I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 118 The Pinnacle of Mortals, The Ferocious Ghost Emerges from the Great Yin Mountain!

Chen Mo walked to the seat of honor and sat down in the grand master's chair.

Hearing the incense masters around him addressing him as Left Envoy Chen, he was actually quite calm.

For Chen Mo, this really meant nothing.

At this moment, Shao Siming spoke up, "Everyone must remember that you must assist Left Envoy Chen well in the future, and manage the incense offerings of Honghe County for Her Majesty."

He Miao lowered her head and replied, "Yes."

Shao Siming then explained some rules and regulations, which the various incense masters all agreed to. Shao Siming then presented Chen Mo with the identity plaque for the Left Incense Envoy, along with the corresponding robes, weapons, and so on. This marked the successful completion of the ceremony.

As dusk fell, the incense hall hosted a welcome banquet for Chen Mo.

In truth, He Miao was initially unwilling to host this banquet. The so-called banquet was nothing more than flattery, and it would only enhance the prestige of Chen Mo, the newly appointed Left Envoy…

But Shao Siming stayed in the incense hall and even spoke up. No matter how displeased He Miao was, she had no choice but to swallow her anger.

During the banquet, the temple leaders gathered together and sat at three large round tables.

Shao Siming sat down next to Chen Mo, greatly enhancing Chen Mo's prestige.

Although the various incense masters are powerful and highly respected in public, they are inevitably arrogant. However, after witnessing Chen Mo's punch earlier, and now seeing Shao Siming sitting beside Chen Mo, how could they dare to be arrogant anymore?
They all addressed Chen Zuoshi (Left Envoy) respectfully with toasts, afraid of falling behind and incurring the wrath of this newly appointed Left Envoy, which could jeopardize their future.

Even He Miao, under the pressure of Shao Siming, came over to toast Chen Mo. However, feeling embarrassed about losing face in public earlier, he spoke hesitantly and awkwardly.

Seeing the various incense masters come up to him to curry favor and offer him drinks, Chen Mo didn't hesitate to take a small sip in response. He also took the opportunity to observe everyone. He noticed that a robust young man in gray was particularly aloof and didn't fit in with the others, clearly being ostracized by the other incense masters.

Chen Mo had asked Shao Siming and learned that the gray-clad youth was named Lu Chengzhuang.

……

The incense hall was so large that the various incense masters would stay here when they were busy traveling.

The best of the four courtyards was naturally reserved for Chen Zuo Shi.

The courtyard was exquisitely furnished, with all sorts of facilities. There was also a small training ground in the courtyard, with weapon racks on both sides, displaying all kinds of weapons.

Except for the lack of maids to serve him, everything else was fine.

Shao Siming and Chen Mo strolled side by side in the courtyard, discussing the importance of the incense hall.

Chen Mo listened attentively.

Having taken on this position, Chen Mo didn't want any mistakes to occur, lest it affect his access to the Martial Arts Pavilion.

In general, incense offerings are the core of the Red Lantern Clan. The incense hall, which manages the incense offerings, is essentially in charge of everything else.

Inside the Red Lantern Temple, the main duty is to serve the goddess.

Aside from the head of the incense hall, Chen Mo practically controlled everything external to the Red Lantern Temple. As the Left Envoy, he held the power of life and death. Anyone who disturbed the temple's incense offerings could be killed.

The fourth position held by the Red Light is not just for show.

However, Shao Siming is still Chen Mo's superior, and Xianghuotang also needs to accept Da Siming's guidance.

For Chen Mo, this was actually a good thing.

At least the person who came to handle things wasn't some unfamiliar High Priestess, or even the Red Lantern Lady herself...

After all official duties were handed over, Chen Mo asked about the matter he was concerned about, "Now that I have my identification token, I can go to the Red Lantern Martial Arts Pavilion to check martial arts techniques anytime, right?"

Shao Siming smiled and said, "That's natural. But it's best not to come at night; try to come during the day to illuminate the red lanterns."

Chen Mo was taken aback: "Why is that?"

Shao Siming didn't explain the reason, only saying, "I won't harm you. I have to go back now. Take good care of the incense hall and don't disappoint me."

After leaving behind a single sentence, Shao Siming hurriedly departed.

Chen Mo did not act impolitely and personally saw Shao Siming off at the door.

Watching Shao Siming's carriage gradually disappear into the night, Chen Mo walked towards the west courtyard, thinking to himself: Shao Siming's attitude towards me is very strange. I wonder what this woman is thinking.

"Since Shao Siming said to try to go to the Red Lantern Temple during the day, I will wait here for the night."

Back in the West Courtyard, Chen Mo summoned Lu Chengzhuang and, after questioning him, learned that Lu Chengzhuang was a peak seventh-level martial artist, not far from the eighth level. However, due to a past grudge against He Miao, he was ostracized by many incense masters.

Chen Mo nodded slightly after hearing this.

It's good that you had a grudge against He Miao.

"From now on, you will stay by my side. If anything happens, you can report to me anytime."

Lu Chengzhuang was greatly surprised, never expecting that after being neglected for more than ten years, he would have another chance to be valued. But he quickly figured out the new Left Envoy's plan: the reason for his promotion was probably precisely because of his feud with He Miao, the Right Envoy. This would make it easier to control and restrain He Miao.

