Li Zhuiyuan had only one thought left in his mind: Was the Homebound Net still working?
Even though he couldn't see Runsheng or the net, he believed he was still within the area covered by it. His shadow began to slowly extend forward, swaying slightly to the left, a sign that it was approaching him. The inner torment and fear in the boy's heart kept intensifying.
Li Zhuiyuan looked over at Brother Leopard and Zhao Xing, who were still kneeling and wailing in pain, but their eyes were not focused on him. Thankfully, he was short and crouched down, and the person behind him seemed taller from the shadow. Thus, even if they were standing on the same line of sight, it was clear that the net was still working; it couldn't see him!
However, the problem was, it was getting closer, and in a few steps, it would collide with him. Li Zhuiyuan remained crouched, carefully moving his feet, trying not to make any unnecessary noise.
He moved toward where Runsheng was, not daring to head in a different direction. If he left the net’s coverage, he would be exposed immediately. He felt like a crab, walking sideways. Just as he moved his foot, a large unfamiliar foot landed in its place—had he been a moment later, their feet would have connected.
Then, the being's feet entered Li Zhuiyuan’s view. They were highly decayed, where the skin and flesh should have fallen away, it was filled with layers of yellow and white lumps. These lumps looked exactly like the Taishui in the water jar, supposedly a prized health treasure by the Jiang family, who not only consumed it regularly but also used the water to make tea and cook meals.
Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes traced upwards; the figure had no clothing, just like the two skeletons dug out from the pond, stripped before burial. However, Jiang Dongping was clothed and wearing a watch at his death, confirming this deceased had indeed turned into what they feared.
The rest of its body tended to resemble its feet, covered in decay. The Taishui-like substance plastered its flesh back to the bones, like glue, maintaining a semblance of completeness. Its left leg was bent outward, seemingly crippled, the reason it walked slowly with a leftward sway.
But it stopped in front of a tombstone. In the next moment, it knelt.
Li Zhuiyuan then took a closer look at the tombstone. Initially, he and Runsheng had only thought it was larger than the others around, a good hiding place for them. They now saw it was a shared tomb for a couple.
Scanning over the inscriptions, Li Zhuiyuan noticed the husband was surnamed "Zhou." This likely indicated the deceased was the very Zhou buried by Brother Leopard. And it now knelt before presumably its own parents' graves.
He was a victim buried after being murdered by Jiang Dongping, achieving his revenge, and now kneeling before his parents' tomb. Li Zhuiyuan noticed the date of death was two years ago. The old couple died within a month of each other. A notable event as most movie posters, unless obtained through official channels, printed onto calendars for practicality.
Moreover, a poster of actress Joey Wong at Sister Mei's video hall entrance dated back two years, indicating Brother Leopard could have funded the business from killing and burying victims for Jiang Dongping, making a fortune to open a video hall with his girlfriend, Sister Mei in town.
The deceased didn’t bow, just knelt silently. Brother Leopard and Zhao Xing's wailing filled the air, causing Li Zhuiyuan to realize their prolonged suffering was the ultimate vengeance—it was their howls that best honored the dead.
Suddenly, the deceased’s head shifted slightly. The act of sniffling and slowly turning towards Li Zhuiyuan suggested it noticed something.
Li Zhuiyuan’s heart climbed to his throat. He aimed to practice theory with action, targeting Brother Leopard and Zhao Xing, the goons daring to threaten them. Partnering with Runsheng and the newly crafted tools, dealing with them seemed plausible. Yet this deceased capable of controlling goons was beyond their expectations. If it were Jiang Dongping, he’d handle it, but this was a victim, deserving a different approach.
As the face turned enough to risk meeting the boy’s own eyes, a waft of black mist rose from its body like vapor. The deceased averted its head, facing the tombstone again. Deep rasping sounds emerged from its throat, as the Taishui shivered across its body. Li Zhuiyuan had witnessed the same when instructing the cat-faced old lady on her vengeance path—her resentment began dissolving.
As Wei Zhengdao wrote in the "Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World":
“The deceased, spawned from the world’s grievances and filth.”
