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Chapter 378 Acquired (Three-in-One)

"Your Majesty's condition is not entirely unnecessarily negotiable."

Tian Jing and Mr. Piaodang felt like their scalps were about to explode!
My lord! Would you please reconsider what conditions you actually agreed to?

That one is the ruler of Ghost Mountain.

The Dragon King of the Grand Canal may indeed have been somewhat "too lazy and unwilling to move," which allowed him to remain king in Ghost Mountain.

But there must be some "tricky" factors involved.

After the Ancient Corpse Empress shed her "terrifying state," she not only looked much better, but also behaved more like a living person.

She raised her eyebrows slightly and said coldly, "My conditions are clear and straightforward. If you agree but then delay and make excuses, my sword will remain as sharp as it was back then!"

Xu Yuan immediately clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "I would never dare to deceive Your Majesty."

The fear and awe in his voice were all too obvious.

Even Tian Jing could tell.

But this is exactly the effect that Lord Xu wanted.

The fact that the Ancient Corpse Empress accepted even Mr. Drifting's exaggerated praise shows that this is her true nature.

It's also possible that the person has been dead for too long, causing both their body and mind to become sluggish.

The thresholds in all aspects become higher, and the more exaggerated and prominent they are, the more she likes them.

The Corpse Empress suddenly said, "My beloved concubine, take them down to take a look."

Mr. Piaodang responded, and before Xu Yuan and Tian Jing could react, the scene suddenly changed and they were transported to the stone chamber below.

Five hundred feet below, the stone chambers were carved out individually.

Mr. Piaodang opened each of the ancient bronze coffins one by one.

Then he deliberately raised his voice, making sure it could be heard clearly from seven hundred feet away: "Lord Xu should be able to tell the quality of these ancient corpses."

Before meeting the Ancient Corpse Empress, Xu Yuan planned to use "Looking at Fate" to assess her level.

However, once he actually saw her, Xu Yuan dared not act rashly, and therefore did not know the true level of the Ancient Corpse Empress.

Now that Mr. Piaodang has asked him to look, Xu Yuan opens "Looking for Fate".

But what I saw was truly astonishing.

These ancient corpses are all of fourth-rate quality!
Mr. Piaodang said, "These are His Majesty's civil and military officials."

He then pointed to one of the ancient corpses and said, "This is His Majesty's favorite court musician. It has a special ability: it can blend into the living and, as long as it doesn't want to be exposed, can remain hidden for hundreds of years without ever being discovered!"

"His Majesty is secretly accumulating strength in order to plot something big, which is why he is unwilling to come out of seclusion."

"It's not that they can't leave the mountain!"

"If you dare to deceive His Majesty, even if you are thousands of miles away, His Majesty can take your life with a single decree!"

Mr. Piaodang understood that if he wanted to persuade the Ancient Corpse Empress to help, he couldn't really side with Xu Yuan and repeatedly try to persuade him.

Instead, they should act as if they are always thinking of the Ancient Corpse Empress.

Xu Yuan nodded repeatedly: "Your Majesty's army is truly strong and well-equipped!"

Then, Mr. Drifter led them back to the stone chamber above.

This time, however, he climbed up the stone steps inside the cliff himself.

The ancient corpse empress coldly asked, "How do you intend to lend me a hand?"

Xu Yuan looked confident: "Such an important matter cannot be rushed. His Majesty has already waited for countless years, and I don't think he would mind waiting a few more years."

My plan for Your Majesty is a scheme to kill someone with a borrowed knife!
It was borrowed from the Dragon King of the Grand Canal—Your Majesty, please don't be hasty, let me explain slowly.

There's a high probability that the Canal Dragon King won't personally deal with that one. But what I need to borrow is the Dragon Head Guillotine from the Canal Administration, one of His subordinate offices!

The Ancient Corpse Empress's eyes suddenly brightened: "Explain in detail."

Xu Yuan's plan was to use the evil spirits in the mountains, under the guise of Lord Ruan Tian, ​​to gradually oppose the Grand Canal government.

"...The final crucial step requires the use of an important item, and that item is this!"

Xu Yuan took out a ticket issued by Master Ruan Tian.

The Ancient Corpse Empress's eyes changed again: "You actually possess such a thing!"

"I killed the original owner and stole it," Xu Yuan said. "This also proves that I and that person are irreconcilable enemies, and I must stand on His Majesty's side."

The Ancient Corpse Empress nodded slightly.

