Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 389

"I was trying to save the person, but I ended up poisoning them."

Back then, I was scared too. It's fine to leave a living person at home, but if a dead person is left at home, it's easy to have trouble explaining things. So I was thinking that I had to get rid of the person as soon as possible.

I washed him, wiped him down, and tidied him up.

We couldn't afford a coffin back then, so we just rolled up the tattered straw mat I used to sleep on and tied a knot in it for him.

We were worried that burying him anywhere would cause too much disturbance and that he might be dug up someday, so we decided to go all out and bury him in our Li family's ancestral graveyard.

Alas, at that time, I didn't know the proper way to bury a person, and I was in a hurry and panicked, just wanting to get it done as quickly as possible. So I chose this easy-to-dig spot in the middle and buried the person there.

If it weren't for this dent today, I would have completely forgotten about it.

Looking back now, I really feel bad for that brother.

“Grandpa, you mean well, and besides, it seems like he doesn’t want to live, but rather wants to die.”

Li Sanjiang put the cigarette butt on the ground, stomped it out with the sole of his cloth shoe, picked it up and threw it far away, then picked up the shovel again.

"Sigh, human life wasn't worth much back then. Actually, I didn't take it too seriously. I guess he was just unlucky. He should have drifted to the doctor's doorstep and maybe he would have survived."

Li Sanjiang continued construction, but after several shovelfuls, the previously raised area sank back down, meaning it had to be rebuilt.

"Sigh...this is really something."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, let Zhuangzhuang and Ayou handle it. They studied this in college, it's their major."

Li Sanjiang nodded: "Okay."

After burning the paper money, Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan carried their belongings and headed home.

Li Sanjiang: "Hey, isn't that Yi Hou sitting on the cement bridge?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Zhao Yi sat alone by the cement bridge, which had no railings. He dangled his feet below, staring at the river below.

Noticing someone in the distance, Zhao Yi turned his head, glanced in their direction, and then silently turned back. It was clear that he was feeling melancholy.

He originally came to find out the bottom price from the man surnamed Li, but after chatting with Tan Daban, he keenly realized that the bottom price was a bit too hot to handle.

Right now, he needs to be alone to rebuild his mental state.

When Li Zhuiyuan and his great-grandfather returned to their home on the dam, Tan Wenbin greeted them and explained that they couldn't go on their trip.

After listening, Li Sanjiang remained silent for a moment, then said:

"That's good. This way, we can keep more money to compensate those who were cheated and bullied."

It's impossible not to feel disappointed that the trip scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled, but Li Sanjiang has always been easygoing. He added a few pieces of dried orange peel to his large tea mug, poured in boiling water, and then leisurely went up to the second-floor terrace to lie on a rattan chair and listen to a radio storytelling performance.

Li Zhuiyuan then gestured to Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, and Lin Shuyou to take their tools and follow him out.

Chen Xiyuan came out of her room on the second floor, holding a can of Jianlibao, and asked:
"Little brothers, where are you going?"

"Repairing ancestral graves."

"Do you need my help?"

"Need not."

"Oh, okay, hehe, the little girl is helping me fix my flute. My flute seems to be broken, the pitch is out of tune."

"Go back to your house and ask your grandfather to fix it."

"I wanted to play another tune tonight, but if that doesn't work, we'll just have to go back tomorrow and ask my grandpa to do it for us."

Li Sanjiang, standing on the terrace, spoke up:

"Little girl, you can go back by yourself tomorrow. We can't come. Oh, by the way..."

Li Sanjiang seemed to just remember and pressed for an answer:
"Little girl, what are you going to do about your plane ticket home?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa, she bought her own plane ticket, not through that travel agency, so it doesn't affect her going back on her own."

Li Sanjiang: "Oh, that's good, that's good."

Chen Xiyuan asked in confusion, "Huh, why aren't you coming back with me?"

Li Sanjiang: "Something happened at the lottery draw, so I can't go."

Chen Xiyuan: "It's okay, I'll just buy you new plane tickets."

Li Sanjiang: "Never mind, let's just pretend we've already had our fun, haha."

Li Zhuiyuan left with his men.

Chen Xiyuan was very puzzled. It sounded like not only Grandpa Li wasn't going, but even her little brother and the others weren't going to Hainan with her.

