Yesterday, when Secretary Jin sang this song on the stage, the Cantonese standard was professional and the singing was professional, but the boy didn't like it very much.
Although Secretary Jin's Cantonese is not standard at the moment, the feeling of singing it is like the river flowing into the already dug canal after opening the gate, and letting nature take its course.
The singing voice is indeed magical, not only can it be heard with a mask, but it can also be changed with a different skin.
When Secretary Jin put his hands on his shoulders before, a familiar feeling told Li Zhuiyuan who she was now.
In the same way, if nothing else, the real creator of the horrific and bloody scene last night should be Ding Dalin, who is under the skin.
It is the real dominant position here.
This means that his crisis here has not been resolved, because the little oriole is only a secondary position by its side.
The group of water monkeys dug up...... It should be it.
Li Chaiyuan suddenly discovered that the originally planned self, the little oriole and the water monkeys had all become supporting roles, no, they were not as good as the supporting roles, they were purely backgrounds.
Whether he and his grandfather can keep the skin on their bodies now depends on their hearts.
Therefore, the current song and previous actions are all hints given to herself by the little yellow oriole.
For a while, the guard that had been slightly relaxed by the appearance of the little yellow warbler was raised again.
Li Zhuyuan suddenly realized one thing, since last night's "it" could control Secretary Jin's lantern words to trick the six water monkeys at the peripheral observation post into peeling them collectively, how could it not be aware of itself and Runsheng on the roof?
Is it really because he and Runsheng can escape home with their skins and tails full?
The water monkeys are all outsiders except for Ding Dalin, and the only person Ding Dalin knows in this village who has been on the line and has also bought a house in his name is Li Sanjiang.
It wants to fill in the fish pond, and if it wants to plant peach trees on this contracted land, it needs to go through Li Sanjiang.
It turns out that the one who has been struggling to support the situation without collapsing is still his grandfather.
Secretary Jin finished singing.
Li Chaiyuan took the lead in applauding, and Tan Wenbin also applauded when he saw this, praising "Okay, okay!"
Li Sanjiang stretched out his hand and touched the stereo set, and said: "Okay, it's pretty good, when I ask the mule to get the table, chairs, dishes, and chopsticks later, I will pull this thing back as well."
"Hehe, as long as you are satisfied."
Li Chaiyuan asked with a simple face: "Uncle Ding, how much is this?"
Li Sanjiang frowned slightly, this was originally an advantageous thing, he took it back and took it back, and asked how much money to do, this kid, is he stupid?
But immediately, Li Sanjiang's brows relaxed again: It's really good, this kid is honest and kind, and he is indeed different from those white-eyed wolves.
After experiencing so many things, he vaguely touched the law of "causality", especially when dealing with another shadow, its things are not so easy to take.
Let's listen to the other party's request first.
"Yes, Lin Hou, how much did it cost you to buy it from the troupe, come on, I'll give it to you, I can use this thing, and I will get back the cost after renting it for half a year."
"Between you and me, talking about this will hurt your feelings."
Li Sanjiang hugged Ding Dalin's arm and shook it vigorously: "Okay, I looked away when you first came back, you Lin Hou are indeed a kind person, I am not as good as you."
When they first met, Li Sanjiang felt that Ding Dalin was deliberately arrogant.
But it is difficult not to change the perception that people give houses, land and stereos, after all, they give too much.
"Actually, Marquis Sanjiang, I also have something I want to ask you for help."
Seeing that people were climbing up the stick, Li Sanjiang subconsciously picked up his ears with his little finger:
"It's easy to say, you can find me if you have something to do in the future."
Li Zhuyuan asked: "Uncle Ding, if you have anything, you can say it directly now."
But you can't follow the tone of your grandfather, and delay it until later, because you can't do what he wants, your grandson and grandson will probably not be able to do it again.
Li Sanjiang nodded, he couldn't be angry with Xiao Yuanhou, so he could only echo the child's words: "Yes, Lin Hou, you say."
