Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 304

Ignoring the mournful cries of the four spirit beasts, the boy slightly increased the pressure of the karmic fire enveloping them with his five fingers on his left hand, further intensifying the flames.

Rather than saying this was paving the way for the chains to penetrate and bind the spirits, it would be more accurate to say that the boy was deliberately torturing and ravaging them, letting them deeply experience what it meant to be worse than dead, and what it meant to be a cruel feast of spiritual torture.

In this regard, Fengdu is always the most professional.

Li Zhuiyuan hopes that they will remember this memory forever, imprinted in their spiritual memory, and become their inescapable nightmare.

The chains pierced through with even greater speed and frenzy at this moment.

They were like giant needles, flying up and down, piercing the spirit beast's body time and time again, only to turn around and stab back again and again.

These four spirit beasts, like the soles of cloth shoes, were stitched together with exceptional firmness and sturdiness.

If we're going to treat them like dogs, then we have to keep them firmly on their leashes, leaving no gaps whatsoever, and we can't give them even the slightest bit of hope.

This is good for Tan Wenbin, and even better for them.

The boy grasped the battle flag in his right hand and slowly raised it.

All four chains were pulled upwards, and the four spirit beasts were tightly bound with a mournful cry, like four marionettes or goods displayed on a shop shelf.

"Tan Wenbin."

"exist!"

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Tan Wenbin, who then spread out his hands.

"It still hurts a little."

Tan Wenbin nodded vigorously, gritting his teeth as he said:

"clear."

The array flag in Li Zhuiyuan's right palm dispersed into a blood mist, then quickly condensed into a pillar shape, with the carved patterns on it becoming clearer at a speed visible to the naked eye.

If you look closely, you'll find that this blood pillar is exactly the same as the two pillars deep in the river at Fengdu Wharf, only scaled down.

The two pillars in reality have stood before the Gate of Hell for countless years, dedicated to imprisoning the ghosts who come to pay homage to Fengdu. The heavy shackles beneath the pillars tell the story of their history.

Now, Li Zhuiyuan has "moved" one of them over, just to make exclusive shackles for these four spirit beasts.

The blood-red pillar was handed over to Tan Wenbin by the boy.

Tan Wenbin's hands were torn apart rapidly, and the flesh and blood seemed to be rolling around as if boiling water were churning.

However, because of the pain of the previous soul splitting, the pain this time was much less intense, and in short, it was bearable.

However, Tan Wenbin soon realized he was overthinking things.

If it were that simple, Xiao Yuan wouldn't have bothered to remind himself again.

"Crashing... crashing..."

The chains dragged and pulled back rapidly, drawing the spirits of the centipede and the green ox back at an irresistible speed, crashing into Tan Wenbin's body.

"Hiss... Ah!!!"

Tan Wenbin knelt down on both knees once again, the pain of which was twice as intense as when his soul was split.

Fortunately, no matter how violently his body trembled or how distorted his expression became, Tan Wenbin maintained the posture of his hands outstretched in front of him, continuing to carry out this final act.

Li Zhuiyuan, who was standing next to him, kept a close eye on Tan Wenbin's condition.

If Tan Wenbin can't hold on, the boy will have to stop this process.

To outsiders, whether it was the initial oath about facial features or the current acceptance of the dog leash, it all seemed like Li Zhuiyuan was personally giving Tan Wenbin special treatment and artificially promoting him.

It can even be traced back to the time when two vengeful infants were sealed inside Tan Wenbin's body, and a special ghost-controlling technique was developed for them.

In reality, not everyone is qualified to endure these things. For example, the same review methods worked for Tan Wenbin, but not for Yingzi.

If you want to be helped up, you first need to have the basic conditions that allow you to be helped up.

For a long time, Tan Wenbin raised his two godson on Shuangjian. Even when he was in a state of imbalance, he did not hesitate to endure terrible suffering every day while sitting in a wheelchair, just to support the two children for a while longer. This is what made Tan Wenbin's soul resilient.

Tan Wenbin's talent isn't among the top in the team, but he always manages to keep up and adjust his state in time, meeting all the conditions when Li Zhuiyuan wants to give him a helping hand.

This is actually a kind of talent—being ready to be pulled along at all times.

