"Liang Ge, let's go. We need to hurry and call the police," Tan Wenbin urged as he tugged at Xue Liangliang. He had an inkling of what Xiao Yuan planned to do.
When they first met, he called the boy "brother" half out of respect for a genius and half as a tease. However, ever since witnessing the boy's desperate revenge that led to him blinding himself from bleeding, and having seen the remains of the dwarf father and son floating on the river, his call of "brother" now carried a sense of awe.
There was no helping it. A high school student, who usually just got into fights, suddenly found himself facing someone so ruthless. What made it more shocking was that this ruthless person often appeared cute and harmless.
"Xiao Yuan, no matter what you plan to do, you must ensure your own safety, understand?"
"Yes, I will, Liangliang Ge."
Xue Liangliang and Tan Wenbin left together.
Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge of the cliff, standing on his tiptoes to peer down. "Runsheng Ge, is it okay?"
Runsheng bent down, signaling for the boy to climb onto his back. Once Li Zhuiyuan was settled, Runsheng straightened up, facing away from the cliff. "Xiao Yuan, hold tight!"
"Got it."
Li Zhuiyuan wrapped his arms around Runsheng's neck. Runsheng placed his left hand on his chest and gripped a steel pole tightly with his right hand, taking a deep breath. Then, he leaped backward.
After falling a short distance, he jammed the steel pole into a crevice in the rocks, tightening his right arm as his waist also exerted force; he hung there almost perfectly straight. He pulled the pole out and continued the descent, then thrust it into another gap.
Li Zhuiyuan felt like he was on a pirate ship, but this was far more dangerous than any amusement park ride. Extreme sports enthusiasts overseas often had safety ropes, yet Runsheng relied on just this one pole.
In fact, Li Zhuiyuan suspected that even without the pole, Runsheng could hang down the cliff like this on his own. Given Runsheng’s incredible appetite, despite not being overweight, he was clearly building strength.
They descended bit by bit, seeking out suitable crevices to insert the pole. Eventually, when they neared the ground, Runsheng decided to let go entirely, using a quick side kick against the cliff wall to cushion his fall. As he landed, he rolled backward and then turned, placing Li Zhuiyuan safely on solid ground while he himself lay face down on the ground.
"Xiao Yuan, are you okay?"
"I’m fine, that was quite thrilling."
Li Zhuiyuan scrambled off Runsheng's back as Runsheng stood, brushing the bits of grass and dust off his clothes. The boy realized that if not for his own burden, Runsheng would have landed much more gracefully.
This was true talent. Li Zhuiyuan had no doubt that if someone guided Runsheng, he would undoubtedly surpass Uncle Qin in the future.
The boy himself held no particular bias against families and had no moral objections, having learned the Feng Shui secrets of both the Qin and Liu families. But he could not teach Runsheng the basic stance and breathing exercises that Uncle Qin had taught him. That needed a professional to provide precise muscle strength corrections and breathing adjustments. The techniques he practiced were tailor-made for him; teaching them to Runsheng might produce adverse effects.
He could only hope that once A Li recovered, he could see Uncle Qin again and ask him to mentor Runsheng.
The ancestral hall's walls were not very high. Runsheng scaled it first, then reached down to pull Li Zhuiyuan up, allowing them to slip inside over the wall.
Unlike before, when it was just the four of them who didn't mind making noise to kick in doors, now they had to be cautious. Making a loud racket would surely rouse the entire village.
The door to the ancestral hall was shut, suggesting someone from the village had recently visited. Upon entering the inner hall, they found fresh offerings laid out on the altar.
It seemed the ghostly disturbances in the village lately had made the villagers anxious, leading them to offer prayers to appease their ancestors.
"Xiao Yuan..."
Li Zhuiyuan smiled, "Eat up."
"Hey!"
Runsheng jumped onto the altar, grabbing some offerings with his right hand while he fished out a half-burned joss stick from the incense burner with his left, eagerly digging in.
He was truly starving. After all, he had filled his stomach with grass at noon and only had some dry corn in the afternoon. Even a mule at the mill wouldn't have such a meager diet.
Of course, he did have some supplementary food, like the cured meat Binbin had brought from inside the house, but he had only eaten that one piece and didn't bother getting more from the house.
Though there were numerous corpses in the pond, which didn't smell particularly savoury, they were still edible.
He was holding back, firstly because he didn't want to ruin his image in front of Xiao Yuan, and secondly, he wasn't yet at his last straw.
