No taboos

Chapter 373 The Bitter Flesh Scheme (Part 3 Combined)

This strange python has vines growing on its head and flowers blooming all over its body.

When Uncle Li ordered several alchemists to dissect the corpse, they discovered that the evil spirit's scales were as hard as rock.

“I know…” Uncle Li slapped his forehead: “This thing usually blends in with the stone forest, standing upright to disguise itself as a stone…”

This was the first time they had encountered such a strange and peculiar evil spirit, and they were all quite astonished.

But this was nothing new to Xu Yuan.

There's a similar one in the mountains near Qihetai Town.

The monstrous python was extremely thick, and its head, when placed flat on the ground, was more than the height of a person.

Relatively speaking, its length is not too exaggerated, about five or six zhang.

Several alchemists activated the sword pellets, and then ordered martial artists to come forward to help. It took them more than an hour to completely untangle the enormous corpse.

The skin, flesh, bones, internal organs, etc., were neatly arranged on the ground, just like pork sold in a butcher shop.

Uncle Li and Rongrong observed carefully.

"Is something missing?" Uncle Li asked.

Although he was older and more experienced, there were indeed some things he didn't understand as well as Rongrong, who was by the Crown Princess's side.

Rongrong's expression was solemn as she said to Uncle Li, "Have everyone retreat to a distance of thirty feet."

"it is good!"

After dismissing her men, Rongrong took out a lantern.

Uncle Li's expression changed when he saw the lantern; he was very unwilling but had no choice but to accept it.

The lampshade was made of ram's horn.

The oil lamps inside only had wicks, no oil.

Uncle Li, his face contorted with pain, released one of his seventh-rate ghost soldiers.

Rongrong said, "One might not be enough."

"what?"

Rongrong pleaded again, "Uncle Li, this is of utmost importance!"

Uncle Li had no choice but to take out another one.

Two ghostly soldiers were placed into the lantern. Rongrong lit the wick, and the ghostly soldiers twisted and struggled in agony, screaming silently, before being turned into lamp oil!
The lanterns shone so brightly that it was blinding.

The illusory image of the object illuminated by the light was sent back to the Crown Princess!

"Your Highness, please look." Rongrong held up a lantern and shone it over every part of the monstrous python's corpse.

The Crown Princess immediately noticed: "All the parts are still there, but a section of the 'deformed root' of the vine on the head is missing."

Most people wouldn't even know that this evil spirit contained such a short, deformed root.

Rongrong nodded: "Your Highness is extremely perceptive."

That section of the deformed root was only half a foot long and about the thickness of a finger.

Compared to the python's enormous size, it is indeed easy to overlook.

For example, if you asked Uncle Li to piece together and then disassemble the body parts ten times, he still wouldn't be able to figure out what was missing.

Because he had no idea that there was such a thing as a "malformed root".

The intense light consumed a great deal of energy, and the two seventh-rate ghost soldiers burned extremely quickly, on the verge of being completely consumed.

The Crown Princess's voice came in the last rays of light: "That person... has already reached the point of growing horns."

Find him, bring him back…

The light went out completely, and the two seventh-rate Yin soldiers that Uncle Li had painstakingly captured and refined only earned him a short period of time to communicate with each other across the distance.

But Rongrong felt it was worth it.

The Crown Princess has already given clear instructions.

"Have everyone spread out and search the surrounding area for any traces!"

……

Xu Yuan and Tian Jing joined forces and easily killed the monstrous python.

Xu Yuan deliberately took only that section of the "abnormal root".

This substance, when consumed using the "Dragon Transformation Method," can promote the growth of horns on the cultivator's head.

The appearance of horns on the head is precisely the sign of a person rising from a sixth-rate to a fifth-rate.

The Crown Princess can then use this to determine the skill level of the person who secretly practices the "Dragon Transformation Technique".

Only Liu Liu, Rongrong, and Uncle Li can handle it.

This is actually normal: if we start counting from the time when Fu Shuanghui died and the "Dragon Transformation Technique" was lost, it would only have been two months.

The culprit in the shadows obtained much of his knowledge from Fu Shuanghui and Fu Chongjiu, and reaching the sixth level of cultivation was indeed the limit.

The Crown Princess entrusted the matter to Rongrong and Uncle Li. Although she felt that this was enough, she was still not entirely at ease.

After thinking for a moment, she gave another order: "Little Fourth, you don't need to stay by my side anymore. Go and support Rongrong."

Xiao Si and Xiao Wu came from the same background, and were already considered fifth-rate.

