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Chapter 332 The Filthy Grand Duke (Three-in-One)

The dragon looked very pitiful.

Its entire tail is gone.

This was executed by the tiger-head guillotine of the Grand Canal Administration.

His entire body was covered in scars, his horn was broken, and half of his scales were missing.

It is located in a "ridge" in the village.

There are many such ridges in the village; they were originally dug for Jiao.

The water was brought in, its depth just enough to cover the dragon's body. The muddy water was murky, and as long as the dragon remained still underneath, even if a stranger passed by, they wouldn't notice.

Lord Xu grinned coldly and said sarcastically, "Why aren't you avoiding me anymore?"

Jiao gave a wry smile.

"It's not that I'm avoiding you, but what I'm doing this time must be kept secret. I can't have any contact with anyone before it's done, so as not to pick up any 'scent'..."

As Xu Yuan listened to its explanation, he examined the injuries on its body. Suddenly, his pupils dilated, and he rushed to the side of the dragon.

"You—" Xu Yuan asked with some surprise and uncertainty, "Your injuries are healing?"

A hint of smugness appeared in the dragon's eyes: "You figured it out?"

Xu Yuan reached out in disbelief and gently touched the several wounds on its body.

The current "recovery" is different from the "restoration" that Jiao's body underwent after being injured in the past.

Previously, it was the power of evil spirits that directly repaired the damaged body.

Because it was already dead.

No matter how many methods Tian Jing used, he's dead, and that's it.

After the body is injured, it does not heal itself, but rather the granulation tissue wriggles out and becomes entangled again.

But this time, his body fully recovered its vitality, and these injuries were slowly "healing" thanks to his own vitality.

The speed is much slower than the previous "recovery".

However, the meaning they represent is not the same.

This means that the dragon has taken another big step towards a true "resurrection".

"So... this is the purpose of your trip?" Xu Yuan asked.

Jiao nodded: "When we arrived at Guanghuo Street, after becoming familiar with those evil spirits, we spent an extremely high price to buy a piece of information from one of them."

Hidden in the canal at Xiaoyushan is a wicked spirit; as long as one eats it, one's body will be rejuvenated.

Once this thing sinks into the river, it transforms into an invisible and intangible cloud of foul air, completely merging into the river, and no one can catch it.

It occasionally surfaces to sunbathe in some shallow coves along the river.

Its activities become more frequent, especially around the days when viewing is prohibited.

Normally, they don't come out of the water for ten days or half a month, but they have to come out every day before and after the days when they are forbidden to look at the water.

But that thing is very alert, especially sensitive to smells.

It will dissipate immediately if anything goes wrong.

So I tried everything I could, and bought a few more things at the Guanghuo Street, in order to completely hide myself.

I dared not see you—because at that time, I had already hidden myself near some of the bays where that thing often appeared.

If I see you, I will surely be covered in your scent.

He deliberately distanced himself from Old Man Bai in order to dispel the suspicions of those evil spirits on Guanghuo Street.

They don't trust the white-eyed old man.

That's how they sold me the information about the Evil God and the things that were hiding themselves.

Xu Yuan looked at it with suspicion. Although the dragon was seriously injured, it was slowly recovering and seemed to have no need for his help.

"You had the village head summon me because..."

Jiao smiled sheepishly: "I spent too much money, including your share."

Xu Yuan: "Hmm?"

"Don't worry," Jiao hurriedly said, "I invited you here to tell you personally that I will definitely repay this money. Once I recover from my injuries and return, I will definitely pay it off within a year... no, within six months!"

Xu Yuan nodded reluctantly: "I'll give you the lowest possible interest rate."

Jiao nodded: "Thanks!"

Xu Yuan circled it a few more times and asked, "Given your condition, will you be able to fully recover after your rehabilitation?"

Jiao's expression darkened, and he shook his head: "Not yet. Actually..."

It hesitated for a moment, but still told Xu Yuan frankly, "This path won't work."

"What do you mean?"

Even though evil spirits are rampant now, some fundamental rules of the mortal world still cannot be defied. I am dead, and that is that.

If they had eaten the evil spirit at that time, and then their soul had re-entered their body, there might have been a glimmer of hope.

