New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 84: The Selection of Henchmen, Three Officials for Four Generations
Yuan Zhu ordered four ghosts to guard the attic and monitor the garden to prevent outsiders from entering.

Their limbs cling to the four corners of the attic, their shadows entwined like tentacles, weaving a spiderweb. If there were any disturbance outside, their power would be irresistible, and they would simply crush the entrance to the [Space Bridge].

As for how to end the mirror after it collapses, Yuan Zhu spread his hands, he had no idea.

Looking around the interior of the villa: the walls are covered with blood vessel-like shadow veins, slowly pulsating and breathing; a creaking sound can be heard from under the moldy wooden floor; shadow eggplant seedlings begin to sprout and grow, hanging from the ceiling.

Well, after his exorcism and purification, this place has become a veritable haunted house. Anyone can see that there are serious problems inside, and he doesn't even dare to spend money to hire someone to repair and maintain it.

Still wanting to renovate? Even a smear of putty could breed man-eating, distorted mushrooms. One look and anyone would scream and run to the security bureau, calling the police. There's a demon den here! Someone, hurry up and arrest Yuan!

Wouldn't he, who was responsible for the exorcism, be exposed by then? So he could only cover it up and delay.

Yuan Zhu sighed, feeling deeply that his fate was not going well. "Ah! Damn after-sales service. For now, I'll just deal with it perfunctorily and take it one step at a time."

He had only wanted to test the effectiveness of his own Holy Light, but who knew it would lead to so much more? He was forced to conceal the existence of the "Garden" and profit from it.

He took out a piece of paper and pen from his satchel, scribbled something, and then slapped a seal that read "Demon has been removed. Poison gas inside. Trespassing will result in sudden death!" on the edge of the door as a warning, though he wasn't sure if it would work.

I left the community with all sorts of thoughts in my mind and soon arrived at a fairly busy street.

By this time, the night was deepening, the rain had stopped, and the ground was damp and chilly. The air was filled with moisture, and a gentle breeze blew through. The colorful signs of the shops along the street gradually lit up, giving the place a sense of prosperity.

He took a deep breath into the wind, which refreshed him and made him feel much more awake.

It's too late to return to [Fire Fang] to turn in the quest now. Might as well put it off until tomorrow, just in time to come up with an excuse.

The thought of that garden filled with diseased plants made his heart beat faster and a headache came over him. It was indeed valuable, but difficult to cash in on, and it posed a huge risk.

"My Holy Light alone is too inefficient for purifying an entire garden. Perhaps I should start with the [Haunted Demons]. If I can refine them in large quantities and set up a [Formation] in the garden to keep them captive and free-range, then refine them with Holy Light, I can harvest the garden more efficiently. Even if something goes wrong and they're exposed, I can quickly remove them and shift the blame to the Haunted Demons and the [Tiger Demon] behind them. This is all a conspiracy by the evil [Shadow Monsters]. What does a newbie like me, a newbie in the Holy Temple, who's imbued with holy energy, have to do with it?"

Isn't this why he chose to strengthen the [Holy Light] in his human body?!
As the sky grew darker, he found a restaurant on the side of the road that looked quite popular. He ordered a feast: stir-fried bullfrog, dry-pot deer ribs, black goat in a water basin, braised wolf elbow, and crab buns. All for less than two dollars and a half.

After a long wait, Yuan Zhu started eating frantically, sucking in everything in a whirlwind.

Ever since he was branded with the [Holy Mark], he noticed that his physical fitness was getting stronger bit by bit with the repeated radiation of holy light, and his appetite was also gradually increasing.

Especially today, he had burned and purified the distorted plants extensively, which had greatly advanced the seal-casting process. His physical strength had increased significantly, and his appetite had also increased greatly, and he urgently needed to absorb nutrients to strengthen his flesh and blood.

So he ate the amount of food that four adults could eat by himself, but his stomach still didn't feel bloated or full. Instead, it was like a furnace, constantly refining the food, and he even felt a little unsatisfied.

Being able to eat = becoming stronger!

After paying the bill and leaving, he held a toothpick in his mouth and thought about his next move.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a dog, its eyes blurry and confused, diligently licking a toad beneath a roadside brick wall. Hmm… this silly dog is quite interesting. The people of Running love to drink hallucinogenic mushroom drinks, and even dogs have learned to fly toads.

