I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 117 Deconstructing the Black God Master, One Punch Destroys Him!
As Chen Mo followed Guo Ziyu to the backyard, he could still hear Tang Qi and the other two discussing something behind them.

"This Young Master Mo is truly remarkable. Although he has mortal blood, he exudes a powerful and domineering aura, cold and fierce. Even I, Tang Qi, sitting next to him feel an invisible pressure. If we were to actually fight, I might not be his match."

"Chen Mo's progress is astonishing. I have never seen such a terrifying ordinary youth. It has truly broadened my horizons."

Tang Xiaoyu said, "Stop calling him 'ordinary' all the time. Young Master Mo is outstanding, and his future prospects are probably no less than ours. From now on, he's one of our Tang Family Fort. If anyone calls him 'ordinary' again, I'll get angry!"

"..."

Chen Mo simply shrugged after hearing those words.

Actually, I wasn't particularly moved. Nor did I feel any pride or smugness because of those words.

Chen Mo is already a ghost.

Moreover, it was a powerful ghost with considerable cultivation. It's just that this ghost resided within Chen Mo's body, and Chen Mo hadn't released it normally. Yet, it had already astonished the aristocratic scions with just a two-finger lightning spike.

If we go all out...

Chen Mo felt that apart from Guo Ziyu and Old Tang, none of the others were a match for him.

When a person stands at a high level, they will no longer be bothered by the praise of others.

Following Guo Ziyu, they arrived at the backyard and once again at the room that had been converted into an ancestral hall.

The candlesticks on both sides were filled with candles, casting a bright light. On the altar directly in front were incense burners and offerings, behind which was a closed shrine. Although he couldn't see what was inside, Chen Mo knew that it contained the deity of Tangjiabao, Lord Black God.

Guo Ziyu led the way into the ancestral hall, knelt on the ground to pay homage to the Black God, and then lit three incense sticks before speaking to Chen Mo, "Young Master Mo, your internal strength has now reached its peak, and you've even killed a ghost. You've become the Left Incense Envoy of the Red Lantern Guard, and from now on, you'll be a top figure in Honghe County. Even the county magistrate will have to treat you with utmost respect. If you're displeased, you could easily kill the magistrate. Please also offer three incense sticks to the Black God."

Chen Mo then offered three sticks of incense to the Black God.

Seeing Chen Mo's humble attitude and lack of arrogance, Guo Ziyu nodded appreciatively. "The incense offerings of Honghe County originally belonged to Lord Black God, but were intercepted by Lady Red Lantern. Old Master Tang and we have painstakingly managed Honghe County for so many years, all in the hope of reclaiming these incense offerings and returning them to Lord Black God. Our Tang Family Fortress is currently in a difficult situation, receiving little help. We ourselves are also struggling and have not yet made any significant contributions. Now that Young Master Mo has become the Left Incense Offering Envoy, it has brought us honor and added some hope to our plans."

Although Tang Qi and the others didn't say it aloud, they all admired Young Master Mo. "I, Guo Ziyu, am also grateful to Young Master Mo."

After saying that, Guo Ziyu took out a very old sheepskin scroll from the incense table and handed it to Chen Mo: "Last time, when Elder Tang guided you to pay homage to the Black God, you were considered to have entered the Tang Family Fortress. Now that you have reached the peak of the ninth level of Martial Master, I cannot help you advance any further. But this is the Black God's method of preserving the spirit. Take it and practice it."

Chen Mo took the parchment scroll but did not open it. He simply asked, "How is this method of preserving the spirit different from the method of preserving the spirit of the Red Lantern Goddess?"

Guo Ziyu patiently explained, "They are naturally very different. The Red Lantern Spirit Preservation Method is a low-level spirit preservation method, which can be practiced by ordinary internal martial arts masters. It's because the Red Lantern Goddess was originally a ghost transformed from a wild mountain creature. She would stop at nothing to seek incense offerings. The Black God's method is different; it is gentle yet powerful, designed to help aristocratic families. This method was mainly practiced by the people of my Tang Family Fortress. Later, the Black God modified it so that even ordinary internal martial arts masters can visualize it. However, its effects are not as good as those of the Tang Family Fortress disciples. Young Master Mo's talent is exceptional, perhaps different from others. You will only know its various wonders by visualizing it yourself."

