I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 104 Deconstructing the Ghost Bones, Shao Siming's Doubts!

The great halberd, infused with black evil power by Chen Mo, began to glow red. Driven by the black tiger, Chen Mo's true energy surged forth, transforming into a ferocious black tiger phantom that charged madly towards Shen Yujun.

when!
Shen Yujun's soft sword twirled into a strange sword flower, and her true energy surged, seemingly using minimal force to deflect a great weight, actually dissipating half of Black Tiger's force. Then, with a flick forward, she completely neutralized Black Tiger's blood blade attack, and even sent Chen Mo flying backward.

Dengdengdeng.

Chen Mo staggered back several steps, the bluestone ground beneath his feet shattering and exploding with a deafening roar. This demonstrated the terrifying force involved.

While Chen Mo was shocked, he could roughly tell that Shen Yujun was probably a ninth-level martial artist. Not only was her true qi incredibly powerful, but she also mastered many unpredictable techniques, making her strength not much less than Chen Mo's, who possessed ghost bones.

Moreover, the opponent's combat experience is simply too rich.

After all, he's a sixty-year-old man.

This is far beyond what Chen Mo, who has only been in the world for half a year, can compare to.

But Chen Mo still felt he could fight.

Because the power provided by the demon bone is inexhaustible, there is no possibility of running out of power.

No matter how strong Shen Yujun is, she can't maintain her peak condition for too long.

It's like the difference between the 100-meter dash and the marathon in track and field.

Although his sprint speed was slightly slower than Shen Yujun's, he could maintain that speed throughout the entire marathon. This was utterly absurd.

Chen Mo didn't believe Shen Yujun had this ability.

All I have to do is engage in a relentless counterattack. Once the opponent's peak is over, I can do whatever I want with them.

"Come again!"

Chen Mo spat out a mouthful of blood, then gripped the hilt of the great halberd tightly with both hands and unleashed another Black Tiger slash.

boom! boom! boom!
The Black Tiger Blood Blade is already an extremely powerful internal martial art, and now, when used with a large Guan Dao (a type of halberd), its power is unparalleled.

The two fought once again, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

However, Chen Mo was like a tireless humanoid beast, his Black Tiger Guan Dao attacks always maintaining peak performance.

For the first few dozen moves, Shen Yujun was able to defuse the attacks with her powerful internal energy and skillful swordsmanship. However, after fifty moves, Shen Yujun began to feel overwhelmed.

In contrast, Chen Mo has maintained his initial peak performance.

Shen Yujun frowned, feeling immense pressure. Who could maintain peak performance indefinitely? It was simply too abnormal…

After seventy moves, Shen Yujun's momentum had clearly diminished, while Chen Mo maintained his peak performance throughout.

"Is this the power of the Demon Bone?"

Shen Yujun was already somewhat desperate, vaguely aware of her fate. Without hesitation, she struck with her sword. With a loud "boom," Shen Yujun was sent flying more than ten meters by the broadsword, crashing to the ground and spitting blood.

pain!
The pain is excruciating!

Clang!

Shen Yujun dared not hesitate for a moment. She flicked her sword against the ground, bending the soft sword before it snapped back to its original straightness. Using the momentum, she flipped herself up, slid a few steps, and regained her footing. Before she could react further, she saw Chen Mo approaching with his large broadsword, and Black Tiger slashed down again.

"This……"

Feeling desperate, Shen Yujun had no choice but to use the less than half of her remaining true energy to parry the blade with her sword.

boom!
Shen Yujun was slammed to the ground by the slash. The blade of the Guan Dao drew sparks from the sword's edge before finally grazing Shen Yujun's chest, leaving a conspicuous wound.

"Die!"

Seeing that Shen Yujun was starting to decline and had become injured, Chen Mo was not about to let the opportunity slip by. He pushed the hilt of his knife from his left hand to his right and thrust the blade forward horizontally.

Even though Shen Yujun was injured at this moment, she still used the blade of her soft sword to block the tip of the knife. However, she was not as strong as before and was pushed backward by the beast-like Chen Mo.

Dengdengdeng.

Shen Yujun pushed her way through until she finally bumped into the wall, with no way to retreat. The terrifying power of the Guan Dao was now truly amplified within her.

when!
The tip of the knife pierced the curved soft sword, and half of the sword flew out at high speed, piercing through the large pine tree in the courtyard, causing the tree to shake violently and its green needles to fall one after another.

Without the resistance of the soft sword, the tip of the guandao pierced Shen Yujun's chest with a "thud," pinning her to the wall.

puff!

Shen Yujun spat out a mouthful of blood, and her life force was rapidly weakening.

Chen Mo did not stop. He gripped the hilt of the knife and slashed it hard across the left side of her chest. The blade sliced ​​open half of Shen Yujun's chest, and her internal organs were vaguely visible.

"what!!"

Shen Yujun let out a shrill scream, her body slumped to the ground, her hands trembling uncontrollably as she braced herself against the ground.