Thinking about this, Lu Chengzhuang suddenly realized that this young Left Envoy was no ordinary person. He appeared rough and violent on the surface, but he was also extremely shrewd.

But Lu Chengzhuang had long since run out of options, so he happily agreed: "Thank you for your high regard, Left Envoy Chen. I know my place."

Chen Mo walked to the weapon rack in the courtyard, picking up a weapon from time to time to play with it. "Let me ask you, what is He Miao's usual conduct like?"

Lu Chengzhuang guessed the young Left Envoy's thoughts and couldn't help but feel intimidated. He dared not lie and said, "Right Envoy He is loyal to Her Majesty and diligent in his duties. He would never dare to show favoritism. Over the years, he has been conscientious and has earned the praise of the Junior Master of Fate."

The fact that He Youshi received praise from Shao Siming suggests that he must have no problems with his official duties.

Since that's the case, Chen Mo decided to let He Miao handle more official duties in the future, which would save him some trouble.

Chen Mo then asked, "What is He Miao's personal reputation like?"

Lu Chengzhuang hesitated for a moment before saying, "This is a mixed bag. He lives a simple life and is a martial arts fanatic. However, he is extremely protective of his own and holds grudges. I was reprimanded by Right Envoy He for not listening to him during an operation, which resulted in the operation not meeting his expectations. Since then, he has shunned me."

Chen Mo chuckled, a sinister laugh that sent chills down Lu Chengzhuang's spine.

Actually, he was overthinking it.

This was just Chen Mo's usual smile, only his voice was a little off after he became a ghost...

"I understand. Go and call He Miao here."

"Yes."

Soon, He Miao walked over carrying a five-foot-long broadsword.

"Left Envoy Chen summoned me urgently; what are your instructions?"

Although He Miao was unhappy, feeling that Chen Mo had ruined his path to advancement, upon seeing Chen Mo, he clearly sensed the cold and fierce aura emanating from him, and fear replaced his unhappiness.

Chen Mo chuckled twice, making He Miao feel uneasy, before saying, "I am new here, and I will need Right Envoy He to take care of many affairs of the Incense Hall."

The more polite Chen Mo spoke, the more intimidated He Miao became. She quickly cupped her hands in greeting and said, "My task is to assist Left Envoy Chen. I know my limits."

"Jie Jie Jie~"

Chen Mo stroked a broadsword on the weapon rack and let out a cold, hoarse laugh.

hiss!
He Miao felt another shiver run down her spine, and a nameless fear swept over her entire body.

He's a peak ninth-level martial artist, practically invincible except against ghosts. He's long since stopped taking the various hall masters and incense leaders of the Red Lantern Gang seriously. So why does seeing this Left Envoy Chen evoke such fear in him?
Chen Mo turned around after a long while, his cold eyes staring straight at He Miao. "Right Envoy He, are you alright after taking a punch from me?"

He Miao felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast, and he couldn't help but shudder. He quickly said, "Thanks to Left Envoy Chen for stopping in time, I was not injured. Otherwise, I would have been crippled if not dead."

Chen Mo nodded. "But do you still feel a cold sensation in your abdomen that hasn't dissipated? Why don't you feel quite comfortable?"

He Miao was greatly surprised: "How did Left Envoy Chen know this?"

Chen Mo said in a sinister tone, "That's the stagnation of the Black Fiend Blood Blade's true energy. If it continues to flow in your abdomen, it will have a negative impact on your body. In the future, when you practice martial arts, you will be more likely to suffer from qi deviation."

He Miao felt a chill run down her spine.

He never expected that what seemed like a casual punch from his opponent would possess such terrifying power.

He Miao knew about the Black Fiend Blood Blade and had even practiced it, but it was nowhere near as effective as this.

Thinking that he was prone to qi deviation when practicing his skills in the future, he panicked even more and quickly lowered his posture, cupping his hands and saying, "Please help me clear away this stagnation of true qi, Left Envoy Chen."

Chen Mo did not answer, but picked up the broadsword from his weapon to examine it.

He Miao gritted his teeth again, determined to completely let go of the resentment and anger in his heart, and said, "What happened before was all because I, He Miao, was too arrogant, presumptuous and ignorant. I offended Left Envoy Chen. Now that I know the divine power of Left Envoy Chen, I will definitely follow Left Envoy Chen's orders and assist him wholeheartedly from now on. I will never do anything foolish again."

Chen Mo grunted in acknowledgment, then picked up his broadsword and aimed it at He Miao's abdomen.

The incredibly fast speed of the blade left He Miao no time to react. He initially thought Chen Zuo Shi was going to chop him to pieces, but he quickly realized he had misunderstood. When the blade tip touched his abdomen, the cold, stagnant true energy within him was drawn out by the blade tip, condensing on the edge and releasing waves of chilling cold.

Click.

Chen Mo then placed the broadsword back on the weapon rack. "The cold current true energy within your body has been absorbed, and there will be no further hidden dangers. Now step down. Serve me well, and I will certainly not treat you unfairly."

After this battle, He Miao was completely terrified and convinced by Chen Zuoshi. He bowed and thanked him, then left trembling with fear.

