“I was thinking of bringing someone back to life, but who knew I’d accidentally poisoned him to death?

At that time, I was scared. A living person in the house is one thing, but a dead person in the house makes it easy for rumors to spread. I just wanted to deal with him quickly.

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

I couldn’t afford a coffin then, so I rolled him up in the old straw mat I slept on and tied it with a rope.

I wanted to bury him casually outside, but I was afraid the commotion would be too big, and I was worried he might be dug up someday. So, I just decided to go all out and bury him in our old Li family ancestral grave.

Sigh, back then, first, I didn’t know the proper rituals for burial, and second, I was in a hurry and panicked, just wanting to get him buried quickly. I chose a spot in the middle that was easy to dig and laid him to rest.

If it weren’t for this hollow today, Grandfather, I would have truly forgotten about this matter.

Thinking about it now, I really do feel a bit sorry for this brother.”

“Grandfather, you had good intentions, and it seems like he himself didn’t want to live; it was more like he was set on dying.”

Li Sanjiang placed the cigarette butt on the ground, stepped on it with his cloth shoe to extinguish it, then picked it up and threw it away, before picking up the shovel again.

“Hmph, in those days, human lives weren’t worth much. Actually, I didn’t take it too much to heart. I can only say he had bad luck; he should have drifted to a doctor’s doorstep, and maybe he would have survived.”

Li Sanjiang continued working, but after a few more shovels, the previously filled-in spot hollowed out again, meaning he had to rebuild it from scratch.

“Ugh… This is really something.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Grandfather, let Zhuangzhuang and Ayou handle it. They studied this in college; they’re professionals.”

Li Sanjiang nodded, “Alright.”

After the paper burning was finished, Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan carried their things and walked home.

Li Sanjiang asked, “Hey, isn’t that Yihou sitting on the concrete bridge?”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Yes.”

Zhao Yi sat alone by the concrete bridge. The bridge had no railings, and his feet dangled below as he stared at the river.

Noticing someone in the distance, Zhao Yi turned his head, glanced over, and then silently turned back, clearly looking troubled.

Originally, he had intended to find the person surnamed Li to gauge the baseline price, but after his conversation with Tan Daban, he keenly sensed that this price was a bit too high.

At this moment, he needed some quiet time alone to mentally prepare himself again.

Li Zhuiyuan and Grandfather returned to the courtyard at home. Tan Wenbin came forward proactively and explained why they couldn’t go on the trip.

Li Sanjiang listened, then was silent for a moment before saying,

“That’s good. This way, we’ll have more money left to compensate those who were cheated and bullied.”

The trip scheduled for tomorrow was canceled, and it was impossible not to feel disappointed, but Li Sanjiang always took things in stride. He added a few dried orange peels to his large teacup, poured in boiling water, and then leisurely went to lie on a wicker chair on the second-floor terrace to listen to radio storytelling.

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

Chen Xiyuan came out of her second-floor room, holding a can of Jianlibao, and asked,

“Little brother, where are you all going?”

“To repair the ancestral grave.”

“Do you need a hand?”

“No.”

“Oh, alright, hehe, little sister is helping me fix my flute. My flute seems to be broken; the notes are off.”

“Go home and ask your grandpa to fix it.”

“I wanted to play a tune tonight, sigh. If not, then we’ll just have to go back together tomorrow and have my grandpa fix it.”

Li Sanjiang on the terrace spoke,

“Xiyuan, you go back by yourself tomorrow. We can’t go anymore. Oh, by the way…”

Li Sanjiang seemed to just remember and asked,

“Xiyuan, how will you manage your flight ticket home?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Grandfather, she bought her own ticket; it wasn’t through that travel agency, so it doesn’t affect her going back by herself.”

Li Sanjiang said, “Oh, that’s good, that’s good.”

Chen Xiyuan asked in confusion, “Huh, why aren’t you going back with me?”

Li Sanjiang said, “Something happened with the lottery; we can’t go anymore.”

Chen Xiyuan said, “It’s fine, I’ll buy you new tickets.”

Li Sanjiang said, “Forget it, forget it. Let’s just pretend we’ve already been, hehe.”