Blood and sweat flowed down his disheveled, battered hair, dripping onto the bluestone slabs.

"Hahaha……"

"I've wielded the Guan Dao my whole life, played the role of a divine general my whole life. I never imagined... that in the end I would die at the hands of my own Guan Dao. How ironic."

Chen Mo knew she had no power to resist, so he stopped and gripped his guan dao tightly, staring intently at the woman in the opera robe in front of him.

"Hoho~"

Shen Yujun coughed up blood, gritted her teeth, and slowly stood up. Supporting herself against the wall, she walked step by step towards the collapsed room.

With each step, a large amount of blood gushed down, leaving a bloodstain on the ground.

Shen Yujun didn't look at Chen Mo again, seemingly unconcerned whether Chen Mo would stab her again, nor bothered by the fact that Chen Mo had ruined her forty-year plan. Her eyes were fixed on a portrait in the room.

She seemed to have used up all her strength to walk towards this portrait.

Finally, he reached the portrait, picked it up with trembling hands, and brushed away the dust.

After wiping it a few times, the dust was gone, but the blood from her palms made it even harder to see clearly. However, the outline of a handsome young man could still be vaguely discerned.

Shen Yujun didn't mind, and instead showed a relieved smile on her face, "Shen Lang, I'm tired. I've known for a long time... that I probably can't do that, that I most likely can't kill that person. But... I can't get over it myself. If I don't do it, I feel like my life has no meaning."

"Shen Lang, how I miss the days when I followed you to perform ghost plays for people."

"I don't have much time left, so I'll sing you 'Ten Miles of Farewell' in the opera style you love most, shall I?"

After saying that, Shen Yujun placed the image on the table next to her, then made a delicate gesture with her fingers, tilted her head, bent over, and endured the pain as she took small, shuffling steps.

She wasn't wearing makeup or rouge, yet her lips were an exceptionally bright red.

Soon, in the quiet Li residence, in the empty and lonely room, melodious opera singing began to fill the air.

"A plum blossom stands before the study door, birds sing in pairs on the tree. Magpies chatter all over the tree, bringing good news to you, Shen Lang."

"The master and servant went out, and a pair of magpies were seen at the door. Magpies always bring good news, congratulations Jun'er on your safe return home."

"After leaving the city and passing through the pass, all we saw were woodcutters carrying firewood on the mountain."

"Getting up early and working late is hard work, and making a living by chopping firewood is also difficult."

……

"Shen Lang, come early to carry my bridal sedan chair. I've arranged for you to come to my house on the Qixi Festival."

"It's hard to part. I have a thousand words to say, and I hope you, Shen Lang, will come soon."

Chen Mo stood at the doorway of the room, quietly watching and listening.

As Shen Yujun uttered her last words, "I have a thousand things to say, I just hope you, my Shen Lang, will come soon," she could no longer hold on and slowly collapsed to the ground.

"Hoho~"

Blood continued to flow from the corner of Shen Yujun's mouth. Her last gaze did not fall on Chen Mo; it seemed that, at this moment, Chen Mo, the opponent who killed her, had become utterly unimportant to her, not even worth a glance.

She glanced at Shen Lang on the desk and smiled with relief.

She was clearly vomiting blood, and her voice was already failing, but she still used all her strength to try to maintain her operatic singing.

“Shen Lang, I have been waiting for you for forty years, but you have not come... I have come down to find you now.”

"Shen Lang..."

Shen Yujun had already closed her eyes, but the last notes of the opera still lingered in the room.

It is truly poignant and deeply moving.

Chen Mo was deeply moved and stood there for a long time, as if he were immersed in the love story of Shen Yujun and Shen Lang.

The opera singing was so beautiful; it soothed Chen Mo's fighting spirit and cooled the demonic blood within him.

The misty fog that had been hanging over the Li residence seemed to have dissipated considerably, and a red sun could be faintly seen rising in the east.

The intricate patterns of the ghost curse on Chen Mo's body had actually dissipated. His originally brown skin had returned to a grayish-white. However, he looked bloodless, which was quite frightening.

Eh!
Chen Mo sighed deeply, put down the large Guan Dao in his hand, and slumped down on the threshold.

too tired.

It was as if the last bit of strength in his body had been drained by the ghost bone.

He leaned against the door frame, his hands supporting his chin, watching the fading shadow of the red sun outside, savoring the tranquility of the place.

"This Peking Opera singing is so beautiful, it makes me want to fall in love..."

Chen Mo had several unpleasant romantic experiences in his past life, which made him somewhat averse to love. However, he did not deny that love itself has very beautiful and hopeful aspects.

Bad experiences—is it the wrong people or the wrong timing?
As he sighed, he circulated the true energy of the Mingyu Gong to relieve his physical fatigue.

Perhaps it was because this battle had taken too much to bear, but no matter how I circulated my inner energy, it was no use. I just felt an indescribable fatigue.

Even the strongest body can break down eventually.

Having regained a little strength, Chen Mo dusted himself off and stood up. He walked to Shen Yujun's body, knelt down, and closed her eyes.

