Chapter 94: (Continued!)

Although the initiation ceremony was held at noon, Li Zhuiyuan went early in the morning, followed by Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, and Yin Meng.

He thought about whether he could help move, but when he arrived, he found that the building was already empty.

Grandma Liu's moving really just meant people changing to a house to live in; furniture and supplies were all left here. Anyway, this building was also hers, so it didn't matter where they were put.

Li Zhuiyuan and the others could only return to the school and come to the family area of the old professors. There were townhouses here, but the houses and courtyards were relatively small.

Tan Wenbin went to inquire about the original location of Luo Gong's house. After the group arrived there, they saw a man in the small courtyard holding a hammer and reinforcing a flower stand.

Li Zhuiyuan shouted: "Qin Shu, the soy sauce bottle in the kitchen fell over."

"Is that so? Then I have to hurry and help it up."

Qin Shu nailed the nail, turned his head, looked at Li Zhuiyuan, and the two looked at each other and smiled.

Li Zhuiyuan still clearly remembered the scene of him sitting on Qin Shu's bicycle a year ago; at that time, he was terrifyingly strong.

After entering the courtyard, one could see Luo Gong's careful design in the past. Although the place was not as big as the previous one, it was exquisite.

Liu Yumei could get used to living in the small east room of the great-grandfather's house, so she could definitely live here.

Most importantly, this was inside the school, very close to his dormitory area, so it would be more convenient for him to come over in the future.

After entering the house, he found that A Li's room was arranged in a sunny position on the first floor, with a floor-to-ceiling window facing the courtyard.

To enter and exit A Li's room, one didn't even need to walk through the main entrance; just cross the small courtyard fence, step over the lawn, push open the window door, and one could enter.

For ordinary people, it might not be safe enough, but for this family, the thing that needed the least worry was the safety issue.

However, the rooms in this house were small and could only fit a bed, so A Li's painting desk and desk were arranged in the second room on the first floor.

As for Liu Yumei and Liu Yi, their bedrooms could only be arranged upstairs.

Seeing that Runsheng and Binbin had both come, Liu Yi could only pat her forehead: "Oh my, really, just moved, and have to get busy."

The big pot of rice was cooked.

Li Zhuiyuan finally savored the taste at the great-grandfather's house again.

During the meal, Tan Wenbin asked: "Grandma Liu, which restaurant are we eating at at noon?"

Liu Yumei pointed to the table in front of her with her chopsticks: "Still eating at home."

Tan Wenbin raised his head suspiciously: "Can we sit down?"

"Aren't we sitting down now?"

Tan Wenbin understood: "No guests?"

"What guests do we need? Aren't all the family members here?"

"Hehe, I thought you would call some old friends or something to come and cheer us on. You are really used to simplicity now, your realm is high."

"Even in the past, the initiation ceremony didn't invite outside guests and wouldn't be handled in a big way." Liu Yumei looked at Li Zhuiyuan, while picking up a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, "After entering the sect, if you can walk the river, then those who should know will know; if you can't walk out, inviting outsiders to watch the ceremony, wouldn't that leave a handle for people to laugh at?"

Qin Shu, who was eating at the table, put down his chopsticks and lowered his head.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Qin Shu was a failure in walking the river. Grandma Liu attributed this to her being too impatient, but Li Zhuiyuan was very curious about what could stop Qin Shu with his strength.

At the same time, when passing by Qin Shu when entering the courtyard, Li Zhuiyuan also smelled the herbal medicine smell emanating from Qin Shu, which meant that Qin Shu came back with injuries, and very serious ones.

Liu Yumei glanced at Qin Shu and said lightly: "A Li, eat."

"Hmm." Qin Shu picked up his chopsticks again, "Xiaoyuan won't let you down."

"The times are different, and I let go long ago." After saying this, Liu Yumei, who had just wiped the corners of her mouth, picked up the soup spoon again and drank a sip of snow pear soup.

Some words, just say them orally; you can fool others but you can't fool yourself.

The foundation inheritance of the Qin and Liu families rested on her shoulders.

To say she didn't want to see the glory of the past again, that was naturally a lie.

But the years taught her tolerance and patience, and she wouldn't put pressure on the young man like she did to Qin Li back then.

On the contrary, what she was most worried about now was whether the young man's own pace would be too fast, and she might have to suppress his time for opening the altar and walking the river, so as not to be too rigid and easy to break.

After the meal, there was a leisure time, which felt a bit like the New Year, with everyone putting down their work and gathering at home.

In the courtyard, Qin Shu was patting Runsheng's muscles.

