Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 494

"So, you want to use me to kill him."

"Yes."

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Chen Ping pointed around. "With your abilities, you were able to infiltrate this place. Wouldn't it be easier for you to kill him yourself?"

"There are some things that others can do but I can't; if others do them and it's overlooked, but if I do them, it will be severely criticized."

I can only use your power to get rid of him, or use the external disturbances to drown him.

I,
"It can only be done by a proxy, not by oneself."

"It seems that he really offended you badly, so much so that you are willing to go to such lengths to kill him and take revenge."

"If it were just a personal grudge, I wouldn't care. Even if I lose my way, I can still look forward. But what he's going to cut off in the future is my path forward!"

In the distant past, the Faceless Man personally orchestrated a grand plan spanning millennia, constructing the Ascension Palace in a secret realm beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Generation after generation of worldly nobles and chivalrous heroes, dreaming of ascending to immortality, have followed one after another in their pursuit.

Countless people, including his own descendants, had their aspirations and ambitions reduced to yellow paper and burned in the cauldron of merit he had set out for.

He refines the dreams of others to become immortals into candlelight, and condenses the ashes of others' corpses into steps. He relies on the long-term cleansing of restless beings by the Heavenly Dao to obtain the foundation for advancement, thus lighting up and paving his own unique path to ascension.

He succeeded.

Beneath the snow-capped mountain palace, the final eruption of world-destroying lava was a manifestation he had planned long ago; at that moment, he "came back to life."

But his success was not perfect.

In his original plan, he should have waited until the fish in the pond had accumulated to a certain level before draining the pond and breaking free of his shackles.

But because of Li Zhuiyuan's existence and influence, all of this was brought forward.

Like a mischievous child, he jumped from one cement slab to another, with a ditch in between.

If you give up during the preparatory take-off, you'll be fine even if you don't make it over.

If you jump out, but don't jump high or far enough, and fall into the water, you'll just get wet.

If you can successfully leap over it in one go, you will reach the other shore and ascend to a level similar to that of an emperor or a giant tortoise, forcing even the Heavenly Dao to acknowledge your existence.

The worst thing is that even if you jump high and far, you might miss by just a tiny bit. In that case, your whole face would probably hit the concrete slab, resulting in a bloody head and flying flesh.

The faceless man was in this stage; he had just awakened from the stone platform, left the grave, and was exposed to the world, not yet having had a chance to savor the feeling of revival...

Looking up, the lightning bolts from the sky struck straight down on him.

Once someone reaches the level of an emperor, the Heavenly Dao will indeed hesitate to act against them and will be unable to do anything about it for the time being.

But this also means that before you reach that level, you will suffer the most severe blow from the Heavenly Dao, which strictly forbids such an existence from ever appearing in this world again.

Even from the perspective of the Emperor and the Great Tortoise, they would not want more beings like themselves to appear in this world.

This is because not only will the ecological niche be squeezed out, but it will also make the ecosystem more decadent, which may eventually lead to the natural order breaking down all barriers and removing the poison from the bone.

Therefore, the Great Emperor first suppressed the Bodhisattva, then took the tomb owner into the Yellow Springs, and recently placed the Lesser Hell under Fengdu Underworld to suppress it. This is to ensure that the ecosystem will not continue to deteriorate, strengthen his bargaining chips, and ensure that his immortality can be more solidified.

For the faceless man, he was only one step away, but that one step was as deep as an abyss.

He had no sect, no family, no lineage, no territory... He personally threw all of these into the stove and burned them to ashes.

This made him, who could clearly be considered one of the most terrifying beings in the world, live like a rat by a stinking ditch under the tribulation of lightning, living in constant fear day and night.

After a little deduction, he understood the reason.

Even without extrapolation, simply placing the beginning and the result side-by-side and conducting a simple analysis will lead to the following conclusion:
He was taken advantage of by Heaven.

Over the course of a thousand years, he helped Heaven eliminate countless troublemakers, and Heaven rewarded him according to its rules.

Yet this reward, though enormous, was given just right, achieving the effect of "as if given".

This precise and meticulous approach is like making a precise cut before one has completely broken free of shackles.

If you go too early, you won't get the tail end and won't be able to extract all the value; if you go too late, the fish will be in the big river and no longer under your control.

This shows that Heaven has a sharp and reliable blade that it trusts implicitly, and it is certain that this blade will precisely strike its vital point.

Moreover, the knife later came looking for him on its own.

After the first wave ended, instead of going home, he went to his ancestral graves. If he hadn't left a little earlier, he might have run into them then.

At first, the faceless man thought that all of this was driven by the will of Heaven, just like how the Dragon Kings of all ages upheld the will of Heaven and suppressed the martial world.

But when he was hiding in the basement of the Zhou family's mansion, using mechanical arts to repair his body which had been severely damaged by the lightning strike, the boy actually came to the Zhou family on his own.

The faceless man confirmed that at that time, the boy and the two lamplighters beside him were not on the waves.

But this intense wave of cause and effect points directly to the Zhou family.

The faceless man immediately dodged, and at the same time, he finally realized something, something even more terrifying than the heavens pushing this blade to help him kill people:
This boy may very well know that he is the knife!

This knife also seems to be exercising its own initiative.

From that moment on, the faceless man realized that if he didn't break the knife, it would inevitably be used against him in the future.

However, he could not personally take action or directly confront the boy, because Heaven would inevitably break this sword itself in the future. But before that, at least for now, Heaven's priority in eliminating him was far greater than that of the boy.

However, the seemingly foolproof plan, which should have been a perfect scheme to snatch chestnuts from the fire, went awry.

Taking advantage of the storm stirred up by the giant turtle coming ashore, and disguising himself as the will of Heaven, he issued an order. He didn't even dare to take the boy's life directly, but instead took the life of a dog.

But I was able to survive the lightning tribulation, which was already a good thing. Why was that dog also able to survive being struck by lightning?

Faceless Man:
"You bunch of good-for-nothings, especially you!"

Upon hearing this insult, Chen Pingdao not only didn't get angry, but a smile even appeared on his lips.

