Chapter 131

“Thump! Thump! Thump. Thump! Thump!”

Five dull thuds echoed, and the ground trembled five times in succession.

First:A black giant python. This python had no tail; both its front and back ends were snakeheads. Its body coiled in the middle, with each snakehead occupying half the space. One head had a knife plunged into it, the other a sword. The two heads alternated swaying back and forth, flicking their tongues as if ready to devour anyone.

Second:A green ox. Two enormous nose rings hung from its nostrils. Dense whip marks covered its entire body, its skin ripped open and flesh exposed. From these gashes, countless hands of varying sizes, colors, and ages reached out. All of these hands grasped above and below, combining their strength to forcibly hold together the ox’s body, which should have burst apart.

Third:A crimson-red ape. Its outer skin had been forcibly peeled away, leaving only蠕动着的 bloody flesh. Within the churning red, chains continuously threaded in and out of the flesh, like shackles, or perhaps binding the chunks of meat to prevent it from falling apart.

Fourth:A pale white centipede. Each of its tentacles was a small centipede. When it straightened its body, the dense tentacles on its belly wriggled like white maggots crawling everywhere, squirming from a large fissure in its abdomen. The fissure was wide, as if it had once been directly split open by a sharp weapon, forming an unhealing wound. Some tentacles would fall, then quickly crawl back into its body, looking like a flowing white waterfall hanging from its belly.

Fifth:It was covered in fine yellow fur. It had a human torso and walked upright, but its head was a pig’s, its hands and feet were pig’s trotters, and a pig’s tail swirled behind it. It stood there, opening its huge pig mouth, its nose twitching as it let out a chilling laugh.

Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze swept over them one by one.

All five appearing together was something he hadn't expected. But it didn't stop him from following his usual habit of memorizing each of them. Their colors, their features, every detail on their bodies—all were seared into his mind.

After shedding the concealing white mist, these five cadaverous fiends seemed to have fewer reservations. The black python writhed, the green ox pawed the ground, the ape thumped its chest, the centipede whipped its body, and the pig-headed creature grinned menacingly. They collectively moved towards the bungalow, beginning to exert pressure. Their unrestrained presence spurred countless malevolent entities within the white mist behind them into a joyous response.

If one were to say their previous swarming attacks over the years had only been to torment the sole surviving bloodline descendant of the Qin and Liu families, then now, their true objective had shifted to targeting the only legitimate contemporary successor of the Qin and Liu families. Just when they thought they could revel without restraint, believing the ancestral tablets of the two families no longer held spiritual power, the young man suddenly appeared. The young man regarded them as fish he had raised in a pond, using his lantern as a hook to fish for them, as if each of them were destined sacrifices on a chopping block.

They weren't angry because their dignity had been offended. What dignity did these creatures possess? It was simply that, as the defeated subordinates of successive Dragon Kings throughout the history of the Qin and Liu families, they gradually realized that this young man before them was too young, yet his demeanor was no less impressive than that of the adult Dragon Kings of yesteryear. Such a person, once he matured, once he succeeded in his River Journey…

He could accomplish what the previous Dragon Kings of the Qin and Liu families, though willing, had been unable to perfect. He could painstakingly dig out and thoroughly clean up the filthy remnants clinging to life and desperately hiding in the cracks and corners. He could cleanse the past, command the present, and even cast his gaze into the future.

Such a person, embarking on a River Journey at such a young age… who could say if even Heaven's will wasn't wary of him? The thought that they, as malevolent entities, could one day "represent Heaven's will" made these vile creatures laugh with even greater delight and malice.

Li Zhuiyuan silently tucked his white lantern into a crack in the wall, turned, and stepped back across the threshold. The things outside, thinking he was scared, fearful, and retreating, began to advance, the five cadaverous fiends pressing closer one by one. The mist behind them gradually thinned, becoming transparent enough to reveal the outlines of countless figures within. Li Zhuiyuan stood with his back to them, looking at the cracked ancestral tablets on the offering table. If they were still here, it wouldn't be this noisy outside.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that A Li had likely sensed this situation even before he had. Because he was merely a passerby there, while A Li was much more familiar with that bungalow, that threshold, and the environment beyond it. For this very reason, the girl was worried about him, and within that worry, there was likely guilt, unease, and trepidation. Such emotions had never appeared in her before, because she didn't possess them. Previously, she had cared about the window that allowed her to glimpse the outside world; she feared its closure. Now, she cared about the boy who propped open that window for her; she feared he would be broken because of it.

The scenery outside, no matter how beautiful, eventually grew tiresome. What she truly couldn't bear to lose was the contact and habit of her hands resting on the windowsill. Her condition was indeed continuously improving. Though still a bit restless, she was genuinely trying to show her sensitivity to the outside world.

From his pocket, Li Zhuiyuan pulled out a crumpled two-yuan paper bill. This was one that Grand-Grandpa had once tucked into a letter. Each time Grand-Grandpa enclosed money in a letter, he would add a line: "Letters are easy to lose, so I'll just tuck in a little money as a token; even if it gets lost, we won't feel too bad." Li Zhuiyuan knew that the twice-monthly remittances had emptied Grand-Grandpa of all his larger savings, so when sending letters, he could only rummage through his pockets to find some small change. Grand-Grandpa wrote that way out of pride. The young man waved the crumpled bill at the girl, a triumphant smile on his face.

"A Li, don't worry, I have plenty of money, plenty of money."

For a farming family, Grand-Grandpa was considered well-off, and their living conditions were good, but they were certainly not wealthy. Yet, Grand-Grandpa had the confidence to say such words, because he could give you his all.

The young man placed the money on the bed. The girl picked it up, stroking it repeatedly with both hands, trying to smooth it out. But no matter how hard she tried, the creases remained clear.

"A Li, just bear with it a little longer. They'll quiet down soon, and they'll be more understanding of quiet than before."

Turning, Li Zhuiyuan opened the French window and stepped out.

Dreams are an extension and reflection of reality. Arguing with them in a dream was meaningless. Only by inflicting pain and hurt upon them in reality would they no longer dare to bare their fangs, even in dreams.

Pushing open the courtyard gate and stepping out, Li Zhuiyuan paused, looked up at the sky again, then quickly withdrew his gaze.

“You performed very well, but the problem is you performed *too* well. I almost, really, let you fool me.”

On the way back, the autumn wind began to sweep up the withered yellow leaves on the ground, making them swirl endlessly before the young man.

As expected, Runsheng, Yin Meng, and Tan Wenbin had likely encountered trouble. This time, the problem type had not actually changed. Heaven's will had not rushed to modify the rules either. In fact, this time wasn't even a contest between the question-setter and himself. Li Zhuiyuan recalled the old professors from his gifted class, exhausted by his group of students, finally forced to adopt a different approach. But regardless, there was no denying that the mysterious, supreme River God had played a role in instigating these events here.

As he walked, Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up three fallen leaves. Now, he faced three choices.

The first was to use the most aggressive method to try and force that entity directly before him. But this was also precisely what he had held back from doing earlier, and what the other party wanted him to do. If he truly made that choice, it would mean putting himself and his entire team into the rhythm set by the opponent. That would be too foolish. Li Zhuiyuan crushed the first leaf.

