I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 126 If Red Dance blocks my way, then she shall die!!!
Shuiyunju, Honghe County.

In the back room, Chen Mo stared intently at the ghost bride in the mirror, thinking to himself: This woman is truly cunning and hides a whole host of secrets. One wrong move, and I could fall into her trap…

Su Yuqing seemed to sense that Chen Mo was somewhat angry, so she lowered her posture and spoke in a pitiful and resentful tone, "Young Master Mo is so clever, he guessed my thoughts right away. But I am truly pitiful, having been secretly harmed and trapped in this lonely mirror for hundreds of years... I only wanted to drag that Red Lantern Lady in to hear a ghost story. As for whether she will die, I have no idea."

"Waaah, I'm so pitiful!"

Chen Mo twitched his lips: "Don't try that on me."

Su Yuqing immediately stopped sobbing, "Does this mean you've agreed to my request, young master?"

Chen Mo: "..."

Your act is so fake.

"let me think again."

Leaving behind a message, Chen Mo left the back room and returned to the main room in the central courtyard, where he sat down to ponder Su Yuqing's plan.

We definitely can't follow Su Yuqing's plan completely!
Completely relying on Su Yuqing's influence is risky. What if Su Yuqing can't handle it? Or what if the Red Lantern Lady doesn't fall for it at all? That would put me in a very dangerous situation.

Even after spending ten years with Su Yuqing, Chen Mo would never entrust his life to another person.

"After dawn, I will take my family and leave Honghe County to avoid trouble in the prefectural city. Even though the Empress is watching us, the prefectural city has powerful families and major sects. It is much safer than Honghe County."

"As for using the Empress to help me turn into a zombie... let's hold off for now. Right now, my aristocratic bloodline can still help me maintain the balance of being a half-ghost. I need to further improve my strength in the future, and it would be best if I could capture a little zombie to mess with. That would be the safest approach."

Although Chen Mo's plan and Su Yuqing's ideas conflicted, Su Yuqing's plan still had some value.

For example... you can carry that mirror with you at all times, so that if you encounter a red-light district lady on the road... at least you'll have an extra backup plan.

Having made up his mind, Chen Mo did not hesitate.

He did miss his family, but since he had practiced the Red Lantern Spirit Preservation Technique and was being watched by the Red Lantern Goddess, he didn't go home at night. It wouldn't be good if the Red Lantern Goddess came looking for him and it affected his parents.

"I'm still not strong enough. I'm far from having enough strength to protect myself in this chaotic world."

"However, there's no use rushing this matter. Let me first see if I can ignite the blood fire of the aristocratic families."

Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and began to temper the blood fire of the aristocratic family.

hum~
As Chen Mo circulated his internal energy, the blood energy within his body began to erupt wildly, flowing along his blood vessels and finally into all the meridians of his body, completing a major cycle.

Blood energy had already reached its limit and could not go any further.

However, Chen Mo was not satisfied. Instead, he continued to activate the general principles of the Tang Family Fortress's method for stimulating bloodlines, further stimulating the power of the bloodlines.

Chen Mo knew that blood energy was just one of the most basic special powers within the bloodlines of aristocratic families.

Bloodfire is a high-energy state that is above blood energy.

Similar to heat, if you keep heating it until it reaches an ignition point, it will suddenly ignite.

Don't underestimate this seemingly small difference; in reality, the two are worlds apart.

Even Guo Ziyu failed to cultivate the Blood Flame of a Noble Family.

Chen Mo had been stuck at this threshold for quite some time, just a little bit more away. Whenever he tried to break through to the Bloodfire Realm, he always felt like he was missing that final push.

Tonight is different.

Perhaps it was because the Red Lantern Lady brought Chen Mo a suffocating sense of oppression that caused Chen Mo's potential to explode, and his condition was frighteningly good. Some key points that he had not grasped before, he now seemed to have his mind turned on, and he understood them thoroughly one by one.

"Bloodfire, come out here!"

Chen Mo frantically circulated his blood energy, repeatedly traveling through his meridians, causing his entire body to become burning hot and his muscles and bones to generate heat.

That's right.

The once-cold body has now regained its warmth due to the frenzied flow of blood energy.

I actually...sweated!

Chen Mo used to hate sweating; it felt damp and sticky, and quite uncomfortable.

Seeing my body start to sweat... I was so happy!

My body seems to be... finally back to normal.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

"Not enough, keep going, faster. Get your body warmer."

Each hurdle was mastered and understood thoroughly.