Li Zhuiyuan took some offerings, nibbling as he walked around the hall.
There was still some time before dawn, and even when the sun rose, it was likely that villagers wouldn't come to the hall right away, giving him ample time.
After thoroughly analyzing the layout again, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but marvel, "The skills of the QI ancestors are really amazing."
Building a tomb was no easy task. Unless it was a feudal power, the Feng Shui layout could easily be selected at will, and labor was plentiful. Even during the decline of a dynasty, when the court was struggling, some funds would still come through to ensure the tomb was well built. Thus, a poorly constructed tomb would seem inept, while a neatly erected one would be the norm.
But in such dire conditions in the valley, to still manage such a meticulous layout was no small feat—this required true craftsmanship.
Runsheng, still munching away, asked curiously, "Then why was the old lair taken by outsiders?"
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, "How can matters of the world rely solely on Feng Shui for lasting peace? If that were the case, countless dynasties would never have fallen."
The boy gently tapped his forehead, realizing the better the Feng Shui arrangement, the harder he would find it to modify. This was likely a burden he'd have to bear again.
But having made his decision, he wouldn't backtrack.
The upside was that modifying based on the existing foundation meant he could draw from local materials, and as long as he designed the blueprint well, it would be very quick and easy to execute.
Li Zhuiyuan turned to see Runsheng peeling and eating a sweet potato. He recalled how when he returned from the train ride with a roasted sweet potato, Runsheng had cringed at the price but still peeled and ate it.
"Runsheng Ge, I think sweet potato skins are tasty too."
Runsheng replied, "When we were short on grain at home and could only eat sweet potatoes, my grandfather used to tell me not to eat the skins, so we could save a bit to give ourselves hope for the future."
"Xiao Yuan, I’m full now." Runsheng climbed off the altar, patting his stomach, "Hehe, this will last me quite a while."
"Runsheng Ge, you need to do this, here and here…"
Li Zhuiyuan began assigning Runsheng tasks, either to take down the copper coins and bronze sword from the eaves or rearrange the bricks in the yard.
There were tools typically used for repairs tucked in the corner of the ancestral hall, ideal for their tasks as long as they kept the noise to a minimum.
All of this was just minor work on the periphery—not difficult but time-consuming—so they’d let Runsheng handle it first. The real key changes still lay within the three stone walls, just a shift of a few stones could yield a transformative effect.
This wasn't because Li Zhuiyuan was particularly clever, but due to the QI ancestors' exceptional skills; they had truly mastered the art of orchestrating a grand design as easily as cooking a simple meal.
With tools in hand, Runsheng began to work.
Li Zhuiyuan found a long bench, seated himself in the center of the hall, closed his eyes, and began to calculate.
But right away, dizziness washed over him, and he felt a harsh dryness in the corners of his eyes.
Previously, he had only superficially deciphered the puzzle left on the stone walls—the puzzle cards were clearly left behind for future generations. Now, he was delving deep into the technical application of the teachings, an entirely different level of difficulty.
As he continued pondering and calculating, Li Zhuiyuan felt a drip of "sweat."
With his eyes still shut, he slid from the bench onto the ground, continuing to reflect.
Soon, tears began to flow, but he ignored the need to wipe them away.
He worked so hard that soon a sharp pain shot through his head, finally causing some frustration.
The more he reasoned, the clearer the profound mysteries became.
If this were the past, he would have been elated, able to learn bit by bit, savoring every moment. However, now, he felt trapped, unable to change course.
Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes, wiping the bloodstains from the corners of his eyes with his clothes. He couldn't keep going like this; he had overestimated himself and underestimated the ancients, so he needed to shift tactics, or he might end up blind.
Since this was an ancestral hall and the walls bore the teachings, could he simulate the perspective of the QI descendants to learn from it?
This kind of thinking was akin to taking short cuts, bypassing numerous theoretical debates, merely retaining formulas. But as he genuinely immersed himself in that frame of mind, he suddenly realized that this path was surprisingly viable.
The stones on the three walls slowly reformed into messages within his mind, clearly the ancestors had left notes for promising descendants.
The 'excellence' mentioned seemed protective; from the perspective of the ancestors, they’d probably foreseen the gradual decline in their descendants’ abilities.
The new messages contained three parts, being more conceptual than purely textual.