He was only preoccupied with the right and wrong of the matter, unable to understand or accept it, but he did not regret the failure of the matter or the inability to completely kill that person.

His starting point was different from that of the man from the Ling family.

The person from the Ling family, based on a firm grasp of the Heavenly Dao's intentions, added his own self-interest to the equation. He should have known long ago that there was a mastermind behind that matter, but he deliberately pretended not to know.

He himself was acting in accordance with the will of Heaven; in short, Chen Pingdao was... stupid.

Faceless Man: "How dare you laugh?"

Chen Ping said, "A stupid person should smile more and talk less, otherwise everyone will know that I'm stupid."

The faceless man said, "Only when he dies will your granddaughter have a chance to become the Dragon King of this generation. If he were still alive, your granddaughter would have no chance and would only be suppressed by him forever."

Chen Ping said, "I have no obsession with making Xi Yuan the Dragon King. I spoil this granddaughter too much. I even think that if she becomes the Dragon King, it will be very hard for her."

Faceless Man: "So what about now? Now that you've broken through this barrier, what are you planning to do?"

Chen Ping said, "This is the Dragon King's residence. Your intrusion here is taboo. What do you think I, as the head of the family, should do?"

Faceless Man: "Hehehe..."

Chen Ping slowly spread his arms wide, and his domain continued to expand.

The faceless man sat there, and Chen Pingdao's domain was blocked from approaching him.

No matter how much Ren Chenping urged it, he couldn't wrap it up.

The power of the faceless man was on full display at this moment.

However, Chen Pingdao was not discouraged at all. His domain began to tremble, and the four surrounding domains also began to respond. When the other four domains resonated, Chen Pingdao's domain broke through the barrier and completely encompassed the faceless man.

Faceless Man: "You're scared, you regret it. When he comes to settle accounts with you, you want to hand me over as a gift to apologize to him?"

Chen Ping said, "I can't deny that there are reasons for this."

I do not want my Chen family in Qiongya to become the Ming family it is today, and I do not want the future of the Chen family to follow the example of the future Ming family.

I don't want to see my precious granddaughter suffer the torment of choosing between protecting me, her grandfather, and protecting the entire Chen family.

But... I've already seen and heard it.

The will of Heaven now wants to eliminate you.

So, what I'm doing now is still the right thing to do. I... I'm right!

Chen Ping slapped his palm downwards.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Five loud thuds resounded as the faceless man's body was slammed down, his chest and face pressed against the ground, yet his voice continued to echo:

"I told you, even if you noticed, you should have continued to pretend you didn't know. Do you really think your Chen family in Qiongya has a Dragon King protecting you now?"

Chen Ping said, "There are three... no, four people here right now."

"Hehehe..."

The faceless man continued to laugh.

He pressed his chin against the ground, forcing his "face" to face Chen Ping in front of him.

Aren't you curious why I should stay here?

Chen Pingdao shook his head: "All I know is that you are here now."

"The reason I failed last time was because of you, so I deliberately stayed here to wait for him to come and settle accounts with you."

You just saw him come back.

"So he should be very close to your Chen family ancestral home now, right?"

"Click...click...click..."

A series of crisp sounds rang out as the faceless man slowly and forcefully straightened up.

This forced Chen Pingdao to mobilize more forces from various domains to suppress him.

As a result, the suppression of the evil spirits here by the four "Dragon King Domains" has been reduced.

The evil spirits, as if they had been parched for a long time and had received timely rain, immediately began to stir up a commotion and let out a series of roars.

Furthermore, amber-colored patterns began to spread around, further weakening the suppressive effect of the four Dragon King Domains.

No, to be precise, these patterns didn't just start spreading now; they were already there long ago.

This shows that the faceless people's encroachment on this place had already begun long ago.

Anger and regret were revealed in Chen Pingdao's eyes.

The fact that someone had sneaked into the depths of his ancestral home was already a slap in the face to him, the head of the family; but the fact that someone had been secretly digging up his foundation, preparing to break into his family's prison, was something he only found out about now!
This is no longer just negligence or dereliction of duty; it is a complete and utter waste of a family head. Under his leadership, the once-powerful Dragon King's clan has been manipulated at will.

If he hadn't come down today and taken the initiative to break off relations, then the funeral that should have been his alone might have become the funeral of the entire Chen family of Qiongya.

Faceless Man:
"You don't need to blame yourself, because I also paid a huge price for this that you can't even imagine."

These three... no, these four Dragon King Domains are incredibly difficult to unravel.

It's hateful that I can't personally take action against him.

But you can't be relied on. Continuing to manipulate and exploit your power will only give him more time to breathe and grow.

So, when you failed last time, I saw it clearly and made my decision.

We can't hesitate any longer.
this time,

I'm going to go all in!

The faceless man's struggles grew more and more intense, and above the four domains, the area covered by the emerald color continued to expand, accelerating its erosion of the cage.

Chen Ping said, "You're dreaming."

The old man's skin and flesh continued to crack, and streaks of blood spilled from his body, first expanding into his own domain, and then spreading to the four Dragon King Domains. This suppressed the amber color on the Dragon King Domains, causing it to fade and gradually return to normal.

Beneath the four Dragon King Domains, the evil spirits that had just been swaggering were once again ruthlessly suppressed.

Faceless Man: "Heh heh, I'd like to see how much blood you have to shed like this."

“I’m not the only Chen family member in the ancestral home. I refuse to believe that the blood of the entire Chen family of Qiongya can’t wear you down here!”

"The Chen family is probably all going to die."

"The Dragon King's family died suppressing evil spirits; they died a worthy death!"

Chen Pingdao closed his eyes, and his voice came from his chest.

The Tide-Watching Monument outside trembled, indicating that Chen Pingdao was about to issue the family head's order.

The faceless man's face suddenly twisted, and the next moment, Chen Pingdao's features also began to blur.

Chen Pingdao's connection with the outside world was severed by the faceless man.

The tremors of the "Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide" monument ceased.

Faceless Man: "Chen Ping said, you always think about taking responsibility for your own actions, but you've overlooked your own identity."

Before you broke off relations with me, didn't you think about preparing in advance?
Or are you confident that even if you can't kill me, or even if I kill you, as long as I'm here, you're still confident you can risk your life to seal me away here forever?

As it turns out, my strength is beyond your imagination?
After you ruined something for me once, I figured you out completely. I even predicted all your next moves, including that you would come down here to find me.

You are not a suitable head of the household; you are better suited to be a gardener, pruning and tending to your willow trees.

As the faceless man spoke these words, an imperceptible flame flickered in Chen Pingdao's closed eyes.

Some things can be isolated, but some things cannot be isolated, such as the feeling of the spirit of the Dragon King, the ancestor of the Chen family, within the ancestral home.

The sound emanating from the "Listening to the Tide and Watching the Tide" monument was just a feint.

Next, the spirit of the Dragon King in the ancestral hall will receive its own call, causing it to become restless and send a warning message to the entire Chen family.

However, at that moment, the three milky-white lamps in the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall began to flicker.

They not only dispelled the call from Chen Pingdao, but also, just like last time, caused him to suffer a backlash.

"puff!"

Chen Pingdao spat out a mouthful of blood.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

The faceless man believed that Chen Pingdao's despair and mental damage were caused by his successful isolation from the outside world.

In fact, what shocked Chen Pingdao was why the spirit of the ancestral Dragon King would ignore his calls.
Last time, when he received the "correct information in advance" and was preparing to take action, the spirit of the Dragon King in his family treated him this way. This time, when he wanted to warn the entire Chen family and call on them to suppress this giant evil together, the spirit of the Dragon King in his family still treated him this way.
Chen Pingdao struggled to raise his head, his blood still evaporating, holding the four cages together.

As the head of the Dragon King family, his respect and reverence for the spirit of his ancestor, the Dragon King, was beyond question. Therefore, he would never believe that his Dragon King spirit was acting this way towards him out of selfishness to protect the Chen family.

Now, he was even more certain of one thing: the spirits of the Dragon King in the ancestral home were not unaware of the faceless man's intrusion, but they deliberately let it go and ignored it.

Looking at the arrogant and domineering faceless man before him, Chen Pingdao couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt and speculation:

In truth, the true will of Heaven had already been given.

If someone transmits the correct information in advance, is it possible that the person transmitting the information is themselves the one who provides the most accurate information?
Then he thought of his granddaughter and that person, who had both returned to Qiongya and were near the Chen family's ancestral home.

So, this wave actually started with my Chen family?
Faceless Man: "I'm not in a hurry. You can continue to endure it and bleed slowly. I will even take the initiative to help you adjust and reduce the pressure so that you can hold on a little longer."

Detonating it now would give him a slim chance of survival, but it's still not safe enough for me.

Isn't your birthday in two days?
I'll wait, I'll wait two days. He'll come to your door in person to congratulate you on your birthday. I'll make sure he's absolutely dead this time.

I want him to see it for himself.

What does it mean to be "a tidal wave of evil spirits!"

……

"Yes, don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."

After hanging up the phone, He Shen pointed to the store shelf and asked for a hard green coconut.

Just as he was taking out his money, Tan Wenbin appeared beside him and paid the bill first.

He Shen: "Brother, you're being too polite."

Tan Wenbin: "Wasn't this agreed upon beforehand? It's only right."

He Shen opened the packaging, took out two packs and handed them to Tan Wenbin: "Try them and see if you can get used to them."

Tan Wenbin put the cigarette in his pocket: "Brother Shen, were you just on the phone with your wife?"

"Ah."

Why don't you use a mobile phone?

"My phone seems to be broken; the signal is constantly unstable. I'll take it to get repaired when I get back."

"I have an extra one here, Brother Shen, you can use it for now."

He Shen hesitated for a moment, but still accepted it:

"Don't worry, brother. As long as you give me a notice and tell me where to unload the goods, I'll immediately take some people and drive there. I won't delay your business at all."

"I trust Brother Shen to handle things. Alright, I'll be going now. I've settled the bills for the masters."

The place where Tan Wenbin and He Shen were standing was a small street lined with hair salons and massage parlors.

He Shen: "These guys are really outrageous, they haven't come out yet after all this time."

Tan Wenbin: "They've all come out, but they're deliberately waiting inside, not wanting to be the first to come out of the store."

After saying goodbye to He Shen, Tan Wenbin hailed a motorcycle taxi and took him to the outskirts of town.

The small hill offers a wide view, and Brother Xiaoyuan set up a formation here as everyone's campsite.

Runsheng was roasting a suckling pig by the campfire in front of the tent.

There's a roast suckling pig shop in town. You buy your pig and seasonings there and roast it yourself.

Tan Wenbin took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it. At the same time, he looked at Chen Xiyuan, who was walking towards them from a distance.

Miss Chen nodded to Tan Wenbin and sat down on a rock by the campfire.

Rarely, she remained unmoved by the sight of the suckling pig roasted by Runsheng to a tempting color.

Inside the tent, Li Zhuiyuan sat on a sleeping bag, surrounded by invisible blood lines.

These blood lines, visible only to Li Zhuiyuan, resembled a woven blood cocoon, gradually enveloping the boy.

In front of the boy, Ah Li was fiddling with the purple-gold compass.

The evil dragon coiled around the compass, and instead of being ferocious, it obediently followed Ah Li's fingertips to operate it.

A prototype of a new architecture has emerged.

Just like the evil spirits in the ancestral homes of the Qin and Liu families would give Liu Yumei face.

Even the evil creatures and ferocious beasts on Li Zhuiyuan's body will give Ah Li face.

The boy is deducing cause and effect, while Ah Li is assisting him.

People living along the river generally understand the river by drawing on the experience of their ancestors and summarizing their own practical observations.

Li Zhuiyuan was once the master of it all.

It's like a 100-point test paper. Those who score below passing are the norm, which manifests as being muddleheaded and manipulated; those who pass can be considered as trendsetters on the river, and the elites on the river are generally at this level.

