Chapter 248

Li Sanjiang's lips trembled; he wanted to say something to comfort him, but not knowing what to say, he could only walk to the side of Shan Shan Daye, reach out to pat his shoulder firmly, and then grab his clothes, wanting to pull him up.

Shan Shan Daye was unwilling to get up, shaking off his arm.

"You old goat, the children are all watching; what kind of behavior is this?"

Shan Shan Daye's eyes turned red as he took a deep breath and said, "Runsheng Hou is also my child, my child... is gone."

Li Sanjiang steeled his heart, deciding to stop holding back, and instead spat out a curse:

"Pah! In our line of work, what we value is that if you live, you must be seen, and if you die, you must have a corpse. Now that there isn't even a concrete piece of news, are you starting to pass a death sentence on Runsheng Hou just because you won some money yourself?"

"Li Sanjiang..."

"I'm telling you, Runsheng should still be living just fine right now. If he's met with misfortune, it's because he's being cursed by you, his grandfather."

"You!"

"Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou." Li Sanjiang turned his head to look at Li Zhuiyuan.

"Great-grandfather."

"When you called last time, did you hear Runsheng Hou's voice?"

"I heard it."

"Doesn't that prove it?" Li Sanjiang looked down at Shan Shan Daye. "Today isn't a holiday or a festival; I invited you here to eat because Runsheng Hou said on the phone that he missed you."

Shan Shan Daye turned his head away, still unwilling to get up, and said, "Sanjiang Hou, but I won money!"

"Winning money is worth a fart." Li Sanjiang raised his voice. "I reckon someone set a trap for you. You've always lost every time you gambled and never borrowed money to do it; people are just trying to give you a little sweetness so you'll fall into their pit."

"Let me fall into a pit? What do I have that they could take? Just that dilapidated house; even if I mortgaged it, it wouldn't be worth much."

"Isn't Runsheng Hou doing quite well now? Last time Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou's teacher came to my house, our local leaders all accompanied him together.

People must have heard the rumors and know that your Runsheng Hou is successful now and can earn money.

You might not be able to squeeze any oil out of yourself, but if you really fall into their pit and get caught in their trap, can Runsheng Hou refuse to help you pay back the money you owe?"

Li Sanjiang pointed his finger at the money on the ground that had just been scattered by Shan Shan Daye:

"Do you think this money is yours because you won it? It's not; this money is just being kept with you temporarily. In a while, you'll have to spit it all back out with interest, several times over!"

Shan Shan Daye's face revealed surprise: "Real... ly?"

Li Sanjiang: "You old goat, we've known each other for so many years. I'd rather believe the sun will rise from the west tomorrow than believe you, kid, could turn your luck around and win money at the gambling table. Ask your own conscience: do you, damn it, have that kind of fate?"

Shan Shan Daye immediately shook his head: "I don't!"

"Doesn't that settle it? You kid are really getting old, and your brain is starting to get muddled. You can't even see through such a simple thing."

"I..."

Li Zhuiyuan spoke up: "Shan Shan Daye, Runsheng Ge is quite busy at the construction site. Later, when they return to the site dormitory, I'll call over there. When the time comes, you can talk to Runsheng Ge yourself, okay?"

Li Sanjiang looked at Li Zhuiyuan with some surprise, his expression clearly saying: Damn it, Runsheng Hou really didn't meet with an accident?

Although he had been trying to guide the old goat, after the old goat said he had been winning money lately, Li Sanjiang had actually assumed Runsheng had likely met with misfortune.

Shan Shan Daye looked at the youth excitedly: "Really?"

"Really. How about this: after we eat, I'll go call the construction site first and have the people there notify Runsheng Ge in advance so you can contact him tonight."

"Done, just like that, just like that."

Shan Shan Daye wiped his eyes hard with the back of his hand. Without needing anyone to help him, he stood up nimbly and quickly broke into a smile through his tears.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Shan Shan Daye hadn't been persuaded by him; he had persuaded himself.

When people are in this state, as long as they can see even a tiny glimmer of hope, even if it's just a dream, they will hold onto it tightly and never let go.

Li Sanjiang: "Hurry up and pick up the money. Haven't you played enough? Scattering money around is just showing off."

Shan Shan Daye bent down and began to pick up the money, and Li Sanjiang helped him pick it up together.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't go to pick it up. Lin Shu You subconsciously wanted to walk over to help, but his eyes bulged immediately, and he stopped in his tracks.

Li Sanjiang was of the same generation, so helping to pick it up was fine, but if a junior went up to help pick it up, how could the elder feel comfortable taking it from your hand and putting it into his own pocket?

