Chapter 127

At the entrance of Stone Table Village, there is a large stone table with a chessboard carved into the surface and six stone stools arranged underneath.

Legend has it that during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, two Daoists were wandering here and suddenly felt the urge to play chess, so they carved the mountain rock into a table and chairs and invited ghosts from all directions to sit and watch the game.

One game of chess lasted for three days and three nights.

After the chess game dispersed, the two Daoists disappeared, and the ghosts from all directions no longer harassed the villagers, so the place became peaceful.

Today, all four corners of the stone table are cracked, the patterns on the surface have long been blurred by wind erosion, and only two of the six stone stools remain. A locust tree has grown beside the original stone table, its roots becoming increasingly thick and twisted, pushing the stone table to tilt.

A group of old men and women are sitting under the locust tree, some weaving clothes, some sewing shoe soles, some coughing while smoking dry tobacco, occasionally exchanging a few words, but unable to strike up any enthusiasm.

Looking from far away, you can't even see them clearly, because the skin of the elderly and the bark of the old locust tree are almost the same tone.

Even if you walk closer, without looking carefully, you would mistake them for a circle of old tree roots that had branched out.

Zhao Mengyao, wearing long sleeves, a hat, and wrapped in a silk scarf, dragged her suitcase past here.

The elderly under the locust tree stood up one after another. Although the person coming was wrapped up from top to bottom and didn't show her face, they could recognize which family's girl she was just by looking at her clothing and figure.

"Zhao family girl, going home?"

"Why didn't you let your grandfather come to pick you up?"

"Didn't your grandfather leave the village the day before yesterday? Didn't you come back together?"

"Have you eaten yet?"

Unlike the greeting and concern shown by elderly people in other villages to their juniors, the elderly here showed a touch of caution and flattery toward Zhao Mengyao.

There is only one family surnamed Zhao in Stone Table Village, living at the east end of the village.

Nowadays, people in the village who have made money can't wait to build two-story or even three-story small foreign-style buildings, but this old Zhao family doesn't build upward but expands outward, circle after circle, and the former brick-and-tile bungalow has been hard-added into a large courtyard with several entrances.

It is said that occupying land to build houses like this is not in accordance with the rules, but the old Zhao family, on one hand, supports the widowed elderly in the village, and on the other hand, adopts abandoned children from nearby. If it were really put on the official record, it would be like opening a nursing home and a nursery in their own home, and expanding the house is also beyond reproach.

This group of elderly people under the locust tree, in a few years, will probably have to shamelessly go to the old Zhao family to beg for three meals a day.

The old Zhao family is not prosperous. Counting back four generations, there is an ancestor who is the oldest person in the village today. Back then, he took a son-in-law into the family, gave birth to a son, the son gave birth to an only daughter, and then took a son-in-law into the family, giving birth to twins, one of whom is Zhao Mengyao.

Today, the Zhao family only has that ancestor, her son, Old Man Zhao, and these twin siblings.

Clearly four generations, yet only four people remain.

The old Zhao family is rich. Legend has it that during the Republic of China, that ancestor of the Zhao family was invited by a certain warlord to divine and tell fortunes. Later, before that warlord was defeated and retreated to Tianjin to become a resident, he specifically arranged for people to send that ancestor back to Stone Table Village, and several boxes of gold and silver were returned together.

After the founding of the People's Republic, the old Zhao family did spit out some things, but the village rumored that the real family fortune had been buried underground in advance. Look, as soon as the wind changed, the old Zhao family became arrogant again.

But even without that talk of hidden gold and silver, the Zhao family ancestor and her son, Old Man Zhao, were famous fortune-tellers in the ten miles and eight villages. The mother and son usually didn't accept ordinary guests. Every month or so, either someone with a jianghu appearance would come to beg for worship, or a small car or small jeep would drive straight into the village. How could the income be less?

Zhao Mengyao pushed open the door and walked through the courtyard. Under the corridor of the east wing, sat a row of elderly people, each with a gray complexion, neither noisy nor noisy, just waiting there quietly.

In the west wing, it was the nursery, where several children with obvious intellectual disabilities and crooked mouths and slanted eyes were playing, which added some movement to herself, no longer as dead and silent as before.

A rich smell of decocting medicine came from both the east and west wings. If you walked inside at this time, whether it was the elderly or the children, there would surely be many lying on the bed suffering from the torment of illness.

It is normal for the elderly to be old and sick. Among the abandoned infants, there is no lack of male infants, many of whom have congenital diseases, and the probability of early death is even greater.

Therefore, the old Zhao family often held funerals to clear positions, but it didn't arouse much suspicion from outsiders. After all, no one really cares about widowed elderly and abandoned infants.

