"Just throw out a clue for fun..."
Outside the windows, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng exchanged incredulous glances.
How could something like this be treated so frivolously? Did they not realize that doing so would ruin the life of a peer?
Tan Wenbin recalled a scene he had seen in Wu Xinhui’s memories, where such a conversation had taken place during their confrontation:
"Why are you framing me? Why are you framing me, why!"
"If you die, it will be fine. If you die, no one will know."
Thus, Wu Xinhui desperately chased after the fleeing Zhao Junfeng with a dagger, not because he was the murderer, but to cement this "joke"?
What kind of unfathomable logic and motive led to this behavior?
Tan Wenbin muttered, "I don’t understand..."
Inside the room, a sinister laughter echoed from Mao Chang'an:
“Hahaha!”
It was clear that he was the one who found it most difficult to comprehend and accept the situation.
He had schemed and plotted carefully at every step, even pretending not to know while keeping track of progress.
He had gone so far as to sacrifice his own son, and in the end, here was the result.
“Please, let us go. We can give you anything you want.”
“Yes, yes, please release us. We won't say a word about what happened today. We promise to keep it secret.”
Mao Chang'an's laughter stopped.
He felt like torturing these two people in front of him, relishing in their suffering.
But unfortunately, Wu Xinhui had died too easily; it was a pity.
However, as Mao Chang'an raised his hand, silver needles appearing at his fingertips, he halted his movements.
Outside the window, Li Zhuyuan noticed this detail and narrowed his eyes slightly.
This old man was a ruthless character; even when his plans had collapsed, and even in his rage, he still feared the celestial principles that curbed his impulses from acting.
He truly loved himself above all else.
At that moment, the blood fragrance had burned out.
The once bright formation patterns drawn on the floor tiles faded into the peeling paint of years gone by.
Standing side by side, Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin began to sway, a stream of liquid constantly oozing from their bodies.
As their puppets were damaged, they entered a state of uncontrollable chaos.
Mao Chang'an waved his hand, speaking earnestly, "You are innocent people; hurry and run, stay safe.”
"Thank you, thank you!"
"Thank you! We appreciate it!"
Zhu Hongyu and Liu Xinya, feeling a sense of reprieve, began to run.
However, the spirit-manipulation formation set up by Mao Zhushan was still active.
The two of them ran in circles for quite some time, yet they couldn't escape through the main door.
Such a simple formation, Mao Chang'an could destroy it with a wave of his hand, but he didn't.
Instead, he covered his face and sobbed, lamenting his dead son and the tragic situation that unfolded here.
He walked out of the hall, kneeling down with a thud, continuing to confess to the heavens.
It was clear that he would not let those two women go, but he didn’t want to sully his own hands.
Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin's swaying came to an end, and a dense aura of death began to emanate from them; Zhao Junfeng was more intense, while Qiu Minmin appeared lighter, likely due to having suffered a serious blow recently.
The two remains instinctively looked towards the two women still running inside, beginning to walk towards them step by step.
Zhu Hongyu and Liu Xinya screamed and retreated until their backs nearly pressed against the door, very close to the hiding spot of Li Zhuyuan and the others.
Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng’s expressions changed slightly.
All they needed to do was show themselves to save these two.
Yet, neither seemed willing to do so.
Not one of them tried to consult the relatively distant Li, instead, one looked away and the other simply lowered her head.
Tan Wenbin said, "Did you see the two dead bodies about to kill someone?"
Yin Meng understood and quickly replied, "No, I didn't see anything."
Tan Wenbin hesitated, finding that statement unsuitable, and changed his question:
"Did you see Zhu Hongyu and Liu Xinya just run out of the hall?"
"I saw them, they just ran out!"
"Great, they escaped; they are safe now."
"Yes, I'm really glad for them."
When people engage in activities that violate the norms of society, they often find ways to convince themselves to step down, doing so to free their hearts from burdens, to avoid internal conflict.
Many lives had been lost inside tonight; they were outside watching a performance, and if they had acted sooner, most of those people inside could have been saved.
But why act at all?
Ran Qiuping and Sun Hongxia had attacked them before, and Runsheng was still lying in a hospital bed recovering; Mao Zhushan had it coming, and neither his father nor master cared; as for Wu Xinhui and company… Who couldn't pretend to be blind for a moment?
After some mental rearrangement, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng both sighed in relief, their thoughts finally aligned.
Even the continuous screams coming from inside didn't stir feelings of pity or evil within them.
Li Zhuyuan stood at the back, witnessing the internal struggle of both, and apart from understanding the "celestial principles," he himself didn’t have this process in his heart at all.
With most of the people inside dead, Mao Chang'an stood up, wiping his tears as he walked back inside.
