[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele":3,"chapter-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-115":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Invincible Female Ghost Is A Bit Of A Hopeless Romantic",{"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},1706494,2180,"Chapter 115: Beauty Porcelain","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-115",115,"\u003Cp>Night completely swallowed the last outline of the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Innkeeper Hu came in carrying a greasy wooden tray, his footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the silent common room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tray were five bowls of hot noodle soup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soup was turbid and murky, with a few pieces of rotten vegetable leaves floating on top. Two slices of fatty meat were so thin they were translucent, clinging greasily to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unbearably sweet aroma mixed with the steam, aggressively drilling into their nostrils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn't the scent of food. It was more like a piece of rotting fat smothered with damp, cheap rouge powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please enjoy your meal slowly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Innkeeper Hu put down the tray. The left sleeve of his shirt inadvertently pulled up half an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the flawed glaze on a poorly fired piece of cheap porcelain, it showed signs of \"glaze peeling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Innkeeper.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's voice was calm, yet it landed with weight in this room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long has this inn been open?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Innkeeper Hu's motion of setting down the tray paused for a moment. His murky eyes turned to Lu Yuan, a flash of wariness and impatience passing through them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Passed down from my ancestors. At least seventy or eighty years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan picked up his chopsticks. He didn't touch the noodles, but instead lightly tapped them against the rim of the bowl, producing a crisp sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So this cooking skill is also passed down from your ancestors?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone didn't change, his face still expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The noodles are mushy like mud. Failure!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The soup base reeks of fishy odor. Failure!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The side dishes aren't fresh. Failure!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Especially these two slices of fatty meat. If you want to cut them thin, then cut them properly! Look at what you've cut here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Far worse than Lanzhou beef hand-pulled noodles!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A complete failure among failures!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's words left Shen Shulan and the others beside him dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the senior uncle is also a food connoisseur?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Innkeeper Hu looked even more confused. What on earth was this kid babbling about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's question was abrupt, even carrying a hint of picking a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was exactly the effect Lu Yuan wanted. He wanted to see what flaws this innkeeper, who was clearly hiding secrets, would reveal when pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Innkeeper Hu didn't seem to have any intention of getting entangled with Lu Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thick flesh on Innkeeper Hu's face twitched. The fresh scratch marks on his cheek glowed a dark red under the oil lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forced out a stiff smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a humble mountain wilderness inn, can't compare to the big restaurants in the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please make do with this, everyone. I'll go check if the horse fodder has been topped up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Innkeeper Hu turned and left. The moment the door curtain fell, that sickly sweet aroma grew even more intense inside the common room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent was pervasive, like invisible insects trying to crawl into the seven orifices of a person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this moment, Shen Shulan had already taken action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She immediately took out a silver box, placed it on the edge of the kang bed, and opened it gently and slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The box was lined with dark green velvet, on which seven objects were neatly arranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Uncle, please move the oil lamp closer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan's voice was clear and cold, but her eyes were exceptionally focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lu Yuan could move, Tan Jiji immediately stepped forward to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan curled his lip, said nothing, and instead turned to start carefully observing the items in this common room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan's slender hand picked up a three-inch silver needle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The needle body was as fine as a hair, but the tip was triangular, engraved with dense cloud and thunder patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her wrist was as steady as a rock, slowly inserting the needle tip into the murky noodle soup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the needle tip submerged into the turbid soup—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sizzle—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An extremely faint sound, like a drop of water splashing onto a red-hot branding iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centered on the needle tip, the color of the soup surface changed rapidly, shifting from a murky yellow-white to a bizarre, nauseating pinkish-white!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more horrifying was that the steaming heat didn't dissipate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It twisted and condensed into several faint pink wisps of smoke, swirling and sinking about an inch above the bowl's rim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like imprisoned resentful souls, unable to escape, forced to fall back into the soup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The heat vapor condenses but doesn't disperse, showing abnormal color when encountering the yang needle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan slightly furrowed her brows and withdrew the silver needle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The triangular needle tip was already coated with a layer of sticky, pinkish-white paste-like substance, slowly dripping downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not poison.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stood not far away, staring at the paste-like substance, and said solemnly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Poison harms the form, foul qi harms the spirit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This thing is meant to replace a person from the inside out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan strongly agreed with Lu Yuan's words. She looked at Lu Yuan and nodded repeatedly, saying,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Uncle is right. It's altering the qi!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding Lu Yuan, Shen Shulan truly admired him endlessly. He seemed to know everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Shen Shulan wasn't unfamiliar with people like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, such people weren't uncommon at Wuqing Temple. Without mentioning others, just take Shen Shulan's father, Shen Jizhou, as an example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan had grown up seeing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those people, without exception, were all old men. Someone as young as Lu Yuan, yet understanding so much...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan had truly never seen anyone like him before!