She instinctively wanted to jump off the balcony and chase after him to get an explanation, but seeing Grandpa Li sitting there, she stopped herself.

Just then, a musical note came from the room, and Chen Xiyuan turned around and went back to her room.

"Little sister, how is it? Can you fix it?"

One of the most subtle array patterns inside has become blurred, but it can be recarved out with the right technique.

Ah Li can fix it.

But the girl shook her head.

Chen Xiyuan: "Ah, you can't even fix this little sister? Then you'll have to go back and ask my grandpa to do it."

Miss Chen wasn't too worried about the problem with the jade flute. In her eyes, even the best treasures are meant to be used. She had always used the jade flute roughly and was happy to give it away as a gift.

"Little sister, would you like to come to Hainan with me for a trip?"

Ah Li shook her head again.

The girl got up, walked out of the house, and sat down in her own wicker chair by the door.

She realized he wanted Chen Xiyuan to leave.

He had something to do but didn't tell me.

The girl's hands gripped the armrests of the rattan chair, her delicate fingers turning slightly white as she exerted force.

She was terrified, and he told her to leave too.

……

On my way out of the house, I ran into Zhao Yi again, who was sitting alone by the bridge.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, I gave Zhao Yi a rough description of the nature of this matter."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Lin Shuyou: "Why isn't that three-eyed guy leaving? What's he doing here?"

Tan Wenbin: "Who knows?"

We returned to the ancestral graves of the Li family.

Li Zhuiyuan first pointed to the location of the groove, then took out the Purple Gold Compass and began to calibrate the feng shui.

Given the boy's current level, he doesn't really need to do this, but since it's his family's ancestral grave, it's just a formality, like burning paper money.

A temporary formation was set up to stabilize the geological structure beneath the area. The boy gestured a few times and finalized the repair plan.

In the past, everyone would use blueprints to help Xiao Yuan set up high-end formations, but now it's just building a drainage ditch for the ancestral graves, which is incredibly simple. Everyone immediately picked up the Yellow River shovels and got to work.

However, there is one special point in this simple request: Xiao Yuan requested that the area with the groove be dug deeper, and Run Sheng was to be in charge of that.

Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou finished their work quickly, and everyone then leaned on their shovels and watched Runsheng.

Runsheng: "Xiaoyuan, we found it."

Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward, stood to the side, and looked down.

The soil layer in that area of ​​the pit was different from the surrounding area; it was very black and fine, and even gave people a very clean feeling.

Even more bizarrely, what Runsheng dug out was a roll of straw mat tied with rope.

The straw mat had holes and rough edges; according to my great-grandfather's description, this must have been the mat he slept on back then.

Decades have passed, and even the finest coffin buried in this unconstructed earthen grave should have rotted away completely. But this straw mat, after Runsheng brushed the dirt off it, looked "as good as new."

Tan Wenbin leaned closer, sniffed with his nose enhanced by the spirit beast, and said, "This straw mat smells of human life, as if a living person slept on it not long ago."

Li Zhuiyuan: "That must have been the body odor of the young master from several decades ago."

On the way here, Li Zhuiyuan told his companions the story his great-grandfather had told him.

No one would think that Grandpa Li would be so bored as to secretly bury a dead body here last night, just so he could tell Brother Yuan a ghost story today.

During previous excavations, it was clear that this area had not been disturbed for many years.

Besides, Grandpa Li hasn't slept on a tattered straw mat for a long time.

Lin Shuyou: "Are the bodies buried below exactly the same as those from before?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Runsheng, take him out and untie him."

Runsheng picked up the tattered straw mat and got out of the pit.

During this process, it is obvious that there is a person wrapped in the straw mat, because it is heavy, and when Runsheng carried it on his shoulder, the sides are obviously bent downwards.

Runsheng: "It's quite heavy."

After placing it on the flat ground outside, Runsheng squatted down, untied the knots with his hands, and spread out the tattered straw mat.

To everyone's surprise, when the straw mat was rolled out, there was no corpse inside except for clothes and shoes.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

They were all well-informed and considered themselves quite capable, so even when they saw the corpse wrapped in a straw mat that had remained intact for decades, they were not afraid at all.

The worst-case scenario is that a dead or zombie will pop out of there, which is nothing to them.

