Please control me, my divine being!

Chapter 92 Mandarin Ducks

Hexiafang has stood for many years, and its enduring prosperity in Jiang'an, a place with many cultivation gatherings, is naturally justified.

The true pillar industry of the area is the pearl shells found beneath the river.

These pearls are generally found at the bottom of rivers and lakes, nourished by the essence of the water, and full of spiritual energy. Whether used as materials for rituals or for daily cultivation, they are of great benefit.

Even the pearls produced by the king clam can be used to make ordinary utensils, and the supply cannot meet the demand.

The prosperity of the entire Hexia Ward was built on the most basic resource of pearls. The pearl-diving team was a trusted group raised by the ward master, and in addition to pearl-diving, they were also responsible for maintaining order.

"Rob!"

Seeing someone approaching, Chen Yilong played a bone flute, the piercing melody flowing towards Chu Qian's corpse, causing his skin and flesh to loosen and making him look decades older in an instant.

On the other side...

Under the suppression of the mundane technique "Penetrating to the Bone," the five white zombies were unable to move.

Makeup preparation is the art of arranging the appearance of the dead. When examining corpses with extremely strong resentment, it is necessary to first suppress the corpse energy, resentment, and evil energy within their bodies.

And these are the most abundant things inside the white zombie's body.

Therefore, at this moment, all five white zombies are suppressed by Chen Yihu and cannot move. If Chu Qian's corpse can be awakened in time, it can still struggle a bit, but now it has no ability to resist at all.

However, the two of them were still not as fast as the pearl-collecting team.

As Chu Qian was struggling and about to give up, the pearl diver at the head of the group opened his mouth and spat out a stream of water that turned into a long thread, binding him tightly and pulling him in front of him.

Several other pearl divers arrived one after another.

These pearl divers are vastly different from normal people. They are soaking wet, constantly dripping water, as if they will never dry. Fine fish scales are arranged on their skin, which is covered with aquatic plants and moss, wriggling with their breath.

At the junction of the cheeks and neck, there are gill-like lines that open and close continuously.

Clearly, due to years of pearl harvesting in the water, coupled with the influence of the extraordinary power they believe in, their bodies have undergone irreversible changes, making them more suitable for underwater survival.

The two Chen brothers frowned and quickly retreated, but several pearl divers spread their nets, blocking their escape route.

Chen Yihu did not want to surrender, but Chen Yilong had already put down the bone flute and put the ribs back into his body: "Stop."

The two groups went from fighting to a standoff.

"The operation took place inside the workshop. There was no property damage or casualties. Hand over ten strings of cash and leave on your own," the pearl digger who had bound Chu Qian's body said in a hoarse voice.

The two brothers didn't say much, just glanced coldly at the five white zombies, and handed over the money.

The two were then forcibly taken to the awning boat ferry by the pearl divers, much to the disappointment of those who were waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.

"Brother, you didn't handle this well! If you're going to fight, you should fight; if you're going to retreat, you should retreat. Now that all our money has been taken, where can we go?"

"wait."

"What are we waiting for? All five white zombies carry the scent of the Gu family's bloodline. The real one must be in this market!"

"So, let's wait for him to come out." Chen Yilong mustered all his strength and blurted out six words in one breath, then resumed his cold and stern demeanor, standing motionless in front of the ferry crossing in Hexiafang.

Chen Yihu was so anxious he had a headache, but he had no better solution, so he could only squat down next to him as well.

"The Crying Bones Society only operates within the Yinqi Valley area, so how did they end up here?"

Gu Qinghan bit the wooden board, enduring his hunger, and kept thinking about the reasons.

"In the first scenario, the Gu family loses and is wiped out by the Crying Bones Society. They are still hunting down the remaining members of the Gu family, and I, the tomb keeper—"

Humans are also targets of pursuit.

Or the other way around.

Kugu will lose, but he wants to capture me to blackmail or take revenge on the Gu family.

Regardless of the method, they all seem to have a way of determining their approximate location!

The tomb keeper is considered a cultivation seed nurtured by the Gu family, so it's not surprising that the Crying Bone Society took notice of him.

But Gu Qinghan, who was biting the wooden board, realized that neither the Gu family nor the Crying Bone Society seemed to be anything more than a noun to her.

No matter who wins or loses, it doesn't affect her mood.

According to normal thinking, as the legitimate daughter of the Gu family who grew up in the family, she should have a deep affection and sense of belonging to the Gu family, and she should hate and despise the Crying Bone Society that attacked the Gu family.

But she didn't.

Aside from hunger, she felt no other emotions.

Thinking of this, Gu Qinghan felt a chill run down her spine and thought to herself, "I am a member of the Gu family, and I should hate the Crying Bone Society. There must be something wrong here."

Why did they fall into a coma? How did they get to Jiang'an? Why did they come back to life after their bodies were turned into zombies? And how were the Crying Bone Society able to pinpoint their location...?

The answers must lie within the missing memories.

Her current situation cannot be explained by her zombie body alone.

Even if her physical senses are dulled, her soul is still human and should have emotions and desires.

"No matter what the situation, we need to be careful now."

Gu Qinghan's zombie head thought for a long time before he understood his current situation: "I can't let the Crying Bone Society catch me. I haven't even broken through a life-threatening barrier once. If I get caught, it will be like a lamb entering a tiger's den."

The Heavenly Venerable is incredibly generous!

I can inherit this shop, accumulate enough offerings and materials, and perform the ritual to break through the life barrier.

There is still a large amount of knowledge about the [Corpse Demon] path in my mind that I have not yet been able to digest.

The newly acquired mundane skills can also create zombie-like puppets, which can help maintain the shop's business.