There are also those who score 70, 80, or 90 points. For example, those who are inheritors of the Dragon King's lineage and enjoy the blessing of their heritage, or those who rise from humble beginnings and possess keen spiritual insight.

There are also those like Zhao Yi who achieve academic leaps by reading other people's notes;
There are also those like Chen Xiyuan, who can have the proctor point out the correct answer during the exam.

Li Zhuiyuan had already reached the level of outsmarting the test setters long ago; he only got a perfect score because the paper only had a hundred marks.

Now, as Li Zhuiyuan has started to run his own private tutoring classes and create exam questions, his understanding of the Yangtze River has entered a new stage. His perspective is no longer limited to the exam paper, but he has begun to think about how to achieve better talent selection through exam reform.

The red thread faded, and the boy opened his eyes.

Even for today's teenagers, doing this kind of cause-and-effect deduction is extremely taxing.

If someone else wanted to do this, they would probably have to gather a lot of manpower, make careful arrangements, set up an altar, and pray to the gods and Buddhas.

"Pfft!"

Ah Li opened a can of Jianlibao, inserted a straw, and handed it over.

Li Zhuiyuan took it and drank a few sips.

"The scene was calm, but too calm, as if the stage had been cleared out in advance to prepare for the performance to come. It was very deliberate."

Upon seeing Old Master Chen at Chen Xiyuan's cave, Li Zhuiyuan had a premonition.

The boy was deliberately trying to avoid being swept up in the waves on his trip to the Chen family in Qiongya.

But now, the nature of the matter is already preparing for a subtle change.

Grandpa Chen only happened to be there because he missed his granddaughter; he wasn't some kind of strategist who deliberately waited for him there.

However, the characteristics of the Chen family can be observed in Chen Xiyuan. Some so-called coincidences are not really coincidences.

Being fed by those who feed you is truly enviable, but conversely, it also makes it easier for the Heavenly Dao to impose its will.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected that when he met Old Master Chen, Old Master Chen himself played a role in some kind of upheaval.

But if one were to spread waves as the master of the Dragon King's court, just how big would those waves have to be?
It really is karma.

In the last wave, when I was in Yuxi, I did some private work while doing official work.

This time, it's very likely that I'll be forced to do official work while doing my own side jobs.

Li Zhuiyuan disliked this feeling. It wasn't that he wouldn't travel the river or wield the sword. Once the matter in Qiongya was over, he could wait for the will of Heaven to give him his instructions.

No matter how much you work, you still need personal rest time. How can you expect someone to make arrangements with just one phone call whenever you need them, and be available at any time?

Most importantly, you still don't pay salaries.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed outside.

Ah Li understood and began tidying up the compass and other items.

Li Zhuiyuan got up and walked out of the tent.

Chen Xiyuan turned her head to look at him and asked:

"Little brother, why are you back first?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I have enough things with me this time. When I leave, I'll go to your cave and choose more. I won't be polite."

Chen Xiyuan nodded: "My grandfather said something to me, he said..."

Without holding back, Chen Xiyuan recounted to the boy in detail the conversation that took place after she was kept behind by her grandfather.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Between your grandfather and me, you choose to stand on my side; between your grandfather and others, you can stand on your grandfather's side."

Chen Xiyuan lowered her head, her inner thoughts revealed; she wanted to help her grandfather.

However, Miss Chen raised her head again and looked at the boy: "Little brother, tell me, what should I do?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "You can go back to the Chen family alone now."

Chen Xiyuan: "I..."

She didn't want to abandon the people here. She felt that by staying, she could not only serve as a source of strength but also act as a hostage.

Chen Xiyuan: "Little brother, don't use 'can.' Just give me the order. I'm willing to bear the consequences of my choices, but I'm not good at making choices."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I need you to leave our team now. Don't come looking for us again until we contact you."

As for where you want to go and what you want to do, that's up to you. I can only offer my advice: whatever happens, prioritize your own safety and don't rush into anything extreme.

"it is good!"

Chen Xiyuan stood up, picked up her backpack, and prepared to leave.

Runsheng: "Wait a minute, the suckling pig is ready. Take some with you to eat on the way."

"Yes! Thank you, Runsheng."

Chen Xiyuan left carrying a whole roasted suckling pig.

Tan Wenbin leaned closer and asked, "No, Runsheng, you gave it all to her, what are we going to eat tonight?"

Runsheng scratched his head: "I only intended to give her a pig's leg."

Fortunately, considering that the team members generally have good appetites, they bought more than one suckling pig when buying ingredients in town.

Runsheng set up a suckling pig again and roasted the paint once more.

Li Zhuiyuan, carrying a can of Jianlibao, walked to the edge of the hill and stood there lost in thought.

After a while, Tan Wenbin came over and asked in a low voice, "Brother Xiaoyuan, what happened... what's going on?"

Li Zhuiyuan raised the beverage can in his hand, signaling Tan Wenbin to be quiet.

Tan Wenbin followed Xiao Yuan's gaze and looked down. The two of them were now standing on high ground, with a relatively wide dirt road diagonally below.

An old man rode by on a tricycle, carrying his grandson who had just come home from school.

The old man stopped the car, got out, walked to the side of the road, untied his trousers, and prepared to urinate.

Tan Wenbin activated his snake eyes.

He could clearly see the traces left on the corners of the mouths of the primary school students on the tricycle from eating snacks, and he could also clearly hear the weak and intermittent sound of the old man urinating.

"Hiss..."

Tan Wenbin saw a snake crawling in the grass. The snake crawled to the old man's feet.

The old man cried out, looked down and saw it was a snake. He quickly raised his leg to try to shake it off, but lost his balance and fell backward, hitting the edge of the tricycle on the back of his head.

With a "thud," the old man lay down, not completely unconscious, but still dizzy and unable to stand up.

The grandson on the vehicle was so frightened that he cried and screamed. He got off the tricycle and tried to help his grandfather, but he wasn't strong enough.

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Xiaoyuan..."

He had a feeling that Xiao Yuan knew this was going to happen and had been waiting here on purpose.

