I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 43 A Single Float Reveals the Blue Sky
When I stepped out of the courtyard, it was already late afternoon.

The days are short in winter, and the setting sun hangs on the distant summit of Dayin Mountain, dark and gloomy.

Suddenly, snowflakes, as fine as goose feathers, began to fall from the sky, densely packed.

Qiu Lan stood at the door, her face pale with cold, rubbing her hands together to warm them and breathing out a misty fog of breath onto her palms. Seeing Chen Mo come out, Qiu Lan quickly greeted him with a smile.

"Young Master, is everything taken care of?"

Chen Mo wasn't in a good mood and just grunted in response.

As Qiulan led the way out, she asked curiously, "Do you know the cause of Xie Dong's death?"

Seeing Qiulan's curious yet frightened expression, Chen Mo didn't want to scare her, so he said, "It's just a normal encounter with an evil spirit. Let's go, let's go back early."

Seeing that Chen Mo didn't say anything, Qiu Lan didn't ask any more questions either, and just obediently led the way.

As Chen Mo walked through the magnificent Xie mansion, he saw many Xie family members weeping and wailing. Especially from the direction of the mourning hall, the sound of sobbing rose and fell.

This reminded Chen Mo of when he was sick in the past.

The parents at home were also sobbing like this.

Every family has its own difficulties.

In the face of separation by death, the dead find liberation, while the living suffer and grieve.

After leaving the Xie residence, Chen Mo jumped into the carriage. Qiu Lan sat on the carriage platform outside, driving the carriage slowly through the streets towards the Chen residence.

Chen Mo was feeling down. He pulled back the curtains and looked at the people coming and going on both sides of the street. He listened to the shouts and cries of the vendors and peddlers. He clearly felt that the county town was still the same as before, always bustling and lively.

But Chen Mo's thoughts had already flown far away.

Is Old Master Li a living corpse?
It's bad enough that there are ghosts in this world, but there are also zombies?
Also, did Li Hongxi really climb out of the ancient well?

This is unreasonable.

Back in the Ghost Land, Li Hongxi clearly couldn't get out; she was trying to trick him into prying off the red candle at the well's opening.

Later, Granny Li attacked me twice, both times in an attempt to kidnap me. It seems she still wanted me to remove the red candle from the well in the ghostly land so she could release her daughter?
The problem is, if the red candle could be removed by the person who removed it, why couldn't Granny Li and Old Master Li remove it?
Moreover, Granny Li failed twice in her attempts to kidnap herself; she wasn't actually abducted.

How did Li Hongxi get out?
Could it be that Granny Li has come up with another method?

But Li Hongxi has been dead for twenty years. If Granny Li had any other method, she would have done it long ago. Why would she wait until now to abduct her?
wrong……

not right...

"There must be some detail that I overlooked."

Chen Mo rubbed his temples, trying hard to recall the details of the two previous kidnappings.

The first time, Granny Li put the paper figure on her back and let Zhu San and Zhu Liu kidnap her.

The second time, Granny Li pasted the paper figure onto Liu Mazi's body, hoping that Liu Mazi would come and kidnap her.

Why are the positions of the paper figures different in these two instances?
and many more……

The second time Liu Mazi came to his door, he was slashed in the chest by Liu Mazi's soft sword.

Injuried!

This was the only difference Chen Mo could think of.

In that instant, a wildly imaginative thought flashed through Chen Mo's mind: Could this be the effect Granny Li wanted? All I need to do is get injured, and then use my own blood to release Li Hongxi?
If Li Hongxi came out back then and went to the Li residence today... the timing makes sense.

The problem is, he burned Liu Mazi's body himself, so he didn't take any of his own blood...

Chen Mo was completely baffled and felt increasingly uneasy the more he thought about it.

Although I don't know how Grandma Li did it, one thing is certain... Grandma Li's family is really terrifying.

Even though Chen Mo has now entered the realm of internal martial arts masters, he is not entirely at ease.

Upon entering the Chen residence and alighting from the carriage, Chen Mo instructed Qiu Lan, "Gather half of the carts and horses in the house, then find a few reliable people to deliver them to Master Xie." Although Qiu Lan did not know the reason behind this, she still agreed, "I will arrange it right away."

Chen Mo then hurried to the central courtyard.

Having learned of Xie Dong's death by possession and the strangeness of the Li family, Chen Mo wanted to go to Black Mountain Village as soon as possible to learn the skills of exorcism. He wondered if his father had brought any news of Li Yuanlong.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the central courtyard, I saw Chen Yuer, wearing a red coat, squatting by the flower bed, sticking her butt out and digging at something in the snow.

