Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 399

Li Zhuiyuan: "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."

Liu Yumei: "You just woke up and haven't gone to see it yet. Once you go and see it for yourself, you'll definitely be able to see the problem."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "Time will erase many traces."

Especially since the other party wasn't targeting him, but rather Xiao Hei.

Although the results achieved are the same.

That lightning bolt almost killed him.

Liu Yumei: "Do you have any suspects?"

Li Zhuiyuan: Yes.

Liu Yumei laughed and said, "Oh, so fast?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Because the sample size is small."

Liu Yumei nodded, and said meaningfully, "You did the right thing. When you're out in the world, you should be more careful to be kind to others and leave fewer enemies in the world."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's all thanks to Grandma for teaching me so well."

Liu Yumei looked up and saw Uncle Qin carrying a hoe and walking back from the edge of the field in the distance.

This is a child giving himself face.

If she had truly understood this principle back then, she would have taught Ali to walk quietly across the river.

However, even with Ali's intelligence, it would be difficult for him to do something as silent as Xiao Yuan; not everyone has the ability to wrap fire in paper.

Not everyone can be like Xiao Yuan, tearing off the mask of the ruthless Zhao Yi of Jiujiang and using it as their own disguise.

Liu Yumei: "Alas, I was naive. I thought too highly of them."

She once thought she had seen through the ways of the world, but in reality, she had overestimated their bottom line.

Liu Yumei picked up her teacup again, gently scraping the surface of the water with the lid, and said self-deprecatingly:

"Weakness is the original sin. All the principles in this world, in the end, have to start from the perspective of strength and status. If you don't sit at the table, you will be placed on the table."

Li Zhuiyuan remained silent.

Liu Yumei: "First, outline the suspects in your area and give me your assessment."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

The boy didn't have many enemies in life.

To raise the bar even higher: one must be able to take advantage of the chaos caused by the typhoon caused by the giant turtle, accurately seize the moment when Grandma Liu and the others are preoccupied, see the key position of Xiao Hei in this scheme, have such a thorough understanding of the rules of heaven, and most importantly, have the motive to want oneself to die.

After this sifting, only one remains.

The one who set up the immortality scam at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

He has the ability and the motivation.

Moreover, to a certain extent, he was constantly being chased around by himself, not wanting the Heavenly Dao to "see" him through him.

However, he had one problem: he wasn't ready. He had even used the Zhou family's organization to help him improve himself, so he chose to avoid the Zhou family altogether.

Turning back so quickly and getting himself caught up in this wave is a bit out of character for him.

Because he is too good at being patient and too good at long-term planning.

Would someone who can play a game of chess over a thousand years suddenly be unable to resist turning around and giving themselves a good whack?
Li Zhuiyuan: "Fifty-fifty."

Liu Yumei: "Then they are not your enemies, but mine, belonging to both the Qin and Liu families."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma, isn't that my enemy too?"

Liu Yumei: "Hehehe, who knows, maybe they were allies of our two families back then?"

Li Zhuiyuan seemed to be deep in thought.

His river crossings were always very secretive, but being 100% secretive didn't mean he was undetectable. Sometimes, you didn't need to dive into the water to tell if there were fish in the river; you could just stand on the bank and glance at the surface.

In the wave of the Dream Ghost, the divination family that attacked him had a certain transcendent status in the martial arts world. In the end, the Fengdu Emperor issued a decree to uproot that family. Grandma Liu even had Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu make a special trip to plow the land again.

But that family actually had no reason to target Li Zhuiyuan; it was just a pawn pushed out by another powerful force behind the scenes.

Liu Yumei: "You still don't have a real understanding of the heritage of our two families; but you've been to that other family, even if it's been overturned for sixty years, the atmosphere there is different."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Indeed."

Liu Yumei: "Our family is like a sprained ankle. To put it bluntly, all we're left with is the ability to risk our lives to make people bleed and be afraid of us. Other families are different."

Leaving aside distant matters, the old man of the Chen family suddenly fell ill, and the Chen family girl had to rush back beforehand. Isn't that another kind of perception?

Paper can contain fire, but it can't contain light.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes. Old Master Chen's illness should be cured now."

