I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 30 Internal Martial Arts
After giving Qiulan his instructions, Chen Mo returned to the East Courtyard alone.

The deaths of Lei Peng and Lei Ming left Chen Mo feeling uneasy.

Based on the information he knew, Chen Mo deduced the scene in his mind: Lei Peng was severely injured by the swordsman, went back to see his son, and found his son going berserk and biting him. Ultimately unable to protect his son and unable to ask for medicine, he tearfully stabbed his son to death.

In the end, both father and son perished.

It is embarrassing.

After calming down, Chen Mo took a Wei Qi ointment. After the side effects of the ointment were neutralized, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

Not long after, Qiulan brought Liu Cui, who was dressed neatly, to the east courtyard.

Compared to her previous disheveled appearance, Liu Cui had changed into a new set of clothes, and her hair was styled in an updo with a wooden hairpin, making her look much more dignified and elegant. However, her face was still pale, and her eyes were somewhat vacant, revealing a very uneasy expression.

Chen Mo asked Qiu Lan to pour Liu Cui a cup of hot tea, and then asked, "I went to the Lei Family Martial Arts School this morning. Master Lei and your son have both passed away. Please accept my condolences, Madam."

Liu Cui shivered, didn't say anything, but tears kept flowing down her face.

Chen Mo gave Qiu Lan a look, and the latter handed Liu Cui a handkerchief. After wiping away her tears and calming her down a bit, Chen Mo asked, "Madam, what happened at the Lei family last night?"

Liu Cui sobbed as she spoke, "Bandits broke into our house last night..."

After listening to Liu Cui's explanation, Chen Mo finally understood the reason:
It turns out that last night, a group of thugs stormed into Lei's martial arts school. The leader was a swordsman wielding a soft sword, who severely injured Lei Peng as soon as he arrived.

With nowhere else to turn, Lei Peng told Liu Cui to run away, and then desperately tried to stop the swordsman to buy Liu Cui some time.

Initially, Liu Cui was unwilling to run away; she only wanted to travel with her husband and son. However, after ten years of infertility, Liu Cui recently became pregnant, and thinking of the child in her womb, she set off alone.

Liu Cui, who had fled in tears, was afraid of encountering the swordsmen again and dared not leave the city, so she waited for Chen Mo...

Chen Mo sighed deeply.

From Liu Cui's account, it can be inferred that Lei Peng's strength was not far behind that of the swordsman. Even if he couldn't win, he could have easily protected himself and escaped. But for the sake of his wife and children, he still chose to sacrifice himself.

Lei Peng is truly a good father.

Unfortunately, he was unlucky.

"Young Master Mo, I have been unable to conceive for many years, and I have finally become pregnant. Please, Young Master Mo, take care of and protect my child and me," Liu Cui pleaded tearfully, kneeling on the ground.

Instead of answering, Chen Mo asked, "Do you know what that swordsman looks like, or what his distinguishing features are?"

Liu Cui said, "I saw the swordsman from afar. He had a conspicuous scar on his left eye, was very tall, and his face was covered with pockmarks. I only heard my husband call him Liu the Pockmarked..."

Liu Mazi...

Lu Wei's older brother?
Lu Wei is currently being held in the back room of the east courtyard.

Chen Mo couldn't help but facepalm, feeling both sympathy and exasperation for Lei Peng. He had repeatedly warned Lei Peng not to cause trouble when capturing lone villains. Lei Peng, however, was too hasty, grabbing someone without asking why. Perhaps he was too anxious to get the antidote from Chen Mo and acted rashly.

Lei Peng has now lost his life due to his initial impatience and carelessness, and may even bring trouble to Chen Mo.

But now that Lei Pengren is dead, there's no point in blaming Chen Mo.

It's unknown whether Lei Peng told Liu Mazi before he died that Lu Wei was at the Chen residence...

Liu Cui didn't know the cause of her husband's death; she just kept pleading and crying on the ground.

"Stop crying and let me have some peace and quiet," Chen Mo called out, then began to make plans in his mind.

I genuinely sympathize with Liu Cui.

However, since the Lei family has offended Liu Mazi, it wouldn't be a problem if Liu Mazi came to the Chen residence openly, as there are many guards in the mansion.

