Chapter 35

As the aura grew more distant until it could no longer be detected, Wu Mian turned back and glanced at Gui BuGui, who was also looking at him. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Wu Mian lifted his chin and said, "This is a volcano, right? You lost..."

Relying on the dry rations that Gui BuGui had brought back, the two of them stayed in the cave for more than two months. It wasn't until Wu Mian had fully recovered that they both descended the mountain.

Before going down the mountain, Gui BuGui first went around outside the cave. When he returned, he was holding a lively rabbit and some miscellaneous herbs.

In front of Wu Mian, the old man soaked the herbs in clear water, then personally slaughtered the rabbit. Despite living for several hundred years and being served by his disciples in the past, he still managed to bleed and skin the rabbit with a proper technique. After cleaning it up, he roasted the rabbit meat for Wu Mian. What Gui BuGui truly needed was the rabbit's skin.

The old man carefully scraped off all the fur from the rabbit skin with a dagger, washed it, and then dried it in the sun for two days. He then soaked it in clear water again. Once it was thoroughly soaked, Gui BuGui used the dagger to peel off a thin layer of skin.

Seeing Gui BuGui's skill, Wu Mian was quite surprised. He didn't understand what this was for, but Wu Mian wasn't one to ask many questions. When the old man was almost done, he finally asked, "I didn't see any magic in what you did, but your craftsmanship is quite good. If you ever can't make it in the world of magicians, you could open a leather shop. You might not starve to death."

Gui BuGui had long adapted to Wu Mian's way of speaking and didn't take offense. He laughed awkwardly and said, "This is really a family tradition. Before becoming a magician, our family has been in the leather business for three generations. Back then, any feudal lord who didn't have a few pieces of our family's leather goods in their palace would be embarrassed to call themselves a ruler."

As he spoke, Gui BuGui put the newly peeled rabbit skin back into the clear water. He then took out the herbs that had been soaking for a few days, crushed them on a stone table, and mixed the paste with clear water in a stone bowl. After adjusting the consistency, he brought the bowl to Wu Mian.

"Close your eyes. This herbal juice won't hurt you, but if it gets in your eyes, it could sting for a day or two." As he spoke, Gui BuGui dipped his fingers into the herbal juice and was about to apply it to Wu Mian's face. Just as it was about to touch his skin, several arcs of electricity suddenly appeared around Wu Mian's body. Although they didn't strike the old man, the crackling sound was enough to make anyone nervous.

Gui BuGui had anticipated this and stepped back, shouting, "Wait! I'm changing your appearance!" Wu Mian seemed to be waiting for these words, and the arcs of electricity disappeared as soon as they were spoken.

Wu Mian glanced at the stone bowl in Gui BuGui's hand and said, "Still for the volcano."

Gui BuGui let out a long breath and said to Wu Mian, "I've known the volcano since I was young. His temperament is just like his unlucky master, always suspicious. He brought your portrait and chased you here. Although he didn't find you in the cave, he's sure you're hiding on the mountain. Since he can't find you on the mountain, he'll block you at the foot of the mountain. You know there's only one road down, and anyone who passes by can be caught. Without preparation, we can't leave."

As he spoke, Gui BuGui carefully applied the herbal juice to Wu Mian's face. Seeing that Wu Mian didn't resist, he became bolder and continued to apply it to his face and neck. Wu Mian remained silent, allowing Gui BuGui to work. After applying the juice, Gui BuGui also applied it to Wu Mian's hands. Strangely, the green herbal juice turned into a light yellow color when it dried, very similar to human skin.

After finishing, Gui BuGui applied half of the remaining herbal juice to his own face and soaked the thin layer of rabbit skin in the rest. Wu Mian couldn't see what it looked like, but he could tell from the old man's appearance that his originally pale skin had turned into a normal light yellow. From this, he could roughly guess what he looked like.

After applying the juice to himself, Gui BuGui found some dried rabbit blood from a few days ago. He mixed it with the remaining herbal juice, and as he stirred, the color became darker, eventually turning into a black ink-like substance.

He applied this black ink-like substance to Wu Mian's hair and, while it was drying, took out the thin layer of rabbit skin from the herbal juice. He cut it into several pieces and attached them to Wu Mian's nose, cheeks, and eyelids. Then, using his dagger, he carved and drew on Wu Mian's face, occasionally using the remaining, now thickened, herbal juice to make adjustments.

After two or three hours, Gui BuGui was satisfied with his work. He found a copper mirror in the cave, wiped off the rust, and placed it in front of Wu Mian. The reflection showed a man in his forties with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles. No one would recognize this man as Wu Mian.

Seeing Wu Mian's barely concealed surprise, Gui BuGui grinned and said, "How's that? Not bad, right?" Wu Mian's gaze shifted from the mirror to Gui BuGui and said, "I didn't know you were good at this."

To his surprise, the old man didn't boast. He just smiled bitterly and, looking at the mirror, applied the remaining rabbit skin to the wrinkles on his own face. In a moment, the old man looked decades younger, and his appearance changed significantly. As he worked, he said, "When I was expelled from the magician's guild by Xu Fu, my old enemies heard about it. They couldn't touch me normally, but they attacked during my three-year weakening period. If I hadn't read a lot of books and learned some disguise techniques, I wouldn't be here to suffer with you."

After finishing, Gui BuGui took the silk scroll containing the Four Directions Scripture from the scroll holder, crumpled it into a ball, and placed it behind Wu Mian. In an instant, Wu Mian became a hunched middle-aged man.

After everything was ready, Gui BuGui taught Wu Mian a method to conceal his aura. This wasn't a magical technique and didn't require advanced skills. Wu Mian practiced a few times and soon mastered it. Looking at Wu Mian's new appearance, Gui BuGui grinned and said, "Alright, let's go down the mountain."

Just as Gui BuGui had expected, as soon as they descended the mountain, they saw a pavilion set up at the only exit from the village. Inside, four or five people were sitting, looking at the faces of passersby. The leader was a red-haired man, none other than the volcano who had recently faced Wu Mian.

Gui BuGui and Wu Mian walked towards the pavilion as if nothing was wrong. When they were about ten paces away, the old man suddenly said to Wu Mian, "Dog, remember to tell your mother that I'm staying at your uncle's house tonight and won't be back. Don't leave the door open for me."

Wu Mian glanced at the volcano, who was already paying attention to them, and replied, "Then you die outside and don't come back." He spoke vaguely, and to outsiders, it sounded like, "Then you sleep outside and don't come back."

Gui BuGui laughed and, feeling bold, pinched Wu Mian's cheek, saying, "I know Dog can't bear to be without his father. When I come back from your uncle's, I'll bring meat for you and your mother..."