Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 503

The temple was very dilapidated.

Neither the outer nor the inner parts were set up with any formations or restrictions, so it was completely open.

But if Li Zhuiyuan hadn't gotten its exact location from Wang Lin, it would have been really difficult to find this place.

The dilapidated temple is located in a secluded corner, surrounded by natural mountains and rivers, making it a naturally hidden place.

After settling everyone in the temple, Li Zhuiyuan sat down in front of the collapsed Buddha statue.

Ah Li lay unconscious beside the boy, while Zhao Yi sat below Li Zhuiyuan, maintaining the exact same posture.

Li Zhuiyuan was exhausted from manipulating the Nuo opera puppetry, but Zhao Yi's puppet remained resilient.

This means that over the past period of time, Zhao Yi has quietly improved his physical fitness significantly, becoming exceptionally resilient.

He's always like this, quietly and unassuming, always getting the short end of the stick, yet always managing to keep up.

Li Zhuiyuan sat there for a long time.

Midway through, Wang Lin touched his face and buttocks several times while "sleeping," showing signs of wanting to wake up after being full, but after realizing that something was wrong, he continued to pass out.

Until Runsheng opened his eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and pulled out the silver needles from the back of his head. Each needle removal brought intense pain and dizziness that made his consciousness twitch.

Without pausing, the boy pulled them all out and placed one needle upright in front of him, shaking it slightly.

"The situation has changed, and new rules need to be established."

Before he fell into a coma, the boy's eyes became lost and empty.

"Ding……"

The needle fell from his hand, and the boy lowered his head.

Zhao Yi, who was sitting below, was no longer under control and lowered his head in unison.

"Ah~~~"

Wang Lin awoke from his coma.

This was the first time his home had ever been so lively.

He first looked at Li Zhuiyuan, who had fallen into a coma, then turned to look at Runsheng, who was also looking at him.

The chubby boy smiled shyly.

Previously, Tan Wenbin had remained conscious until the boy arrived at the mountain, at which point he finally felt safe enough to fall unconscious; now that the boy has passed away, a new person has taken over.

This team, capable of seamless coordination even when injured or unconscious, put immense pressure on Wang Lin.

Runsheng took out a cigar, lit it, put it in his mouth, and took a big drag. The smoke didn't come out of his mouth and nose, but instead overflowed from the wounds all over his body.

His injuries were severe, like a tattered, thick sack, yet each wound was subtly twitching, managing to hold him together through patching and mending.

Runsheng scratched his head carefully.

It's confirmed that my brain hasn't grown, nor has it been squeezed into new folds.

But he felt that his limbs, no, his whole body, had become much "smarter".

Previously, he had to enter that instinctive state of death on his own to trigger the corresponding changes in his body.

Now, his mind is clear; he can smoke a cigar, stare at the chubby boy, and even plan what to write when he burns paper money for Yin Meng tonight, but his body is still making its own adjustments.

Runsheng licked his teeth with his tongue, his mouth still feeling unsatisfied, as if he hadn't had enough to eat, but he couldn't remember what he had eaten.

Wang Lin got up and said to Runsheng, "I'll cook."

Runsheng shook his head.

Wang Lin: "Afraid I'll poison you?"

Runsheng nodded.

Wang Lin raised his hands and sat down again.

These guys were highly wary of him from the very beginning, which made him feel both helpless and a little proud.

Turning his head to look at the unconscious boy, Wang Lin fell into a daze.

The chubby boy really enjoyed this feeling.

Because most of his unfounded emotions and distracting thoughts are periodically erased, only those related to the boy are allowed to be recorded on that piece of paper.

He didn't know why this was happening, and he also found it a bit absurd, because if things continued like this, he might end up living out this boy's "autobiography" one day.

Then, on a sleepless night, after carefully examining the paper for half the night, I was shocked to discover that it was covered with three words: "Li Zhuiyuan"!
There was a bright light, so bright it dazzled his eyes. Wang Lin turned around and looked at a corner of the dilapidated temple, where Chen Xiyuan was lying.

The starlight overhead shone softly through the cracks in the dilapidated temple roof, but she drew it in, making it shimmer and radiant.

Wang Lin rubbed his nose and muttered under his breath:
"What kind of freaks are you guys?"

……

When Li Zhuiyuan let down his guard and fell into a coma, his true self, deep within the boy's consciousness, felt that the sky over the "village" had darkened.

The boy's overexertion inevitably affected him.

The entity reached out and waved its hand towards the starry sky above, erasing the last faint starlight of the night. Then it pressed its hand down around, and all the lights in the houses in the "village" went out.

The body controlled by the inner demon needs rest and recovery, and the main body is also beginning to conserve energy.

He picked up a candle, intending to keep it as the only one he had, and went to the basement to admire his latest sculpture.

But just as he was about to go inside, he stopped and turned back to look at the night sky.

Without the stars, the night sky was pitch black, but this blackness had a thick, swirling quality.

The main body raised the candle in its hand, and the moon in the night sky was "re-ignited," but the moonlight was quickly submerged as if by a black sea.

This scene illustrates one thing:

"The inner demons are rampant and are attacking the body."

……

Beneath his feet lay a foul-smelling, sticky puddle, and Li Zhuiyuan was walking step by step through it.

He knew he was dreaming, but he was too tired to actively break the dream.

As he walked, he stopped, looked down, and stared at his feet.

The disgusting puddles slowly receded, revealing the situation underfoot.

Li Zhuiyuan discovered that he was standing on his nose, and below him was a huge, rotting human face. He was very familiar with this face; he could greet it every time he looked in the mirror. It was his own face.

The boy's first reaction was that the original body had attacked him.

Choosing a time when the body is at its weakest can minimize external influences during the battle between the body and inner demons.

There had been such opportunities before, but the main body didn't act then because he felt the time wasn't right. Now, the main body truly has a reason, because he has found Wei Zhengdao's wrong path.

"Gudu..."

A section of the bridge of her nose had collapsed and caved in, from which Liu Yumei slowly rose. She raised her head and plunged a sword into the boy's chest.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the sword in his chest, then at Grandma Liu, whose face was covered in blood.

