Chapter 29

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan slept very soundly this time; he didn't dream, didn't get up in the night, and didn't even shift his sleeping posture. It was as simple as closing his eyelids and opening them again, and the long night was over.

He habitually turned his head, and as expected, the girl was sitting on that chair near the doorway.

But soon, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan discovered something wrong, because the girl hadn't changed her clothes.

She was still wearing the same black training suit from yesterday, and the stains she had picked up while rushing through her work were still clearly visible.

This meant that the girl hadn't gone back to the east room to sleep last night; she had sat here for the entire night.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan roughly guessed why the girl would do this; because he had overdrawn his energy so severely yesterday, she was worried that he might die suddenly while sleeping.

This reason, which would be hard for outsiders to understand, was the girl's purest and simplest thought.

Although she hadn't spoken a word in front of him since they first met, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan found that he was increasingly able to read her.

He got up from the bed and walked over to the girl.

The girl's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face was still exquisite, showing no trace of fatigue.

Perhaps she had often stayed up late like this in the past; in her world, the concept of day and night alternating had long since blurred.

Otherwise, Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei wouldn't have frequently reminded him to coax A Li back to the east room to sleep every night.

The girl raised her head and looked at the boy.

In her eyes, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan saw a nearly complete version of himself.

It wasn't that he hadn't analyzed why the girl was exceptionally different toward him.

Everything stemmed from that night when the cat demon old woman came; the girl stood on the dam, raised her head, and looked at him standing on the second-floor terrace.

He must have been the first person to walk into her dreams.

This was definitely not a sweet dream, because her eyes could see the terrifying underside of this world.

A ten-year-old... no, it should have been even earlier, when she was even younger, that she had already been like this.

It was hard to imagine how a toddler learning to speak faced such an environment; looking around, everything was filled with infinite ugliness and evil.

She must have cried, feared, and screamed, but the world did not change because of her emotions; in the end, she chose to change herself and completely shut herself off.

Autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, aphasia, and the like were all just external manifestations; the true internal cause was her rejection of all contact with the outside world.

Although it made him blush a little, it was a fact: his appearance that night was like a beam of light suddenly appearing in the long night for the girl.

He was like a balcony sealed off by glass windows; she stood on the balcony and, through him, carefully reached out to touch and perceive the outside world.

Perhaps he just happened to be the one temporarily carrying all her passion and expectations for this world at this very moment.

But at the same time, wasn't she the same toward him?

Mom already disliked him, Dad couldn't bear this family anymore, and whether it was Grandpa Nan or Grandpa Bei, he wasn't their only grandson.

But at least for this girl before him, her eyes were completely filled with him.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out his hand, wanting to help A Li tidy up the slightly messy hair by her ear, but the girl reached out her hands first, wrapped them around his neck, and then pressed her Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face against his chest.

Ever since she saw him make this gesture toward Li Sanjiang that day, she had remembered it and grown fond of the action.

She had been secretly imitating it all along, clumsy yet cute.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to reach out and pat her head, continuing to recite that line:

"Whatever A Li wants, I'll buy it for you; I have money, I have plenty of money."

Although the line was a bit out of place, the girl was very satisfied.

She moved away from the boy's chest and looked at him with bright eyes.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan knew that she was just expressing a kind of joy, celebrating his "recovery from a serious illness."

Yes, in her eyes, he was just sick after staying up late and being incredibly exhausted yesterday.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan smiled at A Li and recited silently in his heart:

"Actually, we are the same; we are both quite sick."

He got up later than usual today, and the others had already finished breakfast.

When Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan held A Li's hand and went downstairs, Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei was drinking tea on the dam with her head lowered.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't dare to look closely at Grandma Liu's expression; in any case, it wouldn't be very pleasant.

Liu Yi set out the breakfast and walked over, her gaze carrying a hint.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan understood and said to A Li, "Go wash up and bathe with Liu Yi; if you're sleepy, just go to sleep."

A Li obediently turned around and walked toward the east room; Liu Yi followed her and closed the door.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat down and began to eat breakfast.

Just as he was eating, Li Sanjiang walked back from the toilet behind the house, came up to him, bent over, looked at him carefully, and said, "Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, your complexion is much better today than yesterday."

"Great-grandfather, please sit; I have some things I want to tell you. I was too tired yesterday and didn't get a chance to say them."

