Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Holding the Breath
If it were an ordinary young boy, dusty from the journey, and he happened upon the Crane School trio, they might have simply ignored the poor, unlucky child.
But Yamiru, as a transmigrator, knew all too well what kind of evil people these three were.
Only a fool would think that someone like him, who had never received any formal training in acting, could pull off a flawless performance in a life-and-death situation. Yamiru was certain he wasn't some undiscovered acting genius. Moreover, he wasn't willing to risk even one in a million chance that Master Shen or Tao Pai Pai might just be in a bad mood today and decide to kill whoever they see.
Yamiru knew that these two thugs—especially the perverted killer who used his tongue to attack—were the kind of people who could actually go through with it.
Imagine this: you're a villain who kills people as easily as drinking water, and you're in a bad mood today. You're walking through the desolate desert, the weather is terrible, and you're a little thirsty. The recent sandstorm has made you irritable, and guess what? Here comes a little unlucky soul walking toward you, someone you could easily kill with a flick of your finger... whether to kill or not seems to be a matter of just a single thought.
Yamiru dared not bet his hard-earned life on the whims of others.
So, he gambled. After all, his Golden Veil gaze ability was useful.
However, he only won half of that gamble.
The other half was lost when Tien Shinhan turned around, ultimately ruining everything.
The instant their eyes met, Yamiru's heart sank to the bottom.
He immediately realized, damn, this is bad.
After thinking through everything, he hadn't expected Tien Shinhan, who had seemingly walked far away, to turn around for no reason. Was it instinct? Or had he accidentally caught a glimpse of him before? It didn't matter, Yamiru's thoughts and actions were fine; the problem lay in his underestimation of the three-eyed freak's exceptional vision.
When Tao Pai Pai and Master Shen turned around, everything was irreparably ruined.
How could a seemingly ordinary young boy avoid the attention of two martial arts masters like Master Shen and Tao Pai Pai? If it weren't for Tien Shinhan's remarkable eyesight, the kid pretending to be innocent might have gotten away.
And when thinking about it carefully, what was even more suspicious was... why had the kid been trying to avoid them in the first place? The motive was very questionable.
Master Shen stroked his beard, contemplating.
"This kid, does he know us?" Tao Pai Pai said, realizing the suspicious part of the situation. Indeed, only a boy hiding behind a rock who recognized them and understood their strength, especially their cruelty, would be afraid enough to hide beforehand.
The young Tien Shinhan said expressionlessly, "But he looks scared, yet he didn't run away."
"Ha!" Master Shen sneered, "He must have heard of the terrifying Crane School somewhere!"
"Hmph, just this little brat? Interesting." Tao Pai Pai said, walking toward Yamiru, who was hiding behind the rock. "Let's ask him and find out."
Yamiru, on the other side, was already cold with fear.
He thought he had positioned himself as someone who was aware and prepared, attempting to avoid risk. However, he didn't realize that in trying to avoid danger, he had placed himself in the greatest danger. He watched as the three members of the Crane School walked closer. Yamiru glanced back toward the east, where Paozu Mountain was... it was so close!
"What are you looking at, kid?" Tao Pai Pai's cold voice suddenly came from behind, sending chills down Yamiru's spine.
Yamiru turned around, and what met his gaze was the large word "kill" in traditional Chinese characters!
Ah, traditional Chinese characters… Yamiru was surprised; the first thought that came to his mind was this.
Slowly looking up, he saw the unfriendly gaze of Tao Pai Pai looking down at him.
"Interesting, interesting," Master Shen said, wearing sunglasses like the Turtle Master's, sizing up the boy who was standing still with a pale face. "You're very scared, aren't you?"
Yamiru didn't respond, his breathing shallow and rapid, keeping his Golden Veil open. Clearly, in the face of these three, it was highly probable that using the Golden Veil ability was his only option. Instead of letting them know that his eyes had a special power that could be turned on and off, it was better to keep them open at all times, so they wouldn't realize what he could do. The pressure from Master Shen and Tao Pai Pai, standing so close, was so overwhelming that it made Yamiru feel lightheaded.
