No taboos

Chapter 472 A Loving Family of Rats
The ghostly soldiers passed through, cleansing the turbid realm.

It was as if as long as the City God resumed his duties, the evil spirits in the underworld, or even within the city, would be no threat.

But why are there no gods or saints in this mortal world?

"Door gods" can only fulfill their basic duties.

It looks like they're just "struggling to stay afloat."

Although Xu Yuan did not see the divine corpses floating in the deep void, he knew that something must have happened to the "Heavenly Court".

Once the City God enters the mortal world and returns to the temple, it won't be long before he becomes the city's greatest evil spirit.

This includes the underworld messengers and soldiers He brought with Him.

Because of their identity, they are destined to constantly "break the rules".

For example, on days when sacrifices are forbidden, they are naturally bound to break the taboo!

They can withstand it once or twice, but if it happens repeatedly, they turn from protectors into perpetrators.

It could even turn the City God Temple into a haunted place.

Therefore, no one is willing to use such methods to restrain the Otsuma unless absolutely necessary.

Even if they are used, it is necessary to discuss with the City God as soon as possible after the event to send them back to the underworld with proper respect.

Most city gods are negotiable.

You can't make a wasted trip; you have to pay for your trouble—this has been the rule in both the living and the dead throughout history.

Furthermore, it wasn't easy for the City God to get to this position, so he should be given some compensation.

In this world, apart from some key large cities, the City Gods of various prefectures and counties are often local historical figures.

Or perhaps they were local honest officials, incorruptible bureaucrats, or loyal and righteous individuals.

They are all people who have made significant contributions to the local area, enjoy high popularity among the local people, and have an innate advantage in attracting worshippers.

However, two hundred years ago, evil spirits were rampant, gods and immortals went into hiding, and city gods in various places also disappeared one after another.

The newly appointed City Gods are all ghost officers selected from the underworld and reappointed.

The rules and regulations in the lower-level officialdom are not much different from those in the upper-level ones.

However, some City Gods are either stubborn, unreasonable, or make exorbitant demands.

They just wouldn't go back.

This is going to cause trouble.

Left with no other choice, they resorted to force, seizing the golden seal and sending him back.

The River Supervisor will need to spend some time this time.

Because this kind of information is not in the canal administration office.

Xu Yuan did not wait in place. He thoroughly searched the area and found nothing else. Then he returned to Pingquan Village with the armor piece.

"Has anything changed in the village?"

Zhong Die shook her head: "Deathly silence."

She couldn't help but feel a little regretful: "What a pity, I'm not skilled enough, otherwise I would have made a puppet by hand and let it go in and take a look for us."

People are now hesitant and dare not enter the village.

"I'll go in," Jia Zongdao said in a deep voice.

This whole thing started because of me, but I didn't contribute much.

Therefore, when there is danger, one should naturally bear the responsibility oneself.

He strode forward, about to burst into the village.

Xu Yuan grabbed him and glared at him, saying, "Are you in such a hurry to go and die?"

Jia Zongdao tried to argue, but Xu Yuan waved his hand forcefully: "Go and die when I can't think of a solution."

But Xu Yuan still has a way.

"You wait here, I'll be right back."

Xu Yuan rode his fiery wheel into the air and headed towards Xiaoyu Mountain.

Some people were confused, and they looked at each other.

Miss Jinxi felt that Lord Xu must be going to do something "interesting".

I'm so eager to go and see for myself.

However, Xu Yuan insisted on not allowing them to come along, and Seventh Uncle and Tenth Aunt would certainly disagree as well.

She interlaced her fingers and sighed in disappointment.

Xu Yuan returned shortly afterward.

Riding on his fiery wheels, he led the way, looking very imposing.

A large group of chattering weasels followed behind.

These little creatures argued and complained to each other the whole way.

They shifted blame and passed the buck to each other for the crimes of being "manipulated" by Master Xu.

It was as if he was deliberately saying this to Lord Xu: We did it against our will; you forced us.

But how could these petty tricks possibly shake Lord Xu's "heart of stone"?
Xu Yuan made it very clear: "Anyone who dares not to go, or who escapes halfway, I allow you to monitor and report each other!"
Once verified, I will bestow upon it the blessing of being skinned alive!

