I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 98 A Great Transformation: Listen to Her Sing a Dark Opera!
The amount of original essence is decreasing at a visible rate, but this original essence does not disappear directly. Instead, it seems to transform into countless tadpoles and burrow into the bones throughout the body.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Mo felt these "tadpoles" begin to modify his bones. At first, it felt tingly and numb, but it quickly turned into excruciating pain.

Fortunately, Chen Mo had a strong will and managed to endure it.

[Modification complete. Your bones are now compatible with the Cursed Bones and should not experience rejection under normal circumstances, unless the power of the Cursed Bones is overused or the demon blood is excessively depleted.]

[Note: Your skeleton is only compatible with the ghost bones; you have two types of skeletons within you. This imbalance must be maintained, otherwise the ghost bones will devour your original skeleton and then spread throughout your body.]

Chen Mo wasn't too nervous about it.

After all, the cheat ability is still relatively weak, and the scope and power of its modifications are relatively limited. Chen Mo felt that he had already done quite well to reach this point.

call!
Chen Mo let out a long sigh, staring at the ghost bone in his hand, pondering to himself:

My own bones have become compatible with the ghost bone, so now I should be able to devour this ghost bone.

However, the cheat code never specified the exact method of absorption.

How does it devour?
This isn't ghost blood, after all; you can't just stuff it into the skin and be done with it.

It was, after all, a baby's spine, so it wasn't very big, about the size of a baby's two fists.

Should we cook it up? And then eat it?

Chen Mo quickly rejected the proposal.

"Just eating won't work. If you eat bones, the bones will enter your esophagus and stomach. The bones should be in direct contact with my bones. Ideally, spine to spine."

After thinking it over and over, Chen Mo couldn't come up with a better solution, so he stopped hesitating.

Just do it.

He picked up the broadsword, made a cut along his spine with his back, stuffed the demon bone into the wound, and pressed it tightly against his spine. Then he tore off half of his sleeve and bandaged the wound.

At Chen Mo's current level of internal martial arts, treating this wound is a piece of cake. With the support of his true qi, a quick movement will eliminate the bacteria, so there's no need to worry about infection.

After everything was taken care of, Chen Mo reached out and touched the spine on his back, where there was a small bulge... The texture was quite unpleasant.

Once you adjust your mindset, you won't think it's a big deal anymore.

"Next, we'll see if my bones can absorb this demonic bone. It can't stay a protrusion forever, can it? That would be like a tumor..."

"Take a nap first, and get plenty of rest before getting up to check on the fusion effect of the ghost bone."

Thinking of this, Chen Mo dragged his tired body to the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Logically speaking, Chen Mo possesses an exceptionally strong physique and powerful spirit. Even in a state of full-force combat, his recovery speed is astonishing, and he is not easily fatigued.

But after entering Qinghe Town, he felt that his recovery ability was not as strong.

Although it felt a bit strange, I should at least get myself in good spirits first.

……

After Juan'er entered the east wing, she lit a dim oil lamp.

Then she took a bath and changed into brand new clothes. Standing in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the exquisite girl in the mirror, she smiled.

Juan'er carefully dressed herself up, then happily took out all sorts of unusual items and began to work on making shadow puppets.

The production process of shadow puppetry is extremely complex, especially the puppet making process, which involves selecting the leather, soaking and scraping it, and then drying and smoothing it in the shade. Next comes drawing the design and carving. Finally, oil paint is applied, the puppets are ironed at high temperature, the joints are connected with thin wire, and bamboo control rods are installed.

Only then can a complete set of shadow puppets be considered finished.

Ordinary people wouldn't have this kind of patience, but Juan'er is exceptionally patient; she does things very meticulously.

Before long, the oil lamp burned out.

Juan'er didn't mind and continued making things in the dark.

Her eyesight was excellent and unaffected, and her hand movements became increasingly skillful and dexterous.

During this time, she heard noises outside and saw the rag doll leading Chen Mo away. She also saw the light on in the west wing. Not long after, she saw Chen Mo return alone.

The rag doll didn't come back.

Then, Juan'er saw Chen Mo take Guo Ziyu out the door, and then return shortly afterward.

Juan'er witnessed the entire process.

But Juan'er did nothing and said nothing. She remained engrossed in making the shadow puppets in her hands.

It seemed that in Juan'er's time, making shadow puppets was the most important thing. Everything else was unimportant.

