Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 352

Tonight, the moonlight is bright.

By the moonlight, the boy hastily flipped through the book, "The Soul-Burning and Heart-Cleansing Manual."

With important matters at hand, the young man couldn't afford to waste his energy on something pointless. He didn't look closely or study anything; he was just being carried by Runsheng on the road, and since he had nothing else to do, he decided to get a preliminary understanding first.

The title is marked on the first page.

—A gift from Mingyu.

This not only explains whose technique it is, but also points out the target Zhao Yi chose for himself to poison.

After dealing with the four members of the Four Mysteries Sect that night, Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi had tea on the rooftop of Yaoji Inn. Zhao Yi gave the young man a brief report on the situation and forces there.

Ming Yuwan is a member of the Ming family of the Dragon King, and has a capricious personality.

Unlike Yu Miaomiao, who was once a member of the Yu family who traveled across the river, Yu Miaomiao was a fool who acted and spoke with one mind.

According to Zhao Yi, Ming Yuwan's behavior is very calm and her choices are normal, but in daily interactions, her emotions often get out of control.

Having weathered so many storms on the river, it's impossible for someone to be so naive. Moreover, coming from a noble family and receiving proper etiquette and manners from a young age, how could he possibly be so poor at cultivating his inner strength?

With this thought in mind, the young man looked up at Chen Xiyuan, who was rushing forward in front of him.

Well, it's not impossible.

Lowering his head again, the young man decided to focus his attention on the technique itself.

Strictly speaking, this is a secret technique, and the technique lives up to its name.

Burning the soul means truly burning the soul, but not like burning a haystack where it's all set on fire at once. Instead, it's more like using red-hot pliers to "crush" off the excess parts.

But while I've heard of haircuts and manicures, I've never heard of trimming the soul.

Moreover, the soul is something that can cause one to fall into eternal damnation if there is even the slightest mistake. Why would the Ming family go to such lengths to create such a secret technique?
If someone has bone hyperplasia, could it be that the Ming family has developed soul hyperplasia?

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't joking; he felt that this might actually be the truth in some sense.

Because this secret technique is divided into a total of thirteen stages, the degree of soul pruning increases step by step. Even if one does not miss a single step and has amazing talent, and cultivates this secret technique to the highest level in one go, it will still require at least thirteen prunings.

Thirteen prunings—how much of the soul material must have been lost?

It is highly likely that there is some drawback in the cultivation of the Ming family's original techniques, which forced them to develop this secret method to correct and remedy the problem.

The fact that this formula, despite its drawbacks, can still be used to this day, and that the Ming family has even developed into a powerful clan, suggests that these so-called drawbacks... may also be a kind of advantage.

However, the secret technique has a very good auxiliary effect on Zhao Yi now. His previous guess was correct. Zhao Yi should have figured out his ancestor's "lighting the sky lantern" technique.

Humans' threshold will only get higher and higher. It seems that simply tearing off human skin for fun is no longer enough for Zhao Yi. He plans to tear off the soul.

However, Zhao Yi was also afraid that he might accidentally ruin himself, so he handed this secret technique over to me early on. One reason was to exchange it for other things, and the other was to let me check it over so that I wouldn't be tricked.

Putting the book away, Li Zhuiyuan looked ahead. In the darkness, a towering loess slope stretched out, a corner of Mangshan Mountain.

Tan Wenbin raised his hand, signaling everyone to slow down. He had been tracking the marks left by Zhao Yi to control the distance between the two sides, and the people from that alliance slowed down from there.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, is this Mangshan?"

Tan Wenbin: "Mm."

Lin Shuyou: "Why have so many emperors and generals throughout history chosen to be buried here?"

The top of Beiman Mountain has little idle land; it is full of old tombs of people from Luoyang.

This describes the crowded scene at the foot of Beiman Mountain.

Earlier, when I passed by, I saw many raised mounds that were several stories high.

Any one of these structures, if moved to Nantong, excavated and preserved, could become a tourist attraction for Nantong.

But here, the actual purpose of these mounds seems to be merely to make it easier for local farmers to mark and divide their contracted fields.

Tan Wenbin: "Firstly, for a long period of time in ancient times, Luoyang was considered the center of the world."
Secondly, Mangshan Mountain connects to the Qinling Mountains and can be regarded as the location of the dragon's head. Hulao Mountain to the east and west and Xiaoshan Mountain can be regarded as the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, Yique Mountain to the south is the Vermilion Bird, and the Yellow River to the north is the Black Tortoise. With the four symbols guarding it, it is naturally auspicious.

Thirdly, the geological conditions of Mangshan Mountain were very suitable for the construction of ancient mausoleums.

Lin Shuyou: "That's so good?"

Tan Wenbin: "Mm."

Lin Shuyou: "No wonder the Yu family built their ancestral home here."