His expression shifted from shock, to sorrow, and finally to rage:
"Two wretches, how dare you harm lives right beneath my very eyes!"
Tan Wenbin couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly a veteran actor."
Yin Meng echoed, "Indeed, so dedicated."
Li Zhuyuan summarized the situation, "Remember to study and hand your notes to Runsheng later, don't let him fall behind."
Every shared adventure was a precious experience.
Yin Meng was less cooperative than Tan Wenbin, often saying irrelevant things.
This was most likely because she had enjoyed a peaceful time since joining the team in Nantong, missing out on the refinement that team experiences brought.
Earlier, when he had just joined the team, Tan Wenbin himself had said much more.
Mao Chang'an was preparing to wipe the stage clean.
His scheme had failed, his son and apprentice had died, but life must go on.
Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin approached him, instinctively wanting to attack.
He bent down and picked up the two damaged puppets off the floor, unfazed by the advancing corpses.
His fingers quickly rewound the strings and inserted the needles.
Li Zhuyuan turned around and walked out of hiding, heading straight for the door, gazing at Mao Chang'an and saying,
“Good evening.”
Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng didn’t understand why Li chose this moment to reveal himself.
Why not let Mao Chang'an deal with those two before the three of them came out to confront the old man?
This was even more aligned with their earlier plan, just that instead of having the old man as the first target, they only had one old man left to deal with.
Being puzzled didn’t stop them; the two quickly moved to Li Zhuyuan's side, weapons drawn, one on each side to protect him.
Mao Chang'an, holding the two newly repaired puppets, lightly tapped, and the two remains stopped in their tracks.
Another finger flick, and they turned, facing the door.
Then, Mao Chang'an extended three fingers with his left hand, his right arm rotating for a crossover before finally stacking them up:
"Mao Chang'an, from the Qinhuai dock in Jinling, may I ask where this Young Master hails from?"
Upon encountering a fellow, the first thing that emerged was caution.
Sussing out each other was to avoid missteps as much as possible.
After all, in this line of work, who didn't have a few hidden skills? If they tore faces with each other, it would turn disastrous for both sides.
At this point, mentioning “Hohe River dock” would have been a deliberate jab.
Li Zhuyuan, hands in his pockets, was too lazy to return the courtesy and replied straightforwardly:
"I'm not from the dock; I worship the Liu family's Dragon King."
Mao Chang'an froze, visible panic washing over him.
He staggered back several steps, urgently explaining:
"I failed in my teaching, causing my son to stray onto the wrong path and create this tragedy. Now, I’ve done my duty by killing the kin, and am cleaning up the mess; please, see this clearly!"
He was genuinely frightened.
However, his fear was not the same as Yin Fuhai's shock when presenting himself on Fengdu Ghost Street.
Yin Fuhai had long resided in a small town, only hearing about matters on the river, while Mao Chang'an had the means to bring the title of an artifact protection unit to his doorstep.
What he was afraid of wasn't the past renown of the Liu family, but what was happening now!
This reminded Li Zhuyuan of the storyteller Yu Shu who had previously visited Nantong.
It seemed, even after the evening stroll following the Ding Family banquet in the mountain town, Granny Liu had been holding something back and hadn’t deceived him, yet hadn’t fully disclosed the truth either.
Li Zhuyuan pointed at the two puppets Mao Chang'an was holding and asked, “Can you toss one over for me to inspect?”
Mao Chang'an hesitated.
Could he really toss it over?
Li Zhuyuan continued, “Stand down; the outside is filled with our people.”
Although he knew that unless Runsheng was out of the hospital with an IV drip, it was impossible for someone to be outside.
Yet, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng maintained their calm and stood tall, especially Tan Wenbin, whose lips curled into a disdainful smile.
“After you.”
Mao Chang'an tossed the female puppet toward Li Zhuyuan.
It was covered in needles, so Li Zhuyuan didn’t catch it.
Instead, Yin Meng swiftly undid the force with a flip of her hand and caught it before handing it to Li Zhuyuan.
Mao Chang'an said: “The things that happened here, I can provide a full and thorough explanation, it’s truly…”
Li Zhuyuan nodded while examining the puppet, “Don’t worry, we won’t wrong an innocent person, nor will we let a bad person go.”
The boy was certain that the old man in front of him regarded him as the same kind of person as Yu Shu.
It appeared that Uncle Qin didn't come to Grandfather Liu's residence merely to hide but had some tasks to attend to.
After a thorough check, Li Zhuyuan tossed the female puppet carelessly to the ground.
As it landed, the needles made contact, and Qiu Minmin awkwardly contorted her body into several odd positions.
Mao Chang'an asked in confusion, “What are you…”
Li Zhuyuan pointed at Zhao Junfeng: “He’s actually not under your puppet’s control; he’s been pretending the whole time.”
