Starting with the Earth God, the path to immortality is deduced!

"What amazing illusion magic!"

She was still shaken when she looked at the tumor-like heart, her eyes filled with rage.

"You dare to bewitch me? I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"

She gave a sharp shout and her hands flew into a series of hand seals.

"May the immortals help me vanquish evil!"

The cloth bag at his waist suddenly opened, and a black and white shadow shot out at a speed that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye!

"Awoo!"

The Iron-Eating Beast rolled into the air and its size instantly increased, transforming into a majestic behemoth that was more than half the height of a human!

It opened its blood-red maw, revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs, and pounced on the enormous heart!

The heart seemed to sense a deadly threat, and the faces on the surface all let out a sharp scream!

"You audacious mortal! How dare you blaspheme against this god!"

A grand and seductive voice echoed in the secret room.

"Kneel down!"

"Offer your souls and your fortune!"

"I, the God, can bestow upon you eternal wealth and glory!"

At the same time, the five evil flags shone with a great black light!

The scene in the secret room changed in an instant!

The ground beneath their feet vanished, replaced by an endless sea of ​​fire and knives!

The ceiling above their heads was gone, replaced by a torrential downpour of blood and gore!

"It's the same old set again!"

Having made preparations, Ma Ling'er naturally wouldn't fall for the trick again.

But the overwhelming offensive was momentarily halted by this sudden illusion.

"Break the flag first!"

Zhou Yuan's voice rang out calmly.

He could see very clearly that all the power of this monster came from those five evil flags!

Once the flag is torn, it becomes a tree without roots and water without a source!

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved!

Holding the Azure Lamp, he moved like lightning, advancing instead of retreating, and charged directly into the illusion of a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire!

"You wicked creature, purify yourself!"

With a low shout, Zhou Yuan slammed the Azure Lamp in his hand onto the evil flag embroidered with the character "喜" (happiness) closest to him!

"Sizzle—!"

It was as if boiling oil had been poured onto ice and snow!

The moment the eerie light of the Azure Lamp came into contact with the black light on the Evil Banner, it produced a piercing sound!

Thick plumes of black smoke billowed from the flag, accompanied by a mournful scream!

The "happiness" flag quickly faded and withered before the naked eye could see!

"ah--!"

The heart at the center of the magic circle let out an extremely painful roar!

A portion of its power has been severed!

With the failure of the "happiness" flag, the illusion that filled the sky also showed a slight flaw!

"Go, now!"

Ma Ling'er seized the opportunity and shouted in a sweet voice.

"Awooo—!"

With a roar, the black and white demonic power erupted, instantly tearing apart the illusion before its eyes. The huge bear paw, carrying immense force, slammed down on the fleshy heart!

"Pfft!"

A muffled thud!

That enormous heart was so badly dented by the impact!

Dark green, foul-smelling liquid splattered everywhere!

"roar!"

The Five Psychic Demons were utterly enraged!

The remaining four evil flags suddenly emitted a burst of black light!

Countless swords, spears, and halberds formed from evil energy rained down on Zhou Yuan and Gun Gun!

"Well done!"

Zhou Yuan neither dodged nor evaded, but instead pushed the light of the Azure Lamp to its limit to protect himself, and then charged towards the second "Wrath" flag!

Ma Ling'er then commanded Gun Gun to engage in a fierce battle with the heart itself!

In an instant, within the small secret room, the three colors of light—blue light, black energy, and demonic power—collided and intertwined continuously!

The sounds of roaring, howling, and screaming were incessant!

The Five Psychic Spirits' magical abilities are indeed not weak, even stronger than the previous Ouija Board Spirit and Painted Skin Ghost combined.

Its variations are endless, and its deceptive tactics are impossible to guard against.

However, it met its nemesis!

Zhou Yuan's Azure Lamp is naturally designed to suppress all filth and evil spirits!

Ma Ling'er's immortal iron-eating beast is an ancient and exotic species, whose innate supernatural power is "to dispel illusions and devour all things"!

The two joined forces, one focusing on the root cause and the other on the main body, their cooperation was seamless!

"Sizzle!"

Another loud bang!

The second "Anger" flag was purified by the Green Nether Lamp!

"puff!"

The rolling claws tore off another large chunk of flesh from that heart!

A flag bearing the character "哀" (mourning/grief)!

A flag with the character "乐" (le, meaning joy/happiness) on it!

The character "欲" (desire) - a flag!

Zhou Yuan's figure transformed into a streak of azure lightning within the secret chamber!

