Chapter 145

Lu Runsheng has a special perception of the aura of the "dead-fallen."

Li Li Zhuiyuan trusts Lu Runsheng's judgment.

However, the young man did not hear much panic in the woman's words, "That is my husband."

"Stay away from her!"

Lu Runsheng grabbed Tan Tan Wenbin's arm, opened his Qi gate, and went from a normal swim to a sudden burst of speed, as if a fish had been thrown into water, instantly widening the distance between them and the woman.

With the woman's position as the center, withered grass began to emerge one by one. This was only the part above the water; beneath the surface, straw men with paper charms stuck to their backs were lying in wait.

And that figure in the coir raincoat finally raised his head, revealing a face full of dynamic scars, and looked at Li Li Zhuiyuan and his two companions with a scrutinizing gaze.

Anyone in this situation, seeing their wife and child surrounded by three strange men, would have some thoughts.

Li Li Zhuiyuan decisively chose to avoid them, which was equivalent to expressing his attitude in time to prevent a conflict from breaking out.

Because he had no reason to pick a fight with the other party.

Theoretically speaking, everyone was in the same examination hall; although the papers were different, the direction of the topics was the same. After they solved the first wave, he would go to finish up.

Any unnecessary consumption of their team could lead to a decrease in the completion rate of this wave, thereby increasing the remaining difficulty when his own team went up.

The smartest approach was not only to avoid holding them back but also to provide them with some help, allowing them to complete that wave perfectly, which would in turn weaken the difficulties of his own wave, or even... guide them to solve it all at once.

The other party lifted their means, and the straw men floated to the surface one after another, then slowly dispersed, with paper charms drifting on the surface of the lake.

Li Li Zhuiyuan glanced at them; they were Chenzhou charms.

The figure in the coir raincoat did not move, and the woman pushed the swaddling clothes and swam toward him.

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "He is injured, and it is very serious."

Two different kinds of people cannot sleep in the same bed.

When the woman spoke of her husband, she was extremely proud; it seems this man is also extremely conceited in his personality.

Li Li Zhuiyuan looked around, then pointed to the nearest shore, and the three of them went ashore first.

After the figure in the coir raincoat heard his wife's account, he chose to approach this shore.

After going ashore, he revealed his true appearance.

A thick aura of the "dead-fallen" was something even Li Li Zhuiyuan could smell.

The other party had many wounds on his body that were festering, and those wounds were all recurrences of old injuries, especially on his face, where those thick, coarse scars seemed to have something wriggling inside.

"Nantong Corpse-Fisher Li?"

The other party's voice was hoarse and filled with exhaustion.

Li Li Zhuiyuan took two steps forward and nodded at him: "That is indeed me."

"My wife is kind-hearted and easily deceived."

"Your wife is wise and not easily fooled."

The figure in the coir raincoat stared at Li Li Zhuiyuan, suddenly raised his volume, and asked with a resounding voice: "Corpse-Fisher Li, have you ever lit the lamp!"

The feeling when a woman asks this question is indeed different from when a man asks it.

That sense of interrogation was like a ship's hull closing in, raising waves and crashing against you.

It seemed as if an invisible wind was blowing toward the young man; but this wind, upon touching the young man, quickly swirled and dissipated, perhaps because even the wind itself felt guilty.

In the Jianghu, behind the tacit understanding of conventions, there must be rules that led to their formation.

Simply put, this is called "spirit"; deeply speaking, it is the river water staring at your courage.

Therefore, even if you have been scared to tears by the river water, as long as you do not want to give up by lighting the lamp a second time, you must wipe your tears and shout that slogan loudly.

Yet, the river water had a loophole here with Li Li Zhuiyuan.

It was the river that didn't follow the rules first, wrapping him into the river water before he had lit the lamp or made a vow.

The innate procedure was unjust, causing it to lose its binding power over Li Li Zhuiyuan here.

The young man could interrogate Zhao Yi, and Zhao Yi had nowhere to hide.

But the young man himself could casually pick up an identity and pin it on himself.

This was originally a small and insignificant "flaw," but when Li Li Zhuiyuan began to further compete with the "question setter," such as right now, this "flaw" could exert huge efficacy.

