Chapter 97

That was what Qin Shu said, and that was what he did.

He walked under the flower trellis, picked up the tool basket placed there, took out a hammer, reached in and rummaged around, and pulled out a handful of nails from the very bottom.

Each nail was as long as a chopstick, the nail head as thick as a thumb, and covered in rust.

These were coffin nails.

Qin Shu grabbed a coffin nail with one hand and gave his wrist a shake; all the rust fell off, but the color revealed underneath was a deep black of varying coverage.

This was not the original color of the nail, but corpse qi that had seeped in over long years.

Even without walking the yin, Li Zhuiyuan seemed able to see the black mist radiating from these nails.

This meant that they had only recently been pulled out from the coffin of some great, malevolent entity.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized that his earlier reminder had been somewhat superfluous.

Because he vaguely guessed what Qin Shu was about to do, and Qin Shu's training method was far more radical and terrifying than he had imagined.

Training until half-dead was not the limit; what was higher than that was training until one wished they were dead.

No wonder Qin Shu had specifically come over to explain himself when he passed by earlier; he had wanted to preemptively shut his mouth.

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan should return to his room now to read his books or keep A Li company while she painted.

In any case, it was best not to stay here any longer.

Not because the scene was cruel, but because it might lead to a tearing of the bonds in their relationship.

But Li Zhuiyuan did not leave; he remained standing where he was.

Runsheng had just finished another set of punches; he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, wiped the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, and then turned his head to smile at Li Zhuiyuan.

When Qin Shu walked in front of him with the hammer and coffin nails, the smile on his face froze briefly.

But very quickly, Runsheng waved his hand at Li Zhuiyuan and said:

"Xiaoyuan, you go inside; it's dirty out here."

Clearly, Qin Shu had already mentioned this method to Runsheng, and Runsheng had agreed to it himself.

This undoubtedly helped Li Zhuiyuan preemptively eliminate the possibility of a rift appearing in their relationship.

It was just that Li Zhuiyuan still didn't leave, but instead sat down on the steps.

Runsheng raised his hand again, wanting to urge Xiaoyuan to go inside, but seeing that Xiaoyuan had sat down, he didn't say anything more.

He stood up straight.

Qin Shu aimed a coffin nail at Runsheng's right shoulder and struck with the hammer.

"Pop!"

The sound was very slight, but the speed was very fast; that coffin nail went in instantly, leaving only the round nail head at Runsheng's shoulder, flush against his skin.

It looked just like a dark, round sticker.

Runsheng gritted his teeth, breathing heavily, his eyes wide.

No wonder Qin Shu had been holding the hammer and nailing the flower trellis this morning; he had actually been practicing his handiwork.

Immediately after, on the other shoulder.

"Pop."

The second coffin nail was driven in.

Runsheng's body swayed, but he insisted on steadying himself; the veins on his neck bulged, and his eyes seemed as if they would pop out.

Yet, because Xiaoyuan was sitting right in front of him, he forced a smile onto his face, though it was as ugly as could be.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, turned around, and walked toward A Li's room, then pulled the curtains shut.

A Li, who was painting, turned her head and saw the boy sitting on the chair by the floor-to-ceiling window.

The boy was looking down at his own hands.

His hearing was good; even with the window closed and the curtains drawn, every slight "pop" from outside could reach his ears.

Whenever this sound rang out, the boy's fingertips would tremble involuntarily.

A Li did not disturb the boy but turned back to continue her painting.

She knew that at this moment, the boy needed to be alone to digest some things.

This was good news, because he had emotions to digest; unfortunately, these were not pleasant emotions.

After Li Zhuiyuan entered the room, Runsheng finally didn't have to hide his expression, revealing a face twisted in agony.

Qin Shu's movements were always swift, each strike completed in one go.

He didn't give Runsheng any time to react to his flesh being pierced, leaving him only with a deeper, more intense lingering pain.

Gradually, Qin Shu had driven a total of fifteen nails into Runsheng's shoulders, arms, palms, legs, heels, and other locations.

When the sixteenth nail was driven in, Qin Shu patted Runsheng on the back:

"Done."