After picking up the money, Li Sanjiang handed the stack in his hand to Shan Shan Daye. Shan Shan Daye took it, wiped his fingertips on his lower lip, and began to count the banknotes.

"Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou, this is yours."

"That, You Hou, this is yours."

Looking at the thickest stack remaining, Shan Shan Daye scanned the courtyard with his eyes and asked suspiciously: "Where is that girl Meng Hou?"

Li Sanjiang raised his foot and kicked Shan Shan Daye's butt, laughing and cursing: "The sun really is rising from the west today; it's your turn to hand out money to the children. Look at how you're living; who would dare take your money? If they take it today, you'll lose it all tomorrow, and then you'll let the children see you having nothing to eat again?

You've got a good plan, haven't you, lending money to the children here to earn interest?"

"Li Sanjiang, go to hell!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Shan Shan Daye, when Runsheng Ge comes back, if you haven't lost all the money yet, just give it to Runsheng Ge. Let Runsheng Ge host us; we'll be able to feel more at ease that way."

Shan Shan Daye's face flushed with shame, and he said to Li Zhuiyuan: "Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou, why are you just like your great-grandfather, teasing your Shan Shan Daye?"

"Pah, and now you're acting aggrieved. Let's go; I had Ting Hou cook a few dishes this morning. Let's start drinking, and after we drink, we'll take a nap. It'll be just right for talking to Runsheng tonight!"

Li Sanjiang pulled Shan Shan Daye into the house, and Liu Yi served the wine and dishes with quick hands and feet.

"Come on, old goat, let's have one!"

"Let's go!"

After the two old men clinked glasses, they downed them in one gulp.

While Li Sanjiang was pouring wine for Shan Shan Daye, Shan Shan Daye took a few sticks of incense from his sleeve, lit them with a match, and inserted them into the crack of the bench.

Although Runsheng had never lacked days of going hungry while growing up with Shan Shan Daye, every time Shan Shan Daye had wine and meat to treat himself, Runsheng was never absent from his side.

Over time, he had gotten used to it; if he didn't smell the incense, the wine didn't taste right.

Seeing this, Li Sanjiang didn't say anything. When human traffickers appeared in the village last night, he had discovered that Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou's room was empty, and he had almost been scared out of his wits.

"Come on, let's have another!"

"Let's go, who's afraid of whom!"

Just like that, one wanting to comfort an old friend, the other intentionally seeking drunkenness, the two old men soon had flushed faces and were not far from being drunk.

Wang Lian had already left with her family, and the others were eating breakfast as usual, smelling the scent of wine.

A Li handed a peeled salted duck egg to Li Zhuiyuan, and Li Zhuiyuan took it, picking at it with his chopsticks while paying attention to the situation in the back.

When the last bit of salted duck egg was eaten with the last mouthful of porridge, a "thump" sound came from behind; the bench under Shan Shan Daye overturned, and he lay on the ground, unconscious.

Li Sanjiang pointed at Shan Shan Daye with a chuckle: "Useless thing!"

After saying this, Li Sanjiang also let his head nod forward and passed out drunk.

Li Zhuiyuan put down his chopsticks and glanced at A You.

A You stood up and first carried Shan Shan Daye to the bed in the room on the second floor. Li Zhuiyuan followed along, adjusted his great-grandfather's sleeping posture, covered him with a quilt, and before leaving, poured a tea mug of agastache tea and placed it on the bedside table.

When he went downstairs, he saw that A You had already placed Shan Shan Daye on a small cart.

Liu Yumei and Liu Yi sat at the table, watching Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shu You push Shan Shan Daye away, still drinking their porridge in a leisurely manner.

Arriving at the bearded man's house, Li Zhuiyuan went into the room to get things, while Lin Shu You went first to push Shan Shan Daye to the side of the pit where Runsheng was lying.

Yin Meng brought over a bench with a backrest and signaled A You to place Shan Shan Daye on it.

Looking at this drunken, dirty face, Yin Meng found a cloth, rubbed it with hot water, wiped Shan Shan Daye's face, and straightened his collar.

Lin Shu You: "When Shan Shan Daye came this morning, he caused a scene."

Yin Meng: "What's wrong, did he lose all his money again?"

Lin Shu You: "No, he won money, scattered it, and cried, saying his Runsheng had met with an accident."

Hearing this, Yin Meng froze.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over and first drew patterns on Shan Shan Daye's face. The purpose of these patterns was to calm the body and aid sleep. To be safe, after the patterns were drawn, he stuck a new version of the Heart-Clearing Talisman on Shan Shan Daye's forehead.

