Uncle Qin’s words matched his actions.

He walked under the trellis and picked up the tool basket. First, he took out a hammer, then reached to the very bottom and pulled out a handful of nails. Each nail was as long as a chopstick, with a head as thick as a thumb, and was covered in rust.

These were coffin nails.

Uncle Qin gripped the coffin nails with one hand and shook his wrist. All the rust flaked off, revealing a deep black color underneath, with varying degrees of coverage. This wasn’t the nails’ original color; it was corpse qi that had seeped in over many years.

Even without performing ‘zou yin’, Li Zhuiyuan seemed to see black mist emanating from each of the nails. This meant they had only recently been pulled from the coffin of some immensely malevolent being.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized his earlier warning had been somewhat redundant. He vaguely guessed what Uncle Qin was going to do next, and Uncle Qin’s training method was far more radical and terrifying than he had imagined. Training to the point of death was not the ultimate extreme; an even higher level was training to a state worse than death. No wonder when he had passed by earlier, Uncle Qin had specifically come over to explain something to him; he had wanted to preemptively silence him.

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan should now go back inside, either to read his books or to accompany Ah Li while she painted. In short, it was best not to stay here any longer. Not because the scene was gruesome, but because it could cause a rift in their bond.

But Li Zhuiyuan did not leave; he remained standing where he was. Run Sheng had just finished another set of punches. He spat a mouthful of bloody foam onto the ground, wiped his nosebleed with the back of his hand, then turned and smiled at Li Zhuiyuan. When Uncle Qin approached him with the hammer and coffin nails, the smile on his face froze for a moment. But soon, Run Sheng waved at Li Zhuiyuan again and said:

“Xiao Yuan, go inside. It’s dirty out here.”

Evidently, Uncle Qin had already mentioned this method to Run Sheng, and Run Sheng himself had agreed to it. This undoubtedly helped Li Zhuiyuan preemptively eliminate the possibility of a rift forming between them. However, Li Zhuiyuan still did not leave; instead, he sat down on the steps. Run Sheng raised his hand again, wanting to urge Xiao Yuan to go inside, but seeing that Xiao Yuan had already sat down, he said nothing more.

He straightened his posture. Uncle Qin aimed a coffin nail at Run Sheng’s right shoulder, and the hammer struck with a swift motion.

“Pop!”

The sound was very faint, but the speed was rapid; the coffin nail instantly went in, leaving only its round head flush with Run Sheng’s skin on his shoulder. It looked as if a dark circular sticker had been applied. Run Sheng clenched his jaw, panting heavily, his eyes wide. No wonder Uncle Qin had been hammering the trellis this morning when he arrived; he was actually using it to practice.

Immediately after, on the other shoulder.

“Pop.”

The second coffin nail was driven in. Run Sheng swayed but managed to steady himself, veins bulging in his neck, his eyes seemingly about to burst. However, with Xiao Yuan sitting right in front of him, he forcibly managed to squeeze out a smile, as hideous as it was.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, turned, and walked towards Ah Li’s room, then drew the curtains. Ah Li, who was painting, turned her head and saw the boy sitting in a chair by the floor-to-ceiling window. The boy lowered his head, looking at his own hands. His hearing was acute; even with the window closed and the curtains drawn, every faint ‘pop’ from outside reached his ears. Every time the sound occurred, the boy’s fingertips involuntarily trembled.

Ah Li did not disturb the boy; instead, she turned back and continued her painting. She knew that at this moment, the boy needed solitude to process some things. This was good news, as he now had emotions to process. Unfortunately, they were not pleasant ones.

After Li Zhuiyuan went inside, Run Sheng could finally stop concealing his agony, his face contorted in pain. Uncle Qin’s movements remained swift and efficient; each time, it was a single, decisive hammer blow. He gave Run Sheng no time to react to his flesh being pierced, leaving him only with a deeper, more intense sensation of lingering pain. Gradually, a total of fifteen nails had been driven into Run Sheng’s shoulders, arms, palms, legs, heels, and other areas by Uncle Qin.

After the sixteenth nail was driven in, Uncle Qin reached out and patted Run Sheng’s back:

“That’s enough.”

