Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 390

Chen Xiyuan stood on the dam of Li Sanjiang's house and slowly looked around.

A rising wind blew through her hair and accentuated her figure.

What truly makes a place hard to leave is not its scenery, but the people who live there.

She carefully examined each of their faces, wanting to remember their voices and appearances forever.

She frowned, somewhat puzzled:

What exactly is this inexplicable and intense feeling of parting I'm experiencing?

The trip had to be postponed because of a problem with Mr. Li's prize redemption, and I had to rush back because my grandfather suddenly had a health problem.

Once I return to the Chen family and my grandfather's health improves, I can still invite my younger brother and his family to visit Hainan.

If my grandfather's health doesn't improve, then the reason to invite my younger brother to visit Hainan seems even stronger.

Chen Xiyuan shook her head vigorously and even tapped her forehead with the flute in her hand.

What exactly is going on in my head?

It seems that ever since I discovered today that the flute's tone was off, my mind has felt like it's been filled with paste.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but no matter what I looked at or thought about, I felt a dreamlike, confused, and disoriented state.

The little brother always says he's stupid, and she knows she's stupid too, but this feeling of stupidity seems a little different from the past.

As she walked down the dam, she was now going to bid a formal farewell to her soulmate in the peach grove.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the temple.

Before coming out, the boy carefully cleaned and checked himself to make sure that he had not left any bloodstains on his face.

He stood where Chen Xiyuan had been standing, watching the young woman Chen walk from the path onto the village road in the distance.

Ah Li sat on a rattan chair on the second-floor terrace, looking down at the boy below.

You are admiring the scenery on the dam, while others are admiring you from the building.

There was a person leaning against the kitchen doorway, eating sunflower seeds and looking at the panoramic view.

Aunt Liu thought the newly bought sunflower seeds were good, with a better flavor.

Perhaps it's because the person who used to stand with me eating sunflower seeds has now jumped into the frying pan and become part of the flavor.

Li Zhuiyuan turned his head, and as his gaze swept over Aunt Liu, Aunt Liu happened to turn her head and spit out a sunflower seed shell.

People who love eating sunflower seeds are like those who love admiring flowers; they just quietly eat them without disturbing others.

Furthermore, Aunt Liu was becoming increasingly "afraid" of the boy.

The longer she traveled along the river, the higher her status became, and she had long been mentally preparing herself to regard the young man as the future head of the family.

“Ah You”.

"Here you are, Brother Yuan."

“Miss Chen went to the bearded man’s house to say goodbye. Go with her and see her off.”

"Okay, don't worry, Brother Yuan, I will get her to Xingdong Airport safely."

"She's silly. Remember to remind her that flights might be canceled due to the typhoon, so she shouldn't waste her time going to the airport and can just take a car back to Hainan."

"indeed."

"After you see her get in the car, come back and let me know."

"Okay, Brother Xiaoyuan."

After Lin Shuyou left, Li Zhuiyuan went into the house and went upstairs.

The giant tortoise's power and fearsomeness are beyond doubt.

Especially this time, the other party's target was clear, aimed directly at him.

Therefore, if you want to find a way out in this wave, you must accurately grasp all the conditions and information around you.

As luck would have it, Old Master Chen fell ill today.

Logically speaking, the old man's letter should have been delivered to Grandma Liu today, and she should be happy right now.

He might even hum a little tune while pruning his most prized willow tree.

The old man's health problems were definitely not caused by normal circumstances.

Combined with the illusory hints he had witnessed through the car window when he was traveling back to Shinan Town with Li Lan, he realized that...

Clearly, it was the Dragon King's spirit of the Chen family that exerted its power, urging their precious heir to quickly leave this place of trouble.

Li Zhuiyuan felt no dissatisfaction with this, much less harbor any resentment or complaint.

You can't expect other people's spirits to unconditionally help you just because you don't have one in your own home.

Li Zhuiyuan still believed in the spirit of the Dragon King's style and his integrity.

The fact that they were able to bring their precious heirs home at this time through the means of "ancestral blessing" proves one thing:

The giant tortoise's attitude upon landing this time was very clear: it would not cause natural disasters, would not harm the innocent, and would only kill one person.

Admittedly, the giant tortoise is indeed an evil spirit, and a truly formidable one at that.

Among beings of the same level, Li Zhuiyuan had personally witnessed the true form of the Great Emperor, which was a large, lifeless corpse.

Over the long course of time, these so-called evil spirits have long since reached a natural understanding with the Way of Heaven.

It could even be said that, while the Heavenly Dao is temporarily unable to deal with them, they themselves are also branches of the Heavenly Dao.

Moreover, the giant tortoise's actions seem more like it came from the East China Sea to engage in a one-on-one duel, with its influence being suppressed to the level of personal grudges and private duels.

This precisely confirms Li Zhuiyuan's earlier prediction.

If a giant tortoise recklessly comes ashore, it will be accompanied by natural disasters and calamities, just to come before you and perish together with you.

There's no need for any deduction at all; one is certain to die.

Now, based on the reaction of the Dragon King Chen family ancestor, Li Zhuiyuan has confirmed that the giant tortoise has added a chain to itself.

For the teenager, this is the starting point for all possible maneuvering.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down on the rattan chair next to A Li.

The girl looked at the boy.

A faint sense of loneliness and grievance lingered on her delicate face.

Of course, it wasn't because the boy had just been watching Chen Xiyuan's departing figure from below.

From the girl's perspective, there is no concept of "private space".

From the moment she met the boy, he never held anything back from her. Even when he secretly read "Liu's Qi Observation Techniques" in front of his grandmother, he didn't hide anything from her.

But this time, she had a premonition.

"Ah Li, I want to eat poached eggs with brown sugar."

A smile appeared on the girl's face, instantly washing away all her previous worries.

There are no girls who are hard to please in this world, only people who are in the wrong position without realizing it.

Brown sugar poached eggs are Ah Li's "signature dish".

The girl stood up and went downstairs.

Li Zhuiyuan found a strand of hair left by a girl on the rattan chair next door. He picked it up and slowly wrapped it around his fingertips.

Although he knew that the image of him standing on the deck in his dream was not real.

But he will strive to make that vision a reality in the future.

When she grows up, she will definitely stand by my side.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his eyes and looked at the dark clouds in the distance, which seemed to be constantly churning like splashed ink.

The boy's expression relaxed, and his body gradually relaxed, lying completely back in the wicker chair.

“Young Marquis Yuan, it’s windy outside. I just took a nap and almost caught a cold.”

"I'll just sit for a while, sir."

Li Sanjiang patted the boy's head and smiled, "Are you unhappy that you couldn't go to Hainan?"

"No, Grandpa, have you forgotten? I travel all over the country all the time."

"That's right. Our young Marquis Yuan, although young, has seen the world and is much more worldly than your great-grandfather!"

"I still can't compare to your worldly experience, sir."

"Hahaha. Actually, it was during those years of war that your great-grandfather traveled to so many places. Later, when the world was at peace, I also settled down."

"It's just a pity that I couldn't go there and have a good time with you, Grandpa."

Even though they knew their great-grandfather would live to be a hundred, he was still an old man.

Li Zhuiyuan's original intention was to take him to scenic spots across the country so that he could travel and see more of the sights.

Grandpa did indeed travel to many places, but when he visited them, they were all shrouded in smoke and devastation.

"What's so regrettable? There's been a typhoon these past few days. Once it's over, I'll go to the next county to look around and get some more stock... oh no, I mean, I'll touch it some more."

Because he always hit the mark, in Li Sanjiang's eyes, the nature of the lottery had long since changed.

"No rush, Grandpa. Our company will provide benefits, and we can still take our families to Hainan for a trip."

