Chapter 278: Rotting Illness (Request for Monthly Votes)

Three dream-eaters in the warehouse of the Canal Office had once smelled the fragrance of "Xiang Yu Zhi."

But although this cosmetic powder was expensive, there were not few families in the city who could afford it.

Yet none of those women should have appeared in this shack.

As Xu Yuan thought of "Xiang Yu Zhi," he lost focus for a moment; the rotting eyeball stopped moving and stared at him—after being stared at for a while, the "rotting" illness spread to Xu Yuan's body!

The rot began from the skin around the eyes and spread across the entire face!

Xu Yuan's figure staggered, breaking free from that illness-induced gaze.

If stared at for a while longer, this "illness" would spread from the body further into Xu Yuan's soul!

Xu Yuan was not worried about the illness on his body; after breaking the "gaze," he immediately used his medicinal pills to treat it.

Detoxify, regenerate skin.

It quickly returned to normal.

The first half of this strange technique posed almost no threat to Xu Yuan.

But if it reached the second half and truly infected the soul, Xu Yuan would be in great trouble, possibly even suffering permanent damage to his soul!

However, this strange technique required "gazing" at the target, making the conditions too harsh to fulfill.

Nevertheless, Xu Yuan remained greatly interested and prepared to seal it within the Mud Mask.

The rotting eyeball moved dexterously in the water, still seeking an opportunity to launch the illness gaze.

Its maggots were all dead; apart from this strange technique, it had no other means to threaten Lord Xu.

But Xu Yuan was even more agile than it.

Xu Yuan could even borrow the Longzhu Waidan to transform his lower body into a snake tail or fish tail, making him even more agile in the water.

Even if Xu Yuan did not do this, under the enhancement of the "Dragon Transformation Method," his body's various attributes were at the level of a sixth-rank Wu Xiu.

With a few agile dodges and turns, the rotting eyeball lost Xu Yuan's trail.

After all, an eyeball suffering from eye disease had poor vision.

It spun around on the water surface like a large ball, failing to find that living person again, but suddenly saw a kindred one, standing side by side with itself in the rain at some unknown time.

The other had a blurred, indistinct face.

But the rotting eyeball naturally felt a sense of recognition toward it, believing it had come to help it deal with that living person.

That kindred one unknowingly approached itself, then extended a thick tentacle to stroke it.

The rotting eyeball interpreted this action as a gesture of friendliness.

Just as living people clasp their fists when meeting each other.

But after the other's tentacle stroked it for a moment, the rotting eyeball suddenly felt as though it had lost something.

Yet it did not know exactly what it had lost.

While the rotting eyeball was confused and thinking, that friendly kindred one suddenly stabbed a long knife into its body!

The eyeball trembled violently:

Betrayal!

Ambush!

Deception!

The rotting eyeball was filled with rage and a deep pain: I trusted it so much...

Massive lightning erupted from the long knife; the rotting eyeball could not hold on for long and completely turned into a black carbon ball.

Xu Yuan removed the Mud Mask and sheathed the long knife.

The Mud Mask had already "sealed" the illness gaze strange technique.

After handling the strange thief case, Xu Yuan would find a way to refine this strange technique into a Longzhu Waidan.

Then, using the "reforging" method of a sixth-rank Rank Dan Xiu, he would raise the level of this Longzhu Waidan by one rank.

The biggest problem with the illness gaze was that it required too long a gazing time.

After increasing the rank, this time would be shortened.

The members of the Filth-Cleansing Bureau hurried forward, and Xu Yuan ordered, "Clean this up."

Then, with suspicions about "Xiang Yu Zhi" in his heart, Xu Yuan searched around the shack.

But the shack had been completely shattered and washed away by the heavy rain, making it truly difficult to find any clues.

But there was no doubt that the rotting eyeball's predecessor, that gambling-addicted grave robber, had once come into contact with a woman who used "Xiang Yu Zhi."

Since no clues could be found here, Xu Yuan ordered Di Youzhi: "You continue cleaning; I, this official, will go check the situation at Behind Miao Yu's place."

Di Youzhi quickly arranged for two brothers to follow my lord and await orders.

The gambling-addict assigned to Behind Miao Yu was located two wards away, occupying a dilapidated courtyard no one lived in.

More than half of the courtyard wall had collapsed; of the three rooms, two allowed one to see the stars directly from inside at night.

Only the smallest side room in front was still habitable.

When Xu Yuan arrived, the battle here had already ended.

Mao Dabin and his subordinates were handling the scene.

Upon seeing Xu Yuan, Behind Miao Yu sighed: "Fortunately, you found those two gamblers in time. When we arrived, that fellow had already strange-transformed into a swarm of strange insects, crawling out of the house, preparing to devour the surrounding neighbors."

Looking at the insect corpses scattered everywhere, Xu Yuan gave Behind Miao Yu a thumbs-up: "My lord handled it cleanly and thoroughly."

Behind Miao Yu waved his hand, thinking to himself: If we can recruit Xu Yuan in the future, under my leadership, the Shanhe Bureau's City Office could also get involved in strange cases within the city.

If not... then just guarding the canal would suffice.

Competing with the Filth-Cleansing Bureau within the city offered no advantage.

Xu Yuan said, "I will go in and take a look."

Behind Miao Yu made a gesture inviting him to proceed; Xu Yuan entered the courtyard, walking as if casually while sniffing lightly with his nose.

The entire courtyard reeked with a foul stench.

Those insects were truly too foul-smelling.

Only when he reached the small hut where the notorious gambler lived did Xu Yuan suddenly smell that familiar fragrance again.

Xu Yuan could now reasonably guess: the members of this gang must have all come into contact with that woman who used the "Xiang Yu Zhi."

Xu Yuan walked around the room, seeing several broken clay jars and some iron boxes, their surfaces carved with patterns.

Mao Dabin was very familiar with these items and explained to his lord: "They were all brought out from a tomb."

Judging by these items, this group are habitual offenders; they have robbed several tombs."

Xu Yuan nodded.

Mao Dabin then let out a cold, chuckling laugh and said, "Walk too many dark roads, and you will eventually meet a ghost. This fellow did too many wicked deeds; the ghosts have turned into a swarm of corpse worms."

As he spoke, Mao Dabin kicked a few dead insects on the ground with his foot.

"These are corpse worms?" Xu Yuan asked, curious.

"Yes, and they are flying insects formed from corpse maggots."

Xu Yuan frowned, thought for a moment, and said nothing for the time being.

Since there was nothing for Miao Yu to do here, he took his leave of Xu Yuan and prepared to return to the Shanhe Office.

Xu Yuan asked, "Lord Miao, did you find out where the last ancient tomb this group robbed is located?"

Miao Yu looked at him in confusion: "What do you plan to do?"

Miao Yu felt that Xu Yuan would not act without cause; asking about that ancient tomb must have some purpose.

Xu Yuan said, "Since there is nothing else to do, let's go take a look."

Miao Yu then said, "I will go with you."

"I'm just going to take a casual look..." Xu Yuan did not want him along.

But Miao Yu was not easily fooled: "If you do not take this official with you, this official will not tell you where that tomb is."

Xu Yuan smiled bitterly: "Very well then. Since my lord is also interested, let us go together."

Xu Yuan suddenly wanted to visit that ancient tomb because a somewhat fanciful guess had just occurred to him:

Could the woman this gang came into contact with, the one who used the "Xiang Yu Zhi," be the so-called concubine of a certain dynasty in Southern Jiaozhi within that ancient tomb?

(End of this chapter)