Memory requires a supporting subject.

It’s like Tan Wenbin strapping a camera to his forehead when taking pictures; the resulting photos, at least, are marginally from his first-person perspective.

The Old Dog, however, captured the entirety of Yu Tiannan’s life from its own point of view.

Implanting such a memory into someone’s mind would mean that person fundamentally lacks the conditions to become a “human.”

Initially, Li Zhuiyuan also found it inconceivable. Why would the Old Dog make such a basic mistake?

To resurrect Yu Tiannan, it had spared no effort, smashing and destroying so many things, yet precisely at the most critical juncture, such a significant flaw emerged.

But upon actually meeting the Old Dog, Li Zhuiyuan had an epiphany.

Because the Old Dog itself was a mistake.

When Yu Tiannan fell, the true Yuanbao had, in fact, already died.

The vessel of life can sometimes be fragile, but no matter how fragile, it can never be sustained by a mere segment of memory alone.

When the Old Dog decided to collude with the memory evil spirit beneath the溶洞 and replicate its memories into Yu Tiannan’s body, it already marked the factual end of Yuanbao.

Subsequently, that entity, controlling Yu Tiannan’s body and returning to the Yu family, could be understood as a spiritual, memory-based flu virus.

This virus entered the Yu family and spread, infecting them from within, ultimately causing an irreversible and terrible catastrophe for the family.

A beginning that is flawed from its very inception, no matter how much correctness it contains throughout the process, cannot achieve the desired outcome.

When Yuanbao became the Old Dog, Yu Tiannan transformed from the River Dragon King into the master of an old dog.

Because what the Old Dog truly wanted to resurrect was never the Yu family Dragon King who had dominated an era.

That Yu family Dragon King would not have allowed the Yu family to suffer such a great calamity, nor would he have permitted the Dragon King’s lineage to fall into disgrace. He would not have allowed demonic beasts to ride upon the heads of humans, nor would he have allowed himself to be resurrected after his death.

But the Old Dog was entirely indifferent to this; it knew that the moment its master awakened, he would undoubtedly use the most brutal methods to suppress and kill it, the great功臣 who resurrected him.

All it wanted was for Yu Tiannan to open his eyes before it once again.

This must have been the Old Dog’s deepest obsession.

When it, along with Yu Tiannan, suppressed that evil spirit and discovered that the Yu family Dragon King, whose life force was exhausted, closed his eyes and embraced death, it became almost deranged.

It could not accept that, as a companion demonic beast, its master would die before it did.

This went against the Yu family’s traditions, against its beliefs since childhood, and against its bond of friendship with its master.

Everything it did next, meticulously unravelled, had the ultimate goal of doing it all over again.

This time, it wanted to die before its master.

Therefore, the Old Dog did not implant the wrong memory. Its sole preoccupation, even to the point of forgetting and cutting off other redundant memories, was to carefully nurture the “master’s memory”—this specific segment, Yu Tiannan as seen through its own eyes.

And at this moment, Yu Dibei was essentially having the magnificent life of a Dragon King suddenly implanted into his limited and meager existence.

Yu Dibei was not superseded or overwritten; he was completely trapped, ensnared in the tide of the Dragon King’s life, bewildered, lost, and in chaos.

However, in the current situation, if “Yu Tiannan” could not be awakened, then today’s calamity for the Yu family would inevitably spill over, causing a cataclysm.

The real Yu Tiannan was dead; it was impossible for him to truly awaken and return. But even a “fake” one, even if only partially similar, would be enough to avert the current catastrophe.

Li Zhuiyuan, by following earlier clues, gradually corrected his previous judgment. He realized that the Old Dog wasn’t trying to whitewash itself, and as he proceeded to the Yu family祠堂, the young man also guessed who the Old Dog truly intended to resurrect.

But the young man truly hadn’t expected that he would so quickly align with the Old Dog and even have to help it.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan finally understood why Tiandao had laid the groundwork for the Yu family so early in the preceding waves.

From Yu Miaomiao, whom he met in Lijiang, to the evil spirit beneath the Dujiangyan溶洞…

Although he could guide and push the waves, the ultimate choice still lay in Tiandao’s hands.

The eyes above had long ago arranged the precise point where his “knife” should descend.

If he had failed to reach this point and had died midway, Tiandao would have rejoiced; if he reached this point and completed this cut, Tiandao would also rejoice.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Diting before him and said, “I will help you resurrect Yu Tiannan.”

Underground Cemetery.

Zhao Yi and the others were still in a state of shock.

Each Dragon King was a legend of an era, and due to their special nature, the companion demonic beasts by the Yu family Dragon Kings’ sides were more intimate than the followers of other era’s Dragon Kings.

In them, one could see glimpses of the Yu family Dragon Kings’ former glory.

Zhao Yi licked his lips.

He walked to the snow wolf he had first seen and reached out to touch it.

“Hiss…”

An invisible sharpness left a white mark on his palm.

He was lucky to be half-Jiaolong; for a normal person, that touch would have severed half a palm.

“Fresh… truly fresh…”

These words were somewhat irreverent.

But Zhao Yi spoke from the heart.

He felt that he must have been corrupted by that “down-and-out” fellow named Li.

Facing such a majestic existence, his first thought was not to admire it properly, but to check if the flesh was well-preserved.

Indeed, when a person is short on cash, many things naturally cease to be so particular.

The demonic beasts here did not die in battle but were ordered to be buried alive before the Yu family Dragon King’s lifespan was exhausted.

The Yu family was, after all, an orthodox Dragon King lineage, and they lacked no resources or methods. Therefore, their bodies were preserved under excellent conditions.

Even now, they remain uncorrupted, and since the sharpness of their fur still cuts, the blood within their bodies must be incredibly fresh, as if they were alive.

Comparatively, the quality of their blood was superior to that of the demonic beasts recently slaughtered outside, because they had calmly accepted death, without struggle or resistance.

It’s just right for… Ajing to eat.

Zhao Yi: “Ajing, come over quickly and choose one.”

“Ah?”

After learning the identities of these demonic beasts, Chen Jing had never imagined that he would actually be able to “lay claim” to them.

Not just Chen Jing, but even Liang Yan, Liang Li, and Xu Ming were shocked by their leader’s decision.

These were the Dragon King’s former subordinates; eating them would surely be a great disrespect to the Dragon King, wouldn’t it?

Zhao Yi: “The Yu family is facing this great calamity. We are here to rescue the Yu family from its predicament and restore the proper order between humans and beasts. I believe that if these esteemed demonic beasts could be resurrected and witnessed the current state of the Yu family, they would surely be heartbroken and immensely angry.

We are not blaspheming these esteemed demonic beasts, nor are we disrespecting the Dragon King. Rather, we are taking from the Yu family and using it for the Yu family.

I believe that the Dragon King and the spirits of the esteemed demonic beasts in heaven would also feel comforted and approve of this.

This is the will of heaven… no, it is the will of Yu.”

The boss’s words did make sense.

But everyone still felt a bit uneasy.

Chen Jing’s head was still buzzing as Yi-ge pushed him forward.

“Ajing, quickly, choose an esteemed demonic beast.”

Chen Jing didn’t know which one to choose specifically, so he could only ask:

“Yi-ge, are there any differences between these esteemed demonic beasts?”

Zhao Yi didn’t know.

Historically, various Jianghu families did record information about the Yu family Dragon Kings, but such records often focused more on the humans, only briefly mentioning the demonic beasts by their side.

Moreover, Jianghu rumors are not necessarily accurate, and he, Zhao Yi, was the best example of that.

“Ajing, do not be overly concerned with appearances. Not only are you choosing the esteemed demonic beast, but the esteemed demonic beasts are also choosing you.

You are about to inherit the will and vital energy of that esteemed demonic beast, and in the future, on the river, you will rekindle its past glory.

Follow your heart’s desire; do not have too many杂念.”

“Understood, Yi-ge.”

Zhao Yi nodded with satisfaction, though he didn’t know what Ajing had understood.

But sometimes, to lead a team, besides making members feel like family, a bit of leadership art is indeed required.