Chen Mo thought to himself: That Black God Lord is probably a ghost too.

It only protected Tangjiabao for many years.

Seeing Guo Ziyu's piety towards the Black God, Chen Mo didn't want to say anything that would spoil the atmosphere, so he asked, "Since we are both practicing the two methods of preserving the spirit, is there anything we need to pay attention to?"

Guo Ziyu said, "No need. Since Lord Black God is a far stronger deity than Lady Red Lantern, there is no conflict. Young Master Mo can cultivate with peace of mind."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement, then asked, "By the way, Miss Ziyu, have you ever heard of a mortal breaking through the limit of the ninth level of martial arts master?"

Looking at Chen Mo's expectant expression, Guo Ziyu shook her head, though she felt a pang of pity. "I've never heard of such a thing. The difference between aristocratic families and ordinary people is like heaven and earth. I've never heard of an ordinary person breaking through the limits of a martial arts master. The reason Young Master Mo was able to kill the ghost this time is twofold. Firstly, his Thunderclap Force has been cultivated to its peak, allowing him to unleash extraordinary thunderous true energy that is effective against ghosts. Secondly, the ghost bone within Young Master Mo's body played a role, which is why he was able to unleash power beyond the limits of ordinary people."

Chen Mo was somewhat displeased upon hearing this, but since he had already anticipated it, he wasn't exactly disappointed. He continued, "May I ask, Miss Ziyu, since aristocratic families can break through the ninth level of Martial Master, what is the realm above Martial Master?"

Guo Ziyu said, "Passing the Martial Master level means entering the hall and stepping into the realm, also known as the fifth step. I don't know much about this realm. There are only a few masters in our Tang Family Fort who can enter the hall and step into the realm. I came to Honghe County with Elder Tang when I was a teenager, and I rarely went back during that time. So I don't know much about it."

Five ascents?
Chen Mo felt that these three words sounded familiar.

Suddenly I remembered... when I first recognized the Mingyu Skill, the Golden Finger said: The Mingyu Skill was created by those who have reached the fifth level.

In other words, the creator of Mingyu Gong was someone who transcended the level of a martial arts master.

Chen Mo thanked him and left the backyard, the words "Five Ascending the Steps" echoing in his mind.

Even the Tang Family Fortress, one of only two aristocratic families in Nanyang Prefecture, has few members who have reached this level.

It must be said that even for disciples of aristocratic families, reaching the fifth level of advancement is not an easy task.

I really don't know what it's like to climb the steps five times?
For Chen Mo, who has now reached the limit of the ninth level of martial arts master, the fifth step has become a sight he wants to see.

"Forget it, let's take a look at the Black God's method of preserving his spirit first."

Chen Mo put away the parchment scroll, went to the side room in the front yard, packed his luggage, and planned to go home.

It's been a month, after all.

I should at least go back and let my family know I'm safe.

As soon as I got my luggage and stepped out of the room, I saw Tang Xiaoyu sitting on the railing of the corridor, leaning against a wooden pillar, eating a string of candied hawthorns one by one.

She looked up at the moon in the sky, her face filled with sorrow, lost in thought.

Upon seeing Chen Mo emerge, Tang Xiaoyu said, "Young Master Mo, you said the Spring Breeze Pavilion was burned down. The ghosts within were captured by Shao Siming, and you killed the other one. Why is the ghost curse within me still growing stronger every day?"

Seeing that Tang Xiaoyu looked unwell under the moonlight, Chen Mo couldn't bear to tell her the truth.

Only Chen Mo knew.

Behind that ghost story lies a curse.

That curse... even trapped Su Yuqing.

According to Su Yuqing, anyone who has ever heard a ghost story will die. There have never been any exceptions.

Su Yuqing is so abnormal and tyrannical that it's beyond words. If she couldn't even break that curse, what chance would anyone else have?
It's clear that Tang Xiaoyu's fate... was already sealed.

It's just a matter of time.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo said calmly, "I don't know either. But Xiaoyu, you are from a noble family and have noble blood. You also have the Ghost Bone Fusion Technique. I think as long as you practice diligently and strengthen your bloodline's true fire, you should be able to resist that ghost curse."

Click.