This den of weasels has always been... clueless about the meaning of unity, friendship, and harmony among siblings.

Moreover, they are naturally suspicious.

Each one felt that the other rats were secretly jealous of them.

So they kept a close watch on each other, and none of them dared to escape halfway. They all followed Master Xu from Xiaoyu Mountain all the way to Pingquan Village.

"Search this village for me."

The weasels then rushed in all at once.

They had absolutely no idea about the evil spirits in the fake village.

Faced with the empty village, although he was a little suspicious, he thought: I am also an evil spirit, what is there to be afraid of?

The others suddenly realized: No wonder they didn't let Jia Zongdao take the risk; it turns out that Lord Xu also has the means to control demons!

This person's various skills are truly diverse and endless!
At this point, even Wei Jinyuan would not be so inappropriate as to accuse Lord Xu of "colluding with evil spirits."

If you dare to accuse Lord Xu of this, Lord Xu will dare to scatter these weasels and then send you into the village to take their place!

Wei Jinyuan figured out the crux of the matter and became quite pleased with himself, feeling that he had finally gained a brain.

……

As soon as the group rushed in, they kicked down the doors and broke the windows. Once inside, they rummaged through the villagers' hidden grains, cured meats, and other items, feasting on them themselves.

Several others discovered a jar of fine wine that the village head had hidden on the roof beam.

They're all holding on tightly, and there's no way they'll let go; they're all fighting and grabbing.

Then, by accident, it fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

They pounced on it and started licking it, and soon they were all completely drunk.

It was like a bunch of bandits had invaded the village.

Dafu, leading a flock of geese, flew across the sky again and witnessed the various "evil deeds" of these weasels. He angrily complained to Lord Xu in a loud, cawing voice.

Xu Yuan then said, "Let them be."

Since we're letting evil spirits do the work, we have to put up with their bad habits.

These weasels wreaked havoc in the village for more than an hour.

The strange squeaking of weasels could be heard from all over the village.

However, none of the "anomalies" that Lord Xu ordered them to search for were found.

Xu Yuan couldn't help but frown.

This is similar to the Jinyiwei and Dongchang of earlier times.

The Emperor knows you are all bad people, but as long as you can get things done, the Emperor will still support you.

But if you fail to get things done... you'll die faster than anyone else.

This large brood of weasels gradually gathered again in the center of the village.

The idiom "shortsighted as a mouse" applies not only to mice but also to weasels.

Upon entering the village and discovering delicious food, they began to wreak havoc without a care in the world.

Now I know I'm afraid.

Hundreds of weasels squeaked and whispered among themselves, trying to come up with a solution.

After discussing it for a long time, everyone had their own plans, and they couldn't reach a consensus.

Just then, the weasels that had been drinking suddenly let out a burp in unison.

It was clearly the smell of alcohol, but when it came out, it turned into a ball of fire!

Their bodies suddenly stood up, reaching half the height of a person!
They spread their front claws, looking ferocious, and spewed out a ball of dark fire from their mouths, feeling their confidence soar: I am a fire-breathing monster!
They were indeed several times larger than their counterparts around them.

But soon after, the other weasels also changed their ways.

Those who stole the cured meat grew to be as tall as a person!

Its entire body was covered in abnormally proliferating flesh and blood, making it look like a bear that had been skinned!
They were much taller than those that breathed fire.

He then felt that "I am the big monster!"
With a single swipe of its paw, it sent those fire-breathing creatures rolling three times on the ground.

The fire-breathing creature, unwilling to accept defeat, jumped up and breathed fire, and the two sides engaged in a fierce battle...

Those that stole the rice also began to grow larger, but their flesh and blood decreased, while their skeletons continued to grow.

It quickly turned into a skeleton monster, taller than a person and skin and bones!
The worst off were the weasels that only managed to eat some dried wild fruits and sweet potatoes that the villagers had dried.

It only grew to about half a person's height, yet it couldn't breathe fire.

He was grabbed and beaten by the other weasels—why did he beat them?

In such a "big family", do we need a reason?

