Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 321

The Second Elder's actions were not a sign of turning back from a wrong path, nor were they a sign of sudden repentance. He was simply continuing to follow his own heart's desires, consistent in his actions.

Having lost his right to lie there early on, he had less of the obsession that prevented him from letting go compared to the other four elders, but he knew what treatment his ancestor's head had received there.

Perhaps, at the beginning, the Second Elder was also angry, struggled, and hesitated, but he did not choose to resist, but instead sought self-consolation.

He believes that what he has done, as well as what his ancestors have done, is all for the long-term survival of the Zhao family in Jiujiang and to build up their heritage.

When you've been deceiving yourself for so long, you start to believe it. Often, the one who finds it hardest to accept that the deception has been exposed is the one who has been deceived.

The Second Elder could only find solace in this self-deception.

Therefore, when he witnessed the collapse of the central axis area of ​​the Zhao family's ancestral home and realized that the so-called "Zhao family heritage" had vanished in an instant, it was less that the Second Elder was worried about the future of the Zhao family and more that he was worried about his own life.

He desperately wanted to find a continuation within this shattered lie, to exonerate himself.

When he pierced the Grand Elder's body with the lantern, he felt he had found this continuation. As the flames engulfed him and the Grand Elder, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief. He knew that he, on the verge of death, would no longer have to struggle with the lie.

In his heart, Zhao Yi silently counted down the countdown to the Grand Elder's death in the fire.

However, Zhao Yi's gaze did not fall on the burning area in front of him, but instead fixed on the devastated battlefield further away, littered with corpses.

He stared at that spot for a long time, as if he were pondering, or perhaps daydreaming or lost in thought.

Those people who infiltrated the Zhao family by changing their skins—their goal in this raid was to kill the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder was originally a piece of sacrificial meat marked by the river, waiting to be divided.

Especially given that almost everyone from the other teams has died, if that person could appear and personally finish off the Grand Elder before he died, then he could enjoy the merit of this multi-team wave all to himself.

That person's character is far superior to Bu Chen's group. After all, he is someone who can travel across the river alone. There is no one like that who is easy to deal with.

Bu Chen and the others only suspected that Zhao Yi's "Grand Elder" was fake, but that person was probably certain from the beginning.

That person knew that Zhao Yi was using this method to fish, and understood that Zhao Yi, who seemed to be standing there alone, definitely had a backup plan, but he just couldn't detect it.

In this kind of impending showdown, whoever makes the first move and breaks through the concealment will be at a disadvantage.

When the Grand Elder charged upwards like a madman earlier, he hoped that Zhao Yi would activate his backup plan to save his own life, but Zhao Yi did not do so.

Of course, that person can wait, wait for the Grand Elder to rush up and tear Zhao Yi to pieces.

However, Zhao Yi's death will inevitably trigger his follow-up plan. At that time, the Grand Elder will also be killed immediately, and the biggest piece of meat will be out of his reach. In the end, he will only be able to drink some meat soup.

His opportunity to act came during the brief period between the moment the Grand Elder killed Zhao Yi.

He bet that Zhao Yi was afraid of dying.

Zhao Yi bet on his greed.

All I want is to survive and get through this crisis safely; I can give up any good deeds.

Then why are you walking across the river with a lamp? And why are you walking across the river alone?
Zhao Yi concluded that it was impossible for that person to hold back.

What if I bet wrong... then I'm doomed.

Zhao Yi used to think he was too smart to gamble, but now, looking at what has happened in the Zhao family's ancestral land, he sighs and says, "Whatever, I'm just a worthless life. If I lose, I can have it!"

However, the Second Elder's interception actually changed the balance of the gamble. The First Elder could no longer rush up to kill Zhao Yi, which meant that the risk to Zhao Yi in the gamble was completely removed.

Zhao Yi: There's no need to wait any longer, it's time for you to make your move.

he,
To be precise, it was her.
Shot.

A beautiful figure, wielding a sword, appeared out of thin air and charged straight at the Grand Elder with astonishing speed.

Zhao Yi separated his index and middle fingers, and the two strands of hair tied to his fingers broke off.

On the ground below the slope in front of them, Liang Yan and Liang Li, the sisters, opened their eyes at the same time.

The two women had many silver needles stuck in their bodies, especially the three blood needles between their eyebrows, which were particularly shocking.

Fearing detection, Zhao Yi had the two of them perform a rehearsal before sneaking back, as previously planned.

Following Zhao Yi's instructions, the two women inserted silver needles into acupoints on their bodies, while the three blood needles between their eyebrows were inserted by the two sisters into each other.