The first part stated that any future generations who could see this would thankfully receive a notebook, buried beneath a specific brick in the ancestral hall, which should be returned once read, for posterity.
The second part revealed that this was a mystical place, reality intertwined with illusion, which was why the ancestors chose to conceal themselves here. It detailed methods and exit points for entering that realm.
The third part described if calamity struck the clan and they must migrate, then the Feng Shui layout could be modified, providing specific methods to do so.
Li Zhuiyuan felt relieved, smiling subtly, glad he thought to change his approach; this was evidence that the ancestors had already placed the answers here.
Incredible! Regardless of whether future generations had been forced or chose to leave, they could alter the Feng Shui layout here to prevent future inhabitants from benefiting and even unleash terrible curses against any usurpers.
But it was clear that the descendants of the QI family hadn’t acted on this. Whether it was a sudden event in the past or their descendants had fallen short of "excellence," they couldn't see the messages left by their ancestors.
Li Zhuiyuan called Runsheng over, indicated a chosen brick according to the recorded position for him to pry loose.
Runsheng inserted a small shovel, pushing down with his hands, quickly extracting the brick, digging further down to uncover a box.
Brimming with excitement, Li Zhuiyuan opened the box, only to frown as he found it… empty.
It had likely been taken, and the person who removed it had simply left it there, most probably a descendant of the QI family who failed to comply with their ancestor’s wishes and allowed future generations to earn the right to read the notebook.
It expressed the different viewpoints of ancestors and descendants. This notebook may have either been lost during the upheaval of the QI family or buried with some ancestor nearby.
Such a pity…
Li Zhuiyuan lamented inside. The choice of hiding here and dwelling was due to the natural layers of space, and those skilled individuals had created such refined notes; they must have been truly precious.
Getting into the spatial layer was simple; near the edges, just reduce oneself to three flickering candles to enter automatically.
That meant self-imposed misfortune. The exit lay beneath the Tai Chi diagram in the ancestral hall.
The little girl who had followed them from the train inadvertently provided the four of them with the conditions to enter, and while he should have been fine, he had been pulled in due to his deep connection with Xue Liangliang and the others... much like Runsheng's steel pole.
But the ancestors of the QI family were a bunch of lunatics. They were willing to harm themselves by diminishing their three flickers just for the sake of studying the spatial layer, showing a determination akin to "it’s okay to die for the Dao."
If the ancestors liked playing with such risks, it wasn't surprising that the subsequent generations suffered a decline; the more talented perished rapidly.
"Runsheng Ge, have you finished outside?"
"All done as you instructed. But Xiao Yuan, are you okay now?"
It was clear that Runsheng had noticed the traces of blood on the boy's face.
"I'm fine, I won't go blind this time." Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the eastern wall, indicating a green stone, then to the western wall, pointing at a black stone, just as he was about to point to the northern wall...
A tremendous sense of crisis suddenly enveloped Li Zhuiyuan.
His eyelids started to tremble rapidly, and his heart raced.
This compelled him to lean forward and brace himself on the ground, kneeling.
He felt an intuition that if he gestured to the red stone on the northern wall and told Runsheng to pry it out and swap positions, it would surely bring calamity upon him.
"Xiao Yuan?"
Li Zhuiyuan stood up, going to the entrance of the hall, picking up the copper sword Runsheng had previously taken down from the eaves, the polished sword glimmered in the moonlight, faintly reflecting his face.
He began scanning himself.
In an instant, Li Zhuiyuan felt the world spin, and he crashed to the ground.
He had again violated the taboo against self-examination, but he was compelled to look.
What he saw shocked him—it was a dreadful view of his own fate… far worse than when the little girl in red had caused trouble for Liangliang and the others.
At that time, they were not in their prime, simply exhausted, yet his current visage was considered a "curse of malevolence," a fate worse than death, destined for all manner of misfortune.
Why?
"Xiao Yuan, what happened to you?"
"Runsheng Ge, it’s nothing.” He shook off Runsheng's support and looked back to the wall.
He began pondering what would happen if he changed the layout here.
First, the corpses in the pond below would turn to vengeful spirits, flooding into the village and killing all the living beings there.
To Li Zhuiyuan, this was fine; it was, after all, the punishment the village deserved.
But… then what?
He had no way of controlling these vengeful spirits and could not resolve their existence. If they didn’t self-dissolve after achieving their revenge, they would spread out to other villages and towns. In that case, he would have inadvertently sparked a catastrophe.
