Chapter 18

When Li Mang woke up, it was already two days later. He opened his eyes to see a familiar ceiling, the one in his own courtyard at the Yanhuang Compound, which left him in a daze.

"Awake?" Yang Fan pushed the door open, his smile very amiable.

"Manager Yang." Li Mang was startled awake.

"I've ordered some food. Wash up and come out to eat!" Yang Fan said with a smile.

After washing up and dressing neatly, Li Mang went to the living room and found that the cafeteria had already delivered the food—stewed soup, fish, and other delicacies that were hard to come by.

Yang Fan didn't rush to speak, just inviting Li Mang to eat first. Li Mang, who was already famished, naturally didn't hesitate and started wolfing down the food.

Only after Li Mang had his fill did Yang Fan adjust his glasses and tease, "Although the 'Meng Mountain Female Ghost Case' has concluded, we still need a summary from our great hero!"

Indeed, although the female ghost was dead, many questions remained. Li Mang was the only one who knew the truth, but he had been unconscious for two days.

"Great hero?" Li Mang gave a self-deprecating smile. This time, it almost cost him his life, and he didn't want to be a hero again.

Then, Li Mang began to recount the events after being chased by the female ghost, mixing truth with lies, especially about the Meng Mountain temple: "The temple keeper was actually the real murderer, cleverly framing the female ghost. From the money in his room, the motive was clearly financial. The first victim was the richest man in Huang Village, and the second victim was just to confuse the situation."

"I see!" Yang Fan realized, but this wasn't the main issue he was concerned about. He then asked, "According to Daoist Zhang, this female ghost had about fifty years of cultivation. How exactly did she die?"

"Perhaps the temple keeper, feeling guilty, prepared a turtle in the mountain temple in advance. Unfortunately, he couldn't kill it because he was entangled by the female ghost, so I had to do it. When I extracted the turtle's blood, he had already been brutally murdered." Having lied once, Li Mang now spoke without a hint of hesitation, making it seem even more real.

"What a pity, wasting a little Xuan turtle!" Yang Fan said regretfully.

"A little Xuan turtle?" Li Mang looked at him in surprise.

"Indeed, that black turtle had a trace of Xuan turtle blood, also known as a little Xuan turtle. The last one appeared over a hundred years ago. I didn't expect it to reappear in such a dramatic way, but killing a ghost with fifty years of cultivation is still worth it," Yang Fan explained.

Hearing this, Li Mang felt the black turtle was quite valuable. Curious and hopeful, he asked, "What special uses does this black... little Xuan turtle have?"

Yang Fan didn't hide anything, patiently explaining, "The little Xuan turtle is extremely valuable in medicine, capable of treating many diseases. More importantly, it is a great tonic for cultivators and people with special abilities. Consuming it is a great fortune!"

Li Mang agreed, even though he had spit out most of the turtle blood, a small part had been absorbed by his body, and his strength had significantly increased since the second bone washing.

Yang Fan paused and continued, "Moreover, the little Xuan turtle is a treasure from head to toe. Its blood and flesh are valuable, and its shell can be used to make weapons and magical artifacts, which are hard to find!"

Li Mang's face showed a strange smile. While the little Xuan turtle might be hard to find in the real world, his Shanhaijing space had plenty. Thinking of the value of these little Xuan turtles, a flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes, though it was brief.

Yang Fan had no doubts about Li Mang's account of the case, but the questioning had just begun. He then asked casually, "Where did your strength come from?"

During the ghost-hunting mission, Li Mang had already exposed his strength. At first, Daoist Zhang and Bao Ren didn't say much about Li Mang, as he was their benefactor, and they couldn't be ungrateful. However, their statements had too many loopholes, and the Yanhuang Task Force's scrutiny revealed many questions, such as how Li Mang saved Bao Ren in a crisis and how he outran the female ghost.

Under repeated questioning, Bao Ren had to reveal the truth, which shocked and amazed the Yanhuang Compound. They knew Li Mang well and couldn't believe he suddenly had such strength. Therefore, the disciplinary committee intervened again, asking Yang Fan to investigate the truth, leading to his current question.

"I... after being burned last time, I felt my strength gradually increasing," Li Mang said, though he had anticipated this day and had prepared his story, he still showed signs of nervousness. Whether he was genuinely nervous or just pretending, only he knew.

"Your strength awakened after being burned?" Yang Fan asked in surprise. After a severe injury, there was a small chance of awakening special abilities, but the odds were extremely low, and he didn't expect Li Mang to be so lucky. He adjusted his glasses and asked, "Why didn't you report it to the organization in time?"

