One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

Wang Ye could even foresee the intense reaction the company would have if this news were leaked.

Ma Xianhong's ideal world is like a glazed tower built on a volcano crater; it may look dazzling, but it could crumble to dust at any moment.

"What a mess... this is a huge mess."

Wang Ye sighed, feeling as if he had stepped into a giant vortex.

He just wanted to find a quiet place, but trouble always seemed to find him.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the village, after several days of inner struggle and fruitless observation in secret, Ma Xianhong finally made up his mind.

He could no longer tolerate being completely unaware of potential dangers, especially since Wang Xuan's warning felt like a thorn in his heart.

He went straight to the small house where Wang Xuan was staying.

In the darkness of night, the cottage was quiet, with only a dim yellow light shining from the window.

Ma Xianhong took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Boom, boom, boom."

The knocking sounded particularly clear in the quiet night.

Inside the room, Wang Xuan, who was meditating and regulating his breathing, slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear and calm, and he seemed unsurprised by Ma Xianhong's visit.

He got up, walked steadily to the door, and opened it.

Outside the door, Ma Xianhong stood in the moonlight, his face devoid of its usual enthusiasm, replaced by a serious and direct expression.

Upon seeing Wang Xuan, he skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point:

"Wang Xuan, I've come to ask you about what you said before regarding Zhao Guizhen!"

His gaze was fixed on Wang Xuan, trying to glean even the slightest information from the other's face.

Wang Xuan looked at the village chief, whose brows were furrowed, and a faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his face. He didn't answer immediately, but instead asked:

"What's wrong, Village Chief Ma? You've been investigating secretly for the past few days, haven't you found anything yet?"

Ma Xianhong's face stiffened slightly, somewhat embarrassed, but mostly helpless.

His investigation indeed yielded nothing; Zhao Guizhen covered it up very well.

Wang Xuan didn't seem to expect an answer from him, nor did he intend to press the matter further.

He suppressed his smile, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty, and directly provided the key information:

"Zhao Guizhen is a wicked man who practices evil magic."

I can only tell you that what he truly relies on, and what he uses most shamefully, is a dark art called 'Seven Fiends Gathering Body'.

After saying that, Wang Xuan said no more, and without even giving Ma Xianhong a chance to ask further questions, he took a step back and slammed the door shut.

The movements were quick and decisive, without any delay.

Ma Xianhong was left standing outside the door, momentarily stunned.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something more, such as what exactly "Seven Fiends Gathering Around the Body" is, what its harms are, and what the evidence is.

But faced with that closed wooden door, which seemed to separate two worlds, all his questions were stuck in his throat.

"Seven Fiends Gathering Around?"

Ma Xianhong stood there, repeating the name in a low voice.

Just hearing the name gives one a sinister, malevolent, and ominous feeling.

"煞气" (sha qi) is inherently a collection of negative and violent energies, and the phrase "攒身" (cuan shen) further suggests a strange sense of forcibly incorporating evil forces into oneself.

Although Ma Xianhong devoted his life to refining weapons and cultivating his body, and did not have a deep understanding of many unorthodox techniques, he still had basic judgment.

This "Seven Fiends Gathering in the Body" is definitely not a righteous method; it may even be a forbidden technique that requires paying an extremely cruel price.

His heart sank. Wang Xuan's words, like a boulder thrown into a lake, confirmed his worst fears.

Zhao Guizhen is indeed problematic, and quite problematic at that.

"We must find out exactly what this 'Seven Fiends Gathering Around the Body' is!"

Ma Xianhong clenched his fist.

He himself knew very little about this kind of evil magic, and blindly going to confront Zhao Guizhen might alert the enemy, or even be bitten in return.

Just then, he remembered someone—Bi Yuan, Grandpa Bi.

Old Master Bi Yuan is quite old and has a wealth of experience. In his early years, he traveled all over the world and witnessed countless extraordinary people, events, and techniques. He is practically a living encyclopedia of the world of extraordinary people.

