I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 73 The Ghost Baby

With his son's help, Chen Rong'an sat down at a side table.

Chen Bao helped Chen Rong'an pat his chest to help him catch his breath. After a while, Chen Rong'an caught his breath and began to speak slowly and deliberately:

"Ah, it's all a mess... Three days ago, Old Xie came to my house and said that his son, Xie Weng, had learned a superb skill in shadow puppetry and become a clown cobbler. He also brought two friends from out of town to put together a new play and asked me to come and see it for myself..."

Ah, when people get old, they like to watch things like circuses and shadow puppet shows. I didn't think much of it, and remembering Old Xie's kindness, I went to Old Xie's house in the inner room that night to watch a show.

At this point, a look of fear appeared on Chen Rong'an's face. He swallowed hard before gritting his teeth and continuing:

"That shadow puppet show was indeed very good. It told a poignant love story, but later the wife became pregnant, and due to differences in their beliefs, they had a falling out..."

As I watched, I vaguely heard the sound of a baby crying, and then... Old Xie, who was sitting next to me, suddenly screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground, dead.

I realized something was wrong, and tried to run away with my cane, but I couldn't find my way out of Old Xie's house. Finally... I felt a weight on my back, as if something was pressing down on me, and I passed out... I don't remember anything after that.

After hearing this, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

Based on his experience, Chen Rong'an and the others must have been possessed by an evil spirit while watching the shadow puppet show, and have contracted a kind of madness. As for the feeling of heaviness on his back, it must have been a ghost climbing on his back.

This time, however, the madness was too rampant; in less than three days, the infection had turned into three black streaks. This shows how terrifying the evil spirits there were.

Although Chen Mo had a preliminary judgment in mind, the matter still needed to be decided by Guo Ziyu, so Chen Mo looked at Guo Ziyu with a questioning gaze.

Guo Ziyu pondered for a moment and said, "You should have reported this to the village sooner."

Chen Bao immediately came out to admit his mistake, "It's all my fault. I saw my father showing symptoms of madness, but now that the authorities are investigating so strictly, I dared not make a sound. That's why we were late..."

Guo Ziyu didn't blame him, but said, "Old Chen, please take good care of yourself. Also, tell the villagers nearby not to go to Old Xie's house in the inner room."

Old Chen nodded in agreement. Chen Bao, standing nearby, said, "Several maids and neighbors already know about my father's madness. If they report it to the authorities..."

Guo Ziyu said coldly, "If the government makes things difficult for Elder Chen, just mention my name, Guo Ziyu."

Chen Bao, overwhelmed with emotion, prostrated himself on the ground again: "Manager Guo is so kind! My whole family will always remember your kindness..."

……

The area east of Wuqiao Town is sparsely populated, and further ahead lies a field called Liwudong, with no other houses in sight.

Dark clouds shrouded the moon, and the wilderness was deathly silent.

Guo Ziyu lit a revolving lantern and walked along the ridge of the field.

Chen Mo followed closely behind, the cold wind howling in the fields, stinging his face like a knife.

After walking for a while, Chen Mo saw a solitary house in the distant fields, with a dim light still on inside. He figured it must be Old Xie's house.

Logically speaking, if an ordinary person knew that Chen Rong'an had been possessed by a ghost, they would naturally avoid him and would never dare to come to Old Xie's house overnight to find out what was going on.

But Guo Ziyu is decisive, ruthless, and doesn't mince words; she doesn't hesitate to act.

Chen Mo admired him.

As they approached Old Xie's house, Guo Ziyu slowed her pace and replaced the candle in the revolving lantern with a red one before continuing on her way, reminding Chen Mo as she did so:

“That house up ahead is Old Xie’s. If you go another two or three miles east, you’ll enter the territory of Qinghe Town. That’s a dangerous place, so you’d better stick close to me.”

Chen Mo nodded in agreement, and at the same time looked in the direction Guo Ziyu was pointing. He saw that Qinghe Town in the distance was shrouded in mist, and he couldn't see anything inside. Beneath the deep mist, Qinghe Town seemed to have giant ghosts flickering...

This reminded Chen Mo of the words Xie Sanye had recorded in the book.

