Chapter 567

Chapter 567

Tan Wenbin was about to get out of the car to help Xiao Yuan and A Li put their luggage away when he looked up and saw a taxi with a Nanjing license plate approaching.

In that instant, it was as if I had seen the meaning of the earth.

Liu Changping stopped the car at the edge of the path, rolled down the window, leaned out, and waved:

"Happy Chinese New Year! Haha... Ah."

Runsheng jumped out of the yellow pickup truck, walked to the back of the taxi, opened the trunk, took out the New Year's gifts that Liu Changping had brought, and delivered them to Bashang; Lin Shuyou put his own luggage into the trunk and neatly arranged it, then closed the trunk with a "bang".

The rear doors on both sides opened, and the boy and girl got in.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Happy New Year, Master Liu."

Liu Changping placed his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand on the gearshift, nodding and saying, "Happy, happy."

It seems like I always arrive at the wrong time, as the other person always has something to do and has to go out when I arrive, but conversely, it's always a perfect coincidence.

In the past, even if people didn't get out of the car, they could at least drive it to the dam. This time, they had to turn around as soon as they entered the path.

Liu Changping didn't waste any words and asked directly:

"Brother Xiao Yuan, where are we going?"

Fengdu.

"to make!"

"Let's call your sister-in-law and tell her."

"Haha, no rush. We can call when we get to the service area to refuel. We can't delay your business."

When Liu Changping was renovating his wedding room, Tan Wenbin lent the young couple Xue Liangliang's house in Jinling. Later, he simply became lazy and handed over a bunch of keys to his sister-in-law to manage.

Besides collecting rent, she keeps a record of where the rental property needs repair or replacement, and asks Liu Changping to make repairs every day after he gets off the bus. She quit her job as a hospital nurse, which is convenient for taking care of her children at home and has a higher income.

Sometimes when Liu Changping rests, he will sit in the car, light a cigarette, and ponder. It seems that all the changes came from the time he waived the fare. Since then, this young man from out of town who came to Nanjing to make a living has had everything go smoothly: a partner, marriage, children, and life.

Tan Wenbin opened the passenger door and got in; Lin Shuyou followed in his yellow pickup truck with Runsheng in tow.

Actually, it would be best if everyone rode in a taxi together. If it's just a short trip to the city center, it's fine for everyone to squeeze in temporarily, but for such a long journey, it's unnecessary. Driving behind is just as good, since we have the Emperor's Dragon Carriage leading the way anyway.

Liu Changping: "This year has been exhausting, but it's good that I can take a long trip to get some fresh air right after returning to work."

Tan Wenbin: "Visiting relatives?"

Liu Changping: "Yes, I'm leaving. When I was young, I only thought it was troublesome, but now that I see my parents are getting old, I visit all the relatives around when I go back. I'm not usually in my hometown, so I rely on my relatives to help me out if anything happens."

My wife has also visited her hometown. Her younger brother is still in the military, and the elderly there need care. We'll only feel at ease when our circumstances improve and we can bring them to live with us.

Tan Wenbin: "My dad had something come up and didn't come home for the New Year. He's too busy to have a moment to spare. But it's better to be busy. If he had some free time now, I would either visit him in the hospital or in prison."

As we chatted, the car quieted down, and we focused on driving. Since we set off in the afternoon, it got dark not long after we left Nantong.

Not planning to stay overnight, Tan Wenbin watched Liu Changping yawn, hesitated for a moment, and still didn't suggest that they take turns driving.

He was worried that if the driver of the chariot changed, the chariot would not be able to go where it was supposed to go.

There's a chance that some locations might be so confusing that only an ordinary person like Liu Changping could drive in without even realizing it, while someone like Tan Wenbin might miss them altogether.

Therefore, after having dinner at a service area, Tan Wenbin told Liu Changping to take a nap first.

He lit a cigarette, walked to the yellow pickup truck in the back, and said to Lin Shuyou in the driver's seat:
"You should also take a nap, don't drive when you're tired."

Runsheng can't drive.

Lin Shuyou shook his head: "Brother Bin, I'm fine. The three of us can take turns driving."

Tan Wenbin: "Try to drive yourself. Don't let Tongzi and Zeng Jiangjun help you. Shutong shouldn't drive recklessly either, in case you lose track of the car."

Lin Shuyou: "Okay, Brother Bin, I understand."

After Liu Changping finished his short rest, the trip continued.

Late at night.

With no more scenery outside the car window, Ah Li rested her head on the boy's shoulder and closed her eyes.

The girl's hand was holding the boy's hand.

Liu Changping would occasionally catch a glimpse of this scene in his rearview mirror and smile knowingly, finding the sight truly beautiful.

Although parents always think their children, especially newborns, are the most beautiful, they still don't dare to hope that their children will grow up to be like the two people in the back seat.

Actually, he misunderstood. The reason Ah Li held the boy's hand tightly was mainly because she was afraid that he, the driver, might cause a problem while driving, so that she could quickly get the boy out of danger.

Tan Wenbin squinted as he looked at the road ahead, until a hazy fog appeared in front of him.

