Chapter 137

In the study, both the boy and the girl were painting.

Li Zhuiyuan painted faster because he only needed to copy the image of the corpse-driving Taoist. A-Li, on the other hand, needed to add a degree of artistic embellishment based on the boy's description.

The boy finished his painting, put down his brush, and stood by the drawing table, intently staring at the Taoist. Although the Taoist's face was obscured by his messy hair, his Taoist robe and the multi-layered cloth shoes he wore were remarkably clean, and this cleanliness wasn't just about the absence of dirt. The Taoist in the painting was moving forward, his left foot stepping out, revealing a remarkably clean sole with neat stitching. His yellow Taoist robe, at both the collar and cuffs, was smooth and free of any fraying. Even the bell in his right hand and the red and yellow knot decorations on its lower edge appeared fresh and delicate.

These were brand new clothes, shoes, and ritual implements... Therefore, it could be boldly surmised that the physical body of this corpse-driving Taoist was likely buried somewhere, with all brand-new burial items.

Although Granny Yu appeared heavily made-up, she still gave off the impression of a "blind old woman," and indeed, her clay sculpture only lacked the restoration of its eyes. When the big fish took the bait, its rotting and festering body was also a reflection of its real-world state. Of the five Yin spirits, all except the pig appeared severely wounded; only the pig showed no visible injuries. Firstly, this indicated that the pig was in the best condition among the five; secondly, it highlighted the pig's dominant position among these five Yin beasts, implicitly suggesting that the other four were forcibly brought forth by the pig. Thus, the forms these entities took in A-Li's dream corresponded to their real-world states.

So, the question arose. Since this corpse-driving Taoist could appear in A-Li's dream, it indicated he had a "life-or-death connection" with the former Dragon King. Yet, he had been honorably buried. Only two possibilities could explain this situation. One possibility was that the Dragon King, despite having suppressed him, had felt a mutual respect or shared a past connection, thus arranging for his proper burial. The other possibility was that even though the Dragon King had suppressed him, someone else had retrieved his remains and handled them properly, including finding a suitable burial site.

The former possibility was unlikely, as an opponent with such a relationship to the Dragon King, even if they died by his hand, would probably not engage in something as disgraceful as harassing an orphaned girl. Unless his current emergence had another purpose. Just like the big fish previously, it didn't emerge from the fog to provoke, but rather sought an opportunity to use the Dragon King's power to perish together with Yu Xuzi. Furthermore, the corpse-driving Taoist had voluntarily appeared when the river water wasn't pushing him and other entities in the white fog dared not show themselves. Considering all these factors, it was genuinely difficult to pre-determine the corpse-driving Taoist's stance for now.

The other possibility was easier to understand: this individual still had an active lineage, and if one were to deal with him, they would have to confront his current successors. Li Zhuiyuan preferred this possibility, as it offered clear stances and a clear nature of the event, where everyone would strive with a pure goal to eliminate the other. However, reality was not like popular TV dramas where good and bad characters were clearly distinguishable by their appearance. His great-grandfather, when watching TV with Runsheng, would most often ask, "Is that a good person or a bad person?" That Granny Yu wasn't truly human to begin with, nor were the big fish or the recent pig. But this corpse-driving Taoist... he genuinely was human. Wei Zhengdao had emphasized in "Jianghu Zhiguai Lu" that dead bodies transformed by evil cultivators after death were the most difficult to deal with. They not only understood your methods but also possessed some of their own skills from when they were alive, and could even play mind games with you.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, first clearing away the complex logic that had just formed in his mind, and focused on the main contradiction. When he opened his eyes again, the boy's gaze was much clearer. Regardless of whether you are good or bad, whether you have an unspoken difficulty or a hidden agenda, since you appeared in A-Li's dream, and since I intend to use you as an experimental subject to actively forge a karmic connection towards you... then my ultimate goal is simply to completely eliminate you. That's certainly correct. As for whether you eventually find great comfort and release, or become enraged and die unwillingly, that's a matter for later, a different kind of seasoning "added" when everyone gathers around a grill to eat barbecue after an incident is concluded.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't see the "corpses" behind the corpse-driving Taoist, so he didn't draw them. However, he meticulously noted the details of the yellow paper money scattered by the Taoist. Moreover, he magnified and depicted them in two separate corners of the painting, drawing both the front and back of each. Due to varying customs and traditions, the design of paper money differed greatly from place to place. While "Heaven and Earth Bank" notes had become widespread, they were not yet mainstream and had only existed for a short time. In Nantong, paper money primarily consisted of square yellow paper. When attending funerals, close relatives commonly bought a vertical stack of yellow paper as a gift. Many families in the village would also put this yellow paper in toilet baskets to use as toilet paper, because its texture was better than newspaper; it was thicker and less prone to tearing, and it didn't have perforations in the middle. However, paper money from many other regions truly resembled "copper coins" in design, with their own customary traditions regarding color and specifications. In some more particular regions, characters would even be printed on the paper money. Fortunately, the paper money scattered by the corpse-driving Taoist had printed characters. Li Zhuiyuan chose to draw the paper money in two corners because there were two types of paper money; their design was identical, but the characters were different. The paper money in the left corner had "Spirits travel, mortals make way" written on both its front and back. The paper money in the right corner had "Jie Family's bestowal, minor imps pay respects" written on both its front and back. These two types of paper money were likely interleaved, and scattered together when thrown.