Juan'er only stopped working after she had finished the entire set of shadow puppets. She stretched and a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Hehe, I've finally made a new set of shadow puppets. I'll put on a new shadow puppet show for my brother later, and he'll definitely love it. Then we'll invite Mom and Dad along, and the whole family will be together."

As she spoke, Juan'er carefully admired her puppet masterpiece, then gently placed the puppet into the toolbox before returning to bed to sleep.

She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her mind filled with thoughts of the rag doll.

"How could the rag doll move on its own? And why did it take that person out with it? Could it be that my brother is back? But my brother can't come back today. So it must have been my parents who did it?"

"Never mind, when my brother comes back tomorrow, I'll put together my new shadow puppet show for him."

"But my younger brother can't see this. He hates shadow puppetry the most. Besides, he's very naughty. If he sees it, he'll definitely come and destroy my puppets. That brother of mine is so bad. I hate him so much."

As Juan'er pondered this, she drifted off to sleep.

……

The next day.

Chen Mo didn't know how long he had slept when he was awakened by a knock on the door.

Immediately afterward, Li Qiuhan's voice came from outside the door, "Young Master Mo, it's getting a bit brighter, I think it should be dawn. Have you rested well?"

Chen Mo slowly woke up and said in a hoarse voice, "Wait a moment, I'll be right there after I put on a coat."

Chen Mo didn't take off his clothes when he went to sleep.

The reason I said this was simply to give myself some time to check whether I had fused with the demon bone, and whether my body had undergone any changes after fusion.

Eh?
Why has my voice become hoarse?

When Chen Mo first woke up, he only responded instinctively, and only after making a sound did he realize that his voice had become hoarse and low.

Li Qiuhan, standing outside the door, noticed the change in Chen Mo's voice and felt a bit curious, but didn't think much of it, guessing that Chen Mo was exhausted from fighting the paper figures last night.

"Don't worry, we're waiting for you outside."

Li Qiuhan left behind a single sentence and then disappeared into the distance.

Chen Mo then threw back the covers and sat up. The first thing he did was reach up and touch the protrusion on his spine...

"Huh? What about the protrusion?"

After searching around the wound for a while, I found that the bump had disappeared.

But the wound is still there, and it has scabbed over.

"It seems that my spine has absorbed the ghost bone."

Chen Mo untied the tattered sleeve covering his wound and tried to speak in a low voice, but found that no matter how he changed his voice, the sound he made was very low and hoarse.

It sounded like the wailing of ghosts and howls of wolves, filled with a sinister atmosphere.

It was extremely unpleasant.

"Is this a side effect of the demon bone? I wonder if my voice will go back to normal in the future..."

"Forget it, it's okay if I can't turn back. I'm not human anymore, so there's no need to worry about these details. Let me check if there are any other changes in my body."

Chen Mo quickly touched his face...

Thankfully, nothing has changed.

They examined his hands and feet again, especially his second brother's...

Everything is still intact.

This made Chen Mo breathe a sigh of relief.

At least in front of others, I can still maintain a semblance of dignity.

It's still some consolation.

As for whether he'll be a decent human being in the future, we'll see.

"My body is getting colder and colder. My complexion doesn't feel very good either."

"Let me see what changes have occurred inside my body."

Chen Mo sat cross-legged on the bed and turned his Mingyu Gong.

Wow!

The true energy immediately circulated through the twelve regular meridians of the body like a stream, and then flowed into the eight extraordinary meridians.

After passing through the Chong Meridian, Dai Meridian, Yang Wei Meridian, and Yin Wei Meridian, it finally enters the Yin Qiao Meridian.

The five meridians circulate smoothly and effortlessly!
It then re-enters the Yangqiao Meridian and completes a cycle without any hindrance.

With the six meridians circulating, the foundation is solid.

Moreover, the internal energy within his body has noticeably increased significantly compared to before. While it might not have doubled, it has certainly increased by 60% to 70%.

When true qi circulates through the twelve main meridians, one becomes a first-level martial artist. Entering the Chong meridian is the second level... the Dai meridian is the third level, the Yang Wei meridian is the fourth level, the Yin Wei meridian is the fifth level, the Yin Qiao meridian is the sixth level, and the Yang Qiao meridian... is the seventh level of internal martial arts master!

"I... have broken through to the seventh level of Martial Master!"

This left Chen Mo incredulous.

Before coming to Qinghe Town, Chen Mo had only just touched the threshold of the seventh level of martial arts master.

Now that he's absorbed the demon bone, he's broken through to the next level without any obstacles!?

This is... quite exaggerated.