The locations where patients with madness appear are varied and unpredictable. They appear inside the city, outside the city, and even in neighboring Qingwu County. I lack concrete evidence to pinpoint the source, but I have a strong feeling that it originates in Qinghe Town, specifically in Li Village! Although, according to records, the earliest case of madness in Honghe County did not occur in Li Village, my investigation revealed that the person had visited Li Village. I wanted to investigate in Qinghe Town, but unfortunately, Qinghe Town is located at the foot of the Dayin Mountain and is currently blocked off by the Black Mountain Village. I cannot get in.

Unexpectedly, he has now arrived near the source of the madness, feeling both apprehensive and expectant.

Chen Mo wanted to figure out the source of the madness more than anyone else.

After all, he has now been tainted with the physical blood of the demon curse. Although he has modified his bloodline to be temporarily compatible with demon blood, Chen Mo's body has also shown symptoms of demonization.

Dislikes cooked food, prefers raw meat, especially fresh blood...

Chen Mo didn't want things to continue like this. If possible, he wanted to find the source of his madness and cure it at its root. Only then could he become a human again.

If one could be a human, who would want to be a demon or evil spirit?
Chen Mo pondered that when he became skilled enough in the future, he would go to Qinghe Town to investigate further.

But not now.

The Red Lantern Gang set up a secret branch here to blockade Qinghe Town, demonstrating the town's eeriness.

Don't be in a hurry!
Chen Mo, having recovered his composure, asked, "So, the closer you get to Qinghe Town, the more dangerous it becomes. Old Xie has lived here for years, how could he not know this? Why does he still live here?"

Guo Ziyu disagreed, saying, "Life is tough these days. Not everyone is as wealthy as Young Master Mo, who can easily buy a big house. Old Xie has lived here for generations, and his family has always been poor. They've exhausted their wealth to send their son away to study his craft. Where would they find the money to move elsewhere?"

Chen Mo felt that besides being poor, Old Xie was probably also harboring wishful thinking.

Having cleared his mind of distractions, Chen Mo returned to the main topic: "What does Miss Ziyu think about the shadow puppetry?"

Guo Ziyu said, "Madness is caused by vengeful ghosts, which are contracted through what one sees and hears. The stronger the vengeful ghost energy, the more severe the madness will be. It must be that evil spirits have entered Old Xie's house."

Chen Mo shook his head: "This is unreasonable."

Guo Ziyu was taken aback. "What brilliant idea does Young Master Mo have?"

Although Guo Ziyu's voice sounded calm, Chen Mo could still sense a hint of emotion in it. Perhaps Guo Ziyu felt that he had offended her authority.
Chen Mo then softened his tone, "I don't think it's such a coincidence. If evil spirits had entered Old Xie's house, why didn't the whole family suffer any harm earlier? Why did the accident happen only when they were putting on a shadow puppet show?"

Guo Ziyu seemed to understand something. "You mean... the problem lies with the shadow puppetry?"

Chen Mo showered her with compliments, saying, "Miss Ziyu is truly intelligent."

There was no other way; I was counting on learning the art of preserving the spirit from this woman in the future, so I had to make her feel comfortable before I could speak.

Guo Ziyu gave Chen Mo a speechless look. Although her expression was not very friendly, she was still very pleased and said, "You'll know once you go in and take a look."

As they were talking, the two arrived at the entrance of the house.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and a biting, cold wind rushed in from inside, making one's bones feel cold.

There was also a... malevolent aura!

Even with Guo Ziyu present, Chen Mo still dared not be careless. He opened all six senses and gripped the hilt of the knife.

Guo Ziyu glared at Chen Mo: "Stay close to me."

"I know," Chen Mo replied, before following Guo Ziyu into the courtyard.

As soon as you enter, you are greeted by a strong, pungent smell of blood.

Chen Mo slowly drew his broadsword, his blood and qi surging, his true qi circulating.

Chen Mo is now close to mastering the second level of the Bright Jade Skill. His true energy is abundant, and his blood is burning hot. He is no longer afraid of ordinary white-robed ghosts. However, the environment and atmosphere here still make Chen Mo feel uneasy.

Tapping.

Guo Ziyu wasn't particularly alarmed and continued walking forward step by step in her boots.

Chen Mo followed him to the living room doorway and was horrified to see a man's body torn to pieces, covered in blood. The head was still intact, and it was clear that it belonged to an old man.

Chen Mo guessed that this must be Old Xie.

Beside them lay the corpse of a woman, also gnawed to pieces. Judging from the wrinkles on her head and face, she must have been Old Xie's wife.

