I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 159 A Shocking Secret: Human-Dragon Sacrifice!
The idea of ​​shamanic rituals made Chen Mo feel very insecure.

He asked Su Yuqing and Li Qing'er... he just wanted to figure it out as soon as possible.

Faced with Chen Mo's expectant expression, Su Yuqing shook her head, "It's been too long, I can't remember."

Chen Mo was slightly disappointed, but he didn't show it. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Su Yuqing, he put away the mirror. Then he opened the brocade box, took out the emerald green willow leaf inside, and quietly waited for the sleepwalking to begin.

In fact, given Chen Mo's current physical and mental strength, he could go three days and three nights without sleep.

Logically speaking, you shouldn't sleepwalk if you don't sleep.

But Chen Mo's situation was different: it involved coercion.

The first time she sleepwalked, her blood and qi were forced to flow in reverse, which knocked Chen Mo to the ground.

The next day, Chen Mo also couldn't escape sleepwalking.

This is the third day now...

"Li Qing'er won't be able to reply until tomorrow... Fortunately, I still have most of a willow leaf left, so I can keep it in my mouth before I lose consciousness. Let's continue to see if the sleepwalking symptoms worsen."

"I estimate that my sleepwalking will continue for a while, so I'll take this opportunity to consolidate my cultivation and practice."

With this in mind, Chen Mo sat down cross-legged on the floor of the shelter.

hum!
As the power of the ghost circulated within his body, Chen Mo's natal incense also began to fluctuate.

Within the silver incense burner in the sea of ​​consciousness, two silver life incense sticks slowly appeared. The second life incense stick had already reached the Great Perfection level. It was only one step away from stepping into the realm of three sticks of silver life energy cultivation.

Conversely, the stiff patterns have also undergone significant changes: three patterns have appeared within the stiff patterns—a python, a serpent, and a large beard. They are interconnected in a ring-like manner, but one more pattern is needed to complete a perfect closed loop.

"Although the stiffness mark is still a second-level mark, it contains an extremely terrifying power, as if it is brewing some kind of great transformation."

"..."

Chen Mo gradually adapted to his new level of cultivation. He didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly—

hum!
Qi and blood flow in reverse!

"here we go……"

Chen Mo immediately stopped practicing, opened the brocade box, picked up a willow leaf from the box, and put it in his mouth.

Not long after——

Bang.

Chen Mo collapsed to the ground, completely losing consciousness. Only a wisp of consciousness remained within the willow leaf.

The next moment, Chen Mo stood up groggily and walked unsteadily toward the Huai River...

The events that followed were no different from before. He went to the Huai River to drink water and sent some kind of message underwater. Before long, he attracted countless giant snakes, which Chen Mo then absorbed their essence from.

Chen Mo's cultivation level increased once again...

Chen Mo noticed the whole process but didn't think much of it.

However, the most crucial point is here:
Chen Mo walked onto the Huai River and began chanting incantations and performing a shamanistic ritual.

Although Chen Mo couldn't understand what he was chanting, he clearly felt that the incantation he was reciting had become longer and more complete. The hand gestures and movements accompanying the incantation were also more complete and intense.

"Sure enough, the shamanic ritual is becoming more and more complete. And the performance is much more skillful than yesterday..."

"I'm being controlled by something... Perhaps the ritual will be complete once I'm familiar with the shaman's movements and incantations!"

Thinking of this, Chen Mo felt an indescribable chill.

Jiang Hongyue...

Just then, Chen Mo saw his body rushing upstream along the Huai River.

They walked a very, very long distance, and their activity range was much larger than the second time.

"Hey, where am I going?"

……

Black Mountain Building Residence.

In a room in the backyard.

This is the room where Li Qing'er usually performs rituals. The room is furnished with an incense table, talismans, and various old objects.

At this moment, Li Qing'er was wearing a brown robe, shaking a bell in her hand. She also had Xiao Bai kill a rooster and bring over a bowl of boiling chicken blood, which she then poured onto the incense burner on the altar.

Jingle Bell.

Li Qing'er shook the bell while muttering something around the incense table. Finally, she took a sip of scalding hot chicken blood, held it in her mouth, and then spat it onto the incense burner.

puff!

As the chicken blood was poured onto the incense burner, the three incense sticks on it immediately turned red. Even the smoke from the burning incense was red.

This is a blood incense stick used for communication.

The next moment, Li Qing'er sat down cross-legged and inhaled the red smoke from the cigarette.