“If the resentment is unresolved, it wanders swamps and harms the living, necessary to subdue through heavenly means.”
Li Zhuiyuan had noted this last line, contemplating “if the resentment is unresolved.” If the deceased manifested through resentment, wouldn’t dissolving it make it disappear? Similar to that Black Cat about to complete its vengeance, then free itself.
Maybe the unresolved resentment indicates the absence or unreachable target, leaving the deceased to forever haunt watery locales, harming the living, needing resolution.
But is it just that simple? Why not mention “if the resentment resolves”? The "Records of the Righteous Path Subduing Demons" explained only methods for subduing the deceased, implying resolvable resentment wasn’t considered.
However, Li Zhuiyuan wondered if this was political correctness of that era—these dark and evil beings mustn't threaten the living. Possibly, Wei Zhengdao purposely added that “if the resentment is unresolved” to hint without confronting the political correctness.
“If it resolves,” there’s no teaching necessary, just aid the deceased in vanquishing its target. Yet doing evil to harm humans, assisting oppression remains utterly immoral for the righteous!
No concessions for vengeance or justification—such impact on the political correctness wouldn’t be possible if it were so easily compromised.
Though it appeared, every encounter he and his great-grandfather faced followed the “resolvers path.”
It seemed their path wasn’t the Right Path after all.
...
The interrogation with the Jiang family was proceeding.
Death wasn’t unusual—accidentally, naturally, or otherwise, fatalities occur in populous areas. It's the murders drawing public attention, inciting societal panic.
Three bodies emerged from a pond; it escalated from an incident to malevolent criminal nature, attracting even city bureau attention. Tan Yunlong anticipated a task force soon to arrive. Further, if links to organized crime surfaced, citywide crackdowns were imminent.
Tan Yunlong, feeling the pressure, puffed on a cigarette before personally interrogating the Jiang members trying to block pond excavation.
The interrogation was smooth; their lack of composure revealed much. The Jiang family’s strength lay in Jiang Dongping alone, and with him gone, the rest were mere rabble. Tan Yunlong even induced confession—suggestively implying Jiang Dongping's demise, urging them to lay all blame on a dead man.
This was underhanded, but Tan Yunlong wasn’t sent to town just to play by the book. The case saw vast breakthroughs, uncovering numerous accomplices now being arrested.
Yet, the Zhou victim remained missing. The injuries on the discovered bones didn’t match the Zhou, once identified by a leg fracture and limp. The Jiang confession revealed a business-related motive where Jiang Dongping colluded with the victim’s friend, a Zhao from Shijia Village, to eliminate him.
The alleged Zhao had recently lost a son, sparking comments of karmic justice among the police. Tan Yunlong wasn’t so superstitious yet wouldn’t mindably refute—swift retribution would make the police’s job much easier.
The real trouble lay with explaining the murdered Zhou’s absence and Jiang Dongping’s unaccounted death. Solutions ranged from body disposal theories to internal Jiang family feuds causing Dongping’s demise, shifting blame onto them where feasible.
But for Tan Yunlong, it was resolved at this stage—enough to file a report. And now his thoughts returned to how Jiang Dongping's fresh body found its way into the untouched pond.
Though few knew, it remained a mystery how the scene had played out. Even with good forensic preservation, excavation muddled timeline certainties.
"Supervisor Tan, all sorted."
“Okay.” Tan Yunlong glanced through the file, nodding. “Dig deeper, ensure we miss none of them.”
“Understood.”
“By the way, is Li Senior still here?”
“Yes, he’s chatting away with our pathologist Wang.”
“Really?”
“Stopped by the morgue earlier, Senior Li lectured while Pathologist Wang took notes like a student.”
Their pathologist Wang, fresh in her role, brought needed expertise—until her, forensics required borrowed personnel or medical staff. Young male officers saw a challenge in her cold demeanor, finding their advances briskly denied without pleasantries.
Tan Yunlong recalled Li Zhuiyuan's determined digging and chuckled, acknowledging, “True, some folk practitioners do possess genuine prowess; they shouldn’t be uniformly dismissed as mere superstition.”
