No taboos

Chapter 489 The Multiple Forms of the Sword Ball

After incorporating the Yin-Yang Guillotine and the bell-shaped spikes, the sword pellet underwent some changes.

The sharpness of the bell-shaped spikes is no longer an advantage compared to the sword pellet.

What remains are the bell-shaped spikes and their ability to tear apart souls.

Originally, this ability was manifested as the sound of bells.

Now it transforms into the sound of swords whistling.

This ability, along with the Yin-Yang Guillotine's "Yin-Yang Realms" ability, incorporates the "Yin" aspect.

Although the bell-shaped spikes were made by a fourth-rate craftsman, they were completely integrated into the sword pellet.

It left little trace of itself.

But the Yin-Yang Guillotine was not a craftsman's work.

The Yin-Yang Guillotine is a "treasure".

A precious thing that is born of nature.

Therefore, although the Yin-Yang Guillotine was of a much lower standard, it still left its own "mark" in the sword pellet.

This mark means that the sword pellet can be completely transformed into the original Yin-Yang guillotine.

The flying sword transformed into a heavy, massive, wide guillotine!

After transforming, it became far more powerful than the previous Yin-Yang Guillotine.

In this state, it can also emit a "knife-like sound" that tears at the soul.

However, "fetal gold" is not a catch-all term; it cannot include all crafts and treasures that are no longer of sufficient quality and have become less and less useful.

Since the embryonic gold itself has been integrated into the sword pellet and become part of it, it will inevitably select objects that are beneficial to the sword pellet.

Those useless things, even if Xu Yuan wanted to incorporate them into the bait, the fetus gold would refuse.

For example, you can't exactly incorporate things like beggar's bowls, divination tortoise shells, or vile websites into it, can you?

We're not from the same circle at all; don't force yourself to fit in if you can't.

Xu Yuan sensed the new sword pellet, which conveyed certain subtle messages.

Thinking this, he casually took out the begging bowl.

This artifact was a reward given to him by Elder Ma Tianshou, who went to great lengths to retrieve it from the General Administration.

It was originally an extremely powerful artifact, and the Tiger-Head Guillotine was "obtained" from Fu Shuanghui...

Xu Yuan suddenly wondered: what would happen if the Tiger-Head Guillotine, a "national treasure," were incorporated into the sword pellet...?

Lord Xu's begging bowl accidentally bumped into the sword pellet.

Lord Xu was thinking about the tiger-head guillotine when he realized that the sword pellet had already turned into a pool of golden liquid, enveloping the beggar's bowl!

Xu Yuan was stunned: This is a bit of a slap in the face. I thought you two weren't in the same circle. I didn't expect you to take the initiative to accept him!

This puzzled Xu Yuan greatly: how could a flying sword and a porcelain bowl be combined into one?
But the fetal gold is a fusion.

Xu Yuan was so curious about what the result would be after the two were combined that he simply waited and wanted to know as soon as possible.

And their integration was surprisingly smooth.

It was completed in just two hours!
After that, the sword ball acquired two new characteristics.

First, it is unparalleled in its sharpness.

The sword pellet itself is already extremely sharp.

It's sharper now.

Xu Yuan touched his forehead, and after a moment's thought, he suddenly realized: the broken porcelain was actually extremely sharp, far exceeding that of ordinary swords.

It's just more brittle and easier to break.

Xu Yuan guessed that the sword pill and the fetal gold were attracted by this characteristic of the porcelain bowl, which is why they took the initiative to accept and integrate with it.

The second characteristic... left Xu Yuan speechless.

This feature can be named: Sword Attack.

Well... to put it simply, they used to beg for food with a broken bowl, but now they're wielding a sharp sword to "beg".

Will you give it to me or not?

If you don't give it to me, I'll stab you in the back and stab you out!
Moreover, compared to the previous begging method, sword begging allows you to demand specific items from the target.

You can also be a little "greedy" and ask for a second, a third, and so on...

Until they had looted... no, they had taken everything from their target!
Xu Yuan comforted himself: This can be considered a form of begging, right?

No problem!
Xu Yuan was quite satisfied with these two new features.

So my mind started to wander. Should I give divination using tortoise shells and the net of evil spirits a try?
Xu Yuan took out the tortoise shell and placed it together with the sword pellet.

The sword pellet remained motionless.

Even if you switch to a corrupt website, it will be the same.

This time, Kenmaru and Taikin really looked down on them.

