Chapter 135

"So, you're a python?" Tan Wenbin stared at Deng Chen with a curious expression after hearing his story. He even reached out to pull up Deng Chen's sleeve, looking for snake scales.

With a wry smile, Deng Chen voluntarily rolled up both his sleeves, allowing Tan Wenbin to search freely. "The black python is the form of my spiritual body, but I've never had a true python's physical body, nor have I ever eaten a mouse."

"Then whose body is this?"

"It's someone else's. He died suddenly from a heart attack, and I borrowed his body to live."

"Possession of a corpse?"

"You could say that..."

"Since you're called Deng Chen, does that mean the previous owner of the body you borrowed was named Chen?"

"No, the original owner of this body was named Deng Chen. Deng is his father's surname, and Chen is his mother's surname. At his paternal grandmother's house, he was called Deng Chen; at his maternal grandmother's house, he was called Chen Deng."

"Oh, you're quite familiar with his family, then?"

"Yes, I've lived with them for many years. Before, Dragon King..."

"When we're chatting privately, there's no need to be so formal. It makes us seem too distant."

"Before, Xiao Yuan... Brother?" Deng Chen remembered that was how Tan Wenbin addressed the Dragon King.

"Mmm," Tan Wenbin nodded, praising him. "You're much smarter than Ayou."

Tan Wenbin felt a wave of frustration whenever he thought of Lin Shuyou. Even though Brother Yuan had already handled everything and the climax was approaching, Tan Wenbin had originally had enough time to make an appearance before the incident concluded. It wasn't that Tan Wenbin wanted to flatter Brother Yuan; their relationship had long passed the point where such deliberate actions were necessary. He wanted to fulfill his own self-worth. The end of each "wave" was like the curtain call of a stage play, where the main actors should go up, hold hands, and bow to thank the audience. Originally, he was close to navigating through the white mist and had plenty of time. But then Lin Shuyou entered, shouting, "Brother Bin, I'll take you in!" So he followed Lin Shuyou, and they wandered further and further into the thick fog. By the time the fog dispersed, they were almost on another street. He had rushed to provide reinforcements, only to be practically led astray by this "communicator" Lin Shuyou, turning him into a "deserter."

Deng Chen didn't respond to that. Given his identity as an evil spirit, merely surviving in the Dragon King's presence was a stroke of luck; he certainly wouldn't dare get involved in the terrifying power struggles within the Dragon King's family.

"Continue your story."

"When Brother Xiao Yuan first came here to take photos, after I developed them for him, my eyes bled a lot. It took a long time to rinse them clean with the tap water. I knew then that I had met someone terrifying. After Brother Xiao Yuan left, I went to the credit union, withdrew all my savings, and sent them to my... Deng Chen's parents' house."

"And then you came back?"

"Yes, it was as if Brother Xiao Yuan knew I would return."

"That's normal. It's not difficult for my Brother Yuan," Tan Wenbin said, then asked, "But books say that possessing a corpse leads to continuous problems with the body, like liver spots or decay. How is it that you still look so young and healthy-skinned?"

"My body definitely has problems," Deng Chen said, spreading his left hand in front of him. He then forcefully slapped the back of his head with his right hand.

"Thump!"

Two eyeballs popped out of their sockets and landed in his hand.

Tan Wenbin exclaimed, "Holy cow!"

Deng Chen offered his two eyeballs to Tan Wenbin. Tan Wenbin rubbed his hands on his clothes and asked, "Um, do I need to wash my hands?"

"It's fine, I can wash my eyes."

Tan Wenbin took the two eyeballs, gently prodding them with his fingers. The eyeballs could still move on their own, which was quite interesting. After playing with them for a bit, Tan Wenbin returned them to Deng Chen. Deng Chen took them, pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the two eyeballs clean, and then pressed them back into their sockets one by one.

Tan Wenbin remarked, "This is much more convenient than wearing glasses."

"This is the mutation that has appeared in my body. For now, it's only affected my eyes."

"That's not really a mutation; it's much milder than what's described in books. I think that Fourth Uncle, the white centipede you mentioned, also showed very keen hearing. He's blind, but he can cook using his hearing, and his dishes are quite tasty. From this perspective, that white centipede probably also borrowed a recently deceased body, a possession of a corpse."

The reason was simple: if one were to arbitrarily possess a body, who would willingly choose a blind person?