"Your Highness, I'm leaving now, and you don't have enough people around you."

"Don't worry, Uncle Seventeen is here to look after us in secret."

Xiao Si then fell silent, and the Crown Princess knew that he had already gone to carry out his orders.

The Crown Princess cannot enter Ghost Witch Mountain for the time being because she is wary of that Lord Ruan Tian.

The retainers of the Xiang Prince's Mansion throughout the ages were all referred to by numbers.

The previous generation of family retainers were called "uncle".

The earlier generation was called "Grandpa".

Now, in the Prince of Xiang's mansion, only one of the "grandfather" generation of family retainers remains.

……

Rongrong and Uncle Li quickly discovered some clues and then followed them.

Xu Yuan quietly watched the stone forest from a distance.

The lantern emitted a bright light.

From the mahogany and brass handles, I could hear Rongrong talking to someone—and I immediately guessed the purpose of the lantern.

Lord Xu was overjoyed.

This team can communicate with the Crown Princess at any time, and can pass on any "clues" they discover to her immediately.

The Crown Princess, having mastered all their movements, would follow her plan step by step to confirm that the person secretly practicing the "Dragon Transformation Technique" was hiding in Ghost Witch Mountain.

Only then could she be led to Ghost Witch Mountain.

The sequel to the "Dragon Transformation Technique" that I wanted will now rest on the Crown Princess!
Tian Jing watched as Rongrong and the others followed the clues deliberately left by Lord Xu and headed towards a certain place. He couldn't help but ask, "Sir, will this method work?"

Xu Yuan smiled slightly and said, "A mixture of illusion and reality, reality and illusion."

Rongrong and the others soon discovered a shack.

This shack is made by Gao Guanzi.

When Lord Xu said he needed it, Gao Guanzi naturally offered it up without hesitation.

There were some furnishings in the shack, and Uncle Li said as soon as he saw them, "This place is inhabited year-round. According to Ah Chong, this is where mountain runners stay overnight when they are out in the mountains."

That person must be in cahoots with some mountain runner.

Uncle Li recalled the memories within Ah Chong's soul.

"This place is very close to Gaojia Village, and it is very likely the place where the mountain runner named Gao Guanzi is located."

Rongrong surveyed everything in the shack, then snorted coldly, "After capturing that person, we'll slaughter the entire Gao family village!"

She hasn't even left the mountain yet, and she's already decided to slaughter two villages.

Some signs of "twisting" were left in the shack.

This was done by Tian Jing at Xu Yuan's request.

It looks like...

In my sleep, I suddenly saw a "snake-like" shape, which kept twisting and turning.

"It's a sure thing!" Rongrong thought happily. This time, she was going to do something great: "Go and catch that Gao Guanzi."

The outside of the shack was covered in messy marks.

It can no longer be tracked.

Rongrong acted decisively, taking down Gao Guanzi and extracting information from him about the man's whereabouts.

Tian Jing stayed by Lord Xu's side, secretly observing everything.

I still remember when Lord Xu found Gao Guanzi yesterday, he didn't say anything about what it was about, but just kept promising benefits, all of which could be delivered immediately.

For example, the purchase price of all mountain products from Gaojia Village by Qihetai is 50% higher than that of other villages!
However, the extra 50% will be settled separately.

The payment will be made by Tian Jing and Jiao.

In other words, this money was paid by Lord Xu personally.

You can change it to whatever you want.

For example, if a newborn baby in the village wants to be raised outside the mountains, Xu Yuan can make arrangements.

But the prerequisite is that the child must be checked and found to have no "problems".

For example, you could regularly provide some medicinal pills to clean up any stains...

Gao Guanzi broke out in a cold sweat after hearing only three points. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Lord Xu: "Sir, please stop talking. What do you need me to do? Tell me first, and let me weigh it myself to see if I can sell my life to you."

Xu Yuan then said that he was part of the "bitter trick" in the whole plan.

Gao Guanzi gritted his teeth: "Can all these conditions that you mentioned be fulfilled, sir?"

"If you don't trust me, you should trust Old Man Bai. He is the witness to this matter and will supervise me to fulfill these promises."

Gao Guanzi gave a bitter smile: "Gou Ride betrayed me."

Old Bai knew that Gao Guanzi had passed on all his skills to his son.

With another ten years or so of experience, his son can take over and become the new mountain runner in Gaojia Village.

Therefore, Gao Guanzi is a suitable candidate.