Tang Xiaoyu took a bite of hawthorn, still gazing at the bright moon in the sky. "That's what everyone else says. I told my brother the same thing. But Young Master Mo, I know this curse is beyond my imagination. I will die. And it won't be long. But I can't bear to tell my brother. He only has me as his sister, and I'm worried he won't be able to live without me."

At this point, Tang Xiaoyu suddenly turned around and looked at Chen Mo seriously: "The people in this courtyard care about me too much. I don't dare to tell them the truth. But it's really hard to keep some things to myself, so I can only tell you."

Although Chen Mo was in a hurry to go home, after hearing Tang Xiaoyu's words and seeing the tears in her eyes, he leaned closer and said, "Okay, tell me what you want to say."

He thought Tang Xiaoyu was going to say something very sad and tragic, but instead she leaned closer, her eyes wide, "Young Master Mo, I heard you have a very cute little sister. She also likes to wear red jackets and eat candied hawthorns. Is that true?"

Chen Mo was taken aback. "How did you know?"

Tang Xiaoyu took a bite of hawthorn. "Why don't you join my Tang Family Fortress? I investigated you before. I saw that little girl, she's so cute. Could you take me to your house so I can talk to your sister?"

Chen Mo was clearly unwilling.

Tang Xiaoyu pleaded pitifully, "Please promise me! The people in this courtyard care about me so much, I don't dare tell the truth. I feel so suffocated here. I know my time is running out, I want to go out for a walk. Also, don't worry, I'm from a noble family, I can sense the existence of the ghost curse. I won't suddenly go mad. If that day really comes, I'll take care of myself first. I would never hurt your little sister. Okay, okay..."

Chen Mo couldn't stand this little girl's paternalistic manner any longer. "Fine. But I have to be there every time she visits my sister."

"it is good."

Tang Xiaoyu jumped down and even helped Chen Mo carry his bag, leading the way to open the door for him.

Once outside, Tang Xiaoyu kept saying, "I heard your younger sister's name is Chen Yuer, which also has the character 'fish' in it. Do you think we were related in a past life?"

"how could I know."

"Then they must be a family."

……

We arrived at the Chen residence.

The family was naturally overjoyed at Chen Mo's return. Chen Yinfu and Lin Yulan even got up in the middle of the night to have the kitchen prepare some snacks and invited Chen Mo to the courtyard to eat them.

Lin Yulan and Chen Yinfu couldn't help but take a second look at Tang Xiaoyu, who had come with Chen Mo. They were generally satisfied, but felt that Tang Xiaoyu was a bit too young and too lively. They worried that she might not be suitable for being a wife and mother in the future.

But being lively has its advantages, for example... Tang Xiaoyu and Chen Yuer became fast friends after only a short time together. The two even squatted together and started exchanging tips on candied hawthorn.

For two foodies like them, this is a topic they'll have plenty to talk about.

Especially Chen Yu'er, because her family was cautious and rarely allowed her to go out. This time, she met an older sister who loved candied hawthorns, and when they chatted about their foodie experiences, the older sister highly praised her. This made Chen Yu'er excitedly clench her fists and shout with delight.

In this way, the atmosphere in the living room became much more lively.

Zhang Ru, the second aunt who hadn't left the house for a long time, arrived at the central courtyard with Chen Wu's help. Seeing Xiao Yu'er's joyful appearance, a rare smile appeared on her face, and her complexion had improved a lot.

After having some snacks, Chen Mo spoke up: "Father, Mother, I will be taking up a post in the city in a couple of days. But I'll be very busy with official duties and won't be able to come home all the time. For convenience, I will be staying at Shuiyun Residence in Hualiu Lane from now on. Ma Tie and Qiulan can come and take care of me. If you have time, please come and visit often."

Upon hearing that Chen Mo had been promoted again, Lin Yulan was overjoyed and kept praising Chen Mo for his success. Chen Yinfu also felt that Chen Mo's arrangement was very appropriate, "Xiao Mo is really sensible. At your age, you are at the age to do great things. This is only right."

After chatting for a while, Chen Mo checked Erniang's pulse and transferred his inner energy to her. Then he got up and left. When he reached the door, he saw Tang Xiaoyu making a kite with Chen Yuer.