But just now, there was clearly no fluctuation of energy, and right under everyone's noses, the corpse that should have been inside disappeared after being unfolded.

Runsheng said with certainty, "When I carried it out, there was a corpse inside, and it was very heavy."

Tan Wenbin: "As for clothes, this tattered straw mat can't be rolled up to the same thickness as before."

Li Zhuiyuan squatted down, reached out to touch the clothes, and then lifted them up.

"Brother Binbin, smell this again."

Tan Wenbin sniffed carefully, shook his head, and said, "There's not a trace of human scent on these clothes."

Lin Shuyou: "So, that person wasn't actually poisoned to death by Grandpa Li by mistake, and after being buried, he survived and got out?"

Tan Wenbin: "Then what's the point of him rolling up the tattered straw mat, tying it up, and burying it again after he left? Was he afraid that if Grandpa Li found out he hadn't been poisoned to death, he would chase after him and continue to poison him?"

Lin Shuyou: "That's right."

If it were someone else, one could really think of a conspiracy theory. For example, Li Sanjiang might have coveted the person's valuables and deliberately killed them to steal their money. At the same time, Li Sanjiang was also a local tyrant with countless henchmen. After surviving by sheer luck, the person dared not make a fuss and concealed the fact that he was dead.

But clearly, Mr. Li is not that kind of person, and this conspiracy theory is completely unfounded.

Tan Wenbin: "The key issue is that we all 'saw' that there were corpses inside before we opened the straw mats."

Runsheng rolled the straw mat back up, and fearing there might be an error in the weight, he also put the rope on it and carried it again.

"It feels light, completely different from before. The corpse inside just now was heavier than me."

Lin Shuyou: "Even if it died and turned into pus, it wouldn't be this clean, right? It wouldn't vaporize this quickly either; there should at least be some white smoke coming out, right?"

A person, or rather, a corpse, could disappear so completely in an instant.

Tan Wenbin: "Even Mengmeng's corpse-dissolving water can't achieve such high efficiency."

Everyone tacitly turned their attention to the boy; at this moment, they could only hope to get the answer from Brother Yuan.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "I don't know either."

The boy was also a close-up witness, and because of his height, he even saw the shoes swaying in the hole when Runsheng carried the straw mat out. The shoes were supported by the instep of the foot. In the hole at the other end, the boy also saw hair being swayed.

Li Zhuiyuan: "If it cannot be explained in reality, then it can only be explained conceptually. That is, he was still existing before we witnessed his death."

Runsheng's mind was smooth and he passed by.

Lin Shuyou: "It seems familiar..."

Tan Wenbin: "It seems to be the theory of cause and effect waves."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Pack up the clothes and shoes, roll them up again, tie them in knots, and then put them back in the burial."

After all, that person has been lying in the Li family's ancestral grave for so many years. Even if there are no remains of their body now, only their clothes, they should still be allowed to continue lying there.

Runsheng: "Okay."

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the purple-gold compass that he had placed on a small mound earlier. When he reached out to pick it up, he noticed an unusual chill emanating from the compass.

"Runsheng, unfold the straw mat again."

"Ah."

The straw mat was opened again.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the temperature on the compass dropped drastically in an instant, and when he carried the compass to the newly spread straw mat, the low temperature was already a bit freezing to the touch.

However, the compass needle did not change at all, which means that it had nothing to do with the purple gold compass itself.

The boy turned the compass upside down, his fingertips enduring the cold as he quickly fiddled with the various latches on the bottom. With a series of "click-click-click" twisting sounds, a groove appeared.

"Buzz buzz!"

The copper coin, now freed from the compass's restraint, was trembling violently.

then,

"Den."

The copper coin popped out of the compass groove, seemingly pulled by an invisible force, and landed in the pocket of the garment on the straw mat.

This copper coin once created a Tai Sui that had died, and that Tai Sui could control the courier ghosts.

But in reality, that was only the least efficient use of this copper coin. When Li Zhuiyuan used it on various compasses, it could instantly elevate the compasses to a whole new level.

However, before this, Li Zhuiyuan did not know the specific origin of this copper coin.

Now, it seems we can see some clues.

Tan Wenbin: "He is the owner of the copper coin?"

