Chapter 69

"Ha, haha, hahahahaha..."

At first, Tan Wenbin just laughed simply, and then couldn't help but laugh more and more exaggeratedly, gradually bringing Runsheng and Xue Liangliang to laugh together.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't deliberately perform to fit in this time, and he indeed didn't laugh out loud, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Having experienced danger, seen mystery, and after many tosses, he finally escaped death.

Normal people all have the talent of forgetting pain after the scars are healed. After enduring bitter and difficult things, the brain will help you deliberately dilute the negative perception, and can even let you taste a trace of sweetness like sipping the pistils of flowers on the roadside during the commute to and from school when you reminisce.

Tan Wenbin now felt a kind of refreshing feeling from top to bottom.

Adventure, indeed, is addictive.

It was just that as they laughed, the surroundings began to tremble.

Tan Wenbin was startled: "Did we laugh out a resonance?"

It certainly wasn't laughed out, but it did tremble, and the stones above began to roll down.

The four immediately got up and went to the flat area below.

After a while, the tremor disappeared and returned to calm, but the position where the four were previously had sunken a large piece, and the stone crevice they crawled out of also disappeared.

Actually, even if it could still be found, it wouldn't have significance, because the passage below must have been blocked.

Xue Liangliang: "It should be a chain reaction caused by the collapse of the underground palace."

Tan Wenbin didn't understand: "Is that big thing so ruthless, going back to dismantle the house and burying itself in it too?"

Xue Liangliang shook his head: "I don't know, maybe it wanted to go back and find its mother?"

Hearing this, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but think of the snake-faced woman sitting on the bed.

Xue Liangliang found a high point again to observe and determine the direction, and then led everyone to walk toward the camp direction.

The distance wasn't too far, but the road wasn't easy to walk, which delayed a lot of time.

Fortunately, when walking to the afternoon, they saw people. It was a militia team, carrying guns and explosives.

They should have been the first batch of support transferred from the rear after the attack happened.

After learning that the four were "missing personnel" of the exploration team, the opposite side immediately arranged for people to send the four back. During the period, they encountered some surveyors who were still staying here to assist with work, and they were all very enthusiastic, coming up to express their thanks.

This thanks made people feel a bit inexplicable. After chatting, they learned that somehow, the events of that night had spread into Xue Liangliang leading a few people to lure that big thing into the mountain cave, saving everyone.

Xue Liangliang hurriedly explained that it was that big thing that took the initiative to run into the mountain cave, and they were forced to flee for their lives.

But obviously, those colleagues just nodded and said they knew, but their expressions didn't believe it.

This made Xue Liangliang a bit anxious. He didn't want to falsely claim this honor.

Tan Wenbin whispered to Li Zhuiyuan: "If there is this honor, can it add points to the college entrance examination?"

The four were first sent out of the mountain area, and then got into a car. After returning to the town, they were arranged to go to a hospital in the Wanzhou urban area for a detailed examination. After the examination, they entered a guesthouse to rest.

During the period, many relevant personnel came to visit, and some came to take notes.

These were all handled by Xue Liangliang. According to what was discussed in advance, they temporarily kept the underground palace secret.

It wasn't that they deliberately wanted to hide it, but they had already been notified that Luo Tingrui was about to arrive. Xue Liangliang and Li Zhuiyuan prepared to report the matter to him after Luo Gong arrived, and let him decide how to report it upward.

Unlike the past when a dead appeared in the village, in order not to affect their own lives, they would make a concealment after the matter was solved. Now that it involved national project engineering, they certainly had to be honest.

Coming before Luo Tingrui was team leader Ma Yiming. His beard was messy, and his expression was visibly scattered and exhausted. After seeing Xue Liangliang, he held his hand tightly, and then went to the room to see Li Zhuiyuan and the others, muttering non-stop: "Thank you, thank you."

Thank you for being able to return alive.

After the incident happened, he hadn't closed his eyes, and had been under huge mental pressure. If counting the temporary workers and the extra-budgetary ones, his subordinates were equal to losing eight people all at once.

Now that four people had returned alive, his heart could finally feel a little better.

Ma Yiming had just left, and Luo Tingrui brought two people. They should have deliberately staggered it.

Xue Liangliang went into a room alone with the two accompanying personnel and told them everything about the underground palace. Of course, he concealed Li Zhuiyuan's special role during this period.

After ending the questioning of Xue Liangliang, the two personnel went into the room again, asked Li Zhuiyuan, Runsheng, and Tan Wenbin a few questions each, and then left.

In the room, five people remained.

Luo Tingrui grabbed Xue Liangliang's shoulders and shook them back and forth several times: "You worried me to death."

At his age and industry status, it was no exaggeration to say that the status of an inheritor was often heavier than that of a biological son, especially since he didn't have a son, and his only daughter didn't study this major.

Immediately after, he walked to Li Zhuiyuan, bent down, and hugged the boy hard.

Top people in the industry could basically see that the country would launch many large-scale construction projects in the future, but these projects, from design to completion, all required a lot of time. If Luo Tingrui wanted to realize his ideals and ambitions, he really needed inheritance and relay between master and apprentice.

Luo Tingrui waved his hand with a smile: "Let's go, I'll take you to eat late-night snacks."

