Chapter 146: The Real Culprit (Requesting Monthly Passes)

The black-yellow mud river churned violently, a hundred surging waves of turbid water suddenly rising ten zhang high, unable to be suppressed even by the "Dinghe Divine Needle" talisman.

The stone pillar shook violently, large spiderweb-like cracks appearing across its surface!

Beneath Xu Yuan's fire wheel, waves of turbid water erupted, spawning a swarm of ghost soldiers.

The ghost soldiers threw themselves forward recklessly, but Xu Yuan was already prepared, sweeping his abdominal fire in all directions.

The ghost soldiers caught fire upon contact, burning without being extinguished, each one screaming as it turned to ash and vanished.

The black-yellow mud river was merely in its final frenzy; this sudden counterattack lasted only a few breaths before being suppressed once more.

The mud river flowed slowly, beginning to solidify gradually.

Xu Yuan and the ten-zhang human skin ascended the "riverbank," yet the Yin-Yang Cage within the skin pill began to act up.

Xu Yuan suddenly felt a chill emanating from the skin pill, and a massive gate appeared before his eyes!

The threshold was above, the door latch below.

On the other side of the gate, the yin energy was hazy; beneath layers of dim blue shadows, who knew how many evil things filled with greed for the mortal world were hidden.

Those things either poked their heads out greedily to spy, or tested the waters, darting restlessly behind the gate.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in Xu Yuan's ear: "Come—"

It was just like when the old fox spoke, making one unable to resist obeying.

Yet Xu Yuan remained immovable.

Thus, more voices sounded in his ear, a chaotic jumble of persuasion: "Come, come over, I am waiting for you here..."

"Joy exists here!"

"There is supreme bliss!"

Xu Yuan suddenly closed his eyes and covered his ears, but what he saw and heard did not vanish!

That terrifying gate still stood before him, and the voices in his ears grew louder.

Xu Yuan could not help but curse: "Wretched!"

With his eyes closed, Xu Yuan released the carriage, loosened his grip on the skin pill, and tossed the Yin-Yang Cage into the carriage; he then spat five mouthfuls of abdominal fire inside, closed the carriage door, and let it smolder!

The strange, demonic phenomena before his eyes vanished accordingly.

The voices that had been constantly sounding in his ears turned into screams and gradually faded away.

Xu Yuan opened his eyes again, seeing the black-yellow mud river beneath the riverbank like a severely wounded, dying flesh worm, merely twitching slowly and unconsciously.

Fifth Aunt, riding the "Morning Tour of the Northern Sea, Evening Rest in the Cangwu" talisman, circled the area, raising a strong wind that completely scattered the already thin yin energy; sunlight poured down, accelerating the drying of the mud river once more.

In the center of the mud river, the old master's ugly face slowly emerged.

Half-human, half-serpent.

His eyes were filled with malice.

Yet his eyeballs only rolled twice before drying up completely, unable to move.

The entire face was baked dry, and all emotions and thoughts that could be expressed through the eyes vanished with it.

A massive "mud sculpture" was left on the ground.

Everyone in the Zancheng Office finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Leizi plopped down on the ground: "I'm exhausted..."

Xu Yuan stored the ten-zhang human skin, discovering during the process that the deep scars on it meant it could likely be used only one more time, causing him to feel a silent pang of regret.

Afterwards, Xu Yuan looked at Zhu Sili and said: "Please, my lord Zhu, arrange personnel to clean this place as soon as possible."

How to clean it?

Following the practices of the Pollution-Exorcising Bureau, it would basically involve Rank Dan Xiu using their abdominal fire to burn the dried mud river once more.

Among the Seven Great Gates, Rank Dan Xiu and Law Cultivators were the most numerous, and the same was true within the Pollution-Exorcising Bureau.

Zhu Sili was now the highest official of the Zancheng Office.

He lowered his head, sighed, and said: "I... do not have the qualification. Inspector Xu, please take command; I must go apologize to the Commander."

After all, he felt guilty in his heart.

Xu Yuan frowned; although he had little experience in officialdom, he understood that at this moment, the Zancheng Office needed an elder to stabilize morale, and taking over himself would be unwise.

"Redeem oneself through merit," Xu Yuan said.

Zhu Sili thought for a moment and reluctantly agreed: "Very well."

Xu Yuan then led his people to prepare to return to Huicheng first.

The aftermath work this time was extremely complex.

Not to mention this massive mud river; to clean it thoroughly, even if all the Rank Dan Xiu in the Zancheng Office were drafted, it would likely require more than ten days of hard labor.

