Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 307

This is the vision of the Dragon King.

Zhao Yi's transformation stemmed from his ancestor's notes, combined with his own reflections on his journey across the river and the guidance of Old Lady Liu, which enabled him to gain a deeper understanding of his ancestor's state of mind.

To outsiders, what he was about to do was nothing short of the greatest act of rebellion in the history of the Zhao family.

But in Zhao Yi's view, if his ancestor Zhao Wuyang were to be resurrected, the first person to attack Jiujiang Zhao would be his ancestor himself, not him, Zhao Yi.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up the copper coins from the ground one by one.

Zhao Yi lifted his knees off the prayer mat, stood up, and his expression changed from solemn and dignified to one of deep confusion and doubt.

The divination result is very auspicious.

In reality, no matter what the divination specifically points to, it will not affect the outcome of this trip.

Li Zhuiyuan was skilled in divination, but the more someone understood and was familiar with it, the less likely they were to be superstitious about it.

This divination was just to fulfill a formality.

I never imagined that Zhao Wuyang would actually "manifest his power".

However, what was supposed to be a simple formality has now turned into a problem.

The memorial tablet has just been moved.

Both Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi sensed that this was definitely not caused by nearby construction or an earthquake, because next to the offering table was the identity tablet of Li, the corpse retriever from Nantong, but it remained completely still.

Zhao Yi said, "I remember when the three incense sticks were burning, you said that after that, I would no longer be able to sense the spirits of my ancestors."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Yes, you really shouldn't have been able to sense it."

When the incense sticks burned three times, Zhao Yi was cursed by the Book of Life and Death. In order to save him, Li Zhuiyuan used the copper coin sword given to him by Zhao Wuyang as a medium to activate the Zhao family's original technique, and then used feng shui techniques to simulate Zhao Wuyang's aura. Only then did he pull Zhao Yi, who should have been cursed to death, back from the brink of death.

The copper coin sword turned to dust, along with the "ancestral blessing" that should have been on Zhao Yi's body.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, even if Zhao Yi were to bang his head against the ancestral tablet until it bled or even smashed his brains out, he would not elicit any response from the ancestors.

But just now, there was a response.

Zhao Yi: "Is it possible that the response wasn't for me, but for you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No."

Zhao Yi: "Are you sure?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Confirmed."

Zhao Yi: "That's strange."

Li Zhuiyuan opened his right hand, and blood spread out.

Zhao Yi couldn't see the bloodline, but he could sense something being released. At the same time, the boy in front of him had a deep look in his eyes that Zhao Yi couldn't fathom.

The blood-red thread wrapped around the memorial tablet inscribed with "Ancestor Zhao Wuyang," and from there it continued to extend, landing behind the offering table where a pair of footprints appeared.

In fact, the "red line" is a concrete representation of Li Zhuiyuan's own understanding, as are the footprints.

An invisible spirit cannot perform the actions of a normal person, but it can demonstrate that Zhao Wuyang's spirit has touched this place.

"Spirit" is not a ghost; it describes a state. Even though both terms contain the word "spirit," they are worlds apart.

Traditional Yin-Yang practice involves making things that don't exist in reality "visible." Li Zhuiyuan's red thread goes a step further, re-marking the indescribable.

The red line continues to extend forward, constantly creating footprints on the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan followed the footprints, with Zhao Yi following behind.

The two walked out of the small cubicle and came outside.

The footprints continued forward.

On the dam, four elderly women are playing cards.

Wang Lian didn't get a turn this time, and she was peeling peanuts for the others at the table.

Her life wheel is twisted and broken, which means that her life is full of hardship and difficulty. However, the wheel has already taken shape and is more than that of many ordinary people, which means that if she can persevere, there will be a day when her suffering will be over.

Although she is not the one to taste this sweetness, her deepest desire should be fulfilled.

Granny Hua's life wheel is not well-formed, scattered and sparse, which is what people often call a thin life and shallow fortune. However, there is a faint layer of soft light surrounding it, supporting it.

Liu Jinxia's main strength lies in her toughness.

Li Zhuiyuan had already witnessed this before.

As for Liu Yumei... Li Zhuiyuan deliberately skipped over this old lady when he followed the red thread.

