The activation failed, and Lin Shuyou failed to become the White Crane True Monarch.
What's even worse is that the hospitable house owner and his wife saw two young people standing at the door and thought there was something wrong, so they took the initiative to go out and ask.
But those two are real evil spirits.
It can haunt living people to control it forward, and there is a thick ghost mist rolled behind them, among the ghosts, it belongs to the quite fierce group.
You don't have to sneak around and take advantage of the chaos at night, people can kill you directly in front of you.
This kind of thing usually doesn't exist for too long, and if it is too ostentatious, it is easy to be hit, but there will always be innocent people who will become the price of their early sins.
Lin Shuyou was anxious and didn't care about anything else, so he jumped directly from the terrace on the second floor.
The bad news is that the boy is still asleep, and the worse news is that Lin Shuyou has just woken up and his injuries have not yet healed.
Previously, when I was washing clothes, I was gasping for breath, but now as soon as I landed from a high place, the ribs on my body, especially on my chest, seemed to have internal friction.
The pain was bearable, but the ensuing chest tightness and shortness of breath made Lin Shuyou's figure stagger, and he almost couldn't stand still.
After all, the first awakening from a serious injury and the first recovery from a serious illness are not the same concept, the latter is just a bit empty, and the former is likely to be still there.
But seeing that the hostess was already opening the door and asking the other party if she wanted to come in to take shelter from the rain, Lin Shuyou immediately ran over and took out the Evil Breaking Talisman needle from his pocket.
Qian Ying and Wu Lan's eyes swept towards the master couple, and the couple's eyes immediately fell into a daze.
Before there was any next action, Lin Shuyou rushed out, and two talisman needles were thrown out and stuck on the young man and woman.
A series of "cracklings", Qian Ying and Wu Lan's figures kept retreating, and two screams that did not belong to them came out.
Unfortunately, the mist behind him kept rolling, offsetting a large amount of damage from the talisman paper, and the talisman paper burned out.
While the two of them were embarrassed, they were also aroused by ferocity, and their red eyes looked at Lin Shuyou collectively, and resentment burst out.
In the past, it was impossible for this resentment to invade Lin Shuyou at all, but now it can be photographed directly, and Ayou's figure flies out upside down.
Qian Ying and Wu Lan each raised their hands, their hair was dishilled, their feet did not move, their toes slid on the ground, and they pounced.
Lin Shuyou instinctively wanted to slap his palm and fly up, but this slap, not only did he fail to get up, but the corners of his mouth twitched in pain, and he almost rolled his eyes.
Experience and consciousness are all there, but this physical state is completely incompatible, which seriously drags it down.
At this moment, Lin Shuyou experienced Brother Xiaoyuan's greatest distress.
There was no way, seeing the evil ghost pounce on him, Ayou could only use his hands and feet with his buttocks, sitting and moving back, but Qian Ying and Wu Lan were already approaching.
The dignified White Crane True Monarch, there is really a kind of grievance like a tiger falling into Pingyang at this moment.
In its true heyday, these two evil spirits were absolutely easy to solve, even without the power of the true monarch, just relying on Ayou's skills and utensils and talisman paper, they could play them around.
But at the moment, they can really ask for their lives.
Wu Lan leaned forward and pressed down straight like a compass, and Lin Shuyou turned his buttocks as a spinning top, which was able to dodge.
"Puff..."
Wu Lan dug his ten fingers into the ground. If he had stabbed himself, there would have been ten more holes.
But there were two of them, after all. Lin Shuyou had barely dodged one when Qian Ying slid over and sat on his abdomen.
Qian Ying's legs bent, her center of gravity on her body, but her lower body pressed firmly against Lin Shuyou, completely pinning him down.
To an uninformed outsider, it might seem a bit erotic, but once possessed by a ghost, a person becomes something else entirely.
Lin Shuyou felt as if a large slab of ice had pressed heavily against his abdomen, and the stench of decay forced its way into his nostrils.
People who have just been injured wouldn't rot that quickly, but it's this fresh decay that has the strongest smell, the lingering scent of a living person intermingled with the ghost's, like a dish of mulberry leaves dipped in soy milk.
