Chapter 87

"Whatever you want, Grandma will give it to you."

A person's wealth does not just refer to gold, silver, jewelry, house deeds, or social connections; it is also a kind of stature.

Do not be fooled by the old lady's usual air of pampered luxury and grace; when it truly comes time to open her eyes, she will let you witness what it means for the Long Wang family to swallow the world with their spirit.

At this moment, Li Li Zhuiyuan felt that the calculations he had been making in his heart these past few days seemed quite petty.

Only in front of such a person would the young man feel that he was still just a child.

"Thank you, Grandma."

Liu Liu Yumei walked slowly to Li Li Zhuiyuan and looked at the young man before her.

"Grandma is getting old, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, and I was truly deceived by you, child."

This was her way of slapping her own face.

It meant that all the past events—the pleasant and the unpleasant, the wariness and probing between the two—could all be turned over.

"Grandma, you are 'rarely muddled'."

"Muddled is muddled; there is no need to add a prefix, as if Grandma is forcing a show of face."

"Great-Grandfather is also 'rarely muddled', which shows that you, Grandma, are a blessed person."

The corners of Liu Liu Yumei's mouth could no longer be suppressed.

Since the page had been turned, it meant the inner tension had been let go. Looking at this child, he naturally became more and more pleasing to the eye, and in three days, this child would also become "one of our own."

She felt the happiness that Li Sanjiang felt.

No wonder that old thing had been smiling all day long for the past year; it turned out he had been living so happily.

"Are you short..."

As soon as these words left her mouth, Liu Liu Yumei stopped herself.

How could she be like that old thing, asking a child if he was short of money every time she opened her mouth?

Although she had money in abundance, that was precisely why giving money was the least sincere gesture.

Even if she gave a whole stack of pocket money, it wouldn't compare to the crumpled, dog-eared bill that old thing Li Sanjiang pulled out of his pocket.

If the child were truly short of money, that would be one thing, but ever since he first arrived at Li Sanjiang's house and stood on that terrace, she had only needed one glance to know that this child took money very lightly.

It wasn't that he had truly become an immortal who didn't need to eat grains, but that there are simply people in this world who are born without having to worry about their livelihood.

This was different from ordinary wealthy children, who were just fat pigs guarding a larger rice granary, counting on their hooves that they would never finish eating it all in their lifetime.

For this kid, he only needed to take a step back, and at the very least, he could be supported by the state.

Liu Liu Yumei reached out, touched Li Li Zhuiyuan's collar, and said:

"I should make you a few summer outfits, and autumn clothes should be prepared in advance too. Don't worry, you are different from A Li; you have to show your face in public, so Grandma will definitely make you the trendiest styles."

Li Li Zhuiyuan whispered, "Styles like A Li's are actually fine too."

"Hehehehe."

Liu Liu Yumei laughed again, this time laughing until she bent at the waist.

Beside her, Liu Yi couldn't help but roll her eyes in her heart: Who was it that kept mocking Old Man Li for being led around by the nose by this kid? I think you're about the same now.

"Grandma, I'll be going now."

"Mm, go ahead." Liu Liu Yumei waved her hand.

Just as Li Li Zhuiyuan was walking away, Liu Liu Yumei suddenly called him back and asked, "Think again, have you forgotten anything?"

The young man opened the canvas bag in his hand, revealing the *Liu Family Qi-Gazing Art* wrapped inside, and held it up to wave at Liu Liu Yumei:

"Didn't forget, I have it with me."

Liu Liu Yumei was somewhat surprised, but her heart was filled with even more joy.

This meant that even if the child hadn't waited for her today, and without her previous words, he would still have taken the book, which counted as a tacit acceptance of this initiation process.

"You brat, Grandma thought you wouldn't let go of the hawk until you saw the rabbit."

"How could that be."

When A Li hugged her and patted her head, repeating in silence the words she had once said to her, the outcome had actually already been determined.

"Go back and read it carefully. If there's anything you don't understand..." Liu Liu Yumei paused. She thought of the child's terrifying talent for reading, but since it was the family's secret art, a sense of confidence rose in her heart. "If you don't understand, come and ask me; I'll explain it to you."

