I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 86 The Ghost Infant Enters My Womb!
Red Lantern Temple.

This is the tallest and largest building in Honghe County, standing in the very center of the county town, painted entirely in red. Surrounded by other buildings, the temple's grandeur can be seen even from far away in the county town.

For a long time, everyone has regarded this temple as a totem and a source of support.

The temple grounds are vast and solemn. The moment one steps through the temple gate, one feels its grandeur and one's own insignificance.

However, at that moment, a raging fire broke out inside the temple.

The place was eerily quiet, with countless constables, believers, and soldiers busy putting out the fire.

Meanwhile, the managers under the Red Lanterns were busy dealing with patients and infants suffering from madness.

Cries for help and shouts of killing mingled together, creating a scene resembling a living hell.

"Where did this ghost baby come from?"

"Get off me, don't climb on my back."

"Die!"

"..."

Guo Songyang and Guo Ziyu, each wielding a sword, hacked and slashed at the ghost infants, heads rolling and blood flowing like a river. The blood stained their swords and clothes crimson.

Guo Ziyang followed behind the two men, under their protection. Even so, Guo Ziyang was still completely bewildered, looking at the tragic scene before him, watching the madmen and infants rushing madly towards the altar at the heart of the temple... His entire worldview was severely shaken.

"How dare anything attack the altar of the Red Lantern Goddess?!"

Guo Songyang, on the other hand, remained much calmer, and solemnly commanded, "Shut up! Do more and say less."

After being reprimanded by his father, Guo Ziyang shut his mouth and dared not say anything more. He simply followed behind his elder sister and father, step by step approaching the altar.

Soon, Guo Ziyu led the charge towards an empty courtyard. After entering the courtyard, she stopped, leaned against a pillar, and looked up at the central tower in the distance. Below the tower was the altar of the Red Lantern Goddess.

Guo Songyang sat on a nearby rock, took out a pipe and a bag of tobacco, lit a handful of tobacco, and began to puff away.

Guo Ziyang was very puzzled. "Father, elder sister, the stewards outside are all trying their best to stop the baby and the madman. We are the stewards of the Red Lantern Society, how can we not help at this critical moment?"

Guo Songyang snapped, "I told you to shut up!"

Guo Ziyang dared not meet his father's gaze and could only lower his head. But he couldn't suppress his thoughts and asked Guo Ziyu, "Sister, everyone is fighting bravely against the enemy. Isn't it time for us to make contributions? Why do we have to stop?"

Guo Ziyu's gaze was sharp. "Ziyang, there are many things you don't understand. You're still young. When you grow up, you'll naturally understand."

Guo Ziyang said earnestly, “Sister, I’ll be seventeen after the New Year. I’m of marriageable age now. You told me before that I should learn skills well in the village and worship the Red Lantern Goddess properly. I’ve been doing that since I was little. I’ve listened to you and Father and practiced diligently. You told me that when I reached the right level, you would let me learn the method of preserving the spirit. Now that the Red Lantern Goddess has been attacked by ghosts, shouldn’t we serve the Goddess?”

Guo Ziyu turned around, glanced at Guo Ziyang, and said with some reluctance, "Then continue to be obedient. You'll understand when you're a little older."

Guo Ziyang was very stubborn, "How big do I have to be to be considered 'big'?"

Guo Ziyu was speechless.

Guo Songyang spoke up at this moment, "Growing up isn't just about getting taller, it's also about getting smarter. When you're as sensible as Chen Mo, I'll naturally tell you."

"I……"

When Chen Mo was mentioned, Guo Ziyang was defeated.

He admired Chen Mo.

Guo Songyang said, "Alright, go to the yard and see if there are any survivors."

Guo Ziyang said "Oh," and then, carrying his knife, went to check each room in the courtyard. After searching through them all, there were no survivors left; they were all bloodied corpses.

After Guo Ziyang left, Guo Songyang asked, "Miss, are you sure today is a good opportunity?"

Guo Ziyu said in a deep voice, "Today is the day when the Red Lantern Goddess is asleep, and the Grand Master of Fate is accompanying her. The two strongest people cannot come out. I know this, and the Spirit Infant knows it too. That's why it attacked the altar. The Spirit Infant wanted to take the opportunity to destroy the Goddess's altar and then sever the Goddess's lineage."

Guo Songyang took a deep drag on his cigarette. "Do you think that infant spirit has a chance of winning?"

Guo Ziyu shook her head: "I've never been to the Li residence in Qinghe Town, so I don't know where this spirit infant came from. I can't predict the outcome of the fight between the two sides. But after this battle, our Black Mountain Village is likely to suffer."

Eh.

