Chapter 571
Chapter 571
Chapter 571
"Lin Shuyou, go keep watch at the entrance of the scenic area!"
"clear."
There's an unspoken understanding within the team that when someone calls you by your full name, it means the situation is serious.
Lin Shuyou dropped the plastic cup and ran downstairs.
Tan Wenbin quickly climbed the steps to the observation deck, but finding no one there, he simply entered the Zhiyun Pagoda, went up to the top floor, took out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.
"Young man, smoking is not allowed here..."
A wisp of smoke drifted towards them, and the administrator stood motionless, his eyes glazed over.
Tan Wenbin unleashed the power of the Blood Ape, leaped over the railing, and landed on the top of the tower.
Beneath them, wisps of blue smoke continued to billow, completely obscuring the vision of ordinary people.
Tan Wenbin pressed his right hand against his forehead, grabbed upwards with his left hand, and then pulled downwards!
In the void, a phantom of a two-headed python appeared, its head held high, its eyes looking down upon the world.
Following closely behind was a white centipede phantom, clinging to the entire Zhiyun Pagoda, its whiskers listening intently.
Every location and every person on the mountain was identified one by one in Tan Wenbin's perception.
Upon arriving outside the mountains, Lin Shuyou turned to face the scenic area gate and began to practice spirit writing!
The new knowledge took effect at this moment; the White Crane Boy summoned a yin wind, and General Zeng stood in formation, blocking out external attention.
Tourists leaving the scenic area are unaware that a deity with vertical pupils is carefully examining them on their way out.
Mi Guang: "Master, they..."
Master Yang reached out and covered his apprentice's mouth: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."
Immediately, Master Yang looked at the pair of marriage locks newly hung on the wooden Magpie Bridge, and without hesitation, he took them down, wrapped them in an envelope, placed them on the counter, and waited for the other party to come and collect them.
After doing all this, Master Yang walked to the rusty Bodhisattva statue, lit incense, and prayed.
At the top of Zhiyun Pagoda, Tan Wenbin's gaze gradually became solemn, and even the illusion of the two-headed python above him gradually turned gloomy.
He had done everything in his power, but he still couldn't find the young man; it was as if he had vanished into thin air from Wolf Mountain.
Left with no other choice, Tan Wenbin had to suppress the illusion and shut down his external sensory amplification.
Ayou, who was outside the mountain gate, could see the changes at the top of the mountain and thus ended his spirit writing session.
The two of them, one going down the mountain and the other going up, met up again at the shop entrance.
Tan Wenbin put away the envelope containing the marriage lock, took out his mobile phone, and dialed a number.
"Hey, it's me."
"Brother Xiaoyuan, Su Yizhou."
"My father."
"I think I just saw him."
……
Li Zhuiyuan listened to Tan Wenbin's complete yet concise account while holding his mobile phone.
Because Tan Wenbin had no direct interaction with him, and subsequent searches did not find him.
The only two real witnesses and physical evidence that survived were Yang Banxian, who had spoken to him face to face, and the pair of marriage locks.
“Leave Lin Shuyou here to watch the shop, and you take Yang Banxian back to the village.”
"understand!"
Li Zhuiyuan put down his mobile phone, walked to the washbasin stand, poured in hot water, wet a towel, and slowly wiped his face.
The boy didn't rush to Wolf Mountain because he trusted Tan Wenbin's abilities; since Tan was no longer there, there was no point in going anyway.
Even if Langshan Mountain is relatively short, it wouldn't be enough time for a normal person to climb to the top and leave the scenic area.
Besides, that person isn't a normal person either.
After all, if Su Yizhou, who came to Nantong to get engaged, was a normal person, then what is he now?
It's unrealistic to try to have everything when faced with such a bizarre situation.
The most cost-effective approach is to eliminate distractions and make a clean cut.
Only in this way can we perhaps cut something off.
Li Zhuiyuan suspected that Su Yizhou was able to appear at the store entrance and interact with the people inside because the Bodhisattva statue he had blessed was standing inside the store.
When Su Yizhou left the shop and walked uphill, once he was out of a certain range, he disappeared—at least, from an outsider's perspective, he ceased to exist.
After hanging up the towel, Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at the stone gift placed on the side of the desk.
The gift included a letter in which the father asked Li Lan: "Can our little Yuan walk yet?"
The last time it was his father when he was born, this time it was his father before he married Li Lan.
Li Lan had told me that she would handle this matter.
However, it seems that neither she nor the giant tortoise behind her can suppress that secret realm.
When the catalogs of the three major rivers were laid out in front of him, Li Zhuiyuan wondered if it was a multiple-choice question.
