Simultaneous Transmigration: My Strength Comes Entirely from My Own

Page 104

"What's the point of saying anything more? You've already seen through me."

Sikong Zhaixing quickly stood up from the ground, looking utterly dejected.

"How come you can recognize me every time? Is there some flaw in my disguise technique?"

Sikong Zhaixing was completely baffled. His first meeting with Luke was because Luke recognized him while he was wearing a disguised face.

This is a long story.

Sikong Zhaixing, male, appearance unknown, but from his own description, it is clear that he is not bad-looking. His height is a mystery, and he can be tall or short, fat or thin.

Skilled in thievery and disguise, he's a master thief, known in the underworld as the King of Thieves, Sikong Zhaixing.

Sikong Zhaixing was a thief, a master of stealth. He named himself Zhaixing (meaning "Star Picker"), and just by reading the name, one can tell how skilled he was at light-footedness and thieving.

He was someone who treated stealing as an art.

Those who know him well believe that Sikong Zhaixing would not steal because he is short of money; he would only steal if someone paid him. He rarely steals gold and silver, but he is very interested in stealing the daily necessities of certain important figures in the forbidden area of ​​the imperial palace. He has many friends, and he can joke with them and travel great distances to help them. However, he would never let his friends interfere with his art of stealing, and he would never change his principles of stealing for anyone.

Sikong Zhaixing never missed a target; he could steal anything, including living people.

He stole not to keep the stolen goods for himself, nor for money, but simply to allow something to develop, a knot to be untied, or a plan to be realized.

If someone says that Sikong Zhaixing's disguise skills are not the best in the Ming Dynasty, then probably no one in the martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty would dare to admit that his disguise skills are the best in the world.

The term "disguise" sounds mysterious, always making people think it's related to some mysterious things, and that it often involves them in some very dangerous and evil activities in the martial arts world.

In reality, disguise is just a very common technique. If a very beautiful girl dresses up as a bearded man for a play, isn't that also disguise?

Like many other things, it's easy to learn something, but difficult to master it.

What stage had Sikong Zhaixing's disguise skills reached?

In short: there is no disguise technique in the world that can make a person look like another person and deceive that person's closest friends and relatives.

The most sophisticated disguise techniques can only transform a person into someone who doesn't exist at all, or someone whose relatives or friends won't see them in the vicinity, making it impossible for others to recognize who they are.

If one can achieve this, then the art of disguise has already gained its value, and it is worthwhile for countless people to study it diligently.

Sikong Zhaixing's disguise skills have undoubtedly reached this stage, or even surpassed it.

But Luke defied this rule. Instead of using his own brain to deduce the inconsistencies in Luke's appearance and thus uncover his identity, he saw through his disguise from the very beginning. This feeling left Sikong Zhaixing both frustrated and excited, which is why he appeared in front of Luke.

Chapter 188: Martial Arts Chronicle: Sikong Zhaixing and Luke's Past

Back then, Sikong Zhaixing was entrusted by someone to steal the Blood Ruyi from Yujian Manor.

So this guy went to the Imperial Sword Manor, used his superb lightness skill to sneak in, knocked out a member of the Iron Guard, changed into his clothes, and then used his unparalleled disguise skills to impersonate him.

But just as he was secretly patrolling the Imperial Sword Manor with the Iron Guard to find out about the manor's defenses, he encountered Luke.

Luke glanced at him and immediately sensed something was wrong. He casually approached him and then pointed a finger at him.

However, after learning Sikong Zhaixing's identity, Luke did not make things difficult for him and released him without reporting the matter to Yin Hao.

To repay Luke, Sikong Zhaixing also taught Luke the lightness skill she had practiced.

However, one thing is one thing, but Luke saw through him so easily that Sikong Zhaixing felt that his skills were being challenged.

Therefore, Sikong Zhaixing infiltrated Yujian Manor many times in different guises, including but not limited to disguising himself as Yin Hao, Yin Zhong, Yin Tianqi, and Yin Tianxue.

But without exception, Luke saw through it all; there were seven such instances in total.

Just as Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times in ancient times, Luke captured Sikong Zhaixing seven times in modern times, which can be considered an anecdote.