"Sigh, going to university is definitely better. You get a good job and can enjoy all the benefits."

"um, yes."

The benefits Li Zhuiyuan mentioned were not from the company, but from the sponsors. In any case, Xue Liangliang had too much money and often sponsored his own projects to provide benefits to the project team members, thus enriching himself at the expense of the company.

Li Sanjiang squatted down beside her, instead of sitting in A Li's rattan chair.

He took out his cigarette case.

Li Zhuiyuan sat up, squatted down, reached into his grandfather's pocket, took out a matchbox, and lit a cigarette for him.

"Hey, Little Marquis, the fire you lit was really steady."

Exhaling a smoke ring, Li Sanjiang joked again:
"Back in the day, it was only because your great-grandfather was lucky that I was conscripted every time and managed to escape. If I hadn't escaped, I reckon I would have been on Hainan Island decades ago."

Haha, if I hadn't been so cowardly back then, and had only been thinking about going home without any ambition, I would have gone to your grandpa's place in the north when I was outside the Great Wall. In the end, I, your great-grandfather, would have gone to Hainan Island too!

By the way, Xiao Yuanhou, do you think this typhoon will make landfall around here?

"It should be."

"In my entire life, your great-grandfather has not experienced many typhoons. I've heard that typhoons are really fierce when they come."

"Yes, the wind is strong and the rain is heavy."

Li Sanjiang stuck his head out and shouted down:

"Marquis Runsheng."

"Uncle Li?"

"Take some time to go to Xiting and check on Shanpao. Fix up his dilapidated house so that it doesn't collapse and he gets buried alive when a typhoon comes. His coffin is still here with me; it's all ready, so there's no need to waste it."

“Okay, Uncle Li, I’ll go after I finish eating.”

On the village road across the farmland in the distance, Chen Xiyuan, who had said goodbye to Qing'an at Big Beard's house, ran back.

She waved her flute in this direction, bidding a final farewell, with Lin Shuyou following behind her.

Li Sanjiang also raised his hand and waved, remarking with emotion:

"The girl is a good person, but her family is a bit poor."

“Grandpa, her family isn’t actually poor.”

"If you're not poor, why do you eat so much?"

"Because Aunt Liu's cooking is delicious."

“Our little Yuanhou has indeed grown up and knows how to save face for others. Your great-grandfather would never look down on her just because her family is poor.”

"That little girl is so lovable, it's not easy for her to come all the way to our house. I just secretly put some money in the bag I wrapped for her."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled and said, "Grandpa, you're carrying stones uphill."

"Haha, how could that be? In my entire life, apart from the few mules at home, I've never seen anyone with a big appetite who hasn't gotten fat."

But I've seen far too many people who can't get enough to eat at home, but when they find a place to eat anywhere, they loosen their belts and eat like crazy. Sigh.

Life is better now.

"Young Marquis Yuan, your future will definitely be better."

"Well, definitely."

Because her family's yellow pickup truck was broken and couldn't be repaired, Chen Xiyuan had to walk to the roadside at the village entrance to wait for a ride.

She didn't have much luggage, just a hiking backpack containing a set of clothes and a whole carton of Jianlibao (a popular Chinese soft drink). To prevent the drink from getting too bumpy and foamy when she wanted to drink it, she stuffed the bag full of money to cushion the impact.

After all, the least valuable thing her family had prepared for her before she set off across the river with the lantern was money.

She was very lucky. Normally, it's rare to see taxis here, but just as she walked over, a taxi with local license plates stopped across the street, and the driver got out and urinated in front of a tree by the roadside.

Chen Xiyuan: "Ayou, I'm going back now. See you next time."

Lin Shuyou: "Okay, see you next time."

After relieving himself, the taxi driver picked two leaves to wipe himself, and as he opened the car door and got in, he was startled to see a young woman suddenly appear in the back seat.
"When...did you get on the bus?"

"Master, I need to go to Hainan. My grandfather is sick and I have to go back to see him. Please drive faster."

"Are you kidding me? You're crazy..."

The driver, upon seeing the thick wad of cash the girl handed him, immediately swallowed the words he was about to say.

"May the gods protect us and ensure our safe journey!"

The driver took the money, counted it, and after confirming that it was all genuine, he immediately fastened his seatbelt and stepped on the gas.

He said as he drove:
"Young lady, you shouldn't flaunt your wealth. It's dangerous for you to carry so much money on a long journey alone."

Chen Xiyuan: "Yes, indeed."

She is not dangerous, but she is very dangerous to those who have ill intentions towards her.

"Luckily you met me. My daughter was just born the day before yesterday."

"Congratulations."

The driver opened the glove compartment, took out the candy, and handed it to the person in the back.

Chen Xiyuan took it, unwrapped the candy, and popped it into her mouth.

"Hehe, you really have no sense of caution, girl?"

"Driver, please drive faster, my grandfather is in a hurry."

"Okay, don't worry, I'll make sure you get there safely!"

After seeing Chen Xiyuan off, Lin Shuyou returned to report to Brother Xiaoyuan.

It just so happens that Brother Bin was there talking to Brother Xiao Yuan.

When Ah Li brought up a large bowl of poached eggs with brown sugar, Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou tacitly left and went downstairs.

Li Zhuiyuan took the chopsticks, finished the sugar water first, and then ate the eggs one by one.

After eating, the boy was already stuffed, so stuffed that he felt like he didn't need to eat dinner.

"Dinner's ready!"

Aunt Liu's voice carried on the wind to every corner of the house.

Due to the weather, we won't have dinner on the dam; we'll move the small table inside.

Liu Yumei and Yao Shan ate in the east room.

After spending this time together, Grandma Yao became much more at ease. Sitting at the dining table, while peeling shrimp for Liu Yumei, she could also laugh and tell some funny stories about her children and grandchildren from the past.

After Aunt Liu served the food to each table, she also went into the east room, sat down, and picked up her chopsticks to eat with everyone.

Grandma Yao asked in confusion, "Huh, isn't Ali eating with us?"

Aunt Liu bit the tip of her chopsticks and said, "Let's eat our food and ignore that conspicuous bag."

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li ate in the living room of the main house.

After the boy sat down, he skillfully divided the food into small dishes for Ah Li.

Ah Li took a white thread and used it to divide the three preserved eggs in the bowls on their table.

Each piece should be divided equally, without adding any other ingredients. When eating, simply dip your chopsticks in a little balsamic vinegar.

At this moment, Uncle Qin came in carrying a bottle of soy sauce:
"Xiao Yuan, do you want some soy sauce?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Uncle Qin and shook his head: "Uncle, no need."

Li Sanjiang, who was pouring himself a drink nearby, asked with some surprise:
"Lihou, have you been eating such strong flavors lately? You even dip century eggs in soy sauce now?"

Uncle Qin: "Hmm."

Li Sanjiang: "Is the work in the fields too heavy? Shanhou is busy working on the fishpond right now and doesn't have much time to go to the fields with you. How about this, you can find someone else to go to the fields with you, and I'll pay for their wages."

Uncle Qin: "No need, I can finish it. Before Xiong Shan came, I did it all by myself."

Li Sanjiang: "How much land did we contract before? How much land do we have now? We can't let you get away with this."

Uncle Qin: "I can handle it, it's alright."

Li Sanjiang: "Let me see if I can find anyone else. If I can't, how about we get a tractor?"

Uncle Qin: "It costs money to burn oil, and it won't last long."

Li Sanjiang: "You can drive the tractor to deliver goods on weekdays. When there are no goods to deliver during the off-season, you can help transport materials for anyone in the village who is building a house. If that's not possible, you can help haul bricks at the brickyard. Anyway, as long as you don't let the tractor rest after you buy it, you won't lose money."

Uncle Qin stopped refusing; he realized he had overthought things.

