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Chapter 391 Perfecting the Plan (Three-in-One)

"Then why did Xu Miaozhi insist that you impersonate Fu Yuhuan?" Xu Yuan asked.

As he spoke, Lord Xu glanced out of the courtyard seemingly unintentionally.

Below the "Wangming" sign, a clear and bright green "Ming" sign can be seen rising high outside the courtyard gate.

Someone arrived, but stopped outside upon hearing the conversation.

Zhu Zhanlei huffed, "That woman said I have the air of a playboy, and I'm most similar to Fu Yuhuan, so I can impersonate him the most convincingly."

Xu Yuan nodded and said earnestly:
"Zhan Lei, tell me in detail about Xu Miaozhi's vicious scheme, and I'll help you find the flaws so you can refute her."

Otherwise, she has already convinced Lord Luo, and even if you were to send Dafu to peck her, it wouldn't change your situation.

Zhu Zhanlei calmed down and thought about it. It was true. He didn't want to carry out this plan. His objection had to be reasonable and well-founded. Otherwise, Luo Gongqiao would never choose someone else just to give face to the Zhu family.

Zhu Zhanlei explained the plan in detail this time.

This adds some details.

For example, Fu Yuhuan would deliberately show his feelings for his sister by pretending to cry several times in the mountains.

For example, once you enter the mountains, you might deliberately search for evil spirits belonging to the dragon family and keep feeding on them to attract the attention of the villain in the shadows.

For example, in this operation, four fourth-rate individuals were lying in ambush behind, but they couldn't get too close, because the villains were quite strong and might notice them.

However, since they were far away, Lord Luo needed to apply to the Grand Canal Administration for several pieces of craftsmanship that would allow for easy communication.

Such a craft item does exist; it is called a "harmonious wheel".

The refining method was a secret of the Grand Canal Administration.

Each call requires a strict process.

Even Luo Gong Bridge must abide by this rule.

After listening to Zhu Zhanlei finish speaking, Xu Yuan sneered, "This plan has many flaws."

Zhu Zhanlei's eyes lit up, and he sat down affectionately next to Xu Yuan, pouring him tea: "Brother, tell me quickly."

"First of all, the core of this plan is this: Fu Yuhuan and the Crown Princess are siblings with a deep bond. Because the Fu family is worried about the dangers of Ghost Witch Mountain, they are reluctant to send a high-level cultivator to avenge the sister. Fu Yuhuan secretly ran away from home to avenge the sister on his own."

"Does Fu Yuhuan think that by crying a few times in the mountains, he can make that cunning villain in the mountains believe that the relationship between Fu Yuhuan and the Crown Princess is enough to make him lose his mind and recklessly seek revenge on his own?"

Zhu Zhanlei's eyes flickered, and he nodded vigorously: "It is indeed a major flaw, making Fu Yuhuan look too stupid."

If that villain actually took the bait, it would only prove that he was even more stupid—but the fact that he killed the Crown Princess and Seventeenth Uncle clearly shows he wasn't stupid.

Xu Yuan shook his head and said, "So, the fundamentals of this plan need to be changed to fool that villain."

Before Zhu Zhanlei could ask further, Xu Yuan continued, "It should be changed to: Fu Yuhuan has a deep affection for his sister, so he deliberately used himself as bait, but he was followed by two fourth-rate people!"

These two fourth-rate members of the Fu family were out in the open, following Fu Yuhuan for about three miles, trying their best to be discreet and not be discovered.

But in reality, the culprit will definitely be able to find out.

"Lord Luo and Lord Shen Chen are the real backup plans, and they are located further away from those two fourth-rate members of the Fu family, about thirty miles away."

“That villain was able to kill the Crown Princess and Seventeenth Uncle at once, and Seventeenth Uncle was a fourth-rate villain, so he probably wouldn’t be afraid of two fourth-rate villains.”

"Fu Yuhuan felt that last time there was only one fourth-rate uncle, Seventeenth Uncle, but this time he brought two more, which was enough to avenge his sister."

"Only in this way can we lure that villain into a trap."

At this point, Xu Yuan seemed to be thirsty, so he tapped the table with his finger, and Zhu Zhanlei quickly refilled his teacup.

Xu Yuan shook his head again: "Actually, there's another, even better way to put it."

"That is, Fu Yuhuan pretended to come to avenge his sister, but in reality he was targeting the villain who secretly practiced the 'Dragon Transformation Technique' in the mountains."

As long as we capture that villain and eat him, Fu Yuhuan's cultivation will greatly improve!
He was just using the pretext of avenging his sister.