Liu Changping adjusted the lights and slowed down the car.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes, and A Li also moved her head off the boy's shoulder.

Liu Changping: "It's alright, you guys keep sleeping. It's just night fog, don't worry, I'm driving very carefully."

Tan Wenbin: "Okay, drive slowly."

All the passengers could "see" the bus veering off course, but the driver was unaware.

Lin Shuyou, who was following behind, suffered a lot. The taxi in front first went off the provincial highway and then from the main road to the side road. Now, as they drove, they could hardly see the road anymore. The withered grass and tree branches on both sides were rustling loudly.

The special environment naturally triggered inner alarm, and Ayou had to fight against his instincts, not daring to habitually open his vertical pupils, for fear of seeing the road too clearly and losing his way.

Runsheng gripped the handle above, looked out the car window, and said:
"Old grave mound".

Lin Shuyou looked in the direction of the car headlights and saw old graves looming on both sides of the "road".

It's not a modern, traditional grave with an earthen hat, nor is it a handmade grave popular in rural Nantong. It's an older grave from Laoba, and you can even see the holes dug by tomb raiders near the grave.

The taxi began to bump and its movement became less smooth.

Liu Changping: "We need to find a place to check it out."

From his perspective, he was still driving on a flat provincial highway, but to others, it was just a normal reaction to forcibly clear the way.

No one reminded Liu Changping, so he was left to do things on his own.

As a result, a village soon began to take shape. The village was small and the houses were old, but there were several abandoned cars, piles of tires, and a small excavator parked at the entrance of the village.

Liu Changping: "Hey, there just happens to be a car repair shop here."

In this desolate, remote area with no roads, the appearance of this auto repair shop is quite outrageous.

After Liu Changping parked the car, his eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep with his forehead resting on the steering wheel.

"Beep beep beep~~~"

The car horn was honked and the sound continued until Tan Wenbin turned the key to turn off the engine.

The door of the "car repair shop" opened, and a man and a woman, who looked like an elderly couple, came out. The man had his hands behind his back, hiding something, while the woman looked even more nervous.

Footsteps could be heard from both sides of the wall, along with the scraping of metal rods against the stone walls.

Tan Wenbin pushed open the car door, got out, took out a cigarette, and handed it over:
"We're lost, just passing by."

The man reached out and took the cigarette, tucking it behind his ear, and continued to scrutinize Tan Wenbin with a critical gaze.

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li also got out of the car.

As soon as I came down, I smelled a scent coming from the surrounding area, which was also carried by the evening breeze from the elderly couple.

When Li Zhuiyuan was a child, he was very familiar with this smell from when he was with Li Lan. It was the flavor that had been accumulated in the tomb over the years.

This group of people are tomb raiders.

The elderly couple had lived together for a long time and looked alike. Combined with the footsteps and movements around them, they were most likely their son.

In the world of tomb raiding, family-run tomb raiding gangs have always been common. After all, wealth is a powerful motivator. When tomb raiders are robbing from below, it's best to leave their own parents above to help them. They wouldn't trust their wives, let alone their own sons.

But here's the problem: where did all these old graves come from in this otherwise unremarkable location? And judging by their appearance, they must have belonged to small landlords from the Ming or Qing dynasties.

Most importantly, they are arranged there so neatly that it is as easy to illegally dig them up as an ordinary person could easily find oil in their own backyard with a simple shovel.

The old man smiled slightly and said softly:
"police?"

Tan Wenbin raised his hands, responding awkwardly, "If I said no, would you believe me?"

No matter how eloquent you are, it's hard to explain how you managed to drive in here when there are no roads.

The old man raised his other hand from behind his back, gripping a knife, and slashed at Tan Wenbin's face.

At the same time, outside the wall, two figures carrying steel bars ran out and headed towards Li Zhuiyuan and A Li.

Tan Wenbin simply sidestepped, avoiding the old man's knife. The old man staggered and fell forward to the ground.

Tan Wenbin stepped on the old man's back, and an old woman rushed over with a kitchen knife. Tan Wenbin yawned, and the old woman started cursing and chopping at the tire next to her.

After slashing multiple times, the old woman dropped the cleaver, clutched her chest, and knelt down as if having an asthma attack.

Ah Li pointed her shoe forward twice, and two pebbles shot out in two different directions, both hitting the other person's neck. The two dropped the steel pipes and squatted down in pain, clutching their necks.

While the issue of gun control in society has been largely addressed and regulated, it would be somewhat unbecoming of a tomb raider to go out to work without carrying a shotgun.

These four people are indeed fierce, and they know what they are doing for a living, but that's about it. They give people the impression that they are not what they seem.

Lin Shuyou and Runsheng walked over. At first, the two didn't rush in, but instead guarded their surroundings. It seems that their defenses were in vain.

Tan Wenbin: "There's always a way out. Tie up the four of them and torture them to extract a confession."

As he spoke, Tan Wenbin winked at Ah Li.

Ah Li first looked at the boy, and then two dimples appeared on her face.

