Li Zhuiyuan hung up the phone and turned to the shopkeeper, “How much is it?”
The shopkeeper swallowed nervously. He still believed this child was just being mischievous, but just to be sure, he put the call on speaker and pressed redial.
The brief redial tone made the shopkeeper’s eyebrows twitch. Once the call connected, he heard the voice of an emergency responder:
“Hello, this is Tongzhou Public Security Bureau…”
“Clack!”
The shopkeeper immediately hung up, staring at Li Zhuiyuan in disbelief. He never expected that this child had actually called the police!
“What are you doing, you little rascal?!”
The shopkeeper, panicked, dashed out from behind the counter to inform his peers, hoping the police wouldn't catch them red-handed.
Li Zhuiyuan glanced at the phone. Initially, he thought the shopkeeper redialed just to say, “It was a child playing, sorry for the trouble.”
Instead, after confirming it was a police call, the shopkeeper became so frightened he hung up without considering an explanation.
Nevertheless, Li Zhuiyuan placed the phone fee on the counter, helped himself to two candies from the jar as change, and tucked them into his pocket.
Back then, candies often had another layer of sugary coating even after being unwrapped. While others might savor it, Li Zhuiyuan had the habit of scraping it off first.
After cleaning the candy coating, he tossed both candies into his mouth. As he slowly ate, the shopkeeper still hadn’t come out of the video store.
Li Zhuiyuan knew something must have happened inside.
He sighed quietly, decided to leave, and move further away.
After waiting for cars to pass, he crossed the street. Still feeling too close, he walked further west, stopping in front of a bicycle repair shop.
From there, he could see the video store across the road. When the police arrived, they would pass his side first.
Not long after, a police motorcycle, followed by a police car, arrived.
Both vehicles stopped in front of the video store, and six uniformed officers stepped out; four entered through the front door while two circled to the back.
The arrival of police vehicles caught the attention of many nearby. Some evening strollers and shopkeepers gathered to watch the spectacle unfold.
Li Zhuiyuan didn’t go forward to join the crowd. He stood where he was, quietly waiting for the outcome.
Within two minutes, an officer rushed out from the video store in disbelief.
Li Zhuiyuan’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that even the police were affected?
But when he saw the officer grabbing a radio from the police car, and another officer emerging from the store, he understood. The environment was compromised.
The Records of the Righteous Path Subduing Demons had a whole section on “miasma,” a special environment formed when death lingers in a place.
That text detailed many ways to explore, analyze, and break such phenomena.
Evidently, in Wei Zhengdao’s era, there were no telephones or public security officers.
Reinforcement after reinforcement soon arrived. Among them, a middle-aged officer dressed in plain clothes, with a stubbly chin, quickly surveyed his surroundings upon stepping out of his car.
While it felt inappropriate to describe an officer this way, his gaze was hawk-like, razor-sharp, immediately catching Li Zhuiyuan’s attention.
What surprised Li Zhuiyuan even more was that the man, instead of going into the video store, pushed through the crowd as if heading towards him.
Yet, his colleagues’ voices called him back before he made it over.
Meanwhile, people from the video store were escorted out one by one.
They all appeared weak, stumbling as they walked, but their faces were flushed, and they seemed dizzy and out of it.
The plain-clothed officer approached one and pressed upward on their forearm, a gesture akin to a classic massage move.
Then, he let go and repeated the action on others.
“Team Leader Tan, what's the matter?”
Tan Yunlong shook his head. “Doesn't seem like it’s from substance use.”
Hearing these words, many officers around showed expressions of confusion.
Initially, it seemed to be a simple raid against illicit activities. But once the deployed officers arrived to inspect, they excitedly reported back.
The whole department was in an uproar.
Who could have guessed that in this town, they’d unexpectedly uncover a group drug den?
Tan Yunlong knew what his colleagues were thinking. He could only say, “This is just my personal judgment. Let’s take them back to the station, then have the town's clinic send medical staff for an examination.”
“Yes, Team Leader Tan.”
Truthfully, even Tan Yunlong wasn’t fully convinced. The behavior of these people was just too indicative.
Quickly, everyone from the video store was brought outside.
Among them, Li Zhuiyuan noticed Leizi and Panzi. They didn’t seem frightened by the police and kept chatting to themselves, occasionally clapping hands.
The two women working part-time at the video store also behaved similarly, even joking and chatting with the officers beside them.
Anyone could tell something was amiss.