Everything else is the same.

Zhu Zhanlei felt that the second explanation was obviously better.

Zhu Zhanlei knew what kind of people those who had practiced the "Dragon Transformation Method" were.

Whatever family ties or such, they've long since been destroyed.

Dragons are inherently irritable and ruthless.

"Besides this, are there any other flaws?"

"Another question is, in the actual operation, how do they determine that the bad guy has discovered them?"
If all their so-called "grand and impressive" actions were completely unnoticed by the villains, then their whole scheme would be like trying to charm a blind man, ultimately resulting in a wasted effort.

"You and Xu Miaozhi are fine, but four fourth-rate people of noble status will lose face, and that won't end well."

Zhu Zhanlei couldn't help but ask, "Wouldn't the culprit have been completely unaware?"

“That’s just your assumption. You’ve never been to Ghost Witch Mountain, so you don’t know how vast it is,” Xu Yuan said. “Besides, that villain is all alone. He has no help outside the mountain and almost no sources of information. No matter how much trouble you cause—unless he happens to run into you, he’s very likely to be completely unaware that someone has come into the mountain to capture him.”

Zhu Zhanlei frowned. What Brother Xu said made a lot of sense.

Xu Yuan continued, "The solution is actually quite simple. Gao Wanli knows very well how the Crown Princess tracked down that villain when she went into the mountains, so we'll send Gao Wanli along as well."

However, Gao Wanli was, after all, the head of the Shanhe Division in Zhancheng, and having escaped death last time, she should have been terrified and unlikely to be willing to enter Guiwu Mountain again.

Therefore, Gao Wanli needed to appear as if she was being coerced.

Then, Xu Yuan added, "It would be best to ask the Fu family if they have any means to identify people who have cultivated the 'Dragon Transformation Technique' within a certain range. That way, as long as that villain is nearby, you will know, and you can also determine whether that villain knows you have come into the mountains to lure him."

After all this refinement, Xu Miaozhi's plan was finally ready to be implemented.

Xu Yuan was determined to get that crafted item.

Once the bait is taken out and consumed, Xu Yuan's "Dragon Transformation Method" will surely make great progress.

So... this time, we can only make things difficult for Young Master Zhu and Gao Guanzi.

Anyway, that villain never existed, so Zhu Zhanlei shouldn't be in any danger.

As for Gao Guanzi, Xu Yuan would naturally inform him to hide in secret, but Gaojia Village would probably have to move again.

The final addition was that Xu Yuan was testing the Fu family to see if they could identify anyone possessing the "Dragon Transformation Technique" within a certain range.

If so, be extra careful when encountering members of the Fu family in the future.

Xu Yuan guessed that most likely there wasn't one, and even if there were, the conditions would be extremely harsh, otherwise the Crown Princess would have used it last time.

Zhu Zhanlei clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "Hahaha, that woman thinks she's clever, but she doesn't know that her scheme has so many flaws! I'm going to see Lord Luo right now, and I'll definitely..."

Before Zhu Zhanlei could finish speaking, he heard a voice he loathed rang out from outside the courtyard: "Lord Xu is indeed a man of great talent. I thank Lord Xu for helping me refine the plan."

Zhu Zhanlei and Xu Yuan both looked astonished.

A group of people walked into the courtyard.

The leading female official was not tall, but her hair was as white as clouds and of a beautiful color. She had a rather impressive figure, and her chest swayed up and down as she walked. Her waist was so slender that one couldn't help but worry whether she could support the weight in front of and behind her.

Her eyes sparkled, her gaze was captivating, and she was in the prime of her life, brimming with youthful vigor.

She brought two subordinates with her, both of whom were female cultivators.

Zhu Zhanlei saw her and gritted his teeth: "Xu Miaozhi!"

"Grandma is here!" Xu Miaozhi glared back without any politeness.

Zhu Zhanlei snorted angrily, "You—"

Xu Yuan looked regretful: "Oh no, Zhan Lei, she overheard everything we were saying!"

"Ah!" Zhu Zhanlei finally realized what was happening, and his face turned ashen.

Xu Miaozhi smiled smugly: "I was originally ordered by Lord Luo to capture you. I didn't expect to have such a great surprise."

She clasped her hands in a fist salute to Xu Yuan, bowed deeply, and her chest drooped down.

"Thank you very much, Lord Xu!"

As she straightened up, her chest trembled again.

"With such talent as Lord Xu, I will certainly recommend you to Lord Luo. We must not let such talent go to waste!"

Xu Yuan's face immediately darkened, and he looked extremely regretful.

