Chapter 446

The metal playing cards in Li Zhuiyuan's pocket were heating up and vibrating, eager to leave the formation.

However, when this set of ancient armor appeared at the entrance, when the tomb owner took shape and stood here.

Resistance had already lost its meaning.

The invisible oppression was not deliberately aimed at you, but because of its existence, it naturally deterred this entire area.

Even if the two generals, Increase and Decrease, were released, they couldn't block the tomb owner's steps.

They knew it themselves.

Their active request for battle at this moment was more like an instinctive subjective expression.

This was not loyalty in the absolute sense, but the inertia of blindly following the trend from one gamble to another; because they were used to winning, the less hope there was of winning, the more excited they became, and the more they longed to rush in.

White Crane Boy's rapid rise was the best catalyst for their all-in gamble.

Even if there was an iceberg ahead, they would accelerate their ship without hesitation and crash into it regardless.

This formed a stark contrast to their self-preservation at the critical moment under the Bodhisattva's seat in the past.

A Li raised her hands, and the red Qin family practice uniform she was wearing today drifted slowly.

The luster in the girl's eyes gradually faded, transforming into deep indifference.

All existences that posed a threat to the young man were her enemies.

In her perspective, the tomb owner and that little water snake were no different in essence.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand.

In his pocket, the talisman armor was quiet.

A Li's gaze gradually recovered.

Without a pre-built grand formation, without sufficiently powerful partners in front, when he faced the tomb owner face-to-face at such close range—no, when the tomb owner sat up in this Fengdou county town and cast his gaze toward him—Li Zhuiyuan had already lost his chance of winning.

But in reality, in the Fengdou region, whether the Great Emperor used the tomb owner or not didn't affect the fact that he could easily crush him to death.

This superfluous act was to apply pressure for the upcoming negotiation.

His "master" wanted to tell him that he had not only suppressed the Bodhisattva but also successfully mastered the tomb owner.

With such success and such arrogance, it wasn't impossible for Li Zhuiyuan to pry things away from him,

But...

It would cost more.

The bigger the scene set, the bigger the appetite.

Li Zhuiyuan realized that the two negotiation chips he had originally prepared to put on the table—one being the small hell of the Living People Valley, the other being the sustainable over-exploitation of himself for long-term interests...

Could not satisfy the appetite of this "master" of his.

He wanted more; he wanted him to make greater concessions.

Troublesome.

Li Zhuiyuan had to throw himself back onto the scale, recount the parts of himself again, and see what else he could take out to sell for money, and sell for a high price.

The young man turned around, looked at the girl, reached out his hand, and smiled:

"Let's go, I'll take you to see my master."

A Li walked forward and handed her hand to the young man.

After holding it, Li Zhuiyuan looked at the tomb owner, his smile faded, and he stared into the pitch-black depth under the helmet:

"Lead the way."

The tomb owner turned around and walked toward the stairwell; with every step he took, the light and shadow around him distorted, as if he were abusing reality.

Li Zhuiyuan held A Li's hand and followed behind.

During the journey, violent movements erupted in every room on both sides.

Screams, wails, and cries of pain rose one after another.

Some room doors turned bright red, with magma overflowing from the bottom gaps; others were covered in frost, completely frozen, emitting a chilling cold.

In other rooms, the sound of hot oil "sizzling" could be heard, overflowing with bursts of soul "meat aroma."

This was not hell, but He was hell.

The Great Emperor had already arrived at this hotel.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't care about the changes in the surrounding environment; he wouldn't be disturbed by these.

When A Li was led by the young man's hand, she looked here and there from time to time.

Compared to facing the tomb owner who had suddenly stood at the door earlier, she now appeared more relaxed and adaptable.

The most terrifying thing was nothing more than the unknown.

And when you discover that what you are facing can correspond and fit with the scenes you are familiar with from the past, the pressure lightens immediately.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected that if he weren't holding A Li's hand, the girl would very likely try to push open some doors and go inside to take a look.

To compare the real hell with the one in her dreams and see what subtle differences there were.

Perhaps even judge which one was more "hellish."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at A Li.

