Chapter 106

After finishing his rounds and returning to his duty room, Dr. Fan Shulin leaned back in his chair and stretched his body with a long, deep yawn.

"Ah~ I'm exhausted."

Last night was a class reunion; after it ended, he and two of his closest classmates had gone off for a private session, intending to chat for a bit before heading home, but one of them suddenly got teary-eyed and started talking about their relationship troubles, leaving him and the other classmate to listen and offer analysis.

The three of them talked until dawn, leaving him with no energy for his night shift now.

Fan Shulin pulled out the bottom drawer of his desk, lifted the newspaper covering it, and took out a magazine with a revealing cover.

As he looked at it,

Hmm,

He felt energized.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knocking sound rang out.

"Coming."

Fan Shulin opened the door and froze upon seeing who was there, then, almost out of habit, he shifted his gaze to look behind the visitor, and sure enough, there was one being carried on their back!

Damn it, this is just an infirmary, not the City People's Hospital or the Provincial Hospital.

"Brother Fan, you're on night shift again? It seems your leadership really values your training."

"Send them to a big hospital; this is a school infirmary!"

"Don't be like that, Brother Fan. You have the hands of a master and the skill of a modern-day Sun Hua Tuo; for minor headaches and fevers, we always come straight to you."

"Which time have you ever brought me a minor headache or fever?"

"He bumped his head and is running a fever."

"If something goes wrong with the treatment, I can't take that responsibility."

"Brother Fan, you are truly humble and modest."

Fan Shulin sighed; he knew he couldn't win against this guy, and since he had failed the previous two times, he was almost too lazy to struggle this time.

"Go to the next room."

"Will do."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You was placed on the operating table by Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, and Fan Shulin began treating the wounds.

The first time he had been terrified, the second time he had been anxious, but the third time—the present—he was surprised to find himself quite calm.

It was mainly because the two people this guy had brought in were both very tough; despite such heavy injuries, they would clearly recover their strength the next day after treatment and be able to get out of bed on their own after three days.

Fan Shulin: "How many gangs are there in our school now?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "Oh, there are quite a few; otherwise, how could there be such frequent gang fights?"

"Then your gang isn't very good; people are always getting such heavy injuries and being sent to the infirmary at every turn. No one from other gangs has ever been sent here."

"Because they don't have a need for medical treatment anymore."

"Then your gang is still the ruthless one."

"That's for sure. Every time our gang leader leads us into battle, it's with the intention of wiping out their entire household registration."

Fan Shulin laughed, thinking he had told a very funny joke.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin laughed along with him.

After finishing the wound treatment, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin pushed Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You into the ward.

When Fan Shulin came over to hang the IV drip, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin took out money, placed it into Fan Shulin's white coat, and then patted it lightly.

"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Fan."

"If anything comes up, call me."

The young doctor always felt uneasy and awkward whenever he received a red envelope, and he would become somewhat incoherent.

After the doctor left, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin carefully observed Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's condition, and seeing that his complexion had already turned rosy, he felt relieved, leaned back in the attendant's chair, and closed his eyes to sleep.

He had a dream where he was standing by a river, constantly picking up stones to skip across the water; there were too many stones by the river, and he couldn't finish throwing them—he simply couldn't finish.

He didn't know how long he had been throwing them, but Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin woke up and glanced at the wall clock in the ward; it was nine in the morning, and he hadn't actually slept for very long.

On the bedside table sat soy milk and fried dough sticks; they were a bit cold, but still edible.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin knew these had been brought by Dr. Fan before he went off duty.

Behind them was a small bag of dates, likely snacks he kept in his duty room.

Just after finishing breakfast, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin saw Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You wake up, turning his head to look at him.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Do you need to pee?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin bent down and took out the chamber pot from under the bed.

"No, I mean..."

"You were injured even more heavily this time, yet you recovered faster than last time."

Upon hearing this, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You suddenly seemed to think of something, reaching out to lift his hospital gown while trying his best to lift his head to look down.

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a second, let me hold it for you."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin picked up the chamber pot again.

"How is this possible? This Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face mask, why is it complete?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin raised an eyebrow and immediately grasped the key point: "Did you break this Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face mask yourself?"

"Yes."

"Why would you do that?"

"I applied to a university in Jin Ling just to get further away from home."

