I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 138 Farewell, Red Lantern Robbery!!!

The Red Lantern Goddess was frightened.

Although it was a skeleton with no facial expression, the skull was clearly trembling.

The Red Lantern Lady was quite old, born in Nanzhou. She had been working in Honghe County for many years and had seen a lot. But she had never witnessed such terrifying methods.

Even though she was a zombie, she was deeply frightened by the sight before her: the waves that stretched across the entire Huai River were sweeping towards her like a tidal wave, and the entire river was shaking, making a terrifying "rumbling" sound.

But... the Red Lantern Lady hadn't collapsed yet; the skull's mouth was opening and closing with a "click-clack" sound.

"I can't die, I still have an unfinished mission, I can't die... I can't die!"

"No, I can die!!"

Suddenly, the skeletal creature was filled with an unprecedented will to survive. It frantically activated all the power of its zombie runes and steered the sampan across the water, rushing towards the huge wave ahead like an arrow released from a bow.

She wanted to sail across the huge wave that cut across the river.

"call out!"

The boat charged fiercely towards the tide, and the next moment, with a loud "boom," it was sent flying by the tide. But the boat didn't capsize, and the Red Lantern Goddess didn't hesitate. She immediately activated the power of her zombie runes, steered the small boat in a different direction, and continued to rush towards the tide.

This time, the Red Lantern Goddess learned from her experience and found a gentler slope. She quickly climbed up with the tide, shouting angrily at the rotten wooden coffin: "What are you still hiding in there for? Come out and help!"

An old man's voice came from inside: "I cannot leave this coffin. Otherwise, I will die."

"If you don't come out and help, you'll die right now!"

"Okay~"

"bump!"

The lid of the rotten wooden coffin suddenly opened, and an old man in black crawled out of the coffin. He immediately activated the power of the zombie runes to strengthen the small boat.

With the blessing of the old man in black, the small boat became even faster, truly like an arrow shot off a bow, rushing against the tide.

This startled Chen Mo, who was watching from a distance.

"How come someone else got out of that coffin? Another zombie?"

Because of the falling water mist everywhere, Chen Mo's vision was intermittent, making it inconvenient to use the panel to analyze the old man.

Even so, Chen Mo roughly judged... that old man was either a zombie or a ghost. Moreover, the aura emanating from the old man seemed to be not much weaker than that of the Red Lantern Lady.

Why didn't that old man make a move before?
If the old man makes a move inside the cave, it will be two against one... and I'll have a very, very difficult time.

I reckon the old man wasn't refusing to help, but rather had some unavoidable difficulties.

Chen Mo stopped the boat and stood at the bow, gazing at the scene ahead. The enormous tidal bore spanning the entire Huai River deeply shocked Chen Mo.

In the half-year he'd been in this world, he considered himself to have seen his fair share of things. For example, he'd encountered the Red Lantern Lady, Lord Bell, Tang Binghu, and many other masters.

But... this Xiaoye is just too outrageous.

This was beyond Chen Mo's current understanding of the power system in this world.

Isn't this world devoid of spiritual energy?

Isn't there no immortal cultivator?

How did this woman manage to do that?
Five ascents?
Is climbing the steps five times really that abnormal?

In a daze, Chen Mo seemed to see another side of this world.

Perhaps there are things that humans don't know that allow them to survive in this world full of demons and evil spirits.

Furthermore, given the abundance of demons and evil spirits in the world, the fact that the Great Qian Dynasty was able to maintain its imperial structure and prevent its collapse demonstrates that the imperial court still possesses considerable strength.

However… although they are both scions of aristocratic families, the one from Nanyang Prefecture is just average. But the scions of aristocratic families from the capital are so abnormally powerful…

Chen Mo pulled himself together and stared at the small boat frantically swimming upstream against the tide. Looking at the Red Lantern Goddess on board, he thought to himself: "If it were an ordinary ghost, seeing such a massive tide, it would probably wet itself in terror and lose all will to resist. This Red Lantern Goddess is quite a formidable character. But I think it's futile. Faced with such a terrifying tide, the Red Lantern Goddess probably can't get past it."

as predicted--

boom!
The Red Lantern Goddess and the old man in black were piloting a small boat when it reached halfway up the tide. Suddenly, they saw a towering column of water shoot out from the tide, knocking the boat away again.

The small boat fell into the water, but perhaps due to the stiff steer, it did not capsize.

"Again! This woman is too terrifying. If she stops us, we're probably doomed. We must break through!" The Red Lantern Goddess shouted things like "I can't die," and together with the old man in black, they steered the boat again and launched a third attack.