Zhao Mengyao never liked the smell at home since she was a child. That smell, both stinky and rotten, often drove her crazy, and she wished she could light a fire and burn down the east and west wings.

Even when she was a little older and knew the purpose of these people, she still disliked them in her heart.

Fortunately, her great-grandmother was very enlightened, not only letting her study but also allowing her to take exams in other places, just hoping that she could bring back a man with a decent appearance and deep fortune to take into the family in the future.

"Mengyao, why are you back?"

The one who asked was her brother. The two were clearly twins, born one after the other, but her brother, Zhao Xilu, had a vicissitudes of life like someone approaching thirty.

At this time, Zhao Xilu was decocting medicine. A total of eight small stoves were placed in front of him. He held a fan in each hand and was busy having a great time.

In the corner of the wall behind Zhao Xilu, there was a woman who was dirty all over, with chains tied to her body. She was a madwoman, holding a broken rag doll all day and breastfeeding it.

In the eyes of outsiders, this is the Zhao family's kindness in adopting her.

But in reality, Zhao Mengyao knew that when she was just in high school, this woman had been pregnant twice for her brother, Zhao Xilu, giving birth to a boy and a girl respectively, but the first one didn't survive a hundred days, and the second one didn't even survive a full month.

The woman went crazy and was locked up here.

When Zhao Xilu got up in the morning, he would lead her to the courtyard to sunbathe, and when he returned to the room at night, he would lead her back into the room.

Zhao Mengyao didn't like this brother. Although her brother had always been good to her, she just felt that her brother was hypocritical and ruthless, not as straightforward and kind as herself.

Clearly, there were people invited to help at home, but her brother still had to do everything himself every day.

It would be fine if she didn't know what those things were used for, but her brother knew very clearly, and his talent for casting curses was much higher than her own.

But as things stood, she could only let out aggrieved cries at her brother:

"Brother, I was cursed by someone."

As she spoke, Zhao Mengyao took off her hat, rolled up her sleeves, and revealed the patch of skin that was festering with pus.

Zhao Xilu was startled when he saw this and hurriedly stepped forward to check.

"How did you get this?"

"I was cursed by someone."

"Where is Grandpa? Didn't Grandpa go to find you?"

"Didn't Grandpa come back?"

"No, didn't you see Grandpa?"

"I saw him, but I thought Grandpa went home after letting me sign those two support agreements."

"You this..." Zhao Xilu frowned, "Mengyao, you go into the room and sit first."

"Where is Great-Grandmother? I want to see Great-Grandmother."

"Great-Grandmother is meeting a guest and is not free right now."

"I'm like this, what guest could be more important than me?"

"Someone from the main family has come."

"The main family?"

Zhao Mengyao was stunned. She had heard about the main family. The tablets worshipped in the family ancestral hall were divided into two rows, one row was empty, and the other row, which was her parents and grandmother, could only be placed in the corner below.

The empty seat in the center was reserved for the main family. Even if the main family's tablets couldn't be placed, the seat had to be reserved for them.

When she was a child, Zhao Mengyao asked ignorantly: "Why can't the main family's tablets be placed?"

Great-Grandmother smiled gloomily and replied: "Because the main family thinks we are unlucky."

The main family is in Jiujiang, and unlike the offshoot, minor household that is the Shi Zhuozhao, the main Jiujiang Zhao family are the ones who truly walk the rivers and lakes; during the Qing Dynasty, they produced a Long Wang.

It's just that according to the rules of the jianghu, if a clansman succeeds in walking the river or there is no successor for a hundred years, this Long Wang's plaque still doesn't qualify to be hung up.

Therefore, the main family only calls itself the Jiujiang Zhao clan, but will not call itself the Long Wang Zhao.

Sometimes, if the family background and strength are not enough, forcibly displaying the Long Wang plaque is likely to invite disaster.

"Then... then what should I do..."

"Mengyao, I said, you go to my room and wait, I'll be there soon."

"Okay."

Zhao Mengyao had to enter the courtyard first, pass through the corridor, go through the small door, and come to her brother's room in the backyard.

The furnishings inside were very simple: the study was on the north side, the living room was in the middle, and the bedroom was on the south side.

Under an old-fashioned wooden bed in the bedroom, there was a nest, with a food basin and a water basin in front of the nest.

Not long after, the door was pushed open again, and Zhao Xilu led the woman in.

"Mengyao, you take off your clothes."

Zhao Mengyao hesitated a bit.

Zhao Xilu took a deep breath: "Then I, your brother, won't care about you."

