Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 420

This is indeed Liu Qingcheng's style.

Let's first exclude Wei Zhengdao, whose score is either the highest or lowest, since it's unclear.

Let's calculate the average score for comparison.

Among all the Dragon Kings throughout history, Liu Qingcheng belongs to the most special category.

Her companion died on the river, and she held a grudge. After becoming the Dragon King, she took up her sword and went to wipe out each of her enemies' entire families.

In this respect, Li Zhuiyuan was not qualified to criticize her, after all, although he was still young, he already had a full set of household registration documents.

Li Zhuiyuan once suspected that she might be deliberately using this method to vent her dissatisfaction with the fate and destiny of heaven.

But after the giant turtle incident, while drinking tea and enjoying the cool evening air, Grandma Liu told me many stories about her past with Grandpa Qin.

The boy learned that when Grandpa Qin went to visit the Liu family ancestral hall, Liu Qingcheng's spirit of the Dragon King was released from the memorial tablet and cut off the beard of the Liu family elder who opposed the marriage.

Only then did Li Zhuiyuan realize that Liu Qingcheng, who could now be considered his "ancestor," was indeed like this in his nature.

Just like what she did here.

If she had acted as the Dragon King and issued a decree ordering these five immortals to guard this place, they would have accepted and would have been extremely grateful.

But she seemed afraid that they would change their minds, or that they would "change their minds" over time, so she would cut and piece them together, put them here, and then suppress them with the sword energy she left behind.

As long as her sword energy doesn't dissipate, and these five immortals dare to break up and abandon their posts, then the sword energy will fall and directly shatter their merit bodies.

It's no wonder that these five broken statues always exude a faint sense of melancholy. They did such great things, yet they lost the most precious emotional value of fulfillment.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, palm facing the sword energy on the wall, and activated the Liu Clan Qi Observation Technique.

The sword energy was calmed down and stopped being agitated.

The old man beside him breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the wall and gave a meaningless introduction:

“This was left to me by my elders.”

The old man first bowed to the wall, then bowed to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan responded with the Liu family's traditional courtesy.

The old man said, "I...cough...this humble old man, on behalf of the villagers of this area, thank the Dragon King Liu for his kindness in saving us from disaster back then!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Without this Five Immortals Temple, and without the generations of spirit mediums who sacrificed themselves to protect it, this place would not be peaceful."

Discuss the deeds but not the heart.

In fact, applying this statement to these five statues is inappropriate and unfair.

If these five immortals did not have the heart to save the world and help others, and had been forcibly bound here for so many years, unable to leave, this temple would not have been filled with faint resentment, but with overwhelming resentment.

This precisely demonstrates that Liu Qingcheng made a mistake.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around, facing the five statues, first performing the Liu family's traditional greeting, then bowing deeply:
“My ancestors acted carelessly and without proper consideration. I apologize to the five immortals.”

Not all members of the Liu family who know the Liu Family Qi Observation Technique can receive a response from the Dragon King's sword energy. The fact that Li Zhuiyuan received a response shows that he has a very high legal status within the Liu family.

Therefore, his apology carries considerable weight and represents the Liu family's sincerity.

next moment,
The faint melancholy in the temple dissipated, replaced by an aura of righteousness and peace emanating from every statue.

The surroundings, which were originally dark at night, seemed to have become much brighter than before.

Liu Qingcheng had given them benefits back then, and the merit of suppressing evil spirits has been continuously bestowed upon them.

Li Zhuiyuan's apology just now made up for the emotional value they should have received.

From this day forward, all the lingering resentment in their hearts has completely vanished, and they can proudly declare that they have voluntarily established this temple here to suppress evil spirits, acting entirely from their own hearts!
The old man smiled, and he could almost hear the joyful laughter of the immortals.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the old man: "You..."

Old man: "You can call me Ah Bai, or Xiao Bai."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mr. Bai."

Old man: "Hey, young master Liu."

Li Zhuiyuan did not explain the issue of surnames, but stated directly:
"I think it's time to completely resolve the issues here."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Bai showed no surprise, even though he knew what the complete resolution of the matter here meant for the future of the Five Immortals Temple.

“Young Master Liu, I think this matter should not be rushed and should be discussed at length.”

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mr. Bai, things are possible with human effort. It's been so long, I don't believe this evil spirit can make a comeback. Besides, I have always considered it my responsibility to help finish the deeds of my ancestors, and it is also to preserve the name of my Dragon King Liu."

Mr. Bai: "Young Master Liu, may I have a word with you in private? I'll have someone serve you tea right away."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay."

