I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 145 Haunted Clan, Shikon Jewel!!!

"Understood, I will take men to look for her right away. If we find Young Master Mo, we will bring her back."

Tang Mei knew the seriousness of the matter, and after agreeing, she hurriedly walked outside. Just as she reached the gate, she was suddenly stopped by Tang Binghu.

"and many more."

Tang Mei turned around. "Is there anything else the gang leader wants to tell you?"

Tang Binghu said seriously, "I oversimplified this matter. Shen Qianshui and his group have been investigating in the vicinity of Dazexiang. I'm afraid the Shen family also suspects what we know. The Shen family will definitely openly demand Chen Mo from my Tang Family Fortress. Bringing Xiao Mo back would be dangerous for you."

Tang Mei belatedly realized the key point: "I know. When I found Young Master Mo, I took her to hide outside. I'm familiar with the city, so hiding shouldn't be a problem."

Tang Binghu breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Also, this matter should not be publicized. You need to bring a few reliable confidants with you."

"Don't worry, Chief, I know what I'm doing." Tang Mei then took her leave.

After watching Tang Mei leave, Tang Binghu secretly clicked his tongue in amazement, "My disciple is truly too valiant. He actually killed Shen Qianshui... My disciple is only sixteen years old. If he were given a few more years, wouldn't even I have to admit defeat? Hiss..."

Tang Binghu felt a chill run down his spine.

This disciple is truly terrifying.

But soon, Tang Binghu revealed an incredibly bright smile.

Such a formidable figure, isn't he my disciple?
Was it my discerning eye that made me choose this person?

Thinking of this, Tang Binghu felt quite proud.

"I, Tang Binghu, have been suppressed by you, Shen Wudao, for half my life, making me unable to hold my head up in Nanyang Prefecture and causing my Tang family to decline. But so what? What I can't do, my disciple can."

"Hahaha~"

Thinking of this, Tang Binghu suddenly burst into laughter.

I've never felt this comfortable in my entire life.

However, he wasn't overjoyed and immediately realized the seriousness of the situation: Shen Zishan's eldest son and eldest grandson had both died, and although there was no evidence to suggest that Chen Mo was Master Jin Guang, this would undoubtedly put pressure on Tangjiabao. He needed to inform his father in advance so he could make some plans.

After quickly tidying up, Tang Binghu went out, mounted his horse, and headed straight for Tangjiabao.

Upon arriving at Tangjiabao, Tang Binghu went straight to Jingsi Garden, where he saw Tang Xianhe sitting by the pond, scattering bait to feed the fish. A group of large red koi carp in the pond jumped out of the water to snatch the food.

"Father, have you heard about Shen Qianshui's murder?" Tang Binghu asked as he ran over.

Tang Xianhe was in a good mood today, a smile playing on his lips: "Yes, I heard about it. Just now, Shen Zishan brought Shen Baishan to Tangjiabao to put pressure on us, demanding that we hand over Xiao Mo. They said Xiao Mo is some kind of Master Jin Guang. Isn't that nonsense? They're just looking for a reason to attack Tangjiabao, but their reason is far too weak..."

Tang Binghu was taken aback, not expecting Shen Zishan to be so quick. "What did Father say?"

Tang Xianhe was slightly angry: "Nonsense. I asked them to produce solid evidence, but they couldn't." Seeing that my attitude was very firm, Shen Zishan left.

Actually, obtaining evidence is... extremely difficult.

The Golden Light Master wasn't something Chen Mo created himself; it was something his siblings, Shao Qiu and Shao Yun, did. Neither Shao Qiu nor Shao Yun had ever actually seen what the Golden Light Master looked like. Their depictions were based entirely on Zhou Ziliang's memories.

This leads to biases and a lack of logical rigor.

Strictly speaking, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that Chen Mo is Master Jin Guang.

Admittedly, many people witnessed Chen Mo killing the Third Eunuch in Ningdu County, and the Shen family may have brought some pilgrims to identify him. The problem now is that Chen Mo can't be found. Even if they wanted to identify him, there's no way to do so.

"Oh, right, Shen Zishan also brought a few pilgrims from Ningdu County. They said they saw a bald man kill the Third Eunuch and wanted to identify him on the spot. I guess they've gone to the Green Wolf Gang by now..."

Before Tang Xianhe could finish speaking, Tang Binghu interrupted, "Father, that Master Jinguang is Xiao Mo. I have had a lot of contact with Xiao Mo. Although the portrait and Xiao Mo's appearance are different, their spirit should be the same person."

"What?"

Tang Xianhe suddenly stood up, looking at Tang Binghu in disbelief: "Master Jin Guang is Xiao Mo? The one who killed Shen Qianshui... was also Xiao Mo?"

