Chapter 2: Skin Artistry Rebirth
Chapter 2: Skin Artistry Rebirth
“Ah, don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
In the middle of the night, Yingque was jolted awake by a nightmare once again. It had happened countless times.
In his nightmares, the face of one man always appeared, dangerous, domineering, and cruel.
Shen Gong’ao, the supreme powerhouse for a thousand miles around. In the nightmare, Yingque was skinned and died a horrible death over and over.
Yingque was a transmigrator. Twenty-eight years ago, he directly transmigrated into the body of an infant.
Other transmigrators had very tough fates, struggling desperately after arriving. But Yingque was different; his reincarnation skill was top-notch.
He transmigrated as the legitimate son of the Ying Clan from Tiannan. His father was Ying Zhu, the Guardian of the Southern Border and a Duke of the Empire.
His family owned a territory of one hundred thousand square kilometers and had ruled Tianshui Province for hundreds of years.
He was his parents’ youngest son. He had two older brothers and two older sisters above him.
He didn’t need to inherit the family business. His mission in this life was to enjoy wealth and honor.
He was very handsome from a young age. Though a boy, he was fair and delicate, sweet-mouthed, clever, and playful, loved by everyone.
His parents doted on him, his brothers spoiled him, and his sisters adored him.
Even though his talent in Martial Arts and spiritual veins was very mediocre from birth, his family didn’t care at all. Instead, they loved him even more.
His father, Ying Zhu, once held him and said, “Our little treasure is blessed. You won’t have to labor or struggle in this life. Mom and Dad will protect you when you’re young, and your brothers and sisters will protect you when you grow up.”
In the entire duke’s residence, even in the whole Tianshui Province, he was showered with endless affection, getting whatever he wanted. So, he almost completely forgot his identity as a transmigrator.
At the age of twelve, protected by over a hundred family warriors, he began traveling the world, going to the northern forbidden lands and the southern Great Wasteland Ghost City.
He traveled for over a year and wrote a thick travelogue.
When he returned home, his world completely collapsed.
The family castle was engulfed in towering flames.
Countless people were screaming, countless people died.
All his family members were dead.
His dignified and magnificent father, his loving and beautiful mother, his brother who pretended to be stern but deeply cared for him, his timid and gentle eldest sister, his fierce and beautiful second sister…
The Ying Clan, which had ruled Tianshui Province for eight hundred years, was completely wiped out.
The tens of thousands of soldiers loyal to the Ying Clan were all wiped out.
To protect Yingque, hundreds of family warriors fought desperately, but they were no match for one person: the supreme powerhouse Shen Gong’ao.
This powerhouse alone killed hundreds of warriors and captured Yingque. After a few days in prison, Yingque was sentenced to the cruel punishment of flaying.
So, Yingque, only thirteen years old at the time, was skinned and died horribly in front of everyone. His corpse was thrown on an ox-cart and transported hundreds of miles away to be buried at the Nameless Graveyard.
These memories were too vivid. He even dreamed of them every night.
Yingque didn’t know what exactly happened to his family.
The Ying Clan had been passed down for nearly a millennium and was one of the Empire’s top noble families. Not only that, his family had long intermarried with the imperial family, maintaining close ties. When Yingque left home to travel, the Emperor kept bestowing favors.
Why did such a drastic change happen within a year?
In the end, the Ying Clan’s crime was treason and colluding with foreign enemies.
And now, Tianshui Province had been seized by enemies.
The fiefdom ruled by the Ying Clan for eight hundred years fell into the enemy’s clutches. The Mi Clan replaced them, becoming the southern overlords.
Soon, soon.
After encoffining three more corpses, he could perform Skin Artistry Nirvana, obtain a normal body, and return to human society.
Take revenge. Reclaim the eight-hundred-year foundation of the Ying Clan.
Yingque looked at the wall. On it was his first mortal enemy, Shen Gong’ao!
“Shen Gong’ao, you wait for me!”
…
The next day, before dawn, Third Brother left the Nameless Graveyard, going off who-knows-where to fool around.
In the morning, someone carried in two corpses, and Yingque encoffined them.
“Skill extraction successful: Advanced Carpenter.”
“New skill obtained: Postpartum Care for Sows.”
Even the usually unsmiling Yingque twitched the corner of his mouth slightly.
Then, he wrote 9999 on the wall.
Only one more corpse remained from the target of ten thousand. Then his three skills would all be complete.
At that time, he would undergo Nirvana.
He would have the appearance of a normal person, possess top-grade bone talent found in one in a million, and spiritual vein talent found in one in a hundred million.
Then, he could go take revenge.
Revenge!
Go take revenge on Shen Gong’ao!
At noon, someone brought three more corpses.
But Yingque did not encoffin them. He buried them directly.