Xu Yuan shook his head: "It's not that he betrayed you. If you don't want to do it, of course I won't force you. I'm just offering the benefits. Senior, you can choose for yourself."

Gao Guanzi gritted his teeth and made another request: "Find a woman for my son outside so he can have a grandson. This will be the first child raised outside our Gaojia Village."

If a normal woman is found outside the family, the grandson born to her will most likely be a normal person.

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly agreed: "Okay, I will make arrangements when the opportunity arises."

Gao Guanzi kowtowed again: "Alright, I, Old Gao, have no more requests. I'll sell my life to you, sir."

Xu Yuan shook his head: "It's not that exaggerated. Life and death... each has a fifty percent chance."

……

Ah Chong had never been to Gaojia Village because it was located deep in Guiwu Mountain.

He had only heard a general location from someone.

Rongrong then led her people to search in that direction.

On the way, they "coincidentally" encountered Gao Guanzi, who was out hunting.

Gao Guanzi fled desperately.

They put in a lot of effort in their performance.

He was more skilled with a bow and arrow, and used up all thirty-six arrows he carried, killing two of Rongrong's subordinates. He was finally captured after his leg was broken.

At first, he was very stubborn and withstood severe torture but refused to confess.

Later, Rongrong threatened the entire Gaojia Village and produced Ruan Tianye's warrant to prove that she absolutely had the ability to massacre the village.

Gao Guanzi then gave in and answered all his questions.

Even Lord Xu, watching from the shadows, felt that Lao Gao was not only risking his life, but also putting in tremendous effort.

After this whole setup, not only Rongrong and Uncle Li, but even I would have believed it.

Rongrong asked a question, and Gao Guanzi answered it.

Ask the man when he arrived at Ghost Witch Mountain.

Gao Guanzi replied, "About a month ago."

Rongrong quickly calculated in her mind that it was around the time Fu Chongjiu was killed.

Ask that person what special skills they possess.

Gao Guanzi replied, "I can control thunder and lightning, and even create clouds and rain on a small scale."

Rongrong was even more certain: this was all due to Fu Chongjiu's ability to "transform from a fish into a dragon".

Subsequent questioning of details further corroborated the evidence.

The person who escaped into Ghost Witch Mountain obtained the "Dragon Transformation Technique" from Fu Chongjiu, or perhaps it was Fu Chongjiu who laid a solid foundation for his own "Dragon Transformation Technique".

Rongrong then made her own guess: According to Xu Yuan's report in the official document, Fu Chongjiu was knocked into the canal and died at the hands of evil spirits.

In other words, no body was found.

This person was most likely the one who accidentally pulled Fu Chongjiu's body out of the river.

The more Rongrong thought about it, the more convinced she became that this was the truth.

My deduction is perfectly reasonable and cannot be wrong.

Little did they know that this was precisely the result of Lord Xu's deliberate manipulation.

Xu Yuan's plan this time was to have Rongrong and Uncle Li investigate step by step to uncover the so-called truth. People are like that; they're more willing to believe what they find and analyze themselves.

They always have doubts about what others tell them.

Gao Guanzi's answers were actually an attempt to "clear" Xu Yuan of suspicion.

If the "Dragon Transformation Technique" wasn't obtained from Fu Shuanghui, but from Fu Chongjiu, Xu Yuan's suspicion would be slightly reduced.

As for whether it will be effective or whether the Crown Princess will let Xu Yuan off the hook because of it...

There's no harm in giving it a try.

What if it works?
After the interrogation was nearly over, Uncle Li took over: "What's that person's name?"

“I don’t know either. He never tells me. He says he offended powerful people outside the mountains, so he risked hiding in the mountains. Knowing his name won’t do me any good, and I think that makes sense.”

Gao Guanzi stared wide-eyed, one eye swollen and bruised.

"That guy wasn't lying to me after all, so you guys chased him into the mountains, didn't you?"

Uncle Li frowned: "Why are you protecting him?"

"He also promised me that as long as we survive this ordeal, he would bring great rewards to our village in the future. Most importantly, I know very well that as long as you can't find him, I will still be useful and alive."

"If you find him, I will surely die."

Gao Guanzi proudly raised his head: "Did I say something wrong?"

Uncle Li snorted coldly and did not answer.

Rongrong gave Uncle Li a wink, and the two of them went to the side.

Rongrong asked in a low voice, "Are we really not allowed to kill the Soul Reaper?"

Uncle Li shook his head: "This person has a strong yin aura. If you kill him, his soul will immediately change."

