Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 309

While large trucks may not travel as fast as small cars, they allow for more time to appreciate the scenery along the way.

Tan Wenbin held a cigarette to Zhao Yi's lips as he drove, lit it, and asked with a smile:

"How are the other teams feeling about going home?"

Zhao Yi honked the horn twice and replied:

"I am eager to go home."

The driver's cab has two rows of seats. Li Zhuiyuan sits in the front passenger seat, while Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou sit in the back.

Runsheng didn't want to be crowded here, so he chose to sit alone in the empty back of the car.

Zhao Yi: "By the way, how did you explain to Grandpa Li that you had to leave in such a hurry? You said you had to go back to school for final exams?"

Tan Wenbin: No, I was just telling Grandpa Li about an internship program in Jiujiang.

Zhao Yi: "Oh, I see. We should definitely tell him where you're going."

Tan Wenbin: "It's not what you think. When you're out and about, you don't have to tell your elders what you're doing, but at least you should let them know your exact location on the map."

In olden terms, if something unexpected happens outside, at least the family members at home will know which direction to face when burning paper money.

Zhao Yi: "That was because I was opportunistic, cough... Before I left, I specifically said goodbye to Grandpa Li, saying that I had urgent business to attend to and needed to rush back to my hometown immediately."

Lin Shuyou pointed to two large bags at his feet. One bag contained candles, and the other contained yellow paper gold and silver ingots.

"Three-eyed, is this the Nantong specialty that Grandpa Li asked you to take home?"

Zhao Yi: "Yeah, I told Grandpa Li that my mom died."

Lin Shuyou: "..."

Tan Wenbin: "So it seems that you received more fatherly love during your childhood?"

Zhao Yi: "No, it's just that Grandpa Li is a very nice person and he's been good to me. I'm afraid that if I told him that my parents died in a car accident, Grandpa Li would say that he wants to come back to Jiujiang with me to help me with my vegetarian feast."

Lin Shuyou forced a smile.

Zhao Yi: "Go ahead and laugh. I don't mind at all. What are you worried about? Don't hold it in."

Lin Shuyou shook his head, still trying to hold it in, and bent down to tie a knot in the two red bags.

When he first returned to his hometown in Fujian from Nantong, he brought back a lot of Nantong specialties.

People from Nantong have a set of fixed answers when it comes to their local specialties, much like answering a math problem. If you ask Grandpa Li or Brother Bin, they'll start by saying: Xiting crispy cakes, Baipu dried tea leaves...

Although Lin Shuyou had never seen them eat these things before, it seemed as if they only had a set of local specialties because they wanted to have a set of local specialties.

Anyway, when Lin Shuyou returned to his hometown for the second time, he found that the local specialties he had brought back last time were still in the cupboard at home, and his family hadn't touched them much.

To be honest, it would be better to bring some candles and paper money back with you; you can burn them at the temple.

Just then, Zhao Yi's mobile phone rang.

Tan Wenbin picked it up for him and answered the call.

Old Tian's anxious voice came from the other end of the microphone:

"Young Master, why did you leave so suddenly? If Brother Li hadn't told me at lunch, I wouldn't have known you were gone!"

"Yeah, he's gone."

"Young Master, why didn't you take me with you this time? My legs are all better now, Young Master, I'm useful."

"Old Tian, ​​I'm going back to take care of some family matters."

"Isn't that perfect? ​​I'm also from the Zhao family of Jiujiang, young master!"

"Who do you think you are from the Zhao family? You don't even have the surname Zhao."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then Old Tian's aggrieved voice came through:

"Young Master, you can't use the same excuse to not take me with you twice."

"Old Tian, ​​your task is to keep an eye on Liu Jinxia and her two wives at home. If anything seems amiss, notify me immediately. This is very important, understand?"

"Yes, young master, I understand."

"Well, hung up."

The car drove along the riverbank, heading towards the ferry terminal.

As you can see, there are many engineering vessels on the river and many construction workers on the shore.

Zhao Yi asked, "What are you doing?"

Lin Shuyou: "Under construction."

Zhao Yi glanced back at Lin Shuyou but didn't say anything.

Tan Wenbin: "They're doing dredging, aren't they?"

Zhao Yi: "Dredging? Is it blocked?"

Tan Wenbin licked his lips, unsure how to answer.

Li Zhuiyuan, in the co-pilot's seat, said, "Dredging and deepening. There's a saying in the water transport industry: 'An inch of water depth is an inch of gold.' The deeper the water, the larger the tonnage of ships that can pass through it."