When the phone rang, Tan Yunlong answered, repeatedly affirming with “Yes,” before hanging up.
Standing to adjust his attire, he announced, “The task force from City Bureau is here; let’s report our progress.”
...
At the grave, more black mist emanated from the deceased, accelerating rapidly.
Li Zhuiyuan was aware it neared release.
Yet, puzzled what specifically prompted this sudden acceleration.
Was it the police investigation?
That efficient?
With an audible "Squish! Squish! Squish!" sound, sufficient mist release caused the deceased to shrink, as Taishui cracked, oozing pus.
An overbearing stench pervaded the air—which Li Zhuiyuan knew was known in circles like his great-grandfather’s—the stink of water corpses.
Fresh, easy-to-retrieve floaters didn’t carry much of the ghastly odor, it was the long-dead, overtly bloated bodies akin to jelly slabs that truly tested one's stomach.
Pulling them left a scent, washable over days, still discernible despite multiple soap baths.
As Taishui cracked open, the deceased lost cohesion, its rotting flesh fell rapidly, ice-like shrinking occurred. Li Zhuiyuan noticed amidst the bubbling putrescence a black, circular object tumbling within, likely dwelling inside it initially—a copper coin, perhaps.
An unexpected event unfolded though.
The deceased raised a skeletal hand, pointing toward the kneeling Brother Leopard and Zhao Xing.
It intended to conclude its memorial, bringing those goons along, miscalculating its dissolving speed left the hand powerless again.
Unlike the cleverness displayed when the Black Cat steadied its dissipating mist, prolonging until fulfilled vengeance, this deceased lacked such capability, indicated as the goons began standing.
Freed from restraints, battered as they were, their sinister gaze grew more intense. They outwardly appeared like the shop mannequins battered by troublemakers, the latent resentment fully awakened.
Not approaching, they ambled toward another grave.
Empty to normal vision, Li Zhuiyuan knew that was where those street thugs knelt in reality.
"Crack…”
The deceased merged into its own fermented pool, leaving but a head clinging with some Taishui and flesh. It struggled to lift its head, bony arm slightly veered toward Li Zhuiyuan's side.
Li Zhuiyuan was baffled, seemingly able to interpret what the deceased conveyed, much like how he understood Ah Li's subtle expressions and movements normally.
Nodding, he softly assured, “You can rest. Trust that justice will be served.”
Adding, “I’ll deal with those two.”
As his voice faded, so did the flesh on the deceased's head. It completely became bones before its parents’ tombstone, dissolving.
Li Zhuiyuan disliked the idea of innocent deaths embellishing the trite “justice eventually arrives” phrase. But, as an observer, sometimes one prettifies events for solace.
Maybe it was that the entire family, at last, reunited.
A token of goodwill from the boy.
For Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t be sure of one thing.
Whether the Homebound Net successfully concealed him from Brother Leopard and Zhao Xing—could it really work against a deceased that controlled goons?
Had it indeed worked? When the deceased knelt, why turn its head?
What if—
it could always see the two boys hiding behind its parents' tombstone?
A clink echoed out, a pitch-black copper coin rolling down the bones and stopping at Li Zhuiyuan’s feet.
Undaring to directly touch it, suspecting its role in the anomaly.
He didn’t want Taishui growing all over him.
Suddenly, dizziness struck, his body filled with aches.
Sensing an outside commotion, his ears caught Runsheng urgently calling:
“Little Yuan, don’t sleep, wake up, wake up!”
Opening his eyes, Li Zhuiyuan found Runsheng gripping and shaking him.
“Phew… Little Yuan, finally you’re awake.”
“Runsheng brother, do you know how much strength you have?”
“Ah, sorry, it’s them—they stood up.”
Li Zhuiyuan turned to see those two ruffians ending their kneeling, edging near, though the Homebound Net kept them oblivious to the pair.
“Little Yuan, what should we do?”
Runsheng tightened his grip on the Yellow River Shovel, itching for action.
“Runsheng brother, bash them up.”
“Alright!”
Runsheng let out a low roar, muscles tensed, yanked the net, and lunged forward with the shovel.
