I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 103 Showdown with Shen Yujun, the Origin of the Red Lantern Lady!!!

If you can subdue Juan'er, you can carry a magic array eye with you wherever you go, and fight with people or evil spirits... You can directly pull the opponent into your magic array, who can beat you?

Chen Mo considered withdrawing his sword, so he put it away to avoid frightening the young girl.

He carefully examined Juan'er.

She's a few years older than Chen Yu'er in the family, and if she weren't a ghost, she'd actually be quite cute.

Although Chen Mo is powerful and is a first-generation cultivator who has mastered the Ghost Bone, he is not knowledgeable about magic arrays, so he obviously cannot control Juan'er at this moment.

He then planned to leave this place and find an opportunity to learn about magic arrays, then modify the magic array on Juan'er's body and make it his own.

Although having a ghost by your side is a bit creepy, you're already a ghost yourself, so why would you care about having another ghost by your side?

Juan'er protected her shadow puppet tightly, as if she were willing to die for it.

The more this was the case, the more Chen Mo realized how powerful Shen Yujun's control over her was. His immediate priority was to free Juan'er from Shen Yujun's control so that she could be used by him.

call!
Chen Mo let out a long sigh of relief. He tried his best to make his voice sound kind and gentle, but the sound that came out was sinister and rather frightening.

How much longer will it take you to repair the shadow puppet?

Juan'er shook her head expectantly: "I don't know. These puppets were all broken when you were fighting, and it will take me a long time to repair them."

Chen Mo said, "Here's what we'll do: you take the toolbox and lead me out of the Li residence first. We'll repair it slowly after we get to the Spring Breeze Inn. How about that?"

Juan'er was clearly unwilling, pouting.

Chen Mo glared at him and said coldly, "If you don't agree, I'll have no choice but to use this Guan Dao to chop you down."

Juan'er hesitated for a moment, then said, "But Mother won't let me leave the Li residence. I've never left the Li residence before. I can't go out; there are people outside who want to harm me. I'm scared."

This little girl was too stubborn, and given the time constraints, Chen Mo had no choice but to compromise. "Then you can escort me to the Li residence. Then you can come back and repair the shadow puppet show, is that alright?"

Juan'er pondered for a long time, and finally looked at the large Guan Dao in Chen Mo's hand, and nodded reluctantly: "This is acceptable."

Juan'er put down the shadow puppets, arranged them neatly, and then, stepping into her embroidered shoes, she passed through the gate and wall into the courtyard without warning. She didn't forget to turn back and urge Chen Mo, "Hurry up. I'm in a hurry."

Chen Mo was stunned when he saw this scene.

I passed through the wall without even realizing it...

Chen Mo initially thought Juan'er possessed a ghost-like ability.

It only dawned on me now.

It's unlikely to be a ghost.

It was only because he received the blessing of the Ghost Bone that Ghost Shadow became a mid-level Ghost Shadow, possessing the ability to pass through walls. Juan'er wasn't that strong; even as a Ghost Shadow, it would be difficult for her to possess this ability.

The reason is... she is the key figure in the Li family's internal affairs.

Or rather, she is the Li residence itself.

She can appear anywhere in the Li residence at will.

What an amazing array core!

This further fueled Chen Mo's competitive spirit in winning Juan'er over.

This Juan'er is a rare species, that's great.

Moreover, Juan'er has another advantage: although she has a concept of family, calls her brothers, and thinks about arranging shadow puppet shows to make her parents happy, she does not have the kind of emotional bond that comes with family ties.

To put it bluntly, family is just a concept to her.

This gave Chen Mo the possibility of naturalization.

Chen Mo put aside his distracting thoughts and suddenly thought of something: Since Juan'er is the key to the formation, does she know everything about every corner of the Li residence?
Thinking of this, Chen Mo grabbed Li Qing and chased after them, asking, "Is your mother at the Li residence?"

