Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 397

The wind and rain did not rise further as predicted; instead, after reaching a peak, they subsided significantly.

The latest news broadcast came from the wooden radio hanging on the second-floor wall:

"Listeners, according to the latest monitoring results from the meteorological observatory, the fifth typhoon of this year has suddenly changed its path and has not made landfall in Qidong as expected. At the same time, the wind speed at the center of the typhoon has also decreased significantly..."

According to the latest news from the front lines of typhoon relief, possibly due to extreme weather, a red tide phenomenon, unprecedented in history, has occurred in the eastern waters of Qidong, turning a large area of ​​the sea blood red...

Experts say this phenomenon will not affect the coastal aquaculture industry in the region…

……

The injuries on Uncle Qin's body can only be described as horrific.

Nine deep furrows covered his entire body, each revealing the white of bone. He now resembled a severely damaged human specimen, barely covered by skin and flesh.

Even Xiong Shan, who had seen the scenery of the river before, was horrified when he saw Uncle Qin's current state.

Because, under normal circumstances, Lord Qin should have died long ago.

Any single dent on his body would be a fatal wound for an ordinary person... no, even for Xiong Shan.

But at this moment, standing right in front of Lord Qin, he couldn't even sense the weakness in Lord Qin's aura.

Only evil spirits can do this.

Xiong Shan swallowed hard.

He didn't believe that Lord Qin would take the path of evil. Besides, Lord Qin was still relatively young and far from needing to take the evil path to seek a longer lifespan.

Uncle Qin raised his hand, interrupting Xiong Shan's treatment of him. Traditional treatments were no longer effective for his current injuries, and he could only rely on A-Ting to "stitch up" his wounds.

Furthermore, his attention was not on himself at all; his gaze was fixed on the coffin behind the altar in the mourning hall.

The young mistress's question finally brought Uncle Qin out of his pain and despair, allowing him to begin to think.

The conclusion reached after thinking it through is that Xiao Yuan is very likely... not dead yet.

Uncle Qin strode forward.

The old lady raised a hand and blocked him.

Liu Yumei's secret technique has been interrupted, and the original Miss Liu is once again sealed away in the historical memories of this body, while the real Old Madam Liu has returned.

This time, she had no time to worry about pretense or saving face.

After stopping Elder Qin, she stepped forward on her own.

The old lady realized something was wrong when the incident happened. If she still couldn't figure out the purpose of this arrangement afterward, neither of the two families could have survived for so long under her leadership.

In her eyes, the period when she was most foolish and naive, yet still somewhat useful, was the few years she spent traveling the world as Miss Liu.

After getting married, she became more composed.

After the decline of Dragon King Qin and Dragon King Liu, she fully matured.

Therefore, this age range is strictly defined; she can only confirm her own age within that range, which is why she cannot see through Xiao Yuan's arrangements.

Liu Yumei walked to the coffin, bent down, and said softly:

"Ah Li, let Grandma come and see Xiao Yuan."

Ah Li shook her head.

"Grandma is just looking. Grandma promises you, she won't do anything."

Ah Li didn't believe it.

But the girl still moved aside.

Even Liu Yumei herself didn't believe this.

The old woman gently stroked the boy's body from head to toe, a distance away.

Her brow furrowed, and the result of her investigation was: Xiao Yuan was indeed dead.

The old woman, not believing in superstition, touched the boy's forehead with her fingertip.

A glint of light appeared in his eyes.

Immediately, the old lady's eyes lit up with surprise.

Even when death is imminent, and even when that final step is nearly 99% complete, there is still a glimmer of hope.

Even Liu Yumei, who had seen all sorts of things, couldn't help but marvel inwardly:
How did this child manage to do that?

The child did this so that they would really believe he was dead, in order to avoid the subsequent karmic repercussions.

For this reason, he was ruthless to himself to this extent.

In fact, the child knew perfectly well that even if he did nothing, his group would still be willing to die for him.

Liu Yumei felt a mix of emotions: anger, gratitude, helplessness, and a sense of relief.

But soon, these complex emotions were replaced by a deep sense of alarm.

This child has pushed himself too hard and driven himself too far. Even if Liu Yumei were to burn herself out and risk violating the taboo of cause and effect again, she couldn't help him in the slightest.

Moreover, she dared not try anything, because the child's life force was not a flickering candle in the wind, but the last embers after it had been extinguished, and she could only hope for a sudden resurgence.