Tan Wenbin said to Li Zhuiyuan about his skills in tying people up:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, there's another person in the room."

"Yes, I heard you."

Tan Wenbin pushed open the door and went inside first, with the boy following behind.

The room was simply furnished with most daily necessities, medicine, sleeping bags, and a young man lying on the only bed.

This must be the old man's youngest son, who is seriously ill, in a coma, and on the verge of death.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Incantation."

The four tomb raiders outside were too ordinary; it was only in this young man that one could see a strange, other side.

Lin Shuyou came in and took over from Tan Wenbin, keeping Li Zhuiyuan company. The young man sat down by the fire and used the tomb raiders' ingredients to cook.

The toppings were just made, and the noodles weren't even boiled yet, when Tan Wenbin came in with his "confession."

It was so ordinary that no torture was needed; a little hypnosis and they spilled everything.

The girl came in with him and sat opposite the fire. Li Zhuiyuan was worried that A Li hadn't had enough fun.

The old man's name is Li Fumao. He has three sons, named Li Dabao, Li Erbao, and Li Xiaobao.

Da Bao and Er Bao were the two who were outside the wall with the steel rods before; now they've both been packed up.

Li Xiaobao is the one who is lying unconscious in bed.

This family wasn't professional tomb raiders; tomb raiding was more of a side job. They ran a shop, furniture business, and earthwork in a small county town, and were considered quite successful in that small town.

The Li family has a secret passed down from father to son: this area is a place where tomb raiding is possible.

When people are short of money or their families are ruined, they can come here to dig up graves in hopes of making a comeback.

In addition, the Li family has a hereditary disease that almost every member of the Li family will experience at certain times. They can only relieve the symptoms by taking the red pills that are stolen from the tomb. The pills must be fresh; if they are dug up in advance, they will change color and become ineffective, no matter how well they are preserved.

This means that the Li family has been inextricably linked to this cemetery for generations.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, it's like he's been possessed, or rather, he's been kept in captivity."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Li Fumao talked a lot, including about his grandfather's generation, his father's generation, and himself. Businesses often collapsed inexplicably while they were doing business, going from booming success to being heavily indebted.

Logically speaking, this family should have been able to easily acquire their first pot of gold and make a fortune through sheer luck, but the Li family has been stuck in a cycle of endless repetition.

No one wants to be a tomb raider for generations. It's human nature to make money, launder one's identity, and go ashore. But constant bankruptcies force them to become tied to this area.

Furthermore, the strange illness, which required the red pills found in the tomb to cure, further deepened this bond.

It's obvious that someone, or something, is raising this lineage like pigs, except that the pigsty isn't fenced.

The water in the pot boiled, but a cold wind blew outside, and the water calmed down again.

Li Zhuiyuan got up, walked out of the house, and went outside.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the surrounding environment was gloomy and oppressive.

In the distance, the sounds of gongs and drums could be heard, lively and cheerful, and they quickly grew closer.

It was a wedding procession, with everyone heavily made up, carrying a bridal sedan chair.

This scene is invisible to ordinary people, and the four members of the Li family who were tied up outside were completely unaware of it, including Runsheng.

The procession proceeded here in such a grand manner and alighted from their sedan chairs.

Two servants and two maids entered the house and soon helped Li Xiaobao out.

This is Li Xiaobao's soul; he was forcibly dressed in a groom's suit, made up, and adorned with flowers.

As if in a nightmare, he struggled incessantly, his pleading gaze first sweeping towards his family members. Seeing that his family members were tied up and could not see him, he called out to Li Zhuiyuan and the others for help, because he could see that the eyes of these strangers were on him.

Tan Wenbin and the others didn't move; they just stood there, watching Li Xiaobao's soul being "enthusiastically" embraced into the bridal sedan chair.

"Lift the sedan chair!"

The sedan chair was lifted, and the procession departed.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Runsheng, you stay here and watch the car and them."

Runsheng: "Okay."

The boy, along with the others, caught up with the wedding procession.

The Emperor's dragon chariot wouldn't have entered this place without any logic. Rather than rushing to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path, it's more important to figure out the Emperor's true intentions.

The mountain road was difficult to walk on, but the wedding procession was not human and walked as if on flat ground. Li Zhuiyuan had to rely on A Li to pull him up from time to time.

Fortunately, the journey was not far. Ahead, a simple courtyard with green tiles and white walls appeared, decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, exuding a festive atmosphere.

After following the wedding procession inside, you can see that the room is filled with banquet tables and guests.

Once, the old lady with the cat-like face also held a birthday banquet at her great-grandfather's house.

In a sense, it can be said that Li Zhuiyuan and A Li met and broke the ice at a banquet in their hometown.

But the scene here was much more grand than the birthday banquet that night, and the guests were much more vibrant.

Some were drinking, some were chatting, some were playing drinking games, some were arguing, and some were even exchanging flirtatious glances or secretly touching other women's thighs under the table.

The more detailed and realistic the miasma, the more powerful the one who controls it.

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan with a questioning gaze.

He can blend in and extract information.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. Since they were already here, there was no need to cause any more trouble.

