What sort of person is Chen Mo?
Previously, Li Yuan's impression of him was: an Imperial Consort's lapdog, of average strength, fond of frequenting brothels.
Yet that day on the training ground, Chen Mo's overwhelmingly dominant performance made her realize that this young master was not as simple as she had imagined.
In terms of Sword Way, Li Yuan thought herself second to none, never defeated amongst her peers.
Towards this man who had taken her first time, she couldn't help but develop great "interest."
Especially after witnessing that terrifying Sword Intent, defeating Chen Mo had become her obsession.
Even though she had experienced it in the Illusory World too...
But this so-called "arch-enemy," a frivolous debauchee who had been disrespecting her not long ago, spared no expense of his own life, unleashing a stunning dragon-slaying slash, saving her from the clutches of the demon!
Confused, lost, with a touch of heartache... an array of emotions surged in her heart.
Li Yuan's mind went blank as she stared blankly at the figure standing in the rain.
...
"Mr. General!"
Qin Shou's eyes were bloodshot, his face distorted with rage.
Before transforming, Lady Liu had swallowed all the black mist into her body.
As everyone's sight returned, they witnessed the scene before them, leaving them with an indescribable shock!
Her flesh was mostly burned away, leaving only her stark white bones, resembling dry bones in a tomb!
Despite this, she stood her ground without retreating, single-handedly slaying the evil demon!
What kind of courage and valiance was this?!
Li Yuan snapped out of her reverie as exclamations arose. She stumbled over, catching the teetering figure.
A mist formed in her eyes, her voice choked up:
"Scoundrel, you're not allowed to die! I won't let you die!"
"Ss, you think you're the Living Yama, needing your permission to die... and who told you I'm going to die?"
Chen Mo, enduring the pain, replied irritably.
His appearance was tragic, but his vital points remained unharmed.
Within his critical acupoints, the Life Essence continuously flowed, repairing his damaged body.
That Lady Liu's methods were peculiar, extremely restraining to Martial Artists, if not for the Imperial Consort bestowing the Nine Revolutions Green Origin Pill as a last resort, he might have truly met his doom today!
[Dog-like lackey, you had better stay alive for me.]
Remembering Yu Youhan's cold demeanor, the corners of Chen Mo's mouth quirked up slightly.
Empress, love you!
Next time I'll even massage your feet for you!
However, his body was too severely damaged, and even though the Life Essence could regenerate flesh from white bones, it would take some time before he could fully recover.
Suddenly, Chen Mo remembered something.
His gaze moved from his head to his lower body, confirming his 'little brother' was unharmed, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As everyone knows, certain parts are boneless...
...
Chen Mo, dragging his "broken body," approached Lady Liu.
After the monster was slain, the concubines of the Liu Family had vanished, leaving only Lady Liu alone on the ground, a massive wound nearly bisecting her.
The wound emitted a black dust, her entire body visibly vanishing at a visible rate.
"I thought that girl was gutsy enough, but you are even crazier than her."
Lady Liu looked at Chen Mo's eyes filled with astonishment and admiration.
Then with a soft sigh, she murmured:
"It's difficult to predict the will of heaven. After all my scheming and plotting, it amounts to nothing in the end..."
"I'm sorry, Ru Yan, your sister did her best..."
Her voice gradually faded, disappearing completely into the ether.
Without mourning for Lady Liu's death for even a moment, a black-haired rat crawled out from beneath the empty clothes, skirting along the wall to make its escape.
Bad news: Chen Mo was severely injured by a slash, greatly reducing his strength.
Good news: Lady Liu was dead, no longer would it be controlled by others!
Just as it was about to enter a hole ahead, excitement flickered in the rat's eyes.
Rat me, it seems I see the light of freedom...
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over it.
Followed swiftly by a bony foot that came crashing down!
Crunch!
"Squeak!"
The rat became a pancake.
[Killed the demon creature Faceless Demon, True Spirit +100.]
[Killed the Demon Creature Rat Bride, True Spirit +45.]
