I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Answer to the Riddle

”Master Level Bone Shrinking Technique!”

Duan Rong looked at the data that appeared before him, astonishment filled his eyes!

All those bizarre phenomena he couldn’t understand were suddenly unraveled by the appearance of this Bone Shrinking Technique!

He had peeled off Xu Ruhu’s scalp, put it on himself, and wore Xu Ruhu’s clothes and shoes, carefully setting up a killing trap!

Why was Jie Lei able to roll away in amazement, dodging two of the three poison needles he shot, with only one piercing his neck!

Just a little more and he would have escaped the trap I carefully set!

Why did Jie Lei remain unharmed even after I stabbed him in the heart, nearly taking the opportunity to counterattack me!

At that time, Jie Lei’s body bones suddenly shrank, using his left armpit to instantly lock onto the Cow Tail Saber that Duan Rong had thrust!

This led to Duan Rong being unable to pull out his saber, retreating swiftly, nearly getting his throat pierced by Jie Lei’s swift dart!

Jie Lei, in the end, curled himself into a ball, rolling and crushing about, also a move from the Bone Shrinking Technique!

More importantly, the appearance of this Bone Shrinking Technique instantly solved the mystery of Jie Lei breaking Xu Ruhu out of the dungeon!

Yang Zhen was right, he indeed saw Jie Lei exit through the Arrow Tower door, and Jie Lei did indeed leave!

But at dawn, he used the Bone Shrinking Technique to squeeze himself through a ventilation hole so small that not even a dog could fit through into the dungeon!

Inside the dungeon, the heavy chains on Xu Ruhu had already been discreetly sawed off a few days before!

Duan Rong looked at the longevity lock hanging around Jie Lei’s neck and suddenly shouted, ”Devour!”

A master level Bone Shrinking Technique, how could he let it slip away!

After Duan Rong devoured it, he turned his head again to the Barrier Saber at his feet!

Grasping the Barrier Saber in his hand, he called out once more, ”Devour!”

This was something Duan Rong had recently understood, that just as he could in Wild Boar Mountain, devour eighty-one Tree Spirits and gradually digest them.

”If Tree Spirits can be devoured, so can the Artifact Spirit of weapons!”

Previously, he just hadn’t tried!

As long as the data panel did not show a saturation warning on the Consciousness Space, he could keep devouring!

However, the more he devours, the longer the digestion time will be.

Although devouring causes discomfort in his mind, Duan Rong had become familiar with this feeling after multiple devourings, it just meant he couldn’t engage in deep thought, but basic reactions were largely unaffected.

After doing all this, Duan Rong surveyed the crypt once more!

Suddenly, he picked up an oil lamp from a corner, and under its light, he collected back the poison needles he had shot, one by one!

He didn’t want to leave any traceable evidence at the scene!

After finishing all this, Duan Rong blew out the oil lamp in the corner and slipped away!

Exiting the dry well, Duan Rong stood at its mouth, turning his head towards the main hall, whose door was ajar and unlocked!

Duan Rong’s gaze swept past the window of the inner room but didn’t linger, he utilized the Cloud Serpent Step, tapping his toe at the well’s edge, and leaped like a large bird, landing steadily on the wall!

Duan Rong once again leapt, vanishing into the vast night...

Duan Rong believed there must be other valuable items inside Jie Lei’s room, but he didn’t want to go searching at this moment.

Jie Lei was deeply secretive, there might be other setups in the room!

Moreover, now that the Fetal Concealment Scripture was in hand, there was no need to complicate matters!

Under the cover of night, Duan Rong moved through the alley shadows like a nimble wildcat!

A half incense stick later, Duan Rong leapt up in a quiet, dark alley, his form soaring like a bird, tapping his toe on the courtyard wall, gently landing inside a shabby courtyard.

This was precisely his original body’s old home!

Duan Rong glanced at the elm tree in the courtyard, his gaze shifted subtly, suddenly rising with a spring to stand beside the tree’s high branches.

There was an abandoned bird’s nest!

Duan Rong picked up the bird’s nest, infused his inner breath into his fingertips, drilled a small hole at the cross of the branches beneath the nest, then rolled up the Human Skin Secret Manual and stuffed it into the hole, sealing it with a few elm leaves before returning the bird’s nest, then lightly landing back down!