Tan Wenbin turned around, looked at Li Zhuiyuan on Runsheng's back, and asked, "Brother Xiaoyuan, should we rest here..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tan Wenbin's gaze sharpened.

Lin Shuyou touched the golden mace, and Runsheng let go, allowing Xiaoyuan to slide off his back.

Tan Wenbin looked to the west: "There is..."

Chen Xiyuan disappeared from the spot.

As she appeared from the west, a dark figure was thrown out and landed in front of everyone.

After landing, the person instinctively tried to spring up, but as soon as he stood up, with a "bang," his limbs and face were pressed tightly against the ground.

This was the first time Chen Xiyuan had actually taken action in front of everyone.

Tan Wenbin pursed his lips. It could be said that if it weren't for Xiao Yuan's red thread that bound them together as a whole, Chen Xiyuan would completely crush all of them in terms of individual reaction speed and efficiency.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, begin the interrogation."

"Yes."

Tan Wenbin walked towards the dark figure, and after maintaining a distance, he nodded to Chen Xiyuan, indicating that they could withdraw from the domain.

He didn't want to be foolish enough to walk right in and then, influenced by the domain, end up having a mutual bowing ceremony with the shadowy figure.

Chen Xiyuan raised her hand, lifted her index finger upwards, and the domain was unlocked.

The dark figure suddenly trembled, leaving afterimages as it tried to escape.

The speed was faster than Tan Wenbin had originally expected. This thing was shaking like a dragonfly's wings. He didn't even have time to use his five senses, let alone aim.

Chen Xiyuan pulled her index finger down.

"boom!"

The shadowy figure once again prostrated itself on the ground.

"Haha." Tan Wenbin chuckled awkwardly.

Chen Xiyuan had been pinching the shadowy figure like a chick, but she hadn't expected it to be so unusual.

Tan Wenbin squatted down, went straight to his five senses, and began to "torture" the victim.

Soon, Tan Wenbin stood up again and reported to Li Zhuiyuan:
“Brother Xiaoyuan, he’s from the Yu family. He came here specifically to find us.”

Li Zhuiyuan said to Chen Xiyuan, "Take a look at his true form."

Chen Xiyuan flicked her index finger left and right.

"Wow!"

The shadowy figure's clothes were torn, revealing a normal male body, but he had something on his head.

Tan Wenbin: "It really is a dragonfly?"

It wasn't an ordinary enlarged dragonfly; its wings were short but wide and thin; its tail was short and sharp, like a barb piercing the back of the man's neck.

The man's eyes were white as he raised his head and spoke:

"My lords, I am Qing San, and I have come by the decree of the old lady to escort you into the Yu family!"

Li Zhuiyuan's initial plan was to "clean up" his identity and enter the Yu family ahead of time. He even took the initiative to find people from the "Yu family" so that they would discover him and let him in. However, he never expected that he would find real members of the Yu family.

Spending several days in the village wasn't a complete loss, since we learned the truth about the Yu family. However, our original plan to enter the Yu family ahead of time had to be abandoned because so many elders from other families had already infiltrated the Yu family.

Even General Huang, who held a high position and great power in the Yu family, has been killed.

But who could have predicted that upon arriving here, they would actually run into the Yu family's people who were there to meet them?

Qing San should have been dispatched long ago, but because everyone was in the village, he couldn't find anyone. Moreover, when those family and sect elders attacked the Yu family, they must have set up formations to prevent their aura from leaking out, so Qing San was unaware that the Yu family's gate had already been breached, and he was still dutifully completing his mission.

In fact, Qing San's target was Chen Xiyuan. The main reason was that Chen Xiyuan's performance at the museum that day was the most outstanding, and she was clearly irreconcilable with the opposing faction. It was a real fight between the two sides, not an act.

Among the survivors who escaped from the museum that day when the great formation collapsed was a spy from the Yu family, who went back and reported the matter to the old lady.

The old lady explicitly instructed that such a person should be brought to the Yu family as soon as possible and treated with great hospitality.

Of course, they also hoped to keep him in the Yu family, so that he could provide more assistance in dealing with the upcoming storms.

When Qing San mentioned the old lady, Li Zhuiyuan thought she must be Yu Miaomiao's cat grandma.

Chen Xiyuan's gaze fell on the tail spike that Qing San had pierced into the neck of the man beneath her.

Even if the group in the museum wanted to kill her, she would never collude with the Yu family because of it; she felt disgusted at the sight of them.

Now that they've already broken through, there's no need to keep this fat dragonfly around, right?

Chen Xiyuan slowly withdrew her fingertips, waiting for the boy's signal so she could crush him completely.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Besides us, did you guide anyone else?"

Qing San: "Reporting to my lord, we also guided many other lords. If we hadn't finally found you all tonight, we would have taken all of you into the Yu family ancestral home tomorrow."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Where are they now?"

