Chapter 310: Eerie Calculation

Lady activated the "calculation method," and a gray mist rose before her, enveloping her entirely, making the void around her seem unreal as well.

Within the gray mist, countless moth spirits fluttered around the Lady; on each of their wings were eight strange symbols, resembling numbers and mathematical operators.

Yet they were not the numbers and symbols of the mortal world.

The Lady's eyes bulged outward, splitting into countless tiny hexagonal grids.

Like the compound eyes of a fly.

At the same time, on her head, from beneath her skin and among her flowing hair, seams split open one after another, and from each seam sprouted a bean-sized, ghastly white eyeball!

Those compound eyes closely monitored the changes in the "numbers" on the wings of the surrounding moth spirits.

And those tiny, ghastly white eyeballs stared in all directions, watching the changes within the gray mist.

As if—

Guarding against something that might suddenly pounce from within the gray mist at any moment.

Counting rods spun back and forth between her hands; one side grew while the other diminished.

Gathering and scattering at times, each representing a different "possibility."

The Lady's "calculation method" and Old Yan's actually stemmed from different lineages.

Her school was even more eerie, because the evil spirit they originally "took as a master" was even more bizarre.

The guards stationed around the door outside were all old retainers who had long followed the Lady.

Hearing the dense sound of moths flapping their wings coming from the Lady's room, they were already accustomed to it, never glancing askance.

However, a shop waiter, holding a lantern, came to deliver hot water to the guests in each room.

Hearing the strange sounds, he could not help but investigate.

The closer he approached, the clearer the sounds became...

He involuntarily set down the lantern and wooden bucket in his hands, then traced various seemingly plausible yet actually nonsensical "numbers" in the air with both hands.

The Lady "liked quiet," so her room was located around the corner at the end of the corridor.

All six rooms on both sides of this section of the corridor had been booked by them.

The shop waiter's footsteps had already alerted the guards.

They all looked toward the corner of the corridor.

Then they heard those footsteps growing closer—and growing heavier!

The few exchanged glances, secretly feeling pity, but their actions were resolute.

The Rank Dan Xiu took a deep breath.

The Wu Xiu raised his shield.

The craftsman held a small golden melon in his hand.

Finally, those heavy footsteps rounded the corner of the corridor.

The shop waiter had already been triggered into a grotesque mutation by that sound, though he himself was not yet aware of it.

From his back sprouted seven slender arms like moth legs.

Each one, coordinating with his own two hands, wrote various numbers in the air, as if striving to calculate some result.

But upon seeing those few guards, it suddenly split entirely open, and a gray-black moth insect, two people tall, crawled out from beneath its skin; it hissed strangely, spitting out a curled, sharp proboscis that stabbed toward one of the guards.

If it struck, it would instantly suck the opponent dry until only a layer of human skin remained!

The shop waiter's soul and consciousness were also completely devoured by the evil spirit at that very moment; from then on, this person ceased to exist in either the Yin or Yang realms.

The Wu Xiu raised his shield high—that slender, sharp proboscis clanged as it pierced into the shield, unable to be pulled out for a moment.

Seizing the opportunity, the craftsman threw the small golden melon in his hand.

Snap!

The small golden melon struck the evil spirit and, with a rustling sound, scattered into a field of metal trapping claws!

Click-click-click, they separately clamped onto the evil spirit, then, linked by iron chains, tightened against one another.

With a creaking sound, the evil spirit was completely locked down.

The Rank Dan Xiu opened his mouth: Hoo—

The grotesquely mutated shop waiter writhed and struggled in the flames; just as he was about to scream, the small golden melon, now a locking artifact, sprang out an iron claw that clamped deathly tight onto his mouth.

In no time, this evil spirit was burned to ashes!

Yet the entire process appeared extremely "quiet," disturbing none of the Lady performing her method inside.

The team's coordination was seamless; they had obviously handled many similar situations before.

"Tomorrow, let Ah Bai take the waist token to inform the innkeeper."

The shop waiter's death was thus quietly erased.

In this world, how many people would care if an insignificant shop waiter died? He bumped into something unclean, underwent a grotesque mutation, and was therefore slain by the Captains of the "Demon-Extermination Army."

This was the reason given to the outside world.

These people possessed the waist tokens of the "Demon-Extermination Army"; even if the imperial court investigated, they could find no fault with them.

Yet no one would delve deeper into why someone like the shop waiter would suddenly undergo a grotesque mutation for no apparent reason.

Inside the room, within that gray mist, the densely fluttering moth spirits devoured one another until only a single moth spirit remained; its wings spread, displaying dim, fragmented golden light that formed three characters: Zhang Laoya.

This was the key figure behind the missing goods.

The Lady let out a cold laugh: "How audacious!"

That name immediately suggested someone from the Jianghu sects and gangs.

To the Lady and those she represented, those famous figures of the Jianghu were merely the most laughable group among all the ants.

But these people did frequently, for no apparent reason, encounter a great stroke of bad luck that ruined the affairs of some important personage.

Such situations were indeed difficult to investigate, because these fellows were like rats, capable of hiding in any dark gutter or corner.

The Lady was quite weary; she blew out the lamp and gave an order from outside: "Everyone rest now. Gather your strength for tomorrow's work."

Lying in bed, although the Lady was very tired, she found she could not fall asleep for the life of her.

During the performance of the method just now, there were no errors; everything proceeded smoothly.

Yet the Lady felt uneasy in her heart—precisely because it was too smooth.

By rights, with such a major affair, some "interference" should have appeared during her own "calculation."

Moreover, the Barber and Old Black Dog, a pair of famous old partners within the organization, had already perished in this matter.

This further indicated that the matter of the Cocoon-Eaters was by no means simple.

But after trying tonight, she had obtained this crucial name.

She had originally thought she would need more than three "calculations" to truly obtain a single clue.

Yet she truly could find no problem whatsoever.

"If there truly is a problem... then it must be some vast, immense power in the unseen, influencing my calculation this time by arranging fate."

"Making me perceive no anomaly at all, before handing me a name."

The Lady could not help but laugh: "How could such a refined and exquisite figure exist in a place like Southern Jiaozhi? I am merely frightening myself..."

She shook her head, cast aside the suspicion that had just arisen in her heart, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

In the dream, countless moths flew at her; the Lady transformed her soul into a giant moth, continuously mating with them...

Xu Yuan spent the entire night planning the next step of cultivation for his "Merchant Art."

According to what Zhang Laoya taught, Xu Yuan must now recognize the fundamental concept of his own "Merchant Art."

Thereafter, he would condense a "Dharma Object" based on this.

Only after obtaining a Dharma Object could he, on this foundation, advance to the Sixth Rank.

Regarding the fundamental concept of his own Merchant Art, Xu Yuan had previously been somewhat confused.

But after partnering with Li Yichuan to conduct the business of Xuan Guang Bamboo Paper, the vague idea in Xu Yuan's heart had gradually become clear.

What was lacking now was precisely the "Dharma Object."

The two Craft Objects that Third Lady knew could serve as Dharma Objects, but Xu Yuan was not satisfied.

The best Dharma Object would naturally be condensed from a "Treasure"; Craft Objects were a secondary choice.

But where could one find a suitable Treasure?

After dawn, Xu Yuan called Lang Xiao Ba over to inquire. Lang Xiao Ba said, "My lord, you could ask Great Wei Wei Huoshi about this matter."

"There are some special places within the city that specialize in selling all kinds of strange trinkets, but they are very wary of people from the yamen. However, Great Wei Wei Huoshi must know exactly where these special 'markets' are located."

(End of this chapter)