The second was to act as a firefighter, going to rescue his three companions who were encountering trouble outside. Tan Wenbin should be near Zhou Yunyun’s university, Runsheng near that hospital, and Yin Meng near the large shopping mall she frequented. Although he couldn't contact them at the moment, he only needed to go to their approximate locations, then use a compass for precise positioning, supplemented by scent guidance. He should be able to slowly find their whereabouts, because as they were experiencing trouble, the magnetic field near the area of the incident would surely change. As long as he was willing to spend time, it wouldn’t be difficult to find them.

But the problem lay in time. He actually had quite a bit of time left, but that abundance was relative, because he would only have enough time to rescue one companion. If he didn't go, all three companions would be in mortal danger. If he chose one out of three, he could probably ensure one's safety. Danger didn't necessarily mean death. He suddenly felt fortunate that he had previously helped Tan Wenbin shore up his weakness; otherwise, in a situation where the opponent made the first move, Tan Wenbin's death trap would have been the greatest. His current situation would have been: Runsheng and Yin Meng in mortal danger, Tan Wenbin likely without vital signs. Now, the lives of his three companions were at least a matter of probability, with varying degrees of risk, a dice roll could determine the outcome. Gambling with the lives of his companions was a cruel thing. They were all Li Zhuiyuan's carefully cultivated sand-fixing plants; if any one of them withered, it would deal a blow to Li Zhuiyuan's condition. Yet, being in a team leadership position, such a cold decision had to be made.

However, thinking about the same matter from a different perspective could yield different results. Li Zhuiyuan continued to hold the two leaves in his right hand, and couldn't help but touch his own face with his left. He was actually starting to put himself in others' shoes; was it to resolve his inner guilt? He actually... had such emotions now. Like A Li, his own condition was also improving. Sometimes, even the person themselves would overlook such silent changes, until the moment of sudden realization, surprising themselves.

Li Zhuiyuan continued walking. He was still some distance from the school dorms, but this was a necessary path, perfect for contemplating his decision. In the young man's vision, Runsheng appeared before him, habitually standing in front, while Yin Meng appeared to his side, always standing by him. Footsteps also came from behind; that was Tan Wenbin, who always protected his back. Tan Wenbin had always felt he was the weakest, so he didn't compete for the front or side, preferring to stay behind, at least to act as a cushion for Brother Xiao Yuan if a surprise attack came from the rear.

Li Zhuiyuan asked aloud, "Three choices, which one to save?"

No one answered. "Everyone" continued to follow Li Zhuiyuan, moving forward. The young man took a leaf in his left hand, not rushing to make a decision, but shaking the last leaf in his right hand.

"The third choice: I won't save any of you three. I won't bother with you; you'll have to strive to survive on your own. I'll go directly to the finish line and wait for it, to completely overturn the rules of this game it set. This way, we might not win, but at least the probability of winning will be in our own hands. We might lose very badly."

Runsheng: "Choose the third!"Yin Meng: "Choose the third!"Zhuangzhuang (Tan Wenbin): "Choose the third!"

These figures, these voices, all came from Li Zhuiyuan's imagination. But this was also the young man's simulated deduction based on the personalities of his three companions. Choosing one out of three could only ensure one's safety, while the other two would still be in mortal danger. By then, the rescuer and the rescued would feel uncomfortable and unwell facing the potential demise of the other two companions. In that case, it would be better to simply not save anyone, and instead directly flip that thing's table! No matter who truly perished in the end, as long as that entity was dragged down with them, then the funeral would at least be a "joyful funeral"!

Li Zhuiyuan crushed the leaf in his left hand, leaving only the third leaf. This was the River Journey.

Li Zhuiyuan entered the budget store again. Lu Yi still shook his head at Li Zhuiyuan, signaling that no one had called back.

"Brother Lu Yi, please call everyone again for me: Zheng Yang Street intersection, Ping Ju Photo Studio, gather for a photo."

Lu Yi immediately nodded, picked up the phone, and began redialing. For some reason, this was a very ordinary request, just taking a photo, what was the big deal? But cold sweat began to seep from his forehead, his palms became clammy, and despite the autumn weather, this big Northeastern man shivered. Even when speaking to the operator, he stuttered and stumbled, making the female operator on the other end confirm the location several times before finally getting it clear.

After all the calls were made, Brother Prodigy was no longer there. Lu Yi put down the phone. Someone at the counter called out for him to check out, but he didn't respond after several calls. Finally, he stood up, gestured for the part-time student to help at the counter, and then rushed back to his dorm room. He didn't know what was happening, but he had a strange premonition that something was indeed happening. He didn't know what he could do, so after rushing back to his dorm, he closed the door, took out the red sausage sent from home, sliced it up, and then arranged some cigarettes. Using a storage box as a makeshift altar, Lu Yi pressed his palms together, shaking them constantly:

"Local ghost, please help, bless us, keep us safe."

While Lu Yi was making calls, Li Zhuiyuan arrived at the dorm building. He didn't go upstairs but stood downstairs and shouted towards the third floor corner:

"Lin Shuyou!"

Lin Shuyou, who had been instructed to stay in his dorm, immediately poked his head out the window. Li Zhuiyuan nodded to his side. Lin Shuyou withdrew from the window. Then, Lin Shuyou, carrying a hiking backpack, jumped directly from the windowsill.

It was class time, so there weren't many people walking in the dorm courtyard. A few passersby in the distance saw this scene and thought they were hallucinating. Li Zhuiyuan walked in front, with Lin Shuyou following beside him. Although he didn't know what they were going to do, Lin Shuyou enjoyed this feeling of being handpicked. Moreover, he was gradually understanding some patterns: each time he helped Brother Xiao Yuan, he would receive some form of feedback. Previously, he was a temporary worker; then he became a daily-paid worker; now, he had finally become an irregular staff member. The next step was to move towards becoming a regular staff member!

They walked out of the school gate and hailed a taxi. When they got back to the Zheng Yang Street intersection and got out of the car, Lin Shuyou proactively paid the fare, casually flicking his hand as if he were very busy: "Keep the change." But when he got out, he realized that Brother Xiao Yuan, who had been sitting in the back seat, had already collected the change from the driver before getting out. Li Zhuiyuan handed the change to Lin Shuyou, who accepted it somewhat awkwardly.

"Don't spread unnecessary and meaningless karma randomly."

"Understood! Got it!"

The door to Ping Ju Photo Studio was closed, with a wooden sign hanging on the handle: "Temporarily Closed." Li Zhuiyuan looked down at the bricks on the ground and the glass display window, then stepped back a few paces, pointing to a second-story window in the alley next door:

"Go up and open the door."

Lin Shuyou sprinted forward. As he jumped up, he suddenly felt his jump wasn't high enough, but he didn't want to lose face in front of Brother Xiao Yuan. So he quickly kicked off the walls on both sides of the alley for leverage, and only then managed to clamber onto the window. The window was locked, but the lock was already rusty and opened with a slight push. Inside was a blue photo backdrop. As he squeezed inside, he got stuck and realized he had forgotten to take off his hiking backpack before jumping. No wonder it felt so heavy. Soon, Lin Shuyou came down from the second floor and opened the door for Li Zhuiyuan from the inside.

Li Zhuiyuan flipped the wooden sign from "Temporarily Closed" to "Open." Then, he opened all the curtains in the shop, found a rag, and began wiping the counter and glass display cases inside. Lin Shuyou went in and out of the various rooms. After checking everything, he reported: "Brother Xiao Yuan, there's no one in the shop."

"Mm."

