No taboos

Chapter 492 Who Asked Me? (Eight Thousand)

This courtyard has only three main rooms, and then a row of side rooms on the south side, with simple conditions.

Four old plum trees grow beneath the high wall on the north side.

A well was dug in the center of the courtyard, but it was not used for drinking water. The well opening was wide and octagonal, with a white marble railing on top, and four old turtles were kept below.

Shi Mingyou usually lived in a side room.

On the night of the second day of the third lunar month, he was awakened in the middle of the night and suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes were like torches, shining with a blazing light. Through the window paper, he saw the evil spirit about to sneak into the young marquis's room—

Startled, the evil spirit abruptly turned its head to look at Shi Mingyou's room.

Then it disappeared on the spot.

As soon as Xu Yuan entered the small courtyard, he sensed the slight movement of his "unfettered" destiny.

Xu Yuan now has a subtle grasp of how different destinies react.

For example, the light movement in the phrase "no taboos" is intended as a "reminder".

There is some kind of evil spirit nearby that can corrupt Xu Yuan.

This infection wasn't specifically targeting Xu Yuan; he was simply affected by it.

Xu Yuan observed the entire courtyard without making a sound.

Zhu Yangping said that the Shanhe Division had searched the Marquis's residence inside and out three times—Xu Yuan was not at ease if it had been searched by someone else.

But Zhu Yangping is clearly a capable investigator.

He searched it himself, which means that the old man with the rat-like face really wasn't elsewhere in the Marquis's residence.

In fact, there is only one place left: the young marquis's residence.

Here, the Shanhe Division dared not easily enter to conduct a search.

Zhu Yangping supported Wenren Luo and wanted to "question" the young marquis because he guessed that the evil spirit was most likely hiding in this courtyard.

In fact, of the four people who entered the courtyard together, only Shi Mingyou hadn't considered this...

Just as Xu Yuan was about to open the Wangming (望命) gate, he suddenly felt something was strange. Following this feeling, Xu Yuan subconsciously turned around—and saw the courtyard gate he had just passed by, with a calligraphy scroll hanging on the door frame:
Noble bloodline, forbidden to mortals!
This familiar feeling instantly reminded Xu Yuan that when he was in Qihetai Town, Master Qiao had also hung a calligraphy scroll with the words "No Lies" on the door frame in his courtyard.

Xu Yuan thought to himself: You literary cultivators all like to play this game, don't you?

The calligraphy copybook was watching people from behind.

When Xu Yuan faced the "Lying Land" in the beginning, his strength was too weak and he had to succumb to the limitations of the calligraphy model.

but now……

Xu Yuan wanted to test whether the writer of this calligraphy copybook was at least a third-rate level!

If not, then I'm sorry, this great one does not intend to follow the restrictions of the calligraphy model!

Xu Yuan did not use "Looking at Fate," after all, Fate Cultivation was still only a sixth-rate skill.

Xu Yuan silently put the sword pellet into his mouth.

The vision of the Yin-Yang Eyes was activated.

Previously, it was necessary to secretly hold the Yin-Yang Guillotine, but now it's much more convenient; one can simply hold the sword pellet in their mouth.

But the next moment, Lord Xu realized: the sword pellet was in my stomach—why not just keep it inside? Why go through all that trouble?
Xu Yuan laughed to himself.

Then Xu Yuan closed his left eye and scanned the entire courtyard with his right eye.

Shi Mingyou was leading the way when he suddenly noticed that Xu Yuan behind him had stopped.

He turned around and saw that Xu Yuan's right eye was covered with a faint, ethereal green light.

Shi Mingyou immediately warned, "Lord Xu, you must not use trickery. There are calligraphy scrolls here..."

Before he could finish speaking, his mouth was agape—the calligraphy scroll that had been hanging above the gate of the courtyard for almost ten years suddenly burst into flames and quickly burned to ashes!

The ashes of the paper drifted down with the breeze and landed at the base of the old plum tree on the north side of the courtyard!
"This this……"

This calligraphy copybook is a work of art left by a fourth-rate scholar.

It was a gift from someone when the young marquis's grandfather, that "dull-minded man," was still the crown prince.

