Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 317, a long chapter of 2 words.

They...want to live.

From their expressions and tone, one could sense their loneliness, self-deprecation, and helplessness.

The inscriptions beneath the paintings in the room all shared the theme: "I would rather be guilty of a thousand crimes than let the Zhao family advance further."

From being full of hope and dedication, even at the cost of tarnishing one's character and hiding in a coffin, to living and then not wanting to die, being afraid of dying, and finally forgetting one's original aspirations and thinking that one can continue to live.

This series of changes easily evokes a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions or reflections):
They... have changed.

They themselves believe this too.

Zhao Yi just felt like laughing.

To talk about deterioration, there's a prerequisite: you had to have been good before.

Without this premise, how can it be considered a deterioration?

Are they worthy?

The secrets here are, in theory, passed down only between each generation of Grand Elders.

If this secret is fixed and not dynamic, then it is indeed understandable and feasible. It is equivalent to a family keeping the secret of a certain treasure, and the fewer people who know about it, the safer it is.

The problem is that this secret is not static.

The current Grand Elder was already sitting in the armchair in the room. The Second Elder was afraid of delaying his timely entry into the coffin, so he did not dare to bring him out on the day of the ancestral worship to be kowtowed to by the younger generation.

The Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and Fifth Elder only had a little more remaining life force in their bodies than the First Elder, and it hadn't been completely dissipated, which was why they were able to come out and bask in the sun.

But isn't this behavior already a form of preparation?

They actually all knew the process.

They even prepared their own coffins in advance, waiting only to "dry" themselves before lying down inside and joining the process.

Therefore, the claim that only the Grand Elders of each generation could know the secret is fundamentally unfounded.

Rules are dead, people are alive.

Once the First Elder is laid in his coffin, wouldn't the Second Elder become the new First Elder?
As long as the order of events is correct, everyone will have the opportunity to become a Grand Elder, which means everyone will be qualified to know this secret.

If it were truly determined that only one person in a generation would know, then how could so many ancestors be floating above?

The Zhao family of Jiujiang is not like the Yin family of Fengdu; their lineage is not that long, and they cannot be counted in so many generations!
Even if we take a step back and say that I had just gone to the treasure vault and seen the old immortal lying under the lamp of my ancestor.

Zhao Yi didn't believe that the elders who had lived in this ancestral home for generations would be uninterested in the treasure vault, would never have gone inside to see and appreciate it, would deliberately ignore the most valuable treasure once inside, and would never have noticed the old man who was "giving his own testimony."
Having learned the theory and seen the examples, he still deliberately closed his eyes and lay down in the coffin.

Oh, right, I should write a note before going into the water, to give myself a final touch of decoration.

Zhao Yi felt that these ancestors above were all extremely hypocritical and disgusting.

Look at that old lady of the Liu family. She's an outsider, but when she enters the east room, sees the memorial tablet, and comes back to kowtow to her, she'll deliberately give her some pointers and help her broaden her horizons and improve her demeanor.

And look at all of this in my own home, tsk tsk...

Like father, like son. The elite members of the Zhao family, generation after generation, ended up being dried up and preserved like fish.

Zhao Yi truly felt that if this were the case, and the Zhao family could produce another Dragon King, that would be the greatest injustice.

However, they are still pretending to be true to themselves, trying to show their sincerity by taking a step back.

This means that they still have ulterior motives towards themselves.

Zhao Yi was not surprised by this.

He's here today to lay his cards on the table, to reveal his own hand, and to see what theirs is like.

The Grand Elder, who was closest to the altar and also closest to Zhao Yi, spoke:

“Yi’er, you are still young. Even though you have experienced many life-and-death trials on the river, you have never experienced old age and physical decline. You don’t understand the state of mind of us old folks back then.”

Youth—what a beautiful word, and what an enviable yet irretrievable stage of life.

Remember when you were young, and you got hurt or fell ill? You would naturally assume that the wound would heal and the illness would be cured.

But as you grow old, even the smallest injury will leave a lasting mark, and the resulting illness will haunt you until death.

Yi'er, is it wrong to pursue survival, to exist with self-awareness and relative purity?

Even if you feel now that our existence lacks dignity, when you reach my age, you will also yearn for it.

Ordinary people are limited by their abilities, which is why they regard birth, aging, sickness and death as the natural cycle. It's not that they don't want to, but that they can't, so they console themselves.

But since we, the members of the Xuanmen (Taoist sect), possess this ability, why can't we strive for it?

Zhao Yi: "Elder, you can try to win it. All of you seniors, you can try to win it too. As long as you control yourselves and don't go astray and end up turning into monsters that wreak havoc on the world, I think you can all give it a try."

The elder looked pleased: "Yi'er, you are intelligent, I know you will understand."

Zhao Yi: "But by what right do you use the heads of your ancestors as vessels to light them up like sky lanterns?"

After learning that his parents had been murdered and skinned alive, Zhao Yi felt nothing.

But when he saw the head, Zhao Yi's emotions were already out of control.

Old Tian accompanied him through the most difficult part of his childhood, giving him a kind of "motherly love";
His ancestors' notes and aspirations guided his path, allowing him to remain calm and high-spirited even when facing pressure from the Li family, much like a "father."

It can be said that after seeing this head, Zhao Yi and the Zhao family were completely severed.

What salvation, what reduction, what revival... What he wants now is the destruction of the Zhao family.

The white of his left eye grew increasingly cold, while the black of his right eye became even more profound.

Having just broken through the crack of life and death, the barrier was now being fully breached due to Zhao Yi's emotions.

The Grand Elder said, “Without the blessings of our ancestors and the protection of the lamps, this territory would not be able to continue, and we would not be able to maintain this state.”

As you said, Yi'er, we might lose ourselves, become monsters, decay and degenerate, and bring disaster upon the world, thus causing even greater calamities.

This is not the kind of life we ​​want; living like this is indeed worse than dying.

Fortunately, our ancestors protected us, creating this pure land for our Zhao family and preserving peace for the world.

Zhao Yi: "Our ancestor suppressed the martial arts world during his lifetime, and now he has to suppress his descendants after his death?"

“Suppression…” The Grand Elder sighed. “Let’s just call it suppression. We originally intended to make progress, but unfortunately we just couldn’t reach that level. We are ashamed before our ancestors and grateful for their unwavering support.”

Zhao Yi was adept at understanding people's hearts. He knew that people would actively justify their behavior in order to make themselves feel comfortable. These people had been lying here for so long and had already enriched and solidified a set of theories that could explain themselves.

Grand Elder: "Originally, such an existence could have continued."

Zhao Yi knew that this was laying the groundwork.

The elder continued, “Each generation lights a lamp as they roam the world, but in the end, only the Dragon King of that generation can truly keep that lamp burning.”

Only when the Dragon King falls will the lamp go out.

Actually, my Zhao family's ancestral home is not Jiujiang.

In the past, there was a dragon in Jiujiang that wrecked the rivers and lakes, causing havoc to the surrounding people.

In his old age, our ancestor knew his lifespan was nearing its end, so he came here specifically to build the Locking River Tower using his own body as a foundation, to suppress and kill the wicked dragon.

From then on, the Zhao family took root in Jiujiang, taking it upon themselves to suppress the dragon and subdue the river.

"Our ancestor Zhao Luhai..."

The name mentioned by the elder is the figure in the first painting, and he is ranked only below the ancestor Zhao Wuyang in the ancestral hall.

"...Our ancestor Zhao Luhai retrieved the head of our ancestor from beneath the Suojiang Tower and enshrined it here, rekindling the ancestral lamps."

After all, the dragon is dead. Rather than letting the ancestral blessings continue to shine outwards, it would be more reasonable to transfer them to the clan to protect future generations. Isn't that the right thing to do?

I imagine our ancestors would have approved of this approach.

Our ancestors have done so much for this land, for humanity; it's time they did their part for the well-being of future generations.