I'm afraid of something sinister coming my way.

Living in this chaotic world of demons, Chen Mo was already struggling to protect himself, so he didn't want to be a pushover.

Just as Chen Mo was in a daze, Liu Cui took out a yellowed ancient book from her body and presented it with trembling hands. "Before I fled, my husband gave this to me. He asked me to give it to Young Master Mo, hoping that Young Master Mo would take me in."

Chen Mo didn't reach out. "What's this?"

Liu Cui said tremblingly, "This is the original complete text of the Fiery Palm technique. My husband was originally from out of town. He came to Honghe County in his early years and practiced martial arts at the Black Mountain Village outside the city. Later, he committed a crime and was expelled from the village. Finally, he came to the county and opened a martial arts school. Because he taught the Fiery Palm technique to Xiao Ming... it ultimately brought trouble to our family..."

Through Liu Cui's explanation, Chen Mo finally learned the whole story.

It turns out that Black Mountain Village was a secret branch of the Red Lantern Gang, under the jurisdiction of the Red Lantern Goddess. It was guarded by powerful Red Lantern attendants.

The Fiery Palm is the signature martial art of Black Mountain Stronghold, capable of suppressing evil spirits and ghosts. Black Mountain Stronghold strictly forbids the transmission of this technique.

Even the Black Mountain stronghold members who were expelled would never pass on the Fiery Palm technique. Otherwise, their entire clan would be wiped out.

However, Lei Peng doted on his son and, unable to resist his son's repeated requests, secretly passed on the Fiery Palm technique to Lei Ming. During the transfer of power, Lei Peng instructed his son not to reveal it to outsiders.

Lei Ming initially adhered to this principle, and things remained peaceful.

Later, Lei Ming went to Chunfeng Tower and encountered a patient suffering from a bout of madness who attacked him. In a moment of panic, Lei Ming couldn't hold back and killed the patient with his Fiery Palm. Even so, Lei Ming still inexplicably contracted madness.

Moreover, Lei Ming's use of the Fiery Palm in public exposed his weakness, which was then discovered by the Black Mountain Stronghold.

Later, the Lei family martial arts school, with its thirty-odd members, was wiped out by the Black Mountain stronghold.

When the people of Black Mountain Village saw that Lei Ming had contracted madness, they did not pursue the matter further, nor did they mention it to others. Chen Mo understood.

I had heard Qiulan mention the Lei family martial arts school before. Lei Ming and his elder brother used to frequently meet at Chunfeng Tower. After his elder brother's accident, Lei Ming also had an accident at Chunfeng Tower within two days. In the following two days, more than thirty members of the Lei family died overnight, causing the once-thriving martial arts school to decline rapidly.

It turns out that the Black Mountain Stronghold came knocking on their door because of the "Fiery Palm" side story...

Black Mountain Village!
That's where Master Li Yuanlong lives. My father said he would visit him on Master Li's birthday to ask if he could go to Black Mountain Village to learn martial arts.

What a coincidence...

It makes perfect sense that the Fiery Palm originated from the Black Mountain Stronghold's martial art, making it extremely valuable to learn.

What made Chen Mo even more excited was that Black Mountain Village was actually a secret branch of the Red Lantern Gang.

With this in mind, Chen Mo no longer hesitated. He picked up the ancient book and saw that the cover was made of animal hide, but it had developed many cracks due to the corrosion of time. It was clear that this ancient book was several decades old.

The cover prominently displays a row of large, eye-catching words:

Mingyu Gong - Fiery Palm Chapter.

Ok?
Could this be the original page of the Fiery Palm manual that Lei Peng practiced in Black Mountain Village?
Return Mingyu Gong?

So, the Fiery Palm technique is just a fragment of the Mingyu Skill?
Wow!

Chen Mo immediately turned to the first page.

Fiery Palm, First Form: Inch Power.

The mental cultivation techniques recorded above are no different from the copy Lei Peng had previously given to Chen Mo.

Turning the page a few more times, I came across the second move, "Sinking Pressure." Following that were "Palm Fire" and "Blazing Sun Poison." The content was identical to the transcribed copy. However, there was more content after "Blazing Sun Poison."

This is something that wasn't in the copy.

Fiery Palm, Fifth Form: Bloodfire Seal!