Zhao Yi: "So, for this reason, we have to dig up the river? That would be an enormous project."

Li Zhuiyuan: "This work has been going on for decades, and in the next few years, the efforts to dredge and manage the waterways will be further intensified. Water transport costs are very low, and as long as the management is done well, seagoing vessels can sail directly in, which is equivalent to creating a coastline of nearly 800 kilometers on both sides of the JS province, turning inland river ports into seaports."

Zhao Yi: "Zhuangzhuang, Ayou, did you and that guy surnamed Li go to the same university?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "There are some things they just don't have the energy to look at."

Zhao Yi: "I can tell, they even have to secretly study to prepare for the final exams."

After the ferry crossed the river, it continued its journey, with Tan Wenbin taking over the driving for a portion of the way.

The rest of you should rest and recharge.

Finally, Zhao Yi announced, "Gentlemen, we have arrived in Jiujiang."

Lin Shuyou opened his eyes and looked out the window.

It seemed as if an evening fog had risen, and the distant mountain scenery was shrouded in white smoke, giving it a sense of otherworldly etherealness.

Lin Shuyou exclaimed, "The scenery is better than in Nantong."

Zhao Yi nodded in deep agreement: "Nantong is such a lousy place. Before, if I wanted to go out for a late-night snack, I had to go to the school gate."

Last night was the most delicious late-night snack I've had since arriving in Nantong.

However, the cook wasn't from Nantong either; in fact, he wasn't even a person.

"Three-Eyed, are there any fun places to visit in your hometown?"

"There are so many fun places to visit. Once I've cleaned up the house, I'll take you all on a trip. We'll even get a boat, go boating on the river, and listen to some pipa music."

"Listen to the pipa?"

"You haven't read 'The Song of the Pipa'?"

"It's in the Chinese textbook, I've memorized it."

"first sentence."

"Seeing off guests at night at the head of the Xunyang River."

"Xunyang here is Jiujiang."

Zhao Yi parked his car next to an old three-story building.

"Everyone, please get off the bus."

Lin Shuyou, carrying his bag, looked up at the rusty iron railings above him, which were covered in bird droppings, and then looked down at the dilapidated, peeling gate.

This place is located on the edge of the city, like a forgotten corner.

"Three eyes, is that all the conditions are?"

Ayou doesn't care about conditions, but he likes to argue with Zhao Yi.

He's supposed to be a young master, but when his friends came, they were put here.

"I'm sorry, due to limited resources, the hospitality was not adequate."

Zhao Yi took out his key, opened the door, and found it dark inside, with a putrid smell emanating from it.

The group walked in.

The stench of decay remains, but it has transformed into a different form of "decay."

The interior space suddenly became several times larger, far exceeding what the building outside could contain. Moreover, it was decorated in a magnificent and antique style, exuding an extraordinary grandeur.

Lin Shuyou: "Wow!"

At this moment, Lin Shuyou felt the gap between the official temple and the old-established Jianghu family.

It should be noted that Zhao Yi had separated from the Zhao family of Jiujiang, so this was probably an extra bonus he received during the separation.

Zhao Yi patted Lin Shuyou on the shoulder: "Stop exclaiming 'wow'. Your brother Xiao Yuan's family is much more extravagant than mine. If there's a chance in the future, I'll have your brother Xiao Yuan take you to visit the ancestral homes of the Qin and Liu families. I'll be amazed when I go!"

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Yi led everyone upstairs.

"Come, the bedroom is on the third floor. This is a villa under my name, but I dismissed everyone here long ago."

Entering the bedroom and opening the window, the view outside was expansive, with the reflections of rivers and lakes, and mountains and rivers mirroring each other.

After making arrangements for everyone, Zhao Yi said to Li Zhuiyuan, "I'm going to meet with my people to hear the information they were asked to investigate about the family. Tonight might be uneventful, or it might be."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Your cousin?"

Zhao Yi: "That guy has some rather unusual tastes. I've already laid the bait. He'll either come out tonight or tomorrow night. Don't worry, he won't be able to hold back."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Once you've taken the bait, you can let us know so we can attend the ceremony."

Zhao Yi laughed and said, "What kind of ceremony are we going to watch? Are we going to have our Zhao family fighting like dogs?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Zhao Yi: "Okay, as the first show in Jiujiang, I guarantee everyone will enjoy it."

After saying goodbye to the others, Zhao Yi left.

