I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 105 The Real Ghost! The Oppression of Shao Siming!
hum!
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Chen Mo felt as if his head was about to explode. Even with his ruthless nature, he couldn't help but clutch his head and grit his teeth.

The more complex the information about an object, the greater the mental burden. But the pain caused by deconstructing a ghost bone... is simply too much.

I thought the painful flood peak would pass quickly, but it turned out to be... very long!
"hiss!"

Chen Mo couldn't hold back any longer and rolled on the ground, clutching his head.

It hurts so much!
It's like getting a shot in the butt; a quick prick for three to five seconds is fine. But instead, it takes several minutes... who can stand that?

Click!

Chen Mo bit down hard on a piece of wood on the headboard, his teeth embedded in the wood, his eyes wide with rage, and his body trembling.

After a very long time, Chen Mo felt like he was about to go brain dead... The pain gradually subsided. Only then did Chen Mo release the wooden piece of wood, slump to the ground, and gasp for breath.

"How powerful must this ghost bone be to bring me such a heavy burden?"

Chen Mo quickly realized a problem: his cheat system had previously failed to recognize many things, such as the initial madness and the coffin of the Red Lantern Lady. Besides the cheat system itself being too low-level, was it possible that it was taking advantage of his mental strain and therefore declared it unrecognizable and unreadable?

After some thought, Chen Mo felt that his speculation was not without merit.

Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions and looked at the panel, where lines of subtitles appeared as expected.

【Name: Shadow Demon Bone】

[Rank: Silver Life Aura]

[Type: Yin-type Ghost Bones]

[Note: This is not an ordinary Shadow Ghost Bone, but the core vertebrae of the Shadow Ghost, possessing self-repair and self-healing capabilities. It can continuously generate ghost blood.]

[Ingredients: A single drop of pure ghost bone marrow and blood, fused into the mother's body. Combining with the mother's blood and bone marrow, each was taken in half, forming this shadowy ghost bone.]

[Note: The current shadowy ghost bone originates from the fetus's father, and this bone is not yet fully developed, possessing high growth potential. Additionally, the ghost bone contains a portion of the mother's unawakened bone marrow. This part is currently unknown.]

[Characteristics: This is a new type of precious bone combining shadowy ghost bones and unknown components.]

[Hint: As the fusion level increases, the demon blood of the Shadow Bone will steadily grow, and you will gradually transform into a demon. Once the fusion reaches a certain point, you may be able to awaken its unknown components.]

"The demon bone is not fully developed yet? It still has great potential for growth. There are still unknown, unawakened components?"

Chen Mo was stunned after reading the message.

Chen Mo was a modern person who had traveled to the past, and he knew that an infant's bones were indeed just beginning to take shape and had a lot of room to grow before they were fully developed.

It had only just begun to take shape, and it was already a shadowy ghost bone?
If it were fully developed, what would happen?

And it also contains unknown ingredients...

In addition, Chen Mo, combining his knowledge from his previous life, could roughly deduce what this unknown component meant.

In ancient times, there was no concept of genes; people only talked about bloodlines. It's essentially the same idea.

A person's genes come half from their mother and half from their father.

The same applies to the bone marrow and blood vessels.

In other words... Jiang Hongyue was raped by an evil god. She then gave birth to the young boy Xiaoti. The awakened part of this ghost bone currently originates from the evil god.

The part of her that is the mother, Jiang Hongyue, has not yet awakened.

This doesn't make sense.

The evil god's ghost bones have all awakened, so why hasn't Jiang Hongyue's awakened yet?
Could it be that the evil god's ghost bones were too powerful, suppressing Jiang Hongyue's bloodline?
After much thought, this is the only explanation I can come up with.

"Who is this Jiang Hongyue? How could she have a child with a ghost? Isn't it said that two different species can't have children... This Jiang Hongyue is quite extraordinary."

"I remember Jiang Hongyue went to visit relatives at Dayin Mountain and inexplicably became pregnant. Upon returning home, she was disliked by her husband and kicked out of the house. She had no choice but to return to Dayin Mountain to worship an evil god, asking who the father of her child was, but the evil god refused to answer. Later, Jiang Hongyue was pregnant for three years without giving birth. It was because her husband died, and her concubine took control of the household, sending an old Taoist priest to Dayin Mountain to silence her. The old priest saw that the child in Jiang Hongyue's womb was the evil god, so he set up an altar, intending to sacrifice Jiang Hongyue and her unborn child. Unexpectedly, the sacrifice ceremony went awry, and everyone died..."