Tang Binghu nodded emphatically, "Yes."

"Oh my god..."

Tang Xianhe was taken aback; his hand holding the bait bag trembled, spilling a considerable amount of bait. The bait fell into the pond, and a large group of koi carp thrashed about, scrambling to grab it.

Tang Binghu said, "But Father, don't worry. A while ago, Xiao Mo asked me to ask you for a Youth Preservation Pill, and then she went into seclusion. Even if Shen Zishan leads his men to the Green Wolf Gang right now, they won't be able to find Xiao Mo."

Tang Xianhe breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Otherwise, you would have to find a place to hide Xiao Mo. Bring Xiao Mo to see me in a couple of days. Such a brilliant and talented prodigy, I want to teach her personally. I still have some time to live."

Tang Binghu was filled with shame: "I don't know where Xiao Mo is..."

Tang Binghu recounted the events of that time in detail.

Tang Xianhe then criticized Tang Binghu, saying, "You're really not a good enough master."

Tang Binghu was quite embarrassed: "Xiao Mo was adamant at the time, and I couldn't force her. I suppose Xiao Mo realized something and didn't want to cause trouble for our Tang Family Fortress."

Tang Xianhe didn't blame him too much, only saying, "This Xiao Mo is quite grateful and righteous, rather good. It's just a pity... now that we're being hunted down by the Shen family, I can't just let Xiao Mo come back to take over the position of young master of the fortress..."

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Xianhe seemed to have made up his mind: "I've already sent the fifth and second sons to report to the Demon Suppression Division in the capital. They won't be back for a while. You go find Xiao Mo yourself. Make sure you find him. Then secretly bring him back to Tang Family Fort. I don't have much time left, and there are some things I need to tell him."

Tang Binghu understood his father's intention and immediately said, "Father, rest assured, I will take care of this matter."

"Go."

After dismissing Tang Binghu, Tang Xianhe lost interest in feeding the fish. He simply threw a handful of bait into the pond and then hurriedly went into his room.

Tang Xianhe changed into a formal black robe and put on a hair crown. Then, he took a bundle of incense and went to the ancestral hall of Tangjiabao.

The ancestral hall was quiet, and the courtyard wall at the entrance was covered with vines and weeds, clearly neglected for a long time, making it look very desolate.

The Tang Family Ancestral Hall is the most central and forbidden area of ​​Tang Family Fortress, and usually only Tang Xianhe can come here. Even Tang Binghu needs Tang Xianhe's guidance to enter.

Squeak.

Tang Xianhe, holding incense sticks and a tinderbox, pushed open the ancestral hall door. Countless spider webs on the door frame snapped, and many spiders fell to the ground. A cloud of dust, carrying a musty smell, blew out from inside the door.

Upon entering the ancestral hall, Tang Xianhe closed the door behind him and walked forward through the dusty courtyard. Each step left a clear footprint, and the roots of the surrounding potted plants broke through their pots, stretching into the ground. A pavilion was covered in ivy. Even the ancient well in the southeast corner was overgrown with thick moss.

Tang Xianhe, however, seemed used to this and simply walked forward with a serious expression.

After passing through the front yard, there is an even larger middle yard.

Compared to the outer courtyard, the middle courtyard was much more desolate. A musty smell permeated the air.

Tang Xianhe crossed the central courtyard and arrived at the ancestral hall at the end.

The door to the hall was closed, and there was an incense table with an incense burner on it placed at the entrance.

Tang Xianhe walked to the incense table, lit three incense sticks with a tinderbox, offered the incense with utmost respect, then knelt on the ground and bowed three times before straightening up. "Heaven blesses Tang Family Fortress. My son, Tang Binghu, has taken in a young prodigy who, at the tender age of sixteen, killed Shen Qianshui, a newcomer to the Bloodstained Realm. Tang Family Fortress, there is hope!"

As Tang Xianhe bowed, a dark figure appeared inside the ancestral hall. It was as if someone was standing behind the gate, watching Tang Xianhe kneeling before it.

Tang Xianhe saw the figure but wasn't surprised. He continued, "I have a crazy idea. Once Chen Mo advances further, I'll let him join my Tang Family Fortress and make him the young master. I'll bestow upon him the surname Tang. If he's willing, he can change his surname; if not, he can continue using the surname Chen. In this way, perhaps my Tang Family Fortress can continue to exist."

A cold voice came from the shadowy figure inside, "It doesn't matter if Shen Qianshui dies in the Shen family, there's still Shen Wudao and Shen Zishan. Shen Zishan is only seventy years old, he still has a long life ahead of him. Without you, what use is it for the Tang family to make Chen Mo the young master of the fortress?"