The late-night snack stall wasn't far from the guesthouse, and it was a Wanzhou grilled fish place.

Luo Tingrui looked at Xue Liangliang and the three, and asked: "Do you want to drink alcohol? I can accompany you to drink a little."

Tan Wenbin immediately waved his hand: "We don't drink alcohol."

Actually, Binbin would occasionally have two drinks with his great-grandfather at home, but the person with the highest status at the wine table didn't want to drink, so he wouldn't be tactless.

"Then take some drinks."

"Alright."

Tan Wenbin got up and moved a crate of soy milk from inside: "Hey, this shop only sells this."

As he spoke, he took a bottle opener and opened a bottle for everyone one by one, placing it in front of each person.

Luo Tingrui said to Xue Liangliang: "Don't let it get cold, talk while eating."

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and began to eat fish.

Xue Liangliang told Luo Tingrui about the underground palace again.

After listening, Luo Tingrui just nodded and smiled.

Tan Wenbin immediately said: "Look, teacher is the one who has seen the world."

Luo Tingrui drank a mouthful of soy milk and said: "This matter, apart from relevant departments coming to ask, don't talk about it to the outside."

The four nodded immediately.

Immediately after, Luo Tingrui smiled again:

"Indeed, such things, I have seen several times before. We contemporary people are just walking on this land and simply cannot imagine how much history and mystery are buried in the land under our feet."

Construction sites never lack mysterious events, especially large projects and large engineering works, which are often dug wider and deeper, making it easy to encounter strange things.

The beginning of many eerie rumors in society is: my father, a relative of mine, a friend of mine once dug up... on a construction site of a certain project that night.

In Luo Gong's place, the protagonist is himself.

He told the four about an experience of his own many years ago.

That was many years ago. At that time, he had just started working and was temporarily transferred to Jilin to participate in a project. He felt very strange at the time. Although the whole country was a game of chess, at that time, the Northeast was outputting talent and industry to the interior. When did it need the interior to send an engineering team there?

Although the place was in the mountains, it wasn't remote and was close to Ji'an.

After arriving there, he received the corresponding task part, which wasn't planning and design or construction, but re-checking an existing underground building.

This should have originally been a secret project, most likely a civil air defense project, and the scale was quite large, but for some reason, it was severely leaking water.

They were also divided into many teams to check various nodes. Some key areas were marked at the time and they weren't allowed to approach; others would be responsible for them.

During work one day, Luo Tingrui and his companion found a dried-up water outlet. The opening was very large, enough for a cow to pass through.

Logically speaking, with the construction quality at that time, even if damage was caused by natural reasons, it wouldn't reach the point of such a large opening. Most importantly, when they checked and passed this position yesterday, this opening hadn't appeared.

Leaving a companion to guard the cave entrance, Luo Tingrui and another companion drilled in directly to check.

When saying this, Luo Tingrui smiled:

"That was when I was young, I didn't understand what fear was at all. Anyway, looking at the slogans painted on the walls of the engineering passage, everyone had high fighting spirit and courage. The one who stayed at the cave entrance was the one who lost at rock-paper-scissors, and he was very aggrieved."

The break was very deep, and the narrowest part was only enough for one person to pass sideways, but it seemed like they couldn't reach the end no matter how they walked.

Logically speaking, they had long passed the construction scope of the project, but the situation around them didn't look like mountain cracking or geological movement. Instead, some edges and corners could clearly show traces of being chiseled with tools.

The two young men were extremely excited at the time, thinking this was sabotage by enemy agents.

But as they continued to walk inside, they felt more and more wrong. Not only did many relatively primitive tools appear on the ground, but some bloodstains also appeared. After going deeper for a distance, they heard voices coming from deeper inside.

Then, the people over there seemed to have heard the movement of someone approaching. Clearly, a string of footsteps ran toward this side, and vaguely they saw dynamic firelight. They were holding torches.

Although the two weren't afraid, they thought they had to pass this news out, so Luo Tingrui let that companion run first, and he himself ran slowly while paying attention to the back, preparing to cover the rear. Anyway, it was very narrow here. Even if he put his corpse here, he could block the road.

At that time, the two young men were still inclined to think that there were enemy agents deliberately sabotaging here.

But gradually, the sounds and footsteps on that side disappeared at some point.

Anyway, the companion had already run very far, and he said he might have already run out of the cave entrance to report the news. Knowing that reinforcements would arrive soon, Luo Tingrui simply didn't walk out anymore but actively moved inward.

Walking and walking, he felt himself beginning to feel dizzy, his footsteps beginning to soften, and his vision gradually blurring.

"I started by thinking it was oxygen thinness, but thinking about it afterward, I should have been..."

Luo Tingrui paused and looked at the four sitting in front of him.

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng were fascinated by the story, and Xue Liangliang took the words: "Poisoned?"

Luo Tingrui turned to look at Li Zhuiyuan, signaling him to guess.

Li Zhuiyuan revealed a shy smile and asked: "Fell asleep?"

Hearing this answer, Luo Tingrui opened his mouth slightly, seeming to feel a bit surprised.

"Xiaoyuan, how did you guess this?"

"Because when I'm sleepy, I'm also like this."

