Chapter 221

The woman stopped in her tracks; she dared not continue walking forward.

It is true that the world of martial arts is full of hidden talents, but she had never seen such a way of hiding!

To put it plainly, even the Great Master himself did not know the true caliber of the group of people under his command, and furthermore, only he could organize this group of people to work with him in the funeral business.

Xiong Shan stood up.

The son has yet to grow up, so the biological father must still work hard.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Have another drink with my Great Master."

Li Sanjiang nodded: "Right, Shan Hou, have another drink; it won't delay the afternoon's work."

Xiong Shan sat down.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng put down his chopsticks and clutched his stomach: "Going to empty my stomach so I can eat a bit more."

Li Sanjiang laughed and scolded: "Stinking habit!"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng left his seat and picked up the Yellow Jiang Shui shovel he had used earlier when setting up the platform on the flat ground.

Qin Shu looked at Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and asked:

"Is it that fast?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "It's a bit different."

Qin Shu nodded; Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan's river-walking was indeed completely different from what he had done back then.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said to Li Sanjiang: "Great Master, I'm full."

"Mm." Li Sanjiang raised his wine cup, clinked it with Xiong Shan's, and downed it in one gulp.

After Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan left the table, Yin Meng, who had been frowning the whole time, finally found a suitable excuse to leave the table:

"I'm going to take paper to Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng."

……

The woman is running, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng is chasing.

Between the fields, two figures are chasing rapidly, and they are getting closer and closer.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, who had just finished eating, was like a tractor that had just been filled with fuel.

The woman could not outlast him, nor could she outrun him; at a small hollow by the river, she stopped, turned around, and faced Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng also stopped.

The woman opened her mouth and asked: "Why do you help the tyrant?"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "Don't understand."

He could feel that the woman must have misunderstood something.

The woman wiped the blood from the corner of her eye, her aura condensing.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng said: "You wait."

The woman asked: "Wait for what?"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "Wait for my people to arrive."

The woman let out a sneer: "Ha!"

Immediately, the woman spread her left palm, clenched her right fist, and kicked the ground with one leg.

This set of movements was very familiar to Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng; it was like an old friend who was no longer around.

The next moment, the woman's eyes flashed with an unusual color again; unlike the pure red pupils from before, this time they were red and black, commonly known as Yin-Yang eyes.

Her hands flipped, two sections of bamboo poles slid from her cuffs, and then she swung them, pulling out one black and one white long duster.

The woman leaped high and slashed directly at Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face with one duster.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng raised his Yellow Jiang Shui shovel to block it.

The woman swept horizontally with the other duster, and Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng held his shovel vertically to block again.

The woman's figure was like fire, constantly spinning and flipping, the two dusters dancing like swords.

As Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng retreated, he kept raising his shovel to block; the sound of metal clashing erupted, and each strike sent out a spray of sparks.

The woman kicked the ground with her right leg, her center of gravity pressing down, attempting to attack Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's lower body.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng kept lifting his legs and continuing to retreat, not giving the opponent a chance to attack him.

When the woman was about to change her force, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng immediately pressed forward, forcing the opponent to be unable to break away even though she could push him back.

Finally, the woman could no longer hold back; her red and black eyes swirled, and she murmured in her mouth, as if someone were grinning hideously, or like chanting scriptures and spells.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's breathing became rapid, and his facial muscles twitched constantly.

He was strong in his physical body and close-quarters combat, but in terms of techniques, he only understood one out of ten.

The woman launched another offensive.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's response became chaotic, and the woman found several flaws, causing Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to lose his previous composure and stumble backward repeatedly.

Just as the woman was preparing to take advantage of the situation to find another strike and completely repel him so she could leave calmly, she saw the sturdy man in front of her pull out a piece of talisman paper and stick it on his own forehead.

In an instant, the other party's eyes returned to clarity.

The woman's eyes widened; what kind of quality talisman paper was this that it could actually block the noise from the underworld?

With the effect of the Mind-Clearing Talisman added, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's response returned to order, and he continued to entangle the woman.

At this time, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and Yin Meng arrived.

Yin Meng: "Three-Step Praise?"

Everyone was too familiar with Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's movement technique, and the woman's movement technique during the fight was very similar to A You's.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "Very similar, but this is the Seven-Star Step."

Yin Meng: "She isn't a Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Should be the Eight Generals."

Among inheritance systems, there is often you in me and me in you; even if they break away to develop independently, one can still see many similarities.