Li Zhuiyuan left with the others.

Chen Xiyuan was very confused. It sounded like not only was Uncle Li not going, but even the little brothers weren’t going to Hainan with her anymore?

She instinctively wanted to jump from the terrace and run after them to find out, but seeing Uncle Li sitting there, she stopped herself.

Just then, a melody came from the room, and Chen Xiyuan turned and went back inside.

“Little sister, how is it? Can you fix it?”

A very faint array pattern inside had blurred. With the right technique, it could be re-carved.

A-Li could fix it.

But the girl shook her head.

Chen Xiyuan said, “Ah, even little sister can’t fix it. Then I’ll just have to go back and have my grandpa do it.”

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

“Little sister, do you want to come to Hainan with me to play?”

A-Li shook her head again.

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

She understood. He wanted Chen Xiyuan to leave.

He had something he wasn’t telling her.

The girl’s hand gripped the armrest of the wicker chair, her delicate fingers pressing hard, turning slightly pale.

She was very afraid that he would make her leave too.

On the way out of the house, they again spotted Zhao Yi still sitting alone by the bridge in the distance.

Tan Wenbin said, “Xiao Yuan-ge, I roughly described the nature of this incident to Zhao Yi.”

Li Zhuiyuan responded, “Mm.”

Lin Shuyou asked, “Why is that ‘three-eyed’ fellow still here and not leaving?”

Tan Wenbin replied, “Who knows?”

They returned to the old Li family ancestral grave site.

Li Zhuiyuan first pointed to the hollow, then took out his Purple Gold Compass and began to calibrate the fengshui.

At the young man’s current level, this wasn’t strictly necessary, but it was his family’s ancestral grave, so like burning paper offerings, it was a formality.

He set up a temporary formation to stabilize the geological structure beneath this area. The young man made a few gestures with his hand, determining the final repair plan.

In the past, everyone usually helped Xiao Yuan-ge set up high-level formations with blueprints, but now it was just repairing a drainage ditch for the ancestral grave, which was incredibly simple. Everyone immediately picked up their shovels and started working.

However, amidst these simple requirements, one point was rather special: Xiao Yuan-ge requested that the hollowed-out area be dug deeper, with Runsheng in charge.

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

Runsheng said, “Xiao Yuan, I’ve dug it out.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked over, stood by the edge, and looked down.

The soil in that area of the pit was different from the surrounding parts; it was very dark and fine, even giving a very clean impression.

Even more bizarre was that Runsheng had dug out a straw mat tied with rope.

The straw mat had holes and rough edges. According to Grandfather’s description, this should have been the one he used to sleep on back then.

But after several decades, even a well-made coffin buried in an ordinary earthen grave like this would have completely decayed, yet this straw mat, after Runsheng brushed off the dirt with his hand, was “worn but new.”

Tan Wenbin leaned over, sniffed with his spirit beast-enhanced nose, and said, “There’s a human scent on this straw mat, like a living person had slept on it recently.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “That should be the body odor of young Grandfather from several decades ago.”

On the way here, Li Zhuiyuan had recounted the story Grandfather told him to his companions.

No one would believe that Uncle Li would be so bored as to secretly roll up a dead person and bury them here last night just to tell Xiao Yuan-ge a ghost story today.

When they had dug earlier, this area beneath had clearly been untouched for many years.

Besides, Uncle Li had long stopped sleeping on old straw mats.

Lin Shuyou asked, “Is the body buried underneath also exactly the same as it was back then?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Runsheng-ge, carry it out and untie it.”

Runsheng picked up the tattered straw mat and exited the pit.

During this process, it was clear that a person was wrapped inside the straw mat, as it had weight, and when Runsheng carried it on his shoulder, both sides visibly sagged downwards.

Runsheng said, “It’s quite heavy.”

After placing it on the flat ground outside, Runsheng squatted down, untied the rope, and unrolled the tattered straw mat.

To their surprise, as the straw mat unrolled, there was no corpse inside, only clothes and shoes.

Everyone’s eyes widened instantly.

They were all now quite experienced and knowledgeable, and considered themselves capable, so even when they saw the corpse wrapped in the decades-old, undecayed straw mat earlier, they felt no fear.