Zhao Yi: "Now that the ancestral lamps have been rekindled, why is the lamp in the treasure vault extinguished?"

The elder said, “In the beginning, the lamp was the first to be lit. Only later was the flame moved into the ancestor’s head. Only in this way could the blessings and merits be released through the fragrance of the lamp oil.”

Zhao Yi: "So, that lamp is still burning?"

Grand Elder: "Yes, that's why that lamp needs to be protected."

Zhao Yi looked up, from bottom to top, at the layout of the ancestral home above.

“I understand. The lamps cannot be too far apart, or the flames will go out; nor can they be too close together, and they cannot be in the same arrangement, otherwise the flames will return to the lamps.”

No wonder the protective formations in my Zhao family's treasure vault are so complex; it turns out that the true purpose of that treasure vault is to seal that lamp.

The ancestor hidden in the ice beneath the lamp was not sustained by this lamp; he was one of you chosen to protect it.

That ancestor... was Zhao Luhai.

There are paintings in the ancestral hall, and there were also some in the room before, but the figures in the paintings often differ from the real people. Moreover, that person was frozen in the ice, so it was even more impossible to recognize him.

Since this method was devised by Zhao Luhai, and this place was also first built by Zhao Luhai, then the person who protects that lamp is naturally Zhao Luhai.

He wouldn't trust anyone else.

He wouldn't even allow another person to watch over him; no one but himself was permitted to touch the lamp.

He didn't even trust the Zhao family members who were also living there.

Perhaps they were afraid that there might actually be a "freak" among them who would take the inscription on the scroll seriously.

However, his caution was somewhat unnecessary, because the fact is that all the elders who have been laid to rest here over the generations have perfectly integrated into the community.

I just don't know if Zhao Luhai, who was in charge of setting up this place, changed his ways later... or if he was just trying to avoid dying from the beginning.

The First Elder said, “Yi’er, do you know that for a long time in the past, the flames on our ancestors’ heads were much more stable and intense than what you see now?”

Zhao Yi: "The flame has shrunk?"

"It has shrunk. The flame, which had always been very stable, first showed signs of fluctuation when you were born."

When I was born?

That night, I had my second son send a message to the outer residence to inquire if anything had happened at home. I learned that you had been born.

The second brother had your grandfather bring you to this ancestral home. I personally opened my eyes to see you and even held you in my arms.

You may not remember these things.

At that time, I stared at the crack between your eyebrows, the line between life and death, for a long time.

The birth of a child born out of wedlock signifies the rise of the Zhao family.

Ha ha,

I was truly happy for a long time.

As he spoke these words, the Grand Elder made himself appear as benevolent as possible, and even the ancestors above him no longer seemed as gloomy as they had just appeared.

But Zhao Yi found the answer to a question that had puzzled him for many years here.

"No wonder, for the first few years, my family just let me lie there and fend for myself. It turns out that in your eyes, my birth affected the flame on the heads of our ancestors."

What do you think?

Did our ancestors bestow blessings upon me?

Those born with a congenital gap between the birth canal and the fetus are often stillborn, and it is only discovered after the fetus has flowed out of the mother's body. It is already a miracle that Zhao Yi was able to be born alive.

Originally, Zhao Yi thought that his family believed he was likely to die suddenly and not live long, so they didn't think he was worth investing in and therefore ignored him completely in the first few years.

But the Zhao family is no small family after all. With the Zhao family's resources, it is worthwhile to invest resources in a freak and gamble on his future.

The reason they didn't do that is because the elders in the ancestral home were very cautious about it.

They were worried that a newborn offspring would compete with them, the old folks, for food.

The First Elder said, "Heh, if we really did that, how could you have the chance to grow up, how could you become the 'young master' of my Zhao family, and how could we prepare you for the journey across the river?"

Zhao Yi: "I guess it's because after observing for several years, you discovered that even though the ancestral flame changed because of my birth, it was still enough to sustain your existence."

As I grew older, I displayed extraordinary talent, which changed your minds and led you to decide to provide me with resources.

The First Elder said, “Yi’er, we are surnamed Zhao, and you are also a member of the Zhao family. We are all family, so we shouldn’t speak like outsiders. Protecting and supporting the talented younger generation is something that any normal family would do.”

Zhao Yi shook his head: "No, you've been wrong about me from the very beginning. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had those lonely years. You know, my parents had no idea that their cold attitude towards me was at your behest."

Those two idiots even tried to strangle me back then.

The First Elder said, “You dare to harm the genius of my Zhao family. Even if they are your parents, they should be punished. Yi’er, you should have spoken up sooner. We will seek justice for you.”

Zhao Yi: "But you are not showing care for the younger generation. After discussing it, you changed your minds. You think I have the talent to compete for the Dragon King's position."

You are not expecting a junior to rise to prominence, nor are you hoping for the family to take off again. You are planning that in the future there will be another dragon king for you to continue to devour.
you,

Having already sponged off their parents, are they planning to sponge off their children too?
Hahaha! "

The ancestors all fell silent.

Because that's really what they think.

Zhao Yi found them utterly ridiculous, thinking that just because they had desecrated the remains of the deceased Dragon King, they could continue to control the newly appointed Dragon King.
Leaving aside whether such a family could produce a Dragon King, even if a Dragon King were to be born into the Zhao family, the first thing he would do would be to slaughter all the family's high-ranking members!

These guys are like frogs in a well, indulging in wild fantasies and playing with fire.

The First Elder said, "Yi'er, you have a very deep misunderstanding of us."

This explanation was weak and ineffective, and the Grand Elder himself no longer hoped that he could continue to deceive the young man from the Zhao family standing on the altar.

Zhao Yi: "Go on, I'd like to hear what you want me to do."

The Elder said, “When the flame on my ancestor’s head changed for the second time, I had a dream.”

In my dream, I saw two dragons flying over Jiujiang.

At that time, you hadn't lit a lamp to cross the river yet, and the issue of your life or death hadn't been resolved. We didn't expect you to cross the river so soon.

Therefore, I interpret this dream as... an opportunity arising from the presence of the Twin Dragon Kings.

It was because of the Grand Elder's dream that he suffered so much back then.

But when he heard the dream again at this moment, Zhao Yi finally understood that the marriage invitation letter had another hidden meaning.

Zhao Yi: "You want the good fortune and luck of the Qin and Liu families, you want to... take advantage of that young lady from the Qin family?"

This marriage alliance wasn't for their own benefit; it was clearly for their own!

Zhao Yi could no longer laugh. How dare these old geezers?

A strong sense of lingering fear washed over him. If the old lady of the Liu family had known this back then, would Zhao Yi have had any chance of surviving?
Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu? It seems the old lady will personally wield her sword, even if it means defying the will of Heaven and bearing the backlash, she will still chop herself into mincemeat!
The Grand Elder pointed to the group of Zhao family members above and said:

"They're just a fallen Dragon King family. My Zhao family's true strength is no less than theirs. There's no need to be so afraid."

Zhao Yi: "A bunch of rats hiding underground, do they even deserve to compare themselves to the real Dragon King?"

The atmosphere, which had just eased up, became oppressive again after Zhao Yi's words.

The ancestors above thought Zhao Yi was terrified by the name of the Dragon King's family, while Zhao Yi thought that these old things... had mutated because they had lived for so long.

Their bodies are still intact, and their consciousness is also well maintained. They are very different from the dead and evil spirits. This kind of existence is called "clean" by them.

But brain damage is also a kind of mutation, right?

Normally, having a large number of people can indeed create an advantage, but you also need to consider what kind of people you're building up!
Zhao Yi had personally witnessed the tragic scene at the Taoist temple on Qingcheng Mountain. The old lady of the Liu family, thousands of miles away, used feng shui techniques to cast a calamity, extinguishing the family's lineage.

If war were to break out, the old lady alone would be enough to sweep through the Zhao family's inner and outer quarters for several lifetimes.