“And there’s the Tiger Head Guillotine!” Xu Yuan decisively took out the Tiger Head Guillotine, but the sword pellet remained unmoved.

Xu Yuan has thoroughly figured out the nature of the Sword Pill and the Fetal Gold.

The objects of integration are not concerned with their level or strength.

The key lies in whether it can bring some added characteristics to the sword pellet itself.

The Tiger Head Guillotine is indeed very powerful; it can even kill third-rate evil spirits.

But it can do what sword pellets can do, so sword pellets don't need to fuse with it.

With this new sword pellet, Xu Yuan felt that his strength had increased significantly once again.

Looking ahead to the Ghost Festival a few months from now, my confidence has increased even more.

"Hopefully, this time, we can solve that major problem once and for all for the families in the alley!"

Outside, it was already daylight.

Xu Yuan opened his pocket-sized almanac and saw that today was a day of prohibition:
Burning incense, soaring into the air, traveling at night, hunting.

Xu Yuan pushed open the door and came out; Lang Xiaoba and Liu Hu were already waiting outside.

Liu Hu grinned and said, "My lord, breakfast is ready. Miss Jinxi and the others are leaving today, so I've prepared a lavish breakfast. The old lady will also be eating with everyone."

"it is good."

Lang Xiaoba and Liu Hu both got up earlier than the others.

Liu Hu was to cook for Lord Xu, while Lang Xiaoba was to strengthen his body.

While Xu Yuan was washing up, he heard various birds chirping coming from the neighboring yard, which was indeed quite noisy.

Lord Xu shook his head helplessly.

Now, Dafu has no interest in competing with "Dreams Come True" anymore; he's determined to make his home on someone else's car roof.

Xu Yuan glanced over there. Flying was prohibited today, so the geese and water birds stayed obediently on the ground.

Breakfast was indeed very plentiful.

Over the past few days, Liu Hu has figured out everyone's tastes. He specially prepared several dishes that Miss Jinxi, Mr. Feng Si, Miaoyan Zhenren, Zang Tianlan, Xu Yuan, and Lin Wanmo like to eat.

Mr. Feng was having a conversation with Lin Wanmo that was unique to the two of them: "I left your son a 'Heming Wheel'. If he needs any materials and can't find them, he should let me know."

Listen carefully, if you really can't find it, then come begging to me!
"I went through a lot of trouble to get this material, so stop trying to fleece me. I don't have much hair left, I can't take this much!"

Lin Wanmo sneered: "Poor wretch!"

Mr. Feng was so angry that he wanted to prove his wealth on the spot, but then he realized what he had done and said, "Little Lin, have some decency! I almost fell for your trick again!"

Zang Tianlan was giving instructions to Lang Xiaoba and Ji Shuangqiu.

Zang Tianlan admired Xu Yuan quite a bit, but he didn't have much to talk about with non-martial arts practitioners.

He thought Lang Xiaoba was stupid, and Ji Shuangqiu, although talented, was unfortunately a woman.

But as he was instructing two mediocre martial arts practitioners, he discovered that Xu Yuan was secretly following behind and listening.

Zang Tianlan looked at him with a puzzled expression: What are you doing following us?
You and Jinxi are about to part ways. Aren't you going to say something to her?
You deserve to be in South Jiaozhi, where you hold a "high position and great power," yet you're still all alone!
If Xu Yuan knew that he was being so despised in his heart by a crude martial arts practitioner, he would probably break down too...

But Lord Xu has always had a firm heart for martial arts cultivation!

Moreover, it's not that he completely doesn't understand.

He possesses the "Dragon Transformation Technique," making him a semi-martial arts practitioner.

Miss Jinxi ate her breakfast quietly, her eyes sparkling as she glanced around at the people around her from time to time.

I find the people around me to be very interesting.

She has a small wish: that the people she cares about can continue to live such happy and carefree lives.

But she also understood that in this era, her grandfather's students all shouldered different missions.

I'm afraid my wish will never be fulfilled.

Next to Miss Jinxi, there was another seat, which was clearly empty, but the food in front of her was disappearing bit by bit.

That is the Fairy Maiden Miaoyan.

She used magic to make herself invisible!
She didn't make a sound while eating.

Apart from Miss Jinxi, probably no one else noticed.

The two brothers, Geng Qi and Geng Qi, ate their food ravenously.

They set off for Beijing today and would be traveling until noon, so they felt it was essential to have a hearty breakfast.

Of course, Liu Hu's superb skills also played a role.

For these highly skilled cultivators, the greatest suffering during long journeys was "not eating well."