Tang Xianhe said, “It will be useful. Chen Mo has a ghost bone in his body. This ghost bone comes from the Red Moon Goddess. Chen Mo must have used the power of this ghost bone to kill Shen Qianshui. However, his integration with this ghost bone is not high, and his utilization rate is not high. If we can give him a piece of the Four Soul Jade from my Tang family, his potential will be limitless.”

The dark figure inside said coldly, "You've come to borrow the Shikon Jewel?"

Tang Xianhe said, "I'm just giving you a heads-up. We haven't found Chen Mo yet. If we do, please lend me the Four Souls Jade."

The dark figure inside said, "We'll talk about it later. If you have this much time, why don't you go find the two pieces of the Four Souls Orb from the Zhou and Zhong families?"

Tang Xianhe said, "The disappearance of these two Shikon Jewel pieces is very mysterious. I have visited the residences of both families many times, but all the descendants of both families have died. I really couldn't find any clues. The Shen family has also been thinking about these two Shikon Jewel pieces, but they still haven't found them."

The shadowy figure said, “I don’t know much about the Zhou family. But I do know Zhong Xu of the Zhong family. Zhong Xu was originally from Anya County, a suburb of the prefectural city. He has a house in Liyuan Town, which is under the jurisdiction of Anya County. In his early days, Zhong Xu was an opera singer. Why don’t you go to Liyuan Town to look for him?”

Tang Xianhe was taken aback: "I have never heard of such a secret before."

The dark figure said, "How old are you? You don't even know how old Zhong Xu is. Even the Shen family doesn't know."

……

Anya County has most of its villages and towns located near the Huai River.

The most famous of them is Liyuan Town.

There's no other reason than that Liyuan Town is a hometown of traditional opera. Although it may not be as famous as the birthplace of Peking Opera, it is the birthplace of all kinds of operas in Nanyang Prefecture, and is the most prosperous town in Anya County, rivaling the county seat.

Countless heroes and lords from all over the country would stop in Liyuan Town when passing through Anya County, find a famous opera troupe, listen to a couple of operas, and then continue their journey.

If you don't get to hear a performance of Liyuan Opera, then your trip to Nanyang Prefecture will have been in vain.

There's even a saying among the people: if you haven't been to the opera house to watch a performance, you're not a true Nanyang native.

Of course, this was part of a publicity stunt.

This also demonstrates the great fame of Liyuan Town.

As dusk approached, Liyuan Town was exceptionally bustling, teeming with people. Visitors dressed in theatrical costumes could be seen everywhere on the streets, and the opera troupes on both sides of the street had begun their business, filling the air with the sounds of various opera tunes.

A man dressed in black, wearing a straw hat, carrying an oval-shaped object on his back, wearing several sachets, and covered in perfume powder, attracted the attention of passersby. The smell was so strong that they couldn't stand it and had to give way.

There was a girl in a pink dress who kept following the man in the black hat, skipping along.

"Brother Mo, we've traveled through dozens of towns and villages. Why don't we find an inn to rest?"

The man in black said, "What's the rush? We're here to exorcise evil spirits. Besides, my perfume is too strong and unpleasant to be around. Quickly put up the signboard so as not to ruin business. Also, remember to call me 'Young Master'."

The girl sniffed, then held up a signboard with a flag hanging on it, bearing four large characters: "Exorcise Ghosts and Suppress Evil."

Before long, the two found a busy intersection and squatted down to solicit business.

Actually, it was Chen Mo who squatted down, and Juan'er who was soliciting business.

It has been more than half a month since Chen Mo last killed Shen Qianshui. Chen Mo's appearance has not yet recovered, and he can only rely on perfume to cover up the smell of death. In addition, the Shen family has posted notices about Chen Mo everywhere, offering a reward for his assassination.

Left with no other choice, Chen Mo had to take Juan'er and become wandering ghosts.

Making a living away from home is not easy, and Chen Mo wasn't good at anything else, so he took up the business of exorcising ghosts. Besides earning some money to make ends meet, it was also because killing ghosts could help Chen Mo improve his ghost cultivation, which was the most important thing.

After more than half a month of adaptation, Chen Mo's ghost cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Eighth Incense Stick. His zombie patterns had also reached the Great Perfection of the Eighth Incense Stick. He was just one step away from the Nine Incense Sticks and Nine Patterns.

He has steadily reached the second level of the Dragon Elephant Skill, and is not far from the third level.

Although his cultivation level hadn't improved, Chen Mo's combat abilities had greatly increased. Over the past two weeks, he had traveled to various towns and villages, killing over a dozen ghosts. While they weren't particularly ferocious, absorbing their life essence was still quite effective.