It's just that the woman was holding black and white dusters and seemed to have successfully performed spirit possession, but Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan could not distinguish which Yin god had possessed her; it looked like the Seventh Master or the Eighth Master, but it wasn't them.

Below, the woman's continuous offensive still failed to crush or shake off Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, and she became increasingly anxious. She attempted to retreat a distance to perform techniques again, but Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, having suffered once, how could he let her have her way? He immediately increased his intensity and pressed in.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan shouted: "Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, take her down."

Upon hearing this, the woman looked surprised: He had been holding back his strength?

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was indeed holding back, because Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan only told him to leave the table and chase, without giving further instructions.

At this moment, one after another, his energy gates opened.

The woman did not know what kind of technique this was, but she could feel that as the energy gates continued to increase, the other party's momentum was becoming stronger and stronger.

Some opportunities actually require time to digest.

Just as Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You digested the residual divine power left in his body by the White Crane Boy, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng also officially began to digest the nutrition from that meal in the pavilion after his energy gates were fully opened and he was paralyzed.

At that table of food, except for him, no one dared to touch their chopsticks.

In fact, this kind of breaking and then establishing is a new round of reshuffling for one's own body, which is most suitable for new integration.

Just like just now, the woman's offensive was like a tide, but Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng could easily intercept her without opening a single energy gate.

Now, there is no need to suppress himself.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng began to take the initiative to attack; when there is a generational gap in absolute strength, even the most exquisite moves will appear pale.

A single phrase "attack where the enemy must save" can allow one to master all initiative.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng struck down with a shovel, and the woman raised her duster to block, but only a "pop" sound was heard; the duster split open, and the shovel Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face hit the woman's shoulder.

The woman let out a muffled groan and was forced to kneel on one knee.

This was already the result of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng holding back; otherwise, what hit the woman would not have been the shovel Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face but the sharp edge of the shovel.

However, the kneeling woman did not give up resistance, and the other duster swept toward Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's calf.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng quickly lifted his foot and then stepped down heavily, firmly pinning that duster under his foot.

The woman tried hard to pull it out, but could not.

What came toward her was Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's other foot.

"Bang!"

The woman's figure flew backward.

As she was about to land, the woman endured the severe pain to adjust her posture, attempting to stabilize herself, but her peripheral vision caught sight of Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng having already arrived at high speed, right beside her.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's hand gripped the woman's neck; his rough palm was like sandpaper, bringing discomfort while also bringing a huge force.

"Bang!"

The woman was gripped by the neck and smashed into the ground.

She subconsciously wanted to continue resisting, but Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's knee was already pressed against her chest, and the edge of the Yellow Jiang Shui shovel was resting against her neck.

Move again, and you die!

The woman sneered, the spirit possession state ended, and she stopped struggling.

Yin Meng: "Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng has become even more powerful."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't you usually spar with each other?"

Yin Meng: "Stopped sparring long ago; can't beat him."

In the beginning, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, Yin Meng, and Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng would spar with each other every night in the fields behind the Great Master's house.

The first to quit was Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin; his half-baked kung fu was fine for mixing in the underworld, but in front of real martial artists, it was completely inadequate.

Later, Yin Meng also gave up; under Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's dual improvement of brute force and technique, she could withstand it less and less, so she simply recognized reality and focused on researching her own poisons.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked over and said to Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, thank you for your hard work."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng shook his head: "She is even weaker than A You was when we first met."

Both are spirit mediums and both belong to the system of summoning Yin gods, but the Army Supervisor has a kind of indomitable momentum that this woman lacks.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan squatted down beside the woman and asked:

"Who exactly did you just summon?"

The woman only continued to sneer at Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, offering no answer.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was not annoyed; he simply placed his fingers on the bridge of the woman's nose, gently pinched that bit of flesh, and pulled upward.

If one were walking the path of the dead at this moment, they would see a cluster of black Qi lingering at the boy's fingertips; this was the Emperor Emperor Fengdu Decree in action.

Yin gods are not ghosts, but they share similar traits in certain aspects, and the methods used to restrain ghosts can also be used to restrain them.

The reason the Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi kept suffering setbacks in front of the boy was also because the boy is a successor to the Great Emperor not recognized by the Great Emperor, so the Yin gods cannot come and go without a trace before him.

The woman was terrified; her pupils once again swirled with red and black colors. Although very faint, this meant that the spirit-medium state, which had already ended, was being briefly recalled.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan frowned slightly; he could not analyze the specific target within this residual power.