Liu Yumei: "Evil spirit, die!"

Above, a series of whooshing sounds came from above. The boy looked up and saw huge stone tablets crashing down on him. These tablets were exactly the same as the ones he had seen in the ancestral hall of the Qin family.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Although he ultimately passed by each monument, it felt as if each one had actually struck him, giving Li Zhuiyuan the sensation of being crushed into mincemeat time and time again.

Under the continuous pressure, Li Zhuiyuan knelt down. He had to rely on his hands to hold onto the sword that Grandma Liu had pierced through his chest to maintain his last balance so that he wouldn't be "slammed" down completely.

He stared blankly ahead, and in the left eye of the giant face appeared the image of Runsheng, who was roaring and howling, slaughtering and devouring, and no one could stop his advance.

In the giant face's right eye, Tan Wenbin's hair was disheveled, and his body was filled with resentment. Centipede tentacles spread outwards, and the phantom of the two-headed python kept picking up human figures and fighting to share their food.

The eyebrows of the left eye transformed into a group of kneeling figures dressed in the temple robes of the Lin Family Temple. Lin Shuyou sat upright on the platform, his body withered and obviously dead. Floating above Lin Shuyou's corpse was the gloomy and domineering White Crane Boy.

From within his right eyebrow, countless ghostly figures emerged, bearing various banners and emitting shrill screams. Behind them followed a dense swarm of Gu worms, like wild beasts freed from their cages, eagerly seeking fresh blood. Yin Meng sat atop a giant chariot, dressed in the imperial robes depicted in the portrait, his eyes cold beneath the tassels of his crown.

Behind me, the melodious sound of a piano drifted up.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and saw Qing'an sitting there playing the zither, his whole body covered with ferocious faces.

The boy always felt that the reason Wei Zhengdao taught Qing'an the secret technique of the Black Book was because Wei Zhengdao at that time did not have real emotions; beneath that human skin was a cold heart.

But what difference is there between what the young man did and what Wei Zhengdao did back then?
He himself, through planning, gradually pulled his companions towards strength, but he also sowed terrible seeds for their future.

Once things get out of control, how will their fate differ from Qing'an's?
A figure appeared beside him, looking exactly like him—it was his original self.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You... can't wait?"

The original body said, "I think you're exhausted. Why don't you open your eyes and take a good look? Is it me, the original body, who is suppressing the inner demon, or is it you, the inner demon, who is devouring my original body?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Is it me...?"

The original entity: "Otherwise what?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Why don't you lie to me? This is such a good opportunity. If you lie to me, maybe you can successfully recruit me this time. Anyway, you already know how to become the second Wei Zhengdao."

The entity itself: "I've considered it."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hmm?"

The main body bent down, bringing its face close to Li Zhuiyuan's, their eyes meeting at close range:
"But I'm afraid you're lying to me."

"You're worrying too much."

"I didn't think much of it. Maybe you don't even realize that you're lying to me."

"Is there any?"

"Yes, for example this time, you don't need me to deal with these things for you, you can suppress them back yourself."

You, who dare to let yourself succumb to inner demons, are not that fragile.

As Li Zhuiyuan, you couldn't possibly be that fragile.

You used to reject me, avoid me, and didn't want to become the second Wei Zhengdao.

"You need me now, accept me, and begin to face the possibility of becoming Wei Zhengdao."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that Wei Zhengdao realized this back then, but then lost what he should have cherished and was filled with regret."

And you, in order to protect those things you cherish, those people and things, are willing to actively exile yourself.

You overcame your fear of me.

Congratulations,
The human skin you've been longing for is no longer the source of fear and anxiety you feel when you have to touch it every now and then to confirm its existence; it has truly grown into a real human skin.

Stop pretending, stand up.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You are the original body. How can the original body encourage the inner demon to stand up? You have no respect for your own position."

The original body: "All of this was deliberately exposed and triggered by you before you fell into a coma. Moreover, you timed it perfectly, taking advantage of the darkness when I couldn't detect it."

Inner demons, I'm starting to fear you.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled.

He reached out his hand and offered it to Grandma Liu in front of him.

Liu Yumei took his hand and said:

Even if you become a demon or a heretic, all Grandma wants is for you to live happily.

Li Zhuiyuan was pulled to his feet, but the posture was somewhat strange because the sword piercing his chest was also exerting force, making what should have been a tender scene seem less gentle.

In reality, red lines extend from the unconscious boy's fingertips, beginning a search for his nearby companions.

Lin Shuyou squatted down in front of Zhao Yi, his vertical pupils activated, and carefully applied the skin to Zhao Yi.

You can't sew it with needle and thread, nor can you glue it, because Zhao Yi likes to tear off his own skin when he has nothing to do. If you fix it too well, it will only hurt more when he tears it off next time.

For aesthetic reasons, it can only be pasted back on as tightly as possible without leaving scars.

Liang Li and Liang Yan sat close to Lin Shuyou, watching his movements and offering guidance from time to time, such as "It's crooked," "It's tilted," "A little higher," etc.

The boy said, "Why don't they do it themselves? We're helping him apply the skin, and they're still whining. Who will be enjoying this body in the future?"

Lin Shuyou: "Quiet down, don't make a sound."

Tongzi: "I think we don't need to be so careful with the scars. Leaving them with some scars and making them look a bit scary might be more exciting for them, and they might even like it more."

Lin Shuyou was holding two pieces of Zhao Yi's skin, comparing them:

"Don't bother me..."

At that moment, a familiar feeling washed over me; it was Brother Yuan's red thread.

Almost instinctively, Lin Shuyou chose to accept Xiao Yuan's call.

While working, he accidentally stuck the work on his chest with a "smack," leaving two hideous scars.

The Liang sisters were not furious that their husbands' perfect physiques had such a flaw.

Liang Yan swallowed hard, while Liang Li licked her lips.

Boy: "An illusion?"

Isn't this person in a coma? To be able to cultivate magic even in a coma, truly a genius!
After a brief moment of reflection, the boy realized something was wrong.

How can I be so high and mighty?

He realized he wasn't inside the spirit medium's body, but above it. He immediately lowered his head and cried out:
"Hello, spirit medium, spirit medium?"

