Chapter 573

Chapter 573

Li Zhuiyuan stood up unsteadily, checked himself to make sure there were no actual wounds on his body, meaning that the backlash from the golden thread had only damaged his soul.

Grandma Liu once used the group of Taoist priests who came to her door for revenge as a stepping stone in Nantong, and used the feng shui energy to trace back and sever the lineage of the Qingcheng Mountain Taoist temple thousands of miles away.

Li Zhuiyuan had just been at the Taoist temple that was beheaded, and if nothing unexpected happened, the starting point was still the more distant Western Regions.

The problem is that his weakness is his body, but at the level of the soul, despite having accumulated great strength and the blessings of attaining the Bodhisattva status, he was still severely injured by such a backlash.

Regardless of whether the other party is a person, an object, or evil, it has reached a level that is terrifying even from Li Zhuiyuan's current perspective.

The boy's gaze fell once again on the ancestral grave pit.

The continuous rain caused it to collapse again, which is normal; but the fact that it collapsed so coincidentally makes it hard to believe it was just a coincidence.

If we disregard everything else and simplify the matter, we can easily assume that the Western Regions Secret Realm has a very deep connection with Wei Zhengdao.

It wasn't the kind of relationship Wei Zhengdao had been to before, but a relationship he had truly participated in, influenced, changed, or even... died in.

The person whom the great-grandfather kindly saved but accidentally poisoned back then, even if it was Wei Zhengdao, was definitely not truly killed by the great-grandfather's bowl of medicine.

Even if he died here and was buried here, the place that truly caused his death was definitely not here.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the pit, where the accumulated water gathered into thin streams and was still pouring into it.

Not only the great-grandfather and grandparents, but also the whole village had a consensus after Yingzi was admitted to university: the ancestral graves of the Li family were prone to emitting auspicious smoke. This also meant that when people from other families in the village were worshipping their ancestors, they would also take some time to come here to pay their respects, hoping that the ancestors of the Li family would take some time to bless their own children in the village to successfully enter university.

From a professional perspective, the ancestral grave site chosen by the Li family was really mediocre. Whether it emitted any auspicious smoke is unknown, but the ancestors buried here must have taken many baths in this hole.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and walked home.

He had instructed his companions beforehand not to approach or disturb him, believing he would be safe.

And that was indeed the case; if he hadn't deliberately taken the risk to experiment, he wouldn't have suffered the slightest injury.

Fortunately, the risks and costs were worthwhile. Since the rules of the Western Regions Secret Realm are so powerful, there's no need to bother trying to destroy or distort them; we can simply respect and utilize them.

Xiao Hei walked ahead, glancing back at Li Zhuiyuan every now and then, afraid that the boy might collapse as he walked.

Li Zhuiyuan could still hold on, but he felt there was no need to force himself.

"Go and call for help."

"Wang!"

Little Black received the order and ran out.

A moment later, Tan Wenbin came running over with the dog.

"Brother Xiaoyuan?"

"Everything went smoothly, I'm fine, filling in the ancestral graves."

Li Zhuiyuan lost his balance, closed his eyes, and fell to the ground.

He was taken home, his body was wiped with a hot towel, he was changed into dry clothes, he was given a bowl of ginger soup, and then fed a can of Mingjia brand beverage. After that, he fell into a deep sleep.

Tan Wenbin drove Yang Banxian back to Langshan and then picked up Ayou.

Runsheng and Yinmeng carried shovels and hoes, walking along the village road. Chen Xiyuan curiously approached them, and was then pulled along to help repair the ancestral graves of Old Li's family.

After picking up Ayou, Tan Wenbin did not return immediately, but went to Baijia Funeral Clothing Shop, intending to pick up Benben and Sun Wei along the way.

Upon entering the store, we saw Benben standing by the crib, playing with Clown Girl along with Xue's parents.

Sun Wei sat on a small stool, holding a drink in her left hand and a snack in her right, looking timid and motionless.

The little girl thought that once she left the village, the world would return to normal, but when she arrived here, she found that there were actually very few living people.

"Silly."

Hearing the shouts, Benben took one last, reluctant look at the clown girl.

He walked up to Sun Wei, took her hand, and led her out of the store, getting into the yellow pickup truck.

Bai Zhilan stood at the shop entrance, ready to see them off. Xue's father came out, took out a cigarette, and wanted to invite Tan Wenbin and the others to stay for dinner. Tan Wenbin declined, saying that he had things to do at home.

On the way back, Sun Wei, sitting in the car, was visibly more relaxed.

She looked at Benben somewhat embarrassed.

When she first entered the store, she was almost scared to tears again. It was Benben who pulled away the little girl with pigtails.

Benben took two baby bottles out of his little backpack and handed one of them to Sun Wei.

Every morning, Xiao Yingying would fill Benben's milk bottle and make him drink it all.

Today, when we arrived at Clown Girl's house, her grandparents kept feeding and drinking her so we didn't have time to complete our tasks for the day.

Tan Wenbin glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the two children sitting in the back, focused on drinking their milk.

When they reached the village entrance, Benben spoke up:

"Next...Next..."

Tan Wenbin understood and stopped the car.

Benben and Sun Wei got off the bus.

Tan Wenbin: "The umbrella fell."

It was raining outside, and Sun Wei left her little flowered umbrella in the car.