Mao Chang'an exclaimed in surprise, “What? How is that possible?”
“Believe it or not, but weren’t you just planning on using the puppet to control them and dispose of the evidence? You’re in for a surprise, he’s actually waiting for this moment.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Junfeng lunged at Mao Chang'an.
Mao Chang'an rolled awkwardly to the side, narrowly evading.
He quickly manipulated his fingers on the male puppet, but it had no effect.
Zhao Junfeng twisted in the air and dove again, mouth agape, spewing forth a mist of blood.
Seeing this, Mao Chang'an had no choice but to throw the puppet and dodge, but this time, his right arm was swept by the red mist, his clothing torn and the arm burned.
“Why is this happening?”
It wasn’t just Mao Chang'an who was confused; Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng felt the same.
Yet the two maintained their stern expressions.
Even if Tan Wenbin felt unease, he still forced out that “see, it’s what's happening” demeanor.
At that moment, Qiu Minmin was covered in mud, lunging from behind at Mao Chang'an.
Once more, he sidestepped, extending his hand with a silver needle that pierced Qiu Minmin.
Pulling the thread, he drew the distance between them closer, before side-kicking her.
“Bang!”
Qiu Minmin, already badly weakened, was knocked to the ground.
As Mao Chang'an prepared to mount her and sever her head with the silver line, Zhao Junfeng appeared, leaving him no choice but to retreat swiftly.
While retreating, he shouted, “Please help me subdue the corpses!”
Li Zhuyuan clapped his hands, “Keep going, we won’t interrupt.”
With that, he stepped back.
“You…”
Mao Chang'an's face contorted in rage as he finally realized: “You’re not from the Liu family!”
Li Zhuyuan paid him no mind and kept retreating, with Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin following.
Once they had created enough distance, they paused to watch.
Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but ask again, “Little Yuan, are you serious?”
“That night in the practice room, I attempted to control Qiu Minmin but found that she was manipulated by another consciousness, a puppet version of her. When I saw Mao Zhushan using that puppet to control these two remains, I became suspicious. It’s not that this evil art cannot control corpses, but rather, I didn’t think I could even compete with a puppet.”
That night, Li Zhuyuan was just a step away from fully controlling Qiu Minmin.
However, the consciousness within her was incredibly resistant, fiercely fighting back against him.
Yet, puppets are lifeless things.
Where did the counteracting consciousness come from?
So clearly, the true manipulator behind Qiu Minmin was not Mao Chang'an or his son.
Since Mao Zhushan and Mao Chang'an had practiced that cursed book, controlling corpses with puppets indicated that the one truly controlling Qiu Minmin was not either of them.
With most people inside already dead, by elimination, no matter how unlikely, it led to the final answer.
The true manipulator of Qiu Minmin was Zhao Junfeng.
“Bingbing, do you remember the memory scene we saw when we walked through the shadows earlier?”
“I remember...”
“Didn’t you notice how Wu Xinhui's memory was very deceptive?”
“Ah, right! Wu Xinhui clearly isn't the murderer, but that segment certainly makes it appear as if he is the one targeting others to kill in a cover-up.”
“It would’ve been easy to forward that memory, showing Wu Xinhui and his companions didn’t truly see the murderer. The truth could’ve been revealed simply, yet they deliberately omitted that part. Moreover, there were many doors. Three were closed, while one opened to reveal Qiu Minmin’s face; the other two couldn’t be opened. Since there’s Qiu Minmin, there should be Zhao Junfeng as well, but his memories remain locked away.”
“And what about the other door?”
“I initially thought it was Mao Chang'an’s since he was still alive and part of this, but now I think it likely isn’t... It should be something deeper, perhaps the book they’ve mentioned together.”
“A book that can reach such a level?”
“Some things are exceptionally sinister. Has Runsheng ever told you that there's also a copper coin buried at our gravesite in Shigang? Even though I left home for university, I haven’t retrieved it. It’s not that I forgot; it’s just that I currently have no confidence to touch it.”
If one were to grasp that object without care, they might end up being cursed and ill-fated, much like an infectious disease.
“So now, it seems like Mao Chang'an isn't just a predator?”
“Yeah, there’s a predator behind him, following a chain of consumption.”
“Little Yuan, did you deliberately go out earlier to let them kill each other off first?”
“Otherwise? We are here to clean up. The old man is the mastermind; he needed to be dealt with. Since it has been confirmed that it isn't a puppet but Zhao Junfeng controlling Qiu Minmin, Zhao Junfeng is also our enemy. They're all targets that need to be handled; how could we allow the old man to be ambushed just like that? Let them drain each other's blood; it lessens our burden.”
Tan Wenbin said, “Brother, if you ever feel your mind is heavy, I can help you act for a bit.”
