I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 46 The Chen Family is in Danger
Xia looked around warily, "Who? Who is it?"

"Xia, Xia..."

The voice continued calling from behind.

Getting closer.

It felt as if a girl was slowly getting closer to me.

Xia turned around to look, but didn't see anyone.

"Xia, Xia..."

The sound grew closer, as if it were coming from behind.

Xia felt something clinging to her back. She reached out to grab it, but grasped nothing. Yet she clearly felt a great weight on her back, forcing her to bend over.

This terrified Xia.

She suddenly remembered that the old man's older brother had come once before and brought a mirror to the house, which was placed in the southeast corner of the living room.

It must be said that the master's eldest brother, Li Wenqing, was an extraordinary figure.

He is said to be a martial arts graduate who passed the imperial examination and has mastered extraordinary martial arts skills. He was appointed by the imperial court and has just arrived in Honghe County to serve as the county magistrate.

Li Wenqing was not only exceptionally skilled in martial arts, but also knew some methods for catching ghosts and warding off evil spirits. The mirror that was delivered was quite special, with five-emperor coins inlaid around its frame.

Li Wenqing once said that the mirror could ward off evil spirits and protect the house.

Thinking of this, Xia hurriedly ran to the southeast corner of the living room.

She walked step by step toward the mirror, only to find that the thing on her back was getting heavier and heavier, causing her steps to slow down. She almost used all her strength to finally reach the bronze mirror.

The mirror, round and about the size of a human head, was placed on a side table. Its surface was covered with a thick layer of dust, making it difficult to see people clearly.

Whoohoo!
Perhaps driven by a renewed will to survive, she gasped for breath. Her hand trembled as she reached out and wiped the mirror...

As the mirror cleared, she was shocked to see...

A young girl dressed in a bright red traditional Chinese wedding dress was lying on his back, her hair disheveled, her face peeled off, revealing the flesh and blood underneath. And the girl was opening her mouth, making cries.

"Xia, Xia~"

Xia was immediately terrified and instinctively screamed.

"what!!"

"Hoho~"

……

Xie Cui was sleeping soundly in the room when she was suddenly awakened by a piercing scream.

"Ah Xia?"

Ultimately, out of concern for Xia, Xie Cui endured her exhaustion, sat up, wrapped herself in her cotton-padded coat, and left the bedroom.

As soon as she entered the living room, a biting cold wind hit her face, making Xie Cui shiver.

"That Xia, she doesn't even know to close the door in the middle of the night..."

Xie Cui was about to close the door when she suddenly saw Xia standing in the corner of the living room, her head slightly bowed in front of the bronze mirror, motionless.

"Xia, what are you doing standing there?"

Ah Xia remained motionless with her back to Xie Cui.

Xie Cui walked over and patted Xia on the shoulder, "Xia, what are you doing standing here..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xia turned around slowly and stiffly.

A face riddled with holes, its tongue, eyes, and nose all gouged out. What was once a youthful, plump, and bouncy face was now covered in wrinkles, reduced to skin and bones.

Even though Xie Cui was already in her thirties, she was still so frightened that she gasped and sat down on the ground with a thud.

Before Xie Cui could think further, she suddenly saw something moving in the bronze mirror. She got up and went closer to look, and was horrified to see through the mirror... A girl dressed in a red Xiuhe dress was clinging to A Xia's back, using sharp fingernails to pick at the flesh on A Xia's face, and sucking away A Xia's life force bit by bit, turning A Xia into a dried-up corpse step by step.

"what!"

Xie Cui was so frightened that she hurriedly tried to return to her bedroom. As soon as she stood up, she felt an immense weight on her back. Looking back in the mirror, she clearly saw the girl in red lying on top of her, smiling…

Xie Cui's pupils dilated; all her bottom lines had been breached, and she instantly went black and lost consciousness.

After a long while, Xie Cui resumed her activity. Changing her previous composed demeanor, she skipped and hopped out of the living room like a child, even her voice had become a girl's baby voice.

“Grandma said that the secrets of our Li family must not be known to outsiders. Although everyone in the Xie family is dead, there is still that Chen boy who accidentally wandered into the haunted place last time…”

"Hey Chen boy, I've come to find you, hee hee~"

……

After leaving the Li residence, Li Yu went directly to the county government office.

