Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 367

The rain stopped.

The rain washed away the bloodshed and resentment within the Yu family's ancestral home, making the air much fresher.

Yu Xiangu turned her head and looked towards the main gate of the Yu family.

Previously, the earth dragon had moved around, and the passageway leading in and out of this place had collapsed.

Yu Xiangu sighed, "Alas, they are all gone."

Among those buried alive were many of her old friends. A few days ago, when they ran into each other in Luoyang, they exchanged greetings and drank together.

Xu Fengzhi slapped his thigh and said nonchalantly:

"Doesn't this serve them right? The Dragon King's court is not a place where you can come and go as you please."

They come under the guise of saving the Yu family and claim to be righteous figures in the martial arts world, but they secretly take and plunder, and people turn a blind eye to it.

However, if he watched as the evil spirits suppressed by the Yu family rioted and threatened to harm the world, and then simply slipped away, there would be no explanation for it.

In essence, how is this any different from the actions of those demonic beasts that seized the Yu family's property?

Xu Fengzhi likes to speak loudly.

Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing, who were lying on the steps in front, were pretending not to hear anything, one yawning and the other picking his ear.

Yu Xiangu: "If it weren't for Yiwen here, I wouldn't be sure if I would have chosen to stay."

Xu Fengzhi: "We should judge by actions, not intentions. Besides, it's even more remarkable that the younger generation dares to stay here."

Tao Wanli: "That's right!"

Ling Zhuxing: "That's right."

Xu Fengzhi snorted coldly at the two of them.

These two things did stay, but not voluntarily; they were clearly bound by karma by their two younger relatives.

Despite having the rank of a high-ranking official and an old face, he lives a shameless life, which is both infuriating and laughable.

Yu Xiangu plucked the flower from her head, rubbed it between her fingertips, and the flower floated away before slowly landing.

Xu Fengzhi: "What's wrong? Isn't it pretty?"

Yu Xiangu: "Although I knew I was getting old before, I still thought about putting on makeup. Now that I really don't have many days left, I feel that this hair flower is too bright."

A dying person is not suited to glamour, but rather to simplicity.

Xu Fengzhi: "Anyway, I don't think it's a loss."

Yu Xiangu: "Indeed."

Some elderly people around also chimed in:

"It's not just not a loss, it's a profit."

"We made a fortune!"

"Adding this to my epitaph will make my life worthwhile."

Although they look very old, they are actually much older than they appear.

This lifespan is at most only one or two years left. Today, I burned my blood and energy to fight a good battle and blocked an invasion of evil spirits for the people behind me. In the end, I was fortunate enough to witness the Dragon King's magnificence. It was all worth it!

It's not just the Dragon King who has the habit of proving his name before he dies; everyone has this need.

The scholar Zhu Yiwen walked over and handed Yu Xiangu a piece of braised meat: "Grandma, have some meat to nourish yourself."

Yu Xiangu shook her head, turning her face away as if she felt disgusted at the sight of the meat:

"You can have the money yourself. Your great-auntie is not worthy of such a treat."

This child was quite normal when he was young, but I don't know when it started, he developed a liking for eating dirty meat while reading books.

While he wouldn't go so far as to kill innocent people for a single bite, his standards for this dish of dirty meat are getting higher and higher.

He even went so far as to utter such outrageous words during the lantern-lighting ceremony: "Once the lanterns are lit and we're on the river, we'll never have to worry about food again."

The scholar didn't insist, and took a big, satisfying bite; he was truly hungry.

The bald man raised his hand and said, "Give me a piece, I need to replenish myself."

The scholar tossed him a pair of bald ears; judging by their size and shape, they certainly weren't from a pig.

The bald man caught it, and without hesitation, popped one into his mouth, crunching as he commented:

"It's delicious, but it's not fatty enough, so it's not as fragrant. It would be better if I used my uncle's ears to braise it. My uncle has big ears and fat heads, so it would definitely taste better when braised."

The scholar: "I'll definitely do it next time."

The bald man said, "There won't be a next time. Although I don't know where my old uncle has died, if a member of the Feng family dies outside, he will definitely be skinned alive and his tendons pulled out. There will be no way he will be left with a whole body."

The bald man's "muscle" was in Runsheng's backpack behind him.

Seeing how much they were enjoying their meal, Runsheng couldn't help but swallow.

However, he did not go up and ask for it.

The scholar casually rummaged through his bamboo basket, waiting for Runsheng to come over on his own.

The bald man, Feng Xionglin, was only there to show up and join in the fun, "pretending to be cultured," but the scholar could tell that Runsheng genuinely loved to eat.

For me, this is a refined hobby; for Runsheng, it's instinct.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin stepped forward and addressed the crowd:

"Ladies and gentlemen, although the main gate is blocked, there is a back gate to the Yu family ancestral home, located in the southwest corner. You will see it once you go there. Pass through the stone gate and the passageway to get outside. The journey is safe and without danger."

Finally, one more thing:
Since I started my journey through the martial world, I have seen and heard quite a lot, but today, to be able to meet, befriend, and fight alongside you all is truly a great fortune in my life.

Friends, until we meet again!

After giving the notification, Tan Wenbin told Runsheng and Lin Shuyou to prepare to leave, as they still needed to find Brother Xiaoyuan.

Chen Xiyuan naturally wanted to go along.

Tan Wenbin spread his arms to block Runsheng and Lin Shuyou behind him, and let Chen Xiyuan come over and lead the way.

Tao Wanli, who was lying on the steps, spoke up: "Miss Chen, may I return my Jiuhua Seal to its rightful owner?"

Ling Zhuxing chimed in, "That's right, and my Thunder-Gathering Whip should also be returned."

Chen Xiyuan: "You've already agreed to give it to me."

Tao Wanli: "At that time, I thought I was going to die, so these material possessions were meaningless."

Ling Zhuxing: "But now that we've survived the disaster, we still need to rely on them for protection."

Chen Xiyuan: "Since it's a gift to me, then it's mine."

This is a precious treasure that I found for my little brother. Now that I have it, how could I possibly give it back?
Tao Wanli: "Miss Chen, I can exchange other treasures for you as compensation. But I really have no choice; this Nine-Flower Seal is far too important to me."

Ling Zhuxing said, “If Miss Chen wants anything else, I will not be stingy. But this Thunder-Gathering Whip is perfectly compatible with the method I cultivate. Without it, I will have to walk with a limp.”

Chen Xiyuan raised her flute and said sincerely:
"You can come and take it back."

Tao Wanli: "..."

Ling Zhuxing: "..."

It was the two old men who were the first to say, "There's no hope left, let's find a dignified way to die."

So, at the last moment, they really used their secret technique. Now they are completely paralyzed and can't even stand up on their own. How can they possibly steal anything now?
Immediately, Tao Wanli turned his gaze to Tao Zhuming, while Ling Zhuxing glanced at his own Ling Wuxing.

Tao Zhuming said with a wry smile, "I can't beat her."

Ling Wuxing: "Me too."

Tao Wanli: "You two can come at me together."

Ling Zhuxing: "Two against one, using numbers to bully the few."

Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, and Lin Shuyou spread out behind Chen Xiyuan.

Zhao Yi also moved closer to Chen Xiyuan, the pipe in his mouth bobbing up and down.

The scholar wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth and didn't move.

Bald-headed Feng Xionglin continued to hold the mirror and check his hairstyle.

Xu Mofan disassembled the spear and put it into a package.

Tao Zhuming pointed over there and laughed, "Elder, it seems that the other side has more people and is more powerful."

Ling Wuxing said, "We are about to be bullied by the many."

Most importantly, this group seems to have always believed that there will be a turnaround, and they did not vent their frustrations at the last moment. Therefore, their overall condition is much better than that of the other side.

Chen Xiyuan then asked very honestly, "Are we going to fight or not?"

Tao Zhuming shook his head: "No, no, Miss Chen, please don't be offended. It's just that our elders have dementia."