"Short on pocket money?" Li Sanjiang went to feel his pocket, took out a denomination that was basically impossible to find in a village child's pocket money, and placed it next to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's rice bowl. "If you're short on money, just tell your great-grandfather; I have plenty of money."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to take the money but said:

"Great-grandfather, the night before last at Old Zhao's banquet, you weren't drinking alone; you were drinking with two people. One was called Leopard Brother, the video hall owner who was investigated by the police the day before yesterday; he is already dead. The other was called Zhao Xing; you didn't notice because of the dim light, but he is Old Zhao's son, and the funeral the day before yesterday was held for him. Neither of them is alive; they came to drink with you to ask you to help..."

"Wait, wait!"

Li Sanjiang interrupted Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, reached out to cover his forehead, and then placed his own palm on his own forehead to compare the temperature, puzzled:

"Oh my, it seems you have a bit of a fever; you're even talking nonsense."

"Great-grandfather, what I'm saying is true. They came to drink with you to ask you to help go to the home of a man named Old Old Old Old Jiang in Shigang Town to dispose of a Tai Sui placed in a water vat in the pond. If you don't agree, they will come to trouble you again; you'd better be careful lately."

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, you mean to say that your great-grandfather was drinking with two..." Li Sanjiang suddenly lowered his voice, "drinking with two dead people, and drank until midnight?"

"Yes."

"Sigh, it's your great-grandfather's fault; I shouldn't have told you about that dream yesterday, which made you have a nightmare at night. What you think about by day, you dream about by night."

"I didn't, Great-grandfather, what I'm saying is true. I've already prepared some things that might come in handy, and I can help you solve it when the time comes..."

"Alright, alright, your great-grandfather believes what you say. Come, after you finish breakfast, Great-grandfather will take you to Zheng Zheng Datong's place to take your temperature and get an injection."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan smiled: "Great-grandfather, you weren't actually scared by the story I made up; you're amazing."

"Heh, you little sparrow, you still want to scare your great-grandfather? Would I not know if I had been drinking with someone until midnight? Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng Hou didn't see it either, only you saw it? The story is too full of holes; it's not worth scrutinizing at all."

"Hmm, I'll make it up better next time."

"Spend more effort on your studies and less on these superstitious things. By the way, starting tonight, Great-grandfather will continue to change your luck."

Li Sanjiang patted the boy's shoulder, stopped mentioning going to the clinic for an injection, and instead walked into the house and went upstairs; he wanted to catch up on sleep during the day to conserve his energy.

What if he had to lead the exercises for that group of zombies in the Forbidden City again if he dreamed tonight?

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, picked up the salted duck egg that he had already eaten half of, looked at it while turning it, and muttered to himself:

"That shouldn't be right; why doesn't it make sense?"

"It's right that it doesn't make sense."

This was Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei's voice.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stood up and walked over: "Grandma Liu, what did you just say?"

"The tea is cold; brew another pot, use less tea leaves, my mouth feels bland today."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded and began to brew the tea; he understood the meaning in Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei's words. In this family, when talking about some special things, one must stop at the right time and not speak too plainly.

It was the kind of thing where both sides understood each other and spoke in riddles.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei leaned back slightly in her chair, looked at the boy, and said:

"Do you feel that your great-grandfather is sometimes a bit silly, that there are some things he just can't see clearly, and some words he just can't listen to?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

"Child, this is very normal; people get old, and they are all like this.

At your age, you are full of vitality and have an instinctive curiosity about new things, but normal people in middle age are somewhat resistant to accepting new things and will naturally move toward being conservative.

When they get old, most of them only believe in one thing, which is to follow their old habits, like rolling an iron hoop, and keep rolling until they roll into the coffin.

They often become very stubborn and obstinate; if you say they are wrong, they will think you are young; if you say they shouldn't do it this way, they have lived to this age following their own set of ways.

Right and wrong are not important to them; being able to live to old age is in itself the best proof, and even more so, a kind of skill. Do you understand?"

"I understand a little, but I want to hear more."

"Heh." Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Tang Yin has a poem called 'Peach Blossom Hermitage Song'; have you read it?"

"I have."

"The last two lines."