With their previous experience paving the way, the two corpses managed to steer their boat to the top of the tide this time.

Upon seeing the vast river ahead of the tide, the two corpses seemed to see a way out, and both smiled.

"Hehe, it looks like we're about to break through, let's run!"

"That woman, though exceptionally strong, was ultimately too arrogant. Using such immense sword energy to sever the Huai River must have been extremely taxing; she won't last long. We've found a way out by focusing on one point..."

Before he could finish speaking, the two corpses were dumbfounded.

Suddenly, the woman's bamboo raft appeared in front of her. She raised her slender hand to smooth her wind-blown hair, then plucked a strand and blew it forward.

"Om~"

A wisp of light, flowing hair grew in the wind and in an instant became a huge ribbon, binding the two corpses tightly. No matter how much the two corpses struggled, it was useless.

The next moment, Xiaoye stepped onto the sampan where the two corpses were.

Wow!

The huge wave that surged ten feet high slowly receded, splashing up countless water droplets.

The river returned to calm, and the waterway was open again.

Xiao Ye glanced at Chen Mo not far away: "Young Master Mo, what are you daydreaming about? Come over and get your Red Lantern Lady."

Chen Mo composed himself, steered the sampan closer, and then jumped onto the Red Lantern Lady's sampan. "I didn't expect Xiao Ye to be so capable. Thank you for helping me stop the Red Lantern Lady. Earlier... I was not attentive enough, please don't take it to heart."

Xiaoye twitched her lips, snorted, and thought to herself: You really don't deserve the words "inadequate care." Because... you didn't even qualify as care.

She said, "Young Master Mo has been very kind to me. Although he was a bit rude, I won't hold it against him."

Chen Mo looked at the woman again, and the more he looked at her, the more pleasing she became. He smiled slightly and said, "Xiao Ye is of noble character and integrity."

Xiao Ye ignored the flattery and asked directly, "Young Master Mo, what are your plans for dealing with these two zombies?"

Chen Mo pondered for a moment.

Logically, Chen Mo should have taken the Red Lantern Lady back to the Green Wolf Gang, but he had other ideas. So he said, "The dock isn't far from here. Let's go get a bigger awning boat and sail it to a secluded place. I have some questions to ask this Red Lantern Lady. What do you think, Xiao Ye?"

Xiaoye teased, "I'm just a maid you hired. You're the young master, so you get to call the shots."

Chen Mo wiped his forehead, thinking to himself that Xiao Ye still remembered those details, which meant she harbored some resentment towards him. It seemed he would have to treat her better from now on.

But he said, "Then it's settled. Let's go to the dock and find a bigger awning boat."

Xiaoye didn't answer.

Soon the two sailed to an empty dock, found a large covered boat, and threw the Red Lantern Goddess and the zombie onto the deck of the covered boat, and also carried the rotten wooden coffin onto it.

The next moment, the two of them steered the awning boat away from the dock and headed in a deserted direction.

After the intense battle, Chen Mo was extremely tired, and the balance of the half-ghost was also broken. Various illusions appeared in his mind, and his body was trembling uncontrollably. So he sat down cross-legged in the awning to recuperate.

……

Meanwhile, Tang Binghu led several leaders of Tangjiabao along the underground river, eventually arriving at the wharf on the banks of the Huai River.

The dock was quiet in the dead of night.

Because the Green Wolf Gang had previously blocked off Dazexiang, the surrounding fishermen, boatmen, and other workers all went home.

"Chief, there are no traces left around. It seems that the Fifth Elder disappeared after chasing the Red Lantern Lady here." Tang Lei searched around but found nothing unusual, so he returned to Tang Binghu to report.

Tang Binghu stood by the river with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind, his deep eyes gazing at the entire river surface, filled with worry.

"Keep searching, expand the search area. They certainly didn't disappear for no reason."

"Yes!" Tang Lei accepted the order and continued to lead his men to search around the wharf, instructing his disciples not to overlook any footprints, fragments of clothing, or any other clues.

Before long, Tang Binghe returned and shook his head at Tang Binghu, "Seventh Brother, we haven't found any clues."

Tang Bingdao and Tang Feifei also came over.

"Seventh brother, we haven't found any trace of them."

"Seventh Brother, I didn't find it either."

With each piece of news that arrived, Tang Binghu's heart sank a little deeper. He became increasingly worried about his disciple.

Seeing that Tang Binghu was in a bad mood, the three leaders didn't say much.