Lighting the lamp to cross the river, everyone is an opponent; if one can avoid this identity, the level of wariness will be greatly reduced.

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I have not yet lit the lamp."

Hearing this, the gaze of the figure in the coir raincoat indeed relaxed.

He cupped his hands and said to Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Xiong Shan, a wild man from Changsha."

Li Li Zhuiyuan was slightly stunned; today he had witnessed a simpler introduction than his own "Nantong Corpse-Fisher Li."

Xiong Shan revealed a proud smile and asked: "Have you never heard of me?"

Calling himself a wild man, without a family sect, and being able to reach this step by his own ability was his pride, just as Zhu Yuanzhang did not erase his history as a beggar after becoming emperor.

Li Li Zhuiyuan deliberately played along and replied: "Indeed, never heard of it."

"Hahaha!"

Xiong Shan let out a hearty laugh, and his wife, watching her man from the side, also revealed a smile.

"It's right that you haven't heard of me. I have no sect or faction; I was just kidnapped as a sacrificial child by an evil person with ulterior motives when I was a child. After being tortured for several years, I found an opportunity to kill him and seized his family fortune, which is how I entered this line of work.

Later, I figured out how to light the lamp myself, walked the Jianghu until now, met a few good brothers, met my wife, and had a child."

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Admirable!"

Xiong Shan looked at Li Li Zhuiyuan and said: "I am a rough man. Although I have gained a lot of knowledge walking the Jianghu, I have never heard of Nantong Corpse-Fisher Li. But my wife says you are a capable person, and you are so young; I fear that in the future, another dragon will rise on the river."

"I accept your kind words."

The woman began to wink at Li Li Zhuiyuan.

She felt that her husband had already thrown out the opening, and if the young man were to bow and pledge allegiance now, his future would be limitless; at the very least, every wave that passed in this Jianghu would yield immense benefits.

Li Li Zhuiyuan saw it, but pretended not to.

Xiong Shan gently patted his wife's hand and said: "He is young and promising; he will definitely make his own way in the future. How could he follow me?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan asked: "You are injured?"

The warm expression on Xiong Shan's face immediately vanished, and he nodded: "I suffered a small injury."

"The corpse poison in your body can no longer be suppressed?"

"You can tell?"

"Do you have a way to treat it yourself?"

"It is nothing more than a matter of spending more time; it is no hindrance."

"I have a method that produces immediate results; would you like to try?"

Xiong Shan asked: "What is your purpose?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "We are all those who eliminate demons and defend the Dao; what is strange about helping each other out?"

"It is actually this pure?"

"My elders at home have taught me since I was young that our generation should take defending the righteous path as our own duty."

"Good. Since you are so forthright, I cannot show cowardice. If you have a method, try it on me. But I must state beforehand that my situation is very complicated."

"I will do my best."

After Xiong Shan took off his coir raincoat, he sat cross-legged on the spot.

Not only on his face but also on his chest, there were thick scars, and essence blood was moving inside them.

Lu Runsheng took a deep breath and swallowed several times.

Xiong Shan looked at Lu Runsheng suspiciously: "Are you hungry?"

Immediately after, Xiong Shan looked at his wife: "Lihua, get him something to eat."

"No need, I have some."

Lu Runsheng took compressed biscuits out of his bag and began to eat them while softening them with rainwater, all the while staring at Xiong Shan's body.

Li Li Zhuiyuan walked in front of Xiong Shan and observed carefully.

If the other party was poisoned, he would have no way; that was Yin Meng's specialty. Although Yin Meng didn't seem to know how to remove poison either, she could try one method after another.

The corpse poison on Xiong Shan was inherent; once it reached a certain level, it could not be suppressed, and combined with the injury, it was easy to erupt and backfire on its master.

This guy was indeed human, but the proportion of the "dead-fallen" part on his body was very large.

No wonder Brother Lu Runsheng would drool over him; from a dietary perspective, Xiong Shan was both flavorful and remained tender, like a piece of high-end dry-aged steak.

It was also easy to treat; just set up a small formation on him to suppress the corpse Qi. As for these external injuries, they were actually minor matters for Xiong Shan.

Li Li Zhuiyuan took small formation flags out of his bag.

