One second ago, Shen Yingchun was like a tiger descending from the mountain, brimming with murderous intent.
He vowed to tear the madman who had stolen his daughter's soul to pieces.
But the moment I saw Jiangnan's face clearly...
"Thump!"
Shen Yingchun, the head of the Shen Family and commander of the ghost Soul Return Town, slammed her knees to the ground.
His forehead pounded hard against the ground covered in shards of glass, and he dared not lift it.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
The aged voice trembled, like a quail facing its natural enemy.
Everyone present instantly lost their minds.
Ghost...
Waiter...
The lobby managers all stared wide-eyed.
"Am I still asleep?! Commander..."
"He actually kowtowed to a lowly constable?!"
"The ghost messengers and constables are essentially subordinates of Commander Shen!"
"This... is this the spirit of our Old Ancestor appearing and rising from the dead?!"
Not only these NPCs, but even Liu Ruyan, who was being held in Jiangnan's arms, was shocked!
She stared at Jiangnan's mind in disbelief.
"This old man can go toe-to-toe with a top-tier fighter, and he actually kowtowed to him?!"
"Could it be... that all those melodramatic scenarios I was mentally replaying in my head were actually true?"
"Is this man some kind of reclusive war god? The Dragon King has returned?!"
All of this was already anticipated by Jiangnan.
The Confucian Dao Association's kneeling worship of Confucius.
The Phoenix Emperor receives special treatment.
Memories of the head maid, Little Sparrow.
The look in the eyes of the old townspeople.
These clues point to an answer.
Many ancient monsters in Soul Return Town, who have lived for thousands of years, recognize his face.
Moreover, its deterrent power is at a level of dimensional reduction.
Shen Yingchun must have been one of them.
Therefore, Jiangnan decided to adopt the most brilliant tactic.
Silent, yet pretending to be an expert.
Explanations would only expose the amnesia and the current state of combat strength.
As long as you remain arrogant, the other party will fill in the blanks in their own mind.
Jiangnan didn't even glance at Shen Yingchun, who was kneeling on the ground.
He pulled his arms around the stiff Liu Ruyan, stepped over the broken glass, and walked to the lobby manager.
"Snap."
He slapped the complimentary presidential suite voucher on the bar.
"Lead the way."
The lobby manager trembled as if he had Parkinson's disease, and looked to Shen Yingchun for help.
"Commander... this man killed the young lady, should I still book a room for him?"
Although Shen Yingchun kept her head down, she caught a glimpse of that look out of the corner of her eye and cursed inwardly.
His brain was like an overloaded CPU, sparking wildly.
He didn't say a word! He didn't even look at me! He ignored me!
"It's over! Dragon God must be furious!"
"It's highly likely that Youchu offended the master, which is why the master personally took away her soul!"
"The fact that the adults are ignoring me now is a warning sign!"
"And even if you are magnanimous and too lazy to wipe out my entire Shen Family!"
"Phoenix Emperor will definitely raze our Shen Family graves to the ground!"
Shen Yingchun instantly pictured Shen Family entire family being thrown into Ox-Horse Factory, working day and night on sewing machines and tightening screws.
He suddenly looked up, frantically gesturing to the manager with his eyes, his gaze roaring.
"Are you blind?! Hurry up and take the adults upstairs!"
"Use the highest standards! If the lord is not satisfied, your entire family will be executed!"
The manager is also a shrewd individual, having worked his way up in the corporate world for many years.
She instantly understood the survival instinct hidden in her husband's eyes.
"This way, please, both of you!"
"The ultimate presidential suite on the top floor is ready for you!"
"I'll personally show you the way! Please watch your step!"
The oppressive feeling gradually dissipated after Jiangnan and Liu Ruyan left.
Shen Yingchun collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
But as his gaze swept over the two corpses, fear turned into rage.
"Someone come here!"
He sprang to his feet and roared, "Close the door! Don't let anyone here get away!"
"Tell me exactly what happened, without missing a single word!"
