Chapter 375: The Flesh-Substitution Stratagem (Combined Three Parts)

This monstrous serpent had vines growing from its head and flowers blooming all over its body.

When Li Shu ordered several Dan cultivators to dissect the corpse, they discovered its scales were as hard as rock.

“I get it now…” Li Shu slapped his forehead: “It normally hides among the stone forest, standing upright like a stone…”

They had never encountered a malevolent entity with such an odd habit, and were all deeply astonished.

But to Xu Yuan, it was nothing unusual.

There’s a similar one near Qihe Terrace.

The monstrous serpent was extremely thick; its head, lying flat on the ground, stood over a man’s height.

In comparison, its length wasn’t exaggerated—about five or six zhang.

Several Dan cultivators activated their sword pellets, then ordered Wu Xiu to assist; after more than an hour, they fully dismantled the massive corpse.

Skin, flesh, bones, internal organs—all neatly arranged on the ground like pork cuts in a butcher’s shop.

Li Shu and Rong Rong examined them closely.

“Is anything missing?” Li Shu asked.

Though older and more experienced, he truly lacked Rong Rong’s intimate knowledge of certain matters, having served beside the Princess Consort.

Rong Rong’s face turned grave. She told Li Shu: “Order everyone to withdraw thirty zhang away.”

“Understood!”

After driving away his subordinates, Rong Rong pulled out a lantern.

Li Shu’s expression changed the moment he saw it—he was reluctant but could not refuse.

The lantern’s casing was made of ram’s horn.

Inside, the oil lamp had only a wick, no oil.

With visible anguish, Li Shu released one of his Seventh-Grade Yin Soldiers.

But Rong Rong said: “One may not be enough.”

“Huh?”

Rong Rong pleaded earnestly: “Uncle Li, this is critical!”

Li Shu reluctantly produced another.

Both Yin Soldiers were placed inside the lantern; Rong Rong lit the wick. The soldiers twisted in agony, screaming silently, then melted into oil.

The lantern blazed with blinding light, forcing eyes shut.

Anything illuminated by the light had its spectral image sent to the Princess Consort’s presence.

“Your Highness, please look,” Rong Rong held the lantern, illuminating every part of the monstrous serpent’s corpse.

The Princess Consort instantly identified: “All parts are present—except a fragment of the ‘deformed root’ on its head.”

Most people wouldn’t even know this malevolent entity contained such a tiny deformed root.”

Rong Rong nodded: “Your Highness observes with piercing clarity.”

That fragment of deformed root was only half a foot long, as thick as a finger.

Compared to the monstrous serpent’s massive body, it was easily overlooked.

For instance, Li Shu—he could assemble and disassemble the corpse ten times over and still miss what’s missing.

Because he didn’t even know such a thing as a ‘deformed root’ existed.

The intense light consumed enormous energy; the two Seventh-Grade Yin Soldiers burned rapidly, nearing complete exhaustion.

The Princess Consort’s voice came through the final glow: “That man… has reached the stage of growing horns.”

“Find him. Bring him back…”

The light vanished entirely. Li Shu’s two hard-earned Seventh-Grade Yin Soldiers had yielded only a dozen breaths of distant communication.

But Rong Rong felt it was worth it.

The Princess Consort had given clear orders.

“Scatter and search for traces around!”

…

Xu Yuan and Tian Jing teamed up and easily slew the monstrous serpent.

Xu Yuan deliberately took only that fragment of ‘deformed root.’

This substance, when fed to the Dragon Transformation Art, can accelerate a cultivator’s ‘horn growth.’

And ‘horn growth’ is precisely the hallmark of advancing from Seventh-Grade to Sixth-Grade.

The Princess Consort can use this to gauge the skill level of the one secretly practicing the Dragon Transformation Art.

Still Sixth-Grade—Rong Rong and Li Shu can handle him.

Logically, this makes sense: from the time Fu Shuanghui died, only two months have passed since the Dragon Transformation Art was stolen.

This hidden killer, having absorbed much nourishment from Fu Shuanghui and Fu Chongjiu, has reached the absolute limit of Sixth-Grade.

Though the Princess Consort entrusted this matter to Rong Rong and Li Shu, believing it sufficient, she still felt uneasy.

After thinking, she added: “Xiao Si, you no longer need to guard me—go assist Rong Rong.”

Xiao Si, like Xiao Wu, was of the same origin and already Sixth-Grade.