The spirit medium beneath him was partially dead.

The boy looked ahead with his vertical pupils and saw a large group of people from the Lin Family Temple kneeling below. They were the true lineage inheritors of the True Lord that he had been longing for.

Is Chen Lin such a capable girl? Will she be able to have so many children for me in the future?

The next moment, the boy's soul began to tremble with terror.

No, this is that person's illusion. In other words, in that person's eyes, I will become a terrible shadow hanging over the heads of Lin Shuyou's descendants.
The White Crane Boy was so frightened that the lines on his face became distorted, and his entire Yin spirit body twisted.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The high-ranking White Crane Boy continued to differentiate, like a large dough being divided into smaller portions.

Below, each member of the Lin family received a small piece, which transformed into a little white crane boy.

Some of the children were sulking, some were laughing, some were playing with them, and some were pretending to be aloof.

The atmosphere of collectively kneeling and worshipping "Old Ancestor White Crane" was broken, and it felt like a kindergarten had been opened.

Under the pressure of a strong sense of crisis, the child made his own reaction, which means that in the future inheritance of the Lin Family Temple, he will expand himself along with the continuation of Lin Shuyou's bloodline, and can respond to and pass on to each other, but will no longer make himself the absolutely high and mighty "one".

The boy has feelings for Lin Shuyou, but he doesn't have those feelings for the Lin family members in the future.

This self-disintegration is the way the child is actively weakening his future position in the True Lord's lineage, relinquishing the dominance that will inevitably fall into His hands in the future, and choosing to continue to maintain an equal partnership with Lin Shuyou's descendants.

It would be incredibly difficult for anyone to make this decision, but the boy did not hesitate at all, because he knew that with that person's temper, if he dared to show the slightest tendency to cling to power, that person might take action to dismantle him in advance, and at that time he would not even have an equal relationship with Lin Shuyou's descendants, and he would probably have to become a slave to Lin Shuyou's descendants.

The red line is disconnected.

In reality, Lin Shuyou only felt a moment of blankness before asking in confusion:
"Brother Xiao Yuan, did you just call me?"

Ah-you had no idea what had just happened, because in the illusion, he was playing the role of a deceased person.

Soon, Lin Shuyou was shocked by the two pieces of skin that he had stuck crookedly on Zhao Yi's chest. He immediately reached out to tear them off and re-attach them.

Liang Yan: "No...it will hurt him."

Liang Li: "Well... let's leave it at that."

Lin Shuyou: "Then I won't change it?"

Ayou found it strange. Logically, the boy should have jumped out and boasted about his foresight, but he was unusually quiet.

The White Crane Boy, who had retreated deep into Lin Shuyou's body, was trembling with fear.

"That person...that person is actually making arrangements for things a hundred years from now?"

Runsheng set up a small offering table outside the dilapidated temple, lit a brazier, and took a pen to write on yellow paper.

At that moment, the red thread spread out and connected him.

He doesn't need any response or probing; he will respond as long as Xiao Yuan contacts him.

However, after the red thread was connected, the pen in his hand did not stop. After writing a passage, it floated into the brazier and burned to ashes.

In the illusion, Runsheng, who was engaged in the killing, stopped. He looked around as if searching for something, and finally walked to two graves next to each other.

One was for his own grandfather, and the other was for Uncle Li. The two old people had chosen auspicious burial sites and arranged their coffins long ago.

Runsheng picked up a Yellow River shovel and started digging a grave nearby.

He dug two.

Beside her eyebrow, Yin Meng, who was standing on the giant chariot, stepped down and came into the eye. She took off her imperial robes and put on fresh and beautiful fashionable clothes. Holding snacks in her hand, she skipped and hopped towards Runsheng while putting them into her mouth.

As the distance between them gradually closed, Yin Meng's clothes changed from youthful and bright to dignified and composed, and finally to dark-colored floral patterns. She herself also aged, and she had a cane in her hand, but the snacks were still there, only they were softer and easier to chew.

When she finally reached Runsheng, she closed her eyes, smiled, and fell down, her forehead resting against Runsheng's chest.

Life can be very long, so bitter that each day feels like a year; life can be very short, so sweet that it passes in the blink of an eye.

Only Yin Meng aged; Run Sheng's appearance initially changed along with it, but it was forever frozen at the moment before he reached middle age.

As a dead man, he will not grow old.

Yin Meng's last words were:
"Toothbrush, I've hit the jackpot!"

Although growing old together is a kind of happiness, everyone's priorities and choices are different. Yin Meng doesn't think she's that artistic. She would rather be able to eat well when she's old.

After placing Yin Meng into the grave, Run Sheng began to set up the formation.

He didn't understand formations, but he never made a mistake when setting them up for Xiao Yuan. He even memorized some of the formations.

After setting everything up, Runsheng stood in his own grave, exuding an aura of death. He released all defenses, and lightning and fire swept over him, completely draining him. He staggered, glanced at Yinmeng lying next to him, and slowly collapsed.

Tan Wenbin had just returned with his mobile phone. He had left the area around the dilapidated temple and found a place with a signal. He called He Shen and asked He Shen to bring the truck back and keep it safe, and to wait for orders.

Upon entering the dilapidated temple, Tan Wenbin stopped and closed his eyes.

Within the illusion, the image in the eyes became distorted.

The previous rampage by spirit beasts has turned into a warm and peaceful scene.

Tan Wenbin is surrounded by his parents, wife, and two children, making it look like a perfect family portrait.

In the family photo, some people are getting older, and some are growing up. The most obvious change is the clothes on the two children. At such a young age, the two children are wearing graduation gowns.

Moreover, as they grow, their clothes are constantly and rapidly changing...

The marks left on Tan Wenbin from childhood to adolescence are the changes his father made from a military belt to a leather belt.

Tan Wenbin was very grateful for this, because even though his father was so harsh and strict, he still sat next to the teacher at the lectern and became the class protector during high school.

However, Tan Wenbin was destined not to experience the joy of fatherhood and raising children. After getting married and having twins, Tan Wenbin and his wife gave up on raising them early on and started living a life as a couple.