The old version of the Heart-Clearing Talisman had the effect of dispelling distracting thoughts and calming the mind, while the new version could suppress the spirit.

It was mainly because Shan Shan Daye had real skills, and although he and Runsheng were "grandfather and grandson" in name, they were actually like father and son.

When he first adopted Runsheng, Shan Shan Daye knew that Runsheng was not an ordinary child.

Later, he also realized the price he had paid after adopting Runsheng, but he had been silently bearing it all along.

With such a deep emotional bond, Li Zhuiyuan was truly worried that when he revived Runsheng's consciousness later, Shan Shan Daye would get too excited and wake up.

"A You, if Shan Shan Daye wakes up later, give him a hand-chop."

"Understood!"

After making all the arrangements, Li Zhuiyuan sat cross-legged and began the Yin Walk.

In the peach forest, a figure appeared.

It was watching the youth's actions.

It had always known that the youth was not Wei Zhengdao; they were very similar, yet extremely different. For instance, right now, Wei Zhengdao would never do such a thing.

Li Zhuiyuan seemed to have guessed what it was thinking and said, "You have hidden and suppressed yourself."

"Yes."

"So, the later him should not be able to find you. If he could find you, I think he would also come to help you relieve your pain."

"I cannot face that kind of scene. Besides... my situation, since it has happened, is unsolvable."

"Indeed."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't say anything more to it. He spread his hands, and two red threads spread out from his palms; one wrapped around Shan Shan Daye's palm, and the other wrapped around Runsheng's hand.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Zhuiyuan spread out a third red thread and wrapped it around Yin Meng's hand.

Having one more anchor point could reduce the difficulty for himself.

Li Zhuiyuan began to try to enter Runsheng's consciousness. This was the process of turning Runsheng into a puppet, but the youth would only take the first half of the steps.

Under the peach forest, it reached out its palm, and an ancient zither appeared before it.

Its fingertips lightly brushed the strings, but in the end, it withdrew its hand and put the zither away.

It had wanted to help just now, but in the end, it chose to give up. It wasn't afraid of bearing the karmic price; it simply felt that it was doing something unnecessary.

Since the youth had set up the formation, he must have the certainty of success.

Just like Wei Zhengdao back then, no matter what difficult problem he encountered, as long as he started working on it, that matter would inevitably be resolved in the end.

Li Zhuiyuan perceived a rich evil aura; it was madness, slaughter, and hatred—a very traditional instinct of a dead-risen. And Runsheng's current situation was already far beyond what an ordinary dead-risen could compare to.

The youth perceived pain. Since separating from the main body, the originally traceless emotions would now have an impact on him.

Fortunately, knowing the main body's current attitude, Li Zhuiyuan didn't stand on ceremony. He simply continued to grope downward while throwing this emotional garbage to the main body to digest.

The main body didn't resist, nor did it make the slightest protest; it just accepted everything.

Perhaps, in the main body's view, it couldn't stop Li Zhuiyuan's act of wanting to revive Runsheng's consciousness. Under this premise, in order to ensure Runsheng's strength to the greatest extent, Li Zhuiyuan had to revive Runsheng's consciousness as completely as possible, thereby laying a solid foundation for Runsheng to suppress and utilize the evil aura himself in the future.

The most feared thing was that the consciousness would be revived but still be wrapped in evil aura, often being unclear and influenced by it, making it neither fish nor fowl.

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan found Runsheng's consciousness; it was very weak, very small, yet extremely tenacious.

The scenery before Li Zhuiyuan began to change rapidly, appearing from the perspective of a young child; he even saw a much younger Shan Shan Daye.

At that time, Shan Shan Daye's back wasn't so hunched, he was taller, his build was broader, he didn't have a water pipe hanging from his waist, he had a rolled cigarette in his mouth, and even the clothes he wore... looked much more decent than they did now.

To put it bluntly, in the line of feudal superstition, most people were quite repulsed and excluded it. If the income couldn't even compare to farming, who would do it?

Li Zhuiyuan had to hurry and find the position where Runsheng's consciousness was suppressed.

The reason he couldn't wake up was that at a certain node, Runsheng's consciousness had been suppressed. To make Runsheng wake up, he had to help him break through it.

The youth waved his hand, and the memory images began to pass by rapidly. The images were so fast that they were literally "a white horse passing a crack."

Li Zhuiyuan still felt it wasn't fast enough, so he simply drew several lines on the ground with his toes, dividing Runsheng's consciousness into several segments, letting them flow simultaneously.

