Hannibal Not Barca
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I Live Forever In The World of Cultivation World
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 18:00:05 +0000 UTCChapter 97: Altering Muscles and Reshaping Bones
Naturally, that man couldn’t be allowed to live.
However, the information he provided had pointed He Song toward his next target: the infamous flower thief.
"A flower thief?"
Standing before the bulletin board in Xian City, He Song's gaze swept across the various notices. Soon, he spotted one related to the flower thief.
The notice clearly warned Xian City's residents to be wary of the flower thief prowling the surrounding area. It even made public the fact that the thief possessed martial arts capable of altering his physique and appearance.
Clearly, Xian City's officials were taking precautions against the thief's actions.
After leaving the bulletin board, a glimmer of light flashed in He Song's eyes as he scanned the crowd around him.
Although the flower thief’s ability to alter his appearance and physique was remarkable, He Song believed that as long as the thief wasn’t a cultivator, he likely wouldn’t have guarded against spiritual sense.
Therefore, it was highly likely that the thief had only altered his outward appearance rather than completely changing his physique and features.
If the change was superficial, He Song could use spiritual sense to detect inconsistencies in the thief’s body.
Of course, if the thief could perfectly maintain a flawless disguise at all times—even in physique and posture—then even spiritual sense might fail to reveal any clues.
The type of martial art He Song sought wasn’t just about altering appearances to look like a different person. True mastery would mean seamless alterations, both externally and internally, without a hint of inconsistency.
But for an ordinary martial artist—who wasn’t a cultivator—how could they possibly guard against spiritual sense or maintain such perfect transformations all the time?
This was why He Song relied on spiritual sense.
For mundane martial artists, the existence of cultivators was often too abstract and far removed from their reality.
While the Great Li Dynasty did promote awareness of cultivators, few common folk had actually encountered one. Those who had typically occupied the upper echelons of mortal society.
With a single sweep of his gaze across the area, a trace of disappointment flashed in He Song’s eyes.
No one in the vicinity showed any inconsistencies in their physique or appearance.
If the thief wasn’t here, then he would simply have to search further.
With spiritual sense at his disposal, He Song was confident that he would recognize the flower thief as soon as they crossed paths.
He activated spiritual sense and began scanning Xian City with unmatched speed.
One street.
Two streets.
Three streets.
One wealthy household.
Two wealthy households.
Three—
Street after street fell under He Song’s gaze.
He swept through mansions and courtyards alike.
As a cultivator, He Song moved at an extraordinary pace. With a single glance, he could examine dozens, even hundreds, of individuals.
This rapid method of searching far outstripped the capabilities of mundane constables.
After several hours, He Song finally found his target in the backyard of a wealthy household.
The estate was enormous and exquisitely designed.
Ornate beams, painted rafters, curved eaves, and intricate pavilions blended seamlessly with rock gardens and flowing streams.
Long, winding corridors connected various parts of the estate, and servant girls occasionally passed through, heading in different directions.
The target He Song had been searching for all this time was now disguised as one of these servant girls. She—or rather, he—trailed closely behind a young noblewoman, matching her steps perfectly.
Perched silently on the roof tiles of the corridor, He Song’s gaze lingered on the thief. His eyes gleamed with spiritual light, but inwardly, he was at a loss for words.
The infamous flower thief, whose name had spread far and wide...
Of course, his true gender was male.
Yet, the thief had chosen to disguise himself as a maid. With a single sweep of He Song's spiritual sense, he immediately noticed something was off.
The person was in Xian City, inside the estate of a wealthy household, and had even become the personal maid of a noblewoman.
With all these factors combined, the identity of this person was obvious.
The flower thief!
"This kind of skill is hard to hide. If I were to learn this martial art in the future, I’d better use it only to change my appearance and physique—not act as boldly as he does," He Song muttered to himself, shaking his head.
After confirming the thief's identity, He Song wasted no time. He leaped down from the corridor, immediately performed his Earth Burrowing Technique, and disappeared underground.
Once beneath the surface, He Song waited for a moment of opportunity. Following the same method he used to capture the burly man earlier, he swiftly dragged the flower thief underground without giving him a chance to react.
Dragging the thief through the earth, He Song soon emerged in a dark and secluded corner.
He tossed the flower thief into the corner and, with a casual wave of his hand, struck four times in quick succession.
Four beams of spiritual light pierced through the thief’s wrists and ankles, instantly crippling him.
He Song paid no mind to the thief’s agonized screams.
Reaching out, he rummaged through the thief’s belongings and pulled out a small bundle.
Earlier, when scanning with spiritual sense, He Song had already determined that the thief had no spiritual energy. Naturally, there was no need to waste words with him. After capturing and disabling him, He Song went straight to searching his possessions.
Opening the bundle, He Song quickly found two books inside.
"The Muscle and Bone Reshaping Method"
"Thick Earth Technique"
Scanning the titles of the two books, He Song couldn’t help but glance down at the still-screaming thief. A flash of surprise flickered through his eyes.
He Song had never heard of the Muscle and Bone Reshaping Method, but he assumed it was likely the martial art the thief used to alter his appearance and physique.
However, Thick Earth Technique? Was this manual so common that it was now everywhere?
Even a random flower thief had a copy of it?
Back when He Song’s predecessor became a cultivator, he had purchased Thick Earth Technique for an entire spirit stone at the Immortal Bazaar.
"If you don’t want to die, stop screaming," He Song said, frowning at the thief’s incessant cries.
The thief’s wailing immediately ceased.
"Where did you get these two manuals?" He Song asked, shaking the books in his hand.
How could a mundane flower thief have come across Thick Earth Technique?
"Immortal Master, these books were found in a cave. I don’t know if they’re real or not. I’ve tried practicing them, but I couldn’t make any progress. I had no choice but to carry them around, hoping I might understand them someday," the thief stammered, pouring out the truth the moment he sensed He Song’s killing intent.
Like the burly man from earlier, the flower thief had heard of cultivators.
Being dragged underground and brought here by such methods left no doubt in the thief’s mind about He Song’s identity.
With his life hanging by a thread, he didn’t dare to hide anything. Whatever He Song asked, he answered.
However, although the thief didn’t know why He Song had captured him, his eyes darted around nervously as he spoke, as if searching for an opportunity to escape.
Listening to the thief's voice, He Song frowned.
Because the thief was still in the guise of a maid, his voice remained feminine—even his earlier screams had been in a woman’s tone.
To He Song, the sound was unsettling.
"If you can’t speak normally," He Song said coldly, "I can cut out your tongue and help you learn."