The two of them kept chuckling.

Chen Mo didn't call Tang Xiaoyu away, and let them go.

After all, Chen Mo hadn't seen Chen Yu'er so happy in a long time.

Although Chen Yu'er was born into a wealthy family, she was also quite pitiful. Her home was under constant lockdown, preventing her from going out. So, from a young age, she stayed within the courtyard walls, with no other children her age to keep her company. Now, having met Tang Xiaoyu, they found they were kindred spirits.

Chen Mo, as the older brother, was happy.

Back in the East Courtyard, Chen Mo lay down on the Drunken Old Man's Chair in the living room, eating the grapes Qiu Lan fed him while flipping through the old parchment scroll.

Besides a knight portrait of the Black God, there is a large amount of text explaining the mysteries of the Book of Burial of Souls.

After reading it thoroughly, Chen Mo discovered that the Soul Burial Scripture was indeed an extraordinary method for preserving the spirit. Its profound mysteries far surpassed those of the Red Lantern Spirit Preservation Method.

However, its ferocity surpasses even the Red Lantern Divine Preservation Method.

To preserve the spirit of the Red Lantern Goddess, one only needs to preserve the image of the Red Lantern Goddess.

To bury one's own soul is to bury one's own soul, and then one should contemplate the Black God.

Suppressing human desires is equivalent to...

'Well, this Soul Burial Scripture is, after all, one of only two methods for preserving the spirit in Nanyang Prefecture. Being here, I can't find a better method. I'll try practicing it and see how it works.'

Having made up his mind, Chen Mo sat up and said to Qiu Lan, "Qiu Lan, I'm going into seclusion. You should rest early. By the way, do you remember Shuiyun Residence?"

Qiu Lan said, "I remember. That was a place where the young master used to keep his mistress. I even went there to clean it a few times. Later, the young master... that place became empty. Why does the young master bring this up?"

Chen Mo said, "I will be coming to the city to take up my post in a couple of days. Then I won't need to travel outside anymore. I plan to stay at Shuiyun Residence. If you are willing to come with me, take Ma Tie to Shuiyun Residence to clean it up first thing tomorrow morning. After that, you can live with me at Shuiyun Residence."

Qiulan happily agreed, "Alright, I'll go call Ma Tie first thing tomorrow morning. Young Master, don't stay up too late in your seclusion, get some rest early so you don't ruin your health."

After watching Qiulan leave, Chen Mo closed the door.

I sat down cross-legged and turned on the control panel.

[Deconstructable material detected]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

Chen Mo had an idea:

Deconstruction.

hum!
As an unprecedented sharp pain shot through his brain, lines of subtitles appeared.

For the first time, the color scheme of the box bars is showing garbled characters?

Instead of a specific color, there were many small dots, similar to the old-fashioned televisions from my previous life that had no signal.

Chen Mo then thought that it might be because this method of preserving the spirit was too advanced. His current cheat ability couldn't manifest colors, but other subtitles were present.

【Title: The Book of Burying the Soul】

[Type: Spirit Refinement Technique]

[Characteristics: Visualizing the Black God allows one to store his divine essence in their sea of ​​consciousness, strengthening their soul. However, this will also attract the Black God's attention, and once the storage is successful, it is extremely difficult to escape his control. Furthermore, the higher the level of storage, the more one's own soul will be gradually buried and submitted to the Black God.]

[Characteristics: It is a method that buries one's own soul, gradually surrendering it to the Black God to gain power.]

[Note: This method is exceptionally powerful, requiring 20000 points of original essence to modify one's own spirit in order to safely preserve one's spirit.]

"Another 20,000 points of original essence?"

Chen Mo felt a headache coming on.

I'm a ghost now.

Are they still so poor?

Modifying a family bloodline requires 20,000 points of original essence, and modifying one's own spirit to be compatible with the Burial Soul Scripture also requires 20,000 points... This made Chen Mo feel extremely poor.

However, the more this was the case, the more excited Chen Mo became.

This means that the Soul Burial Scripture is indeed powerful.

Although there is a ghost inside me, my human side has not been completely corrupted by the ghost.

Chen Mo decided to take advantage of the fact that he still possessed humanity and frantically cultivate all sorts of martial arts to strengthen himself. Regardless of whether he could resist the ghostly corruption, strengthening himself was definitely the right thing to do.