That light pat caused Run Sheng to stumble forward repeatedly. Just as he finally lost control of his body and was about to fall to his knees, Uncle Qin’s voice rang out again:

“Are you going to kneel and admit defeat?”

Run Sheng took a deep breath, forcing himself with immense willpower to resist the urge to kneel, and regained his balance. Uncle Qin casually tossed the hammer, and it landed steadily back in the basket.

“Our Qin family’s body tempering technique involves accumulating power within oneself, using oneself as a vessel to seek the strength of the flood dragon, an unending cycle. Remember, this inner strength isn’t just something to recall when you act; from this moment on, you must continuously cultivate it.”

“I… I remember.”

“Keep practicing.”

“Yes… Master.”

Run Sheng straightened up and resumed punching. This time, he moved very, very slowly, because with every movement, the sixteen coffin nails within his body collectively sent excruciating pain, as if scraping bone and severing tendons. These were secondary concerns; primarily, the corpse qi inside the coffin nails was continuously invading his limbs and body, repelling the qi within him, a sensation like being roasted alive.

Uncle Qin stood with his arms crossed, watched for a while, then asked:

“Didn’t you eat enough at lunch?”

“I… I ate enough.”

“Then what are you dawdling for?”

Run Sheng quickened his pace, then felt his consciousness so stimulated by the intense pain that he was on the verge of fainting. But just then, Uncle Qin nudged his foot, kicking a pebble from the gravel path which struck Run Sheng’s back of the head. Run Sheng’s consciousness instantly cleared, but the consequence of that clarity was that the terrible pain became sharply clear again.

And so, Run Sheng continued to practice. Every so often, he would fall into a daze, but each time, Uncle Qin would strike him awake. As he continued to practice, soon a large gap appeared in the gravel path under Uncle Qin’s feet. This was no training; this was simply the highest level of torture. What Uncle Qin had said earlier about laying a new foundation for Run Sheng was truly meant literally.

At dusk, Aunt Liu returned from that house; she was coming back to make dinner. Entering the courtyard, she first glanced at Run Sheng, who was practicing his punches. Then, she cast an incredulous, questioning look at Uncle Qin. Uncle Qin nodded. Aunt Liu’s lips trembled slightly as she spoke in a barely audible voice. Her intention was only for Uncle Qin to hear, but the person inside the house had such excellent hearing that he also overheard it.

“Are you crazy? You actually put the Dragon-Locking Nails into him. Aren’t you afraid you’ll kill him?”

Uncle Qin’s lips also trembled slightly:

“This kid has a special constitution; he won’t die.”

“Does Xiao Yuan know?”

“Xiao Yuan saw it.”

Just then, Uncle Qin flicked his foot again, sending a pebble flying to strike the back of Run Sheng’s head once more, jolting the swaying Run Sheng awake to continue punching.

“A Li, you are estranging the Dragon King’s family relations.”

“Run Sheng himself told me he felt slow to learn and asked if there was a fast-acting method for quick results. I told him about this, and he agreed. He said he wanted to become strong as quickly as possible to protect Xiao Yuan. Do you think this method could work just by me forcing him or striking him awake? Mainly, he’s enduring it through his own willpower and belief.”

“A Li, next time, you should discuss it with Xiao Yuan beforehand. The Matriarch didn’t bother with old customs out of consideration for Xiao Yuan. Given Xiao Yuan’s current status and his future relationship with Ah Li, according to old customs, we should kneel and kowtow when we see Xiao Yuan.”

“A Ting, you haven’t ‘walked the river’; you don’t know that most of the time, even returning alive to light the third lamp to announce the end of the ‘river walk’ is a luxury. Walking the river, people really do die.”

“You should talk to Xiao Yuan about it again later.”

“I will. By the way, how come that girl you brought hasn’t returned?”

“I taught her to make West Lake Vinegar Fish. It contained twelve kinds of poisons. I took one bite; she ate a whole plate. Now she’s lying in that house, her skin shifting through a dozen different colors. I plan to let her fully experience the sensation of these toxins wreaking havoc in her body. After I cook and eat dinner, I’ll go back to that house to wake her up and teach her the detoxification steps.”

“Did you tell Xiao Yuan about this beforehand?”

“No.”

“Then why are you warning me?”