Qing San: "The other adults are at a farm not far away right now."

The Dragon King's Decree issued by the Yu family attracted a large number of martial arts practitioners to hunt down Zhao Yi. However, Zhao Yi and his group turned the tables and used the deed as a way to gain merit, constantly setting traps to lure them in and kill them in return.

From Jiujiang to Luoyang, countless martial arts figures died, but there was nothing to regret, because the contents of the Yu family's Dragon King Order were truly underhanded. The martial arts figures who could be mobilized and attracted by it were actually for the Yu family's reward. People die for wealth, birds die for food; if you want to kill others for a reward, you must be prepared to be killed by others.

But there are still survivors, and it sounds like there are quite a few.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't interested in collecting mosquito legs; he was thinking about another possibility.

"When you escorted us to the Yu family ancestral home, did you use the main gate?" Qing San replied, "It's not that the Yu family doesn't value you gentlemen, but firstly, the main gate is not easily opened, and secondly, some of you gentlemen also need to conceal your identities."

Therefore, we have no choice but to trouble you gentlemen to enter the Yu family secretly through the back door.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay, let's go then."

Qing San: "Please let me go, sir. I will inform my companions at the village to lead the adults there to set off. Your time is precious, so let's not waste time on meeting up."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay."

Chen Xiyuan withdrew from the domain, and Qing San got up with lingering fear, flapping its wings and making a "buzzing" sound, which should be the way it communicates with its own kind.

After a short while, Qing San stopped and respectfully said:

"My lords, please follow me."

Chen Xiyuan walked to Li Zhuiyuan's side and unfolded her domain to envelop the two of them.

How did you know there would be a backdoor?

"I don't know, I'm just asking."

"This……"

"Before you do anything in the future, you can ask more questions. Even if you encounter evil spirits, if you are absolutely sure, there is no need to kill them right away. There are often more clues behind them. If you kill them directly, the clues will be cut off, and you may not be able to get some tools and materials."

"But I have no shortage of tools or materials."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Chen Xiyuan.

Chen Xiyuan: "Then I won't rush to kill in the future. I'll ask around first, look for clues, and then get the tools and materials. Once I've collected enough, I'll send them to you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Chen Xiyuan: "You're welcome. It's only right for an older sister to give her younger brother pocket money."

Li Zhuiyuan: "If you don't uncover all the clues, even if you complete the entire journey, the level of completion will be insufficient, and the merit you gain will not be very high. Don't you lack merit?"

Chen Xiyuan: "It can even affect merit?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You don't know?"

Chen Xiyuan: "I really don't know, my grandparents never told me."

Li Zhuiyuan felt that the reason Chen Xiyuan's grandparents hadn't told her before was that they only hoped their granddaughter could survive more safely. If they wanted more, the danger of each wave would increase accordingly.

As for the amount of merit, it's not like banknotes with a specific face value; you can only feel it for yourself.

Previously, when Tan Wenbin treated her to a bowl of meat soup and a bottle of Haibi, she was willing to use her merit points to tip him, which shows that she is not particularly sensitive to the concept of merit points in her daily life.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you understand now?"

Chen Xiyuan nodded: "I understand. Little brother, I've really learned a lot since meeting you."

Qing San led the group to a mound of earth and stopped.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen."

As they waited, four men in black arrived, leading a group of people, each with their own distinct characteristics.

Most of them were injured, clearly having survived by sheer luck after escaping from the pit Zhao Yi and his group had dug.

The Yu family wanted to bring these people into their ancestral home, intending to use them as cannon fodder.

Moreover, the fact that these people still dare to come here shows that they are unaware that a group of top forces in the martial arts world have joined forces to infiltrate the Yu family.

This is the tragedy of those at a low level in the underworld. To climb up, sometimes just being willing to risk your life is far from enough. Often, that risk is completely meaningless.

Those who were eager to approach Chen Xiyuan for a chat were stopped in advance by Runsheng, who released a wave of energy to push them away and maintain peace and quiet on his side.

Everyone was surprised by Runsheng's powerful aura, but Tan Wenbin noticed that the expressions of the two groups of people were different.

The group was led by a woman dressed in a white dress, an outfit that was already quite eye-catching in the area, and she was surrounded by three other women.

Of the three women, one was plump, like a meat pie, and was currently gnawing on a roasted lamb leg; another was slender, as thin as a straw; and the third, though of normal build, had empty eyes, suggesting she was blind, but carried a box on her back, the lock of which clearly indicated a well-known set of mechanisms.

The composition of this group is truly classic. They don't seem like a swarm of martial arts figures rushing over for the Yu family's reward; they're more like a river-traveling team.

Why didn't those who traveled the river go to find Zhao Yi, but instead joined forces with this group?