When He Miao walked out of the west gate, she found that her clothes were completely soaked.

Even his hair was soaked.

His teeth were chattering uncontrollably. "I really don't know what kind of background the person Shao Siming transferred here is, to be so terrifying. Now that you mention it, Shao Siming was indeed farsighted. I really am not fit for the position of Left Envoy."

This Left Envoy Chen is a difficult person to serve. From now on, when I work under him, I'll have to be extremely careful in everything I do, and absolutely cannot make a mistake. Who knows, one day Left Envoy Chen might get displeased and really hack me to pieces.”

……

Chen Mo closed the west gate and sat down cross-legged in the main hall.

Continue to cultivate the visualization and contemplation of the Burial of Souls Sutra.

Once he arrived at the Empress's territory, Chen Mo dared not easily cultivate the ghost energy within his body.

The next morning, Lu Chengzhuang arrived early and knocked on the door to report.

"Left Envoy Chen, please come to the council hall."

Chen Mo composed himself, washed up, and went out. Upon seeing Lu Chengzhuang, he asked, "What is it?"

Lu Chengzhuang said, "It's not a big deal. It's just that there's a place called Wuqiao Town outside Honghe County. Some villagers didn't offer incense to the Goddess. Instead, they were worshipping other evil gods at home. My disciples from the Incense Hall discovered this during their patrol. Those two families have been detained and are awaiting further instructions."

Why don't you offer incense to the goddess?
That's quite rare.

The villagers living in Honghe County are long accustomed to worshipping the goddess, and they all know that the consequences of not doing so are severe. Why break the taboo?
Chen Mo asked, "Under normal circumstances, how should this be handled?"

Lu Chengzhuang said, "Usually, they would pick one or two troublemakers and kill them as a warning to others. The villagers also knew the consequences and didn't complain."

Chen Mo naturally felt that this method was too cruel, but Chen Mo was no savior.

They soon arrived at the council chamber, where everyone was discussing the matter.

"It has been a long time since anyone stopped offering incense to the goddess."

"Even if they did, they would be secretly worshipping other evil gods in private, and it would be fine if they weren't discovered. But these two families are being far too arrogant..."

"Shh, Left Envoy Chen is here."

As Chen Mo led Lu Chengzhuang into the council hall, the other incense masters stopped their discussions and stood up to greet him with clasped hands.

Chen Mo took his seat at the head of the table and looked at He Miao, who was sitting to the side, "What exactly happened?"

He Miao felt a chill run down his spine when Chen Mo glared at him, and his attitude became instinctively much more respectful. "This is what happened. Yesterday, our men received a report from the Black Mountain Stronghold that three families in Wuqiao Town had been worshipping other evil gods, which had disrupted the incense offerings of the Goddess. Our men immediately went to take those three families into custody."

Chen Mo said in a deep voice, "Then let's just handle it according to the rules, why bother reporting it to me?"

He Miao said, “Usually, villagers would privately worship other evil gods. But these three families are different. They openly set up statues of other evil gods at their doorsteps and openly offer incense. Such behavior is tantamount to setting a very bad precedent, which is tantamount to challenging the prestige of our Red Lantern Goddess. We have never encountered anything like this before, and we are discussing whether to execute all three families. But we are also worried about causing panic in Wuqiao Town. We are unsure of what to do.”

Openly worshipping other evil gods?
That's definitely a bit too arrogant.

Ordinary villagers wouldn't have such audacity.

Chen Mo then said, "Killing won't work; we need to investigate the reasons thoroughly. He Miao, send a capable incense master to Wuqiao Town to investigate. Avoid killing if possible. Find out the cause and solve the problem at its root; that's the best way to give the Empress a proper explanation."

Upon hearing this, He Miao immediately realized that the young Left Envoy's method was extremely effective, and said, "Alright, I will take charge of this matter."

"Then let's all disperse."

Chen Mo got up and left, wandering around the west courtyard for a while. Then, he took the identity token of the Left Incense Master and hurriedly left the hall, heading straight for the martial arts pavilion of the Red Lantern Temple.

……

"As expected of the martial arts pavilion of the Red Lantern Temple, its scale is truly outrageous."

Chen Mo took the token and entered the first floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion. He saw rows of densely packed bookshelves, where many of the incense managers were browsing.

Ordinary temple masters and managers need to have made contributions to come here to check martial arts skills.

However, Chen Mo, being the fourth-ranking member of the Red Lantern Gang, was exempt from this convention and possessed special privileges. He could borrow one martial arts manual per month.

Limited attempts, but no limit on skill level.

Because Chen Mo was wearing a dark red robe with the pattern of the Twenty-Four Incense Offerings, the local elders recognized him immediately and began to gossip about it.

"Could this be Chen Mo, the newly appointed Left Envoy of the Incense Hall of our Red Lantern Gang?"

"I heard that this person is only sixteen years old, yet he was promoted by Shao Siming to the position of Left Incense Master, making him practically the fourth most important figure in our Red Lantern Gang. He is truly a young hero."

"I also heard that this person punched He Miao so hard that he vomited blood on the spot. He's a ruthless character."

"Judging from his expression and his chilling aura, we know this person is not to be trifled with. Let's keep our voices down so that Left Envoy Chen doesn't hear us."