This move serves two purposes: firstly, it allows one to suppress the life force within their body to the greatest extent possible, making it difficult to detect the pair of "items" underground, even at close range;
Secondly, they will temporarily lose all self-awareness, truly as if they were dead.

If they were conscious, they might be unable to resist coming out to save him in a moment of crisis. Zhao Yi was really willing to risk his life and didn't want to put on a tragic show before he died.

This method has serious side effects. If it is used for too long, the person may never wake up and become a living dead. Even if the person wakes up within the allowed time, the damage to the meridians in their body will be very serious.

Moreover, there is a hidden effect after the acupuncture: the potential within the body will be fully activated the moment of awakening, resulting in a rapid increase in strength in a short period of time. Of course, this also comes with extremely serious side effects.

Driven by revenge, Zhao Yi turned himself into a "fan".

The Liang sisters were no better off.

But they do it willingly. When a woman is blinded by so-called "love," she will feel sweet no matter what she is asked to do.

The woman who walked alone along the river pointed her sword directly at the Grand Elder, who was about to perish in the fire.

The moment the Liang sisters broke through the ground, they overwhelmed women with their unstoppable momentum.

"boom."

The woman's sword pierced the elder's head, and his skull exploded instantly.

The woman used the remaining force of her sword strike to sweep it out horizontally, blocking the Liang sisters who had already approached.

Holding two daggers, Liang Li neither dodged nor evaded, forcefully breaking through the sword's edge, ignoring the numerous cuts of varying depths that resulted in her injury.

Liang Yan did not disappoint her sister's selfless act of clearing a path; she held her soft sword taut and charged forward without hesitation.

"puff!"

The woman's right arm was pierced by a soft sword, which was shaped like a snake and seemed to be trying to slither into her body through the wound.

With her right arm taut and veins bulging, the woman did not rush to her aid. Instead, she attempted to briefly restrain the opponent's soft sword while simultaneously raising her own sword and thrusting it at Liang Yan.

In close-quarters combat, even a swordsman would find it difficult to move gracefully.

Liang Li reappeared in front of her sister, her daggers crossed, blocking the woman's sword.

But the woman's sword strike was truly wondrous, concealing a hidden sword force within. Just as it was intercepted, an even more ferocious sword force roared forth.

The sword's edge broke through Liang Li's defenses and pierced her abdomen.

"what!!!"

Liang Li screamed, but instead of retreating, she took the initiative to step forward, causing herself to be injured even more severely. At the same time, all the daggers she had hidden on her body were activated and fell towards her wound.

He plunged his own dagger into his own body; the miniature array he used to employ against others was now being used on himself.

Blood kept spilling from her mouth, but Liang Li's gaze remained resolute.

As the formation took shape, those daggers, like staples, pierced their own flesh while simultaneously fixing the woman's sword to their bodies.

While losing control of her weapon, the woman also noticed that Liang Yan's soft sword had suddenly doubled in power.

She couldn't understand why this was happening. Both women in front of her were clearly using secret techniques, and they should have been giving it their all. So why did Liang Yan's strength suddenly increase?
"Snapped!"

With a loud bang, the soft sword that had been bound to the woman's right arm danced wildly like a silver snake, slicing away most of the flesh from her right arm.

The woman released her grip on the hilt of her sword and retreated quickly, her skeletal right arm swinging wildly.

Liang Yan pressed on, determined not to let this round of confrontation end, and not to give the woman a chance to readjust.

The woman formed a sword mark with her left fingertips, using her fingers as a sword to exchange rapid blows with Liang Yan. Although her fingertips were dripping with blood, her power remained undiminished.

It's important to understand that the woman wasn't just at a disadvantage in this situation because she showed up first; she had previously fought with the Second Elder and suffered relatively serious injuries.

If she were to be in perfect condition and have a normal duel, the Liang sisters alone would probably have little chance.

A cold glint flashed in the woman's eyes.

The sword, still fixed to Liang Li's abdomen, seemed to sense something and began to tremble violently, on the verge of exploding.

The woman hoped Liang Yan would quickly turn back to save Liang Li. If someone could help her pull the sword out at that moment, Liang Li's injuries would be minimized.

But Liang Yan did not do that and continued to launch her offensive against women.

"boom!"

The sword exploded, and Liang Li turned into a blood-soaked figure, flying backward, her fate unknown.

Zhao Yi didn't even glance at Liang Li; his gaze remained fixed on one spot the entire time.

"Buzz!"

The woman suddenly noticed that Liang Yan's aura had suddenly intensified once again.

With a "snap," two fingers of the woman's left hand, which was wielding the sword, were sliced ​​off by Liang Yan, and her subsequent attacks became even more ferocious.

The woman was extremely puzzled. The two women looked almost identical, clearly sisters, and probably twins. What kind of tactic was this?
When they attacked together, one kept conserving its strength while the other was constantly being injured. Only when the latter was constantly injured did the former gradually stop pretending.
Having lost her sword and with both hands severely injured, the woman was forced to flee in a desperate situation, and soon, Liang Yan stabbed her many times.

Liang Yan continued to suppress her opponent. Although her rhythm changed significantly, her attitude remained consistent.

Knowing she couldn't continue, the woman anticipated Liang Yan's attack after she unleashed several more sword strikes, taking another hit in the process to create a precious distance.

The moment her feet touched the ground, the woman's already injured right chest caved in.

The Second Elder once suspected that she was not a member of the Xi family. She said no, and indeed she was not. Therefore, the embroidered sword she had nurtured during her full moon was not in the sword storage slot on her body.

It wasn't placed before, but that doesn't mean it can't be placed temporarily. Although its power has been greatly reduced, it shouldn't be underestimated.

As Liang Yan attacked again, the woman thrust her chest forward, and a broken sword was released from her chest.

This move was executed skillfully, with perfect timing, showcasing a classic comeback from a disadvantage.

Previously, Liang Yan had relied on her younger sister to defend herself and had never been able to defend herself. However, she was struck in the chest by this broken sword, which not only pierced through her but also pulled her body backward.

But Liang Yan also thrust out the soft sword in her hand, and the silver snake flew swiftly, heading towards the woman's head.

The woman's face was contorted in agony, as if she were enduring some intense pain. Her right arm, revealing large patches of white bone, was raised and used to twirl a sword.

After a shower of sparks, Liang Yan's soft sword was swept away.

Using one's own bones as a sword—such ruthlessness is truly chilling.

This is her strength; the premise for daring to travel the river alone is that one person's strength is equivalent to that of a team.

At this moment, Liang Li's fate was unknown, and Liang Yan was also knocked away. He had broken through the trap set against him.

She killed the person, and she took all the merit from that wave.

The woman's eyes first glanced at Li Zhuiyuan and the others who were standing far away on the other side of the ancestral home's courtyard wall.

The series of battles just now all happened in a very short time. It was only because Li Zhuiyuan and his group didn't rush over that she dared to make a move. If they had chased after the Grand Elder and quickly arrived here, she would never have shown herself. Instead, she would have remained hidden and decisively fled far away.

After all, she was willing to risk her life, but she would surely die... Only a fool would do that.

Although she is seriously injured, she still has her movement skills and is confident that she can escape.

I initially thought you might be in cahoots, but it seems your relationship with this young master Zhao is just so-so.

The woman interpreted Li Zhuiyuan's silence as him deliberately sitting back and watching the two sides fight.

As for this young master of the Zhao family, ha, I thought he was a ruthless person, but deep down he has a bit of naivety.

Farewell, Young Master Zhao.

Her blood boiled rapidly, almost enveloping her body. Before she could leave, she took one last look at Zhao Yi.

But their eyes met.

Her first thought was that Young Master Zhao was looking at her helplessly, watching her take the meat from the trap and leave calmly.

But the next moment, a warning suddenly rose in her heart. Something was wrong. It seemed that this young master Zhao had been staring in this direction for a long time.

He wasn't looking at me intentionally; rather, I found myself standing in the spot he had been staring at.

At this moment, Liang Yan stood up unsteadily, clutching her chest.

The woman realized that it was she, the guy with the soft sword, who had deliberately forced her into this position.

Then here...

The woman looked down and was shocked to find that a clump of pus had soaked up to her thigh without her noticing.

Furthermore, because she adhered to the principle of not wasting anything, she used her own blood as a conduit to perform body-shaping techniques, causing her blood to continuously overflow and form a cycle with the outside world.

This undoubtedly makes it easier for the pus to enter one's body through the flow of blood.

The large, sticky puddle underfoot looked like a disgusting tumor the size of a water tank that someone unfamiliar with the area had just stepped on.

Actually, it is indeed a tumor.

Zheng Ming's head slowly emerged from this disgusting liquid.

Everyone else died, but he survived; he was faking his death.

He thought he could keep up the act, but the woman ended up in his hiding place.

The new tumor, though possessing the same memories, was ultimately driven by instinct. The sword energy emanating from the woman's swordsmanship completely stimulated it.

Woman: "You..."

Even when not injured, dealing with this thing is incredibly troublesome, let alone in its current state. The woman's skin began to change color rapidly, and countless mushrooms "emerged" from her skin.

"Ah...ah..."

The woman screamed in agony; she knew she was done for.

Not only did Liang Yan, clutching her wound, begin to approach her, but the group that had been watching from the sidelines also dispersed, forming a circle around her. They really think highly of her; they're still worried she might escape.

The woman knew that even if she still had the strength, she had no chance of escaping now.

She turned her head again to look at the young master of the Zhao family standing on the hillside.

Zhao Yi stopped looking at her and instead searched for Liang Li's previous location.

Liang Li should still be alive... The reason is simple: if Liang Li were to die, Liang Yan would be much stronger than she is now.

The twin sisters' symbiotic relationship was transformed into a competitive one by the Emperor of Fengdu.

The worse one's condition, the better the other's. In fact, the two sisters are constantly restraining their instinctive urge to kill each other.

However, this kind of cooperation has a surprising effect in battle. The more one is injured, the stronger the other becomes. Therefore, the effect of one defending and the other attacking is the best.

The woman raised her head, her eyes revealing deep resentment.

Zheng Ming made "clucking and whimpering" sounds as he moved his head closer to the woman.

The woman slowly lowered her head, looked at the disgusting thing, and smiled.

Just die already.

With a split between her brows, the woman used her last bit of strength to lift her right arm bone, which had turned blackish-green, and swung it—the last sword strike of her life.

"boom!"

A large amount of disgusting juice evaporated in the air, leaving only a large crater in place.

In this world, few people can obtain a satisfactory way to die, yet this is often the main theme on the river.

Even within the Dragon King's family, there are often instances of family members who light lamps and wander across the river, only to die without anyone knowing where they went.

In this world of martial arts, people die mysteriously every day.

Li Zhuiyuan, having reached the top of the hillside, gave orders to his companions:

"Runsheng, go and smell it. Ayou, activate your vertical pupils and investigate. Don't give that thing a chance to leave a mushroom behind."

"clear."

"clear."

Tan Wenbin became a battlefield medic, and he first went to Liang Yan's side.

Liang Yan said with great difficulty, "Go... save my sister first."

It was difficult to say this, not because of the injury, but because the words themselves were hard to say.

"to make."

Tan Wenbin ran down the slope and found Liang Li looking utterly wretched.

"Come on, open your mouth, I'll feed you the last one first."

After administering the medicine, Tan Wenbin began to sprinkle hemostatic powder on her body. That was all he could do, and he knew that he was just a quack doctor.

Li Zhuiyuan walked up the hillside and came to Zhao Yi's side.

Zhao Yi: "Those two women surnamed Li, they really do whatever I tell them to do."

Li Zhuiyuan took out a can of Jianlibao and opened it.

Zhao Yi: "Hey Li, tell me, what exactly is love?"

Li Zhuiyuan pulled out a straw and inserted it into the jar.

"Forget it, how old are you? I shouldn't have asked you such inappropriate questions."

As he spoke, Zhao Yi lowered his head, trying to reach the straw with his mouth.

The boy put the straw in his mouth and started drinking his beverage.

Zhao Yi: "..."

quickly,

Zhao Yi spoke up again: "Sigh, now I feel embarrassed if I don't marry into the family and marry both sisters."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Good idea."

Zhao Yi: "Hmm?"

Historically, the Liang family frequently changed their surname due to their own special circumstances.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Since you've married into the family, make sure their entire clan changes their surname to Zhao in the next round."

Zhao Yi: "What you said makes a lot of sense."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The Zhao family is gone."

Zhao Yi: "I saw it. Judging from your style, all the dirt inside must have been cleaned up."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hmm, but there's something that's not dirty."

"what?"

"A wisp of Zhao Wuyang's remaining spiritual consciousness."

"Thank you for saving it for me, Brother Xiaoyuan."

"I melted it."

"You surnamed Li, you're no human being."

"It can't be saved. Zhao Wuyang chose me himself."

"Understandable."

"I'll have them pack up everything I need on the list later."

"Of course, but don't be too polite. Take more, and if it's not enough, I'll call you a truck."

"There was no way to take more; the rest were basically burned to scrap."

"Heh, hehe, hehehe..."

Zhao Yi laughed for a while, then said:

"It's fine too. They're all just external burdens. If they're gone, they're gone. It's even better if they're gone."

When our ancestors rose from humble beginnings, they had no support or assistance, yet they still managed to ascend to the position of Dragon King.
Breaking those bottles and jars made them even more reckless and determined to forge ahead.

You, surnamed Li, tell me, the generations in my family have basically been drained.