This excessive coincidence made it hard to believe and raised suspicions.

Yang Fan, assuming Li Mang's strength was from an ability awakening, was secretly pleased. However, on the surface, he said, "Although I felt my strength had increased, it wasn't significant, not even as strong as a little kid, so I didn't tell you, Manager Yang."

Pausing, Li Mang added uncertainly, "During the mission, my strength finally burst out, perhaps it was a breakthrough of my potential!"

"Um, that's possible," Yang Fan nodded in agreement. Li Mang's account matched the signs of an ability awakening, so his doubts quickly dissipated.

"Oh, there's one more thing to report to Manager Yang," Li Mang suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "When preparing the turtle blood, I was severely weakened by corpse poison, so I drank a cup. Now my strength seems to have increased even more."

"... You drank a cup of Xuan turtle blood?" Yang Fan stared at him in shock, his heart racing. The little Xuan turtle was already considered a spiritual turtle, and its blood was extremely precious!

"Yes, but when I saw the temple keeper's corpse, it was too disgusting, and the female ghost's face was covered in rotting flesh, so I vomited most of it out. My body only absorbed a small part, what a pity!" Li Mang looked regretful, but he didn't really care, as he had the Shanhaijing and wouldn't lack for little Xuan turtles.

Yang Fan, unaware of this, also felt regretful, "That is indeed a pity. The Xuan turtle's blood can cleanse and strengthen the body. If you had absorbed a full cup, your potential would have been even greater... But absorbing some is still good. Don't be ungrateful; others can only dream of it!"

By the end, Yang Fan was both amused and amazed. How lucky could one be? Awakening abilities after being burned and then drinking Xuan turtle blood while being chased—such luck was enviable even to him.

"Manager Yang is right," Li Mang nodded humbly.

"Let's not talk about that. Your ability awakening shows that you have a connection with Yanhuang. It was right to recruit you!" Yang Fan adjusted his glasses and continued, "Give me a full punch to test your strength!"

"A full punch?" Li Mang was taken aback.

"Yes, use all your strength!" Yang Fan wasn't joking.

"Okay!" Li Mang knew his superior wasn't simple, so he didn't hesitate and didn't hide his strength. He channeled all his power into his fist and struck Yang Fan with a shout—*slap*!

"Hmm, not bad!" Yang Fan was surprised.

Li Mang's face turned a deep red, as his seemingly powerful punch was easily caught by the other. This left him shocked and feeling the inadequacy of his strength. He had heard that his superior was strong, but now he realized he was even stronger than he imagined!

"In just a few days, you've reached nearly ten years of cultivation, which is quite remarkable!" Yang Fan nodded in approval and continued, "I will help you apply for formal membership in Yanhuang, but with only ten years of cultivation, you are still weak. You will remain as the secretary of Group Nine, but you will have more freedom and rights."

"Thank you, Manager Yang. When will I have the freedom of a formal Yanhuang member?" Li Mang asked a crucial question.

"Formal Yanhuang members have a lot of freedom, but the authority is only granted after twenty years of cultivation. You still have some distance to go. But don't be discouraged. After passing the review, I will arrange some training to improve your strength. I hope you work hard," Yang Fan comforted him patiently.

"Thank you." Li Mang genuinely thanked him, but he felt guilty. Yang Fan had treated him well, but he had repeatedly lied to him, which was wrong. However, the Shanhaijing was too important, and he wouldn't hide it from anyone, not even his father.

"By the way, the mission was successfully completed. According to the regulations, the local government rewards 500,000 yuan, and the state provides another 500,000 yuan. Originally, it was for Daoist Zhang, but he said you made a significant contribution, so the reward is split between you two. 500,000 yuan has been credited to your account," Yang Fan said as he was about to leave.

"500,000 yuan!" Li Mang was shocked. Although he knew Yanhuang members received high rewards, he never expected to receive one himself, and such a large amount at once.

500,000 yuan might not be much, especially for Li Mang with the Shanhaijing space, where a single piece of jade by the Lijishui River was worth more. But this 500,000 yuan was real, safe money that he could spend freely, which was quite attractive. At the very least, it could improve his family's living conditions.

After seeing off his superior Yang Fan, Li Mang secretly sighed in relief. Everything was under control. His strength was attributed to a mysterious ability, and his freedom would improve as his status rose. Milk and bread would come eventually.

---

**End of Page AD**

**Start of Page AD**