Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 516

There's a sign on the bridge with peeling paint. One side reads "Welcome to Nantong," while the other side says "Nantong looks forward to your next visit."

There is a river under the bridge, and the water in the river is black, as if some unknown company nearby is diligently discharging sewage into it.

A monk sat on the opposite bank of the river, wearing a white robe and with a face as smooth as jade. He held a begging bowl in his hand, which contained a few pieces of dried steamed buns he had obtained through alms and two small oranges.

Yayoi finished the steamed bun in her hand, carefully sucked the crumbs left in her palm, then peeled an orange with a smile, put a segment into her mouth, and chewed it with a look of enjoyment. At this moment, spring was in full bloom.

He is very photogenic.

The reason why Yang Banxian of Fengdu didn't think he was a fraud and was willing to entrust his apprentice to him was largely because he could simply rely on his appearance and temperament, and just by sitting there without saying a word, his alms bowl could be filled with coins by passersby.

Regardless of whether there is such a thing as Qinglong Temple, the master and disciple could live a life of luxury and indulgence with Yayoi.

Li Zhuiyuan stood on the opposite bank of the river, with the others standing around him.

The fact that the monks couldn't enter Nantong suggests that Taolin had deemed them evil spirits.

Yayoi put away the alms bowl, stood up, straightened her monk's robe, and clasped her hands together in prayer to Li Zhuiyuan:

"Greetings, senior."

The river was not wide, and the sound was clear.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the black water in front of him and said, "If you calm down, you can come in."

It's not surprising that the person lighting the lamp on the river has some gray objects on them. As long as you can suppress them and let me take the lead, you won't be judged as an evil spirit by Taolin. Like others who come to Nantong, you can go straight to the entrance of Siyuan Village. Of course, if you make a big show of it, then who else will be stopped but you?

Yayoi: "When you come to see your senior, you should be honest."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It seems that you have made great progress in your Buddhist practice recently."

The monk Kongji took a wicked path to gather evil energy to repair the Demon-Suppressing Tower. Not only was this plan ruined by Li Zhuiyuan, but some of it was also used to make it rain.

Right now, Li Zhuiyuan has enough reason to suspect that Yayoi took the credit for that incident.

Because Yayoi had told him that his master was the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

Yayoi: "It's just a trick. The devil is always one step ahead of the Buddha."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Just how powerful is this demon?"

Yayoi: "Senior, it's not that I'm being presumptuous, but I don't know either, so I have to trouble you to try."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

When the young man and Zhao Yi were in the adjustment phase, before each collaboration, they would tacitly engage in some minor friction to assess each other's current strength and determine the priorities for their future collaboration.

Later, Zhao Yi came to terms with it, gave up, and skipped this phase.

Yayoi's willingness to answer the summons to Nantong shows that he still acknowledges this primary and secondary status, but this does not prevent him from wanting to re-evaluate his subordinate status.

Li Zhuiyuan waved forward.

Lin Shuyou took down his double maces, took a step forward, and rushed onto the river.

The river was flowing in the middle and frozen on both sides. With a simple push, Ayu leaped to Yayoi's side.

Since it's a test, there's no need for so many roundabout ways; just be direct.

Lin Shuyou slammed his double maces down towards Yayoi's forehead.

"Buzz!"

The black ice between the two stood up, and the golden mace smashed into the ice.

"boom."

The river ice shattered, yet it kept reforming, and instead of moving backward, it kept moving forward, as if it were endless.

Lin Shuyou didn't know how much ice he had shattered with his mace, but his offensive had reached a point where he had to retreat. After his final strike, he stepped back.

Before Yayoi, the black ice floes, pockmarked and uneven, had gathered together, resembling the gaping maw of a ferocious beast.

Ah-you didn't return to the other side, which meant that this attempt to test the waters ended in failure.

He pressed his golden mace downwards, striking the river surface in an attempt to gain leverage.

This is perfectly normal procedure.

But Li Zhuiyuan's gaze sharpened slightly.

This river didn't turn black because of sewage discharge.

The moment the golden mace touched the river surface, the river surface caved in, and two large black Buddha handprints, each as tall as a person, suddenly sprang up on both sides, clapping their hands together.

On the shore, Yayoi chanted scriptures, pressing her hands even closer together.

Beneath Lin Shuyou's headband, the Ghost General's mark flickered, his arms outstretched, each mace pressing against a handprint.

Yayoi's fingertips were slightly curved.

The black Buddha's hand seals shifted, transforming from fierce power into magic, one side becoming surging waves, the other side unleashing a torrent of chanting.