This was a last resort; after all, in this regard, he couldn’t compare to the fellow named Li.

The fellow named Li could meticulously plan every step of his subordinates’ development, wave after wave of improvement, with a clear rhythm.

He, Zhao Yi, could also help, but only to lay the foundation; the final moment of sublimation depended on his subordinates themselves.

Chen Jing walked among these deceased demonic beasts and finally returned.

Zhao Yi thought the child still hadn’t made a choice and was about to assign one, but he saw Chen Jing standing before the snow wolf they had first encountered.

“Ajing, is this your choice?”

“Yes!”

“It seems you have a connection with this esteemed Snow Wolf, and the Snow Wolf is also fond of you.”

“Yi-ge, it’s because…”

“Alright, kneel down and pay your respects to the esteemed Snow Wolf, and declare your resolve for the future to it!”

Zhao Yi had no desire to hear Chen Jing’s reason for choosing the snow wolf, because he knew the child would surely say it was because the snow wolf was the best-looking and most impressive among this group of demonic beasts.

The solemn atmosphere should absolutely not be broken; everyone should maintain a dignified demeanor. If anything unexpected happens later, there will be room for maneuver.

Chen Jing knelt before the snow wolf and paid his respects, speaking of his aspirations for the future. He essentially wanted to improve his strength so he could truly help Yi-ge and assist him in traversing the rivers.

Ajing had wanted to say help Yi-ge become the Dragon King, but as the words reached his lips, Yuan-ge’s figure flashed in his mind.

Zhao Yi knew this well but didn’t show the slightest anger.

He, as the boss, was constantly suppressed by the fellow named Li, so it was perfectly normal for his subordinates to have a “psychological shadow” of the fellow named Li.

The simple procedure was completed, the rites were finished, now for the action.

Zhao Yi took a dagger from Liang Li, preparing to make an incision in the esteemed Snow Wolf to facilitate the flow of blood.

Liang Li: “Boss, let me do it.”

Zhao Yi stroked Liang Li’s cheek: “Alright, after so much effort, I finally managed to restore you two. Don’t go getting yourselves covered in scars again. If I can’t get it up in bed later, you’ll curse me for being heartless.”

This task could only be done by Zhao Yi himself; after all, his skin was tough and resistant to scrapes.

Chen Jing was already sitting cross-legged, activating his cultivation technique, his aura revealed, preparing to feed.

A gash opened in the white fur on the snow wolf’s chest, below its neck, and blood flowed out in gushes.

Zhao Yi stopped halfway, quickly put away the dagger, and bowed to the snow wolf:

“Thank you, esteemed Snow Wolf, for your complete cooperation.”

Whether it was the effect of the previous polite words and ritual, he couldn’t be sure, but Zhao Yi thought the possibility was very low.

A dead demonic beast is simply dead.

Zhao Yi guessed that it was mostly because Chen Jing’s bloodline had some connection with that Old Dog, and before that Old Dog went crazy, it belonged to the same tier as these demonic beasts.

Among them, not only was there no repulsion, but rather a tacit understanding of mutual assistance, which made this process so smooth.

However, he was truly lucky to have arrived here by chance.

The祠堂 should contain the “memorial tablets” for these demonic beasts, and there were no traces of sacrifices here, so the Yu family would not easily open this place. In the past, most Yu family members themselves probably didn’t even know there was such a Dragon King demonic beast mausoleum deep within the ancestral home.

Zhao Yi turned his head and looked at the enormous Pangolin.

He had just given those Yu family children release, and incidentally sent those cute and intelligent little demonic beasts to play in heaven too.

Then, immediately after, he was led here by this Pangolin.

It’s hard to say that there’s no connection between these two events.

“It seems I can’t just wander around the Yu family ancestral home without doing anything serious.”

The blood flowing from the snow wolf’s body cascaded like a small waterfall onto Chen Jing below.

Chen Jing let go of everything and devoured madly.

He had already absorbed many demonic beasts, almost to the point of choking.

But he couldn’t refuse this current great opportunity, and no one could. Even with a ninety percent chance of death, it was worth fighting for that ten percent chance of success.

As expected, Chen Jing once again went berserk.

The iron chains on his body appeared, suppressing him.

But as white fur gradually grew on his skin, the chains began to clatter incessantly.

It was losing its grip.

The person named Li isn’t here, so I can only suppress it for now.

Zhao Yi took a few steps forward, released white flames from his fingertips, placed them on his brow, and activated the天灯; its light fell upon Chen Jing.

Chen Jing’s ferocity subsided somewhat. Although his eyes were red and his face distorted, at least he could still obediently stand there, maintaining the inertia of devouring.

Zhao Yi knew that he was unlikely to win against the fellow named Li in a direct competition, and what he needed to do was to prevent a generational gap in team strength compared to Li’s side.

If Chen Jing could absorb this snow wolf now, it would almost be the limit of his current “forced growth,” but it would be enough for him to become the润生 in his team.

Having or not having a润生 is completely different for a team. Only a sufficiently strong base allows for the calm application of various methods, no longer requiring a life-and-death struggle every time.

Why his team was always seriously injured in the first few waves, and had to spend a great deal of time and energy on healing and recovery between waves—the problem lay precisely here.

However, even with the天灯 lit, the suppression effect did not last very long.

The flame between Zhao Yi’s eyebrows flickered violently before extinguishing.

Chen Jing: “Roar!”

He completely lost control.

The white fur on his body grew further, and the crimson in his eyes turned to an indifferent white.

However, this time Chen Jing did not directly rage and attack his companions; instead, he voluntarily leaped onto the snow wolf’s chest, tearing the gash wider with both hands, allowing more blood to flow out and be absorbed by him.

He was now truly like a hungry wolf cub.

Finally, the snow wolf’s body shriveled, and its seemingly soft fur withered.

“Thump!”

Chen Jing jumped down, satisfied, and turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

A crescent moon mark appeared on his brow, and his eyes made his companions feel strange.

He had lost control, completely.

Zhao Yi: “Ajing…”

“Buzz!”

The next moment, Chen Jing appeared before Zhao Yi. He didn’t stop but directly crashed into him.

Zhao Yi reacted quickly, immediately tensing his muscles and turning sideways to meet the impact.

“Bang!”

Zhao Yi flew backward, sliding a long distance on the ground, and the side that collided with Chen Jing was profusely bleeding.

After the collision, Chen Jing stood still, his center of gravity lowered, seemingly preparing to continue his attack on Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi was delighted, because his ambition, which he had cultivated over several waves, had finally become a reality, and it was an over-fulfillment.

But with happiness came trouble: Chen Jing wanted to kill all of them.

Zhao Yi stood up, spat out a mouthful of blood, raised his hand, and signaled to the Liang sisters and Xu Ming to cooperate with him to see if they could suppress Ajing again.

“Rumble!”

A series of violent tremors came from above, followed by the rampant roars of countless powerful evil spirits.

The white in Chen Jing’s eyes fluctuated, as if pulled by some inertia in his bloodline. When he heard the voices of these demonic beasts, an instinct compelled him to tear them apart.

The desire to kill evil spirits surpassed the desire to kill the people before him.

The ceiling continued to collapse, creating cracks of varying sizes.

Chen Jing leaped up, scaling the rock wall.

Zhao Yi waved his hand and called out:

“Let’s follow!”

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the council hall and came to the ancestral shrine’s offering table.

Diting followed behind.

As for Chen Xiyuan, Runsheng, and the others, they followed Diting.

The young man looked up at the memorial tablets of the successive Yu family Dragon Kings on the offering table.

At this moment, all the tablets had cracked, signifying that the spirits of these Dragon Kings were enduring intense impact.

Compared to the tablets he saw in Ahli’s dream, these were much better off, as the spirits of the Qin and Liu families were completely gone.

Li Zhuiyuan took three incense sticks from the offering table with his right hand, and with a flick of his left hand, the incense lit up.

After inserting the incense into the burner, the young man asked Diting:

“Where is Yu Tiannan’s spirit?”