When I first traveled far from home, I had to be careful even if I encountered a bandit village; now, even such a grand scene is nothing special.

A butler came over and invited Li Zhuiyuan and the others to take a seat.

As a matter of courtesy, if these outsiders wished, they could sit down for a meal and drinks, and then wake up the next day to find themselves next to a graveyard—a truly bizarre experience.

Tan Wenbin declined the housekeeper's invitation.

If it were a normal village feast, there wouldn't be any problem with offering gifts and having a meal. The problem is that this table of delicacies might very well contain snakes, insects, rats, and ants.

The butler understood and led everyone along the central courtyard inwards.

The door to the inner room slowly opened.

Inside sat a bride wearing a red veil.

Her voice rang out:

"If you've come to offer your congratulations, we'll keep to ourselves; if you have other matters to attend to, I'm happy to oblige."

Its voice was cold and clear, carrying a chilling aura; it was the voice of a great ghost that had been around for a long time.

Li Zhuiyuan stepped into the room and said to the bride, "Tell me what happened."

The bride sneered, "Heh, this family is really persistent. They've invited monks and Taoist priests to exorcise evil spirits more than once. Fortunately, this time they didn't waste their money. They've finally invited someone with real skills, unlike the previous ones who were just scared out of their wits and made people laugh."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I wasn't invited by his family. I'm here to ask you some questions. Explain yourself clearly, and you can continue with your marriage."

Bride: "Scared?"

As soon as the words were spoken, ghostly energy surged up inside the room, and a powerful pressure descended. All the guests outside stopped their merriment, stood up on tiptoe, and stared at this place with their icy eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Get to the point."

The bride said, "Then I'll let you die knowing why."

Red paper hangs from the pillars on both sides of the dressing table, with the names of people with the surname Li written on it. The earliest one is Li Rui, and the latest one is Li Xiaobao.

"My beloved Li Rui once promised me that he would never betray me for a hundred lifetimes. I threatened to kill myself to get my father's permission to marry him and we were finally united in marriage."

Later, he conspired with bandits to massacre my family. After I discovered the truth, he drowned me, buried me in the wilderness, and claimed that I had died of illness caused by worry.

From then on, he was able to seize my family's wealth, marry wives and concubines, have children, and live a life of unbridled pleasure.

Unfortunately, he didn't expect that I would become a ghost, hehehehehehe.

Li Zhuiyuan guessed that Li Rui's "burial in the grass" happened to be in a yin location. If someone who died with resentment was buried there, they would easily turn into a vengeful ghost.

In fact, the more guilty a person is, the more likely they are to be superstitious about ghosts and gods, for which it is a necessity.

If you commit too many sins, who knows where those sins will turn into retribution?

However, Li Rui had committed too many blood crimes, and he dared not ask a feng shui master to examine the corpse and determine the burial site at that time, for fear of the news leaking out.

The bride said, “Fortunately, he lived to see me come back to find him. I still remember the expression on his face when I returned to the house and saw him. I told him that he promised me he would never betray me for a hundred lifetimes, so I will wait for him and choose enough descendants for a hundred lifetimes.”

What do you think?

Li Zhuiyuan: "That makes sense."

The bride paused, seemingly surprised by the young man's response, then let out another sinister laugh:
"Hehehe, it seems you're really scared."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the names on the red paper. There was still a long way to go before reaching one hundred. This debt still had a lot to go.

At that moment, Li Zhuiyuan understood the Emperor's intention.

The Emperor is forcing him to make a choice: how should he define his relationship with Yin Meng after deciding to take her back?

Debtor and creditor?

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the red paper on the pillar: "Since you've remembered it all, can I burn these two pieces of red paper?"

What are you... saying?

Outside, guests tiptoed and crowded around, squeezing through the doorway and even climbing onto the roof tiles, their eyes fixed intently on the scene.

Lin Shuyou took a step back and placed his hands on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Ah Li's expression remained unchanged.

Tan Wenbin put a cigarette in his mouth.

Li Zhuiyuan: "What I mean is, you can continue to collect your debts, but lend me that IOU. I need to burn it to show my attitude."

The choices I make on the road will determine the Emperor's choices. Whether I can successfully bring Yin Meng back this time depends on how I redefine this relationship.

The bride stood up and raised her hands:
"You...you're really arrogant, hehehe!"

Clearly, the bride took Li Zhuiyuan's words as a declaration of war and an insult.

Li Zhuiyuan hesitated for a moment, but still chose to show his sincerity:

“I was guided here by the Emperor of Fengdu. There are some things between me and the Emperor that I need to use you as an example. Please be accommodating and do me a favor. After I burn it, you can write another one, which will be the same.”

For a moment, the whole room was deathly silent.

It wasn't the title "Emperor of Fengdu" that intimidated them, but rather...

"Hehehehe!"

"Hahahaha!"

The bride was smiling, and the guests outside, wrapped in blankets, joined in the laughter.

Lin Shuyou also laughed.

Tan Wenbin looked at Ayou.

Ah-you immediately pursed his lips, trying to hold back.

