Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 453

"I...I...I don't know, I really don't know!"

When the scene in the courtyard was revealed, the Wood King turned pale with fright, his body trembled violently, and some yellow hairs began to appear.

More than any mishap in hospitality or oversights in the arrangements, he feared being misunderstood by his benefactor, who would think he was a traitor working in the inside.

He requested the title from Li Zhuiyuan, and if Li Zhuiyuan rejected it, he would revert back to his original form.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Prince Mu and said, "You can go back to Lijiang now."

With a "plop," the Wood King knelt down before Li Zhuiyuan, kowtowing repeatedly. His black hair began to turn yellow, and a demonic aura gradually spread from his body.

Li Zhuiyuan: "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have let you leave, and you wouldn't be able to leave anyway."

Upon hearing these words, the demonic aura emanating from the Wood King froze, and the yellowing of his hair ceased.

The severity of the situation did not exceed Li Zhuiyuan's expectations.

However, things did develop much faster than Li Zhuiyuan had anticipated.

Therefore, there's no need to have Prince Mu follow along anymore, lest he get involved.

The wooden prince, kneeling on the ground, placed his hand on his chest, looked up at Li Zhuiyuan with tears in his eyes.

Although he came under the pretext of picking someone up from the airport, he didn't want to just do that; he wanted to stay there or stay nearby to serve them.

He had no intention of accumulating merit; he simply wanted to repay a debt of gratitude.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Having done good deeds all my life, and finally being reborn as a human being, I should cherish it."

The demonic aura emanating from the Wood King faded, and his hair gradually turned black.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You chose to be a person yourself, not for me. In the past, you needed my judgment and correction. Now, you should learn to discard your crutches and walk on your own two legs."

The demonic aura emanating from Lord Mu completely dissipated, his hair turned completely black, and he returned to normal.

Li Zhuiyuan: "As a person, you shouldn't kneel down."

Lord Mu did not rush to stand up, but remained kneeling. However, he straightened his upper body and puffed out his chest.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and gently patted Prince Mu's shoulder.

The Wood King was very perceptive; the matter of whether or not one kneels is not about the physical posture.

Those who ignore their real-world environment and state of mind, and immediately react violently and jump up at the sight of kneeling, the sound of respectful titles, or the encounter with old customs, are actually the ones who have these things ingrained in their minds.

Lord Mu bowed down, touching his forehead to the ground, and spread his hands upwards to formally greet Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan led A Li towards the courtyard of the guesthouse with his right hand, and waved with his left hand.

After bowing, Prince Mu stood up, looking much lighter than before. He waved to the boy's retreating figure, then returned to his carriage and drove away.

Tan Wenbin was the first to enter the courtyard, and right now, he was slowly circling around the three corpses in the courtyard.

With its snake-like eyes activated, it appeared to be observing the three strange corpses, but in reality, it was conducting a more detailed and precise investigation of the entire area around the guesthouse.

Each step taken is equivalent to collecting information about the surrounding environment.

Temperature, humidity, sound, murderous intent... nothing was found.

Initial assessments suggest that apart from the three corpses and the stone tablet, there are no other unusual circumstances.

Li Zhuiyuan stopped in front of the stone tablet.

They will die and fall into hell.

It has a lot of style.

Even the smallest hell is still hell.

The current scene matches my earlier guesses about the situation while I was in the car.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, I think these three should be the Lighters, a team. Their hiding place was found, and they were hunted down by the Living Valley."

Lin Shuyou: "They're really unlucky."

Those who are alive and light the way are competitors; only the dead are worthy of our shared sorrow.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Xiaoyuan, do we need to find a place to stay? I'll go look for one now."

Tan Wenbin: "If we needed to change places to stay, Brother Xiaoyuan wouldn't have let Prince Mu leave just now."

Lin Shuyou: "So we're still going to stay here? Hmm, should we clean up these three corpses?"

Based on their experience, even if there were corpses holding meetings in the courtyard, it wouldn't prevent them from sleeping peacefully at night.

Tan Wenbin: "Ah You, do you think it needs cleaning?"

Lin Shuyou: "It doesn't matter whether I clean it or not. Cleaning it will make it look cleaner, but if I don't clean it, it's like a stamp of approval is left here, which will save me some trouble later, right?"

Tan Wenbin: "That makes sense."

"Hehe." Ah You was very happy to receive a positive response to his statement, and continued, "Since it's safe here, I'll go inside and tidy up a bit, and then set up a formation so everyone can get some rest early tonight."

Tan Wenbin stretched and yawned, then straightened his right arm and clenched his left fist, tapping the back of his neck.

This is a hint.

The red line connects in the next moment.

Tan Wenbin thought to himself, "Brother Xiao Yuan, there's something wrong here."

Lin Shuyou: "..."

Li Zhuiyuan did not rush to respond.

Just as Tan Wenbin was mentoring Ayou, the boy was also training Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin thought to himself:
“Brother Xiaoyuan, even Ayou knows that we need to set up a formation around the campsite.”

Even if there are no formation masters among the team members, they should at least make some other early warning and defense arrangements.

But apart from these three corpses and this stone tablet, the place was very clean.

It's impossible that someone from the Valley of the Living Killed came, murdered someone, and then casually gave them a deep clean, right?

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and gestured to the blood-written characters on the stone tablet. The characters were written quite well.

Tan Wenbin continued to think to himself, "Brother Xiaoyuan, I can only sense the problem, but what exactly is the root cause of the problem, I..."

Li Zhuiyuan thought to himself, "Empiricism has its limitations, but that doesn't stop me from going through it in my mind every time I encounter a problem."

Tan Wenbin seemed lost in thought, thinking to himself, "Could it be...could it be...could it be..."

Lin Shuyou looked enlightened, resting his chin on his hand and nodding repeatedly: "I'm so nervous, I have no idea what Brother Bin and Brother Xiaoyuan are talking about."

Huh?
Ah-you suddenly realized that now that he was connected by the red thread, his innermost thoughts would be heard by everyone.

"Oh no, I've been exposed. Everyone has realized that I was just pretending to think."

Huh?
Lin Shuyou lowered his head, his ears turning red.