Luo Tingrui nodded noncommittally and continued the narration: "Looking back afterward, I should have fallen asleep, because the companion who saved me told me that I was unconscious in the crevice at the time.

But I don't think this was a dream, because everything was too real.

I stumbled and walked to the very end, and I saw a magnificent hall, I saw singing girls and dancers performing, and I saw people drinking and making merry.

I was also invited to join. They asked me many things, and I also asked them some.

It was just that I couldn't remember the specific questions and answers. I only remembered that we seemed to have chatted for a long time, and drank a lot. Finally, I was so drunk that I didn't know anything.

After waking up, I found myself lying in a tent in the camp.

Does it look like 'Peach Blossom Spring'?"

Tan Wenbin nodded: "It really looks like it, and it's all 'first extremely narrow, then passable for people', and then 'suddenly enlightened', and the development behind is also very similar. After chatting and asking questions, they entertained with wine and meat."

Xue Liangliang asked: "Then did you report it up, teacher?"

"Naturally, I reported it, but many people reported it in those two days. Some people saw soldiers wearing ancient armor in the passage, and also strange women wearing ancient costumes."

"Then the subsequent investigation, that crevice?"

"Later, the water rose, the project was submerged, and those key areas seemed to have had an accident. Some people didn't come out. As for more specific details, I don't know."

Xue Liangliang: "Did the higher-ups not believe it?"

Luo Tingrui shook his head: "It's very likely they believed it, but still felt it didn't matter."

Tan Wenbin said: "Then it's not like 'Peach Blossom Spring'. Your story sounds a bit eerie afterward. 'Peach Blossom Spring' is a beautiful story."

Li Zhuiyuan spoke: "Maybe the place recorded in 'Peach Blossom Spring' wasn't a village of living people to begin with."

"Xiaoyuan, why do you say that?" Luo Tingrui looked at the boy curiously again.

"I'm just speaking from feeling. Teacher, can you tell me more details?"

"Details? Can. Is there paper and pen? I'll draw."

"I have!" Tan Wenbin immediately took out the notebook and pen he carried with him and handed them over.

Luo Tingrui began to draw. His meticulous brushwork was very good, and the details were drawn very well. First, he drew a piece of clothing, then drew a knife, and finally drew a set of armor.

It was very obvious that although this matter had passed for many years, it had always been lingering in Luo Gong's heart, ruminating from time to time, otherwise he wouldn't remember it so clearly until now.

The four leaned over to look together, but for the other three, they could only see that they were ancient things. As for more, they couldn't see it.

After looking at it for two glances, Li Zhuiyuan said: "Goguryeo?"

Luo Tingrui crossed his hands and asked very seriously: "Xiaoyuan, do you really not consider changing your major?"

The boy shook his head immediately.

"I'm just afraid of burying your talent." Luo Tingrui reached out and touched the boy's head, "How much stuff is actually loaded in this little head?"

Tan Wenbin asked in confusion: "What is Goguryeo?"

Xue Liangliang reminded: "The wrong pronunciation is Gao Ju Li."

Tan Wenbin realized: "Oh, I understand this, I know. Fortunately, history doesn't test pinyin."

Luo Tingrui continued: "Later, I drew some things I saw in the dream and visited and asked in many places, and only then did I manage to ask for a clue."

The Goguryeo separatist regime in the Northeast existed for a long time, and its historical fame was also very high, but its fame mainly lay in being the background board for Emperor Yang of Sui, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Gaozong of Tang. People in the country generally weren't very interested in its cultural aspects. Instead, people in Korea liked to steal it and claim it as their own ancestors.

This was also why Luo Tingrui would be so surprised when Li Zhuiyuan recognized this thing.

"After that, due to work and personal reasons, I have been to Ji'an many times. In the last two times, I went to find the experts who specialize in excavating and researching Goguryeo culture there, and also went to the museum there, only then did I confirm that what I dreamed that night wasn't false, because before that night, I hadn't been in contact with specific things about Goguryeo culture at all. I hadn't seen them in reality, so how could I imagine them?"

Xue Liangliang asked: "Teacher, what about that project?"

Luo Tingrui lit a cigarette and took a puff: "I even checked back the year before last. I only know that the accident that happened in that project at that time was much more serious than what I knew, but the relevant information and files of the project were all sealed and couldn't be accessed."

Tan Wenbin laughed: "You really are unforgettable about it, like treating it as a white moonlight."

Luo Tingrui was also amused by this metaphor: "Indeed, after all, I was young at that time, and I started working early, not much older than you are now.

Actually, in later work, I encountered several more serious and more bizarre ones."

Tan Wenbin said expectantly: "Tell us more."

"Can't tell. For the Goguryeo matter, I didn't have the right to access the files at the time. As for the several matters afterward, I myself belong to the part of the files that should be sealed."

"Sigh, what a pity." Tan Wenbin sighed with great disappointment.

"Such things, you will also encounter in the future. At that time, you will also be required to keep secrets.

Alright, let's talk about the current matter. Let's not talk about the underground palace or anything. Just the underground river you discovered is enough to kill the plan advocated by Ma Yiming."

Xue Liangliang spoke: "Actually, this matter doesn't concern team leader Ma..."

"The higher-ups are clear, but if something happens, someone has to take responsibility. Of course, there won't really be a heavy punishment for him. It mainly depends on whether he can walk out of it himself.