"Did you have a conflict with your family?"

"Not exactly, it's just that I had some disagreements with my master, and my grandfather sided with my master."

"Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

"It's not like we cut ties; I still have to go home for winter break, so I felt there was no need to say anything."

"Oh."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin picked up a date and took a bite; it was quite sweet.

"They always feel like I haven't grown up and want to control me.

When I left home for university, I specifically broke this Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face mask in front of my master and grandfather, declaring that I was an adult and didn't need them to keep watching over me anymore.

I didn't expect that I'd still have to rely on my family this time."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin said earnestly: "With your brain, it's better to let your family manage you; otherwise, when you're out there, you'd easily be sold and still help them count the money."

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, you're the only one who treats me well."

"Good boy, eat a date."

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, after I fell unconscious last night, I seemed to hear you crying for me."

"Yeah, I thought you were dead at the time and was wailing for you."

"Sorry for making you sad, Brother."

"Sad my ass, I was just going through the motions; if you died, you died, it's no big deal."

"Brother, you're right; dying for the righteous cause is a death without regrets, it's an honor, you should be happy for me."

"Let's not go that far; that would be a bit perverted."

"Brother, next time there's something like this, let's be together again; it's really great to eliminate demons and defend the Dao with you all."

"I remember that even when you are possessed, you can retain some of your memory and consciousness, right?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin still remembered how he had shown mercy to his crotch on the school playground last time.

"It's not complete, but I can remember some things, like being in a daze while dreaming."

"Then do you remember me stabbing you with a needle?"

"I remember, Brother, you're too amazing; that move is really useful!"

"Uh..."

"If we had let the Young Master leave at that time, how could we have chased after that Yu Yu Popo? For an evil spirit that manipulates human family affection, we should spare no cost to kill her!

By the way, Brother, do you have any more of these talisman needles?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I know this kind of talisman is very precious, but I really want some to take back for my master and grandfather to use."

"A-You, you are truly too filial."

"After the three incense sticks for asking the way burn out, we can't maintain the spirit-writing state, and the adults have to leave too.

Having these talisman needles is equivalent to having another round, allowing us to continue doing many things; this is too important for us Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou!"

"I understand, but the side effects of this are very large; it's very easy to ruin yourself."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You said in surprise: "What doesn't have side effects? Since it has an effect, isn't it expected that it has side effects?"

"Actually, there are some methods that are more gradual and have fewer side effects."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin remembered that Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan had originally prepared a whole set, but Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan wasn't there at the time, and the only one he could use was this crudest and simplest method.

"Really?" Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You excitedly sat up from the bed again, which pulled on his wounds, causing his mouth to twitch in pain. "Is there really one?"

"Yes."

"Brother, can you teach me?"

"You are really overestimating me, Brother."

"Is it that Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan knows? I... I thought Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan knew, and that you knew too."

"You are insulting my Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge too much."

"Ge, tell me what I need to do so that Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge will teach me those methods?"

"You just need to stand there and not move; my Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuanzi Ge will naturally help you experience it."

"How could I be so bold!"

"No need to be polite, it's only right, it's only right."

"Ge, you and Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge are really too good to me; such precious things, and you teach me just like that."

"It's something you traded your own life for."

"That's right, these things are so precious that they are worth trading one's life for."

"Hey, I mean, it will be used on you."

"Not only willing to teach me, but also willing to help me experience and demonstrate it personally?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin finally couldn't hold it in; he stood up, reached out, touched Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's forehead, and muttered:

"The fever has already broken, could it be that his brain was knocked broken yesterday?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin felt that Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You was talking nonsense; it wasn't that he was hard to communicate with, but that he was so easy to communicate with it felt unreal.

His own Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuanzi Ge treated him as a tool, yet he actually wrote a piece called "The Self-Cultivation of a Tool" and pasted it on the dormitory door to start reciting it.

Actually, this was because Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin had been in the trade for a relatively short time, and ever since he entered, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan would occasionally toss him some books to read.

The "Records of Jianghu Oddities" and "Records of Righteous Demon-Subduing" still sitting on his dormitory desk right now—if tossed out casually, those were treasures that would make his peers' eyes turn red and fight to the death to snatch.

In short, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was actually a bit "why don't they eat minced meat" 【out of touch】.