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, that night when Celestial Master He Xun was talking with Shen Jizhou, Shen Shulan was right there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also knew that this senior uncle of hers, Lu Yuan, was someone who had only just entered the mountain sect a year and a half ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she learned this, Shen Shulan's admiration for Lu Yuan soared to new heights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Shen Shulan finished speaking, Tan Jiji looked curious and leaned over to ask,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Altering the qi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unclear whether Tan Jiji genuinely didn't know or was just looking for an opportunity to get closer to Shen Shulan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was quite obvious that Shen Shulan didn't appreciate this method of getting close. Hmm...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it might also be that she didn't like Tan Jiji the person, rather than the method...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But due to the politeness ingrained in her since childhood, Shen Shulan still responded seriously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It means changing the original aura and complexion of a person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Shen Shulan looked towards Lu Yuan, who was wandering around the room inspecting things, and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Long-term consumption will cause a person's yang energy to slowly be eroded and replaced by this 'porcelain powder qi.'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The skin will gradually lose the luster of a living person, becoming smooth, cold, reflective... just like porcelain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan felt what she said was absolutely correct, but she still instinctively wanted Lu Yuan's approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This feeling was rather strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like one plus one equals two, which was undeniably correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shen Shulan just wanted to see Lu Yuan nod, as if that would confirm she was truly right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan, who was observing the room, gave a slight nod and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint hint of joy from being recognized flashed in Shen Shulan's beautiful eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an beside her subconsciously touched their own faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, seemingly remembering Young Master Sun's deathly pale, bluish face from earlier, they quickly moved farther away from the noodle soup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid they might also turn into that state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan then put down the silver needle and picked up a green jade bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using chopsticks, she carefully picked up a slice of fatty meat along with a little soup and placed it in the bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingertips formed a hand seal as she rapidly chanted in a low voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Taiqing reveals form, foul substance shows its shadow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A point of clear light the size of a grain of rice shot from her fingertip into the bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soup and meat in the bowl trembled violently!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unbelievable scene unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soup separated into layers on its own. The top layer floated with a rainbow-colored oily film—corpse oil mixed with aged rouge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle layer of soup turned into a pure pinkish-white—porcelain clay mixed with unknown pollen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that thin slice of fatty meat shriveled and faded at a visible rate,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately turning into a translucent, congealed-fat-like texture, its surface gleaming with an oily, glazed luster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no longer meat, but a... tiny piece of porcelain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The bottom layer...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan's voice carried a slight tremor. She gently used the tip of her chopsticks to stir the grayish-white residue at the bottom of the bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mixed within the residue were some extremely tiny, crystalline particles that reflected a chilling, fragmented light under the lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's bone powder...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan took a sharp breath and looked up at Lu Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Uncle, it's not animal bone. It's human bone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a woman's finger bone, fired in a kiln for who knows how many years, then ground into powder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This bowl of soup... uses human bone as seasoning, corpse oil as the soup base. It's meant to turn the person who eats it into a living 'Beauty Porcelain'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's expression showed no ripple, as if Shen Shulan's shocking discovery was already within his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply turned around and beckoned towards the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone, come here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was soft, yet like a nail driven into the tense heartstrings of everyone present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Jiji and Xu Erxiao immediately followed, gathering behind Lu Yuan, even their breathing quieted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stood by the earthen wall at the innermost part of the common room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dim light of the oil lamp stretched his shadow long, like a silent ghost on the mottled wall, swaying gently with the flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't turn back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just raised his hand, pressed the pad of his index finger against the wall, and slowly brushed it across.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wall was pasted with a layer of yellowed old newspaper. The corners of the paper had long since curled up, revealing the dark plaster underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's fingertip finally stopped at a corner with printed text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fengtian Commercial News - July, Guangxu Year 23.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the date, there was another line of blurred small text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kiln Master Liu respectfully informs all quarters: The newly fired 'Beauty Porcelain' will be opened at Mid-Autumn Festival. Your esteemed appreciation is humbly requested.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guang... Guangxu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao leaned in, his eyes wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Brother, this newspaper... is from the Qing demon era?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was full of disbelief, then he scratched his head and muttered somewhat awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... then what's the big deal, Brother Lu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't it pretty normal for rural places to use old newspapers to paste walls?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our village has plenty of those in old, broken-down houses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this didn't require Lu Yuan to explain. Wang Cheng'an, standing nearby, gave Xu Erxiao a slap on the back of his head and scolded in a low voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're so stupid!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at this newspaper! Although it's old, you can still touch it and peel it off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it really were from Guangxu Year 23 till now, it would crumble to dust at the slightest touch!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This newspaper was pasted up at most a few years ago!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xu Erxiao could react to Wang Cheng'an's words, Lu Yuan spoke up again,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan turned and walked towards an old square table in the corner. A single pair of chopsticks sat lonely on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bamboo, very ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the end of each chopstick, a small section of faded red cord was tied into a simple ruyi knot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chopsticks tied with red cord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan picked up the chopsticks, holding one end in each hand, and suddenly pulled them apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red cord tightened, making a faint \"creak\" sound, but it was exceptionally sturdy and didn't break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An old rule from kiln sites beyond the Great Wall back in the day, called 'Kiln site meal, red cord ties.'