Children raised in a free-range environment learn to be independent early on. After cooking, they will call out to their parents, who are still asleep, that the food is ready and heat it up in the pot when they wake up, before heading off to school with their backpacks.

Unlike before, when Tan Yunlong and Zheng Fang avoided meeting their son's teacher, Tan Wenbin and his wife deliberately put their two children in different classes so that they could both have the opportunity to attend parent-teacher meetings and share their parenting experiences.

When the day comes that Tan Wenbin, in his eighties, sits in a wheelchair, pushed by his equally aged children, to a scenic valley.

The valley was shrouded in mist, and the ethereal figures of four spirit beasts could be faintly seen.

Tan Wenbin waved to them, then lowered his head and fell into a deep sleep in his wheelchair.

All these images are not prophecies or divinations, and the future will not unfold exactly as depicted; they merely represent an attitude.

Even if everyone possesses extraordinary abilities, they all choose to be alone in this life, regarding death as their final destination.

Li Zhuiyuan recalled the message Chen Yunhai had asked him to convey to Qing'an:
"Don't be afraid, we'll all be waiting for you down here."

The original entity: "And what about yourself?"

Li Zhuiyuan did not answer.

The ground beneath his feet began to shake, and the enormous, decaying body lying on the ground gradually rose to its feet. Li Zhuiyuan and his own body merged into it, taking in the majestic perspective.

Tall and vast, yet empty and desolate in all directions. This world is clearly bustling, but in your world, it seems that only you remain.

At that moment, a faint light appeared beneath our feet.

Its enormous body leaned down to peer down.

In an ordinary little house, candlelight flickered. A girl sat on a stool, her feet on the threshold, her hands supporting her chin. She looked up and stared at the most terrifying evil spirit in the world with a smile.

She never cared what the person in front of her was like in the past or what they would become in the future; what was reflected in her eyes was always the image that the boy most wanted to become.

Within the enormous figure, one of the two eyes belongs to Li Zhuiyuan, and the other to the true form.

This means that, from this moment forward, the inner demon officially coexists with the physical body.

In the past, the original body was forced by reality and interests to put aside the struggle for control of this body; now, even if the original body wanted to do so, it would be unable to do so.

At the same time, this also means that Li Zhuiyuan has officially suppressed the illness. The illness still exists, but unless Li Zhuiyuan actively releases it, it will no longer be able to affect the boy.

The original entity: "It seems you've figured it out."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Since I've made the decision to face the gaze from above in the future, I definitely need to clean up my own room first."

The original body: "You can put even more pressure on me. This is a good opportunity, and you are now capable of doing so."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Just as Grandma Liu used the evil spirits in the ancestral homes of the Qin and Liu families as her last trump card, you are also my last card when facing it."

In short, thank you for your cooperation.

Admittedly, it was Li Zhuiyuan who first stirred up the inner demons, but the main body not only did not choose to fight back, but also took the initiative to retreat, sacrificing its own status to facilitate the formation of a new balance.

They did not have the comfortable upbringing that Wei Zhengdao had. If they wanted to survive in extremely harsh conditions and grow up, they had to reach further cooperation and consensus.

The main body says: "After the Chen family's wave, it will probably start to suppress you. Before, it might have hoped that you, this knife, could help it cut through some tricky troubles; in the future, it might be more inclined to think that you, this knife, will break on your own because you can't cut through them."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Your deduction is quite optimistic."

The entity itself: "Because its change takes time. After the next phase I predict ends, the final phase in the future will be that, for you, the nature of the waves will no longer be a selection process for those who light the way, but... to kill you!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Isn't this what makes it interesting?"

Its original form dissipated and returned to its original village.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell, and he saw the village deep in his consciousness, his great-grandfather's house, and even his true self, who had already entered the basement.

The figure held a carving knife, looked up, and said nothing.

In the past, when Li Zhuiyuan entered this place, he would be detected by the main body, and in some places, the main body could even conceal him from seeing anything. Now, this situation no longer exists.

Before they became one, the original body could perceive his memories outside; after they became one, Li Zhuiyuan could also perceive the traces left by the original body.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze moved upwards, arriving at his room on the second floor.

The desk drawer was opened, and sheets of paper filled with writing flew out.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Only this much? Can you spend less time on your hobbies and more time on your studies?"

The original body said, "If I start researching and studying things now, I'll drain you of your last bit of energy. If you want to die, I can start working on the cultivation technique right now."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I don't force you to do this, but sometimes I need your help."

The carving knife in the main body paused for a moment, then continued carving on the clay, nodding.

He agreed.

The two sides had tried to join forces in the past, but usually Li Zhuiyuan would drain the body dry before letting the original body temporarily take control.

Now, when faced with certain special situations, Li Zhuiyuan can use his main body in real time to help him think about how to respond.

For Li Zhuiyuan, the depth of his spiritual power is his greatest reliance at present. Previously, it was so profound that it even burdened his body, forcing him to "revive" his original body to help him consume the excess.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, there is no shortage of water in his pond.

If borrowing Zhao Yi's brain when he was at the Chen family's house was like having an extra small pond to pump water from, then now, Li Zhuiyuan has added another pump to his large pond, allowing both to work simultaneously.

Li Zhuiyuan's enormous figure melted away, transforming into the appearance of a young boy who landed in the small courtyard in front of the bungalow and walked towards the girl.

In a dilapidated temple in reality.

The unconscious boy rested his head on the girl's knees, and the girl looked down at him, her fingers gently stroking the boy's brow.

Finally, the girl smoothed out the slight frown, and the boy opened his eyes.

The moment their eyes met, an angry shout came from the side:

"You, surnamed Li, are not human. Is this how you toy with and abuse my body?"

Li Zhuiyuan sat up: "We've already scolded you, so let's call it even."

Zhao Yi paused for a moment, then turned to look at Li Zhuiyuan. His eyes first showed confusion, then widened. The gap between the gates of life and death on his chest seemed to sense some great terror and began to spin wildly.

"No, what's wrong with you?"

Zhao Yi noticed the change immediately.

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's nothing."

Zhao Yi braced himself with one hand, leaping in front of the boy and observing him closely: "No, you can't fool me. Are you sick? No, you're cured?"

