Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 371

Chen Xiyuan walked briskly and lightly toward the peach grove.

The slight fatigue from the journey was melted away by the wind that swept across the farmland on both sides, and my heart spun around with the dandelions.

In her mind, Miss Chen was already planning what she would do when she saw her little brother and the others: She would suddenly jump out and shout:

"Ta-da!"

Still with the domain active, they quietly approached, and without a sound, came up behind the little boy, covering his eyes with their hands:

"Haha, guess who I am!"

Little brother, you didn't expect that, did you?

Sister, you think I wouldn't recognize the door if you didn't tell me the address?
As they drew closer, the fragrance of peach blossoms, imperceptible to most, became incredibly intoxicating, like the taste of fine wine.

Although it occupies a small area and has no fences, the ability to make the most of such a small space is truly ingenious.

In front of the Chen family ancestral home, there is a coconut grove.

Although it is much larger in area and has a protective array, in terms of quality and grade, it is far inferior to this small peach grove.

Therefore, in Chen Xiyuan's view,
It's perfectly reasonable for the little brother to live here.

It makes perfect sense for the old lady of the Liu family to live in such an elegant place.

After all, before they came in person, no one in the martial arts world could have predicted this:

The current inheritor of the Dragon King's family tradition has to carry two thermos flasks to pour water into the bucket above the small shower room if he wants to take a bath at home, and then use a ladle to add cold water to adjust the temperature.

As for the three capable henchmen who traveled the river with the Dragon King, their living space was so large that each of them had a coffin.

No one would have guessed that the person in charge of the Qin and Liu families, the old lady whose status in the martial arts world was almost unparalleled, lived in an ordinary bungalow and whose favorite thing to do every day was to play mahjong with a few old sisters from the village.

In addition, the bearded man's house and Li Sanjiang's house are not considered close in terms of their location in the village, but they happen to be located on the north and south sides of the village road. If you walk along the village road from the main road, the more knowledgeable you are, the more likely you are to mistake your destination.

There was no prior arrangement or negotiation.

But naturally,
That peach grove served as a gatekeeper.

Therefore, Chen Xiyuan's decision to go to the bearded man's house first was not exactly a mistake.

According to etiquette, when visiting a wealthy family, one must first send a visiting card to the doorman.

"Hey, this view is really nice."

With no mountains and unobstructed views, although a trend of building multi-story houses has emerged in the local rural areas, a large number of houses are still traditional single-story houses, retaining an aesthetic that leans towards ink painting style.

The only thing that Chen Xiyuan found a little unusual was that many of the houses built along the village road had outhouses right next to them that faced the road directly.

When no one is using it, you can admire the various styles and exquisite carvings of the armchairs inside.

But when someone is using the toilet, the atmosphere becomes very strange.

Chen Xiyuan had just encountered a middle-aged woman sitting upstairs. When she saw Chen Xiyuan passing by, the woman greeted her warmly.
"Where did this pretty girl come from? Who is she looking for?"

They were speaking the Nantong dialect, which Chen Xiyuan couldn't understand, but she could sense their warmth and hospitality.

But she still wasn't quite used to it and started chatting with a man whose buttocks were sticking out as he relieved himself.

I could only offer a polite smile and quicken my pace.

Upon arriving at the dam area of ​​Big Beard's house, Chen Xiyuan slowed her pace.

She rejected the option of sneaking in silently.

The old lady also lives here. It would be disrespectful for her to sneak in like this.

If it causes a misunderstanding and the old lady or her people mistakenly think he is an "assassin," then it would be even more of a loss.

Therefore, Chen Xiyuan patted the hem of her skirt on both sides and walked confidently onto the dam.

His steps came to an abrupt halt.

Looking down at his hands, he found nothing but a jade flute.

Oh no! I was so focused on giving money to urge the taxi driver to hurry up and keep going that I forgot to bring a gift and ended up arriving empty-handed.

For visits between people of equal social standing, there's no need to prepare elaborate gifts. When my grandfather invited guests to our home, they would bring local specialties such as tea, wine, tobacco, or even roast chicken wrapped in oil paper and sealed to keep it fresh.

But it seems absurd to ask me to go to a nearby town to buy gifts now, and I don't have time to run back to my hometown to pick coconuts.