They knew very well that although this seventh brother was of a lower generation, his strength was terrifying. He was the next heir of Tang Family Fort, handpicked by the fort lord, and they still held him in great awe.

Tang Binghu continued to gaze at the Huai River under the night sky, watching the shimmering surface of the water: "There was a huge commotion on the river just now; a battle must have taken place. There must have been some clues left behind. Tang Mei, find me a sampan; I want to go out and check the river."

"Yes."

Tang Meiben reached the dock and found a sampan. Just as Tang Binghu was about to board, he suddenly remembered something and immediately asked, "Who is in charge of this dock?"

Tang Mei called Zhang Kuang over, and Zhang Kuang respectfully replied, "It's managed by the fish market manager. Some of the boats at this dock belong to the manager, who rents them out to fishermen for a living. Others belong to the fishermen themselves. When they return from fishing, they moor their boats at the dock for easy management."

Tang Binghu said, "Go and find the manager and see if there are any missing boats at the dock."

"Yes."

Zhang Kuang quickly found the old manager of the fish market. The old manager went to the dock to count the boats and finally reported back to Tang Binghu: "One of the most expensive awning boats is missing. This boat is for my own use, usually to entertain the young men of the gang who come to inspect, or the officials of the River God Bureau who come to inspect from the court."

Tang Binghu breathed a sigh of relief. "That's settled then. Have all the gang members who know how to swim take their boats out onto the Huai River to search for that awning boat. Even if we have to turn the entire Huai River upside down, we must find that awning boat!"

"Yes!!"

Tang Mei immediately made arrangements. All the gang members who could swim were put into pairs and boarded the boats at the dock. They set off to find the awning boat. Many disciples were still calling out "Fifth Elder".

Tang Binghu then took Tang Mei and Tang Lei onto a sampan, sailed off the dock, and went to the waters where the commotion had occurred to search for them.

Tang Binghu had the highest cultivation level and the most acute senses. When he was leading the search in the underground river, he heard a huge noise coming from the riverbank.

Others might not think that the noise was that loud.

But Tang Binghu had a rough estimate: this was definitely not a commotion that an ordinary expert could cause.

No matter how strong Chen Mo is, he couldn't possibly have such an ability.

Thinking about these things, Tang Binghu became increasingly worried.

Suddenly, Tang Binghu seemed to remember something. "Tang Lei, you said before... that you saw the Red Lantern Goddess sitting on a decaying black coffin in the underground cave? And that the Red Lantern Goddess was carrying that black coffin when she fled?"

Tang Lei said, "Yes."

"Describe the appearance of the coffin in detail."

Tang Lei gave a detailed description.

Tang Binghu immediately realized something was wrong. "Oh no. Come back with me right now."

Tang Mei and Tang Lei didn't know why their leader was so panicked, and they didn't dare to ask any more questions. They followed Tang Binghu back to the shore, and then followed him along the Huai River for six or seven miles until they arrived at a deserted grave by the river.

Tang Binghu squatted down to examine the abandoned grave and was shocked to find that the soil on the grave had been turned over.

Thinking of this, Tang Binghu had a very bad premonition.

"Tang Lei, dig up the grave."

"Yes!"

Tang Lei immediately grabbed a broadsword and used it as a hoe. Although it was less efficient, Tang Lei was incredibly strong. In no time, he had dug the grave completely. It was empty inside, not even a coffin.

Tang Binghu's pupils shrank. "This is terrible. There's probably going to be trouble with that coffin... My disciple might be facing more than just the Red Lantern Goddess zombie."

Tang Lei was shocked: "There's another coffin inside the first one?"

Tang Binghu said in a deep voice, "We can't rule out that possibility. This coffin isn't made of ordinary wood; it's made of wood used for raising corpses... Immediately send more people to search for Chen Mo along the Huai River. I've already lost Xiaopeng; I absolutely cannot let anything happen to my disciple!!"

……

wow~
The covered boat traveled upstream along the Huai River.

Although no one was rowing, it moved on its own with Xiaoye's help, not only at a good speed but also steadily.

The Red Lantern Lady and the old man in black were bound and lying on the deck. No matter how much they struggled, it was useless; they could only let out bursts of unwilling roars. Xiao Ye, annoyed by their noise, used her hair to gag them, silencing them so they could only groan and moan.

call!
Chen Mo sat cross-legged in the awning for more than two hours, and with the suppression of the giant elephant's power, he managed to restore the half-ghost's balance. His body temperature also returned, and his physical depletion was adequately replenished.