The worst-case scenario was a jumping corpse or a zombie, which was nothing to them.

But just now, there was clearly no aura fluctuation. Right before their eyes, the corpse that should have been inside vanished the moment it was unrolled.

Runsheng stated with certainty, “When I carried it out, there was a corpse inside, and it was very heavy.”

Tan Wenbin said, “If it were just clothes, this old straw mat wouldn’t have rolled up to that original thickness.”

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

“Binbin-ge, smell this again.”

Tan Wenbin sniffed carefully, shook his head, and said, “There’s no human scent on these clothes.”

Lin Shuyou said, “So, that person wasn’t actually poisoned to death by Uncle Li’s mistake? He revived after being buried and left?”

Tan Wenbin asked, “Then what would be the point of him rolling up the old straw mat, tying it, and reburying it after he left? To make Uncle Li think he hadn’t poisoned him to death and then chase him to continue poisoning him?”

Lin Shuyou said, “Oh, you’re right.”

If it were anyone else, one might indeed consider conspiracy theories, such as Li Sanjiang coveting the person’s wealth back then, intentionally murdering for money, and also being a local bully with numerous henchmen. The person, having miraculously survived, dared not speak out, concealing the illusion of his own death.

But clearly, Uncle Li was not such a person, and this conspiracy theory simply did not hold water.

Tan Wenbin said, “The key to the problem is that before we opened the straw mat, we all ‘saw’ that there was a corpse inside.”

Runsheng rolled the straw mat back up. Fearing an error in weight, he even included the rope and re-shouldered it.

“It’s light as a feather, completely different from just now. The corpse inside just now was heavier than I am.”

Lin Shuyou said, “Even if a zombie turned into pus, it wouldn’t be this clean, right? Vaporization wouldn’t be this fast; at least some white smoke should appear?”

A person, no, to be precise, a corpse, had actually vanished so cleanly in an instant.

Tan Wenbin said, “Even Mengmeng’s corpse-dissolving liquid is nowhere near this efficient.”

Everyone instinctively turned their gaze to the young man. At this point, they could only hope to get an answer from Xiao Yuan-ge.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, “I don’t know either.”

The young man was also a close observer, and due to his height, he had even seen the shoes swaying in the opening when Runsheng carried the straw mat out, supported by the instep of a foot. And in the opening at the other end, the young man had seen hair being shaken.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “If it can’t be explained by reality, then it can only be explained conceptually. That is, before we witnessed his death with our own eyes, he was in a state of still existing.”

Runsheng’s mind raced.

Lin Shuyou said, “Seems familiar…”

Tan Wenbin said, “It sounds like the theory of causality ripples.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Pack up the clothes and shoes, roll them back up, tie them, and rebury them.”

After all, he had been lying in the old Li family’s ancestral grave for so many years. Even if his bones were gone now and only his clothes remained, he should still be allowed to lie back there.

Runsheng said, “Okay.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the Purple Gold Compass he had placed on a small mound earlier. As he reached out to pick it up, he noticed an unusual chill emanating from the compass.

“Runsheng-ge, open the straw mat again.”

“Mm.”

The straw mat was opened again.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that the temperature of the compass instantly dropped significantly, and when he held the compass and walked to the re-unrolled straw mat, the low temperature was already somewhat freezing to the touch.

However, the pointer on the compass showed no change, meaning it had no relation to the Purple Gold Compass itself.

The young man inverted the compass, his fingertips enduring the cold as he quickly manipulated the various clasps at the bottom. With a series of “kaka” twisting sounds, a groove appeared.

“Buzz buzz buzz buzz!”

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

Then,

“Ding!”

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

This copper coin had once created a Taishui dead body, and that Taishui dead body could even control changgui.

But in reality, that was just the least efficient use of this copper coin. When Li Zhuiyuan used it on various compasses, it could instantly elevate the compass by a significant level.

However, before this, Li Zhuiyuan had no idea of the specific origin of this copper coin.

Now, it seemed he could discern some clues.

Tan Wenbin said, “He is the owner of the copper coin.”

