Chapter 259: Fish Becomes Dragon (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Xu Yuan didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

You ambush me, I sneak attack you.

We're evenly matched.

Who says a good person can't strike from behind?

Old Qin returned from Zhou Family Village and mentioned the "Three Trials," so Xu Yuan guessed this was another scheme by Fu Chongjiu.

The facts proved it true.

Fu Chongjiu had watched Xu Yuan strike out in public through that bronze mirror, then followed Old Qin and the others all the way to Zhou Family Village.

The snakes Old Qin saw yesterday, and every colleague from the Purification Office who experienced everything in Zhou Family Village, were all a single "mirage"!

It was created by Fu Chongjiu using "Dragon Spits Mirage."

Everyone had unknowingly walked into a cloud of "mirage mist."

The only real part of his fabricated illusion was that someone in Zhou Family Village had indeed bought a malevolent entity from the Fish Guild.

The Shanhe Office had long known about the Fish Guild's secret breeding and trafficking of malevolent entities.

Because this wasn't the Fish Guild's business at all—it belonged to a certain patrol inspector under Shanhe's City Office.

He took half the profits from this business every year.

Fu Chongjiu was searching for "Yin Silkworm Leech," then decided this situation was perfect for luring Xu Yuan out.

That's how the Shanhe Office sent that official document to He Youxing.

The patrol inspector's business had to be shut down for three months.

All blame would naturally fall on the Fish Guild.

After three months, when the heat died down, new handlers could be brought in and the business reopened.

It was essentially trading three months' income for a favor from Fu Chongjiu.

His entire scheme targeted primarily Xu Yuan's "Dragon-Slaying Sword."

This weapon was too detrimental to the "Dragon Transformation Method."

But since the moment Xu Yuan saw the document Shanhe sent to He Youxing, he had been secretly on guard.

So when Old Qin noticed something was off in Zhou Family Village and suggested investigating,

Xu Yuan decided to have one of his Rank Dan Xiu impersonate himself.

And he himself would execute a simple "Praying Mantis Catches Cicada, Yellow Bird Waits Behind."

The greatest credit for fooling Fu Chongjiu went to his stepmother.

Lin Wanmo's hastily made shadow puppets, stuck onto the subordinate's body, instantly enveloped him, making his posture and movements indistinguishable.

Even Xu Yuan himself, upon seeing it, felt as if he were watching a Six-Eared Macaque!

Xu Yuan gave several important Longzhu Waidan and artisan artifacts to the subordinate impersonating him.

But the subordinate couldn't control these items.

So every time he used one, he had to shout loudly—ostensibly to boost morale, but actually to signal the hidden Xu my lord which item to activate.

Fu Chongjiu took a sword strike to his "seven-inch weak point," but it wasn't a fatal wound.

He turned to curse Xu Yuan for the sneak attack, then stared in confusion at the "Female Dragon-Slaying Sword" in Xu Yuan's hand.

"How can there be two Dragon-Slaying Swords?"

Xu Yuan gave him no truth: "This one in my hand is the real Dragon-Slaying Sword!"

"Lies!" Fu Chongjiu roared. "I wouldn't be mistaken—if this weren't the true Dragon-Slaying Sword, why would I waste foul silk! I understand—it's the male and female pair!"

Fu Chongjiu's eyes darted wildly, already calculating escape routes.

He had indeed devised a full plan specifically targeting Xu Yuan.

For example, Xu Yuan's "abdominal fire," he had "Dragon Spits Water" and "Face-Blowing Rain" to counter.

Xu Yuan's sinew core, he had "Bone-Dissolving Poison Water" to corrode and sever.

For Xu Yuan's various artisan artifacts, he had several powerful ones brought from home capable of countering them.

As long as the "foul silk" entangled the Dragon-Slaying Sword, Fu Chongjiu believed he could kill Xu Yuan and the Purification Office members with his own strength alone.

Fu Chongjiu's Longzhu Waidan contained no fire, only water and electricity.

Yet he never expected that after so much planning, the first encounter would end with a sneak attack from behind!

This Xu Yuan is even more treacherous!