Seeing that Tan Wenbin was able to hold on steadily, Li Zhuiyuan was relieved. The centipede and the green ox were still merging. Li Zhuiyuan walked up to the blood ape.

The blood ape, who had been incredibly arrogant and yearning for freedom, now had incredibly clear and lively eyes, its blinking eyes seeming to be making the most innocent plea to the boy.

This isn't a disguise... it's real.

This monkey is very mischievous; its attitude towards you changes only depending on whether you've whipped it.

Monkeys are indeed the most restless and uneasy creatures.

This reminded Li Zhuiyuan of the monkey that Sun Baishen raised.

Wei Zhengdao once bluntly told Sun Baishen: "A beast is still a beast."

Li Zhuiyuan would not make a similar mistake.

However, when the facial features were first formed, the four heads were so sincere that even when they encountered a crisis on the road, they consciously took the initiative to protect Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhuiyuan had absolutely no reason to... put chains on them in advance.

Now, their act of forcing him to resign and breaking their oath has provided them with a pretext, and Li Zhuiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

After the centipede and the green ox were completely melted, the blood ape was pulled into Tan Wenbin's body by chains.

Tan Wenbin's trembling continued.

Li Zhuiyuan then walked behind Tan Wenbin and looked at the two-headed python.

Deng Chen is dead, but in the boy's eyes, the python still looks like Deng Chen.

You have disappointed me greatly.

Deep regret was evident in the two-headed python's eyes.

It was definitely the smartest of the four spirit beasts, and because it wasn't shattered into a phantom in the wave with the pig's head, it had more opportunities to interact with Li Zhuiyuan's side.

It can become a being that surpasses the other three beasts, as long as it chooses to break ties with them and firmly stands on Tan Wenbin's side.

At the very least... don't let Tan Wenbin wear those reading glasses.

It knew it couldn't win, it was well aware of how terrifying the forces behind the boy were, but it still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking it could try to gain more benefits within a controllable scope of conflict.

It was truly unexpected that the teenager would ignore the demands for negotiation and directly suppress them with ruthless methods.

"Forget it, I shouldn't have had any hope for you in the first place."

Li Zhuiyuan turned around, and the blood ape was fully fused.

Just as the two-headed python was being pulled up by the chains, the boy raised his arm, and the chains stopped.

A glimmer of hope rekindled in the two-headed python's eyes. It excitedly wiggled its tail, thinking it still had a chance.

It will misunderstand.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand to call a halt, partly to give Tan Wenbin more time to catch his breath, and partly to use the two-headed python to clean up the mess in Baijia Town.

The apparent owner of Baijia Town is Liangliang's family.

I have indeed come here today to take advantage of the special environment of Baijia Town to carry out a suppression campaign. The scene and commotion earlier were meant to intimidate the entire Baijia Town.

The young man didn't mind making the shock even clearer in his writing, since he was already there.

Li Zhuiyuan clenched his left hand, and the two-headed python's body began to compress rapidly, as if it would be squeezed to burst at any moment.

The boy released its restraints, and the two-headed python instinctively roared and darted out. As a spirit, it didn't need to worry about causing any damage to the buildings in Baijia Town, but its constant howls and roars were enough to shake the Baijia Goddess in all the houses in Baijia Town.

And so, the two-headed python darted from one end of town to the other, and wandered from the town center to the surrounding areas.

Every time it was about to stop, Li Zhuiyuan would gently squeeze its hand to speed it up and also turn up the volume.

The Bai family's empress, with her slightly protruding belly, sat in the red coffin deep inside the ancestral hall, her back against the coffin wall, one hand gently stroking her abdomen, the other hand lightly pressing down on the corners of her mouth that she couldn't help but smile.

She could see through his intentions; he was supporting her in this way.

The power structure of Baijia Town is based on the town's rules, and even she finds it difficult to break free from those rules, not to mention the decline in her own strength after becoming pregnant, which inevitably leads to a continuous drop in her prestige.

It's no exaggeration to say that since becoming pregnant, her status has been largely supported by her relationship with that young man.

From this day forward, her position will be completely secure, even more so than before she became pregnant.

When the time was right, Li Zhuiyuan beckoned, and the two-headed python was pulled back and merged into Tan Wenbin's body.