As his cultivation progressed, Chen Mo clearly felt that his spiritual energy was no longer sufficient.

The stiff markings of snake-like corpse demons place an immense burden on both the body and mind.

He can barely hold on now, but if he were to step into the Nine-Striped Corpse Demon realm, Chen Mo feels his mental strength wouldn't be enough. If he couldn't maintain his balance, he might turn into a crazed zombie, or a zombie...

This was something Chen Mo simply couldn't accept.

Chen Mo leaned against the wall, watching the merchants coming and going on the roadside, hoping to make a sale.

But he couldn't have his wish fulfilled.

Juan'er waved her signboard and called out, "Exorcising ghosts and warding off evil! Our young master is a born ghost hunter, capable of protecting the home and bringing good fortune. Prices are negotiable..."

Chen Mo glanced around for a while, finding no business, then took out the token Xiao Ye had given him from his personal pocket and examined it, thinking to himself: The Shen family is powerful now, hunting me down everywhere. Fortunately, Tang Family Fortress is protecting my family. So the Shen family hasn't gone mad and attacked them. But this can't go on forever. Should I take the token to Yun Zhongyue, the Prefectural Commander? Forget it. Whether Yun Zhongyue is reliable or not is another matter, even if he intervenes, the Shen family might not openly attack me, but they can't guard against attacks from behind. I still can't show my face. If I can't stay in Nanyang Prefecture, I'll have to temporarily leave with Juan'er and go to another prefecture to develop my career.

Chen Mo made up his mind: he would wait a few more days and see if there was any news about the Four Souls Jade. If not, he would go to another prefecture to develop his strength.

For the past two weeks, Chen Mo had been trying to find out about the Zhou and Zhong families, but both families had perished eighty or ninety years ago, their descendants seemingly wiped out in an instant. The elders who knew about the matter were all long gone. He hadn't managed to glean any useful information.

Even the original residences of the Zhou and Zhong families in the prefectural city were demolished and rebuilt. They left no trace, as if they had vanished into thin air.

However, Chen Mo knew through the hints from his cheat system that the Shikon Jewel was definitely a top-notch item.

If I could get my hands on the Shikon Jewel, I think I would soon become a Nine-Striped Shiki.

Eight patterns, nine patterns... seemingly a step apart, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

Once he reached the ninth level of the Nine-Patterned Realm, Chen Mo felt he might not be afraid of those four top experts from Nanyang. Of course, the four top experts were backed by powerful families and possessed the Blood Illumination Divine Power. Apart from this Blood Illumination Divine Power, Chen Mo was confident that the Nine-Patterned Corpse Demon was not afraid of them.

The sky gradually darkened.

Juan'er waved her banner and called out to sell her wares, but she didn't attract a single customer. She was getting tired and said, "Young master, these people don't even look at us. Life is just too hard."

Juan'er was originally an innocent and naive girl who had little understanding of life. But in the past two weeks, she has been traveling all over the country with Chen Mo and has really experienced the hardships of life.

Chen Mo put away the token and glanced at the lively chat group. Everyone was busy watching and listening to the play, and no one cared about this mess of exorcising ghosts and suppressing evil spirits.

Chen Mo then said, "Let's pack up and leave."

Juan'er was overjoyed, "Are we going to stay at an inn?"

Chen Mo said, "We're out of money. Why go to an inn? Let's just find a hilltop outside and make do for the night."

Juan'er pouted: "Young Master used to spend money like water, but now he's so strapped for cash. Sigh... this damn life."

Chen Mo: "..."

You, a ghost, are starting to lament about life?
With a wry smile, Chen Mo packed up his stall and was about to leave. Suddenly, a timid young girl approached from ahead. She looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed as a maid, her clothes faded from washing, suggesting a life of poverty. She clutched a few copper coins in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward to ask, "Does your young master know how to exorcise ghosts and ward off evil spirits?"

As Juan'er packed up her shop sign, she said, "Unfortunately, you're too late. We're closing up shop for today..."

Before Juan'er could finish speaking, Chen Mo flicked her on the forehead. "Why are you packing up when you have business to do?"

Juan'er: "..."

Chen Mo tightened his straw hat and said to the maid, "We don't close."

The maidservant held the copper coin, stammering as if hesitating whether to speak.

Chen Mo sized her up and asked, "Has something strange happened at your home, young lady?"

Actually, Chen Mo didn't notice any ghostly aura about the maid.

But it's okay to ask that question.

Just like some charlatans in my past life, whenever someone came to ask for advice, they would say: "Do you keep a dog at home?"
If the other person says they own a dog, you can reply: "That dog has a problem; it's an evil spirit. Just give it away."

