Chapter 223

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan remembered that last night, A Li had come over wearing white pajamas; now that she had changed into a red dress, it proved that the girl had specifically returned to the east room to groom herself in the meantime.

That she dared to leave meant she knew clearly that he had already returned.

She knew even better what the boy needed after he woke up.

Many of the habits between the two of them in the past, though they all began naturally, had always been carefully nurtured and maintained, like birds in a misty forest, cherishing every mark left on a tree—these marks included each other.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed, walked in front of the girl, and slowly lowered his head; he was searching.

The boy and the girl locked eyes, and then, the two of them gently pressed their foreheads together.

In the girl's eyes, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan saw himself.

Sometimes, even he himself would get lost, not only unable to distinguish between dream and reality, but also feeling dazed about his own identity, but the answer to all of this could be found in her eyes.

Only until this moment did Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan confirm that he had succeeded, casting away the last bit of anxiety in his heart.

The boy went to pick up the washbasin, prepared to wash up, but stopped in his tracks when he passed the wardrobe and looked into the mirror.

There was no other metaphor; he was truly just looking in the mirror.

Three faint markings had appeared on his forehead, so slight they were almost imperceptible, and deep in the corners of his eyes were black and red bloodshot veins, which couldn't be seen unless he stared intently.

He took another half-step back, endured that backlash, and quickly examined his own physiognomy.

"Cough, cough..."

The boy's chest felt tight, and he coughed several times in a row.

This physiognomy was a sign of a grave illness of fate.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan spread out his right hand, attempting to condense a simple formation.

Although the formation condensed successfully, his Qi and blood felt somewhat agitated, proving that his mind was still in a state of turmoil and not stable enough.

The signs above were all characteristics of having already gone into Qi-deviation; this required him to spend a few days recuperating and recovering, after which they would disappear.

After all, no matter what, he was currently in a state of suppressing the original body in the identity of an inner demon.

If a practitioner of the Profound Gate went into Qi-deviation or suffered from inner demon backlash, it would be no surprise if they became slightly insane, or in more severe cases, changed their temperament entirely into a demon that only knew how to kill.

That he could achieve such smoothness was already extremely difficult.

It was a pity that no one would be bored enough to stand from the perspective of an "inner demon" to summarize and write a book; this category was too obscure. Otherwise, this instance of Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's could be called the most classic case of an inner demon devouring its host, worthy of the title "Model Inner Demon."

Admittedly, voluntarily falling into the role of an inner demon and yielding the original identity to "him" was a demotion.

But Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan did not regret it; on the contrary, he felt he had profited greatly.

The previous state of being inseparable, both being the same "original self," was truly difficult to handle, and there was no way to start treatment.

Now, the situation had become more difficult, but because of this, there was a method.

He only needed to follow the path of an "inner demon," either searching for a method or creating his own cultivation technique, to keep "him" suppressed.

This line of thinking was "provided" to him by that high-ranking Tantric monk who had once attacked him; he really had to find time to visit and thank him properly.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan glanced at his desk; next, he would write this treatment method into his book.

Sometimes, it was a sorrow that fellow patients were not born in the same era; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan really wanted to exchange treatment insights with Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Zhengdao.

When he reached the doorway, the boy suddenly stopped.

He remembered Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Zhengdao's self-sealing and suicide, and the Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Zhengdao he had encountered in that wave of the Dream Ghost; it shouldn't have been his original body, but in all likelihood, a clone.

With Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Zhengdao's ability, creating a clone was not a difficult task, but what was his purpose in doing so?

Why would a person determined to commit suicide still create a clone?

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan suspected that Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Zhengdao might have also chosen this treatment method; he was actively splitting himself.

Did he succeed in the end using this method?

It would be very difficult, wouldn't it?

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan recalled last night, "he" had intended to take measures to suppress him, the "inner demon," back down.

The same treatment plan was not necessarily suitable for all patients, or even for different stages of the same patient.

The reason he had hope for success now was because he was still young, while Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Wei Zhengdao's difficulty lay in the fact that... by the time he realized and pursued treatment and suicide, he was already too strong.

The old, broken water vat on the second-floor terrace had been replaced with a new one by Qin Shu; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stood in the original spot and began to wash up.