Tan Wenbin remained kneeling there, the pillar now fused into his flesh and blood, resting on his outstretched hands.

From then on, he would completely control the abilities of these four spirit beasts, no longer asking them for assistance, but driving and controlling them.

Tan Wenbin raised his head, let out a long sigh, gritted his teeth, and stood up again.

He was actually a little guilty. If he had a choice, he would rather go back and be with the beasts inside him, and treat them as friends.

Even in reality, most of the buddies you can stick together with when you're young will eventually drift apart.

Four phantom spirit beasts appeared one after another behind Tan Wenbin, each one tightly bound by chains. The aura they exuded caused Baijia Town to tremble four times in succession.

His perception is rapidly returning, and Tan Wenbin's overall demeanor is changing accordingly.

From ordinary to incredibly sharp, and then to a state of understated brilliance.

Blood was still dripping from his bloodied hand, but Tan Wenbin held a circle between his fingers in front of his eyes, turned around, and looked at Lin Shuyou:
"Ah-you, now I don't even need to read the book, I can just swipe the cheat sheet with my eyes!"

Lin Shuyou, who was still happy for Bin Ge's resurgence, froze on his face upon hearing this, and after a long pause, he exclaimed:
"Brother Bin, this is cheating!"

Tan Wenbin: "So, according to you, if Xiao Yuan doesn't adjust his IQ to the average level and takes the exam, it's also considered cheating."

Lin Shuyou: "That's different. Brother Xiaoyuan came with him, you were brought along!"

In the current situation, the two of them actually started arguing about university final exams, and they seemed to enjoy it immensely.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't disturb them, letting them argue to their heart's content.

In the end, Lin Shuyou gave in and stepped forward to grab Tan Wenbin's arm:

"Brother Bin, I beg you, you can't do this. What's the point of me studying and reviewing if this happens?"

"I can give you a cheat sheet."

"This is cheating!"

“Xiao Yuan will also be taking the exam with us. There’s a high chance we’ll be in the same exam room. If Xiao Yuan can play matchmaker for us, the proctor definitely won’t notice.”

"But I've already played matchmaker with Xiao Yuan... why do I need you to give me the answer?"

"That makes sense."

"No, that doesn't make sense, Brother Bin, let's just take the exam as usual, please."

"Just kidding. I've already reviewed everything, why would I need to cheat?"

Tan Wenbin walked up to Li Zhuiyuan, raised his arm, and tried to flex his biceps: "Brother Xiaoyuan, I feel like I'm full of power right now. I can beat Runsheng to a pulp once we get ashore."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Alright, after I help Runsheng clear the blockage in his valves, I'll have him give you a good fight."

Tan Wenbin blinked and said, "I'm referring to Runsheng now."

Only a fool would try to fight Runsheng head-on after the valves have been cleared.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lin Shuyou and asked, "Have you decided yet?"

Lin Shuyou answered loudly, "Watch closely!"

Li Zhuiyuan paused for a moment, pointed to Tan Wenbin's original spot, and gestured for Ayou to stand there.

Since the venue has already been rented, there's no harm in using it.

However, Li Zhuiyuan also considered that it was impossible for them to come down to the river for everything in the future, as that would be too inconvenient. Moreover, some arrangements could not be provided by Baijia Town, and he could not possibly help them build their formations here.

We need to consider establishing a dedicated formation area in Siyuan Village.

It must be able to conceal its true nature from the average person's appearance, while also ensuring that its internal structure is stable and convenient.

There are no technical difficulties; the problem lies in the materials.

The problems were not prominent in the early stages of the river crossing, but as the crossing progressed, the difficulties of starting the crossing by hand became increasingly apparent.

Zhao Yi still needs to recover from his injuries, and I also need to take care of things in Nantong. Once both are settled, I can go to Jiujiang.

Li Zhuiyuan looked down on ordinary families, as they would have difficulty gathering everything the young man needed. But the Zhao family of Jiujiang would have no problem, since they were the most adept at business.

However, under normal circumstances, during breaks in the journey across the river, it would be extremely risky to make an unauthorized attempt to raid the treasure vaults of a family of this caliber. Even with the current strength of Li Zhuiyuan's team, it would be easy to end up losing more than you gain. Even if they could escape unscathed, it would inevitably disrupt their own rhythm of traveling across the river.