First, run a business in Hexiafang, then solve the problem of hunger, and finally improve your strength. Then, return to the Gu family to reverse the body of the zombie, start anew, and live another life!

Having made up her mind, she immediately got to work.

The main force of the Crying Bones Society did not arrive in Jiang'an, and the market area remained safe.

She first began cleaning the shop, washing away all the bloodstains on the floor and walls, and then removing the blood food meant for the zombies.

This thing is a powder keg; while I'm still relatively lucid, the best thing to do is to get rid of it quickly.

"Then came the supply channels for the corpses, and how to legitimately replace the original shopkeeper." Gu Qinghan chewed on a wooden board while working for several hours until drowsiness overcame him.

They haven't had a break for several days since they started firing the kiln at the black workshop.

She closed the shop door and lay down in the former shopkeeper's bedroom for a while, but no matter what she did, she couldn't fall asleep. It wasn't until she stepped into the underground cave and was hit by the cold, damp air that her discomfort was slightly relieved.

She lay down in a coffin, feeling a sense of relief. She immediately closed the coffin lid, her mind replaying everything that had happened in recent days, letting the darkness engulf her body.

The sun shines brightly, and a gentle breeze blows.

The Prince of Jiang'an's Mansion.

Su Tangyu's chest heaved violently.

The liquid flowed down her body, soaking most of her light clothing.

"Your Highness has made rapid progress; if you continue sparring with me, it will be difficult to improve further."

Her eyes were fixed on the man in front of her, her surprise lingering. In just one month, he had grown from an ordinary person to someone she could hardly compete with.

At least in terms of sheer physical strength, without resorting to conventional techniques, they are no match for each other.

I wonder which path the young master has taken to strengthen his body to such an extent that swords and blades would hardly be able to harm him; it is truly rare.

As for the Dao lineage.

As the heir of the Prince of Ning, he was of noble status and must have entered the temple of the gods of mountains and rivers or the miraculous methods of the Heavenly Master.

"Master Su, you're too kind. How's the opera troupe doing lately?"

Zhou Qing took the towel handed to her by Lü Mei, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and sat in the pavilion, enjoying the massage from her personal maid.

Su Tangyu said, "It's all thanks to the young master's favor that the theater is thriving and has established a firm foothold in Jiang'an City. We've even received an invitation to set up a stage for a performance at the Dragon King Festival."

The Dragon King Festival is a grand event.

For ordinary people, it is a more grand festival than the Lunar New Year.

At that time, Huajie Street, which runs through the north and south of Jiang'an City, will be specially cleared out so that itinerant craftsmen from all over the country can set up stages to perform and create an atmosphere.

"The prefect has been searching for talented people from the martial arts world to perform for the Dragon King's Sacrifice for a long time. The Su family troupe is certainly capable, so it's not surprising that they were selected," Zhou Qing replied casually.

Su Tangyu did not continue on this topic, but said, "Your Highness, I have another small matter to report."

"Speak freely," Zhou Qing said with a smile, looking at her. "You should know that we are friends, not superiors and subordinates."

She said seriously, "Since that's the case, I'll be frank, Your Highness, do you still remember Manager Qian?"

Zhou Qing nodded.

Qian Siliang has indeed been out of the public eye for quite some time.

At the beginning of each month, he would send over a large collection of antiques for me to choose from.

Whether it's bronze wine cups or knife coins, they were all picked out from Lao Qian's inventory and added to the game's item table, proving to be of great help on several occasions.

Zhou Qing felt a pang of longing whenever he was mentioned.

"Manager Qian used to come to the theater often to listen to operas. He was very generous, and everyone in the troupe had a good relationship with him," Su Tangyu explained.

This is very much in line with Qian Siliang's identity as a merchant.

He might not actually enjoy watching opera, but because of his relationship with Su Tangyu, he would definitely go and support it.

For someone with his wealth, going to the opera wouldn't cost much.

Zhou Qing recalled the thick black hair he had observed on Qian Siliang's head with his discerning eye last time, and then asked, "How is he?"

Su Tangyu sighed, "The illness has become incurable, and it has been going on for half a month, with the condition deteriorating day by day. The Qian family has consulted all the famous doctors in Jiang'an City, but there has been no improvement, so they want me to come and take a look."

Zhou Qing's heart sank slightly.

Since Su Tangyu said so, it proves that the other party does not simply have an illness!

Now that Qian Siliang has encountered this situation, since he is someone who has done things for him before, he can't just ignore it.

Moreover, the Qian family was sensible and knew when to advance and retreat. They did not come directly to the Prince's Mansion to ask for help, but instead conveyed the message indirectly through Su Tangyu.

Moreover, Qian Siliang had only visited the Prince's mansion a few times before falling ill and becoming bedridden. This was truly suspicious. If someone wanted to target him and he was just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, then he had to be on guard.

After all, the cause of the previous body's death has not yet been found.

"Master Su, it is inconvenient for me to leave the manor right now, and it would be equally inconvenient to send someone with you. But if Manager Qian is truly not bedridden due to illness, I am still somewhat worried."

Zhou Qing pondered.

Sending a servant to check on him wouldn't do any good; in fact, it might alert the enemy if someone was plotting against Qian Siliang.

Su Tangyu looked to the side, hesitant to speak.

"Green Plum is my personal maid, there's no need to be shy, even about cultivators," Zhou Qing continued. "Just say what you have to say."

"Your Highness, in the path of the actor I follow, there is a folk art called 'Mandarin Duck Actress,' which can make people feel each other's hearts and minds and empathize with each other."

By using this simple technique, you can observe the situation on site.

"Your Highness, didn't you want to witness my methods of cultivation? This is the perfect opportunity. Moreover, you can also see for yourself what has become of Qian Siliang."