Any action by others could cause this last bit of warmth to dissipate.

"Ah Li, Xiao Yuan has a way of waking up on his own, right?"

Ah Li nodded.

A smile appeared on Liu Yumei's face: "Well, Xiao Yuan is always cautious and methodical in his work, and he always gets things done. Let's just wait for him to wake up on his own."

After speaking, Liu Yumei glanced at the crowd below and gave the order:

“Those who need to recover should go and recover. Those who can still move, dismantle this mourning hall. Ali, you carry Xiao Yuan and take him to my east... to Xiao Yuan's own room.”

The only non-Taoist in the family is Li Sanjiang.

The only one who might bother Xiao Yuan is Li Sanjiang.

Liu Yumei is now quite looking forward to letting Li Sanjiang try his luck.

Uncle Qin obeyed the order, placed one hand against the outer wall of the coffin, and lifted it up.

He moved, went upstairs, entered the room, and finally used his strength from a distance to place the boy on his bed.

Throughout the entire process, the boy did not experience the slightest bump or jolt; not even the hem of his clothes swayed.

After doing all this, Uncle Qin stood by the bed and looked intently at Li Zhuiyuan lying on the bed.

He really wanted to smash this guy to pieces with one punch, but only after a moment of realization did he more clearly understand how long he had been lured by this nobody.

Despite being angry, I couldn't help but feel genuinely convinced from the bottom of my heart.

The mistress said he was stupid, and he agreed. As a fool, he needed a truly intelligent person to lead and command him.

A strong fist can indeed solve most of the world's problems.

But problems can arise when you encounter a fist harder than yours or a whole group of fists.

Both the Qin and Liu families need this young man.

Uncle Qin took two steps back and knelt on one knee in front of the bed.

At this moment, he, on behalf of himself, acknowledged the status of the young man on the bed within the Qin family—not in the future, but in the present.

After bowing, Uncle Qin stood up.

Outside the door, Ah Li stood quietly, holding an extinguished oil lamp, leaning against the side wall by the door.

After Uncle Qin came out, Ah Li went inside.

The girl placed the oil lamp next to the boy's pillow.

The oil lamp, which had never been lit, slowly began to emit wisps of white smoke, as if it had just been extinguished.

This represents the boy's current state.

Next, when the oil lamp is lit again, even if it is only as small as a mung bean, it signifies the boy's awakening.

Ah Li didn't bring a stool, but sat on it and just stared blankly.

The girl returned to her drawing table, took out new tools, and continued carving the gourd.

He was exhausted and finally got a good long sleep.

Then I need to do more during this time, so that when he wakes up I don't find that all the time has been wasted.

After Uncle Qin went downstairs, he picked up Aunt Liu, who was unconscious, and carried her back to her bed in the west room.

Aunt Liu, who had just gotten into bed, slowly woke up and opened her eyes wearily.

Uncle Qin: "Don't worry, it's all over."

Aunt Liu: "I know."

Uncle Qin: "It's the same here and there, how did you know?"

Aunt Liu: "It's not over yet. Even in that 'world,' you don't have the means to carry me into this west room."

Uncle Qin: "That's true."

Aunt Liu: "Is Xiao Yuan awake?"

Uncle Qin: "You knew everything?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Liu couldn't help but roll her eyes.

She was so weak and her consciousness had been torn apart for so long that she almost fainted again from this action.

In Uncle Qin's eyes, Aunt Liu's eyes were rolling back and her body was twitching slightly, as if she was about to die.

Uncle Qin said anxiously, "I'm going to find the mistress!"

Aunt Liu recovered: "No need, I'm fine. It's just that the secret technique lasted too long, and the side effects accumulated a bit too much."

Uncle Qin: "How did you figure that out?"

Aunt Liu: "I think everyone noticed, except you."

Uncle Qin: "Is that so?"

Aunt Liu: "Was it just you who played the role naturally and dominated the entire performance?"

Uncle Qin: "Hmm."

Aunt Liu: "Hehe...hehehehe, you're such a blockhead."

Uncle Qin: "I let Xiao Yuan handle things the least."

Aunt Liu: “…”

Uncle Qin looked in the mirror and tugged at the skin and flesh that were stuck to his bones: "I need to fix it first. Let's use a paper doll. We can't let Uncle Sanjiang see it."

Aunt Liu: "Something's not right with you."

Uncle Qin: "Where?"