One, two, three, four...

Numerous images, like huge mirrors, flashed rapidly around Li Zhuiyuan.

Up until his adolescence, the most profound memory in Runsheng's memory came from often being hungry.

The feeling of hunger was really very uncomfortable.

But Li Zhuiyuan didn't perceive any resentment from Runsheng, because when he was hungry, Shan Shan Daye was also hungry.

Each mirror was "from left to right," so in every memory process, Shan Shan Daye was becoming more and more hunched and aged, and his standard of living was constantly decreasing.

In this long stretch of memory, the happiest thing for Runsheng was going to Li Sanjiang's house; this was even more worth being happy about than the New Year.

Because during the New Year, he wasn't necessarily able to eat his fill, but when he went to Li Sanjiang's house, he could definitely eat to his heart's content.

And unlike when he ate at the host's house during a ritual, where he had to endure strange looks from those around him while lighting incense, at Li Sanjiang's house, Li Sanjiang would laugh and curse him for being a mule that could eat, but every time, he would ask if he had enough and if he wanted to add more.

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to find the anchor point regarding Yin Meng, but perhaps memory couldn't reflect a person's entire inner heart; the dull memory monologue was just a component of a person's self-consciousness.

In short, in the memory images where Yin Meng appeared, Li Zhuiyuan didn't perceive any overly intense emotional fluctuations from Runsheng.

In many images, it was Runsheng who was busy, and in his spare time, he would watch Yin Meng, who was wearing new clothes and standing in front of a mirror, feeling good about herself.

Runsheng himself was stingy in his daily life, but he was willing to give money to Yin Meng so she could go shopping and buy new clothes; Runsheng didn't have the habit of eating snacks, but he liked watching her eat.

He didn't think about doubling the compensation for himself after conditions improved, but instead loved watching Yin Meng's self-compensation.

After all, Yin Meng's past was actually quite similar to his; she had "lost her parents" at a young age and lived with her grandfather, and life hadn't been easy for her either.

Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand again. Since it wasn't in the previous memories, it must be in the later ones.

Soon, Li Zhuiyuan found it.

A stick suddenly appeared and smashed all the mirrors to pieces.

This stick was very familiar; it was that monkey's.

It was just that when this stick accompanied the monkey out of the black-and-white boundary, it had already been severely damaged. After experiencing battle, it was further smelted by the monkey with fresh blood into something like a high-temperature soldering iron. After the monkey was defeated, this stick couldn't bear the burden and broke.

If not for that, this stick would have been brought back by him no matter what.

The surrounding scene changed back to the great hall where Sun Baishen was.

The Liyuan Guarding Zhenjun holding the stick stood in front, his figure even more towering than in reality. This was his portrait in the depths of Runsheng's heart; the height represented his strength.

Opposite, Runsheng knelt on the ground, head raised, eyes white, teeth clenched, veins bulging.

Li Zhuiyuan understood; the reason Runsheng's consciousness was buried deep was that Runsheng didn't know that the things outside had already ended. In his subconscious, he didn't dare to let himself relax, fearing that if he let his breath out, he would have no strength to deal with this monkey again.

To put it bluntly, Runsheng was continuing to protect himself.

Therefore, even though Runsheng had absorbed a large amount of Sun Baishen's polluted merit, he actually hadn't lost his way. Unlike Tan Wenbin, who was protected by two adopted sons, Runsheng had the ability to suppress these instinctive wild natures.

But he didn't dare to suppress them, preferring to let his self-consciousness sink rather than not fully display his wild nature, fearing that his strength wouldn't be enough.

Li Zhuiyuan walked behind Runsheng. Because Runsheng was kneeling, the youth's hands could wrap around Runsheng's neck, and he hung himself on Runsheng.

"Runsheng Ge, the monkey is already dead; we won."

At this sound, the white in Runsheng's eyes trembled, but soon returned to firmness.

He didn't dare to believe it, fearing that this was a mental offensive, inducing him to give up resistance.

"Runsheng Ge, the monkey is already dead; we won."

Li Zhuiyuan kept repeating these words.

The way to wake Runsheng up was simpler than imagined: it was to let this consciousness, which was tightened to the extreme, relax.

Li Zhuiyuan had made many preparations for this, basically all of which were useless, because Runsheng's will was far firmer than the youth had expected.

Gradually, the white in Runsheng's eyes began to recede.

Finally, Runsheng's voice came:

"Little Yuan... is it really true?"

"Yes."

"How... did you do it?"

How was such a powerful monkey defeated? This was Runsheng's final concern in his heart.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let Brother Zhuangzhuang explain it to you; I'm too lazy to say it."

