Chapter 244: Chapter 244: He is a Disciple of the Spirit Sect_1
Zhen Haoren led the two through the back courtyard and into a side chamber on the left.
In the center of the chamber stood a deity enshrined under a red cloth, which concealed its identity from the naked eye.
However, Qin Feng possessed the Heaven’s Gaze and could see through the red cloth.
The statue depicted a deity with a human body and a snake’s head.
According to the Xuanhuang Medical Classic, this deity was known as the Footless God Lord.
Legend had it that the Footless God Lord was originally a snake that, by a stroke of fate, cultivated into an immortal, thus acquiring a human body, though its head remained that of a snake.
Zhen Haoren began to chant incantations before the Footless God Lord, which sounded like gibberish to Xue Xiaochan. However, Qin Feng understood every word.
These were verses from the Spirit Snake Scripture, a sacred tome of the Spirit Sect.
Since Zhen Haoren could recite the Spirit Snake Scripture and worshipped the Footless God Lord, he must undoubtedly be a disciple of the Spirit Sect.
For the Footless God Lord was the founding patriarch of the Spirit Sect.
Zhen Haoren, preoccupied with his thoughts of Xue Xiaochan, didn’t realize he had given himself away, exposing his own identity.
Click... click-click...
The statue of the Footless God Lord began to rotate, and a hidden door creaked open.
Zhen Haoren pointed inside the secret door and invited them, "After you, please, the two of you."
As the three of them entered the hidden chamber, the secret door closed behind them.
The design of this hidden chamber was clever: Although cut off from the outside world, it had a skylight that allowed sunlight to pour in, providing ample lighting.
Zhen Haoren gestured to a plank that resembled a coffin lid and said to Qin Feng, "Lie down on it."
Qin Feng approached and cautiously sniffed with his nose.
He detected that the plank had been soaked in medicated water.
As soon as someone lay on it, the medicated water would evaporate out of the wood under the heat of the human body.
The emitted vapor wasn’t severely harmful but would anesthetize the nervous system, causing a foggy consciousness similar to a partial anesthesia used in Western medicine.
This plank was called a Fixed Body Couch, a piece of medical equipment from Traditional Chinese Medicine, and was a wisdom passed down from ancient times.
During acupuncture, if the patient were to move erratically, it could lead to a misplacement of the needles.
The precision required for the art of Chinese acupuncture is unspeakably delicate, a thousand times more precise than that of Western medicine. A tiny misstep could lead to grave errors.
Hence, even highly skilled traditional Chinese doctors would rely on this Fixed Body Couch when administering acupuncture to their patients.
However, Zhen Haoren’s Fixed Body Couch was a little unorthodox.
The medicated water he used not only had an anesthetic effect but also induced hallucinations.
The sole purpose was to ensnare the soul of the person.
It seemed that there must have been numerous individuals who had their souls hooked while lying on this Fixed Body Couch by Zhen Haoren.
If one’s soul were to be hooked away and not returned within seven days, there would only be one outcome—death.
This old reprobate Zhen Haoren, who knows how many lives he has harmed?
Qin Feng obediently lay down on the Fixed Body Couch, prepared to see what Zhen Haoren was up to.
Knowing Zhen Haoren’s background, Qin Feng was well aware that the Spirit Sect, likely backing him, had designs on Qiuniu.
From the memories inherited from his ancestors, Qin Feng knew the Spirit Sect was powerful and that his own strength was not nearly sufficient to contend with them.
A direct confrontation with the Spirit Sect would leave him without even knowing how he met his end.
He would at least need to achieve the level of the Divine Doctor to stand a chance against the Spirit Sect’s assault. To eradicate the Spirit Sect, he would have to reach the level of the Immortal Doctor.
Therefore, Qin Feng decided to wait and see how things would unfold.
After lying on the Fixed Body Couch, Qin Feng’s body immediately began to feel hot as if he had a fever.
It appeared that the couch was not only soaked in specially concocted medicated water but also came with its own heating element!
Once a person lay down on it, it automatically heated up.
Thus, the medicinal concoction in the bed board would evaporate more and faster, allowing someone to quickly enter a semi-conscious state.
Seeing that Qin Feng’s eyes were becoming hard to keep open, Zhen Haoren went to get the Silver Needle.
Zhen Haoren did not start the acupuncture immediately, but instead held up a finger and asked, "How many is this?"
"One," Qin Feng answered.
Zhen Haoren then held up four fingers and shook them as he asked, "And how many is this?"
"Four," Qin Feng’s response was still correct.
This left Zhen Haoren somewhat baffled.
His Fixed Body Couch had been soaked in a specially concocted medicinal solution, and anyone who lay on it should immediately become mentally blurred and unable to distinguish the number of fingers.
Moreover, when he had asked Qin Feng to answer, he had been moving his fingers!
Suddenly, Zhen Haoren saw a flash of gold in Qin Feng’s eyes.
Was there something wrong with this guy’s eyes?
Zhen Haoren instinctively began to stare into Qin Feng’s eyes.
At the same time, he started muttering an incantation.
He was using the Soul Hooking Skill, attempting to directly hook Qin Feng’s soul.
Since Zhen Haoren had made his move, naturally Qin Feng could not be polite with him!
So, he followed suit with his own chanting, reciting the same "Soul Hooking Curse."
Although the incantation was the same, Qin Feng’s power was clearly much deeper than Zhen Haoren’s.
He had only recited a few phrases when his voice already overpowered Zhen Haoren’s chanting, drowning out all of Zhen Haoren’s spell.
The "Soul Hooking Curse" echoed in their minds, instantly disrupting Zhen Haoren’s spirit, causing his head to buzz and bringing on a bursting pain.
Zhen Haoren quickly shut his mouth and stopped reciting the "Soul Hooking Curse."
"Wow..."
He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Qin Feng ceased his chanting.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhen Haoren stared at Qin Feng and asked, "Who are you?"
"You take your Yangguan Path, I cross my Single-Plank Bridge. Originally, today I came to ask you some questions, and would’ve left after asking.
But you, an old shameless fellow, actually had designs on my wife?
So, I had to teach you a lesson to remember!"
"So when you were taking my pulse earlier, you intentionally messed it up to throw me off?"
"Yes."
Qin Feng nodded and said, "That was a warning for you, but you, still blinded by lust, ignored my warning and continued to have designs on my wife, and even brought us both to this secret room."
"You know the ’Soul Hooking Curse’ and recite it better than I do, are you perhaps a disciple of the Taoist school?" Zhen Haoren guessed desperately.
Qin Feng shook his head and answered, "No."
"Not from the Taoist school? Then who are you with?"
Qin Feng did not respond, but instead made it clear, "When you were opening the door to this hidden room a moment ago, you recited the ’Spirit Snake Scripture.’
If I’m not mistaken, the idol worshipped outside is your sect’s patriarch, the Footless God Lord.
That means, you are a disciple of the Spirit Sect!"
Qin Feng’s words shocked Zhen Haoren to the core.
He was so stunned that he stood motionless, staring dully at Qin Feng.
