I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 91 Ghost Curse Evolution: Ghost Shadow!!!
Chen Mo had been watching from outside for a while.

He had previously seen Yuanzhu kill Fangtian, and then he saw Yuanzhu go to his residence to get poison and apply it to his dagger... At that time, Chen Mo knew that Yuanzhu was going to attack Li Yuanlong.

I was planning to watch a good show, and if any of them survived... I would go and finish them off.

I didn't expect that...

This Li Yuanlong actually raised a spirit infant.

When Chen Mo saw the infant spirit emerge from the large vat, he felt not fear, but rather great joy.

It's well cared for.

It was just right for me to melt it down, turning it into the blood of the demon curse...

Besides, there's no need to hide anything tonight; we now have a reason to kill Li Yuanlong.

To prevent the ghost baby from escaping, Chen Mo seized the opportunity when the ghost baby lunged at the pillar and captured it in his hand.

However, Li Yuanlong and Yuanzhu in the living room stared wide-eyed in disbelief when they saw Chen Mo easily capture the ghost infant.

Yuanzhu thought to himself: This ghost infant's speed and strength far surpass mine. I hadn't even had time to react before it completely overwhelmed me. I thought I was going to die... Such a powerful ghost infant was easily captured by Chen Mo? And... my attack on Master today has been exposed...

Li Yuanlong was equally astonished, his heart filled with trepidation: This ghost infant was his trump card, something even a fifth-level internal martial arts master couldn't capture. Yet Chen Mo could handle it with such ease…

While Li Yuanlong was still in a daze, Yuanzhu was the first to recover and knelt down at Chen Mo's feet with a "thump." "Manager Chen, you've come at the right time. Actually, I was acting on my master's orders when I targeted you. I was forced into this situation. I was planning to kill my master and bring his head to Manager Chen to beg for forgiveness."

Chen Mo paused for a moment, then slowly walked up to the pillar and smiled: "Master Yuanzhu is truly a talent. With your talent, you could really become a prominent figure in the future. It's just a pity... you shouldn't have tried to harm me back then."

After saying that, Chen Mo released the ghost baby's neck, only grabbing the ghost baby's left leg.

"Ouch~~"

The ghostly infant screamed and roared madly, its gaping maw stretching across its entire face, revealing menacing fangs and an extremely frightening appearance.

The cylinder retreated in terror, its face filled with fear. "What... what are you going to do? Please, don't kill me. I really intended to kill my master to apologize to you."

Chen Mo, dragging the ghost infant, slowly approached the pillar, his gaze turning exceptionally cold. "It wasn't me who killed you, it was the ghost infant."

The cylinder finally realized what was happening, its eyes widening as it roared, "You...you're so cruel!!"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Mo delivered the snarling ghost infant to the pillar.

Although Chen Mo was holding the ghost infant's left leg, the rest of its body was still movable. The moment the ghost infant's claws touched the cylinder, it began to frantically bite at it…

Before long, the cylinder was torn apart beyond recognition by the ghost infant, and its essence and blood were drained by the ghost infant.

The cylinder is dead.

But before he died, Yuanzhu glared fiercely at Li Yuanlong in the distance, roaring with heart-wrenching pain: "You dog, you're not going to live today either. I'll go first and wait for you on the road to the Yellow Springs, hahaha..."

In this way, the cylinder bid farewell to its life.

Actually, Chen Mo really admired Yuanzhu.

This fourteen-year-old truly has the potential to become a great person. It's just a pity... he was a little unlucky. Or perhaps he realized it a little too late.

After the cylinder died, Chen Mo grabbed the ghost baby and turned to walk towards Li Yuanlong.

With nowhere left to retreat, Li Yuanlong leaned against the wall, still looking outside.

Chen Mo said, "Stop looking. I knocked all the guys outside unconscious during their meal, and they won't wake up anytime soon. Shoulu Manor is in a very remote location, so no one will hear anything here tonight."

Eh.

Li Yuanlong finally felt despair. He sighed deeply and slumped to the ground, his face listless, no longer displaying his former glory and imposing manner.

"In the end, raising a tiger only brings trouble, and you're the one who benefits in the end."

Chen Mo did not immediately attack Li Yuanlong. Instead, he stuffed the ghost infant back into the large vat and sealed it. Then he placed the vat next to the table.

pat.