Lin Shuyou handed the umbrella out, and Benben took it, opened it, stood on tiptoe, and held it up for Sun Wei as well.

"Wang."

Little Black ran over and rejoined the group.

Seeing that Benben was having difficulty holding the umbrella, Sun Wei wanted to reach out and take the umbrella from him so she could hold it herself.

Benben didn't give it to Xiao Hei, but instead stuck the umbrella handle into Xiao Hei's saddle. Xiao Hei raised its front legs and stood upright on its hind legs, opening the umbrella.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Shuyou asked, "Is Benben still not used to talking?"

Tan Wenbin: "A distinguished person speaks slowly."

Lin Shuyou: "But I remember that Benben used to be able to speak in short sentences at least. How come he can only pronounce single syllables now?"

Tan Wenbin: "They're still picking up Fugui."

Lin Shuyou: "There's such a saying?"

Tan Wenbin: "The higher Xiao Yuan goes now, the higher Benben's starting position will be. I don't know if the Qin and Liu families will split up and become independent in the future, but at least in Benben's generation, it shouldn't be."

Lin Shuyou: "Winning at the starting line?"

Tan Wenbin: "Would you like to experience the starting line designed by Brother Xiaoyuan?"

Lin Shuyou: "No, that's too scary."

I used to think that when I was a child, I was either in school or practicing kung fu in the temple. Even if I secretly read comics or novels under the covers, I would be caught by the White Crane Boy. Life was really too hard.

But looking at Benben's academic pressure, Ayou felt like he was being completely left to his own devices.

With Madam Liu's orders, Benben is exempt from classes and working at the kiln recently, and can focus solely on playing with Sun Wei. So even if he goes for a stroll in the city, as long as he returns with Sun Wei, he won't be scolded.

At night, after Chen Xiyuan and Sun Wei took a shower, they lay in bed and chatted.

After chatting Sun Wei until she fell asleep, Chen Xiyuan finally went to sleep herself, still feeling unsatisfied.

The next morning, Sun Wei still got up early by herself, while Chen Xiyuan had to sleep until a quarter before breakfast.

After washing up, I went downstairs and came to the living room, where Xiong Shan was repairing a scarecrow.

Sun Wei stood by and watched.

Xiong Shan looked at her, and Sun Wei looked at him.

"Cough cough..."

Turning his head away, Xiong Shan shifted his gaze forward and continued to focus on the task at hand.

He still remembered that he had a son, and he knew that this young girl was engaged to his son. Although according to the old lady, the engagement was only a formality, he still felt a little awkward standing next to his future daughter-in-law.

But Sun Wei seemed genuinely captivated by the technique, watching with increasing focus.

"Um, Miss Sun..."

"Uncle Bear, call me Weiwei."

As she spoke, Sun Wei prepared to bow.

Xiong Shan offered a gesture of support with one hand, then scratched his head with the other: "Weiwei, don't bow so often here; the patriarch doesn't like it."

"Thank you for reminding me, Uncle Bear."

"We don't need to be so formal... never mind, it's better to be more formal."

"Weiwei, are you interested in this talisman?"

"So interesting."

"How about I teach you how to draw Chenzhou talismans?"

"No, Grandpa said that stealing other people's family heirlooms is a big taboo."

"Hey, it's just a talisman, it's not that serious. Besides, you're not an outsider... Your grandpa is teaching my silly family formations, so it's the same if I teach you. We can share what we have."

“I have to... ask my grandfather.”

“Perfect timing, I’m going to the brick kiln to fire bricks. I’ll ask your grandfather for you.”

Xiong Shan picked up the scarecrow and went out of the house.

Xiao Yingying brought out breakfast.

Normally, she and Lao Tian take turns cooking, and since Chen Xiyuan doesn't eat here, their work is quite easy.

Sun Wei helped serve the pickled vegetable dishes and cloth chopsticks.

During this time, when he made eye contact with Xiao Yingying, he was able to smile naturally.

Children are very adaptable to their environment. If someone cooks for you and feeds you with a bottle, you'll eventually stop finding it scary.

At least, she's much kinder than that girl with pigtails who reeks of smoke and likes to make faces at me.

Benben was the first to get up; he had already eaten.

Not seeing Benben, Sun Wei went to Benben's room after breakfast.

The painting on the bed swayed gently, as if greeting someone.

Sun Wei timidly stepped forward, took off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, and took the initiative to untie the painting, letting it fall to the ground.

"Oh!"

The densely packed private tutoring classes in the painting deeply shocked the little girl.

"Shall we...shall we go find him and play?"

Two bursts of laughter rang out.

The scroll fell onto Sun Wei, as if draping a cloak over her.

The scroll turned, guiding Sun Wei to find Benben.

Upon reaching the edge of the peach grove, the scroll fell down, and they dared not enter.

Sun Wei pointed inside: "Inside?"

The little girl was about to go inside to look for someone.

The scroll wrapped around the little girl's ankles, preventing her from entering.

"Oh, then I won't go in."

At that moment, a gentle voice came from inside; it was Su Luo.

"Little girl, come in and play."

The scroll unwound.

Is that alright?

Sun Wei had always been very interested in this beautiful peach orchard. Her house was also quite nice, but none of it could compare to this place.

It seemed that each peach blossom carried its own unique ethereal beauty, which was incredibly attractive to the little girl.