Xu Yuan continued, "This thing, to a certain extent, can represent that person. If this thing were thrown into the canal, what a huge commotion it would cause!!"
When the Grand Canal Administration brings out the Dragon Head Guillotine, even if that person survives the blow, he will be severely injured!

This is Your Majesty's opportunity! Your Majesty can seize this chance to personally kill this scoundrel and avenge yourself!

The Ancient Corpse Empress was considering it seriously.

Xu Yuan and the other two remained silent. This was a very sensitive time, and saying more would be worse than saying nothing.

After considering it, the Ancient Corpse Empress glanced at Mr. Piaodang and asked, "My beloved concubine, what do you think?"

Mr. Piaodang lowered his head and slurred, "Everything depends on Your Majesty's absolute decision."

The ancient corpse empress slowly nodded: "I agree."

Xu Yuan clasped his hands in a bow and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

……

Xu Yuan realized that he had misjudged the strength of the Ancient Corpse Empress.

I originally thought he would be slightly better than Uncle Seventeen.

But now it seems... it's probably going to be much higher!
This makes it even less effective to employ tactics such as "instigating others and reaping the benefits without doing anything."

The Ancient Corpse Empress killed Seventeenth Uncle and the others. Knowing that she had been used, she would be even less likely to let him go!
If I really do that, I won't be able to leave Ghost Mountain this time.

So if you think about it carefully, unless there are some special circumstances, such as the Ancient Corpse Empress being in a "bound" state, this so-called clever plan of "stirring up trouble on both sides and reaping the benefits" actually has huge hidden dangers.

Now that the discussion was settled, the Ancient Corpse Empress said, "My beloved consort, send them out first, and don't let them be implicated."

"According to the order."

Mr. Drifter then led Xu Yuan and Tian Jing out, and they drifted far away, arriving at the top of a mountain ten miles away.

Xu Yuan looked back and saw that the river that had drowned countless wronged souls was suddenly drained by an invisible force!

Tian Jing was dumbfounded.

The scene was so spectacular and terrifying.

The waters of the great river, stretching for ten miles, suddenly reversed direction and were directly sucked up to the cliff, incredibly all of it entering the stone chamber.

The river, which had stopped flowing, finally resumed its course after a long while.

Xu Yuan: "Rinse your mouth?"

“Exactly,” Mr. Drifting replied with a smile.

Xu Yuan nodded slowly, witnessing for the first time the terrifying power of a fourth-rate or higher power.

……

The Crown Princess was furious.

Her personal maid, Rui Rui, died in Gaojia Village!
That volcanic evil spirit is quite troublesome.

Uncle Seventeen also went to great lengths to kill him.

But during the battle, Rui Rui was instantly burned to ashes by a terrifying ball of lava spewed out by the evil spirit!

When everything was over, the young guide hired from Qihetai Town had also disappeared.

He must have been caught in the aftermath of a battle; he was just an ordinary person, and he was instantly reduced to ashes.

Now there are only three people left in the team.

Fortunately, the tracks on the ground were clear, so we could track the direction of Gaojia Village without a guide.

Gao Wanli became even more furious.

Because for the rest of the journey, she became that "maid".

She had to do all the chores of serving others.

She was the legitimate daughter of a prestigious family, pampered since childhood, following the Crown Prince's wife in hopes of a better future. But now she's reduced to serving others?!

But she dared not show it.

The Crown Princess is in a bad mood right now, and she definitely doesn't want to be the "punching bag".

The three of them followed the trail with great frustration until they suddenly spotted a tall, dark cliff ahead.

The people of Gaojia Village certainly didn't dare to go to Tongguan Cliff.

Even though Lord Xu had reached an agreement with the Ancient Corpse Empress, the people of Gaojia Village still dared not go.

This place has a terrible reputation.

After leaving their tracks at the Copper Coffin Cliff, Gao Guanzi led the entire village in another direction and settled in a relatively open canyon thirty miles away.

The canyon is filled with wildflowers that resemble orchids.

The petals are about the size of a pig's ear.

Pink and semi-transparent.

Fluttering in the wind, it can capture subtle sounds from very far away.

If Lord Xu were here, he might think... the shape and posture of these petals are very similar to Gao Guanzi's unusual ears.

The strangeness of this canyon seems to have been quite benevolent to the people of Gaojia Village.

The people of Gaojia Village seem to be very familiar with this place.

Everyone feels more at ease settling down here.

Gao Guanzi arrived alone in the center of the canyon, on a circular high ground.

