How did I, who just ascended to heaven, become an evil spirit?

Old Yuan coughed twice and forced a smile.

Li Hu stepped forward and wiped his mouth, then instinctively asked, "In this state, did you tell another lie?"

After a moment's pause, Old Yuan said, "Yesterday I saw that the tenant farmers' houses were dilapidated and many people froze to death in the spring, so I told a lie and helped them build a large number of houses in the east of the city. It was quite costly."

As soon as Yuan Sou finished speaking, he coughed twice more, and a large amount of black blood gushed from his mouth.

Perhaps it was vanity, or perhaps after the death of the divination monkey, Yuan Sou had already felt that life was meaningless. He had long given up on himself and stubbornly chose to cover up lies with lies. In the end, he was in so much pain that he curled up and trembled on the ground.

Li Hu, who had been kept in the dark, was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said:

"You mean well, but this isn't a long-term solution. I think you should stop lying in the future; your health is the most important thing."

Li Hu then beckoned to Li Sujin: "Sujin, come quickly, take his pulse and see if there's any way to remedy this."

Li Sujin rushed over upon hearing the commotion and was about to take Yuan Sou's pulse when Yuan Sou pulled his hand back.

"Thank you, Tiger Lord, thank you, Madam. Everyone has their own destiny, and this is the destiny of this old monkey."

Li Hu frowned, wondering where Yuan Sou's pessimism came from and why he always seemed to be resisting these things, as if he were intentionally torturing himself.

At this moment, Li Hu suddenly had a brilliant idea: "How about this, you find someone to tell you another lie, saying that you are healthy and still young. Wouldn't that make up for your current situation?"

Old Man Yuan shook his head and said, "No, Tiger."

"All living things have a limited lifespan. The state of one's body is not important. No matter how healthy I am now, when my lifespan is up, there will always be an accident that ends my life."

"But in other words, as long as my lifespan hasn't ended, no matter how badly my body is damaged, I won't die."

Li Hu asked doubtfully, "I know that your 'talking cultivation' technique not only damages the body but also shortens lifespan. But what if you tried using 'talking cultivation' techniques to extend your lifespan through deception?"

At this moment, Old Man Yuan smiled slyly and said:

"Actually, I've already tried, but... whether it will succeed or not, I can't judge until I'm on the verge of death, don't you think?"

Li Hu nodded, thought about it, and realized that it made sense. Seeing this, Yuan Sou seized the opportunity to add:

"Tiger Lord, if you truly care about me, why not learn my Kan Cultivation Technique?"

"Immortals who transform into evil spirits have unlimited lifespans. Wouldn't that be... a match made in heaven? From now on, I won't have to do this job of deceiving people out of necessity."

Li Hu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he felt as if he had suddenly understood something. He said with some surprise:

"Are you really willing to teach me?"

Old Yuan smiled and said, "I might just die suddenly at any moment. It's good to leave behind a successor for my wild and unfounded words."

"Don't talk about those discouraging things."

Li Hu frowned. "There are so many strange methods in this world, surely we can find a safer way to prolong life."

After saying this, Li Hu knelt down before Old Man Yuan and bowed three times, saying, "Old Man Yuan, I have benefited greatly from following you all this way."

"I will call you teacher. From now on, you can leave these matters that shorten your lifespan to me."

"Tiger, get up quickly."

Yuan Sou coughed twice, then forced himself to get up and helped Li Hu to his feet. "Such a bow is too much for me. If I kowtow like this, I'll lose at least three years of my life."

Li Hu knew he was joking, so he stood up and asked, "Then how should I learn this method of cultivation?"

Li Hu was filled with enthusiasm, and it's no wonder he was so excited. His wild and unrestrained words were the most multifaceted techniques he had ever seen. If he could learn them, he could improve Yuan Sou's physical condition, and even improve the situation of those around him, the entire Qingyuan, and even the whole world.

However, this technique is completely different from the true qi that Li Hu has cultivated before, and this ability is also quite strange. He doesn't know how to learn it.

"Tiger, you already know how to do it, you don't need me to teach you."

Old Yuan shook his head and said something that greatly surprised Li Hu.

Li Hu was initially delighted, wondering when he had learned it. Then he paused, looking at Yuan Sou with a sense of realization.

"Haha, you believe me!" Old Yuan clapped his hands and laughed.