Ling Wuxing said, "I still owe Miss Chen a life. Why don't you trouble Miss Chen to take my elders in?"

Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing were immediately furious, their beards bristling and eyes wide with anger.

Chen Xiyuan turned around and left with her people.

Zhao Yi cupped his hands in greeting and said:

"Brothers and elders, the scene was chaotic just now. One of my men lost control of his secret technique and has run away somewhere. I have to go and find him, so please excuse me for now."

See you on the river again someday!

The younger generation all returned Zhao Yi's greeting, and even the elders sitting on the steps tried to sit up straight and nod to Zhao Yi.

Face and respect are earned through one's own performance.

Of course, Chen Xiyuan raising her flute to the two elders of the Dragon King's family was also another way of expressing respect.

Zhao Yi waved his hand, signaling the Liang sisters and Xu Ming to follow him.

He had to find Chen Jing, and even more so, he had to find his little ancestor.

Watching them leave and gradually disappear into the hazy rain, the scholar used the meat bone in his hand to dab some wet black mud on the ground, turned to a blank page, and began to draw on it.

The painting depicts four figures: Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, Lin Shuyou, and Li Zhuiyuan.

It is not delicate, but its features are prominent.

The scholar released his grip, and the painting fluttered down in front of Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing.

That day at the museum, although their attention was mostly on Chen Xiyuan, they also glanced at the situation in Li Zhuiyuan's cubicle a few times.

One of those people is missing now; I remember him as a young man who had some talent in formations.

Tao Zhuming: "This is outrageous."

The Five Elements Commander said, "Impossible."

The scholar nodded in agreement.

The three of them had previously suspected that another team operating across the river was secretly orchestrating this turning point.

The sudden appearance of the old dog and the group of ferocious beasts that rushed out from underground, including the Yu family's Dragon King who arrived last, were not the work of these people.

But no matter what, it's unlikely to be that boy.

What normal person would do something like lighting a lamp when they are underage?
It is said that someone in the Yu family did this, but that was the work of a demon beast, not a human.

Furthermore, as that "Tan" just mentioned, he is the one who lights the lamps, meaning he is the leader of this team.

Moreover, when they first entered the battle and before Zhao Yi took over command, it was clear that they all followed the orders of that "Tan".

Therefore, that boy should just be an optional extra.

Or perhaps he simply died in an accident after entering the Yu family.

This means that the "mysterious team" that may exist has not yet revealed itself to them.

Tao Zhuming: "However, that group of people is indeed quite strong. They should be a bunch of outlaws from the martial arts world, and they should not be underestimated."

Ling Wuxing: "So, their decision to first seek refuge with the Yu family, then attach themselves to Miss Chen, and then win over Zhao Yi early on is indeed in line with the style of those who come from humble backgrounds. They have enough strength, but they don't yet have the vision to match it, and they need someone to guide them."

The scholar said, "That makes perfect sense."

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing reached out at the same time, but Tao Zhuming was faster and grabbed the painting, putting it in his pocket.

The scholar silently took out another piece of meat that he had originally intended for Runsheng and took a bite.

Sometimes, if something is explained too logically, it often means there's a problem, and it might just be an explanation that someone deliberately "did" to show you.

But unfortunately, they had absolutely no clue about it.

All three of them made up their minds that once they got back, they would use their networks to investigate the past of "Tan" and his group.

They're all from the river; surely there must be no information about them in the martial arts world?
Xu Mofan helped Xu Fengzhi up.

Xu Fengzhi was still thinking about what "Tan" had said earlier. He said he traveled the world by lamplight, not by "traveling the river".

However, Xu Fengzhi did not think that he was old and blind and had mistaken the "Qin Family Observing Dragon Technique" used by the burly young man. Moreover, in the subsequent battle, he deliberately tried to watch it a few more times and found that every time the burly young man was about to unleash a powerful attack, his view would be blocked by something else.

Xu Fengzhi initially thought that the Qin family member was worshipping the Dragon King Chen family member who was traveling the river, but he didn't expect that the person he was worshipping was actually "Tan Mou".

There must be something wrong here.

But Xu Fengzhi did not intend to bring it up, not even to Xu Mofan, who was supporting him.

Since they want to conceal their identities, they have their reasons. The reappearance of the Qin family on the river is a major event that is enough to shock the martial arts world. I've already offered to help cover it up, so why should I cause them trouble and make things difficult for them?
Back then, the core members of both the Qin and Liu families went out in full force, displaying their boundless heroic spirit!
And this martial arts world has been weak and struggling ever since.

Xu Mofan: "Uncle, I have gained a lot of insights into my spear skills during the previous battles."

Xu Fengzhi: "After we leave here, let's find a place to stay in Luoyang first, so you can digest this properly."

Xu Mofan: "But Uncle, you..."

Xu Fengzhi: "Those who live in the martial world die in the martial world. I don't have that obsession with rushing home day and night to die in my bed at home."

"Ha, if I weren't afraid of dirtying this place, I'd shamelessly stay here and make it my grave. It's so spacious."

Xu Mofan: "Uncle is magnanimous."

Xu Fengzhi: "A gunman should be magnanimous."

As he spoke, Xu Fengzhi glanced at Tao Zhuming, Ling Wuxing, and the scholar who were huddled together.

"You are different from them. Don't follow their example. You're not on the same path."

"Mo Fan has learned a lot."

Xu Fengzhi then turned to the others and said, "Hey, you young ones, those with good legs and feet, those with some strength, come and lend a hand and 'transport' us old bones out."

Each elderly person was helped by someone, and the group began to head towards the back door.

However, it did not take the shortest diagonal route, but rather moved along the central axis.

Leading the way were Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing, each being supported by their younger relatives, who also guided the procession.

If you continue walking like this, you will arrive at the "Earth Dragon," which is the direction in which the Yu family Dragon King last left.

Xu Fengzhi knew that those two old men were probably planning to have their juniors show up in front of the Dragon King again.

Sometimes, opportunities just happen by chance, and you have to be a little shameless to get them.

The appearance of this Yu Family Dragon King is extremely unusual, and he will most likely only exist for a short period of time. Generally, such beings are most likely to leave something behind for the younger generation.

Xu Fengzhi didn't say anything about it, because he himself really wanted to see the Dragon King one more time.

Upon arrival, the original site of the Yu Family Ancestral Hall had been transformed into a towering dragon pagoda.

Beneath the tower, the Dragon King of the Yu family knelt with his back to everyone, motionless.

At the top of the tower, a blue flame burned, resembling a longan.

Tao Wanli and Ling Zhuxing remained silent, but each gave their junior a gentle push.

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing stepped forward, preparing to pay their respects to the Dragon King.

They wanted to take a few more steps forward to close the distance between themselves and the Dragon King, but as soon as they took that step, the blue flames on the tower began to flicker, and an invisible force was repelling them.

This power is not strong, it could even be described as very weak, but it is clearly the will of the Dragon King.

Tao Zhuming and Ling Wuxing naturally dared not disobey, and each took half a step back to complete the ceremony.

After they finished, the scholar stepped forward, wanting to take a few more steps, but the result was the same. Feeling the rejection, the scholar immediately stepped back and obediently bowed.

Next was Feng Xionglin. He also tried it, scratching his head innocently before stepping back to bow.

Finally, there's Xu Mofan.

Everyone was staring at his back. All the young people in front of him had been "eliminated," so wasn't he the one with the best chance?
However, no miracle occurred. The Dragon King treated everyone equally, without the slightest favoritism or distinction between different classes.

This means that the Dragon King did not want to receive guests and did not even have any interest in visiting.

The elderly people understood and bowed again as a group.

Afterwards, everyone left quietly, not daring to cause any further disturbance or insolence.

It's time to go. I can't stay here any longer. If I stay any longer, things might get complicated.

After seeing the stone gate, the group entered the passageway.