"Marquis Sanjiang, that's right, I originally planned to stay here for a long time, but there was news over there, there was something wrong, I have to go back and deal with it.
So I have to ask you to take care of this house for me."
"You still want to leave? How long will it take?"
"It's hard to say, if things go well, I may be able to come back in half a year, if it doesn't go well, I may leave at any time at my age, I can't say it, I will never come back."
"Then you have to come back alive early."
"Why, you can't bear to let me go?"
"It's not that I can't bear it, you bought so many things in my name, if you never go back, I'm too embarrassed to pick it up."
"I want to come back, I really want to spend my old age here."
"I really want to give you a send, if I leave first, the big deal is that Xiao Yuanhou will do it for you, otherwise you will feel uneasy about this thing."
"Marquis Sanjiang, when the contract in the village is done, I will pay the contract fee first, and then leave a sum of money, you help me organize people first, level the fish pond, and plant the peach trees, so as not to delay things."
Li Sanjiang rubbed his forehead and planted trees, but it was a tiring job.
This is not a simple matter of money or money, as a master, it still requires hard work.
"Okay, Grandpa Ding, don't worry, just go to run errands, and when you come back, you will be able to enjoy the peach blossoms."
Li Sanjiang nodded: "Don't worry, Marquis Lin, I will take over this matter."
It's not that he was coerced by his great-grandson and had a short manpower, Li Sanjiang also knew that since he had spoken, he couldn't refuse, and he was reluctant to return the house and land under his name.
Li Chaiyuan breathed a sigh of relief silently, not afraid of it making demands, but afraid that it would not ask for anything.
If you just plant trees, it's nothing, and if other people rent the land, the money will be left.
"That's good, thank you, Marquis Sanjiang."
"Look at you, thank you for everything, it's all as it should, then it's like this...... It's strong."
"Hey."
"You run back and call Marquis Runsheng, ask him to push the car and load everything back."
Tan Wenbin looked at Li Chaiyuan and Li Sanjiang with some unease, he didn't want to leave, although he was not as good at fighting as his father, but when facing the water monkey, many people and multiple strengths, right?
"Brother Binbin, go home and call Brother Runsheng to come and move things."
Nearly twenty water monkeys ended up like that last night, and at this moment, one more person is just peeling one more shrimp.
"Hey, okay."
Binbin left.
"Xiaoyuanhou, I found out, the mules at home listen to you, why does this strong listen to you?"
"Ah, is there?" Li Zhuyuan looked dazed.
"Hey, it's good." Li Sanjiang patted the boy's head, "This shows that my family's Xiaoyuanhou was born to be a leader."
The will has been made, and the grandfather's perception of his great-grandson has changed from very partial to partial.
Ding Dalin said: "This shows that the child is organized and is indeed suitable for being an official."
Li Sanjiang lifted his trouser rope: "Lin Hou, is there paper in the porcelain jar?"
"It's in the basket."
"Then I'll go to the porcelain jar."
Li Chaiyuan wanted to follow, but as soon as he took two steps, he was stopped by Ding Dalin: "Xiaoyuan."
After hesitating for a moment, he didn't dare to pretend not to hear the fool, so he stopped.
"Huh?" Li Chase faced Ding Dalin, "What's wrong, Grandpa Ding?"
"Your great-grandfather didn't look away, you are indeed a warm-hearted and good boy."
Chase Li lowered his head and smiled shyly.
The reason why he didn't show his best shy gaze was because the skin at the center of Ding Dalin's eyebrows was open.
It was very similar to the clothes being torn, not completely torn, but the color was faulty.
This play is about to end, and I have to avoid performance accidents.
Ding Dalin reached out and touched his eyebrows, Secretary Jin came over to help deal with it, but he ordered: "Get a basin of water, I'll wash my face well."
"Okay."
Secretary Jin called a basin of hot water, and there was a towel hanging next to the basin, so she stood there holding it, acting as a human flesh platform.