Without even thinking, Juan'er said, "Mother just took a woman hostage and left the house. The direction she was heading was definitely towards Chunfeng Inn."

really……

You sold your mother so easily.

She didn't even have the concept of revenge or protecting her family...

Chen Mo continued, "Are there any other people at the Li residence?"

"That's all, just the three of us."

Chen Mo considered the situation: Shen Yujun had taken a woman hostage, and this woman was most likely Li Qiuhan. Guo Ziyu's identity and strength were shrouded in mystery, even Chen Mo couldn't see through her. It was unlikely that she had been taken hostage by Shen Yujun.

Chen Mo continued, "What about the other woman and man?"

Juan'er said, "They chased after Mother. One of the women was very fierce and powerful. She even fought with Mother."

Chen Mo grew increasingly fond of this rare species: Juan'er, though not present, knew everything that had happened at the Li residence.

Following Juan'er, the road became easier to walk on, and we didn't encounter any strange obstacles. We arrived at the gate of the Li residence without any trouble.

Squeak!

Juan'er opened the door herself. "You all go out now. I need to go and repair the shadow puppet."

Chen Mo hummed in agreement, picked up Li Qing, and walked out the door, not forgetting to turn back and say, "I'll come back to find you next time."

Juan'er shuddered slightly, but didn't ask questions like "Why did you come back to find me?" She simply said "I know," then turned and closed the door behind her, running away.

Even through the red-lacquered gate, Chen Mo could hear Juan'er's footsteps as she ran away, presumably wanting to return as soon as possible to repair the shadow puppet.

call!
Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions, let out a long sigh, and then looked around, seeing countless familiar scenes.

At the crossroads, at the Spring Breeze Inn, at the gate of the Li residence...

The dense white paper figures that used to fill both sides of the street have disappeared, and the Black and White Impermanence have also left.

Leaving the Li residence again felt quite relaxing.

"Ah, I've finally escaped this haunted house!"

The sound of Li Qing crying could be heard from the side.

Chen Mo turned his head and saw that Li Qing was like parched grass receiving rain after a long drought. She excitedly prostrated herself on the ground to worship the Buddha and the gods, her eyes filled with tears, and her voice trembled with excitement.

"So many years, so many years. Ever since I married that slut and moved into the Li residence, I've never left it. I thought I'd never get out..."

"I never imagined that I would be able to leave this place and see the world outside while I'm still alive."

"Old Li, Old Li!"

Li Qing excitedly ran to a tofu shop across the street, calling out Old Li's name.

In Li Qing's memory, the owner of this tofu shop was a master at making tofu. When things were normal at the Li residence, he would eat a bowl of Old Li's tofu pudding every morning. Years ago, when he went away to take the imperial examinations, Old Li even gave him a lucky charm.

When Li Qing married Shen Yujun, Old Li brought out his treasured peach blossom wine, which he had kept for many years. After the guests had all left, he and Li Qing sat under the peach tree and drank. At that time, Old Li told Li Qing: Shen Yujun looks too beautiful and charming, and I'm afraid she's a femme fatale. I'd like Li Qing to be careful.

At the time, Li Qing didn't take it seriously. Being young and naive, he thought Old Li was just envious of him, so he didn't pay any attention.

I found out later...

A prophecy.

Old Li is right.

Li Qing remembered everything that had happened in the past.

He ran to the tofu shop, calling out Old Li's name. But he didn't see anyone. Instead, he saw Old Li's memorial tablet on the table at the head of the table in the living room, with a portrait of Old Li next to it.

The portrait was so lifelike, it seemed to be looking directly at Li Qing.

puff.

Li Qing collapsed onto the desk, clutching Old Li's portrait with both hands, tears streaming down her face. "Brother, I finally managed to leave the Li residence, but how could you leave like this? It's all my fault for not listening to you, Old Li... I have so much bitterness in my heart, but I have no one to confide in."

