Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 457

"I'll spare your life, but this won't happen again."

Lin Shuyou tilted his head and blinked, thinking that the person in front of him was really shameless.

Now that you're here with your double maces at your side, and you've even willingly stepped into Brother Yuan's formation, why don't you try taking out this spear and see who ends up dead next!
Ah You looked back.

Xiao Yuan and A Li sat together, with several pieces of wood in front of them. The evil dragon hovered among them, turning the wood into a dim, gloomy ember for warmth in the rain.

"call……"

Ah You expressed his heartfelt feelings:
As expected of Brother Yuan, he wasn't angry at all when faced with this guy who was talking big.

In Luoyang, as his time was drawing to a close, Xu Fengzhi told Xu Mofan that he had softened and couldn't resist flattery, so he had passed on a bit of the Xu family's spear technique. He then used this as a reason to ask Xu Mofan to raise the spear tip an inch higher when facing "Tan Wenbin and others" on the river in the future, out of consideration for their shared lineage.

Xu Fengzhi was Xu Mofan's great-uncle, and the great-uncle who had doted on him since childhood and personally taught him marksmanship. Xu Mofan remembered these words and was willing to keep this "promise".

The night first turned from light to dark, and then from dark to light again.

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li lay down in their respective sleeping bags to rest.

Lin Shuyou leaned against the stone table, keeping watch.

Xu Mofan sat in the rain the entire time with his eyes closed.

Xia He squatted down beside him, holding an umbrella over him.

The rain gradually subsided, and a layer of pale light began to appear on the horizon.

Xu Mofan opened his eyes; he had been sitting there all night.

Under the locust tree, Li Zhuiyuan and A Li had already woken up.

The boy is brushing his teeth, and the girl is washing her face.

After washing up, I took some wood from the side to keep the fire going, put a pot on it, and poured in water, dehydrated vegetables, seasonings, and compressed biscuits.

After boiling, cook until it becomes a thick paste.

In the mountains after the rain, the morning air is chilly, so having a hot meal at this time is quite pleasant.

Li Zhuiyuan handed a bowl to Lin Shuyou and asked Xu Mofan over there:
"Want to grab something to eat?"

Xu Mofan remained unmoved.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't insist.

Xu Mofan was squandering his affection for Xu Fengzhi, and Li Zhuiyuan was doing the same.

Xia He took out the dry food she had brought and handed it to Xu Mofan.

Xu Mofan took it and ate it slowly, bite by bite.

After finishing his meal, Xu Mofan spoke:

"It's already fully light."

The implication is that he no longer wants to wait.

Lin Shuyou wiped his mouth and nodded in deep agreement.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I never stopped you from firing your gun."

Xu Mofan's gaze fell on the cloth bag in Xia He's arms.

"Om."

The spear tip flew out, piercing the ground in front of him and leaving a shadow.

Xu Mofan: "I finally waited until noon."

Li Zhuiyuan said nothing more, took a book out of his backpack, leaned against the locust tree root, and began to read.

The girl sat next to the boy, holding a small carving knife, carving Buddhist prayer beads.

The beads are in the style of Buddhist prayer beads, but they are inlaid with human skulls of different shapes.

The boy promised to compensate General Zeng with an ornament, which Ah Li is currently making.

General Zeng has two bodies, so one set of ornaments has to be made.

After finishing it, I took it home and put it around the neck of the General Zeng sculpture.

The jewelry is small and exquisite, not difficult to make, and perfect for passing the time right now.

Perhaps they felt that the other side, where people ate, slept, and relaxed as they pleased, made their own side seem too serious.

Xia He also planned to find something to do.

Unfortunately, she was not skilled in handicrafts, and the maid sister who was good at needlework also perished in the Yu family ancestral home.

She had no choice but to lay out all her compass, Bagua diagrams, coins, battle flags, and so on, and begin setting up the formation.

Lin Shuyou carefully counted the stationery in front of him; it was truly a dazzling array.

In fact, Xia He's skill in setting up formations is very high; she also has extremely high talent in this area.

However, her career path is more suited to being an elder in a sect or family who conducts theoretical research. She is too poor at applying her skills to practical situations, and in normal encounter battles, her formations are completely useless.

Therefore, she cherished this opportunity very much.

Finally, her formation was complete, ready to be activated at the young master's command.

Having too little practical experience, in order to ensure that things wouldn't go wrong later, she held up a small array flag, intending to warm up the array she had just set up.

The formation was partially activated, without any hindrance, running smoothly and perfectly, everything was normal.

Xia He smiled.

But soon, the smile on her face froze.

She turned to look at the stone tablet behind her.

When I came in last night, that person said that the formation inside the stone tablet was one he had set up.

The young master walked in without hesitation.

Xia He also saw the outline of the formation. It was very conspicuous and made no attempt to conceal it, as if she was afraid that outsiders would not be able to see that there was a formation here.

Logically speaking, the more complex the formation, the lower its level.

However, when she activated the formation she had set up, not only did the outer formation show no abnormality, but her own formation also operated perfectly normally.

A formation within a formation—it's almost impossible for such an effect to occur.

Once it appears, it means one thing: the outer formation, like the universe itself, perfectly envelops and contains the formation you set up within it.

Xia He's body trembled slightly. She placed her wrist in front of her and bit it.

A trickle of blood seeped between his teeth, bringing a slightly fishy smell, but it still couldn't suppress the instinctive fear of a formation master.

As a formation master whose theory was detached from practice, she knew very well how high the level of the formation she had just set up was, which also meant that the opponent's formation was of an even higher level...

Xia He turned to look at Xu Mofan:
"Young Master, shall we go into battle first?"

Xu Mofan remained silent, only continuing to stare at the shadow beneath the spearhead.

From the maid's reaction, he knew that he had underestimated the opponent's skill in array formations.

But he has been honing his gun-style technique since last night's rain.

The reason for crossing that stone tablet was that this shot had a distance limit.

He was confident that he could thrust out his spear the moment the enemy's formation was activated.

The way of marksmanship is to forge ahead without hesitation, preferring to take the direct path rather than the crooked one.

This is the confidence of a gunman.

The shadow on the tree shifted with the sunlight and fell on Li Zhuiyuan.

Ah Li put down her carving, packed her things, and put what she wanted to take with her into her bag.

The boy closed the book in his hand, stood up, walked to the stone table, and said to Xu Mofan:
"I have some news to share with you."

Xu Mofan: "Your time is running out."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I only decided to speak because time is running out."

Xu Mofan did not respond.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the back of the mountain in the distance: "Do you know that there is a Lu Family Manor in the martial arts world?"

Xu Mofan: "I don't know."

Li Zhuiyuan: "A divine deer has been born in Lujiazhuang. Its leather and flesh are all of the highest quality and have the effect of turning decay into magic."

Xu Mofan: "Is this why you're blocking me here?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, my other partners are sneaking into Lu Family Village to steal that deer. I can't let outsiders disturb them."

Xu Mofan: "I don't know about Lujiazhuang, and I have no interest in that deer. I can swear to you on that."

You still have time, move aside.

I've fulfilled my promise to my grandfather.

Li Zhuiyuan: "No, you have to be interested. You also have to remember what I just said."

Xu Mofan frowned.

Li Zhuiyuan: "This time, I won't kill you."

Xu Mofan: "Arrogant."

Li Zhuiyuan: "But I believe that those who are following you from afar will be very interested in taking advantage of your serious injury to eliminate a threatening opponent."

Xu Mofan: "Dream on."

Li Zhuiyuan: "To survive in their hands, you need to have intelligence leads that are more attractive than eliminating a competitor."

A smile appeared on Xu Mofan's lips.

Lin Shuyou turned to the boy and said, "Brother Xiaoyuan, it seems like he didn't listen at all."

After a pause, Lin Shuyou reached out and poked his forehead.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, I think there's something wrong with him here."

If someone is certified by Ayou as having mental problems, then their problems must be very serious.

Li Zhuiyuan also noticed it.

Even the best plans and schemes will always encounter various unexpected situations during implementation, requiring adaptation to local conditions.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Forget it, I won't let you get seriously injured. I'm afraid you'll really die."

Upon hearing this, Xu Mofan's smile widened: "You really think your formation can trap my spear?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I promised Xu Fengzhi that if we met on the river in the future, I would spare your life."

Xu Mofan's face darkened.

Li Zhuiyuan: "A gunman keeps his word. If you find out that you've been sitting here since last night, and it's not you who has fulfilled your promise to your uncle, but me, what will you do?"

Xu Mofan's gaze once again fell upon the shadow of the approaching time.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I only ask that you pass on what I just told you."

Xu Mofan closed his eyes, adjusted his internal energy, and started a countdown in his mind.

Lin Shuyou picked up his double maces, stretched his body, and they made a crisp sound.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Ayou, go and take that shot from him. He's been holding back since last night. If he can't get that shot out, it will hurt him a lot."

"Yes, Brother Xiaoyuan."

Xia He saw steam rising from the top of her young master's head.

Clearly, the boy's words had completely ignited the young master's anger.

Li Zhuiyuan was still giving Lin Shuyou his final instructions:

"Ah You, focus entirely on defense and don't have any intention to attack. As long as you don't make any mistakes, his shot won't hurt you."

"Okay, Brother Xiaoyuan."

With his eyes closed, Xu Mofan sneered, "Heh, so you look down on my Xu family's spears that much?"

“No, I have great respect for the Xu Family Spear.” Li Zhuiyuan put his hands in his pockets. “I just understand the Xu Family Spear better than you, Xu Mofan.”

The time has come.

Xu Mofan opened his eyes and stood up.

The remaining part of the spear flew out from the cloth bag in Xia He's arms, the spear tip on the ground was raised, and the spear was assembled in mid-air, falling right into Xu Mofan's hands.

The gun wasn't drawn, but the intent to fire was already there.

Lin Shuyou stood in front of Li Zhuiyuan and felt a terrifying spear intent sweeping over him. His vertical pupils activated instinctively, and the Ghost General mark under his forehead flashed to its brightest.

At this moment, even Ayou had to admit that this shot was incredibly powerful.

But Ah You followed Xiao Yuan's instructions completely, focusing entirely on defense and not sparing any attention on offense.

The terrifying intent of the gun "pierced" Lin Shuyou, transforming him into the wailing of a demon being executed and sacrificed in the hell of Fengdu.

The damage from the spear intent was completely transferred, and Lin Shuyou himself was not affected.

Xu Mofan's gaze sharpened, and he drew his real gun.

This thrust was a horizontal stab, yet it was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Within this single thrust were countless spear shadows, each containing Xu Mofan's profound understanding of the art of the spear.

This was indeed a single shot, but it encompassed everything, surpassing dozens of exchanges.

But out of his unwavering trust in Brother Xiaoyuan, Ah You completely ignored the shadows of the guns and, risking being riddled with holes, crossed his two maces to block only the long spear in Xu Mofan's hand.

"Clang!"

The golden maces crossed, blocking the spear tip.

With a mind free of distractions, a will free of confusion, and moves free of complexity, even if your spear strikes are ever-changing, they will all return to oneness in my hands.

All the spear shadows converged on the long spear in Xu Mofan's hand at this moment, and the changes in moves were reduced to a simple accumulation of force.

Pressed down by the force, Lin Shuyou slid backward.

It seemed that he had been defeated and was at a disadvantage, but when faced with the opponent's powerful killing move, he simply withstood it, which was actually a big win for Lin Shuyou.

As Lin Shuyou glided past Xiao Yuan, he struggled a little. He could forcefully absorb the force, at most his blood would surge, a little blood would spill from the corner of his mouth, and he would suffer a minor injury from the impact.

That way, he can continue to stand in front of Brother Xiaoyuan.

But Brother Xiao Yuan clearly didn't want him to suffer any injury, and made it clear beforehand that he only needed to take this shot. Therefore, Lin Shuyou chose to carry out the order.

Continue sliding backward, dissipating the force on your body in this way without injury.

Xu Mofan's eyes showed astonishment.

This was a spear technique he created based on the Xu family spear technique. It could be said that he hadn't even had time to think of a way to counter it, but the young man in front of him had, and before he even had a chance to demonstrate his spear technique.

The boy saw right through me as I was gathering my inner strength to unleash my power.

The boy's earlier words quickly echoed in his ears:

"I just understand the Xu family gun better than you, Xu Mofan."

At that moment, Xu Mofan had a feeling that what the boy said might be true.

Li Zhuiyuan spoke again: "The Xu family spear emphasizes the spear intent to go forward without hesitation and the spear form to be formless. If you forcibly bind the spear intent and the spear form, you will see quick results in the short term, but in the long run you will fall into an obsession."

At this moment, Lin Shuyou, having released all his force, stopped gliding and lunged forward to protect his companion.

This means that Li Zhuiyuan is now facing Xu Mofan directly.

Xu Mofan simply raised his gun again out of habit, but he wasn't sure whether to thrust it at the boy in front of him again.

The young man seemed to be giving me pointers just now.

Regardless of whether his advice was right or wrong, it would be inappropriate to kill him with a single shot.

But now that the gun has been raised, should we simply stop and not thrust it forward?
Li Zhuiyuan did not let this "junior" get caught up in his dilemma for too long.

The boy spoke up: "A gun."

Xu Mofan trembled and suddenly realized that his body had been bound without warning.

Immediately afterwards, the spear in his hand trembled, the tip pointing downwards, slipping out of his control and piercing the ground.

Finally, his knees felt as if they had been pierced, releasing all the force.

"Pfft!"

Xu Mofan knelt upright in front of the boy.

Only when he knelt down did Xu Mofan sense the arrival of the formation's aura, but the formation's effects had already taken hold of him much earlier.

In comparison, the boy's formation was faster than his spear!

Moreover, within this formation, Xu Mofan experienced the essence of the spear.

The midday wind blew by, bringing with it the lingering dampness of the ground.

Behind her, Xia He only saw her young master rush out, and then after he thrust out with his spear, he knelt down in front of the boy.

Xia He glanced at the array she had set up out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked back, her eyes met those of the young man.

"Heh...hehehe..."

Xia He did not dare to activate her formation.

Lin Shuyou returned to the boy's side and habitually flipped his wrist, as was his usual practice, to squeeze watermelon juice out of the enemy's head with a single blow.

Xu Mofan gave a bitter smile.

Arrogant and proud, he felt that his defeat was particularly ridiculous. He had no chance since he stepped over that stone tablet, but he still felt good about himself.

The person in front of me was very good at hiding his true intentions. My great-uncle saw through him but didn't tell me the truth. Instead, he made me make a promise that could save my life.

Xu Mofan: "Who exactly are you...?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'll tell you when we get to Ailao Mountain."

Xu Mofan: "You won, I lost."

Li Zhuiyuan: "When sparring with fellow disciples, the one who wins is always the Xu family spear."

Xu Mofan, kneeling on the ground, took a deep breath.

Spare me, give me guidance, demonstrate.

One set of procedures plunged Xu Mofan into despair.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I have fulfilled my promise to your uncle. Now, it's your turn."

Xu Mofan: "I will do as instructed."

Li Zhuiyuan dispelled the effects of the formation.

Xu Mofan did not rush to get up, but continued to kneel there and said:
"I'll light the lamp again once I've finished what you asked me to do."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Your target for this wave is the Valley of Living People."

Xu Mofan: "Whether I'm there or not, it won't affect your ability to complete this wave."

Li Zhuiyuan: "But that would make me tired."

Xu Mofan nodded: "I will light the lamps again after this wave ends."

In the South Passage, after witnessing firsthand the exaggerated improvement the boy gave to all his companions, Zhao Yi broke down and cursed: "Hey Li, if you do this, what's the point of the others playing on the river?!"
Xu Mofan now realizes that he is nothing but a fart.

After being crushed, he had no desire to compete with the young man in front of him for the dragon on the river.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I still have a lot of new insights into marksmanship."

Xu Mofan: "That's yours."

Li Zhuiyuan: "But its surname is Xu."

Xu Mofan: "What's the difference?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You should be able to tell that I haven't practiced martial arts. My understanding is just theoretical; no one has actually tried it in real life. In the end, I'm just a rootless duckweed."

This kind of trial work needs to be done by someone. Don't rush to turn the lights back on.

After this experience, every time we meet on the river, I will share with you my latest insights into the Xu Family Spear technique.

Li Zhuiyuan took his hand out of his pocket and patted Xu Mofan on the shoulder.

Then, the boy turned around, took the backpack from Ah Li's hand, and carried it on his back. The two held hands and headed into the depths of the mountains ahead.

Lin Shuyou, with his hands behind his head and his two maces crossed behind his back, followed behind and left.

After their figures disappeared into the forest ahead, Xu Mofan slowly stood up.

Xia He walked over and said, "Young Master, I knew his formation skills were high, but I really didn't expect them to be that high."

Xu Mofan: "Yesterday in town, it was he who took action. It wasn't Tan Wenbin who lit the lamps; Tan Wenbin was just his subordinate. That time at the Yu family, we were just blocking the door and making noise. It was he who truly resolved that wave."

Xia He: "So that's amazing... So Uncle Gong actually knew his identity all along?"

Xu Mofan: "I don't blame my grandfather for not telling me the truth, because in his view, I had no chance of winning if I argued with him, and that was indeed the case."

Looking back at the path he had come from, Xu Mofan knew that many people were watching his movements from afar.

Xu Mofan raised the spear, pulled out the tip, and stabbed himself several times, causing blood to gush out and making him look extremely miserable.

"Young Master, this..."

"It's a superficial wound, not a serious one, but it looks scary."

Let's go.

Go tell them the secret of Lu Family Village.

……

"When frying, turn the heat to low. After frying, move the heat away from the bottom and put in the yellow corpse oil. After the yellow corpse oil melts, use a spoon to drizzle it over the meat again and again."

Zhu Yiwen explained while cooking.

When he took the meat out of the pot, Runsheng subconsciously reached out to take it.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't rush, don't rush. Let it sit for three to five minutes to let the meat rest, so that the internal temperature can be conducted evenly."

At this point, the remaining yellow oil in the pot can be used to fry some vegetables to eat with it and cut through the grease.

Okay, all done.

"Come on, have a taste."

After Zhu Yiwen cut the meat, Runsheng picked up a piece, put it in his mouth and chewed, his eyes lighting up.

"How's it going? Is it delicious?"

"good to eat."

"You understand me so well, you really do!"

The two of them took turns enjoying the beautiful corpse, one piece for each of them.

Beside them, the man driving the carriage, the old servant, and the beautiful woman stood there, unsure of what to do and too afraid to join in.

Next, Zhu Yiwen kept taking meat from his bamboo basket, cooking it, and sharing it with Runsheng.

Zhu Yiwen would provide a detailed explanation for each piece of meat, noting the differences in the place of death, and whether it absorbed yin energy or resentment after death, all of which would affect the taste of the meat.

Daylight broke, and the meat was all gone.

Zhu Yiwen patted his bulging belly; he was stuffed.

Runsheng licked his lips, still wanting more.

That white mouse is a first-rate cook, but so far, the only true expert on the ingredients that Runsheng really likes is the one in front of him.

Zhu Yiwen: "I've eaten all my treasured goods. How about next time? Next time you come to my house, I still have some treasured goods. Hehe, I'll secretly tell you, I still have some meat that I reserved. I'm afraid that moving it will affect the preservation or aging of the meat, so I left it in the ancient burial chamber."

We can take it out and enjoy it while we travel, which will also be a way to experience the local customs and culture.

Runsheng nodded.

Zhu Yiwen: "Then, I'll be going now?"

Runsheng nodded again.

Zhu Yiwen: "Hehe, see you next time. I have to go now. Ah, what a pleasant night."

Standing up, carrying an empty bamboo basket, Zhu Yiwen prepared to leave.

I took just three steps away from the fire, and the hair on my body stood on end again.

Eating too much dirty meat can also cause some abnormalities.

Zhu Yiwen had seen the strange ancient corpses he had found. When his greedy and longing gaze swept over them, the white, red, or black hair on the dead bodies would stand up like that.

This is because some people "view themselves as food".

Here, only that one person has such refined tastes.

Zhu Yiwen turned around and patted the bamboo basket at Runsheng: "Look, it's really empty, there's no meat left."

Runsheng nodded again.

Zhu Yiwen lifted his foot, preparing to step out again, but then pulled it back in mid-air.

Actually, there's also meat in it.

If he continues to walk outwards, he himself will become the next piece of meat.

Zhu Yiwen sat back down next to Runsheng and said:

"To be honest, brother, I've already given you a lot of face, haven't I?"

Runsheng nodded again.

"Then you have to give me some real action to show your support, otherwise it'll make me look really stupid if you just leave me here like this."

I can be self-consistent, but my men can't."

Zhu Yiwen pointed at the beautiful woman and asked, "Beauty Qi, can you reconcile this with yourself?"

The beautiful woman covered her mouth, laughing with a thousand charms: "I have no idea what you're doing here."

Zhu Yiwen then looked at Runsheng and said, "Look, you can't expect me to be unable to lead the team, can you?"

Runsheng stood up, stepped over the fire, and walked towards Qi Meiren.

Zhu Yiwen lay on his side, took out a mushroom that had been fried in the last pot of corpse oil, and put it in his mouth.

This Qi beauty is not only beautiful in name, but also in skill; she is a martial artist.

She still follows that tough path. Although she appears delicate and frail, her bones have been tempered and refined since childhood, like fine iron forged in a furnace.

Runsheng walked up to Qi Meiren.

Qi Meiren was still covering her mouth, still laughing, still exuding charm, and remained motionless.

Runsheng threw a punch, which landed on Qi Meiren.

"boom!"

Qi Meiren maintained her previous posture and the same smile.

Runsheng turned around, walked back, stepped over the fire, and sat down.

The wind, which had just stopped blowing, resumed its current.

Qi Meiren opened her mouth, and blood gushed out like a fountain, filled with gleaming bone fragments.

She slowly knelt on the ground, curled up, and when she looked up at Runsheng, her eyes revealed deep terror.

She didn't not want to move, but she couldn't. She just stood there and took a punch.

She's ruined.

At least during this wave, she lost the need to continue following the group. Only after this wave ends, by consuming merit points, will she have a chance to make up for it.

Zhu Yiwen sat up straight, looked at the old servant and the driver, and asked:

"Now, do you understand me?"

The old servant and the driver nodded.

Zhu Yiwen smiled at Runsheng and said, "Look, things will be easier from now on. We may not have any meat left, but we can still dream. I can share with you all the delicious food I've ever eaten."

Remember this, so that you won't miss it if you happen to meet again by chance.

They chatted for a long time, and ended up talking until noon.

Runsheng, who had been listening to the story, glanced at his watch, took a piece of paper from his bag, unfolded it, and read it aloud to Zhu Yiwen:
"At twelve o'clock, I need to tell him this story. (This scholar is very clever and thoughtful; he's not easily fooled.)"

Zhu Yiwen: "..."

Runsheng actually has a very good memory. When he helped Li Zhuiyuan set up the formation, he never made a mistake.

However, considering Runsheng's social skills, it was Li Zhuiyuan who instructed Runsheng to take the paper and read it aloud to the scholar.

The purpose was to let the scholar know that Runsheng was not alone; he had a team behind him, and he himself was someone else's subordinate.

Zhu Yiwen: "Why did you choose me?"

Runsheng continued reading: "When he asked why he was chosen, he was told that it was because they had met, knew each other, and were familiar with each other, so it was convenient to make arrangements and influence him. He was very well-behaved and knew how to cooperate."

"Heh, heh heh..." Zhu Yiwen rubbed his face with his hands, "Heh heh heh, hahahaha!"

Runsheng waited for Zhu Yiwen to finish laughing before continuing to read.

Zhu Yiwen raised his hand, made an apologetic gesture, and said:
"Excuse me, I'm all set. Cough cough, I'm ready. Do whatever you need me to do."

"Now start telling him the story of Lujiazhuang, tricking him into believing that Lujiazhuang has bred a new divine deer with top-quality leather and flesh. Then have him tell this story to the group of people following him from afar."

He then used his pen to embellish and elaborate on the effect of the divine deer.

In short, we need to lure those people to Lujiazhuang.

He will definitely be able to do this well.

That's all, I've finished reading.

Zhu Yiwen: "I feel like something is missing, something that provides motivation or punishment."

After reading "That's all, I've finished reading," Runsheng's gaze remained fixed on the paper as he continued reading:

"If he acts like a jerk, we'll tell him that either he can go and fool other people, or we'll do everything we can to make him your side dish in this wave."

Runsheng folded the paper and put it away; this meant he had truly finished reading it.

He looked at Zhu Yiwen and swallowed.

Zhu Yiwen looked up at the distant sky, and after a long while, he sighed:
"It seems that all I'll have left on this river from now on is eating and drinking."