"boom!"

The river surface surged, the Buddha's Hand disappeared, as if a black rain had begun to fall.

Lin Shuyou used his speed to escape the core area in time. He stood in the river with his legs on the ground. He was not injured, but he was soaked.

Without Xiao Yuan's order to stop, Ayou's competitive spirit was also ignited. His figure disappeared from the spot and moved in a curve at an extremely fast speed, launching another attack on Yayoi.

Before Yayoi's chanting had ceased, a thick layer of golden light enveloped him, like a Buddhist bell.

Lin Shuyou suddenly sprang up and slammed his mace down heavily, shattering the Buddhist bell. However, a fierce golden light also erupted, violently washing over the dense ghostly aura emanating from him.

Ayou immediately switched to True Monarch mode, negating most of the damage from the Buddha's light. He then continued to advance along the Buddha's light, reaching Yayoi and successfully getting close.

Kayano was also a warrior monk.

"Crash..."

With a clang of his staff, Yayoi stopped chanting and instead held the staff in his right hand, engaging in a head-on clash with Ayu.

Yayoi remained unmoved, while Ayu's strength was boundless.

The stalemate could have continued, but the black river water rose up again, condensing into a black Zen staff, which slammed down heavily on Lin Shuyou, who was still in the midst of a struggle, with immense force.

Ah You had no choice but to withdraw his strength and retreat, and the black staff also dissipated during its descent, turning into a pool of black water that splashed onto the shore.

Yayoi: "Amitabha."

Ayou twisted his neck.

He had the feeling that he had just fought a great evil spirit on the river, as if only an evil spirit could unleash such immense power.

Yayoi, on the other hand, is a place where people can sit and eat, and it can also change and assimilate the surrounding environment, much like an evil spirit setting up its lair.

Lin Shuyou glanced at Xiao Yuan on the other side of the river. After receiving a signal from Xiao Yuan, he put away his double maces, indicating that the sparring session was over.

Chen Xiyuan: "Has this monk always been this powerful?"

Tan Wenbin: "The last time we met, Ayou was able to beat him."

Chen Xiyuan: "Are we evenly matched now?"

Tan Wenbin did not respond.

Miss Chen has always been like this; as long as you are considered one of her own, she will apply her double standards to you.

Ayu was soaked to the bone, but Yayoi's monk's robe wasn't wet at all.

"Brother Runsheng."

"it is good."

Runsheng stepped forward, took out the Yellow River shovel, and began assembling it.

Yayoi, standing on the opposite bank of the river, bowed her head and said simply and directly:

"This humble monk concedes defeat."

There's no way to fight this.

Unless you use all your strength from the start to try to kill or severely injure this person, the outcome is already decided.

Not to mention his lack of confidence in taking this step, if he were to actually do it, it would be tantamount to completely breaking off relations, especially since the other side has a large and powerful force.

Before reaching this level of strength, he only felt that the other team was powerful, but after reaching this point, he found it even more incredible.

Normally, after passing through Jiangyue, the lamplighters would use a lot of merit on themselves in order to maintain their competitiveness, thus widening the gap in strength between the lamplighters and their followers.

Even for the Dragon King, whose team used to roam the rivers, it was difficult to change this pattern; it was an inevitable consequence of limited resources.

However, this rule failed to apply to the boy on the other side of the river; he actually raised up all his followers as well.

This means that even if Yayoi has a single advantage now, he has no chance against this team.

Although Yayoi came from Qinglong Temple, he was originally a sweeping monk. Even though he killed the current lamplighter of Qinglong Temple and took his monk's robe and staff, he had not received any orthodox teachings.

No wonder so many people were crushed by the boys on the other side of the river in Yuxi. If it were just one person who was good, you could still muster the courage to catch up. But when the other side is overwhelming you as a whole, you can only despair.

Chen Xiyuan: "Little brother, let me do it."

Li Zhuiyuan called Runsheng out not to continue the sparring, but as a polite way of ending the match.

However, if Chen Xiyuan is willing to go up and fight, Li Zhuiyuan wouldn't mind seeing Yayoi's true strength.

But Chen Xiyuan was not his personal attendant after all. Although she obeyed his orders, it was against the rules to send her to spar.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Is that alright?"

Yayoi nodded and said, "This humble monk also wants to know his own limitations. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, senior. I am willing, as long as it's not Runsheng."

Boy: "Eeya ya ya ya ya!"