Liu Yumei: "How could he have any serious illness? Chen Yatou once drew a picture of his grandparents that they look like now. Although they are old, they live a comfortable and healthy life. They are like they are racing against the tortoise."

Li Zhuiyuan: "She painted it in my room. After she finished, she gave me and A Li feedback. You can tell from the painting that the old couple have a very good relationship."

Liu Yumei: "That's why people say the most comfortable match for living together is one shrewd person and one simple-minded person."

Li Zhuiyuan: "So, Grandma, do you have a specific target on your end?"

Liu Yumei: "That's a bit much. Don't laugh at me, but Grandma's health is really failing. Suddenly doing things like you young people makes me feel like I can't keep up."

I want to make a calculation, but I'm currently powerless to do so.

Otherwise, Grandma has already sent Ali to scout ahead.”

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandma, in the future, things like this..."

The boy tried to phrase his words as tactfully as possible.

He had just woken up and was unaware that Uncle Qin had already kowtowed under his bed, nor that Aunt Liu had also been brought over by Uncle Qin and kowtowed as well.

Liu Yumei raised her hand directly and said bluntly, "You weren't awake yet at that time, and I was worried that you might not wake up."

Alright, now that you're awake, let's establish some rules today.

Your Aunt Liu is in charge of receiving all the family's communications with the outside world, as well as some secrets of the underworld; they are kept in the drawer under the altar.

"You must not peek! The drawer is protected by a seal, and is guarded by the ancestral tablets of past generations. To look through it without permission is to betray your master and ancestors."

"Yes, I won't."

"The sign for Wangjiang Tower is with you. There are many other signs like that under your Aunt Liu's bed. There are many snakes, insects, rats and ants there, and they are all poisonous."

If you try to steal, even a single bite could ruin your frail, untrained body. So, you absolutely mustn't even think of doing anything wicked.

"No, I wouldn't dare."

“From now on, I will handle all the family’s external affairs, whether verbal or written, and reply to them on your behalf. You don’t like these meaningless social interactions anyway.”

However, if anyone in the family needs to go out to do something, they must get your approval first.

Including me.

Li Zhuiyuan hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

"Hehehehe..."

Liu Yumei smiled happily.

What Qin family's young mistress, what Liu family's eldest daughter—she has completely handed over this responsibility today.

Someone will take care of managing and protecting the household; someone will plan for revenge later.

As an elder, all she had to do was wait for her fellow elders to come over each day to chat and play cards with her.

What should have been a solemn transfer of power unfolded and was completed in such an almost casual manner on this ordinary morning.

Just like Li Zhuiyuan's initiation ceremony, which should have been held in the ancestral home and invited many martial arts masters to attend, Liu Yumei held it in a small room in the family compound.

Liu Yumei: "Grandma, did I teach too much?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's alright, it's just..."

Liu Yumei interrupted first: "That's fine. I won't take back what I've handed over."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Liu Yumei: "It's just that I'm sorry to trouble you. There are few people in the family now, and as the head of both families, you can't assign many people, haha."

Li Zhuiyuan also laughed.

Liu Yumei: "However, the small population is still a problem."

Seeing Uncle Qin already walking onto the dam, Liu Yumei deliberately lowered her voice to prevent it from being heard from the outside:
"Don't laugh at me, but I thought these two had grown up together and things would naturally fall into place. But I was wrong. They're just too familiar with each other, so I can't bring myself to do it."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It depends on fate."

Grandma Liu could talk freely about the private matters of the two elders, but Li Zhuiyuan was not comfortable taking the call.

Moreover, the boy could tell that Grandma Liu was "using the past to satirize the present" and "nipping problems in the bud."

She was terrified that she and Ah Li would repeat the same mistakes and relive the old story of Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu.

Seeing that Xiao Yuan wasn't taking the bait, Liu Yumei simply brought it up herself:

“I used to believe that too, until I met that shameless old dog.”

Li Zhuiyuan touched his face and said sincerely:
"Grandma, I'm trying to grow thicker."

"Hehehe..." Liu Yumei laughed again, this time bending over with laughter. She thought that Xiao Yuan was reassuring her.

