I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 156 Breakthrough in Dreamwalking, Transforming from a Flood Dragon to a Dragon!
After leaving the main hall, Tang Wan returned to the left-hand wing but still couldn't sleep. She lit an oil lamp, tidied up, and then went to the kitchen, lit the stove, and started kneading dough to prepare breakfast for Chen Mo.

As dawn approached, Tang Wan dared not waste any time and didn't bother to rest. She only wanted the young master to have a hot breakfast as soon as he woke up.

Tang Wan's talent was average, and her bloodline purity was very low, so she was never valued in Tang Family Fort. She also had few opportunities to come into contact with leaders, and always did odd jobs that were half apprenticeship and half menial tasks.

This was the first time Tang Wan had ever been assigned by Tang Feifei to serve the young master.

Therefore, Tang Wan served with utmost care, afraid that she might not do something right and displease the young master.

Of course, she didn't know that the reason she had this opportunity was because Tang Xianhe had sent all the promising members of the Tang family to the Green Wolf Gang.

Tang Wan didn't think too much about it; she just focused on doing the task at hand well.

"I wonder if the young master can stomach my steamed buns and noodles..."

Tang Wan felt extremely uneasy as she thought this.

suddenly--

"what!!"

Tang Wan heard a scream coming from the main room. She abruptly stopped what she was doing, hurriedly ran out of the kitchen, and looked towards the main hall from afar.

She wanted to knock on the door to ask if something had happened to the young master, but she was afraid of mishearing and disturbing him. To be on the safe side, Tang Wan pricked up her ears, intending to listen a little longer.

If the screams continue, then something is wrong with the young master of the fortress.

Not long after, Tang Wan heard a series of noises coming from the room. It sounded like something heavy had fallen to the ground.

Tang Wan tiptoed to the front door of the main house and was about to knock.

"what!!"

An even more piercing scream came from the room.

Hearing the scream, Tang Wan trembled all over, instinctively feeling a chill, and took a step back.

next moment--

Squeak.

The door opened.

Chen Mo emerged from inside, his face deathly pale, his body radiating a lifeless aura, his eyes closed, walking out in a daze. He didn't even glance at Tang Wan as he passed by, simply walking away.

Tang Wan covered her mouth in surprise, thinking to herself: Is the young master... sleepwalking?

It's said that sleepwalkers shouldn't be interrupted, or they'll lose their soul. Tang Wan didn't dare to interrupt and followed Chen Mo out the door.

It was just dawn, and Tangjiabao, which was already sparsely populated, was now even quieter. Tang Wan wanted to inform Tang Feifei, but Chen Mo was walking quite fast. Tang Wan didn't have time to deliver the message, so she followed Chen Mo.

She followed very gently.

Chen Mo walked around in a daze, his hands and feet exhibiting a strange mechanical quality, like... a corpse?
Every now and then, Chen Mo would stiffly twist his arm, making a "creaking" sound as if his bones were dislocating.

This frightened Tang Wan.

But he gritted his teeth and followed closely.

She remembered what Tang Feifei had told her, and dared not let anything happen to the young master. Otherwise, she would have no way to explain herself.

After passing through layers of corridors, we arrived at the back gate of Tangjiabao.

Tang Wan saw Chen Mo linger behind the gate for a moment, and thought he would try to open the bolt with his hand, but unexpectedly... Chen Mo lowered his head, bit the bolt and broke it, and then walked out.

Tang Wan leaned closer to look at the door latch, which had been chewed to pieces.

hiss.

Tang Wan took a deep breath and quickly followed. Seeing Chen Mo leave Tangjiabao, she ran all the way out of the prefectural city and finally arrived at the Huai River. She squatted down by the river and drank water in big gulps.

Having drunk their fill of water, a large number of snakes appeared in the Huai River, poking their heads out and surrounding Chen Mo...

Tang Wan, who was watching all this from a short distance away, couldn't help but cover her mouth, her face full of horror.

……

hiss!
Chen Mo felt that he could feel his hands and feet again.

I felt like something had wrecked my body, my bones felt like they were falling apart, my mental state was extremely weak, and I felt incredibly tired.

It’s so cold!

A bone-chilling cold swept over us.

Chen Mo instinctively reached out to pull the quilt aside, but touched something cold.

Slippery~
what?
Chen Mo suddenly opened his eyes, and then he was completely stunned.

"how come……"

"Where am I?"

brush!
Ignoring his exhaustion, Chen Mo immediately sat up and was shocked to find himself sitting on a rock, with a large amount of river water crashing against it, splashing water and wetting his clothes.