"Runsheng, you have too much dead meat, and the dead Qi in your body is too heavy."

Too much dead meat refers to only knowing how to use brute force, and dead Qi is Runsheng's physical characteristic.

Li Sanjiang said that when Mountain Grandpa picked up Runsheng, he found that this child survived by eating dirty meat.

Therefore, the detail of Mountain Grandpa picking up Runsheng at the riverside and bringing him home is worth questioning. Mountain Grandpa was a corpse salvager; what was he doing at the riverside?

It's just that Mountain Grandpa really raised Runsheng as his own grandson. He didn't want to mention the past anymore. In his heart, he hoped that Runsheng could live like a normal person and not treat himself as an alien.

Qin Shu's evaluation made Runsheng a bit ashamed.

He looked uneasily at the young man sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, shoulder to shoulder with A Li, playing chess.

Runsheng knew clearly how high the young man's expectations for him were.

Perhaps because he had seen Qin Shu's strength, the young man had always hoped that he could become Qin Shu in the future, or even surpass Qin Shu.

But now it seemed that he didn't have this talent.

When playing chess, one can be distracted; after all, it's just playing three blind games at the same time.

Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan heard what Qin Shu said, but he wasn't worried at all.

If Runsheng really didn't have talent, Qin Shu would probably be too lazy to scold him. He was belittling him now, which represented his true evaluation, feeling that such an excellent seedling should be able to get better development.

Qin Shu began to adjust Runsheng's muscle exertion in detail and taught him tailor-made breathing.

From here, one can see the importance of people in the inheritance system.

People are the key to the inheritance bond; written records can only play an auxiliary role.

In the kitchen, Liu Yi was teaching Yin Meng how to make desserts.

Liu Yi taught very carefully, and what came out of the kitchen were whispers, and Yin Meng also learned very seriously.

Until the first batch of desserts came out of the oven, Li Zhuiyuan smelled a pungent smell; those who didn't know would think someone had lit a mosquito coil.

Soon, the sound of brushing teeth came from the bathroom on the first floor.

It should be Liu Yi; even if it was a mosquito coil, she had to taste it; being a master is really not easy.

Yin Meng stood at the kitchen door, shrinking her shoulders, her hands clenched tightly, like a child who had done something wrong.

This is very normal; anyone who almost sends their master away on the first day of learning to cook will be panicked and afraid.

Li Zhuiyuan, Runsheng, and Tan Wenbin had long ago figured out Yin Meng's cooking level; the more complex the dish, the more potential it had to become poison in her hands.

No wonder she only ate boiled noodles when she was guarding the coffin shop alone, at most adding soy sauce; she didn't even scrape the hair off when stewing pig's trotters, only knowing how to stew it to death.

As a proper Sichuan and Chongqing person, she could only cook white-flavored food at home every day, definitely not because she had a light taste.

However, Liu Yi was much more loving than Qin Shu:

"Mengmeng, you have the talent to learn poison."

High-end poison only requires simple ingredients.

This is a talent others can't learn, because if Yin Changsheng is really the legendary Great Emperor of Fengdu, then people really have someone in the underworld.

Fengdu, ah, Fengdu...

Brother Liangliang told himself that if he wanted to go to Fengdu again, he had to be early.

Last time in Fengdu, he just looked at the flowers while riding a horse; next time he goes, he intends to explore its true secrets.

Just the scene of Yin Fuhai being carried away by four ghosts after his death was enough to arouse his curiosity.

Perhaps he could order a larger coffin, let Yin Meng and himself lie in it together, and then set up a blindfold in advance to fake death; in this way, maybe he could go to the place where the Yin family members go after death.

Maybe, he could see the Great Emperor of Fengdu there.

But the problem is, it's easy to get in, but how to ensure he can come out alive?

Tan Wenbin was chatting with Liu Yumei, and what surprised Liu Yumei was that chatting with this child was quite happy, and she unconsciously talked more.

Although Tan Wenbin lived in Li Sanjiang's house in the past, there was not much intersection between the two sides; one was that Liu Yumei looked down on him, and the other was that Tan Wenbin himself went to school early and returned late, plus practiced martial arts and exercised, and had no extra time at all.

Now, Liu Yumei understood a bit why Li Sanjiang liked this child so much.

People are like this; after eating high-end food, they will want to have something down-to-earth. With a child like Xiaoyuan there, it can better set off the preciousness of Zhuangzhuang.

The clock struck eleven.

"Rumble!"

The originally clear sky was covered with dark clouds; the sudden summer thunderstorm was a norm.