Every time the blue lamp in his hand lights up, an evil flag turns to ashes!

And the beating of that heart became weaker and weaker, slower and slower!

Finally, after the last flag bearing the character "desire" was completely purified!

"No--!"

The Five-Tongued Demons let out a desperate and unwilling roar!

All its power vanished with the destruction of the evil banner!

The enormous heart rapidly withered and shrank, eventually transforming into a fist-sized core emanating pure evil energy.

"it's over."

Zhou Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and put away the Azure Nether Lamp.

He didn't even glance at the core of the source, and his mind stirred.

"Sacrifice!"

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the book "Strange Tales of Gods and Monsters" suddenly opened, and an irresistible suction force emanated from the book, instantly devouring the core!

[Sacrifice successful!]

[Unlock the evil page: Five Spirits (Demons)!]

[Gained Yin Energy: Five Paths!]

[Gained Supernatural Power (Active): Wealth Accumulation!]

[Wealth Accumulation: Consumes a small amount of magic power to gather wealth within a small area, influencing the minds of others and making them feel generous towards you. Note: This technique is against the natural order; use with caution.]

A massive amount of information flooded into Zhou Yuan's mind.

Five streams of Yin energy!

This harvest is unprecedentedly bountiful!

Moreover, he also acquired such a... bizarre supernatural power.

Zhou Yuan suppressed his thoughts and turned his gaze to the now empty magic array.

At the center of the magic circle, where the heart was originally enshrined, several items now lie quietly.

A pile of pitch-black ghost money, numbering over a hundred, with the familiar abacus pattern engraved on the back of each one!

as well as……

A thick ledger wrapped in fine silk!

Zhou Yuan stepped forward and picked up the account book.

Ma Ling'er also came over, her little face full of curiosity.

Zhou Yuan slowly opened the account book.

Familiar ink marks came into view.

The first page of the ledger reads:

"In the autumn of the 246th year of the Great Ling Dynasty, the method of 'Five Paths to Wealth' was used to help Qian Tongbao (Master Qian) seize the fortune of his mortal enemy, the Li family. The matter was successfully accomplished. Qian Tongbao offered incense, which was the result of half a lifetime's savings, as a reward. This is the first payment."

Turn to the second page.

"In the same year, in winter, I helped Qian Tongbao set up a scheme that lured a thousand high-stakes gamblers from Fengzhou, causing them to lose everything. I absorbed their bad luck and collected their wealth. Qian Tongbao offered incense money, which was converted into 30% of the casino's profits, as a reward. This is the second instance."

……

As you turn the pages, you see densely packed records detailing the crimes of the mysterious man who calls himself "the accountant," and how he used the Five Psychic Demons to help Master Qian amass ill-gotten wealth!

The price that Master Qian paid was the "luck" and "offerings" he gained through these dirty means!

The more Zhou Yuan and Ma Ling'er looked, the more gloomy their expressions became.

Until you turn to the last page, there is only one short line of text.

"The dragon vein's fortune in Fengzhou has already accumulated to 30%, and the incense offerings and prayers are also sufficient. Once the Nine Nether Dragon-Locking Array is completed, then we can... steal the divine position and become the City God!"

"boom!"

Upon seeing the last eight words, Zhou Yuan felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind!

Stealing the throne!

Transform into the City God!

He understood instantly!

Everything is connected!

The general's tomb is the key point of the formation!

The theater, the county government office, and the Qian family mansion are three key locations!

"Underworld money" is the medium!

Evil spirits are tools!

Everything that "accountant" did involved killing evildoers, stirring up public resentment, consolidating his fortune, and collecting offerings...

His purpose was not as simple as just to disrupt Fengzhou City!

He is paving his way to godhood in the most evil and vicious way!

He wanted to steal the divine position that rightfully belonged to the City God of Fengzhou, and turn this city completely into his own "ledger," into his private divine kingdom!

"madman……"

Ma Ling'er's small hands were ice-cold, and her voice was trembling.

"He's a complete madman!"

Zhou Yuan slowly closed the ledger; the book felt incredibly heavy in his hands at that moment.

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of obstacles, looking towards the City God Temple in the very center of Fengzhou City, a temple that had been abandoned for a hundred years.

"No."

His voice was as cold as the wind from the deepest hell.

"He's not crazy."

"He's an accountant who wants to scheme against everyone..."

The candlelight in the secret room flickered gently under Zhou Yuan's icy gaze.

That heavy ledger seemed not to be made of silk and paper, but rather to be formed from the blood, tears, and fortune of countless people, and it was shockingly hot.

