Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

He sat there listlessly, his eyes vacant, the sighs of Tian Jinzhong echoing in his ears. The despair and resentment he felt when surrounded by the army in the forest miraculously subsided the moment he saw Tian Jinzhong.

After a long while, Gong Qing finally let out a long breath, as if he had let go of all his pretense.

He braced himself, his handcuffed hands resting on the cold, muddy ground, the chains rattling. He slowly straightened his knees, bowing deeply and respectfully to Tian Jinzhong in a perfect, solemn salute.

His forehead hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Master Jinzhong, thank you for your continued care." Gong Qing straightened up, his face expressionless, but his voice was terribly hoarse.

Tian Jinzhong stopped five steps away from Gong Qing. He looked at this junior he usually took good care of, his expression somewhat complicated, as he looked at Gong Qing's face, which was covered in mud and sweat.

"Xiaoyuzi, I've always thought of you as a junior who's a bit too thoughtful."

Tian Jinzhong sighed slowly, his gaze fixed on Gong Qing. There was no anger, no rebuke, only a quiet desire to find the answer:

"But I never expected that you were actually the acting leader of Quanxing. To infiltrate the side of an old man like me, you even went so far as to cripple your own martial arts and deceive everyone. And today you've caused such a commotion—what is your purpose?"

Gong Qing lowered his head, gave a bitter laugh, and remained silent.

"What else could he be after?" a voice suddenly came from the side.

Jiang Zhen, who had been sitting steadily by the stone table, slowly stood up. His tall and burly body was like a moving small mountain. He walked step by step to Gong Qing's side, and his military boots and cloth shoes made way for him.

Jiang Zhen looked down at the acting leader of Quanxing, his hands in his pockets, and said calmly:

"Isn't it all about the secret of those Eight Extraordinary Techniques? Jinzhong, do you really think no one knows about your meeting with Zhang Huaiyi back then? It's no big deal."

"In the end, they are all old, trivial matters."

Jiang Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet outer courtyard of the Celestial Master's Mansion, it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Instantly, everyone present was startled.

The Eight Extraordinary Skills—these three words are an absolute taboo and the center of storm in the domestic world of supernatural beings. Normally, when various sects mention them, they would lower their voices, look around, and make sure no one is listening. Who would have thought that Jiang Zhen would casually throw them out in front of the army and various sects?

The onlookers stared wide-eyed, took a step forward, and silently pricked up their ears.

Gong Qing, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Jiang Zhen, his eyes filled with horror.

However, Jiang Zhen completely ignored Gong Qing's horrified gaze. He slightly turned his large body, his gaze not lingering on the Quanxing members, but instead passing through the crowd and looking directly at Lü Ci.

"Lu Ci, I have a question for you."

Lu Ci, whose name was suddenly called, was taken aback. When Jiang Zhen called his name, he straightened up reflexively. "Brother Jiang, please ask me anything. I, Lu Ci, am listening."

Jiang Zhen asked directly, "I remember there should be a younger generation in your family named Lü Liang, right?"

Lu Ci frowned. Hearing that name from Jiang Zhen's mouth made his heart skip a beat. He didn't quite understand why Jiang Zhen knew this junior who wasn't usually the most outstanding, but he still nodded honestly: "That's right, but how does Brother Jiang know him?"

Jiang Zhen continued to ask:

What is he doing now?

The doubt in Lü Ci's eyes deepened. He thought carefully for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at his elder brother Lü Ren beside him before answering:

"Xiao Liang? He's still a proper university student in the provincial capital. That kid is a bit mischievous, but he's generally well-behaved. Brother Jiang, why are you asking this... could it be that that little brat has something to do with this mess tonight?"

By the end, a ruthless glint had flashed in Lü Ci's eyes. If Lü Liang was truly involved in tonight's events, he would absolutely not hesitate to personally eliminate him.

However, upon hearing this answer, Jiang Zhen merely shook his head noncommittally, then slowly turned around and refocused his gaze on Gong Qing on the ground.

Gong Qing looked at Jiang Zhen with some confusion, not understanding for a moment what the Sea Emperor meant by discussing Lü Liang with Lü Ci.

Who is Lü Liang? What is his relationship with Gong Qing?

Before Gong Qing could figure it out, Jiang Zhen bent down slightly, his imposing face close to Gong Qing's, and asked in a low voice:

"Now, let me ask you. According to your original plan for tonight—after you successfully infiltrated and captured Jinzhong, what were you planning to do? How were you going to get the secret from Jinzhong next? Think about it carefully."

"What do you plan to do after capturing Old Tian?"

