Chapter 431: The Previous Pavilion Master

Qin Tuo was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Zeng Changkong, in the middle of a perfectly normal conversation, to suddenly ask him to save his daughter’s life.

Besides, Qin Tuo thought, Zeng Kemeng appeared to be full of life and glowing with health. She didn’t look like there was anything wrong with her at all.

So, Qin Tuo asked doubtfully,

"Mr. Zeng, forgive my bluntness, but I don’t see any sign of a serious illness in your daughter. What do you mean by this?"

However, Zeng Changkong just smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Mr. Qin, you don’t understand. My daughter isn’t suffering from a terminal illness. It’s because of... a disaster!"

"What do you mean?"

Qin Tuo couldn’t help but ask.

Zeng Changkong explained seriously,

"Mr. Qin, I recently calculated that my daughter will soon face an unavoidable, violent disaster. I’ve tried to divine many different solutions, but every single one of them has failed."

As he spoke, tears began to stream down Zeng Changkong’s old face.

Qin Tuo could deeply empathize with Zeng Changkong’s feelings. To foresee his own daughter’s tragic fate, yet be utterly powerless to stop it despite all his skills... The despair must be overwhelming.

Zeng Changkong looked earnestly into Qin Tuo’s eyes, his face a mask of desperation as he pleaded,

"Mr. Qin, there is only one way. Only a person of great stature, such as yourself, can intervene and save my daughter’s life!"

Qin Tuo was silent for a moment before asking seriously,

"Mr. Zeng, why me?"

Qin Tuo didn’t believe for a second that Zeng Changkong would say such a thing after merely glancing at his face.

There had to be a hidden story behind it.

Sure enough, what Zeng Changkong said next left Qin Tuo utterly shocked.

He heard the man say slowly,

"Mr. Qin, I have divined something..."

Hearing his mysterious tone, Qin Tuo grew even more curious. ’What could it be?’

Zeng Changkong continued,

"You once eliminated a master from the Blood Moon Pavilion, and now you have a deep-seated feud with them, correct?"

Hearing this, Qin Tuo was stunned. He couldn’t stop himself from immediately asking,

"Oh? And how do you know that, Mr. Zeng?"

As far as Qin Tuo was concerned, he and Zeng Changkong were complete strangers.

Moreover, strictly speaking, very few people knew about his feud with the Blood Moon Pavilion.

And Zeng Changkong was all the way in Southwest Kunfeng City, so how could he possibly know about this?

Zeng Changkong smiled and explained,

"Mr. Qin, you might not be aware, but I knew these things the moment I first saw you."

Qin Tuo, however, was still skeptical. ’Is this Zeng Changkong’s face-reading skill really that powerful? To be able to discern the matter between me and the Blood Moon Pavilion just by looking at me?’

Seeing the suspicion on Qin Tuo’s face, Zeng Changkong naturally knew what he was thinking.

After a pause, Zeng Changkong got straight to the point.

"Mr. Qin, I am, in fact, the Pavilion Master of the Blood Moon Pavilion."

As those words fell, Qin Tuo was thunderstruck.

He had never imagined that the Pavilion Master of the Blood Moon Pavilion, whom he had been searching for so desperately, was right here before his eyes.

There was no time to think about the whys and hows. In an instant, a murderous aura erupted from Qin Tuo, forming a massive, imposing pressure.

At once, it was as if an invisible cyclone had swept through the hall, causing the color to drain from Zeng Changkong’s face!

Zeng Changkong frantically tried to resist the terrifying pressure of the aura, but he couldn’t hold on and began to tremble uncontrollably.

Seeing that Qin Tuo was about to strike, Zeng Changkong broke out in a panicked sweat and desperately explained,

"Mr. Qin, please, don’t be rash! I’m the *former* Pavilion Master, not the current one!"

After saying this, he let out a sharp breath, terrified that Qin Tuo would kill him on the spot.

Hearing his explanation, Qin Tuo frowned slightly but finally dispersed the terrifying pressure.

"Keep talking!"

Qin Tuo said, his face devoid of expression.

Zeng Changkong nodded with difficulty. The aftershock of Qin Tuo’s aura left him deeply frightened.

But inwardly, he was ecstatic. ’I really did make the right bet!’

So, Zeng Changkong composed himself and said slowly,

"Mr. Qin, many years ago, I was ambushed and betrayed by my own star disciple, Yan Hongliang. I nearly died, but by a stroke of luck, I managed to survive."

Qin Tuo nodded but said nothing, continuing to listen quietly.

Zeng Changkong spoke again.

"Furthermore, the reason I was able to survive was because of an ancestral book, the Face Reading Technique. It is what my disciple, Yan Hongliang, schemed so desperately to obtain!"

Qin Tuo couldn’t help but ask,

"So you’re saying your disciple has already obtained this Face Reading Technique?"

Qin Tuo thought about it. The Face Reading Technique was so miraculous at divination that if Yan Hongliang had inherited it, he might be able to foresee future events and evade pursuit ahead of time.

That would cause a lot of trouble for him and the people at the General Security Pavilion.

However, Zeng Changkong shook his head and said,

"Mr. Qin, I knew long ago that the Face Reading Technique was too powerful, that it defied the natural order. I feared it would bring about a fatal disaster for me, so I destroyed it early on!"

Hearing this, Qin Tuo felt a small sense of relief.

The fact that the Face Reading Technique had not been passed on was good news for him.

Zeng Changkong shook his head, his tone filled with regret.

"However, even though my disciple did not succeed, he still managed to usurp my position as the Pavilion Master of the Blood Moon Pavilion... Alas..."

As he said this, he let out a deep sigh. It was clear that the events of the past were an indelible scar on his heart, a wound that had not yet healed.

Only now did Qin Tuo understand that there was such a hidden history to all this.

But suddenly, Qin Tuo realized there was a huge loophole in this story, so he immediately asked,

"Wait. If that Yan Hongliang covets the Face Reading Technique in your possession so much, how have you dared to maintain such a high profile in Kunfeng City?"

Zeng Changkong was momentarily stunned and didn’t know how to respond.

Qin Tuo continued in a cold voice,

"And from what I hear, everyone in Kunfeng City knows how skilled you are as a face-reading master. If you’re so good at reading people, how could you not have seen Yan Hongliang’s savage ambition back then and taken precautions in advance?"

After this barrage of questions, Qin Tuo stared coldly at Zeng Changkong, waiting for his explanation.

Zeng Changkong thought for a moment and couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

"Mr. Qin, you misunderstand. Everything I’ve done was out of necessity!"

"Oh? And how is that?"

Qin Tuo didn’t quite understand what Zeng Changkong meant.

Zeng Changkong said seriously,

"Because Yan Hongliang has never given up on learning the Face Reading Technique. By continuing to promote and showcase this art, I give him more reason to keep me alive!"