"Alright, Grandma."

Li Li Zhuiyuan felt that, in order not to ruin the atmosphere, he should hide the fact that he had already read the secret manuals of both the Qin and Liu families.

The old lady cared about her face. If she knew he had finished reading her family's secret art before she even asked, and she couldn't vent her anger on him, she would only be able to sulk and continue to ruin those high-quality official kiln porcelains.

For this period, he would pretend he was reading it for the first time and had realized a deeper layer within it.

Then,

He would explain it to the old lady.

After the young man left, Liu Yi walked up to support Liu Liu Yumei: "I can tell, you are truly happy today."

"Still need to touch it some more."

"Why, are you still worried?"

"What kind of talk is that? Even if you know it's a good item and not a fake, can't you keep holding it in your hands to play with it?"

"Understood, you've found a treasure and want to enjoy looking at it slowly."

"Can't I?"

"Yes, yes, yes, you can do whatever you want, but I must remind you: people say that a mother-in-law likes her son-in-law more the more she looks at him. You're still a generation off, so don't really get yourself trapped in it. When the time comes and you've lost all your family fortune to someone else, don't go wailing:

'Oh my, why was I so pig-headed and blinded back then!'"

"A Ting, I think your skin has been itching these past few days."

"Why, if you're happy, can't we subordinates be happy too? In the past, taking someone into the family was a joyous occasion; you would even have to give me a red envelope."

"Take it, take it, take it. Whatever you want from these things in the house, just take it. Who's stopping you?"

"I don't want anything else; I just want you to start drinking your medicinal soup on time starting tonight."

"That stuff is too bitter..."

"You are getting old and need to live to a hundred. A Li is still young, and Xiao Yuan is still young. If any storms rise on the river in the future, we'll still be counting on you to shield us from the wind and rain."

"I'll drink it, then."

The two entered the house and saw A Li walking down from upstairs.

"A Li, Xiao Yuan has agreed to join the sect, and your Grandma even let him take the *Liu Family Qi-Gazing Art*. You're happy now, right?"

Her intention was to tease A Li and make the girl happy, preferably with her little dimples appearing again.

But when A Li heard this, not only did she not look happy, but her gaze dimmed instead.

"What's wrong?" Liu Liu Yumei felt aggrieved too. "Since when has our family's Qi-Gazing Art been so unworthy of the table?"

A Li pushed open the door and walked into the ancestral tablet room, then carried a stack of tablets and walked upstairs.

Liu Liu Yumei could only instruct Liu Yi: "Make a new batch of tablets. This time, don't bring them into the house first; leave them outside. We'll need them in three days, so don't let there be any shortages."

"Don't worry, I know."

"Was A Li angry just now?"

"She certainly looked angry."

"In the past, A Li wouldn't make a sound all day, and I would be worried to death. Now that the child can express emotions, I find I understand her even less. It's truly strange."

"Exactly, and no one knows who she takes after."

"Slap your own mouth."

Walking on the street in the dead of night, Li Li Zhuiyuan was still savoring the scene with A Li in the room, touching his face lightly as he walked.

Before meeting A Li, it felt as if the mottled human skin on his face was about to fall off, held in place by several staples from a stapler.

After seeing A Li today, it was as if new skin had grown, making him feel at a loss while also feeling a bit itchy.

He didn't go straight back to school but walked toward the food street outside the North Gate. From far away, he saw the three shining characters on the newly erected light frame—"Old Sichuan."

For merchants in the school ecosystem, every freshman season is the time for promotion.

College students are very lazy; attracting and serving them well often means securing a stable source of customers for the next four years.

Although only freshmen needing military training had reported so far, there were few empty seats at the outdoor tables in front of Old Sichuan, and it was estimated that they would need to expand the shop soon.

When Li Li Zhuiyuan walked over, the police were just preparing to disperse.

After seeing off his new colleagues, Tan Yunlong lit a cigarette and saw Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"Uncle Tan, sorry, I'm late."

"No, I'm early. They all have families and need to eat quickly and go home. Xiao Yuan, let me order you a grilled fish, Boss..."