Of course, this is on the premise that you don't know what kind of terrifying being lives inside.

"Sure, come on, I'll take you in."

Su Luo took Sun Wei's hand and led her into the depths of the peach grove.

Wow, this place is so beautiful!

The crystal-clear pool and the exquisite, rustic thatched cottages, though not opulent, are far more idyllic than any painting depicts.

Would you like some tea?

"I know how to make tea. I've made it for my grandfather at home."

"Then you'll make it?"

"it is good."

Su Luo and Sun Wei sat facing each other at the coffee table.

As the little girl brewed tea, Su Luo glanced at the thatched hut from time to time.

The tea was ready. Su Luo picked up a cup, took a sip, and said, "It smells so good."

Sun Wei blushed and said, "It's good tea."

Benben, carrying peach branches on his back, and Xiao Heigou, carrying two bundles on his saddle, came from the other side.

He ran out of his little battle flags and had to go into the woods to retrieve them himself.

Su Luo: "You guys go have fun."

Sun Wei stood up and jogged towards Benben.

After the two children left the peach grove, Su Luo picked up a cup of tea and walked to the thatched hut:
Would you like some?

"Oh."

A disdainful voice came from inside the room.

"Ordinary qualifications, ordinary talent, just average."

Clearly, Qing'an was not satisfied with Master Sun's granddaughter.

Su Luo: "The little girl is very polite."

Qing'an was too lazy to reply.

Su Luo placed the cup of tea on the windowsill and turned to tune her piano.

When I returned after the piano was tuned, I found that the teacup had been moved from the windowsill back to the coffee table and was empty.

Benben removed the peach branches and piled them in a corner.

Xiao Yingying would help him trim the peach branches, attach paper, and make small flags for him to use in class, just like a mother helping her son sharpen a pencil.

Seeing that Benben had finished his work, Sun Wei said:

"Let's go, shall we take a car to the city?"

Benben looked at her.

"Let's go, the early bus should be here soon."

Benben shook his head.

"You're not going today?"

"No... I'm not going..."

Sun Wei: "Yesterday was the first time I saw them, and I was scared. I won't be like I was yesterday today."

"No... I'm not going..."

"So what do we do today?"

"Attend class……"

Benben arrived at the offering table, and Xiao Hei ran over and gave him a push so he could sit on the high stool.

On ordinary days, Qing'an's offering table is the same desk that Benben sets up on the dam.

Xiao Hei wagged its tail at Sun Wei, indicating that she could sit on it as well.

Sun Wei patted Xiao Hei's head and sat down on another stool.

It seemed that Xiao Hei had just realized that the little girl was much taller than Benben, and that it had been looking down on her.

Benben took out the array books and array diagrams from the drawer of the altar and spread them on the table.

Upon seeing the familiar objects, Sun Wei's face lit up with a happy smile:

"Okay, I'll teach you formations."

Benben nodded.

People tend to feel closer to familiar things in unfamiliar environments.

But when Sun Wei looked at the array diagram with Benben and focused on it carefully, she couldn't help but rub her eyes and look at Benben with great incomprehension when she discovered that there were animals chasing and biting each other in the diagram.

Benben held a pen and kept drawing circles and outlines on the picture book.

He acted like a commander, leading the battle and gradually bringing order to the chaotic situation.

Sun Wei: "Is this really... an array?"

When Benben heard this, he looked at Sun Wei with the same incomprehension.

If this isn't a formation, then what has he been learning all this time?
Sun Wei: "I don't understand..."

Upon hearing this, Benben's expression of confusion deepened even further.

Sun Wei lowered her head, her fingers rubbing together again. As a member of a family specializing in formations, she felt truly ashamed to be misunderstood like this.

Benben had no intention of looking down on anyone.

He simply couldn't understand why someone who had studied formations couldn't even understand such a simple question.

This was his previous homework, but he had nothing else to do today, so he took it out and redid it.

A calligraphy brush was placed into the little girl's hand.

Sun Wei looked up, and Benben pushed the picture book in front of her.

"I……"

Sun Wei picked up a pen and drew a line on it, and the order that Benben had almost tidied up was suddenly thrown into chaos.

"Ah...I...I really..."

Benben reached out and pointed to a spot, indicating that he was going to teach Sun Wei how to draw.

The battle formation gradually stabilized.

When Benben stopped teaching and let Sun Wei do things her own way, things started to get chaotic again.

Keep teaching Benben.

Sun Wei was under a lot of pressure, but when she found that Benben was not only not impatient with her every time he taught her, but was becoming happier and more interesting, her heart was at ease.

From deep within the peach grove, a question came from a thatched hut:
"What's the little rascal playing with today?"

Su Luo's face disappeared, reappearing on the outermost peach tree, and then vanished again after observing the situation.

"Xiong Yu and Miss Sun are doing their homework."

……

Li Zhuiyuan woke up.

He hadn't completely lost consciousness; he had chosen to rest and recover.

When the boy woke up, he saw Ah Li sitting at the drawing table, doing handicrafts.

The girl has been waiting for him since yesterday.

Ah Li put down what she was doing, came over and helped the boy prop up the blanket, helping him sit up on the bed.

Then, the girl left the room.

Judging from the footsteps, they went to the kitchen.

Before long, a bowl of poached eggs with brown sugar was brought in.