Uncle Sanjiang bought the tractor not to reduce his burden, but to have an additional source of income so that he could save more money to buy a house for his great-grandson in a big city.

Instead of going back to the east room for dinner, Uncle Qin squatted on the threshold of the living room, carrying a large bowl with rice at the bottom and vegetables on top.

He poured soy sauce into the bowl, mixed the rice with it, and placed the soy sauce bottle on the threshold beside him.

Runsheng called Uncle Qin over to sit and eat with them, but Uncle Qin declined.

His reason was that he wanted to see if any measures needed to be taken in the fields to reduce losses after the typhoon hit.

"Cock!"

The soy sauce bottle fell from the threshold to the ground.

The bottle opening was capped back on, so nothing leaked out.

Uncle Qin picked up the soy sauce bottle and placed it on the threshold, his neck turning red.

After a while,

"Cock!"

The soy sauce bottle tipped over again.

Uncle Qin helped it up again.

This time, however, he was too embarrassed to put the soy sauce bottle back on the threshold and left it on the ground.

Immediately, he slunk his head and began to quickly shovel rice into his mouth. He finished the bowl in no time, then got up, picked up his bowl and chopsticks and the soy sauce bottle, and walked towards the kitchen without looking back. His neck, cheeks, and ears were all red.

In the east room, Aunt Liu picked up a shrimp and put it in her mouth, chewing while tilting her head to the side, looking both annoyed and amused.

Liu Yumei put down her chopsticks, picked up the soup in front of her, took a sip, and said:
"I think Ali is much smarter than before, and his mind is more agile."

Aunt Liu sighed and said, "I've always said you're biased, but you wouldn't admit it. Aunt Yao, listen to this, what is this if not bias?"

Yao Shan gently patted Aunt Liu's hand: "Miss still loves you the most, I can tell."

Liu Yumei: "It seems like everyone with the surname Qin has their acupoints all over their heads. Sometimes, you really can't expect too much from them. Sigh, it's already good enough that they can do this much."

Aunt Liu: "I'm just heartbroken about my soy sauce. You have no idea how many soy sauce bottles he's wasted this month. I'm really afraid that when I report to Uncle Sanjiang next month, he'll suspect that I've been stealing soy sauce from the kitchen to drink like soda."

Liu Yumei looked at Yao Shan and said, "Shan'er, you've been here for a while now, haven't you?"

Yao Shan put down her chopsticks and replied, "Yes, it has been some time."

Liu Yumei: "Call your son tonight, and have A-Ting take you to the train station tomorrow morning. You can go back now."

Yao Shan replied, "Yes, Miss."

Liu Yumei: "If you want to come again in the future, just let me know in advance, and you can come anytime. Next time, bring your two grandsons so I can meet them."

Yao Shan: "Okay, I'll do as Miss says."

Saying goodbye is hard, but being able to stay here for so long and spend so much time with the young lady is something Yao Shan never dared to imagine before coming here.

She had cherished every day as if it were her last, so when the young lady suggested she go back, she felt a little disappointed but had no regrets.

Li Zhuiyuan was already full, so he ate some preserved eggs, mainly to keep A Li company.

After dinner,

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li each carried a basket, holding hands as they went to the bearded man's house.

Runsheng rode a tricycle to Xiting, carrying sacrificial items.

Tan Wenbin picked up his mobile phone and called Zhou Yunyun, saying that the wind was really strong where he was.

Lin Shuyou watched TV, occasionally getting up to adjust the antenna to reduce the static on the screen.

Liu Yumei closed the door to the east room and sat down in front of the altar full of memorial tablets.

The old lady held a cup of yellow wine in her left hand and gently stroked the sword sheath with her right.

"Now that the Chen family girl is gone, it means that guy was after our family... Hehehe, yes, he was after our family!"

……

At the entrance of Big Beard's house, Zhao Yi and his group were ready to depart.

When Li Zhuiyuan and A Li arrived, they happened to come face to face with them.

"Brother Yuan!"

Chen Jing gets excited every time he sees Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded to Chen Jing, then looked at Zhao Yi and asked:
"Why haven't you left yet?"

Zhao Yi: "Waiting for Lao Tian."

Li Zhuiyuan: "My great-grandfather should have already persuaded him to go home to visit his family."

Without Li Sanjiang's permission, Zhao Yi dared not let Lao Tiantou leave Nantong.

Zhao Yi nodded: "Yes, Lao Tian went to say goodbye to my godmother. He should be finishing filming Qiong Yao soon."

"Master, Master!"

Old Tian has finished filming and returned.

The old man's eyes were a little red. He might not be able to keep up with the team in terms of strength, but after living for so many years, he still had some sense of things, much better than Chen Jing, who was completely kept in the dark.

He knew that the young master's hasty departure, especially taking him with him, most likely meant that something was about to happen here.

Although Old Tian really didn't know what could possibly happen here.

Zhao Yi tapped his pipe downwards and said to Li Zhuiyuan:
"Hey Li, if you called me 'ancestor' now, I might not want to leave!"

Li Zhuiyuan led A Li by the hand toward the herb garden, waving his hand without turning back:

"get out."

Zhao Yi took a deep breath and said to those around him:

"Did you hear me? What are you standing there for? Let's get out of here!"

Zhao Yi and the others left along the village road and returned to Jiujiang.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Ali, dig up all the medicinal herbs that can enhance energy, and then, please, don't worry about the side effects, help me make them into medicine."

This rough work was easy for Ah Li; there were no technical difficulties or complicated aspects, it just took a little effort.

Ah Li didn't resist, nor did she try to argue that making medicine like this would be bad for her health. She simply nodded, then squatted down and began collecting the corresponding herbs from the herb garden.

Li Zhuiyuan helped out from the side. When Xiong Shan and his wife returned from their work at the fishpond, Li Zhuiyuan stood up and waved to them.

"Young Master Yuan... Brother."

Xiong Shan led Li Hua over.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You haven't left Nantong since you came here, have you?"

Xiong Shan: "Yes, that's right, Brother Xiao Yuan."

Pear Blossom: "Brother Xiaoyuan, my husband and I are both orphans. This place is now our home, and it will also be our son's home in the future!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Isn't there anything you miss about being out there?"

Pear Blossom: "Brother Xiao Yuan, our home is right here..."

Xiong Shan held his wife's hand and said, "I have something to hold me back, Brother Xiao Yuan, I have something to hold me back."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't you want to go and take a look?"

Xiong Shan: "For example, after my wife and I avenged some of our good brothers, we built cenotaphs for them in the Tianmen Mountain area, but we haven't visited them in a long time."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then let's go take a look."

Xiong Shan: "Okay, Brother Xiao Yuan, it's time to go see them and burn some paper money for them."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Come back after you've finished watching."

Xiong Shan: "Okay, then Brother Xiao Yuan, when do you think it's a good time for us to set off?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "If you want to go, then go quickly."

Xiong Shan: "Then tomorrow morning?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay."

Xiong Shan: "I understand, Brother Xiao Yuan."

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on Benben, who was sitting in the crib. Benben was already lying there, patting his own bottom to lull himself to sleep.

Xiong Shan: "Yes, bring Benben along. My old buddies probably want to see him and see how much he's grown, haha."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, turned around and walked back to the herb garden.

Xiong Shan and Li Hua then went inside.

Pear Blossom: "What does Brother Xiao Yuan mean by this? What is the Dragon King's family doing...?"

Xiong Shan covered his wife's mouth and casually pasted out several Chenzhou talismans to silence the noise in the area.

Xiong Shan: "Do you think this is a room at night where you can yell as much as you want?"

Pear Blossom: "I'm scared. Does the Dragon King's family not want us anymore? Are they going to drive us away?"

