I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 204 Encountering Zombies in the Capital, Revised to Advance to Fusion Level!
After reading the entire letter, Chen Mo collapsed onto the bed, as if struck by lightning.

"So that's how it is!"

He vaguely remembered the past life of Jiang Hongyue, whom he had met in the Dayin Mountains:
Jiang Hongyue met the Twin Demons twice.

The first time was when she saw the terrifying being in the coffin of the thirty-sixth incarnation, who resembled a rogue general. At the time, Jiang Hongyue didn't take this guy seriously and directly used a suppressing magic spell to send him to the afterlife.

Then Jiang Hongyue left.

Then, Jiang Hongyue became pregnant.

After being ostracized and neglected by Emperor Tianbao, Jiang Hongyue discovered that there was something wrong with the fetus in her womb. She returned to the Dayin Mountain, but when she opened the coffin of the thirty-sixth generation again, she found that the creature inside was gone.

He was then secretly murdered by the Rakshasa Temple and Consort Xiao, who performed the Phoenix Maiden sacrifice.

However, the Phoenix Maiden sacrifice only injured Jiang Hongyue; she did not die. On the contrary, all those who participated in the Phoenix Maiden sacrifice were killed by Jiang Hongyue.

At this point, Jiang Hongyue had already become aware of the Twin Demons' abilities.

The twin demons want to be reborn through Jiang Hongyue's womb, and then ascend to immortality through corpse liberation.

In order to block the twin demons' path to immortality through corpse liberation, Jiang Hongyue established the Red Moon Palace, using it as a foundation to connect the Yellow Springs Road in her dreams and reach the River of Oblivion.

Finally, Jiang Hongyue left her and the demon fetus's bodies in the River of Oblivion, and took the demon fetus's soul to the underworld.

It wasn't until Chen Mo went to the Great Yin Mountain to initiate the human-dragon sacrifice, using his avatar and Jiang Hongyue in the underworld to exchange souls.

Thus... Jiang Hongyue's soul escaped from the underworld, completing the first step of her resurrection.

However, due to the lack of red moonlight, her Yang Soul could not be reconstructed. Jiang Hongyue could only remain in the world of dreams. Now that her Yang Soul has been reconstructed, she should be able to return to life.

but……

In her letter, the godmother wrote: When her soul emerged from the underworld, the demon fetus's soul followed. The demon fetus's soul had always been with her, even in the underworld. It came out with her, and she couldn't do anything about it.

My godmother also said: "The ghost bone inside you isn't an ordinary ghost bone; it's the spine of a demonic fetus, a demonic bone. Now that my godmother has reshaped her yang spirit and escaped the mirror world, the demonic fetus's soul has also left the mirror world. It has returned to the demonic bone in reality and will gradually use it to complete its rebirth within your body. That demonic fetus has already completed its thirty-sixth incarnation. When the demonic fetus fully forms in your womb and completely emerges, that will be the time for its corpse to dissolve and ascend to immortality."

"Your godmother knows you've been wronged; I should have told you this much earlier. But I have my own unavoidable difficulties, and I have many things to do. Don't worry, little Mozi, once I've finished my business, I'll come to find you. I will remove the demonic fetus from your body and return to the underworld with it, never to emerge again for all eternity."

[Your godmother used the crimson moonlight to suppress the demonic fetus's aura. Outsiders cannot detect its presence. Wait until your godmother has finished dealing with things.]

【Little Mozi, take care.】

Chen Mo put down the letter, leaned against the headboard, and felt a mix of emotions.

Everything became clear...

No wonder the cheat system revealed unawakened, unknown components when deconstructing the ghost bone. No wonder this ghost bone possesses the ability to transcend the cheat system's deconstruction capabilities.

No wonder the fusion rate of the Ghost Bone has been increasing by one point every day recently... It turns out that when Jiang Hongyue was reshaping the Yang Soul, the Demonic Embryo was also awakening.

In the end, I was still tricked by my godmother.

Chen Mo couldn't quite explain his feelings for Jiang Hongyue.

After all, they said they would come back to him after finishing their business, take the demon fetus to the underworld, and never return for all eternity.

Perhaps, from Jiang Hongyue's perspective, this was already extremely kind to Chen Mo.

But Chen Mo didn't like this feeling.

Was he just supposed to wait for Jiang Hongyue to finish those things and then come looking for him?
What if we can't finish it?

What should I do?
Are we just supposed to wait for the demonic fetus to break free of our bodies and ascend to immortality through corpse dissolution?
As the demonic fetus grows, it will likely absorb your own essence and blood at an alarming rate, perhaps even draining you dry.