Ah Li's cooking skills have been improving, at least she has no problem with this brown sugar poached egg. As long as it doesn't cause blood to spurt out like Lin Shuyou did last time, Ah Li won't make you the thick version.

The aroma of eggs combined with just the right amount of sweetness warms you up instantly after eating a bowl.

According to the plan, we should have set off for the Liu family ancestral home today, but for now we can only postpone it a little longer.

Even though Li Zhuiyuan was confident he could intimidate his poor relatives even if he was carried to the ancestral home while still ill, he still had to consider the emotional value of the Liu family relatives.

Otherwise, if another message is sent from the Qin family, and they start comparing and getting jealous of each other, it will never end.

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan was already considering whether to set up an isolation formation at the ancestral homes of the Qin and Liu families to sever the connection between the two families.

These evil spirits are truly willing to pay the price of perishing a hundred years earlier, just to send a message and show off a little.

A-Li presented the "Secret Scroll of Recalling the Past" and a pen to Li Zhuiyuan, who sat on the bed and began to write.

The bond between father and son can be kept in the heart. Li Zhuiyuan has a good memory and can review his memories at any time, so there is no need to write a diary to deceive himself.

After finishing writing, the "Secret Scroll of Tracing Ancestors" was handed to A-Li. A-Li then copied the latest contents into two copies and handed them to Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately wrote in great detail, thus saving the need for an exchange meeting.

Runsheng pushed open the door and came in: "Mengmeng, time to recite your lessons."

It rained all night yesterday, but today the sun is shining brightly, and I can see a faint rainbow in the distance through the window.

Yin Meng ate snacks while teasing her little Gu worm, enjoying the natural calendar hanging outside the window.

This shattered the tranquility.

Moreover, something even more terrifying was revealed: for a long time, Yin Meng had stayed in the underworld and had not participated in the team's journey across the river. She had fallen behind in both the early "River Journey Code of Conduct" and the current "Chasing the Ancestors Secret Scroll".

After confirming that Yin Meng would be officially returning to the team in the next round, Tan Wenbin naturally stepped in to fill the gap.

Next, the two of them sat on the edge of the bed.

Runsheng was carrying several sheets of paper on his back, while Yinmeng was chewing on a thick stack of papers.

Runsheng quickly memorized it.

This is what Xiao Yuan wrote down. When he recites it, it's as if he's listening to Xiao Yuan speak. He always remembers it very clearly.

Of course, he remembered it, but understanding and using it is another matter. Runsheng was not anxious. If the team really needed him to use his brain... then the team would be beyond saving.

"Sigh... how long will it take to memorize this?"

Yin Meng leaned back against Runsheng's arm.

The worms swarmed around an apple on the table, peeled it clean, and then carried the apple, swaying as they flew over.

Yin Meng took the apple with her outstretched hand, took a few bites, and then handed it to Runsheng.

Aunt Liu happened to be passing by the window and saw this scene.

The image of the replacement automatically popped into my mind, which was quite fitting. In any case, they were all sitting there like wooden stakes, the only difference being the age of the wood.

This old blockhead, I don't know what's wrong with him, now likes to sit on the edge of the bed at night and smile at himself.

That smile seemed to have a magical power, always turning my anxiety and fear into anger and embarrassment, making me want to lash out at him.

Chen Xiyuan skipped over. She's been quite busy lately, not only eating three meals a day, but also finding Yin Meng to eat snacks with or go shopping at the food street.

Aunt Liu pulled Chen Xiyuan away.

Don't be a third wheel.

"Change the light bulb? Shouldn't you ask Ayou for that?"

"You'll understand when you have a partner in the future."

"But sister, finding a partner is such a hassle."

"really."

"I still have to have a wedding, wear a wedding dress, and be stared at like a monkey by a bunch of strangers."

"Yes."

"Then you have to have children, which is even more troublesome."

"Yes."

"What if the child isn't good-looking or smart, and we can't return or exchange them?"

"Ugh……"

Aunt Liu stopped and, with just a few simple words, Chen Xiyuan evoked the fear in her heart.

This might be a case of karma. When Aunt Liu went mad, she led Chen Xiyuan astray, and now she's getting her comeuppance.

Chen Xiyuan: "If only I could have a little brother or sister help me give birth in the future, hehe, and one of them would have my surname 'Chen'." Aunt Liu: "Don't tell the old lady that, or she'll whip you with her sword sheath."

It's still uncertain whether the old lady's side can gather enough people from the "three families dividing Jin".

Even if they managed to gather all the necessary names, there would still be a whole basket of names already chosen, so there would be no surplus to distribute to others.

As they were chatting, a taxi drove up and onto the path.

It's a local Nantong license plate, not the common Nanjing license plate.

Xue Liangliang got out of the passenger seat, followed by Bai Nuo, who was holding her daughter.

Tan Wenbin walked out of the house and waved, saying, "What a rare guest, Brother Liang!"

Xue Liangliang greeted Aunt Liu and Chen Xiyuan, then walked onto the threshing floor and said to Tan Wenbin:

"I just got back last night. If you stay for dinner, we'll run into each other."

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Liang, what time did you get back?"

"Around 4 a.m., I think."

"Even if I stay for a late-night snack, I won't be able to wait; I'll have to eat breakfast first."

Is Xiaoyuan home?

"Brother Xiaoyuan is here. I'll take you upstairs."