Additionally, Li Zhuiyuan realized that Brother Leopard wasn’t there behind the woman.
Where Brother Leopard went, he didn’t know and couldn’t figure out.
Next, they were loaded into police vehicles one by one, and the police sealed off both the video store and the small shop next door.
Although the report came from the small shop, the boss himself now behaved the most wildly after getting in the police car. He pressed against the window glass, making faces.
Perhaps because he was the last to get in, his excitement was at its peak.
Scanning around, Li Zhuiyuan wondered why Brother Runsheng hadn’t returned yet.
Just then, he noticed a tricycle onlooker in the crowd and approached the driver, indicating the town clinic’s location and asked for the fare.
After hearing the fare, Li Zhuiyuan realized he had slipped into Mandarin due to the earlier phone call and hadn’t switched back to local dialect. So he inquired again in Nantong speak.
The tricycle driver sheepishly smiled and quoted a fare at half the earlier price.
Upon reaching the town clinic, before having a chance to ask Sister Mei where Runsheng and the others were, he saw two officers already up ahead.
He followed them and soon found a quiet ward. Outside on the bench, Runsheng was sitting quietly.
The officers entered the ward, while Li Zhuiyuan approached Runsheng, gently nudging him to ask,
“Brother Runsheng, why are you sitting here?”
Runsheng looked up. “Little Yuan…”
After some conversation, Li Zhuiyuan learned what happened after they reached the hospital.
First, Brother Leopard couldn’t be saved and was pronounced dead.
Upon hearing this, Sister Mei fainted on the spot.
The elderly tricyclist left immediately after arriving at the hospital.
Therefore, the clinic staff asked Runsheng to stay for payments. But without any money, he was left here as a “hostage.”
He thought once Sister Mei woke up and things were clarified, he could go. It's just that Sister Mei had been unconscious for quite a while already.
Proactively, Li Zhuiyuan approached the officers in the room, explaining that his friend was only helping out of goodwill and shouldn’t be involved in further complications.
The officers, after understanding the situation, talked to the clinic staff and Runsheng was quickly allowed to leave.
“Finally, I can go home for dinner!”
Hungry to the point of desperation, Runsheng wished he could carry Li Zhuiyuan on his back and sprint home.
But a voice from behind called out, “Hey kid, wait a moment.”
Tan Yunlong approached Li Zhuiyuan and bent down to look at him closely.
“Did you report the alarm, young one?”
Feedback from the responder indicated that the caller was a boy. When Tan Yunlong arrived at the scene, he immediately noticed Li Zhuiyuan.
How to describe it? Amidst everyone else crowding close to see the fuss, a solitary figure standing quietly with the best view looked strikingly noticeable. Plus, the boy’s friends had taken the shopkeepers to the hospital, tying everything together. Not a coincidence.
“Yes, Officer. It was me who called.”
Li Zhuiyuan didn’t deny it, knowing lying to such an experienced officer wasn’t worthwhile.
“Why did you report it?”
“But shouldn’t I have called?”
Momentarily at a loss for words, Tan Yunlong could only chuckle, “You did the right thing, very well done.”
“Officer, can we go home now?”
“Yes, of course,” said Tan Yunlong, thinking regardless of the results from the video store, they should protect those who report. “How about I take you home? It’s not safe for kids on the road at night.”
“Thank you, Officer.”
Tan Yunlong let Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng into the car, removing the siren from the roof before driving off.
He didn’t take Li Zhuiyuan directly home. Instead, he stopped the car on a village road.
After bidding farewell to Tan Yunlong, Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng got off and headed along the path toward Great-grandpa’s house. As they prepared to turn down a side path, they saw Li Weihan hurrying on a bike, followed by four uncles, looking ready to leave the village.
Li Weihan appeared stern. Two uncles looked worried, while the other two wore ironblue expressions, cursing under their breath.
“Grandpa, Uncle.”
“Little Lord Yuan, hurry home. Grandpa and your uncles have some matters to attend to in town.”
At the moment, Li Weihan couldn’t even spare a glance for his beloved grandson. The news they’d received was too shocking:
It was said Leizi and Panzi were caught using substances in town and taken by police!
This news hit like a bolt from the blue!
They were urgently rushing to the town police station. The two uncles muttering about punishing their offspring were Panzi and Leizi’s fathers.
Runsheng curiously asked, “Little Yuan, what’s going on?”