Xu Miaozhi laughed loudly at Zhu Zhanlei, then turned and left: "I'll go back now and discuss this plan in detail with Lord Luo!"

They even stopped caring about Zhu Zhanlei.

Zhu Zhanlei and Xu Yuan looked at each other in bewilderment. Xu Yuan sighed deeply, "Zhanlei, you've really put me through a lot!"

Zhu Zhanlei: "..."

Zhu Zhanlei felt something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

I'm feeling really down right now, so I'm not going to think about it anymore.

"This time, I'm afraid I can't escape this fate. I'm going to be completely controlled by this woman." Zhu Zhanlei sighed, waved his hand and left: "No, I have to go back and make preparations, lest I be tricked to death by this woman in Ghost Witch Mountain."

In a few days, Zhu Zhanlei might suddenly realize at some point that something is wrong.

But now all his thoughts are on how to deal with the upcoming "calamity".

Even if they understand later, they'll probably realize they were overthinking things.

What benefit would Xu Yuan gain from doing this?

Given his personality, if he can't figure something out, he'll just let it go and stop thinking about it...

Xu Yuan saw Zhu Zhanlei off to the door. When they reached the courtyard gate, Zhu Zhanlei suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "No, I must get Master Dafu to help me get revenge!"

Dafu shook his head, meaning that as long as the insects arrived, everything would be fine!

Xu Yuan also looked at Xu Miaozhi with a deep-seated hatred: "Fine, leave this to Dafu!"

……

Xu Miaozhi was extremely efficient; that very afternoon, Luo Gongqiao sent out the confidential document requesting the use of "Heminglu".

Then, the three Heminglu arrived almost simultaneously with the two fourth-rate members of the Fushi family.

But no immediate action was taken.

Zhu Zhanlei came again that day, and said listlessly to Xu Yuan: "The Fu family really does have that kind of method, but it seems to have many limitations in its use. Two fourth-rate members of the Fu family are communicating with the family."

We'll have to wait a few more days.

Xu Yuan has been busy these past few days.

After Xu Miaozhi said he would recommend himself to Luo Gongqiao that day, Xu Yuan immediately wrote a letter to Ma Tianshou.

He wrote a long complaint in the letter.

Lord Ma naturally understood the young man's thoughts, so he sent a letter to the Grand Canal Administration, exerting some pressure.

Xu Yuan had previously expressed his desire for "benefits" to Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanmei.

Luo Gongqiao has not summoned Xu Yuan in the past few days, so he must have learned about Xu Yuan's attitude from the two of them.

It all depends on what price Lord Luo is willing to pay.

While waiting for news from the Fu family, Xu Yuan did two things that kept him very busy.

One of them was the shop on the dock, which opened for business with remarkable efficiency.

Lord Xu gave it a name, "Yuansheng".

The shopkeeper was an elderly man in his early fifties, recommended by Miao Yan, named Yang Laicai.

Xu Yuan calls him "Uncle Yang".

I used to work as a shopkeeper in the north of the city for twenty-three years.

Six months ago, the old master passed away, and less than three months later, the young master replaced him with the three apprentices he had trained.

Yang Laicai brought wine and food to his former employer's grave, kowtowed three times, and thanked his former employer for his trust and respect over the past twenty years.

Without uttering a single complaint, he packed his things and prepared to retire at home.

But Miao Yan invited him over. Xu Yuan even suspected that the old man had deliberately changed his name to "Lai Cai" (meaning "come wealth") to bring good luck to his employer.

He was a low-level scholar who had once passed the imperial examination at the county level.

He is literate and arithmetic-savvy, and speaks eloquently.

Besides Xu Yuan, there was another person in the business, Miao Yu.

Miao Yu gave 100,000 taels of silver, taking a 30% stake.

Moreover, it was agreed with Xu Yuan that there would be no profit sharing for the first three years, and for the next ten years, he would receive at least 20,000 taels of silver each year.

Ten years from now, I'll leave it to fate.

During this period, Miao Yu was responsible for handling any issues that arose at the canal dock.

Overall, Xu Yuan came out on top.

But even with 200,000 taels over ten years, Miao Yu wasn't exactly losing out.

The main reason is that Miao Yu recognized Xu Yuan as a person.

The shop sells specialties from Guiwu Mountain and the surrounding Champa area.

If you're willing to bring it to us, we'll take it if you're willing to bring it in from the canal!

The second thing was to secretly practice the "Dragon Transformation Technique" of the skin dragon.

Moreover, as his cultivation deepened, the connection between the skin dragon, the dragon pearl, and the container for the filth became increasingly close, showing signs of "merging into one."