Diting’s gaze shifted downwards, landing on a black box beneath the offering table. On top of the box was a memorial tablet with “Yu Tiannan” written on it.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: “The spirit is not on this.”

Diting: “Master did not leave a spirit behind.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “What do you mean?”

Diting: “Master did not leave a spirit behind.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Yu Tiannan sacrificed his spirit beforehand?”

The Dragon King’s spirit is a unique existence belonging solely to the Dragon King, entirely different from other entities suffixed with the word “spirit.”

Diting: “I don’t know, I don’t remember.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Then it was sacrificed, beneath that溶洞 in Dujiangyan.”

Many Dragon Kings, before their life force was completely exhausted, would choose a great evil to suppress, using it as the curtain call for their era.

Li Zhuiyuan had witnessed Yu Tiannan’s former glory in the murals beneath the溶洞, and had glimpsed the terrifying nature of that memory evil spirit; at that time, the evil spirit’s thick fog almost obscured the entire mountain.

Compared to the one he dealt with later, when he arrived, it was a world of difference.

In other words, the memory evil spirit he killed was one that Yu Tiannan had severely wounded to the point of near death, just like how he used to “fish” for the “legacies” of the Qin and Liu family Dragon Kings in Ahli’s dream. Although those evil spirits were powerful back then, when he faced them, their condition was no longer what it once was.

But if Yu Tiannan’s spirit was all used up in that sacrifice, it means this evil spirit surpassed Yu Tiannan’s control during his time.

Time makes people old, and Yu Tiannan might have underestimated the power of that evil spirit, and mistakenly thought of himself as younger.

Therefore, he had no choice but to sacrifice his spirit to enhance the suppression, preferring to leave no trace of his existence in the world after death, preferring that his family could not be protected by him, just to suppress this evil spirit to death.

In principle, there was nothing wrong with this; it fully embodied the responsibility and commitment of a Dragon King.

His mistake lay in being soft-hearted, not following tradition by having Yuanbao join him in death earlier.

Or perhaps, he believed that he and Yuanbao could choose a common ending together.

Even when he was in a standoff with that memory evil spirit until the last moment, he might have believed that even if he died, his Yuanbao could continue the relay, completing the last short stretch and completely eroding the evil spirit.

A beast is a beast, after all.

This was what Wei Zhengdao said to Sun Baishen while pointing at the monkey.

This was decreed by man, and even more so by Tiandao.

Tiandao’s suppression of demons is clearly more severe.

The Yu family ancestral precept, the tradition of having companion demonic beasts buried with their masters, was actually a way to compensate for this “debt.”

Diting: “If my master’s spirit were still here, do you think I would need to exert so much effort?”

Li Zhuiyuan was silent.

Diting: “If the method you speak of refers to this, then it seems keeping you is also useless.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “How much of that memory evil spirit’s ability did you actually learn?”

Diting: “I don’t know, but it’s enough.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I definitely grasp more than you.”

Diting: “Child, don’t boast. Yuanbao is clumsy, but that’s compared to Master.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “That evil spirit was ultimately ‘swallowed’ by me.”

Diting’s right eye narrowed.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Besides, you’re dead. A dead person can’t learn as fast as a living one.”

Diting: “If Master is successfully resurrected, you live, I die; if not…”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I am traversing the rivers; you should know what that means. If I fail to stop this cataclysm, then the resulting karma will have to be borne by us, the river-walkers of this wave.

By then, you won’t even need to kill me; I will suffer a fate worse than death due to the karmic backlash.

So, there’s no need to make such meaningless threats.”

Diting smiled; this topic brought back memories of traversing the rivers with its master in the past.

Li Zhuiyuan: “To resurrect Yu Tiannan, I alone am enough to stay here.”

With that, Li Zhuiyuan turned around, his gaze sweeping over Chen Xiyuan, Runsheng, Lin Shuyou, and Tan Wenbin.

“The great formation now has a breach made by a dog. Now, I want you to go there, plug the gap, and buy me time. Tan Wenbin will be in temporary command.”

The last sentence was directed at Chen Xiyuan.

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

With the previous order to “lower their guard” in front of the Old Dog, everyone now felt less resistant to the command to leave young Master Li alone here.

Runsheng and the other two turned to leave, but Chen Xiyuan, before turning, gave her younger brother another serious look.

Miss Chen possessed a delicate and easily expansive mind, after all, she had trained her domain since childhood by listening to the gossip in her family’s private residence.

Therefore, she felt that at this moment, her younger brother seemed to be radiating light.

Staying alone in the Dragon’s Den, he dispatched them to protect the common people.

Diting’s figure flashed, blocking their way. He looked at the young man still standing before the offering table and said:

“Kid, you’re really not taking me, this dog, seriously, are you?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Your goal is to awaken Yu Tiannan, not to stir up this cataclysm. All the destruction you deliberately caused before was merely to use moral responsibility as leverage, forcing your master to open his eyes.

Now, I have told you, he doesn’t not want to wake up; he cannot wake up.

What good does it do to prevent my people from stopping the cataclysm?

I don’t want my people to die, I don’t want the karma of the cataclysm to fall upon me, I don’t want my river-traversal to fail. I want Dragon King Yu to awaken more than you do right now.

So, get out of my way, you stupid dog!”

At this reprimand, not only did Chen Xiyuan feel a ripple in her heart, but Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou also unconsciously puffed out their chests, and even Runsheng’s eyes gleamed.

Those not directly involved could not experience this feeling.

The mastermind behind this wave, the “great evil spirit” that created all this, was directly called “stupid dog” by their young Master Li to his face.

One must know that young Master Li would not be so strict and impolite even with the little black dog he raised.

Diting’s right eye continuously flickered.

It couldn’t refute, because what the young man said was indeed the truth.

The golden color in its left eye began to boil; clearly, the true “Diting” had been simmering with resentment for a long time.

Though it didn’t know why, from the very first time it saw this young man, its golden left eye developed a profound aversion towards him.

A baseless hatred, one that went bone-deep.

If it weren’t for the yellow right eye, meaning the little yellow dog, completely dominating this body, had it still been in its former white dog state, Diting would have lunged at the young man at first sight and torn him apart.

This feeling was not without reason, because Diting’s descent from a lofty being under the Bodhisattva’s seat to a plaything with its memories erased by the Old Dog was all thanks to Li Zhuiyuan.

The yellow gaze became firm, and the left eye closed.

The anger of the “true Diting” was, at this moment, insignificant.

Diting cleared the way.

Tan Wenbin and the other three walked out of the ancestral hall.

Chen Xiyuan couldn’t help but exclaim: “In the past, when I read our ancestors’ notes and saw their effusive praise for that generation’s Dragon King, I always found it a bit overly sentimental and obsequious. Now I finally realize that was already a very restrained expression.”

Tan Wenbin: “Indeed. However, I seem to have noticed that when young Master Li called the Old Dog a ‘stupid dog,’ it didn’t seem angry; instead, it seemed a bit excited?”

Chen Xiyuan: “Really?”

Lin Shuyou: “Yes, it’s the same reaction I had when young Master Li first called me Ayou.”

Tan Wenbin: “I suspect that was the Yu Dragon King’s old nickname for Yuanbao. Young Master Li deliberately added that name just now to make it agree to let us pass.”

Chen Xiyuan: “Even insults have to be so carefully considered? My little brother lives such a tiring life.”

Tan Wenbin: “Do you feel tired when you breathe?”

Chen Xiyuan: “Good point.”

Tan Wenbin: “Alright, let’s go, we need to block the entrance.”

Chen Xiyuan: “I’ll listen to you; little brother said you should command.”

Tan Wenbin felt a headache coming on when he heard this. If he could still somewhat competently command before, now everyone was getting stronger and their tasks more intricate, plus with Chen Xiyuan present, he truly didn’t know how to command effectively.

Yet, among the four of them, apart from himself, no one else could bear this responsibility. Should Runsheng command, or Ayou?

If Miss Chen were to command, she’d probably open her domain, raise her flute, and shout: Brothers, follow this lady!