If you're unlucky one day, you might choke to death while drinking a beverage.

I became the Dragon King.

"So, rounding it up like this, my Zhao family's previous generation was Zhao Wuyang, and the next generation is me—two generations of Dragon Kings. Could we barely be considered a legitimate Dragon King family?"

"This rounding is a bit exaggerated."

"However, I now truly believe that the Dragon King's family is no ordinary entity."

Not only must we produce talented people generation after generation, but we must also establish family rules generation after generation.

Look at my Zhao family, after one generation went astray, the rest of the family went astray.

This is only the Zhao family; if something like this happened to the legitimate Dragon King lineage, the impact would be far greater.

"Isn't it right in front of us?"

"I really want to go to the Yu family as soon as possible to find some psychological balance, see other people's jokes, and soothe my heartache."

"Let's see what it decides. Also, it depends on when you and your people can recover. You were both seriously injured this time."

"I don't have your ability to design stimulating methods for my subordinates to just lie there and wait to recover."

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and continued drinking his beverage.

"So, could you help me design and improve it too, Brother Xiaoyuan?"

"You've lost your home, what can you offer in exchange?"

“That one…” Zhao Yi looked at the pit, “She’s a big threat, admit it.”

"Ah."

"I'm willing to pay such a huge price to kill her, firstly to fulfill my vow and solidify my mindset; secondly, to eliminate a worthy opponent for you."

"for me?"

"Ha, do you really think you'll choke to death on a beverage one day?"
The fact that they were able to kill her this time was due to perfect timing, location, and people. In other places or at other times, it would be very difficult to kill someone like her.

Anyway, if we encounter anyone traveling alone on the river in the future, we should kill them all if we can; we can't go wrong.

Li Zhuiyuan remained noncommittal.

Runsheng and Lin Shuyou conducted a thorough cleanup of Zheng Ming's legacy.

Tan Wenbin also moved the two sisters to a tidier open space.

Liang Yan, whose injuries were not so severe, also fainted due to the side effects of stimulating her potential.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, shall we go to the treasure vault and move some things next?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Tan Wenbin looked at Zhao Yi: "Teammate, is there anything you need?"

Zhao Yi: "After we're done moving, I need you to set a fire for me and burn down our ancestral home."

Tan Wenbin nodded.

Immediately afterwards, he, Lin Shuyou, and Runsheng entered through the previous breach and began moving things out of the treasure vault.

All three were very strong, and Tan Wenbin even used the power of the Blood Ape, making their moving of goods very efficient.

After all the belongings were moved out, a fire gradually broke out in the ancestral home, which was already in half ruins.

Every now and then, broken and twisted formations, stimulated by the flames, would explode into the sky.

Zhao Yi and Li Zhuiyuan sat on the slope, watching the "fireworks" in the distance.

"Is the guy surnamed Li good-looking?"

"good-looking."

"Right? It's from my family's ancestral graves."

"It's a waste."

"Hey Li, do you think that if all the traces are erased, it'll be as if nothing ever happened?"

"It's up to you."

"I will make this shameful matter public."

"Ah."

"If I shamelessly steal your thunder again, I'll say that I'm the one who killed all our ancestors."

"Ah."

“I will close down the Zhao family’s outer residence and dismiss all the servants and maids inside.”

I still live in Jiujiang. I have a new house on the hilltop in that direction. I built it myself. It's very spacious, and every morning when I open the door, I can see the waterfall.

Since you're already here, don't rush off. Take a look around my new home. I'll find some wild game for you to enjoy. When you're full and need to digest, help me adjust the formation of my new home.

The previous formation was incomplete; last time, a ghost from Fengdu managed to sneak halfway inside.

"it is good."

"Hey, you agreed so readily this time?"

“I’ve seen that when villagers build houses, their friends and neighbors always lend a hand.”

Zhao Yi smiled.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin walked over and placed a piece of cloth wrapped in cloth in front of Zhao Yi.

Inside the door was Zhao Wuyang's memorial tablet.

Zhao Yi: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Vice Captain."

Tan Wenbin: "It wasn't me, it was Ayou who specially went into the ancestral hall to retrieve it for you. He was injured by the remaining formation in the ancestral hall while doing so. He didn't dare to come over himself, afraid that Brother Xiaoyuan would scold him."

Ah-you said, "You should need this; keep it as a souvenir."

"Let's not talk about Li this time, it's on my side."

After a pause,
Zhao Yi then said:

"From now on, I'll take care of everything related to your son, Ayou."

---

Don't panic, there will be another update in the morning to make up for the word count of this chapter.

(End of this chapter)