Just then, Lin Shuyou's voice came from the campfire:
"Brother Bin, what's that sound?"

Tan Wenbin raised his hand and shook it: "It's nothing."

"okay."

Lin Shuyou continued watching Qi Runsheng roast suckling pig.

In fact, even if it weren't for the kind and helpful Ayou, anyone in the team who saw this scene would have immediately gone down to help.

The old man's head was hit, and the blow could have been severe or minor, especially considering the snake that bit him; it had markings on its belly and was venomous.

If the elderly man continues to stand still, his life may be in danger, and the snake is still roaming nearby and may attack the elementary school student as well.

However, without Xiao Yuan's instructions, Tan Wenbin will not make any moves at this time.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Bin, do you want to go and save them?"

Tan Wenbin: "If it's appropriate, I'd like to."

Li Zhuiyuan: "But when I set up the formation here, I took measures to drive away snakes, insects and rodents beforehand. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any snakes coming to this mountain."

Tan Wenbin used his snake eyes to observe again, but no matter how he looked at it, the old man and the child were just ordinary people.

As time passed, the old man's breathing became irregular, and the snake gradually approached the child beside him.

If we don't go down and offer assistance soon, someone could really die.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, took a sip of his drink. The can had been open for too long, and the fizz had gone out, so it didn't taste good.

The boy picked it up, turned and walked towards the campsite, leaving Tan Wenbin standing there watching.

But as I said before, Tan Wenbin wouldn't go down without Li Zhuiyuan's explicit instructions.

Feeling somewhat anxious, Tan Wenbin lit a cigarette.

He had just taken a big drag when he saw a person running towards him from a distance, carrying a basket on his back. The person had a bag of plasters in his left hand and a rolled-up plastic advertising paper tucked under his right arm.

This is a plaster seller who travels all over the country, sets up a stall in the market, displays snakes to attract attention, and then promotes his plasters or medicinal wine.

The man had been searching for something in the grass when he heard the child's cries. He quickened his pace and ran over, dropping what he was carrying on the way. He then leaped up, grabbed the snake that was very close to the child, and threw it into his basket. After checking the old man's injuries and finding the snake bite wound, he cut it open with a knife to let the blood flow and then took out snake medicine to treat the old man.

The situation of the elderly and children has turned from danger to safety.

Then, the man settled the old man into the tricycle, and pushed the tricycle himself, carrying the old man and the child, towards the town.

As Tan Wenbin exhaled a smoke ring, he seemed lost in thought. He turned and walked back to the tent, reporting what had just happened to Brother Xiao Yuan.

Li Zhuiyuan said calmly, "Yes, because I'm not watching anymore."

Lin Shuyou was confused; he had no idea that someone below had been bitten by a snake.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, so, these are waves?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Probably. If you had gone down and rescued him, whether you took him to the town's health center or home, it would most likely have led to some follow-up issues."

However, this wave was rather far-fetched, ignoring the objective reality of the moment. Therefore, even if I stand by and do nothing, the consequences will not fall on me, and there will naturally be a way to resolve them.

For example, the old man might not be the child's biological grandfather, but a relative of the grandfather's generation, who wanted to secretly sell the child; or perhaps the old man somehow learned that the child was not his own grandson, and out of love turned to hatred, he wanted to do something extreme, but being bitten by a snake and getting into trouble became a suitable way to resolve the situation.

Of course, being rescued by someone selling snake oil would certainly be more appropriate.

Lin Shuyou blinked. Why did it feel like Xiao Yuan was making up a story?
But Ayou understood the intention and asked doubtfully, "Brother Xiaoyuan, shouldn't we catch this wave?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't rush. Now, disconnect the mobile phone's communication. From this moment on, no outside calls are allowed, and the burning of paper money for sacrifices is prohibited. Withdraw your suppressed senses and do not pay too much attention to the outside world."

Everyone immediately started disassembling the mobile phone. Runsheng nodded, indicating that he understood and would not communicate with Yinmeng tonight.

After everything was taken care of, the new roast suckling pig was also ready. Everyone sat around the campfire, eating dinner and holding a meeting.

Li Zhuiyuan reported his findings and analytical conjectures to everyone.

If the initial events in the tent were merely theoretical deductions, then the earlier incident of snake bites became a real-world example.

Li Zhuiyuan: "This time, the river water not only came earlier than usual, but it also came very fast. If nothing unexpected happens, this wave will lead us to Longwangchen."

Tan Wenbin: "So, Brother Xiaoyuan, that's why you let Chen Xiyuan leave the team and go home?"

Li Zhuiyuan:
"Yes, she is also a lamplighter. If she stays with us, she will also become a trigger point for the river."

The mountain we are on now has been set up with an array, so ordinary people from the outside can't get up here. We've also cut off all communication with the outside world, so it's very difficult for ordinary waves to splash onto us right now.

But someone like Chen Xiyuan, if something happens to her family, she might experience chest tightness and palpitations, or even have a nightmare while lying there sleeping, where she somehow manages to take the waves away from us.

Lin Shuyou took a slice of roast suckling pig, dipped it in white sugar, and put it in his mouth.

In the past, Brother Xiao Yuan would always encourage everyone to go out and run around more to meet more people, so that it would be easier to catch waves. This time, he did the opposite.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I did not exile Chen Xiyuan on purpose, but everyone has their own position. From our point of view, the fact that we do not regard the entire Chen family of Qiongya as the target of revenge is already a concession. It is unrealistic to expect us to take the initiative to go through fire and water for what might happen to the Chen family."

Logically, if the Chen family's house were on fire, we should take advantage of the chaos and deliberately help them make the fire bigger and more intense.

Tan Wenbin: "If this wave really leads to the Chen family, it should be different from the Yu family, right?"

The Yu family's wave of change was a consequence of the former Dragon King's court undergoing a transformation, and the accumulated festering sores of demonic beasts needed to be cleared away.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Well, Heaven has no need or reason to take action against the Chen family. Something must have happened that requires our help to deal with."

