Chapter 556: 556 is still stepping on a horse as if it were a giant stone weighing a thousand catties.
"Fine, I, Mu Hanyan, hereby swear that once I obtain the Cangxuan Cloud Silk, I will not reveal even half a word about the happenings in Exotic Beast Valley to anyone other than the Family Head," Mu Hanyan said, taking the Elixir and swearing without hesitation.
At the same time she swore, Pang Dezong began to form a Hand Formation. A fantastic glow descended from the heavens—it was the Heaven and Earth Contract.
For others, Pang Dezong wasn’t so cautious. After all, invoking the Heaven and Earth Contract was quite draining, and with his status, he wasn’t worried about those young Swordsmen reneging on their promises. But as for Mu Hanyan, it was better to be careful.
"Judging others by one’s own measure," Mu Hanyan muttered with disdain.
Pang Dezong certainly heard her words, and it took quite an effort for him not to explode with anger on the spot. Instead, he cursed inwardly: "You call yourself a noble? Demanding sky-high prices right from the start, your extortion reverberating loudly, and still you claim to be virtuous? You’re nothing but a sly little fox."
"Alright, I’ve taken the oath, now teach me the Hand Formation," said Mu Hanyan.
Next to her, Zhao Sinin wore a cold smirk.
If she hadn’t learned this Hand Formation, it would have been fine, but once she mastered it, Mu Hanyan would surely be unable to contain her temper. In that case, his death wouldn’t be far off.
"Watch closely," thought Pang Dezong, with the same idea in mind, as he demonstrated the entire sequence of the Hand Formation from beginning to end.
His movements weren’t slow, but they weren’t fast either. However, they seemed incredibly intricate and profound to Zhao Sinin. Initially, he had wanted to learn as well but after only a few movements, his mind was completely muddled, and he couldn’t continue learning any further.
"Not so easy to learn, is it? I’ll do it one more time, pay closer attention this time," said Pang Dezong. The Hand Formation he had performed flowed smoothly, showing off a little, and he anticipated that Mu Hanyan wouldn’t be able to master it so quickly, so after completing it once, he began the second set.
"No need, I’ll try once, and you can just point out any mistakes," interrupted Mu Hanyan, starting to form the Hand Formation on her own.
Her movements were somewhat stiff at first, but the intricacies between each finger were flawless. As she progressed, her execution grew smoother and more fluid, with an etereal beauty emerging.
Pang Dezong was completely dumbfounded early on. How could this be possible? Although he had moved deliberately, each Hand Formation was mysterious and profound, leaving no room for error. Back in his day, he had been taught personally by his Master, and it took an entire month before he learned it. So, how had Mu Hanyan learned it in just one go?
Had she learned it before? This thought just emerged in Pang Dezong’s mind when he immediately dismissed it. This Hand Formation was a unique creation of his Master; no one else had been taught it except for him. Where could Mu Hanyan have learned it?
The only explanation was that Mu Hanyan had an innate talent for Alchemy, able to learn it at once.
While this explanation seemed reasonable, it left Pang Dezong feeling incredibly unsettled.
Previously, he had never considered Mu Hanyan to have any talent for Alchemy, and all his schemes had overlooked this fact.
Now, an inexplicable unease crept into Pang Dezong’s heart. This damned kid actually had such a talent; he had to be careful not to end up accidentally dressing someone else in a bridal gown with his own schemes.
Pang Dezong had no idea that Mu Hanyan was no prodigy; the reason she could so quickly master the Hand Formation was simply that she had previously "assisted" Shan Ling and had stealthily learned the even more profound and mysterious Star Illusion Thousand Mechanism Technique.
Pang Dezong also failed to predict that he would end up shooting himself in the foot, and not just with a pebble, but rather with a giant stone that crushed him flat out.