"Indeed, I've heard that this person is capricious and prone to killing; he's far too violent. I don't want to be punched to death."

"..."

Chen Mo's six senses had long since reached the peak of mortals, so he naturally heard everyone's discussions, but he didn't say much. He casually flipped through a few martial arts manuals, lost interest, and then went upstairs.

The Martial Arts Pavilion has four floors.

The second layer is only accessible to hall masters and deputy hall masters who have made sufficient contributions.

Chen Mo, however, had no obstacles whatsoever.

After browsing the second floor for a while without finding any martial arts techniques that caught my eye, I went to the third floor.

The third floor was almost deserted, indicating that even ordinary hall masters weren't qualified to come here. Chen Mo searched around and found a few martial arts manuals that were barely passable. However, they were only passable in appearance and not yet at a level worth practicing.

It's completely useless.

Then, Chen Mo went up to the fourth floor.

The place was quite elegant and quiet, with only three rows of bookshelves, each filled with very old books and pages.

Chen Mo found the Mingyu Skill and the Black Fiend Blood Blade here.

"interesting."

Chen Mo flipped through the books one by one.

"The Iron Shirt Technique, a unique external martial art?"

This martial arts manual caught Chen Mo's attention, and he immediately picked it up and started reading.

After looking through it for a while, Chen Mo's eyes lit up with interest.

This Iron Shirt technique isn't actually a garment made of cultivated true energy covering the entire body; it's not that exaggerated. However, its effects are similar: it refines true energy to an extremely hardened level and infuses it into the muscles and skin, giving the skin exceptional resistance to impact. It can make one impervious to blades, spears, and poisons.

It is a top-level external martial art for cultivating the physical body.

"Not bad, it suits me. My true energy has been cultivated to the limit of mortals. But my physical body is still lacking. If I can temper my physical body to its limit as well, I may be one step closer to the fifth stage."

Chen Mo reviewed the Iron Shirt manual again, making sure he understood its essentials, and then opened the control panel:

[Another object was detected]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

Deconstruct!

Chen Mo had an idea.

As a wave of dizziness washed over me, lines of subtitles appeared.

【Name: Iron Shirt】

[Level: Internal Martial Arts]

[Type: External Strength Kung Fu]

[Note: The core of Iron Shirt Technique lies in tempering the body's muscles, bones, skin, and flesh to achieve an indestructible state, impervious to swords and spears. Further incorporating internal energy allows one to reach the limits of the mortal body.]

[Introduction: This cultivation method is extremely brutal, involving self-harm. It uses a method of integrating true qi to rebuild the five basic barriers. Under the blessing of true qi, the physical body is allowed to unlock its potential a second time, reaching a state of perfect mortal perfection.]

[Characteristics: Skin, flesh, bone, organs, blood. After rebuilding with true qi, one can reach a higher level, attaining the pinnacle of physical strength among mortals.]

[Tip: Simultaneously using the Bright Jade Skill and Thunderclap Force to rebuild the five basic barriers can elevate the physical body to a higher level. Speed ​​and effectiveness are doubled.]

"I originally borrowed it to practice at the incense hall, but I can only borrow one book a month, so I might as well start learning here. The deconstruction device can leave traces, which is equivalent to carrying the secret manual with me."

Without further ado, Chen Mo immediately combined the Thunderclap Force and the Bright Jade Skill to shatter the Skin Refining Realm of the five basic stages and start refining his skin anew.

Having learned from his previous experience, Chen Mo found it easy to start over, and within just over two hours he had entered the Skin Refining Realm.

Although it's still the same skin-training realm, there has been a fundamental change.

The deconstructor also records the information contained therein.

[Retraining the Skin Realm: Beginner Level]

call!
Chen Mo took a deep breath and then stopped practicing. He then put the Iron Shirt skill back on the bookshelf and continued to browse other secrets.

Since he could only borrow one book per month, Chen Mo naturally wanted to borrow the one he was most satisfied with.

Later on, I saw several other types of external martial arts techniques.

For example, the Golden Bell Cover.

But in principle it's similar to Iron Shirt, so there's no need for extra training.

As noon passed and dusk approached, Chen Mo finally found a martial arts manual that satisfied him.

"A Thousand Threads"

This is an extraordinary internal martial arts technique. It involves cultivating one's true energy into countless sharp threads. If one cultivates it to the highest level, each of these sharp threads can cut through gold and jade. When thousands of threads suddenly burst forth, they spread across the sky and leave no place for anyone to hide.

"It's a really good skill, but it looks like... it's extremely difficult to master."

"Hey, back then, when Shao Siming killed the county magistrate with the true energy that shot out from her fingertips in the yamen, could it have been the Thousand Threads that she used?"

Chen Mo wasn't sure, but he didn't think too much about it. He looked up at the sky outside the window.

"It's getting dark. Shao Siming solemnly told me not to come to the Red Lantern Temple after dark, which I suppose was a veiled message. I'd better leave early. You're the one!"

Chen Mo took the manual and hurriedly went downstairs, where he found an old man guarding the martial arts pavilion and made a record of it.