Once this sentence came out, the final concern disappeared.

Because this was the reaction Little Yuan would make; Little Yuan would rather write it down than make a cumbersome narration.

The monkey in front became fragmented and gradually fell apart, and Runsheng also slowly stood up.

Li Zhuiyuan left Runsheng's consciousness.

In reality, the youth slowly opened his eyes and withdrew all the red threads.

It was done. Next was the process of Runsheng's consciousness waking up and him suppressing the evil aura in his body himself; this would take some time.

Just at this moment, the drunken Shan Shan Daye seemed to be having a dream; he suddenly sprang up from the chair and cried out:

"Runsheng Hou, my Runsheng Hou!"

"Bang!"

A You's hand-chop appeared, Shan Shan Daye's body went limp, and he fainted back into the chair.

Just at this moment, Li Zhuiyuan turned his head to look here.

Lin Shu You scratched his head with a chuckle, meaning, Little Brother Yuan Ge, I was fast, wasn't I?

Li Zhuiyuan nodded; since the person was already knocked out, there was no need to tell A You the truth.

Furthermore, Shan Shan Daye had been overthinking lately, and being drunk was also a torment; it was better to let him faint, which could be considered a form of adjustment.

"Crack... crack... crack..."

Inside the pit, crisp sounds kept coming from Runsheng's body; the body that had already healed, or could even be said to have advanced further, was welcoming back its owner.

Lin Shu You was soon attracted by this sound. Previously, the changes in Runsheng's body hadn't been obvious enough, but only a body with self-consciousness could circulate the "Qin Family Dragon-Watching Method" and revive the true physique.

A You's eyes bulged; this was the heaviness in the child's heart.

Having just become the Bai He Guarding Zhenjun, he thought he could replace Runsheng as the primary person in charge of the team in the future. He didn't expect that he wouldn't even experience a single wave before this position was snatched back by the one who had occupied it originally.

He was still there, huffing and puffing, trying to improve the body for the spirit medium, who would have thought that the other party would directly pull off a maneuver of overtaking on a bend and completely turn the body into a dead-risen.

The Qi gates were opened one by one, sucking in the remaining evil aura liquid in the pit.

Just at this moment, the liquid that was about to hit the bottom suddenly surged up again.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his head to look into the depths of the peach forest.

What, did he unintentionally provide emotional value to it again this time, making it feel good again?

Runsheng's eyes changed from white to green, and then the green receded, revealing black and white eyes.

It was just that this emotion came and went quickly. Under rational thinking, he knew that excessive sadness was meaningless; what he should do was continue to cherish the present.

Li Zhuiyuan intentionally didn't undo the formation, letting it become the first round of tempering for Runsheng's state after waking up.

The evil aura in Runsheng's body began to flow faster, and his arms gradually spread to both sides, like a person struggling to break free from shackles.

The formation flags on the ground appeared broken; this time, no one went to repair or replace them.

When the contest between the formation and the physique reached a critical threshold, only a roar was heard, and a wave of air swept through; the formation was broken by Runsheng with brute force in a short time.

Runsheng, was back.

Li Sanjiang woke up from his drunkenness, sat up on the bed, first picked up the tea mug and gulped it down, then wiped his mouth and took out a cigarette to light it.

His head hurt a little, not from the wine, but from the thought that he would have to continue comforting that old goat when he went down later.

Throwing the cigarette butt into the Jianlibao can, Li Sanjiang got out of bed and walked out of the room.

When walking downstairs, he saw that Shan Shan Daye had also woken up, holding his head and "woo-ah-woo"-ing there.

"Old goat..."

"Sanjiang Hou, my head hurts so much. Was the wine you treated me to today fake?"

"I spit on that!"

Li Sanjiang didn't intend to comfort him. That wine was what A You had brought him from his hometown last time; he usually couldn't bear to drink too much of it himself.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in. Shan Shan Daye looked at the youth, subconsciously wanting to ask, but then didn't dare to.

"I called over there at noon. They said Runsheng Ge has already finished the work and is returning home. According to the schedule, he will be back tonight."

"Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou, really?"

"Really."

At this moment, Liu Yi's voice came from outside: "Runsheng is back."

Shan Shan Daye only felt the world spinning; he was so happy that his head went blank. He took a few steps backward, subconsciously reaching out to support himself, but he grabbed empty air, causing his body to tilt backward and fall directly into the longevity coffin.

Li Sanjiang was so scared that he hurriedly went up to check, seeing Shan Shan Daye sprawling inside, trying to get up, but limited by the narrow interior of the coffin, he was as embarrassed as a turtle that had been flipped over.

