I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 115 The Empress Opens the Coffin, Chen Mo Returns!
The boy's appearance was indistinguishable from a human's; his skin was deathly pale, and his muscles bulged out, exuding explosive power.

It gives people a gloomy feeling, and it's a kind of eerie chill that goes to the bone.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

The boy gave a hoarse, low laugh.

Those sinister eyes had lost all fear, becoming violent and savage. It was as if he would tear an elephant to pieces if it glared at him.

The next moment, the boy raised the broadsword in his hand and said coldly, "I have become a ghost, so this broken sword is of no use to me."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, gripped the back of the blade, and exerted a sudden force. With a sharp "crack," the broadsword, forged from fine steel, shattered into dust. Several pieces of metal shot towards his face, cutting his skin and embedding themselves in his flesh.

The boy didn't care at all and simply pulled the metal sheet out.

puff!

Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain.

However, in the time it takes to breathe, the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. It quickly returned to its original state, without leaving even a scar.

"The regenerative ability of demons is truly monstrous. They are unharmed in a hundred battles! With my current combat strength, I would not be afraid even if I encountered a scion of a noble family."

"Everyone says that mortals can only reach the ninth level of martial arts master in their entire lives. After that, they can never see any higher scenery. But I never thought that I would reach a higher level by becoming a ghost. When I go out in the future, I will modify the bloodline of the aristocratic family... I can see the scenery that the aristocratic family can see; I can also see the scenery that the aristocratic family cannot see."

"Jie Jie Jie~"

Chen Mo slowly stood up, then suddenly took a step and appeared in the room almost instantly, without even leaving a shadow.

Red cloth was hung everywhere in the room, red lanterns were lit, and the quilts and curtains on the bed were all red. On the dining table was a large bowl of "ghostly meat," and a ghost bride with a red veil sat on it.

But Chen Mo no longer felt afraid at all.

He himself is already a ghost.

Chen Mo sat down opposite the ghost bride without any hesitation, picked up the ghost meat from the large bowl, and began to eat heartily. He showed no restraint whatsoever, treating the place as if it were his own home.

The Ghost Festival meat was as delicious as ever.

While Chen Mo was eating meat, Su Yuqing spoke up, "Congratulations, Young Master Mo, on successfully becoming a ghost. Because of the ghost bones, and because your body is completely compatible with the ghost bones, you still retain a human body. To outsiders, you look just like a person."

While eating the Ghost Year meat, Chen Mo said in a sinister tone, "All of this is thanks to Miss Su."

These words are spoken from the heart.

If it weren't for meeting Su Yuqing, Chen Mo would have had to wait many years to become a ghost. And who knows what problems might have arisen during the transformation process? Having a powerful, malevolent ghost to guide and protect him saved him from many detours and mitigated the risks.

Furthermore, Chen Mo had known for a long time that his demonization process was irreversible. He had always harbored anxieties about becoming a demon.

Now that he's become a ghost, the outcome is confirmed, and the anxiety has disappeared.

Overall, becoming a ghost... seems pretty good.

As for the fear of being discovered?
That's completely unnecessary.

Chen Mo has mastered the power of awakening.

Those not from aristocratic families simply wouldn't be able to detect it. Even ordinary scions of aristocratic families probably wouldn't be able to find out. After all, Chen Mo had modified his bloodline, bone structure, and aura, concealing his ghost blood and ghost bones, which also had a concealing effect on ghostly energy.

Su Yuqing said, "You have fulfilled your wish of filial piety and brotherly love, and you even promised to find my second mother to bury her and have my name engraved on her grave. There is no need to thank me."

After eating the Ghost Year meat, Chen Mo stood up and said, "Miss Su will teach me how to control the power of perception later."

Although he had forged a ghost, Chen Mo's mastery of its abilities was not yet complete. He still needed to diligently adapt.

Moreover, Chen Mo still has a physical body, and he needs to find a balance between his physical body and his ghostly nature.

Su Yuqing agreed, cleared away the dishes, and followed Chen Mo to the courtyard outside the door, carefully instructing Chen Mo on how to control his power of perception.

Su Yuqing's understanding of the power of awakening is systematic and can be explained in very concise terms.

