[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-nothing-is-taboo":3,"chapter-nothing-is-taboo-nothing-is-taboo-chapter-394":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Nothing Is Taboo",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2310779,4514,"Chapter 394: Evil Origins (Combined Three Parts)","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-394",394,"\u003Cp>Xu Yuan was also taken aback—was evil already so brazen in broad daylight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation at the dock was similar to that in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every corner, every shadowed, hidden spot, was a breeding ground for evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, the evil roaming the dock far outnumbered those in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But during the day, they all hid diligently, daring not to show themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thing lunged with a bite like a venomous snake striking, swift as lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Da Fu lifted one of his webbed feet in a peculiar posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wide footpad spread open—seemingly slow, yet perfectly timed—enveloping the evil’s head in one palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stomped down, and with a thud, pinned it firmly to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Da Fu used his flat beak to peck repeatedly at the evil’s long body: peck, peck, peck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a chef tossing a cleaned eel onto a cutting board and raising his cleaver: peck, peck, peck…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chopped it into segments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Da Fu swallowed each segment whole, stretching his neck to force it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan examined the evil closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thing resembled a four-legged lizard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its body was longer and slimmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind it trailed a rat’s tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its scales were coarser than those of an ordinary four-legged lizard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human face atop its head, after being pecked to death by Da Fu, twisted in agony and dissolved into a wisp of black mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That shriveled human face was a fragment of a broken yin soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the yin soul dispersed, the evil’s true form was revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon closer look, it was a rat’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan found this strange: what kind of evil was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rat tail, rat head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look closer at its four feet—they were clearly rat paws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why was its body long and scaled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When fighting Da Fu just now, the evil had clearly been ninth-rank level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, looking again… it was probably unranked, a minor evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most evils followed a basic rule: the stranger the appearance, the stronger the power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one just now looked monstrous—clearly dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was merely a twisted rat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What puzzled Xu Yuan was how the broken yin soul had clung to the evil’s face like a mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, Da Fu gave Xu Yuan an annoyed look: figure it out yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meal schedule doesn’t feed me anymore—I have to go out and hunt for myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan asked: “Are you feeling unwell? Don’t just eat random things outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Fu widened his goose eyes: what are you saying?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You won’t feed me, and now you won’t even let me find my own food?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Fu turned his head away in a huff and waddled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan didn’t leave right away—he went to the wall’s base and peered into the drain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something else had quickly retreated into the dark depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xu frowned, then spat a jet of fire into the drain without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Squeak-squeak-squeak…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange sound emerged from the drain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fifth-rank alchemist’s fire shot out and spread rapidly along both sides, filling the entire drain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drain stretched over a hundred zhang in length, with several branches along its course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was part of the dock’s drainage system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew how many minor evils lurked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That single blast of fifth-rank fire instantly burned every evil within to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most turned instantly to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few left behind charred bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a handful remained alive near the drain’s end, close to the canal’s outlet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They escaped into the canal and survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan snorted: “You broke the rules first—appearing in broad daylight—don’t blame me for being ruthless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The survivors floated and sank in the water, muttering low, eerie curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who said we appeared in daylight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were hiding perfectly—your stupid goose stuck its neck in and snatched us out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xu didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan turned to leave, then suddenly noticed a wisp of black mist drifting from a crack in the drain’s bricks, ten zhang away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the broken yin soul that had covered the rat’s face!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?” Master Xu sensed something odd—he extended his hand, and his sinew core plunged into that section of the drain, swiftly dragging out a partially burned skeleton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a catfish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its head and tail still retained the catfish’s shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its body, like the rat’s, had become long and serpentine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan used his sinew core to form a net and scanned the entire drain—but found no third similar skeleton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Master Xu felt this was no coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evils at the dock seemed to be shifting toward a certain “form.