Wang Lian, who was peeling peanuts, watched curiously as Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi walked past their card table.

The older one followed closely behind the younger one, step by step, while the younger one stretched out its palms in front, as if playing a game of imitating a blind person walking.

Liu Jinxia and Granny Hua also saw it, and the two were about to make a joke, but Liu Yumei's shout of "Hu!" immediately drew their attention away.

The main issue is that Liu Yumei usually loses money when playing cards, rarely winning. This big win really surprised her fellow card players.

Liu Yumei chuckled and reached for a handful of peeled peanuts from Wang Lian, blew off the skins, popped a few into her mouth, and said with a smile:
"I'm on a good luck today, it looks like something good is coming my way."

Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi crossed the entire dam and entered the east room.

The footprints stopped in front of the altar table in the east room, which was filled with ancestral tablets.

A thin red thread runs from top to bottom, passing through each section without missing a single one.

It's as if someone once stood here, their gaze sweeping over all the memorial tablets from top to bottom.

However, several memorial tablets placed close together were wrapped tightly with red thread.

This means they looked at it, and may even have reached out and touched it.

Of course, these actions did not actually happen; they were all imagined by Li Zhuiyuan.

The ancestral tablets of the Qin and Liu families were initially arranged on the left and right sides, with the order of seniority determined by their respective generations.

Later, after Ah Li started making wooden flower rolls from the ancestral tablets, the tablets kept being replenished, so the family became too lazy to distinguish between the two families when placing them on the altar. Instead, they were arranged chronologically from beginning to end, whether they belonged to the Qin family or the Liu family.

To some extent, this can be considered as facilitating a great reconciliation and integration between the Qin and Liu families in history.

Historically, the two families have a deep-seated blood feud in their competition for the Dragon King title. Almost every Dragon King of the Qin family has killed someone from the Liu family, and every Dragon King of the Liu family has the blood of a member of the Qin family on his hands.

All these grudges and resentments eventually drifted away in the wooden flower rolls made by their shared granddaughter.

Zhao Yi: "Those people, according to the timeline, are very close to my ancestors."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Standing before the memorial tablet, looking forward, one sees the stories of the previous Dragon Kings that one has heard before; looking back, one sees the future glory of being a Dragon King.

During this period, there may also have been some feelings of emotion and high spirits.

Despite his humble origins, he was able to powerfully seize power and write his own era within the Dragon King's court.

Unfortunately, the spirits of the ancestors of the Qin and Liu families are no longer here; otherwise, this sense of interaction would be even stronger, and it wouldn't just be a one-sided feeling.

Step out of the east room and into the sunlight again.

Zhao Yi reached out to shield his forehead, his face contorted in pain. What he disliked wasn't just the sunlight.

"It seems that the matter concerning the man surnamed Li has escalated a bit."

"Ah."

"If that's really the case, then it's truly deserved that my Zhao family hasn't produced a Dragon King since our ancestors, or even a member of the Zhao family on the river who has the potential to become a Dragon King."

Li Zhuiyuan looked down at the thick book Zhao Yi had given him, "The Guide to the Extermination of the Zhao Family."

"The Zhao family is probably countless times dirtier than you, the eldest son of the Zhao family, know."

……

Ah Li was drawing, and in front of her was the sketchbook that Cui Cui had brought.

The reduced size of the picture book makes many details blurry and the overall layout impossible to unfold.

Ah Li holds a paintbrush, seemingly copying, but in reality she is merely taking the form and then reinterpreting it.

Cui Cui also held a paintbrush in her hand, but there was no drawing paper in front of her, and the brush tip was not dipped in paint. She just stared at it and shook her wrist along with it.

Ah Li is not a good teacher; in this respect, she is no different from Li Zhuiyuan.

The more proficient a person is in a particular field, the harder it is for them to teach students, because what they subconsciously consider to be the baseline level may be the ceiling in the students' eyes.

However, Cui Cui is a good student. She appreciates the overall artistic conception presented when A Li paints, but most of the time her eyes are fixed on A Li's wrist and pen tip, watching how she paints small scenes and objects.