Buzz!
Unbeknownst to outsiders, the red smoke flowing into Li Qing'er's body went directly into her natal incense burner. Empowered by this smoke, the incense began to burn, its fragrance drifting far and wide.

Before long, the incense stick that was meant to be used connected with an incense stick that was very far away.

Then a clear, cold voice rang out, "Xiao Qing, what brings you here in the middle of the night? The journey is long, and using your natal incense to communicate is very taxing on your spirit. Get to the point."

Li Qing'er communicated with her mind, "Sister Bai, I have been in Nanyang Prefecture for some time now. After several days of investigation, I have discovered a very surprising secret."

"Oh?"

"Sister Bai, do you still remember the Shikon Jewel?"

"I remember, it was once a great treasure of the Jiang family. But it disappeared many years ago. How come you found the Four Souls Jade in Nanyang Prefecture?"

"Yes. It turns out that the Four Souls Jade was in Nanyang Prefecture. It was originally divided into four pieces and given to the four great families respectively. This created the four great families that suppress demons..." Li Qing'er recounted the whole story.

This speaks volumes about Black Mountain Tower's astounding intelligence-gathering abilities. Li Qing'er had already investigated almost everything Chen Mo knew. The only thing she didn't know was that Chen Mo possessed three pieces of the Four Soul Jade.

After a long while, Sister Bai finally spoke, "Where are these four Shikon Jewel pieces now?"

Li Qing'er: "The Tang family's Four Souls Jade is most likely with Master Jin Guang. We don't know about the Zhong and Zhou families yet. The Shen family's should still be in Shen Zishan's hands. I've heard that this Four Souls Jade possesses the miraculous power to transform a dragon into a dragon. Is that really true?"

Sister Bai: "This is just a legend that used to circulate in the capital. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. If the Four Souls Jade appears in Nanyang Prefecture, it means that the Jiang family once went to Nanyang Prefecture. But what about Jiang Hongyue?"

Li Qing'er: "I've investigated Shen Zishan's account and the relevant records and notes of the Shen family. It was indeed Jiang Hongyue. Back then, Jiang Hongyue traveled south and passed through Nanyang Prefecture. Later, the four major martial arts families of Nanyang Prefecture were credited with welcoming her. Jiang Hongyue divided the Four Soul Jade into four pieces and gave them to Shen Wuhua, Zhou Ru, Zhong Xu, and Tang Junxi respectively. Zhong Xu used the Four Soul Jade for himself, but lost control and killed his entire family. After that, his whereabouts became unknown."

Zhou Ru was more cautious and gave the Four Souls Jade to the monstrous snake in the Ten Thousand Snake Cave of Snake Mountain, and from then on worshipped the monstrous snake as a deity. But not long after, the monstrous snake went mad and devoured the entire Zhou family.

The Tang and Shen families are doing alright..."

After a long while, Sister Bai's voice finally rang out: "So, what's your judgment?"

Li Qing'er: "Recently, the spirits of the Shen and Tang families have been acting strangely, and the strange snake of the Zhou family is also reviving. I speculate that the Four Souls Jade is starting to act strangely. The strange movements of the Great Yin Mountain are probably related to the Four Souls Jade. I suspect... that Jiang Hongyue, who has been dead for over a hundred years, is about to revive. And the first step in her revival is probably the Four Souls Jade's dragon-walking."

Sister Bai: "That makes sense. I understand. I will inform the Prefectural Governor immediately and we will come up with a solution as soon as possible. The Prefectural Governor and I will continue to send people to assist you. You still need to be careful in Nanyang Prefecture."

Li Qing'er: "Sister Bai, do you know the purpose of walking the dragon?"

"Isn't the purpose of walking the dragon path to transform into a dragon?"

“But Jiang Hongyue is dead, so why would we need to take the dragon? I’m worried there might be other possibilities.”

"What's the reason?"

"I know a man named Jin Guang, who is probably using the Tang family's Four Soul Jade. He has started sleepwalking and is even performing shamanistic rituals in his dreams."

Sleepwalking? Shamanistic ritual?

"Yes, I asked him to demonstrate the gestures and movements of a shaman. I felt like I'd seen them somewhere before, but I couldn't remember where."

Describe it to me.

"Yes."

Li Qing'er meticulously described Chen Mo's postures and details of his shamanistic ritual. Every move and gesture was described with great precision.

Sister Bai spoke up, "I recognize you. Please wait a moment, I'll have someone check."

After a long while, Sister Bai's voice came again: "I think I know."