Wei Shi's mind was not on the food.

She had been secretly keeping an eye on her young mistress.

Although the young lady occasionally glanced at the people around her, six or seven tenths of her thoughts were on Xu Yuan.

Wei Shi sighed softly to himself: I'm afraid even the young lady herself doesn't realize this.

But now Wei Shi's mindset is different from his initial one.

Mr. Feng's attitude...

Although Mr. Feng had little say in Miss's marriage, he was still an elder.

Moreover, Zang Tianlan seemed to admire Xu Yuan quite a bit.

Zang Tianlan and Miss were truly as close as siblings.

"Just report this truthfully when you get back, and let the master worry about it."

My dear husband, your beautiful little cabbage is about to be eaten by a pig outside!

After the meal, it was finally time to say goodbye.

As everyone said their goodbyes at the door, a carriage sped up, and Nan Zhenchuan and Xiao Bin jogged alongside it.

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Wei Jinyuan with a broad smile on his face: "You've arrived just in time."

Gengqi went over and moved his car to the very back of the procession.

It was more than ten feet away from Miss Jinxi's carriage.

Wei Jinyuan was already used to it and didn't feel disappointed.

The journey back to the capital was long, and thinking about how he would be with Miss Jinxi day and night during this long trip, Wei Jinyuan laughed so hard in the carriage that he almost drooled.

Then he heard Xu Yuan's voice in the car: "Stepmother, I solved the case and saved her. You and Aunt Wang don't need to worry, I'm all grown up now, I know how to take care of myself..."

Wei Jinyuan was taken aback. He quickly rolled down the car window and saw Xu Yuan mount his horse and ride to the front of the group, alongside Zang Tianlan.

Behind them was Miss Jinxi's carriage!
It's much closer than the distance between me and Miss Jinxi!
How is this going? !
Wei Jinyuan was in a panic: Could this kid be going to Beidu with him?
Wei Jinyuan hurriedly whispered, "Nan Zhenchuan, go and inquire..."

But then they saw Nan Zhenchuan standing at the foot of the steps in front of the Champa government office, his large, martial arts-skilled face beaming as he addressed Ji Shuangqiu, who stood on the steps with her hand on her sword, saying, "When I go back this time, I'll apply to the master for a transfer to Champa. The master and your master are jointly running a trading company, and they'll definitely need people to handle things in Champa. I won't be leaving after I come back..."

Ji Shuangqiu looked puzzled: "Why are you telling me all this?"

When Wei Jinyuan saw Nan Zhenchuan's spineless appearance, he became furious.

Why do you have to like Xu Yuan's subordinate? Of all the people you could like, why did you have to?
He was about to get angry and call Nan Zhenchuan back to give him a good scolding, but then he thought to himself, "Isn't that how I treat Miss Jinxi too?"

So, venting his anger, he listlessly waved to Xiao Bin: "Go ask Xu Yuan what he's doing with him."

"Yes."

So, Wei Jinyuan, this kind of spoiled brat, isn't actually a bad person; he just has some flaws that make him unbearable.

……

The group exited from the south gate of Champa, transferred to a large ship at the dock, and then sailed upstream back to Beidu.

Midway, Xu Yuanhao heard that Ren Luohui would disembark and head towards Hue.

This is an official boat, and everyone's carriages and horses are taken directly onto the boat.

Everyone was assigned a separate cabin, and there was no one else on the ship.

Xu Yuan and Wenren Luo certainly didn't have that much influence.

This is so that Miss Jinxi will not be disturbed.

In recent years, the Ming Dynasty has completely conquered Korea and Japan, and has also been constantly engaged in artillery battles with the Japanese in Southeast Asia.

In terms of shipbuilding technology, it has absorbed the characteristics of all parties and has made great progress.

Even the boats running on this canal are equipped with both sails and oars.

The paddle wheel is driven by a large craftsman.

This type of "crafted item" does not require the weight of a cultivator's life force to suppress it.

It is weighed down by the "ballast" at the bottom of the ship.

These ballast stones are not the ordinary ballast stones of the past.

Every three months, someone needs to come and "clean" the propeller.

Otherwise, the paddle wheel will also change its nature.

After boarding the ship, Xiao Bin finally found out the purpose of Xu Yuan's trip.

Wei Jinyuan also breathed a sigh of relief.

Two days later, Xu Yuan and Wenren Luo disembarked. Before Wei Jinyuan could even celebrate for half an hour, Xu Haoran came looking for him.