“Let’s head home first, Brother Runsheng. I’m hungry.”
“Right, me too!”
Returning home, Aunt Liu playfully chided, “Did you boys lose track of time playing outside? We’ve long finished dinner, and even your Great-grandpa has gone out for a walk.”
Still, she quickly set the reserved meals up, albeit with less presentation.
In front of Li Zhuiyuan was a bowl: rice at the bottom and food piled atop; Runsheng, meanwhile, had a basin.
Eagerly digging in, Runsheng picked up the chopsticks, savoring each bite after a day without food.
He looked more satisfied than those suspicious individuals outside the video store.
Qin Li sat across from Li Zhuiyuan, watching him eat.
As he ate, Great-grandpa returned from his walk, remarking,
“Heck, everyone’s talking about how Panzi and Leizi joined a smuggling gang in the village, holding high positions too.”
Li Zhuiyuan almost choked on his food. As he coughed, he felt a small, gentle hand patting his back.
Uncle Sanjiang sat down, lit a cigarette, and continued, “Who would’ve thought? These two seemed so well-behaved in the village. Truly, can’t judge a book by its cover.”
“Great-grandpa, it’s likely just village rumors. It can’t be true.”
“Well, you never know. Your grandpa and your uncles have gone to the police station because of it right now. Little Lord Yuan, I must warn you, other things can be forgiven, but you must never touch this stuff. Once you do, your life is practically over.”
“I understand, Great-grandpa.”
“Right, who did you go out to play with this afternoon? Getting back so late?”
“With Brother Panzi and Brother Leizi.”
Uncle Sanjiang’s face twitched slightly as he began to nod, reassuringly, “Must be people spreading baseless rumors after all then.”
After dinner, Uncle Sanjiang went upstairs to wash up for bed. He had to get up early tomorrow to pay respects at Old Zhao’s house.
Runsheng bathed at the well, not even bothering to dry off before eagerly turning on the TV and watching from a seat.
Dripping wet, illuminated by the television’s glow, he seemed more like a haggard creature than those accused outside the video store.
Meanwhile, Li Zhuiyuan practiced his horse stance outside. Ah Li stood by him, keeping company.
After enough practice, Li Zhuiyuan stood straight, exhaling deeply, a fine sweat covering his skin. The exercise also eased much of the day’s tiredness.
Liu Yumei, lounging nearby with snacks, teased as Li Zhuiyuan finished his exercises.
“What’s the use of that? Look how seriously you take it.”
“Just treating it like morning exercises.”
Her expression froze at this answer, involuntarily spitting out the kernel and chewing the husk.
Realizing he might’ve misspoke, Li Zhuiyuan added, “I just feel much better after practicing this, physically and mentally. It’s quite amazing.”
“You’re still young, haven’t grown fully yet, so it’s not time to train hard.”
“Yes, Granny Liu.” His eyes shifted to Ah Li’s waist. “Granny, don’t you think Ah Li’s sash might be inappropriate?”
Ah Li, prone to easy outbursts when stimulated, didn’t need a soft sword at her side to do harm.
“Granny finds it fitting. Only this sash suits our Ah Li’s outfit.” Liu Yumei’s words had barely left her mouth when Ah Li immediately untied the sash and threw it on the ground because Little Yuan suggested it didn’t fit.
This caused the old lady’s mouth to twitch slightly.
Bending down, Li Zhuiyuan carefully picked up the sash. Though thin and soft, with the right force, it posed danger.
"The sky's getting dark, Ah Li, it's time for you to go to bed. We'll play together again tomorrow morning."
Ah Li obediently returned to the house.
Li Zhuiyuan apologized, "Granny Liu, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that in front of Ah Li."
"Don't worry, granny’s not upset with you. I know you meant well. But you got one thing wrong. It was probably your grandpa who told you about Ah Li's condition. When she has an episode, it doesn't matter whether there are weapons around or not."
"What?"
"Go on back inside. I heard from Ah Ting that you had her buy quite a lot of things today."
"Yeah, I asked Aunt Liu to help me buy some study materials."
"Then you go do your homework well, I'll head to bed."
"Goodnight, Granny Liu."
Li Zhuiyuan went up to the second floor and opened his room. Once empty, the space was now filled with various materials.
"Aunt Liu sure is efficient," he remarked.
He approached a small cage where a tiny black puppy lay, equipped with a water bowl and a food dish. Aunt Liu hadn't said a word about it earlier, seemingly just handling the buying part. How to explain the situation to grandpa was up to him, including the decision to raise a little black dog.