The soil in the highlands is fertile, and this wild flower grows exceptionally lushly.

Gao Guanzi caught many birds along the way.

They were all released at this point.

Hundreds of birds chirped and chattered incessantly.

The wildflowers nearby trembled and seemed to really enjoy the sounds.

As the birds chirped, their voices grew softer and softer until they could no longer make a sound.

Their "voices" were all absorbed by those wildflowers!

It will never be able to utter its clear and melodious bird calls again.

The wildflowers, having eaten their fill, swayed gently, expressing their satisfaction with the tall crown.

Gao Guanzi then said in a low voice, "We'll stay one night and leave tomorrow. Something came up at home, but it'll be taken care of quickly..."

His words were like those of a brother who had separated from his family and had to return to live with his family for a while, but was worried that his "elder brother" who had inherited the family business would think too much, so he made things clear in advance.

……

The Crown Princess and her two companions chased after the Dragon Coffin Cliff to its base. There, they saw the river rushing below, with eerie black energy churning within. In the distance, they could vaguely see wronged souls, their faces filled with resentment and hatred, tumbling and rising in the water, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden.

Then, a series of loud clanging sounds, like the beating of ancient bronze war drums, rang out from the seven-hundred-foot-high cliff.

It sounded like the friction of a heavy coffin lid being pushed open.

Mr. Piaodang noticed the confusion of Lord Xu and Tian Jing. He covered his mouth with his long tongue and whispered in Lord Xu's ear, "It's the sound of His Majesty grinding his teeth when he rinses his mouth."

Xu Yuan was astonished.

Tian Jing was carefully recalling whether rinsing her mouth would cause her teeth to grind when she was still a "whole person".

That was so long ago, I can't remember...

Tian Jing suddenly felt a touch of melancholy.

"puff--"

A thick, bluish-black fog billowed out from the black cliff.

Then a strong wind whipped up a thick fog, like ten thousand horses galloping or a surging tide, and in the blink of an eye, it covered an area of ​​ten miles.

Gao Wanli let out a piercing scream: "Ah—"

Then there was no more sound.

In the vast, dark blue fog, it was the Crown Princess who first stirred up a huge commotion!
She stretched out her body, which was more than ten feet long, but it did not feel like a giant python or snake; instead, it was slender and graceful.

Its body is covered in bluish-purple patterns, which should be quite beautiful, but because it is in the awkward period of shedding its skin, the surface is very ugly.

Her head remained human-shaped, without horns on her forehead. Instead, two butterfly-like antennae grew from her two foreheads, their tips emitting a hazy glow.

It also has a pair of huge yet slender wings on its back.

I don't know what she was, that she transformed into a dragon.

She tumbled and churned in the poisonous fog, creating a huge vortex, the center of which seemed to be a passage to escape.

The Crown Princess plunged into the vortex—but then her whole body stiffened, and countless green zombie-like hairs sprouted from her torn skin.

The fluorescent light at the tips of the Crown Princess's antennae suddenly intensified.

It's unclear what method was used, but there's no doubt that the Crown Princess was fighting against the zombie toxin. However, the green fur on her body spread rapidly along the cracks in her skin, soon reaching her face.

It then spread to her tentacles.

The antennae were originally thin, curved, light, and slender.

After the green zombie hair spread up like moss, it became thick and stiff, and finally the fluorescence at the top was completely sealed off by the green zombie hair.

The Crown Princess then fell heavily to the ground.

They disappeared into the poisonous fog.

The vortex then dissipated.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy thud was heard from deep within the poisonous fog, presumably the Crown Princess had fallen to the ground.

A long, invisible thread appeared out of thin air, spread into the poisonous fog, and hooked the Crown Princess's soul.

However, the poisonous fog easily dissolved the silk threads.

Mr. Piaodang, still covering his mouth with his tongue, said to Lord Xu, "His Majesty has been recruiting soldiers and horses."

The Crown Princess herself is not capable enough to be among His Majesty's ministers.

But she cultivates the "Dragon Transformation Technique," which has a unique form; His Majesty should give her a chance..."

To become a zombie, one must seal their soul within their body.

The Ancient Corpse Empress easily broke the Entanglement Technique.

Given the Crown Princess's status and position, no one but the Dragon King of the Grand Canal could plant a more vicious "law" in her soul.

This "thread-pulling method" was actually something the Crown Princess herself was willing to do.

If something unexpected happens, the Thread-Pulling Technique can pull the soul back, and the Crown Princess will still have a chance to possess another body and be reborn.

