Chapter 48: 48. Senior Brother Late at night... Shadow Puppet Peak, dungeon. The terrified Bi Huayi faced a direct "Soul Search." If it were someone else, they wouldn’t escape a round of torture beforehand. But after all, this was the Dao companion of Stone Master, respect was still needed. Stone Seat Elder stood aside, coldly watching. Gu Tianyang withdrew his finger, raised his head, frowned, as if digesting the information he just saw, then turned his head and glanced at Stone Seat Elder, saying, "Don’t worry, I’m very measured. She’s not demented, but from now on she can’t cultivate, occasionally her mind will have some minor issues." Stone Seat Elder said with a grim face: "That still needs to thank Gu Peak Master for your mercy." Gu Tianyang suddenly couldn’t help laughing, laughed until the fire in the corner trembled, making the shadows of the people on the stone wall flicker and distort. Stone Seat Elder said: "Gu Peak Master, are you still mocking this old man?" Gu Tianyang laughed and said, "If you knew what I saw in her memory, you would wish I had killed her." Then, he suddenly frowned, squinted towards the serious old man not far away, asked, "Do you know she wanted to poison you? And it was just in these few days." Stone Seat Elder was stunned in place, his pupils somewhat frozen, slowly revealing sadness, then lowered his head with a self-mocking sigh, shook his head, said "I truly didn’t know," then asked: "Have you found out the cause of Feng’Er’s death?" Gu Tianyang’s expression was profound, but he shook his head, saying: "No." The air became silent. Gu Tianyang waved his hand suddenly, said: "Stone Master, don’t think too much, you are getting older, you should go rest well, Sect Leader is still expecting you to cultivate a new generation of Skin Masters for the sect." Stone Seat Elder nodded slightly, stepped forward to support Bi Huayi, said gently: "Let’s go." Bi Huayi trembled violently, her unfocused pupils looked around in panic, her fingers flailing like a drowning person, after touching the old man’s clothes, she grabbed tightly, not letting go. Stone Seat Elder smiled gently, then led her away slowly from this eerie dark dungeon. In the dungeon... Gu Tianyang’s expression was sinister, murmured: "Bi Huayi and Feng’Er wanted to poison you, and what they were after was your legacy. If I asked why you didn’t pass on the legacy to Feng’Er, you would surely say it’s not the right time, or some nonsense like just a few days. Why didn’t you pass it on to Feng’Er? With Feng’Er dead, the one who benefits most is you! You escaped disaster in those few days. What secrets do you have?" For a long time... "You still need to cultivate Skin Masters now, if I moved against you, Sect Leader wouldn’t go easy on me. But wait for two more years, until you’re a bit older... I’ll certainly give you a Soul Search too, see what’s really going on! Filthy old thing!" ... ... The next day. Antitoxic Elixir was delivered to Song Yan, he casually placed it into the Storage Space, then went with Wang Susu to pay respects to the current South Bamboo Peak Master — Stone Seat Elder. However, they did not meet him. So, Song Yan and Wang Susu easily went to the Skinning Cave Mansion, but at the door, Wang Susu went in while Song Yan was stopped. The disciple blocking the door smiled looking at him, said: "Song... Song what was it again? I don’t remember, that’s not important! I’ve heard about you, you were distracted in Stone Master’s class, Stone Master hasn’t forgiven you yet! Wait until he forgives you, then you can enter." He was trying hard to flatter Peak Master, while trying to establish his authority here through small matters. Wang Susu had just stepped through the door when she paused. At her pause, three or four disciples in the Tannery stood up together. These disciples all emerged during wartime, naturally bonded together, full of hostility. In their eyes, people like Song Yan and Wang Susu who went out to avoid disaster were from another circle, needing to be stepped on. After all... who is the senior brother and who is the junior brother on this mountain, has not been decided yet. The air became somewhat stagnant. And just at this moment, a disciple’s voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Stone Master is calling everyone!" Song Yan and the guard disciple exchanged glances, then turned and left. ... ... 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦 After Stone Master returned with Bi Huayi, he directly called the disciples, then took paper and brush and quietly waited, he didn’t look at Song Yan. Disciples gathered in a circle waiting, not daring to speak. Before long, quite a few Official Disciples arrived using Shadow Puppets, then walked to a place near Stone Master, respectfully saluting. These were the new Skin Masters or provisional Skin Masters of Shadow Puppet Peak, all trained during wartime. Stone Master saw everyone was present, then pasted the paper on the stone wall, began to personally teach the "Skin Painting Technique." "Skin painting requires divine insight, only by comprehending the divine likeness can it be rendered perfect, let me demonstrate, watch carefully..." Saying that, he grasped the brush. At this moment, he seemed to transform from a declining old man into one filled with strength. Everyone quietly watched. After the painting was finished, there was a round of questions and answers. Then Stone Master said: "I came to South Bamboo Peak because it is filled with the new blood of my Shadow Puppet Peak, but ultimately we need to establish a hierarchy of seniority. No time like the present, let’s settle it today." Saying that, he clapped his hands, and aside from the disciples