The five items that Xu Yuan obtained to contain the filth were an ancient scripture, a bronze mirror, a medicinal essence, ears of grain, and five-colored thread.

The pages of the ancient scripture were all stuck together and could not be opened at all.

The writing on the cover was also blurry and illegible.

The bronze mirror is covered in rust, and only the pattern of a kui dragon on the back can be barely discerned.

The medicinal essence had been burned into a clump, and even alchemists could not identify which medicinal herbs it was.

The ears of grain could only be identified in their general shape.

The five-colored threads were tangled together, making it impossible to distinguish the different colors.

However, the "concrete meaning" they represent still exists.

As they merged, the various growths, deformities, and ulcers that occurred during the Pilong's cultivation recovered at an increasingly faster pace.

The connection between Xu Yuan and Pi Long is becoming increasingly acute.

Originally, Xu Yuan needed to immerse his consciousness into the leather dragon in order to control this treasure.

Now, however, one can manipulate it in a state similar to "contemplation," whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Simply put, if you keep Pilong in your heart, Pilong can perform some simple actions on its own.

Many other benefits are also slowly emerging.

Only after truly practicing the "Dragon Transformation Method" did Xu Yuan understand its profound mysteries.

They will indeed gradually acquire all the abilities of the true dragon race.

Or should it be called...supernatural power?
Fu Shuanghui, Fu Chongjiu, and the Crown Princess each have different strengths and areas of expertise.

This is because of their own differences; they chose to further develop in areas they liked or were good at.

Xu Yuan will need to do the same in the future.

However, Xu Yuan was not in a hurry to choose the focus of the "Dragon Transformation Technique" ability. Instead, he wanted to talk to his stepmother and Uncle Shen again.

This time, we need to find out the whole story about the family.

Only then can one know which ability to choose for the "Dragon Transformation Technique" so that it can provide the greatest assistance during the Ghost Festival.

My cultivation over the past two days has yielded an unexpected gain.

One night, Pilong was chasing a golden eel in the canal when he accidentally bumped into an iron cage.

This iron cage, which is submerged in the water, is as big as three or four houses and contains all sorts of strange creatures.

Pi Long hid to the side, and the next day he saw the fishing gang come to "collect the cages".

This is a method used by fishing gangs to catch strange creatures.

Pi Long followed the fishing gang's boat and found the place where the fishing gang kept evil spirits.

Xu Yuan planned to deal with this matter immediately after the Crown Princess's case was resolved.

A few more days passed, and there was still no movement from the Fu family. However, Xu Yuan discovered a problem with the "Dragon Transformation Technique":
The speed of cultivation has been slowing down!

The Pisaurus is consuming more and more food each day, but its speed is decreasing instead of increasing.

Pilong hunts in the canal, feeding on low-class and mediocre evil spirits.

It's extremely rare to catch a sixth-rate one.

Relying solely on low-grade dragon species will gradually diminish the benefits to the cultivation of the "Dragon Transformation Technique" for leather dragons.

"No wonder that from Fu Shuanghui to Fu Chongjiu and then to the Crown Princess, they have all been trying to capture more powerful dragons."

"The cultivation of this 'Dragon Transformation Technique' is clearly about seizing the creation of heaven. One must be of the same or even higher level to consume it and seize its creation in order to make great progress."

"If you only eat low-quality food, it will be very difficult to make a breakthrough."

"If I want to improve the level of my 'Dragon Transformation Technique,' I need to find a fifth-rate dragon. In fact... even one fifth-rate dragon might not be enough."

Fu Chongjiu's dragon balls are of the fifth rank, as are the things used to hold the filth, but the quality of the leather dragon is difficult to define.

But Piron is undoubtedly the most bizarre of the three.

After merging into one, he formally began cultivating the "Dragon Transformation Technique," but only achieved the sixth rank.

Xu Yuan was not disappointed.

Xu Yuan was well aware that by integrating the three elements to cultivate the "Dragon Transformation Method," his foundation was solid and robust.

The future development prospects are very promising.

If the result of merging is merely fifth-rate or fourth-rate, it would be a false glory.

It may have an unstable foundation.

A solid foundation means that each subsequent promotion will require more opportunities and a firm grasp of every step of the way.

Therefore, Xu Yuan is determined to get Xu Miaozhi's handiwork this time!

Later, Xu Yuan would also subtly inquire with Bai Laoyan, Gao Guanzi, and others about the high-level dragon-type evil spirits in Ghost Witch Mountain.

It cannot be said explicitly to avoid leaking confidential information.