That would be even less fun.

Tan Wenbin: “Sigh, if the former external team hadn’t died, it would be great if they could also rush over to block the gate later.”

Lin Shuyou: “Three Eyes might not be that brave.”

Given Three Eyes’ intelligence, getting to the ancestral hall shouldn’t be too difficult. Since he hasn’t appeared here, based on Lin Shuyou’s understanding of him, he’s probably been slacking off on the periphery.

Tan Wenbin: “He’s still the former external team, after all. We should at least have some expectations. What if he becomes a true man this time?”

Lin Shuyou pouted, clearly disbelieving.

Chen Xiyuan: “There must be many people at the main gate of the Yu family now. Don’t expect too much from the old geezers, but we can try to rally the remaining river-walkers.

So, later, should we raise the banner of Dragon King Qin or Dragon King Liu?”

Tan Wenbin: “Neither.”

Chen Xiyuan: “Then how do we rally people? Or do we just rely on ourselves?”

Tan Wenbin: “Raise the banner of Dragon King Chen.”

After the Yu family Dragon King’s stele fell, the originally pitch-black Yu family ancestral home gradually became enveloped in a red glow. The darkness was dispelled, and visibility increased.

Everyone arrived fleeing, and with so many eyes, what could have been done stealthily when isolated earlier was now impossible to attempt.

All the elders gathered outside the main gate of the Yu family, led by Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing, who came from Dragon King lineages.

The two exchanged glances. Many young river-walkers had been lost; this was not surprising, and it was partly due to their own insidious work. But even their group of old-timers had suffered significant casualties.

What was even more frightening was that Ming Qiushui still hadn’t appeared.

Previously, when attacking the Yu family, they three were the main force. After breaking through the Yu family’s main gate, they unleashed a chaotic slaughter, with others following, quickly annihilating most of the demonic beasts entrenched there.

Tao Wanli: “You say, is Ming Qiushui trapped in a stroke of good fortune, or…”

Ling Zhuxing: “What kind of good fortune is worth her, given her background, risking so much for?”

Tao Wanli: “Heh, that would be something truly extraordinary then.”

With that, Tao Wanli’s gaze fell on Ling Wuxing, who was sitting on the steps. Ling Wuxing had lost an ear and had blood on his face. Of the four people who were originally with him, only two remained.

However, Ling Wuxing had several fluctuating auras around him; he must have just acquired something that he hadn’t fully absorbed and suppressed yet.

As it seemed, his gains were substantial, and this was only what could be perceived.

Ling Zhuxing knew what Tao Wanli meant and specifically glanced at Tao Zhuming.

Tao Zhuming was also sitting on the steps, with all four of his companions present, and he seemed to be in very good condition.

Tao Wanli: “Look, our Zhuming is empty-handed, and his clothes aren’t even that dirty. It’s as if he just strolled around inside.”

Ling Zhuxing: “I am Zhuming’s sworn grandfather. When Zhuming was born, I went to your house for his full-month celebration and thought this boy was extraordinary, forcing you to recognize him as a sworn relative and even adding my character ‘Zhu’ to his name.

This boy, Zhuming, has a mind as deep as the ocean. Even if he gains some opportunity, he won’t show it. He is naturally destined for great things.”

Tao Wanli: “And your Ling Wuxing, didn’t he also get your character in his name? And he’s your grandnephew from your own clan.”

Ling Zhuxing shook his head.

The two old men’s gazes lingered again.

A young man with a spear, supported by a maid, was leaning precariously against a pillar. His chest was bloody, clearly having been disemboweled.

He looked terrible, but his true condition could not be hidden from the eyes of the two old men. He appeared weak and dispirited, but in reality, he could still wield his spear with dragon-like power.

A bald man squatted there, half his body severely scorched, including his head. His two subordinates were helping him tear off the charred skin from his scalp.

A scholar in a gray robe sat on a stone lion, with an old servant serving meat and a young page offering water.

Not only Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing were observing, but other old fellows around them were also watching.

So many people went in together, and now, only these five groups remained.

Among the young people who died, it is likely that only a very small number died while searching for opportunities. With demonic beasts living here for so long, there weren’t many dangerous opportunities to begin with.

The vast majority must have died under the nefarious schemes of the old-timers, or through infighting among the young people themselves.

Some elders were comforting each other; perhaps the comforting elder was precisely the one who had killed the other’s junior.

Tao Wanli sighed: “This is traversing the rivers; it is indeed brutal.”

Ling Zhuxing glared at him angrily, “Old fellow, you haven’t killed any less. What’s with all the sentimentality now?”

In the distance, the aura of evil spirits grew increasingly dense. Although most of them were entangled by the Dragon King steles, a small number remained unaffected and were now approaching the main gate.

Tao Wanli: “So, what do you say, should we block them or not?”

Ling Zhuxing: “You set an example first.”

Tao Wanli: “Both of us, at least, come from Dragon King families. Earlier, fleeing was nothing. The number of evil spirits is still not very large now, so there’s a chance to block them.”

Ling Zhuxing: “Those Dragon King steles cannot hold back other evil spirits for too long. Once the steles shatter, the subsequent evil spirits will surge out all at once. If we get entangled, we won’t have another chance to escape.”

Tao Wanli: “But it’s too shameful.”

Ling Zhuxing: “Which do you want to lose, your life or your face? Heh, if you and I truly cared about face, our families wouldn’t have sent us out.”

Tao Wanli: “That’s what they say, but we can leave, these children…”

“The Yu family matter is urgent. I will first inform our sect to prepare early and then formulate a plan. I shall take my leave first!”

“For the sake of the common people, I must take the first step!”

“For the sake of righteousness, it is fitting to deliberate at length. Please do not blame me, everyone!”

Some old fellows had already left directly. The number of old fellows who came to the Yu family this time was far greater than the young people. Many of them had no juniors traversing the rivers here. Their original intention was to seize resources in the Yu family, and seeing the situation become uncontrollable, they naturally left without any qualms.

Some had their own juniors lost inside. The evil spirits here held no interest for them to block any further; they even wished for the remaining young people from other families to die quickly so they would feel a bit better. So, they left quite swiftly.

“Rumble!”

That gigantic existence, its form now visible, was a mountain of flesh covered in maggots. Its true body was indiscernible, or perhaps, through prolonged decay and proliferation, even it couldn’t tell what kind of being it was anymore.

Wherever it moved, large quantities of white and yellow maggots shed, like a cascading waterfall, and the vast area beneath its feet squirmed, resembling flowing water.

Ling Zhuxing: “Can we light the lamp a second time?”

Tao Wanli: “Lighting the lamp a second time depends on the timing. If we had done it earlier, perhaps nothing would have happened. But in this current situation, even if we concede and withdraw, we’ll still suffer karmic backlash, probably ending up in a fate worse than death.”

Ling Zhuxing: “Actually, it’s not impossible for our families to pay a bit more and help the children mitigate the consequences.”

The heritage of a Dragon King lineage certainly qualified them to say such a thing.

Tao Wanli: “Firstly, the family’s heritage is not to be expended here. A talent abandoned by Tiandao has lost the family’s need to continue investing in him. Secondly, you’d have to ask these children first if they are willing to concede.”

Ling Zhuxing: “Such is the will of heaven; fate plays tricks on people.”

At this moment, Tao Zhuming stood up and walked towards Ling Wuxing.

“Brother Ling, have you seen Brother Zhao?”

“Not yet, Brother Zhao is probably…”

“No, I observed Brother Zhao; he seemed to have no intention of going deep into this residence at all.”

“Then where is he now?”

“Who knows.”

“Look, the old guys are starting to leave.”

“I just counted; the old guys who fell are probably no fewer than us young ones. How many did you take down?”

“A few? Brother, you give me too much credit. Just one. That old scoundrel even tore off one of my ears before he died.”

“I only got one too.”

“You seem quite at ease.”

“It’s an act; I’m seriously injured right now.”

“That chest wound and the charred skin on the bald head weren’t the work of demonic beasts either.”

