Chapter 42

When Secretary Jin sang this song on the stage yesterday, her Cantonese was standard and her performance professional, yet the boy did not like it very much.

Although Secretary Jin's Cantonese was not standard just now, the feeling of her singing was like river water flowing into a pre-dug canal after the floodgates were opened—natural and effortless.

Singing is truly a magical thing; not only can you recognize a voice while masked, but you can also do so even after a change of skin.

When Secretary Jin's hands rested on his shoulders earlier, a familiar feeling told Li Zhuiyuan exactly who she was now.

By the same logic, if there were no surprises, the true creator of that horrific, bloody scene last night should be the existence beneath this human skin of Ding Dalin.

It was the true master of this place.

This meant that his crisis here had not been resolved, because Xiao Huang Ying was merely in a secondary position beside it.

That group of water monkeys... it must have been the one who dug them out.

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized that he, Xiao Huang Ying, and the water monkeys, who were all part of his original plan, had become supporting characters—no, less than supporting characters, they were purely background.

Whether he and his great-grandfather could keep the skin on their bodies now depended entirely on its whim.

Therefore, the song just now and the earlier actions were all hints given to him by Xiao Huang Ying.

In an instant, the guard he had slightly lowered due to Xiao Huang Ying's appearance was raised sharply once again.

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized one thing: since "it" could control Secretary Jin to use light signals to lure the six water monkeys on the perimeter watch to be collectively skinned last night, how could it not have noticed him and Runsheng on the roof?

Was it really because they ran fast that they managed to escape home with their skins intact?

Except for Ding Dalin, the water monkeys were all outsiders, and the only person Ding Dalin knew in this village, had already made contact with, and even borrowed the name of to buy a house, was Li Sanjiang.

If it wanted to fill in the fish pond and plant peach trees on this contracted land, it needed to go through Li Sanjiang.

So, the one who had been struggling to hold the situation together so it wouldn't collapse was still his own great-grandfather.

Secretary Jin finished her song.

Li Zhuiyuan led the applause, and Tan Wenbin followed suit, praising it several times with "Good, good, good!"

Li Sanjiang reached out and touched the stereo system, saying, "Alright, this is quite good. Later, when I have the mule come to pick up the tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, I'll have this hauled back as well."

"Hehe, as long as you're satisfied."

Li Zhuiyuan asked with a look of innocence, "Grandpa Ding, how much does this cost?"

Li Sanjiang frowned slightly. This was supposed to be a case of taking advantage of a situation; he would just take it back when he took it back. Why ask how much it cost? Was this child stupid?

But immediately, Li Sanjiang's brow relaxed: It's truly good; this child's honest and kind nature is indeed different from those ungrateful wretches.

Li Zhuiyuan asked on purpose. Having experienced so many things, he had vaguely touched upon the laws of "cause and effect," especially when dealing with the other side of the shadow. Its things were not so easy to take.

Better to listen to the other party's requirements first.

"That's right, Lin Hou, how much did you spend to buy it from the opera troupe? Come, I'll give it to you. I can use this thing; I'll earn back the cost in half a year of renting it out."

"Between you and me, talking about such things hurts our relationship."

Li Sanjiang grabbed Ding Dalin's arm and shook it vigorously: "Alright, I misjudged you when you first returned. You, Lin Hou, are indeed a kind person. I am not as good as you."

When they first met, Li Sanjiang thought Ding Dalin was deliberately putting on airs and showing off his wealth.

But since the man was giving away houses, land, and even a stereo, it was hard not to change his perception; after all, he had given too much.

"Actually, Sanjiang Hou, I also have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Seeing the man climbing up the pole, Li Sanjiang subconsciously picked at his ear with his little finger:

"Easy, easy. You can come to me if you have any trouble in the future."

Li Zhuiyuan spoke up and asked, "Grandpa Ding, if you have something, you can say it directly now."

He couldn't follow his great-grandfather's tone and drag it out to the future, because if he couldn't fulfill the request, he and his grandfather probably wouldn't have a future.

Li Sanjiang pursed his lips. He couldn't get angry at Little Yuan Hou, so he could only follow the child's lead and echo, "Right, Lin Hou, you say it."