The blood had dried and congealed into lumps.

It is clear that he has been dead for some time.

In particular, the couple's bodies were still in the position of embracing each other.

It's clear that before he died, Old Xie still wanted to hold his wife in his arms and embrace her.

Unfortunately... they don't have a tomorrow.

“Old Xie is a pitiful man. He was just born to be possessed by an evil spirit. And he was even eaten…” Guo Ziyu sighed softly, squatted down, and reached out to close the eyes of the couple. “Old Xie and his wife, may you rest in peace. I will send this evil spirit to the Yellow Springs to accompany you in your burial.”

Chen Mo also bowed slightly to show his respect for the deceased. Just then, a hoarse laugh came from inside the room.

brush!
Chen Mo and Guo Ziyu looked up at the same time, looking towards the living room.

Inside, dim lights flickered, and several shadows could be vaguely seen moving about, especially a huge, conspicuous black shadow. A series of "hissing" sounds were particularly jarring and eerie in the night.

Shhh!
Guo Ziyu gestured for Chen Mo to be quiet, then lowered her voice and said, "Don't make a sound, lest you disturb that guy. You stay behind me, and don't act on your own without my orders."

Although it was spoken in a commanding tone, the concern for Chen Mo was genuine.

Chen Mo didn't know why Guo Ziyu was so concerned about him, and felt that this concern was beyond reason, but he still nodded in agreement, "I understand."

Guo Ziyu breathed a sigh of relief, then took a blood peach wood short sword, and stepped lightly into the living room.

Chen Mo followed closely behind, stepping over the threshold and entering the living room. He was immediately enveloped by an extremely dense ghostly aura. He quickly looked around:

The living room was small, only about 20 square meters. In the center was a octagonal dining table, with a small side table and two old wooden chairs at the head of the table.

On the left side of the living room, there is a large screen window, behind which is an oil lamp. The dim light illuminates the screen window clearly.

A young man was sitting on the living room floor, his back to Chen Mo and his companion, gnawing on raw meat while watching the shadow puppet show on the screen, occasionally letting out eerie "hee-hee" laughs. Perhaps too engrossed in the show, he was completely unaware of Chen Mo and his companion's arrival.

On the shadowy window, a couple's shadow puppets could be clearly seen walking back and forth, arguing and fighting.

What Chen Mo found even stranger was—

The young man sitting on the ground was not controlling the shadow puppet at all.

The shadow puppets on the window are moving spontaneously.

Moreover, the shadow puppet actually made a "squeaking" sound...

……

The shadow puppets that move on their own are strange enough, but the shadow puppets can also make sounds?

Chen Mo's pupils contracted, and he activated his six senses, staring intently at the moving puppets on the screen. He roughly deduced that they were a loving couple who had fallen into conflict and torn each other apart after the wife became pregnant.

In a fit of anger, the husband kicked his wife out of the house.

The wife knelt at her door for seven days and seven nights, but her husband did not open the door. For the sake of the baby in her womb, she had no choice but to leave.

Later, the husband locked himself in his home, drowning his sorrows in alcohol and becoming increasingly depressed. Finally, unable to bear the thought of his wife, he left home to search for her. He traveled far and wide, and finally found her.

After this incident, the couple reconciled.

This concludes the shadow puppet show. Then, the performance begins anew.

The poignant love story described above is repeated over and over again.

After reading it only once, Chen Mo felt his emotions inexplicably drawn in, and he spontaneously immersed himself in this love story.

Having witnessed too much so-called love in his previous life, Chen Mo no longer considered love to be anything sacred. Logically speaking, this mere shadow puppet show shouldn't have caused him such heartache.

But this shadow puppetry seems to possess an invisible magic that immerses people in it.

In contrast, Guo Ziyu, though she had also watched the shadow puppet show attentively, didn't seem to feel any particular emotional connection. Instead, she carried her red candle lantern and walked step by step towards the screen. At the same time, she whispered to Chen Mo, "Stay close to me. Don't touch that young man watching the show. He's possessed and completely absorbed."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement and quietly followed Guo Ziyu, step by step, past the young man who was gnawing on meat and watching the show, and slowly walked to the back of the screen window.

A dim oil lamp illuminated the shadow window.