……

Two more days passed before the Fu family finally sent someone again, bringing the "secret method" with them.

Xu Yuan was once again "summoned" by Luo Gongqiao.

Luo Gongqiao didn't have a good impression of this young head of the exorcism department either.

However, Xu Miaozhi strongly recommended it.

He has recently been very fond of Xu Miaozhi.

Therefore, after they met, Luo Gongqiao shook his sleeves.

A strange beetle crawled out, landed on the table, twitched its antennae, and made a continuous low chirping sound.

Luo Gongqiao went straight to the point: "After this case is over, I will convict Gao Wanli. Her best outcome will be demotion and transfer."

The benefit of the insect is not to Xu Yuan, but to deal with Gao Wanli.

The low chirping of caterpillars can block eavesdropping.

If someone were eavesdropping nearby using a crafting tool, their eardrum would be pierced by a sharp sound.

In addition, it can prevent all strange methods and record Luo Gongqiao's words.

All the agreements reached today are merely tacit understandings between the two of them. If anyone else asks, Luo Gongqiao will absolutely deny it.

Xu Yuan shook his head: "I don't care whether Gao Wanli stays or leaves."

Even if Gao Wanli continues to stay in Champa, it will not cause much trouble for Xu Yuan.

Luo Gongqiao frowned and said, "You are a pill refiner, and I heard you've already reached the fifth rank? You're quite promising at such a young age. I can make the decision to give you a method for refining fire from the yamen's archives."

The four streams of alchemy cultivation allow the fire within the abdomen to be further refined into different attributes, resulting in power that is incomparable to the previous ones.

But whatever method Xu Yuan wanted for refining fire, Aunt Wang should have it.

Xu Yuan refused bluntly, saying, "No need. I dare not use the fire-refining method of the Grand Canal Administration."

Luo Gongqiao's face fell.

This kid is definitely a troublemaker.

You dare to be so disrespectful to me, An Chengyuan?

"What do you want?" Luo Gongqiao asked bluntly.

If it weren't for Ma Tianshou backing him up, why would I bother haggling with a mere law enforcement officer? I would have just conscripted him directly.

If he refuses, seize him and take him directly to Ghost Witch Mountain!
Xu Yuan replied, "This humble official desires a piece of good fourth-rate material."

"That's a bit greedy!" Luo Gongqiao said, displeased.

It's not easy for me to hunt down even the most lowly evil spirits, and you just ask for one?
Xu Yuan then asked, "If that doesn't work... does the Grand Canal government's treasury contain any fourth-rate discarded sword pellets?"

Luo Gongqiao thought about it and realized that there really was such a document in the Jiaozhi Department of the Shanhe Division.

It sounds like fourth-rate material is not as good as fourth-rate sword pellets.

Even good materials require skilled craftsmen to work on them, adding an extra step in the process, and skilled craftsmen are hard to find.

But in reality, good materials can be crafted to your liking.

As for the discarded sword pellets of fourth-rate cultivators, only fourth-rate alchemists would find them useful.

It's just a way to enhance its own sword pellet.

However, most alchemists are not very skilled, and fourth-rate practitioners are extremely rare.

If someone else gets their hands on it, it's just a heavy piece of scrap metal, and they might even get hurt by the sword energy inside.

Therefore, even fourth-rate high-quality materials are actually worth much more.

"Alright, I'll give it to you."

"Thank you, sir." Xu Yuan smiled broadly, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.

Luo Gongqiao shook his head, muttering to himself, "Arrogant at first, obsequious at second."

"Do your job with care!" he urged. "Your performance should make me feel that it is worthwhile."

……

Xu Yuan returned to his courtyard and made some simple preparations. Luo Gongqiao had said that they would set off early the next morning.

Xu Yuan decided not to bring any of his subordinates this time, but he felt he should bring Da Fu along.

But after searching the whole yard, they called out, "Dafu? Dafu, where did you go?"

Lord Xu had a bad feeling: Zhu Zhanlei was incredibly audacious, and the other... had no idea how serious things were!
"These two wouldn't actually go and peck Xu Miaozhi, would they...?"

Xu Yuan rushed out to find Zhu Zhanlei, but he hadn't gone far when he saw Dafu standing by the wall on the side of the street, his flat mouth tightly gripping a shadowy figure, trying to pull it out of the ditch by the wall.

The shadow was long and thin, and it seemed to have scales on it.

Pulled frantically by Dafu, it turned around and sprang up, revealing a face no bigger than a fist. It opened its mouth, baring its fangs, and lunged at Dafu's neck.

(End of this chapter)