"Hahahaha!"

Li Sanjiang laughed loudly while reaching out to pull Shan Shan Daye out of the coffin.

"Old goat, you damn near scared me to death just now, thinking that since the stone in your heart had fallen, you were ready to kick the bucket and go!"

Shan Shan Daye glared at Li Sanjiang unhappily, too lazy to argue with this old thing about who would get into the coffin first.

Runsheng was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, carrying a bag, and walked onto the courtyard, followed by Yin Meng.

Liu Yi looked Runsheng up and down, her tongue lightly pressing against her upper jaw.

Just at this moment, Qin Shu came back carrying a hoe. When passing by Runsheng, Runsheng lowered his head to him: "Uncle."

Qin Shu hit Runsheng's arm with his fist and nodded at him.

When he put down the hoe, Liu Yi asked him softly: "How did you get him out?"

Qin Shu: "Everyone has their own fate and opportunities. This is river-walking, and it is also why, throughout history, so many people have flocked to that river water."

Liu Yumei sipped her tea, also staring at Runsheng with her peripheral vision; she was very satisfied.

The stronger the people around Little Brother Brother Yuan Ge Hou, the smoother this river could naturally be walked.

Moreover, the things given by the previous wave were truly generous; it seemed everyone had new changes.

"Runsheng Hou!"

Shan Shan Daye rushed out of the house.

"Grandpa."

"I'm calling you grandpa, I'm calling you grandpa, you are my grandfather!"

Shan Shan Daye kicked and hit Runsheng.

Runsheng stood still and let him hit.

After hitting for a while, Shan Shan Daye felt his hands and feet hurting, and there was a faint stinging pain as if he had been pricked by a needle.

"Next time you go out, remember to call the village. You aren't even a boss yet, and you've already started letting people pass messages. When you really become a construction foreman in the future, that will be it; your tail will be up in the sky!"

"Hey, okay!"

Li Sanjiang said to Liu Yi: "Ting Hou, let's have dinner early."

Liu Yi: "Everything is ready."

At the dinner table, Shan Shan Daye, who had just woken up from his drunkenness, had no appetite, so he simply sat next to Runsheng and helped Runsheng peel the green onions.

When the "green onions" in Runsheng's hand were finished, he hurriedly handed over a newly lit one.

Runsheng had a very good appetite; the rich evil aura was very nourishing for the body, but it couldn't flow into the stomach to be digested. He was truly hungry.

Li Sanjiang blew out a smoke ring and said: "Do they not even feed you grass at the construction site?"

Runsheng: "It's not as delicious as the food at home; Liu Yi's food is the most delicious."

Li Sanjiang: "Ting Hou, go and cook some more noodles; it looks like it's not enough."

Saying this, Li Sanjiang glanced at Lin Shu You, who was also wolfing down food next to him.

This kid didn't know what kind of stimulation he had received tonight; he was eating a lot too.

Damn it, in the past, he had mocked Li Weihan for "running a school" at home, making the whole family have to drink thin porridge. If these few mules couldn't work and earn money, he, Li Sanjiang, couldn't afford to support them either. The way they consumed grain was truly terrifying.

After eating, Shan Shan Daye refused to stay overnight, saying that tomorrow there was a family in Xiting Town that had agreed to let him sit for a ritual, and he had to rush home tonight.

Runsheng pushed out a tricycle, wanting to drive him back, but Shan Shan Daye refused, saying he wanted to walk around by himself. Anyway, he had had a good sleep during the day, and now he was full of spirit; he would likely not be able to sleep at night anyway.

Yin Meng called out to Shan Shan Daye: "Shan Shan Daye."

"Eh?" Shan Shan Daye's back shrank, and he slowly turned around, looking at Yin Meng. "What's wrong, girl?"

He was truly afraid of this girl.

"I heard you won a lot of money."

"Ah..." Shan Shan Daye subconsciously covered his pocket and hurriedly said continuously, "Hey, I'm bound to lose, bound to lose!"

Yin Meng spread her hands toward Shan Shan Daye.

Shan Shan Daye had a bitter face. When he came in the morning, he could generously scatter the money because he thought Runsheng had met with an accident. Now, he was reluctant.

But looking at the fair and tender palm in front of him, Shan Shan Daye still took the money out of his pocket, a thick stack, and placed it in Yin Meng's hand.

Yin Meng counted out a portion of the money and handed it to him: "This is the money for your card table this month. Try to lose slowly; if you can't help it, just lose a little to satisfy your gambling addiction."