It's fine for Tongzi to admit that he's two or three heads inferior to Runsheng behind closed doors, but he can't accept it when outsiders say that.

Lin Shuyou: "Quiet down."

The spirit medium said, "Spirit medium, how can you tolerate this?"

Lin Shuyou: "Does this require patience?"

In Ayou's view, it is certainly enviable that his partner is better than him, but is it really a good thing?

The spirit medium said, "Give me a child, a spirit medium! Give me a child, whether it's a boy or a girl, I want a little spirit medium!"

In Baihe Tongzi's view, Runsheng's advantage lies in his early physical development, while Lin Shuyou was not perfectly nurtured in his early years due to the limited conditions of the Lin Family Temple.

Tan Wenbin's suggestion to "let the child help take care of the child" was taken to heart by the child. If the little Zhenjun can be personally nurtured by Him from birth, He can ensure that the little Zhenjun always wins at the starting line.

Lin Shuyou picked at his ear.

This kind of heartfelt pressure to get married and have children is even a bit too much for someone as good-natured as Ayou.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go."

Chen Xiyuan opened part of the domain, jumped into the river, and stood on the water.

Its form and rhythm resemble a crane; when people are still, water flows on its own; a thousand scenes and myriad forms appear naturally.

In terms of ethereal grace, Chen Xiyuan is in no way inferior to Yayoi on the other side of the strait, well, provided that Sister Chen doesn't speak.

Yayoi: "The Chen family of Qiongya".

In Yuxi, Yayoi witnessed Li Zhuiyuan's methods of recruiting heroes from the river, and he himself was actually one of those recruited.

Chen Xiyuan: "A monk from Qinglong Temple?"

Yayoi: "The sweeping monk of Qinglong Temple".

Chen Xiyuan turned around and said, "Little brother, can you help me think of a similar nickname? I think his sounds both low-key and impressive."

Yayoi smiled and said, "Your wisdom is divinely enlightened."

Chen Xiyuan: "I understand what you're saying. You're saying I'm stupid."

With the jade flute drawn, Chen Xiyuan rushed towards Yayoi, following the path Ah You had taken earlier.

The black water beneath our feet boiled, forming a whirlpool, and a terrifying suction force emanated from it.

The domain opened, and the sea of ​​clouds pressed down, leveling the vortex and turning it into a smooth road.

Black ice rose up in front of Yayoi, and Chen Xiyuan's emerald flute crashed down.

Before the flute touched the black ice, thunder roared throughout the domain, frantically shattering the ice layers.

This time, the ice walls not only failed to advance, but were instead forced to retreat continuously.

On the river behind, the enormous black staff materialized once more, exuding an awe-inspiring power.

Chen Xiyuan ignored him, her eyes only on Yayoi's shiny bald head.

Yayoi lacked the confidence to break through the opponent's defenses with a single spell, so she had no choice but to raise her staff to block in the very first exchange.

"boom!"

The jade flute collided with the Zen staff, and Yayoi's feet sank into the ground, while Chen Xiyuan continued to exert force.

The enormous phantom of a Zen staff crashed down from behind, and a rainbow light flashed within Chen Xi's Iris Domain, disintegrating the staff.

Ms. Chen's chest heaved as she continued to exert force.

Yayoi's arms trembled slightly as she continued to block.

Behind them, the black river surged with the most spectacular waves, rising like mountain peaks, with the head of a Buddha appearing at the summit.

Once the river is drained, you can see weeds and garbage on the riverbed.

This river had long since dried up; the reason people could see it flowing when they arrived was because Yayoi had poured water into it.

The reason he was stopped by Taolin was that he wanted to take this river and flow into Nantong.

The boy exclaimed, "This is impossible! Where would this monk get so much demonic energy?"

This scene shows that when they fought earlier, the monk had been holding back a great deal of power.

Even though they have a constant stream of sacrifices from the underworld, they still can't compete with the other side in terms of endurance, because the White Crane Child's ability to receive sacrifices and transform power is limited.

The Buddha lowered his head, opened his mouth, and swallowed downwards, creating a shadow that obscured the surroundings.

Chen Xiyuan placed all the clouds and rainbow light in her domain behind her, forming the most solid defense.

She is the nail, Yayoi is the piece of wood, and the terrifying Buddha is the hammer that Yayoi made; she intends to use their strength against them.

Her fighting style is very aggressive, which is consistent with Sister Chen's usual style.

Either you smash my domain with a single blow from the Buddha, or I'll borrow the power of the Buddha to completely suppress you.