Ding Dalin walked to the basin, bent over, turned his face down, and kept tapping his fingers back and forth on his face.
This scene is very much like a woman in the city holding a makeup box in front of the mirror touching up her makeup.
Li Chaiyuan wanted to leave the room, but Secretary Jin's position happened to block the door, so in order to avoid seeing things he shouldn't see, Li Chaiyuan turned to the stereo and reached out to touch the lid.
"Xiaoyuan, did you just learn the local dialect?"
"Well, yes, it's not very good." Li Chaiyuan picked up the microphone and played with it.
"Where did you live before?"
"In Beijing." Li Zhuyuan looked into the microphone, "Huhu...... Hey, hey."
"Jiankang?"
The boy's hand holding the microphone shook slightly.
Jiankang?
Li Chaiyuan knew that Jiankang was the ancient name of Nanjing, the capital of the Six Dynasties.
Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Southern Liang, Southern Chen......
So, what period is it from?
"Oh, it's from Beijing, hehe, I didn't react just now, I heard it wrong."
Ding Dalin burst into laughter, as if he had exposed his gaffe just now.
Li Zhuiyuan's heart is very complicated, even if he is a person from the Southern Chen period, it is almost 1,500 years ago.
Does that also mean that the tomb in the fish pond also has a history of so many years?
I don't know if the group of water monkeys was lucky or unlucky, but they actually found such a top-notch water burial tomb.
However, it seems that I am even more unfortunate, I have just picked up the book and read it, and I am in the stage of reading and learning while practicing.
In popular martial arts novels and martial arts movies, the protagonists are all behind closed doors, and the first training target they encounter when they go down the mountain is the ruffian bully who molests the folk girl.
When I got here, I hadn't learned to go down the mountain yet, so I just gently pushed open the door of my house to bask in the sun: Hey, the opposite door is the East Factory.
"Xiaoyuan, you promised grandpa that you would help him plant peach trees."
"Well, I will."
"Speak louder, grandpa is behind your ear."
"Don't worry, grandpa."
"Turn around and say to grandpa."
Li Chaiyuan turned around.
Right in front of me was a face with no red face!
After a moment of astonishment and thought, Li Zhuyuan raised his hand and opened his mouth, and was about to scream, but this face suddenly stuck in front of him:
"Xiaoyuan, you are a step slower."
Li Chaiyuan's expression was stagnant, his hand stopped halfway through, his mouth opened, but he didn't dare to scream.
"Xiaoyuan, were you just thinking that you should be so scared that you should call out?"
Li Chaiyuan didn't know how to answer.
"You kid, why don't you seem to recognize me?"
A similar sentence, when I accompanied my grandfather to walk and saw Ding Dalin this morning, Ding Dalin said.
It did see itself and Brother Runsheng on the roof last night.
"I will, I will help you plant trees."
"Hehehe......"
Its hand touched the boy's face and patted it gently.
"You acted so well, I can't tell the difference, who is the one in human skin between me and you?"
……
"Diwu! ——」
The sound of electricity woke Li Chaiyuan awake, and he lowered his head and looked at the microphone in his hand.
"Xiaoyuan, turn off the microphone, grandpa's ears hurt."
Li Zhuyuan turned off the microphone, the sound of electricity disappeared, he turned around and looked at Ding Dalin.
Ding Dalin raised his head and applied a hot towel to his face, completely covering his entire face.
His voice came from under the towel:
"Xiaoyuan, did you just learn the local dialect?"
Same question.
Li Chaiyuan wondered, was the scene just now his own hallucination?
"Well, I just learned it."
"Where did you live before?"
"Youzhou."
"Hehehe......"
Ding Dalin laughed and peeled the towel from his face, revealing a face that had the slight rosy glow of a normal person after a warm compress.
"What a clever kid!"
Ding Dalin walked over to Li Zhuiyuan, his hand touching the boy's face again.
"Grandpa, I like you very much."