A large group of snakes surrounded the reef.

They dared not approach me, but instead lay prostrate around me, showing me a very respectful expression.

So, what I just touched was a snake?

"Damn it, who dragged me to the riverbank?"

Chen Mo dragged his tired body to his feet, feeling extremely angry.

Looking around, I found no one. The location of the river was also unfamiliar, but judging from the upstream and downstream areas... I roughly guessed it was the Huai River.

Nobody brought me to the riverbank?
That is how the matter?

Wasn't I sleeping in the villa in Tangjiabao...?

hiss!
A splitting headache made Chen Mo instinctively clutch his head. As the pain subsided, Chen Mo finally remembered what had happened before he lost consciousness.

The flow of qi and blood reversed, disrupting the balance between the half-human, half-corpse ghost, and blurring the natal ghost incense and the zombie pattern.

Finally, he collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

In the moments before losing consciousness, I vaguely saw a terrifying vision: an enormous red serpent, seemingly spanning mountains and seas, was reviving somewhere.

Chen Mo knew nothing about what happened after that.

Chen Mo quickly touched his face, hands, and feet, thinking to himself: Thankfully, my appearance hasn't changed at all.

Chen Mo poked his head out again and found a calm little puddle to look at his reflection. The two fleshy tufts on his forehead had disappeared, and his snake teeth and nails had returned to normal.

No particularly terrible changes have occurred.

Even so, the hallucinations that appeared in his consciousness before he fell into a coma still fill Chen Mo with an indescribable sense of horror when he thinks about them.

"Let me see if my skills are still up to par."

Chen Mo's biggest worry was his own cultivation level.

After all, this cultivation was the foundation for Chen Mo to survive and protect himself in this chaotic world of demons and monsters. If something went wrong with it, all the efforts he had made over the past period would be in vain.

Chen Mo immediately sat down cross-legged on the reef and sensed the changes within his body.

The natal incense burner in my sea of ​​consciousness is still there.

A silver incense burner, a silver aura.

With a slight exertion of his internal energy, the surging power of the ghostly creatures and the power of the stiff patterns flowed smoothly throughout his body. Nothing unexpected happened.

This relieved Chen Mo.

"Huh? My ghoul power seems to have increased quite a bit compared to before?"

Chen Mo immediately focused on examining his natal ghost incense.

To their astonishment, they discovered that their natal ghost incense, which had initially only reached one-tenth of its progress, had grown considerably, reaching halfway through. The corresponding silver zombie patterns had also become much clearer and more complete, indicating that it was also probably more than halfway through its progress.

"This……"

Chen Mo was shocked.

He knew very well that once one's cultivation reached the Shadow Ghost level, advancing by even one incense stick's worth of power was extremely difficult, taking more than ten years to achieve. Yet Chen Mo had advanced by almost half an incense stick's worth of power in just one night.

That's really outrageous.

After circulating his internal energy and mastering the new, powerful ghostly force, Chen Mo stopped. He carefully examined the rest of his body and found no other discomfort.

However, the Tang family's symbiotic blood within him was degenerating, while the bloodline brought by the Zhong family's Four Souls Jade was becoming even more concentrated.

"Hmm? The symbiotic blood in my body is also degenerating? It's exactly the same as Tang Xianhe's situation. But the bloodline that the Zhong family needs to enhance is getting stronger... It's quite strange."

Chen Mo patted his buttocks, dismissed the group of crawling snakes, then jumped off the reef and walked towards the shore.

"I need to figure out what this 'companion blood' thing is, and also how I got to this place by the Huai River..."

"Especially the illusion I saw... was it really Jiang Hongyue's true form?"

Chen Mo shook his groggy head and quickly reached the shore, where he could vaguely see movement behind a large tree not far away.

"Who?"

Chen Mo immediately rushed over and smashed the tree into dust with a single punch. Sure enough, he saw a figure huddled behind the tree, trembling. Chen Mo immediately made a grabbing motion and reached out to grab the person's neck.

With Chen Mo's current strength, even pinching a piece of iron would instantly turn it into powder, let alone a person's neck.

Just as Chen Mo was about to strangle the person, he saw that it was Tang Wan, and immediately stopped. "Wan'er, what are you doing here?"

Tang Wan huddled on the tree root, hugging her knees, terrified, her legs trembling.

Chen Mo said, "Wan'er, don't be afraid, it's me. I thought you were an enemy just now, did I scare you?"