"I owe my possession of the Ghost Bone, the Guan Dao, and even the future acquisition of the Array Eye Juan'er to you. I hope that in your next life you can meet your Shen Lang again, and that the two of you can live happily ever after."

After saying this, Chen Mo knocked over the oil lamp, setting the entire room ablaze. Then, carrying his Guan Dao (a type of halberd), he dragged his weary body out of the room.

After taking only a few steps, Chen Mo felt his legs tremble. He knew this was a side effect of the Ghost Bone.

The power of the Ghost Bone is limitless, but Chen Mo's body can't withstand it. He's only a seventh-level Martial Master, and the prolonged overload on his muscles and bones is already causing severe side effects.

"We need to leave the Li residence quickly; I need to rest. But before we leave, we must take Juan'er with us."

Despite the soreness in his hands and feet, Chen Mo arrived at Juan'er's room and knocked on the door.

Boom boom boom!
"coming."

Juan'er responded and quickly opened the door. She wasn't surprised to see Chen Mo, and didn't even ask about Shen Yujun's death, only saying:

"What are you doing here again?"

Chen Mo could barely keep his eyes open, so he asked directly, "Is your shadow puppet fixed yet?"

Juan'er said, "No. It will take a very long time."

Chen Mo grabbed Juan'er's hand: "Come with me."

Juan'er stared warily at Chen Mo, shaking her head like a rattle-drum, "I won't leave. I won't leave the Li residence. I'd rather die than leave..."

Before Juan'er could finish speaking, she was struck on the back of the head by a Ghost Bone Retracting Blade, and immediately fainted, collapsing into Chen Mo's arms.

Looking at the bewildered Juan'er, Chen Mo felt quite emotional.

She always thought she was human, but she didn't realize she was just a key element in the formation.

She was a pitiful little girl.

Chen Mo carried Juan'er away, but as he stepped over the threshold, he was suddenly moved. He looked back at the table full of shadow puppet fragments, but couldn't bear it. So he went back and grabbed a piece of bedding to cover himself with, then packed up all the shadow puppets and other tools, carried them in his hand, and left.

Although Juan'er was unconscious, Chen Mo found that he no longer encountered the ghost wall when carrying Juan'er on the road.

"This array's core is truly amazing; it's no wonder it's from a family that specializes in suppressing demons."

The journey was smooth, and we exited the Li residence.

Squeak!

Upon opening the gate of the Li residence, one could see Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang standing at the entrance, with Guo Songyang carrying Li Qing in his hand.

When Guo Ziyu met Chen Mo, she didn't ask about the details, only asking, "Is everything taken care of?"

Chen Mo nodded: "Okay. Let's go."

Guo Ziyu agreed and led the way.

Chen Mo carried Juan'er and walked behind, his gaze fixed on Guo Ziyu's beautiful figure, his eyes flickering.

This woman comes from a family that has been known for suppressing demons.

So the organization she joined is probably also related to the Demon-Suppressing Family.

Although Chen Mo didn't know much about the Demon-Suppressing Clan, he knew from Shen Yujun's explanation that it was an extremely powerful force. Joining it would certainly be an excellent thing.

But the problem is...

Suppressing demons... naturally, the fundamental purpose is to exorcise evil spirits.

After what happened at the Li residence, this woman probably knows she has a problem.

Chen Mo had a fleeting thought of killing her.

But then I thought about it again... and gave up.

Guo Ziyu had taught him martial arts and the art of preserving one's spirit, thus incurring his kindness. How could he repay such kindness with enmity?
Moreover, even Shen Yujun was afraid of this woman; the injuries on Shen Yujun's body were inflicted by her. This shows that this woman's strength is probably no less than Shen Yujun's, and if they really fought… the outcome would be unpredictable.

'Alright, alright, let's leave it at that for now. Anyway, she didn't see me use the Ghost Bone with her own eyes. I'll test her intentions later. If she really has ulterior motives towards me, then that's another story…'

Just then, Guo Ziyu, who was in front, turned around and glared at Chen Mo, "Young Master Mo, why are you walking so slowly? Are you tired?"

Chen Mo recovered from his shock and quickly caught up. "Thank goodness, let's go."

With Juan'er with them, the group left Qinghe Town smoothly this time.

After leaving the town through the stone gate, Chen Mo finally saw the long-awaited sun.

It was early morning, and the morning light was shining on me, feeling warm and cozy.

Although Chen Mo's body was still cold, seeing this scene brought him considerable pleasure. No wonder Li Qing had been in the Li residence for forty years, and had become completely insane.

Staying in that environment for too long can easily lead to psychological abnormalities.

Guo Songyang said, "I don't know if anything happened in the village. Are Ziyang and the others alright? Let's hurry back to the village."

Although Guo Songyang usually acts indifferent when he's with Guo Ziyang, he actually cares deeply about his son.

Chen Mo nodded in agreement and quickened his pace, returning to Black Mountain Village in less than half an hour.