Aunt Liu: "You've already acknowledged Xiao Yuan as the head of the family, haven't you?"

Uncle Qin: "Xiao Yuan, hasn't it always been like this?"

Aunt Liu: "It was supposed to be the future."

Uncle Qin: "It is now too."

Aunt Liu remained silent for a long time before saying, "That's right."

Uncle Qin: "I'll find some paper to paste on first, and then you can help me sew it up after you've rested."

Aunt Liu: "Carry me upstairs to the main house first."

Uncle Qin: "What are you doing?"

Aunt Liu gritted her teeth and said, "Now that you've finished your greetings, I have to go too."

Uncle Qin: "No rush. Xiao Yuan hasn't woken up yet. Besides, it's just the two of us at home who need to pay our respects."

Aunt Liu: "To me, these words sounded like I was the only one in the family who hadn't accepted Xiaoyuan yet."

Uncle Qin walked over helplessly and picked up Aunt Liu again.

When he reached the doorway, Uncle Qin suddenly stopped.

Aunt Liu: "Why aren't you leaving?"

Uncle Qin: "Why didn't you tell me that the life of the centipede is your life?"

Aunt Liu: "If you die one day, this family won't be able to hold on either. I'll probably die too, so what's the difference?"

Uncle Qin: "When I was fighting that giant tortoise, if the mistress hadn't interrupted me, I would have almost swallowed the evil dragon, and you would have died."

Aunt Liu: "You're so slow! I need to hurry up and kowtow!"

Uncle Qin: "A-Ting, you've given me your life."

Aunt Liu: "Hmm?"

Uncle Qin: "I..."

Aunt Liu: What do you want?

Uncle Qin: "From now on, I will cherish my life more when I'm out here."

Aunt Liu: "Go to hell."

……

East room.

Liu Yumei sat facing the empty offering table, her back now looking particularly thin.

The old lady held a cup of yellow wine in her hand, the cup constantly twirling between her fingers.

She still remembered that not long ago, the boy stood here, pressuring her to bow her head and leave in the name of the inheritance of legal principles.

If the same thing happens again, the boy doesn't need to do it this way.

The essence of power is not what title you hold, but whether those around you or those below you recognize that title.

After this experience, the young man was effectively the current head of the Qin and Liu families.

"Our two families have few members, but there are advantages to having few members."

Liu Yumei drank the yellow wine in her cup in one gulp.

Although it was irresponsible, she had indeed been relieved of her burden. From now on, whatever the head of the family said would be law, and as an elder, she would just have to listen.

Liu Yumei rested her chin on her elbow, looking at the empty offering table in front of her.

To the old lady, it didn't matter whether there was a memorial tablet or not.

However, at this moment, she truly sounded like an ordinary old lady, and spoke:

"Please bless Xiao Yuan so that he can wake up safely and smoothly."

……

The bearded man's house was now like a field hospital.

Captain Chen was also transferred here.

Zhao Yi went to find Benben.

Benben is sleeping soundly.

Zhao Yi stood by the crib for a while, and Benben slept even more soundly.

"Stinky boy."

Zhao Yi turned around, walked to Chen Xiyuan's makeshift bed, and asked:

"how?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Although it was interrupted, it can be resumed later."

Zhao Yi: "I'm asking about your injuries."

Chen Xiyuan: "Oh, I thought you were asking about sudden enlightenment."

Zhao Yi: "Your meal took quite a while to finish."

Chen Xiyuan: "So, I never understood what my grandfather meant when he taught me that 'sudden enlightenment' was very important. I could never find that feeling of sudden and ultimate understanding that my grandfather described."

Zhao Yi: "Alright, stop talking. My internal injuries are a bit severe."

Chen Xiyuan: "Has the little brother woken up yet?"

Zhao Yi: Not yet, but it won't be long.

Chen Xiyuan: "Little brother is so amazing."

Zhao Yi: "Yes."

Chen Xiyuan: "What exactly do you want?"

Zhao Yi: "What, you figured it out?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Because when I praised the little brother, you agreed in a very absent-minded way."

Zhao Yi: "I'd like to borrow your flute to touch it."

Chen Xiyuan handed over the flute in her hand.

Zhao Yi didn't answer immediately, but asked, "Have you finished adjusting it?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Mm."

Zhao Yi waved to the outside, and Chen Jing, sitting in the wheelchair that Old Tian used to use, pushed himself over with difficulty.

"Come here, A-Jing, hold this flute in your hand."

