Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 514

The back room of the funeral clothing shop is a rest room, simply furnished with several large vertical mirrors for customers to try on clothes.

Elderly people and those with serious illnesses, because they are close to death, have no taboos about these things. It is common for elderly sisters-in-law and elderly couples to come to the store together to pick out clothes.

Xue Liangliang pushed open the door and saw his wife sitting on the sofa, clutching her stomach, her face pale.

"Zhilan..."

As he approached, Xue Liangliang saw his wife's long hair flying in the vertical mirror opposite the sofa, with wisps of black energy frantically dissipating.

Even without looking in the mirror, Xue Liangliang could sense the sudden drop in temperature when he got close.

Bai Zhilan instinctively grabbed her husband's outstretched hand, seeking a sense of security.

Xue Liangliang felt a chill run down his spine, but he forced himself not to show it.

When Bai Zhilan saw the bluish-purple discoloration on the back of her husband's hand, she immediately let go of his hand.

"Husband, stay away from me..."

She is now unable to control her breath from leaking out.

"Zhilan, are you about to give birth?"

"It looks like..."

Xue Liangliang didn't expect his wife's delivery to come so suddenly, even though she should have given birth much earlier.

But since they haven't given birth yet, we can only judge based on the characteristics of a long pregnancy. But the problem is that my wife's pregnancy has been very slow to show. Even now, she looks like she's only six months along.

Once everyone got used to this rhythm, even Bai Zhilan herself didn't expect it to happen so quickly, without any warning.

A normal husband would immediately take his wife to the hospital in this situation, but Xue Liangliang's decision to take her to the hospital only added to the chaos.

"Zhilan, tell me, what should I do?"

Bai Nuo rushed in, looking the youngest but actually the oldest among the Bai family ladies who had followed her ashore.

"Sister, you definitely can't go home given your condition. We'll take you back to Baijia Town."

Giving birth in a residential area, especially under such an unexpected circumstance, could easily implicate innocent members of the community.

Furthermore, even though Baijia Town had been abandoned, Bai Zhilan had deliberately prepared a birthing room in the ancestral hall before leading her sisters ashore, intending to use it in the future.

Bai Nuo helped Bai Zhilan to her feet, but upon getting close to her sister, she was shocked to find that her sister's scattered aura was strongly suppressing her, making it impossible for her to even find a paper car or sedan chair to travel in the future.

And given the older sister's condition, magic cannot be used.

Bai Nuo: "Young Master, go call a car, I'll drive!"

The temperature in the room was getting lower and lower, and frost was forming on the walls. It would only get worse on the road, and ordinary drivers simply couldn't bear it.

As soon as Xue Liangliang ran out of the inner room, the roar of a three-wheeled motorcycle came from in front of the shop. A group of diners hurriedly made way, and tables and chairs were overturned on the ground. Along with the motorcycle starting up, a stereo also blared:

"Let me pluck your heart and try to slowly melt it..."

The white rat, dressed in a chef's white coat, threw his hat on the ground, pushed up his sunglasses, and nodded vigorously to Xue Liangliang, who was standing in the store.

Just as Bai Jia Niangniang was breathing erratically, it was so frightened by the fact that it dropped pots and pans on the floor while cooking, and curled up in a corner of the kitchen.

But it quickly realized it couldn't be targeting it, and since the lady had been very mild-mannered since coming ashore, it could only have lost control for some reason. What else could it be besides wanting to give birth?
Bai Nuo helped Bai Zhilan out and got into the tricycle, saying:

"Go to Baijia Town, quickly."

When the diners saw the pregnant woman emerge so weakly, they understood the owner's actions and applauded and cheered while sneezing.

The moment Bai Zhilan got into the car, even Shushu herself shivered, feeling a chill run through her.

The mouse was very worried that if the situation continued to worsen, the engine would have to stall before they even reached the riverbank.

It doesn't matter, he hasn't removed the foot pedals from his tricycle, so he can stand up and pedal when the time comes.