Xiong Shan calmly replied, "No."

Pear Blossom: "How can you be so sure?"

Xiong Shan: "The Dragon King's family wants to get rid of us, which is just a matter of a word. Young Master, there's no need for you to go through all this trouble."

Pear Blossom looked enlightened: "Then we..."

Xiong Shan: "Listen to the young master, we are now under the Dragon King's command. We will do whatever we are told, don't ask why. Go pack your things now, we will go to Tianmen Mountain first thing tomorrow morning."

"Sigh, I really miss those old buddies. It's such a pity they died on the river, unable to share in our good fortune."

Pear Blossom: "Try to think positively. We've already avenged our brothers. I'll go and pack up now."

Xiong Shan pursed his lips, walked up to the second floor, and paused when he passed Old Tian's room. He tried to push the door open and found that everything inside had been packed up and taken away, and the room had been cleaned very thoroughly.

"call……"

After letting out a long sigh, Xiong Shan's face turned solemn, and he murmured:

"Is something bad about our home?"

……

Night had fallen, and the medicinal herbs needed in the herb garden were almost ready to be harvested.

Li Zhuiyuan put the tools back into the small basket, stood up, pointed to the peach grove, and said to A-Li:

"Ah Li, you finish up the rest, I'm going in for a bit."

The girl nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan walked into the peach grove.

This is the second time he has entered the peach orchard today.

It was pitch black outside, but fireflies were flying everywhere in the peach grove. Although they weren't exactly bright, they were clear enough.

There was no one by the pool, only a few empty wine jars.

The wooden house's doors and windows were tightly closed, as if Qing'an had already settled down.

Li Zhuiyuan first squatted down by the pool, washed his hands, and then scooped up a handful of water to wash his face.

After doing all this, the boy reached his hands into the pool, submerging them above his elbows, until they were almost up to his shoulders, when a soft cough came from inside the wooden house:
"You've come here to commit suicide?"

Li Zhuiyuan pulled his arms out; the previous movement had already soaked his sleeves.

The door to the wooden house opened.

Li Zhuiyuan got up, stepped onto the stairs, and went into the house.

The furnishings inside were very simple, consisting of nothing more than a table, chairs, and a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).

There was no one in the room, but there were masks of various sizes hanging on the walls, floor, and beams. It was impossible to count how many there were.

Because these masks are constantly wriggling, exchanging, and even opening their mouths to devour one. After devouring one, the mask will grow larger, and the more it devours, the larger it becomes, until it suddenly cracks open and splits into countless smaller masks, repeating the cycle endlessly.

One of the masks revealed Qing An's face.

He opened his eyes, his gaze indifferent.

"Were you so frightened that you came here to commit suicide?"

Li Zhuiyuan countered, "Do you think I would do that?"

“It certainly wouldn’t have happened before, but this time, it’s understandable.”

"Not really."

"Not that serious? What a boastful tone. If it's not that serious, then what are you doing here at night?"

"There were some things I thought I had asked during the day, but actually I hadn't, so I wanted to ask them again."

"Oh, you've changed your mind?"

"That's it."

"But there's no going back in this world."

"Ok, I know."

"The wind is very strong this time. Your original hope was to do everything you could to make me happy, to try every trick in the book to beg me to let me face this storm first and be blown away by the wind."

That way, you'll have a tiny bit of hope of surviving this wind.

Now, I can tell you plainly that it's no use begging me anymore.

I will retreat to this underground place, and no matter how strong the wind is outside, I will not come out.

Hahahaha!

In the afternoon, I had already asked her to buy the wine and store it.

I'll wait until this wind passes before I come back up and properly examine your body, which I wonder if it will still be intact then.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Qing An: "Alright, before I retreat back underground, I'd like to know what you're planning to ask me tonight."

Li Zhuiyuan: "What I want to ask is, can you completely retract underground? And can you guarantee that you won't be discovered after you retract underground?"

Qing An: "Hmm?"

Inside the house, all the masks that were in motion stopped.

next moment,
All the masks opened their eyes to their widest extent, staring intently at the boy standing in the center of the room.

An immense pressure swept over Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan did not choose a head-on confrontation, but instead bent down slightly.

The oppressive force descended and then quickly dissipated.

"Are you thinking that rather than have your soul and flesh torn apart in this strong wind, you'd rather provoke me first and let me kill you?"

"No, I'm asking sincerely."

"I'll allow you to ask again."

"If you completely shrink underground, can you be confident that you can avoid the wind's notice?"

You can't hide forever, but you can hide for a while.

"Okay, I hope you can hide well and leave no trace."

Inside the wooden house, all the masks were clenching their teeth, and the whole house was creaking and groaning.

It seemed as if it would collapse at any moment, turning the boy into minced meat.

"Kid, do you know that even he wasn't as arrogant as you back in the day?"

"Thank you."

As Li Zhuiyuan turned to leave the wooden house, he stopped, seemingly still worried, and asked again:
"Won't there be any omissions or flaws? I mean, while hiding for 'a short time'."

"Just have someone cut down this peach orchard. They are the biggest flaw left here."

"it is good."

"hurry up."

"No need for all that trouble. Besides, it would be a waste to cut it down. What a beautiful forest, what pure resentment."

Every petal blooming in this peach grove is a manifestation of Qing'an's resentment.

The reason this peach grove was able to deter evil spirits in Nantong in the past was not because Qing'an was kind, but because it exuded the aura of the most powerful evil spirit in this area.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down again, put his right hand under the water, and gently stirred it.

The spirit of the dragon flew downwards and began to stir. Gradually, the resentful eyes belonging to this peach grove, hidden deep within, surged up and erupted upwards.

The windows of the wooden house were propped up, and Qing'an sat at the table, tilting her head slightly as she watched this scene.

He had warned the boy before that he was courting death.

But if it happens repeatedly, it proves that you have misjudged the situation.

The terrifying resentment was completely absorbed by Li Zhuiyuan without exception.

Logically speaking, even a single moment is enough to break a normal person's will and drive them into a terrifying frenzy like a wild beast.

But the boy remained calm throughout.

Deep within Li Zhuiyuan's consciousness.

The peach blossoms fell from the sky into the fishpond below, where the hungry fish went on a frenzy to devour them.

In reality, the peach blossoms in the orchard are falling one by one;

Deep in my mind, the fish in the pond are getting fatter and fatter.

Finally, the peach orchard withered completely.

The pool in front of Li Zhuiyuan had also dried up, leaving only a shallow layer of crystal-clear water, barely enough to reflect the moon.

The boy stood up and wiped his hands on his clothes.

Inside the wooden cabin window, Qing'an's gaze became intense at that moment.

"You...can kill me!"

Then, the voice turned angry:
"You can kill me!"

Finally, a roar was heard:
"You can kill me!!!"

He saw in the boy a hope that could free him from his predicament sooner.

Clearly, the boy had mastered this technique for a long time, and he was quite skilled when he first used it.

But the boy kept it a secret from him and never showed it to him.

To avoid becoming a calamity, and to await death, he endured this endless self-imposed torment for so many years.

Today, he saw an opportunity for liberation!

Li Zhuiyuan: "You've misunderstood."

"I...misunderstood?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You are a vast ocean, and I am just a fishpond. Just now, I had already reached my limit. Now, I am simply unable to break free from the real you."

If I do that, here I am…

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to his forehead.
"This part of me will burst. You can't separate any one face from your body. You look like you have countless faces, but in reality, all of these faces are on one face."

Currently, I can only absorb the resentment that has overflowed from you over the past two years. If I were to touch your true form, I would surely die.

The reason I didn't tell you before was because I wanted to hold a trump card against you to blackmail and exploit you.

But it was me.
They were also reluctant to part with this peach grove.