Chen Mo stood quietly at the shop entrance, watching Li Qing sob so tenderly, and felt a pang of emotion in his heart.

A scholar who had passed the imperial examinations was originally determined to serve the court. However, he was careless and became infatuated with beautiful women, which ultimately led to the deaths of the entire Li family and left him trapped in the Li residence in fear for more than forty years.

Those forty years must have been a living hell.

Once Li Qing had calmed down a bit, Chen Mo spoke in a sinister tone, "That's enough. You still have to come with me to do some business."

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Li Qing carefully placed Old Li's portrait down, knelt before the table, kowtowed several times, and then walked sullenly to Chen Mo, her eyes flashing with malice: "Kill that slut! You must kill that slut!"

"Stop talking nonsense." Chen Mo grabbed Li Qing and quickly headed towards the Spring Breeze Inn.

Li Qing felt as if Chen Mo was carrying her like a toy, the wind whistling past her ears, and her heart pounding with fear. She thought to herself, "This young man has incredible strength; he's truly a hero. No wonder he made Shen Yujun suffer such a defeat. It's a pity he's half-human, half-ghost..."

Before long, Chen Mo arrived at the entrance of the Spring Breeze Inn.

The inn was still the same as before; the waiter was still wiping the tables and chairs, over and over again. Zhu Yutong was still sitting behind the counter, counting abacus beads, making a clanging sound.

Upon seeing Chen Mo enter, the waiter merely glanced at him before continuing with his own tasks, just like an NPC.

puff!

Chen Mo killed the waiter with a single stroke, then held the broadsword to Zhu Yutong's neck. At first, Zhu Yutong tried to resist, but Chen Mo's strength was terrifying, and he forcefully suppressed all of Zhu Yutong's resistance.

Zhu Yutong was initially very angry, but when he saw Li Qing next to Chen Mo, he gasped and stammered, "Master, why did you come out?"

Li Qing seemed to remember something, staring intently at Zhu Yutong, "Who are you?"

Zhu Yutong said excitedly, "It's me, Zhu Yutong. You used to call me Xiaotong. I was your groom. I even escorted you all the way when you went to the capital for the imperial examination."

Li Qing finally remembered, and tears welled up in her eyes. "It's Xiao Tong. How have you been all these years?"

Before Zhu Yutong could speak, Chen Mo coldly interjected, "He's no longer human."

Li Qing's eyes widened in disbelief. Then tears welled up and streamed down her face. "Xiao Tong... It's all my fault, it's all my fault. I've ruined the entire Li family..."

Chen Mo ignored their reminiscing and went straight to Zhu Yutong, asking, "Tell me, is Madam Shen at the inn?"

Zhu Yutong said, "It's in the backyard."

puff! !
Chen Mo chopped off Zhu Yutong's head with a single stroke.

The heads were being moved, and blood splattered everywhere, covering Li Qing's face.

Fresh blood is cold.

not human.

Li Qing was no ordinary person. He had lived in fear and trembling at the Li residence for forty years, and had thoroughly studied many of the habits of ghosts. His temperament was also much better than that of ordinary people.

Knowing that Zhu Yutong was not a human being, they felt that Chen Mo's strike was justified and well done!

Immediately, Chen Mo dragged Li Qing straight to the backyard.

The Spring Breeze Inn has a backyard with a spacious room inside. An old woman stands at the door, holding a dagger to Li Qiuhan's neck. Guo Songyang and Guo Ziyu stand on either side of the old woman, each holding a sword.

The two sides reached a stalemate.

Chen Mo also noticed that Guo Ziyu had wounds on her body, and the blood stained her white robe, making it particularly conspicuous.

When both sides saw someone break into the backyard, they turned to look and saw a strong young man wearing a straw hat, holding a large guandao in one hand and carrying a withered old man in the other. Both of them showed surprise.