In general, the power of perception is a kind of ability to modify perception and create panic.

For example, if a soldier encounters enemy cavalry charging at him with swords, and the cavalry is a hundred meters away, the soldier will not feel much panic. But if the cavalry is only two or three meters away, the soldier will be extremely panicked.

The power of perception is so great because it can alter the soldiers' visual and auditory perception. Even if the cavalry is a hundred meters away, the soldiers can be made to feel that they are only three meters away, causing them to panic.

Human beings' six senses are composed of experience and logic, and there is a common sense behind them.

The power of awareness can transcend this common sense.

Ghosts may be powerful, but they're not actually that powerful. It's the fear created by the power of perception that amplifies their terrifying nature. That's the point.

For mortals, the power of awareness is a rather terrifying ability.

Only scions of noble families, with the power and ability of their bloodline, are not so afraid of ghosts.

Chen Mo has not yet been able to modify the bloodline of aristocratic families, and does not know the power of the bloodline of aristocratic scions. Therefore, he can only spend more time mastering the power of ghostly perception.

In addition, there is an even more important reason: while the power of awareness is incredibly powerful, it is also constantly devouring Chen Mo's human consciousness.

This devouring was something even members of powerful families couldn't completely erase. No member of a powerful family who used the power of ghosts ever met a good end.

Therefore, Chen Mo was under a lot of pressure. It was fine for him to become a ghost, but it would be terrible if his consciousness and humanity were devoured by the power of awakening.

Chen Mo dared not relax his vigilance in the slightest.

In the days that followed, Chen Mo continued to eat Ghost Year meat, sleep, and practice his martial arts as usual.

I am diligently learning how to use the power of awareness.

The space here is small, and there's not much else to do.

Although the days were tough, Chen Mo maintained a positive attitude.

On this day, Chen Mo was practicing mastering the power of perception in the courtyard.

Su Yuqing, who had been leaning against the door frame for a long time, finally spoke, "Young Master Mo has already mastered the power of perception. There's no need to be so diligent. If a ghost overexerts itself, it will also become exhausted."

Chen Mo stopped and looked at Su Yuqing, who was leaning against the door frame.

"Miss Su, is there any way to prevent the power of awareness from eroding consciousness?"

Su Yuqing shook her head: "No. Ever since you started fusing ghosts to become ghosts, or rather, from the first time you used the power of ghosts, the erosion of ghosts on you has never stopped. The only thing you can do is keep running wildly on the path of becoming a ghost. The more powerful the ghost you become, the less important the original erosion will be. But... a new erosion will begin."

Chen Mo was taken aback. "Isn't this an endless dead end?"

Su Yuqing said, "That's how it is. Among the scions of noble families, who would easily use the power of ghosts unless forced to?

Chen Mo didn't ask any more questions and remained silent.

A moment later, Chen Mo sat under the tree, looking up at the gray sky above, his gaze gradually turning cold.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

……

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, Chen Mo opened his eyes while lying on the bed.

What comes into view are red gauze curtains, red quilts, and red lanterns. There are also flickering candlelight in the room, and through the candlelight, you can clearly see that the walls are covered with densely packed tally marks.

It's been a full ten years!

Perhaps it was because he had become a ghost, or perhaps it was because Chen Mo had a good mindset, but he didn't find it particularly difficult to endure. Only when he saw the tally marks on the wall did he realize how quickly time had passed.

Today... the ten-year term has come to an end.

You can go out now.

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly became expectant.

He turned his head and saw Su Yuqing lying next to him. This woman even covered her head with a red veil when she slept.

For the past ten years, I haven't seen her true face.

Chen Mo did have the idea of ​​lifting the red veil to see the other person's face.

But after thinking about it, I decided against it.

That wouldn't be good if I saw an extremely terrifying face.

Let's keep a glimmer of hope in mind.

Chen Mo got out of bed and walked slowly around the room, carefully examining every object.

Then he stepped out of the room and into the courtyard. There was a large willow tree in the courtyard, with lush branches and leaves.

It is said that willow trees attract ghosts, but Chen Mo found the lush greenery quite pleasant.