Xue Liangliang's identity is special, so he doesn't need to be notified in advance; he can go up as soon as he arrives.

After her son-in-law left, Bai Nuo, holding the clown girl, knelt down and bowed to Aunt Liu and Chen Xiyuan.

Chen Xiyuan leaned closer and teased the child with her finger: "Tingting, be good and call me sister."

The clown girl spat out a saliva bubble.

Aunt Liu reminded her, "The generational order is messed up."

Chen Xiyuan pointed at Aunt Liu and said, "Come here, Tingting, this lady is also called sister."

The clown girl sneezed.

Aunt Liu stepped forward and wrapped the child up a little tighter: "It's windy outside, don't let the child get cold."

Bai Nuo: "Yes, sister... no, Lord Liu."

Aunt Liu: "The child peed."

Bai Nuo: "Ah, I brought diapers, I'll go change her right away."

After Bai Nuo carried the child into the house, Aunt Liu said meaningfully:

“This is Xiaoyuan’s goddaughter.”

"Sister, I know."

"Do you still want it?"

Yes, I want it.

Aunt Liu thought Chen Xiyuan hadn't understood, so she didn't say anything more and went into the kitchen to prepare complementary food for the child.

Chen Xiyuan clutched her flute and ran to the peach grove to play a few tunes together while Mengmeng changed the light bulb.

The arrival of Miss Chen prompted Qing'an to leave the thatched hut and walk to the zither.

Su Luo has already tuned this instrument, but Qing An still needs to make some minor adjustments.

While waiting, Chen Xiyuan told him what had just happened.

Qing'an: "You're right."

Chen Xiyuan: "Hmm?"

Qing'an: "Right now, he hasn't won yet."

Chen Xiyuan: "Didn't win?"

Qing'an:

"No matter how ugly or stupid he is now, he will be incredibly beautiful and intelligent once he wins."

……

Pushing open the door and entering the room, Xue Liangliang saw the boy sitting on the bed and asked with concern:
"Xiao Yuan, are you sick?"

"A minor cold."

Xue Liangliang placed the back of her hand on the boy's forehead: "Isn't it hot?"

"Low-grade fever."

Is it serious?

"It's recovering."

"You're so perfunctory."

"Brother, don't expose me."

Xue Liangliang sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It seems that Liangliang, your job has really been transferred."

Is it obvious?

"The construction site smell on me has faded."

Xue Liangliang sniffed his sleeve and laughed, "This won't do, we have to re-scent it."

Amidst laughter and conversation, Xue Liangliang reached for the can of Jianlibao that was placed on the boy's bedside table.

Ah Li reached out and took it beforehand, then poured a cup of hot tea and brought it to Xue Liangliang.

"Thank you."

Xue Liangliang held the hot tea in his hands and took a sip.

"Xiao Yuan, I have no choice but to obey the arrangements made by the higher-ups, but I have also expressed my personal opinions to them. It seems that the higher-ups will decide to respect them."

It was just a simple, casual remark, yet it hinted at a turning point in his career: Liangliang rejected the easier path to advancement.

Even though several years have passed and the scenery outside the window has changed again and again, Xue Liangliang sitting in front of me is still the same person who shouted out his ideals by the campfire next to the river digging site.

"Congratulations, Brother Liangliang."

"Don't rush to congratulate me. If I go back to my old ways, you won't be able to take a break either. No matter what happens, you'll be the first person I think of."

"Of course, after all, we're fellow disciples."

Xue Liangliang stood up, put down his teacup, and went to get the can of Jianlibao.

Ah Li took it first again, but this time she didn't pour hot water into it; instead, she gave him a new one.

Xue Liangliang opened his drink, downed it in one gulp, burped, and said:

"I'm thirsty."

Then, he examined the beverage can more closely:
"Is it because the brands are different?"

"Different formulas."

"By the way, do you remember that project I told you about last time?"

"The one from the Western Regions?"

"Yes, we're making progress now."

"Is it possible to win the competition?"

Xue Liangliang looked at Li Zhuiyuan without saying a word.

"Brother Liangliang, I support you now. Let's fight for this opportunity."

"Okay, I will."

After chatting, Xue Liangliang left in the same taxi he had come in.

Perhaps feeling embarrassed to arrive empty-handed, he brought his daughter along.

In the evening, Lin Shuyou will drive Bai Nuo and Xiaochou Mei back.

Tan Wenbin stood by the bed and said, "Brother Xiaoyuan, Brother Liang came here for this matter."

"Ah."

Xue Liangliang has the destiny of a hidden dragon in the abyss. Although he does not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, or supernatural beings, he can be aided by ghosts and gods.

Mi Guang's master, Yang Banxian, was actually in a similar position, destined to have benefactors in his life.

However, it's not fair to say that Xue Liangliang was taking advantage of Li Zhuiyuan; in fact, it was Li Zhuiyuan who took advantage of him more and more actively.

For a while, Li Zhuiyuan really used Liangliang as a wave generator.

In this prosperous era, even the Great Emperor had to bow to the fate of the nation and accept the flooding of Fengdu. Li Zhuiyuan also needed this fortune to help him. Only in this world could one defy the will of Heaven.

Tan Wenbin: "That means it's really about to begin."

It's almost a done deal; the next wave will head to the secret realm of the Western Regions.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Based on what Brother Liangliang said, we can infer that the next wave will start later than usual. I suspect we will get a longer rest period."