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan went straight to the Canal Office to inquire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hit a wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The local dock’s River Inspector barely glanced at the evil bones Xu Yuan brought, speaking coldly: “Master Xu, you’ve lived in the city too long—you don’t understand the evils here. Their forms are countless; nothing to be alarmed about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might as well have directly mocked Xu Yuan as “a country bumpkin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone at the Canal Dock held no affection for Xu Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan said no more—it would only waste breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan left the Canal Office and went to his own “Yuan Sheng Hao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He told Yang Shu: “Gather all the clerks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Laicai immediately called all the shop staff over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan described the rat-like evil and asked: “You’re all dock workers—have you ever seen such an evil before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eight clerks present all shook their heads: “We’ve never seen such an evil as you describe, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One young man asked an old man beside him: “Uncle Qi, you’ve worked the docks for decades—have you ever seen this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man thought long and hard, then shook his head: “Never. If you mean lizards with human faces, or rats with snake faces—I’ve seen those.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a rat turning into a snake, then wearing a human face? Never in my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan now understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some lore is better learned from dock workers than from the Canal Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, back to work,” Xu Yuan said, then hurried off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The front courtyard of the Canal Dock was solemn and imposing; the back courtyard was high-walled and deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The walls blocked outside views, and several luxurious annexes had been built inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, four fourth-rank cultivators and An Chengyuan lived there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two fourth-rank cultivators from the Fu family, along with three other Fu clan members, gathered in a dark room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t truly a dark room—only that the Fu family had pasted calligraphy scrolls over every window and door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centered on the round table sat a birdcage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cage was a fifth-rank crafted item!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside was no bird, but a leather puppet dragon stitched from human skin and hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The puppet dragon was only half a foot long, its tail pinned to a crossbar inside the cage by a golden nail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fu family surrounded the cage, watching thin strands of strange black mist seep from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the calligraphy scrolls couldn’t block the mist—they slipped through every crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a cultivator with sharp vision focused closely, they’d see these fine threads were woven from countless invisible, microscopic insects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insects resembled dandruff, yet also dragon scales!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two fourth-rank cultivators were helpless: “We still can’t contain this ‘Nian Sheng’!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Note: Sheng, pronounced shěng, third tone, means calamity—not eye disease.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three who escorted the cage and puppet dragon said: “We did our utmost—layered methods ensured safe transport—but… the Nian Sheng pierced through our barriers a day earlier than expected!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All those evil spirits outside may already have become ‘offspring of corruption’!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t wait any longer—we must depart at dawn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tonight… something’s bound to happen. Keep your mouths shut—no matter what occurs, not a word must leak about our involvement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fu family had always known that bringing out the leather dragon puppet was an extremely risky act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This secret technique is still incomplete; it should never have been used so early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet none of the Fu family members present considered warning outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only thought of distancing themselves if trouble arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire Fu family had been corrupted by the Dragon Transformation Method—selfish and cruel, never caring for others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the birdcage, the tiny leather dragon puppet was alive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It waited, eyes stitched shut, for the two fourth-rank cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to have many grievances, yet its dragon mouth had been sewn shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One fourth-rank said: “Young Master Hongyu, don’t blame us. It was the family that chose you—not our doing. In truth, it may not be such a bad thing for you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leather dragon could not speak, but its whole body trembled, its gaze growing more venomous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth-rank grew angry: “Ungrateful wretch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped speaking to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan told Miao Yu about the “perverse transformation” of the evil spirits at the docks again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Xu Yuan believed these anomalies had been influenced by something, triggering a second perverse transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what exactly had influenced them… Xu Yuan was eighty percent certain it was tied to the Fu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like when the Prince’s Consort arrived in Zhancheng and Xu Yuan was assassinated—everyone immediately knew it was her doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was fine until the Fu family’s second group arrived—and then trouble broke out. If it’s not because of you, explain why it’s so coincidental?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning the situation, Miao Yu found it hard to decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He deeply trusted Xu Yuan, but he also knew Xu Yuan had already hit a wall with the River Administration—and going there himself over this matter would likely yield no results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To get the River Administration to act and prepare against these new evil spirits, one person’s influence isn’t enough,” Miao Yu said. “I need to approach Zhu Zhanlei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Miao Yu asked again: “Do you think these new evil spirits pose a serious threat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’re no worse than the other evil spirits at the docks, it’s not worth the effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan said gravely: “No evil spirit is trivial!