If you can grasp these skills and even manage to replicate a little bit of them, that's enough to stand out in the school's extracurricular classes.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in.

Ah Li stopped writing. She could tell from the boy's footsteps that he was preoccupied.

However, after a brief pause, the girl immediately resumed drawing.

It's normal for things to happen. Since the boy didn't call her, it means she doesn't need his help.

Li Zhuiyuan's room served as their activity room, as they had long understood how to allocate their time together.

The period from waking up in the morning until Aunt Liu calls "breakfast" is the couple's traditional entertainment time, usually spent sitting in the rattan chairs outside watching the sunrise and playing chess.

In the afternoon, there would be a time for reading. Sometimes Ah Li would read with the boy, and sometimes she would just keep him company.

Apart from that, most of the time, although the two were in the same room, they each had their own desk and drawing table, and were doing their own things.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, have some of this. I brought it."

Cui Cui came over carrying a bag filled with popcorn, not corn, but rice, plump and white.

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed a handful and put them in his mouth; they were fragrant and slightly sweet.

Many families in the village make this as a snack for their children.

Sensing that something was wrong with the boy, Cui Cui returned to A Li's side to learn to draw after delivering the popcorn.

Li Zhuiyuan first took out a blank notebook, took out a fountain pen from the pen holder, then spread out the "Code of Conduct for Walking the River" and turned to the "Dream Ghost" section.

The pen lingered, not removing its cap, but instead gently stroking against the blank page of the notebook.

A formalized divination changed the nature of the matter.

This added a major variable to what should have been a simple and smooth "purchasing trip".

It's hard to say whether the large truck I plan to drive to Jiujiang will be able to transport the things I need back.

People who get used to navigating rivers often develop a certain mindset, underestimating the risks beyond the waves. This is especially evident in Li Zhuiyuan's team, which is being targeted by the Heavenly Dao.

In reality, this world is inherently extremely dangerous; it can make or break a person, leaving not even bones behind.

Li Zhuiyuan placed the Zhao family file given to him on his lap, leaned back gently against the back of his seat, and half-closed his eyes.

With his mind and consciousness activated, he reviewed his preparations for the upcoming wave of the Dream Ghost incident, read the Zhao family files, and planned his next course of action.

The boy didn't think he was making a mountain out of a molehill, because the most unnoticed ditch is often the easiest place to capsize.

Meanwhile, by the path leading from Li Sanjiang's house to the village road, Zhao Yi leaned against a tree, watching the stream flow in front of him, with geese and ducks passing by, sometimes quacking and sometimes squawking.

Some people are using their brains, while others are enjoying life.

Lin Shuyou was running along a country path, flying a kite.

The kite was given to Li Sanjiang by a carpenter in the village. When Li Zhuiyuan first made tools like the Yellow River shovel, he had to ask for help because he didn't have the tools at home.

After learning that Li Sanjiang was sick, the old carpenter started making kites at home, specifically the Nantong specialty – the whistle kite.

Kites fly in the sky, making a clear whistling sound, symbolizing blessings and dispelling illness.

Lin Shuyou had a great time, accompanied by a group of village children who ran, shouted, and praised him.

After they got tired of flying the kite, Lin Shuyou put it away and led the group of fans who had been his cheerleaders for so long to Aunt Zhang's convenience store to buy them soda.

Such things had happened frequently before, and Aunt Zhang was used to it. She just felt that this young man was like a child who would never grow up and liked to play with children.

In fact, although Lin Shuyou was able to attend school normally before, he spent most of his spare time training to become a spirit medium, and rarely had the opportunity to play and run with his friends.

Many people, once they grow up and have the means, will deliberately do things to make up for the shortcomings of their childhood.

As Lin Shuyou walked back carrying the kite, he saw Zhao Yi sitting by the river, looking utterly dejected.

Judging from his appearance and the scene, it seemed as if Zhao Yi might have a sudden urge to drown himself at any moment.

Although he knew it was impossible and understood that the small river wouldn't drown him, Lin Shuyou still called out to Zhao Yi out of basic humanitarian concern:
"Hey, Three-Eyed!"

Zhao Yi leaned the back of his head against the tree trunk behind him and sighed.