The red lanterns at the entrance of the village were still hanging, but once inside, it was quiet everywhere.

There wasn't a single person there.

Bloodstains were everywhere, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of blood.

Chen Mo remembered what Granny Gu had said to Zhu Qingfeng, and guessed that the villagers had probably been massacred. As for why no bodies were left... they were probably all eaten by the ghost baby in Zhu Qingfeng's room.

But... can a ghost baby eat so many people? That's a bit of an exaggeration.

"There might be a ghost baby in this village. The men have most likely been harmed. Go and check it out. I'm going to Shoulu Village to rest for a while," Chen Mo instructed, then took Li Qing and Juan'er to Shoulu Village.

With nowhere to put the large halberds, he tucked them under his armpits. Fortunately, he was strong enough to carry one in each hand without too much effort.

When they arrived at Shouluzhuang, it was still deserted; they didn't see a single person.

But there was no bloodstain, and no smell of blood in the air.

"It seems Ziyang is capable. He should inform Qingniu and the others to take all the men out of the village."

Chen Mo was utterly exhausted, so he left Li Qing in the courtyard, telling her not to wander off. He then carried Juan'er to the side room, placed her on the bed, and covered her with a quilt. He then arranged the puppets and other items from his bundle on the table beside him.

Juan'er and Li Qing are different, so they cannot be treated the same.

Having done all this, Chen Mo released his ghostly shadow to watch over Li Qing and Juan'er. He then went to bed and fell fast asleep.

Having activated the power of the Ghost Bone twice in a row, Chen Mo's body was already exhausted, and he desperately needed to sleep.

……

Meanwhile, Shao Siming and Cao Kun drove their carriage all the way out of the city and headed straight for Qinghe Town.

When passing through Wuqiao Town, Cao Kun didn't forget to ask, "Young Master Ming, should we go to Black Mountain Village to inquire about the situation first?"

Without a second thought, Shao Siming replied, "Even Elders Feizhan and Yanqing are dead. This is a serious matter, beyond the capabilities of Black Mountain Stronghold. Asking is pointless; go directly to Qinghe Town."

"Yes!"

Cao Kun agreed and sped up the carriage, soon stopping in front of the stone gate in Qinghe Town.

Cao Kun glanced at the scarlet stone gate and then at the sky above, and couldn't help but wonder, "Hey, why is the ghostly aura in Qinghe Town so much dimmer?"

A slender hand reached out from the carriage and lifted the curtain.

Shao Siming glanced at the sky and frowned slightly: "It really is so. It seems that a major change has occurred in the town. Go directly into the Li residence. Remember, do not leave the carriage during this time."

"Yes."

Cao Kun nodded in agreement and drove the carriage into the stone gate.

Others might not understand the meaning behind Shao Siming's instructions, but Cao Kun, the head of the Kaogong Hall, did. This was because there was a maze-like formation in Qinghe Town that ordinary people who entered could never escape.

Even a senior elder with considerable skill can easily become trapped inside.

However, Shao Siming's carriage will not get lost.

Because... the red lanterns hanging on Shao Siming's carriage won't be stained white by the town's white lanterns. Nor will it get lost.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Li residence.

"Shao Siming, we've arrived."

"Hmm." Shao Siming lifted the curtain and stepped down, wearing a red robe. She looked very young and beautiful, probably in her early twenties. Compared to a young girl, she had a more mature air about her. She had truly reached the age of maturity. Somewhat conspicuously, a red hairpin was inserted into Shao Siming's hair bun, with two small golden bells at the end of the hairpin.

When the wind blows, it makes a "ding-a-ling" sound, which is quite pleasant.

Shao Siming carried two red lanterns; there were two more left on the carriage. She kept one for herself and gave the other to Cao Kun.

"Remember, never let the red lantern out of your hand. If you get lost or become possessed because of it, I won't be able to protect you."

Cao Kun thanked her, "Don't worry, Master Shao, I will never cause you any trouble."

Shao Siming, carrying a lantern, surveyed the three-way intersection and then spotted the Chunfeng Inn nearby. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Chunfeng... it's quite a fitting name."

After saying that, Shao Siming led the way into the inn.

The waiter's body was still there, as was Zhu Yutong's body, and the ground was covered in blood, emitting a strong stench of blood.

Shao Siming, however, was used to such scenes. "Go and take a look on the second floor."

"Yes." Cao Kun was efficient and immediately rushed upstairs to the second floor. Before long, he came downstairs carrying heavy paper figures.

He threw the paper figures on the ground. “Young Master, take a look. These are Elders Feizhan and Yanqing… who have been turned into paper figures. There are also two stewards from Black Mountain Stronghold, Sun Mu and He Xiao. This is strange. Why would the stewards from Black Mountain Stronghold come here? Zhu Qingfeng has always been cautious and has never dared to bring anyone into Qinghe Town.”

Shao Siming wasn't surprised at all. Pointing to a corpse in the distance, she said, "Zhu Qingfeng's head was also pierced by a shard of pottery."