Tan Wenbin thought to himself, "Last time in Lijiang, the broken jade that emitted corpse energy was a marker. Whoever held it would be sensed by others. Will it be the same this time?"
This wave of the river-walking team had previously joined forces to attack the Valley of Living People, so they must have already been to the Little Hell. After their defeat and retreat, they would have tried to hide in the city, but intelligence shows that they have been frequently found and frequently engaged in battle.

This suggests that after entering the Lesser Hell, certain specific auras should remain on their bodies, which allows the Living Valley to quickly pinpoint their location when they retaliate.

As Ayou just said, if a body isn't properly disposed of, it's like it's been stamped with a certificate of conformity—that's what he meant.

If it's impossible to remove the special aura or mark from one's body, then being with a group of people who also possess this aura and mark, especially those who have already been 'officially' executed, is actually the safest option.

Lin Shuyou thought to himself, "Brother Bin is so kind to help me cover up like this. I never thought that's what I was thinking."

Tan Wenbin focused his snake eyes again and looked at the three corpses.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, it was my oversight. I only did what I thought was the correct way to investigate, and I ignored the specific changes."

Tan Wenbin shifted his gaze from the corpse to the stone tablet. His snake-like eyes turned bloodshot, and the blood-red characters on the tablet began to sway. Two dark figures appeared, one upward and one downward.

The path leading down from the stone tablet spread out upon touching the ground, each path then connecting to the three kneeling corpses.

Looking at the three corpses again, they noticed that wisps of faint black energy were rising from their bodies. The black energy first gathered at the stone tablet and then rose upwards.

Those who possess specific skills can detect an entity's presence even from a great distance.

Following Tan Wenbin's gaze, Lin Shuyou also activated his vertical pupils and looked along with him:

"Wow, I see it, it really exists."

Tan Wenbin thought to himself, "If that's the case, then it's possible that the people who killed these three weren't from the Valley of Living People; after these three were killed, it was arranged to resemble the demonstration style of the Valley of Living People after their killings."

To be able to enter the campsite, quickly kill three people, and not even give them a chance to set up, either the person who made the move was extremely powerful... no, if he was extremely powerful, there would be no need for him to deliberately hide here.

Either the person who killed those three was the one in their group who lit the lamp.

Treating one's loyal followers who have traveled the world with utmost respect as worthless is a common practice among river gangs.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; many of the followers of the lamplighters are like mercenaries, using one batch and then recruiting the next.

Teams like Li Zhuiyuan's, which consistently strive to keep their members alive, are actually few and far between. Even Zhao Yi's team members changed frequently at one point.

Tan Wenbin thought to himself, "If he's using his partner as cover to ensure his own safety, then the most suitable hiding place for him is..."

Li Zhuiyuan thought to himself, "It's right under my feet."

The next moment, everyone's eyes, except for the boy, fell on the area at Xiao Yuan's feet.

The position where Li Zhuiyuan is now is the most suitable for him to blend the black mist on his body with the mist emanating from the three corpses above.

The boy started to back away, and Ah Li, who was beside him, followed suit.

He remained completely calm.

The fact that Tan Wenbin was unable to detect temperature or murderous intent indicates that this person was in a state of deep asphyxiation or even suspended animation, isolated from all external perception.

Li Zhuiyuan led the girl safely back a safe distance, and Runsheng silently stood in the spot where Xiaoyuan had stood before. He took the Yellow River shovel out of his bag and, with a "click," the shovel head and the peach wood handle were joined together.

Runsheng gripped the shovel with both hands, ready to smash downwards.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Runsheng, spare someone alive, interrogate them."

Runsheng turned the Yellow River shovel around so the handle was pointing downwards, adjusted his breathing, prepared to pull back his strength, and then thrust it downwards.

"boom."

The ground cracked, and pebbles scattered and flew everywhere. Below, lay a man whose body was covered by a layer of translucent white cocoon.

The man was about thirty years old and had many ghostly claw marks on his body, indicating that his injuries were serious. He had been sleeping here, healing his wounds.

However, no matter how soundly he was sleeping, Runsheng's smash still woke him up.

He opened his eyes, the white cocoons on his body tore apart, and he quickly stood up, accompanied by a piercing sound of air being torn apart, and attacked Runsheng with fierce force.

That reaction and that movement were incredibly fast; by normal standards, he would be a formidable opponent.

The man was also relieved, relieved that although he had been discovered, the other party had given him a chance to fight back.

Runsheng used his left hand to lift the lower end of the shovel handle, pulling it in an arc, and at the same time released his left hand, released his right hand forward.

The shovel handle popped out and hit the man.

"boom!"

The man felt as if he had been struck by a tremendous force, and his body was thrown upwards uncontrollably.

In mid-air, he forcibly took control, pinching out a talisman with his left hand and gripping a cone with his right, intending to turn around and stab the talisman with the cone in a counterattack.

However, he only managed to complete half of his spin because Runsheng grabbed his leg.

The surrounding air currents compressed rapidly towards him, and the man immediately found himself unable to move, as if he had been thrown into a cement jar, which quickly solidified.

To onlookers, the man's current posture looked strange. Runsheng was holding his legs, and his body was stretched straight forward with his hands raised to the sides, like a circus troupe performing a freeze-frame acrobatics.

Runsheng began to wave his hands up and down, and the man he was carrying also moved up and down with him.

Xiao Yuan had to catch them alive, so Run Sheng had to constantly weigh the strength in his hands.

That's tough. I don't know if this guy can take a beating.

To be on the safe side, Runsheng greatly reduced his strength, keeping it within a safe range.

Swing your hand downwards.

The man's upper body crashed to the ground.

"boom!"

Pick it up, then toss it.

"boom!"

Keep lifting it up, keep tossing it around.

"boom!"

Small quantities, multiple times.

Take a break occasionally to carefully observe the heat.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Runsheng only stopped swinging when the man's upper body was covered in blood and flesh, with some parts of his bones exposed.

Instead of throwing it, they placed the man on the ground, swept it back and forth a few times, and wiped the bloodstains away from the ground.

Tan Wenbin: "Runsheng, leave it here."

Runsheng threw the man over, and he landed in front of Tan Wenbin.

The man still harbored a fierce determination. The moment he broke free from Runsheng, a strange sound came from his chest. He twisted his body, brandishing the hammer and talisman, and struck the ground a meter away from Tan Wenbin.