Unfortunately, a major traitor emerged from the Zhao family.

Gathering his thoughts, Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lin Shuyou.

Lin Shuyou stood ramrod straight, as if he were in military training.

He kept swallowing saliva, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

There's no other reason than that after witnessing Brother Bin's previous miserable state firsthand, he now feels like a child about to get a shot.

However, Li Zhuiyuan neither reassembled the array flags nor reopened the Ghost Gate; he did not replicate the methods he had previously used to deal with the four spirit beasts.

Because the White Crane Boy is different from the other four.

The boy who was once a child was arrogant and proud, but now he has become integrated into the community.

Tan Wenbin's senses had been deteriorating in Fengdu and have only just recovered.

Lin Shuyou's alternating hot and cold symptoms were triggered briefly in Fengdu, and then never recurred.

This shows that Tong Zi preferred to be suppressed rather than try to stand out and cause Lin Shuyou pain.

Ever since the boy descended from the altar and took over Lin Shuyou's body, the two have been chatting away in private for so long that they've actually developed genuine feelings for each other.

Li Zhuiyuan's fingertips moved rapidly, then his index and middle fingers came together and pointed at Lin Shuyou's brow:
"open!"

Lin Shuyou felt that Xiao Yuan in front of him and Bin behind him were rapidly distancing themselves from him. His consciousness was distorted, as if the barrier within his body was weakened into a thin membrane.

The mark belonging to the Ghost General appeared on Lin Shuyou's forehead.

That painful sensation of alternating hot and cold began to rise, but this time it was very mild, somewhat like having a fever.

Li Zhuiyuan began:

“Ah You, your situation is a bit complicated. Let me describe it to you simply.”

The position of Ghost General was personally conferred by the Emperor of Fengdu. My authority can only change the conferment, not revoke it.

The position of Ghost General and your True Lord body are in conflict with each other in terms of system, and they are incompatible in principle.

This contradiction within you not only prevents you from exerting your power, but as time goes on, the current balance is destined to be broken, and the risk of you exploding will become increasingly greater.

There are two solutions:

One option is for me to strip you of your position as a True Lord, retaining only your identity as a Ghost General.

I can do that, because Sun Boshen should give me face.

In fact, what Li Zhuiyuan meant was: Sun Baishen is not as difficult to deal with as the Great Emperor.

Moreover, most of the True Lords are currently sealed at the bottom of the sea with Sun Baishen. Even if the only True Lord outside is gone, Sun Baishen won't care too much, since he doesn't draw merit from the True Lords.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Xiaoyuan, what will happen to the boy after he is stripped of his True Lord status?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The child's soul will be annihilated, turning into nutrients within your body, and eventually being absorbed by you."

Lin Shuyou: "I choose the second one."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Secondly, I will transfer the position of Ghost General to the Child, and appoint you as a Ghost General under the Child."

You will be unable to disobey the child's will, and your life and death will be completely controlled by the child's single thought.

Do you still choose the second option?

Lin Shuyou said almost without hesitation, "Choose the second one."

After making his selection, as if afraid the boy might misunderstand, Lin Shuyou scratched his head and explained:
"Anyway, this way, my strength won't be affected, and I can still help you, Brother Xiaoyuan. Besides, Tongzi listens to you very much, Brother Xiaoyuan."

Anyway, I don't want the virgin to die.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze darkened, and he said:

"Think about it again and give me a proper answer."

Tan Wenbin turned around, avoiding Lin Shuyou's gaze, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and found that it was wet.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin saw a beautifully crafted water pipe placed under the eaves of the house across the street.

Tan Wenbin walked over, picked up the water pipe and examined it; the tobacco inside was very well packed.

Just as I was about to take a puff, I discovered that my lighter wouldn't light because water had gotten inside.

"Ding dong..."

A silver-tube tinderbox was thrown out of the window.

Tan Wenbin picked it up, removed the hat, blew on it, and a red spark ignited.

This pair is truly a perfect match; if displayed in public, they would definitely be considered works of art.

Tan Wenbin walked to the window. The window here is opened high, serving the purpose of ventilation and letting in sunlight. Ordinary people outside cannot see inside, which protects privacy very well.