Chen Mo plopped down at the table, opened the teacups and teapot, poured two cups of tea—one for himself and the other pushed to the opposite side of the table—and said, “Master Li, you won’t survive tonight. But I treat you differently from Yuanzhu; I can give you some dignity.”

If you also wish to depart with dignity, please take a seat and have some tea. I have many more questions to ask you.

Li Yuanlong stared blankly at Chen Mo, feeling a pang of unease. He vaguely remembered the bewildered and helpless young man he had met when he first went to the Chen residence to perform a ritual for Chen Mo.

The boy at that time was a spoiled rich kid, not a capable person.

At that time, the Chen family treated this Taoist priest with utmost respect.

In less than six months, Chen Mo has become the village chief, gained the favor and respect of Shao Siming, and mastered extraordinary and unpredictable skills. Even I, facing this young man, am like an ant before the blue sky.

What surprised Li Yuanlong even more was the young man's demeanor.

He can be thinking about killing you while smiling at you.

You can praise the pillar for having the potential to become a great person while sending it on its way using the ghost baby.

He could be so determined to kill himself that he would even pour himself tea and give himself a dignified end.

Such composure, such calmness and confidence filled Li Yuanlong with admiration from the bottom of his heart. He even felt a sense of inferiority.

What a brilliant young man!
Perhaps influenced by Chen Mo's demeanor, Li Yuanlong slowly stood up and sat down opposite Chen Mo, picking up the teacup and holding it in his hand. The closer he got to Chen Mo, the more he felt the young man's aura and the intense pressure emanating from him.

Finally, Li Yuanlong lowered his head.

"Manager Chen, I've fallen into your hands today, so there's nothing more to say. You might as well speak your mind."

Chen Mo took a small sip of tea. "What was that red veil sculpture you put in my Chen family ancestral hall back then?"

Li Yuanlong gave a bitter laugh, "So, it's finally time to settle scores... There's nothing to hide now. What I released was a spirit infant dharma image carved from resurrection wood. A drop of the spirit infant's ghost blood was infused into it. As it absorbs incense and everyone's worship, the ghost blood will fuse with the resurrection wood, and the wood will be absorbed by the ghost blood, transforming into an even more powerful ghostly thought."

Chen Mo was taken aback.

Resurrection Wood!
Having spent so much time in the village, he knew quite a bit about the dead. He naturally knew that the Resurrection Wood was a special kind of tree, resembling maple in shape, and that striking its trunk produced a sound like a bronze drum. Its root sap, after being refined, became the Resurrection Incense, which was said to be able to revive the dead.

No wonder the sculpture disappeared in the end... It turns out that as the spirit infant's blood grew stronger, it absorbed the Resurrection Wood, transforming it into an extremely powerful ghostly force. In the end, it possessed the fetuses in the wombs of Erniang and Liu Cui, giving birth to two ghost infants.

Chen Mo regained his composure and continued to ask, "Was that red veil meant to block the light of the Red Lantern Goddess and prevent her from discovering you?"

Li Yuanlong lowered his head dejectedly, "Yes."

Chen Mo suddenly smiled.

It was somewhat desolate.

"You've really got a good plan. In order to besiege the Red Lantern Temple, you placed a lot of 'resurrection wood' in various houses inside and outside the city, resulting in a large number of ghost fetuses and people suffering from madness. But what has my Chen family done wrong?"

Li Yuanlong gritted his teeth and lowered his head, "Young Master Mo, I'm sorry. I was just following orders."

"By whose order?"

"The Spirit Infant Servant".

"Where is the Spirit Infant Attendant? How can I see him?"

After a moment's consideration, perhaps feeling guilty for his actions, Li Yuanlong spoke up, "In Honghe County, there are many believers in the Spirit Infant sect like me. We all follow a Spirit Infant attendant and wait for them to assign us tasks. But I have never seen the Spirit Infant attendant's true face. Every time we meet, everyone wears a mask and only recognizes the token, not the person."

Chen Mo carefully noted down the information. "Where's the token?"

Li Yuanlong took out a black token from his personal pocket and handed it to Chen Mo: "This is the token."

Chen Mo took the token and looked at it. It was about the size of a baby's palm and shaped like a baby's palm. It was white all over and had a baby's bloody handprint on it. It was also engraved with many runes, making it look quite mysterious.

Although there was no outward manifestation of ghostly energy, Chen Mo, who possessed the blood of the Ghost Curse, could vaguely sense a wisp of ghostly energy within it.