Deng Chen nodded, "That seems to be the case."

"Did you not have any contact before?"

"No, in fact, when our self-awareness awakened and our individual spirits formed, we were already scattered and broken. Among the five of us... now four of us, there are no emotional ties. Perhaps there's just a tiny bit of shared memory, like about that sketch, which I've already presented to Brother Xiao Yuan. If we really had contact, all four of us wouldn't be living in Jinling, would we? Wouldn't that just give that pig an opportunity?"

"That's true."

"I was also surprised that all four of us ended up living in the same city."

"No need to be surprised. The river flow pushed you."

"River flow?"

"You don't need to understand that, because I only half-understand it myself."

"Yes, I understand."

Tan Wenbin walked over to the counter and examined the yellow cloth package, which contained three "little darlings" sealed inside. This seal was clearly Brother Xiao Yuan's work, using a blood imprint.

"Hiss..." Tan Wenbin suddenly clapped his hand.

"Wha... what's wrong?" Deng Chen asked, puzzled.

"Brother Xiao Yuan is injured?"

Deng Chen immediately rubbed his eyes. "Yes, his right hand is injured. I saw it in my vision."

"Oh, my! I didn't notice. I should have treated Brother Xiao Yuan's wound first."

"Then, now you..."

"Never mind. Let's deal with your matters first."

Tan Wenbin looked at the memorial picture frames on the cabinet. He suspected that Deng Chen's body hadn't mutated because he had continuously performed good deeds and accumulated virtue, just like Fourth Uncle. Tan Wenbin had witnessed Fourth Uncle's self-disembowelment; his belly was soft and pale, and the blood that spurted out was healthy and bright red.

"First, you need to look after these three well."

"Please rest assured, in their current state, they won't have the energy to cause trouble even without sixty years of recuperation."

"Sixty years, that long."

"Yes."

"Is there any way to speed it up?"

"I... I haven't thought about it. I absolutely haven't, absolutely haven't," Deng Chen hastily waved his hands.

"I'm genuinely asking you, is there?"

"Yes, there are. For instance, certain restorative items, or places with abundant Feng Shui energy. These can all accelerate their recovery."

"Can they be used as spirits then? I mean, once they've recovered a bit."

"You mean..."

"Something like 'Spirit Summoning and Commanding'."

"You want to tame them?"

"Don't put it so harshly. What do you mean 'tame'? It's called mutually beneficial cooperation, creating a win-win situation."

"This... this..."

"Can you see the two children on either side of my shoulders?"

Deng Chen strained to look, then shook his head. "No, I can't. Do you have a seal on you?"

"Yes, it's attached. But I'm carrying two cursed infant spirits. They're following me on the river journey now to accumulate merit for reincarnation."

"I understand what you mean. It would be our honor to become disciples of the Dragon King," Deng Chen said, taking a step back and preparing to kowtow. He had no reason to hesitate. In the past, the four of them had lived in constant fear, afraid of encountering righteous individuals who might expose their identities. If they could join the Dragon King's sect and receive his protection, it would not only make them safer in reality but also grant them additional benefits under the rules of the Heavenly Dao.

Tan Wenbin reached out and stopped him. "Our elder told me that times have changed, so we don't bother with those old rituals anymore. Besides, bowing to me wouldn't do any good. Even if I agree to it here, I still need to report back to my Brother Xiao Yuan. It's only valid if Brother Xiao Yuan agrees."

"Yes, I understand."

"Go write a proposal, from simple to complex, detailing methods to help them accelerate their recovery. Then, list their respective special abilities and uses. Once you're done, notify me, and I'll come pick it up. I'll leave you my pager number."

"Alright, please rest assured, I'll personally deliver it to you once it's finished."

"I said, I'll come pick it up."

"Yes, yes, I'll wait for you to pick it up."

"Second thing, the writing on your signboard isn't good. My Brother Xiao Yuan's calligraphy is top-notch."

"If the Dragon King could bestow characters, I would truly wake up laughing in my dreams."

"I'll talk to Brother Xiao Yuan about it when I get back, but we also have some requirements. You can see if you can accept them then."

"Understood. Absolutely acceptable."

"Mmm."

