Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 464

Li Zhuiyuan fiddled with the Ghost Seal while looking at the inscription on the offering table.

Although outside Lu Family Village, the Emperor's extraordinary actions severely tainted their originally pure master-disciple relationship.

But the boy wasn't naive enough to think that the emperor truly cared about such a title.

The Emperor would not ask for such a title, as it would seriously affect His debt valuation.

After all, what people who borrow money fear most is that the debtor will try to appeal to their emotions during the repayment period.

Therefore, this ghost seal and this line of text must be considered together.

After the team rests tonight, I will lead them to set off tomorrow morning to officially enter the Valley of Living Hell.

Currently, the core forces of the Lesser Hell, including the Ten Kings of Hell and a young ruler, have been eliminated in advance.

Li Zhuiyuan is a person who becomes more cautious the greater his advantage. He will not become arrogant, but will continue to proceed step by step.

Therefore, even though Little Hell and that Valley Master could cause him difficulties and troubles, Li Zhuiyuan believed that he would eventually be able to complete this wave successfully.

The Great Emperor probably thinks so too.

The idea of ​​bestowing an imperial seal and inquiring about one's status before entering the "little hell" is quite intriguing.

It seems like they're preparing for him, the young lord, to... establish his own government and military headquarters.

No, it's not that simple.

But if you follow this line of thought, you'll soon understand everything.

What the Emperor initially wanted was probably to eliminate the inherited power of this Hellish competitor.

Now, what the emperor wants is annexation.

The simplest and most cost-effective way is to conquer this place, rebuild it, and once it's running smoothly, He can then legitimately annex the Lesser Hell into Fengdu through the hierarchical relationship between the "Great Emperor" and the "Young Ruler".

The emperor truly lived up to his reputation as a figure of the Han Dynasty; he first enfeoffed people, then abolished the kingdoms and changed them into prefectures.

Giving yourself this hint early on is purposeful; it's a reminder not to be careless when attacking the lesser hells, wantonly destroying and smashing things, because rebuilding them will take a lot of effort later.

This is truly a hands-on tutorial on how to pay interest.

"Okay, as long as you're happy."

After Li Zhuiyuan had Runsheng put away the offering table, he deactivated the isolation formation.

When the two returned to their resting place, they saw mountain spirits and wild monsters running around the camp.

It was Tan Wenbin who summoned them.

They brought all sorts of wild fruits, game, herbs, and their own homemade fruit wine.

Although everyone brings their own supplies, no one can resist the urge to make themselves more comfortable and at ease in the wild.

For these mountain spirits and wild creatures, this is a great opportunity. Every little thing that anyone here can casually spill will greatly benefit them in cultivating merit and becoming human. The price they have to pay is just some local specialties.

Some foxes even wanted to release some body odor to create a psychedelic effect and give interested people a thrilling show.

But when Li Zhuiyuan came back, they were chased away. There was no way around it; this program was not suitable for children.

Zhu Yiwen was delighted to see Runsheng, who warmly invited him, his dining companion, to sit down.

The two men swallowed hard as soon as the pot lid was lifted, and then immediately began to devour the dish.

Lin Shuyou had already set up the tent. When Li Zhuiyuan went in, he saw A Li sitting on her sleeping bag, holding a blood porcelain bottle in her arms.

The blood-stained porcelain bottle, having just eaten its fill, was in a state of agitation, and the girl was trying to suppress it.

Li Zhuiyuan sat beside him, keeping him company.

Half an hour later, Ah Li raised her head, opened her eyes, and the blood porcelain bottle in her arms stopped trembling and became quiet.

The boy smiled and lay down in his sleeping bag.

The girl also lay down.

After looking at each other for a while, the two closed their eyes.

The wordless book crawled out of the backpack with a "patter" sound, came between the two sleeping bags, turned its pages on its own, and created white noise to help people fall asleep.

Wang Lin, this chubby boy, always brought pots and pans with him. While others were training on the river, he seemed to be living on the river.

With the mountain delicacies brought by the mountain spirits and wild creatures, he showed off his culinary skills, and many people from the neighborhood gathered around to enjoy a free dinner.

To be honest, the chubby guy's cooking skills are no match for Zhu Yiwen's; that guy is a seasoned gourmet.

Even disregarding the deer part, the dishes he prepared at the banquet were still amazing to everyone.

But no one dared to casually freeload off that person.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone except those assigned to keep watch seemed to have fallen asleep.