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu smiled bitterly: “Alright, let’s go find Zhu Zhanlei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhanlei lived not far from Miao Yu; all the Shanhe Bureau personnel, including Zhu Zhanlei, resided together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already evening when Xu Yuan and Miao Yu arrived; Zhu Zhanlei had finished her shift, changed out of her Shanhe Bureau uniform, and now wore her usual dress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had lost some of her officer’s sternness, gaining instead a delicate, graceful femininity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan couldn’t help but glance at her twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Zhu Zhanlei heard them out, she gave a strange smile: “You’ve come to the wrong person, Master Xu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan frowned: “What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhanlei said calmly: “You come to beg me, a woman… and then you and Miao Yu go layer by layer through the River Administration—there’s a high chance you’ll end up quarreling with their bureaucrats several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wastes all your time, and by nightfall, you still might not get anything done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there is someone else who holds you in high regard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s a favorite of Lord Luo—if you go to her and she agrees, she can mobilize the entire dock immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan was baffled: “Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Miao,” Zhu Zhanlei said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan thought carefully—Xu Miao owed him a favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he’d had ulterior motives…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Xu Miao, it was clearly a debt she owed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan decided to try: “You’re right, Master Zhu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan rose and bowed: “I’ll go see Xu Miao first. If she refuses, we’ll stick to our plan—you and Miao Yu will go to the Yamen  and warn them to increase vigilance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With urgency pressing, Xu Yuan didn’t linger after speaking—he turned and left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his figure passed through the door, Zhu Zhanlei’s pretty face turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, if she refuses, he’ll come crawling back to me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu set down his teacup and slipped away quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’ll have to take Brother Xu to Baiyue Pavilion more often—his female cultivators all act like men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Xu has too little contact with women—he simply doesn’t understand their minds at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stepping outside, Xu Yuan realized he had no idea where Xu Miao lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned back just as Miao Yu emerged, and quickly grabbed him: “Do you know where Xu Miao lives…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu looked at Xu Yuan with pity: “You’re really going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a matter of great importance,” Xu Yuan said, devoted to public duty. “Even if Xu Miao mocks me, I’ll endure it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu sighed: “Follow me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao was a Wen Xiu, and at this moment she was reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, when Xu Yuan and Miao Yu arrived, Xu Miao was also dressed casually, not in her official robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her clothes were loose and comfortable, yet the curves where they should rise rose prominently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivation power doesn’t need to be proclaimed—it reveals itself naturally in subtle, unconscious ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao’s personal maid led Xu Yuan and Miao Yu into her mistress’s study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, the maid smiled slyly: “Only those close to my mistress are allowed into her study.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan kept his head down, thinking all the way about how to persuade Xu Miao to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t hear a word the maid said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t “friends” with Xu Miao—due to Zhu Zhanlei’s involvement, they’d had friction, and he’d been scheming behind the scenes over her artifact…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Xu Yuan knew he’d have to work hard to win her over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to carefully craft his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to his surprise, after hearing the full story, Xu Miao’s expression turned serious: “I was right about Master Xu—your insight is rare indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused, then added: “To possess such public-mindedness is even rarer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her clear, bright eyes, filled with genuine admiration, studied Xu Yuan intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu quickly lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then please help me, Master Xu,” Xu Yuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao smiled warmly: “Don’t worry—I’ll go see Lord Luo right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan rose to take his leave, but Xu Miao said: “Wait—I’ll change into my official robes before seeing Lord Luo. Stay a moment—I’ll see you out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan had just asked for her help—he couldn’t refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao emerged in her official robes and personally escorted Xu Yuan and Miao Yu to the front gate, where they bowed farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Yuan and Miao Yu turned to leave, they saw Zhu Zhanlei approaching from the other end of the street, accompanied by two subordinates, swaying unsteadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zhanlei spotted them leaving Xu Miao’s residence and asked suspiciously: “What were you doing visiting that wicked woman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu quickly clamped his lips shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t say a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miao Yu felt deeply frustrated: I’m turning into one of those three monkeys!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao acted swiftly; soon the docks were in turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour before nightfall, the Shanhe Bureau, the River Camp, and the Cao Bang moved in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Led by the Cao Bang, they cleared out all hidden evil spirits from drains, ruined houses, and other hiding spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were burned and killed; most were driven away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then four temporary squads were organized, stationed at the four corners of the docks, ready to respond quickly if evil spirits appeared at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that nighttime movement was not banned was good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the operations outside, Xu Yuan felt somewhat reassured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, I can use the Leather Dragon to find an opportunity to devour one of these evil spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Xu Yuan’s private motive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These evil spirits likely emerged due to some influence from the Fu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, their form suggests a connection to the Dragon Transformation Method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the River Administration doesn’t take this seriously and doesn’t send forces to exterminate them tonight, Xu Yuan wouldn’t dare act rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know if the Fu family possessed some hidden method to sense these evil spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swallowing one outright might expose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Canal Office had stirred into action; with so many malevolent spirits hunted down tonight, Xu Yuan could take advantage of the chaos to devour one or two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nightfall, one by one, malevolent spirits lifted their heads from the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under cover of night, evil shadows writhed; grotesque mouths dripped saliva toward the living inside houses; sinister winds swept across the sky…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The malevolent spirits driven from the dock at dusk had all returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some that had never been near the dock came too, drawn by the spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On every household’s door was pasted a door god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made them especially agitated and resentful, emitting all manner of eerie shrieks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pottery jar filled with foul blood rolled into the dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foul blood emitted a stench of rot; when it reached a house’s doorway, the odor drifted through the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weary homeowner, exhausted from the day’s labor, smelled a tantalizing aroma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already hungry, he nearly couldn’t resist opening the door to find it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his hand had already grasped the bolt—but at the last moment, he held back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must be a malevolent spirit outside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jar jolted, its foul blood sloshing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent grew even stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The homeowner slapped himself hard, then stuffed his nostrils with rags, breathed through his mouth, and returned to bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jar wobbled, the foul blood clattering inside, as if cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the night sky, an invisible thread drifted by, ignoring the jar entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thing was incompatible with its nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thread drifted further, then collided head-on with a pale-white “spirit aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it simply passed straight through the aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, it spotted a monstrous fish, its body oozing pus, whiskers tangled like claws around its lips, using its transformed, webbed fins to crawl up from the canal, inch by inch toward the dock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thread landed on its body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It fully merged within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, yin fire ignited in the fish’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body rapidly elongated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It greedily devoured the surrounding minor malevolent spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still ravenous, it began hunting indiscriminately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it consumed more, its body grew swiftly—soon stretching over ten feet long—when it suddenly raised its head—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within ten zhang, spectral souls were pulled by an indescribable force, gathering before it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it hesitated, picking and choosing—none seemed satisfactory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In anger, it blew them all apart, then continued writhing, searching nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it passed a row of houses, that indescribable force suddenly tore out a dozen souls from within!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sleeping occupants were snatched from their dreams!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet on every door of those houses, door gods were pasted—yet not one reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally satisfied, it gazed at the dozen souls, finding each beautiful, struggling to choose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It selected one first, placing its face upon its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it opened its mouth and swallowed the rest, storing their faces to wear in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those “Nian Sheng” drifted through the night sky, endlessly seeking suitable targets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the “Zi Nie” happened to drift near the house where Xu Miao led the guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone suddenly felt their souls tremble, like lantern flames in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All except Xu Miao collapsed at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their souls had been pulled away!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao was horrified; she quickly recited the “Song of Righteous Qi,” and the soul-tugging sensation shrank back into the darkness like a beast startled by fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could this be!” Xu Miao thought. “Is this not a malevolent spirit, but human malice? Door gods are pasted—how could a spirit’s trick penetrate?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gripped her talisman brush mountain in one hand, clutched a stack of calligraphy sheets in the other, and carefully pasted them behind the door; peering through the crack:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A malevolent spirit, exactly as Xu Yuan described, stood outside, head held high in triumph, selecting the souls!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this one was far larger than Xu Yuan had described—ten feet long, as thick as a water barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The souls floated like waterweeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dazed and unaware, they drifted above its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao was even more stunned: Is this truly a malevolent spirit?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how had this spirit bypassed the door god’s prohibition?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Miao had no time to ponder—those souls, if devoured, would die for real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She quietly pushed open the door and hurled her brush mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brush mountain transformed into a stone mountain, crashing down with crushing weight—the malevolent spirit was instantly pulverized into pulp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pi Long raised its head from the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It fixed its gaze on the Zi Nie drifting along the street nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zi Nie suddenly sensed it, turned its head, and saw Pi Long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On its human face, clear envy and hatred appeared: How dare you look more like a dragon than I do!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zi Nie erupted in rage, charging forward: If I eat you, I’ll become even more like a dragon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3465,"2026-06-20T12:07:24.624Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","74c7a09994532411273ddabf4e0a488896cc28e45d5c5a1b804ff15cd8d67a2e","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-395","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-393",413,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnothing-is-taboo-cover.jpg"]