"No need, Uncle Tan, I've had some snacks, I'm not hungry."

Having sat in Liu Liu Yumei's study for so long, he had truly eaten plenty of tea snacks.

"Really not hungry? Don't be polite with your uncle."

"How could I be polite with you, Uncle Tan?"

"Alright then, shall we go for a walk?"

"Okay."

Tan Yunlong took out his wallet, preparing to pay the bill. Li Li Zhuiyuan walked to the landlady first and pointed to the table they had just been at. The landlady nodded and made a gesture of understanding.

"Uncle Tan, let's go."

Once they reached the other side of the street, Tan Yunlong smiled:

"It seems you really come here to eat often; you can even put it on a tab."

"This shop was opened by a friend of ours."

"Oh, no wonder."

At first, when everyone came here to eat, they still paid, but later, after Xue Liangliang said a word, the consumption of the four of them here was directly deducted from his monthly dividends.

After all, they were friends who had experienced life and death together, so there was no need for affectation.

"What about Brother Brother Binbin and the others?"

"Business is good at night, so he stayed in the shop to help. I didn't ask him to come out."

"So you and your son met today, but didn't get to eat a meal together?"

"I'm sleeping in your dorm tonight, sleeping in the same bed as Brother Binbin. Sorry to bother you, Xiao Yuan."

"It's fine, our dorm is spacious."

As the two walked, they entered the school.

"When I went to check Ran Qiuping's office today, I met that Yu Shu. I suspect my special transfer this time has something to do with him."

"Then it must be him."

It was not surprising that Yu Shu was involved in this case.

Because even if that fire had burned everything clean, it couldn't erase the fact that it was the "dojo" of the Mao father and son. Based on this, it was perfectly normal for Yu Shu to come and take a look.

"But what does it have to do with me? I'm not even close to him."

"Uncle Tan, it might be because you performed too well in those incidents in Shigang."

"Performed well? I just took him to a few places and submitted some special reports. I feel like I was just slacking off."

"It was already very good, because that's what they wanted. They actually don't care much about ordinary cases themselves."

"Saying it like that, I think I understand a little."

"Regardless, this is a good thing, isn't it?"

"It's still thanks to you." Tan Yunlong exhaled a long smoke ring; both he and his son owed the boy a favor.

"It's you who helped me a lot, Uncle Tan. Given my relationship with Brother Brother Binbin, there's no need for us to be so distant."

"Yu Shu wanted to see Brother Binbin's dorm, so Brother Binbin led him to a dorm that had red sausages."

"Mm."

"Xiao Yuan, is it that your affairs cannot be discovered by people like Yu Shu?"

"Uncle Tan, I don't want to get involved with them, but it's not that I can't be discovered. Just do your job according to your conscience; you don't need to worry about me. Of course, if you can take care of things a little bit without violating your principles, that would be best."

"Hehe."

As the two walked, they didn't specify where they were going, but their pace was consistent, heading toward one direction, and they arrived in front of an old-fashioned teaching building.

Tan Yunlong raised his wrist and glanced at the time.

"Uncle Tan, how much longer until the time of the incident?"

"Less than an hour."

"Do you think the murderer will come back to take a look?"

"Not sure, just trying our luck."

"Then I'll accompany you up to wait."

"Alright."

Tan Yunlong liked this feeling; the other person knew what he was thinking in his head, there was no nonsense, just straightforwardness.

The only drawback was that after interacting with the young man in front of him, facing his own son would create a severe sense of disparity, and then he would find everything about his son displeasing.

The two walked into the teaching building. When going up the stairs, they both tacitly lightened their footsteps, trying their best not to make a sound.

Freshmen had just enrolled, and teaching work had not yet fully unfolded. At this hour, there were basically no lights on in the old teaching building, and it was very quiet.

Passing a tiered classroom on the third floor, the door plate hung with "CJ-302." This was the place in the case file where the four, Wu Xinhui, were rehearsing their program that night.

At the end of this floor was the restroom, which was the scene of the crime.

The two hid their figures in the darkness of the corner, neither speaking, just standing there quietly.