After a moment of confusion, Chen Mo suddenly sat up straight, his unfocused eyes suddenly flashing with intense light: "No, I can't just wait for my godmother like this. My life, Chen Mo's life, is not in the hands of others."

Thinking of this, Chen Mo stared at the wriggling thing in his abdomen.

Open the panel.

[Something that can be deduced has been detected]

[Note: Requires 700000 Original Essence]

[Should we perform a simulation?]

"Using so much at once? It's like draining all of your original essence. It's been a long time since something like this has happened."

Chen Mo was secretly surprised.

Generally speaking, when this situation of "scavenging everything" occurs... it's not because the cheat system is malicious, but because the user has actually benefited. "Scavenging everything" means that more original essence was originally needed, essentially meaning the cheat system gave the user a discount.

It's like bandits robbing others; they take as much as they can. If they don't make enough, they accept the loss...

"It seems this demonic fetus is truly extraordinary."

Although somewhat reluctant, Chen Mo did not hesitate and immediately made up his mind:

deduction.

hum!
The original essence on the panel instantly dropped to zero, and then this original essence was injected into Chen Mo's mind, frantically developing his brain. It put an enormous strain on his mind, making his head feel like it was about to crack.

The pain was unbearable.

Over the past long period of time, Chen Mo has made numerous revisions to his deductions, but none of the pain he has experienced has been comparable to this one.

Click.

Chen Mo quickly found something to bite down on, and slowly endured the pain.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Mo was completely dazed and confused.

The pain gradually subsided.

Lines of subtitles then appeared.

【Name: Demonic Embryo】

[Type: Twin Demonic Fetuses]

[Purpose: To be reborn through a second womb and achieve immortality through corpse liberation]

[Note: Your demon bones have fully fused, awakening an unknown part within them: the demonic fetus.]

[Note: The demonic fetus is currently in its early stages of development, still a tiny life form, not yet fully developed into a fetus. As it continues to absorb your vital essence and nutrients, it will slowly grow larger. Finally, it will drain your vital essence. When you become a dried-up corpse, that will be the moment it bursts out of your body.]

[Scenario 1: You are currently very weak, and the demonic fetus won't drain you dry all at once. Instead, it will drain you gradually to meet its developmental needs.]

[Deduction 2: The higher your cultivation level, the more nutrients and essence the demonic fetus absorbs, and the faster its development will be.]

[Deduction 3: The demonic fetus is currently primarily absorbing your essence and blood. As the demonic fetus develops and matures, it will gradually absorb your spirit.]

[Deduction 4: Because the demon bone has completely merged with you, you cannot get rid of this demonic embryo. Forcibly trying to break free will also result in your death.]

[Deduction 5: Preliminary estimate suggests that when you embark on the path of red life energy, the demonic fetus will begin to develop into a fetus.]

[Deduction 6: When you enter the purple realm of life energy cultivation, the demonic embryo will be fully formed. At that time, it may burst out of your body at any moment. Therefore, you are safe for now. However, your essence and blood will be continuously absorbed by the demonic embryo.]

[Deduction 7: Your zombie immortality, imbued with golden life energy, is already the strongest blood-supplying body besides demons.]

[Deduction 8: Preliminary speculation suggests that the key to solving the problem lies in identifying the crucial issue: continuously strengthening the zombie body. As long as the zombie's immortal body is strong enough to forge the legendary incorruptible bones, you still have a glimmer of hope. At that point, even if the demonic fetus bursts forth, you won't die immediately.]

After reading this information, Chen Mo felt very uneasy.

The situation was exactly as my godmother had described.

This demonic fetus is truly vicious; it's impossible to get rid of it, and it doesn't even give you a way out.

Unmelting bones?
What is that thing?

I've never heard of it.

It's bound to be a tough thing to deal with.

However, the cheat code only provided deductions and didn't offer any more detailed information. Chen Mo had no choice but to give up, thinking he'd go back and ask someone who knew what the Undying Bone was.

After a long pause, Chen Mo continued to ponder.

Can the compatibility settings be modified?
Since I can't get rid of it, I can at least adapt to it, right?

As if sensing Chen Mo's thoughts, the Golden Finger immediately provided lines of subtitles.

The current level of modification is insufficient.

[If you modify it to enter the fusion level, you can try it.]

Fusion level?
A glint flashed in Chen Mo's eyes. He vaguely remembered that when he modified the game to enter level two, his cheat system had given him a hint:
[Consuming a million units of Ultimate Essence allows you to advance to the next level: Fusion Level. The Fusion Level involves fusing and embedding characteristic skills, attributes, and more based on logical deduction.]

In other words, you just need to get a million original solution essences yourself, right?