The woman's spirit-medium state did not summon a Yin god, but was merely a projection of very chaotic power.

The boy loosened his fingers and gently patted the woman's forehead with his palm.

"Snap!"

The woman's pupils returned to normal, but the look she gave the boy no longer held coldness, only terror.

She could not understand what kind of method this was that could treat her most prized cultivation technique inheritance like a toy, to be manipulated at will.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "There must be a misunderstanding between us."

As he spoke, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "She is as naive as A You was back then."

The woman asked: "What... exactly do you want to say?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "The arrangements on Old Man Park's body were done by you, right?"

The woman: "That's right, so kill me or carve me up, do as you please!"

The woman once again struck a pose of seeking martyrdom.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sighed; he really did not like forcing communication with people who did not understand how to communicate. Forget it, let's start the hypnosis slowly.

With a flick of his fingertip, he struck the center of the woman's forehead. An echo rippled through the woman's heart, shattering the emotions she had just gathered, and fear surfaced in her eyes once more.

"Why did you do this?"

"That old thing lured and prostituted underage girls, driving them to suicide in the end. He deserved it!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Why didn't you call the police?"

The woman: "..."

The woman was stunned. She truly could not fathom why a boy who possessed such subordinates and such terrifying methods would ask her such a "normal" question.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan asked again: "Why didn't you call the police?"

The woman: "She had already committed suicide. After one of the involved old men was caught by the police, he had a heart attack and died at the police station, so the matter was left unsettled."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Evidence."

The woman: "I encountered the girl's vengeful spirit, but her vengeful spirit could not enter the Nantong region. It seems like some kind of terrifying barrier exists here, or perhaps some... terrifying existence."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "So you took action yourself?"

The woman: "Three old men. One died in the police station, and I killed two. This old thing surnamed Park was the ringleader. I want to make sure his descendants have no peace. Am I wrong?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I can understand."

The woman: "You... understand?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "What is your name?"

The woman: "Xin Xin Jiyue."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I wasn't just asking for your name."

The woman: "You are interrogating me, by what right..."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan raised his finger again, making a gesture to knock.

Xin Xin Jiyue: "From Chaoshan, no sect or faction."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Lying."

Xin Xin Jiyue: "I really am from Chaoshan!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "The next sentence."

Xin Xin Jiyue: "I am no longer one of the Eight Generals. I was removed from the temple register and can no longer continue to summon the Yin god lords."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Continue."

Xin Xin Jiyue: "But I still have a way to continue borrowing a portion of their power, by relying on..."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Relying on what?"

Xin Xin Jiyue: "It's in my chest wrap."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stopped his hand and looked at Yin Meng.

Yin Meng squatted down, took out the chest wrap, and handed it to the boy.

It was a very traditional style, and also a very traditional method.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan extended two fingers to pinch the chest wrap, as if treating some kind of filth.

Because it was condensed with thick karmic force.

Those red dots were likely added later using fresh blood; every red dot was a source of karmic force.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Who taught you to do this?"

Xin Xin Jiyue: "What?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Tell me."

Xin Xin Jiyue: "I am punishing evil and promoting good!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Hmm, I admit that counts, but you also have self-interest involved. The person who taught you is not worth you keeping secrets for him."

From the beginning, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan suspected that Old Man Park had done something evil and encountered the other party's retaliation.

When Xin Xin Jiyue first appeared, it confirmed the boy's conjecture, but after contact and questioning, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan keenly discovered that Xin Xin Jiyue was not the kind of mystical knight who held traditional, simple values of justice.

People in the mystical world are not forbidden from acting against ordinary people, but they often find a reason to avoid the taboos of the Heavenly Dao. This reason is actually not hard to find, and it's not impossible to fabricate one.

Xin Xin Jiyue encountering that vengeful spirit and then retaliating against Old Man Park is understandable; using Old Man Park's descendants to cast a curse, the method was a bit extreme and resulted in collective punishment... that is also not impossible to understand.

But the vast number of red dots on this cloth meant she was not acting on impulse or chance; she truly regarded herself as a mystical judge, performing extraordinary acts using rules that were not for ordinary people.

She didn't seem stubborn; rather, she seemed to treat this as a career. Doing this too much, karma naturally backfired, and the karmic force fell upon her. Not only was she not afraid, she even collected the karmic force.

