more powerful than Ming De?

Is he also Immortals?

Is he immune to psychic powers?

He...

Xue Ming was still trying to figure out the enemy's abilities, but his mental energy was being rapidly depleted like water being released from a floodgate.

"How is that possible!"

Jiang Xueming's eyes glazed over, and by the time he withdrew his hand, it was too late.

He entered a brief state of Gate of Death, a sign of depleted psychic energy, a state of neurasthenia characterized by exhaustion, weakness, fear of sound and light, and even stiffening of the joints in his hands and feet.

Kunwu breathed a sigh of relief and gently pushed his fellow Daoist to the roadside.

Jiang Xueming stared at this formidable enemy in disbelief—finally realizing what was happening.

This guy has no airs of a master, no regard for dignity or honor, and despite possessing such bizarre and powerful psychic abilities, he uses them to intimidate ordinary people.

Very strong! Extremely strong!

Xue Ming was certain that this type of opponent was the most difficult target to deal with.

In highly intense combat environments, the most important things are preserving life and killing the enemy. Other factors are merely icing on the cake, not essential.

Kunwu's camouflage easily evokes other thoughts, and his behavior is completely out of place in Xiabang's rigidly hierarchical society.

In Great Xia, people value both face and substance—and there are even scoundrels who lose their lives for the sake of face.

However, Xue Ming did not expect that Kunwu was a time traveler.

This sorcerer doesn't care about appearances or formalities at all.

This illusion became Kunwu's natural camouflage, and by some strange coincidence, Xue Ming made an incorrect assessment of the enemy situation.

This is a genuine enemy with immense soul power!

His ability to use psychic powers to save his life is almost supernatural!

"You're a member of the alliance..."

When Xue Ming thought of this, he was somewhat taken aback. He couldn't connect Pellegrini, Fay, and George Joshua, these members of the alliance, with the cult leader in front of him.

These Immortals have such strong personalities, their demeanor is like that of Eagle Falcon in the sky. Even George, a man of low status, would never whine and beg a prostitute to acknowledge his reasoning.

These figures, detached from the long river of history, always observe humanity and their food from a perspective that overlooks all living beings.

"Gunsmith." Kunwu lowered his eyes, his expression sinister. "I thought it wasn't you."

"I didn't expect it to really be you."

"It seems we can't completely trust what Judas says; the fact that you're still alive is quite surprising."

Jiang Xueming leaned against the shop's doorpost, his chest heaving violently. He still couldn't understand what Kunwu's abilities were.

Why was his psionic energy completely depleted in just a few dozen seconds?

Why?

Kunwu continued, "Fellow Daoist, you look a bit weak. Is it a kidney problem? Or are you getting old?"

Xue Ming didn't reply.

"How about considering changing your physical body?" Kunwu moved to the other side, changing to a sunnier angle, so he could better see the gunsmith's complexion.

He still dared not make a move. [Defying Heaven and Changing Fate] had almost no ability to launch an offensive. To kill the gunsmith in an instant, he had to be absolutely certain.

This King Yama has more than 20,000 lives on his hands; just his name alone is enough to make Kunwu retreat in fear.

To Xue Ming, Kunwu's act of changing direction was even more unbelievable.

This guy! He's actually standing in the sunlight!

He's a Blood-giving Monster! An Immortals!

An ogre bearing the Vita Imprint! And it can actually stand in the sunlight!

For a fleeting moment, Xue Ming thought she was hallucinating.

Kunwu, that guy, is actually facing away from the sun!

"What's wrong? Why are you so angry all of a sudden?" Kunwu chuckled slyly. "My religious business is a reputable and righteous sect. Is it so strange for me, the leader of this sect, to stand in the sunlight?"

"You really seem to be out of energy, or are you faking it? Are you waiting for me to get within your sixteen-meter range so you can beat me up? What are you thinking, gunsmith..."

Jiang Xueming still did not reply. His mental damage could not be treated in the short term, and he was only able to support his physical movements thanks to his strong muscles.

If he were to summon the Fragrant Dream again, he would likely suffer a sudden cardiac arrest and die on the spot.

Just then, a helpful shop assistant came out of the store; he was a long-term worker at the dessert shop in Shiqiu Hutong.

The farmhand, who had come to watch the commotion, got closer and recognized the Kunwu Sect Leader, and immediately shouted out.

"Grandfather! What brings you here? Are you sparring with fellow Daoists again? Heh..."

Before he could finish speaking, the farmhand collapsed and lay down at Jiang Xueming's feet.

Xue Ming couldn't understand this sudden change at all.

The farmhand's complexion was rosy and his blood was flowing freely. He appeared to have suffered no injury whatsoever, but his sleeping posture and expression strongly suggested that he had been attacked by the soul-powerful force of the Fragrant Dream!

Could it be that Kunwu can use illusion magic? Did I not catch him? Did I grab someone else's head instead?

At the same time, a dozen or so brilliant bursts of blood suddenly erupted from the crowd that had gathered on both sides of the alley.

Women with children pushed forward, and upon hearing the voice of the Kunwu Sect Leader, they immediately called out in a sweet, coquettish voice.

"My benefactor! My benefactor! Out for fun again? The weather is lovely! I've brought your godson along! My darling! Take a look!"

In that instant, a deep, bone-revealing slit split open between the woman's eyebrows, and scattered bone fragments became deadly projectiles, striking the dense crowd.