The paper money on the left was simple in meaning, serving as an announcement. It was traditional for corpse-drivers to travel at night, as daytime travel easily disturbed people and attracted unnecessary trouble. Moreover, people in this profession were generally considered ominous by the public. They themselves were disinclined to integrate into mainstream society and preferred to maintain a low profile. This was similar to corpse retrievers; his great-grandfather's family also had few outside visitors usually. Even now, funeral home employees, as public servants, often faced prejudiced glances when introducing their work to strangers.

But the text on the paper money on the right had an unusual tone. "Jie Family's bestowal" indicated a prominent lineage. "Minor imps pay respects" indicated hierarchy. This showed that the Jie family held significant status on the "Yin-Yang road"; they weren't asking minor imps not to cause trouble, but rather granting money and expecting them to get out of the way if they knew what was good for them. The audacity to print such words proved the Jie family's status was genuine, not merely self-proclaimed. Those in this profession most strictly avoided such overt displays; they generally kept a low profile, only revealing seven-tenths of their capabilities, for fear of boasting too much. Without such genuine backing, scattering this paper money would invite malevolent entities to actively target and destroy one's entire family. This was also why the term "River Walking" was exclusive to the Dragon King's family. In artistic circles, people could entertain themselves, flatter each other, and boost their self-worth without shame. Throughout history, there were indeed people in the Xuanmen (mystic arts) who tried this, but they all ended up at the bottom of the river.

"Jie Family?" Having a prominent lineage made things much easier, saving him from searching like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Li Zhuiyuan gently tapped his temple with his fingertips; he indeed had two recorded accounts in his mind that matched the Jie family. One was from a travelogue by an Yin family ancestor interspersed within their family genealogy. During his travels, he once stayed overnight at an inn in the suburbs of Dayong city. That night, a corpse-driver arrived with a guest to lodge. Normal inns naturally wouldn't dare to host corpse-drivers, but some inns had such special backgrounds, and... some inns might genuinely be on the verge of bankruptcy, where ruin was more terrifying than corpses. That night, the innkeeper, holding a lamp, instructed other guests to try not to leave before dawn, implying a corpse-driver had checked in. That Yin family ancestor, of course, was not among them; he not only went out but also sought out the corpse-driver. The two drank and chatted, becoming "mutual confidants." Li Zhuiyuan felt that "mutual confidants" here was an exaggeration. Because after Yin Changsheng, the Yin family's power and status had plummeted in a straight dive for two millennia. However, Yin Changsheng's reputation was too immense, and he was vaguely regarded as the true Lord of Fengdu. Thus, whenever Yin family members traveled, mentioning an ancestor... always allowed them to join feasts and drinks. No matter how prominent the other party was, or whether the current Yin family was qualified to sit at the table, they would still show some respect to Yin Changsheng. As a result, the travelogues of successive Yin family ancestors were indeed quite interesting, as they always managed to get into high-level circles. For instance, the corpse-driver whom this Yin family ancestor considered a confidant, had the surname Jie. Unfortunately, ancient people wrote rather concisely. That Yin family ancestor merely recounted this experience as a brief interlude, without further detailed description. Therefore, the only thing Li Zhuiyuan, as a later reader, could glean from this account was: He went to Dayong and drank with a Jie family corpse-driver, bragging all night long. Dayong, which is now Zhangjiajie.