"boom!"

A hole the size of a basketball was blasted into the ground. It wasn't large, but the soil and rocks in that area had already turned into dust and dissipated. If it had actually hit someone, the injury would have been severe.

"Hehe...hehe..."

The man let out a hoarse laugh.

Tan Wenbin: "You're so naughty."

man:"……"

Brother Xiao Yuan revised the "Code of Conduct for Walking the River" time and time again, and repeatedly asked everyone to memorize it. It standardized the discipline and rules for various combat scenarios, with fighting to the death when cornered being one of the key points.

Tan Wenbin raised his foot and kicked the iron hammer out of the man's hand.
Then he took a pair of white gloves out of his pocket and put them on.

Bend down, reach out, grab the other person's neck, and turn their head towards you.

The snake's eyes moved.

Tan Wenbin's severely injured body and weakened state greatly diminished the opponent's willpower and resistance, and he successfully made the opponent's eyes become cloudy.

Now, the other party has completely lost its threat.

He let go of the other person, leaving him lying on the ground in a daze, and straightened up, looking at Xiao Yuan behind him.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Give me the interrogation transcript tomorrow morning."

Tan Wenbin: "Understood."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Cast a long line to catch a big fish."

Tan Wenbin: "Yes."

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li entered the wooden house.

The room was clean, but the blankets were damp.

Li Zhuiyuan took out sleeping bags from his and A Li's bags and laid one on each bed.

There is a shower in the room, but there is no hot water.

Li Zhuiyuan has always believed that, when conditions permit, one should treat oneself well.

After a long and tiring journey by plane and car, a hot shower can make you feel much better.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the room, and the girl followed him out.

"Ah Li, I'll go boil some water. You can sit here or go inside and rest first."

The girl didn't follow him or go inside. Instead, she sat down on a chair outside the room and watched Tan Wenbin in the yard as he prepared to interrogate her.

There's a kitchen behind the front desk, with thermos flasks and electric kettles. I couldn't find a larger kettle, so I had to fill the thermos flasks with cold water first, and then put the electric kettle in.

Runsheng, who was originally standing in the courtyard, moved back a distance to make sure that Xiaoyuan inside was within his line of sight.

Li Zhuiyuan came out carrying two thermos bottles in each hand.

"Brother Runsheng, there's still hot water inside, I've already boiled it. You can get it yourselves later."

"okay."

Li Zhuiyuan carried a thermos across the courtyard.

The man was tied to an upright wooden stake, which was stuck in the area where he had previously been lying. This was to ensure that the "covert methods" would still be effective during the interrogation.

Lin Shuyou brought a chair to Tan Wenbin. After Tan Wenbin sat down, he began to hypnotize and torture the man, interspersed with questions.

Ah-you was taking notes with a notebook and pen.

From a cause-and-effect perspective, Runsheng meant well in rescuing him, but the result was that he became a farmer and a snake.

From a moral standpoint, there's no reason to be polite to someone who killed three of his companions and built a safe house.

If we can get him to talk, we can get first-hand information about this wave of losers.

Ah Li remained seated at the doorway, intently watching the interrogation.

Noticing that the boy had returned, the girl stood up and opened the door to the room.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Next time, let Brother Binbin guide you through the interrogation process so you can familiarize yourself with it."

The girl blinked.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go outside and watch for a while longer, I'll take a shower first."

The girl went back outside and sat down.

Since I can't take a shower, I can only adjust the water temperature and then wipe myself with a wet towel.

After washing up, seeing that Ah Li hadn't returned to her room yet, Li Zhuiyuan didn't call her. He chose a bed further inside, lay down in his sleeping bag, and went to sleep.

During this time, the boy could hear the girl going back to her room and taking a bath, but Li Zhuiyuan did not wake up.

The girl's bed was by the window. She sat in her sleeping bag but didn't lie down. Instead, she looked out the window and continued to watch the inhumane interrogation taking place outside.

After watching for a while, he looked up at the moon and realized it was getting late, so he lay down to go to sleep. Before closing his eyes, he turned his head to look at the boy lying on the bed next to him.

The interrogation ended at 3 a.m.

Tan Wenbin sat in the chair and did a set of eye exercises.

After finishing, Lin Shuyou handed over the notebook: "Brother Bin, I've written it down."

When Tan Wenbin took it, he found that it not only vividly described how he had tortured the victim, but also recorded the various colloquialisms, screams, and groans in the victim's replies.

"Ah You, you've really worked hard; your notes are so detailed."

"It's not hard work at all. I think this way, Brother Xiaoyuan can fully grasp all the details."

"If Brother Xiaoyuan wants to fully grasp all the details, why doesn't he sit here and interrogate the suspect himself?"

"Um... I'll organize and reduce it right away."

"It's too late, we have to go fishing."

"fishing?"

"As Brother Xiaoyuan instructed before his break, 'Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; believe only one side and you will be misled.' Now that we have the perspective of the affirmative side, it's time to get the perspective of the negative side."

"Come on, move this stone tablet to the corner and smash it."

Lin Shuyou picked up the stone tablet, placed it in the corner of the courtyard, took out his golden mace, and smashed it to pieces.

When they returned, they found that Tan Wenbin had brought a table with four chairs next to it.

Tan Wenbin moved the three corpses, who were originally kneeling there, onto chairs, turned their heads back to face up, and put each one in a different position. One had one foot on the chair and was scratching his foot, another had his arm behind him and was scratching his back, and the third had his fist clenched as if he was about to smash the table.

The person who was originally on the wooden stake was also untied and tied to a chair, leaning back with their arms hanging down.

Tan Wenbin took out playing cards and stuffed three cards into each person's hand, making the gesture and action seem reasonable.

Two candles were lit on the table, and bowls, chopsticks, and cooking wine were taken from the kitchen and filled to the brim.

With some adjustments to the lighting and shadows, from a distance, the four people appear to be sitting in a courtyard playing cards and drinking.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, are you planning to attract the pursuers sent by the Valley of the Living?"

Tan Wenbin: "As I said, this was Xiao Yuan's arrangement."

Lin Shuyou: "Will any fish bite before dawn that day?"

Tan Wenbin: "Several groups of people from Living Valley must have come to check this place before, assuming that our companions had already finished the hunt. It would be very difficult to get them to come back and check again in a short time. It depends a lot on luck. In short, our bait wasn't fresh enough."

Lin Shuyou: "Then what should we do?"

Tan Wenbin brought over another chair and handed Lin Shuyou three cards: "Shuyou, sit here and let's play together."

Lin Shuyou took the cards and sat down.

Tan Wenbin: "Although Fengdu and the Valley of the Living are not the same kind of hell, their styles should be very similar. You can deliberately exude some ghostly aura here and transfer it to them to increase the concentration."

Lin Shuyou: "Okay."

Reaching out to touch the headband on his forehead, Lin Shuyou released ghostly energy that enveloped the four people at the table.

Those three corpses are alright; they were already dead, and their deaths were quite recent, so there's no need to worry about them turning into zombies in the short term.

The severely injured man, who was bound, began to convulse, clearly unable to withstand the corrosive power of the ghostly energy.

Tan Wenbin reached out and pinched the other person's neck, causing him to faint.

However, the ghostly aura assaulted him like a piercing wound, and soon it jolted him awake.

Tan Wenbin: "Forget it, let's leave it at that. It's normal to be overjoyed when you get a great hand."

As he spoke, Tan Wenbin bent down and looked at the cards he had dealt to the other person earlier: four, five, and six of hearts, a straight flush.

With nothing to do, Lin Shuyou slowly examined the three cards in his hand.

"Brother Bin, three Aces, I have three Aces!"

"If I were playing cards with you all at home during the Chinese New Year, I wish I could have this deck of cards."

"Then I'll definitely assume you cheated secretly."

Tan Wenbin took a few steps back, activated his snake eyes to look up, and saw that the black mist was incredibly thick.

"Brother Bin, how's the result?"

"The effect is very good. You can keep going. I'm going to take a nap at Runsheng's place."

"If the person arrives, oh no, if the ghost arrives, then I will..."

"Just go and do it."

After giving his instructions, Tan Wenbin walked down the corridor, where Runsheng sat keeping watch.

Tan Wenbin: "It's alright, go to sleep. Ah You is keeping an eye on things over there."

Runsheng nodded and closed his eyes.

Tan Wenbin raised his hand, and wisps of smoke billowed out, enveloping himself, Runsheng, and Xiaoyuan's room behind him, blocking the view from the outside.

After doing all that, Tan Wenbin went to sleep.

Lin Shuyou, sitting at the table, repeatedly looked at the three A's in his hand.

The guy next door's convulsions are getting less frequent, and he looks like he's about to die.

At this moment, Lin Shuyou suddenly sensed a familiar yet strange aura rapidly approaching him.

The reason I was able to sense it so early was that the other party was actively responding to the black energy here, which in turn stirred up my own underlying ghost energy.

Lin Shuyou glanced back at the corridor behind him but couldn't see Brother Bin and Runsheng. He knew that Brother Bin must have used the Green Ox's ability to hide.

Looking away from the wall, a dark shadow appeared at the front of the courtyard.

The figure in black wore an official hat and boots, and held a pen and book.

Judging from its physical appearance, it should be a woman.

As soon as he entered, the dark figure threw the pen in his hand.

"Buzz!"

The brush pierced the head of the gold holder next to Lin Shuyou, and his head instantly turned black, turning from a minor death to a permanent one.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

The brush emerged and pierced the heads of three more corpses in succession.

Seemingly unable to sense the presence of living beings on the other three people through the brush, the dark figure immediately retreated, attempting to leave.

Lin Shuyou reached out first, grabbing the brush that was about to pierce his head due to inertia, and then flashed out, rushing towards the dark figure.

The shadow disappeared into the wall again.

Lin Shuyou originally wanted to crash through the courtyard wall, but fearing he would wake Xiao Yuan, he simply leaped over it.

Upon landing, kneel on one knee and support yourself with one hand.

It wasn't to maintain balance, but rather by suddenly raising his head and opening his vertical pupils.

A net appeared in front of the fleeing figure, blocking its path.

Whether it's True Lord White Crane or Lord Ghost General, they can absolutely restrain this kind of ghostly behavior.

The shadowy figure stopped running, turned around, and flung the booklet forward, its pages falling off and transforming into armor.

However, before he could even put on the armor, Lin Shuyou had already closed in.

"puff!"

Ah You pierced through the armor with his palm, then casually flicked it away. The armor flew out, landed, turned into a page of a book, and quickly caught fire, turning into ashes.

The shadowy figure instinctively opened its mouth and spat out will-o'-the-wisps.

Lin Shuyou opened his mouth and swallowed the will-o'-the-wisp completely.

"Hiccup~"

The will-o'-the-wisps of the Lesser Hell are not as pure as those of Fengdu Hell; they have many impurities. But just like drinking wine, this adds to their flavor.

Before the shadowy figure could do anything else, Lin Shuyou grabbed its neck, the imposing presence of the Ghost Commander bearing down on it.

"Snapped!"

The shadow attached to the other person dissipated, revealing the true form: a young woman.

The woman looked pained, tears welling in her eyes, as she gazed pitifully at Lin Shuyou, who was cruelly destroying her.

Boy: "Hahahaha, you actually used such a seductive ghost bewitching technique on my spirit medium!"
If he were so easily fooled, there wouldn't be a single one of my next generation of junior True Monarchs yet!

Before the boy spoke, Lin Shuyou had no idea that the other party was using a seductive ghost bewitching technique to seduce him. He swung his fist and smashed it towards the woman's face.

The fists stopped.

The woman's eyes lit up with hope, thinking the trick had really worked, and she immediately became even more engrossed in showcasing her charm.

She was very fortunate that the priestess she had chosen was not bad-looking, and that it was worth it for her to devour her soul and merge her body when she was only sixteen years old.

Ah You withdrew his fist, not out of pity, but because he had encountered the same problem as Run Sheng before him: if he punched this ghost general and smashed him to pieces, how would he take a statement?
Loosen your fist and turn it into a palm.

"Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Ah You slapped the ghost general's face.

Each slap carried a portion of the Ghost General's oppressive aura.