Just as he finished washing and was wiping his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face with a towel, he saw Li Sanjiang coming out of his room, twisting his neck and shaking his legs.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan still remembered the edge of the well in his dream last night, where the great-grandfather, who should have already left the dream, suddenly turned back and even took the initiative to help him lure away all the zombies in the vicinity.

Of course, that group of zombies would not have become a problem for him; even if the great-grandfather hadn't appeared, he could have easily solved it.

But the value of the great-grandfather's appearance was great; it let him know that even in the ethereal dream, there were still people willing to protect him at all costs, even if only through their subconscious.

"Great-grandfather, didn't you sleep well last night?"

"Hmm, I slept with a stiff neck." Li Sanjiang was embarrassed to say he had had another nightmare and fallen out of bed, so he asked casually, "Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, how did you sleep?"

"I didn't sleep very well either; I had a nightmare."

"That's good, that's good... hmm?"

"Great-grandfather, I met a professor in college who specializes in health preservation; he taught me a conditioning recipe. I'll brew it for us to drink for a few days; it can calm the spirit."

"Sure, I'll drink it."

Li Sanjiang walked over, scooped water from the vat, and brought over the bag of laundry detergent; he intended to wash his hair to clear his head.

"Great-grandfather, the weather isn't hot enough yet; washing your hair in the morning and catching a breeze makes it easy to catch a cold. Also, the shampoo is downstairs; using laundry detergent to wash your hair hurts the scalp."

"Your great-grandfather is used to... fine, then I'll wash it at noon and use shampoo."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan carried his basin back to his room; Li Sanjiang, who was brushing his teeth, looked again and again at the direction his great-grandson had left in; he felt something was different, but he couldn't say what had changed.

"A Li, let's play chess."

A Li shook her head; she felt the boy needed to rest and shouldn't use his brain.

"Then let's go downstairs."

Holding A Li's hand, he arrived on the first floor; sniffing the air, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan smelled the lingering aura of the dead.

Seeing that the great-grandfather hadn't come downstairs yet, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took a Soul-Breaking Talisman from his pocket and flicked it forward; the talisman burned after hitting the ground, and a puff of green smoke shot up and immediately dissipated, effectively neutralizing the lingering aura.

As for the paper figures and the tables and chairs here, they had all long since returned to their original places; he figured Xiao Xiao Yingying must have tidied up before she left.

She could tidy up other things, but she had no way to deal with her own lingering aura; after all, he couldn't very well let her suppress and dissipate herself.

On the dam, Liu Liu Jinxia was sitting by the small table; seeing the boy and her granddaughter come out, she beckoned, "Come over and help Grandma brew tea."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the table and stopped; A Li did not linger and went straight back into the room.

"Grandma, it's almost time for breakfast; are we still drinking tea?"

"I've been drinking tea my whole life; it doesn't have much effect."

The boy's tea-brewing movements were skillful and natural, pleasing to the eye.

Liu Liu Jinxia: "This is tea that was just sent over; have a taste."

"Okay."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan picked up the teacup and took a sip; it felt like drinking alcohol, the tea fragrance went to his head, but there was no unpleasant aftertaste; instead, it brewed and spread.

He hadn't rested well last night, and after drinking this sip of tea, there was a sense of comfort and relaxation as his mind was soothed.

The boy closed his eyes, enjoying this lingering charm.

Liu Liu Jinxia watched him with interest.

In the past, this child had often come to drink tea with her, and he had drunk plenty of good tea; every time, he would give a precise evaluation after one sip, as if following a fixed procedure.

But today, he was truly savoring it, and truly enjoying it.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes and took another sip; the second sip wasn't as stunning as the first, just like the first sip of Jianlibao was always the best.

A Li walked out of the room holding a small medicine kit; she spread out the boy's right hand, unwrapped the old gauze, cradled his palm, blew on it, and then reapplied medicine and bandaged it.

Liu Liu Jinxia had originally glanced over casually, but after seeing the deep, embedded wounds on the boy's right hand, she subconsciously looked at her granddaughter's fingernails.

Did the two children fight last night?

The old lady couldn't help but feel a bit heartbroken; oh my, how could her granddaughter pinch him so hard.