Some things, though they are in the past and didn't seem unusual at the time, can reveal a different side once you look back after breaking through a key point.

Lin Shuyou walked towards the river.

Zhao Yi turned his head to look at him and said, "You really have a lot of leisure time."

Lin Shuyou: "That's right, Brother Bin went to his future in-laws' house, so I can play without worry."

Zhao Yi: "Why are you so happy that he went to his mother-in-law's house? Where did you get such a strong sense of identification?"

Lin Shuyou: "He won't be able to read then, so I won't feel pressured and can play for a while."

Zhao Yi: "He couldn't possibly be reading a book. He went to his mother-in-law's house to do farm work?"

Lin Shuyou was taken aback.

In my memory, it seems that when Brother Bin went to his mother-in-law's house, he just ate and drank, acting like an old man.

When it comes to farm work, it seems that Bin Ge has never even touched a hoe. On the contrary, he once helped Zhou Yunyun's family with a whole day's work.

In an instant, a tremendous sense of panic swept over him:
"Is Bin studying at his mother-in-law's house?"

Zhao Yi: "Maybe my father-in-law is preparing to kill chickens and fish for dinner, and my mother-in-law cut a fruit platter for him and put it next to his desk, telling him not to study so hard and to take better care of his health."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shuyou turned to look at the kite he was carrying on his shoulder, then turned around and headed home, secretly deciding that he wouldn't sleep tonight.

"Hey, you have time to fly kites, but no time to chat with me for a bit, huh?"

Lin Shuyou stopped and looked at Zhao Yi: "Three-Eyed, what's wrong with you?"

"Sigh, I'm feeling a bit down. Come, sit down here, I'll tell you something to cheer you up."

Lin Shuyou hesitated for a moment, but finally sat down next to Zhao Yi and whispered:

"I don't want to hear you make a joke."

"You know what? I originally thought my house was a bit dirty and needed cleaning, but now I realize that my house is probably just... a bit clean."

"So, are you clean or dirty?"

Zhao Yi looked at Lin Shuyou with some surprise and said with emotion, "Now I understand why so many famous dialogues left by great sages in ancient texts are spoken to children."

Lin Shuyou: "Doesn't this sound like a compliment?"

Zhao Yi: "Whether I'm dirty or clean is no longer important."

Lin Shuyou: "It depends on how you do it."

Zhao Yi: "Ayou."

Lin Shuyou: "Hmm?"

Zhao Yi: "Do you... have an internal report?"

Lin Shuyou: "No."

Zhao Yi: "No means yes."

Lin Shuyou: "You..."

Zhao Yi propped himself up with his hands, stood up, and straightened his clothes: "You're right, it really depends on what I decide to do."

Lin Shuyou, who had just sat down, had no choice but to stand up, pick up the kite, and follow Zhao Yi home.

As we approached the dam, we saw that the old ladies' card game had ended.

Lin Shuyou: "Why did you break up so early today? Usually, we would play until just before dinner."

At this moment, Liu Jinxia and Granny Hua were no longer there; they must have already gone home. Wang Lian was sweeping the area with a broom when Aunt Liu came over carrying a bag.

"Aunt Lian, we just fried some braised pork belly and cured pork ribs at home. Take them back for the children to try."

"You can't accept this, you must keep it for yourselves, you have a large family."

"It's because they don't like to eat it."

Wang Lian accepted it somewhat embarrassedly. These days, who could possibly not like to eat meat?

When Grandma Liu wasn't playing cards, Zhao Yi was supposed to go and pay his respects, but as soon as he walked over, Liu Yumei picked up her teacup and shook it, indicating that he could skip the formality.

Zhao Yi smiled to himself and went straight up to the second floor.

On the terrace, Li Zhuiyuan stood in front of a brazier, inside which a thick book was burning.

On the washbasin platform next to it, which was made of cement slabs, sat a mobile phone.

Zhao Yi: "You read that fast."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you thought it through?"

Zhao Yi: "I've thought it through, that's why I came to check the accounts with you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go ahead and say it."

Zhao Yi pointed to two rattan chairs at the corner: "Let's sit there and chat."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, looking at the brazier in front of him: "The book isn't completely burned yet." Zhao Yi reached out, ignoring the flames, and directly turned the pages of the book, allowing it to burn more thoroughly and quickly.