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Xiyuan decided that after meeting the old lady, she would first express her apologies and explain the situation.

The old lady seemed to be a kind and easy-going elder.

Because her grandmother had mentioned "Miss Liu" to her grandfather for most of her life, but she had never said a bad word about Old Madam Liu. Occasionally, when she was in a good mood, her grandmother would take the initiative to bring up some heartwarming and interesting stories about being protected by the Liu family's older sister in her early years.

After calming myself down, I walked onto the dam, but didn't see anyone.

To be precise, there were no adults in sight. There was a crib on the dam, and on the crib was a baby as delicate as a porcelain doll, holding onto the railing with both hands and looking at her curiously.

Out of respect, Chen Xiyuan did not spread her senses to investigate, but could only look around as she walked toward the crib.

Huh, I don't see anyone in the house or outside the yard. Is no one home?

An additional discovery was made: between the dam and the peach orchard, there was a meticulously maintained medicinal herb field with excellent growth.

Benben continued to hold onto the small railing with one hand, while waving the other at Chen Xiyuan with a big smile on his face.

He had the ability to win the favor of almost everyone, except for Li Zhuiyuan and A Li.

Miss Chen was no exception; she reached out and picked up Benben.

This child smells so sweet and innocent, and has such an ethereal quality.

This means that the child's talent is so abundant that it is almost overflowing, and in some religious sects, it would be enough to be called a "spirit child".

There was indeed no one at home.

Li Juxiang sprained her ankle, so today Old Tian was in charge of pedaling the tricycle, taking Liu Jinxia to the house where she was staying for a vegetarian meal.

Old Tian was still there, waiting for the funeral to be over before taking Liu Jinxia home.

Xiao Yingying rode her bicycle to town to buy wine.

Xiong Shan and his wife Li Hua were busy at the fishpond.

At home, there was only Benben, who was placed on the dam.

No one worries that the child will be stolen. Every now and then, a peach blossom will fall into the clumsy baby's crib. When the baby is taken back to sleep at night, the peach blossom can accumulate under the crib to form a soft cushion.

While gently patting her chubby, soft, and bouncy little bottom, Miss Chen continued to look around.

Finally, her gaze fell upon the peach grove ahead.

Since there is a grotto-heaven, the little brother and the old lady must live in this grotto-heaven.

Chen Xiyuan walked down the dam and headed towards the peach grove.

Benben paused for a moment, then grabbed Miss Chen's hair with both hands, kicked his legs with all his might, and made "woo-ya woo-ya" sounds.

"Good boy, you don't want to leave, right? I'll put you back, back on the bed."

Chen Xiyuan returned and put Benben back in the crib.

Then, she took a step, jumped down from the dam, stood in front of the peach grove, straightened her clothes, and stepped into it.

When Benben saw this scene, his eyes widened and his mouth opened.

Then she covered her eyes with her two small, tender hands and lowered her head.

The deeper you go into the peach grove, the more wondrous it feels.

Chen Xiyuan felt that if she could build a few small wooden houses here and live in them, she wouldn't trade them for the Heavenly Palace.

Just as she finished reading this, she saw a small wooden house.

The wooden house is built in front of a pond, quiet and unique, like a fairyland.

Through the open window, a figure could be vaguely seen from behind, with black hair streaked with white like winter snow, the silk fluttering in the breeze.

Along with it came a chilling pressure, like a towering cliff, imposing without form.

Long white hair, an aura of authority, a powerful presence...

A smile appeared on Chen Xiyuan's lips: This must be the old lady of the Liu family.

"I, Chen Xiyuan, the current successor of the Chen family of Qiongya, have come with the best intentions of my elders to pay my respects and to renew the friendship between our two families since our ancestors!"

From inside the window, a languid yet thoughtful question drifted out:
"The Chen family of Qiongya?"

The voice was slightly low and hoarse.

It doesn't sound like a purely female voice, but it does fit the voice of an elderly lady quite well.

In particular, the lack of seriousness in the other party's attitude when mentioning the "Chen family of Qiongya" was even more in line with the old lady's status.

The main reason is that Chen Xiyuan has never seen the genuine Wei-Jin style.