The thugs, shocked seeing a sudden burst of life, stumbled back.
Undeterred, Runsheng raised the shovel, smashing a thug’s arm.
“Crrack!”
Bones shattered, arm disabled, yet the thug didn’t scream, instead coiled around Runsheng, latching waist and wrestling.
Runsheng raised the shovel again, intending a head impact, recalling Little Yuan's request to incapacitate without killing, he reversed the shovel, wedging it between them like a lever, forcefully prying the thug away.
The other thug charged, mouth open to bite Runsheng's arm like a rabid dog.
“Hiss...”
Runsheng winced, pain surged, yet delight spiked visibly.
At this heightened state, he differed entirely from his usual meek, farming, pushing cart persona.
Runsheng bared teeth, leaning down, glaring at the thug’s neck.
“Rip!”
The thug bit with teeth but Runsheng tore with his mouth!
His head snapped up post-bite, ripping a sizable chunk of flesh free.
His face drenched in blood, elation soared higher.
Genuinely, lowly specters belong to the lowest rung in the ghostly realm; Zhao Xing and Brother Leopard were wealthy playboys and cowardly mixed-in rabble, respectively.
Li Zhuiyuan recalled Grandpa Bei’s words reprimanding his brash cousin at New Year’s dinner: heroes in rogue circles were akin to finding gold amidst waste!
Heroic spirits veer far from such scoundrel acts.
Thus, these two, frightened by Runsheng's momentum, forgot they were spectral, seeking escape instead.
Runsheng truly was relentless.
Li Zhuiyuan speculated if tailored gear enhanced Runsheng further, despite earlier dead weight, Runsheng could’ve possibly dealt with it independently!
Staying clear during combat was prudent, though now was the moment to act.
Brandishing the Seven-Star Hook with his right, dabbing his left thumb with ink, he stamped the hook’s side, whipping it outward. Its seven segments unfurled, each marked with red prints.
He crouched, settled his stance, and using waist strength, flicked the hook at a thug’s ankle.
The hook tip split, snapping akin to a mantis claw, seizing the thug’s ankle.
“Thud…”
Li Zhuiyuan, led by force, leaned forward, stabilizing arduously—while the thug smashed face down, an undignified sprawl.
This mirrored the "Records of the Righteous Path Subduing Demons'" capture technique, effective against the deceased.
“Ah!!!”
Writhing and clutching his ankle, the grounded thug screamed.
Li Zhuiyuan retrieved and cast the Homebound Net over him.
The other thug was beneath Runsheng’s embrace, a punch from Runsheng painting his visage a wild hue burst underlining his elation.
"Runsheng brother!" Li Zhuiyuan chimed.
Halting his second punch mid-swing, restraint emerged amidst his fervor, his features shifting back to meekness.
Relieved, Li Zhuiyuan knew another punch meant death. Not from sympathy or avoiding murder, rather safeguarding against further complications.
“Toss it over, Runsheng brother.”
Li Zhuiyuan passed a dark cloth filled with wooden petal scrolls, each carved with Ah Li’s intricate patterns, to Runsheng.
The purpose of this outing was to test the tools and see which are useful and which aren't.
Runsheng covered the thug with the black canvas, and immediately, the thug started howling and struggling, even emitting a bit of white smoke. Within the smoke, Zhao Xing’s face vaguely appeared for a moment but quickly dissipated as the thug ceased struggling.
Runsheng removed the black canvas and checked the thug’s breath, saying, “Little Yuan, still alive.”
Li Zhuiyuan nodded. The black canvas worked surprisingly well, although the extended torment the thugs had suffered from the dead was also a factor.
He then looked at the thug wrapped in the net beneath him and took out a stack of talisman papers he had drawn from his pocket.
Yes, he wasn’t giving up just yet.
After all, all the other tools were made exactly as described in the books, but the talisman papers were his own little invention.
Placing a talisman on the thug's forehead, the talisman quickly turned black and fell off. He placed another one, and again it blackened and fell.
A third, fourth, fifth… until all the talismans he brought were used up.