After consolidating the foundation of the six meridians, Chen Mo mobilized all his true energy to begin attacking the seventh meridian: the Ren meridian.

Click!

We encountered obstacles.

It was as if an invisible barrier was blocking the flow of true energy into the Ren meridian.

Despite repeated attempts, it could not be broken through.

Cultivating true qi is a gradual process that requires patience and meticulous work. A hasty and forceful approach can easily backfire and harm oneself.

Chen Mo had to stop. "The Ren and Du meridians are the last two major meridians. Opening these two meridians is truly not easy. I'm still lacking in experience; I can't rush it. Let me look at the others..."

Chen Mo activated his six senses and was surprised to find that his senses were much sharper than before.

His hands and feet were also more agile, and every move he made carried a strength that he had never had before.

Strength, speed, perception, internal energy... all have seen significant improvements.

Although he was still far from reaching the seventh level, Chen Mo was already very satisfied.

He opened the panel for fusing the ghost bones to take a look.

Your spine has begun to fuse with the cursed bone.

Integration Progress: 1/100

[Hint: The Cursed Bone is extremely powerful, containing immense cursed energy that can be continuously generated through the spinal cord. You are still too weak to fully absorb the entire Bone; initially, you can only fuse 1/100. As your strength increases, the fusion progress will steadily improve. The Bone's abilities will also be released more consistently.]

[Note: When the fusion rate reaches 100/100, your spine will undergo a transformation, completely becoming a cursed bone. Subsequently, all the bones in your body will slowly turn into ghost bones. You will become a ghoul; this process is irreversible.]

"The fusion progress is only one percent, and the enhancement effect is already so obvious? I really don't know how powerful that yellow-robed infant must be. This guy was a born Corpse King, it's a pity he met with such misfortune. Otherwise, his future would have been unimaginable. He's really lucky for me."

"If it weren't for the many village leaders gathered outside the door, I would really like to test the effects of activating the ghost bone."

To avoid being exposed, Chen Mo had no choice but to endure it.

Although the ghost bone sounded terrifying, Chen Mo had the ability to modify his own skeleton to be compatible with the ghost bone, so he did not experience any harm or major side effects from it.

Otherwise, Chen Mo felt his fate would be extremely terrifying...

After fiddling around for a while, Chen Mo figured that since he already had ghost bones, the ghost shadow should also change.

With this in mind, Chen Mo opened the Ghost Shadow panel.

really……

[Ghost Curse Ability: Ghostly Appearance]

[Level: Intermediate]

[Features: Sensing range reaches 100 zhang (approximately 300 meters); can pick up simple objects; can pass through walls; can avoid light, leaving no shadow even in bright light.]

[Note: The Ghostly Shadow is the darker side of your Ghost Curse; it lacks ghostly energy but possesses your soul and some of your power.]

Upon seeing this information, Chen Mo smiled with satisfaction.

My hard work in fusing the demon bone wasn't in vain.

Hard work pays off.

Not only has its sensing range expanded, but it can also pass through walls and avoid light. It can even pick up physical objects now…

"From now on, having Ghost Shadow do surveillance, theft, scare people, or harm people will be incredibly effective."

The ghostly figure had no ghostly aura, so Chen Mo wasn't worried about being discovered and immediately released it.

Good guy...

An oil lamp was lit in the room, but the ghostly figure left no shadow. Yet Chen Mo could "see" it. Others couldn't.

"Come, pour me some tea."

The ghostly figure then poured Chen Mo a cup of tea and presented it with both hands.

If there were an outsider present, they would probably be dumbfounded.

This is because outsiders can't see anything but the teapot spontaneously levitating, filling the teacup with tea, and then bringing it to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo took the teacup, but didn't drink it. He just played with it in his hand for a while before handing it back to Gui Ying. "Hmm, not bad. If you're free, give me a back massage."

The ghost was obedient and very diligent, and it went up to Chen Mo's back to massage his back.

As for the technique... well, I can't say I'm impressed.

After all, this is Chen Mo's shadow, and the techniques are inherited from Chen Mo himself.

After a brief moment of feeling, Chen Mo felt increasingly uncomfortable as he massaged her back, and immediately called to stop. "Go through the wall and outside, see if those managers can spot you. If they do, run out of the courtyard, don't run here, so as not to expose me. Understand?"

The ghostly figure nodded repeatedly in agreement, then passed directly through the door and wall into the living room.

Chen Mo monitored the scene outside through the ghostly figure and even had it do some tasks.