Guo Songyang sighed, "Yes. The original intention of the Empress in establishing Black Mountain Stronghold was to have us investigate the incident of the spirit infant in Qinghe Town. But after so many years, we still haven't found anything. Normally, it would be easy to deal with. But now the spirit infant has gone to attack the Empress's altar. If the Empress doesn't die, she will definitely vent her anger on our Black Mountain Stronghold afterwards. These days are going to be tough."

Guo Ziyu said, "But this is ultimately a good thing. Before this, the people of Honghe County regarded the Goddess as an inviolable deity. Now that the spirit infant has done this, the Goddess's prestige will be difficult to restore to what it was before. At least the hundreds of thousands of people in Honghe County will realize that this high and mighty Goddess of the Red Lantern is not omnipotent."

Guo Songyang nodded emphatically, "That's true. Even if the infant spirit is defeated today, it will still be the beginning of a new chapter. By the way, Miss, have you counted how many madmen and infant spirits came to storm the Red Lantern Temple today?"

Guo Ziyu frowned and said, "Roughly estimated, there are more than two hundred babies and seven or eight hundred madmen. Today is New Year's Day, the beginning of the new year, and the city gates are not under curfew or inspection. Many madmen from outside the city also sneaked in, which led to this disaster."

Guo Songyang sighed, "Yes, I haven't seen such a sight for many years. Something feels off. The spirit infant has existed in Honghe County for many years. Back then, the Red Lantern Goddess and the Grand Master of Fate personally went to Qinghe Town to exorcise the evil spirit, but they couldn't kill it. However, they did beat it to the point of barely having a breath left. For many years afterward, the spirit infant behaved itself. How come it's so bold today?"

Guo Ziyu's expression was solemn. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Something must have happened to the Spirit Infant recently. Moreover, such a large-scale attack must be orchestrated by the Spirit Infant. I just don't know where the Spirit Infant's physical body is."

……

Meanwhile, Chen Mo arrived at the central courtyard carrying a knife.

Zhou Liang arrived early and waited there, chatting and drinking tea with Chen Yin, Fu Lin, and Yu Lan in the living room.

Chen Yu'er sat on Lin Yulan's lap eating candied hawthorn, while Zhang Ru was also brought to the bedroom, where Chen Wu was by her side.

Chen Mo first went to visit his second aunt. Seeing that her complexion had improved and her emotions were gradually stabilizing, he returned to the living room to keep watch.

The family ate snacks by the stove, chatting and laughing together, creating a very warm atmosphere. As night fell, Chen Mo told his parents to go to rest, and then he and Zhou Liang went to stand guard under the eaves of the courtyard.

On a whim, Zhou Liang suggested that Chen Mo instruct him in martial arts. Chen Mo agreed and personally guided Zhou Liang on the details of cultivating the Black Tiger True Qi.

Time passed slowly, and around dawn, the two heard footsteps behind them and stopped practicing.

Da da da.

Squeak!

The living room door opened, and Zhang Ru came out.

Chen Mo was about to call out when he suddenly saw his stepmother's face turn pale, her hair disheveled, and she was walking unsteadily. Her eyes were closed, her hands were groping around, and she was muttering, "My child, my child. I know you're calling me..."

Chen Mo realized that Er Niang might be in a sleepwalking-like state, so he didn't wake her up. He gestured for Zhou Liang to be quiet and whispered, "Uncle Zhou, you stay here. I'll go with Er Niang to take a look."

Chen Mo had a strong feeling that the second aunt had lost a child, and the ghostly aura of that child, along with that of Liu Cui's child, both originated from the red veil. Perhaps the mother and child were connected, and maybe following the second aunt would lead them to the infant.

“My child, I hear you calling for your mother.”

Zhang Ru left the courtyard in a daze and walked along the corridor in a daze.

Chen Mo followed from a distance, carrying a knife.

He activated his six senses, carefully observing every movement around him. He could sense even the slightest fluctuation of ghostly energy. Seeing his second aunt so anxiously thinking of her child, however, left him with a lingering unease.

Zhang Ru first went to her room in the north courtyard, opened the wardrobe, and took out several sewn baby clothes and bibs, all in a festive bright red. Then Zhang Ru knelt on the ground, clutching the red bibs tightly with both hands, tears streaming down her face as she called out for her child.

"It's all my fault, my child."

"My child... I didn't even have time to see you one last time."

Chen Mo leaned against the window, quietly watching his second aunt's distracted state, feeling a pang of heartache. But he didn't let these emotions cloud his judgment; he remained constantly aware of his surroundings.

Zhang Ru was crying her heart out on the ground when she suddenly stopped.