Chen Mo recalled the information recorded on the filial piety and brotherly love robe, and combined it with the information deconstructed by his golden finger. He immediately realized that this matter was very unusual.

"I don't know where Jiang Hongyue's body is. When I'm stronger, I'll have to go to the Great Yin Mountain to search for it. I'll also find out what Jiang Hongyue encountered there. Only then will I know where this ghost bone came from."

"It's already quite remarkable that the Golden Finger can deconstruct this information. If we want to know more, the Golden Finger would have to go a step further and enter the level of deduction. Perhaps then we could deduce what happened to Jiang Hongyue back then."

Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions and continued looking at the panel.

Sure enough, information appeared later.

The aura of the shadowy ghost bone is powerful, and as the fusion progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to conceal.

[Consuming 6500 points of original essence, it can modify one's own bloodline and bone aura, completely concealing the aura of the Ghost Bone.]

"What? Modifying a ghost bone aura costs 6500 points of original essence? Are you kidding me...?"

Just then, another line of subtitles appeared.

[Currently, the Shadow Bone is only in its nascent stage, so concealing its bone essence is relatively easy. However, as the Shadow Bone continues to grow stronger, its essence will break through the concealment. To ensure a permanent solution and to prepare for any unknown components that may awaken in the future, this much is necessary.]

Chen Mo felt somewhat at peace, and finally hardened his heart.

"You're only satisfied when you've squeezed every last penny out of me, aren't you? Fine, fine, whatever you say. Just do business honestly and don't cheat me."

"Revise!"

hum!
The thought crossed his mind, and a sharp pain, even more intense than before, shot through his head. This time, Chen Mo was prepared, having already bitten into a piece of wood on the headboard.

Dissecting a ghost bone is painful enough; modifying one's own bone and bloodline aura to conceal it... naturally, it will be even more painful.

Having learned from his previous experience, Chen Mo didn't find it as agonizing as before.

As the pain subsided, the subtitles changed.

[Modification successful. Your bone meridian aura is now completely compatible with the Shadow Ghost Bone, effectively masking the Ghost Bone's aura.]

[Warning: This is not an ordinary Shadow Bone; it contains unknown components. Use with caution. Excessive use of the Ghost Bone's power, leading to mental loss, will be irreversible. You must strengthen your cultivation to resist the Ghost Bone's erosion of your humanity and slow down the process of becoming a ghost.]

"Thank you."

Chen Mo was speechless.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Chen Mo stood up and looked at himself in the bronze mirror.

The original incantation marks had completely disappeared, but his skin was deathly pale, making him look like he had contracted leukemia. There weren't any other obvious differences, except that his body was ice-cold.

This was something that Chen Mo, who was used to being a human being, found extremely unpleasant.

"Although I modified my bloodline and bone structure to achieve compatibility with the demon bones, thus avoiding being drained of my life force and spirit, this doesn't change the process of my demonization. In fact, after obtaining the demon bones, I clearly feel that my demonization process is accelerating..."

This is also easy to understand.

The "golden finger" is essentially adding a firewall between oneself and the demon bone, and that's about it.

"The enhancement effect of the Demon Bone is indeed abnormal. If I could always mobilize the power of the Demon Bone without injury while remaining human... that would be perfect. Therefore, it is necessary to slow down the demonization process. Moreover, I am not yet mentally prepared to completely become a ghoul..."

"You still need to practice martial arts to strengthen yourself before you can be of any use."

Chen Mo sat on the edge of the bed and began to ponder.

“I have reached the seventh level of Martial Master, with only the Ren and Du meridians remaining unopened. I have modified myself into a Yin-Yang physique, naturally compatible with the Mingyu Technique. Breaking through these two meridians is only a matter of time. Even so, I'm afraid it won't be able to delay the demonization from entering the city. Perhaps... only the Demon-Suppressing Clan has the relevant methods. After all, Shen Yujun said that only the Demon-Suppressing Clan and the demons themselves can deal with true ghosts.”