Since the lights have been lit, when the waves come, it's impossible to completely avoid them by hiding. Intentionally trying to avoid them instead of actively welcoming them will only allow the next wave to grow stronger and more ferocious.

"If that lightning bolt hadn't struck Xiao Hei and that incident hadn't happened, given our relationship with Chen Xiyuan, it would have been our duty to help."

Tan Wenbin: "But right now, the grudges between us and Mr. Chen have not been resolved, so there is no reason for us to rush to help."

"You can't fight city hall; the tide will still rise. It's just that this kind of sudden, early, and urgent tide wants us to accept it according to its will and achieve the result it desires. It's not that we can't, but..."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his head and looked up at the dazzling starry sky above:
"You need to show more sincerity."

……

The closer Chen Xiyuan got to home, the more tight her chest felt, and her heart began to race, as if something bad was about to happen.

To calm her anxiety, Chen Xiyuan ate the roast suckling pig in even larger bites. By the time they actually arrived at the ancestral home, the entire roast suckling pig was gone.

She reached out and pushed open the door, stepping into the protective barrier of the Chen family ancestral home.

"The eldest lady is back."

"The eldest lady is back!"

"Hello, Miss!"

Inside the ancestral home, everything remained the same, as if nothing had happened.

Chen Xiyuan went straight to the courtyard where her grandparents lived. Hearing the announcement from outside, Jiang Xiuzhi also came out of the courtyard.

"Xi Yuan, you're back."

Jiang Xiuzhi held her granddaughter's hand. Every time she didn't see her granddaughter for a while, she would worry that her granddaughter might get thin from hunger while she was away.

You've lost some weight, but what's with all that oil around your mouth?

Afraid that he would find out she wasn't doing well outside, he deliberately wiped his mouth with a piece of pigskin before entering the room.
Jiang Xiuzhi immediately dismissed this strange thought, realizing that she was just being overly concerned. No matter what, with her granddaughter's abilities, she wouldn't be so poor that she couldn't even afford to eat.

"Grandma, where is he?"

“After he returned from meeting you, he went to the ancestral hall and closed the restrictions on it, forbidding outsiders from disturbing him.”

"I gonna go see."

"Okay, go ahead. Grandma will make you a midnight snack. The ancestors love you. They'll only stop us, not you."

Chen Xiyuan walked to the outer entrance of the ancestral hall. The restriction was indeed activated. Chen Xiyuan stretched out her hand.

The restrictions were lifted, and a separate passage was opened for her.

Chen Xiyuan walked in. The willows in the courtyard of the ancestral hall rustled. The Stele for Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide stood quietly.

Passing between the two, Chen Xiyuan entered the ancestral hall, but did not find her grandfather inside.

But Grandpa wouldn't be so bored as to lift the restrictions on the ancestral hall and then secretly run away from home.

Just as Chen Xiyuan was frowning in thought, her gaze inadvertently swept over the three milky white lamps.

Suddenly, the unease and fear in her heart began to boil over.

In the past, facing the spirit of one's own Dragon King in the ancestral hall always brought inner peace, but this time it only added fuel to the fire.

Moreover, Chen Xiyuan saw her little brother's figure in every lamp flame.

There are scenes of little brothers reading, writing, drinking beverages, etc. If you want to find the most suitable outlet for your inner anxiety, it is undoubtedly your little brother.

For some reason, even though they had only been apart for a short time, at this moment, Chen Xiyuan's longing for Li Zhuiyuan was so intense that it was almost overflowing.

She herself found this sudden surge of emotion strange.

If it were the old Chen Xiyuan, these feelings would just be feelings, and she wouldn't bother to think about them. But the current Chen Xiyuan has at least memorized the "Code of Conduct for Traveling Along the River".

However, although she carried it on her back, she didn't take advantage of the conditions when she walked along the river. Her understanding of the river was no match for Lin Shuyou's, so she could only sit at the same table with Runsheng.

However, things that have been memorized may occasionally resurface in your mind, forming a kind of belated realization.

Chen Xiyuan leaned closer to the offering table, tilted her head, and carefully looked at the three Dragon King tablets.

Once they were being watched, the three lamps suddenly burned even brighter.

"Oh……"

With her left hand supporting her on the altar and her right hand covering her chest, Chen Xiyuan's mind raced through memories of her time with her little brother.

At this moment, with each breath, there is a tearing sensation in my chest, as if longing is a kind of pain that breathes.

I habitually started searching for every way I could contact my little brother, including immediately turning back to see him in person again.

"No, my little brother told me that I can only contact him after he contacts me. I can't contact him now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the lights were restored.

"call……"

Chen Xiyuan wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

This longing is like the tide, coming and going quickly.

Chen Xiyuan walked out of the ancestral hall, went to the willow tree, and checked it. Her grandfather hadn't pruned or watered the willow tree today.

Then, she walked to the Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide Monument and placed her hand on it.

Inside the Chen family ancestral home, there are some specific rooms. Opening the door reveals a separate realm, each with its own purpose, including a prison for imprisoning evil spirits.

But the cell where the evil spirits were truly imprisoned, personally escorted back by the three ancestral dragon kings, can only be accessed through this Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide Stele.

Only the family's higher-ups knew about this. Ordinary members of the Chen family, let alone those who went in, didn't even know this place existed. They just thought that the evil spirits in those ordinary prison cells were the work of their ancestor, the Dragon King.

Chen Xiyuan was able to open her domain as soon as she gained wisdom. When she was a child, she was naughty and climbed on the precious Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide Stele of the whole clan. As a result, she accidentally opened her domain and entered it.

When her grandfather took her out of there, little Chen was so frightened by the evil spirits inside that she cried loudly.

Chen Xiyuan closed her eyes, expanded her domain, and stepped into the stone tablet.

Inside, nothing has changed; all evil spirits are suppressed within, obediently awaiting the passage of time.

Chen Xiyuan wandered from Chen Yunhai's domain to the other three Dragon King domains.

Instead of finding Grandpa, I browsed through the family's "stock" of belongings.