His thoughts quickly returned to the issue of the demonic accomplices. While Running City was permeated with the lingering aura of pollution, the number of hidden demons within the city was undoubtedly considerable. However, they were rarely seen and extremely well hidden. Each exposure resulted in varying degrees of incident, often requiring the Security Bureau to intervene and eliminate them.

Even if some scraps slip through to exemplary partners like [Fire Fang], the monsters involved in the mission must be killed and the pollution cleaned up promptly. Once confirmed dead, the bodies are recovered and handed over to the relevant authorities, leaving no room for interception.

Therefore, it is currently difficult for the Tiger Demon to hunt monsters in large numbers in Running City to refine minions. The next round of opportunities will have to be in the [Bubble World].

"Ok?"

While walking, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a sneaky shadow out of the corner of his eye. It was sneaking into a corner where the street lights could not reach, and slowly moving towards the wild dog who was completely unconscious, paralyzed by toad toxin, and trapped in an endless fantasy of happiness.

Yuan Zhu continued walking calmly, his attention focused on what was behind him. Then he saw clearly that it was a small, shriveled, hunched, green-skinned goblin. Malnourished, with a large head, a few stubborn hairs dangling from its bald pate, thin arms and legs, and less than a meter tall.

At this moment, he was approaching the dog with a sneaky expression and obscene movements. In his hand, he was holding a scrapped kitchen knife that had been sharpened but broken. He pointed the blade at the dog, which was kicking and waving its tail in ecstasy, and then pierced it through the heart.

"Mmmmm, Awooo... Woof..."

The spear pierced its chest, instantly waking the paralyzed dog with pain. A pitiful whimper escaped its lips, its body still twitching and struggling, but it could not get up. Blood was rapidly draining away, its body paralyzed, its mind unclear, and its movements uncoordinated.

Bang!Bang bang!

Seeing that the dog's barking had alarmed the human in front, the greenskin anxiously picked up a stone, flew over, and waved his arms continuously, hitting the dog's head again and again.

The dog didn't struggle much before shutting up completely.

Yuan Zhu stood motionless beneath the streetlight, watching the goblins, under cover of darkness, carry out their primitive hunting activities in the corners of the industrialized concrete and steel forest, using kitchen knives, spears, and stones. It felt as if time and space were being distorted and reversed.

However, this is all part of Running's ecosystem. The goblins rummage through trash cans at night, hunting stray cats and dogs, and catching rats and frogs. They also collect food sauces and gutter oil from restaurant waste and bring them back to their underground caves for secondary processing.

Actually, if it were just that, there wouldn't be anything wrong. But the most disgusting thing is that these scumbags will break into houses, pick locks, and smash windows to steal. They are very interested in food and clothing, and even know how to steal wallets and rob pharmacies.

In addition, they are keen on destroying urban buildings, attacking drunk passers-by, urinating and defecating in public, and attacking children at night to vent their racial hatred. Worst of all, they are extremely fertile!

Therefore, [Fire Fang] received a large number of commissions to clear goblins, and everyone hunted them without mercy.

Soon, the green-skinned creature, seeing Yuan Zhu's indifference, bared its teeth at him in a ferocious manner. Then, dragging the dog by one of its hind legs, it bent down to pick up the toad, whose skin was almost licked off by the dog, and put it into the collar of a tattered and dirty child's sweatshirt.

With a large belly, he grabbed his homemade spear and ran towards a nearby sewer entrance with an inverted manhole cover. In less than three or two minutes, the greenskin had expertly hunted down a stray dog slightly larger than Teddy and escaped through the sewer.

Seeing how skillfully it stole the dog and retrieved the toad, Yuan Zhu even suspected that the toad, which secreted neurotoxins, had been deliberately given to the dog by the goblin.
Damn, they even resorted to trickery, so annoying!
"Hmm? Goblin!"

Watching the goblin disappear into the pitch-black sewer entrance, he suddenly found the raw materials for the "Henchmen." Ordinary beasts and animals, due to their low spirituality, could not be refined into Henchmen. As for "human refinement"? He was a righteous Holy Light monk!

While goblins may be annoying and have never been recognized as an intelligent species by the international community, they are actually known to possess intelligence and brains, as well as language and culture. With education and training from a young age, they could be no less intelligent than trolls or ogres.

Therefore, their souls are far superior to those of ordinary beasts. Not only do pharmaceutical companies extract biomass from goblins, but some nefarious individuals also use goblins as sacrifices to extract their souls for research.

