Ge Xian Wants to Loot the Corpse

As he watched the cast-iron statue, garbed in a Daoist robe and posing like a celestial lord, Ge Xian felt a surge of absurdity while simultaneously developing a keen interest in the Myriad Laws Sect.

The ancient ferocious beast [Qiongqi], known for devouring humans, was repackaged as the Spirit God Celestial Lord, receiving incense offerings from humanity.

And what about the Myriad Laws Sect leader? What was his true form?

What about the other Myriad Gods within the sect? What ancient evil gods or demonic beasts were they?

Of course, what concerned Ge Xian the most was whether this cultivation path, which had clearly become the mainstream in this world, was like this for everyone.

"The old man in the tea house just now said that as long as those who awaken their talents find the corresponding [True Spirit Hall], they can begin their cultivation journey."

"Clearly, the Fuyang County Magistrate and the Qiantang County Magistrate both achieved this. The latter is rumored to have been born with tiger marks and tiger eyes, so his corresponding Spirit God is the Gu-Eating Spirit God."

"What about me? With both Super-Sensation and Charm talents... could my corresponding Spirit God be the Qingqiu Nine-Tailed Fox? Do I really have to be a male Daji? No way."

"If I can't avoid it, where should I go to find a Fox Temple?"

Ge Xian gradually revealed his true nature, outwardly protesting against being a male fox while inwardly already planning how to find a way.

As if by chance, the very next moment, he heard a living example:

The temple keeper, who was clearly also a ghoul, perhaps at the magistrate's command, was not only serving as a temple keeper but also moonlighting as a "storyteller."

However, he only told one story.

It was the story of Lu Hualong, the county magistrate known as "Gougu Magistrate," detailing his glorious achievements and brilliant history in the first half of his life.

He was promoting his master, and the content was likely embellished, but many county residents, including Ge Xian, listened with rapt attention.

"My master is a scion of the Gusu Lu Family. One day, my mistress dreamed of the Gu-Eating Spirit God, and thus, when my master was born, his body was covered in tiger marks, and he was blessed with a pair of tiger eyes capable of subduing a hundred ghosts. Even as an infant, he could disregard the boundaries of yin and yang, perceive Chimei Wangliang, and his tiger's might could subdue demons and ghosts within a ten-mile radius, ensuring the peace of his household."

"He displayed divine signs from childhood, acted chivalrously in his youth, attracted many young heroes to join him, subdued demons and devils, and protected the region. Later, he passed the imperial examinations, excelling in both literary and martial arts, and became renowned throughout the nine townships."

"Finally, guided by the Gu-Eating Spirit God, he achieved fruition and will soon transcend the mortal realm..."

In the crowd, Ge Xian was trying to find clues about Lu Hualong's cultivation amidst the temple keeper's syrupy praises, intending to subtly interject and steer the conversation.

But at that moment, his expression changed drastically.

Suppressing the urge to look up and around, he continued to use his extraordinary perception, carefully sensing and identifying the sudden appearance of extraordinary auras in his surroundings.

In his previous perception, there were no extraordinary beings within several hundred meters; they were all ordinary county residents.

As the temple keeper spoke more and more excitedly, he had unknowingly attracted a large number of extraordinary beings, and in Ge Xian's keen senses, these extraordinary beings, whether human or ghost, exuded intense malice whenever they heard the name "Lu Hualong."

"Outside the temple, that merchant caravan pretending to rest, with their strange attire, looking like they came from the Xiangxi region, are all extraordinary beings without exception. And I don't know what they have hidden in their carriages; it's cold, stiff, lifeless, with no sign of blood or vital energy... Could they be some kind of zombies?"

"And those dozen beggars in the corner, their vital energy is unusual, even more so than tigers and leopards. Could they be from the Beggar Sect?"

The most terrifying were the ones yelling as they approached, a group of performers gathered from men, women, old, and young...

Sensing the third group of people, Ge Xian's heart pounded with alarm. He no longer dared to look and quickly averted his gaze.

In that single instant, before he could even clearly see the faces of those people, his mind had already sensed masses of writhing flesh, rotting lymph nodes, and other things. At the same time, his own body stirred restlessly, as if about to degenerate. This prompted him not only to withdraw his gaze but also to temporarily shut down his enhanced senses.

Muttering to himself, "What the hell is that?" he sensed something was wrong and wanted to retreat immediately.

However, Ge Xian had just exited the temple and hadn't yet retreated behind the crowd when another change occurred.

"The County Magistrate has arrived!"

"Commoners, step aside. Recite the name and praise the benevolence of our lord."

As the ghouls yelled, a more luxurious procession approached from the direction of the county office on the main street. Including Ge Xian, no one looked at the ghouls, nor did they immediately scramble to snatch the reward money. Instead, all eyes were cast upon the divine palanquin in the center of the luxurious procession.