I felt my muscles and bones were flexible and my mind was refreshed.

He let out a long sigh and slowly opened his eyes.

Its daybreak.

The morning sun shone on his face, warm and comforting. A gentle breeze from the river, unable to ruffle Chen Mo's hair, blew coolly over his bald head.

Chen Mo touched his bald head, smiled, and then turned to look outside the awning.

The White Bone Red Lantern Goddess and the old man in black were bound to the deck and gagged. In the distance, at the bow of the ship, stood a slender, beautiful figure in a long purple dress. Her back to Chen Mo, her long hair danced wildly in the wind, her robes fluttering. She was playing a flute, producing beautiful and melodious sounds.

In an instant, it seemed as if the whole world had fallen silent.

The mountains on both sides of the river rise and fall in waves, and the cries of monkeys echo through the air. The covered boat sails on the mirror-like water, cutting a ripple in its wake.

Chen Mo's initial irritability and violence were soothed by the scene and the sound of the flute.

He reached out and touched the side.

The knife is gone.

The mirror on my back is still there.

Chen Mo then got up and walked towards the bow of the ship.

Without disturbing Xiaoye's flute playing, he simply sat down on the edge of the boat next to her, one foot on the edge, gazing at the picturesque scenery ahead, and murmured, "The Huai River nourishes people, and the landscape is like a painting. If only we could have a cup of wine and a pot of tea, that would be even better."

Xiao Ye stopped playing the flute and teased, "I never would have guessed that Young Master Mo would also appreciate the beauty of nature."

cough cough cough.

Chen Mo coughed twice: "Look at what you're saying... I'm a human being, after all."

Xiaoye said, "You're almost not human anymore."

Chen Mo: "..."

Does it have to be this venomous?
If I had to say something bluntly...

Chen Mo said, "Evil spirits abound, and demons roam the chaotic world. Just surviving is difficult enough. As long as we survive, who cares if they are human or not?"

Xiao Ye finally turned around and looked at Chen Mo: "Someone like you who doesn't care about his own body will probably end up dying not at the hands of demons, but by playing with his own life."

Chen Mo: "..."

Something's off with Xiaoye tonight.

They are definitely waiting for an opportunity to retaliate.

I admit that I wasn't very kind to you in the past, but there was no need to be like this.

"Xiao Ye, we were able to capture the Red Lantern Lady thanks to your help. Honestly, you're quite something. You clearly have exceptional martial arts skills, why didn't you say so sooner? It caused so many unnecessary misunderstandings between us."

Xiao Ye glared at Chen Mo: "You've never asked me either."

OK OK.

I can't beat you today.

Chen Mo jumped off the edge of the boat and walked up to Xiao Ye. "Speaking of that sword strike of yours, it was unparalleled in its elegance. What kind of swordsmanship was it?"

Xiao Ye finally regained her composure and stopped teasing Chen Mo, but immediately became sarcastic again: "You want to learn?" Chen Mo smiled and said, "This kind of swordsmanship is unheard of, of course I want to learn it. I suppose Xiao Ye is a magnanimous person, would you be willing..."

Before Chen Mo could finish speaking, Xiao Ye interrupted him, "I don't want to."

Chen Mo: "..."

Seeing Chen Mo's embarrassed expression, Xiao Ye suddenly burst out laughing. "Look at your expression... Xiao Ye is naturally magnanimous. It's not that I'm unwilling to teach you. It's just that you're too weak right now and can't learn. If I were to teach you, it would only harm you."

Chen Mo's mood improved somewhat. "Is it the sword technique of the fifth level?"

Xiaoye nodded: "Yes. You need to reach the fifth level of advancement before you can learn it. Moreover, this is a sword technique I created myself."

"Can you have a name?"

"Great River Sword Technique".

"A fine name. May I ask, Xiao Ye, are there many outstanding female warriors like you in the capital?"

Xiaoye shook her head: "Of course not. But there are quite a few weaker than me. The capital is a place where great talents gather. If you can rise to a higher level in the future, you can also come to the capital to show your skills."

Ascending the steps...

This Xiaoye is indeed a master who has reached a high level.

Chen Mo had long awaited this realm, yet had never reached it. He didn't want his long-time maid to be a hidden boss. No wonder he couldn't decipher Xiao Ye's abilities.

This guy is really good at hiding his true intentions.

"Xiaoye, could you tell me about the Five Ascents?"

Xiaoye looked at the bald man in front of her and said, "Of course, but... I'm hungry."

OK OK...