Some teams still maintain a vigilant habit and arrange for internal members to take turns pretending to sleep.

After washing the kitchen utensils, Wang Lin spread out the bedding and lay down comfortably.

He always falls asleep very quickly.

Once you close your eyes, you "die".

In his dream, Wang Lin sat up.

His surroundings were pitch black, and after a while, they turned gray, presenting a scene in his dream just like in reality.

Everything in the dream was only gray and white.

Wang Lin observed that some people were uneasy, some were anxious, some were relieved, some were resentful, and most were bewildered.

Zhao Yi had three blind selection opportunities in Li Sanjiang's basement, one of which was drawing a book called "The Art of Seeking the Heart by Asking Water".

It is a superior secret technique. Once mastered, it can see through people's hearts and has an effect that is infinitely close to the "gap between life and death".

When Zhao Yi drew this book, he laughed loudly.

Wang Lin was practicing this secret technique.

At this moment, the chubby boy was walking among a group of sleeping people in his dream, but he only observed from afar and did not touch them.

Touching someone signifies a targeted attack, and someone who is asleep might immediately notice.

Wang Lin walked until he reached the very center of the camp, where his gaze fell upon the tent where Li Zhuiyuan was located.

In the gray and white painting style, the top of the boy's tent moves slightly, and the evil dragon slowly crawls out, poking its head out. It seems to sense something and is investigating.

Wang Lin did not stop and continued to approach, certain that the evil dragon could not detect him.

The evil dragon kept turning its head, its premonition growing clearer and clearer, but it still gained nothing.

Wang Lin walked to the tent entrance, bent down, and lifted the tent flap.

"Wow~"

The sound of the curtain being lifted was like turning the pages of a book.

The next moment, Wang Lin found himself not in the tent, but in a woman's boudoir.

The red candles flickered, the gauze curtains gently draped the bed, revealing a graceful figure, half-hidden and half-revealed.

Wang Lin realized that the other party was on guard against him, and that he had already fallen into their trap.

Ever since he met Wang Lin, Li Zhuiyuan has opened the "Wordless Book" every night before going to sleep.

Wang Lin turned around, preparing to leave.

The woman peeked out, revealing a delicate and alluring face:

"Since you're already here, won't you even have a drink with me or say a few words?"

The woman left the bed, her jade-like feet dancing like butterflies on the carpet. Just as she was about to touch Wang Lin, the figure in front of her suddenly vanished.

"Hehehe..."

The woman's gaze turned somber.

"Run, run as fast as you can, let's see how many pages you can run."

After leaving the woman's bedroom, all Wang Lin could see were empty prison cells.

After walking forward for a while, he realized that going forward was a dead end, so he immediately stopped and turned back.

The woman stood at the front, holding a red candlestick in her hand, her expression somber.

"Now that you're in jail, how can you not spend some time in this cell?"

The woman waved her hand, and the cell door next to Wang Lin opened, pushing him inside with a powerful force.

"Hehehe..."

The woman walked to the prison cell door.

These past few days she's been like a mousetrap, placed by her owner by the bedside, and finally the mouse has been caught.

The woman squatted down, and a chair appeared to support her buttocks. A table appeared in front of her, and torture racks were erected on both sides.

This was her old job: interrogating prisoners for her master.

Which style of torture do you prefer?

Wang Lin showed no embarrassment or fear; instead, he smiled.

"Crack, click, click!"

The closed cell door reopened, and chains appeared on the chair where the woman had been sitting, binding her. The racks of torture instruments all shifted to the other side, and the roles of interrogator and torturer were reversed.

The woman looked at him coldly, showing no panic despite being in a situation where she had been turned the tables.

She even stubbornly retorted, deliberately provoking:

“Come on, torture me as much as you want. I will never betray my master. I want to use your hand to show my loyalty to my master.”

Wang Lin did not torture the woman; he simply walked to the table, picked up a brush, and wrote a short apology letter on the cell wall.

"My behavior was abrupt, stemming from mere curiosity. I am aware of my rudeness and will sever all ties with it!"

After finishing writing, Wang Lin reached out and slapped his forehead.

He began to crumble and dissipate.

The woman, freed from her restraints, stood up, sniffed, and revealed a greedy expression.

This guy is incredibly strange and mysterious, but the soul power he left behind after dissolving himself is so pure and profound.

in reality.

"Cough...cough..."

