Chapter 1334: Pretending to Be a God and Playing Ghosts Patchwork Monster

Dong Rui, who was nearby, burst out laughing. He was eating a plum, and when he opened his mouth, plum juice splattered out. He Lingchuan managed to dodge in time, his face clearly disgusted, "Can you please pay attention to your personal hygiene?"

"Mr. Dong's creations were seen on Mount Dai by several mountain bandits. As a result, the rumor that the Black Armored Knights are evil spirits from the Nine Serenities has spread throughout Feng County," Wan Qifeng said, stifling a laugh. "Everyone believes that since the evil spirits of the Nine Serenities serve under you, then you must be the Great Emperor of the Nine Serenities."

"Reasonable, reasonable," Dong Rui said with a grin, taking another bite of his plum. "Honestly, I think this title suits you very well."

He Lingchuan always kept in mind the principle taught by the Miragespirit Demon: "When the false is made true, the true becomes false." To convince the common people that the Black Armored Knights were a non-human divine army, the best method was to let them glimpse the "true appearance" of these knights – the more terrifying, the more ferocious, the less human, the better. For true reverence to exist, fear often precedes respect. This was where Dong Rui's expertise was needed.

Dong Rui had taken many remains and materials from True Master Minghui's underground palace landfill, most of which still retained a trace of vitality. He Lingchuan requested that Dong Rui fashion several humanoid corpse puppets, dress them in black armor, and have them operate alongside the Yangshan Army. If these puppets "accidentally" revealed their faces during combat, witnesses would naturally conclude that none of the Black Armored Knights were human.

The narrative of "soul reapers from the Nine Serenities hunting down evildoers, fighting evil with evil and violence with violence" — while authorities would naturally dismiss it, the common people would readily believe it and even relish discussing it. Thus, He Lingchuan's goal would be achieved.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then told Wan Qifeng, "Let them keep calling me that for now; having a few extra titles isn't a bad thing." After all, all the accumulated spiritual power would converge upon him.

Dong Rui shot him a glance: "Do you have any idea how unreasonable your demands are? The remains of Sky Demons, or rather Sky Gods, are generally ten feet tall. Yet you want them compressed to no more than seven feet, proportionally reduced, without distorting their figures too much, and still suitable for combat. After all, once they wear the black armor, they're cavalry, and they need to fight and kill. You're being fantastical, and you demand I achieve this within twenty days!" Dong Rui huffed angrily, "If you're so capable, why don't you do it yourself?"

He Lingchuan also reached for a plum: "Then how did you manage it?"

"I'm exceptionally talented."

He Lingchuan looked at him, raising his right eyebrow. "The demon puppets you've modified with divine blood seem capable of changing size and weight, don't they? So, does this power inherently come from the Sky Demons?" Dong Rui, realizing this man was truly hard to fool, rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sky Demons themselves can indeed change size. I managed to activate this... function in their remains."

"What about the other corpse puppets? When can they be put into use?" He Lingchuan asked. When he first encountered the Soul-Sucking Mirror in Fu Kingdom, it could only project two mirror ghosts. After numerous infusions of Imperial Nectar, the mirror could now project six mirror ghosts simultaneously, all under reasonable control – though none could stray far from the mirror itself, meaning they had to remain close to He Lingchuan.

"It's not that simple," Dong Rui sighed, finding it a great pain to explain the principles to a layman. "Have you forgotten the principle that body and soul must match? The bodies of Sky Demons are powerful, even after being dead for many years. But with just your few weak mirror ghosts—how should I put it—it's like a baby trying to ride a large horse; you can't control it at all!"

"Then?"

"The corpse puppet integrated into your team can be driven by just two mirror ghosts because its core is a Sky Demon's larval form, which has very low requirements for a soul. Additionally, most of that corpse puppet's body was constructed using the remains of demonic beasts from the landfill."

He Lingchuan said "Oh," then asked, "So it's a stitched-up monster?"

"...What does that mean?" Dong Rui asked indignantly. "Are you insulting my work?"

"I take it back, please continue." He Lingchuan knew very well that this was not the time to anger the project's technical lead.

"The principle is complex, and I can't explain it clearly to you. The other two corpse puppets will take another seven or eight days to be ready," Dong Rui coughed. "In short, you must remember that even if only a small amount of Sky Demon remains are used, if you use mirror ghosts to control these Black Armored corpse puppets, at most they'll be able to run, jump, and participate in brawls, but it will be difficult for them to fight freely like cultivators! Unless—"

He Lingchuan had already understood: "Unless I find more powerful souls to match them?"

"Exactly," Dong Rui nodded. "Actually, Ghost King Xuanlu would have been perfect, but he was our enemy and is now dead."

"There are plenty of demons, monsters, and ghosts on the Shanjin Plains; this shouldn't be difficult," He Lingchuan said. With the Soul Casket in hand, collecting ghosts was now easier than ever. "Worst case, I can use the spiritual flowers from the Juluo Treasure Casket to nourish the mirror ghosts and accelerate their growth." The Juluo Tree within the Soul Casket produced spiritual flowers that could nourish and heal souls, effective for both humans and ghosts.

"Speaking of which, Master Fu received a request for help. A murder case occurred in Liu County, Peiguo: a manor on the outskirts of the county had over eighty people die overnight."

"Did ghosts eat them?" Dong Rui asked. "Otherwise, why would they ask old Fu for help?"

"Most of them died horribly, with wounds all over their bodies, as if attacked by fierce beasts. However, a few others died peacefully, without any injuries, as if they passed away in their sleep," He Lingchuan said, shaking his head. "If the latter were an eighty-year-old woman, it would be considered a natural death. But when so many people die this way, the local authorities suspect demonic or ghostly interference."

Dong Rui stroked his chin: "That latter way of dying, why does it sound so familiar?"

"Ghost King Xuanlu and his subordinates also consumed people that way."

"No, it was even before that..."

Just then, Jiang Lishui came in to report: "Master, Fan Shuang from Yao Kingdom is here to visit."

Dozens of breaths later, Fan Shuang met He Lingchuan in the study.

Fan Shuang had brokered the first two deals between Yao Kingdom and the Yangshan Archipelago, thus he was appointed as the liaison for both sides and frequently visited the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce recently.

Before Fan Shuang could enter, He Lingchuan strode out to meet him, grabbing his arm and pulling him outside without explanation: "Brother Fan, good timing! It's noon. Let's go to Bamboo Retreat Tavern, eat, and chat!"

Could Fan Shuang possibly refuse?

Bamboo Retreat Tavern had been a popular local establishment in Ju City for over twenty years. He Lingchuan acquired it with a swift decision. The main section of the tavern remained largely unchanged, still offering affordable prices, though it had been redecorated to maintain its popularity. Additionally, by the small river behind the tavern, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce had constructed a row of elegant, riverside private rooms, designed for high-end gatherings and business banquets.

Ju City was merely an ordinary small town with few wealthy residents. However, after the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce established its branch here, various factions began to converge, and the Yuanxiang Society also chose Ju City for its elegant gatherings, leading to the emergence of high-end restaurants.