The maidservant turned around and negotiated terms with him.

Chen Mo wasn't one to mince words. He looked around and said, "But this is the middle of nowhere, and there's water everywhere. I can't get you anything to eat. After I deal with the Red Lantern Lady and the others, and we get back to the Green Wolf Gang, I'll ask the best chef in the gang to cook you a sumptuous meal."

Xiao Ye said, "I come from the capital, and I've tasted all sorts of delicacies. Even the best chef in the Green Wolf Gang is just so-so. But the fish in this Huai River are quite good. I wonder if Young Master Mo would be willing to... catch a few fish for me..."

Before she could finish speaking, there was a "plop" sound, and Chen Mo jumped into the Huai River and went diving to catch fish.

Xiaoye quietly watched the bald man swimming and catching fish in the water, a rare smile appearing on her lips.

"This bald guy is interesting."

Although Shao Siming used a portion of Nangong Ye's soul to prolong her life, she was essentially a pawn Nangong Ye had raised. However, Shao Siming died quickly, and due to the long journey, Nangong Ye was unaware of what Shao Siming had done. He only sensed Shao Siming's death through his soul perception.

Therefore, Nangong Ye did not know Chen Mo before coming to Honghe County.

Meanwhile, Chen Mo went into the water, and the river was clear.

There are quite a few fish down there.

A moment later, Chen Mo caught two large carp in each hand, surfaced, and said to Xiao Ye at the bow of the boat, "Do you like these two?"

Chen Mo swore that he was definitely not a sycophant.

It was only for the purpose of climbing the five steps.

Xiao Ye shook her head: "No. The best choice is grouper, which is fresh and delicious. I've heard that the grouper from the Huai River is exceptional. I'm new here and all alone, which is rather pitiful. Would Young Master Mo be willing to satisfy my craving?"

Chen Mo had no choice but to abandon the two large carp and continue diving to catch fish, inwardly grumbling: This guy has too many demands. But for the sake of climbing five steps, I'll tolerate him for a moment.

The grouper in the Huai River is indeed exceptional, but they are not plentiful and are quite difficult to find. This is especially true for Chen Mo, a fishing novice, who was completely clueless. He had no choice but to search underwater for quite some time.

What's even worse is that Saya actually steered the boat even faster.

Chen Mo was slacking off while simultaneously chasing after them.

That bastard is deliberately seeking revenge.

In the end, Heaven did not fail them.

Chen Mo finally managed to touch two large rocky outcrops, and when he surfaced, he found that the awning boat was already two miles away.

That's absolutely outrageous!

Left with no other choice, Chen Mo hurried to catch up and finally managed to climb onto the edge of the boat, his body still soaking wet.

Xiao Ye watched Chen Mo climb up from afar and said, "The current here is swift, and the awning boat moves very fast. Fortunately, Young Master Mo is in good health and managed to catch up."

Chen Mo looked around and found that the water surface was calm.

This little night... has become so bitchy and sassy today.

He said, "It's nothing, I'm fine. It's just a little storm. I'll go cook something for Xiaoye right now."

"Thank you for your trouble, young master."

So bitchy...

Chen Mo muttered something to himself, then went inside the awning and began to fuss over his appearance.

This awning boat is quite valuable, and it is fully equipped with all kinds of daily necessities, including a stove, a pot for boiling soup, and some seasonings. It's perfect for making fish soup.

Chen Mo lit a fire in the stove. The Huai River water was clear and fresh, so he used the water to boil a pot of delicious fish soup. He then brought out bowls, chopsticks, and a ladle, and served a bowl to Xiao Ye. "Quickly try your young master's cooking."

Xiao Ye hummed in agreement, sat down beside the small table, took the fish soup and drank it elegantly, praising it a few times, "The cooking skills are so-so, but the grouper from the Huai River is fresh and delicious. It's the most delicious food I've eaten since I left the capital."

She drank three bowls before Chen Mo sat down opposite her. "I'm glad Xiao Ye likes it. Now let's talk about the Five Ascents."

Xiaoye gently put down the soup bowl and said softly, "Most local aristocratic families have symbiotic bloodlines, which are impure. It is very difficult for them to reach the fifth level of advancement, and the success rate is very low. The purer the symbiotic bloodline, the greater the success rate."

Chen Mo listened attentively: "What exactly is the Fifth Ascent?"

Looking at the lake outside the window, Xiaoye murmured, "The so-called five ascents are the steps to the hall. To put it simply, it means shedding the physical body of the mortal world and getting rid of the mortal world, which means you have ascended to the hall."