The ghost messengers sealed off the scene.
The waiters knelt on the ground, each offering their own account of what had happened.
When Shen Yingchun heard that her daughter had led the groom to curse the Dragon God and insult the Dragon God, she was shocked.
"Well!"
Shen Yingchun's eyes rolled back, her body stiffened and she fell backward, almost going into shock.
"My lord!"
The ghost messenger quickly pinched the philtrum to calm the qi.
After pausing for a minute, Shen Yingchun took a deep breath, her eyes filled with ruthlessness.
When faced with the survival of the Lineage, kinship is worthless.
He flicked his sleeves, straightened up, and announced to everyone present.
"Gentlemen! After my careful consideration and investigation just now!"
"A shocking conspiracy that has been covered up for many years has finally been uncovered!"
Shen Yingchun pointed at Shen Youchu's corpse on the ground and roared in anguish.
"The woman lying on the ground is not my Shen Yingchun daughter at all!"
"What?!"
"She's not the master's daughter!"
The ghost messengers and employees were all dumbfounded.
"That's right! She's a fake heiress who was switched at birth!"
"You've been impersonating the true daughter of the Shen Family for decades, enjoying wealth and luxury, but in reality, you have a long history of misdeeds and are utterly depraved!"
Shen Yingchun demonstrated the ultimate principle of putting righteousness before family by issuing an order on the spot.
"By my order! Effective immediately, this imposter is to be officially expelled from the Lineage!"
"Drag her body out now and bury her in some random mass grave outside town!"
"Out of consideration for the years she called me 'father,' I'll wait for her to be resurrected on the night of her soul's return!"
"Send her straight to the Job Assignment Office and give her any random job title like 'cattle or horse'!"
"Let her be condemned to eternal damnation, to tread a sewing machine in Ox-Horse Factory for all eternity!"
The ghost messengers were stunned.
But when the superior gives the order, who dares to disobey?
"Your leadership is brilliant!"
Two ghost messengers immediately stepped forward and dragged Shen Youchu's body away.
One of the ghost messengers pointed to the equally dead coachman Xiao Fan beside him and respectfully asked for instructions.
"Commander, what about... what about this groom named Xiao Fan?"
"He was also involved in verbally abusing that official."
"Should we also publicly declare that he is actually a spy infiltrating the Shen Family, intending to subvert..."
"Um..."
Shen Yingchun stroked her chin, staring at Xiao Fan's corpse for two seconds in thought.
Fabricating bizarre backstories is really a waste of brain cells.
Commander Shen's brain is already overloaded today.
"Never mind."
Shen Yingchun waved her hand dismissively.
"A mere stable boy; I'm too lazy to waste my brain cells making up stories about him."
"Just drag it to the boiler room and burn it."
Abandoned storage room in the Third Ring Town.
The Sage stood quietly in the shadows, watching Guo Shuai and the others walk towards the Second Ring Town.
After confirming that the group had gone far away, the Sage turned around and walked to the deepest corner of the storage room.
There, the not-so-bright [Dusk] was squatting on the ground, engrossed in picking his nose.
He examined the small snack he had scooped out between his fingertips.
Then, with a silly grin on his face, he stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it with relish.
Hehehe, this is great!
"Disgraceful idiot."
The Sage, witnessing this scene, was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged.
He stepped forward and delivered a karate chop to the back of Dusk's neck.
Without uttering a sound, Dusk rolled his eyes and fainted to the ground.
Then, the Sage pulled out a black wooden box from behind.
With a push, the box was gently opened.
Inside lay a nearly perfect woman's head, showing no signs of decay!
Her skin was as pale as paper, and her eyes were tightly closed, like a porcelain doll.
She is none other than Marionette Vespera, the tenth seat of the Desolate God Society and a [Tailor]!
The Sage looked at the human head in the box, then glanced at the Dusk on the ground.
"One has a problem with his brain, and the other is just a head all he has left."
"Let's piece together those two pieces of trash..."