This light pat sent Runsheng stumbling forward repeatedly; just as he couldn't control his body and was about to kneel, Qin Shu's voice sounded again:

"Do you want to kneel and admit defeat?"

Runsheng took a deep breath, using great willpower to resist the urge to kneel, and regained his balance.

Qin Shu flicked his hand, and the hammer landed steadily back in the basket.

"My Qin family's body-tempering lies in storing momentum within the body, using oneself as a cage to seek the power of a dragon, endless and continuous.

Remember, this breath is not something you only remember to use when you fight, but from this moment on, you will keep it stored for me at all times."

"I... I remember."

"Keep practicing."

"Yes... Master."

Runsheng straightened his body and began to punch again; this time, he moved very, very slowly, because with every movement, the sixteen coffin nails inside his body would collectively send waves of intense pain that felt like scraping bone and snapping tendons.

These were actually secondary; the main thing was the corpse qi within the coffin nails, which was constantly invading his limbs and bones, clashing with the qi inside his body—a feeling like his whole body was being roasted.

Qin Shu stood with his arms crossed, watched for a while, and then asked:

"Didn't you eat your fill at noon?"

"I... I ate my fill."

"Then what are you dawdling for?"

Runsheng quickened his pace, feeling as if his consciousness was about to faint from the intense pain.

But just then, Qin Shu flicked his toe, kicking a pebble from the cobblestone path, which struck Runsheng on the back of the head.

Runsheng's consciousness cleared instantly, but the result of that clarity was that the terrifying pain became clear once more.

Just like that, Runsheng kept practicing; every little while, he would fall into a faint, but each time he would be jolted awake by Qin Shu.

As he practiced, a large gap soon appeared in the cobblestone path under Qin Shu's feet.

This was no training; this was the most top-tier form of torture.

What Qin Shu had said earlier about laying a new foundation for Runsheng was truly meant literally.

At dusk, Liu Yi returned from that house; she had to come back to cook dinner.

Upon entering the courtyard, she first glanced at Runsheng, who was practicing his punches.

Immediately, she cast an incredulous look of inquiry at Qin Shu.

Qin Shu nodded.

Liu Yi's lips trembled, emitting a very faint sound; she had intended only for Qin Shu to hear, but the hearing of the one inside the house was simply too good, and he heard it too.

"You're crazy; you actually drove the Dragon-Locking Pillars into him. Aren't you afraid of killing him?"

Qin Shu's lips also trembled:

"This kid has a special constitution; he won't die."

"Does Xiaoyuan know?"

"Xiaoyuan saw it."

At this moment, Qin Shu flicked his toe again, and a pebble flew out, striking Runsheng on the back of the head once more, jolting the swaying Runsheng awake to continue punching.

"Ah Li, you are driving a wedge into the relationships of the Long Wang family."

"It was Runsheng himself who told me he was slow and asked if there was any method that could show quick results in the short term. I told him about this, and he agreed.

He said he wanted to become strong as quickly as possible to protect Xiaoyuan.

Do you think this method can succeed just by me forcing him or jolting him awake?

Primarily, it depends on his own willpower and conviction to hold on."

"Ah Li, next time, you should discuss it with Xiaoyuan beforehand.

The Matriarch is giving Xiaoyuan face by not bothering with the old customs; given Xiaoyuan's current status and his future relationship with A Li, according to the old customs, we would have to kneel and kowtow when we see Xiaoyuan."

"Ah Ting, you haven't walked the river; you don't know that most of the time, even returning alive to light the third lamp to announce the end of the river-walk is a luxury.

River-walking really kills people."

"You should go and talk to Xiaoyuan later."

"I will. By the way, why hasn't that girl you brought back returned?"

"I taught her how to make West Lake vinegar fish.

It contained twelve types of poison.

I ate one bite, and she ate a whole plate.

Now she's lying in that house, with over a dozen colors shifting across her skin.

I intend to let her fully experience the feeling of these toxins wreaking havoc in her body first; after I've cooked and eaten dinner, I'll go back to that house to wake her up and teach her the detoxification steps."

"Did you tell Xiaoyuan beforehand that you were doing this?"