Cao Kun rushed over to examine Zhu Qingfeng's body. "There were no signs of resistance, and there were still bowls and chopsticks on the table. It's clear that Zhu Qingfeng was sitting here drinking with everyone. It's very likely that Zhu Qingfeng brought the leaders and incense masters of Black Mountain Stronghold with him. As for the cause of Zhu Qingfeng's death... he was most likely ambushed and killed."

Shao Siming nodded. "There's a bloody smell in the backyard. Go check it out."

"I'll go scout ahead." Cao Kun immediately took the lead and rushed into the backyard.

Shao Siming stepped into the courtyard and saw Li Qiuhan's severed head and Granny Gu's body, which had been split in two. There were also signs of a struggle around them.

Cao Kun walked up to Li Qiuhan, his brows furrowed. "Zhu Qingfeng was ambushed and killed, Sun Mu and He Xiao were turned into paper figures, and Fei Zhan and Yan Qing were also turned into paper figures. This Li Qiuhan, a deputy hall master, was actually beheaded. What terrible thing happened here?"

Even the old head of the Kaogongtang couldn't help but feel a chill when he saw such a miserable scene.

Shao Siming remained calm and showed no emotional fluctuations. She slowly walked to the bodies of Granny Gu and Li Qiuhan, squatted down, and carefully examined them.

She noticed the dagger wound on Li Qiuhan's severed neck and the broken dagger in Granny Gu's hand. She analyzed the situation and concluded, "Granny Gu must have encountered a terrifying opponent and took Li Qiuhan hostage to try and threaten him. However, the opponent turned out to be ruthless and killed Li Qiuhan, along with Granny Gu."

Cao Kun came over and examined the traces, agreeing wholeheartedly, and asked, "Who could be so ferocious?"

Shao Siming frowned: "The one who ambushed and killed Zhu Qingfeng earlier was probably this same person."

Cao Kun said, "Zhu Qingfeng brought the village's stewards and incense masters here. The one who could ambush Zhu Qingfeng... is probably the village's steward. But who is this person? And why did Zhu Qingfeng bring so many stewards and incense masters here?"

Shao Siming didn't answer, but frowned and went into the room. She saw the broken back window and the footprints left on the windowsill.

Cao Kun leaned closer to take a look and said, "That person ran away from here. Why didn't he leave through the front door after killing someone? Why did he have to jump out of the window?"

Shao Siming remained silent, but turned to look around the room. Finally, she saw a piece of golden theatrical robe left on the chair next to the table. On the table were scissors, strong liquor, and some wound medicine.

A bloody fingerprint was left on the scissors.

Cao Kun went over to take a look and was immediately shocked: "Someone was healing here. So... when Granny Gu held Li Qiuhan hostage outside the door to threaten the people of the village, it was actually to buy time for her to heal. Unexpectedly, a ruthless character appeared in the village and rushed in without caring about the hostage's life or death. The person who was healing was unable to continue healing and jumped out of the window to escape. The ruthless man from the village rushed into the room and followed her out of the window."

Shao Siming nodded slightly, "That's roughly right."

Cao Kun asked in surprise, "Who is the healer?"

Shao Siming didn't answer, but instead picked up the piece of theatrical robe on the table.

Cao Kun looked at the tattered cloth, full of doubt: "It's someone wearing a golden opera robe. Qinghe Town has always been eerie, with hardly any living people. How could someone be performing opera..."

Shao Siming stared at the tattered cloth in her hand and murmured, "There was such a person. Only this person could make Granny Gu risk her life to protect her."

hiss!
Cao Kun finally came to his senses and gasped, "That shady opera singer at the Li residence... Shen Yujun!"

"If it's Shen Yujun... this is unbelievable. Even when the Red Lantern Goddess, accompanied by the Grand Master of Fate and the Junior Master of Fate, personally went to the Li residence, she couldn't kill Shen Yujun. She only beat the infant spirit half to death. Who is so terrifying? How could they injure Shen Yujun? And even force her to jump out of the window to escape... What's even more outrageous is that the ruthless person who killed Zhu Qingfeng dared to jump out of the window to chase after Shen Yujun... Who is this person, so terrifying!" Cao Kun said as he deduced, and in the end... he was frightened by that ruthless person.

Cao Kun was able to become the former head of the Examination Hall, so his abilities must have been exceptional.

But in his heart, Shen Yujun was an absolutely terrifying person.

Even the Red Lantern Goddess and the Young Master of Fate, who personally intervened, couldn't kill this terrifying being. Yet, he was injured... and chased and hacked at all ends.

Simply unbelievable.

When did such a terrifying entity emerge in Black Mountain Village?

Shao Siming, on the other hand, remained much calmer. Clutching the tattered cloth, she walked to the windowsill, looked around for a while, and then jumped out the window and left. Cao Kun was left alone in the room. He looked around and, thinking about the deduction he had just made, felt even more terrified. He dared not linger and quickly jumped out the window to follow her.

