Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 436

"Yes. Brother, look!"

"What are you looking at? I'm counting your money right now. We'll split it according to the agreed plan, but the cost of the goods has to be deducted first."

"Brother, look, look!"

"What's wrong with you... What is this?"

The original factory building was just empty, and apart from some damage to the windows on both sides of the roof, it was not particularly dilapidated.

But at this moment, the signs of decay caused by the passage of time are gradually spreading.

The cracks in the cement floor continued to widen, the slogans on the walls kept falling off, the old moss on the roof grew rampantly, and even the sunlight that shone into the room after the rain stopped began to wear out and gradually turn dim and yellow.

This scene makes people subconsciously think they are in a dream, yet they are very certain that they have never had such a vivid and detailed dream in their entire lives.

A girl in a white dress walked in slowly.

All the changes revolved around her.

It's hard to describe this girl's appearance in words; she seems to be perfect from head to toe, without the slightest flaw.

In the past, if they had seen a girl like this alone, even if she was young, they would have been tempted to approach her or even follow her. They would have felt guilty if they hadn't done something, leaving a great regret in their lives.

Right now, neither of them had even the slightest thought of it.

The fear evoked by the eerie is like a pot before it boils, undergoing its final brewing.

The girl raised her head, her eyes devoid of any extra sparkle.

You can sense that she is looking at you, but at the same time you are certain that she doesn't seem to be looking at a single person.

This kind of indifference, which is not deliberate but purely natural, makes you feel as if you are completely isolated from your surroundings. You begin to question your own value and even reflect on whether you still have the need to continue existing.

Ah Li didn't rush to make a move; she just calmly watched them.

An invisible pressure was constantly building up around them. There was no intention to target them; they just happened to be two figures in the scenery.

Behind them, Li Zhuiyuan also entered the factory.

He didn't move closer; instead, he consciously kept his distance.

I wanted to stick to the wall, but because the wall was too dirty and covered in rust, I simply placed the sole of my right shoe on the wall to support my body.

Li Zhuiyuan would tell A Li not only his own stories of traveling along the river, but also some of his experiences in life.

Ah Li listened to what he said.

So she hasn't made a move yet.

She was waiting for the other party to make the first move before she could take legitimate self-defense.

In fact, with Li Zhuiyuan's current accumulation of wealth, there's no need for him to be so petty anymore. He's done quite a few taboo things like deducting from his merit book.

The two thieves in front of me both had dark blue circles around their faces, which meant that they were burdened with sins. They had not directly killed anyone, but there must have been people who died because of them, and more than one.

However, Ah Li wanted to do things perfectly, and Li Zhuiyuan had no reason to refuse, after all, this was also a way of being thrifty and managing the household well.

Once on the river, this awareness of attention to detail and discipline is also extremely important and valuable.

The metal playing cards in my pocket started to heat up; they were talismans.

Although there were no evil spirits threatening Nantong, Li Zhuiyuan would still take the two of them with him when he went out alone.

Right now, the two generals, Zeng and Sun, are getting restless and eager to apply to fight.

The White Crane Boy has taken the lead and secured a superior ecological position. No matter what they do, they will always be overshadowed by the Boy.

Now, they saw a good opportunity to overtake on a curve.

If the two of them could gain the favor of the mistress, wouldn't they be able to easily control the little boy?
On the other side, the two thieves could no longer withstand the pressure. They each let out a loud scream, and charged at Ah Li with a touch of madness and hysteria.

The girl's entrapment attempt was successful.

Ah Li raised her left hand and held up one finger.

It wasn't referring to either of them, but rather to the cigarette butts scattered all over the floor around the broken sofa behind them.

"Sasasa..."

Like flowers blooming, the cigarette butts on the ground, covered with their saliva, began to decompose, turning into tiny strips of paper that were quickly pieced together.

The figure is pieced together; it's a bit rough, but you can generally make out some features:

It has a hunched back, yet is extremely tall, as if it were walking on stilts, and carries a lantern in one hand.

Ah Li didn't bring any talismans, and the cigarette butts and paper she had hastily prepared weren't enough either, so when it was formed, there was only the front and no back.

But it's enough.

Li Zhuiyuan recognized her; it was Granny Yu.

It was among the earliest evil spirits that Li Zhuiyuan selected from A Li's dream.

For a long time, it relentlessly came to Ah Li's doorstep, unleashing all sorts of curses and mockery.

After being burned by her own karmic fire, Ah Li even drew its ending and kept it as a keepsake.

It turns out that Ah Li's paintings are not just for collecting.

From the moment Ah Li came to Aunt Zhang's shop to answer his call, Li Zhuiyuan realized that he didn't know Ah Li that well.

This wasn't something the girl deliberately concealed; rather, before she could go out normally and participate in the river walk, many things had no meaning in being displayed.

The only thing Li Zhuiyuan didn't do well was that he knew the girl longed to follow him across the river to help him, but he underestimated the extent of her desire and the efforts she secretly made behind his back.

Every time she went out on her own, she wasn't left alone at home, just sitting in the house waiting in vain.

After "Grandma Yu" appeared, she swung the lantern in her hand forward, and it stretched out like a fishing rod, wrapping around the neck of a thief.

The thief fell to the ground with a "thud" and was then quickly dragged backward.

"Giggle...giggle..."

"Grandma Yu" let out a chilling laugh, leaned forward, and slumped down, inserting two fingers of one hand into the thief's eye socket.

Just as it was when it first existed, it was used to punish disobedient children who had been trafficked.

"what!!!!!!"

The thief's eyes were not gouged out, and there was no blood, but his eyes gradually lost their luster and became dim and lifeless. His world would henceforth become dark and devoid of light.

Another thief continued rushing towards Ah Li, but his companion's screams slowed him down. He stopped and tried to turn around to check on his companion, but found he couldn't move his neck.

Ah Li's gaze locked onto him.

The girl's hair swayed gently, while the veins above the thief's neck bulged, seemingly about to burst.

His heart began to beat faster, and he instinctively opened his mouth as wide as possible in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain.

On his chest and clothes, there seemed to be traces of a dragon swimming around. Terrifying waves of energy had entered his body at some point and were gradually spreading as he recovered.

With the spirit of the Liu family, we can subdue the dragon of the Qin family.

It wasn't because Ah Li was the only young bloodline of the Qin and Liu families that the evil spirits surrounded and threatened her. An ordinary person with mediocre talent wouldn't be worth the evil spirits' great efforts. It was precisely because Ah Li possessed terrifying talent that they swarmed in, attempting to stifle the hope of the Qin and Liu families' revival.

Li Zhuiyuan needed to learn, think about, and comprehend the fundamental techniques of the Qin and Liu families, and ultimately, he had to continuously refine the methods of application.

As for Ah Li's existence, it is a natural fit, as if the inheritance of Dragon King Qin and Dragon King Liu is naturally meant to serve her and follow her will.

Just like when Uncle Qin was in trouble, Grandma Liu could directly help him get things done in one step.

Ah Li can accomplish this all by herself.

The dragon-shaped object swam around, and the thief suddenly knelt on the ground with a "plop," his exposed veins spurting blood continuously, and soon his whole body was covered in blood.

His body changed from kneeling to leaning forward, with his forehead touching the ground, his hands and feet turned outward, and he was convulsing continuously.

His tendons and ligaments were too extensive; all the meridians in his body had been broken by the rampaging impact of the dragon-shaped creature.

From this day forward, he will be unable to control his skin, his muscles, his joints, and even the simple act of closing his eyes completely will require someone to help him.

Most importantly, as Ah Li's gaze shifted away, the dragon form left his body and dispersed on its own.

Ah Li didn't kill him; she let him continue living in this way.

How could someone who has been surrounded by countless evil spirits since childhood, whose own real world has been distorted by their influence, possibly be the kind of innocent and kind girl defined by conventional wisdom?

It wasn't that the boy taught her bad habits or led her astray; it was simply what she had seen and heard day and night in the past.

In fact, only Li Zhuiyuan could truly capture the genuine smile and clarity in her eyes.

The talisman armor in Li Zhuiyuan's pocket, which had been generating heat and creating agitation, suddenly quieted down.

"what!!!"

The screams of the thief under "Grandma Yu's" command came to an abrupt halt.

Unlike his accomplices, who were covered in blood, he had no wounds or bleeding, but he was blind, deaf, hoarse, had lost his sense of smell, and had lost his sense of taste...

He is still alive, and aside from some minor details, he is still in good health.

Grandma Yu straightened up, her figure dissipated, turning into a pile of cigarette paper on the ground.

The thief groped his way to his feet, making hoarse noises. After finally standing up, he began to grope around. As he approached his accomplice, he tripped over his accomplice's body on the ground, fell, and hit his head on the concrete floor, losing consciousness.

This wasn't an act. If someone could remain calm and pretend to be unconscious in the face of something like this, they wouldn't be capable of petty theft.

The decaying traces around her gradually receded, centered on Ah Li.

Once everything returned to normal, the girl turned around, and when she saw the boy, the indifference on her face disappeared, and two cute dimples appeared.

But then, as if remembering something, she silently lowered her head.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over, stood in front of the girl, and lowered his head so that their foreheads gently touched.

The two thieves lying on top of each other became their backdrop at that moment.

Ah Li's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she cautiously raised her eyes and saw the smile on the boy's face.

The slight haze in the girl's eyes was swept away, and they regained their brightness.

Li Zhuiyuan remembered that in order to fight back against the dwarf father and son, he did not hesitate to exhaust himself to the point of blindness. When he returned home and shared this with A Li, A Li squeezed his hand.

Although Li Zhuiyuan couldn't see it at the time, he knew that the girl was smiling and happy that he had successfully killed the dwarf father and son.

It is precisely because we all know what we are like that we feel fortunate that the other person does not mind.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the bag full of loose change. The boy took the girl's hand and walked out of the factory to the tricycle.

He has "lost and found" many things, and this tricycle is probably the cheapest he has ever owned.

Upon arriving at the health center, Li Zhuiyuan saw a group of plainclothes officers assigning observation points by the flowerbed at the entrance.

The boy entered the hospital and walked along the corridor in front of the ward.

He overheard the conversation of the medical staff. They were talking about their money being stolen, and they mentioned a man who had recently raised money to treat his mother's illness, but his money was also stolen. When he went out to borrow money again, his mother, not wanting to continue to be a burden on her son, went to the hospital rooftop and jumped off.

The owner of the lost item in this incident looked haggard and sat on a bench in the corridor with a listless gaze.

The doctor who paid for her daughter's medical expenses had just finished his rounds and told her with a smile that her daughter was recovering very well after the surgery. He had also bought her a small toy for blowing bubbles and asked her to give it to her when she woke up.

Some things, once they happen, are impossible to explain. No matter how hard a woman tries to explain, many people will think that she is deliberately trying to renege on her debt and is staging the whole thing.

Li Zhuiyuan quietly placed the bag on the bench next to the woman, with a note attached to it.

In the end, the two thieves had to be handed over to the police.

They will face legal judgment.

It's also to let them live a little longer, to fully experience the pain of this state. The longer they live, the more unbearable it will be for them.

That's fair, because they were the ones who made others experience that feeling first.

As he put his bag down, Li Zhuiyuan also picked up the bubble-blowing toy and put it in his pocket.

Ah Li likes to play this.

In the past, when I accompanied Ah Li to see open-air movies, I would buy these from small vendors and give them to her.

The shop near the health center also sells this, but Li Zhuiyuan put the money from his pocket into the bag as well.

Having already eaten fried skewers, Li Zhuiyuan wasn't hungry, so he wasn't in a hurry to take A Li home for lunch. Instead, he rode his tricycle and took the girl for a ride around Shigang Town. The girl, sitting on the tricycle, rested her face on the boy's back.

As Li Zhuiyuan passed the high school gate, he slowed down. He remembered that when he was studying here, A-Li would wait for him after school in Runsheng's tricycle in that quiet alley.

When the school bell rings, groups of students will soon pour out of the school gate.

Li Zhuiyuan stopped reminiscing and quickly rode away.

His photo is printed on the cover of "The Secret Scrolls of Tracing Ancestral Roots". As the school where "The Secret Scrolls of Tracing Ancestral Roots" originated, the younger students here can always enjoy the latest question types and the largest number of questions.

Shigang Town is the most prosperous and bustling place in the surrounding area, but the truly noisy area is not large. Not long after you ride out, the commercial areas on both sides of the road disappear and turn into rural areas.

Li Zhuiyuan rode his tricycle down to the riverbank. Many small transport boats were sailing on the river, and the chirping of geese and ducks could be heard from the reeds on both sides.

The boy pulled the brakes and sat in the tricycle, shoulder to shoulder with the girl, looking at the river view.

A flock of ducks, first swimming in the river, were herded ashore by a passing transport ship, and then lined up and swaggered past the boy and girl.

Li Zhuiyuan stretched and lay back.

From this angle, you can see the clear blue sky after the rain, and the girl's delicate profile.

Li Zhuiyuan never dared to hope that this moment could become eternal.

Just like the bubbles that Ah Li blew with that toy, they were incredibly sparkling in the sunlight, making it impossible not to look at them and admire them.

Much of its beauty stems from the fact that it will eventually dissipate.

……

"Bai Family Funeral Clothing Shop" has been officially open for business for a long time.

There's no need for a grand opening ceremony, nor for people to send flower baskets to celebrate, and certainly no need to mention "please take good care of our business."

Funeral clothing shops usually open a small storefront in a corner, but here, three storefronts have been combined.

Besides funeral clothes, other products from Li Sanjiang's family, from paper offerings to incense and candles, are also displayed here for sale.

Fearing the pressure his wife might feel about the business's success, Xue Liangliang bought the storefront. This way, he didn't have to factor in rent into the costs, and even his four employees, whom he brought with him, didn't need to be paid salaries. The only fixed expense was the monthly street management fee, which also included water and electricity. Therefore, it was quite difficult for him to break even.

Xue Liangliang returned to Nantong earlier than Li Zhuiyuan and the others. After returning, he came to help out at the shop.

However, there wasn't much to do. The four Bai family ladies were very efficient and managed everything in an orderly manner.

Business is really good.

Not only do customers tend to crowd together, but the net customer referral value is also very high.

The elderly have a habit of preparing these things in advance. The elderly in the countryside only need to buy one set, while the elderly in the city are better off. Even if they have already bought one set, they will still think about whether there is a better one.

The funeral garments sold at the Bai Family Funeral Garment Shop are all handmade by the Bai family matriarchs. They are of good quality and inexpensive, and are very popular with the elderly.

Using funeral garments as a lead-in product can also boost sales of other funeral supplies.

While this thing can't be bought and stored in advance like funeral clothes, you can place an order in advance and have it delivered as soon as you pass away.

Out of consideration for the feelings of the people here, Xiong Shan, not Uncle Qin, is in charge of delivering the goods.

Xue Liangliang's mobile phone rang; it was a delivery call from the department store.

Upon returning home, Xue Liangliang discovered that almost all the household appliances had broken down due to the special circumstances of the Bai family's concubines and improper use, so he ordered a new batch.

After telling his wife, he went home to wait for the appliances to arrive.

Upon entering the residential compound and arriving at the entrance of the building, Xue Liangliang saw a man wearing a baseball cap and jeans, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

Xue Liangliang glanced at the other person with some doubt. The other person lowered their head and began to cough, like a patient, and left while coughing.

