Rules of the Strange: I Became a God in a Bizarre World Through Taoist Arts

As Madam Pei spoke, the aura of blood and grime on her body dissipated.

Shen Xingzhuo watched as she regained her senses, gently curled the corners of her lips, and with a wave of her hand, closed the golden gate to hell.

Once the door had completely dissipated, she exhaled heavily, calming the chaotic spiritual energy surging within her body.

After all, she was still living within the realm of supernatural tales, so her spiritual energy couldn't be constantly replenished.

Even the power she used to summon the Gate of Hell just now was the power of the vows that Tianxia Wanmin had given her.

"Are you alright?" Madam Pei asked earnestly.

Shen Xingzhu waved his hand and said seriously, "Now that you're out of Pei Shiquan's control, he'll soon notice something's wrong. We'll need to work together to trick him into going to the ancestral hall in the back mountain to apologize!"

She emphasized the words "apologize".

To Madam Pei, this had a completely different meaning.

Madam Pei revealed a look of pleasure and excitedly said, "I'll do whatever you say!"

Shen Xingzhuo nodded, walked over to Madam Pei, and whispered a few words in her ear.

【Huh? Can't even we listen?】

[Is the person upstairs still asleep? If we all knew, wouldn't we be able to take countermeasures against ghost stories?]

[Oh, right. But Sister Shen's move was really amazing! Does that count as directly purifying Madam Pei?]

To be precise... no.

I'm more inclined to believe that Sister Shen simply promised Madam Pei a brighter future. The talismans and such were merely a means to an end.

……

In ghost stories.

"Start your painless experience, just once."

Shen Xingzhuo emphasized this point, fearing that the strange tales would consume all of this rare ability at once.

[Painless experience is now available!]

The ghost story gritted its teeth and replied.

Suddenly, many luminous green light spots appeared around Shen Xingzhuo. These light spots scattered and then converged, gradually disappearing into her body.

Not only did she no longer feel anything when Pei Xi devoured the infant, but the pain from the previous depletion of her spiritual energy was also resolved.

But she still frowned, thinking, "This effect seems too strong."

Thinking this, she asked, "How long will this take effect?"

This time, the ghost story didn't leave her hanging and answered her question directly.

[This effect will disappear once Pei Xi finishes absorbing the pain. This 'pain-free effect' will only relieve your childbirth pain. Other pains will return after the effect wears off.]

Shen Xingzhuo nodded, relieved.

It's not that she's addicted to pain, but rather that pain is one of the human body's self-protection mechanisms.

If she continues to feel no pain, she may lose some of her advantage when she confronts Pei Shiquan.

"That... Yin'er..."

Madam Pei hesitated to speak.

"Is there anything Mother wants to say to me?"

Suddenly, as if making a decision, Madam Pei pointed to the incense burner outside.

"Could I dig up that incense burner first?"

Shen Xingzhuo looked in the direction she was looking, and her mind was suddenly struck by lightning.

She came up with an idea that was almost absurd, yet perfectly logical.

"You're not going to tell me that what's in that incense burner is...?" She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Madam Pei, with a sorrowful expression, nodded and said:

"It is the ashes of me and my thirty-seven concubines, and my daughters who were not yet fully formed."

"That Pei dog once said..."

Shen Xingzhuo interrupted her, "His real name is Liu Jin. Don't tarnish the Pei family name any further!"

Madam Pei gave a wry smile and continued.

"He once said that his daughter's ashes, also known as Phoenix's Breath, are enshrined in the ancestral hall and will send our children to be reborn as dragons and phoenixes..."