…
In the evening, the extremely handsome, snow-white-clad noble young master, Third Brother, came again.
“Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother.”
“Today, Third Brother brought you so many delicious dishes. There’s braised fish lips, boiled cabbage, Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious, braised bear paw, lamb tofu, and the Empire’s top-tier famous wine.”
Wuque took off his gloves and walked out.
The two brothers sat on the ground again. They drank wine and ate dishes, very happy.
“Brother, the border war has ended,” Third Brother said.
Yingque said, “Hasn’t the outcome at White Horse City been decided yet?”
Third Brother said, “But the south is decided. The Empire’s Grand Commander Shen Gong’ao destroyed a hundred and fifty thousand troops of the Kingdom of Dali. Not only did he recapture twelve cities, he also expanded the Empire’s territory by several hundred miles. It’s a great victory unseen in twenty years. With the great victory in the south, the western Dalao Kingdom and the Manla tribe didn’t dare to fight anymore and retreated.”
Yingque said, “This Shen Gong’ao is truly formidable. For ten years, he fought countless battles, winning every one. Alone, he expanded the Empire’s territory by a thousand miles, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of enemy troops.”
Not just that. In over ten years, the Shen Gong Family’s territory expanded tenfold. From a house vassal of a pacified foreign tribe, they became a top-tier noble family of the Empire today.
Yingque said, “I heard his Martial Arts are supreme. For a thousand miles, he has no opponent, peerlessly dominant?”
Third Brother said, “Yes, peerlessly dominant. Those who obey prosper, those who resist perish. Under his domineering might, everyone trembles! But I look down on him. I’d dare to spit in his face right in front of him.”
Taking a sip of wine, Third Brother looked at Yingque sincerely and said, “Fifth Brother, I need to leave for a while to handle something. Then I’ll come back to keep you company and never leave again.”
Yingque said, “For that woman?”
Third Brother said, “Right, the woman I love. Even though she’s already married. But I promised her something, and I must fulfill it.”
Yingque said, “Find a treasure and give it to her?”
Third Brother said, “Right, a treasure, a supreme treasure of heaven and earth. I spent eight whole years traveling the world, following countless clues, and finally found it. Besides that, I have another mission.”
Yingque said, “What mission?”
Third Brother said, “Our family still has one enemy not completely eradicated. Since I was young, I’ve been the family’s shame, always opposing my parents. I owe them for giving me life and raising me. So I need to help the family remove this last hidden danger, so the whole family can have no worries.”
Yingque said, “To you.”
Third Brother’s eyes were filled with tears, and he said emotionally, “Fifth Brother, I’m a ridiculous person. Since childhood, I’ve had a strange and solitary personality. Everyone looked down on me, the woman I love used me, and my father was ashamed of me. Only with you could I speak freely, like a true friend.”
Yingque said, “Third Brother is my only real friend in this life.”
Third Brother drank it all in one go and said, “Fifth Brother, don’t worry. After finishing these two matters, I’ll come back to stay with you, and from then on, we’ll depend on each other for survival.”
Yingque’s eyes also teared up as he said, “To Third Brother, to the five years we depended on each other.”
Both drank again.
Then… Yingque’s expression changed, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and he fell to the ground, motionless.
The handsome noble young man, his eyes full of tears, stepped forward to help Yingque up, held him in his arms, and said tremblingly, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“Fifth Brother, I promised the woman I love that I would find that treasure for her. I must prove myself.”
“I searched for years and finally discovered the treasure was in your hands—a brush, the White Bone Brush.”
“Fifth Brother, I also know you are Yingque, who came back from the dead. Our family’s foundation, the Mi Clan’s fortune—all of it was taken from your family. Our Shen Gong Family was originally an assimilated foreign clan; gaining our current power and status wasn’t easy. If you were left alive, you would surely seek revenge. I’m already an unfilial son, but to repay my parents’ kindness, I must root out the grass for the family’s sake.”
“Fifth Brother, I once ventured into a terrifying cave and was invaded and corrupted by a kind of Dark Energy. My time is nearly up.”
“During these years, we depended on each other. You were my only true friend. Rest easy, after finishing these two matters, I’ll go to the Nameless Graveyard to guard your spirit and take your place as the mortician.”
“Us brothers, truly relying on each other, and after death, I’ll be buried beside you.”
“Fifth Brother, I now tell you my true identity: I am the third son of Shen Gong’ao… Shen Wuque.”
Saying this, the noble young man took the White Bone Brush from Yingque’s embrace.
Then, he pulled out a dagger and slowly moved to pierce it into Yingque’s heart.
“I’m sorry, Fifth Brother, I’m sorry.”
“It won’t hurt. It’ll be quick.” He slowly pressed the dagger in, tears streaming down his face.
