Chen Mo had entered the Inner Family, and his Six Roots and Six Senses had undergone a transformation. He could see spiritual entities and Evil Spirits, and even hear them speak. But the others in the courtyard had not entered the Inner Family, and with a courtyard wall between them, they couldn't see Li Hongxi or hear what she was saying.
Even so, hearing Li Hongxi call out to her mother for help... still sent a chill through Chen Mo.
Her mother was that wicked woman, Granny Li.
The Symbiote of Mad Demon Disease.
She had used Paper Figures to come after him twice before.
That woman was truly bizarre.
"I can't let her keep calling out, or something bad will happen!"
Chen Mo didn't hesitate. He cut his palm again and smeared blood along the blade. His strike, wreathed in Bloodfire, instantly slashed toward Li Hongxi.
Li Hongxi couldn't dodge as she rolled about, but the blade missed, passing straight through her body without resistance. However... the Bloodfire on the blade clung to Li Hongxi. In an instant, the flames around her grew larger.
"Mother, save me!!"
"Damn it, still calling for her? Take this!" Chen Mo was facing an Evil Spirit in battle for the first time. How could he dare be even slightly careless? He immediately slashed his palm again and sent another strike of Bloodfire at her.
As one streak of Bloodfire after another landed on Li Hongxi, the flames around her grew larger and larger. She struggled and screamed within the fire, and after only a few strikes, she became a human torch. Her howls for help gradually weakened, then slowly faded away, leaving behind a scattering of damp mist and a thick, foul stench.
Chen Mo stood with his blade held across him, silently watching Li Hongxi vanish. Only then did the coldness in his eyes slowly ease.
Hah!
Chen Mo drew a deep breath. "She's finally dead."
Only now did his body and mind, which had been wound tight all this time, slowly relax.
It hadn't exactly been a fight to the death, but it certainly hadn't been easy.
The main reason was that he had cultivated Internal True Qi. With his blood and True Qi surging, his opponent couldn't get close enough to hurt him.
Without Internal True Qi to fall back on, if she had managed to claw at him a few times, he would have been beaten to death in moments.
Though he had won, Chen Mo felt no joy. Instead, Third Master Xie's face surfaced in his mind.
Compared to Li Wenqing, an outsider, Third Master Xie knew much more about Evil Spirits.
No wonder the first thing Third Master Xie thought of after learning what had happened was to flee, rather than seek help from his relative Li Wenqing. He had known all along that Li Wenqing couldn't deal with an Evil Spirit like Li Hongxi.
It was a pity...
Chen Mo tore off a piece of his sleeve and bandaged the cuts in his palm. Then he focused his eyes and looked over. Where Li Hongxi had vanished, a box appeared.
Chen Mo suddenly remembered: when he had accidentally entered the Ghost Land at Li Manor, he had seen Original Understanding Essence on Li Hongxi. Three Black Rods, to be precise.
At the time, Chen Mo had wondered if he would have to kill Li Hongxi to obtain the Original Understanding Essence.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been strong enough back then. Escaping with his life had been a blessing. Now, more than three months later, he had finally managed it.
Chen Mo cleared his mind and fixed his gaze on the box.
Still three Black Rods.
But now there were three additional lines of text.
[Detected 100 absorbable Original Understanding Essence]
[Prompt: Absorbing Original Understanding Essence can raise the Identifier level]
[Absorb?]
Three months after crossing over, he could finally obtain Original Understanding Essence!
It hadn't been easy.
Chen Mo didn't even hesitate. He immediately focused his thoughts.
Absorb!
Buzz!
His head spun for a moment, then quickly cleared. The panel before his eyes had changed as well.
[Original Understanding Essence +100]
[Identifier level increasing...]
[Upgrade successful!]
[Identifier upgraded to Reading. 1000 more Original Understanding Essence needed to reach the next level, Deconstruct.]
[Prompt: Identification can only identify superficial information. Reading can read internal information. Deconstruct can deconstruct the factors that form external objects.]
[Extra reward: Modification Function acquired. Original Understanding Essence can be spent to modify key points and flaws found through Reading. This includes yourself, cultivation techniques, items, and more.]
