Demon Taming: Start by synthesizing a Lantern Ghost with Divine and Demonic Talents

Chapter 18: When you're traveling, your identity is something you give yourself.

As Li Chunfeng walked through the streets and alleys, he could clearly see that many buildings had the same spider pattern carvings. Even in the Buddhist shrines of every household, the Buddha amulets and statues were no longer displayed, but rather spider mother statues of various sizes and shapes, with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a spider.

On the streets he frequented, many people knew the young monk from Luangu Temple, as well as the kind-hearted old lady who would secretly slip a few buns into his arms.

Unfortunately, her family saw her and immediately grabbed her, dragging her into the house.

The old lady smiled apologetically at the young monk, feeling helpless.

Li Chunfeng knew what was going on, so he put his hands together in gratitude and didn't find it strange.

On the upper floor of a nearby tavern, a traveling merchant who had been observing intently happened to witness this scene and couldn't help but ask the waiter, "Why doesn't that old woman dare to openly give alms to that young monk?"

"Ah, sir, you're talking about the young monk from Luangu Temple, aren't you? Well, we've practically watched him grow up. Things were a bit better before, at least the old monk was there to support him, but now that the old monk is gone, it's hard to say whether the young monk can hold on." The waiter spoke halfway, then stopped abruptly.

The merchant understood and placed a few silver coins on the table.

The waiter quickly wiped the table, the money disappearing as he approached with a smile and whispered, "I'm telling you, but you mustn't spread this around." He then pointed to the magnificent complex of buildings on the mountain in the city and mumbled a long speech, which could be summarized in just two sentences: "The Holy Church won't let them live well, nor will it let them die."

The generous merchant seemed lost in thought.

A pair of eyes are watching you from the attic!

Li Chunfeng continued his alms-begging as usual, subtly observing his surroundings while also making out the presence of a group of merchants on the upper floor whose attire did not resemble that of the locals.

Coming to the ancient city at this time of year is easy to get in but difficult to get out; I suppose you're here because you have a status to maintain.

Without looking at it for long, it turned a corner and disappeared.

The locals also have their own style of dress, ranging from loose-fitting robes with wide sleeves to short hemp garments. The clothing of high-ranking officials and nobles is even more varied and elaborate. Occasionally, a tall horse or a carriage will pass by, and passersby will quickly make way for it.

As the temperature rose, the rain from last night quickly created a layer of mist on the streets, like dry ice spraying on a stage in an old-fashioned fairy play, deliberately creating a scene of ethereal beauty... but there was no fairy beauty, only a ghostly atmosphere.

Although the street was fairly well-lit, things became somewhat shadowy from a distance.

It was as if the pedestrians came from nothingness and then walked back into nothingness.

As he passed a meat stall, a butcher covered in fat chuckled at him and said, "Little monk, would you like to try some meat? Today, I'll offer two ounces of liver as a sacrifice to Buddha."

"Amitabha~"

The young monk clasped his hands together and dodged around the meat stall.

The butcher retrieved a string of fresh human entrails from the cellar and handed it to a passing Spider Queen cult member!

Then 'Mind's Eye' sent this message.

The more we explore, the more information comes in.

A fisherman performed a mysterious summoning ritual by the river, and he summoned a giant armored crab!

The Spider Mother statue in front of the City Lord's Mansion has had one eye gouged out!

The old gatekeeper of the Zhu Family Ancestral Hall has placed an eye on the eaves!

The old man carrying manure, cursing and swearing, kicked the manure bucket, breaking it and summoning a Moon Shadow Demon Cat!

The spider statue is watching you!

As I passed by the square, the silent Spider Mother statue suddenly opened a slit in its eye.

Li Chunfeng remained expressionless.

Having already collected quite a few items, continuing to wander around aimlessly would be a nuisance.

He was preparing to head back home when a commotion broke out ahead, blocking his way. A large number of constables in official uniforms rushed over, dispersed the crowd, and cleared the road.

Immediately following, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and a luxurious carriage drawn by eight horses appeared on the street. On both sides of the carriage, a huge crowd chased after it, stretching out their hands and shouting excitedly, like fervent fans chasing after a star.

The commotion spread quickly, and soon the whole street was in an uproar, with everyone pushing and shoving.

"What's going on?" the visitor from out of town asked curiously.

One busybody boasted, "The Holy Son and Holy Consort of the Spider Mother Holy Cult are making a collective procession today. The adults will be using magic to pray for everyone's well-being and ward off disasters. It's said that the Holy Son is a true immortal descended to earth; being touched by him can cure all diseases and grant longevity!"

"Everyone, hurry to the temple!"