The top forces in the martial arts world are all aware of the current situation of the Qin and Liu families, so why hasn't anyone dared to eat those two pieces of dragon meat yet? Do they really think they are kind-hearted?
Zhao Yi couldn't even imagine how that man surnamed Li would react if he knew this secret.

However, Zhao Yi is no longer afraid of Li finding out.

The Grand Elder tolerated Zhao Yi's presumption and disrespect, and continued speaking:

"The real problem arose after you left the river. At first, things were fine. After those two changes, the flames on our ancestors' heads stabilized for a while."

But as you venture deeper into the river, the frequency of the flames on your ancestors' heads begins to increase.

It is getting smaller and smaller, and has become what it is today.

Yi'er, do you know why I've been holding on and stubbornly trying to live until now?

Do you know why the third, fourth, and fifth siblings also continue to exploit themselves?

because……"

Zhao Yi: "Because the flame is too small, too small for you to lie down in."

This realm was constructed based on the flames from the skulls of our ancestors, but its space, or rather its carrying capacity, is limited.

As generations of Zhao family elders lay down here, they had already taken up a large area. As the flames dwindled, the area's capacity to hold them also decreased.

Now, even the Grand Elder is unsure if he can squeeze in.

Anyway, it's impossible to get the people lying inside to come out and make room for you.

Moreover, those inside also have to worry that if the flames continue to shrink, they will begin to be eliminated.

The First Elder: "Yes, the flame has become too small. If it weren't for your appearance, I might have thought it was because the blessings of our ancestors were eventually exhausted. But because of the connection you've had with this flame since birth..."

In addition, I had another dream just yesterday.

It was the exact same dream as last time.

Two dragons still flew over Jiujiang.

From that moment on, I finally understood the real reason why the flame on my ancestor's head had weakened.

When the two dragons meet,

It is your changes and growth that have taken away the Dragon King's fortune from my Zhao family.

Yi'er,

We were right about you, and our ancestors were right about you too.

You truly have the bearing of a dragon king!

This is a compliment, but it also reveals the true intentions behind the words.

Zhao Yi: "So, you want me..."

The Grand Elder said, “We all rely on this domain created by the flames of our ancestors’ heads to survive. We were too naive before, thinking that we could add to it, adjust it, or even replace it.”

The truth is, that's impossible.

So, for us, for your ancestors, for the Zhao family...

Zhao Yi,

You've given up by lighting the lamp a second time; let's end the river crossing.

When the Grand Elder revealed his ultimate goal, Zhao Yi looked around and was overwhelmed by a sense of absurdity, which made him begin to doubt his life over the past twenty years.

Yi'er, you truly have the bearing of a dragon king.

Zhao Yi, you should finish lighting the lamps a second time and then cross the river.

It's hard to imagine that these two sentences could appear one after the other, and that they were spoken with such sincerity and earnestness.

Zhao Yi spread his hands, his black and white eyes sweeping over the Grand Elder and then across the group of Zhao family ancestors above him:
"Do you still remember the original purpose of building this place?"

By building this place, one enters into the game, using oneself as bait to lure the waves in, making it convenient for outstanding descendants to carve out their own paths and attain great merit.

This was the original intention behind the construction of this place; at least, that's what the Grand Elder said at the beginning. And below each of the portraits hanging in that room, there was also this kind of vow.

right now,

In order to preserve this place, they demanded that this outstanding descendant of the Zhao family admit defeat and end his journey across the river.

This is truly...a tremendous irony.

The First Elder said, “Times have changed, Yi’er. Becoming the Dragon King is certainly glorious, but the survival of the family is a more long-term consideration.”

Is the Dragon King really that important?
Look at Dragon King Qin and Dragon King Liu. How powerful and influential they were in the martial world back then! Even though no Dragon King emerged from these two families in that generation, the heads of these two families could still issue the Dragon King's Decree, and the martial world recognized it!
What's more, these two Dragon King families later even formed a marriage alliance.

But what about now?
Wouldn't they just end up as a widow and her daughter, utterly miserable?

Zhao Yi recalled the rows of empty memorial tablets he had seen in the east room.

"I've said it before, don't compare yourselves to the real Dragon King's family. Your Zhao family is not worthy."

"Okay, let's stop comparing and not mention those two companies anymore."

"Also, I'm curious, how much do you actually know about what's going on outside?"

"Too many people have come, and there are too many causes and effects involved. Some things I can see clearly, while others are shrouded in mystery. In addition, you set fire to that forest, which meant that before you came here, my ears were filled with the wailing and howling of a large group of resentful descendants. It was really noisy."

"Do you even realize that the great calamity is already at the door? Even if I were to light the lamps a second time now, do you think it would be too late?"

"As long as the flame on our ancestor's head can be restored to its original state, then the calamity will be over."

"It seems all you can think about is lying down inside."

Suddenly, Zhao Yi realized something.

That is, the reason why the Grand Elder is barely clinging to life is because he cannot get into that place.

If the flames on the altar are truly restored and the load-bearing capacity of this place is increased, then can the Grand Elder die?

Although this "death" is not the end, he really is dead.

Considering that the other teams that traveled along the river this time had the same goal of killing the Grand Elder.

This means that as long as the Grand Elder can get inside, this wave will be considered complete for those river-crossing teams.

What the Grand Elder just said—that as long as the flame on the ancestor's head is restored, he will be protected again and the calamity will pass...—actually makes sense!
The elder continued, "Now that the outer residence is empty, isn't that just making room for you? Even if it weren't empty, with your current strength, Yi'er, if you surrender and come down from the river, who among the three generations of the Zhao family, from the main branch to the collateral branch, could be your match?"
If you maintain this place well today, you can come here to rest in your old age after you have enjoyed this wonderful life.

The Dragon King's life is but a fleeting moment, while what we gain is eternal life.

"Yi'er, light the lamp."

Zhao Yi:

"A bunch of delusional old beasts."

Zhao Yi gave his own answer.

He couldn't understand why these Zhao family ancestors would try to persuade him. What he couldn't understand was that they really thought they could be persuaded.

After giving the final, merciless answer, the figures of the ancestors in Zhao Yi's sight gradually disappeared, and the shape of the coffin reappeared.

The thick amber surrounding him began to tremble, and Zhao Yi's perspective and consciousness began to return.

The next moment, he returned to the room where he had started.

The Grand Elder slowly stood up from the armchair in front of him. His old and frail body was like a withered tree that could collapse at any moment, but before he completely fell, he still exuded an extremely terrifying aura.

After all, if we don't count those old fogies, the Grand Elder should be the most powerful among all the "living" people in the entire Jiujiang Zhao clan.

The First Elder said, "Yi'er, we're telling you all this in the hope that you'll become more sensible, and that your elders are willing to accept and guide you."

Zhao Yi: "Because of you, the outer residence has actually been emptied out, and it's full of worthless good-for-nothings who can't be presented in public."

You don't want to give me advice; you want me to collude with you, not only to help you rekindle your fortunes but also to support and reorganize the Zhao family.

You don't want to see that in the future, the Zhao family's ancestral home won't even have an elder to guard the house.

As for you yourselves, you don't want to come out, and you don't have the ability to maintain this place yourself.

Let me think about it.

"If you go in here and then come out, is it impossible to go back in?"

The elder did not respond, but stood up completely.

Zhao Yi continued, "That should be the case. After all, when Zhao Luhai designed this place, one of his pretexts was to pave the way for future geniuses, and the other was to transform himself into the so-called foundation of the Zhao family, just waiting for the Zhao family's calamity to come and be awakened."

Therefore, this kind of awakening should be a one-time event.

None of you want to be a disposable item.

It's ridiculous...

The Zhao family's inner circle in Jiujiang knows perfectly well that the contemporary Zhao family members in the outer residence are being slaughtered and resurrected. Those buried beneath refuse to rise, and those asleep refuse to awaken. Hahahaha!