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice sounded especially clear in the silent room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kiln workers eating must have their chopsticks tied with red cord, to prevent the 'porcelain spirits' fired in the kilns from stealing the yang energy of the living.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone listened, dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan put down the chopsticks, his gaze sweeping over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But this old custom was abolished in the early Republic of China era. Kiln factories beyond the Great Wall adopted Western methods and stopped doing this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If these chopsticks were left over from long ago, they wouldn't be this new, and the cord wouldn't be this sturdy—it would break with one pull.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the four of them looked at each other after hearing Lu Yuan's words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They seemed to understand a little of what he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything here seemed like it had been moved, intact, from some point long ago to the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lu Yuan's gaze settled on an object in the farthest corner of the kang bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed over there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If everything before could be considered coincidence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then adding this, it absolutely isn't.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a ceramic chamber pot, crudely shaped, even the spout was a bit crooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on its earthen-yellow body, a few simple strokes of black pigment painted a crude lotus pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That lotus was painted upside down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seedpod faced down, the petals faced up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Upside-down lotus.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan said coldly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a burial object used for those who died violent deaths.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In a living person's home, let alone an inn, such a patterned utensil would never be used, unless...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao swallowed his saliva and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unless this room was originally meant for the dead to live in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan neither nodded nor shook his head, but continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not that simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn't just a grave from the Guangxu era. We have also stepped into this grave's illusion formation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pausing here, Lu Yuan thought carefully for a moment before saying,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be precise, we have already entered the Nurturing Malevolence Site of the Beauty Porcelain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a kiln site.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's an outer kiln... that is currently firing living person porcelain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the exchanged glances of the others, Lu Yuan walked alone to the door and looked outside again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor was pitch black, but that sickly sweet aroma grew even stronger, seeping in through the cracks under the door and around the windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the direction of the main room, the delicate laughter of women faintly came again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time the sound was clearer, mixed with the light \"ding-dang\" sound of porcelain gently colliding, as if someone was playing with cups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Listen more carefully.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan lowered his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone held their breath and focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That delicate laughter... didn't seem to come from the main room just a wall away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it seemed to float over from a very, very far place, separated by water, separated by mist, faint and ethereal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tail end of the laughter carried a strange, hollow echo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like someone speaking inside a huge porcelain kiln, the sound hitting the smooth kiln walls and bouncing back again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more bizarre was the rhythm of the laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too regular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a recorded opera passage being played on repeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every delicate laugh, every pause, even every breath in between, was exactly the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening for a few cycles, everyone could even predict the exact moment the next laugh would sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn't a living person laughing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Jiji, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a recorded sound...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or rather, it's some kind of 'sound remnant' that was recorded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Being played back repeatedly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame of the oil lamp flickered without any wind, jumping violently, stretching everyone's shadows on the wall like ghosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dead silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air inside the common room seemed soaked and solidified by that sickly sweet aroma, pressing heavily on everyone's hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just think, who were the people present?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan and Shen Shulan, two genuine Celestial Masters!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this Tan Jiji beside them... well...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, since he dared to go alone to cause trouble for the Commanding Ghosts Liu Family, he certainly couldn't be weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Tan Jiji also said it was because the Punishing the Netherworld family's techniques naturally countered the Commanding Ghosts Liu Family's techniques!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from a day of interaction, Tan Jiji could be seen as a very low-key person. Saying that was mostly humility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Jiji's strength should not be underestimated. At the very least, he should be around the Celestial Master Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How rare Celestial Masters were has been mentioned before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't look at Lu Yuan and the people around him, as if they're all Celestial Masters, and think Celestial Masters are a dime a dozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, in the vast lands beyond the Great Wall, there are only that many Celestial Masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestial Masters can truly be said to be the top-tier combat strength of the Daoist sects beyond the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these three Celestial Masters actually stepped into someone else's illusion formation without any awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was enough to show that the danger of this place far exceeded imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's gaze fell on that chamber pot painted with the upside-down lotus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the Nurturing Malevolence Site at Luo Yan Slope could operate safely for decades without being broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The root of it lay in this inn where the living should not approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knows how many curious people entered this door and never came out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gulp.