As he spoke, Chen Mo reached out to help Tang Wan up, trying his best to show a kind smile that Chen Mo thought was benevolent, but in reality he still looked quite fierce.

Fortunately, Tang Wan came from a prominent family and was much bolder than ordinary people. After Chen Mo comforted her, she gradually calmed down.

Chen Mo spoke up, "What are you doing hiding here?"

Tang Wan then recounted in detail the incident of Chen Mo's sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking?

Am I sleepwalking?
This has never happened before.

Although Chen Mo, who had lived two lives, knew that sleepwalking wasn't anything particularly frightening, the fact that he had sleepwalked all the way from Tangjiabao to here... was a distance of over a hundred miles.

Is sleepwalking really that common?

Very scary.

This was a serious matter, so Chen Mo asked again, "Did I sleepwalk to the banks of the Huai River?"

Tang Wan said timidly, "Yes, I came here with the young master. I thought that sleepwalkers shouldn't be woken up, otherwise they would lose their souls."

Chen Mo realized something and asked, "After I sleepwalked to the banks of the Huai River... what did I do?"

Tang Wan became even more frightened, trembling a few times before saying, "When we arrived at the Huai River, the young master lay down on the bank, gulping down the water. Then many large snakes emerged from the water. These snakes were afraid of the young master and knelt down beside him. Then the snakes' essence flowed into the young master's body. The young master... consumed the essence of countless snakes. Those snakes, whose essence had been drained, turned into dried-up spicy strips and fell into the river, where they were swept away."

Not to mention Tang Wan, even Chen Mo was startled.

Did I absorb the essence of countless giant snakes?

No wonder his cultivation level has increased so much.

So it was because it absorbed the life essence of the giant serpent?
Tang Wan gestured with her hands a few more times, "There were many large snakes. The largest was seven or eight zhang long. At that time, a large number of large snakes from the upper and lower reaches of the Huai River rushed over to feed the young master their life essence. Wan'er was terrified when she saw it."

Let alone you, I'm scared too...

"Besides that, what else could I have done?"

Tang Wan said, "After consuming the giant snake's essence, the young master stood on the banks of the Huai River and called out to the distant mountains, making strange noises that I couldn't understand. Then, the young master collapsed onto the rocks, exhausted. Many snakes protected the young master, preventing anything else from getting close. Wan'er didn't dare to approach either."

"Any more?"

"Nothing."

call!
Chen Mo breathed a long sigh of relief.

It was bad enough that it absorbed the life essence of the giant serpent, but it also made strange, incomprehensible noises as it called out to the distant mountains…

Chen Mo felt extremely uneasy.

He vaguely realized that this was probably not just sleepwalking, but that something was controlling and influencing him. He was already incredibly lucky to have regained his senses.

"Thank you for your hard work, Wan'er. Let's talk about it when we get back."

Chen Mo patted Tang Wan's head, which comforted her. She then stood up and followed Chen Mo back.

"Young Master, do you still feel anything unusual?"

"No. Actually, I've had sleepwalking since I was a child, but this time it was more severe. Wan'er, don't be afraid."

Upon hearing this, Tang Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt much more relaxed.

"By the way, Wan'er, don't tell anyone about my sleepwalking. Otherwise, Master will worry about me."

"Wan'er understands, Wan'er won't tell."

Chen Mo saw Tang Wan's confident demeanor and thought she was simple, earnest, and a little naive. He didn't think much of it.

If it's someone with a vicious and gloomy mind.

Then... we can't keep him.

"This time, Wan'er didn't disturb my sleepwalking and even chased after me all the way. I think Wan'er is a truly devoted servant. From now on, you will stay by my side and serve me. I will not mistreat you."

Upon hearing this, Tang Wan was overjoyed and quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your high regard, Young Master. Wan'er will definitely serve you well."

Chen Mo led Tang Wan all the way back to Tang Family Fortress and back to the side courtyard.

While Tang Wan prepared the meal in the kitchen, Chen Mo stayed alone in the living room, closing the front door. He unwrapped the burlap sack, took out a mirror wrapped inside, and placed it on the table.

Then he lit three incense sticks for the mirror.

Chen Mo called out to Su Yuqing several times, and the image in the mirror immediately changed, showing the appearance of the bridal chamber. Su Yuqing, with a red veil covering her face, was still sitting in front of the dressing table doing her makeup.

"I have something to ask you..." Chen Mo didn't mince words and directly explained the sleepwalking and the degeneration of his symbiotic blood, finally asking, "Do you know why this is?"

Since she is Jiang Hongyue's adopted daughter, Chen Mo still needs to ask her.

