"Wang Butcher smiled and countered, "Don't all grandmasters have assistants?"

"Well..." Iron Anvil frowned. "Assistants we have, it's true, but our assistants are people. You're using ghosts and spirits. Isn't that... well, isn't that hardly showing the skill of a grandmaster?"

Before Wang Butcher could speak, Ma Kuang said, "We're all people of the esoteric arts. Are we supposed to draw such a clear line between humans and ghosts?"

"It's not unheard of for sorcerers to recognize ghosts as adopted sons, let alone find a ghost or spirit to be an assistant."

Iron Anvil shook his head. "That's not right! Human qi and ghost qi are worlds apart. If the materials are tainted with ghost qi, damaging their spiritual power, then even if you extract them perfectly, it's still a loss."

Tang the Half-Blind said calmly, "If that's the case, then just declare her the loser. Why quibble about whether Miss Wang's assistant is human or ghost?"

Iron Anvil fell silent.

Wang Butcher said, "Since Grandmaster Iron wants a human assistant, then I'll find one. Yun Shang, begin the needle."

Yun Shang drew a long needle and, standing a meter away, pinched the end of the needle lightly. The steel needle spun out of her hand, piercing into a gap in the Spiked Iron Centipede's back about half an inch deep.

The Iron Centipede, which had been curled into a ball, stretched out its body in an instant, swelling into a poisonous insect over a meter long. The spikes on its back turned from black to white, the tips even carrying a layer of what looked like frost.

That was the precursor to the Spiked Iron Centipede's poisonous barbs about to erupt.

The heroes below the stage cried out in alarm at the sudden appearance of the hideous poisonous insect, instinctively taking a few steps back.

Everyone knew that if such a poisonous insect went mad and escaped, it would not distinguish between east, west, south, and north. If it were to dart into the crowd, the practitioners of esoteric arts would suffer heavy casualties.

Before the cries of alarm in the crowd had subsided, the centipede on the table suddenly turned its head and met the gaze of Wang Butcher, who was sitting steadily before the table, and opened its mouth to bite her throat.

Wang Butcher calmly raised her hand and patted the top of the centipede's head.

From the side, it looked as if Wang Butcher was putting her snow-white jade hand into the centipede's mouth.

Seeing that a beautiful woman was about to lose her arm, or even die on the spot, the crowd couldn't help but cry out in alarm again.

Before the cries subsided, Wang Butcher's hand had already landed on the top of the centipede's head.

The Iron Centipede, which had been so violent a moment before, became as docile as a house cat the moment Wang Butcher pressed down on its head, allowing its owner to stroke it.

After pressing down on the Iron Centipede, Wang Butcher actually stroked it backward along its back.

The sharp spikes on the centipede's back, like needles standing on end, were like the fur on a cat under Wang Butcher's palm, and she gently smoothed them down on its body. Even the venom on the tips of the spikes quickly receded under Wang Butcher's palm.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, watching Wang Butcher pacify the poisonous insect as if she were stroking a cat, not daring to make a sound.

Jun Jixue frowned and muttered to himself, "How did she do that?"

Tang the Half-Blind smiled. "Excellent! This Fuming Hand alone is enough to show that Miss Wang has gained the true inheritance of the Butcher's Gate!"

Ma Kuang narrowed his eyes and said nothing. He was probably the only person in the audience who felt that something was wrong. However, he couldn't say what it was.

Wang Butcher's current technique was too similar to the Fuming Hand of the Butcher's Gate.

In order to ensure the freshness of the demon beasts, the Butcher's Gate would stroke the demon beasts before killing them, so that they would completely quiet down. When the demon beasts were drowsy, it was time for them to die. The Fuming Hand was named after this.

The Black Night Owl, standing behind Old Liu, couldn't help but transmit his voice, "Can your method work? Wang Butcher isn't even a grandmaster yet. What if she fails?"

Old Liu transmitted his voice, "As long as Ma Kuang doesn't say anything, there won't be a problem."

"Wang Butcher can hold down the Iron Centipede, not because of the Fuming Hand, but because of the medicated wine that Yun Shang poured on her hand. Ma Kuang is the only one in the audience who knows wine best, but he doesn't understand medicine."

"Unless he reminds Tang the Half-Blind and has him examine Wang Butcher's hand-washing medicated wine together, he won't be able to see the clue."

"However, Ma Kuang probably won't say that!"

"In another minute, it will be the real test for Wang Butcher."

The Black Night Owl said, "You're missing the Skinner among the ghosts and spirits you control. Can Wang Butcher skin that centipede in one go?"

"It shouldn't be a problem!" Old Liu said, "That centipede isn't worth mentioning. The key is the Blood Bone Dragon. I hope my calculations are correct!"

"The Two Worlds Hall is missing Zhao Ci. It's really not going smoothly."

The Black Night Owl said, "Even if Zhao Ci stayed, he wouldn't be of much use anymore. The Hall Master's opponents are getting stronger and stronger, and it's becoming a bit difficult for his ghosts to gather information."

"As far as I know, the only people in the esoteric arts who can get top-secret information are the Wind Gate and the Heavenly Secrets Society. Even Zero's intelligence organization is inferior to them."

"However, the Wind Gate charges too high, and the Heavenly Secrets Society's intelligence must be exchanged for something. These are not ideal partners. You have to find a suitable intelligence chief for the Hall Master."

Old Liu frowned. "There is such a person. However, that person is not easy to recruit. I'll think of a way after the Reincarnation Department's matter is settled!"

As Old Liu was speaking, Wang Butcher's hand suddenly stopped.