Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 25 The True Understanding of All Phenomena

The night is deep.

Inside the room, Lin Xuan sat upright at the table.

On the table in front of him were a pile of bottles and jars containing various powders and pastes.

The man in black robes had clearly come prepared; all these bottles and jars were brought by him.

The man in black robes stood behind him and commanded, "Close your eyes. Open them only when I tell you to."

Lin Xuan obediently closed his eyes.

The man in black robes glanced at him before taking off his black silk gloves, revealing a pair of slender, white, and flawless hands.

She dipped her fingertips into some of the powder from the bottle and gently applied it to Lin Xuan's cheeks, forehead, and chin.

The man in black robes moved with exceptional skill, his fingertips touching, smearing, or kneading as if he were sculpting a work of art.

Lin Xuan only felt a smooth and slightly cool touch. He wanted to open his eyes, but thinking of the ruthlessness of the man in black robes, he forcibly suppressed the urge.

Inside the room late at night, only Lin Xuan's slightly heavy breathing and the soft rustling of the black-robed man's fingers moving across his skin could be heard.

Time flowed slowly in the darkness, each second seeming exceptionally long.

After an unknown amount of time, the man in black finally stopped moving.

After a moment, his voice rang out: "Open your eyes."

Lin Xuan opened his eyes and found that the bronze mirror, which had been placed on the corner of the table, had been moved to his front.

His gaze fell on the mirror, and his expression suddenly froze.

The face reflected in the bronze mirror was completely unfamiliar!
Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like autumn waters rippling across the horizon, her nose was delicate and straight, her lips were like a touch of vermilion, and her skin was smooth and fair with a hazy glow. A few strands of soft hair fell beside her temples, adding to her delicate and charming appearance.

The person in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful, possessing an ethereal, otherworldly aloofness, yet unintentionally revealing a captivating and alluring charm.

Lin Xuan shuddered, his face showing a look of utter disbelief.

The beauty in the mirror looked as if she had seen a ghost.

Lin Xuan swallowed hard, his throat bobbing slightly.

In the contours of that beauty's eyebrows and eyes, one could still vaguely find a trace of her own, but her entire appearance, temperament, and even bone structure had undergone earth-shattering changes.

The man in black tossed Lin Xuan a small booklet and said calmly, "The art of disguise is the foundation of a spy's survival. Practice it often, and when you can disguise yourself to this extent, you'll be ready to graduate..."

Looking at the beauty in the mirror, Lin Xuan was filled with shock.

After the man in black disguised himself, not only would strangers not recognize him, but even he himself would not recognize himself.

Lin Xuan clasped his hands in a fist and said in a deep voice, "Yes."

His voice was deep and calm, which seemed out of place with his stunningly beautiful face.

The man in black frowned slightly, glanced at him, and said calmly, "Open your mouth."

Lin Xuan was stunned for a moment, but still obediently opened her mouth.

As soon as the man in black raised his hand, Lin Xuan felt something fly into his mouth.

The substance melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm, scalding current that slid down the throat.

Almost the instant he swallowed, a strange sensation rose from his throat, as if countless tiny feathers were gently tickling it. Lin Xuan couldn't help but cough lightly.

"cough……"

This soft cough made Lin Xuan's body stiffen again.

The voice was soft, melodious, and slightly husky—it was unmistakably a woman's voice…

He looked at the man in black robes in shock, wanting to ask a question, but found that the voice that came out was still that charming female voice: "My lord, this, this is..."

The man in black robes crossed his arms, as if admiring a satisfactory work of art, and said calmly, "This is the 'Illusionary Sound Pill.' After taking it, it can change your voice, and its effects last for about two hours..."

The man in black lowered his arms and said, "That's enough for tonight. These things are yours; remember to practice more..."

Lin Xuan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

Watching the figure in black robes disappear, Lin Xuan looked at the 'beauty' in the mirror and sighed softly.

This man in black robes was clearly training him to be a real spy.

His ties with the Nanzhao Kingdom grew ever stronger.

As he gets deeper into the situation, it will become even more difficult for him to extricate himself in the future.

Temporarily putting these thoughts aside, Lin Xuan slowly opened the booklet that the man in black robes had thrown to him.

Regardless of anything else, this disguise technique is truly remarkable.

Having more skills is never a bad thing; learning another skill is never a bad thing.

As Lin Xuan turned the pages, he discovered that the disguise techniques of Nanzhao were not entirely about advanced makeup skills; rather, makeup was merely the foundation. The book also mentioned a martial arts technique called "The True Explanation of Myriad Forms."

This technique lacks offensive and defensive capabilities, but it allows for precise control over one's bones, muscles, skin, and other bodily tissues. When the "True Explanation of Myriad Forms" is mastered, one can instantly change their physical appearance, representing the highest level of disguise.

Lin Xuan was quite interested in this technique.

The "True Explanation of Myriad Forms" is not a primary cultivation method, but rather an auxiliary one, and it does not conflict with a martial artist's primary cultivation method.