"Beep! Beep!"

The three-wheeled motorcycle drove off.

Xue Liangliang ran after him, and when they reached the main road, he saw a taxi approaching and immediately went to stop it.

The driver slammed on the brakes and yelled, "Are you crazy? Can't you see we have a passenger?!"

Xue Liangliang took out his wallet, divided the wad of cash inside into two portions, one for the passenger in the back seat and the other for the driver:

"I'm sorry, my wife is giving birth, I'm in a hurry, it's very urgent!"

The passenger, dazed, got off the bus after receiving the money. The driver tossed the money under the seat and said:
"Get in the car quickly!"

After getting in the car and giving the driver my location, he paused for a moment, thinking it was the health center in Jiangbian Town, but immediately turned around and drove in that direction.

Xue Liangliang forced himself to calm down, then took out his mobile phone, pulled out the antenna with trembling hands, and dialed the number one key at a time.

At this point, there was only one person he could turn to for help.

……

"My Cui Cui, after she gets into university, she can go wherever she wants, and she can settle down wherever she wants. I don't care, Erbing!"

Granny Hua: "What's wrong? Aren't you going to find a son-in-law for your Cui Cui? Three of them."

Liu Jinxia: "They've already hired me once, why would they hire me a second time? I'm not surnamed Li, why should I carry the burden of the Li family for the rest of my life?"

Children and grandchildren have their own destinies. I don't care what kind of partner she finds in the future or when she has children.

If she ever needs money, I'll give her some. If she needs help taking care of the child, I'll go with her mother to lend a hand. If she doesn't need anything, that's even better; my son and I will be happy living our lives in the village.

Wang Lian: "Sister Xia is so open-minded."

Liu Jinxia: "It's not that I'm open-minded, it's just that times have changed. In the past, there was no other way but to make a living by farming. It was difficult to even get into a factory. Now, young people all like to venture out into the world."
"By the way, Sister Liu, have you mentioned that matter to the Marquis of Sanjiang?"

Wang Lian: "What's up?"

Liu Jinxia: "Regarding the child's surname in the future."

Liu Yumei picked up a piece of cake and offered it to Liu Jinxia: "Open your mouth."

Liu Jinxia opened her mouth and took a bite of the pastry.

Liu Yumei: "Is your mouth stuffed?"

Liu Jinxia nodded.

Both Granny Hua and Wang Lian laughed.

Liu Jinxia, ​​who is known for her fiery temper in the village, can only become well-behaved here.

In the east room, Ah Li opened a new box.

Next, the girl opened the cloth bag, took out a crushed beverage can, and carefully placed it inside.

After doing all this, the girl got up, walked to the altar in the main hall, and began to select the ancestors above.

"Ali."

The boy's voice came from outside.

Ah Li came out.

Li Zhuiyuan held a fishing rod and a fish basket, preparing to take the girl fishing by the village river.

After returning from Suzhou, Ah Li devoted herself entirely to making new beverage cans. Fearing that the girl was too tired, the boy forcibly told her to stop.

Without Li Zhuiyuan watching over her, A Li's habit was to exhaust herself before going to sleep, and then continue to exhaust herself after waking up.

When faced with extreme situations on the river, overexertion is unavoidable; in daily life, there's no need to push yourself so hard.

The two arrived at the riverbank, cast out their fishing hooks, secured them, and then sat down.

It's cold outside and the snow hasn't melted yet, but there's no wind today, so sitting here basking in the sun is quite pleasant.

Ahead on the ridge of the field, Benben was riding Xiao Hei at breakneck speed.

This time, it wasn't that I was skipping class to play around, but rather that I was completing the assignments from my two array formation teachers.

A dog saddle was strapped to Xiao Hei's body.

With many small red and green flags attached, when they arrived at their destination, Xiao Hei slowed down, and Benben pulled out a small flag, sat sideways on the dog, and stuck it into the ground.

