Fairy, please don't do this!

There was no blood and gore flying everywhere, nor bone fragments scattering as expected.

Lady Dugu's body turned into a thick blood mist, sweeping over everything!

The blood mist was so thick it couldn't be dispersed, carrying a nauseatingly pungent, sweet-smelling stench and a faint putrid odor, instantly filling the entire magistrate's mansion courtyard.

"This is a secret technique of the Gu Clan [Hundred Treasures and Deceptions]"

Gu Jinzhao's voice rang out from inside the barrier: "These blood mists are formed from hundreds of kinds of insects. Once they touch a person, they will burrow into the skin, flesh, and bone marrow and devour them until they are reduced to a skeleton!"

As he spoke, the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand was already extended.

Nine blazing suns appeared out of thin air, and the boundless True Yang Sword Intent erupted, transforming into a boundless sea of ​​fire that swept up all the thick, sticky blood mist in the sky.

Under the intense heat of the true yang fire, the blood mist melted away rapidly, like snow being doused with boiling oil!

"what--!"

A scream rang out.

A pitch-black shadow twisted and struggled wildly at the edge of the sea of ​​fire, trying to escape into the void, but was ultimately caught up and burned by the omnipresent True Yang Fire!

That was Lady Dugu's natal Gu, the Shadow Gu.

Her earlier self-destruction was merely a smokescreen; her true purpose was to trap her soul within the Shadow Gu, thereby escaping from danger.

But she never expected that Gu Jinzhao had a ghost wife who had reached the half-step super-grade and was very knowledgeable about Gu Dao.

Lady Dugu's frantic and shrill voice resounded throughout the heavens: "If you want to kill me, I will make sure that you, and even Baihua County, will be doomed forever!"

"Threatening me?"

Gu Jinzhao snorted coldly and thrust out his sword again.

"Then you shall all be buried with me!"

Lady Dugu went completely mad. Her insect-like body swelled up again and then exploded, turning into a thick, pure white mist that instantly enveloped the world.

Three steps away, the figure was already blurred and indistinguishable.

Ten steps away, it became completely silent.

The faint sounds of people and dogs barking in the distant streets had vanished without a trace, as if the entire Baihua County had been swallowed up by this eerie white mist, isolated from the world.

Alarm bells rang in Jiang Tinglan's mind. She channeled spiritual power into her longsword and swung it horizontally, unleashing a fiery red sword beam!

The sword's edge pierced through the white mist several feet in front of them, illuminating a brief gap.

However, the artificial hills and trees that came into view, and even the entire courtyard, were all twisted and deformed, exuding an unsettling eeriness.

Jiang Tinglan asked in surprise and doubt: "This...this is also a secret technique of the Gu Clan?"

“Even if a seventh-grade Gu cultivator burns out his divine soul and natal Gu, it would be absolutely impossible for him to unleash such a powerful technique that covers an entire county.”

Gu Jinzhao shook his head, then reached out and plunged his hand into the white mist in front of him.

The touch was damp, cold, and sticky, and an indescribable fear silently spread from the depths of my heart.

Jiang Tinglan frowned deeply: "What exactly is going on?"

The calico cat that had been perched on her shoulder now had its fur standing on end: "It's like something is about to awaken!"

Gu Jinzhao withdrew his hand, his expression solemn, and slowly said, "After the war against demons a thousand years ago, the land of Kyushu was devastated, and the demonic threat was not completely eradicated."

"Hundreds of years ago, a demon comparable to a fourth-grade cultivator appeared in this Baihua County, slaughtering living beings and causing boundless bloodshed."

Jiang Tinglan immediately realized: "You mean... this strange white mist originates from that sealed demon?"

But then she had another question: "If it is a fourth-grade demon, why did the human ancestors choose to seal it instead of killing it directly after defeating it?"

Gu Jinzhao explained in a deep voice: "This demon is called the [Fearful Mist Demon]. It is not an ordinary demon with flesh and blood, but a remnant soul of a powerful demon who once reached the first-grade Dao Integration Realm.