Li Zhuiyuan did not respond.

Zhao Yi raised his hands, and a cloud of black mist appeared in each palm. This was a standard attack stance.

The next moment, two streams of feng shui energy were mobilized, one on each side, and the black mist in Zhao Yi's palms completely dissipated.

Zhao Yi: "You bastard, you surnamed Li!"

It's normal for someone surnamed Li to be able to use feng shui to dispel his own black mist, but the two black mists he created have different logics and are two different techniques, yet he can dispel them simultaneously.

He finally found the source of his previous strange feeling. The man surnamed Li's gaze was even deeper, as if there was an extra layer of filter, as if two figures were superimposed on each other.

I had previously gone through tremendous effort, using egg-dancing and merit-based methods to finally upgrade my dragon physique to a higher level, but then this guy surnamed Li suddenly fainted and doubled the power.

Ancestor, oh ancestor, in your notes you said that when you see a high mountain, you want to climb it and see the scenery, but have you ever seen a mountain that grows on its own, and even doubles in size?

Li Zhuiyuan: "Is there anything else?"

Zhao Yi clutched his chest with his left hand, waved his right hand, and turned to shout at Lin Shuyou:
"Hey buddy, give my brother Xiaoyuan a Jianlibao (a type of Chinese liquor), shake it well before drinking."

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept across the entire dilapidated temple; he was the last to wake up.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, after Chen Xiyuan woke up, I let her go back to the ancestral home for a visit."

Another thing is, this thing vibrates every now and then.

Tan Wenbin was referring to the Wangjianglou token. Such a big event had occurred in Qiongya, causing such a commotion, enough to make the entire martial arts world tremble with fear.

The reason why the meeting has not started despite the ongoing tremors is not because they haven't responded—after all, they themselves haven't been confirmed as the "perpetrator"—but because the Chen family, as the "parties involved," has not yet responded.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, then looked at Wang Lin and said:

"Take me on a tour of your home."

Zhao Yi: "Don't go to so much trouble. You just woke up and are still weak. I'll take my men out."

After saying this, Zhao Yi waved his hand and led his men out of the dilapidated temple.

Tan Wenbin gestured to Lin Shuyou to go out with him.

Ah Li glanced at the chubby boy, then stood up and walked out.

This is the chubby boy's deepest secret: he gets nervous and resistant when outsiders are around.

But not everyone left. To ensure Li Zhuiyuan's safety, Runsheng stayed behind.

Wang Lin glanced at Runsheng and nodded. He could accept Runsheng being there; it didn't matter whether he was there or not.

Li Zhuiyuan cut to the chase: "I'm very interested in you."

Wang Lin: "I'm also very interested in myself."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you know how you came to be?"

Wang Lin: "This is what I've been searching for."

Li Zhuiyuan stretched out his hand to Wang Lin: "Let me take another look at that piece of paper inside your body."

Wang Lin hesitated for a moment, then said, "If you can see anything, please tell me."

The chubby boy placed his hand in Li Zhuiyuan's, letting down his guard.

He sensed the boy's consciousness entering his body.

Ok?
How come there's another consciousness following closely behind?
Wang Lin thought he was hallucinating, but after a while, when the boy's consciousness was pulled out of his body, it came out twice.

The chubby boy swallowed hard. He was certain that the boy in front of him was different from Lin Shuyou and Tan Wenbin. He had no other spiritual body in his body and was extremely pure. But that was the most frightening thing. How could a soul and a self be separated into two coexisting existences?
Having been invited as a guest, Li Zhuiyuan didn't bother to examine the contents of the paper; he simply re-experienced its atmosphere.

"I have a guess, which might be a little cruel to you. Would you like to hear it?"

"think."

"You are an experiment."

"Please continue."

"This piece of paper may have been written by one person or a group of people."

Not everyone is suited to the life of a lantern-lit river crossing. Some are late bloomers, some lack the necessary temperament, and some may simply be born in a different era…

They integrated all their life's learning and insights onto this piece of paper and embedded it into an adult's body. Of course, before that, they had to erase that person's original memories.

"The first thing you did after waking up in this temple was to light the lamps, as is customary?"

"Ah."

"They used this method to circumvent the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao, using you as a vessel to infiltrate this mechanism."

"Then why are they doing this? What benefits do they gain from it?"

"I don't know, maybe it's a sense of accomplishment or fulfillment? Or maybe it's to ensure that the lost tradition can continue to be carried forward and passed on."

If I'm not mistaken, after each wave, you accumulate merit to gain greater brightness, illuminating more of the content on the paper, right?

"Ah."

"It's a really interesting idea and its implementation."

"But..." Wang Lin's eyes reddened, "and what am I then?"

Can someone who doesn't know the past, can't remember the present, and has no interest in the future still be considered a human being?

Li Zhuiyuan: "Are you angry?"

Wang Lin: "Shouldn't I be angry?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Can your anger last?"

Wang Lin laughed: "Yes, I didn't even have the right to remember anger before I met you. I think I must have pondered the reason for my existence many times before. When you just made your guess, I was shocked, but it also felt strangely familiar, like..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You've written the same homework before, and even though it's been erased, it still leaves some muscle memory."

Wang Lin: "That's right, that's the feeling. But I have a question: why can't I forget what happened to you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you have any descriptions of other Dragon Kings in your memory?"

Wang Lin closed his eyes and searched carefully. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, "There are some, but not many. I remember them in great detail. I had accidentally seen this place before, but it was not easy for me to exchange merit for light, so I couldn't bear to continue reading the biography of the Dragon King."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Perhaps in your subconscious you think there's a high probability that I'll become the Dragon King of this generation. If that's the case, then I'm underestimating the people who planned and implemented this. What they want is probably not just the so-called continuation of the lineage; they also want to use this method to explore and record the laws of the river, and even the rules of the Heavenly Dao."

This project has probably been going on for many generations; you're neither the first nor the last.

Wang Lin: "I'm going to kill them."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It doesn't mean much. The people you're going to kill might be your parents, grandfather, elders of the inherited forces, or even, you might have actively screened people in order to get the qualification to have this piece of paper used to light a lamp and travel across the river after all your memories have been erased. Before your memories were erased, you even felt very honored and proud."

