Chapter 12

In the end, the Witch Ancestor completely gave up, and with a "clank," angrily threw the copper basin to the ground. In a flash, he coldly stared at Lin Hu, his icy gaze making Lin Hu dare not meet his eyes. After staring for a long while, the Witch Ancestor coldly said, "What did you do? Why have you lost the ability to inherit the Witch Ancestor's powers?"

Lin Hu was no less shocked than if he had been struck by five thunderbolts. His dream since childhood had been to become the next Witch Ancestor. He never thought that the Witch Ancestor's position, which he had almost obtained, would slip away. The joy brought by the immortality granted by the transformation was completely negated. In Lin Hu's view, he would rather not have the immortal constitution and instead serve as the Witch Ancestor for a few decades.

Lin Hu told the Witch Ancestor about Wu Mian giving him the immortality pill. This matter was indeed absurd, but the fact that Lin Hu's constitution had changed was right before their eyes. Moreover, the nearby Miao people would never lie to the Witch Ancestor, whom they revered as a deity. The Witch Ancestor had no choice but to believe it.

Now, there was no other way. In a few days, the nearby Miao villages would gather to select the next Witch Ancestor. By then, Lin Hu could only watch helplessly as someone else became the Witch Ancestor. The Witch Ancestor had originally wanted to give Lin Hu some comfort and teach him some witchcraft. However, when he tried to teach Lin Hu, he discovered that Lin Hu's constitution was no longer suitable for learning witchcraft. Out of helplessness, he called Wu Mian to have him show some consideration to Lin Hu.

Wu Mian, by nature, was not suitable to be a teacher. However, since he had caused this situation, and after spending some time with Lin Hu, he found the Miao man likable. In the end, he agreed to teach Lin Hu some basic techniques, but whether Lin Hu could learn them was up to him.

Seeing Wu Mian agree, the Witch Ancestor laughed and immediately told Lin Hu the location on the map, instructing him to take Wu Mian there. With the second map's location finally determined, Wu Mian lost interest in further idle chat with the Witch Ancestor. After a brief farewell, he pulled Lin Hu back to his village to prepare for the journey. When the sky was just beginning to brighten the next day, Wu Mian and Lin Hu set off for the location indicated by the Witch Ancestor.

However, they had not consulted the almanac before leaving. Not long after setting out, they encountered a heavy rain. The two found a cave to take shelter. As the rain showed no sign of stopping, Wu Mian, out of boredom, began to teach Lin Hu some basic techniques from the bamboo slips he had left behind. Without the foundation of a fangshi (alchemist), Lin Hu found it extremely difficult to learn. Fortunately, Wu Mian did not expect him to master them immediately; he just wanted Lin Hu to memorize them. Lin Hu no longer cared about time and planned to learn slowly in the future.

The rain continued for most of the day before finally stopping. Wu Mian and Lin Hu set off again. The muddy mountain paths made their journey slow, and it was not until the evening of the next day that they reached the location indicated by the Witch Ancestor.

This location was beside a huge banyan tree. After Lin Hu pointed it out, Wu Mian compared it to the map and found it quite similar. He began to walk around the banyan tree, drawing on his experience from the Yan Mountains in Liaodong. He started pressing various spots, hoping to find an entrance similar to the one he had found in the Yan Mountains.

While Wu Mian was focused on finding the entrance, Lin Hu followed closely behind. Wu Mian assumed he was helping and did not pay much attention. As he examined a narrow tree hole, a sudden unease washed over him. His body instinctively tensed, as if sensing an impending crisis.

Wu Mian suddenly turned around and found Lin Hu right behind him. Their eyes met, and Lin Hu's gaze was filled with a ruthless expression. Despite his heightened sensitivity, Wu Mian had not noticed how close Lin Hu had gotten.

The two were too close, and Wu Mian did not see the strange-patterned dagger in Lin Hu's hand. When Wu Mian turned, Lin Hu was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted, thrusting the dagger into Wu Mian's chest.

Wu Mian was completely unprepared. He watched helplessly as the dagger pierced his heart. The seed inside his body reacted faster, sending an electric arc through the wound and into Lin Hu's body. Lin Hu's body convulsed, but he did not let go. The dagger pierced Wu Mian's heart to the hilt. A second electric arc burst from Wu Mian's chest, and Lin Hu finally released his grip.

Lin Hu's hand, burned by the electric arc, was charred, and the air was filled with the smell of burnt flesh. However, he seemed unconcerned and sneered at Wu Mian, saying, "Tsk tsk... Truly an immortal body, you don't die even with a stab to the heart."

Leaning against the banyan tree, the stab to his heart, though not fatal, left Wu Mian severely weakened. Looking at Lin Hu, who was sneering at him, Wu Mian suddenly understood something. Meeting Lin Hu's gaze, he slowly said, "You are not Lin Hu. Didn't the Witch Ancestor say that your souls could not merge?"

Lin Hu laughed strangely and said, "Fangshi is a fangshi, you figured it out quickly. You guessed right, but this isn't a merge. I'm just borrowing Lin Hu's body. Once I bring you back, I'll return this body to him."

"Nicely done, I can't help but praise you..." Wu Mian glanced at the dagger handle in his chest and slowly raised his head, saying, "The one who stabbed me was Lin Hu. If it had been you, I would have been more alert."

Lin Hu nodded and said, "The stab was his, I just made it deeper. But you should understand, this isn't because I'm not your match. Within the sacred altar, no one can harm me. And I need your immortal body. If we fought face to face, I might damage your body."

Lin Hu looked at the dagger still dripping blood from Wu Mian's chest and continued, "Don't think you have a chance to fight back. Fangshis believe that the heart is the root of the meridians. Even if you are immortal, the stab to your heart has cut off your source of power."

He laughed again and said, "I never thought I would lose a successor to the Witch Ancestor but gain an immortal body. When my soul, which has been passed down for hundreds of generations, resides in your immortal body, there will be only one immortal Witch Ancestor." Excited, Lin Hu threw back his head and laughed, but he still kept an eye on Wu Mian. He saw Wu Mian stagger and run behind the banyan tree.

Lin Hu finally stopped laughing and followed Wu Mian, playing a cat-and-mouse game. When Wu Mian turned behind the banyan tree, Lin Hu followed, but found nothing there.

This is impossible. Even if he were not injured, he wouldn't have had time to use the fangshi's invisible escape technique. He couldn't just disappear from right in front of me. Lin Hu, in a fit of rage, cursed and continued searching for Wu Mian.

While Lin Hu was searching for Wu Mian, the suddenly vanished Wu Mian was actually under Lin Hu's feet, watching his every move. Beside Wu Mian was an old man who looked incredibly aged. His skin, like the peel of an orange, was loose and sagging. A tattered piece of cloth, barely qualifying as clothing, hung on the old man's body. His bald forehead, covered in wrinkles, had a few sparse white hairs.

The old man grinned at Wu Mian and said, "I saw you circling this mountain a few times. I didn't say anything, just to see how long it would take you to find me..."

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends