Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 439

The second batch was still of poor quality, so we had to replace it again.

The third batch still lacked sincerity; the next batch...

The fourth batch is still fooling themselves, going back to the old ways.

This was chosen for Runsheng; Li Zhuiyuan has very high standards.

Ideally, it should be able to achieve the desired outcome in one step and also have potential for future development. Even if that's not possible, it should at least be sufficient to meet the short-term needs of the next stage.

However, the proportion of evil spirits that can match the characteristics of Runsheng is already very low, and Li Zhuiyuan is unwilling to lower his standards, since he is looking for substitutes, not disposable plastic products.

Li Zhuiyuan began to reflect on whether his choice was wrong, causing the environment to misunderstand his attitude and thus daring to be perfunctory.

next moment,
The red threads on the boy's body were no longer individually subdivided, but rather multiple threads converged, coalesced into a rope, and then bound upwards.

Now, the traces that were "caught" were significantly more sophisticated, and the best items that had been hidden away were forced to come out and reveal themselves.

Some of the figures who once appeared here are now undeniable facts that Li Zhuiyuan cannot ignore.

They were all truly formidable opponents, not the minor minions the Dragon King dealt with during his time on the river, but formidable adversaries he personally eliminated after officially becoming the Dragon King.

The improvement in quality leads to a decrease in quantity.

Fortunately, thanks to the generations of ancestors from the Qin and Liu families who braved hardships and forged ahead to slay evil spirits, the samples in A-Li's dreams were very rich.

Li Zhuiyuan has been found.

The boy's gaze fell upon it.

Its body radiates flames of yin and yang colors, and through the light and shadow, its true form can be seen to resemble a goat.

It has four ears on its head and its eyes are located on its back.

Most importantly, it has nine tails.

This can be used to evolve into nine "evil dragons" to fill the vital energy gates.

Li Zhuiyuan searched for similar records in the documents he had read and found one.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Southern Mountains Classic states: There is a beast that looks like a sheep, with nine tails and four ears, and its eyes are on its back. Its name is Bo Yi. Wearing it will make one fearless.

"Wearing it makes one fearless" can be understood as wearing its fur, which makes one brave and fearless.

This characteristic happens to resonate with the "Qin Family Observation of Dragons Method" practiced by Runsheng.

It's truly a treasure from head to toe, fulfilling the feasibility requirements, offering a built-in amplification effect, and boasting extremely high initial quality.

Okay, I've decided on you.

At this moment, it's hard to say whether this evil spirit is Bo Yi.

But even if it is a real Bo Yi, a monster from mythology, it wouldn't be so surprising that it appeared here.

Li Zhuiyuan had seen Bodhisattvas dragged into hell and had seen the true form of the Emperor of Fengdu. The filters in mythological stories had long been shattered in his eyes.

Behind her, Ah Li sat on the threshold of the bungalow, her hand supporting her chin, looking at the boy in front of her.

The elderly often lament that it's best not to meet someone too amazing when you're young, otherwise you might spend the rest of your life in regret.

Ah Li witnessed the entire transformation from boy to teenager, accompanied by the evil spirits that had plagued her dreams for so many years. From being arrogant and domineering to being completely silent, from covering the sky to being clear and sunny, it has now simply become—I am the butcher, and evil is the fish on the chopping block.

The future he once promised has now become the present.

She has been working hard silently, trying to get out of her home, but she has never felt wronged or distressed, because he has paved the way for her to leave home.

The girl's gaze shifted upwards, looking at Bo Yi.

She suddenly felt a little happy, even a little fortunate, fortunate that he had found what he wanted here and had not disappointed him.

The young man frowned slightly.

He is now faced with a choice, not difficult, but somewhat troublesome.

Zhao Yi hadn't returned from Ji'an yet, and Chen Xiyuan had already returned to Hainan.

Originally, I could have used the "Secret Scroll of Tracing Ancestors" to travel by land and river, and have them run this leg for me.

He believed that both of them were capable of completing the task.

After all, even if this evil spirit is the real Bo Yi, it is only a defeated opponent of the Qin and Liu families in history, and no longer has its peak strength.

But unfortunately, neither of them was there.

The current wave has just ended, and if I go on another trip to complete this task, the consequences will be lighter, but I still have to be careful not to trigger other mechanisms and inexplicably push another wave into my life.

The young man was very clear about his own position. Although he was still far from being as strong as an emperor, the attention he received from the Heavenly Dao was not much lower than that of an emperor.

This also explains why beings at the level of an emperor wouldn't move their true form easily; it truly is a matter of utmost importance.

Moreover, even if he manages to successfully eliminate the remnants of this evil spirit and obtain what he desires on this trip, it will only solve Runsheng's problem.

He even made a development plan for everyone on the team, including Ah Li.

If he does everything himself, the efficiency is too low. If he can complete one project during each break, it can be considered a success, and if he can complete two, it would be a pleasant surprise... But what Li Zhuiyuan wants is to complete it collectively during this break.

In fact, the reason why Li Zhuiyuan dared to tell A Li by phone on the way back that he would take her with him in the next wave was because the young man, after his own qualitative improvement, was now in a position to bring about a qualitative change for the entire team.

Only on this basis can the team be at ease in accepting and embracing Ah Li's joining.

However, the results shown by Ah Li have exceeded Li Zhuiyuan's expectations. In other words, the positive impact of the girl's addition is much higher than anticipated.

This further solidified Li Zhuiyuan's goal of achieving a leap forward for the entire team during this gap.

It is no exaggeration to say that if this round of plans can be fully implemented, his river-crossing team will officially create a generational gap with all competitors on the river!
In other words, he deliberately didn't become famous. In a normal historical period, it would be equivalent to the emergence of a dazzling figure surrounded by admirers. Even if he hadn't finished traversing the river or become the Dragon King, the entire martial arts world was already preparing for the arrival of his era.

This is especially evident when the next Dragon King is about to be born in a family of Dragon Kings.

The struggle and confrontation over territory, resources, and the right to speak all had to be forced to bow down in advance because of the dragon king that was about to be born in the other family.

At this moment, the boar bound by the blood rope slowly turned its body to the side, its eyes on its back turning. It must have sensed something and was turning its attention in this direction, trying to find out who dared to disturb it.