Mr. Bai led Li Zhuiyuan to the side of the temple, where there was a small pavilion. After arranging for the young man to take a seat, Mr. Bai went outside and instructed the other elders to prepare tea and food to entertain Young Master Liu's entourage.

Li Zhuiyuan also heard Mr. Bai outside asking the old men and women in the temple if anyone knew how to fix a car so he could go down and fix it.

The elderly men and women looked at each other in bewilderment. Many of them had been in seclusion in temples for thirty years, and had rarely even seen a car, let alone repaired one.

Finally, an old man who had repaired donkey carts in his youth volunteered to go down and take a look.

Mr. Bai brought in tea and food, and placed them on the pavilion table.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan listened to Mr. Bai's story while eating.

After explaining the background, Mr. Bai began to describe the peculiar aspects of the matter.

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan was a little worried that Mr. Bai's description was too detailed and made the difficulty too high, which would make him lose his motivation to insist on entering that mountain stream.

In "The Book Without Words," Wei Zhengdao was able to deceive it, and so was Li Zhuiyuan.

But you can't mistake it for a silly roe deer from the local forest.

If it's truly a perilous journey with nine out of ten chances of survival... and someone insists on going despite being in the waves, then the plot will be exposed.

Previously, if Mr. Bai had deliberately concealed the truth for the sake of the temple's own interests and encouraged him to take risks, Li Zhuiyuan would have been happy to see it.

But the temple here is just too upright, so upright that Mr. Bai is willing to sacrifice the temple's interests to consider his own.

Fortunately, Mr. Bai was also unaware of the actual situation in the mountain stream.

Many years ago, the Five Immortals Temple felt that the evil spirit had been suppressed for so long and was about to give out. So they gathered the strongest group of shamans of the time and invited other sects and forces in the surrounding area to assist them, forming a team to completely eliminate the hidden danger.

As a result, none of the "strong and well-equipped" troops who went in came out.

Since then, the Five Immortals Temple has never sent anyone deep inside again, but has only set up defenses around the area to specifically hunt down any evil creatures that escape from inside.

Based on the temple records and his observations over the past half-life, Mr. Bai gave three reasons for hoping that Li Zhuiyuan would consider the matter at length:
Firstly, from his youth until now, the mountain spirits and monsters that have emerged from the mountain streams have generally been of similar strength. Some are easy to deal with, while others are troublesome, but none are too outrageous.

But how could these slain evil spirits remain in a stable state, or continue to weaken until they disappear, or break through their cage and keep recovering and strengthening?
Secondly, the weather and climate of this place have remained unchanged for many years. Even in the event of extreme weather, this area remains unaffected.

Thirdly, there are two fixed days each year when the mountain stream becomes very "lively," appearing from afar like it's decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and upon closer listening, one can faintly hear people drinking and laughing.

All three reasons point to one thing: the evil spirits within remain, and they are quite at ease and adept at handling them.

It has always maintained the intensity of its external confrontation at a level it deems appropriate, neither being overly ostentatious nor allowing itself to be disturbed.

It still has a high degree of control over the environment inside.

It even has the inclination to... pursue a spiritual life.

After listening, Li Zhuiyuan said, "It is strange, but if it can really come out, there is no reason why it shouldn't. And if, as you predicted, Mr. Bai, it is indeed preparing calmly, then we can no longer sit idly by and raise a tiger to cause trouble."

Mr. Bai: "Young Master Liu is right. However, if you really intend to go down and completely eliminate this scoundrel, could you please wait a little longer? This old man can gather the experts in the temple and call on the surrounding clans and sects to help you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "My time is very precious right now. To be honest, I stumbled into this place while on my way here, and I didn't come here intentionally. Besides, sometimes too many people can easily cause chaos, so I prefer to do things with only my own people."

Mr. Bai: "But..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I promised Mr. Bai that I would explore step by step. If the situation inside becomes really critical, I will not force myself and will retreat when necessary."

Seeing that the young man had made up his mind, Mr. Bai nodded and said, "The old man will lead the temple staff to wait on the outskirts. If Young Master Liu needs anything, send a message immediately, and we will go in right away to provide full support for Young Master Liu!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Thank you."

Mr. Bai: "It is this old man who wants to express his gratitude to you and to Dragon King Liu. Perhaps it is the will of Heaven that the Dragon King's court has not forgotten our little place."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It is my duty and responsibility."

After the conversation ended, Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the temple.

Outside, Runsheng and his group had already eaten and rested.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's go down and take a look."

Everyone immediately shouldered their backpacks and walked down a mountain path next to the Five Immortals Temple.

Watching them leave, Mr. Bai couldn't help but sigh:
"The Dragon King's family truly lives up to its name."