Immediately, Wang Hansheng's voice rang out: "Damn it, who's scratching my back? Where's my hairpin?"

Then came Li Qiuhan's shout: "I reckon a powerful ghost is approaching, everyone be careful."

Clang! Clang!

Everyone drew their swords, ready to defend themselves.

"Strange, why can't I sense the presence of that ghost?"

"Perhaps this ghost is too powerful, beyond our imagination. We must be extra careful."

"..."

Chen Mo, who was in the room, couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

After testing by the stewards... it became clear that the ghostly figure was indeed undetectable.

That puts my mind at ease.

Seeing that things were almost over, and to avoid actually scaring someone to death, Chen Mo withdrew the ghostly apparition. However, the many stewards in the living room dared not relax for a moment, thinking that a powerful ghost had indeed infiltrated the living room and was keeping a close eye on them.

Chen Mo dismissed the ghostly figure and discovered a wisp of soul consciousness in his mind.

"Huh? This soul seems familiar... Isn't it the sixth-generation ghost infant from the Chen family? It's actually..."

Chen Mo quickly understood.

Before he entered the Red Lantern Temple's altar, this wisp of his soul was taken away by the yellow-robed infant. Now that the yellow-robed infant is gone, this wisp of his soul naturally remains in Chen Mo's mind.

Based on Chen Mo's judgment, this spiritual thought was related to important information about the Red Lantern Goddess. After all, Shao Siming was desperately searching for that sixth-generation infant, presumably to silence him.

"Now that I have the ghost bone, let's see if I can decipher this information."

Chen Mo activated his spiritual techniques in an attempt to decipher this part of the soul's thoughts.

At that moment, the phantom of the yellow-robed infant appeared in my mind.

It was wearing a yellow robe, squatting on the ground, digging something.

Then she turned around, looked at Chen Mo, and smiled.

The scene was exactly the same as when I first saw the baby in the yellow robe.

But now, Chen Mo no longer felt horrified. On the contrary, he found the smile of the yellow-robed baby to be quite innocent and kind.

The baby in the yellow robe laughed and said, "I knew you could do it. I didn't misjudge you. You really have fused with the ghost bone."

Chen Mo noticed that the image of the yellow-robed infant was becoming increasingly blurry, so he asked, "Are you leaving?"

The baby in the yellow robe nodded. "Yes, I don't have much time left. This is the last wisp of my soul, and it will soon dissipate."

Perhaps because he had absorbed the other party's ghost bones, Chen Mo felt a faint sadness. "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

The yellow-robed infant said sullenly, "I'm a useless piece of trash in this life. I caused my mother's death. I never even saw her. I wanted to avenge her and kill that evil infant, but I don't have the ability. I clearly have a powerful ghost bone, but I can't use it. I'm so pathetic."

Chen Mo: "..."

I wanted to offer some words of comfort, but I didn't know how to start.

Like coaxing a small child, how do you soothe this baby in the yellow robe?
But this isn't a normal baby.

You say it's immature, but it's also very sensible.

You say it's sensible, but it seems... it's really a bit incompetent.

The yellow-robed infant didn't dwell on it too much and quickly smiled: "But I haven't been completely useless in my life. At least when I was about to be killed by the evil infant, I met you. I can say that I passed on the ghost bones. I didn't let that evil infant benefit from it, hehe."

Chen Mo asked, "Where is your mother?"

The baby in the yellow robe suddenly burst into tears. "I don't know. I've searched for so long but I still can't find my mother. She must have been hidden by that evil infant. I'm so useless; I couldn't even find my mother. By the way, if you become stronger someday, could you help me find my mother's body and give her a proper burial?"

Perhaps the baby in the yellow robe knew he was about to die, for at this moment he was genuinely sincere and no longer had so many calculations and schemes. Instead, he made a request like an ordinary baby.

Chen Mo agreed, "Definitely."

The baby in the yellow robe wiped away his tears while smiling, "Then I can rest easy. There's nothing left to miss. I've heard that after people die, they enter the cycle of reincarnation and are reborn into the next life. I really hope that I can see my mother again in the next life."

Chen Mo was somewhat moved and slowly "walked" towards the baby in the yellow robe. "The handwriting on the yellow robe says that your mother went to visit relatives in the Great Yin Mountain. Then she was possessed by an evil spirit and became pregnant with you. Do you know what relatives your mother went to visit?"

The baby in the yellow robe looked on expectantly and said, "I don't know. The Great Yin Mountain is a very strange place. Even with my ghost bones, I can't go there and can't see what's inside. I only found out this information after asking around for many years."