"Snapped."

Li Zhuiyuan snapped his fingers.

All the red lines were broken, preventing Bo Yi from achieving his goal.

There's no need to alert the enemy before we've decided who will handle it.

Once the traces in the sky had all faded, the red lines that had spread out from Li Zhuiyuan's body turned back into individual strands, and soon the evil spirits on the shelves were once again abundant and dazzling.

Li Zhuiyuan selected items while marking them, remaining calm and patient.

Each time a specific one is identified, the red thread becomes more vibrant, gradually solidifying the mark. However, the red thread always breaks before the evil spirit discovers it.

In this round, Li Zhuiyuan selected four.

The boy knew that Ah Li, who was sitting behind him, must have already memorized their appearances, and they would soon be depicted on the scroll.

The inventory count is complete, and all red lines have disappeared.

Li Zhuiyuan turned and walked back, his steps leisurely.

Ah Li looked at him, a smile appearing on her lips.

The two of them closed their eyes again in tacit agreement.

In reality, the two people on the rattan chair were greeted by the gentle breeze of an autumn afternoon.

Li Zhuiyuan went inside, poured hot water into a basin, washed himself with a hot towel, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The scene of red threads filling the sky in Ah Li's dream was certainly stunning, but it also meant a huge drain on her energy.

His current skill level is such that he can afford to wait, but he's not yet at the point where he can act recklessly.

The girl went to get a drink, and her eyes fell on the open case of Jianlibao.

One can is missing.

In the children's room, the girl mentally marked each can of Jianlibao with a serial number, and she would collect the ones she finished drinking.

Li Zhuiyuan hung the towel back on the rack and comforted her:
"We have guests at home."

Guests that Grandma Liu can entertain on the second-floor terrace must be extraordinary.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't ask who had come.

Since Grandma Liu didn't tell him the identity of this distinguished guest, it meant that the distinguished guest might have become a kneeling guest.

Ah Li picked up a can of Jianlibao, opened it, inserted a straw, and handed it to Li Zhuiyuan.

This time, she didn't drink it herself, but filled in for the missing person.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled and bit the straw; he knew the girl had always had obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Ah Li walked to the boy's desk and opened the notebook.

"Thank you for your hard work. Draw them all at once. I've already planned it out, including the five evil spirits I chose in my dream."

The girl nodded, picked up the notebook, walked to the drawing table, and began to read.

Runsheng's painting is already finished; the one Ah Li is looking at now is Lin Shuyou's.

The next stage of Lin Shuyou's improvement should not involve him continuing to pursue closer relationships and better integration with the child, or focusing his efforts on this direction, as this would be very inefficient.

Now, Ayou can get spiritual nourishment from the boy, and the boy can get physical nourishment from Ayou, which provides the conditions for drawing additional energy from the outside.

The role of the child should change from that of a constant giver of power to a transfer station of power.

Specifically, we need to start with the True Lord system and the Ghost General system.

In short, the options are either to have the Child, as a True Lord, borrow power from the Lin family members who are currently following the True Lord system and transfer it to Lin Shuyou; or to have the Child, as a Ghost General, borrow the power of ghosts from the underworld.

The former involves ethical and moral issues. Although Li Zhuiyuan has the ability to help him get through it, when Lin Shuyou was around, it was naturally a matter of mutual help within a large family.

When Lin Shuyou is gone, and the next head of the family takes over, the Lin family may very well become a clan-wide ritual of raising Gu poison, leading to tragedy. This is the rule of extinction. Even if Lin Shuyou himself is unaware of this, Li Zhuiyuan will not help him to design such a plan.

Moreover, the Lin family does not include the Lin Family Temple, but is limited to Lin Shuyou's modern blood relatives. The power that can be borrowed is actually very limited. If too much is drawn from them, Lin Shuyou will have to rush home for a funeral after a fierce battle.

Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan decided to choose the latter.

The identity of the boy as a ghost general has never been properly developed and utilized, even though it is much broader and more valuable than the identity of a true lord.

In the underworld of Fengdu, you can lack anything, but you will never lack souls. If this bird grows big enough, it can grow in any kind of forest.

Those who committed many evils in life and will suffer torture in hell after death should be used as human resources, which is both a way to make use of waste and a way to atone for their sins.

Moreover, even if Lin Shuyou fights fiercely every day, there's no need to worry about depleting the resources; there will be plenty to go around.

Only such long-term, sustainable improvement methods can truly be counted towards performance scores.

However, there is a problem here.

This act of arbitrarily altering the rules of the Fengdu Underworld is a serious taboo, far more serious than Zhao Yi sending the lazy dog ​​to the Emperor.

The former insulted the emperor's face, while the latter undermined the emperor's substance.

If Ayou were to take his letter and return to Fengdu alone, his lifespan would most likely end prematurely.

The consequence is that he can be sent to the underworld to take up a post much earlier than others, and work his way up through seniority.

Only if Li Zhuiyuan personally goes to Fengdu, even at the risk of a falling out between master and disciple, and lets the Emperor weigh the pros and cons, will it be possible for Him to swallow this anger.

Furthermore, the specific operations must be handled personally by Li Zhuiyuan. No one else has the ability, nor does he have the status of the young prince of Fengdu to stage a drama of the crown prince seizing power.

In addition, Yin Meng, who was originally one of our own but was detained in Fengdu by the Emperor, can be responsible for after-sales maintenance after the matter is completed on our side.

Therefore, no matter how you put it, you still have to walk this path yourself; you can't rely on others.

After reading Lin Shuyou's book, Ah Li then flipped through Tan Wenbin's book.

Tan Wenbin's promotion plan is easier, yet more complicated.

At present, Tan Wenbin uses the "Five Senses Diagram" to suppress resentment and control the rusty sword.

To improve further, we need to "feed" those four spirit beasts.

Previously, Tan Wenbin was worried that if they were fattened up, they would become too powerful to be controlled. Now, with the main contradiction of collective suppression of resentment in front of him, it's time to loosen the reins on them a bit.

