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Chapter 394 Stealing Food (Three-in-One)

The old goat flew into a rage, slammed the boning knife in its hand into the cutting board, and shouted at the evil spirit, "Don't touch it if you're not buying!"

"These are all top-quality, fresh, and alive people!"

"Your eerie aura will diminish your value if even a trace of it seeps in!"

It is ferocious and menacing; when it gets angry, its beard and wool suddenly burst into a sinister green flame.

"Buy what's on the table, or get out!"

"Once the ones on the counter are sold out, I'll kill the new ones."

The evil spirit dared not offend it, and could only shrink back after being scolded, but then glanced at the human flesh on the cutting board and said, "These should be cheaper..."

The old goat was at a loss for words and reluctantly agreed, "I'll give you a discount."

Xu Yuan was watching from the shadows and had already activated "Looking at Fate".

In that shop, apart from the old goat and that evil guest, everything else was fake.

The people hanging on the iron hooks, the human flesh sold on the chopping board, were actually mutton.

Xu Yuan had already recognized it; this butcher shop was the same mutton shop at the east end of the dock.

Right next to the mutton shop, there is a restaurant that sells mutton soup with flatbread and mutton offal soup with multigrain flatbread.

There's also homemade liquor from the countryside.

The former is slightly more expensive, while the latter is cheaper.

People from the canal transport and fishing gangs were regular customers at the shop.

But the real evil was not the old goat.

It's this shop.

Under the guise of "fate," the old goat has no life; it is merely a prop in the shop.

Xu Yuan quietly grasped the "Yin-Yang Guillotine" again. In his right eye's field of vision, the human flesh shop was a blinding crimson.

But for some reason, things suddenly changed tonight.

But one thing is certain: it must have encountered Xu Miaozhi and others before.

A sixth-rate evil spirit.

Xu Miaozhi was also a sixth-rate person.

It was probably going to be a fierce battle before that.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from a street at the three-way intersection, and a group of officers from the Mountain and River Division rushed in to attack.

"That evil spirit has fled here!" someone shouted.

The captains then charged towards the butcher shop.

The one leading them was none other than Xu Miaozhi!

The old goat cackled strangely, picked up an axe, and slammed the back of the axe against the iron chain.

With a clang, the "people" hanging on the iron hooks fell to the ground.

They were full of energy and charged towards the real Xu Miaozhi and the others.

In an instant, chaos erupted.

No matter what methods Xu Miaozhi uses, the "Xu Miaozhi" opposite her will imitate them!

The other captains were no different!
Xu Yuan frowned secretly: What kind of trickery is this?

We need to observe the situation further before making any moves.

The old goat was extremely pleased with himself, laughing loudly, his hair and beard flaring with evil fire and swaying wildly.

After fighting for a while, Xu Miaozhi felt increasingly uneasy.

When she first encountered this evil spirit, she led her captains in a fierce attack. Suddenly, the old goat raised its hand, and the entire butcher shop was instantly packed up and turned into a huge box.

The old goat, carrying the box, hopped and leaped away, disappearing in an instant.

But last time, the old goat didn't have this "puppet imitation" technique.

How did he suddenly acquire this ability during this second encounter?

It was this very skill that put him and his men in a passive position.

Unable to find a solution immediately, Xu Miaozhi began to consider giving up.

She led her men and killed three dragon-like evil spirits.

But tonight's target is not the ordinary, eerie Old Goat.

Xu Miaozhi had no intention of fighting it to the death.

Xu Miaozhi made a retreat gesture during the battle.

But then they discovered that the "self" on the other side had also secretly made the same gesture!

Moreover, as the chaos of battle dragged on, it became increasingly difficult for him and his men to distinguish between human beings and puppets of evil spirits.

Originally, people could distinguish evil puppets by the yin energy they exuded.

But unknowingly, the yin energy on the puppet became weaker and weaker, while the yin energy on his own body gradually increased!

"Not good!" Xu Miaozhi thought to himself, and then shouted, "Retreat! Retreat! The evil spirits must not be far from this butcher shop!"

His officers understood immediately with just one sentence.

As a result, no one knew whether they were puppets or real people, and they all rushed onto the street.

Behind them, the old goat cackled strangely, then suddenly raised its arms and hoisted the entire butcher shop onto its shoulders. Then, its whole body was engulfed in eerie green flames, and it charged wildly, chasing closely behind the group.