Even if the candidates are selected now and the project starts immediately, it will still take a process that cannot be skipped until the project is actually launched.

Tan Wenbin: "This is a bit unusual."

In the past, they often came to the waves quickly, or were even forced to join the waves, and rarely used up their rest time.

But as Brother Xiaoyuan wrote in his latest "The Secret Scroll of Tracing the Past," their progress was too rapid, and they fought too fiercely in the last wave. Heaven may well let them rest before preparing the next big feast.

In other words, a new spectacle will soon unfold: Yayoi, Chen Xiyuan, and Luo Xiaoyu will have to go out for the next round of river crossings, while Li Zhuiyuan and the others will still be resting at home.

Li Zhuiyuan: "My injury won't take too long to heal."

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, what you mean is..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Since the river won't let me cause trouble for the time being, then we'll cause trouble in this world."

The performances at Wangjiang Tower and Qinglong Temple were just appetizers; now it's time to focus on the main course.

Because of his unique circumstances, Li Zhuiyuan could not plan things out in the long term and could only seize the day.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, shall I go and contact the other teams?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Their great merit from the previous wave has not yet been realized, and they haven't fully digested the cultivation techniques and secret manuals they took from me. Let's summon them after the next wave is over. Don't disrupt their rhythm now."

Besides, don't worry, there's someone who won't let us be idle. If we were idle and this world entered a quiet period, what would he eat and drink?

Tan Wenbin:
"No wonder the other team left in such a hurry last time."

……

“Nephew Yi, sometimes even I have to sigh, perhaps this is destiny.”

Zhou Rufeng stood by the railing of Wangjiang Tower, gazing at the river view while sighing.

Zhao Yi took two steps forward and stood beside him: "I have never believed in fate. In this world, there is nothing that can make me truly bow my head, except for my ancestors."

Zhou Rufeng reached out and grabbed Zhao Yi's arm: "What a pity, my dear nephew Yi, why did Heaven create both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang?"

Zhao Yi: "Until we reach that final step, until fate has ordained the final outcome, I will not admit defeat."

Zhou Rufeng sighed: "In a few days, a new meeting will be held in this building. In any case, when it's time to bow our heads, we have to do it first."

No matter what dirty deeds one has done in private, if one maintains a good public image, one can hope that in the worst-case scenario, there will be a record, which is also a kind of constraint on the future Dragon King.

Zhao Yi turned around, looked at the building, and said:

"Uncle Zhou, are you going to stand at the door yourself and welcome him to the meeting?"

They greeted the man who murdered his father and son with a smile.

Zhou Rufeng: "Face is not as important as substance. I once advised my father that Wangjiang Tower didn't need to get too involved in the affairs of the martial world. What a pity..."

Zhao Yi didn't believe this statement. If nothing unexpected happened, the one who instigated the most and truly pushed Wangjiang Tower into this vortex was Zhou Rufeng, who connected the past and the future.

He grew up during the period when two Dragon Kings died young, and was accustomed to this kind of martial arts world, so he naturally rejected the return of Qin Liu's orthodoxy.

Zhao Yi: "Uncle Zhou, don't give up hope. If we endure for a while and take a step back, we still have a chance."

Zhou Rufeng agreed with this statement, but he was unwilling to invest any more time in it.

For a family like Wangjianglou, whose tradition is based on one household, the loss of both the head of the family and the young master is a significant blow.

Looking back, the Zhou family servants were still cleaning up the bloodstains on the square.

So many people died here that day, and they died in layers, returning to their original layers after death, so the bloodstains seeped in even deeper.

Xu Ming, Chen Jing, Liang Yan, and Liang Li also helped with the cleaning at Zhao Yi's request.

Zhao Yi: "Uncle Zhou, let me accompany you for a walk on the shore and let you breathe some fresh air."

This is where his son died, and it's inevitable that seeing these things would remind him of him.

Zhou Rufeng nodded: "Okay."

Parting the clouds and mist, we walked across the covered bridge to the riverbank.

Without the barrier to conceal it, the setting sun and the river's surface reflecting its colors truly allowed one to release pent-up emotions.

“Nephew Yi, my father, myself, and even Xuqing all acknowledge your abilities. Xuqing even said that if he were to compete with you in the future, he would be willing to concede defeat twice.”

"It's my fault, I failed to rescue Brother Xuqing."

Zhao Yi knew that this middle-aged slicker was someone he didn't want to continue investing in, and he was encouraging himself to keep fighting with the guy surnamed Li.

The Zhou family gained prominence and prestige in the martial arts world because of Wangjiang Tower, but the Zhou family's foundation lies in this very Wangjiang Tower.

Unfortunately, this thing can't be eaten or bitten, it can't be dismantled or stolen, and even borrowing it would require a member of the Zhou family to act as the key.

In short, the Zhou family couldn't extract any real profit from their wealth.

“Nephew Yi, there’s no need to blame yourself. Who could have known that such a strange person with the character ‘Kong’ would emerge from Qinglong Temple? It can only be said that you, me, and even the entire martial arts world have misjudged Qin Liu. They are not as simple as we imagined. In this martial arts world and among various forces, ah, they have actually planted traitors long ago.”

If Qin and Liu hadn't suffered a calamity and declined, and had been allowed to merge and develop to where they are today, most of the martial arts world would probably be under their control.