That was also an old man with a white beard, but not as old as Zhu Yutong, around seventy years old. Chen Mo couldn't tell his strength. The old man made a note, then handed the manual to Chen Mo: "Left Envoy Chen has good taste, recognizing this top-tier internal martial arts technique at a glance. However, the cultivation process is extremely complicated. Many people from the Red Lantern Clan have borrowed this manual, but none have mastered it. Although Left Envoy Chen is young and promising, you shouldn't force it, lest you suffer a qi deviation."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement. Seeing that the old man seemed to know a lot about the Thousand Threads Manual, he asked, "Does the old man know the origin of this manual?"

The old man chuckled and said, "It's no secret. It was something that Shao Siming plundered from elsewhere. Only Shao Siming mastered it."

Chen Mo noted down this information and then hurriedly left.

When we returned to the incense hall, it was already dark.

Lu Chengzhuang was guarding the west gate. When he saw Chen Mo return, he quickly went to greet him: "Left Envoy Chen, you're finally back. I've had dinner prepared, and I'll bring it to you right away."

Chen Mo was indeed hungry, so he agreed, "Have the matters concerning the incense offerings in Wuqiao Town been settled?"

Lu Chengzhuang said, "No feedback yet."

Chen Mo grunted in agreement and entered the west courtyard. After eating the dinner that Lu Chengzhuang had brought, he dismissed Lu Chengzhuang and locked himself in the main room, where he began to read the Thousand Silks Manual.

I've watched it again and again, and I like it more and more each time.

Then open the panel.

[Deconstructable material detected]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

Chen Mo doesn't have the original solution essence, so the modification function is temporarily unavailable, but the number of deconstruction attempts is sufficient.

"Deconstruction".

After the dizziness subsided, the subtitles appeared.

【Name: Thousand Threads】

[Level: Internal Martial Arts]

[Type: Beginner Swordsmanship]

[Note: Thousand Threads is an introductory Qi cultivation method for Sword Ball, created by a fifth-level master.]

[Introduction: This internal skill requires the physical body to reach the peak of mortal strength, and even more so, extraordinary willpower to temper true qi into a level of resilience similar to sword qi. It also requires mastery of true qi to an extremely precise degree.]

[Definition: Thousand Threads Guiding Technique is the prologue to Sword Ball. Mastering Thousand Threads Guiding Technique before practicing swordsmanship will yield twice the results with half the effort; they are a natural fit.]

[Note: After mastering the Thousand Threads Technique, one can control forty-nine fine threads of true energy, capable of cutting through iron like mud and slicing through gold and jade. The Two-Finger Thunder Thrust of the Thunderous Force is similar in effect. Using the Two-Finger Thunder Thrust as a foundation, practicing this method will be twice as effective, allowing for rapid progress.]

"It suits me perfectly."

Chen Mo didn't think it was all just good luck. Rather, it was because he had cultivated many techniques and reached the peak of the mortal realm that he had a feeling of all techniques returning to oneness.

Any internal martial arts technique would be twice as effective with half the effort when it came to Chen Mo.

After all, he stood at the pinnacle of mortal life.

"Moreover, it is a method created by a fifth-level expert, and it can use two-finger lightning spikes as its foundation. It seems that the level of this Thousand Threads is probably even higher than the Thunderclap Force. However, the Thunderclap Force is a method, while the Thousand Threads is a technique, so they cannot be generalized."

"I'll try to start cultivating..."

Chen Mo quickly cleared his mind of distractions and began cultivating the Thousand Threads Technique.

……

The days passed by.

A month passed by in a flash.

Chen Mo hardly ever left the West Courtyard during this period, eating the meals delivered by Lu Chengzhuang every day. He spent the rest of his time working tirelessly on the Thousand Threads and Iron Shirt techniques. He felt extraordinary progress every moment.

He Miao was a sensible person and knew her place. Every day or two, she would come to the West Courtyard to report to Chen Mo and listen to his instructions.

In fact, Chen Mo didn't have any instructions to give.

But He Miao felt at ease after hearing the instructions.

That evening, Chen Mo finished his day's training.

"I've finally rebuilt the five basic levels and reforged my skin, bones, internal organs, and blood. I feel like my entire foundation has been transformed. Even though I'm still a peak mortal, my combat power has more than doubled compared to before."

Chen Mo walked up to the full-length bronze mirror and looked at himself. He found that he had grown taller, probably a little over 1.8 meters. His muscles were clearly visible, exuding a powerful aura.

This is a sign that one has mastered the Iron Shirt technique.

Even without using true qi, relying solely on the strength of his physical body, he could easily kill an ordinary ninth-level martial arts master.

Chen Mo casually tried throwing two punches in mid-air, which produced a sharp and piercing sound.

"As expected of a top-tier external martial art. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to rebuild the five basic levels like I have. My Thousand Threads Technique has also reached a considerable level. Now, even without using the power of the ghost, I might still be able to hold my own against the scions of aristocratic families."

Chen Mo firmly believed that even though the scions of aristocratic families possessed various special abilities enhanced by their bloodline, the power of this world was ultimately still useful. As long as the power was raised to a sufficiently terrifying level, it might not be impossible to crush the scions of aristocratic families.

The bad news is that Chen Mo's internal energy and physical body have reached their limits, making it really difficult for him to improve anything further.

