Mortal Mirror

Taking advantage of the night rain, Li Ergou didn't go home, but had everyone else return first, heading straight for the Divine Dragon Hall.

On the way, he took out the box and examined it. The box looked very ordinary, except that it was sealed by a mysterious force. He was puzzled about what could be inside.

However, he refrained from breaking the seal, unsure of the potential consequences. He resisted the urge and replicated the box, then, after some thought, replicated all the parts of the puppets.

It was the first time he'd seen puppets. He'd heard that puppeteers were the most mysterious faction among cultivators, elusive and rarely seen.

Some puppeteers even hid among commoners, perhaps as a hawker selling candied haws, fried noodles, or steamed buns.

A puppeteer who couldn't conceal their identity wasn't a good puppeteer.

Legend had it that a once-powerful Puppet Sect was destroyed because its puppeteers were too ostentatious and evil. Since then, puppetry had become a single-lineage transmission, taught from master to disciple.

Puppet techniques varied, and puppeteers were often eccentric, intolerant of other puppeteers nearby. Upon discovery, it was a fight to the death.

That's why they were considered eccentric; in Li Ergou's view, they were all lunatics.

However, puppets were valuable. Having witnessed their power firsthand, Li Ergou was eager to have one himself, which would give him an advantage in combat.

Most importantly, they could help him escape. Imagine hiding during a fierce battle and throwing the puppet out. By the time the enemy noticed, you'd be long gone—a perfect scapegoat, a second life!

Unknowingly, by the time the box was replicated, he had arrived at the Divine Dragon Hall.

He found Azure Dragon Guard Zhao Xiong, who led him to the Scribe's office. In the Scribe's presence, he reported the entire incident and handed over all the items.

The Scribe, also known as the Witness, was required to be present during mission completion, recording all events.

Otherwise, any discrepancies would be impossible to clarify, and everyone involved would suffer. This was the standard procedure within the Divine Dragon Hall.

After all this, Zhao Xiong's gaze towards Li Ergou changed. He hadn't expected Li Ergou to be so formidable.

His speed, ruthlessness, and attention to detail were all beyond his expectations.

He had assumed Li Ergou was just an incompetent being forced in through connections, but his capabilities exceeded his expectations.

With unknown intentions, he patted Li Ergou's shoulder and said, "Not bad, not bad. You've surprised me, Ergou. You're promising at a young age. Work hard, I have high hopes for you."

Li Ergou was slightly surprised that it was over. Logically, shouldn't he receive some reward?

Was Zhao Xiong embezzling his reward? Or was all work in the Divine Dragon Hall unpaid? That wouldn't be good; over time, no one would be motivated to work hard.

However, as a newcomer, he couldn't voice his concerns directly, but it was about his interests, so he couldn't give in.

So, after thinking, he tactfully said, "Thank you for the praise, sir. It wasn't just my effort; my subordinates worked hard too. Since we handled things so well, shouldn't we reward them?"

Zhao Xiong's eyelids twitched. Naturally, there were rewards for completing tasks in the Divine Dragon Hall, accumulating merits that would later be used for promotion.

Of course, there were also material rewards, but Zhao Xiong still harbored resentment towards Li Ergou for replacing his brother-in-law, which would upset anyone.

Originally, he intended to keep the reward for himself.

However, now that the person was asking for it, he couldn't pretend to be oblivious. If he were discovered withholding rewards, he would face severe punishment.

So, he could only say, "The Divine Dragon Hall has clear rewards and punishments. You don't need to worry about that. After the superiors review it tomorrow, I'll inform you when the rewards are distributed."

Hearing this, Li Ergou felt somewhat relieved.

Zhao Xiong then gave some useless instructions, and Li Ergou left.

Returning to Wanglong Mountain, Li Ergou gave everyone instructions, then rode Gou Jianqiang, taking Black Cat and Chicken King, and left again. The reason for leaving was that the Five Ghosts had found a good place.

This place was less than two hundred miles west of Wanglong Mountain, a place with exceptionally heavy Yin energy called the Wanfen Abyss.

The Five Ghosts said that the bodies of poor people who died without burial, as well as those who died violently, from illness, or were executed by the court, were all thrown into the Wanfen Abyss.

It was said that this place had been used to dump corpses since the Great Zhou Dynasty before the Great Xia.

Over countless years, the bones piled up like mountains. Countless corpses had been thrown in, and because of the various ways they died, the resentment soared to the sky. The surrounding ten-mile area was always shrouded in Yin energy, day and night, never seeing the sun.

It was the most sinister place around the capital.

Because the Yin energy was too heavy, even ordinary evil cultivators dared not approach.

In fact, the Five Ghosts were also worried about whether extremely powerful ghosts would emerge from the Wanfen Abyss.

At this moment, Li Ergou, with the Five Ghosts and Three Demons, stood before the Wanfen Abyss, unable to help but shiver. The abyss was vast, a giant pit thousands of feet in diameter, with滔天 Yin energy surging upwards.

Countless wailing sounds echoed in the sky above the abyss.

Looking at the abyss, Li Ergou couldn't help but recall a saying that Old Mantou had once told him: "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

Master fears neither heaven nor earth, blessed by the heavens, and eternally prosperous."

Li Ergou glanced at the Second Ghost in surprise, thinking that this kid was learning to flatter people. However, the feeling of being flattered was quite good, making him feel refreshed.

Seeing the smile on Li Ergou's face, the ghosts immediately began to flatter him.

Li Ergou smiled wryly and waved his hand to stop everyone, saying, "Alright, stop arguing. Although your master is divinely powerful and unparalleled in the world, one must be low-key. Being low-key is the key. It's enough for you few to know. The Second Ghost is right; it's just a small graveyard.

Today, I will see what terrors lie below. Everyone, follow me down, and be careful."

With that, Li Ergou no longer hesitated and instantly flew downwards. The Five Ghosts were naturally fearless, and the Three Demons were also eager to try. In an instant, they all followed behind Li Ergou and jumped into the Wanfen Abyss.