"The world laughs at me for being too crazy, I laugh at the world for not seeing through it. Remember the tombs of the heroes of Wuling, with no wine and no flowers, they are plowed into fields."

"Yes, you laugh at him for not understanding, he laughs at you for not knowing how to live."

"Grandma Liu, do you mean that my great-grandfather is pretending to be hard of hearing on purpose and won't listen to what I say?"

"No, your great-grandfather isn't as good at acting as you little fellow."

"Grandma is joking."

"What do you think of your great-grandfather?"

"Great-grandfather has many stories; sometimes I think I understand him, but sometimes I find myself lost."

"It's because you see things too complexly; think about things simply and don't get involved in so many twists and turns."

"Grandma Liu, you've wrapped me up in it again."

"Your great-grandfather is actually just your great-grandfather; he himself is nothing special. The only difference between him and others is probably that he is relatively rich—no, he is too rich."

"Too rich?" Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan began to ponder: what does "money" refer to here?

"This person, when they have too much money, they easily get carried away, become self-righteous, and won't listen to words.

But there's no way around it, who told him to be rich, right?"

Sometimes, having money really does mean being able to do whatever one wants; many things can be settled with money.

But spending money to pull strings is, after all, an unsavory business; sometimes even the person involved doesn't know where the money went, but regardless, when the matter develops to a certain point or a specific stage, it gets inexplicably settled, and the person themselves will feel that the crisis passed in a muddled haze.

And those around him, time and again, have come to realize what's happening, and they hate him so much it makes their teeth itch.

It's not that they truly hate him; it's just that they can't stand it yet are helpless to do anything, and in the end, they just become numb and accept it."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Grandma Liu, if one lives with a rich person, can one also pick up money and get rich?"

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei looked at the boy in front of her with deep meaning; she knew the boy had understood.

"Sigh, how could there really be money all over the ground for you to pick up? At most, you might hope to dig out a few cents from some corner of the dam; who knows how long you'd have to save that up just to buy our A Li a piece of candy."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took out the banknote his Great-Grandfather had just given him and asked: "Then Great-Grandfather, he doesn't even know he has this much money?"

"He probably just thinks he has a little pocket money, never expecting that he is so incredibly rich, rich enough to be dripping with oil."

"Then Great-Grandfather, can he spend this money on his own initiative?"

"Hehehe..." Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei covered her mouth and laughed, "You ask that a bit too naively; if he doesn't even know he has so much money, how could he spend it on his own initiative?"

"But this money, it still got spent, didn't it?"

"That's right, it was spent."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan drained the tea in his cup; the doubts about his Great-Grandfather that had been lingering in his heart were finally resolved at this moment.

The money mentioned in the conversation just now was a metaphor for Qi-luck and fortune.

People with abundant fortune are often able to turn bad luck into good and emerge from adversity into prosperity.

According to Grandma Liu's explanation, if one looks at things simply, Great-Grandfather is just Great-Grandfather, a very ordinary corpse-salvager in Siyuan Village.

To some extent, Uncle Shan seems even more professional than Great-Grandfather in terms of business capability.

Because of this, when fortune acts upon Great-Grandfather, it appears very bizarre.

Because Great-Grandfather himself doesn't actually know much, and those tools of his are just useless props; without a sufficient vessel to carry it, that so-called good luck, when manifested, becomes difficult to rationalize and instead becomes increasingly excessive and absurd.

For example, last time at the Niu family's birthday-after-death ceremony, Blind Liu and Uncle Shan were both bewitched and ended up in such a sorry state, yet Great-Grandfather actually leaned there and fell asleep, completely unaffected.

Or take the drinking session the night before last; Great-Grandfather vomited at just the right moment and then fell asleep, and the next day, he just felt like he had had a dream.

The most recent instance was just now, when he was Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face-to-Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face with Great-Grandfather; when he formally recounted the events at the drinking table the night before last, Great-Grandfather didn't take it in at all, thinking he was just being naughty and making up stories.

This is actually already very unreasonable; no matter what, it shouldn't be such an arbitrary attitude.

Once in a while is understandable, but every single time, it's not just a coincidence.

So, is he avoiding it?

No, it is *it* that is influencing Great-Grandfather to avoid it, to seek the safest transition.

Great-Grandfather isn't stupid, nor is he playing dumb; rather, there is an invisible hand in the dark that nudges him at specific times, which is what makes his behavior look somewhat foolish.