There was an old well nearby with a well pulley. Chen Mo drew water and went to the kitchen.

The kitchen was simply furnished, but it had everything you needed.

Chen Mo wanted to know where the Ghost Year Meat came from.

After all, he had been eating Ghost Festival meat for ten years. Su Yuqing never told him where she came from, but Chen Mo got up early today specifically to come and see the kitchen.

After wandering around for a while, I didn't see any meat in the kitchen.

"Well, with this woman's extraordinary supernatural powers, it's not surprising that she can conjure up flesh."

Chen Mo left the kitchen and returned to the room. He found Su Yuqing still asleep, so he didn't disturb her. Instead, he sat down in front of Su Yuqing's dressing table and carefully examined himself in the mirror.

His appearance hadn't changed much, except his skin was paler. His eyes were colder, and his brows carried a chilling, fierce murderous aura.

Chen Mo opened the control panel.

【Name: Shadow Demon Bone】

[Rank: Silver Life Aura]

[Type: Yin-type Ghost Bones]

Integration Progress: 42/100

[Unknown part: Not yet awakened]

[Note: When the fusion rate exceeds 50%, a new power will be awakened.]

"The fusion process is getting slower and slower. After eating the flesh of the Ghost Year here for ten years, I've only reached a fusion level of 42. However, I will awaken new power after the fusion reaches 50%, which is not bad."

Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions and continued to open the Ghostly Shadow panel.

[Ghost Curse Ability: Ghostly Appearance]

[Level: Advanced]

[Characteristics: Perception range reaches 300 zhang; in addition to being able to connect with your soul, it can also incorporate one-tenth of your power.]

Although Chen Mo has now become a ghost, the abilities of this ghost shadow are still quite good and not useless.

He had previously asked Su Yuqing and learned that ghosts could control their shadows and act independently. However, it was difficult for a ghost shadow to contain power, since a ghost shadow was just an ethereal shadow.

Chen Mo then looked at the Mingyu Skill and the Thunderclap Force.

They have all reached the pinnacle of their abilities.

The ninth level of martial arts master has reached the limit and can no longer improve.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

Chen Mo let out a hoarse, low laugh as he looked in the mirror.

"My eyes grew colder and colder, and the killing intent in my heart grew stronger. I suppose it's because I was corrupted by the power of awakening after becoming a demon."

"After leaving here, I need to obtain 20,000 original essences as soon as possible, modify my bloodline to cultivate the Ghost Bone Fusion Technique, and temper my bloodline true fire before I can slow down the erosion of the power of awakening."

Chen Mo made up his mind, hoping that Su Yuqing would wake up and allow him to leave this place.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Yuqing finally sat up on the bed and slowly walked behind Chen Mo.

Chen Mo saw the woman with a red veil behind him through the dressing mirror, but he wasn't afraid. He simply said, "According to the agreement, I should leave today. You won't go back on your word, will you?"

Su Yuqing, veiled beneath her red veil, spoke softly, "Alas, now that you've left, I'm all alone here again. This place is so lonely, so desolate... I've been here alone for over a hundred years. But I will keep my promise. Before you leave, would you please have a meal with me?"

Chen Mo agreed, "Okay."

Da da da.

Su Yuqing went to the kitchen in her embroidered shoes and returned shortly afterward with a large bowl of "ghost year meat".

As Chen Mo was eating the Ghost Year meat, Su Yuqing suddenly began to sob.

She was clearly an incredibly powerful female ghost, yet she was sobbing like this; the contrast was just too great.

Chen Mo then asked, "Why are you crying?"

Su Yuqing said, "I saw that the woman who came with Young Master Mo was extremely vicious. She actually burned Chunfeng Tower to the ground. Now I have no place to stay. I am truly pitiful."

Having spent ten years together, Chen Mo had long since figured out Su Yuqing's temperament.

This woman has an eccentric personality; she knows how to act weak and coquettish.

Chen Mo then said, "Just tell me directly, what do you want me to do?"

Su Yuqing said pitifully, "Spring Breeze Pavilion is gone, and I have nowhere to go. Could you please take that mirror home with you, Young Master Mo? And occasionally light some incense for me? I will be forever grateful for your great kindness and will repay you by serving you like a slave for the rest of my life."