"Sanjiang Hou, it's like this. I originally intended to live here for a long time, but news came from over there, and there are some matters I need to go back and handle.

So, I have to ask you to help me look after this house."

"You're leaving again? How long will you be gone?"

"Hard to say. If things go smoothly, I might be back in half a year. If they don't go smoothly, at my age, I could pass away at any time. Who knows, I might never come back."

"Then you must live and come back early."

"Why, can't bear to see me go?"

"It's not that I can't bear it. You've set up so many things in my name; if you go and don't return, I'd feel too embarrassed to have picked up such a windfall."

"I want to come back. I truly want to spend my remaining years here in peace."

"I truly want to see you off, too. If I go first, at worst, Little Yuan Hou will handle it for you. Otherwise, you won't feel at ease taking these things."

"Sanjiang Hou, once the village contracting contract is ready, I'll pay the contracting fee first, and leave behind a sum of money. You help me organize people to level this fish pond and plant the peach trees. That way, it won't delay things."

Li Sanjiang rubbed his forehead. Planting trees was tiring work.

This wasn't just a simple matter of money; as the host, he would also need to put in the effort.

"Alright, Grandpa Ding, don't worry. You go ahead and handle your business. When you return, you'll be able to enjoy the peach blossoms."

Li Sanjiang nodded: "Don't worry, Lin Hou, I'll take on this task."

It wasn't exactly being coerced by his great-grandson; after all, taking someone's things makes one's hands soft. Li Sanjiang also knew that since the man had spoken, he couldn't refuse. He wasn't willing to return the house and land under his name.

Li Zhuiyuan breathed a silent sigh of relief. He wasn't afraid of it making demands; he was afraid of it having no demands.

If it was just planting trees, that was nothing. Besides, the land was rented, and the money would be left behind.

"That's good. Thank you, Sanjiang Hou."

"Look at you, what are you thanking me for? It's only right. In that case... Zhuangzhuang."

"Yes."

"Run back and call Runsheng Hou. Tell him to push the cart over and load everything back."

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan and Li Sanjiang with some unease. He didn't want to leave. Although he wasn't as good at fighting as his father, when facing water monkeys, wasn't it better to have one more person?

"Brother Binbin, go home and call Brother Runsheng over to move the things."

Nearly twenty water monkeys had met that fate last night. In the current situation, one more person was just one more shrimp to be peeled.

"Oh, alright."

Binbin left.

"Little Yuan Hou, I've noticed that it's one thing for the mule at home to listen to you, but why does even Zhuangzhuang listen to you?"

"Ah, does he?" Li Zhuiyuan looked blank.

"Heh, that's good." Li Sanjiang patted the boy's head. "This shows that my Little Yuan Hou is born with the fate of a leader."

The will had already been made, and the great-grandfather's perception of his great-grandson had shifted from being very biased to being biased as a matter of course.

Ding Dalin said, "This shows the child has organizational skills and is indeed suitable for being an official."

Li Sanjiang tightened his pants rope: "Lin Hou, is there paper by the ceramic jar?"

"There is some in the basket."

"Then I'm going to use the ceramic jar."

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to follow, but after only two steps, he was called back by Ding Dalin: "Little Yuan."

He hesitated for a moment, not daring to pretend he didn't hear and try to muddle through, so he stopped.

"Yes?" Li Zhuiyuan faced Ding Dalin. "What is it, Grandpa Ding?"

"Your great-grandfather didn't misjudge you. You are indeed a kind-hearted child."

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, revealing a shy smile.

The reason he didn't show his usual shy eye contact was because the skin between Ding Dalin's eyebrows had split.

It looked just like clothes that had burst open—not completely torn, but the color had shifted.

This play was about to end, and he had to avoid any performance accidents.

Ding Dalin reached out and touched the space between his eyebrows. Secretary Jin walked over, wanting to help, but was ordered: "Get a basin of water. I want to wash my face properly."

"Alright."

Secretary Jin brought a basin of hot water with a towel hanging on the side. She stood there holding it, acting as a human stand.