All the talismans turned black, yet not a trace of white smoke appeared on the thug.
Li Zhuiyuan fell silent.
The fact that the talismans turned black proved they had some effect, but if that was all they did, then what use were they?
That sense of frustration from doing poorly in school hit him again.
“Runsheng, the canvas, please.”
“Got it.”
The black canvas was tossed over, and Li Zhuiyuan caught it, then covered the thug beneath him.
White smoke rose, faintly forming Brother Leopard’s desperate face, then swiftly dissipated.
Li Zhuiyuan lifted the black canvas and found a hole burnt in the middle, with many wooden flowers turned black; only a third remained their original color.
This meant the tool needed to be redone.
Li Zhuiyuan approached the tombstone where a black coin lay.
“Runsheng, dig a hole here.”
“Understood.”
As Li Zhuiyuan studied the coin, Runsheng began digging. After a while, when Li Zhuiyuan turned to look at Runsheng still digging, he was surprised to find Runsheng had dug a hole big enough to bury several people.
“Runsheng, what are you doing?”
“Huh?” Runsheng scratched his head and pointed at the unconscious, tied-up thugs. “Aren’t we burying them?”
“No, we’re burying this coin.”
“Oh, my mistake.”
“And don’t touch it with your hands, use the shovel.” Li Zhuiyuan reminded him while applying red seal ink to the Yellow River shovel.
Carefully, Runsheng lifted the coin with the shovel and placed it into the hole.
“Runsheng, you should also patch up that wall. You almost dug up someone’s ashes.”
“Alright.”
This was a graveyard, and Runsheng had dug too deep, exposing part of a casket. After fixing the grave wall, Runsheng filled the hole, and Li Zhuiyuan marked the spot with stones, then bowed toward the casket’s direction:
“Sorry for the disturbance. Please watch over the coin for me. I'll burn paper for you when I come back to retrieve it.”
Without knowing the coin’s implications, Li Zhuiyuan wouldn’t take it, let alone touch it.
When he glanced at Runsheng’s Yellow River shovel, he was shocked to find the section covered in red ink had turned white.
Soil turning black, purple, or other dark colors was understandable when digging, but turning white suggested the coin truly was ominous.
“Runsheng, let’s go.”
“Home?”
“To the police station.”
“Why the police station?”
“To fulfill a promise.”
...
Tan Yunlong, yawning after a meeting with the city’s task force, returned to his office and found a boy sitting inside.
He poured a cup of tea and set it in front of Li Zhuiyuan.
He didn’t think anything of it, and his next question was straightforward:
“Where are the bones?”
“Uh...” Li Zhuiyuan showed a troubled expression, “Uncle Tan, you’ve skipped quite a bit.”
“Because the last time you were in my office, you were telling me the bones' location. Now, you’re here again.”
“They’re in the graveyard at the boundary between Xijiao Village and Dongjiao Village, with two unconscious people beside them.”
“Accomplices in moving the bones?”
“The police will need to investigate that.”
“Thank you, Little Yuan, you’ve been a great help from start to end.”
“My great-grandfather always taught me to remember the bond between police and civilians.”
“Little Yuan, where’s your household registration?”
“Uncle Tan, don’t scare the kids.”
“I’m just asking out of concern. My son should be a few years older than you.”
“Then your relationship with your son must not be too good.”
Tan Yunlong was momentarily speechless. Indeed, he only got to see his son smile when he bought him food or toys.
“Uncle Tan, how’s the case going?”
“The investigation is progressing swiftly. Once the bones are confirmed, the case can essentially be closed.”
“That’s great then.”
With the conversation over, Li Zhuiyuan picked up the teacup, sipped, found it too hot, and only wet his lips before putting it down.
“Uncle Tan, I’m heading home now. You have a good day.”
“I’ll have someone escort you.”
“No need, my driver is waiting outside.”
After the boy left the office, Tan Yunlong seemed to remember something and stopped someone in the corridor, asking, “Xiao Zhang, did that Grandpa Li just leave?”
“He just left, Captain Tan. Should I call him back?”