These small flags are very common in rural areas; they are often placed on graves, and children love to pull them out and play with them as toys.

Adults often don't stop or scold them for this. Perhaps, for the deceased lying in the grave, having a group of children playing by their grave is quite lively.

Li Zhuiyuan lay back against the tree with his hands behind his head.

Ah Li found a blade of grass, peeled off the outer skin, and brought it to the boy's mouth, letting him open his mouth and bite it.

The girl hugged her knees, not looking at the river to observe the fishing rod, but sitting facing the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately chose to sit in the southeast corner of the second-floor terrace to read, just so he could catch a glimpse of the girl sitting in the east room when he turned the pages;
Later, the girl would appear in the room before the boy woke up every morning, just so she could see him sleeping peacefully.

Xiao Yingying stopped her tricycle as she turned onto the village road.

She got out of the car, ladled out a bowl of newly bought wine from the wine jar in the car, and then divided some vegetarian meatballs and fried tofu into a small plate, which she placed in the pavilion. She also lit three incense sticks in the incense burner and inserted them into the burner.

Zhang Li bowed in gratitude.

Xiao Yingying rode her tricycle home and saw Benben running wildly in the field with his dog on the way, and a smile appeared on her face.

She could tell that Benben was studying, not just playing.

After crossing the newly installed cement bridge with railings, and seeing the young men and women sitting and leaning on the riverbank below, Xiao Yingying's smile first instinctively disappeared, then slowly reappeared.

She only regained her senses after she had completed her revenge and been drowned, when she came into contact with Qing'an's aura. Before that, after being brutally murdered and rendered dead, she was in a dazed state, acting on instinct.

Looking back, she couldn't understand why she had come for the child and almost caused the child's death.

If one had to find a reason, it would probably be some kind of obsession from her past life. When she was performing and singing at Big Beard's house, among the group of children in the crowd, she immediately took a liking to this child. He was not only the most stylishly dressed, but also the most handsome.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Xiao Yingying passing by on the bridge. He had experienced many crises since crossing the river, but the most desperate crisis in his life was the one she gave him.

The boy withdrew his gaze and said to Ah Li:
"Should we go check on them at the brickyard later?"

Ah Li nodded.

The construction of the kiln was still ongoing, but it was done deliberately to avoid arousing suspicion from the grandfather.

At this moment, Cao Buxiu was explaining the essence of martial arts, Lin Shuyou was learning very seriously, and Chen Xiyuan was also practicing along with him.

Judging from the results, Lin Shuyou learned much faster than Chen Xiyuan; at least he has already begun to develop that air of sophistication.

As for Miss Chen, her playing was still very stiff. She was inherently resistant to learning this skill. If it weren't for her little brother's request, she would have gone to the internet cafe long ago.

Cao Buxiu was very satisfied with Lin Shuyou. It was a wonderful thing that he could pass on his secret skills in the last moments of his life.

"Yes, that's it, feel it with your heart."

While encouraging him, Cao Buxiu opened the sugar jar next to him, reached in, felt around, and came out empty-handed. He had eaten the entire jar of sugar by himself in just half a morning.

His diabetes wasn't congenital; it was because he really loved sweets. After his foot rotted, he had to restrain himself to avoid amputation. Now that he only has a month left to live, he's bound to be indulging in sugary recklessly.

Lin Shuyou: "Teacher, I'll go buy it for you."

Chen Xiyuan: "Ayou, you keep practicing, I'll go buy it."

Sitting by the river, Li Zhuiyuan saw Chen Xiyuan walking towards her on the village road in the distance, carrying a jar and humming a song. Her daydreaming made her happy, and Sister Chen would occasionally spin around.

Without opening the domain, and because she was deliberately playing around, she accidentally spun the circle too big, ending up on the edge of the village road's cement path. Her body first leaned forward and then backward, tiptoeing, trying hard to maintain her balance.