For sects and families whose heritage wasn't particularly ancient, it was already difficult enough to inherit what the sect already possessed, and wanting to further research, expand, and diverge that heritage was even harder.

This didn't just require the sect to have flourishing generations and the accumulation of time; it required a genius to suddenly pop up in the sect, completely master the existing heritage in a very short time, and then further elevate the heritage system and break through its limits.

Such geniuses were truly too rare.

Just look at the Yin family; a family that had been passed down since the Eastern Han Dynasty, two thousand years, and they only produced one Yin Yin Changsheng.

From another perspective, it meant the contribution of Yin Yin Changsheng alone allowed his descendants to live off his legacy for two thousand years.

After Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei witnessed this talent of Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, she spared no effort to break all rules, letting Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan shoulder the burdens of both the Qin and Liu families.

It was because the value was truly too great; even the Long Wang family could not refuse the powerful temptation of an Yin Yin Changsheng appearing in their heritage.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan himself, when he entered the trade, already possessed the collection in the basement of Li Sanjiang's house.

One year after entering the trade, he directly entered the doors of the Qin and Liu families.

He himself hadn't realized that these methods he had temporarily pondered just to make his tool work better meant something else entirely to others.

In the eyes of others, those were truly things worth trading one's life for.

It was equivalent to a product produced by an emerging township enterprise being sent to a national-level laboratory for analysis, testing, and upgrading, pointing out a new direction for future development.

This was no longer a question of how much price one was willing to pay for it, but something that, under normal circumstances, simply could not happen.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You just happened to catch the gap period when Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was not by Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's side.

Otherwise, his position by Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan would be equivalent to an extra "door god" watching the door in the same dormitory.

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin Ge, I'm fine, please plead with Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge for me; as long as he is willing to teach me, I'll do anything, I can join you all, and we can eliminate demons and defend the Dao together in the future!"

"Don't, don't, don't!"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin immediately waved his hands and sternly declared:

"We are good buddies in class, but once we leave class, you are you, and we are we."

Don't look at how honest and simple Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You seems now, but once this guy opens his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, he immediately changes into a different person, acting as arrogant as if he were the king of the world.

Such a person is fine to use occasionally, but if he really lets him hang around Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuanzi Ge all day, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin is truly worried that Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuanzi Ge will one day directly clean house and sink him into the river.

And the one who would have to tie stones to his corpse to add weight would likely be himself.

Mainly because he is truly uncontrollable; the times he is most obedient are precisely the times he is most useless.

"Ge..." Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You swallowed his saliva, "Ge, if I take these methods back, my master and my grandfather will have to invite me to sit in the main seat during New Year's Eve dinner!"

"That exaggerated?"

"Even the genealogy would have to open a separate page for me."

"Do you have a concussion?"

"I'm telling the truth!"

"Fine, fine, fine, I get it, I get it. Seeing that your condition is pretty good, can you get out of bed and pee by yourself?"

"It's fine, I can take care of myself, I've already recovered. My family helped me renew..."

"Oh, right, this time the facial makeup on your stomach has been completed, and your family has also extended your life. Do you think your family will come to Jin Ling immediately to find you here?"

"Should... be."

"I'll tell you in advance, if your family comes looking, you are not allowed to tell them about my Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge; my Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge is afraid of trouble."

"Okay, I understand."

"Then I'll go first. I'll go pay your hospital fees for you in a bit; remember to get a refund when you are discharged."

"Thank you, Ge."

"When you get the refund, remember to count it one extra time, and keep a smile on your Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, count it happily."

"Ah, okay, I know."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin walked out of the ward; the weather outside was a bit gloomy, the wind had started to blow, and it shouldn't be long before it rained.

He looked back at Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You in the ward one more time.

Ever since Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge clearly stated that he wouldn't bring Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You into the team, he had actually been deliberately controlling the boundaries of his emotions, not letting them spread at will.

This was a besieged city.

Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge wanted to test his emotions within the team in hopes of walking out, while he was pulling his emotions back in from the outside.

Because that night, facing the family of three of Zheng Haiyang lying in front of him, his heart was truly too painful.

He didn't want to experience similar pain a second time. If it were partners in the team who spent every day together, that would be unavoidable, but for people outside the team, as long as I don't pour my emotions into them, then if you die, you die.

