Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 325

"Xianghou, why don't you take your mother and Cuicui with you to have some fun? It'll be just the three of you. You can see the waterfall; it's so beautiful, like a fairyland."

"And what about you, Uncle Tian?"

"Me? I'm not going. Who goes back to their own hometown for a vacation?"

"This won't do, Uncle Tian. This is the prize you won. How can we accept it?"

"Go ask your mom, talk to her about it."

"Well... alright, I'll go ask her. Uncle Tian, ​​come in and have some water."

"I'm not going in, I'm just waiting here, hehe."

Old Tian stood at the door, rubbing his hands together.

Li Juxiang took the lottery ticket and went inside to find Liu Jinxia, ​​who was sitting there writing a memorial text based on the birth date and time given by a guest.

Liu Jinxia wrote a draft.

The ritual begins with holding a thick book and analyzing the birth chart according to its contents; the ending is a fixed structure, where people mourn the deceased, wishing them peace and well-being in the afterlife, and occasionally taking the time to bless their living descendants.

The middle section contains excerpts from scriptures, including a passage from Taoism and a passage from Buddhism, aiming to give it a high-class feel.

Liu Jinxia only draws the characters, and then lets her granddaughter copy them after she gets home from school. Cui Cui's handwriting is getting better and better.

According to Cuicui, she learned calligraphy from her older sister A Li, and she also learned painting. Xianghou said that the school teachers also praised Cuicui for her talent in painting.

"Mom, Uncle Tian is here again. This is the lottery ticket he found."

Li Juxiang handed the lottery ticket to her mother and repeated what Uncle Tian had said.

Liu Jinxia held the lottery ticket in her hand, looked up at the sunlight streaming in through the window, as if she were checking the authenticity of a banknote.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Let's see if it's real or fake. There are plenty of swindlers making fakes these days."

"Look at what you're saying, Uncle Tian could never be that kind of person."

"You never know. A three-person trip? What are the chances of such a coincidence? Maybe they're planning to kidnap and sell our entire family of three generations."

"Mom, you're getting more and more outrageous."

"You can't be too careful. Why would he send this to our house out of the blue?"

Li Juxiang suppressed a smile: "Mom, are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending?"

Liu Jinxia glared at her daughter with annoyance: "I'm already this old, how could I still be thinking about this? Isn't this just nonsense?"
Life is pretty good now, making small amounts of money and playing cards casually. I feel like I'm living too comfortably, so I have to bring myself back a funeral portrait frame.

Whatever his thoughts are, it's none of our business. Ignore him and let him continue his ramblings.

Li Juxiang took the lottery ticket and went out.

Liu Jinxia continued flipping through the scriptures, underlining lines.

A short while later, Li Juxiang returned.

"mom."

"he's gone?"

"Uncle Tian said that in addition to the luxury three-day tour, there will also be a refrigerator, a color TV, and a large sofa."

"What?"

"However, you have to collect the prize at the prize redemption center in Jiujiang, and you have to go there in person with the prize ticket to redeem it."

"This is getting more and more outrageous!" Liu Jinxia stood up and angrily cursed, "This old bastard is really determined to traffic people."

These days, although you no longer need ration coupons to buy home appliances, they are still quite expensive and considered big-ticket items for ordinary rural families.

Liu Jinxia walked around the desk, left the room, and went straight to her own porcelain jar.

Seeing this, Li Juxiang could only run out first, signaling Old Tian to run quickly, otherwise her mother would come out scooping up manure.

Old Tian wanted to stay and explain that this was a task his young master had given him that he had to complete.

But when I looked up, I saw Liu Jinxia really walking out holding a long manure scoop.

Old Tian: "Jinxia, ​​it's true..."

Without hesitation, Liu Jinxia swung the manure scoop in this direction.

Old Tian was so frightened that he immediately turned around and ran away.

"Crash..."

A large amount of liquid was spilled at the entrance to the dam.

However, it wasn't feces, but water.

Liu Jinxia tossed the manure scoop aside, put her hands on her hips, and glared at the fleeing old man.

Liu Jinxia recounted the incident at the card table that afternoon.

The old woman said directly, "You old liar, you're up to no good!"

Wang Lian also worriedly said, "Don't go, what if something happens?"

The main reason is that Lao Tiantou's initial identity in the village was as a member of the Jiujiang Zhao Family Acrobatic Troupe.

At first, he was in a wheelchair, but later he could walk briskly, which lowered his image to the level of those in the city who pretend to be disabled to beg for money.