Xin Xin Jiyue: "I only know that after I was expelled from the temple, he took me in and was willing to give me a chance to start over. I cannot..."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Since you believe he is right, then why do you need to keep it secret?"

Xin Xin Jiyue: "I..."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Actually, you know in your heart what you are doing, and you can also feel that the method he taught you is problematic. Once this piece of cloth is full, you are also going to hand it over to him, right?"

Xin Xin Jiyue: "That's right."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "I said, there is a misunderstanding between you and me. If you had just stood there and waited for me to come over instead of attacking, this fight wouldn't have happened at all.

I can let you go, and I can ignore Old Man Park's affair, but I am very curious about that person."

Karmic force is something others avoid like the plague, yet there is actually someone who actively sends people to collect it.

Xin Xin Jiyue's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face showed hesitation.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan snapped his fingers lightly beside her ear.

Xin Xin Jiyue's eyes went blank, and she said: "I have never seen his true Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, but once this cloth is full, it is to be handed over to Qiu Manor."

"Qiu Manor, where is it?"

"Zhoushan, Wu Xin Island."

After the answer, Xin Xin Jiyue asked in great surprise: "What did I... just say?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "You didn't say anything. Your mouth is very tight."

The boy waved his hand.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng released his restraint on the woman.

Xin Xin Jiyue clutched her chest and climbed up with some confusion.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan threw the chest wrap back to her. After catching it, Xin Xin Jiyue asked: "You are going to let me go?"

"If you haven't eaten, you can stay for a meal."

"That dog thing surnamed Park..."

"Go on your way."

Xin Xin Jiyue dared not say anything more; she tucked the chest wrap away and left in a panic, looking back every step of the way.

Yin Meng asked: "Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, is it a wave?"

If it were a wave, it's too early, and she just read the latest "Code of Conduct for Walking the Jiang Shui," where Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan wrote: The river water should not be launching any more surprise attacks for the time being.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Hard to say, but it's also possible."

Zhoushan, Wu Xin Island, Qiu Manor.

The river water not launching surprise attacks and the river water giving you a wave in advance are not contradictory.

If it wants to push itself to solve the problem, then giving itself the clues early and proactively, and then giving itself plenty of time to prepare well, is also understandable.

But this kind of "preferential treatment" comes at a price. The more this happens, the more it means the difficulty of the next wave will be even greater.

"Let's go, let's head back."

The funeral for the Lao Pu family continued.

After the meal, the members of the funeral band put on their Daoist robes and began to perform the rituals, while Li Sanjiang walked at the very front holding a peach-wood sword, looking like an experienced leader.

The scene was noisy and bustling; Xiong Shan, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, and the others were also called by Li Sanjiang to beat drums and gongs, and background music was playing through the speakers.

It was a song rich in elements, featuring sounds of mourning, chanting, and accompaniment, and even background noise of the audience—men talking and children laughing, playing, and screaming.

Clearly, there were absolutely no mourners at the Lao Pu family's place, and the villagers had no interest in the afternoon rituals after watching the performance in the morning, yet they still managed to create the feeling of a "bustling marketplace."

In front of Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat a wooden fish, which he tapped according to the rhythm, while Great-Grandfather had also placed that coverless "Secret Arts of the Bedchamber" in front of him, signaling him to move his mouth and recite something casually.

This was considered the lightest task arranged by Great-Grandfather.

While tapping the wooden fish, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan pondered the matter of Xin Xin Jiyue, and then, he let his mind wander.

He went to the small shop at the village entrance, picked up the phone, and called Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin.

Before long, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin called back.

"Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, I'll be back tomorrow!"

"Take a trip to Zhoushan; the key clues are Wu Xin Island and Qiu Manor. The 'Qiu' as in the surname, and the 'Manor' as in the estate. See if you can investigate anything."

"Alright, I'll go tonight."

"No rush, go tomorrow. Spend some more time with your parents and Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun."

"Alright, understood."

After hanging up, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan returned to the funeral site and continued tapping the wooden fish.

He was following Great-Grandfather's instructions to tap and recite casually, not taking it seriously at all; firstly, that Old Man Pu did not deserve for him to perform a transcendence ritual, and secondly, that old thing couldn't handle it either.

The young man also didn't want this funeral, which could have been finished early, to cause any strange disturbances because of him.

As for sending Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin to investigate alone first, that was also a result of careful deliberation.