Chen Mo found it amusing: "Little Fish, what are you digging for?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Little Fish straightened up, slowly stood up, and pointed sadly at the flower bed, saying, "Brother Mo, come and see! Just now, a sparrow was hopping around on the eaves, and suddenly it fell down and died."

Chen Mo glanced at the frozen little sparrow, initially not thinking much of it, but seeing Xiao Yu'er's heartbroken expression, he still offered a word of comfort, "Perhaps this sparrow was old and couldn't withstand the cold, freezing to death. By the way, what were you doing out in this freezing weather? Have your parents returned yet?"

Little Fish was still immersed in sadness and shook his head, "No."

"The snow is getting heavier, I'll take you back." Chen Mo picked up Chen Yu'er and hurried to the North Courtyard.

As soon as they arrived at the North Courtyard gate, they heard enthusiastic laughter coming from inside. In the distance, they saw Chen Wu demonstrating his recent martial arts progress to Zhang Ru. Zhang Ru, watching her son's rapid progress, couldn't stop smiling and said, "Don't forget the kindness of your second brother."

As Chen Wu practiced his sword, he said, "Mother, don't worry, I remember. My second brother has high expectations for me, so I dare not slack off in my martial arts training. Once I master martial arts, I will definitely impress my second brother, and perhaps... I might even surpass him."

Chen Mo, with his exceptional senses, heard Chen Wu's words clearly from afar and thought to himself: It's not a big problem for him to impress me, but to surpass me in martial arts... that's impossible for you in this lifetime.

Chen Mo didn't point it out, and carried Chen Yu'er into the north courtyard gate. "Second Aunt, the snow is getting heavier and heavier. Don't let little Yu'er run around everywhere, lest she catch a cold."

Upon seeing Chen Mo, Zhang Ru hurriedly came up to take Chen Yu'er, scolded her a couple of times, and then said to Chen Mo, "Second Young Master, you are very kind."

"Second Aunt, there's no need to be so polite with me. By the way, how's Chen Wu's martial arts practice going lately?" Since we're already here, I should at least offer some encouragement and concern for my younger brother's studies.

Sure enough, upon hearing that his second brother had taken the initiative to inquire about his studies, Chen Wu became extremely excited. "Teacher Wei Heng taught me a Wind-Breaking Blade technique. I'll demonstrate it and ask for your guidance, second brother."

"it is good."

As soon as Chen Mo sat down under the eaves, his second aunt brewed some tea, while Chen Yu'er took out a string of candied hawthorns and handed them to him, saying in a sweet voice, "Brother Mo, here you go."

Chen Mo took the candied hawthorn and ate it heartily, watching Chen Wu practice his Wind-Breaking Saber technique. Although Chen Wu was young, he was not short, and his saber strikes were solid, showing that he had put in a lot of hard work.

After the drill ended, Chen Wu looked at Chen Mo with anticipation, waiting for his comments.

Chen Mo feigned seriousness, creating a tense atmosphere, before speaking, "My brother is a martial arts prodigy, quite remarkable. His swordsmanship is solid, and his moves are fluid. It's clear he's put in a lot of hard work. Given time, he will surely achieve great things."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wu's scalp tingled with excitement, and his face flushed red. He was even more excited than when he received lucky money from his mother during the Lunar New Year.

Overjoyed by the praise, Chen Wu asked, "Second brother, could you demonstrate the Wind-Breaking Blade technique for me?"

Chen Mo saw through his second brother's thoughts and smiled, "Alright."

Although he had never practiced the Wind-Breaking Saber, he had entered the internal martial arts school and had a foundation in the Fuyang Saber Technique, so he naturally became very skilled at practicing it.

Taking the knife from Chen Wu, Chen Mo walked step by step into the snow, and suddenly slashed the ground with his knife. Suddenly, a loud "boom" resounded, and the entire courtyard shook violently.

As the snowflakes swirled, a huge crack, over ten feet long, was instantly cleaved open in the ground paved with bluestone bricks.

The sight left Chen Wu and his companions dumbfounded, especially Chen Wu, who felt his worldview had been severely shaken.

Chen Mo threw the knife at Chen Wu's feet. Half of the blade was stuck in the ground, while the other half swayed in the air, emitting a piercing buzzing sound.

"Martial arts are not just fancy moves; they are for killing. If one strike can kill your opponent, there is no need for a second."

Chen Wu was struck dumb, as if enlightened, and bowed deeply, saying, "I will remember your teachings, Second Brother."

Just moments ago, Chen Wu was extremely proud of his progress. But after witnessing his second brother's methods, he finally realized: his second brother was the true pillar of the Chen family.

Comparing myself to my second brother, I feel as if I am a grain of sand floating in the blue sky.

Just then, Haitang rushed over and said, "Second Young Master, Master and Madam are back and want you to come over."

(End of this chapter)