The offerings don't need to be too valuable. A-Li can find four relatively suitable evil spirits in her dream and capture them as sacrifices. After the four spirit beasts grow stronger by devouring them, Li Zhuiyuan can start to trigger a tsunami of resentment, so that the four of them are submerged in resentment and form a situation where they are intertwined. In this way, internal conflicts can be transformed into a united front against external forces.

However, these four evil spirits, although not particularly difficult to deal with, are located in different parts of the country. Only by sending a strong and capable team can they travel quickly and efficiently within a reasonable timeframe.

Everyone else had finished reading, but Ah Li saw hers.

Ah Li's improvement plan is very simple.

Blood porcelain.

Li Zhuiyuan once obtained a small piece of blood porcelain in Lijiang. By integrating that piece of blood porcelain, Li Zhuiyuan found a faster way to set up formations and cast spells.

However, once Blood Porcelain possesses the Jiaoling Spirit, this advantage is no longer present.

In Jiujiang, after a fierce battle with that powerful team, Li Zhuiyuan obtained more Blood Porcelain from the opposing captain, which is the prototype of the current Enhancement and Loss General's Armor.

But this amount is still too little.

The current quantity is only enough to make three decks of playing cards, providing a platform for the arrival of the two generals.

After witnessing Ah Li demonstrate her abilities in the cotton mill yesterday, Li Zhuiyuan immediately had a new plan in mind.

Since Ah Li was able to "summon" the evil spirits she had dealt with in each wave of battle using the Qin Liu secret method, what amazing effect would it have if she were given a vessel that could fully attach to them?

Blood porcelain is the most suitable vessel for this purpose.

Li Zhuiyuan already knew the true location where the Blood Porcelain was found: near Yumen Pass.

He had been busy lately, and there were always people actively trying to cause trouble for him, disrupting his rhythm; in addition, before Ah Li officially joined, the urgency of Blood Porcelain was not the top priority, which is why he did not set off for Gansu.

Now, we need to find the raw materials. Ideally, we should retrieve the entire porcelain bottle that the woman in the blood-soaked river was holding in the scene I witnessed.

This way, Ah Li can better utilize her abilities when she holds it in her hand.

The scene is quite beautiful; the girl is holding a bottle, and one by one, familiar faces emerge from the bottle's opening.

Even if I kill them, they'll still have to work for me.

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan had observed A Li's secret technique. He understood the principle and could replicate it, but he did not possess A Li's innate conditions, including that dream, which is now considered one of the innate conditions.

The boy can exert ten parts of his strength and achieve five parts of the desired effect, while Ah Li can exert ten parts of her strength and achieve one hundred parts of the desired effect.

The room fell silent.

Ah Li began to focus on drawing.

Li Zhuiyuan sat behind his desk, considering the specific implementation of the plan.

Given the current manpower situation, if we want to maximize efficiency, then the team needs to be broken down.

Feng Du has to go by himself. At present, he will not have a formal conflict with the Emperor. With the two generals Zeng and Sun on his side, his safety on his journey can be basically guaranteed.

The problem is that even if you don't bring your own partners, losing your team will cause a huge collapse in your strength.

Although Tan Wenbin was there, preventing them from being foolishly trapped by local shamans for days like Zhao Yi and the others in Dandong, they also lost the ability to stand on their own and deal with difficult problems.

Led by Tan Wenbin, the team could only carry out the lowest difficulty task on the plan list, which was the collection of the four evil spirits used to feed the four spirit beasts.

The Bo Yi and the Yumen Pass Blood Porcelain are at least comparable to Chen Xiyuan and Zhao Yi.

The search for and exploration of blood porcelain is highly complex, requiring Zhao Yi to lead a team to undertake it.

To put it simply, find it, control it, and destroy it—Chen Jie's favorite three-step approach.

Just then, the mobile phone that Li Zhuiyuan had placed on his desk rang.

Tan Wenbin is in charge of most of the team's communications; very few people can actually call him directly.

Without disturbing Ah Li's drawing, Li Zhuiyuan took his mobile phone and went to the outside terrace to answer it.

The call connected, and the loud noise of people drinking and celebrating came from the other end.

Take a deep breath, then exhale.

It must have been Zhao Yi who exhaled a puff of smoke.

Li Zhuiyuan could picture Zhao Yi's slightly forlorn expression.

"Hey Li, my job's done here. Everyone chipped in to treat me to a farewell dinner."

It was called a banquet, but it was really just a table set up in the workers' shed. The workers chipped in to buy ingredients, and someone with cooking skills was in charge of cooking. It was much cheaper than eating out.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The project is finished so quickly?"

Zhao Yi: "Hehe, the project isn't finished yet. It's because I performed too well that the higher-ups want me to be promoted. I don't know the specifics, but it's a good opportunity, and there's a spot available."

But I knew I wouldn't be able to hold the position for long, so I didn't want to waste it and gave it to someone else.

Since things have come to this, I guess I'll have to leave now.

You could hear the reluctance in Zhao Yi's words; it was a genuine expression of his feelings because he knew there was no need to put on an act in front of the young man.

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's fine, I can rest now."

Zhao Yi: "I'm heading back tomorrow to visit my godmother in Nantong."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'm going on a long trip soon."

Zhao Yi: "Go to Hainan? Wait for me, I'll go with you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go to Fengdu."

Zhao Yi: "Sorry to bother you."

After a pause, Zhao Yi continued, "Hey Li, when are you leaving?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Uncertain."

Zhao Yi: "Then I'll head back to Nantong after this meal. I really miss my godmother."

Li Zhuiyuan saw Tan Wenbin sitting on the dam reading a book on feng shui and said:

"Brother Binbin, can you help me set up an altar? I want to worship the Emperor of Fengdu."

"Okay, Brother Xiaoyuan."

Zhao Yi's voice came through the phone again:

"I'll head back after toasting this table; I really miss my godmother!"

The phone hangs up.

Zhao Yi's early return is a great benefit.

He didn't tell Zhao Yi his plans for him beforehand.

Because Zhao Yi is too fat now, he hasn't even finished using up the two rounds of profound merit, and he has also obtained a knife. Next, he wants to take the secret manual from me. At this moment, Zhao Yi's ambition is at its weakest, and he desperately wants a peaceful time to digest his progress.