Once she had completely regained her composure, she smiled happily and then deliberately walked along the side of the road.

Chen Xiyuan is tall and has long legs. Aside from a slight sway at first, she walks smoothly as she goes, giving off a unique sense of elegance, like a red-crowned crane taking a step forward.

This sense of martial arts essence flows out in this way.

"Little brother!"

Chen Xiyuan walked on the cement bridge and waved to those below.

Li Zhuiyuan: "You've practiced well."

Chen Xiyuan blushed, thinking that her little brother knew about the teaching progress and was deliberately teasing her. She immediately retorted, "Hmph, I understand!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Keep up the good work."

Chen Xiyuan: "Little brother, didn't we agree that you wouldn't say the opposite of what I mean?"

Li Zhuiyuan offered no explanation.

Sometimes, it's no wonder that Zhao Yi always suffers internal injuries in front of Miss Chen. It's like God is chasing after him to feed him. Although it's understandable to be envious and jealous, it's really infuriating for onlookers to be fed like that without even realizing it.

"Aunt Zhang, I'll take all these candies."

"You want them all?"

"Yes, I want them all. Go and get some more, I might have to come back to buy more tonight."

"Girl, do you need something done for you?"

"Ok?"

"A wedding celebration?"

"I?"

"If you're planning to do something, I'll buy a batch for you wholesale, it's not cost-effective to buy them individually."

“It’s not a wedding celebration, it’s just that someone likes to eat it. How about this, Aunt Zhang, you can treat it as a wedding celebration and help me get some sugar. Just buy it for a month’s worth of wedding celebration.”

"real or fake?"

"Really, here's the money."

"Okay, Auntie will arrange it for you."

Just then, the telephone on the counter rang. Aunt Zhang put down what she was doing and answered the phone.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go and call Xiao Yuanhou right away."

Aunt Zhang instinctively wanted to hang up the phone to call for help, but Chen Xiyuan reached out and took the receiver. She had just heard Xue Liangliang's anxious voice coming from the receiver.

At this point, she disregarded all rules, took the microphone, and asked:
"Hey, Liangliang, what do you need my little brother for?"

“My wife suddenly went into labor, and she’s already been taken to the riverbank. I’m worried…”

"Okay, I'll go tell the little brother right away!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Xiyuan immediately ran towards the river.

The mobile phone was too big and too heavy, so Li Zhuiyuan didn't have the habit of carrying it with him at home.

However, no one could miss him; even if the boy wasn't at home, he was still within the range of Aunt Zhang's folk songs.

"Little brother, Brother Liangliang is suddenly going into labor!"

Li Zhuiyuan stood up; he knew there must be a problem with production.

"Where are the people?"

"By the river."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go to the village entrance and call a car first."

Chen Xiyuan: "Okay!"

The fishing rod and fish basket remained where they were. Li Zhuiyuan and A Li went ashore, not going home, and walked together towards the village entrance.

From a distance, Li Zhuiyuan waved to Benben.

Benben saw it.

To be precise, because he was so afraid of Li Zhuiyuan, he would definitely keep a close eye on him whenever Li Zhuiyuan appeared in his field of vision.

Benben crouched down to reduce wind resistance, while Xiao Hei opened its mouth, stuck out its tongue, and galloped away on all fours.

The man and his dog were running so fast that, in order to brake as they approached the village road, they plowed the field like oxen on the ridge.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go and inform Tan Wenbin and the others that Liangliang's wife is about to give birth. Tell them to prepare their things and go to Baijia Town."

Benben and Xiaohei nodded together.

They immediately turned around and sped towards the brickyard construction site.

"Wang Wang!"

Benben reached out and patted Xiao Hei's head, signaling it to be quiet. He was painstakingly organizing Li Zhuiyuan's words, one word at a time.

Actually, Benben is already old enough to talk, but he still prefers to communicate using body language and short sounds.