The old guys who had "taken their leave" earlier had gone so far away, yet they still couldn't avoid being buried alive. In addition, since the Dragon King still "exists," no one had any other ideas.

For example... after leaving the house, one could conveniently block the stone door and then apply various arrays and seals to prevent the evil spirits inside from escaping through the back door.

In the past, someone might have done this, completely blocking out anyone still lingering inside.

But now, bathed in the Dragon King's glory, everyone, young and old, behaves very cleanly.

After walking a long distance through the passageway, Tao Wanli was the first to let out a wail: "My Jiuhua Seal..."

Ling Zhuxing: "Stop shouting, it's giving me angina."

Xu Fengzhi: "Hahahaha!"

Ling Zhuxing glared at Xu Fengzhi with annoyance: "What are you laughing at? You don't have many days left to live."

Xu Fengzhi: "What's wrong? Do you two still think you can live a fulfilling life?"

The thought of dying was Xu Fengzhi's greatest comfort. He was grateful that his interference in the cause and effect of Jiang's journey was unlikely to succeed, and he was also grateful to God for giving him such a "dignified" way to die.

As for those two old geezers, they won't die. Although they are seriously injured and overtaxed, they are physically strong and can continue to live for quite a while. However, Xu Fengzhi doesn't believe that the two of them are really fearless.

I reckon he'll go into seclusion or live in seclusion after he gets back, cutting off all contact with the outside world to minimize the causal impact.

Tao Wanli: "That girl from the Chen family is indeed very formidable. If no one can control her, we might really have to repeat the old example of the Chen family's Dragon King."

Ling Zhuxing: "Yes. By the way, Wuxing, don't you still owe that Miss Chen a life?"

Ling Wuxing: "Yes, that's right."

Ling Zhuxing: "A life saved is a debt of gratitude greater than heaven. How can I ever repay this debt? Why don't you offer yourself to me?"

Ling Wuxing: "Me?"

Ling Zhuxing: "Could it be me?"

Ling Wuxing: "But I can't beat her."

Ling Zhuxing: "Pah, I didn't tell you to force yourself on me, you brat."

Ling Wuxing: "Miss Chen is indeed excellent. Actually, I didn't use my full strength that day; I held back."

Ling Zhuxing: "Keep trying. I heard that her grandfather wants to find a son-in-law to live with his wife's family."

Ling Wuxing: "Me? Coming to your door?"

Ling Zhuxing: "Let's discuss it. The second child can take your surname. As a person, you have to learn to be flexible. The other party is also from a powerful family. You won't be at a disadvantage."

Ling Wuxing: "It's not that it's impossible."

He wasn't after the Dragon King Chen family's wealth or any kind of marriage alliance; he was simply amazed by Chen Xiyuan's figure as she moved back and forth between the various battle zones.

Tao Wanli glared at Ling Zhuxing and cursed:
"You two, one big and one small, keep dreaming!"

My Nine-Flower Seal and your Thunder-Gathering Whip are indeed the finest items in the world, but does the Chen family girl really lack such things?

This wasn't something she wanted herself; she probably took it off to give away.

Ling Zhuxing: "Whom are you sending this to?"

Tao Wanli: "Who else can I give it to? A poor wretch."

Ling Zhuxing: "A poor wretch?"

Tao Wanli: "Is it rare for a noble lady to fall in love with a down-on-his-luck scholar? Some noble ladies just like this kind of thing and enjoy raising a little brother."

Ling Zhuxing: "Damn it, who's so lucky?"

Accompanied by a sour smell, the group walked out of the passageway and came outside.

After a brief farewell, everyone dispersed.

Those who need to send messages to their families and sects should do so, while the younger generation still feels fresh, they should seize the time to go into seclusion and digest the information.

Xu Mofan carried Xu Fengzhi on his back, while a pretty maidservant helped him hold his spear.

Xu Fengzhi: "Mo Fan, the wound on your chest is too wide. You need to find a place to stitch it up as soon as possible. If you delay too long, it may damage your foundation."

"Yes, Uncle, I know. Once we enter Luoyang city, I'll find an old tailor shop."

"Your injury will scare the tailor to death. You should go to the hospital."

"Going to the hospital is too much trouble. Anyway, Xiahe is good at calming people down, so it'll be fine."

The maid beside him nodded.

Xu Fengzhi: "Can't Xia He do needlework herself?"

Xu Mofan: "The one with the best needlework skills couldn't leave the Yu family."

At night, Yu was ambushed by an old man. Although he eventually succeeded in shooting the old man through the chest and pinning him to the wall, he was still defeated.

However, his own team also lost two people as a result.

Xu Fengzhi sighed and said, "Alas, I shouldn't have stood there doing nothing when it got dark. I should have gone and picked a fight with those shameless old bastards."

Xu Mofan: "So, even the Fairy Maiden won't leave Luoyang?"

Xu Fengzhi: "Yes, judging from her expression, she also intends to be buried here."

Xu Mofan: "When the time comes, Zhu Yiwen and I will build two graves for you two next to each other, so you can be neighbors?"

Xu Fengzhi: "She had a man, but he died young."

Xu Mofan: "So, the Fairy Maiden is going to be buried here?"

Xu Fengzhi: "Just move her husband's grave here. It's not much trouble. It's just a cenotaph. Her husband died on the river by lighting a lamp. His body has never been found."

Xu Mofan: "Uncle, do you think I might die on the river like this one day?"

Xu Fengzhi:
"If it's like dying today, it's not bad."

……

When the group of ferocious beasts rushed out from underground, Zhao Yi already knew where the man surnamed Li was.

Then, Zhao Yi tried to think about where Chen Jing might have gone, and immediately cried out in fright:

"Hurry, that guy surnamed Li might be in danger!"

The group hurriedly arrived at the empty monster graveyard. In the center of the graveyard, Li Zhuiyuan sat on a stone slab, with Chen Jing lying unconscious beside him.

Zhao Yi: "You scared me to death, you surnamed Li. When A Jing went into a qi deviation, he didn't recognize even his own family. Did he hurt you?"

Zhao Yi recalled that the Dragon King of the Yu family had given the order to "bury with the beasts" and immediately realized that Chen Jing might also be affected by this and return to this place of burial.

The man surnamed Li doesn't practice martial arts. If Ah Jing, in his crazed state, were to get close to him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'm fine. When A Jing came to me, she had just fainted due to her serious injuries."

In fact, the truth is that when Chen Jing jumped down here, although he was covered in wounds, he still had some strength left.

Chen Jing's first reaction was to attack himself, but halfway there, he grabbed his own neck and stopped himself. In the end, right in front of Li Zhuiyuan, he choked himself unconscious.

However, Li Zhuiyuan felt it was unnecessary to describe these details to Zhao Yi.

“I have already helped him deal with the situation of going into qi deviation, but the bloodline of the demon beast he swallowed this time is too high and has completely merged with it, so he can no longer rely on swallowing the blood of other demon beasts to increase his strength.”

Zhao Yi: "I understand, it's enough, it far exceeded my expectations."

During the previous battle, A-Jing was like a headless fly, running around aimlessly among the evil spirits. Although she exhausted herself, she still managed to survive.

This is enough to demonstrate just how formidable Chen Jing's current strength is.

"Here you go, little brother!"

Chen Xiyuan handed the Nine-Flower Seal and the Thunder Gathering Whip to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan took it and asked, "Where did you come from?"

Chen Xiyuan: "It was a gift from someone else."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You still have face."

Chen Xiyuan: "It's because they're generous."

"Thank you, I like it very much."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled happily.

When Chen Xiyuan smiled contentedly, the young man lowered his head to examine the two objects, concealing his expression.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Are the others still at the ancestral home?"

Zhao Yi: "They will probably try their luck at the old site of the Yu Family Ancestral Hall along the central axis first. If they are unlucky, they should be in the passageway by now."