Just like my dog, Xiao Hei, if you let him eat until he's stuffed and his mouth is full of oil, and then you try to tease him with a bone, even if there's still a lot of meat left on the bone, he won't bother with you.

Let's wait for Zhao Yi to come over, and then go to the basement to blindly draw three sets of secret manuals.

After finishing the cigarette, the huge sense of loss should give him new motivation.

“Ah You”.

"Brother Xiaoyuan?" Lin Shuyou was just helping Brother Bin carry the offering table.

The temple has been destroyed and has not yet been rebuilt. If this kind of sacrifice is to be performed again, the arrangements will have to be rearranged.

“We took inventory of the books in the basement last time and made a catalog. Now, according to the catalog, put a label on the books in the basement.”

"understand!"

After giving these instructions, Li Zhuiyuan sat down in the rattan chair.

The young man had a knack for manipulating Zhao Yi.

However, Chen Xiyuan's case involves a key issue.

The main reason is the lightning bolt that Old Master Chen cast on Xiao Hei when he infiltrated Nantong.

Chen Xiyuan left Nantong because of this problem.

Although I told her before that she is herself and the Chen family is the Chen family.

But if she were to ask someone else to do something for her again, she would have to take another step back on that matter, making herself her, the Chen family the Chen family, and Old Master Chen Old Master Chen.

Li Zhuiyuan was unwilling to narrow the scope of his retaliatory strikes.

This will make it even harder for me to act freely when I go to Hainan to settle accounts with Old Master Chen in the future.

However, given the fact that the "Secret Scroll of Tracing Ancestors" involved traveling on land and river, it was impossible for him to temporarily go to the river again to "bribe" a group of people to do it for him.

This kind of thing, which goes straight into taboos, has far too many implications.

Chen Xiyuan is the perfect candidate, both in terms of character and her experience in walking on land and river.

The boy's fingers rubbed against the mobile phone.

He was considering whether he needed to make concessions in exchange for resolving the primary contradiction at hand.

In fact, the boy knew that the answer was already there when he started to think about it.

Li Zhuiyuan dialed a number in Hainan.

He remembered it from the time Chen Xiyuan played it in front of him.

After a beep, the call was disconnected.

Zhao Yi had a similar arrangement in Lushan. Since there was no signal where he lived in the mountains and it wasn't suitable to move a telephone line in, he left a contact point at the foot of the mountain. When needed, a notification would be sent, and he would go down the mountain to answer the phone.

Li Zhuiyuan began to wait.

Chen Xiyuan's position in the Chen family of Qiongya is unique, and the number of people qualified to answer the call she makes is very small.

The cell phone rang, and the other end called back.

Li Zhuiyuan answered the phone.

A kind old woman's voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Hehe, is this a friend of my Xi Yuan from the martial arts world? That's great, my Xi Yuan has made a true friend too."

It seems that this phone was indeed set up specifically for Chen Xiyuan to contact her family.

The fact that Grandma Chen was able to determine that the call came from a friend means that Chen Xiyuan herself is currently at the Chen family ancestral home.

Furthermore, she is not allowed to go out.

However, this should not be considered house arrest.

The price of placing someone who is currently traveling across the river under house arrest is that the wave of destruction will continue to accumulate until it reaches a certain level and directly crushes the Chen family.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hello."

"Ok?"

There seemed to be some doubt on the other end of the phone.

Anyone who can make this call must know the identity of the person answering the phone; the other party's cold response is clearly problematic.

  To put it more bluntly, it's an act of disrespect towards the Dragon King's family.

However, Grandma Chen wasn't angry. Instead, she chuckled gently and said:
"Hehehe, child, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm looking for Chen Xiyuan."

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go and call her for you."

The phone hangs up.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't sit and wait for the call any longer, but went downstairs.

Tan Wenbin had already set up the offering table, on which was placed a portrait of the Emperor of Fengdu, yes, with a beard.

Li Zhuiyuan followed the normal sacrificial ceremony procedure.

There was no prayer, no outrageous behavior, but Li Zhuiyuan believed in the bond between master and disciple. Going through this normal procedure was enough to put the emperor on his guard.

This is a heads-up that we're going to negotiate, so Master, please be prepared.

"Alright, Brother Binbin, let's take this place down."

"okay."

"Has Runsheng not come back yet?"

“I called Shan Daye’s village this morning, and Runsheng answered the phone. He said that Shan Daye had contracted land to grow vegetables, but he wasn’t growing them properly. Runsheng was doing some temporary work to help Shan Daye so that he could at least have a harvest before winter.”

I suggested that Ayou and I go help him, but Runsheng said no, the harvest from this field is already not enough to cover this year's contract fee, and adding more manpower would only result in greater losses.

However, Runsheng will definitely be back before tonight.

"Let's have a meeting tonight."

"Okay, Brother Xiaoyuan."

After Tan Wenbin removed the altar, he went to the basement to help Ah You put up the labels.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, why did Brother Xiaoyuan ask me to post this?"

Tan Wenbin: "This is a lucky draw for other teams."

Lin Shuyou: "Three-eyed people must be ecstatic."

Tan Wenbin looked at the list of secret manuals on the catalog and shook his head: "I'm afraid they'll cry themselves to death after they draw them."

Lin Shuyou: "How could that be?"

Tan Wenbin: "These don't belong to Brother Xiaoyuan, they belong to Grandpa Li. Grandpa Li's things can't be taken for free."

Lin Shuyou: "So, when our Brother Yuan gave Three Eyes this, he was hoping that Three Eyes would continue to work the millstone?"

Tan Wenbin: "Xiao Yuan probably didn't think that way. This was a reward request made by the other team themselves. He put the millstone rope on himself."

After offering sacrifices to the Great Emperor, Li Zhuiyuan went alone to the bearded man's house and entered the peach grove.

Qing'an is playing the zither, and the music is melodious.

The music stopped abruptly when Li Zhuiyuan entered.

Qing'an: "How was the music just now?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It ended as soon as I arrived, which means you didn't play to your heart's content."

Qing'an: "Why?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The flute is missing."

Qing An smiled slightly: "I think it's because you're missing that flute."

