Outside the prison, Clerk Zhao's face was written all over with anxiety. He shifted his feet, wanting to enter the dungeon, but turned back when he reached the iron gate.
By this time, the Fire Workers should have brought back the first batch of corpses.
Yet there was no better solution. He could only wait patiently.
A moment later, dozens of Yamen Runners scrambled out through the iron gate.
Clerk Zhao sighed in relief. Just as he was about to reprimand them, he noticed that they were all Lictors. Not a single Fire Worker was among them.
He stepped forward, seized one of them, and asked, "What exactly happened inside?"
The Lictor's legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. In a hoarse voice, he said, "From underground... screams came... Qian Han went to look. All those Fire Workers are dead!!!"
"Where is Qian Han?!!"
The Lictors pushed forward a thin, small figure. "Here, here..."
Clerk Zhao hauled him up and demanded, "Speak. Now."
Qian Han muttered to himself, "The Human Skin came alive. It's eating people. None of the Fire Workers who tried to come out survived."
"I understand."
Clerk Zhao turned and headed toward the Forbidden Guards. His belly was full of anger. Hadn't they said the strange entities in the dungeon had already been cleared out? How could there be such massive casualties?
But when he reached the three Forbidden Guards and saw the cold, indifferent gazes beneath their conical hats, he swallowed the words on his tongue.
The Forbidden Guard standing in the middle spoke in a somewhat aged voice. "The time to act has not yet come. As for the dead Yamen Runners, the compensation silver will be doubled after this is over."
"Mm... all right."
With a livid face, Clerk Zhao flicked his sleeve and left.
After Clerk Zhao had gone far enough, the old Forbidden Guard cast a gloomy look at the Forbidden Guard beside him, his tone brimming with killing intent.
"Li Yaoyang, just how many strange entities are still hidden in the dungeon?"
Li Yaoyang gave a soft laugh and spread his hands. "Old Song, how would I know..."
Before he could finish, Song Zongwu threw a punch that sent him crashing to the ground. The aura radiating from his body was nearly tangible.
Li Yaoyang was not angered in the slightest. Instead, he continued, "Old Song, the Dungeon Forbidden Zone was formed by the Human Skin Book. The strange entities inside possess the ability to take over bodies."
"If something happens to us and the Forbidden Zone continues to expand, who knows how many people in Sanxiang City will die." The Forbidden Guard holding a longsword spoke. Judging from the voice, she was a woman.
Song Zongwu did not strike again. After calming himself, he asked, "So what is happening in the dungeon right now?"
"Just wait a moment."
Li Yaoyang sat cross-legged on the ground. Soon after, rustling sounds came from underground, followed by a centipede crawling out.
The centipede was as large as a palm, clad in dark-purple armor and looking intensely venomous.
Li Yaoyang gently picked up the centipede, placed it in his mouth, and swallowed it without hesitation.
"It can be confirmed that there are still three Human Skin Fragments."
Song Zongwu's bones cracked throughout his body. Like an Old Wolf starved to the brink of madness, he bared his teeth and said, "When do we act?"
"Don't rush. The Human Face has not appeared. It could be hidden in the gaps between every floor tile. Unless we find the source of this strange entity, the Forbidden Zone can never be broken."
Song Zongwu's expression darkened. "You think I'm afraid of dying in there?"
"Not that. I'm just afraid you'll lose control and start a massacre, Old Song."
After speaking, Li Yaoyang looked toward the woman. "Miss Bai, whatever you do, don't draw your sword. You might harm the innocent."
"So my swordsmanship is that formidable."
The dungeon was steeped in an air of despair.
Everyone wore numb expressions. Though they did not believe it was Bo Feng's fault, they had no leisure to comfort him.
For all they knew, they would die at any moment and end up as Human Skin-dried corpses.
Ren Qing had no intention of sitting still and waiting for death. He closed his eyes and recalled the details he had seen earlier.
Corpses, Human Skin, dried grass, and several Centipedes clinging to the walls...
Centipedes?!!