……

"Brother Tan, it's dawn, time to wake up from the dream. It's a pity, this hair can only grow in dreams, not in reality."

"Brother Feng, as long as a person is alive, there is hope, such as the possibility of hair growing back on their head."

"Brother Tan, you're not the one who lights out your team, are you?"

"How did you figure that out, Brother Feng?"

"At least you should have someone with you, so you don't have to come out alone and block the road."

"Indeed not."

"That is?"

"You didn't see him when he was at the Yu family's house."

"Oh, it's him~ Was the final awakening of the Yu family's Dragon King also..."

Tan Wenbin touched the shiny bald head in front of him:
"Brother Feng, the old saying is right: a wise mind doesn't easily grow good hair."

"Do I have the option to refuse?"

"If you refuse, then Brother Feng's hair will only grow on his grave."

"Is there any benefit?"

"Yes, you'll get priority to pick them up. As for what to pick up, we don't know yet."

"Lu Family Village?"

"Brother Feng is very knowledgeable and experienced. Could it be that your family is..."

"Brother Tan, you misunderstand. My family doesn't have the resources to afford gloves like those from Lu Family Village. On the contrary, one of my ancestors was killed by the people of Lu Family Village, who skinned and dismembered him."

"Which company wants materials from my Feng family? Let them do some research."

"We do have a common enemy now."

"Not really. This world is all about you eating me and me eating you. If you're not as skilled as others, you'll get eaten. There's nothing to complain about. If you're not as skilled as others, it's normal to freeload off them."

"A divine deer has been bred in Lujiazhuang."

"The Lu family village is utterly despicable! I, the Feng family, will avenge the grudges of my ancestors!"

"Brother Feng alone may not be able to do enough."

"I believe that those fellow practitioners in the martial arts world who follow me and use me as a guide are all kind-hearted and will definitely be willing to lend me a hand!"

"Then I wish Brother Feng success in avenging himself."

"grateful!"

Feng Xionglin stood up, stepped out of the tent, and found the sun shining brightly outside.

He sat in the tent barbershop for so long, experiencing the feeling of having thick hair for so long.

He just wanted to test how long Tan Wenbin could last, but Tan Wenbin actually lasted much longer than he expected.

He really wasn't confident he could handle such an opponent.

You can either make sure you kill him with one punch, or you'll be trapped in his illusion forever.

As Feng Xionglin sat there, he considered throwing a punch several times to see if the force would be enough to kill or seriously injure Tan Wenbin, but in the end he didn't take the gamble.

In comparison, he really preferred the time the Yu family blocked the door; when there was no chance of winning or losing, he was more willing to go all out.

Feng Xionglin took out his small mirror, looked at his bald head, and sighed.

Then, he saw in the mirror that the barbershop tent he had just walked out of had disappeared, and Tan Wenbin had also disappeared.

This means that Tan Wenbin, whom I met and interacted with last night, was not the real person from beginning to end.

The punch he had planned to deliver had never been a chance to win from the very beginning.

Feng Xionglin looked up, cursing at the sky with a deeply resentful expression:

"Damn it, is he your darling? How can you be so biased?"

……

"The drop in elevation of this river is beautiful, and once developed, it would be very suitable for building a hydroelectric power station."

Li Zhuiyuan was holding paper and pen, making observation records.

The location of Lujiazhuang was marked on the documents provided by Mr. Zhai.

Li Zhuiyuan also found the entrance to Lujiazhuang.

But the boy didn't rush inside.

On the one hand, the boy was very cautious. He was the first to arrive, but he would not take Ah Li and Ah You into Lu Family Village without permission before the team had assembled.

They are, after all, a powerful and established force qualified to act as a front man, so we can't really disregard them.

In the latest version of the "Code of Conduct for River Trekkers," Li Zhuiyuan emphasized "caution" and "discipline," summarizing lessons learned from the experiences of those who had navigated the treacherous waters of the past.

Most of the evil spirits were stronger than their team at the time, but they ultimately lost and were annihilated.

An overwhelming military advantage, if not matched with a cautious mind, can hasten its demise.

Fortunately, thanks to the fact that each wave in the past was very difficult, and the group had not yet experienced the kind of crushing defeat that Chen Xiyuan was known for, no one became arrogant this time, even though their strength had improved significantly.