Next to it was a toolbox with five control levers, as well as "sticks" and connecting wires for the puppet joints. In addition, there were also banhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument), gongs and drums, clappers, suona (a double-reed horn), and other instruments used to create atmosphere.

Chen Mo knew that the puppeteers in shadow puppetry were called "cobblers," while those with more refined skills were called "masters." They could simultaneously manipulate four or five control rods, using techniques such as pushing, pulling, turning, and shaking to bring the puppets to life.

Additionally, there will be assistants responsible for the background music and props to create atmosphere, simulating sounds of fighting, wind, rain, and horses' hooves, etc., giving the user an immersive experience.

But... these tools are all still on the toolbox and haven't been touched.

The two shadow puppets were actually moving spontaneously on the screen...

Chen Mo activated his six senses, but found nothing amiss. A sense of dread washed over him, and he began to ponder:

Is it a ghost controlling the puppets, or are the puppets themselves performing?
Whether it's the former or the latter, it implies the presence of something like ghostly energy.

Why can't I see it? Why can't I feel it?

Could it be that the ghost is too powerful? Or does the ghost know a way to conceal its ghostly aura?

This makes perfect sense.

Otherwise, the village wouldn't have sent Guo Ziyu, a manager comparable to the head of the incense shrine, to handle the matter.

Just as Chen Mo was pondering the answer, Guo Ziyu suddenly blew out the oil lamp next to him.

The entire living room suddenly went dark.

"Hiss hiss hiss~ Woohoo!"

The young man watching the play in front of the screen immediately became agitated when the play ended, letting out a furious roar.

next moment--

Chi~
A red candle was placed where the oil lamp had been, its red glow illuminating the shadowy window and the hall...

Chen Mo then saw the true scene:

A wisp of peculiar white ghostly energy clung to the puppet!

It's ghostly energy controlling the shadow puppets!

The young man who had been sitting on the ground eating meat saw the light coming back out of the projection window, indicating there was something to watch, so he quieted down and continued to watch with a grin.

What horrified Chen Mo was that... the young man was carrying a white baby on his back!
The baby was intently watching the shadow puppets of the couple in the projection window, looking quite absorbed.

Chen Mo was instinctively startled when he saw the ghost baby again. But upon closer inspection, he realized that this white baby was not the yellow-robed baby Chen Mo had previously hallucinated…

Just as Chen Mo was stunned, Guo Ziyu suddenly took a step forward, glaring angrily at the baby, "This is the territory of the Red Lantern Goddess. You should stay in Qinghe Town. You shouldn't have come to the Goddess's territory to break the rules. Since you've come, you've broken the Goddess's rules. Stay here forever."

"Squeak~"

The baby cried out angrily twice, then turned its head to look at Guo Ziyu and the other person, baring its teeth.

brush!
Guo Ziyu took a step forward, and the blood peach wood sword in her hand pierced towards the baby with lightning speed.

This was the first time Chen Mo had seen Guo Ziyu take action, and only one word came to his mind: fast!

Chen Mo felt that at this speed, the spirit infant should not be able to dodge.

However... the baby dodged away, but was terrified of the blood peach wood sword. It turned around and rushed out of the living room, fleeing for its life.

"Chen Mo, this young man watching the show is Xie Weng, he's already a ghost and won't survive. You should be able to handle him." Guo Ziyu left these words and rushed out of the living room to chase after the baby.

Once the baby was gone, the young man lost all interest in watching the play, seemingly becoming completely uninterested in the shadow puppet show. He suddenly stood up, looking at Chen Mo with greedy eyes, even licking his lips, revealing a longing for flesh and blood.

"Woooo~"

Suddenly, the young Xie Weng let out a loud shout and charged towards Chen Mo with bared teeth and claws. A powerful ghostly aura swept over the area, causing Xie Weng to shatter the blue bricks on the ground with every step he took.

The whole house shook, and dust and debris kept sliding down from the beams, as if the house was about to collapse.

Such power is truly astonishing.

It should be noted that Xie Weng had only been infected with the madness disease for three days, yet its ferocity was no less than that of Li Binghui before him.

Fortunately, Chen Mo was no novice either, and he swung his sword and cut down the enemy!

when!
Xie Weng used his half-eaten arm to block the knife, making a metallic clanging sound. The force of the impact pushed Chen Mo back two steps before he could regain his footing.

So hard?
"Then take another cut from me!"

(End of this chapter)