"First practice visualization and thought, then stop and think of a solution when you reach the point of spiritual visualization."

All methods of preserving the spirit follow the same process: visualization, contemplation, preserving the spirit, and inner illumination.

Simply thinking about it won't cause any problems.

Chen Mo immediately sat down cross-legged and began to meditate on the Black God.

The following morning, Chen Mo moved to Shuiyun Residence.

With Qiulan and Ma Tie helping with chores, it saved a lot of trouble. In just half a day, Shuiyun Residence was completely transformed. Qiulan even took the initiative to buy some furniture so that the young master could live comfortably.

Chen Mo didn't go out either, staying at home to practice his skills.

The main focus is on Lord Black God's method of preserving his spirit, and the use of the power of awakening.

She also made sure to place the mirror in the backyard on the altar, and would offer incense to it whenever she had time. If she didn't have time, she would have Qiulan and Ma Tie do it. In any case, Su Yuqing didn't specify who should offer incense; as long as there was incense, it would prolong her life.

Three days later, a guest arrived at Shuiyunju.

Cao Kun.

Upon learning that Chen Mo had moved here, Cao Kun even proactively bought many expensive gifts and delivered them to his door, including a coral and couplets. It was truly a thoughtful gesture.

When Qiu Lan and Ma Tie learned that Cao Kun was the head of the Red Lantern Examination Hall, they were so frightened that they could barely move.

Even the head of the Red Lantern Gang was so respectful to his young master.

What was the young master's status in the red-light district?
The bolder Ma Tie seized the opportunity to ask Cao Kun a question.

Cao Kun chuckled and said, "You probably don't know yet. Today I'm here to welcome Brother Chen to his new post. He'll be the Left Incense Master of the Twenty-Four Incense Halls of our Red Lantern Clan."

Qiulan asked tremblingly, "May I ask, Master Cao, what kind of official is this Left Incense Master?"

"Hahaha."

Cao Kun laughed heartily: "You little maid really don't understand. The Left Envoy isn't an official, but he's the fourth most important person in our Red Lantern Gang. He firmly holds the fourth position. He helps the Empress manage the incense offerings for hundreds of thousands of villagers in Honghe County. Even if he discovers that the county magistrate isn't offering incense to the Empress, killing him is no big deal."

hiss!
Upon hearing this, Qiu Lan and Ma Tie trembled violently. When they looked at Chen Mo in the living room again, it was as if they were looking at a righteous and just official.

The fourth person in the Red Lantern team.

They could even kill the county magistrate.

When did our young master quietly rise to this level?

It's only been a few months since they joined the red light system, hasn't it?

Just then, Chen Mo came out of the living room, called Ma Tie and the other man aside, and whispered, "I'm going to take up my post. Remember this: you must offer incense to the mirror in the back room every day. If you have time, offer incense more often. If any strangers come, hide the mirror. Don't let anyone find it."

The two were curious as to why their young master wanted to enshrine a mirror, but seeing Chen Mo's serious instructions, they both agreed.

Chen Mo nodded and said to Cao Kun in the distance, "Master Cao, let's not delay, let's set off now."

"We've been waiting for Brother Chen to say that. Let's hurry up and go. The twenty-four incense masters and the right envoy of the incense hall are all waiting at the entrance."

……

This was Chen Mo's first time visiting the Twenty-Four Incense Hall.

Located in the west of the city, not far from Shuiyun Residence, about four or five miles away, it was a very grand mansion with two tall and imposing stone lions placed on either side of the entrance.

The gate was imposing and the walls were high. Above the gate was a plaque with a line of scarlet characters: "Twenty-Four Incense Hall". Six scarlet lanterns hung beside it.

The grandeur of this gate is even greater than that of the county government office.

The two men guarding the gate, both armed with swords, were actually newly initiated internal martial arts masters.

As expected of the core branch of the Red Lantern Gang, the place where the fourth-ranking member sits.

To Chen Mo's surprise, he saw Shao Siming.

She stood ramrod straight at the gate, wearing a fitted red robe and red embroidered shoes. A breeze blew by, causing the red hairpin in her hair to sway, and the two golden bells at the ends of the hairpin jingled.

