I Can Strengthen Infinitely-Chapter 179 - 148: Beastcrafting (Part 2)

A foot stepped on this person’s mouth, forcing him to shut it.

Qin Yuesheng glanced at the still unconscious girl lying on the ground and felt very relieved that everything was normal.

The girl had clear marks on her wrists and ankles, looking as if she had been wearing some kind of iron shackles for a long time.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Qin Yuesheng’s mind – this is the abducted child!

"So the mastermind behind this is human," Qin Yuesheng said as he sliced the black mask off the man’s face, revealing a rugged man’s face.

"This person..." Qin Yuesheng frowned. Although it was his first time seeing him, there was a vague sense of familiarity.

In an instant, Qin Yuesheng thought of the inn he had visited earlier today and suddenly came to the realization.

This person was standing among the crowd at that time, he was with Su Hang.

"So it was you guys," Qin Yuesheng thought to himself.

Zhu Wu glared at Qin Yuesheng with both pain and resentment. He wanted to fight back but was powerless against the force exerted on his mouth by Yuesheng’s foot. Zhu Wu had no doubt that if Qin Yuesheng applied a bit more pressure, his entire set of teeth would dislodge instantly, and even the bones in his face would shatter to bits.

Despite the intense pain in his lower body, Zhu Wu dared not struggle for his life.

But obviously, he was thinking too much. How could Qin Yuesheng show mercy to someone like him?

"Why are you kidnapping children in Lucky Town? Answer me honestly, or I’ll slit your throat with a single stroke," Qin Yuesheng threatened, pressing his iron saber against the man’s throat.

As Qin Yuesheng eased his foot slightly, Zhu Wu immediately had a chance to speak. He quickly and honestly replied, "Someone, someone paid us to kidnap children under twelve throughout Jiangnan. Ten taels of gold per child."

"Who is that person?"

"I don’t know. Our boss always handles the negotiations with the client. I am just someone who carries out the work."

"Is Su Hang your boss?"

"No, he is also a subordinate of the boss, but his status is higher than ours. We respectfully call him Second Brother."

"Got it." Just as Qin Yuesheng’s words fell, he swung the saber amidst Zhu Wu’s incredulous gaze. The head fell to the ground, leaving a trail of blood over half a meter long.

"For someone like you who can harm even children, ending you with a single stroke is considered merciful," Qin Yuesheng scoffed, spitting on Zhu Wu’s corpse. "Adults should deal with adults. You overstepped your bounds by preying on the weak."

After disposing of Zhu Wu, Qin Yuesheng picked up the girl and vanished from the spot.

Now that he knew who the mastermind behind the child abductions in Lucky Town was, there was no point in delaying. He decided to strike directly at their base.

Qin Yuesheng hid the girl high in a house and immediately set off running to the inn he visited during the day.

...

Su Hang carried two children into the backyard, wearing night clothes just like the others, with his face tightly covered.

In the backyard of the inn, a bald, muscular man in tight clothes was already waiting for him.

Upon seeing the man, Su Hang immediately placed the children on the ground, walked over respectfully, and greeted with a salute, "Big Brother, you’re back from Yangzhou Prefecture."

"Hmm, how’s the situation here? Haven’t been discovered, have you?" the bald man asked in a deep voice.

"Everything is normal. It’s just that a government official suddenly came in the morning saying he wanted to investigate, which worries me a bit."

"A government official? Just one?"

"Yes."

The bald man stroked his chin, thinking: "We still need seven children to meet the demand. Transferring to another place temporarily might delay us. Never mind, carry on with the task. If that government official threatens us, take him out immediately and leave no traces."

"Understood," Su Hang nodded.

Their group was a pack of desperados; killing was second nature to them, as easy as eating or drinking. Killing an official was no different from taking out an ordinary person, apart from the repercussions from the government afterwards.

While the two talked, people in black carrying children climbed into the yard, quickly increasing the number of children to twelve.

"Let’s get started, take action," the bald man ordered, and Su Hang and the others immediately began their operations.

Su Hang walked over to a sleeping calf, grabbed the skin on its back, and forcefully tore it off.

In an instant, the entire hide was pulled off, leaving just a complete skeleton.

Within a blink of an eye, the living calf was reduced to such a state, a sight truly horrifying to behold.

Su Hang placed a child he had captured into the skeleton’s frame. Then, as he draped the cowhide over the skeleton, chunks of meat and tendons erupted and grew from the child’s body, tearing through his clothes and enveloping him, finally covering the entire skeleton.

As soon as the cowhide seamlessly clung to the skeleton, the calf opened its eyes, stood up, and moved around as if nothing had happened.

The child was gone, completely merged with the calf.

Accustomed to such scenes, Su Hang nonchalantly carried another child towards a goat nearby.

It wasn’t just him. At that moment, others in the backyard were performing similar actions, merging children with the animals in the yard.

The bald man stood with his hands behind his back, observing the entire process with a calm expression.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, and without turning his head, he said, "Since you’re here, stop hiding, come out."

Instantly, Su Hang and the others stopped what they were doing, drew the weapons they carried, and watched their surroundings vigilantly.

Qin Yuesheng, crouched outside the wall, was taken aback. Had his cover been blown?

"This person is also an Inner Power Realm Martial Artist, and quite strong at that," Qin Yuesheng thought to himself as he kept an eye on the bald man.

All of Su Hang and the others’ activities were observed by Qin Yuesheng. He was deeply shocked by their supernatural methods.

He recalled a passage from the "Seven-Star Treasure Mirror" gifted to him by Bai Hao, which described a sinister practice from the north called ’Beast Crafting.’ By covering a person with an animal hide, a living human could be turned into a live beast in the blink of an eye, unable to speak or think.

From the outside, one wouldn’t detect any difference. Unless the spellcaster released the magic, the person would live under the animal hide for a lifetime.

Qin Yuesheng had only read about it in books and never imagined witnessing it firsthand tonight.

"Along with the rats, come out," the bald man shouted fiercely, charging directly towards Qin Yuesheng’s hiding spot, his hand poised like a knife slashing at the wall.

A long green aura shot out of his palm, spanning several meters, and as soon as it struck the wall, it instantly shattered, collapsing in an instant.

Qin Yuesheng unleashed his Inner Strength, colliding instantly with the green aura from the man’s hand, making contact.

Boom!

The ground sank down in a large area, and Qin Yuesheng’s feet sunk into the soil. He was somewhat surprised as he looked at the bald man opposite him.

This green aura was actually Inner Strength!

"It’s him!" Su Hang exclaimed on seeing Qin Yuesheng’s appearance, immediately shouting, "Big Brother, this is the government official I mentioned. I didn’t expect him to have already found us."

"Then he must not be spared," the bald man declared, raising his arms high. In an instant, a massive surge of green Inner Strength burst from his body, enveloping him like a smoky shroud. Since stepping into the martial path, Qin Yuesheng always pursued a direct approach.

He drew his dual blades, instantly unleashing the Mountain-Crushing Tyrant Saber.

Two saber auras, each two meters long, burst forth, cleaving downwards at the layers of green fog.