Sure enough... it matched the partial information Chen Mo had previously gathered.

"So, the Transcendent Realm is the first stage of entering the next level?"

"Yes. There are four more realms after the Transcendent Realm: Celestial Being, True Spirit, Bright King, and Grandmaster. Together they are called the Five Ascensions. This is a human martial arts system created by the founding emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty based on demons and monsters, combined with the characteristics of the bloodline of aristocratic families."

Chen Mo mentally repeated: Transcendence, Celestial Being, True Spirit, Bright King... Grandmaster.

It certainly doesn't sound that exaggerated.

What is the difference between being detached from worldly affairs and being ordinary?

Xiao Ye asked, "Does Young Master Mo know the origin of zombies?"

"I know, it's said that the zombies took an extra breath and evolved from that breath."

"It seems Young Master Mo knows quite a lot. The principles of the human martial arts system are similar to this. Pure symbiotic blood naturally possesses an innate essence far surpassing that of ordinary beings. By refining this essence and using it to reshape the physical body, one can transcend the mundane. After transcending the mundane, a human can possess power exceeding that of symbiotic blood, capable of fighting zombies and ghosts of the same level. However, this system is vast, and I could talk for three days straight without finishing. Young Master Mo walks the path of ghosts, with a mixed bloodline, and it will likely be difficult for him to transcend the mundane in this lifetime. No matter how much I say, it will be useless. After all, I was born with pure symbiotic blood. Without pure symbiotic blood, no matter how hard one tries, it will be in vain."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo finally gained a general understanding of the principles behind the Transcendent Realm.

However, Xiao Ye seems to be underestimating people a bit, as if she doesn't think she can transcend worldly concerns.

But the next moment, Chen Mo realized that he had misunderstood Xiao Ye.

Xiaoye said, "Even though humans can ascend to higher levels, they are still inferior to ghosts and zombies of the same level. In fact, since Young Master Mo was born into unfavorable circumstances, there is no need to be so fixated on transcending the mortal realm. Walking the path of ghosts is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as one maintains one's true nature and does not fall into the demonic path."

Chen Mo asked, "The path of ghosts? What level of ghost is the Transcendent Realm equivalent to?"

"Experts in the Transcendent Realm are equivalent to Shadow Ghosts and Black Zombies."

"And who are you, Xiaoye?"

"Don't tell you."

"..."

Chen Mo had no choice but to change direction and ask about some details of entering the hall, which Xiao Ye answered one by one.

Finally, Xiaoye took out a book from her personal pocket and handed it to Chen Mo: "This is the Taiping Jing Jingxin Jue that I just wrote while you were meditating in seclusion. If you are ever corrupted by ghosts or disturbed by incense offerings, making it impossible for you to calm your mind, you can practice this Jingxin Jue to restore your peace."

Chen Mo took the booklet and thanked him.

Xiao Ye then took out a black token. "If you encounter any problems in the future, you can take this token to the Nanyang Prefecture Office to find Yun Zhongyue."

Chen Mo was taken aback.

Yunzhongyue... isn't that the foremost of the four peaks of Nanyang Prefecture?
Who is this Xiaoye?
Such a big favor?
Chen Mo thanked him and took the token. "Xiao Ye, are you leaving?"

Xiao Ye slowly stood up: "I won't hide it from you, young master. I came here to find the Red Lantern Goddess, and now I have found her. Just now, while you were sitting cross-legged, I asked the Red Lantern Goddess some questions and learned what I needed to know. Now I must leave."

After saying that, Xiaoye stepped out of the awning, came to the bow of the boat, and gazed at the landscape.

Chen Mo followed Xiao Ye and suddenly felt a little sad.

No wonder Xiaoye was acting all sassy and teasing me all day, and even insisted on going into the water to catch some grouper. Turns out she was leaving.

So, was that fish soup served as a farewell meal?

But Chen Mo wasn't one to mince words, so he joked, "Little Ye, are you holding a grudge against me for not taking good care of you earlier? My behavior was a bit rough. But I do need a maidservant by my side..."

"Hehehe~"

Xiaoye suddenly laughed, "You actually took it seriously after serving as my maid for just a few days."

Having said that, Xiaoye took a step out of the bow of the boat, and with the second step, she stepped on the water and strode forward, covering ten zhang in a single step, making an exceptionally bold sound.

"If Young Master Mo truly reaches the Ascendant Rank in the future, you may come to the capital to find me."

Chen Mo stood at the bow of the boat, watching the departing purple figure. "You should at least leave your real name, otherwise how will I find you?"