“Your Highness, if I leave, your personal guard will be insufficient.”

“Don’t worry—Seventeen Uncle watches over you secretly.”

Xiao Si fell silent; the Princess Consort knew he had accepted the order.

The Princess Consort could not yet enter Ghost Witch Mountain, for she feared that Ruan Tianye.

Throughout generations, the Xiang Mansion’s household guards were referred to by numbers.

The previous generation were called ‘Uncle.’

The one before that were called ‘Grandfather.’

Now, in the Xiang Mansion, only one ‘Grandfather’-rank guard remains.

…

Rong Rong and Li Shu soon discovered traces and followed them.

Xu Yuan watched silently from afar, observing the stone forest.

He saw the lantern emit its intense light.

Within the red wood and brass earpiece, he heard Rong Rong speaking to someone—immediately deducing the lantern’s purpose.

Master Xu’s heart swelled with joy.

This team could communicate with the Princess Consort at any time, allowing them to relay every discovered ‘clue’ instantly.

With full knowledge of their movements, the Princess Consort would gradually confirm that the one practicing the Dragon Transformation Art hid within Ghost Witch Mountain.

Only then could she be led into Ghost Witch Mountain.

The subsequent sections of the Dragon Transformation Art he desired now rested entirely on the Princess Consort’s shoulders!

Tian Jing watched as Rong Rong and the others followed the clues Xu Yuan deliberately left, heading toward a specific location, and asked: “My Lord, will this plan work?”

Xu Yuan smiled faintly: “Illusion and reality, reality and illusion.”

Rong Rong and the others soon discovered a makeshift hut.

The hut belonged to Gao Guanzi.

When Master Xu said he needed it, Gao Guanzi willingly offered it without hesitation.

Inside, there were signs of habitation. Li Shu said: “This place was occupied long-term. According to A Chong’s memories, this is where mountain runners rest overnight.”

“That man must be colluding with a mountain runner.”

Li Shu recalled the memories within A Chong’s spirit.

“This is close to Gao Family Village—likely the mountain runner named Gao Guanzi.”

Rong Rong surveyed the hut’s contents and sneered: “Once we capture him, we’ll wipe out Gao Family Village too!”

She hadn’t even left the mountains yet, and had already decided to massacre two villages.

Some ‘twisting’ traces remained inside the hut.

These were made by Tian Jing at Xu Yuan’s instruction.

They looked like…

Someone, asleep, suddenly transformed into a serpent and writhed uncontrollably.

“Perfect!” Rong Rong rejoiced internally—this time, I’ll earn great merit: “Go capture Gao Guanzi.”

Outside the hut, traces were chaotic.

Impossible to follow.

Rong Rong acted decisively: capture Gao Guanzi and extract the man’s whereabouts from him.

Tian Jing, following Master Xu, continued to observe everything silently.

He still remembered yesterday, when Master Xu found Gao Guanzi—he said nothing of purpose, only repeatedly promised immediate rewards.

For example: all mountain goods from Gao Family Village would be bought at Gaohe Terrace at a price fifty percent higher than other villages!

But the extra fifty percent would be settled separately.

Paid by Tian Jing and Jiao.

In other words, this money came from Master Xu’s own pocket.

He could exchange it for anything he wanted.

Another example: if newborn infants in the village were to be sent outside the mountains for upbringing, Xu Yuan could arrange it.

But only after verifying the child bore no ‘problems.’

For example, you can periodically provide medicinal pills to cleanse corruption...

Gao Guanzi heard only three conditions and broke into a cold sweat; he knelt and bowed his head to Xu Yuan: “My lord, stop speaking—what do you need me, Old Gao, to do? Tell me first, so I can judge whether my life is worth selling to you.”

Xu Yuan then explained he was part of the plan’s “self-inflicted wound” ruse.

Gao Guanzi clenched his teeth: “Can all these conditions you’ve stated be fulfilled?”

“If you don’t trust me, you should trust Bai Laoyan. He is the witness to this matter, overseeing my fulfillment of these promises.”

Gao Guanzi gave a bitter laugh: “That bastard sold me out.”

Bai Laoyan knew Gao Guanzi had already passed on all his skills to his son.

With just another decade or so of experience, his son could take over and become the new Mountain Runner of Gao Village.

Thus, Gao Guanzi was a suitable candidate.

