Chapter 41: Under the Skin

Witnessing Chen Ling's head transform into a gun barrel, Chu Muyun and the Shadow Man were both stunned.

"Bang—!"

Chen Ling's vocal cords simulated a gunshot.

A dazzling flash of fire burst from the muzzle. The two figures standing directly in front snapped out of their shock and quickly dodged!

They moved dozens of meters across the snow at an astonishing speed before stopping.

They looked back, only to find that no bullet had actually been fired from the barrel; only continuous sparks burst from the muzzle, as if simulating the act of firing.

"This..." the Shadow Man asked blankly, "Did Diamond 7 ever say that Thousand Faces... could turn into a gun barrel?"

"No," Chu Muyun shook his head. "Thousand Faces is a disguise ability; it can only change appearance, but he... he seems to be able to change even objects."

"That's too abnormal. Is this the power of that Twisted Divine Path...?"

"But great power usually means a greater cost."

Chu Muyun calmly watched the red-clothed figure in the snow, who imagined himself as a gun barrel, his expression somewhat complex.

"Bang—bang—bang!"

Chen Ling, transformed into a gun barrel, continuously fired into the void, like a soulless automaton.

Until his muzzle "saw" Qian Fan and the other two, who were stunned under the house, he suddenly stopped... He seemed to be thinking.

"He still has some rationality left?" the Shadow Man asked in surprise.

"It should be said, instinct," Chu Muyun said faintly. "The instinct for revenge."

At the same time, Qian Fan and the two others targeted by the gun muzzle turned pale again. They had just witnessed Chen Ling re-establishing his divine path, tearing his body apart, and then turning into a crazy, machine-gun-like figure. The continuous cognitive shocks had almost brought their brains to a halt.

"Damn it... Why aren't you dead? Why aren't you dead yet?!"

Qian Fan roared, raising his gun again and repeatedly pulling the trigger at the red-clothed monster!

Bullets struck Chen Ling's body, splattering streaks of blood. Even though his appearance had changed into a gun, the hardness of his physical body hadn't significantly increased; it was as if he had just changed his skin.

The next moment, a layer of skin peeled off Chen Ling's face again.

The huge, bizarre gun barrel disappeared, replaced by the appearance of a "dan role" (male actor playing female role in opera) with apricot-like red makeup and hook-like eyebrows. From his eyebrows and eyes, he bore an eighty to ninety percent resemblance to the deceased Chen Yan!

The large red opera robe slowly stepped through the snow, like the only vermilion in a pale world.

The "dan role" stared intently at Qian Fan and the two others, his lips parted slightly. Immediately after, Chen Yan's melodious and highly penetrating singing reverberated above the courtyard!

"A young nun, sixteen years of age, in her prime, had her hair shorn by her master.Every day, in the Buddhist hall, she burned incense and changed water,And saw some disciples playing at the foot of the mountain gate..."

The opera singing continued, the red robe leaving a trail of afterimages, instantly disappearing from the spot.

Qian Fan only felt a blur before his eyes, and a dagger sliced his wrist. He cried out in agony, and his gun slipped from his hand, falling into the snow.

His other hand immediately tried to reach into his pocket to pull out another ritual artifact, but a cold glint flashed, and his other hand also flew off his arm effortlessly.

"He watched me, and I watched him..."

Under the apricot-like eye makeup, a pair of hollow pupils stared fixedly at Qian Fan, almost touching his face.

"Chen Ling... Chen Ling! I know I was wrong!!" Qian Fan's features twisted in agony from the intense pain, but fear consumed his heart even more. "Please let me go... I'll give you all my money! I'll never again..."

Pfft—

A sharp object pierced Qian Fan's chin, and his pleas abruptly ceased.

"He and I, I and he, both deeply entangled..."

Qian Fan's body fell stiffly into the snow. The "dan role" slowly pulled out the dagger and looked at the only two law enforcement officers remaining in the courtyard.

The two exclaimed, having no thought of resistance whatsoever. They turned and ran towards the courtyard gate.

At the same time, the "dan role" moved lightly across the ground, his wide sleeves fluttering like butterfly wings. The cold gleam of the dagger drew elegant arcs in the snow, and two streaks of blood splattered out.

He slowly stopped.

As the last two bodies fell, the entire courtyard was stained with blood.

The red-clothed figure stood amidst the corpses, blood dripping from the blade, like a demon emerging from hell.

After an unknown period, Chen Yan's face dissipated, and Chen Ling reverted to his original appearance.

He stood alone in the sea of blood, the dagger gently slipping to the ground. As a cold gust of wind swept by, he collapsed backward onto the ground like a withered blade of grass.

"It's finally over..."

Chu Muyun and the other man walked over from a distance, looking at the unconscious Chen Ling, and let out a long sigh.

"A 'World-Destroyer' level disaster fusionist, who has embarked on a twisted divine path... From now on, he is destined to be an anomaly," the Shadow Man slowly said.

"Isn't 'anomaly' the best?" Chu Muyun's lips curved upwards. "The Twilight Society recruits anomalies."

"Are you really sure you want to bring him into the Twilight Society?"

"Not me..." Chu Muyun took an envelope from his overcoat pocket and held it between his fingers.

On the envelope's flap, a red JOKER card was imprinted.

"It's the Red King."

Boom—!!

A colossal hum reverberated from nothingness, and the swirling snow instantly shattered.

Several kilometers from the mansion, in the wilderness, a boy idly poking the ground with a stick suddenly looked up in surprise at what was in front of him.

At the center of a "Clover 8" drawn in the snow, a grotesque fissure rapidly spread. Han Meng's hands reached out from the fissure, gripping its edges, and he pulled forcefully!

The "Clover 8" burst open in response. Han Meng's body completely passed through the void, his black trench coat covered in dust and blood clots, appearing extremely disheveled.

"He actually broke through?"

The boy gasped in surprise... or rather, the large hole on the white paper representing his "mouth."

Han Meng's chest heaved violently, as if his recent actions had cost him dearly. He glared intently at the small boy sitting there and unhesitatingly raised his gun!

"Don't be so agitated. I admit I underestimated you just now. I never thought there would actually be a genius in the Aurora Realm." The boy propped his chin up, clearly intrigued. "Your name is Han Meng, right? Do you want to join our Twilight Society?"

"No interest," Han Meng's voice was bone-chilling. "Since when did a filthy organization made up of lunatics and executioners dare to openly appear in human realms?"

"Tsk, it seems you have a deep prejudice against us."

"It's a fact." An invisible domain unfolded around Han Meng. "Human Convention Article 139 states that in any realm, any Twilight Society member found is immediately placed on the realm's highest capture list, with priority even above 'Fusionists' and 'Usurpers'...

You and the human realms are mortal enemies."

"Don't say that; we've never done anything utterly depraved," the boy said, displeased.

"Oh really?"

Han Meng sneered.

"Including... the extinction of an entire human realm?"