The county government office still had a very imposing and grand entrance, with two red lanterns hanging on it.

Don't underestimate these two red lanterns.

This is a gift from the Red Lantern Goddess; such a reward is not easily obtained.

Even prominent local families like the Xie and Chen families were not qualified to hang red lanterns.

Hanging red lanterns signifies that the family is protected by the Red Lantern Goddess, and no evil spirits are allowed to enter. Otherwise, it would be tantamount to angering the Red Lantern Goddess, which would certainly bring bad consequences.

Looking across the entire Honghe County, apart from the villages under the Red Lantern Banner that could hang a red lantern, very few other forces received this favor. Even if they did, they could only hang a very small red lantern. The county government office, with two large red lanterns hanging above its gate, was truly unprecedented.

Besides the red lanterns, there are stone lions standing on either side of the gate, and a standing drum for petitioning the emperor is placed under the eaves. Above the gate hangs a horizontal plaque that reads: "Clear-minded and Honest."

A vertical plaque hangs on the left: "Upholding the laws and principles, the nation will enjoy eternal peace."

A vertical plaque hangs symmetrically on the right: "The law punishes evil, and the people are always happy."

Although the imperial power had waned and treacherous officials held sway, the Great Qian Dynasty still maintained a fragile unity on the surface, and there were still many upright and virtuous scholars.

Li Yu's elder brother, Li Wenqing, was also among them.

The previous county magistrate was incompetent and corrupt, and was impeached and dismissed. Li Wenqing came to take office carrying the hopes of the imperial court, with the ambition to change the decline of local government.

After taking office, Li Wenqing was indeed diligent in his duties and set an example. In just a few months, he had already changed the atmosphere of the county government, which was highly praised by the county magistrate.

Upon entering the side hall, Li Yu saw Li Wenqing as soon as he stepped inside.

Li Wenqing was not tall or particularly strong, but he possessed a scholarly and refined air about him.

When Li Wenqing saw Li Yu coming over, he smiled slightly and said, "Li Yu, you've come at the right time. I just learned how to use the Five Emperors Coins. Come and practice with me. It will be more reassuring if you encounter evil spirits when you go to the countryside."

Li Yu had no time for practicing the Five Emperors Coins. He immediately explained the situation: "Brother, something terrible has happened at the Xie residence..."

Was he a military officer selected through the special imperial examination, or someone sent by Nanyang Prefecture to reform the county government? Li Wenqing was not alarmed upon hearing this. Instead, he took out a handful of five-emperor coins and tossed them to Li Yu, saying, "These are five-emperor coins that I brought from the Nanyang Prefecture government. They can ward off evil spirits and protect you. Keep them close to your body; they can save your life in a critical moment."

Then, Li Wenqing took out a broadsword from the cabinet.

This broadsword differs from ordinary standard-issue swords; its back is inlaid with two rows of densely packed five-emperor coins. The hilt is made of walnut wood, which also possesses the power to ward off evil spirits.

"Come with me to the Xie residence immediately."

Li Yu added, "Should we call a few constables?"

"The constables are useless against evil spirits, so you and I will go."

It was late at night when the two arrived at the Xie residence. As soon as they entered, they felt an inexplicable chill and gloom. Servants and maids hanged from crooked trees everywhere.

Seeing this, Li Yu took a deep breath.

He knew the Xie family had suffered a calamity, but he never imagined... the scene would be so bizarre and tragic.

Li Wenqing, wielding a large knife, rushed to examine the maids and servants hanged from the crooked tree. He frowned and said, "The deceased showed no signs of struggle; they were hanged instantly. Moreover, their faces were filled with terror, indicating they witnessed something extremely frightening before their deaths. The evil spirit has already departed. Where does Third Master Xie live?"

Li Yu finally came to his senses. "The tenement on the west side?"

"Quickly take me to see Master Xie." Li Wenqing ran quickly westward. Li Yu hurriedly went to lead the way.

Before long, Li Wenqing and his companion arrived at the western courtyard and saw Third Master Xie lying next to the water vat in the yard, his upper body submerged in the water.

Li Wenqing pulled Xie Sanye out, only to find that Xie Sanye had been sucked dry and turned into a dried corpse.