After entering the building and going upstairs, Xue Liangliang took out his key and opened the door. Just as he did so, he heard the sound of wind behind him.

Xue Liangliang turned around and saw the man in the baseball cap rushing towards him with a knife in his hand.

The reaction happened in an instant. Xue Liangliang reacted quickly, grabbing the other man's wrists holding the knife and lifting them upwards.

But the other person rushed over. The knife was moved aside, but the person still bumped into Xue Liangliang, and the two of them fell into the house together.

The man in the baseball cap had bloodshot eyes, as if he harbored some deep-seated hatred and was trying to break free from Xue Liangliang's grasp and regain control of the knife.

However, Xue Liangliang is no pushover either. His physical fitness has improved to the point where he is comparable to that of a professional athlete due to his frequent river jumps over the past two years.

He initially suffered some unexpected setbacks, but once the game reached a stalemate, his advantages immediately became apparent.

First, an elbow strike landed on the opponent's jaw, followed by a knee strike to the opponent's waist. The baseball cap was hit hard, and the force in the arm was immediately lost, allowing Xue Liangliang to completely snatch the knife.

Seeing that the knife was completely lost, the man in the baseball cap panicked and immediately rolled away to distance himself from Xue Liangliang.

Xue Liangliang got up faster than him, stood up, caught up with him, and kicked the baseball cap hard.

"boom!"

The floor tiles were very slippery, and the baseball cap was kicked and slid out, knocking over tables and chairs.

Without any intention of delaying, Xue Liangliang held the knife in his hand, planning to take this opportunity to completely subdue and subdue the other party. If the other party dared to continue to resist, he would not mind actually stabbing the other party into his body with the knife.

He was not a pedantic person to begin with. Besides, who would feel any pity for someone who tried to break into their home and kill them?
However, Xue Liangliang had to stop before he could take a few steps forward.

The man in the baseball cap, who was lying on the ground, pulled out a handgun, its dark muzzle pointed directly at him.

This is a replica gun. Although gun control has been in place for a long time, some places are still known for making replica guns.

Getting a gun on the black market isn't easy, but it's not particularly difficult either.

"Pooh!"

He spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, and stood up while holding his gun.

Xue Liangliang: "Tell me what you want."

Since the other party had a gun but didn't use it at first, it means that the other party didn't want to alert the surrounding area. Killing me was just a side effect, not a deliberate attempt to kill me.

Baseball cap: "Give me the money! Give me the money that bastard hid!"

Xue Liangliang: "You want money, right? I have money. How much do you want? I'll give you double."

The man in the baseball cap laughed: "Such a big mouth. It seems you really did find that bastard's money. Since he slept with my wife, it's only right that I kill him and spend his money!"

Xue Liangliang: "But all of this has nothing to do with me. I'm just a resident here."

Baseball cap: "Stop talking nonsense, where's the money? Where's the money?!"

Xue Liangliang: "I'll give you my bankbook..."

The man in the baseball cap brandished a pistol: "I want cash. What good is your bankbook to me? That bastard's bank account is definitely in cash too. I'm warning you, if you don't know what's good for you, believe me, I'll shoot you right now!"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

Suddenly, the chandelier above our heads started shaking violently.

He looked up and saw a dark mass, followed by a chandelier getting closer and closer to his face.

"boom!"

The chandelier fell from the roof, and its descent was clearly not a natural fall, as if it were being grabbed and forcefully slammed down.

Blood was streaming down his face, especially his face, which was covered in shards of glass. He lay on the ground, blood gushing out in all directions.

Xue Liangliang immediately stepped forward and picked up the pistol that had been thrown out when the other person was hit.

Judging from its weight and feel, this gun can indeed fire bullets.

Faintly, Xue Liangliang also heard an angry curse coming from all around:

"Damn it, it was your wife who seduced me. I'm the one who's most wronged for being killed by you!"