In fact, once the Feng Shui layout here flipped, the spirits’ grievances would be intensified, making it almost certain they wouldn’t dissipate after avenging themselves, foretelling doom for what could come afterward.
Wouldn’t that count as a calamity upon me?
Hadn’t he done similar back in Nantong? His ancestor had done the same thing. Was it because his ancestor was no longer here that he couldn’t shield himself now?
No, those past conflicts were mere skirmishes; even if his ancestor had been present, such a grand incident would not have been manageable.
Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t understand why those who committed crimes went unpunished while he, here for vengeance, had to shoulder such consequences.
He looked up to the night sky, gripping tightly to the unsettling thoughts formed in his mind. How unfair was it?
"Xiao Yuan, you..."
Runsheng felt something was deeply wrong; Xiao Yuan was bleeding one moment, fainting the next, and seemed agitated, which troubled him greatly.
"Runsheng Ge, I need some quiet."
"Uh, okay."
Runsheng squatted in a distant corner, quietly lighting incense while taking the offerings out of his pocket, continuing to eat. It was always good to fill the belly when there was nothing else to do.
Li Zhuiyuan sat cross-legged on the ground, gripping the bricks tightly beneath him. He forced himself to remain calm, but soon noticed how clearly he had settled down. He had to lower his head again and wrinkled his face in pain, repeatedly chanting "A Li" to suppress his crucial urge to panic.
"Ah… Ah…"
Raising his head, he took a deep breath.
In any case, he did not wish for revenge at the cost of his own life; he would not allow that.
After all, Xue Liangliang would call the police, and they would quickly surround this place, ensuring justice was served.
Still, saying that left him feeling a bit disappointed, somewhat reluctant, and there was a lingering discomfort... all these emotions compounded into a complex mix.
Ha, have I truly developed emotions?
For a moment, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t even understand if he should be happy about that.
Although these feelings quickly began to fade as the group swelled with intent, they had sparked something.
At that moment, he thought of the dwarf father and son. They were certainly wicked, but in their working style, they were meticulously careful, almost as if intentionally avoiding something.
He thought of Liu Yumei and Uncle Qin, who lived in his ancestor's house, treating themselves like ordinary people, making every effort to avoid any boundary-crossing behavior.
Ultimately, he thought about someone else.
He had always wondered why that person hadn’t clearly written that helping the vengeful spirits find resolution would also help them dissipate.
He had long believed that his first thought upon seeing a Feng Shui layout was to devise extreme measures to alter it. That, while certainly coming from a place of personal enjoyment, still stemmed from the content of his studies, which inherently guided him.
"Ha..."
The boy chuckled, coming to a realization—the answer was that it tied back to Wei Zhengdao—an instance of pretentious righteousness.
What he desired was an outcome so since the straightforward path bore too heavy a cost, he could take a detour, mislead or placate this guise of righteousness, so long as he satisfied the appearance, all could remain undisturbed.
For after all, they were hypocrites.
"Runsheng Ge, pry out this green stone, this black stone, and this red stone in the order I say. Swap their locations. But for the last step, don't place the red one back into the green's slot just yet."
"Alright, I understand."
Runsheng picked up the tools and began to pry. He quickly completed the first two steps, passing the red stone to the boy.
"Xiao Yuan, what's next?"
"Next, it's time to create some noise. Do you remember the house closest to the hall? The one where we had her corn? Binbin Ge also found the cured meat inside her house."
"I remember."
"Runsheng Ge, go right now and capture that woman from the house, but remember to be quick. There's a man in there too; if he resists, don’t hold back." Upon hearing “don’t hold back,” Runsheng’s eyes widened, his breathing quickened.
Li Zhuiyuan added, "They are genuine murderers; you're going to catch murderers. Citizens have the duty to assist the police in maintaining harmony and safety—this is not illegal.
Also, there's a slogan on the county wall that says, ‘Kill car thieves and road bullies—no guilt and rewards!’”
Runsheng scratched his head, somewhat confused. "Uh, Xiao Yuan, why are you telling me this?"
Li Zhuiyuan shrugged and replied, "The earlier lines weren't directed at you; go now, Runsheng Ge."
"Got it!"
Runsheng snatched the steel pole, opened the door of the ancestral hall, and dashed out.
Li Zhuiyuan leaned against the entrance, observing the situation while fiddling with the red stone in his hand.
He wore a smile, realizing this wasn’t an act; he was genuinely happy.