If he can master this skill, he can change his life and start a new life as long as he removes the Heart-Eating Gu from his body, and he will no longer have to suffer the coercion and threats from Nanzhao.

Unfortunately, this booklet only mentions the "True Explanation of All Phenomena" and the rest of the content seems to have been intentionally torn out.

For the next few days, the man in black robes came every night.

Under his guidance, Lin Xuan's disguise skills improved by leaps and bounds. Although he was not as beautiful as the woman in the black robe, he was still convincing enough to pass for the real thing when dressed in women's clothing and his Adam's apple was concealed.

The man in black robes crossed his arms, looked at him with satisfaction, and nodded, saying, "Not bad, you do have some talent in the art of disguise."

Lin Xuan didn't respond. His so-called talent was simply something he had focused all his attention on these past few days.

Seeing that he seemed to be in a good mood, Lin Xuan tentatively asked, "Sir, is the 'True Explanation of Ten Thousand Forms' mentioned in this booklet real? Is there really such a miraculous technique in the world?"

The man in black robes glanced at him and said calmly, "Of course it's true. The 'True Understanding of Myriad Forms' is the supreme technique for disguise. However, the requirements for cultivating this technique are extremely demanding, requiring a mental strength far stronger than the physical body..."

He looked at Lin Xuan, then abruptly stopped speaking.

The essence of "The True Explanation of All Forms" is to control the physical body with powerful mental strength. This requires a mental strength level that is significantly stronger than the physical body. A martial artist's physical body and mental strength increase in tandem with the improvement of their cultivation level.

Therefore, even high-level martial artists cannot cultivate the "True Explanation of Myriad Forms".

Their mental strength is indeed powerful, but their physical bodies are even stronger; mental strength cannot shake their muscles and bones.

On the contrary, someone like Lin Xuan, with low strength but exceptionally strong innate spiritual power, is extremely suitable for cultivating this technique.

His physical body was too weak, and his mental strength far exceeded his current level. He could change his tendons and bones, and transform his appearance and shape without lifting a finger.

However, the "True Explanation of All Phenomena" is a top secret of the Secret Service. Only secret agents with sufficient talent and unwavering loyalty to Nanzhao will be taught this technique.

Although Lin Xuan is talented enough, his loyalty remains to be verified.

She didn't continue the topic, waving her hand and saying, "Just practice the techniques I teach you diligently. Don't ask questions you shouldn't. I'll tell you when the time is right..."

The man in black robes was clearly unwilling to tell him, and Lin Xuan did not press him for details.

Presumably, Nanzhao will not easily pass on this skill to him.

In the days that followed, Lin Xuan continued to practice basic disguise techniques.

He experimented with more different types of characters, dressing himself up as a gaunt old man, a wealthy merchant, a frail scholar, a down-on-his-luck beggar, and so on.

These people are everywhere on the streets, and they are also the easiest to overlook.

However, according to the man in black robes, everyone is suited to different disguises. His bone structure and temperament are most suitable for women's attire, and in the short term, he only needs to work on his female makeup skills...

Today happened to be a day off, and since the disguise supplies given to him by the man in black robes had run out, Lin Xuan decided to go out and buy some more.

Those bottles and jars actually contain specially formulated rouge and face powder, which can be bought at rouge shops on the raw material street.

But for a grown man, especially a single one, to appear in a cosmetics shop was rather conspicuous.

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment, then turned and entered the inner room.

Not long after, on a bustling street in Sizhou City.

A slender woman with a beautiful face walked down the street, attracting the attention of passersby.

She wore an elegant ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and her hair was simply styled, yet her beauty was still undeniable.

"Wow, what a pretty young lady!"

"Tsk tsk, this girl is so pretty, she's just as beautiful as that pastry vendor on East Street!"

"I wonder which family's daughter she is, and whether she is betrothed to anyone..."

Amidst the whispers of passersby, the beautiful woman walked with composure into a rouge shop called "Ningxiangzhai" on the street.

The shop was filled with a rich fragrance. A bright young woman saw a customer enter and immediately stepped forward with a beaming smile: "Miss, what would you like to buy? We just received a batch of top-quality rouge..."

The woman's gaze swept over the dazzling array of goods on the shelves, and she spoke softly, her voice gentle and melodious: "I'll just browse around first."

"Okay, take your time looking around. Call me anytime if you need anything." The girl responded and stepped aside, taking a few more glances at the beauty in front of her. Such a beautiful woman was a rare sight.

The woman nodded slightly, walked to a counter, and began to look around by herself.

Inside the shop, several female customers were selecting cosmetics. Hearing the sound, they looked up and saw the woman. A hint of amazement appeared in their eyes, but they quickly lowered their heads and whispered to their companions or secretly compared themselves to her.

Looking at his face reflected in the bronze mirror at the rouge shop, Lin Xuan realized that, judging from the reactions of those around him, his first attempt at practicing disguise techniques could be considered a success...

(End of this chapter)