Sensing the young man's gaze, the girl withdrew her line of sight and lowered her head.

Born as a human, entering the world means entering the rules.

You inevitably will apply or follow a certain template.

You in the eyes of others, you in your own heart, you in the expectations of others, you in your own expectations.

Walking out of the house and leaving one's past comfort zone, people will more urgently seek a niche for themselves to inhabit.

The more scenery one sees on this journey, the more one discovers one's own incompatibility with this world.

A Li was trying hard to make herself more suitable to stand by his side, subconsciously restraining expressions that didn't fit this template.

Li Zhuiyuan held the girl's hand and leaned close to her; their faces were very close.

The young man's other hand pointed to the door diagonally in front.

"I have been to hell; hell does indeed have eighteen levels, but that is only the appearance I saw. The eighteen levels do not refer to the number of spatial layers, but to time and punishment.

Souls are not constrained by flesh, so perception of time can be more easily deceived, and the experience of punishment can be made richer; for example, inside this door is the Tongue-Pulling Hell..."

Li Zhuiyuan was like a tour guide.

He was patiently and meticulously explaining it to the girl.

Moreover, he took the initiative to reach out and push open some doors, letting the girl witness and experience the true appearance inside.

The great hell is divided into small hells; outside the door is the hotel corridor, inside the door are various scenes stacked together. They look vertical, but are actually flat. In each scene, various punishments under great sins are constantly being performed, not sticking to ancient forms; it keeps pace with the times.

Because, in essence, it is to allow the wandering souls to experience more pain here, so as to generate more karmic debt and consequences.

Using the evil deeds of ordinary souls in the human world to neutralize and offset the Heavenly Dao evil of the Fengdu high-level officials, led by the Great Emperor, who are lingering in the world.

Therefore, you must make the wandering souls have a better experience, and the choice of punishment must be designed according to their cognition before death.

Because of the young man's dawdling here, the tomb owner's steps had to be slowed down.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't care about this.

No matter how terrifying an existence is, when it isn't here to kill you, you can put it aside for now.

What's most important right now is to let the girl beside him have a good time.

In A Li's eyes, various tragic and inhuman light and shadow scenes were reflected from time to time.

From her initial inability to let go, she slowly became immersed, and finally, after watching inside the door for a while, she would take the initiative to look up at the young man beside her who was giving her a detailed explanation.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that the horror of the dream had long since permeated the girl's reality; it was passive, but there was also an active element, otherwise the girl would never have been able to retain her self in this world.

Taking the girl out on a journey was so that she could overcome her fear and trample it underfoot, not to adapt to the outside world and put on another layer of disguise for herself.

Li Zhuiyuan had grown tired of acting while wrapped in a non-existent human skin since he was a child; he didn't want the girl to follow his old path again.

Deep inside the tomb owner's helmet, a glimmer of light flashed and vanished.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up and glanced at the set of armor in front of him.

No one is willing to be enslaved forever and suppressed permanently.

The Bodhisattva is like this, and so is the tomb owner.

They were all actively expressing this attitude to him.

Vaguely, they were also looking forward to the day when the master and apprentice would completely turn against each other, so they could have a chance to regain their freedom.

Compared to the ghost officials in the Fengdu underworld, they seemed to recognize his identity as the "Young Lord of Fengdu" more.

Also, they did indeed have their own merits in being accepted by the Great Emperor.

Walking, stopping, and looking, they reached the stairwell at the end of the corridor, and this short sightseeing tour of hell was declared over.

It felt like taking a girl through a haunted house in an amusement park.

Going downstairs.

At this hour, there were very few people in the guesthouse lobby, but considering the special nature of the venue and the fact that a meeting was to be held here, besides the receptionist, there were a few night-shift staff members responsible for providing tea and water during small meetings.

When the tomb owner walked past, the originally bright guesthouse lobby formed two distinct pictures of colorful clarity and cold black-and-white, with the tomb owner as the dividing line.

The tomb owner stopped in place and stopped moving.

Li Zhuiyuan saw Old Man Zhai sitting on the sofa in the tea area not far away.