"Don't, brother, you have to help me."

Zhao Mengyao took off her clothes. When taking them off, the corners of her mouth twitched from time to time, because many of the festering positions were stuck to the clothes, and taking off the clothes was like tearing off a layer of skin.

"Mengyao, come into my study."

Zhao Mengyao walked into her brother's study.

In the study, the altar table, incense burner, and candles had already been set up.

Zhao Xilu roasted a black needle repeatedly in the candle flame, stirred it in the incense burner ash, finally took it out, walked to Zhao Mengyao, and stabbed it directly into her forehead.

"Pain..."

"Endure it."

After the needle tip pierced in, Zhao Xilu beckoned to the woman on the ground.

The woman crawled over, came to Zhao Mengyao's ankle, opened her mouth, and bit down on Zhao Mengyao's ankle.

"Ah..."

"Endure it, sister."

Zhao Mengyao lowered her head, looking at this woman, venom and hatred revealed in her eyes.

The woman was sucking.

Gradually, the festering positions on Zhao Mengyao's body began to shrink, dead skin appeared, and there was a significant improvement, while on the woman's body, multiple festering areas appeared.

Zhao Mengyao felt even more disgusted with her brother. He actually really turned the woman who had given birth to two children for him into a cursed object container.

The function of this container is to transfer the curse applied to a person onto herself. In addition, it can also transfer toxins.

The woman opened her mouth, crawled on the ground, gasped for breath, and fresh blood kept spilling from her mouth.

Zhao Xilu kicked the woman and scolded: "Go out and cough up blood, don't dirty this place."

The woman crawled out immediately.

"Mengyao, are you better?"

"Brother, I'm much better."

"Hmm, you rest here for a while, I'll go help you see if Great-Grandmother is free."

Zhao Xilu left the room and came to the main house in the backyard. The door of the main house was already open, indicating that the meeting was over.

As soon as he entered the main house, Zhao Xilu saw a gloomy young man of his own age sitting there. There was a crack wound on the young man's brow, which looked like an old wound, but also like it had just scabbed over.

Behind the young man, an old man was drinking tea with Great-Grandmother.

Great-Grandmother was very old, but she still looked energetic, with quite a few black hairs mixed in her white hair.

"Xilu, come and meet Young Master Yi of the main family, and then meet Uncle Tian of the main family."

"Yes, Great-Grandmother."

Zhao Xilu first bowed to the gloomy young man: "Greetings, Young Master Yi."

Just after bowing, Zhao Xilu saw the other party slowly move his head and fix his gaze on him.

The wound on the young man's brow seemed to be wriggling.

A mocking smile appeared on the young man's mouth:

"You are truly dirty to the core."

Although Zhao Xilu was displeased, he didn't show it at all on the surface, and instead bowed to the old man: "Greetings, Uncle Tian."

Young Master Yi must be surnamed Zhao. This Uncle Tian should be a family-born servant of the main family.

The old man waved his hand with a smile and said: "Alright, the disturbance is over, I should go too."

"Where is the disturbance? We are family, we should walk around more. I will see you off."

"No, stay where you are. Since we are to walk around more, don't put shackles on the etiquette."

The old man walked to the young man's side, first used a cloth strip to wrap the young man's forehead, then bent down, carried the young man on his back, and walked out of the main house.

After they left, Zhao Xilu couldn't help but ask curiously: "Great-Grandmother, why did the main family suddenly send someone?"

"That Young Master Yi is sick. The opening of the heavenly eye on his brow is like the opening of a crack in the Gate of Life and Death, neither yin nor yang, neither human nor ghost. It was originally a deformed phase of being dead in the womb, and he couldn't even leave his mother's womb, but he was forcibly born and has lived to this day.

The main family wants to find a way to suppress the Gate of Life and Death so that he can truly come alive. They have used many methods in recent years, but the effects have not been good, so they thought of our down-and-out branch relatives and wanted to seek a way to break the situation with curse techniques."

"Then Great-Grandmother, do you have a way?"

"There is naturally a way. Just suppress the gate, so why be particular about using living qi or dead qi? Just cast a substitute wrongful death curse and use someone else's life to press it down, and wouldn't the Gate of Life and Death be closed?"

"That is indeed a good method."

"But they don't agree."

"Why?"

"They said they don't want to use this kind of method that harms people, fearing that they won't be able to detach themselves from the consequences later."

"What is there to be unable to detach from? Doesn't our family have a way to detach?"

"I think the main family intends to let that Young Master Yi light a lamp and walk the river."

"Walk the river?"

"Since he is walking the river, he cannot be contaminated by these things, fearing that problems will arise when walking the river. Oh, right, what did you come to me for?"