Lin Shuyou scratched his head. It seemed Brother Xiao Yuan already knew the shop was empty. He stepped forward, intending to grab a rag himself and help clean. However, the shop was already very clean, almost spotless. Li Zhuiyuan was merely cleaning for the sake of it, and if another quicker pair of hands joined in, it would simply turn into a comedy sketch.

"You don't need to clean."

"It's fine, leave it all to me, Brother Xiao Yuan."

Li Zhuiyuan stopped what he was doing, looked out the window at the street opposite, and tugged on Lin Shuyou's sleeve. Lin Shuyou immediately crouched slightly, leaning his head closer, his gaze following Brother Xiao Yuan's as he meticulously observed the street across the way, lowering his voice:

"Brother Xiao Yuan, where is the anomaly?"

"See that Liu Ji Fried Skewers shop across the street?"

"Saw it." Lin Shuyou silently gripped the rag in his hand. It seemed that shop had a problem. So, coming into this photo studio was to conveniently observe that fried skewers shop?

"And the old pastry shop next to it, do you see it?"

"Saw it!" It seemed both shops had problems.

"First, go to that fried skewers shop and buy a lot of fried skewers—chicken skewers, hot dogs, fried tofu, chicken skeletons, buy plenty of everything. Then go to the pastry shop next door and buy plenty of sponge cake, crisp biscuits, peach crisps, all those. After you buy them, sit in front of this shop and eat slowly. Don't stop anyone who comes into the shop."

Lin Shuyou blinked. This task was so strange. Had he failed to grasp Brother Xiao Yuan's meaning? Li Zhuiyuan patted his shoulder: "Go."

"Okay, Brother Xiao Yuan."

Although he didn't understand the purpose, Lin Shuyou did as he was told. He ran to the fried skewers shop and the pastry shop, bought two large bags of food, then returned and sat on the curb outside Ping Ju Photo Studio, starting to eat. The fried skewers were delicious, and the pastries tasted good too. There wasn't much traffic, not much dust, and the afternoon sun felt quite comfortable on him. Lin Shuyou was a little puzzled when he first started eating, but as he ate, he became completely engrossed. Martial artists naturally had much larger appetites than ordinary people; even if they weren't very hungry, they could still force themselves to eat. When he was on holiday at Li Sanjiang's house, there were no leftovers the first day. The reason was that the food portions were made according to Runsheng and Tan Wenbin's appetites, which should have been more than enough, but the new guy, a mule, turned out to be an incredibly big eater, leaving them wanting more. That was also why on the day before they left, Li Sanjiang specifically took everyone to the village to catch crabs, fish, and chickens, then came back and made a huge feast—he couldn't let the kids visit for the first time without having a full meal at his home.

After Li Zhuiyuan wiped down the counter and display cases, he looked at the broom and mop in the corner, then at the sparkling clean tiled floor. Forget it, no more performing. Li Zhuiyuan sat behind the counter, leaning back. This position and angle were likely the ones the owner, Deng Chen, usually adopted. Not only did it face the sun and the road, but this side of the display window also displayed children's photos. Looking at lively, cheerful, and adorable children should put one in a good mood. Beside him was a candy box. He opened it, picked out a piece, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth. Li Zhuiyuan pretended to be very fond of sweets, slowly savoring it, a leisurely and lazy expression on his face.

Owner Deng Chen wasn't in the shop. He was afraid because Li Zhuiyuan had been there before. But Li Zhuiyuan believed that even if Deng Chen wasn't here, his eyes would be fixed on his old haunt. Perhaps he was in a crowded corner of the street, or in a room in a building opposite, or even under a manhole cover in the sewer; he was definitely watching this place. Li Zhuiyuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the glass counter, his eyes gradually closing. He truly didn't like those cute, innocent photos of children, because he had observed and imitated them too much in the past. To others, they were childlike innocence; to him, they were like old acting templates and lesson plans. As for the candy in his mouth, it was even filled. The outside wasn't too sweet, but once it melted, the inside was like syrup. He was trying not to frown.

Come on, come out.

"Burp..."

Lin Shuyou let out a burp. Even a martial arts master would feel queasy from too much oil and sugar at once. Just then, someone from across the street walked towards them. Lin Shuyou felt his eyes tremble, as if vertical pupils were about to emerge. But remembering Brother Xiao Yuan's instruction not to stop anyone who came, he could only bury his head deeply, holding it in his hands. That person seemed startled by Lin Shuyou's state; their steps faltered, they stopped moving forward, and even took a step back.

Lin Shuyou: *Go! Hurry and go! Hurry!*

After hesitating, the person seemed to make a decision, quickly circled around Lin Shuyou, and approached the photo studio door. Swallowing, they nervously reached out and pushed open the shop door. Li Zhuiyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had been pretending to be relaxed and casual here, and had Lin Shuyou sitting at the door enjoying food, all in hopes that the other party would return.

Opening his eyes, standing up, Li Zhuiyuan leaned against the counter, looked at Deng Chen, the owner, who had just entered, and said:

"Welcome."

Hospital.

"Doctor, how is Sun Hua doing?"

The doctor held the film, frowning. "Not optimistic. There's a blood clot in his brain. If not treated promptly, it could..."

"Can he have surgery then?"

"The main issue is the tricky location of the blood clot. Please wait a moment, let us discuss it further."

"Alright, thank you, Doctor."

Runsheng walked out of the doctor's office. In his heart, he felt both concern for his fellow townsman, Sun Hua, and another kind of suspicion. Was this what Xiao Yuan had written about as a "causal link" in his "River Journey Code of Conduct"? During the incident in Min'an Town last time, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng each pursued a lead, while he followed Xiao Yuan. Although his strength was the greatest among the three, he was taciturn and not good at socializing, so even this time, he was still somewhat uncertain. However, thankfully, he had memorized the contents of the code. The next step should be...

Runsheng reopened the doctor's office door. Under the gazes of several doctors, he looked at each doctor's name badge on their desk or chest several times, memorizing their names. Then, he left the office again and walked towards the patient ward. As soon as he pushed open the ward door, a gray mist spilled out. Runsheng waved his hand to clear it, but the mist flowed endlessly. Was there a problem? No, it was a clue! He was skilled at brutal, direct combat, but had little experience with these convoluted things. Fortunately, he had the items Xiao Yuan had prepared for him.

Runsheng pulled a talisman from his pocket, took out a Qingxin Talisman (Clarity of Mind Talisman), and stuck it on his forehead. The gray mist before him immediately dispersed significantly, and he could finally see the situation inside. Sun Hua was lifted from the bed. Behind him stood a doctor in a white coat. The doctor's eyes glowed red as he gnawed at the back of Sun Hua's head. Their gazes met through the now thinned mist. Runsheng immediately clenched his fists, his aura rising.

The doctor quickly pushed Sun Hua down from the bed, jumped off, and then lunged directly at Runsheng. His speed was incredible, reaching Runsheng in the blink of an eye, raising his arms, and striking at Runsheng. Runsheng could only block with his forearms. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" A series of rapid impacts sounded, and Runsheng was surprised by the force. But his qi gates immediately activated. Taking advantage of the doctor's momentary pause while shifting strength, Runsheng landed a punch. "Smack!" The doctor was quick, retreating in time, and scrambling onto the ceiling of the ward, turning his body upside down, staring at Runsheng.

"You..."