Wang Lin: "Is it... still possible to do this?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you think you can just find someone with your aptitude on the street? Some things can be learned from books, but how can you fast-forward through martial arts and body training?"

You learned those martial arts moves and techniques, but you were able to learn them so quickly because you trained your physique very early on, and you were deliberately required to not leave any obvious external traces, so that you could avoid being discovered later.

This kind of training model is destined to be something that cannot be achieved in a short period of time; it must be cultivated from a young age so as not to delay you from missing the golden age for enlightenment.

Wang Lin slumped to the ground, his eyes lifeless.

If what the boy said is true, then what "killed" him was actually "himself"?
After a long silence, Wang Lin murmured:

"Thank you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I also have my own purpose. Next time, you can use some of your merits to scan the catalog without delaying your ability to deal with the next wave of risks. This should have very little impact on your life."

You can organize the scanned catalog and show it to me later. If there's anything I'm interested in, I can make a deal with you.

You said you could retain the memories related to me, so you should be able to remember what I taught you too…

Li Zhuiyuan paused at this point.

If every generation of "Wang Lin" is interested in the person who can become the Dragon King, wouldn't they have an instinct to actively gravitate towards that person? Could a lot of the things recorded on this paper have been left by the Dragon Kings of past generations or by people whom "Wang Lin" believes are qualified to become the Dragon King?
If that's the case, the forces behind this piece of paper have truly enormous ambitions and appetites; they're clearly trying to establish their dominance in the martial arts world.

Wang Lin: "I'm sorry, there's a lot of merit in this wave, but I was so bored while I was pretending to be unconscious that I took care of it all. After the next wave is over, I will do as you instructed and then come to find you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay."

At this moment, the boy heard Chen Xiyuan's voice coming from outside the dilapidated temple. After learning that Li Zhuiyuan was talking to the chubby boy, she stopped and did not come in.

Wang Lin: "I'll go cook for everyone."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You said you didn't even read the Dragon King's biography before, so as not to waste your merits?"

But he is an excellent cook, which means he has accumulated merit by studying many ancient recipes.

Wang Lin patted his belly and said self-deprecatingly, "This is probably why I'm fat."

After the chubby boy left, he called Chen Xiyuan in.

Chen Xiyuan held a package in her hand, opened it, and placed it in front of Li Zhuiyuan:

“Little brother, this is what your uncle asked me to give you. He said that this compass is only truly honored if it is in your possession.”

This is the compass that Chu Qiufeng used to integrate the entire Chen family ancestral home. It is engraved with dragon patterns and is of much higher quality than the purple-gold compass in Li Zhuiyuan's hands.

When Li Zhuiyuan left the Chen family, he picked up all his belongings, including the compass, which was on the ground, but he didn't take it.

"My uncle said he knew that you, little brother, didn't want to have anything to do with the Chen family anymore, but this compass didn't belong to the Chen family. Before you and my aunt got married, my grandfather gave it to my uncle as a gift."

My uncle-in-law said, "This no longer belongs to the Chen family. It's something he obtained from the Chen family at the cost of his life; it's a gift between array masters."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then this should be your aunt's dowry."

Chen Xiyuan: "My uncle said that he and my aunt fell in love on their own."

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and took the compass: "Go home again and bring your uncle over alone."

"Huh?" Chen Xiyuan blinked, then realized, "Little brother, you have a way to help your uncle suppress the blood poison? Little brother, you're so kind!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "He even told you the rhetoric of free love in advance, so his intentions were very clear."

It was I who made him detonate the blood poison with all his might. From that moment on, Chu Qiufeng should have known that I had a unique method to deal with the blood poison.

Chen Xiyuan: "Can't you smart people just be more direct when you talk?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I've always been very direct with you."

Chen Xiyuan stood there, hesitant to speak.

Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand: "Go pick them up."

"I think……"

"Skip this step."

"it is good."

Chen Xiyuan ran out of the dilapidated temple.

Li Zhuiyuan took out his purple-gold compass, flicked his fingertips, unlocked the clasp, and the copper coin slid out. The boy's fingertips ignited with karmic fire, caught the copper coin, and then fed it into the dragon's mouth of the new compass.

"Click..."

Not too big, not too small, just the right size to fit in and "eat" into your stomach.

Li Zhuiyuan lightly flicked his finger, and a faint phantom of the evil dragon appeared, lying on the new compass. The dragon patterns on it began to spontaneously help the evil dragon recover. The evil dragon comfortably exposed its belly and twisted its "delicate" body on the compass.

Actually, at this point, the evil nature of this copper coin is not so strong anymore. Just like the "Evil Book," if it hadn't been re-blessed by the person in the Qin family's library, the woman in the painting would only have served a utilitarian purpose.

However, unlike the "Evil Book", the effect of this copper coin can be amplified by an external object, like a flame, while compasses of different qualities are like blowers with different wind forces.

Li Zhuiyuan still habitually puts it into the new compass, because for a formation master, it is really impossible to refuse the compass in his hand, which can be picked up and smashed at a critical moment.

Late at night, Chen Xiyuan carried Chu Qiufeng on her back, her uncle-in-law wrapped up in layers of clothing.

After putting Chu Qiufeng into the dilapidated temple, Chen Xiyuan came out clutching her stomach. She had come and gone in a hurry and hadn't had time to eat yet.

Wang Lin pointed to the large iron pot covered with firewood in the corner: "I saved it for you."

Chen Xiyuan hurriedly went over, parted the firewood, lifted the lid, took a deep sniff, and said with a look of intoxication, "It smells so good."

Wang Lin: "Is that enough? If not, I'll cook some more."

Chen Xiyuan: "It seems a bit insufficient. Why don't you cook two more pots?"

Wang Lin: "Okay."

"You agreed so readily?" Chen Xiyuan looked at him curiously and asked, "Little Fatty, you've joined in too?"

Chu Qiufeng was in very bad condition; when the outer packaging was removed, what appeared to be a human-shaped hematoma was revealed.

