Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 146 Deduction: Borrowing Fortune to Become a Demon, the Empire is Like a Dream (Part 1)
Black Wind Mountain.

A remote mountain cave.

Liu Sheng jumped out from underground, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and absorbed the earth's energy to recover from his exhaustion. His expression was solemn.

Since transforming his spider form into a great spirit, thanks to his "Concealing Breath" talent, he has never been found by anyone using the art of searching for breath and energy.

This is also the source of his confidence in making decisive and ruthless decisions, allowing him to think clearly.

Until the Qi Refiners appeared.

Lady Caiyu and Qin Shuang found him one after another, seemingly without any effort.

The methods of Qi cultivators are unpredictable and mysterious; the talent enhanced by the Spider Incarnation is no longer sufficient.

"Lady Caiyu used Lingxi Incense. Qin Shuang and I have never met before, and she doesn't even know what I look like. So how did she find me?"

His eyes darted around, and he narrowed them:

"Who could have planted a beacon on me?"
If Bingyan's wife is not, then it must be Lady Caiyu, Xiao Yan, or Xie Yuan, or one of the other female disciples of the Hehuan Sect.

The possibility that Lady Caiyu would sell me to Qin Shuang as a "great medicine" is extremely low.

"Is that Xiao Yan, or one of Xie Yuan and the others?"

Several beautiful faces flashed through Liu Sheng's mind, but finally settled on Xiao Yan's pretty face.

Compared to Xie Yuan and the other women, she, as a Qi cultivator, is more suspicious.

Only she could do things without anyone noticing.

Wow, this Infernal Affairs game is pretty well done!

Liu Sheng licked his lips, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He first summoned back the ghost servant Gu Shangshao to guard the cave, then transformed into a white-faced black spider and spun silk to seal the cave entrance.

Then he sat upright on the rock and began to deduce the solution.

Once the spider incarnation evolves and ascends, the "Concealing Breath" effect will be greatly enhanced, which may be able to completely eliminate the scent of the Spiritual Incense.

"Consume Spirit Points to deduce the White-Faced Black Puppet Spider Incarnation!"

then--

In the ninety-ninth year, you buried Xue Ling's remains in White Tiger Ridge.

This place is characterized by overlapping peaks, winding ravines, and is home to packs of tigers and wolves, as well as clumps of foxes and rabbits.

You chose a cave, spun silk to seal the skeleton inside, and captured a strange black fox to guard the tomb.

...

In the 101st year, after spending three years with Xue Ling's remains, you descended the mountain and left the ridge.

Thus, the world gained a new "Zhu Family Opera Troupe".

After you hid behind the Zhu Family Troupe, you wandered the world, performing opera while experiencing the myriad aspects of life.

...

In the year 109, you were performing in Chongqing when you encountered a severely wounded painted-skin ghost.

You rescued it and let it hide in the opera troupe.

It tells you that it was born in the mountains, once disguised as a woman, married into a wealthy family, but was exposed when it changed its skin and was severely injured by a Taoist priest who performed a ritual.

You ask why it disguises itself as a woman to marry into a wealthy family? Wouldn't it be better to be a free and unrestrained demon?

It said it wanted to become a demon.

When spirits and monsters become demons, they are as insurmountable as a chasm, and only one in a thousand can be formed.

It accidentally discovered a method called "borrowing luck to become a demon".

When you press for the profound meaning of this method, it deflects and evades the question, offering only vague and perfunctory answers.

After repeating this several times, he left without saying goodbye.

You saved its life, yet it treats you like this; it's an ungrateful monster.

Therefore, you decide to take back the favor of saving your life.

You catch up with it, severely injure it, and then spin silk to wrap its body.

One hundred and ten years later, the Painted Skin Demon died.

Its skin became your trophy, which you wore constantly, and with it you took on human form.

You have learned the secret of becoming a demon by borrowing luck.

It was created by a demon clan elder, based on the method of human cultivators descending the mountain to support dragons.

Borrowing the fortune of the secular world, one can break through barriers and overcome obstacles.

You want to become a demon.

Therefore, I decided to try this method.

In the 111th year, you came to Junzhou, changed your name to Zhu Zhi, purchased property in Shigu Town, and became a wealthy man.