Wang Lin, who was lying in bed, coughed several times, forcibly swallowing back the sticky, fishy blood before he could spit it out.

I turned to my side, changed my position, and went back to a peaceful sleep.

Inside the tent.

Li Zhuiyuan sat there, the "Wordless Book" on his lap. The boy had witnessed the whole thing.

Wang Lin first appeared in the woman's room on the first page, then quickly walked from the first page to the fifteenth page, stopped, turned back, was pushed into the cell by the woman, and then subdued the woman.

He didn't torture the woman, left an apology letter on the wall, and even cut off his own soul to suffer the backlash, probably because he realized that someone was observing him from outside the book.

Li Zhuiyuan said to the woman, "Eat the soul power he cut off."

The woman wept with joy and bowed to Li Zhuiyuan in the scene. Indeed, as long as one gives himself a chance to show loyalty, he can receive his master's reward and comfort.

Li Zhuiyuan closed the "Book Without Words".

Turning my head, I saw that the girl in the sleeping bag next to me also had her eyes open.

Li Zhuiyuan: "He's already injured, he won't dare to do it again."

The girl closed her eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he gently tapped the book with his fingertips, maintained his sitting posture, and slowly closed his eyes.

In the boy's dream, everything turned gray and white.

Li Zhuiyuan got up, left his sleeping bag, and walked out of the tent.

Wang Lin knew he was in the wrong, so he decisively punished himself to give Li Zhuiyuan an explanation. He knew that Li Zhuiyuan wouldn't want to make things worse now.

Li Zhuiyuan really didn't want to escalate the situation, as this would deepen the suspicion within the wolf pack and affect the major events to come.

But there are ways to respond to not going all out.

I also know the art of "asking water to find the heart".

Li Zhuiyuan walked through his dream, avoiding the other sleeping people so as not to disturb them, and soon arrived in front of Wang Lin.

The boy squatted down and reached out to touch Wang Lin's forehead.

At this moment, Wang Lin turned his head to the side, and a bowl from his bag was pointed at Li Zhuiyuan.

The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan stood at the bottom of the bowl, with the bowl walls towering like mountains all around him.

Wang Lin gritted his teeth, turned to the side again, and his arm seemed to stretch forward unconsciously, his palm covering the bowl.

It was like a replay of the previous scene, with each of them entering the other's mouseboard.

Wang Lin gently shook the bowl, radiating friendliness.

The gist is that he will release the boy without requiring him to sever his soul connection.

However, at that moment, Wang Lin felt a chill on his forehead.

He immediately opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a gray aura. He saw the boy still squatting in front of him, his palm already pressed against his forehead. Who was the one he had put in his bowl? No, how could you have two of them?

Li Zhuiyuan's consciousness entered Wang Lin's.

Wang Lin was curious about the boy, and the boy was curious about him as well.

Reading someone's memories is a familiar technique to Li Zhuiyuan, but this time, he saw something completely different.

Wang Lin's memory is blank.

It wasn't damaged, nor was it erased; it was simply a thorough cleanliness.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and looked down at his feet. A piece of paper appeared at his feet, covered with dense writing. The paper continued to extend outwards.

Everything from daily life, language, techniques, abilities... even recipes are written on this piece of paper.

This piece of paper contains all of Wang Lin's memories.

He gave the impression of being a baby who had been asleep since birth, sleeping until adulthood, then reading the contents of this piece of paper, and then, based on the records on it, starting to travel across the river by lamplight.

Furthermore, all his experiences on the river since he began his journey were recorded on this piece of paper.

His life began on this piece of paper, and he is writing on this piece of paper with his life.

What exactly are you?
Sensing that someone was watching, the paper began to wriggle, as if it wanted to roll up its folds and trap Li Zhuiyuan's soul inside.

Without delay, Li Zhuiyuan left Wang Lin's non-existent world of memories.

Outside, the dreamscape remained gray and white, except for Wang Lin's face, which shimmered with a golden hue like shimmering gold leaf.

He had already released the hand covering the bowl, allowing the Li Zhuiyuan inside to leave and merge with the Li Zhuiyuan standing outside.

Wang Lin:

"What exactly are you?"

Wang Lin's eyes seemed to be spitting fire, and his breathing became erratic, but he was suppressing it with great force.

Neither he nor Li Zhuiyuan wanted the conflict to become public or escalate.