If the other party says they don't own a dog, you can reply: "Your house is missing a dog to ward off evil spirits, just buy one."

In the end, it fooled some people with little experience in the ways of the world.

These are all common practices in the martial arts world.

For example, some stock market gurus from a past life might post on their social media tonight, saying that a certain stock will hit its daily limit tomorrow. And sure enough, it does hit its daily limit tomorrow, and countless people will flock to them as masters, paying money to seek their advice, thinking they can make money by following the masters.

Actually... that "master" sent dozens of messages to his friends that night, setting them to be visible only to himself. If any of those stocks actually hit their daily limit up the next day, he would set that message to public.

It's all a scam.

However, this maid was clearly experienced; she glanced at Chen Mo, looking somewhat disbelieving.

Chen Mo glanced at the few worn-out copper coins in the maid's hand and said, "Don't worry, miss, I'm a legitimate businessman. You can take me to your home to take a look. If I can solve the strange occurrences in your home, then you can pay me. If I can't solve them, I won't take a single penny."

really……

Upon hearing Chen Mo's words, the maid realized that Chen Mo was quite something. "Really?"

Chen Mo said, "It's true. Those who ask for money upfront are mostly swindlers. I noticed how cautious you are, young lady, so you must have encountered such swindlers before."

The maid breathed a sigh of relief: "Young master seems to have some skill. Strange things have indeed happened in my house. Please come with me."

Chen Mo, accompanied by Juan'er and a maid, walked through the bustling streets, listening to the opera singing that drifted to his ears. He couldn't help but think of Shen Yujun from back then. That woman was also from Nanyang Prefecture and had learned an exceptionally beautiful opera singing style.

As he walked, Chen Mo became more alert.

The maid's lead led them further and further astray. Finally, they left the heart of the town, where fields stretched out before them, planted with corn, rice, and various vegetables and fruits. The number of houses on both sides noticeably decreased, with only a handful still lit up.

Chen Mo then spoke up, "May I ask, young lady, what has happened to your family?"

The maid hurried along, saying, "My young lady is the head of an opera troupe. A strange thing happened during a performance a while ago..." After listening to the maid's account, Chen Mo finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.

This maid is called Xiao Huan, and she is a maid in the Huangmei Opera troupe. Her mistress is called Zhong Lihong, and she is the head of the Huangmei Opera troupe.

Logically, the leaders of opera troupes are mostly men, since in addition to being skilled in singing, they also need to manage the affairs of the troupe, which men are better at. However, Zhong Lihong is also a heroine among women. She came to Liyuan Town in her early years and formed an opera troupe, and has lived there ever since.

The Huangmei Opera troupe's business wasn't doing well because they lacked connections and were suppressed by other troupes. However, Zhong Lihong's singing was exceptionally beautiful, and coupled with her youth and good looks, she still attracted quite a few male patrons.

About two or three years ago, Huangmei Opera troupes started having one accident after another.

One of the prop guys secretly replaced the prop sword with a real one, and during the performance, he killed the clown on the spot.

Some guys even cut off their own fingers and boiled them in the pot while cooking.

Some guys even sleepwalk in the middle of the night, singing opera while gnawing on their own fingers.

The most outrageous story is that one of the performers suddenly went mad while singing, took a knife and chopped off his own head, splitting it in two and scaring away the guests.

From then on, no one from the Huangmei Opera troupe went there anymore.

Based on Chen Mo's experience, he naturally knew that this was the work of a ghost.

What did your young lady say?

Xiao Huan looked frightened: "Many of the troupe members have left. Miss begged everyone to stay, but only two close friends remained. Most people have left. Miss naturally wants to run the troupe well, but things keep going wrong. We haven't earned much money, and it's hard to make ends meet. Miss asked me to find some wandering Taoist priests to perform rituals, but they were all charlatans. Our troupe is poor and can't afford a real Taoist priest. Today, however, we met you, young master..."

After processing the information, Chen Mo asked, "Is there anything unusual about your young lady?"

Xiao Huan said, "Miss is in tears every day, and her body is getting thinner and thinner, until she is just skin and bones. It breaks my heart to see her like this... Please, young master, help Miss."

Chen Mo kept these details in mind: "Don't worry, this is what I do. Since I'm here, I'll definitely do my best."

"Thank you, young master. The Huangmei Opera troupe is just ahead." Xiao Huan pointed to an abandoned house and then led Chen Mo and Juan'er inside.

Upon entering the house, Chen Mo cautiously observed his surroundings and found that the house was quite large, indicating that it had once been magnificent, but now it had become desolate. However, he did not detect any ghostly aura.