Xu Miaozhi turned around, cursed under his breath, then grabbed a pen and wrote a calligraphy piece:
Distinguish between truth and falsehood.

However, another "Xu Miaozhi" also wrote the same calligraphy copy!

The two calligraphy scrolls collided in mid-air, exploding into countless streams of fire, some bright yellow and some dark green, burning and falling in all directions.

Xu Miaozhi gritted his teeth and threw out his treasure-suppressing brush mountain again.

But Xu Miaozhi also threw out a pen mountain.

The two objects collided again in mid-air, making a loud noise, like two mountains crashing together.

Xu Miaozhi felt a sweet taste in her throat and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

She vaguely understood that the evil spirit had used some means to make it seem like she was fighting the evil puppet, but in reality, she was probably fighting herself.

In his haste, he couldn't find the flaw in this trick.

They could only flee while trying to find a way out.

The old goat laughed triumphantly, but chased even faster.

The iron chains and hooks in the butcher shop clanged and rattled.

The iron hook, dragging the iron chain, stretched forward, as if ready to hook someone at any moment!

"Not good!" Xu Miaozhi thought to herself, wanting to make a move, but was stared at intently by that "self".

Unexpectedly, the old goat tripped while running wildly and nearly fell.

However, the old goat was surprisingly stable in his lower body, and after adjusting himself, he managed to maintain his balance.

From the darkness came a soft "Eh."

Then they saw a rope suddenly rise up from under the old goat's feet.

Without further ado, it instantly transformed into a massive grid, trapping the old goat and the butcher shop inside.

And this grid is constantly spreading outwards.

Before long, the officers who were running wildly, including Xu Miaozhi, were all trapped inside.

Xu Yuan then slowly emerged from the darkness.

The two Xu Miaozhi shouted almost simultaneously, "Lord Xu, lend me a hand!"

Then the two Xu Miaozhi glared at each other in the grid: "Evil spirits! Stop trying to confuse the public!"

The real Xu Miaozhi, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief.

Don't be fooled by how lifelike and indistinguishable those evil puppets are from the real thing.

But as long as Lord Xu takes control of the situation, time will be on his side.

They can always find a way to distinguish between the real and the fake.

Xu Yuan, however, unceremoniously spewed a mouthful of fire in.

Xu Yuan couldn't figure out how the evil spirit in the butcher shop could produce so many counterfeit goods that they were indistinguishable from the real thing.

Then just don't think about it.

What was the point of all this hard work to reach the fifth rank? Wasn't it so that I could crush low-level evil spirits with my abilities?

If you can crush them, who would bother playing mind games with you?

So it was burned to the ground!

Xu Yuan could distinguish between the real and the fake; with a glance at "Wang Ming," it was crystal clear.

But Xu Miaozhi and the others didn't know that.

Seeing the fire burning inside the fifth-rate soldier's belly, the captains screamed in despair.

Even Xu Miaozhi couldn't help but scream the moment the flames rushed towards her.

Then he discovered that the flames had precisely bypassed him, burning the fake one on his left to ashes!

"How did Xu Yuan figure it out?" Xu Miaozhi couldn't help but wonder.

She wouldn't be surprised if Xu Yuan couldn't tell the difference.

Now that genuine and counterfeit goods are standing side by side, even Xu Miaozhi feels like she's looking in a mirror.

"It must be that Lord Xu has secretly mastered some kind of cunning technique..."

"Although he is young, he has many hidden tricks up his sleeve," Xu Miaozhi couldn't help but admire.

She couldn't help but think of the potential partners her family had arranged for her.

They're all like Zhu Zhanlei.

He has no major flaws in character and is considered kind among the scions of prominent families, but he lacks ability and relies entirely on the legacy of his ancestors.

They lacked any foresight or sense of crisis.

Bright flames surrounded them, but Master Xu controlled them well, and Xu Miaozhi didn't even feel the heat.

After a period of wild thoughts, the flames suddenly died down.

The grid that had trapped everyone was then withdrawn.

The captains under Xu Miaozhi, still shaken, touched themselves and found that they were all intact, not a single hair was burned off. They finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Miaozhi noticed that Xu Yuan picked up a wooden board from the ground, a board that had been soaked in blood for who knows how many years.

This is the meat scraps that come out after the butcher has cooked it.

Xu Yuan packed it in a fishy-smelling bag.