Li Qing'er breathed a sigh of relief: "Sister Bai, do you remember which kind of spirit writing technique this is? And which deity was invoked?"

Sister Bai: "This is not spirit writing, nor is it invoking a deity."

"what is that?"

"This is possession... a sacrifice! A very ancient sacrificial ritual. And the most cruel of all—a human-dragon sacrifice!"

"What? Human-dragon sacrifice? That dragon-walking... was it for human-dragon sacrifice?"

"I don't know about that yet. Human-dragon sacrifice is the Jiang family's top forbidden technique, and I don't know much about it either. But I suspect it's related to Jiang Hongyue's resurrection. For now, protect Master Jin Guang. I'll go see the State Chief immediately. If there's any news, notify you immediately. Remember, you absolutely cannot let anything happen to Master Jin Guang. He's of utmost importance!"

"Yes!"

Click!

The incense has been extinguished.

Contact was also lost.

Li Qing'er had recovered her senses and was sitting cross-legged on the ground, her whole body covered in cold sweat, her clothes and hair soaked through. Her face had also turned somewhat pale.

"Human-dragon sacrifice? The Jiang family's top forbidden technique... What exactly is Jiang Hongyue trying to do? Can she be resurrected after death?"

Even a peerless expert like Li Qing'er felt a chill and lingering fear upon hearing this news.

"At first, I thought the disturbances at Da Yin Mountain were nothing serious, so I brought Xiao Bai here directly. I thought Xiao Bai and I could handle it. But now it seems... I greatly underestimated the risks at Da Yin Mountain. If Jiang Hongyue really recovers, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"I wonder if Young Master Mo's shamanistic ritual... means he's been chosen by Jiang Hongyue?"

"I really didn't expect that such a big thing would happen in such a small place as Nanyang Prefecture."

……

Nanzhou.

This is the largest prefecture on the southeastern border of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The entire Great Qian Dynasty was divided into thirty-six prefectures, each prefecture into thirty-six counties, each county into thirty-six townships. Everything followed the number thirty-six.

The population of Nanzhou exceeded 100 million, and the governor of Nanzhou was a prince of a different surname, Zhennan Wang, who was bestowed by imperial decree.

This demonstrates the importance the imperial court attached to the land of Nanzhou.

In addition to the King of Zhennan, Nanzhou also has the Zhenmo Prefecture Division.

Besides the State Administration, there are other top-tier forces like the Black Mountain Tower. Any one of them could be a peerless power that shakes the southeast.

In the grand courtyard of the Black Mountain Tower headquarters, a woman in white sat in the living room.

The woman looked young, but she was exceptionally beautiful and had white hair, giving her an air of otherworldly grace.

This is Li Huabai, the owner of Black Mountain Tower.

She is also Li Qing'er's older sister.

After finishing his conversation with Li Qing'er, Li Huabai's expression turned grave. "Jiang Hongyue is going to revive? Are you kidding me? If this woman comes out, the entire Southern Prefecture will be in chaos. I won't be able to explain this to the court. I need to go see the Prefectural Governor immediately and discuss a solution."

Thinking of this, Li Huabai stood up and immediately went out to the Zhenmo Prefecture Division.

The governor of the Demon Suppression Prefecture was an old man over ninety years old, with completely white hair and beard. Yet, despite his white hair, he had a youthful face and was full of energy, showing no signs of aging whatsoever.

The old man was walking his bird in the yard at that moment.

Don't underestimate this old man's calm and leisurely demeanor; his real name is Hua Yunfeng, and he is a peerless master. In the Southern Continent, if Hua Yunfeng claims to be second, no one dares to openly claim to be first.

Even the Prince of Zhennan had to be extremely respectful when he met Hua Yunfeng.

"Oh ho ho, how come the wind blew the White-Haired Girl here? Is she here to accompany this old man on his bird-walking?"

Li Huabai chuckled softly, "Old Hua is still as humorous and witty as ever. But I'm here today on a very important matter."

Hua Yunfeng teased the little parrot in the cage and said softly, "Is there any feedback on the matter of Dayin Mountain?"

Li Huabai said, "There was indeed feedback, but the information exceeded my expectations. The unusual activity at Da Yin Mountain is probably related to Jiang Hongyue."

Click.

Upon hearing this name, Hua Yunfeng immediately stopped walking his bird, and his lips twitched: "Miss Hua Bai, you must be joking with this old man. Jiang Hongyue has been dead for over a hundred years. How could there be a story about her?"

Li Huabai: "Elder Hua, I'm not joking. This strange movement in the Great Yin Mountain is probably because Jiang Hongyue is about to revive."