“Then let’s just count it as one each. But if we count it that way, the numbers don’t add up. Either someone died with an old geezer, or someone killed more than one old geezer, two, or even three.”

“The guy who can kill three old geezers, who exactly is the old geezer?”

“It’s pretty terrifying, really. But if one person didn’t die and also came in, maybe they could.”

“You mean that person from the Chen family? She truly might be capable.”

“The people of the Four Xuan Sect are missing; they died silently in Luoyang city. They must have left a mark on her without us knowing, intending to hunt her down for sole gain, but were instead killed.

This indicates that either the Chen family member is stronger than we imagined, or there’s another group protecting her.”

“I suspected that day when the museum’s grand formation collapsed, but Zhao Yi and Lu Xuan both said it was the Yu family demonic beasts attacking the formation from outside.”

“Listen to their nonsense. If demonic beasts can use formations now, how would our elders have been able to attack this Yu family?”

“They’re here, they’re here. What do we do?”

“I won’t give up. Besides, at this point, lighting the lamp a second time is worse than simply dying.”

“I think so too.”

After their gazes met, both stood up and faced their respective elders, Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing, bowing and saying:

“The Yu family calamity will spread to the human world. Thank you, elders, for your concern for the dignity of our Dragon King lineage and for righteousness, for helping us guard the gate for the common people!”

Tao Wanli: “…”

Ling Zhuxing: “…”

The two old men’s hearts immediately sank.

Earlier in the ancestral home, due to the deep karma associated with the river-walkers, their group of old-timers would try to avoid meeting their own juniors.

Even just now, the two sides were clearly distinct, standing in separate circles, not even exchanging greetings, precisely out of fear of not being able to control the boundaries.

And when these two young people directly appealed to them, an ominous premonition quickly arose in their hearts. They knew that karma was already beginning to entangle them.

These two little rascals used “thank you” instead of “please”; they were forcefully dragging the two of them along as shields!

The spear-wielding youth turned around and bowed to an old man with white hair and two wooden spears on his back, who was standing behind him:

“Unworthy descendant Xu Mofan, I ask my granduncle, for the sake of the common people, to help us guard the gate!”

The old man drew one of the wooden spears, plunged it into the ground, and said calmly:

“It shall be so!”

The old man had two wooden spears; one was stained red, green, and black, as if the spear shaft itself was saturated with blood—this was what he used to kill demons.

And the wooden spear the old man was now using had a pure wooden shaft and white tassels like snow—this was for killing people.

He was using this method to demonstrate that, previously in the Yu family ancestral home, he had never laid hands on the young people.

The scholar put down the calloused human hand he held, wiped his mouth, and shouted behind him:

“Zhu Yiwen has been unfilial; I must ask Auntie to die with me here today.”

Behind him, an old woman dressed rather rustically, with a flower pinned to her head, sighed and said:

“Alas, I shouldn’t have come. It serves my humble life right.”

The bald man blew off the charred skin he had just torn from his head and chuckled:

“Damn it, which one of you killed my short, fat old uncle so early?”

Most of the old geezers had already left, but a few remained, staying here.

Though unspoken, their attitude was already clear.

Actually, not all of those who had left earlier were necessarily cowardly; rather, the team’s cohesion, which was not very strong to begin with, completely disintegrated after the sudden darkness fell upon the Yu family ancestral home.

In a group of people, who just attacked whose junior? How could such a team be coordinated, how could they be of one mind?

Xu Fengzhi flicked his wooden spear, pointing it at Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing, who stood there still uncommitted, and sneered:

“Heh, as an old man, I grew up listening to the stories of successive Dragon Kings. My childhood dream was to one day stand behind a Dragon King, like the characters in those stories, to slay demons and eliminate evil for the human world.

Now, this Dragon King lineage has truly disappointed this old man!”

Tao Wanli: “We stand here, do we need to say more?”

Ling Zhuxing: “If we truly wanted to leave, we would have done so long ago. Even now, does that mean we cannot leave?”

Xu Fengzhi looked at Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing:

“A Dragon King lineage should prioritize a myriad of responsibilities and difficulties, and one family should bear the burden for the world.

Alas, since the decline of Dragon King Qin and Dragon King Liu, the awe-inspiring righteousness of Jianghu has probably collapsed by half.

In my eyes, you two are inferior to these two children from your respective families.”

Tao Wanli: “Less pretty talk, let’s see some real action.”

Ling Zhuxing: “Today’s matter is urgent; I’ll forgive your transgression.”

“Rumble!”

They’re here, very close now. The maggots from the largest one’s body have already been flung this far.

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing each led their people down the steps, preparing to meet the enemy.

The scholar took out a book from his bamboo basket and began to flip through it.

Xu Mofan shook his long spear and stood in front of his maid.

The bald man stood up, rubbed his hands, and cursed, “Damn, what a disgusting thing.”

The old men behind also stepped forward, standing behind the young people, including Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing.

Everyone was waiting for the final moment; it was possible that this would be the last battle of their lives.

Suddenly, a small figure darted out from an unknown crack in the ground ahead, shot straight up, and crashed into the massive evil spirit.

“Boom!”

That huge evil spirit actually toppled over from this impact.

But the sky-high maggots immediately moved swiftly and orderly, either forming cages or gathering into instruments of torture, preparing to annihilate the small figure.

“Buzz!” “Buzz!”

Two flashes of cold light appeared, cutting open the wall of maggots; it was the Liang sisters coming to assist.

Vines shot up from the ground, attempting to block the massive number of maggots.

Finally, a figure soared into the air.

Zhao Yi looked back at the Yu family’s main gate not far behind him, where many acquaintances from recently gathered.

The purpose of quickly scanning everyone was not to say hello, but to see if the fellow named Li was among them.

Fortunately, the fellow named Li was not there.

If the fellow named Li were also here at this moment, preparing for a final desperate resistance, then he would feel that this wave was truly doomed.

Not seeing the fellow named Li, Zhao Yi immediately felt much more at ease.

He hadn’t intended to be a pioneer, but who knew that after Chen Jing went berserk, he reacted to the evil spirit’s aura like a dog seeing a bone?

There was no choice; he literally had no other option but to lead his people to support Chen Jing. He couldn’t let his painstakingly cultivated treasure die prematurely before even enjoying its fruits.

But, since they had come, and they were in it.

Zhao Yi simply let out a long howl:

“Zhao Yi of Jiujiang, guarding the gate for the common people, will not retreat even unto death!”

No sooner had he finished shouting than the giant monster once again rose. Maggots formed a huge mouth, wanting to swallow everyone in front of it in one gulp.

Zhao Yi arrived at the top of the behemoth’s head, made a hand seal, and struck its head hard.

“Roar!”

An angry roar echoed.

Next, a large number of maggots transformed into flies, buzzing everywhere. These flies had very soft bodies; they would explode upon contact, and the splashing liquid was highly corrosive.

Zhao Yi: “Xu Ming, wooden wall!”

Xu Ming slammed his hands onto the ground, and wooden stakes rose, attempting to shield his companions, but at this speed, it was clear they wouldn’t make it in time.

A figure crashed down, and everywhere it passed, all the flies exploded, yet not a single drop of fluid overflowed, minimizing the damage. Moreover, she timely erected a barrier for everyone.

Lin Shuyou wielded his twin maces, his figure spinning into afterimages, smashing into the wall of maggots, giving the giant monster a piercing blow.

Runsheng, below, plunged his Yellow River shovel into the rotting sole of its foot, lifting it with all his might. Chen Jing, covered in blood, burst out from inside, landing a punch on that foot.

Under the combined efforts of Chen Jing and Runsheng, the behemoth once again crashed heavily to the ground.

Tan Wenbin, his figure like an ape radiating blood-light, leaped onto the behemoth’s face, aiming for its twisted, hideous eyeball, seizing control of its five senses!

He didn’t forget to shout:

“Dragon King Chen Family, guarding the gate for the common people, sworn not to retreat until death!”

At the main gate of the Yu family, the waiting crowd was somewhat taken aback by this sudden twist of someone charging straight in and starting a fight.