Xue Liangliang pretended not to hear, walked to the door and picked up his mobile phone that had just been knocked down, only to find that it was broken.

After throwing it back to the ground, Xue Liangliang went to the landline at home, picked up the receiver, and dialed the police.

After reporting the incident to the police, Xue Liangliang sat down, picked up a water glass from the coffee table, and took a couple of sips of water.

A shadow moved toward us from the area of ​​broken chandeliers.

Xue Liangliang immediately became alert, but when he thought about how Bai Nuo would play a game of throwing bouncy balls with the ceiling chandelier every night, he immediately relaxed.

He had known all along that there was something unclean in the house. Bai Nuo and the others treated it like a pet, saying that keeping it at home was better than keeping a dog, as it was better at entertaining and amusing people, and also better at guarding the house.

"Young master... young master... young master..."

A fawning voice came from the shadows; it sounded like the greasy, middle-aged man's.

Xue Liangliang pointed the gun at the shadow and then pointed to the side. The shadow immediately left, not daring to disturb him again.

After sitting for a while, he heard hurried footsteps outside. Fearing a misunderstanding, Xue Liangliang threw the pistol onto the sofa and raised his hands.

The police are here.

The scene was dealt with, the baseball cap was removed, and Xue Liangliang was asked to go to the bureau to cooperate with the investigation.

The matter is clear: the man in the baseball cap was the one who murdered the former male homeowner. Of course, the male homeowner himself was no good either; even after his death, his embezzlement and bribery were investigated and uncovered, and almost all of his former accomplices and parasites were also brought to justice.

After Xue Liangliang finished giving his statement, the criminal police captain personally escorted him to the entrance of the municipal police station.

The captain offered Xue Liangliang a cigarette, and then took one for himself. The two stood on the steps and each lit a cigarette.

"Why did you decide to rent that apartment?"

"Cheap."

"After this incident, would you still dare to continue renting?"

"Rent, because it will be cheaper."

"Heh." After exhaling a puff of smoke, the captain frowned. "We tested that gun. That kid was on the run in another region and committed at least one robbery and murder. Some people's evil is always there. After killing someone once, they can't control the outburst of that evil thought and no longer care about human life."

"It's lucky that I'm the one renting this place. If someone else lived here, they probably wouldn't be as lucky as me."

"You're actually quite interesting, aren't you? By the way, isn't there something wrong with the company you filled in?"

"They can contact me and verify my identity."

"Yes, we have confirmed it."

"Writing too much detail will affect my work, and I might be forced to take another leave of absence."

The captain licked his lips, looked at Xue Liangliang, and nodded.

"Mr. Xue, shall I take you home?"

"No need, Captain Zhou, could you lend me some money? I need to take a taxi home."

After borrowing the money, Xue Liangliang walked to the entrance of the Municipal Bureau to hail a taxi.

Just then, a taxi picked up a passenger and left; the person who got in was wearing a Taoist robe.

Xue Liangliang felt that the person's back looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

……

"Hey, Taoist priest, where are you going?"

“Siyuan Village, Shinan Town”.

"If I go there at this time, I'll have to come back empty, so you won't use the meter, right?"

"to make."

"okay!"

Sun Yuanqing had just come out of the police station and made a final confirmation of the boy's address.

More than two years ago, the boy's school registration was transferred from Beijing to Shigang High School, and later his household registration was transferred to a household under the name of Li Sanjiang in Shinan Town.

If it were a fake address, it wouldn't have gone to such lengths, especially since the boy was actually the top scorer in the provincial college entrance examination that year.

The richer the traces of life, the more it means that he really lived here, and the more likely that the noble old lady of the Liu family really did live there.

The driver, who had accepted a lucrative fare without using the meter, was in a good mood and asked while driving:
"Master, judging from your accent, you're not from around here. What are you doing there?"

This question really hit a nerve with Master Sun. He stroked his goatee and chuckled, saying:

"I have come here to seek a perfect marriage for my granddaughters!"

(End of this chapter)