There were not even Rats in the dungeon. That meant the Forbidden Zone could not possibly contain any living creature. So where had the Centipedes come from?
Ren Qing remembered the Forbidden Guards outside. Could they be some kind of spying tool created through an Art?
"Human Skin... Human Skin... Human Skin..."
Ren Qing could not help muttering it several times. Then a thought stirred in his mind, and he realized those pieces of Human Skin should be able to form one complete sheet.
"Could it be that the Human Skin is incomplete, so the Forbidden Guards are waiting for something?"
It seemed the Human Skin had no misgivings. It was merely driving the survivors into a dead end before slowly devouring them.
Having vaguely guessed the answer, he decisively summoned his Information Flow. Just as he was about to spend lifespan to choose a branch of the Eye-less Method, a cry of alarm rang out beside him.
Xiao Wu could no longer suppress the fear in his heart. Grabbing Ren Qing's arm, he said, "Qing Ge'er, I just saw the Human Skin. It hasn't gone far."
"Don't show panic."
Ren Qing narrowed his eyes. There was probably no time to advance to Double-Pupil User. The Human Skin had already set its sights on him, the only threat...
Advancing would inevitably plunge him into darkness. Yet even the briefest opening would let it seize its chance.
"Remember, don't leave the stairs."
Ren Qing drew a short blade glinting with cold light from his waist, then carefully watched every corner to prevent a sudden ambush.
The others had not realized anything at all. Most of them remained in a dazed state.
Time passed little by little. Ren Qing had already eaten all the Pig Eyes to preserve his strength, but the Human Skin remained unbelievably patient.
He had to turn passivity into initiative.
Ren Qing closed his eyes, feigning exhaustion, and pricked up his ears to listen.
A Human Face slowly crawled through the gap between wall bricks. It seemed to have caught the scent of blood and could not help extending part of its body.
At that moment, Ren Qing opened his eyes. As he locked onto the Human Face, both feet exploded with force.
He stabbed at the Human Face with his knife, pinning it directly to the wall.
The Human Face twisted, looking incomparably venomous. The blade cut open a wound across it, and blood seeped out.
Hisss...
The Human Face instantly pounced toward the crowd beside it. Ren Qing could track its speed, but his body could not quite keep up.
One Fire Worker died before he could even react. After absorbing one person's life, the Human Face's injuries healed as well.
It fixed its gaze on Ren Qing once more, while the remaining Human Skin crawled into the stairs.
The Fire Workers fled in blind panic, and people had already begun trampling one another.
Dozens of figures swayed.
Ren Qing only felt a chill on his arm. The Human Face had already merged into it. Yet it did not absorb his flesh and blood. Instead, it rapidly burrowed toward his head.
"Damn it."
Ren Qing stabbed himself several times with his dagger, but failed to stop it. Instead, he felt the Human Face had already reached his neck.
At that moment of crisis, the Information Flow appeared before his eyes on its own.
Human Skin Book Created by Eunuch Huang Ling. To cultivate this method, one must completely flay off one's skin, consume a specific medicinal catalyst to regrow it, and repeat the process seven times to attain mastery. One year of lifespan can be expended to gain mastery while exempting the cost.
Ren Qing did not even consider how much lifespan it would require. He directly chose to confirm. At once, a tingling pain spread through his entire body, worsening with every passing moment.
When the human face sensed that Ren Qing had gained an aura from the same source, it hesitated for a moment.
In that split second, a white-haired old man smashed through the wall and rushed inside. He grabbed the Human Face at Ren Qing's neck and tore it off in one pull.
Fortunately, the Human Face had not merged into his flesh and blood. Otherwise, he would have suffered at least grievous injuries.
"Everyone, retreat half a meter. This old man is Song Zongwu."
Song Zongwu looked like a fiend. Six Eyes grew upon his face, while another pair of arms sprouted from beneath his armpits. His entire body was covered in solid muscle.
The worldbuilding will unfold somewhat from here on. Dear readers, you can also look forward to the Human Skin Book.
Before you continue