Yayoi's eyes showed doubt: Is this a friendly spar or a fight to the death?
The Buddha's head ultimately failed to fall, instead transforming into black rain after creating a terrifying aura.

Yayoi's feet sank deeper and deeper until half of her body was buried in the mud.

He opened his mouth and said:

"Miss Chen, this humble monk concedes defeat."

Chen Xiyuan withdrew her power, retreated, and closed her domain.

No, you didn't lose.

Miss Chen is not good at divination, but just now, she felt a strong sense of life-or-death crisis.

Once the Buddha's head falls, she doesn't know if her domain can withstand it. If it can't, she will die, and the other party will be severely injured.

Yayoi: "It is I who have lost, because my Buddhist heart has wavered, I have lost my way, I do not know how to sacrifice, and I dare not sacrifice."

Chen Xiyuan: "Can you please stop talking so much? I'm not going to give you money to interpret the fortune."

Yayoi: "This humble monk cannot afford to lose; I am afraid of death."

Chen Xiyuan: "Actually, I'm scared too."

But his body moved faster than his mind could process, and before he could even feel fear, he instinctively made the decision to perish together with his opponent.

Yayoi climbed out of the pit and walked into the river. She used the black water to wash away the mud from her lower body, and in doing so, absorbed all the black liquid that had spilled into the riverbed and along the banks, leaving not a single drop behind.

He bowed solemnly to Li Zhuiyuan:
"Senior, I have come here by summons with two concerns on my mind. I would like to ask you to enlighten me."

Chen Xiyuan looked around at the dried-up riverbed and asked, puzzled:
"You're already this strong, why would you expect your little brother to help you?"

Yayoi: "Aren't you quite strong, benefactor?"

Chen Xiyuan: "I..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Speak."

Yayoi: "Yes, let me first express my doubts. Firstly, a traitorous monk of the Kong generation has emerged from our temple, attempting to collect the evil power of the human world..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I killed him."

Yayoi bowed again: "On behalf of Qinglong Temple, I thank you for cleaning up our temple's mess."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You're welcome."

Yayoi: "Secondly, this young monk is deeply troubled by demonic tendencies and has lost his balance."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yayoi underwent a change, becoming half demonic and half Buddhist. The demonic nature was flourishing while the Buddhist nature remained stable, but upon closer inspection, one could see tiny demonic lines that were already eroding the other side of her Buddhist nature.

This means that the balance between Buddha and demon is not secure at this time.

The purpose of becoming a demon is to master the power of demons, but if one truly becomes a demon, the self will cease to exist, and one will be completely reduced to an evil spirit in the traditional sense.

This is not what Yayoi wants, and if this problem is not resolved, even if he creates another opportunity to expand the crack in the Demon Suppression Tower, he will not dare to continue absorbing his masters into his body.

He was willing to be an apprentice, but he didn't want to be a puppet. If he wanted to be a puppet, he could just stay at Qinglong Temple and sweep the floors.

Li Zhuiyuan: "This concern is very expensive."

Yayoi spread her hands: "Senior, please feel free to take whatever you need."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's talk about that matter."

Yayoi: "There is an ancient temple on the seabed of Zhoushan. Seven eminent monks of the Kong generation from our temple have set out to go to the seabed."

Qinglong Temple is preparing to seize Zhenjun Temple.

Last time, Qinglong Temple planned to go to Fengdu to receive the Bodhisattva's Dharma body, but they were tricked by the Bodhisattva into giving them gifts. This time, they plan to obtain it from another source.

No wonder the True Lord's Mark under Ah You's forehead protector reacted.

Seven eminent monks of the Kong generation—this is quite a formidable lineup, enough to easily sweep aside most of the small and medium-sized forces in the martial arts world.

The monk Kongji that Li Zhuiyuan met in the scenic area of ​​Suzhou was also of the Kong generation; monk Kongji lost because of the contest of Buddhist nature, not because of the battle.

If that night had truly been a traditional battle, it would have been a fierce and arduous fight, perhaps even a bloody one.

Of course, if they could find a way to eat those seven high-ranking monks of the Kong generation, it would be a heavy blow to Qinglong Temple.

The Qinglong Temple, comparable to the legitimate Dragon King's sect, would not leave such dormant entities untouched if it had any sense of shame. Unless it intends to completely degenerate like the Zhao family of Jiujiang in the past, any future Dragon King would first have to clean up these dormant old things.

Therefore, the strength of such top-tier forces in the martial arts world lies in the people of that era. If you cut off one layer, it loses another, and it is difficult for new forces to grow in a short period of time to make up for it.