Seeing these things again as an adult is naturally not as scary or terrifying as it was when I was a child, but because I have matured and grown up, I am more aware of how troublesome and terrifying these evil spirits were at their peak.

However, she had just returned from the ancestral home of the Qin family, the Dragon King's family.

To be fair, in terms of the overall number of evil spirits at the same level, if the Qin family's ancestral home is like a primary school in the city that requires connections to get into, then their own place is more like a school in a remote town.

There's nothing we can do about it. Even though every generation of the Chen family's Dragon Kings has earned a reputation for overwhelming power in the martial arts world, only three Dragon Kings have ever emerged from the family.

She had personally witnessed the evil wave that broke out in the Yu family of the Dragon King. The number of Dragon Kings in the Yu family was double that of her own family, and the scale and scene were something her own family could not replicate.

The number of evil spirits that the little brother moved out of the Qin family this time was more than the current stock of his own family.

However, there's no point in comparing them like that.

Regardless of which evil spirit escapes out of control, it will trigger a terrible disaster. The only difference is the scope of the subsequent impact and the difficulty of dealing with it. In any case, in a specific area, all living beings will inevitably perish.

Chen Xiyuan raised her flute and tapped her forehead.

Influenced by her younger brother taking goods from home, she has now started treating the evil spirits suppressed in her home as local specialties.

However, once this matter is resolved, in addition to the resources in our own cave that our younger brother can choose from, he can also take away any evil spirits from our ancestral home that he finds appealing.

Anyway, this thing isn't anything good either. Besides, the evil spirits in my house are different from those in the Qin family. The evil spirits in the Qin family can even clean the yard.

"Strange, where did Grandpa go?"

Because the area containing the remains of the four ancestors in the cage can only be entered by those holding the family head's token, Chen Xiyuan was unable to find her grandfather.

She left quickly, intending to look elsewhere, such as the pavilion where her grandfather liked to drink, where there was an inscription by Su Dongpo; or the fishing spot where her grandfather used to fish for sharks.

"Have you noticed that your granddaughter's domain is very similar to Chen Yunhai's domain?"

Chen Pingdao did not respond.

“In normal times, your granddaughter would have the potential to become the Dragon King. If you had been just a little more ruthless last time, she might have become the Dragon King of this generation.”

Chen Pingdao scoffed:
"I did make a move against that person, but my purpose was definitely not to pave the way for my own granddaughter."

For thousands of years, in this martial world, only dragon kings have emerged from slaughter; there has never been a dragon king who has been helped into power.

Judge by actions, not intentions.

You, Chen Pingdao, claim to follow and uphold the will of Heaven and safeguard the righteous path, yet what you do is the despicable act of suppressing and eradicating the seeds of the Dragon King in his family.

But have you noticed that the scourge we all know, the one disliked by the Heavenly Dao, adheres to the Dragon King's Code in every action?

Haha, what a huge irony.

The temple was so dilapidated that there wasn't even a single monk in it. Moreover, it was located deep in the mountains and there was no road access. Ordinary people would have to go through a long and arduous journey to get there, so there were no pilgrims.

This is Wang Lin's home.

Wang Lin has been in this place since he "opened his eyes".

As for where he was born and who his parents were, he knew nothing.

No family, no relatives, no friends, no elders...

He seemed to be an adult from birth, able to speak as soon as he opened his mouth. Apart from needing to spend more time practicing martial arts and honing his physique, he could recite most of the techniques and formations by heart. All he needed to practice was muscle memory.

Sometimes, he feels lost, wondering where he came from and where he is going.

But soon, this confusion will be erased.

It would be a tremendous waste to use precious space to record such pointless whining.

He was unaware of the past or future, but he knew what to do in the present moment, such as lighting a lamp.

It seems that his appearance was solely for the purpose of accomplishing this mission.

Wang Lin sat by the fire. He had just eaten dinner, having hunted a few wild animals and cooked them according to his memory. The taste was exactly as described in his memory.

After the meal, he began practicing his martial arts.

Not everything that is readily available in memory can be learned, much less used.

He often caused himself health problems by making these attempts, and almost killed himself many times.

Moreover, sometimes, in order to replicate a category, after successfully replicating and mastering it, the category that was originally mastered will be forgotten.

However, he gradually figured out the pattern. He was like a torch, while his memories were like a sheet of paper that stretched out to the horizon.

His light could only illuminate one corner; when he wanted to look at this area, he couldn't see other areas at the same time, so if this area was bright, that area would naturally be dark.

Moreover, limited by the torchlight, he was unable to get too close to observe the more profound details.

This situation improves after each wave of activity is completed and the group returns.

The torches became brighter, illuminating a wider area, making it easier to see things clearly.

Perhaps, one day, when he can turn the torch into the sun in the sky, he will be able to fully grasp all the contents of the entire paper without having to make choices or forget anything.

In the previous wave, because he prevented the riot in the minor hell and averted a disaster, he gained immense merit, which he has now transformed into firelight.

Unlike others who have to rely on good deeds to gain opportunities, for him, good deeds bring tangible and visible increases.

He also discovered something strange: the trivial and meaningless memories that would usually be erased after a period of time were no longer effective in this person.

No matter how he ruminates on that boy in his mind, these memories will be preserved, which was unimaginable in the past.

It seems that any divergence from that person is meaningful and worth recording.

After finishing his training, Wang Lin went to bathe and wash clothes in the mountain stream. Just as he stepped out of the dilapidated temple, he looked up at the starry sky.

He stopped.

The complex and ever-changing constellations above his head directly formed a specific answer in his mind.

Because he wasn't calculating or deducing, but rather looking for corresponding records on paper.

"Is a major disaster about to strike, and it's very close to me?"

Wang Lin turned back, packed his bags, carried all his belongings such as pots and pans, and headed towards the location indicated by the stars.

He traveled swiftly, sparing no effort, and would occasionally look up at the sky, noticing that the angle of the guidance would change. This sense of dynamism was also recorded on paper.

This means that... the next wave has arrived ahead of schedule.

As dawn broke, he stopped.

The location indicated by the stars was not far ahead, and the area where I was located was very close to the ancestral home of the Chen family in Qiongya, as recorded in the paper.