Lin Shuyou: "Who exactly was the person that Grandpa Li poisoned back then?"

Li Zhuiyuan bent down, the spirit of the dragon swirling around his fingertips, and reached forward, capturing the copper coin again, which fell back into the groove of the compass and got stuck.

The boy retreated quite a distance before the temperature on the compass returned to normal.

"Runsheng, let's bury it back."

"it is good."

The tattered straw mat was buried back in the pit. Runsheng and the other two worked together to fill the pit first, and then laid out the "waterway".

Li Zhuiyuan: "You guys go back first, I'm going to Big Beard's house."

After parting ways with his companions, Li Zhuiyuan went to the peach grove.

On the dam, Benben, who was happily drinking from his milk bottle, suddenly fell to the side, pretending to be drunk.

Seeing that his older brother hadn't come up, he strained his bottom and sat up again, continuing to suckle vigorously from the bottle.

Inside the peach grove, Qing'an lay on her side by the pool, her left fist pressed against her head, while her right hand occasionally picked up a peach blossom and threw it into the pool.

When the boy came in, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He knew the boy would come.

The boy will come to me seeking favors, using all sorts of ways to please me.

He was already waiting.

Compared to that, the regret of not being able to perform together today is nothing.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and washed his hands with the water in the pool.

As he finished washing and shaking his hands, the boy asked:
"I remember when we first met, you said that you had sealed yourself off here, isolated from the outside world?"

"Ah."

"So, until those water monkeys dug up the tower that you had sealed yourself off, you were completely unaware of the outside world's movements?"

"What is knowledge, and what is ignorance?"

"So, you can sense it, but you can ignore it."

"Kid, your setup today was a bit long and a bit boring."

"you misunderstood."

"Oh?"

"Let's not talk about the whole of Nantong, that's after you've completely turned things around and released your aura and pressure. But at least, you should be able to sense what's happened in this town... this village over the years, even if you haven't taken it to heart."

Do you count the number of flies and mosquitoes in your room while you sleep?

"What if a fly or mosquito flies up to you, lands on your nose, flaps its wings and buzzes, or even sucks your blood?"

"I'm asleep, not dead in my sleep."

"So, on the first day those water monkeys came here, before they even dug up the place where you were sleeping, but were just setting up a stage to perform, you already sensed what they were going to do, right?"
And then there's Little Yellow Oriole. After she took her revenge, she went into the fishpond above the sealed land where you are. At that time, she had already changed with your help.

Your self-imposed isolation, in essence, is the same as what you're doing now—a form of self-anesthesia. For you, is there really such a thing as an absolute seal, an exemption from all pain and suffering?

"Kid, what are you babbling about?"

"You sensed it when my grandmother moved here, didn't you?"

"Everything is safe."

"That means you sensed it. Did you sense the people who delivered and stored the books for my great-grandfather back then?"

"Completely unaware."

"Were the people delivering the books just ordinary people?"

My great-grandfather once said that the books in the basement were being stored by someone. He had considered throwing them away, but since he had already agreed, he was afraid that someone would come back to claim them later, so they just stayed in the basement collecting dust.

Qing An cannot perceive ordinary people, or perhaps he simply ignores their behavior here.

So, back then, the group of ordinary people who sent so many secret treasures to the old master, including Wei Zhengdao's writings and the Qin and Liu families' original techniques...?

Li Zhuiyuan: "If someone were standing on the fishpond or the ground from back then, and they knew you were buried here, and they were standing there looking at you, sealed away below, could you... sense their presence?"

Qing'an: "He's courting death."

Li Zhuiyuan remained silent, staring at the pool of water in front of him.

After a long silence, Li Zhuiyuan spoke again:

"What if he's much stronger than you, so much so that you can't even feel the way he looks at you?"

Qing An: "Are you looking for death?"

"Okay, I understand." Li Zhuiyuan stood up.

Qing'an: "Can we begin?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I've finished asking."

Qing An slightly shifted her head, raised her eyes, and looked at the boy:

"Ok?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'm leaving."

Qing'an: "Is this some new approach?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No."

The boy turned and walked outside.

Qing An: "Be honest, I don't like being tricked."

The boy stopped in his tracks: "Yes, I know."

Qing An: "Kid, you won't live much longer."