"Resurrection? An old woman who has been dead for over a hundred years, resurrected? When a person dies, everything is gone. What resurrection? Ghost or zombie, it doesn't matter. Once she's dead, she's dead. Don't try to fool me here." Although Hua Yunfeng spoke casually, he had no interest in walking his bird. Instead, he led Li Huabai into the living room and personally brewed tea for her.

Clearly, Hua Yunfeng wanted to hear what Li Huabai would say next.

"Thank you for the tea, Elder Hua." Li Huabai took the teacup and then recounted the news reported by Li Qing'er.

At first, Hua Yunfeng was calmly drinking his tea, as if he thought it tasted great. But as he listened... he put down his teacup and realized the tea no longer smelled good.

Is the information your sister gave you reliable?

Li Huabai said, "This is my own sister. She is always careful and meticulous in her work. She wouldn't report it unless she was absolutely certain."

Hua Yunfeng was still incredulous. "Even if Jiang Hongyue took the Jiang family's most precious treasure, the Four Souls Jade, and there's a saying about her 'walking the dragon,' walking the dragon is just a legend. It can't be taken seriously."

Li Huabai said, "But my sister told me that there is a man named Jin Guang in Nanyang Prefecture who obtained the Four Souls Jade and started sleepwalking and performing shamanistic rituals. Moreover, his shamanistic rituals are very strange. I will demonstrate them for Elder Hua."

Hua Yunfeng nodded: "Show me your demonstration."

"it is good."

Li Huabai put down his teacup and gestured around the living room.

As Hua Yunfeng watched, his face turned a deep purplish-red, and his eyes widened. "Human-dragon sacrifice!"

Li Huabai sat down again: "Elder Hua knows about this too. So I don't think this is just a rumor. There's probably something to it about Jiang Hongyue's revival."

Hua Yunfeng, clutching his teacup, looked horrified. "Terrible, truly terrifying. I was not far from the Great Yin Mountain when Jiang Hongyue died, and I was one of the ringleaders. Someone gave me orders to use the Phoenix Maiden as a human sacrifice to kill Jiang Hongyue. However, an accident occurred during the sacrifice. Everyone who participated died. Fortunately, I and several other officials were watching from a distance and were not implicated. But... the Phoenix Maiden sacrifice did work. Logically speaking, there should be no possibility of Jiang Hongyue being resurrected."

Hua Yunfeng told Li Huabai even such a secret, which clearly shows that he didn't consider Li Huabai an outsider.

Even so, Li Huabai was still extremely surprised after hearing this, "Who gave Elder Hua the order?"

Eh.

Hua Yunfeng sighed, "Now that things have come to this, there's no harm in telling you. That person was a concubine of the late emperor. After Empress Jiang Hongyue was sacrificed, that concubine became empress. She is now... Empress Dowager Xiao."

hiss!
Li Huabai gasped, his whole body trembling.

As the master of Black Mountain Tower, she helped Hua Yunfeng investigate news throughout Southern Prefecture, so she naturally knew about Jiang Hongyue's secret. She also knew that Hua Yunfeng had been involved. But she never expected... that the mastermind behind it all was actually the current Empress Dowager Xiao, who was ruling from behind the curtain.

That's truly astonishing.

Gulu.

Hua Yunfeng took a sip of tea and continued, "After that incident, Empress Xiao... who is now Empress Dowager Xiao, remembered my service and made me a prefect. From then on, I was put in charge of supervising Nanzhou, especially keeping an eye on the movements of Dayin Mountain. If Jiang Hongyue is revived this time, I will lose my head. If I lose my head, your head... will also lose yours."

Li Huabai was no longer as calm as before. "So what should we do now?"

Hua Yunfeng said, "There's no need to panic. Jiang Hongyue hasn't recovered yet. You and I can send some men to Nanyang Prefecture and send this old zombie back. However, the Dayin Mountain is too dangerous. Even if you and I go together, we can't guarantee 100% safety."

Li Huabai said, "Don't worry, Elder Hua, we're in the same boat. No matter how dangerous it is, we must go to Dayin Mountain."

Hua Yunfeng nodded: "Let's not delay, let's set off immediately."

"Yes."

"By the way, immediately tell your younger sister to keep a close eye on that Mr. Jin Guang. He is the key to Jiang Hongyue's revival."

...On the banks of the Huai River.

Chen Mo watched himself walk more than twenty miles, dancing and chanting incantations on the river all the way.

Although I couldn't understand the incantation, it sounded quite nice.