The person most adept at contradicting themselves is often themselves.

In her youth, Miss Liu was incredibly rebellious, disdainful of the arrangements and manipulations of her elders. But as she grew older, she longed to manipulate such "arranged marriages."

If conditions allowed, she would have even gone so far as to bring out her old feudalistic ideas and arrange a marriage between children.

Uncle Qin walked to the dam and placed the hoe against the wall.

He couldn't help but smile when he looked at Xiao Yuan.

A weight has finally been lifted from my heart.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Good morning, Uncle Qin."

"Good morning, Xiao Yuan."

After rinsing his feet at the well, Uncle Qin went into the kitchen to brew the medicine.

My original intention was to stay on the dam for a while longer, but I felt it was a bit inappropriate to just stand there and smile like an idiot.

Li Zhuiyuan steered the conversation back on track, saying, "There were two people who probably saw who made the move."

Liu Yumei's gaze sharpened, she lowered her head and took a sip of tea, and said:

"Then you'll have to ask them."

"I'll go after I've had breakfast."

"Ask a few?"

"two."

"Is the second one still there?"

"She should be here."

"Heh, she's really daring."

"I hope she dares."

“Your men are still recovering from their injuries, and you’re in this state. Let that blockhead in the kitchen go with you.”

"It's not that bad... Alright then."

Li Zhuiyuan mainly considered that he had indeed provoked Uncle Qin too much in the previous wave, and he needed to make amends.

Liu Yumei called out to the kitchen, "Ali."

"exist!"

"Take some time this morning to accompany Xiaoyuan out to buy soy sauce."

"……it is good."

"Ah~~~~"

Li Sanjiang yawned as he walked downstairs.

Liu Yumei really envied him.

This old bastard went to Xiting to drink with his old friends when the incident happened. He drank all night and was a little shocked when he came back, so he just fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know that his great-grandson had almost died, or even that Xiao Yuan had ever been lying down.

However, if you insist that he didn't do anything, that won't work.

But if he can even do something like this, and do it so efficiently...

Liu Yumei asked casually, almost instinctively, "Am I underestimating it?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Liu Yumei focused her gaze on the boy's face and looked at him carefully.

"Grandma, how much lower is the estimate exactly?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It doesn't matter whether we're high or low now, we're all family now anyway."

Liu Yumei breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "Yes, that makes sense."

After Li Sanjiang went downstairs, he first did a classic stretching and spitting motion, and then, taking advantage of the fresh morning air, lit a cigarette to pollute his lungs.

But his ears were always perked up.

Li Sanjiang: "We're family, but your little girl is someone I've watched grow up. We both know what problems she has."

We don't care about that. As long as the kids play well together, that's fine. Besides, I like this little girl too.

But we have to agree on this first: when the time comes, you, old lady, can't ask for an exorbitant amount.

My house and that bearded man's house over there were both given to Xiao Yuanhou. I know that houses in the countryside aren't worth much.

To be honest, I've saved enough money to buy a house in Nantong city center outright, but I haven't bought one yet because I'm worried that my son won't be working or living in Nantong in the future.

Let's keep saving money now, so that we can afford to send our little Yuanhou to whichever big city he wants in the future.

We're already this old, and this is all we can do before we go to our graves.

You're not young anymore, you don't do any work, you're lazy and love to eat, and you spend all your time gambling. Not only do you gamble, but you also lose money every day.

But let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart, my dear sister, when you get to a certain age and your health declines, even if you have money, you won't be able to hold onto it. Instead, others will start eyeing you, and they'll be very malicious.

If you just relax a little more about what will happen to your two children, my little Yuanhou, as you know, will definitely appreciate your kindness.

Money will become less and less valuable, but human relationships will become more and more expensive.

A lazy person like you, who doesn't work, will definitely live a long life and enjoy good relationships for a long time. It's a good deal!

Liu Yumei turned her head away.

She couldn't be bothered to argue with that old man.

However, if it were someone else, describing their Ah Li as a deaf-mute girl with mental problems...

She had already dismembered that person and lit his soul lamp long ago.