Many people in the village had received his guidance and respected him greatly. Seeking his advice was undoubtedly the best choice.

Without further hesitation, Ma Xianhong turned around and strode quickly toward the residence of Old Master Bi Yuan.

Chapter 72 Ma Xianhong Suffers Impact

Bi Yuan's house was not much different from the other villagers' houses, except that the small courtyard in front of the door was not planted with ordinary vegetables, but with some herbs that seemed messy but contained a certain pattern, emitting a faint bitter fragrance under the moonlight.

Ma Xianhong knocked on the door, and a deep, steady voice responded from inside:

"The door isn't latched, come in."

As you push open the door, a scent mingled with the aroma of old books, herbs, and a faint hint of tobacco hits you.

The room was simply furnished, with an old-fashioned kerosene lamp flickering a dim yellow flame on the table, casting a long, hunched figure of old man Bi Yuan on the wall.

He was wearing glasses and flipping through an old book with yellowed pages under the lamplight. When he saw that it was Ma Xianhong, he put down the book and looked up.

"Master? It's so late, is there something you need?"

Bi Yuan was somewhat surprised, as Ma Xianhong rarely came to see him at this time, especially with an undisguised solemnity on his face.

Without any formalities, Ma Xianhong walked directly to the table, took a deep breath, as if trying to calm the turmoil in his heart with the tranquil atmosphere of the room.

He stared into Bi Yuan's eyes and asked in a deep voice:

"Master Bi, you are very knowledgeable. Have you ever heard of a skill called 'Seven Killings Gathering in the Body'?"

"Seven Fiends Gathering Around?"

Upon hearing this, Bi Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly behind his glasses, a clear look of surprise flashing across them.

He looked Ma Xianhong up and down, his tone tinged with confusion and a hint of barely perceptible concern:

"Master, why are you suddenly asking about this? It's not a good thing."

"You spend all your time on those mechanical contraptions and furnaces, how come you've suddenly become interested in those shady and unorthodox practices of Wild Mao Mountain?"

He paused, his tone becoming exceptionally earnest, carrying the air of an elder admonishing a younger person:

"Take this old man's advice: you must not practice 'Seven Fiends Gathering in the Body'! It's a dead end, it damages your karma and will bring divine retribution!"

Seeing Bi Yuan's reaction, Ma Xianhong's last shred of hope was completely shattered.

Old Bi's extensive knowledge was widely acknowledged in the village, yet he was so averse to the name.

If he even directly pointed out that it was the "evil and heretical path" of "Wild Maoshan," then what Wang Xuan said was probably pretty much true. A heavy sense of pressure gripped him.

He shook his head, a bitter look on his face:

"Old Bi, it wasn't me. How could I touch such a thing?"

He lowered his voice and leaned forward, getting closer to the flickering light of the kerosene lamp.

"It was Wang Xuan... He told me clearly today that Zhao Guizhen... is practicing this 'Seven Fiends Gathering Body'!"

Regarding Wang Xuan's previous statement that Zhao Guizhen was not a good person, Ma Xianhong had already discussed it with Bi Yuan.

Bi Yuan agreed at the time. Having lived most of his life, he had his own unique way of judging people, and Zhao Guizhen had a sinister appearance.

There was always a hint of fierceness hidden deep in his eyes, which was far from the mediocre Maoshan disciple he claimed to be.

At this moment, upon hearing the name "Seven Fiends Gathering" uttered by Ma Xianhong and connected with Zhao Guizhen, they realized that...

The surprise on Bi Yuan's face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn "I knew it" expression.

"I see……"

Bi Yuan murmured to himself. He stood up, walked to the small stove next to him, picked up the kettle that had been keeping it warm, and slowly poured two cups of hot water.

The rising steam under the dim light temporarily dispelled some of the night's chill and the gloom brought by the conversation.