Chen Mo sighed, "You've really had a hard time. Do you even know who your father is?"

The baby in the yellow robe, his eyes brimming with tears, said, "I don't know. My father said I'm a bastard... My life has been so tragic."

Chen Mo remained silent.

The baby does look very pitiful.

Soon, Chen Mo "walked" to the yellow-robed baby, squatted down next to the baby, and the two chatted casually.

The yellow-robed infant said, "By the way, that wisp of soul in your mind belongs to the evil infant. I secretly took it away. Hehe... I'm a useless person, I can't decipher it. Perhaps you'll be able to decipher it when you become stronger in the future. Who knows, it might be of great use to you."

Chen Mo felt that this baby in the yellow robe was quite nice. "By the way, I still don't know your name."

Upon hearing this, the baby in the yellow robe felt extremely sad. "Yes, I don't have a name yet."

"I can tell you know a lot, why don't you give yourself a name?"

"Names are given by parents, right? Nobody names themselves. My biggest wish... is actually to have a relative, my mother, who can give me a name. Unfortunately, this wish will never come true."

As he spoke, the phantom of the yellow-robed infant grew increasingly blurry.

It is clearly a sign that it is about to dissipate.

Chen Mo felt a little sorry for you, "Shall I give you a name?"

The baby in the yellow robe trembled violently, slowly raising his head to look at Chen Mo, "Is... this alright?"

Chen Mo said, "Although I am not your relative, I can give you a name. Later, when I find your mother's body, I will give her a proper burial. When we erect a tombstone for your mother, I can also have your name engraved on it. If you don't even have a name, how can I erect a tombstone for your mother?"

The baby in the yellow robe suddenly burst into tears, wailing, "I'm so unfilial! I didn't even think of this. If I engraved my name on my mother's tombstone, she wouldn't forget me in the afterlife, she would remember me, wouldn't she?"

Chen Mo nodded, "Mm."

The baby in the yellow robe wiped away his tears, "Young Master Mo, please name me."

Chen Mo said, "Since you're so filial, your name must include the character for 'filial piety.' Since you don't know who your father is, you'll take your mother's surname. How about... Jiang Xiaoti?

"Filial piety and brotherly love... Filial piety and brotherly love are good words, filial piety and brotherly love are good words... Good meaning." The baby in the yellow robe recited it a few times, feeling very satisfied, and then showed an innocent and bright smile, "Jiang Xiaoti, Jiang Xiaoti... This name is good. Hehe, I have a name now."

As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoti stood up, her body growing increasingly blurry, yet she didn't forget to bow to Chen Mo, "Thank you for giving me a name. Young Master Mo, you must live on, you absolutely must live on. When you erect a tombstone for my mother, remember to inscribe my name on it. If you ever see my mother, remember to tell her... your child misses her."

Chen Mo felt a pang of sadness, but said earnestly, "Don't worry, Xiao Ti, I remember it and I will never forget."

"Thank you~"

Jiang Xiaoti bowed to Chen Mo again before turning to look into the distance.

As he watched, Jiang Xiaoti seemed to see something, and began to walk away into the distance.

At first, they walked very slowly, but then they walked faster and faster, and started running.

“Mother, I have a name now. I have taken your surname and am called Xiaoti… Jiang Xiaoti.”

"Your son is filial and misses his mother..."

Jiang Xiaoti's body completely vanished, as if he had never existed in this world. In the surrounding sea of ​​consciousness, only a vast expanse of white remained…

Those last two sentences were still echoing in Chen Mo's mind.

“Mother, I have a name now. I have taken your surname and am called Xiaoti… Jiang Xiaoti.”

"Your son is filial and misses his mother..."

Chen Mo came to his senses, looking at the flickering candlelight in the bedroom and listening to Jiang Xiaoti's last words. Unconsciously, a faint sadness filled his entire being.

Jiang Xiaoti... is gone.

Chen Mo sat in the chair for a long time before he slowly came to his senses.

He stood up, looked out at the vast sky through the half-open window, raised his right hand and waved gently, "Xiaoti, may you have a safe journey."

After a long while, Chen Mo finally regained his composure and composed himself.

What are your own feelings about filial piety and brotherly love?
Chen Mo couldn't explain it.

He was cursed by a demonic infant, caused by the evil child. However, the birth of this evil infant was indeed related to Jiang Xiaoti. Although Jiang Xiaoti's original intention was not to harm anyone, but simply to give birth again.