Next, everyone stayed in this magnificent riverside inn, enjoying bottled water and compressed biscuits.

Li Zhuiyuan took a shower and lay down on the bed.

The windows in front of me were all open, and the evening breeze, carrying moisture, kept blowing in, bringing coolness and stickiness.

Even though he had already slept on the bus, the boy still planned to continue resting.

But before closing his eyes to fall asleep, Li Zhuiyuan snapped his fingers, breaking the soundproofing array between each room on this floor.

At one o'clock in the morning, Tan Wenbin heard the voice of his mobile phone.

A little while later, they got up.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes, sat up, got dressed, and walked to the door.

Tan Wenbin stood at the door: "Brother Xiaoyuan, Zhao Yi called and asked us to go and perform."

When everyone went downstairs and pushed open the door, they saw a Jeep parked outside, driven by Liang Yan.

"Brother Xiaoyuan."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded to her and got into the car.

During the journey, Liang Yan gave a brief introduction.

Zhao Yi's cousin is named Zhao Xu.

During this period, in order to cover up the scandal, he was arranged by Zhao Yi's second uncle to live in the outer residence.

Zhao Yi originally planned to rush to the outer residence and take down the person, but after discovering that so many eyes were watching the Zhao family, he had to change his strategy and become more cautious.

After all, the two terrifying beings, the Fengdu Emperor and the Bodhisattva, are only known to exist. Can you be sure that there are only these two?

The bold, sweeping approach has been temporarily abandoned; we need to find a way to lure people out.

Fortunately, a leopard can't change its spots, and Zhao Xu was lured out tonight.

Lin Shuhao asked curiously, "What exactly is Zhao Xu's quirk?"

Liang Yan glanced at the rearview mirror and replied, "Woman."

Upon hearing this answer, Lin Shuyou blinked, somewhat puzzled, and sat back down.

For a man, liking women... is now considered a special fetish?

Runsheng sat quietly.

Tan Wenbin guessed what was going on, so he didn't ask.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Is the bait Liang Li?"

Liang Yan: Yes.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Zhao Xu, are you really that stupid?"

Liang Yan: "In our boss's words, once you've taken the bait, it's just a matter of tying a few more knots."

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes.

Tan Wenbin asked, "Where are Xu Ming and Chen Jing?"

Liang Yan: "According to the new formula given by the young master, Chen Jing is soaking in the new medicinal water and cannot leave the seclusion. Xu Ming is responsible for staying by his side to take care of him."

Chen Jing, that half-demon, half-human Taoist priest, was a trump card that Zhao Yi was keeping in order to deal with the Yu family.

Therefore, the young Taoist priests who are still growing will not be used at this time, and they must continue to be carefully protected.

The car stopped halfway up the mountain; there was no road ahead.

Liang Yan: "Next, we'll run a bit."

Runsheng bent down.

Li Zhuiyuan climbed up, put one arm around Runsheng's neck, and gently stroked it with the fingertips of his other hand, saying:

"It is going to rain."

Runsheng pulled a Rashomon umbrella out of his backpack.

Liang Yan led the way, and the rest of the people ran behind her.

Everyone moved very quickly, not simply taking detours around the mountain, but climbing and jumping whenever possible.

A bolt of lightning flashed across the night sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder, and then a torrential downpour.

Runsheng opened Luosheng's umbrella and ran while spinning the umbrella to block the rain.

We've finally arrived at our destination.

Zhao Yi thoughtfully prepared a viewing platform in advance and set up an array on a hillside.

Entering the formation and activating it, the large trees above swayed, blocking out the wind and rain.

Six people were standing diagonally in front of me.

Four people stood on the outer perimeter as a guard, while two people stood on the inner circle.

There was a young man whose face had not yet completely lost its youthful appearance, and whose figure at first glance resembled Zhao Yi's. He should be Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu squatted in front of a pit, looking expectant, and kept licking his lips with his tongue.

Water droplets streamed down his face, making it difficult to tell whether they were rainwater or drool.

The person standing next to Zhao Xu was wearing a hat that obscured his face, so he could only be identified as a middle-aged man.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I can't wait any longer. I didn't expect there to be such a overlooked place near our territory. If I had known, I would have gone there myself to suffer the torture."

Wild game and delicacies from the mountains are definitely many times more delicious than farmed food!

Inside the pit lay two old coffins.

This is a tomb for a husband and wife. The tomb is not of high standard, but the burial site was chosen very well to preserve the bodies as much as possible from decay.