Ding Dalin walked to the basin, bent down, faced downward, and tapped his fingers back and forth on his face.

This scene looked exactly like a woman in the city holding a makeup box and touching up her makeup in front of a mirror.

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to leave the room, but Secretary Jin was standing in a position that blocked the door. Therefore, to avoid seeing things he shouldn't, Li Zhuiyuan turned to face the stereo and reached out to touch the lid.

"Little Yuan, did you just learn the local dialect?"

"Um, yes. I don't speak it very well yet." Li Zhuiyuan picked up the microphone and fiddled with it.

"Where did you live before?"

"In the capital." Li Zhuiyuan spoke into the microphone, "Huhu... Weiwei."

"Jiankang?"

The boy's hand holding the microphone trembled.

Jiankang?

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Jiankang was the ancient name for Nanjing, the capital during the Six Dynasties.

Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Southern Liang, Southern Chen...

So, which period was it from?

"Oh, so you're from the capital. Hehe, I didn't react in time just now and misheard."

Ding Dalin let out a laugh, as if brushing off his own slip of the tongue.

Li Zhuiyuan's heart was very conflicted. Even if it were from the Southern Chen period, it had been nearly 1,500 years.

Did that also mean the tomb in the fish pond had such a long history?

He didn't know if that group of water monkeys was lucky or unlucky to have found such a top-tier water burial tomb.

However, it seemed he was the more unlucky one. He had only just started reading books and was in the stage of reading, learning, and practicing simultaneously.

In the currently popular martial arts novels and movies, the protagonists would go down the mountain after bitter cultivation, and their first targets for practice would be local bullies who harassed women.

As for him, he hadn't even finished learning before going down the mountain; he had only gently pushed open his own door to sunbathe: Hey, the Eastern Depot is right across the street.

"Little Yuan, you promised Grandpa that you would help Grandpa plant the peach trees well."

"Um, I will."

"Speak louder, Grandpa is hard of hearing."

"Don't worry, Grandpa."

"Turn around and say it to Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan turned around.

Facing him was a red, skinless face!

After a moment of shock and thought, Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, opened his mouth, and was just about to scream when this face suddenly pressed against his:

"Little Yuan, you were a step too slow."

Li Zhuiyuan's expression froze. His hand stopped halfway, his mouth was open, but he didn't dare to scream.

"Little Yuan, were you just thinking about whether you should scream in fear?"

Li Zhuiyuan didn't know how to answer.

"You child, why do you act like you don't recognize me?"

A similar sentence—Ding Dalin had said this when he accompanied his great-grandfather for a walk this morning.

It had indeed seen him and Brother Runsheng on the roof last night.

"I will help you plant the trees."

"Hehehe..."

Its hand stroked the boy's face and patted it gently.

"You act so well that even I am a bit confused. Between you and me, who is the one wearing human skin?"

"Diu! ——"

The sound of current jolted Li Zhuiyuan awake. He lowered his head and looked at the microphone in his hand.

"Little Yuan, turn off the microphone. Grandpa's ears hurt."

Li Zhuiyuan turned off the microphone, the sound of current disappeared, and he turned to look at Ding Dalin.

Ding Dalin was looking up, a hot towel covering his face, completely obscuring it.

His voice came from under the towel:

"Little Yuan, did you just learn the local dialect?"

The same question.

Li Zhuiyuan was puzzled. Was the scene just now a hallucination?

"Um, just learned it."

"Where did you live before?"

"Youzhou."

"Hehehe..."

Ding Dalin laughed, removed the towel from his face, and revealed a face that looked slightly rosy from the hot compress, like a normal person's.

"What a smart child."

Ding Dalin walked up to Li Zhuiyuan, his hand once again touching the boy's face.

"Grandpa likes you quite a bit."

"I also like the red envelopes and gifts Grandpa gave me."

Ding Dalin's hand moved down, grabbed the boy's right hand, and spread it open.

On Li Zhuiyuan's right palm was a burn mark and five blood scabs.

Ding Dalin ignored the five blood scabs, pressed his fingertip onto the burn mark, and feigned surprise:

"Look, did your skin almost burn through?"