Inside the cabin, his emotions gradually calmed down. This was partly because the boy's account matched his earlier observations of the boy;

Secondly, the boy's last words pleased him immensely, as if the Chen family girl had played a duet with him here all night.

"The one who played the last tune... was always you."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"But if you were gone, wouldn't I have to endure decades more of suffering?"

"Qing'an, you should have more faith in me, just like you did for him back then."

Do you really think you have a chance of surviving this strong wind?

"Keep quiet, we can't say any more."

"I'm not your family or sect, why would you worry about me suffering the karmic retribution?"

"But I knew you before I lit the lamp."

"So what? In my eyes, you're just a little shrimp who's good at making me happy, and I could boil you in a pot at any time."

“But every time I return to Nantong and turn onto the village road, when I see this peach grove where you are, it’s like seeing my home.”

Silence fell inside the wooden house.

Li Zhuiyuan bowed solemnly to the wooden house.

Then, the boy turned around and walked out of the peach grove, which was now bare.

The evening breeze blew by, and without any petals to shield them, the petals fell into the woods, making the scene even more desolate.

Qing'an placed one hand on the zither and gently plucked the strings.

Su Luo stepped out from behind the wall, brought over a pot of tea, and said with a smile:
"That person considers you an elder in their family."

Qing An flicked his finger, glanced at Su Luo, and said:
"No wonder he was able to trick you out of the ground and use you as a tool even though you had been dead for so long."

Su Luo looked puzzled: "What's the connection between these two things?"

Qing An turned her head irritably and glanced in the direction the boy had just left:

"When I get home, seeing this peach grove where I am feels like seeing my own home."

Is this person treating me like an elder in the family?
This is clearly a sign that they really treat me like family...

"Doorman."

……

Ah Li has already collected the necessary medicinal materials.

After Li Zhuiyuan came out, he carried the medicine basket on his back.

"We go home."

Even though the typhoon's center is still quite far from here, its outer effects are becoming increasingly apparent.

The wind is getting stronger.

The girl held the boy's hand tighter and tighter.

After the two returned home, Li Zhuiyuan escorted the girl back to the east room.

Pushing open the door to the east room, you can see Liu Yumei holding a wine cup, leaning over the altar table.

She wasn't drunk; she was just exaggerating her slight tipsiness.

Grandma Yao draped a thin blanket over the eldest daughter. When she saw Miss A-Li return, she got up from her own makeshift bed on the floor and came over to greet her.

Ah Li stood inside the threshold, not closing the door, but staring at the medicine basket behind the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Get some rest. You can easily take care of this medicine by tomorrow morning."

Ah Li shifted her gaze to the boy's face.

He still refused to tell himself.

She already had a premonition of what she would encounter tomorrow.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out, grabbed the girl's hand, opened her palm, and gently dug his index fingernail into her palm.

I didn't dare to use too much force, and when I moved it away, a shallow dent appeared in the girl's palm.

A smile appeared on the boy's face.

The girl clenched her fists, took a step back, and closed the door.

When the boy returned to his room and was about to go upstairs, he saw Runsheng sitting on a stool.

The other two coffins emitted a very even snoring sound.

It was obvious that the snoring from the coffin was trying to change its rhythm, because the same rhythm looked too fake, clearly indicating that the person wasn't asleep.

The other snoring sound, fearing it wasn't convincing enough, kept changing its pattern to match the snoring sound from next door.

"Brother Runsheng, is Grandpa Shan's house secured?"

"Yes, it's secured."

"Then get some rest."

"Xiao Yuan, I burned paper money tonight."

"Ah."

"No response was received."

Yin Meng couldn't possibly not respond, which could only mean that the connection between Fengdu and this place had been severed.

Only that one person could do this.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Runsheng, this is a good thing."

"Good thing?"

"Debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay. The more your partner's family looks down on you and neglects you, the more you can use that as an excuse to have some peace and quiet later on."

"I……"

That's not what Runsheng wanted to say.

The two coffins behind, seemingly asleep, weren't there to analyze the father-in-law's psychology.

The three of them are most worried about whether they will be next after Xiao Yuan has sent away two foreign teams.
Tan Wenbin, in particular, knew that Zhao Yi had wanted to leave for a long time, but hesitated for so long because he was worried about Ayou.

As a result, after Zhao Yi entered the dojo, he quickly made the decision to leave with his people.

This likely indicates that Zhao Yi received a promise from Xiao Yuan Ge regarding the arrangements made for A You.

If Xiao Yuan sends A You away, will he also send himself and Run Sheng away?

We've been through thick and thin together many times before, so we didn't think this kind of problem would arise.

But this time, the opponent they encountered was far too terrifying and too powerful.

It's entirely possible that Brother Xiaoyuan might actually choose to sacrifice himself so that someone else can continue to live.

Li Zhuiyuan patted Runsheng on the shoulder:

"Runsheng, you're really great. When you go to Fengdu to pick up Mengmeng, don't hold back. If all else fails, just grab your shovel and go and snatch her away."

After saying that, Li Zhuiyuan carried the medicine basket upstairs.

Runsheng walked back to the coffin and silently lay down inside.

Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou pretended to rise from inside the coffin.

Lin Shuyou: "I didn't recognize it..."

Tan Wenbin: "Let's see what Xiao Yuan's plans are for tomorrow."

Lin Shuyou: "I don't care, I would never abandon Brother Xiaoyuan and run away alone. If we're going to die, we'll die together. If you're afraid of death, you can't be a leader!"

Tan Wenbin: "What if Brother Xiaoyuan gave the order directly?"

Lin Shuyou: "I..."

Tan Wenbin glanced at Runsheng's coffin, then leaned back.
"Go to sleep, go to sleep, you'll find out tomorrow."

Li Zhuiyuan arrived at the terrace and happened to run into his great-grandfather, who was walking back to his room after relieving himself in the middle of the night.

"Little Marquis, the wind is getting stronger. When you have time tonight or tomorrow morning, please be careful, as it can easily fly away."

"Yes, Grandpa."

"Go to bed early."

"Grandpa, Uncle Shan asked Runsheng to pass on a message to you. He said that since there's been a typhoon these past two days, no one will be holding a vegetarian feast, and there are no paper offerings to send. Uncle Shan would like to invite you to his place for a drink."

"Hey, the sun really did rise in the west! Is that hillbilly buying me drinks?"

Ever since they met, Shanpao had always been there to freeload off him. But after Runsheng came along, it became Shanpao bringing Runsheng along to freeload off him too.

"Grandpa, I heard from Runsheng that Uncle Shan has really stopped gambling and has even started saving money."

In fact, Grandpa Shan was still gambling.

After all, his gambling addiction was still there, and since he was supporting Runsheng, he naturally had a need to gamble and lose.

However, Grandpa Shan no longer plays cards at the adult card table.

He would collect the cigarette boxes that the card players had finished using from the gambling dens he used to frequent. He would then take these cigarette boxes and play a game of hitting cigarette boxes with the village children, losing a lot of money each time.

Although I still gambled, and although I still lost, the money... stayed behind.

Upon hearing this, Li Sanjiang sighed, "Tell me, if he had realized this sooner, would Mengmeng have been able to leave?"

Clearly, in the minds of the two elderly people, Mengmeng's departure was due to the negative family conditions brought about by Grandpa Shan.

"So, Grandpa, are you going?"

"Go ahead, since Shanpao has changed, we have to give him face. I just don't know what the weather will be like tomorrow..."

"We should still be able to travel. With Runsheng here, everything will be fine."

"Yeah, haha, let's go tomorrow then. Old Tian's gone too, and I've got nothing to do anyway, so I'll go have a good drink with Shanpao."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that his grandfather would agree.

Based on past patterns, even if he didn't mention it, his great-grandfather's good fortune would allow him to avoid this place in advance.

Although, in Li Zhuiyuan's plan, the great-grandfather was not among those who had to go through the required process.

But it's a bit unstable.

Because the master's level of cultivation was always in a low-level, volatile phase.

You might think he's good at it, but everything he does is wrong; you might think he's not good at it, but he can occasionally actually produce some results.

Li Zhuiyuan returned to his room, put his things down, took a shower, and then went back to his room to lie down on the bed.

Without much thought, without hesitation, and without tension.

The boy closed his eyes and fell asleep.

A good night's sleep restores your energy.

Before he even opened his eyes when he woke up, Li Zhuiyuan smelled a sweet fragrance.

Turn your head to the side and open your eyes.

The sky outside was overcast, and the wind kept battering the doors and windows, making a loud clanging sound.

A-Li wore a silver hairpin in her hair bun, a white shirt on top, and a horse-face skirt on the bottom.

She was wearing her favorite outfit.

There was a time when Li Zhuiyuan accidentally revealed this, which resulted in Grandma Liu's design desk being filled with all kinds of designs for horse-face skirts. She was almost sick of designing them.

Of course, the most obvious thing is the bowl of steaming brown sugar poached eggs placed on the corner of the drawing table next to the bed.

Ah Li is making medicine. She has already done some preliminary processing on the herbs she picked last night. Now she needs to do some simple filtration of the extracted juice and finally pour it into those empty Jianlibao cans.

Once one was filled, Ah Li sealed it up. By this time, two small rows had been laid out on the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed, not wanting to disturb A Li's work, and first took the plastic basin to wash up.

The wind was strong in the morning; it wasn't blowing your hair and clothes, but rather trying to blow your skin off.

When scooping water from the water tank to brush your teeth, pay attention to the wind direction, bend over and stick your head out, and try to prevent the mouthwash and foam from being blown back onto you by the wind.

The wooden radio on the wall is broadcasting:
"Listeners, according to the weather forecast, the fifth typhoon of this year, based on its current path, is highly likely to make landfall in Qidong, Jiangsu Province, around midnight tonight..."

After brushing his teeth, Li Zhuiyuan began to wash his face.

After washing his face, the boy rubbed the towel clean, folded it, and hung it next to the plastic basin.

I glanced at the radio on the wall.

"Midnight tonight? Looks like the weather forecast was wrong."

……

On the village road in the distance, Xiong Shan was pulling a cart, with his wife and son sitting behind it.

Pear Blossom was wearing a large raincoat, which not only covered herself but also sheltered Benben in her arms.

However, her attention wasn't on her son; instead, she turned her head and called out to her husband, who was pulling the cart:

"Are we just leaving like this? Should we go and say goodbye to the old lady?"

Xiong Shan didn't need to turn around; the wind would blow his curses to the back of his head and "smash" them in his wife's face.
"Foolish woman, the young master told us to leave for a few days. Are you now going to ask the old lady if what the young master said really counts?"

"That was not what I meant!"

"No one really cares what you mean. These two Dragon King families belong to the old lady now, but they will definitely belong to the young master in the future. All you need to know is, for our sake and for our son's sake, whose orders should we truly listen to!"

"What a pity, after trying for so long, my belly is still not showing. Why don't you try finding a smaller one?"

"You're the only one I've ever had. What's the point of trying? You weren't born from your belly. Even if you did give birth to him, do you think our son would recognize him later on?"

Actually, what Xiong Shanben wanted to say was, "You see if our son will let him live."

There are some things that Brother Yuan has hinted at, and even Old Tian has reminded him about his young master. Xiong Shan himself has been working hard for so long, how could he not have noticed any signs at all?

He had deliberately refused to admit it before, but ever since that night when he "suddenly couldn't perform" and his wife comforted him by holding his head, he finally understood that helplessness.

I am also willing to accept and acknowledge that most accurate guess:
How could his own son possibly allow his half-siblings to come out? He doesn't even agree to let his own siblings come out!

Although this was not her son's original intention, after all, he was still at an age where he liked to drink from a bottle.

But the truth is, very likely, just this.

While his parents chatted loudly in the wind, Benben, sitting in his mother's lap, looked at the familiar figure standing on the cement bridge in the distance.

After Xiao Yingying turned and left, Benben took another big suck from the baby bottle in his arms.

Then, with two chubby little arms, she deliberately pushed forward, causing the baby bottle to roll down and land between two stones on the side of the road, where it got stuck.

After doing all that, Benben yawned and shuffled his chubby back forward.

He felt uncomfortable and didn't like being in his mother's arms because they were so warm.

After searching for a long time, I finally found a decent position, bit my thumb, closed my eyes, and started to sleep.

Xiao Yingying returned to the bearded man's house.

She was heartbroken when the child she had been taking care of was taken away by his biological parents.

This caused her to unconsciously adopt a deathly gait as she walked.

The specific movement of the legs could not be seen, but the body glided at a constant speed on the ground.

She didn't go back to the bearded man's house, but instead walked into the now bare peach orchard.

Inside the peach grove, the wooden house door was not closed.

Xiao Yingying pushed open the door and entered.

On the bed, Qing'an lay there with her back to her.

Xiao Yingying also sat down, her hair grew longer, and wisps of sticky water dripped from her body.

A black cheongsam, brightly colored high heels, and overly heavy makeup.

She hadn't seen herself so "real" in a long time.

She stretched her hands forward, imagining the moment she had placed them on the boy's shoulders, a hint of reminiscence showing in her cloudy eyes.

“I gave him a chance, but he brought this result upon himself. Let him go, let him be.”

Qing'an's voice echoed in the wooden house.

Then, the wooden house began to slowly sink until it disappeared completely underground.

……

"Time for breakfast!"

Breakfast today was rather simple.

Because Aunt Liu had taken Grandma Yao to the train station early in the morning, the train was less affected by the typhoon, and the heavy rain had not yet arrived, so there was not much to worry about.

Just before getting on the bus, Grandma Yao handed Aunt Liu a package, saying that she had prepared it at home in Luoyang and intended to give it to her as soon as she arrived. However, she found that things were not as she had originally expected when she got there.

But since it was time to leave, there was no reason to take the gifts back home. So Grandma Yao asked Aunt Liu not to mind and to accept the package. If she didn't like it, she could just throw it on the side of the road and not let her abruptness spoil her mood.

On the way back, Aunt Liu opened the package that Grandma Yao had given her. Inside was a set of dark red wedding clothes, one for men and one for women.

It wasn't a formal wedding dress, but rather something slightly less formal, similar to what the couple would wear the day after their wedding to pay respects to their elders.

One was for himself, and the other was for Qin Li.

Grandma Yao said she was too embarrassed to give him a hand when she came because she misunderstood the relationship between the two of them.

The two, who were supposed to be husband and wife, were actually just playing the role of husband and wife in name only, without any real relationship.

After so many days, she figured out some of the tricks of the trade, and finally mustered up the courage to give away the matching gift.

Aunt Liu wrapped the clothes up again.

She wasn't particularly surprised or angry. It was like a pebble being thrown into a still lake; it seemed to move, but it actually felt even more serene.

The mistress never imposed any restrictions on their marriage.

The mistress truly raised them as her own children.

Of course, the mistress didn't force them to get together; she just wanted things to happen naturally.

That's right, it's too natural.

I was born in the Liu family's ancestral home, and Ali was born in the Qin family's ancestral home.

Even though the marriage of the mistress and the master changed the relationship between Dragon King Qin and Dragon King Liu, it shouldn't have had much impact on the two of them who had children in the household.

However, the sudden changes in their fates, both within the martial arts world and within their families, caused them to break away from their original life paths and end up living, studying, and eating together since childhood.