Rongrong sighed regretfully, "Let him take us to find the person."

"it is good."

Uncle Li returned to Gao Guanzi, pressed one nostril closed, and blew out.

A pitch-black ghost soldier floated out, bulging like a bubble.

This was a sixth-rate ghost soldier, which pounced on Gao Guanzi's back with a whoosh.

"Take us to him," Uncle Li said coldly. "Don't even think about escaping; you have no chance at all."

Gao Guanzi stood up unsteadily.

The ghostly soldier on his back used some kind of trickery; it was clearly just a black shadow, but it made him feel as if he were carrying a mountain!

Gao Guanzi then led them through the gloomy and terrifying mountains.

After many twists and turns, and estimating that it was about time, they were finally led to a desolate place.

There was no sound within a radius of twenty miles.

The trees grew twisted and deformed, casting all sorts of grotesque shadows in the forest.

But there were no birds, small animals, or even insects in the forest.

Rongrong and Uncle Li were puzzled; this place was too eerie.

Even in Ghost Mountain, this was far too unusual.

With a thought, Uncle Li felt the ghostly soldiers suddenly become incredibly heavy.

With a bang, Gao Guanzi was slammed into the ground.

"What trick are you playing!?"

Gao Guanzi reluctantly replied, "What do you have to be afraid of? You have that person's warrant, so the evil spirits in these mountains won't dare to lay a hand on you."

Rongrong and Uncle Li agreed that this made sense, but they still felt uneasy.

"How did that person end up hiding here?"

“I don’t know either,” Gao Guanzi said. “Besides my shack, the place he comes to most often is the lake in front of it.”

I guess... they might be using this place for cultivation?

"Lake?" At certain stages of the Dragon Transformation Technique, it is indeed necessary to cultivate in water.

Rongrong thought for a moment and said, "Let's keep going."

The heavy feeling on Gao Guanzi's back lessened considerably, and he was able to struggle to get up and continue leading the way.

After another four or five miles, the dense forest suddenly disappeared, and a small lake appeared in front of us.

The lake is not large, and its water is dark green and murky.

The water was perfectly still, without a ripple even when the mountain breeze blew.

It makes one wonder if this is not water at all, but a huge piece of glass.

Uncle Li observed carefully and found that the shape of the lake was somewhat strange.

It looks somewhat like a maple leaf, or perhaps... a giant claw!

Gao Guanzi was also very nervous. Among the group, only he knew that this place was the former Qidou Village.

This place is eerie and dangerous.

Neither he nor Old Man Bai had ever been this close to the lake.

Qidou Village disappeared overnight, leaving only a huge claw mark.

It was as if something had snatched the entire village away.

Afterwards, some villagers who had previously had good relations with Qidou Village sent their mountain runners to check on the situation.

Three hikers have mysteriously disappeared in this area.

Later, this place became a lake, and some mountain runners saw a crazed "Yu" that wanted to take over the place.

It darted into the lake and swam around twice when it suddenly seemed to be grabbed by some invisible behemoth.

Then they were dragged to some unknown place.

That worm never appeared in the mountains again after that!
Lord Xu chose this place because it might be the only place in Ghost Witch Mountain that dares to attack the holder of Lord Ruan Tian's ticket.

Or perhaps, the things lurking in the shadows here have no concept of the so-called Ghost Witch Mountain or Lord Ruan Tian.

Gao Guanzi's eyes darted around, wondering if the adults had finished their arrangements.

The lake is so calm that you can't tell at all.

Rongrong gave Gao Guanzi a sinister look and asked, "Go and find the person."

Gao Guanzi didn't want to go, but the ghostly soldier on his back had already stretched out two cold claws, one gripping his throat and the other pressing down on his head.

Its claws are as sharp as knives.

Gao Guanzi could only walk down step by step, pretending to be very familiar with the place, and stood twenty feet from the lakeside—he really dared not go any closer.

Gao Guanzi called out, "Brother..."

There was no movement in the lake.

Rongrong and Uncle Li immediately became suspicious—

But then, the lake water began to ripple.

Something seems to be rising from beneath the water.

Rongrong and Uncle Li, who were hiding in the woods, suddenly widened their eyes.

Especially Uncle Li.

His lowly ghost soldiers were lying on Gao Guanzi's back.

The eyes of the ghost soldiers are his eyes.

He saw it before Rongrong did: a dragon-shaped object was rising from the water's surface!
"That guy really is cultivating in the lake!" The thought crossed both of their minds at the same time.