Between the two coffins, three love locks are tied with red ropes, signifying that it is a tomb for husband and wife to be buried together.

It means that after one person leaves, the other follows.

As far as Zhao Xu was concerned, he didn't care who would die with him in a suicide pact. All he needed was for his dead husband to be watching when he was having sex with a woman, and that was enough to greatly arouse his interest.

Lin Shuyou frowned, feeling a sense of nausea. So, this is how he likes someone?

Tan Wenbin: "Are all the young masters from wealthy families so personified in their tastes?"

Lin Shuyou: "Those three eyes..."

Liang Yan: "The boss is perfectly normal."

Lin Shuyou nodded: "I still have that much confidence in dealing with Three-Eyed."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Those four on the outer perimeter, are they servants of the Zhao family?"

Liang Yan: "He's the same kind of person as Lao Tiantou."

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept over the feet of the four servants.

far away.

Zhao Xu slapped his hand on the coffin lid.

"Bang bang bang bang..."

One by one, rusty coffin nails flew out.

"Get up for me!"

Zhao Xu flipped his palm, and the coffin lid rolled off.

The woman lying inside had delicate features, a deep pink complexion, and was dressed in white silk. She was very young when she died.

Zhao Xu laughed: "Hahaha, I've hit the jackpot this time, I've really hit the jackpot!"

"Young master, here you go."

A person wearing a hat next to him handed him a candle. With a flick of his sleeve, the candle spontaneously combusted and showed no sign of going out, even in the midst of the thunderstorm.

Zhao Xu took the candle and placed it at the head of the coffin, then took out two talismans, one yellow and one pink.

First, place a yellow talisman on the corpse's forehead, then cover it with a pink talisman.

The two talismans quickly ignited and turned into ashes. Instead of dissipating outwards, they rushed towards the woman's nostrils.

The female corpse opened her eyes before the ashes entered.

Zhao Xu was taken aback; this process was wrong!
The "corpse" Liang Li sneered as she leaped into the air, wielding a dagger in both hands, and slid it toward Zhao Xu's neck.

To preserve a complete sheet of dough, this area is the most suitable for cutting.

Everything happened in an instant; Zhao Xu had no time to react.

In fact, Zhao Xu was indeed stunned, waiting for the dagger to sever his head.

But the hat-wearing man next to Zhao Xu moved. He first accurately grabbed one of Liang Li's daggers with one hand, and then pushed it to the outside. The powerful force forced Liang Li to use her own dagger to knock away the other dagger.

The killing move was neutralized in an instant, and the opponent seemed to be handling it with ease.

The person wearing the hat took a step forward, and the surrounding wind and rain paused for a moment before rushing towards Liang Li with great force.

Liang Li lightly touched the ground with her toes and quickly retreated, successfully avoiding the attack. However, the coffin she had been lying in was blown to pieces.

As soon as she landed, four servants immediately attacked Liang Li.

Liang Li crossed her arms and released two daggers. Just then, a bolt of lightning appeared above her head, covering the two cold glints below.

The four servants stopped abruptly before they could reach Liang Li, then blood spurted from their necks, and they spun around before collapsing to the ground.

This should have been an overwhelming assassination, as simple as a chicken pecking at rice, but who knew that an unexpected variable would appear beside the other side.

Having just narrowly escaped death, Zhao Xu immediately circled behind the man in the hat, his eyes filled with resentment.

He felt only the rage of almost being killed, but not the feeling of being deceived; clearly, he already knew there was something wrong with tonight's feast.

The man in the hat shielded Zhao Xu behind him as he spoke:

"Young lady, you have such skill! This movement technique seems vaguely familiar, like that of the reclusive Liang family... I wonder if they still bear the surname Liang." Liang Li did not deny it.

The man in the hat nodded: "Then it must be the Liang family. In that case, it's even more inappropriate. Since you're a member of the Liang family, don't you know that my Zhao family of Jiujiang is related to the Liang family by marriage?"

Liang Li: "I know. The young master of the Zhao family in Jiujiang is going to marry my second daughter, Liang, as his legal wife."

……

Observation deck.

Upon hearing this, Liang Yan's gaze darkened.

Tan Wenbin touched his nose, feeling a little like laughing.

He has experience raising two children on his own, which is equivalent to raising twins for a period of time. The biggest problem with twins is uneven distribution; if one has one, the other must have the same one.

This is just raising a son; having two wives would only complicate things, especially since they are twin wives.