This joy was persistent, a small flame simmering inside him.
He could hardly imagine the level of joy he would feel once it truly boiled over.
Following established pathways, doing things step by step had no thrill for him.
Instead, playing so close to the edge of natural order offered him real excitement.
This was true amusement—fun.
"Bang!"
The sound of the door being kicked open echoed.
Next came the woman's scream.
Then, in the moonlight, Li Zhuiyuan could see Runsheng sprinting, carrying the woman quickly.
Earlier, he had only heard the woman’s voice behind the village slope but hadn’t seen her. Now when he did, he felt pleased and began to scrutinize her features carefully.
The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with a face full of freckles. Even in her terrified state, her brows and eyes displayed lingering youthfulness—a classic peach blossom face, and a rather unfortunate one at that.
Anyone with such a face would inevitably encounter lifelong misfortunes stemming from their beneath-the-belt misdeeds. If her overall visage had been wealthy and peaceful, it might counterbalance the misfortune, but this woman clearly didn’t fit that description; beneath her terrible peach blossoms aspect was an even clearer fate of early misfortune.
Such faces were prevalent among hardened criminals featured prominently in "The Essentials of Yin and Yang Physiognomy," indicative of staunch penalty—conclusively sentenced individuals.
That is to say, even without intervention, people like her had high probabilities of facing trial in the future.
Or it could be said that most villagers here would end up being punished in this manner.
In the way Liangliang Ge often phrased it, this was the inevitable grinding wheel of time, which would surely roll over them, and they were precisely the ones destined to be crushed under it.
What’s more, before they got crushed, how many more Zhu Yangs could fall victim to their wicked hands? Zhu Yang's wife would soon be arriving here from Nantong with money and daughter.
"Xiao Yuan, I’ve brought her."
Runsheng tossed the woman to the ground.
"Help! Help me!!!!!!!"
"Slap!"
Runsheng slapped the woman across the face.
His hand had considerable strength, as Liu Jinxia and Uncle Shan could confirm.
The blow knocked out several of her teeth, one side of her face swelled up frightfully, causing her to whimper instead of scream.
Runsheng pointed at her, menacingly saying, "Silence!"
The woman quickly nodded, terrified.
Li Zhuiyuan looked at Runsheng and asked, "Runsheng Ge, what are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"I want her to scream."
"I..." Runsheng quickly turned to the woman, "Scream again!"
The woman shook her head, indicating she wouldn’t dare.
"Slap!"
Another slap landed.
"Yell when told to yell!"
"Help! Help... Help! Help!"
Initially, the woman’s scream was rather quiet, but upon hearing the commotion from the village and barking of dogs in the distance, her cries grew louder.
In truth, Runsheng’s kicking of the door had startled the villagers awake. Yet by the time nearby villagers emerged from their homes, Runsheng had already rushed the woman back to the ancestral hall.
In the pitch darkness, the villagers needed time to comprehend what exactly was happening.
"Who else is in her house?"
"A man," Runsheng answered, "but he cowered on the bed after I glared at him; he didn’t dare stop me."
Clearly, the woman’s husband was timid, unwilling to protect his wife. However, such a person could turn brutal against passing drivers from elsewhere.
Perhaps due to the wife's husband’s account and her present scream, villagers gradually began to figure out the situation unfolding.
Soon, Li Zhuiyuan saw a group come running towards them, holding flashlights.
Runsheng lifted the woman, holding the steel pole close to her head, warning, "If you take another step forward, I’ll kill her!"
This line sounded like something out of a martial arts movie, yet combined with Runsheng’s booming voice and the hostage, it convincingly halted the first group of approaching villagers in their tracks.
"Runsheng Ge..."
"Huh?"
"Did I mess up again?"
Li Zhuiyuan sighed—it didn’t matter anymore. He would simply placate the so-called righteousness.
Addressing those outside, he shouted, "What happened to the kind truck driver Zhu Yang who gave us a ride? His license plate is Su F, he was hauling steel cables, and there's a letter to his wife and daughter still in his truck!"
Fearing they might forget, Li Zhuiyuan included plenty of details.
In the crowd, someone shouted, "He's dead. Did he like reading? I stuffed books into his belly, letting him read as much as he liked, hahahaha!"
Laughter quickly ensued among the group.
Clearly, since the captured victims weren't their wives, they weren't overly concerned.
