I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 7 Baby Opens Its Mouth
Chen Mansion.

At midnight, the courtyard where Chen Mo lived was still brightly lit.

Chen Mo sat on the bench in the living room, looking at the woman in front of him who was tied up and gagged, and was secretly shocked.

Ma Tie drew his sword and aimed it at the woman.

If the woman did anything to harm Chen Mo, Ma Tie would kill her with his sword.

Although the woman was fierce and strong, she had no hands or feet and no leverage, so she posed no threat to Chen Mo. However, her wide, bloodshot eyes stared intently at Chen Mo, as if she wanted to devour him immediately, which was quite terrifying.

Qiu Lan stood to the side, her neck hunched, her face pale with fright. Every now and then, she would glance at Chen Mo, who sat in the head seat. She always felt that the Second Young Master had become a different person after his serious illness, possessing a sharpness and courage he had never had before.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, waiting quietly; the heavy atmosphere was somewhat suffocating.

Chen Mo suddenly spoke up, "Ma Tie, peel off the woman's clothes around her waist, I want to see."

"Yes!"

Compared to Qiulan, Ma Tie was much bolder.

In his early years, he worked as a constable, chasing down bandits and killing people, so he was naturally a man of extraordinary courage.

Ma Tie stepped forward and used his knife to cut open the woman's clothes around her abdomen.

Chen Mo saw that the woman's belly was already swollen and round, and the baby's face on it was particularly ferocious, with the baby's mouth slightly open.

Ok?
This detail alerted Chen Mo.

The baby's face on my belly, with its mouth closed.

Does the moment a baby opens its mouth mean the onset of the illness? Is it about to start cannibalizing people?

Although this is just a guess, Chen Mo has a strong feeling that it is very close to the truth.

If an open mouth on a baby's face signifies the onset of illness, then how did this baby face initially appear on the human abdomen?
What symptoms will appear when it occurs?

Lacking the original owner's memories, Chen Mo had no way of knowing.

Chen Mo had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and stare intently at the baby's face on the woman's abdomen, remaining motionless.

He bought the woman to boil her skin and obtain protective energy to resist the curse. But Chen Mo was not in a hurry.

After all, Chen Mo also wanted to see how this woman would eventually die.

Died of thirst or starvation?
Chen Mo felt that things weren't that simple.

Needs to be observed.

Furthermore, the three constables, Zhang Da and Zhang Qiling, recorded in the previous case file, all died within one to three days after falling ill. Although this woman was just a village woman and her physique was far less robust than that of the constables, she possessed a protective energy within her body that could resist the ghost curse.

Chen Mo was very curious about the final outcome.

The large living room was quiet, save for the flickering candlelight and the woman's hoarse, low sobs, which were chilling.

Before long, Qiulan became drowsy.

Chen Mo naturally couldn't sleep, so he said, "Qiu Lan, if you're tired, go to the side room and sleep. I'll call you if I need anything."

Qiulan shivered and became more awake: "I'm not tired. Master told me to take good care of the young master."

Chen Mo didn't press the matter further.

By the beginning of the Yin hour (3-5 AM), the baby's face on the woman's abdomen had not changed.

Chen Mo couldn't take it anymore. "Ma Tie, temporarily lock this woman up in the back room of the backyard. Gag her so she doesn't make a sound. Remember to light some incense in the room to cover up the smell of blood. Also, cut a piece of skin off her."

Ma Tie was efficient; after doing as instructed, he carried the woman to the storage room next door.

Watching Ma Tie leave, Chen Mo instructed Qiu Lan, "Go and clean this leather thoroughly..."

Halfway through his sentence, Chen Mo realized there was no response. He turned around and saw that Qiu Lan was already trembling with fear.

Indeed, how could a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl not be afraid when she sees a woman who is ill like this?

After a moment's thought, Chen Mo said, "Never mind, I'll do it myself. You go and get the tools."

There was no way out for me.