The woman was stunned by the blows, and soon she realized that her soul was becoming loose.

She struggled desperately, but her neck was held in place by the other person, as if bound by an invisible pressure, making it impossible for her to break free from their control.

As he smoked, Lin Shuyou noticed that the face of the ghost general in front of him was showing two faces that kept changing.

"Young master, what's going on?"

White Crane Boy: "This is the body she possessed to facilitate her travels in the mortal realm."

Lin Shuyou: "Is it a corpse you're borrowing?"

White Crane Boy: "Although there's nothing new under the sun, the rules of Little Hell are definitely not as strict as those of Fengdu Hell." Lin Shuyou: "Since you've seen it..."

White Crane Boy: "I'll help her cross over."

Lin Shuyou opened his mouth and took a deep breath.

A woman's soul was sucked out of the ghost general's body and entered the boy's mouth.

After dispelling her resentment and helping her to become clear-headed, the boy opened his mouth again, and the woman's soul flew out, floating up to the sky. After smiling at Lin Shuyou, it slowly dissipated.

Next, Lin Shuyou slapped the ghost general even harder.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

"call……"

Feeling that it was about time, Lin Shuyou carried the ghost general and returned to the courtyard through the guesthouse gate.

Tan Wenbin held a bottle in his hand and poured some onto each of the corpses on the table. With a piercing "sizzle" sound, the corpses quickly melted.

Too lazy to move out of this guesthouse, and no longer needing bait, and not wanting any more disturbances from the Living Valley, I might as well just get rid of these four corpses completely.

Tan Wenbin: "Mengmeng's corpse-dissolving water is really useful."

Lin Shuyou: "There are still some?"

Tan Wenbin: "Well, Mengmeng used to keep a jar of it in the west room. When I vacated the west room, I buried it in the field behind the house. Every time I go out to walk along the river, I will go and replenish a few small jars to keep on hand."

Lin Shuyou handed the "fish" in his hand to Tan Wenbin:

"Brother Bin, let's begin the interrogation."

Tan Wenbin looked at the dark, lumpy thing Ah You was carrying and asked:

"What the hell is this?"

"Based on their rank, they should be Ghost Generals."

"Ghost Sauce?"

"Ah."

"Could you sculpt a human shape for me first? At the very least, it needs an organ called a mouth so it can talk, and oh, I also need to sculpt some ears."

"Young boy, young boy!"

Lin Shuyou turned his head, blew a breath at it, and then reached out to pinch and pull it, and the ears and mouth appeared.

Tan Wenbin: "I can tell you have no artistic talent."

Lin Shuyou: "It's almost dawn, Brother Xiaoyuan will wake up soon, let's hurry up, Brother Bin."

Tan Wenbin: "Okay, then..."

"Squeak..."

The door to the room opened, and Ah Li came out.

Li Zhuiyuan's regular routine was to wake up very early, while A Li's routine was even earlier than his, since the girl was already in his room every time the boy woke up.

Tan Wenbin pointed to his forehead and said to A Li, "I've received Xiao Yuan's instructions. A Li, you can take over A You's notes."

Binbin used a vague reference, as if Li Zhuiyuan had given him instructions through the red thread. In reality, he had forgotten to turn off his ears and overheard Xiaoyuan and Ali's conversation in the room.

Ah Li nodded, but instead of coming over, she went back inside.

Lin Shuyou: "Does this mean they agreed or not?"

Tan Wenbin: "They should have gone back to their room to get paper and pens."

Lin Shuyou pointed to his face: "Then I..."

Tan Wenbin: "You must be tired after all this trouble. Why don't you go get some sleep?"

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, I'm not sleepy!"

"That's perfect." Tan Wenbin put his arm around Lin Shuyou's shoulder and turned him around. "Last night, Prince Mu pointed out the way. The town center is over there. It's already dawn. Go and buy breakfast for everyone. Also, buy some meat, rice, vegetables, and seasonings. We'll cook lunch ourselves."

"Okay, I'll go right away. What would you like to eat, Brother Bin?"

"Let me think about it..."

Li Zhuiyuan was still sleeping.

Ah Li walked to the boy's bedside, opened his hiking backpack, and took out the "Wordless Book" from it.

Turn to the first page.

The woman was sleeping in bed when she woke up slowly. Upon seeing Ah Li outside, she immediately sat up.

Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps it was some long-suppressed emotion that resurfaced at this moment, and the corners of the woman's mouth slowly curled up.

The book's deepest fear comes only from Li Zhuiyuan.

She would challenge anyone except teenagers without discrimination.

Ah Li was looking at her in the book, and she was looking at Ah Li in return.

The color in the girl's eyes gradually faded.

The smile on the woman's lips vanished, and her body began to tremble.

She was shocked to find that the furnishings in her "bedroom" were changing. The bed was gradually turning into an altar, the room was turning into a bungalow, and there seemed to be a chilling wind blowing outside the threshold.

The woman immediately knelt down.

She is now inside the Book Without Words, so there are only two possibilities left: one is that the girl's abilities can invade the Book Without Words, and the other is that the Book Without Words acknowledges the girl's control over it.

Ah Li closed the book and left the room.

Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou, who were discussing the lunch menu, saw Ah Li come out with Xiao Yuan's "The Book Without Words".

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, you should have borrowed this from Brother Xiaoyuan last night to keep notes. It would have saved you so much trouble."

Tan Wenbin: "How presumptuous of me, is this book even suitable for my use?"

Lin Shuyou: "Even now, you can't control that evil book inside?"

Tan Wenbin: "Your question is like saying that people with higher education won't be scammed. These are two different things. Our students all got in through the college entrance examination, and every year many of them get scammed. Even some of our professors have been tricked into joining pyramid schemes."

As Brother Xiao Yuan once said, this evil book excels at exploiting people's weaknesses to deceive and manipulate them.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, I'll buy whatever you have. I'm leaving now."

Ah Li walked over to Tan Wenbin, sat down on the chair next to him, and opened the "Wordless Book".

On the first page, the woman is already standing in front of the wall with a calligraphy brush, ready to take notes.

Tan Wenbin looked at the ghost general in front of him, then at the "Book Without Words." He thought the simplest way was to just stuff the ghost general into the book.