Li Zhuiyuan gestured for Runsheng to come over.

Chu Qiufeng said, "The family is in a bit of a mess right now. The stone tablet is destroyed, the spirit of the Dragon King is gone, my father-in-law is paralyzed, and the inheritance pattern has also changed. Now my mother-in-law is the only one struggling to keep things afloat."

When Xi Yuan returned home, her mother-in-law wanted her to light the lamps again and stay home to oversee things, but Xi Yuan refused.

Li Zhuiyuan remained noncommittal, giving Runsheng his seat.

This wasn't the first time Runsheng had done something like this; he had previously helped Zhu Yiwen detoxify once.

Blood poison is something that even the Dragon King's clan cannot eradicate. Li Zhuiyuan also has no way to completely eliminate it, so he can only transfer it.

The Dragon King's faction must also know this method, but it cannot be used. First, it cannot eradicate the root cause and can only provide short-term suppression. Second, it is harmful to people. Even a tiny bit of blood poison is enough to cause an ordinary person to suffer for half a year before dying in agony. If it is to be spread and transferred, too many people would be poisoned.

But this was not a problem for Runsheng. Runsheng could even digest the offerings to the Great Emperor, so the blood poison was like a novel appetizer for him, something he could try.

Furthermore, given Runsheng's size, one person can be equivalent to many ordinary people.

Runsheng cut his fingertip on the Yellow River shovel and plunged his injured finger into Chu Qiufeng's body.

Chu Qiufeng: "No, we can't use this method. If it's this method, I'd rather not... Ah!"

Runsheng found him noisy and stirred his fingertips inside Chu Qiufeng's body.

Chu Qiufeng screamed in agony, then, seeing that Runsheng was unharmed after absorbing his blood poison, he couldn't help but ask in confusion:

"What exactly are you... what kind of deity are you?"

Runsheng ignored him, closed his eyes and felt the blood poison throbbing in his body. It seemed that his injuries were healing faster as a result.

Chu Qiufeng: "Alright, that's enough. Don't take too much. Spare my life. Ideally, I should come to you guys for a drink once a year."

As he spoke, Chu Qiufeng moved his hand, and a Wangjianglou token that had been tucked under the bedding slipped out.

"After my mother-in-law learned that Xi Yuan was going to bring me here, she thought that you might have a way to help me suppress the blood poison, so she gave me this token."

She hoped that if I could recover temporarily from the blood poisoning, I would take over the Chen family's affairs as their son-in-law.

She said that the Chen family members are too straightforward. Now that inheritance is no longer limited to bloodlines, if the Chen family wants to continue to develop, there must be new people to lead them. They can no longer follow the old path.

I'm an outsider, and the Chen family will be taking in outsiders in the future, so this is perfect."

Chu Qiufeng's meaning was clear: he was likely to become the acting head of the Chen family in the future, and he wanted to offer up his "weaknesses" voluntarily.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Are you testing me?"

Chu Qiufeng: "No, if I, an outsider, rashly assume the power of the family head, many members of the Chen family will definitely be dissatisfied. So it's not good for me to look too healthy. It's best to look sickly, always looking like I won't live more than a year. That way, they can accept it reluctantly and look forward to it year after year until a new trend gradually takes shape."

Runsheng opened his eyes and looked at Xiaoyuan. Seeing that Xiaoyuan did not react, he continued to inhale.

It wasn't until the hematoma on Chu Qiufeng's body completely disappeared and scabs formed all over his body that the hematoma disappeared.

Chu Qiufeng: "Thank you. I feel that now I don't have to worry about the blood poison flaring up again for the next ten years. Senior, you are truly magnanimous."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I am not frank."

As he continued to inhale the drug year after year, he became uncertain whether he and Runsheng would still be alive when Chu Qiufeng came knocking on his door.

At this moment, the token that had slipped from Chu Qiufeng's hand vibrated again.

Chu Qiufeng: "Senior, the Chen family has not yet responded to what happened that day. How about this time..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You are really good at housekeeping."

Chu Qiufeng: "Those who aren't quick-witted can't be array masters."

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to sever ties with the Chen family, but the Chen family now desperately wanted to establish a connection.

First came the compass, then he helped create momentum as the "client." Chu Qiufeng knew very well what he needed now.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Okay."

Chu Qiufeng: "Recently, many unfamiliar faces have appeared outside the Chen family ancestral home to investigate. Based on the traces outside, they should be able to guess what happened."

In that case, I'll go to the meeting first and give a formal explanation. After I've laid the groundwork, you can come over, senior.

In this way, the deterrent effect will be maximized, and from now on, no fly will dare to bother you—I mean, openly.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Chu Qiufeng: "Xi Yuan, bring me my clothes and the folding wheelchair. You can push my uncle to a meeting later."

The preparations were very thorough.

The Chen family members themselves are straightforward, but the women they marry outside the family and marry into the family are of very high quality.

Incense and candles were set out. Chu Qiufeng changed his clothes to cover his wounds and sat in a wheelchair, holding a token in his hand.

Behind her, Chen Xiyuan quickly wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and then activated her domain.

In an instant, a brilliant rainbow appeared amidst the rising sea of ​​clouds.

Seeing this scene, Li Zhuiyuan knew that Sister Chen had completed a process of destruction and reconstruction without even realizing it.

The boy was already used to this.

One person, who had just adjusted his heart position and was walking in, saw this scene and silently clutched his chest before retreating.

Li Zhuiyuan came out.

Zhao Yi leaned against the stone lion at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, a cigarette stuck in the crack of the Gate of Life and Death on his chest.

"I was just about to come in and discuss with you how I, as the villain, should explain this situation."

I was planning to portray myself as part of the Faceless Man's faction, that I conspired with him to kill you, but we miscalculated and failed. What do you think?

"can."

"Right? Anyway, it's destroyed both its body and soul, so I can make up whatever I want about it, hehe."

"But some people haven't been completely destroyed, body and soul, so you'd better be careful."

"Hmm? I believe a prime minister can be magnanimous, let alone the emperor, who is so great that even the Yellow Springs can contain him. How could he possibly stoop to the level of a nobody like me?"