Behind layers of ornate curtains sat a tall man with a magnificent appearance.

Without even activating his spiritual sense, Ge Xian could feel an unprecedented danger emanating from him and immediately guessed that this person must be the [County Magistrate Lu Hualong, who carves up bodies].

What surprised him greatly was that Lu Hualong was not wearing the magistrate's robes. Instead, he was draped in a colorful, alluring, and dazzling floral garment. Even a woman wearing this robe would appear gaudy.

Yet, Lu Hualong not only wore it but also wore it without an inner lining, exposing a large part of his robust physique.

However, at this moment, no one was paying attention to that. All eyes were drawn to two distinctly different ghouls on a platform in front of the divine palanquin.

One ghoul was exceptionally well-formed. Dressed in a snow-white long gown, if he were intact, anyone would have praised him as a fine scholar. But now, this scholar was disheveled, his face covered in blood, clutching his missing nose and wailing.

The other ghoul was extremely ugly, with a face full of moles and black hair. He was fierce and cunning, yet he had received rewards and was surrounded by treasures and beauties, living it up.

Before the crowd could get a closer look, Lu Hualong, draped in the floral robe, seemed to be afflicted by some "terrible illness." Something stirred within his robust body. In an instant, tiger stripes appeared, sharp spines grew on his back, and tumor-like growths bulged from his ribs, bursting open with a poof, as if membranous wings were about to extend and his human face was about to transform into a tiger's head.

He let out a roar, then suddenly lunged out, wielding a whip soaked in saltwater and fiercely lashing the white-robed scholar. After whipping him, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and he then rewarded the ugly man with a bag of goods.

These scenes left the county residents stunned and bewildered.

Until, from within the crowd, a hushed voice provided an explanation:

"That scholar is called Gongsun Xing. He is Magistrate Lu's old friend and advisor. Mr. Gongsun contributed to the magistrate's current achievements. For some unknown reason, he angered the magistrate, became a ghoul, and now suffers such torment."

"As for that ugly man, he is a notoriously cunning and lazy rogue, a villain known far and wide in Qiantang. How could he have caught the magistrate's eye and received so many rewards?"

"I think the magistrate can't suppress his transformation anymore. Should we flee...?"

"Where can we flee? Is there any place more peaceful than Qiantang within a thousand miles? Although Magistrate Lu has become strange and likes Good Thigh Meat, at least he can protect us and let us live."

Seeing and hearing all this made Ge Xian's heart filled with unease.

He could tell that Lu Hualong was very wrong. Compared to the past, not only had his temperament changed drastically, but he had also inexplicably developed quirks like "Good Flower Clothes," "Good Thigh Meat," and "Evil Loyalty Admire Treachery." He also seemed to be losing control of his Demonic Body.

Glancing again at the supernaturals with malicious intent who were approaching amidst the crowd, a rumor Ge Xian had heard earlier suddenly surged in his mind: the magistrate of Fuyang County had followed the "Spirit God Without Apertures," one of the Four Spirit Gods, and inexplicably gone mad, devouring half the county's population...

A bad premonition flashed in an instant.

"Not good!"

The moment Ge Xian sensed something was wrong, he immediately took action.

His steps were incredibly fast, and he retreated behind everyone first.

Still feeling it wasn't enough, he retreated to the street corner in a few steps.

And his inexplicable premonition came true the next moment.

From the performing troupe in strange clothes, with men, women, old, and young, whom Ge Xian had sensed earlier, a tall, thin old man with white hair and a youthful face walked out and called out to Lu Hualong:

"I've long heard of Magistrate Lu's great name. In such chaotic times, to be able to protect a region's peace is something ordinary people cannot do."

"We have traveled a long distance, and we are here to present a 'Spirit Meat Song' to the magistrate to praise his merits."

After speaking, he didn't wait for Lu Hualong's response at all.

The people behind him took out bone whistles, bone flutes, guqins, konghous, and other musical instruments and began to play.

In an instant, Ge Xian's super-sense was passively activated.

A strong premonition appeared in his mind: "That music cannot be heard, and one cannot escape it. It will inevitably lead to the collapse of spirit and flesh, and desires will surge."

Without hesitation, Ge Xian tore off a piece of cloth to block his ears and then grabbed a handful of wet mud to stuff them tightly. Even so, the residual sound that entered his ears in his last moment made Ge Xian's heart pound wildly, and his desires stirred.

And when he looked back, he was shocked to see a scene like a "Hellish Carnival Diagram" reflected in his eyes:

All the county residents, and even the ghouls, were trapped in illusions of desire, swaying madly.

And the troupe playing the music? They no longer looked human.

The so-called men, women, old, and young were clearly demons wearing "human skin," or perhaps they were all human once, but due to their cultivation, they now all looked the same: pale all over, but with "flesh growths" appearing in various places, such as an embryo, fused organs, or swollen limbs, etc.