Should we send Uncle Qin to Zhoushan?
This was the first thought in the boy's mind.

With Uncle Qin's strength, going to Zhoushan and facing those seven monks of the Kong generation from Qinglong Temple who were away should be no problem.

Unless the seven mages made meticulous arrangements and laid out layers of array formations and restrictions, and Uncle Qin was determined to go into the middle area, there would be a certain risk involved.

Even according to Grandma Liu, Uncle Qin only opened a vent on his forehead, he didn't pour water into it...

Uncle Qin only needs to arrive suddenly, find a senior monk of the Kong generation, and start punching. He can fight and search all the way. Even if he is surrounded by seven senior monks, let them surround him. Anyway, the Qin family is not afraid of this.

Li Zhuiyuan was almost certain that after sending Uncle Qin out, he could sit at home and wait for Uncle Qin to bring back seven bald heads to be used as fertilizer for the flowerbed in front of the dam.

But this kind of public exposure of the conflict wasn't what Li Zhuiyuan wanted. He had barely maintained a superficial balance, and his greatest advantage was that he could use his status as a Jianghu traveler to slowly whittle down the enemy's strength, placing the Jianghu conflict under the watchful eyes of Heaven, making his enemies hesitant to act. Most importantly: if Uncle Qin did this job, what would happen to the second section of the catalog that he had painstakingly opened in Suzhou?
If this line is broken, when the next wave arrives, one will have no choice but to rashly step onto other paths.

Therefore, you have to go to Zhoushan yourself.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I understand."

Yayoi: "This humble monk will obey your orders."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's go home and sit for a while."

Yayoi: "I dare not refuse the invitation from the elder."

New Year's Day holiday.

Zhou Yunyun and Chen Lin returned from school.

However, this time there was one more person: Chen Lin's brother, Chen Lang.

Zhou Yunyun had often heard stories from Chen Lin about her and her brother when they were young. The two siblings had a very good relationship, but strangely, when her brother came back, the two siblings didn't interact much.

Chen Lin and her brother lived in a room off-campus. Her brother rarely came over, as if he was deliberately distancing himself from their lives.

Chen Lin explained that her brother had failed in his business venture in the south and was in a period of depression, so she didn't want to bother him too much.

But this time when I returned to Nantong, Chen Lang also came, and he was the one who drove.

As soon as he entered the village road, Chen Lang stopped the car.

He could see Zhang Li standing under the pavilion.

When Chen Lang was about to open the car door, get out, and present his gifts, Zhang Li shook his head at him.

Chen Lang took a deep breath. He was under a lot of pressure coming to the Dragon King's house, so he had no choice but to step on the gas again and drive along the village road.

After crossing the cement bridge, they stopped at the entrance to the path, and Zhou Yunyun and Chen Lin got out of the car and walked inside.

"Linlin, isn't your brother coming down?"

"He didn't bring a gift; he felt bad about showing up empty-handed."

"We didn't bring any either."

The main reason is that after bringing gifts to Grandpa Li's door, I can always find some money secretly slipped to me. I can even make a profit by calculating the difference, so I feel embarrassed to bring any more alcohol or cigarettes.

The two arrived at the dam. Li Sanjiang had gone to the city to deliver goods and was not at home. Only Liu Yumei and her old sisters were playing cards at home.

"Grandma Liu."

"Grandma Liu."

"Linlin, you've come at the right time. Play a few rounds for me. I've lost quite a bit. Help me win some back."

"it is good."

Chen Lin sat down in Liu Yumei's seat, ready to win money.

Liu Yumei gently patted Chen Lin's shoulder, gesturing for Zhou Yunyun to sit with her on the dam and have tea.

In the distance, Chen Lang stood respectfully beside the carriage, facing this direction.

"Grandma Liu, that's Chen Lin's brother, Chen Lang."

"Oh."

Liu Yumei picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Zhou Yunyun talked to Liu Yumei about some things that happened at school, and Liu Yumei listened quietly.

Every now and then, exclamations of surprise would come from Liu Jinxia and Granny Hua at the mahjong table behind them: "You've won this hand!"

After slowly finishing two cups of tea, Liu Yumei stood up and said, "Yunyun, you two play by yourselves for a while. Binbin and the others will be back soon."

Chen Lin voluntarily stood up and gave up her seat; she had won enough, and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to win any more.

Zhou Yunyun was worried that Chen Lang would feel awkward standing there, so she suggested that everyone take a walk around the village together, and Chen Lin agreed.