Li Zhuiyuan first handed the object in his hand to Runsheng for safekeeping, then jumped down from the stone slab, clapped his hands, and said:

"Let's go too."

The group arrived at the dragon-shaped tower.

Yu Dibei remained kneeling before the tower, motionless.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in front, Zhao Yi was half a step behind him, and Chen Xiyuan was on the other side.

But as she walked, Chen Xiyuan stopped.

Chen Xiyuan: "There is a repulsive force targeting me."

Then, Chen Xiyuan noticed that Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi were still standing in front of her, and she asked in confusion;

"Don't you have any on you?"

Zhao Yi shrugged, pointed to the blue flames atop the dragon-shaped tower, and said:

"My ancestors are protecting me; my surname is Zhao."

Chen Xiyuan: "What about the little brother?"

Zhao Yi: "That's a rather presumptuous question of yours."

Chen Xiyuan: "Then I'll wait for you here."

Tan Wenbin and his group also felt the rejection and stopped in their tracks, no longer moving forward.

Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi walked behind Yu Dibei.

They remained silent, simply standing there waiting, unable to discern whether the person before them was Yu Tiannan or Yu Dibei.

Logically speaking, the dream should have ended by now, because although Yu Dibei's body had been modified and improved by Lao Gou, it still couldn't withstand the power of the Dragon King for too long.

Unless, Yu Tiannan is willing to completely destroy Yu Dibei's body.

But that's probably impossible.

Yu Tiannan is kneeling here to repent, so how could he possibly harm another member of the Yu family during this process of repentance?

At this moment, Yu Dibei slowly turned around.

The immense pressure immediately fell on Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi.

On Yu Dibei's face, there were two dried tears of blood.

But what he said next was completely out of character with his current aura.

"Brother Yuan, Brother Yi."

The dream had already ended, and Yu Tiannan had already left.

However, when the group of people from before arrived, Yu Dibei dared not react and could only continue kneeling, making them feel that the Dragon King was still there.

Zhao Yi touched his chin. It was normal for Yu Dibei to call him "Brother Yi", but when did he start calling the guy surnamed Li "Brother Yuan"?

I don't remember them being that close, and "Brother Yuan" is actually listed before "Brother Yi".

Li Zhuiyuan knew why this was the case, because Yu Dibei still remembered what happened in his memory.

Yu Dibei looked up at the blue flames atop the tower and said:
"In my dazed state after waking up, I seemed to hear someone tell me that the flame he left behind could burn for another ten years."

Zhao Yi took a breath and then slowly exhaled.

That was the last message from the remnant spirit of his ancestor. He had actually seen it before; that flame was merely a self-interpretation of the Zhao family's original technique. Although it was still majestic, it was truly just that one flame left.

Zhao Wuyang's spirit has dissipated.

The reason why I and the man surnamed Li were able to enter without being rejected was not because of any "ancestral blessing," but because both of us had practiced the Zhao family's original formula and would be accepted by this flame.

Zhao Yi knelt down in front of the tower and kowtowed.

With the Zhao family of Jiujiang gone, there was naturally no more Zhao family ceremony. Zhao Yi used the most traditional and simple way to send his ancestor off on his final journey.

Li Zhuiyuan stood to the side without moving. When he delivered Zhao Wuyang's remaining spirit to Yu Dibei, he had already bid farewell to this Zhao family dragon king who came from humble origins.

After kowtowing, Zhao Yi got up and said in an extremely dejected tone:

“My ancestors are really gone, Mr. Li. Now, I am truly all alone in this world.”

Li Zhuiyuan remained unmoved.

Yu Dibei's eyes showed guilt: "Brother Yi, I'm sorry..."

Zhao Yi looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "So, what method did you use to train Runsheng and the others? I'd like my people to experience it too, okay, my little darling?"

Yu Dibei: "Uh..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

"Huh?" Zhao Yi asked incredulously, "Hey Li, why did you agree so readily this time?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You deserve it."

Zhao Yi: "I'm really flattered. I'll go back to Jiujiang first, settle in, and then contact you again to arrange a trip to Nantong?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Zhao Yi looked at Yu Dibei: "Abei, your grandfather and the others will take care of things in the village. You finally got your freedom."

Okay, I'll take you to Jiujiang first, let you have a good time, and then after we've had our fill, I'll take you to Nantong, because there's really nothing fun to do there.”

Yu Dibei: "Brother Yi, thank you."

Zhao Yi: "Don't mention it, you deserve it."

Yu Dibei glanced at Zhao Yi, then at Li Zhuiyuan, and smiled slightly:

"Brother Yuan, Brother Yi, I don't want to leave here."

Zhao Yi: "You don't want to leave Luoyang?"

Yu Dibei: "I don't want to leave here. I want to stay in the Yu family ancestral home."

Zhao Yi: "Are you crazy?"

Yu Dibei: "The evil spirits here need to be kept under guard."

Zhao Yi pointed to the fire at the top of the tower and said, "My ancestors said that this fire can burn for ten years."

Yu Dibei: "But if I'm not here, I'm afraid they'll continue to stir. I need to be here, watching them and scaring them."

The dream has ended. Yu Dibei now only possesses the aura of a dragon king, but has long lost his strength.

But this aura was so convincing that it was indistinguishable from the real thing. At such close range, even Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi couldn't tell the difference, let alone the evil spirits who trembled in fear before the Dragon King's aura.

Zhao Yi: "First of all, this fire and this Earth Dragon Tower are enough. If you're really worried, you can come back here every now and then to take a look. There's no need to stay here all the time. What's the difference between that and being in prison?"
Besides, your brother Yuan and I are both very skilled in puppetry. We can create a puppet tailored to your needs and transfer your aura to it. After all, if you stay here, you'll just be a scarecrow anyway.

Yu Dibei: "But I really want to stay here. In the dream I had, I felt 'his' deep attachment to and sense of indebtedness to this place."

Zhao Yi: "You are you, and he is him. You don't need to atone for what he did here."

Yu Dibei: "We can't be separated, Brother Yi."

Zhao Yi looked at Li Zhuiyuan and reminded him, "Hey Li, say something! Tell him that with this Earth Dragon Tower and the flame aura left by my ancestor, the evil spirits here won't be able to escape for at least ten years."

Li Zhuiyuan remained silent.

Yu Dibei experienced Yu Tiannan's entire life and even felt Yu Tiannan's emotions in his dreams. As he himself said, they were inseparable.

Zhao Yi: "You've been in jail in the village all this time, and now you're in jail in a different place. Ah Bei, really, life doesn't have to be like this."

"You are free now, even though you worshipped that madwoman Ming Yuwan as your Dragon King, but... by the way, Mr. Li, is Ming Yuwan dead or not?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "He's dead."

Zhao Yi: "Are you sure?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Zhao Yi: "Then you really are completely free, Abei."

“But I really love this place.” Yu Dibei pointed to the devastation all around him. “In my heart, I remember how beautiful this place used to be.”

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you made up your mind?"

Yu Dibei: "Yes, I've made up my mind."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Ten years later, when this fire is extinguished, relying solely on the suppression of this Earth Dragon Tower will be somewhat unstable."

Yu Dibei: "For the next ten years, I will read books, study, and cultivate myself here. I believe that after ten years, when this fire goes out, I will be able to reignite a new flame."

After all, my grandparents have always said I'm a genius.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The reason you can learn the Yu family's things so quickly is because that old dog sealed Yu Tiannan's perspective and memories in your mind from the moment you were born."

That's why your comprehension and learning efficiency regarding the Yu family's techniques are so high.

However, the Yu family's greatest skill lies in beast taming; while techniques such as mechanical arts, formations, and feng shui have been passed down in the Yu family, they are not their mainstream.

As for this Earth Dragon Tower, although it was activated by Yu Tiannan, the earth veins were locked when the Yu family built their ancestral home here, and it only requires the power of the Dragon King to activate it.