Because Chen Mo had changed his clothes and was wearing a bamboo hat, and the ghost blood on his body had not completely subsided, he exuded a sinister aura. Even Guo Songyang, Granny Gu, and Li Qiuhan did not recognize him.

Guo Ziyu, however, noticed it and a relieved smile appeared on her lips.

The reason why only Guo Ziyu recognized him was quite simple... When Chen Mo was fighting to the death with more than a hundred ghost babies in the dead end, Guo Ziyu was watching from the rooftop not far away.

Guo Ziyu's initial concern was that Chen Mo had survived, but seeing that he had pulled through, she refrained from intervening. She then went to pursue Shen Yujun. However, Shen Yujun had taken Li Qiuhan hostage and hastily left the Li residence. Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang followed Shen Yujun all the way out of the Li residence. A battle then broke out at the Spring Breeze Inn.

Guo Ziyu didn't fare well and was injured. Seeing that she couldn't subdue Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang in a short time, Shen Yujun had no intention of prolonging the fight. Instead, she had Granny Gu use Li Qiuhan as a hostage to delay Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang, while she went into the room behind Granny Gu to heal her wounds.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

As soon as Chen Mo opened his mouth, he couldn't help but laugh again.

I still haven't gotten used to being a ghost.

Chen Mo immediately stopped, asking in a hoarse, low voice, "Where is Shen Yujun?"

Everyone was completely bewildered, not knowing who the man in the straw hat was or why he was asking such a question.

It was Guo Ziyu who spoke first, recounting what had happened, and then said, "Shen Yujun hid in the room behind Granny Gu and had Granny Gu use Li Qiuhan as a hostage to threaten us. We had no choice."

Chen Mo tossed Li Qing to Guo Ziyu, saying, "This is Li Qing, an important person. Take a good look at her."

After saying that, Chen Mo picked up his large Guan Dao and walked towards Granny Gu.

Granny Gu was Zhu Yutong's wife and had been a maid in the Li family in her younger days. Although she didn't recognize Chen Mo at this moment, she recognized the large Guan Dao in Chen Mo's hand. With a little deduction, she knew that Shen Yujun was forced out of the Li family this time mostly because of this man in the bamboo hat.

Thinking of this, Granny Gu felt a lingering fear. She gripped the dagger tightly, and with a slight effort, pierced the fair skin of Li Qiuhan's neck. A trickle of blood seeped out, and she said viciously, "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her. She's the deputy leader of Black Mountain Stronghold. If she dies, you can't afford the consequences..."

Li Hanqiu seemed to recognize something, "Young Master Mo, save me..."

Swish!
Chen Mo leaped forward, raised his broadsword, and slashed out.

puff!

Li Hanqiu's head was severed instantly, and blood spurted two feet high from the cut on his neck, splashing all over Granny Gu's face.

hiss!
The old woman gasped, her body lurching backward, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at Chen Mo. She had previously used Li Qiuhan as a hostage to intimidate Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang, but she hadn't expected this young man to be so ruthless.

Guo Songyang and Guo Ziyu, who were in the distance, both narrowed their eyes. They knew Chen Mo was ruthless, but they did not expect him to be so fierce.

It is truly frightening.

But upon further reflection, both of them felt that Chen Mo's plan was the best solution at the moment. They couldn't let Li Qiuhan become their Achilles' heel, allowing others to manipulate her and ultimately letting Shen Yujun escape. In truth, there are no inherently difficult situations in the world; it's simply a matter of lacking the courage to make a choice.

Deng Deng Deng!
Grandma Gu kept backing away.

"Die!"

Chen Mo suddenly roared and rushed to Granny Gu like a wild leopard, raising his large Guan Dao and slashing down fiercely.

"Madam, let's go quickly!!"

As Granny Gu tried to block the knife with her dagger, she shouted loudly into the room.

when!
Granny Gu was no match for Chen Mo, nor could she withstand the large dagger in his hand. With a loud cracking sound, the dagger was cleaved in two, followed by her body being split in two.