For the Tiger Demon, they could be used as a meal replacement for the downgraded "monsters." First, they'd utilize the polluted resources of the Disease Garden to release goblins, corrupting and distorting these small green creatures, gradually inducing their transformation into monsters. Then, they'd use [Stomach's Universe] to refine them into minions, continuing to eat garbage to grow stronger...

"Alas, I've finally ended up eating garbage!"

Yuan Zhu was deeply reluctant to directly consume the 'Disease Pollution'. The style of that garden was truly terrible. He could accept using Holy Light to purify and incinerate it, but it was difficult for him to accept [Stomach Universe] swallowing and digesting it.

But in order to become stronger and not be shabby, he decided to go back to the company tomorrow to submit the task, and then go capture a group of goblins and bring them to the Garden World to see if he could contaminate them and turn them into demons, and then rescue them and cross into the Avenue of Shadows.

He arrived home on time at eight o'clock in the evening.

At this time, his younger brother Yuan Su placed the prepared dinner on the table and said, "Brother, why are you back so late? I left some food for you, come and eat it."

Yuan Zhu felt as if his digestive system had been recast by the Holy Light, its performance incredibly good. He strolled home after dinner, feeling fully recovered. Without hesitation, he quickly devoured the entire portion.

Tsk, this tastes really not that good compared to the restaurant. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and said to his brother, "It tastes just average. You should practice your cooking skills more in the future."

"Ah?!" Yuan Su showed a surprised expression when he heard that.

His inner worry became increasingly obvious, and he finally couldn't help but speak up, asking, "Brother, what's wrong with you lately? You always come home late, sleepy in the morning, and don't go to work. I think something's bothering you, and you're not in a good mood. We've never been picky about food; as long as we're full, it's fine. Why are you suddenly obsessed with flavor? Also, that dress you're wearing...it's very expensive, isn't it? And what's with the bandage on your wrist?"

Yuan Su, who had been cramming a lot of questions lately, finally couldn't help but ask the question deep in her heart. Something must have happened to her eldest brother. Otherwise, the change wouldn't be so drastic.

Could he have been engaged in some illegal activity, the bandages on his wrists concealing the wounds? Had he suddenly become wealthy, and instead of working, he was pursuing gluttony and buying luxury goods to satisfy his vanity?
Of course, Yuan Zhu is not the same curly dog as before. He is now an extraordinary curly dog!

Seeing his younger brother's probing words, he was well prepared. He pretended to think seriously and replied, "I did encounter some things that drastically changed my mentality and perspective. I suddenly wanted to change my way of life. It's normal that you think I'm not in a good state."

Yuan Su felt nervous. Was his brother about to reveal his true colors? He hesitated, "Brother, you're not committing any crime, are you?"

Yuan Zhu rolled his eyes. "Are you an idiot? How could I, with my prime years and promising future, get involved in crime? I just found a new part-time job with a very high salary, and my new boss (Maomao Wang) thinks highly of me. He even gave me a high-end uniform when I started. I didn't steal or rob it."

Yuan Su breathed a sigh of relief. This seemed to make sense?
"Brother, you're looking for a part-time job again, can you handle it?"

The lighting factory, the Fang of Fire, boxing… and now another job?
Yuan Zhu waved his hand: "It's okay, I decided to quit my job at the steam factory. This way I will have plenty of time to work part-time and sleep in."

"But brother, don't you value your factory job?" He has put in a lot of effort for this job. How can he just give up?
Yuan Zhu said casually, "There's nothing to regret. As I said, my mentality and perspective have changed dramatically. I suddenly feel that my previous vision was too narrow. Now I have new dreams and pursuits. My new company ([Happy Home]) is very strong and has a bright future ([Bubble Layer]). I won't brag to you. Just look at the material and workmanship of this dress of mine... and you will understand my current level of quality."

Yuan Zhu had no other choice but to directly say "Evil God Sacrifice, Gods' Space, Holy Light Seal" that would be truly outrageous. So he could only pretend to be a nouveau riche to explain his current change of mindset.

Yuan Su touched the 'Maomao King Uniform' curiously, but could not find anything unusual. She just felt that the fabric was very comfortable, and it looked particularly decent and elegant on her brother. "Uh... it is indeed very precious, and it doesn't seem like something we can afford to wear."