Tan Wenbin slapped his thigh: "Tsk tsk, Grandma, look, God is really giving face."

Liu Yumei glanced at Tan Wenbin and smiled without saying a word.

At this time, Li Zhuiyuan walked over and said to Liu Yumei:

"Grandma, the ancestors of the two families have reminded us of the auspicious time."

Liu Yumei pointed at Li Zhuiyuan and said to Tan Wenbin: "Hear that? This is what our new Long Wang should say."

Tan Wenbin smiled bitterly: "Grandma, aren't you making things difficult for people? If I had Brother Xiaoyuan's brain, I would also..."

For a moment, Tan Wenbin couldn't even imagine what he would be like if he had Xiaoyuan's brain.

Liu Yumei reached out and tapped Tan Wenbin's forehead: "What's difficult about this? Small boats and small ships naturally have to be humble wherever they go, but when you have a Long Wang sitting on the boat, you, the one shouting at the bow, just need to remember one thing."

"Grandma, teach me quickly."

"Just pretend to be tough."

After saying this, Liu Yumei turned around and beckoned to A Li, who came in with Xiaoyuan: "Come, we should prepare for the real business."

No guests, no lanterns, no banquets, even the room for the ceremony was small, with one-third of the area occupied by ancestral tablets, two chairs below, and a futon in the middle.

In front of the futon on the ground, three lamps were placed.

One was a deep python opening its eyes, one was a golden dragon raising its head, and one was a phoenix perched on a tree.

They correspond to entering the sect, walking the river, and returning to the nest respectively.

Only the Long Wang family has the confidence and self-confidence to set up these three-phase lamps; other families, it's not that they can't set them up, but they are afraid they can't bear it.

Just like other families' disciples going out is called cloud wandering and cannot be called walking the river, Heaven has eyes, the Jianghu has spirits; if you dare to boast with such a big breath, it dares to give you such a big pressure.

Li Zhuiyuan only needs to light the first lamp today, implying his entry into the sect.

Only when preparing to walk the river will he open the altar and light the second lamp.

Once the second lamp is lit, it means the walking of the river has begun, the fate and luck change, and some things, even if you don't look for them and just hide at home, they will be arranged to rush toward you.

When Liu Yi introduced it to herself, Li Zhuiyuan felt inexplicably familiar.

Li Zhuiyuan also asked back, when walking the river, will his family members also be implicated?

Liu Yi's answer was that since walking the river requires using the family's name, the family will inevitably be implicated. No matter whose family, when a disciple walks the river, they will lift them up for a journey; after all, the family foundation is thick and can withstand it.

But after this journey is sent out, the next road still has to be walked by the person himself.

One is whether he can finally transform into a dragon, which ultimately depends on himself; the second is that the further back, the greater the involvement, and no matter how big the family business is, it can't support it.

To put it bluntly, walking the river is a gamble on the individual and the family behind him. It is essentially using a small amount to win a large amount; if you really bet all your family assets, it makes no sense.

When Liu Yi introduced "big family and big business", Li Zhuiyuan subconsciously looked at the tablets on the offering table in the room.

If Runsheng, Binbin, and Yin Meng hadn't come today, the real "family members" eating breakfast might only need one wooden stool. This is really... big family and big business.

However, with Qin Shu, Liu Yi, and Liu Yumei, he can still be lifted for a hand when walking the river, but after the early stage... I'm afraid his relationship with Liu Yumei and the others will become the same as when he was at the great-grandfather's house.

They can eat and live together, but cannot interfere with things outside the normal secular world.

As for the third lamp, the phoenix perched on the tree, those who succeed in walking the river don't need to light it; only those who temporarily quit and interrupt need to light it; Qin Shu had lit it.

In this way, it is equivalent to giving up this opportunity himself.

Liu Yumei, wearing a green gorgeous dress, sat on the left, and sitting on her right was A Li, wearing a red gorgeous dress.

On such an occasion today, Liu Yumei represented the Liu family, and A Li had the surname Qin, representing the Qin family; even if there was a generation gap, they still had to sit side by side at this time; this was receiving a disciple on behalf of the ancestors.

Qin Shu and Liu Yi were wearing red python and green python practice clothes respectively, standing on both sides.

Liu Yi should have the surname Liu, but when she was at Li Sanjiang's house, in order to pretend to be three generations of grandparents and grandchildren, she had to change her Liu surname.

In fact, one can see from the dragon and phoenix on the lamp and the python they were wearing that in ancient times, such a family would be how luxurious and hard.

