Chapter 169: Usurpation

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One touch.

That is all it takes for the monster’s flesh to begin corrupting his own. Its foul presence seeps into his aura in such a violent way that Liu Jin has to wonder how any of the disciples infected with flesh buds could have missed it. This is not a matter of him having considerably better control and awareness than the rest. The Qi in these monsters is so fundamentally unnatural that anything more than the smallest of doses should threaten to overwhelm them.

Something has changed, and perhaps, it is his fault that it did.

Previously, brief physical contact caused the creatures to leave flesh buds, while prolonged exposure resulted in more overt corruption attempts. Now, the beasts are foregoing subtlety and doing their best to overwhelm anyone who makes contact with them regardless of the odds of success.

Whoever controls these monsters must have realized that infecting people with flesh buds will no longer work. He must have felt them being removed by Liu Jin before he could activate them. That is why he switched tactics.

Just like Liu Jin is doing.

The creature’s cells and Qi flow into his body at such an astonishing rate that his body mass will likely double within the next second. Even so, Liu Jin doesn’t fight the infection. He allows it to spread because the more it spreads, the easier his plan will be.

Blood flows from Liu Jin’s mouth as his arm begins to bloat. Nerves and blood vessels are suddenly visible as the influx of cells tries to force them out through his skin.

This is fine.

Liu Jin knew this would happen before making contact. Some would argue that doesn’t make his actions any more reasonable, but those people are not the ones responsible for all the lives behind him.

Control.

He must maintain control. It is okay to let the infection spread as long as the components necessary for him to function are kept safe. That is easily accomplished by applying Poison Qi to key areas of his body. Though he entered the True Realm much faster than he would have liked, there is no denying his newly-acquired power allows him to bring his Master’s lessons to a new level.

As more of the creature’s Qi enters him, the by-now-familiar sensation of his soul clashing against that of someone else assaults Liu Jin. However, it is distant at best. The creatures are nothing but empty vessels devoid of souls. The soul Liu Jin is feeling is just an echo of whoever is controlling it.

Good.

Whoever controls this army is far mightier than Liu Jin. There is no way he can win in a direct clash. It is because the controller is not directing his full attention toward him that Liu Jin has a chance. As Liu Jin’s body is invaded, his soul slithers deep into the monster’s depths until he finds what he is looking for.

Its link to the controller.

When Liu Jin healed Huang Shing, he simply severed the link. This time, his soul gently wraps around it. Again and again, he twists his essence around it like a snake wrapping around its prey, slowly increasing the strength of his hold.

Carefully.

Methodically.

Relentlessly.

When it snaps, Liu Jin does not allow the connection and the creature it sustains to wither away. His soul is ready to fill the gap and take control of it, and….

This creature… this thing…

Amazing.

Three different nervous systems. Four hearts of varying sizes. Seven circulatory systems. One central lung. Sixteen brains. For a corpse, it shouldn’t matter at all, yet whoever crafted this creature took the time and effort to create something incredibly complex within it. Unlikely as it might sound, everything within the creature is perfectly connected and fully capable of working. Though chaotic at first glance, there is a sense of order to it all, a macabre aesthetic.

And yet…

Unnecessary. Unnecessary. Unnecessary.

Liu Jin thinks it, and the flesh reacts to its thoughts. He is in control of this creature now. Its flesh is bound to his will and no one else’s. Before Liu Jin even realizes what he is doing, the design has already taken shape in his head. His goals are clear: strengthen structural integrity, eliminate redundancies, discard leftover materials…

An idea flashes through his mind.

Can he do it?

The creature’s body and Qi provide all the answers he needs. He can.

So he does.

The beast explodes in a shower of blood and guts before everyone’s eyes. The flesh that had been trying to take over Liu Jin melts away, leaving him wounded but whole. Qi burns around him, already doing its best to repair the damage.

There are three hounds around him.

Unlike the monster they were born from, these hounds only reach up to Liu Jin’s waist. They have no eyes and no eye sockets, not an inch of exposed muscle or bone anywhere to be seen. The hounds are perfectly proportioned without any uneven or weak limbs. They are sleek, red creatures, though how much of that red is their own coloring and how much is due to all the blood on them is not something even Liu Jin knows.

Liu Jin breathes, and they do as well.

For a single imperceptible moment, the entire dead army falters. Liu Jin raises his hand, and the hounds jerk their heads up as if pulled by invisible strings.

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“Go.”

A single word from Liu Jin is all they need. The hounds spring into action, ready to tear into the horde.

~~~

Not possible.

Deep within the entrails of his creation, the two words echo throughout his mind. He holds his head between his hands, and his eyes are bulging so much they threaten to spill out of their sockets. No injury mars his body, yet the impact of what just happened pierces him deeper than any blade ever could.

Soft laughter comes from above.

“Oh my, that’s quite a lot of rage. Did something interesting happen, friend?”

“Silence!” He and his beast roar in unison. Their Qi oozes rage and hate. The menacing intent coming from him is so thick lesser beings would have already lost the ability to breathe.

Xun Huwen only smiles.

“That bad?” Xun Huwen leaps off his creation’s back and lands on his snout, leaning forward to peer into its empty eye sockets. “Were the foolish savages from the other side more capable than you expected? Are you perhaps regretting not allowing the others to help you?”