The inscription would serve as a seal, essentially meaning that this shop and the four Yin beasts within it now had a protector. This was on the surface; subsequent concrete control measures would definitely need to be added, but that was beyond Tan Wenbin's capability. He would have to ask Brother Xiao Yuan to devise a method after returning. In Tan Wenbin's view, since they had been left behind, his side was now entangled in a karmic connection. It couldn't just be a simple "brothers for life" toast; necessary restrictive measures had to be put in place. In short, formalized matters shouldn't be emotional. Just imagine, if this matter could be successfully implemented in the end, it would mean his team gained four... oh no, three usable spirits. The thought alone was beautiful. The White Crane Boy was a high-ranking Yin god; with Brother Xiao Yuan on their side, it wasn't impossible to cultivate their own Yin divine beasts.

After the serious discussion, Tan Wenbin reached out and patted Deng Chen's shoulder. Deng Chen's body trembled slightly, then he resumed his ingratiating smile.

"Alright, you don't need to keep acting like this. Except for that pig, you and these three have likely not done anything bad; most likely, you've even done good deeds. Good people don't need to be so subservient. But this is how the world is, and please understand that public is public and private is private. You have your grievances, and we have our difficulties."

"Yes, I know, and I'm truly grateful."

"Look on the bright side. Although you didn't exist when that sealed diagram caused chaos, you're still connected to it. Consider this tribulation as repaying debts from the past. From now on, work hard. The future is bright. If you want a formal position, you can join the Dragon King's family and become a guardian Yin beast. If you want freedom outside, you can be formally appointed as a river god for a lake or small river. If you want to reincarnate as a human in your next life, we will certainly help if we can."

These were all things the old lady had told Tan Wenbin. In the past, he would have thought he was listening to an ancient supernatural tale, but now, he found himself living within such a story. Deng Chen's face showed a longing expression, and even within the yellow cloth package, three bumps became erect. Clearly, everyone was quite pleased with this prospect.

Tan Wenbin felt he had wrapped up the matter well. It wasn't bad; although he missed the "pig slaughtering feast," at least he got to attend the tail end of it.

After leaving the photo studio, Tan Wenbin didn't rush back to school to report to Brother Xiao Yuan. He knew where Brother Xiao Yuan was likely resting, and it wasn't an urgent matter, so there was no need to disturb him. He hailed a taxi and gave the location of the Eighth Hospital.

During the taxi ride, Tan Wenbin's pager at his waist vibrated: Run Sheng is hospitalized and undergoing treatment, no life-threatening injuries.

"Heh," Tan Wenbin couldn't help but laugh. Was Run Sheng lucky? Among the four of them, including Lin Shuyou, he was the worst off this time. But if you said he was unlucky, well, he got injured near a hospital.

As he was checking the message, the taxi driver was talking on his walkie-talkie. Tan Wenbin heard voices inside; it sounded like a taxi driver had just had an accident—his car hit a dump truck, and he was covered in blood and taken to emergency.

"Heh, hahahaha, serves that beast right!"

The walkie-talkie channel was filled with an atmosphere of joyful peace.

Tan Wenbin asked curiously, "Master, isn't that your colleague?"

The driver replied, "Ai, you don't know what a beast this son of a bitch is. Back when he gambled away all his money and couldn't afford food, it was one of our elder brothers who helped him, often taking him home for meals and even helping him gather money for his taxi rent. Later, this son of a bitch got involved with the elder brother's wife, and after she divorced, she moved in with him. We won't even talk about how that woman's infidelity wasn't good; but isn't this son of a bitch even worse than an animal?"

"Indeed."

"Tonight, it seems heaven has finally opened its eyes and delivered retribution to that son of a bitch."

As he spoke, the driver pressed a button on the dashboard, and the meter stopped.

"Hey, Master, what are you doing?"

"I won't charge you for the ride. A few of us were actually planning to go to the Eighth Hospital anyway. After that incident, our elder brother got so angry his health suffered, and he's been hospitalized there for days. We're going to buy some drinks and food and have a good celebratory drink with him tonight, haha!"

"Thank you then."

"Don't mention it. When you said you were going to the Eighth Hospital, I was already thinking of visiting him in his ward there. Who knew I'd hear such good news halfway? Consider it good fortune borrowed from you."

"Haha," Tan Wenbin also laughed. "Alright, congratulations to us all."

The taxi reached the Eighth Hospital, and Tan Wenbin was dropped off first at the hospital entrance while the driver went to park the car. Just as he pulled up outside the parking lot, he happened to see a young nurse rushing by, carrying something. She twisted her ankle and fell to the ground. The young driver immediately got out of the car and went to help her up. "Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Thank you."