Following this logic to deduce the events that happened before, everything seems to be explainable.

Why he sometimes felt Great-Grandfather was unfathomable and other times felt he was unreliable, why Blind Liu and Uncle Shan always showed that attitude of hating him so much it made their teeth itch yet being helpless—they have known Great-Grandfather for decades; perhaps it is truly as Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei said, they have become numb and accepted it.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan found it hard to imagine that a person's fortune could be good to such an extent.

He suddenly remembered the fate he had once calculated for Great-Grandfather; that was his first attempt, combining physiognomy with deduction, and the result was a prophecy that was entirely inverted.

That time really dealt him a heavy blow, his first experience of frustration in his studies, but what if he hadn't actually calculated it wrong?

After all, later on, after he read the physiognomy of people like Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan, he quickly received correct verification.

But if he hadn't calculated Great-Grandfather's fate wrong, then how deep must Great-Grandfather's fortune be to completely cover... or even invert that fate?

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Then Great-Grandfather, has he never doubted it himself?"

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei picked up a piece of pastry, took a light bite, and replied:

"Who would doubt that there's a problem with themselves just because they've lived a carefree and comfortable life without illness or disaster, and often walk by the river without ever getting their shoes wet? Why would they go digging and reflecting on why their life is so smooth? And what would happen after digging up this secret? Change it back? Is he sick?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan realized he had indeed asked a very stupid question; who would think that having good luck is a disease?

However, he quickly thought of another thing: "Then this money, will it be used on other people?"

"What do you mean? You want to pick up money too?"

"No, I'm just using it as an analogy. For example, does the effect of this money influence me?"

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei pursed her lips, her eyes flickering; she seemed to want to avoid this question.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan continued: "There have been several times when I picked up dirty money, and my first reaction was to hide it from Great-Grandfather, not telling him the truth, and it was only after a long while that I realized I shouldn't have hidden it from him. But when I actually told him about the dirty money, Great-Grandfather never believed me."

"Great-Grandfather doesn't believe it, I can understand that now; but what about my change in reaction earlier? Has that been influenced?"

"Do you want me to tell you?"

"I do, Grandma Liu."

"But I'm afraid you'll regret knowing."

"How could I?"

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei rubbed the edge of her teacup with her fingertips, her gaze falling on the banknote the boy had just taken out:

"Some things have already been marked with a price in the dark, and the transaction has already been completed."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's heart shook instantly; he looked at Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei in disbelief.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei continued: "Tell me, ever since you were brought to live at your Great-Grandfather's house, what difference is there between you and Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's grandfather?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stared at the ground, dazed, as various past events quickly connected in his mind.

Great-Grandfather insisted on going to the Niu family to earn money despite being injured, and in the end, it was he who communicated with the Cat-Faced Old Lady, helped her design a revenge plan, and let her 'die' under Great-Grandfather's peach wood sword.

Great-Grandfather was invited to Jiuxu Port to exorcise evil for Sister Yingzi's grandparents, while he went to the river works, then caught the plague with Xue Liangliang, and finally met Great-Grandfather after heading to the People's Hospital.

Following that, the two key figures who truly handled the Bai family town incident, Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang and Qin Zhanglao, were both found by him, while Great-Grandfather just went home and slept.

The night before last, Great-Grandfather drank until late at night with those two non-human fellows; in the end, Great-Grandfather thought it was just a dream, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng didn't see it, and he was the only one who witnessed the whole thing, after which he couldn't rest and worked through the night to make tools, preparing to fight back.

These three events all had a direct connection to Great-Grandfather, but the person who handled them in the end seems to have been him?

Looking at it this way, he and Uncle Shan really are no different.

"I know, you kid, you seem to be able to see dirty money. Tell Grandma, when did it start?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan recalled that it started after meeting Xiao Huang Ying... no, to be precise, it became more obvious and intense after he led the way for Xiao Huang Ying under Great-Grandfather's guidance.

In the *True Path Demon-Subduing Record*, this trait he displayed was very similar to 'walking the yin path.'

When a living person is stained with too much yin energy, the path of the living and the path of the dead are easily confused and crossed, leading one to see things that shouldn't be seen; the book even specifically noted: those with deep thoughts are especially prone to it.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looked up at Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei, not answering her previous question, but instead asked: "So, is this the reason why Qin Zhanglao wanted to return to his hometown and leave here?"