"Shen Yujun, come out here and face your death!"

Chen Mo brandished his broadsword and charged into the room like a cannonball.

The room was empty, and the back window was open, swaying in the wind with a clanging sound.

Bang!
Chen Mo leaped out of the window. Outside was an empty street, with a golden afterimage at the end of the street.

"Don't run!"

Chen Mo mobilized all his true energy, circulating it through his six meridians. At the same time, he disregarded the still-unsettled ghost blood and frantically activated his ghost bones again. He transformed into a whirlwind and chased after them.

Chen Mo's thinking was simple: if he had transmigrated here alone, then postponing the killing of Shen Yujun wouldn't be a problem. After all, without her great halberd, she posed no threat. But Chen Mo had family in this world.

Having slaughtered over a hundred ghost babies from Shen Yujun's family, he absolutely could not let her leave.

Otherwise, your family might suffer.

Revenge or manipulation of family members was a common practice in this chaotic feudal era. From the imperial court to the underworld, everyone liked to control a person by controlling their family. This is why the emperor required high-ranking officials to move into the capital.

Therefore, how could Chen Mo risk his family's safety for the sake of Li Qiuhan?

wow~
The wind howled on both sides as Chen Mo pushed his speed to the limit. High clouds of dust billowed in his wake. He also released a ghostly figure to target Shen Yujun first.

Shen Yujun had previously fought with Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang and was injured. Her speed was getting slower and slower, and seeing that she was getting closer and closer to Chen Mo, she went around to the back gate of the Li residence and jumped over the wall to enter.

"Stop running!"

boom!
Upon reaching the back gate of the Li residence, Chen Mo suddenly leaped more than ten feet into the air, following Chen Mo into the house. Almost simultaneously, the ghostly figure that had approached Shen Yujun a step ahead of Chen Mo grabbed Shen Yujun's thigh tightly, causing Shen Yujun to fall face-first into the mud.

"Go away!"

Shen Yujun exerted all her strength, trying to push the ghost away, but she pushed at empty air and had no choice but to carry the ghost away at breakneck speed.

Chen Mo clearly saw that the ghostly figure was still clinging tightly to Shen Yujun's leg, but was being dragged along...

This guy is incredibly strong.

But dragged by the ghostly figure, Shen Yujun's speed slowed down considerably. When they reached the door of a side room, Chen Mo finally caught up.

Bang!
Chen Mo kicked the door open and rushed inside.

This time, Shen Yujun didn't run away. Instead, she sat in front of the dressing table, removing her makeup in front of the mirror. Crimson blood was still flowing from the corner of her mouth, staining her lips like rouge, making them exceptionally red.

Chen Mo walked three meters away from her, panting as he raised his broadsword to strike.

Shen Yujun spoke up, "Young Master Chen Mo, don't be anxious, I can't escape."

"Don't talk more!"

Chen Mo understood the principle that delay could lead to unforeseen changes, and he slashed down with his broadsword without any mercy.

Shen Yujun parried the large halberd with a backhand strike.

Boom!

The earth shook violently, and a strong wind swept across the area.

After the attack, Chen Mo was actually knocked back, taking two steps back with a thud, his arms feeling numb. He couldn't help but think to himself: This woman, even without her halberd, still possesses such strength. Even I might not be able to defeat her so easily. Why...why did I run away earlier?
This person clearly has the strength to fight.

With this in mind, Chen Mo dared not be careless in the slightest. He activated the Bright Jade Technique within his body, circulating his true energy through his six meridians. As the ghost blood continued to circulate, the power of the ghost curse erupted continuously. The dense ghost curse patterns that had previously covered his skin had faded considerably, and now they had reappeared.