"Mengyao is back, and it seems she has been cursed. I just helped her break it."

"Didn't your grandfather help her break it?"

"This is the strange thing. Grandpa didn't come back with her."

"What?" Great-Grandmother revealed doubt, "Call Mengyao in, I want to ask in detail."

"I'll go right away."

Not long after, Zhao Mengyao was brought in by Zhao Xilu.

"Great-Grandmother..."

As soon as Zhao Mengyao entered the room, she started crying and knelt under Great-Grandmother, hugging her leg.

She didn't like Great-Grandmother's smell. She didn't look very old, but there was a smell of rotten meat on her body, especially at close range, which broke through the suppression of powder and was disgusting.

But she knew very well that she could live happily in this family and could willfully take away a human-skin cursed object to university, all because of Great-Grandmother's support.

"Get up and tell me properly what happened."

"Yes, Great-Grandmother."

Zhao Mengyao recounted the matter.

She spent a great deal of space describing how Zhou Yunyun bullied her and classmates, describing her casting a curse on Zhou Yunyun as a counterattack after she could no longer endure it.

Great-Grandmother listened to the nonsense in the front with patience. When she heard the end, Great-Grandmother immediately revealed a fierce look.

"Slap!"

A slap was fiercely drawn on Zhao Mengyao's face.

"Great-Grandmother!"

Zhao Mengyao looked at the old woman in front of her in disbelief, and her voice also increased accordingly.

"Slap."

Another slap, this time even harder, and Zhao Mengyao fell to the ground.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!"

Great-Grandmother scolded "stupid" three times: "Since your grandfather didn't come back, he must have received the blood boat you burned. According to our family's temperament, I'm afraid he has already gone to make a conclusion and explanation.

But since you saw that Zhou Yunyun was not dead during the day and was lying on the hospital bed recovering well, you should know that something happened to your grandfather!

Since even your grandfather couldn't stop the other party's move, what qualifications do you have to survive?

What kind of curse is this?

The other party is just teasing you, waiting for you, this idiot, to lead them home!"

Great-Grandmother immediately looked at Zhao Xilu: "Quick, go and invite Uncle Tian and Young Master Yi back!"

"Yes, Great-Grandmother."

Zhao Xilu ran out immediately. Not long after, he returned with a panicked expression: "Great-Grandmother, Young Master Yi and Uncle Tian are nowhere to be seen. I'm afraid they have already left the village and gone far away."

Great-Grandmother Zhao Juanhua leaned on the grandmaster chair upon hearing this.

Zhao Mengyao still sat on the ground clutching her face. This was the first time in her memory that Great-Grandmother had hit her. When she was a child, no matter how naughty or troublesome she was, Great-Grandmother rarely spoke harshly to her, showing a preference for her that surpassed that for her brother.

Zhao Xilu comforted her: "Great-Grandmother, it's not certain that Grandpa really had an accident. Maybe it was delayed by other things. Look, Grandpa hasn't been far from home for a long time. They all say that the outside world has changed a lot, maybe Grandpa was also dazzled.

Even in the worst case, if someone really comes to the door, this is Stone Table Village, and our family is the Shi Zhuozhao. No matter what, we won't let outsiders be presumptuous."

Zhao Juanhua covered her forehead with her left hand and waved her right hand:

"That Zhou Yunyun who was cursed by this idiot is from Nantong. Since they sent the message 'Nantong Li the Corpse-Fisher' to this idiot, it shows that they had long ago found out that this idiot did it.

The other party made an appointment with this idiot to meet and ask for an explanation. This idiot didn't go, but do you think they really intended to go?

I'm afraid they had long seen through that she was an idiot and just wanted to take this idiot to fish.

It was also a coincidence. Your grandfather moved because this idiot used the human-skin cursed object. The person was right next to him, and he was really hooked.

After fishing for the fish, the person was still not satisfied, continued to use this idiot to pull the line, and even marked the meeting time and place.

Heh,

Again and again, the behavior is so standardized, do you really think it was for this idiot to see?

The person is walking every step 'upright and aboveboard', just walking for the Way of Heaven to see.

Tell me, what kind of person would walk this way?"

Zhao Xilu couldn't answer.

"Go and prepare the wine and banquet. Since the person has the confidence to walk this way, then I... will kneel in posture first."

Uncle Tian first carried his young master out of the old Zhao house. As soon as he left the Zhao house, he began to run wildly.

After running out of the village, he deliberately didn't take the main road and specifically ran toward the fields and streams.

He ran until he started to sweat, and only then did he slow down. He could still run, but the young master on his back couldn't stand the jolting.