Lin Shuyou asked, “Who exactly did Uncle Li poison back then?”

Li Zhuiyuan bent down, his fingertips entwined with the spirit of the flood dragon, reaching forward. The copper coin was re-restrained, falling back into the compass’s groove and locking in place.

The young man retreated several steps before the compass’s temperature finally returned to normal.

“Runsheng-ge, bury it back.”

“Okay.”

The tattered straw mat was reburied in the pit. Runsheng and the other two worked together, first filling the pit, then laying out the “water channels.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “You guys go back first. I’m going to Big Beard’s house.”

After parting with his companions, Li Zhuiyuan arrived at the peach forest.

In the courtyard, Benben, who was happily drinking from his milk bottle, immediately fell sideways, pretending to be drunk from milk.

Seeing that his big brother hadn’t come up, he pushed hard with his bottom, sat back up, and continued to vigorously suck on his milk bottle.

Inside the peach forest, Qing’an lay on his side by the pond, his left hand clenched into a fist supporting his head, and his right hand occasionally picking up a peach blossom and tossing it into the pond.

When the young man entered, a slight smile played on his lips.

He knew the young man would come.

The young man would come to beg him, in various ways to please him.

He was already waiting.

Compared to this, the regret of not being able to perform a duet today was nothing.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the pond, squatted down, and washed his hands with the pond water.

While shaking his hands dry, the young man asked,

“I remember when I first met you, you said you sealed yourself here, isolated from the outside world?”

“Mm.”

“So, until those water monkeys dug out your self-sealed inverted pagoda, you were completely unaware of the outside world’s movements?”

“What is knowing, and what is not knowing?”

“So, you could sense it, but you could ignore it.”

“Kid, your setup today is a bit long and a bit boring.”

“You misunderstood.”

“Oh?”

“Not just the whole of Nantong, that’s after you completely turned over and released your aura and pressure. But at least, this town… this village, for so many years, you should have been able to sense what happened, right? Even if you didn’t take it to heart.”

“When you’re sleeping, do you count how many flies and mosquitoes are in the house?”

“What if the flies and mosquitoes fly in front of you, land on your nose, flap their wings ‘buzz buzz buzz,’ or even outright suck your blood?”

“I was asleep, not dead asleep.”

“So, on the first day those water monkeys came here, before they even started digging at your sleeping place, when they were just setting up their stage and performing, you actually already knew what they were going to do, right?

And Xiao Huangying, after she exacted her revenge, she walked into the fishpond above your sealed place. At that time, with your help, she had already transformed.

Your self-sealing, in essence, is the same as now, a form of self-anesthesia. For you, how could there be an absolute seal in this world that grants freedom from all pain and sensation?”

“Kid, what exactly are you rambling about?”

“When my old lady moved here, you sensed it, didn’t you?”

“No incident.”

“So you did sense it. Then, did you sense the people who delivered and stored books for my grandfather back then?”

“Completely unaware.”

“Were the book deliverers ordinary people?”

Grandfather said that the books in the basement were entrusted to him. He once wanted to throw them away, but since he had already promised, and was afraid others would come to claim them later, they had simply been left in the basement to gather dust.

Qing’an couldn’t perceive ordinary people, or rather, he simply wouldn’t pay attention to the actions of ordinary people here; he would directly ignore them.

So, the people who delivered so many secret collections to Grandfather’s place back then, including Wei Zhengdao’s works and the core techniques of the Qin and Liu families… were they a group of ordinary people?

Li Zhuiyuan said, “If someone stood in the fishpond of yesteryear, or on the ground of yesteryear, knowing you were buried here, and just stood there, looking down at you in your self-sealed state, could you… perceive his existence?”

Qing’an said, “He’s asking for death.”

Li Zhuiyuan fell silent, gazing at the pond before him.

After a long time, Li Zhuiyuan spoke again,

“What if he is much stronger than you, so strong that you can’t even perceive his gaze upon you?”

Qing’an said, “Are you seeking death?”

“Okay, I understand.” Li Zhuiyuan stood up.

Qing’an asked, “Can we begin now?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “I’m done asking.”