I don't want to see his crying and sobbing look, and I'm too lazy to comfort him. Since the founding of the country, how many martyr monuments have stood beside roads and bridges? I have witnessed many myself, and the best way to comfort them is to continue building the homeland."

As he spoke, Luo Tingrui raised the cup containing soy milk in his hand, and everyone also raised their cups and clinked them.

Tan Wenbin drank the soy milk in one gulp, sighing in his heart: He is indeed a big leader. When it comes to raising values, he is much more natural than his own biological father.

"Liangliang, you go to another team with me in two days. We are going to concentrate on tackling that set of plans, striving to complete it as soon as possible."

"Alright, teacher."

"Xiaoyuan, what about you?"

"Ah?" Li Zhuiyuan pointed at himself, "Can I continue to go?"

"I want to ask you, having just experienced such a thing, do you need to take a vacation to rest?"

"Alright, rest." Li Zhuiyuan nodded. He also felt tired, and he still had to go to Fengdu.

"Hmm, you are still young, pay attention to combining work and rest, and also exercise your body actively. I heard that the bodies of child prodigies are generally not very good."

"It's not that exaggerated, teacher, but I have remembered your words."

Xue Liangliang took the initiative to bring up a matter: "Teacher, we didn't actively attract that thing to save people at the time."

"I know, didn't you just tell me?"

"I don't want to falsely claim this honor."

"Liangliang... and you all, listen too. Sometimes we all dream of making ourselves an absolutely pure and flawless person, but it is inevitable that there will be dust in this world, and sometimes sandstorms will even blow."

"I understand this principle, but teacher..."

"After this kind of thing happens, if there can be an advanced model that can be set up, Ma Yiming and the others can also have an easier time."

"I understand."

After the late-night snack ended, Luo Tingrui left first, and the four returned to the guesthouse.

Tan Wenbin said with lingering interest: "The taste of Wanzhou grilled fish is indeed good. I think learning the technique here and opening a branch in another place will definitely make money."

Xue Liangliang: "If you have this idea, I can invest in you."

"No, no, I just mentioned it. How can making money be as important as learning."

Immediately after, Tan Wenbin asked in a low voice: "This, honor, can it add points?"

"Our Haihe University is not hard to get into, and this matter will be kept secret from society."

"Oh." Tan Wenbin dropped his shoulders.

Runsheng asked: "Can't you think of other ways to add points?"

Tan Wenbin shrugged: "Other ways would be for my biological father to be glorious in his post."

Runsheng was choked.

The big pile of rotted straw-like things that Tan Wenbin brought out was packed in a bag. Li Zhuiyuan handed this bag and a piece of paper to Xue Liangliang.

"Brother Liangliang, what's written on the paper is the restoration method."

"Don't worry, I'll go into that team and meet with the teacher in two days. In these two days, I'll drive back to the mountain city and find a unit to help you handle this matter first." Xue Liangliang scanned the things needed on the paper, "The materials aren't hard to get, most are ready-made, but since you want to keep it secret, you certainly can't go to cultural relic units. My friend can do it, but the time he spends will be quite long."

"It doesn't matter, take it to be processed and restored slowly. Mainly, this thing was brought out and can't be left in the external environment for too long. I don't have very good storage conditions here either."

"Okay, leave it to me. Then you are going to Fengdu next?"

"Runsheng needs to change his medicine once more tomorrow, we'll go the day after tomorrow."

"Pay attention to safety on the road. Contact me when you want to return, I'll book tickets for you."

"I'll tell you when I leave."

On the morning of the third day, Li Zhuiyuan went to Fengdu with Runsheng and Tan Wenbin. Halfway, they first took a car, then changed to a boat, and got off directly at the pier of Fengdu County.

Actually, the easiest way was to call the Ding family and let the Ding family help him find out if the Yin family in Fengdu was still there, but that was Grandma Liu's connection after all. Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to do that too much. Let's try to see if he can find it himself first.

From the moment they got off the pier, it was very noisy. On the street going all the way up, people were moving and merchants were standing. This happened to catch up with the Ghost Festival temple fair in Fengdu.

Tan Wenbin was very excited, looking here and there: "Hey, don't say, the temple fair here is indeed much more lively and fun than the temple fair in our Nantong. No, ours can't compare to theirs at all."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, tourism is originally going from a place you are tired of staying to a place someone else is tired of staying."

"Oh, also, I almost forgot, you returning to Nantong is also equivalent to tourism."

"Hmm, about the same."

"But Xiaoyuan, I really feel that people in Sichuan and Chongqing love and know how to live more. In our place, I can't even find a late-night snack stall after evening self-study.

Ha, I want to eat that, do you want it?"

All kinds of local special snacks made people dazzled, and the prices were all very cheap. Even Runsheng, who was always frugal and didn't like eating outside, didn't feel heartache for money this time.

The three tasted everywhere, just treating it as solving lunch, and in this atmosphere and environment, Runsheng's act of eating fragrantly didn't count as attracting attention.

Tan Wenbin came to a ghost mask stall, where two masters were painting and making them. He stood on the side and watched for a long time, and then asked the master to paint a Sun Wukong mask for him.