From then on, Sikong Zhaixing always wanted to get revenge. So when he saw Luke in the capital, he spent a lot of money that very night to buy the inn where Luke was staying, and then staged this scene early in the morning.

"By the way, how did you recognize me?"

Sikong Zhaixing sat opposite Luke, reached out and wiped his face, peeling off a thin mask to reveal another face, and said dejectedly.

This is certainly not his true face, but if a face is recognized, he will change to another. So far, once a face is recognized, Sikong Zhaixing has never used it a second time.

"It's mainly because your sleazy aura is so hard to hide, I recognized you at a glance 々々."

Luke said casually.

Of course, the truth is unlikely to be that far-fetched.

The fusion of the five worlds made Luke's soul strength far exceed that of ordinary people, and his perception was also extremely sharp.

Sikong Zhaixing can change his body shape, height, appearance, and gender, but he can never change his aura, which is the key reason why Luke discovered him.

Of course, when Luke first met Sikong Zhaixing, he didn't have such a strong sense of perception, so it was indeed a coincidence that he was able to discover him.

Luke recognized the Iron Guard that Sikong Zhaixing was impersonating. Luke noticed that he was a little different from usual, so he paid special attention to him.

Although Luke at that time did not have the sensory abilities he has now, he was at least a fusion of Luke himself, and his sensory abilities were already much stronger than those of ordinary people. If he was careful, he could easily notice the differences.

Although Sikong Zhaixing was curious, seeing that Luke didn't want to talk about it, she didn't bother to ask and waved her hand.

"Fine, fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."

Luke shook his head, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and asked casually.

"I remember you always kept your distance from officials, so why are you in the capital today? There must be the most officials here in the whole world!"

Sikong Zhaixing chuckled and said, "Hehe, I just heard that the number one thief in the world has been recognized by the number one manor in the world. I'd like to see what he's capable of to dare to call himself the number one thief in the world."

Luke understood; it turned out that Sikong Zhaixing was dissatisfied and was preparing to cause trouble.

That's normal, though. That's just how Sikong Zhaixing is. He always gets hung up on these strange and unusual things.

If it were Bai Zhantang, he wouldn't care at all, and might even be happy, because the title of master thief would be stolen by the other party, and his own reputation as the Thief Saint would be greatly diminished.

"I saw you when I entered the city, so I thought I'd say hello."

Sikong Zhaixing continued.

Luke shook his head and said helplessly, "You're really bored. You actually bought an entire inn for such a trivial matter. I really don't know where you got your money."

Luke knew that although Sikong Zhaixing was known as the King of Thieves, he would only play with the things he stole for a few days before returning them to their owners. He would never keep them for himself, otherwise he wouldn't have so many righteous friends.

However, Luke also knew that Sikong Zhaixing was always generous and never worried about running out of money, which made Luke very curious about his source of income.

Sikong Zhaixing said proudly, "Although my family's wealth cannot compare with that of your Imperial Sword Manor, it is not small either. After all, I am a descendant of the Thieves' Sect, and there are many good things left by my ancestors."

The so-called "Thief's Guild" belongs to the lowest of the low, specializing in the study of thieving techniques. It is said that their ancestor was Dao Zhe from the Warring States period, and the tradition has a long history.

It has been passed down for nearly two thousand years to Sikong Zhaixing's generation.

Of course, this is just a self-proclaimed claim. Even Sikong Zhaixing is not sure whether his lineage is actually the same as that of Daozhe. Whether it has been passed down for such a long time is a matter of opinion. After all, which sect in the martial arts world wouldn't embellish its own lineage?

But what exactly happened is actually known to everyone.

The Huashan Sect still claims to be the successor of Chen Tuan, but Chen Tuan was known as the Sleeping Immortal, and his Hidden Dragon Skill is not found in the Huashan Sect. Instead, it has split into many different factions.

However, the Thieves' Guild was indeed very wealthy, after all, they were all famous thieves throughout the ages. While they might not be richer than a country, they certainly had mountains of gold and silver.

... (Li, Wang, Zhao) ...