There was also the subsequent thorough investigation of the Zancheng Office's internal affairs; furthermore, since the Zancheng Office had almost sent its entire force to encircle and destroy the Old Master's tomb, everyone had come into close contact with evil things, making personal contamination a major issue.

Xu Yuan clasped his hands and said to Fifth Aunt: "Thank you, Fifth Aunt, for your righteous intervention. The Pollution-Exorcising Bureau will certainly provide compensation for your losses this time."

Finally, after Xu Yuan's request and Song Lu's coaxing, Fifth Aunt brought out her most treasured possession.

So Xu Yuan had already decided that even if he accepted no reward himself this time, he must persuade Elder Ma Tianshou to provide Fifth Aunt with sufficient compensation.

Fifth Aunt smiled and said: "Xu Yuan, you have indeed made me look at you with new respect."

She had remembered Xu Yuan's name; Xu Yuan was no longer just "Song Lu's friend."

In the future, when Fifth Aunt chatted with her friends, she would always mention Xu Yuan.

Among the great surnames of the Huangming Dynasty, connections were deeply entangled; Xu Yuan's reputation would gradually become well-known.

"Let's go, let's return to Huicheng first."

Fifth Aunt waved her hand: "Come up."

Seeing Fu Jingyu and Song Lu naturally climbed onto the "Morning Tour of the Northern Sea, Evening Rest in the Cangwu" talisman, while Yu Yunhang, with drooping brows and a dejected look, immediately followed suit.

I haven't even ridden such a treasure before.

Since Fifth Aunt did not drive them away, Yu Yunhang beamed with joy.

Xu Yuan searched everywhere: "Da Fu?"

Where has Da Fu gone?

"Ang, ang, ang..."

Suddenly, a goose honk came from behind a dirt mound. Xu Yuan was about to go over and drag Da Fu out when another shout came from behind the mound: "Don't peck, don't peck!"

It was Lin Zi's voice!

Everyone looked at the dirt mound. Da Fu raised his head and chest, flapping his two large webbed feet, running out with a pia, pia, pia sound.

Clamped in his flat beak, which looked like a wooden board clamp, was a soul—Lin Zi, his face full of helplessness.

"My lord Lin..."

Lin Zi smiled awkwardly: "Could you have your auspicious beast put me down first?"

Xu Yuan slapped Da Fu on the head, and Lin Zi's soul fell down.

"This old man... was just a bit worried." Lin Zi, embarrassed, still said: "I also contributed to the extermination of the evil spirits in the master's grave. Could you, in light of this merit, leave an heir for my Lin family?"

Xu Yuan looked at Zhu Sili, guessing: "The true culprit in that case was a family member of my lord Lin?"

Zhu Sili looked at Lin Zi's soul: "It was Lin Shuyu, right?"

Lin Zi nodded, his eyes filled with a hint of pleading: "Sili, you know this child is pitiable..."

Zhu Sili clasped his fists and bowed deeply to Lin Zi, shaking his head as he said: "My lord, I have already missed once; how could I make the same mistake again?"

Lin Zi, despairing and in pain, wept with tears streaming down his face: "That child's nature was good; it was all my fault that ruined him..."

Xu Yuan looked at Lang Xiao Ba, who wore an expression of sudden realization.

Noticing Inspector Xu was looking at him, Lang Xiao Ba hurried forward and whispered in Xu Yuan's ear: "Fifteen years ago, when my lord Lin was still an inspector at the Zhan Cheng Office, while handling a bizarre case, he discovered a nest of Yellow Immortals and, with no room for mercy under the law, executed their entire family.

Little did he know that the one with the highest cultivation among them was traveling abroad. Half a year later, he returned to find his entire family slaughtered, flew into a rage, and took revenge on my lord Lin.

That creature had been lurking near the Lin family. Taking advantage of my lord Lin being away on official business one time, it killed my lord Lin's wife, three concubines, two sons, and one daughter in one breath!

Only the eldest daughter-in-law, who had taken her five-year-old grandson back to her maiden home, escaped this calamity!"

Xu Yuan frowned: "This grandson is Lin Shuyu?"

Lang Xiao Ba nodded: "Exactly. The eldest daughter-in-law died of depression a few years later. Originally a bustling, harmonious family, only the grandfather and grandson were left relying on each other, truly miserable.

But not long after, my lord Lin was promoted to Master of Laws, his official duties became even more busy, and he had little time to accompany his grandson.

Fortunately, Lin Shuyu was very ambitious; by the age of twenty, he was already a Eighth-Rank Divine Cultivator.

But it is said that half a year ago, his cultivation encountered a problem. He has been recovering within the Lin Manor and has never been seen by outsiders again..."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "To the Lin Manor!"

Asking for monthly tickets~

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(End of this chapter)