Meanwhile, Shao Siming arrived at the street with the rag and saw footprints and scattered gravel. However, the street was too long and too wide, and the ground was paved with bluestone bricks, so the footprints were sometimes visible and sometimes not, making it difficult to trace the route the two had taken when they fled.

The footprints ended at a corner.

Cao Kun rushed over and found that the footprints had broken off. "We can't keep tracking them."

Click!

Shao Siming put her right index finger in her mouth, bit it until it bled, and then used the bloody finger to draw a lantern pattern on the corner of her eye.

"Red light, open!"

When Shao Siming opened her eyes again, her originally black pupils had turned blood red.

They seemed to have transformed into two red lanterns, radiating a bright and dazzling red light.

In this way, the scene before Shao Siming's eyes changed. She could see footprints and handprints on the ground that were invisible to the naked eye.

"Follow me."

Shao Siming followed the footprints all the way to the back gate of the Li residence, where she found herself in a corner.

Upon seeing the red-painted walls of the Li residence, Cao Kun felt a chill run down his spine. "This is the Li residence. Could it be that those two people entered the Li residence?"

The Li residence was not only a nightmare for the Black Mountain Village, but also a terrifying and ominous place for many high-ranking members of the Red Lantern Police.

"It seems we have no choice but to go to the Li residence to find the answer."

With a leap, Shao Siming scaled the courtyard wall and entered the inner courtyard.

Cao Kun was afraid, but seeing that Shao Siming had already gone inside, he knew he would have a hard time explaining himself if he didn't follow. So he gritted his teeth and climbed over the wall to enter.

Upon entering the Li residence, Cao Kun was astonished by the sight before him.

All he could see were collapsed beams and houses, bloodstains everywhere, a foul, ghostly stench, and a strong smell of blood. He hunched his shoulders and followed closely behind Shao Siming, helping with chores and clearing debris from the road.

They followed Shao Siming all the way to the door of a collapsed and charred bedroom before Shao Siming stopped.

Looking at the conspicuous sword and knife marks on the ground, Cao Kun said, "A terrifying battle took place here. The level of the battle was beyond my capabilities. Shao Siming, could it be that the ruthless man from Black Mountain Stronghold fought Shen Yujun here?"

Shao Siming crouched down to examine the scene closely. She activated her red-light vision, allowing her to see details invisible to ordinary people. In the end, she roughly deduced the course of the battle. "Indeed. This person used a sword and his strength was comparable to a ninth-level martial artist. He was evenly matched with Shen Yujun."

"A ninth-level martial artist?" Cao Kun exclaimed inwardly.

He knew perfectly well that after reaching the seventh level of Martial Master, advancing to the next level would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. The difficulty of opening the Ren and Du meridians was beyond imagination. Of course, if one were to open the Ren and Du meridians, the boost received would exceed the total boost from the first to the seventh level of Martial Master.

These two extraordinary manuals represent the biggest turning point in the life of an internal martial arts master.

Cao Kun has been stuck at the seventh level of Martial Master for a full ten years. He prides himself on his extraordinary talent, and with the support of countless resources from the Red Lantern Martial Arts School, he has been unable to break through to the eighth level even after ten years of hard work.

Unexpectedly, a terrifying existence of a ninth-level martial arts master appeared in this small village of Black Mountain Stronghold.

Just then, Shao Siming spoke up, "Go to the room and see if there are any corpses or ashes."

Cao Kun nodded in agreement and rushed into the charred room. After searching for a while, he finally found the charred remains of a corpse. "Shao Siming, come and see, there really is a corpse. It's just burned beyond recognition, and we can't identify it. We don't know if it's Shen Yujun or that ruthless man from Black Mountain Stronghold."

Shao Siming moved closer and turned on her red-light vision, which allowed her to see things that ordinary people couldn't.

After a moment of hesitation, Shao Siming spoke up, "This corpse belongs to Shen Yujun."

Gulu.

Cao Kun swallowed hard. "Black Mountain Stronghold has produced such a terrifying and ruthless person. He actually killed Shen Yujun. He has truly made an unparalleled contribution to our Red Lantern Gang."

Shao Siming, however, was not so pleased. She ordered, "Go and search the entire Li residence. See if there are any other corpses."

Cao Kun nodded in agreement and quickly left with the red lantern.

In the huge room, only Shao Siming remained.

"Shen Yujun was actually killed. That's strange. Where's her Guan Dao?" Shao Siming searched around, trying to find the Guan Dao. But she quickly stopped.

“No, judging from the marks of the fight, Shen Yujun used a sword, while that ruthless person used a knife. Moreover, the cut marks on that knife are not like those of an ordinary broadsword, but rather those of a Guan Dao. It is clear that this person had taken Shen Yujun’s Guan Dao magic weapon from the beginning.”

"The reason why the Red Lantern Goddess was able to kill Shen Liang was because Shen Liang did not bring his Guan Dao that night. Otherwise, with Shen Liang's bloodline from the Demon-Suppressing Family and the magic weapon he used, the Red Lantern Goddess might not have gotten the better of him."