"You mean he broke your Heartless Slash with just one hand?"

Inside the Dragon Guardian Manor, Zhu Wushi looked at Guihai Yidao in front of him and said, "Trembling."

Guihai Yidao held the Blood-Sweat Sword to his chest, said nothing, and simply nodded.

Zhu Wushi pondered for a moment, then spoke to Guihai Yidao.

"If you strike me, use your full strength."

Without any hesitation, Guihai Yidao drew his Blood-Sweat Sword in an instant.

Guihai Yidao's sword energy was like a raging dragon, leaving a white trail in the air as it rushed straight towards Zhu Wushi.

Zhu Wushi remained calm, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, but just as Guihai Yidao's blade was about to touch him, he gently waved his hand.

"Om-"

The immense and powerful aura seemed to have a tangible form, creating an indestructible barrier.

Chapter 189: Martial Arts Chronicle: Luke Arrives at the Heavenly Prison

Guihai Yidao's sword energy vanished instantly, as if it had struck a mountain.

The air in the entire lobby seemed to freeze under the impact, then dispersed like a tide, bringing with it a gust of wind.

"Not bad, your swordsmanship has improved again," Zhu Wushi said calmly, with a hint of satisfaction in his tone. "However, although your sword energy is sharp, it lacks some variation. If you can fully integrate it, your sword energy will contain multiple variations, and its power will reach a higher level."

Guihai Yidao remained silent, only nodding slightly, but a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

He had practiced swordsmanship since childhood and his skills were already superb, but Zhu Wushi's words made him realize that his swordsmanship still had shortcomings.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhu Wushi continued, "The way of swordsmanship emphasizes the balance of strength and gentleness. Your sword energy is too strong and lacks flexibility. If you can comprehend the power of gentleness, your sword energy will be as pervasive as flowing water, making it impossible for the enemy to defend against."

Once you understand one principle, you'll understand all others. Zhu Wushi had mastered the skills of all 108 masters from the Battle of Taihu Lake, and he had also absorbed their martial arts techniques through the Absorption Technique. Among them were many masters of swordsmanship. In addition, his skill was deeper and his martial arts cultivation was higher than Guihai Yidao's. With his superior perspective, he was still able to offer some constructive suggestions.

Gui Haiyi frowned slightly, as if he had realized something. He slowly raised the Bloodstained Sword in his hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

He took a deep breath and silently recited Zhu Wushi's words. His sword energy gradually condensed, but it was no longer as sharp as before; instead, it carried a hint of gentleness.

Upon seeing this, a hint of approval flashed in Zhu Wushi's eyes. He gently waved his hand, and his protective energy condensed once more, forming an invisible barrier.

Guihai Yidao's sword energy slowly approached. This time, the sword energy was no longer easily blocked by the qi as before, but rather seeped in like flowing water, gradually approaching Zhu Wushi's body.

However, just as the blade energy was about to touch Zhu Wushi, Zhu Wushi's qi suddenly changed, transforming into a vortex that swept the blade energy into it, instantly dissolving it.

Guihai Yidao's sword aura dissipated once more, but a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Not bad, you have grasped the essence of soft power." Zhu Wushi nodded in satisfaction. "However, you still need to practice more to truly master the art of swordsmanship."

Gui Haiyi put away his precious sword and bowed slightly to express his gratitude. He knew in his heart that Zhu Wushi's guidance was like a sudden enlightenment to him.

He secretly resolved that he would practice diligently after returning home and elevate his swordsmanship to a higher level.

"How do you think Luke's skills compare to mine?"

Zhu Wushi suddenly asked a question.

Guihai Yidao thought for a moment, then answered.

"Your skill is undeniable, but Luke's skill seems even more solid. Your aura covers three zhang around you, which is astonishing. But my sword energy can still penetrate three chi. When Luke strikes out, I feel as if I am facing a thousand-zhang high mountain pressing down on me. In that instant, even breathing seems like a luxury."

Guihai Yidao spoke his most genuine feelings. After all, it was really difficult for him to say who was stronger between Luke and Zhu Wushi, since his martial arts skills were far inferior to the two above, and he simply couldn't tell the difference in strength.