Qian Ying raised her arms, then lunged at Lin Shuyou's chest, just as Wu Lan had done before.
Lin Shuyou raised his hand to block, and although he managed to hold the opponent's wrist, his body was too weak to hold out for long. Moreover, Wu Lan had already approached, lunging at him.
Ayou was in despair.
Not because he was going to die, but because he was going to die at the hands of such a worthless person.
Originally, he lived here with Runsheng and Brother Bin.
There was no other choice, so Zhao Yi accompanied Runsheng to visit Yin Meng's grave.
Brother Bin borrowed the host's tricycle and went to the nearby county town to make some more supplies.
Well, even if Brother Bin were here, it would be useless. The four spirit beasts within him hadn't awakened yet. With Brother Bin's skills, he wouldn't be able to help much, except to add another corpse to the burial.
Runsheng, on the other hand, despite his heavily bandaged chest and injuries no less severe than his own, had a genuinely murderous glint in his eyes when he first woke up and inquired about Yin Meng's whereabouts.
Lin Shuyou saw that Three Eyes had initially intended to joke, but upon seeing his expression, he immediately began to speak properly.
As for his own body, after being constantly adjusted by the boy, its resistance to injury was still far inferior to Runsheng's. It could only be said that the boy was too weak.
Wu Lan's claws were already before him, and Lin Shuyou could smell the ghostly aura emanating from his mouth. Although he still struggled to hold his ground against Qian Ying's arms, he had already closed his eyes.
Even in his dying moments, he didn't regret jumping in to save someone in his dire state. Not only had the couple who owned the house been so welcoming to him, even if he had encountered an ordinary stranger in such a situation, Shuyou would have rushed to their aid without hesitation.
"Ahhh!"
A scream rang out, and Wu Lan straightened up, his arms flailing wildly.
Lin Shuyou immediately opened his eyes, turned his head, and saw the figure of a young man standing in the doorway... Brother Xiaoyuan.
It was only then that Lin Shuyou suddenly realized: Yes, Brother Xiaoyuan was nearby!
Logically, he shouldn't have overlooked it, but he hadn't thought of it before.
Ayou felt like he'd hit his head. The truth was, in such an emergency, it was easy to overlook something. Even a military advisor in a wheelchair, wearing a feather fan and a robe, could draw his sword and strike someone.
A talisman was taped to Wu Lan's back. The talisman paper glowed red, like a branding iron, burning Wu Lan and causing the surrounding mist to swirl and boil.
The effect was countless times stronger than when Lin Shuyou had used the talisman just now.
The reason was that Lin Shuyou had applied the talisman to Wu Lan and Qian Ying, while the young man had applied it to the evil spirit possessing them.
Wu Lan was completely enraged. He dropped Lin Shuyou and roared at the young man.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't dodge, but continued walking in the same direction as he had when he pushed open the gate.
When Wu Lan rushed to the boy, Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand and pointed forward.
With a thud, Wu Lan knelt before Li Zhuiyuan.
With a casual wave of the boy's right hand, Wu Lan seemed to be dragged by an invisible hand and thrown out like garbage.
This wasn't some telekinetic ability; it was the demon behind him controlling Wu Lan's body. Li Zhuiyuan was capturing the demon.
Qian Ying, who was sitting on Lin Shuyou, paused. She was more terrified by the aura he had just emanated than by the boy's nonchalant abandonment of her companion.
The ghosts of Fengdu, who lived near Fengdu, were more experienced than those outside. That aura was enough to make the ghosts surrounding Fengdu tremble.
She immediately stood up from Lin Shuyou's body and, instead of running towards the boy, ran towards the courtyard wall in the opposite direction.
But somehow, this body disobeyed his commands, spun on the spot, and rushed straight towards the young man.
The young man pulled out his small compass, held it in front of him.
Qian Ying ran closer, slid to her knees, and as if to place her forehead against the compass.
The compass spun.
"Ah!!!!"
A shrill scream rang out, as if from torture.
The compass contained the strange copper coin, normally used for calculations. But in reality, if the young man were willing to unlock its restrictions, most evil spirits would dare not approach it, for the coin was even more sinister.