"When I finished writing this book, I was full of confidence, thinking that I had thoroughly understood and analyzed the Zhao family. Now I realize that this is not the case."

Some secrets are known only to the current head of the family... Heh, no, even my grandfather probably doesn't know them. If he did, I would definitely be able to tell.

Even the head of the family couldn't know; only a few of the family elders were aware of it.

For example, the elder of my Zhao family who once helped me send out a marriage proposal invitation.

At the time, I just thought he was old, making a fool of himself, having unrealistic fantasies, like a toad trying to eat swan meat…

As he spoke, Zhao Yi stuck out a finger and poked his forehead.

"Smart people like us are prone to making a mistake, which is to underestimate the stupidity of others."

Zhao Yi stopped speaking and looked at Li Zhuiyuan, as if waiting.

After a long silence, Li Zhuiyuan finally spoke, replying with:
"Ah."

Zhao Yi smiled.

"But the truth is, no matter how down on its luck the Dragon King family is, it is still the Dragon King family, and it is still not something that I, Zhao from Jiujiang, can mess with. But that elder dared to do this."

It turns out he wasn't out of his mind; he genuinely had the confidence.

The Zhao family as he sees it is different from the Zhao family as I see it.

Li Zhuiyuan: "He felt that they were a good match."

At this moment, Cui Cui came out of the room and waved goodbye to Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi: "Brother Xiaoyuan, I'm going home now. Goodbye, Acrobatic Troupe brothers!"

Running down to the courtyard, Cuicui looked around and asked Liu Yumei with great confusion:
"Grandma Liu, where is my grandma?"

In the past, when Cui Cui came to play with her sister A Li, she would always go home with her grandmother after the card game ended.

“The convenience store received a call asking your grandma to pick you up. After your grandma answered the phone, she asked the person at the convenience store to come and tell us that something had happened at a relative's house and she had to go, so she couldn't play cards anymore, and we ended the game.”

"Hmm, a relative of mine?"

Cui Cui really didn't know if she had any relatives she was still in contact with. Since she could remember, she had basically had no contact with any relatives.

In my grandmother's words: "When we were poor, no one ever lent a hand. They all avoided us. But now that we're doing well, they're all shamelessly coming to our door to ask for money!"
"Grandma Liu, I'm going home now."

"Well, if your mom isn't home, come back here and have dinner while your family comes to pick you up."

"Okay, hehe."

Ah Li also walked out of the room and stood on the edge of the terrace, watching Cui Cui skip away.

Sun and Dusk had been drinking all day, but finally couldn't hold on any longer and came out drunk, their eyes blurry and their faces as red as the evening glow.

Good-looking people don't need to specifically look for a location; wherever they stand, they can create a beautiful photo.

Zhao Yi glanced at Ah Li's retreating figure, then looked away, and said self-deprecatingly:

"In the end, it's just a toad's delusion."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his head and looked at the sky: "At least, the secrecy was indeed done very well, but unfortunately, it can't escape the eyes of those above."

Zhao Yi: "Yes, no wonder my Zhao family has never produced a Dragon King since our ancestor, and there are very few who can even make a name for themselves in the martial arts world."

In the martial arts world, Zhao of Jiujiang is known for his business acumen, but it would be quite difficult to name a few other representative figures besides Zhao Wuyang.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Now, don't you have me?"

Zhao Yi: "So, the strange illness I was born with was actually God's way of wanting me to die!"

Li Zhuiyuan remained noncommittal.

Uncle Qin returned from the field carrying a hoe.

Runsheng, who was temporarily unable to do heavy work, went over and took over the farm tools, then fetched water to help Uncle Qin wash them.

Zhao Yi: "Looking back now, the first wave I encountered after lighting the lamp was actually someone like this. It was as if they were trying to kill me!"

Zhao Yi's first challenge was encountering the Dragon King's faction.

His ruthless attack, with three cuts and six holes, made Uncle Qin show mercy, and that's how he got through the first wave.