But coming from the old man's mouth, she really couldn't get angry. From the old man's perspective, it was already quite remarkable that he didn't look down on her.

However, in Li Sanjiang's eyes, Grandma Liu's "not arguing with him and trying her best to calm her breathing" was:
Sigh, it seems this materialistic old lady is still unwilling to budge on the bride price.

Before Pear Blossom could make breakfast, Ah Li brought out the poached eggs with brown sugar.

With so many eggs and so much sticky sugar, Liu Yumei felt a pang of sympathy for Xiao Yuan.

As a result, Xiao Yuan took the chopsticks and ate the egg and sugar one bite at a time, and finished the whole thing.

Liu Yumei made up her mind that once Ating recovered, she would have Ating teach Ali how to cook.

I don't expect Ah Li to be a great cook; she can prepare all three meals herself. At least she should know how to make a few decent snacks and late-night meals.

Otherwise, Liu Yumei was really afraid that if A Li kept feeding her brown sugar and poached eggs, she would give the current heads of the Qin and Liu families diabetes.

This bowl was so filling that Li Zhuiyuan didn't need to eat breakfast at all.

He wanted to go to the bearded man's house as soon as possible to see everyone and also to ask one of the potential witnesses.

Uncle Qin was originally going to go with them, but when he saw Ah Li help Xiao Yuan down the dam, he stopped.

Liu Yumei raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Hey, this wood seems to be showing signs of blooming.

Just then, Li Sanjiang went to a small cubicle to light incense.

Liu Yumei began to speak:

“Ali.”

"Ah."

“Ah Ting is not young anymore.”

"Ah."

"She's actually an old maid all along."

"Ah."

“I’m thinking of making some arrangements for her, finding a suitable man outside. I can’t bear to see her marry out, so let her move in with us. What do you think?”

The next "hmm" got stuck in Uncle Qin's throat, and he couldn't utter it.

Liu Yumei continued, talking to herself, "I think it's great, really great."

Uncle Qin lowered his head.

Liu Yumei fell silent. She dared not provoke him any further. If she really pushed him too far, and he actually blurted out "good," then she would be completely finished.

Just then, Pear Blossom arrived carrying Benben on her back.

It struggled with all its might, using both its hands and feet.

Pear Blossom greeted, "Good morning, Madam."

"Mm." Liu Yumei smiled at Benben.

Benben stopped struggling and returned Liu Yumei's lovely smile.

Pear Blossom: "Is Young Master Yuan feeling any better? People over there are very concerned, so they asked me to come and ask when Young Master Yuan will wake up."

Liu Yumei: "Did you see Ali when you first arrived?"

Pear Blossom: "I saw Miss A-Li and greeted her. She was helping Young Master Yuan over there, hehe."

Liu Yumei: "Then why are you still asking?"

Pear Blossom was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Liu Yumei: "From now on, please don't take the child with you so easily, because I'm afraid you might forget about the child someday."

Pear Blossom hurriedly waved her hands guiltily, "No, no, my son is my precious darling. I brought him here specifically to keep the young master and young lady entertained. Since the young master and young lady aren't home right now, then I..."

Liu Yumei: "Let's put it in the room upstairs first."

"okay."

Pear Blossom went upstairs and put Benben in Li Zhuiyuan's room. She stuffed a full baby bottle and some snacks that Benben was usually forbidden to eat.

"Son, be good, earn your own future, or as your father would say, strive for progress."

After offering encouragement, Rika left the room and went downstairs to prepare breakfast.

Benben threw down the baby bottle and snacks in his arms and struggled to climb towards the screen door.

Before it even touched the screen door, the painting inside the tube flew up on its own and enveloped Benben.

Benben was dragged to the back of the room, his face filled with despair.

……

"Goodbye, Brother Yuanhou, Sister Ali, I'm going to school now!"

On the way, I met Cuicui, who was sitting in her mother's car on her way to school.

When they arrived at Big Beard's house, Zhao Yi was lying on the railing by the dam with a stem in his mouth.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Can those who want the surname Li come back to life?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm afraid it's unlikely."

"Then you're happy."

"We should be happy, we should have a four-day banquet."

"Four days is unlucky."