"Now we'll see if mastering the Thousand Threads Technique will increase our combat power. It'll be soon..."

Putting his thoughts aside, Chen Mo asked Lu Chengzhuang to bring him dinner. After eating it despite feeling unwell, Chen Mo planned to return to Shuiyun to stay for a few days. Just then, he saw He Miao rushing in.

"Left Envoy Chen, there's been a result regarding the matter of those three families in Wuqiao Town worshipping other evil gods."

Chen Mo gave Lu Chengzhuang a look, signaling him to pour tea for He Miao.

He Miao drank his tea before saying, "These three families have all been afflicted with madness. They just hadn't manifested it before, but their minds had already been affected, which is why they openly worshipped the evil god."

Fortunately, I listened to Left Envoy Chen's advice and didn't kill them outright. Now that the matter has been investigated and clarified, I can finally give an explanation.

Chen Mo nodded: "What happened next?"

He Miao said, "Those three families were all killed. It seems that there are still people in Wuqiao Town who worship evil gods, so I sent Wei Guoxu and Qiao Shan, the two incense masters, to Wuqiao Town to investigate the source of the problem and prevent future troubles. This is to avoid affecting the incense offerings of the goddess."

Chen Mo had a bad feeling.

All the evil spirits in Qinghe Town have been exterminated, and the area has been designated a forbidden zone. Is there still someone in Wuqiao Town suffering from madness?
Could it be that the evil god behind Shen Yujun in the Great Yin Mountain has really made a move?
If Chen Mo hadn't become the Left Envoy, he wouldn't have cared much. But now that he's in this position, he has to keep an eye on things, lest the Red Lantern Temple accuse him of incompetence.

Chen Mo then made up his mind, "Right Envoy He's arrangement is very appropriate. But we still cannot be careless. We can have Wei Guoxu and Qiao Shan, the two incense masters, go and get more information from Guo Songyang of Black Mountain Village. We can investigate together and try to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible."

"Rest assured, Left Envoy Chen, I will personally oversee this matter. I will inform you as soon as there is any news."

"I'm staying at Shuiyun Residence today. Report to me if you have any news."

After leaving a message, Chen Mo got up and left.

After leaving the incense hall, Chen Mo went to the Chen residence first.

Before anyone even entered the room, they could hear Xiaoyuer's giggling laughter and Tang Xiaoyu's voice coming from inside.

Hearing his youngest sister's laughter, Chen Mo felt much more at ease.

Pushing open the door, we entered the martial arts arena. We saw Tang Xiaoyu flying a kite with Xiaoyuer, and two girls in red jackets running around the arena, their laughter filling the air.

Many of the guards were watching from a distance.

A night breeze blew, causing the clothes and long hair of the two girls to flutter and sway, making them look very beautiful.

"Sister Little Fish, your kite is flying so high!"

"Little Fish, are you silly? It's because I run fast!"

"Then I'll run faster too."

"Little fish, slow down, don't fall."

"No, I'm not a three-year-old anymore. Wow, my kite is soaring, flying even higher! Let's catch up with Sister Little Fish!"

"..."

Chen Mo stood under the eaves, watching the two girls run and chase each other in the wind. His thoughts suddenly flew back to his childhood in his previous life, when he also followed behind his brother, flying a kite.

Two lifetimes have passed in the blink of an eye.

All the beautiful things that have passed are like fallen leaves in the wind; once they wither, they can never be returned to.

The two chased each other for a while, until finally Little Fish couldn't run anymore and squatted down to pant heavily, but the kite in his hand was still flying in the air.

She looked up at the two kites chasing each other in the sky and said with a grin, "Little Fish Sister, you're the higher kite in the sky, and I'm the lower one. Do you think we'll keep chasing each other like this for the rest of our lives?"

Tang Xiaoyu put down the kite string, walked up to Chen Yuer, patted Chen Yuer's head, and smiled, "Yes, I will. I'll keep running with you. You'd better try harder, or you won't be able to keep up with me."

Tang Xiaoyu clenched her fists, her face full of anticipation: "Yes, I will try my best to run. I will definitely catch up with Sister Xiaoyu's pace."

At this moment, Tang Xiaoyu saw Chen Mo in the distance and said to Xiaoyuer, "Sister is hungry and wants to eat your candied hawthorn. Can you go and get one for me?"

"Okay, I'll bring all the candied hawthorns I've been hiding for my sister. Wait for me!" Little Fish ran off to the north courtyard.

Tang Xiaoyu walked up to Chen Mo and said with a smile, "You're finally back! If you hadn't come back, I would have come looking for you. I'm a little tired, and I'd like to have a drink with you, is that alright?"

Chen Mo nodded: "Okay, come with me to the East Courtyard."

The two arrived at the East Courtyard.

The East Courtyard, now devoid of Qiulan and Ma Tie, has become rather deserted. Chen Mo personally led Tang Xiaoyu to her seat in the living room and even opened a jar of peach blossom wine for her.

"You don't usually drink, why do you want to drink today?"

Tang Xiaoyu looked up at the two large kites still flying in the air, picked up her wine glass and took a sip, "I just want to drink today."

Chen Mo poured Tang Xiaoyu another glass of wine. "Thank you for keeping Xiaoyu company these past few days. I've never seen Xiaoyu so happy. I can also see that Xiaoyu really likes you as her older sister."