Gong Qing subconsciously began to think along with Jiang Zhen's question. The question was too simple, so simple that he could answer it almost without thinking. He had formulated a complete set of meticulous plans, and he had repeatedly deduced every step countless times. He knew every contingency plan by heart.

"Of course... of course we should interrogate him!" Gong Qing blurted out.

"Interrogate him?" Jiang Zhen sneered, interrupting, "You've been undercover for years, following him every day. Don't you know Jinzhong's temper? Do you think holding a knife to his throat or torturing him would be effective?"

Gong Qing's expression froze.

Yes, he knew Tian Lao's personality better than anyone—gentle on the outside, but firm on the inside. For decades, to avoid revealing the secret, he hadn't even dared to sleep soundly, his sexual cultivation reaching a point where he couldn't sleep with his mind unsatisfied. Torture was utterly meaningless to Tian Jinzhong.

"Then... what should I do after I catch him?" His expression changed from certainty to confusion as he frantically searched his mind for the flawless plan he had devised.

They captured Tian Jinzhong... and then what? Then they took him down the mountain? Where were they taken? What methods were used to extract his memories? Torture? Drugs? Psychic abilities?

What methods were used to extract the memories from Old Tian's mind?

Gong Qing began to desperately recall. He remembered that he had devised a complete plan, the connection between each step, and the division of labor among all personnel—who was responsible for setting the fire, who was responsible for distraction…

Strangely, whenever his thoughts touched upon the core step of "how to obtain the secret after capturing Tian Jinzhong," an extremely bizarre blank would appear in his mind.

Why can't I remember?

How could I not remember?!

My plan was so perfect, if the Sea Emperor hadn't already succeeded, why is my mind a complete mess for this crucial step?!

Gong Qing's breathing became rapid. His chest heaved violently, and cold sweat seeped from his pores, gathering into large droplets that dripped down his nose and chin onto the muddy ground beneath him.

The feeling is like a conscious person suddenly falling into a black hole of memories. No matter how much he struggles and reaches out to grab it, all his fingertips touch is nothingness.

"Something's not right...something's not right!"

Gong Qing abruptly raised his head, his face filled with terror as he looked at the smiling Jiang Zhen. His voice trembled completely from extreme fear:

"How could this be... I can't remember... Someone tampered with me! Someone tampered with my brain! Who?! Who was it?!"

In that instant, Gong Qing felt a chill run from his tailbone straight to the top of his head. He had never felt such fear, not even when facing an army that covered the mountains and plains.

Someone altered or erased his memories without him even noticing!

Chapter 156 Dual-Handed Technique

Gong Qing, gripped by extreme fear, did not lose his composure for long.

As someone who managed to stand out among the lawless thugs and murderers of the Quanxing sect and rise to the position of acting leader, his mental fortitude and cunning are far from ordinary. The Quanxing members are unruly and fight anyone who disagrees. He became acting leader not just because of his eloquence, but because of his solid, hard-earned strength.

Gong Qing collapsed onto the muddy ground, panting heavily as he forced himself to calm down.

The blank in his mind remained, as if a piece of flesh had been scraped away with a razor blade. But following his own logic, he quickly deduced the truth.

Before he crippled himself, he was at his peak, confident that even if he faced the "Ten Elders" who had been famous in the world of supernatural beings for a long time, apart from the unapproachable Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei, anyone who wanted to attack him, he would be able to make them suffer a lot. He would never let anyone secretly tamper with his mind.

After he crippled himself, he went straight to Longhu Mountain, changed his name and changed into an inconspicuous gray Taoist robe. He became Xiao Yuzi, serving tea and water to Tian Jinzhong. During his time on Longhu Mountain, he stayed by Tian Jinzhong's side almost all the time, never leaving his side.

What kind of place is Longhu Mountain? It's the headquarters of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Zhang Zhiwei, Tian Jinzhong, and a group of highly skilled disciples of Longhu Mountain patrol the mountain every day. He doesn't believe that anyone in the world could sneak into the Celestial Master's Mansion without anyone noticing under the noses of Zhang Zhiwei, Tian Jinzhong, and the others, and modify his memories, even though he has lost his martial arts and is no different from an ordinary person.

Once all the impossibilities have been eliminated, the remaining conclusion, however absurd, is the truth.

"The conclusion is in..."

Gong Qing murmured something under his breath, and his previously tense body completely relaxed.

He did it voluntarily; only if he voluntarily and cooperatively allowed the other party to do it can all of this make sense.

The attack on the mountain has now completely failed. Some are dead, some are captured, and the Four Madmen and the Six Thieves are all handcuffed together. He, the acting sect leader, has also been taken prisoner and pinned to the ground. To prevent him from leaking secrets, the person behind him has directly deleted his most crucial part of his memory.