“I’m fine. That girl’s relationship with Xiao Yuan isn’t as close as Run Sheng’s is.”

“What a pity. Our two families are so small now, there’s no room for you to fully utilize your abilities.”

“Hmph, don’t even start.”

Aunt Liu went inside. She first cut some fruit and brought it to Ah Li’s room. At this point, Li Zhuiyuan was not sitting in that chair but standing beside Ah Li, watching her paint. Aunt Liu put down the fruit platter, then leaned against the doorframe, watching the golden boy and jade girl for a while longer. Only when she finally tasted sweetness in her mouth did she confirm that her sense of taste had returned after eating that bite of West Lake Vinegar Fish the girl had made. Only then did she leave the study and go to the kitchen to cook.

Uncle Qin also arrived, but as a male, he couldn’t push the door open directly like Aunt Liu. Just as he was about to knock, the door opened from the inside.

“Uncle Qin.”

“Xiao Yuan, about Run Sheng…”

Li Zhuiyuan smiled slightly: “I trust your expertise, Uncle Qin, and I also believe in Run Sheng’s talent and perseverance.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Uncle Qin turned and left. He didn’t go directly back to the courtyard but entered the kitchen. Aunt Liu was chopping vegetables; she looked back at him and asked, “Did you talk it over with Xiao Yuan?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“That quickly.”

“Xiao Yuan expressed understanding and support.” As he spoke, Uncle Qin pointed to Ah Li’s study, then to his own ear. Aunt Liu seemed to recall something. After pointing to Ah Li’s study, she picked up her cleaver and covered her eyes.

Uncle Qin began: “Didn’t you tell me that Xiao Yuan had a new epiphany regarding the ‘Qin Family’s Flood Dragon Observation Method’? Where’s the new book?”

“Xiao Yuan did give the new insights from those two sets of books from the Qin and Liu families to the Matriarch, but the Matriarch hasn’t even finished translating the ‘Liu Family’s Qi-Gazing Art’ yet. If you think you can understand that kind of illegible writing, I can go get that ‘Qin Family’s Flood Dragon Observation Method’ for you to try and read.”

“Forget it then. Have you forgotten before? I’ve never been good at reading, and it made the Matriarch so angry she starved me for ten days.”

“Oh, come on. Do you think the Matriarch didn’t know I secretly brought you food?”

“I’ll just wait until the Matriarch has translated it, then I’ll read the annotated vernacular version.”

“By the way, why don’t you tell Xiao Yuan about your past ‘river walking’ experiences?”

“I failed.”

“Aren’t failed experiences even more important?”

“A thousand people, a thousand faces. Everyone faces different situations when ‘walking the river’. If I were to tell him my experiences, it would only influence him. Besides, I believe Xiao Yuan already knows what he’s doing.”

Uncle Qin picked up a date from the table, took a bite, and as he walked out of the kitchen into the courtyard, he flicked the date pit from his hand, hitting the back of Run Sheng’s head once more and pulling Run Sheng back from the verge of collapse.

“We don’t have much time. You need to get used to this quickly. Even if they’re pulled out later, you must feel as if they’re still there. Unfortunately, your comprehension isn’t good, and you learn the ‘Qin Family’s Flood Dragon Observation Method’ too slowly. But fortunately, your body can withstand this crude method, which ironically allows you to learn the fastest.”

This training continued until a voice rang out:

“Dinner’s ready!”

Tan Wenbin came downstairs and sat at the dining table. Seeing Run Sheng’s complexion, he was startled. Even when Run Sheng had been pierced by a rebar in the wall last time, his face hadn’t been this pale. A large bowl was placed in front of Run Sheng, while Tan Wenbin had a medium-sized one. After the incense in the basin burned out, Run Sheng slowly scooped out food with a spoon and put it into his mouth. Only when chewing did a momentary expression of relief appear on his face.

Liu Yumei picked up her own bowl of rice and said nothing. Tan Wenbin asked, “Where’s Yin Meng?” Aunt Liu explained, “She sampled the dishes and got full.”