Gulu.

Tang Xiaoyu drank another glass of wine and said softly, "No, I should thank Xiaoyuer. To meet such a little girl at the end of my life, accompanying me through my final days. In Xiaoyuer, I see my past self, and I also see my future self. I have had a very happy month. Chen Mo, this glass is for you."

Chen Mo drank a glass of wine, and suddenly sensed something, "The end of life?"

Tang Xiaoyu suddenly broke down, her hand holding the wine glass trembling, but she still bravely finished the wine, then looked up at the two kites in the sky, her eyes revealing an unbearable longing and desolation.

Slowly, Tang Xiaoyu stood up, walked out of the room, and stood in the courtyard, looking up at the kites chasing each other.

After a long while, Tang Xiaoyu finally spoke, "Yes. I thought I could live a little longer, but I felt... something getting closer to me. Because of this thing getting closer, the ghost curse in my body suddenly strengthened. My bloodline true fire could no longer suppress it."

As she spoke, Tang Xiaoyu suddenly turned to look at Chen Mo, "Chen Mo, I'm not lying. Something really has emerged, and it's slowly approaching Honghe County. The closer it gets, the harder it is for my ghost curse to control. Tonight, I will lose control!"

“I’ve said it before, I can’t lose control. I can’t become a mindless monster. I’ve said it before, I will end my own life before I lose control.”

"If it's destined to be impossible, I'd rather leave this world with dignity."

Tears streamed down Tang Xiaoyu's cheeks.

Chen Mo looked quietly at the girl in front of him, who was about the same age as him, and asked, "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Tang Xiaoyu was in tears. "There's so much I want to say. But... he's about to leave, what's the point of saying anything more? I just want to do something meaningful. Chen Mo, I want to ask you a few things."

Chen Mo said, "Tell me. I will definitely do it."

Tang Xiaoyu burst into tears, but she forced herself not to break down. "You probably don't know how much my brother, my master, and I care about me. The more they care, the less I dare to tell them the truth. There are some things I can only tell you."

First, you might not know how determined my master and young lady were to reclaim the incense offerings of the Black God. They were willing to die without hesitation to fulfill this mission. I used to be like that too, but recently I've realized that when death comes, many other things aren't so important. Preserving your own life is the most important thing.

"Secondly, that curse is too powerful. It's beyond my imagination. Miss and Master are no match for it. Now that thing is coming. I hope Young Master Chen Mo can persuade Master and Miss not to be stubborn about their mission. Running away is the priority."

"Thirdly, after I die, please don't tell my master and brother. Just say I went to a very far place, okay?"

Chen Mo agreed, "Okay."

Tang Xiaoyu smiled, then took out a small bottle from her body and handed it to Chen Mo: "This contains the original blood from my spine, which contains the power of that ghost curse. I hope that if Young Master Chen Mo takes this original blood, he can find a way to restrain the ghost curse in the future."

Chen Mo took the bottle, and Tang Xiaoyu said nothing more, but quietly watched the kites chasing each other in the sky.

"Young Master Chen Mo, that thing is here. It's approaching Honghe County. You should take your whole family and run. No one in Honghe County is its match. Even the Red Lantern Goddess might not be a match for it."

"Finally, please tell Xiaoyuer that I really, really like her and hope she has more smiles in the rest of her life. Please tell my brother that I really like him. Please tell Miss and Master that I like them. And Tang Qi. Although I'm usually talkative and always like to talk badly about him, I actually like Tang Qi very much too."

Tang Xiaoyu opened her arms to embrace the sky. "This is truly a despairing world, but it is my destiny. I... also like this world. Young Master Chen Mo, I like you very much too. I hope you all survive, use everything... to survive."

"I heard the sound of the wind, I saw it approaching, I know the ghost story, but I can't tell it... Goodbye."

Tang Xiaoyu slowly knelt on the ground.

died.

He severed his own heart meridian.

The wind in the air is howling.

Two red kites in the sky were still chasing each other in the wind, never stopping. The kite that flew higher, caught in the strong wind, soared higher and higher until it finally became a black dot and disappeared.

Chen Mo watched the kite fly away, stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. He then squatted down, picked up Tang Xiaoyu in his arms, and gently closed her eyes.

"Yes, this world is so hopeless. If there is an afterlife, I want to be reborn in my world. There are no demons, no ghosts..."

Da da da.

A hurried footstep came from outside the door.

Before anyone even entered the room, Little Fish's loud cry could be heard.

"Sister Little Fish, I brought all the candied hawthorns. You can have them all. Next time, will you take me kite flying again?"

Before long, Chen Yuer came in carrying a large bunch of candied hawthorns.

Zhang Ru and Chen Wu followed behind her, constantly reminding Xiaoyuer to slow down and not fall.

Zhang Ru and Chen Wu were stunned when they saw Tang Xiaoyu in Chen Mo's arms.

Only Chen Yuer didn't understand. Holding a bunch of candied hawthorns, she approached Chen Mo and put all the candied hawthorns on Tang Xiaoyu. "Sister Yuer, you can have them all. I don't want any more. Sister Yuer... Sister Yuer, why aren't you paying attention to Xiaoyuer?"