The flute can only measure four sections. If Zhao Yi measures it himself, the full effect will not be very obvious. So he plans to take a shortcut and first divide it into four sections according to a certain ratio, and then let A Jing measure it. This way, the scale of this merit distribution can be presented more intuitively.

Chen Jing obediently reached out and grabbed the flute.

Four lights shone from the flute.

The light made Zhao Yi's face turn red.

Zhao Yi: "We've struck it rich! We've struck it rich! This time we've really struck it rich!"

Chen Xiyuan: "It was the younger brother who suffered, endured hardship and danger, while we benefited."

Zhao Yi: "The benefits he received are something that no amount of merit could buy."

Chen Xiyuan: "Little brother, please let me know when you wake up. I need to take a deep nap first."

Zhao Yi: "Don't worry, the guy surnamed Li will be fine."

……

problem occurs.

After the event outside was over, Li Zhuiyuan came out of the dojo.

The village wasn't exactly ravaged by the attack, because peach blossoms were blooming everywhere in the scars.

Siyuan Village could be renamed Peach Blossom Village.

Ah Li sat on a rattan chair on the second-floor terrace, looking down at the book in her hand that was no longer there.

Tan Wenbin picked up the old mobile phone, which was now broken into pieces, and chatted with Zhou Yunyun.

Lin Shuyou climbed on the wall, touching the power lines that had been cut off.

Runsheng stared intently at the dark television screen.

Aunt Liu was cooking in the kitchen with her hair disheveled, while Uncle Qin was hoeing the ground in the only remaining corner that was almost entirely covered with peach trees.

Miss Liu sat on the dam, drinking tea.

Once the real people severed the red line, the remaining "sculptures" continued to operate according to the previous logic.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up and glanced at his room on the second floor.

Inside, there is a wealth of ontology learning results.

The boy really wanted to go see it, but he felt it was very immoral.

It sounds absurd that someone who is a demon in their own mind has to talk about morality with their true self.

However, the respect that should be shown is still due, after all, the original body died a very quick and painless death this time.

Furthermore, Li Zhuiyuan felt that the most important thing now was to "come back to life."

He was well aware of just how bad his physical condition was in reality.

Li Zhuiyuan walked down the dam, followed the path, and onto the village road, until he reached the entrance of the village road.

The boy stood at the intersection of the gravel road and the main road, deliberately crossing the line and standing on the road, facing the village, and began to call out to Xiao Hei.

Xiao Hei was his key to returning home. In order to ensure that he could switch the perspective of the giant tortoise to this side, he dared not leave himself any weakness such as an escape route.

Of course, it can also be simply understood as Li Zhuiyuan being a wandering ghost who needs Xiao Hei to come and guide him so that he can be brought back to life.

The reason for choosing Xiao Hei is that Xiao Hei was originally a backup method that Li Zhuiyuan used to counter the main body.

The original body sculpted everyone, and Li Zhuiyuan was still in the basement, where he witnessed the original body's failed attempt to sculpt the Bodhisattva and the Emperor of Fengdu.

But the main body ignored the dog.

When Li Zhuiyuan was teaching the crash courses for Runsheng and the others, he needed to come out in his true form to give himself a final mental squeeze. Every time he taught a class, Li Zhuiyuan would deliberately bring out Xiao Hei and have it stay in a corner of the training ground.

At the time, Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou even wondered if they should take Xiao Hei with them to the Yu family.

However, plans can never keep up with changes.

The giant turtle's sudden arrival on land completely disrupted the entire process.

The original body, which had been eyeing the target covetously, willingly sacrificed itself in its place.

Then naturally, I would have to remove the small black object that I used to guard against my main body in advance.

Only Xiao Hei could clearly distinguish the difference between itself and its original form. In addition, its dog blood had been dripped onto this line by itself, so only Xiao Hei could enter and leave this place and lead itself back.

However, the boy shouted many times and waited for a long time.

Little Black, however, never appeared.

Li Zhuiyuan realized that something was wrong.

They were fine when they arrived, but now they can't go back.

He didn't think it was Xiao Hei who forgot or neglected; it could only be some kind of accident, and this "accident" should be put in quotation marks. Li Zhuiyuan looked up and surveyed his surroundings.

The wind and rain gradually subsided, but the clear sky did not appear; instead, the edges of the sky were tinged with an even deeper black.

If Xiao Hei doesn't come, it won't be long before this blackness gradually devours this place, this "world" will be annihilated, and he himself will die completely.

