Chapter 368: Ten Out of Ten (Requesting Monthly Votes)

His stepmother brought Xu Yuan two new artifacts.

She forged a snuff bottle from the material of the Kitchen Witch.

It emitted a peculiar fragrance.

Anyone or any evil spirit who smelled it would briefly lose their sanity and follow the scent in a daze.

This artifact was of fifth rank.

She forged a folding fan from tree eyes, but it had only twelve ribs, corresponding to the remaining twelve tree eyes.

Each time the fan was opened, it could teleport Xu Yuan away.

But the destination was random.

This was an artifact meant for escape.

It could be used only twelve times, each use consuming one rib.

The leftover material had not yet been processed by his stepmother.

For instance, Deng Linyue’s spiderweb and Spider Wife, along with that mass of foul silk—his stepmother planned to fuse them together; she had an idea but hadn’t yet acted.

As for Qi Yue’s material, his stepmother had a concept she was very satisfied with.

So after arriving in Zhan City, she took three hairpins and counting rods from Xu Yuan.

She planned to fuse them into an artifact that might be of fourth rank!

Xu Yuan was very eager for it.

He assured his stepmother: “Tell me whatever material you need. If I don’t have it, I can buy it at the Little West Temple Old Market; if they don’t have it, I can get it on Guanghuo Street.”

On the day of “Forbidden Shadow Stepping,” the city was indeed quiet.

By mid-afternoon, the elder fox sister returned.

“Someone went to Xiapocun today! Even sneakier than us—they seemed to be searching for those water buffaloes.”

Xu Yuan waved his hand and used the sinister art "Dragon Spits Mist" to conjure an image of Gao Wanli: “Is this the person?”

“That’s her!”

Xu Yuan nodded: “She didn’t find those water buffaloes—then what?”

“Before I came back, she just left—seems she headed toward Dongzhai Village.”

Xu Yuan said: “Go back immediately, catch up to her, and watch everything she does.”

The elder sister’s eyes flickered; she thought she couldn’t let this great evil man use them for free anymore.

“What do we get for doing your bidding?”

Xu Yuan smiled slightly: “Think about it—who on Ghost Witch Mountain desires the most powerful sinister technique? I’ll get it for you.”

“Really?”

The elder sister’s eyes lit up.

Xu Yuan nodded: “This official never breaks his word.”

“Fine.”

The fox elder walked off, full of anticipation.

Last time, Xu Yuan had used “Wang Ming” to observe Gao Wanli.

He had noticed something odd.

Gao Wanli wasn’t just an artifact cultivator—she also practiced the “Agricultural Method.”

At any other time, Xu Yuan wouldn’t have suspected anything.

But the aberration in Xiapocun, Black Sister, was created by the Agricultural Method.

Naturally, Xu Yuan kept a watchful eye.

That’s why he went to Miao Yu and obtained detailed records of the Gao family.

Now it seemed clear: Gao Wanli’s “arrangements” weren’t limited to Xiapocun alone.

The Fu family had lost two people, and Fu Chongjiu was one of their most important heirs.

The cocoon food had been stolen; the merchants sent two waves of people, then fell silent.

Xu Yuan wouldn’t foolishly assume they’d let it go.

Now it was clear—they were colluding.

But Xu Yuan didn’t intend to resolve Gao Wanli this time.

He needed the next section of “Transformation Dragon Method” to reach fifth rank before the Half-Month of July.

His own Transformation Dragon Method came from Fu Shuanghui.

Barely qualifies as sixth-rate.

But in truth, it was still slightly below sixth rank.

In his duty room, Xu Yuan stroked his chin, pondering how to set a trap to make Gao Wanli bite, then draw out the Fu family.

But he couldn’t expose himself.

…

Gao Wanli returned only as night fell.

She had spent the whole day traveling to seven or eight villages around Zhan City—truly exhausting.

Gao Wanli had never worked so hard before.

Her hatred toward Xu Yuan and Lin Wanmo gave her tremendous drive.

Back at the yamen, Gao Wanli accidentally met Old Qin.

Old Qin recoiled in shock at her appearance: “What kind of evil thing dares to intrude on my Zhan City Office—oh, oh, it’s Lady Gao! A misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!”

Old Qin had genuinely not recognized her at first glance.

Today was “No Heavy Makeup” day, so Gao Wanli had gone out without cosmetics.

She really was ugly…

With makeup, she was at least tolerable.

Without makeup, covered in dust from a full day’s travel, her hair disheveled, she naturally looked like a monster.

Gao Wanli trembled with rage, her body stiffening.

By the time she recovered, Old Qin had already fled.

“Dog!” Gao Wanli gritted her teeth: “Once I bring down Xu Yuan, I’ll deal with you first!”

Gao Wanli sneered: “Wu Xiu, you’re not handsome, but your body’s strong—don’t be all show and no substance, or you’ll disappoint Old Lady!”

Gao Wanli had already married.

She came from a noble family and possessed extraordinary talent.

But her appearance was simply unacceptable.

Her family had arranged several marriages; everything was settled—until the prospective grooms saw her and flatly refused.

After several rejections, Gao Wanli was deeply wounded. Six years ago, on the street, she saw a strikingly handsome scholar and immediately ordered her subordinates to kidnap him.

The scholar’s family was poor and powerless.

She forced him into marriage.

After that, Gao Wanli let loose—she didn’t have countless lovers, but she had more than two hands could count.

She loved playing mahjong; if she had no business in the afternoon, she’d summon three handsome subordinates to play with her until nightfall, then pick one to spend the night with her.

Old Qin’s disdain for her looks only stirred her defiance.

I’ll have you anyway!

…

Xu Yuan had not only sent the fox sisters to watch Gao Wanli—he also had Lang Xiao Ba secretly observe her courtyard.

As soon as Gao Wanli returned, Xu Yuan went out.

The city gates were already closed, but when Xu Yuan showed his official token, the guards dared not ask questions and quietly opened a crack to let him out.

Xu Yuan found the fox sisters outside the city and ordered: “Lead the way.”

The two little foxes sprinted ahead, and Xu Yuan, wearing his mud mask, followed behind.

Two fluffy tails swished back and forth before his eyes.

Their first stop was Dongzhai Village.

Earlier that day, the elder fox sister had returned and called her sister to chase after Gao Wanli.

Their noses were sharp; they followed the scent and caught up to her quickly.

Dongzhai Village was named after an old irrigation sluice.

It was a large village, with over two hundred households and a thousand people.

Tonight, stars glittered overhead; beside the long-abandoned sluice stood a pond of seven or eight mu.

The water shimmered, silent ripples spreading layer upon layer.

Then dozens of grotesque snake heads emerged from beneath the water.

They didn’t move immediately—just stretched seven or eight feet above the surface, silently gazing at the night sky, as if listening to the surroundings.

During this, their bodies swelled and thickened; their scales began to rot, and from the wounds sprouted clumps of flesh like waterweeds!

The entire pond looked utterly strange and terrifying.

…

Gao Wanli soaked in a hot bath, then lay comfortably on her bed, unable to help smiling.

Although the aberrations in Xiapocun had vanished for some reason, the other villages had succeeded.

Tomorrow, a series of devastating news will return to Zhan City.

Xu Yuan will surely be powerless to turn the tide.

As for the hundreds of innocent villagers who perished in the mouths of evil spirits... she didn’t care at all; they were just common folk, their lives as cheap as wild grass—dead, they were dead.

(End of Chapter)