Grasping the edge, his palms turning red, Tan Wenbin lifted himself up, using the power of the Blood Ape to reach the window and look into the room.

Actually, Tan Wenbin had too many things on his mind and wanted to smoke a hookah, but he was afraid that the owner of the hookah would find it hard to swallow.

After all, in real rural areas, most of those still smoking hookahs are elderly men and women; of course, there are no elderly men here.

If the woman in this house, Madam Bai, had long, drooping wrinkles on her face and looked incredibly old, I really wouldn't have been able to bring myself to use the water pipe she used.

All I can do is thank them and say that I'm planning to quit smoking.

In the dark room, there was a bench, and Bai's mother sat inside.

Previously, Liang Ge's wife had given the order to close the doors and windows and not to peek in. Logically, the window should have been closed, but it was probably broken and had fallen off, so she couldn't close it.

Therefore, she sat in the house with her back to the outside, trying her best to make amends.

From behind, he looks quite young, about the same age as Xiao Yuan, with two pigtails, and he's kind of cute.

Tsk, so kids shouldn't learn to smoke. Look, they died so young.

Judging by age, the young lady from the Bai family inside should be older than his own grandmother. Tan Wenbin released his grip, landed, patted his pocket, took out a calming talisman, and tossed it through the window as a return gift.

Whether the talisman is useful or not is another matter, but returning the gift is a gesture in itself, and at least it can make this person receive some preferential treatment in the town.

He lit a water pipe with a tinderbox, took a puff, and exhaled a smoke ring. Tan Wenbin looked at Ayou over there, and he could no longer suppress the smile on his face.

Faced with Xiao Yuan's second question, Ayou started to pretend to think again.

In fact, the answer is still the same.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Answer me."

Lin Shuyou took a deep breath: "Brother Xiaoyuan... I still choose the second one."

After answering, Lin Shuyou prepared to face Xiao Yuan's reprimand.

Li Zhuiyuan did not reprimand him, but instead pointed at Ayou's forehead again.

Lin Shuyou felt a swelling and soreness in his left eye. Then, the vertical pupil that had not appeared for a long time opened in his left eye.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Boy, did you hear that?"

Boy: "I heard you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You are inside him, you should know that he is not lying, nor is he putting on an act."

Tongzi: "He doesn't have that kind of acting skill."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The third option is that while Ayou retains his position as a True Lord, he will be formally appointed as a Ghost General, and you will become his Ghost General. You will be unable to disobey Ayou's will, and your life and death will be in Ayou's hands."

Earlier, when Li Zhuiyuan was dealing with the spirit beast inside Tan Wenbin's body, he reminded Lin Shuyou to keep a close eye on it.

Lin Shuyou's "I understand" was a loud and forceful reply.

But this reminder wasn't directed at Lin Shuyou, but rather at the child within Ayou's body.

There is a red line that Li Zhuiyuan will not allow to be crossed; he cannot accept the situation where Ayou is completely controlled by the boy.

Therefore, in essence, the so-called choice does not exist.

The boy could only choose the one path that Li Zhuiyuan had planned.

The reason for letting Lin Shuyou make the choice in advance was to make Tongzi feel more comfortable.

Li Zhuiyuan already knew how Ayou would answer before even asking.

Now, Ah You would rather be controlled by you than be annihilated, so what else do you have to be resentful about?

Lin Shuyou's problem is very similar to Tan Wenbin's; the Great Emperor deliberately enhanced the power of the spirit body to increase the asymmetrical contradiction.

In the past, Ayou and Tongzi could coexist relatively equally under the Zhenjun system, but the current reality is that they must be prioritized and a choice must be made.

The point of contention between the position of True Lord and the position of Ghost General is actually the position of Child. The two can coexist, but only one can be the master and the other must be deposed.

The boy answered calmly, "I choose the third one."

There is only one choice, but you must select the answer.

After a pause, the boy said to the young man in front of him, "Thank you."

It was indeed forced, but the experience didn't make the child feel resentful.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I can promise you that when I am capable enough in the future, I can help you break free from the shackles of this ghost general and grant you freedom."

Tongzi: "There's no need for that. What I mean is, I don't really care."

If it were any other spirit medium, the boy wouldn't say such things, but he trusts Lin Shuyou's character.