After dinner, Run Sheng returned to the courtyard step by painstaking step and resumed practicing his punches. Li Zhuiyuan stood nearby and watched for a while. He wasn’t sure if it was because of this, but Run Sheng persisted for an exceptionally long time this time. He even had enough strength to gasp for air and say:

“Once I’ve mastered this, when I fight that General Guanjun again, I’ll be able to lift him up, hehe.”

Run Sheng was staying here tonight to continue practicing.

Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin left the courtyard, not returning to their dorm first, but going to the house where Liu Yumei originally lived. Pushing the door open, they found Yin Meng lying on a straw mat in the living room, her body looking as if it had been splattered and dyed with paint. Her condition looked as if all that was left was to wrap the ‘corpse’ in the straw mat and discard it in a mass grave. She was still unconscious and couldn’t hear anything. Li Zhuiyuan only watched for a moment before leaving.

On the way back to the dorm, Tan Wenbin quietly asked, “Brother Xiao Yuan, those round things on Run Sheng, are they stickers or…?”

“They’re coffin nails.”

“Hiss…”

Arriving at their dorm floor, Tan Wenbin went ahead and pushed open Lu Yi’s door. Lin Shuyou was leaning over his bed, eating noodles that Lu Yi had brought back for him in a plastic bag from the cafeteria. There was also half a red sausage in the bag. Seeing Tan Wenbin, he looked up and called out:

“Big Brother.”

Tan Wenbin nodded at Lin Shuyou, then put an arm around Lu Yi’s shoulder and said:

“Aren’t you looking for a part-time job to earn money? Well, the discount store across from our dorm is ours. We currently need an accountant. So, you don’t need to tutor anymore. Whenever you have time, go there to inventory and handle the accounts. You name your price; it’ll only be higher than what you’d earn tutoring.”

“Buddy, I couldn’t possibly. I can’t take advantage of you.” Being able to work part-time on campus with a guaranteed salary was certainly much better than waking up early and staying up late to tutor far off-campus.

“It’s fine; just consider it your ancestors blessing you.”

“Uh, what?”

“Come on, let’s go to the store now. I’ll explain things to the other part-time students and get you familiar with the store.”

“I… I…”

“Are you in or out? Give me a straight answer.”

“Since you trust me, buddy, I’m in!”

“Of course, I trust you.”

A person who worried that a ghost from his hometown might not eat enough and insisted on offering his dinner as tribute every night naturally had no problem with his character.

Late at night, Li Zhuiyuan lay on his bed, eyes open, deep in thought. On the next bed, Tan Wenbin tossed and turned; he was suffering from insomnia. Binbin felt he had been working very hard, constantly pushing himself. From the moment he moved into Grandpa Li’s house until now, he truly hadn’t relaxed much. But today, he felt a sense of despair and defeat. It was because he had witnessed firsthand that people with more talent than him were actually working harder, and in a way that was utterly reckless.

“Sigh…”

Tan Wenbin turned again, facing Brother Yuanzi’s bed. Seeing that Brother Yuanzi was also awake, he couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Brother Xiao Yuan, with them like this, how can an ordinary person like me even live?”

“Brother Binbin, aren’t you also studying hard?”

It was fine until this was mentioned; at that, Tan Wenbin’s lips twitched uncontrollably. He was indeed studying, but he was learning how to better build up his presence in various environments. Honestly, chatting with the old lady did allow him to gain many insights, especially regarding tone, demeanor, and the posture of those in power. He felt that even if he did no other proper work in the future, relying solely on his conversational presence, he could make a name for himself in traditional Southern and Northern style pyramid schemes as a renowned ‘Corpse Fishing’ sect leader.

Li Zhuiyuan sat up in bed.

“Brother Xiao Yuan, what’s wrong?”

“I’m calculating what unfinished matters are still lingering around me. Brother Binbin, could you investigate if any girls have died in this dorm building before? The more detailed the information, the better.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Also, ask Uncle Tan if there’s any latest progress on the Qiu Minmin case from seven years ago.”

“Understood.”

What Li Zhuiyuan had just been calculating were the karmic entanglements still attached to him. He could ignore matters back home; after coming to university, only these two things remained. Because it was very likely that these two matters would continue to draw him into new troubles. As for the evil book, the Mao family father and son were dead, and the evil book itself was wrapped in multiple layers. Theoretically, by severing its contact with the outside world, even though it was very wicked, it wouldn’t cause any further karmic entanglements. Although Lin Shuyou also theoretically carried the risk of bringing trouble, his current role was relatively positive, so he could be kept around for now.