Qing’an slightly tilted his head, raised his eyes, and looked at the young man:

“Hm?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “I’m leaving.”

Qing’an asked, “Is this some new trick?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “No.”

The young man turned and walked out.

Qing’an said, “Be honest. I don’t like being played for a fool.”

The young man stopped, “Mm, I know.”

Qing’an said, “Kid, you won’t live much longer.”

The young man said, “My goal has always been to try and live to adulthood.”

Qing’an said, “Still pretending?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “You go back to your sleep.”

The young man left, walking out of the peach forest.

Su Luo came over with a wine pot and poured a cup of wine for Qing’an.

Qing’an picked up the wine glass, swirled it in front of him, and said,

“What do you think he means by this? Is he deliberately going against the grain, deliberately ignoring me, or trying to provoke me?”

Su Luo said, “You are a person of the utmost temperament in this world, and he is the smartest person in this world. I don’t think he would do that. If he wanted to ask for your help to save him, he would surely set up a feast here, bring out all those private reserves, and amuse you thoroughly once. That way, he could achieve any goal with you.

He knows that what you fear least, and what you desire most, is death.”

Qing’an said, “So, this kid really doesn’t want me to get involved?”

Su Luo said, “Probably… yes. If he’s unwilling to even ask you, then there’s a high probability he’ll ask his family members to leave early as well.”

Qing’an:

“Alright, I’ll just keep more wine on hand and watch him die.”

Qiongya, Chen family.

Old Master Chen was in a very good mood today, meticulously pruning the branches of the willow tree at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

Old Madam Chen lay on a reclining chair, gently swaying and sipping coconut water.

“Old man, look how happy you are. By now, my Sister Liu should have received the letter you wrote, right?”

Old Master Chen said, “Of course. You know, our precious granddaughter really wasn’t spoiled for nothing. Even we don’t know where they live now, but Xiyuan can directly stay at their house and sleep in their bed.”

Old Madam Chen said, “You’re envious of your granddaughter, aren’t you? Too bad you couldn’t lie on that bed.”

Old Master Chen scoffed.

The Old Master held the scissors, saw a branch, and when he wanted to prune it, he opened his domain to help fix it, fearing even a slight mistake.

Just then, in the ancestral hall, among the four highest-ranking spirit tablets, the three Dragon King tablets collectively shook.

On the altar table, the candlelight flickered three times consecutively.

The first flicker made Old Master Chen instinctively look, his heart jolting;

The second flicker made Old Master Chen’s consciousness feel dizzy, his qi flowing erratically;

The third flicker caused the released domain to become unstable, compressing his true self in reverse.

“Pfft.”

Old Master Chen clutched his chest, spitting out a large mouthful of blood that stained the willow branches before him, and he toppled backward.

Old Madam Chen, seeing this, immediately flashed to her old man’s side and helped him up.

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

Old Master Chen tilted his head, unable to speak a word, only staring in disbelief at the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall.

My own ancestors just ambushed me, causing me to go berserk?

This evening’s dusk came earlier than usual, and it was also darker and heavier.

Li Sanjiang had already fallen asleep in the wicker chair, but was woken by the wind and rubbed his arms.

“Is the wind picking up?”

The broadcast box on the wall was broadcasting:

“Dear listeners, according to the meteorological station, this year’s Typhoon No. 5 is gradually approaching China’s eastern coastal areas and is expected to make landfall in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces…”

Li Sanjiang turned sideways and blew his nose.

Downstairs, Aunt Liu, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen and looked up at Li Sanjiang above, saying,

“Uncle Sanjiang, a typhoon is coming.”

Li Sanjiang said, “They usually make landfall in Zhejiang; it rarely comes directly to us.”

Aunt Liu smiled and walked into the west room.

The moment she closed the door, inside the west room, snakes, pythons, and venomous insects scurried across the walls, floor, and beams.

Any one of them, if it got out, would cause extremely terrifying harm.

“Quiet!”

No reaction.

“Quiet!”

Speed slowed.

“Quiet!”

All the snakes and insects returned to their places, disappearing into the dark corners and crevices.

Aunt Liu pursed her lips.