Over the years, you have traveled all over the country, performed operas, and amassed countless riches.

He could easily be a wealthy country bumpkin.

You want to select those who possess extraordinary luck and use the method of borrowing that luck to become a demon.

So he built bridges and roads, donated money to support education, and bought his reputation.

Many children from poor families and impoverished people have received your assistance.

Master Zhu's reputation gradually spread.

...

In the 112th year, you became a great philanthropist in Shigu Town. Your reputation spread to several nearby towns.

People will spread your fame and fortune.

The town's powerful family invites you to a banquet, during which they talk about the common people.

They said that people should live in peace and contentment, do their jobs honestly, farm or work, and not have any improper thoughts. They also asked for your opinion.

You say that kings and nobles are not appointed by heaven, otherwise wouldn't emperors have different surnames?
The banquet ended.

That night, bandits broke into the town, killing people and burning houses. They targeted your shops, the schools you donated to, and the Zhu family compound.

In the end, the bandits had a change of heart and suddenly turned their guns on the town's powerful families, wiping them out completely, leaving no one alive.

Wearing mourning clothes and presiding over funeral after funeral, you took the opportunity to purchase properties from wealthy families at extremely low prices.

...

In the 120th year, you became the uncrowned king of Shigu Town.

The mayor was once your servant, and the townspeople lived in peace and contentment, each fulfilling their duties and working diligently.

There was no oppression in the small town; it was thriving.

Over the years, you have sent more than thirty students to participate in the imperial examinations, but none of them have passed and at most have achieved the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar).

Don't rush, be patient, and wait for the right opportunity.

...

In the 120th year, Shigu Town still failed to produce a scholar who passed the imperial examination.

Over the past decade, despite hiring renowned teachers at high salaries, you still haven't produced a single successful candidate in the provincial examinations, let alone a single successful candidate in the imperial examinations.

You are puzzled and wonder if the students in the town are too stupid.

It wasn't until a renowned teacher, drunk, revealed the reason that the quota for each subject had already been divided up.

Only those from prestigious families can produce Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and only those from prominent families can produce Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations).

Even with a wealth of knowledge and exceptional talent, it would be difficult to break through the layers of barriers erected by powerful and influential families. Inevitably, one would be defeated by the scions of aristocratic families.

This is fate!

Fate has its noble and lowly, and people are divided into the noble and the lowly.

For someone not from a prominent family to obtain the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) is already a stroke of good fortune.

Such is the general trend, and it cannot be changed by human effort.

You don't believe me.

So he pretended to be a student and entered Junzhou Academy to study.

...

In the 125th year, after three years of study at the academy, you displayed your talent and participated in the imperial examination.

You successfully passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, participating in various poetry gatherings and making a name for yourself.

You've been performing opera for decades, your skills are already superb, and you're incredibly wealthy, spending money like water.

You're famous now.

You will be approached by several powerful and influential families to discuss marriage alliances.

They implied to you that if you didn't marry into the family, you had no hope of passing the provincial examination.

You don't believe me.

As a result, he failed the exams for three consecutive years, wasting more than a decade.

If you wish to borrow fortune to become a demon, their actions are tantamount to obstructing the path.

The hatred that blocks the way is irreconcilable.

You killed him in a fit of rage, massacring his entire clan and shocking the world.

Ultimately, this led to trouble.

Eight sects descended the mountain to exorcise demons...

【you are dead. 】

……

"Uh...this..."

Liu Sheng touched his nose, his eyes shimmering with a chaotic light.

The spider incarnation found the way to become a demon in the very first game of deduction, which is a great thing.

However, this method of becoming a demon is a bit of a trap.

By borrowing the fortune of those they support, they can break through barriers and overcome obstacles.

Therefore, the target of support must be someone who can rise to a high position in the future.

The higher the position one ascends, the stronger the auspicious energy, and the better the feedback from this method.

"From this perspective, wouldn't it be the best approach to support a prince to become emperor?"

A thought struck him, and he made a decision.

But before that, let's change locations to avoid being caught up.

A moment later, he appeared more than thirty miles away, and as usual, sealed the door with spider silk, leaving the ghost Gu Shaoshang to guard the door, and began the deduction again:
"Head to the capital, befriend the princes, and support the imperial court!"

(End of this chapter)