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Ayou, took out a piece of yellow paper, and with a flick of his wrist, the yellow paper spontaneously combusted, turning into sparks of light that scattered outwards.

The young man pressed his right hand forward and said, "Lin Shuyou, kneel down and receive your title!"

The phantom of the Gates of Hell reappeared behind the boy.

But this time it wasn't for suppression; it was just to serve as background in the ritual process.

Lin Shuyou faced Li Zhuiyuan and knelt down on one knee.

His mind is a bit muddled right now, like he's in a drowsy state.

The boy's left hand was outstretched, making an invisible lifting motion:

"By imperial decree of Fengdu, Lin Shuyou is hereby appointed as the Ghost Commander of the Underworld of Fengdu."

Li Zhuiyuan kept everything simple, holding the investiture ceremony behind closed doors with his own team members, without bothering with any pomp and circumstance.

Lin Shuyou, still feeling dizzy, said:

"Accept the decree!"

The Ghost General mark that had been appearing between Lin Shuyou's eyebrows stopped flashing and rotating, and was fixed in place.

On the contrary, the True Lord's Mark began to fluctuate, showing a gradually volatile trend.

"By imperial decree of Fengdu, the White Crane Boy is hereby appointed as a ghost general under Lin Shuyou!"

The boy's voice rang out:
"Accept the decree!"

The True Lord's Mark has stabilized.

The two types of markings no longer conflict or compete with each other; instead, they show a tendency to merge.

"what………"

In an instant, Lin Shuyou felt a sense of complete comfort. Not only had his former power returned, but it had also been significantly amplified.

The poisonous coating given by the Emperor was peeled off, but the sugar was still eaten.

"Eeya~~~~"

Lin Shuyou stood up. The Ghost General's lines on his face faded, replaced by the True Lord's lines of the past, presenting the traditional image and arrogance of the White Crane Boy.

This was his own ranking of priorities; he still preferred to be the White Crane True Lord, and as for the Ghost General... he'd just be an extra.

The terrifying pressure spread outwards from Lin Shuyou throughout the entire Baijia Town.

The True Lord's vertical pupils were tinged with a ghostly depth, bringing an even more terrifying pressure.

Theoretically speaking, everything in Baijia Town can be classified as evil spirits.

This is equivalent to all the Bai family ladies in the town being "sweeped away" by True Lord Baihe just now, like the judge inspecting prisoners.

This is a form of deterrence that doesn't need to be explicitly stated.

If anyone misbehaves in Baijia Town again, the white cranes will patrol the area, either standing on the shore or diving into the water to hunt mice for food.

"call……"

With his momentum waning, Lin Shuyou also started to imitate Brother Bin, adopting a more reserved approach.

But he was, after all, a young man with a pure heart. Having regained even greater strength, he uttered the same words as Tan Wenbin had just said, but with greater sincerity and confidence:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, after you help Runsheng clear the air ducts, I want to have a good fight with him!"

"You two make the arrangements yourselves."

Even just by sensing their auras, one could clearly perceive the enormous changes in Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou. The changes in their strength could no longer be described as simply doubling.

This wave in Fengdu has an extraordinary advantage: the results are astonishing.

But the prerequisite was that Li Zhuiyuan secretly changed the lock.

If the lock on that gate of hell hadn't been changed successfully, and Li Zhuiyuan hadn't gained the Emperor's approval and authorization, then right now it wouldn't be about marveling at the team's obvious improvement in strength, but rather that the team was on the verge of exploding.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Wenbin: "We're about to leave, Brother Binbin, go say goodbye."

"clear."

Tan Wenbin walked along the town road toward the town center. When he arrived at the gate of the ancestral hall, the gate opened automatically.

The woman from the Bai family stood behind the door, welcoming them.

Tan Wenbin nodded to her and walked with her into the center of the ancestral hall.

My eyes glanced at the red coffin set up there, and I felt like I had accidentally wandered into Brother Liang's bridal chamber.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Tan Wenbin walked to the incense table.

Lady Bai handed over a stick of incense.

Tan Wenbin caught the incense with one hand, then flicked his middle finger, breaking the lower half of the incense stick in two.

Only the top half was left, which Tan Wenbin inserted into the incense burner.