"Dirty money always has to be spent somewhere; either you bury your head and treat yourself as an ordinary person, or you wait to be inexplicably pushed out to shoulder disasters and take the fall."

"I know you kid, you've been reading those books these days; you are truly obsessed with the dirty money business."

"Grandma Liu, why did you specifically tell me this today?"

"Because you kid have a sharp mind; even without a Master to teach you, just by reading books, you learn things shockingly fast. I'm afraid that if I don't warn you, it won't be long before you find a way to break that thing of your Great-Grandfather's."

"But why would I do that?"

"That's not my concern; I only know that you kid might soon have the ability to accomplish this, and I still have to continue living here with A Li; I don't want you to break the scenery and atmosphere here."

"Can it be broken?"

"Yes," Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei said affirmatively, "No matter how rich one is, when encountering a truly tough opponent, money becomes useless. His, Li Sanjiang's money, is only enough to put on airs in this small rural town. That's the first point."

After a pause, Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei continued: "The old man is getting on in years and has been living according to his own habits and rhythm; if someone disrupts this rhythm, the old man himself will be thrown into chaos, and he might have lived a long life but end up with little time left to live. That's the second point."

"Then just now..."

"Your Great-Grandfather is a rare case of being truly muddled in his clarity, yet you, kid, are thinking of waking him up and forcibly straightening him out; this is in itself a destruction of his lifestyle, it's just that you haven't succeeded yet. If you wait until you've learned more knowledge, mastered more abilities, and displayed a higher level, not just talking about it, then you really could straighten him back out."

"So, you know what to do now, right?"

"Old children, old children; when people get old, they are just like children. You should just coax him more; isn't this exactly what you, little fellow, are best at?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan covered his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face with both hands and rubbed slowly.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei watched the boy's reaction while sipping her tea; when the boy's hands left his cheeks, what was in front of her was once again a clean, cute Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face with a childlike smile.

It made her want to reach out and pinch those cheeks, but emotion and reason were in obvious conflict at this moment.

"Grandma Liu, where is Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng?"

"He went to the fields to pick peanuts early this morning; he should be back soon. What do you want to do?"

"I ordered some things; I need Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to accompany me to pick them up."

"And then?"

"Then, of course, I'll do what I need to do."

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei sat up, leaned toward the boy, and stared closely at his eyes: "You still want to continue doing this?"

"Otherwise?"

"Don't you feel uncomfortable, aggrieved, or afraid?"

"No, I only know that Great-Grandfather truly loves me."

Even if he seems to be just shielding Great-Grandfather from disaster.

But, first of all, this path was his own choice; secondly, every time, it was his own initiative out of concern for Great-Grandfather, a choice made voluntarily; no one was coercing him.

Most importantly, Great-Grandfather himself doesn't understand these things; he truly dotes on his great-grandson, dotes on him to no end.

So what if everything is marked with a price and the transaction is completed?

He, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, is willing.

Li Sanjiang is still Li Sanjiang; even after knowing these things, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's attitude and perception of Great-Grandfather haven't changed—no, they have changed a little; he can now coax him with peace of mind in the future, a child coaxing an old child.

Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei tried hard to observe, wanting to see even a tiny bit of extra emotion on the boy's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, but she did not succeed.

But this... how is this possible?

Even between biological parents and children, when it comes to such matters, even if they don't immediately fall out, there will inevitably be resentment.

Yet the boy before her, in an instant, left only a few simplest logical threads, strangling all unnecessary emotions completely.

This is too terrifying; this child, is there really no emotion in his bones?

"There's something Grandma wants to ask you. That time the paper effigies in the house were ruined by the leaking rain, your Great-Grandfather was badly injured, wasn't he? What did he do before that?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan blinked his clear, large eyes and shook the teapot:

"Grandma, the tea is all gone."

"Then brew another pot."

"I can't drink any more, I'm already stuffed."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan patted his belly lightly, stood up, and tidied up the tea set.

Just at this moment, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng returned carrying a hoe.

"Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, accompany me to the old carpenter's house to pick up some things."