Chen Mo didn't even know how many times he had circulated his blood energy.

Sudden--

boom!
Chen Mo felt the blood energy within his body, which had reached a critical state, suddenly explode. The energy level leaped to a new level... his blood energy ignited!

Wow! Wow!
The speed at which blood circulated within his body increased dramatically, rushing through the meridians and blood vessels, greatly shortening the time required to complete the Grand Circulation. The resulting effect was... a significant boost to Chen Mo's body and strength.

Click!

My skin started to feel hot, and waves of heat appeared.

In no time, Chen Mo became like a red-hot iron man, his whole body emitting a red light, with explosive power waiting to be released within him.

My brain is fully loaded.

"Is this the power of the Blood Flame of the Aristocratic Clan? It's insane!!!"

Chen Mo walked to the full-length bronze mirror and looked at himself in the reflection. He was startled.

They don't look human anymore.

The red-hot iron figure glows and radiates heat.

His hair and clothes were burned away.

That's right, his hair and clothes caught fire and burned completely.

"Holy crap, you can burn your own hair off? That doesn't make sense... Burning clothes is one thing, but hair is my own organ, how can you burn that?"

"Won't I go bald now?"

Chen Mo touched his bald head; it was smooth and slippery, and he felt a pang of heartache.

"I don't know if the hair follicles are burned away. If the hair follicles are damaged, I'm afraid my hair will never grow back."

"Forget it, being bald is fine, it's not a bad thing. It's not like I'm missing something else."

"Ah! It's all your fault, Red Lantern Lady, how wicked!"

Although Chen Mo was fierce and violent, he was still bothered by the fact that he had suddenly lost his hair. He roared a couple of times to vent his emotions and then let it go.

"I'll test the power of the Bloodfire."

Chen Mo lightly stepped on the ground, and the bluestone bricks immediately dented and charred. He leaped out of the courtyard, finding his speed terrifying.

After stretching my limbs a bit in the yard, I felt as if my body had evolved, completely different from before.

Since his clothes were burned off, Chen Mo did not linger in the courtyard for long. After adjusting for a while, he returned to his room.

If outsiders were to see this... it would be somewhat inappropriate.

Soon, the voices of Ma Tie and Qiu Lan could be heard from outside.

"Qiu Lan, did you see a figure just now?"

"I saw it. The person seemed to be naked, but they were too fast. I didn't see where they ran off to."

"A naked ghost? What kind of ghost... so perverted? This is very unsettling. Go and inform the young master immediately. Be on guard."

dong dong dong.

Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Ma Tie's trembling voice could be heard.

"Young master, there seemed to be a naked ghost moving around in the courtyard just now..."

"It's alright, I know that ghost, it's already gone. It's nothing to worry about."

"Yes."

Hearing Ma Tie and Qiu Lan's footsteps fade into the distance, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself: This courtyard is still too small. When I get back to the prefectural city, I need to buy a large house for my cultivation.

Furthermore, this internal blood fire is just too illogical. Every time it's used, it burns all your clothes; isn't that incredibly undignified?
"Or is it that I haven't mastered my internal blood fire technique?"

Chen Mo sat down cross-legged again and circulated his blood fire once more, carefully sensing the operating rules within it, trying to make it under control.

No matter how many times he tried, as soon as Chen Mo activated his blood fire, his clothes would be burned away. They would turn to ash before even a flame appeared.

"Could it be because my blood and fire are too strong?"

After much thought, Chen Mo felt that this was highly likely.

After all, ordinary scions of noble families can only unleash a portion of their blood energy. But Chen Mo transformed all his true energy into blood energy. This resulted in Chen Mo's blood energy being five or six times stronger than that of other experts from noble families of the same level, and perhaps even greater.

As blood energy transforms into blood fire, this gap is further amplified.

This led to an unusual situation that had never occurred to scions of prominent families.

It's not that the bloodline of aristocratic families is unreasonable, but rather that Chen Mo's bloodline is simply too abnormal.

When he was at the Blood Energy level, Chen Mo felt he could easily defeat a Blood Fire level family. Now that he has entered the Blood Fire level, Chen Mo feels he can easily defeat a True Fire level family. Even experts at a higher level... might not be outmatched.

"It seems I'll have to ask Young Master Tang Qi later if he has any soft armor or magical artifacts that can be made into underwear that are not afraid of blood and fire. We can't afford to burn our clothes every time we fight."

Having made up his mind, Chen Mo continued to ignite the blood fire.

Chen Mo had only just begun to unleash a small portion of his blood fire, yet he was already so monstrous.