Liu Liu Jinxia didn't know exactly what happened last night; her granddaughter had come down, but not to ask her for help, but to have her help with grooming.

Therefore, she could only guess based on past events; she remembered that night, for some unknown reason, the boy had made her granddaughter angry, and she ignored him for several days. In the end, the boy brought that dead person over and apologized through the method of walking in the underworld, and the two restored their relationship.

Could it be that he was apologizing last night? But the two hadn't had any conflict before, and looking at the way her granddaughter was carefully bandaging him... forget it, even if they fought, they were reconciled now.

Liu Liu Jinxia understood the affairs of these young people less and less, and she couldn't be bothered to get involved.

At this time, Liu Yi began to bring out breakfast, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan got up to help.

When he walked into the kitchen to carry the porridge, Liu Yi's voice suddenly came from behind: "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, wait a moment, let me look at you."

Saying this, Liu Yi walked up to the boy, checked the boy's forehead, pulled up the boy's eyelids, and finally, her left palm pressed against the boy's forehead while her right hand helped the boy take his pulse.

Soon, a look of confusion appeared on Liu Yi's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, and she asked, "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, have you been practicing some obscure cultivation technique lately?"

Liu Yi said this very tactfully.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew that she had seen through it.

"Yes, I've been pondering a secret technique recently; I just found a new line of thought last night and was testing it."

"Is there any other discomfort?"

"It's nothing serious; I'll be fine after resting for a few days. Thank you for your concern, Liu Yi."

Liu Yi let go and watched the boy leave carrying the porridge bowl.

After breakfast, when Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan accompanied the great-grandfather for a walk, Liu Yi walked up to Liu Liu Jinxia and whispered, "Old lady, I observed that on Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan..."

Liu Liu Jinxia: "Since when did you learn to be so hesitant?"

Liu Yi: "On Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, there are signs of Qi-deviation and inner demon backlash; although very slight, they are extremely standard."

Liu Liu Jinxia: "Are you sure?"

Every profession has its specialty; Qin Li and Liu Ting's skills were taught by the old lady herself, but she only taught them early entry-level skills based on each person's talent and strengths. Their subsequent development had to rely on their own comprehension and pondering; anyway, there were plenty of secret manuals in the ancestral house.

Therefore, Liu Yi's level of medical and toxicological skill exceeds that of Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei.

Liu Yi: "Look... clearly."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei: "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, could he suffer a Qi deviation, or even be backlashed by his inner demons?"

They had witnessed with their own eyes just how much of a genius this child was; would a guy who could understand the fundamental techniques of the Qin and Liu families more deeply and thoroughly than the people of the Qin and Liu families themselves commit such a low-level mistake?

Qi deviation and inner demon backlash refer to a state of result; a normal person would instinctively stop in time upon sensing something amiss, let alone him.

Liu Yi also felt that her diagnostic conclusion was somewhat absurd, but she still said again: "Perhaps it is because my learning is shallow, but in any case, the result I see is this."

If that youth were not Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, but someone else, Liu Yi would likely have already forcibly taken action to subdue him by now.

There is no help for it; a guy suffering from inner demon backlash is truly too unstable and too dangerous; no one can predict what he will do next.

At this moment, A Li walked out from the east room, holding two spirit tablets of different textures.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei raised her hand and called out: "A Li."

A Li stopped her steps and looked toward her grandmother.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei: "Never mind, it's nothing, go about your business."

A Li continued to hold the spirit tablets and went upstairs.

Liu Yi: "Old Lady..."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and said indifferently: "It is nothing."

Liu Yi: "What I mean is, should we do a more specific examination? After all, Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan is..."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei shook her head: "No need, Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan is still that same Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan. If he had changed, even if he could deceive others, he could not deceive A Li."

Liu Yi was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Indeed."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei: "Everyone has their own secrets; Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan has even more secrets on him. Believe that he can handle them well."

Liu Yi: "I understand, then I will prepare some soothing medicinal soup for him."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei: "Mm."

Liu Yi: "There is one more thing; didn't A Li say when she returned that day about going to handle the funeral for that family in Xigou Village?"

"Mm, what about it?"