Seeing this, Xiong Shan asked: "You know formations?"

"Hmm, I know a little."

"The mud is thick all around; I fear it is not convenient to set up a formation."

"It's fine. I will set up the formation on your body. It will be a bit painful; bear with it."

"No hindrance, do as you will."

Li Li Zhuiyuan pierced the small formation flags into the other party's body one by one. Each time he pierced one in, he had to rotate it with his fingers and flick his fingertips when letting go.

This feeling was like acupuncture, just that the needles were a bit larger.

The woman held the child and watched vigilantly from the side.

After setting up the formation flags, Li Li Zhuiyuan reminded him: "I am going to activate the formation. You cooperate with the force of the formation to suppress the corpse poison in your body together."

"Good!"

"Brother Brother Binbin, hold the umbrella."

Li Li Zhuiyuan activated the formation.

Xiong Shan's eyes widened, his body trembled, and soon, the raised scars began to recede, and streams of pus accelerated as they spurted out.

Tan Tan Wenbin took the lead in blocking the Luo Sheng umbrella in front of Brother Xiaoyuan to avoid Brother Xiaoyuan getting covered in filth.

The ground around Xiong Shan was a patch of fishy black, but his body was much fresher, and fresh red blood began to ooze from the wounds, proving that he was indeed recovering.

"Hoo..." Xiong Shan withdrew his aura and said in disbelief, "You call this only knowing a little about formations?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Just a blind cat meeting a dead mouse."

"Would you consider joining my group? I will definitely protect you with all my might."

Li Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

Xiong Shan was not angry either and mocked himself: "It seems I am the one who is ignorant. The Nantong Li family must also be one of those hidden great clans in the Jianghu."

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Not to that extent, but life is quite decent."

Great-grandfather has wine and meat every day; life in the countryside can indeed be called comfortable.

Xiong Shan: "You are too modest."

Those in the Jianghu who are good at formations are like children these days who write piano, skiing, and equestrianism in their hobbies column; the children are not necessarily excellent, but the family conditions are likely quite good.

Xiong Shan stood up, let the rain wash away the blood and filth on his body, and then put on the coir raincoat again.

"Little brother, I owe you a favor. Without your intervention, I would have been delayed for a long time, and the situation might have become even worse."

"You work hard to solve the matter here; consider it repaying my favor."

"At such a young age, to have such a grand vision."

"You went inside before?"

"Hmm, I went in. Peach Blossom Village is under the lake; there is an underwater pool behind the village, which should be the heart of the original Yinma Lake. From there, one can enter the depths of that water burial.

There are... many people inside.

I did successfully sneak in and almost saw that general, but at the last step, my identity was discovered. There were too many dead-fallen inside, and the corpse Qi was too heavy. I was injured, which caused the corpse poison in my body to be uncontrollable, and I almost lost my life inside.

Fortunately, I managed to figure out the situation inside. I am just waiting for my people to arrive, and for the people from the other three families to come over. Once we go down again, we can seal that general back up."

"The other three families. You mean Xie, Wang, and Bu?"

"What else could it be?"

"The Wang family has already been wiped out."

"Lihua told me, but that doesn't count. Although this general is already rotten and broken, long since losing the courage of his past, he is not someone that can be dealt with by just sending some cats and dogs from the family.

We must let these three families send their true core clansmen over.

I need them to provide cover for me and create opportunities for me."

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I think you might be thinking too simply."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have heard the stories of the four families of the Old Heaven Gate, but I remain skeptical about the authenticity of the stories."

"Even if there is some gilding and embellishment, it shouldn't be too outrageous."

"Perhaps it is very outrageous. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it should have been the golden age for corpse-drivers. Several large-scale migrations created a huge demand for corpse transport. Yet, even in such an environment, the Niu Dao Zhao Jie still failed to rise again. What could be the reason?"

"Are you suspecting that those three families have been suppressing the Niu Dao Zhao Jie? But even as the four families of the Old Heaven Gate, isn't it normal for there to be struggles and friction between factions?"

"Perhaps, it is more serious than that."

"Could it be that they really dare to defy the world? Are they not afraid of the Heavenly Dao watching?"

