CG Chapter 158: Monkey-Faced Boy
From the west, where an outsider was bestowed with a heavy name and a heavier weight. So it flowed to Great Wu, where an old monster was about to depart on his first mission.
Preparing his trump cards, Aretius ensured he was fully ready for what was to come.
Yet, a few days before his departure, and as if he was being watched by an outsider who knew his exact movements.
Knock-Knock! Knock-Knock! Knock-Knock!
The loud clang coming from his door at this late hour couldn't help but make Aretius frown for a second, as he wasn't expecting anyone to visit him, especially at such a strange hour.
His mind calculated for a short moment before deciding to open the door.
He opened only a slight gap. As he looked for the unfamiliar visitor, his eyes couldn't help but look down, only to be welcomed by a monkey-faced, short boy holding what seemed like a sealed wooden box.
Noticing his unwelcoming appearance, the young boy smiled wildly, attempting to ease the strained atmosphere.
It wasn't clear whether he wasn't used to interacting with people or if it was because of his face, but that smile of his seemed more like an annoying grin, lacking all trace of warmth.
Aretius, however, wasn't concerned about any of this, as he knew that he would need to finish his remaining arrangements in the next couple of days before leaving the town if he wanted to reach his destination on time.
Not knowing who the boy was or what kind of background he might have, his facial expression changed in less than an instant as he wore the mask of a caring old man.
Despite his equally ugly appearance, Aretius was still somehow able to transform a face that most wouldn't turn away from into that of a familiar one.
He asked in a warm tone, "You seem to be lost. Are you looking for anyone in particular? I might be able to help."
The boy, however, hesitated for a second, his expression shifting, before asking, "I am here to deliver a top-quality liquor. Do you know if any of the guests here asked for it?"
Aretius smiled knowingly, his gaze unreadable. "Depends on which type and how old it is? I only drink withered blossoms."
Hearing that, the boy quickly bowed, his face almost touching the ground, as he struggled to keep his balance while holding the wooden box that was too heavy for his age.
"I greet the senior. I was asked to deliver a gift from Manager Li before you leave," the boy said, his eyes shifting between the box and Aretius, silently pleading for him to take it.
Aretius swept his gaze at the boy's expression for a cold second before taking the box from him.
"Tell him that his intentions are clear, and that a wise man isn't bothered by where the winds blow or what the ants below do."
The boy stood confused before nodding, running away in a hurry, not wanting to stay there for a single extra second.
Rarely enough, Aretius truly meant what he said. He wasn't bothered by Manager Li's tricks or schemes as long as they didn't affect him, if that meant letting him take down a few 'body-bags' whom he didn't care about.
Now it seemed that not only did it keep him in line, but he got something out of it. Closing the door behind him, he tapped on the box a couple of times and carefully observed it.
Once done, he opened it. Inside hid three items laid neatly next to each other. An old scroll, a new book, and beside them, there was also a peculiar, clay-like matter.
Flipping through the new book he found it detailing his next mission in depth and what to look out for. Yet, that wasn't the interesting part, as there was a warning to be careful of whom he interacts with, with the overall idea of restraining himself.
Sparing no time with useless thoughts, Aretius shifted his focus to the second scroll. As he flipped through its pages, he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.
The second scroll was a bizarre disguise art called 'Thousand Skin Faced Mortal Ghost.' This manual was a collection of methods and techniques to shift one's facial muscles and bone structures to transform into the appearance of anyone.
In the last verse of the manual, it even stated that if one reached its absolute peak, they could transform into a Kun to swim the four seas or a Peng to fly through the Heavens. This, however, was obviously just the delusional rambling of the author.
Although he had previously used and even developed similar techniques before, it was nowhere near the sheer profundity of this one.
The main obstacles before, however, were not the lack of his creativity but rather not having the medium to experiment with.
Since this technique uses the Ki of this world, it would be hard to replicate with no prior knowledge, but now that he has gotten his eyes on it, he could adjust it to fit in his next worlds.
His mind already saw new paths for improving and using it with his other techniques to create a more detailed disguise.
Looking at the object on top of his bed, he grinned for a second before pondering.
Any person with half a brain could tell that the warnings from Manager Li weren't out of care; there were two options that he wasn't sure about.
The first was that Manager Li was scared of angering him if he thought he was deceived into that mission.
The second was that he was scared that he might conflict with the people whom he was going to meet.
Which one it was, or it might be both.
Honestly, Aretius was impressed by Manager Li's wits and how quickly he was willing to shift his demeanor instead of holding onto a false pride. Anyone who reaches a high enough position needs to have such a mentality, or they won't last for long. After all, pride is one of the most useless shackles to one's Dao Heart.
From there, and with the surprise gift, Aretius gathered all of the important items from the room before leaving for the village.