The Head Grew Legs and Ran Away

The sun had just risen.

Thin smoke curled from the furnace. Ever since the corpse reanimation incident, Xiao Wu and the other two would rather take turns staying up all night than let the furnace go out.

Besides, they had only been dealing with the corpses of drowned fishermen. They had finished processing them in seven or eight hours.

Bo Feng simply got up early and specifically taught Xiao Wu and the others about the Fire Worker's experience, including how to improvise when faced with all manner of strange situations.

Several peaceful days passed like this.

Ren Qing spent most of that time cultivating in his room, only going out for a walk now and then.

Even though he had prepared himself to consume lifespan for a breakthrough, that did not mean cultivation was useless. At the very least, it could temper his state of mind.

The cultivation process Ren Qing had summarized began with visualizing the Eye-less Method for two hours.

Then he would use a stick to beat the flesh all over his body until it bruised, before gradually recovering under the effects of the Human Skin Book.

He did not know the Human Skin Book's specific cultivation method, but after several days of self-torment, his skin's toughness had indeed increased somewhat.

Ren Qing had also found a way to conceal the Aberration in his eyes.

The method was to adjust how far his eyes closed, narrowing them to hide part of the whites.

Changes in one's words and actions could easily draw the attention of acquaintances, but gradual changes in appearance were difficult to notice.

After trying it for several days, Ren Qing found it truly feasible. Even Xiao Wu had failed to notice.

With no lingering worries, Ren Qing planned to begin advancing to the Double-Pupil User.

However, he first needed to prepare some fresh Pig Eyes to restore his strength in case anything went wrong.

Ren Qing went to Butcher Zhang's meat shop.

He noticed that Butcher Zhang looked terrible, and his body had grown noticeably thinner.

"What's wrong, Brother Zhang?"

Butcher Zhang rubbed his slightly red and swollen eyes and shook his head. "I don't know why, but these past few days, whenever I keep my eyes open for too long, they start to sting."

"A Qing, I've gone to several clinics, but none of them have helped."

Ren Qing's heart jolted when he heard this. He noticed that Butcher Zhang was blinking extremely frequently, and his eyeballs were slightly protruding.

"Brother Zhang, let me take a look?"

"Sure."

Butcher Zhang found a stool and sat down. Ren Qing hurried over to examine him closely.

He pressed down on Butcher Zhang's eyelid with his finger. Fine beads of cold sweat immediately appeared on Butcher Zhang's forehead, and the burly man could not help letting out a miserable howl.

"It hurts..."

Ren Qing looked puzzled. There was no abnormality in the Information Flow either...

No!!!

Butcher Zhang clearly had fifteen years of lifespan left, yet three full years had vanished.

It could not possibly be a sudden Chronic Illness. Even if his eyes went blind, it would not have much impact on his lifespan. It was impossible for it to decrease by so much.

Butcher Zhang asked worriedly, "What is it, A Qing? Is it serious?"

"It's nothing. You probably got bloody grime from butchering meat into your eyes, causing an eye infection. Just rest well and you'll be fine."

Though Ren Qing said that aloud, he had faintly guessed that it might be related to the Hundred-Eyed.

The Hundred-Eyed had vanished without a trace for several days. He had probably returned to the West District and was preparing to deal with Butcher Zhang, someone he had crossed paths with, so that no loose ends would remain.

"That's good. I've been frightened for so long that even drinking wine has lost its flavor."

Butcher Zhang sighed in relief. He had reached the point of treating a dead horse as if it were alive, otherwise he would never have trusted Ren Qing, who knew nothing of medicine.

Ren Qing realized that the Hundred-Eyed was very likely watching the meat shop from the shadows, so he did not continue questioning Butcher Zhang, afraid that he might provoke the other party's killing intent.

To avoid drawing attention, he simply bought several pig heads. Once he returned to the Fire Refining Hall, he would dig out the eyes, while the pig head meat could serve as drinking fare for Xiao Wu and the others.

After leaving the meat shop, Ren Qing walked down the street carrying a burlap sack filled with pig heads.