At this point, Yin Meng interjected, “But what is the ultimate objective of all this?”
“The yin and yang birthing death, how easy is that to refine? According to Wei Zhengdao, only those prominent sects have the depth to try creating such things. Two grave diggers, still messing around with the docks, how could they conjure up such a spectacle?”
Yin Meng’s expression turned a bit dismal.
The docks also belonged to her family; no, after her grandfather passed, she had come to Nantong, and now the Yin family no longer even owned any docks.
“I suspect there are problems with the records in that book the father and son got. It might be a simplified version, much like your Yin family's twelve sects, making it seem easy to use.”
Yin Meng felt another blow in her chest.
“The ultimate goal? Although it sounds absurd, I guess it’s limited in nature, and it seeks a host to restore itself to freedom.”
Tan Wenbin asked, “Seems like the old man might not last much longer, huh?”
Inside the room, Mao Chang'an attempted to escape multiple times but was intercepted by Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin, seemingly intent on keeping him there at all costs.
“Zhao Junfeng, since you’re aware and not controlled, you know that even if you kill me, you'll have to face those three outside!”
“They may have come long ago, and they still haven’t left, just waiting for us to fish in troubled waters to tackle later. If you take Qiu Minmin and leave, I won’t stop you. You both can leave now, to see whether you poison life or escape into the sea, that's up to you!”
“Zhao Junfeng, let’s team up first and deal with those three outside, then we can decide our fates, preventing any outsider from taking advantage!”
Tan Wenbin remarked, “Looks like the old man is dropping the act.”
Yin Meng scoffed disdainfully, “How shameless!”
Tan Wenbin noted, “But it seems Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin are fixated on him, wanting him dead. What could possibly fuel such deep grudge?”
Remains don’t retain a living identity.
Since Zhao Junfeng could control himself and Qiu Minmin, killing Ran Qiuping and Sun Hongxia proved that he had long since broken free from prior ties.
Given that, if he possessed wisdom, he ought to consider the old man’s proposal.
Li Zhuyuan asserted, “The book is with the old man.”
Mao Chang'an had really been pushed into a corner; he was already covered in multiple wounds, blood gushing out.
If he didn't get serious now, he might really lose his life here.
With that, he stabbed his two thumb nails into his palms, drawing blood, then pulled out two red threads from within.
With the red threads sustained, he flexed his waist and flicked them forward.
Just then, Zhao Junfeng lunged at him again, spewing red mist, but when the mist met the flicked red threads, it hissed loudly, not only dissipating but failing to stop the red threads.
The threads landed on Zhao Junfeng like ink lines, leaving a red mark on his chest and swiftly melting away.
“Bang!”
Zhao Junfeng was flung backward, his body contorting as meat chunks began to fall from where the red threads had touched him.
Qiu Minmin appeared behind Mao Chang'an, arms extended.
Instead of dodging, he shrunk his body and leaned back, crashing his shoulder hard into Qiu Minmin’s.
As she staggered back, mud began to adhere to Mao Chang'an, flowing into his injury.
“Ah!!!”
Mao Chang'an screamed in despair, yet his arms continued to twist, ensnaring Qiu Minmin’s neck with red threads and then applying strength to slice.
“Pfft…”
Qiu Minmin’s head was severed.
The headless corpse staggered back a few steps, arms outstretched, pus gushing forth from the neck's severed end, black mist erupting as its resentment began to dissipate.
“Damn, the old man is strong.” Tan Wenbin swallowed hard. “Without Little Yuan's backup, Yin Meng and I surely wouldn’t hold out against him; how did he extract those threads from his body?"
Yin Meng replied, “He must have nurtured them within, using them as muscles.”
“How ruthless. Mengmeng, do you know how to do that?”
“No, but I've heard stories from my grandfather when I was little.”
“This set of techniques doesn’t seem very righteous.”
Li Zhuyuan couldn't help but recall how, before Uncle Qin set foot in Jiang, the blood-colored fish gills he bore were a clear indication that the righteous path was inherently wrapped in bloodshed.
After dealing with Qiu Minmin, Mao Chang'an forced Zhao Junfeng back with the red threads.
Yet each time he sought to seize this opportunity to escape, Zhao Junfeng relentlessly reattached himself to him like a parasite.
Such persistence, however, provided Mao Chang'an with a chance.
He pretended to flee the hall, and when Zhao Junfeng lunged for him again, he pushed off the ground, leaping backward, directly onto Zhao Junfeng.
Lowering his arms, he pulled the red thread tightly around Zhao Junfeng's neck.
Zhao Junfeng raised his arms, stabbing into Mao Chang'an's thigh while broadly opening his mouth to unleash red mist.
“Die! Die! Die for me!”
Mao Chang'an gambled everything in that moment.