"They're barely usable as combat troops."
After speaking, the Sage closed the wooden box.
He pulled a hemp rope, tied the Dusk around his waist, and hung the wooden box on his waist at the same time.
He turned his head and looked towards the distant, bustling Second Ring Town, shrouded in a barrier.
"It's time to get to work."
"The reincarnation of the Dragon God, the Eye of Calamity..."
"This is truly a blessed place."
The Sage muttered to himself, but he did not immediately step towards the Second Ring Town.
He stood still, his head slightly raised, as if sensing some kind of fluctuation.
"I need to go see an old friend first."
The Sage's gaze was fixed on the southernmost tip of Soul Return Town.
Then, he flashed out of the window and disappeared into the twilight.
South of the town, Manure Management Center.
If Central Forest Garden is paradise, then this place...
It's absolutely the most disgusting place in the entire Soul Return Town.
The sign reads "Manure Management Center" in large characters.
This is where the town centrally processes and distributes excrement.
This is commonly known as the ultimate septic tank.
The Sage's figure landed silently in the courtyard of the management center.
"Holy crap! It's you again, old man!"
A familiar voice rang out.
The Sage froze and turned his head away.
Several managers who were preparing to leave work were standing not far away.
The one in the lead was none other than the male villager who had almost been hit by him in the outhouse earlier!
The male townsman looked at the Sage, covered his nose, and stepped forward to question him.
"What's going on? What are you doing at our management center, old man?"
"You weren't satisfied with what you ate at my outhouse, so you're trying to sneak into my headquarters to steal some food?"
Upon hearing this, the other townspeople nearby burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! So this is the little glutton you were talking about?!"
"My goodness, they're really greedy! They even followed the smell all the way to the latrine!"
"Hey, old man!"
A townsman pointed to the wooden box hanging from the Sage's waist and the Dusk tied to his back.
"How about we make you a hot one right here?"
"Look at you, dragging your family along, you look like a beggar fleeing famine, so pitiful!"
Hearing the insults and jeers of these mortals, the Sage wished he could turn all these foul-mouthed scoundrels into pus right now!
But...
He held back!
"The Dragon God and the Phoenix Emperor are both in this town right now; we absolutely mustn't cause any trouble!"
"For the sake of the bigger picture, we can't expose ourselves!"
The Sage forcibly suppressed his murderous intent and explained in kind words.
You've misunderstood.
"I have no interest in those things, I'm here..."
"Looking for someone."
Looking for someone?
The townspeople looked at each other, then shook their heads.
"Old man, you've come to the wrong place."
"All the staff in our management center are here now, ready to clock out and go home!"
Nobody knows you.
Upon hearing this, the Sage shook his head firmly.
He pointed his finger at the giant septic tank behind the crowd.
The person I'm talking about... is inside.
The townspeople looked in the direction he was pointing, and were stunned for a couple of seconds.
Then burst into maniacal laughter!
"Hahahaha! This is hilarious! This old man is really out of his mind!"
"Hey sir, do you think everyone's like you, treating a septic tank like a buffet?"
"There's nothing but shit and pee in there, how could anyone possibly be there!"
One of the townspeople even laughed until he cried.
He pointed to the churning septic tank and arrogantly made a bold statement.
"Old man! I'm telling you this now!"
"If a living person could jump out of this cesspool right now, I'd eat them alive today!"
However, just 0.01 seconds after he uttered those bold words!
"Boom!!!"
The golden rain instantly soaked the townspeople from head to toe!
Then, a figure clad in golden armor leaped from the deepest part of the septic tank!
The figure kicked out from mid-air, sending all the managers flying into the septic tank!
Finally, it landed steadily.
Although he was covered in disgusting filth, the Sage recognized the face at a glance.
It was the Muraguchi Nissuu where Guo Shuai had previously thrown into the septic tank!
Only...
The expression and demeanor of this [Muraguchi Nissuu] at this moment are completely different from those of the cuckolded king from before!
The Sage looked at him and smiled.