Before Runsheng could finish his sentence, the doctor used his hands and feet on the ceiling, rushing towards the ward window. Runsheng perceived the other party's intention and reached the window first. The doctor lunged at Runsheng, bringing immense force. "Crash!" The window shattered, and both fell out. But neither fell all the way down; each grabbed the edge of the windowsill with one arm. Seeing this, the doctor quickly climbed up the wall, and Runsheng immediately followed. They reached the rooftop one after the other. As soon as they landed, without a word, the exchange of punches and kicks began again.

But as Runsheng's qi gates opened one after another, his strength also grew, and no matter how sharp the doctor's moves were, or how vicious his "Tongbeiquan"-like fighting style was, Runsheng gradually suppressed him with a powerful and continuous force. Moreover, Runsheng gradually increased his strength also out of fear that the opponent might suddenly turn and flee again. Now, accompanying the increase in strength was the pulling of the qi around the doctor. Runsheng's clothes continuously billowed and then quickly clung to his body, the resulting air currents binding the doctor's limbs. If he wanted to escape the battle now, he would have to expose his back to Runsheng and take a punch. For him, this was too heavy a price to bear. But this soft knife, slowly cutting flesh while dragging things out, was also pushing him step by step into decline. This was the subtlety of the Qin Clan's Dragon-Observing Method; though it was just one person, it could continuously wear down an opponent with endless energy.

Finally, after blocking one punch, the doctor was unable to organize his next wave of defense and was struck in the chest by Runsheng's punch. "Bang!" The doctor's body recoiled. Runsheng's qi gates opened, and the surrounding air currents converged towards him, even drawing the doctor, who had been sent flying, back in. Runsheng struck again with another punch. The doctor barely managed a block, but was unable to parry the next punch. He tried his best to maneuver, but was ultimately struck on the shoulder by Runsheng. "Snap!" The doctor's body lurched, and he fell to his knees, cracking a large section of the concrete ground. The skin on the struck shoulder split open, revealing fresh red flesh that was still writhing. Wisps of bloody light seeped out from there, dissipating into the air. Runsheng reached out, grabbed the doctor's neck, and clenched his other hand into a fist, his qi gates roaring, poised to strike.

"I'll teach you to harm people!"

The doctor, held by the neck and lifted, spoke: "I didn't... didn't harm anyone..."

Runsheng's fist stopped. "I saw it with my own eyes."

"I was... drawing out the blood clot... from his brain..."

Runsheng frowned. In the past, he wouldn't have believed the dying excuses of a fiend, but he had indeed just come from the doctor's office and knew about the blood clot in Sun Hua's brain. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Truth... I... I'm saving lives... not harming anyone..."

"Then why did you attack me first?"

"I thought... you were here to capture me... a righteous... righteous person... I... I was scared... so... that's why..."

Runsheng's fist, in the end, did not land. "I need to check Sun Hua's condition to confirm if what you're saying is true."

The doctor's eyes showed confusion. His previous explanation was merely hoping not to be wrongly accused before he died; he hadn't expected the other party to actually stop. "If it's proven... I was saving him... you won't kill me?"

"If you're saving lives, why would I kill you?"

"Because... I am a demon..."

"But."

Doctor: *Sigh*, I knew it, there's always a "but."

"But, you owe me an apology and compensation for attacking me first."

The doctor looked astonished and retorted, "Are you... a righteous person?"

"I am," Runsheng said with certainty. "We are devoted to the righteous path."

If it proved to be a misunderstanding, there was no need for a life-and-death struggle. Their team's standards for so-called malevolent entities had always been somewhat flexible. The supreme, impeccably righteous Yin God had resorted to flattery; Little Oriole, a reanimated corpse, had become a helper in Old Man Li's house. When Xiao Yuan told them about this, they found it quite strange themselves, though not shocking, because Runsheng was well aware of the relationship between Xiao Yuan and Little Oriole. He had even witnessed Xiao Yuan summoning Little Oriole from the pond and inviting her to the courtyard just to chat with A Li. Including the one beneath the peach tree grove, everyone had even come to regard it as the "Earth God" guarding these towns like Shinan and Shigang.

"I need to go down and check, you..." Runsheng looked at the doctor. He couldn't release him now. What if what the other party said wasn't true? Runsheng began to ponder what Xiao Yuan would do in this situation if he were here. Xiao Yuan would probably... beat him half to death or cripple him, rendering him unable to resist, then seal him up, and then go check Sun Hua's specific condition. If what the other party said was true, Xiao Yuan would unseal him, treat his injuries, and help him recover. But he himself couldn't perform seals, and his blows tended to be heavy-handed.

As if sensing Runsheng's thoughts, the doctor's previously tense body completely relaxed, like a ribbon fish, held by Runsheng. Runsheng smiled. As a martial artist, he knew what the other party's actions meant. If the other party wanted to attack again, they would have to first gather their qi and tense their muscles, which would give him enough time to react and snap their head off.

"Very good."

Runsheng was satisfied and planned to take him to check Sun Hua's current condition. They had climbed the wall to the rooftop when they arrived, but now there was no need; they could just take the stairs down. *Sigh*, he would also have to pay for the broken ward window. Wait, if Tan Wenbin were here, he would probably criticize the poor quality of the ward window and demand the hospital pay for it, or at least reduce Sun Hua's medical expenses.

However, just as he was about to go down the stairs, Runsheng seemed to hear strange noises from around them. It sounded like someone was speaking, but not in a human language. What was that sound? Runsheng looked left and right. He couldn't perform a spiritual journey; he felt that if he could do so now, he might be able to perceive more. And the doctor, who Runsheng had been holding, suddenly began shaking his head:

"No... no... no... no!!!"

The doctor's skin began to slough off, and his white coat was stained crimson. "Hiss..." Runsheng let go. His left palm was glowing red hot. "No... no... no!!!" The doctor knelt on the ground, looked up, and roared. His flesh completely burst open, leaving him like a man of blood. His body was burning, and chains seemed to be rapidly threading through him, accompanied by a sharp increase in malevolent energy.

"Righteous... righteous person... I... I'm going to kill you, kill you!"

The blood-man lunged at Runsheng. Runsheng extended both hands, trying to block him, but the flowing blood on the other party's body was like scorching lava. When it splashed on him, it caused unbearable pain. Left with no choice, Runsheng could only kick him away. Looking at his arms, they were already scalded and bloody. "Ah, kill, kill, kill!!!" The blood-man lunged again, using both hands and feet. Each swing of his arm, striking Runsheng, was like an eruption of lava columns. Even when Runsheng blocked, the pain was excruciating. If it was this powerful, why had it held back during their previous fight?

"Bang!" Runsheng was sent flying by multiple continuous blows. After he landed, he slid a long distance across the rooftop. This was truly unwinnable. If the Yellow River Shovel were with him... no, against an opponent in this state, having the shovel or not made little difference. Unless Xiao Yuan was here, using his spells to break through the opponent's scorching blood, there was simply no way to engage in close combat with such a creature. Runsheng struggled to his feet, looking at the pockmarks scalded all over his body. He took a deep breath, preparing to open all his qi gates. When Uncle Qin taught him this move, he warned him not to use it unless absolutely necessary, because afterward, he would be paralyzed for a long time, unless he could confirm that the enemy before him... was the only one.