"My wedding banquet is in three days, but I've already held it in advance. I'm reserving one day for the person surnamed Li."

Zhao Yi sat up and looked at Li Zhuiyuan, who was standing alive in front of him.

"I knew you wouldn't die."

"Next time might be different." "I'm looking forward to it."

"Brother Yuan!" Chen Jing pushed the wheelchair over forcefully.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Zhao Yi deliberately asked from the side, "Hey Li, are you regretting it?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yeah, I regret it."

Chen Jing blushed, but managed to suppress his laughter.

Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs to visit his injured comrade.

Tan Wenbin has not fully recovered. He can do some basic thinking, but he is still a bit dazed, lying in bed as if contemplating life. Fortunately, it is not a big problem and he just needs some time.

Runsheng's condition is a side effect of the compounded injuries causing his ventilators to open completely; he is still unable to get out of bed.

Lin Shuyou was in a similar situation, his body wrapped in bandages. The others were taken care of by Lao Tian, ​​while Zhao Yi personally changed Ayou's dressings every day.

In that "world," his companions bought him precious time and distance; otherwise, Li Zhuiyuan would have had no way to escape.

However, although the boy is now the first in the team to be able to stand up, he is inherently weak and unable to provide any treatment for them.

Fortunately, Zhao Yi was very attentive to this. He favored Ayou, but he made all the treatment plans for everyone.

The last person to visit was Chen Xiyuan.

Chen Xiyuan recovered the best. When Li Zhuiyuan came in, she was lying on the bed with her legs crossed, holding a persimmon cake in her left hand and a walnut pastry in her right.

Under other people's beds are various medicine stoves and medicines waiting to be decocted, while she has sacks and sacks of snacks.

When Chen Xiyuan saw Li Zhuiyuan come in, she deliberately ignored him.

She was still angry that her younger brother hadn't left her behind to share the hardships.

But upon seeing Ah Li, Chen Xiyuan immediately smiled, got out of bed, and although she was a little unsteady on her feet, she still took out snacks and enthusiastically shared them with Ah Li.

Li Zhuiyuan: "How is your grandfather's health?"

Chen Xiyuan: "I've contacted them. They've passed the critical period and have even started drinking."

Li Zhuiyuan: "That's good."

Chen Xiyuan: "You knew all along, didn't you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes."

Chen Xiyuan: "But you still deliberately didn't tell me, trying to get me away."

Li Zhuiyuan: "That's your grandfather."

Chen Xiyuan: "The spirits of our ancestors are still alive in our family. If even the spirits of our ancestors cannot protect my grandfather and he passes away due to a sudden illness, it doesn't matter whether I go back or not."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Only you can say that, I can't."

Chen Xiyuan: "If I hadn't taken out the ID card that Grandpa Li had left with me from my backpack, I would have really left and wouldn't have come back."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you think people would carry their ID cards with them all the time or just leave them lying around? Guess who put them there?"

Chen Xiyuan immediately beamed with delight: "Haha!"

The knot in my heart immediately disappeared.

Li Zhuiyuan said he had other things to do, and then, with A Li's help, he took his leave.

As they went downstairs, Zhao Yi, who was standing upstairs, deliberately made a sarcastic remark:
"You, surnamed Li, are really good at fooling girls."

What did I lie to her about?

That ID card was accidentally left in by my great-grandfather, because he was busy signing new land contracts those two days and had kept his ID card in his pocket the whole time.

Zhao Yi: "Heh, listen to this, tsk tsk, damn it, I even have to take the blame for your reputation as someone who can deceive women!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Can you lie to her?"

Zhao Yi was speechless.

You might think this Miss Chen is stupid, and she really is. But if you try to fool her, there's a high chance she'll smash your head in with her flute.

Throughout the entire process, Ah Li focused solely on supporting the young man, ignoring and ignoring Zhao Yi.

Watching the boy and girl go downstairs together, turn the corner, and walk out of the house, Zhao Yi leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs, took out his pipe, and put it in his mouth.

His gaze fell on Chen Xiyuan's room on the same floor.

Given Li's style, he would immediately repay anyone who helped him afterward. However, during the previous visit, Li did not mention the previously agreed-upon trip to Hainan.