He didn't dare to buy a ghost mask and take it away, otherwise, if he glanced at it when getting up to pee at night, he would be scared into a cold sweat.

After painting, he paid the money, and Tan Wenbin put the mask on his face, gesturing a monkey movement:

"Tai, monster, hand over my Xiaoyuan!"

Next, they came to a tea stall. At this time, covered-bowl tea was very popular at temple fairs everywhere. Inside, sugar or various fruit crystals were often put. It was very comfortable to buy a cup to drink when tired of walking.

It was just that the covered-bowl tea here was obviously different from other places. It was brewed on the spot. He couldn't smell what tea leaves they were, but the taste was very thick. The horizontal sail hanging said "Soul-Bewitching Tea" on the left and "Meng Po Soup" on the right.

Tan Wenbin bought three cups, and the three sat on small benches and drank slowly. The taste was okay, very thick but not bitter.

There were mostly locals at the temple fair, but there were also quite a few tourists attracted by the Ghost Festival, and one could also see some foreigners.

"Xiaoyuan, is this really the Yama Hall?" Runsheng pointed to the building complex above and asked.

"It is the Fengdu Great Emperor, in charge of the underworld, the ancestor of all souls returning to the underworld."

"Sounds very powerful." Tan Wenbin sipped his tea, "Is he a local?" "There is a saying that the Fengdu Great Emperor is Yin Changsheng. He was the younger brother of Empress Yin Lihua of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He didn't covet the wealth of his family and thought about cultivating the Dao with all his heart. Finally, he obtained the predestined connection and ascended to heaven in broad daylight in Fengdu."

"The Empress's younger brother?" Tan Wenbin clicked his tongue, "Not properly enjoying wealth and glory, what Dao is he cultivating."

"Pursuits are different. Didn't you also refuse Brother Liangliang's investment for you to open a Wanzhou grilled fish branch the day before yesterday."

"So I am also so 'out of the mud without being stained'."

Runsheng asked: "Xiaoyuan, why does every shop here have to put a small water vat in front?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It should be some kind of custom."

After finishing the tea, the three continued to walk up. Next, Li Zhuiyuan prepared to find a funeral shop to ask about the local corpse-salvagers. If the surname was Yin, then he would send a sum of money to the other party's home, which would be considered ending that causal connection in the underground palace.

After passing the big archway of "Fengdu Ghost City," he saw a stone tablet behind. On the stone tablet was written a sentence:

"If a son doesn't walk at night, how can he know there are night walkers above?"

This sentence came from "Baopuzi" by Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty. It told what Yin Changsheng had said. The general meaning was that only after he became an immortal did he know how many immortals there were in the world, just like if you don't go out at night, you don't know there are people walking the night road as well.

This sentence had another feeling for Li Zhuiyuan now. Before coming into contact with corpse-salvagers, he didn't know there were things like dead in the world. After coming into contact and learning, he discovered there were really quite a few, and there were also many peers.

Looking inside along the stone tablet, it was facing a shop. The shop sign said: "Yin Jun Coffin Shop."

Two signs were hung at the shop entrance, written "Ascend the coffin and get rich," "Fortune arrives and luck comes."

Yin Jun is the honorific title of Yin Changsheng, so the shop owner doesn't necessarily have the surname Yin, but since it's a coffin shop, it should also have some relationship with corpse-salvagers.

For example, his own great-grandfather used to have a very good relationship with the funeral industry chain upstream and downstream, and it wasn't until his great-grandfather started the industry chain himself that they turned against each other.

Walking into the shop, it was relatively deserted inside. Deep inside, a red and a black coffin were placed. As for the counter, various small coffins were placed, like toy figures.

And they were painted with patterns of different styles, including Ultraman, Astro Boy, and Transformers.

Coinciding with the temple fair, there were many customers in other shops, but it was deserted here. Whether it was locals or tourists, obviously not many were willing to buy a coffin or buy a small coffin toy to take back while visiting the temple fair.

Tan Wenbin picked up a coffin, opened it, and closed it again, sighing: "Really exquisite, the boss also has a business mind, but the route chosen is wrong. No matter how hard you work, it has no significance."

Coinciding with the temple fair, there were many customers in other shops, but it was deserted here. Whether it was locals or tourists, obviously not many were willing to buy a coffin or buy a small coffin toy to take back while visiting the temple fair.

Tan Wenbin opened and closed it several times, asking with a smile: "Xiaoyuan, how about we buy two and take them back to use as pencil cases?"

"Hello, which one do you like? Buying two together can be counted as cheaper."

The curtain of the inner room was lifted, and a girl of the same age as Tan Wenbin walked out carrying a bowl of noodles. Her skin was a bit dark, but her height was considered tall among locals, and her whole body exuded a straightforward energy.

"Come, these two, I want them."

"Okay."

Tan Wenbin knew that Li Zhuiyuan wanted to ask about things, so he bought something first.

Runsheng asked: "Buy another one to give to Zhou Yunyun?"

Tan Wenbin didn't get angry after hearing it, but was moved instead: "Hey, don't say, it's really quite romantic."

The girl boss said with a smile: "Want it? There are couple styles."

"Give me a set."

"Good, I'll get it for you." The girl took out two small coffins from below, one black and one red. The workmanship was very exquisite, and they had grooves and buckles, so the two coffins could be spliced together.