It is one of the few remaining "assets" of the young marquis.

That scholar was a fourth-rate writer back then.

Later, it broke through to the top three.

Even Shi Mingyou himself, in this courtyard, was subject to the oppressive influence of this calligraphy model.

Shi Mingyou couldn't help but ask, "Which sect does Lord Xu belong to?"

The right eye glowed with emerald light; this strange technique had actually managed to break through the calligraphy of a fourth-rate scholar!

He's not a martial arts practitioner, yet he can fight me, a fourth-rate martial arts practitioner, to a standstill!
Are you a monster, kid?
I've lived in seclusion in the Marquis's mansion for ten years. Has the world changed so much? Am I out of touch with the times?
Xu Yuan did not answer Shi Mingyou's question, but instead focused on looking at the courtyard in front of him.

However, under the vision of the Yin-Yang Eyes, everything in the courtyard appeared normal.

Xu Yuan even went to the well in the center of the courtyard and looked at the four old turtles inside.

No abnormalities were found.

Xu Yuan then withdrew his Yin-Yang Eyes and couldn't help but sneer: "Wen Xiu's calligraphy copybook is a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong!"

After burning the calligraphy copybook, Lord Xu activated the "Looking for Fate" technique again.

Upon that glance, the problem was immediately apparent:

The old plum tree under the north wall and the old turtle in the well both have some problems.

However, these creatures were not evil spirits, but rather... Xu Yuan couldn't help but turn around and glance at Dafu.

The fates of these old plums and old turtles are somewhat similar to those of Dafu!
It seems that... they are trying to cultivate plum trees and turtles into creatures like Daifuku!
Xu Yuan always suspected that the Dafu that Wang Laoshi gave him was a special creature cultivated using some kind of secret method.

This cultivation method may have originated from the Dragon King of the Grand Canal.

It now appears that the royal family has also mastered similar methods.

The young marquis may not have any ill intentions in raising these creatures; it is very likely that he is only doing it for self-preservation.

Train yourself some trustworthy protectors.

Old Mei and Old Turtle will not trigger their "unrestrained" nature.

Xu Yuan looked toward the young marquis's three main rooms.

"Go in and pay your respects to the young marquis," Xu Yuan said.

Shi Mingyou was already somewhat regretful, complaining, "You burned the calligraphy copybook. That was the work of a fourth-rate scholar, it was very precious..."

Xu Yuan wanted to be magnanimous and throw the words "I'll compensate you" in Shi Mingyou's face.

But... Xu Yuan quickly realized that he didn't have the confidence to back it up...

I don't recognize a fourth-rate scholar.

Xu Yuan retorted, "It's just a calligraphy copybook, isn't it? You, a fourth-rate martial arts practitioner, why are you so indecisive and keep rambling on and on?"

Shi Mingyou's eyes widened: How come I'm the one who's wrong again?

Wenren Luo certainly knew fourth-rate literary scholars, not to mention third-rate ones.

But he didn't dare to respond to that.

To present the young marquis with a fourth-rate calligraphy copybook?

If His Majesty finds out, he'll probably find an opportunity to exile him to the far north to fight against the Snow Demons.

Shi Mingyou, unable to refute Xu's retort, stepped forward in frustration and knocked on the door: "My lord, the person has been brought."

A somewhat childish voice came from inside the room: "Come in."

Shi Mingyou pushed open the door and went in first.

Xu Yuan and his two companions filed in.

Xu Yuan still drove "Wangming" and, after entering the door, he, Wenren Luo, and Zhu Yangping paid their respects according to etiquette before raising their heads.

The young marquis was short, pale and thin, with shifty eyes, and seemed to have a sense of "respectful distance" from the world.

Judging from her appearance, she is quite pretty.

The descendants of the Zhu family are not considered ugly.

At its core, Emperor Taizu was tall and robust, with a dignified appearance.

Otherwise, Guo Zixing would never have married his adopted daughter to him back then.

Although the young marquis's "fate" was orange, indicating great nobility, it was as thin as a wisp of silk, drifting upwards into the sky.

It's like a kite string; any accident could cut it.