From this perspective, Jiang Xiaoti didn't do anything wrong.

Chen Mo was not one to be coy; having promised Jiang Xiaoti, he naturally had to take it to heart.

Chen Mo straightened his clothes and then pushed open the door to leave the living room.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Chen Mo emerge. Wang Hansheng, in particular, seemed to have found his pillar of support and rushed to Chen Mo's side, saying, "Master Chen, you've finally come out. There was a very powerful ghost in this living room. None of us were able to detect it."

Chen Mo ignored Wang Hansheng and instead asked, "Is there any movement in the east wing?"

Li Qiuhan shook her head: "There's been no movement at all."

Chen Mo hummed in agreement, pushed open the living room door, and looked at the gray sky outside. "The sky is indeed much brighter than at night. It must be daylight outside. Let's leave the Li residence first."

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up.

They'd wanted to leave this godforsaken place for ages.

As Chen Mo left, he glanced at the east wing across the street and asked Li Qiuhan again, "Juan'er went into the east wing last night and hasn't come out since, right?"

Li Qiuhan replied, "Yes."

Chen Mo said, "So much time has passed, it's already dawn. There's no reason why Juan'er shouldn't get up. Wang Hansheng, take two stewards and knock on the door of the east wing."

Wang Hansheng shrank back, revealing a look of fear.

Seeing his expression, Chen Mo didn't force him and led the way to the door of the east wing.

dong dong dong.

Is Juan'er inside?

It was quiet inside, and there was no response.

Chen Mo knocked a few more times, but received no response, so he pushed the door open forcefully and led everyone inside.

To their horror, they found the east wing completely empty, with no one in sight.

The furniture in the living room was arranged very neatly. The bedding in the room was all folded up properly.

Is there anyone else there?
hiss!
Wang Hansheng gasped. "This is impossible. After Master Chen gave the instructions last night, we kept an eye on the east wing. We saw with our own eyes that the lights in the east wing were turned off, and then there was no movement at all. No one could have left... Where did Juan'er go?"

Chen Mo thought Wang Hansheng was being overly dramatic and unreliable, so he turned to look at Li Qiuhan.

Li Qiuhan said confidently, "Wang Hansheng is right. I have been keeping an eye on the east wing the whole time, and no one has gone out during that time."

Chen Mo also felt a bit terrified.

A secret passage?

In a normal, secular society, this idea might be plausible. But in such a treacherous place, considering a secret passage is utterly foolish.

Chen Mo looked at Guo Ziyu, who said, "That's right. I've seen Juan'er; she doesn't have any ghostly aura. She looks like a human."

The entire place fell into a deathly silence; everyone was terrified. All eyes were fixed on Chen Mo.

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, then said, "Something's not right with this house. The paper figures and the Black and White Impermanence outside should be gone. Let's leave the Li residence first. Everyone stay close together and don't get separated."

After saying this, Chen Mo left the east wing and strode towards the courtyard gate.

Just then——

Squeak.

The courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.

It was Juan'er, wearing a bright red padded jacket, who walked in from outside. She wasn't surprised to see Chen Mo and the others, and instead smiled innocently, saying, "You're awake! Perfect timing, my brother is back. I've put together a shadow puppet show for him. I can control the puppets, and my mother's opera singing is very beautiful. Come on over, my mother invites you to watch the show."

Others, upon hearing this, didn't think much of it and hadn't quite grasped the meaning yet.

Chen Mo was the first to react, "Is your mother Madam Shen?"

Juan'er said playfully, "Yes. But I'm not very popular with my mother; she likes my brother more."

Chen Mo's pupils contracted.

what's the situation?
Shen Yujun had been infertile for many years, right? She only conceived a demonic infant by offering sacrifices to Jiang Xiaoti. That demonic infant was then possessed by a powerful evil spirit from the Great Yin Mountain.

In other words, Shen Yujun only has one child, the Evil Infant.

Where did Juan'er come from?

Who is her brother?
Chen Mo hurriedly asked, "Are you Mrs. Shen's adopted child?"

Juan'er tilted her head, pouted, and said unhappily, "How can you say such a thing? I am Mother's biological daughter. I also have a younger brother."

Chen Mo asked, "And who is your brother?"

Juan'er said, "My brother went out to hide last night and just came back today. Don't waste your time, my mother's opera singing is not something that ordinary people can hear. The shadow puppet show is about to start. Come with me to watch the show."

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.: Next chapter, at noon.

(End of this chapter)