According to the Tang Family Fort's Bloodline Activation Guidelines, this is considered the initial step into the Bloodfire level. If one cultivates to the Great Perfection stage, one can activate all the blood in their body into Bloodfire, achieving an unimaginable level of power.

Of course, a person's blood needs to maintain a balance. For example, a little bleeding is nothing to worry about, as it is quickly replenished, but if too much blood is lost at once, it can be life-threatening.

The same principle applies to activating the bloodline of a noble family into a high-energy blood fire. Too much of it cannot be activated at once, otherwise it could be life-threatening.

Turning all the blood in one's body into blood fire is only theoretically possible. If one actually did that, there would only be one way out: death.

Chen Mo felt he needed to possess the full power to stimulate his blood.

You must have this ability, but you don't have to.

But we cannot be without this ability.

Moreover, Chen Mo had already experienced the power of the Bloodfire, and based on that, he calculated that his previous abilities were enough to easily kill three Yellow Page Ghosts. If he further activated the Bloodfire's high energy, he could even kill four Yellow Page Ghosts.

As the power of his aristocratic bloodline was continuously activated, Chen Mo felt that his Ghost Transformation technique... had become somewhat useless.

“A noble family bloodline is a good thing.”

After a night of seclusion, Chen Mo finished his practice the next morning, had Qiu Lan boil water, took a bath, changed into a new robe, and felt refreshed.

When she stepped out of the living room again, she found everyone sitting there, quite surprised to see that Chen Mo had no hair. Qiu Lan, in particular, covered her mouth in astonishment.

Chen Mo waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. I just tripped up a bit while practicing and burned my hair. Did you hear any strange noises nearby last night?"

Everyone shook their heads.

I didn't dare go out all night, and I didn't hear any strange noises.

After a night of adjustment, Liu Changchun's emotions had basically returned to normal. "Left Envoy Chen, what should we do next?"

Chen Mo looked at the sky; it was already broad daylight.

Based on Chen Mo's experience, although ghosts and zombies are not afraid of daytime, most prefer to act at night. Daytime is always a bit safer.

Chen Mo said, "I suspect that the Red Lantern Goddess is targeting disciples who have cultivated the Spirit Preservation Technique. As for the reason, I don't know. Without further ado, everyone pack your bags and come with me to the Chen residence. Then we'll leave Honghe County and head to the prefectural city to take refuge."

Although everyone was surprised by the plan, they didn't say much. They had clearly tacitly accepted it.

While everyone was packing their luggage, Chen Mo slung his broadsword over his shoulder, took a piece of black silk cloth, and went to the back room, intending to wrap the mirror up and carry it on his back.

Su Yuqing's voice came from the mirror, sounding quite pleased, "Has Young Master Mo made up his mind?"

Chen Mo didn't hide his plans, "The Red Lantern Goddess has turned into a zombie, and I'm afraid she'll be difficult to deal with. I still have family behind me, and I plan to take them away from Honghe County to the prefectural city. I'll take you with me; if the Red Lantern Goddess comes looking for us, we'll follow your plan."

Su Yuqing was very disappointed, and her tone was quite resentful, "It seems that Young Master Mo still doesn't quite trust me."

"This has nothing to do with trust. It's about my life and death. No matter how much I trust someone, I would never entrust my life to them. I hope you understand."

"Okay," Su Yuqing replied listlessly. She wasn't a complete novice; she thought Chen Mo's words made sense.

After all, that's the kind of person she is.

Moreover, even if she saw the Red Lantern Goddess, she couldn't directly pull her into the mirror world. The Red Lantern Goddess's body would need to touch the mirror surface first.

She cannot influence the world outside the mirror.

This was not an easy task for Chen Mo.

wow~
Chen Mo covered the mirror with the silk cloth, wrapping it several times to make sure it was invisible from the outside, before slinging it over his back.

When they left the backyard and arrived at the central courtyard, they found that everyone else had packed up and were carrying their own bundles.

Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively: "Let's go."

After leading everyone out of Shuiyun Residence, Chen Mo noticed that there were far fewer pedestrians on the street, but there were still some peddlers and merchants coming and going. It was still quite lively.

Walking down the bustling street, Chen Mo overheard the discussions among many peddlers and villagers.

"Have you heard? Something terrible happened at the Red Lantern Temple last night. It's said that everyone there has disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"That's right. My cousin lives in a house not far from the Red Lantern Temple. I heard terrible screams coming from the temple. It was really scary."