"I was being playful and did it by accident."

"Then you must be careful. If the skin breaks, it's not easy to patch. Even if you find new skin, it's not as good as the original. Don't you agree?"

"Um, Grandpa is right."

Ding Dalin smiled, raised his left hand, and slowly clenched it into a fist.

Back then, A Li could see that this burn was self-inflicted by Li Zhuiyuan, let alone it?

But Li Zhuiyuan couldn't figure out its temperament at all. Logically speaking, he had already persuaded his great-grandfather to help it plant trees; this matter should have come to an end.

But it seemed to want to continue having interactions with him.

Li Zhuiyuan began to envy Tan Wenbin. Sometimes, knowing too much had no meaning; it was better to be muddled and feel more comfortable.

Suddenly, a sharp pain arrived.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and watched as the burn scar on his palm, which had already healed, split open again. The skin and flesh on his palm burst apart.

His heartbeat began to accelerate. The feeling of watching his skin and flesh split open was too horrific.

It felt as if the next moment, it would spread, his entire skin would be peeled off, and he would walk out bloody.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Secretary Jin from the corner of his eye. She was still standing there holding the basin, motionless, not looking this way.

Ding Dalin stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. In his eyes, a struggle was revealed.

Immediately, his neck began to jerk to the right and then to the left, and the expression on his face changed constantly, from kind to calm to gloomy to greedy.

Finally,

He suddenly looked up:

"Beast, you have deceived me so bitterly."

"Thump!"

The microphone fell to the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan swallowed his saliva. He turned around and saw Ding Dalin washing his face.

He saw him scoop up water with both hands, splash it on his face, rub his face, and finally wipe it with a towel.

The third time.

Only this time, Ding Dalin didn't ask about his accent again. He didn't speak.

The door was pushed open and bumped into Secretary Jin's back.

The door bounced back, and Secretary Jin remained motionless.

"Eh?"

Outside the door, Li Sanjiang's voice came.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that the previous few times were not hallucinations, because his great-grandfather's speed at using the toilet couldn't be that fast. A period of time had indeed been misappropriated.

Secretary Jin moved aside, the door was opened, and Li Sanjiang said to Ding Dalin: "My mule is here, so I'll start loading the things."

"Alright."

Li Sanjiang turned and went back out, not calling Li Zhuiyuan out. He wasn't willing to let Little Yuan Hou do manual labor.

This resulted in Li Zhuiyuan being left in the room again.

However,

"Bang!"

The door was opened again, this time very forcefully. Runsheng stood at the door with a tense face, holding a shovel in his hand.

It could be seen that he was very afraid; his tense face was his protective color.

But he still came. He wanted to save people.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Sanjiang's voice came. "Move the tables and chairs first, move the stereo last."

Runsheng looked at Li Zhuiyuan. He was waiting for a look. As long as the look was right, he would not hesitate to pick up the shovel and hack at the two people in front of him.

In any case, it would be either their flesh bursting or his own skin opening.

Ding Dalin reached out to Li Zhuiyuan: "Come, go upstairs with me. I have some snacks brought from abroad in my room. Take them all away."

Actually, there was no choice at all.

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed Ding Dalin's hand, and the two of them, one after the other, passed by Runsheng and walked up the stairs.

Downstairs, Runsheng was slapped on the back of the head by Li Sanjiang, who scolded: "What are you dazed for? Little Yuan Hou went to get his things, you should also do your job, move the things!"

Runsheng was conflicted, but since it was Little Yuan's choice, he put down the shovel and began to move the tables and chairs.

Only, the courage he had mustered earlier couldn't last forever. The scene from last night began to replay in his mind constantly. As he moved, his body began to tremble.

Seeing this, Li Sanjiang hurriedly walked over and asked:

"Are you still not feeling well?"

"Ah?"

"Forget it, you sit there and rest, I'll move them."

Arriving on the second floor, Ding Dalin was still holding his hand. Li Zhuiyuan sensed that his hand was sticky, and he was very afraid that when he let go later, he would tear off a piece of the other person's skin.

The fact was indeed so.