Despite the imminent threat of death, Li Zhuiyuan showed no panic or fear.

Instead of waiting at the village entrance, he went home.

If Xiao Hei can come back, it will know to go home to find itself when it can't find itself here.

If Xiao Hei can't come... I'll have to go home too.

Li Zhuiyuan went to the basement first.

The sculptures that were released are still "living," while the basement remains empty.

Li Zhuiyuan walked directly to the very end of the basement.

He wanted to see Schrödinger's true form.

However, when the boy stood in front of the coffin, he was also stunned for a moment.

The main body of the coffin is still there, but the original coffin lid has turned into a giant tortoise shell!

Patterns resembling the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) extended downwards from the tortoise shell, sealing the coffin completely.

"Ah."

Li Zhuiyuan knew what had caused it.

"That part of the giant tortoise, before it was completely destroyed, cast a curse on me, and the curse ended up on you, the original body."

It's really strangely good.

Li Zhuiyuan patted the tortoise shell with his hand.

"I originally came to tell you that I might not live much longer, so I can go and look through the learning materials you left behind."

After all, simply sitting there waiting to die is really boring.

Now, there's one more.

What if I still have a chance to survive?

I promised you I would help you recover.

But right now, I don't have a good way to deal with this big tortoise shell. I can't damage the main structure of the coffin. If the coffin collapses and you are completely crushed by the tortoise shell, then you will really die.

Let me read some books and supplementary materials first, and improve my level. Maybe then I can find a way to help you break through this shell.

If you don't say anything, I'll take that as agreement.

Li Zhuiyuan stood in front of the tortoise shell for a while, without making a sound.

The boy nodded, turned around and walked out of the basement to his room on the second floor.

It's pointless to waste time worrying about situations you can't change.

Li Zhuiyuan sat amidst the pile of pages and began to read.

When you get tired of reading text, unroll the scroll and appreciate the painting.

All improvements to one's own abilities are based on what one already knows and understands.

Looking at these things now, Li Zhuiyuan feels as if he has designed targeted improvement questions for Tan Wenbin back then.

Once you start looking, you lose track of time.

When the boy briefly emerged from this state of learning and seeking knowledge, it was already dark outside.

Li Zhuiyuan took the painting scroll, walked out, and sat down on the rattan chair.

Ah Li was still sitting there next to me.

Before him lay a village, its corner already swallowed by darkness.

It's not just the horizon anymore; now it's this Siyuan Village, and it's no longer complete.

Preliminary estimates suggest that, with the great-grandfather's house as the center, about one-third of the village area has been submerged in darkness, and this circle is still shrinking.

Li Zhuiyuan remained unmoved and continued to pull the animation scroll.

Before lowering his head to continue immersing himself in the moment, the boy spoke softly:

"Ali."

The girl sitting next to him turned her head and looked at the boy.

She's fake, but she's very perceptive, especially her eyes, which are exactly like Ah Li's.

"I might have to break my promise."

……

The next morning, it was light and the sky cleared up.

Ah Li did not return to the east room; she remained in the boy's room.

Liu Yumei did not call her granddaughter back to sleep.

Another cut was successfully made into the gourd.

Ah Li turned her head and looked at the oil lamp next to the boy's pillow on the bed, which was no longer smoking.

The girl put down the carving knife and gourd, walked to the bedside, and placed her palm above the oil lamp. Now, only a faint warmth remained.

This means that the boy's condition is constantly deteriorating.

Ah Li's gaze fell on the boy's face.

The girl tilted her head slightly.

She left the room and went downstairs.

In the living room on the first floor, Ah Li looked around, searching the house to see if something was missing.

My family is still here.

What's lacking is...

Xiao Hei's doghouse is gone.

The spot that should have been a doghouse was previously used as a funeral hall, but the dog has also disappeared.

Liu Yumei: "Ali, Runsheng is seriously injured and can't move. Go to Xiting and bring your Uncle Sanjiang back."

Uncle Qin: "Okay."

Liu Yumei: "Take care of him properly. Your Uncle Sanjiang has had too much to drink and might be a bit unsteady. Just be careful and let him do what he wants."

Uncle Qin: "Okay."

After Uncle Qin left on his tricycle, Liu Yumei glanced at the door of the room on the second floor.

She really wanted to go upstairs to the second floor, stand outside the screen door, and take a look at Xiao Yuan's situation.