Upon hearing Chen Mo's words, Su Yuqing lost all interest in dressing up and instead walked behind the mirror, staring intently at Chen Mo. "Are you saying that your Tang Family Fort bloodline is degenerating, while the Zhong Family Bloodline is improving?"

"Yes."

Su Yuqing pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is probably related to the Shikon Jewel. If you want to understand what happened, it would be best to gather all four Shikon Jewels and carefully examine the patterns on them. It would be best to make use of them all. Then you will naturally know the reason behind it and what my second aunt is trying to do."

Thinking of this, Chen Mo took the brocade box, opened it, and took out the Shikon Jewel fragments inside.

Boa constrictor.

Used it?

However, a sufficient amount of original solution essence is needed for it to be reliable.

Using it directly is too risky, and the effect will be greatly reduced.

Chen Mo said, "Just now, before I sleepwalked, when I was still conscious, I saw a vision: an enormous red serpent, seemingly spanning mountains and seas, was reviving somewhere. Do you know what this means?"

Su Yuqing shook her head: "I don't know. Illusions can be figments of your imagination. One instance of sleepwalking doesn't prove anything. Only if you experience the same illusion and sleepwalking a second time can it explain something."

After thinking about it carefully, Chen Mo agreed.

Chen Mo put away the mirror and wrapped it up carefully. Then he examined the Shikon Jewel closely, pondering: "This time, I absorbed the life essence of so many giant serpents in my sleepwalking, and I've actually gained half an incense stick's worth of cultivation. It's clear the amount of essence I absorbed was enormous. There were also serpents seven or eight zhang long; these serpents were no ordinary serpents, but mutated ones. Who knows, they might even contain the essence of the original solution?"

With this in mind, Chen Mo opened the control panel.

A shocking discovery...

[Currently available original solution essence: 20000]

What?
I sleepwalked for a bit, and not only did I gain half an incense stick's worth of cultivation, but I also unexpectedly gained 20000 points of original essence.
Thinking about it this way, sleepwalking isn't such a bad thing after all.

On the contrary, it's the best thing?
Do you want me to sleepwalk again?
Chen Mo felt that since a problem had arisen, it was necessary to accept it. Rejection... seemed pointless?
With this in mind, Chen Mo began to have an idea.

A short while later, Tang Wan came to knock on the door with food in her hands.

Chen Mo opened the door and asked Tang Wan to bring in the food.

Tang Wan was quite good at serving people. She took the initiative to serve Chen Mo rice, and then stood upright to the side, waiting for Chen Mo's instructions.

Chen Mo waved his hand: "Wan'er, sit down and eat with us."

Tang Wan panicked: "Wan'er dares not."

Chen Mo said, "From now on, you will be my personal maid. If I tell you to sit, then sit."

Tang Wan dared not disobey Chen Mo's wishes, so she sat down to eat very reservedly. She didn't dare touch any food with her chopsticks, focusing only on eating her rice. Chen Mo found this amusing and proactively put some food on Tang Wan's plate, saying, "Why are you so reserved?"

Tang Wan thanked her, feeling deeply moved.

She lost her parents at a young age and was always ostracized. No one had ever cared for her like this before, so she remembered every little kindness Chen Mo showed her.

After a quick meal, Tang Wan cleared away the dishes and then came back to make tea for Chen Mo.

Chen Mo said, "Wan'er, pack your things in a bit. Then we'll go stay outside for a few days."

Tang Wan was taken aback. "Conditions outside are harsh, far less convenient than at home. Is Young Master out on business?"

Chen Mo said, "I was sleepwalking just now, and actually, this sleepwalking helped me improve my skills quite a bit. I plan to take you to stay by the Huai River for a few days to see if I will sleepwalk again."

Although Tang Wan was a little scared about Chen Mo's sleepwalking, she agreed because she remembered how good Chen Mo had been to her. "Then I'll go and prepare more daily necessities and utensils so that I can make some good food for the young master when I'm out. I want the young master to eat and sleep well."

"Alright. I'll go and inform Master."

Chen Mo carried the mirror and brocade box out the door and found his master and Tang Feifei in a nearby courtyard, where the two were having lunch.

"Xiao Mo, you've come at the perfect time. I was just saying I was going to visit you, but I was afraid of bothering you. Please sit down and eat."

Chen Mo sat down, took a couple of bites, and said, "Master, this is the third-grade tea. Tang Wan has been serving me quite well, and I plan to have her follow me from now on. Although she lacks talent, she has a good character. With a little training, she might achieve something great."