Ma Ling'er shivered and subconsciously moved closer to Zhou Yuan.

"Zhou Yuan..."

"Shall we...go straight to the City God Temple now?"

There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Since that "accountant" dared to plot to steal the divine position, he must have laid a trap.

The City God Temple is now probably the most dangerous den of dragons and tigers in the entire Fengzhou City!

Zhou Yuan shook his head and closed the ledger.

"No."

His voice was unusually calm, so calm it was unsettling.

"We still don't know who our opponent is."

Ma Ling'er was taken aback.

"Isn't the opponent that 'the accountant'?"

Zhou Yuan carefully tucked the account book into his pocket and looked up at her.

"'The accountant' is just a code name."

"A sinister figure lurking behind the scenes."

"Rushing into his home turf will only put us at a disadvantage."

Zhou Yuan paused, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

"This ledger records all his schemes, but it doesn't record a single thing."

"Himself."

"To play chess, you first need to know whether the person sitting across from you is a human or a ghost!"

Ma Ling'er nodded as if she understood but not quite.

"Then...how do we find it?"

"Fengzhou City is so big, hiding someone there is harder than finding a needle in a haystack!"

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, and the air, mixed with the smell of blood and sandalwood, made his mind even clearer.

"It's not difficult."

"He thought he was hiding it well, but he left his mark in every case."

As Zhou Yuan spoke, he rapidly connected all the clues in his mind.

From the ghost money in the general's tomb, to the painted skin ghost in the theater, to the Ouija board spirit in the county government, and finally to the Five Gods of Money Mansion.

One incident after another flashed by like a revolving lantern.

"Think about it, what does the code name 'accountant' signify?"

Zhou Yuan guided Ma Ling'er's train of thought.

Ma Ling'er tilted her head and thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

"That shows he's very calculating!"

"Yes, he is meticulous and skilled at planning. He calculates every step clearly, just like a real accountant."

Zhou Yuan added.

"This kind of person is definitely not a brute who only knows how to fight and kill."

"He must be a...scholar!"

"Even a brilliant but frustrated scholar!"

Only someone like this would harbor such immense resentment towards the world!

Only someone with such abilities and intellect could set up such an intricately linked "Nine Nether Dragon Locking Formation"!

"The scholars of Fengzhou City..."

Ma Ling'er muttered to herself, starting to filter candidates in her mind.

Zhou Yuan didn't stop, and continued:

"Let's see what he does next."

"Incite public resentment, manipulate people's hearts, exploit evil spirits, and amass incense offerings and good fortune."

"All of this requires a perfect identity as a cover."

"An identity that no one would doubt, and that would even praise unanimously!"

"A...great philanthropist!"

When the words "scholar" and "great philanthropist" came out of Zhou Yuan's mouth.

A figure flashed through his mind like lightning!

Zhou Yuan was suddenly startled, and a terrifying glint flashed in his eyes!

It's him!

How could it be him?!

He immediately focused his mind and began to peruse the memories of the original owner of this body.

The blurry images began to become clear.

On the day the incident occurred at the theater, it was as if a hundred ghosts were roaming the night, and people were filled with fear.

The next day, a talented man in the city wrote an article in public to soothe people's hearts and denounce evil spirits, which was praised by the whole city.

A spirit writing Ouija board was discovered at the county government office, leading to the mysterious deaths of several officials.

On the third day, it was that same talented man who took the lead in raising funds to provide relief to the families of the deceased, earning him the title of "living bodhisattva" from the people.

The incense at Master Qian's mansion was always burning brightly, and the common people flocked to it.

That same talented scholar once remarked in public, seemingly unintentionally, "Sincerity moves mountains; Master Qian was also praying for the people of Fengzhou."

This statement acted as a catalyst, making the already enthusiastic people even more convinced of its validity!

every time!

Behind every incident involving evil spirits, there is his presence!

He wasn't investigating, he wasn't solving the problem, he was... stirring up trouble!

With his perfect image of "benevolence and morality," he gently pushed all evil in another direction!

He turned all the bad consequences into nourishment for himself!

"It's him..."

Zhou Yuan's voice was hoarse with a hint of disbelief.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's sudden change in expression, Ma Ling'er hurriedly asked:

"Who is it? Who did you think of?"

Zhou Yuan raised his head and uttered a name, word by word.

"Fengzhou, Li Xiuwen."

"Scholar Li!"

"What?!"

Ma Ling'er was so shocked that she jumped up, her pretty face filled with disbelief!

"Li, the scholar who passed the imperial examination?!"