Old Man Zhai had just arrived at the guesthouse, holding a document in his hand, flipping through it while rubbing his tired eyebrows.

"Teacher."

Old Man Zhai looked up, adjusted his glasses, and looked at the young man walking toward him.

"Xiaoyuan, why are you here? Could it be that you are here to attend the meeting on behalf of your teacher?"

"Yes."

"And this is?"

"Qin Li."

"Oh." Old Man Zhai instinctively wanted to praise them as a perfect match, but considering their ages, he just revealed a kind smile.

The waiter brought tea.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Teacher, drinking such strong tea at night is not good."

Old Man Zhai: "Hehe, there are still some things on hand that need to be dealt with; it's just to help stay awake."

Li Zhuiyuan prepared to pour tea.

A Li picked up the teapot first, poured three cups, picked up one of them, and placed it in front of Old Man Zhai.

Old Man Zhai stood up with a smile and picked up the cup of tea.

"Hehe, a very good and very nice little girl."

When Old Man Zhai sat back down, he was in the black-and-white tone.

When Old Man Zhai said this, Li Zhuiyuan was also wrapped in this black-and-white tone, and even the clothes on his body faded of all color.

A Li, however, remained in the bright light.

The girl noticed it.

But the young man held her hand, first exerting a slight force, then actively letting go.

The girl continued to sit there, holding the teacup.

Old Man Zhai: "In the days of youthful vigor, Xiaoyuan, when I first saw you, I saw the shadow of my younger self in you.

But gradually, I discovered that when I was young, I was nowhere near as brilliant as you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Different eras create different scenery; I just happened to be lucky."

Old Man Zhai: "No, Xiaoyuan, if you had been born in my era, you might have been able to go faster and easier. Although the conditions back then weren't as good as they are now, the rules weren't as many either."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Teacher, I just want to grasp the present."

"That is the correct view of life: while looking toward the future, live in the present."

Old Man Zhai raised his teacup, signaling the young man to use tea instead of wine with him.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his teacup and clinked it with his.

"Xiaoyuan, I believe that in the future, I might feel proud and honored because I was once your teacher."

"You have taught me a lot and helped me a lot; you were in the past, you are now, and in the future, you will always be my teacher."

"Hahaha, good, then shall we have a gentleman's agreement?"

"A promise is a promise."

The two of them each took a sip of the tea in their cups.

"Have you seen this document?"

Old Man Zhai handed the document in his hand to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan took it and glanced at the cover: Mount Ailao.

"I have seen this document in your project team."

"Are you interested in this place?"

"Very interested."

"This place is both ancient and mysterious; it has appeared in historical records many times, yet each time it was touched upon lightly and then faded away. I once presided over an engineering project nearby; at that time, quite a few strange things happened too.

Ji'an is a thorn that has been stuck in Luo Tingrui's heart for a long time; I am a few years older than him, so there are more thorns left in my heart.

It's a pity, I am old, unlike that teacher of yours; I have the heart but lack the strength now."

"Teacher, I am still young."

"Next, there will be a new project there."

"I'll go."

"This is a very good opportunity for training; I will do my best to fight for it and arrange it for you."

"Thank you, Teacher."

"Come, let's toast again; I wish you success in the project in advance, and I wish our Xiaoyuan a smooth future."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his teacup again and clinked it with Old Man Zhai's.

Two toasts represented two conditions.

The chips that should have been brought out by Li Zhuiyuan were actively taken out by his "master" as two appetizers.

Next, it was time for the main course.

"Xiaoyuan, when I was in Jin Ling, I discussed your future development with your Teacher Luo; your teacher was not at all polite to me.

But I also know that your teacher is right; at my age, the little light I have left will extinguish on its own even if I don't use it, so it's better to use it to light the way for the children.

For the next period of time, you will officially be attached to my project team; resources, opportunities, training—I will cast aside my old face to help you fight for these.

The only thing that will wrong you is, hehe, to give an example, the signature at the very front must have my name on it.

Don't worry, people with discerning eyes know clearly that the project wasn't done by me personally; I'm just hanging my name on it to solve the problem of your insufficient qualifications and age."