"I also like the red envelope and the gift Grandpa gave me."
Ding Dalin's hand moved down, grasping the boy's right hand and spreading it open.
On the palm of Li Zhuiyuan's right hand was a burn mark and five bloody scabs.
Ding Dalin ignored the five bloody scabs and placed his fingertips on the burn mark, feigning surprise.
"Look, your skin almost broke."
"I was just playing around and accidentally did it."
"Be careful, though. Broken skin is hard to mend. Even if you find a new one, it won't be as good as the original, don't you think?"
"Yes, Grandpa is right."
Ding Dalin smiled, raised his left hand, and slowly clenched it into a fist.
At first, even Ah Li could tell the burns were self-inflicted by Li Zhuiyuan, so how much more so could it?
But Li Zhuiyuan was completely confused about its temperament now. Logically, since he had already persuaded his grandfather to agree to help it plant trees, the matter should have ended there.
But it seemed to want to continue interacting with him.
Li Zhuiyuan began to envy Tan Wenbin. Sometimes, knowing too much was pointless; it was better to be ignorant.
Suddenly, a sharp pain came.
Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, watching the burn scar on his palm, which had healed, suddenly open again, tearing the flesh apart.
His heartbeat began to accelerate. The feeling of watching flesh tear apart was too terrifying.
It felt as if the pain would spread out in the next moment, peeling off his entire skin, and he would walk out covered in blood.
Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Secretary Jin from the corner of his eye. She still stood there, holding the washbasin, motionless and not looking in his direction.
Ding Dalin stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, a look of struggle in his eyes.
Then, his neck began to move left and right, his expression shifting from kind to calm to gloomy to greedy.
Finally,
he jerked his head back:
"You bastard, you've deceived me so badly."
…
"Bang!"
The microphone fell to the ground.
Li Zhuiyuan swallowed, turned around, and saw Ding Dalin washing his face.
He scooped up water with both hands and splashed it on his face, rubbing it, and finally wiping it with a towel.
This was the third time.
But this time, Ding Dalin didn't question his accent; he remained silent.
The door slammed open, hitting Secretary Jin on the back.
The door swung back, and Secretary Jin didn't budge.
"Huh?"
Li Sanjiang's voice came from outside.
Li Zhuiyuan knew those few times weren't hallucinations, because Grandpa couldn't have gone to the toilet so quickly. For a while, he had indeed been misappropriated.
Secretary Jin moved aside, and the door opened. Li Sanjiang said to Ding Dalin, "My mule's here. I'll just pack up my things."
"Okay."
Li Sanjiang turned and left again, not calling Li Zhuiyuan out. He couldn't bear to leave Little Marquis Yuan working.
This left Li Zhuiyuan stranded in the room again.
However,
"Bang!"
The door opened again, this time forcefully. Runsheng stood in the doorway with a stern face, a shovel in hand.
It was clear he was terrified, and the stern face was a protective shield.
But he still came; he wanted to save someone.
"What's wrong with you?" Li Sanjiang's voice called out. "Move the tables and chairs first, and the speakers last."
Runsheng looked at Li Zhuiyuan, waiting for a look. If it was the right one, he would pick up his shovel and slash at the two men in front of him without hesitation.
In short, it would be either them or me who would be ripped apart.
Ding Dalin held out his hand to Li Zhuiyuan: "Come, follow me upstairs. I have some snacks in my room that I brought back from abroad. You can take them all."
In reality, there was no choice at all.
Li Zhuiyuan grabbed Ding Dalin's hand, and the two of them, one in front of the other, passed Runsheng and headed up the stairs.
Downstairs, Runsheng was slapped on the back of the head by Li Sanjiang, who scolded him, "What are you standing there for? Xiaoyuan Hou is going to take his things. You should also do your job and move them!"
Runsheng was torn, but since it was Xiaoyuan's choice, he put down his shovel and began moving the tables and chairs.