Xu Miaozhi's heart stirred, and he stepped forward and said, "If Lord Xu trusts me, give me this material, and I will have someone craft a masterpiece for you."

Xu Miaozhi wanted to repay a debt of gratitude.

After all, Xu Yuan had just saved him from the clutches of evil spirits.

To call it a life-saving grace would be an exaggeration.

Xu Miaozhi still had some means of self-preservation; even if he couldn't save all the captains, he could easily escape on his own.

But these methods are extremely valuable; once they're used, they're gone forever.

Therefore, she acknowledges Xu Yuan's kindness.

Craftsmen are hard to find, and I've heard that he has a strained relationship with Gao Wanli, so Gao Wanli definitely won't help him.

Xu Miaozhi has an elder who is a craftsman who dotes on her and never refuses her requests.

However, after she said this, she noticed that Lord Xu paused for a moment, his expression somewhat strange, before refusing, "No need."

Xu Miaozhi was somewhat sensitive and didn't try to persuade her further.

If you act too proactively, it will make you seem like you're scheming to take advantage of someone else's good, albeit mediocre, talent.

But Xu Miaozhi felt a little wronged: They underestimate me. I'm just a sixth-rate piece of material. I'm not that shallow.

So her cheeks puffed up in anger, and her little face looked a bit like a pufferfish.

Xu Yuan asked, "How did you, Lord Xu, run into this evil spirit?"

Xu Miaozhi spoke casually, and Xu Yuan simply asked, "Since everything's alright, I'll be leaving now."

Xu Miaozhi wanted to persuade him to stay, since having Xu Yuan there would make things much safer.

But Xu Yuan had already vanished in a flash.

Xu Miaozhi was a little annoyed. Why was she running so fast? It was as if she really wanted to cheat him out of that piece of material.

Xu Yuan didn't want to be with anyone because he still needed to secretly control Pi Long.

However, Xu Miaozhi still felt that even though Xu was not assigned to guard duty tonight, he still came out to kill the evil spirits without hesitation. She was right to have judged him; he was a good official who was devoted to the public good. "If the officials of the Ming Dynasty had even thirty percent of Xu's sincerity, the lives of the people would be much better."

She gazed in the direction where Xu Yuan had disappeared, and couldn't help but think about it some more.

The captain under his command cautiously stepped forward: "Sir?"

Xu Miaozhi snapped out of her daze and waved her hand: "Continue patrolling the streets."

……

In the backyard of the Grand Canal government office, the Fu family did not light any lamps, but none of them slept.

“It’s getting chaotic.”

"What's there to be afraid of? Anyway, they won't trace it back to us."

"So what if they find out? We'll deny everything. What can Luo Gongqiao do to us?"

Then the dark room fell silent again.

No one felt that they should go out and hunt down those spawning creatures, doing their part.

Even for someone of the fourth rank, this late at night is somewhat dangerous.

……

Xu Yuan observed secretly for a while.

They were relieved to find that Pi Long had devoured those evil dragons without attracting the Fu family.

He then manipulated the Pilong to devour several more.

Xu Yuan encountered Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanmei once each, but did not show up.

The two of them were also patrolling the streets with their men.

Only Lu Renxing didn't dare to come out.

The three patrol teams continued to eliminate the evil spirits, and the dock gradually calmed down.

As dawn approached, Pilong had devoured a total of twelve dragon evil spirits.

Xu Yuan quietly withdrew, and Pi Long also disappeared back into the canal.

Twelve dragons and evil spirits could barely fill a tooth gap.

Pilong's "Dragon Transformation Method" has made a small step forward.

It was much faster than when it used to feed on those dragons. I estimate it's roughly equivalent to three months of steady cultivation!
"No wonder Fu Shuanghui and the others went to great lengths to hunt down high-level dragons."

Even the Fu family has its own set of hunting methods.

For example, the fishing net.

Xu Yuan took a nap after returning home.

Instead of resting, Xu Miaozhi and his three companions gathered at the Grand Canal Administration to report back.

Luo Gongqiao was overjoyed and praised Xu Miaozhi repeatedly.

If these four patrol teams hadn't been deployed last night, I'm afraid more than half of the people on the dock would have died!
This is all thanks to my good judgment.

I have given Xu Miaozhi an important position. Xu Miaozhi made this suggestion, and I immediately adopted it.

In future official documents, we must write more about tonight's achievements.

