Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 771: Fated Affinity

"You performed an Affinity Transplant," the old man said. "Through Blood Arts."

He shook his head slightly, as if recalling old taboos.

"That method is considered madness. Even in ancient records, only a handful ever succeeded and most of those died screaming or crippled themselves beyond recovery. To attempt it as an outer disciple…" He paused, then snorted. "You either lacked fear, or you had nothing left to lose."

Han Yu lowered his eyes respectfully.

"In my earlier years," he said carefully, "this disciple was not… stable. Desperation clouds judgment."

He paused, then added with deliberate softness, "That desperation is also why I could not ignore the Peak Head's suffering."

The words landed exactly where they needed to.

The old man's expression eased, the frost in the air thinning by a hair's breadth.

"Hmph," the Peak Head said. "Flattery, but well chosen."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Regardless, you should never attempt such a thing again. Two affinities are already pushing fate's tolerance."

Han Yu nodded immediately. "This disciple would not dare."

He then allowed a hint of uncertainty into his voice. "To be honest, I am not even certain how it succeeded. I used a mixture of beast bloods. Something went wrong. There was an explosion. When I awakened… things had changed."

This, too, was truth wrapped around omission.

The Peak Head studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Unreplicable accidents are the only kind that succeed with such techniques."

He resumed his inspection.

This time, his perception pushed deeper... past the obvious affinities, past the surface harmonies of Qi, into the layers that most cultivators never touched, for he could tell this was not the extent of it all.

At first, all he sensed was fire.

It was overwhelming, radiant, like a blazing sun obscuring the sky behind it.

But then—

Something else stirred.

Within the flames, there was shadow.

Not absence, not emptiness but Darkness.

Dense, profound, coiled patiently at the core of Han Yu's being.

The Peak Head's eyes widened.

He withdrew his hand sharply, frost cracking beneath his feet.

"Darkness affinity?" he muttered. "And not shallow… this is natural. Strong."

For the first time since appearing, the old man's composure visibly wavered.

Han Yu's heart pounded, but his face shifted into perfectly measured shock.

"I… have darkness affinity?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. His eyes widened just enough, breath hitching as if this were truly news to him.

The Peak Head stared at him. "You did not know?"

Han Yu shook his head slowly. "This disciple only discovered Fire and Wood due to alchemy work. I have never studied darkness techniques, nor felt any reaction before."

Which, technically, was true enough.

He had not practiced the Sooty Sky Mystic Art deeply enough to leave obvious traces. Its circuits were still shallow, its usage minimal.

The Peak Head searched Han Yu's expression, then frowned in thought.

"Darkness affinities often hide," he said. "Especially when overshadowed by strong fire. Many never awaken it in their entire lives."

He straightened.

"…But when they do," he added quietly, "they are terrifying."

Silence fell between them.

Then the Peak Head let out a low laugh, dry, sharp, and filled with something that bordered on relief.

"So that is it," he said. "Fire, Wood… and Darkness."

He looked at Han Yu anew, as if seeing him for the first time.

"It seems fate has brought you to me after all, Ju Fan."

Han Yu's interest was fully piqued now.

"Peak Head?" he asked carefully.

The old man's gaze hardened with resolve, frost swirling faintly around him.

"The third path," he said, "is one that only someone like you could walk."

And Han Yu knew... this was the turning point he had been waiting for.

The Second Kidney Peak Head slowly clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace across the frost-covered warehouse floor. Each step he took caused the ice beneath his feet to thicken, spreading like veins of crystal across stone.

"Understand this first," he said calmly. "The Kidney Peak only appears rigid."

Han Yu listened intently, his posture straight, every sense sharpened.

"In recent eras," the old man continued, "we only accept disciples with innate ice affinity. This has become the norm, repeated so often that people mistake it for doctrine. But it was never an absolute rule."

He stopped walking and turned his head slightly, one eye resting on Han Yu.

"In truth, the Kidney Peak has always accepted those with promise. Those who can walk difficult paths and survive them."

Han Yu's heart stirred. He had already guessed where this was going, but hearing it confirmed made his breath grow subtly heavier.

"Acquired ice affinity," the Peak Head continued, "is not always inferior to natural affinity. It is merely rarer and far harder to obtain. Most cultivators lack the patience, the talent, or the endurance to endure the transformation process."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"But for those capable of practicing certain high grade techniques, acquired affinity is not only possible, it is inevitable."

Han Yu finally spoke. "Peak Head… what does this have to do with my darkness affinity?"

The old man's lips curved slightly, the faintest hint of satisfaction appearing.

"The Kidney Peak does not rely solely on pure ice techniques," he said. "We possess hybrid cultivation arts as well. That is why, when I first considered you, I believed you might still have Water affinity."

He waved a hand, and frost condensed into faint, translucent symbols in the air, each one representing a different path.

"One such art is the Great Iceberg Sea Art. It requires a natural Water affinity, and through cultivation one develops an acquired Ice affinity. That technique has produced several powerful elders in the past."

Han Yu nodded. He could see the logic clearly.

"But that path is no longer open to you," the Peak Head said plainly. "Whatever madness you committed in the past stripped your Water affinity completely."

He studied Han Yu for a moment, then continued.