Now there's still one Dragon-Slaying Sword in the enemy's hands, and I'm wounded—the situation is unfavorable. Retreat.

Fu Chongjiu slashed his blade toward Qin Ze and Di Youzhi.

Compared to Xu Yuan, they were easier to break through.

The instant the blade struck, seven or eight bright bolts of lightning crackled out.

Qin Ze took the first hit, three lightning bolts striking him in succession.

His whole body trembled uncontrollably, every hair standing on end.

Di Youzhi instantly crouched low—only sheer luck saved him.

But this slash carried not only lightning, but also a torrent of pitch-black rain!

Whooshhhhh…

Countless drops of black water slammed into their faces.

"Face-Blowing Rain" fused with "Bone-Dissolving Poison Water"!

The Rank Dan Xiu impersonating Xu Yuan, caught off guard, had a few raindrops land on him—he screamed in agony.

The "rain" corroded deep into his flesh, instantly burning holes the size of raindrops into his body!

Di Youzhi spat out a burst of fire, erecting a wall of flame before him.

He grabbed the Rank Dan Xiu and pulled him behind himself.

"If you have antidote pills, cure yourself!"

The Rank Dan Xiu, writhing in pain, sweated profusely but nodded weakly.

He hurriedly pulled out the antidote pill, but suddenly felt an invisible force flow into his body.

The blood holes no longer hurt as much.

He couldn't help but wonder: What's going on?

Xu Yuan's "Ghost Physician Steals Life" had already been activated in secret.

Di Youzhi turned to look at Qin Ze—Old Qin's entire body was charred black, his hair standing on end.

Fortunately, he had just pulled a shield in front of himself at the critical moment.

The poisonous rain struck the shield, hissing and spewing yellow smoke; it wouldn't take long before it corroded through the forged iron shield.

Old Qin dropped the shield and turned to run.

He even threw away his great guan dao.

This weapon was too heavy, and originally meant for fighting the two-headed demon snake.

Qin Ze's thinking was simple: If you can't beat them, run fast!

Running away? Dropping armor, abandoning weapons—that's standard procedure.

Let the Patrol Inspector deal with you!

If I don't run fast, I'll just be in the way.

Di Youzhi still resented it; he hid the golden pill in the fire and suddenly hurled it to ambush Fu Chongjiu!

But Fu Chongjiu slashed the golden pill in half with one stroke!

Fu Chongjiu's martial skills were extraordinary, even surpassing many Sixth-Rank Wu Xiu!

The golden pill cracked into two pieces with a sharp crack!

Di Youzhi screamed in agony, the fire vanished, and he staggered backward, spitting blood.

Xu Yuan rushed up from behind Fu Chongjiu.

But he felt puzzled and wary.

A sword strike to the seventh inch should have been fatal.

Yet Fu Chongjiu, though gravely wounded, could still flee?

Xu Yuan suddenly pulled out his "Begging Bowl" and began chanting the "Lotus Fall" toward Fu Chongjiu.

Fu Chongjiu was utterly annoyed and casually tossed something at Xu Yuan.

It landed in the Begging Bowl with a clatter.

It was an Eighth-Rank artisan artifact.

To Fu Chongjiu, it was insignificant.

Fu Chongjiu had thoroughly investigated Xu Yuan and knew he had received the "Begging Bowl" as a reward from the General Office.

He also knew the Begging Bowl's flaw: "Don't be greedy."

If you beg and someone gives you something, you can't ask for more.

Xu Yuan's life was valuable—he couldn't just be given any trifle; an Eighth-Rank artisan artifact was perfect!

Last time he directly demanded the Tiger Head Guillotine because Liang Yan didn't understand the Begging Bowl's ability.

Xu Yuan frowned at the artisan artifact in the bowl, picked it up, and sniffed it.

Rank Dan Xiu had extremely sensitive noses.

A faint fishy odor.

Not the stench of a snake.

Xu Yuan suddenly understood: Fu Chongjiu was different from Fu Shuanghui—Fu Shuanghui transformed from snake to dragon; Fu Chongjiu transformed from fish to dragon.

No wonder he could survive a sword strike to the seventh inch.

(End of Chapter)