"Not speaking? Silence is an answer too," Master Shen said with a cold laugh. "Your foot took a half a step back, but you've been shuffling your foot on the ground, unwilling to move. Seems like you want to run but are too afraid. Your arm is slightly raised in front of you, clearly resisting us getting too close. Hmm... your body is so tense, oh, you seem to be trembling. Let me guess, it's not excitement that's making you shake, is it? Maybe it's that your body wants to do something, but your calm mind is telling your muscles, 'Oh no, don't seek death'?"
Being dissected so thoroughly by an evil martial arts master… Yamiru could deeply feel the oppressive force coming from Master Shen. Sentence after sentence, he described Yamiru's current nervous and defensive state with alarming accuracy. Cold sweat broke out on Yamiru's forehead. Through his Golden Veil, Master Shen and Tao Pai Pai's heads seemed like two small suns, pressing down on him.
Tien Shinhan said, "Master, it seems like you're right. His body's even more tense."
Yamiru suppressed his rapid breathing, glanced at Tien Shinhan below, and then looked up again. Trying to steady his tone, he said, "You misunderstand. I just... I heard there are a lot of bandits in this desert, so I'm just being overly cautious. Sorry, are you bandits? If not…"
"What if we are?" Tao Pai Pai suddenly slapped Yamiru's face.
Yamiru instinctively raised his hand to block the slap.
"Hmph." Tao Pai Pai sneered, gradually increasing the pressure with his hand.
As the pressure mounted on his blocked arm, Yamiru let out a grunt, pushing back with all his strength.
Tao Pai Pai narrowed his eyes, flipping his palm to a single finger, which pressed down on Yamiru's crossed arms. Despite the delicate touch, it felt like a mountain pressing down on him. Yamiru's face turned red, his arms trembling from the strain. He unconsciously sank into a horse stance, his body lowering bit by bit, and his feet scraped against the ground.
Tien Shinhan glanced at the boy with golden eyes, who was desperately resisting under Tao Pai Pai's pressure.
Master Shen chuckled, nodding, "I see, not bad, you're quite strong."
"Hmph, all lies." Tao Pai Pai scoffed dismissively. "Not a single truth from beginning to end."
In the next moment, Tao Pai Pai's finger changed direction, the pressure shifting from downwards to pulling back. With a final gentle push forward, Yamiru was sent flying uncontrollably. It looked as though Tao Pai Pai had simply flicked his finger, sending the boy flying a dozen meters before he crashed to the ground.
"Stop pretending, kid." Tao Pai Pai mocked. "When I had strength like yours, I had no idea how many clueless bandits I've killed. What's there to be afraid of, desert bandits? Are you trying to make me laugh to death?"
Master Shen added, "It really is a poor joke, even Tien Shinhan has killed a few petty thieves."
Tien Shinhan said, "Five, Master."
"Oof…" Yamiru tumbled to a stop, lying on the ground, eyes closed and brows furrowed in frustration. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and accepted the reality. Pushing himself up, he dusted off his clothes. "Alright," he said, wiping off the dirt, "I'm afraid of you, I don't want to deal with you." He looked up, asking calmly, "So what do you want?"
Tao Pai Pai raised an eyebrow, clearly impatient with Yamiru's tone. He was about to raise his finger when Master Shen stopped him.
"Interesting... 'What do you want?' It seems like you have preconceived notions about us!" Master Shen said, twirling his goat beard thoughtfully, watching Yamiru's face change slightly. He grinned maliciously. "Remember, kid, too much talk leads to mistakes."
Then he abruptly changed his tone, "However, maybe this could save your life. I'll give you one last chance to speak..." He raised his hand, signaling Tao Pai Pai. Tao Pai Pai understood immediately and pressed his two fingers together, aiming them directly at Yamiru's forehead.
Zzzz... Tao Pai Pai's fingertips glowed with white light.
Yamiru held his breath as the "gun" was pressed against his forehead. He knew that in the next 0.1 seconds, he would have to prepare himself for the risk of having his head blown off.
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