"Yes. Uncle Zhou, there's something I've always been puzzled by. Please enlighten me."

“Nephew, you should know the taboos associated with your status.”

"It's not about martial arts techniques, but rather insights into the philosophy of life."

"Sure, go ahead and ask."

"Exactly, I feel disgusted when I say those shameless lies, but I find that you bunch of bastards seem to be able to convince yourselves."
My skin is always getting torn and needs mending. If only I could have skin as thick as yours!

"Zhao Yi?"

"Buzz!"

The tomb owner drew his sword and stabbed at Zhou Rufeng.

In an instant, the three layers of defensive equipment flashed with light and shadow, and were all destroyed. Zhou Rufeng himself let out a muffled groan, and although blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, he was able to jump outside.

"Zhao Yi, what are you going to do?"

Zhao Yi flicked the blade with his fingertip and laughed, "It's clear that after your father and son died, you bastard are really afraid of dying."

Zhou Rufeng unfolded his folding fan and said coldly:

"Zhao Yi, how dare you defy me and launch a sneak attack! You've asked for death!"

"Yes, yes, I was the one who wanted to kill you, so it's perfectly justified for you to kill me in self-defense. Okay, I've proven it for you. Come on, let's continue."

Zhao Yi slashed down with his sword, but Zhou Rufeng blocked it with his fan.

Originally, Zhou Rufeng wanted to prepare for a counterattack and deliberately built up layers of defenses. However, when Zhao Yi slashed down, he found it extremely difficult to block, and all the defenses he had just built up had to dissipate.

"you……"

Zhou Rufeng's eyes widened; Zhao Yi's assertiveness exceeded his expectations.

Zhao Yi twisted his neck, and the dragon skin on his body spread out and billowed in all directions:

"What do you mean, 'you'? If your old man were still alive and here, I would have to call you Uncle Zhou. But with your status, and having already left the Wangjiang Tower area, you, Zhou Rufeng, are nothing but a grandson!"

With a series of slashes, Zhao Yi no longer held back.

Zhou Rufeng found it increasingly difficult to defend himself, while Zhao Yi's attacks grew fiercer with each wave.

If an expert were present, they could vaguely discern that Zhao Yi's swordsmanship and aura possessed the charm of Qin Liu.

It's not about stealing techniques; at this stage, it's difficult to switch to another school's original techniques and start from scratch. But having seen so much of it in daily life, it's perfectly normal to occasionally grasp some superficial understanding and integrate it into one's own practice.

Zhou Rufeng repeatedly tried to escape the battle and return to Wangjiang Tower, but Zhao Yi blocked him each time.

He had just praised Zhao Yi's talent and strength, and that praise was not very sincere or polite. But the truth was that he still underestimated this young man.

"boom!"

The paper fan shattered.

Covered in blood, Zhou Rufeng knew he was cornered, and he burst into loud laughter:
"Zhao Yi, the stronger you are, the more I feel sorry for you. Why did Heaven create both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang? Haha!"

"Hehe, was it because my knife struck too fast that you couldn't keep up with the pace?"

"Isn't your plan to kill me, frame that person, sabotage the surrender negotiations, and force this martial arts world to continue fighting against him for you?"

“You did reveal my plan.”

"Otherwise what? It's just that everyone in the world is driven by profit."

"When your son died in Wangjiang Tower, I was also drinking tea in that tower."

Zhou Rufeng was stunned upon hearing this.

He could accept that Zhao Yi would continue to carry out the slaughter for his own benefit, but he could not accept the fact that the previous normal plan, from the designer to the modifier, was full of traitors.

This would make that large group of people, and his Zhou family, appear incredibly stupid.

"No, impossible! How could you kneel before him? How could you be willing to kneel? Anyone else might, but you, Zhao Yi, shouldn't!"

"It's because my ancestors liked that guy surnamed Li, and they raised his generation in his honor. So, there's nothing wrong with kowtowing to our ancestors during festivals."

The final strike came down.

Below Zhou Rufeng's head, everything instantly disintegrated into a blood mist.

Zhao Yi sheathed his knife, looked down at the skin that had split open again, and thought, "Oh well, I'll have to stitch up my abs again when I get back."

Without the control of the Zhou family bloodline, Wangjiang Tower is nothing more than a sturdy cage.

After some effort, Zhao Yi finally managed to squeeze inside.

Inside, the old grime hadn't been removed, and new red had been added.

On the ground lay a pile of corpses, all of them members of the Zhou family.

Chen Jing licked his lips, raised his hands, stained red, and challenged the setting sun to see which was redder.

After being enhanced by the man surnamed Li, A Jing, who no longer needed to transform into a demon with long white hair, actually exuded an even stronger eerie aura when she took action.

"Ah Jing, Ah Jing."

His strength increased, but his mind became a little unstable, especially after he started fighting.

Despite his boss's shouts, A-Jing remained unmoved and continued admiring his own hands.

Zhao Yi: "Hey Li, what brings you here?"

Chen Jing's eyes flickered. He lowered his hand and turned his head: "Yuan... Brother?"

Not seeing anyone and confirming that Brother Yuan hadn't come, Chen Jing lowered his head in embarrassment towards Zhao Yi.

The Liang sisters stood at opposite ends, with a blood-red net hanging between them. None of the corpses near the sisters were intact.