Another record in his mind came from Wei Zhengdao's "Jianghu Zhiguai Lu," in which he documented a "dead body" transformed from an evil cultivator. This dead body's surname in life was Xie, and along with Jie, Bu, and Wang, they were known as the Four Great Corpse-Driving Families of Old Tianmen. Xue Liangliang had said that Li Zhuiyuan's mind was like an encyclopedia, and this was indeed true. He had read these records before, and conveniently memorized them all. Only when he truly needed to ruminate on them would he engage in more detailed consideration.

Xie, Jie, Wang, Bu—the Four Great Corpse-Driving Families of Old Tianmen. Here, "Old Tianmen" likely referred to Tianmen Commandery. In 263 AD, Gaoliang Mountain split, revealing a cave-like opening in its towering rock face. Emperor Jing of Wu, Sun Xiu, the sixth son of Sun Quan and the third emperor of Eastern Wu, regarded this as an auspicious sign. He renamed Gaoliang Mountain to Tianmen Mountain and established Tianmen Commandery in the northwestern part of Wuling Commandery, with its administrative seat in present-day Zhangjiajie. In 555 AD, during the reign of Emperor Jing of Southern Liang, the imperial court abolished Tianmen Commandery and established Lizhou. When Wei Zhengdao wrote this book, Tianmen Commandery had already been renamed, so he referred to these four families as "Old Tianmen." It was likely that these four families at the time also continued to use their original designation; nothing else... the old name simply sounded better.

Li Zhuiyuan rubbed his brow. Actually, there was a simpler method: if the Qin and Liu families had complete family histories passed down, it would be much easier. Searching with the life records of the various Dragon Kings would be much more efficient. But the old woman had said that the Dragon King's family didn't specifically record these things; other families helped keep track. This revealed only the first, shallow layer of the Dragon King family's arrogance. The deeper reason was that too many Dragon Kings had emerged from their family, generation after generation, all doing things on behalf of Heaven's will. If their lives were clearly recorded... who would dare to read it? It would be like your family serving as Heaven's earthly intermediaries for generations, and yet you secretly kept private ledgers behind its back? If they truly recorded it, and then two families serving as Heaven's intermediaries intermarried, merging into one, and their private ledgers were combined... the consequences would be simply terrifying. Therefore, what was passed down in the Qin and Liu families were only stories and deeds recounted orally by ancestors through generations. Conversely, a family like the Jiujiang Zhao, which only produced one generation of Dragon Kings, might be slightly more affordable. Even so, the so-called "Dragon King's notes" would certainly not be openly accessible within the family. Among the younger generation, perhaps only Zhao Yi would be qualified to read them, and doing so would inevitably come at a certain cost, akin to prying into heavenly secrets. As for the Yin family... that family had essentially given up, not caring anymore. Moreover, the biggest problem with the Yin family genealogy was that they recorded Yin Changsheng's life as if it were a myth, severely distorting the truth. But now, it seemed this might also be a protective measure. If the records were truly realistic and detailed, the Yin family wouldn't have merely declined; they would have ceased to exist long ago. As for the things Li Zhuiyuan himself wrote, they were only for internal team circulation and could not be shared externally. Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan did not want to ask the old woman if she knew about the Jie family. Although the fourth wave hadn't started, he was already preparing to go, so it was better not to involve the old woman in this karma. If the sky were to fall one day, and the old woman wanted to stand up and hold it, Li Zhuiyuan would understand and not object. But in daily life, there was no need for him to slowly wear her down.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his brush again and wrote beneath the painting: "Jie Family, Zhangjiajie." It seemed another team-building trip was in order.