With this in mind, Chen Mo didn't hesitate and immediately got out of bed and went to the living room.

I saw Su Yuqing sitting at the long table in the living room reading a book.

Qin Luoxi, Li Huabai, Yuanfang, Li Qing'er, Bai Ye, Juan'er, and Xiaoxiao were chatting in the courtyard, creating a lively atmosphere. After such a long period of adjustment, Qin Luoxi's mood had improved considerably.

I'm no longer so depressed.

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief and asked Su Yuqing, "Xiaoyu, where are the Buddha and the others being held?"

Su Yuqing immediately put down her book. "They're in a room in the backyard. Are you going to see them, young master?"

Chen Mo nodded.

"Master, follow me."

Su Yuqing led Chen Mo to a room in the backyard.

There were hundreds of ghosts imprisoned here, as well as the Buddha and his parents.

The Buddha and Buddha Mother were physical entities, currently bound by heavy iron chains, looking extremely pitiful. Upon seeing Chen Mo, they immediately bared their teeth and claws, howling and screaming.

The Buddha cried out, "It was you! You killed Rakshasa Mother?"

Although Buddha didn't witness Chen Mo killing Rakshasa's mother, he knew he couldn't communicate with her anymore, especially since all the temples in Thousand Buddha County had recently been replaced with Golden Light Gods. Even a fool could tell it was Chen Mo's doing.

Chen Mo said, "It will be your turn soon."

puff!

Chen Mo slapped the Buddha's head with a loud "bang".

A dignified Buddhist monk was killed just like that.

They offered absolutely no resistance from beginning to end.

[Original Solution Essence +150000]

Upon seeing this, the Buddha Mother immediately cried out in grief: "You, you actually killed my Buddha husband... I will fight you to the death."

"No need to fight anymore. From now on, only Lord Jin Guang will be worshipped in Nanzhou. You will have no reason to exist. There are only so many offerings here. Now that I'm here, there's no room for you." Chen Mo didn't waste any more words and killed the Buddha Mother with one hand.

[Original Solution Essence +140000]

He killed the Buddha's parents with a bullet and gained 29 original interpretations.

Chen Mo was still satisfied.

It truly is a powerful ghost with golden cultivation. Its original essence is over 100,000.

The next moment, Chen Mo began to attack the other ghostly figures.

The other little devils all had silver-level cultivation, and their original essence was not much. Some had as much as 70,000 to 80,000, while others had as little as 30,000 to 50,000.

Fortunately, there are many of them.

Chen Mo originally thought that by killing them all, he could obtain millions of original essences.

However, after the original essence reached one million, it stopped increasing.

what happened?

Chen Mo killed several more ghostly figures and discovered that the original essence was still stuck at 100 million.

Chen Mo quickly stopped. He realized a problem:
As previously mentioned by the Golden Finger: Ultimate Million Original Solution Essence.

Extreme...

Could it be that one's original essence can only be stored in one million units at a time?

Is this an extreme value?
Similar threshold?
Once this threshold is reached, there's no way to go any further.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo spoke up: "Xiao Yu, go outside and keep watch."

Su Yuqing nodded in agreement and then went out.

The huge room was now empty except for Chen Mo and a group of ghosts.

Ignoring the ghosts' wails, Chen Mo sat down cross-legged on the spot.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, lines of subtitles appeared.

[Currently available original solution essence: 100 million]

[Consuming one million Original Essence allows you to advance to the next level: Fusion Level. The Fusion Level involves fusing and embedding characteristic skills, attributes, and other elements based on logical deduction.]

[Advancement required?]

Chen Mo didn't even think about it.

Advanced.

Boom!

As the essence of the million original solutions dwindled to zero, an unprecedented pain swept through his entire body. It was far more painful than when he had deduced the demonic fetus before; it was almost unbearable for Chen Mo.

"what!"

Even with Chen Mo's temperament, he couldn't help but let out a shrill scream.

It terrified the surrounding ghostly figures.

In their eyes, Chen Mo was a terrifying being who could kill the Buddha's parents with a flick of his wrist, so why was he screaming like that?

I have no idea what this guy did.

Ignoring everyone's astonished looks, Chen Mo focused intently on enduring the pain, even biting on an iron chain to stubbornly persevere.

After a long while, Chen Mo felt as if he had just experienced death, and the pain in his body slowly dissipated.

Immediately afterwards, lines of subtitles appeared.

[Successfully advanced to Fusion Level: Skill Integration]

[Tip 1: Logical deduction has become the most basic deduction function, in order to better integrate skills.]

[Tip 2: No need to modify compatibility settings anymore; you can directly perform trait skill fusion.]