In the peach grove, Qing'an lived a carefree life of playing the zither, drinking wine, and being unrestrained. After shedding "Su Luo" from Zhao Yi and finding a playmate, the two indulged in revelry day and night.

Wearing loose-fitting clothes and long sleeves, with long hair flowing freely, seemingly drunk yet awake, like a dream, the more indescribable pain and torment she endured, the more she needed to appear unrestrained and dissolute.

At this moment, Qing'an, inside the wooden house, was indeed pondering the "Chen family of Qiongya".

He had sensed Miss Chen's arrival from a great distance long ago.

In a corner of the room, Su Luo was grinding Wushi Powder.

Qing'an had just put down his wine glass and sneered:
"Ha, another one who's come to the wrong door. Does this guy really think he can just use me as a doorman?"

At that time, several vines in the peach grove were already tied together.

As is customary, since we're already here, we'd be embarrassed to say we've been to this peach orchard without giving him a good beating.

But to everyone's surprise, the girl's first words were "to visit Qing'an".

Qing'an never expected that this person had come to find him.

He shook his head slightly. His long-term semi-conscious state had severely deteriorated his memory and thinking. Only when facing the boy and being told about Wei Zhengdao could he experience a moment of excitement and exhilaration.

I seem to know about the Chen family of Qiongya.

He tilted his head back, his lips trembling slightly, as he tried hard to recall.

……

The ancestral home of the Chen family in Qiongya.

Grandpa Chen was watering the willow tree in front of the ancestral hall with morning dew that he had personally collected from the mountains.

Grandma Chen sat on a rattan chair next to her, gently rocking back and forth with a smile on her lips.

After each argument with himself, as if to deliberately annoy himself, the old man would like to tend to that willow tree.

At this moment, the candlelight in the ancestral hall began to flicker.

Grandma Chen looked into the ancestral hall and sighed:
"Our ancestors have been appearing quite frequently lately."

The old man of the Chen family asked in confusion, "Is this not the first time recently?"

Grandma Chen said, "Last time you skipped the meeting at Wangjiang Tower to go shark fishing and just threw that token to Xiyuan. When Xiyuan went to the meeting, I remember the candlelight in the ancestral hall flickered several times, just like today."

Old Master Chen: "It's clear that our ancestor adores Xi Yuan."

Grandma Chen: "Heh, all the other branches of the family, including other collateral relatives, know that you, the old ancestor, are most biased towards that girl Xi Yuan."

Old Master Chen: "It's their fault for not being able to grow it properly. Sigh, it's my fault."

Grandma Chen: "Pah, you old fool, who are you implying? Don't you know whether it's my land that's bad or your seeds that are inherently flawed?"

The old man of the Chen family proudly puffed out his chest: "My seeds are naturally of the highest quality."

Grandma Chen: "How does that compare to that young master of the Qin family back then?"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Chen became furious and pointed at his wife:
"Alright, you naughty old woman, I knew it! You must have been initially in love with that young master from the Qin family!"

Grandma Chen: "Oh dear, the secret I've kept hidden for most of my life has finally been discovered by you, you old fool."

Grandpa Chen was so angry that he slammed the kettle down hard.

Grandma Chen sighed and said, "The news from the Yu family has reached our family. Logically speaking, Xi Yuan should be back soon."

Grandpa Chen: "Why would I want her back? I'd love for her to stay out there and wander around some more, and hopefully bring back a good son-in-law who will live with me!"

……

Originally, Qing'an thought she wouldn't remember.

But somehow, he seemed to sense something and glanced south.

immediately,

Ah, he remembered.

In the fading memories, the figure of a man emerges.

When he followed Wei Zhengdao across the river, he always followed Wei Zhengdao's instructions to keep a low profile, but he knew early on that with their current strength, there were very few people on the river who could be considered his opponents.

Chen Yunhai, who claimed to be from the Chen family of Qiongya, was one of them. His fighting style was just like his name. Once he unleashed his power, Yunhai was virtually invincible. In an ancient burial, he fought five battles in a row and won them all.

Finally, they encountered themselves and others.

I remember Wei Zhengdao telling him that he would never take advantage of someone's misfortune, let him rest, and wait for him to recover before fighting him fair and square.

Chen Yunhai agreed.