Affected by the music they played, Lu Hualong, who was already struggling to control himself, finally revealed his true form.

With a roar that shook ten miles, a tiger-like demon, very similar to the "Gu-Eating Spirit God" in the temple and still wearing flowery clothes, leaped out and began to madly devour the surrounding county residents.

Except for those who escaped quickly like Ge Xian, or those who were already at the edge, the rest of the county residents who came to join the fun were almost all doomed.

Seeing this, the old man at the head was overjoyed and clapped his hands, laughing:

"This is how it should be. Eat more, eat well. The Gu-Eating Spirit Fetus within you is the greatest tonic."

"Make your move. First, sever his limbs, then lock his spine. We can't let this scoundrel escape Qiantang. After all, he cultivates the Gu Devouring Immortal Method. His cultivation is far stronger than that Fuyang County Magistrate."

With a wave of his hand, two other groups appeared.

First, the beggars who had seemed sickly moments ago, suddenly capable of flying and burrowing through the earth, charged towards Lu Hualong.

Next were the traveling merchants. As their copper bells rang, their horse-drawn carriages shattered. Corpses, rotten and reeking, began to hop and lurch towards Lu Hualong.

Ge Xian, while fleeing with the other county residents, kept looking back and listening.

In an instant, he understood: "The tragedy in Fuyang County before was also their doing. Who are these people? They seem to specialize in hunting down the Dayuan Dynasty's [Demonic Officials], using their demonic bodies as potent medicine? Lu Hualong fell just like that?"

At this moment, Ge Xian's super-perception was active. As this thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but try to sense Lu Hualong, wanting to know the caliber of this county magistrate who had cut flesh.

To his surprise, this probing instantly turned Ge Xian's face pale. With a pfft, he vomited blood.

"Damn it... so terrifying!"

"He's already a tiger demon, and he's still pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger?"

Before Ge Xian's grumbling could even finish.

A new change occurred before the temple.

Lu Hualong, who had been acting crazily and devouring county residents, suddenly swelled several times in size the moment the beggars and zombies attacked. In the blink of an eye, a tiger demon almost as large as the temple itself appeared, overlooking the entire Qiantang County. It flapped its membranous wings, condensing a foul wind that instantly blew away all the beggars and zombies.

Then, a wild laugh erupted:

"Hahaha... I was wondering where the Chimei Wangliang came from to kill my good brother. So it's you remnants of the [Eternal Life Cult], plus a few useless beggars and some dead bodies."

"You're all incredibly stupid. You probably thought I was like that idiot in Fuyang County, unable to suppress my spirit fetus, leading to a split soul and a fiery temper, making me easy prey for you."

"I should thank you this time. The Spirit God doesn't care for beggars and corpses, but ten bodies of Eternal Life Cult followers, plus the [Taisui Gu Worms] nurtured within the children of this county, will be enough to help me obtain advancement resources and cultivation methods from Him."

"Today is a most auspicious day. I will completely stabilize the Mortal Transformation Realm."

Before his voice faded, Lu Hualong's membranous wings, tipped with sharp claws, suddenly retracted. With a pfft, he actually pierced his own eardrums.

Then, he let out a long roar that could be heard throughout Qiantang County.

Under Ge Xian's disbelieving gaze, all the children within his line of sight collapsed to the ground. Colorful worms, with bodies like glazed jelly and exuding a rich meaty aroma, crawled out from within them and all flapped their wings towards the Gu-Eating Spirit God Temple.

And there, a brutal slaughter was unfolding.

Several streets away, Ge Xian, having escaped, looked back towards that area from afar.

Based on the sensory feedback, the scales of victory were entirely tipped in Lu Hualong's favor.

His demonic body, immersed in slaughter, was still clad in that floral garment, but at this moment, it didn't seem comical at all, only striking terror into the hearts of onlookers.

Ge Xian had no doubt that if "Lu Hualong" were to unleash his full power, he might be able to wipe out the entire county's population in a single night.

Logically, he should be rushing home right now, packing his belongings, and fleeing.

But inexplicably, a strange light flickered in his eyes. He shifted his gaze, looking towards the area around the temple.

He had seen it clearly before and remembered it distinctly. His senses had not been mistaken.

"In this encirclement and assassination, the main force and the controllers were clearly those cultivators, remnants of the [Eternal Life Cult]."

"As for those beggars who practiced bizarre martial arts, and the Xiangxi people controlling zombies... they were all cannon fodder."

In the first encounter, they suffered heavy casualties. Many were swept away by the Gu Storm to various corners, severely injured, their lives hanging in the balance.

"If I can pick up one or two survivors, interrogate them for secrets first, and then loot their bodies, in this chaotic world of demons and monsters, I won't have to grope around blindly anymore."

"Just in time, the temporary exotic powers I've been absorbing are about to disappear. I can't waste them..."

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Ge Xian suddenly moved as well.