Chapter 044: Zhao the Hunchback

"You..."
Staring at the man before me, terror gripped my heart.
This man...
I know him!
No, to be precise, I have never actually met him, but I’ve heard his name mentioned more than once among my peers.
Even my master once warned me that if I should ever encounter this man while he wasn’t around, I should avoid him at all costs. If avoidance was impossible, I was to yield and do whatever I could to preserve my life.
This man was the infamous Zhao the Hunchback, known as the Sinister Face.
He stood less than one meter fifty, his head craned forward in a permanent stoop, bald, without eyebrows, sporting only a single front tooth, and always dressed in a long black robe.
Every feature matched perfectly with the person before me.
And when I considered the Nine Corpses Heavenly Thunder Formation set up on the rooftop, there was no doubt: this was Zhao the Hunchback, the Sinister Face himself.
"Heh, so you’ve heard of me!" Zhao the Hunchback let out a chuckle. Because of his hunched back, his eyes rolled upward when he looked at me.
"I... I..." I stammered, unsure how to respond.
My master once said that Zhao the Hunchback was formidable, a genius the likes of which appear only once in several centuries.
His mastery of geomancy was beyond the reach of most practitioners—even my master admitted to treading carefully around him.
But what truly set him apart was not his geomancy, but his art of physiognomy!
Physiognomy was even more profound than geomancy, and to be a true master was exceedingly rare.
In all of China, only three living men were called Divine Seers.
One was Daoist Tianchang of the Cloth Sect, another was Mr. Gushi of the Water Mirror Sect,
And the last was this very Zhao the Hunchback.
Because he was neither righteous nor evil, acting solely on his own whims, caring nothing for rules or conventions. He had saved countless lives, but had also slaughtered the innocent without remorse.
Thus, this man whose art of physiognomy had reached divine heights was known to all as the Sinister Face.
"Se... senior..." I struggled to maintain my composure as I addressed him.
With such a capricious figure, if I wanted to survive, I dared not stand up to him. I had to tread carefully, fearing a single misstep might cost me my life.
After all, who isn’t afraid of death? I was no exception—I was terrified!
What’s more, I couldn’t die before I found my master’s remains. Otherwise, I would utterly fail his expectations of me.
"Boy! You’re young, but not without ability," Zhao the Hunchback observed, a faint smile on his lips.
But his smile sent shivers down my spine—it was anything but comforting.
"Um... Senior... I..." Before him, I felt as if Mount Tai pressed down on my shoulders, making every breath an effort.
"Kneel!" he suddenly barked at me.

I frowned, unsure of his intentions.
"I said kneel!" His expression grew colder, his voice rising with authority.
At his command, I felt like a fish on the chopping block. It was an unbearable feeling, and against my will, a spark of resistance flared within me.
The threat of death was terrifying, but if death was inevitable, I’d rather die standing tall.
"Why should I kneel?!" My heart quaked and my legs trembled, but I clenched my teeth as I spoke.
"Ha! The boldness of youth! You recognize me, yet you still resist? Do you wish to die?" A sneer curled on Zhao the Hunchback’s lips.
"I don’t want to die, but a man’s knees are as precious as gold. We kneel only to heaven, earth, parents, and teachers. Why should I kneel to you?" With that defiance, courage welled up in me; I refused to grovel or beg for mercy.
"Well said, a man’s knees are as precious as gold!" Zhao the Hunchback grinned, his mouth twisted.
But his face darkened once more, and he raised a withered, bark-like finger, pointing at me as he barked, "But before me, if I say kneel, you kneel. If I say die, you die!"
"Ah!" As he raised his hand, my knees suddenly buckled, and I dropped uncontrollably to the ground.
"Hmph!" Seeing me kneel, Zhao the Hunchback sneered, satisfaction creasing his wrinkled face.
"I’ll fight you with all I’ve got!" I shouted, hurling the Heavenly Gale Talisman I’d been clutching straight at him.
I’d already used my compass to focus my spiritual power, pouring everything I had into activating the talisman—a strike as powerful as I could muster.
Whether or not it would hurt him, I had to try. At least it would give me a shred of dignity.
"An ant trying to shake a tree!"
He only sneered. With a casual flick of his shriveled hand, the talisman turned to ash and vanished.
It was hopeless.
My heart sank.
He truly lived up to his reputation—between us lay an insurmountable gulf.
No wonder Grandmaster Xu, after seeing my email, immediately called to urge me to run.
Ah...
Just my luck.
I’d barely earned three hundred thousand from Zhou Beitang, hadn’t even touched the money yet, and now I was about to die.
"Hey! Boy! What are you doing?" Zhao the Hunchback called to me.
Knowing I was utterly outmatched, I gave up struggling. While I still had some control over my upper body, I simply rolled to the side and lay down.
Fight? I couldn’t win!
Kneel? I refused!
So I just lay there, playing the dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

"Kill me if you want, do as you please—but I won’t kneel to you!" Lying on the ground, I propped my head on my hand and stared at him.
"Heh! Playing the rogue, are you?" Zhao the Hunchback chuckled, half amused.
"That’s right. Today, I’m just being a rogue. Go ahead, do your worst. If I so much as groan, I’m your son!" I shouted.
To be honest, I despised myself for acting this way—it was utterly disgraceful!
But faced with such dire circumstances, I’d rather play the scoundrel than grovel at his feet.
"My son? Hell, with your age, you’re barely fit to be my grandson, and you want to be my son?" Zhao the Hunchback suddenly burst out laughing.
"Well... anyway, today’s just my unlucky day! If you’ve got the guts, make it quick!" I braced myself for the worst.
"Interesting! Very interesting!" Zhao the Hunchback laughed even harder. But his laughter was so hideous I could hardly bear it.
"Enough talk, do it!" I shouted, finding myself strangely emboldened.
"Boy, are you really not afraid of death?" Zhao the Hunchback raised an eyebrow, rubbing his bald head as he looked at me.
"Of course I’m afraid!" I pouted.
"Then why act this way? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you in a fit of rage?" He seemed genuinely puzzled.
"Go ahead! If you don’t kill me today, you’re my son!" I didn’t know what had gotten into me—my defiance only grew, senseless as it was.
Honestly, I regretted my words as soon as I spoke. But once said, they could not be taken back.
"Fine, boy! I’ll show you what I can do!"
Sure enough, Zhao the Hunchback flared up at my words. He pointed a finger at me, and instantly I felt a jolt through my body, as though something had burrowed into me.
Pain erupted in every bone and limb, indescribable and all-consuming.
"Ugh..." I clenched my teeth, determined not to make a sound.
I had boasted I wouldn’t utter a single groan, or else I’d be his son.
But the pain was excruciating—intolerable.
I don’t know how to describe it; it felt as if every inch of my being, from hair to fingernails, was wracked with agony.
This was torment in every dimension, every possible way!
Worse yet, even as blackness swam before my eyes, I somehow could not lose consciousness.
"Heh, boy! You’re tough! Let’s see how long you can last!" Zhao the Hunchback’s voice came from above.
I writhed on the ground, wracked with pain, but clamped my jaw shut, refusing to cry out.
I didn’t know how much longer I could endure. If only there was a brick nearby, I’d smash it against my own head to knock myself out.