There is nothing wrong with him.

He sat upright in a round-backed chair, with a soft-furred white puppy lying at his left feet.

The puppy has a pointed snout, somewhat resembling a fox.

Judging from its appearance, it is not a Huangming breed.

An evil spirit arose from the dog.

However, this evil spirit is not very strong; in terms of skill level, it is only a low-level evil spirit.

The young marquis spoke again: "Uncle Shi said you have something to ask me?"

"Yes." Xu Yuan stepped forward: "Just to solve that strange case, I urge you, young marquis, to speak freely."

The young marquis slowly nodded: "Ask away."

Xu Yuan was about to speak, but seemed to have changed his mind at the last minute. He cupped his hands and said, "May I ask the young marquis to move into the courtyard? I see that the old plum tree in the courtyard is ancient and vigorous. I would like to ask how to cultivate this plum tree?"

In my ancestral home, there is a century-old plum tree in the courtyard, planted by my ancestors. However, in recent years it has become increasingly dilapidated, and despite my best efforts, nothing has worked.

The young marquis's eyes flickered a few times, wondering if Xu Yuan's words had another meaning.

Did they see through my secret cultivation of the plum tree and the old tortoise?

The young marquis thought for a moment, then slowly stood up: "Alright."

From a young age, he was cautious and timid, always walking on thin ice.

He got up and left, and the little white dog, which seemed to be asleep, also got up, stretched with its front paws on the ground, shook its long fur, and slowly followed the young marquis out.

Xu Yuan suddenly lunged forward, wedging himself between the young marquis and the puppy. With a flick of his finger, the animal sinew rope flew out, binding the puppy securely!

The young marquis's expression changed drastically.

Shi Mingyou also panicked, rushing forward to shield the young marquis behind him, angrily rebuking, "Xu Yuan, what are you doing? I trusted you, that's why..."

Xu Yuan waved his hand at him: "This is the evil spirit!"

Shi Mingyou looked at the puppy with suspicion: "It? The old man with the rat-like face?"

Xu Yuan raised his hand, and the animal sinew rope lifted the puppy, revealing its face.

"Look like?"

With its pointed snout and whiskers on both sides, the dog does indeed resemble a mouse somewhat.

The only difference is that this dog's eyes are much bigger than a mouse's.

“This…” Shi Mingyou scratched his head and turned to look at the young marquis.

The young marquis was terrified, his face turning ashen. "I...I don't know..."

Whether the young marquis knew about it or not was completely irrelevant to Xu Yuan and the other two.

Even if they knew, what could they do?

This evil spirit has never harmed anyone.

If he says he was unaware, then we can only treat it as if he was unaware.

Should we punish him for being a lowly evil spirit?
But then, Xu Yuan and Wenren Luo subconsciously looked at each other.

The thought they had just had was merely their initial reaction.

Indeed, members of the royal family should not be punished because of a lowly evil spirit.

But the young marquis is different from other members of the royal family!
Could it be that someone deliberately framed the young marquis?!
That little dog was too weak; once it was bound by the animal sinew rope, it couldn't even struggle.

The dog's pointed muzzle was also tied up.

It could only gleam with ferocity in its two eyes as it glared at Xu Yuan.

Where did this dog come from?

The young marquis's features contorted in pain: "I really don't know!"

Shi Mingyou said with a stern face, "I know, this is an imperial gift! When the Marquis's mansion moved from Guizhou Province to Jiaozhi, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Clan Court to allocate a batch of items, seemingly to appease the Marquis. Among them were two small dogs from the Western Regions, one male and one female."

This dog is the puppy that the two puppies gave birth to.

Originally, the servants raised him. More than a year ago, I saw that the young marquis was lonely, so I asked for him. I never expected this…

The jackals presented as tribute from the Western Regions were quite valuable.

The servants in the manor raised it, and all these years they said it was only this one puppy that was born?
Who would believe that?
The rest must have been secretly sold off by these servants to line their own pockets.

But now is not the time to dwell on these things.

The plan was for Xu Yuan to be the only one to ask questions, but now the case is becoming increasingly complicated and has truly implicated the young marquis.

So they disregarded the agreement.