A full hour passed.

Chen Mo collapsed onto the river, utterly exhausted.

Bang!
Instead of being poured directly into the water, it was lifted up by the giant snake and carried to the rocks on the riverbank.

Chen Mo's body had lost consciousness, but his consciousness, which remained in the willow leaf, was still clear, and he knew everything that was happening around him.

"I think I was so exhausted that I fainted. I don't know how long it will take to recover."

"However, tonight's sleepwalking yielded even greater results than last time. I have already entered the Three-Stem Three-Pattern Daoist realm. Moreover, I have gained over 40,000 Original Essence. It's just that my consciousness is currently residing on the willow leaf and cannot enter my body. Therefore, I cannot experience the new Daoist realm. I can only wait and see."

This time the wait was even longer than last time.

We waited until dawn, until the sun rose...

hiss!
Chen Mo regained consciousness. He regained feeling in his hands and feet.

exhausted!

I'm so tired!

It was far more intense than last time, like I was going to have sex seven times a night. Even the slightest movement caused excruciating pain. It took a long time to adjust, and only with the emergence of ghostly and zombie power did the fatigue gradually subside.

Half an hour later, Chen Mo finally had the strength to get up. He rubbed his throbbing head.

"My head hurts so much, it feels like it's going to split open. Ouch!"

After a while, the headache finally subsided, and Chen Mo sat down cross-legged to experience a completely new cultivation.

boom!
His body was filled with unprecedented, unparalleled power.

The incense burner in the sea of ​​consciousness sprouted its third stick of natal ghost incense, greatly enhancing the power of awareness. Three stiffness patterns were also imprinted on the natal incense, as deep and vast as the sea.

A gentle slap on the water's surface can instantly create a wave several meters high.

That's really an exaggeration.

The only downside was that Chen Mo's aura was becoming increasingly cold and sinister; closing his eyes would cause him to see snake-like illusions, making him feel as if he were truly turning into a snake. Aside from that, there were quite a few advantages.

"My muscles and bones have been shattered and rebuilt once again, and the power I unleash is now extremely abnormal. Even a Shadow Demon with the cultivation of four incense sticks wouldn't be able to withstand a few punches from me."

Open the panel.

[Currently available original solution essence: 45000]

call!
Upon seeing the essence of the original explanation, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

He remembered that today was the day to go to the Demon Suppression Office to discuss matters, and to investigate the resurgence of the strange snakes at Snake Mountain.

If we can obtain the serpent's Shikon Jewel from Snake Mountain, we can directly fuse it with the original essence. In this way, all four Shikon Jewels will be complete.

"I wonder what will happen after I gather the four Shikon Jewel pieces. Although I feel like Jiang Hongyue is targeting me, right now... I don't seem to have any other options. Besides, I fused the Shikon Jewel using a cheat, so there shouldn't be any major side effects. The only thing I need to be wary of is what Jiang Hongyue is up to."

"Overthinking is pointless; let's take it one step at a time."

Chen Mo stood up and looked at his reflection in the water, but found no changes.

"Fortunately... Next, I need to acquire more original essence. After fusing with the Shikon Jewel, I need to advance my cheat to the level of deduction as soon as possible. Deduction... is my only means of dealing with Jiang Hongyue's crisis."

Although Chen Mo had high expectations for the deduction, he was still unsure of himself when facing a super being like Jiang Hongyue.

In addition, Chen Mo had considered accumulating some of the original solution essence first.

But it didn't work... the cheat always drained its own resources.

It means not allowing yourself to have any savings.

"Let's go to Snake Mountain to check out the situation first, and also ask Li Qing'er what this shamanistic ritual is all about."

With this in mind, Chen Mo no longer hesitated and adapted to his newfound cultivation level. He then returned to the riverbank and saw Tang Wan standing under a large tree, looking at him with great surprise.

"Son."

Upon seeing that Chen Mo was unharmed, Tang Wan rushed over to greet him.

Chen Mo nodded: "Did anyone notice me last night?"

Tang Wan shook her head: "No, I was looking around the whole way."

"Well done," Chen Mo praised. "I have to go to the Demon Suppression Office for a meeting today, so I won't stay here. You come back to Tangjiabao with me."

"Ah."

Tang Wan led Chen Mo back to the shelter and packed their belongings. Chen Mo also carried the mirror, and the two rode towards the prefectural city.

When they arrived at Tangjiabao, it was already midday. The place was filled with the sounds of drums and music, and disciples dressed in mourning clothes could be seen everywhere. They were still holding a funeral for Tang Xianhe.