[Tip 3: Original Essence belongs to the analytical level and can only be used for identification, reading, deconstruction, and deduction. To complete skill integration, you need to obtain Original Fusion Essence.]

[Tip 4: Primal Essence is extremely rare. It can only be obtained from certain related rare items.]

After reading the information, Chen Mo felt a bit overwhelmed.

Original essence?

A new gadget has come out.

It seems quite rare.

However, judging from the literal meaning, the original interpretation, the original fusion, etc., are quite fitting.

Just then, a few more lines of text appeared.

[Given the substantial amount of Primal Essence you have now acquired, your level of contact is beginning to rise. Primal Essence is no longer suitable for your upcoming environment. To deduce and deconstruct the existence of higher-level species, a better package is being introduced.]

One million original solution essences can be packaged into a new unit: Original Solution Orb.

"Wow, you're so thoughtful... Thank you."

Chen Mo was speechless.

Return the package...

The Golden Finger seemed to sense Chen Mo's complaint and offered another explanation.

[The original interpretation is that the precious orb is the unit most suitable for this world. Previously, your level was too low, so we had to give you a smaller unit for easier use.]

"..."

Chen Mo was speechless.

I can't say anything to you, huh?

That's being far too sensitive.

Chen Mo put his thoughts aside.

Continue killing the remaining ghosts, Master.

In total, I obtained four Original Solution Orbs and 400,000 Original Solution Essences.

Overall, this cheat code is quite intelligent.

One Original Solution Orb can be broken down into one million Original Solution Essences.

The new package is great; it allows you to use Original Solution Orbs instead of the million-threshold, enabling you to store Original Solution Essence indefinitely.

Chen Mo realized that since even the cheat system had said so, it meant the world's danger far exceeded his imagination. The original essence was clearly insufficient. He understood that he would need to deduce an even more terrifying existence next.

A mere cultivator with the power of a single stick of magic would require 400,000 units of original essence to perform a deduction.

That's really an exaggeration.

If you encounter a three- or four-stick Green Demon, and you deduce that... wouldn't you need almost a Yuanjie Treasure Pearl?

Here comes the problem...

The original solution is relatively easy to obtain.

That original essence... has not yet been discovered.

It seems that the original essence is a higher unit and is also more precious.

Without the original essence, it would be impossible to embed and fuse with that demonic embryo.

"I need to find a way to get the original essence."

Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

He looked down and saw the bean moving inside his abdomen again, instinctively feeling an indescribable sense of horror and unease.

"There aren't any decent ghosts left in Nanzhou. If I want to get my hands on the Essence of Primal Fusion, I need to go to a bigger stage..."

Thinking of this, a place came to mind for Chen Mo.

Beijing.

The most prosperous place in the entire Great Qian Dynasty, where heroes gather.

Based on Chen Mo's understanding of this world, places where heroes gather are often also places where ghosts and monsters congregate. "It seems I have no choice but to go to the capital."

Chen Mo made up his mind before stepping out of the room, standing under the eaves, and gazing at the flying snow in the sky.

Su Yuqing, who was guarding outside, came closer and asked, "Did you kill all the ghosts inside?"

Chen Mo nodded: "Now that Master Jin Guang has arrived in Nanzhou, there's no need for these ghosts to exist anymore. They've managed to get rid of quite a few of them... How's the situation in Qianfo County?"

Su Yuqing said, "Master Yuanfang's cultivation is now profound, no less than that of the Buddha. He is more than capable of presiding over Thousand Buddha County. But here in Nanzhou..."

Chen Mo: "Speak your mind."

Su Yuqing said, "The imperial court issued an imperial edict to give the Prince of Zhennan a grand funeral. He was also given a posthumous title and allowed to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. At the same time, the title of Princess of Nan'an was retained, but the imperial court sent a new governor to govern this area."

Chen Mo: "The imperial court does a good job of putting on a show. In reality, they have canceled the fiefdom of the Prince of Zhennan for no reason and brought the Nanzhou region under their own jurisdiction."

Su Yuqing: "The court has always been like this. In the eyes of the court, there is only the stability of the regime. They don't care about the life or death of the Prince of Zhennan."

Chen Mo: "What is the attitude of the newly arrived governor towards Lord Jin Guang?"

Su Yuqing: "The newly appointed governor is surnamed Li. Although he is a new official, he is low-key and has not made any statements."

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "To avoid any accidents, you should go and persuade him. Make sure he is completely obedient to Master Jin Guang from now on."

Having gone through so much, he clearly didn't take any governors or princes seriously.

Besides, I'm not even human anymore, so there's no need to talk to them about etiquette and customs. Just keep them in check to save trouble.