Old Man Zhai was right; if it were just a personal career development path, this approach would be equivalent to Old Man Zhai using his own reputation and status to endorse Li Zhuiyuan.

If Li Zhuiyuan does the project well, the honor and benefits are his own; if he messes it up, it's equivalent to ruining Old Man Zhai's late-life reputation.

Even for fathers and sons, grandfathers and grandsons connected by blood, it is very difficult to do this step—taking out one's own life's summary to pave the way for the younger generation.

The vast majority of industries have such an unwritten rule: when you are not old enough, it is very difficult to squeeze into that threshold; and among those who have entered the threshold, whoever is the youngest often possesses the greatest advantage.

Old Man Zhai: "I have selfish motives, but it is also out of public interest. Xiaoyuan, I recognize your ability, and you have also demonstrated your ability; you should move up quickly so that you can create greater value."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Teacher, thank you."

Old Man Zhai: "Then, I have to wrong you for a period of time?"

Saying this, Old Man Zhai raised his teacup again.

Li Zhuiyuan held the teacup but didn't raise it immediately.

The person he was talking to right now was not only his teacher but also his master.

Main course:

Next, during your journey, when facing those powerful evil spirits or mysterious existences, after solving them, you must send them into the Fengdu Hell.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu wants to be the true receiver; he wants to expand his hell with more suppressed items.

The Great Emperor is truly a very pure existence.

He could choose to avoid the conflict when the great turtle came ashore, leaving himself to fend for himself;

He could also immediately change his thinking and step forward to seize benefits after truly seeing his ability and potential.

As long as the value changes enough, Yin Changsheng can instantly turn from a cautious hermit who doesn't want to be disturbed by the breeze into a red-eyed gambler.

In this "master" of his, Li Zhuiyuan saw what true survival is.

Other existences treat eternal life as a goal or a pursuit; only Yin Changsheng has been seriously and earnestly living forever.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Teacher..."

Old Man Zhai: "Yes, this matter is indeed very serious. Although you changed your address to call me teacher long ago, you are the treasure first discovered by Luo Tingrui; out of politeness and respect, you should greet Luo Tingrui.

Although, this is the arrangement of that teacher of yours; he is truly good to his students, wishing he could come to my door and chew me up to feed his student to help him grow, hehe."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Teacher, I have a junior schoolmate named Yin Meng..."

When Li Zhuiyuan said this name, the black-and-white tone enveloping him and Old Man Zhai trembled violently.

The tomb owner, who had been standing in the distance and hadn't moved again, turned his helmet and looked here.

Murderous intent.

Murderous intent like a tidal wave rolled toward Li Zhuiyuan.

Before coming, Li Zhuiyuan knew that the condition of Yin Meng could not be negotiated, and would not even be allowed to be placed on the negotiation table.

The Great Emperor did not value his own bloodline.

For an eternal existence, bloodline not only has no existential meaning but also becomes a flaw.

Just like how Yin Meng had been developed by the young man with various secret methods against the Great Emperor ever since she followed Li Zhuiyuan.

But Yin Meng was a card left in the Great Emperor's hand to check and balance Li Zhuiyuan.

Borrowing the knife of the Heavenly Dao, the Great Emperor was also afraid that it would eventually hurt his own hand, so he had to hold back a dark piece in advance to be activated in a special way when needed.

However, even knowing it was impossible, Li Zhuiyuan still proposed Yin Meng as a condition.

He needed an explanation.

This explanation was not for self-comfort; the dark pieces were mutual, and the checks and balances were also mutual.

He had never given up or been discouraged by the signs that the Heavenly Dao wanted to break him before he came of age.

Great Emperor,

Master,

Can you compare to the Heavenly Dao?

You want to deal with this knife in advance before it hurts you; doesn't the Heavenly Dao want to try to stab you before breaking this knife?

You don't agree to return the person to me now; that's fine. I will work hard, striving for a day in the future when, even if you are willing to send the person out, I will make Yin Meng stand there and not move, and I will enter hell myself to pick her up.

Although the terrifying murderous intent was still being released, the luster in the tomb owner's eyes flashed again.