Surging Killing Intent!

The instant the skill "Disguise" rose to the Minor Mastery realm, Qin Yao felt countless techniques and insights regarding camouflage and dressing up suddenly flood into his mind.

Compared to the "Beginner Realm," its most striking difference was this—at the Beginner Realm, the focus was largely on outward changes.

For instance, how to use certain materials and methods to alter one's makeup, facial features, physique, or posture.

But the Disguise method of the "Minor Mastery Realm," aside from altering one's appearance, placed even greater importance on one thing: you had to step into the heart of the character you were disguising yourself as!

First, you had to believe without the slightest wavering that you truly were the person you had disguised yourself as.

Only then would you be less likely to give yourself away.

Otherwise, even if your technique was exquisite enough to make you look like a beggar, if your words and mannerisms still unconsciously carried a faint air of "being above others"...

Then no matter how convincing your disguise was, people would still suspect that you were no real beggar.

Qin Yao's heart stirred. "From that perspective, the skills 'Acting' and 'Disguise' really do complement each other perfectly!

"Now I can go break that bastard's legs!"

"Cock-a-doodle-doo~~"

Just as Qin Yao was about to set out, scattered rooster crows suddenly rang out from beyond the house.

The young man's heart skipped a beat. "It's almost dawn?!"

He opened the window and looked outside. Sure enough, the sky was no longer as pitch-black as deep night; instead, a faint dark-blue hue had emerged along the horizon.

Qin Yao had been too absorbed in his practice to notice time passing at all.

Whether it was repeatedly picking different locks, or applying makeup, then figuring out how to scrub it off before putting it on again, everything took an enormous amount of time.

Without realizing it, Qin Yao had practiced through the entire night!

The young man clenched his fist regretfully. "Once the roosters crow, the gong will sound before long. There's no time...

"Still, that fall Niu Shiyang took face-first into the ground wasn't light either. He probably won't have the strength to stir up trouble during the day.

"I'll deal with him when I get back tonight!

"The urgent thing now is to remove the makeup from my face."

Qin Yao hurried to the water bucket, dipped a cloth into the water, and scrubbed hard.

After applying and removing makeup over and over throughout the night, the skin on his face was burning painfully.

But when he thought about using the Minor Mastery Realm "Disguise" method to sneak into that thief's den and break the man's legs to vent his grandfather's anger, Qin Yao felt that the pain on his face was nothing at all!

"Clang! Clang! Clang..."

The sound of a bronze gong exploded through the western part of the village.

The overseer beating the gong did not care whether the deafening racket might "disturb the people."

After all, most of those living in the western village were relatives of mine slaves, lowly households at the very bottom.

In the overseers' eyes, such people were not qualified to be called "people" at all.

Old Master Qin and his younger sister were both awakened by the noise as well.

"Yao'er, you must be especially careful when you go to the mine today."

Qin Dashan warned him earnestly. "Though Niu Shiyang has many despicable traits, the fact that he is close to Overseer Wang Ji cannot be changed.

"I fear he will not let this rest!"

"I understand, Grandpa. Just focus on taking care of yourself. Your grandson has his own plan."

What Qin Yao was thinking, however, was: "That person said yesterday that Niu Shiyang currently lives alone in the western village.

"With the injuries he suffered yesterday, he might not even wake up by tonight, much less go complain to Wang Ji!

"And with his status, unless he personally goes begging at Wang Ji's door, Wang Ji will most likely be too lazy to pay him any attention.

"As long as I get it done tonight, Niu Shiyang will never have the thought of retaliating against us again!"

Afterward, he spoke with his grandfather about the things he wanted to buy today.

They included a small piece of chicken skin, some fairly sticky paste, and needles and thread for sewing.

"We already have needles and thread at home. I use them all the time~"

His younger sister Lan'er promptly piped up.

"Right, how could I forget our little Lan'er?"

Qin Yao smiled and rubbed his sister's head. "Then I'll have to trouble you to prepare them for me, all right?"

"No problem! Leave it to Lan'er!"

Qin Lan proudly raised her chin and patted her chest with her little hand.

Not long after.

Qin Yao returned to the mine once more.

Just as he was lining up to receive breakfast, the overseer Li Gang suddenly shouted, "Qin Yao, come here!"

Though he had no idea what the other man wanted, Qin Yao still put on the appearance of an obedient, honest worker and walked forward.

"Well, well, Qin Yao. I heard you really made a name for yourself in the west end of the village last night?"

Li Gang grinned. "You've grown some skills, haven't you!"

Qin Yao's heart stirred as he pondered in secret. How did this guy find out about last night? Niu Shiyang should still be unconscious, so he couldn't possibly have gone to Wang Ji to complain.

That's it. Team Leader Yang must have told Li Gang about it.

He's collecting the favor he's owed for 'looking after me' from Li Gang!

And since Li Gang suffered a loss, he'll definitely want to make it up from me...

Qin Yao swiftly pieced together the entire sequence of events.

Yet he deliberately pretended not to catch the sarcasm in Li Gang's words. Looking flattered and overwhelmed, he waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no! I don't deserve such praise from the foreman.

"It was that villain Niu Shiyang who insulted and beat my grandfather first. I simply couldn't swallow it, so..."

Whoosh!

Before Qin Yao could finish, a sharp whistle tore through the air.

Li Gang suddenly raised his hand and viciously lashed his whip toward Qin Yao's face!

With Qin Yao's abilities, avoiding that whip would have been effortless.

But he knew he absolutely could not reveal any extraordinary skill at a time like this. He had to take that lash honestly.

Otherwise, the escape plan he had plotted for so long might very well die in the womb!

Smack!

"Ah!"

Qin Yao cried out miserably and toppled sideways to the ground.

The left side of his face swelled high at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"You couldn't swallow it? What the hell gives you the right not to swallow it?!"

Li Gang's expression changed in an instant as he roared at the top of his lungs, "Your grandfather?

"That old thing already has one foot in the grave, with dirt up to his neck. The sooner he dies, the sooner he'll be reborn!"

Spittle flew from Li Gang's mouth as he vented.

Qin Yao lowered his head, acting like a man trembling in silence.

text
"Ding! Skill 'Acting' proficiency +5"

Qin Yao had no choice but to lower his head!

Even though his acting had reached the Minor Achievement realm, the surging killing intent in the youth's eyes could not possibly be concealed after hearing the other man freely fabricate slanders and insult his grandfather!

If he did not lower his head, the information leaking from his eyes would surely betray his truest feelings—he wanted nothing more than to strangle this bastard before him to death!!

"Qin Yao, don't you fucking get this twisted. I told Team Leader Yang to look after you because you can work for me—do several times the work!"

Li Gang said with a vicious expression, "You were lucky this time that Niu Shiyang didn't beat you to death.

"But what about next time? If you end up crippled or dead, who's going to finish the workload Number Three Pit owes?!

"If you're no longer of any use, believe it or not, I can whip you to death right here in minutes and have that white-haired old man send off his black-haired grandson by collecting your corpse?!"