The demonic fetus in his womb was like a maggot clinging to his bone. Chen Mo wouldn't feel at ease until it was removed, and he had no energy left to dwell on trivial matters.

But Chen Mo had long been accustomed to living an uncomfortable life.

That demonic fetus was indeed terrifying and ferocious, and it even dared to try to ascend to immortality through corpse liberation. Chen Mo was confident that with his cheat-like abilities, he might be able to find a solution.

Since we can't get rid of it, then let's...

……

after one day.

The newly appointed Governor Li of Nanzhou personally visited Chen Mo with lavish gifts. He was all smiles and praised Master Jin Guang.

Two days later.

early morning.

As dawn broke, Chen Mo got up early, went to the yard to wash taro and vegetables, and even slaughtered a cow himself, preparing it by himself. Then he went to the kitchen to cook.

"Young Master, what's wrong with you today?" Yuanfang, who had just gotten up, couldn't help but come closer when she saw Chen Mo like this.

Chen Mo chuckled softly, "It's been a long time since I've cooked, so I'm stretching my muscles today. I'll cook everyone a delicious meal."

Yuan Fang was overjoyed. "It's truly rare to see a young master cooking in person. Let me help you."

Chen Mo refused, saying, "I'm almost better now, and you're only just coming to help. Go and wake everyone up."

Before long, the others got up and saw Chen Mo cooking. They were all curious and wanted to help, but Chen Mo refused.

Qin Luoxi, Li Huabai, Li Qing'er, Bai Ye, Juan'er, Xiaoxiao, and Su Yuqing all took their seats in the living room, waiting for Chen Mo to serve the dishes.

"The food is served. This is Yuanfang's favorite braised beef hoof!"

Chen Mo brought up a large bowl of braised beef trotters, followed by a variety of other dishes.

Everyone appeared happy, but deep down they felt something was amiss.

Once the food and wine were served, Chen Mo took his seat at the head of the table and urged everyone to start eating: "Don't just stand there. Get started. Try my cooking."

Juan'er said, "Young master doesn't get many chances to cook, so hurry up and get started."

With Juan'er taking the lead, everyone started eating. They drank and ate heartily, praising how delicious it was.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Qin Luoxi seemed to sense something and spoke up: "Young Master, is there something important you want to say to us today that you've taken the initiative to cook for us?"

Upon hearing this, everyone realized what was going on, put down their chopsticks, and looked at Chen Mo with expectant faces.

Chen Mo glanced at his old acquaintances and said calmly, "All good things must come to an end. I am grateful for everyone's help during my year in Nanzhou. It has been an honor for me to get to know you all."

These words immediately dimmed the cheerful atmosphere, adding a touch of sadness.

Qin Luoxi asked, "Is Young Master leaving?"

Chen Mo nodded.

Qin Luoxi: "Where does Young Master plan to go?"

Chen Mo said, "Enter the capital."

Qin Luoxi suddenly fell silent, her eyes becoming somewhat glistening. According to the court's etiquette, she was required to observe a year of mourning for her father, otherwise she would face criticism.

Moreover, Qin Luoxi was no ordinary person; he naturally knew the vastness of the world, encompassing far more than just thousands of miles of mountains and rivers.
For many people, once they part ways, it's for a lifetime.

Thinking of this, Qin Luoxi felt a pang of jealousy: "What's so good about the capital? It's full of high-ranking officials and royalty. Everywhere you look, there are strict rules and customs, it's really not a pleasant place. It might not suit your carefree nature, young master. Now that the newly arrived Governor Li has already paid homage to Lord Jin Guang, young master... why don't you continue to stay in Nanzhou?"

Chen Mo didn't explain his reason, but instead laughed heartily, "A true man is born between heaven and earth, how can he remain subservient to others for long? The capital is a gathering place for heroes, and talents emerge in great numbers. Heroes from all over the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river. I should go and make my own way."

Upon hearing this, Qin Luoxi stopped trying to persuade him and asked, "When does Young Master plan to depart?"

Chen Mo said, "We'll set off after we finish eating."

"Ah? How come so fast? I haven't even prepared a gift yet." Qin Luoxi was quite surprised.

Chen Mo replied, "If Luo Xi takes good care of herself, that would be the best gift for me."

After the meal, Chen Mo led Su Yuqing, Juan'er, and Xiaoxiao out of the Prince's mansion and into a carriage.

Qin Luoxi stood at the door watching, and when the carriage disappeared from sight, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes could no longer be held back and slid down her cheeks.

she knows.

This parting may last a lifetime.

In my mind, the image of that boy hanging upside down pretending to be a corpse in the woods outside Baohua Temple vaguely appeared.