The boy said, "My goal has always been to try my best to live to adulthood."

Qing'an: "Still pretending?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go to sleep."

The boy left, walking out of the peach grove.

Su Luo walked over with a wine pot and poured Qing An a cup of wine.

Qing'an picked up her wine glass and swirled it in front of her: "Tell me, what does he mean by this? Is he deliberately going against my wishes, deliberately ignoring me and provoking me?"

Su Luo: "You are the most passionate person in the world, and he is the most intelligent person in the world. I think he would not do this. If he wanted to ask you to help save him, he would definitely choose to hold a banquet here, bring out all his secrets, and make you laugh out loud. In this way, he can achieve whatever he wants with you."

He knew that what you feared least, what you desired most, was death.

Qing An: "So, this kid really doesn't want me to take care of him?"

Su Luo: "Probably... If he's not even willing to ask you, then he'll most likely ask those people in his family to leave in advance as well."

Qing'an:

"Fine, I'll prepare plenty of wine and watch him die."

……

Qiongya, Chen family.

Grandpa Chen was in a very good mood today, and was carefully pruning the branches of the willow tree at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

Madam Chen lay back in her chair, gently rocking as she drank coconut juice.

"Old man, look how happy you are. My sister Liu should have received your letter by now, right?"

Grandpa Chen: "Of course! You know, we really didn't spoil our precious granddaughter for nothing. Even we don't know where she lives now, but Xi Yuan can live in her house and sleep in her bed."

Madam Chen: "You envy your granddaughter, don't you? It's a pity you couldn't lie on that bed."

Old Master Chen: "Heh~"

The old man, holding scissors, spotted a branch and wanted to prune it. But fearing even the slightest mistake, he opened the stalk to help secure it.

Just then, in the ancestral hall, the three Dragon King tablets on the top floor all trembled.

On the offering table, the candle flame flickered three times.

The first shake made Old Master Chen look over instinctively, and his mind was shaken.
The second shake caused Old Master Chen to feel dizzy and his breathing to become reversed;

The third shake caused the released domain to become unstable, compressing the original entity in the opposite direction.

"puff!"

Old Master Chen clutched his chest, coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the willow branches in front of him red, and fell backward.

Upon seeing this, Madam Chen immediately moved swiftly behind her husband and helped him up.

"Old man, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me, please don't scare me! How can I live without you!"

Grandpa Chen tilted his head to the side, unable to utter a single word, his eyes fixed on the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall in disbelief.

My own ancestor just ambushed me, causing me to go berserk.

……

This evening, the dusk came earlier and was darker than usual.

Li Sanjiang had been asleep in the rattan chair, but was woken up by the wind and touched his arms.

"Is the wind picking up?"

The loudspeaker on the wall is broadcasting:
"Listeners, according to the meteorological observatory, the fifth typhoon of this year is gradually approaching the eastern coast of my country and is expected to make landfall in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces in the future..."

Li Sanjiang turned to the side and blew his nose.

Downstairs, Aunt Liu, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen, looked up, and said to Li Sanjiang upstairs:

"Uncle Sanjiang, a typhoon is coming!"

Li Sanjiang: "They usually land in Zhejiang, and rarely come directly to our area."

Aunt Liu smiled and went into the west room.

The moment the door closed, snakes, pythons, and venomous insects were scurrying about on the walls, floor, and beams of the west room.

If any one of them were to fall outside, it would cause extremely terrible harm.

"Quiet!"

No response.

"Quiet!"

The speed has slowed down.

"Quiet!"

The snakes and insects all returned to their places, each disappearing into the dark corners and crevices.

Aunt Liu pursed her lips.

I pushed open the door and walked out of the west room.

As I walked down the dam, I happened to see Uncle Qin in the distance, carrying a hoe on his shoulder, standing on the path, facing east.

The wind was already strong, blowing across the fields and among the trees.

But the spot where Uncle Qin stood was extremely quiet.

Aunt Liu walked over and said coldly, "Uncle Sanjiang is on the terrace!"

Uncle Qin turned his head and looked at Aunt Liu: "Big guy."

Aunt Liu: "Keep it down."

When Uncle Qin closed his eyes and opened them again, the grass and trees around him were immediately bent over by the wind.

Aunt Liu: "I'm going to see the mistress."