However, Tan Wenbin quickly realized that Ah Li wanted to learn how to conduct interrogations.

Tan Wenbin activated his snake-like eyes and began to ask questions.

Ah Li listened attentively. The woman in the book meticulously recorded all the questions on one wall, while her summaries and conclusions appeared on the other wall.

After the interrogation, the ghost general, who was tortured to the point of collapse, begged for a quick death so that his soul could be scattered.

Tan Wenbin nodded, took out a talisman to ward off evil spirits, and intended to send the ghost general away.

Just then, the girl gently tapped the pages of the book and pointed to the ghost general in front of her.

The woman who had just finished recording the book immediately showed a look of ecstatic joy.

Ah Li stood up, turned the "Wordless Book" upside down, and slapped it at the ghost general in front of her.

The demon general let out a piercing, desperate wail: "No!!!"

Tan Wenbin took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and when he tried to light it, he realized he was holding it upside down, so he quickly adjusted it and lit it.

Last time, it was the first time that Xiao Yuan took the girl on a long trip alone; this time, it was the girl's first time officially walking along the river.

She fell behind in many ways, but she adapted and learned very quickly. It seemed as if she was born to stand on the river.

Inside the wordless book, a woman sits on the ground, her face showing enjoyment.

Ah Li picked up the very detailed confession recorded by Lin Shuyou and pasted it onto the "Wordless Book".

The woman immediately got to work, condensing and summarizing the statements.

Ah Li nodded to Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin also nodded in response.

The girl took the book and went back to her room.

Tan Wenbin took a deep drag on his cigarette.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes and woke up on the bed in the room.

Ah Li handed over the "Wordless Book".

Li Zhuiyuan sat on the bed and began to read.

The general course of events was not much different from what I had expected.

In this wave, the Lighters formed an alliance and stormed into the Ailao Mountain Little Hell, but suffered heavy casualties and retreated, only to be counter-pursued by the Valley of the Living.

It is worth noting that there were originally accomplices inside the Valley of the Living, who planned to coordinate an attack from within and without, and that the accomplices did indeed exert their strength when the attack was launched.

As a result, the attacking side was too disorganized. Although they were nominally united, they were actually fighting their own battles, each trying to use others as cannon fodder while they reaped the benefits. Some even resorted to underhanded tactics and sabotage, ultimately leading to their defeat.

If it weren't for the inside agent's excellent performance, which diverted a great deal of energy from the Living Valley, the Lamplighters' side would probably have been wiped out in the Ailao Mountains that time.

This is truly a case of a divine insider encountering a bunch of incompetent teammates; how could such a perfect situation have turned out like this?

However, it is understandable. Either the lamplighters have a prominent family like the Dragon King's family or a famous figure like Zhao Yi to lead them, or there is someone whose strength is far superior to others and who can break their spines.
Otherwise, the more people there are, the harder it is to coordinate, and the more likely things are to go wrong.

The identity of this inside man was unknown even to the person who interrogated him last night; it was probably a clue provided by Jiang Shui.

However, this inside man seems to be still hiding.

Because from the ghost general's confession, it did not know the specific identity of the inside agent, but only that many of the restrictive formations inside the Valley of Living People had malfunctioned, many hellish cells were suddenly opened, and a large group of ferocious beings that had been suppressed in the deepest part of the valley ran out to take revenge.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that he could try to make contact with this inside man.

Aside from these, the most valuable information in the Ghost General's confession is probably the internal framework of the Valley of Living People.

The Lesser Hell is the foundation of the Valley of the Living, almost completely replicating the levels of Fengdu Hell. It has its own Lesser Eighteen Levels of Hell and Lesser Yellow Springs, as well as the Ten Kings of Hell and other such beings.

Unlike Fengdu Hell, the Valley of Living People has a lineage unique to the living, which follows the path of ghost cultivation.

The lamplighters of their generation were buried in the ancestral home of the Zhao family in Jiujiang.

There was no living successor in Fengdu Hell, well, at least not before I became the Great Emperor's closed-door disciple.

Close the book.

Luckily, they figured out the situation in just one night.

The sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed and went over.

Ah Li rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair wrists, and prepared to wash the clothes the two of them had changed out of the night before.

"Let me do it."

Ah Li shook her head.

"Let me brush my teeth and wash my face first."

Ah Li walked out of the bathroom.

Li Zhuiyuan unpacked the laundry soap, threw it into the clothes soaking in water, and with a wave of his right hand, the evil dragon appeared.

immediately,

The boy was brushing his teeth, while a vicious dragon flew around and spun in the basin beside him.

After brushing his teeth, Li Zhuiyuan changed the water in the basin for the evil dragon to rinse.

The boy washed his face, and the evil dragon finished dehydrating.

It washes cleaner than a front-loading washing machine.

With his palm open, the evil dragon returned, and Li Zhuiyuan brought out the clothes.

Ah Li looked at the clothes in the basin, then at the boy.

"Go and dry them in the sun."

The girl revealed two dimples as she took the clothes out and carefully hung them out to dry one by one, following the fixed intervals.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the room, and Tan Wenbin came over.

"Brother Binbin, you worked hard last night."

"Brother Xiaoyuan, don't laugh at me, but this is my first time fighting such a well-funded battle, and I'm really not used to it."

In the past, when traveling across the river, if you wanted to obtain valuable information, you had to slowly explore and constantly probe. Unlike now, you can just grab someone from each side, ask them questions, and then destroy them.

"You'll get used to it more and more over time."

"Brother Xiaoyuan, are you planning to gather and connect the scattered and hiding lamplighters in Yuxi?"

"A bunch of worthless losers, not even worthy of being used as cannon fodder."

If it were the Yu family's elite alliance, the kind organized by Zhao Yi, Li Zhuiyuan might be interested.

The current group of people is far too inferior.

Tan Wenbin: "Then we will continue to advance along the multiple lines we previously established."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, but there is one thing to note. We dug the canal here ourselves, which is an unauthorized addition outside of Jiang Shui's plan. If we don't come, then this wave arranged by Jiang Shui will only be a matter of time before it fails."

Logically, the river should immediately arrange for new lamplighters to continue this wave.

Their overall strength is definitely higher than the current group of guys.