Tan Wenbin laughed: "Really fun."

The girl boss responded: "That's right. If I were a girl, receiving this from a boy I liked, I would definitely be happy to death."

Li Zhuiyuan asked in confusion: "Aren't you a girl?"

"Ah, I am." The girl boss laughed, "Said it wrong, said it wrong."

Seeing that Tan Wenbin really paid the money and packed the four small coffins, out of desk-mate friendship, Li Zhuiyuan still asked: "Brother Binbin, are you really going to give this to class monitor Zhou?"

"I just simply think it's quite fun." Tan Wenbin rolled his eyes, "Really give it? I'm not stupid."

The girl boss said with dissatisfaction: "Why can't you really give it? It shows that the girl doesn't understand the connotation. This is the romance in our traditional culture."

Tan Wenbin nodded: "Although I still won't give it, I think you are right."

"Listening to your accents, you are tourists from out of town. Where are you from?"

Tan Wenbin: "Nantong."

The girl boss asked in confusion: "Where is Nantong? Is it in Anhui or Jiangxi?"

Tan Wenbin: "Jiangsu."

"Oh, I know Jiangsu. Jin Ling, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Huai'an, Xuzhou, those are all famous. Nantong... is also famous."

Tan Wenbin asked mischievously: "For example?"

"For example..." The girl boss got stuck.

Li Zhuiyuan prepared to ask about the main business: "Boss, do you know about the corpse-salvagers nearby? That is, the ones in the village who specialize in salvaging floaters."

"Corpse-salvagers?" The girl boss asked in confusion, "Who do you want to salvage?"

"Not salvaging anyone, just asking. Do you know them? If it's more specific, do you know any corpse-salvagers with the surname Yin?"

The girl boss "scooted" and walked quickly into the inner room. Soon, the curtain was lifted again. Only then did she walk out holding a Yellow River shovel in her left hand: "I have the surname Yin. My name is Yin Meng."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't expect that it would be so easy to find, but he still continued to ask: "Does your family have a genealogy?"

"Why do you want to ask so specifically?"

"Sending money."

"Yes."

"Is it convenient to take it out and let me see?"

"Will you give money after looking?"

"There must be the name Yin Zhiwang on it."

"Yin Zhiwang, yes. That was almost two hundred years ago. I remember it very clearly."

"Hmm?"

"It is recorded in the genealogy that a man-eating big snake appeared in Wan County. He took people to catch the snake, but they didn't return after going. I'll go get it for you to see."

"No need." Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Wenbin: "Give the money."

Tan Wenbin took out the money and placed it on the counter. This money was tied with a red rope.

Yin Meng first picked up the money, and then asked with some disbelief: "What's wrong? Where did you encounter the dead he turned into?"

"Hmm."

"Ah?" Yin Meng hurriedly waved her hand, "Don't scare me, I was just talking nonsense earlier."

Being able to hold a Yellow River shovel and also say "dead" proved that she was indeed a peer, and purer than the kind of great-grandfather.

Since that was the case, there was no need to hide too much.

"Owe him a favor, came here specifically to return it this time. You accept this money, and our matter is settled."

"Hehehehe..." Yin Meng let out a string of laughter, and while counting the money, said, "Oh my, this is really an ancestor showing spirit to send money. I was just worrying about how to pay next month's rent."

Tan Wenbin suggested: "Doing business like this, the rent is indeed not easy to handle."

"Then what can I do?"

"You can sell Wanzhou grilled fish."

Yin Meng blinked her eyes.

Tan Wenbin added: "Yangzhou fried rice is also fine."

Yin Meng pushed the half-bowl of noodles in front of her. They were hanging noodles, without toppings, just poured with soy sauce.

Tan Wenbin nodded to indicate: "Understood."

"Have you eaten? I'll cook noodles for you? Or I'll go to the shop opposite to buy a few dishes and invite

Li Zhuiyuan: "We have already eaten."

"Then stay for dinner. You came all this way to deliver money, so I must at least keep you for a meal. Besides, I personally feel that my ancestor probably couldn't have helped you with anything anyway."

"He did help."

"I don't believe it. If he could have helped you, he wouldn't have died there himself and been unable to return home."

"There is also this jade pendant." Li Zhuiyuan took out the jade pendant and placed it on the counter, "I'll leave this with you too."

Yin Meng lowered her head to look at it twice, then pushed the pendant back: "One thing is one thing. I've accepted the money, but this pendant is yours."

"Alright." Li Zhuiyuan did not decline and took the pendant back, "Then we'll be going."

"Hey, why not go up there and play for a while longer? The scenic spots are up there."

"We are going."

"The boats stop running early here. Since you're out to have fun, don't be in such a rush. Take your time, stay here for the night, and sleep in my shop. It'll save you the money of getting a hotel."

Since they were out to have fun, and the other party had repeatedly and warmly invited them to stay, Li Zhuiyuan did not continue to refuse: "We're troubling you."

"Hey, are you really not some big dead-walker who crawled out after waking up from a water burial?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. Come here, let me test you." Yin Meng pulled a talisman paper from her pocket and stuck it onto Li Zhuiyuan's body. Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan had no reaction, she feigned surprise and said, "My god, how terrifying, are you really that fierce!"

