The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

Ye Kai's leg injury was still healing, so the two walked very slowly. As dusk approached, they had only covered less than twenty li (approximately 10 kilometers).

"Brother, there seems to be a cave ahead," Ye Kai suddenly said, pointing to a small hill not far away.

Ye Sheng looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw a dark cave entrance.

He didn't go over immediately, but first looked around to make sure there was no danger before helping Ye Kai and carefully walking over.

The cave wasn't large, but it was very dry, and there was a pile of ashes from an extinguished campfire on the ground, indicating that someone had been there not long ago.

"Brother, let's spend the night here." After Ye Sheng finished speaking, he helped Ye Kai sit down, and then went out to gather some dry firewood and start a fire.

The flickering flames dispelled the chill in the cave. Ye Sheng took out the last bit of dried wild game he had hunted earlier from his pack and handed it to Ye Kai.

"Have something to eat first."

Afterwards, the two shared the dried meat and rested against the cave wall.

"Brother, do you think... the Blood Pact Merchant Guild might come after us?" Ye Kai asked in a low voice.

"meeting."

Ye Sheng answered decisively, saying in a deep voice, "Moreover, they definitely sent more than one assassin."

He stared coldly at the flickering flames before him. But he couldn't understand why the Blood Pact Merchant Guild was so determined to kill him.

Could it really be because of the incident where the two men from the garrison were killed by him while helping those men in black rob the cargo of the ship guild on the Duanlong River?

Or is there another reason?

Suddenly, Ye Sheng remembered Su Wan.

She had witnessed a shady deal between members of the Blood Pact Merchant Guild and Zhao Hu of the Garrison Commander. And since she had just saved Su Wan, could it be because of this? Was the other party trying to eliminate her completely, leaving no room for future trouble?

Ye Sheng pondered this in his heart for a long time, and then said in a deep voice, "Brother, we can't keep going like this."

Upon hearing this, Ye Kai was taken aback and asked, "Then what do we do?"

Ye Sheng did not answer, but instead took out the book "Burning Blood Saber Technique" from his pocket.

He turned to the last page, which was blank, but when he touched it, he could feel the uneven marks on it.

Could this be a secret mark left by the silver-masked man?

Ye Sheng held the animal hide up to the firelight, carefully examining it by the changing light and shadow.

A moment later, his pupils contracted.

Several human figures were depicted on it in an extremely subtle way, with some small annotations beside them.

This last page isn't about swordsmanship, but rather a method for changing one's appearance and physique!

"Bone shrinking, tendon strengthening, facial feature shifting..."

Ye Sheng's heart pounded wildly as he watched.

This is actually a disguise technique! And a disguise technique that can change one's skeletal structure and body shape! Suddenly, the skill panel appeared in front of Ye Sheng.

[Hidden skill detected: Thousand Faces Illusion Technique. Learn it?]

"study!"

Ye Sheng confirmed without hesitation.

[Unlock Skill: Disguise]

Current progress: 0/100 (Beginner)

[Effect: Mastering basic disguise techniques allows you to alter your physical appearance.]

Ye Sheng suppressed his excitement and memorized the key points of this technique, word by word. This was practically a divine escape and disguise technique tailor-made for him!

Once they master this skill, they can change their appearance and make themselves untraceable to the Blood Pact Merchant Guild.

"Brother, what are you looking at?"

Ye Kai curiously leaned closer.

"baby."

Ye Sheng smiled mysteriously, then carefully put away the animal hide and said, "Brother, starting tomorrow, let's change our way of life."

Upon hearing his brother's words, Ye Kai was completely bewildered.

The next morning, Ye Sheng began to try to practice this [disguise] technique.

Following the methods in the book, he guided his internal energy, allowing it to flow slowly through the meridians and acupoints on his face, attempting to control those subtle muscles.

But this process is even more difficult than mastering swordsmanship. Because the facial muscles are so delicate, even a slight miscalculation of internal energy can lead to facial twitching or even damage to the meridians.

Several times, Ye Sheng grimaced in pain, but he didn't give up. Instead, he persisted in trying again and again, failing time and time again.