After reading all the information, Chen Mo felt delighted.
He had expected his Identifier level to rise. Now that it had, he would likely be able to read more about the Black Rods and get more detailed information. That would make things far easier for him.
What surprised Chen Mo most... was the Modification Function.
He could spend Original Understanding Essence to modify cultivation techniques, items, and even himself?
That sounded pretty incredible, and Chen Mo couldn't wait to try it.
The one drawback was that he needed Original Understanding Essence to use the Modification Function.
Based on his past experience, killing an Evil Spirit was enough to obtain Original Understanding Essence.
Now that he had entered the Inner Family and was about to join Black Mountain Stronghold to learn Exorcism, he would have plenty of chances to perform Exorcisms.
Getting some Original Understanding Essence shouldn't be a problem.
There was no need to rush.
"Reading doesn't require Original Understanding Essence. I'll try it first and see how it compares to Identification."
Chen Mo stared at the box containing the three Black Rods.
[Detected an object that can be read.]
[Current number of available readings: 2]
"Huh? I have reading attempts again. That's good."
Chen Mo focused his thoughts.
Read.
The next moment, lines of text appeared one after another.
[Name: White Shirt Ghost]
[Type: Yin-Water]
[Abilities: Spiritual possession, Yin-Water corrosion.]
[Introduction: With twenty years of cultivation, it evolved from a Wandering Fiend into a White Shirt Ghost by accumulating resentment. Its spirit body does not dissipate in the light. At birth, it was contaminated by a trace of a Spirit Infant's Ghost Qi. It lived in an ancient well for years and couldn't get out. But because of your blood, it came out.]
[Note: The trace of Spirit Infant Ghost Qi came from its mother. The Spirit Infant Ghost Qi inside its mother is enormous, far surpassing that of this White Shirt Ghost!]
"Sure enough, the information is much more detailed now. It even explains its path of growth and the source of the Ghost Qi inside it. This upgraded Golden Finger really lives up to its name."
"But that last sentence... is unsettling."
There was no doubt that Granny Li would be even harder to deal with than Li Hongxi.
Also, the Golden Finger had clearly stated that Li Hongxi had been able to escape the ancient well because of Chen Mo's blood.
But Granny Li had attacked him twice before without trying to capture him.
The only time was when Liu Mazi had been injured and cut open a wound. At the time, Chen Mo's blood had gotten on Liu Mazi's soft sword.
Could Granny Li have used the Paper Figure stuck to Liu Mazi's back to draw Chen Mo's blood from a distance?
Could such a wicked art of drawing blood from afar really exist in this world?
If so, Granny Li was far too bizarre.
Now that he had killed her daughter, Granny Li would surely refuse to let it go. Sooner or later, she would come after him for revenge.
There was no escaping her.
That wicked woman had to die!
And Old Master Li couldn't be left alive, either.
To pull up the grass, you had to dig out the roots!
Chen Mo's eyes gradually turned cold and ruthless. His relaxed hand slowly tightened around the hilt of his blade.
Although Old Master Li and Granny Li had to die, he couldn't act rashly...
Never mind whether he could cut Granny Li down, more importantly, his whole family was behind him. If he went to Blood Ridge Black Market to find Granny Li now and fell for her trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain, the Chen Family would be in danger.
Chen Mo didn't like being played for a fool.
"Fortunately, Daoist Priest Li is coming to the residence tomorrow to discuss my going to Black Mountain Stronghold to learn. Black Mountain Stronghold is a secret branch under the Red Lantern Society. If I can join them, the Chen Family will have their protection too. Then, no matter how ferocious Granny Li is, she won't dare come to the house and cause trouble for my family."
Chen Mo could wait one more day.
After making up his mind, Chen Mo no longer hesitated. He carried his blade over to Xie Cui.
Xie Cui was, after all, the wife of Magistrate Li Yu. Even though Chen Mo had hacked her until she was covered in wounds and suffered burns in several places, he still had to take her body back to her family.
Just as Chen Mo was about to lift Xie Cui's body—
A wisp of strange Ghost Qi silently flowed into his body...
Before you continue