"Guo Ziyu, from the Demon-Suppressing Family..."

"I'll review the Mingyu Skill first, and then I'll test Guo Ziyu later."

Chen Mo sat down cross-legged, activated the Mingyu Gong, and familiarized himself with the circulation of the six meridians. Then he began to mobilize the true energy in his body and forcefully attacked the seventh meridian: the Ren meridian.

Boom!

A shudder ran through my body, and my muscles and bones went numb.

This time, Chen Mo was really determined.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare to cultivate true qi so recklessly; they would have to be extremely careful for fear of injuring their bones and muscles. However, Chen Mo's physique was extremely powerful due to his Yin-Yang constitution and the enhancement effect of the ghost bone.

With more capital, one can have more options.

However, there is still a strong barrier at the location of the Ren meridian, which has not been broken through.

"Try flushing it twice more. If it still doesn't work, we'll have to give up for now."

boom!
boom!
Two times passed quickly.

Or not!

"The timing isn't right yet... we can't force it."

Chen Mo had no choice but to give up, so he hid the Guan Dao and had Li Qing bring water for him to take a bath. Just after he finished bathing, he heard a series of dense footsteps outside.

"Young Master Mo, I heard you've returned. Are you well?"

It was Li Qingniu's voice.

Chen Mo was wearing a gray robe when he went out and saw Li Qingniu rushing in with more than a dozen men.

Seeing that Chen Mo was unharmed, Li Qingniu breathed a sigh of relief: "I was so scared just now. I heard from Steward Guo that all the workers who stayed in the village were dead. Fortunately, Young Master Mo sent Young Master Ziyang to deliver a message, so I immediately took the workers from the manor and went out. Luckily, we escaped a disaster. Young Master Mo saved my life."

The other men also felt a sense of relief at surviving a disaster, and they all came up to thank Chen Mo with clasped hands.

Chen Mo nodded slightly and asked, "Is our estate short of people?"

Li Qingniu patted his chest and said, "I dared not neglect the tasks Young Master Mo instructed, and I did not miss a single one. At the time, a few of the workers refused to leave, and I kicked them a few times. After I told them that it was Young Master Mo's task, they all came out with me."

Chen Mo smiled and said, "You are quite clever."

One of the men asked timidly, "Master Chen, what happened to our village? Everything's been fine for so many years, and then it was all wiped out. This is really unsettling."

Chen Mo naturally wouldn't tell the truth, otherwise everyone would panic. "It must have been a ghost that entered, but it's all been dealt with now. Everyone, don't panic, go back to your work. By the way, from now on, don't come to the backyard unless necessary. Just report to Qingniu and have Li Qingniu come to the inner courtyard to report to me."

Now that Juan'er and Li Qing have joined the inner courtyard, and both are important figures, it's naturally inconvenient for them to be seen by too many people.

The men nodded in agreement and left the inner courtyard.

Li Qingniu exchanged pleasantries with Chen Mo for a while, then followed him out.

After seeing everyone off, Chen Mo went to see Juan'er. From the outside, Juan'er looked no different from a living person. Moreover, after leaving the Li residence, there was no obvious ghostly aura on her. However, if she encountered a master, they would still be able to tell.

Li Qing walked in at this moment, and seemed to see Chen Mo's predicament. She spoke up, "I have a way to hide the ghostly aura on Juan'er's body."

Chen Mo was taken aback. "How do you hide it?"

Li Qing then took out a peach wood hairpin from her personal pocket. It was engraved with some kind of talisman. "This is that vile woman Shen Yujun's hairpin. It can hide ghostly energy when inserted into the hair bun. That vile woman used this to hide the ghost when she went out before."

Chen Mo took the hairpin and examined it. It had a peculiar fragrance, and the talisman did indeed have the effect of suppressing ghostly energy.

"I didn't realize you still had some use."

Chen Mo took the hairpin and walked up to Juan'er. "Juan'er, I'm giving you a hairpin."

Juan'er fiddled with the shadow puppet in her hand and directly refused, "No."

Chen Mo stared at the shadow puppet and said, "If you don't wear this hairpin, someone will come looking for trouble. Then you won't be able to repair the shadow puppet here."