……

The path down was quite easy to walk on at first, and it was clear that it had been repaired and maintained. Moreover, it was surrounded by many array formations and restrictions, and you could see many sentry posts and guard posts used by patrol personnel.

But after continuing down, there is no path in the traditional sense. It means we have entered a core area that shamans would not venture into, and we have to rely on Runsheng to clear the way with a Yellow River shovel.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiao Yuan, there's some 'movement' around."

The commotion wasn't specific; it was more like a series of gazes were being cast over, watching closely.

After traveling for a while, their spying gradually turned into actual action. The surrounding woods seemed to be consciously "growing" in their direction.

Runsheng swung the Yellow River shovel with increased force, cutting off a large area with each shovel stroke, while the venom splattering from the vines and branches was blown away by Runsheng's air valves.

Immediately afterwards, shadows emerged from below, slowly groping their way in.

Lin Shuyou held the golden mace at his sides, the head of the mace drawing two streaks of sparks on the ground, scaring away the shadows.

There was a demonic aura and footsteps approaching, but Tan Wenbin sensed it in advance and swung his rusty sword, issuing a warning with his intense resentment.

This way of traveling is somewhat high-profile, but it is also the most time-efficient and can save you a lot of minor troubles.

Finally, after Runsheng swept away the last patch of obscuring vegetation, the black mountain stream appeared before everyone.

Li Zhuiyuan was also able to personally go to the front line and formally observe the feng shui pattern of this place.

The snake's mouth swallows its tail, layers of locks and latches, gathering yin energy to form evil.

Elsewhere, the emphasis is on continuous life, but here, the natural yin energy is constantly drawn in and gathered, compressing and restricting the shackles.

In the eyes of evil cultivators, this place is simply a geomantically auspicious place.

That princess of a fallen kingdom fled here not without purpose.

That story should be understood as follows: after the fall of her kingdom, the princess gathered the last of her resources and held a sorcery of human sacrifice to achieve her own ends.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the black water in front of him. The water was turbulent, with a clear indentation in the middle, where the water on both sides crashed and created white waves.

Someone once used a sword to clear a path here, and even after so many years, this "sword wound" still remains.

Liu Qingcheng must have charged in directly with his sword back then.

However, the water level has clearly risen again, so the "sword wound" should have been smoothed out and repaired by now.

The boy crouched down, looked down at his reflection in the water.

The blackness slowly spread, first revealing the boy's appearance, and then the figure in the water suddenly turned into white bones.

This horrifying scene has a mind-altering effect; ordinary people would easily lose all hope and attempt suicide upon seeing it.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't affected much, but he now confirmed one thing: this mountain stream wasn't healing or recovering, but rather a new growth replacing the old.

Although the imagery doesn't match, it truly is a case of spring blossoming before a withered tree.

Liu Qingcheng must have killed that evil spirit back then, but what exactly is going on with the new life here?

Li Zhuiyuan considered a possibility:
The princess of the fallen kingdom was pregnant when she performed her sorcery here.

Although she was killed, the child in her womb is growing again, thus inheriting everything from her.

Liu Qingcheng is a ruthless person who can wipe out entire families when she gets angry. She won't be burdened by empty fame. If anyone could cause a second round of disaster in the future, even a child, she would definitely kill without hesitation.

She didn't kill him, not because she couldn't bear to, but because she didn't know about the child at the time.

It is highly likely that when the princess performed that sorcery, she actually included herself as a human sacrifice.

The fall of her kingdom was the heaviest warning from the will of Heaven. She knew that after transforming into a great evil spirit, she would inevitably incur the wrath of Heaven, and the Dragon King, who was to suppress the martial world on behalf of Heaven, had indeed arrived.

Therefore, her execution was a carefully orchestrated pretext, designed to create a better and more stable environment for her child to grow up in.

Li Zhuiyuan had no interest in marveling at the greatness of maternal love at this moment, because this discovery meant that what he was facing this time was not the scraps on the Dragon King's dinner table. Even though the little evil spirit was not fully mature, it could barely be considered a dish that could be served.

Normally, once this is realized, one can step back and reconsider.

But Li Zhuiyuan not only did not intend to do so, he was actually somewhat gratified and satisfied.

This impromptu performance before heading to Ji'an didn't require me to pay any costs, but such opportunities are rare.

Just like those who stage accidents on the street, they won't go after people riding old-fashioned bicycles; they'll go after imported cars.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to an area above the mountain stream:
"Right down there."

……

In the deep valley, thick, dark air emanated outwards like dry ice.

A woman with only her upper body is crawling on a smooth stone wall using her hands.

Her face was already wrinkled and sunken, and her skin was like dried tree bark, but she still wore accessories and a gorgeous dress. This was her last bit of stubbornness.