There was no other reason than Chen Mo realized that this was an extremely powerful opponent, several times stronger than the Evil Infant, and he dared not be careless in the slightest.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~"

Shen Yujun clicked her tongue in amazement. "So this is the power of the ghost bone. It's truly terrifying. No wonder even the Red Lantern Goddess and the Demon-Suppressing Families coveted this ghost bone."

As Chen Mo channeled the power of the Ghost Curse, he asked, "A family that suppresses demons?"

Shen Yujun said, "Young Master Mo, you don't think I ran away today because I was afraid of you, do you?"

Chen Mo was taken aback: "Huh?"

Is not it?
Shen Yujun suddenly laughed, and said in a theatrical tone, "It seems that even if Young Master Mo is so talented, he still doesn't understand this world. The lower class is still the lower class. Now that things have come to this, I might as well tell you. I don't usually leave the Li residence. The reason I left the Li residence yesterday to go to the Spring Breeze Inn was not to find any staff for the Li residence. It was because there is a person from the Demon-Suppressing Family among you. I want to kill her and take the bloodline in her body."

Chen Mo finally understood.

Guo Ziyu!
She's from a family that suppresses demons!

"So, look, I took your great halberd..."

Shen Yujun suddenly glared angrily at Chen Mo, "That's right. If I had the Great Guan Dao, I naturally wouldn't be afraid of that Demon-Suppressing Family. Because the Great Guan Dao itself is the Demon-Suppressing Family's magic weapon. With the Great Guan Dao, I could have killed that bastard after I performed my broken opera. But you ruined it. It's all because of you, a nobody I never took seriously, who actually stole my Great Guan Dao. Without the Guan Dao, I was no match for him and could only run away. I didn't expect to be caught up by him and severely injured. Young Master Mo, you are truly despicable!"

Chen Mo: "..."

I thought I was the one in charge, but I ended up getting it backwards.

Guo Ziyu is the one.

It turns out that from the very beginning, Mrs. Shen never took her seriously. She had her eye on Guo Ziyu.

But things have come to this point, so Chen Mo has nothing to say. All he can say is that Guo Ziyu... she's even more secretive than he is.

What is a family that suppresses demons?

snort!
Shen Yujun snorted coldly, "You are still too naive. You know too little. You think you're something special just because you killed some of the ghost babies I raised? These ghost babies... weren't real ghosts at all. They were just defective products that I nurtured by absorbing ghost energy and worshipping evil gods. You have no idea how terrifying real ghosts are."

Chen Mo truly broadened his horizons.

I transmigrated here, killed so many ghosts... and none of them were even considered real ghosts?

"What are real ghosts like?"

Shen Yujun said, "In the entire Honghe County, there are only two places with ghosts. One is Dayin Mountain, and the other is... Hongdeng Temple. However, the one in Hongdeng Temple is truly powerful. She was originally a person, but through various evil means, she forcibly turned herself into a ghost. The biggest ghost in Honghe County is the Hongdeng Goddess, who is regarded as a deity by the entire Honghe County."

Chen Mo felt a little scared.

He did not doubt what Shen Yujun said.

But that's a bit of an exaggeration.

The many ghosts I killed weren't real ghosts. Only the Red Lantern Goddess was.

Just how powerful must this Red Lantern Lady be?
"You think killing me makes you so great? If it weren't for me, this Red Lantern Lady would be flying to heaven." Shen Yujun spoke with a face full of resentment, then returned to the dressing table, righted the overturned makeup mirror, and began to remove her makeup again.

With the atmosphere set, Chen Mo was no longer in a hurry to make a move.

This information was extremely important to Chen Mo.

Don't be in a hurry.

Chen Mo asked, "Do you have a grudge against the Red Lantern Goddess? Is that why you created so many ghost babies to besiege the Red Lantern Temple?"

snort!
As Shen Yujun removed her makeup, she coldly said, "Of course there's a grudge. My young master was killed by the Red Lantern Lady. Tell me, isn't that a huge grudge?"