If Qiu Manor really was a "spray of the river," then giving it to him so early meant the favor and importance placed on him by the Jiang Shui's flow, so the danger coefficient of Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's trip would not be high.

If Qiu Manor was not a "spray of the river," but just some ordinary karmic contact encountered while walking the river, then Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin would be even less likely to Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face any great danger.

The new stage of walking the river naturally required new countermeasures; in the past, he wouldn't have let his subordinates go scout the path alone.

At this moment, a taxi drove up the village road.

Sitting in the car were Pu Pu Xingsheng, his wife, and his daughter Pu Pu Meina.

They were only returning now, so they certainly hadn't gone to the town health academy, but to the city hospital.

Pu Pu Meina's front teeth were missing, and her Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face was wrapped in gauze; at this age, children fear facial disfigurement the most, as it could very likely leave a scar for life.

But her fall really had nothing to do with Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan; if the young man had truly been angry and wanted to strike, she and her family would have suffered countless times worse.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan could read lips; through the car window and at this distance, he could tell what they were saying.

Pu Pu Meina was crying and cursing him. Her mother was helping her daughter curse along with her, alternating between Mandarin, Nantong dialect, and Shanghainese, and her vocabulary was truly quite rich.

Even though they had clearly seen that the girl had fallen herself, their family had long since pushed the blame onto him.

Pu Pu Xingsheng sat in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed intently on him as he sat in the tent tapping the wooden fish.

The taxi stopped, and as Pu Pu Xingsheng paid the fare, he turned his head to say to his wife and daughter in the back seat: "Pu Meina, watch how Dad helps you deal with him!"

After getting out of the car, he took out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and checked the brightness of the ember.

Immediately after, he walked quickly toward the courtyard.

The position where Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was sitting was on the outermost perimeter of the courtyard, while everyone else was inside busy with the funeral process.

However, upon noticing that Pu Pu Xingsheng and the others had returned, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, Xiong Shan, and the others prepared to put down their work and intended to move closer.

Although they knew that ordinary people would not pose any threat to the young man, their duty was to block any threat.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan raised a hand, signaling them not to come over, and they stopped in their tracks.

The young man continued to sit there, tapping the wooden fish and reciting scriptures very casually.

He knew that Pu Pu Xingsheng was using his hand to shield the lit cigarette, and when he passed by him, he would deliberately use the cigarette to burn him—hmm, he would probably burn his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

After the incident, he would likely make an excuse that the cigarette butt had fallen accidentally, and while hurriedly apologizing, he would also express a willingness to pay compensation.

It was a hard-to-understand operation, yet it fit his behavioral characteristics: cowardly, sinister, wicked, and fond of putting on an act.

After meeting Yu Zeng Zeng Zeng Zeng Zeng Zeng Miaomiao last time, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan lowered his focus and began to analyze the logic of an idiot's thinking.

Pu Pu Xingsheng walked into the tent, his pace quickening; he raised his left hand to greet Li Sanjiang, shouting enthusiastically: "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Li, truly hard work!"

Then, as he passed by the young man, he pinched the burning cigarette with his right hand and pressed it forcefully toward the young man's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

But the expected scream did not occur; his figure had already walked past, and when he raised his hand to look, he discovered the cigarette was already gone—did it fall?

At this time, Li Sanjiang walked over to hand over the duties to Pu Pu Xingsheng; the funeral band was almost done performing, and they were also packing up to leave.

Pu Pu Meina had been full of expectation, but seeing the young man acting as if nothing had happened, she cried again.

Her mother, while comforting her daughter, prepared to take action herself, picking up a stone, but she saw that Lihua, who had already finished packing the bowls and chopsticks, happened to walk over and was staring at her.

Lihua had one hand that was very hideous and withered-yellow; it was a fake hand made of straw.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan opened his palm, and a cigarette that had already been extinguished fell to the ground; just now, he had condensed a ceramic shard with blood mist to pinch the cigarette away.

He was not angry; having seen great rivers and waves, he really couldn't get angry at such a person, and they didn't deserve it either.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan earnestly tapped the wooden fish and recited the standard Heart Sutra.

Even though there was no wind, the candles on the funeral altar suddenly began to sway violently.

Inside the ice coffin, Old Man Pu's corpse twitched continuously.

Old Man Pu had already been placed under a restriction by Xin Xin Jiyue and could not transcend; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's transcendence ritual was equivalent to making Old Man Pu, who was already stifled, suffer several times the torment and torture, and after burial, the backlash on his descendants would be even more swift and terrifying.