When he walked up to Chen Lang, he was sweating despite the cold weather.

As soon as the three of them reached the village road, they heard the barking of dogs coming from behind them.

"Wang! Wang!"

The yellow pickup truck that Li Zhuiyuan was riding in turned around as soon as it entered Shinan Town, but he left the child and the dog behind.

Benben rode Little Black home.

Zhou Yunyun: "This child has grown so big?"

Benben tightened the dog leash in front of Zhou Yunyun.

Zhou Yunyun bent down and picked up Benben. Benben did not resist and even stretched out his chubby little arms to wrap around Zhou Yunyun's neck to help her save energy.

Chen Lin: "Give me a hug too."

Zhou Yunyun handed Benben over.

When Chen Lin hugged him, Benben was a little perfunctory, but he still gave her face.

Zhou Yunyun reached out and poked Benben's nose: "How could you run around outside all by yourself? What if you run into human traffickers? Come on, we'll take you home."

Benben reached out, wanting to break free from Chen Lin's embrace and begging Zhou Yunyun to continue holding him, and Zhou Yunyun took him.

Chen Lang followed at the very back, walking side by side with Xiao Hei.

When Chen Lang arrived at the bearded man's house, he stood outside as before, not daring to go up to the dam.

Benben pestered Zhou Yunyun to play with building blocks with him.

Chen Lin walked down the dam alone, came to her brother, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her brother's sweat.

Chen Lang: "Ah Lin, did I come too abruptly?"

Chen Lin: "Now that you're back, it would be abrupt not to visit."

Chen Lang: "But I'm still nervous."

Chen Lin: "Then I'll walk with you a bit more."

Chen Lang: "Okay."

"Yunyun, my brother and I are going to take a walk on the other side of the river."

"Hey, good."

After informing Zhou Yunyun, Chen Lin led her brother on a walk.

Zhou Yunyun sat on a small stool, watching Benben stack up oddly shaped blocks in front of her.

Every time a base was successfully built, Zhou Yunyun would clap to encourage the team.

And so, Benben used building blocks to surround Zhou Yunyun.

This was the first time he had seriously used formations on a person since he started learning them.

Zhou Yunyun felt the sunlight shining on her body was so warm and comfortable, making her feel warm and relaxed. She naturally closed her eyes and took a nap.

Benben stepped into the building block circle, waved his hand in front of Zhou Yunyun to make sure she was asleep.

"Ah~"

Turning around, Benben yawned, still sleepy. He staggered out of the block circle, rubbed his eyes hard, walked into the living room, pushed open the bedroom door with his godmother, climbed onto the bed, and reached out to pull up the painting hanging on the bed.

One pull, two pulls, three pulls...

I just couldn't pull it off.

The two friends who used to be able to fly out of the house and be carried back to study were unusually shy and introverted today.

With one last tug, Benben slipped out of my hand and plopped down on the bed. Tired and sleepy, he simply lay sprawled out on the blankets and fell asleep.

The painting not only continued to hang there firmly, but also silently tightened its grip.

They dared not let Tan Wenbin know of their existence, fearing that Tan Wenbin would be angry that they had given up the opportunity to be reborn into a better family with good karma.

But they were more afraid of her on the dam outside the house.

In the past, whenever Zhou Yunyun came to Grandpa Li's house, the scroll in the second-floor room would float up and stick to the window, and the two brothers would carefully peek out to look down.

They had both boundless longing and deep fear for her, fearing that it was all just wishful thinking on their part, and that she might not like them.

In the past, when the two brothers were in Tan Wenbin's body, Tan Wenbin taught them to recite ancient poems and words, saying that if they started prenatal education early, they would have better grades in their next life, and their parents would like them more.

The two brothers listened to his advice. Later, Li Zhuiyuan included them in his paintings and had A Li paint a private school. Later still, Chen Xiyuan used her paintbrush to paint a street full of tutoring classes covering moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education for them, and the two brothers continued to carry their schoolbags and attend classes there.

It's easy to slack off, but the resentment that accumulates in the scrolls every now and then proves that they haven't done that. They are really studying hard, thinking that if they learn more, their mother will like them more in the future.

Zhou Yunyun, who was taking a nap on the dam, had a dream. Everything in the dream was so beautiful, even the colors were warm.

Amidst lush green grass, blue skies, and falling petals, Zhou Yunyun walked among them, yet for some reason, she felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.

As she walked, she circled the small pond and passed through a grove of trees. She didn't know what she was looking for, but her eyes kept searching.