Everyone knew she was joking.

"To receive without giving is not polite. Hey, spirit, I'm going to stick one on you too!"

Tan Wenbin took out a "Secret Scroll of Zhuiyuan" talisman and stuck it onto Yin Meng's forehead.

The next moment, the talisman paper turned purple.

Tan Wenbin was so scared he jumped up and screamed, "Holy crap!"

Yin Meng was a bit confused.

Li Zhuiyuan stood on tiptoe, reached out to peel off the talisman paper, and said, "Brother Binbin, the talisman paper got wet. It turns purple when it encounters grease."

"Oh... oh!" Tan Wenbin scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Runsheng leaned over and said, "I would have said something if there was a water-corpse smell."

Yin Meng laughed so hard she doubled over: "I almost thought I really was a dead-walker, hahahahaha!"

The three of them walked out of the coffin shop. When they reached the entrance, Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the small water vat at the door and asked, "What is the reason for placing this at the entrance of every shop?"

Yin Meng: "This is Fengdou Ghost City, and this street is called Ghost Street. It's not just the living who like to go shopping; they come out once night falls.

In the past, there were no light bulbs, and after dark, candles didn't provide enough light. When merchants closed their doors to count copper coins, they would often count paper ones.

Later, it gradually became a custom to place a water vat at the shop entrance. When the copper coins received were placed inside, the ones that floated were fake money, and they wouldn't do business with that customer."

Tan Wenbin asked, "But now that it's all paper currency, and they all float, wouldn't every shop need to have a money detector?"

Yin Meng: "That stuff is expensive, I can't afford it."

Tan Wenbin was stunned for a moment: "No, you can still receive them now?"

Yin Meng reached out to pull open the drawer under the counter and took out a small stack of Hell Bank paper money from inside:

"Here, this is what I've received from the beginning of this month until now. It was originally enough to pay next month's rent, but who knew it wasn't business with the living."

Tan Wenbin carefully touched the paper money with his fingertips: "You're joking, right? Are you adding to our immersion for the tour?"

"That's right, what era is this? Where would there still be ghosts? You don't even see floaters much anymore. I haven't opened for business to fish out corpses in a long time."

"You don't even see floaters anymore? That shouldn't be right. You have so many water systems here, surely there must be people who accidentally fall in and drown?"

"They all find people in the village to fish them out. They rarely come to me; they think the shops on the street are expensive."

"Are you actually very cheap?"

"I'm definitely expensive," Yin Meng said as a matter of course. "If the price were cheap, wouldn't that lower my status? After all, I am a proper corpse-fisher."

Tan Wenbin pursed his lips: "You deserve it for not being able to pay your rent."

"Let's go, Brother Binbin."

"Hey, coming, wait for me, Xiaoyuan."

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan took Runsheng and Tan Wenbin to tour Fengdou Ghost City very carefully and earnestly. There were many sculptures and temples here, and it didn't feel scary to tour during the day.

Midway, they encountered two performance troupes. The three of them watched the performances, which were rich in traditional folk atmosphere.

Runsheng and Tan Wenbin watched very intently, wishing they could read every explanation plaque under every sculpture. Ordinary tourists just took a cursory glance, while they were supplementing their extracurricular knowledge.

Li Zhuiyuan just walked slowly, appreciating some of the old-fashioned architecture and sculpture styles. As for those explanation plaques, he didn't need to look at them because he had plenty of stock in his brain.

When he was little and Li Lan didn't hate him so much yet, he could stay in her study while Li Lan worked. Li Lan would either give him blueprints to play with or throw a pile of books in front of him and let him flip through them.

When it was almost dark, the three of them went down the mountain and returned to Ghost Street.

At this time, there were still quite a few people on the street. Many nearby residents had things to do during the day, so many people could only come to the temple fair at night.

Furthermore, the atmosphere of the Ghost City had to be paired with the night to be more flavorful, especially with so many red and white lanterns up there; once they were lit after nightfall, it would be absolutely fitting.

At the entrance of the coffin shop, there was still no one, and Yin Meng was once again too lazy to guard behind the counter.

"We're back," Tan Wenbin greeted loudly.

Yin Meng lifted the curtain and poked her head out: "I stewed some pig trotters. Let's have a good meal tonight, it's going to be great!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Sounds good."

Seven o'clock, night had fallen.

Yin Meng brought out a large basin of pig trotters, and everyone sat around the small table.

The pig trotters melted in the mouth and were stewed very tender.

The premise was that one had to ignore the prickling sensation in their mouths, because Yin Meng had forgotten to process the pig hair.

She was indeed a lively and cheerful person. Perhaps because business wasn't busy, she rarely had anyone to chat with, so she happily started telling stories while eating tonight.

Runsheng only focused on eating, Li Zhuiyuan occasionally chimed in, and their side's main force was Tan Wenbin, who didn't fall behind in chatting with Yin Meng.

Moreover, Binbin deliberately used the Sichuan-Chongqing dialect he had just learned a little of to chat. The pronunciation wasn't accurate, but he had learned the tone. As the two talked, their tones got higher and higher, and their speaking speed got faster and faster, as if they were singing folk songs.