Of course, charging in right away would be unwise; if anything were to happen to the woman, it would make things awkward among the whole village.
"Is it you guys? The village chief told us to find you, who would’ve thought you were hiding out here!"
"Well, this works out. Saves us the trouble of looking for you."
As the crowd grew increasingly larger, it became apparent that the village had few households; basically, all able-bodied adults were present.
Besides, they seemed certain that the two outsiders in the ancestral hall couldn't escape, so they didn’t bother to telescope their intentions, speaking freely and unabashedly.
After all, who feared that the dead would spill secrets?
At that moment, the crowd parted to allow a figure through—the repair shop owner who had warned them about the dangers ahead.
The owner pointed at Runsheng, declaring, "Let her go, and we’ll allow you both to leave safely, from then on, we’ll have nothing to do with each other!"
This was for sure a fool’s bargain; there was no chance they’d let someone leave alive.
This village was ruthless, leaving no survivors to ensure secrets remained buried.
In the present moment, if an outsider driver vanished without records, the police could hardly determine which portion of the route he’d gone missing on, let alone the specific province or city.
Long-haul drivers also didn’t call home frequently, meaning their families wouldn’t know where they scheduled their jobs last-minute.
Li Zhuiyuan shouted, "What you’re doing is illegal! The police will come and arrest every last one of you!"
His voice, paired with those words, sent ripples of laughter through the crowd.
The village chief reiterated, "Be good; release her, and you can leave safely. We’re men of our word!"
"We don’t believe you unless we see the police come, otherwise we will not release her."
As their offers were repeatedly rejected, the villagers began to press forward.
Li Zhuiyuan continued shouting, "Don’t come any closer! You’ve committed too many crimes; if you continue on this path of wrongdoing, do you think you can harm us again?"
Now not only were the villagers still laughing, but even Runsheng turned to give the boy a quizzical look; he felt Xiao Yuan wouldn’t utter such childish nonsense.
"Ugh, my throat hurts," Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his throat; nonetheless, he kept shouting, "Don’t come any closer! Your actions are making me feel threatened, and if you mean to harm me, I will act in self-defense!"
That statement seemed lacking to Li Zhuiyuan; it came across as rather intentional.
Yet at this moment, though Runsheng didn’t understand, he sensed a pattern, raising his voice alongside Li Zhuiyuan, "Don’t advance any further; otherwise, it counts as an unlawful assault on the populace. Retreat immediately; cease your illegal actions, recognize reality, and turn back while you still can, or face the consequences!"
"Unlawfully assaulting the populace..."
Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but smile, laughing so hard he nearly shed tears.
Tonight had been incredibly bizarre, and Runsheng unexpectedly added another layer to the absurdity.
Runsheng continued, "Those who confess softly shall be met with leniency, whereas those who resist shall face severe repercussions. Recognize your sins promptly, and actively surrender; that is the path forward!"
"Damn, are these two fools?"
"Go!"
Three individuals could no longer contain themselves, breaking away from the crowd, racing up the steps to the ancestral hall entrance.
Without hesitation, Runsheng swung the steel pole, executing a flurry of blows. They hadn't expected this huge fool to have such strength; even armed with hammers and hatchets, they couldn't withstand the might of Runsheng’s steel pole, and each one fell with bloodied heads.
This savage scene astonished the remaining villagers, halting them in their tracks.
Then Li Zhuiyuan spotted the village chief receiving a hunting rifle from someone behind him.
"Runsheng Ge!"
Runsheng immediately shoved Li Zhuiyuan aside, moving to the side himself.
"Bang!"
The gun fired, missing both Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng but hitting the unsuspecting woman, leaving her chest riddled with wounds.
"Runsheng Ge, close the door and come in!"
"Okay!"
Runsheng quickly closed the ancestral hall door, securing it with a latch before rushing into the hall.
Seeing Runsheng enter, Li Zhuiyuan slid the red stone into the designated slot.
"This self-defense is just; they intended to kill me. What I'm doing is a normal survival instinct."
One could imagine that the ancestors of the QI family hadn't anticipated the extensive wrathful spirits hidden beneath the auspicious environment.
When the ambiance of this place turned entirely upside-down, it was akin to tossing a firecracker into a vat of stagnant waste.
A chill wind began to blow, cold and biting; the courtyard floor was quickly blanketed in frost that spread at a rapid pace. Even within the hall, it started snowing outside.