Finally, across the river, she saw two little children sitting side by side on the other side.

A feeling that was both familiar and strange washed over me.

Zhou Yunyun once had a dream, which she told her future mother-in-law, Zheng Fang. After hearing the dream, Zheng Fang couldn't stop smiling and said that if she had a child like that in the future, it would be like the child had come to repay a debt of gratitude.

That night, Zheng Fang lay in bed and told Tan Yunlong about the dream.

Tan Yunlong: "Could dreams be the opposite of reality?"

Zheng Fang unusually refrained from saying anything unlucky to Tan Yunlong, because apart from Tan Wenbin's eventual success in getting into university, he had been a real headache for his parents from adolescence to puberty, and was frequently summoned to the teacher's office.

The couple couldn't imagine that their son's future children would be excellent in both character and academics.

Zhou Yunyun waved to the two children on the other side of the river and called out to them happily.

The two children looked up in disbelief and pointed to their own faces.

Zhou Yunyun nodded to them and continued waving and calling out. She didn't know why she was doing this, but seeing the two children sitting there alone, curled up, she felt sorry for them.

The two children stood up, holding hands, but still dared not move.

Zhou Yunyun took off her shoes and walked into the river.

"Buzz!"

In the bedroom, on the bed where the patient was fast asleep, the painting suddenly unfolded.

A wooden bridge appeared on the river in her dream. Zhou Yunyun returned to the bank and crossed the wooden bridge to the other side.

When Zhou Yunyun first entered university, her roommate was jealous and cast a spell on her, leaving her on the verge of death; in the end, Tan Wenbin and others went to kill Shi Zhuo Zhao, and the two vengeful infants were obtained by Tan Wenbin there.

As an ordinary person with no talent for cultivation, Tan Wenbin relied on the selfless help and trust of the two vengeful spirits to achieve team effectiveness when he first started his journey in Jiang. The two vengeful spirits even took the initiative to stand in front of Tan Wenbin to save his life on many occasions.

Fate likes to draw circles, starting from one end and returning to the other.

In her dream, Zhou Yunyun appeared before the two children.

The two children wanted to rush forward, but hesitated in place. Their adorable and endearing appearance was simply delightful to see.

Zhou Yunyun squatted down and reached out to touch their faces.

Next, laughter and joy filled the air, and the dream's development gradually took on a bizarre form.

"Clap!"

There was no wind, but the building blocks on the dam were falling down one after another.

Zhou Yunyun opened her eyes, feeling refreshed after her sleep, the smile still lingering on her lips.

In the final scene of the dream, a child dressed in a formal suit is playing the violin for her; another child sets up an easel and is painting her.

"Did you take a nap?"

Tan Wenbin's voice came through.

"Ah."

Zhou Yunyun offered her hand so that Tan Wenbin could pull her up. Tan Wenbin used a little more force and pulled her into his arms.

Immediately afterwards, Tan Wenbin, feigning a playful tone, whispered in Zhou Yunyun's ear, mimicking her voice from their high school days:

"Tan Wenbin, this is self-study time. If you don't want to study, you can go to sleep, but don't disturb the other students!"

Zhou Yunyun angrily punched Tan Wenbin's chest, and when she couldn't hurt him, she deliberately pinched a piece of flesh.

"Ouch~ It hurts! It hurts!"

Zhou Yunyun immediately softened and rubbed it for him.

This guy always likes to call himself "class monitor" when the two of them are alone together.

"Can't you get rid of this bad habit of yours?"

"I'll change, I definitely will. Please don't report me to the teacher, class monitor."

Zhou Yunyun ignored him and asked, "Where did you go?"

"Oh, Brother Liang's baby was born, we went to the hospital."

"Really? Boy or girl, aren't they cute?"

"The girl is ugly and clumsy."

How could you say that to a child?

"I'm just telling the truth."

"If my future children are also ugly or clumsy, will you abandon them?"

"them?"

Tan Wenbin glanced into the room.

The scroll in the bedroom suddenly rolled up with a "whoosh" and even tied itself in a knot, as if afraid of being discovered.

"Never mind that, just tell me, isn't that right?"

"How could that be? My own child, no matter how ugly, I think he's beautiful; no matter how stupid, I think he's the smartest in the world."

"Put yourself in our shoes, and don't talk about Brother Liang's kids like that. Brother Liang has been so good to us."

"Okay, okay, I understand. The class monitor is right."

"You're still poor?"