Yingque lay quiet, his eyes wet as if waiting for death.
But the next second…
The handsome noble young man, Shen Wuque, bled from his nose, his ears, his mouth.
Shen Wuque was stunned and trembled, “Fifth Brother, you… you knew my identity all along?”
Yingque nodded.
Shen Wuque said, “You… you also knew I was going to poison you, so you struck first?”
“I waited for you to harm me!” Yingque said, “Of course, you can still pierce my heart and kill me now.”
Shen Wuque trembled all over; the dagger in his hand never descended.
“Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, brother begs you… spare my father… don’t wipe out my family…”
Shen Wuque said hoarsely, then closed his eyes and died.
“Caiwei… Caiwei!”
…
Yingque cleaned Shen Wuque’s body spotlessly, dressed him in the most splendid clothes, and did his makeup.
Then, he painted a portrait of his corpse.
What an extraordinarily handsome man.
He poured in unprecedented effort.
A portrait of a handsome man leaped onto the paper: lively, free-spirited, untamed.
Extracting the soul memory of the deceased.
The soul memory of Shen Gong’ao’s third son, Shen Wuque—countless memory data—poured unreservedly into Yingque’s mind.
Next, Yingque used the White Bone Brush as a knife, meticulous and precise.
Then…
The relic at the tip of the White Bone Brush suddenly lit up, almost illuminating the entire night.
The White Bone Brush achieved Nirvana.
Bone Artistry complete, Vein Artistry complete, Skin Artistry complete!
…
Yingque sat cross-legged on the ground, first performing Bone Artistry on himself.
The Divine Dragon in Heaven, the Mysterious Turtle on Earth, and the Lightning Fracture—these three bone structures were top-tier, one in a million.
Wuque chose the Divine Dragon in Heaven, the kingly bone structure.
He was born with mediocre bones, but he could gather the bone structures of ten thousand people and condense them into his own body.
Transforming himself into a Martial Arts genius, one in ten million.
One hour passed, two hours, five hours, ten hours…
A full day and night went by.
Yingque finished his Bone Artistry!
The world’s top-tier Martial Arts bone structure, the Divine Dragon in Heaven, transformation complete, Nirvana complete!
Yingque opened his eyes again. Although his appearance hadn’t changed…
… inside, it felt as if a gust of wind was hidden.
With such heaven-defying bones, learning any Martial Arts would advance by leaps and bounds, incredibly fast and astonishing.
With this bone talent, no matter which country, he’d be a favored son of heaven.
…
Next, perform Vein Artistry on himself.
Next, he had to choose which kind of spiritual veins.
Nine Yin Profound Veins, Nine Yang Profound Veins, Chaos God Veins!
The Nine Yin Profound Veins suited professions like scheming, such as music, gu cultivation, poison-making, Yin-Yang Master, etc.
The Nine Yang Profound Veins suited Alchemy, formation masters, military strategists, etc.
The Chaos God Veins could be yin or yang, full of unknowns.
But generally, spiritual vein talent needed purity and extremity; Chaos God Veins weren’t recommended due to too much uncertainty.
After thinking long, Wuque still chose the Chaos God Veins—at least this spiritual vein couldn’t be detected.
Next, Yingque began the immensely difficult Vein Artistry.
Veins were extremely complex; top-tier Chaos God Veins were even more so.
Because each previous Vein Artistry only required a rough shape match, not involving the interior.
But this time, it was a complete replication of an incredibly complex vein system.
A person’s total blood vessels and nerves added up to over a hundred thousand kilometers.
One hour passed.
Two hours passed.
Five hours passed.
A full twenty-four hours passed.
Yingque opened his eyes, Vein Artistry complete!
The Chaos God Veins, one in billions, were successfully achieved!
…
Finally, Skin Artistry!
After a full half-hour!
He moved the White Bone Brush inch by inch over the opening.
Immediately, the opening completely healed.
Muscles on the body surface began to writhe.
Finally, the whole body became seamless, flawless.
Success.
Finally succeeded!
Yingque looked at himself in the mirror: tall and straight, exquisitely handsome, an elegant, handsome man.
Fifteen years, a full fifteen years!
He now had a complete body, a complete face, and could finally return to human society.
From today onward, he was the Third Young Master of the Shen Clan: Shen Wuque.
Shen Gong’ao, my first life-and-death enemy.
Wait for me to come to your home—first take your foundation, then make you wish you could neither live nor die.
And just at that moment!
“Boom, boom, boom, boom…”
Outside, the sky was filled with thunder and lightning.
A huge bolt of lightning struck fiercely at the house where Yingque resided.
“Crash!” The house collapsed directly.
In the heavy rain and lightning, Yingque spread his arms and roared at the sky.
“Ah… Ah… Ah…”