Tan Wenbin also smiled.

Ayou: "Hahaha!" Bride: "You little rascal, you're really something. Alright, alright, considering you came to make me laugh on my big day, you can go now."

On the dressing table, a hairpin flew out, pointing directly at Ah Li.

The blood-stained porcelain bottle in the girl's hand instinctively stirred, but Ah Li tapped it with her fingertip, and the bottle calmed down.

The hairpin was inserted into A-Li's hair bun.

The bride said, "This is for your little wife. What a beautiful girl she is! You must never let her down in the future, or I will definitely help her repay you with a lifetime of love!"

In the present day, Li Zhuiyuan and A Li are still children, but in the era of the bride, early marriage and childbirth were common.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Bride: "Get out."

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

The guests shouted.

Li Zhuiyuan: "But I still have to burn that red paper ledger, so I'm sorry."

Bride: "Looks like you really are going to refuse a toast..."

A lotus mark appeared between Li Zhuiyuan's eyebrows, giving him a dignified and majestic appearance.

Outside, all the guests had broken free of the bride's control and were behaving wildly.

Lin Shuyou drew his twin swords, activated his vertical pupils, and shouted in a low voice:
"quiet!"

In an instant, at the command of the Ghost General, all the guests knelt on the ground.

The bride was so frightened that her red veil flew off, revealing her ashen face, which had been gnawed by rats and ants.

"Bodhisattva……"

Tan Wenbin exhaled a puff of smoke at the bride, drawing a dividing line in front of her. Anyone who dared to cross that line would be in trouble.

The bride trembled, showing no intention of making a move. Buddhism and ghosts are naturally incompatible, and when the aura of a Bodhisattva was revealed, the "Emperor of Fengdu" mentioned by the young man earlier was no longer a joke.

Even though she was a powerful demon, she had no courage to resist in front of the Bodhisattva and the Great Emperor.

"Pfft!"

She didn't kneel, but collapsed to the ground, tears of blood streaming from her contorted face, murmuring:

"Why...why...why..."

She dared not resist, but was even more desperate. She could not understand why Li Rui, who had committed evil deeds, could be punished by the Bodhisattva and the Great Emperor. She felt this was very unfair!
Ah Li drew her blood porcelain sword and released it. The red paper was pasted on, and to prevent damage from tearing it off, she used the sword to cut off the pillar skin along with it to ensure it remained intact.

After handing the red paper to the boy, A-Li took the hairpin out of her hair.

The hairpin's craftsmanship and materials were not worthy of being placed on her grandmother's dressing table, but the girl didn't look down on it; rather, she knew she couldn't accept any favors from the bride.

The girl put the hairpin back in, then took out her own hairpin, flicked it outwards, and it flew into the bride's dressing box.

Considering the blessing that we will never betray each other for a hundred lifetimes, we owe each other nothing.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore. Yin and Yang are in order, so do not make mistakes. Only by transforming anger and resentment can you find liberation."

After saying this, Li Zhuiyuan took the red paper, turned around, and left, followed by his companions.

The bride sat there blankly for a long time, until she confirmed several times that the terrifying group was really gone. Then, she turned around somewhat unreally and looked at the dressing mirror.

She couldn't believe she was still alive.

"The Bodhisattva... just left like that?"

Li Zhuiyuan and the others returned to the original "car repair shop".

As a Bodhisattva, he had already severely deterred and educated that great demon, hoping she would repent and do good.

Yes, she will definitely come to her senses, turn over a new leaf, and no longer be obsessed with revenge.

Essentially, Li Zhuiyuan had no interest in doing anything for this family or lifting the curse for these people who planned to kill him to silence him the moment they met.
Lin Shuyou: "Runsheng, get in the car."

Runsheng got into the yellow pickup truck.

Li Zhuiyuan got into the taxi, rolled down the window, stuck the red paper out of the window, and flicked it gently, causing the red paper to catch fire.

After it burned to ashes, Liu Changping stretched, looked up, and realized he had had a good sleep.

Upon closer inspection, the car window no longer displayed a repair shop, but a sign indicating road construction ahead and a detour required.

Liu Changping turned the car around and drove back, asking as he drove:
"How long have I slept?"

Not long after.

When did I go to sleep?

"You said you were too sleepy and wanted to take a nap."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm so sleepy this time."

"It's okay, drive slowly, safety first."

The taxi drove back onto the provincial highway, with the yellow pickup truck following behind.

Tan Wenbin saw Ah You start turning on the lights, so he activated his Snake Eyes feature in the rearview mirror and took a look.

Tan Wenbin: "Let's take a break at the next service area."

Liu Changping: "Huh? Okay."

He wanted to drive straight ahead to catch up on the schedule, but after traversing that section of road without any paved roads, the taxi didn't even get a scratch, while his own pickup truck's fuel tank started leaking.

After arriving at the service area, Lin Shuyou went to get his car repaired, while Tan Wenbin used a public phone to call the police that someone was robbing a grave.