The First Elder said, "Yi'er, you are very smart, but unfortunately you have gone astray. You did not take the right path, but instead chose the evil path of being an enemy of the family."

Zhao Yi: "You think you're worthy to talk to me about the righteous path?"

The elder raised his hand, and a terrifying pressure instantly descended upon Zhao Yi.

“Yi’er, whether you agree or not, whether you listen or not, you still have to do what you’re supposed to do. Adults can ask children for their choices, but that doesn’t mean that children really have the right to make choices.”

An invisible pressure pulled Zhao Yi up and lifted him into the air.

Despite his desperate struggle, Zhao Yi was unable to break free.

While struggling, Zhao Yi deliberately asked in return:
"Then why don't you just kill me? What are you dawdling around here for?"
If I die, the light will go out by itself, and the river will flow down by itself...

Unless you cannot kill me, at least not before I light my own lamp.

Let me guess.

Is it because if I were to die like this, the Dragon King's fortune that I took from you would disappear along with me, instead of returning to the flames of our ancestor's head?

"Yes, it is."

Five thin blue streams flowed from between the five fingers of the Grand Elder's right hand, and when they flowed onto Zhao Yi's body, they resembled five terrifying shackles.

"Suppress the body."

"what!!!"

Zhao Yi let out a scream, his already extremely creepy appearance now taking on a vivid and ferocious look.

"Soul Suppressor".

The soul feels frozen, gradually crystallizing.

Zhao Yi understood the other party's intention: first imprison his body, then bind his soul, and finally shatter his consciousness.

If done properly, you'll become a complete idiot with a blank mind.

Then you'll be at the mercy of the other party, and the so-called "second lighting" will naturally follow.

Lighting lamps is indeed not something that can be forced, and what the Grand Elder is doing now is removing the premise of "forced".

Zhao Yi's fingertips began to move, and the Nuo opera puppetry technique was activated.

The Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and Fifth Elder, who were sitting on chairs in the courtyard, all began to tremble.

The next moment, the three of them slowly stood up from the armchair.

The First Elder said, "Yi'er, you overestimate your puppetry skills and underestimate your three elders."

"Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!"

The three elders' eyelids began to twitch, as if they were about to wake up.

Before they awoke, all the silver needles that were working on their bodies instantly disappeared, and the puppetry effect on them was instantly broken.

The First Elder: "Third, fourth, and fifth sons, go back to sleep. We don't need you here. No matter how talented a child is, he's still just a child. Heh."

As if they had heard the First Elder's words, the three elders stopped twitching their eyelids, did not open their eyes, and all sat back down in their armchairs.

The elder slowly pointed his index finger at Zhao Yi's brow.

"Yi'er, it's too late to regret it now. You shouldn't have chosen to come down here to face me. In this narrow space, many of your tricks are useless."

Next, some random thoughts…

Just then, the elder's index finger stopped in mid-air.

Because of Zhao Yi in front of him, his body began to swell rapidly.

His body was imprisoned, but he wasn't seeking release; he was committing suicide!

The elder had no choice but to retract his index finger, leaving his five fingers slightly spread once more.

“In my presence, you don’t even have the freedom to commit suicide.”

"hiss……"

The swollen body deflated, and the suicide attempt was thwarted.

Zhao Yi's eyes were fixed on the Grand Elder.

"The Gate of Life and Death is truly a mysterious and wonderful thing. Yi'er, you have failed it."

The elder extended his index finger again, pointing it once more at Zhao Yi's brow.

Zhao Yi: "Do you really know how precious the crack between life and death is?"

The elder smiled slightly. He had said everything he needed to say, and now he didn't want to continue talking to someone who would become an idiot in ten breaths.

Zhao Yi: "I didn't know before that it could be this good."

The elder placed his index finger against Zhao Yi's forehead.

However, before he could even begin to mutter, the elder's cloudy gaze suddenly shifted.

Zhao Yi's life force was being rapidly drained away in an incomprehensible way.

This is completely different from his previous suicide attempts, which were spontaneous before, but now it feels like an external force is taking it away from him.

A mocking smile appeared in Zhao Yi's eyes.

Immediately, his white eyes were covered by black, and then his eyes dimmed, completely losing their luster. His body also completely lost its vitality.

“No, no, no!!!”

The elder roared, and the emotional turmoil made his body even more withered and yellow.

He was now certain that Zhao Yi, who stood before him, was dead, and dead without a trace.

He let go.

With a "thud," Zhao Yi's already mangled body, now twisted beyond recognition, fell to the ground.

The elder covered his face with his hands, deeply shocked.

He couldn't understand how Zhao Yi had managed to commit suicide in front of him.

He would rather die than make any contribution to the Zhao family.

Ok?
wrong.

The elder turned his gaze back to Zhao Yi's corpse, pointing downwards with his finger. He first moved it left and right, then gently moved it up and down.

Zhao Yi's body was thus dissected and layered.

This is indeed a corpse, but it is not plump.

The flesh and blood are only on the outside; the inside is filled with a lot of clothes and cotton, making it look full and plump, but in reality, it is "all show and no substance."

There were bones in the corpse, but they were not complete. It looked as if some of them had been pulled out of the body and reinforced with steel wires and iron plates.

This is indeed Zhao Yi's body, but it is not the complete Zhao Yi.

It has been disguised and downgraded.

This is not puppetry. Puppetry could never be so realistic that even the puppeteer himself couldn't tell the difference. Moreover, puppetry couldn't possibly include the soul and consciousness within it, let alone allow it to travel to the underworld.

Grand Elder: "This Gate of Life and Death can actually be activated twice..."

No wonder he wanted to set that forest on fire; he was deliberately trying to distract me.

On the way here, Zhao Yi attracted the attention of Monk Huiwu and Abbess Huiyin with his physical appearance, which led to the monk and abbess being caught in a thunderstorm.

But Zhao Yi, who remained in the sedan chair with his skin burned away, was not the real Zhao Yi. He repaired himself in the sedan chair to make this already incomplete self look more real.

This action, to the outside world, suggests that one should dress more respectably when worshipping ancestors.

Through reviewing the proceedings, Li Zhuiyuan determined that Zhao Yi had made a significant breakthrough that had not yet been revealed.

And this is Zhao Yi's breakthrough.

Unlike puppetry, he can disassemble himself by peeling off skin, breaking bones, and piecing them back together, and then selectively entrust his "life and death" to specific disassembled parts.

There are two major flaws.

One issue is that the stripping is not unlimited. Once it's stripped too much, the death gate closes, and the remaining part can't support the opening of the life gate, which will lead to complete annihilation.

Another point is that the distance cannot be too far, otherwise the transformation between life and death cannot be achieved.

It can be said that, apart from being able to entrust one's soul and consciousness, it is completely inferior to ordinary puppetry in every other aspect.

However, it can be surprisingly effective at certain times.

Unless you actually skin and gut it for a thorough examination, you simply cannot tell from the aura whether this is a "truly complete" Zhao Yi.

The First Elder said, "He must still be nearby, Yi'er. As long as you are still in this ancestral mountain area, I will definitely be able to find you."

As he spoke, the elder's cloudy eyes cleared completely, and he began to extend his senses outward from the ancestral home as the center.

This high-intensity activity made his skin rougher and tighter, turning him into skin and bones at an almost visible rate.

He saw the third sedan chair appear at the entrance of the ancestral home, the group of people who came along with that sedan chair, and the second son who, unable to open the door to come in, simply hid nearby.

At last,
On a hillside very close to the ancestral home, the eldest elder saw Zhao Yi.

A piece of pork without skin, missing half of its flesh and half of its bones... like a butcher throwing half of a piece of pork on a chopping board at a market.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Grand Elder felt a pang of fear in his heart; he was truly afraid that Zhao Yi might not "come back to life."

"Yi'er, you can't die! You can't die before the lamp is lit!"