However, the courage he had mustered earlier couldn't last forever. The scene of last night began to replay in his mind, and as he continued to carry, his body began to tremble.
Li Sanjiang, seeing this, hurried over and asked,
"Are you still feeling unwell?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Sit down there and rest. I'll do the work."
Upon reaching the second floor, Ding Dalin was still holding his hand. Li Zhuiyuan felt something sticky in his hand, and he was afraid that if he let go, he'd tear off a piece of his skin.
And so it was.
As they entered the room, Ding Dalin released his hand, and his skin clung to the boy's hand. As they pulled, it gradually clung to his skin, and finally...
"Snap!"
The sound was so loud that Li Zhuiyuan lost consciousness. When he recovered, he found the room dark. It was night.
Everything in the room was there, except Ding Dalin.
Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, searching for that feeling of rising. He found it, feeling himself begin to float.
He immediately opened his eyes, interrupting his reawakening.
Yes, he had been in the dark, but it wasn't his own doing; Ding Dalin had dragged him in.
If that were the case, waking up now would be somewhat disrespectful.
Leaving the room and onto the balcony, Li Zhuiyuan wanted to find Ding Dalin. Since he had dragged him in, he must have a purpose.
A single moon hung in the pitch-black sky, so large that even the craters on it were visible.
Li Zhuiyuan's gaze dropped to the ground in front of him, and he blinked hard.
The fish pond, which had been restored in reality, now returned to its state after the water monkeys' busy work the previous night: the water drained, the deep pit dug.
He had a rough idea of where to find Ding Dalin.
Walking downstairs, the scene was still the same after last night's banquet. The tables were still there, uncleared.
As he exited the hall, Li Zhuiyuan paused, then took two steps back and looked up.
He spotted the small yellow oriole hanging from the ceiling.
Her long hair hung down, so you had to walk through a narrow area to see her face.
Her eyes were closed, her expression impassive.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't know if she had been hiding here since last night, or if she was already there.
Little Yellow Oriole didn't open her eyes or react.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't hesitate. He walked out of the hall, down the dam, jumped into the fish pond, and reached the edge of the pit.
Only when you look closely can you truly appreciate the depth of the pit. Li Zhuiyuan turned around and looked at the roof of the bearded man's house behind him. That was where he had been hiding and observing the pit the previous night.
Bending down, he carefully slid down the slope of the pit for a long distance before reaching the bottom.
Before him was the spire of a dug-out tower.
The dark opening lay open.
Li Zhuiyuan grasped the wall and slowly walked inside. As he advanced, lights lit up. Because the tower was tilted, the lights inside also appeared tilted.
The walls were bare of murals, appearing rather plain. It seemed the tomb's owner had no intention of cultivating his emotions in the afterlife. Or perhaps this tomb was built during the tomb owner's lifetime, because if it had been built by someone else, there would inevitably be some text or images recording his life.
Thankfully, the tower is tilted, allowing for walking. If one were to enter vertically from the top, it would probably be like jumping into a well.
The further in, the colder the light, from the bright yellow at the outermost section to a greenish hue.
Finally, Li Zhuiyuan reached the bottom.
He saw a massive stone coffin, fixed to the tower's base, as if it were attached to the wall.
Surrounding the coffin were some furniture, all fixed like the coffin, so it didn't fall apart. It was inlaid with gold and silver, and shimmered with jade and jewels.
All valuable stuff. No wonder the two water monkeys who went down last night were so excited when they came back up. It made sense why they came up empty-handed, claiming they couldn't lift anything.
But, even after reaching the bottom, there was still no sign of Ding Dalin. Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the sarcophagus again.
Could he still be in it?
The sarcophagus was bound with chains, and runes were painted around the coffin, fitting the hallmarks of a temple or tomb, meant to ward off evil spirits.
"Clack...clack...clack..."
The chains began to vibrate, as if the contents within were trying to escape.
Li Zhuiyuan stood still. Although he wasn't sure if opening the coffin during his time in the underworld would have a ripple effect on reality, he wouldn't risk it.