Because of the five-person disappearance case, the school was in an uproar. Today, Tan Yunlong had again brought his colleagues to conduct another round of high-profile visits on campus, just like stirring the water in a fish pond.

There was a certain probability that it would stimulate that fish to return to the scene of the crime to reminisce.

Of course, the premise was that the fish was still in the school.

Therefore, Tan Yunlong had said he was just trying his luck tonight, and by the way, digesting his food; he didn't hold much hope.

In fact, the investigation had already started, and the police had conducted several rounds of questioning of relevant personnel, but it was only recently that the school had officially started, and today was also the day most faculty and staff returned to their posts.

Even if it was trying their luck, they hoped the probability would be as high as possible.

Waiting quietly, time passed bit by bit.

Finally, Tan Yunlong said: "Let's go."

"Mm."

The two walked down the stairs.

After they left, a black figure appeared at the entrance of CJ-302, his teeth looking very white in the moonlight.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Just at this moment, Tan Yunlong, who had already left, ran back.

The figure turned and ran, and Tan Yunlong chased after him with all his might.

But the figure didn't run downstairs; instead, he ran upward, chasing all the way to the rooftop.

Before Tan Yunlong could say anything, the figure turned his back to him and plunged down.

Li Li Zhuiyuan, who hadn't followed to chase the criminal but had stayed on the third floor, happened to see the figure falling from outside the railing in front of him.

The figure's posture during the fall looked very uncoordinated.

This meant that when the other party came out tonight, even his physique had been disguised.

"Bang!"

A dull thud of landing came from the ground.

Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't grab the railing with both hands to look down, but took a few steps back, away from the railing.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed the railing and pulled up, and a face poked out from the railing.

Now he looked very thin and weak; what had just fallen down must have been the clothes and the disguise.

If the young man had had a little more curiosity just now, he would have been grabbed by the neck by the person clinging there.

Li Li Zhuiyuan and the other party locked eyes. The other party's face was covered in bandages, revealing only a pair of eyes, but a pair of eyes was enough.

Just needing to remember the feeling of this gaze, Li Li Zhuiyuan believed he could discover him when they met in a crowd.

He hadn't thought about relying on his own strength to keep the other party. If it were an ordinary suspect, he could have used the young man's disguise to show the other party what solid basic skills were.

But the other party could fall from the rooftop and still silently grab the outer railing to support his body; Li Li Zhuiyuan had only seen Lu Runsheng do this kind of operation before.

This was a very formidable martial artist. Before he turned sixteen, before his bones were fully developed, and before his physical strength was supported, Li Li Zhuiyuan would never fight such a person.

And the other party was obviously somewhat surprised, because he seemed certain he hadn't made any noise, yet the young man had indeed stepped back in advance.

"Xiao Yuan!"

Tan Yunlong ran back to this floor.

Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out and pointed in front of him, telling Officer Tan the other party's position.

By the way, he reminded him: "Draw your gun."

Because he was very certain that for this kind of martial artist, only the gun at Tan Yunlong's waist could make the other party wary.

Without doubt or hesitation, he drew his gun smoothly.

The other party let go with both hands and fell.

Li Li Zhuiyuan's ears trembled slightly: "He landed on the second floor."

Tan Yunlong immediately ran down the stairs to the second floor.

Just at this moment, Li Li Zhuiyuan heard a sound again, and by the way, imagined the other party's movements. He jumped up again, grabbed the edge of the third floor—he wanted to come up again!

The other party was actually bold enough to play a cat-and-mouse game with an old policeman who had drawn his gun.

Or perhaps, the other party wanted to come up again to tease him?

Li Li Zhuiyuan reached his right hand into his pocket, pressed out a red mark, and then drew it all the way down his left arm.

His finger pointed at the area where the other party was about to poke his head out, his gaze fixed.

The other party's head poked out and immediately felt a bloody red in his vision and a buzzing in his brain.

In horror, the other party let go of his hand. This time, he landed completely on the ground.

"Police, stop!"

Tan Yunlong's voice came from the second floor.

Seeing a suspect and shouting "don't run" first is a plot in movies; in reality, one only shouts this when one feels one can't catch the suspect.