Li Zhuiyuan did not deny it.

With a flick of his finger, Qing'an sent the guqin flying into the wooden house. With another flick, the tea table and tea set flew out and were placed in front of him.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the opposite side of the coffee table, sat down, and prepared to make tea.

“I’m here. You’re just like him; the tea you brew has no flavor.”

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'm still more fulfilled than him, at least now."

Qing'an: "That would be a waste of my good tea leaves."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You're so pretentious."

Others drink tea for its aroma, but Qing'an drinks it for her emotions. Qing'an: "He said the same thing to me before, sitting right here at this tea table, face to face."

Li Zhuiyuan: "He's right."

Qing An: "You came empty-handed?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The gift is at home; I didn't bring it."

Qing'an: "I'm waiting for you to squeeze every last drop of profit out of me."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Qing'an doesn't have good tea. This tea is brewed with peach blossoms. In terms of quality, it can't compare to the tea that Grandma Liu drinks every day.

But what he pursues is that kind of ethereal and unrealistic style.

Seeing the autumn leaves would make him feel sad and lonely, and Grandma Liu would call Uncle Qin to sweep them up quickly.

It's not a matter of which is better or worse; everyone has their own preferred attitude towards life.

Qing An: "It seems you're short-handed right now."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mm."

Qing'an: "You are indeed more interesting than him. He always uses people and then discards them."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I think so too."

Qing An: "But you'll feel uncomfortable for a moment, but that'll only be for a moment."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his teacup again and drank some tea.

Qing'an: "The lack of manpower is your problem. This is the biggest difference between you and him in reality."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I know."

“You found someone to worship you as the Dragon King in order to make up for your weaknesses. He…” Qing An shook the teacup in his hand, “each of us was qualified to compete for the title of Dragon King of that generation.”

Li Zhuiyuan: "Where is Chen Yunhai?"

"Chen Yunhai is indeed a freak, but aren't we the same? It's just a matter of starting earlier or later. In the very beginning, even Wei Zhengdao couldn't suppress Chen Yunhai in a one-on-one fight."

What, you think I'm bragging?

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "I just want to know more, not to question."

The fact that Qing An could still maintain a clear sense of self-control and not lose control even after falling to such a state is enough to demonstrate his strength at his peak.

Wei Zhengdao was different from me. He could practice martial arts, the environment was relaxed, and he could develop freely in all aspects. Those who could be chosen by him to follow him were definitely the outstanding talents of the era.

He'd be uncomfortable if anything of lower quality were constantly hanging around him.

In today's terms, it's like people like Zhao Yi and Chen Xiyuan all worshipping you as their Dragon King and having you lead their teams across the river.

The team's prestige and actual value are secondary. From Wei Zhengdao's perspective, it's like a collecting obsession; he might find it more pleasing to the eye this way.

Qing An: "But I think your approach is better. You can need them, and they need you. Back then, we were often confused, unsure whether Wei Zhengdao really needed us."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Nothing in the world is absolutely perfect."

Qing'an: "Don't you feel more accomplished doing this?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It is my partners who made me who I am."

Qing'an fell silent.

He tilted his head back and drank the cup of tea in one gulp. If Li Zhuiyuan hadn't refused to drink alcohol, he would have wanted to switch to other types of liquor.

"You know what? I've always hoped to hear that comment you just made from him."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You did it."

If the owner of that tattered straw mat really was Wei Zhengdao, then why did he choose to appear in Nantong and Siyuan Village at the last moment of his life, and for whom?

Qing'an: "This kind of hasty consolation is not up to your standards."

Li Zhuiyuan: "When I don't want to act, this is how I am."

Qing An poured herself another cup of tea, her eyes constantly glancing at Li Zhuiyuan.

He didn't believe that the boy had come specifically to have tea with him.

If he has free time, he'll probably play chess with that girl and tend to her medicinal herbs.

As Qing'an pondered the matter, he felt he was about to grasp its essence, so he immediately stopped and didn't delve any further into it.

"I'm tired, I'm going to sleep."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The guests are still at the table, and you're just leaving like this? Isn't that inappropriate?"

"Let Su Luo drink with you."

Qing'an entered the house.

Su Luo came out of the house, sat down in front of Li Zhuiyuan, and said with a smile:
"That's just how he is, you know. I'm here to have tea with you."

"Ah."

After finishing another cup of tea, Li Zhuiyuan looked at the wooden house and asked:
"Have you gotten used to him after spending so much time together?"

"I'm used to it, and I enjoy it. You've seen my memories. I lived alone in my home during my lifetime, and I will rest peacefully underground after my death. I have never truly experienced the carefree joy of drinking, playing the zither, and composing poems with a close friend."

I never expected that I would receive a fulfillment in death that I could never have in life.

Do you really think you understand him?

“He told me some things about his past. Sometimes it wasn’t really meant for me, but more like he was talking to himself. I was listening to him as he talked.”

"Are you referring to their group back then?"

"Yes, everyone likes to reminisce about their glorious past in their later years."

Next, under Li Zhuiyuan's deliberate guidance, the tea party focused on the period when Qing'an traveled along the river with Wei Zhengdao, as Qing'an had recounted.

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to know what the new situation was like on the river after Wei Zhengdao's group of people had all grown up and reached a qualitative change from quantitative change.

Li Zhuiyuan needed a control group to plan ahead for the new phase of the future, and no control group was more suitable than Wei Zhengdao back then.

The naive Su Luo, completely unaware of what was happening, was led by the nose by Li Zhuiyuan, constantly revealing the information Li Zhuiyuan wanted to know.

He himself found it very enjoyable and spoke with great pleasure.

Inside the wooden house, Qing'an lay on the bed with her legs crossed.

In the center of the long hair that was spread out on the bed was a blank face.

He deliberately isolated himself from all external perceptions, unable to hear or see anything, as if it were completely irrelevant to him.

It can only be said that those who had followed Wei Zhengdao were indeed more experienced in exploiting loopholes in the rules of traveling across the river.

Here, the peach blossoms are endless, the pool is beside you, and the tea is never-ending.

After listening to what he wanted to hear, Li Zhuiyuan stood up and took the initiative to end the conversation.