from Shadow Puppet Peak, each disciple from South Bamboo Peak was given a set of paper and brush. Stone Master said: "The double-headed wolf is what you all have painted the most. Today, let this painting determine rank. In one hour, the best painting wins." ... The topic was announced. Everyone bowed their heads and began painting with all their might. Song Yan thought about his skill from five years ago, added one or two points to that, and then slowly painted. He barely finished near the end of the hour and hastily "submitted" it, with a look of regret. When Wang Susu asked, he only said, "I didn’t paint well." The disciple blocking the door sneered at him, then looked expectantly into the distance. But soon, the evaluation results came out. Stone Master picked up a piece of paper and commented, "This is the best!" Everyone looked and saw it was indeed Song Yan’s. The gatekeeping disciple turned pale, muttering, "Impossible, impossible"... but then took a deep breath, ran over, and bowed his head, calling out, "Brother Song." Song Yan nodded, and the previous grudge was considered resolved. Not far away, Stone Master was scrutinizing Song Yan, as if recalling something, and after a while, furrowed his brows and said, "I remember now, aren’t you the disciple who wasn’t paying attention in Linglong Valley that day?" Song Yan, ashamed and fearful, said, "Disciple knows his mistake." Stone Master snorted coldly and said, "Forget it, right now the sect needs people. You must work diligently and become a Skin Master as soon as possible." "Yes!" "Come, let me introduce you to some fellow disciples." Stone Master beckoned. Three Official Disciples from Shadow Puppet Peak immediately stepped forward, two men and one woman. "Eldest brother, Wen Shu." The person was just like their name, gentle and refined. "Second sister, Jin Yuntian." Her face was lovely, though it was unclear whether she was like Wang Susu, a demoness. "Third brother, also my adopted son, Shi Peng." A simple-looking face, most respectful towards Stone Master. "These are ones I’ve taken in over the years; the previous ones... have all gone to the Evil Land. You... have some talent, so get close to your senior brothers and sisters in the future." ... ... Several days later... Late at night. The moon dark, the wind high... After returning to the Cave Mansion, Song Yan saw a black crow flying out from the shadows and landing on the stone table. Song Yan knew this bodiless phantom crow had just entered the cave with him. He sat down by the stone table and looked at the crow. The crow spoke in an old voice, "Don’t recognize me?" Song Yan affectionately called, "Teacher." The crow said coldly, "Redraw the double-headed wolf!" Song Yan smiled, took up paper and pen, made a few brush strokes, expanding slightly on the skill he had shown earlier, then exhaled a long breath and said, "I didn’t expect to be noticed by the teacher that day." The crow frowned and said, "Draw again!" Song Yan quickly drew again, this time increasing his skill slightly, then said, "This is all my skill can do." The crow squinted at him and said, "Keep drawing!" Song Yan thought for a moment, cautiously increased by one more level, concentrated, and meticulously finished, then wiped his sweat and looked at the crow, then eagerly at his drawing, excitedly said, "I didn’t expect to perform beyond normal in front of the teacher... Is this really something I can draw?!" The crow: ... He always remembered those many, many double-headed wolf drawings from five years ago, with two starting strokes that were stunning and perfect. It was those two strokes that passed on the legacy. However, what Song Yan painted now was excellent, but not at that level. Its eyes fixed quietly on the drawing, then sighed, "The old man has one foot in the grave, can’t you make me happy?" Song Yan was silent for a moment, took up the pen, and drew, a circle appeared. Half a wolf’s eye leaped onto the paper, eerie and cold, like the eyes of a real demon beast in the snow forest. But unfortunately, what followed was a case of a "dog’s tail continuing it." The "dog’s tail" was starting to show. The crow suddenly realized the disciple’s intention, swatted with a claw, sending Song Yan’s pen flying, and then jumped up angrily saying, "Stop drawing, stop drawing! The old man understands!" Song Yan innocently scratched his head. The crow perched again, admiring that half eye. At this moment he understood: the legacy was not wrongly passed! This kid, talented and knew how to conceal his strength, indeed the best candidate to inherit his legacy! The heights he could reach in the future were sure to surpass his own! Subsequently... The crow continued instructing, "Wen Shu, Jin Yuntian have backgrounds in the sect, my arrangement is to give you some backing, to avoid being bullied in the future. As for Shi Peng..." It sighed slightly, a complex tone, "I saved him from a pile of corpses, his life was given by me. He has talent, but not much. I took him as an adopted son for other reasons, you don’t have to befriend him." Song Yan did not ask the reason, directly replied, "Yes, Teacher." The crow showed a soft expression, kindly looking at the "little fellow" before him, saying, "Your Cave Mansion is too desolate, tomorrow take a simplified version of the ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’ to the chores room for transmission of skills, and bring back a Furnace by the way. Use that Furnace, and when it’s done, choose a new one. If you don’t choose first, no one else is allowed to choose." Song Yan was stunned... Fortune’s wheel is turning, he... is about to become a stronger, more unscrupulous version of Brother Zhang... ```