Just like following Old Man Li to sit at funerals in the past; after seeing too many white affairs, one becomes indifferent.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin had just gone to the payment window to pre-pay the medical expenses when a "beep... beep..." sound came from his waist.

Picking up his pager to look, he found it was the phone number of the shop.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin immediately ran back to the school and saw a police car parked at the shop entrance.

Officer Xiao Zhou, standing by the car, waved at him.

At this time, there were many people near the shop; Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin got into the police car under the watchful eyes of everyone and was taken away by the police.

The students began to discuss it, guessing what crime he had actually committed.

Lu Yi, who was working the register, couldn't help but shout loudly:

"That police officer just said it, he's just calling my buddy to the police station to understand the situation; I believe my buddy is definitely innocent!"

Once Lu Yi said that, everyone was even more certain that the classmate had really gotten into trouble.

After Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin arrived at the police station, he first went to his own father's office. He wasn't a suspect, just there to go through the motions, so there were no restrictions.

"Yo, Officer Tan, changed offices, huh? I'm really envious of you, having such an excellent son."

Tan Tan Yunlong put down his teacup and glared at the unfilial son standing in front of him with a smug look on his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

Yet, he couldn't refute it, and he was indeed basking in his son's glory.

They had just held a celebration meeting yesterday, and now, a new date for another celebration meeting was already being put on the agenda.

It was mainly because they had almost completely wiped out an entire child trafficking gang. With so many criminals competing to confess and perform meritorious service, fearing that if they didn't say it, someone else would, they were able to obtain a large amount of information about trafficked children, which could allow many children trafficked by the gang to return to their biological parents.

This was truly a great meritorious deed. It was estimated that before long, the parents who had found their flesh and blood would bring their children to the bureau to present banners or even kneel to acknowledge a godfather in gratitude. By then, the camera shutters of the colleagues in the propaganda department would be pressed flat and unable to pop back up.

But for Tan Tan Yunlong, this was truly a bit of an ordeal, because he knew the person who really helped them wasn't himself, yet he had to sit here and receive the credit.

He wasn't a person with a strong utilitarian heart to begin with; otherwise, he wouldn't have been content when he was demoted to the town police station. Now, however, he had to forcibly endure the repeated roasting of his own moral sense.

"Close the door."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin immediately took two steps back and pointed at his father: "Dad, closing the door is fine, but don't undo your belt!"

Tan Tan Yunlong didn't speak.

"Dad, this is the police station, according to the Minor Protection Law..."

"You are an adult."

"According to the 'Public Security Administration Punishments Law'..."

Tan Tan Yunlong stood up himself and closed the office door.

"Dad, I advise you to be calm, you must be calm. A new official has three fires, but there's no need for you to burn your own son first. I think Officer Xiao Zhou is quite good.

That guy parked the police car in the most crowded place and waved at me; I don't know what crime I'm being accused of at school now.

Look, this kind of behavior from Officer Xiao Zhou is very worthy of criticism and education; it is not conducive to protecting the privacy and reputation of the whistleblower."

Hearing this, Tan Tan Yunlong was almost angered into laughing; he walked straight toward Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin assumed a stance and said: "Dad, calm down, your son has kung fu now; it won't be good if I really hurt you while sparring."

Tan Tan Yunlong raised his hand and slapped it down on Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's head.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin naturally wouldn't really fight his own father, so he could only hold his head and let his father slap him.

"How come you were so sloppy this time? You saved someone and still let them know your real name?"

Tan Tan Yunlong had wanted to describe his son as a whistleblower, but because of Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang's words, it directly turned his son into a direct participant in the rescue.

"Good heavens, Dad, this really can't be blamed on me; it's because Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge called me 'Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin Ge' at the time and that child heard it."

"Slap! Slap!"

"Grown some guts, huh? You made a mistake in your own work, and you still want to shift the responsibility onto Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan?"

"I..."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was unable to argue his case; he truly remembered that at the time, Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge was drinking a can of Jianlibao and had said to him, "Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, as long as you're happy."

After that, the child started calling him "Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin."

"You didn't do the job well, and now you don't want to take responsibility!" Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was chased all around the office, crying out in grievance: "Dad, who exactly is your biological son here!"

"I really do wish I could swap you out."

Hearing this, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing:

"Pfft... Dad, you really have some nerve."