However, the intensity of these waves is truly excessive, even terrifying. Life and death depend entirely on the other party's decision, and you have no control over your own destiny.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Actually, it was even earlier, when you met me at Shizhuo Zhao, that was also your calamity."

In the same scenario, it was Li Zhuiyuan. If it were anyone else, after wiping out the branch family, how could they possibly leave the original family members alive?
Zhao Yi: "But after that, my waves became normal, and I could clearly feel that the intensity of my subsequent waves was incomparable to yours."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Because you got through it. When you were born, you survived and got over that hurdle, and from then on, things basically went smoothly for you."

When you first lit the lamp and crossed the river, you managed to get through Uncle Qin's ordeal, and afterwards your wandering became normal again.

Lighting a lamp means you've come into its sights again.

Zhao Yi: "Oh my, it sounds like I've had a tough time. If it weren't for you standing in front of me, always being watched, I would probably be the one with the most special and lasting impact."

Li Zhuiyuan: "We've gone off-topic."

Zhao Yi: "Let's not get off topic. Mr. Li, you'd better not go to Jiujiang for now. Give me some more time, and I'll go home and investigate properly."

It's not that I'm reluctant to part with the treasures in the ancestral tombs and the little things there; it's that I don't want to harm you.

After the Dragon King dies, his past deeds and beliefs can be transformed into a spirit that wanders among the mountains, rivers, and lakes.

Theoretically, Zhao Yi's previous worship should not have resulted in the ancestor appearing, but it actually did.

That points to a possibility: the spirit of the ancestors can be re-formed, and the gap and opportunity that Zhao Yi had used up have been filled.

In other words, the Zhao family of Jiujiang secretly kept Zhao Wuyang alive in a special way!

Li Zhuiyuan: "This is a disgrace to the Dragon King."

Judging from the magnanimity and spirit Zhao Wuyang once displayed, his pride would never allow him to choose to live a life of ignominy. He should be like Yu Tiannan of the Yu family, burning himself out one last time at the end of his life to suppress a terrible evil spirit and put an end to his life.

Zhao Yi: "This is definitely not the choice of our ancestors; it can only be the choice of unworthy descendants..."

If Zhao Wuyang, the general of Jiujiang Zhao, maintained his position in another special way, then the strange developments of Jiujiang Zhao over the years can be fully explained.

It makes sense that when Zhao of Jiujiang finally produced another genius with the potential to become the Dragon King, this genius was born to be envied by the heavens.

Heaven has always despised the Zhao family.

Zhao Yi: "Wait for me to get back and do a final confirmation."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you have any ideas on how to get that final confirmation?"

Zhao Yi: "If we try hard, there will always be a way."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I have a method here."

Zhao Yi: "What method?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let the river flow across. If the river can flow smoothly, then we can be certain that Zhao Wuyang is indeed still in the Zhao family."

Zhao Yi: "River water? Flowing past? I recognize all the characters, but I can't understand what you're saying?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Wasn't our previous wave propelled by the Bodhisattva?"

Zhao Yi: "And then, you learned it?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "How could I possibly have the power of a Bodhisattva? But we can simplify the complex and reduce the great to the small. Even if we don't have the ability to push the river water ourselves, we can dig a canal in advance and see if the river water will flow along the path we have dug."

Zhao Yi looked surprised, pointed to the ceiling, and said incredulously, "Hey Li, are you and that person's relationship that good?"

Doesn't Heaven dislike you? How can this look like you dislike it?
Li Zhuiyuan: "Under the premise of a shared goal, there is a probability of cooperation. I've told you before, even a knife should have its own will."

Zhao Yi: "But we've only just finished one wave, and it's far from time for the next wave to begin."

Li Zhuiyuan: "When your sword doesn't want to rest and actively rises up to cut someone you hate, would you force it to rest?"

Zhao Yi: "Is there really any chance of success?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I've succeeded before."

Zhao Yi: "Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

Li Zhuiyuan was about to speak.

Zhao Yi: "Hahaha, it's my fault for not asking!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Actually, there's another point you didn't mention, which is also strong evidence."

Zhao Yi: "Lazybones?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, the Emperor is not a petty person. His anger is just a deliberate act."