He didn't bow before offering incense, nor did he make any extra movements after inserting the incense; he simply nodded to the person next to him.

This means that he did not come to pay homage to the Bai family, as Baijia Town is not worthy of being worshipped by the Dragon King's family.

Being able to offer half an incense stick is a gesture of goodwill, and also a way of repaying the favor of someone who lent you the space.

There are many rules and regulations in the martial arts world, and the higher you go, the stricter the rules become. It's not about strictly adhering to the so-called rules in order to control your status, but rather that if you don't understand them, you can easily get involved in unnecessary entanglements.

For example, if you were to foolishly perform the rituals and offer incense on behalf of your own Xiao Yuan, wouldn't that be directly acknowledging the almost equal relationship between Baijia Town and the Dragon King's family, allowing them to benefit from it? Or would you be voluntarily taking the blame for Baijia Town?
Tan Wenbin, because he often chatted with the old lady, was also intentionally trained by her to follow the rules of the Dragon King's boat. That's how he learned these rules.

When Tan Wenbin came out, he saw that Xiao Yuan and Ayou were already waiting for him outside the archway. He raised his hand to signal them and put his water pipe and tinder back in their place.

Bai's sister-in-law, following behind him, saw this scene and deliberately covered her mouth to tease him:
"Xiaoyu is young. If you need a maid, you can take her with you. It would be a good thing for her."

The tone and expression were very similar to a conversation between a local fortified village lord and the garrison eunuch.

She also subtly flaunts her status as "sister-in-law" and teases her brother-in-law.

Having lived for so long and been able to lead the Bai family this generation, she was always calm and knew how to conduct herself, except for her impulsive and passionate reaction to Xue Liangliang.

"Young, what year were you born?"

He has just passed sixty years of age.

"Then forget it, take her back. It's like bringing back an old best friend for my grandma."

The woman didn't bring it up again; she already knew the other person wouldn't want it.

"I'll bring you some baby and maternity supplies in a while."

"Thank you for your kindness."

The maternity and baby supplies have almost filled a room, but the baby is only just starting to show.

No one knows how long this pregnancy will last, not even the mother herself, because her experience is unprecedented in the history of Baijia Town.

"Alright, don't bother seeing us off, we're leaving."

"Yes."

Tan Wenbin ran out of the archway and met up with Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou before walking out together.

The woman bowed to their retreating figures. The doors on both sides opened, and the Bai family ladies, holding lanterns, came out and stood on both sides of the street, kneeling in unison to see them off.

Once back on shore, the three of them began to dry their wet clothes.

Lin Shuyou: "I should have left my clothes on the shore before going down."

Tan Wenbin slapped Lin Shuyou on the back of the head: "What are you thinking? You want the three of us men to go to Baijia Town naked? That's Baijia Town, not the Land of Women."

Lin Shuyou: "You can wear just a pair of underwear."

Tan Wenbin: "That's not respectable. What would it look like if the two of us stood in front of Brother Xiaoyuan in our underwear? If Grandma finds out when we get back, we'll be beaten to death!"

Lin Shuyou scratched his head, as if he had thought of something, and asked, "Brother Bin, do you think the Women's Kingdom that Tang Sanzang visited on his pilgrimage was the same as Baijia Town?"

After the previous wave, myths and legends have been given a new interpretation in the eyes of the public.

Tan Wenbin: "Wow, no wonder Tang Sanzang could remain unmoved with a woman in his lap. With a Bai family lady sitting in his lap, who could possibly be tempted?"

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Liang?"

Tan Wenbin: "If Brother Liang goes to have his appendix removed someday, we'll try to get some from the doctor. Who knows, eating it might grant him immortality."

Lin Shuyou: "How should appendix be seasoned? Like the way large intestine is cooked?"

Tan Wenbin: "No, you really plan to eat it?"

"Hiccup!"

Next to the tricycle, Runsheng burped.

Tan Wenbin asked curiously, "Runsheng, did you take some time to go out and buy something to eat?"

"No."

Runsheng moved aside, and a small red coffin appeared behind him.

Lin Shuyou: "Runsheng, did you catch a Bai family goddess for a treat?"

Runsheng shook his head and said:
"Not long after you went down there, a big white rat swam to the shore pushing this coffin. Inside the coffin were dishes that tasted very good."