If this happened to an ordinary child, the parents would be worried. However, no one in the bearded family was worried because Benben was a perfect example of a "late talker with a bright future." His sensitive nature meant that his normal language ability could not yet match his expression.

When Li Zhuiyuan and A Li arrived at the village entrance, Chen Xiyuan had already hailed a taxi.

In the countryside, taxi drivers rarely come, and even when they do, they don't use the meter. But they always show up whenever Ms. Chen needs them.

After getting into the car, Chen Xiyuan turned around and asked:

"Little brother, is childbirth really that dangerous? No, no, I mean, even someone like Lady Bai, would face danger during childbirth?"

There are definitely risks involved in childbirth for normal people, but the Bai family goddess is no longer considered human.

Li Zhuiyuan remembered that when he last saw Bai Zhilan, she wasn't showing any signs of pregnancy, and she didn't need to go to the hospital for prenatal checkups; she was able to take good care of herself on her own.

The sudden birth was an unexpected event that no one anticipated, though perhaps it was meant to be.

Li Zhuiyuan: "She chose the man herself."

It's undeniable that they developed feelings for each other over time; at least Liangliang definitely did.

However, before the Bai family chose a husband, Bai Zhilan herself picked him. It has to be said that she had excellent taste, and that's precisely where the problem lies.

There seems to be some kind of destiny that resists the birth of Xue Liangliang's child, because her identity is just too awkward.

In hindsight, most people who were kidnapped by Baijia Town to become sons-in-law were simply kidnapped; at worst, they would appear somewhere by the river sometime later as a dazed man, as if he had just had a long, vivid dream.

But after Xue Liangliang was kidnapped, he was able to bring out someone like Uncle Qin, who came to Baijia Town. What kind of power did he have to stop this?
Based on this reasoning, the accident should have happened sooner, but by destroying Baijia Town and allowing Bai Zhilan and the others to go ashore and clear their names, the accident was postponed, allowing the child to develop in the mother's body for a longer period of time.

But what's meant to happen will happen eventually; Bai Zhilan, after all, is not human.

For this child to be born safely, unless...

Li Zhuiyuan frowned.

This is why, although he is well-versed in physiognomy and fortune-telling, he has never liked or deeply believed in them. Because once you become obsessed with them, you will feel a sense of destiny that everything is preordained, and the young man is very resistant to this.

The taxi arrived at the riverbank, where another taxi was parked, its driver crouching there, head in his hands, looking utterly dejected.

"I should have guessed it! I should have guessed it!"

The driver was crying with remorse.

He was the one who pulled Xue Liangliang over. He felt that he should have noticed when he saw the passenger throwing money around on the bus. When does a person only become indifferent to their money? When they feel they will never need it again!

As a result, as soon as the bus stopped, the passenger opened the door and plunged into the river, never to resurface.

The driver who was carrying Li Zhuiyuan ran to inquire about the situation, but when he turned around, he found that the two children and one adult he had brought were gone. His eyes widened and he clutched his head.

Chen Xiyuan activated her domain, blocking their view, and led Li Zhuiyuan and A Li to the bottom of the river.

The lanterns on the gate of Baijia Town have long since stopped burning, and the ruins inside are everywhere. This makes Baijia Town resemble an underwater ruin, and it is not so eerie and terrifying.

The source of the chaotic atmosphere is at the original site of the Bai Family Ancestral Hall.

When Li Zhuiyuan walked over, he saw Xue Liangliang sitting at the entrance of the ancestral hall. It was too cold inside for him to go in.

The boy stepped out of Chen Xiyuan's domain. Xue Liangliang heard the noise, turned around, and quickly got up, running over to grab Li Zhuiyuan's arm.
"Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yuan, please help me. You must have a way, right?"

"Brother Liangliang, I'll go in and take a look."

"Okay, right."

Xue Liangliang let go of his hand, trying to control his emotions, and made way for him.

Li Zhuiyuan entered the Bai Family Ancestral Hall, where the eerie atmosphere was terrifying.