The child in the woman's arms became a human bomb, as if it had been smashed to pieces by an invisible fist!

Wu Xiuwen and Zhao Jianxiong followed the captain to find the messenger and asked him to go to the drill ground at the Prefect's Mansion to report the news and summon the captain.

When the three arrived at the gate of the mansion, they saw that the messenger was paralyzed and unable to get up. Both of his legs were broken, and it seemed that he had fallen from the third or fourth floor. He was crying out in pain.

Wu Xiuwen didn't understand the matter and wanted to ask the battalion commander, but before he could speak...

The messenger's head swelled up, and a snarling, blue-skinned demon sprang out, yelling fiercely before quickly flying away and disappearing from sight.

Looking at the messenger's miserable state, he had a huge hole in his head and was beyond saving.

"What... what's going on?" Wu Xiuwen became nervous.

The captain sighed and said, "It's a good thing, all good things."

Like Wu Xiuwen, Zhao Jianxiong had awakened his spiritual power and could see the appearance of the Yaksha Mei.

"A good thing? This is clearly demons harming people!"

"Hero, you are unaware of this," the general explained, clarifying the reason. "This is the divine power of the Kunwu Sect Leader."

"Little Li (the messenger) lost his father at a young age, leaving his family without a breadwinner. He also lost two fingers in a work injury at the blacksmith's shop."

"The Kunwu Sect Leader found his mother, Liu, and brought up this matter—it turns out the leader is infertile."

"Even earlier, Liu went to the Yin Yang Qiankun Temple to seek a connection with the Dao. She was one of the believers. When she was young, she must have had physical intimacy with the leader of the sect, so they could be considered Daoist partners."

"Later, the caravans in Taiye were reorganized, and the porcelain artisans' skills became less marketable. The leader then sought out embroiderers and severed ties with the Liu."

"Having learned that this family was struggling, the cult leader took Li in as his godson, cured his severed finger, and didn't charge a single penny—there was only one side effect."

Wu Xiuwen asked in surprise, "This is the side effect? Skull shattering, body exploding, and death without a complete corpse?"

The commander shook his head.

"No, no, no, this is a good thing. This is fulfilling filial piety and averting disaster."

"The side effect is that if the cult leader encounters a calamity one day, his son must help him avert it."

So it's a good thing.

Xue Ming could vaguely guess the true power of this [Defying Heaven and Changing Fate].

Just like its name, it means exactly what it says.

It can truly turn the tide of battle, transfer damage, and steal someone's luck on a physical level!

With the help of the elixir, Kunwu became like an ultimate kidnapper, and countless people in Taiye City had become his hostages.

The damage from Fragrant Dream's boxing attacks fell squarely on these ordinary people!

No wonder his mind collapsed in an instant. Xue Ming then realized that he had not been hypnotizing Kunwu, but rather dozens or hundreds of different ordinary people.

Seeing that Hunwei's true abilities were exposed, Kunwu simply stopped pretending.

"Shall we continue, gunsmith?"

"I know you're capable. Dadu thinks highly of you. He specifically instructed me that if I encounter your spirit, I should run without saying a word."

"But now I feel..."

Kunwu scratched his head and suddenly put his arm around a young man by the roadside.

"Hey, look at him! Look at this monk! Doesn't he look like a dog?"

"Hahaha, hahahaha!" As soon as the young man opened his mouth, Yaksha Mei crawled into his stomach from Kunwu's sleeve.

Kunwu joined in, clapping and laughing wildly.

"Hahahaha! That's hilarious! Hahahahahaha! Why is Judas Dandan so small? Isn't that right, gunsmith?"

Jiang Xueming simply couldn't understand Kunwu's mind.

It seems that nothing a madman would do would be surprising.

"You're too weak to even talk back after being scolded! Look at you, you spineless coward! You, surnamed Jiang! Listen to me! I know you!"

"You're just a beef offal vendor!"

"What's with the arrogance?"

"Run! I'll be merciful and spare your life!" Kunwu stated his condition, "But there's a caveat."

"With so many villagers watching, you dragged me down from the third floor, don't you feel even a little bit guilty?"

"I want you to say 'I'm sorry,' and I want you to say it loudly! Thank you, Brother Kunwu! Do you understand? Thank you, Brother Kunwu! From now on, we are brothers! Heaven and earth bear witness!"

Xue Ming didn't even have the strength to retort. His mind was almost completely blank; he used to be able to stand upright leaning against the wood, but now his body would involuntarily lean to the side.

He mentally calculated the reserves of the Universal Elixir; having used it sparingly along the way, he still had over 700 milliliters left.

Kunwu's domineering soul power and intricate network of connections mean that almost every soldier in Taiye City will become his enemy.

"You just used your avatar to punch my godson and godson again and again." Kunwu patted his chest. "Do you know how much it hurt me? How many lives did you take by hitting the people of Taiye? It's an outrage against heaven and earth! Don't you feel any remorse?"

"If you try to escape, Xiangxiang and Zhao Jianying are still watching on the third floor..."

Kunwu chuckled softly and began to read lips.

"Gunsmith..."

"Be my friend, we'll smoke, drink, and beat our wives together. Judas may be afraid of you, but I'm not. Judas may want to deal with you, but I'm different—I have a grand vision and a grand ambition."

"I understand applause."