Su Luo said with lingering enjoyment, "Chatting with you is truly a pleasure."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Me too."

The boy walked out of the peach grove.

Xiong Shan was wearing tall boots, so he must have just returned from the fishpond. At this moment, he was sitting on the dam with Li Hua, the couple talking about something with their heads down.

Seemingly surprised that Li Zhuiyuan had entered the peach grove earlier and then came out again, Xiong Shan paused for a moment, then immediately stood up and said:
"Young Master Li, my wife and I agree!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Agree to what?"

"Huh?" Xiong Shan asked in confusion, "Didn't the old lady send Lord Qin to tell us about the arranged marriage for Benben? No, no, no, it's not an arranged marriage, it's a betrothal, a betrothal for children."

Sun Yuanqing's sect was not very powerful, but it was highly respected in the martial arts world, belonging to the standard prestigious and righteous sects.

The Xiong couple came from humble backgrounds, and for their son to become the son-in-law of such a sect was a remarkable leap forward.

Pear Blossom: "The old lady said that the betrothal is just an intention. Even in the past, if the parents of both sides arranged such a betrothal, they would have to wait until the children of both families grew up to see if they were really willing to get along. If they were not willing, it would be canceled. It is not mandatory. My husband and I naturally agree to this and will follow the arrangements of the old lady and young master."

Pear Blossom felt that sending her son to the young master's room to relieve his boredom was indeed the right thing to do, and in doing so, it eventually led to a marriage alliance.

This further strengthened his resolve to continue sending Benben there, rain or shine!
Li Zhuiyuan knew nothing about this matter and never even saw the guest who came to propose marriage.

However, Li Zhuiyuan felt that his consent was not required in this matter, and he pointed to the peach grove behind him:

"When Xiao Yingying sets up the offering table tonight to refill the wine for the one inside, you can take the opportunity to ask him what he thinks about this matter."

Xiao Yingying was the one who took care of Benben all along, and Xiao Yingying was raised by him, so the actual guardian of Benben was Qing An.

To arrange a marriage for Benben, Qing'an's approval is definitely required.

Xiong Shan: "Yes, yes, we understand. We will inform them tonight, we will definitely inform them."

Li Zhuiyuan left the bearded man's house and ran into Runsheng, who was riding a tricycle back home.

Runsheng stopped the tricycle, and Li Zhuiyuan got on.

"Brother Runsheng, has the land at Grandpa Shan's place been settled?"

"Yeah, my grandpa tried greenhouse farming, but it failed. I told him he might as well keep playing cards and losing money; he'd lose less."

When it comes to comforting people, Brother Runsheng has always treated everyone equally.

"Xiao Yuan, my grandpa wants to borrow money from me to start a livestock business. Do you think I should lend it to him?"

"You'll have to burn paper money for Yin Meng tonight to find out."

"it is good."

As the tricycle turned onto the path, and they were almost home, Runsheng spoke up:

"Xiao Yuan, congratulations."

"Ok?"

Li Zhuiyuan didn't know what he should be congratulated about, but at this moment, he also felt like he was being betrothed to someone like Benben.

Originally, after failing in his greenhouse farming venture, Grandpa Shan was disheartened and planned to give up.

To his surprise, Li Sanjiang called him specifically to boast that he had already negotiated the betrothal gifts and dowry.

Li Sanjiang was simply sharing happiness with an old friend; he had no other intentions.

But the speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. In Uncle Shan's ears, it sounded like Li Sanjiang was mocking him for losing money gambling and scaring Runsheng's wife away.

This reignited Grandpa Shan's fighting spirit, and he decided to make a comeback.

When she got home, the mahjong game at Liu Yumei's place had ended, and the old lady was standing in front of the table, designing clothes by herself.

This is perfectly common. Unless it's a style that the boy particularly likes, Ah Li will wear it repeatedly. Normally, Ah Li's clothes are different every day.

Over the years, there have been many more people making clothes for Ah Li than just Grandma Yao.

But this time, when Li Zhuiyuan passed by, he glanced at it and discovered that Grandma Liu was designing—

Wedding dress.

Noticing the boy's gaze, Liu Yumei looked up and smiled, "Xiao Yuan, Grandma was just killing time, so I thought I'd try to get Ah Li's..."

"Grandma, I need to go upstairs to answer a very important phone call."

"Okay, go ahead."

Li Zhuiyuan abruptly interrupted him.

Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu have already set off for the Qinling Mountains, and it's possible that Grandma Liu will also have to go there herself next.

It's unlucky to chat like this right before leaving the house.

In the rice paddies behind the house.

Little Black was lying on the ground, fast asleep.

Benben held the milk bottle, took a sip himself, and then fed a sip to the head that was growing out of the ground.

Then take out the snacks that Mom had put in her little backpack.

Godmothers forbid their children from eating junk food, but biological mothers do so without any restraint.

Benben tore off the spicy strips, leaving his fair little hands covered in red oil.

He lowered his head and chewed on a stick, not forgetting to offer one to Master Sun.

Sun Yuanqing ate with great relish, and after finishing, he couldn't help but exclaim:
"Haha, my grandson-in-law is the best to me."

……

"boom!"

Chen Xiyuan was thrown back with a heavy blow, lying on the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

In addition, she clearly had old injuries on her body.

An old man stood in front of Chen Xiyuan.

The old man's face remained kind and gentle. He was heartbroken to see his beloved granddaughter being thrown away like that.

Although, it was he, the one who was so heartbroken, who knocked his granddaughter away.

"Grandpa, tell me, why did you do this? Why!"

Grandpa Chen did not answer.

Chen Xiyuan stood up, raised the jade flute again, pointed it at her grandfather, and the domain activated once more as she rushed forward.

Just as they were about to get close, Old Master Chen's domain also opened, and the two domains collided fiercely.

However, although Chen Xiyuan is now much more capable than the shy young master of the Chen family back then, the years have brought her wisdom and experience.

In the clash of domains, Chen Xiyuan quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

With a flick of his wrist, Old Master Chen pushed forward, causing the surrounding array to spin and boom as it struck Chen Xiyuan.

"puff!"