"It's a pity that the Guan Dao has been taken. We must find that person and retrieve the Guan Dao. Otherwise, if this person becomes disloyal to our Red Lantern Gang, it could be a major hidden danger."

"But I know all the leaders and incense masters of Black Mountain Stronghold. Who has such great abilities?"

Just then, Cao Kun rushed back, "Shao Siming, there are still a large number of ghost infant corpses in the direction of the opera house."

"lead the way."

Shao Siming composed herself and followed Cao Kun to a dead-end alley not far from the theater. There, she saw countless ghost infant corpses, as well as the corpse of an old man, and the blood left behind by the evil infants.

Cao Kun said in a trembling voice, "All the ghost babies in the Li residence were killed by this ruthless person. This person is truly terrifying."

Shao Siming nodded slightly. "This person is indeed very capable. Let's go and take a look at the ancestral hall at the Li residence."

Shao Siming had visited the Li residence many years ago with the Red Lantern Goddess and knew its layout. With the help of the red lantern, she naturally wouldn't get lost. She quickly arrived at the abandoned ancestral hall of the Li residence.

Upon entering the ancestral hall, the Lesser Master of Fate ordered, "Go and search around for a two-foot-tall shrine. This item is of great use to the Goddess of the Red Lantern."

Cao Kun dared not be careless and immediately rushed to the abandoned pile of debris, quickly searching through it.

They quickly found the shrine. "Young Master of Fate, we've found it."

Shao Siming quickly moved closer. Her usually calm demeanor was unusually agitated at this moment.

Others may not know what's inside the shrine, but Shao Siming does.

That was a ghost bone from the Great Yin Mountain, belonging to a fierce and malevolent ghost.

The Empress came here to retrieve this ghost bone, and she was on the verge of success. However, Shen Yujun staged a charade, attracting the ferocious ghosts of the Great Yin Mountain. This forced the Red Lantern Empress to retreat.

In the days that followed, the Red Lantern Goddess dared not easily enter the Li residence, but she always kept the ghost bone in her heart.

call!
Shao Siming breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to open the shrine.

result……

It was empty inside.

What about the baby in the yellow robe?

Shao Siming suddenly stood up, looked around, and immediately ordered: "Search this ancestral hall thoroughly, dig three feet into the ground, and find a dead infant in a yellow robe."

Seeing that Shao Siming was unusually angry, Cao Kun dared not disobey and immediately began searching with his bare hands.

However, after searching the entire ancestral hall, they still couldn't find the baby in the yellow robe.

Shao Siming searched again, but couldn't find it, so she had to stop. "How strange! Where did this baby go? Could it be that Shen Yujun hid it? Cao Kun, you go out and stand guard outside."

Cao Kun nodded in agreement and left the ancestral hall.

Shao Siming immediately took out the life puppet, dripped fresh blood onto it, and then crushed it.

The porcelain doll shattered with a crack.

Shao Siming's body immediately trembled violently, as if struck by lightning, and her mind became unstable.

Soon, another aged woman's voice came from Shao Siming's mouth, "Have you encountered a crisis?"

Shao Siming spoke in her own voice: "Eldest sister, Shen Yujun of the Li residence is dead, and all the ghost infants are dead too..."

She recounted everything she had seen and heard along the way, and concluded, "But the yellow-robed infant is gone, and even the ghost bones are nowhere to be found. What should we do?"

"Either Shen Yujun hid it, or the fierce ghost of the Great Yin Mountain took it. I think it's more likely the latter. That fierce ghost was also eyeing the ghost bone. It seems that Shen Yujun used this ghost bone to make some kind of deal with that fierce ghost."

Shao Siming suddenly said, "Could it be that ruthless thug hiding in Black Mountain Stronghold took it?"

The other party fell silent for a long time before saying, "That possibility cannot be ruled out. Go to Black Mountain Stronghold immediately and find out that person's identity. Find out where Ghost Bone went."

Shao Siming said, "Don't worry, elder sister, I know what I'm doing."

“The Li residence is gone, and that place will soon become an even more dangerous place. Do not linger, leave immediately. I will have someone put up road signs outside Qinghe Town to mark that place as a forbidden area.”

"Yes."

……

Meanwhile, Chen Mo took a long nap.

When I woke up again, it was already afternoon.

The sun was setting in the west, and its rays streamed through the window onto Chen Mo's face, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

"Comfortable~"

Chen Mo rolled over and stretched. He felt energetic and fully revitalized.

He put on his coat and washed up.

There was no one in the village yet. Through the ghost's observation, it was clear that Li Qing was properly preparing food in the kitchen, while Juan'er was not causing any trouble. She was sitting in the room, carefully repairing the shadow puppet.

A peaceful scene.

Chen Mo entered the kitchen and saw Li Qing had prepared a large meal of meat and was enjoying it immensely.

When Li Qing saw Chen Mo approaching, she showed a look of great fear and dared not eat.