Xiao Huan led the two to a secluded courtyard and offered to make them tea and water. "Young master, please sit here for a moment. I will go and inform the young lady."

Xiao Huan gave a curtsy and then turned to leave.

After Xiao Huan left, Chen Mo lost his appetite for tea. He walked out of the living room into the courtyard and looked around. Not sensing any ghostly energy, Chen Mo leaped onto the roof and gazed in all directions.

I still couldn't detect any ghostly aura.

"That's strange..."

With Chen Mo's current strength, his six senses are extremely sharp, and he can detect even the slightest ghostly aura. Only Juan'er, being his own little ghost, received the enhancement of his modified aura, which is why others couldn't detect it.

"Juan'er, have you noticed anything unusual?"

Juan'er rushed to the rooftop, looked out over the entire mansion, and shook her head: "No, everything is normal. If there really is a ghost here, its power is probably greater than ours. Or there might be other hidden stories behind this, young master, you must be careful."

"understood."

Chen Mo jumped off the ground and returned to the living room. He didn't drink tea, but quietly waited for Xiao Huan to arrive.

……

Xiao Huan left the side courtyard and followed the night all the way until she arrived at a magnificent stage. She went around the stage to the dressing room at the back and saw a woman in a red theatrical costume sitting in front of a dressing mirror doing her makeup.

I also saw a young man with clown makeup tidying up props next to the woman.

Xiao Huan walked up to the woman in red and said, "Miss, I've invited a young master who can exorcise evil spirits."

Before the woman could speak, the clown ghost beside her said, "He's probably a conman who swindled a few more coins from you."

Xiao Huan said, "Brother Guo, please don't tease me. That young master said he would exorcise the evil spirit first and then collect the money. If he couldn't exorcise the evil spirit, he wouldn't need the money."

Upon hearing this, the woman stopped combing her hair in front of the mirror, a look of joy on her face.

Click.

The woman put down the comb, stood up happily, and said with a smile, "This is the first time I've seen someone collect money after the fact. That young master must be quite capable. Please take me to see him."

"Yes, miss, please come with me."

The woman followed Xiao Huan out the door, and after a few steps, she turned back to the clown ghost and said, "Guo Xing, don't bother with these props. Our troupe hasn't opened for business for months. Go kill a chicken and properly entertain that young master tonight."

Guo Xing nodded: "Yes."

The woman followed Xiao Huan out the door, talking incessantly the whole way, constantly asking about the young man's appearance, manner of speaking, and so on. Xiao Huan said that the young man wore a bamboo hat, smelled strongly of perfume, and had a little girl with him.

The woman's gaze dimmed slightly.

Soon, the two arrived at the side courtyard. Chen Mo also met Xiao Huan's mistress, Zhong Lihong.

Dressed in a red theatrical costume, she appeared to be in her early twenties, with a beautiful face and exceptionally thick hair that reached her waist. Perhaps due to years of constant fear, she was extremely thin, practically skin and bones, and her complexion was poor.

Zhong Lihong was quite unpretentious and greeted him politely, "Young master, my name is Zhong Lihong. I am the head of the Huangmei Opera troupe. This place is remote and the conditions are simple. Please forgive my humble appearance."

Chen Mo examined Zhong Lihong and found no ghostly aura about her, so he said, "Miss Zhong, you're too kind. Could you tell me the details, especially the details of the strange events that first occurred? The more detailed the better."

Zhong Lihong sat down beside her, her face haggard, trying hard to recall the past. She murmured, "In the beginning, our Huangmei Opera troupe was doing well, business was booming. Although we were suppressed by other troupes, we still had many customers. All of this changed one night three years ago. A villain infiltrated our troupe and took charge of the props. He replaced the large guandao with a real guandao, and while I was performing, he actually killed someone... Since then, strange things have been happening one after another..."

What happened next was pretty much what Xiao Huan had said before.

Chen Mo's focus was on the source: "The villains? Could you elaborate?"

Zhong Lihong said, “Three years ago, Anya County suffered a famine, and many refugees had nowhere to live. Many refugees also came to our town looking for work. I took pity on one refugee and hired him to work as a handyman in the opera troupe, carrying and cleaning props. I never expected that villain to be so vicious and repay kindness with enmity. Since then, strange things have been happening to our opera troupe frequently. It’s really hard to keep going. Now we can’t even afford to hire a Taoist priest. I beg you, sir, to have pity on me and help me.”

In the end, Zhong Lihong knelt on the ground, pleading with tearful eyes, looking pitiful.

Chen Mo stood up and helped Zhong Lihong up. "Miss Zhong, please don't be like this. I will do my best. May I ask what the villain's name is?"