Chen Xiyuan coughed up another mouthful of blood, her body falling heavily to the ground like a kite with a broken string.

Old Master Chen didn't hold back; he really went all out and did indeed hurt her.

Because if he held back, it would be tantamount to sparring with his own people on the river to help them improve, and he would suffer the consequences.

Grandpa Chen: "That's enough, Xi Yuan."

Chen Xiyuan clutched her chest and stood up again: "Tell me, why did you do this!"

Old Master Chen: "There are some things I cannot explain to you."

Chen Xiyuan: "You don't have to explain to me, but do you know what the consequences of your actions will be?"

Mr. Chen: "I will take full responsibility for what I have done."

Chen Xiyuan: "You want to take full responsibility? Grandpa, do you know that even if you want to take full responsibility for some things, you have to see if the other party acknowledges it and is willing to do so?"

No one knew how terrifying that boy was better than Chen Xiyuan.

Although she always had a romanticized view of her younger brother, she was rationally aware that Zhao Yi's exploits in the underworld were actually all done by her younger brother.

The younger brother hasn't come to Qiongya yet because he feels he's not strong enough and isn't fully prepared. Once he's ready and arrives in Qiongya, what awaits the Chen family will be…

She used to find it fun and exciting to follow her younger brother to cancel other people's accounts, but when the target shifted to her own, Chen Xiyuan felt a chill run down her spine.

Most importantly, she had no right to stop her younger brother from doing this, because her grandfather had almost killed him!

Moreover, Chen Xiyuan was well aware that even if she was determined to stand on the Chen family's side, it would be of no use.

Grandpa Chen: "You just got home and you're still injured. Go and rest to recover. Adults should handle their own affairs. It's not time for your generation to worry about these things."

Chen Xiyuan pointed outside, towards the direction of the ancestral hall, where a willow tree stood at the entrance.
"Grandpa, do you think Old Madam Liu knows about this? Have you ever wondered why, given Old Madam Liu's temperament, she hasn't come knocking on your door to confront you about this yet?"

Old Master Chen's expression showed some emotion.

Chen Xiyuan continued, "It's not that Old Madam Liu's temper has changed. Grandpa, since you would go to such lengths to strike me, you should know the weight of that strike. If someone else had done that to me, would you have swallowed your anger?"

Grandpa, I know you have your reasons. Please tell me your reasons. I still can't believe that my Chen family of Qiongya, the mighty Dragon King Chen family, would stoop to those lowly, empty-headed forces of the martial world, engaging in such despicable acts as killing the future of other families' promising talents!

Grandpa Chen's gaze darkened, and he sighed, "Xi Yuan, you don't understand. Grandpa promises you, I will give you an explanation for this matter later, and I will also give Miss Liu... and Madam Qin an explanation."

Chen Xiyuan: "Grandpa, don't you understand what I'm saying? It's not that people are waiting for your explanation, it's that the Chen family of Qiongya is waiting for you to take the initiative to apologize."

Time is running out for the entire Chen family, really running out, Grandpa, wake up!

She knew all too well how astonishing her little brother's progress was.

His swagger was different from others'. Even though the heavens withheld his merits, his advancement always far surpassed that of others.

Who knows, in the near future, my little brother will be grown up enough to come to Hainan without any worries.

At that point, given the younger brother's behavior, he might not want to listen to his grandfather's so-called explanation at all. Even if his grandfather wanted to speak, the younger brother would deliberately cut him off beforehand, ensuring that the explanation would never be given.

Grandpa Chen: "Xi Yuan, just focus on what you're supposed to be doing now."

Last time, when Chen Xiyuan returned to the ancestral home, she directly asked him for an explanation.

If he doesn't respond, he'll attack his grandfather.

After injuring herself, Chen Xiyuan dragged her injured body to walk along the river when the next wave arrived. By the time the first wave ended, she had suffered additional injuries from the waves.

As a result, after she returned, she still completely ignored her injuries and continued to fight with herself.

This was the first time that Grandpa Chen had seen his cheerful and lovable granddaughter in such a persistent and obsessive state.

Chen Xiyuan smiled brightly. After finally managing to stand up again, she knelt back down on the ground with a "plop".

Grandpa Chen breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his granddaughter had finally given up.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Xiyuan's next words sent a chill down the old man's spine.

"Grandpa, I will not give up by lighting the lamp a second time, but I will stay at home from now on, and I will not leave home even if the next wave starts calling me."

I will stay in this ancestral home and wait for the next wave to accumulate and grow bigger.

Either you kill me yourself.

"Or we can wait for the next wave to engulf our Chen family in Qiongya!"

Grandpa Chen: "Xi Yuan, are you crazy? Do you know what you're saying?"

Chen Xiyuan said sternly, "I know, I would rather bring disaster upon myself and let the Heavenly Dao push the waves over and overwhelm my Chen family. At least the Heavenly Dao will leave my Chen family a chance to survive and a bit of dignity out of respect for our ancestors!"
It's better than when that day actually comes, and what awaits the Chen family is...

Old Master Chen's eyes softened, and he asked, "Xi Yuan, is he really that scary?"

The old man clearly sensed that his granddaughter's fear of that boy even surpassed her reverence for the Way of Heaven.

"grandfather……"

"Do you think it was a mistake for Grandpa not to have attracted an even bigger lightning bolt, or even more lightning bolts?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiyuan bit her lip until it bled profusely.

She closed her eyes.

Old Master Chen closed his eyes, his inner struggle growing more and more intense.

Just then, his wife's voice came from outside:
"Xi Yuan, Xi Yuan..."

The old lady of the Chen family arrived outside very early, but she couldn't get in.

The grandfather and grandson were making their move inside, each of them turning the hall into a complete mess, with traps and obstacles everywhere.

Even if she wasn't a member of the Chen family, any member of the Chen family would be terrified upon seeing this scene.

After much difficulty, they managed to clear the outer perimeter little by little and get closer to the inside. At that moment, the old lady of the Chen family couldn't help but call out in a telepathic voice.

Grandpa Chen: "My dear wife, Xi Yuan and I are having tea."

Outside, Old Madam Chen's fingernails were almost digging into her flesh.