"We'll stop here for half a day to wait for your family."

Wei Jinyuan was taken aback: "Our family? Who?"

"Wei Jiao."

Wei Jinyuan frowned immediately.

Wei Jiao was his father's personal bodyguard, but also a fourth-rate guard.

"He's here to pick you up. We'll bring you here. With Wei Jiao protecting you, your safety is not a problem."

Wei Jinyuan was greatly disappointed: "Am I going to be kicked off the ship?"

Xu Haoran said calmly, "How could you have such a fantasy? If you were to return to the capital with Miss, what kind of rumors would circulate throughout the entire capital?"
This isn't just about you and the young lady!

Wei Jinyuan understood.

The father wanted to cooperate with Xu Yuan, and his objections as the son were ineffective.

The elderly father stepped forward and asked Mr. Feng to give him a ride along the way to ensure his safety.

They slapped me and then gave me a sweet treat.

But these dates are a bit small...

"Alright," Wei Jinyuan reluctantly accepted the arrangement.

The old man was obviously afraid that he would stay and refuse to leave, so he sent Wei Jiao directly.

……

When Xu Yuan disembarked, Miss Jinxi did indeed come to see him off.

Neither of them felt they had overstepped any boundaries.

They were of similar age and admired each other. Over time, they naturally became good friends.

On the contrary, after Wenren Luo disembarked, he winked at Xu Yuan and asked, "Why didn't you two exchange tokens or leave notes?"

Xu Yuan shook his head, too lazy to pay him any attention.

Xu Yuan had no idea about the situation in Hue, so he asked, "What case are you going to investigate?"

"A big case." Wenren Luo blurted out a lie without hesitation: "Did you know that there's a Prince's Mansion in Shunhua City?"

Xu Yuan really didn't know.

The lineage of Duke Hunde has become so low-key that they practically want to bury their heads in their crotches.

After being exiled to Jiaozhi, he shut himself away from visitors and refused to see any local officials.

"What royal residence?" Xu Yuan guessed. "Is it the royal residence left behind by the former chieftain of Jiaozhi?"

"No, it's a prince of our Ming Dynasty." Wenren Luo deliberately spoke vaguely: "A prince who was demoted, offended His Majesty, and was exiled to southern Jiaozhi to reflect on his mistakes."

Xu Yuan asked curiously, "Can strange cases really occur in a prince's mansion?"

"Hey!" Wenren Luo burst out laughing: "It's not uncommon for strange cases to occur in the Prince's mansion; they happen frequently in Beidu."

Even within the palace, strange cases frequently occurred.

Wenren Luo is truly unsteady; he gets even more excited when talking about things in the palace!

"You have no idea how many wronged souls have drowned in every well and pond in the palace!"
Do you think the infighting among the concubines in the imperial harem is like that of shrewish women in the marketplace, tearing each other apart and scratching each other's faces as a sign of deep hatred?
The imperial harem, ah, those are truly places that devour people without spitting out the bones!

Then, Wenren Luo recounted to Xu Yuan, as if reciting a familiar story, the most famous cases of evil spirits that had been circulating in the capital over the past fifty years!
Xu Yuan patiently listened to four particularly bizarre "mysteries of the imperial city," but realizing that Wenren Luo showed no sign of stopping, he could only cough and say, "Senior brother, the Prince's mansion, the Prince's mansion..."

"Oh, oh." Wenren Luo slapped his forehead: "We've gone off-topic. Let's get back to the Prince's Mansion in Shunhua City."

Hue was the location of the Sanhe Division's headquarters in Jiaozhi, and all the strange cases in the city were collected and reported to the Sanhe Division.

Our Bureau of Purification also has an office in the city, but we are ostracized and have a tough time.

Not long ago, it was said that a servant in the Prince's mansion stopped a group of patrolling captains from the Mountain and River Bureau to report that he got up to urinate in the middle of the night and when he returned, he saw an old man with a white beard about a foot tall sitting on the head of one of his roommates.

He screamed in fright, and the white-bearded old man turned to look at him, but his face was not human, but a rat's face!
Then the old man disappeared.

"But he shouted, and the person in the room did not wake up. He went over and shook him a few times, but he could not wake him up no matter what he did."

He didn't dare to sleep anymore and sat up until dawn. After dawn, his roommate woke up on his own!

But they had no idea what had happened last night.

They got scared and ran out to report it to the police.

Wenren Luo paused briefly, then continued, "The Shanhe Division sent people to investigate the Prince's mansion. The investigation revealed a very serious situation: 60% of the servants in the mansion had seen this rat-faced old man in the middle of the night."