There shouldn't be such a cluster of tombs there. It was all bait set by that bride. If they can turn over a new leaf after they get out of prison, then perhaps the curse will only stay with their generation. But most likely, before they even get out of prison, the next generation will be ruined and will come here to try their luck and find tombs, continuing the curse.

After a short rest, we got back on the road and this time we drove until dawn without any problems, but that was only until just as dawn broke.

Liu Changping has started to stray from the right path again.

However, this time the turn was relatively normal. Instead of forcibly clearing a road, we drove into an ordinary small town and stopped in front of a house where a funeral was being held.

The host thought that a guest from afar had arrived and warmly went up to greet him.

Tan Wenbin: "Why did he suddenly leave? Why did he just leave?"

The host said, "Please accept our deepest condolences."

Tan Wenbin took out his wallet and went to present the gift, accompanied by the host.

The two people, who clearly didn't know each other before, were behaving very warmly now. The host assumed they were old acquaintances of his grandfather and never expected someone to be crying at a grave so casually.

Li Zhuiyuan took A Li's hand and walked into the funeral venue. He glanced around but didn't see anything unusual.

The boy even went to the place where the body was laid to rest and walked around it once. The deceased had died a natural death, and there was no sign of any abnormality in the body.

The meal begins at noon; this is breakfast for those who helped out, consisting of steamed buns and a large pot of stew.

The host's relatives warmly invited Li Zhuiyuan and his group to eat.

The stew tasted great and went perfectly with steamed buns. Runsheng and Ayou finished a bowl and two steamed buns in no time, still wanting more.

Tan Wenbin pointed over there and said, "Keep serving, make sure everyone is full. It's alright, I'm being very generous with my gifts."

After Ah Li finished eating, Li Zhuiyuan picked up her bowl and used it to fill his own bowl as well.

After returning, once Ah Li finished eating from her bowl, the boy poured his second bowl of food into her bowl and then went to get more for himself.

The cook serving the food smiled at Li Zhuiyuan and said, "You little rascal, you've got a good appetite!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'm growing."

Because the five people used this place as a supply point, there was clearly not enough food for the people who came to help later, so the host had to cook another big pot of stew.

The host wasn't angry at all. Instead, he brought over some sesame cakes he had bought from outside and told them not to worry, to eat as much as they wanted until they were full.

Tan Wenbin is right, he did indeed offer a very generous gift.

After everyone had finished eating, Tan Wenbin instructed Ayou to pack a portion in a plastic bag and put it in the taxi. Liu Changping was asleep again, and he would eat it when he woke up.

About half an hour later, a slight commotion was heard outside. The family members went out to greet the elderly man with gray hair.

The old man's status was the same as the great-grandfather's at home; he was here to observe a vegetarian meal.

He didn't come alone; he brought two apprentices with him. The two apprentices stood behind him, looking shy and not saying a word, only knowing to follow his instructions.

People around him gossiped and praised him, saying that the old man had a kind heart, adopted two abandoned mentally disabled orphans, and helped them find a way to survive; otherwise, the two children would never have grown up.

Tan Wenbin: "Is this a path to survival or a path to death?"

Initially, before the existence of facial features diagrams, Tan Wenbin relied on ghost-controlling techniques, taking his two godson sons across the river.

Therefore, Tan Wenbin could tell at a glance that the old man's two apprentices had also been subjected to the same spell. They were not born mentally disabled, but their souls had been shaken and their wills suppressed by the old man, turning them into ghost puppets who only obeyed his orders.

Even from this distance, Tan Wenbin could hear the "wailing" coming from his two apprentices' bodies; they were in great pain and it was definitely not their will.

After looking around, the old man told the host that something was missing and that he would take his apprentice home to get it.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Bring me your head."

No matter how much you exploit and manipulate evil spirits, that's your skill. But directly using living people as puppets is a taboo.

Choosing children to do the work is because they think the success rate is high, and the work is so rough. Not only are these two people being tortured, but lividity is also appearing on their arms and wrists. If these two lose control or their bodies decompose one day, evil spirits will emerge from their bodies.

After Tan Wenbin left with Ayou, Li Zhuiyuan and Ali sat on a bench and waited.

Runsheng looked big and was asked by the host to help set up the tent, which was Runsheng's specialty. Afterwards, the host gave him several red envelopes. People who help at funerals will receive red envelopes. The money inside is not much, but it is a token of goodwill. Giving a lot means that you did a really good job.

Lin Shuyou returned first and stood at the door.

Li Zhuiyuan got up and left with A Li and Runsheng.

The old man's house was on the edge of town; it was a single-story house with a large yard.

Upon entering, one finds numerous altars in the hall, enshrining many spirits and deities, the most recent portrait of which depicts the Emperor of Fengdu.

A hybrid demon cultivator, who commits acts of cruelty, still dares to make offerings to the Great Emperor.

In other words, the Emperor's power cannot spill out now, otherwise it would have already triggered a backlash from his disciple.

However, the boy also knew that the Emperor had brought him here not so that he would help Him clean house, but rather so that he would have to make a choice in the master-disciple relationship.

