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

Wang Xuan was not surprised by his reaction, and calmly explained:

"Xia Liuqing and I are old acquaintances. He just called me and told me about Grandma Jin Feng being kidnapped."

The other party's actions weren't exactly clean, leaving behind the infamous "Biyou Village."

He briefly explained the ins and outs of Xia Liuqing's request for help, pointed out the source of the information, and also implied that the other party was not without clues.

Upon hearing the name "Xia Liuqing" and the phrase "leave your name behind," Ma Xianhong's expression changed, seemingly annoyed by his subordinate's carelessness, but he quickly regained his composure.

He remained silent for a moment, which was tantamount to admitting it, and then spoke in defense, his tone carrying a lack of confidence that he himself might not have realized:

"Jin Feng was indeed 'invited' by us. But we won't harm her; we just need to ask her for advice on some things."

"Once everything is settled, we will safely take her home."

He emphasized "please" and "safety" in an attempt to downplay the kidnapping.

Wang Xuan listened to his words and a half-smile appeared on his face.

He looked at Ma Xianhong as if he were looking at a child who had been sold out but was still helping to count the money.

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, but it exploded in Ma Xianhong's ears like thunder:

"Qu Tong made you do this, didn't she?"

Ma Xianhong suddenly raised his head, his face instantly filled with immense astonishment and disbelief, his pupils dilating sharply.

He was as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt; his whole body froze, and his mind even went blank for a brief moment.

Qu Tong? His sister? How would Wang Xuan know about his sister? And how would he know that this matter was related to his sister?!

It was clearly his sister who contacted him directly through special channels and told him to make sure it was done properly!

No one but him should know about this relationship!

The enormous information gap and the chilling feeling of being completely seen through left Ma Xianhong speechless for a moment.

He opened his mouth, his throat dry, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words, his voice trembling without him even realizing it:

"You...how did you know?! How could you know my sister? And even know it was her..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

Seeing Ma Xianhong's expression as if he had seen a ghost, Wang Xuan's smile deepened slightly, making him appear even more unfathomable.

He straightened up and looked around the workshop, which was filled with Ma Xianhong's hard work, but also with invisible shackles.

Then, turning his gaze back to the still-shocked Ma Xianhong, his tone was gentle, yet carried a knowing calmness:

He chuckled softly, a laugh that seemed to contain a great deal of meaning.

“Ma Xianhong, I know far more than you can imagine…”

Chapter 75 Old Ma is really on the verge of collapse.

The air inside the room seemed to freeze.

The glow of the lamplight swayed between the two, casting their shadows on the wall like two facing statues.

Wang Xuan's remark about Qu Tong was like a fuse, igniting a deeper and more hidden topic.

"That woman, Qu Tong..."

Wang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall in front of him, directed towards some distant and unknowable place, his tone carrying a rare sense of wonder mixed with curiosity and apprehension.

"But it's very mysterious!"

His sentiments were not unfounded.

In the intricate game he knew about, which revolved around the Jia Shen Rebellion and the Eight Extraordinary Skills, the motives and purposes of various forces and people could be traced to some extent.

Qu Tong, however, is like a ghost hidden in the deepest part of the world. Her true intentions and ultimate goal are still shrouded in mystery, making her difficult to fathom.

"Back then, she was just an ordinary servant whom the Lü family found from outside to serve Duanmu Ying."

Wang Xuan's voice was deep, as if he were recounting a secret buried in dust.

"Duanmu Ying, you should be familiar with this name, right?"

He looked at Ma Xianhong with a meaningful gaze.

Ma Xianhong frowned and did not answer.

Duanmu Ying, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves, and the master of the Eight Extraordinary Skills "Dual-Handed Technique," naturally knew this.

But what does this have to do with his sister Qu Tong? And what does it have to do with him? Wang Xuan's words were like a tangled mess, leaving him unable to make sense of them.

Wang Xuan did not wait for his response and continued speaking along his own train of thought, his tone even carrying a hint of...pity?

"But look at her now, she's almost become the mastermind behind the scenes, stirring up trouble."

Wang Xuan shook his head slightly, his gaze falling back on Ma Xianhong. His expression was complex and unfathomable, as if he were looking at a pitiful person who was being manipulated without realizing it.

“Ma Xianhong…”

That soft call carried an endless sigh. He genuinely felt sorry for the tech geek in front of him.

How pure were Ma Xianhong's thoughts? He simply wanted to study the Divine Refinement Technique, to create the perfect cultivation furnace, and to establish his ideal "Intercepting Sect" utopia.

He may be stubborn or naive, but he is not a bad person at heart; in fact, he can be described as quite simple and honest.

Yet, this very person was manipulated, exploited, and even... destroyed by Qu Tong in the most thorough way.

Ma Xianhong felt a chill run down his spine from Wang Xuan's undisguised gaze, which seemed to look at him as if he were the protagonist of a tragedy.

A strong sense of unease and anger welled up inside him. He abruptly interrupted Wang Xuan's reflections, his tone harsh:

"What's that look in your eyes?!"

He felt as if his dignity had been stung by that gaze.

"What exactly are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush!"

Wang Xuan did not change his attitude because of his anger. Instead, he suppressed his pity and became extremely serious, even with a kind of cruel bluntness.

He ignored Ma Xianhong's question about his gaze, and instead posed an even more shocking question, like a cold scalpel piercing Ma Xianhong's very core:

Do you realize that your soul is riddled with holes and almost 'ruined'?