"That's nothing. I heard something terrible happened at the incense hall too. My cousin lives diagonally across from the incense hall and saw a female ghost in red enter the incense hall and kill everyone inside. Ugh, that's terrifying."

"No way? Our county is blessed by the Red Lantern Goddess, how could such a ferocious ghost appear?"

"What's this? It's said that the other branches of the Red Lantern Temple in the city have also suffered. Perhaps it's the Red Lantern Goddess's mortal enemy coming for revenge."

"But why isn't the Red Lantern Goddess making a move?"

"how could I know……"

"..."

Everyone's expression changed after hearing these comments.

Li Changchun and Xiao Jiuzi, in particular, were terrified when they heard that other branches had also suffered.

As they approached the Chen residence, Chen Mo stopped and said, "Liu Changchun, take Xiao Jiuzi and go around scouting. See if all our Red Lanterns' branches in the city have been affected. If possible, try to find out about the branches outside the city."

Perhaps because it was daytime, Liu Changchun and Xiao Jiuzi mustered their courage, and they also knew that if they were to follow Chen Mo, they would have to be of value. So they agreed.

Chen Mo led the others through the door.

The mansion was quiet.

The training ground was also empty.

Ok?
Chen Mo immediately tensed up and led his men towards the central courtyard. When they arrived at the main gate of the central courtyard, they saw more than twenty guards gathered there, each holding a weapon and looking around warily.

The guards were all pale and exhausted. They had clearly been on guard duty all night.

Upon seeing the familiar Wei Heng and Liu Jiang, Chen Mo leaned over and asked, "What happened?"

When everyone saw the second young master arrive, they all breathed a sigh of relief and put down their weapons.

Liu Jiang said, "Last night we heard that something big happened at the Red Lantern Temple. We all felt that a ghost had sneaked into the temple and was harming the goddess. We were afraid that the ghost would take notice of us, so we stayed here to watch over the master and madam. Fortunately, nothing happened overnight."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Chen Mo nodded, then pushed open the door and entered the courtyard. The head maid, Haitang, came into view.

"Second Young Master, you're finally back. Madam and Master were so worried about you last night."

Where are Father and Mother?

"I'm waiting in the living room. I haven't slept much all night, just worried about the second young master."

Chen Mo rushed into the living room and saw Chen Yinfu and Lin Yulan. The two elders breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Chen Mo unharmed. After some pleasantries, Chen Yinfu spoke up, "Little Mo, what happened last night? How could there be ghosts attacking the Empress's Red Lantern Temple?"

Chen Mo didn't mince words and told the truth directly.

hiss!
Upon hearing this, Chen Yin and Lin Yulan gasped in shock. Lin Yulan, in particular, who was worshipping the goddess, felt as if the sky had fallen. She slumped into her chair, her face pale. "How could this be... The goddess is a divine being who protects this place! How could she be a mad demon who eats its own people?!"

Eh.

Chen Yinfu said, "Xiao Mo is definitely right. Xiao Mo, what should we do now?"

Chen Mo asked, "Have all the family's properties and shops been sold off?"

Chen Yinfu took out the account book, glanced at it briefly, and said, "Most of the money has been lost. There are also a few shops in bad locations that no one has taken over."

Chen Mo glanced at the ledger and was slightly surprised.

It's even better than I imagined.

It turned out to be worth more than eight thousand taels of silver.

Chen Mo vaguely remembered that the Chen family didn't seem to have that many businesses.

Chen Yinfu noticed Chen Mo's confusion and said, "When the Xie and Wei families suffered, I took the opportunity to buy some well-located shops at low prices. After operating them for several months, I sold them again, and the prices had increased considerably. I made a profit."

Chen Mo nodded slightly: "Father is a natural businessman. We shouldn't delay. Let's abandon the remaining shops. Let's pack up immediately and set off for the prefectural city in a bit."

Lin Yulan opened her mouth, clearly reluctant to leave. But she didn't say anything. Chen Yinfu, on the other hand, was prepared for this and wasn't surprised: "Take all the guards and maids from the house with you?"

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Those who are willing to go can go, and those who are not will not be forced."

"Okay, I'll make arrangements."

After leaving the central courtyard, Chen Mo specifically asked Wei Heng and Liu Jiang if they were willing to leave.

These two, thanks to the secret manuals and cultivation methods Chen Mo had given them, have already reached the Blood Explosion Realm. Plus, they're a full twelve years younger than Zhou Liang, so they have a chance to become internal martial arts masters in the future. If they're properly trained, it would be much more convenient for them to stay by their father's side and protect him.