"Alrighty."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng walked to the well, drew a bucket of water to rinse his feet, and then pushed the flatbed cart behind Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan to the old carpenter's house.

The old carpenter had been waiting for a long time, and the items were all finished.

"Grandpa, my Great-Grandfather said he would settle the labor costs in a while."

"Settle my foot! Consider this the fee for the ritual I'm giving Uncle Sanjiang in advance."

"Then you'd better find a notebook and write it down; I'm afraid you'll forget if too much time passes. May you live a long and healthy life."

After saying this, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan bowed earnestly to the old carpenter.

"Hehe, you little brat, where did you learn these manners? Your mouth is quite sweet."

The old carpenter took a red envelope he had prepared long ago from his pocket and handed it to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Come, take this to buy some candy."

"I haven't paid you yet, how could I be embarrassed to take your money?"

"One thing is one thing, another is another. You came so suddenly last time that I didn't have time to prepare. Since it's a junior's first visit, it should be given; that's the rule."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan accepted the red envelope, and over there, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had already moved everything onto the cart.

After returning home, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng moved the items to the second floor together.

What surprised Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was that A Li, who had bathed and changed into a new set of clothes, was actually waiting in his room.

After the finished items were moved in, she began to assemble them quite naturally.

"Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, what are these? They look a bit familiar, like items from our sect's trade."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng squatted by the door after moving the items; he couldn't get too close to A Li.

"Mm, they are indeed things from the sect's trade," Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan replied. "Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, go downstairs, watch some TV, eat some incense, and rest for a while. I'll have to trouble you to accompany me on a trip later."

"Alrighty, just call me when you're ready."

After Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng left, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and A Li began assembling them together. This was the simplest work, and also the part with the greatest sense of accomplishment.

Very quickly, everything was assembled.

A Li gently interlaced her hands, looking at the things she and the boy had made together, then looked up at the desk, where there were still many blank blueprints.

"I will continue to draw in the future. When the time comes, I'll have to ask you, A Li, to help me make them together. My hands are clumsy; without your help, I really couldn't make them."

The girl's eyes were so bright, as if they contained stars.

After giving the girl two bottles of Jianlibao to drink while she rested, Li Zhuiyuan began to collect his set of tools.

There were six pieces in total, plus four small items.

The Luo Sheng Umbrella, entirely black; the book says that once opened, it can block miasma.

The Yellow River Shovel, which can be switched between multiple uses. When Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan first saw the design, he couldn't help but associate it with a Luoyang Shovel, but their primary purposes were different; the Yellow River Shovel was mainly for dealing with underwater and damp, muddy areas by the water.

The Seven-Star Hook, which can extend seven sections, is used by corpse-salvagers to hook dead bodies in the water, but each section has a special design, metaphorically representing the Big Dipper, and can be used to counter the different states of the dead.

Next were the Soul-Returning Basket and the Homesickness Net. These two, plus the Seven-Star Hook above, were actually things Great-Grandfather also had in his kit, but they were completely different inside from Great-Grandfather's set.

Great-Grandfather's things could only simply salvage floaters that didn't move; it was impossible to bind truly moving dead bodies with them.

The last piece was the Three-Pure Fan, which had a grand name. Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan followed the book's requirements, carving runes on each fan leaf, and then added various prepared materials to the bottom of the embedded grooves.

The purpose of this thing was mainly to slap oneself.

When encountering dead bodies like the Cat-Faced Old Lady that are good at bewitching people's hearts, one takes the fan to slap one's own Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face or head, then opens the hidden catch as needed to release a special powder mist, allowing oneself to quickly wake up from the delusion.

The four small items were a specially made black dog blood inkpad, black canvas, a Bagua plate, and a stack of talisman papers Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had drawn himself.

The black canvas had an interlayer inside, filled with wooden scrolls, and each scroll had special textures that A Li had carved one by one with a small engraving knife. When dealing with the dead, one could wrap it around oneself or try to cover the dead body's head with it; the former could provide protection against evil, while the latter could inflict damage on the dead. Anyway, that's what the book said.

The Bagua plate was relatively crude, made of wood, without any decorative patterns, not high-end at all. The needle inside was ground by Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan himself; he tested it, and it wasn't accurate.

But it was inaccurate in a standard way; Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan only needed to correct it with mental arithmetic.