Zhu Yangping said, "Even if these puppies are sold, most of them will still be raised in Hue City."

However, no similar mysterious cases have occurred over the years.

Clearly, the key issue isn't the breed of the puppy.

Xu Yuan nodded in agreement: "This is clearly a conspiracy against the young marquis!"

Xu Yuan deliberately glanced at the young marquis and probed with his words, "It's a pity that despite your painstaking efforts in raising Old Plum and Old Tortoise, you still couldn't protect yourself..."

"It wasn't me, it really wasn't me! None of this has anything to do with me—" The young marquis screamed hoarsely, tearing at his hair with both hands until strands fell to the ground. He collapsed to the ground, wailing, "What did I do wrong? I didn't want to inherit the title of Marquis Chonghun at all! I...I...I...I've had such a hard life..."

Xu Yuan was taken aback.

Unexpectedly, this test completely broke the young marquis's emotions.

"Sigh..." Xu Yuan sighed, the psychological pressure was indeed too great.

The young marquis cried loudly, pounding the ground, "I don't want to, I don't want anything!"

But why do I always have problems?
The plum tree and the tortoise were not raised by me, but by Liu Changshi of the manor. He didn't tell me before he raised them. It was only last year that he told me that the plum tree he planted and the tortoise he raised were made using the "Strange Things Techniques" passed down from my grandfather.

He said that once I developed this skill, I would have several protective items around me, and I would no longer have to worry about my safety.

I don't want to. If the emperor wants to kill me, let him. I'm so tired of living. It would be easier to die!
If he had come to me to discuss it beforehand, I definitely wouldn't have agreed.

But he had already taken care of it before he came to tell me that if I objected, things would get out of hand, and those people in the shadows would have to secretly submit memorials and twist the truth before His Majesty...

What can I do?

The young marquis cried incessantly, then suddenly turned to look at Shi Mingyou, his face streaked with tears, and said, "Uncle Shi, I know you are a good person, and you want to protect me, but you are also the same; you have never asked me whether I want this kind of protection."

You all thought it was for my own good, so you did it. You all just treated me like a little kid and never asked me if I wanted you to do it!

Have you ever considered what the court will think of you, a fourth-rate martial artist sent by the imperial court to monitor me, yet you remain utterly loyal to me and never report my whereabouts to the court?

The more loyal you are to me, the more wary His Majesty will become!

In the Emperor's eyes, it was just a random fourth-rate martial artist who had no connection with me. However, after coming to the Marquis's residence, he was impressed by me and refused to become my spy.

He would think that our Marquis's mansion still enjoys a very high prestige among the people, and that I have rebellious intentions!
You're not helping me, you're actually harming me!

But you are truly loyal to me, abandoning your family and business, disregarding your own safety, just to repay the kindness of my grandfather who gave you a meal back then—how can I say no?
Like this little dog, you came to keep me company out of kindness, but I don't need it.

Let the servants secretly sell this little thing; it can roam freely outside. I'm destined to be trapped in this tiny room for the rest of my life, why burden a poor little dog?

You've done something wrong again, even though you meant well...

Shi Mingyou was struck dumb, his mouth agape, and he stood frozen in place.

Xu Yuan and the other two could only stand aside and listen silently.

The young marquis is very pitiful.

But he's not stupid or dumb; on the contrary, he's actually quite clever.

He sees through everything, but he can't control anyone.

These people always think they're being clever and want to "do what's best for you."

The young marquis had been suppressing his feelings for far too long.

After this complete outburst, although she was still covered in tears and looked haggard and disheveled, she gradually calmed down.

Shi Mingyou had already thought through the young marquis's words several times in his mind.

Her face flushed with shame, she knelt down with a thud, kowtowed deeply to the young marquis, and then turned and left.

He covered his face with his sleeve, too ashamed to show it to anyone.

He didn't have any malicious intent, but he did make a mistake.

And it's so wrong.

Xu Yuan shook his head, picked up the puppy, and followed them out.

Wenren Luo immediately followed.

Of the four, he is currently the most emotionally stable.

Similar incidents occur frequently in Beidu.

The current emperor has already killed five of his sons.