However, just then, Runsheng suddenly noticed that the opponent's aura began to weaken. What was happening? Could it not maintain this state? A sad and furious light flickered in the blood-man's eye sockets. He opened his mouth and let out an unwilling roar. He had worked so hard for so long, even willing to die before exposing this side of himself again, and now, everything was ruined. Not only ruined, but he was also "ignited," as if on a magical level, it was a complete over-expenditure of self-immolation. But he couldn't control himself now; his inner killing instinct had been fully awakened, and he had to kill. He looked at Runsheng in front of him. This person had been willing to believe him, willing to confirm if he was saving lives. He truly didn't want to kill the other party. But, he was sorry.

The blood-man lunged at Runsheng again. Runsheng pursed his lips. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he could tell from the blood-man's emotional change that there must be another entity hiding nearby, in some unseen corner. When there was more than one enemy, he couldn't open all his qi gates. The blood-man rushed forward again. Runsheng no longer clashed head-on, but began to dodge. Whether the other party was intentional or not, since he confirmed that its aura was decreasing and its state wouldn't last, he wouldn't rush to fight it. But the other party's movements were as agile as an ape's. With its rapid repositioning, Runsheng simply couldn't dodge. Even when Runsheng finally flipped and jumped off the rooftop, the other party still followed him down regardless.

Runsheng grabbed the edge of the wall of the floor below with one hand. As he was moving, he saw the blood-man above him drop vertically, embracing him. The momentum propelled them both, carrying Runsheng along, falling downwards. Fortunately, there were several levels of balconies below this position. They would fall a few floors, crash onto a balcony, and then continue rolling down. If there had been no balconies to absorb the impact, rapidly falling from the rooftop like that would have sealed their fate.

"Bang!"

Finally, both fell into the parking lot, creating a dent. At this point, it was hard to tell who was the blood-man anymore, as both were covered in blood. But even at this stage, the blood-man still struggled to reach out and choke Runsheng's neck. Runsheng could only use his hands to grab the other party's wrists and pull outward with force. The two remained in this stalemate for a while. Fortunately, the blood on the blood-man's body was no longer as scorching, otherwise Runsheng's neck would have melted through, and his head would have rolled off his body.

Like a candle finally burning its last drop of wax. The blood-man's throat emitted a sound: "So... sorry..." The next moment, the iron chains on the blood-man's body snapped, and its chunks of flesh scattered. A red halo floated away, disappearing into a pillar ahead.

With the life-or-death crisis averted, Runsheng's arms dropped, and he lay on the ground, exhaling more than inhaling. From behind the pillar, a sound emanated, as if something intended to come out from there and approach him. Runsheng, lying there as if unconscious, subtly circulated his qi. His injuries were extremely severe now; even during his special training, Uncle Qin had never inflicted such serious wounds on him. In this state, if all sixteen qi gates were opened, he would certainly be unable to withstand the resulting backlash. But he was willing to attempt a life-for-a-life exchange, to drag that entity hiding in the shadows down to be buried with him. In that case, no matter what this wave of events truly entailed, he would have at least helped Xiao Yuan eliminate a powerful enemy threat.

However, the preparatory movements for fully opening his qi gates could not be done silently. His skin began to inflate like a balloon, and waves of qi swirled around him. That entity seemed to sense a terrible danger, and stopped approaching. Immediately afterward, its figure vanished from its spot, and it departed directly.

"Cough cough... cough..." Runsheng coughed up blood. He stared at the pillar with hatred. Damn it, it was discovered. Runsheng struggled to stand up. His clothes were torn to shreds, and much of his skin and flesh were stuck to the ground. As he stood, he had to tear them off with him. However, Runsheng didn't utter a sound, gritting his teeth, he climbed up again, then braced himself on the ground, slowly rising. But when he hadn't walked a few steps, he stumbled and fell back to his knees, fresh blood flowing again from his many wounds. He was in a very awkward situation now: he still had combat ability, but he couldn't move due to severe injuries. However, if he forcibly opened all sixteen qi gates, he would gain the power to move quickly, but by the time he reached his destination, the effect of his fully opened qi gates would have almost worn off. This feeling was like holding a bomb in his hand but having nothing to launch it with. Runsheng angrily raised his fist and slammed it on the ground.

He looked down at his waist, where a pager should have been clipped. Yin Meng had chosen that pager pouch for him when she went shopping. Now, let alone the pager, even the pouch was nowhere to be found, most likely melted, because that area of his waist was badly scalded. When a person is severely injured and loses a lot of blood, their mind easily becomes hazy. For example, right now, Runsheng, who had just been planning to perish with the other party, was now thinking:

"Ah, what a waste..."

There weren't many large shopping malls in cities at the time, and because of this, each one became an absolute focal point for crowds, with snack streets and other major markets expanding outwards from their center. After their parents' last major illness, Zheng Jiayi's parents had both become much more open-minded. Of course, this was also thanks to Fatty Wu's diligent care and companionship. Hearts were made of flesh; the two elders no longer obstructed their daughter's marriage to Fatty Wu, and even actively urged it. Fatty Wu was indeed skilled at handling social relationships; as soon as his marriage application was submitted, a unit apartment was allocated to them shortly after. The unit apartment wasn't large, a one-bedroom, one-living room, with the living room capable of being partitioned into another room, making it a modest two-bedroom, one-living room.

Today, Zheng Jiayi brought Yin Meng along to help her shop for furniture. She wanted to meticulously decorate and design her future love nest. Throughout the journey, Zheng Jiayi's mouth was never idle. Yin Meng sometimes wondered, why did this girl talk so much? However, sometimes having a chatty friend was quite nice; you only needed to respond simply with "Mm," "Uh," "Oh," and then you wouldn't have to worry about any awkward silences. Zheng Jiayi had once said that Fatty Wu had plucked up the courage to approach her because, at a gathering once, they sat together, and she talked a lot to him. Fatty Wu then thought she was very fond of him and took it as a hint; if she wasn't interested in him, what girl would enthusiastically talk so much with you? Later, when they were actually together, Fatty Wu took her back to his dorm and discovered she could stand in the hallway talking with the old lady upstairs for two hours. Only then did Fatty Wu finally realize that he had misunderstood; she could chat with anyone.

Yin Meng was quite envious of her. She used to run a shop, and it was located in the busiest part of the county. Logically speaking, most shop owners there were skilled storytellers. Yet, she ran a coffin shop. Most of the time, her shop had few customers.

The furniture store had its own distinct smell, which Yin Meng quite liked. She even liked some of the furniture and panels in certain shops more, feeling a small flutter of excitement. However, she knew very well what she truly liked, so when she encountered "shops she liked," she quickly pulled Zheng Jiayi away. Zheng Jiayi was puzzled but chose to trust the "Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner's" choice. Although, after the incident in Min'an Town, she herself had wondered if Traditional Chinese Medicine had developed to such an extent. But since Mengmeng said she was a TCM practitioner, she believed her. After all, Mengmeng had not only saved her parents but also her own life; who else could she trust?

They walked into a furniture shop where Yin Meng felt no liking for the smell whatsoever. It was so clean that Yin Meng found it odd, because she knew that such smells could not be completely removed. The owner was a bald middle-aged man with a rosacea nose. When he saw customers enter, he didn't rush to greet them but continued to focus on tending to his incense.

Zheng Jiayi asked, "Boss, can this cabinet be cheaper?"

The boss took out a tissue, blew his nose, and shook his head: "No, it's already the cheapest."

"No way, a shop I saw earlier had the same style of furniture, but it was cheaper than yours."