Mr. Li preferred to use ambiguous language to make Ms. Chen happy rather than mention going to Hainan after recovering his health.

Zhao Yi smacked his lips a few times with the pipe, which spontaneously combusted. He exhaled two thick wisps of smoke from his nose, thinking to himself:

"Could it be that the man surnamed Li suspects the Chen family of Qiongya was involved in this matter?"

Zhao Yi pulled a handful of charred crops from his pocket. He had seen Old Madam Liu take a handful and leave that day, so he returned and took a handful as well.

When the man surnamed Li arrived, he had something he picked from the side of that mine pit in his mouth.

After researching for a long time, I couldn't figure anything out. In the end, I had no choice but to taste it.

If that lightning bolt was the work of another force secretly involved...

Zhao Yi took out the "Code of Conduct for Walking Along the River" from his pocket with his other hand.

"So it has nothing to do with you?"

Zhao Yi kissed the handwritten copy.

A-Li helped Li Zhuiyuan to the edge of the peach grove.

The peach blossoms in the grove are not as lush and vibrant as they used to be, but they still look beautiful.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled at the girl, and the girl let go of his hand.

The boy staggered to the first peach tree, bracing himself against the trunk for balance, and said:

"Help me."

Each peach tree sends out a branch that bends downwards, forming a handrail along the boy's path forward.

There was also a long, flexible branch that gently wrapped around the boy's waist to prevent him from falling.

"Thank you."

After thanking him, Li Zhuiyuan slowly walked inside.

On the balcony of the second-floor stairwell of the bearded man's house behind him, Zhao Yi, who witnessed this scene, took several deep drags on his cigarette, smoke even spilling from his eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan slowly walked to the edge of the pool, where Qing'an sat with many jars of wine in front of him.

Su Luo was busy carrying the wine, jar by jar, into the wooden house.

The boy sat down and said:

"Thank you."

Qing An: "You're welcome. I didn't intend to save you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I only care about the results."

Qing An: "It turns out that I only acted because I thought you were already dead."

Li Zhuiyuan: "But when you realized I wasn't dead, you didn't just leave."

Qing An: "Why should I let that bastard get away with this?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "So I still have to thank you, just like how you protected Nantong for two years regardless of your subjective intentions."

Qing An: "You came here just to thank me?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No, there's something I want to ask you."

Qing'an: "You got away with not paying for the drinks once, but this time, you'll have to make it up to me double."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Why should I make up for it?"

Qing'an: "You have something you want to ask me."

Li Zhuiyuan: "What I'm asking is whether anyone else came in that day, or if someone else was involved. You're not willing to let that bastard get away with it, but would you be willing to let that person get away with it?"
Since that person dared to do that, they clearly don't take you seriously.

Qing An stared coldly at the boy.

The next moment, he raised his hand, splashing water from the pool and soaking Li Zhuiyuan.

"hiss……"

Li Zhuiyuan's body began to tremble.

"So weak?"

"Yes, it needs to be typhoid fever."

With a flick of her finger, Qing An presented a peach-shaped bowl made of flower petals to Li Zhuiyuan, which contained warm wine.

Without hesitation, the boy drank it all in his hands.

The chill disappeared, leaving only warmth.

Qing An: "I don't like to reason, I just want snacks to go with my drinks."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Trust me, give me some more time to sort things out, and I can give you back your favorite feast."

Qing An: "Do you think I'm a child?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't lie to other children."

Ripples spread across the pool, and when it finally calmed down, a dark shadow could be seen in the water.

When Grandma Liu and the others entered that "world" through their red threads, Qing An was still outside. Although he was underground, he was not completely unaware of it.

He really did see it.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Is he wearing a black robe that can conceal his identity?"

Qing An: "Kid, I can tell you came here with answers. Do you still need to ask me?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

This person wasn't wearing a black robe, nor was he trying to conceal himself. The reason we could only see a blurry black shadow was because...

He opened a domain!

Li Zhuiyuan struggled to his feet.

Qing'an: "Gone?"

"Okay, I'm off. I need to find a high-resolution version of the photo now."