She was nearing the end of her life. Being cut in half at the waist by that terrifying being meant her complete defeat, and her demise was only a matter of time.

But she showed no fear of being overwhelmed; instead, she moved her lips and revealed a chilling smile.

She climbed to a rock wall, pressed her face against it, and through the faint crack, she saw a coffin floating in a pool of water deep inside the cave.

Near the coffin, there were countless bones, mostly those of wild animals, but some of them were human.

These are all snacks for her son.

The towering cliffs surrounding the pool were as smooth as meticulously polished mirrors.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Her son was pounding on the coffin lid, the terrible vibrations echoing throughout the abyss. Each strike pulverized large amounts of rock from the surrounding cliff face, which is why they were so smooth.

It should be noted that initially, the woman simply placed the stillborn infant she had personally dissected into the coffin and embedded it into a narrow, deep crack.

As his son grew older, he hammered harder and harder, and over time, he actually carved out a hollow "underground world" beneath the originally solid rock strata.

"Don't rush, don't rush. Grow taller and taller, and you'll be able to go out. Then you can eat as many people as you want and eat to your heart's content."

Having just calmed her son down, the woman suddenly tilted her head to the side and sniffed.

"After all these years, someone still dares to venture deep into this place? Son, your mother will deliberately let them in. You'll soon have fresh blood to feed on, hehehe!"

……

"Remember, when crossing the river, shut off your senses to minimize the impact of the black water on your mind."

"understand!"

"understand!"

Runsheng was the first to go into the river; the black water had no effect on him.

He raised his hand, ready to take Xiao Yuan's hiking backpack first.

If something unexpected happens underwater later, carrying such a heavy backpack might pose an additional risk to Xiaoyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan first took off his backpack, then took out the "Wordless Book" that he had been hanging on his waist, inserted it into the outer pocket of the backpack to secure it, and finally handed the bag to Runsheng.

Runsheng took it and wrapped it around his left arm, while he wrapped his bag around his right arm, making room on his back for Xiaoyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan went into the water and climbed onto Runsheng's back, while Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou followed him in.

Next, everyone needs to go downstream for a distance before they can reach the entrance location that the boy has determined.

There are many undercurrents and strong currents underwater, so you have to control your body position.

Fortunately, this was a piece of cake for the three of them.

However, they hadn't swum far when figures began to emerge from the water ahead.

These people are all severely disabled. Those who are missing only an arm or a leg are considered "healthy" here. Most of them have less than half the size of a normal body, and some are even wearing the clothes of ancient palace maids or eunuchs.

They had once transformed into the princess's accomplices, extremely fierce, but now they no longer possessed any offensive power. They were probably sent to stop Liu Qingcheng back then, but she almost completely shredded them into human sticks.

Therefore, Runsheng didn't even need to make a move; Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou on the two flanks could easily handle them like duckweed and push them aside.

Runsheng only needs to continue swimming forward while carrying Xiaoyuan on his back.

Li Zhuiyuan hugged Runsheng's neck, and the red thread had now connected with Runsheng.

The boy was waiting for an opportunity.

However, it seems that the other party is not planning to make things difficult for them outside, but rather wants to let them in.

For Li Zhuiyuan, it's best not to go too deep if possible; no one who stagees an accident specifically targets the area under a car.

"Crash..."

A eunuch rose from the water ahead. He was similar to the other severely mutilated men in that he had also been severely mutilated, but the difference was that he had grown a large piece of black, rotting flesh, which filled in the missing parts.

Therefore, when he appeared, he gave off a different feeling than them; he was more imposing and more agile.

He leaped up and pounced on Runsheng. His speed showed how terrifying he was at his peak, but now, with the new master not fully recovered and the old master not offering any support, this eunuch was just the best of the worst.

Runsheng didn't even need a shovel; a simple punch was enough to send the old man flying.

However, under Xiao Yuan's silent instruction through the red line, Runsheng still raised the Yellow River shovel high above his head and slammed it forward with all his might!
"boom!"

The eunuch's black, rotting flesh exploded, and he was slapped into the water by Runsheng.

However, this "splitting Mount Hua" move also creates a huge inertia in the arms. While it's satisfying to slap someone, the two backpacks that were originally wrapped around the arms are thrown out directly, and quite far away.

"Crack! Crack!"

Two backpacks fell into the water, right near the entrance the boy pointed out. There should be a turbulent undercurrent there, frantically sucking everything around them.

Li Zhuiyuan watched helplessly as his hiking backpack was swept into the bag, along with the "Wordless Book" he had placed inside.

Li Zhuiyuan silently thought to himself:
"I believe in you, come on."

---

Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)