Three were imprisoned.

Zhu Yangping clasped his hands and bowed deeply: "Young Marquis... please rest. I apologize for disturbing you."

After he came out, there was no one in the courtyard.

He thought for a moment, then stood in the courtyard for a while longer.

Xu Yuan and Wenren Luo left the courtyard first.

Xu Yuanping stared straight ahead, as if no one was around him, and muttered to himself, "Without destiny, one's fate is adrift and weak, like a candle in the wind, which may be extinguished at any time."

Wenren Luo did not respond, but kept it in mind.

After the two finished their tacit discussion, Zhu Yangping came out a little while later.

Zhu Yangping pointed at the puppy and asked, "What should we do with it?"

Xu Yuan didn't say anything, and handed the puppy and the animal tendon rope to Wenren Luo.

Only Wenren Luo can make the decision on this matter.

Wenren Luo really wanted to let the young marquis off the hook, as he felt great sympathy for him.

But... I still held back.

"I will take this evil spirit with me and set off back to the capital tomorrow."

Everything has been reported truthfully; as for how to handle it, only His Majesty's decision is up to him.

Mr. Feng Si commented on Wenren Luo: "He is quick-witted but lacks composure."

Fortunately, he held his ground at the crucial moment.

Xu Yuan remained noncommittal and walked out without saying a word.

Zhu Yangping nodded without saying anything.

But he felt a sense of urgency. After seeing Xu Yuan and Wenren Luo off at the gate, he immediately ordered his officers to guard the mansion. Then he called two patrol inspectors aside and whispered to them: "Keep an eye on that Chief Clerk Liu." He himself didn't dare to delay for a moment and quickly went home.

The Zhu family came to Jiaozhi specifically to keep an eye on the lineage of Marquis Chonghun.

Therefore, they must first send a secret report to His Majesty about everything that happened today.

……

No one else would have known what happened in that small courtyard.

For example, Liu Changshi in the mansion was completely unaware of it.

Even if he had some suspicions, he had a clear conscience.

Even though outsiders knew about Lao Mei and Lao Gui's affair, he felt he had a clear conscience.

I am the chief secretary of the young marquis. I made these arrangements for the young marquis's safety. Is there any problem?
But the puppy was taken away, so some people realized that things had been exposed.

After Zhu Yangping left, the two inspectors immediately took action, found Liu Changshi together, searched his residence to make sure there was nothing unusual, and then placed Liu Changshi under house arrest in a room.

The two took turns guarding the door.

Liu Changshi offered no resistance.

He simply sighed, "In the end, we still have to make a move against the young marquis."

He sat listlessly in the room as the sun began to set and the sky gradually darkened.

Liu Changshi lit the candles.

The candlelight shone brightly, like soft, pale yellow cotton, filling the entire room.

Liu Changshi was also a scholar, and although his skill was not high, he noticed that the candlelight today was somewhat unusual.

The light locked the room shut!
Chief Secretary Liu was bewildered: "You want to kill me, Liu? That shouldn't be the case. I'm a witness. At least get my testimony before you kill me to silence me..."

The candlelight flickered and stretched upwards.

Gradually, it transformed into a slender fire figure about three feet tall.

Liu Changshi vaguely felt that he had heard of this kind of trick before... He suddenly remembered: "The methods of the Repentance Sect!"

Chief Secretary Liu's face was full of anger: "There are people in the court who are colluding with the Chan sect..."

But before he could finish speaking, the slender fire figure suddenly stretched outwards—

A fire blade, as thin as a cicada's wing, sliced ​​across Liu Changshi's neck.

Liu Changshi's voice abruptly stopped.

He remained motionless, maintaining that angry expression.

A thin, charred mark appeared on his neck.

His head had been separated from his body, but the fire blade was so fast and thin, and the temperature was so high, that it burned the wound in an instant.

His head didn't fall off, and not a drop of blood came out.

The fire figure shrank back into the candlelight.

The candlelight returned to normal.

Everything was silent, as if nothing had happened.

The inspector guarding the door was completely unaware.

After a moment, he twitched his nose: "Why does it smell a bit burnt?"