"You were smiling when you fell asleep, were you having a sweet dream?"

"Ah."

Tell me about it.

"Don't tell you!"

Zhou Yunyun herself felt that the dream was too exaggerated. She was too embarrassed to tell Tan Wenbin that she dreamed that she gave birth to two Xiao Yuan classmates.

"Let's go, Aunt Liu made some snacks, let's go back and have some."

With Zhou Yunyun in his arms, Tan Wenbin walked down the dam.

When he arrived, he went up to find Zhou Yunyun, while Lin Shuyou went to the riverbank to find Chen Lin.

Chen Lin stood there, speaking openly and cheerfully, while Lin Shuyou listened with his head down, occasionally pulling out straw from the nearby haystack and tearing it to pieces.

As he left, Tan Wenbin saw Lin Shuyou talking to his brother-in-law, Chen Lang.

Lin Shuyou spoke openly and cheerfully, while Chen Lang listened with his head down, continuing to poison the straw as if taking over.

"Ah You, let's go back!"

"Here you are, Brother Bin!"

Tan Wenbin continued to hold Zhou Yunyun.

Chen Lin took the initiative to link arms with Lin Shuyou and rest her head on his arm.

This wasn't the first time the two had been intimate, but each time Lin Shuyou would blush from his neck to his face, a blush that made Chen Lin very envious.

The eldest brother-in-law was the last to be led.

When Yayoi arrived at Siyuan Village, she ran into Uncle Qin, who was returning from work at the brickyard, just as she turned onto the path.

Uncle Qin glanced at him.

In that instant, Yayoi felt as if nine dragons were looking down at him from above in his consciousness.

Whether it is Buddha or demon, they all appear so insignificant in their presence.

Uncle Qin didn't recognize Yayoi, but he recognized the staff in Yayoi's hand.

However, since it was Xiao Yuan who brought them, Uncle Qin didn't say much. He simply said he was going to check on the fields again and then left.

Yayoi breathed a sigh of relief.

When I got to the dam, I saw a woman wearing an apron standing there, and the breath I had just exhaled immediately came back in twice as fast.

My body started to itch, as if countless insects were crawling on it.

The insect doesn't exist; it's the mind that's being gnawed away at.

Aunt Liu looked away and said, "Xiao Yuan, dinner will be served in a little while?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay, Aunt Liu."

After Liu Yumei finished playing cards, she sat at the door of the east room, sketching clothing designs.

Yayoi walked up to Liu Yumei and bowed respectfully:

"Greetings, Madam Liu."

Without looking up, Liu Yumei replied, "Do you want to go in and offer incense?"

Yayoi: "If it is possible, it would be the greatest fortune of my life."

Liu Yumei: "Go inside, it's just a bunch of signs and decorations."

Yayoi bowed and entered the east room. Facing the solid yet empty altar, she sat cross-legged and recited the Rebirth Mantra.

After finishing the recitation, he opened his eyes and felt a sense of ethereal release. To his astonishment, he discovered that the demonic patterns that had been invading his other half of his Buddhist nature had actually subsided considerably.

As she walked out of the east room, Liu Yumei spoke:

"Buddha and demon have no inherent form; becoming a Buddha or a demon is not as good as becoming yourself."

Yayoi bowed to Liu Yumei again, then picked up the broom leaning against the wall and began sweeping the dam.

Just then, Li Sanjiang rode back on his tricycle with a big smile. As soon as he entered the village, he heard Aunt Zhang calling him to answer the phone. As soon as he answered, he couldn't help but feel happy.

“Big job, big job! The owner of the department store in the city has asked me to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday. We’ll have to stop at the kiln tomorrow and everyone come with me for a vegetarian feast. No one is allowed to miss it. Chen girl, you go and play the flute for me, just like last time. Make them all cry. The more they cry, the happier the boss will be.”

When a big boss is asked to arrange a funeral for someone in the afterlife, he is often very generous. As long as the job is done to his satisfaction, he will give him extra money for tea in addition to the agreed fee. In total, one such job can be equivalent to more than half a year's income in the past.

Li Sanjiang noticed Yayoi sweeping the floor and asked in confusion:
"Huh, Tang Sanzang?"

Liu Yumei: "I made the wild monk who came begging for food work to pay for his meal."

Li Sanjiang approached Yayoi, reached out, first touched Yayoi's head, then lifted Yayoi's chin, then tugged at her ear, and finally parted her lips to look at her teeth.

Yes, the mule color is perfect.

"Alright, you're the one. Come with me to chant sutras tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)