“No need, it’s alright. Oh, call a few officers to go with me to collect the bones.”
“To collect ribs? Are we having a dinner gathering tonight?”
...
Several cars were parked at the entrance of the station, some couldn't get in, others couldn't get out, and they were calling someone to move the cars.
Li Zhuiyuan walked to the sign at "Shigang Town Police Station" and hugged it.
He felt that the dead dissipated so quickly this time, removing potential threats in advance, and it had much to do with this sign.
Just then, the cars blocking the entrance were cleared.
Turning his head, Li Zhuiyuan saw an old man on the other side also hugging a sign.
The two exchanged glances. Both silently let go.
“Oh, oh, when you see one, you just have to hug it.” Li Sanjiang dusted off his clothes, “Little Yuan, why haven’t you gone home?”
“I came to pick you up, Great-grandfather.”
“Okay, let’s go home.”
...
Back home, Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs to take a bath first, while Runsheng used the water from the well yard to rinse himself off.
Liu Yumei, drinking tea, shook her head slightly with a sigh.
After washing, Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs to wait for dinner.
“Little Yuan, come here with Grandma.”
He stood up to follow, and seeing that, Ah Li who’d been already sitting down waiting also stood to come along.
Liu Yumei led the boy to the east room, which puzzled Li Zhuiyuan because, unlike previous times, Grandma didn’t lead him to the ancestral tablets but to her and Ah Li’s bedroom.
Upon entering, Li Zhuiyuan immediately understood her intentions.
Half the bed was neatly lined with bottles of Jianlibao, each bottle perfectly spaced.
Liu Yumei had run out of options; she and Ah Li shared a bed, and now she would have to sleep on the floor.
“Grandma, do you have an empty box?”
“Yes, over here.”
Li Zhuiyuan started putting the Jianlibao bottles from the bed into the box one by one.
Ah Li stood aside, looking down.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to store them like this? Let's try to fill up this box as soon as possible, okay?”
Ah Li looked up at Li Zhuiyuan, then turned around to start placing the Jianlibao from the bed into the box.
Liu Yumei had become accustomed to this; no matter how hard she tried persuading day and night, one sentence from the boy held sway.
“Little Yuan, ever think of turning back?”
“No.”
“This path isn’t easy.”
“Yeah, if it were, it wouldn't be interesting.”
After dinner, Li Zhuiyuan accompanied Ah Li to watch an episode of “Ultraman Leo,” and then practiced his horse stance on the terrace.
Back at his desk in the bedroom, he turned on the lamp and opened his notebook to the first page, where his plan for the day's action was laid out.
“Rrrip…”
The plan paper was torn out, crumpled, and tossed into the nearby basket.
After today’s events, Li Zhuiyuan realized that no matter how well-prepared a plan is, once in motion, half of it could be scrapped.
He picked up a pen and began jotting down the mistakes he made today.
First mistake: When encountering a unique setting like a graveyard, he shouldn’t have entered too early without exploring the perimeter to confirm the situation.
Second mistake: Before entering a dream to walk the path of yin, he must anticipate possible unexpected occurrences.
Third mistake: Deviating from his path seemed to solve the dead faster.
Turning to the next page, he recorded the various tools and their test results from today.
Lastly, when writing about the talisman papers, he hesitated before jotting down:
Talisman paper function: can be used to detect the presence of unclean things nearby, and will turn black if they are present.
Just as he set down his pen, a knock was heard:
“Little Lord Yuan, your great-grandpa’s going to take a bath. Go wait in his room.”
“Alright, Great-grandpa.”
Upon entering his great-grandfather’s room, just like his first days there, he found a circle of candles on the tiles, along with a familiar formation drawn.
What was uncanny was that the formation seemed a bit different from previous attempts.
And the “Golden Sands Scripture” was still laid open on the floor.
This implied that even after several attempts, his great-grandpa still referred to it for accuracy when newly drawing the formation.
Li Zhuiyuan picked up the book, turning to the fortune-altering ritual page, glanced at the book, then at the formation on the ground.
“Hmm?”
Feeling as if he’d seen wrong, he did a double-check on the book and then on the formation.