He wasn’t in a hurry to study the volume of the Fetal Concealment Scripture, now was not the time!

He believed Jie Lei’s death would soon be discovered, and by then, the case would become a case within a case, layered like a labyrinth!

He planned to wait and see how things unfolded!

After completing all this, Duan Rong slowly made his way to the western inner room, securely closed the doors and windows, fetched a fire basin and kindling, and using a flint, lit a fire, he removed his clothes, boots, scarf, and mask, tossing them into the blazing fire!

Duan Rong then closed the door, holding a stack of silver notes, walked to the eastern inner room, and lit an oil lamp!

His brown short attire and a pair of black cloth shoes were placed there!

Duan Rong put on the short attire, counted the silver notes in his hand—six thousand eight hundred taels in total!

He smiled, tucked the silver notes into his inner pocket, grabbed a blanket, wrapped himself up, and fell into a deep sleep!

He was indeed exhausted!

Although he was an apprentice at the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, occasionally returning to his own courtyard for a night’s sleep, who could have anything to say?

As the saying goes, a golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as your own kennel, who wouldn’t have a little nostalgia?

Duan Rong slept soundly that night!

As dawn barely broke, the distant and near crowing of roosters faintly sounded!

Annoyed by the noise, Duan Rong covered his head with a blanket and slept for another half an hour before getting up!

Upon rising, he went to the western inner room to find only half a basin of black ashes within the fire basin in the middle of the room, as the doors and windows were closed, the room still contained a few wisps of a slightly choking smoky smell!

Duan Rong opened the windows to let fresh air in!

Then picked up the fire basin, emptied the remaining ashes into the kitchen stove!

Duan Rong casually tossed the fire basin into a kitchen corner, dusted the black soot from his hands, fetched a bucket of clean water from the well in the courtyard, and while humming a tune, used soap to thoroughly cleanse himself and his hair.

After washing, and feeling refreshed, Duan Rong swaggered out of his courtyard, had some breakfast on the street, and returned to the Yuan Shun Escort Agency.

Back at the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, before heading to his dormitory, Duan Rong first visited Xiao Zongting’s courtyard.

He hadn’t been there in two days, considering the day he returned, Xiao Baijiao’s coffin had already been on display for three days!

Duan Rong wasn’t entirely sure about the funerary customs of this world, as per his previous life’s customs, mourners typically guarded the spirit for three, five, or seven days, depending on the weather.

Although it wasn’t yet hot in Qingzhou at this time, the heat was building up day by day; Duan Rong estimated the funeral would likely be within a day or two.

Arriving at Xiao Zongting’s courtyard, Duan Rong discovered the Inner Courtyard was crowded with bustling people.

Apparently, Ruan Fengshan had returned in the latter half of last night!

Early this morning, he brought his five household wives and concubines, along with their young children, to offer their respects to Xiao Baijiao!

Huang An, with a few servants attending them...

As a result, the already not so spacious Inner Courtyard became even more crowded!

After Ruan Fengshan’s family paid their respects, Xiao Zongting invited Ruan Fengshan inside, serving tea together!

In the Inner Courtyard, one of Ruan Fengshan’s young sons, held by a pretty maid, kept crying and hitting people...

Duan Rong’s eyes flashed with a hint of distaste, his gaze swept past Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi in front of the spirit altar, seeing their spirits were still in good condition, he felt slightly reassured.

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi, though required to keep vigil by night, alternated rest, preventing them from exhausting themselves...

In the Inner Room!

Ruan Fengshan took a ceremonial sip of tea, looking at Xiao Zongting, he said, ”Elder Xiao, you must take care of yourself! Yuan Shun Escort Agency cannot do without you! I alone cannot shoulder this burden!”

Xiao Zongting’s lips trembled slightly, he said, ”Shopkeeper, don’t worry, this old life of mine won’t end anytime soon! I’m just a bit heartbroken over Bai Jiao’s sudden departure...”

Ruan Fengshan sighed, said, ”Bai Jiao... I watched that child grow up... he was good in everything, just unlucky!”

Ruan Fengshan’s words carried a few notes of sadness!