Ali took the blame for his mistakes; he treated Ali when Ali was injured during practice.

They, especially Ali, have always carried too much on their shoulders;
Furthermore, the two were so familiar with each other that they were closer than siblings.

It's not that we were both holding each other back, and it seems like neither of us had any interest in that area. As we've gotten older, we've become too lazy to bring it up or think about it anymore.

Perhaps the hardest thing in the world is taking that final step before everything falls into place.

Aunt Liu put the package into the west room.

Then, he shouted "Quiet!" seven more times.

Uncle Qin sat on the threshold of the west room and said to her:

"You can take out the clothes first."

Aunt Liu glared at him and asked, "Don't you have hands?"

Uncle Qin scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said:

"I've looked through it, but I can't find it."

Aunt Liu: "What if I just randomly find it?"

Uncle Qin: "That means I don't have eyes."

Aunt Liu opened the wardrobe and quickly found the clothes at the bottom.

One set is red, and the other is green.

She carried the two sets of clothes and showed them to Uncle Qin.

Uncle Qin: "It's really strange. Over the years, whenever I try to find these clothes, it's as if they're deliberately hiding from me."

Aunt Liu: "Next time, you can use a soy sauce bottle to weigh it down. When you want to find it, you don't need to use your eyes; just smell where the soy sauce smells the strongest."

Uncle Qin lowered his head.

Aunt Liu hung the two pieces of clothing on the wall.

It's not time to change it yet, but it will be soon.

Aunt Liu went to the kitchen, made breakfast, called everyone out to eat, and then personally carried a portion to the old lady's east room.

The old lady was dressed in a very stylish and youthful outfit today.

This means that she is ready to become young again today.

Liu Yumei: "How is it?"

Aunt Liu: "What kind of ignorant woman dares to sit at my mistress's table? She has no manners at all."

Liu Yumei: "Don't be so glib then. When I was young, I really disliked girls who talked too much. Be careful or I'll teach you a lesson with my sword."

Aunt Liu shrugged: "I'm not afraid. At my age, I'm still a nanny. Miss, you should at least give me some face, right?"

Liu Yumei shook her head: "When I was young and at home, I was the most ruthless when I disciplined the mean-spirited old nanny in the house."

Aunt Liu: "Oh dear, so this is all you're doing here for. I guess I'm really not going to escape this lesson?"

Liu Yumei picked up her chopsticks and asked, "Did you send Shan'er away?"

Aunt Liu: "Yes, she's been seen off, but she wasn't the only one who left."

Liu Yumei: "Those who should leave should leave, that's right."

Aunt Liu: "I'll go check over there. Please enjoy your meal."

Liu Yumei nodded.

After Aunt Liu left, Liu Yumei picked up a spoon, took a sip of soup, and her gaze fell on the offering table in front of her.

She talked to the memorial tablets on the altar all night last night.

The first half of the night was spent talking to each other while holding a wine glass.

For the rest of the night, I kept repeating those thoughts in my dreams.

It all boils down to that one sentence:
This time, none of you have any reason to say I'm being willful!

"It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Liu Yumei's personality has never really changed, but she has too many ties to her, so many that she has to suppress her temper time and time again.

Although I know there's no "below".

But she needs to overcome her own inner hurdle.

Once she reaches the "lower realm," she must be able to stand tall before the ancestors of both families and recount the hardships she has endured over the years.

Xiao Yuan is the last potential and hope of both families. She is willing to risk everything for Xiao Yuan and even her life. It is only right that she does so!

"Sigh, it's so much more carefree and joyful when you're young. When you get old, even if you want a quick and painless death, you have to rely on fate."

Fortunately, she can finally put this burden down with a clear conscience.

Not only are they free from worry, sorrow, and bitterness, but they also radiate joy from the inside out.

this day,
She waited decades too late!
……

While Ah Li was putting the final packaging on, Li Zhuiyuan stood in front of the drawing table and quickly completed a painting.

There wasn't much thought put into it; it was all meticulous brushwork, a pure reproduction. It's more like a hand-copied image than a painting.

Ah Li's job is done; a total of ten cans of Jianlibao.

The girl stood up, went to the drawing table, glanced at the boy's new work, and then naturally picked up a brush.

Li Zhuiyuan gently pressed down on the girl's arm and said:
"I deliberately didn't draw a mustache; my master likes clean-shaven faces."

Ah Li nodded and put down her pen.

Aunt Liu's voice calling for breakfast came from below.

"Walk."

Li Zhuiyuan took the girl's hand, and as they walked to the door, the boy sensed that the girl had stopped.

She looked back at the room's furnishings again.

The girl had a premonition that once she left this room, she wouldn't be able to return anytime soon.

When the girl looked away, she found the boy staring back at her.

Li Zhuiyuan leaned forward slightly, bringing his lips close to the girl's earlobe, and whispered:

"Ah Li, do you remember what I told you before?"

The boy had said countless things to the girl, but at this moment, she instantly remembered which sentence he was referring to.

Ah Li nodded earnestly, her eyes filled with determination.

"Let's have breakfast."

Without further hesitation, the girl followed the boy downstairs.

Li Zhuiyuan barely ate breakfast, only helping A Li distribute the food.

There was no way around it; with that thick layer of brown sugar and an egg almost the size of a dumpling, it was impossible to eat anything else for a while afterward.

After the meal, Ah Li got up and went to the east room.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Runsheng, Bin, Ayou, come with me to the room."

Runsheng followed him upstairs.

Tan Wenbin and Ayou exchanged a glance.

The three of them rarely come to Xiaoyuan's room unless they need to be notified of something.

Chen Xiyuan had come here out of curiosity a while ago, but after staying for a while, she felt like she was going crazy because there were many things in this room that she couldn't understand at all.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to his desk.

On the desk, there are three white candles, each with a design drawing underneath it.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Take one set for each person, and when you get back, arrange the candle according to the blueprint."

The three of them stepped forward and each took a set.

With their extensive experience in helping to set up formations, even Runsheng, who knew nothing about formations, could see at a glance how simple the design drawings were.

It's so simple that even when Grandpa Li does funeral rites and simply provides emotional value, it's much more complex and sincere than what's in his hand.

Lin Shuyou was about to ask a question, but then Xiao Yuan started calling out names. The team's strict discipline made Ayou swallow back the words he was about to say.

"Lin Shuyou, Tan Wenbin's house in Shigang is empty. Go to his house and arrange the layout according to the blueprints."

Tan Wenbin, go to Zhou Yunyun's house and arrange the layout on the blueprints.

Runsheng, Grandpa is going to have a drink with Uncle Shan today. You can take him there later and set up the blueprints at Uncle Shan's house.

Remember, light the candles precisely at 8 PM tonight. Return here immediately when the candles go out!

This time, among the three, even Runsheng did not respond without hesitation.

This setup is just so insincere.

Putting aside whether the design drawings might actually contain hidden secrets that they are too blind to see, the three houses—Grandpa Shan's house, Tan Wenbin's former house, and Zhou Yunyun's house—could not possibly be exactly the three required node locations, could they?

Brother Xiao Yuan, this is really not even going to be an act anymore, it's just a way of getting rid of them.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his voice:

"Do you understand?"

"understand!"

"understand!"

"understand!"

The three of them eventually accepted the order.

"We'll set off in batches now. Runsheng, you take Grandpa to your house first, and Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou will follow."

in addition,

Before leaving, each of them took another can of Jianlibao.

……

"Let's go, Runsheng Hou." Li Sanjiang, wearing a raincoat, got into Runsheng's tricycle. "Sigh, I really miss that hillbilly. Haha, how can I drink his wine? I brought several bottles with me."

Runsheng drove Li Sanjiang away without surprising Liu Yumei, Uncle Qin, and Aunt Liu in the east and west rooms.