It wasn't that he was worried about his own safety, but this was Siyuan Village after all. Who knew what would happen if the contents of this coffin were released?
He had come here step by step because his life was threatened, but even if he were threatened, he wouldn't open the coffin.
But soon, there would be no more worries.
With a crisp sound, the chains on the sarcophagus all fell away.
Followed by a dull grinding sound, the lid of the sarcophagus slowly slid open.
There was no need for his help; it could have gotten out on its own.
Li Zhuiyuan held his breath, his whole attention focused, waiting for the person in the coffin to sit up.
But after a long wait, it didn't.
An eerie silence descended upon the scene.
Gradually, a breeze began to pick up inside the tower. At first, it was faint, barely swaying the lights, but then it grew stronger, creating a humming sound within the tower.
The humming gradually grew subtler, and finally, it took on the form of a human voice, hoarse, like an old, poorly maintained phonograph.
"Aren't you curious?"
Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I am."
"Then why didn't you dare approach?"
"I'm afraid."
"Are you afraid?"
"Yes, fear is an instinct, just like pain."
"Let's get this skin off and be honest."
"What do you mean?"
"Take this skin off. I don't want to talk to a child."
"No, I am who I am, right now."
"Haha, some people's skin is on their bodies, while others' is in their hearts."
Li Zhuiyuan knew the other party was mocking him, but he didn't care. All his efforts were to preserve this skin, both for himself and for Ah Li.
"Even if you don't want to peel off my skin, please don't talk to me like a child."
"I'm just a child. Fine, I'll try."
"Do you know where this is?"
"A kind of... temple-tomb."
"Yes, a temple-tomb. Then do you know who imprisoned me here?"
"You yourself."
The wind seemed to stop for a moment.
But soon, it began to hum again, forming a speech:
"You guessed it?"
"I don't even know who you are, or when you were born. Since you're asking me this question, the answer should be within my range of options. That leaves you."
"You really resemble someone. When he was little, he was incredibly smart, just like you."
"Can you tell me his name?" Li Zhuiyuan asked tentatively. "That way, I can look him up when I plant trees later."
"You can't find his name."
"Oh."
"He's a beast."
"Did he deceive you?"
"I trusted him too much. Although he's almost the same age as me, I've always looked up to him as a role model. I'm to him what those two people around you are to you."
Li Zhuiyuan knew the two people it was referring to were probably Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, because it only had those limited options.
"Being betrayed by someone you trusted is truly infuriating."
"He didn't just deceive me; he deceived all of us, those of us who followed him."
"He's truly despicable."
"He's just like you, a master of disguise."
Li Zhuiyuan struggled to calm himself. The greatest harm to a mentally ill person is being constantly reminded of their condition.
This conversation with the figure within the sarcophagus brought the boy back to that night's phone call with Li Lan.
"Disguise is your instinct; it seems you were born with it."
"Do you have any explanation?"
Li Zhuiyuan interrupted the conversation. He worried that continuing the conversation would bring out his cold emotions.
"Fill in the fish pond and plant peach trees."
"Don't worry, we'll do it."
"Actually, I should have left a long time ago."
"Where to?"
"You guessed it, yet you still ask. As expected, just like him, hypocrisy is your instinct."
"Can you please not describe him in detail, or even tie me to him? I'm afraid of death, so I followed your lead and came here."
"And then?"
"But there are some things I'd rather die than give up."
"He also said something..."
The wind died down again.
After a long moment, it picked up again.
"Okay."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. I was planning to call you over to be buried with me."
"Thank you for your original intention."
The other party was silent again, but the wind continued.
Li Zhuiyuan, for the sake of "original" himself, took the initiative to speak:
"How did he trick you?"
"He taught me a method to control fainting."
Li Zhuiyuan was shocked. The books he had read described countless methods for dealing with fainting, but none mentioned that fainting could be controlled.