"The Heavenly Dao only cares about the results; as for the rest, it doesn't seem to care."

"One should still think of people in a positive direction. I believe that in such matters, those three families will not be foolish."

Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "So, you intend to let those three families sacrifice themselves to help you lure away the 'people' in the water burial?"

"What do you mean by sacrifice? That sounds too ugly. This is called sacrificing for the righteous path, hehe."

In Xiong Shan's laughter, a ferocious look was revealed.

He wanted to pretend, but since the young man had pointed it out, he simply stopped pretending.

Mainly, a person who rose from the wild to reach this step today can be upright, but will never be truly foolish; otherwise, it would be too unfair to those who have already drowned under the river water.

"Did you see that Niu Dao Zhao Jie?"

"Above and below the water, I have explored them all, but I have not seen him. However, I did discover some man-made traces. Someone deliberately wanted to break the seal and let that general out, or at least, let the general's power overflow to the outside."

Li Li Zhuiyuan was silent; he heard it. Xiong Shan's goal was to re-seal the general, so his own future arrangement should be to solve that Niu Dao Zhao Jie.

"Gudu gudu... gudu gudu..."

In the lake water ahead, a strange long string of bubbles emerged; at first, it was only in one place, but then several more appeared.

"They are out again, the distance is a bit close, Lihua."

"Aye."

The woman responded, took out the child's diaper again, set up a table with cloth sails, placed a mirror, and burned paper.

Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't move this time; he reached out and took the half-burned paper money from the woman's hand, and Lu Runsheng and Tan Tan Wenbin each had one as well.

Soon, a few dozen meters away to the side, a team walked out from under the water.

Everyone lowered their heads, including Xiong Shan.

Just as that team came out, a second team appeared on the other side, followed by a third, a fourth...

A total of eight teams.

Each team deliberately came to the "Yin-Yang Road Inn" on their side, circled once, and then left amidst the sound of bells.

Li Li Zhuiyuan did not attempt to peek at "it" this time, but even with his head lowered, he could see their feet from the corner of his eye.

They were all two people, one in front and one behind, walking while clamping a bamboo pole, with one person in the middle whose feet did not touch the ground.

After they left, everyone raised their heads one after another.

Xiong Shan said: "When they return, there will be more than just these people; they will always pick up some people on the road."

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Is this the general's patrol team?"

"A very good analogy, very vivid.

In every corpse-driving team, there is one whose feet do not touch the ground. He represents the general's eyes. Any peeking at him will lead to bad consequences.

Lihua says you have seen it?"

"Driven by curiosity."

"How did you do it? Can you teach me?"

"I am willing to teach, but it is not easy to learn."

"It doesn't matter. You asked me so much about what is below; I believe you want to go down and see, right?" "Yes, that's right."

"I can take you down and satisfy your curiosity."

"Thank you."

"Then do you know how I went down?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Could it be when the corpse-driving team that came out earlier returned..."

"That's right, I sneaked in and carried the bamboo pole."

Next, it was time to wait.

Xiong Shan adjusted the injuries on his body while teasing his son on his lap.

Lu Runsheng set up two tents to avoid the rain, one on each side.

Please... collect... the book...!

Li Li Zhuiyuan ate his biscuits quietly; the young man knew very well in his heart that he had helped Xiong Shan suppress the corpse poison, and the atmosphere between the two sides was friendly, but there was still a line between them.

Xiong Shan could treat those three families as "sacrificial offerings" to be sacrificed, so he could likewise sacrifice himself when needed.

However, there was nothing to be dissatisfied about; on the contrary, this way of getting along where both sides clearly understood each other's boundaries made both sides very comfortable.

No one is a fool, and everyone has a sense of proportion, so there is no need to worry about the other party's actions and movements becoming inexplicably distorted.

The rain stopped, but the originally dim sky turned completely black.

Xiong Shan held his son and took the initiative to walk over, asking Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you like children?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

"I like my son very much."

"I can tell."

"It is precisely because I suffered so much when I was a child that I want to give him the best things."

"Hmm."

Li Li Zhuiyuan had no intention of debating the so-called "parenting guide" with the other party, although he feared that even the extremist faction would find their way of hoping for their child to become a dragon too extreme.