Could it be that her plan is the same as theirs—to clean up her past and infiltrate the Yu family beforehand?
The other group consisted of a man who, when Run Sheng Qi Men opened, reached out and touched several acupoints on his body.

Mainly because he had been eating, drinking and sleeping with Runsheng all the time, Tan Wenbin had long been familiar with the location of the acupoints on Runsheng's body and the patterns that were subsequently carved. Therefore, Tan Wenbin keenly noticed that the acupoints that the other party touched were very accurate, which clearly showed that he had seen and was familiar with the "Qin Family Observation of Dragons Method".

However, the Qin family has only had Uncle Qin to hold the fort for so many years. Uncle Qin would not go out to take on disciples. Therefore, it is possible to tell that the other party is so young, but he is likely to have learned from the family's teachings.

The previous act of touching himself seemed more like he was recalling the description in his memory while verifying his own identity in order to determine Runsheng's identity.

Tan Wenbin turned to look at Li Zhuiyuan, who nodded to him, indicating that he had seen it as well.

This wave is truly interesting; even among the cannon fodder of the martial arts world, there are hidden talents.

Five dragonflies come together, and the entry tokens should each be on one of them. After they are pieced together, the bottom of the mound of earth in front begins to sink.

"Rumble..."

A downward-sloping ramp appears; the ramp is wide and estimated to have eight lanes in both directions.

Even the back gate of the Dragon King's residence was surprisingly spacious.

"My lords, please follow us."

Five dragonflies led the way, and the rest of the group followed.

There were no lamps specially arranged for lighting inside, but the light was very bright because every now and then you would see a tomb door, and the stone tablet in front of the tomb door recorded the noble status of the tomb owner.

These were not ordinary people; some of them were even well-known figures in history.

However, their tombs here serve only as lighting, and if people passing by wish, they can freely enter and choose any sages they are interested in to visit their homes.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected that this was not a back door... but rather a hobby of the Yu family.

By linking together a group of well-known "tombs and residences" at the foot of Mangshan Mountain, it was used to "engage in conversation with learned scholars".

To the Yu family's ancestral home, this layout is like the back garden within the mansion of a secular noble.

These beasts just don't understand, and simply treat it as a backdoor.

Ahead, a huge stone gate appeared.

On the left side of the stone gate are carved great demons from myths and legends, while on the right side are carved men and women with extraordinary bearing.

This implies that the Yu family established its reputation based on cooperation between humans and demons.

Five dragonflies controlled the people beneath them, piecing things together again in front of the stone gate.

"Click..."

The stone gate trembled, about to open.

Tan Wenbin immediately paid attention to the group of women and the man. While everyone else was looking on with anticipation and joy, fantasizing about receiving the Dragon King's reward, the four women had already formed a battle formation, and the man's center of gravity had also clearly shifted downwards.

Clearly, they were on guard against the immense danger that would arise once the stone gate opened; they knew what was happening to the Yu family!
Runsheng stood in front of Li Zhuiyuan, Lin Shuyou stood diagonally behind Runsheng, and Tan Wenbin stood behind Xiaoyuan.

Chen Xiyuan could see that they were setting up a team formation, but she didn't know where she should stand.

After all, she had never cooperated with anyone to fight the enemy before, and she was worried that her lack of experience might disrupt the enemy's formation and coordination.

So she simply stood in front of Runsheng and became the first one to stand in front of him.

No matter what unexpected things happen next, with her at the forefront, it shouldn't affect them.

Runsheng: "..."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Come here."

"Oh."

Chen Xiyuan turned around, circled back, and stood beside the boy.

"Do not open up the domain without my command."

"Ah."

Using her as a front-line human shield is a huge waste of her talent.

The stone door kept opening, and just as it opened a crack large enough for one person to pass through, a thick, suffocating smell of blood wafted out.

Someone in the crowd asked in confusion, "There's a strong smell of blood."

"It doesn't taste like human blood."

"It's demon blood. Dragon King Yu is skilled at cultivating demon beasts. This back door is probably a training ground for demon beasts."

"Could it be a slaughterhouse? Monster meat should taste better, right?"

"Watch your words. How dare you disrespect the Dragon King's family here?"

"My sins, my sins."

Just then, a hoarse yet arrogant laugh came from inside the door:

"Hahahaha! There's even a back door here! There must be a lot of evil spirits hiding inside. You scum, all of you, die!"

"boom!"

A fire dragon burst out from the crack in the door, transforming into a raging inferno that swept down.

The five dragonflies at the very front were instantly incinerated into ashes. Then came the group of people who had rushed to the front of the crowd, hoping to be among the first to enter the Yu family to receive their reward. Their bodies were engulfed in flames, and they let out shrill screams.

In an instant, the entire passageway...

Transformed into purgatory!

(End of this chapter)