"I am very curious, why is Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan so careful and restrained?"

"Not just this time; the one who turned over and dozed off under the peach forest last time, I fear that was the same."

"It's just a few human lives... in any case, they deserved it; I feel there is no need for such trouble and caution."

"A Ting, you have never 'walked the river'."

"Yes."

"Do not commit a small evil just because it is small; do you think this saying is meant for the weak who are being protected?

Just like playing Go, every piece placed must be 'meticulously crafted'; if you place pieces randomly, who knows when it will become a flaw of your own.

Furthermore, doesn't restraint and caution imply that the plans and schemes are even greater?"

Liu Yi: "It seems that without 'walking the river', one cannot feel some things deeply; it is, after all, a kind of regret."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei: "No one is stopping you; go light the lamp now, it's not like it's too late."

Liu Yi: "How could that be? If I went to 'walk the river', who would cook for you?"

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei gently patted her own mouth:

"It is the sin of this mouth of mine, delaying the birth of one more Long Wang in my Liu family."

Li Sanjiang's walk this morning went a bit far; mainly because after his body loosened up, not only did the discomfort from sleeping last night disappear, but his whole person actually became increasingly spirited.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew that this was because that dream had been brought back by himself, and the fortune was beginning to compensate for and restore the Great-Grandfather's body.

Once a person truly reaches a certain age, this body gradually begins to transition from science to metaphysics.

One who is healthy might be gone just like that, while one riddled with a hundred illnesses can keep on going.

Having walked comfortably, Li Sanjiang discovered he had truly gone far, even walking out of the village. He bought a bottle of soda at the small shop in the next village and handed it to Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, while he himself asked the owner for a bowl of water to drink.

His Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face was recognized in the next village as well; the owner was polite, not only refusing to take money for the soda but also specially brewing a bowl of brown sugar water for him.

Li Sanjiang sat on the stone stool at the entrance of the small shop holding the bowl, with Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan sitting beside him.

The grandfather and grandson just sat there drinking while watching the people and cars constantly passing by on the village road.

After finishing, Li Sanjiang handed Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan a banknote: "Go, buy a pack of cigarettes for Great-Grandfather."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the bowl from Great-Grandfather's hand, sent it back to the shop counter along with the empty soda bottle he had finished, and after buying the cigarettes, he shook the remaining change in his hand toward Great-Grandfather, then very naturally stuffed it into his own pocket.

"Hahaha!"

For some reason, a feeling of heartfelt happiness welled up in Li Sanjiang's heart.

He bent down and said: "Come, Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, Great-Grandfather will carry you back on his back."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan got onto Li Sanjiang's back.

Although the old man was advanced in age, his back was still as sturdy and straight as a pine, unlike Old Man Shan, who had already begun to shrink.

As Li Sanjiang walked, he hummed a segment of storytelling, a part of Water Margin he had heard on the radio.

Every time Li Sanjiang got stuck, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan on his back would timely speak up to remind him, helping him continue.

Just like this, walking and walking, they saw their home.

On the village road ahead, a familiar figure also walked over.

"Grandpa Li, Brother Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan!"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You was carrying a mountaineering backpack, his hands holding full bags of local specialties; upon seeing them, he began to run.

After running a few steps, the bag broke, and things spilled all over the ground; not noticing due to excessive excitement, he ran for quite a while before feeling his hands getting lighter, only then did he say "Ah", and ran back to squat down and tidy up.

Li Sanjiang: "That Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang could get into university, I understand; I remember that year Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang was indeed very diligent and hardworking. It's just that this Wu Wu Wu Youhou is also a university student; I still can't figure that out even now.

However, Wu Wu Wu Youhou is indeed a good person, serious and steady.

If his hometown weren't in Fujian, so far away, I would have wanted to play matchmaker for him; Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang over there has already been dating for a long time.

By the way, what kind of girl does Wu Wu Wu Youhou like again?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "He likes the kind like Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Zhou Yunyun."

In the previous wave, A You was repeatedly manipulated by Zhao Yi; although A You would immediately soften his stance every time after only half a sentence, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had good hearing and heard everything, so he naturally guessed it.