Zhong Lihong stood up, her eyes blurred with tears. "I still remember the villain's name. It was Zhong Li."

Chen Mo nodded. "Do you have the roster of the opera troupe and records of their monthly stipends?"

Zhong Lihong nodded repeatedly: "Yes. Xiao Huan, go and get all the rosters and ledgers of the opera troupe."

Xiao Huan nodded in agreement and immediately ran out the door. A short while later, she returned with a large pile of books and placed them on the long table: "The registers and account books for the past ten years are all here. Young master can take a good look."

Chen Mo said, "Miss Zhong, please go back first. I will come to find you after I have finished looking at the register and ledger."

"Thank you, young master. I'll have Guo Xing kill a chicken for you, and Xiao Huan will bring it over once it's cooked." Zhong Lihong thanked him and then hurriedly left with Xiao Huan.

In the large living room, only Chen Mo and Juan'er remained.

The night was deep, the moon was shrouded in dark clouds, and a chilly wind blew through the courtyard, causing the gate to shake and creak.

Chen Mo asked Juan'er to put the oil lamp on the long table, and then picked up the registers and ledgers one by one to examine them carefully.

Juan'er held up a lamp beside her and said, "This Zhong Lihong looks normal, she doesn't seem ghostly. But I feel there's something wrong with her, though I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Then think it over carefully, and tell me when you've made up your mind."

Chen Mo said something and then continued to flip through the pages.

He was looking for Zhong Li's name.

Three years ago, the opera troupe had many employees, more than thirty in total. Every month when the monthly allowance was distributed, the ledger would record the corresponding names and the corresponding monthly allowance.

However, Chen Mo searched through the entire ledger but could not find Zhong Li's name.

There was a record in the ledger that some extra iron blocks were purchased at that time.

Snapped.

Chen Mo closed the last page of the book, then suddenly looked up at Juan'er, "You just said that Zhong Lihong was acting strange... Is it because you think her hair is too long?"

Juan'er suddenly realized, "Yes, yes, yes, it's just that her hair is too long. This doesn't make sense. It's common for girls to have long hair, but it's rare to see it this long. And Zhong Lihong's hair is too thick. It's like reeds, not like a woman could grow so much hair."

Chen Mo closed his eyes and recalled. Just now, when he helped Zhong Lihong up, he took the opportunity to check her pulse. Her pulse was clearly very strong, so why was her body so weak?

But she definitely didn't have any ghostly aura.

The name Zhongli is not on the ledger.

strangeness……

Chen Mo secretly released a ghostly figure to follow Zhong Lihong.

Not long after, Xiao Huan brought over a steaming bowl of food. There was a large bowl of braised chicken, which looked exceptionally delicious and smelled very appetizing. Perhaps because Xiao Huan hadn't eaten meat in a long time, she swallowed a few times, looking very eager to eat it.

While Xiao Huan was serving Chen Mo rice, Chen Mo asked, "Xiao Huan, have you seen Zhong Li?"

Xiao Huan said, "I came after Zhong Li, but I've never met him."

Chen Mo asked, "What happened to Zhong Li later?"

Xiao Huan said, "I heard from Miss that he was beaten to death by Guo Xing. Perhaps because of this, Miss keeps saying that Zhong Li's ghost is staying in our opera troupe, and she has developed resentment. She keeps causing trouble and making things difficult for our opera troupe."

Chen Mo then asked, "Who is Guo Xing?"

Xiao Huan said, "Brother Guo is Miss's childhood sweetheart, they grew up together since they were little. When the opera troupe's business was bad, no one wanted to play the clown ghost. It was Brother Guo who stepped on stage and saved our opera troupe from the crisis."

Juan'er asked, "Has your young lady always had such long hair?"

Xiao Huan said, "Yes. Miss takes good care of her hair."

Chen Mo asked, "Could you take me to see Guo Xing?"

Xiao Huan said, "After you finish eating, I'll take you to see Brother Guo."

After saying that, Xiao Huan stood guard beside her.

Chen Mo said, "I'm not hungry. Let's go see Guo Xing first. I have something to ask him."

"Then please come with me, young master."

Chen Mo followed Xiao Huan to another secluded courtyard.

The courtyard gate wasn't closed, and Xiao Huan led the way inside. When they reached the living room door, she smiled and said, "Brother Guo, this is the young master I mentioned earlier. He says he has something to ask you."

Chen Mo didn't think anything of it at first and followed the door to the living room. However, when Chen Mo looked up, he found that the living room was empty.

There was nobody there.

Xiao Huan was talking to thin air.

Juan'er didn't see anyone either, and her face showed surprise.