It's normal to send Li Sanjiang out today; his presence would actually constrain everyone.

Even the fact that Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou then rode away on their bikes didn't raise any suspicions for them.

They could be sent out by Xiao Yuan to do tasks or gather information. Of course, even if Xiao Yuan really sent them away, it would be understandable.

In this level of confrontation, those who are not strong enough are not even qualified to participate. Simply piling on numbers here is completely meaningless.

Aside from Uncle Qin, the other two women's eyes are not easily fooled.

In fact, they had already figured it out from the looks and expressions on Runsheng and the other two's faces when they left; Xiaoyuan had really gotten rid of them.

But what truly moved Liu Yumei, and what made her realize that things were about to develop in a way she hadn't expected, was the aura that belonged to that person, which had completely disappeared after the wooden house sank into the ground, in the direction of the peach grove.

Liu Yumei originally thought that he would join the storm today.

Even if it wasn't a tacit understanding, given the relationship between Xiao Yuan and that person, Xiao Yuan could ask for their help today.

A ferocious being, yet always in a state of self-restraint and isolation, who fears nothing more than death.

Even now, Liu Yumei can still comfort and console herself:
Let them keep it anonymous. This is a family matter, and it's only right that our elders should take responsibility for it.

Even if that person doesn't intervene, the last bit of firewood left in the two Dragon King factions is enough to burn this batch!
However, at that moment, Liu Yumei saw Xiao Yuan walk out of the main house's living room and go straight to the east room where she was.

Seeing this, Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu from the west wing also came over.

Uncle Qin: "Xiao Yuan, it's windy today, and it's going to rain soon. Why don't you and A Li go back to your room to paint and play chess?"

Aunt Liu smiled and said, "Yes, what do you want to eat for lunch? Just tell me. I was in a rush this morning, so I just made something quick and easy. I'll cook something delicious for you for lunch. Don't worry, the kitchen has already prepared the ingredients."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled at Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu, and then went to Liu Yumei.

“Grandma, I remember that around this time every year for the past two years, you would take Ali out to pay respects at the graves.”

Uncle Qin had a bad feeling.

Aunt Liu's hands gripped the door frame tightly beside her.

Sitting on a chair beside the offering table, Liu Yumei's gaze darkened, and she asked:
"Xiao Yuan, what do you mean by saying this now?"

"I just wanted to remind Grandma, in case she forgot the date."

"The person is gone, whether it was sooner or later, it doesn't matter."

"Since she's gone, let's not leave them waiting in vain, Grandma. You should take A-Li with you. It's windy outside. Let Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu accompany you. I'll feel more at ease staying at home."

"It's precisely because the wind is so strong that Grandma has to stay home, just in case..."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, interrupting Liu Yumei.

Liu Yumei slowly shook her head and said, "Xiao Yuan, a person needs a breath of air to live, and a goal to strive for. If you can't even see a glimmer of light, then what's the difference between living like a walking corpse?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma, you should still set off."

Liu Yumei: "Xiao Yuan, are you teaching your grandma how to do things?"

Li Zhuiyuan did not answer the question directly. Instead, he walked to the offering table, took three incense sticks, bowed solemnly, and inserted them into the incense burner.

While the boy was performing these actions, Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu silently stood outside the threshold of the east room, offering their apologies.

Liu Yumei also stood up from the chair she was sitting in, facing the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma, I'm not like them. I've entered the family but haven't separated yet. You told me back then that the burden of the two Dragon King families has been passed on to me from now on."

I would like to ask Grandma to tell me this again in person, in front of all our ancestors, especially in front of Grandpa Qin.

In these two families, legally speaking, whose word carries the most weight?

As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan took down the memorial tablet of Grandpa A-Li and handed it to Liu Yumei.

Liu Yumei's status in both families was undoubtedly above that of the young man.

But in terms of inherited principles, even she cannot compare to Xiao Yuan, who has mastered the fundamental techniques of both families.

This shouldn't have been a problem, because Liu Yumei didn't cling to power, and such a power transition should have been a natural progression over time.

Even Liu Yumei never expected that one day, the boy would put this question directly on the scale.

She glanced at the many memorial tablets on the altar, and finally, her gaze fell on the one the boy was holding.

Liu Yumei reached out and took the old dog's memorial tablet, replying:
“You, Li Zhuiyuan, have the final say.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded and bowed apologetically to Liu Yumei.

He knew he shouldn't do this; these were elders who were willing to risk their lives for him. But he had no choice; otherwise, they wouldn't have left.

Liu Yumei glanced at her granddaughter out of the corner of her eye, thinking of having her granddaughter "say something".

To her surprise, she discovered that Ah Li had already stepped out of the doorway and gone outside, turning around to look at her still standing inside.

Ah.

Liu Yumei couldn't understand:
No, even at this point, her own granddaughter is still pulling on the outside.

"Okay, let's go!"

Liu Yumei opened her palm, and the sword box flew over, which Aunt Liu then embraced.

Immediately, Liu Yumei stepped over the threshold, holding her old dog's memorial tablet in her left hand and taking her granddaughter's hand in her right.

Liu Yumei wanted to turn back and look at the boy again, as if she wanted to say something more.

Ah Li tugged at my right hand.

Liu Yumei lowered her head and looked at her granddaughter.

Ah Li tilted her head to the side.

Liu Yumei ultimately said nothing more and stormed off.

Seeing this, Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu had no choice but to follow.

The wind was strong outside, and it started to rain.

But neither the wind nor the rain could penetrate Liu Yumei in the slightest; they all dispersed before touching her and A Li.

As they walked out of the village, leaving not only the area of ​​Siyuan Village but also the area of ​​Shinan Town, neither she nor A Li's skirts got wet, nor was their hair messed up at all.

Aunt Liu simply followed along, carrying the sword box, without saying a word.

Uncle Qin felt a deep, unyielding frustration build up in his chest. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to put it into words, because Xiao Yuan had given the order in a manner almost akin to that of the "head of the family."

"Let's go, let's leave here first and find a dry, sheltered place far away to rest for a while." Liu Yumei looked up and glanced at the feng shui and weather forecast. "The strong winds won't really arrive until midnight tonight."

Aunt Liu's eyes lit up, and she immediately chimed in, "The weather station said so too."

Liu Yumei: "I'm much more accurate than the weather station."

Uncle Qin seemed to have a premonition of something, looking at the mistress with hope in his eyes.

The solemnity and anger on Liu Yumei's face completely vanished at this moment; instead, a relaxed smile appeared on her face as she lowered her head and weighed the ancestral tablet she had taken out of her hand.

"Ha, I regretted it for decades back then because I listened to you; now you want me to regret it again? Dream on!"

They actually tried to intimidate me by using the old dog's memorial tablet?

Xiao Yuan,

Grandma's going to show you this time what it means to have the biggest temper in the world!

……

At this time, apart from Li Zhuiyuan, there was no one else in the main house, the east house, and the west house.

The boy walked onto the dam, letting the wind blow against him.

"Wang~"

Little Black came out of its den, feeling quite unfamiliar with the eerie, quiet atmosphere in the house.

This unease even prompted it to willingly walk such a long distance from the living room to the dam to look around, even without Chen Jing pursuing it.

Li Zhuiyuan squatted down.

Xiao Hei walked towards Li Zhuiyuan and nuzzled its head against the boy's hand.

Li Zhuiyuan stroked Xiao Hei's head as he spoke:

"Next, it's time to give myself..."

The funeral preparations are underway.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sorry, I've been up all night and can only write this much as I'm rushing to board the plane. I'll go to sleep as soon as I get there.

Today's update is also in this chapter. Don't wait up tonight, everyone! Hugs to you all!
(End of this chapter)