Chen Mo pondered for a moment: "It's impossible to bring the mirror home. But I can rent a courtyard outside and put you there. Also, what do you need incense for?"

Su Yuqing's voice was delicate and pitiful, "I am so pitiful here, only surviving on the incense offerings from Afu outside. Now that Afu has been captured by that woman, there is no one to offer me incense. I have been all alone all my life, and the only thing I can rely on is you, young master. Please have mercy on me and do not abandon me to my fate."

After finishing the last piece of Ghost Year meat, Chen Mo asked, "If you're so powerful, how come you're trapped here and can't get out?"

Su Yuqing said, "It's all because of that ghost story. I need to find someone who can survive hearing a ghost story to help me leave. I originally thought you were that person, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. It's all my fault that you've been here for ten years. It's all my fault."

As she spoke, Su Yuqing stood up again, gave Chen Mo a deep bow, and looked pitiful with tears streaming down her face.

Chen Mo quickly stopped, saying, "Don't cry and whine, I'll agree to your request."

Su Yuqing was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. While clearing away the dishes, she said, "I will clear away the dishes first, and then I will use my powers to summon you out."

Chen Mo hummed in agreement.

Not long after, Su Yuqing returned, sat down in front of the dressing table, and began to do her makeup carefully.

The next moment, Su Yuqing extended her slender, snow-white right hand, "Young Master Mo, give me your hand."

Chen Mo was already a ghost, so naturally he had no taboos and reached out his hand. Su Yuqing grasped Chen Mo's hand, then placed both hands in front of the dressing mirror and drew a mysterious pattern.

Su Yuqing explained, "These are just scribbles. Young Master Mo, when you're out there, please remember your promise to me. Don't be a heartless man."

Chen Mo said, "I understand."

next moment--

hum!
Chen Mo suddenly felt the world spin, and space reverse...

……

A full month has passed in Honghe County outside.

As usual, the streets were bustling with traffic and people coming and going.

The peddlers secretly set up their stalls to sell their goods, and the assistants got up early and went to bed late, each busy with their own lives. Everything was the same as usual.

Chunfeng Tower was burned down and turned into ruins.

Aside from the initial few days when it caused a lot of discussion, it quickly died down, and everyone continued with their lives.

Red Lantern Temple.

Inside the ancient pagoda altar.

A large red coffin stood in the center of the altar. The old woman knelt outside the altar, with a wooden box covered in runes behind her.

puff.

The old woman knelt on the ground, muttering something under her breath, as if communicating with something. After she finished muttering, she stood up and walked shakily to the wooden box.

"The Lesser Master of Fate captured this ghost for Your Highness, which shows his utmost loyalty to you. I will now place the wooden box on the altar so that Your Highness may purify this ghost."

The old woman tried to move the wooden box to the altar, but the box was quite heavy, and a clanging sound came from inside, along with a howling roar.

The old woman dragged it for a while, then, covered in sweat, called out from a distance from the altar, "Old Yangzi, stop busy making the New Year's meat for the goddess. Come and lend a hand, this box is very heavy."

In the distance, amidst the red light, there was a spacious room that resembled a slaughterhouse. Inside, Old Tang, dressed in a standard judicial robe, was wielding a butcher's knife, making a clanging and clattering noise as he worked on something.

Upon hearing the old woman's words, Old Tang put down his butcher's knife and came out of the room. He even wiped his hands on his robe before coming over to help move the boxes.

Pretending not to know, she cautiously asked, "Great Master of Fate, what's in this box? Why is it so heavy?"

The old woman said, "It's the ghost you mentioned before that was lurking in the Spring Breeze Pavilion, ruining the incense offerings of the goddess. It was captured by the Lesser Master of Fate. Our goddess is a kind and benevolent deity, so she had to purify and subdue this ghost to prevent it from harming the people of this area."

Old Tang replied in response, "Your Majesty is very kind."

The old woman smiled and said, "Of course. Honghe County has been able to live in peace and tranquility for many years thanks to the Empress. We all rely on the Empress for our livelihood, so we must do our best."