Although they were determined not to light the lamp a second time or retreat, there was a certain degree of passivity in their hearts.

Xu Fengzhi burst into laughter: “This Zhao Yi of Jiujiang indeed matches the Jianghu legends; a hero should act like a hero! Dragon King Chen, thankfully, after Qin and Liu, this Jianghu still has a Dragon King lineage willing to proactively take on responsibility!”

At this moment, streaks of red light descended, striking Zhao Yi, Tan Wenbin, and the others who were currently battling the giant evil spirit. Everyone immediately felt a warmth spread through their bodies, a sensation of boundless energy.

Tao Wanli: “This is the Yu family’s grand formation providing blessings and enhancements to people!”

Ling Zhuxing: “Merit and opportunity, what great merit and opportunity!”

Tao Zhuming, Ling Wuxing, Xu Moran, the scholar, and the bald man immediately felt a surge of passion in their eyes. They swiftly led their subordinates to charge forward, blocking the evil spirits that were closing in from behind.

Red light appeared once more, shining upon them, but both its brightness and duration were several notches below the first batch.

This made them feel very unbalanced, because they had no intention of backing down, yet simply because they hadn’t launched the first assault, they missed out on the most succulent crab roe, only able to gnaw on crab legs.

At this moment, although the advance of these evil spirits was blocked, the situation had not undergone a fundamental change.

That massive evil spirit, facing Zhao Yi, Chen Xiyuan, and the others, was repeatedly overthrown and struck down, but its momentum showed no sign of weakening.

The other evil spirits were all the same; the river-walker teams could only barely obstruct them, utterly incapable of defeating them.

Moreover, if the fierce battle continued, their situation would become increasingly perilous.

This was also the reason why everyone had felt despair earlier. Every evil spirit inside was personally sealed by a Dragon King; even if they weren’t as powerful as before, they couldn’t be easily suppressed and killed, otherwise the Dragon King wouldn’t have brought them back to suppress them in their ancestral home.

You might be able to hold them off for a while, but ultimately, it will still be you who perishes at the hands of the evil spirits.

Xu Fengzhi: “Traversing the rivers and vying for the Dragon position sometimes comes down to a surge of momentum. Whoever gains that momentum first seizes the advantage. As a Dragon King, one must lead the charge, bravely forging ahead!

My Mofan’s spear truly lacks this touch of sharpness!

Mofan, I, your granduncle, will teach you personally!”

Xu Fengzhi’s spear tip pierced his palm, blood spilling out and staining the wooden spear red. Then he leaped up, a man and a spear, charging horizontally like a swimming dragon.

A sect’s members are forbidden from interfering with their own river-walkers; this is an ironclad rule, and violators suffer karmic backlash. Xu Fengzhi didn’t bother calculating whether doing this was saving the common people or helping his own river-walking child; he didn’t care anymore.

Each of his spear thrusts could temporarily force back an evil spirit. The spear shaft was like fire, and his body was literally burning with flames.

From the very beginning, he had ignited all the aging vital energy and remaining lifespan within his body, fusing them into this spear technique.

His purpose was to temporarily relieve pressure for these people, allowing them a moment to catch their breath.

As for the karma, Xu Fengzhi only hoped that heaven had eyes, allowing him alone to bear the consequences in death, and by no means involving his family.

As his spear pierced through the giant creature’s body, incinerating a large area of maggots, he happened to see Chen Xiyuan’s flute smashing a large dent into the creature’s head.

Xu Fengzhi: “This is what a child of the Dragon King family should be!”

Scattered maggots coalesced into human or beast figures, charging towards everyone.

Yet, in the next moment, black ribbons coiled around them all, causing them to explode simultaneously.

Zhao Yi spread his arms, allowing his natural dark skin to return, filling in his bleeding body.

So ruthless!

Xu Fengzhi: “Zhao Yi, that Zhao family of Jiujiang, they don’t deserve you!”

Immediately, Xu Fengzhi flicked his spear tip, swiftly dissecting the behemoth from top to bottom. Then he leaped high, thrusting his spear tip into the behemoth’s chest, and vigorously twisted it!

A surging pillar of fire was fiercely pulled out, and the behemoth let out a terrifying shriek.

Its dismembered body broke down into more maggots, then transformed into a thick liquid that spread out, attempting to reconstruct its bloated, colossal form in this way.

The first to gather should have been the heart position. Xu Fengzhi was about to head there, but he saw Runsheng standing there, cross-armed, throwing a punch.

Powerful waves of air, layer upon layer, shattered the vortex that was supposed to form the heart.

This severely hindered the evil spirit’s re-emergence.

Xu Fengzhi’s eyes widened; he recognized this technique of air waves.

But this time, he didn’t call out like before; instead, he first glanced back, then burst into laughter and charged towards the next evil spirit with his spear.

The old woman with a flower in her hair and several other elders also rushed forward. The old woman pulled out a handful of embroidery needles, directly piercing them into her body, then clapped her hands, pushing back a charging zombie.

Tao Wanli: “What are they doing? Using secret techniques right from the start, rushing towards certain death?”

Ling Zhuxing: “They are paying homage to the Dragon King, choosing their own end.”

Tao Wanli: “If we are to pay homage, it should be us honoring our own ancestors.”

Ling Zhuxing: “It’s hard to imagine those words coming from your mouth.”

Tao Wanli: “Alright, I’ve done plenty of dirty deeds, wrong deeds, and petty deeds in my life. Before I die, if I cleanse myself, will I have the face to meet my ancestors after death?”

Ling Zhuxing: “Same question.”

With the addition of these elders, the situation indeed improved significantly; at least, a brief and precarious balance was maintained.

However, this balance was exceedingly fragile. When the robed Daoist, wearing a kasaya and a Daoist crown, appeared, wielding a拂尘 in his left hand and a demon-subduing杵 in his right, he almost single-handedly threatened to overturn the situation.

Among evil spirits, there is also a distinction between strong and weak. Although all have suffered the pain of suppression, evil spirits evolved from Xuanmen practitioners often understand better how to resist the erosion of formations and time.

However, a massive seal directly slammed into the邪道, crushing his upper body, and then a lightning whip swung across, sending him flying.

Tao Wanli: “You handle the smaller ones yourselves.”

Ling Zhuxing: “The big ones, leave them to those from the Dragon King family!”

“It’s lively out there, a pity. What they’re doing now is all in vain. Even these ones before them, they can’t suppress to death; they can only wear them down.

What’s more, those Dragon King steles are about to collapse. When that happens, a large number of evil spirits will swarm in, heh heh.”

Diting stood beside the young man, hands behind his back.

The young man sat cross-legged before Yu Dibei, his legs completely submerged in blood.

Li Zhuiyuan really disliked this greasy feeling, and there was an Old Dog beside him, rambling on.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up at him and said:

“If you keep rambling, do you believe I’ll make you go help them block the evil spirits?”

Diting: “What kind of monstrous joke are you telling?”

These evil spirits, he had personally released them. The current situation here was entirely his doing.

Li Zhuiyuan: “If I didn’t threaten you by not helping you resurrect Yu Tiannan, would you not go?”

Diting: “Hehehe, do you dare?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Let your left eye look closely. The true Diting should be able to discern whether I dare or not.”

Diting’s left eye began to glow golden; it was truly observing.

Li Zhuiyuan also opened his heart to him, without any mental defenses.

Then, Diting’s expression changed.

From the young man’s eyes, it saw a pure indifference and ruthlessness, not a disguise, but his truest self. In other words, the young man’s previous actions were more like a facade against his true nature.

He truly dared.

What common people, what companions, what grand scheme, what traversing the rivers—if it was willing to gamble with him, he truly dared to gamble with it.

A game of chicken: when you see the other person’s card is higher than yours, you’ve already lost.

Diting: “What exactly are you?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Shut up.”

Diting fell silent.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and placed his fingertip on Yu Dibei’s brow, then closed his eyes.

The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan appeared in Yu Dibei’s consciousness.