However, they didn't talk too much about corpse-fishing, because Yin Meng didn't have much practical experience. She had fished out floaters, but she had never seen a real dead-walker.

Her knowledge and skills in corpse-fishing were all learned from her grandfather. Her parents divorced when she was very young; her father went to the south to make his way, and once he left, there was no news. Her mother married into a family in a town below and had two more boys. When she was young and didn't know any better, Yin Meng had gone to look for her mother, but after she grew up, she realized her mother actually didn't want to bother with her.

When they reached this point, Li Zhuiyuan and Yin Meng raised their sodas and clinked glasses.

She lived with her grandfather most of the time. Her grandfather ran this shop and was also a proper corpse-fisher. Later, her grandfather handed the shop over to her to inherit.

She was actually very smart, and if she did another business, she should be able to make money, but she didn't want to change the nature of this shop because she knew her grandfather wouldn't agree.

Li Zhuiyuan had looked at the calluses on her palms and the changes in her toes every time she stood up or sat down, knowing that she possessed martial arts.

This was also the reason why she, a young girl, could run the shop alone; the local hooligans on the street had basically all been beaten by her.

She jokingly said that if she wanted to, she could completely be the big sister of Ghost Street and collect protection money here.

Runsheng, who was obsessed with gnawing on pig trotters, took the initiative to raise his glass here and clinked it with her.

Li Zhuiyuan had asked her if her grandfather had left behind any books or the like, and she asked back in confusion: Don't corpse-fishers all rely on generation-to-generation oral instruction? What could you learn from reading books?

This made Li Zhuiyuan feel slightly disappointed. He had wanted to see what his peers collected, but unfortunately, there wasn't any. At the same time, he was also a bit envious. Judging from Yin Meng's various detailed performances, her grandfather's level must have been very high, and she had received a very complete "educational instruction."

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel that his own great-grandfather was bad because of this. After all, his great-grandfather could "glug glug" pour in good fortune, and following his great-grandfather, he could at least eat and drink well every day.

In short, tonight was the most relaxed and comfortable night since leaving Nantong, and everyone was very happy and relaxed.

This sense of relaxation lasted until it was time to arrange for sleep, when it was broken.

"What, you want us to sleep in coffins?"

Tan Wenbin held his head, looking incredulous.

And Yin Meng was currently putting quilts into the coffins inside.

"What's wrong? Sleeping in a coffin is so comfortable."

"Can I sleep on a floor mat outside?"

"This is on the mountain, it's cold at night, and I don't have enough bedding here, so it's warmer in the coffins."

Tan Wenbin muttered: "First time hearing that 'warm' can be used for a coffin."

The inner room was a storeroom and kitchen, with three coffins inside, while two were placed in the shop outside.

Since they were already here, they might as well do as the locals do.

In the end, Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng slept in the two coffins outside, and Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng slept inside.

Coffins were like stinky tofu; they looked off-putting, but once you lay inside, they were actually quite comfortable, with a sense of security from being wrapped up.

Of course, the coffin lid had to be opened a bit to facilitate ventilation.

They were tired from traveling and touring during the day, so Tan Wenbin soon entered dreamland, and then he heard someone scraping his coffin lid with their fingernails.

"Rustle... rustle..."

Tan Wenbin was so scared that cold sweat broke out, and he pulled the quilt up to his face, only daring to leave a pair of eyes squinting to look upward.

Then, Runsheng's face appeared above: "Hehe."

"What are you doing!"

"Peeing."

The toilet was behind the inner room, and Runsheng slept outside, so he had to pass through the inner room to go to the toilet.

Tan Wenbin was so angry he covered his face directly with the quilt and ignored him.

After a while, he heard the "rustle" sound coming from the coffin lid again.

Tan Wenbin began to feel afraid. He felt that this time it wouldn't be Runsheng again, so who was it?

The next moment, Runsheng's face appeared again.

"What on earth are you doing!"

"I'm done peeing, going back to sleep, just letting you know."

Tan Wenbin was so angry his teeth itched.

With great difficulty, he managed to brew a little bit of sleepiness again.

"Rustle... rustle..."

Tan Wenbin opened his eyes and pounded the coffin lid with his hand.

The sound disappeared.

Tan Wenbin turned on his side, continuing to look for sleepiness.

"Rustle... rustle..."

Tan Wenbin lifted the quilt, grabbed the edge of the coffin with both hands, and sat up from the coffin.

He discovered that there was no one around his coffin.

Runsheng ran that fast?

Tan Wenbin swallowed his saliva, feeling a bit creeped out again in his heart. He didn't dare to go out, but instead shrank back into the coffin.

"Rustle... rustle..."

The sound appeared again. Tan Wenbin covered his head with the quilt, pretending not to hear it, and at the same time pulled his feet into the quilt.

Then, the sound disappeared again.

Tan Wenbin kept his face smothered in the quilt. This time he smothered it for a long enough time that his face was sweating, thinking that Runsheng, that guy, must have fallen asleep and stopped teasing him.

He intended to get some air, grabbed the quilt with both hands, and planned to do a quick lift and cover.

One, two, three...

The quilt on his face was lifted, but it couldn't be covered back as originally planned.

Because,

An old face had already poked into the coffin at some unknown time, and was just like that, face-to-face with him.

(End of chapter)