By rights, a puppy this age should be lively and playful, yet this one lay lazily asleep by the edge of the cage. Even as he approached, it didn’t bother opening its eyes.
Having confirmed this dog wasn’t suited for guarding the house—likelier to sleep sounder than its master—its purpose wasn't for that, though; he needed its blood.
As cruel as it might sound, it really wasn’t. Black dog blood, especially from a pure one, appeared often in the "Records of the Righteous Path Subduing Demons," a necessary component for activating many tools. Only a small essence, a mere bit of blood used as a catalyst, was required.
For example, when grandpa performed rituals, he erroneously used bowlfuls of black dog blood. However, he never truly used dog’s blood; rather, he mixed some kind of blood beforehand, changing it based on recent family meals—chicken or pork.
To ensure its potency, the blood should ideally be fresh, within a month. Taking just a bottle cap’s amount was enough, then mixing with other substances into a red paste, used by dipping a fingertip to apply where needed. This frequency and amount had negligible effects on the dog's health, easily countered by rewarding it with a drumstick post bloodletting.
The process for maintaining a pure black dog was well-documented in the books and, thankfully, required only medicinal administration. The recipe could easily pass as a tonic for humans, though it had a side effect on dogs—it significantly lowered their urge in that area.
Keeping a dog isolated in a dark room blocked from outside leads to a frenzied state affecting the blood’s quality negatively. Conversely, simple containment was too strenuous, any escape led to uncertainty and rendered the blood useless against spirits. Mutilation was a futile suggestion, leaving the blood weaker and pointless.
Hence, feeding the dog the right tonic was ideal, maintaining its essence throughout even its most active phases. Without ever losing its purity, Wei Zhengdao suggested in his texts to grant the dog freedom after reaching three or four years old, then finding a new one. Post-release, these dogs often thrived healthier, merely having missed a few prime years of spontaneous life.
Observing the unresponsive puppy, Li Zhuiyuan returned to his checklist, systematically placing items in storage.
Thanks to Brother Liangliang’s earlier financial aid, his usual pocket money could’ve never sufficed for all this. This was only the initial batch; future experiments and processing costs weren't even factored.
This financial strain gave him pause, regretting his earlier refusal of the jade ring Liu Yumei offered him.
Once everything was accounted for, Li Zhuiyuan sat at his desk to start sketching design diagrams. The illustrations in the book were rather crude, augmented with sparse descriptions, thus requiring translation into actionable plans for crafting.
The labor-intensive manual was truly hard to digest.
Working late into the night, Li Zhuiyuan finally left his desk, showered, and went to bed after getting exhausted by 1 AM.
The next morning, upon waking, he noticed Ah Li, in a red dress, sitting on a chair.
Worries crossed his mind—upon returning to the capital, would he wake feeling lost without her presence?
The little black puppy seemed intrigued by Ah Li, scratching at the cage toward her. But Ah Li differed from other girls and wasn’t taken in by such cute animals, otherwise, Liu Yumei might already have arranged her a mini zoo.
While washing up, he overheard conversation downstairs, between Li Weihan and Li Sanjiang.
He quietly listened in from the second floor.
Yesterday, the police had taken several people for questioning at the station. Among them, none were found using anything illicit. However, one of the four troublemakers who’d left earlier, the one in the suit, seemed involved with such substances.
Caught in his home, he confessed everything, initially hoping to simply assist in the investigation. An underling trying to dip a toe into distribution, he inadvertently led the authorities to higher players.
As for what occurred at the theater, explanations involved a malfunction—an improper gas valve in the corner kitchen, causing attendees hallucinations due to poisoning.
Li Sanjiang voiced skepticism, “Gas poisoning does that?”
Li Weihan replied, “That’s what they said. Little Lords Pan and Lei were given fluids, returning to normal after.”
Li Sanjiang, relieved, commented, “Reckless of city folks using gas like that. Our dirt stoves seem much safer.”
Li Zhuiyuan descended to greet Li Weihan. Patting his head, he berated Panzi and Leizi as poor examples, even if not partaking in illicit activities. Being caught at the theater watching inappropriate content resulted in a humiliating sweep by the police.
Upon being released, Panzi and Leizi received home remedies—lectured sternly with cane in hand—to help their sleep.