"Miss, you get what you pay for. If I sell it for a bit more, naturally I have my reasons. If you just want cheap, then go buy from them."

"Hey, boss, that's no way to do business."

"I can only tell you, buying furniture from my shop is definitely worth it; mine is safe."

"Whose isn't safe?"

"That's not necessarily true, you know."

Yin Meng reached out and touched a cabinet, asking curiously, "How do you make it so safe?"

"Because the unsafe things, I sit here and suck them away with my nose."

The bald boss said, rubbing his rosacea nose. Zheng Jiayi was amused, then turned to Yin Meng: "Mengmeng, shall we go look at other shops?"

"If the style and design are suitable, I recommend you buy your furniture here. It's really not expensive."

"Ah? Oh, okay." Zheng Jiayi nodded and began to choose furniture. Yin Meng, using the excuse of looking at furniture in the shop, began to intentionally get closer and observe the boss. She suspected that the boss here would have a causal link. Because she knew very well that some things in furniture couldn't be completely removed. How did he manage it here? Moreover, other shops had similar styles, even made of the same materials or from the same manufacturer. Why was it exceptionally clean just because it was in his shop?

Just then, furniture city workers carried in a dressing table. The boss pointed to a spot for them to put it down. Then the boss sat in front of the dressing table, began looking in the mirror, examining his nose. While looking, he kept sniffing. Yin Meng stood behind him, watching. Gradually, Yin Meng discovered that he was really sniffing! Because the smell of this dressing table was rapidly fading. The bald boss probably never expected that she could "perceive" it, because this "smell" should have been odorless, imperceptible. This left Yin Meng at a loss. The other party was so openly displaying it, how was she supposed to further nurture the development to extract clues?

Yin Meng first went to Zheng Jiayi and told her, "Go buy me a cup of iced sweet soup from the dessert shop and wait for my message. I'll stay here to help you bargain."

"Okay, go Mengmeng!"

It was a clumsy excuse, but Zheng Jiayi believed her implicitly, turned, and went outside to buy the sweet soup. That shop, mind you, was in the food street outside the furniture city, quite a distance away.

After sending Zheng Jiayi off, Yin Meng walked back to the boss. The boss was now squatting under the dressing table, seemingly inspecting the craftsmanship details, but Yin Meng knew that the boss was thoroughly making it safe, leaving no omissions. What exactly was this boss? Yin Meng had already confirmed that the boss was not human. How could a human accomplish such a thing with their body organs? But if not human, what was he? A malevolent entity, a reanimated corpse, a demonic creature, a vengeful spirit? No matter what kind of vile thing he was, if he merely liked to absorb these things, he could be called a "beneficial creature," right? She and Runsheng currently lived in the basement; she didn't mind the place, as she and Runsheng, as corpse retrievers, naturally wouldn't care about dampness or gloom. Brother Xiao Yuan and Tan Wenbin lived in the dorms. But in the future, everyone would definitely buy their own houses. Looking at how diligently the boss was sniffing everything, she even wanted to confine him in her new house after she bought it, letting him thoroughly clean it for three days and three nights.

The boss, at this moment, seemed to sense something was amiss. He looked up at Yin Meng and asked, "What's wrong?"

Yin Meng hesitated, then asked, "Boss, what kind of thing are you?"

"How dare you curse..." The boss's eyes suddenly widened. Then, he grabbed the dressing table with his left hand, using it as a shield between himself and Yin Meng.

"Who are you?" The boss's voice began to tremble, no longer calm and composed as before.

"We don't have to resort to violence. You just need to answer my questions properly, or, you could simply come back with me."

"Hmph, do you think I'm a fool? You hypocritical righteous scumbags!" The bald boss exerted force with his arm, sending the dressing table crashing towards Yin Meng. Yin Meng sidestepped, flipping over the dressing table. The boss again grabbed the edge of a cabinet, his nose twitching. This tall cabinet was lifted and pressed down towards Yin Meng. Yin Meng kicked the cabinet with one leg, using the force to slide across the floor tiles, escaping the range before the cabinet came down. The boss turned, pushed open the back door, and tried to escape. Yin Meng pulled out her demon-dispelling whip from her waist, flicked it forward, and wrapped it around the opponent's ankle.

The boss struggled to lift his leg and break free. Yin Meng continued to use the momentum, leaping towards him. Both rushed into the fire escape leading from the back door. Seeing that he couldn't shake off the woman behind him, the boss grabbed the whip at his foot, took a deep breath, and then suddenly exhaled a stream of flame from his nose. The flame traveled along the demon-dispelling whip. Seeing this, Yin Meng could only release the whip and flash to the other side. The spot where she had been standing was now completely charred black. The boss took another deep breath, intending to continue spewing flames.

But Yin Meng's demon-dispelling whip contained seven types of poisons. When the whip was burned just now, colorful toxic mist rose up. The boss inhaled again, and all these toxic mists entered his body at once. "Ugh... ugh... ugh..." The boss's body began to tremble. Mists of various colors started to spray from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. His nostrils rapidly expanded to a degree impossible for a human. Then, intermittent flames sprayed from his nose, as if blocked, unable to be inhaled or exhaled. Wisps of green liquid dripped from his nose, like blood, continuously dissipating and transforming into light that scattered into the surroundings.

Yin Meng stood up. She hadn't expected such a scene; the other party had actually inhaled the poison himself, without her even having to administer it. The boss was in great pain and also felt wronged. He continuously waved his hands, as if protesting something. This emotional outburst truly didn't seem feigned. Yin Meng spoke: "If you haven't done anything to harm Heaven or reason, then come back with me, and I can try to detoxify you." The reason she said "try" was because she wasn't entirely sure how to detoxify seven poisons mixed together, burned, and then inhaled, but she could try slowly once they got back.

The boss looked at Yin Meng, seemingly finally re-evaluating what this woman was saying. Just as Yin Meng had found the boss strange earlier, the boss now found this woman very strange. Both sides, coming from different identities and political stances, had pre-judged each other. But after contact, they found that the other party seemed to deviate significantly from their preconceived notions. Because at this critical juncture, he was completely suppressed, and this woman had no need to continue being hypocritical. After thinking it over, the boss nodded vigorously at Yin Meng.

Yin Meng: "If you had just agreed earlier, you wouldn't have had to break things. Wait a moment, I'll catch two toads for you. See if they can help suck out some of the poison first to relieve your pain." The boss nodded again. This time, he confirmed even further that this woman was different.

But just then, Yin Meng seemed to hear a sound, like someone speaking. "What's that sound?" The boss was also startled. Soon, fear and panic appeared in his eyes, and then, he began to go mad. His entire face had turned a deep bluish-green, his belly swelled high, and he opened his mouth, taking a huge, sharp breath inward. The force of this intake was so strong that Yin Meng, standing upstairs, had to grip the stair railing with both hands to barely steady herself. Her jewelry, ornaments, wallet, including the pager clipped to her waist—all these small, fragmented items were swept out and slammed heavily at the boss's feet. Hatred and brutality filled the boss's eyes. He raised his hands high, his nose twitching, and heavily exhaled towards Yin Meng's position! In an instant, scorching flames erupted from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. He himself spun and spewed fire like a giant firecracker. Because he had been poisoned earlier and his body was in disarray, his nasal breath couldn't be expelled. This time, he accumulated too much force, and since the flames couldn't spray outward, they could only spill out from within. Flames swept both upward and downward. Yin Meng had to retreat, exit the stairwell, and close the door. The doorknob instantly became hot. Fortunately, it was a fire escape, rarely used, so the chaotic spraying of flames didn't have much impact. If this had happened inside the furniture city, a large fire would have been unavoidable.