Tang Binghu laughed and said, "I thought it was a big deal. You can decide this yourself. I was just talking to Third Sister about how we could just pass the position of fortress lord to you as well."

Chen Mo was shocked: "This...this won't do."

Tang Binghu said, “What’s wrong with that? The position of Tang Family Fortress Master should ultimately be held by someone with ability. Although you are not surnamed Tang, you have the blood of Tang Family Fortress in your veins. We have never treated you as an outsider. Now that I am in the position of fortress master, I have become a stumbling block to Tang Family Fortress. After a while, when things have settled down on all sides, I will find an auspicious day to give you the position.”

Chen Mo wasn't too surprised by this.

Tang Binghu has always been a man of vision and composure. He is not the kind of person who follows the old ways.

Tang Feifei then said, "Seventh Brother and Father have praised you highly. I was a bit too headstrong before and said some things that were impolite. Please don't take it to heart, Young Master Mo. From now on, Tang Family Fort will still need Young Master Mo's help to manage it."

Chen Mo didn't mince words. "Then let's wait a while and talk about it. I plan to go out for a couple of days. I'll discuss it with the Yunfu Division after they send word. If anything happens, Master can come find me by the Huai River."

Tang Binghu was already used to his apprentice Chen Mo's restless nature and said with a smile, "I know you young people can't stay still and like to make trouble. Go ahead."

Chen Mo then asked his master for two more pills to boost his cultivation and a copy of the Tang Family Fort's bloodline outline before hurriedly leaving.

When he returned to his courtyard, he found Tang Wan already carrying a large bag of luggage, even a pot. She stood there sheepishly, a smile on her face: "Young Master, I'm all ready. When shall we depart?"

Chen Mo handed the booklet and pills to Tang Wan, saying, "I got these from my master. Two True Essence Pills can help boost your True Qi. There's also the Tang family's bloodline outline and related cultivation manuals. Take them all."

Tang Wan was extremely shocked, never expecting that such an important figure as Chen Mo would remember her small matter. Her eyes reddened when she took it from him.

"Set off."

When the two arrived at the gate of Tangjiabao, they saw a familiar face.

Shaoqiu.

Shao Qiu was still dressed in a white dress, a long sword slung over her back, and was talking to a disciple from Tang Family Fortress. She was probably having the disciple announce her arrival. Unexpectedly, Chen Mo walked out.

"master!"

Shaoqiu rushed up excitedly, "I was just about to send someone to inform the master, but the master came out unexpectedly."

Chen Mo was delighted to see an old friend: "Is everything prepared for the ancestral hall?"

Shaoqiu said, "Everything is ready. I'll take Master to see it; it's not too far."

Chen Mo thought for a moment, realizing that sleepwalking wasn't something that could just happen on a whim, and agreed. He took Tang Wan and followed Shao Qiu for quite a while. Finally, they stopped at the entrance of a villa next to Cuiwei Residence.

Chen Mo looked at the abandoned Cuiwei Residence and felt a pang of emotion.

He vaguely remembered that when he and Xiaoye escaped into the prefectural city, they stayed at Cuiwei Residence. It was also here that two members of the Shen family came looking for trouble: Linghe and Shen Qi…

From that time on, the Shen family and Chen Mo became enemies.

I didn't want to end up back here after all this time.

Seeing Chen Mo staring at Cuiwei Residence with a lingering look, Shao Qiu said, "I've inquired about Cuiwei Residence; it was bought long ago."

Chen Mo said, "I bought this courtyard back then. You can connect the two courtyards together later."

Chen Mo thought that if the courtyard were opened up, Xiao Ye might be able to find him when she returned to the city.

I don't know where Xiaoye has gone these past few months. Did she go back to the capital, or is she busy with something else?

Shaoqiu was taken aback, but then agreed.

Chen Mo went to check out the new residence, especially taking a stroll through the ancestral hall. He found that although the ancestral hall was not large, it was exquisitely decorated. Standing inside the ancestral hall, he could clearly feel the abundant incense smoke flowing into his body, making him feel exceptionally comfortable.

Shaoqiu then explained in detail the construction logic of the ancestral hall and the purpose of placing each object.

After all, it was his own ancestral hall, so Chen Mo listened attentively. "Well done. Yesterday I met with Yun Zhongyue, the prefect of the Demon Suppression Bureau. Lord Yun said that he would issue a document today, publicly transferring the incense offerings of our fourteen counties to me. From now on, I, Lord Jin Guang, will be the rightful master of Nanyang Prefecture. You and Shao Yun will also be proper servants. There's no need to hide anything when you do things."