When they walked into the room, Ding Dalin took the initiative to let go. His skin just stuck to the boy's hand, and with the pull, it gradually tightened, and finally...

"Pop!"

The sound was very loud, so loud that Li Zhuiyuan was shaken out of his wits. When he recovered, he found the room in darkness; it was night.

The furnishings in the room were all there, only Ding Dalin was gone.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, trying to find that feeling of floating upward. He found it; he felt himself beginning to drift up.

He immediately opened his eyes, interrupting the awakening.

Yes, he had gone into the underworld, but not on his own initiative; he had been pulled in by Ding Dalin.

Since that was the case, waking up on his own now would be a bit disrespectful.

Walking out of the room to the balcony, Li Zhuiyuan wanted to find Ding Dalin. Since he had pulled him in, he must have had his purpose.

In the pitch-black night sky hung a moon. The moon was a bit large, and one could even see the craters on it.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell downward, landing on the ground in front, and then he blinked hard.

The fish pond that had been restored in reality had now returned to the state it was in after the water monkeys finished their work last night—the water drained, a deep pit dug out.

He roughly knew where he should go to find Ding Dalin.

Walking downstairs, the downstairs was still the scene after the banquet ended last night. The tables were all there, not yet cleaned up.

When walking out of the hall entrance, Li Zhuiyuan stopped first, then took two steps back and looked up.

He saw Xiao Huang Ying hanging on the ceiling of the hall.

Because her long hair hung down, you could only see her face through the cover of her hair if you walked into that specific narrow area.

She had her eyes closed, her expression indifferent.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't know if she had been hiding here since last night, or if she was just here now.

Xiao Huang Ying didn't open her eyes and gave no reaction.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't linger, walked out of the hall, went down the dam, jumped into the fish pond, and came to the edge of the pit.

Only when looking at it from a close distance could one deeply feel how deep this pit was. Li Zhuiyuan turned his head and looked at the roof of the bearded man's house behind him, where he had hidden and observed last night.

He bent down, carefully slid down the slope of the pit, and slid a long distance before reaching the bottom.

In front of him was a dug-up pagoda spire.

The pitch-black opening was just left open like that.

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed the wall with his hands and walked inside slowly. As he advanced, lamps were lit one by one. Because this pagoda was tilted, the lamps inside also looked tilted.

On the surrounding walls, there were no murals, appearing very monotonous. It seemed the tomb owner didn't intend to continue cultivating his sentiments in the underground world after death.

Or perhaps, this tomb was built while the tomb owner was still alive, because if it were built by someone else, it would inevitably leave behind some text or images recording his life.

Thanks to this pagoda tilting over, there was a place to walk. If one had come in from the top vertically, it would probably be no different from jumping into a well.

The further he walked inside, the colder the color of the lamp fire became, gradually changing from the bright yellow of the outermost section to green.

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan arrived at the bottom.

He saw a huge stone coffin. The stone coffin was fixed to the bottom of the pagoda, and now it looked like it was stuck to the wall.

Around the stone coffin were some pieces of furniture, all fixed like the coffin, so they weren't scattered. On top, not only was it inlaid with gold and silver, but there was also the brilliance of jade and jewelry flowing.

They were all good things. No wonder the two water monkeys who went down last night were so excited when they came up, and he understood why they came up empty-handed, saying they couldn't move them.

Only, he had reached the bottom, and still didn't see Ding Dalin's figure.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the stone coffin again.

Could he still be in the coffin?

The stone coffin was bound with chains, and around the coffin, runes were drawn, very much in line with the characteristics of a temple tomb—suppressing evil spirits.

"Clatter... clatter... clatter..."

The chains began to tremble. The thing inside seemed to want to come out.

Li Zhuiyuan stood where he was, motionless. Although he didn't know if opening a coffin while in the underworld would have any chain reactions in reality, he wouldn't take that risk.

It wasn't that he was worried about his own safety, but this was Siyuan Village after all. Heaven knows what consequences would be caused after letting out the thing in this coffin.

He had come here step by step under threat to his life, but no matter how threatened he was, he wouldn't open the coffin.

However, he didn't need to struggle for long.