The young people in the acrobatic troupe left, but Old Tian didn't. He would occasionally freeload at Li Sanjiang's place. In short, this guy was unreliable from head to toe.

His only advantage is his good looks. When he puts on new clothes, combs his hair, and stands there, he does look quite dashing.

In rural areas, most old men of this age are starting to shrink and become hunchbacked, making Lao Tiantou truly stand out from the crowd.

But being good-looking can't put food on the table; the old ladies have long passed the age of romanticizing things.

She's from out of town, has no proper job, no homestead, no farmland, and is a drunkard. She worked so hard to send her in-laws off and raise her children, and now she wants to bring an old man back to take care of her in her old age? What a waste!

The older women were all denouncing it, but Liu Yumei remained silent.

However, she was the backbone of the old ladies, so Granny Hua made a point of mentioning her:
"Sister Liu, what do you think?"

Liu Yumei: "That's great, go for it! It's a three-piece set, worth quite a bit of money."

For a moment, the other three sisters fell silent.

Finally, Liu Jinxia said awkwardly, "Sister Liu, are you really going?"

Liu Yumei: "He mentioned this to Li Sanjiang when he was drinking yesterday. I've also seen the lottery ticket; it's real. You can get something if you go there. It can't be fake."

Liu Yumei's words here are like an imperial edict.

She said it was true, and the three old ladies immediately changed their tune.

Old Woman Hua: "Heavens, that old man is really willing to spend money!"

Wang Lian: "They really went all out for our Sister Xiahou."

Liu Jinxia pressed her lips together forcefully to prevent herself from laughing.

Everyone has vanity, regardless of age.

But Liu Jinxia remained clear-headed:
“My family doesn’t need this. He can keep the prize he won. I don’t care about it.”

Liu Yumei was too lazy to continue persuading him. She only knew that Lao Tiantou was Zhao Yi's man, and even if Zhao Yi was outrageous, he wouldn't do something like human trafficking.

On the second floor, in the room.

Ah Li is doing handicrafts.

Beside her, Cui Cui was drawing intently, sketching a colorful pheasant with remarkable lifelikeness.

But Cui Cui was neither satisfied nor proud, because what she copied was the phoenix that A Li had just drawn.

Suddenly, Cui Cui cried out in pain. She put down her paintbrush, grabbed her right wrist with her left hand, and saw a bruise under the bracelet.

"It hurts..."

Ah Li stopped what she was doing, glanced at it, and then reached out her hand to Cuicui.

Cui Cui extended her right hand to Sister A Li.

"I don't know what happened, this area has become..."

Ah Li held Cui Cui's forearm with her right hand, and raised the small purple hammer she had been using with her left hand, then struck the bracelet.

"Snapped!"

The bracelet cracked and shattered on the ground.

Cui Cui was frightened, then her eyes welled up with tears, and she burst into uncontrollable sobs.

“Wuwuwuwu… Wuwuwuwu…”

She had few friends growing up. Not only did the other children in the village not play with her, but even the adults disliked her, thinking that she would bring bad luck to whichever family she went to.

Even though she has skipped grades and has new friends and classmates now, in her eyes, the brothers Yuanhou and Ali who played with her and didn't look down on her back then are the most special.

This bracelet was made for her by her sister, Ah Li. It is her most cherished gift, and she has never taken it off since she put it on.

But in the blink of an eye, the bracelet was destroyed.

Cui Cui wasn't blaming A Li; her crying was genuine.

The old ladies playing cards downstairs heard the crying coming from upstairs.

This kind of scene is actually very common; it's rare for children to play together without ending up crying.

But it is quite rare here.

Liu Jinxia giggled and said to Liu Yumei, "My Cui Cui was made to cry by Sister Liu's A Li?"

Liu Yumei also laughed; she found it quite amusing.

Liu Yumei even imagined in her mind that her Ah Li was angry, shoved Cuicui to the ground, and glared at her fiercely.

But no matter how I think about it... I just can't believe it's true.

It just so happened that Liu Jinxia had a bye in the next round, so she went upstairs to check on her.

"Lord Cui, Lord Cui..."

Hearing her grandmother's voice, Cuicui immediately snapped out of her reverie, quickly gathered up the broken bracelet from the ground, wiped away her tears, and replied:

"Milk!"

Liu Jinxia appeared outside the screen door, and Cuicui walked over.

"Grandma, I just tripped and fell, and it hurt so much I cried."

