Hands of Total Disfigurement

"A gentleman can be duped by what appears reasonable." "But I am no gentleman. From now on, just be an honest watchdog. Let the world run on its own, and stop meddling in everything." Yu Xian set down the Heavenly Dao puppy and spoke with a grin. After he turned the Heavenly Dao into a dog, everything in this world spun out of control—or rather, everyone's destiny was set free. Previously, the Heavenly Dao would intervene in the world's workings. Many people were destined from birth how their lives would unfold, but now everything was random, left entirely to chance. "Whimper..." The Heavenly Dao puppy drooped its ears, not daring to resist Yu Xian. However, in the next second, Yu Xian chuckled. "Interesting. That Yue Feng you were always protecting? Once he lost your divine favor, he actually suffered qi deviation in a cave and dropped dead." "..." The Heavenly Dao puppy was dumbstruck. "You know what this proves? It proves he was just useless trash. Without you, even his cultivation was absolute garbage," Yu Xian said with a chuckle, devoid of any guilt whatsoever. The Heavenly Dao puppy wanted to retort, but it could only let out whimpering sounds. Over the following period, the world fell into total chaos. The realm's number-one swordsman, Chen Wushuang—who loved striking after the opponent moved to seal their throat in one blow—failed to draw his sword in time during a duel and was slain by his opponent. Lang Ge, an expert in aquatic combat, drowned in the Dapeng River due to a leg cramp, his corpse bloated by the time it was found. Additionally, numerous powerful figures were successfully assassinated by weaker foes, dying with expressions of sheer disbelief—for in the past, such cheap tricks would never have succeeded. Clearly, these renowned figures of the jianghu were all favorites of the Heavenly Dao puppy. Because of that, everything had gone smoothly for them, as if aided by the gods, and miracles always favored them. Yet stripped of heaven's favor, the slightest mishap was enough to claim their lives. After learning of these events, the Heavenly Dao puppy was downcast for a while, but it grew more and more like a real dog. If Yu Xian tossed it a bone, it would be thrilled for half a day, and its tail showed a clear tendency to wag nonstop whenever it saw Yu Xian. Perhaps the greatest joy in life was enjoying good drama. Yu Xian had indulged in the spectacle to his heart's content during this time and stayed in high spirits, so he began heading out more frequently. Previously, he would only step outside after noon, but now he occasionally went out in the morning as well. The steamed bun shop on East Street, the mutton soup on West Street, the wontons on South Street, the tofu pudding on North Street—he was always showing up at various food stalls to sample their fare, leaving the locals simmering with rage that they dared not voice. The main issue was his appearance—it was an absolute appetite killer. Every time he went out to eat, customers and shopkeepers alike looked thoroughly miserable, yet they couldn't chase him away. In the end, customers would hastily leave on their own, leaving behind shop owners on the verge of tears. One day, Yu Xian was dining on the second floor of a tavern. Before him sat three jin of cooked beef, a jar of premium Nu'erhong wine, and a roasted chicken. He drank his wine and ripped off a drumstick, stuffing it into his mouth. Suddenly, a sword thrust straight toward him. Yu Xian stopped the sword tip with a single finger before looking up at his assailant. The man had ordinary features and wore white robes. His expression was stern yet touched with shock, clearly not expecting his thrust to be blocked. "Hey, punk, what's your deal?" Yu Xian asked with a frown. Unfortunately, the man was no transmigrator and failed to answer the cue with 'Call me handsome.' Instead, he said coldly, "Your face ruins everyone's appetite, yet you flaunt yourself in public and soil people's eyes! Do you have not an ounce of shame?" "So you're trying to kill me over that?" Yu Xian asked in disbelief. This world was truly wicked; people held far too much malice toward the ugly. To be attacked simply because he was ugly—what kind of utter nonsense was this? Yet the man declared righteously, "I am carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf!" "Hear that? He says he's acting on your behalf," Yu Xian remarked, lightly nudging the Heavenly Dao puppy gnawing on a bone by his feet. The Heavenly Dao puppy glanced at the man and rolled its eyes. Who asked for your help? Don't go putting words in my mouth! "So... you think ugly people have no right to live in this world?" Yu Xian asked, looking at the man. The man nodded and said haughtily, "Naturally! Being as hideous as you are, death would be a mercy!" "In that case..." Yu Xian revealed an enigmatic smile. In the next moment, Yu Xian simply raised a hand. The man's body pitched forward involuntarily, falling to his knees right before Yu Xian. Yu Xian placed a hand on his face and kneaded it thoroughly. In the blink of an eye, the man's face shifted from fair, dashing looks that ironically passed for 'plain' into something even uglier than Yu Xian. "Alright, beat it!" Yu Xian gave the man a shove backward. Only then did the man come to his senses. Feeling his face, he cried in terror, "What did you do to me?" "Nothing much. Just curious to see if you'll grant yourself that mercy now," Yu Xian said with a chuckle. Yet when paired with his monstrously ugly face, the smile looked spine-chillingly eerie. In fact, the onlookers around them were completely stunned. What kind of technique was this? Could it be the long-lost Hands of Total Disfigurement spoken of in the jianghu? Yu Xian turned to the others and asked with a grin, "Anyone else want a facial adjustment?" In the next second, the surrounding crowd scattered in sheer terror. Meanwhile, rumors began spreading through the martial world that the Hands of Total Disfigurement, lost for thousands of years, had resurfaced. Rumors even claimed that to master this divine art, one had to ruin their own appearance first—and the uglier one was, the more potent the technique became. Whether anyone else believed it, Yu Xian certainly did. So, following the logic of an angler who catches few fish without chumming the water, he flexed his brain slightly, created a manual for the *Hands of Total Disfigurement*, and released it into the world. His goal was very simple: to watch the drama unfold. And having planted the seeds of this drama with his own hands made it all the more entertaining. Though the name *Hands of Total Disfigurement* wasn't particularly grand, it was an art conceived on a whim by a Mighty One; it was built upon an elevated foundation and concealed profound mysteries. Simply put, in this world, the technique was undeniably peerless. As long as one cultivated it to the realm of perfection, they would be invincible under heaven. Of course, that excluded Yu Xian, an interloper from beyond the skies. However, the technique had one drawback: the more one cultivated it, the uglier one became. Upon reaching great mastery, one's face would turn utterly horrific. Most importantly, Yu Xian hadn't merely put out a single copy; he scattered them like bait. Yu Xian was very curious about what this world's martial circle would look like in a few years. Would every martial artist in the jianghu end up grotesquely deformed, leaving only ordinary folk looking normal? If so, that would be truly hilarious. Full of anticipation, Yu Xian spent his days fishing and enjoying the show, watching the martial artists of Longqin City steadily transform into grotesque caricatures. Young heroes with otherwise fine physiques now bore faces resembling hippopotamuses; tall, burly champions possessed sausage lips, hooked noses, and cross-eyes. Even some women who cultivated the technique no longer dared to look into a mirror. As the jianghu plunged into a storm of blood and chaos because of Yu Xian's *Hands of Total Disfigurement*, someone finally lost their patience. A grand martial conference was convened with great fanfare, claiming it would resolve the crisis of the *Hands of Total Disfigurement* once and for all.