Qing An: "At that time, I could only choose one of the two options."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

You can either stop the giant tortoise or stop this person.

Qing'an chose the giant tortoise.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Qing'an: "You said thank you again."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's something I should say."

The young man looked at Su Luo, who was still moving wine jars, and slowly said:
"When you were underground, your face was still Su Luo's, wasn't it?"

Qing An's lips curled slightly, and she tilted her head back without smiling.

Su Luo was exceptionally talented in life, but he had never crossed the river and had never even seen much of the world, so he was the easiest to fool.

In that "world", as soon as Qing An realized that she was still alive, she switched to Su Luo's face.

So what exactly made Qing'an believe that he was dead?
Unless, long ago, he switched to a face that was obviously easy to fool.

Qing'an picked up a hollow peach branch, dipped it into the wine jar in front of her, took a sip, then tossed aside her long hair that had been covering her face, and said:

"Don't talk nonsense. Do you have any evidence?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head:
I have no evidence.

But I know that those who have followed Wei Zhengdao have seen all sorts of situations and participated in all sorts of schemes.

My little tricks are nothing more than children playing house in their eyes.

Qing An lowered his head and carefully examined the wine jar. He said to Su Luo, "Go tell her to show up at that wine shop tonight and scare the whole family. They've gone mad, daring to sell fake wine!"

Li Zhuiyuan turned and left.

The boy deliberately quickened his pace, and the branches wrapped around his waist were also very considerate in pushing him forward.

After the boy left the peach grove, Su Luo ran over, picked up the wine vessel, took a sip of the wine, and nodded, saying:

"It must be that the large wine vat in the wine shop cracked, releasing a lot of the wine's murderous aura."

I told her to go to the liquor store owner during the day and remind him that it was unnecessarily lowering the quality of the liquor.

Qing'an raised the wine jar, tilted his head back, and drank it down in one gulp.

After finishing the whole jar, his hair was wet, his clothes were wet, and even his eyes were wet.

He looked at Su Luo with blurry, drunken eyes and said:

"This is...good wine!"

……

With Ah Li's help, Li Zhuiyuan left the bearded man's house.

The roar of a motorcycle could be heard, and it stopped as it approached.

Pan Zi was driving, and Lei Zi was sitting in the back.

The car was borrowed from a coworker whose family is relatively well-off; I'll be using it for a couple of days.

These days, motorcycles are not uncommon and can be seen everywhere, but it is still a bit difficult for ordinary families to own one. As for four-wheeled cars, they are something that people don't even dare to dream of.

People like Panzi and Leizi usually commute from Shinan Town to Xingren Town by bicycle, a journey of nearly forty miles, requiring them to leave early and return late.

I stopped because I wanted to show off a little and mention that I could take Yuanzi out for a walk tonight and have some barbecue or fried skewers.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Brother Pan, Brother Lei, can I borrow this motorcycle for a day?"

This is an unreasonable request. Even if Li Zhuiyuan were willing to pay for the car rental and the bus fare for the two of them, the two older brothers would not accept it.

But Li Zhuiyuan still spoke up.

It's not easy to borrow a place to relax for two days, so I have to cover for that coworker and say some flattering things to him on weekdays.

However, Pan Zi readily agreed.

When Li Zhuiyuan returned to the dam, Uncle Qin was sitting there shelling soybeans, putting the shells in a basket and dropping the soybeans on the ground.

"Uncle Qin".

"Hey!"

"let's go."

"it is good!"

Uncle Qin stood up, then quickly sat down, picked up the edamame, and washed it clean with well water.

Then, Uncle Qin pushed out that old-fashioned bicycle.

He wanted to pick up the boy and put him on the front bar, but Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

That's a seat for little kids; it's not appropriate for him to sit there now.

Uncle Qin placed the boy on the back seat.

Instead of riding on the path, he pushed the motorcycle along. When he reached the village road and was about to get on, Uncle Qin saw a motorcycle parked under a big tree by the roadside.

"Uncle Qin, ride this one."

Is it appropriate?

"I borrowed it."

Uncle Qin smiled.

The helmet was put on Li Zhuiyuan, and Uncle Qin drove the car very fast.