Tan Wenbin: "I will ask those mountain spirits and wild demons to pay more attention to outsiders recently. The characteristics of the Jiang team are still very obvious."

Li Zhuiyuan: "We most likely entered at the junction of the two waves, which means that the people who were supposed to come to ride this wave later should be after us."

Tan Wenbin: "I understand, Brother Xiaoyuan. Since we've arrived early, we should provide as much assistance as possible to those who come later, such as providing more directional signs to help them get on the right track."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Where's Ayou?"

Tan Wenbin:
"Hey, I asked Ah You to buy breakfast, why hasn't he come back yet?"

Lin Shuyou didn't know if he had arrived too early or if the locals were just getting up late, but after wandering around the town center, he didn't see many shops open.

There was a small vegetable market, and he found the location, but the vendors hadn't moved in yet; it was empty.

After finally finding a breakfast shop that had just opened, Lin Shuyou planned to pack the breakfast to take home first, and then come back to buy groceries.

As it turned out, the boss hadn't prepared many things yet, so he suggested that Lin Shuyou be served a bowl of rice noodles first, and then he could pack it up and take it away after he finished eating.

The rice noodles were served quickly, because the owners and their two children also ate this for breakfast.

Lin Shuyou ate very slowly and methodically, partly because the food was indeed delicious, and partly because the owner was so slow, especially after the owner's wife took the two children to school. In Lin Shuyou's eyes, the owner was just fiddling around here and there, looking very busy but not accomplishing anything at all.

Halfway through his slow meal, Lin Shuyou got up and went to get a drink.

When I looked outside, I saw a distraught man stumbling and swaying as he walked towards us.

The man had a stubble beard, sunken eyes, and dirty hair, but he looked very young. Lin Shuyou thought he was only a few years older than himself.

"Boss, a bowl of rice noodles, please."

The other small tables in the shop had been used by the busy owner to place steamers, dough balls, and other items, leaving only the one where Lin Shuyou was sitting empty. The man sat down in front of Lin Shuyou.

He sniffed, looked at the remaining rice noodles in Lin Shuyou's bowl, licked his lips, showing a longing for hot soup.

"The rice noodles are here!"

Lin Shuyou discovered that while the owner wasn't good at anything else, he could make rice noodles incredibly fast.

The man picked up his chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

After finishing the rice noodles, the man picked up the bowl and drank the soup inside clean.

"Boss, it's delicious, I'll have another bowl."

After finishing the second bowl, the man started burping.

He reached out, picked up the drink Lin Shuyou had placed on the table, gulped it down in one go, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Excuse me, buddy, go get another bottle. This bowl is on me. Boss, check please."

The man touched his pocket, then paused for a moment, his lips twitching slightly in embarrassment.

"My money was in the pocket of my previous clothes. I didn't put any money in this outfit; I forgot."

Lin Shuyou took out the money and handed it to the shopkeeper, paying the bill for him.

The man said gratefully, "Thank you, buddy, I'm really sorry."

Lin Shuyou: "You're welcome, this is my way of returning the favor."

The man took a moment to process what Lin Shuyou meant and smiled.

Lin Shuyou could tell that the other person had genuinely forgotten to bring money, because he had experienced similar embarrassing situations before.

The man didn't leave immediately, but instead carefully examined Lin Shuyou, then clicked his tongue twice and let out a sigh:
"You have a very auspicious face."

"Thank you."

Lin Shuyou nodded, giving a perfunctory reply.

The landlady returned and began scolding her slow-moving husband in dialect. With her encouragement and involvement, Lin Shuyou finally saw hope of packing the breakfast to take home.

"Your forehead ribbon is so beautiful."

Lin Shuyou: "Are you looking to borrow money?"

The man shook his head: "No, no, after I finish these two bowls of noodles, money means nothing to me. I want to tell your face, or you can do some fortune telling. I'm good at these things. Just ask me whatever you want, consider it paying you back for the meal."

Lin Shuyou: "I have nothing to ask."

Man: "At your age, shall I help you calculate your marriage prospects? Come on, write a character here with your finger, and I'll calculate it for you."

Lin Shuyou didn't move.

Man: "Please, I don't like owing people favors, especially not at a time like this."

Lin Shuyou softened and wrote the character "琳" on the table with his finger.

Man: "Lin? This is a good character, very good. It means you are destined to be with a girl whose name contains the character 'Lin'."

Lin Shuyou didn't want to talk to this guy anymore; he felt like the other guy was treating him like a fool.

Ah You asked the boss how long it would take for his takeout to be ready.

"Right away, right away, just a moment, just a moment."

Turning his gaze away, Lin Shuyou saw the man gently place his palm on the spot where he had previously written.

The man murmured, "Lin... Lin... Linlin..."

After talking to himself for a long time, the man suddenly stood up and ran outside.

"Breakfast is ready, come and pick it up!"

"coming."

Lin Shuyou got up, walked to the front of the breakfast shop, and picked up two large bags of breakfast.

There were a few more people in the town center than before, and some vendors had also appeared at the small vegetable market.

Lin Shuyou carried his breakfast and headed towards the small market, hoping to buy everything in one go.

Just then, Lin Shuyou caught a glimpse of an old woman walking into the market with a cane out of the corner of his eye.

She walked very fast, and although she was using a crutch, Lin Shuyou could tell that the crutch was not bearing any weight.

Moreover, the boy reacted immediately when she appeared in his sight.

Ghost General.

Another ghost general.

While helping to take statements at night, Lin Shuyou realized that this area was now a hunting ground between the Lamplighters and the Valley of the Living.

It's hard for ordinary people to realize just how lively the other side of their daily lives really is.

The boy said, "Don't cause any unnecessary trouble, and absolutely avoid acting on your own. That person has his own plan."

The old lady walked through the market and turned into a side alley.

As Lin Shuyou paid for the groceries and prepared to leave with his breakfast and vegetables, a strong fluctuation of energy appeared from the alleyway.

Ah You turned around and walked into the alley.

This time, Tongzi had no objections. Not causing any trouble doesn't mean that if something really happens, he won't even glance at it.

The alley was deserted, and you could see right to the end.

In reality, the interior is filled with ghostly energy, affecting the vision of ordinary people and preventing them from seeing the true appearance.