Cutting off the tail to survive, severing all intelligence networks—it's very reasonable, so reasonable that he has nothing to say.

Having figured everything out, Gong Qing let out a soft breath, his previously terrified eyes regaining their calm. He gave a slight smile, raised his head, and looked calmly at Jiang Zhen standing before him:

"Jiang Haihuang, it seems I truly cannot recall. But now that I've fallen to this state, whether I know or not is irrelevant. But since you could see the problem at a glance, could you tell me... what kind of method is this?"

Jiang Zhen stood there, hands in his pockets. Hearing Gong Qing's question, he merely turned his head slightly, casting his gaze upon the New World entourage behind him, and casually called out a name:

"Xingquan, come and take a look."

As Jiang Zhen finished speaking, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties slowly stepped out from the New World's ranks.

He walked up to Gong Qing, glanced down at the Quanxing acting leader who was slumped on the ground, and stretched out his right hand. In his palm, a ball of light blue Qi and a ball of pink Qi were strangely intertwined. The blue and red were intertwined but did not merge, emitting a peculiar fluctuation that seemed to make one's soul tremble.

He only sensed it from a distance for a moment before withdrawing his hand. The two wisps of energy flickered slightly in his palm before dissipating. He calmly turned around and nodded slightly to Jiang Zhen: "Sir, I wasn't mistaken, it is indeed the technique of the 'Dual-Handed Master.' The red hand heals the body, the blue hand alters the soul. A piece of his memory was brutally cut off; the technique was clean... but also terrible." When he said "terrible," the young man's tone carried a clear hint of disdain.

"But why?" He frowned, as if talking to himself, or as if reporting to Jiang Zhen, "Logically speaking, besides Grandma, Aunt and I, there shouldn't be a fourth person who knows it now."

The young man's words struck like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of everyone in the outer courtyard.

"A dual-wielding hand?!"

"One of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, Dual-Handed Technique?!"

What surprised everyone was not the Dual-Handed Technique, since everyone knew that two of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques were untouchable. Even Ma Xianhong, the genius weapon refiner of Tiangong Hall, a specially appointed expert of Nadutong, vice president of the Weapon Refiner Association, and a national high-tech talent, possessed the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements, yet no one dared to touch it.

To everyone's surprise, the dignified acting leader of Quanxing Sect had fallen victim to this, and since Shuangquan Shou had always been in the New World, where did this new one come from?

Gong Qing was also stunned. Although he had guessed that the method was extraordinary, he hadn't expected it to directly involve the Eight Extraordinary Techniques. He stared blankly at the young man before him, stammering:

"The Dual-Handed Technique... the skill of Duanmu Ying of Jishetang, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves of yesteryear..."

Jiang Zhen grinned at Gong Qing's shocked expression and pointed to the young man beside him, introducing him as follows:

"Let me introduce you. Wang Xingquan, the great-grandson of Yingzi, and the successor of the Dual-Handed Technique."

When Wang Xingquan heard Gong Qing utter the insulting term "thirty-six thieves" that was derogatory to his grandmother, his previously calm face suddenly turned cold. He glared fiercely at Gong Qing, and if Jiang Zhen hadn't been there, he would have already attacked him.

"So that's how it is."

Gong Qing shook his head with some relief and said knowingly:

"I've also heard rumors about the Dual Hands. It's said that this extraordinary skill has the power to rival the heavens. The red hand can heal all physical injuries in the world, while the blue hand can directly modify or delete a person's memories and soul. Now it seems that everything is true."

Gong Qing took a deep breath, looked at Jiang Zhen, and slowly asked:

"So... Jiang Haihuang. Now that it's confirmed there's another person who can use the Dual Hands to manipulate me from behind, even using our Quanxing sect as pawns, what are you going to do? Are you planning to use me as bait to expose the mastermind hiding behind the scenes?"

Gong Qing was well aware of his own worth. Now that he was a cripple without those memories, and the Quanxing Mountain-Crossing Cult had completely failed, his only remaining value was probably as bait to lure out the mastermind behind the Double-Handed Technique.

Upon hearing Gong Qing's question, Jiang Zhen smiled indifferently:

"That's so boring. When you get old, you just like watching other people act. You can applaud the exciting parts, and if all else fails, you can act in an episode with them."

"You... know who it is?" Upon hearing Jiang Zhen's words, Gong Qing immediately asked knowingly.

But Jiang Zhen did not answer his question. Instead, he turned to the gloomy-faced commander-in-chief beside him and said:

"That's about all the value this kid has. The rest is up to you."