Chen Mo also wore hemp clothing and came to the mourning hall to pay his respects.

Because Tang Xianhe held a high position and enjoyed great prestige in the prefectural city, many prominent figures in the city came to pay their respects after news of his death spread.

As a junior and the young master of the fortress, Chen Mo naturally stood on the side of the mourning hall, alongside Tang Binghu and Tang Feifei. Whenever someone came to pay their respects, they would bow to the three of them.

Chen Mo and the other two also needed to return the favor.

The mournful cries echoed throughout the funeral hall.

Suddenly, the crying outside the door abruptly stopped.

A disciple came to report, "Fortress Master, Young Fortress Master, Third Master, the Shen family has come to offer their condolences."

Tang Feifei immediately became furious, looking as if she wanted to drive them away. "My father ended up like this because of the Shen family. They're hypocritical and dare to come here. Throw them out!"

Tang Binghu came to comfort her, saying, "Third Sister, please don't be like this. Father has passed away. It wouldn't be good to cause trouble in the mourning hall and make him restless. If the Shen family wants to come, let them come. Once he's gone, all the grudges will dissipate."

Tang Feifei snorted and reluctantly agreed.

Tang Binghu then said to the disciple, "Go and let the Shen family in."

"Yes."

The disciple accepted the order and left. Not long after, Shen Zishan, dressed in a black robe, entered with Shen Baishan.

Shen Zishan looked quite well, while Shen Baishan had a bruised and swollen face, his left hand was bandaged, his mouth was swollen, and there was a scarlet five-finger mark on his face.

Chen Mo wanted to laugh when he saw this...

It goes without saying that Shen Zishan knew that Shen Baishan had stolen the Shen family's Four Soul Jade. Shen Baishan's injuries were inflicted by Shen Zishan…

Shen Baishan naturally wouldn't tell the truth. It's estimated that Shen Zishan spared Shen Baishan's life because he only had this one son left.

"Brother Tang, how could you leave us so suddenly? It's all so unexpected."

Shen Zishan burst through the door, looking very affectionate, "I feel so lonely now that you're gone. I won't even have anyone to talk to anymore."

vomit~
Tang Feifei, who was standing to the side, almost vomited from disgust.

Shen Zishan bowed to the coffin, rambling on for a long time, before finally bowing to Tang Binghu and the other two, saying, "My nephews, please accept my condolences. The vast Tang Family Fort still needs your management. Please take good care of yourselves."

Tang Feifei lowered her head and gritted her teeth, refusing to speak. Tang Binghu returned the greeting instead.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shen Zishan left with Shen Baishan.

Before leaving, Shen Zishan gave Chen Mo a thorough once-over. He wasn't particularly angry; instead, he revealed a sinister smile.

As Chen Mo watched Shen Zishan's departing figure, he sensed, through his extraordinary perception power, that Shen Zishan was radiating an exceptionally powerful perception energy.

This is not reasonable.

Shen Zishan only possesses the sixth level of enlightenment; even if he uses the power of ghosts, he wouldn't surpass the Nine-Chosen Yellow Page Ghost. And the Nine-Chosen Yellow Page Ghost's power of awareness is simply beneath Chen Mo's notice.

How could the power of awareness within him be so formidable?

"Hypocritical, it's disgusting," Tang Feifei retorted.

Chen Mo didn't say much and continued to stand there.

By the time the mourning ended, it was past noon.

The afternoon session consists of performing a traditional opera.

Chen Mo did not stay to handle the funeral arrangements. Instead, he took off his mourning clothes and found Tang Binghu. "Master, according to the agreement, I have to represent Tang Family Fortress to go to the Demon Suppression Office to discuss the investigation of the snake monster's resurgence at Snake Mountain. I will not stay at home this afternoon to handle the funeral arrangements."

Tang Binghu was in low spirits. "It's alright. You've been working hard for the family too. My third sister and I will take care of things at home. When you're out there, don't try to stand out. The resurgence of the snake monster on Snake Mountain is probably strange, so we need to be careful everywhere."

"I know. Master, please don't be too sad. You still need to take care of yourself. Our Tang Family Fortress still needs you to take charge of the overall situation." Chen Mo cupped his hands in greeting before returning to his residence, carrying the mirror on his back, and leaving Tang Family Fortress.

The streets were as bustling as ever, with people coming and going and carriages coming and going.

Nothing changed because of Tang Xianhe's departure.