But it's been over a hundred years; there's no way it could truly be resurrected.

Xu Yuan was puzzled again: "If it still doesn't work, why are you so happy?"

“The Evil Tai Sui gave me another idea, and I am still figuring out whether this method is feasible.” Jiao looked directly at Lord Xu and said, “With the Evil Tai Sui’s ability, I condensed the last bit of vitality in my body and put it into an egg.”

Then my soul went on a journey to the underworld and returned to be reborn in this womb.

It can also be considered another kind of rebirth.

Xu Yuan nodded. This method resembled the legendary "disintegration and reconstruction" from hundreds of years ago.

However, there are still many difficulties.

Is the road to the underworld so easy to travel?

Even if you manage to survive, do you think you can be reborn into an egg or womb?
The underworld has its own rules.

Given the merits of the dragon, it might be reborn into a powerful and wealthy family in its next life, enjoying a lifetime of wealth and honor.

"If you succeed, I will certainly lend you a hand."

Jiao breathed a sigh of relief. Its business partnership with Xu Yuan was very important for Xu Yuan's cultivation of "business law".

If the method described earlier is followed, it will hatch from the egg and then slowly rebuild itself, which would take hundreds of years.

Xu Yuan's business on Guanghuo Street came to an end.

Moreover, after hatching, it will need Xu Yuan's protection for a long time.

Relying solely on Tian Jing might not be enough.

Xu Yuan said he would lend a helping hand, which meant not only being willing to allow himself to be reborn, but also being willing to provide such protection.

For Xu Yuan, doing this would bring him no benefit whatsoever.

Even in the long run, if I return to my peak, it seems that I can give Lord Xu a greater reward then.

However, it's possible that Master Xu might not have such a long lifespan by then.

Secondly, his ultimate goal is still to transform into a dragon.

This puts them at odds with the Dragon King of the Grand Canal.

The power and status of the Grand Canal Dragon King in the Ming Dynasty need no further explanation, so Xu Yuan would not be looking for any long-term investment based on personal connections.

It was a business deal between the two parties on Guanghuo Street. It seemed that Master Xu was getting the better deal, but in the long run, Master Xu would need to find sources of goods for Jiao outside the mountains and ensure the safety of the transportation routes in the mountains.

He was promoted to commercial law, but he was genuinely helping himself.

Jiao then understood why Lord Xu had been so unhappy when he had been avoiding him.

So Jiao sincerely said, "I have no way to repay your great kindness. Please feel free to give me any instructions during this time."

Xu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and told him about the true seed. Then he said, "I will be going to Ghost Witch Mountain soon. If you can make it back in time, please ask around in Guanghuo Street to find out which evil spirit cultivated this true seed."

Jiao looked doubtful: "Is your information reliable, sir?"

"Ok?"

"I happened to pass by Pig Calling Rock on this trip, but I didn't see any mimosa trees or any strange phenomena near Pig Calling Rock."

"No?!" Xu Yuan was surprised. His first reaction was, had someone beaten him to it? Or had that great evil spirit already harvested the true seed?
But recalling the time Miao Yu mentioned—when the dragon emerged, the Albizia tree should still be there.

I don't know what went wrong.

But Xu Yuan still decided: "I have to go and see for myself."

Jiao nodded and said, "I will set off back tomorrow to secretly investigate."

"Your injuries?"

"I'm mostly recovered," the dragon said. "I've completely refined the Evil Grand Duke, so my recovery will be quick."

"Alright, wait for me tomorrow. I'll prepare a crafted item to make it easier for us to communicate."

"it is good."

Xu Yuan then parted ways with Jiao and returned to Champa.

It's a pity my stepmother isn't here, otherwise I would have asked her to help me forge one.

We need to think of another way now.

Xu Yuan returned to the South City patrol room, and sure enough, the Third Sister and her group were all there.

Wai Miaozi is back, waiting for the adults.

He presented an account book: "Sir, all of Shen Qingpeng's assets have been registered. I have converted all the silver into banknotes, and along with the deeds to the other properties, they have been packed into a box and placed in your room."

"Okay." Xu Yuan didn't look at it carefully, put it aside for the time being, then beckoned Miao Yan to his side and asked in a low voice, "Does the Pingtian Society have any secret branches in the city?"