Shaoqiu was greatly surprised: "There is such a great thing, that's wonderful. With the official document from the Demon Suppression Division, I will make a copy and tell every county town. In that time, the incense of the Lord will be everywhere in a short period of time, and all the villagers in the fourteen counties will have to worship the Lord."

The two discussed the details again, and finally Chen Mo instructed Shao Qiu to go all out to raise funds for the incense offerings before leaving with Tang Wan.

Chen Mo wasn't in a hurry to settle down by the Huai River outside the city. Instead, he thought of something: Bai Ye had mentioned that Black Mountain Tower possessed drugs that could enhance mental strength. He wondered if there were any drugs that could help someone retain some consciousness while sleepwalking?

If we had one...wouldn't that be even better?
At least we can find out what happened while we were sleepwalking.

So, following the address Bai Ye had given him last time, Chen Mo found the Black Mountain Tower's outpost. There were two willow trees of the same height standing at the entrance.

From a distance, it looks like an ordinary house, no different from any other.

Chen Mo knocked on the door, and a man in black, looking fierce and menacing, opened it.

After Chen Mo explained his purpose, the man in black changed to a warm expression and welcomed Chen Mo into the house.

"Miss Bai Ye, someone is looking for you."

A short while later, a slender woman dressed in white walked out of the living room; it was Bai Ye.

Bai Ye had never seen Chen Mo's true face before, so he couldn't recognize him at first glance. He assumed that Chen Mo was there to make a deal, and after welcoming Chen Mo into the living room, he asked, "What kind of deal does Young Master want with my Black Mountain Tower?"

Chen Mo stated his purpose directly.

Bai Ye, however, was puzzled and said, "A drug that can keep you conscious while sleepwalking? That's strange. No one has ever inquired about similar drugs before."

Sleepwalking... that's extremely rare.

Even if sleepwalking exists, it's a medical condition that requires treatment. Who would consider medication that allows someone to remain conscious while sleepwalking?

It's really weird.

Bai Ye had been doing business at Black Mountain Tower for so many years, and this was the first time he had ever encountered such an eccentric person as Chen Mo.

Chen Mo said, "Then please ask Miss Bai Ye to inform Miss Xiao Qing. I'll ask Miss Xiao Qing."

Little Green Girl?

Bai Ye was even more puzzled, suspiciously scrutinizing the short-haired boy before her, thinking to herself: He must be referring to Sister Qing. Yet he called her "Little Qing" right off the bat; could it be that they are quite familiar with Sister Qing?
Bai Ye dared not be careless: "What role does the girl Xiao Qing play?"

"Li Qing'er".

hiss.

Bai Ye took a deep breath; it really was Sister Qing.

Who is Sister Qing's status? Even the Yunfu Si (a high-ranking official in the imperial court) treats her with utmost respect. This boy... could he possibly have some kind of secret affair with Sister Qing?
"Please wait a moment, young master. I will go and inform Sister Qing."

"Thank you."

While Bai Ye was away delivering the message, Chen Mo sat in a chair in the living room, not even drinking tea. He noticed several men around him occasionally casting surprised glances at him, seemingly not believing he could know Li Qing'er.

Before long, a faint fragrance wafted over.

But it was Li Qing'er, dressed in green, who stepped out and chuckled softly, "Who do we have here? It's Young Master Mo. Quite a rare guest indeed."

Facing this young lady, Chen Mo still felt he should be polite, so he stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I apologize for disturbing you."

Li Qing'er sat down gracefully next to Chen Mo. "I heard from Xiao Bai that Young Master Mo wants a drug that can keep him awake while he's sleepwalking?"

"I wonder if Miss Xiaoqing has such medicine?"

Li Qing'er said, "This kind of medicine is extremely rare. Rather than medicine, it's more like a power. It's a power that makes people sleepwalk, similar to the power of awareness. And to remain awake while sleepwalking is similar to the power of inspiration. I can make it, but what does Young Master need this for?"

Chen Mo found an excuse: "I have a friend who suffers from severe sleepwalking. He often does strange things in his dreams and then completely forgets them when he wakes up. I've heard that you shouldn't wake a sleepwalker, otherwise they'll lose their soul and become mentally unstable. If this thing helps, my friend will know that he's sleepwalking."

Li Qing'er sized up Chen Mo for a long time, then nodded: "Young Master Mo and your friend are truly very close. This matter is not difficult to handle. Xiao Bai, go and pick two willow leaves."