So, in Yu Tiannan's memories, have you ever seen him learn these things? Or, in the scenes of him traveling the river and suppressing the martial arts world, have you ever seen him use related methods?

Yu Dibei was stunned.

Obviously not.

Given the finite lifespan, even the Dragon King cannot master all techniques.

Yu Dibei murmured, "What should we do then..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Ten years later, open the door and I'll help you readjust."

Yu Dibei took two steps back and bowed to Li Zhuiyuan in the Yu family salute.

This time, Li Zhuiyuan didn't turn aside and accepted the entire greeting. After Yu Dibei finished bowing, Li Zhuiyuan said, "Ten years later, I've come to return the greeting."

Yu Dibei smiled.

Li Zhuiyuan turned and left.

Zhao Yi stepped forward and patted Yu Dibei on the shoulder, "Ten years from now, when you open the door, I will definitely be standing at the door."

Yu Dibei laughed even more heartily.

He genuinely wanted to stay here, but the thought of seeing Yuan Ge and Yi Ge ten years from now made his life here feel even better and more anticipated.

"Brother Yi, I'll be waiting for you and Brother Yuan to come to my house that day. I'll try my best to tidy it up and make it less of a mess."

Actually, Zhao Yi said he would come, not because he was insisting that he would come with Li Zhuiyuan, but because he was afraid that the man surnamed Li wouldn't be able to come.

Zhao Yi: "Ten years from now, if Brother Yuan comes, you should leave here and go out into the world to really see and explore."

Upon hearing this, Yu Dibei's gaze swept once again toward the sealed areas behind the ancestral home.

Zhao Yi did not force Yu Dibei to agree.

Ten years later, if the person who comes is surnamed Li, Zhao Yi does not believe that the evil spirits here will continue to exist.

The man surnamed Li said earlier that he would come to adjust the formation in ten years, which was clearly meant for this man surnamed Zhao to hear!
Zhao Yi turned around and jogged to catch up with Li Zhuiyuan.

Seeing the two of them return, Chen Xiyuan immediately asked curiously, "What did the Dragon King say to you?"

From a distance, with the blue flames on the tower and the Dragon King's aura lingering in Yu Dibei's own body, the interaction between Li Zhuiyuan, Zhao Yi, and Yu Dibei appeared completely different from Chen Xiyuan and Tan Wenbin's perspective. The two seemed to be devoutly listening to the Dragon King's teachings.

Zhao Yi: "The Dragon King is gone. Now it's Yu Di Bei. He will stay here for ten years to guard against evil spirits. Ten years from now, we will come back again."

Chen Xiyuan: "Ten years? That's terrifying."

In any case, Chen Xiyuan couldn't imagine what it would feel like to spend ten years in an underground world with a group of evil spirits.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's go. He's very tired. Let him close up shop and rest early."

Chen Xiyuan waved to the majestic figure of the Dragon King and called out with a smile:

See you in ten years!

Since you two are coming, then this girl will definitely be coming too.

The thought of you all having a gathering so deep underground, saying and doing things you don't even know, is already making her feel uneasy.

Yu Dibei stood at the foot of the tower, watching Chen Xiyuan wave to him with a sincere smile.

The young man's face flushed unconsciously.

She was the first girl in the world to formally exchange door-to-door greetings with him.

Her kindness and beauty made him think that the outside world must be wonderful, otherwise how could it have given birth to a girl like her?

The vague, innocent affection I once felt was like a spring gushing from the ground. Though it remained dormant and never spread out, never forming a stream or a river, it was enough to reflect the most beautiful moonlight in the sky.

As Li Zhuiyuan and the others passed through the stone gate, the gate slowly closed.

As they walked through the passageway, the passageway behind them was gradually filled by the surrounding earthen walls as they moved forward. Step by step, this was Yu Dibei closing the gate, and he was also seeing them off.

As everyone emerged from the cave entrance, the ground and the entrance resounded and merged into one.

Its daybreak.

After Lin Shuyou came out, he began to look around, searching for Yu Da.

He had previously instructed Yu Da to lead the Yu family members out of the passageway and wait for him here, but now, he hadn't seen a single one of them.

Tan Wenbin: "Don't worry, look here, there are so many lion hairs. They must have been left on purpose. It must be that the Lion King and Leopard King from the village came here and took Yu Da and the others back to the village."

Lin Shuyou breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

Zhao Yi took out two cigarettes, bit into one, and then flicked it casually. The cigarette spun around Lin Shuyou and was caught by Tan Wenbin.

"Hey Li, just one mistake and an entire Dragon King's clan was almost wiped out. Things in this world are truly unpredictable."

After saying that, Zhao Yi looked up at the sky and exhaled a smoke ring.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You value Yudibei very much."

The Zhao Yi of the past was not like this; he was shrewd and calculating, and very pragmatic.

But the things Zhao Yi said to Yu Dibei under the tower earlier clearly showed that he was genuinely emotional.

Zhao Yi: "It depends on the person. Some people are worth cherishing."

Liang Yan smiled dignifiedly, while Liang Li looked sweet; the two sisters were actively responding to their leader's words.

Zhao Yi: "Right, Ayou?"

Lin Shuyou turned his head away in annoyance, not wanting to talk to him.

Zhao Yi reached out and forcefully put his arm around Lin Shuyou's shoulder, asking, "Come on, tell me, how far have things progressed between you and your Linlin?"

"go away."

"Does every time we meet again feel like the first time we met on a blind date?"

"Go away!"

"Hahaha!"

After laughing, Zhao Yi looked at Chen Jing, who was being carried on Xu Ming's shoulder.

He had to go back to treat Chen Jing's injuries first, then get everyone else's condition back on track. After that, he had to go to Nantong to see Lao Tian and then attend class.

Time was tight, and I was mainly worried that I would arrive too late and find myself in Nantong only to be told that the man surnamed Li had gone to Hainan.

"Hey Li, when are you leaving to go back?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The day after tomorrow."

Zhao Yi: "I won't go to that village. You go there. I'll have Chen Jing come back to Luoyang often in the future to visit that village, or maybe he can just be called Wolf Lord."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Zhao Yi: "I'm going back to Jiujiang first to treat Wolf Lord's injuries. Oh, and when you get back to Nantong, remember to say hello to my godmother for me, and tell her that I'll bring her more of the tea she bought in Jiujiang next time I go."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't bring the tea."

Zhao Yi: "It's not for you to drink."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma Liu herself couldn't bear to drink it, so she would give it to my old lady to drink."

Zhao Yi: "Then I will personally go to the mountains to pick some good tea, put it in the same packaging box, and send it to my godmother so that she can give it to the old lady as a favor."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Zhao Yi: "What do you want? I'll get it for you too."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Besides tea, what else can you get?"

Zhao Yi: "There are plenty of options. I now live off the land and water. Sometimes I truly feel that I am much wealthier now than when I was in the Zhao family."

Ok?
"Hey Li, why aren't you answering?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Because I know it's fake."

Zhao Yi: "So, you think I'm too poor to be of any use? Li, I never thought you were this kind of person!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You've always known."

Zhao Yi glanced at Chen Xiyuan beside him and waved his hand, saying:
"gone!"

Without delay, Zhao Yi led his men and left immediately.

Chen Xiyuan: "You walked so nimbly."

Tan Wenbin: "The main thing is that we and the former foreign teams no longer need to be polite with each other."

Chen Xiyuan: "You guys are actually that familiar with each other?"

Tan Wenbin: "Former foreign team member, former former team member, so there's no need for formalities."

Lin Shuyou walked up to a large sack, which Xu Ming had placed on the ground when Zhao Yi and the others left.

Once opened, it was filled with precious materials from various monsters.

Due to limited capacity, only the best parts were selected.

Tan Wenbin came over and took a look, then sighed:
"The other team is being too polite."

Lin Shuyou rewrapped the sack and hoisted it onto his shoulder.