Li Zhuiyuan felt a sudden jolt of alarm: this wasn’t good; he hadn’t realized the coverage radius would be so vast!
Upon triggering the pent-up anger of the spirits below, each of these vengeful spirits was equivalent to the little girl in red—no, these spirits were more terrifying. The negative effects they could unleash were amplified.
When Li Sanjiang dealt with the Xiao Huangying incident, he had advised Li Weihang about the need to banish those spirits; should they remain, the entire family would suffer misfortune.
This horde of vengeful spirits awakening could far surpass a host of those little girls in red; their unified grievances threatened to crush every living soul’s three flickering lights under their weight.
And those who had their three flickering lights extinguished would succumb into the spatial layer; Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to drag Runsheng into that fate as well.
With people outside either banging on the door or attempting to scale the walls, Li Zhuiyuan quickly grabbed the joss sticks from the altar, dividing some for Runsheng.
"Don't eat this."
"Okay."
Li Zhuiyuan earnestly declared, "Grievances have origins, and debts have owners; you’ve aided me, and I am returning the favor. Please open your eyes and see clearly who your true enemies are!"
The ground's frost now covered the entirety of the ancestral hall and extended far beyond it.
Only the area beneath Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng remained unfrosted.
Beneath the pond, all the floating corpses gradually transitioned from lying flat to standing upright, water beginning to ooze from their bodies as they slowly expanded outwards.
Above, the door of the ancestral hall was forcefully smashed open, as villagers swarmed in, the chief carrying a wayward rifle. A sharp, cold gaze swept over the two boys inside, smirking, "It’s too late to pray for protection now!"
In the next moment, all the dead below lifted their heads together.
Black mists began to swirl up from the ground, enveloping these people.
In an instant, the intruding villagers realized their quarry—the two outsiders inside the hall—had mysteriously disappeared.
"Where did they go?"
"Where have they run off to?"
"Did they hide?"
"Am I seeing things? They were just in front of me; how did they vanish so suddenly?"
The environment within the spatial layer mirrored the reality outside, and they had completely overlooked the fact that they had wandered into the wrong place, just as Li Zhuiyuan and his three companions had once done.
The village chief shouted, "Find them! They are definitely still here!"
...
Inside the ancestral hall in reality.
Runsheng's jaw dropped. He had been preparing to drop the incense and take up the steel pole to fight when, in an instant, a swarm of the living had vanished entirely.
Then he looked down at Li Zhuiyuan before him and knew everything stemmed from his doing.
This time, Runsheng was again stunned by the power of knowledge.
But soon enough, he was overwhelmed by a more terrible and dense scent of vengeful spirits.
"Xiao Yuan, so many vengeful spirits!"
Yet in the blink of an eye, the previously overwhelming smell of the dead spirits vanished.
"Uh, Xiao Yuan, where did all the vengeful spirits go..."
"Runsheng Ge."
"Uh-huh?"
"They’ve entered it too."
"This..."
Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the Tai Chi pattern in the yard, “Runsheng Ge, grab your tools, and smash that for me!”
That was the exit. If the exit was destroyed, this entire spatial layer would be thoroughly sealed off.
"Okay!"
"And Runsheng Ge, in half an hour."
"Ah?" Runsheng was initially confused, but as he watched Li Zhuiyuan sit on the ground and close his eyes, he gradually understood, asking, "Xiao Yuan, you plan to tread this path of shadow for such a long time?"
Li Zhuiyuan nodded lightly, "Rare opportunity; we must enjoy it well."
With that, the boy raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"Snap!"
When he opened his eyes again, he was still in the ancestral hall but could see villagers rummaging through the space. However, these villagers couldn’t see him.
No wonder the ancestors of the QI family dared to hide and study here; it was indeed fascinating—such a shame.
If not for the necessity of destroying the exit, he would gladly have kept this place as a personal haven for research, even if it meant carrying a heavy burden.
Li Zhuiyuan skillfully moved through the crowd, lingering near the village chief, taking a few extra glances.
Stepping outside the door of the ancestral hall, he arrived at the stairs.
A horde of vengeful spirits was inching upward from the subterranean hole. They appeared dense and numerous.
Each spirit was seeping water, grievances deep-seated, akin to beasts hunting for prey.
Li Zhuiyuan grinned, stepping aside, and motioning at the entrance of the ancestral hall in a gesture reminiscent of a professional server at a prestigious establishment in the capital:
"Everyone, please come in."
(End of Chapter)