Yuan Zhu smiled with satisfaction and said, "I wasn't kidding. This time, my boss has a very powerful background. As long as I work hard, I will soon surpass my previous dream (of becoming a factory owner). You will also be able to benefit from my influence and live a good life in the future."

The more Yuan Zhu tried to comfort him, the more uneasy the younger brother became. He quickly asked, "Brother, what is your new job like? What does it entail? Is it that easy to earn money?"

He still feared his brother would turn to crime, unaware that his brother had already surpassed the traditional thug, slaughtering filthy bone monsters, underworld ghosts, and mad nightshades in otherworldly realms... This morning, he'd broken through another haunted house, slicing his way from the spirit realm into the spirit plane, his hands stained with distortion and contamination. Now, he was plotting how to take over the "Disease Garden" for himself and shift the blame to others. He was a step above the traditional criminal.

Yuan Zhu: "[Maomao Wang], have you heard of him?"

This time it was the younger brother's turn to be confused: "What king? I don't understand."

"Maomao Wang, a super famous clothing brand. Haven't you heard of it? They make luxury children's clothing. They sell each deal for a very high price, so they make a lot of money. Don't worry, it's not a criminal enterprise."

"Luxury goods? Children's clothing? Is it a foreign brand?"

What a distant word! He probably only wore beautiful children's clothes when his mother was still alive.

"Is selling children's clothing very profitable? And you... your image doesn't even fit the bill for children's clothing. Brother, are you applying for a bodyguard position?"

Yuan Su couldn't imagine how her brother managed to sell children's clothing. Did he kidnap children, hold guns to their heads, and force their parents to pay ransom for luxury children's clothing before releasing them?

"Don't worry about that. The company has a confidentiality agreement. Anyway, I'm a down-to-earth person, working diligently and earning my money based on my own abilities. I have a clear conscience."

Yuan Su nodded: "Okay, I won't say anything more."

Yuan Zhu, who gradually took on the role of the older brother, also fulfilled his responsibilities as the eldest brother and asked, "How about you? Your grades in school haven't dropped, have they?"

"No, I've always been in the top three in the school."

He nodded with satisfaction: "Very good! Keep it up and don't be too proud. By the way, have any girls been bothering you lately?"

The younger brother said in distress, "Yes, there are so many, so troublesome. But I remember your teachings, big brother, and I won't be distracted. In my best years, I must study with all my strength, so as to live up to my youth!"

Yuan Zhu frowned suddenly. How could you not fall in love while you're in school? You'll be facing pressure to get married after graduation, so of course you have to grab a good girl beforehand. "No, I mean, as long as you maintain your grades, you must carefully select girls who are outstanding in character, appearance, and academic performance. If you find one, take action! It doesn't matter if you catch more than one. My Yuan family's legacy cannot be broken. It must be carried forward and brought honor to our family!"

"Ah?!" The younger brother was stunned when he heard this! There really was something wrong with his brother's brain. Was he possessed?!
Yuan Zhu was furious at his lack of fighting spirit: "What? I'm worried that you'll become a nerd and no girl will want you after you graduate."

"How is that possible? As long as you have good grades, there will be no shortage of girls."

Yuan Zhu said disdainfully, "Tsk, what kind of good results are you? A colleague of mine (Meng Xiyue) is a college student at Taixi. A few days ago, a client (senior) was also a top student at Yuyuan. You...are nowhere near as good as them."

I see! He's a college student, a true leader.

A flash of understanding appeared in Yuan Su's eyes.

It seems that my brother has been around too many high-end people recently, and his low self-esteem due to not having graduated from high school has been stimulated, which is why he has become so strange. His horizons and perspectives have been broadened, and he has a new goal in life.

I understand. Now I feel relieved.

Yuan Zhu had no idea what kind of inspiring persona his brother had created for him, so he continued to brag, "You must maintain your current grades. When you graduate, I will send you to [Yuyuan] to study at university."

The younger brother's eyes were filled with longing and desire. "Okay, I'll work hard. I heard that in college you can access and systematically learn extraordinary knowledge. Is that true?"

Yuan Zhu nodded: "Yes. Only by mastering extraordinary knowledge can one change one's fate and revitalize the family. Take my Yuan family, for example, we have three dukes in four generations..."

"Don't worry, big brother. I will study hard and live up to your expectations. Also, don't believe what mother says. Those are just lines from novels. She is lying to us."

Yuan Zhu: “…”

Do you think I don’t read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"?

(End of this chapter)