After a brief discussion, Wei Heng and Liu Jiang agreed and went off to pack their things.

Chen Mo certainly wouldn't forget Haitang, the maid who had served his parents for many years. "Haitang, go and pack your things too, and come with us to the prefectural city to make a living."

"Yes."

While waiting for his family to pack their luggage, Chen Mo went to the East Courtyard to take a look at his residence, and finally came to the Chen Family Ancestral Hall to visit the place where he had come from after his transmigration.

After several months, the ancestral hall has been repaired.

Things have long since changed.

Before long, Liu Changchun rushed in with Xiao Jiuzi.

"Left Envoy Chen, the managers and core members of our Red Lanterns' four branches in the county have all perished. Only some of the menial workers and assistants are still alive. Just as Left Envoy Chen predicted, the Empress only eats those who have cultivated the Divine Preservation Technique."

Chen Mo's pupils contracted.

It was just speculation before.

Now it has been confirmed.

A strong sense of crisis inexplicably welled up in my heart.

"Have the branches outside the city gotten any information?"

"I've heard everything, the situation is the same. All the managers and disciples of the dozen or so branches outside the city who had practiced the Spirit Preservation Technique vanished overnight. The other servants and laborers survived, but they're all terrified." Liu Changchun replied tremblingly, "Left Envoy Chen, in that case, only a few of us are left who have practiced the Spirit Preservation Technique. Will Her Majesty... come after us immediately?"

Chen Mo also felt a great sense of pressure, but said aloud, "Don't overthink it. We'll leave Honghe County soon."

After saying this, Chen Mo hurriedly left the ancestral hall, instructed Lu Chengzhuang to guard his family, and then went to find Chen Yinfu, telling him that he needed to go out for a while and would meet him at the west gate of the county town later.

After giving the instructions, Chen Mo carried the mirror and the broadsword out of the Chen residence and headed to Qingfu Residence.

An oil lamp was still lit in the living room of Qingfuju.

Old Tang and the others sat together, their faces grim, clearly having spent the night deep in thought; the atmosphere was somber. Only when Chen Mo arrived did someone speak to greet him.

After Chen Mo took his seat, he said, "I just received news that the managers and core members of the four branches within Red Lantern City have all been killed. The same is true for more than a dozen branches outside the city. However, some of the menial workers and assistants have survived. It is clear that Her Majesty only kills those who have practiced the Red Lantern Divine Preservation Technique."

These words put even more pressure on everyone.

Old Tang and Guo Ziyu practiced the Red Lantern Spirit Preservation Method, and they were under great mental pressure.

Chen Mo proactively poured tea for Elder Tang, "Elder Tang, do you know why Her Majesty only eats those who have cultivated the Divine Preservation Technique?"

Old Tang shook his head repeatedly, "I don't know the reason either, I can only make a rough guess. Previously, the goddess was a ghost, who needed to be supported by incense offerings. She also needed to be driven and enslaved. So she spread the method of preserving her spirit, treating us as slaves. In addition, she also used this method to spread her own divine essence, so that she could always know what was happening outside while lying in the coffin. Now that the goddess has turned into a zombie, she no longer needs to be supported by incense offerings. So she tried to collect all the divine essence that had been scattered. That's roughly the reason."

After a moment's thought, Chen Mo found it quite reasonable.

This empress is truly shrewd and far-sighted. From the very beginning... she never treated her subordinates as human beings, but merely as slaves. Her aim was to win over so many people to provide her with a stable environment for growth. Now that the zombies have been successfully transformed, she's reaping the rewards one by one.

This trick has fooled countless people.

Chen Mo was also indignant, but he didn't complain.

When people are weak, they are bullied.

This has always been the case.

Chen Mo recovered his composure and said, "Since that's the case, we can't stay in Honghe County any longer. We must leave this place immediately and head to the prefectural city before the Empress finds us. I've already asked my family to pack our luggage, and we'll meet at the West Gate in a bit. Elder Tang, you shouldn't linger here either; you should all go together. Having more people on the road will be more helpful."

Old Tang looked at Guo Ziyu, who nodded helplessly. "Then let's do as Young Master Mo says and leave this place immediately. Let's go back to the city and discuss this further."

Eh.

Old Master Tang sighed, "That's all we can do. Tongshan, hurry up and pack your things. Tang Qi, you go back to Qingwu County."

The group returned to their respective rooms, quickly packed their belongings, and then went out together, heading straight to the West Gate.