Shen Yujun probably knew that the two of them would inevitably fight tonight, and that one of them would die here, so she became more talkative.

Only after Shen Yujun explained the situation did Chen Mo learn the reason behind it.

It turns out that there was no Red Lantern Goddess in Honghe County, but there was a theatrical troupe called Shen Family Troupe.

In Nanyang Prefecture, there was a family surnamed Shen who were renowned for their demon-suppressing abilities. Among them was a down-on-his-luck young master named Shen Liang. Shen Yujun was Shen Liang's personal maid. Because Shen Liang had made a mistake at home, he was demoted and sent to Honghe County.

From then on, Shen Liang and Shen Yujun settled down in Honghe County. Shen Liang loved to sing opera and was a star performer. Shen Liang and Shen Yujun then formed a Shen family troupe, traveling around to perform ghost operas for people. Their initial intention was to let the dead rest in peace and not become wandering ghosts.

Both of them came from families renowned for their demon-suppressing abilities and truly knew the methods of exorcising evil spirits. The funerals for each family were handled properly, and the Shen family troupe was very popular in Honghe County. Shen Liang was respectfully addressed as Master Shen, or Boss Shen.

Because of the Shen family troupe, Honghe County was once peaceful and no major evil incidents occurred. They truly enjoyed a period of tranquility.

until……

A woman from Nanzhou arrived in Honghe County. The situation changed drastically.

The woman discovered the Shen family troupe's background and learned that Shen Liang possessed the bloodline of a demon-suppressing family, so she set her sights on them. In the end, she invited the Shen family troupe to perform at her home, but Shen Yujun happened to catch a cold that day and did not go.

Unexpectedly, that woman killed the entire opera troupe that very night. She also took Shen Liang's bloodline.

In the end, that woman became a real ghost.

That is... the Red Lantern Lady.

Later, Shen Yujun changed her appearance and ended up performing in brothels, searching everywhere for a way to take revenge. She eventually discovered the secret of the Great Yin Mountain. She also met Li Qing, who had failed the imperial examinations and was feeling frustrated and unfulfilled.

Coincidentally, the Li residence was located at the foot of the Dayin Mountain.

So Shen Yujun devised a plan: she pretended to be in love with Li Qing and eventually married into the Li family.

Although Shen Yujun was a maid in a family that suppressed demons, she did not possess the bloodline of such a family and was therefore unable to use demon-suppressing supernatural powers. However, she was a powerful internal martial arts master, so she thought of an evil spell, feigning infertility and telling Li Qing about the spirit child that would bring her a child.

As expected, Li Qing agreed.

So Shen Yujun and Li Qing went to a forbidden village in the Dayin Mountain, dug up a female corpse in a mass grave, and dissected the fetus inside to offer as a sacrifice.

Li Qing thought he was finally going to continue the family line, but little did he know that Shen Yujun had already seen through the fetus inside the female corpse's womb and discovered an extremely powerful ghost bone. Her goal was to obtain that ghost bone.

However, Shen Yujun did not possess the bloodline of a demon-suppressing family and could not directly absorb the ghost bone. She could only indirectly obtain its power by giving birth to ghost fetuses, allowing the ghost infants to digest the ghost bone. Then, by absorbing her own children, she could gain further power from the ghost bone.

Unexpectedly, the Red Lantern Goddess discovered them and came to silence them. Fortunately, Shen Liang had left behind a magic array's eye puppet, which Shen Yujun used to set up a magic array at the Li residence. Combined with the large halberd left by Shen Liang, they managed to escape this calamity.

The purpose of sending so many ghost babies to besiege the Red Lantern Temple was to intimidate the Red Lantern Goddess, lest she think that Shen Yujun was easy to bully.

After hearing these stories, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

I really didn't expect that...

So that's how the Red Lantern Goddess came to be.

He went from being a person to a ghost.

Isn't this the same path I've always followed?