He didn't pay much attention; if it smelled of blood, he would rush into the house to check.

……

Wenren Luohe Xu Yuan returned to Yaoji Inn.

As dusk approached, a servant arrived at the door, bringing with him an invitation from Bi Bojie, a fellow townsman of Wenren Luo.

"My master invites you, sir, to our home for a reunion." The servant laughed, "You've come all the way to Hue, yet you refuse to come to our door. My master must find this strange."

Wenren Luo accepted the invitation and said, "You go back first, I will definitely be there tonight."

The servant then returned home.

Wenren Luo's expression changed: "These people have some nerve!"

Xu Yuan frowned and picked up the post: "Fake?"

“Really,” Wenren Luo said. “I have a secret method that allows me to tell the authenticity of such things the moment I get my hands on them.”

Wenren Luo took a deep breath and said, "They know it's me. My secret technique is also very famous in Beidu. Three years ago, I disguised myself and hid my whereabouts under the name 'Master of Ancient and Modern Pavilion,' and made a great name in the antique circle of Beidu!"
Using this secret method, they made quite a bit of money.

Xu Yuan couldn't help but glance at him. You're a talent who knows how to apply "tricks" in a practical way!
"Since you concealed your whereabouts, how did you end up being exposed?"

Given Wenren Luo's personality, he would never take the initiative to explain his false identity.

He will definitely keep it hidden and secretly enjoy it.

Wenren Luo was somewhat ashamed and angry: "Is this the time to discuss these issues?" He pointed forcefully at the invitation on the table: "Now some people are so audacious as to dare to lay a hand on a head of the Exorcism Department, and even more audacious as to try to harm the supervisor's subordinates!"

Wenren Luo didn't want to talk about it because it really made him lose face.

His false identity was exposed by the advisor.

The supervisor originally didn't want to deal with him, but he got carried away and became a guest of honor among the idle princes in Beidu under a false identity!
He no longer cultivates himself; instead, he spends his days attending banquets hosted by these princes, appraising ancient paintings, calligraphy, and antiques for them.

That was bad enough, but in the end, a prince wanted to take advantage of him for free indefinitely and planned to marry his daughter, a princess, to him!

Wenren Luo actually started seriously discussing betrothal gifts and dowry with the other party... and the couple, after their marriage, each did their own thing...

The supervisor guessed that this scoundrel just wanted to sleep with the princess, which was going too far.

Xu Yuan then turned his attention to the post: "Are you going or not?"

"Go, of course we'll go!" Wenren Luo declared proudly. "How can the disciples of the Supervisory Bureau be intimidated by these treacherous villains?"

Then Wenren Luo changed the subject: "However, Senior Brother, I need backup."

He looked at Xu Yuan with a grin: "Junior brother, you are the best candidate."

Xu Yuan waved his hands repeatedly: "Senior brother, please spare me from such a dangerous matter. Don't drag me into it."

Then Xu Yuan started bringing up old grievances in an attempt to evoke Wenren Luo's sense of shame: "Senior brother tricked me into coming here, saying that he was only investigating a strange case. Hehehe, but what was the real thing we were going to do? We don't need to say it outright, do we?"
"For such a momentous event, involving me is futile. Even if you bring it up before the Grand Supervisor, you'll still be in the wrong."

"Ahem." Wenren Luo coughed twice. This matter was indeed a bit unethical, but Wenren Luo also had his reasons: "Senior brother gave you one or two taels of gold! Although this matter is dangerous, the reward I gave you is quite generous, isn't it?"

As he spoke, he understood Xu Yuan's meaning and quickly said, "Tonight you will lie in ambush and help me, your senior brother, and I will give you some reward—but you must not ask for any more extravagant things like fetal gold."

It's gone. It's really gone.

Xu Yuan didn't want the fetal gold either.

At least for now, one or two gold pieces are enough for Kenmaru.

Xu Yuan asked, "What can Senior Brother offer?"

Wenren Luo stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then said, "I have a martial arts cultivation method that is very different from ordinary cultivation methods. I see that you are very interested in martial arts cultivation methods, so I will give it to you."