"You're so delicate. You're crying so loudly. What if you disturb your sister A-Li?"

Cui Cui pouted.

Liu Jinxia, ​​whose eyes had undergone cataract surgery long ago, noticed a frightening bruise around her granddaughter's wrist.

He immediately opened the screen door, pulled his granddaughter out, and looked at her carefully.

Of course, she didn't believe that this was caused by girls fighting. It was clearly not man-made, but more like... illness, yes, illness!

He works in this industry himself, but he is the least willing to believe that his granddaughter would be involved in that kind of thing.

"Come with Grandma, Grandma will take you to the health center."

Cui Cui was pulled downstairs by Liu Jinxia. Once they reached the dam, Liu Jinxia walked over first and said:

“For some reason, the child has developed a ring of bruises on her wrist. I’m afraid something is wrong with her health. I’ll take her to the clinic to see a doctor.”

Liu Yumei put down her cards, waved her hand, and said, "Let me see."

Liu Jinxia urged Cuicui to hand her hand to the Liu family's older sister.

Liu Yumei only glanced at it before she knew what was going on.

Her granddaughter had personally crafted a bracelet and given it to Cuicui to help suppress the sharp and unyielding destiny within her.

For some unknown reason, Cui Cui's fate has changed, and now that the bracelet no longer has something to suppress it, it has become a burden on her body.

The bracelet is missing; needless to say, it must have been knocked off by her own granddaughter.

Haha, no wonder Cui Cui was crying upstairs just now.

Liu Yumei held Cui Cui's wrist with her right hand, picked up the teacup with her left hand, poured the warm tea inside onto it, and then began to gently rub the bruise with her right thumb.

As I rubbed it, the bruises gradually faded away.

Flower Granny: "Hey, that's all. What was this secret recipe?"

Wang Lian: "Did the paint get washed off?"

Liu Jinxia opened her mouth wide. Even though she had never eaten pork, she was someone who often rode pigs.

She had previously suspected that the marks on her granddaughter's wrist were unusual. If the doctor at the clinic couldn't find anything wrong, she might have to try to fix it herself when she got home.

Therefore, after seeing how easily Liu Yumei removed the mark, she instinctively thought of that possibility: could it be that Liu's older sister...?

Liu Jinxia shook her head, quickly dismissing the thought. She had been a feisty woman all her life and had never submitted to anyone, except for this one, whom she both feared and respected. She preferred to believe that the Liu family sister knew traditional Chinese medicine rather than believe that the other person was using that kind of method.

"Okay, it's okay."

Liu Yumei let go of her hand, and then took another piece of pastry and put it into Cuicui's mouth.

Cui Cui smiled and opened her mouth to take it, then chewed it.

Liu Jinxia chuckled and patted her granddaughter's head: "You swallow everything I give you, don't you know how to take it out and eat it slowly, bite by bite?"

Cui Cui: "Hehe."

Liu Jinxia asked, "Sister Liu, what's wrong with the child?"

Liu Yumei: "After skipping a grade, the academic pressure was too great, and my qi and blood became stagnant."

Liu Jinxia: "Then...then what should we do?"

Liu Yumei: "Take the children on a trip to relax and clear their minds, and everything will be fine."

Previously, she had only mentioned it briefly, but now, considering the changes in Cui Cui, Liu Yumei felt that Zhao Yi's decision to have Old Tian arrange for Liu Jinxia's family to go to Jiujiang was probably necessary.

Even though they were old friends at the card table, Liu Yumei truly cared about what was on her mind.

She's just an ordinary old lady in the village; she's really too lazy to play with other people.

In Liu Jinxia, ​​Liu Yumei actually saw her former self.

With the man of the house gone, it's not easy for a woman to support her family, whether in the countryside or in the streets...

Liu Yumei: "Cuicui, can you recite 'Looking at the Waterfall at Mount Lu'?"

Cui Cui: "Yes, it's Li Bai's poem. 'The sun shines on the incense burner, producing purple smoke...'"

Liu Yumei smiled at Liu Jinxia:
"What a coincidence, this waterfall is the one mentioned on the lottery ticket."

……

Granddaughter is Liu Jinxia's root.

Therefore, Liu Jinxia kept the lottery ticket.

But she gave Old Tian a sum of money.

Old Tian was reluctant to accept it, but Liu Jinxia insisted on giving it to him, saying she wouldn't accept the money if she didn't pay.

Old Tian had no choice but to accept it.