A-Li put down her brush at this moment and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. "Finished painting?" A-Li nodded. "Let me see." Li Zhuiyuan walked over.

A-Li had drawn the concluding scene of the third wave. She had initially sketched a scene with the five Yin beasts lined up, but that wasn't the final draft; if a more suitable image came later, it would be removed. Li Zhuiyuan looked: in the painting, he was small, standing with one foot on a pig's head. The pig was prostrate on the ground, its body extending endlessly backward, like a small mountain. Was this artistic embellishment a bit too much? At the time, the pig he had defeated was already in a dying state, and the other three Yin beasts—the monkey, ox, and centipede—were also very small, translucent, and weak. When he stepped on the pig's head, the pig's size was such that it wouldn't even be chosen for slaughter as a New Year's pig in a typical farmhouse; it would be kept to grow more meat. However, Li Zhuiyuan understood why A-Li designed it this way, because stepping on an ordinary small pig... really wouldn't look very good. Granny Yu's image was sinister and eerie, the big fish was fierce and enormous; the third painting becoming a small pig would indeed be a significant visual letdown. A-Li lightly stroked the paper with her fingertips, clearly also concerned about this.

"A-Li, you've painted it so well. I really like it." A-Li looked up at the boy. "I'm serious, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. This sketchbook won't be passed around. Later, when we're older, we'll look at it and enjoy the memories. Since you're drawing it for yourself, what's there to be shy about?" A-Li nodded. As for what if it accidentally gets lost and seen by others later, what does it matter? I drew it for my own amusement; those who secretly look have no right to say my drawing is exaggerated. A-Li pointed to the edges of the painting, indicating she still needed to fill it in, for example, by adding the images of the other four Yin beasts. "You can add those four, but there's no need to make them look fierce, and don't draw them on the same side as the pig. They've been doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, and now they're essentially part of our school." A-Li nodded, indicating she understood. Since they were now part of their school, their images should definitely be drawn as kind and benevolent, creating a contrast with the pig.

"A-Li, this is for you." Li Zhuiyuan pulled out a design blueprint from his pocket. It was for the Seven-Aperture Concentric Lock recorded in Wei Zhengdao's book. "When you have time, make two locks: one for the study door, and one for your sketchbook case." A-Li looked puzzled, then glanced up at the ceiling. She understood. Li Zhuiyuan originally didn't want to tattle. After all, no child likes elders secretly reading their diary. But A-Li was too clever; Li Zhuiyuan didn't even need to struggle with finding an excuse, she immediately knew why he was doing this. However, A-Li wasn't angry. She didn't think there was anything wrong with outsiders seeing the boy's image she drew. But Li Zhuiyuan had to consider the old woman's health. Lately, the old woman had been coughing incessantly. A true martial artist, capable of crushing solid wood chairs into fine powder when angry, how could she suffer from a prolonged cold that wouldn't get better? It could only be that she had secretly looked at things she shouldn't have. Ah, truly a curious and mischievous old woman. A-Li put away the blueprint; she would make them.

"I'll be going on a long trip soon." A-Li had just picked up her brush, preparing to continue completing the painting, but upon hearing this, she silently put the brush down again. She stood up and left her seat. The boy was going on a long trip; she needed to help prepare and pack his luggage in advance. During the third wave, the team's talismans and other tools were heavily consumed and hadn't been replenished yet. Also, it would be inconvenient to restock while traveling, so more needed to be taken for emergencies. Therefore, she now had to go to the third floor to retrieve materials. Ancestor tablets were treasures through and through. Their sturdy bases could serve as handles and external components, their outer layers could be used as talismans, their interiors could be carved into wooden scrolls, and even when pulverized, they could act as lightning-gathering material. Especially the side with characters; even if the ancestors' spirits were gone, that side could sometimes still exert a "deterrent" effect. A-Li would always carefully peel off that side first whenever she gathered materials. Li Zhuiyuan's intention wasn't to imply this; if he needed these, he could have stated it directly. But seeing A-Li had already left the study, he could only follow. He went up to the third floor, pushed open the door, and entered the room where the ancestor tablets were kept. Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward first, took down all the slightly older-looking tablets, and together with A-Li, they each carried some downstairs. With more tools now developed and the number of users expanded from just himself to the entire team, the consumption rate of ancestor tablets had increased significantly. It was hard to tell the difference between new and old anymore; they were all quite new, actually.