The iron-clad Cao Gang, the flowing imperial court; throughout history, in countless chaotic situations, there have been figures of the Cao Gang.

Moreover, families like theirs pay attention to luck and Feng Shui, and do not appear in front of people, which allows them to inherit for a long time in the shadows.

Li Zhuiyuan stood in front of the futon.

Behind him, Yin Meng, Runsheng, and Tan Wenbin all held burning incense.

The space was limited, so the three of them could only stand against the wall.

Liu Yumei said: "The conditions are simple, I have neglected everyone."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The water is not deep, but it is spiritual if there is a dragon."

Liu Yumei nodded with a smile. She had the conditions to handle it in a big way, and she also had the old house in Jin Ling, but she deliberately chose this place and chose this cramped place.

The place is small, and the human touch is strong.

"Rumble."

The thunder outside the window was more intense, and lightning flashed one after another.

Liu Yumei couldn't help but look out the window, it was a good scenery today.

The things offered on the offering table were just some expensive wood, so, are you all watching the ceremony outside the window?

Liu Yumei looked at Liu Yi, and Liu Yi said: "Perform the ceremony."

Li Zhuiyuan first performed the Liu family sect ceremony to Liu Yumei, and Liu Yumei immediately stood up and returned the ceremony.

Immediately after, Li Zhuiyuan performed the Qin family sect ceremony to A Li.

Qin Shu took a step forward, stood in front of A Li, and prepared to return the ceremony on her behalf.

But A Li took the initiative to stand up.

Qin Shu could only retreat.

A Li returned the ceremony to Li Zhuiyuan.

She knew many things, but she just didn't want to do them, because of the person.

Liu Yi laughed in her heart, but in such a serious occasion under the rumbling thunder, she could only suppress the corners of her mouth as much as possible.

She remembered that back at the Ding family in the mountain city, the old lady let Xiaoyuan see the ceremony on behalf of A Li, and also sat down on behalf of A Li.

The old lady's mouth had only loosened in recent days, but her physical behavior had long been very honest.

Today, seeing the two children return the ceremony to each other, then the next round should be expected.

This life really has a sense of expectation.

Anyway, she had liked the picture of the two children together since Li Zhuiyuan walked to A Li for the first time and took A Li's hand.

Every morning before getting up to cook breakfast, she would lean against the kitchen door, appreciate the two children reading and playing chess on the terrace for a while, and then go to cook after her mouth felt sweet.

The formal ceremony was completed, and the next step was to choose the inheritance.

Liu Yumei had made up her mind to let these two children take on both, but the process that should be followed must also be followed, let him choose one first, and then she would open her mouth to persuade him to take another.

Outside, the thunder was rumbling, and Liu Yumei couldn't help but glare: What are you urging!

Clearing her throat, Liu Yumei asked:

"Li Zhuiyuan, with the Qin family and Liu family in front, which sect do you choose to enter?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at A Li and asked: "Is A Li entering the Qin family sect?"

Liu Yumei shook her head: "Our A Li hasn't entered the sect yet."

Not having entered the sect, she was entangled so fiercely by that group of things; if she really entered the sect, I'm afraid that group of things would entangle her even more fiercely.

It was precisely because of this reason that Liu Yumei had not held an initiation ceremony for A Li.

"Then will A Li enter the sect in the future?"

"When A Li's illness is cured, she will naturally enter."

"Then which sect will A Li enter?"

"Whichever one you choose, A Li will enter the other one in the future."

Liu Yumei was both the Liu family's young lady and the Qin family's young mistress, so she had to be fair.

Li Zhuiyuan could choose one and then take another, and the one he took could let A Li enter in the future, so no matter which family, they couldn't pick out any thorns.

"Li Zhuiyuan, have you chosen?"

"Chosen, I will enter both the Qin and Liu family sects."

Liu Yumei was stunned for a moment; she didn't expect this kid to be so sensible. She was even prepared to mention taking another one, and then have a tug-of-war of bargaining with this kid.

However, combined with this kid's previous words, after careful thought, she immediately understood this kid's idea.

For a moment, Liu Yumei herself almost couldn't help but want to laugh.

This stinky kid was determined to let A Li be his little junior sister in the future!

What do you think the inheritance of the Qin and Liu families is? Toys to make little girls happy?

Fortunately, the little girl being teased was her own granddaughter; otherwise, if any other genius stood in front of her, she would have stood up to kill someone!

But being poked at her soft spot like this made her unable to get angry, and laughing felt extremely inappropriate.

"Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!"

Thunder exploded one after another in the surroundings; the televisions, washing machines, and electric lights in this family area today were probably all struck and broken.