Juan'er finally raised her head. "Will no one bother me if I wear this hairpin? Will I be able to keep repairing the shadow puppets forever?"

Chen Mo nodded emphatically: "Mm."

"Ok."

Juan'er agreed and took the hairpin, applying it to her hair.

Sure enough, the ghostly aura around her disappeared.

Even when Chen Mo used the power of the Ghost Bone, he couldn't detect it. He couldn't help but secretly marvel: it must be something from a demon-suppressing family; it's truly amazing.

Seeing that Juan'er was focused on repairing the puppet and ignoring Chen Mo, Chen Mo left the room and instructed Li Qing, "You need to change your name."

Li Qing was quite sensible: "I know, I'll just say I'm a distant relative of Young Master Mo from out of town, my name is Li Liang. Jun'er is my daughter."

“That’s good. You stay here and don’t go out. If you need anything, let Qingniu take care of it for you. I need to go out for a bit.”

After leaving a single sentence, Chen Mo hurriedly departed.

Before the people at the red light came down to question him, Chen Mo still had a lot of things to do.

……

Meanwhile, Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang inspected the entire village.

They found the ceramic jar in Zhu Qingfeng's room and brought it to Fu Huo Manor for safekeeping. They also made a trip to the Martial Arts Pavilion…

As it turned out, I actually saw another Zhu Yutong.

Even Guo Ziyu, from a family renowned for suppressing demons, was taken aback. She didn't say much, but directly bound Zhu Yutong and took him to Fortune and Misfortune Manor.

Guo Ziyang, who had been out, returned with his men.

Seeing that his son was safe and sound, Guo Songyang breathed a sigh of relief. He instructed Guo Ziyang to go to the outer courtyard to take care of things, and then went to the inner courtyard living room to make tea for Guo Ziyu.

“Miss, Chen Mo killed all the ghost infants in the Li residence, including the evil infant and Shen Yujun. This is too shocking. I thought he was just talented, but I didn’t expect him to be so terrifying.”

Guo Ziyu held the teacup in both hands and murmured, "I know."

Guo Songyang continued, "He has ghostly energy on him, and there are ghostly curse patterns on his skin, which means that ghost blood has appeared in his body, and it's not just ordinary ghost blood... Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. Anyone who has ghostly curse patterns will be completely demonized and it will be very difficult for them to return to normal. I really don't know how this guy did it."

Guo Ziyu took a sip of tea and said in a deep voice, "He obtained the ghost bone from the Li residence. And he can use it skillfully." Guo Songyang was shocked. "Isn't that the ghost bone that even the Great Ferocious Ghost and the Red Lantern Goddess coveted? We also wanted to get that ghost bone. Unexpectedly, it ended up in his possession. What should we do now? Should we change the plan to have him join the organization?"

Guo Ziyu pondered for a long time before finally making up her mind, "No need."

"How will we explain this to Old Tang?"

"Let me tell you."

"If that happens, I'm afraid it will cause a lot of trouble. With the Li residence in such a state, the Red Lantern Clan will definitely send Shao Siming to investigate. We've left too many clues along the way, and it's impossible to clean them up completely. Shao Siming will definitely suspect that a terrifyingly ruthless person has appeared in our village. If we don't find this person, I'm afraid the Red Lantern Clan won't give up. If Shao Siming finds out it's Chen Mo, I'm afraid they'll take Chen Mo to the Red Lantern Temple for special training, or even dig out his ghost bones. His joining our organization... I'm afraid it will all fall through."

Guo Ziyu said, "That's simple. Let Tang Qi come over and pin the blame on him."

Guo Songyang took a deep breath. "Will this work?"

Guo Ziyu said, "Since I have decided to take Chen Mo in, I must think about his future. Besides, Tang Qi's appearance and figure are similar to Chen Mo's, so she can handle him."

Guo Songyang sighed, "Miss really values ​​Chen Mo. She even brought out Tang Qi to protect him."

Guo Ziyu said, "The deadlock in Honghe County has been going on for years without a solution. But I see a glimmer of hope in Chen Mo. We came here precisely to break this deadlock. So this matter is settled. Go check if Chen Mo has rested well. If he has, have him come to Fu Huo Manor. I'll use a communication talisman to tell Tang Qi to come over quickly."