Xu Yuan shook his head: “It wasn’t him who betrayed you. If you refuse, I won’t force you. I’m simply laying out the benefits—you decide for yourself.”

Gao Guanzi clenched his teeth again and made another demand: “Find my son a woman from outside. Let him have a grandson. He’ll be the first child raised outside Gao Village.”

A child born to a normal woman from outside would very likely be normal.

Xu Yuan hesitated, then reluctantly agreed: “Fine. If the opportunity arises, I’ll arrange it.”

Gao Guanzi bowed his head again: “Good. I have no other demands—my life is yours, my lord.”

Xu Yuan shook his head: “It’s not that extreme—life and death are each fifty-fifty.”

A Chong had never been to Gao Village, for it lay deep within Ghost Witch Mountain.

He’d only heard a rough general direction.

Rong Rong led her men to search in that direction.

On the way, they “happened” to encounter Gao Guanzi hunting.

Gao Guanzi fled desperately.

He performed it with great effort.

He was better with a bow; he shot all thirty-six arrows he carried, killing two of Rong Rong’s subordinates, before finally having one leg broken and being captured.

At first he remained defiant, enduring torture without confessing.

Later, Rong Rong threatened to destroy Gao Village entirely and produced Yuan Tianye’s official pass, proving she had the power to massacre the village.

Only then did Gao Guanzi submit, answering every question.

Xu Yuan watched secretly and thought: Old Gao wasn’t just selling his life—he was selling his soul.

After this entire performance, even Rong Rong and Li Shu would believe it—let alone if it were me.

Rong Rong asked one question; Gao Guanzi answered one.

When had the man arrived in Ghost Witch Mountain?

Gao Guanzi replied: “About a month ago.”

Rong Rong calculated internally—it matched the time Fu Chongjiu was killed.

What special abilities did the man possess?

Gao Guanzi answered: “He controls thunder, spits lightning, and can summon clouds and rain over a small area.”

Rong Rong grew more certain: These were all the abilities of Fu Chongjiu’s “Fish Becomes Dragon.”

Further detailed questioning confirmed this from multiple angles.

The man who fled into Ghost Witch Mountain had obtained the “Dragon Transformation Scripture” from Fu Chongjiu—or perhaps he was Fu Chongjiu himself, having laid a solid foundation for his own “Dragon Transformation Scripture.”

Rong Rong formed her own theory: According to Xu Yuan’s official report, Fu Chongjiu had been knocked into the Canal and killed by a malevolent force.

That meant no body had been recovered.

This man was very likely the one who accidentally fished Fu Chongjiu’s corpse out of the river.

The more Rong Rong thought, the more certain she became—this must be the truth.

Her deduction was perfectly reasonable; there could be no mistake.

Yet she did not know this was precisely what Master Xu had orchestrated.

Xu Yuan’s entire scheme was to let Rong Rong and Li Shu gradually “investigate” and discover the so-called truth themselves.

People always prefer to believe what they uncover and analyze themselves.

What others tell them, they instinctively doubt.

And Gao Guanzi’s answers were deliberately designed to “clear” Xu Yuan of suspicion.

If the “Dragon Transformation Scripture” came from Fu Chongjiu rather than Fu Shuanghui, Xu Yuan’s suspicion would be slightly reduced.

Whether it would work—whether the Princess would spare Xu Yuan—

It’s worth a try. No harm done.

What if it works?

After the interrogation was nearly complete, Li Shu took over: “What is the man’s name?”

“I don’t know—he never told me. He said he’d angered powerful nobles outside the mountains, which is why he risked hiding here. Knowing his name would bring me no benefit—I thought that made sense.”

Gao Guanzi stared with wide eyes, one eye socket swollen and blackened.

“That guy didn’t lie to me—you’ve come chasing into the mountains, haven’t you?”

Li Shu frowned: “Why are you shielding him?”

“He promised me that if I survived this, he’d repay our village greatly. More importantly, I knew that if you couldn’t find him, I’d still be useful—and alive. Once you find him, I’m dead for sure.”

Gao Guanzi lifted his head proudly: “Did I say anything wrong?”

Li Shu snorted, saying nothing.

Rong Rong gave Li Shu a glance; they stepped aside.

Rong Rong whispered: “Can’t we just kill him and interrogate his soul?”

Li Shu shook his head: “His yin energy is too dense. Kill him, and his soul will immediately twist into something monstrous.”