Tan Wenbin: "Ayou, carry this carefully and take it back. Brother Xiaoyuan has already waived the tuition fee, so consider it as our team's tuition and miscellaneous fees."

Chen Xiyuan asked the group, "By the way, are you hungry? I'm so hungry."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's go, let's go get some soup."

It's still the same street across from the hospital, and the same soup restaurant.

There are plenty of soup restaurants on the streets of Luoyang, but Chen Xiyuan insisted on coming to this one.

In her words, commemorative significance is also a kind of ingredient that can be added to the soup.

At this time, the soup shop has already passed its busiest time of the morning.

The proprietress was tidying up the dishes at the small tables set up outside when she saw Runsheng and Lin Shuyou appear, and immediately smiled.

Serving just two of these big-bellied customers is enough to make up for a whole morning's business.

When she saw Chen Xiyuan walking over from behind, the proprietress's smile didn't fade. She turned and went into the shop, calling out to the owner who was cutting meat in the kitchen:

"Hey, toad, why don't you jump out and take a look? The swans are here!"

The boss turned to his wife and said, "What kind of epilepsy is this so early in the morning?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the boss saw Chen Xiyuan walk in, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and then the turn became higher and higher, more and more exaggerated, because the boss's wife's fingers were pinching the soft flesh on his waist and twisting it hard.

Li Zhuiyuan ordered a bowl of meat soup, a serving of meatballs, and a bottle of Haibi.

The boy sat alone at a table.

Because Chen Xiyuan had to compete with Runsheng and the other two in terms of eating capacity.

Chen Xiyuan actually has a large appetite; after all, even without opening her domain, she can still beat Lin Shuyou in an arm wrestling match.

The reason I only ordered one bowl last time was because I didn't know if it would suit my taste. As a result, a member of the Yu family came to the door halfway through, which affected my appetite.

If she were to eat freely, she could really compete.

It has already begun.

The familiar atmosphere and scene played out again, with the owners and their wife, along with two aunties who did the work, all gathered around the table to cheer them on and count the bowls.

After finishing his meal, Li Zhuiyuan got off the table and, just like last time, sat alone at the entrance of the soup shop.

Last time, I was sitting right here when I saw a girl with a jade flute hanging from her waist walking gracefully towards me.

Now, that lithe girl has eaten her twelfth bowl.

However, it's not like we didn't see anyone.

Xu Mofan carried Xu Fengzhi on his back, followed by a maid, and walked here.

Xu Fengzhi had never met Li Zhuiyuan, but Xu Mofan had seen him at the museum.

According to the conclusion reached by Tao Zhuming and the other two, the boy in front of them was an optional extra.

It now appears that he did not die in some accident at the Yu family ancestral home; he was found by that "Tan Mou".

Xu Fengzhi asked, "What's wrong?"

Xu Mofan: "This young man is one of Tan's men."

Xu Fengzhi: "That's a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet again so soon. Maybe we can even have a drink together."

After entering the city, Xu Mofan wanted to find a tailor shop to stitch up the wound on his chest.

To her surprise, after asking several tailors, she found that either the head tailor was not there, or the tailor had a headache or fever and couldn't work, or the tailor had a heart condition. Xia He didn't dare to comfort her emotionally.

Xu Mofan, who had extensive experience traveling across the river, knew that he wasn't unlucky, but rather incredibly lucky.

At the end of each wave, one's merits are often at their peak.

If you weren't so lazy and just wandered around outside with a bit more purpose, you could always find a more suitable "opportunity" for your injury recovery.

Through inquiries at the previous tailor shop, Xu Mofan learned that there was a very small tailor shop in the alley ahead, where an elderly woman surnamed Yao worked, and her skills were recognized as excellent in the industry.

On the way back, Tan Wenbin gave the boy a brief report on what he had seen, as well as the reactions and personalities of the people there.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the package held in the maid's arms.

In an encounter in an open field, Xu Mofan stabbed an old man to death with a gun.

Although it was a bit of a trick—the old man happened to have the small sword that Ding Luoxiang had stabbed inside him—no matter how clever someone else was, it couldn't have been as outrageous as obtaining it yourself.

At this moment, Chen Xiyuan came out of the soup shop.

"Little brother, I won!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The battle has been decided so quickly?"

"Well, because the boss ran out of meat in the kitchen, he gave me the last bowl, so I ate one more bowl than the others."

"Congratulations."

"Hehe, maybe it's because my luck is better than theirs right now."

Chen Xiyuan also saw Xu Mofan and Xu Fengzhi ahead.

She had no feelings for Xu Mofan. From her perspective, she could have given the person who ambushed and killed her at the museum that day a cold shoulder.

Oh no, it seems that Tao Zhuming really did pay it back.

However, Chen Xiyuan greatly respected Xu Fengzhi.

The old man was upright and honest, truly possessing the courage and responsibility of a senior figure in the martial arts world.

In Xu Mofan's eyes, the situation seemed a bit complicated. He hadn't expected that Chen Xiyuan would continue to stay with Tan and his group after the first wave ended.

Xu Fengzhi then gestured for Xu Mofan to put him down, staggered forward, and asked:

"May I ask, Miss Chen, is the soup at this restaurant really that good?"

Chen Xiyuan laughed and said, "It was very good, but we've already eaten it all."

Xu Fengzhi: "It's alright, good soup is worth the wait, I'll wait until tomorrow."

Chen Xiyuan: "Then Senior Xu will have to get up early tomorrow to be the first to drink the soup."

Xu Fengzhi: "That's for sure. I don't plan to sleep for the next few days. Anyway, I'll have plenty of time to sleep in a few days."

Chen Xiyuan: "Senior Xu, aren't you going to think of other methods?"

Xu Fengzhi: "I've lived enough, and I'll die peacefully. No regrets."

Tan Wenbin stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Xu Fengzhi, and asked, "Senior Xu, what brings you here?"

Xu Fengzhi: "I brought my son Mofan here to get his chest patched."

Li Zhuiyuan remembered that when he examined the old man's body, he determined that the old man had inserted his hands into the chest of the gunman before he died.

Even with his serious injuries, Xu Mofan was still able to fight until the very last moment in the goalkeeping phase.

Sure enough, none of these river travelers who survived the gatekeepers were simpletons.

Chen Xiyuan: "Oh, you're here to see Grandma Yao."

Li Zhuiyuan got off the chair and said, "I'll take them there."

Tan Wenbin nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan led Xu Mofan and the other two into the alley.

The recent crackdown on prostitution is not over yet, and the alley is still deserted. In front of Grandma Yao's tailor shop, there are many people sitting, chatting and eating sunflower seeds.

When Li Zhuiyuan appeared, Grandma Yao immediately stood up and subconsciously wanted to call out "Young Master," but after seeing the outsider following behind, she swallowed the address.

Xu Mofan and Xu Fengzhi seem like a couple who secretly go to the hospital for treatment without their elderly parents' knowledge.

Grandma Yao noticed something amiss in the clothes of the maid behind her and guessed that they were not ordinary people.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma Yao, they need to stay in a hotel. Could you please help arrange that? Also, some of their clothes are torn. Could you please help mend them?"

Grandma Yao: "Okay, no problem, please follow me."

Grandma Yao will definitely do her best to fulfill the tasks assigned by her son-in-law.

The reason Li Zhuiyuan brought Xu Mofan over so readily was that he wanted Grandma Yao to receive this new merit.

Xu Fengzhi wasn't particular about living conditions, and since his son Mo Fan needed a few days to calm down and digest his thoughts, he simply decided to stay here.

At this moment, Xu Mofan, led by Grandma Yao, had already entered her workroom.

Xia He was originally going to go in too, intending to offer some emotional support to the elderly person.

After glancing at the expensive needles and threads in the workshop, Xu Mofan told Xia He to go out and wait.