"No."

"Then how can you still come and warn me?"

"I'm fine; the relationship between that girl and Xiaoyuan isn't as close as the one between Runsheng and Xiaoyuan."

"It's a pity; our two families are sparse in numbers now, so there's no room for you to play around."

"Pah, cut it out."

Liu Yi walked into the house; she first cut some fruit and went to A Li's room.

At this time, Li Zhuiyuan was not sitting on that chair but was standing beside A Li, watching her paint.

Liu Yi put down the fruit platter, then leaned against the doorframe, watching this golden boy and jade girl for a while longer.

Only when she finally tasted sweetness in her mouth did she confirm that her sense of taste had finally recovered after eating that bite of West Lake vinegar fish the girl had made.

Only then did she leave the study to go to the kitchen to cook.

Qin Shu also came, but as a man, he couldn't just push the door open and enter like Liu Yi; he was just about to knock when the door was opened from the inside.

"Qin Shu."

"Xiaoyuan, about Runsheng's matter..."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled slightly: "I trust your professionalism, Qin Shu, and I also trust Runsheng's talent and willpower."

"Then it's fine."

Qin Shu turned and left; he didn't return directly to the courtyard but walked into the kitchen.

Liu Yi was chopping vegetables; she looked back at him and asked: "Did you talk it over with Xiaoyuan?"

"Mm." "So fast."

"Xiaoyuan expressed his understanding and support." As he spoke, Qin Shu pointed at A Li's study and then at his own ears.

Liu Yi seemed to remember something; she also pointed at A Li's study and then picked up a kitchen knife to cover her own eyes.

Qin Shu said: "Didn't you tell me that Xiaoyuan had gained a new insight into a layer of the 'Qin Family Dragon-Watching Method'? Where is the new book?"

"Xiaoyuan handed the new artistic conception of the two sets of books from the Qin and Liu families to the Matriarch, but the Matriarch hasn't even had time to translate the 'Liu Family Qi-Gazing Formula' yet.

If you think you can understand those ghost-drawn symbols, I can go and get that 'Qin Family Dragon-Watching Method' for you to try and look at."

"Forget it. Have you forgotten the past? I've never been good at reading books; I made the Matriarch so angry she starved me for ten days."

"Give me a break; do you think the Matriarch didn't know I was secretly sending you food?"

"I'll wait until the Matriarch finishes translating it and then read the vernacular annotated version."

"By the way, why don't you tell Xiaoyuan about your past river-walking experience?"

"I failed."

"Isn't the experience of failure even more important?"

"A thousand people, a thousand faces; the situation everyone faces when walking the river is different. If I go and tell him mine, it will only influence him. Besides, I believe Xiaoyuan has his own ideas."

Qin Shu picked up a date from the table, took a bite, and when he walked out of the kitchen into the courtyard, he flicked the date pit in his hand, striking Runsheng on the back of the head again, pulling Runsheng back from the brink of fainting once more.

"We don't have much time; you must get used to it quickly. Even if you pull them out later, you must feel as if they are still there.

Unfortunately, your comprehension is poor, and you are too slow to learn the 'Qin Family Dragon-Watching Method', but fortunately, your body can withstand this clumsy method, which might actually make you learn the fastest."

This training continued until that voice rang out:

"Dinner time!"

Tan Wenbin came downstairs and sat at the dinner table; he was startled when he saw Runsheng's complexion.

Last time, when Runsheng was pierced by the steel bars in the wall, his face hadn't been this pale.

In front of Runsheng was a large basin, while in front of Tan Wenbin was a medium basin.

After the incense in the basin burned out, Runsheng picked up a spoon, slowly scooped out the food, and put it into his mouth; only when chewing food would a momentary look of relaxation appear on his face.

Liu Yumei picked up her rice bowl and said nothing.

Tan Wenbin asked: "Where's Yin Meng?"

Liu Yi explained: "She's full from tasting the food."

After dinner, Runsheng shuffled back to the courtyard step by step and began practicing his punches again.

Li Zhuiyuan stood by and watched for a while; he didn't know if it was because of this, but Runsheng held out for an exceptionally long time this time.