I couldn't resist and ate it all. I'm sorry.

Tan Wenbin waved his hand and said, "It's okay. The dishes you think are delicious, we probably won't be used to eating."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Let's take that yellow pickup truck back. Leave the other cars here for now and have Baijia Town look after them."

Tan Wenbin: "Let's go home!"

In the distance, on the river, a mouse wearing an apron, holding a spoon in its left hand and a shovel in its right, was swimming vigorously.

It will swim across the Yangtze River and land on the Shanghai Bund!

Unfortunately, some distance from Nantong, a coffin surfaced underwater, and a Bai family goddess reached out, grabbed the rat's tail, and ruthlessly pulled it back.

The white mice were powerless to resist and could only cry out in grievance:

"Is there any justice left? Is there any law left? All you did was cook a bowl of wontons and they caught a rat and brought it all the way to Nantong!"

……

Benben covered his crotch and looked at Zhao Yi with a resentful expression.

"Hahahahaha!"

As Zhao Yi was laughing, he noticed Xiao Yingying standing behind him.

Even knowing that the other party was extraordinary, Xiao Yingying still clearly showed her anger.

Here, she really doesn't need to be afraid of anyone.

"It was just a joke with the child; I really like this child."

Old Tian chimed in, "Young master, the most fun children are still the ones you give birth to yourself."

Zhao Yi: "Old Tian."

"Yes, young master."

"I've inquired around for you, and there happens to be an elderly widow in this village."

"what?"

"In her youth, she was one of the most beautiful women in the surrounding area."

"Young Master, no, no, no..."

“She’s a good woman. She has a daughter and a granddaughter, but no son. If you go and live with her, there will be fewer obstacles. Oh, by the way, the old lady’s name is Liu Jinxia.”

"Young Master, can you please stop joking with me?"

"You were the one who joked with me first."

“I was not joking at all, young master. You are young and just the right age to sow seeds.”

"Yes, I went to find a woman outside to have a child, but the two from the Liang family found out and held a grudge. They stabbed me in the back and tried to take me down with them."
I got them pregnant, and I took the two pregnant women with me as we walked along the river.

"I can't do it, and even someone surnamed Li probably doesn't have the ability."

Old Tian pointed to Benben in the crib: "Young master, isn't this a perfect example?"

Zhao Yi: "If his parents hadn't met that guy surnamed Li, and had rescued him and then promptly retired from the martial arts world, the whole family of three would have drowned in the river long ago."

The actions of Xiong Shan and his wife can only be described as good luck; a fool stumbled upon a stroke of good fortune.

"Three eyes!"

Lin Shuyou's voice came through.

Zhao Yi turned his head and looked over, then immediately laughed and said, "Oh, it seems you've recovered."

Lin Shuyou: "Shall we have a fight?"

Zhao Yi shook his arms, revealing two patches of skin that tore open like cloth.

Old Tian immediately took out his needle and thread and began patching up his young master's skin.

Zhao Yi: "Should we continue fighting?"

Lin Shuyou frowned. Although he was weak when he had three eyes before, he was not so easily damaged.

When will you be able to recover?

Zhao Yi: "It won't take long."

Lin Shuyou: "Okay, once you're healed, we'll have a proper fight!"

Zhao Yi: "Fine, we Zhaos will definitely keep you company to the end, until you're sore and tired."

Lin Shuyou: "Oh, right, it was Brother Xiaoyuan who asked you to go over there."

When Zhao Yi arrived at Li Sanjiang's house, Aunt Liu had gone out to buy groceries, Uncle Qin had gone to deliver goods, and even the old lady was playing bridge with her old friends. This time, he didn't need to greet each of them individually and went straight into the house.

Runsheng lay on the round table, took off his shirt, and Li Zhuiyuan gently flicked the ink line on Runsheng's body.

Upon seeing Zhao Yi arrive, Li Zhuiyuan handed him a list of items.

Zhao Yi took it, glanced at it, and shook his head, saying:
"The materials on this are so rare, I probably can't find them all in my family's treasure trove."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Then we won't go to Jiujiang."

As if he had thought of something, Zhao Yi immediately said:
"Adding the burial goods from the ancestral graves, it'll definitely be enough!"

(End of this chapter)