“I heard from Yin Meng that the pair of lazy dogs you presented as tribute last time have already been played with by the Emperor until they are worn smooth.”

The cigarette in Zhao Yi's chest burned quickly down to the filter.

He reached out and flicked the cigarette butt.

“The more pressure you put on them, the easier it is for me to put on this show, and the harder it will be for them to see through it.”

Actually, sometimes I even forget I'm acting. I'm not kidding, I really want to fully immerse myself in something just once.

"Okay, I don't blame you."

"Are you planning to say that to my tombstone?"

"Okay."

"I'm going to go back to Jiujiang to make a public appearance first, and then I'll have A-Jing and the others sneak back to Nantong."

"What about you?"

"Is Runsheng going to Fengdu?"

"Ah."

“I’ll book tickets for Runsheng, and we can go together. I’ll also go back to Fengdu to see my godfather.”

There's no need to be so pessimistic.

"Alright, alright, I said, shouldn't you go in for your meeting?"

"Too lazy to go."

Wangjiang Tower.

Chen Xiyuan pushed Chu Qiufeng to the meeting.

This time, there were no young people in the square; it was full of sect leaders and family heads.

Chu Qiufeng was on the second floor and was pushed in front of a round table. The first floor was full of people, all listening to Chu Qiufeng's story from upstairs.

Chu Qiufeng omitted some details that should have been left unsaid.

However, he revealed the evil spirits that had caused the disturbance in the Chen family, and the new situation the Chen family is in now after the disturbance.

Chu Qiufeng:
"On behalf of the Chen family, I would like to extend an invitation to all fellow martial artists and seniors present. You may select talented children from your own clan and send them to our Chen family. Our Chen family will treat them all equally and teach them the 'Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide' technique."

This boldness drew the attention of the sect leaders and family heads present.

Chu Qiufeng:
"I owe my Chen family's current situation to Patriarch Li..."

Everyone, upstairs and downstairs, listened intently. Based on the information they already possessed, it was clear that a massive, earth-shaking battle of evil spirits had broken out outside the Chen family ancestral home. One side was undoubtedly the evil spirits of the Chen family, and the other side…

What's terrifying isn't that he dared to do that, but that he did it and he's still unharmed!

The top forces in the martial arts world had long been conducting calculations and observations in the direction of Qin Liu's ancestral home, but despite countless cracks in the ancient tortoise shell and numerous damaged star charts, they still failed to "see" any ominous signs entering Qin Liu's home.

Furthermore, the old woman who had made a move last time did not make a move this time, which means that she was also confident that she could get through this safely. Otherwise, she would definitely have taken advantage of the karmic retribution before the heavenly law came to punish her and killed her to her heart's content.

Tao Yunhe picked his nose and deliberately rubbed his finger against the sleeve of Ling Muyang, who was sitting next to him.

Mu Yang showed no reaction whatsoever, and didn't feel disgusted at all.

Tao Yunhe's lips curled up.

Looking at the new head of the Ming family sitting opposite him, he seemed completely distracted.

Tao Yunhe quickly pretended to drink tea, raising his sleeve to hide his barely suppressed laughter.

His sleeves could conceal his smile, but not his voice; he still couldn't hold back:
"Hey hey hey."

At this moment, the middle-aged man standing at the entrance of Wangjiang Tower spoke up: "The token of the Qin family of the Dragon King has responded."

In an instant, everyone who was originally on the first floor came out of the building to prepare to greet them.

Those on the second floor all got up and went down to the first floor.

This was the treatment and status that the Qin and Liu families should have enjoyed in the past.

Previously, both the Qin and Liu families had the power to wipe out one of the families present; now, the Qin and Liu families possess that same terrifying power.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting his appearance.

However, it wasn't the boy who emerged, but an adult.

When Tan Wenbin arrived at Wangjiang Tower, he could sense that anyone inside could easily crush him to death.

But he wasn't afraid at all, because he knew that the other side also felt that he could crush their entire clan and lineage.

Tan Wenbin raised his head, put his left hand on his hip, and pointed forward with his right hand. Behind him, the phantom of a two-headed python stood up, its snake eyes ferocious and extremely arrogant.

Actually, Tan Wenbin originally planned to call out the other three as well, but those three were too scared to come out, fearing they would have malaria.

The two-headed python was also nervous, but its body was already tightly coiled together, so its nervousness was not noticeable.

Tan Wenbin began by saying:

"My patriarch said that in this martial world, there are ways to play by the rules and ways to play without them, but no matter which way you play..."

From today onwards,

My Qin and Liu families will fight to the bitter end!

……

It's snowing in Nantong.

The snow fell all night and hadn't stopped by daybreak.

Liu Yumei stood on the dam, gazing towards the village road, with Aunt Liu holding an umbrella for her beside her.

"Ah Ting, is it time?"

"Yes, it should be soon."

"Then they'll all be coming back."

"Have you forgotten? Zhuangzhuang and Ayou accompanied the convoy back to the Qin family's ancestral home to deliver goods, Runsheng went to Fengdu, and that girl from the Chen family will have to stay at the Chen family for a few more days to help her uncle-in-law keep things in order."

Today, only Xiaoyuan and Ali came back first.

Look, they're back! They're over there!

Aunt Liu knew that the old lady had deliberately kept the probe out of sight. She wanted to experience the joy of her family returning home and entering her field of vision, and even the waiting time before that was sweet.

Liu Yumei looked in the direction Aunt Liu was pointing, and sure enough, amidst the swirling snowflakes, the figures of a boy and a girl appeared at the other end of the village road.

Seemingly wanting to enjoy the snowy scenery, they deliberately didn't use umbrellas. Hand in hand, they walked home through the snow.

Although both were young, neither showed any signs of being impetuous; one was composed, and the other was dignified.

This snow-covered landscape seemed to finally find its focus because of their presence.

Aunt Liu took out the sunflower seeds she had roasted overnight and started cracking them open.

Liu Yumei's eyes softened, and she let out a long sigh:
“It’s great to be young.”

Liu Yumei couldn't bear to look away, so she just kept staring at her.

Gradually,
In her eyes, her two children grew old and gray.

(End of this chapter)