You deserve to be beaten because you're short!

Xu Yuan and the others were outside the village and couldn't see what was happening inside. They could only hear the weasels squeaking and howling. They looked at each other, wondering what had happened.
Everyone was extremely curious, craning their necks but still unable to see.

Xu Yuan: "Dafu, go see what's going on."

Dafu swung his big flippers and dashed to the edge of the nearby woods.

A flock of geese landed from the treetops.

Dafu spread its wings, and two of the strongest geese grabbed its wings and flew away with it!

This was the first time Xu Yuan had ever seen how Dafu had managed to infiltrate the flock of geese...

Miss Jinxi's eyes sparkled, but Wei Shiyi, standing beside her, immediately saw through her thoughts: "No, you're not Dafu. Dafu has wings and can glide in the sky."

Miss Jinxi was disappointed for a moment, but then she thought of something and her eyes lit up again.

Wei Shi said again, "Even if I tied you to a kite, it wouldn't work; it's too dangerous."

Miss Jinxi pouted and let her two fragrant shoulders slump down.

Dafu conducted a high-altitude reconnaissance and returned to tell Xu Yuan about the situation.

Strangely enough, only Xu Yuan could understand what Da Fu was saying.

"Everything has changed drastically?!"

Everyone was immediately startled and couldn't help but look at Jia Zongdao.

Jia Zongdao fell silent for a moment, thankfully the adults stopped me.

I owe the adults even more debts of gratitude.

Xu Yuan frowned, but he thought one step further than others: were these weasels acting strangely because they entered the village, or because they stole those things?

Or perhaps both?
Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly echoed through the village.

Accompanied by the weasels' irritable squeaks.

"Are they about to break out?"

"Lord Xu can control them..."

Wei Jinyuan shook his head: "These things have changed twice, and I'm afraid Xu Yuan can't control them."

The weasels were fighting each other in the village.

I wish I could twist the other person's head off.

Suddenly one of them said, "We are so powerful now, why should we be driven by that living official?" "I, Huang Qishiliu, refuse to be a slave!"

"Fight your way out! Fight your way out! I want to taste the flavor of that living high-ranking official!"

Several drunk leaders rushed out—

Hundreds of weasels followed closely behind.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the entrance of the village.

They are now strangely shaped and look ferocious and terrifying, and they do have a certain menacing aura.

Xu Yuan looked at these strange things and nodded to Wei Jinyuan, saying, "I really can't control them now."

Wei Jinyuan wore an expression that said, "I was right" and "Just as I thought."

Beneath that expression, there was naturally a hint of smugness.

He had already prepared his "ice needles" and signaled to those around him that it was time to show off.

Then Xu Yuan pushed out the "dream come true" carriage and blocked the entrance to the village.

"Stab! Stab! Stab!"

The crossbow bolts on the carriage were cocked.

The weasels that were charging at the front suddenly came to a stop.

One of them, still reeking of alcohol, shouted loudly, "I, Huang Jiushisi, am reporting to you, sir! Huang Qishiliu just said it is unwilling to be a slave, and Huang Yibaier said it wants to eat your flesh and blood!"
I, Huang Jiushisi, am utterly loyal to you, sir. No matter what I become, I will always be your lackey!
So when I heard their outrageous words, I immediately ran out to report them to the adults!

Wei Jinyuan was dumbfounded.

Lord Xu is indeed unable to "control" them, but... the powerful healing effects of these artifacts are excellent, capable of turning barbarity into civilization and madness into calm!
Huang Thirty-Seven ate cured meat.

He became very tall and strong.

But his whole body was covered in pus and blood, and he emitted a strong stench.

It was squeezed to the back, and when it saw Huang Jiushisi in front of it being so shameless, it was furious.

It pushed aside its family members, trying to squeeze to the front.

However, the other weasels calmed down from their frenzy the moment they saw the Thousand Arrows Crossbow.

They jostled and pushed their way forward: "I'm reporting..."

"I'm reporting..."

Huang Thirty-Seven was unable to push away these "righteously indignant" family members.

In its haste, it leaped upwards and sprang up, then, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, stepped on the heads of its family members and rushed to the front. It landed with a thud, knelt on the ground, and wailed, "My lords, I am utterly incompetent!"