But she felt a sense of panic and dared not do so, especially when she felt powerless to do so. She didn't even dare to ask her granddaughter about Xiao Yuan's progress in waking up.

Fortunately, her granddaughter rarely showed any expression except when facing Xiao Yuan, so it was impossible to discern her true feelings. She was both disappointed and relieved.

However, Liu Yumei soon realized something was wrong; her granddaughter seemed to be searching for something.

"Ah Li, who are you looking for?"

Ah Li pointed to the original location of the doghouse.

Liu Yumei: "Are you looking for that dog?"

Ah Li nodded.

Liu Yumei: "Does this concern Xiao Yuan?"

Ah Li didn't answer; she didn't know.

Liu Yumei immediately said:

"It's easy to find a dog, just bring a wolf."

Zhao Yi sat on the dam floor of Big Beard's house, rubbing his hands together.

Even now, there's still no news of Mr. Li waking up.

He had a feeling that something seemed to be wrong.

But he didn't dare to go there to ask, not because he was afraid that the old lady would come after him. Even if the old lady came in person, he wouldn't be afraid at all.

Pear Blossom walked over: "Young Master Zhao, the old lady requests your presence."

Zhao Yi looked up in disbelief.

Pear Blossom pointed outside: "The old lady is standing outside right now."

Zhao Yi stood up shakily.

Pear Blossom then pointed to Chen Jing, who was sitting in a wheelchair and playing with Benben in the crib.

"The old lady said that you should take Chen Jing with you."

Zhao Yi let out a long sigh and said with dissatisfaction, "Next time, could you please finish your sentence in one go?"

Pear Blossom: "What's wrong?"

Zhao Yi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "You almost scared me to death."

As Zhao Yi pushed Chen Jing out of Big Beard's house, he saw Liu Yumei standing on the road, and A Li beside Liu Yumei.

Although the two sides had just fought together in that "world," they still tried to avoid direct confrontation after returning to reality.

The main problem was that there was simply no one else at home. Qin Li, who was able to move, had already been sent out to pick up Li Sanjiang, while A Ting was still lying in bed, not yet recovered.

Upon meeting Zhao Yi and Chen Jing, Liu Yumei got straight to the point:
"Zhao Yi, do me a favor."

"Madam, please give your instructions."

"Find me a dog."

Chen Jing and Xiao Hei were very familiar with each other. After all, after finishing their classes at the dojo, due to a period of mental confusion, Chen Jing really thought of himself as a wolf and chased Xiao Hei around the rice paddies many times.

At this moment, the wolf's nose came in handy; it sniffed around and guided Yi Ge to push his wheelchair.

Liu Yumei held A Li's hand and followed behind.

Chen Jing wanted to ask the old lady or A Li about his brother Yuan's situation several times.

But each time, Zhao Yi would cover his mouth in advance, lift his nose, and signal him to focus on tracking the scent.

What a joke! If that woman surnamed Li was in good condition and about to wake up, would the mistress of the Dragon King's household really come looking for a dog?

Chen Jing led everyone into a field. This field did not belong to Li Sanjiang, but if you looked north from here, you could see Li Sanjiang's house directly.

"Here, Little Black..."

Chen Jing's face showed a look of shock.

Zhao Yi stepped forward, parted the crops that were obscuring the view, and what was revealed to everyone was a small pit.

In the small pit, there was a pool of blood and a patch of charred dog hair.

Zhao Yi:

"Little Black was struck by lightning and died."

Liu Yumei looked at her granddaughter with a deep gaze.

Ah Li remained expressionless.

Zhao Yi patted Chen Jing's head and urged, "Smell it again, hurry up, smell it again."

Chen Jing: "Brother Yi, Xiao Hei's scent only goes this far, it..."

Zhao Yi pursed his lips.

Chen Jing: "Brother Yi, why did the lightning strike Xiao Hei?"

Zhao Yi glanced at Liu Yumei and A Li beside him and replied:

"how could I know."

After a pause, seemingly realizing that his answer was too insincere, Zhao Yi added his own guess:

"Maybe it wasn't aimed at Little Black."

Liu Yumei reached out, broke off a stalk of crop, gently rubbed it in her hand, and then brought it to her nose to smell it.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting colder, Zhao Yi had no choice but to say again, "Brother Xiao Yuan is really something, he doesn't even know how to keep the dog in a proper enclosure."