Because accompanied by a crisp sound, all the chains on the stone coffin fell off.

Immediately following, a dull friction sound came, and the stone coffin lid also slowly slid out.

He didn't need to help at all; it could come out by itself.

Li Zhuiyuan held his breath, fully focused, waiting for the person in the coffin to sit up.

But after waiting for a long while, it didn't do so.

The scene fell into a kind of eerie silence.

Gradually, wind rose in the pagoda. At first, it was very weak, only blowing the lamp fire to sway. Subsequently, the wind became larger and larger, forming a whistling sound inside the pagoda.

The whistling sound slowly became delicate, and finally, it formed a human voice, very hoarse, like an old and poorly maintained phonograph.

"Aren't you curious?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied: "I am very curious."

"Then why don't you dare to walk closer?"

"I am afraid."

"Will you be afraid?"

"Yes, fear is an instinct, just like pain."

"Let's take off our human skins and speak plainly."

"What does that mean?"

"Take off the skin you are wearing. I don't want to talk to a child."

"No, I am me, and now is me."

"Heh, some people's skin is on their body, while some people's skin is in their heart."

Li Zhuiyuan knew the other party was mocking him, but he didn't care. All his efforts were to protect this skin, both for himself and for A Li.

"Even if you don't want to peel off your skin, don't talk to me in a child's tone."

"I am just a child. Alright, I will try."

"Do you know where this is?"

"A kind of... temple tomb."

"Yes, a temple tomb. Then do you know who suppressed me here?"

"You yourself."

The sound of the wind seemed to stop for a moment.

However, it soon whistled again, forming words:

"You guessed it?"

"I don't even know who you specifically are, nor do I know the era you were born in. Since you asked me this question, the answer should be within my range of options, and only you remain."

"You are really like someone. When he was young, he was also as incredibly smart as you."

"Can you tell me his name?" Li Zhuiyuan probed. "That way, I can look him up when I plant trees in the future."

"You can't look up his name."

"Oh."

"He is a beast."

"Was it him who deceived you?"

"It was me who trusted him too much. Although he was almost the same age as me, I had always taken him as a role model. I was to him as those two people beside you are to you."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that the two people it mentioned should be Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, because it only had these few limited options.

"Being deceived by someone you trust is indeed very infuriating."

"He didn't just deceive me; he deceived all of us—all of us who followed him."

"He is truly detestable."

"He is just like you, very good at disguising."

Li Zhuiyuan tried hard to calm his emotions. The greatest harm to a mental patient is to remind them repeatedly that they have this illness.

The conversation with the person inside the stone coffin now made the boy seem to return to the scene of his phone call with Li Lan that night.

"Disguising is your instinct. You seem to be born with it."

"Do you have any instructions?"

Li Zhuiyuan took the initiative to interrupt this topic. If he continued to chat about this, he was worried that his cold emotions would be hooked out.

"Fill in the fish pond and plant it full of peach trees."

"Don't worry, we will do it."

"Actually, I should have left long ago."

"Where to?"

"You can guess it, yet you still have to ask. Sure enough, just like him, hypocrisy is your instinct."

"Can you not describe him so specifically, or don't bundle me together with him? I was afraid of death, which is why I followed your wishes and came here."

"And then?"

"But there are some things I would rather die than give up."

"He also said a..."

The sound of the wind stopped again.

After a long time, the wind rose again.

"Alright."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I originally intended to call you here to be buried with me."

"Thank you for your 'originally'."

Seeing that the other party stopped talking again, but the wind was still there.

Li Zhuiyuan, for the sake of "originally", took the initiative to offer a topic:

"How did he deceive you?"

"He taught me a method that can control the dead."

Li Zhuiyuan's heart shook. In the books he had read, there were records of countless methods to deal with the dead, but none mentioned that the dead could be controlled.

"I was very happy and very excited. I trusted and respected him so much, so I learned it."

"Then, did you succeed in learning it?"

The wind was still blowing, and at this moment, movement came from inside the stone coffin.

A man sat up from inside the coffin.

Because the coffin was suspended on the base, the man at this time was facing Li Zhuiyuan.