Rong Rong sighed in regret: “Have him lead us to him.”

Rongrong sighed in regret: “Let him take us to find the person.”

Li Shu returned to Gao Guanzi, pressed one nostril shut, and blew outward.

A pitch-black yin soldier swelled like a bubble and floated out.

It was a Sixth-Rank Yin Soldier; with a whoosh, it leapt onto Gao Guanzi’s back.

“Lead us to him,” Li Shu said coldly. “Don’t even think of escaping—you have no chance.”

Gao Guanzi staggered to his feet.

The yin soldier on his back—no one knew what trick it used—but though it was merely a shadow, Gao Guanzi felt as if he carried a mountain!

Gao Guanzi led them through the eerie, terrifying mountains.

After winding through twists and turns, estimating the time was right, he brought them to a silent, lifeless place.

For twenty li around, not a single sound.

Trees grew twisted and deformed, casting monstrous, grotesque shadows across the forest.

Yet no birds, no small beasts—not even an insect to be seen.

Rong Rong and Li Shu were puzzled; this place was too strange.

Even within Ghost Witch Mountain, it was utterly abnormal.

Li Shu’s mind stirred; the yin soldier suddenly grew unbearably heavy.

With a thud, it crushed Gao Guanzi into the ground.

“What trick are you playing?!”

Gao Guanzi gasped: “What’s there to fear? You hold the pass of that one—no malevolent force in this mountain dares touch you.”

Rong Rong and Li Shu agreed it made sense—but still felt uneasy.

“Why would he hide here?”

“I don’t know,” Gao Guanzi said. “Besides my hut, the place he visited most was the lake ahead. I suspect… he’s using this place to cultivate?”

“Lake?” Certain stages of the Dragon Transformation Scripture do require water cultivation.

Rong Rong thought a moment: “Keep going.”

The crushing weight on Gao Guanzi’s back lessened; he struggled to his feet and continued leading them.

Another four or five li forward, the dense forest vanished, revealing a small lake ahead.

The lake was small, its water dark and murky green.

The surface was utterly still—even under mountain winds, not a ripple stirred.

One couldn’t help suspecting this wasn’t water at all, but a vast slab of glass.

Li Shu studied it closely and noticed the lake’s shape was odd.

It resembled a maple leaf—or perhaps… a giant claw!

Gao Guanzi was tense too. Among them, only he knew this place was once Qidou Village.

This place was eerie and deadly.

Neither he nor Bai Laoyan had ever come this close to the lake.

Years ago, Qidou Village vanished overnight, leaving behind only a massive claw print.

As if something had seized the entire village in one grip.

Back then, Qidou Village vanished overnight, leaving behind only a massive claw print.

It was as if something had seized the entire village and snatched it away.

Afterward, some villages that had once been friendly with Qidou Village sent their mountain runners to investigate the situation.

Three mountain runners disappeared mysteriously at this place, one after another.

Later, this place became a lake, and some mountain runners claimed to have seen a mad “yu” attempting to claim it.

It dove into the lake, swam two laps, then suddenly seemed seized by some invisible colossal entity.

After that, it was dragged into some unknown place.

Since then, that yu never appeared in the mountains again!

Master Xu chose this place because it might be the only spot in Ghost Witch Mountain where someone would dare attack a holder of the Ruan Tianye’s ticket.

Or perhaps, whatever lurks here has no conceptual understanding of Ghost Witch Mountain or Ruan Tianye at all.

Gao Guanzi’s eyes darted around, wondering whether the master’s setup was complete.

The lake surface was so calm, utterly showing no sign.

Rongrong shot Gao Guanzi a sinister glance and said: “Go find them.”

Gao Guanzi didn’t want to go, but the yin soldier on his back had already extended two icy claws—one gripping his throat, the other pressing on his skull.

The claw tips were as sharp as blades.

Gao Guanzi could only walk forward step by step, pretending to be familiar with the place, stopping twenty zhang from the lake’s edge—he dared not approach any closer.

Gao Guanzi called out: “Brother…”

The lake water remained utterly still.

Rongrong and Li Shu immediately grew suspicious—

But then, ripples began to stir on the lake’s surface.

Something beneath the water seemed to be rising.

Rongrong and Li Shu, hidden in the woods, suddenly widened their eyes.

Especially Li Shu.