"Okay." Shan Shan Daye nodded and took the money.

The remaining money was put into her pocket by Yin Meng.

"Tomorrow, Runsheng and I will go to your house and buy you rice, flour, grain, and oil."

"Done, the house key... the house door just broke."

"In the future, if you lack money, just find a way yourself..."

"I understand, I'll find a way myself."

"Find an excuse to ask us for it. Make up the reason yourself; make it sound realistic."

Shan Shan Daye's eyes lit up; he heard the different meaning in this. The money was given away, but it had bought him a guarantee.

Immediately, Shan Shan Daye looked at Runsheng heavily, then turned to Yin Meng and said:

"Okay, girl, I will make it up well."

Li Sanjiang, standing in the courtyard, cursed: "Where's your face, old goat?"

Shan Shan Daye didn't talk back, hands behind his back, humming and swaying as he walked back.

Yin Meng had specifically asked Li Zhuiyuan about this matter earlier. Li Zhuiyuan's answer was: you still have to control what should be controlled; only then can you cherish your blessings.

Shan Shan Daye was used to this way of creating a lack, but the problem was that Runsheng had already been walking the river with him, so that gap had to be closed a little, and the original path dependency had to be changed too; otherwise, even Runsheng's river-walking merit would continue to leak out through Shan Shan Daye.

Li Sanjiang threw the cigarette butt in his hand onto the ground, stepped on it, and muttered:

"When is Brother Zhuangzhuang coming back?"

Runsheng could go back because Runsheng's injuries had already recovered well, and he retained a human appearance.

Tan Wenbin could only sit at the same table with Benben now.

Benben had a napkin, and Tan Wenbin had a napkin, both tied around their necks.

Even, Tan Wenbin was not as good as Benben now; Benben could hold his own milk bottle to drink milk, while Tan Wenbin had to have Xiao Yingying feed him the tonic personally.

Both the big and the small had finished eating. Benben ate very cleanly and didn't need to be wiped, but Tan Wenbin's corners of the mouth were wiped several times by Xiao Yingying with a cloth.

Tan Wenbin: "Sorry to trouble you."

Xiao Yingying shook her head, indicating it was no trouble.

She actually quite liked staying with Tan Wenbin; mainly because the rich ghost aura on the other party also belonged to the yin and evil side, which made her feel very comfortable.

Because she still had to go down to tidy up the paper offerings, Xiao Yingying placed Benben's crib in front of Tan Wenbin, and she went down first.

Benben, who had eaten his fill, should have been sleeping, but perhaps he was afraid that the person sitting outside would be bored, so he took the initiative to climb out, holding the crib railing with both hands, letting himself stand up.

He couldn't speak yet, only "aba aba" in his mouth.

Tan Wenbin was not like Little Brother Yuan Ge, who didn't like children; he was actually quite patient and teased Benben for a while.

After the interest ended, Tan Wenbin intended to take a light nap, so he signaled his two adopted sons to float out and let the children play together.

Just like that, Benben, holding the railing, looked left and right, constantly muttering words in his mouth, chatting very enthusiastically with the two resentful infants that normal people couldn't see at all, as if they had started a meeting.

But this lively yet quiet atmosphere didn't last long, because the two resentful infants suddenly changed their expressions, and Tan Wenbin, who had just managed to fall into a coma, also widened his eyes.

He sensed it:

Someone was trying to break his curse!

"Binbin Ge, can you still hold on?"

"Don't worry, Little Brother Yuan Ge, three people have already been changed, but their level isn't very good; they can't break it."

Everyone was standing in the room, surrounding Tan Wenbin.

Just now, three people had tried to break the curse, but none had succeeded.

This curse was specifically cast by Tan Wenbin by letting the two children do it. It could be said that it was deeply combined with the children themselves. To break this curse, one had to fight Tan Wenbin across the air.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The speed is really fast; they should have already returned."

Only the Daoist temple where that Daoist was could invite three people with real Daoist attainments to perform the curse-breaking act at once.

Tan Wenbin: "Someone else has been changed; this one has some skills!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you need help?"

Tan Wenbin: "I think I can continue to wrestle with him."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't force it."

A gleam of light flashed in Tan Wenbin's eyes, and he smiled: "Understood, Little Brother Yuan Ge."

Immediately, Tan Wenbin began to show pain on his face, and his breath became withered.

The two children were fighting fiercely, but the godfather had withered first. Although they didn't know why, they understood and became weak together.

It was a scene where the opponent was powerful and their side was not up to the task.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You all go out first."