He pushed a glass of water in front of Ma Xianhong, took another glass for himself, and sat down again.

"Master, please sit down and have some water."

Bi Yuan gestured for Ma Xianhong to sit down as well.

"Since Zhao Guizhen is involved, then this old man will give you a brief explanation of what this 'Seven Fiends Gathering in the Body' is all about."

Ma Xianhong sat down as instructed, holding the warm teacup in both hands, though his fingertips were still a little cold. He stared intently at Bi Yuan, waiting for him to continue.

Bi Yuan blew on the steam rising from the rim of his cup, took a small sip, gathered his thoughts, and then slowly began to speak. His voice was deep and clear, as if he were recounting an ancient and dark legend:

“As I just said, this ‘Seven Fiends Gathering in the Body’ is a technique from the Wild Mao Mountain sect.”

He first clarified his affiliation.

"Then what is Wild Maoshan?"

He asked and answered his own questions, as if he were giving Ma Xianhong, a "tech geek," a basic education.

"Simply put, they are some second-rate unorthodox sects that use the name of the orthodox Maoshan sect to act under its banner and deceive others."

These people, whose methods are often bizarre and ruthless, blurring the lines between good and evil, disregard the consequences, and are collectively known as the "Wild Maoshan."

Ma Xianhong nodded; he roughly understood the concept.

Bi Yuan continued, "And this 'Seven Fiends Gathering Body' can be said to be a rather 'famous' evil skill even in the notorious circle of Wild Mao Mountain."

Its "fame" lies in the cruelty and viciousness of its cultivation methods; it is a truly demonic path that harms others for personal gain and violates the laws of nature!

His tone became more forceful, carrying obvious contempt and disgust.

"To cultivate this Seven Fiends Body Gathering technique, you first need to find seven people with specific birth dates and times!"

This birth date and time must be chosen from individuals whose destiny is Yin or who possess a special "inauspicious" aura. Then…

He paused, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"The cultivators need to use some extremely bizarre and cruel methods to forcibly extract the souls of these seven living people from their bodies!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Xianhong's hand holding the teacup trembled involuntarily, and a few drops of hot water splashed out, scalding the back of his hand, but he seemed not to notice.

Capturing a human soul? This has far exceeded his understanding of what constitutes "unorthodox methods"!

"This isn't over yet."

Bi Yuan seemed oblivious to Ma Xianhong's loss of composure and continued describing the horrifying process.

"Capturing the living souls is only the first step. Next, the cultivator must use evil methods to forcibly 'gather'—that is, condense, compress, and refine—these seven souls, filled with pain, resentment, and malevolent energy, into his own body!"

In order to obtain powerful, but twisted and evil, power!

Bi Yuan raised his head, his sharp gaze peering through his reading glasses at Ma Xianhong, whose face had turned somewhat pale:

"Master, can you imagine what it would be like to have the souls of seven innocent people, filled with the extreme fear and resentment of dying, forcibly bound to one person's body?"

What terrible erosion and distortion will a cultivator's own mind and character suffer?

Every improvement in this skill means more bloodshed and sin! Those who practice this method can no longer be called human, but demons in human skin!

He concluded decisively:

"So, if Wang Xuan is right, and Zhao Guizhen has indeed cultivated this 'Seven Fiends Gathering Body'... then he is definitely not a Maoshan disciple, but a completely ruthless and evil demon!"

Leaving him in the village is like having a malignant tumor that could explode at any moment!

After Bi Yuan finished speaking, he pushed up his reading glasses and looked at Ma Xianhong with a deep gaze behind the lenses, waiting for his reaction.

Ma Xianhong sat there, motionless, as if he had turned into a stone sculpture.

The glow of the kerosene lamp flickered on his face. Bi Yuan's words, like cold chisels, shattered any lingering illusion he had about Zhao Guizhen—that it might just be a misunderstanding.

Instead, a heavy, bloody reality has emerged.

Seven lives... all for the sake of gaining power?