"I was very happy and excited. I trusted and respected him so much, so I learned it."
"So, did you learn it?"
The wind continued to blow, and at that moment, there was movement from within the sarcophagus.
A man rose from the coffin.
Because the coffin was suspended from its base, the man now faced Li Zhuiyuan.
He had long hair, a cold face, and an elegant and refined aura.
However, his eyes were closed, and the subsequent words were again carried by the wind, not by his own words.
"I've learned it, and I can control my death."
"Then how did he lie to you?"
"How did he lie to me?"
The man tilted his head, the wind lifting his temples, revealing a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth—a human face.
The man leaned further to the side, exposing his back. The wind whipped his long hair, revealing the entire back of his head, revealing another woman's face.
It was a terrifying sight: such a handsome man, yet so many faces had emerged.
No, Li Zhuiyuan realized he was being veiled, so what he saw wasn't necessarily real. These now-materialized faces might refer to the man's inner self.
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
The wind intensified, blowing the man's robe up. Wherever his skin was exposed—his arms and chest—it was covered in a dense mass of human faces.
Li Zhuiyuan instinctively took two steps back. Seeing this scene, he felt an itch.
He glanced down at his arms, fearing they might also be facing a stranger.
"He didn't tell me that while I could control them, they could also control me."
Li Zhuiyuan looked away, waiting for the wind to die down before returning.
The man returned to his original position, his clothes and hair falling.
"He said he wanted to rid the world of evil and restore peace to the underworld.
I believed him and followed him, but the result was that the more dead bodies I eliminated, the more I became like a dead body.
When I realized this, there was no turning back.
So, I built this tower and sealed myself away.
I planned to use time to wear them down, and myself down as well.
The ones you just saw had their eyes closed, but originally, they should have been open, crying, screaming, roaring, and wailing every day...
Now, they're gone. I succeeded.
In a few years, I should have been able to wear myself down.
But who knew, a group of monkeys arrived."
"So, fill this place up and plant peach trees. Do you want to continue suppressing yourself?"
"Hurry, because I'm no longer the same person I was back then. Back then, I personally... to avoid endangering the people... Suppressing myself, I now long to keep you with me and bury you.
The real me is dead, or perhaps I can no longer tell which face is the real me.
"I understand. I'll arrange it immediately, while you're still conscious."
"You're wrong. I'm not conscious. I'm not leaving because I'm already in an irreversible state. Leaving will only lead to my demise. I want to preserve some dignity.
Actually, I was having a blast skinning those water monkeys. There's nothing more fun than playing with them.
If there were just a few more of them, if I could experience this joy a little more, I would have truly escaped.
If there had been two more last night, just two;
I wouldn't be talking to you here like this right now."
Li Zhuiyuan thought to himself, "What a close call!" Two of the water monkeys were in the hospital.
Their accomplices had planned to fetch them from the hospital. As is their style, they would bring even injured companions here, even if it was just to keep watch with a flashlight.
Fortunately, I called the police in time.
Unfortunately, I saved my own life.
"And the reason I changed my mind about burying you with me wasn't because I felt pity for you, but because I discovered another, more fun way."
"What way?"
The sound of the wind grew more delicate, like someone whispering seductively in your ear:
"How about I tell you the method he taught me?"
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "You learned that, and you've become like this. With such a counterexample right in front of me, how could I possibly learn it?"
Seeing the other person remain silent, Li Zhuiyuan added:
"You said you were about to disappear. I filled in the fish pond and planted peach trees on it. You don't know whether I've learned it or not, and you can't possibly come up to me again, right?"
"Haha, you will learn it, and once you do, you won't be able to resist using it.
I was certain of this when I 'saw' you crouching on the roof, peeking at me."
Li Zhuiyuan remained silent.
"The thing's in the first drawer of the dresser. Take it or not, it's up to you."
With that, the man lay back down in the sarcophagus.
A method to control falling asleep...
Li Zhuiyuan walked over to the dresser and placed his hand on the handle of the first drawer.