"Young Master, are you okay?"

"I'm okay..."

"Young Master, that place is dirty, stinking to high heaven, and it's no wonder you don't like it. I don't like it either; it feels stifling."

"It is dirty, refining cursed objects with living people; relying on supporting the widowed and adopting children as a medium to transfer the backlash of curses.

These ways have all been figured out by this branch family."

"So, back then, our main family separated this branch. That was when our Zhao family Long Wang was still alive, he made the decision himself, and set the family rules: descendants of the main family are not allowed to practice curse techniques.

If it weren't for finding a way for your physical problem, Young Master, the family head wouldn't have let me carry you to find this place to try our luck.

It's just strange. Since this branch family has been separated for so many years, we originally thought that Stone Table Village would be a Zhao Village, but who knew that after coming here, we found that there is only one household surnamed Zhao, and the population is so thin."

Zhao Yi: "That old woman borrows life from blood relatives to support herself, how could the population not be thin?"

"This..." Uncle Tian revealed a look of shock, "She actually does this!"

"Uncle Tian, this branch family cannot be touched anymore."

"I understand, Young Master, don't worry. After I go back, I will report to the family head. If we don't sever ties with such a branch family, I'm afraid it will become a major hidden danger for you when you walk the river in the future.

For the sake of your successful river walk, it is said that we must ask the family head..."

"No need. When we entered earlier, we saw that Zhao Xilu. That Zhao Xilu is the same kind of person as that old woman, dirty to the core, not leaving a bit of white.

But the second time I saw him, his physiognomy actually surged with the qi of an unnatural death, and that qi also passed to that old woman.

This branch family is about to face a great disaster."

"So, Young Master, you asked me to run out quickly?" "Hmm, if I don't run, should I stay and help them block the disaster?"

"Do they deserve it? Bah!"

"It's just that my illness is probably very difficult to find a suitable method. I also want to walk the river for the family, sigh."

"Young Master, don't worry. If we can't find a method below, the family head will naturally go upward to seek it. Although our Jiujiang Zhao is a famous family in the jianghu, this river is surging, hiding dragons and crouching tigers.

If it really doesn't work, we will seek out that proper Long Wang family. That kind of family has a deep foundation and should have a way to treat your illness, Young Master."

"Uncle Tian, that kind of true Long Wang family, is it so easy to climb up to? Besides, why would they take out their foundation to treat my illness, just to facilitate my future river walk?

I have read the notes left by the Long Wang of our ancestors. The road to walking the river suppresses not only those evil spirits, but sometimes, the people suppressed are not necessarily fewer than the evil spirits."

"Young Master, other Long Wang families won't, but there is one... no, there are two families that might."

"Oh?"

"After those two families intermarried, their momentum was like fire, but it was suddenly interrupted. Although their status is still high now, in essence, they are just relying on orphans and widows to support the plaque."

Reading the original text!

Young Master, your illness is also an opportunity and aptitude. If the family head leads you to the door to seek a godson relationship, or even seek a marriage, even if you marry into this family.

According to that old lady's temperament, I'm afraid she will bet her foundation on you, Young Master, to help you walk the river and achieve great success."

"Heh... hehe..."

"Young Master, what are you laughing at?"

"Eating the household to extinction, or eating the household of two generations of Dragon Kings to extinction, you really dare to think, not afraid of being choked to death."

"Young Master, things are done by people. Opportunities are always fought for."

"Hmm, people who are generally looking for death are also running with all their might."

"Young Master, your mentality..."

"If you really plan to do this, then go plan it. I think I don't need to walk the river either. I'll just stay at home, eat, drink, and play, waiting for the family to be wiped out. It won't be in vain to come to this world."

"Young Master..." Uncle Tian wanted to say something more, but saw a wisp of smoke rising ahead. Looking closer, it was someone having a picnic by the river.

"Uncle Tian, I'm hungry. Go buy something to eat. I smell the fragrance of roasted sweet potatoes."

"The sweet potatoes are roasted."

Li Zhuiyuan took a wooden stick and pushed the sweet potatoes out.

Runsheng walked over, took a few, and squatted back down.

Seeing this, Lin Shu You also came over to take a few and squatted back down as well.

Each of them took a direction, squatting on a small slope to observe and guard the surroundings.

Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng had already entered the village to scout the Zhao family.

Leaving one slow-witted one and one loud-mouthed one here to accompany Li Zhuiyuan.

In fact, everyone's bag contained dry rations, such as compressed biscuits and dehydrated vegetables. After every action, if there was consumption, they would replenish it as soon as they returned.