Liu Jinxia solemnly explained to Lao Tiantou that she had no such intentions and suggested that he go and look at other old ladies, and that she could help him play matchmaker.

As for the prize, Liu Jinxia promised to help Lao Tian get it back, but she wouldn't accept it.

Liu Jinxia also knew that the money she gave was definitely not enough for the travel expenses, so after returning, she would ask Li Sanjiang to treat Lao Tiantou to a good meal at a restaurant in town.

Things are clearly distinguished, and words are clearly spoken.

Old Tian held the money in his hand, watching Liu Jinxia's retreating figure.

I really like it, and I like it more and more.

But Old Tian also knew that there was probably no chance for him and Liu Jinxia.

But he still hoped he would see her tomorrow.

Oh no, they won't be able to see them tomorrow. They'll be taking a bus arranged by the travel agency to Jiujiang tomorrow morning.

The lottery tickets were obviously fake, but the travel agency was one that Old Tian had found himself. As long as you're willing to spend money, everything is easy.

With a lonely figure, Old Tian walked to Aunt Zhang's shop, asked for a pack of cigarettes, and then picked up the phone to make a call.

"Hey, young master, everything's taken care of. They'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

Young master, how is everything at home?

Oh, the Zhao family is gone.

hang up the phone.

Old Tiantou knelt down on the ground with a "plop".

With a loud "waaaah," she cried so heartbrokenly.

His thoughts and loyalty were naturally focused on the young master, but his status as a servant of the Zhao family also made him have a very deep affection for the Zhao family of Jiujiang.

The Zhao family is not only his family, but also the place where his ancestors lived and were proud of for generations.

Li Juxiang, who came to buy mosquito coils, saw this scene from afar and heard this noise, so she simply turned around and went back.

When she got home, Li Juxiang told her mother about it.

Liu Jinxia was stunned for a moment: "Huh?"

"Mom, did you say a lot of harsh things to Uncle Tian before?"

"No."

"Uncle Tian looks really pitiful."

"You pity him?" Liu Jinxia poked her daughter's forehead hard with her finger. "If it weren't for you, your mother would have remarried so easily back then, and people would have been fighting over her!"

Cui Cui had an oval face and was a classic beauty. Li Juxiang was also more beautiful than most women of the same age in the village. This shows that Liu Jinxia must have been very beautiful when she was young.

It doesn't matter if she's the one who brings misfortune to her in-laws or to the man's reputation. As long as she remarries someone far away, there will still be plenty of men vying for her hand.

Li Juxiang: "Yes, yes, I believe you. Even now, aren't there people crying?"

Liu Jinxia: "You want a stepfather?"
As for you, there's really no need to hold on so tightly. You're still young, and life's better now. Find someone reliable, honest, and from a poor family, and we can even find someone to live with you."

"Mom, do you want Cuicui to have a stepfather?"

The mother and daughter exchanged a few words, then laughed and went to bed early.

Early in the morning, the travel agency's car arrived and parked on the road outside the village.

A minibus was used to pick up the three of them. When Liu Jinxia handed the lottery ticket to the tour guide on the bus, the tour guide looked at it with some doubt for a moment, then took it and checked it, nodding: "Okay."

Seeing that the tour guide had checked it, Liu Jinxia reached out and snatched it back.

You still need to go to Jiujiang to collect the three-piece set with the lottery ticket. If you lose the voucher and can't get it back, wouldn't you have to compensate that old man Tian?
Cui Cui was very happy to be traveling for the first time in her life, looking out the car window and eating snacks.

"Mom, do you know how much I used to envy Brother Yuanhou? He can travel all over the country."

“Silly child, your brother Yuanhou isn’t going there to play; it’s for work.”

“Then I will also go to the university of Brother Yuanhou in the future, so that I can work all over the country.”

Liu Jinxia turned around and said, "As long as you can continue your studies, Grandma will support you no matter what!"

Then, Liu Jinxia asked Li Juxiang:
"Did Yinghou pass the exam?"

"It's not time to send out admission notices yet, anyway, it seems like he's still sick and lying at home."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jinxia looked at her granddaughter's wrist, which had already recovered, and sighed.

"Reading is indeed not an easy thing."

Li Juxiang nodded in deep agreement: "As for people, I used to see that when Lan Hou went to school and took exams, it was very easy for him. But when it came to me, I couldn't do it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't concentrate. Lan Hou's son, Xiao Yuan Hou, is also a good student. This is probably hereditary."