Since getting married, this is the first time in my life that my old man has kept something so obvious from me, and even his granddaughter hasn't told me anything.

The grandfather and granddaughter were fighting so badly that everyone in the ancestral home thought there had been an earthquake, yet the old man still casually told them he was just having tea with his granddaughter.

Forcibly suppressing her anger, the old lady of the Chen family spoke:

"Tell Xi Yuan that she's getting a call and is looking for her."

Old Master Chen turned to look at Chen Xiyuan, about to convey his message, when he suddenly opened his eyes. His granddaughter, who had just been so determined to die for her cause and was willing to drag the entire Chen family down with her, was now refusing to do so.

"Grandma...you're not lying to me?"

Grandpa Chen: "Your grandmother knew nothing about this from beginning to end, she couldn't possibly lie to you."

Chen Xiyuan looked at her grandfather.

Grandpa Chen sighed: "Do you think I, your grandfather, have the ability to conspire with your grandmother to trick you into leaving the ancestral home? Your grandmother isn't a member of the Chen family. She loves you the most. In her eyes, even if the entire Chen family is destroyed, nothing is more important than you, her granddaughter."

Chen Xiyuan stood up and walked out.

When Madam Chen saw her granddaughter, she came out covered in blood.

"Grandma, I'll go answer the phone."

After saying that, Chen Xiyuan left.

Old Mr. Chen then came out, but he didn't dare to look his wife in the eye.

Madam Chen: "Do you know what? I really want to brew two bowls of poison right now, and drink them with you."

Grandpa Chen: "One bowl is enough, I can drink it myself."

Chen Xiyuan drove her vehicle at breakneck speed, leaving the ancestral home, crossing the mountains, and arriving at the shop located deep in the mountains.

The Chen family servants who were originally in the shop all left after hanging up the first phone call to report the incident.

Chen Xiyuan called the number back.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

During the wait, Chen Xiyuan kept moving the microphone away and then bringing it closer again.

Until, that voice came from the other end of the microphone:
"Hey, it's me."

Chen Xiyuan covered her mouth; having bled so much earlier, her tears suddenly burst forth.

I tried to speak several times to respond, but I still lacked the confidence to organize my thoughts and prevent them from becoming distorted.

When she left Nantong, she was full of confidence, believing that she would be able to get an explanation from her grandfather after returning to Hainan.

But when her grandfather showed extraordinary stubbornness, she realized that she had no other choice but to fight to the death.

The greatest despair a person can experience is when faced with despair, and you find yourself powerless to change it.

On the other end of the phone, the little brother's voice came again:
"Sister Chen, if you're not busy, could you come to Nantong and help me out?"

……

The eerie darkness seems to be the unchanging dominant color here.

There are other colors here, but any bright colors often represent torture and despair.

Yin Meng, dressed in an official robe and wearing an official hat, sat in the corner of the hall, her hands constantly intertwining. Under her active guidance, wisps of ghostly energy continuously entered her body and then overflowed from another direction.

The ghostly energy that leaves one's body will be slightly weaker than when it enters, but not by much.

This means that her talent is really, really bad.

There is nowhere more suitable than this place to practice the Yin family's methods, yet her learning efficiency remains so low.

In the center of the main hall stands a statue of a deity.

Most of the time, it will not change at all.

Yin Meng is the only person here; no other being can access this platform.

There is no shortage of food and drink here; all kinds of offerings will appear on the altar that stretches to almost the end.

Yin Meng survives by eating these things because she is not a ghost; she has flesh and blood.

However, these things are really hard to eat. All the food has a strong smoky taste, not a smoky flavor, but rather it feels like the food is covered with an invisible, thick layer of paper ash.

Even the wine tasted like it had been infused with wax, sour and greasy.

Yin Meng often thought that if Runsheng were here, he would definitely eat very happily and forget about home.

In front of Yin Meng was a small table of her own, which looked quite tiny compared to the long table in the main hall.

After all, only one person would burn offerings for her.

Practice is over, another day with minimal progress.

Yin Meng prepared to rest for a while, waiting for Runsheng to give her his "offering" tonight before going to sleep.

He reached into his pocket, took out a small jar, twisted off the lid, and rubbed his fingers inside. It was completely empty; no more could be rubbed out.

But she still pretended to apply a lot, patting and spreading it evenly on her face, pretending that she was taking care of herself.

This thing is very expensive in real life, and Yinmeng couldn't bear to buy it herself. The first time she used it was when her friend gave it to her. She only remembers that it smelled nice and felt very comfortable when applied to her face.

But after it's burned, there's a strong smell of corpse oil.

At first, Yin Meng was disgusted, but something was better than nothing. But now that she had used it all up, she regretted it. When Runsheng first burned these things for her, she scolded him for having too much money to burn.

Sigh, I spoke too confidently. How can I subtly hint to this idiot to keep enduring my scolding and burn me another set of skincare products?
But the most painful thing is that hinting to him is useless; it's like his brain has no wrinkles.

At that moment, a ball of light appeared in front of the statue in the main hall.

Each change in the statue signifies that someone is performing a ritual to invoke the Great Emperor of Fengdu, and it must be a very high-level ritual for it to appear here.

Yin Meng got up and moved closer.

Most of the time, it was Xiao Yuan who performed these rituals.

She can keep an eye on things from the side, and if needed, she can lend a hand.

As for normal times, she doesn't really like to get too close to the statues of gods, because the closer you get, the more miscellaneous sounds you hear, including the prayers and supplications of the living and the cries and wails of the dead, which can make your head explode.

Yin Meng carefully observed the ball of light. After it appeared, the light continuously changed color and shape, and then naturally dissipated.

Yin Meng was stunned for a moment. This was really a very normal sacrificial ceremony.

She moved away from the statue and returned to her seat.

Brother Xiao Yuan performed a very normal sacrifice for the Great Emperor, but she felt that something was very abnormal about it.

I remember once when Xiao Yuan was performing a ritual, she watched as the black beard on the statue slowly faded and disappeared.

It took a long time for his beard to slowly grow back.

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, the statue began to tremble slightly, and its eyes opened.

Obviously,

This perfectly normal sacrificial ceremony even surprised the emperor...

Panic.

(End of this chapter)