But this had nothing to do with Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan; he wasn't the one who placed the restriction, and since the man wanted to burn him, he not only didn't blame him but even took the initiative to tap the wooden fish and recite scriptures—this was what he called returning evil with virtue.

Old Man Pu was buried.

The burial site chosen by Great-Grandfather was not an auspicious one, but it wasn't bad either.

But just after he was buried, black water bubbled up from below.

Fortunately, Pu Pu Xingsheng brought his wife and child, and although they were wearing mourning clothes, they didn't feel much closeness to their own father and knelt quite far away.

Li Sanjiang hurriedly ordered Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Xiong Shan to fill the soil quickly, muttering to himself: "Damn it, how much evil did he commit in his life? I'm afraid this will all be counted against his descendants in the end."

The funeral band's work was finished first, but because Li Sanjiang was the intermediary and the payment was settled promptly, they weren't in a hurry to leave; instead, after packing their own things, they helped dismantle the tent and carry the items.

Soon, everyone had packed their things and left the site together.

Except for that chance to burn him with the cigarette, there was always someone standing by Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's side; Pu Pu Xingsheng cast hateful glances several times, but he didn't dare to truly tear off the mask, as there were many people here, and they were strong and not to be trifled with—he was a coward.

On the way back, Li Sanjiang once again placed Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou on the front of the car to sit.

Great-Grandfather was in a good mood and simply paid everyone's wages for the month in advance.

It wasn't much money, because when they applied for the jobs, the prices they asked for were lower than the next, as if they would be happy to help you do things just for a meal.

However, Li Sanjiang would supplement them with the market price in the form of red envelopes during festivals.

After Xiong Shan and Lihua received the money, they spat on their fingertips and began to count it earnestly.

They naturally didn't care for this little bit of money, but seeing that Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu would count it earnestly every time they received their wages, they learned to do the same.

At first, they didn't feel there was anything to it; they had only come to join the Long Wang household for the sake of their own son's future.

But as they worked longer and longer, the couple soon noticed something unusual; first, the corpse poison in Xiong Shan's body became more and more peaceful, and it hadn't flared up again.

Lihua had been left with a hidden illness after giving birth to her child while walking the river, which would have accompanied her for a lifetime with no medicine being of any use, but during this period, it was also miraculously recovering.

Only then did they gradually understand why the high-and-mighty Long Wang household would stay here, and why the two from the Long Wang household, one helped with cooking and the other helped with farming.

Damn it, this was simply a fountain of blessings!

When they returned home, it was already dusk; Aunt Liu had prepared dinner in advance, and everyone ate together.

After the meal, Li Sanjiang went for his usual walk, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan wanted to follow, but was refused by Li Sanjiang.

However, after Great-Grandfather left, Li Li Li Cuicui came with her homework; she said Uncle Li had gone to her house to chat with her grandmother about dreams.

Even though the house was "full of talent," Great-Grandfather took the initiative to seek outside help.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan let A Li accompany Li Li Li Cuicui to do her homework, while he returned to his room, opened the wordless book, and used up today's deduction quota.

On the painting inside the wordless book, the "Evil Book" had turned into withered bones, sitting there, motionless.

It looked like it was about to die, yet it could never die.

When he walked out of the room, he happened to see A Li holding a pen, writing down the answers to Li Li Li Cuicui's problems, and then putting the pen down.

Li Li Li Cuicui stared at the answers for a good while, then smiled and said, "Ah, so that's how it is."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan noticed that Li Li Li Cuicui's homework was math competition problems, which were quite difficult; she was probably preparing to participate in a competition.

With the homework done and the sky getting late, Li Li Li Cuicui prepared to go home.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan held A Li's hand and walked together to send Li Li Li Cuicui home.

Li Li Li Cuicui had always enjoyed this feeling of walking the dirt road in the countryside with her friends, like a butterfly, spinning happily without stopping; she said she wanted to study hard like Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, participate in competitions, strive to skip grades, and get into a good university in the future.

After sending Li Li Li Cuicui to the dam at her house, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's ears twitched slightly, and he heard the conversation between Liu Liu Jinxia and Great-Grandfather inside the inner room.

Their conversation should have been nearing its end, as both sides were very emotional.

Liu Liu Jinxia: "I've said it before, I don't understand what kind of nonsense fortune-turning formation you set up back then, but I just feel that if you want to solve this problem, you just need to draw the formation again, but in reverse.