A moment later, a wisp of black mist rose from Qian Ying's back, dispersing the evil spirit.
Qian Ying fell forward, facedown, to the ground. Her body, previously seemingly normal, was now covered in corpse spots.
There was no need for an examination; the person was already dead beyond death.
Li Zhuiyuan walked over to Wu Lan. Having been thrown by the young man, he was still kneeling on the ground, not because he wanted to, but because he had absolutely no other choice.
The young man began his yin-yang move.
Behind Wu Lan stood a middle-aged man with a festering, hideous face.
"I ask, you answer."
"I'll tell you everything, please forgive me..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a ball of karmic fire erupted from the young man's fingertips and struck the evil spirit, causing it to let out a terrifying wail.
After a moment, the karmic fire dissipated, and the young man spoke again:
"I ask, you answer."
"You...please ask."
After questioning, Li Zhuiyuan refocused the karmic fire in his palm and grasped the evil spirit, allowing it to completely disintegrate in the most agonizing state.
Clapping his hands, the young man stood up and glanced at the ghost fog still lingering around him. He didn't rush to dispel it.
This ghost fog could block the perception of ordinary people outside, so it was still useful for the time being.
Qian Ying and Wu Lan are dead, and they died here. It's hard to explain, and dealing with both the police and Mr. Zhai is a real hassle.
Li Zhuiyuan planned to have the two bodies taken back to the mountaintop temple later. There was an old monk there who was the instigator of all this.
Lin Shuyou struggled to his feet and leaned over, abashed. "Brother Xiaoyuan, I..."
"Are you okay?"
"No, just a few scratches, nothing serious."
"Did you ask Zhao Yi for the pill?"
"He gave it to me after I woke up. He said it was precious, and he only had one left."
Lin Shuyou had initially expected Brother Xiaoyuan to lecture him about trying to be a hero when he wasn't feeling well. He remembered Brother Bin mentioning that Brother Xiaoyuan had criticized Runsheng for making the same mistake when he first started college.
Unexpectedly, Brother Xiaoyuan didn't seem to be criticizing him at all.
Li Zhuiyuan walked over to the stunned couple, the owner of the house. He stood on tiptoe, raised his arm, and tapped their foreheads one by one with his fingertips. He then placed a heart-clearing talisman on each of them, telling them to get a good night's sleep. He then instructed Lin Shuyou:
"When the boy wakes up, have him extract the remaining demonic energy from these two people and comb their bodies."
The boy had previously served as a military commander, so he must be skilled at this. However, the temple charges a fee for this ritual, and it's quite expensive. In many cases, the spirits are unwilling to undertake such work.
"Okay, Brother Xiaoyuan, I'll remember that."
"Room fee?"
"Brother Bin told me to leave it before I leave."
"Yes."
Lin Shuyou first dragged the owner back into the house and placed him on the bed, then placed the bodies of Qian Ying and Wu Lan back inside.
Li Zhuiyuan reached out and dispelled the ghostly mist surrounding them.
He felt that the ghost wasn't coming for them.
After the battle that night, the underworld wouldn't send anyone to target them again. If they did, they'd at least send a ghost commander or something. These evil spirits, transformed into minions, were simply too unworthy.
So, they were most likely targeting Elder Zhai and his men.
It wasn't long before Zhao Yi and Runsheng came running back. Zhao Yi must have sensed the ghostly aura emerging from the town.
Runsheng frowned, a look of deep remorse on his face.
He felt that his absence had put Xiaoyuan in danger.
Zhao Yi patted Runsheng's arm and said, "This is none of your business. Who knew Ah You would be so useless now?"
Lin Shuyou glared at Zhao Yi, then nodded, "That's right."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't delay! Return these two bodies to the temple on the mountain, and then take care of that evil monk inside."
Zhao Yi: "Okay, I'll go right away."
Runsheng stood still.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Runsheng, come with me. I'm fine. Even without Ah You, I can protect myself."
Runsheng didn't want to leave, but he had to obey Xiaoyuan, so he accompanied Zhao Yi, carrying the body, and secretly ascended the mountain.
