Chapter 107: Stay at My House (Fifth Update, Asking for Monthly Tickets!)

For this item, Yan Lao and the other two asked no further questions.

Judging by its capabilities, it was clearly a weakened version of the "Fu Dong Tianwang." Thus, the three guessed: after destroying the Fu Dong Tianwang's evil spirit, Xu Yuan obtained certain "materials," and Lin Wanmo crafted this artifact for him.

As for the appearance, why it looked exactly like Xu Yuan... perhaps it was some kind of malicious humor from Lin Wanmo?

Yan Lao and the other two scattered, hurrying to harvest various usable "materials" from the bodies of the evil spirits they had slain in this battle.

The heart of a young boy, the tongue of a young girl, the hind legs of the locust hag, and so on.

All were fine materials, suitable for crafting artifacts.

But they also emitted a strong infection.

They each used special leather bags to pack them, carrying them on their backs.

The hind legs of the locust hag were too long, so they could only cut off the best parts to pack inside.

This kind of leather bag was called a "Stinky Xing Xing Guo Zi"; no one knew what material it was made of. When not holding anything, it would move on its own like a living creature, wriggling occasionally.

Once filled, it would automatically shrink and tighten, taking the shape of the contents inside.

The Purification Bureau had artisan cultivators who specialized in processing these "materials," then crafting them into artifacts, which were subsequently distributed according to merit.

Fu Jingyu explained to Xu Yuan: "This thing can only last three days. Once three days pass, the Stinky Xing Xing Guo Zi will merge with the material inside, directly transforming into an evil spirit that eats whatever it sees."

Therefore, it must be handed in within three days; otherwise, one would have to open the bag early and discard the material inside.

Moreover, a single Stinky Xing Xing Guo Zi can only be used once."

After hearing this, Xu Yuan felt that perhaps the Stinky Xing Xing Guo Zi hadn't merged with the material, but rather... the Stinky Xing Xing Guo Zi itself was dormant, waking up after three days, eating the material inside, and restoring its vitality...

Once everything was cleaned up, the group was about to leave—when Da Fu, swaying unsteadily, appeared from who knows where, ran to a stone nearby, kicked it with his webbed foot, and sent the stone rolling aside.

Buried halfway in the wet, fishy mud below was an insect egg.

Da Fu clamped it in his beak; a shrieking, cursing phantom of the locust hag burst forth from the egg!

Da Fu swallowed the egg, then sucked again, drawing the locust hag's ghostly soul down his throat and into his belly.

Xu Yuan and the others exchanged glances; this old locust hag was truly cunning!

At some point, she had quietly laid this egg, leaving behind a hope for rebirth.

"Fortunately, Young Master Xu raised this goose," Lu Zhengyan said sincerely.

Last but not least, Bai Laoyan was the most relieved.

If the locust hag had left even one life behind this time, in a few decades or a hundred years, she would likely have slaughtered the entire Wangxiang Village!

Bai Laoyan said to the big goose, "When we return to the village, I'll treat you to something good."

Da Fu immediately looked full of caution: He isn't my feeder; why would he feed me something good? Could it be he wants to fatten me up and then eat me?!

Terrified, Da Fu immediately ran far away from the mountain runners, sticking tightly to Xu Yuan's side.

Bai Laoyan was utterly baffled, like a monk who couldn't make sense of anything; what was going on?

After this, there were no further incidents; the group left the riverbank and set off on their return journey.

At the Old Crow Mouth, that giant crow eye did not even open once more.

As long as you don't cross the boundary, whether you fight to the death or not, it has nothing to do with me.

Only the thick chains submerged in the water trembled a few times, as if those few "dogs," having eaten nothing, were somewhat dissatisfied.

By the time the sky was nearly dark, the group returned to Wangxiang Village.

Bai Laoyan, very rarely, invited the group: "Come into the village and rest for the night."

The mountain runners in the village almost never invited outsiders in; when merchants arrived, they went themselves to negotiate lodging with the villagers.