……

When Chen Mo arrived at the back courtyard living room of Fu Huo Manor, Guo Ziyu and Guo Songyang were already waiting there. Besides them, there was also a handsome young man dressed in a gray brocade robe, wearing a hairpin and carrying a cyan longsword at his waist. Although he sat unremarkably in a side seat, he exuded an aura that should not be underestimated.

As Chen Mo drew closer, he deeply felt the powerful pressure emanating from this person.

Guo Ziyu gestured, "This is my distant cousin, Tang Qi. Little Qi, this is the Young Master Mo I told you about."

Tang Qi narrowed his eyes and nodded repeatedly, "Young Master Mo is truly remarkable for his age. To kill Shen Yujun with such humble origins is truly impressive."

Chen Mo didn't know why Guo Ziyu had called a stranger over, so he didn't say much and just smiled faintly.

Guo Ziyu noticed Chen Mo's confusion and explained directly, "Just now, Tang Qi saw Shao Siming's carriage heading towards Qinghe Town on his way to the village. With Shao Siming's abilities, she will surely know that a hidden master has emerged in our village, and she will also suspect that this person killed Shen Yujun and took the ghost bone from the Li residence. If Shao Siming finds out that you did it, do you know what she will do?"

Chen Mo was startled, realizing that Guo Ziyu must know that he had taken the ghost bone.

But he wasn't too surprised, and simply said, "I know. They'll definitely take me to the Red Lantern Temple and dig out my bones."

Guo Ziyu said, "Now that you've joined my organization, I naturally have to protect you. This Tang Qi is from the Tang family, a family that suppresses demons. He was previously a guest of honor at the county government office in Qingwu County next door, responsible for killing ghosts and protecting the peace of Qingwu County. You can lend him the Great Guan Dao for now and let him go to Qinghe Town."

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself: Is this making Tang Qi take the blame?

Being suddenly shown such concern made Chen Mo feel a little uncomfortable.

"What does Miss Ziyu mean?"

Guo Ziyu said, "It's perfectly normal for a master from a powerful demon-suppressing family in a neighboring county to suddenly get entangled with Shen Yujun of Qinghe Town over some trivial matters, and then go to Qinghe Town to destroy the Li family. Don't worry, Young Master Mo, that Guan Dao is just borrowed from you, and I'll return it to you later."

Tang Qi added, "Young Master Mo is based in Honghe County most of the year, so he can't use this Guan Dao even if he takes it. Once he does, things will get complicated."

Chen Mo glanced at Tang Qi, and seeing that the guy had already gone this far, he figured he might as well do him a favor and generously said, "Young Master Tang Qi, I am very grateful for taking the blame for me. I will give this Guan Dao to Young Master Tang Qi."

"Hahaha."

Tang Qi Gongzi laughed heartily: "Young Master Mo is quite generous. However, I have no intention of coveting this Guan Dao. What I mean is... we can remake this Guan Dao into a precious sword similar to the Goose Feather Blade. Its effects will be similar as well."

Chen Mo suddenly realized that Guo Ziyu and her group were all really good people. They were a group that he could get along with.

But he said, "What I just said was the truth, so please don't refuse, Young Master Tang Qi."

Tang Qi glanced at Guo Ziyu and, seeing her cold expression, laughed, "If I take your knife, it will put my elder sister in a difficult position. Let's settle this then. I'll take the Guan Dao and return a broadsword to you later."

Chen Mo was about to say more when Guo Ziyu interrupted him: "Shao Siming has gone to Qinghe Town, and time is of the essence. This matter is settled. We will go to Shoulu Manor. Young Master Mo, please give the Guan Dao to Tang Qi and ask Tang Qi to make some arrangements."

Chen Mo agreed and led everyone to the living room in the inner courtyard of Shoulu Manor. He wrapped the Guan Dao in cotton cloth and handed it to Tang Qi.

Tang Qi picked up the Guan Dao, weighed it in his hand, and said, "It's quite heavy. I'll go first."

After leaving behind a single sentence, Tang Qi vanished in a flash.

Guo Ziyu instructed Guo Songyang to return to Shouluzhuang to make arrangements.