"This is the mentality of being a parent."

Li Li Zhuiyuan took out a pack of biscuits and handed it to him: "Would you like to try this?"

"No need, I am not used to eating this."

"Oh." Li Li Zhuiyuan did not force it; he just wanted to interrupt the topic the other party might have continued.

"Little brother, how much do you know about the affairs of the Jianghu?"

"I don't know much."

"Although you are still young, when you truly want to light the lamp and travel the Jianghu, it will at least have to wait until you are an adult. But some things, you should know a little bit in advance.

Look at this lake in front of you; it is like this now, but after you light the lamp and look at it again, it will be a different appearance.

"At that time, even if you didn't want to leave, the river water would push you forward; it was simply beyond your control."

"I have heard from my elders at home that one can light the lamp a second time, either to live in seclusion or to find a pier to dock."

"That is admitting defeat."

"Would you not admit defeat?"

Xiong Shan lowered his head and looked at his son in his arms: "Actually, I am already tired, but I want to fight for a little more for his sake."

"Understandable."

"I know my mentality is wrong; people who win until their eyes are red at the gambling table often end up losing everything."

"Can't you imagine yourself as the final winner?"

"Hehe." Xiong Shan laughed dryly twice, "The Jianghu is too big. I have also seen people from wild paths who make me admire them.

Not to mention those who come from family sects; their methods and techniques are some that even I cannot understand.

And above them, there are truly top-tier families.

In the Jianghu, they are called the Dragon King families.

Such families have produced too many final winners in history, and their foundation is terrifyingly deep.

When their family disciples light the lamp and come out, it is not called walking the Jianghu, not called traveling, not called adventuring; they call it—Walking the Jiang Shui.

Listen, what a big tone that is, yet they truly have such confidence."

Li Li Zhuiyuan listened quietly, pondering why Xiong Shan would tell him these things.

After thinking it over, the conclusion reached was that the other party really didn't seem to have any intention of targeting him; it seemed purely like a sudden feeling?

Xiong Shan: "Tell me, can I win against these people who Walk the Jiang Shui?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Man proposes, God disposes. Even the Dragon King families, didn't they start from the wild in the beginning?"

"Little brother, you can of course have such spirit, but I cannot." Xiong Shan stretched out his finger and gently pinched his son's face, "If I hadn't met you today, I fear I wouldn't have had this realization."

"Hmm?"

"At such a young age, your formation skills are superb. Do you know, this is very scary."

"It's not to that extent."

"It is very much so, because I don't believe you only know formations and nothing else."

"It's alright."

"It is fortunate that you haven't lit the lamp. I know I don't have to compete with you in the end, but I know clearly that in some corner of the Jianghu, there must be a young person as excellent as you who has already lit the lamp.

Thinking that I still have to fight to the death with such a person in the end to compete for that final seat.

I will be afraid."

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "If you continue to speak like this, are you not afraid of affecting your own spirit?"

"It doesn't matter. Seeing you, and then looking at my son, I actually feel there is hope. Hehe, I don't mean to take advantage of you, but when I was healing just now and looking at him on my knee, I was really thinking in my mind whether I should step down.

Cultivate him well, and let him fight for this Jianghu in the future.

After this wave is over,

I will..."

Li Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand: "It is best not to say such things; it is unlucky."

"Hahahahaha!"

Xiong Shan let out a laugh.

At this moment, from multiple directions in the distance, rows of black shadows appeared.

The corpse-driving team had returned.

"Lihua!" Xiong Shan called his wife.

"I will do it this time, Brother Lu Runsheng."

Lu Runsheng immediately moved the small table out, and Li Li Zhuiyuan quickly completed the setup.

Xiong Shan watched the young man's movements seriously.

The previous "affectionate and sincere realization" had passed, so let it pass; no one should take it too seriously.

What truly maintains and ensures the cooperative relationship between the two sides is strength.

This time, Li Li Zhuiyuan directly ignited the candles with the karmic fire; the two candles, one red and one white, burned with candle flames that flickered with black light.

Since he didn't believe that he knew nothing other than formations, he would prove it to him.

Xiong Shan nodded, licked his lips, and said: "A taste of the righteous path."

The burned yellow paper began to be distributed, one for each person.