Uncle Qin nodded.

Aunt Liu: "Go home, wash up, and get ready for dinner."

Uncle Qin: "I really hope it doesn't change course and comes straight here."

Aunt Liu: "I'm warning you, apart from Xiao Yuan, there's no one here who's worth dying for right now."

Uncle Qin: "If it really does come straight here in the end, what do you think its goal is..."

Aunt Liu: "Silence."

Uncle Qin shut his mouth.

Aunt Liu: "If they really come straight here in the end, we should follow the example of our ancestors, step forward, and take on the responsibility without hesitation, even if it means death."

As she spoke, Aunt Liu couldn't help but smile.

Ali was at least thrown out by his mistress to light lamps and cross the river, and later he was often assigned to do some work.

In her life, apart from the occasional trips she was arranged to go out with Ali, she was mostly kept by her mistress's side.

She agreed with her mistress's assessment of her, and she was also aware that she was too ruthless, petty, and ruthless in her actions.

She herself also enjoyed being in the kitchen, serving the mistress and young lady in their daily lives.

But deep down, she also yearns for a magnificent and epic journey.

Uncle Qin: "You smiled."

Aunt Liu immediately composed herself and glared at Uncle Qin: "Heh, it's not your place to lecture me."

Uncle Qin: "I just think you look quite good when you smile."

Aunt Liu rolled her eyes at Uncle Qin and rubbed her forehead.
"No wonder the mistress said that all of you surnamed Qin are the same; you can't do anything unless you're facing death."

Uncle Qin scratched his head: "What do you mean?"

Aunt Liu: "Go back and check the stove."

Uncle Qin: "Oh."

Aunt Liu walked to Cuicui's house. On the east side of Cuicui's house, Liu Yumei was standing there, her clothes being blown by the wind.

As Aunt Liu approached, Liu Yumei raised her hand, interrupting what Aunt Liu was about to say.

"Ah Ting, remember to remind Ah Li that, just to be on the safe side, from this moment on, he should only look and not speak."

"Yes."

"We need to prepare for the worst."

"Yes."

At this moment, a black bird was circling in the sky, which meant that a message had arrived, and that the message was of a high rank, at least on par with the Dragon King Qin and Liu.

Now, the only thing that knows where I live is that gate.

Aunt Liu: "The Chen family has sent another letter."

Liu Yumei: "That girl seems to be going back. Let's pack up, and A-Li and I should be able to move back tonight."

Turning around, Liu Yumei, who was about to go back into the house, stopped and looked back at the dark clouds gathering and gathering in the east.

"It seems that they really are after us in the end."

Aunt Liu lowered her head.

Liu Yumei:
"It's good that it's coming at us. It should come at us. If it dares to come, we dare to meet it."

Chen Jing and Liang Li returned from their trip to Wolf Mountain.

Chen Jing, who grew up in a mountain village, asked Liang Li with great confusion:

"Sister Li, why do people from Nantong call Langshan a mountain?"

"Because it is a mountain."

"Oh, so this can be called a mountain."

"Hey, is that the boss?"

"Yes, it's Brother Yi."

In the distance, Zhao Yi, who had been sitting by the bridge for almost the entire afternoon, finally stood up.

He walked along the path and arrived at Li Sanjiang's house.

The wind is picking up, and it could rain at any moment, so we'll have to move dinner indoors.

Lin Shuyou was setting the table and putting out bowls and chopsticks when he saw Zhao Yi arrive, so he added another set of bowls and chopsticks next to himself.

Zhao Yi didn't come in; he stood outside with his hands on his hips.

Lin Shuyou: "Three-Eyed, why aren't you back in Jiujiang yet? How long are you going to freeload here?"

Zhao Yi: "Aren't you the same as me?"

Lin Shuyou: "How am I the same as you!"

Zhao Yi: "Heh, if I hadn't lit the lamp myself back then, do you think you would still have a place in your team?"

Lin Shuyou: "What use are you?"

Zhao Yi: "Me, useless?"

Lin Shuyou: "If you want to fight, we can do it. But when it comes to brains, you're not as good as Brother Xiaoyuan. So what's the use of you?"

Zhao Yi: "Where is the guy surnamed Li?"

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Xiaoyuan is in the dojo behind the house."