Lin Shuyou asked worriedly, "Brother Xiaoyuan, will they..."
Li Zhuiyuan: "If Zhao Yi is so dangerous even in a temple like that, then he'd better not leave Jiang."
Back at the yard where the trucks were parked, Li Zhuiyuan first secretly boarded their bus, then got out and got into the back of his own truck.
After an examination, it was initially estimated that it would take another night for the Liang sisters to regain consciousness.
Li Zhuiyuan placed his hands on the sisters' foreheads, tapping repeatedly, hoping to force them to wake up early.
The sisters slowly regained consciousness, one immediately retching, the other clutching her head.
After briefly explaining the situation, Li Zhuiyuan instructed them to leave with their supplies and search for Yin Meng's burial site.
The sisters' biggest problem was that they had overdrawn their lifespans, but they retained more of their skills than Lin Shuyou did today, so they quickly escaped the courtyard's prying eyes.
After getting off the car, Li Zhuiyuan bumped into the researcher with the receding hairline and chatted with him for a while before going upstairs to his room.
By dusk, seeing that Qian Ying and Wu Lan hadn't returned, Elder Zhai and his companions could no longer sit still. With the exception of Elder Zhai himself, who remained behind, all the disciples and the police officers responsible for the courtyard's security went out to search.
Later, the host also mobilized nearby villagers to help.
The first vehicles to be searched were those in and around the courtyard, especially Li Zhuiyuan's truck. They weren't suspected of kidnapping Tibetans, but rather of young couples finding a spacious spot for intimacy and then falling asleep, losing track of time.
Early on, Elder Zhai sat under the eaves, a glass of water in hand. The rain poured down outside, and he kept turning the lid, revealing his inner anxiety.
Li Zhuiyuan took the initiative and said, "Grandpa Zhai, let me change the hot water for you."
"No, that's not necessary." Old Zhai reached out and took Li Zhuiyuan's hand. "Sit here with Grandpa for a while."
Li Zhuiyuan nodded and sat down with him.
The old man simply wanted to wait for the results, not to engage in conversation during the chess game.
Time passed slowly, and darkness fell. Outside, the rain intensified. From here, only the occasional flashlight from the mountaintop could be seen dimly.
Just then, a disciple hurried over, covered in mud and water, having fallen at the gate.
Old Zhai stood up and muttered, "Zheng Hua, have you found him?"
The disciple tumbled over, his glasses covered in water droplets, a mix of rain and tears, and replied in a sobbing voice.
"Teacher, we've found their bodies!"
Zhai Laoru, as if struck by lightning, sat back down.
Zheng Hua began to explain that the temple on the mountaintop was small, maintained year-round by a single old monk. They first went to the top of the mountain to search the temple, but the doors were wide open and no one was inside.
The group dispersed, including searching the backside of the mountain.
After searching for a long time, they encountered police officers who came up the mountain to connect with the officers. They learned that someone from the duty station at a small hydropower station down the mountain had come to report a crime. They had seen the old monk chasing two young men, a man and a woman, with a knife.
The young man and woman shouted, "Don't kill me, don't kill me."
The old monk screamed, "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill you!"
The duty station immediately called in several other staff members on duty, and they joined them in the search. As everyone watched, all three men slipped and fell into the ravine.
Everyone rushed over and looked down, seeing the three men lying motionless at the edge of the ravine. Someone tied a rope and lowered it down to check. After confirming that all three were dead, they frantically called the police.
After hearing the description, Li Zhuiyuan realized that the chase scene witnessed by the people at the hydropower station must have been a deliberate re-creation of Zhao Yi's puppetry.
The reason this matter took so long was because it was raining heavily, and there were hardly any people outside. Zhao Yi spent a long time searching for a suitable witness.
Old Zhai took a deep breath and said sadly:
"I should have kept an eye on them. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let them run around. I should have known the danger was there. I thought we were safe as long as we didn't enter Fengdu... I was careless. It's my fault. I killed them."
Seeing that the old man was showing signs of losing his composure, Li Zhuiyuan took the opportunity to ask:
"Grandpa Zhai, this isn't your fault. Who could have predicted this?"