Sanjiang Hou, you are old and can't handle this kind of tossing and turning; besides, the child is still young, it'll be fine."

Li Sanjiang: "I said, this method won't work; the child is in college and doing an internship now, developing so well, how could I possibly go and mess with these things again."

Liu Liu Jinxia: "Those things you messed with back then probably weren't of any damn use anyway."

Li Sanjiang: "What if they were of some damn use? I wouldn't dare take risks with the child's affairs; I'm someone who can lie in a coffin and be buried at any time, my old life isn't worth much, but I can't let it affect the child."

It was very clear that Great-Grandfather knew that the dream he had was related to the fortune-turning ritual he had set up back then.

Because it was after setting up this formation that he started having that dream.

And the original intention of setting up this formation was because both Li Sanjiang and Liu Liu Jinxia had noticed that after Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou experienced the incident with Little Huang Ying, he started to easily see and attract dirty things, so Li Sanjiang wanted to transfer all these disasters onto himself, so that his great-grandson could return to a normal life.

"Then I have no other way; the methods I suggested to you before have all been used, but none of them worked."

"Then let's just leave it at that; it's been hard on you."

Li Sanjiang sighed and stood up to leave. When he walked to the dam-side steps and saw Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, he smiled again:

"Old Liu, I'm heading off first. My little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou has come to pick me up to go home!"

Returning home, Li Sanjiang went to wash up first. He had been busy all day and was tired, so he went to bed early.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat on the balcony the entire time, sitting until late into the night.

Finally, the snoring in Great-Grandfather's room vanished, and his breathing began to grow rapid.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stood up, pushed the door open, and walked inside.

On the bed, Great-Grandfather's hands were held straight up, his legs were kicking at the bed, and cold sweat was pouring off him.

Great-Grandfather was pale. He had been having this dream every few days, but having it last night and again tonight meant either Great-Grandfather was lying, or the situation had become more serious.

Although Great-Grandfather was still robust and could hold up for now, if this dream were to continue for a long time, even someone with the best health wouldn't be able to withstand it.

If he were to go on the river journey next, and be away for as long as last time, what would happen to the matters at home?

Admittedly, with Old Lady Liu and Liu Yi and the others there, they could indeed play a significant role, but Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew clearly that he was the person directly involved in this matter.

He could not delay any longer. He had to resolve this matter before the next river journey. At the very least, he had to greatly reduce the frequency of the dreams.

The first thing to do was to enter Great-Grandfather's dream.

But entering by force would cause harm to Great-Grandfather's spirit.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan quickly thought of a new method. Back when the Cat-Faced Old Lady came to the house, a zombie had run out from Great-Grandfather's dream and fought the Cat-Faced Old Lady in the illusion.

Since the zombie could come out back then, as long as he simulated the key elements of that environment, he could find an opportunity to get in.

It was just that the Cat-Faced Old Lady was a corpse demon, a dead-thing, and he now had to find an evil spirit to trigger it.

If Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin were here, those two god-sons of his could actually be used as child labor.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the house, arrived at Grandpa Grandpa Hu Zi's home, and knocked on the window of the bedroom on the west side of the first floor.

Soon, a cold Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face appeared from behind the window.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan pointed outside.

Before long, the door was opened, and Xiao Huang Ying walked out from inside. She was wearing white pajamas, her black hair draped over her shoulders.

"Come with me, do me a favor."

Xiao Huang Ying returned to the room, carried Shitou out, went up to the second floor, placed the child at the entrance of the second-floor bedroom, and only then walked back down.

Only then did Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan realize that Xiong Shan and his wife actually let their son sleep with Xiao Huang Ying even at night; they really treated the dead-thing as a nanny.

Inside the second-floor bedroom.

Lihua gently poked her husband: "Listen to the footsteps, it's Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge. Should we go down and take a look?"

Xiong Shan shook his head: "Since he didn't call us, let's pretend we don't know. You go and carry our son inside; he's at our door."

Lihua: "I won't carry him. When she comes back, she'll come up and carry our son back to sleep; it saves the trouble."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan brought Xiao Huang Ying back home.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, who was sleeping soundly in the coffin, was woken up by Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, what's wrong?"

"Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, go to the west room now. No matter what happens next, neither of you is to come out."

"Alright."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng didn't ask why and left the coffin to go to the west room.

