Li Zhiyuan flicked his arm downward, palm open, and the copper coin sword slipped out, transforming into a circle of copper coins that landed in his hand.

Though not in the shape of a sword, they were still interconnected and could be worn as a bracelet on the wrist.

The young boy's fingertips gently touched the copper rust on one of the coins. This wasn't metal rust but a special residue formed from the constant soaking of evil blood and the original owner's blood.

Using it for chopping would be extremely ineffective, far worse than the Yellow River Shovel, perhaps even inferior to a sturdy wooden stick.

The real value of the copper coin sword lies in using it as a medium for casting spells.

Li Zhiyuan used to draw spell patterns on his arms and hands when casting, activating them with his spirit.

He was reluctant to find a medium because ordinary mediums couldn't ensure the effectiveness of spells.

But this doesn't mean that mediums are useless; it's just because he hadn't encountered a truly good one.

Now, he had one.

With it, casting spells became easier for him, and the copper rust on the coins could even amplify the effects of the magic to some extent.

Li Zhiyuan bowed again to the cracked stone tablet, expressing gratitude for the elder's gift.

Taking something from the Old Zhao Family, Li Zhiyuan felt a bit embarrassed.

He thought that in the future, he would find an opportunity to return a similarly significant fortune to Zhao Yi.

But he wondered if Zhao Yi would be interested in Fengdu?

Now, things were gradually becoming clear.

An elder from the Miao Village had recounted several versions about the Old Transgender to Li Zhiyuan, and one of them was correct: the Old Transgender's former identity was indeed a Miaojiang Saintess.

What she had sacrificed was probably the Mother-child Heart Linked Gu.

In the "Jianghu Chronicles", Wei Zhengdao once recorded a floating corpse drifting down the river, its maternal body dressed in Miao attire, with a bulging abdomen, dominated by the fetus inside.

Wei Zhengdao's commentary on this floating corpse was: to replace birth with pregnancy and relive a lifetime.

Essentially, what she birthed wasn't her own child, but herself.

People always have various dissatisfactions with themselves, from appearance to temperament.

This evil technique allowed one to rectify such dissatisfactions and relive life in what they perceived as the most perfect form.

Of course, one could also choose the person they deemed perfect, replicate them, and give birth to a new version of them (themselves).

When cultivated to an extreme level, this evil technique could even alter one's life chart.

According to the description on Zhao Wuyang's stone tablet, a Gu child requires the sacrifice of many children's lives, equivalent to using the lives of many children to give birth to their own child.

So, the Old Transgender's current caution probably stems from her fear of the Dragon King Zhao who once suppressed her, with the words on the tablet being a vow by the Dragon King.

If she dared to indulge in a killing spree, the vow would respond.

But the vow could only restrain her temporarily; once she determined the appearance of her new child and prepared to nurture it again, the sacrifice was inevitable, and the surrounding area's children would certainly be affected.

Historically, she should have acted once before, but that time the Gu child born was killed by Zhao Wuyang.

Her previous madness probably victimized many children, leading to the legend of her liking to eat children persisting hundreds of years later.

It seems my current purpose is to protect the children.

Yes, also to protect himself.

Li Ren was carried back to the earth building.

They both didn't want to return to the village, but their opinions didn't count.

Li Zhiyuan devised a new plan.

He planned to actively bite the fake bait on the construction site, then feign excitement that the issue was resolved, to deceive the Old Transgender.

Then, he would take the opportunity to go to the lake and destroy her lair.

This wasn't a clever plan, but upon dissecting even the most complex strategies, their essence is often very simple.

Li Zhiyuan needed to create an opportunity to face the Old Transgender directly, and then rush her with his team.

No help for it, she was too cautious and slippery, like a mudfish, so if he continued to drag it out and she had a child that caused disaster, it would all be too late.

Upon receiving the notice, Ran Dacheng drove over with his tractor again.

Though troubled several times, his face showed no displeasure.

For him, the real profit came when the construction team returned, as he would handle their supplies, yielding considerable gains.

Li Zhiyuan and the others took Ran Dacheng's tractor to the construction site.

Inside the earth building, Cui Hao listened to the sounds through the door.

"They've left, brother, I'll take you away from here!"

After being treated by Yin Meng, Li Ren's wound symptoms were significantly alleviated, and his consciousness mostly recovered. At this moment, he held Cui Hao's arm excitedly, choking up:

"Good brother!"

He might not be well-liked, but he wasn't a bad person.

At least, the two least favored people in the team formed a deep friendship during their days on the run in the wilderness.

To them, this earth building and village were the most dangerous places in the world.

Cui Hao gathered some food and medicine and carried Li Ren on his back.

But just after leaving the door and entering the courtyard, Cui Hao started walking in circles.

The door to the earth building was right in front of him, but no matter how he walked, he couldn't reach it.

Finally, Cui Hao put Li Ren down and collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"It's over, stuck in a ghost loop, the ghost is here again."

Li Zhiyuan knew what the two were thinking, so to prevent them from running away again and getting lost, he simply set up an isolation array in the earth building before leaving.

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