"I heard it, I heard the baby crying, you're hungry."

"My child is hungry."

As she spoke, Zhang Ru hurriedly ran to the kitchen, rummaged through drawers and cupboards, and finally found a piece of raw pork. She then held it in her hand and smiled.

"My child is hungry and looking for food. Mother will bring it to you right away."

Zhang Ru grabbed the raw pork and rushed out of the kitchen, running quickly towards the Chen family ancestral hall, tears streaming down her face as she called out, "Child, wait for your mother, I'll bring you food right away."

When Chen Mo arrived at the gate of the ancestral hall with his second aunt, his whole body tensed up.

He had a strong feeling that his second aunt's perception might be correct, and that the baby might actually be in the ancestral hall.

With all six senses activated, Chen Mo gripped his broadsword tightly and followed closely behind the Second Madam.

Squeak.

Zhang Ru pushed open the courtyard gate of the ancestral hall and then quickly ran towards the main hall.

This time, in order to avoid being discovered by the baby, Chen Mo deliberately concealed his true energy and maintained a relatively controllable distance: he could advance to protect his second aunt, or retreat to avoid being seen.

Step by step……

He moved forward cautiously. Chen Mo had already planned it all out: if he saw the baby, he would seize the best angle and distance to strike, aiming for a fatal blow. He absolutely could not let it escape again.

A gentle night breeze blew, and the courtyard of the ancestral hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Inside the ancestral hall, horn lamps were still lit, illuminating one of the main halls.

Chen Mo walked along the corridor, taking a detour to follow behind the Second Madam. When he saw the Second Madam enter the main hall, he hid behind a large pillar in the corridor and peeked in with half his head out.

It would have been better if he hadn't looked at it, but once he did... Chen Mo had a bad feeling.

The offering table and red veil in the living room had clearly been burned, but somehow another offering table had reappeared. And on that offering table, another red veil had appeared. However, there were no offerings. Zhang Ru knelt before the offering table, holding raw pork, and murmured:

"My child, your mother has brought you food. I'll put it on the offering table first. If you come back, remember to eat it. Don't go hungry."

After saying that, Zhang Ru placed a large piece of raw pork on the offering table with both hands, and then began to mutter to herself again.

Chen Mo stared intently at the red veil, which still revealed the outline of a sculpture, but remained motionless.

Chen Mo was waiting.

Once the red veil is moved, that's when he'll draw his sword.

"This thing is just pretending to be a ghost to scare people."

Chen Mo gripped the hilt of his knife, ready to strike at any moment.

Time passed second by second, but the red veil remained unmoved.

Suddenly, a biting, eerie wind swept through the courtyard. Perhaps it was because the wind was so cold that Zhang Ru shivered, and the next moment she fainted, collapsing onto the ground in front of the offering table, falling into a deep sleep.

"Second Aunt has finished sleepwalking. She's not wearing many clothes, and she might catch a cold if she sleeps on the ground for too long. But in order to wait for the spirit infant, we can only ask Second Aunt to make do for a while."

As Chen Mo was thinking this, suddenly... a series of light footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

The footsteps were so faint that an ordinary person would probably not be able to hear them, but Chen Mo, with his extraordinary senses, heard them clearly.

Da da da.

The pace of the footsteps was very fast.

As the footsteps drew closer, the chilling wind grew stronger, and the surrounding air became much colder.

Chen Mo immediately adjusted his position around the pillar and looked back at the gate of the ancestral hall.

Da da da……

The footsteps were getting closer and closer to the courtyard gate.

Chen Mo stared wide-eyed, without even blinking.

Da da da……

Finally, the footsteps reached the door.

Chen Mo saw it...

It's a baby.

An unclothed baby.

It was the same baby I saw in the East Wing last night.

However, the baby has grown quite a bit taller than yesterday.

The baby was covered in blood, with cuts and bruises all over its body. Fresh blood dripped onto the ground, and every step it took left a small, scarlet footprint.

After taking only a few steps, the baby spat out a mouthful of blood, lost his balance, and collapsed to the ground, crawling forward on his hands and feet.

Bloody footprints, bloody handprints...

All over the floor.

But the baby stubbornly crawled towards the ancestral hall.

Chen Mo was slightly surprised: the baby was injured, and quite badly so. Perfect, it can't escape today. But I want to see what it's up to. How did the red veil that had clearly disappeared reappear?
The baby crawled laboriously to the entrance of the ancestral hall, then glanced at the sleeping Zhang Ru on the ground and snorted softly, "You're really lucky to have someone perform a ritual. It caused me to lose one of my clones. If I weren't so badly injured right now, I would have eaten you alive."