After seeing the drought demon sealed inside the Demon Suppression Pagoda at Qinglong Temple, the two directories connected. However, if the appearance of the father was triggered by his own Bodhisattva status, then it means that these three directories are originally one!
Li Zhuiyuan picked up his old mobile phone again and dialed Liangliang's number, but no one answered.
Liangliang is probably in a meeting or busy with something else.
The Western Regions Catalogue was something Liangliang told me about when he got into the taxi. It was also from him that I saw the top-secret document about the Western Regions exploration team.
However, Xue Liangliang himself said that this project was difficult to secure, and he seemed to have encountered a job change later. Therefore, it is still unknown whether this project can be successfully continued.
If the Western Regions Catalogue and the Qilongwang Catalogue are linked together, does that mean that the Qilongwang's current state is the same as his father's current state?
To some extent, this also confirms what the drought demon said: Qi Xinghan is still alive!
Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the room.
On the terrace, Ah Li is teaching Cuicui to draw.
Cui Cui is a smart girl. After being taught by a famous teacher, her painting skills have improved significantly, and she has won awards frequently.
Downstairs, Liu Jinxia, who was playing cards, said with a mix of pride and worry that Cui Cui's school teacher had suggested she pursue an arts degree.
Wang Lian: "What does this mean?"
She has two grandchildren who are already in school and wants to know more.
Old Woman Hua: "That must have cost a lot of money, right?"
Upon hearing about spending money, Wang Lian immediately lost interest. Her family's difficult circumstances were only maintained by the money that Sister Liu lent her every month.
Pretending to be ignorant was already embarrassing enough for her; if she were to ask Sister Liu to pay for this for her two grandchildren, she would be so ashamed she would want to die.
Liu Jinxia: "Money is not a problem."
Granny Hua: "That's right, you're a rich grandma."
Liu Jinxia: "I'm not concerned about the money, I'm only concerned about my child's future. As long as it's really for my child's good, I'll sell everything I own without batting an eye."
Granny Hua: "It's good to be involved in the arts. What's the term again? Oh right, hehe, from now on, your Cui Cui will be a cultural worker."
Liu Jinxia spat at the old woman.
Li Juxiang's voice came from downstairs: "That's what's troubling me. I don't know which option is better."
Aunt Juxiang usually doesn't accompany Liu Jinxia to play cards, but she came today because she has something to do.
Liu Jinxia understood, moved closer to Liu Yumei, and asked, "Sister Liu, what do you think?"
In Li Sanjiang's eyes, Liu Yumei will always be that mercenary old lady.
But the three sisters all knew that Sister Liu was no ordinary person, and Jiang Xiuzhi, who stayed here during the New Year, was also extraordinary. Her skill in dealing with people was something that an ordinary old woman could not possess.
Liu Yumei: "Isn't Cui Cui a good student? She even skipped a grade."
Liu Jinxia: "Yes, the child is lucky, with her brother Yuanhou and sister Ali as role models."
Liu Yumei: "Then there's no rush. Let the child continue his schooling. Cultural workers should also be educated."
Liu Jinxia: "Okay, I understand."
As she spoke, Liu Jinxia glanced at her daughter, and Li Juxiang nodded in agreement.
Having received the answer, Li Juxiang prepared to get up and leave.
"Aunt Juxiang."
"Hey, Xiao Yuan?"
“My mom called me last night.”
"Oh, really? How's your mother doing lately?"
"She's doing quite well, and she even asked how you're doing."
"I'm doing just fine, haha."
"Aunt Juxiang, have you ever met my father?"
"Yes, I have seen him, but only once. Your father and mother came back that one time before they got married."
Actually, if the giant turtle hadn't come ashore to kill her, Li Lan would have only returned that one time.
"Auntie, could you tell me more about it?"
Li Juxiang seemed hesitant to speak, perhaps because of the elderly people playing cards at the next table, but quickly and frankly said:
"After so many years, I don't really remember what your father looked like anymore. I only remember... that your father was really handsome."
After a pause, Li Juxiang continued:
“When you came back to Nantong, the first time I saw you, I thought to myself, really, you inherited your father’s good looks. Your mother really knew how to choose.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Jinxia jokingly said:
"Of course, both mother and son would choose, they would both choose the good-looking one."
Both Granny Hua and Wang Lian laughed.
Liu Yumei smiled along with the others. Of course, she wouldn't assume that the head of her Dragon King family had suddenly become so weak that he missed his father.
Li Zhuiyuan asked Li Juxiang about the details of that day again, and Li Juxiang answered after recalling them.