Miao Yan's eyes lit up, but he didn't ask any more questions and answered honestly: "Yes, I've been having people keep an eye on them. They have a large three-courtyard house in the east of the city."

Xu Yuan nodded and said, "You will lead the way tonight."

Miao Yan was overjoyed: "Sir, I also have dozens of brothers under my command who dare to fight!"

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "No need, tonight's operation is the work of the Exorcism Division, we have a legitimate reason to act."

The Pingtian Society was banned in Champa, yet you still infiltrated secretly. It is perfectly justified for us to attack you!

Then Xu Yuan summoned Jia Yi and several other inspectors and ordered them to gather all the captains under their command.

In addition to Jia Yi and Di Youzhi, Xu Yuan also plans to bring Fu Jingyu and Qu Shengqian along this time.

Previously, Xu Yuan ordered the recruitment of new people and formed two teams, which were then assigned to two people.

Compared to the old patrol team in the South City, these two teams were naturally inferior in quality.

Tonight's Pingtian Society is a pushover, perfect for them to practice on.

"Di Youzhi," Xu Yuan called out, "Go to the station and ask Inspector Shi and the others to join us."

Di Youzhi immediately replied with delight, "I understand, I'll go right away."

The Pingtian Society is a small fry; the Exorcism Bureau could easily defeat it.

Inviting Shi Bading and the others was to share the credit with them.

The contribution may not be significant, but there will inevitably be opportunities to gain benefits during the operation.

Before Di Youzhi was promoted to the seventh rank, he relied on Lord Xu's influence to ask Shi Bading to help him retrieve many swords from the treasury.

The reason for specifically sending Di Youzhi to inform Shi Bading was to have Di Youzhi repay this favor.

As it was getting dark, Shi Bading arrived with Wan Yun.

When Shi Bading arrived, he also brought everyone's dinner.

The food was ordered directly from a restaurant near the Champa government office; the table had eight meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, which was quite a high standard.

Inspector Shi is also good at dealing with people.

While the officers were eating, Shi Bading quietly said to Xu Yuan, "I called for Sang Yizi, and she said she wanted to stay at the headquarters."

Xu Yuan nodded.

He wasn't familiar with Sang Yizi either.

"Is she planning to go with He Youxing?"

Shi Bading nodded.

Xu Yuan didn't care about this.

If I were to be promoted to the position of Law Enforcement Master, there would be four patrol inspector positions in Champa.

One more can be added at most.

Shi Bading and Wan Yun were both inspectors, so we couldn't demote them.

Of the remaining spots, Fu Jingyu must take one.

Di Youzhi, Jia Yi, Mao Dabing, and Qin Ze are not enough to go around.

It's actually a good thing that Sang Yizi is unwilling to serve.

After we had eaten and drunk our fill, it got dark.

After waiting a while, Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Let's go!"

This time, Lord Xu was more cautious.

He personally went to the nest and caught Dafu.

Dafu looked completely bewildered: What are you doing? I'm about to go to sleep.

Xu Yuan asked Miao Yan to lead the way, and Da Fu followed beside Miao Yan. However, Da Fu was full of complaints and walked in a daze, eventually veering off course.

Miao Yan dared not scold Master Xu's pet.

Xu Yuan reached out, and the animal sinew rope flew out and tied around Da Fu's neck.

Dafu flapped its wings angrily and squawked in protest.

Xu Yuan ignored it: "Listen to me! Do a good job tonight, and I'll buy you ten cabbages tomorrow."

"Gah! Gah! Gah!" Dafu was even angrier.

You're not putting any effort into feeding your child!
When have you ever seen me eat vegetarian food?
Xu Yuan scratched his head: "Don't you like cabbage?"

Lang Xiaoba whispered to the master, "Sir, Dafu seems to like eating insects."

Xu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "I'll go to the Grand Canal Administration tomorrow to see how those golden worms that Ghost King had been carrying last time are doing. If they still have any, I'll ask you for some."

Dafu's neck suddenly straightened up.

I'm not sleepy anymore.

Saliva dribbled down the sides of his flat mouth.

I wanted to eat that night, but I didn't dare go up.

Having received the promised great fortune, he mustered his spirits and diligently followed Miao Yan.