……

"Sis, do you think the boss is still alive? He's practically dead."

"If the boss doesn't wake up, this door is mine. I'll bury it with him in my grave after I die."

Upon hearing this, Liang Li retorted indignantly, "Why should I give it to you?"

Liang Yan retorted, "You want to divide one fan among yourself?"

Liang Li: "I..."

Liang Yan: "Shall I give you one of my legs?"

Liang Li: "You..."

Liang Yan: "Little sister, I'm getting old, but you're still young. Don't let this kind of thing hold you back. You should learn to let go and pursue new happiness."

Liang Li: "Sister, we are twins."

Liang Yan: "Even if you're only a second older, you're still older. You said that yourself before."

Liang Li: "Ha, I suspect that even the midwife didn't know who came first. She just pointed to the baby and said, 'This is the older sister, this is the younger sister.' And when we were little, I'm afraid even my parents got confused when we took a bath."

Liang Yan: "It's pointless."

Liang Li: "I've noticed, sis, you really enjoy acting all virtuous in front of the boss now."

Liang Yan: "The older sister is virtuous, and the younger sister is lively. Isn't this the combination that men like the most?"

Liang Li: "Why can't it be the other way around? Do you believe I'll tell the boss about how you used to carve tree stumps into the shape of a man's penis when you were a kid practicing swordsmanship, and then laugh as you chopped them down?"

Liang Yan: "Who chopped up those hooligans' toys that we encountered before? They were even shouting 'So chewy!' while they were chopping them up."

"Huh...huh...huh..."

The piece of meat, which had looked like a dead pig, suddenly began to breathe.

The two sisters exchanged a glance, then immediately turned around and looked behind them with surprise.

Liang Li: "Boss, you're alive?"

Liang Yan: "Husband, you're awake?"

Liang Li: "..."

Zhao Yi opened his eyes. He had just experienced what felt like an endless drowning, and he almost thought he wouldn't make it out of the water.

Thanks to my trip to Fengdu, I actually died a few times, accumulating this valuable experience of death;

Furthermore, for so many years, I've been lying in bed like a cripple. To say I'm as soft as a boneless person is an understatement; in reality, even eating something difficult to digest could put my life in danger.

Having spent so much time in this broken and rotten place, he had truly mastered the skills of this toad. Zhao Yi: "I only have one, you can take it, cut it in half, each of you take half, one chop it, the other mince it, don't mind."

Liang Li: "I don't mind."

Liang Yan: "Anyway, it's long enough to divide."

Liang Li was furious.

Zhao Yi: "Pull the curtain up higher for me and help me sit up."

Liang Li pulled the curtains up high to block the wind.

When the entire body is without skin and flesh, even a slight breeze can feel like being pierced by a thousand needles.

Liang Yan carefully helped Zhao Yi sit up.

The boss's current hand feels like that of a bullfrog that has just been skinned, with many parts twitching slightly out of control.

A touch of warmth rose in Zhao Yi's heart, which had been exposed to the elements.

Liang Li: "Boss, let us take you away from here."

Zhao Yi: "Why leave here?"

Liang Li: "Treatment for injuries?"

Zhao Yi: "Heal my wound? Can you heal my kind of wound? Or can you find someone to heal me? My wound can only be healed through good deeds."

Liang Li: "So what do we do now? Boss, there's nothing more you can do now, right?"

Zhao Yi: "What do you mean, what should we do? I just set up this stage and we've only performed half of the show. Now that we've come off stage, we definitely have to sit here and keep watching."

Liang Li: "Then the remaining half..."

Liang Yan: "Of course it's Brother Xiao Yuan. In this world, only he can take on our boss's role."

Zhao Yi smiled, but the muscles on the left side of his face slumped down due to lack of support.

For a moment, the left half of his face was crooked, with his mouth and eyes looking slanted.

Liang Yan quickly reached out and helped him lift that muscle.

Liang Li: "Boss, you've already discussed this with that guy surnamed Li?"

Zhao Yi: "You have no manners! How dare you call someone surnamed Li like that?"

Liang Li stuck out her tongue.

Zhao Yi: "There's no way to discuss it. I didn't even know the specifics of what was going on before I made those arrangements. I couldn't even give them a heads-up."

It was that guy surnamed Li who gave me a hand first, which really calmed me down a lot.

Besides, isn't it more interesting that the unpredictable ending of this unplanned performance makes the story even more engaging?

Liang Li: "It's complicated, I don't understand."

Zhao Yi: "That's good, I don't understand either. I'll wait and see. By the way, did you bring the things I asked you to pick up earlier?"

Liang Li immediately took out a box, opened it, and placed it in front of Zhao Yi: "Young Master, I've brought it."

The box contained a piece of dough.

Zhao Yi reached out and gently touched it.

"It's his face."

"Well, he said that if you don't have the face of the person in question, but you want to make it look realistic and not give yourself away, then you can only use the craftsman's own face."

I told him that once this face mask is finished, all past favors owed to him by the young master will be wiped clean.

Zhao Yi: "Don't skip steps, say it all."

Liang Li: "Of course they were unwilling to use their own skin to help us make things, and they almost tried to fight me to the death. In the end, I held a dagger to his wife's neck and looked at their children."

Only then did he agree to cut off his own face skin to make this mask for us.

His wife helped him with the work; one of them was bleeding, and the other was crying.

I lectured them, saying, "Young master, you saved their lives and protected them. For you to use your face to settle this debt is a huge win for you!"

Liang Li was referring to the couple who ran the breakfast shop.

After listening to the story, Zhao Yi nodded and said:
"What they owe me, they should pay back."

Sigh, now I'm really worried about how to pay it back. This time I'm afraid I'll owe that guy surnamed Li a huge debt.

……

Li Zhuiyuan arrived at the ancestral home in a sedan chair.

He stepped out of the sedan chair.

Look behind you first.

Bu Chen and the other two were all expressionless.

The monks and nuns both paid him a respectful bow from afar.

The little man sitting on the big woman's shoulders looked at him with amusement.

These three groups followed them all the way here, and no conflict occurred between them during the process.

Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at the gate of the ancestral home, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Soon, the boy discovered the problem with the ancestral home's formation; it didn't match the instructions.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The ancestral home's formation has been altered."

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Xiaoyuan, you can definitely break through it."

Tan Wenbin: "The key is not whether it can be broken through or not."

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, what's the key point?"

Tan Wenbin: "Guess who modified this formation?"

Lin Shuyou: "Three eyes...right?"

Tan Wenbin: "What was the purpose of those three-eyed people changing the formation? To stop us? We have Brother Yuan here, can he stop us? Or to stop the group behind us? The group behind us doesn't even know what the old formation looks like, so why would it need to be changed?"

Lin Shuyou: "Then it seems there's no need to change it, unless..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Some people from the ancestral home were stopped outside by Zhao Yi."

Runsheng immediately took a few steps closer to Li Zhuiyuan and lifted the shovel handle with his right hand.

Lin Shuyou also drew his double maces and placed them to the side.

Since he started standing here, Tan Wenbin has been keeping a close eye on everything around him.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, there's no movement. It's probably stopped moving and is lying still."

Li Zhuiyuan: "If the old things inside are blocked outside, it is indeed difficult to find them unless they take the initiative to do so. They are good at hibernation."

While Li Zhuiyuan was on guard against the old Zhao family thief hiding nearby, the three groups behind him also finished a new round of discussions.

The topic of discussion was how to get into the ancestral home.

Originally, this shouldn't have been a difficulty, or even a hurdle.

According to the original procedure, everyone was disguised as members of the Zhao family and entered under the guise of ancestor worship.

Now that everyone's skin has been torn off, getting through the door has become a major problem.

Qiu Chuyin, the formation master in Bu Chen's team, was killed by Lin Shuyou. Without their formation master, they could only listen in.

The young man knew a bit about formations and could describe the formations in the Zhao residence in detail, but he had no clue how to break them.