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

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

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

But the spot where Uncle Qin stood was remarkably quiet.

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

Uncle Qin turned his head and looked at Aunt Liu, “Everyone.”

Aunt Liu said, “Restrain yourself.”

Uncle Qin closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the surrounding vegetation immediately bent under the wind.

Aunt Liu said, “I’m going to see the Mistress.”

Uncle Qin nodded.

Aunt Liu said, “You, go home, wash up, and prepare for dinner.”

Uncle Qin said, “I really hope it doesn’t change course and heads straight here.”

Aunt Liu said, “I’m warning you, besides Xiao Yuan, right now, no one is worth dying for.”

Uncle Qin said, “If it finally, really, heads straight here, what do you think its target…”

Aunt Liu said, “Silence.”

Uncle Qin closed his mouth.

Aunt Liu said, “If it truly comes directly here in the end, we of this generation must follow our ancestors, step forward, and take on the responsibility without hesitation, without regret even if we die.”

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

Ah Li, at least, had been thrown out by the Mistress to light lanterns and walk the river, and was often assigned other tasks later.

As for her, in this life, except for a few occasional times when she was arranged to go out with Ah Li, most of the time she was tied to the Mistress’s side.

She agreed with the Mistress’s evaluation of her, and she was also aware that her temperament was too fierce, her heart too small, and her actions too extreme.

She herself also liked being in the kitchen, serving the daily lives of the Mistress and Young Miss.

But deep down, she also yearned for a grand and magnificent adventure.

Uncle Qin said, “You smiled.”

Aunt Liu immediately composed herself, glared at Uncle Qin, and said, “Hmph, it’s not your place to lecture me.”

Uncle Qin said, “I just thought your smile was quite beautiful.”

Aunt Liu rolled her eyes at Uncle Qin and rubbed her forehead:

“No wonder the Mistress said that all you Qin family members are the same; you don’t know anything until death is imminent.”

Uncle Qin scratched his head, “What does that mean?”

Aunt Liu said, “Go back and watch the stove.”

Uncle Qin said, “Oh.”

Aunt Liu walked to Cui Cui’s house. On the east side of Cui Cui’s courtyard, Liu Yumei stood there, her clothes fluttering in the wind.

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

“A-Ting, remember to remind A-Li, to be safe, from now on, only observe, don’t speak.”

“Yes.”

“We must prepare for the worst.”

“Yes.”

At this moment, a black bird circled in the sky, signifying that a message had arrived, and the message’s rank was not low; at least in terms of status, it was on par with Dragon King Qin and Liu.

And now, only that one household knew where she lived.

Aunt Liu said, “Another letter from the Chen family.”

Liu Yumei said, “That girl, it seems she’s going back. Pack up, A-Li and I should be able to move back in tonight.”

Turning to go back into the house, Liu Yumei paused, looked back to the east, at the dark, gathering storm clouds.

“It looks like it truly is heading our way in the end.”

Aunt Liu lowered her head.

Liu Yumei:

“It’s good that it’s coming for us; it has to come for us. As long as it dares to come, we dare to face it.”

Chen Jing and Liang Li returned from playing on Langshan.

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

“Sister Li, why do Nantong people call Langshan a mountain?”

“Because it is a mountain, I suppose.”

“Oh, so this can also be called a mountain.”

“Hey, is that the boss?”

“Yes, it’s Brother Yi.”

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

He walked onto the path and arrived at Li Sanjiang’s courtyard.

The wind was picking up, and it could rain at any moment, so dinner would have to be moved indoors.

Lin Shuyou was setting the table and arranging chopsticks. Seeing Zhao Yi arrive, he added an extra set of chopsticks beside his own.

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

Lin Shuyou said, “Three-eyes, why aren’t you going back to your Jiujiang? How long are you going to freeload here?”

Zhao Yi said, “Aren’t you the same as me?”

Lin Shuyou said, “How am I the same as you!”

Zhao Yi said, “Heh, if I hadn’t lit my own lamp back then, do you think there would still be a place for you in your team?”

Lin Shuyou said, “What good are you?”

Zhao Yi said, “Me, useless?”