The boy released the evil dragon, letting it circle around him to help dispel the malevolent energy.

Chen Xiyuan, supporting herself on the domain, brought A Li in.

As soon as she entered, Ah Li stopped and closed her eyes upon hearing the woman's screams coming from inside.

"Little sister, shall I take you out?"

Ah Li shook her head, sat down on the steps of the ancestral hall, hugged her knees, and lowered her head.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced back and gestured for Chen Xiyuan to stay and take care of A Li. Sister Chen nodded to indicate that she understood and sat down with the girl.

Inside the ancestral hall, white candles were lit, making the delivery room look like a funeral parlor.

When the Bai family ladies saw Li Zhuiyuan enter, none of them stopped him; instead, they all bowed their heads and stepped back.

None of them could help with this production.

Bai Zhilan lay in the coffin, dressed in casual clothes, her face pale, her hair wet and plastered to her forehead.

Inside the coffin, the aura of a magical formation flowed, echoing the arrangement of the ancestral hall.

The inside of the coffin was covered with claw marks.

Bai Zhilan reached out and grasped the edge of the coffin, looking at Li Zhuiyuan, and said with difficulty:
"Help me...please...help me..."

The principle behind the array inside the coffin is very simple: it transfers the mother's yin energy into the fetus, allowing it to be born. This is the birthing method of the Bai family goddesses throughout history. It can be said that they were not considered human beings in the strict sense from the moment they were born.

However, in the current situation, no matter how much Bai Zhilan spares to inject her yin energy into the fetus, the fetus is still unable to meet the conditions for survival outside the mother's body.

Giving birth is not difficult. As Chen Xiyuan said in the taxi, in her opinion, with the special constitution of the Bai family empress, it would be very easy for them to perform a cesarean section on themselves, take out the child, and then stitch themselves up. Theoretically, there is no possibility of a difficult birth.

But Bai Zhilan sensed that her child would die immediately once separated from her and truly born into this world.

Her pain wasn't due to premature birth, but rather a struggle against that outcome. She was afraid to give birth and was doing everything in her power to keep the baby inside her.

Li Zhuiyuan reached into the coffin and pressed his hand on Bai Zhilan's stomach.

The boy could sense the aura of the small life within, like a pulse, seemingly present but easily broken by the slightest external force, merely a facade without any real substance.

This reminded Li Zhuiyuan of the tattered straw mat he had dug up from his ancestral grave. It hadn't died before he opened it, but after opening it... the one that was supposed to die died.

Unfortunately, things took an extreme turn, just as Li Zhuiyuan had predicted in the car.

Bai Zhilan: "Please...kill me...kill me..."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Bai Zhilan's face with some surprise; her gaze was firm.

She actually found out too.

Li Zhuiyuan: "When did you find out?"

Bai Zhilan: "I had a premonition before... I dreamed about him so many times... In my dreams, he was either looking for me... or I was looking for him... We could never... see each other..."

The method to bring a child into the world is simple, yet cruel: ...to remove the mother and keep the child.

These are the intangible rules; they have no substance, yet they truly exist. For example, although demons and monsters may seem incredibly powerful, their ecological niche in this world is lower than that of humans.

The four spirit beasts inside Tan Wenbin's body were extremely cautious when they were human, afraid of being discovered by someone with powerful abilities. They had also suffered grievances. Why did they seem to be born with original sin?

The reason why the white rat and the wooden king are so eager to be human is because only by being human can one have dignity.

This is indeed unfair, but there's no reasoning with it, and you don't know who to talk to about it. Moreover, from a human perspective, you can't really talk to anyone about it.

Yu Tiannan softened his heart for a moment, and then Dragon King Yu almost ceased to exist.

The current situation is that there is a force that does not want this child to have such an unsuitable mother.

Bai Zhilan: "Please... help me... give birth to him... please... let him live..."

This was Bai Zhilan's decision; she was willing to give her life for her child.