Despite having known of his involvement, out of loyalty, Panzi and Leizi hadn’t revealed his presence at the theater.
After Weihan left, Sanjiang called for Runsheng to assist in delivering paper crafts to a funeral at the Zhao’s home, inviting Zhuiyuan to join and attend the banquet, to his polite refusal, citing study commitments.
The entire day, Li Zhuiyuan dedicated to preparing the materials inside his room.
The puppy, allowed to roam, once scared by the cold aura Ah Li accidentally emitted when approached, chose solitary slumber thereafter, requesting water only once throughout the day.
Li Zhuiyuan even speculated, sans medication, its likely laziness to seek trouble once matured.
At first, seeking Ah Li’s aid in simple tasks revealed her deeper capability, her handiwork swiftly surpassing his initial training, making her an invaluable colleague.
Her skills, in many respects, exceeded his own, ushering a day spent in synchronized activity, increasing their bond over past collaborative reading sessions, even if it left Ah Li messily disheveled.
Before dinner, Li Zhuiyuan gently wiped dirt from Ah Li’s face and hands, however, the stains on her clothes were less easily remedied.
Liu Yumei, about to eat, nearly snapped her chopsticks upon seeing her previously pristine granddaughter descending muddied alongside the boy—an unexpected tolerance towards newly found untidiness.
Knowing rationally progress unfolded positively, an emotional pang stung—likening it to her pampered beloved choosing a hard-working life alongside an unassuming boy.
She noticed, during dinner, Ah Li wasn’t simply burying her face in food. Curious glances at Zhuiyuan, followed by subtle motions, captured her attention, shifting a stable mien to emotional turmoil—this rough path proved beneficial indeed.
Post-dinner, Zhuiyuan resolved against overexerting during the night, mindful of exhausting Ah Li. Manual drafting occupied his evening as she rested.
Ensuring her return to the east room, he practiced horse stance on the terrace before retreating to engage his blueprints alone.
As night deepened, a washroom detour revealed his grandpa’s unoccupied bedroom; he heard television downstairs, finding Runsheng alone occupied.
“Brother Runsheng, where’s grandpa?”
“Probably still at the banquet.”
Inappropriate for banquet attendance, Sanjiang packed Runsheng a meal for solitary viewing at home.
"Oh, I see."
"Want to watch television with me, Little Yuan?"
“No, Brother Runsheng, you go ahead. I’m returning upstairs.”
Back in his room, more sketches emerged as midnight passed, readiness for rest approaching.
The bathroom visit revealed his absentee grandpa, still not returned.
Reascending, Runsheng was busy switching channels and adjusting the antenna.
“Brother Runsheng, grandpa’s not home. Maybe he’s passed out drunk?”
Aware of his penchant for drinking at banquets, he worried about grandpa overdoing it.
“I’m not sure.”
“Brother Runsheng, accompany me to check. If grandpa’s drunk, we'll have to carry him back.”
“Alright.”
Equipping the flashlight with batteries, they set out on the dim village path toward the Zhao’s residence, now dimly lit, signaling dispersal.
Nearing their destination, the scene indicated the event finished, barring a lone lamp under the pavilion with three figures beneath, one unmistakably his grandfather.
A sense of amusement crept in—grandpa, finding drinking companions, persisted despite the hosts’ clearing weather, staying late conversing in camaraderie.
Runsheng hastened to wave, calling: "Grampa, they're wrapping up! Let's head home!"
Li Sanjiang, bleary-eyed, noticed and waved back, “It's alright. I said I'd stay longer in case their kid gets lost on his way home. The host was delighted, providing snacks and extra wine for us.”
Introducing his drinking partners, he boasted, “See, that's my great-grandson. Handsome and smart, delightful. Don’t be fooled—that big fellow isn’t him. He’s from the Shan brat's family.”
Approaching the table, Li Zhuiyuan intended to apologize for his grandfather's behavior and escort him back for a well-needed rest.
Upon nearing, he noticed how ambiguous his grandfather’s drinking partners appeared, darkened by shadows. Close proximity didn’t reveal their faces clearly, only an impression of youthful appearance, possibly a friendship defying age.
Swinging the flashlight unintentionally over their features gave clarity to a chilling revelation.
One of them was Brother Leopard!
The other, vaguely familiar, young as Runsheng, yet their relations never pertinent, revealed his identity under the illuminated ancestral photo.
The funeral today was in his honor, and he was seated at his posthumous feast.