Chen Xiyuan stretched as she walked out of the east room. She didn't need to set an alarm clock; she always woke up precisely at mealtimes.

Aunt Liu walked onto the dam, took out a letter, and handed it to Chen Xiyuan:

"Your grandfather's..."

Chen Xiyuan rubbed her eyes and asked in surprise, "Is my grandfather really that unreserved?"

"Your grandfather has gone mad and is on the verge of death. Your family wants you to go back immediately. In the worst-case scenario, you can at least see him one last time."

Chen Xiyuan was stunned.

Zhao Yi, who was standing next to him, was completely dumbfounded.

Just how lazy and cunning must someone be to make the head of the Dragon King's clan resort to such methods to send his heir home and away from this place of trouble?
Tan Wenbin took his mobile phone and walked to the dam. Due to the weather, the signal was not very good, but he could still barely understand what the other person was saying.

"Okay, Brother Liang, I understand. I will pass it on to Brother Xiao Yuan."

"Binbin, why do I feel like you're not surprised at all?"

Xue Liangliang came to inform us that the project start date had been delayed.

The young people who participated in that project back then are now leaders in various industries in China. They are also in charge of organizing and leading the restart of the project, and Engineer Luo is one of them.

However, the latest news came this afternoon.

Luo, along with a leadership team, took a train to Ji'an to inspect and arrange the preliminary preparations for the project.

As a result, despite the presence of security personnel, the sleeper car where the four members of the group were located suddenly became empty, and all four of them disappeared.

On each of the four beds in the sleeper car, there was a work transfer notice left behind. The photos on the notices were of Luo and his colleagues when they were young. These were the transfer orders they received when they were young workers and were being transferred to Ji'an.

This news was kept strictly confidential. In theory, Xue Liangliang was only responsible for issuing a notice that the project was suspended, but he still decided to inform Xiao Yuan and the others.

Because over a long period of time, Xiao Yuan and his team had solved many supernatural incidents at construction sites.

"Brother Liang, let's talk about this when we meet. Don't worry about Engineer Luo's matter either. I believe that our teacher will be blessed by heaven."

"Yes, I know. When are you going back to Nanjing? I'd like to meet with you and have a chat, or perhaps I can take some time to go back to Nantong in the next couple of days?"

"We are very busy right now."

"Okay, I understand. I'll call you when you're done."

"Ah."

After hanging up the phone, Tan Wenbin breathed a sigh of relief.

My advisor disappeared before I even graduated.

Although his mentor often called him and Ayou by the wrong names, Tan Wenbin still respected Engineer Luo, but he wasn't really worried about his disappearance.

Because there's a very high probability... that these students will outpace their mentors.

Chen Xiyuan went upstairs, said goodbye to the little girl, and then said goodbye to Li Sanjiang. When she was about to go to say goodbye to Old Madam Liu, she saw that Old Madam Liu had already walked this way, followed by Liu Jinxia and Li Juxiang, who were carrying her daily necessities in a tricycle.

Seeing Chen Xiyuan running towards her, Liu Yumei waved her hand and said, "I know about it. Go back first, so you don't have any regrets."

"Uh-huh!"

Chen Xiyuan wondered if her grandfather had no regrets after writing a letter to Old Madam Liu.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, all that was left was to say goodbye to his little brother.

Chen Xiyuan ran to the rice paddy behind the house, and Zhao Yi happened to be walking in that direction as well.

At the entrance of the dojo, Chen Xiyuan frowned, pondering how to "knock on the door".

Zhao Yi walked over, his palm extended forward, and the entrance to the dojo opened.

Chen Xiyuan: "Can you drive?"

Zhao Yi: "I am the supervisor."

Chen Xiyuan: "The little brother didn't change the lock in time, he's so careless."

Zhao Yi: "What, are you worried I'll sneak in and kill him?"

Chen Xiyuan: "I just suspected you might sneak in to steal something, and you actually said you'd kill him. Have you ever thought about killing your little brother before?"

Zhao Yi: No.

Chen Xiyuan: "There definitely is, but you missed it."

Zhao Yi looked at Chen Xiyuan in disbelief.

Chen Xiyuan went in first, while Zhao Yi waited outside.