Mainly, this stuff really doesn't taste good.

Plus, there was really nothing to do at this moment, so they bought some sweet potatoes from a nearby farmer and roasted them to snack on and kill time.

Some things are only suitable for doing when the night is dark and the wind is high.

Runsheng: "Someone is coming."

Li Zhuiyuan blew lightly on the sweet potato in his hand, stood up, and looked over there.

He saw an old man carrying a young man, walking toward this side along the field ridge.

The young man had a piece of cloth wrapped around his head, like the attire of a woman in the countryside during her postpartum month.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze moved downward, focusing on the old man's footsteps.

It had just rained here last night, and he himself had spent some effort looking for dry firewood earlier. The field was naturally a bit muddy, but the old man was carrying the weight of an adult, and every time his cloth shoes landed, he couldn't leave footprints.

This meant that the other party practiced proper internal martial arts and had reached a certain level.

Runsheng also practiced internal martial arts, but Runsheng's was a "forced" internal.

Li Zhuiyuan took a bite of the sweet potato and said: "Prepare to act."

Since they were here to seek revenge, and it was the other party's territory, and they had encountered a practitioner, it was daytime, and they had seen each other from far away. If it were at night, they would probably have knocked the other party down first before clarifying their identities.

Runsheng picked up the Yellow River shovel and stood in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

Lin Shu You picked up the trident, didn't fight Runsheng for the front position, but stood diagonally beside Li Zhuiyuan.

Opposite, Uncle Tian saw this and couldn't help but stop, puzzled: "Oh, what's wrong? Looks like you want to do it?"

Zhao Yi: "Hmm."

"Is it worth it? A roasted sweet potato."

"Uncle Tian, next time you walk, don't be afraid of dirtying your shoes."

Uncle Tian heard this, his face slightly flushed.

"That person is holding a Yellow River shovel." Zhao Yi patted Uncle Tian on the shoulder, "Uncle Tian, put me down."

"Young Master, I think it's better not to make contact."

"Even if we turn around and leave now, I'm afraid they won't be willing to let us go."

"Young Master, I think you should still have some confidence in me."

"Uncle Tian, I have confidence in you, but didn't you see? The young man opposite is much younger than me."

"Hmm?" Uncle Tian was very puzzled, "What does this mean?"

"Walking the jianghu, the younger they are, the less you should easily provoke them."

Zhao Yi got down from Uncle Tian. His body actually didn't have much of a problem, but he lacked a sense of balance when walking and had to rely on someone to support him.

After closing the distance a bit more, Zhao Yi gently pushed Uncle Tian away and began to bow.

Only to see him pat his left and right chest with both hands, then point his two thumbs at the center of his brow, and finally cross his hands in front of his chest:

"Chest facing Jiujiang, courage reflecting Xunyang, qi covering Lushan, spirit facing Poyang. Jiujiang Zhao clan, greetings to fellow travelers here!"

After the set of bows was finished and the words were said, the young man felt dizzy, his body swayed, and the old man behind him wanted to support him but didn't dare. He could only worry secretly, but fortunately, after swaying for a circle, he managed to stabilize his figure.

Surnamed Zhao?

Runsheng's clothes suddenly bulged, then adhered tightly to his body, and then bulged again. Vaguely, there was the sound of wind whistling.

Lin Shu You stared, slowly raised his head, made a fist with his left hand, held the trident with his right, and emitted an obscure sound from his throat, preparing to forcibly possess without painting his face.

Uncle Tian immediately bypassed to the front of Zhao Yi, swung his arms backward, and two daggers appeared in his hands, held in reverse.

His gaze first scanned Runsheng, then stayed on Lin Shu You.

"This person... what is he going to do?"

"He is preparing to possess and descend. It's a heritage faction from the southern coastal area. I don't know if it's the Eight Generals or the Official Generals."

"Young Master, since it's a spirit-inviting magic, it will pass if we waste some time. It's just that strong man, his qi is too thick. I am old, my qi and blood are insufficient, I'm afraid I can't outlast him."

"Uncle Tian, didn't you just ask me to give you a little more confidence?"

"Where did I know that when I went out, I would meet a guy roasting sweet potatoes by the river and run into these two monsters?

Young Master, if we really fight, the only chance is for me to bypass and take that youth hostage. The other party might also come to grab you, and then we can hold each other hostage to force an exchange.

This is the only method."

Zhao Yi sighed: "The only method, gone."

Uncle Tian looked stunned, because the youth opposite was constantly retreating, opening up a sufficiently long safety distance, and the guy preparing to possess also followed the youth and retreated, following left and right.