The main reason is that this kind of formation based on the family's ancestral home will be repaired and changed over the generations, and the underlying structure will become more complex. Moreover, the Zhao family of Jiujiang is not an ordinary family in the martial arts world. Even its underlying structure is a level that ordinary families and sects cannot reach.

In the end, the only one who could truly speak on this matter was Master Huiyin.

Master Huiyin: "It is almost impossible to break such a formation by hand. The most correct method is to first observe its spirit and then its form, and finally set up a detection formation to find the loopholes. Then set up a high-level formation to try to pry open a gap."

If I were to take charge, even in the most optimistic scenario, it would take me a whole day.

The main problem is that I'm currently injured and not in my best condition.

The young man: "A day...that feels like a long time."

The monk Huiwu asked, "Is there another way? We can knock on the door and say that we are wandering monks who would like to ask the host to give us a meal."

Going to someone's ancestral home to beg for alms, with your hands stained with the blood of their family members, is definitely not a practical method.

Knowing that the monk Huiwu was criticizing him, the young man wasn't angry. He simply explained, "A day is enough time for many things to change."

The strong woman said, "We're exhausted by this wave and want to finish it quickly so we can go back to rest and find new members."

Bu Chen, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "What if we go with him?"

Bu Chen pointed to the boy standing in front of him.

Master Huiyin: "Although it sounds absurd, I truly believe that the young man's skill in formations is most likely superior to mine. If I could join forces with that young man, we could halve the time allotted, or even reduce it further."

The younger man said, "Go talk to him? He's going to go in anyway, so we should cooperate since we all have the same goal."

The strong-willed woman: "Who will go and negotiate?"

The young man shrank back: "Anyway, I'm not going."

Monk Huiwu said, "Amitabha, this humble monk will go. Although that young benefactor showed signs of colluding with Zhao Yi, he did not go too far."

Upon hearing this, Bu Chen gave the monk a cold look.

The monk didn't take it to heart.

If someone is blocking your way and you don't want to stop, but instead go up and fight, and you lose and even have one of your own killed, then it's because you're not as skilled as them.

Master Huiyin: "Huiwu, please convey my expectations for that young benefactor's formation."

The monk shook his head and smiled, "You should reveal your expertise in array formations to him."

After saying this, Monk Huiwu took the initiative to leave the group and walked towards Li Zhuiyuan.

As soon as he got closer, the monk sensed something was wrong; the menacing and wary aura emanating from the group opposite him was far too intense.

Monk Huiwu couldn't help but straighten the tattered robe he was wearing, which had been burned to a crisp.

Since they value this humble monk so much and regard him as a threat, this humble monk naturally cannot be impolite.

"donor."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the monk and asked, "Have you come seeking a joint effort to break the formation?"

“Your wisdom is admirable, benefactor.”

"I agree."

"Amitabha."

"But I have a condition."

"Donor, please tell me."

"Before breaking the formation, one must first observe its spirit and form. I have a habit of becoming more focused when I am studying and feeling the formation. If I am disturbed, I will either be frustrated or develop inner demons."

Therefore, my condition is that when everyone first observes the formation, the distance between each other needs to be greater—I mean, greater than it is now.

"This……"

"Let your array masters take a look first, and I'll take a look after you've finished."

"This condition is certainly not a problem."

After performing another Buddhist salute, the monk Huiwu turned around and went back, explaining the young man's agreement to cooperate and the conditions.

The young man said, "I understand this condition. I've seen people observe formations by leaving their bodies and using their spiritual energy to enter the formation and experience it."

Monk Huiwu: "Since that's the case, then let's settle on this arrangement."

Bu Chen said, "What if he just opens the door and goes in?"

The young man said, “You still suspect they’re in cahoots with Zhao Yi? I think they either have a relationship or a deal, but I don’t see any sign that one of them is determined to side with Zhao Yi. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to block your sedan chair at the front. He could have retreated and launched a coordinated attack when Zhao Yi made his move against us.”

Bu Chen: "That's not what I meant. What I meant was that he's very good at formations."

The scene of his own formation master being killed in the team battle was still vivid in Bu Chen's mind. Even though he was not familiar with formations, he could see the despair and shock on Qiu Chuyin's face before she died.

As the only one of the three who had ever fought against Li Zhuiyuan's group, his fear of the young man was even deeper.

The young man said, "We know he's very skilled in formations, otherwise we wouldn't have sought cooperation. Most importantly, our abbess went first to inspect the formations, and everything was based on her judgment."

Let's see if that boy has the ability to slam the door open with a 'bang,' get inside before we can react, and then calmly close it again.

Master Huiyin: "Amitabha."

After the discussion was completed, Li Zhuiyuan's people made room and gave the area near the gate to the other party.

Moreover, they actively created a distance between themselves and the outside.

This is also the area the opponent must retreat to when they take turns observing the formation.

After standing still, Li Zhuiyuan said to Runsheng and Lin Shuyou, "You can relax a little now. Staying tense all the time is too exhausting."

Runsheng sat down cross-legged, took out compressed biscuits and water, and began to eat.

Lin Shuyou also placed the two maces behind his back and used the sharp edges of the maces to scratch his back.

"Brother Bin, the reason we can relax now is that the Zhao family elder who's been hiding is only keeping an eye on the main gate, right?"

"Well, congratulations, Ah-you, you've even come to ask questions with the answers in your own hands."

"So when Brother Yuan breaks through the formation later, should I stand in front or behind?"

"There is unknown danger ahead and clear danger behind. You stand in front, and Runsheng stands in the back."

"understood."

The three groups of people were standing on the steps in front of the gate.

The little man calculates with his fingertips, trying to gain popularity.

Master Huiyin clasped her hands together and chanted Buddhist scriptures.

In the darkness, a melody seemed to emanate from the nun's mouth, blending with the door in front of her.

After a long while, the nun lowered her hands and sighed:

"As expected of a family that once produced a Dragon King, even though Zhao of Jiujiang is not good at formations, the arrangement of this protective formation is still exquisite and magnificent yet delicate. It is really difficult to find its flaws."

besides……"

The young man said, "What else? Abbess, we're in this together now, there's no need to hide anything."

Master Huiyin: "This great formation has recently been modified. Although only a small part has been modified, the method is very ingenious. It can be integrated with the original formation in a short period of time, which makes it even more difficult to break the formation."

The young man glanced at Bu Chen and asked, "Is it possible for someone to break through the formation and open the door in an instant?"

Master Huiyin: "I suspect that even the elders of the Zhao family who originally lived in the Zhao residence have not fully mastered this modified new formation."

The young man: "So it's impossible?"

Master Huiyin: "I admit that the young man has a high talent for array formations, but no matter how high, he is still just a human being."

The young man nodded.

Master Huiyin: "I'm done here. Let that young man take a look. After he finishes, I'll have a discussion with him and we'll work together to come up with a plan to break the formation."

The monk Huiwu waved to indicate that the two could switch places.

Li Zhuiyuan and the others stood at the door.

The boy didn't rush to focus on the formation; instead, he turned his head to look behind him.

Tan Wenbin waved his hand to shoo them away: "Over there, over there, stay away!"

The three groups had no choice but to retreat again, back to the spot where Li Zhuiyuan and the others had stood. Tan Wenbin had even thoughtfully drawn a line for them there.

After confirming the distance, Li Zhuiyuan then faced the gate.

Lin Shuyou stood diagonally in front of the boy, while Runsheng and Tan Wenbin stood on two steps, one in front of the other, facing behind.

This combination isn't strange, as the reason has already been given: to prevent the opponent from launching a sneak attack and disrupting the mind of one's own formation master.

Li Zhuiyuan knew the Zhao family's protective formation so well that he could recognize it even if it were burned to ashes.

What he needs to do now is to find out the nodes that Zhao Yi modified.

Once this node is found, its derivation can be performed, and the derivation result can be substituted into the original formation, thus gaining partial mastery of the formation and ensuring freedom of entry and exit.