He had to warn his partners first; they might truly act rashly out of concern for his safety, whereas the old lady understood the gravity of the situation and wouldn't interfere casually.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Xiao Huang Ying and said: "Start. Reveal your true form and let the dead-thing aura radiate."

Xiao Huang Ying tilted her head back. Her black hair began to turn damp, dripping water downward. Her skin, which was already very fair, gradually turned deathly pale, and the aura on her body transformed from cold to chilling.

At this moment, she seemed to have turned back into the Xiao Huang Ying who walked under the water in the past.

It was just that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan also noticed that her control over her dead-thing aura had become more proficient.

It seemed that this year, by borrowing the power of the one under the peach tree and existing in the world in the guise of a "human," she had also benefited greatly.

"Sing. Make it a bit more 'lively'."

That night with the Cat-Faced Old Lady, things had been very boisterous.

Xiao Huang Ying began to sing. Her singing voice was melodious and quiet; she didn't sing it in a standard way, yet it had a flavor unique to her.

To further simulate the feeling of that night, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept toward the large number of paper effigies stored on the first floor.

The youth pinched a seal with both hands and performed the Nuo Opera Puppet Art.

Paper effigies were not corpses, so they were easier to control, but they had no combat power. However, for now, it was just to let them provide a "human presence."

Soon, all the paper effigies revived; some were moving tables, some were moving chairs, and some were pushing forward in a playful, noisy manner.

Back then, the Cat-Faced Old Lady held a birthday banquet here; today, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was holding a fan meeting for Xiao Huang Ying.

East room.

A Li was already asleep.

Liu Liu Jinxia was getting on in years and had light sleep; she was accustomed to chatting with the spirit tablets for a while before going to bed to pass the time.

The old lady turned her head, glanced out the window, and muttered to herself: "What is Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan doing?"

Immediately, as if thinking of something, the old lady turned her head to look at A Li, who was sleeping soundly on the bed.

"Sigh..." The old lady smiled and sipped her tea. "Go play, go play. You young people really know how to have fun."

After the scene was set, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan controlled a paper effigy to hold a paper flower and go on stage to present it to Xiao Huang Ying, then received a hug.

After the hug, the color of the paper effigy deepened; this was because it had been imbued with the dead-thing aura.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan initiated the Yin-Walking.

Just as the youth was about to control that paper effigy to go upstairs to Great-Grandfather's room, he turned his head and saw A Li standing at the door, also in a state of Yin-Walking.

That night, A Li was there too; tonight, A Li had come as well.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan hadn't specifically gone to knock on the east room door to call anyone, because there was a tacit understanding between the two; he knew the girl would come out.

The youth walked over and took the girl's hand.

The paper effigy began to go upstairs, with Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and A Li following behind.

Arriving at the second floor, the paper effigy pushed open Great-Grandfather's room door and walked to the bedside.

Seemingly influenced by the energy in reality, there was even more cold sweat on Great-Grandfather, and the dream became more intense and realistic.

The paper effigy stretched out its hand and grabbed Great-Grandfather's wrist.

In an instant, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan discovered that the "dream" he had woven and the dream Great-Grandfather was having had merged, and a split opening appeared ahead.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan glanced at the girl beside him, and she nodded.

The next moment, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and A Li walked into this opening together.

The surrounding environment changed drastically in an instant; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had successfully entered Great-Grandfather's dream in a peaceful manner.

Red palace walls, majestic gates, white steps, and a wide plaza.

This was the Forbidden City. He was very familiar with this place because when he was a child, there was a period when Li Lan worked here, and he would be brought here by Li Lan.

At that time, the security in the Forbidden City wasn't strict, and many palaces could be walked into for close-up viewing, unlike now, where with the increase in the number of tourists, railings had been set up at the entrances of most palaces to block access.

It was just that when Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's gaze shifted downward, he saw an orange cat lazily crouching in a corner.

The orange cat also saw Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan. It slowly stood up, walked with a graceful gait toward the youth, and after reaching him, rubbed its Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face affectionately against his lower leg.

Clearly, it recognized the youth.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan also recognized it.

Back then, on many afternoons, he would sit here, holding it in his arms, stroking its fur while watching the tourists constantly walking into the palace gate ahead.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan bent down, picked up the orange cat, and looked into its eyes.

"Why are you in my Great-Grandfather's dream?"

The orange cat yawned and stuck out its tongue to lick its lips.

At this moment, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan understood.

"No, it's Great-Grandfather who is in my dream!"

(End of chapter)