The next slap doubled in force.

"Ouch, well, isn't that right? You want Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge to be your son, but you haven't even asked if Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge is willing to have you as a father."

"Smack! Smack!"

"Your son here can't even imagine what it would be like to have a brain like Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge's, yet you're even better at imagining things than I am, hahaha, ouch!"

"Smack, smack, smack, smack, smack!"

In the office, things finally calmed down because Tan Tan Yunlong was tired from hitting him.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin sat in the chair; although he had been hit so many times, this was nothing compared to before. Even the version of him from a year ago would have only considered this level of intensity an appetizer, let alone his current self, whose flesh and skin were even firmer.

"Dad, you must be tired. Here, let me pour you some tea."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin picked up the thermos beside him and began to pour tea.

When Tan Tan Yunlong saw his son's action of tucking his shoulders in and clamping his upper arms tight while holding the thermos, he immediately asked:

"Were those stones smashed by you?"

That woman, did you kill her?

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin continued to pour the tea with a calm expression, then asked in confusion: "What stones? I didn't smash anyone's window."

Tan Tan Yunlong said: "Disguising things by overly pursuing naturalness will only appear deliberate. In the eyes of someone truly observant, you have already given the answer just now."

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"The correct approach is to anticipate in advance what the other party will ask you, and then build up your psychological defenses. Only when you truly believe it wasn't you will your reaction be closer to the truth."

"Dad, are you planning to go to our school to give a lecture on the legal system? Hey, that's not right either; a lecture shouldn't cover this kind of topic."

"You've improved a bit compared to before; at least you know how to hold your ground to avoid being bluffed into a confession."

"Officer Tan, as long as you're happy."

Tan Tan Yunlong didn't bring up that matter again, but instead said: "Regardless, this is a great thing after all. Ask Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan if he is willing to come out and accept a commendation."

"No need to ask, Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge definitely won't want to."

"And what about you?"

"I, of course, must follow closely in Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge's footsteps. Fame and fortune are like floating clouds to me."

"Too late. You'll have to go through the process in a while; you can't hide this matter anymore."

"Ah?"

"Even if I try my best to downplay the impact, the bureau already has corresponding regulations. A certificate of merit and a notification to the school are unavoidable."

"That's so troublesome..."

"You should understand the principle of Zilu redeeming people."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin sighed.

"It's actually quite good. Getting a certificate and being commended by the school will be beneficial for your future development."

"The dead guide doesn't recognize this certificate either."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Alright, Officer Tan, I'll cooperate with the work."

"Go."

"Okay."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin walked out of the office and was taken to give a statement.

Once all the procedures were completed, he was escorted back to school by several police officers. After arriving at the shop entrance, they presented him with the certificate in front of the surrounding teachers and students; this was to help restore his reputation.

At the same time, there was a bonus, placed inside an envelope.

In reality, the process didn't move that quickly; the bonus had to go through approval procedures, so the envelope was stuffed with newspaper.

After the ceremony, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin walked into the shop holding the certificate.

Lu Yi had just been in the basement clearing out inventory and hadn't seen the earlier excitement. Having just come up, he saw Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin return and said in surprise: "Buddy, you've been released!"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "That's right, buddy. Thank you for taking care of my parents for me."

"Uh, I had a slip of the tongue, that's not what I meant. Hey, what's this? A certificate? Oh, impressive, you're too awesome. I'll put it in a frame and hang it above the counter."

"Don't, you keep it for me first. Let's keep a low profile."

"Alright, alright, I understand. Buddy, you're the one with the big picture."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin took a bag and filled it with some food and drinks. Although he didn't pay, he still had Lu Yi take inventory at the counter.

Afterward, he carried the items back to the dormitory, knocked on the dorm manager's door, went in, and chatted with the dorm manager for a while about his life troubles, as well as his longing for his mother.

When he left, he left all the food and drinks behind.

Returning to his own dormitory, seeing that Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge hadn't returned, he went to take a shower first, changed into clean clothes, and then went to Lu Yi's dormitory.

As the local deity of this dormitory, he had a key.

He packed two sets of change of clothes and toiletries for Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, put them in a basin, walked out of the dormitory building, and came to the shop again to get another batch of food and drinks.