Of the four teams, Lu Renxing had the fewest achievements. They dared not patrol the streets and only hunted down four dragon evil spirits.

Miao Yu has nine, and Zhu Zhanmei has twelve.

Xu Miaozhi had the most, thirteen.

The smile disappeared from Zhu Zhanmei's face after Xu Miaozhi announced the number.

Then came the verification of the results.

After killing the dragon evil spirit, the alchemist would burn it with the fire in his abdomen, leaving behind some bones.

Therefore, it is impossible to claim credit for something else.

When verifying Xu Miaozhi's results, Zhu Zhanmei stood not far away, quietly craning her neck and counting several times in secret, then looked somewhat disappointed.

Xu Miaozhi was a little confused. "Why are you staring at me?"
The name "Dragon Evil Spirit" was secretly given to him by Xu Yuan.

Xu Miaozhi and others naturally still referred to it as "the evil spirit of the second mutation".

But almost everyone could see that this thing looked too much like a "dragon".

Where does it fit in?
Everyone had their own guesses, but there was no evidence and no one said it out loud.

The Fu family is not to be trifled with.

Luo Gongqiao instructed that everyone's contributions be recorded first, and then reported to the imperial court after they came out of Guiwu Mountain.

Then he instructed the four to prepare immediately and set off for Ghost Witch Mountain.

The Fu family members only came out at this moment.

The two fourth-rate idiots stretched and yawned: "We slept very soundly last night, and it seems we heard some noises..."

Luo Gongqiao snorted and said indifferently, "You two should also get ready, it's time to set off."

Zhu Zhanlei also arrived, looking listless, as if he was about to become bait and had lost all will to live.

……

Xu Yuan only slept for an hour before being woken up and set off.

Luo Gongqiao, taking care of the heroes of last night, prepared several carriages so they could catch up on some sleep.

But there were only two cars.

There shouldn't be too many people, since it's a fishing trip and the group shouldn't be too large.

So Xu Miaozhi and Zhu Zhanmei rode in one car, while Miao Yu and Lu Renxing rode in another.

Xu Yuan, Zhu Zhanlei, and Gao Wanli were the first team to set off.

Behind them were two fourth-rate members of the Fu family.

Finally, there was the main force of Luogongqiao.

Miao Yu was in unbearable distress.

Lu Renxing, this soldier, snored loudly.

The noise kept Miao Yu from sleeping at all.

The carriage where Zhu Zhanmei and Xu Miaozhi were in contrast was very quiet, filled with the faint fragrance of the woman.

By noon, both women had woken up, but there wasn't much to talk about, so the atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Xu Miaozhi suddenly spoke up, asking, "Is Lord Zhu familiar with Chief Lawyer Xu?"

Zhu Zhanmei glanced at her and nodded slightly, "It's alright." Then, without changing her expression, she asked, "What does Miss Xu want to know?"

Xu Miaozhi was completely unaware: "Lord Xu is exceptionally capable, but he is somewhat inflexible. I'm afraid he will encounter some setbacks in the future."

Zhu Zhanmei smiled slightly: "Miss Xu wants to help him?"

"The plan I came up with was unintentionally perfected by Lord Xu. It was also Lord Xu who reminded me yesterday, and I went to remind Lord Luo, which is how I made this great contribution."

Not to mention, Lord Xu saved my life last night; I owe him a great debt of gratitude.

Zhu Zhanmei: "He saved you last night?"

Xu Miaozhi, completely unsuspecting, recounted what had happened, then said with a wry smile, "But I was too forward; I'm afraid Lord Xu might misunderstand and think I'm after his fabric..."

For a moment, Zhu Zhanmei didn't want to explain; she was willing to let her misunderstand.

But in the end, she was still kind and disdained to use such petty tricks, so she shook her head and sighed, "No, his old lady is a skilled craftswoman, he really doesn't need your help."

"Oh?" Xu Miaozhi was surprised: "High-level craftsmen are very rare."

Zhu Zhanmei then explained Lin Wanmo's situation.

Zhu Zhanmei only knew what she could easily find out.

But that's enough to prove that Lin Wanmo has the ability to handle mediocre material.

Upon hearing this, Xu Miaozhi smiled and said, "I was just overthinking it."

The slight grievance that had been lingering in my mind since last night has vanished, and I feel ashamed that I misunderstood Xu Yuan.