“Pfft…”
Zhao Junfeng’s head was also severed, continuing to roll on the ground a few times.
“Hoo… Hoo… Hoo…”
Mao Chang'an was drenched in blood, resembling a blood-soaked being, limping towards the door.
Facing the three individuals outside, he smiled.
In the backdrop of blood, his teeth shone white.
The red threads in his hands had snapped.
From his face and down to his arms and legs, his skin looked slack, as if aged twenty years in an instant.
Yet he did not give up.
Knowing he lacked the strength to continue fighting, he spoke, “You propose the terms; I only ask for a path to survival.”
Li Zhuyuan shook his head: “You have to die.”
“Why? I have no enmity with you.”
Li Zhuyuan replied earnestly: “If we don’t kill you, we’ll seem foolish for coming here tonight without doing anything.”
Mao Chang'an: “…”
Tan Wenbin joined in, “Exactly, coming out at night to witness such an exciting spectacle, but we’ve got to do something; otherwise, it won’t feel like we participated.”
Mao Chang'an protested, “Everything I've done aligns with the rules; are you not afraid of heavenly wrath by killing me?”
Tan Wenbin pointed at the three of them, “Not a problem. We’ll just split it three ways; there won’t be much left anyway.”
Li Zhuyuan added, “Without my earlier reminder, you would have already died from Zhao Junfeng’s surprise attack. Thus, your life has always been mine.”
Yin Meng looked at Tan Wenbin: “The disparity in thought processes.”
With a thud, Mao Chang'an slumped to the ground.
He pulled out a talisman, gently caressed it with his fingers, and it ignited.
He now found it very taxing just to walk.
If he couldn’t stem the blood flow, he would perish from blood loss.
He understood fully that escape wasn’t in his cards.
A selfish person not only fears death but also dreads the benefit others might gain from him.
The talisman he had just lit was the “key” from his home.
At the moment the paper ignited, the atmosphere in the temple changed.
The original yin yang structure began to clash and fray, thick, heavy yin energy spilled from the bronze doors beneath the generals' statue, and a flurry of pale-green ghost flames surged up in the air, with fire lines appearing on the ground.
“None of you can take my things, no one can…”
The fire began to spread, igniting all around it quickly without a blind spot.
Yin Meng suggested, “Little Yuan, I’ll go kill him, then we’ll leave.”
“We’re leaving.”
Li Zhuyuan turned and fled outside.
Yin Meng felt a bit puzzled—wouldn’t not killing someone seem foolish?
Moreover, even though the flames had erupted, it hadn’t reached a desperate level yet; they could still kill him and escape.
Tan Wenbin had already kept up, and seeing this, Yin Meng took one last glance at the seated Mao Chang'an before following after them.
“Hehe…”
Watching the three depart, Mao Chang'an chuckled.
Gazing at the flames surrounding him, his expression fell into desolation.
He reached into his clothes, pulling out a book with a white cover and black base.
Looking down at the front cover, hatred flickered in his eyes.
He knew that if it weren’t for this book, he and his son would still be living peacefully.
Their family tradition preserved, maintaining a tranquility that kept the corpses from plaguing people while upholding their family name.
It was precisely because of its arrival that everything changed, all its fault.
Yet soon, greed and longing replaced his hatred.
He loved this book, down to the bone.
To hear the truth and die at dusk was a fate he desired; ordinary grave diggers at the docks lacked true profound inheritance.
This book opened his eyes to true wonders, revealing the immense possibilities of this world.
Zhushan, my dear son, my dear disciple, you must feel the same, right?
For a glimpse at that world’s scenery, losing a life isn’t such a burden.
We merely failed, that’s all.
Throughout the ages, how many can truly succeed?
In the end, the two of us saw more than others and more than our ancestors.
A gust of wind swept through, turning to the first page; it was blank.
Mao Chang'an froze, then flipped to the second page—still empty.
Flipping through to the third page, still nothing; every page was blank!
The book was real; he remembered the texture of its paper.
But the methods for refining the yin yang birthing death and controlling corpses with needles had vanished!
“No, no, no, no!!!”
Mao Chang'an frantically flipped pages.
He could accept failure; he could accept his son as the price of that failure.
But he could not bear to accept this had all just been a ruse!
The cultivation methods of the yin and yang birthing death were never real; this book had played with both him and his son, transforming them into mere pawns!
“It can’t be like this! Please, show me the words; even if they’re wrong, even if they’re false, just please provide me with some words… some letters…”
Suddenly, the headless form of Zhao Junfeng slowly stood up within the hall.
Mao Chang'an heard the movement and turned back.
Zhao Junfeng’s clothing hung in tatters, the chunks of flesh from his chest having fallen away.