This restraint made him extremely uncomfortable, because his instinctive retaliation came from that piece of paper.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around, walked back to his tent, and lay down.

When I opened my eyes again, I heard some noise outside.

People nearby were asking Wang Lin what happened and why he was bleeding so much.

Wang Lin replied that he slept too much at night, and his kidneys couldn't keep up with the overexertion.

Li Zhuiyuan had good hearing and heard it.

It's hard to imagine that even this witty joke was supposed to be a retelling of what was written on that piece of paper.

In this exchange of gifts, Li Zhuiyuan won.

But Li Zhuiyuan felt no joy whatsoever as the victor.

The boy reached out and touched his face.

If you are a monster in human skin, then what is this guy?
A piece of paper disguised as a human?

Its daybreak.

When Li Zhuiyuan stepped out of the tent to wash up, everyone else in the camp also started to tidy up.

Wang Lin cooked a porridge with wild mushrooms and meat, inviting everyone to share it, as if the events of last night had never happened.

"Here, have some, it's very fresh."

Wang Lin brought a large bowl of porridge here.

Tan Wenbin took it, smelled it, nodded, and confirmed that it was non-toxic.

Lin Shuyou immediately took a bowl, filled it with porridge, and started eating.

"Mmm, delicious, really delicious."

Wang Lin smiled and looked at Li Zhuiyuan, saying:
"Senior, please have some too. I made it according to an old recipe, but that recipe has been lost for a long time and you can't find it outside. I just wrote it down in my mind, haha."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay, thank you."

Wang Lin waved his hand and went back to continue distributing the porridge.

Li Zhuiyuan served A Li a bowl, and then served himself a bowl. He took a bite, and the taste was indeed delicious.

The boy ate while glancing at Wang Lin out of the corner of his eye.

Wang Lin would also glance in his direction from time to time, and each time their eyes met, he would reveal a simple and honest smile.

After finishing the porridge, seeing that everyone was almost ready, Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin cleared his throat and gave the order on behalf of Tan:

"Gentlemen, it's getting late, it's time for us to go to hell!"

For a moment, many people burst into laughter.

The monk Yayoi put his hands together in prayer, as if to respond:
"Amitabha! I was terrified. Fortunately, I'm in this little hell, not Fengdu Hell."

Upon hearing this, the laughter subsided immediately, and many people secretly observed the boy's reaction.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled.

The laughter from the crowd immediately grew even louder.

……

"Mistress... Mistress... Mistress..."

After that night, Ming Qinyun locked herself in the ancestral hall and refused to see anyone.

But today, all the elders of the Ming family have gathered.

The tightly closed doors of the ancestral hall were finally opened from the inside.

The Dragon King tablets inside the ancestral hall were all cracked.

Ming Qinyun sat in a grand chair, her hair completely white.

She looked at the large group of people kneeling outside, sighed, and said:
"What are you doing? The Ming family isn't dead yet! Not all the members of the Ming family are dead! Even if they were all dead, so what? That jinxed woman has still managed to get by. Are we worse off than her?"

The Elder said, “There is something I must report to you, Madam.”

"Sigh, can't you just let me have a few more days of peace and quiet?"

Second Elder: "Mistress, you must know about this matter; it is of great importance."

Ming Qinyun shook her head: "Alright, alright, just say it. What is it? Ha, I really want to hear it. You've come to this point, what could possibly be worth turning into this?"

The Third Elder entered the ancestral hall carrying a thick stack of letters.

Ming Qinyun put one hand to her forehead and used the other to stop the other person, saying, "I don't care about this. Just get to the point. It's only been a few days, and so many things have happened in the martial arts world?"

The Third Elder pursed his lips:

“Madam, all of this is about the same thing.”

Ming Qinyun: "Are you talking about my Ming family's affairs? Then don't mention it to me again."

“Madam, this is not about the Ming family. In fact, the Ming family’s affairs have been suppressed because of this matter.”

"Oh? What is it?"

"The current heads of the Qin and Liu families are currently traveling on the river."

Ming Qinyun suddenly stood up.

"Recently, he led a group of lamplighters to destroy... Lu Family Village."

"puff!"

Ming Qinyun coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell backward.

---

This chapter is only 5 words, which means the extra chapter I mentioned last night didn't happen. Something came up at home during the day, which caused a slight disruption to my writing rhythm today. My apologies. I'm sorry about the word count tomorrow; I'll try my best to write more and earn everyone's forgiveness as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)