Looking at the prompts before him, Chen Mo's eyebrows rose.
The incident wasn't over yet?
That means there's still someone who slipped through the net...
Thinking this, he turned and walked in the direction of the Liu Mansion.
"Mr... Mr. General?"
Everyone looked bewildered as they watched a Skeleton Soldier step away with a "clack-clack" of footsteps, quickly vanishing at the end of the street.
"Is Mr. General still alive?"
"It's just a skeleton, so how does it seem so lively?"
"Could it be a burst of energy before death?"
"Stop standing around, hurry up and follow, or soon the General will fall to pieces!"
...
Liu Mansion.
Chen Mo, with a broadsword slung, stepped through the main gate.
The entire mansion was dead silent, with no trace of maids or servants.
He walked through the front courtyard to the backyard.
He pushed open a room door and entered.
The smell of decay in the room was particularly strong, almost suffocating.
Lady Liu's second wife, Qin Ru Yan, lay on the bed, her face aged, her body withered, enveloped in a black death Qi.
When he saw her during the day, she was still a youthful and beautiful young girl, but now she had become an old woman close to death.
Hearing someone enter, she turned her head with difficulty.
Seeing Chen Mo's wretched figure, she was startled, then pulled a bright smile.
"Sister didn't lie, she indeed did her best."
Chen Mo stared at her and said blandly, "If I'm not mistaken, the thing you're after is under this bed, right?"
At this point, it wasn't hard to guess the general idea.
Qin Ru Yan's insistence on staying in this room, refusing to leave, was not because she dared not, but because she could not.
There must be something here that she needed to cover up.
Qin Ru Yan did not answer and said softly, as if telling a story:
"My sister and I were born twins. With her dead, I won't live much longer."
"Mr. Liu treated me very well, knowing that I was a Ghost Cultivator, yet he was willing to help me cover my identity... Unfortunately, the Rat Bride's first choice was him, so he had to die."
"Twenty-nine lives, just short of one last person, and the Rat Bride would transform from a Demon Creature into an Evil Spirit."
"With the Evil Spirit's blood sacrifice, the Array could be completed... Heaven does not fulfill wishes; it is ultimately a move short..."
Clang!
A flash of the sword decapitated her.
Chen Mo shook his broadsword, impatient.
"Too much nonsense."
Several lines of prompt text flashed before his eyes:
[All Unredeemed of the Liu Family deceased.]
[Incident concluded.]
[Evaluation: Superior.]
[Acquired ancient book:"Great Change Heavenly Origin Formation Solution".]
[Acquired title: Fierce Ghost Slayer.]
[Equipping this title allows you to sense Demon Ghost Qi within five miles, unaffected by Demon Energy, and increases damage caused to Demon Ghosts.]
[Monster! I could tell with one glance that you're not human!]
"Not bad."
Chen Mo nodded in satisfaction.
It seemed he hadn't guessed wrong; the so-called "Unredeemed of the Liu Family" didn't mean he was to display the legacy of a great warrior, but rather, he was to completely annihilate them!
With a thought, he took out his rewards.
A heaviness came over his palm as a black thread-bound ancient book fell into his hand.
The cover's script was mottled, barely making out the words "Great Change".
He flipped open the title page, and a surge of golden light emerged, wrapping densely packed text and figures, rushing into his brow.
In an instant, his Spirit Platform was a scene of heaven's light and cloud shadows.
The mysterious and unfathomable truths of the great way were within reach, and his heart was filled with an indescribable insight.
The ancient book recorded countless Arrays, even many long-lost Ancient Great Arrays, now all imprinted in Chen Mo's mind.
Although just memorizing them did not mean he could use them proficiently.
But as far as "knowledge reserves" were concerned, he was already second to none among Formation experts.
"Looks like I've outdone Formation expert Wang Yu Yan..."
"This title is quite useful; at least when I encounter this type of situation again, I won't be so passive."
After checking the rewards, Chen Mo turned his gaze towards the bed.
He was curious what exactly was hidden underneath, worthy of such a price paid?