Unexpectedly, a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

It's time to say goodbye again.

However, since Qin Nanhe's death, Qin Luoxi has matured a lot. She is no longer the delicate princess, but has learned to be self-reliant. Even though she harbors deep longing for Chen Mo, she keeps it hidden deep inside and does not reveal it.

She simply parted her lips and uttered a sentence:

"The journey through the world is long, young master, take care."

Li Huabai, standing to the side, watched the departing carriage and felt a pang of reluctance in her heart.

The scene of their first meeting in Nanyang Prefecture was still vivid in his mind.

Little did she know that in just one year, this unknown young man would rise to become a peerless youth who swept across the Southern Continent, elevating Black Mountain Tower to a height she could not even imagine.

She thought to herself, muttering to herself:

"Young Master's entry into the capital this time is surely a sign of his rising to prominence. In the future, your name will surely shake the world."

Yuan Fang walked over at this moment, perhaps feeling that Li Huabai was upset, and comforted her, "Huabai, don't be sad. Even if the young master is gone, you still have me."

As he spoke, Yuanfang reached out and took Li Huabai's hand.

He was pushed away.

Pull again.

This time, Li Huabai did not refuse.

Yuanfang was overjoyed, thinking to himself: "It's definitely the young master's method that works. They say women are coy, but after a couple of times, they won't be coy anymore."

……

Three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Another new year.

It was the seventy-first year of the Jingtai reign, and the earth was reviving just after the Spring Festival.

Fifty li outside the capital, there is a large county town called Daxing County.

Chen Kun, accompanied by a group of guards from the Demon Suppression Division, patrolled Daxing County late at night. At midnight, Chen Kun arrived at the gate of a private residence on the outskirts of Daxing County and stood guard.

Following behind Chen Kun was a middle-aged man dressed in an official robe. Judging from the embroidered pattern on the robe, he was a county magistrate.

Chen Kun, with a broadsword at his waist and a torch in his hand, asked, "Magistrate He, you're saying this family is haunted by zombies?"

The middle-aged man hurriedly replied, "This humble official dares not deceive you, sir. It is indeed so. This is the residence of Master Huang. A few days ago, several family members went missing, so Master Huang came to the yamen to report the case. At first, this humble official thought it was the work of ordinary bandits. After all, Master Huang is a wealthy merchant in our Daxing County. In previous years, there have been many cases of bandits coming to our door to extort money. But I did not expect... this time is different."

In the end, Magistrate He's expression changed, revealing a look of great fear.

Chen Kun asked, "How are they different?"

Magistrate He said, "Given that Lord Huang is a major taxpayer in this county, I directly sent Clerk Liu with more than ten constables to investigate. As a result, Clerk Liu and his men entered the Huang residence and never came out again. I then sent County Magistrate Wei to investigate. Unexpectedly... County Magistrate Wei did come out, but he was bitten by something. He returned to the county office to report the situation, but died of a corpse poisoning outbreak just two days later."

Chen Kun said coldly, "According to the case file, County Wei died six days ago. Why are you only reporting this to the Demon Suppression Division today?"

Daxing County, located on the outskirts of the capital, naturally enjoys excellent public security. A magistrate serving under the emperor's nose is certainly no ordinary person. Ordinary cases can be handled directly by the county government. They even possess the ability to deal with some simple evil spirits and ghosts.

However, if you encounter a powerful ghost, you still need to report it to the Demon Suppression Division.

Magistrate He, after being questioned by Chen Kun, broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly explained, "Originally, I was going to report this. But six days ago, a fellow claiming to be an exorcist came and even gave me a demonstration. I thought he was very skilled, so I thought I'd let him handle it. If he could handle it, I wouldn't have to trouble the Demon Suppression Division. Unexpectedly, that exorcist entered the Huang residence and hasn't come out yet."

"It's all my fault for misjudging the strength of the Exorcism Division."

Chen Kun nodded: "The capital is a place where heroes gather, and indeed many exorcists from other places come here to make a living and seek fame. Among them are quite a few powerful exorcists. It's not surprising that you're like that. What are the backgrounds of those exorcists?"

Magistrate He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Chen Kun did not intend to blame him. "He said he came from the south. He also brought three assistants: a beautiful woman in red and two young girls."

Chen Kun gathered the information and said, "The others stay outside, you come in with me and take a look."

Magistrate He was clearly hesitant to go in, but dared not object, so he braced himself and led the way with a torch, saying, "My lord, please follow me."

They entered the Huang residence.

Chen Kun immediately felt a bone-chilling cold aura rushing towards him, along with a faint stench of corpses.