After several times in a row, everyone had become somewhat accustomed to it.

Xiong Shan: "Last night, I sneaked into their team at this time. You must follow their rhythm closely; you cannot be chaotic.

Most importantly, you cannot look at the one in the middle."

"Hmm."

"You are not tall enough; you only need to hold onto one person's clothes and walk."

"Thank you, you are very meticulous."

Those teams gathered here from all directions; when they were not that close, there was no need to rush to lower one's head; one could take a look.

Of course, the one in the middle whose feet did not touch the ground could never be seen clearly.

When they returned, the number of people in each team had obviously increased.

And it should be that they "picked up" people halfway, or the number and location of the inns they visited were different. In short, the teams when returning were not as compact as when they went out during the day; there was a varying distance between each team.

The first team, four people.

No wonder they returned so quickly and were in the first place; they only picked up one person.

It was a woman; she had her eyes closed, her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were dirty and torn. This image was very similar to the fool he had encountered in Min'an Town.

When this team approached, everyone lowered their heads. After they entered the water, everyone raised their heads again and looked at the second team.

The second team had five people, an old man with white hair and an emaciated middle-aged man with sunken eye sockets; they also had their eyes closed.

Li Li Zhuiyuan discovered a pattern: among the people picked up, it seemed they were all people who were destined to die.

So, what he experienced last night was an exception?

Because he, the woman, and those seven Wang family members were all outsiders who had broken in?

It is also possible that the identity of the Wang family members would cause special sensitivity?

The two corpse-driving teams had already walked into the lake and disappeared.

But when the third corpse-driving team appeared in the distance and could be seen from afar, the situation suddenly became different.

The third team, four people.

Logically speaking, since they picked up fewer people, they should be in front. Could it be because their route was the longest?

Li Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Xiong Shan beside him and found that the other party also had a look of doubt.

Xiong Shan had experience, so it shouldn't be a problem with the route, but that a deviation had truly occurred.

When the third team got closer, Li Li Zhuiyuan discovered that the only one picked up was a woman.

She was wearing light blue silk pajamas, cloth slippers, and her long hair was draped over her shoulders, as if she had just been called up from bed.

Most importantly, there was a mole under her lip.

This woman was the one who received them at the antique market that day; it was she who provided him with the preliminary information about the Niu Dao Zhao Jie family.

But she should be in the city now; how could she be here?

This shouldn't be her coming voluntarily, because if she had come voluntarily, she wouldn't be in this attire.

Li Li Zhuiyuan remembered she once said that her husband suddenly disappeared during the first lunar month five years ago. Could it be that her husband disappeared in this way back then? Is she just retracing the old path her husband once took?

So, this third corpse-driving team actually went to the city?

Tan Tan Wenbin and Lu Runsheng also looked at each other; they also knew that woman.

When the third team passed by here and was about to start circling, everyone lowered their heads one after another.

The woman had a scent of incense on her, and after circling once, it lingered for a long time.

After this team entered the water, Li Li Zhuiyuan said: "She is a Wang family member."

Hearing this, Xiong Shan frowned.

The fourth team arrived, and everyone looked up.

Also four people, meaning they still only brought back one.

This was an old woman who lived in luxury, dressed in fine clothes, and covered in jewelry and jade accessories.

Xiong Shan: "This is the old lady of the Bu family. She just celebrated her birthday a while ago; I even went to crash the banquet."

The fifth team, still four people, brought back a young man wearing a white vest, with very obvious indentations on his arms and even more muscular calves.

This point was very similar to the seven Wang family members seen before. Corpse-drivers need to practice clamping bamboo poles with their arms and need to practice kicking techniques with their legs. Because these two places are deliberately trained, the lines will be extremely obvious.

A Wang family member, a Bu family member, then it shouldn't be a surprise that this young man has obvious corpse-driver characteristics; I fear he must be surnamed Xie?

So, these three corpse-driving teams actually went to the other three families of the Old Heaven Gate and picked up one from each?

The sixth team was a bit far away, and currently, only the black shadows in the distance could be seen.

Xiong Shan: "Guess, why does the general want to catch these three families?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Revenge."