"How do I use this token?"

Li Yuanlong explained, “Whenever the Spirit Infant Attendant needs to summon you, this token will emit a faint white light. At that time, you can simply take the token to the Hundred Herbs Ancient Temple outside Qinghe Town. Everyone holding a token has learned martial arts skills; some are from various martial arts schools, some from the city's three major martial arts schools, some are officials, some are wealthy merchants, and some are from the Martial Arts Academy. Therefore, everyone wears a mask. The Spirit Infant Attendant is also considerate of everyone and doesn't require faces to be shown.” Chen Mo quickly realized a problem: “If someone steals the token and sneaks in to gather information, wouldn't they be easily exposed?”

Li Yuanlong shook his head: "That's not the case. Only those who have worshipped the spirit infant can enter with a token. Otherwise, they can't get in."

Chen Mo nodded slightly.

Although the organization is rough around the edges, it is not without its meticulousness.

"How many spirit infant servants are there in total?"

Li Yuanlong shook his head, "Over the years, I've only met one person like that. That person kept giving us missions, as well as some methods for preserving the spirit of our infants, and other benefits."

Chen Mo accepted the token, carefully examined Li Yuanlong, and said with regret, "You said you were originally the head of the village, and the Red Lantern Temple treated you well. Why did you do this?"

Li Yuanlong knew... that after asking all the questions, Chen Mo was about to take action, and he was overcome with grief, letting out a long sigh.

“The Red Lantern Gang is really too powerful. I'm getting old, and I really can't keep up. I want to get rid of the Red Lantern Gang and retire to my hometown to enjoy my old age. But the rules of the Red Lantern Gang are extremely strict. Once you join the Red Lantern Gang, you can never leave for life. My wife was drained of her spirit by the Goddess after she used her inner power, and she died in despair. I have so much hatred in my heart... The Spirit Infant gave me another path, and I had no other choice.”

As he spoke, Li Yuanlong's eyes filled with tears.

“Back then, I was a down-on-his-luck scholar. My wife didn't despise me and supported my studies, helping me to take the imperial examinations. When my parents died, it was my wife who provided the burial money. My wife and I were both scholars, often playing the zither and composing poetry, vowing to stay together for life. Later, we discovered that evil spirits were rampant in this world, so my wife and I joined the Red Lantern Society, hoping to exorcise them. But because my wife used her inner supernatural powers to exorcise the evil spirits, she died at the hands of the Red Lantern Society… I still remember my wife holding my hand before she died, telling me… that I must leave the Red Lantern Society in this life. But I can't bear to leave my wife; I only want to kill the Red Lantern Society Goddess. So, with the help of the Spirit Infant Attendant, I worshipped the Spirit Infant…”

In the end, Li Yuanlong's face was filled with madness.

"On New Year's Day, I was overjoyed to learn that Lingying had besieged the Red Lantern Temple. I was hoping that the Lady Gou would die. But alas... Lingying failed. My more than ten years of planning have also come to naught, and all my expectations have turned into fleeting bubbles and reflections in a mirror. That Lady Gou is just too strong, and it has truly made me feel hopeless."

“My wife, I, Li Yuanlong, am utterly incompetent! My life has been a complete failure. My life has been utterly meaningless.”

He roared and laughed maniacally.

Tears and snot mingled together and flowed down.

Finally, Li Yuanlong suddenly knelt down in front of Chen Mo and kowtowed to the ground. "Manager Chen, I know... you also have the ghostly energy of a spirit infant within you. And it's quite extraordinary. I, Li Yuanlong, brought disaster to your Chen family back then, it was my fault. I will use my own life to atone for my sins in this life."

After saying that, Li Yuanlong picked up the dagger on the ground, which was covered with countless bone-dissolving powders, and stabbed it into his own chest one by one.

Crimson blood gushed out.

Li Yuanlong, however, did not stop at all. Each strike was faster and more ruthless than the last. He was almost insane, yet there was also a sense of relief and liberation in him.

"Manager Chen, you will eventually discover... that the Red Lantern Goddess is the greatest evil in Honghe County. You will eventually discover that the future you are looking forward to will never be realized because of her existence. Only by worshipping the Spirit Infant can this greatest evil be killed. In Honghe County, only the Spirit Infant can kill this evil, the Goddess!"

puff.

