System: I Can Open Martial Arts Chests

Chapter 313 - 188: Painted Skin

The rain of blood, a ghastly green, enveloped the surroundings like a fog.

The grass on the ground, which had previously escaped the withering due to its peculiar location, instantly turned to deathly silence.

This scene left even Gentle wide-eyed in astonishment, not to mention Chu Qing was also somewhat surprised.

"This person’s whole body seems to be filled with poison..."

As Chu Qing spoke, he glanced at his own hands.

To deal with the deceitful poison, he had put on the silk gloves beforehand.

Now looking at his hands, he indeed noticed a hint of green on the tips of his fingers.

But with a flick of Chu Qing’s hand, the green fell to the ground with a sizzling sound.

Yet his hands remained unscathed.

Removing and tidying the silk gloves, Chu Qing surveyed the shabby house.

The room appeared rather simple, and the space was not large.

Besides the table, chairs, and stools, there was a box on the table.

"This should be what the contact person mentioned earlier, prepared for the masters on the Evil Extermination List, right?"

Chu Qing approached the box and inspected it; it was unlocked. He moved Gentle aside, and with a casual palm strike, the lid of the box opened immediately due to the force.

There were no hidden mechanisms inside.

Only then did Chu Qing and Gentle come closer to examine it.

The box was quite large, but it contained few items.

Three sets of golden silk armor, with quite good flexibility, intended as inner linings to block blades and swords.

Three sets of Iron Blood Hall’s disciple clothing, seemingly not of high rank, but sufficient, occupied most of the space in the box.

Looking further inside, there were three small boxes.

These three small boxes were flat and square, their contents indiscernible.

Chu Qing took them out, laid them out one by one, and similarly made Gentle move aside. He opened one with palm force first.

Seeing no hidden traps inside, he proceeded to open the other two.

Just that what was inside these three small boxes was identical.

Three human skin masks, thin as cicada wings.

"Is this... a Mask of Change!?"

Chu Qing himself was skilled in the art of disguise, taught primarily by Bai Qi.

Bai Qi had once told him that within the Mirror of Sin, there had been skilled artisans who crafted nine ’Masks of Change,’ treasures of disguise.

Normally, disguise art required techniques applied to the face using smearing, filling, and other measures to transform into another appearance.

However, over time, human skin lives and gradually removes these traces from the face.

As time goes by, issues would arise.

Constant adjustments are necessary...

But the Mask of Change is different.

All techniques for it can be directly applied to this human skin mask. Wearing it won’t make the makeup fade due to washing the face or sweating.

Covered in tiny holes resembling human pores, allowing sweat to excrete normally, it looks indistinguishable from a real face.

Wearing it brings no discomfort.

To remove the disguise from the Mask of Change, a specially prepared solution is necessary.

Hence, it could be reused to change appearances freely.

Moreover, it is extremely thin, adhering closely to the face, ordinary friction won’t peel it off, just like having an additional layer of skin.

To remove the Mask of Change, there is also a special method.

These methods and solutions were once taught by Bai Qi due to Chu Qing’s talent in disguise.

So upon seeing these three human skin masks, Chu Qing immediately recognized their origin.

"This is a good thing."

Chu Qing looked at the three masks spread in the boxes, chuckling lightly:

"There are only nine Masks of Change in the Mirror of Sin after so many years, yet three were brought out just for a Tie Lingyun...

"In the hands of a master of disguise, this could transform into anyone."

Gentle poked at them with her finger and then said to Chu Qing:

"Looks like human skin."

Chu Qing thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"I really don’t know how this was made."

He had asked Bai Qi back then, but Bai Qi also claimed ignorance.

The artisan crafted nine Masks of Change and then died suddenly; the method of making them wasn’t passed on.

At the time, Bai Qi jokingly said he would get one for Chu Qing.

Of course, that was just a joke.

Yet unexpectedly, today he acquired three.

He took one out, glanced at Gentle’s current appearance, then took out tools and dabbed on the Mask of Change.

Gentle propped her chin and watched from the side.

A moment later, the previously clean Mask of Change had been smeared with patterns, though it looked rather abstract.

He took out a small bottle, drawing the solution from within and soaking it onto cotton for Gentle to come closer.

Gentle obediently brought her small face to Chu Qing.

Chu Qing steadily soaked her face, meticulously removing the disguise to reveal Gentle’s charming yet expressionless face.

Then he picked up the Mask of Change and fitted it onto Gentle’s face.

After smoothing every raised corner, Chu Qing released his hand, smiling:

"Done."

He then took a palm-sized Copper Mirror from his bundle and handed it to Gentle.

Gentle took a couple of glances in the Copper Mirror and found her appearance unchanged, though seemingly more natural.

Her face felt perfectly comfortable.

She couldn’t help but touch her own cheek:

"So amazing."

"Isn’t it!"