When he put away the sea of ​​clouds around him and found a spot in the nearby Heavenly Yang Qiankun to sit cross-legged, he happened to sit in the formation that Wei Zhengdao had set up in advance.

The next moment, Chen Yunhai's five senses were blocked, his blood and qi were blocked, and his body was imprisoned. He was captured alive.

At that moment, those standing beside Wei Zhengdao, having finished their fierce preparations, looked at Wei Zhengdao with helpless expressions.

It was abrupt, yet perfectly reasonable.

Because Wei Zhengdao has never liked to pursue so-called heroic sentiments in places where effort can be saved; he cares about results and never values ​​the process.

Ancient burial grounds are fraught with danger.

Wei Zhengdao did not kill Chen Yunhai. Instead, he carried Chen Yunhai, who was sealed tightly by him in layers of protection, and broke through all obstacles to reach the deepest part of the ancient burial site.

Chen Yunhai initially launched into a tirade, shouting that such despicable behavior was unbecoming of a gentleman, to which Wei Zhengdao responded simply each time:
"You've lost. You're dead."

Perhaps because he had been scolding him for so long, or perhaps because he was tired of scolding him, Chen Yunhai gradually stopped scolding him. Sometimes when one of them fed him food or water, he would even look a little more normal and nod and say thank you.

Then, when Wei Zhengdao was outlining the plan, he lay there stiffly, eyes open, not sleeping, just listening.

As I listened, I couldn't help but offer my opinions.

After that, besides eating and drinking, he would also take the initiative to chat with everyone while they were walking.

Oh, by the way, he seems to be very good at music. We've talked about music before, and he considers me a kindred spirit.

For the rest of the journey, Chen Yunhai will no longer need Wei Zhengdao to threaten, intimidate, or coax him; he will proactively activate his domain to provide cover for everyone.

In the end, when faced with the Qin Dynasty corpse king that was gradually awakening in the deepest part of the ancient burial, a fierce bloody battle broke out between the two sides.

After much effort and at a great cost, the group finally shattered the corpse core on the corpse king. The corpse king, which was already defeated and beyond saving, unleashed a much-hyped but ultimately ineffective attack and was about to perish.

Wei Zhengdao released all the seals from Chen Yunhai's body and shouted, "Help!"

Having finally escaped completely, Chen Yunhai disregarded past grievances, only glaring fiercely at Wei Zhengdao before unleashing his cloud sea and charging towards the "raging corpse king."

The moment he arrived and made his move, before he could even make a contact, the Corpse King shattered and exploded.

Chen Yunhai stared at the scene in disbelief, then turned around, his face flushed, and roared through gritted teeth at Wei Zhengdao, who was pointing at him and laughing.
"Wei! Zheng! Dao!"

Inside the wooden house, Qing'an smiled:

"Hehehe, hehehehe, I remember, I remember him, his silly look."

"He's practically an ancestor of your Chen family by now, isn't he?"

A smile appeared on Chen Xiyuan's face, and Madam Liu also remembered her grandfather.

In the old lady's memory, Grandpa was probably just a silly guy.

After all, her grandfather was one of the old lady's many suitors back then.

As they chased after her, they caught up with the old lady's best friend.

However, even so, Chen Xiyuan felt that if she told her grandfather about the old lady's evaluation when she got back, her grandfather would probably drink an extra gourd of wine that night.

Chen Xiyuan replied, "Yes, my ancestors have always thought of you."

Qing'an placed his hand on the zither in front of him.

Feeling humiliated a second time, Chen Yunhai insisted on challenging Wei Zhengdao to another fight.

Wei Zhengdao said to him: You, Chen Yunhai, owe me a life.

Chen Yunhai clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and red mist began to churn around him from within the sea of ​​clouds.

Wei Zhengdao said: "Fine, if you want to fight, then I'll fight you. The loser will have to light the lamp a second time."

Chen Yunhai said, "I owe you my life. I should have died already. Win or lose, I will light the lamp a second time."

Wei Zhengdao gave him a thumbs up, then pointed to himself and said that he had been injured while dealing with the Corpse King and asked Chen Yunhai for time to recuperate.

Chen Yunhai agreed.