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an's Adam's apples bobbed. Their faces turned somewhat pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the sight of Lu Yuan's calm back, that fear from the depths of their hearts was forcibly suppressed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Brother Lu here, the sky won't fall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao steadied himself, mustering his courage to speak,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What lousy illusion formation, it only scares amateurs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wasn't it seen through by Brother Lu with just one glance!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Cheng'an nodded repeatedly beside him, as if cheering himself on,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly! In front of Brother Lu, they're all paper tigers!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the two half-grown boys' flattery to bolster their own courage, Lu Yuan's face showed no trace of relaxation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, his voice carrying an unprecedented gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it's very powerful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To make all three of us fall into it without any awareness, this formation has already reached a profound level.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The reason it left so many 'flaws' isn't because it's weak, but because it 'can't see'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's words made everyone's expressions shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can't see?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing everyone's confusion, Lu Yuan slowly explained,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This entire illusion formation is constructed based on Liu Ruyan's resentment and memories.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is to say, everything here is a reflection of the world before her death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, he noticed even Shen Shulan and Tan Jiji's expressions were tense to the extreme. The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive it felt ready to explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan shifted the topic, deliberately using a light-hearted tone,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's like a little kid having a spring dream. The moment it reaches the critical point, he wakes up, or the dream shifts to something else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because the little brat hasn't experienced it, so even in dreams he can't conjure it up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh right, forgot. Except for Lu Yuan, everyone present seemed to be...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan ignored everyone's awkwardness, surveying this room filled with late Qing dynasty remnants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liu Ruyan died in the past, so the illusion she created has newspapers from that era, has the old customs of kiln workers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But she hasn't seen things from our era, so she 'can't imagine' them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She can only clumsily imitate and replace them with objects from her memory, which is why there are flaws we can spot everywhere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, it's not that the illusion is weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's voice sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's that we... come from a future it cannot comprehend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Shen Shulan and Tan Jiji's faces completely darken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They instantly understood the deeper meaning in Lu Yuan's words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strength of this illusion formation lay precisely in its \"reality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were truly a group of travelers from the Guangxu era, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything wrong until the moment they were turned into \"living person porcelain\"!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We must break the formation immediately!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Shulan's voice was clear and cold, her fingertips already holding a seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Jiji also said solemnly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Staying in a place like this for too long will constantly erode a living person's yang energy. By the time the formation is broken, the person would already be ruined.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right at that moment, the commotion from the main room suddenly grew louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if a silent play had reached its climax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone immediately gathered by the window, peeling open that hole again to look outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main room, the three \"women\" accompanying the drinking had stood up at some point and were now surrounding Young Master Sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One wearing a water-red blouse, with her back to the window, raised her arms high, as if stretching in an extremely seductive manner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the light, a clear line appeared on her exposed nape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn't the texture of human skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the \"joining line\" left when two pieces of clay were joined during porcelain firing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The line flowed with an eerie smoothness, extending from the center of her nape all the way down, disappearing deep into her collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not parasitism.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's 'replacement'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan said decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Replacement\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone abruptly turned to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Some evil entities cannot directly occupy a living person's body. So they use special materials, like jade, porcelain, or wood, to first sculpt a 'false body'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then they slowly extract the living person's Three Souls and Seven Souls, strand by strand, and guide them into the false body.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan's voice was terrifyingly low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This process is very slow. The person being 'replaced' might not even notice, only feeling themselves becoming more and more 'beautiful,' their skin more and more 'smooth'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Until one day, their soul is completely drained, fully merging with that object, while their original true body turns into a withered skeleton.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao took a sharp breath, his teeth chattering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... then that grandson...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan let go of the window paper, his eyes icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is already in the process of being 'replaced,' and it's nearly complete.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Flesh turning porcelain-like, yang energy mixed with death energy... He's not far from becoming a thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the words fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the door, a rustling sound suddenly came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound was very light, very fragmented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like countless feet wearing embroidered shoes lightly scraping the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or like... a pile of porcelain pieces gently colliding in the darkness, making faint crisp sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound grew from far to near, finally stopping right outside the common room door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame of the oil lamp suddenly dimmed, the light weakening by thirty percent. The entire room grew dusky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thick door curtain, without a trace of wind, slowly lifted a crack on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An eye without a pupil, the whites showing a porcelain-like cold luster, pressed tightly against that crack in the door, peering inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, it met Lu Yuan's gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>",3905,"2026-06-06T14:45:54.833Z",1,"novelbin.me","3689f9efff94ee55f6d1f5eba5ebbdd8b96c0905558820a1a5a8b107202b14a5","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-116","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-114",241,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-cover.jpg"]