Lin Shuyou said, “If we need to fight, we can do it. You’re not as smart as Xiao Yuan-ge. What good are you, you say?”

Zhao Yi asked, “Where is the one surnamed Li?”

Lin Shuyou said, “Xiao Yuan-ge is in the training ground behind the house.”

Chen Xiyuan walked out of the east room, stretching lazily. She didn’t need an alarm clock; she always woke up precisely at mealtime.

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

“Your grandfather’s…”

Chen Xiyuan rubbed her eyes and said in surprise, “Is my grandfather so immodest?”

“Your grandfather has gone berserk and is on the verge of death. Your family wants you to rush back immediately. In the worst case, you can at least see him one last time.”

Chen Xiyuan was stunned.

Zhao Yi, standing nearby, was completely bewildered.

How much of a lazy dog must one be to make the patriarch of a Dragon King clan use such means to get his own successor to return home and leave this troubled place?

Tan Wenbin, holding a brick phone, walked into the courtyard. Due to weather conditions, the signal was a bit poor, but he could barely understand what the other party was saying.

“Alright, Brother Liang, I understand. I’ll tell Xiao Yuan-ge.”

“Binbin, how come you don’t seem surprised at all?”

Xue Liangliang was there to announce the project’s delayed launch.

The young people who had participated in that project back then were now prominent figures in various industries across the country. The project’s relaunch was also their responsibility to organize and steer, and Engineer Luo was one of them.

However, the latest news came this afternoon.

A leadership team, including Engineer Luo, was traveling by train to Ji’an to inspect and arrange the preliminary preparations for the project.

As a result, this team, even with security, found the sleeper car where the four of them were staying suddenly empty; all four had disappeared.

On the four beds in the sleeper car, each bed had a work transfer notice left behind. The photos on them were of Engineer Luo and his colleagues when they were young, which were the transfer orders they received to Ji’an when they were young workers.

This news was strictly confidential. Logically, Xue Liangliang only needed to announce the project’s suspension, but he still decided to inform Xiao Yuan and the others.

Because for a long time in the past, Xiao Yuan and his team had resolved many supernatural incidents on construction sites.

“Brother Liang, let’s discuss this when we meet. Don’t worry about Engineer Luo; I believe the teacher will be blessed with good fortune.”

“Mm, I know. Then when are you returning to Jinling? I’d like to meet with you to chat, or should I make time to return to Nantong these two days?”

“We are very busy right now.”

“Okay, I understand. Call me when you’re done.”

“Mm.”

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

His mentor had disappeared even before he graduated.

Although his mentor often miscalled his and Ayou’s names, Tan Wenbin still greatly respected Engineer Luo, but he genuinely felt no worry about his disappearance.

Because it was very likely… that they, as students, would go before their mentor.

Chen Xiyuan went upstairs, said goodbye to little sister, then went to say goodbye to Li Sanjiang. As she was about to find Old Madam Liu to bid farewell, she saw Old Madam Liu already walking towards them, followed by Liu Jinxia and Li Juxiang, who were transporting her belongings in a tricycle.

Seeing Chen Xiyuan run towards her, Liu Yumei waved her hand and said, “I know about the matter. Go back first; by no means leave any regrets.”

“Mm-hm!”

Chen Xiyuan wondered if her grandfather felt no regrets after writing that letter to Old Madam Liu.

She shook her head, clearing her mind. Now, all that was left was to say goodbye to the little brother.

Chen Xiyuan ran to the rice paddies behind the house. Zhao Yi was also walking in that direction.

At the entrance of the training ground, Chen Xiyuan frowned, pondering how to “knock.”

Zhao Yi walked over, extended his palm forward, and the training ground entrance opened.

Chen Xiyuan asked, “You can open it?”

Zhao Yi replied, “I’m the supervisor.”

Chen Xiyuan said, “Little brother actually didn’t change the lock in time; he’s too careless.”

Zhao Yi asked, “What, are you worried I might sneak in to ambush and kill him?”

Chen Xiyuan said, “I just suspected you might sneak in to steal things. You actually mentioned killing him. Have you ever thought of killing little brother before?”

Zhao Yi said, “No.”