“The Grand Master of Fate is right.”

The two of them struggled to place the box in the center of the altar, near the coffin.

Whoosh!

The old woman straightened up, took several deep breaths, and then beckoned to Old Tang, "Old Yangzi, I recited the Longevity Sutra for Her Majesty today, and she needs to rest now. We'll leave now so as not to disturb Her Majesty's peace. We'll come back tonight."

Old Tang nodded in agreement, followed the old woman out of the altar, and pushed open the large red door to go out.

Seeing that the old woman had great difficulty moving around, Old Tang helped her up, saying, "The Grand Master of Fate recites the Longevity Scripture for the Empress every day, which takes a toll on his mind and body. You must take care of yourself."

The old woman laughed and said, "Your Majesty has made far greater sacrifices to protect the peace and well-being of the people than I have. I recite the Longevity Sutra for Your Majesty day and night, praying for your long life. But those are nothing compared to what I have done."

Old Tang sighed, "Yes, Her Majesty has worked tirelessly to protect the peace and stability of the Red River region. I deeply admire her. Unfortunately, I am not fortunate enough to have the chance to see Her Majesty's true face."

The old woman laughed and said, "Old Yangzi is a great attendant, and he has mastered the art of preserving the spirit. The goddess in the art of preserving the spirit is the true form of the goddess. Why must you see the goddess's true form?"

Old Tang scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly, "I'm just curious. Doesn't the Grand Master of Fate also have curiosity?"

The old woman looked up at the setting sun in the sky, gazed at it for a long time, and sighed: "Old Yangzi and I have worked together for many years, always conscientious and diligent. I still want to remind you, don't be curious about the Empress. Sometimes, being too curious is not a good thing."

Old Tang did not miss the opportunity to ask, and asked, "Has the Grand Master of Fate seen the true form of the Goddess?"

The old woman pondered for a long time before finally speaking, "I was fortunate enough to have seen it once. It was exactly the same as what you see in your methods of preserving the spirit. It's a pity that the Empress is short-lived and has been in a deep sleep ever since. That's why I recite the Longevity Scripture day and night, praying that the Empress will wake up soon."

Just as the two were talking, something very unusual happened inside the altar.

Bang bang bang!
"Damn it, how dare they imprison me! I have important business to attend to!"

The old Taoist priest in black robes roared from inside the wooden box, frantically smashing it.

He had smashed the wooden crates countless times, but to no avail.

This wooden box is quite effective at suppressing ghosts.

But the old Taoist priest, Afu, continued to smash the box frantically.

He wanted to leave this place; he wanted to go back to Spring Breeze to find someone to tell him ghost stories.

He wanted to find someone who wouldn't die after hearing a ghost story.

He needs to find a way to release his master.

The owner is so pitiful.

They were trapped in that place for over a hundred years.

Just then——

Click.

Afu actually smashed open the lid of the wooden box.

Afu was very surprised: So many times before, it didn't work, but this time it worked?

But overall it's a great thing.

Afu suddenly climbed out of the wooden box and saw a very strange altar with a large, eerie red coffin standing in the center.

"What is this place?"

Afu paused for a moment, then without thinking much, hurriedly ran towards the outside of the altar.

He wasn't interested in anything here; he wanted to go back and tell ghost stories.

However, when they reached the edge of the altar—

boom!
Suddenly, spiderwebs of secret manuals appeared at the edge of the altar, forcefully sending Afu flying back and crashing back down next to the wooden box.

"what!"

"I want to get out!!"

Afu rushed towards the edge of the altar like a madman, only to be bounced back time and time again. Finally, Afu lay on the ground, covered in wounds, shouting, "I want to go out! I want to go out and tell ghost stories!"

"Master, Afu is so sorry."

"How can Master survive without Afu to serve him..."

"Owner……"

Afu cried out in sorrow, when suddenly he heard a "bang" sound behind him.

Afu immediately stopped crying, endured the pain, stood up, and looked back at the upright red coffin.

Bang, bang, bang!
There was movement inside the vertical coffin.

It was as if something inside had awakened.

"WTF?"

Afu walked step by step toward the red coffin, and when he was about two meters away, he suddenly stopped.