It felt like we were back on that night when Uncle Qin rode his motorcycle with the boy to the riverbank.

This time, however, the car was parked downstairs at the Nantong Grand Hotel.

Uncle Qin looked up and his gaze locked onto a room on the ninth floor.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't ask Uncle Qin to wait for him outside, and Uncle Qin naturally followed the boy inside.

I never saw Yu Shu again; the typhoon was over, and so was he.

The elevator went up and stopped on the ninth floor.

Uncle Qin glanced around, and the array master in that room immediately coughed up blood and slid off his chair; at the end of the corridor, a black mist overflowed and quickly dissipated, "spitting out" a black shadow, clutching his chest, and kneeling on the ground.

Uncle Qin looked slightly puzzled; he hadn't sensed any causal backlash.

He touched his nose.

This shows that even without him, these two people would not harm Xiaoyuan.

When Li Zhuiyuan passed by the two people, he sincerely apologized to them.

The boy didn't blame Uncle Qin for his reckless actions, after all, Uncle Qin was still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder related to the soy sauce bottle incident.

However, those two were indeed not angry. With just a glance and a slight hint of their aura, they broke through their formation and concealment, severely injuring them. In the entire martial arts world, they could be considered legendary figures.

Li Zhuiyuan apologized to them, and they bowed to Uncle Qin with respect and excitement.

They even said thank you, thinking he was a mysterious senior who was giving them guidance on their cultivation.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the door of room 909, and without knocking, turned the handle and opened the door.

Li Lan has indeed not left yet.

She remained seated in that sofa chair, sipping the utterly awful coffee her friend had given her.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Uncle, this is my mother."

Uncle Qin: "Yes, I know what I'm doing."

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan really hoped that Uncle Qin would be as measured as before.

Although the boy knew that killing this Li Lan now would be pointless, the real Li Lan should already be in the sea, fighting with the giant turtle.

The morning radio broadcast reported that the red tide along the coast of Qidong, caused by the typhoon, is continuously moving deeper into the East China Sea.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in.

Uncle Qin stood at the door, shielding himself from all five senses, but retaining an absolute sense of crisis.

The boy sat down opposite Li Lan.

"It seems my son has successfully completed the game, and won beautifully."

Li Lan looked at the boy in front of her with a loving yet proud expression and continued,
"Because Mom knows that if anyone dies along the way, not to mention a dog, you won't give Mom a chance to speak."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you ever thought about something?"

Li Lan: "What is it?"

Li Zhuiyuan took out the wallet Li Lan had given him, along with the two bills, and placed them on the coffee table.

"Have you ever considered that the prophecies in these two paintings might be true?"

Li Lan still had a smile on her face.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you ever considered that even if you were involved, the outcome wouldn't change? In fact, your involvement might even become the catalyst for the prophecy to come true?"

Li Lan: "You shouldn't believe in this kind of thing."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It depends on whether I'm willing or not."

Li Lan: "If everything goes smoothly, it will no longer cause you any trouble; if not, at least until you come of age, it will be powerless to come ashore and target you again."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Take it out."

Li Lan: "My son and I are truly in sync. I do have a gift for you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "If you had nothing to give me, you wouldn't still be staying in Nantong now."

Li Lan: "Two gifts. The first is the pocket watch your father gave me, which I've already given you. The second gift is this..."

Li Lan took a roll of paper from behind her and placed it on the coffee table, spreading it out.

This is a painting. Li Lan's painting skills are at the master level. It is very realistic and delicate, much clearer than what I could see in the peach grove and pond.

Because at the time, besides Qing'an, there was a second eyewitness, and that was... the giant tortoise.

The giant tortoise had the best perspective during that typhoon, and its eyes were the brightest.

Perhaps even the person who secretly made the move never expected that they would be able to obtain traces of him from that "big turtle".

“You are my son, a piece of my flesh and blood. Using you and stepping on you to climb up makes me feel guilty and uneasy; but what kind of thing is this, daring to sneak in and interfere? Does he even deserve to do this?”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the painting; the person in the painting was...

Chen Xiyuan's grandfather.

(End of this chapter)