Zhu Zhanmei hesitated for a moment, but couldn't suppress her impulse and asked, "Miss Xu, are you interested in Lord Xu?"

Xu Miaozhi smiled and shook her head, saying, "I don't want to get married so early and then only be able to be a good wife and mother."

For some reason, Zhu Zhanmei felt a sense of relief.

……

At the very front of the line, Gao Wanli had a somber expression.

Forced to become one of the baits.

They also need to work together with Xu Yuan.

What's even more frustrating is that Xu Yuan actually brought that annoying goose with him.

Gao Wanli felt that Xu Yuan was simply her nemesis; ever since she met him, she had been plagued by bad luck.

"Does this guy have some kind of special trick to diminish my good fortune?" Gao Wanli even had such a guess in her mind.

Zhu Zhanlei was also very frustrated.

He was wearing a human skin mask.

This was made by Gao Wanli at Luo Gongqiao's request, and its appearance is naturally that of Fu Yuhuan.

Moreover, he was required to imitate Fu Yuhuan in everything he did, from his clothing and appearance to his every move.

Before he left, Luo Gongqiao gave him a stern warning: "You bear a heavy responsibility in this operation! I know you are unhappy, but this is not your Zhu family! You are the Inspector of the Mountain and River Division, so put away your arrogant attitude as a son of a prominent family!"
If the operation fails because of you, I guarantee that the entire Zhu family will be implicated!

Zhu Zhanlei could only endure the nausea and make delicate hand gestures along the way.

Her waist swayed as she walked.

Xu Yuan wanted to laugh, but thankfully he held it in.

Upon arriving in Qihetai Town, Xu Yuan said, "Let's go to the town hall first and ask about the latest situation in the mountains."

Gao Wanli said with a stern face, "What's there to ask? I still remember the way to Gaojia Village. Let's rush over there immediately, capture that Gao Guanzi, interrogate him directly, and find out where that villain is hiding!"

Gao Wanli was genuinely afraid that the villain might still be at Copper Coffin Cliff... She wondered if the four of them, being fourth-rate individuals, could break through Copper Coffin Cliff.

But Zhu Zhanlei naturally listened to Xu Yuan.

"Go to the government office first."

As the group passed through the town and went past the inn, a tall, strong martial arts practitioner from a caravan suddenly whistled at them.

Then his companions burst into laughter.

Gao Wanli flew into a rage and grabbed the riding whip, ready to rush over and lash out.

Xu Yuan suddenly spoke up: "They're not after you."

Do you want to look in the mirror?

Gao Wanli was of average appearance and short and plump.

After leaving Ghost Witch Mountain last time, my face was covered in scars. I used Danxiu's medicine, but the scars haven't completely disappeared.

Who would be blind enough to whistle at you?
Gao Wanli was taken aback, and Xu Yuan continued, "That guy has his eye on Fu Yuhuan."

Male homosexuality was prevalent during the Ming Dynasty.

Although Xu Yuan deliberately said it was "Fu Yuhuan", Zhu Zhanlei still blushed deeply!

The human skin mask made by Gao Wanli is very exquisite, and Zhu Zhanlei's complexion and expression can be clearly displayed.

Gao Wanli had already raised her riding whip, but then silently put it down.

Then he burst out laughing; it was the first time he had laughed happily on the entire trip.

Zhu Zhanlei glared fiercely at the martial arts practitioner.

"Oh my, this guy's got a fiery temper, hahaha." Wu Xiu laughed.

Xu Yuan said to Zhu Zhanlei, "Beat them up."

Zhu Zhanlei was taken aback. Xu Yuan said, "You are now playing the role of Fu Yuhuan. Now that we're here, we naturally have to cause some trouble and let those bad guys in the mountains know that you've arrived."

Zhu Zhanlei was overjoyed and spurred his horse to charge towards the martial artist.

Wu Xiu laughed heartily: "This is like offering herself up on her own initiative..."

But unexpectedly, he was suddenly airborne.

His companions grabbed their weapons and shouted, "You're asking for death!"

Xu Yuan leaped into the air from his horse, and the sword pellet flew out with him. It didn't transform into a sword; it just used the weight of the sword pellet to knock those people away one by one.

"Are you all blind?! How dare you offend my young master!"

Xu Yuan landed and stepped on the martial artist's chest, his whole body exuding the arrogance and ferocity of a wicked servant from a powerful family.

(End of this chapter)