When settling the account again, Lu Yi asked in confusion: "Why didn't you take more just now?"

"No matter how much I take, it all has to be put on the manager's table."

"What?"

"Nothing. In the future, if you're late returning from inventory and the dormitory door is locked, just report my name."

"You've already gotten familiar with the new dorm manager? This speed is really fast. When she checked the rooms last night, her voice was so loud; everyone says she has a bad temper."

"It's alright. Her husband just cheated on her, so she's in a bad mood lately. She'll be fine after a while."

"No way, you even know this?"

"Mm."

"Then you must get along well with your counselor too, right?"

"Haven't had the chance to get familiar yet."

He hadn't really participated in military training, and he had eaten and drank with the previous counselor once, and then she became a dead guide.

"Then you'd better hurry up. I see you're quite busy, and you'll inevitably have to skip classes and ask for leave. Once you've built a good relationship, it'll be easier to get slips approved."

"I don't really have a use for that..."

Halfway through his sentence, he thought about it carefully: Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge could skip classes whenever he wanted, anyway, he had Luo Gong covering for him. If he himself showed his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face too often and left a negative impression on Luo Gong, what would he do if Luo Gong didn't bring him along on projects?

To be safe, he still had to build a relationship. Things like this—having a father, a mother, or Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuanzi Ge—are not as good as having it yourself.

"Alright, I will. I'm off."

Knowing that Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge was at Grandma Liu's, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin didn't rush over, because if he went, he would have to see those two strivers undergoing special training.

Arriving at the infirmary again, after entering the ward, he found Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You sleeping soundly, actually snoring.

"Recovered so well?" Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin touched his own lower abdomen. "How about I get one tattooed on myself too?"

Although he knew that getting a tattoo wouldn't have any practical effect, it could have a psychological effect.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin turned his head to look at the curtain of the adjacent hospital bed, reached out and pulled it open; it was an empty bed.

Yawning, after putting down the items, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin walked out of the ward and went downstairs.

Just as he left, two figures, travel-worn and weary, appeared at the stairwell.

One had a full head of silver hair but was still spirited, and the other was middle-aged but still had a sturdy physique.

"Master, is it him?"

"He does have traces of having practiced martial arts on his body, and his spiritual perception is decent, but when it comes down to it, he's still somewhat ordinary. It's not him."

"It's a pity. Ayou refuses to tell us no matter what, and keeps saying that he has found a great opportunity for us, telling us to be prepared to open a new page in his genealogy."

"Ayou, this child, is good at everything, but he's just too stubborn and single-minded. This makes it easy for him to be deceived and used by others."

"I've observed that Ayou has had two sets of injuries recently; he's been used as a pawn by others twice."

"Hmph, follow him. I want to see exactly who dares to use our family's child like this. Do they really think a General has no temper?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan slept until the afternoon; there was no helping it, the consumption last night was indeed quite large.

After getting up, he went to take a shower first.

The new custom-made clothes from Grandma Liu had arrived, and he changed into them directly.

The meal was lentil rice with some pickled vegetables, which was relatively simple.

The reason was that Liu Yi was currently experiencing disturbances in her sense of taste and smell, making her temporarily unsuitable for cooking.

This caused the standard of living at Grandma Liu's house to plummet recently.

But fortunately, when he was eating, A Li sat beside him to keep him company and even peeled a salted duck egg for him, which counted as adding two dishes.

Because the weather was bad, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't go to the terrace with A Li, but instead came to the study. After handing the chess-piece-sized white bone to A Li, he told her about what happened last night.

A Li held the white bone in her hand, raised her head, and listened intently to the boy's narration. Her eyelashes flickered from time to time; this was her constant response to the boy.

After finishing, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out and held A Li's hand.

The original ghostly wailing and howling had now turned into whispering.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei is right; they are indeed a bunch of scum who bully the weak and fear the strong.

Yin-walking.

A Li welcomes Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan into her inner heart.

The same bungalow, the same damaged spirit tablets.

The difference is that outside the threshold, beyond the original open space, a circle of grayish-white mist has appeared all around.

In this fog, one can see shadows of ghosts everywhere and hear "rustling" sounds.

They are all hiding in there.

Yu Yu Popo is gone, but a white lantern remains on the ground outside the threshold.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan picks up the lantern; the flame ignites spontaneously, emitting a pale, eerie light, and the curse words that were originally on it have vanished.