Chen Xiyuan said, “Definitely, but you missed your chance.”

Zhao Yi looked at Chen Xiyuan in disbelief.

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

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

“Mm, please extend my greetings to Old Master Chen.”

Zhao Yi entered the training ground, first raised his hand to close the entrance, then immediately said,

“Li, how did that Miss Chen suddenly become so understanding?”

Zhao Yi looked at Li Zhuiyuan sitting on the steps. In front of the young man, there was a dense array of shattered wooden plaques scattered across the ground.

“Li, where are you?”

Li Zhuiyuan, who was originally sitting on the steps, his form fractured, turned into wooden puppets and scattered. The steps beside him cracked and arched upwards, raising Li Zhuiyuan.

However, at this moment, Li Zhuiyuan’s nose was bleeding, blood was also oozing from the corners of his eyes, and his face was pale.

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

Zhao Yi walked forward, squatted down, and while checking the young man’s condition, he forced a wry smile, “Do you think that after she sees you like this, she’ll choose you over her grandfather? Li, how self-absorbed can you be?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “She might say Grandpa has lived to his age anyway, so seeing him one last time doesn’t matter.”

Zhao Yi said, “Don’t say it, that’s actually possible.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “She’s gone, so you can leave with peace of mind too.”

Zhao Yi chuckled, “Hehehe, Li, you really understand me. But I still want to ask briefly, is the chance really slim this time?”

Li Zhuiyuan pointed forward at the scattered wooden plaque fragments on the ground:

“These are all the results I deduced just now. I haven’t deduced any glimmer of hope.”

“It’s hard for me to believe this place, this is Nantong, this is the training ground of Nantong’s Corpse Fishing Li, not to mention…”

“I will make them leave.”

“What kind of existence is so terrifying?”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi immediately raised his hand, “Hey, hey, that’s an exclamation, not a question. You don’t have to answer me!”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “You go. I told Grandfather that Old Tian wants to go home to worship his ancestors but doesn’t have travel money. Grandfather will give him money. Take Old Tian with you. Not just Old Tian, but Xiong Shan, Lihua, Benben, anyone who can sense that thing on that day, I will arrange for them to leave.”

Zhao Yi asked, “Then, what about Ayou?”

Li Zhuiyuan took out a tissue to wipe the corners of his eyes.

Zhao Yi said, “Logically, they worship you as the Dragon King and follow you on the river. They should live and die with you.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “I will make Runsheng-ge, Binbin-ge, and Ayou leave too.”

Zhao Yi asked, “Will they?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Just give an order. They won’t defy my command.”

Zhao Yi nodded, stood up, and cursed,

“Damn it, how did things turn out this way!”

After speaking, Zhao Yi left.

The training ground entrance opened and closed.

The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze sharpened, and with a twist of his palm, the training ground’s entrance restriction was modified.

Then, the young man closed his eyes and said,

“Alright, main body, now it’s your turn to deduce once.”

When the young man’s eyes opened again, his pupils held a profound indifference, and his entire demeanor shifted accordingly.

“Heart Demon, you are truly getting more and more out of hand. You actually proactively let me take control of your body?”

The young man raised his hand, the compass spun rapidly, and the wooden materials within the training ground surged like stormy waves.

Once the “storm had settled,” a wooden plaque, though covered in spiderweb-like cracks, yet unbroken and still intact, emerged.

The young man closed his eyes again, and when he reopened them, both his gaze and temperament returned.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Who is out of hand? Constantly allowing the heart demon to control the body without resisting?”

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

“This is my… glimmer of hope.”

“Pfft!”

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

“Big turtle, swim faster.”

The last blood glucose meter giveaway has ended. As it was purely for public benefit, and we didn’t want to use a monthly pass lottery system, we ran it in the book review section. However, after launching the event, we realized that the Qidian book review section no longer displays floor numbers.

In the end, thanks to the hard work of our operations officer, Yifanfanfanfan, and others, who climbed thousands of floors to complete the statistics and drawing. Please, participants, check if you have received a reply. The list of winners is also posted at the top of the book review section. Please follow the instructions to claim your prize in a timely manner.