Ma Xianhong felt as if bells and drums were ringing in his mind, and his mind went completely blank for a moment.

He jumped up from the chair behind the workbench, his body trembling slightly from extreme shock and a sense of blasphemous anger.

Soul? Ruined? This is not just an offense, but the most vicious attack and the most absurd slander!

"What do you mean?!"

Ma Xianhong's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief and fierceness, his eyes fixed on Wang Xuan as if trying to see through him.

"Wang Xuan! I respect you as a guest, but you'd better not spout nonsense and spread alarmist rumors here!"

Despite Ma Xianhong's fierce reaction, Wang Xuan remained unusually calm.

He seemed to have anticipated this response, and simply watched him with a calm and collected demeanor.

Only after Ma Xianhong's roar echoed and faded in the room did he speak slowly and deliberately, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable certainty:

"Don't rush, let me finish."

He raised his hand and pointed at Ma Xianhong, then pointed to his own head.

"Your dear sister Qu Tong, the technique she has mastered is one of the eight extraordinary skills that Duanmu Ying comprehended back then—the Dual-Handed Technique."

"Dual-wielding?"

Ma Xianhong subconsciously repeated the name, his heart suddenly skipping a beat.

He was well aware of the fame of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, but he knew nothing about the specific wonders of the "Dual-Handed Technique".

"As the name suggests, it means 'both life and health'."

Wang Xuan explained, speaking slowly to ensure that every word was clearly heard by Ma Xianhong.

"This extraordinary skill manifests outwardly as two hands. One is the 'Red Hand,' which controls physical transformation, shaping and disguising, healing and prolonging life, and even deeper adjustments to life forms—all are within its grasp."

He paused, observing Ma Xianhong's gradually changing expression, before dropping an even bigger bombshell:

"And the other one is the 'blue hand'."

Wang Xuan's gaze sharpened, as if he could see into the depths of one's soul.

"This hand is not aimed at the body, but at... the soul, or rather, at memories, cognition, and personality! It can peer into, modify, and even wantonly distort a person's soul!"

Ma Xianhong's face turned pale instantly. A terrifying thought, too horrifying for him to ponder, slithered into his mind like a venomous snake.

Memory alteration? Soul distortion?

Wang Xuan gave him no time to catch his breath or process what was happening; his voice, like the tolling of a final judgment bell, rang in Ma Xianhong's ears:

"And you, my friend..."

Wang Xuan's gaze held an almost cruel pity as he stared directly into Ma Xianhong's eyes, which were beginning to reveal fear and confusion.

"Your soul has probably already been repeatedly 'sorted out' and 'modified' by your 'sister' with those 'blue hands', and is almost... ruined."

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence. The only sound was the faint crackling of the burning kerosene lamp wick.

Ma Xianhong stood frozen in place, as if he had turned into a soulless sculpture. Wang Xuan's words were like a heavy hammer, shattering something he had always firmly believed in.

This revealed the potentially bloody and cracked truth beneath.

Those eyes, which always shone with unwavering determination and passion, were now nothing but a vast emptiness and unbelievable horror.

Qu Tong... Sister... Double-handed... Soul... Played to death... These words crashed wildly in his mind.

However, he still didn't quite believe what Wang Xuan was saying.

Chapter 76 Summer Willow Green Tattoo on Boiling Sheep

Wang Xuan's words, "Your soul has been ruined by Qu Tong," reverberated wildly in Ma Xianhong's mind like a death knell, echoing endlessly.

Ma Xianhong's face gradually changed from initial shock and anger to a bloodless pallor.

Dual-wielding... Blue hand... Modified soul... Overused...

These words, when put together, created a terrifying picture that he could neither accept nor completely refute.

He recalled the deep, unfathomable look in his sister's eyes when she occasionally looked at him, and the fragments of memories in his mind that were sometimes clear, sometimes blurry, and even somewhat contradictory.

Recalling the complex emotions I felt each time I saw my sister, a mixture of inexplicable peace and a vague sense of unease...

Could it be... that what Wang Xuan said was true?

No! Absolutely not!

The moment the thought popped into his head, Ma Xianhong forcefully suppressed it with even stronger willpower, almost with a self-destructive resolve.

Qu Tong's memory intervention and subconscious influence on him are deeply rooted. His unconditional trust and dependence on his "sister" has long been an unshakable cornerstone of his spiritual world.

"This is impossible!"

Ma Xianhong suddenly raised his head and roared in a low, hoarse voice, as if he were refuting Wang Xuan, or perhaps trying to convince himself.

His eyes regained a hint of obsessive light as he stared intently at Wang Xuan.

"My sister...she wouldn't do that to me! Stop talking nonsense and trying to sow discord!"

His voice was hoarse, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, revealing that his inner resolve was far less firm than it appeared.

Wang Xuan saw all of Ma Xianhong's struggles and pain, and understood.

He knew that with just a few words, he couldn't possibly break the mental cage that Qu Tong had carefully constructed.

That would require a harsher blow from reality, or... some kind of extreme opportunity.

Everyone has their own destiny.

Wang Xuan thought to himself, no longer insisting on immediately enlightening the other party.

'Perhaps, like that brat Lü Liang, only by having his limbs cut off by his own people and being driven to the brink of despair can the hidden power deep within his bloodline be stimulated, awakening the Dual-Handed Technique.'

His thoughts even wandered somewhat.

Qu Tong has tormented Lao Ma so badly that his soul is almost patched up into a tattered rag doll.