He had long hair, a cold face, and an elegant and ethereal temperament.

Only, he had his eyes closed, and the following voice was still transmitted through the wind rather than him opening his mouth himself.

"I succeeded in learning it, and I can also control the dead."

"Then where did he deceive you?"

"Where did he deceive me?"

The man turned his head to the side, the wind blew his sideburns, and inside, a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth were revealed—it was a human face.

The man turned his body further, revealing his back. The wind blew up his long hair, and the entire back of his head was another woman's face.

A very creepy scene. Such a handsome man, yet so many faces had grown out.

No, Li Zhuiyuan realized he was in the underworld, so what he saw wasn't necessarily real. These faces that were now materialized might refer to the man's inner heart.

"Huhu..."

The wind sound increased further, and the long robe on the man was blown up. Everywhere skin was exposed—arms, chest—was covered in dense human faces.

Li Zhuiyuan subconsciously took two steps back. Seeing this scene, he already felt itchy all over his body.

He couldn't help but lower his head and look at his own arms, fearing that strange faces would grow out at this time too.

"He didn't tell me that while I could control them, they could also control me."

Li Zhuiyuan moved his gaze away. After the wind sound became smaller, he moved his gaze back.

The man returned to his original posture, and his clothes and hair also fell down.

"He said he wanted to eliminate all evil spirits in the world and return peace to the world.

I believed him and followed him, but the result was that the more dead I solved, the more I myself became like a dead person.

When I realized this, I couldn't turn back.

So, I built this pagoda, and I suppressed myself.

I intended to use time to grind them to death while also grinding myself to death.

The ones you saw just now were all closed-eyed. Actually, originally they should all have been open, crying, screaming, roaring, and wailing every day...

Now, they are all gone. I succeeded.

Originally, in a few more years, I should have been able to grind myself to death too.

But who knew, a group of monkeys came."

"So, to fill in this place and plant peach trees, you want to continue suppressing yourself?"

"It must be fast, because I have long since not been the me from before. The me from before, in order not to harm the common people, personally suppressed myself. The me now, in my heart, longs to keep you here to be buried with me.

That true me has already died, or, I have already been unable to distinguish which face skin is the true me."

"I know. I will arrange it immediately, while you still retain clarity."

"You are wrong. I am not clear. I don't go out because I have already entered an irreversible terminal stage. Going out would only lead to quick extinction. I want to retain a bit of decency for myself.

Actually, when I was peeling the skin of that group of water monkeys, I was very happy. Nothing is more interesting than teasing monkeys.

If their number had been a little larger, allowing me to taste a little more of this happiness, I should have really come out.

If there had been two more last night, just two;

I wouldn't be talking to you here in this way now."

Li Zhuiyuan thought to himself, "How dangerous," because two water monkeys were now in the hospital.

Their accomplices had originally intended to pick them up from the hospital. According to their style of doing things, they would have brought even the injured companions here, even if it was just to hold a flashlight and keep watch.

Fortunately, he called the police in time.

Through a twist of fate, it could be considered as saving his own life.

"And the reason I changed the idea of pulling you to be buried with me is not because of my pity for you, but because I discovered another, more fun way."

"What way?"

The wind sound became more delicate at this moment, as if someone was whispering seductively in your ear:

"How about I tell you the method he taught me?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "You learned that and ended up like this. With a ready-made counterexample in front of me, how could I possibly learn it?"

Seeing that the other party didn't speak, Li Zhuiyuan added:

"You said you are about to dissipate. I will fill in the fish pond and plant it full of peach trees. Whether I learned it or not, you won't know, and you won't be able to come up and find me again, right?"

"Heh, you will learn it. After learning it, you won't be able to help but use it.

When I 'saw' you lying on the roof peeking, I was certain of this point."

Li Zhuiyuan was silent.

"The thing is in the first drawer of the dressing table. Whether you take it or not is up to you."

After speaking, the man lay back into the stone coffin.

The method to control the dead...

Li Zhuiyuan walked toward the dressing table and placed his hand on the handle of the first drawer.

The wind sound came again:

"Now, do you still want to say anything?"