But Chen Mo quickly realized the problem: "The Red Lantern Goddess is ruthless. She killed the entire opera troupe. Why would she leave you as a threat? Relying solely on the Great Guan Dao and the magic array at the Li residence shouldn't be enough to defend against the Red Lantern Goddess, right?"

Shen Yujun had removed her makeup, revealing a very beautiful face. "Young Master Mo is clever. The Red Lantern Lady is indeed not afraid of Guan Dao and the Li Residence's array core. If she were to get ruthless, she could break all of this. However, she is afraid of the Great Yin Mountain behind the Li Residence. What I have attracted is the vengeful ghost of the Great Yin Mountain. She does not know which evil god is behind me, so she dares not go all out."

It turned out to be the case.

Shen Yujun slowly stood up, gripping her longsword tightly, glaring angrily at Chen Mo. "The Red Lantern Lady is lucky. She absorbed my young master Shen Lang's demon-suppressing bloodline and became a ghost. I could have also absorbed ghost bones through the ghost infant to become a ghost myself. That way, I could have fought against her. But unfortunately, the opportunity I've been working on for forty years has been ruined by you, you scoundrel. But I'm also curious, how could you absorb those ghost bones when you clearly don't have the bloodline of a demon-suppressing family?"

Chen Mo would certainly not reveal that he had a cheat code...

"It's just good fortune."

"Hahaha!" Shen Yujun suddenly burst into laughter, "Young Master Mo is truly a remarkable person. He even calls the opportunity to become a ghost a blessing..."

Halfway through her sentence, Shen Yujun suddenly became extremely desolate and sorrowful, "Yes, this is truly a blessing in disguise. I've been plotting for forty years, wasn't it all to become a ghost? After all, only those from demon-suppressing families can deal with ghosts. Besides, there's another way—that ghosts can also fight ghosts. That's what I was after. It's a pity that heaven helped you but not me."

Clang!

Shen Yujun brandished her longsword, pointing it directly at Chen Mo: "I've said what I needed to say. You have your reasons for killing me, and I have my reasons for killing you. Even without my Guan Dao, I must dig out the ghost bone from your body; otherwise, what's the point of my life?"

If I die in the end, please... remember my forty years of effort, Shen Yujun's. Then let me see what abilities you, possessing ghost bones, truly hold.

Chen Mo's gaze sharpened. "Fine. If you die, I will remember your story! Today, your opponent is no nobody, but the second young master of the Chen family in Honghe County, Chen Mo!"

next moment--

boom!
The two men simultaneously transformed into two swift, lightning-fast afterimages, their swords clashing violently. A powerful shockwave of true energy swept in all directions, shattering beams and walls. With a deafening roar, the house collapsed. The two men burst forth from the ruins, their feet treading on roof tiles, frantically clashing.

boom! boom! boom!
The broadsword was as thick and heavy as a mountain.

The soft sword is like water, adapting to the shape of the object.

Terrifying shockwaves exploded wildly on the roof tiles, shattering them piece by piece. Two afterimages, moving as fast as streaks of light, raced across the rooftops, sometimes soaring to the ground, sometimes plummeting to the earth.

At times, Chen Mo was knocked away and crashed to the ground, his whole body wracked with pain as the sword sliced ​​across his chest, leaving burning wounds. At other times, Shen Yujun was struck away by the broadsword, coughing up blood.

This is the strongest opponent Chen Mo has faced since his transmigration.

His hands were already split open, his bones were numb, and he was spitting out mouthfuls of blood, feeling as if his whole body was about to fall apart. But Chen Mo couldn't care less about any of that, and just kept slashing wildly with his knife.

He considered backing down.

But Chen Mo knew he had no reason to back down.

Shen Yujun harbored a deep hatred and plotted for forty years just to kill that woman.

But Chen Mo also has things he wants to protect.

"Black Fiend Blood Blade, Black Tiger! Die!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: The next chapter will be at noon.

(End of this chapter)