In the large living room, only Chen Mo and Guo Ziyu remained. Chen Mo poured tea for Guo Ziyu and thanked her.

Guo Ziyu said, "You promised to join my organization long ago, so it's only right that I do this. The explanation is simple: we met Tang Qi on our way to Qinghe Town and traveled together. Everything you did afterward... was done by Tang Qi. The only potential problem is Li Qing and Juan'er. What do you plan to do with these two?"

Instead of answering, Chen Mo asked, "I have another question to ask you."

"You said."

"Since Miss Ziyu is from a family that suppresses demons, why does she insist on staying in Black Mountain Village?"

Guo Ziyu smiled faintly and said, "I knew you would ask this. I have my own mission to stay here. Now that the village leaders and the head of the incense shrine are all dead, only the three of us are left. I went to great lengths to arrange for Tang Qi to take over, because I don't want any other changes to happen to this village, so that we can continue to stay here."

mission?

What is the mission of a scion of a demon-suppressing family?

The Li residence is gone, so what mission... the evil spirit of the Great Yin Mountain?
Chen Mo had a plan in mind and asked, "Is it related to the Great Yin Mountain?"

Guo Ziyu didn't hide anything and nodded in agreement.

Chen Mo didn't ask any more questions. He glanced back at Juan'er's room, then looked at Li Qing outside, and after a moment said, "Li Qing has had a hard life. He's an innocent person, and I can't just kill him directly. As for Juan'er, she's very useful to me, and I want to keep her. If you're worried about Shao Siming coming to investigate, you might as well send them away from the village and find a place to stay in Wuqiao Town."

Guo Ziyu said, "That's a safe bet. In a few days, when Elder Tang returns, I'll take you to see him and finalize your joining the organization."

Speaking of this organization, Chen Mo became interested: "I wonder which organization Miss Ziyu is referring to?"

Guo Ziyu looked at Chen Mo very seriously, "Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. My original surname was Tang, and my given name was Ziyu. I am from Tang Family Fortress, a family that suppresses demons in Nanyang Prefecture. I was sent here to do some work in my early years. Guo Songyang is my old servant, and for convenience, I changed my surname to Guo and came here as his niece."

Chen Mo secretly noted it down, "I've heard that there's a family in Nanyang Prefecture named Shen who specializes in suppressing demons?"

Guo Ziyu said, "Yes. The Shen and Tang families are the only two major demon-suppressing families in Nanyang Prefecture. They belong to the Demon-Suppressing Division of the Imperial Court and maintain order in Nanyang Prefecture."

really……

Having seized the opportunity, Chen Mo naturally wouldn't let it pass by to learn about the aristocratic families, so he asked, "May I ask Miss Ziyu, what exactly is the Demon-Suppressing Aristocratic Family?"

Guo Ziyu patiently explained, "You killed Shen Yujun, so you must have gotten some information from her. You should also know that the ghost babies you faced earlier weren't real ghosts, but just defective offspring of Shen Yujun..."

Through Guo Ziyu's explanation, Chen Mo finally gained a rough understanding of ghosts.

The souls left behind by ordinary dead people, and the ghosts wandering in the mountains, can only be considered the lowest level of wandering spirits. These wandering spirits can be seen by internal martial arts masters, and ordinary people can deal with them by using some peach wood, kopi, and starting a fire.

Above the wandering spirits are some defective products, such as ghost infants, called remnant souls. These are what people often call white-robed ghosts. Although they are quite powerful to ordinary people, internal martial arts masters can also fight against them.

Neither of these are considered to fall under the category of ghosts; they are merely folk beliefs.

Above the remnant soul, there is the ghost.

The lowest level of ghost is the Yellow Page Ghost with white life energy. For example, the Black and White Impermanence that Chen Mo saw at the gate of the Li residence were entry-level ghosts. Ordinary internal martial arts masters cannot fight against these kinds of ghosts. At least a ninth-level martial artist is needed to fight them with their meager internal energy, but even then, the chances of winning are slim.

Above that are the shadowy ghosts emanating silver life energy. This is quite terrifying, possessing at least a century of true cultivation, capable of slaughtering internal martial arts masters as easily as killing dogs.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo's heart tightened.

The Black Shadow Bone... corresponds to the Black Shadow Ghost.