As for that stack of talisman papers, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had the least confidence in them. This was his first time trying to draw them, and in all likelihood, they were useless.

And even if they were useful, did he really have to run up to the dead body, stand on tiptoe, and jump up to stick them on the other person's forehead?

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan pressed his fingertips on a talisman paper and flicked it; the paper floated a meter away, then drifted back, eventually landing on the ground behind Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

This effect wasn't even as good as playing cards.

Let's test whether the talisman papers he drew have any effect first. If there's even the slightest effect, then next time he'll find something with the texture of playing cards to draw them on.

But regardless, this set of tools and small items was finally complete.

Next, it was time to test their effects.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan went out to call Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to come up again. He wanted to hand a few items to Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng to use, such as the Seven-Star Hook and the Yellow River Shovel; only someone with great strength could truly bring out their potential. Even if they had no special added effects, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng could still use them to strike the dead.

A Li, who had remained in the room, bent down and picked up the talisman paper from the ground.

She placed the talisman paper in the palm of her right hand, pressed her left index finger on it, and flicked her fingertip.

"Whoosh!"

The talisman paper flew out and stuck squarely in the center of the door frame.

At this moment, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan led Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng in. To keep her distance from Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, A Li simply took off her shoes and got onto the bed.

The girl hugged her knees, sitting in the corner of the bed, watching the boy explain the functions and uses of the tools to Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng.

After listening to the explanation and practicing it himself, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng was very shocked: "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, many of these things are things my grandpa also has, but they only look like yours; the difference is huge."

"Mine should be the most professional."

"I can feel it. Good stuff, truly good stuff."

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had experience in salvaging corpses and had truly fought with the dead. He felt that things that were handy must be convincing.

"Let's go, Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, let's find a place to test them."

"Alright!"

Not to mention anything else, those two guys, Leopard and Zhao Xing, had become ghosts and actually dared to come to the door to threaten him, so he would go find them and settle this account first.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng carried the things down first. When they weren't assembled, the parts were hard to carry all at once, but now he could carry all the tools by himself.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the bedside and said to A Li: "I'm going out for a trip. Be good, A Li, go back to your room and get some good sleep, you know?"

After giving his instructions, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the bedroom.

After the boy left, A Li lay down on the bed and obediently began to get some good sleep.

When Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan passed Li Sanjiang's bedroom, the door happened to open. Great-Grandfather was rubbing his eyes, having just taken a nap, and intended to relieve himself before going back to continue sleeping.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Hou, are you going out?"

"Mm, Great-Grandfather, Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and I are going out to play."

"Oh, going out to play." Li Sanjiang habitually reached for his pocket again. Although he had always prioritized the child's studies, he could never bear to refuse the child's request to play.

"Great-Grandfather, you already gave me pocket money this morning."

"Then take some more." Li Sanjiang took out the change from his pocket. Generally, people in the village rarely carried large bills in their pockets; it wasn't convenient to break them.

"Great-Grandfather, thank you."

"Hey, why be so polite?"

Before Li Sanjiang could finish speaking, he felt his waist being hugged. The boy's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face was pressed against his belly, his eyes closed.

Li Sanjiang reached out and touched the boy's head, puzzled: "What's wrong with you?"

"Great-Grandfather, you are so good."

"Hehe, alright, alright, alright, Great-Grandfather will go back into the room and get you a few whole bills."

"No need, Great-Grandfather, it's enough. I'm going out to play."

"Remember not to come back too late; you still have to change your fortune tonight."

"I know, Great-Grandfather."

Waving goodbye to Li Sanjiang, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's expression returned to calm as he walked down the stairs.

He hadn't lied when facing Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei this morning, because he only needed to know that Great-Grandfather was genuinely good to him; everything else didn't matter.

To put it bluntly, if he really cared about this, what essential difference would there be between him and the three Niu siblings?

Furthermore, there was one thing Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had deliberately hidden from Liu Liu Liu Liu Liu Yumei.

Grandma Liu lived here, describing herself as someone picking up coins in the corners. If Great-Grandfather was changing his fortune, wouldn't that be equivalent to a large remittance?

If this old lady found out, she would probably be furious to death.

People often cherish their lives more as they get older, and they are also more afraid of death.

Great-Grandfather was at such an advanced age and was still willing to change his fortune at the cost of shortening his life. This point alone was enough for Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan to be willing to do anything for him as a junior.