Liu Jinxia: "Pah! My granddaughter didn't inherit your brains, so don't say such unlucky things."

……

"Hey Li, I think my brain is good enough, but I still want to crack open your brain and see how it's structured inside."

"So, I lost to you because of genetics?"

The karmic fire in Li Zhuiyuan's hand suddenly surged up, scorching Zhao Yi's new skin.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!" Zhao Yi jumped up in pain, but only stomped his feet in place, not daring to run out of the circle beneath him.

Once the last trace of rejection was eliminated and the dragon skin was perfectly integrated, Zhao Yi had to smile and express his gratitude:
"Sigh, my dear Zhuiyuan, you've really had a tough time."

The incredibly complicated matter was handled with ease by the young man.

The boy was probably already used to this kind of thing, since his friends all enjoyed the same treatment.

Zhao Yi managed to take advantage of the benefits of being a permanent staff member this time, since he was in an outside team.

The new skin looks no different from the old one, but the effect is completely different.

For an all-around talent like Zhao Yi, physical improvement often leads to all-round development.

"They're here. I need to go back to the city to be in charge of their reception. Do you want to come with me?"

"I'm not going."

"I'm going back to the Zhao family tonight."

"I'll go later."

"to make."

Zhao Yi left the training room.

Li Zhuiyuan sat cross-legged, waved his hand, and some of the candles around him went out while others were lit, with a constant "crackling" sound coming from below.

This training room was actually the prototype of the permanent formation that Li Zhuiyuan wanted, but the boy wanted to set up a larger one in the field behind his great-grandfather's house.

After all, besides using it themselves, it also had to become a training ground for Runsheng and his group.

At this moment, with the help of Zhao Yi's arrangement, the young man adjusted the feng shui and formation.

Take out a porcelain bottle with a sealing talisman, peel off the lid and remove the talisman, and begin the process of walking through the underworld.

There was no movement inside the bottle; the creature was timid and dared not come out.

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to turn the bottle upside down and tap the bottom of it.

A small red earthworm finally emerged and landed in the boy's right palm, where it naturally coiled into a mosquito coil shape.

Blood mist rose from Li Zhuiyuan's palm, which then condensed into a battle flag.

The blood-red earthworms were there, trembling.

The boy had no choice but to poke it with his fingertip, and wisps of karmic fire flowed around his fingertip.

With a touch, it shrank back, like herding sheep, driving the blood-red earthworm onto the array flag, letting it cling to it.

Then, carefully refine the details with your fingertips.

Soon, a dragon-shaped pattern appeared on the battle flag.

With it, Li Zhuiyuan's control over formations will be improved once again.

In fact, at his level of array formation, even the slightest improvement is very difficult, and such a significant improvement is even more rare and hard to come by.

The main problem is... it's still too extravagant.

Even among the core disciples of major families and sects in the martial arts world, how many could afford to use a dragon spirit to assist in the operation of an array?
Hmm, Li Zhuiyuan also felt it was a bit extravagant, and wondered if he should create a few spells based on this dragon spirit.

For example, like this...

The boy waved his right hand diagonally, and the karmic fire transformed into the shadow of a dragon, swirling around before quickly extinguishing.

"To bind spirits and dispatch generals."

The boy stretched his finger forward.

The black chain phantom has transformed into a dragon shape, more vivid and more imposing.

Unfortunately, I stripped this thing down too thoroughly, leaving it now as pure as a blank sheet of paper, yet also too weak.

Those two moves just now didn't increase in power at all; they just made the spells look much better.

Although Li Zhuiyuan wasn't enthusiastic about such flashy things, he had to admit that sometimes flashy things could be useful.

For example, when exchanging favors, a black dragon is added to the front of the phantom of the Fengdu Emperor, and a black dragon is crawling under the lotus platform of the Bodhisattva phantom...

When it comes to smearing karma, the young man is absolutely a professional, a fact that the Emperor of Fengdu knows best.

But the Emperor is still alive, so it's fine to do it occasionally. But if it's too frequent and aggressive, it might anger the Emperor again.

Bodhisattva would be acceptable...

The Qin and Liu families are no longer alive, but the Bodhisattva is still alive. I can now focus on how to extract more benefits from the Bodhisattva by acting as a "fake Bodhisattva" or "Bodhisattva successor," and then dump all the negative karma on the Bodhisattva.

First, there's Sun Baishen under the Bodhisattva, who can support him and work together to undermine others;

Secondly, and most importantly, the Bodhisattva was suppressed by the Great Emperor, and he had no way to leave hell to find himself.