When Yin Meng opened the door again and stepped inside, she found the entire stairwell, both up and down, charred black. The boss's body had also turned to charcoal, and a black figure stood before the human-shaped charcoal, reaching out to grasp a wisp of green light from mid-air.

"Who are you?"

The black figure seemed to be about to approach Yin Meng and attack, but after taking just one step, it stopped, then let out a roar, as if something enraging was happening. It quickly floated downward. Yin Meng jumped down the stairs to pursue, but the stairwell doors on every floor had been opened, and the entire stairwell was charred black, so her target was quickly lost. She tried to use her ears to locate the other party, but unfortunately, she didn't have Brother Xiao Yuan's hearing. As a member of the Yin family, she couldn't even perform a spiritual journey to investigate. In the end, she could only clench her fists and wave them, venting her frustration.

"Why, why, why, why, when I was living so well, you still wouldn't leave me alone? Why!"

Fourth Uncle, wielding two cleavers, continued his pursuit through the residential complex. Tan Wenbin initially ran with Zhou Yunyun, who, though unsure why they were running, instinctively trusted him. But gradually, Tan Wenbin realized something was wrong. It had just been perfectly fine, clear weather, so why was there suddenly such a dense fog in the complex? It wasn't a simple illusion, but such a large coverage... he immediately realized it was miasma! He and Zhou Yunyun were gradually entering the miasma laid out by Fourth Uncle. Unlike Brother Yuan, whose mind worked quickly, Tan Wenbin had to first recall the name of the book, then its content, to list out methods to dispel the miasma, and then consider their practical feasibility. Fortunately, while contemplating this, he first pushed Zhou Yunyun away, then ran in another direction. Fourth Uncle's target was clearly himself. Indeed, as soon as he started running, Fourth Uncle only pursued him, and the gradually enveloping white mist also merely followed him, no longer entangling Zhou Yunyun.

Dispelling the miasma, dispelling the miasma, dispelling the miasma... Tan Wenbin quickly reviewed various methods for dispelling miasma while running to create distance from Fourth Uncle. "Kids, help me hide, I need time!" It seemed to be working. Tan Wenbin began darting through the complex, playing hide-and-seek with Fourth Uncle. He saw no one else in the entire complex. Although Fourth Uncle's footsteps would appear after he hid for a while, he always received an early warning and chose a new place to hide again.

Like this, he didn't know how long he had been hiding until he entered a dead end in the complex. All paths were blocked except for entering the unit building, and under the cover of the mist, they were also invisible. The miasma covered such a vast area that there was little space left for him to hide. Tan Wenbin gritted his teeth and rushed into the unit building, then began continuously forming hand seals. He couldn't carry a set of formation flags with him when going out for a meal; they were dead heavy. Even for barbecue, using a flagpole as a skewer would be too heavy. But forming a formation with bare hands using hand seals was something Brother Xiao Yuan rarely did, making it even more challenging for Tan Wenbin. However, whether he turned around to fight Fourth Uncle or ran to call for help, he had to first break the opponent's home-field advantage.

"Kids, hurry up and practice with me!"

Tan Wenbin formed hand seals while ascending the stairs. Fourth Uncle, carrying his cleavers, was also ascending below him. Tan Wenbin wouldn't believe for a second that someone who could set up a miasma would only know how to chop people with cleavers. Upon reaching the fourth floor, Tan Wenbin suddenly found a house door open. He thought of entering first, then jumping out of the window to continue circling Fourth Uncle. However, the plan was grand, but reality was harsh. As soon as he entered, he saw a large photo frame on the sofa. Inside was Fourth Uncle cooking, and beside him was a reporter interviewing him with a microphone.

*Holy crap*, he had fled into the other person's home! Or perhaps, the other party had used darkness to guide and force him into his home. Such an interview photo was neither hung in the shop nor on the walls of his home. Tan Wenbin looked at the walls and found them covered with many children's group photos, various commendations for donations and educational support, and newspaper clippings. These things plastered every wall in the house. Tan Wenbin immediately recalled what Luo Mingzhu had said earlier: that her Fourth Uncle had left to start his own business in a fit of pique because he couldn't stand her parents using inferior ingredients. No, you're a malevolent entity, and you're desperately accumulating merit here? Are you the malevolent entity or am I?

Fourth Uncle, cleavers in hand, appeared at the doorway. He walked in, lightly pushed the cleaver blade, and closed the door. "Why, even like this, you still won't let me go? Why? What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do?! You forced me, you forced me!" Tan Wenbin glanced, discerning a hint of grievance in the opponent's sullen and angry expression.

Everyone had their own strengths. For a long time, Tan Wenbin, being the weakest in terms of raw power, had to choose to develop in other areas. As the boatman who called out for the Dragon King, observing people's expressions, fooling humans when facing humans, and fooling ghosts when facing ghosts, was his professional livelihood. He lived by this craft. Tan Wenbin immediately raised both hands. He wasn't surrendering; rather, this posture was best for reducing the opponent's hostility.

"Fourth Uncle, are these all students you sponsored? You are truly great; I need to learn from you."

"This is all you forced..." Fourth Uncle's resentful words were cut short by this sudden change in topic.

"Ah, I'm ashamed to admit, although I've always taken it upon myself to eliminate demons... to protect the common people, there are many times when I've just wasted my time. When I have free time, I should actively do more good deeds, pursue fewer material things, and help more people in need. Thank you, Fourth Uncle, you've taught me a very vivid lesson."

Fourth Uncle raised his cleaver: "What... what are you talking about?"

Tan Wenbin pointed to the surrounding walls: "If these things are truly what you've done, aren't they worthy of praise and learning?"

"You're a righteous person!"

"Our family's righteous path is a bit special. Are you referring to Wei Zhengdao or Li Zhengdao?"

"You..."

"Relax, relax. We won't let go of a bad fiend, nor will we wrongly accuse a good one. I think we can talk things over properly."

"Talk about what?"

"That meal you cooked that I just ate, were the ingredients fresh?"

"They're for living people."

"Whew... that's good, that's good. Really, Uncle, your cooking is excellent, I really liked it. Someday I'll bring our Li Zhengdao to come support you. So, I'll get straight to the point: have you discovered anything strange recently, like any bizarre incidents, or have any relatives or friends around you developed strange illnesses?"

Fourth Uncle had already lowered the cleavers in his hands, but he still maintained a strong sense of vigilance. "Did you? If not, do you have any estranged lovers, creditors, or enemies who have recently contacted you, wanting to reconcile, collect a debt, or seek revenge?"

"Enemy..." Fourth Uncle suddenly seemed to realize something. He immediately looked up. The white mist that had just enveloped the entire complex instantly dissipated. But a nervous expression had already appeared on his face, as if he had made a grave mistake due to his oversight. "It... it won't find me, will it... no... no..."

Just then, Tan Wenbin heard a stranger's voice in his ear: "Who is it?" Fourth Uncle looked up, despairingly saying, "He still found me, he still found me..." Immediately, Fourth Uncle's expression began to distort. "No... you wish... you wish... you wish you could bewitch me!" Fourth Uncle let out a shout, raised a cleaver, and plunged it directly into his own chest. Blood immediately splattered, staining the wall and the certificates on it. Tan Wenbin's eyes widened. He didn't know what was happening, but the scene was truly terrifying. Was this Fourth Uncle committing suicide in the most brutal way?