Suddenly, Afu felt an indescribable sense of danger sweep over his entire body.

This level of danger far exceeds that of the woman in red who captured him before.

hiss!
Afu took a deep breath, backed away step by step, his expression becoming extremely horrified and frightened.

Just then——

Bang!
With a loud bang, a furry paw suddenly emerged from the red coffin, ignoring all of Afu's struggles, and dragged Afu directly towards the coffin.

"Ah!!! What is that!!!"

Afu let out a terrified scream.

The next moment, Afu was pulled into the coffin.

The coffin lid was closed again.

The coffin emitted crunching and gnawing sounds, along with Afu's piercing, frantic screams.

"What are you? What are you going to do... Ah, no, no!!!"

"I want to tell more ghost stories... Ah!!"

"Master, save Afu!!"

……

Qingfuju.

Old Tang wasn't there, but everyone else was.

Everyone sat down to eat together.

The atmosphere was solemn.

Snapped.

Tang Xiaoyu slammed her chopsticks down. "Miss, are we just going to wait like this? Young Master Mo saved my life, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I need to see him alive or dead."

Seeing his sister's resolute expression, Tang Tongshan added, "Me too."

Tang Qi said, "Although I haven't spent much time with Young Master Mo, I quite like him. Let's go directly to Shao Siming and interrogate her. Shao Siming is indeed powerful, but if the few of us join forces, we might not be afraid of her."

Guo Ziyu ate her meal silently, swallowing each bite carefully. After a long while, she put down her chopsticks and looked up. "For the past month, Shao Siming has been guarding the ruins of Chunfeng Tower. It's clear that Shao Siming doesn't know what happened either. She hasn't given up on Chen Mo yet, so we don't need to cause trouble now. We'll intercept her when Shao Siming leaves the ruins of Chunfeng Tower and interrogate her until we get to the bottom of things."

Tang Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, it's settled then. I, Tang Xiaoyu, am making this clear: Chen Mo was taken to Chunfeng Tower by Shao Siming. If anything happens to Chen Mo, I will risk my life to kill Shao Siming."

Chen Mo is a man of Tangjiabao. We can't let someone kill him for no reason and then not pay the price.

Guo Ziyu nodded: "Okay. Everyone pack up and keep an eye on the direction of Chunfeng Tower. Once Shao Siming leaves, we'll make our move secretly."

……

Chunfeng Tower.

It was burned to ruins.

Although a month has passed since the fire, people will not forget... how many people died in that fire.

Everyone who remained at Chunfeng Tower—the girls, the managers, the guards… or the guests seeking pleasure—was burned to death.

The order given by Shao Siming.

To prevent the curse from being revealed, no one can leave.

Although the decision was ruthless, no one objected.

After all, those born outside... know that if those inside come out, they will bring a curse, so they wish that everyone inside would die.

However, Chunfeng Tower occupied a large area, and even though it was burned to the ground, only scattered ruins remained.

The yamen runners who had been blocking the area outside had already dispersed.

Shao Siming had Cao Kun set up a tent in the middle of the ruins.

Shao Siming then settled down here.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Cao Kun stayed by Shao Siming's side. Even though he knew that Shao Siming valued Chen Mo, he was still surprised to see that Shao Siming had stayed there for a month.

That night, Cao Kun lit a fire outside the tent, boiled water, and cooked some food before bringing it inside. Seeing Shao Siming sitting at the table, lost in thought, he comforted her, "Shao Siming, it seems that Master Chen Mo has met with misfortune. You should make plans accordingly."

Shao Siming glared at Cao Kun. "Chen Mo isn't dead. He was just pulled into some place and can't get out."

Cao Kun found this very strange, "But the Spring Breeze Pavilion has been burned to ashes, so where could Master Chen be?"

Shao Siming said coldly, "Don't ask any more questions about this matter. Go outside and keep watch. If you find anyone around, come and inform me immediately."

Seeing that Shao Siming was in a bad mood, Cao Kun didn't dare to say anything, nodded in agreement, and then left.

Inside the huge tent, only Shao Siming remained.