His six-flow yin soldier was crouched on Gao Guanzi’s back.

The soldier’s eyes were his eyes.

He saw it before Rongrong—a dragon-shaped object rising from the water!

“That thing is really cultivating in the lake!” Both thought it simultaneously.

Li Shu grabbed Rongrong, who was about to move: “Wait for it to surface! If we alarm it, it’ll sink again—and that’ll be harder to handle.”

The “dragon” in the lake seemed to sense something.

Just as it was about to fully emerge, it paused abruptly, then plunged back down at high speed.

“Too late!” Li Shu shouted: “Act now!”

He burst out from the woods first.

Rongrong and the others followed swiftly, rushing toward the lake.

As Rongrong sprinted, she flung out her hand.

A glittering fishing net flew out, swiftly covering the dragon-shaped object in the lake.

This net was far superior to Fu Shuanghui’s.

Splash! The net hit the water and immediately wrapped around the dragon-shaped object.

As the thing seemed trapped, Rongrong’s heart surged with joy: Major success!

Shhh—

The net enclosed the object.

But the object refused to surrender, thrashing inside the net and diving deeper into the lakebed.

Rongrong felt certain now: “You can’t escape!”

This net was specially forged by the Fu family to capture dragon-class entities.

Hers had been reinforced by top-tier artisan cultivators from Nan Du.

Once caught, nothing below the fourth flow could break free.

Li Shu flared his nostrils wide, exhaling a gale that summoned twelve yin soldiers.

Led by a six-flow great yin spirit, they wore artisan-forged battle armor and were highly trained.

The twelve yin soldiers charged into the lake together.

The rest also surged out in a frenzied rush.

The formerly silent lakeshore erupted into chaos.

At this critical moment, Li Shu still remembered the great yin soldier on Gao Guanzi’s back.

With a thought, the yin soldier’s claws tightened—slitting Gao Guanzi’s throat and piercing his skull.

Gao Guanzi collapsed with a thud.

Blood quickly pooled beneath him.

The yin soldier soared into the air, following Li Shu toward the lake.

But Gao Guanzi suddenly rose to his feet and bolted into the woods without hesitation.

His body was unlike a normal human’s.

The head on his neck was merely decorative.

Or rather, it served only to hold his ears.

Gao Guanzi plunged into the woods, not daring to pause for a moment—his decades of survival in the mountains had honed his instinct: That thing was about to emerge!

Above the lake, the very space twisted violently.

Within a twenty-li radius, this once-dead zone suddenly filled with an overwhelming, furious, hateful emotion.

As if this void had been sleeping—and had just been violently awakened.

Those rushing toward the lake suddenly felt themselves flung skyward.

Then their entire bodies were crushed by an invisible, terrifying force.

As if gripped by a colossal claw and squeezed tightly.

Puff!

Not flesh and blood splattering—but vanishing entirely from this mortal world.

Gone without a trace.

Not even a shred of their soul remained.

Li Shu was also snatched into the sky, all his yin soldiers seized at once.

Li Shu screamed: “Ticket! Ticket!”

Rongrong raised the ticket high, displaying it to the entire void.

But the void showed no reaction—as if it had never heard of such a thing.

Puff!

Li Shu vanished too.

Rongrong’s eyes widened in terror, her orange lips trembling: “How… how dare you? This is Ruan Tianye’s ticket…”

Before she finished speaking, she and the last few survivors were snatched into the air with a whoosh.

As she still had control, Rongrong rapidly extended one fingernail on her right hand to a foot long, then stabbed it into her left eye with a hiss.

Her left eye burst like a bubble.

Everything seen through this eye would appear in the Princess’s eyes!

Then—puff!—she too vanished from this mortal world.

But her dying trickery was seized by something.

No one knew how many images would reach the Princess.

Around her, silence returned instantly.

Xu Yuan’s pili dragon quietly sank to the lakebed.

Xu Yuan, ten li away, broke into a cold sweat on his forehead.

Using the pili dragon to mimic someone cultivating the Dragon Transformation Scripture in the water had indeed fooled Rongrong and Li Shu—this was a crucial part of the plan, necessary to lure the Princess.

But after the strange appearance in Qidou Village, Xu Yuan had quietly gripped the Yin-Yang Guillotine.

The pili dragon could share all of Xu Yuan’s tricks.

What his right eye saw, however, sent shockwaves through his spirit…

(End of Chapter)