However, whether out of fear or for other reasons, none of them reported it to the police.

Xu Yuan knew things couldn't be that simple: "The Mountain and River Division hasn't solved the case?"

"The Shanhe Division investigated for a long time, but as long as they sent people to guard the Prince's Mansion, the strange things would not appear. But as soon as they left, they would come out and harm people that very night."

It was as if they knew everything about the Mountain and River Division's actions.

Xu Yuan shook his head: "The Mountain and River Division wouldn't ask the Purification Division for help, so how did you get this case, Senior Brother?"

“I didn’t take this case; I’m going to snatch it away.” Wenren Luo put his hands on his hips. “We also have an office in Shunhua City. This case didn’t happen near the canal, so it should be our Exorcism Division’s case.”

Xu Yuan glanced at him and asked, "What benefit would it bring to Senior Brother?"

Xu Yuan felt something was wrong with this matter from the very beginning.

I just didn't want to expose Wenren Luo.

Wenren Luo is a disciple of the third generation of the elders, so why would he suddenly interfere in the case in Jiaozhi?

Why would he be willing to part with that incredibly precious gold and hire me to accompany him to Hue?
If there is a lack of help, Mr. Feng Si and Zang Tianlan are both there.

He has plenty of helpers.

However, Mr. Feng did not stop him from doing what he wanted to do.

After much thought, Xu Yuan realized that his only advantage compared to the others under the supervision of the supervisor was his life cultivation.

Wenren Luo said, "Bi Bojie, the chief lawyer of the Shunhua City government office, is my fellow townsman. This time, I came to Jiaozhi and was asked to bring him a letter."

We hit it off quite well during our conversation, and he asked me for help.

Wenren Luo glanced at Xu Yuan with a grin and said, "Actually, I should thank you."

"I?"

“Bi Bojie had long wanted to be transferred from Hue, but there was no suitable position in Jiaozhi.”

But because you provided the clues, Chen Tong was investigated and prosecuted.

The location in Lucheng is now vacant.

Although Lucheng itself is far inferior to Hue, being a law master in Lucheng would definitely be more comfortable than in Hue.

"I had no intention of doing what Chen Tong did... Never mind, there's no point in talking about this." Xu Yuan shook his head and joked with a wry smile, "Senior brother, you should tell Bi Bojie to thank me properly."

“No problem,” Wenren Luo said. “I’ll definitely introduce you to each other later. But we need to keep a low profile when we go to Shunhua City this time. I’d like to investigate secretly first.”

Xu Yuan nodded in agreement: "It's all up to Senior Brother to arrange."

……

Hue was just as prosperous as La Thanh.

Even the long-time residents of the city rarely know where the "Prince's Mansion" is located.

Wenren Luo led Xu Yuan to a large mansion—a grand and prestigious residence, but there was no plaque on the gate.

Wenren Luo was also visiting for the first time. Upon seeing the gate, he immediately began to mutter to himself that His Majesty was rather petty.

The Ming Dynasty had strict regulations for buildings such as princely residences and marquis residences.

The house does meet those regulations, but they are all implemented to the bare minimum standards.

Furthermore, the entire mansion, from the gate to the walls, and even the eaves and corners, exudes a sense of oppression.

It seems that... the person who built this house wanted to suppress the people who live here forever!
This house was built under the supervision of His Majesty's decree.

It directly reflects His Majesty's will.

Wenren Luo led Xu Yuan around the gate twice, which immediately attracted the attention of those who were interested.

The four men guarding the gate exchanged glances, and one of them quickly went inside.

Before long, a tall, thin man in his forties, the head of the Mountain and River Bureau, came out from the side door with two captains and blocked Wenren Luo and Xu Yuan.

The official in charge of law wore a hat that covered his hair, revealing graying temples.

His eyes were gloomy, his eye bags were very heavy, and his complexion was sallow.

"This case belongs to our Shanhe Division!"

Wenren Luo grinned and said, "My lord, we're just taking a look around."

"Don't give me that!" the man said bluntly. "The moment you two show up, the stench of the Exorcism Bureau makes me want to vomit!"
Did they think they could get away with it by not wearing official robes?

You guys are still too green!

The two captains behind him also stepped forward, their hands on their swords, making a threatening gesture.

"Get lost! Or don't blame me for being impolite!"

This is Hue, their territory, and he felt he could take advantage of their power to bully others.

(End of this chapter)