"When you arrive in the capital, go to the South Heaven Tower and find a silver-armored man named Chen Kun. Tell him you are from Honghe, and find a maid named Xiao Ye."

Chen Mo said, "The journey through the martial world is long, Miss Xiao Ye, please take good care of yourself."

"I will remember that a bald man went into the water to catch fish for me, and we had a delicious fish soup."

As the crisp sound faded, the beautiful purple figure gradually receded into the distance, disappearing from sight.

The Huai River is as smooth as a mirror, with green mountains on both banks and the sound of monkeys calling.

The morning light splashed like ink, reflecting the woman's shadow as she disappeared into the distance.

Chen Mo stood alone at the bow of the boat, watching the departing figure for a long time, feeling utterly alone amidst the mountains and rivers.

"This Xiaoye is quite interesting. She doesn't seem to be an ordinary scion of a noble family. It's a pity we can't keep her by our side as a maid."

Chen Mo swept away his distracting thoughts, finding the dawn quite beautiful, and sat down cross-legged to look at the token.

"Judging from Xiaoye's words, this token can command Yun Zhongyue, the prefect of Nanyang Prefecture? Let's keep it for now, after all, I don't want to get involved with the imperial court."

Chen Mo put away the token and opened the book to read.

The handwriting is elegant, with over a thousand characters.

The ink wasn't completely dry yet, still retaining its fragrance. Suddenly, a scene flashed into Chen Mo's mind: he had been sitting cross-legged in the awning, while the woman in purple sat gracefully and gently beside the small table, wielding her brush and ink to write down this thousand-plus-character mantra for calming the mind.

That scene was truly heartwarming and picturesque.

"No wonder when I was restless after the incense offerings were cut off, listening to Xiaoye's zither music calmed me down. The core wasn't in the music, but in the calming mantra. This Xiaoye, she had been plotting to get close to me since then, but thankfully she didn't have any bad intentions. She didn't try anything malicious towards me."

But I must say, being with Xiaoye is quite pleasant. There's a rare tranquility there, which perfectly balances my violent and fierce nature. Once I reach the next level, I'll go to the capital and bring Xiaoye here, making her serve me faithfully, providing me with this tranquility at all times.

"Forget it, this idea is not very reliable. Xiaoye seems difficult to deal with."

Chen Mo cleared his mind of distractions and began to cultivate according to the method of the Taiping Jing Jing Xin Jue (a mental cultivation technique).

I spent a long time getting ready, but I couldn't calm down.

Chen Mo opened the control panel.

"Deconstruction!"

After deconstructing the text and understanding the key to the Tranquility Technique, cultivation became much smoother. In less than half an hour, Chen Mo felt a rare sense of tranquility within his body, and he became less violent and fierce.

"This is truly a wonderful thing. With this Tranquility Mantra, even if the incense offerings cease, I can still calm my mind and concentrate on my cultivation. I remember Tang Ziyu mentioning that the Red Lantern Goddess's method of preserving her spirit was based on the Taoist Taiping Jing. Now, this Tranquility Mantra also originates from the Taiping Jing. It seems that the Taoist Taiping Jing must contain something of substance. If only I could obtain the complete Taiping Jing to study later."

Chen Mo practiced for a while longer, making sure he had firmly grasped the essence of the Tranquility Technique, with calm energy flowing through his body and his mind at peace. Only then did he stop practicing and walk up to the Red Lantern Goddess and the old man in black.

The two zombies were tightly bound, and the zombie patterns on their bodies were also restrained by some force, making them look very weak at the moment.

Chen Mo thought to himself that Xiao Ye was thoughtful, and then pulled the hair out of the Red Lantern Lady's mouth.

"Let me go, I can't die!! I don't want your ghost bones, I don't want your spirit anymore. Please let me go."

Faced with the Red Lantern Goddess's pleading, Chen Mo remained unmoved and sat down beside her. "No rush, let's have a good talk. You recognized the blood curse in my body earlier, saying it was your master's Other Shore Flower Curse. What does that mean?"

The Red Lantern Goddess, now reduced to bones, shook her head frantically: "I can't say, I can't say... Ah!"

Before the Red Lantern Lady could finish speaking, Chen Mo slammed her head onto the deck. "If you don't talk, I'll send you on your way. If you tell me everything, I might consider letting you go."

Desperate, the Red Lantern Lady asked with a mixture of belief and doubt, "Really?"

Chen Mo said coldly, "Do you still have a choice now?"