It sounds simple, but the amount of deduction involved is astonishing, because Zhao Yi had not communicated with the boy beforehand, and Li Zhuiyuan did not know where Zhao Yi had made the changes.

However, just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to conduct extensive simulations, he stopped again.

The boy looked at the two door knockers on the gate.

These are the two key points at the front of the gate, corresponding to the door bolts at the back.

Modifying the formation requires timeliness, so Zhao Yi will most likely make changes to the door latch after entering. Therefore, the solution will most likely lie in the door knockers.

Door knocker...

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hands, making a gesture as if he were grasping the door knocker.

He recalled the moment this morning when he left the outer residence of the Zhao family, Zhao Yi stood in front of him and rubbed his face with both hands.

Li Zhuiyuan was well aware that this was Zhao Yi's perverse sense of humor; that guy never missed any opportunity to take advantage of him and would be foolishly happy about it.

But what if we take our perverse sense of humor to an even higher level?

Li Zhuiyuan replicated the force, direction, and frequency with which Zhao Yi pinched his cheeks with both hands, and then immediately transformed it into the thought process within the formation.

Conversion complete.

Li Zhuiyuan thought it was worth a try.

The boy took a few steps forward and grabbed the door knocker with both hands.

This action wasn't particularly strange to the three groups of people in the distance; the young man had touched everything before, even the pillars.

The Second Elder, who was hiding in the distance, motionless and not even breathing, with only his eyes open, didn't take it too seriously.

It will probably take this group quite a while to break through the formation.

He himself found it funny that, as an elder of the Zhao family, he now had to rely on outsiders to break his own family's formation, otherwise he wouldn't even be able to return home.

Next,
Then, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded unfolded.

The monk Huiwu stretched his head forward, ignoring the fact that the wound on his head was being torn open further.

With a "plop," the little man slid off the big woman's shoulder. The woman reacted quickly and lifted his little bottom with her hands.

Master Huiyin swayed, her eyes reddened, and she almost vomited blood.

Only Bu Chen smiled slightly. He had given a warning, but no one believed him.

The Second Elder's breath was broken, and his breathing became extremely heavy.

"Damn it, is this your house or mine?!"

The boy simply gripped the door knocker with both hands, turning it up and down, left and right, until a "click" was heard, the latch behind the door lifted, followed by a "creak"...

The door is open.

Not to mention outsiders, even Tan Wenbin was shocked, and Lin Shuyou was so excited that his face turned red.

As partners, everyone had great confidence in Xiao Yuan's mastery of formations.

But what just happened has once again completely refreshed their understanding of formations.

Brother Xiaoyuan has already stopped using normal methods and directly incorporated the method of breaking the formation into his daily life actions?

Ah You was filled with awe at Xiao Yuan's rapid improvement in formation skills.

Fortunately, although Ayou's mind was blank, his body's instinctive actions preceded his instincts.

In a flash, Ah You rushed into the doorway first.

Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin followed closely behind.

Runsheng retreated rapidly.

"Oh no, they're going in first!"

"Stop them!"

"Stop them!"

With such a brief opening and such a hurried entry, even a fool would know what they'd do next: close the door!
Although we don't know why they closed the door or what their purpose was in entering that dangerous place alone, stopping them is the right thing to do.

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan himself didn't understand why he had to close the door.

Unless Zhao Yi shuts all the elders of the Zhao family out, the Zhao family ancestral home is definitely a place with an extremely high risk factor.

But since Zhao Yi changed the formation and deliberately used suggestive nodes, his intention was to allow his side to enter the Zhao residence alone.

Although he didn't know exactly what opera Zhao Yi was singing, Li Zhuiyuan could only rely on his instincts to answer.

The three groups of people running finally understood the purpose of the condition the boy had mentioned earlier.

At such a distance, no matter how fast they were going, they wouldn't have time to stop them.

And just then, a figure swept past them at an astonishing speed.

The three groups immediately stopped their pursuit and assumed defensive postures.

But the little old man in the blue silk robe and holding a lantern didn't have time to look at these people. Instead, he sped up and headed towards the gate.

The good news is that the door is open; the bad news is that outsiders have gone in, and the owner may not have time to get in!

The Second Elder pushed his movement technique to its limit, ignoring the sword wounds on his body from his earlier fight with the woman who wasn't surnamed Xi, which were now bleeding profusely.

We can make it! We can make it!
Even if it's just a crack, as long as it's not completely closed, he still has time.

The second elder stretched out the lantern, attempting to use it to block the gate.

As Runsheng retreated, he saw the person rushing towards him and immediately gathered all his strength, raising the Yellow River shovel and smashing it down.

"boom!"

The Yellow River shovel collided with the lantern.

Runsheng was sent flying backwards and landed heavily inside the house.

The Second Elder was not sent flying backward, but his figure was abruptly stopped on the steps.

In that brief moment of delay, there was a loud "bang" as the door slammed shut.

Li Zhuiyuan, behind the door, looked at the latch, his fingertips gliding gracefully in front of him before he flicked the latch downwards.

"Crack!"

Locked.

The boy could even picture Zhao Yi using that lewd, smiling gesture to lower the door latch.

He might mutter to himself again, "This is how I learned to lock the door."

Outside.

"what!!!"

In his rage, the Second Elder slammed his head against the door, and then...

"boom!"

The Second Elder was violently thrown to the ground by the protective formation.

He tried to raise his fist and slam it into the ground, but found that his raised fist was covered in blood.

This injury wasn't from when he rammed the door earlier. He already had a sword wound on his fingertip, and the wound was completely reopened after he collided with the shovel while holding the lantern.

The second elder immediately lowered his head and sucked the blood from his hands.

"What kind of freak is this, possessing such divine power at such a young age?"

A woman who isn't from the Xi family but is skilled in the Xi family swordsmanship, a young man with such superhuman strength, plus that boy who just broke through his ancestral home's formation as easily as visiting his own home...

They are all so young, yet their talents are terrifying.

"What... is wrong with this world?"

inside the door.

Runsheng was helped to his feet by Lin Shuyou.

"puff……"

A mouthful of blood spurted from Runsheng's mouth.

Runsheng rarely coughed up blood like this. He has many pores on his body, and this stagnant blood can be completely expelled through these pores.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Runsheng, it's the residual sword energy in your body. Don't try to target it. Use the 'Qin Family Observing Dragon Technique' to guide the sword energy out of your body."

Runsheng nodded, closed his eyes, and the grooves on his body flowed faster. Soon, a series of whooshing sounds rang out, hitting the floor tiles in front of him and creating a row of tiny holes.

Lin Shuyou touched the hole with his hand: "It's so deep."

This is only what's expelled from the body; just how terrifying was that old man's lantern strike?

Runsheng: "Xiaoyuan, I am no match for him."

Runsheng stated his judgment very frankly: that old man had the power to defeat him so badly that he could not stand up again.

Li Zhuiyuan: "That's normal. That old man is ridiculously old, and he must have some special problems."

Most importantly, when facing such an opponent, our side would definitely not send anyone to fight one-on-one.

Lin Shuyou: "This place is exactly the same as the Zhao family's outer residence, it's huge. Where do we go now?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Ayou, if you were Zhao Yi, where do you think I would go first after entering his ancestral home?"

Lin Shuyou: "The Zhao Family Treasure Trove!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then let's go to the treasure vault."

Lin Shuyou: "Will Three-Eyed meet up with us there?"

In fact, almost the instant Li Zhuiyuan and the others entered the house, Zhao Yi, who was in the underground room of the ancestral home, died. Then, Zhao Yi came back to life on the north side of the hill in the distance.

Despite not having rehearsed beforehand, both sides delivered an exceptionally harmonious performance.

In the basement room.

The elder was now just skin and bones, no longer possessing his former dignified image, but instead appearing somewhat sinister and ghostly.