Seeing Yuan Sou's attitude, Li Hu was somewhat surprised. He pointed to himself, then to Yuan Sou, and remained silent for a long time.

"That's right, Tiger."

"This technique actually doesn't require any cultivation. If I lie to you, even for a fleeting moment you'll believe you've mastered it, then you really will."

"When I first got that book of wild and unfounded words, I was completely fooled by it. I did a lot of absurd things according to its instructions. When I turned to the last page, I realized that I had been tricked, but I was also successfully deceived into learning this skill."

Li Hu was greatly shocked, it was beyond his expectations, but upon closer reflection, it seemed to be true.

What else could be the method of teaching this deceptive skill besides deceiving people?

"Tiger, even after you've learned it, you still need to be extra careful."

Old Yuan then warned, "Once you learn to speak wildly and recklessly, you will become a liar and will no longer be able to tell any lie. You will lose the freedom to lie."

"Often, the whole world can be rewritten without you even realizing it, and you will have to bear the corresponding backlash."

"I understand." Li Hu nodded solemnly and let out a long sigh of relief.

Afterwards, Yuan Sou shared many of his experiences in lying with Li Hu.

This includes, but is not limited to, how to tell a lie that no one can detect, how to tailor one's approach to different people, how to take advantage of moments of panic to make everyone believe in oneself, how to build an image that is naturally easy to believe, and many other things.

Li Hu also found it novel, as if he had opened the door to a new world.

The two chatted happily, and Li Sujin sat quietly beside them, watching them playfully interact, a smile appearing on her face.

The atmosphere here is so pleasant that it makes you feel like all your worries have disappeared.

"Brother Li, something seems off about the weather!"

As the group was talking, Huang Daxian and Qi Yuehong suddenly burst in, followed by Yan Yang and Chi Yue.

After returning to Qingyuan County, it was rare for the group to get together so completely.

"Look at the time! Why is it still dark?" Wong Tai Sin asked anxiously.

Li Hu looked up and saw that the sky was indeed quite dark, with not a single ray of light visible.

Upon hearing this, Old Yuan also became puzzled and hurriedly said, "Yes, I remember that after I finished burying the porcelain statue, it was almost four in the morning. By the time I got here, it was at least the hour of Yin."

"The Awakening of Insects has long passed; shouldn't the sky still be this dark at this time?"

Li Hu was also puzzled. He had been so engrossed in Li Sujin's matter that he hadn't noticed anything amiss. He had been so focused on chatting with Yuan Sou that he hadn't realized it at all.

Judging by the time, it's probably close to 10 a.m. now.

Although there is no sundial and it is impossible to make precise judgments, I have been living for so long that I still have this sense.

Li Hu calculated the recent events and suddenly a chill ran down his spine.

Could it be that the darkness of the sky is related to the Queen Mother of the West?

Just then, Li Hu suddenly felt a hunger pang in his stomach.

It felt like I hadn't eaten for three years, my stomach was practically touching my back, and I felt completely out of sorts.

I am an evil spirit, so I should never feel hunger.

Li Hu sensed something was wrong, but then the feeling of hunger disappeared and was suddenly replaced by intense pain that spread from his stomach to his entire torso, as if something was churning and gnawing inside him.

Incidentally, Li Hu's belly also grew bigger, so big that it almost burst through his clothes.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Hu felt a strong sense of familiarity. Wasn't this exactly what had happened to Young Master Zhou a few days ago?

How could this be? Did the five ghosts run into my stomach?

The people around him were also horrified. Li Hu was in unbearable pain. It seemed that the five ghosts were not carrying food in his stomach, but rather his internal organs!

Looking at his belly, which was not only rising but also slowly wriggling, Li Hu made a tough decision.

He drew his sword and ripped open his own stomach!

Almost instantly, his intestines spilled out onto the ground, almost as if they were gushing out. Li Hu's stomach was full of stuff, and the enormous pressure was released in an instant.

Li Hu endured the strange feeling, steeled his heart, and reached into his stomach to begin groping.

The things inside were very slippery. When Li Hu touched them, they even tried to dodge, but Li Hu still managed to grab one out.

Li Hu held it tightly, then suddenly pulled it and slammed it to the ground, just like Zong Shanyue had done before!

With a thud, a little blue imp was thrown to the ground, completely disoriented.

Along with it, there was also a kidney that had been gnawed down to only half its original size.