On the other hand, this is a good opportunity to start my serious work in advance.

This place is really suitable for building water conservancy facilities. Once completed, it will greatly benefit the local people's livelihood and industrial development. The only drawback is that the best location and the most profitable spot is occupied by Lujiazhuang.

Tan Wenbin joked, "Hey, if we're talking about demolition compensation, will we be able to reach an agreement?"

Lin Shuyou: "The demolition office staff can't find the entrance to the barrier, so they can't get in, right?"

Tan Wenbin: "Then we'll have no choice but to demolish it by force."

Li Zhuiyuan handed the notebook filled with densely written observation data to Tan Wenbin, who put it into his backpack and carefully kept it safe.

When the survey team arrives, the necessary procedures must be followed, but with Xiao Yuan's data, it's like having an alternative answer, making the work much easier to carry out.

The three walked down the slope, and below, Runsheng, the last to return, was adding firewood to the fire.

Ah Li then poured a bag of brown sugar into the pot.

Along the way, Lin Shuyou collected a lot of bird eggs, wild chicken eggs, and wild duck eggs, which were perfect for Ah Li's signature dish.

After everyone finished eating, they tidied up the place, packed their bags, and Li Zhuiyuan found a corner and simply opened a small door that officially led to Lu Family Village.

Lin Shuyou glanced at Tan Wenbin with great excitement.

Tan Wenbin gestured to Ayou to keep a low profile.

After Xiao Yuange changed the locks on the Ghost Gate of Fengdu, there really aren't many places in this world that can stop him from entering.

The environment inside Lu Family Village is not much different from the outside, which is quite different from other families that like to create a sense of otherworldly tranquility within their enchanted areas.

This also shows that the Lu family does not care about enjoying life, nor do they have a need to show off or communicate with the outside world.

They don't even travel the river generation after generation. Every time the Lu family members appear in the martial arts world, it's usually because they've received some kind of job.

Ahead, we saw buildings, but not many. Given their size, it wouldn't be accurate to call it a village.

There are quite a few restrictions along the way. Some of them are old and dilapidated, while others are newly set up in recent years. The old and new are intertwined, making them even more difficult to break. This forces you to take the proper path.

Fortunately, this was not difficult for Li Zhuiyuan. Under his leadership, the group quickly approached the outer perimeter of the core area of ​​Lujiazhuang.

This is fine. If you go any further in, you won't be facing any arrays or restrictions. Some powerful beings, even if they are sleeping at home, might be able to sense that outsiders are approaching through their indirect sixth sense.

Li Zhuiyuan did not intend to have a direct conflict with Lujiazhuang, after all, the wolf pack was already on its way.

"Come on, let's set it up so that the survey team can better collect data when they follow up later."

"Yes."

"Yes."

The group dispersed and began arranging the feng shui formation according to the blueprints.

Li Zhuiyuan is leaving "auspicious omens" for Lujiazhuang.

When the right moment arrives, even those outside the barrier of Lu Family Village will be able to sense the "sky full of rosy clouds and auspicious divine beasts" inside.

To make the effect more realistic, Runsheng even brought some of the monster pelts that Zhao Yi had given him last time from the warehouse at the South Passage.

A simple "divine deer" isn't grounded enough; a divine deer imbued with a demonic aura feels more real.

Just as the arrangements were being made in silence, a hiss suddenly came from the top of Lu Family Village, and then many Taoist figures rushed out of the village.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up at the roof of the highest building in Lujiazhuang.

On the roof stood a deer covered in various broken chains...

The deer stood there, radiating a holy glow from behind, so beautiful and moving that it defied description, as if it were the embodiment of the essence of heaven and earth, as if it had stepped out of a myth.

Many figures surrounded the building, all holding chains and re-binding the deer. Everyone was gentle, but there were simply too many people, including some with great strength. With a wave of their hand, dozens of chains soared into the air.

Soon, the deer that had just escaped from the rooftop crawled down and was caught again.

At this moment, its sorrow seemed to resonate with even the plants and trees in this mountain forest.

Lin Shuyou scratched his head, saying incredulously:
"My God, there really is a divine deer in Lujiazhuang!"

(End of this chapter)