Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 340

The man tilted his head back and clenched his fists.

Two hideous ghostly figures emerged from the gray mist at the shop entrance: skull-faced, dressed in black, and wielding rusty knives.

The clothes were somewhat blurry, but Li Zhuiyuan had seen traditional Yu family clothing before, and they were very similar to those worn by the two ghostly figures.

Even if the souls of ordinary people were extracted, it would be difficult to create a courier with such a fierce aura, because there is a limit to what is possible. It's not that it's impossible, but the probability is too low to be worth trying.

Therefore, the chang used by men should have been made from materials made by the Yu family.

He tortured the victim to the extreme before his death, driving him into a state of madness and violence, then quickly killed him, extracted his soul for sacrificial purposes, and finally put him into his own entourage.

Based on his experiences of contacting the "Yu family" several times, Li Zhuiyuan believes that the real Yu family members should not have all died out, but they are in a state of being kept in captivity and treated as a kind of renewable raw material. From body to soul, they are all "treasures".

The ghostly figure approached menacingly, and there must be more lurking in the surrounding gray mist.

Chen Xiyuan flicked her wrist, flipped the jade flute, and held it horizontally in front of her, her red lips lightly touching her lips.

There was no sound, but the surrounding gray fog suddenly became thicker.

The two ghostly figures that had rushed to the steps slowed down and eventually came to a near standstill.
"Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!"

Within the gray fog, three more identical ghostly figures were forced out, struggling desperately but unable to move.

This was just the beginning. Soon, the surrounding gray fog began to roll like waves, and its surface was covered with a layer of light blue.

The man looked panicked, clearly unable to accept this change in circumstances.

Because the miasma he created using his special abilities was easily turned against him by the opponent.

Chen Xiyuan put down the flute.

The flute happened to be right in front of the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan realized that Chen Xiyuan wasn't playing a musical instrument; she was setting up her own domain.

Although the Chen family of Hainan is a legitimate lineage of the Dragon King, the number of Dragon Kings produced by the Chen family is not large.

Grandma Liu had enough ancestral tablets on the large altar in the east room to fill the entire space between the Qin and Liu families. Even if the tablets were placed separately for each family, the sheer number of tablets would still be astonishing.

In the history of the Chen family, only three Dragon Kings have ever emerged.

But each of the Chen family's Dragon Kings was virtually invincible in his generation.

The Chen family's original formula is "Listening to the Tide and Observing the Sea," which was gleaned from the observation of the sea and listening to the tide by the Chen family's ancestor. That ancestor was not the Dragon King, and the original formula he created is a fragment and not complete.

However, later generations lived up to expectations, supplementing and refining the work generation after generation, bringing "Listening to the Tide and Watching the Sea" to its perfect state.

In this respect, they stand in stark contrast to the Yin family.

However, this manual focuses on cultivating domains, which are mysterious and profound existences. They are different from formations and feng shui, which are great principles. Instead, they are based on the self and expand outward from the self.

Domains vary from person to person; a thousand people, a thousand domains, ever-changing.

Chen Xiyuan uses the flute to expand her vocal range.

This is also why the Chen family has produced so few dragon kings in its history. Other families have complete, step-by-step teaching and transmission methods, but the Chen family members are born with a major obstacle... talent.

Because everyone's domain is different, teachers and elders can only teach the basics. Once the basics are passed, the younger generation of the family has to figure it out on their own.

If you can figure it out, you've become a talent; if you can't, you're a waste.

Just like farming, you have to rely on the weather to get a good harvest; it's common for a single generation or even several generations to suffer from poor harvests.

Therefore, the Chen family cannot produce a strong contender for the Dragon King in every generation, unlike the Qin and Liu families in the past.

Chen Xiyuan raised her left hand, a talisman between her fingertips, and tossed it lightly.

The talisman spontaneously combusted, igniting the surrounding blue mist in the process, and the blue light and fire surged back like a tide.

The man looked terrified and tried to shut up, severing his connection with the mist. But as soon as he closed his mouth, new blue mist began to seep out of his nose, ears, and even eyes.

He himself had already been incorporated into Chen Xiyuan's domain long ago.

"what!!!"

The raging flames rushed into the man's body all at once. The man's body swelled up first, and then small cuts opened up, from which flames shot out.