Old Zhai: "It was bound to happen. Only three people from the first exploration team returned alive, and they were all insane."
After saying this, Old Zhai closed his eyes.
Li Zhuiyuan and the disciple helped him back to his room to rest.
The case then settled into its normal rhythm. Although there were still a few illogical points, such as the old monk's motive for murder and the lividity on the body, there were numerous witnesses and their testimony was credible, making the case easy to handle.
As Li Zhuiyuan lay in bed reading, Zhao Yi climbed in through the window and said, "There are two more police cars outside, and there are officers downstairs taking statements."
"Yes."
"Runsheng and the others have returned to that room. They really trust me to take care of your security."
"At least for now, I feel relieved."
The key to resolving this Fengdu crisis lies with Li Zhuiyuan. Given their current relationship, there's no need to worry about sneak attacks or assassinations. Even if Zhao Yi suddenly lost his mind and wanted to kill someone, he wouldn't do it during this period. He had to consider the needs of his entire clan, not just for himself.
"That old monk is an idiot. When I examined his belongings and notes, I discovered he'd truly cultivated compassion to a certain level.
The old man had a modicum of spiritual power, but not much. When he caught evil spirits, he couldn't bring himself to disperse or suppress them. Instead, he wanted to keep them and use his Buddhist teachings to convert them.
As a result, the evil spirits kept coming, and one day, they turned against him, transforming him into a ghost monk.
But normally, he'd only stolen livestock to replenish his blood supply, not go on a killing spree. But today, when he encountered that young couple entering the temple to burn incense, he seemed to be provoked. Like that.
Not only are they killing people, they're also heading towards town.
I don't think they're targeting us, but these researchers."
"Yes."
"Someone's trying to stop us from going to Fengdu, and someone else's trying to stop them from going there."
"Yes." "What the enemy is targeting is what we're going to protect."
"Yes."
"Could you please give me a little more feedback?"
"We agree. What else do you need to say?"
"Praise my intelligence and wisdom."
Li Zhuiyuan didn't praise me. Instead, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number.
When there was no answer, Li Zhuiyuan called a pager.
Late at night, after they'd already turned off the lights and gone to bed, the cell phone rang.
Li Zhuiyuan answered the phone. Xue Liangliang's voice came from the other end:
"Xiaoyuan, I just set up the car by the river today. Don't worry, I've tested all of them for you. I've driven them many times, and there's no problem!"
"Brother Liangliang, thank you."
"It's okay. Ouch..." Xue Liangliang cried out in pain from the other end, followed by a few blows from himself, and then a rustling of wind.
Through the sound, Li Zhuiyuan could picture Xue Liangliang's movements.
Standing by the river, he pounded his waist and made circular movements with his upper body, trying to relieve the numbness and pain.
After the other end replaced the microphone, Li Zhuiyuan spoke:
"Brother Liangliang, thank you for your hard work. You've been driving for so long today."
The person on the other end of the line was speechless, and his face probably flushed.
Once upon a time, Xue Liangliang came to Nantong whenever he had time, and whenever he did, he'd jump into the river. He even made a Nantong TV appearance for saving someone while doing so.
It's been so long since he's been home, and now that he finally has a legitimate reason to return, he's a little impatient. He misses his unborn child, and of course, his mother, too.
"Ahem... ahem... Xiaoyuan, is there anything else you need?"
"Yes."
"Then go ahead, I'm listening."
"Let her answer the phone."
"She, you mean her?"
"Yes." Li Zhuiyuan paused. Xue Liangliang's reputation was indeed significant enough to warrant the young man adding, "Sister-in-law."
That meant he could only call her when the Bai family's mistress wasn't around. If she was present, even if Li Zhuiyuan wanted to, she wouldn't dare to listen.
"Then wait, I'll go call her."
The cell phone wasn't waterproof, so it was left on the shore.
Then, Li Zhuiyuan heard a "thump."
Though Xue Liangliang had witnessed bizarre events and mingled with bizarre people, forging bizarre connections,
he wasn't a Xuanmen cultivator after all. He couldn't summon the Bai family ladies from the riverbed by simply throwing a piece of yellow paper like Tan Wenbin and the others did. He could only resort to the most primitive method, knocking on the door.