Xu Yuan smiled to himself; they were still so easy to fool.

I can't guarantee I can get it for you. The Canal Administration has already killed the Ghost King, and those golden monsters were probably burned to ashes long ago.

……

In a courtyard house in the eastern part of the city, the largest main hall was set up as an altar.

Above them is their "Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven".

It has the head of a bull and the body of a human, with eight arms and four legs.

Its face was ferocious, with two snakes wrapped around its neck and a ring of white bone skulls hanging from its waist.

He doesn't seem like a benevolent deity at all.

The offerings placed under the altar were all things like internal organs, eyeballs, and human skin.

The smell of blood was pungent.

This area is off-limits to non-core members.

New members are usually assigned to other rooms.

Before nightfall, the leader carefully knelt before the statue and offered a new sacrifice.

The offering came from a beggar in the city.

Ping Tianhui would pretend to do some good deeds to lure these beggars in, feeding and caring for them for a few days.

Then these beggars will disappear.

They claimed that they were sent to work in Luocheng, and that the wages were not low. After working for five years, they could save money to return to a village near Zhancheng, and immediately find a good piece of land to build a house.

After the worship ceremony, the leader went to the backyard.

The backyard was locked, and two core members were guarding it with knives.

The beggars who were brought in, as well as some poor members of the church who stubbornly wanted to go to Luocheng to "work" with the beggars, were all locked up here.

The leader pulled a wooden bucket out of a small dark room.

We walked to the base of the backyard wall.

In a nearby house, there was a low-level alchemist guarding the place.

Through the window, Ba Liu Danxiu nodded and tossed the key out.

The captain reached out and caught it, then opened a metal plate at the base of the wall.

Below is a sewer that connects to the outside drainage ditch.

As the lock was being opened, a strange rustling sound came from the sewer.

After lifting the iron plate, the helmsman took a step back.

Several long, scarlet tongues shot up from the gutter.

It spun rapidly in the air a few times, as if trying to catch something.

After the leader dodged, he waited for a while, and then there was another strange churning sound from the ditch, followed by silence.

The captain hooked a human hand out of the bucket and threw it in.

Before it even fell into the water, it sparked a struggle among the evil spirits below.

That bucket contained the leftovers from the offerings made to the Monkey King.

The captain hooked them out one by one and threw them down.

Finally, they poured the blood and bits of meat from the bucket down with it.

"Keep a close eye on your surroundings."

There will be more tomorrow.

The evil spirits below hissed, as if in agreement, or perhaps because they hadn't had enough to eat.

The helmsman covered the iron plate, locked it, and returned the key to the eighth-rate alchemist.

"Too cautious," Danxiu grumbled.

"Make more preparations, so that if we get targeted by the Exorcism Division again, we can escape." The leader then asked, "Have you checked the secret passage?"

"Check it every day."

"it is good."

The captain turned and left.

After the Champa branch was destroyed last time, the Pingtian Society became even more cautious.

Feeding these evil spirits will cause them to scatter around the Dark Rudder at night, and they will rush out immediately at the slightest disturbance.

It can both help Pingtianhui resist and serve as a warning.

The captain returned to his residence in the front yard, opened the door, and found four beautiful women waiting inside.

These were all deceived members of the congregation who willingly gave themselves up.

Two of them were brought in by their husbands themselves.

The leader laughed heartily and opened his arms wide: "Beauties, I've arrived—"

……

Xu Yuan dragged Dafu out because he saw that this guy, like Ahua, had a natural ability to intimidate and suppress small evil spirits.

If you're out at night, those little evil spirits in the city keep popping up to harass you, it can be incredibly annoying.

If we mishandle it and alert the Pingtian Society, all our previous efforts will be in vain.

Lord Xu had no idea that his own goose's nest was now lined with the hides of many evil spirits.

Dafu is no longer the same Afu from Shanhe County.

It suddenly spread its wings and charged forward.

If it weren't for the rope around his neck, he would definitely be much faster than Miao Yan.

Along the way, the little evil spirits would stick their heads out and say, "Oh my god, I saw something!"
Startled, it quickly shrank back and obediently lay still, not daring to move.

Upon arriving in Dongcheng, outside the three-courtyard house, a vampire bat swooped down.