In the middle of the alley, an old woman straddled a person, her cane piercing downwards like a sharp sword.

The person below trembled and his arms fell to his sides.

But in the next moment, the arms suddenly rose again, grabbing the old woman's head. The person below raised his upper body, opened his mouth and roared at the old woman. A spirit with a strong aura but severely damaged appeared, and this spirit attacked the ghost general like a wild beast.

After the old woman let out a scream, her own ghostly form emerged from her body and bit back.

When the person below straightened up, Lin Shuyou recognized him; it was the man who had eaten rice noodles with him earlier.

Lin Shuyou: "Tongzi, what's going on? How come you didn't realize he wasn't an ordinary person?"

Tongzi: "I really didn't see it. I didn't feel anything at the time. How could this be?"

Lin Shuyou: "Did that person know who I am and deliberately approach me?"

Boy: "So that's why he deliberately acted silly to please you?"

Lin Shuyou: "Hmm?"

Tongzi: "Look, he's emitting that black aura now, just like the four people in the courtyard last night, but he definitely didn't have this when he was eating rice noodles."

Lin Shuyou: "So, he had a way to suppress the black energy, so why can't he suppress it now?"

The boy said, "He's not being sincere. Ignore him. Besides, he's going to win."

Although the man's soul was in extremely poor condition and was initially no match for the ghost general, the ghost general was frightened when the soul began to spontaneously combust.

The old woman let out a scream and immediately began to climb up the walls of the alley on all fours, disappearing in an instant.

She was unwilling to be dragged down with her, but in reality, she hadn't gone far; she remained on a nearby rooftop, and she was still making some kind of call.

In the alley, the soul returned to the man's body, and the man pulled out the cane stuck in his chest and got up from the ground.

The man looked at Lin Shuyou, who was standing at the entrance of the alley, carrying large and small bags.

He smiled.

Lin Shuyou discovered that perhaps because he was no longer pretending, the man's temperament had also changed drastically.

The man caught Lin Shuyou's gaze and confirmed that Lin Shuyou could see what was actually happening in the alley.

"I didn't expect you to hide it so well; I had no idea before."

Boy: "See, I hid it very well, didn't he notice anything special about us!"

Man: "Since you noticed me all along, why didn't you make a move in the store just now? Oh, I see, you deliberately acted stupid to please me, didn't you?"

The spirit medium said, "Spirit medium, how can you tolerate this?"

The man threw his cane at Lin Shuyou.

The cane is imbued with the fire of the soul; being pierced by it will not only cause physical harm but will also burn the soul.

Lin Shuyou didn't dodge because although the cane was fast, it wasn't thrown accurately and landed in front of him.

But from the soul fire on the cane, a hand reached out and grabbed at Lin Shuyou's face.

Lin Shuyou opened his mouth.

This level of soul fire poses no threat to him now; it's merely an extra treat.

However, the hand didn't continue to grab, but instead turned a corner and vanished completely with a "bang".

The man let out a disdainful sneer: "So scared your mouth is agape."

Boy: "Eeya ya ya!"

Man: "I just paid you back the money I owed you for the rice noodles."

After saying that, the man turned around and walked towards the other end of the alley.

Just then, an old man appeared at the other end of the alley. He was wearing a black robe and a straw hat.

The boy said, "This is a living person, not a ghost general, but he is a ghost cultivator and also a member of the Living Valley lineage."

The old man raised his hand, holding a string of bells, and said in a deep voice, "You can't escape."

The man glanced at the old man in front of him, then looked back at Lin Shuyou behind him, but ultimately faced the clearly more powerful old man in front of him.

The bell in the old man's hand rang.

"what!!!"

The man screamed and fell to his knees.

Behind him, the severed hand's spirit reappeared, wailing in the same way.

The old man said, "I had my eye on you that day in Ailao Mountain. If things hadn't gone wrong that day, I would never have let you escape. But today, you still can't escape my grasp."

"Excellent! This is exactly what I need. It's been wasted on you; only I can make it truly shine!"

The old man stretched out his other hand to form a hand seal, trying to extract the soul from the man's body.

However, after each mark was imprinted upon it, the soul not only failed to submit and break free, but instead reignited, emitting an even more furious roar:

"Roar!"

The old man's eyes widened in astonishment, which then transformed into even greater joy:
"Hahaha, you're not its master after all, but it's turned the tables and made you its master! Good, good, good! This makes it even better! I like it! I like it!"

The spirit medium said, "Spirit medium, don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive. There's no need to save him. If he doesn't die in this alley in Yuxi, he'll die in another alley. This is the price he has to pay for his failure."

Several more ghost generals appeared on the rooftop, and behind that old fellow stood two ghost cultivators who were watching the show without making a move.

Unlike last night when we were fishing, where we could immediately scale and gut any fish we caught, if we tried to do it here, we definitely wouldn't be able to get rid of them in a short time, and it would attract even more people from the Valley of Living People.

If you act now, it might disrupt the schedule that person has set out to implement!

Lin Shuyou did indeed have the intention to make a move, but Tongzi was right.

He couldn't let his desire for good disrupt Xiao Yuan's plans, or even endanger the safety of his companions.

Lin Shuyou turned around, carrying his things, and prepared to leave.

Behind him, the old man intensified the shaking of the bell and accelerated the speed of his hand seals.

The burning soul grew weaker and weaker, gradually becoming unable to resist.

The old man let out a sinister laugh: "To let it ride on your head and be your master, you are truly a disgrace to the Onmyoji!"

Boy: "That's not right!"

Lin Shuyou stopped in his tracks.

Tongzi: "No wonder I couldn't see the black aura on him at the rice noodle shop before. It's because he switched between the yin and yang sides and suppressed and hid the black aura."

In addition to this obvious change in personality, and the fact that he's an Onmyoji, is there any possibility...?

Lin Shuyou turned around again, facing the alley.

The boy said, “Given that person’s personality, even if you cause a huge mess, as long as you have the right reason, that person will never blame you and will definitely support you.”

Lin Shuyou released his hands, and the breakfast and meat dishes fell to the ground. He bent down and picked up the sharp cane in front of him.

Boy:

"Go, spirit medium, save my brother-in-law!"

(End of this chapter)