"No problem, let me help you pick up your things."

As he picked up the items and handed them to her, the driver found the nurse's appearance to be so sweet that he was momentarily mesmerized. The young nurse shyly turned her head away.

"Excuse me, excuse me, you're just too beautiful, my mistake..."

"They say you taxi drivers have glib tongues. It seems it's true."

"Not at all. I'm being sincere. You really are very beautiful."

Tan Wenbin found Run Sheng's ward. Pushing open the door, he saw Run Sheng on the hospital bed, bandaged up like a mummy.

"Pfft... Hahahaha!" Tan Wenbin burst out laughing.

Run Sheng's eyes were closed, looking as if he were sound asleep. Yin Meng rolled her eyes at Tan Wenbin. Lin Shuyou, who was peeling an apple, cast an envious glance at Brother Bin. He too had found it funny earlier but hadn't dared to laugh, fearing it might affect group unity.

"Tsk, I say, Marquis Run Sheng, wake up! Look at me. I rushed all this way, just terrified of missing my last chance to see you!"

Run Sheng helplessly opened his eyes and asked, "Is Xiao Yuan alright?"

"He's fine. Brother Xiao Yuan is so capable, nothing would happen to him." Tan Wenbin took the apple Lin Shuyou had just peeled and took a big bite. He didn't tell Run Sheng about Brother Yuan's injury. Among the four of them, only Run Sheng didn't call Xiao Yuan "Brother." Run Sheng truly regarded Xiao Yuan as his younger brother; if he knew Xiao Yuan was injured, he would feel useless and be very self-reproachful.

While eating the apple, Tan Wenbin recounted the events of the day. When it was time, he took Lin Shuyou back to school, leaving Yin Meng to care for Run Sheng. Before leaving the ward, Tan Wenbin added a playful remark:

"Mengmeng, make some good food to help our Marquis Run Sheng recover well."

After drinking the Jianlibao soda to the last drop, Li Zhuiyuan fell asleep. He had intended to take a bath at Grandma Liu's house, change into clean clothes, and then sit down to tell A-Li about the day's events. But he was simply too exhausted; the moment he sat on the blanket, he drifted off. A-Li wanted to move him to her bed, but fearing she might wake him, she gently laid him down on the rug instead.

During this process, A-Li noticed the boy's right hand was injured. Although it wasn't bleeding anymore, it was a bloody mess. She walked to the bedroom door and opened it. Aunt Liu stood three meters away from the doorway; she had specifically moved back that distance after hearing A-Li's footsteps approaching. Before that, she had been practically glued to the bedroom door, listening.

A-Li pulled Aunt Liu into the bedroom. Aunt Liu was also puzzled; she hadn't noticed any injuries on Xiao Yuan when she saw him earlier. No, that wasn't right—when the boy came in, his right hand was clenched into a fist and hidden inside his sleeve. "This child, honestly." Aunt Liu brought the medicine box. Seeing the girl kneeling beside her, watching, she moved the box in front of A-Li and pointed to the antiseptic solution, wound medicine, and bandages needed for wound care, one by one. Xiao Yuan's right hand was simply a blast injury. Though not light, it wasn't difficult to treat. Even though the girl had never done such a thing before, since her hands were skilled in handicrafts, this task was naturally easy for her. She performed each step meticulously, afraid of hurting him or waking him up. Aunt Liu, with the noble purpose of on-site supervision and instruction, squatted beside them, watching. From time to time, she would nod slightly, affirming the girl's technique, while inwardly exclaiming with satisfaction.

Only after A-Li had finished treating the wound did Aunt Liu carry the medicine box out. She closed the door, stood at the doorway, and lightly patted her chest. She had eaten dinner long ago, but now she felt even fuller.

Putting away the medicine box, pouring out the herbal soup, and carrying the medicine bowl, she went upstairs. Not seeing the old lady on the wicker chair in the open-plan second floor, she continued to the third floor. Pushing open the door to the ancestral hall, she found the windows open and the old lady standing by the window.

"The wind is strong outside, and you've been coughing lately. Please don't expose yourself to the wind again."

"My body isn't that frail."

"Yes, yes, yes, but you still need to drink your medicine."

"Xiao Yuan is back."