Honghe County is located on the southeastern border of the Great Qian Dynasty, with the Dayin Mountains to the east. The prefectural city is naturally located to the west.

When Chen Mo arrived at the West Gate, he saw a large family.

Besides the parents, more than a dozen guards came along. Also present were Qiulan Haitang, Ma Tie, Juan'er, Lu Chengzhuang, Liu Changchun, and Xiao Jiuzi. Several horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws carrying goods formed a sizable convoy.

Chen Mo, Guo Ziyu, Tang Tongshan, and Tang Lao rode their horses at the front.

Chen Mo waved his hand and said, "Let's go."

……

Wuqiao Town, ancestral hall.

Wuqiao Town does have an ancestral hall, and it's quite grand. It was built by wealthy and influential villagers who spearheaded the donations, with each household contributing a small amount.

People in the countryside place great importance on ancestral halls. When elders die, everyone hopes their memorial tablets can be placed in the hall. During festivals like the Lunar New Year, people gather at the ancestral hall to pay their respects. If a family holds a wedding, they usually visit the ancestral hall to see their ancestors.

However, the ancestral hall was eerie at this moment, with white lanterns hanging on the walls.

An old woman sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves of the ancestral hall, making paper figures.

Inside the ancestral hall stood a thirteen-year-old girl with delicate, fair skin and a baby face, resembling an infant. She wore her hair in a ponytail, a white bell hanging from the elastic band. With each step she took, her ponytail swayed, the bell jingling melodiously.

Squeak!

Before long, the doors of the ancestral hall were pushed open.

A pair of red dancing shoes stepped in first.

The Red Dance Troupe has arrived.

“Mother-in-law…I’ve found out the news.”

The old woman, making paper figures, casually asked, "What's the news?"

Hongwu said, "Everyone in the Red Lantern Temple is dead. The Lesser Master of Fate and the Greater Master of Fate are dead too. The Incense Hall has also suffered... and all the managers and disciples of all the halls under the Red Lantern Banner who have practiced the Red Lantern Divine Preservation Method are dead. Only the servants and helpers are still alive."

The old woman was startled. "Have you seen the coffin of the Red Lantern Ghost in the altar?"

Hongwu nodded in response, "I went to check, the coffin was broken. Grandma, do you think this was done by the Red Lantern Ghost?"

"Who else could it be but the Red Lantern Ghost?"

"But why would that Red Lantern Ghost kill her own people? And specifically target the core disciples who cultivated the Spirit Preservation Technique? These disciples are the Red Lantern Ghost's trusted lackeys. If she kills them, then no one will protect her incense offerings anymore. It's really strange. Our lord stole the Red Lantern Ghost's incense offerings, yet the Red Lantern Ghost doesn't come after us, but instead kills her own people. Could it be that she's afraid of our lord? And is destroying her own Red Lantern to atone for her sins?"

The old woman put down the paper figure, stood up shakily, and bowed towards the ancestral hall: "Sir, this red lantern ghost is behaving strangely. Could it be that it really destroyed its own red lantern to apologize to you?"

The mother-in-law and Hongwu are ghost messengers, and they don't know much.

Jingle bell bell~
A pleasant bell sound came from the living room.

But the bell-ringing girl shook her head. "I don't know the reason either. After all, none of us saw the Red Lantern Ghost kill people. However, the Red Lantern Ghost killed disciples probably to reclaim its scattered divine essence and bring its own divine essence to its best state."

Hongwu said, "So this Red Lantern Ghost seems to be planning to finish the job in one fell swoop and fight you to the death, sir?"

The bell-ringing girl said, "Reclaiming all divine essence can indeed bring you to your strongest state. But it cannot last long. Are there any surviving core lackeys?"

Hongwu said, "Yes. The guy who killed a few of my little devils before should be Chen Mo, the Left Envoy of the Incense Hall. I saw him when I went into the city to check the news today. He is the second young master of the Chen family, and he was preparing to leave with his family."

Jingle bell bell~
The bell-ringed girl shook her head and said in a childlike voice, "That's good then. Since the Red Lantern Ghost intends to reclaim all the scattered spirit essence, it will definitely not let this fiend go. Don't you have a grudge against this fiend? Then go and intercept him. Just intercept him without killing anyone, and buy the Red Lantern Ghost time. The Red Lantern Ghost will definitely find their location and rush over to kill them and take their spirit essence."

Hongwu shrank back, "If the Red Lantern Ghost comes, I'm afraid I won't be a match for him."

whee.