Dafu leaped into the air, as agile as a raccoon dog, and snatched the vampire bat into his mouth in one gulp.

After landing, it stretched its neck and swallowed it.

It had a long neck, and you could see the evil spirit bulging on its neck. It didn't die immediately; it struggled to make the bulge change into various shapes...

Further ahead, two more rats, their bodies rotting, rushed forward with bloodshot eyes.

They sprayed two streams of venom at Daifu together.

With a flap of its wings, the wind rises.

He blew the venom aside, then pecked at it, and a rat's head exploded.

With another large foot, it stomped the mouse completely under its paw.

Daifuku ate the first one, then pecked at it again, its flat beak like a chisel, killing the one at its feet, and then slowly swallowed it.

Then no other evil spirits came out.

After devouring human flesh and blood, evil spirits become increasingly frenzied.

This emboldened them to charge at Dafu without a second thought.

But after three of them were eaten... they were startled awake.

Evil spirits eat people, so people are afraid of them.

If something eats evil spirits... then the evil spirits are naturally even more afraid.

The evil spirits outside the Dark Rudder tucked their tails between their legs and quietly slipped away.

The members of the Purification Division successfully reached the outside of the mansion.

With a wave of his hand, Lord Xu ordered his men to split up and surround the entire mansion.

The members of the Dark Helm were completely unaware.

Xu Yuan looked around and saw a row of hitching posts at the entrance.

It was carved from bluestone and is about the height of a person.

Lord Xu went over and pulled it out with one hand.

Then, with a loud shout, he threw it out.

With a loud crash, a hole was smashed through the door!
As soon as the adults made their move, the others drew their knives and charged in, shouting as they went.

What happened next required no intervention from Lord Xu.

On the contrary, Shi Bading and Wan Yun were very proactive.

He personally led his officers and soldiers to charge in.

If they weren't present, and there were any benefits to be had, the captains under Xu's command probably wouldn't be able to compete with them for them.

Dafu followed Xu Yuan, walking slowly and unsteadily, much like the "official gait" of Huangming Zhengzhou, as they leisurely entered the branch headquarters.

Shouts of battle could be heard everywhere.

Several fires broke out, but they were small and were quickly extinguished.

Someone climbed over the wall and was caught by the people from the Exorcism Bureau who were surrounding the area.

The battle was over in just over half an hour.

Jia Yi and the others brought all the prisoners to the courtyard, lit torches to illuminate the area, and had them identify each other.

Finally, Jia Yi approached Xu Yuan with a grim face and reported, "Sir, the leader Yao Qian has disappeared!"

Xu Yuan frowned and ordered, "Search again!"

The captains then rushed out again and searched the courtyard.

Dafu staggered towards the backyard.

It felt that there was a strong evil smell in the backyard.

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately followed.

Dafu quickly found the iron plate and slapped it with his big feet to indicate that it should be opened.

Lang Xiaoba went up and chopped off the lock with a knife, lifted the iron plate, and saw that it was dark underneath, with a stench wafting out.

The stench made Lang Xiaoba stumble backward.

Dafu jumped down.

Unfortunately, all the evil spirits had long since fled, but Dafu, tilting his head, discovered a hole...

This is the secret passage prepared by the leader and the eighth-rate alchemist as their last escape route!
"Chase!"

At Lord Xu's command, Lang Xiaoba and the others pinched their noses and jumped down.

Lord Xu naturally wouldn't go.

While they were waiting, Shi Bading came over and said to Xu Yuan, "Brother, come and take a look."

He discovered the small dark room.

The ground was covered in blood, and there was half an uncut corpse inside.

Qu Shengqian was furious and captured several prisoners to interrogate them. They confessed everything that had happened within the branch.

Xu Yuan's face was grim as he gritted his teeth and said, "Some people really don't deserve to live in this world!"

Suddenly, a shout came from outside the main gate: "They've been caught!"

Xu Yuan strode towards the front yard.

Lang Xiaoba has already brought back the helmsman and the eighth-rate Dan Xiu, who are bound hand and foot.

Xu Yuan stepped forward and kicked the leader's jaw, shattering it.

"A worthy death!"

(End of this chapter)