"These heartless bastards, they're all traitors!"

"Only I will always be loyal to you..."

The other weasels, feeling guilty and anxious, cried out, "Slander! It's slandering me!"

"Where's the evidence? What evidence do you have?!"

Among the family members, Huang Qishiliu huddled together.

I've already slapped myself several times.

No one else had clear "evidence," except for it, which mentioned its own name when it shouted.

"Shut up, all of you." Xu Yuan didn't shout or yell; his voice was calm and cold: "Anyone who dares to utter another word will be blessed with the tongue of being pulled out!"

knock!
All the weasels suddenly bit down.

Several others bit their own tongues, crying out in pain, but dared not make a sound.

Xu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

"Huang Jiushisi, tell me about the situation in the village."

Huang Jiushi was overjoyed.

Huang Thirty-Seven's face immediately darkened.

“There’s so much delicious food in the human village…” Huang Jiushisi began to speak, but then he saw Master Xu’s eyes were like knives, which made him tremble. He immediately changed his words: “I think it’s because the food in the village has been contaminated that we have become this strange.”

"anything else?"

Huang Jiushi thought for a moment and shook his head: "That's all."

Huang Thirty-Seven immediately seized the opportunity, knelt down and said, "My lord, I have made another discovery."

"explain."

"Everything in the village was in good order; it didn't look like a chaotic evacuation. The cured meat was hanging from the rafters, and I had to jump several times to finally get a bite...slurp!"

As it spoke, it started drooling.

Life in the mountains is tough. Even if you catch some wild rabbits on a regular basis, it can't compare to the deliciousness of the cured meat that the villagers have smoked for three years.
Xu Yuan pressed further, "Really?"

"Absolutely true!"

Several more weasels couldn't help but jump up and down, saying, "That's right, that's right..."

This is not right.

The villagers evacuated in a great hurry yesterday, and they only left after being paid by Lord Xu.

Many things that were only half-packed were simply tossed aside.

It's impossible for a village to be perfectly organized.

"The evil spirits of the fake village cleaned up the village last night? Why is that? Isn't its goal to devour these villagers?"
How did she end up doing the work of a busybody?

Whether the weasels turned into monsters after eating something or because they entered the village is no longer important.

Xu Yuan had already tested the waters and found out: entering the village wouldn't be fatal.

When this group of weasels was released, there were 362 of them, and when they came out, there were still 362 of them.

So Lord Xu beckoned to Jia Zongdao and smiled, "Do you have the courage to come in with me and find out what's going on?"

Jia Zongdao also clasped his hands and smiled, saying, "That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask!"

Xu Yuan nodded, but then suddenly remembered that he couldn't just let these cunning weasels get away with it.

So before entering the village, he looked around at all the weasels: "Huang Qishiliu, Huang Yibaier, come out."

The two weasels shrank back.

But it was pushed out by the concerted efforts of the family.

Xu Yuan clapped his hands lightly: "I have always been kind and benevolent to my subordinates. Don't say that I coerced you. I will take away the Thousand Arrow Crossbow."

The two weasels were already fighting with their upper and lower teeth.

You've put away the Thousand Arrows Crossbow, but... could you also take back the pair of Dragon Slayer Swords hanging over our heads?

Did this thing really kill a dragon?
How could it exude such a terrifying and malevolent aura?

"Now, I'm giving you a chance to receive the blessings you deserve."

"If you can satisfy me, you can continue to live."

Huang Qishiliu knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly to Xu Yuan, then gritted his teeth and said to Huang Sanshiqi, "Brother, help me break my legs!"

Huang Thirty-Seven nodded and said sincerely, "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely act decisively and make you suffer less."

Huang Thirty-Seven went to the village and found a heavy wooden stick.

Huang Qishiliu gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and lay down on the ground.

"Brother, let's do it!"

Huang Thirty-Seven raised the wooden stick and slammed it heavily against Huang Seventy-Six's groin.

With a snap, Huang Qishiliu screamed in agony!

Both legs were severed at the root!