His body began to dry up and melt away. Besides the human form, there seemed to be something like a squirrel inside, which was the man's true form.

Before Li Zhuiyuan could observe closely, both the demonic body and the human body vanished together, turning into ashes.

Chen Xiyuan waved her hand, and the mist dissipated, bringing with it a gust of wind that swept away the ashes on the ground.

This is the terrifying, or rather, extreme, nature of the Chen family's "Listening to the Tide and Observing the Sea Law": whenever someone with exceptional talent and character emerges within the family, they successfully expand the domain...

Therefore, on the river, the strong would be like sinking into the mud in front of the Chen family, while the weak would be powerless to resist.

That "Yu family man" wasn't that weak. He controlled five ghost demons, making him a formidable monster. However, he was powerless against Chen Xiyuan's domain and died a very hasty death.

Even the talisman Chen Xiyuan used to light the fire was extremely basic; she could have simply used a match or a lighter.

From this perspective, the Chen family has indeed produced an extraordinary young person in this generation. The fact that she dares to travel the river alone proves that her domain has become strong and mature to a certain extent.

To fight her, you must avoid close combat, at least at the beginning, and avoid being directly drawn into her domain, otherwise you will be put on the defensive.

But she can also move around and can take the domain with her.

Therefore, the most suitable way to fight is to let Runsheng enter her domain, let Runsheng survive in that difficult environment, and fix her domain in the process. Then, from a safe distance, you can compete with her in speed to set up various temporary formations to counteract and break the effects of her domain.

Midway through, all she needs to do is create a small opening, giving Lin Shuyou and Tan Wenbin a chance to charge forward and potentially end the battle by killing her.

Of course, this is the ideal response. When things really come to a head, the other party will also have their own special ways of dealing with it and won't foolishly follow your own plan.

Chen Xiyuan smiled, clapped her hands, and turned around, looking just like an ordinary girl about to enjoy something delicious.

Although the gray fog has dissipated, the effect of "being in a daze" will last for a while.

Li Zhuiyuan began to adjust his gaze, allowing his spirits to slowly return.

However, Chen Xiyuan brought her face close to the boy's, looking at him carefully while gently touching his cheek.

"This child is really good-looking."

She meant no harm; she was simply "pleased by his appearance."

It is human nature to have a natural affinity for beautiful things.

Moreover, her taste is truly consistent. She was interested in Li Zhuiyuan at the "Wangjianglou Square," but she had forgotten about it. However, when she met him in real life, she remained interested.

But what she didn't know was that in the mind of this boy she thought was very handsome, she had just suffered terribly.

Li Zhuiyuan had no ill intentions towards her. It's a young man's instinct to analyze how to defeat a powerful opponent.

She didn't make a move inside the store because she didn't want to hurt innocent people. Even after leaving the store, she deliberately stood in front of me.

She didn't realize her own identity, so there was no need for her to put on an act.

In the world of martial arts, one has seen plenty of treachery and ruthless tactics, but someone like her is truly rare.

This is probably the proper family tradition of the Dragon King's family.

Chen Xiyuan walked into the shop, sat down, and was about to pick up her chopsticks to drink the soup when she looked around, then picked up her flute and blew it once. This time there was a sound, and then "everyone" seemed to wake up from a dream, only to feel a moment of stunned silence.

Even if you glance at the time before you space out, and then immediately check the time after you space out, you won't find anything strange. You'll just marvel at how fast time flies when you're daydreaming.

In reality, many people have had this experience, but sometimes, it is actually something that just happened around you that you could not perceive.

The people in the soup shop went back to their own business.

Runsheng had his eyes closed before, and he still has them closed now.

Lin Shuyou gently patted his stomach with a satisfied expression.

Tan Wenbin is a good actor, so he acted more generously, stood up, and went to the boss to pay the bill.

Adding soup is free, but they add meat. It's impossible for everyone to just drink water and get full. At first, they paid for each bowl of meat separately, but later the owner offered to serve them first and pay for them all at once.

He ate a lot, but compared to the quantity, it wasn't expensive at all. Tan Wenbin couldn't help but sigh that the prices in Luoyang were really reasonable.

The boss rarely encountered such a generous customer, so he waved his hand and gave a 20% discount, then rounded it down to zero.

After paying the bill, Tan Wenbin offered the owner a cigarette, then took out more money and said that all the other guests present, including the owner and the older women, should drink two bottles of Haibi.