He even had the energy to say, while gasping for air:

"When I've learned this, the next time I fight that Official General Head, I'll be able to lift him up, hehe."

Runsheng was to stay here tonight to continue practicing.

Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin walked out of the courtyard; they didn't return to the dormitory first but went to the house where Liu Yumei originally lived.

Pushing the door open and entering, in the living room, Yin Meng was lying on a straw mat, her body looking as if it had been splashed with paint and stained.

The shape looked as if it just needed to be wrapped in the straw mat and thrown into a mass grave.

She was still in an unconscious state and couldn't hear anything; Li Zhuiyuan just watched for a while and then came out.

On the way back to the dormitory, Tan Wenbin asked in a low voice: "Brother Xiaoyuan, those round things on Runsheng's body, are they stickers or..."

"They are coffin nails."

"Hiss..."

Arriving at the dormitory floor, Tan Wenbin pushed open Lu Yi's door first and entered.

Lin Shu You was hunched over the bedside, eating the noodles Lu Yi had packed for him from the cafeteria in a plastic bag; there was also half a sausage in the plastic bag. Seeing Tan Wenbin come in, he raised his head and shouted:

"Big Brother."

Tan Wenbin nodded at Lin Shu You, then put his arm around Lu Yi's shoulder and said:

"You want to work a part-time job to make money, right? How about this: the discount store opposite our dormitory is run by us, and we're currently short of an accountant. Don't do any more tutoring; just go there to check the stock and accounts when you're free. You name your price for the salary; it will only be higher than what you'd earn from tutoring."

"Buddy, how can I be so embarrassed? I can't take advantage of you like that." Being able to stay at school for a part-time job with a guaranteed salary was definitely much better than rushing around early and late to tutor people off-campus.

"It's fine; just treat it as your ancestors showing their spirit."

"Uh, what?"

"Let's go; come with me to the store now. I'll give instructions to the students working part-time and also bring you to familiarize yourself with the situation in the store."

"I, I, I..."

"Are you doing it or not? Give me a straight answer."

"Since you trust me, buddy, then I'll do it!"

"Of course I trust you."

A person who was afraid that the ghost of a fellow villager wouldn't be full and insisted on treating his own evening meal as an offering every day naturally had no problems with his character.

Late at night, Li Zhuiyuan lay on his bed, eyes open, thinking about problems.

Tan Wenbin on the bed next to him was tossing and turning; he was suffering from insomnia.

Binbin felt he had already worked very hard and was constantly spurring himself on; from the time he first moved into Grandpa Li's house until now, he really hadn't slacked off much.

But today, he felt a sense of despair and frustration.

It was because he had seen with his own eyes that people with better talent than him were actually working even harder, and in a way that didn't care for their lives.

"Sigh..."

Tan Wenbin turned over again, facing Brother Yuanzi's bed; seeing that Brother Yuanzi wasn't asleep either, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, with them like this, how are we ordinary people supposed to live?"

"Brother Binbin, aren't you also studying hard?"

It would have been better not to mention this; as soon as it was mentioned, Tan Wenbin couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from twitching.

He was indeed studying,

but Zhuangzhuang was studying how to better build up momentum in various environments.

However, one thing to say is that chatting with the old lady really could lead to many insights, especially regarding tone, mannerisms, and the posture of those in power.

He felt that even if he didn't do any other serious business in the future, just relying on this manner of speaking and aura, he could create a renowned corpse-salvaging faction within the traditional southern and northern pyramid schemes.

Li Zhuiyuan sat up from the bed.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, what's wrong?"

"I'm calculating the unfinished matters remaining on me. Brother Binbin, go and investigate what female students have died in our dormitory building in the past; the more detailed the information, the better."

"Okay, I understand."

"By the way, ask Uncle Tan if there's any latest progress on the Qiu Minmin case from seven years ago."

"Understood."

What Li Zhuiyuan had just been calculating was the karma still entangled with him; he could ignore the matters back home, but after coming to university, only these two things remained.

Because it was very likely that these two matters would continue to stir up new waves for him.