Runsheng, Lin Shu You, and Yin Meng all walked out of the room. Li Zhuiyuan picked up the bronze mirror on the table, rubbed it a few times after pressing his fingers onto the red clay, and then stood it up.

In an instant, the formation was activated. This formation had no lethality; its only effect was to make the situation in the room look gray, as if it had been hit with a layer of gray-defeated light and shadow effect, making the people inside look miserable.

After doing this, Li Zhuiyuan activated the Yin Walk.

Tan Wenbin raised a finger, and Li Zhuiyuan's right-hand red thread flew out and wrapped around this finger.

Vaguely, he seemed to hear wailing in his ears:

"Ah... ah... pain... it hurts me to death... so uncomfortable..."

Tan Wenbin had cast a slowly effective curse. Although symptoms would appear in the early stages, they wouldn't be too serious. The Daoist was showing such pain now, on one hand, it might be because he was truly incompetent and useless, and on the other hand, it might also be because he was deliberately exaggerating and selling pity in the Daoist temple.

In the Yin Walk state, one could see the two resentful infants holding hands together, and a black mist swirled around the two children, then mixed with a little purple aura in the black mist.

The opponent wanted to conduct source tracing through the connection of the curse.

Seeing that the opponent was having a hard time, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but secretly lend a hand to help him build it.

Soon, a blurry mirror appeared in the mist. On the other side of the mirror stood a middle-aged man wearing a yellow Daoist robe. His specific appearance couldn't be seen clearly, only that his face was firm and his features were distinct.

Similarly, the opponent looked at him through the mirror, and it was also equally blurry, but because he had arranged the atmosphere effect in advance, they should look pale, showing exhaustion, and clenching their teeth to make a final struggle in the opponent's eyes.

If you want to fish well, you have to adjust the bait well.

Tan Wenbin had already made the preliminary paving, and next, it was time for Li Zhuiyuan to appear and continue acting.

The youth didn't want to directly tell the opponent his identity, and then have the opponent directly kneel down.

The voice from that side came, carrying a majesty of someone who had been in a high position for a long time:

"Performing the act of cursing is not tolerated by the righteous path!"

Li Zhuiyuan's face was pale but his eyes were firm:

"Why don't you ask what he did himself?"

"Those who perform the art of driving ghosts are detested by the righteous path!"

Li Zhuiyuan said indignantly: "Does the righteous path tolerate stealing and kidnapping children?"

"That is fate. Wenchenzi is just receiving his own fate, following karma, to complete the number of days."

"I only know that taking without asking is being a thief!"

"Presumptuous!"

An angry shout came out, and the force of the opponent trying to break the curse increased suddenly.

Tan Wenbin's throat trembled; he really didn't have much blood to vomit, so he could only vomit the tonic he had just drunk in the evening to set the scene.

Anyway, the mirror surface was blurry, and coupled with Little Brother Yuan Ge's arrangement here, it looked like he had vomited a large mouthful of black blood.

"Why do you say it's the number of days just because you say so? Why is it that when we stop you from stealing children, we are not tolerated by the righteous path?"

"What makes you think you are qualified to discuss these with me?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Could it be that, in your view, whoever has the bigger fist has the reason?"

"Otherwise? You are so naive."

"Okay, I understand now."

"Quickly break the curse actively, and then bring those two children to my Qingcheng Mountain. I will consider that you are young and have gone astray, but can still be changed. Serve as a miscellaneous servant in my temple for sixty years, and your sins will be eliminated!

This is also the opportunity I bestow upon you. Ordinary evil cultivators are not qualified to enter the gate of my temple, so after you enter the temple, you should sincerely repent, correct your mistakes, resolve your resentment, and be grateful for the virtue of life!

Otherwise..."

Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Otherwise what?"

"If you don't know how to cherish and don't think about repenting, I will personally go to Nantong, hold the sword of the righteous path, cleanse the evil for heaven and earth, and destroy your entire family of evil cultivators!"

Tan Wenbin showed fear on his face and shouted: "No, don't, this is something I did alone..."

Li Zhuiyuan stared at the opponent with hatred and said in a deep voice: "You dare!"

"I, Ling Fengzi, have never told a lie in my life; what I say, I will definitely do!"

Hearing this, Li Zhuiyuan stood up straight, flicked his fingertips, and the bronze mirror fell.

In an instant, the Daoist Ling Fengzi on the opposite side only felt that the opposite side of the mirror became incomparably clear, and the youth didn't have the panic or resentment from before, but instead had a calm face, and his eyes were even colder and indifferent:

"Okay, it's a deal."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 249 =====