Besides revenge, he couldn't think of a second reason; it couldn't be that they were taking people to the bottom of the water to treat them to a meal?

Xiong Shan: "I suddenly realized that I seem to need to seriously examine the internal contradictions of the four families of the Old Heaven Gate you mentioned. I suspect this is not revenge from the general."

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "It is possible that it is revenge from that Niu Dao Zhao Jie, who can already borrow the general's power."

Li Li Zhuiyuan paused and added: "If that Niu Dao Zhao Jie is not solved, the general's seal will not be truly stable."

At this time, one must exert some guidance, but one cannot use too much force.

Xiong Shan nodded: "Yes."

The sixth team was closer and could be seen.

This time it was no longer four people, but five, meaning they picked up two.

One on the left and one on the right, one tall and strong, one thin and emaciated, both with their eyes closed.

Beside him, Xiong Shan's breathing suddenly became rapid.

Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at him specifically; it seemed Xiong Shan not only knew these two people but was also very familiar with them.

If Xiong Shan could still hold back, the woman had already been shocked; she muttered: "Second, Third!"

Second and Third? These two people were in Xiong Shan's team?

When this sixth team came over, Xiong Shan reminded in an extremely suppressed voice: "Lower your head."

This reminder was for the woman.

The woman lowered her head.

The sixth team walked into the lake and disappeared into the water.

The woman began to sob and reached out to grab Xiong Shan's clothes.

It could be seen that the atmosphere of this team was still very good, and everyone had a high sense of mutual recognition.

Xiong Shan clenched his fists, and the scars on his face became prominent again.

"How could it be like this, how could it be like this..."

Li Li Zhuiyuan asked: "What did you arrange for them to do?"

Xiong Shan gritted his teeth and said word by word: "I said I only arranged for them to keep an eye on the Yan family, Xie, and the Bu family. Do you believe me?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't quite believe it originally. If they were just like the woman, keeping an eye on those two families and waiting for them to come out before following them, how could they be inexplicably pulled into this corpse-driving team?

But soon, Li Li Zhuiyuan had to believe it.

Because he saw an even more unbelievable scene; the seventh team came.

This team had a full eight people; tonight, it could be considered large-scale.

The one in the first place, Li Li Zhuiyuan knew very well; it was the young Daoist priest seen last night, the twin son of that old couple.

But following behind him carrying the bamboo pole was actually Brother Hu.

On the other side of Brother Hu and behind him were his two hooligan brothers.

These three people were not arranged by him to pan for gold in the city; how could they appear here?

The next moment, Lu Runsheng and Tan Tan Wenbin also let out rapid breathing sounds one after another.

Because an even stranger scene appeared than Brother Hu and the three of them being in the team.

Behind Brother Hu and the three of them, two more people were carrying the pole: Yin Meng and Lin Lin Shu You!

When passing through Meiling Town this morning, Tan Tan Wenbin had communicated with them through the town's telephone, and everything was normal at that time.

Because the road ahead was still unclear, he did not ask them to lead Brother Hu and the three of them here.

But now, these five people all appeared here.

Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Lower your head!"

The seventh team approached.

Lu Runsheng and Tan Tan Wenbin lowered their heads with difficulty, even though they all clenched their fists.

While lowering his head, Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at the bronze mirror in his hand and began to find an angle.

According to the previous practice, this team would circle around the "Yin-Yang Road Inn" where he was before returning to the bottom of the lake.

He needed to calculate their movement speed and avoid the person in the middle whose feet did not touch the ground and who could not be looked at.

After Brother Hu's figure appeared in the bronze mirror, Li Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes and counted in his heart.

If he opened his eyes too fast, he would see "it" and be injured again; if he opened his eyes too slow, he might miss Yin Meng and Lin Lin Shu You.

The time had come. Li Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes quickly. From the bronze mirror, he saw Lin Lin Shu You. Yin Meng, due to being on the other side, was blocked by Lin Lin Shu You due to the angle.

And at this moment, Lin Lin Shu You seemed to have sensed something. He actually opened his eyes, revealing doubt, and while looking around blankly, his mouth opened as if he were speaking, but there was no sound. However, from the change in his mouth shape, it could be seen that he said:

"Brother Xiaoyuan?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 146 =====