It was solid, detailed, and intricate here, and because of this, it became the shackles that confined Yu Dibei.

This was the Yu family.

A Yu family from the past.

Standing on the streets of the Yu family ancestral home, one could see many people and animals.

Behind Li Zhuiyuan was also an animal, a small yellow dog.

The Old Dog also came in.

Li Zhuiyuan turned back and glanced at it.

The Old Dog disappeared.

Li Zhuiyuan walked into a nearby courtyard. It was far from the Yu family ancestral hall, indicating that the people living here were not core Yu family members.

Pushing open the door and entering the small courtyard, Li Zhuiyuan saw a small boy curled up by the well, hugging his arms, trembling.

He was not Yu Tiannan; he was Yu Dibei.

Li Zhuiyuan’s arrival startled Yu Dibei, who cried out. But after seeing the newcomer’s appearance clearly, the panic in Yu Dibei’s eyes slightly calmed, and he asked in confusion:

“I think I remember you, but who are you?”

Yu Dibei was a person as pure as a blank sheet of paper. When his brain was suddenly flooded with such vast memories, and especially the “Dragon King’s experiences,” his self-perception had been severely diluted.

For example, he couldn’t remember who he was right now.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down in front of Yu Dibei and said to him:

“My surname is Li, and my name is Li Zhuiyuan. We know each other.”

“Do we really know each other?”

“Yes.”

“Then you are my friend?”

“We exchanged books to read.”

“Then we are friends.”

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, wanting to touch Yu Dibei’s brow.

The simplest way would be for him to hypnotize Yu Dibei, then use the black book’s secret technique he was adept at to modify his perception, making him believe he was Yu Tiannan.

But Li Zhuiyuan’s hand stopped just before it touched Yu Dibei’s forehead.

Yu Dibei: “What’s wrong?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Nothing.”

A person who has been deceived cannot complete the life of Yu Tiannan.

If he were to do so, he would make the same mistake as the Old Dog before him.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up and walked towards the door.

Yu Dibei: “Are you leaving?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I’m not leaving. I’ll be right back.”

Yu Dibei: “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back and play with me.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the courtyard gate and returned to the street. Facing the empty street, the young man said:

“Come out.”

The little yellow dog reappeared.

Li Zhuiyuan: “You go in.”

The little yellow dog looked confused but still walked in.

“Ha, Xiao Huang!”

Upon seeing the little yellow dog, Yu Dibei, who was originally curled up in the corner, immediately rushed forward, embracing and gently stroking the little yellow dog.

“Xiao Huang, Xiao Huang, Xiao Huang…”

A slight flicker appeared in the little yellow dog’s eyes.

It was Yu Tiannan’s dog, but it had also accompanied Yu Dibei as he grew up.

Its loyalty was solely to Yu Tiannan, yet Yu Dibei, even in a state where he almost forgot who he was, still remembered the feeling of spending day and night together, which made it hard not to be moved.

Of course, the emotion lasted only for an instant; its dog eyes immediately returned to calm.

It’s merely a body I carefully selected for my master; how could it compare to my master?

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Yu Dibei and held out his hand: “I’ll take you somewhere fun.”

“Okay.”

Yu Dibei gave his hand to Li Zhuiyuan to hold, still cradling his beloved little yellow dog in his arms.

The Yu family ancestral home was now peaceful, so there was naturally no danger.

However, because it was so real, some restrictions and formations actually existed as well.

Li Zhuiyuan led Yu Dibei to the back gate of the Yu family. The young man stepped forward, personally opening the formation, and the stone door slowly began to open.

Yu Dibei: “It’s so dark inside. Where are we going?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Didn’t I tell you? To a fun place.”

Yu Dibei: “But I’m so scared.”

Li Zhuiyuan’s hand, avoiding Yu Dibei’s sight, secretly pinched the little yellow dog hard.

The little yellow dog glared at Li Zhuiyuan.

But when Li Zhuiyuan pinched it a second time, the little yellow dog jumped out of Yu Dibei’s arms and ran towards the depths of the tunnel.

“Xiao Huang, Xiao Huang, Xiao Huang!”

“Xiao Huang ran away. Shall I take you to chase Xiao Huang?”

“Okay!”

“You follow behind me.”

The two young boys ran together in the dark tunnel.

Actually, in terms of age, the current Yu Dibei was less than five years old; in his eyes, Li Zhuiyuan was a considerably older brother.

On both sides of the tunnel were entrances to tombs. The environment here, let alone a child, would frighten even an adult thrown in here to the point of collapse.

But with the obsession of finding Xiao Huang, Yu Dibei overcame his inner fear.

However, the little yellow dog running ahead found that as it ran, its surroundings kept expanding and extending.

This was not within the scope of its memories; it knew the Yu family had a “graveyard garden,” but it had never been here.

Therefore, the scenes appearing here at this moment were all memories grafted by the young man.

Running and chasing all the way, they finally arrived at the back exit.

To save effort and time, outside the exit was a dry riverbed and the concrete bridge spanning it.

Li Zhuiyuan skipped steps.

The little yellow dog waited under the bridge arch.

“Xiao Huang, I see you, Xiao Huang!”

Li Zhuiyuan let go of his hand, allowing Yu Dibei to run over by himself.

The little yellow dog’s gaze, however, fell on Li Zhuiyuan.

It knew what the situation was inside, but it didn’t know why the young man would weave another village within the memory range it provided.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed under the bridge arch, leaving no room for doubt.

The little yellow dog had no choice but to squeeze into the bridge arch, and Yu Dibei followed it in.

He returned to the village, saw the paddy fields, the river, the wooden houses, and the old ox and squirrel he didn’t recognize but felt very familiar with.

Yu Dibei stood rooted to the spot, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in, and the little yellow dog came to his feet:

“What are you doing?”

“I plan to tell him who he is.”

“He is Yu Tiannan, he is my master!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “How can someone who doesn’t even know who they are become a Dragon King, or even qualify to be a Dragon King’s shadow?”

Little Yellow Dog: “Heh, let me tell you in advance, although I’ve lived with this kid here for many years, I no longer have memories of living with him here in my mind.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “It doesn’t matter, I can make it up.”

Little Yellow Dog: “Then aren’t you also deceiving?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I’m not trying to overwrite his memories; I’m trying to help him find himself again.”

Little Yellow Dog: “I cannot understand what you mean.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “It’s normal that you don’t understand, stupid dog.”

The little yellow dog bared its teeth at Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan ignored it and walked directly towards the hillside.

The first time he entered this village, Yu Dibei was standing on it, and quickly discovered him and the others.

This place was indeed an excellent lookout point; the world of the village was fully visible.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down.

Previously, he had only completed the initial peripheral scenery and the simple arrangement of animals. Next, he began to weave in Agong, Grandpa Lion, Grandpa Tiger…

In the past, when needed, Li Zhuiyuan could perform memory recall himself; he could perfectly replicate the real village.

There was a generational gap between the very young Yu Dibei and the current era.

But it didn’t matter, Li Zhuiyuan could follow Yu Dibei’s senses.

For example, the Grandpa Lion he saw wasn’t that old, so Li Zhuiyuan immediately made Grandpa Lion younger. For example, if he saw people who didn’t exist yet, Li Zhuiyuan made them disappear.

Just as Li Zhuiyuan had just told the little yellow dog, he wasn’t overwriting Yu Dibei’s memories; he was, like a psychologist, helping Yu Dibei find his lost self.

It’s just that the method he used was a little more advanced than hypnosis therapy.

The little yellow dog came before Li Zhuiyuan, about to say something.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed below: “You go down and keep him company. You remember how you looked as a puppy, right? I need you to go down and serve as a trigger point for his memory recall.”

The little yellow dog bared its teeth again and ran down the hillside.

One day passed like this, awkward and often halting. Anything that didn’t align with Yu Dibei’s heart, Li Zhuiyuan subtly corrected, trying his best to recreate the atmosphere of his first day in the village.

On the first night, Yu Dibei fell asleep.