"It is the embodiment of fear. Any creature that has seen its true form or has even just been affected by its power will have a seed of fear planted in its heart without anyone noticing."

"This seed of fear will continuously grow by absorbing the host's fear, and the Mist Demon can draw power from it to grow stronger, and may even be reborn by possessing another's body!"

He paused, then continued, "The senior who made the move back then was a sorcerer who cultivated the Dao of Destiny."

"After weighing the options, he realized that it was easy to directly kill the true form of the Fearful Mist Demon, but difficult to eliminate all those who had been instilled with the seed of fear."

"And as long as there is even one remnant, the Mist Demon has the potential to make a comeback."

"Left with no other choice, he could only seal its true form and use the Karma Fate Technique to forcibly sever the connection between the Fearful Mist Demon's true form and all the Seeds of Fear."

"As time goes by, those who have been planted with the seed of fear will naturally grow old and die, and the seed of fear will also be extinguished."

"At that time, we can eliminate it and prevent future troubles."

Jiang Tinglan seemed to understand something, and her beautiful eyes widened immediately: "Could it be that the Fearful Mist Demon is sealed underground in the Dugu Mansion?"

"Did Lady Dugu break the seal before she died?"

Gu Jinzhao did not answer immediately, because at that moment, a series of disordered and hurried footsteps came from the depths of the white mist.

Surrounded by a group of maids and servants, Dugu Wang staggered through the thick fog and appeared before Gu Jinzhao and his companion.

Looking at the remaining signs of the fight and the fading smell of blood in the courtyard, he hurriedly asked, "Commander Gu, Lord Jiang, where is my wife?"

"What's going on with this strange fog that suddenly appeared...?"

Gu Jinzhao looked at him calmly and briefly explained what had just happened: "Magistrate Dugu, your wife is actually a Gu cultivator from the Gu Sect of the Nanzhao Kingdom who has been hiding here."

"The recent cases of mummified corpses in Baihua County were all committed by her manipulating the blood-eating worms."

"Her identity was exposed just now, and I have already killed her..."

"Madam, she's a sorcerer from the Gu Clan! How is that possible!"

Dugu Wang was struck as if by lightning, and his body swayed.

Jiang Tinglan looked at him coldly, her voice accusatory: "You've shared a bed with her for so many years, haven't you ever noticed anything unusual?"

"Madam, she...she..."

Dugu Wang looked dazed, as if he was trying hard to remember.

Suddenly, his body trembled violently, a look of pain appeared on his face, and he clutched his stomach, bent over, and began to retch violently.

A foul, fishy odor instantly filled the air.

Jiang Tinglan took two steps back in disgust, while the calico cat covered its nose tightly with its two front paws.

"Are you okay?"

Gu Jinzhao stepped forward and patted his shoulder, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the vomit, where he noticed something wriggling.

He made a fist in his palm, his spiritual energy swirling, and pulled something from the filth from a distance.

It was a jet-black insect, currently hovering in mid-air, writhing wildly.

What is this?

Jiang Tinglan covered her nose and asked.

Gu Jinchao did not recognize this insect either.

The ghost wife's soft, seductive voice rang out at the opportune moment: "This is a mind-bewitching worm that can erode the host's mind, subtly influence their judgment, and even tamper with their memories."

"It seems that Dugu Wang had been infected with this curse long ago, which is why he was at her mercy."

Gu Jinzhao relayed the ghost wife's words to everyone.

Jiang Tinglan suddenly realized: "So that's how it is!"

Then, she looked at Gu Jinzhao with surprise, clearly puzzled as to why he knew so much about these insects.

Dugu Wang knelt on the ground, seemingly both crying and laughing, as if he had gone mad: "I remember now, she killed them all."

"Chief Mo, Brother Li, and Brother Chu all died at her hands."

"This wicked woman is not only promiscuous, but also a ruthless witch from the Gu clan who kills without blinking an eye..."

Gu Jinzhao stood to the side, silent.

Only after hearing him finish did he speak, saying, "The culprit has been brought to justice, but the matter is not yet resolved."