Suddenly, a clean-edged gap appeared in the poisonous fog.

Such a peculiar situation should not occur in the fog; I wonder what trick Uncle Seventeen used in his "lawsuit".

He fled in panic.

But just as he was about to burst out, the gap behind him suddenly closed.

The Ancient Corpse Empress discovered his methods.

The closed gap just happened to trap one of his feet.

Uncle Seventeen gritted his teeth, and a folding fan flew out from his sleeve, opening with a whoosh, its edges as sharp as a large axe.

With a snap, the foot was severed.

They fled without regard for anything else.

Uncle Seventeen was well aware that his level was too low.

The “law of litigation” sometimes employs tricks that exploit the “rules”.

But faced with such a terrifying evil spirit, he only had one chance.

Once discovered, this method will no longer work the next time.

Therefore, this is the only chance he has to escape.

Blood spurted from the severed ankle.

Uncle Seventeen broke free of the poisonous fog, and with a flick of his wrist, a stack of silver notes flew out from his sleeve.

The silver note fell into the void, which meant that Uncle Seventeen had communicated with some kind of "law" and received some kind of "pardon".

Uncle Seventeen's speed broke through some of the limitations of the law.

But before Uncle Seventeen could escape, a huge bloody skull rose from the poisonous fog!
A gigantic elephant head, as large as a mountain, emerged from the skull.

It raised its long nose and inhaled—

Uncle Seventeen won't be able to escape.

The poisonous fog rolled in from behind.

What was originally a ten-mile radius quickly expanded to a fifty-mile radius.

Uncle Seventeen fell into the fog.

The poisonous fog of Copper Coffin Cliff shrouded an area of ​​ten miles.

It's not that it can only cover ten miles.

If the Ancient Corpse Empress so desired, she could even cover a hundred miles.

Suddenly, a huge white shadow flashed through the poisonous fog.

It was a "white duck".

But the white shadow shattered in an instant.

Then a second white shadow rose up.

Uncle Seventeen also has three white ducks.

Two of these are intended for the Crown Princess.

However, when the Crown Princess was killed just now, Seventeenth Uncle did not use the white duck to take her place.

Instead, she almost escaped by taking advantage of the opportunity that the Crown Princess had secured.

Logically, since he was responsible for protecting the Crown Princess, he wouldn't have a good ending if she died.

But he had a vague feeling that the Crown Princess was dead and everyone in the Xiang Prince's mansion would probably be secretly grateful to him.

Therefore, in this true life-or-death situation, Uncle Seventeen chose to leave all his means behind to save his own life.

However, the brief window of opportunity that the three white ducks bought him was still not enough for him to escape from the poisonous fog.

The toxic fog churned violently.

The battle inside appears to be intense.

Mr. Piaodang remained calm and composed.

"His Majesty hasn't stretched his muscles in a long time, so we're just teasing him."

Xu Yuan nodded, but kept his eyes fixed on the poisonous fog.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Ancient Corpse Empress seemed to have lost interest in "law proceedings".

The poisonous fog gradually subsided.

“It’s resolved,” said Mr. Drifter.

After waiting a while, the poisonous fog gradually sank into the surrounding soil.

Originally, the poisonous fog was supposed to last for a whole day—but it was clear that the Ancient Corpse Empress could control the fog, and how long it lasted was entirely up to her.

The Crown Princess and Seventeenth Uncle have both disappeared.

However, on the Black Cliff, in the stone chamber at a height of five hundred feet, the sound of bellows could be heard.

A bluish-green flame flickered within it.

Mr. Piaodang said, "That is His Majesty's chief craftsman, smelting ore to make bronze coffins for the two of them."

All that remained on the ground was Gao Wanli, her body stiff and unconscious.

This sixth-rate craftsman holds a transcendent position in the world of the living.

But the Ancient Corpse Empress didn't even consider her.

Mr. Piaodang said, "It won't be long before she recovers, and then a sixth-rate evil spirit will appear in Ghost Witch Mountain."

Xu Yuan then whispered something to Mr. Piaodang.

Mr. Piaodang laughed and said, "That's easy, I'll go and ask His Majesty."

……

Gao Wanli opened her eyes groggily and saw a hazy figure, half-human and half-snake, or perhaps half-human and half-dragon, twisting its tail as it approached her in the distance through the woods.

Then, with a twitch of its tail, Gao Wanli was in excruciating pain and fainted once again.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she slowly woke up, feeling as if something had bound her feet and was dragging her along the ground.