In the corner, the two disciples were sealed with talismans. Li Zhuiyuan checked them and found that, except for their wrists, the lividity on the rest of their bodies was even more severe. They were already in a state of living dead and beyond saving.

The only thing we can do is help relieve their pain.

The boy placed his fingertips on their foreheads, and black mist rose from their bodies. Soon, two twisted souls appeared. Li Zhuiyuan chanted the Heart Sutra, and the twisting of the souls was smoothed out. The two souls knelt down to Li Zhuiyuan to express their gratitude, and then slowly dissipated.

Tan Wenbin, holding the old man's head, stood behind the door. After Li Zhuiyuan finished his business, he spoke:

“Brother Xiaoyuan, there are two children’s bodies buried in the backyard. They must be victims of a failed ghost spell.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, took out a black talisman, and stuck it on the old man's forehead.

There was a ready-made portrait of the emperor, an offering table, and a brazier. When the brazier was lit, Li Zhuiyuan threw the old man's head into it.

Amidst the flying sparks, black flames erupted, scorching the old man's head, and his very soul wailed within.

Soon, only a thick layer of black ash remained in the brazier.

Instead of being annihilated, he was fortunate enough to be sent to Fengdu Hell as a wanted criminal handpicked by the young lord of Fengdu. The ghost messengers there, in order to please the young lord, would surely inflict the most extreme tortures and cruel punishments.

To avoid trouble, Tan Wenbin and Ayou disposed of the bodies thoroughly. This laborious task made him miss Mengmeng's body-dissolving potion. Fortunately, they would be able to restock soon.

Back at the door of the funeral home, Liu Changping was still sleeping in the taxi.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, spread the dust."

Tan Wenbin sprinkled the ashes from the brazier he had brought onto the front of the taxi.

This move signifies the end of the master-disciple relationship between Li Zhuiyuan and the Emperor.

Liu Changping woke up right after he finished urinating, and patted his head:

"How...how did I fall asleep again?"

Tan Wenbin handed him the packed stew and steamed buns. Liu Changping was indeed hungry and wolfed down his food. After finishing, he looked anxious again.

"I hope I don't have any health problems or get sick."

He's a taxi driver; if he can't handle driving while fatigued, how can he earn any money?

Tan Wenbin: "Didn't you say you were tired from visiting relatives during the Spring Festival? You must have been relaxing and wanted to rest when you were with us."

Liu Changping had no choice but to accept this explanation.

Lunch was skipped, and the person observing the vegetarian meal had disappeared, inevitably causing chaos and confusion for the host family.

After getting back on the road, everything went smoothly, and we got closer and closer to Fengdu.

Liu Changping, no longer feeling sleepy, finally felt relieved.

"I feel like I'm cured of my illness, no, I'm just well-rested!"

Inside the car, no one responded to him; everyone was looking out the window at the ever-rising water level.

Lin Shuyou, who was following behind, had to stop his yellow pickup truck. There was a river in front of him, and there should be two old bridge piers in the river. He dared not drive in rashly.

Left with no other choice, he and Runsheng shouldered their backpacks and went into the water.

The two had just crossed half the river when they saw the taxi ahead of them pull ashore and begin to accelerate.

Liu Changping: "This road is so easy to drive on, it's straight and there aren't even any cars on it. Is it a newly built road?"

It's an old road, but no one has walked it for a long time.

Looking out the car window at the flowerbeds that had become overgrown and sparse due to neglect, Li Zhuiyuan saw that Liu Changping had just driven the car in through a gap in the barrier.

This was once a sect's territory, but it is now in ruins.

However, if it were invaded by external enemies, it shouldn't be so dilapidated. It's very likely that some kind of internal problem has broken out.

A stone tablet appeared, inscribed with "Jinsha Sect".

Li Zhuiyuan remembered the name of this sect.

When I first moved into my great-grandfather's house, he was afraid that I would continue to see unclean things, so he arranged a series of nights of transference rituals for me, hoping to transfer the unclean things on my body to him.

The old man felt that he was a corpse retriever and a lonely man who would live a long and lonely life, so he didn't mind taking on more dirty work.

The fortune-changing formation set up by the great-grandfather came from an ancient book called the "Jinsha Luowen Sutra".

The fortune-changing ritual is truly effective; even though the ancestor arranged it differently each time, the effect was undeniable.

Only after Li Zhuiyuan delved deeper into the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) and looked back at that book could he gradually recognize its immense and terrifying value.

Its greatness lies in the fact that even someone with only a mediocre skill like my great-grandfather could make it work by simply copying the design; its danger lies in the fact that it is so easy to set up that it can become a taboo.

Now, the consequences of the taboo are unfolding before the boy.

This sect, which studied the art of destiny, has long been lost to the annals of history. Since it wasn't due to foreign invasion, it could only have come from…

Li Zhuiyuan looked up and gazed at the sky within the barrier.

From another perspective, isn't this scene also a kind of shared sorrow for the fallen?
When you offend someone to a certain extent, divine retribution will come.

Moreover, the way this divine punishment manifests makes outsiders and even those involved feel that it was an accident or a mishap, without any trace of deliberate manipulation, just like when they destroyed Qinglong Temple.