The youth carries the lantern and surveys his surroundings.

He asks aloud:

"Who wants to be next?"

The whispering suddenly stops, and after a long while, it resumes, though no longer as dense as before.

After waiting for a long time, he sees no one voluntarily emerge from the mist.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan turns around and wedges the white lantern into a crack in the wall.

This lantern must be kept, because in the future, he will have to carry it, walk into the mist, and drag out the things hiding inside.

The reason he hasn't done so now is, firstly, because the special training for Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Xiang Seeing Yin Meng hasn't ended, and he is missing two helpers by his side.

Secondly, every time a wave passes, there is a calm period for you to catch your breath and lick your wounds.

Moreover, because he solved the "problem" in advance, it was equivalent to handing in his paper early, leaving him with a longer rest period.

The new wave hasn't arrived yet; even if he carried the lantern inside to grab one now, without the push of the river water, it wouldn't appear before him.

These things are all hidden extremely deep; if they were that easy to find, Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei would have long ago taken Qin Shu and Liu Yi to clear out these scumbags, and wouldn't have let them run wild until today.

The reason he finds them every time is that he utilized the rules.

After listing them as "questions," they have no choice but to come; it counts as using public office for private gain in the name of defending the righteous path.

They are his question bank.

As long as he continues to "select his own questions" wave after wave, they will become even more afraid; those crushed by him on his river-walking path are completely gone, and the remaining ones will likely never dare to come near to intimidate or harass him again.

Of course, this might also lead to a consequence: powerful dead-walkers who previously disdained such methods might borrow this approach to seek revenge on him, the joint successor of the Qin and Liu families.

That actually doesn't matter; he will just take them on when the time comes.

At least for now, A Li's ears are much quieter.

Ending the yin-walking, returning to reality.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and A Li walk up to the third floor, arriving at the place where the spirit tablets are enshrined.

Having officially started river-walking and passed the first wave, he should pay his respects.

But just as the youth is about to bow, he sees that A Li has already taken down the two tablets in the middle.

"A Li, put them back for now; you can take them when I'm not here."

A Li puts the tablets back.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan bows, and after the ritual, he walks out of the room and waits at the doorway for a while; A Li walks out, clutching the two tablets in her arms.

Returning to the study downstairs, A Li sits down, places the white bone on the drawing table, and looks at Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"A gift for you, you design it."

A Li shakes her head.

"You intend to make it and give it to me?"

The girl nods.

"Since it's a gift for me, it must be designed by you."

A Li picks up a pen and begins to draw the design.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looks at other corners of the desk; at the very edge, there is a long scroll with the background already painted—it is the scene of "outside the threshold" that A Li painted earlier.

Judging from the structural layout, what A Li wants to paint should be Yu Yu Popo, who stood close to the threshold that day.

In the middle of the drawing table, there is a piece of raw material for a square seal, the size of a child's palm, with a carving knife and blueprints placed beside it.

Picking up the blueprint, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sees the future appearance of this seal: a square base with a soaring dragon on top; although small, it is extremely majestic.

However, the characters on the seal haven't been drawn yet; A Li probably hasn't decided on them.

Every word he said and every thing he did was kept in the girl's heart; she is really doing it.

And it is evident that she is very devoted and immersed; only, whereas before it was to escape, now she is enjoying this focus and tranquility.

Just as Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan is lost in thought, A Li hands him the newly drawn blueprint.

"So fast?"

Looking down, on the drawing paper is a bone ring.

One only needs to hollow out the middle and thin the edges, maintaining its original state as much as possible, so the design is not complicated.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looks at the drawing and then at his own fingers, imagining the feeling of this bone ring worn on his finger.

In his heart, a sense of anticipation truly rises.

This bone is the only relic left by Yu Yu Popo, who was burned to ashes; it possesses the ability to amplify spirit, and after wearing it, the effect will be even more obvious when he uses the intimidation technique.

A Li walks to the corner of the drawing table, rolls up the long scroll with the painted background, and tosses it into the trash can nearby.

She originally wanted to use this unfinished painting as a record of the first dead-walker the youth encountered after officially starting river-walking.

But now, after listening to the youth's account, she has a better image.