Chen Mo pretended to walk up quickly, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Young Master of Fate."

Shao Siming hummed in agreement. "Since this is your first time in office, I'll guide you inside to avoid any problems during the handover process."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement and then followed Shao Siming through the gate.

Upon entering, one is greeted by a vast martial arts arena. At the center stands the statue of the Red Lantern Goddess, over ten zhang tall, exuding an imposing and majestic aura. Surrounding the statue are twenty-four incense burners, each containing a large, distinct incense stick.

As Shao Siming led the way, she explained, "The Incense Hall encompasses twenty-four kinds of incense in Honghe County. No matter what the villagers pray for, they can pray to the Goddess. This is also the original intention of establishing the Incense Hall, which is to gather the incense offerings for the Goddess."

Chen Mo understood.

The villagers prayed to gods and Buddhas, and naturally, their requests varied.

Some pray for peace, some for children, some for wealth, some for longevity, and some for protection from evil spirits...

If the Red Lantern Goddess only oversees one or two of them, it wouldn't be comprehensive. It would mean she couldn't meet the villagers' demands. But now… the entire Twenty-Four Incense Manual is included.

No matter what the villagers ask for, they only need to worship the goddess as a "deity".

Want to worship other deities?
Sorry, that's not allowed.

Chen Mo vaguely understood the importance of the incense hall: the Red Lantern Goddess was able to govern hundreds of thousands of villagers in Honghe County because of this incense. And the incense hall was the specific implementer and maintainer.

It was crucial to maintaining the Empress's rule.

Logically speaking, such an important position should be held by the Empress's absolute confidant.

Although Chen Mo is highly capable, he has only been a member of the Red Lantern Gang for a few months. The Red Lantern Gang hasn't tested Chen Mo's loyalty to the Empress. Why did Shao Siming appoint Chen Mo so hastily?
Something just doesn't feel right.

However, Chen Mo didn't care. He would go and take a look at the Martial Arts Pavilion after he took office.

What do the others have to do with me?

Shao Siming gave him many more instructions, which Chen Mo accepted one by one.

Finally, Shao Siming said, "The Incense Hall is crucial to the Red Lantern Clan. Its twenty-four incense masters are all formidable, the weakest being at least a sixth-level Martial Master, with most reaching the seventh level. They are responsible for patrolling day and night, monitoring the villagers' incense offerings. If they find anyone not worshipping the Goddess, they are simply killed. Even the Examination Hall has no jurisdiction here. It's worth mentioning He Miao, the Right Envoy of the Incense Hall. He is the elder brother of the former Left Envoy, He Gui. After He Gui's death, He Miao wanted to take over as Left Envoy, but I stopped him, allowing you to assume the position halfway. I fear He Miao harbors considerable hostility towards you."

Chen Mo said, "Aren't the left and right envoys the same?"

Shao Siming said, "The Red Lantern Goddess comes from the north, and this place is located on the southeastern border of the Great Qian Dynasty. The north is on the left, so... nominally the Left and Right Envoys are of the same rank, but in reality the Left Envoy is the higher-ranking."

Chen Mo understood.

As they spoke, the two passed the training ground and entered the magnificent hall.

The hall was extremely grand. At the front stood the statues of two female deities, and on each side were twelve grand chairs, each occupied by a master of ceremonies. Each possessed an extraordinary bearing and a powerful aura.

Most of them are seventh-level martial artists, comparable to Cao Kun.

Moreover, each of the incense masters showed a very resentful expression upon seeing Chen Mo. Clearly, they were quite dissatisfied with this newly appointed young man.

In the center of the hall stood a giant man, bald and shirtless, wielding a five-foot-long broadsword. He was only half a head shorter than Tang Tongshan. His aura emanated like that of a dragon and a tiger.

Anyone who sees such a grand scene would probably feel a little weak.

For example, Cao Kun, the head of the Kaogong Hall, usually swaggered around when he went to other halls, but when he arrived here, he was already covered in sweat before he even entered the door.

As Shao Siming entered the hall, the incense masters all rose to pay their respects.

The bald giant also bowed, but did not give way.

Ok?
Shao Siming frowned: "He Miao, what do you mean by this? Didn't Cao Kun inform you beforehand? Didn't you know that the new Left Envoy was coming to take over the Incense Hall today?"