"You're finally out, Madman."
The Muraguchi Nissuu, nicknamed "the Madman," completely disregarded the stench and wiped away all the "gold."
A cross-shaped blister had appeared on his face, seemingly out of nowhere!
Hello... Shepherd.
"Oh no... shouldn't I call you the Sage now?"
"It's been decades, old friend. Now we can say we're officially collaborating."
Clearly, what's occupying this body right now isn't some Muraguchi Nissuu at all.
He's the fifth seat of the Desolate God Society, the [Madman]!
"Heh, you're still as crazy as ever."
The Sage looked at his repulsive appearance and smiled tentatively.
"But..."
"Given your personality, your willingness to travel all this way to assist with the plan isn't really your main purpose, is it?"
"Haha! You're still as clever as ever, Sage."
The Madman's voice became hoarse.
"Help you? That's just a side job for fun!"
"My true goal... is [the Seven Deadly Sins]!"
"The Seven Deadly Sins?"
The Sage's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you intend to absorb them and become a god of evil?"
"That's right!!!"
The Madman suddenly roared hysterically, "Why?!"
Why should only you so-called creatures be allowed to have bodies!
"To be able to compete for the long stairway to godhood!"
"And we, who possess Supernatural Ability, are born only to be used as tools and weapons by you?!"
"I refuse to accept this! Since the world is unfair, I'll create my own god!"
"I also want a perfect body of my own! I also want to become a god!!!"
Looking at the Madman who had fallen into a frenzy, the Sage did not laugh, but simply smiled calmly and asked.
"So... how much have you collected so far?"
The Madman stretched out two fingers covered in filth.
"Besides the rules I represent, I've already secured two more."
The words had barely left his mouth!
The Madman snapped his fingers.
"Buzz!"
Three invisible waves shot towards the townspeople struggling in the septic tank!
In an instant, the townspeople froze.
Immediately afterwards, cross-shaped blisters quickly appeared on their faces!
"Get out of my way! Don't try to take it from me!"
A townsman was clinging tightly to a lump of excrement, roaring at the other two.
"This absolutely gorgeous pile of manure is mine! Nobody is allowed to take my treasure!"
"Why should I?!"
Another townsman's eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with Envy.
"Why is the piece you got more yellow than mine?!"
"I refuse! I'm going to take it from you and eat it!"
"I'm so hungry... I'm so hungry..."
The townsman who made the promise completely ignored their argument.
He plunged headfirst into the excrement, eating while letting out satisfied groans.
"It's so delicious! I want more!"
Three townspeople, controlled by the sinful rules, started fighting each other like dogs, a disgusting scene!
The Madman looked at his masterpiece and revealed a sinister, smug smile.
He held up two fingers again, his eyes fixed on the direction of the Second Ring Town, and greedily licked his lips.
"Just now... I smelled it."
"Two sins lurk in this eerie town!"
"I can clearly smell the scent emanating from their souls..."
"That's [anger]..."
"And [lust]!"
The Madman trembled with fanaticism. "Just eat them..."
"So, all I'm left with are [pride] and [sloth]!"
"My path to godhood is about to be paved!"
After hearing the Madman's plan, the Sage nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good."
"Since we share the same goal, I will naturally lend you a hand."
The Sage lifted the human head and the Dusk hanging from his waist, then turned and walked into the shadows.
"Let's go."
"Also, control your temper and don't cause trouble here."
"There are troublesome monsters in this town now."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
The Madman chuckled in response, then snapped his fingers.
"Smack!"
The rule has been withdrawn.
Inside the septic tank, the townspeople who were fighting fiercely over who would become TFboys instantly regained their senses.
They first looked at each other blankly.
Then, blankly, he looked down at himself...
"Vomit!!!"
"Holy shit! Am I eating shit?! Ugh!"
"Help! I was just grabbing some manure! Ugh!"
The townspeople screamed in agony and vomited frantically at the edge of the septic tank.
On the other side...
Central Forest Garden.