It was swift; it didn't take long before the cell phone was picked up again. It probably wasn't doing anything else.
"Xiaoyuan, she's up. I'll give her the cell phone."
"No..."
Before Li Zhuiyuan could finish, a piercing noise echoed from the other end of the line.
The Bai family dam wasn't human. Leaving the phone near her would cause signal problems.
The Baijia Town had previously sent someone to call Lu Yi, but that call was also made by possessing a person.
"Xiaoyuan, she said you can't hear me this way, right?"
"Well, Brother Liangliang, you relay my message."
"Okay, you say, hey, hey, hey, don't..."
"Help her get up."
"Get up. Xiaoyuan told you to. Okay, she's up now."
"Tell her to come with you to Fengdu to ensure your safety."
Without Li Zhuiyuan's order, the Bai family was not allowed to leave Nantong territory.
"Xiaoyuan, she's pregnant. It wouldn't be convenient for her. Can someone else accompany me?"
"No."
The other Bai family ladies might be capable, but Li Zhuiyuan didn't trust them. She alone would never want her unborn child to be fatherless.
"Xiaoyuan, she agreed."
"Well, the new exploration team is stuck in traffic. It'll probably take another two or three days to get to Fengdu. Brother Liangliang, you can stay in Nantong for a while and fill up the car for me."
"I'm almost out of gas myself."
"Good night."
Li Zhuiyuan hung up the phone.
Zhao Yi, lying on his side in the bed next to him, looked over, his head propped up by his right hand, chewing on an apple in his left.
"Brother Liangliang, is that Xue Liangliang?"
"Yes."
"That guy might be acting. Remember how he fooled those two Corpse Gu Sect members?"
"Didn't he fool you too?"
"Heh, he can't fool me. I knew he was just an ordinary guy from the beginning, but he did have an effect. I think he might be a trick in your empty city plan."
"Oh."
"You asked him to buy you cars? Several? And you even gave him bodyguards? No, your relationship is... "Is this so deliberate and profound?"
"Brother Liangliang, aren't you afraid of the repercussions of those minor consequences?"
Zhao Yi paused chewing his apple, sat up, and asked in astonishment:
"Is this guy that kind of person?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you introduce him to me earlier?"
"What's there to introduce? He's just an ordinary person."
"Do you know what it means to be able to make a sincere and genuine acquaintance with someone like that when he was young?"
Li Zhuiyuan didn't reply. He simply picked up the water glass on the bedside table and took a sip.
"We crossed the river to accumulate merit, but this kind of person is naturally protected by it!"
After saying this, Zhao Yi calmed down and said with dissatisfaction:
"Mr. Li, how come you always encounter good people and good things?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Don't you have enough opportunities?"
Zhao Yi: "Alas, if I hadn't met you, I would really feel like I was chosen by heaven."
"Yeah."
"Hehe, that 'yes' is so comforting to me."
Zhao Yi didn't have it all smooth sailing. In fact, he encountered many setbacks and crises, some of which were either passively or actively triggered by Li Zhuiyuan, but he was able to overcome them in the end.
Li Zhuiyuan was a very cautious person, and the man he once considered a threat had successfully shed that identity and now shared his bedroom.
"Forget it, forget it. Deliberately associating with someone like that will only bring you misfortune, because they're scheming."
"Whatever."
"Go to sleep. The rain probably won't stop tomorrow. I'm going to go for a run in the mountains, find a deserted spot, and examine the changes in myself."
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel great. Those three incense sticks are truly like three opportunities. I've benefited greatly from them. I have to thank you for helping me survive."
"You're welcome. You're taking the blame for everyone else."
"I was deliberately trying to take advantage of the situation. My motives aren't that pure."
"There's something I want to tell you."
"Why wait until now?"
"Because it's just a feeling."
"You tell me, I'm listening."
"I have doubts about Mr. Zhai's identity."
"Huh?" Zhao Yi looked puzzled. "What's wrong with him? Actually, I checked him out the moment I saw him. He's a normal, living person. Nothing wrong with him, right?"