After a while, Chen Xiyuan said goodbye and came out, saying to Zhao Yi, "Goodbye, Young Master Zhao."

"Yes, please give my regards to Grandpa Chen."

Zhao Yi entered the dojo, first waving his hand to close the entrance, and then immediately said:

"Hey Li, how come that Miss Chen suddenly seems to understand human nature?"

Zhao Yi looked at Li Zhuiyuan sitting on the steps. In front of the boy, there were countless broken wooden plaques scattered all over the ground.

"Hey Li, where are you?"

Li Zhuiyuan, who was originally sitting on the steps, cracked and turned into a wooden puppet. The steps beside him split open and arched upwards, and Li Zhuiyuan was lifted up.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan's nose was bleeding, and blood was also flowing from the corner of his eye; his face was deathly pale.

Clearly, Chen Xiyuan had just said goodbye to the puppet created by Li Zhuiyuan.

Zhao Yi stepped forward, squatted down, and while checking the boy's condition, said with a wry smile, "Do you really think that after seeing you like this, she will choose you between her grandfather and you? Li, how narcissistic are you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "She might say that Grandpa has lived to a ripe old age anyway, so it doesn't matter whether he sees him one last time or not."

Zhao Yi: "You know what, it's actually possible."

Li Zhuiyuan: "She's gone, so you can leave in peace now."

Zhao Yi: "Hehehe, you, surnamed Li, you really understand me. But I still want to ask a simple question: is the chance really so slim this time?"

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the scattered fragments of wooden plaques on the ground ahead:

"These are all the results I just deduced; I didn't deduce any chance of survival."

"I find it hard to believe that this is Nantong, the place where you, Nantong Corpse Retrieving Li, have your sacred grounds. Not to mention, there's also..."

"I will let them leave."

"What kind of being is so terrifying?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi immediately raised his hand: "Hey, hey, hey, this is an exclamation, not a question, you don't need to answer me!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You can go now. I've spoken to Grandpa. Old Tian wants to go home to pay respects to his ancestors but doesn't have the travel expenses. Grandpa will give him the money. Take Old Tian with you. Not only Old Tian, ​​but also Xiong Shan, Li Hua, Benben, anyone who can sense that thing on that day, I will arrange for them to leave."

Zhao Yi: "So, what about Ayou?"

Li Zhuiyuan took out a piece of paper and wiped the corner of his eye.

Zhao Yi: "Logically speaking, since they worship you as the Dragon King and follow you across the river, they should live and die with you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I will also let Runsheng, Binbin and Ayou leave."

Zhao Yi: "Will they?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Just give the order, they won't disobey my orders."

Zhao Yi nodded, stood up, and cursed:
"Damn it, how did things turn out like this!"

After saying that, Zhao Yi left.

The entrance to the temple opened and closed.

The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze sharpened, and with a turn of his palm, the entrance restriction of the dojo was completely modified.

Then, the boy closed his eyes and said:

"Alright, main body, now it's your turn to deduce it."

When the boy opened his eyes again, his gaze was filled with a deep indifference, and his entire demeanor changed.

"Inner Demon, you're really going too far now, actually letting me take control of your body?"

The boy raised his hand, and the compass spun rapidly, causing the wood in the dojo to surge like a raging tide.

After the storm subsided, a wooden plaque, though covered in spiderweb-like cracks, remained intact and unbroken.

The boy closed his eyes again, and when he opened them again, his gaze and demeanor returned.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Who exactly went too far, allowing their inner demons to control their bodies without any resistance?"

The boy stood up, walked down the steps, and carefully picked up the intact wooden plaque.

"This is my... glimmer of hope."

"Pfft!"

Li Zhuiyuan opened a can of Jianlibao, faced east, and took a sip.

"Big turtle, swim faster."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The last blood glucose meter giveaway ended. Since it was purely for public benefit, we didn't want to use a monthly pass giveaway, so we went through the book review section. However, after the event was launched, we discovered that the Qidian book review section no longer displays the floor number.

Finally, thanks to the hard work of operations staff like Yifanfanfanfanfanfan, who climbed thousands of floors to complete the statistics and lottery, please check if you have been replied to if you participated in the event. The list of winners is also posted in the pinned post in the book review section. Please follow the instructions to claim your prize in time.

(End of this chapter)