While he was judging the other party's lineup, the other party also judged their lineup, which was an old man with a sickling.

"This..."

Zhao Yi: "Uncle Tian, next time don't lay out the plan so obviously."

"Young Master, I was already very quiet."

"But the other party has good hearing."

"Sigh, this sweet potato is really expensive."

Zhao Yi raised his hands, moved forward again, bypassed Uncle Tian, and was about to say something when his foot slipped.

"Plop!"

He fell face down into the field.

Lin Shu You tilted his head, as if he finally saw a guy even stupider and more ridiculous than himself, and immediately seized the opportunity to say: "Heh, is he being funny?"

Beside him, Li Zhuiyuan said: "He fell on purpose to break the solemn atmosphere."

Lin Shu You closed his mouth silently. Okay, he was stupid again.

Uncle Tian put away his daggers and helped Zhao Yi, who was covered in mud, up.

"Young Master, if I had known you were coming out this time, I really should have brought more people from home."

Zhao Yi wiped the mud off his face and shook his head: "Sometimes it's fate, and it has nothing to do with how many people you bring."

After standing up again, Zhao Yi smiled awkwardly and said:

"This Zhao is not that Zhao. Don't misunderstand, Your Excellency. I come from the Jiujiang Zhao clan. Although our ancestors were once one family, we have been separated for two hundred years and are not on the same path at all."

After hearing his introduction, the other party was obviously more cautious, and the intention to act was stronger. Zhao Yi saw some things and continued:

"My family head heard that the Zhao clan here is acting against the Righteous Path, so he ordered the two of us to investigate. Now the investigation is clear: there are four people in the Zhao clan here.

An old woman, the great-grandmother, has a son, and below there are twin great-grandchildren.

This family not only refines cursed objects with living people, uses the support of the widowed and the adoption of children as a medium to transfer the backlash of curses, but this old woman even borrows life from blood relatives.

One by one, piece by piece, it is simply heinous, infuriating to both gods and men. All righteous people in the world should attack it together!

I was just about to return to report to the family head and ask the family head to order the eradication of this degenerate family to clear the reputation of our Zhao clan.

I think you are also here for the Righteous Path, right?"

The other party spoke very sincerely, with reason and evidence, and also exposed the old bottom of the Shi Zhuozhao clan, as if it were true.

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn't need to distinguish whether the other party was telling the truth or not, and there was no need to spend such effort.

The youth raised his hand, pointed at the young man opposite, and said:

"You come over here alone, and I'll treat you to a sweet potato."

"Young Master, no!" Uncle Tian immediately advised.

"Uncle Tian, who told you that you can only deal with one?"

"Young Master, even if I risk this old life, I..."

"Also want to let you and me be buried in this field together?"

Uncle Tian: "..."

"It's okay, just trouble Uncle Tian to temporarily act as someone else's knife."

Zhao Yi walked toward Runsheng, swaying.

Runsheng didn't look at him.

Zhao Yi passed by Runsheng, walked a distance, and finally arrived in front of Lin Shu You.

Then, he finally couldn't maintain his body balance and "plumped" to his knees on the ground.

This wasn't faked; he really couldn't walk anymore. Every step he took was dizzying in his eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down and threw a roasted sweet potato to him.

"Hehe, I was just craving this bite." Zhao Yi peeled the skin and took a bite, "Sweet, delicious."

Li Zhuiyuan threw two more roasted sweet potatoes to Lin Shu You: "Send them to that old man."

In the distance, Uncle Tian saw that his young master had already gone in as a hostage, so he simply stopped confronting Runsheng and squatted in the field, sulking.

Lin Shu You took the sweet potato and shook his head.

Lin Shu holds the sweet potato and shakes his head.

Li Zhuiyuan knew what he was worried about and said: "His Gate of Life and Death is cracked; he is a waste."

"Pfft... cough cough cough... cough cough cough!"

Hearing this, Zhao Yi coughed violently and kept hitting his chest with his hand.

Uncle Tian, who had already squatted down in the distance, stood up immediately, but saw his young master waving his right hand downward while hitting his chest, so Uncle Tian had to squat down again.

Zhao Yi said helplessly: "They all say that my Gate of Life and Death crack is a genius phase, how come it's a waste here with you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "A genius who can't even take care of his own life?"

Zhao Yi corrected: "That's also a genius!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Is being a genius worth a lot of money?"

Zhao Yi frowned, took another bite of the sweet potato, and said: "I can't really think of myself as a cripple. At least the title of genius can keep me alive."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Makes sense."

Seeing that Brother Xiaoyuan was very sure that the other party was harmless, Lin Shu You took the sweet potato and left to go to the old man.