Tan Wenbin added fuel to the fire, saying, "Why did Zhao Yi give her this opportunity to perform on stage?"

Liang Yan: "It was decided by drawing lots."

Tan Wenbin: "Lottery draws can be rigged."

Liang Yan: "You're stirring things up."

Tan Wenbin: "Tell me, are you angry or not?"

Liang Yan: "Yeah, from anger."

……

The man in the hat: "Since you know, young lady, what do you desire tonight?"

Liang Li pointed at Zhao Xu: "He's disgusting, he deserves to die."

The man in the hat said, "But this is ultimately a matter for my Zhao family. Whatever my Zhao family members do outside should be decided internally by my Zhao family. Outsiders have no right to interfere!"

"boom!"

The husband's coffin lid could no longer hold him down and flew up.

A man dressed in a white robe, wearing a long crown, and with his face covered in white powder, stood up from inside.

Zhao Yi said he wanted to put on a good show for his friends who had come from afar, and he did it. He even changed into a costume and put on makeup.

Furthermore, his cousin just stared at him but couldn't recognize who he was.

This was partly due to makeup, and partly because Zhao Yi had left his family with the impression of a sickly man before he left the river; his current demeanor was completely different from before.

The man in the hat said, "I really don't understand why you two meticulously set up this scheme, just to kill a young master of my Zhao family?"

Zhao Yi: "Otherwise what?"

The man in the hat said, "It doesn't make sense. There aren't many people in the family who know that the young master has left home to avoid trouble. And you, who know the young master's hobbies, know his whereabouts, and have a way to get the news about this joint burial to the young master's ears."

Let me guess,

"Are you from the main branch of the family?"

Zhao Yi: "No."

Man in hat: "The fourth wife?"

Zhao Yi: "Why did you skip over the third wife?"

The man in the hat said, "Because the third branch of the family wouldn't do such a pointless thing. The third branch is favored and valued by the old man, and the young master of the third branch is the only one in the Zhao family to have ever traveled the river with a lamp."

If the third branch of the family can simply secure their position, the Zhao family will inevitably have a voice in the future. Why stir up trouble now?

Zhao Yi: "You're quite talkative, aren't you? You're giving me pointers on the Zhao family's empire."

The man in the hat said, "If you name which house it is, I may spare the life of one of you. As for who lives and who dies, you can decide for yourselves."

Liang Li: "I'll die."

Zhao Yi: "I will live."

The man in the hat paused briefly, then immediately scanned his surroundings.

Such a straightforward answer suggests either that the woman is truly an idiot, or that they have something to rely on and have no idea they're going to die tonight!

As the hat-wearer's gaze swept toward the viewing platform, the large tree behind him began to shake violently, as if the array here was about to be pierced by his gaze.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and gently shook it.

The tree fell silent, and my gaze drifted past it.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiao Yuan?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No rush. Zhao Yi seems to want to act a little longer. Let him have his fill of acting first."

Tan Wenbin: "No wonder when he called me to invite us to perform. It turns out he never intended to be polite."

Li Zhuiyuan: "After the fish bites the hook, it takes a struggle to find out who the real fish is."

……

The man in the hat finished scanning the area but found nothing hidden.

In the end, they had no choice but to turn their attention back to Zhao Yi.

"You two should reveal who's behind this."

Zhao Yi: "Second wife."

The man in the hat: "Hehe."

Zhao Yi pointed at Zhao Xu and said, "The second master and his wife were heartbroken to discover that their son had such a disgusting fetish and had even committed sins because of it. That's why they asked us to take action and clean up the family."

The man in the hat held up a token and said in a deep voice, "You chose this path yourselves."

"Snap!" "Snap!"...

The ground where the four servants had been standing sank, and four figures rose from the muddy soil. They wore straw hats and blue leather armor.

Zhao Yi: "The Guardians of the Spirits?"

The man in the hat said, "You seem quite familiar with my Zhao family."

Zhao Yi: "It's you. What a grand gesture."

The Guardians of the Spirit Guard are considered the core military force of the Zhao family. Generally, only the head of the family or above has the authority to mobilize them. Although Zhao Yanglin did not know how he brought them out, he could only mobilize four of them.

"Let's be frank and not hide anything anymore. I really want to see who you are."

"You can take off your hat first."

"it is good."

The person wearing the hat raised their hand and took off the hat from their head. The shadow on their face disappeared, and with a twitch of their facial muscles, their true face was revealed.

"Second Master Zhao".

Zhao Yanglin: "Who exactly are you?"