"Beep... beep... beep..."

Just then, Tan Wenbin's pager rang. Tan Wenbin quickly lowered his head and pressed the pager. There were two text messages. He must have been within the miasma earlier, preventing messages from coming through. Now that Fourth Uncle had removed the miasma, two messages from different times had come in.

First: Return to school immediately.Second: Zheng Yang Street intersection, Ping Ju Photo Studio, gather for a photo.

Gather for a photo? Now? Tan Wenbin's eyes showed contemplation.

"Ahhh!"

Fourth Uncle's ears were completely closed, but even so, under the influence of that voice, Fourth Uncle's expression alternated between calm and frenzied. "I would rather end my own life than give you a chance. You, dream on!" Just then, the faint, fragmented sounds transformed into a roar. Tan Wenbin saw a black figure enter from outside the door and stand before Fourth Uncle. The black figure must have arrived in a hurry; the previous sound was probably from him, but at that time, his true body was not nearby. After all, sound could travel very far. At this moment, the black figure's hand pierced Fourth Uncle's abdomen. Fourth Uncle stopped twitching and fell limply to the ground. White pus flowed from his ears. The black figure pulled a wisp of white light from Fourth Uncle's body. Then, the black figure turned and looked at Tan Wenbin.

The aura emanating from the other party was very powerful. The blackness surrounding it was malevolent energy at its extreme, visible even without performing a spiritual journey. Tan Wenbin knew that the other party was a terrifying entity, and judging by its speed in entering the room and pulling something out of Fourth Uncle's body, he believed he had no chance to hide or escape in front of it. He could only... face it head-on. Tan Wenbin clasped his hands into seals, preparing to sacrifice lifespan to invite the children to possess him. He had learned this, but hadn't actually practiced it, as one couldn't casually try such things to test their effect; a few rehearsals could lead to a funeral.

Two vengeful spirits began attempting to enter Tan Wenbin's body. Previously, Tan Wenbin had only tried binding the ghost husband of the Zeng family to himself. This time, two ghosts were entering at once, and he found it difficult to control. Before they had even fully possessed him, his body began to swell, and the feeling of his skin tightening was extremely painful. Wisps of ghostly qi swirled around him, making his clothes billow even more. The black figure saw this scene and seemed to recall something. At this moment, it actually showed a hint of apprehension and didn't approach further.

*My Ghost Manipulation Art isn't even fully performed yet, and you're already scared? Is my appearance in this state so bad that even malevolent entities fear it?*

The Ghost Manipulation Art was roughly pioneered by Brother Xiao Yuan, and Brother Xiao Yuan had also said that for now, it couldn't compare to the official methods of the official generals' practice. Facing the powerful oppressive force emanating from the black figure, Tan Wenbin felt that even if he exerted the Ghost Manipulation Art to its utmost, he probably wouldn't be the opponent's match. Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Tan Wenbin, and he immediately shouted: "Zheng Yang Street intersection, Ping Ju Photo Studio, gather for a photo!"

A profound gaze pierced through the dense black shadow, landing on Tan Wenbin, seemingly observing and judging. The next moment, the black figure flew out of the room and left. It really was gone. Because Tan Wenbin could feel that the two vengeful spirits inside him also let out a sigh of relief, and he trusted the children's judgment. Tan Wenbin immediately shouted: "Kids, hurry out, stop the spell, abort for half the cost, abort for half the cost!" Since there was no need to fight, he quickly interrupted the spell. This way, the lost lifespan wouldn't be too outrageous; lifespan, after all, had to be used sparingly.

With the spell interrupted, Tan Wenbin fell to his knees on the floor with a "thud," spitting out mouthfuls of blood. The two vengeful spirits were about to fall into a deep sleep. "Don't rush to sleep, don't rush to sleep, we still need to go to the photo studio, to support!" Tan Wenbin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, struggled to his feet, and glanced at the pager on his waist. Earlier, he had proactively told the other party the address of the photo studio. Because he knew that was what Brother Xiao Yuan wanted him to convey.

Ping Ju Photo Studio, second floor. Under the blue backdrop, Deng Chen sat there, his entire body, including the chair, completely wrapped in a Home-Bound Net consecrated with black dog blood. He was wrapped so tightly that only his face was visible. Li Zhuiyuan held a small knife, waving it lightly in front of Deng Chen a few times, as if making some decision, but ultimately, he put the knife away and slipped it into his pocket.

"You just sit here. No matter what happens, don't move. I promise you, I will handle this."

Deng Chen nodded at Li Zhuiyuan. Li Zhuiyuan picked up his backpack and put it on. It was heavy, but his strength was considerable; he could carry it. He walked down the narrow stairs to the first floor. The entire first floor was now empty except for him. Outside, a white mist had risen. It wasn't a mountainous area, but a plain, and for such a mist to appear near dusk was quite rare.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the counter, grabbed a handful of candies from the candy box, and began unwrapping them. One, two, three, four, five... The mist outside grew heavier and heavier, and the young man unwrapped more and more candies before him. Finally, the mist stopped intensifying, reaching a certain extreme. Li Zhuiyuan also stopped unwrapping candies, grabbing two handfuls and putting them into his pocket. The rest, he put into his mouth one by one.

"Crunch! Crunch!"

Li Zhuiyuan chewed the candies in his mouth as he walked to the door, opening it. The white mist from outside began to pour in, like an excessive amount of dry ice used on a stage. In the depths of the thick fog ahead, a black figure appeared. The black figure gradually approached. After reaching a suitable distance, it stopped not far away.

Li Zhuiyuan: "What, do you not want to meet me openly?"

The black shadow dissipated, revealing the person inside. This person was clad in leather from head to toe, wearing leather boots and gloves, with a motorcycle helmet covering his head.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Are you so unsightly that you can't be seen? Or do you look like a pig?"

From inside the helmet came a chilling, malicious laugh. He reached out and removed the helmet. Inside, indeed, was a pig's head with a wide grin, laughing.

"Heh heh..."

Li Zhuiyuan also laughed. Both maintained that distance, laughing for a long time. Li Zhuiyuan spoke: "Although you have a pig's brain, I have to say, you are very clever."

The pig seemed to be pleased by the compliment, laughing even more happily.

"Black Python for the eyes, White Centipede for the ears, Green Ox for the nose, Red Ape for the tongue, Yellow Pig for the mouth. Eyes, ears, mouth, nose, tongue — black, white, yellow, green, red. You five were originally one body. You want to fuse them again, but they disagree, right? And, to avoid you, they deliberately went into hiding. So, you brought them out before the threshold, using me, using my people, using the river, to help you find them one by one."

The other party stopped laughing and spoke: "Who told them to accumulate merit and do good deeds, wishing to be good people?"

The other party looked up, continuing: "It's laughable, isn't it? They didn't even ask Heaven's will if it was fit to walk that path."

"I don't know if they are fit to walk that path."

"Right, even you don't know."

"But I know one thing."

"What?"

The young man raised his left hand and waved it to his side. The thick mist between them immediately dispersed completely. Immediately afterward, Li Zhuiyuan extended his right hand and pointed at the other party:

"Your path has come to an end."