"I didn't find anything wrong, but I felt like I wanted to question his identity."
"Describe that feeling."
"In preparation for joining my teacher and the others later, I've deliberately avoided much contact with him these past two days. But even in those few brief encounters, he gave me a different feeling. For example, when speaking, I often give seemingly correct answers, but they actually have a different meaning.
Similar scenes have occurred many times in my interactions with my great-grandfather.
My great-grandfather is blessed with good fortune, so even if I directly address a crisis, his good fortune will cause him to become passive, confused, and deliberately evasive.
My conversations with him may appear to proceed normally, but in reality, they are not about the same thing at all."
Zhao Yi, with a look of envy, sighed:
"Damn, I envy you for having so many reference points.
Why do all those old men in my family seem so unlucky? They always claim to be doing what's best for me. The number and starting point almost got me killed.
Well, can you be more specific, like which conversations?"
"Today, when I was playing chess with him, I asked him where he was from, and he said he was from Nanyang. I remember reading reports about him and remembering he was from Xi'an.
Fearing the reports were inaccurate, I went to the bus where they stored their documents and looked for him, and his place of origin was indeed Xi'an.
For this reason, I even spoke with his disciples and learned that Master Zhai was an abandoned orphan, which ruled out the possibility of his ancestral home."
Zhao Yi murmured, "Nanyang..."
Zhao Yi would also thoroughly prepare for the early stages, especially since he knew who he was going to meet.
He immediately thought of a related piece of information and said:
"The Yin family, Xinye County, Nanyang Commandery. Yin Lihua was from there."
The Nanyang Yin clan produced more than one empress during the Eastern Han Dynasty, making them true royal relatives.
Li Zhuiyuan: "Well, he also said he had an older sister as a child who was very protective of him."
Zhao Yi: "But he's an orphan... Could it be that this sister he met while wandering as a child?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "The main thing is, when he mentioned this sister, none of the disciples watching us play chess reacted strangely.
I even asked one of them, and he said his teacher had never mentioned he had a sister before."
At the time, Li Zhuiyuan wasn't so perceptive while chatting with Master Zhai. It wasn't until he noticed the demon was heading their way that he replayed all his memories of encountering Master Zhai and realized the strangeness.
Zhao Yi: "No way, that's impossible. That's ridiculous..."
Li Zhuiyuan: "This is just a guess about his identity. You should try to pay more attention from now on."
Zhao Yi: "Now that you say that, it's hard not to."
The next day, the rain continued to fall.
Struck by the loss of his two young disciples, Elder Zhai had a severe fever, and his consciousness was somewhat hazy.
His condition was so poor that they didn't dare put him on a tricycle and take him to the county hospital via the bumpy roads. After all, the main roads were still blocked, making it impossible to move forward or backward. In the end, they had to call a doctor from the county hospital for an examination.
However, when his disciples urged him not to go to Fengdu again, saying that his health was more important and that he should stay here or return once the road was cleared to seek thorough medical treatment and recuperation at a reputable hospital, Elder Zhai reacted strongly. Although his words were slurred, his attitude was firm: Fengdu, he had to go!
Zhao Yi went out during the day, seeking a quiet place for self-examination.
Runsheng hadn't left the house that day, sitting in the courtyard. From that angle, he could just see the second floor where Li Zhuiyuan lived.
Finally, in the afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan approached, holding an umbrella, saying he wanted to visit Mengmeng's resting place.
Lin Shuyou had originally wanted to join them to pay his respects.
But Tongzi had just woken up, and he was busy grooming the owner of the house, unable to get away.
A tent, pitched in a blind spot beneath the cliff, was where the Liang sisters lived.
As Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng approached, they heard laughter and chatter from inside.
Zhao Yi, having finished examining the patient's condition, returned, but instead of returning to the house, he came here to chat with the two sisters.
"So you're so ugly when you're old. You can only light candles when you're old, not the lights. Otherwise, you'll see too clearly, and the candlelight will give you a bit of blur, so you can fool yourself."
"So you've sagged so much when you're old. You haven't even breastfed a child yet. Ouch, tsk tsk."