"Indeed, there are some things that outsiders cannot see clearly. It seems that it is not my cousin who has such a refined interest, but rather you, my second uncle, who truly has this peculiar habit."

Zhao Yi reached out and, using the rainwater, rubbed his face, revealing his true appearance.

Zhao Yanglin's gaze sharpened, then he smiled and said, "My nephew, perhaps you're bored on the river, so you deliberately played such a joke on your uncle? Hehe, it is indeed funny."

Zhao Xu's mouth dropped open, and his hand, pointing at Zhao Yi, trembled uncontrollably.

But the thought of his father being right beside him made Zhao Xu take a deep breath, suppress his unease and fear, and force himself to remain calm:
"Zhao Yi, you actually tried to kill me! How dare you kill me? You're simply..."

Zhao Xu was gently gripped by the back of his neck by Zhao Yanglin, rendering him unable to speak.

Zhao Yanglin looked at Liang Li: "Is this my Zhao family's future daughter-in-law?"

Liang Li nodded: "That's right."

Zhao Yanglin sighed, "I was in a hurry and didn't bring a gift. I'll make it up to you next time."

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Yanglin asked Zhao Yi:

"Nephew, or have you returned with the lamp lit twice already?"

Zhao Yanglin released his grip, restoring his son's freedom of speech.

Zhao Xu: "Zhao Yi, you're admitting defeat so easily? You piece of trash! If I had known, the family should have sent me to Jiang. If it weren't for you, I would be the one standing on the river competing for the Dragon King right now!"

Zhao Yi: "Second Uncle, to be honest, I'm here today to expose my cousin's true colors. That kid deserves it. I really didn't expect you to be here too."

Zhao Yanglin: "Now that I'm here, what are you planning to do?"

Zhao Yi: "What else can we do? After all, we're family."

Zhao Yanglin: "Indeed."

Zhao Yi: "Then let's reunite father and son, and peel off another layer of skin."

A cold glint appeared in Zhao Yanglin's eyes: "Zhao Yi, I'm only telling you this much because we're family. I'm only being so patient and yielding because you're currently on your way to Jiang."

Don't push your luck and be ungrateful. You're not even the Dragon King yet, and I don't think someone like you will ever become one!

“Heh…heh heh!”

Zhao Yi laughed. He was the most speechless one. Who the hell could have imagined that he would walk into his own home while walking along the river?

Zhao Yanglin didn't want to take action. Zhao Yi's identity was too special, and besides, he really didn't know what had gotten into Zhao Yi that made him plot against his own family.

Zhao Yi made the first move, rushing forward and arriving directly in front of Zhao Yanglin.

Zhao Yanglin threw a punch, which stirred up the surrounding water droplets, creating a vortex that strangled them.

Zhao Yi spun around in the crack of life and death, anticipating his opponent's movements. He sidestepped the punch and simultaneously kicked Zhao Yanglin hard.

Zhao Yanglin raised his knee and turned around, blocking Zhao Yi's kick.

Both sides activated their Zhao family techniques simultaneously, using the point of impact as a cross-section, seemingly splitting the heavy rain into two sides, with rapid splashing of water droplets.

Zhao Xu had no choice but to cross his arms in front of him and retreat quickly. Even so, his arms and other parts of his body were still pierced by the terrible raindrops, leaving several bloody holes.

The stalemate didn't last long, and Zhao Yi withdrew his strength first.

Zhao Yanglin threw another punch, and a storm gathered.

Zhao Yi did not linger in the fight. He resolutely retreated and then created a curtain of water in front of him.

"Snapped!"

An explosion was heard, and the surrounding area was empty; the heavy rain seemed to have avoided the area.

Zhao Yanglin looked astonished: "You've actually improved... so quickly?"

Aside from the fact that his opponent was not as strong as him in terms of internal energy accumulation, this nephew was already on par with him in terms of experience and skills.

No, the fact that someone can remain calm and composed even when they are at a disadvantage in terms of strength indicates that their level of understanding has surpassed that of the other person.

In other words, what this nephew lacks is simply time to gradually accumulate experience and skills. Even if he stays at home eating and sleeping for the next few years, his strength will still be able to easily surpass his own.

Zhao Xu gasped in pain, and seeing that Zhao Yi had actually fought his father to a draw, his resentment and anger intensified.

"Is this the merit of sharing the spoils from Jiang? Damn it, this should all have been mine, I deserve it all!"