Moreover, the more fiercely he tries to seize the bodhisattva's possessions, the happier the Fengdu Emperor might be, and he might even help him out.

Perfect timing, I need to go to Fujian next to reorganize the officials and generals.

wrong……

Before going to Fujian, I have to go back to Nanjing to take my final exams.

Stepping out of the practice room.

Outside, at two tables and chairs, Lin Shuyou and Tan Wenbin were both reading.

Ah You kept glancing at Bin Ge's progress while reading, and finally couldn't help but laugh:
"Brother Bin, you're not progressing as fast as me!"

Tan Wenbin calmly turned the page and said:
"I've started my second round of review."

Lin Shuyou: "..."

Li Zhuiyuan passed between them and continued forward, arriving at the thatched pavilion on the edge of the cliff.

Zhao Yi's little house is indeed well-built.

The boy looked up and gazed ahead.

The mountains are shrouded in mist, and the waterfall, like a ribbon, flows down from the deep above, making it seem as if the Milky Way has fallen from the ninth heaven. Li Bai was right.

……

"They really weren't lying to us."

Upon arriving in Jiujiang city, Liu Jinxia insisted on claiming her prize first.

Seeing the refrigerator and color TV already loaded into the minibus, Liu Jinxia finally felt relieved.

As for the sofa, it was a complete set, which had to be transported by truck. Liu Jinxia watched as it was loaded onto the truck and headed towards Nantong.

After resolving this matter, Liu Jinxia finally felt like traveling.

We went to our accommodation first, thinking it would be a guesthouse, but we ended up in the old town.

At the entrance, I ran into an acquaintance, Zhao Yi.

Liu Jinxia: What are you doing here?

Zhao Yi: "Hey, this is my hometown. Now that you're here, how can I not be your tour guide?"

Liu Jinxia found it strange, but seeing Zhao Yi's enthusiasm, she was too embarrassed to say anything.

Zhao Yi helped lead the way, pointing to the courtyard in front and saying, "That's where you'll be staying for the next few days. It's not a guesthouse or a hotel, but a traditional courtyard house in Jiujiang, a place that even money can't buy."

Liu Jinxia: "So how did you arrange it?"

Zhao Yi: "It's about giving face."

Liu Jinxia: "Is your face worth that much?"

Zhao Yi: "My own influence is definitely not enough; I need to borrow yours."

Liu Jinxia thought Zhao Yi was joking around and spat at him, but still asked with concern, "Won't it interfere with your work and earning money?"

Zhao Yi: "Actually, my family is quite wealthy. We organized the acrobatic troupe so that we could travel the world."

Liu Jinxia clearly didn't believe it: "Then is your house also very big? Where is it?"

Zhao Yi pursed his lips and gave a shy smile.

It's like being exposed while bragging.

The courtyard was large and very clean, with antique furnishings and a variety of musical instruments, chess pieces, calligraphy, and paintings. Liu Jinxia knew that Zhao Yi had not lied.

As she looked around, Liu Jinxia felt a strange sense of familiarity with the place.

Li Juxiang: "Mom, what's wrong?"

Liu Jinxia: "Xianghou, I feel like I've lived in this place in my dreams before, haha."

Ah Ping came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and was very happy to see so many people coming to visit her home again.

But when A-Ping's gaze fell on Cuicui, she was completely stunned.

She ran forward, squatted down, hugged Cui Cui tightly, and began to cry.

Aping mistook someone for someone else because Liu Jinxia was old and she only "recognized" Cuicui.

Through the crack in the window, Jin Xingshan lay there, gazing at the "family of three" outside through the faint light.

Jin Xingshan's face was beaming with a smile.

To him, that tiny crack was like flowing honey.

Zhao Yi had previously asked him how to recognize him.

Jin Xingshan said he didn't want to acknowledge the relationship, he just wanted to see it, to see it with his own eyes.

Knowing he was nearing the end of his life, the old man didn't want his daughter to experience the pain of parting again just a few days after they reunited.

Although A-Ping's actions were exaggerated, it was clear that she had no ill intentions; she simply liked Cuicui very much.

Soon, Aping took out a bunch of snacks and gave them to Cuicui to eat.

Some were bought, some were made by her.

While thanking her, Cui Cui picked out some to eat, while Liu Jinxia couldn't resist reaching out and taking a piece of the osmanthus candy when she saw it.