The upper echelons of the martial arts world only saw this as a fierce clash between the forces on the river and the rise of Qin Liu, unaware that the course of fate had already been set long ago.

Ahead, an altar appeared, with steps leading to its entrance.

Liu Changping stopped the car, lowered his head, and fell asleep again.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of the car and walked onto the altar.

Upon ascending the steps, Fang Jue realized that the altar covered a vast area, resembling a plaza. In the center was a platform upon which stood a bronze cauldron. Beneath the cauldron sat a lifelike corpse, its face covered in demonic patterns—a sign of demonic possession.

As Li Zhuiyuan and the others ascended the steps, a rustling sound came from the outside, and figures emerged from all directions, converging on this place.

They were all once members of the Golden Sand Sect, and were killed by that demon.

After slaughtering the entire sect, the possessed person took their own life.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, you stay here."

"clear."

Tan Wenbin lit a cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke, which formed a barrier, keeping those figures outside.

They are not ghosts or evil spirits, but rather some kind of lingering spiritual bond, because they do not hate the demon who slaughtered them.

Perhaps this is because when the sect decided to continue exploring the true meaning of destiny, it had already prepared itself for the possible price to pay.

If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening, without any regrets.

The Emperor's intention in sending the imperial chariot here, so close to Fengdu, is quite clear.

Li Zhuiyuan prepared to walk towards the central platform, where the flowers and plants had bloomed and withered for countless years, forming a swamp.

It doesn't smell bad or dirty; on the contrary, it has a pleasant fragrance.

The boy squatted down and reached out to feel the depth; it was only about half the height of his arm.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the girl.

The girl walked up behind the boy and put her arms around his neck.

Li Zhuiyuan took off his shoes and rolled up his trousers. The girl reached out and took the shoes. The boy carried her into the swamp.

It's only right that Ah Li stands in front of me when there's danger.

But when there was no danger, Li Zhuiyuan still insisted on doing what he could for her.

It was impossible for any deep pit to appear out of nowhere on the altar plaza. The depth of the swamp had not changed much along the way, and Li Zhuiyuan successfully arrived at the central platform.

The demon-possessed corpse sat cross-legged. He had long since died cleanly, leaving no trace, not even a trace of spirit, like a piece of sugarcane residue that had been chewed countless times.

However, a line of words was left in front of his body, which he wrote before taking his own life.

It was as if he was asking himself, as if he was asking the entire clan, and as if he was asking those destined to come here in the future.

Have you ever regretted it?

Li Zhuiyuan: "I want to regret it, but it won't give me the chance."

Since compromise won't bring the desired outcome, the only option is to prepare for a struggle.

The more Heaven does not want a second Wei Zhengdao to be born, the more one must prepare to become the new Wei Zhengdao in order to survive.

This is what the Emperor wants to see.

If he wanted to take Yin Meng away, the Great Emperor would lose this card that would restrain him in the future. The Great Emperor would still be the same Great Emperor, and all he cared about was immortality.

The Emperor can hand over the Yin Meng line, but it depends on what identity the young man intends to take it over.

Creditors? No way.

Master and apprentice? That won't work either.

The only condition that would make me give up controlling you is that you stand with me in the same trench, in the same camp, and face that lofty and unapproachable thing together!

Li Zhuiyuan opened his hand, and A Li handed him three incense sticks.

The young man held incense and bowed deeply before the bronze cauldron in front of him.

With his current status, even during the heyday of the Golden Sand Sect, he could be treated as an equal; however, he had received favors from the Golden Sand Sect, although these favors had become strange due to his grandfather's actions, they had indeed strongly propelled him into the Xuanmen.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan inserted three sticks of incense into the cauldron.

As the incense was rekindled, the swamp in the altar square rapidly evaporated, and the corpse beside the cauldron gradually dissipated. Along with it, the phantom spirits that Tan Wenbin had intercepted also vanished.

They didn't really intend to profit from this, and when they saw that there were successors continuing to explore upwards, they were completely relieved and disappeared.

Outside the barrier of the Golden Sand Sect.

Lin Shuyou stared with his vertical pupils, running around with Runsheng, but they still couldn't find the entrance.

"That shouldn't be the case. That taxi disappeared right from here. Why can't we get in?"

Runsheng gripped the Yellow River shovel in his hand. Xiaoyuan was inside, while he was stuck outside. He was very anxious.

Lin Shuyou: "Don't rush, don't rush, I'll call Brother Bin."

Ah-you took out his mobile phone, pulled out the antenna, but there was no signal.

Runsheng opened his backpack, took out the prefabricated altar, and unfolded it.

After Xiaoyuan becomes a Bodhisattva, there is a way for Xiaoyuan to feel a connection, and that is to burn paper money.

Runsheng pulled down the Bodhisattva image and threw burning yellow paper into the brazier.

Just then, the Bodhisattva image rolled back, the Fengdu Emperor image fell down, and a wisp of ash drifted out from the brazier, condensing into a line of words in front:

I'm positive again!

(End of this chapter)