The youth holds black, pulsing water in his left hand and karmic fire rises in his right, while Yu Yu Popo kneels before the youth like a dog, awaiting her final end.

The girl reaches out to touch the two tablets she just took down; she wants to use them to make a large sketchbook.

Every time he solves a dead-walker in the future, she will paint a picture and then collect it inside; when the painting is finished, he will have succeeded in river-walking.

It's just that the scroll is very long, so the sketchbook must be made very large, requiring a lot of material; however, using up this batch of tablets at home should be barely enough.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan never expected that when he picked up the white bone, he was thinking of giving it to A Li as craft material to lighten the burden for the ancestors of the Qin and Liu families, but as a result, because of him, he directly sent a whole group of ancestors to their doom.

The girl turns back, looking at the new blank scroll on the drawing table, the unfinished seal, the newly designed bone ring, and the sketchbook about to be crafted.

A sense of heartfelt satisfaction arises in her heart.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan pulls the curtains and opens the floor-to-ceiling window.

In the corner of the courtyard, there is a pile of straw mats; beneath the mats is actually a blood-red coffin.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng is lying in this coffin right now.

This means that when Qin Shu returned last time, he didn't just bring coffin nails; he had uprooted the old lair of that great ominous object.

From quite a distance away, one can hear Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's painful muffled groans; clearly, he is enduring extremely terrifying torture and tempering inside.

But when Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan approaches, the muffled groans disappear.

Walking closer, he hears a few crisp knocks.

It sounds like Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng is laughing foolishly.

"Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, keep it up, I'm waiting for you."

"Thump, thump!"

Two consecutive knocks indicate a response.

Qin Shu asks: "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, what do you think is suitable to grow here? How about loofah?"

"Aren't we planting flowers?"

"Your Grandma Liu says planting flowers is flashy and impractical; it's better to grow some vegetables so that life feels grounded and has something to look forward to."

This is the first time Qin Shu has heard the mistress describe life as "grounded," but he can tell from the mistress's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face that there is something to look forward to.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Vegetables grown by oneself must taste better, like the vegetables grown at Great-Grandpa's house in the past."

"The pickled vegetables at home are almost running out; you can let the old lady drink clear porridge to settle her stomach, but the old lady isn't used to eating outside pickled vegetables."

Liu Yi's voice comes from another corner of the courtyard; she is standing before a pickling jar, only this time, what's inside isn't potherb mustard, but Xiang Seeing Yin Meng.

Xiang Seeing Yin Meng has her eyes closed, with only her head exposed; her whole body is covered in black-purple liquid, and there seem to be poisonous insects crawling inside.

Although the environment is a bit messy, one can see that Xiang Seeing Yin Meng's skin is whiter, and she is more spirited, like a freshly peeled egg.

This is the first time Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan has learned that poison can also be used for beauty.

On the contrary, Liu Yi, who is standing on the side, looks haggard and thin, and even her originally beautiful hair has started to split and turn slightly yellow.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan originally wanted to walk up to Xiang Seeing Yin Meng and say "keep it up" to her too, but seeing her glowing appearance and comparing it to Liu Yi's state, he can only say to Liu Yi:

"Auntie Liu, you've worked hard."

Liu Yi points to Xiang Seeing Yin Meng and says: "This girl has a streak of ruthlessness and talent, it's just that she's a bit hard on her teacher."

"I'm here!"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's voice rings out from outside, greeting everyone enthusiastically.

Then, he notices that the three people standing in the courtyard are not looking at him, but behind him.

He turns his head to look and sees an old man and a middle-aged man on the path outside, walking with steady steps like mountains moving slowly, bringing with them a tremendous sense of artistic atmosphere.

The middle-aged man looks arrogant, and the old man is dignified without being angry.

They walk slowly toward them.

First, they see the woman standing by the pickling jar, stretching a rubber band to tie up her hair;

Then they see the man standing under the flower trellis, rolling up his sleeves on both sides.

Immediately,

The middle-aged man's expression became dull and simple-minded, and the old man's figure hunched over.

When they passed the courtyard gate, they did not stop; instead, they quickened their pace and continued walking forward.

They,

were merely passing by.

—————

Begging for monthly tickets; everyone who has a monthly ticket, please cast it for our "Honest Man"!

(End of chapter)