Looking from the rear of the procession, Li Chunfeng saw two rows of elite soldiers acting as an honor guard around the carriage. The carriage was open at all sides, and he could clearly see a fat monk with a wide smile sitting in the center, his belly exposed, resembling Maitreya Buddha. He was clearly dressed as a monk, but his identity was that of the Holy Son of the Holy Sect.

His expression was kind and approachable, with a hazy, pale golden halo behind his head. A whisk and a bright mirror floated around him, gleaming brilliantly, clearly not ordinary objects.

From the back of the crowd, Li Chunfeng looked at the honor guard from afar.

After a long while, no information came out. He immediately used his 'mind's eye' to its fullest extent.

He felt a heat between his brows, and the invisible 'mind's eye' opened, causing the black lotuses in his inner world to rapidly disintegrate one after another.

The 'Mind's Eye' finally gave feedback, and he could vaguely see strange ripples in the void above the Holy Son's head, as if there were living things moving about. When he concentrated his spiritual power to investigate carefully, he suddenly saw a huge spider floating above his head.

The spider was as big as a cartwheel, covered in colorful, eerie, and evil patterns. It was all bared and clawed, with eight compound eyes staring at the crowd below, its gaze filled with cruelty and greed.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, the giant spider abruptly turned its head.

Li Chunfeng was startled, his hair stood on end, and he vanished from the spot in an instant.

The mirror that had been hovering in front of the fat monk suddenly changed direction and shone in the direction where Li Chunfeng had originally been standing.

The fat monk's sharp eyes swept across the crowd instantly. He pointed, and a troupe of honor guards charged forward with long spears raised high. Unfortunately, after searching the area, they found no one suspicious.

a long time.

Li Chunfeng's figure appeared behind a building in the distance. "Such powerful perception."

They almost got discovered, but thankfully it wasn't all for nothing.

[The Slayer... is formed from a wisp of the Spider Mother's soul; as long as the soul remains, the physical body can be resurrected indefinitely... If the Slayer ignores the rules and mistakenly kills an escapee, 10% of their maximum soul limit will be deducted...]

[The Fixing Mirror, one of the key magical artifacts in the Nine-Eyed Demon Spider Array!]

It turns out that the other party also has rules to follow.

That makes sense. Otherwise, wouldn't it be possible to complete the mission immediately by slaughtering everyone in the city?

The killers have begun their operation.

Li Chunfeng wanted to go to the city gate, but before he got close, he found that many believers dressed in white with spiders embroidered on their clothes were guarding the main road.

The city gates were not closed, but entry was permitted while exit was not.

"What happened?" asked a waiter at the teahouse next door, bewildered.

The waiter glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Enraged, the镖人 (bodyguard/courier) grabbed the shop assistant by the collar and hissed, "I'm asking you a question, are you deaf!"

The waiter was startled and quickly begged for mercy, "Sir, please calm down... I didn't know anything. I only heard from the Holy Sect that a sorcerer had entered the city, and the Holy Sect has ordered an investigation, allowing people to enter but not leave for the time being."

The镖人's expression suddenly changed. He pushed the waiter aside and looked at the city gate that was so close by, his expression uncertain.

When you go out, your identity is given by yourself.

We're all using pseudonyms, so we can't show our weakness.

Li Chunfeng shifted his gaze from the镖人 (bodyguard/escort), stood still in the distance, his spiritual power burning wildly, and his mental eye scanning the direction of the city gate from all angles.

The empty city gate was clearly covered with spider webs. Countless small spiders climbed the webs, their compound eyes glowing as they scanned the surroundings. Moreover, the webs were visibly expanding towards the sky; at this rate, the entire city would probably be sealed off in a few days.

seven days?

[The Nine-Eyed Demon Spider Formation! A fragmented fifth-order formation, constructed with the Spider Mother Demon Eye as its core. Once completed, the demon eye can survey the entire city!]

The net has been cast, now it's just a matter of who can be more patient.

Is this how you're supposed to play?

Li Chunfeng smiled silently.

Just then, chaos erupted at the city gate.

The waiter, who had just been interrogated by the镖人 (bodyguard/escort), suddenly ran towards the city gate and mumbled something to the white-robed cultists guarding it, pointing at the镖人 wearing a bamboo hat as he spoke.

As they were speaking, several believers gathered around.

The镖人's expression changed drastically, and without thinking, he drew his sword and killed a white-robed cultist who approached him.

"Ow—"

With a howl, a huge silver wolf appeared out of thin air. The镖人 (bodyguard/escort) leaped onto the wolf's back, pointed his long sword, and shouted, "Charge out!"

Is that so reckless? Don't you have even this much patience?
Without saying a word, Li Chunfeng turned and left.

(End of this chapter)