Liu Yumei: "That's because Xiao Yuan felt it wasn't necessary."

Zhao Yi looked puzzled. He suspected that the old lady had not understood the meaning of his words and had only a superficial understanding. But he quickly realized that perhaps it was he who had a superficial understanding.

Liu Yumei looked up at the sky, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes.

Zhao Yi also looked up and glanced at the sky.

Although the intricacies of this situation are still unclear...

But he had an answer in his heart, an answer that was about to be revealed.

At this moment, even the "Code of Conduct for Traveling Along the River" that was in his pocket became a bit too hot to handle.

……

Li Zhuiyuan twisted his neck and looked up. Darkness had already enveloped the edge of the rice paddy in front of his great-grandfather's house.

The boy knew that this meant his time was really running out.

Hmm, I need to hurry, otherwise I won't be able to finish reading all this information before I die.

Li Zhuiyuan returned to the room, put the scroll aside, and began to look at the pages of the notebook on the floor again.

The closer the darkness drew, the faster the boy read.

Are you scared?

Maybe not.

Are you resentful?
Not so much.

As for regret, that's simply not an option.

People are always used to thinking about, understanding, and interpreting death when it is still far away, but when death is really approaching, they instinctively avoid it.

"There's one more thing, we're almost done reading it, almost done reading it."

……

Li Sanjiang and Uncle Shan drank until dawn over a stewed turtle.

The two cherished this hard-won snack with their drinks, wishing they could savor every piece of meat several times, then dip it in the broth and slurp it up again.

In short, the turtle was eaten completely clean.

"Hillbilly, you're drunk! You're no good, haha!"

With his eyes closed and his head slumped over the table, the old man still held onto his last bit of stubbornness: "You're drunk, you're the one who's drunk!"

"I'm not drunk! I can still stand up. You try standing up!"

"I'll stand up then, who's afraid of who!"

Grandpa Shan stood up, then fell backward and lay on the ground.

Li Sanjiang: "Hahaha!"

Grandpa Shan: "What are you laughing at? Don't move around, you're shaking the ground."

Li Sanjiang: "You're drunk, but you won't admit it. You can't hold your liquor, that's all. I told you before, I told you to drink some good wine and not to drink those fake wines mixed with pesticide, but you just wouldn't listen."

Grandpa Shan: "You're drunk too, you're drunk too."

Li Sanjiang: "I'm not drunk. Not only can I stand up, I can also go home by myself!"

With that, Li Sanjiang walked out.

He stumbled and staggered to the roadside at the village entrance, trying to figure out which way to go home, when a small construction vehicle stopped in front of Li Sanjiang.

A passenger rolled down the window and asked, "Uncle Li, what are you doing here?"

Li Sanjiang stared intently for a closer look, then chuckled and said, "Clearly, clearly!"

Xue Liangliang got out of the car and helped Li Sanjiang up: "Uncle Li, I'm Liangliang."

"Oh right, you're Liangliang, Liangliang."

"Uncle Li, where are you going?"

"go home!"

"Perfect timing, I'm going to your house too, get in the car."

"okay."

Xue Liangliang settled Li Sanjiang in the passenger seat and started the car again.

A gust of wind sobered Li Sanjiang up a bit, and he asked in confusion, "Liangliang, why are you back?"

Xue Liangliang: "Something came up with the teacher, so I came here specifically to see Xiaoyuan."

Xue Liangliang had previously spoken to Tan Wenbin on the phone, and Tan Wenbin hinted that he also had something to do here, so Xue Liangliang refrained from coming over.

After noticing the weather forecast and discovering that the typhoon, which was supposed to pass through Nantong, had suddenly changed its path, Xue Liangliang instinctively realized that Xiao Yuan's situation must have been resolved.

Having spent a long time with Xiao Yuan and the others, he has gained some experience and knowledge.

He was very anxious because the teacher and those responsible had been missing for so long and there was still no news. He didn't dare to wait any longer and drove over immediately.

On the way to Shinan Town, we encountered a person who had fallen off his bicycle and was lying on the side of the road.

The typhoon had just ended, and there were many branches and debris on the roadside; you could easily slip and fall through them.

That person must have fallen quite hard, as they kept clutching their waist.

Li Sanjiang pointed and said, "Give them a hand, give them a hand."

Xue Liangliang nodded, immediately stopped the car, helped the person into the vehicle, and then put the other person's bicycle in the back of the construction vehicle. This construction vehicle was shaped like a small pickup truck, making it more suitable for use in extreme weather conditions.