Grandma Yao threaded the needle first, while simultaneously gesturing for Xu Mofan to unbutton his shirt.

The exposed wound was frightening, but Grandma Yao remained calm and continued to stitch it up.

Li Zhuiyuan originally wanted to go back to his own room, but Xu Fengzhi called him into the room.

The old man didn't realize there was anything wrong; rather, he wanted to ask Li Zhuiyuan to help discuss two matters.

When Xu Fengzhi passed by the tailor shop window below, he knew what kind of craftswoman Grandma Yao was.

He wanted to ask Li Zhuiyuan to help discuss whether it was possible to have Grandma Yao make him a new set of clothes within two days.

Xu Fengzhi: "Price is negotiable."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "It doesn't cost money, just have Xu Mofan ask him for help."

Xu Fengzhi: "Hehe, the most expensive things are the ones that don't cost money. My Mofan doesn't earn merit easily, so I can't let him spend it like this."

Li Zhuiyuan: "He feels a little better if he spends a little money."

After hearing this, Xu Fengzhi did not refute it further, but instead said:

"The second thing is to ask for their opinion on whether I can borrow a place to die for a while. I won't stay for too long. I've already chosen a burial site for myself, and Mo Fan will take me there to be buried."

I just want to be able to lie down for the short while I'm away.

Li Zhuiyuan: "No problem."

Xu Fengzhi: "Aren't we going to discuss it? After all, it's someone else's house; it's not good to make it dirty."

Li Zhuiyuan: "If Senior Xu really becomes a ghost here, it will actually be a blessing for this place."

Xu Fengzhi couldn't help but laugh, pointing at Li Zhuiyuan and saying:

"You young man are truly interesting. I heard from Mo Fan that you have a great talent for formations?"

"Fortunately."

"Although everyone has their own expertise, my Xu family does have some collections of array formation books. I will ask Mo Fan to give you some in the future."

"Too valuable, I cannot accept it."

Since he wasn't a specialist in anything, Li Zhuiyuan felt that the Xu family's array formation manuals wouldn't be of any use to him.

"Just accept it generously when the time comes."

Li Zhuiyuan poured Xu Fengzhi a cup of tea.

Grandma Yao really put a lot of thought into the arrangements because of me; even the tea in the room was the same kind as Grandma Liu's.

Grandma Yao usually wouldn't use these things; she would save them to entertain distinguished guests.

"Senior Xu, have some tea."

"okay."

Xu Fengzhi took the teacup, took a sip, and froze.

Although he knew the tailor definitely had a background in the underworld, he really didn't expect that the tea the tailor was drinking was even better than the tea he usually drank at home.

Xu Fengzhi: "Do you know this company? Where did you work before?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "A wealthy family."

Xu Fengzhi lowered his head and took another sip of tea.

"By the way, at such a young age, why did you decide to apprentice under someone else and travel the world?"

"Sometimes, life is not something we can control."

"Yes," Xu Fengzhi put down his teacup. "What's the name of that big guy?"

Runsheng.

"Last name?"

"land."

“Lu Runsheng?” Xu Fengzhi frowned.

Li Zhuiyuan realized that Xu Fengzhi had already figured out Runsheng's technique.

However, the old man did not make a fuss, and even Zhao Yi and Tan Wenbin did not realize that Runsheng's Qin family background had been discovered.

It seems that when I get back this time, I'll have to find a way to help Runsheng hide during the battle.

The proportion of opponents we encounter now is increasing, and their techniques are too distinctive, making them easy to recognize.

Xu Fengzhi's brows relaxed, and he said:

"I'm really sorry, I haven't asked your name yet."

"My surname is Li, and my name is Li Zhuiyuan."

"Zhuiyuan...a good name."

Li Zhuiyuan took his leave and left the room.

The boy was tired and wanted to get a good night's sleep.

The main reason is that I had nosebleeds several times in the Yu family's ancestral home, and I was frequently on the verge of exhaustion. Even if there were Ming family members who could use it to nourish me.

But the accumulating fatigue still couldn't be eliminated.

Thinking that he would be too lazy to get up again once he fell asleep, Li Zhuiyuan simply went to Grandma Yao's workroom.

Xia He stood at the door. When she saw the young man approaching and about to knock, she was afraid of disturbing the treatment of her young master's wounds inside, so her fingertips trembled as she tried to make him "quiet".

But the next moment, Xia He was shocked to find that all ten of her fingers were cramping.

The boy, seemingly unaffected, stood at the door and knocked.

"Enter."

Li Zhuiyuan pushed open the door and walked in.

Inside, Xu Mofan sat in a chair, his chest wound already half-stitched up.

Li Zhuiyuan relayed Xu Fengzhi's idea to Grandma Yao.

After hearing this, Grandma Yao was about to agree when Xu Mofan spoke first:

"Please grant my request; name your terms."

Grandma Yao quickly waved her hand and said, "What conditions are there to discuss? It's only right, it's only right."

The son-in-law asked him to do something, so how could he possibly ask you for any conditions?

However, this also triggered the conditions for Yao Nai to receive more merit compensation.

Xu Mofan: "I owe you two favors."

Having delivered the message, Li Zhuiyuan left the workroom and closed the door.

Xia He placed her hands behind her back and watched the boy leave.

Back in his room, Li Zhuiyuan took a shower, changed his clothes, and went to bed.

I felt sleepy very quickly and fell asleep very soon.

When I woke up, it was already dark.

Li Zhuiyuan sat up in bed and looked around. The bulging backpacks and large sacks were all the spoils from the Yu family.

Being surrounded by these things does indeed give you a sense of security.

Xu Mofan's stitches must have been finished long ago. On this floor, there is a room that is like a black hole, which can avoid the infiltration of perception from the outside world.

It's likely that Xu Mofan is in seclusion, and he's arranged a room to prevent any disturbance.

This method is crude, but perhaps this is Xu Mofan's style of doing things. He wants the outside world to know that he is in seclusion, so that no one will dare to disturb him.

The door to the room was pushed open, and Chen Xiyuan walked in carrying a bowl of noodles. Her face was a little pale.

"Ah, little brother, you're awake?"

Chen Xiyuan put down the noodles in her hand and left. When she came back, she was holding another bowl of noodles.

"This noodle is delicious, you should try it."

Li Zhuiyuan went to wash up first, then sat back down, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating noodles.

Chen Xiyuan: "Tan Wenbin, Runsheng and Lin Shuyou went to that village and haven't come back yet. Tan Wenbin told me beforehand that if they needed help with drafting a lot of regulations, they might not be back tonight."

I went to the hospital at noon. Most of the people who had mushroom poisoning have regained consciousness and will be discharged soon.

In the afternoon, I went to the vegetable field where I took you to faint last time, and found the kind-hearted elderly couple who had helped us, the ones you told me about.

I used my domain to give them massages, to relax their muscles and improve blood circulation, and I also played the flute for them all afternoon.

Li Zhuiyuan understood why Chen Xiyuan's face was a little pale; she had put in a lot of effort that afternoon to improve the elderly couple's health.

Chen Xiyuan: "By the way, when I came back, the elderly couple insisted on seeing me off. On the village road, a drunk man drove a tractor and crashed straight into the three of us."

I knocked him and the tractor into the river. He was okay, but he broke both his legs.

Little brother, do you think I hit you a little too hard?

Li Zhuiyuan: "He brought it on himself."

Chen Xiyuan: "Yes, that's right. It's just breaking a few legs. It's not a big deal."

Li Zhuiyuan: "How many pairs?"

Chen Xiyuan: "Um, when I went back to the alley, I happened to see a few tattooed thugs collecting protection money in a massage parlor. The woman inside said that she couldn't do business these days and wanted to make an exception and pay later. As a result, those thugs started beating her up, grabbed her by the hair and came out to warn the people in other massage parlors that this was what would happen if they tried to play tricks."

As they walked out of the alley, I broke their legs with my flute. That's not too much to ask, is it?