The girl with the bell spoke up, "Don't worry, I'll follow her in the shadows. If the Red Lantern shows up, I'll take care of her."

Hongwu was overjoyed, "Yes. When you deal with the Red Lantern Ghost, I will deal with that fellow."

"can."

……

Meanwhile, Chen Mo led his convoy out of the west gate, onto the main road, and sped westward.

A light drizzle began to fall, and the sky grew dark and gloomy. The road was sparsely populated, but the soil was soaked and muddy, making it difficult for carriages to move quickly.

By dusk, they had only covered forty li (approximately 20 kilometers).

While passing through a desolate area, the wheels of several carriages got stuck in the mud.

Several guards got out of the car and hurried to push it.

Seeing that urging them on was useless, Chen Mo ordered the caravan to stop and rest for a while. He then dismounted, rushed to the mud pit, and pushed the wheels out one by one.

Da da da.

Qiulan trudged through the mud, holding an umbrella to shield Chen Mo from the rain. "Young Master, the rain is getting heavier. It's getting dark, and there's no one around. What should we do?"

Chen Mo pushed out the last wheel, glanced at the gloomy sky, and asked, "Lu Chengzhuang, how far is it to the next town?"

Lu Chengzhuang had escorted his family along this road before, so he was familiar with it. He quickly rushed over and said, "This place is still within the jurisdiction of Honghe County. The next town is called Shuangma Town, which is about fifteen miles away. If we travel in the rain, it will take another hour."

Chen Mo asked, "Are there any inns in Shuangma Town where I can stay?"

"some."

"Then let's continue on our way and settle down in Shuangma Town. Once we're at an inn, everyone will have a hot meal." Chen Mo mounted his horse and led the way.

Hearing that there would be hot food, everyone became excited and hurried on their way.

Guo Ziyu rode over and said, "Once we pass Shuangma Town, we'll be within the boundaries of Honghe County. I doubt that even if the Empress is very powerful, she would extend her influence beyond Honghe County."

Chen Mo immediately understood Guo Ziyu's meaning, "Miss Ziyu, do you mean... we'll leave Shuangma Town tonight and head to the next town to stay?"

Guo Ziyu nodded: "That would be best. I always feel that the Divine Preservation Method is somewhat unstable, which makes me quite uneasy."

Chen Mo then looked at Old Tang not far away, "Old Tang, what do you think?"

Chen Mo was fine despite traveling dozens of miles of mountain road overnight. However, Chen Yinfu and Lin Yulan, exhausted from the journey, looked rather unwell.

Old Tang said, "I have learned the Black God's method of preserving the spirit, which can slightly cover up the Red Lantern's method. But you and Miss cannot do it. To be on the safe side, it would be best to leave the territory of Honghe County tonight before resting."

Chen Mo called Lu Chengzhuang over, "After passing Shuangma Town, how far is the next town?"

"About fifteen li away is Baihe Town. It's a desolate little town with no inns. There are only some shops selling daily necessities."

"Pass down the order: we will settle in Baihe Town."

Chen Mo made up his mind, rode his horse to his parents' carriage, and explained the situation. He also asked Haitang to hand his parents hot water bottles.

A hot water bottle, also known as a "tangpozi," is a copper kettle filled with hot water and sealed. It can be kept inside the body to keep warm. Many elderly people in Honghe County, who are frail, will put a hot water bottle under their blankets to keep warm while sleeping.

Further north, the weather gets even colder, so people start living in heated brick beds.

Customs differ considerably between the North and the South.

By now, it was completely dark, the sky was a hazy gray, and the rain was getting heavier and heavier, obscuring the view.

Only Chen Mo's family convoy remained on the road.

Fortunately, the maids and servants that Chen Yinfu chose to move with were all willing and none of them were troublesome, so no one complained.

They walked about two miles.

Liu Changchun, who had scouted ahead, returned on horseback. "Left Envoy Chen, the mountain path ahead has been collapsed. Boulders are blocking the way. Judging from the size of the collapse, it's quite large..."

"stop!"

Chen Mo stopped the convoy and then led the way, following Liu Changchun to the front to investigate.

It really did collapse.

There was soil, but even more large, jumbled rocks, some of which were taller than a person.

Chen Mo didn't mince words, "This is really bad luck, encountering a landslide on our first outing. Call some of the better guards over to clear the rocks and obstacles. Be quick!"

Soon, some of the stronger guards arrived, rolled up their sleeves, and began moving stones and clearing the road.