"That was me, Great-Grandfather, having misjudged; this Wu Wu Wu Youhou isn't that serious and steady after all."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan got down from Great-Grandfather's back, and the two went together to help Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You pick up the things before going home.

"Grandpa Li, this is the wine prepared for you, and the cigarettes from our place; you smoke them and see if they suit your taste, I'll have my grandfather send more."

"Too much." Li Sanjiang separated a portion of the items, "Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang is not at home right now, you take a portion of the items and send them to his partner's house on Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Zhuangzhuang's behalf."

"Oh, okay."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You took out two long, blackened strips of cured meat and ran toward Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, look, what I brought for you."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng took the cured meat, smelled it in front of his nose, and immediately revealed a smile: "Local specialties from your place?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's expression was awkward for a moment; whose local specialty cured meat is smoked with incense ash?

It was just that there was plenty of fresh incense ash in his temple, so he specifically had the people in the temple "soak" the cured meat for him.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng took a bite, chewed, and swallowed; eating this, there was no need to light incense.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You then brought a bag of cosmetics and gave it to Yin Meng: "Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Yin Mengmeng, for you."

Yin Meng was surprised: "So many brands?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Mm, the waterways in our place are well-developed."

A You brought the most gifts for Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, all things for tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang; in that jar, the genitals of a nationally protected animal were even soaking.

"A You, come with me."

"Coming, Brother Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan."

Under Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's gaze, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Yin Meng also followed.

Next to the kitchen, there was a small room; the walls on both sides were covered with statues of deities hung by Great-Grandfather, and the one in the very center was Confucius, whom Great-Grandfather mistakenly took for Laozi.

Last time when he was at home, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had cleared out a separate area and asked A Li to help make nameplates for everyone on his team.

The front was the name, and the back was each person's birth date and time.

In the middle was placed an exquisite small incense burner, which was taken out by Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng after diving down to retrieve it following the resolution of the 'dead-walker' at the construction site; it was originally a good tool for locating by scent, but now that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had a better Luo Pan on hand, he placed it here as a ritual furnace.

The place was both small and cramped, but the water need not be deep for there to be a dragon.

It was just that as soon as Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan entered, he discovered that incense had been inserted into the burner, and it had already burned to the end.

It must have been Great-Grandfather who inserted it, because he had the habit of coming in here to pay respects every morning.

What was even more interesting was that among the nameplates of the five of them, there was also a rough board with "Li Sanjiang" written on it in brush.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan remembered Great-Grandfather asking him once what was the use of placing spirit tablets with names written on them in there; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said it was for praying for blessings, and offering them in a temple required incense money, which was not only expensive but also required going to renew the fee when time was up.

Great-Grandfather must have thought it made a lot of sense, so he wrote his own name and put it in there, helping himself, Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, and the rest of the mules light incense every morning to pray for blessings.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Why is Grandpa Li's name also in there?"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng: "Afraid of losing out?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "How could that be, he's taking advantage, taking a big advantage."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Just leave Great-Grandfather's name here; after all, he is the 'Nantong Corpse-Fisher Li'."

In the youth's view, his own Great-Grandfather was more suited to the title "Nantong Corpse-Fisher Li" than he was; if one were to truly rank the order of inheritance, Great-Grandfather should really be ahead of him.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Temple Register and Divine Records."

"Here, here." Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You hurriedly took out the temple register and the divine records he had written himself.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the items, stacked them on top, then held incense in his left hand and yellow paper in his right, his eyes slightly narrowed, his aura solemn.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You then began to perform the spirit-descension, and the next moment, his vertical pupils opened.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi!"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Present~"

"Today, I am moving you into this Daoist altar; do you have any objections?"

"Subduing demons and defending the Dao is my duty; I have no objections!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan inserted the incense, the yellow paper in his hand ignited, and the ashes were sprinkled onto the temple register and divine records.

Next, Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi took out his own divine statue.

This place was too small; the kind of divine statue found in the temple of the Official Generals could certainly not be moved in, and besides, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You couldn't bring it on a plane.

Therefore, a divine statue is something that can only be symbolic nowadays.

But this symbolism had to be... a bit too symbolic.

Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi looked at the wooden figure his spirit-medium had prepared for him.