But the Great Emperor can suppress himself, suppress all ghosts, suppress Fengdu, suppress Bodhisattvas, and even leave behind a Yin Meng, tying a thread to my body in preparation for suppressing me in the future.

This clearly demonstrates the emperor's desire for merit.

If he wasn't angry with those lazy dogs, then what was his true purpose in bestowing a title of "Marquis" upon your entire Zhao family?

Zhao Yi: "It must be that the Great Emperor saw through it. My Zhao family is rejected by the Heavenly Dao. In fact, the Great Emperor may have seen through the essence long ago. His 'conferring of the whole clan as marquises' is essentially for the purpose of 'acting on behalf of Heaven' in order to gain great merit."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, if we work backward from the result to deduce the conditions, it is indeed very reasonable. Moreover, only if Zhao Wuyang still exists in the Zhao family would it be worth the Emperor leaving this behind."

The cell phone rang at that moment, and Li Zhuiyuan went over to answer it.

"Hey, Brother Yuan, it's me."

The sound of someone flipping through a book and eating an apple came from the other end of the phone.

There was also a middle-aged woman's voice filled with warm concern:
"Binbin, your uncle will make you some fish soup tonight to help your brain recover. Look at how hard you are studying, you need to pay attention to your nutrition. You're still young, you can't neglect your health."

"Okay, Mom, please thank Dad for me."

"Ouch, hehehehehe!"

The sound of "Mom" made Zhou Yunyun's mother laugh so hard she practically crowed.

Tan Wenbin, holding his mobile phone, continued his report:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, there's been a result on the matter you asked me to inquire about. My dad just called me back."

What a coincidence! My dad couldn't go on the trip to Changzhou with my mom this time because he was busy with a case.

Last week, a group of people robbed a jewelry store. The ringleader's identity has been identified; he's registered in Jiujiang. My dad's side is currently working with the Jiujiang police to form a joint task force and set up surveillance in Jiujiang to see if they can catch the ringleader.

"Brother Binbin, please let Uncle..."

“My dad has already faxed it. I’ll go to the police station to pick it up and bring it back later.”

Upon hearing his son call to inquire about the case, Comrade Tan Yunlong didn't even need Tan Wenbin to mention it; he immediately said he would fax the case file over.

On the one hand, Tan Yunlong's original rule was that he didn't really like to follow rules.

In addition, his son has repeatedly demonstrated through practical results that he can help solve cases in this regard.

For atheists, if worshipping gods can ensure the achievement of desired goals, then worshipping gods itself possesses scientific validity.

"Ah."

"In addition, I told my dad that if we see the crime boss, we will definitely call the police immediately. After all, cooperating with the police is the basic duty of every citizen. I also reiterated the close relationship between the police and the people to my dad."

Although he didn't know what had happened, Tan Wenbin still followed his old habits and took the initiative to complete the entire set of movements.

Tan Yunlong, who was on the other end of the microphone, was completely stunned.

Nowadays, even when leaders speak in meetings, their speeches are never as full of official jargon and platitudes as his own son's.

However, Tan Yunlong responded after his son finished speaking.

It was conducted in the same formal and ceremonial way I used to give television interviews.

In short, after hanging up the phone, both father and son felt like they were a little sick.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, I'll be right back."

"Brother Binbin, don't rush, come back after you've had dinner."

"clear."

Tan Wenbin hung up the phone, picked up a piece of apple with a toothpick and put it in his mouth, while simultaneously scribbling on the book with his pen.

This feeling... it seems so familiar.

"Could it be that Brother Yuan is digging a ditch again?"

……

Li Zhuiyuan put down his mobile phone and said to Zhao Yi, "The first irrigation canal has been dug."

Zhao Yi felt in his pocket, pulled out a small notebook, but had no pen.

He instinctively realized that what he was experiencing at this moment was extremely important, and that once he fully understood it, it would make his future journey across the river much easier.

Before scratching his finger with his fingernail, Zhao Yi stopped and immediately ran to the edge of the terrace, shouting down, "Ayou, throw me a pen up here."

Lin Shuyou was sitting under a light bulb by the dam, doing his homework. He looked up at Zhao Yi, then at the pen in his hand.