Because they were still within the territory of Honghe County, Chen Mo felt uneasy. Seeing that the guards were moving slowly, he dismounted and said, "Go and move the small stones. I'll handle the big ones. Lu Chengzhuang from Tongshan, come and lend a hand. Quickly clear a path."

It took a full half hour to finally clear a road.

Chen Mo led the way and continued on their journey.

After walking only two or three miles, Liu Changchun, who had been scouting ahead, returned to report: "Left Envoy Chen, there has been another landslide ahead. It's even bigger than the last one."

"Another landslide?"

Chen Mo was speechless. What kind of luck was this?

"There's no time to lose, everyone with strength, come and clear the way."

The second landslide was larger, but fortunately, Chen Mo was strong and physically robust. With the help of Guo Ziyu and Elder Tang, they finally cleared a path after more than an hour.

Continue on your way.

Walk three miles.

"Report! Left Envoy Chen, there's another landslide ahead, and this one's even bigger."

Chen Mo rode ahead and saw a large landslide with huge rocks blocking the road.

Chen Mo was about to lose his temper and punched a rock that was three people tall.

boom!
The stone exploded instantly, turning into dust.

"Damn it. Even God is against me. Call some men and clear the way!"

This time, clearing the road took almost two hours. Finally, we passed.

Chen Mo was already feeling a bit tired, so he spurred his horse forward. He glanced around every now and then, feeling that there couldn't possibly be such a coincidence.

"Report! Left Envoy Chen, there's another landslide ahead. It's huge! Like a small mountain..."

Chen Mo: "..."

Chen Mo rode ahead and saw the scale of the landslide, knowing it would likely take at least three hours to clear it. By then, it would be almost dawn.

Chen Mo resisted the urge to dig into the mountain and called on everyone to clear a path, but he himself did not participate. Instead, he examined the nearby mountainside.

Guo Ziyu leaned closer and asked, "What is Young Master Mo looking at?"

Chen Mo pointed to the mountain wall: "Miss Ziyu, look, this mountain wall is mostly made of stone. Such a mountain wall is not easy to collapse. The officials who built the road took this into consideration. How come... we've encountered one landslide after another since we started our journey?"

Guo Ziyu examined the area for a moment. "You mean someone's sabotaging this?"

"It could be something sinister. Miss Ziyu, please stay here and look after my family. I'll sneak out to take a look."

Guo Ziyu said, "With Elder Tang here, nothing will happen to your family. I'll go with you to check."

"it is good."

The two immediately rushed up the mountainside and explored along the mountain path. After walking about six or seven miles, they saw several figures sneaking around and breaking rocks ahead.

Two of them were three-meter-tall, incredibly strong men who kept digging into the mountainside, causing a landslide.

Beside the two incredibly strong men, a woman in red was giving orders to ensure the direction of the excavation and the scale of the landslide.

It's Red Dance!
He Miao had mentioned those two incredibly strong men before. He guessed they were the ones carrying the sedan chair for that Lord Bell.

Guo Ziyu also noticed something amiss, "Could it be the subordinate of Lord Lingdang that Young Master Mo mentioned?"

"It's definitely them."

Chen Mo responded with a word, then flew into a rage and became completely enraged.

"Damn it, no wonder we kept running into landslides, it was these bastards causing all this trouble. I'm going to kill them all!!"

Guo Ziyu suddenly tugged at Chen Mo, "Those few are probably powerful ghosts, not easy to deal with."

"Miss Ziyu, don't stop me! Even if Jesus came tonight, he couldn't save them!"

Clang!

Chen Mo drew the long sword from his back and charged out like a cannonball.

"Die to me!!"

Meanwhile, Hongwu was directing two burly men to dig into the mountain, causing a landslide. She was still engrossed in directing the operation, secretly pleased with herself. Actually, she had initially planned to directly stop Chen Mo, but seeing Old Tang present, she dared not act.

Then they came up with the idea of ​​using the landslide to stop them and wait for the Red Lantern Ghost to come.

Just then, Hongwu felt the earth tremble. When she turned around, she saw Chen Mo charging towards her like a mad leopard.

"Chen Mo..."

Bang!
Chen Mo arrived in front of her in the blink of an eye. Hong Wu raised her hand to block, but was actually knocked dozens of meters away and crashed to the ground, spitting blood.

Boom!

Chen Mo unleashed his full blood energy, raising his broadsword and slashing fiercely.

"What's so fun about a landslide? I'll play with you properly!!"

(End of this chapter)