Yet deep within the bloody and meaty mess, a woman’s face began to slowly writhe.
It was Qiu Minmin’s face.
The headless Zhao Junfeng approached Mao Chang'an, reaching out to grab his head with increasing force.
“Ah ah ah…”
“Bang!”
His head exploded, red and white splattering all around.
Zhao Junfeng bent down, picking up the white-covered black-backed book.
The grime that had splattered over it was instantly absorbed as if it had vanished.
The woman’s face upon his chest opened its mouth, grabbing hold of the book with her lips.
Surrounding Zhao Junfeng was a pool of mud that enveloped him.
Before the raging flames could reach him, he moved across the ground.
Escaping the searing inferno and away from the general’s shrine, he made his way to the nearest river, akin to a fish returning to water after regaining its freedom.
However, even as he swam, the lights of the burning shrine remained vividly etched in his mind.
Eventually, he stopped.
The mud slowly receded, and Zhao Junfeng looked around as the eyes of the woman on his chest continually surveyed their surroundings.
He was trapped.
“Hehehe.”
Tan Wenbin slowly stood, holding a Seven Stars Hook in his left hand and a Luosheng Umbrella in his right.
In a pinch, using the Yellow River Shovel was most appropriate.
But when it came time to team up with all the proper equipment ready, one had to clearly define their role.
Beside him, Yin Meng wielded a Yellow River Shovel.
With Runsheng absent, she was focused on offense.
“Heheheh…”
Tan Wenbin's laughter echoed.
Yin Meng couldn’t help but glance at him, saying, “You laugh like a villain from a drama.”
Tan Wenbin stifled his laughter and licked his lips. “Don’t say it. Being a villain actually feels pretty good.”
Pausing, Tan Wenbin then asked, “Little Yuan, how did you guess there would be an additional question?”
Li Zhuyuan sat on a stone, responding calmly:
“It’s not an additional question; it’s that the overall score didn’t reach the threshold, missing a face.”
Afterward, the young boy rested his elbow on his knee, supporting his chin with his hand:
“Don’t stall; deal with it before the fire attracts people.”
Tan Wenbin gestured at Yin Meng with his chin: “See? Who really looks like the villain here?”
Yin Meng said nothing in response.
The two began mumbling: “Three threes to live, four fours enter the sky, two eights to seek divination, three nines in connection…”
Unable to help himself, Li Zhuyuan raised his hand to cover his eyes, this scene so absurd that it was painful to watch.
Tan Wenbin extended the Seven Stars Hook, aiming it at Zhao Junfeng.
Zhao Junfeng sought to evade, but despite moving backward, he quickly became the aggressor, caught by the hook.
Yin Meng charged forward, delivering a heavy strike downward.
When Zhao Junfeng sensed the threat and sought to resist, Tan Wenbin opened the umbrella to block the mud that was splattering toward them.
When he pulled the umbrella back at just the right moment, Yin Meng came down with another powerful strike.
Zhao Junfeng couldn’t run and couldn’t dodge; every attack was neutralized, leaving him without a chance to retaliate, as he was hurt without fail.
His condition was already severely diminished by Mao Chang'an.
He had bypassed death by feigning it, yet now faced an intricately devised formation that straightforwardly suppressed him—leaving him with no room to maneuver.
Moreover, the rigidly coordinated offensive of Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng snuffed out any possibility of reversal or miracle.
It was making the fight rather dull.
Li Zhuyuan sighed.
If Runsheng were here, with his strength, this should've been wrapped up long ago.
Yin Meng still fell short in pure might; she suited her current position more, while Tan Wenbin was better suited for Li Zhuyuan’s current role.
At the boy’s feet lay many remaining formation flags.
Whenever a breach appeared, he needed to utilize the flags to mend it.
However, in this stable situation, the formation remained strong, allowing it to support until the formation’s effects naturally faded.
So, there was really nothing for him to do.
This was also why he couldn’t accept Runsheng’s mistake from last time.
Clearly, there was a more rational choice for the team, yet, at that moment, he chose to go with his emotions.
Li Zhuyuan's attention focused more on the book held in the woman's mouth.
The copper coin left behind in Shigang would remain quiet as long as it wasn’t disturbed, but this book might have some sort of activity, possibly even enticing the hearts of those nearby.
Forget it; to end this sooner, I should throw in some fuel.
Li Zhuyuan stood up, shouting, “Remember, none of you are allowed to look at that book; that book is mine!”
Upon hearing his voice, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng thought inwardly:
“Why shout? If it’s not yours, who else’s could it be? Even if it was laid out before them, they wouldn’t dare touch it!”
At that moment, the woman’s mouth opened, expelling the book onto the ground.
Zhao Junfeng stood motionless, waiting to be killed.