She was no longer just a Bai family lady, nor a qualified head of the family; she was a wife and, more importantly, a mother.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I need to ask, Brother Liangliang."

Bai Zhilan: "Don't...don't tell him..."

Bai Zhilan grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's sleeve, pleading desperately.

It wasn't that she didn't want her husband to suffer the pain of making such a difficult choice, but she was certain that the choice he made was not what she wanted.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze shifted downwards, looking at the fingernails gripping his sleeve, and he said calmly:
"release."

The boy's authority was still there, and his words made Bai Zhilan subconsciously let go of his hand. By the time she realized what was happening and tried to grab him again, the boy had already turned and left.

“Don’t go…”

Bai Zhilan forced herself to sit up from inside the coffin.

As Li Zhuiyuan walked out, he raised his hand and pressed it down.

"Buzz!"

The young man had mastered the formation here, suppressing Bai Zhilan back into the coffin, rendering her unable to move.

As he walked out, he saw Ah Li sitting on the steps inside the ancestral hall's main gate, and Li Zhuiyuan felt a pang of heartache.

There were some things that both Grandma Liu and I thought Ah Li didn't know, but the truth is, Ah Li seemed to know.

But at that moment, he couldn't comfort her.

As the boy walked up the steps to leave, Ah Li reached out and grabbed his trouser leg. Just as the boy was about to stop, the girl let go, continued to hug her knees, and lowered her head.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't linger and went outside.

Outside, Tan Wenbin and the others had arrived. They were very efficient. Tan Wenbin and Runsheng were carrying herbs that they had specially picked from the herb garden, while Lin Shuyou was carrying two boxes of milk in his left hand and a basket of eggs in his right.

In the rush, the eggs not only failed to turn red, but were even raw.

"Wang!"

The sound of a dog barking came from inside.

Benben rode Xiao Hei around the alleys of Baijia Town. The messenger who was on his way also hitched a ride and even went down to the bottom of the river.

Tan Wenbin couldn't possibly take them with him, but they jumped into the back of the car on their own. When everyone else went down to the river, they followed him down, and Tan Wenbin had no choice but to pull them down with him if he was afraid they would drown.

Benben rode out on Xiaohei. When he saw Li Zhuiyuan's expression, Benben immediately hugged Xiaohei's neck, and the two of them quieted down.

Things are not going well; we mustn't attract his attention now.

Tan Wenbin and the others also realized that the situation seemed serious, and no one spoke.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Liangliang, come with me for a moment."

Xue Liangliang followed Li Zhuiyuan to the other side of the courtyard wall.

"Xiao Yuan, how's it going inside? Are you alright? It'll all be fine, right?"

"Brother Liangliang, there's something I have to ask you."

Xue Liangliang: "Save the baby!"

He tried to comfort himself amidst his anxiety, but when it came to making a real decision, Xue Liangliang's true character was revealed.

Xue Liangliang continued, "Xiao Yuan, we are good friends, we are good brothers. You and her have nothing to do with each other, right?"

So, no matter what she says or asks of you from inside, please listen to me. This is my choice: save the mother, I don't want the child, I only want her, only her!

Li Zhuiyuan: "I also have to tell you that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it should be a boy."

The first time Bai Zhilan and Baijia Town broke up was because Baijia Town used his own methods to verify that the baby in her womb was a boy. According to Baijia Town's rules, a boy had to be disposed of and could not be kept.

Xue Liangliang: "What does this have to do with boys or girls? I want her, Xiaoyuan, I want her!"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan had agreed, Xue Liangliang first breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned back and slumped heavily to the ground, his eyes gradually becoming vacant.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a piece of yellow paper, held up a finger, and the evil dragon lightly bit it, causing the fingertip to break and bleed. The boy used his own blood to write words on the yellow paper.

After finishing writing, Li Zhuiyuan said to Xue Liangliang:

"Brother Liangliang, I think it's better to be cautious and lay out the unpleasant things upfront."