She kept shaking Tang Xiaoyu, and didn't forget to ask Chen Mo, "Second Brother, is Sister Xiaoyu asleep?"

Chen Mo said, "Your sister Yu'er is dead."

Chen Yuer had seen dead people.

She had secretly witnessed the Chen family's misfortune caused by Li Hongxi and their attack by bandits.

Chen Yuer froze for a moment, then threw herself at Tang Xiaoyu and burst into tears, “Sister Xiaoyu!!! I don’t want you to go. Sister Xiaoyu, please don’t leave me alone.”

"Second Brother, why did Sister Xiaoyu die?"

Chen Mo said, "She was killed by a ghost."

"No, no... Sister Little Fish, don't abandon Little Fish."

Chen Mo delivered a karate chop to the back of Chen Yu'er's head, knocking her unconscious. He then picked up Tang Xiaoyu, saying, "Xiao Wu, Second Aunt, take Xiaoyu'er away. Take good care of her."

After leaving a message, Chen Mo carried Tang Xiaoyu to Qingfu Residence.

Chen Mo couldn't possibly agree to keep such a big matter from Tang Xiaoyu and her own brother.

……

Qingfuju.

Tang Tongshan saw Chen Mo come in and saw Tang Xiaoyu in Chen Mo's arms.

Tang Tongshan seemed to have known something all along and wasn't particularly shocked. He simply took Tang Xiaoyu from Chen Mo's hand, knelt on the ground, and sobbed hoarsely.

"Little fish..."

Tang Qi and Guo Ziyu also came over, covering their faces and crying.

Chen Mo said, "Xiao Yu left peacefully. She said she liked you all...every single one of you."

Everyone sobbed for a while before Guo Ziyu finally came to her senses: "Xiaoyu was perfectly fine a while ago. I even checked her pulse and examined the curse within her body, and it wasn't out of control. How could it suddenly turn out like this?"

Chen Mo explained the reason.

Clang!

Tang Tongshan gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with ferocity: "I'll fight that cursed thing to the death!!!"

"Brother Tongshan, calm down. Let me say a few words." Chen Mo said seriously, "Back when I was in the mirror, I encountered a very powerful female ghost. This female ghost's strength far surpassed that of all of us. Even so, this female ghost was still trapped in the ghost curse for hundreds of years. The reason this female ghost went around telling ghost stories was to find someone who could hear the ghost story and not die, so as to break the curse. But she has not found one in a hundred years. It can be seen that the strength of the evil ghost behind the ghost curse is beyond everyone's imagination. Now, that ghost should have left the Great Yin Mountain, which caused the ghost curse in Xiaoyu's body to go out of control. My point is, we should immediately call Elder Tang back to discuss this."

After saying that, Chen Mo stood up: "Also, Guo Songyang and Guo Ziyang can't stay in Black Mountain Village anymore. They must be evacuated to the city."

"I need to rush back to the incense hall to find out what's going on. If I have any news, I'll let you know immediately."

After leaving a message, Chen Mo departed from Qingfu Residence.

He didn't return to the incense hall immediately, but went to Shuiyun Residence, met Qiulan and Ma Tie, asked if anyone had come recently, and after receiving a negative answer, Chen Mo went alone to the altar in the back room.

He lit three incense sticks on the mirror and then said, "Come out. I have something to ask you."

Sure enough, as the incense was poured into the mirror, the ordinary mirror changed, revealing the bridal chamber, where the woman with the red veil was still sitting in front of the dressing table doing her makeup.

The woman was quite resentful, saying, "Young Master Mo is so heartless; he hasn't come to visit me for so long."

Chen Mo had no time for anything else and went straight to asking Tang Xiaoyu about the ghost curse, finally asking, "Xiaoyu said she saw that fierce ghost approaching Honghe County, is that true?"

The woman's voice became more serious: "Tang Xiaoyu comes from a prestigious family, and her bloodline grants her special sensory abilities. What she says is true."

really……

"What level of ghost is the other party?"

“There are many ghosts in the Great Yin Mountain, and I don’t know which one has come. But Young Master Mo, you don’t need to worry too much. You are already a ghost. You also have the aura of my home. As long as the ghost that comes is not the master of the Ghost Curse, it cannot harm you. As long as you don’t listen to that ghost story, you will be fine.”

Chen Mo nodded.

He was already a ghost, and after ten years of tempering, Chen Mo was no longer an ordinary ghost.

Perhaps influenced by the ghost, they didn't feel much fear.

On the contrary, the arrival of the ghost made them... a little excited.

Chen Mo stayed at Shuiyun for one night and continued to practice Thousand Threads Technique.

The next morning, Chen Mo was still asleep when he was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

He Miao rushed over, covered in sweat. "Left Envoy Chen, something terrible has happened. I just received news that the two incense masters of Wei, Xu and Qiaoshan, died in Wuqiao Town, and Black Mountain Village was massacred. Most of the incense masters of the Incense Hall have rushed to Wuqiao Town."

Jiejiejie~
Chen Mo smiled sinisterly.

When the ghosts appear, the essence of the original explanation also arrives...

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 of 10,000 words; it's already over 20,000 words today. No extra updates tonight. There will be another one at midnight.

(End of this chapter)