Chapter 395: Not Enough to Clean Teeth

"Aowu——"

Pi Long opened its mouth and accepted it gladly.

But after actually eating it, Xu Yuan secretly frowned.

This malevolent spirit… isn't entirely a malevolent spirit!

After consuming the bait, Pi Long rapidly refined it.

Xu Yuan discovered that the force driving its transformation toward "dragon" truly came from the Dragon Transformation Method, and he could even discern its origin was a single dragon soul.

Those who cultivate the Dragon Transformation Method all refer to their own souls as dragon souls.

This sliver of dragon soul's power, after merging with the malevolent spirit, granted the spirit certain abilities.

And these abilities are not the spirit's own, but the dragon's.

Thus, this doubly mutated malevolent spirit is, in fact, half malevolent spirit, half dragon.

Xu Yuan shook his head silently again, feeling this description was inaccurate—it should be: pour a single drop of wine into a bucket of water.

But now the bucket of water has the taste of wine.

The abilities come from that sliver of dragon soul, but the power driving them originates from the malevolent spirit.

Pi Long absorbed that sliver of dragon soul; Xu Yuan savored it carefully: "It's a fifth-rank Dragon Transformation Method!"

Too bad the quantity is too small.

No wonder that malevolent spirit charged forward ferociously, yet was easily swallowed by Pi Long.

A single sliver of dragon soul versus a Pi Long truly cultivating the Dragon Transformation Method—no matter how you look at it, the latter holds overwhelming superiority.

Thus, Pi Long quietly came ashore and searched the docks for those doubly mutated malevolent spirits.

But Xu Yuan still had a lingering doubt: whether human or dragon, the soul is exceptionally fragile.

Why would that fifth-rank Fu family member have split off so much of his dragon soul to fuse with malevolent spirits?

It truly defies all understanding.

…

Xu Miao used a talisman to suppress and slay this malevolent spirit; the souls drifting like waterweeds in midair suddenly shuddered, as if awakening at once.

Then, panic-stricken upon realizing their souls had been torn from their bodies, they became a chaotic mess.

"We were on night watch with Lord Xu—how did our souls get snatched out all at once?"

"I need to go back! Get out of my way, don't block me!"

"So cold…."

Several souls even felt certain forces in the night creeping into their bodies.

This is the infection!

They must return to their bodies immediately, then find a way to purge this infection—or they will mutate!

They grew even more panicked.

"Don't panic!" Xu Miao's voice rang out.

She often recited ancient poems and classics, so her voice carried an inherent power that instantly calmed the souls.

"Follow me!"

Xu Miao led these souls back inside the house; they exhaled in relief and each slipped back into their bodies.

But just now, under the night sky, several of these souls had turned and seen the house—yet failed to recognize it as the very place they had been guarding!

Nor did they realize their own bodies were likely inside it.

In their panic and confusion, they were like drowning men, utterly incapable of rational judgment.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Xu Miao waved her hand; the bright, spirited expression that usually graced her face had vanished entirely.

In its place was solemnity… and hesitation.

She turned her head as if by accident, letting her gaze fall upon an angle where she could not see the outside night through door or window cracks.

As if not seeing it meant she wouldn't have to think: in such a night, there were certainly far more than just one doubly mutated malevolent spirit.

If they wished, they could drain the souls of every person below seventh rank on the entire dock!

Xu Miao knew how dangerous they were.

But the night was perilous—especially here, near the canal and bordering Yu Shan and Ghost Wushan!

If a great malevolent spirit emerged and I encountered it…

I have a bright future, and recently I've been valued highly by Lord Luo Gongqiao.

I've barely managed, by exploiting Zhu Zhanlei's refusal, to make my family temporarily stop pushing me into marriage.

I will surely fulfill my ambitions one day and show my parents I'm no worse than my two older brothers.

But then she remembered the Chief Lawkeeper of the Purification Office from earlier that day.

It was said he had rebuked An Chengyuan three times in front of Lord Luo.

Such a man—unyielding, proud, unbending—had lowered himself to beg her for help regarding this malevolent spirit matter.

I had once praised his "public spirit."

Yet now… I am clearly nowhere near "acting for the public good."

If I act this way, crawling and scheming, I'm merely another time-server in the vast bureaucratic machine of the Huangming Empire.

How can I ever fulfill my ambitions?

Without realizing it, Xu Miao turned her face back.

Through the door crack, her gaze faintly caught a slender malevolent spirit slithering down the long street, swaying its body, drawing forth soul after soul from the houses on either side—familiar, practiced, having devoured countless human souls already!

Xu Miao murmured to herself: "Lord Xu, thank you for encouraging me."

She rose and strode outward, barking an order: "All of you, follow me to slay the evils!"

……

Pi Long had eaten four Dragon Evils.

After formally practicing the Dragon Transformation Art, Pi Long was no longer limited to swimming in water—he could walk on land using his claws, or glide like a serpent.

If he exerted every last ounce of strength, he could barely "ride the clouds and summon mist," soaring up to half a man's height and shooting forward three hundred zhang.

Xu Yuan confirmed these dragon souls came from the same person.

Though they were fifth-rank, the quantity was truly minuscule.

Truly speaking: not enough to fill a tooth gap.

But the bait of fifth-rank dragon souls held immense temptation for Xu Yuan.

Thus, Pi Long continued searching relentlessly.

During this process, Xu Yuan noticed battle sounds already echoing from the dock.

The patrol teams stationed in all four directions had detected these Dragon Evils.

Of the four patrol posts, three were led by Xu Yuan's friends: Behind Miao Yu, Zhu Zhanmei, and Xu Miao.

The last one was merely an acquaintance—Lu Renxing, a Deputy Commander of the River Camp.

Suddenly, Pi Long faintly sensed a looming threat.

This feeling came from instinct, an instinct born of the Dragon Transformation Art.

A great evil lies ahead!

Pi Long shrank his body, preparing to detour around it.

If it chased after him, he would flee toward the canal.

Once inside the river, Pi Long was confident he could devour it!

But after walking a while, the great evil did not pursue.

Xu Yuan, however, found this strange.

My lord Xu himself stepped out of the courtyard and arrived here silently.

This was an open space before a major trading house on the dock.

It lay at the intersection of three streets.

Yet now, this intersection had abruptly sprouted a shop.

A blood-red lantern hung before its door.

Inside the open storefront, a horizontal pole hung with a row of iron hooks.

On the hooks dangled over a dozen people!

An old goat was sharpening a boning knife inside the shop.

Suddenly, an evil emerged from the side and entered the flesh shop, gesturing at a man's thigh: "Cut me this piece."

The old goat frowned: "Why not take the pre-cut meat on the table?"

The evil shook its head: "I want fresh meat—and this one's a woman; her flesh is tender."

The person it pointed to was Xu Miao.

(End of Chapter)