For him, now he yearns for a little more life so he can do more things, but he is already tired of this agonizing wait of barely clinging to life.

After locating Zhao Yi's "come back to life," he was about to send a message to his second son when he noticed a stranger had entered the house.

The First Elder said, "Third, fourth, and fifth brother, which of you wake up and deal with the group of people who broke into the house?"

The sound was definitely transmitted.

However, the three elders remained seated firmly in their chairs, and none of them responded to the Grand Elder's call to awaken.

The First Elder suppressed his inner rage and called out, "Fifth Brother, you have the most chance of survival. Wake up!"

After a brief twitch, the Fifth Elder opened his eyes.

He stood up, took a step forward, and in one stride, his body moved directly from one end to the other.

Meanwhile, Li Zhuiyuan and his group were heading to the Zhao family's treasure vault.

Tan Wenbin raised his hand.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Stop!"

The young man quickly released the red thread, binding all the companions together.

Everyone immediately faced the direction of the compound and prepared for defense.

A gaunt figure soon came into view.

He was approaching step by step, his afterimages appearing frequently, carrying a powerful sense of oppression.

The opponent is very strong; that's practically written on their forehead.

Everyone realized that a fierce battle was about to begin.

Runsheng quickly activated the grooves on his body in an attempt to completely suppress the injuries caused by the previous sword energy.

Under Xiao Yuan's command, Lin Shuyou activated his vertical pupils, transforming into a True Lord, and became alert and vigilant.

Tan Wenbin activated his Blood Ape Power, his eyes widened, and his ears perked up, helping Xiao Yuan Ge detect the opponent's next move.

Li Zhuiyuan was looking at the other person intently, his mind racing with deductions.

Although the opponent was powerful, he was clearly not in a normal state. The feeling he gave people was completely different from that of the old man who had sparred with Runsheng through the crack in the door earlier.

When you fight them, don't confront them head-on; that's exactly what they want.

Choose a mobile warfare approach, try to keep him at bay as much as possible, so that you can find his weaknesses. This guy is much easier to deal with than the old man who tried to rush the door earlier.

Li Zhuiyuan, who had already formulated a preliminary battle plan, hadn't even had a chance to pass it on to his companions when his gaze suddenly sharpened.

The young man noticed something amiss about the elder of the Zhao family.

At first, it was very subtle; the other person's walking posture was a little stiff, which was not due to sleeping for too long.

The boy immediately used Tan Wenbin's perception to sense the other party's aura.

Tan Wenbin had already noticed it, but he hadn't had time to process the information yet. Of course, even if he had, he wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with it.

The flow of Qi is also not right; it is not smooth.

The boy began his journey to the underworld, while simultaneously observing the feng shui and weather conditions.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan finally saw it clearly.

The other person's body was covered with countless tiny dots, and the positions formed and connected by these dots were so familiar that Li Zhuiyuan could naturally connect the dots after just one glance.

The boy raised his hands and began to form hand seals.

Runsheng and Lin Shuyou, who had been waiting for Xiaoyuan's command and direction, could only rely on their instincts and tacit understanding to fight when the other party was already in front of them.

Runsheng raised his Yellow River shovel, ready to take the first blow head-on, while Lin Shuyou raised his golden mace, preparing to provide support.

The elder from the Zhao family also raised his hand, with a rich blue light flowing in his palm.

then,

The Fifth Elder remained frozen in place, motionless.

Runsheng raised his Yellow River shovel, but missed; Lin Shuyou's double maces, which had been poised for a long time, caused a slight pain in his tense, half-twisted waist.

But they still dared not slack off in the slightest.

The Fifth Elder withdrew his hand, the magic gathered in his palm dissipated, and then he turned around, leaving his back to everyone.

This state is clearly being...

Lin Shuyou didn't want to appear weak, but he couldn't help being shocked again.

Has Brother Xiaoyuan's mysterious manipulation techniques actually reached such a terrifying level?
Despite the enemy's incredible speed, Xiao Yuan managed to "catch" them and successfully control them.

A strong sense of crisis rose in Lin Shuyou's heart. If things continued like this, what use would he be in the team?

This is certainly not because Li Zhuiyuan's Black Book Secret Technique suddenly reached such a high level.

The scene before him was very similar to what Zhao Yi had encountered in Su Luo's tomb, except that the protagonist had changed.

At that time, Zhao Yi successfully experienced the Black Book Secret Technique by using the arrangement he left inside Su Luo's corpse.

This time, it was Zhao Yi's turn to prepare in advance, inserting the silver needles one by one in a specific way.

When Li Zhuiyuan saw this elder of the Zhao family, all he needed to do was activate the Black Book Secret Technique, as simple as... picking up chopsticks to eat.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that there must be more than one elder of the Zhao family like the one in front of him.

But the boy also felt that no matter how many elders could be awakened and dispatched, Zhao Yi should have made all the arrangements in advance.

If one comes, I'll take one; if two come, I'll take another pair.

Although controlling such a powerful being puts a lot of pressure on the boy, even getting a nosebleed is better than his companions fighting and getting injured.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the Zhao family's treasure vault.

right now,

Li Zhuiyuan was already looking forward to what Zhao Yi had planned for him in that treasure trove.

……

Outside the gate of the Zhao family ancestral home.

The Second Elder, who had already appeared, was still angry.

Behind him, all three groups of people were on high alert, their identities discernible from the clothes he wore.

The two sides are essentially natural enemies, but the other side doesn't seem to have any intention of attacking them for the time being.

Just then, the First Elder, who had just forcibly awakened the Fifth Elder, relayed his voice to the Second Elder.

"Second brother..."

"Boss, your voice sounds so weak."

"Yi'er is on the back of that hillside on the northwest side. Go and catch him, control him. We can't let Yi'er die, and we can't let Yi'er commit suicide!"

The second elder nodded, turned around, and looked at the hillside.

Bu Chen, the monk, and the little man also glanced in that direction subconsciously, but after that glance, their eyes were immediately glued to it.

One by one, they all fell into a state of intense excitement and euphoria.

Because there was a person standing on that hillside at that moment.

That man was old, decaying, with a white beard and many age spots. To say he was old and frail would be an exaggeration. He was like sugarcane residue that had been chewed countless times and almost all the juice had been squeezed out.

The hotel owner, with his own shamelessness, created a mask for himself that satisfied Zhao Yi. Those fancy and trendy methods, like those used for ceramic dolls, were just for convenience and novelty. To see the true details, one had to look at the craftsman's skill.

As for this feeling of being overdrawn, Zhao Yi doesn't need to act it out anymore, because that's exactly what he is right now.

After dismissing the Liang sisters, he stood alone on the hilltop, circulating the Zhao family's secret technique to create a misty atmosphere around him, adding the most important layer of authenticity to this false identity.

Based on past experience walking along the river, the river will push its final destination to you in a vague way, letting you know who your target is, but not making it absolutely clear.

These river-crossing teams are aiming to kill the Grand Elder, but they have never actually seen the real Grand Elder.

As for impersonating a member of the Zhao family... no one is more professional than Zhao Yi, because he really is surnamed Zhao, and he just had in-depth contact with the Grand Elder who was in seclusion.

Although this development was somewhat abrupt and bizarre, the three groups, who had already had enough of this wave, were unlikely to give up the opportunity to successfully complete it.

Even knowing the risks, they still had to jump in. If they were killed by others, the biggest share of the merit would be taken, and they would only get scraps.

At this moment, the biggest thought in everyone's mind is:

kill him!

They rushed toward the hillside together.

Zhao Yi smiled.

This wave started by infiltrating through disguise and reskinning, so let's just let this wave end by being overwhelmed by the same method of disguise and reskinning.

Immediately, Zhao Yi looked at the Second Elder, who was still in a daze, and called out in a hoarse yet authoritative voice:
"Second brother, what are you standing there for? Come save me!"

-

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(End of this chapter)