The wind whistled again:
"Now, do you have anything else to say?"
Li Zhuiyuan pursed his lips and said, "I'm a really good judge of character."
"Hehehe... So, burying you here with me wouldn't be as fun as letting you become a ghost like me.
You could just be planting trees. Blame it on me, you really do look a lot like him.
But I can't take revenge on him. I can only transfer this hatred onto you."
"Squeak..."
Li Zhuiyuan opened the drawer. It was empty.
Instantly, a huge sense of loss washed over him.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Have you forgotten where this place is?
This place has been restored. Do you really need to dig it up again to get it?
I've already placed it somewhere you'll definitely see it."
Li Zhuiyuan pushed the drawer back, nodded, and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, because in the future, you'll hate me, just as I hate him now.
Once you learn this, the dead bodies you've controlled will enter your heart, twisting and tainting all your emotions.
One day,
when you look in the mirror,
you'll find yourself so unfamiliar."
Li Zhuiyuan: "..."
The sound of the wind died away completely.
The chains on the sarcophagus retracted, locking it shut again.
The surrounding lights gradually dimmed.
Before Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, a wave of emotion washed over him. He didn't resist, feeling the upward surge.
Suddenly, daylight returned.
Li Zhuiyuan found himself standing in the room, the afternoon sun streaming in, bringing a touch of warmth.
He saw Ding Dalin again, but now he was very thin.
He resembled a shirt, neatly folded on the floor.
Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up the "shirt."
There was no way he could just leave it there, could he?
Also, although he had never weighed an adult's skin before, he still felt it was a bit too heavy.
He pressed his hand against it and felt some hard lumps.
He searched around but couldn't find any cracks.
Finally, he took a deep breath, reached into Ding Dalin's mouth, and reached down, grasping something hard and cold.
He pulled it out and looked at it. It was a large, golden ingot.
This must be the money for renting the land and planting trees.
"You're really good."
A voice called out from the dam below:
"Xiaoyuan, Xiaoyuan!"
Li Zhuiyuan, holding Ding Dalin, walked to the balcony and looked down.
Runsheng stood on the dam, waving a piece of human skin. The skin unfurled, and with his waving, Secretary Kim swayed gracefully in the air.
"I was so scared, Xiaoyuan. I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried you'd end up like this."
"Where's Grandpa?"
"Grandpa's pushing the cart back. What happened?"
"It's okay, Brother Runsheng. Come up here."
"Oh, okay!"
Runsheng ran up so quickly that he didn't even have time to put Secretary Kim away.
It must have caught on some corner; anyway, by the time Runsheng appeared on the balcony, Secretary Kim was already shattered.
"Xiaoyuan, you have one here too. What are you going to do with these two leather jackets?"
"Put them away first. Tonight, burn them in the workshop stove."
"Okay."
"Brother Runsheng, get the ladder."
"What for?"
"Up to the roof."
"Yes, I almost forgot. Our stuff is still up there." Runsheng moved the ladder and climbed up first. As Li Zhuiyuan climbed, he turned back and offered a hand.
The two sacks containing the battle flags and equipment were still there, and Runsheng's personal, full-height Yellow River shovel lay on the ground nearby.
"Xiaoyuan, I'll carry them down."
"Brother Runsheng, hold still."
"Okay."
Li Zhuiyuan walked over to the sacks of equipment, squatted down, and opened them. Inside, he saw an ancient book with a black cover.
This was the method it had left for itself...
He took the book out. There was no title on the cover.
It hadn't mentioned the word "book," only the method. So, this book must be something like a handwritten study note.
Without hesitation, he flipped the page.
And then, Li Zhuiyuan was stunned. The beautiful handwriting was so familiar.
He immediately flipped through several more pages, finally confirming a fact.
He stood up, book in hand, and looked down at the fish pond.
So,
Is the name of the man who lied to you...?
Wei Zhengdao.
(End of this chapter)