He had never been forced into this; every time it was his own initiative, so there was no resentment.

When he reached the last step of the stairs, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan suddenly stopped. He suddenly thought of the "Jin Sha Luo Wen Scripture" he had seen in Great-Grandfather's bedroom.

He had discovered at the time that the formation diagrams Great-Grandfather drew every time were slightly different from those in the book.

So, if Great-Grandfather was very skilled and drew them very accurately, and the formation effect was fully maximized, and he transferred his fortune to him just like that, with Great-Grandfather's fortune, which was so thick that it could change his own fate... wouldn't he be blown up?

Cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.

Was that the backlash of good fortune that even the Qin family avoided and feared provoking?

"Phew... that was close."

But thinking about it from another angle, hadn't he also come into contact with Great-Grandfather's good fortune? If he hadn't been living at Great-Grandfather's place, how could he have discovered so many good books in the basement, and how could he have met A Li?

Ever since he became familiar with A Li, the feeling of cold detachment in the depths of his heart appeared less and less frequently.

"Misfortune, fortune depends upon it; fortune, misfortune lurks within it."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan shook his head; he didn't intend to think about these things anymore, it was enough to just happily be himself.

When they reached the dam, Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng had already ridden out the tricycle, with all the tools placed on the vehicle and covered with a plastic sheet.

"Ding ding ding!"

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng flicked the bicycle bell; he hadn't felt there was anything wrong with the tools in his hands before, but now that he had seen good things, he had an urge like a wild boar desperately wanting to taste fine bran.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat on the tricycle.

Liu Liu Jinxia and Liu Yi stood at the entrance of the dam.

"Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, don't blame Grandma for being long-winded, Grandma just wants to remind you one last time: you must think clearly, once you go, there will be no turning back."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan patted Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng on the back:

"Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, let's go, don't look back, just keep riding forward!"

"Alright, sit tight!"

"Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, didn't you say we were going to Shigang? Why did you tell me to ride here first?"

"Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, wait for me at the entrance for a moment, I'm going in to find someone."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan got off the tricycle, walked into the Gongan Bureau, asked for directions along the way, and found Tan Tan Yunlong's office.

At this moment, Tan Tan Yunlong was closing his eyes, leaning back in his office chair and dozing off; his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face was shiny with oil, likely from staying up too late.

However, when Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan walked in, he immediately opened his eyes, and that familiar feeling of being watched by a hawk struck again.

"It's you, little friend?"

"Mm."

"How did you find my office?"

"I asked people."

"Do you know what my name is?"

"I asked where the police uncle with long, thick eyebrows that slanted slightly, who looks very scary when he glares, was, and they all understood."

"Hahahaha..." Tan Tan Yunlong laughed, "Alright, little friend, is there something you need me for?"

"Yes, I'm here to report a case."

Just after walking out of the Gongan Bureau's main gate, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan turned around again, facing the plaque.

Then, he spread his arms, walked forward, and hugged the plaque tightly.

The window of the guard room was opened, and an elderly auxiliary police officer poked his head out and asked, "Little friend, what are you doing?"

"I want to be a police officer when I grow up."

"Good, that's good, being a police officer is good, hehe, good child."

The old auxiliary police officer didn't say anything else, lit a cigarette, and watched quietly as the boy continued to hug the plaque.

After hugging it for a long time, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan finally let go.

That should be enough rubbing, right?

Lowering his head, his clothes and pants were already covered in a thick layer of dust from the plaque.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan decided not to pat it off; he would keep it.

Subsequently, he sat on Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's tricycle.

The old Old Old Old Jiang family's place was easy to find; it was a self-built villa on the edge of town, five stories high, with a large walled courtyard expanded outside, and a pond and rockery arranged inside.

In this era, it could be considered quite luxurious.

Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng picked up the Yellow River shovel and said, "Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, come on, let's storm in!"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng with some doubt, and seeing that he wasn't joking, he hurriedly reached out and grabbed Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng's wrist:

"No, Brother Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng, it's like a banquet; we won't sit at the first seating, we'll wait for the second, because who we are dealing with is not human."

"Then who sits at the first seating, and who will deal with those people?"

Just as the words fell,

In the distance,

The sound of police sirens arrived.

(End of chapter)