It was carved by Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You himself; the craftsmanship was crude, and the coloring was very uneven. After all, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You only knew how to skillfully apply his own makeup, and he was neither a sculptor nor a painter.

Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi ultimately placed the wooden figure up, but his vertical pupils twisted slightly.

Those who knew would understand this was his "divine statue"; those who didn't would think it was one of those low-quality puppets used by crooked paths to cast curses on people.

At this moment, the Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi suddenly heard the youth beside him say: "The conditions are crude; I have wronged you."

The Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi was so startled that his twisted vertical pupils instantly straightened!

His first reaction was that the youth was angry and was using irony to reprimand him.

Although he certainly wouldn't have gone to a temple with crude conditions in the past, because a small Official General temple meant the spirit-medium was of lower quality, with less work, less merit, and less power to exert.

But this place was an exception; the cruder and simpler it was, the more the Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi felt a sense of warmth, because this was what a startup looked like, this was entering the game early to occupy a position, and there was a feeling that he was already one of their own.

He really just disliked that the "divine statue" his spirit-medium had carved for him was too ugly; otherwise, he could just not carve a human figure at all and just put up a nameplate with his name on it.

Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi turned toward the youth, preparing to apologize and explain; he didn't want to be kicked out on his first day of work because his superior mistakenly thought he was giving him attitude.

For a job-hopper, the most terrifying thing is to have announced it at the old unit, only to fail to jump ship in the end.

Who would have thought that before the Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi could speak, the youth said again:

"I will have A Li carve a better-looking one for you."

The Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi's anxiety, which had just been held in his mouth, was instantly replaced by deep trepidation and gratitude.

He was a Yin deity, and his perception was naturally extremely keen. Plus, he had once been severely handled by the youth, so he now had a very clear feeling that the youth... seemed a bit different.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Alright, let's offer the incense."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Xiang Xiang Seeing Yin Meng each held incense, bowed to the incense burner, and inserted it.

When leaving, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, who was walking in front, said: "A You, please work hard again and carve two wooden figures for the Increase and Decrease Generals as well."

At this time, the vertical pupils in A You's eyes had not yet dissipated, meaning that Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi was still in his body.

Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi, who was trailing at the end, heard this and laughed so hard his mouth went crooked, completely losing his image.

After he left, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You couldn't help but cover the corners of his mouth; he had laughed so hard he had split his own skin.

Li Sanjiang: "Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng Hou, You Hou, come with me to the neighboring town to deliver goods!"

Qin Qin Shuzheng and Xiong Shan were busy in the fields; since the new mule was back, he wouldn't call them.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng went to get the cart to load the goods, and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You licked the corners of his mouth and naturally joined in.

Whoever came to Master Li's house had to work, but no one ever complained about working for the Master.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs, pushed open the bedroom door, and saw A Li sitting there holding tools, in the middle of dismantling the ancestral tablets.

The current ancestral tablets used different materials and had different specifications, so one had to categorize the materials before using them.

"A Li, I have to trouble you to help me carve a Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi."

A Li nodded.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the drawing table, picked up a brush, and began to draw the image of Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi.

Without focusing on emotion, just purely sketching, the image of Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi soon leaped onto the paper.

A Li examined it carefully, then sat down, picked up a new ancestral tablet, and began to carve.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan felt, using this kind of material, would it be a bit too good?

But seeing that A Li had already started using the carving knife, he didn't stop her.

Forget it, just as the Great-Grandfather said, if you want the mule to work well, you can't skimp on good grass.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the desk and sat down, first opening the wordless book.

When he gently touched the painting with his fingertip, the terrified expression of the skeleton in the painting receded, and it actually revealed a sense of joy.

The *Evil Book* could feel that the original youth had returned.

In all things, one fears comparison.

The *Evil Book* had originally thought that falling into the hands of this youth was already entering hell, but who knew that there were still eighteen layers below this hell!

These three days, he couldn't expend his mental energy and had to recuperate well. Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said:

"For these three days, I won't move you; you recuperate well. After three days, you must make up for the missing amount in one go."

The skeleton in the painting heard this, and instead of showing despair, it felt a sense of lightness: It's really good, he is actually willing to discuss it with me.

At this moment, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan heard the frequency of the carving knife behind him change.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said: "I will be angry."

