Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 57 The Xu Family's Reaction (Please read on, and give me your monthly votes!)
Yongningfang, the Xu family mansion.

Funeral lamps hung from the eaves, the hall was filled with white silk, paper horses filled the courtyard, and incense and candles burned all night.

Twelve eminent monks invited from Guang Sheng Temple initiated a seven-day Water and Land Dharma Assembly in the front hall.

The sound of gongs and chimes shook the dust from the beams, and the chanting of the wooden fish continued day and night.

In the study in the backyard, the four Xu brothers sat facing each other, the atmosphere subtle.

Even the fourth brother, Xu Qidong, who was blind, deaf, and had a broken wrist, struggled to sit down.

What happened last night is hard to talk about, but I have to face it eventually. It's just a pity for my third sister-in-law, with such a delicate and beautiful body...

"Boom!"

Xu Qichun tapped the table lightly, his expression unchanged, and glanced indifferently at Xu Qidong:

"What did you find?"

"There's been absolutely no movement at the county government office."

Xu Qixia took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

“Those families who had grudges against us live normal lives and have never had any contact with strangers.”

As he spoke, he looked at Xu Qiqiu:
"The Snake Desire Bewitching Powder... is a secret medicine of the Green Snake Gang. Third Brother should know more about it."

Faced with the scrutiny of his two elder brothers, Xu Qiqiu felt a chill run down his spine. Even though he was cunning and adept at scheming, he was at a loss for words at this moment.

Snake Desire Bewitching Powder is a secret medicine of the Green Snake Gang, unique to the Red Faith Hall.

He had harmed countless women with this secret medicine, but little did he know…

One day, the retribution actually came down on the women in his own family.

His five wives and concubines were not only taken advantage of by the fourth prince, but even by the servants, doormen, and guards...

Even the eldest and second sisters-in-law were caught in the crossfire.

If this scandalous act of incest were to become public, the four Xu brothers…

I have no other thought but to atone with my death.

Fortunately, the eldest brother acted decisively, using arsenic to kill all the women in the family and all the servants, and then had the second brother spend five thousand taels of silver to bribe the county government officials...

That's how they managed to cover it up.

Looking back now, there are many doubts...

The Snake's Bewitching Elixir is difficult to refine, and each bottle is worth hundreds of taels of silver. There are detailed transaction records in the hall.

Except for the bottle given to Niu Qiang!
Niu Qiang was poisoned halfway through... the secret medicine was lost... the Xu family's food and water were poisoned!

Someone is watching me in the dark, knowing my every move—

tit!

A thought flashed through his mind, and he remembered the strange thing he had noticed yesterday.

The Green Snake Gang is teeming with snakes and pythons, and birds are rarely seen.

I was surprised at the time that the titmouse had gotten in.

At that time, I was only focused on talking to Niu Qiang and didn't think about it too deeply.

Looking back now, it seems that the titmouse also disappeared after Niu Qiang left.

Then, Niu Qiang died…

"You mean, someone is secretly watching you with a titmouse?"

Xu Qichun remained calm, and even his tone did not change.

The four Xu brothers are like tigers, wolves, snakes, and dogs.

Many people fear Xu Qixia, the second brother, because he is both ruthless and cunning. Once a grudge is formed, he will use various means to interfere with, exhaust, and entangle the opponent until the opponent reveals a weakness and is "bitten by the throat".

Many people also fear the third brother, Xu Qiqiu. He is cunning and ruthless, like a lurking viper. He doesn't make a move unless it's absolutely deadly.

But only the brothers themselves knew...

The truly terrifying one is the leader, Xu Qichun.

Because he is good at making decisions!

On several occasions, his younger brothers thought the family wouldn't survive, but in the end, it was his decisive decision that saved them from the brink of death.

He never flaunts his talents, hiding his brilliance behind his two younger brothers, but he always manages to turn the tide in crucial moments.

For example, last night, something strange happened in his house; his wife and daughters were humiliated. He acted decisively, poisoning all the women and servants to cover up the scandal...

To minimize the negative impact on the Xu family.

"Yesterday I..." Xu Qiqiu hurriedly recounted what had happened yesterday, even revealing his scheme to seize the He family's "Green Snake Sword Technique".

"Old He?"

Xu Qichun lightly tapped the table with his fingers, making a "thump-thump" sound, his eyes gleaming.

After a moment, his fingers suddenly paused, and he lowered his head and said softly:
"First, secretly find out who is behind Lao He."

If we can't afford to offend them, we brothers will go to their door to apologize and try to establish a relationship.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qixia and Xu Qiqiu both looked grim, but they still nodded.

Although it was embarrassing to do this, it was in the best interests of the Xu family.

Only Xu Qidong blushed and couldn't help but speak:
"Brother, my sister-in-law's bodies are barely cold, how can you..."

"If wives and concubines die, you can remarry; if children die out, you can have more; if servants die out, you can hire more..."

Xu Qichun turned his head, looked at him, his eyes indifferent:
"As long as we are here, the Xu family... will remain."
-
"puff!"

Silver light suddenly appeared.

A strange rat the size of a calf collapsed with a thud, twitched twice, and fell silent.

A throwing knife was clearly stuck in his forehead, the blade completely submerged.

More than fifty feet away, Liu Sheng closed his eyes. With the help of his "Spider Form" talent, he could clearly see everything that happened ten feet below him.

For example, after seven adult rats were killed, two baby rats remained and hid in a burrow six zhang (approximately 10 meters) deep underground.

If we don't eradicate the problem completely, Sanhe Village will be plagued by rats in less than a year.

"Somebody come!"

Liu Sheng opened his eyes and waved to the villagers watching from a distance.

"grown ups…"

Soon, the village chief, Old Man Yu, walked over, leaning on his cane, followed by a large group of strong men.

Compared to their initial dissatisfaction and suspicion, the villagers' faces now showed only respect and flattery.

A throwing knife that never misses its mark, a mouse-finding technique that defies comprehension…

It's just like the magical abilities of immortals in storytelling tales.

It instilled a deep sense of awe in the villagers.

"Pour thick smoke into these two holes."

Liu Sheng pointed out two rat trails, and left the rest to the villagers.

In fact, if he had no other concerns, he could easily have dealt with this nest of strange rats if he had transformed into a blue-scaled snake or a white-faced black spider.

It will take no more than 15 minutes.

However, in order to cultivate his public image, he still had to follow the established procedures.

A Qi and Blood Realm cultivator should act like one.

Before long, thick smoke filled the rat trail.

Liu Sheng closed his eyes and keenly sensed the slight movement of the ground. The two baby mice couldn't hold on any longer and were scurrying around underground.

"Squeak~"

Soon, about forty feet away, two small black mice, each the size of a dog, just emerged from the ground…

A streak of silver light flashed past my eyes.

One knife, two rats.

Thirty battle points earned.

After buying a cart from the village chief, Liu Sheng dragged the nine rats back to the city.

The monsters we encounter in the future will become increasingly larger, ranging from a few hundred kilograms to tens of thousands of kilograms...

Do we have to use a handcart to haul it every time?

After completing his mission at the Demon Suppression Bureau and selling a nest of rat carcasses for over two hundred taels of silver, Liu Sheng returned home and threw the problem at Lao He.

"That's certainly the case right now..."

After a day of rest, Old He looked much better and spoke eloquently about the Demon Suppression Division:
"The reason why demon-slaying captains or demon-catching warriors often bring along many beast hunters is that they often serve as laborers."

However, I've heard that in recent years, the imperial court has unearthed some magical artifacts from ancient sites, possessing a mystical quality similar to the ability to contain Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed…”

(End of this chapter)