The giant He Miao gritted his teeth and met Shao Siming's gaze. "Old Cao has come to inform me. I naturally have no objection to Shao Siming's appointment. But I have a question for Shao Siming."

Shao Siming asked, "What?"

He Miao coldly replied, "I, He Miao, joined the Incense Hall at the age of six with my younger brother. I started from the lowest level of menial labor and worked my way up to the positions of Left and Right Envoys. I, He Miao, have been loyal to the Empress and have fought and shed my blood for the Red Lanterns without ever uttering a word of complaint. Why does the Junior Master of Fate want to replace the Left Envoy with a mere child who has only been in the Red Lanterns for a few months? He is sixteen years old and has not yet achieved anything. What gives him the right to ride on my head?"

"Young Master of Fate, I, He Miao, am not convinced! My twenty-four incense masters... are not convinced either!"

Shao Siming coldly asked, "What do you want?"

He Miao said, "I, He Miao, am a straightforward person who only recognizes fists, not people. If this kid can beat me, I will personally sweep the bed and welcome him to the seat of honor. If he can't even withstand three or two of my blows, then... I, He Miao, would rather die than acknowledge this Left Envoy. Even if the Lesser Master twists my head, I still won't acknowledge him."

Shao Siming hadn't expected He Miao to be so stubborn, and was somewhat at a loss.

Just then, Chen Mo came out and chuckled.

"You're quite an interesting person. I'll return the favor with a question: if you can withstand one of my punches without falling, I'll resign from this position as Left Envoy."

These words stunned all twenty-four incense masters present.

In their eyes, Chen Mo was nothing more than someone who had gotten close to Shao Siming through connections.

To put it bluntly, he's just a freeloader who got his position through connections.

He never took Chen Mo seriously.

I never expected this guy to say such harsh words publicly.

He Miao's eyes widened, releasing a fiery rage: "With the image of the Empress above, and the presence of the Junior Master of Fate, as well as the twenty-four incense masters, all eyes are on us. This is no laughing matter."

Chen Mo didn't waste any words, "Absolutely not a joke."

"Fine, I'll consider you a man of principle. If you're not strong enough, then get out of this incense hall and don't tarnish my eyes."

He Miao snorted coldly, then drew his sword with a backhand motion.

Clang!

The blade's edge was intimidating!
The next moment, He Miao pushed off the ground with both legs, and his true energy surged out, transforming into a fierce tiger around him as he charged towards Chen Mo with his knife in hand.

This giant was already twice the size of an ordinary man, and his charge was even more terrifying, causing the ground to shake violently as he charged forward with the force of a thunderbolt.

Chen Mo looked like a piece of duckweed adrift in a storm, utterly vulnerable.

however--

boom!
Chen Mo stomped his foot on the ground and charged out like a dragon or tiger. Without even taking out a weapon, he slammed his fist into the opponent's giant sword.

Boom!

The moment the fist struck the blade, a deafening clang resounded, and a surge of wild true energy crashed down like a tidal wave. He Miao felt as if he had been struck by a massive mountain.

"How is this possible... I am a peak ninth-level martial artist!"

"Pfft!"

He Miao was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He crashed heavily to the ground, slid backward for more than ten meters, and then slammed into a huge stone pillar, spitting out another mouthful of blood before finally stopping.

Click, click, click!

Both of his arm bones were dislocated, but he was ruthless enough to immediately put them back in place, making a sound.

Pooh.

He Miao spat out a mouthful of blood, along with several broken teeth. Finally, she stood up, leaning on a stone pillar. When she looked at Chen Mo again, she was filled with fear.

He Miao was born an ordinary person, but with his extraordinary physique, he practiced external martial arts and spent thirty years in hard training to reach the limit of Mingyu Gong and enter the ninth level of martial arts master.

Yet they were so utterly vulnerable before this young man.

Comparing people to each other is so irritating.

He Miao finally gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and cupped his hands to Chen Mo, saying, "I, He Miao, am completely convinced. Please, Left Envoy Chen, take a seat."

Under the watchful eyes of the twenty-four incense masters on both sides, Chen Mo walked step by step to the seat of honor.

(End of this chapter)