Chen Mo returned to Cuiwei Residence. He had Shaoqiu fetch water, boiled it, and took a bath. Then he went to the ancestral hall alone, sat cross-legged in front of the statue of the deity, and carefully absorbed the incense offerings.

To everyone's surprise, after these few days of preparations, the incense offerings in the fourteen counties have become much more abundant.

By absorbing incense offerings, one's spiritual energy grows considerably, allowing for better control over the corpse demon's physical body.

"Once all twelve counties in Tangjiabao have also paid homage to Lord Jinguang, my incense offerings will be even more abundant. After I destroy the Shen family, all the incense offerings in Nanyang Prefecture will be mine. That should be enough to sustain me as I complete my cultivation as the Shadow Ghost."

Thinking of this, Chen Mo was still quite emotional.

Even those who cultivate ghosts and zombies cannot do without human incense offerings.

It's ironic in itself.

Having absorbed enough incense offerings, Chen Mo instructed Shao Qiu to take good care of the ancestral hall. Then, carrying a hemp cloth, he left Cuiwei Residence.

When they arrived at the Demon Suppression Hall of the Demon Suppression Prefecture, they found that everyone else had already arrived.

Shen Zishan, Shen Baishan, Li Qing'er, Bai Ye, and Yun Yi and Yun Zhongyue.

Upon seeing Chen Mo enter, Yun Zhongyue, who was sitting at the head of the table, chuckled softly, "Young Master Mo, you've finally arrived. Please take a seat."

Chen Mo cupped his hands in greeting, looked around, and noticed an empty seat next to Li Qing'er, so he plopped down and sat down. "Miss Qing'er, you've arrived very early."

Li Qing'er remained composed: "I just arrived as well. Now that Young Master Mo is here, Yunfu Division, let's begin."

Yun Zhongyue nodded, took out a booklet and handed it to everyone, then recounted what he had told Chen Mo before, concluding, "Zhou Ru used the Four Soul Jade to welcome a snake monster in the Ten Thousand Snake Cave of Snake Mountain outside the city, thus establishing a blood pact. The snake monster became the patriarch of the Zhou family. However, not many years later, the snake monster went mad and devoured the entire Zhou family. The snake monster also died in the Ten Thousand Snake Cave. Unexpectedly, recently, villagers near Snake Mountain have reported that the snake monster shows signs of resurrection. This matter is very strange. To ensure peace and stability in this area, we naturally have to contribute. Don't you agree?"

Shen Zishan chuckled and said, "What Yunfu Si said is absolutely right. We enjoy the blessings of this land, so it's only right that we do our part now that something has happened."

Chen Mo also expressed his support.

Yun Zhongyue continued, "Snake Mountain is vast, and our Demon Suppression Bureau is short-handed. Since both of you are here today, it's perfect. Let's set off for Snake Mountain to find out what's going on. We have only one goal: to find out the reason for the snake monster's resurgence. And while we're at it, let's kill the snake monster to prevent it from causing trouble in this area."

……

Snake Mountain is located two hundred li outside the prefectural city, near the Huai River.

Snake Mountain isn't very high, only about three or four hundred zhang (approximately 150-200 meters), but it's densely forested, resembling a primeval forest. There are two towns nearby. The town closest to Snake Mountain is called Zhou Town. Many villagers occasionally go into the mountains to hunt and gather herbs, earning a little money to make a living.

drive!
Dozens of spirited horses galloped into Zhou Town.

Because it was an official matter, the Demon Suppression Bureau's guards with swords were already waiting in Zhou Town early on.

Yun Zhongyue had obviously been here before, and he directly asked the armed guards stationed there, "Is the mayor here?"

"here I am."

No sooner had he finished speaking than an old man approached with a burly hunter. “Sir. I am Zhou Tai, the town mayor. This is my nephew, Zhou Lie. He is the most famous hunter in town, and he hunts in Snake Mountain year-round. He knows the roads there very well. Zhou Lie will be your guide this time.”

Yun Zhongyue looked at Zhou Lie and nodded slightly: "You're quite strong and fit. Then I'll have to trouble you."

Zhou Lie cupped his hands and said, "Serving you, sir, is my duty. I received your notice yesterday and even went into the mountains for a while. I cleared away some thorns along the way. However, it's not safe for horses to ride. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you gentlemen."

Yun Zhongyue dismounted and said, "I am a warrior, used to doing rough work, and I am not aggrieved. Let's walk then."

"Please follow me, gentlemen." Zhou Lie was a man of good manners. He carried a hunting bow at his waist, a quiver on his back, and a broadsword in his hand, and led the way into the mountains for everyone.