"Is there anything more powerful than the Shadow Demon?"

Guo Ziyu said solemnly, "I've only ever seen the Yellow Pages Ghost before, and that was already quite powerful. I've never even seen the Shadow Ghost. But I've heard from the elders in my family that above the Shadow Ghost, there are even more powerful golden life-energy ghosts, which are called vengeful ghosts. They possess two hundred years of cultivation, move incredibly fast, and are filled with resentment, killing and seeking revenge. Once a vengeful ghost targets a county, it can instantly turn into a living hell."

In an instant, a county town was transformed into a living hell...

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine. At this moment, Guo Ziyu continued, "Actually, what's more powerful than ghosts is the zombie, also called a corpse ghost. We don't know where the original zombies came from yet, but zombies are more powerful than ghosts. If you encounter a black zombie with silver life energy, an entire county will be wiped out. If you encounter a hairy zombie with golden life energy, it's truly made of copper and iron, impervious to water and fire, and immune to all poisons. It's impossible to kill it. Even the Demon-Suppressing Families would find it difficult to deal with."

Zombies…

There are still zombies in this world.

The image of Master Lin instinctively flashed into Chen Mo's mind...

Chen Mo recovered his senses and said, "I've heard that only demon-suppressing families can deal with ghosts?"

Guo Ziyu said, "That's true. Ordinary people can only cultivate to the ninth level of Martial Master at most, which is the peak. It's impossible to go any higher. Only people from the Demon Suppression Family can go further."

"What's the reason?"

"Because the bloodline of the Demon-Suppressing Families is inherently different from that of ordinary people. Whether it's exorcising evil spirits or breaking through to the ninth level of Martial Master, the Demon-Suppressing Families rely on the power of their awakened bloodline. For example, when it comes to drawing talismans for exorcising evil spirits, ordinary martial artists can also draw them with their true energy, but the power is very weak. In front of a real Yellow Page Ghost, it's completely useless. But the disciples of the Demon-Suppressing Families are different. They draw talismans with their own blood, greatly increasing their power. Even Yellow Page Ghosts are terrified of them. There are even powerful Taoist priests who can kill Yellow Page Ghosts directly with the talismans they draw. However, those are top-level supernatural abilities, and I have rarely seen them."

Chen Mo was secretly astonished upon hearing this.

It turns out that the Demon-Suppressing Families are the elite of this world.

Moreover, one's social class is determined at birth; ordinary people born into unfavorable circumstances can never transcend their class no matter how hard they try their entire lives. This truly inspires despair.

But I was born an ordinary person.

However, Chen Mo did not complain or blame others. Instead, knowing this information gave him a fierce determination.

With my own cheat system and the blessing of the Ghost Bone, as long as I work hard, I don't believe I'll be inferior to the disciples of those demon-suppressing families.

Chen Mo recovered his senses and continued to inquire, "I've been in Honghe County for quite some time now, so why have I never heard of any demon-suppressing families before?"

Guo Ziyu sighed, "Because the bloodline of the Demon-Suppressing Families is too precious and difficult to pass on, the number of them is simply too small. The entire Nanyang Prefecture governs thirty-six counties with a population of over ten million. Yet there are only the two Demon-Suppressing Families, Shen and Tang, whose combined descendants number no more than a hundred. Where can you find ordinary martial arts masters?"

As expected... it was pretty much what Chen Mo had predicted.

Finally, Chen Mo asked the question that concerned him most, "Since the disciples of the Demon-Suppressing Clan need bloodlines to be effective, what is the purpose of Miss Ziyu having me join the organization?"

Guo Ziyu said, "The aristocratic families rarely show themselves in public, and their numbers are few. They also have to help the court manage such a vast territory, so naturally they can't do everything themselves. They need outstanding lay masters to help them. The government office in Qingwu County next door is managed by my Tang family. In addition, most of the well-known martial arts sects are backed by demon-suppressing families. Moreover, Young Master Mo can control the Ghost Bone, which shows that he is a gifted and blessed person. In the future, with the ability of the Ghost Bone, he may not lose to the many disciples of my Tang family."

Chen Mo said, "I'm afraid the Demon-Suppressing Families would be quite hostile to someone like me with demon bones, wouldn't they?"