One after another, extremely servile voices rang out from the tent, drawing a constant barrage of sarcasm from the two sisters.
Liang Yan: "You're old, and you still need candles? I'm afraid you won't even feel the wax dripping down there."
Liang Li: "If I sag when I'm old, it's much better than the hollow, hollow chest you have now."
Li Zhuiyuan knew that Zhao Yi was deliberately trying to please them; he had always known what they wanted.
Although they had already made a verbal promise and a marriage certificate, it was too vague. This kind of imaginary affront only gave the two women a sense of security.
After all, these sisters weren't traditionally gentle people. Enemies who fell into their hands often met a tragic end, and when they felt like it, they would deliberately resort to sting operations, recruiting others to torture them.
Zhao Yi emerged from the tent and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. He shrugged and sighed.
He didn't love them.
That sounded irresponsible, but he didn't even love himself. He often used his body and soul as a testing ground, being incredibly cruel to himself.
He himself believed that he would never fall in love in his lifetime, at least not in the kind of love that ordinary people would see.
Li Zhuiyuan looked at Yin Meng's grave, where a makeshift awning had been erected, and beneath it, lilac flowers were planted.
Zhao Yi explained with a smile, "They're just bored here, with nothing to do anyway."
Then Zhao Yi looked at Runsheng again: "What kind of flowers does Yin Meng like?"
Runsheng: "Money flowers."
Zhao Yi: "Then I'll go look for the tombs of small landlords nearby and get some copper coins and silver from them to put on display for her?"
Runsheng: "Sure."
After a pause, Runsheng continued: "Once I find one, I'll go dig."
Zhao Yi shook his head: "No need. I'll find the place, and they can do it. The hole needs to be small, just enough for them to get in and out, and we also have to ensure the tomb isn't severely damaged. When Yin Meng wakes up, these burial objects need to be returned intact, and we'll call the local Cultural Relics Protection Bureau to notify them.
Right, Mr. Li, I know that's your style."
Runsheng: "Not Xiaoyuan's, but Zhuangzhuang's."
When it comes to being a person, Tan Wenbin has a complete and mature logic of his own, and is particularly adept at interacting with non-human beings.
After bidding farewell to the two sisters, Zhao Yi and Li Zhuiyuan returned together.
Master Zhai's disciples were now all filled with gloom. Their younger brothers and sisters had both suffered accidents, and their master had fallen ill. The entire team was truly in a state of panic.
It was late at night.
Li Zhuiyuan sat up in bed, and Zhao Yi followed suit, leaving the room first.
When Li Zhuiyuan emerged and reached Master Zhai's room, the door was open. One of the disciples who had been accompanying him had fallen into a peaceful coma after being struck by a knife.
Zhao Yi's actions were undoubtedly flawless. If it had been Lin Shuyou who had done it, Li Zhuiyuan would have gone out of his way to check for breath.
As he closed the door, Li Zhuiyuan casually set up an isolation formation.
The two of them approached Master Zhai's bedside, still hooked to an IV drip.
With age, even minor ailments can easily lead to major problems. At this moment, the old man's face was pale, devoid of any trace of blood. Li Chaiyuan and Zhao Yi examined Elder Zhai together. The young man was well-versed in health preservation and pharmacology, while Zhao Yi excelled in traditional and unconventional medical techniques.
I felt uneasy if I didn't examine him thoroughly. I wondered if the old man would suffer an accident while I and the others were protecting him from outsiders.
Zhao Yi: "It's a serious problem."
Li Chaiyuan: "Yes."
Zhao Yi: "I have to intervene."
Li Chaiyuan: "Then you do it."
Zhao Yi took out his own silver needles and prepared to administer the first acupuncture.
As soon as the first needle was inserted, Elder Zhai suddenly opened his eyes.
He wasn't looking at Zhao Yi and the young man beside the bed. Instead, he stared at the ceiling, his hands clenched tightly around the bed covers, his upper body forced halfway up, his entire body tense, veins bulging.
"Ah...ah...ah..."
A strange sound escaped his throat, and then he began to speak:
"I'm going to flood Fengdu. I'm going to...flood the ghost town!"
(End of this chapter)