Wei Zhengdao sat cross-legged, circulating his qi to regulate his body, while gesturing to Chen Yunhai to go and feel around inside the Corpse King's coffin to see if there were any good items. They could then divide them according to their contributions.

Chen Yunhai used the surrounding sea of ​​clouds to isolate himself from the corpse aura emanating from the coffin of the Corpse King, but as soon as he got close, he saw Wei Zhengdao, who was sitting cross-legged, raise a finger and casually make a gesture.

In an instant, the corpse energy ignited, the wind and water reversed, and the vortex swirled wildly. Caught off guard, Chen Yunhai was first distorted and sucked into the surrounding clouds, and then he was forcibly pulled into the coffin. Finally, with a loud "bang", the coffin lid fell and closed completely!
No one knows when Wei Zhengdao secretly set up the formation at the Corpse King's coffin during the battle.

Moreover, it doesn't seem to be solely for sealing the Corpse King, because according to their usual style of traveling the river, any evil spirit must be dealt with completely, leaving no trace whatsoever.

Using sealing away problems to deal with one wave of trouble and leave the issues for those who come after is definitely not their style of dealing with people on the river.

Therefore, this formation was specially prepared by Wei Zhengdao to seal Chen Yunhai.

Wei Zhengdao walked to the coffin, knocked on it, and reminded it:

"You lost again, now you owe me two lives."

Inside the coffin, there was a rumbling sound.

It's like a new zombie king has been reborn.

After it quieted down inside, Wei Zhengdao waved his hand, signaling him to open the coffin.

Qing An remembered that when he pulled Chen Yunhai out, Chen Yunhai was very calm, but his fists were covered in blood.

Chen Yunhai didn't insist on fighting again. He said he conceded defeat and would go back and light the lamps again.

Wei Zhengdao said that since things had come to this, the two sides were no longer rivals, and there was no problem with sparring between friends. Seven days later, on Wangshen Slope outside the ancient burial site, he would fight him fair and square.

Seven days later, Chen Yunhai left in formal attire.

Upon entering Wangshenpo, Wei Zhengdao activated the grand formation he had prepared seven days in advance, suppressing Chen Yunhai inside for three whole days.

That was a newly created formation by Wei Zhengdao, who specifically used Chen Yunhai as a test subject to identify and address any shortcomings.

In short, Wei Zhengdao was very satisfied with the results.

Qing'an remembered that when she went to pick up Chen Yunhai after entering the broken formation, she saw that although Chen Yunhai was extremely disheveled and almost exhausted, he was leaning against a large rock, holding a flute, and his expression was full of relief.

Having lost three times in a row, with his opponent sparing him three lives, he had lost all his resolve.

On this river, who can get three chances to escape death?
Chen Yunhai said he was going back to Qiongya.

For the rest of his life, besides devoting himself to perfecting his own family's secret techniques, he also devoted himself to music.

That night, Qing'an remembers Chen Yunhai playing the flute, while she played the zither beside him.

The zither and flute played in harmony, creating a heavenly melody.

Ultimately, however, there was still a slight flaw that left neither of them satisfied.

Because the zither in Qing'an's hands was too good.

That was the Seven-Stringed Zither that Wei Zhengdao took for himself from the sect's treasury during the lull between the two waves, after he had destroyed a major sect by diverting the disaster eastward and using a wolf to devour a tiger.

Although the flute in Chen Yunhai's hand was not an ordinary item, it was far inferior to the Seven-Stringed Zither in terms of quality and material.

Chen Yunhai said that after he dies, he wants to plant shade bamboo on his grave and left a will instructing his descendants to plant bamboo on their graves as well.

One hundred years, two hundred years, three hundred years... even a thousand years, we must gather all the necessary materials to make a flute that can play perfectly with the Seven-Stringed Zither, to make up for today's regret.

Inside the wooden house, Qing'an's fingertips touched the strings of the zither, and a melody was released, like the gentle sound of water, spreading in all directions.

The flute responded when it touched Chen Xiyuan's hand.

Chen Xiyuan looked down at the jade flute in her hand.

A smile appeared on Qing'an's lips.

Chen Yunhai's descendants actually found him and came to keep this thousand-year promise.

Qing'an: "Little girl, are you knowledgeable in music?"

Chen Xiyuan: "I dare not claim to be an expert, but I do enter the realm through sound."