The kidneys belong to the water element, and this little blue ghost also belongs to the water element. It looks like the five-element transport ghost inside is gnawing on its corresponding organ.

"Grab him! Grab him!"

Huang Daxian roared and pounced on the little blue ghost. Li Hu didn't have time to care about that; his stomach was still hurting terribly, and he didn't know how many more were inside him.

After enduring the pain and groping for a long time, Li Hu finally found it and pulled out a small brown earth-elemental imp.

The little devil had almost completely devoured Li Hu's spleen, burying its entire body inside. It had gnawed Li Hu's spleen down to just a thin membrane, through which one could vaguely see its bloody and disgusting features. If it hadn't been gnawing so vigorously that it was trapped inside the spleen, it wouldn't have been so easy for Li Hu to pull it out.

The five ghosts caught two of them, and the remaining little ghosts realized what was happening and sped up their darting around.

Li Hu reached into his stomach with both hands and played a cat-and-mouse game with the little devils. He pulled out a green little devil attached to his liver and a golden little devil stuck in his lung.

When Li Hu arrived here, he could no longer bear it and roared in pain, leaving a messy pile of things on the ground.

The people around him realized the danger and were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, but they couldn't reach in to help Li Hu get rid of the ghost.

Finally, Li Hu ran out of options, and the little red devil bit through his back and crawled out from behind him.

Li Hu immediately sprang up, turned around and grabbed the little red devil by the neck, pinning him to the ground. The other little devils that had come out before him were also subdued by the others.

Li Hu vaguely remembered that the little red devil was probably the leader of these people, so he roared and asked:

"What do you mean! Do you think dogs have too much life?"

Li Hu wanted to execute these little devils right now, but even in his desperate situation, he keenly sensed something was wrong. These little devils were not brave enough to dare to attack him.

"Speak! Why are you eating my internal organs!"

The little red devil had very smooth skin. It grabbed Li Hu's arm and struggled incessantly, even mocking him as it struggled.

"Hey, I thought your body was so delicious? It's been rotting for months and smells awful!"

Li Hu immediately crushed the little red ghost, grabbed it, and punched it hard into the ground, burying the little red ghost directly in the yard.

Li Hu remembered that the little blue imp was the most timid, so he turned around, grabbed him from Huang Daxian's hand, and threatened him:

"explain!"

"Hey! Immortal, spare me! Immortal, spare me!" the little blue devil stammered, soiling himself as he spoke.

"We are here on the orders of the Queen Mother of the West to take your life. Please forgive us, Immortal, for you have survived such a calamity..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Hu punched him again, burying him in the ground. Then, he grabbed the brown-haired imp and said:

"Why does the Queen Mother of the West want my life?"

The brown-haired brat seemed resigned to his fate, his eyes bulging out as Li Hu pinched him, unable to utter a single word.

Li Hu trampled him underfoot and then grabbed the golden imp.

"Don't you know what you've done?" The golden brat, true to his reputation as the strongest attacker, was still spitting at Li Hu while being captured.

Li Hu crushed him with one hand and stood in front of the last green imp.

He gradually regained his composure. This was the last one; if he killed it in a fit of rage, he wouldn't be able to get any information out of it.

Li Hu held up two fingers and pressed them against his chest, asking, "You'd better explain yourself clearly."

"Explain yourself, and I'll spare your life, okay?"

The little green imp was terrified; it had never seen anyone who could stand up after having their internal organs gnawed out.

"If you don't talk, I'll kill you right now!"

Before Li Hu could speak, Huang Daxian and the others surrounded him, glaring at him menacingly.

Seeing this, the little green imp trembled and hurriedly said:

"The Queen Mother of the West has issued a kill order against all evil spirits. Whoever can take your life, Li Hu, and destroy your Three Corpses Peng Ju, she will grant them a spot for ascension."

"It's not just you, Li Hu, but also this monkey."

"I fear that all the evil spirits in the world will come to kill you now!"

"If you don't die, the sky will never rise!"

"I think you'd better let me go. It's better to save your life than waste your energy on me. Maybe you can even save your own life, right?" the green imp threatened.

Li Hu's vision went black, and with a sudden tightening of his grip, he threw the dead green imp away.

Li Hu clutched his stomach, looked up at the sky, and it took him a while to come to his senses.

Then came a jolt, and for the first time I felt an icy chill to the bone.