When someone was invited into the village by the mountain runners, the villagers trusted them completely.

If that person harbored ill intent, the village would be in danger.

"Good," Fu Jingyu readily accepted.

Xu Yuan hesitated a bit; Bai Laoyan pushed his glasses and humphed, "Stay at my house. Rest assured, this time I won't let you seek lodging in a villager's home."

Xu Yuan let out a long sigh of relief.

Fu Jingyu and the other two were utterly bewildered; Xu Yuan offered no explanation, and instead mischievously said to Bai Laoyan, "I think Young Master Fu could go stay next door to Jiao Erbo."

Bai Laoyan, hands behind his back, walked while glancing back at Fu Jingyu: "Clean and white, good skin; those old women should like him quite a bit."

Seeing Bai Laoyan's posture, Fu Jingyu couldn't help but think of a vulture standing on a cliff.

He asked, puzzled, "So what if they like him?"

Bai Laoyan grinned.

But actually tricking Fu Jingyu into staying at a widow's house, he dared not—he still remembered that Young Master Fu's teacher was Ma Tianshou, and the Bureau's affairs still depended on him.

But he was willing to go along with Xu Yuan, teasing Fu Jingyu verbally, because between the two young men in the group, the old mountain runner favored Xu Yuan more.

Bai Laoyan wasn't truly blind; on the contrary, he saw very clearly.

Regardless of how much higher Young Master Fu's status and position were compared to Xu Yuan's now, Xu Yuan was, just over ten days ago, someone who needed to hide in the village to escape Wu Haishan's pursuit, and now he could lead a team to ambush three-headed monsters in the mountains and slay someone named Qin!

Moreover, this young man had connections with that old fox; the villages in the mountains dared not offend the old fox.

So although Bai Laoyan had a bad temper, he would not truly offend Xu Yuan.

Bai Laoyan's "evaluation" of Young Master Fu made Xu Yuan burst into laughter.

Fu Jingyu instinctively felt it was not a good thing, so he stopped pressing for answers, shook his head, and said, "Truly baffling."

Behind the stockade gate, Zhang Sanba stretched out his long neck, his head just clearing the top of the gate.

All day long, he had been peering out like this, his heart filled with worry.

Bai Laoyan was in the top tier of strength among the mountain runners; he had never before entrusted himself to someone like this.

Zhang Sanba was truly afraid that Bai Laoyan would not return.

The next generation of mountain runners in the village had not yet grown up; if Bai Laoyan died, Wangxiang Village was destined to be oppressed for decades, and might even be destroyed!

Finally, when the sky was nearly dark, they saw Bai Laoyan returning with people.

Zhang Sanba let out a long sigh, his long neck retracting and sinking into his hunched back.

"You've finally returned," Zhang Sanba said, quickly opening the door and then glancing secretly at Xu Yuan.

Bai Laoyan then said, "From now on, they are friends of our village."

Zhang Sanba understood immediately.

Mr. Piaodang greeted everyone and then returned on his own.

Bai Laoyan led the four into the village; he lives on the north side of the village.

As they passed beneath the ancient dead tree in the center of the village, a girl with a pointed chin and eyes set high on her face suddenly saw Xu Yuan, overjoyed, and approached: "You're here! Will these three stay at our house tonight? The price is negotiable!"

Xu Yuan first widened his eyes: Since when has the price for lodging in the village been "negotiable"?

Then he noticed the girl's gaze kept drifting toward Fu Jingyu, and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Bai Laoyan waved angrily: "Go, go, go! These are my friends!"

"Oh..." The girl, disappointed, left reluctantly, looking back three times for every step she took, her eyes fixed on Fu Jingyu.

The current state is: hammering the keyboard frantically for an hour, only to find the word count barely reaches a thousand...

Continuing with five explosive chapters tonight; can I exchange them for a few monthly tickets from you all?

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(End of this chapter)