Chapter 108: A Futile Seizure

A towering figure approached from behind Xuyang, reaching his side in the blink of an eye. The newcomer was bald and dressed in tattered monk’s robes. His entire body was a sickly grayish-white, covered in large, dark patches of livor mortis.

"Is this your physical body?" Fang Mu sneered. "To hide from the Sky Inspection Bureau, you chose to return to the status of a Profane Practitioner through soul possession, yet you actually kept your original flesh."

Xuyang’s speech was slurred as he held a bead in his mouth. "You still have one more chance."

Fang Mu looked at the anomaly before him and rubbed his hands together. With the small fry Maeve gone, catching a big fish wasn't bad at all. He wondered what he might be able to touch out of this one.

"Sigh," Xuyang exhaled. "I intended to keep this as a contingency, but it seems I must use it now."

Fang Mu eyed the hulking anomaly. "Is this the method you used to manipulate anomalies in Shengge County?"

A gentle breeze blew through the silent bamboo grove, and the massive anomaly began to move. Its enormous fist rose, smashing down toward the top of Fang Mu’s head.

*Boom!*

The fist descended with ferocious force, striking all the way to the ground. Fang Mu, who had been standing there, vanished completely, and another Fang Mu appeared behind the hulking anomaly.

A flicker of surprise crossed Xuyang’s face through the golden light.

A powerful suction force erupted from the massive anomaly. Fang Mu, caught off guard just as he was about to strike, was pulled toward the creature. It wasn't just Xuyang who was surprised; Fang Mu was too. As the massive figure drew closer, Fang Mu slowly reached out his hand.

"Within ten feet, the possession is ordained!" Xuyang whispered, pressing his palms together.

[You touched the Spirit-Snatching Corpse and obtained a wisp of True Qi.]
[You touched the Spirit-Snatching Corpse and obtained the skill: Clone Curse. By chanting this incantation, you can split into two and have your clone attack the enemy.]
[You touched the Spirit-Snatching Corpse and obtained a clue: Map. Effect unknown.]

The True Qi merged into Fang Mu’s body, entering the scales of his True Qi fish, while a rush of information flooded his mind, teaching him how to use the Clone Curse. He could create an avatar possessing half of his own strength. The skill had a drawback: it could only be used twice a day, and overusing it would damage the soul. It was a powerful skill, though it was a shame the clone was a man.

Just as Fang Mu touched the anomaly, a hum rang out in his mind, and his consciousness began to blur.

*Possession!*

Fang Mu heard Xuyang’s whisper and realized what was happening. This Xuyang was trying to possess him!

As his consciousness grew foggier, Fang Mu realized this was his first encounter with such a bizarre method of attack. Seeing Fang Mu standing motionless, Xuyang drove the massive anomaly with even greater effort. The suction from the creature grew stronger, and the crimson-red True Qi on Fang Mu’s body began to flare.

"A body with four divine anomalies, and the disciple of the Bureau Chief, no less." Greed filled Xuyang’s eyes as he muttered, "If I possess this, I will surely rise!"

He had already drafted his blueprint: using Fang Mu’s identity, he would live a smooth life, reach the pinnacle of existence, and become the most powerful being in the world. As he pondered this, his vision blurred, and his perspective shifted.

"Success!" Xuyang exclaimed, ecstatic to see himself wearing Fang Mu’s clothes.

"Congratulations, you succeeded."

Just as Xuyang was reveling in his joy, a familiar voice drifted over. Xuyang looked over in shock to find Fang Mu standing before him. "This... the Clone Curse of the Hanxu Temple!"

He understood now. This was his own sect’s Clone Curse. He had derived his possession technique from it; rumor had it that if one reached a high enough level in the Clone Curse, one could swap places with their clone at will. Xuyang had studied it, but lacking the talent, he had taken a shortcut and developed the possession method instead. Yet, how did Fang Mu know it?

Fang Mu approached with his butcher’s knife, secretly relieved. In the moment of greatest danger, he had taken a gamble and used the newly acquired Clone Curse, never expecting it to play out like this. Indeed, Xuyang had succeeded in his possession—but he had possessed only a clone.

Xuyang looked at the approaching Fang Mu and realized he could no longer move. A clone was always just a clone; how could it possibly be a match for the original? Recalling Fang Mu’s earlier habit of touching anomalies, a terrifying thought struck him.

"Did you guess it?" Fang Mu patted Xuyang on the shoulder and said indifferently, "You are the first to guess, but you are about to die."

Cold sweat broke out on Xuyang’s forehead. Just as he was about to speak, a sky full of blade light descended.

Fang Mu sheathed his knife and looked at the pile of minced flesh that was once Xuyang, feeling a strange sensation. It felt like killing himself, which was rather disconcerting. Fortunately, the clone’s remains turned into blue smoke and vanished in the blink of an eye. Deprived of Xuyang’s control, the massive anomaly collapsed to the ground like a boneless heap.

Ah Bai spat out black mist, absorbing the anomaly entirely before looking at Fang Mu with confusion. There had been two masters just a moment ago; although it didn't know why, it felt that its master was growing stronger. This gave Ah Bai a sense of urgency. It secretly vowed to eat more anomalies to grow stronger and to do more chores—after all, as its master said, one must start with small things.

The battle ended, and peace returned. Fang Mu was left alone in the silent bamboo grove. He did not linger and headed toward his shop in Shengge County. He still had the map and wanted to examine it back home.

...

At the Shengge County outpost, Fang Mu reached the door and was about to open it when he paused. There should have been a padlock on the door—one he had locked himself. Now, the padlock was shattered, clearly the result of someone breaking in.

Fang Mu frowned. He signaled to Ah Bai, drew his butcher’s knife in his right hand, and placed his left hand on the door, a ferocious tiger head manifesting behind him.

*Creak—*

The sound of the wooden door turning echoed as he pushed it open, revealing the scene inside. Fang Mu frowned at what he saw. A man in green robes stood with his back to him, with Zhao Wuquan’s corpse laid out before him.

Fang Mu hesitated for less than a second before launching a full-scale attack, shouting, "How bold! To murder a Sky Inspection Bureau officer! Surrender at once!"

*Perfect,* he thought, *a great opportunity to frame someone!*

The man in green stiffened, flicked his sleeve, and turned around. All of Fang Mu’s attacks vanished into thin air. Fang Mu adopted a solemn expression. The man appeared to be in his forties and wore a look of helplessness.

*So this is the Bureau Chief’s disciple? Why is his temper so similar to the Chief’s—resorting to framing people the moment we meet?*

Fang Mu did not hesitate. He cupped his fists and said, "The green hills remain and the emerald waters flow; I shall take my leave!"

With that, he prepared to use his Shadow Shift to escape. *Fight? Fight my foot! This guy looks incredibly strong.*

Just as Fang Mu turned to leave, the man in green spoke, and the title he used made Fang Mu stop in his tracks...