However, Xiao Huan didn't take it seriously. She went inside, affectionately took the arm of the air, and said with a smile, "Brother Guo, don't be angry. I know it's not good to bother you so late at night, but we finally managed to invite a young master who can exorcise evil spirits. He only needs to ask a few questions, and Brother Guo can answer them."

The next moment, Xiao Huan turned to Chen Mo and said, "Young Master, Brother Guo has agreed. You can ask him anything."

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine, but he still cooperated with Xiao Huan and, under Juan'er's shocked gaze, asked the air, "Brother Guo, have you ever seen Zhongli?"

Brother Guo replied...

However, it wasn't the air that answered, but Xiao Huan... who suddenly spoke in a man's voice, fierce and menacing: "I've seen him. It was that villain Zhong Li who caused trouble for our opera troupe. He made Miss lose her appetite and ruined our opera troupe. Even after I killed Zhong Li, his ghost wouldn't leave us and continued to torment our opera troupe."

The next moment, Xiao Huan's voice returned to that of a woman, and she even seemed to have just realized something: "No wonder I haven't seen Zhong Li before. It turns out I arrived at the opera troupe too late. Young master, is there anything else you want to ask?"

Chen Mo shook his head: "No, that's all. You guys rest here. I'm going back."

"Take care, young master." Xiao Huan gave a curtsy to see him off.

As Chen Mo walked out of the courtyard gate, he could still hear the voices of a man and a woman talking inside.

"Don't call anyone to see me late at night anymore. I don't see outsiders at night."

"Brother Guo, please don't be angry. Xiao Huan won't do it again next time. Don't send me away. Xiao Huan won't be able to make a living outside if she leaves the opera troupe."

"Since you know you were wrong, I will forgive you this time, but this will not happen again."

"Hehe. Brother Guo is the best."

"..."

Hearing these seemingly ordinary words, Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine.

Juan'er shrank her neck: "Brother Mo, what's going on? It's terrifying! Has Xiao Huan gone mad?"

Chen Mo took a deep breath: "In the past, this was called multiple personality disorder. But here... I don't know what it is. I'm afraid this opera troupe has never had a person named Zhongli."

Juan'er said, "Then how did Zhong Li come about? Zhong Lihong spoke with absolute certainty."

Chen Mo said, "Xiao Huan is Guo Xing, and Xiao Huan... is Zhong Li."

"What about Zhong Lihong? We just saw Zhong Lihong."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief. "Could it be that there are multiple human souls in this world? Let's sneak into Zhong Lihong's room and take a look."

Because Chen Mo had previously released the Ghost Shadow Tracker, he knew Zhong Lihong's address. Chen Mo and Juan'er immediately sneaked into Zhong Lihong's residence.

The courtyard was quiet, the room door was closed, and the lights were on inside. Then, two figures appeared.

Ok?
There is another person?

Chen Mo immediately withdrew the ghost image, went to the window, reached out and poked a hole in the window paper to look inside.

In the dimly lit room, Zhong Lihong had become bald, but her hair made out the shape of a human figure hanging upside down from the rafters, forming an inverted human silhouette.

The hairy figure suddenly uttered a sinister voice: "I told you not to invite the Taoist priest to the opera troupe."

Zhong Lihong said, "The opera troupe has encountered trouble. As the troupe leader, it is my duty to come and find someone to cleanse the place of evil spirits."

The dark-haired figure said, "Hehehe, I let you cause trouble before. But this time, a truly skilled guy has come. You're going to get yourself killed."

Zhong Lihong was actually very happy: "Then young master is really skilled, he can help me exorcise evil spirits, hehe."

"Foolish! Don't you know you did all of this yourself? There was no Zhongli, no Guo Xing, you did it all. Heh heh... You forgot... you were the one who replaced the prop knife with a real one..."

Zhong Lihong cried out, "No, it wasn't me, that wasn't me..."

Chen Mo: "..."

what is this?

He immediately switched to the panel to look at the hair.

[A deconstructable object detected?]

[Note: This item is extremely extraordinary; deconstructing it requires 30000 original deconstruction essences.]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

What?
They're even charging for deconstruction now.

It's the first time.

Chen Mo immediately had an idea:

Deconstruct!

An unprecedented pain suddenly swept over Chen Mo's body, making him shudder. It took a while for the pain to subside.

A line of text appeared.

Name: Shikon Jewel

what?
This hair... it's actually the Shikon Jewel?
Before Chen Mo could look down, the dark figure with hair inside immediately turned to look at him, uttering an extremely chilling voice: "Who's outside?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I don't know how to post pictures. I updated 57 words last month. That was incredibly diligent! I'll continue to work hard this month. Please give me a guaranteed monthly vote, thank you!
(End of this chapter)