"Don't worry, your brother Bin isn't studying. He's helping out at his mother-in-law's house, carrying manure!"

Lin Shuyou tossed his pen up and replied at the same time:

"Three-Eyed, you're lying to me!"

After taking the pen, Zhao Yi turned around and saw Li Zhuiyuan walk over as well.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The contents of the brazier have been burned clean."

Zhao Yi: "Now I think it would be better to spread this stuff around more widely."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The divination result today is 'This journey is auspicious,' which can be regarded as the second water channel."

"To be on the safe side, we should aim for three, right?"

"Yes, three are the most basic."

"Then, would it count as me inviting you to my home as a guest?"

"You are a person from the river, and the karma of people from the river cannot be taken seriously."

"What should we do then? Where do we find the third one?"

"There is a way."

"Brother Xiaoyuan, what's your suggestion?"

"Light the lamp a second time, then go down the river and come ashore."

……

Li Juxiang rode her tricycle to Si'an Town. After stopping in front of a house, her mother got off the tricycle and ran inside without her mother's help.

Liu Jinxia lost both her parents at a young age and lived with her uncle for a period of time. Later, it was this uncle who arranged for her to marry from Si'an Town to Siyuan Village in Shinan Town.

After her husband left, Liu Jinxia struggled to raise her daughter alone. She had sought help from this uncle because the house and land left by her parents were eventually transferred to his name.

Her uncle didn't help her at all, he didn't give her a penny, and he even scolded her and kicked her out, saying she was shameless and that a married daughter still had the nerve to come back and ask for her parents' land.

Later, Liu Jinxia's cousin, who was also a grandfather, got into a fight. He argued with someone over who should irrigate the irrigation canal first, and the argument escalated into a physical fight. He hit the person on the head with a hoe, leaving him in a vegetative state.

The uncle, shamelessly, came to Liu Jinxia's house to borrow money for compensation, only to be splashed with excrement water from his own porcelain jar by Liu Jinxia using a large ladle.

My cousin, who couldn't afford to pay compensation, went to jail and was just released last year.

The two families have actually stopped contacting each other a long time ago, and they don't publicly acknowledge having such a connection.

But when she received a phone call from Aunt Zhang and learned that her uncle was dying and wanted to see her, Liu Jinxia immediately stopped playing cards and rushed to Si'an Town.

The grudges of the past have not been put aside, and the knots in our hearts from back then have not been untied.

Liu Jinxia came because at her age, she only had this one close blood relative left.

Rather than saying she came to see this uncle one last time, it would be more accurate to say she came to bid farewell to a chapter of her life.

"Sister Xia is here." My cousin, who had just been released from prison last year, smiled at Liu Jinxia. His face no longer showed his former recklessness; instead, he looked quite awkward. The reformation he received in prison had a great impact on him.

"Ah."

Liu Jinxia gave a lukewarm response.

In the living room, several women from the family were already cutting white cloth and black gauze, making preparations for the funeral in advance to avoid chaos after the person had passed away.

Liu Jinxia walked into the small room, which was filled with the strong smells of Chinese medicine, old people, and even a deathly odor.

The uncle, lying in bed, was so thin he was just skin and bones.

He saw Liu Jinxia arrive, struggled to raise his hand, and mumbled something:
"Lord Xia, little Lord Xia, the person I've wronged the most in my life is you..."

Liu Jinxia was not moved. People on their deathbed may not always speak kindly. It's just that what they couldn't let go of and couldn't bear to part with before is now meaningless, so they can say some nice things.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Liu Jinxia looked at her uncle. She thought of her parents who had passed away long ago, and also of the hardships she had endured along the way.

As she thought about it, she became emotional, her eyes reddening. Her heartache was for herself, and had nothing to do with her dying uncle.

However, at least to outsiders, the uncle and niece seem to have reconciled.

However, what her uncle said next made Liu Jinxia's eyes widen.

"Little Xiahou, you're not actually your parents' biological child..."

Liu Jinxia was both angry and anxious, and almost screamed, "You're about to die and you're still talking nonsense here! Tell me, where did I come from? Tell me!"

“Little Xiahou, you were brought here from Jiujiang by human traffickers.”

(End of this chapter)