Moreover, the golden finger provided clear instructions, so there was no need to be too afraid. With the help of Qiulan and Matie, two capable little ones, they spent the whole night and finally extracted a small amount of paste-like ointment by dawn.

It's so bouncy and bouncy.

Having not slept all night, Chen Mo was completely exhausted.

Chen Mo smiled sincerely.

Hard work pays off.

However, Chen Mo did not take it directly.

He would not forget the information given by the golden finger—the defensive qi itself has a strong corrosive effect of yang qi, and only those with strong qi and blood can take it.

Life and death are no small matters.

Chen Mo wouldn't take risks easily.

It can only be taken by those with strong Qi and blood.

Then the problem is coming.

How strong must one's Qi and blood be to be considered a person with strong Qi and blood?

It's best to have someone try it out to be on the safe side.

Chen Mo glanced at Qiu Lan and Ma Tie, noticing that they both looked exhausted, and said, "You've both worked hard following me. Go and rest, and come back to me this afternoon. Also, don't tell anyone about tonight's events. I won't treat you badly in the future."

The two nodded in agreement and then walked outside.

Chen Mo suddenly called out to Ma Tie.

Although Ma Tie had been busy with Chen Mo all night, he had no complaints. On the contrary, he was happy to be close to the second young master. "Is there anything else you need, second young master?"

Chen Mo said, "Thanks to you last night."

Ma Tie said excitedly, "What are you saying, Second Young Master? I am a guard in the manor, and it is my duty to serve you."

Chen Mo nodded. "Let me ask you, what are the standards for defining the strength of a person's Qi and blood?"

Ma Tiedao: "This... is probably related to each person's physical strength, or to put it bluntly, to their martial arts skills..."

With Ma Tie's patient explanation, Chen Mo finally gained a rudimentary understanding of the martial arts realm in this world.

In martial arts, there is a saying: "Externally train muscles, bones, and skin; internally train one's breath."

External training refers to forging the physical body and replenishing qi and blood. It is the basic entry point of martial arts and is divided into five stages: training the skin, training the flesh, training the bones, training the internal organs, and training the blood.

Only martial artists who have mastered the five stages of blood cultivation can transform their blood into qi and cultivate internal true qi. From then on, they can step into the realm of internal martial arts masters.

Once you enter the inner school of martial arts, you will be completely transformed, enjoy longevity, and become a master in the martial arts world.

Ma Tie was a martial artist at the Skin Refining Realm, but he was unable to advance to the Flesh Refining Realm due to a lack of resources.

The strongest guard in the Chen family was Zhou Liang, a martial artist who had reached the fifth level of the Blood Realm.

A person's vital energy and blood are directly proportional to the level of a martial artist's skill, and to some extent, they can even be equated.

Chen Mo understood and asked, "Can a martial artist with strong qi and blood resist the madness disease?"

Ma Tie, formerly a constable in the yamen, had some knowledge of evil spirits. He said, "I'm not sure about that. But when I was working in the yamen, I saw a lot of files on madness. Most of the patients were ordinary people or people with low martial arts skills. So far, I haven't heard of any madness patients above the Three-Pass Iron Bone Realm in the county."

Chen Mo's expression was solemn.

Logically speaking, the higher a person's martial arts skills, the stronger their qi and blood, and the higher their immunity. They also have a stronger resistance to various diseases.

However, the madness was extremely strange, and whether martial artists could restrain it... Chen Mo dared not make a hasty judgment.

The most urgent task is to take Wei Qi (defensive qi).

Thinking of this, Chen Mo said, "Tomorrow, ask Qiu Lan for some silver notes and go to the county jail to buy a few death row inmates. Choose one whose qi and blood are weaker than mine, one whose qi and blood are about the same as mine, and one or two whose qi and blood are stronger than mine. Remember, bring them here to me secretly. Don't let the master see them."

"Ma Tie will keep this in mind."

(End of this chapter)