Even so, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng remained steady, sticking to their usual rhythm—attack then defense—until Yin Meng thoroughly smashed the face on Zhao Junfeng's chest.
Finally, “Thud,” Zhao Junfeng fell back, collapsing to the ground, an array of pus spilled forth, and black mist dissipated frantically.
They had succeeded!
“Phew…” Yin Meng exhaled, her arms completely drained and palms rubbed raw.
Tan Wenbin placed the Luosheng Umbrella onto the ground, massaging his own waist.
Truth be told, they were aware they could have been bolder in those final moments; the deceased had surrendered resistance.
However, they were still preoccupied with reciting the mantra in fear of making mistakes, thus falling back into their habitual routine.
“Close your eyes.”
They both obediently shut their eyes.
Li Zhuyuan also walked down with his eyes closed.
He could remember the orientation below, walking steadily to stand before the book.
Even with no wind, the sound of the pages turning reached his ears.
Li Zhuyuan loved reading, but this was the first time he encountered a book that seemed to present itself to him.
Unfortunately, this flirtation could only be perceived by the blind.
Li Zhuyuan took out a piece of canvas, inside of which was a purple wooden talisman, each piece hand-carved by Ali from ancestral tablets.
It was then engraved with patterns and sewn into the cloth, securely fastened.
The issue was that while the canvas wasn’t as easy to use as the demon-exorcising whip, it had always been his most effective tool against evil spirits.
Li Zhuyuan placed the canvas over the book.
“Zizz…”
In an instant, it was as if boiling water had been poured into hot oil, with charred smoke filling his nostrils.
“Sigh…”
Li Zhuyuan sighed, completely unaware of when he would see Ali again.
If this thing were to break, he wouldn’t know how to piece it back together.
Very quickly, he realized that this line of thought was incorrect; Ali wasn’t his tool.
Thus he promptly corrected himself in his mind:
Ali’s absence meant this was a memento she left for me.
If it got damaged, how was I supposed to remember her through it?
With a shift in perspective, Li Zhuyuan thoroughly enjoyed the feeling that came over him, especially when it came to thoughts of Ali—his mind became lively, no longer merely weighing options and motives.
The “zizz” sound gradually waned.
He didn’t know if it was the canvas finally burnt through or if the entity within had finally been subdued.
Bending down, he reached out, carefully grasping the edge.
Fortunately, it hadn’t been burnt through, though the canvas had grown thin, meaning most of the purple wooden talisman inside had turned black.
However, the book had indeed been subdued.
Li Zhuyuan withdrew the purple demon-exorcism whip, first wrapping the burnished book within the canvas before binding it tightly with the whip, tying a dead knot.
Once all was complete, Li Zhuyuan opened his eyes, staring at the cloth-wrapped package in his hands.
He definitely couldn’t let Granny Liu see this, nor could she know that the ancestors from the Qin and Liu families had been used as book covers.
Even having done this much, the boy still felt it wasn’t enough precaution.
This thing wasn’t like the copper coin, which held no consciousness; it possessed its own will, and after calling for it, it had “surrendered” on its own.
So with the thought of burying it, that wouldn’t do; if it ever breaks free one day, with how I just burnt it, it could very well find a way to take revenge by seeking out another host.
It needed to be brought back to the dormitory, with him watching over it personally.
Pulling out a talisman he had drawn himself, Li Zhuyuan affixed it onto the wrapped item.
The talisman retained its color, remaining stable.
“Bingbing, do you have any talismans left?”
“Yeah, I have a ton in my bag.”
“You can open your eyes now.” As he spoke, Li Zhuyuan tossed the wrapped item to Tan Wenbin, “Cover it completely.”
“Got it!”
In that time, Zhao Junfeng's corpse was already decomposing into pus, whereas the raging flames in the shrine were destined to consume everything entirely.
This certainly saved them the trouble of post-maintenance.
If it were only a disappearance or arson case, it wouldn’t alert someone like Yu Shu.
Li Zhuyuan didn’t want to engage with them now because as they continued, it would lead to an inevitable encounter with Li Lan.
As for himself, he had his own path to walk, surrounded by his team, trustworthy partners.
Although, the one he trusted most hadn’t arrived due to illness today.
“Pack your stuff; we’re heading back to school.”
Since General Mountain was remote, it was nearly impossible to find taxis at night.
For safety's sake, the three deliberately walked a fair distance away from the area before hiring a private car and paying the driver to take them back to school.
When they arrived at the school, morning had not yet broken.
To avoid leaving an impression on the security guards at the front gate, they chose to scale the wall instead.
Walking along the cool shaded paths in the campus, Tan Wenbin mockingly claimed, “The taxi fare was exorbitantly high today. Without money, one truly couldn’t deal with demons or uphold doctrine.”