As for the evil book, the Mao father and son were already dead, and the evil book had been wrapped by him in layer upon layer; theoretically, cutting off its contact with the outside world meant that although it was very evil, it wouldn't lead to any karma.

Although there was theoretically a risk of Lin Shu You causing trouble, his current role was still relatively positive, so he could be kept for now.

This was the river-walking rule Li Zhuiyuan had summarized based on past experience combined with Wei Zhengdao's "Righteous Path View."

However, if the rhythm and wave value of the early stage were constant, could he turn from passive to active?

For example, if he could solve the waves of a certain period or stage in advance and consume their energy, would that mean he could rest for a while?

If only he could find an opportunity to experiment.

Li Zhuiyuan lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes.

"Brother Binbin, good night."

Having received the task, Tan Wenbin also felt much more at ease, and sleepiness followed.

"Good night, Long Wang."

……

Before dawn the next day, Li Zhuiyuan woke up.

Because it was too early, he didn't intend to wake Tan Wenbin, but Tan Wenbin was exceptionally sensitive today; the slightest movement made him open his eyes, and then, dragging his sleepy face, he did a carp-leap and got straight out of bed.

"Brother Binbin, it's still early; neither the police station nor the archives office is open yet. You can sleep a little longer."

"I can go talk to my dad first. Sigh, with the two of them—one piercing his thigh with an awl and the other tasting a hundred herbs—how could I still sleep?"

The two separated at the entrance of the dormitory building after washing up.

A Li lived on campus, and the distance was very short; he arrived in a while.

Just as the boy pushed open the courtyard gate, he heard the sound of the floor-to-ceiling window on the first floor being opened.

A Li, in blue silk pajamas, stood barefoot by the window.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the window, took off his shoes, and entered the house.

"Next time I come in the morning, even if you hear me, pretend to sleep for a while, okay? Just like when you waited for me to wake up in my room at Great-Grandpa's house; I want to experience that too."

A Li nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed A Li's hand, feeling nothing.

A Li tilted her head, looking at him.

Li Zhuiyuan said: "Release the restriction; I don't believe that after yesterday, not a single one of them has returned."

A Li lowered her head; the reason she had never told the boy why she could see them during the day was that she didn't want the boy's mood to be affected while playing with her during the day by knowing how filthy and ugly his perspective was.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, using his gaze to find the girl's eyes:

"A Li, be good, listen to me."

A Li raised her head; Li Zhuiyuan heard the sound again in his ears, but it wasn't as clamorous as yesterday.

The boy didn't feel happy because of this; instead, his gaze turned gloomy.

Because they had ultimately come back again.

The warnings of the weak, no matter how intense, are still fleeting and limited.

In this world, it has never been about who has the loudest voice, but whose fist is harder.

"Pop!"

Li Zhuiyuan snapped his fingers, walking the yin.

He arrived inside the bungalow, with A Li standing beside him, the cracked ancestral plaques of the Qin and Liu families behind him, and outside the threshold in front of him, it was still full of ghostly shadows.

But this time, they were all standing a little further away than before.

Only one fellow, wearing a white robe, walking on stilts, wearing a high hat, and with a face so thickly coated in white powder that it was impossible to tell if it was male or female, holding two white lanterns, stood right in front of the threshold.

Seeming to notice the boy's gaze, this fellow not only didn't retreat but instead let out a miserable, sinister laugh.

It even deliberately shook the two lanterns in its hands.

One lantern read: "Cursed to death both parents";

The other lantern read: "Prostituted as a whore."

Li Zhuiyuan first looked this fellow up and down carefully, memorizing every detail of its appearance.

Then,

the boy revealed a warm and gentle smile toward it:

"Congratulations,

you are the first one."

————

You all are too amazing, directly pushing our "Corpse Salvager" to first place on the monthly ticket list, making some people gossip that I'm cheating.

To be honest, our average subscription isn't high, and I've said in the "On-Shelf Remarks" that I can't write a blockbuster work, but every time it's on the list, it's quite competitive. Perhaps it's because, although we are few, we are all elite.

Well then, let me ask for monthly tickets again, so we can stay at number one for a while longer. Hugging you all tight!

(End of chapter)