"Yes."

Bai Ye quickly picked two willow leaves and brought them over. Li Qing'er took the leaves, carved a talisman on them, and then put them in a brocade box and handed them to Chen Mo: "I have imbued these two willow leaves with a wisp of my spiritual power. Before your friend sleepwalks, he can tell he is sleepwalking by putting the willow leaves in his mouth. But his consciousness is very shallow, and he cannot wake up from his sleepwalking."

"Thank you very much, Miss Xiaoqing. May I ask how much silver this will cost?"

Li Qing'er smiled and said, "It's just a small favor. Talking about money is too cliché. Just don't forget the meeting time in two days, Young Master Mo."

Chen Mo thanked her and hurriedly left with Tang Wan.

Bai Ye watched Chen Mo's departing figure and said softly, "Sister Qing, I think the friend that guy was talking about is himself."

Li Qing'er frowned: "Strange, Young Master Mo's cultivation has reached the level of a Shadow Ghost. His power of perception is extremely formidable. These people are actually sleepwalking? It's truly unbelievable..."

Upon reaching the level of the Shadow Demon, one's awareness reaches a new level. It's already quite an achievement to prevent others from sleepwalking.

Can I even sleepwalk?

This is so bizarre...

Bai Ye was even more astonished upon hearing her sister's words: This boy, who looked to be only sixteen years old, had reached the level of a Shadow Ghost? How could he be so abnormal?

"Sister Qing, who is this person?"

"That's the young man in the straw hat who did the deal with you in Wucheng, Master Jin Guang."

"Ah? He is Master Jin Guang..."

……

Tangjiabao.

After lunch, Tang Feifei and Tang Binghu discussed some trivial matters.

Tang Feifei then carried some food in a food box and headed towards Jingsi Garden.

The siblings were in a hurry, clearly very worried.

Tang Feifei said, "Seventh Brother, I noticed yesterday that Father didn't look well. I'm afraid he doesn't have many days left. Now, Fifth Brother and Second Brother have both gone to the capital and haven't returned. If Father suddenly dies, only the two of us will be left in Tang Family Fort. Should we send the Green Wolf Gang back?"

Tang Binghu frowned and said, "Tang Lei and the others have already led the Green Wolf Gang members out of the prefectural city. Last night I also thought about asking everyone to come back. But after listening to Xiao Mo and Father's words, I feel that something big is about to happen in Nanyang Prefecture."

Tang Feifei asked, "You mean the matter where Black Mountain Tower and Cloud Prefecture intervened to mediate?"

Tang Binghu nodded: "The incense offerings from fourteen counties were given away just like that. The Zhou family snake monster, which died ninety years ago, is actually trying to revive. It even insists that my Tang family fort go to Snake Mountain to investigate. My father said yesterday that the aristocratic bloodline in his body is flowing back and shrinking... All of this is very abnormal."

Tang Feifei wholeheartedly agreed: "So, what does Seventh Brother mean?"

Tang Binghu said, "Since Tang Lei and Tang Mei have left with their men, they shouldn't come back. They should go to Nanzhou to stay with my master. If nothing goes wrong in the prefectural city in a few months, we can find a way to bring them back."

Tang Feifei admired him, "Seventh Brother is so thoughtful, not putting all his eggs in one basket. This way, Tang Family Fortress has a safe distance to go. We should just do as Seventh Brother says. I need to go see Father right away. I still feel uneasy."

Tang Binghu, having regained his composure, also felt uneasy and said no more. He then followed Tang Feifei, hurrying towards Jingsi Garden.

Tang Xianhe was busy so late last night that it was almost dawn by the time he went to bed. His two children also slept until noon, and wanting not to disturb their father, they brought a food box to visit him after lunch.

Squeak!

Tang Binghu pushed open the gate of Jingsi Garden and found it quiet inside. He didn't think anything of it and called out, "Father, Third Sister has made some of your favorite dishes. Get up and eat some."

"Dad, these are all your favorites. I know your teeth aren't good, so it's mostly thin porridge and soup." Tang Mei walked into the living room, laid out the food from the food box, and called to her father. But she didn't hear a response.

Tang Binghu opened the bedroom door and found it empty; there was no one there.

"Father."

"father!"

The siblings panicked and started calling out to him while searching everywhere. But they couldn't find Tang Xianhe anywhere in the entire Jing Si Garden.

"Seventh Brother, Father never leaves Jingsi Garden easily before. What's wrong?"