Qing'an: "Wonderful!"

Fingertips caress the zither, its melodies lingering, like a goddess raising her head.

Chen Xiyuan smiled and held the jade flute to her lips.

Although she had never heard her grandparents mention that Madam Liu was tone-deaf, she was delighted to have the same hobby as the old lady.

Furthermore, as soon as the music began, she felt a surge of amazement and naturally did not want to miss this invitation to play a duet initiated by the old lady.

The sound of the flute flowed gently like a stream among the pines, like the song of a bluebird.

immediately,

Above the peach grove, in the absence of wind and rain, a rainbow appeared, upon which flowed melodious seven-colored sounds.

……

"Wow, you steamed so many buns?"

Steam rose from the kitchen as Wang Lian stepped in and naturally began to lend a hand to Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu: "How much? The children are coming back today. Let me tell you, these steamed buns are probably only enough for them to eat for two days."

Wang Lian: "This is terrifying."

Aunt Liu took a plastic bag, filled it up, and handed it to Wang Lian:
“Here, Aunt Lian, take these back for the children to try. One dot is shredded radish and pork, two dots are shredded pickled vegetables and pork, and three dots are red bean paste.”

Wang Lian quickly declined, saying, "No, no, you should keep it for your children at home. I don't want it, I can't have it."

Liu Jinxia went to a vegetarian retreat today, and Granny Hua was invited to a meeting in the city to offer her condolences, so there was definitely no way we could play mahjong today. But Wang Lian still came over to check on things as usual.

Sweep the dam, tidy up the vegetable garden, do whatever work you can find. If you have nothing to do, you won't feel at ease.

Liu Yumei advised her to stop busying herself and sit down to have some tea and pastries with her.

Wang Lian was unwilling. She knew she wasn't good with words, unlike Liu Jinxia who could keep people company, or Granny Hua who was good at making a fuss. So, a clumsy person would choose a clumsy method.

Aunt Liu: "Take it, it's not much. This bag isn't even enough for one person to eat in one meal."

Wang Lian: "Tinghou, I really can't accept this."

Aunt Liu: "Aunt Lian, if you don't take it now, my old lady will make me carry it to your house later, and you'll still have to accept it, making me make an extra trip."

Wang Lian had no choice but to take the bag, put it aside, and then sit behind the stove to help with the fire.

Li Sanjiang walked into the kitchen with his hands behind his back, looking around like an old commander inspecting the troops' logistical support work.

Seeing that everything was being prepared in an orderly manner, Li Sanjiang nodded, made no statement, and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Wang Lian's face was flushed red by the firelight, and she smiled as she said:
"The kids eat so much, but Uncle Sanjiang isn't annoyed at all."

Aunt Liu replied while picking up the steamed buns:

"Uncle Sanjiang was never worried about the children eating too much; he was always afraid that they wouldn't have enough to eat. In his words, 'Only a mule that is well-fed can pull the millstone better.'"

On the dam, Liu Yumei leaned against her chair, facing south.

He was flipping through a stack of letters.

After reading it, she placed the letter on the coffee table beside her, picked up her teacup, opened the lid, and poured the tea in front of her.

Liu Yumei looked up at the second-floor terrace.

She saw her granddaughter standing there early, gazing in the direction of the village road.

At that moment, Liu Yumei felt a pang of envy.

Even more privately, it seems like a little jealousy from an older sister towards her younger sister.

Back then, the old man left a letter saying he was waiting for him to come back home.

But after waiting for so many years, she still hasn't seen him return home.

At this moment, Liu Yumei saw her granddaughter and smiled.

The girl, dressed in red, was originally aloof, but her smile made it seem as if she had brought an early dusk.

Without even looking, she knew that the person she was waiting for had returned.

Liu Yumei smiled kindly, then, as if moved by the scene, she lowered her head, sighed, and let out a sigh that only she could hear:

"Old man, old man, if you can come back, please come back."

Even if you bring back a small one, that's fine too.

---

This chapter is missing more than 1 words. Don't panic, I'll add double the word count tomorrow, at least 5 words.

I dare not say I'll write 2 words tomorrow because I'm afraid I won't be in the right state of mind and won't be able to finish it on time.

(End of this chapter)