Based on Chen Kun's experience, he naturally knew that this was indeed the aura of a zombie.

Many powerful zombies can conceal their presence, becoming indistinguishable from humans. Only when they erupt do they release their terrifying, chilling corpse aura.

The front yard was deserted and filled with a dark, lingering stench of death, which was extremely unsettling.

Magistrate He, who was leading the way, walked with a shaky gait, his legs trembling violently.

Chen Kun frowned and said, "Don't tremble, just lead the way."

"Yes, yes." Magistrate He nodded, trying to control his trembling legs, but found that he couldn't control them at all, and they trembled even more violently.

Chen Kun ignored him and went straight to the central courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with gruesome corpses, each one bitten to death by zombies, their skin bluish, poisoned by the zombies, and emitting a pungent stench.

This included the body of Master Huang.

He had been dead for several days, and his body was already rotting.

Magistrate He was shocked: "No wonder we haven't seen Master Huang lately; he's been dead here for a long time. Judging from the bite marks on his neck, he was most likely killed by a zombie. My lord, is this zombie still in the Huang residence?"

"The corpse energy here is stagnant and doesn't dissipate, so the murderous zombie is most likely still here," Chen Kun replied, while cautiously glancing around.

hiss.

Magistrate He was so frightened that he trembled and dared not even breathe.

Chen Kun covered his nose and walked towards the main house, but after only a few steps...

brush!
Chen Kun suddenly stopped, drew his sword abruptly, and stared intently at the main room.

In the main room's living room, an oil lamp was still lit, emitting a dim light. A dark figure could be vaguely seen standing inside.

Magistrate He was so frightened that he hid behind Chen Kun, repeatedly exclaiming, "My lord, this is a zombie!"

"How dare this monster commit murder under the emperor's nose! Die!" Chen Kun suddenly transformed into a streak of light, rushed into the living room, and slashed fiercely at the back of the dark figure.

when!
The dark figure didn't turn its head; instead, it extended its right hand in the opposite direction, pinching Chen Kun's broadsword between its index and middle fingers. No matter how hard Chen Kun exerted himself, he couldn't strike, and the resulting gusts of wind from the blade created shockwaves that swept in all directions. The door trembled violently.

Is this beast so terrifying?
Chen Kun thought to himself, then suddenly drew his knife and slashed down again.

Just then, the dark figure slowly turned around.

"I……"

Startled, Chen Kun hurriedly sheathed his knife. Because he did so too quickly, he almost fell flat on his face. Fortunately, he had good balance and managed to regain his footing after a slight stumble.

The next moment, Chen Kun happily stepped forward and patted the dark figure on the shoulder: "Brother Chen!? What a coincidence! I thought you were that zombie. You must be the exorcist, right?"

This person is Chen Mo.

Traveling north, stopping and starting along the way, it took a full three months before we finally arrived at Daxing County, near the capital.

Along the way, Chen Mo, along with Su Yuqing, Juan'er, and Xiaoxiao, went around killing ghosts as exorcists. On the one hand, they were collecting the essence of the original solution, and on the other hand, they were training themselves and strengthening their cultivation.

We passed through five or six states along the way and gained quite a bit.

Unfortunately, the original essence has not been found to date.

Coincidentally, I heard about the zombie outbreak as soon as I arrived in Daxing County.

He had seen many ghosts along the way, but zombies were still quite rare. So Chen Mo came here to see what was going on.

Unexpectedly, I met Chen Kun.

"Brother Chen!" Chen Mo smiled faintly, "Weren't you on duty at the Demon Suppression Division in the capital? What are you doing here?"

"Hahaha. Brother Chen, you may not know this, but Daxing County is adjacent to the capital. The safety of this place is under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Division of the capital. I came here as soon as I received the report from Magistrate He. What a coincidence! Miss Nangong... still talks about you every day." Chen Kun put his arm around Chen Mo's shoulder, appearing exceptionally friendly: "Brother Chen, your cultivation has improved so quickly. Now even I am no match for you. You are indeed the one Miss Nangong has chosen."

Chen Mo: "I was just lucky. I had a few more opportunities. By the way, are my family members doing well in the capital?"

Chen Kun laughed and said, "Good, very good. I visit your family every few days. Miss Nangong also visits occasionally during holidays. Your younger siblings attend the best schools. Don't worry."

Hearing this, Chen Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Being entangled by a demonic fetus, the anxiety along the way was one thing.

But my family shouldn't suffer like I have.

"Thank you very much, Brother Chen. Thank you very much, Xiao Ye. I will personally go and thank Xiao Ye later."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Chen Kun finally got to the point: "Brother Chen, you've been here for five or six days. Have you found the murderous zombie?"