She's an elder, and it's not dignified for her to take other people's snacks with her granddaughter, but she still did it anyway, as if possessed.

The moment this brittle touches your mouth, it feels smooth and moist, its flavor melting completely, seeping into your throat, soothing your heart and soul. Take another breath, and you can almost smell the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filling the courtyard.

"Mom, is it so delicious? So delicious that you cried?"

Liu Jinxia wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertip: "It really is delicious, you should try it."

Li Juxiang took a bite.

It was delicious, but her family's financial situation had improved over the years, and she could eat whatever she wanted, so she thought the osmanthus candy was quite ordinary.

Liu Jinxia couldn't help but eat the whole piece of candy in her hand, one bite after another.

A-Ping brought out the food, saying that it was included in the luxury tour, so eat as much as you like.

The meal was very lavish; Aping had cooked almost every dish she knew how to make, filling the entire table.

Liu Jinxia was taken aback by this display and couldn't help but glance at Zhao Yi a few more times.

Zhao Yi's enthusiasm was clearly deliberate, as if he was trying to please me. People like that usually have ulterior motives.

Liu Jinxia: "Zhao Yi?"

"Ok?"

Is there something you want to tell me?

"correct."

"What about Lao Tian?"

"No, no. Hehe, please eat first, and I'll talk to you properly after the meal."

Liu Jinxia picked up her chopsticks with some hesitation.

She was a very wary person. Since it had nothing to do with Old Tian, ​​it wasn't directed at her. So what was Zhao Yi's purpose?
Liu Jinxia subconsciously turned her head to look at Li Juxiang sitting next to her.

An unbelievable idea popped into the old woman's mind:

Could it be that Zhao Yi has taken a liking to his own Xiang Hou?

However, these doubts were suppressed the moment the first bite of food entered the mouth.

Liu Jinxia's eyes welled up with tears again, and as she ate, tears streamed down her face involuntarily.

Li Juxiang asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Mom, did you cry from eating so much again?"

After dinner, it was nearly dusk.

The official tourist attractions will be visited tomorrow.

Liu Jinxia sat on a bench, holding a palm-leaf fan, and fanning herself.

Aping and Cuicui are playing and drawing together.

Zhao Yi brought out the tea.

Liu Jinxia made a polite remark: "Oh dear, I really don't think tourism is very interesting. It's just that I won the lottery this time. If it were any other time, I wouldn't spend money on tourism."

Li Juxiang: "Cui Cui also said that when she grows up and earns money, she will take you, her grandma, on more trips."

Liu Jinxia: "There's no need for all that trouble. I'd be happier if you just gave me the money for the trip directly."

The sound of a zither drifted from inside the house.

Liu Jinxia: "Is someone playing the piano?"

Li Juxiang: "It must be Cuicui playing."

Liu Jinxia: "Don't damage their piano, it looks very expensive."

The sound of the zither is Jin Xingshan laughing.

He didn't think Liu Jinxia's words were too rustic. He only knew that an elderly person who could say such things must be pampered by their children at home.

Zhao Yi, holding a cup of tea, knelt down in front of Liu Jinxia.

Liu Jinxia was so frightened that she dropped her palm-leaf fan and stood up from the stool.

Immediately afterward, she looked at Li Juxiang, her first thought being "Mother-in-law tea," implying that this young man wanted to have a frank discussion with her about his relationship with her daughter.

But you two are so far apart in age, and Juxiang has a child; there's absolutely no way she'd agree to that!
But when she turned her head, she found that her daughter was also puzzled by Zhao Yi's actions. Liu Jinxia was even more confused. This was a case of one-sided enthusiasm, and her daughter was actually unaware of the situation.
Zhao Yi was unaware of what the old woman was thinking about his enthusiasm. Mainly, he was filled with a desire to make amends, so he was genuinely sincere for once and didn't try to pry into other people's inner thoughts.

"Grandma Liu, I want to recognize you as my godmother."

"Godmother?"

Liu Jinxia breathed a sigh of relief. If she was now on the same level as Cuicui, then she had been completely wrong.

Zhao Yi: "After we get married, you can tell me anything that happens to your family. I, Zhao Yi, will do anything I can to help you, even if it means sacrificing my life!"

Liu Jinxia: "There's no need for that..."

Zhao Yi looked up and shouted, "Grandma!"

Liu Jinxia instinctively responded with a "Yes..."

Zhao Yi immediately stood up: "It's done."

Liu Jinxia was still a bit confused, and bluntly said, "You're going to become my godparent? Aren't you afraid of bad luck?"