Uncle Li grabbed Rongrong, who was itching to come out: "Wait for him to come out! If we startle him, it will be more troublesome if he sinks into the water."

The "dragon" in the lake seemed to have sensed something.

Just as they were about to float to the surface, they suddenly paused for a moment, and then quickly sank back down to the surface.

"Not good!" Uncle Li shouted, "Make your move!"

He was the first to break out of the woods.

Rongrong and the others followed suit, leaping out and rushing into the lake together.

As Rongrong ran, she raised her hand.

A shimmering fishing net was cast out and swiftly covered the dragon-shaped object in the lake.

This fishing net is far superior to Fu Shuanghui's.

With a splash, the fishing net fell into the water and quickly covered the dragon-shaped object.

Seeing that the thing was about to be caught, Rongrong was overjoyed: She had done a great service!
Swah——

The fishing net covered the thing.

But the creature refused to surrender, struggling in the fishing net as it continued to dive to the bottom of the lake.

Rongrong was already confident: "You can't escape!"

This fishing net was specially crafted by the Fu family for catching dragons.

She even commissioned a top-notch craftsman from Southern Metropolis Daily to enhance this image.

Once trapped, anyone below the fourth rank has no chance of escape.

Uncle Li opened his nostrils wide, spewing out a gust of wind that blew out twelve ghost soldiers.

These demon soldiers were led by a sixth-rate demon, equipped with artisan-made armor, and were highly trained.

The twelve demons rushed towards the lake together.

The rest of the people also rushed out in a swarm.

The once desolate lakeside suddenly descended into chaos.

Even at such a critical moment, Uncle Li hadn't forgotten the giant ghost on Gao Guanzi's back.

With a thought, the ghostly soldier exerted force with its two claws, slit open Gao Guanzi's throat, and pierced his skull!

Gao Guanzi collapsed with a thud.

Fresh blood quickly formed a large pool beneath him.

The ghostly soldiers then took to the air and rushed into the lake along with Uncle Li.

Gao Guanzi suddenly got up and rushed into the woods without regard for anything else.

His body is somewhat different from that of a normal person.

The head on its neck is just for show.

Or rather, it's something used to house ears.

Gao Guanzi plunged into the woods without daring to stop for even a moment. His intuition, honed over decades of living in the mountains and facing all sorts of dangers, told him: that thing was about to emerge!

Suddenly, the entire space above the lake began to distort.

Within a radius of twenty miles, this desolate area was suddenly filled with an extremely irritable and disgusted mood.

It was as if this void, which was sleeping, had been suddenly awakened.

These people, who were rushing towards the lake, suddenly felt themselves being lifted into the sky.

Then my whole body was squeezed by a terrifying invisible force.

It felt like being grabbed by a giant claw and squeezed tightly.

puff!
It wasn't just blood and flesh splattering everywhere; it simply vanished from this mortal world.

Without a trace.

Not even a trace of his soul remained.

Uncle Li was also taken to the sky, and all his ghost soldiers were captured together.

Uncle Li shouted sternly, "Tickets! Tickets—"

Rongrong held the ticket high, displaying it to the entire void.

But the void didn't react at all, as if it didn't recognize the thing at all.

puff!
Uncle Li has also disappeared.

Rongrong's eyes widened in horror, her bright orange lips trembling uncontrollably: "How...how could you dare? This is Master Ruan Tian's ticket..."

Before she could finish speaking, she and the last few remaining people were suddenly pulled into the air.

While she could still move, Rongrong's right fingernail grew rapidly to a foot long and pierced her left eye with a hiss!
His left eye shattered like a bubble.

Everything she sees with this eye will appear in the Crown Princess's eyes!

Then, with a soft "poof," she too vanished from this mortal world.

But her dying trickery was also grabbed by something.

It's unknown how many more images will be transmitted to the Crown Princess.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent again.

Xu Yuan's leather dragon quietly sank to the bottom of the lake.

Even ten miles away, Xu Yuan's forehead was covered in a layer of cold sweat.

Using the "skin dragon" to impersonate the person who had cultivated the "Dragon Transformation Technique" in the water did indeed deceive Rongrong and Uncle Li—this was a crucial part of the entire plan, and it was necessary to do so in order to deceive the Crown Princess.

But after the strange appearance in Qidou Village, Xu Yuan secretly grasped the "Yin-Yang Guillotine".

Pi Long can share all of Xu Yuan's tricks.

What Xu Yuan saw with his right eye shocked him deeply...

(End of this chapter)