This was the ‘river walking’ pattern that Li Zhuiyuan had summarized based on his past experiences, combined with Wei Zhengdao’s ‘Righteous Path View’. However, if the initial pace and level of turmoil were fixed, could he turn passivity into initiative? For example, if he could resolve the turmoil of a certain period or phase in advance, expending its energy, would that mean he could rest for a while? It would be great if he could find an opportunity to test this.

Li Zhuiyuan lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes.

“Good night, Brother Binbin.”

Having received his task, Tan Wenbin immediately felt much more at ease, and drowsiness soon overwhelmed him.

“Good night, Dragon King.”

The next day, before dawn, Li Zhuiyuan woke up. It was too early, so he hadn’t intended to wake Tan Wenbin, but Tan Wenbin was exceptionally sensitive today. The slightest movement made him open his eyes, and then, with a sleepy expression, he sprang out of bed with a carp-like leap.

“Brother Binbin, it’s still early. Neither the police station nor the archives are open yet. You can sleep a bit longer.”

“I can go talk to my dad first. Sigh, with one of them ‘stabbing his thigh with an awl’ and the other ‘tasting a hundred herbs,’ how can I possibly sleep?”

After washing up, the two parted ways at the dorm building entrance. Ah Li lived on campus now, very close by, so he arrived quickly.

As soon as the boy pushed open the courtyard gate, he heard the sound of the first-floor French window being opened. Ah Li, in blue silk pajamas, stood barefoot by the window. Li Zhuiyuan walked to the window, took off his shoes, and entered the room.

“Next time I come in the morning, even if you hear me, could you pretend to sleep for a bit? Just like you did at Great-Grandpa’s house when you came into my room and waited for me to wake up. I want to experience that too.”

Ah Li nodded. Li Zhuiyuan took Ah Li’s hand; he felt nothing. Ah Li tilted her head, looking at him. Li Zhuiyuan said, “Release the restriction. I don’t believe none of them came back after yesterday.”

Ah Li lowered her head. The reason she had never told the boy that she could see them even during the day was that she didn’t want his mood to be affected while they played, by knowing how filthy and ugly things appeared from her perspective. Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, seeking the girl’s eyes with his own gaze:

“Ah Li, be good, listen to me.”

Ah Li looked up, and Li Zhuiyuan heard the sounds again in his ear, though they weren’t as noisy as yesterday. The boy, however, did not feel happy; instead, his gaze darkened. Because they had, after all, returned. The warnings of the weak, no matter how strong, were always brief and limited. In this world, it has never been about who shouts the loudest, but whose fist is harder.

“Snap!”

Li Zhuiyuan snapped his fingers, performing ‘zou yin’. He arrived inside the bungalow, with Ah Li standing beside him. Behind him were the cracked ancestral tablets of the Qin and Liu families, and beyond the doorstep in front, ghostly figures still swarmed. But this time, they were all a little further away than before. Only one figure, dressed in a white robe, walking on stilts, wearing a tall hat, with a face so thickly caked in white powder that their gender was indistinguishable, stood right in front of the doorstep, holding two white lanterns.

As if sensing the boy’s gaze, this figure not only didn’t retreat but let out a sinister smile. It even deliberately shook the two lanterns in its hands.

One lantern read: Caused the death of both parents;
The other lantern read: Became a prostitute.

Li Zhuiyuan first carefully observed the figure from head to toe, memorizing every detail of its appearance. Then, the boy showed it a gentle, warm smile:

“Congratulations,
You are the first.”

***

Everyone has been incredibly supportive, pushing our ‘Corpse Fishermen’ directly to the top of the monthly ticket rankings, so much so that some people are now accusing me of vote manipulation.

To be honest, our average subscription isn’t high, and I mentioned in the ‘On-Shelf Statement’ that I’m not good at writing blockbusters. However, we’ve always performed well in the rankings, perhaps because even though we’re few in number, we are all elites.

So, then, I’ll ask for your monthly votes again, so we can stay at the top a little longer. Hugs to everyone!