Yin Meng replied, “Once school starts, we’ll be able to make money. After we save up more, we can even buy our own transport for stocking up. Then it’ll be more convenient; the prices in Jinling are truly steep.”
Tan Wenbin retorted, “Right? Nantong is still superior to Jinling.”
Yin Meng countered, “The prices in Nantong are about the same as Jinling, but wages here are even lower.”
Tan Wenbin cleared his throat, shifting the subject: “But hey, Little Yuan, do we really need to be this cautious? Scaling the wall to get in? Even if the school discovers Wu Xinhui and his gang are missing, they wouldn’t suspect us, right?”
“There are five.”
“Um… yes, five.”
Including a shop assistant, one dorm manager.
“Under normal circumstances, it shouldn’t lead back to us. But what if we run into a cop like your dad?”
Recalling that afternoon outside the video parlor in Shinan Town, when Tan Yunlong had just gotten out of the car, scanned the area, and had walked straight towards him.
That scene was fresh in Li Zhuyuan’s memory.
“Ah ha! Next time I call my dad, I’ll be sure to relay your words to him. Trust me, he’ll be tickled pink by it.”
Yin Meng chuckled: “You and your dad seem to have a really good relationship.”
Tan Wenbin suddenly inquired, “By the way, if it wasn’t Wu Xinhui that killed Qiu Minmin, then who’s the real murderer?”
Yin Meng answered, “Could it be that Zhao Junfeng did it?”
Tan Wenbin shook his head: “How is that possible? In Zhao Junfeng’s memory, he kept insisting he was innocent, that he didn’t kill anyone.”
Yin Meng challenged, “Did you see any memories of Zhao Junfeng at the time of the murder?”
“I didn’t.”
“I heard that death-row prisoners still shout their innocence at execution sites.”
Tan Wenbin blinked: “Don’t tell me the actual killer is Zhao Junfeng? Oh right, if he wasn’t the murderer, then why flee at all? When he was saved from the water by Mao Zhushan, he’d definitely claim he wasn’t a killer; naturally, he’d say he was wronged.”
Li Zhuyuan cut in, “What are your professions?”
Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin answered in unison, “Grave diggers.”
Li Zhuyuan pressed further, “What’s the most basic condition for a corpse to form?”
Yin Meng answered, “Resentment.”
Tan Wenbin slapped his forehead: “So Zhao Junfeng died wronged; he was indeed wronged!”
Li Zhuyuan shook his head: “There will be exceptional cases. However, the five people who went missing this time were all connected to that case from seven years ago. The police will definitely reopen the investigation; if the real killer is still at large, it will certainly stir things up. Perhaps the real murderer is currently at this school.”
Yin Meng first headed back to the shop to deposit her things and feed the dog, before visiting Runsheng in the infirmary.
Li Zhuyuan and Tan Wenbin returned to their dorm.
Passing by Lu Yi’s dorm, they noticed the door was ajar.
Due to earlier supernatural incidents, Tan Wenbin pushed the door open to take a look, coming out holding a string of red sausage:
“He’s not here.”
Back in their room, Tan Wenbin took charge of cleaning the equipment and organizing, while Li Zhuyuan took a basin to wash up at the sink.
Just as he finished washing, he heard the sound of slippers from behind.
It was Lu Yi, wearing an expression that was a mix of joy and worry.
“Godchild, why are you only bathing now?”
“It’s too hot to sleep.”
“Godchild, I just got up to pee. Guess what I saw when I returned? The red sausage I left on the altar is gone; it’s vanished!”
“Oh.”
“Godchild, would you say this is a good thing or a bad thing?”
“A good thing; it means the offerings were worthwhile.”
“Really? That’s good, that’s good. Oh, poor thing; I'm now starting to suspect that this ghost might be from my hometown.”
“Perhaps.”
“Next time, I’ll offer two red sausages. Just because it’s a ghost doesn’t mean I’ll starve a local spirit.”
With a basin in hand, Li Zhuyuan returned to the dorm.
Tan Wenbin sat on the floor, carefully cleaning the umbrella while munching on the nearly finished red sausage.
“I’m going to sleep now, brother.”
“Okay, sleep first, brother.”
Li Zhuyuan lay down in bed, closed his eyes, and quickly succumbed to sleep.
However, he awoke not long after the dawn broke.
On the adjacent bed, Tan Wenbin had finished tidying up and bathing and was soundly clutching a pillow while he slept.
Li Zhuyuan sat up.
Ordinarily, unless he had overextended himself the previous day, his biological clock was quite steady.
But the boy sensed that this stable clock would not last long since it lacked its thrice-daily heavenly serenade.
Just then, a heavenly voice from outside the dorm reached him:
“Little Yuan, breakfast is ready!”
(End of Chapter)