"Yes, he's back. He got a little injured, but A-Li has already taken care of it for him."

"Where is he?"

"Asleep."

"In A-Li's room?"

"Yes."

"It seems the child is exhausted."

Aunt Liu couldn't help but smile inwardly. She recalled how the old lady had once confidently declared that she wouldn't seek out overly clever people to come to their home. Yet now, the boy was sleeping in A-Li's room—though one was on the bed and the other on the carpet—and given the old lady's traditional nature, she was merely lamenting that the child was tired.

"That day, I went to A-Li's room and saw her sketching clothes. So I added a few strokes, making them more practical and aesthetically pleasing. Coincidentally, I saw A-Li's sketchpad frame and casually flipped through it."

"A-Li usually keeps that sketchpad frame under her bed, not casually on her desk. How could you have 'casually flipped through it' by chance? No wonder your cough hasn't been getting better lately; so that's where the problem is. You should know what things we can look at and what things we need to avoid right now. You even specifically instructed me when A-Li was on her river journey before."

"You girl, your temper is really something now, lecturing me!" The old lady grumbled discontentedly but still reached out to take the medicine bowl and drank from it.

"A-Li and I are still young; even taking on a little extra burden is fine. But you're different."

"Alright, alright, I've finished the medicine, and you're still going on and on."

"What was drawn in A-Li's sketchpad frame?"

"I'm already coughing. If I told you, wouldn't you cough blood?"

"You..."

"I'm not telling you. Go downstairs and make me a bowl of lotus seed soup. This medicine is too bitter; if I don't have something sweet to neutralize it, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"How can you be like this!"

"Go on, make the soup."

Aunt Liu sighed and carried the bowl out. After the door closed, Liu Yumei turned her head and looked at the ancestral tablets. She remembered the day Xiao Yuan embarked on his river journey, holding A-Li's hand, coming downstairs, and making a vow. But it was only after seeing that sketchpad frame that Liu Yumei truly realized what Xiao Yuan was doing. The second "wave" was related to Liu Qingcheng of the Liu family. A-Li had already drawn half of the five Yin beasts for the first and third "waves," and Liu Yumei had discerned the clues.

She had once lamented that it wasn't necessarily a good thing for children too young to meet someone too good or too clever. But these two children, what "childhood sweethearts" were they? What innocent children, at the age of eleven, would go out with a knife and slaughter those who bullied them, one by one? Those vile creatures—she knew they existed, but couldn't find them. They were all exceptionally well-hidden; some had even been dormant in reality for centuries, leaving no trace or clue. The more something hid itself in darkness, the more it tended to make the loudest, most disgusting noise. Not to mention that there was no one left in the family now; even when there were many people before, who among the "river walkers" could have conceived such a method? To let the river current push them forward one by one, and then eliminate them all, one by one.

Liu Yumei's gaze swept over the ancestral tablets, and she said bitterly, "It's all your fault for not being thorough and clean back then. Now you have to make the children clean up your mess!"

A-Li drew the curtains in the room to prevent the morning sun from waking the tired boy too early. First, the pig disappeared, and then the other four also vanished. The approaching, thin, noisy mist suddenly receded, becoming quiet and thick. When her world suddenly became tranquil, she knew he had succeeded.

He had said that he sought inspiration from her to exploit the river's loopholes, and that she was helping him. But this time, she could see that because of her, the river itself seemed to have changed, as if it were targeting him. This was also why she had been unwilling to give him her hand when he came in the afternoon. She didn't want to become a burden to him.

Although she knew that when he woke up tomorrow, he would surely tell her the story of yesterday with full confidence, and would also tell her to continue doing things this way, as it was a good method.

The girl lowered her head, feeling useless. There was too little she could do to help him. Even walking such a short distance to buy him a can of his favorite drink almost drove her crazy; the moment she returned to the courtyard, she was instantly drenched in sweat.

The girl got into bed, gently moved to the edge, wrapped her arms around her knees, and turned her head to look at the boy sleeping on the floor beside the bed.

The world outside is truly terrifying.

It's not as simple or easy as you described to me.

The girl looked down at the boy's sleeping face. As she watched, she smiled. It was as if she were back to over a year ago, when he sat in the corner of the second-floor terrace, also looking down at her from above.

You truly are amazing.

The drawn curtains blocked out the moonlight from outside, yet within the bedroom, the glow of the moon seemed to flow everywhere.