Chen Mo walked at the back of the group. They hadn't gone far into the mountains when they discovered that the area was dark and shady, with towering trees blocking out the light. Everywhere they looked, there were lush trees, and they could occasionally spot wild rabbits and other wild animals.

Curious, Chen Mo asked, "You hunt in the mountains all year round, how come you still leave so many wild animals at the mountain pass?"

Zhou Lie turned and glanced at Chen Mo. Although he thought the young man was young, he was sharp-minded and immediately felt more respect for him. "Sir, you are very meticulous. In the past, we used to hunt often. But recently, strange things have been happening frequently in the town. We haven't dared to go into the mountains to hunt for a while. That's why there are so many wild animals."

Chen Mo was taken aback: "Strange thing?"

As Zhou Lie led the way, he said, "About a few months ago, several hunters from our town went into the mountains and never returned. Uncle Zhao was an experienced hunter; he shouldn't have been in any trouble. Later, we organized a hunting team to go into the mountains to search for Uncle Zhao. But none of the search teams returned. Then, I led a few hunters into the mountains and found the remains of Uncle Zhao and the others. They were obviously eaten by some kind of monster..."

At this point, Zhou Lie seemed to recall something terrifying, shrinking his head before continuing, "Strangely, when we stayed overnight in the mountains that night, we saw Uncle Zhao appear again. My companions went to question Uncle Zhao, but he ate them. I was so frightened that I ran away... But that's impossible. I clearly saw fragments of Uncle Zhao's body. How could Uncle Zhao still be alive... There must be a terrifying monster in the mountains that has transformed into Uncle Zhao's appearance to harm people."

"Fortunately, several leaders from the demon-suppressing families have arrived today. They will surely be able to get rid of that monster."

A monster that can change its appearance?

Chen Mo has never met him.

I have seen ghosts possess me before.

But Uncle Zhao's body was eaten, which shows that the monster transformed Uncle Zhao's body.

This is scary.

"What does your Uncle Zhao look like?"

Bang.

Zhou Lie parted a patch of thorns blocking his path and said, "Uncle Zhao is bald and has a scar on his face. He's easy to recognize."

Chen Mo continued, "Did Uncle Zhao leave Snake Mountain and go to your town later?"

Zhou Lie shook his head: "No, not really. But many villagers in the town said they saw Uncle Zhao at the mountain pass. But every time they called him, Uncle Zhao wouldn't answer. He just said... to let everyone go into the mountains to find treasure. A few villagers who didn't know the truth believed him and followed Uncle Zhao into the mountains. And then none of them came back."

Chen Mo nodded slightly: "I understand. Lead the way."

It seems there really is a monster that can transform into a human to deceive friends and family. But this monster doesn't seem to dare leave Snake Mountain.

Zhou Lie said no more, cutting through weeds and thorns as he led everyone forward. "The snake cave is deep in the mountains, about twenty miles from here. Just cross that mountain ahead."

As dusk approached, darkness fell. The already poor lighting in the mountains became even darker.

Everyone followed Zhou Lie over the mountain and headed towards the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave. As they passed a mountain path, Zhou Lie suddenly stopped, staring intently ahead, and trembling as he spoke, "Uncle Zhao... what are you doing here?"

Chen Mo's pupils contracted as he looked ahead and indeed saw a bald man with a scar on his face crouching behind a large tree, drawing his hunting bow and aiming it at a fawn drinking water in front of him.

Hearing Zhou Lie's words, the bald man turned around and gestured for Zhou Lie to be quiet: "Oh, it's Xiao Lie. You've come at the right time. I finally found a deer. Be quiet. We'll get meat with Uncle Zhao today."

Zhou Lie took two steps back: "Uncle Zhao, weren't you dead?"

Uncle Zhao said in a low voice, "Bullshit, how could I die for no reason? You're the one who's dead, your whole family is dead. Stop talking nonsense, either come and help, or get out of here."

Zhou Lie dared not speak.

Those around felt a chill run down their spines.

"You charlatan!" Yun Yi suddenly drew his sword, rushed to Uncle Zhao in a few leaps, and then slashed down hard with his sword.

Li Qing'er suddenly spoke up, "Don't touch him!"

But it was too late...

As Yun Yi slashed down, Uncle Zhao instantly turned to dust. Countless small snakes emerged from his body, scattering in all directions after leaving his form. Each snake then transformed into another Uncle Zhao, emitting a sinister sound.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

(End of this chapter)