The frequency of the carving knife returned to normal.

Last night, although that "he" couldn't say the word "blood," A Li had already understood his meaning; for this wordless book to exert its effect, it needed her blood.

She was currently carving, so she could just hurt her finger and let the blood flow out.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan put away the wordless book and then wrote his treatment plan for this time into the "medical record."

After finishing these, the youth stood up and walked to the girl's side, first helping her clean the tool table and sweep the shavings off the floor, then immediately sat down beside her, handing her tools and doing some auxiliary work with the scraps.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan still remembered the first time he made a Yellow River shovel as a tool according to the records in the *Jianghu Strange Tales*, the girl had accompanied him and stayed busy for two days.

At that time, the girl hadn't really done much manual labor, and he had to demonstrate and explain the steps and tools to her first.

Now, just watching the girl's hands holding the carving knife flying up and down, she was simply incredibly dexterous.

Wherever she could help him, she was always forcing herself to do her best.

In this world, things more precious than mountains of gold and silver are those who give their all.

The Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi was carved; although it hadn't been colored yet, it was already lifelike and could be called an extremely exquisite piece of art.

Most importantly, A Li had also captured the unruly charm of Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looked up and glanced at his previous scroll; he discovered that he hadn't deliberately highlighted this temperament of the Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi, so this counted as A Li's own artistic processing.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan began to help mix the colors, and A Li began to paint.

After the work was completely finished, Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi looked as if he had come to life.

The girl placed the Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi on the table and looked at the youth.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan picked up a damp cloth and helped her wipe her hands.

The girl's eyes lowered, and the faint happiness on her Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face receded. Just as Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew what she was going to do when he sat at the desk with his back to her earlier, she now also knew what the youth was going to say to her.

She had originally thought the youth would forget, but who knew the youth had actually remembered until now, waiting for her to finish what she was doing.

"A Li, I am currently a heart demon, so what you need to do is help me consolidate this heart demon of mine. You are my window; through you, I can see the places where I am different from 'him'."

Once, he pulled her out of the darkness; now, it was her turn to drag him out of the swamp.

The girl reached out, one hand hugging the youth's head, and the other hand patted the youth on the back.

A Li had money, she had plenty of money.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had just placed the Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi on the altar table and walked out of the small room when he heard the singing from Auntie Zhang Shen at the small shop:

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou~ there's a phone call for you~"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan went to answer the phone.

The receiver had been left on the side and hadn't been hung up.

Judging by this extravagance, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew it was Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang calling.

"Hello, Brother Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang."

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, you're home, right? I want to ask you to help..."

"I've already delivered it, in the river."

"You went personally?"

"Yes."

"How could I trouble you? Just letting Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin go would have been fine. You went to deliver it personally... she still has to kowtow and pay respects to you; what if she disturbs the fetus because of this."

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin is not in Nantong right now."

"Oh, I see, haha. That, there is one more thing, I don't know if you have time. The school is organizing an exchange meeting to the capital, and there are student spots. Do you want to go? Consider it a government-sponsored trip to reward excellent students."

"Are we... considered excellent students?"

Excellent to the point of being students who don't even go to school.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was the class monitor, and he hadn't even had the nerve to secure a scholarship for himself, even though his exam scores from his last-minute cramming were among the best, and his usual grades in every subject were overflowing.

"According to the evaluation criteria, you, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You all count, because you have already entered the internship stage ahead of schedule."

"Forget it, let's not take up this spot."

"This time you can bring family members, one per person, which means Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Xiang Xiang Seeing Yin Meng can also go together. I'll arrange it."

"Brother Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan felt something was off; Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang disliked taking advantage of public resources the most, and in this regard, he had always been very strict with himself.

"Sigh, to be honest with you, I'm a sponsor for this school activity."

"Oh, no wonder."

"Then, why don't you reconsider? If you have time, why not come over for a visit?"

"I have a selfish motive. I've already helped Luo Gong select a group of students, and they are currently in the assessment and screening stage. I hope you or Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin can spare some time to share some work experience regarding the kind of things encountered in engineering, uh, you know what I mean."

"Besides, you grew up in the capital, don't you want to go home and take a look?"

"I don't."

"Then..."