Li Li Zhuiyuan approached the railing and saw the figure like a black monkey, quickly running toward the dense flower bed in front.

"Bang!"

Tan Yunlong fired.

It was very decisive, and indeed it should be. The atmosphere was originally one of trying one's luck to catch a suspect, and this person could jump up and down, treating a teaching building with high floor spacing like a slide. At this moment, regardless of whether the other party was really the suspect from seven years ago, getting shot once wasn't unjust.

But just as the bullet was fired, Li Li Zhuiyuan saw the other party's body tilt in a very awkward posture. While not affecting his running progress, he was actively avoiding the bullet.

Then, the other party leaped, and his figure disappeared into the flower bed.

But that leap was a bit crooked; the force hadn't been fully applied.

Tan Yunlong had aimed at the other party's leg. Although the other party had avoided it, the bullet should have caused a graze on his leg.

Li Li Zhuiyuan walked slowly down the stairs. As he went down, he replayed the previous scene in his mind, incorporating the other party's strength, speed, and physical agility, and finally simulated the possibility of the other party actively launching an attack instead of running away at the first encounter.

By the way, he also simulated the possibility of the other party launching an attack on the two of them first while both were in the shadows.

Li Li Zhuiyuan's footsteps stopped.

Because the result of his brain's simulation was that the latter two possibilities gave the other party a greater chance of winning, especially the last one, where the outcome for him and Tan Yunlong would be very bad.

From this point of view, the possibility that the other party was the murderer from seven years ago was reduced.

It wasn't just that the other party didn't take the initiative to attack at the beginning, but that people with this kind of skill usually practiced "child's work" (Master Tongzi Gong).

Unless the other party was a child like him seven years ago—of course, a child whose development was incomplete back then couldn't have committed rape... and murder.

As long as the other party was an adult at that time, just like the sixteen-year-old in his plan.

He didn't need to hide in the restroom and attack Qiu Minmin when she went to the restroom.

A criminal who makes this kind of choice in this kind of scene is, with high probability, just relying on the general strength advantage of men over women; it is a typical weakling criminal mindset.

And this person just now, his skill was already so formidable that he didn't need to rely on the private, dark, and isolated environment of a restroom at all; he could walk into the tiered classroom openly and use absolute violence to force all four people inside to submit.

However, there are no absolutes; it's also possible that the person just happened to have both good skills and some kind of psychological perversion, and just liked the filthy environment of a restroom.

Li Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the teaching building, and Tan Yunlong was picking up the clothes the other party had left behind.

"Xiao Yuan, what kind of clothes are these? They look like a cape but not quite..."

Li Li Zhuiyuan reached out and touched it; there was an interlayer inside, and pads.

"Uncle Tan, this is a costume."

"A costume?"

"Mm."

Li Li Zhuiyuan put his nose close and smelled it, detecting a faint scent of incense—not the kind of incense from perfume, but a scent from being specially smoked.

Thanks to Liu Liu Yumei, who used to do this step for A Li's new clothes every day, the young man's appreciation ability in this regard had been cultivated to be quite high.

Although he couldn't specifically say what kind of incense it was, it should be quite expensive.

And judging from the fabric of the clothes, this person's lifestyle should be very high-class.

"Xiao Yuan, although I personally feel that this person shouldn't be the murderer from seven years ago, I still have to notify the team now."

"Uncle Tan, do you think so too?"

"I was the one who fired the shot." Tan Yunlong said very seriously, "At the moment I fired, I felt his movements deeply. I'll send you back to the dorm first and tell Brother Binbin that I won't be sleeping in your dorm tonight."

"Alright, Uncle Tan, you go ahead."

Li Li Zhuiyuan was sent back to the dorm by Tan Yunlong.

Tan Brother Binbin returned even later. He went to take a shower first, and after returning, he yawned and said: "After eating hot pot, the shop suddenly became extremely busy. People bought so many things, as if they didn't cost money."

"You've worked hard."

"Not hard, the feeling of making money is quite happy. It's just that when I came back, I saw a few more police cars entering the school. Did something happen?"

Li Li Zhuiyuan briefly recounted what happened tonight, and finally added:

"Your dad said he won't be coming back to sleep with you tonight."