Xue Liangliang originally intended to take the man to the town's health center, but the man waved his hand and refused, saying that he was fine and wanted to go home first.

His home wasn't far away, and it was on the way, but he had to go east or west. For Xue Liangliang, it was simply a matter of changing from entering the village from the west end of Siyuan Village to entering from the east end.

After escorting the man to his doorstep, his two sons, who were both home, were quite surprised to see their father being brought back in a car. They stared at Xue Liangliang with scrutinizing eyes.

"Quickly thank them. They were so kind to bring it back for me. They even gave me some ointment to put on. I'll treat them to a meal afterward..."

Upon hearing this, the two sons immediately grabbed Xue Liangliang's hands to express their gratitude, and even the eldest son, who was already married, instructed his wife to kill a chicken.

Xue Liangliang firmly declined, unloaded the bicycle with the twisted wheel from the car, and drove away.

Entering Siyuan Village from the east end of the village, you will pass by the ancestral graves of Old Li's family while driving on the village road.

Li Sanjiang pointed to the location of his family's ancestral graves, looked at Xue Liangliang, and said with great pride:

“Liangliang, that’s our Li family’s ancestral grave. Haha, everyone in the village says that our Li family’s ancestral grave is always emitting smoke.”

Xue Liangliang politely turned his head to look, then exclaimed in surprise:
"Uncle Li, your ancestral grave is really smoking!"

The car stopped.

Li Sanjiang got out of the car, accompanied by Xue Liangliang.

The ancestral grave, which we had just drained, was indeed smoking, and a large hole had inexplicably appeared in the very center.

Xue Liangliang observed the charred marks around him and said:
"Uncle Li, it looks like your ancestral grave was struck by lightning."

Li Sanjiang collapsed to the ground, his lips trembling.

In the village, if someone's ancestral grave is slashed, it will cause a lot of gossip. Even if your family has done good deeds all their lives, all sorts of rumors can be made up about you.

"Liangliang, quick, bury it back up! Quick, don't let anyone see..."

Suffering from a hangover, coupled with the shock of his ancestral grave being struck by lightning, Li Sanjiang simply passed out.

"Uncle Li, Uncle Li?"

After confirming that Li Sanjiang was breathing normally and was not in any serious condition, Xue Liangliang quickly got to work.

There were tools readily available in the vehicle, so Xue Liangliang immediately took out a shovel and prepared to fill the soil.

Just as I arrived at the edge of the pit and was about to start digging, I noticed a tattered straw mat underneath.

Thinking it didn't matter, I continued burying it, but then I saw the mat moving.

Xue Liangliang jumped into the pit and took out the mat. He wanted to see what was inside, hoping it might be an abandoned baby.

But no matter which end he looked from, it was pitch black inside, and he couldn't see anything at all. He tried to untie the rope binding the mat, but found that the rope was tied in a tight knot, and it was impossible to untie it.

Xue Liangliang had no choice but to reach in and touch it. He touched a paw, but immediately withdrew it. He didn't know if it was a cat or a dog.

He immediately breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, it wasn't a child.

Xue Liangliang tried to pour the animals out, but no matter how he tilted the container, the little guy just wouldn't come out.

Time was of the essence, and Grandpa Li was still lying on the ground. Xue Liangliang simply put the tattered straw mat aside, filled the hole with soil, and carried Grandpa Li back to the car. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't bear to leave him, so he picked up the tattered straw mat as well and put it in the back of the car.

Next, Xue Liangliang hurriedly drove to Li Sanjiang's house. As soon as he got to the dam, before he could even call someone out to take care of Grandpa Li, he heard a dog barking almost desperately from inside the tattered straw mat in the back of the car.

……

I've finished looking at both the books and the paintings.

The darkness had shrunk to the dam area.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the second-floor terrace; he didn't have much room to maneuver anymore.

What lies before us is truly facing death in the literal sense.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down in the rattan chair; he was at the center of the final circle.

Just as the boy was preparing to face the final moment, a figure suddenly darted out from the darkness ahead and landed on the dam.

Little Black, dressed in red and white, with its skin torn and bleeding, not a single patch of good flesh visible from head to toe, and not even a trace of black, came down below with a leash in its mouth.

It opened its mouth, lowered the leash, tilted its neck back, and shouted loudly at Li Zhuiyuan above:

"Wang!"

(End of this chapter)