Xu Ming sat upright on the ground, behind him a towering peach tree that was slowly withering, with many corpses hanging on the tree, falling one by one like ripe fruit.

"Hehehe..."

Xu Ming smiled happily; he hadn't felt useful in a long time.

He had once been assigned to be a nanny to take care of Chen Jing's daily life, and he knew that he was not as qualified as Lao Tiantou to be allowed by the leader to leave the team and share the merits.

He was very grateful to the head of the Li family.

Xu Ming's thoughts were completely transparent to Zhao Yi.

Alright, thankfully the guy surnamed Li is still a minor, otherwise my two wives wouldn't have been kidnapped by him.

Zhao Yi planted a flagpole in the center, with Zhou Rufeng's head placed on top of it.

Raising his hand, he let out a low roar, drawing in the fresh blood from the surrounding area. Using this blood as ink, he wrote eight characters on the plaza:

"A blood debt must be repaid in blood, a fight to the death!"

.........

The scarecrows in the kiln were damaged at a high rate, and repairing them every day was not an option. So Xiong Shan went down to the kiln to ask Luo Xiaoyu if he could give him some scrap material to make some higher-end puppets.

Luo Xiaoyu agreed without even asking Tan Wenbin, and Master Sun took some time to make it for Xiong Shan.

Although it was considered waste, it was a luxury that Xiong Shan, who was once a roughneck, would never have dared to dream of.

In the past, he would never have believed that the peak of his Chenzhou Talisman was used for firing kilns and moving bricks.

If Li Sanjiang were to take some time to visit the kiln, he would see a group of gleaming scarecrows, working tirelessly day and night under Xiong Shan's leadership.

Li Sanjiang didn't have time to come and see; he was so busy that he almost forgot he owned a brick kiln.

Previously, he would sit at home waiting for business, but after Tang Sanzang officially followed him, it was as if he created business just to invite Tang Sanzang.

Some families don't care about the anniversary of someone's death or a day of fasting; they just want to invite Yayoi to their home to chant sutras.

In Tan Wenbin's words, Grandpa Li is now Yayoi's manager, busy taking him around to perform.

At dinner tonight, Li Sanjiang poured a bowl of freshly cooked rice into a bowl of braised pork and mixed it for Yayoi.

"You've been working hard lately, you've even lost weight. Eat more to replenish your strength, Lord Mihou."

"But if you get fat, you won't be able to eat the food that keeps you young."

“That’s true… but if you make money but can’t even eat properly, life is so damn meaningless. How about this, you go to the brickyard tonight and help Shanhou move bricks, then you shouldn’t gain weight.”

"it is good."

"Smack!" Li Sanjiang tapped Yayoi's head with the end of his chopsticks, laughing and scolding, "Can't you tell it's a joke? You silly macaque."

"I don't need to listen. Anyway, I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

Li Sanjiang patted Yayoi's bald head with great affection:

"Good boy, once you've earned a bit more, I'll secretly arrange a marriage for you."

Yayoi: "..."

Aunt Zhang's voice came from the village road: "Little Yuanhou, there's a package for you!"

These days, there aren't many parcels mailed, and the small shop doesn't handle that part-time. It was Aunt Zhang's daughter who was dating someone who worked at the town's post office. She learned that a parcel address was incomplete and was about to return it when she saw the name. It turned out to be a famous person from her own village.

Before Xiao Yuan's injury had fully healed, Tan Wenbin ran down to the dam and took the package from him.

Aunt Zhang: "It was just a coincidence. The address was wrong, and we almost couldn't deliver it."

Tan Wenbin: "I have to thank your son-in-law. Remember to let me know when you get married so I can send a gift."

Aunt Zhang: "Sigh, it's still early. Let the children date and see how it goes."

“Aunt Zhang, I just wanted to buy a bag…” Tan Wenbin turned the package over and, seeing that the sender’s address started with “Western Regions,” immediately said, “Aunt Zhang, could you bring me a pack of cigarettes?”

Before Aunt Zhang could react, Tan Wenbin grabbed the package and ran back to the dam.

Li Sanjiang got up in surprise and walked over to ask, "What's wrong? Whose package is this, all rushing around like this?"

Li Zhuiyuan took the package; it was wrapped very securely.

Li Sanjiang: "Tinghou, take your scissors..."

Ah Li took off her hairpin and scratched it on the package.

Li Sanjiang: "Alright, Tinghou, you don't need to take it anymore."

The package was opened.

Li Sanjiang counted them carefully: "Oh, these are raisins. What are these red, dried things? Seeds or fruits?"

Li Zhuiyuan ignored the local specialties and instead picked up a photo among them.

Li Sanjiang glanced at it and clicked his tongue, "Tsk tsk, why is this guy so filthy?"

With rough skin, cracked lips, peeling face, and disheveled hair, the person in the photo stands in the setting sun. If you didn't look at the work clothes and the tools in his hands, he would look like a homeless beggar.

Not to mention that it had been more than ten years since the last time the great-grandfather saw the person in the photo, even Li Zhuiyuan, who had just seen him not long ago, could not connect him with Su Yizhou.

Li Sanjiang picked up the bag of raisins and shared them with the others.

Li Zhuiyuan turned the photo over; on the back was a line of text: The person had aged, but the handwriting was still as beautiful as it had been back then:
"Xiao Yuan, wait for Dad to come back."

(End of this chapter)