"This evil spirit is truly ferocious, directly sucking the life essence of living people. If it continues to absorb people's life force, it will only grow stronger and stronger, making it even more difficult to deal with." Li Wenqing cursed the ghost, then squatted down to close Xie Sanye's eyes, quite moved.

"Third Master Xie, thank you for dissecting countless patients with madness over the years. Outsiders look down on you, always thinking you're engaged in a lowly profession, but I've seen your anatomical analysis files, and you truly are a talent. You've done so much for Honghe County, yet outsiders don't know you."

Rest in peace, I will send this evil spirit down to be buried with you!

After saying this, Li Wenqing carried Xie Sanye's body outside, with Li Yu following behind, his eyes moist. "Third Brother Xie~"

Upon arriving at the central courtyard, Li Yu saw the corpse of Xie Liangming, the patriarch of the Xie family, as well as that of Xie's wife... Of the more than eighty people in the Xie family, not one was alive.

Compared to the grief of the Xie family being wiped out, Li Yu felt more sorry for his wife.

He knew his wife was a woman of deep affection and had a very good relationship with Xie San. Xie Cui was devastated by Xie Dong's death. If Xie Cui knew that the entire Xie family had suffered such a fate, he didn't know how heartbroken she would be.

Li Wenqing, on the other hand, was much more efficient, rushing around to examine each corpse. "The dead bodies all had moisture on them, indicating that this evil spirit had been staying in cold, damp places for years. A large fire is needed to subdue such an evil spirit. This evil spirit's killing methods are extremely brutal, leaving no chance for anyone to struggle. Several guards at the Five Viscera Realm were also killed instantly... Damn it!"

Li Yu was startled. "What's wrong, brother?"

Li Wenqing said, "The evil spirits have clearly come to the Xie family for revenge... Your wife is also a member of the Xie family!"

Li Yu immediately understood and ran outside frantically, shouting, "Wife!"

Li Wenqing chased after Li Yu with his sword, hoping in his heart: "I hope I can make it in time. My second brother and Xie Cui have a good relationship. If Xie Cui suffers, I'm afraid my second brother will be devastated."

Rushing to the Li residence, Li Yu saw the gruesome death of A-Xia, then rushed into the bedroom, only to find Xie Cui nowhere to be seen. His head began to spin, and he cried out in anguish, "My wife!"

Li Wenqing looked around the living room and pondered: Xie Cui is most likely gone.

But he still comforted Li Yu, "Second brother, don't think too much. As long as we haven't seen your wife's body, there's still a glimmer of hope. The most important thing right now is to find your wife. Think carefully back to who brought you the news. What did that person say to you? Tell me everything without missing a single word."

Li Yu knew the situation was urgent; every moment of delay would increase the danger to his wife. He tried hard to recall what had happened and slowly recounted, "It was Ma San, the guard from the Chen residence, who told me this last evening..."

"How did Ma San know that something had happened at the Xie residence?"

"Ma Tie was ordered by the second young master of the Chen family to deliver the horses and carts of the Chen family to the third master Xie. When he arrived at the Xie family's residence, he found that the people of the Xie family had suffered a disaster."

After a moment's thought, Li Wenqing said, "This Ma San is lucky. No wonder there were three grooms in different clothes hanging from the rafters in the Xie residence. It seems that those three grooms were arranged by the Chen family to deliver horses to Master Xie."

Li Yu admired Li Wenqing's meticulousness, "But what should we do?"

Li Wenqing said, "I did see extra horses and carts in the Xie family's stables, and Ma San wasn't lying. From this, we can deduce two things. First, the second young master of the Chen family must have gone to the Xie family during the day and made a deal with the third master of Xie. Second, why did the third master of Xie need horses and carts? Obviously, it's because the third master of Xie realized the danger and therefore needed the carts to move. There were indeed traces of packing in the third master of Xie's courtyard. It's just that he didn't have time."

After saying that, Li Wenqing said, "Come with me to the Chen residence quickly. The second young master of the Chen family might know something. Moreover, I have a feeling that the Chen family is in danger and may also suffer."

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.: Wow, you guys are awesome! It actually moved the book up to 29th on the new book chart! Thank you so much! Could you also give me some monthly votes to help it climb even higher?
(End of this chapter)