Zhao Yi glanced at Zhao Xu and said disdainfully, "Your father has several sons, and you're the most useless one. That's why they used you as a substitute to take the blame. How can you have such a high opinion of yourself?"

Zhao Xu: "Even a sickly person like you can gain so many benefits by traveling the river, why can't I!"

Zhao Yanglin shouted angrily, "Shut up!"

Zhao Xu shrank back in fear and dared not say another word.

Zhao Yanglin: "Your brother is a genius that our Zhao family has only seen once in a hundred years, and he has already made such a great name in the martial arts world. How stupid are you to think that you could do it too?"

Do you think everyone is blind? Do you think all the elders are confused?

"You think you're worthy to walk on the river? You're only fit to feed the fish and shrimp!"

After scolding his son, Zhao Yanglin looked at Zhao Yi again:

“Nephew, I made a mistake while practicing a secret technique and now I need the energy of a corpse to relieve the pain. There’s a reason for this. And I’ve only ever used corpses; I’ve never harmed a living person.”

Zhao Yi: "Yes, because it was your son who turned living people into corpses and then handed them over to you to turn into zombies."

Zhao Yanglin: "No matter what, we're all family. Nephew, what's wrong with you?"

As he spoke, Zhao Yanglin raised his hand, and all four Zhao family guardians turned to face him, their killing intent radiating.

This is the final ultimatum.

Zhao Yi shook his head: "There's nothing to talk about, Second Uncle. This is your own fault. You should know that there are gods watching over you."

Besides, my Zhao family has... quite a few gods above us.

Zhao Yanglin: "You little bastard, die!"

The guards were dispatched.

Zhao Yi knelt on one knee, clenched his fist, and slammed it into the ground.

"Buzz!"

The rising moisture from the ground completely enveloped the area, blocking sight and disrupting perception.

But it was precisely because of this that their weakness was exposed.

Zhao Yanglin seized this opening, flashed in front of Zhao Yi, and kicked at Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi blocked with both arms in front of him, taking the blow from his second uncle. In his hasty defense, his second uncle seized the opportunity, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

To absorb the impact upon landing, it continued to slide on the wet grass.

Zhao Yanglin strode forward, his cloth shoes sliding on the grass, chasing after him, intending to take this opportunity to overwhelm him and eventually kill this little bastard.

The four guardians then moved closer to Liang Li, intending to kill her first before assisting Zhao Yanglin.

Liang Li lowered her center of gravity, and her pair of daggers trembled slightly.

At that moment, the guards who were on the offensive suddenly felt a sense of alarm and turned around, holding their weapons in front of them, turning offense into defense.

Zhao Yineng and Zhao Yanglin were able to fight back and forth because they were both focused on each other, constantly analyzing and predicting each other's moves.

But a real surprise attack can often decide life or death in an instant.

This is also why Zhao Yi risked creating a flaw to stimulate the moisture and form a blurred area.

He had too much faith in that guy surnamed Li's ability to seize opportunities; he was sure he wouldn't let himself get beaten by his elders for nothing.

Tan Wenbin, his body radiating crimson, tackled a guardian spirit, unleashing his full power of blood ape energy to completely suppress the opponent.

But then, the guardian spirit's body glowed with blue light, clearly indicating that some kind of magical artifact was making a final defensive move.

The blood ape, which only possesses brute force, is somewhat useless at this moment.

Fortunately, Tan Wenbin still has something else.

Tan Wenbin chuckled softly, a strange light flickering in his eyes, and his earlobes twitched slightly.

The next moment, the guardian spirit beneath him first had its tongue severed, spitting out blood. Then, snake shadows appeared in its eyes, its eyeballs burst open, and then centipedes emerged from its ears before suddenly burrowing back in.

The head of the guardian spirit shook violently for a moment, then froze. A "clattering" sound came from inside. The head was intact, but the contents inside had been ground into soy milk.

Colorful liquid gushed from its eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and its life force dissipated.

Tan Wenbin stood up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Next door, Lin Shuyou activated his True Monarch Body. When he landed, he first smashed down with his mace, which was blocked by the Guardian Spirit. He stood there and used one arm and one mace to force the Guardian Spirit to squat down.

Then, with effortless ease, he delivered the second blow, smashing the head of the Spirit Guardian to pieces.

After the fight, the two maces were crossed, and the rain washed away the bloodstains on them.

The spirit guard who died at Tan Wenbin's hands must have had a rich experience. The one in front of Lin Shuyou at least took a hit, but when Runsheng landed, the lines carved on his face flickered slightly. With a side slash of his shovel, he cleaved the spirit guard, weapon and all, into two even halves.