Xu Yuan looked dissatisfied: "I can find a whole bunch of martial arts cultivation methods whenever I want."

“This is different,” Wenren Luo said. “I heard that Junior Aunt bestowed upon your subordinate a martial arts secret called ‘Heavenly Star Fall’. This cultivation method comes from the same school as ‘Heavenly Star Fall’, but is of a higher level. It is called ‘Searching Bones Like Insects’.”

Wenren Luo took it out and said, "I can show you the first three pages first."

Xu Yuan then took it and casually flipped through it in front of him, appearing nonchalant: "What kind of cultivation method is this? Just from the name, it doesn't sound good. People usually name their cultivation methods after dragons or tigers, who wants to cultivate into an insect..."

Then, as if on a whim, he was about to flip to the fourth or fifth page—Wenren Luo stopped him.

Xu Yuan pursed his lips, "What a pity, I didn't get away with it."

This cultivation method is indeed extraordinary.

It is a method of self-cultivation.

It allows one to cultivate an incredibly flexible and agile body.

At its peak, the entire body is like a soft worm, yet it can unleash extraordinary power.

Another advantage of this method is that it can complement the "Dragon Transformation Method," making it very suitable for Xu Yuan.

Wenren Luo said, "Whether it works or not, it's up to you."

Xu Yuan shook his head: "The price isn't enough. The fact that those people dared to scheme against you means they have the ability to kill you."

What I'm facing is a deadly trap targeting fourth-rate individuals. A mere cultivation method for mastering insects is far too cheap.

Wenren Luo was furious: "Don't even think about extorting me this time! This cultivation method is yours. Take it or leave it!"

"Oh." Xu Yuan replied and turned to go back to his room. "I'm going to rest now. I need to go collect your body tomorrow."

Don't worry, I will definitely prepare a fine coffin for you..."

Wenren Luoqi gritted his teeth in anger.

I only regret that my senior brother is not here, otherwise how could I be manipulated by you, a fake junior brother?
"Here's another piece of good fourth-rate material for you."

Wenren Luo, dejected, took out a fishy-smelling wrapped bag and tossed it to Xu Yuan.

When Xu Yuan opened it, he found that the material was extraordinary.

It is made of metal.

It was a dark yellow color, like gold dust, and covered with blood streaks.

"That's all I have. I might as well not go to the appointment today."

Xu Yuan accepted the materials and "Searching Bones Like Insects," and asked with some curiosity, "Why do you insist on going? Is it just for the prestige of being under the jurisdiction of the Supervisor's Sect?"

"We went there tonight and dealt with those people, so those behind the scenes didn't have time to make any further arrangements."

I should be able to get back to Beidu without any trouble for most of the journey.

But if I don't go, they'll ambush me anywhere along the way.

Wenren Luo was carrying a small cage with the puppy inside: "They're not after me, they're after this thing."

What those behind the scenes were plotting to send an evil spirit to the young marquis's side was unknown to Wenren Luo.

But they were clearly eager to destroy the evidence and didn't want the puppy to be delivered to the emperor.

The emperor might use this as a pretext to kill the young marquis, but he would also follow the clues and find them.

That's just the nature of the current emperor—explosive, sinister, and like an old dragon in its twilight years.

How dare you, as ministers, interfere in the affairs of the imperial family?

Anyone who dares to reach out, I will chop their claws to pieces!
……

Wenren Luo also had his own means of communication.

It was too late to ask Mr. Feng Si and Zang Tianlan for help, but Wenren Luo informed Ma Tianshou of the situation in Shunhua City.

Bi Bojie must have been killed; he was a member of the Exorcism Bureau.

However, Wenren Luo dared not inform the Shanhe Division, as he did not trust them.

Xu Yuan then went out to visit the Zhu family.

Zhu Yangping led him inside, where he met several of the ancestors.

The Zhu family had a fourth-rate official in Hue.

Unfortunately, he is too old to be relied upon, but can only be used as reinforcements.

The tough work still needs to be done by Xu Yuan and Wenren Luo.

Xu Yuan also had a reason to participate: those people dared to kill Wenren Luo, so they probably wouldn't let him off the hook either.

(End of this chapter)