Tang Binghu also realized something was wrong and immediately rushed out of Jingsi Garden, calling all the Tang family members over: "My father is missing. Did anyone see him leave last night?"

The disciples all shook their heads.

Tang Binghu shouted, "Go find him! Search the entire Tang Family Fortress! Find Father no matter what!"

……

Chen Mo took Tang Wan out of the city and found a section of the Huai River where there were no villages nearby. They then put the items down in the woods by the river.

"Young Master, I brought a knife. I'll use the wood I have to cut down to build a simple wooden shed for you to stay in." Tang Wan put down the bags and packages, then took out a wood-chopping knife and began to cut down trees to build a simple shelter.

Tang Wan, true to her skillful nature, quickly built a simple shelter that could protect her from the wind and rain. Chen Mo, meanwhile, practiced his martial arts by the river, quietly waiting for nightfall.

During this time, Chen Mo also called Tang Wan over and gave her some pointers.

Tang Wan was overjoyed and immediately took the sword to a nearby spot to practice.

As dusk approached, Chen Mo returned to the shelter alone, took out the brocade box given to him by Li Qing'er, and also took out a mirror. He lit incense, woke up Su Yuqing, and then asked if there was a problem with the power of inspiration on the willow leaf.

Su Yuqing said it was fine and could be used.

Chen Mo then put away the mirror, lay down on the bed, and waited quietly.

Soon, night falls.

It was pitch black all around, the moonlight was blocked by the lush trees, and a cold wind was blowing. Tang Wan was practicing her sword in the distance.

Not long after.

Click!

The reversal of Qi and blood flow has indeed reappeared.

Chen Mo quickly put a willow leaf in his mouth.

Then, Chen Mo lost consciousness and collapsed onto the bed. But this time, there was an inexplicable mysterious power within the willow leaf that allowed Chen Mo to maintain a sliver of consciousness. Although he couldn't wake up from the dream, he could clearly perceive what he was doing.

Click!

Chen Mo saw himself get up and then walk towards the Huai River in a daze. He saw Tang Wan in the distance.

Da da da.

Chen Mo walked step by step to the banks of the Huai River, squatted down, and drank water in large gulps.

Gurgling.

It appeared to be drinking water, but Chen Mo knew... it wasn't drinking water, but rather transmitting some kind of signal through the water flow. Moreover, the transmission range was vast; soon, countless large snakes appeared, swimming towards Chen Mo from upstream and downstream. Upon reaching him, they all prostrated themselves on the ground.

Chen Mo began to open his mouth, absorbing the life essence of the giant snake.

Like a whale swallowing water.

Chen Mo instantly drained the life essence of countless giant snakes, which then turned into dried corpses and fell into the water.

Chen Mo clearly felt his cultivation level increasing rapidly.

Chen Mo was terrified: What am I doing?
This was definitely not sleepwalking; something was driving me to do something.

As Chen Mo absorbed more and more life essence, the silver life incense stick actually reached its peak, and with a "crack," he broke through to the second level of the Shadow Ghost. The zombie pattern also broke through to the second level.

At the very moment of this breakthrough, an unprecedented illusion appeared in Chen Mo's mind:
Shikon Jewel!
The complete Shikon Jewel has appeared.

Zhou family python, Tang family python, Shen family snake, Zhong family mustache.

Immediately afterwards, the pattern on the Shikon Jewel moved.

First came the Zhou family python, which suddenly crawled out of a cave and then roamed through the swamps in the mountains. It moved faster and faster, and became stronger and stronger.

The python crossed the edge of the swamp and came to a grassland, where it transformed into an even larger python. The python slithered across the grassland, and as it passed by an elephant, it opened its huge mouth and swallowed the elephant whole.

Then, the python crossed the grassland and entered the great river, continuing its journey along the river. Its size grew larger and larger until it transformed into a serpent. With a flick of its tail, it stirred up wind and clouds, creating great rain and clouds.

After crossing the river and reaching the estuary, the python transformed again, growing two large whiskers. Suddenly, it soared into the sky, surging through the river and plunging into the sea.

Hey!
His long shout sounded like a dragon's roar.

Wow!

After the giant shrew transformed, it entered the sea and sank beneath the surface. Then it disappeared, and the illusory scene vanished with it.

Chen Mo's heart pounded wildly.

"A python emerges from its cave, a snake swallows an elephant, a cicada stirs up clouds and rain, a snake grows long whiskers... These are omens of dragons emerging from rivers and lakes, signs of transformation! Could it be that Jiang Hongyue is about to transform into a dragon?"

(End of this chapter)