Chen Mo frowned and said, "This Master Huang is no simple man. The fact that the Huang family has attracted zombies is probably related to Master Huang's actions."

"How do you say this?"

Chen Mo said, "Brother Chen, please follow me."

After saying that, Chen Mo led Chen Kun to Master Huang's bedroom, where moon patterns were pasted everywhere, even behind the mirror there was a crescent moon symbol. There was a shrine inside, and in the shrine was a statue of a crescent moon.

In front of the shrine was an incense burner filled with countless burnt incense sticks.

Chen Kun was taken aback: "The Moon Worship Cult."

Chen Mo was taken aback upon hearing this: "Is this the symbol of the Moon Worship Cult?"

Chen Kun's expression immediately turned serious: "Hmm. The Moon Worship Cult is an evil cult that has been lurking around the capital for a long time. The imperial court has ordered the suppression of the Moon Worship Cult many times, but they have not been able to find its stronghold. It is likely that the appearance of zombies and their violent acts in the Huang mansion is related to Master Huang's worship of the Moon Worship Cult."

The Moon Worship Cult...

Chen Mo pondered to himself.

That Ghost King Zhuang Xiaoyue was originally a member of the Moon Worship Cult.

Although the Demon King of the Azure Dragon was transformed from a human, he still possesses the ability to use the red moonlight and create zombies. The reason why Grand Tutor Pang was a powerful zombie was because he absorbed the essence and blood of Zhuang Xiaoyue's original body.

Before he even arrived in the capital, he came into contact with the Moon Worship Cult.

Chen Kun's expression became much more serious: "This matter involves the Moon Worship Cult, so it's no simple matter. Brother Chen, have you made any other discoveries?"

“Yes, Brother Chen, come with me. There’s a grove of trees in the backyard of the Huang residence, and something seems off about it.” Chen Mo led Chen Kun and Magistrate He across the central courtyard to the backyard of the Huang residence. Beyond the backyard was a grove of trees.

This forest is a mass grave.

There are hundreds of coffins on display.

Each coffin contained a corpse.

Su Yuqing, Juan'er, and Xiaoxiao stayed here.

When the three saw Chen Mo arrive with his men, they all greeted him.

Chen Mo introduced Chen Kun, then asked Su Yuqing, "Xiaoyu, have you found anything?"

Su Yuqing shook her head: "No."

Chen Kun was completely confused: "Brother Chen, what discovery?"

Chen Mo pointed to the coffins around him and said, "There are 108 coffins here, and each coffin contains a corpse. The zombie is hiding in one of the corpses."

Chen Kun was quite surprised: "Zombies are physical beings, unlike ghosts that can possess bodies. Can't we find it by checking them one by one?"

Chen Mo shook his head: "This zombie is unusual. When I first discovered it, it was committing atrocities in the courtyard. When it saw me coming, it ran here and jumped into this coffin."

He pointed to a coffin and said, "At first, I thought the same as Brother Chen, that the body in this coffin was a zombie. But it turns out it was just a dead body. After that, I had Xiaoxiao and the other two guard this place, but the body here didn't move at all."

Chen Kun took a deep breath: "How could a zombie possess someone? And escape? That's impossible."

As he spoke, Chen Kun went to look at the corpse in the coffin, and it was indeed a dead body: "This is really strange. I've never seen such a bizarre zombie. If we pull out all the corpses from the coffins and pile them together, we'll surely find it eventually, right?"

Chen Mo shook his head: "I've tried it, and all that comes out are dead bodies."

Chen Kun scratched his head, a chill running down his spine: "Could it be a new type of zombie that has never appeared before?"

Just then——

dong dong dong.

Suddenly, a noise came from one of the coffins.

"It's that zombie! It's right there." Chen Kun rushed to the coffin, suddenly opened the lid, only to find a dead body inside.

dong dong dong.

Suddenly, a noise came from a coffin not far away.

Chen Kun rushed over to check and found it was still a corpse: "How could such a strange thing happen?"

Xiaoxiao spoke up at this moment, "Young master, I can sense that zombie is coming, and it's getting more and more ferocious."

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.: I wrote 60 chapters this month, each at least 10,000 words, totaling 630,000 words. The word count reached 1.4 million in two months since its release. Some chapters weren't well-written, lacked appeal, were rather drawn out, and were rather bland. Volume 5, "The Corpse Ancestor," has begun. I will try my best to make the story more engaging. After two months of continuous work, I'm somewhat exhausted, both physically and mentally. I can't guarantee 20,000 words per day next month, but I'll try to maintain at least 10,000 words per day. Finally, please vote for me with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)