The little yellow dog returned to the hillside: “Are you planning to slowly recall his life here until he becomes an adult?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Go back.”

The little yellow dog endured it, then returned to the village, jumped onto the bed, transformed back into a puppy, and slept beside Yu Dibei. Then, dawn broke.

Next, all actions began to accelerate, and this speed was becoming increasingly incredible.

The people and animals in the village couldn’t detect it, nor could Yu Dibei, only the little yellow dog could sense it.

Days and nights exchanged, years flew by, and the rice around Li Zhuiyuan ripened crop after crop.

In reality, Li Zhuiyuan, sitting face-to-face with Yu Dibei in the pool of blood, began to bleed from his nose.

The sheer volume of this mental simulation was astonishing. Fortunately, the young man had received replenishment and advancement from Ming Qiushui; otherwise, had it been him right after performing surgery on the Yu family members in the beast stable, he would have long since been overdrawn and blind.

However, the effect was gradually appearing.

As Yu Dibei grew older day by day, the time he spent in a daze increased.

This meant he was gradually finding himself again.

Li Zhuiyuan knew he was close to success.

But he couldn’t hold on any longer.

To quickly read a person’s life, that’s no problem. But to constantly modify and weave a person’s life according to their senses, even if that person is very young, it is still too heavy a burden for the young man.

He now desperately needed new replenishment, otherwise, he couldn’t persist until Yu Dibei successfully found himself.

While fifteen-year-old Yu Dibei was lost in thought, Li Zhuiyuan stopped the memory.

The little yellow dog came to the hillside and found Li Zhuiyuan:

“What secret technique are you using? This is definitely not the method of that memory evil spirit!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Can you temporarily maintain this place for me? No problem, right? I’ll be right back.”

No sooner had he spoken than Li Zhuiyuan vanished.

In reality, the young man opened his eyes.

A strong sense of weakness immediately overwhelmed him. The young man wiped the blood from his nose, opened his mouth, and gasped for air.

He needed replenishment.

At this time, Jianlibao was useless.

The young man took out the blank book, but before turning the page, he looked up and saw Ming Yuwan, immersed in blood and already decaying.

Li Zhuiyuan staggered to Ming Yuwan; she was still alive, but her body was completely sealed.

The young man placed his palm on Ming Yuwan’s head and closed his eyes.

The Old Dog’s seal was thorough, not even sparing the soul.

Li Zhuiyuan appeared in Ming Yuwan’s mental consciousness, looking at the bound woman before him.

Ming Yuwan: “Who are you?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I’m here to save you.”

White flames appeared in the young man’s palm, intending to use them to burn away the constraints on Ming Yuwan’s soul.

But upon seeing her family’s secret technique mastered by a stranger, Ming Yuwan’s eyes widened, followed by a strong sense of crisis.

“Crack…”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Alright, your soul’s restraint has been lifted by me. Next…”

Before he could finish speaking, Li Zhuiyuan felt a chill behind him.

He turned around and saw a second Ming Yuwan standing behind him, her face cold and expressionless.

The cold-faced Ming Yuwan had already raised her fingertip and placed it on the young man’s brow.

“I can feel you mean no good!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I’m here to save you; you shouldn’t act this way.”

Cold-faced Ming Yuwan: “You can’t fool me; my feelings are never wrong.”

Li Zhuiyuan retorted:

“Then what can you do?

Your physical body is still sealed. I only unsealed your soul, and your soul is still very weak.”

Cold-faced Ming Yuwan: “Today I am the fuel, to burn your soul, to disorder your Dao realm, and to shape your inner demon!”

Figures of the cold-faced Ming Yuwan appeared, their fingers all pointing at the young man in the center.

The true Ming Yuwan’s soul, meanwhile, began to burn, powering this secret technique.

Li Zhuiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed, the methods used by juniors may not always be employed by elders, but the elders’ ultimate killer moves will certainly be learned by juniors, especially river-walkers who consider themselves contemporary geniuses of their families.

Gradually, the cold face finally discovered the problem, and she said:

“No, why isn’t it nourishing his inner demon, but rather nourishing him instead!

Stop, stop quickly!

What’s going on, why can’t it stop, why won’t it stop!”

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and said calmly:

“You were the one who attacked me first.”

When the young man next opened his eyes in the council hall, he saw Ming Yuwan, already progressively decaying in the pool of blood.

Her soul had entirely transformed into nourishment, absorbed by his “inner demon.”

“Ming family members are much more effective than Jianlibao.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked back to Yu Dibei, sat cross-legged, placed his finger on Yu Dibei’s brow, and closed his eyes.

The young man returned to that hillside once more.

Little Yellow Dog: “You’ve recovered again?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Continue.”

The little yellow dog ran down the hillside, and the memories continued to rapidly churn.

Finally, one day, after Yu Dibei finished his daze, he emerged from the village and came up to the hillside.

He said to Li Zhuiyuan:

“I remember who I am.”

When the little yellow dog also ran over, Yu Dibei’s face no longer showed joy, but rather a complex expression.

Li Zhuiyuan: “You said you would give everything, as long as the village could have a beautiful future.”

Yu Dibei: “Yes, I said that, and I still think so.”

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the village entrance: “Then walk out of here, enter that tunnel. Inside there’s a stone door. After passing through that door, you will experience, firsthand, the life of a Yu family Dragon King.

You will get lost during this time; you will temporarily forget who you are, like dreaming a dream.

In this dream, you will vaguely believe that you are that Yu family Dragon King.

And we,

Now need you to have this dream, to allow that Yu family Dragon King to return briefly.

Don’t worry, this dream will end.”

Yu Dibei: “Even if it doesn’t wake up, it’s fine.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the little yellow dog on the ground and said:

“For that Dragon King, if this dream doesn’t wake, it would be too cruel.”

Yu Dibei nodded and walked towards the village entrance. As he exited the village, he transformed from a young man back into a child.

He followed Li Zhuiyuan’s instructions, entered the tunnel, and arrived before the stone door. This time, he was no longer afraid or panicked. He returned to the Yu family, to that small courtyard.

In the courtyard, stood a boy of his own age.

Yu Dibei walked over and merged with the boy’s figure.

From outside, his father’s voice called:

“Tiannan, come out quickly, come with your father!”

Yu Dibei ran out of the courtyard: “Father, what is it?”

“Did you forget? Today is the day the family’s beast stables open, for you to choose your companion demonic beasts.”

“Haha, I’m going to have a demonic beast too, I’m going to have a demonic beast too!”

In reality, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes.

Diting also opened its eyes, glanced at Ming Yuwan who was already decaying in the pool of blood, and asked in confusion:

“Between you and me, who exactly is the evil spirit?”

An invisible pressure continuously gathered on Yu Dibei’s body, and ripples emanated from the blood surface.

This means that Yu Dibei is gradually integrating Yu Tiannan’s memories from a first-person perspective; the correct way of opening has begun.

Diting: “There’s something I must remind you. You did solve my initial problem, but a new one has arisen from it.

Because you allowed Yu Dibei to retain his self, which is what you called dreaming. In the dream, my master can indeed return, but he will lack the Dragon King’s relentless momentum.”

Diting pointed to the seal on Yu Dibei’s forehead, collectively imposed by the evil spirits:

“The master in the dream might not be able to break these seals.”

At this moment, distant roars erupted, the Dragon King steles all exploded, and the Dragon King memorial tablets on the offering table all split in half.

This meant that the spirits of the successive Yu family Dragon Kings had completely dissipated.

Diting: “It was all for nothing in the end; I’ll never see… you again!”

Li Zhuiyuan opened his palm, and a cluster of blue light appeared, emanating the unique aura of a Dragon King’s spirit.

The young man moved his palm towards Yu Dibei, who still had his eyes closed, and said:

“Junior Li Zhuiyuan, I invite Dragon King Zhao of the Zhao family,

For the common people, for righteousness,

To fight one more battle!”

It’s not that the Dragon intentionally stopped here; I’ve been writing all day, and by this point, time ran out, and the chapter word count wasn’t enough.

Continue with 20,000 words tomorrow!

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