"If I'm not mistaken, this white mist originates from a demonic creature comparable to a fourth-rank demon."

Suppressing the love, hatred, sorrow, and resentment in his heart, Dugu Wang stood up with difficulty: "Why would a fourth-grade demon suddenly appear?"

What is the concept of a fourth-rank official?

That's the kind of being capable of slaughtering the entire Baihua County.

Jiang Tinglan held his long sword and looked solemnly at the vast world before him: "Since that witch is a member of the Gu Cult of the Nanzhao Kingdom, she must have been lying low in Baihua County for so long before marrying into the Dugu family, all for the sake of this demon."

"As far as I know, the Gu clan has a forbidden technique that can refine demons and consecrate the six Gu."

"Although she is at the mid-stage of the seventh rank, as long as the seal is not broken, she can slowly refine it."

"But unexpectedly, the murder was exposed, and he was driven to a dead end, so he broke the seal..."

Dugu Wang was completely bewildered and panicked: "What should we do now?"

"I have already sent a message back to Jade Capital City, asking the powerful warriors of the Demon Suppression Division to come and assist me."

Gu Jinzhao said calmly, "Let's unite with the cultivators and experts in Baihua County to escort the people away first."

"We earnestly request Commander Gu to take charge of the overall situation!"

Dugu Wang clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

puff-

Before he could finish speaking, a rusty iron sword pierced his chest.

He stared wide-eyed at Gu Jinzhao in disbelief, as if questioning whether he had stabbed the wrong person.

"I'm going to stab you!"

With a flick of his wrist, Gu Jinzhao unleashed a burst of supremely yang and powerful sword intent, tearing Dugu Wang to shreds.

Jiang Tinglan was also stunned for a moment by this sudden scene, and was about to ask why he attacked Dugu Wang.

But then, a divine soul floated out from Dugu Wang's body and then solidified into a physical form.

"Yang Shen?"

Jiang Tinglan's expression changed slightly!

The other party was actually a fifth-grade divine cultivator, which was truly beyond her expectations.

Dugu Wang stood in the white mist, his expression extremely gloomy: "When did you find out?"

Gu Jinzhao said calmly, "When you vomited just now, I patted your shoulder and realized that your cultivation level was not ninth rank, but fifth rank!"

Chapter 116, Jiang Tinglan? Yu Fengzhi? (3K)

From the very beginning, Gu Jinzhao had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

From the Scarlet Frost Flower to the Green-haired Turtle, and then to the two former commanders of the Demon Suppression Division, all the clues point to Lady Dugu, ultimately pointing to her as the true culprit in the mummified corpse case.

But all of this went too smoothly, as smoothly as a carefully orchestrated play.

The person behind the scenes was none other than Dugu Wang.

Because during Gu Jinzhao's investigation, Dugu Wang always managed to provide the most crucial information.

Mo Ya's death was like this, as were the deaths of Chu You and Li Jing.

Under his deliberate guidance, Gu Jinzhao discovered that all three of them had affairs with Madam Dugu, thus deducing that she used the [Blood-Eating Worm] to kill people.

The problem is that both Li Jing and Chu You are experts at the sixth-grade Yin God realm!

Even if they did it secretly, it would be extremely difficult to drain them into dried corpses without alerting them.

Fortunately, the ghost wife was well-versed in the art of Gu poison and immediately recognized that this was a frame-up, which allowed him to discover the trickery involved.

Gu Jinzhao looked at Dugu Wang with a half-smile: "If I'm not mistaken, you should be a member of the Underworld God Cult, and Madam Dugu is nothing more than a puppet in your hands."

"Unfortunately, she is completely unaware of this and still thinks she has you firmly under her control with the [Heart-Bewitching Worm]."

Dugu Wang's face showed admiration, and he clapped his hands lightly: "Chief Gu is indeed worthy of being the little sword immortal of Qingyun Sect. His cultivation is extraordinary, and his mind is even more exquisite."

"In that case, let's guess why I went to all this trouble to orchestrate this whole thing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the thick fog around them suddenly surged, quickly gathered and solidified, and transformed into a colossal object.