Zhao Yi shook his head, thinking to himself:
Your ancestors had real bad luck when they encountered my Zhao family...

……

late at night.

The outer residence of the Zhao family, including their ancestral hall.

After listening to Zhao Yi's account, some of the Zhao clan members in the audience turned pale with fright, some burst into tears, some couldn't believe it, and some were so angry that their faces turned red.

Previously, in front of them, Zhao Yi ordered the accountant to take inventory of the goods in the storeroom and distribute them to the Zhao family's servants.

Some people objected, and some even stepped forward to stop them.

These people quickly turned into corpses lying on the ground, their blood staining the red floor of the ancestral hall even more crimson.

Zhao Yi dismissed all the servants. Even the accountants, after receiving their share, bowed to Zhao Yi and left with their prepared bags.

The offering table in the ancestral hall was shaped like a dragon. Zhao Yi only kept Zhao Wuyang's memorial tablet and kicked away the others. He was now sitting on the offering table with an air of superiority.

Zhao Yi then began his narration.

First, there were the shameful deeds committed by the Zhao family ancestors; then came the secrets hidden deep within the ancestral home; and finally, he personally destroyed the ancestral home, sending the Zhao family ancestors to hell.

With so many collateral descendants of the Zhao family, it was impossible to keep such a public announcement a secret; it was bound to leak out.

Zhao Yi intended to use the Zhao family members to announce to the martial arts world that he had "betrayed his master and ancestors."

What rumors and gossip? Nothing is more credible than what family members spread themselves.

"I hereby declare that from this day forward, the Zhao family is dissolved, and the Zhao family of Jiujiang will never exist again in the martial world."

These words pushed the emotions of the crowd below to their peak. The cries and shouts grew louder and louder. A group of people, blinded by anger, cursed Zhao Yi and charged at him.

Zhao Yi waved his hand, and the array inside the ancestral hall was activated.

"Pop!" "Pap!" "Pap!"

Pieces of blood mist dispersed.

Tonight, Zhao Yi will show no mercy in killing that Zhao fellow.

He did this so that as many people as possible could survive, but if they didn't obey... then they'd better go report to the ground.

"Hurry up, be quick, anyone who wants to die, anyone who's not convinced, step forward."

No one dared to step forward anymore.

Zhao Yi: "As long as I am alive, I don't know how the martial arts world will react if anyone tries to put up the 'Jiujiang Zhao' signboard again and attempt to rebuild the Zhao family."

Anyway,

I, Zhao Yi,
They will visit in person.
I'll destroy it for you!

After saying that, Zhao Yi stood up, slapped his palm against the dragon's head, and the offering table burst into flames.

"I allow you to bow one last time and say goodbye."

Everyone inside the ancestral hall knelt down and began to kowtow, and for a moment, the sound of weeping shook the heavens.

Zhao Yi pierced through the flames and arrived at the back.

Li Zhuiyuan stood there.

Zhao Yi: "Don't worry, I've thoroughly cleaned up these Zhao bastards inside and out. Anyone with dirty hands is already dead."

In fact, the collateral branches of the Zhao family have never held a high position, and most of them are not as good as the servants born into the family. Their only role is probably to give birth to Zhao family children who may have talent.

"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Xiaoyuan."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, his eyes swirling with black light. Through the flames in front of him, he could see that most of the Zhao family members kneeling below had a spider lily swaying on their heads.

The reason it's the majority, not all...

It's not uncommon for a large family to be cuckolded a few times.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a talisman and threw it into the fire on the offering table in front of him.

A flame swept out, then turned black, its shape resembling a dragon, and circled in front of the young man.

Zhao Yi's eyes lit up. This move by the man surnamed Li was truly something else.

With an existing altar, the boy was too lazy to set up a new one.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan said in a deep voice:

"Now that the matter has been investigated and the principal offender has been removed, and the secondary crimes have been cleared, in consideration of Heaven's benevolence towards life, we request that the decree of 'granting the entire clan a title of nobility' be revoked!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the black fire dragon plunged downwards and crashed into the ground, instantly scattering sparks everywhere.

The spider lilies on the heads of the Zhao family members withered one by one.

Zhao Yi looked up at the top of his head. He couldn't see it, but the boy nodded slightly to him, meaning that the flower above his head had also withered.

From the depths of the darkness, a deep and majestic voice resounded in Li Zhuiyuan's ears:

"Accurate."

(End of this chapter)