Then, Tan Wenbin carried two bottles of Haibi to Chen Xiyuan, opened the bottle caps for her, and inserted straws.

Chen Xiyuan: "Thank you."

Holding chopsticks in her right hand, she waved them in front of Tan Wenbin with her left.

Tan Wenbin was stunned for a moment.

Brother Xiao Yuan has already informed him of this woman's identity through the red thread.

Tan Wenbin immediately understood what the action meant.

This is to thank me for treating her to a drink, and to spread good karma for me.

No, girl, are you treating good deeds as a reward?
Merit will flow in its own way. A wave of the hand like this certainly won't be weighed and measured like dividing silver, but in the eyes of Heaven, this action can be considered a blessing.

Just like in the past, after they finished crossing the river, the unscrupulous driver who deliberately tampered with the odometer would get into a car accident, while the driver who gave them a free ride would meet his girlfriend.

Tan Wenbin:
"No, beautiful lady, you don't have to shoo me away like a fly just because I'm offering you a drink. You may be very pretty, but I have no ulterior motives towards you. Look, I've also treated the aunties."

Chen Xiyuan lowered her head and took a sip of soup, then looked up and smiled at Tan Wenbin. She must have added too much chili, because she even stuck out her tongue.

This scene left Tan Wenbin somewhat speechless, realizing that sincerity was a powerful weapon, and he almost couldn't continue acting.

"Beautiful lady, you're not from around here, are you?"

Chen Xiyuan took the Haibi, took a sip, and simply replied, "No."

"Are you here for tourism?"

"Ah."

"one person?"

"Ah."

Tan Wenbin didn't ask any more questions, but sat back down and continued to digest his food.

Chen Xiyuan ate quickly, finishing a bowl of soup in no time.

The owner came over solicitously and asked if we wanted more soup.

Through the kitchen window, the proprietress silently moved her lips as she watched her husband's retreating figure.

"No need, I'm full, the food was delicious."

Although Hainan also has sour and spicy specialties, the overall cuisine is still mainly light and mild. Chen Xiyuan did not expect that this soup would suit her taste so well.

He got up, picked up another bottle of Haibi he hadn't drunk from, and walked to the store entrance.

"Little brother, here's some to drink."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

Chen Xiyuan: "Don't you like this flavor?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's been sitting out for too long, so it's gone stale."

Chen Xiyuan: "Then I'll buy you another bottle, you can choose one yourself?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head again: "I drank the soup, so I can't drink any more beverages."

"Alright then, goodbye, little brother."

Before leaving, Chen Xiyuan reached out to touch the boy's face one last time, but Li Zhuiyuan avoided her.

"Let me touch it, sister."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

"How stingy."

Chen Xiyuan took Haibi out.

The bottles were supposed to be recycled, but the owner had clearly forgotten about it, or perhaps deliberately made things easier for them.

After she had walked away, Tan Wenbin walked up to Li Zhuiyuan.
"Brother Xiao Yuan, is it an act?"

Clearly, Tan Wenbin also felt somewhat uncomfortable with this style of painting among the people of Zoujiang.

Li Zhuiyuan: "If she has seen through our identities, there is no need for her to pretend in front of us. If she has not seen through our identities, there is even less need for her to pretend."

Tan Wenbin nodded and said, "She's in the hospital."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't stare at her for too long, especially from a distance, she might sense it."

Tan Wenbin immediately looked away.

Li Zhuiyuan turned his head to look at the faint gray stain on the ground, which was the last trace of that "Yu family man" in this world.

"We've become complacent, but we've also missed out on a lot. They've been fighting each other for a long time."

"If the other team were here, we could know directly how far things have progressed."

"That's not important. In this wave, we don't need to be the first to act."

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, walked down the steps, and came to the gray stain.

Tan Wenbin followed him over: "Brother Xiaoyuan, is there a problem?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Although we haven't been able to see the whole picture, the way the Yu family behaved when disaster struck seemed a bit too abnormal. Animals may not be smart, but their instinct for life and death is actually stronger than that of humans."

The boy began his journey to the underworld.

Red threads spilled from the boy's fingertips, covering the mark and beginning the deduction of cause and effect.

Using this method, Li Zhuiyuan once deduced the path of Zhao Wuyang's spiritual manifestation at home.