"I'll think about the exchange meeting some more and give you an answer later."

"Alright, let me know whenever you've made up your mind."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan hung up the phone and bought another pack of cigarettes for Grandfather from Zhang Shen as a singing fee.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin had gone to Wu Xin Island to find Qiu Zhuang; transportation there wasn't very convenient, so he should have just arrived and hadn't had time to report back yet.

If it came to going to the capital, it wasn't impossible; he had originally intended to find time to have a good chat with that high-ranking monk of the Esoteric Sect.

What Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was considering now was whether going to the capital could also count as a "wave."

But if that were the case, wouldn't it conflict with Qiu Zhuang?

Regardless, it was impossible for two waves to crash over at the same time.

So, which one was real, and which one was fake?

Or was there an order to them?

When he returned home, he found that Grandfather, Xiang Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had already returned from their deliveries.

What surprised Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was that Grandfather was actually holding a lottery ticket in his hand.

It was just that the time since the end of the last wave was too short, and it wasn't time for the next wave to arrive normally; otherwise, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan would have suspected that Old Old Old Jiang Shui was using the same trick twice, and so directly at that.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You excitedly shouted to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, "Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge, Grandfather Li won the lottery again!"

On his way to deliver goods, Li Sanjiang had passed by the lottery spot again, and it was the same team as last time.

The host stood on the stage with a microphone, stirring up everyone's enthusiasm. Seeing Li Sanjiang and the others from afar, the host enthusiastically invited Li Sanjiang up and shouted loudly:

"Friends, this is the old gentleman who won our first prize last time, the luxury five-person tour of Yunnan!"

The host's original intention was to use an ironclad fact to warm up the crowd, and then he took out a lottery box and invited Li Sanjiang to draw another one for free.

Unable to refuse the warm invitation, Li Sanjiang drew another one.

As it turned out, when the host scratched it off, he was dumbfounded—it was another first prize, a luxury solo tour of the capital.

Well, that did it; the warm-up was a success, but the organizers didn't even know how to swap out their shills, and the crowd below collectively shouted, "Rigged! Rigged!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the lottery ticket from Grandfather's hand. If Grandfather had won the luxury five-person tour like last time, it could almost be semi-explicitly considered a sign that a wave had arrived, but this time it was just a luxury solo tour, which meant it was just Grandfather's own good luck.

Another point was that Old Old Old Jiang Shui's clues wouldn't push in the same direction twice in a row, so Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang's invitation was likely an accident, or it could be understood as karma belonging to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan himself outside of his "river-walking."

Therefore, the capital line could actually be temporarily excluded, while the possibility of the Qiu Zhuang line was constantly growing; it all depended on when Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin sent back the preliminary investigation results.

Liu Yi: "Dinner time!"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You seemed to have thought of something; he took out two wooden puppets he had carved during his spare time while delivering goods and placed them in the small room.

It wasn't that he hadn't put his heart into carving them, but no matter how much effort he put in, that was the extent of his carving skill.

"Wow!"

Upon seeing the lifelike statue of the Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi, even Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had to marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship of Miss A Li.

However, he couldn't spare the time to admire it and immediately ran out to have dinner.

After he closed the door and left, the statue of the Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi began to tremble slightly.

Yin spirits could descend onto their own statues; which one they chose depended entirely on their own will. This was also a major reason why many temples sought to gild their statues—to increase their appeal.

The statue of the Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi trembled more and more violently; He was excited!

He was not only excited by the lifelike carving but even more surprised by the material used.

How was this crude? How was this simple? Which temple of the Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou could afford to use such materials to sculpt their own statues?

The Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi was overjoyed and excitedly wobbled from south to north on the offering table in the empty little room, making "paji paji" sounds.

Midway, He spotted those two ugly-looking Zeng and Sun generals, deliberately knocked them both over, and then walked from west to east, making "paji paji" sounds again.

Out on the dam, everyone was eating dinner.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You said to Li Sanjiang, "Grandfather Li, this time you can go to the capital and have a good time at the Forbidden City."

Li Sanjiang reached out and scratched his head, which he had washed with shampoo today, and said with a wrinkled Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face:

"I'm already sick of the Forbidden City..."

(End of chapter)