But Huang Qishiliu's screams were too shrill, causing it to tense up and break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

After shouting for a long time, Huang Qishiliu finally calmed down a bit and glared at Huang Sanshiqi with a face full of resentment: "I told you to break my legs, not to break all three of my legs!"

Huang Thirty-Seven smiled sinisterly: "Do you remember when I warned you not to make a move on Sister One Hundred and Fifty-One?"

"You—you're so vicious!"

Xu Yuan was stunned. What kind of family drama was this?
However, Huang Qishiliu was castrated.

It once proclaimed that it would not be a slave, but when it saw Xu Yuan in the future, it would probably only be able to call itself "old slave".

Xu Yuan was satisfied with this "blessing".

So Lord Xu let it go and then looked at Huang Yibai.

Having witnessed the tragic end of Qi Liu, Huang Yibai Er dared not trust his family members any longer.

It thought for a moment, then grabbed a stone from the ground and knocked out all its teeth!
His mouth was full of blood!

Then he pulled out his tongue and cut it off with a knife!

Huang Yibai rolled around on the ground in pain.

But Xu Yuan coldly replied, "Ninety-four, tell me, if I were eaten by one hundred and twenty, what part of me could I enjoy besides being bitten by teeth and tasted by tongue?"

Huang Jiushisi truthfully replied, "It slid through my intestines, was swallowed, and I enjoyed it all."

Xu Yuan nodded: "That makes sense."

Huang Yibai was so frightened that he stopped rolling around. He endured the pain and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly to Lord Xu.

But Xu Yuan's expression was cold.

There should be absolutely no mercy for these cunning and evil spirits.

Xu Yuan pointed to the village: "Go find an iron hook and pull out the intestines of the 120th man."

"Yes, sir!" Huang Jiushisi was very excited.

The other weasels were also excited—the more cruel and bloody it was, the more excited they became.

The more unlucky others are, the more they gloat.

That's their nature.

Huang Yibai got up and ran.

But its "family" are all wary of it.

As soon as it moved, four weasels pounced on it and pinned it down.

Huang Jiushisi has already found an iron hook.

The position where Huang Yibai was held down was that it was kneeling on the ground kowtowing to Lord Xu.

Seeing that this position was just right, Huang Jiushisi forcefully stabbed the iron hook into Huang Yibai'er's back...

Xu Yuan was once again amazed by the creativity of this group of weasels.

Just now, Huang Thirty-Seven broke Huang Seventy-Six's third leg.

Xu Yuan's original intention was to stick his finger into Huang Yibai's mouth and pull out his stomach and esophagus.

As a result, Huang Jiushisi immediately performed a counter-operation!
You can't die.

After all, it is an evil spirit.

But Huang Yibai's screams were even more pitiful than Huang Qishi's earlier.

It will probably take several months to recover...

Even a blockhead like Zhou Leizi couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye: "Too brutal..."

But those from the Exorcism Bureau understand better: to control these evil spirits, you must make them fear.

Xu Yuan pointed at the two weasels: "You have all seen it. I am magnanimous and will spare their lives."

Then he stepped into Pingquan Village, but suddenly felt "Bai Wu Jin Ji" move slightly.

Xu Yuan had already lifted one foot, but suddenly frowned and pulled it back.

He looked around in confusion, but found nothing unusual.

Suddenly, Xu Yuan had an idea. He opened "Looking at Fate" and glanced at the group of weasels.

After the second strange transformation, the weasels were more than twice as robust as before.

Among the densely packed "destinies," there was one that was thicker and longer, and after rising ten zhang into the air, it suddenly turned towards the canal.

That direction is precisely where the fake village lies hidden in the canal!
Under this command, the "weasel" was indistinguishable from the others.

Xu Yuan was puzzled: Given my personality, the moment these weasels turned into monsters in the village and rushed out, I should have activated "Looking at Fate" to check them out!
Why did I overlook this?
Some force has influenced me, and it has been very subtle, not even triggering the "No Taboos" resistance immediately!
Xu Yuan's mind raced and he thought of: that armor plate!
No wonder the fake village, though clearly sensing that I had picked up its armor plates, did not take any further action.

(End of this chapter)