"Remember to call the police first next time."

"Okay, I got it."

Li Zhuiyuan finished his noodles and put down his chopsticks.

Tan Wenbin and his colleagues were assigned to help out in that village as part of an official business.

Chen Xiyuan was free to move around.

As a result, she made a special trip to repay the people who had helped her.

Moreover, this path and trajectory are actually quite comprehensive.

In the past, such things would be disguised as various coincidences and accidents. With Chen Xiyuan, even the Heavenly Dao can make accounting much simpler; it can just let her do it.

This also shows that Chen Xiyuan is favored by Heaven to some extent.

"By the way, there's something I don't understand."

"explain."

“I tried my best, hoping to alleviate the disability of that elderly couple, if not completely resolve it. But I played the flute for a long time, and it seems that they didn’t receive much merit from me. In any case, it was much less than I wanted to give.”

Li Zhuiyuan grasped a key point and asked:
"Can you quantify merit?"

"Merit certainly cannot be quantified, but we can roughly measure the merit a person has and use it as a reference."

"How did you do it?"

“It still depends on this.” Chen Xiyuan pointed to the flute in her hand. “My flute looks green all over, but it actually has four colors.”

Chen Xiyuan made a hand seal with her fingertips and slid them across her flute. The inside of the flute emitted a faint glow, which indeed reflected four different shades of green.

“When I was a child, I kept pestering my grandfather for a flute. So my grandfather cut down the shade bamboo on the graves of my Chen family ancestors and three Dragon King ancestors, took the essence of the middle section, and refined it to make this flute.”

To satisfy his granddaughter, the old man of the Chen family actually cut down the bamboo on the graves of the four most famous ancestors in the family's history.

No wonder this flute is so effective at beating people. Putting aside the craftsmanship, the raw materials alone are something that many top forces in the martial arts world would rather not be able to gather, because it requires that the family has produced at least three Dragon Kings.

Chen Xiyuan: "These four colors of flute can be used to roughly correspond to four stages of a person's fortune."

Little brother, I'm talking about luck. Strictly speaking, luck and merit are two different things, but they resonate strongly. So every time I leave the river, I like to use it to roughly measure how much merit I still have.

After I activate its specific state through the hand seal, you see, right now, it can be held in one's hand.

If only the first paragraph is lit, it means that his luck is average, which is the case for most ordinary people.

If two segments are lit, it means he has good luck and is likely to encounter good things recently.

If someone can light up three sections, it means they have great luck. Such people are likely to succeed easily no matter what they do.

If one can display four levels, it indicates that one's luck is good and that heaven and earth are on one's side when the time is right.

After each wave, when I touch it, it always shines brightly. From another perspective, this is because we have received new blessings.

As for me, I like to spend lavishly when I do good deeds, so before the next wave comes, I will definitely drop to the third level of the Bright Realm. Sometimes, when I deliberately try to accomplish something, I spend even more and will only become the second level of the Bright Realm.

But I never did; I only ever saw it light up for a short time.

So, this is how I take stock of my wallet.

"What about you now?"

Chen Xiyuan's fingers formally grasped the middle of the flute from top to bottom.

The next moment, all four segments lit up.

Chen Xiyuan: "However, today I want to dedicate more of my merits to that elderly couple, hoping that the merits can create some miracles so that their health can be further improved and they can live a better and happier life."

But even after an afternoon, my merit points are still the same, and I haven't lost any.

Is it because my idea is a bit too demanding?

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's also possible that the elderly couple, although pitiful in the eyes of outsiders, felt that they were very happy."

Chen Xiyuan: "Yes, they are indeed very enthusiastic and optimistic. It was my fault. I shouldn't have put my pity on a pedestal and ignored their most authentic side."

Chen Xiyuan was traveling alone on the river, and she could indeed fully enjoy the merits she gained from each wave, using them however she pleased.

The method of using this flute to predict one's fortune is almost equivalent to another perspective besides divination and physiognomy.

However, this perspective is not replicable because the flute material is so rare that it should be measured using a unique system specific to it.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'll give it a try."

Chen Xiyuan: "No need to try. Little brother, you've been sleeping ever since you left the Yu family's ancestral home. There's nowhere for you to waste your merits. In other words, your current luck is definitely at the fourth level of full illumination. There's no doubt about that."

Li Zhuiyuan extended his palm.

Chen Xiyuan nodded and smiled as she placed her flute in the boy's palm, letting him hold it.

The flute, which had been shining brightly in all four sections in Chen Xiyuan's hands, suddenly dimmed, as if the wick of a lamp had burned out.

Chen Xiyuan: "Huh? How is that possible!"

Li Zhuiyuan withdrew his hand.

Chen Xiyuan made the hand seals again, her fingertips brushing over the flute, and then handed it to the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and grasped the flute again, but it remained unchanged, not a single note lit.

This seems to imply that the youth's fortune is even less than that of ordinary people, and therefore his merits...

Chen Xiyuan switched hands to hold it, and in an instant, all four sections of the flute lit up.

This means that the testing method is correct and the testing equipment is functioning normally.

Chen Xiyuan asked in surprise, "That shouldn't be the case. Little brother, you just finished crossing the river. How could you not have any merit left? How could you not have any merit left?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked thoughtful.

Chen Xiyuan: "Could it be that only I can use this flute? This is the first time I've invited someone else to try it, no wonder this problem occurred, um, that must be it."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I have merit on me. Although it is impossible to measure it specifically, I have used the merit of walking along the river many times in the past, whether actively or passively."

To put it simply, just look at something close to home. Last time, when I was eating a late-night snack made from a giant white rat by the Yangtze River in Nantong, I made a gesture to it, and the rat immediately took a big step toward becoming a human. Isn't that the most direct proof of the existence of merit?
Chen Xiyuan: "Yes, of course. If you didn't accumulate merit, little brother, how could you have made such great progress by walking the river?"

"Brother Xiaoyuan, we're back!"

Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, and Lin Shuyou pushed open the door and came in. After helping their grandfather with village affairs, the three of them did not choose to stay overnight in the village, but rushed back overnight.

“Brother Xiaoyuan, Grandma is very resourceful. Managing the village is truly her specialty. Yu Da and the others are already starting to adapt to human life.”

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, you all hold this flute for a moment."

Although they didn't know what they were doing, Tan Wenbin and the others obediently did as they were told.

Just as Tan Wenbin grasped the flute, three levels of brightness appeared.

This shows that Tan Wenbin is currently very lucky, and everything he does is going smoothly and successfully.

Next up was Lin Shuyou, who also played a brilliant three-part tune after gripping the flute.

Finally, it was Runsheng's turn, and he also scored three points.

The boy reached out again, grabbed the flute, and the light vanished instantly.

Chen Xiyuan: "What... what exactly is going on? This shouldn't be happening, why would this happen?"

According to traditional understanding, only the one who lights the lamp in a team has the right to distribute the team's merits, and initially all the merits will fall on the one who lights the lamp.

The servants who follow the lamplighter need to receive the next stage's allocation from the lamplighter.

Zhao Yi had said more than once that he was generous because he was willing to share the good deeds with his partners instead of taking the lion's share for himself.

But the current situation is that I can't even light up one of them.

This means that in this flute's unique evaluation system, one's luck is worse than that of ordinary people, but the exact extent of the difference is still unknown.

The fact that Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, and Lin Shuyou could all achieve a third-level score indicates that they have accumulated merit and blessings.

This traditional system of distributing merit seems to have become distorted in my case?

If we follow this line of thinking,

Could it be that I used to think I had merit to use because I unknowingly took the merit from my companions?
If you can bind your partners with a red thread, it means they trust you completely and have no defenses against you. So, they can open up their "money boxes" to you completely, taking whatever they want without asking.

If all the above assumptions are true, it means one thing:

The way of heaven,

I have never bestowed any merit upon myself!

(End of this chapter)