Sure enough... there's another move to the Fiery Palm technique.

Lei Peng is indeed quite something.

After reading the contents of the fifth move, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel pleasantly surprised.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a treasured item.

The fourth move of the Fiery Palm, Blazing Sun Poison, requires a master of the Fifth Stage of Blood Refining Realm to master. The fifth move, Bloodfire Seal, is not only even more powerful, but it is also said to require Blood Refining and Qi Transformation to master, which means... Bloodfire Seal is an internal martial art.

Internal martial arts techniques are incredibly precious!
Unfortunately, the method for transforming blood into qi is not recorded above. Without this method, it is impossible to master the practice.

Even though it lacks the method of transforming blood into qi, the Bloodfire Seal is indeed an extraordinary technique.

For a long time, Chen Mo searched far and wide for martial arts techniques, but even techniques at the Fifth Level of Blood Cultivation were extremely rare. Not to mention internal martial arts techniques that required Blood Cultivation and Qi Transformation to be used.

Moreover, after reading it, Chen Mo realized something: the Fiery Palm should be an introductory branch of the Bright Jade Skill.

If that's the case, then Mingyu Gong... is an extremely profound internal martial art. Moreover, it should originate from the Red Lantern Sect, and it has a great restraining effect on evil spirits.

Red Lantern, Black Mountain Village, Mingyu Kung Fu... True Internal Martial Arts!
A top-tier secret technique that money can't buy.

In an instant, Chen Mo developed a strong interest in Black Mountain Village.

Why have the three major martial arts schools and military academies in Honghe County been able to stand for generations?
It is because among them are internal martial arts masters who possess secret internal martial arts skills that are not passed on to outsiders, and who have mastered the method of transforming blood into qi.

Outsiders who want to reach the level of internal martial arts masters can only serve as lackeys for the three major martial arts schools and the martial arts academy, wagging their tails and begging for mercy for a lifetime, and may never have the chance to obtain the method of blood circulation and qi transformation.

'I possess internal martial arts techniques, but unfortunately, I lack the method to transform blood into qi. The Blazing Sun Poison has a certain restraining effect on ordinary ghosts. If I could find the method to transform blood into qi, I could master the Bloodfire Seal. At that time… what would mere ghosts be worth?'

Snapped.

Chen Mo closed the ancient book, gazing at Liu Cui kneeling and pleading. He considered his options: With Lei Peng and Lei Ming dead, Liu Cui was the only one who knew he had practiced the Fiery Palm technique. Keeping her in the manor would serve as a surveillance tool. Besides, Liu Mazi's younger brother, Lu Wei, was also in the manor; he couldn't explain himself clearly. He needed to improve his martial arts skills as quickly as possible.

It's unclear whether Lei Peng told Liu Mazi about Lu Wei's presence at the Chen residence.

To do good deeds, one also needs skill.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo helped Liu Cui up and said with a smile, "Please get up, Madam. From now on, you will live in the back room in front of the East Courtyard. Now that you are pregnant, you must take good care of yourself and hope to give birth to your child safely."

Liu Cui was so excited that tears streamed down her face. "Thank you, Young Master Mo. You are such a kind person!"

Chen Mo offered a few words of comfort, then instructed Qiu Lan: "Go and prepare a room for Madam Liu to stay in, with all the furniture and bedding you need. Tell Madam Liu to take good care of herself during her pregnancy."

The east courtyard is a three-section siheyuan (traditional courtyard house).

The rear courtyard was on the outermost edge; one had to pass through the front yard, through the screen wall, and through the hanging flower gate to reach the main courtyard where Chen Mo was. Chen Mo wasn't worried that Madam Liu would discover the woman and Lu Wei imprisoned in the rear courtyard.

After dismissing the two, Chen Mo closed the door and reopened the ancient book.

"Internal martial arts techniques... treasures that cost a fortune to buy, but thanks to Lei Peng. Now that we have the secret technique, we just need to wait for the cheat system to identify it again, and it may be able to identify the method to cultivate the Bloodfire Seal."

　Many readers have commented that the pacing is too slow, and the author has acknowledged this. The pace will be sped up from now on. The stories mentioned in the synopsis will all be revealed one by one. What follows is sure to be incredibly exciting!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)