As the final knife pierced his chest, Li Yuanlong finally collapsed into a pool of blood, his life force fading away. Yet, a smile lingered on his lips as he gazed at the full moon outside. "My wife," he said, "the same full moon shone upon us when we first met. We held hands under its light and began our life together. Now, I will descend to join you under this very moon."

"We began under the full moon, and we will end under the full moon... What a cycle!"

As he uttered his last words, Li Yuanlong breathed his last, leaving only his voice echoing in the room.

Chen Mo sat quietly, watching and listening. He didn't lay a hand on Li Yuanlong from beginning to end.

On the contrary, it was Li Yuanlong's dying words that resonated in Chen Mo's mind.

Even when a person is about to die, his words are good.

Chen Mo believed that what Li Yuanlong said was sincere.

The Empress is the biggest evil in Honghe County.

Only a spirit infant can kill this evil.

After a long moment of stunned silence, Chen Mo left his seat, knelt down in front of Li Yuanlong, and reached out to close Li Yuanlong's eyes. "I've remembered what you said. Rest in peace. I hope you can see your wife in the afterlife."

The next moment, Chen Mo opened the seal of the large vat and pulled the ghost infant out of it.

"Woo woo woo, Awoo awoo~"

The ghost baby kept howling.

However, he didn't seem to be very intelligent, and his speech was also incoherent. He was not as good as the ghost baby we met in the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.

Without thinking twice, Chen Mo cut his finger and dripped his blood onto the ghost baby.

"Begin, smelting."

With his previous experience, Chen Mo found the smelting process to be quite easy.

In just a few breaths, the ghostly infant slowly transformed into a drop of pure blood, which flowed into the wound on Chen Mo's palm and then merged into his bloodstream.

hum!
Chen Mo shuddered instantly, a chill running through his body.

If Chen Mo had a body temperature, he would probably feel extremely uncomfortable. But since his body was already ice-cold, the added chill didn't bother him much.

In just a short while, Chen Mo recovered and felt his blood flowing smoothly through his body, which was very comfortable.

Yes, I feel even colder.

Chen Mo sat down cross-legged, his hands clasped together.

Under the influence of the Mingyu Skill, the blood flowed faster, and one could clearly feel a significant improvement in power, perception, and alertness. However, the degree of improvement was not as great as before.

It seems that the effect of the blessing weakens with each additional drop of the cursed blood.

Soon, Chen Mo opened the control panel.

A box appeared, with six black bars.

"Hmm, there's an extra black bar. Let me check the information."

【Name: Four Drops of Demonic Blood】

[Type: Evil Infant Ghost Curse Blood]

[Characteristics: It will devour and absorb evil spirit energy to strengthen its cursed blood. However, it will also gradually devour your life force and soul until you become a dried-up corpse.]

[Description: This powerful cursed blood carries the power of demons and evil spirits. If used properly, it can have unexpected effects. However, with each use, the cursed blood will devour you more quickly.]

[Note: Your bloodline has become compatible with the Blood of the Cursed Demon, preventing it from devouring your life force and soul, preventing you from being sucked dry, and allowing you to harness its power for your own use. You have obtained the power of four drops of the Blood of the Cursed Demon. Your demonization is accelerating, but your mental state remains under control.]

[Hint: Gained the Ghost Curse ability, Ghostly Appearance.]

Upon seeing the last line of the message, Chen Mo was taken aback.

"I've gained the power of ghost curses? Ghostly apparitions?"

"What the hell?"

Previously, Chen Mo only experienced some inhuman symptoms, and the enhancement from the Ghost Curse Blood was mainly manifested in speed, strength, and perception. Cultivating true qi has similar effects on these three aspects.

Now, as the amount of Ghost Curse Blood increases, it has actually gained the power of Ghost Curse.

Then I'd really become a ghost...

"Let me try and see what this ghostly thing is..."

After some effort, Chen Mo finally figured out how to use Ghost Shadow.

After the relocation, Chen Mo was horrified to discover that... his shadow, which had been under the oil lamp, had spontaneously started moving, detached from his feet, and slowly circled around to stand face to face with Chen Mo, staring intently at him.

Chen Mo's pupils contracted, and he immediately felt a chill run down his spine. "I'm being stared at by my own shadow... Is this a ghost shadow?"

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.: One extra chapter, making it 16,000 words in total (three chapters).

(End of this chapter)