Li Zhuiyuan pursed his lips and said: "You really judge people accurately."

"Hehehe... So, pulling you to be buried with me, how could that be as fun as letting you become like me, neither human nor ghost, in the future?

You could have just planted trees well. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too much like him.

However, I can no longer take revenge on him, so I can only transfer this hatred to you."

"Creak..."

Li Zhuiyuan opened the drawer. It was empty inside.

Immediately, a huge sense of disappointment struck.

"Are you playing with me?"

"Have you forgotten where this is?

This place has already been restored. Do you really need to dig it up again to get the thing?

I have already placed it in a place where you will definitely see it."

Li Zhuiyuan pushed the drawer back, nodded, and said: "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, because in the future, you will hate me, just as I hate him now.

Once you learn this, those dead you have controlled will enter your heart, twisting and dirtying all your emotions.

One day,

When you look in the mirror,

You will find that the self in the mirror is so strange."

Li Zhuiyuan: "..."

The wind sound disappeared completely.

The iron chains on the stone coffin retracted again, locking the coffin once more.

The lamp fire all around was also gradually extinguishing.

Li Zhuiyuan hadn't closed his eyes yet, but a wave of surging feeling had already struck him. He didn't resist, feeling this feeling of floating upward.

Suddenly, the sky was bright again.

Li Zhuiyuan found himself standing in the room. The afternoon sunlight shone in, bringing a bit of warmth.

He saw Ding Dalin again, but at this time, Ding Dalin was very thin.

He was like a shirt, neatly folded on the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up the "shirt".

No choice, he couldn't just leave him here like this, right?

Besides, although he hadn't weighed an adult human skin before, he still felt it was a bit too heavy.

He reached out and pressed on it, sensing some hard lumps.

He searched through it once but didn't find any opening.

Finally, he could only take a deep breath, reach his hand into Ding Dalin's mouth, dig all the way down, and grab a hard, cold thing.

He took it out and looked at it. It was golden and shiny—a large gold ingot.

This should be the money for renting the land and planting the trees.

"You are really quite good."

On the dam downstairs, a shout came:

"Little Yuan, Little Yuan!"

Li Zhuiyuan held Ding Dalin and walked to the balcony, looking down.

Runsheng stood on the dam, waving a human skin in his hand. The human skin spread out, and accompanied by his waving, Secretary Jin swayed gracefully in the air.

"You scared me to death, Little Yuan. Fortunately, you are fine. I was really worried that you would become like this too."

"Where is Great-grandfather?"

"Grandpa pushed the cart back. What is going on?"

"It's fine, Brother Runsheng. Come up for a moment."

"Oh, alright!"

Runsheng ran up quickly, not even having time to put away Secretary Jin.

It was estimated that it had been torn at some corner. In short, when Runsheng appeared on the balcony, the Secretary Jin in his hand had already split.

"Little Yuan, you have a set here too. Then how should these two sets of skin clothes be handled?"

"Put them away first. Tonight, you throw them into the workshop furnace and burn them."

"Alright."

"Brother Runsheng, move the ladder."

"What for?"

"Go up to the roof."

"Right, almost forgot. Our things are still up there." Runsheng moved the ladder well and climbed up first. When Li Zhuiyuan climbed up, he turned his head and reached out to pull him.

The two sacks containing the formation flags and utensils were still there, and beside them on the ground lay Runsheng's own Yellow River shovel, which was as tall as a person.

"Little Yuan, I'll move them down."

"Brother Runsheng, don't move yet."

"Oh, alright."

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the sack containing the utensils, squatted down, opened the sack mouth, and saw an ancient book with a black cover placed inside.

This was the... method it left for him.

He took the book out. There was no book title on the cover.

It hadn't mentioned the word "book," only "method." Then this one should be similar to handwritten study notes.

Without hesitation, he turned the page directly.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan froze. This was the beautiful handwriting he was familiar with to the point of being unable to be more familiar.

He immediately turned several pages in a row, and finally, confirmed a fact.

Holding the book, he stood up and looked at the fish pond below.

So,

The person who deceived you, is his name...

Wei Zhengdao.

(End of chapter)