She glanced at the cooked food on the table, but had no appetite. She just murmured, "Chen Mo, I've dragged you into this. But you absolutely can't get hurt. Otherwise, I'll be so lonely in this world, with no one to talk to. Life will be too boring."

Just then, Cao Kun hurriedly lifted the tent flap and came in. "Young Master Ming, I saw a person dressed as a groom in the deserted courtyard ahead. He was acting suspiciously and very strangely. I dare not approach him..."

"You stay here and don't wander off."

Shao Siming left behind a sentence, and then disappeared with a "whoosh".

She ran quickly towards the direction of the abandoned courtyard, and sure enough, at the entrance of the burned-down courtyard, she saw a young man dressed as a groom in the front living room. The young man stood in front of the altar, furtively took down the mirror from the altar, held the mirror in his hand, looked around, and muttered something under his breath.

This person was Chen Mo, who had just run out of the mirror.

In truth, almost everything Chen Mo said to Su Yuqing in the mirror was insincere. He had never truly believed Su Yuqing. After all, he didn't know if the female ghost would really let him go.

Now that he was back in a familiar place, Chen Mo realized that Su Yuqing... had truly kept her promise.

“Although I am a ghost, I am not untrustworthy. I remember everything you have done for me. I will not leave you without a place to rest. Here I will take this mirror and find a place to put it for you. I will offer incense to you often.”

Chen Mo muttered to himself, then picked up a mirror. Finding no one around, he walked out of the living room door, glanced at the familiar full moon outside, and breathed in the fresh air.

It's much more comfortable outside. The space inside is too small, too enclosed and too oppressive. Staying there for too long will make people mentally abnormal.

Something felt off about me.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel more admiration for Su Yuqing.

He was trapped in that place for a hundred years, yet his mind remained undistorted.

He is a person with firm aspirations.

Seeing that no one was around, Chen Mo turned into a blur and slipped away.

Chen Mo was incredibly fast; each step covered a distance of ten or twenty feet, and in just a few steps, he emerged from the ruins of Chunfeng Tower and onto the main street.

Chen Mo saw Qingfu Residence in the distance, but instead of going in directly, he quietly passed by Qingfu Residence and headed towards the end of the red-light district.

It wasn't that Chen Mo was afraid of being discovered by Guo Ziyu and the others that he was a ghost.

Besides, they probably won't find out.

Chen Mo felt that the most urgent task was to properly place the mirror.

Even though they were of different social standing, they had already gone through a marriage ceremony.

We can't let this woman die in vain.

“I remember Qiulan saying that at the end of the red-light district there was an abandoned house belonging to my Chen family. That house was originally bought by Chen Shu to keep his lovers at the Chunfeng Tower. Later, Chen Shu died, and the house was abandoned.”

They arrived at the house quickly.

A sign hangs above the entrance that reads: Shuiyunju.

Chen Mo kicked open the gate and entered the village, clutching the mirror.

It was a three-courtyard complex. Its size was similar to that of Chen Mo's east courtyard in the Chen residence.

Finding no one inside, Chen Mo went directly through the hanging flower gate into the central courtyard, then through a small door across the central courtyard to the back room in the backyard. He found a room and placed the mirror on the incense table.

Although the house had been uninhabited for a long time, it still had all the necessary furniture and equipment. Chen Mo then found an incense burner and incense sticks, and lit three incense sticks for the mirror.

After completing all this, Chen Mo stared at the mirror for a moment.

The mirror was quite ordinary, but it reflected Chen Mo's image.

"That's all."

Chen Mo clapped his hands: "Now that I'm a ghost too, it's not good for me to stay at home all the time. From now on, I'll stay at Shuiyun Residence more often. At most, I'll ask Qiulan and the others to come over and clean up."

Having arranged everything, Chen Mo closed the room door and was about to leave.

Ok?
Chen Mo suddenly felt that someone was following him.

"Who's there? Show yourself and prepare to die!"

boom!
Chen Mo leaped onto the roof with lightning speed and indeed saw a shadowy figure lurking in the courtyard. Without saying a word, he jumped down from the roof and unleashed a crackling bolt of lightning that pierced fiercely towards the figure!
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.: There will be an extra chapter tonight.

(End of this chapter)