Nowadays, there is no such thing as "engagement" in rural areas. Instead, it is called "meeting an auspicious date," which means that the parents of the couple get together to discuss the wedding arrangements and formally finalize the plans.
Yes, in Su Yizhou's eyes, this is "engagement".
That morning, Li Lan returned home first, and her father arrived after lunch. According to Li Juxiang, many people in the village crowded around to see the village's first college student and his girlfriend.
Li Zhuiyuan knew that Li Lan had made this arrangement to improve efficiency and complete the process of visiting her family and getting married in one day. Neither of them stayed at home that night, saying that they had things to do at work and had to rush back to Beijing.
Therefore, Tan Wenbin and the others were able to see Su Yizhou in the morning.
He and Li Lan separated. Li Lan didn't take him home with her. He had to wait until after lunchtime to come to the village. So in the morning, he could only wander around the scenic area and climb Wolf Mountain alone.
This is also why Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush to Wolf Mountain; rather than doing something futile, he preferred to wait patiently.
It's almost impossible to follow the route Su Yizhou took more than ten years ago. Not only is there no accurate timetable from back then, but even the roads have changed. The road at the entrance of the village hadn't been built yet.
If the Buddha statue he left in the shop could "reflect" Su Yizhou, then so could he, the Buddha himself.
Li Juxiang rode away on her tricycle; she was going to town to buy groceries.
Granny Hua sighed, "Tell me, what a wonderful couple, and what a wonderful child they have, why can't they just live a good life together?"
Liu Jinxia: "Yes, these days, how many families just make do and get by for the sake of having a child?"
Wang Lian: "That's right, that's right. How could our Xiao Yuanhou's family bear to leave him and not even want their child? I really can't understand it."
Liu Yumei: "Every family has its own problems."
Li Zhuiyuan had his back to them, so he heard them but didn't respond.
In the beginning, her father definitely enjoyed the sweetness of love with Li Lan, but the sweeter the love was, the more hurt he would be later.
There is a common type of family where one spouse appears to be an excellent husband or wife in front of others, but at home, they can inflict continuous emotional trauma and oppression on you.
As the victim, you can't even tell anyone. As soon as you start talking about it, your relatives and friends will tell you how good and outstanding your partner is. Even you yourself think so. When you have the thought of breaking up, you feel like you are committing a heinous crime.
Then, in the eyes of outsiders you are very happy and fulfilled, but you yourself seem to be in a cage, constantly suffering oppression.
This was only the most basic level. When Li Lan's skin could no longer hold her back, she brought her father a hundred or a thousand times more cruel torture.
Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan never felt that there was anything wrong with his father ignoring him after the divorce. It was already remarkable that his father was still alive. Besides... he himself wasn't a good person back then because he hadn't grown human skin.
"Di Di!"
Tan Wenbin drove back in his yellow pickup truck with Yang Banxian in tow.
Li Zhuiyuan led them upstairs.
On the terrace, in front of the easel, Cui Cui made way for A Li to sit down. Tan Wenbin described the young man's appearance and asked A Li to draw it.
Tan Wenbin also felt a little regretful. He thought that if he had pressed his eye to "capture" the scene, he could have gone to a photo studio to develop it himself.
The main point is that he doesn't have the habit of taking pictures of anyone good-looking on the street, especially not a man.
Yang Banxian was retelling his conversation with Su Yizhou to Li Zhuiyuan. The old Taoist was old, but his memory was excellent, and he also paid attention to tone and expression when retelling the story.
Li Zhuiyuan listened while fiddling with the pair of marriage locks.
Su Yizhou and Li Lan.
It was my father's handwriting, as I remembered it.
Besides the marriage lock, you should also keep the 100-yuan note that you handed to Mi Guang when you bought the lock. It was from the third set of coins. Although the fourth set of coins has long been issued, the third set is still in circulation.
However, when Mi Guang searched the money box afterwards, he could not find the "ten yuan" banknote.
Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, it's finished."
A-Li left her seat, and Li Zhuiyuan stood in front of the painting.
Yes, it was his father when he was young.
Cui Cui exclaimed, "This person is so handsome! Just as handsome as Brother Yuan Hou!"
Hearing this, Tan Wenbin sighed. At that moment, he was only focused on comparing the handsome man with Ayou and hadn't thought about Xiaoyuan.
Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, what should we do next?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Tell Aunt Liu to serve dinner early."
Aunt Liu: Lunch is ready!
Today is the Lantern Festival.
In front of each person was a bowl of glutinous rice balls.
Yang Banxian was invited to stay for dinner. After taking a bite, he gave Aunt Liu a thumbs up and praised her cooking skills repeatedly.