"Thanks." The old man took the sweet potato and thanked him, and asked by the way, "Are you Eight Generals or Official Generals?"

"Official Generals."

After answering, Lin Shu You went back.

Runsheng walked to the old man's side and squatted down with him.

His task was to accompany the old man at all times and trade with him.

The old man asked while eating the sweet potato: "Your internal martial arts can actually reach this level, and you are still so young, it's really incredible."

Runsheng, unlike Lin Shu You, didn't have a loose mouth and didn't answer, just silently took out his cigar box.

Uncle Tian continued to ask: "Where is your master?"

Runsheng shook his head: "I don't have a master."

He once had one, but during the river walk, he changed his title.

"My young master is in your hands, what's wrong with saying some sincere words? You can also ask me."

"I'm not interested in you."

"Heh, okay."

Runsheng lit the thick incense, took a big puff, and then slowly exhaled.

Uncle Tian was shocked: "You motherf..."

Runsheng turned his head to look at him.

Uncle Tian immediately stuffed his mouth full of sweet potato.

Runsheng stopped looking at him and continued to smoke his cigar.

On the other side, Zhao Yi rubbed up to Li Zhuiyuan and asked curiously: "How could you tell at a glance that I have a cracked Gate of Life and Death?"

"Cracked."

"Cracked doesn't sound good. I have a crack in my brow, not a crack below."

"Saw it in a book."

"What book could record this?"

"A waste book left in the basement of my old home."

Zhao Yi smiled awkwardly, thinking that his means of probing the other party's identity had been discovered by the other party, so the other party deliberately retorted.

After finishing the sweet potato in his hand, Zhao Yi seemed to have made a certain determination and asked frankly: "Does Your Excellency have a method of treatment?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Same method as treating the one below."

"Ah? Can the top and bottom be connected?"

"Just cut it off."

Zhao Yi swallowed, muttering: "Dig it out, and I won't be a genius anymore."

"Then you are indeed not."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the wooden stick and pushed some more sweet potatoes in to roast, waiting for Binbin and Mengmeng to come back to eat.

Zhao Yi asked gloomily: "If it were you, would you be willing to give it up, even if you were burdened by it, or even harmed by it?"

Li Zhuiyuan moved the burning wooden stick in front of him, blew out the flame on it in one breath, and said:

"I would."

Hearing this, Zhao Yi buried his head deeply.

Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng came back. They first saw the old man squatting there with Runsheng, and then saw Zhao Yi sitting with Li Zhuiyuan.

The two understood who to ask for the situation, so they chose Lin Shu You. Lin Shu You told what happened earlier in a "babbling" way.

Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng sat over.

Binbin hugged Zhao Yi's shoulder: "Hostage brother, hello."

Zhao Yi: "Long time no see."

Tan Wenbin picked up a sweet potato and blew on it while saying: "Xiao... brother, it seems we made a wasted trip."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Tell me about it."

"This Shi Zhuozhao is opening nursing homes and orphanages in the village, and donating money to repair roads. The reputation is very good. I was almost moved by their family style.

Until I happened to catch up with one of their family's elderly funerals and burying the corpse, I squeezed into the crowd and tested it with a talisman paper.

Hey, guess what? This talisman paper was black as hell.

Damn, this is definitely a beast's nest."

Zhao Yi clenched his fists and echoed: "Right, heaven and earth should punish it together!"

"Hahaha, hostage brother, your surrender is really fast."

"My stance is very firm, because I want to walk the river in the future."

Tan Wenbin was puzzled: "Walking the river, sounds really strange. What is walking the river? Sounds cool."

Zhao Yi: "If you walk the river successfully, you can become a dragon, and then you are a Long Wang."

Tan Wenbin: "Whoa, there's such a saying? Okay, okay."

Immediately after, Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother, what should we do?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi opened his mouth and said: "Wait until it gets dark, I will break the restriction of her family ancestral hall, first enter the ancestral hall to destroy those cursed objects, and then clean up this nest of beasts.

However, be careful that they still carry personal cursed objects.

In addition, before acting, I need to set up a formation to separate her family's backyard from the front house. There are many elderly and children living in the east and west wings of the front house, so don't implicate them. It's not worth it to get involved in karma for nothing."

Tan Wenbin asked: "Yo, you can also set up formations?"

Zhao Yi nodded: "I can. How about you? Can you?"

Tan Wenbin waved his hand: "Can't say I can, just... know a thing or two."

Li Zhuiyuan threw the wooden stick in his hand into the fire, clapped his hands, and said:

"Wait until dark."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 128 =====

(End of chapter)