The Red Lantern Lady considered for a moment and roughly understood her situation. Although she didn't believe Chen Mo would let her go, she really couldn't die. Besides... when people are facing death, they tend to magnify that unlikely hope of survival, and their minds become clouded.

The same goes for zombies.

"Still won't talk? Then I'll smash every bone in your body, one by one!!" Chen Mo tried to break off the bone in the other person's left wrist to smash it, but found that the bone was extremely hard and he couldn't break it off.

boom!
The giant elephant roared.

With a burst of power, the giant elephant tore the bones from the Red Lantern Lady's left wrist, then crushed them to pieces with a "crack." Bone fragments were scattered all over the ground.

Chen Mo said fiercely, "See? I mean what I say."

The Red Lantern Lady finally got scared and said, "I'll tell you everything."

Chen Mo then stopped. "Tell me. What is the Curse of the Other Shore Flower?"

The Red Lantern Goddess explained in detail, "The red spider lily is a mysterious and wondrous flower that grows between the realms of life and death."

Chen Mo said, "I know, the red spider lily also symbolizes love."

The Red Lantern Goddess continued, "The red spider lily grows on the road to the underworld, the only passage to the netherworld. Whenever someone dies, their soul travels along this road to the underworld. The fragrance of the red spider lily can guide the deceased to find the right path, pass through the gates of the underworld, and be reborn or enter heaven."

My master was murdered by a ghost in the Great Yin Mountain. But she deeply loved her husband and was unwilling to accept her fate, to be separated from him forever. So, with a lifetime of resentment, she planted a curse on the spider lilies along the road to the underworld. My master hoped that this curse would sever her path to the underworld and allow her to return to the human world.

Chen Mo was slightly moved. He recalled the myth of the red spider lily: Legend has it that the red spider lily is the incarnation of two immortals—Manju and Shahua. They were separated for violating heavenly rules and cursed never to meet again. However, they still deeply loved each other and transformed into the red spider lily to express their longing and love for one another.

But the owner of this Red Lantern Lady was clearly even more ruthless.

For the sake of love, they've become utterly perverse; their humanity is twisted.

"Your master is quite the romantic. Go on."

The Red Lantern Goddess continued, "In order to prevent him from entering the Yellow Springs, my master planted the curse of the Other Shore Flower, severing the road to the Yellow Springs. Afterwards, my master began to devise other plans, all for the purpose of allowing him to walk out of the Yellow Springs and return to the mortal world."

Chen Mo's heart tightened, and he asked, "What plan?"

The Red Lantern Goddess said, “My master has already descended to the Yellow Springs. Simply using the Other Shore Flower Spell to sever that path isn't enough. She also needs someone who can use the Other Shore Flower Spell to guide her back to the human world. For this purpose, I have set up many evil gods, giving them a red lantern. I have gradually strengthened them so that they can eventually use the Other Shore Flower Spell to guide my master. But that's not enough either. My master has also planted the flower spell on pieces of ghost bones, nurturing ghost infants. All this is to find someone who can use the Other Shore Flower Spell. My mission is to find someone who can use the Other Shore Flower Spell.”

what?
Did the Red Lantern Lady's master plant the Red Spider Lily curse on pieces of ghost bones to cultivate ghost infants? Was it all to select those capable of using blood curses?
What is Jiang Xiaoti?
Then what about the ghost bones on my body?
So what am I?
Is she one of the people selected by the Red Lantern Goddess?
Just as Chen Mo was stunned, the Red Lantern Goddess continued, "The reason I was able to become a zombie is because my master gave me a red lantern. There was a breath in that red lantern, and after I inhaled that breath and was nurtured for forty years, I turned into a zombie. Because my master was very disappointed in me, he needed me to become a zombie. Actually, everyone calls me the Red Lantern Goddess, but my master is the source of the red lantern."

Chen Mo's heart suddenly raced, and his pupils contracted.

He remembered Tang Binghu saying that the reason a zombie could become a zombie was because it took an extra breath. But Tang Binghu didn't know where that breath came from.

At that time, Chen Mo was very curious about where the breath that the Red Lantern Goddess took came from.
It turns out it came from... her master.

Red light, one breath, and you'll turn into a zombie.

Is the owner of the Red Lantern Lady such a pervert?
After composing himself, Chen Mo asked, "Who is your master?"

The Red Lantern Lady said, "Jiang Hongyue! Moreover, you have now used the power of the Blood Curse, and your master must have sensed it... Your master will return to the mortal realm to find you!"

(End of this chapter)