Tan Brother Binbin directly ignored the last sentence and shouted: "Holy crap, a martial arts master!"

Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't bother with him anymore, picked up the cup on the bedside table, and took a sip of water.

Tan Brother Binbin continued to ask with great interest: "Brother Xiao Yuan, weren't you afraid at the time?"

"A little, but it was fine."

"So dangerous, don't go for walks alone next time."

"Your dad was right there."

"My dad is nothing."

The dorm door was pushed open.

"Ah!"

Tan Brother Binbin jumped up in fright; this was a stress response.

The one who entered was Lu Yi: "Brother Binbin, you left your washbasin and towel at the sink, so I brought them to you."

"Oh, okay, thanks."

After Lu Yi left, Tan Brother Binbin sat on his bed and continued: "Truly amazing, this kind of person."

"Lu Runsheng can do it. As for Yin Meng... barely."

Tan Brother Binbin pointed at his own face with anticipation and asked: "What about me? I mean in the future."

"Good luck."

Li Li Zhuiyuan lay down, preparing to sleep. He had originally planned to read that evil book tonight, but there were too many things tonight, so it could only be postponed.

He really wasn't that afraid tonight; after all, he had seen countless dead ones.

But at that moment, he was actually a bit powerless. If there had been a ghost or a dead one nearby at the time, he could have kept that guy, and even decided how many pieces to keep according to his own wishes.

No wonder so many people think about raising ghosts and dead ones; even if they aren't used to harm people, they are excellent for self-protection.

Li Li Zhuiyuan turned his head to look at the shoe box placed under the windowsill.

He couldn't carry a pair of women's high heels with him everywhere in the future.

"By the way, Brother Xiao Yuan, remember to call me when you wake up tomorrow; I have to go assemble for military training."

"Alright."

After a night's sleep, the biological clock that Liu Yi had restarted was now exceptionally stable.

After waking up, he first called Tan Brother Binbin. Tan Brother Binbin rubbed his eyes, picked up his washbasin, and went to wash up with Li Li Zhuiyuan.

After returning, Tan Brother Binbin started changing into his military training uniform. Li Li Zhuiyuan put the *Liu Family Qi-Gazing Art*, which he had brought back last night without flipping a single page, back into his schoolbag, put the bag on his back, and walked out of the dorm.

When he arrived, Liu Yi had served breakfast. Today's staple food was pork rib porridge, accompanied by various pickles, which was very enjoyable to eat.

Liu Liu Yumei said: "Didn't sleep well again last night?"

The old lady had that kind of ability; no matter how well you hid it, she could see your state of rest at a glance.

Li Li Zhuiyuan put down his spoon: "I did sleep a bit less."

A smile appeared on Liu Liu Yumei's face: "Books can be read slowly, don't be so anxious. Once given to you, it's yours; no one will fight you for it."

Obviously, Liu Liu Yumei was very satisfied with Li Li Zhuiyuan's obsessive attitude toward her family's *Liu Family Qi-Gazing Art*.

A Li looked up at Liu Liu Yumei.

Liu Liu Yumei asked back: "What's wrong, feeling sorry for Xiao Yuan?"

A Li lowered her head and continued eating porridge; she wasn't feeling sorry for the boy.

Liu Yi smiled and said: "I say, old lady, usually you are the first one to be unhappy when others tease you, but now it's good, you've started teasing others yourself."

"That's not the same." Liu Liu Yumei stood up, "Xiao Yuan, come find me in the study after you've finished eating."

"Alright, Grandma."

After Li Li Zhuiyuan finished breakfast, he took the book and walked into the study.

Liu Liu Yumei had already brewed tea and was sitting upright on the couch.

Li Li Zhuiyuan placed the *Liu Family Qi-Gazing Art* on the coffee table, with the font on the book cover facing himself and directly facing Liu Liu Yumei.

After Liu Liu Yumei placed the teacup in front of the young man, she turned the book around, with the font directly facing the young man.

Then, she withdrew her hand and asked with a smile:

"Come, if there's anything you don't understand, ask Grandma."

(End of chapter)