Guo Ziyu's gaze sharpened. "Quite the opposite. The Demon-Suppressing Families appear glamorous on the surface, but in reality, they face immense pressure. Many Demon-Suppressing Families use the power of ghosts to enhance their strength. Ghost bones are just one example; it's become an unwritten rule. As long as they don't lose their humanity and become completely demonized, the families won't care. But if they become completely demonized, they're just ghosts. Naturally, they'll be besieged."

After saying that, Guo Ziyu added, "However, the prerequisite is that you have to be from a family that suppresses demons. If you use the ghost bone, no one will say anything. If you are not... then you'll be in big trouble."

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Mo understood immediately.

This demon-suppressing family truly lives up to its reputation as the controllers of order. I can use ghost bones... but you can't.

It's acceptable for a magistrate to set fires, but unacceptable for ordinary people to light lamps.

They're definitely a privileged class, hypocrites.

But Chen Mo didn't object, because he would soon be a member of the Demon-Suppressing Family, which would also place him in the privileged class.

Historically, those who criticize privilege have mostly been people outside of privilege itself.

Once you're involved, things change.

Chen Mo thought to himself: It seems that joining the Demon-Suppressing Clan is imminent. In case the Ghost Bone is discovered in the future, having the Demon-Suppressing Clan as a shield will prevent him from being targeted. As for losing his humanity, Chen Mo has a firewall; as long as he doesn't overuse the Ghost Bone, he's not worried.

Guo Ziyu stood up at this moment. "I know you still have many questions, but I can only discuss them with you after you have met Elder Tang, completed the ceremony, and truly entered my Tang Family Fortress. The matter is urgent right now, and I'm afraid Shao Siming will be coming to the village soon to inquire. You should have someone send Li Qing and Juan'er away. Focus on dealing with Shao Siming, and be careful not to let Shao Siming notice anything amiss."

Chen Mo got up to see Guo Ziyu out, and asked, "Since Miss Ziyu is from Tangjiabao, why did you condescend to be here? Wouldn't it be much easier to get things done if you just revealed your identity directly?"

Guo Ziyu smiled wryly and said, "Although my Tangjiabao is powerful, we have too many areas to govern. There are only a few people assigned to Honghe County. If we don't do our job well, our family won't value us much. Moreover, the hidden dangers in Honghe County are really too great. I'll tell you in detail after you join us."

"it is good."

After seeing Guo Ziyu off, Chen Mo had Li Qingniu take Li Qing and Juan'er to Wuqiao Town to stay. Then he returned to his room and sat down cross-legged, his mind still replaying Guo Ziyu's words.

Although she was curious about what Guo Ziyu and her group were planning to do here, she knew she couldn't rush things. She needed to see Old Tang and go through the proper rituals before she could ask them.

So Chen Mo put aside his worries and began to refine the Mingyu Technique, quietly waiting for Shao Siming's arrival.

Chen Mo still felt somewhat wary of Shao Siming.

This is the number three person in the Red Lantern Police.

We cannot be careless at all.

As dusk fell, Li Qingniu hurriedly returned and knocked on the door.

Chen Mo stopped practicing his martial arts and went outside to ask, "Have all the people been settled?"

Li Qingniu said, "Everything is settled. I didn't encounter many people along the way. But when I came back, I saw a carriage with several big red lanterns enter the village. The driver was the old hall master who brought you here to take up your post as the head of the incense shop. I wonder what happened."

Upon hearing that Shao Siming had entered the stronghold, Chen Mo became much more wary. "Where did the old hall master go first?"

Li Qingniu said, "I followed them for a while and found that they went to Fu Huo Village first."

Chen Mo said, "You may leave now, and do not say anything later."

Li Qingniu nodded in agreement.

A short while later, footsteps were heard outside the door.

However, it was Shao Siming, dressed in a red robe, and Cao Kun who walked in.

Chen Mo went forward to greet her, saying, "Welcome, Young Master Ming."

Shao Siming stood still, her face stern, staring coldly at Chen Mo without saying a word.

This put a lot of pressure on Chen Mo. "Shao Siming, please come inside for tea."

Shao Siming didn't answer, continuing to stare intently at Chen Mo, as if she could see right through him...

(End of this chapter)