He crept slowly forward, carefully exploring, and then slowly poked his head out to look at the final, specific location, which was a quiet little hill.

Someone has set up a formation on the mountain, and it's in operation.

The simple isolation formation, which also serves to repel snakes, insects, and rodents, is arranged with the quality of an artwork within the formation, like a simple object casually drawn by a master painter, revealing a wealth of detail and skill in its simplicity.

Wang Lin began to ponder how he should get to that mountain: should he force his way up, go down to the foot of the mountain to make his presence known, or sneak in quietly?
As he pondered, he turned his head and saw a young man diagonally opposite him, who, like himself, was also sticking his head out to observe carefully.

The two locked eyes.

Wang Lin: "Wolf?"

"Roar!"

As if provoked, the young man grew white hair and exuded demonic energy. He leaped forward and pounced on him at an extremely fast speed.

Wang Lin felt that the boy did the right thing. The best solution when both sides are acting suspiciously is to win the other over, then take the other person as a gift to that small hill and ask to meet.

Wang Lin dodged, causing the white wolf to miss its target.

But the white wolf pushed off with its hind legs and pounced on him again, its speed increasing even further.

"Such high demon bloodline."

Wang Lin continued to evade the attack and did not engage in combat.

After dodging for the fourth time, a sword and a dagger appeared, blocking his escape routes.

Wang Lin pulled out a frying pan with his left hand and gripped a spatula with his right, engaging in a series of clashes with the sword and dagger.

When the white wolf pounced again, he still had the strength to retreat once more.

If it were him before the previous wave, he would probably have been in a bit of a mess facing this siege, because close combat has always been his weakness. However, he used a large portion of the merit he gained in the previous wave to illuminate the relevant content on the paper, which allows him to appear calm now.

However, this feeling of self-satisfaction did not last long, as a dark shadow silently appeared behind him.

"The dragon's shadow transforms into form?"

Wang Lin immediately dodged and simultaneously unleashed multiple spells in succession.

However, the opponent not only kept up with his movements, but also used various techniques to counter and neutralize his attacks.

No, this guy is something else, he's got something!
If it were just the previous few, Wang Lin was confident that he could continue to handle things with ease. But with this one added, he lost confidence. If they got their entire team into action and surrounded him, he would be at risk of death.

We need to break the deadlock first.

Wang Lin was preparing to unleash his full power. He had chosen a direction, where vines had been moving underground, intending to trap him. The manipulator was in that location.

First, it leaned forward, deliberately entering the cage, and then vines quickly rose up, trying to imprison the little fat boy.

Wang Lin immediately changed his posture, gathering power in his spatula, and quickly arrived in front of the man. The man looked surprised, clearly not expecting to be discovered so quickly.

Wang Lin knew that if he shoveled the man down, he would surely die!

But behind him, first came the sound of a sword being drawn, followed by a fierce gust of wind that made Wang Lin's scalp tingle.

If that person strikes, I'll be crippled!
Wang Lin withdrew his ultimate move, circled behind Xu Ming, placed the spatula against Xu Ming's neck, and looked ahead.

The person in front of him held an ancient sword, his skin and flesh were peeling and flying, and although it was human skin, he wore it to make it look like a black cloak.

Two women, one wielding a sword and the other a dagger, stood on either side of him. The wolf lowered its body, preparing for the next charge.

Wang Lin looked at the man with the knife in front of him and said:

"One for one, that's a tie?"

Zhao Yi: "If it were a real life-or-death battle, you would already be dead. My Xu Ming is loyal to me and would be willing to give his life for a chance to perish together with a powerful opponent."

Xu Ming: "..."

Sensing that the other party had no intention of killing, Wang Lin felt relieved and put away his shovel.

Zhao Yi sheathed his sword.

The torn-off human skin slowly returned to its original position, fitting tightly without leaving any visible scars.

Wang Lin pushed Xu Ming aside and introduced himself:

"Wang Lin, the outlaw."

Zhao Yi: "Heh, those techniques you just showed, you call that brute force? What, do you have all sorts of top-grade martial arts manuals in your basement?"

Wang Lin: "The sect has been destroyed, and now I'm all alone."

Zhao Yi: "That's more like it, but it's still not honest enough. Don't tell me you learned this skill from books since you were a kid."

Wang Lin: "I..."

Zhao Yi: "A true man should walk the world without changing his name or surname. Why are you being so hesitant?"

Wang Lin: "Excuse me, may I ask your name, sir?"

Zhao Yi: "I am Li, the corpse retriever from Nantong!"

Wang Lin: "Is there a dragon in Nantong?"

Zhao Yi: "What, it's not okay? There's also the dragon."

After a frank introduction, Wang Lin and Zhao Yi both turned their attention to the small hill.

Wang Lin: "Brother Li, you..."

Zhao Yi: "Don't be so polite. I like people to call me by my surname Li. It sounds more friendly."

Wang Lin: "The one surnamed Li..."

Zhao Yi: "Hey!!!"

Wang Lin: "Hey Li, did the waves you created also guide you here?"

Zhao Yi: "I saved a mental patient who had fallen into the water. To thank me, the patient gave me a treasure map, saying that it showed the location of the Goguryeo treasure. Look, it's right here."

The fact that the Goguryeo treasure could appear in Hainan is nothing short of a historical miracle, but the fact that he himself was holding the sword that belonged to the tomb owner and was taken from the Goguryeo tomb adds a touch of mystery to the situation.

Wang Lin: "Hey Li, who exactly is hiding on this mountain? Why did our waves lead us all here this time?"

On the top of the hill.

The formation is one-way transparent; unless someone outside breaks the formation and infiltrates it, they cannot see what is happening inside.

Earlier, when Zhao Yi and his group were fighting with Wang Lin, Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou were brushing their teeth.

Lin Shuyou excitedly swallowed the foam in his mouth and shouted, "Three-Eyed!"

Tan Wenbin turned to look into the tent:

"Brother Xiao Yuan, you've shown your sincerity."

(End of this chapter)