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. One sentence from Bo Feng kept echoing through his mind, and the more he dwelled on it, the more terrifying it became.

"The cut at the neck was too neat. It didn't look like it had been sliced by a sharp weapon at all. It was more like the head itself grew legs and ran away."

Ren Qing's steps slowed somewhat. Could it be that he had fallen into a misunderstanding?

The corpses were headless not because the Hundred-Eyed had been cautious, but because he could make a dead person's head actively separate from its body...

They both cultivated the Eye-less Method. Ren Qing knew he had to get rid of the Hundred-Eyed, or the man would come for him sooner or later.

After steadying his mind, Ren Qing returned to the Fire Refining Hall.

After digging out the Pig Eyes, he handed the remaining pig head meat to Bo Feng to deal with, then made a special trip to Clerk Zhao's place to gather information.

Although Clerk Zhao appeared cold on the surface, he was actually easy enough to talk to.

Moreover, Clerk Zhao had met Ren Qing before. Knowing that Ren Qing had spoken up and saved dozens of people in the prison, he could not help developing a favorable impression of him.

After spending some time, Ren Qing found the case files for the Headless Case, though they only recorded the preliminary investigation findings.

According to the constables' inquiries, all the victims had developed eye ailments in the days before their deaths, which then worsened into agonizing headaches.

Seeing how absorbed Ren Qing was, Clerk Zhao could not help asking, "Ren Qing, why are you so concerned about the Headless Case?"

"Sir Zhao, haven't you noticed that headless cases have been occurring frequently in every district except the West District?"

Ren Qing looked over the files a few more times before returning them to Clerk Zhao. "Yesterday, Bo Feng mentioned this case. I feel that it will eventually reach the West District too, so I'm making preparations in advance."

Clerk Zhao deliberately spoke in a relaxed tone. "Don't worry. The Forbidden Guards have already intervened in the Headless Case. That murderer won't escape."

"Just in case. Just in case."

Ren Qing did not want to place all his hopes on the Forbidden Guards. Given the nature of these cultivators, they would very likely use Butcher Zhang to lure out the Hundred-Eyed.

After chatting with Clerk Zhao for a few sentences, he returned to the Fire Refining Hall.

Ren Qing decided to break through to the Half-Corpse Realm as soon as possible. Only after achieving Double Pupils would he be able to find the Hundred-Eyed amid Sanxiang City's sea of people.

Before entering seclusion, he handed all matters over to Bo Feng.

Bo Feng was speechless. He had come to Tan Street precisely so he would not have to manage affairs, so why did he somehow feel even busier than before?

Ren Qing sat cross-legged in a side room where the light had been blocked out.

He first went through every problem he had encountered in cultivation again, ensuring that nothing had been overlooked.

Only deep into the night did Ren Qing begin his final visualization of the Eye-less Method in the Martial Human Realm.

He wanted to see exactly what the being in the darkness was.

He did this so that no flaw would remain in his state of mind. Otherwise, the following cultivation might lead to qi deviation. These Arts already came with the risk of strangeness.

Familiar darkness enveloped him, and bizarre sounds came from every direction.

Footsteps gradually approached, yet Ren Qing stared fixedly without fear, a smile even on his face.

When the darkness was pushed aside, a strange humanoid shadow emerged from within.

As the shadow drew closer and closer to Ren Qing, the two took on identical appearances. Even their expressions were exactly the same.

Ren Qing murmured to himself, "To stare fear in the face without being afraid... so this is the Double-Pupil User."

He had already found the method to advance to the Double-Pupil User. Given enough time, even by relying on cultivation alone, he could still reach the Half-Corpse Realm.

"But time is exactly what I lack most."

Ren Qing canceled the visualization without hesitation.

The Information Flow converged, and Aberration began.

He would advance tomorrow. Next would come the Headless Case.

Thanks to Zongheng II Wanjie, Saint and Demon Both Guilty, Ying Shi, Sea and Moon, Sugar, Lamb Scripture and His God, Lonely and Hotpot 68, and No Friday for their rewards.