With a "swish", the electric gate didn't know whether it was struck and broken or tripped, and every house became pitch black in the dark noon under the dark clouds.

Only here, because candles were lit in advance, it was not much affected.

Liu Yumei rolled her eyes at the window: Making trouble, making trouble, a bunch of old things, only knowing how to make trouble!

Since things had come to this, Liu Yumei flicked her fingertips, and the Liu family's sect post flew into Li Zhuiyuan's hand.

When Liu Yumei wanted to take the Qin family's sect post on A Li's side, she saw A Li doing the same action as her just now, her fingertips resting on the sect post, flicking lightly, and the Qin family's sect post also flew into Li Zhuiyuan's hand.

Li Zhuiyuan stacked the two sect posts together, knelt on the futon, and placed the sect posts on the python head of the first lamp.

The sect posts burned spontaneously, and the flames fell like mercury.

The python lamp was lit, and the python's eyes also opened, looking at the young man.

In the dark, Li Zhuiyuan, who was proficient in calculation and physiognomy, seemed to sense that his fate had undergone some kind of change at this moment.

After the sect posts burned out, Li Zhuiyuan knelt straight, kowtowed and performed the ceremony to the tablets on the offering table.

With every kowtow, the thunder outside the window made a roar, as if echoing.

This scene made Runsheng, Binbin, and Yin Meng, who were standing against the wall, open their eyes wide.

They could see that Xiaoyuan didn't deliberately wait for the lightning and thunder to cooperate, but was performing the ceremony steadily according to his own rhythm.

Even if one took a step back and said that Xiaoyuan was deliberately cooperating with the thunder to create momentum, when have you ever seen thunder hitting the same rhythm point nine times in a row?

The ceremony ended.

The thunder stopped.

Liu Yumei: "Worship the Long Wang!"

Li Zhuiyuan turned around, facing Runsheng, Binbin, and Yin Meng.

Then the four of them knelt opposite each other and kowtowed three times.

Since Liu Yumei said she didn't care about the empty etiquette and rules, Li Zhuiyuan really followed the process of swearing brotherhood.

The worship of the Long Wang ended. From this moment on, Runsheng and the others were considered registered disciples of the Qin and Liu families.

There were so many families at the Ding family dinner in the mountain city, all of which were inherited in this way long ago.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around, facing Liu Yumei again, and there was one last step of exhortation, and the initiation ceremony was considered successfully completed.

Liu Yumei said: "Li Zhuiyuan, since you have entered the Qin and Liu family sects, you should think about making progress, not falling into the sect's reputation, and in the future, walking the river..."

The golden dragon on the second lamp suddenly slowly raised its head at this time, the dragon's mouth opened, and it spat out flames.

The golden dragon raised its head, walking the river has begun!

Liu Yumei stared wide-eyed, looking incredulous.

Qin Shu and Liu Yi were also shocked; clearly, the lamp hadn't been lit, but the wick burned spontaneously.

Li Zhuiyuan was also surprised, but looking at the burning lamp flame, he felt relieved in his heart.

So, he had already started walking the river long ago.

But specifically, when did it start?

Runsheng and the others were also full of curiosity; they didn't see Brother Xiaoyuan light the lamp just now.

In the whole scene, the only one whose expression didn't change was A Li, because the young man told her all his secrets.

Liu Yumei's expression was incomparably solemn; she originally intended to wait until the young man had completely grown up and prepared more before opening the altar and lighting the lamp to walk the river, but now, the lamp had been lit, and the wood had become a boat.

Unless the lamp is extinguished now and lit again, this directly means admitting defeat, and the walking of the river has failed.

Liu Yumei's hands were placed on the armrests of the chair, and the solid wood chair kept shattering in her palms like plastic foam.

Liu Yi looked at Li Zhuiyuan with great worry; walking the river at such a young age, how difficult is this?

Qin Shu's eyes, besides worry, also had memories and expectations, and deeper down, there was a kind of relief.

He was a failure in walking the river for the Qin family, so he also hoped that someone behind him could succeed.

Li Zhuiyuan was the first to adjust his mindset, pointed at the lamp flame of the golden dragon raising its head, and said calmly:

"Very good, it saves trouble to find it slowly in the future."

Things have come to this.

Liu Yumei looked at the young man: "Xiaoyuan?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Liu Yumei stood up slowly,

And said:

"Respectfully with utmost sincerity, announcing to the rivers, lakes, and seas:

'From today on, our Qin and Liu families will send out a successor to walk the river!'"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 95 =====