CG Chapter 159: Painted Lie
Like the interactions of the celestial objects in the sky, and the cycle of the sun and moon, all that is under the Heavens, too, interacts with one another, leeching from one another, or growing with them.
Nevertheless, and just like them, there would come a time when the cycle breaks, when the movement stops, and the sounds disappear into nothingness. When that time comes, would you look back and think your life was much like your death? An echo of the same silence? Live to make your death unfamiliar, and not a continuation of the identical, dull story of samsara.
A few days' journey away from the city of Black Cloud, hidden between the trees, there was a small, inconsequential village.
When the moon cycle had completed and it had reached its zenith, Aretius finally arrived next to the briefing spot as instructed by the mission orders, only a few miles away from the village.
Yet, before approaching the spot, he decided to conceal himself between a pile of trees, scouting the area and gathering some intel on his soon-to-be allies.
Some might assume that Aretius was being too careful, and he was merely wasting time instead of directly approaching them.
A truth Aretius learned from his first life was that an enemy might clash with you for a thousand battles, and they might even take your life. Yet what they could never do is stab you in the back after shaking your hand.
A while passed, and the lifeless gathering spot finally stirred with life.
To his surprise, and even after checking the surrounding area multiple times, there were only two souls in there.
This surprise was a pleasant one as he could rest assured that he wasn't stepping into a trap or forces joining together against him.
Still, this joy didn't last for long as he heard the high-pitched sound of a woman screaming from all the way over where he hid.
Unfortunately, this young woman was one of the two young people who would soon become his 'allies'.
Deciding that wasting any more time might cause the two to draw their swords, and not having any desire to waste time or energy on being their nursemaid, not when he had a mission to complete, at the exact moment, he stopped concealing himself.
Once he stepped out of the bushes, the heads of the two cracked toward him, with the young man turning a few breaths earlier than the woman.
In front of their eyes was a fair-skinned young man, covered in pitch-black from top to bottom. His head was obscured by a large cloak, and his body was protected by opaque leather armor. With the peach wood sword at his side, he resembled a young Jianghu hero.
The lower half of his face was concealed by a wooden mask carved into the shape of a demonic beast. The red smudges next to the teeth gave it an eerie feel, hinting he didn't want anyone to recognize him, adding a layer of cold mystery.
This young man was none other than Aretius. He was not satisfied with merely changing his face with the 'Thousand Skin Faced Mortal Ghost' Art. Instead, he opted to place a wall behind a wall.
Both changing his appearance with the enhanced 'Thousand Skin Faced Mortal Ghost' Art and using the mask lying on top of the painted skin caused people to shift their attention toward the mask and what lay beneath.
This method of deception is an ancient one used by emperors and scholars alike. When a disgraceful event threatens the stability and dignity of the heavens, you shouldn't attempt to sew the mouth of the masses since it would only cause them to want to talk about it more behind the walls, but instead place a more gripping rumor that they could use to fill their bland lives with.
Not wasting time on meaningless thoughts, Aretius took this chance to observe the two more closely.
To his left was the young woman wearing dark red clothes; a fox skeleton mask sat on her face, giving off a strange aura. She had her hair tied at the back, and her hand unconsciously hovered near it, a sign of discomfort that even she might not have noticed. Aretius guessed that she had some hidden weapons there.
To his right was the other man in white, as if he were as pure as time, whom she was screaming at. Noticing Aretius looking at him, he merely looked back with a calm smile, nodding his head as a sign of welcome.
Unlike the young woman, the man was bizarrely calm, sitting atop a black sealed coffin as he watched the two of them as if he were watching a child's tantrum.
The young woman, on the other hand, only glanced at him for a fleeting second before returning her focus to the young man.
"You wretched demonic fiend! You sit there with no care in the world, smiling, while sitting on the corpse of that poor mortal. But what can I expect from the infamous Li Clan? You like to claim to be part of the righteous path, yet you feel no guilt for the sins of your clan."
Aretius didn't care for most of what she said, but the last part made him lower his brows in thought.
The young man also didn't seem affected. Smiling for a while before looking at her with absolute indifference.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"What a beautiful lie you have painted. I always knew that the path your people followed was but a lesser one. A flower in a greenhouse wouldn't know what the common weed needs to do to grow and survive."
Shaking his head for a second before continuing, "You act as if you are the embodiment of righteousness and honor, that your Ghost Skull Society is different from our Li Clan. Yet, you forget that you are the ones who merge with the filthy souls of the soiled creatures."
The woman looked at him with unsuppressed rage, yet she wasn't able to say anything to refute him except a single word.
"You!"
Seeing her mental state going downhill, young master Li kept his calm, but Aretius could tell that he was enjoying it, especially after continuing with:
"Oh! You must excuse my manners. I should have used the name you guys like to use, 'Ghost Suppressing Pagoda,' right? What honorable and righteous people you are."
Seeing this continue, it was obvious that his presence alone was not going to resolve this trouble.
If he didn't do something more, then these two might truly fight each other to the death.
What was regrettable was that if either of the two were to die, he was the one who was going to suffer.