To avoid future trouble and reneging on the agreement, let's make a written record of this matter.

Li Zhuiyuan handed the yellow paper with his own blood-written words to Xue Liangliang.

Xue Liangliang took the yellow paper, refocused his eyes, and then looked at the boy in front of him with a puzzled expression:
"Xiao Yuan, do you really want to sign this?"

"Ah."

"Okay, I'll sign!"

Xue Liangliang bit his finger and wrote his name on it.

Li Zhuiyuan took the yellow paper, walked back to the ancestral hall, and came to the coffin again.

Bai Zhilan was scolding the three ladies of the Bai family for helping her break free of the array's bindings, but clearly, no one complied.

It wasn't disloyalty, nor was it fear of Li Zhuiyuan's tyranny; rather, it was their genuine disapproval of their sister's actions.

Li Zhuiyuan stood in front of the coffin.

Bai Zhilan closed her eyes in despair.

Li Zhuiyuan: "He wants you to live."

She already knew the answer, but at this moment, she felt no sweetness from her lover's firm choice, only the pain of being a mother.

Li Zhuiyuan: "If his child is born, it will definitely be extraordinary. You should know that."

After all, in the history of your Baijia Town, there should never have been a Baijia Goddess who experienced a childbirth like yours. Perhaps, this child is the long-cherished wish that your Baijia Town has been pursuing for generations, hidden at the bottom of the river.”

Bai Zhilan opened her eyes and looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "I want to give birth to him, not because he will be extraordinary, but because he is our child, my child!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "So, can you accept that he's ordinary?"

Bai Zhilan: "I just want him to live."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then, just sign this yellow paper."

The boy handed the yellow paper to Bai Zhilan.

Bai Zhilan looked at the blood-written words and her husband's signature. At first, she looked incredulous, but then her eyes lit up with joy.

Because the yellow paper contained a contract, which was signed and sealed by the parents, the child would become Li Zhuiyuan's godfather.

In Bai Zhilan's view, this meant that the boy would save her child.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't be too happy yet. This is not an ordinary godparent relationship. I wrote it on yellow paper to announce it to heaven and earth."

My identity is special and indeed noble, but forcibly binding me to this relationship in this way will not bring any good.

He will no longer be extraordinary. The best outcome I can imagine is that he becomes ordinary, very ordinary... a dull kid.

Bai Zhilan: "I just hope he can be healthy... no... I just hope he can have the chance to open his eyes, see this world, and see his father."

"Then let's sign it."

A drop of blood condensed between Bai Zhilan's brows and floated below Xue Liangliang's name on the yellow paper.

Li Zhuiyuan rolled up the yellow paper and walked into the courtyard.

Alright, now he can openly and honestly tell the Heavenly Dao this good news, which is tantamount to turning his back on it. So, will the Heavenly Dao be happy or not?
The only way to bring this extraordinary child into the world while preserving both mother and child is to alter the child's destiny and make him ordinary.

In ancient times, people adopted godparents seeking protection and a connection to their destiny. Anyone with a modicum of sense would choose a well-off relative or friend to be their child's godparent. No one would go and choose someone whose life and career were a mess; everyone would consider that unlucky.

Therefore, the opposite approach is to find someone extremely unlucky, preferably someone disliked by heaven and earth, to establish a relationship with the child and forcefully drag the child's fate down.

Li Zhuiyuan was very confident in himself. He had failed to light the lamps twice, so he gave up on acting altogether.

"Wei Zhengdao, Wei Zhengdao, this is the first time I've ever thanked you for all the good things you did back then."

The boy flicked his finger, and the yellow paper burst into flames.

In an instant, all the candles in the ancestral hall went out!

"Waaaa...waaaa...waaaa..."

The sound of a baby crying came from inside.

With tears streaming down her face, Bai Nuo ran out carrying a small baby, excitedly shouting:

"Mother and daughter are safe!"

(End of this chapter)