She pretended to be unconscious, secretly opening one eye a crack.

Sure enough, it was that half-human, half-dragon creature, its tail wrapped around itself, dragging it through the mountains.

When they reached the riverbank, the creature flicked its tail and threw Gao Wanli into the river.

thump--

After falling into the water, countless wronged souls and evil spirits swarmed up.

It entangled Gao Wanli and bit her, and together they slowly sank to the bottom of the river.

Gao Wanli saw that the half-human, half-dragon creature was still standing by the river watching.

She dared not react, letting the vengeful spirits and evil ghosts gnaw pieces of flesh from her body and suck her blood.

Finally, the guy turned and left.

Gao Wanli hurriedly produced an artifact, which was a mercury mirror.

With a single glance, all the evil spirits and vengeful ghosts were drawn into the mirror.

Gao Wanli then released another artifact, covering her head with it, which allowed her to breathe underwater.

Gao Wanli hid at the bottom of the river and swam downstream in a disheveled state.

……

The Ancient Corpse Empress received Xu Yuan once again.

Mr. Drifting just returned and begged the Ancient Corpse Empress to spare Gao Wanli's life.

The Ancient Corpse Empress didn't care about Gao Wanli at all and simply absorbed the corpse poison from her body.

"I have done what you asked for. Now you must do what I need to do immediately."

Xu Yuan then said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already thought it through. I will get started as soon as I get back, beginning with an inconspicuous place."

The Grand Canal government had two lackeys: one from the grain transport gang and the other from the fishing gang.

Soon, evil spirits from Ghost Mountain will attack the fishing gang.

Then, starting from this point, the situation was gradually escalated.

The Ancient Corpse Empress seemed somewhat dissatisfied, feeling that if they were going to do something, they should do something big.

Xu Yuan smiled wryly and said, "My abilities are limited. I can only proceed step by step and involve more evil spirits in order to ultimately achieve my goal."

The Ancient Corpse Empress said in a deep voice, "I want to see results within a month."

"Of course!" Xu Yuan readily agreed.

Agree first, then discuss.

Just like Xu Yuan agreed to help the Ancient Corpse Empress deal with Ruan Tianye.

Anyway, I've been doing it all along. You can say I'm delaying, but you can't say I haven't done it.

As for the limited results, that's truly due to my limited abilities; after all, I'm just a fifth-rate amateur. Since I've already done it, even if you blame me, you can't just send someone to kill me, can you?
If you kill me, who will help you deal with Master Ruan Tian?

If you really want me to take action, wait until I'm a third-rate official.

In fact, the longer it drags on, the more "sunk costs" the Ancient Corpse Empress incurs, making it even less likely that she will actually kill Xu Yuan.

In addition, Xu Yuan agreed to the Ancient Corpse Empress's conditions because he had a guess in his mind, but he didn't need to tell the Ancient Corpse Empress about this guess.

The Ancient Corpse Empress snorted coldly, her gaze icy, and gently stroked the bloodstains on her skull with her left hand.

A bluish-black light flew out from the elephant's head's eye.

It suddenly burrowed into Xu Yuan's body.

Xu Yuan neither dodged nor avoided the situation, appearing quite composed.

"This is my ten-thousand-year-old corpse poison. Even if we are thousands of miles apart, I can activate it at any time."

"If I don't see your results a month from now, you should understand what will happen to you!"

Xu Yuan: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties."

The Ancient Corpse Empress would definitely have left some control methods on herself.

Xu Yuan had anticipated this.

But Xu Yuan felt that he was about to shed his skin again...

The Ancient Corpse Empress waved her hand: "Go!"

Xu Yuan and Tian Jing felt a sudden dizziness, and then they were transported out and stood on the bank of the river at the foot of the cliff.

Mr. Piaodang came out to see him off: "Lord Xu, you must not neglect His Majesty's mission. I will frequently send Old Man Bai to inquire about it. This is our shared duty, it cannot be neglected!"

Xu Yuan nodded: "I understand."

Mr. Piaodang stepped forward and grasped Xu Yuan's hand: "I haven't repaid the life-saving grace from last time, so this is my way of repaying it."

Xu Yuan then felt something in his hand. He unfolded it and saw a white silk cloth covered with dense writing. It was the "Dragon Transformation Method"!
After giving Xu Yuan this item, Mr. Drifting waved his hand, turned around, and drifted up toward the Black Cliff.

(End of this chapter)