Chen Mo sat down casually. "I'll eat all this meat. You can go and make some more."

Although Li Qing was not happy, she didn't dare to say anything and immediately went to cook again. Chen Mo was already starving, so he picked up a large piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth to chew.

He had only chewed twice when he vomited it out with a "goo".

Extremely nauseating!

This big piece of meat smelled delicious, but it tasted awful and I couldn't swallow it.

Instead, when Chen Mo turned to look at Li Qing, he revealed a craving for raw flesh and blood. Especially brain matter…

Chen Mo gritted his teeth, thinking to himself: It seems the side effects of the Ghost Bone have kicked in. He has a strong aversion to cooked food, but is extremely thirsty for fresh blood and living people.

Chen Mo still retained human thinking, so naturally he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to devour Li Qing.

Just then, Li Qing turned around and said timidly, "You are half-human and half-ghost, and you are very averse to cooked food. Instead, you like to eat living people and fresh blood. If you can't control yourself and actually eat the first bite of fresh blood and a living person, your humanity will gradually dissipate. Eventually, you will slowly... completely turn into a corpse demon. If you can endure it, you can hold out for a while."

Chen Mo hadn't expected that Li Qing, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, would know so much. "You're quite a shrewd person. Do you know of any solutions?"

Li Qing said, "There's no other way but to force myself to endure it."

Li Qing didn't actually dislike Chen Mo; on the contrary, she was very grateful to him.

When Chen Mo and Shen Yujun were fighting fiercely at the Li residence, Li Qing didn't go inside to watch, but she was standing at the entrance. She heard Shen Yujun sing "Ten Miles of Farewell" at the end. At that moment, Li Qing knew... that Shen Yujun had been killed by Chen Mo.

Good kill!
Forty years of grievances, forty years of fear and oppression... all emotions were released because of that song, "Ten Miles of Farewell".

"You cook."

Chen Mo said something, then picked up another piece of cooked meat, stuffed it into his mouth, pinched his nose, and swallowed it raw.

It initially caused extreme discomfort in his stomach, but Chen Mo managed to suppress the urge to vomit thanks to his extraordinary willpower.

With the first success, things went much more smoothly afterward.

In no time, Chen Mo had devoured all the meat on the table.

Fortunately, although cooked food makes you feel nauseous, your digestive system can still digest and absorb the energy in it.

Li Qing had already prepared a new meal. Sitting down, she saw Chen Mo's state and felt admiration, saying, "Young Master Mo is indeed a man of great perseverance. You can persist for a long time like this. If you completely turn into a ghost, cooked meat will no longer be able to provide energy to the corpse ghost. Eating cooked meat will cause the corpse ghost to become weaker and weaker, and eventually wither and die."

Chen Mo noted down this important information and then said, "Li Qing, don't go anywhere recently, just stay here. Otherwise, I won't give you a way out."

Li Qing knelt on the ground excitedly: "Thank you for taking me in, Young Master Mo. I am a sensible and grateful person. You rescued me and gave me my freedom. Even if you beat me to death, I will never tell you that you are half-human and half-ghost."

"I hope you will do what you say."

Chen Mo left after saying one sentence.

Chen Mo had killed too many people and didn't want to slaughter the innocent.

But he also took precautions, with a ghostly figure constantly watching Li Qing. If Li Qing made any wrong move, the ghostly figure could kill the frail Li Qing instantly.

Chen Mo went to visit Juan'er and saw her sitting obediently at the table repairing the shadow puppet. He asked, "Do you need my help?"

Juan'er didn't even look up. "No. I want to make my own shadow puppets."

Chen Mo smiled wryly, relieved to see that she didn't miss going back to the Li residence.

Back in his bedroom, Chen Mo closed the door, sat down cross-legged, and mentally reviewed everything that had happened in Qinghe Town.

"The Li residence has been destroyed, and Shen Yujun has been killed. This is a huge matter and can't be kept secret for long. I reckon the Red Lantern Guard will find out soon and send people to investigate. I have a Guan Dao and a ghost bone on me, things that even the Red Lantern Goddess covets, so it's quite dangerous."

"My most pressing need is to find a way to conceal the aura of the ghost bones on my body. I modified my bloodline aura before to hide the blood of the ghost curse. Now that my cheat has advanced further and I have plenty of original essence, I wonder if I should modify my bone aura to hide the aura of the ghost bones? Also, I need to deconstruct those ghost bones so that I can at least know their origin and feel more at ease."

With this in mind, Chen Mo sat down in front of the bronze mirror on the floor, with his back to it, and opened the control panel.

His gaze was fixed on his back and spine in the mirror.

Sure enough, the cheat system reacted.

It is a square.

It was a pure silver square frame with densely packed silver bars.

[Deconstructable material detected]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

Chen Mo had an idea: Deconstruct!
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.: This is a long chapter, just finished writing it, so I'm 20 minutes late. I'll be releasing 20,000 words the next day, which is a good start!
(End of this chapter)