[Disguise: Novice 1/100]

[Disguise: Novice 2/100]

On the skill panel, the progress bar was increasing extremely slowly. But Ye Sheng could feel that his control over his facial muscles was gradually increasing.

By evening of the third day, Ye Sheng sat cross-legged in the cave, his eyes closed. The muscles on his face were twitching slightly in a strange way.

After a while, his cheekbones seemed to have become a little higher, his nose bridge a little flatter, and his lips thicker. A moment later, he opened his eyes.

Reflected in a polished mirror made of swamp iron, the boy in the mirror was no longer the handsome young man he once was. Instead, he was an ordinary-looking, even somewhat ugly, unfamiliar young man.

Although her physical appearance hasn't changed much, her overall demeanor is completely different.

"Brother...you..."

Ye Kai watched in stunned silence.

Ye Sheng didn't speak, but smiled. The muscles on his face twitched again, but quickly returned to normal.

"How is it? Can you still recognize me?"

[Disguise: Novice 15/100]

Although I haven't mastered it yet, I've already seen some initial results.

"This is...this is amazing!"

Ye Kai exclaimed in surprise.

"This is just the beginning." Ye Sheng's eyes were full of excitement as he continued, "Once I master this skill, I will be able to completely change our appearance and physique. At that time, even if the King of Heaven himself came, he wouldn't recognize us."

He stood up, walked to the cave entrance, and said, "Brother, it's time for us to get going."

After saying that, Ye Sheng used mud and grass juice to smear his and Ye Kai's faces, making them filthy, and then made his clothes tattered and worn.

At this moment, the two looked like ordinary refugees fleeing in the wilderness.

After doing all this, Ye Sheng helped Ye Kai up and they resumed their journey. This time, they didn't take the deserted paths, but headed directly towards the main road.

The most dangerous place is often the safest.

……

On the official road, dust flew everywhere, and carriages and horses made a racket.

Caravans lined up in long rows, their mules and horses adorned with jingling copper bells around their necks; itinerant peddlers carried their wares and called out as they passed by; and occasionally, groups of officials escorting prisoners would pass by, spears in hand, their faces grim and menacing.

Ye Sheng helped the limping Ye Kai, blending into the crowded flow of people, keeping his head down and trying to make himself inconspicuous.

He now appears as an ordinary young man in his early twenties, with dark skin, high cheekbones, and a weathered look on his face. His eyes have also been deliberately made somewhat numb.

Ye Kai, on the other hand, was disguised as a sickly, lame teenager with his face covered in disgusting pustules.

The two men's clothes were dirty and tattered, emitting a sour smell from not having bathed for a long time. Passersby instinctively covered their noses and kept their distance from them.

This is exactly the effect Ye Sheng wanted.

"Brother, I feel like a lot of people are watching us."

Ye Kai said softly, feeling very uncomfortable with the disgusted looks from those around him.

"Don't be afraid, they're not looking at us, they're looking at everyone who's poorer and dirtier than them."

Ye Sheng lowered his voice, his tone icy, and said, "On this journey, we can be either the hunters or the hunted. Therefore, we must remain vigilant, keep a low profile, and trust no one."

Ye Kai nodded as if he understood, then lowered his head even further.

The two followed the flow of people for a day, and when it got dark, they arrived at a dilapidated post station beside an official road.

At this moment, the post station was already packed with people, and the hall was extremely noisy. Most of them were wandering travelers and caravan guards, and the air was filled with a strong smell of sweat and alcohol.

Ye Sheng found the most inconspicuous corner and let Ye Kai sit down, while he squeezed to the counter and spent two copper coins to buy a bowl of thin rice porridge and two dark, hard cornbread buns.

"Brother, you eat."

Ye Kai, being sensible, handed the slightly larger steamed bun to Ye Sheng.

"You eat, you're not feeling well. I'm not hungry."

Ye Sheng pushed the bowl of thin porridge in front of his younger brother, and then picked up the smaller piece of cornbread and started eating it.

Just then, a burly, one-eyed man carrying a huge animal bone bow sat down at the table next to them, holding a bowl of strong liquor.