A faint red line extends from the gray mark, almost imperceptible, yet remarkably resilient, guiding the direction toward the hospital.

Killing someone will incur karma, but the karma of someone who walks the river is not so easy to get entangled in.

Li Zhuiyuan looked down at himself. He also had a red thread on his body, thicker than the one Chen Xiyuan had brought.

Turning around, he looked at Tan Wenbin, Lin Shuyou, and Runsheng, all of whom also had [something on them].

After finishing his yin-walking ritual, Li Zhuiyuan reached out and rubbed his brow to relieve the tearing pain in his eyes.

Lin Shuyou and Runsheng also came out of the store at this moment.

After recovering, Li Zhuiyuan said, "I now suspect that the Yu family deliberately sent their own people out to kill those who fled the river, while also having those who fled the river do the killing."

The goal is to ensure that everyone who travels along the river has the blood of the Yu family on their hands.

"Luckily we didn't make a move." Lin Shuyou paused for a moment. "No, we already did."

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, is this a mark?"

Li Zhuiyuan:
"Yeah, dogs love doing that kind of thing."

……

After asking for her name at the nurses' station, Chen Xiyuan went to the ward.

Walking to the middle bed, looking at the unconscious young man on it, Chen Xiyuan sighed helplessly:
"You're such a glutton, you've worried your sister to death."

Chen Xiyuan works as a music teacher at an elementary school in a seaside town. She doesn't get paid because she often takes leave, and her departure and return times are unpredictable.

Although she couldn't be too serious about teaching, she was still very popular with the children. She enjoyed being surrounded by a group of children every time she came back. The smiles on the children's faces seemed to wash away the bloodstains on her body.

During class, a girl with red eyes from crying learned from her parents that her brother had been poisoned in another city and might die.

After asking for the address again, I learned that it was in Luoyang.

Chen Xiyuan then arrived in Luoyang, a place she was meant to be.

The reason she didn't come early was that she was too lazy to get involved in the vortex of the "Yu Family Dragon King Order". She didn't mind killing, but she didn't like killing, and she didn't like to actively make friends with people on the river.

Take Zhao Yi from Jiujiang, for example. She knew she should get to know him beforehand, and she knew he was a prominent figure on the river, but she just didn't like him.

Because of what Zhao Yi had done, she felt that he was a cold and ruthless person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Making friends with such a person is just a short-term mutual exploitation, which is exhausting. In comparison, she prefers the boy who sat at the entrance of the soup shop this morning. He is not only good-looking, but also has bright and lively eyes, and is cute and interesting.

Chen Xiyuan reached out and checked the condition of the young man in front of her.

"You're recovering very well. It seems there's nothing to worry about. You're so lucky."

As she withdrew her hand, Chen Xiyuan paused for a moment, then reached under the bed and pulled out a talisman.

"The work of a master of talismans?"

Chen Xiyuan looked down at the young man and then at the talisman.

Although she didn't like to categorize people into different classes, this level of talisman paper was clearly not something ordinary people could obtain, and it was extremely precious in the martial arts world.

"Your life is so lucky?"

Chen Xiyuan walked to the bed next to her, reached under the bed, and pulled out a talisman.

Go to the other bed, there's one there too.

"Whose family is so generous?"

Chen Xiyuan went to check the two wards next door and found that everyone in the poisoning incident had this talisman under their bed.

“The other person was probably like me, coming for one particular person, but ended up treating everyone as well, and truly did treat everyone equally.”

Only experts know the value of this talisman paper, but the other party was not stingy at all.

The other person should be a warm and kind person who can't bear to see human suffering, and may even be a bit sentimental.

Chen Xiyuan murmured:

"How could characters with this kind of art style appear on the river?"

……

The towering steps were piled high with corpses.

On either side of the lamps were oil lamps made from the heads of young boys and girls, burning with eerie flames.

A small, translucent white dog was sniffing the bloody smell below, and its body was gradually solidifying at an extremely slow pace as it did so.

From the seat above, a weathered and scarred hand descended and placed on the little white dog's head, gently stroking it.

The little white dog started spinning in circles, its ears perked up and twitching as if it were carefully listening to everything around it. After spinning around three times, it stopped.

"Wang Wang Wang!"

An aged voice came from above:
"Everyone's finally here."

(End of this chapter)