Aunt Liu treated him very politely, serving him wine and dishes as if he were a VIP.
This made Yang Banxian feel extremely flattered.
But according to the old rules of the martial arts world, Qinglong Temple is also the domain of the Dragon King, regardless of its rise or fall; the rules must be set in stone.
As the founding elder of the new Qinglong Temple, Yang Banxian was of the same generation as Aunt Liu, or even half a generation older.
Even Liu Yumei, following proper etiquette, took the initiative to chat with him for a while about how business was going at the store.
After finishing his meal, Li Zhuiyuan slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked down the dam alone.
He didn't let his companions follow him. Perhaps Su Yizhou was able to carve words on the marriage lock and communicate with Yang Banxian because Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou didn't take the initiative to approach him.
Those who travel by river carry too much karma, and their companions each have different fates and burdens; lest this cause conflict.
Li Zhuiyuan arrived at his grandfather Li Weihan's house.
Grandpa, Grandma, and all the younger siblings were eating, and they were also eating glutinous rice balls.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't rush inside, but stood behind the house and waited.
After finishing their meal, Grandpa and Grandma went to the fields.
Li Zhuiyuan turned and went into the house.
"Brother Yuanzi!"
"Brother Yuanzi!"
Stone and Tiger were the first to spot their target and happily gathered around.
Li Zhuiyuan took out some money from his pocket and handed it to Shitou: "Take your younger siblings to Aunt Zhang's to buy things and play. Let me stay here and concentrate on doing my homework for a while."
"it is good!"
"You are not allowed to take this money to the arcade."
"I won't go anymore, I dare not go again."
If it were just a beating from their parents, even a whipping with a belt, they would still go back to playing after the injury heals. But last time, Shi Tou and Hu Zi were possessed by a demon. That experience left the two brothers with psychological trauma, and they dared not go to play again.
Shi Tou wiped the table with a rag, Hu Zi brought over a stool and poured water. After tidying up Yuan Zi's desk, they took their younger siblings out.
Li Zhuiyuan sat down, opened his backpack, took out a prefabricated small altar, pulled down the image of the Bodhisattva, and said, "I'm making an offering to myself."
Although my grandfather's house has been repaired, it has never been moved or rebuilt. My father used to sit here and be watched by the villagers, young and old.
Li Zhuiyuan picked up the bowl, took a sip of water. There wasn't much he could do to begin with; now it was just a matter of whether he could wait any longer.
Time passed second by second, and Li Zhuiyuan watched the incense smoke curling from the small offering table.
Footsteps could be heard outside the kitchen.
The footsteps appeared abruptly, not from afar but seemingly out of nowhere.
"Excuse me, is this Li Lan's house?"
Li Zhuiyuan turned his head and saw a figure peeking out from the doorway. The figure wore a white shirt and looked refined and clean.
She showed no ostentation about her family background, nor any shyness as if she were visiting her future in-laws' home for the first time; she was poised and dignified.
Li Zhuiyuan: "This is Li Lan's home, the home of Li Lan who went to university in Beijing."
Su Yizhou walked in, seemingly wondering why no one was here.
Li Zhuiyuan: "They've all gone to visit the graves. Li Lan... Sister Li Lan told me to wait here... wait for you, brother."
"So that's how it is."
According to the files provided by Brother Liangliang, when the two exploration teams from different eras got together, no matter how obvious it was, they couldn't detect anything unusual about each other.
Su Yizhou was clearly among them; he accepted that when he first visited the woman's family as her fiancé, they were all out visiting graves.
Li Zhuiyuan speculated that he was able to remain clear-headed in such an environment because of his Bodhisattva status, and that Tan Wenbin and Ayou were also affected at the time. Even Cui Cui felt that the demeanor and temperament of the portrait were very similar to hers when she saw it, so Tan Wenbin would not be so oblivious.
Su Yizhou sat down next to Li Zhuiyuan, took out a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and offered it to Li Zhuiyuan's mouth.
Li Zhuiyuan took the candy, took the wrapper, rewrapped it, and put it in his pocket.
"Little brother, you eat this. I'll go buy you some more later."
"Don't eat."
In Su Yizhou's eyes, it was because the child was reluctant to eat the candy; in Li Zhuiyuan's eyes, he was afraid that the candy would expire more than ten years later.
"Are you Li Lan's younger brother? I remember she was the youngest in her family, with only an older brother."
"Cousin."
Su Yizhou couldn't help but reach out and pat Li Zhuiyuan's head, then leaned closer to examine him closely, smiling slightly:
"Little cousin, you're really good-looking."
"Okay, whatever you want."
(End of this chapter)