“This time... Great-grandfather got it right?”
This would be a good thing, but he couldn’t seem to feel happy.
Because when his great-grandfather made mistakes in the formation, the effects were controllable, but with it drawn correctly, who knew what might happen?
The unknown is always terrifying.
From Li Zhuiyuan’s perspective, he knew that his great-grandfather’s intention in altering his fortune was to remove what the ordinary world perceived as dark aspects of himself, hoping to revert him to a normal child with a normal life.
But that wasn’t what he wanted; he’d already embarked on this path.
Besides, even if he didn’t consider the likelihood of being overwhelmed by his great-grandfather’s fortunes, what would he do with them?
His great-grandfather lived a joyfully carefree life, and if anything bad happened due to sharing his fortune in old age, what would be the point?
The Northern Grandfather and Southern Grandfather had more than one grandchild each, but his great-grandfather only acknowledged him as his true great-grandson.
Others might covet that fortune, but Li Zhuiyuan had no interest in it.
“Great-grandfather, just enjoy your golden years in peace.”
He crouched down, grabbing the vermilion drawer and a cloth, erasing a small portion of the formation’s north end, and then, using the vermilion, redrew it; only this time, the small segment originally facing inwards was now facing outwards, which made the north and south angles originally two inward points.
Though he hadn’t started reading about formations thoroughly yet, he had mimicked and carved many onto devices lately. He understood that subtle counterpoints like this could easily nullify a formation's effect.
Li Zhuiyuan silently nodded to himself: in such a large formation, changing such a small part should go unnoticed by his great-grandfather.
“Little Yuan, Little Yuan!”
Runsheng’s voice called from downstairs.
“Coming.”
Heading downstairs, Li Zhuiyuan found Runsheng moving the TV antenna around:
“Little Yuan, what happened to the TV? It’s not showing any picture?”
Looking outside at the night sky, "Maybe there’s a thunderstorm, causing poor signal. We need to visit Old Man Shan early tomorrow, so better get some rest. If it’s still malfunctioning tomorrow, take it for repair on the way, and bring it back afterward."
"Uh, Little Yuan, do you have money for TV repairs? I heard they're quite expensive."
Runsheng wouldn’t dare tell Great-grandfather if he broke the TV.
"Don't worry, Runsheng. If all goes well, we’ll have money by tomorrow."
...
After bathing, Li Sanjiang, in red shorts, walked to his room while drying himself with a towel, ready to grab a cigarette from the nightstand.
Unexpectedly, he slipped on a half-damp towel, losing his balance.
Fortunately, though old, his reactions and body remained agile. With a quick sidestep, his left hand propped him up with only a minor graze on the knee, avoiding a full fall.
Standing with relief, Li Sanjiang inspected his reddened knee.
"Huh, blood?"
He touched it but found no wound, then looked at his hand – not blood, but vermilion.
Gazing down at the formation below, he noticed a small section in the south’s position wiped clean by his knee.
Quickly bringing over the vermilion pot, he prepared to touch it up.
“Hmm, what was here again?”
After drawing this formation numerous times, though always with reference to the book, he’d noticed some patterns, like how the formation was symmetrical.
Glancing toward the opposite, the north's position.
“Oh, it’s an outward angle.”
Carefully, he drew it back in with the vermilion, then nodded with satisfaction.
He lit a cigarette and set all the candles alight.
At this point, Li Zhuiyuan returned.
“You little rascal, I told you to wait, what are you doing running around?”
“Hehe, well, I came, didn’t I, Great-grandfather?”
“Quickly, sit in the formation.”
“Got it, Great-grandfather.”
Sitting down in his spot, he specifically checked the northern position of the formation, confirming that angle still pointed outwards.
Li Sanjiang also seated himself and, drawing a talisman from under his pants, lit it and started chanting.
Finally, he inhaled deeply, building strength to slam his hand down, as only then could the wind blow out the surrounding candles and simultaneously trigger a flicker in the bulb overhead.
Silently counting, one, two, three!
With the talisman he slapped down,
“Snap!”
Everything was engulfed in darkness.