Liang Li received help from Liang Yan. When the two sisters stopped arguing about who was older or younger, their teamwork was incredibly seamless.

One attacked from above, the other from below, daggers and soft swords flashing, seemingly simple but actually requiring exquisite control. When the two sisters separated, the guardian standing in the middle fell to the ground with a "plop".

In fact, the Zhao family's guardians are of very high quality. If they were more numerous and could form an array, they would be much more difficult to deal with.

But in a sneak attack and a one-on-one battle, how could the Guardians of the Spirit Realm possibly be a match for these people who were trained on the river?

Li Zhuiyuan, holding Luo Sheng Umbrella, stepped out of the array's range.

He set off with his companions, but by the time he arrived, they had already taken care of everything.

Blood mist appeared in the boy's right palm, flowing upwards along the umbrella handle, and the originally black umbrella faintly turned red.

With a gentle turn, the misty haze created by Zhao Yi earlier vanished instantly, leaving the surroundings refreshed.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yanglin, who had been forcing Zhao Yi into a passive defensive stance, stopped his attack.

He hadn't expected that in just a moment, the four guards he had painstakingly led out of the Zhao family would be killed.

Tan Wenbin, Lin Shuyou, and the Liang sisters all dispersed and surrounded Zhao Yanglin.

The location where Zhao Yi was forced to take the beating was also chosen very well.

To put it bluntly, Zhao Yi has too many techniques and methods. He could easily defeat or even kill Zhao Yanglin. The reason he chose to fight using only the Zhao family's original techniques, even at the cost of being beaten, was to save costs.

It may seem like they got beaten up, but they weren't actually seriously injured. They lost face a bit, but got reinforcements to surround them. That's the real cost-effective way to win.

Seeing that Zhao Yanglin had stopped fighting, Zhao Yi stood up and straightened his costume.

Zhao Yanglin's gaze swept over the people around him, and he said in disbelief:
"Zhao Yi, how could you even kill the guards of the spirit tomb?"

"Second Uncle, what are you saying? Their tokens are in your hands, do you think I can persuade them to surrender?"

"But you..."

"Second Uncle, I'm even planning to kill you, so why would I care about the guards?"

Zhao Yanglin pointed at Zhao Xu, who was standing there: "Actually, I came here today because I discovered the sins he committed behind my back, and I came here specifically to punish this unfilial son!"

Zhao Xu, already gripped by a survival crisis from this turn of events, immediately responded upon hearing his father's words:

"Father, you asked me to help you find it..."

"Beast, shut up!"

Li Zhuiyuan continued walking forward; ahead of him was Zhao Xu.

To ensure Li Zhuiyuan's safety, Runsheng stepped forward first.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xu immediately panicked and pulled out a talisman with his right hand while simultaneously performing the incantation with his left.

Runsheng punched, shattering the talisman and disintegrating the incantation. He then swung his shovel horizontally with his right hand, severing Zhao Xu's head from his body and sending it crashing to the ground.

The reason he can withstand two moves is that he must ensure the dough remains intact.

Zhao Yi laughed and said, "No need to go to so much trouble, I have a better choice of face now."

Li Zhuiyuan: "One more face mask, isn't that just one more admission ticket?"

If only Zhao Yi goes in, wouldn't it be boring? He also wants to go in and have a look.

Zhao Yi: "Brother Xiao Yuan is absolutely right."

A deep sense of powerlessness washed over Zhao Yanglin, and he realized that nothing he said tonight would make a difference; this bastard just wanted to kill him.

Li Zhuiyuan continued walking with his umbrella, and soon the order of importance in the scene became clear, with everyone waiting for the young man to speak.

Zhao Yanglin even discovered that his nephew, who was now acting like a madman, tacitly bowed to the boy with the umbrella.

He immediately turned around, stared intently at the boy, and asked:

"Did you incite my nephew to attack my family? Why did you do that?"
Do you know that what happened today will be a fight to the death between me, Zhao of Jiujiang? Can you and the forces behind you afford the consequences?
"You...who are you...who exactly are you?"

Li Zhuiyuan lifted the umbrella behind him, revealing his face, looked at Zhao Yanglin, and said:

"Li Zhuiyuan is the only contemporary inheritor of the Dragon King lineage of the Qin and Liu families."

Come today,

"Investigate and punish Zhao of Jiujiang."

(End of this chapter)