After saying that, the baby bypassed Zhang Ru, put its hands on the altar, and tried to climb up.

Perhaps due to the severity of its injuries, the baby couldn't climb up after several attempts, and then bared its teeth in anger, "That damned Shao Siming, she's really powerful! She almost killed me with one palm. But she still damaged that dog of a goddess's altar, preventing her from recovering for a while. Maybe she can even cut off her lineage. That dog of a goddess deserves to die!"

Hearing the baby's self-talk, Chen Mo understood.

'So this baby went to participate in the siege of the Red Lantern Temple tonight. Looks like the siege failed. If it failed, so be it, why did you run back to my house? If the Red Lantern Temple people find out, my family will be doomed. This little rascal is trying to harm the Chen family!'

"And what are you doing in the ancestral hall, injured? Did you even think you could climb onto the offering table and hide under that red veil? Does that red veil have some kind of magical purpose?"

Just as Chen Mo was in a daze, the baby finally climbed onto the offering table with great effort and then burrowed under the red veil.

Chen Mo then saw clearly that the outline of the red veil was exactly... the shape of a baby.

Could it be that... what Li Yuanlong sent over the first time... wasn't a sculpture at all?
Was it originally a baby?
But that can't be right, can it?

Chen Mo knew this was not the time to ponder the details, so he immediately suppressed his distracting thoughts, slowly reached the door panel at the front door, and made a rough estimate.

This place is only a few feet away from the red veil on the altar; if I were to use my full strength to strike, I could reach it instantly.

Mingyu Skill, Fifth Level, Opened.

Preserve your spirit, then open.

The blade sliced ​​across the palm, staining the edge crimson with blood. Blood and fire appeared.

next moment--

brush!
Like a lion pouncing on its prey, Chen Mo suddenly burst out of the door, transforming into a blur as he instantly rushed in front of the red veil and slashed down with his sword.

The powerful blade swept across all directions, its true energy flowing along the blade and transforming into a chilling and domineering aura that instantly caused the ground to collapse and the altar to turn to dust. The walls behind it were also shaken and collapsed.

However, this terrifying strike seemed to have struck a piece of thick steel, producing a clanging metallic sound that made Chen Mo's arms go numb.

Is your head that hard?

Without saying a word, Chen Mo immediately raised his sword and unleashed his full power to slash down fiercely once again.

Just then, the red veil was suddenly ripped off, and the baby darted away, leaping onto the roof beam with an angry expression, baring its teeth and revealing its fangs. "Which bastard is trying to kill me... Hey? It's you, you ghost blood host."

sizzle~
The baby stuck out its tongue, its gaze towards Chen Mo filled with greed. "Although you ruined this red veil, preventing me from escaping that damned queen's red light, it's still better that you're here. I thought I was doomed and wouldn't be able to deliver messages to my master."

Chen Mo didn't waste any words. He immediately raised his sword and leaped up, slashing fiercely at the baby on the roof beam. "You wicked beast, you have caused my Chen family immense harm. Die!!"

The swift strike missed its mark.

Even though the baby was seriously injured, it was still remarkably agile.

Even after missing both attacks, Chen Mo didn't hesitate.

Demon Blood!

boom!
Chen Mo immediately activated his ghost blood, boosting all six senses once more, increasing his speed and perception. In a flash, he appeared in front of the fetus and slashed down with his sword again.

This time, the fetus couldn't avoid it and was slashed hard.

Headache and bleeding!
Pooh!
The baby coughed up blood, but instead of being angry, it was even more delighted. "The effects of the cursed blood are truly terrifying. This is something only the second and first generations possess... Hey, hey, stop hitting us. We're all the same... I..."

Before the baby could finish speaking, another knife slashed down fiercely.

The baby lost a hand and ran wildly.

"You're a madman, why don't you fight your own people? I can't beat you, the Blood of the Demon Curse is my weakness."

The baby rushed out of the ancestral hall courtyard and ran all the way, but Chen Mo chased after him and slashed at him all the way.

Finally, the baby, having nowhere else to run, suddenly turned around, glared angrily at Chen Mo, and instead of running away, charged towards Chen Mo.

Although Chen Mo sensed something was wrong, he had no intention of letting the baby go. He activated all his ghost blood and wielded his longsword to slash down fiercely.

Just as Chen Mo's knife was about to cleave the baby in two, the baby didn't dodge and instead gave Chen Mo a sinister smile.

"Hehe, it's even better that you're here, it works better than a red veil..."

The next moment, the baby suddenly leaped up and disappeared into Chen Mo's stomach!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Two chapters, 11,000 words in total. Any monthly tickets?

(End of this chapter)