As they came downstairs, Liu Yumei was holding a copy of "New Liu Family Aura-Observing Art" and about to come out. Seeing the two children carrying so many ancestors down, Liu Yumei paused, sat back down, and continued to drink her tea. Downstairs, Uncle Qin walked in carrying a bucket. Seeing the two children coming down, he immediately went into the kitchen, pulling Aunt Liu back who was about to come out with a rag to wipe the dining table, asking, "Think again, what other vegetables are suitable for planting in the yard?"

Back in the study, Li Zhuiyuan helped A-Li neatly stack the tablets. It felt like stacking firewood ready for use. After finishing these tasks, Li Zhuiyuan didn't stay at Granny Liu's for lunch and returned to his dorm room instead.

Almost immediately after him, Tan Wenbin returned, carrying an insulated food container. "Xiaoyuan Ge, these are spring rolls and lotus root cakes my mom made. Would you like to try some?" "Okay." Tan Wenbin opened the container. "I'll go get some vinegar from the dorm auntie for you to dip them in." Tan Wenbin left with a bowl, and when he returned, he brought not only a small bowl of vinegar but also a large bowl of bone broth. "The auntie was stewing marrow bones and gave me a bowl."

Li Zhuiyuan began eating lunch, while Tan Wenbin recounted what happened at noon. He said Luo Mingzhu was very annoying; she not only wanted to get close to him but also wanted to recruit him to form a new adventure team. Tan Wenbin made a gun gesture, pressing it against his forehead: "I'd have to be crazy to team up with someone like her." Li Zhuiyuan picked up a spring roll, and as he dipped it in vinegar, he said, "In terms of method, it's feasible." "Hmm?" Tan Wenbin immediately asked, "Xiaoyuan Ge, do you have a plan?" Li Zhuiyuan nodded. He wasn't used to talking while eating, so he quickly finished his lunch and then tidied up the insulated container. Seeing this, Tan Wenbin knew there was something serious to discuss. So, while Li Zhuiyuan was at the sink washing the container, he ran to the downstairs hot water room, filled two bottles, poured two cups of water, then added mineral water to neutralize it, and picked up a notebook and pen, ready to take notes. Yin Meng was at the hospital with Runsheng, and Lin Shuyou had a professional class in the afternoon that he couldn't skip. But strictly speaking, even if the three of them attended this discussion, their role would largely be "participation for participation's sake." Currently, within the team, Tan Wenbin was the only one capable of helping Li Zhuiyuan identify gaps and refine plans.

The two sat face-to-face in the dorm room. Li Zhuiyuan handed Tan Wenbin "River Walking Code of Conduct 2.0," "Proactive Approach to the Waves Project Proposal," which he had written last night, along with the painting of the corpse-driving Taoist. Then, he began to recount the events of the morning and explained his current thoughts. Tan Wenbin was simultaneously reading the code and the proposal, occasionally glancing at the painting, and his ears were alert to Xiaoyuan Ge's words—he was incredibly busy. He wasn't a genius who could multitask, but fortunately, he was familiar with how to cooperate. He would read what needed reading, understand what needed understanding, and listen to what needed listening. He didn't need to understand or correct theoretical concepts; he only needed to help Xiaoyuan Ge implement ideas into reality based on his familiarity with the situation. Additionally, he had to process and ruminate on the information himself, taking time to convey Xiaoyuan Ge's spirit to the rest of the team, saving Xiaoyuan Ge from repeating it to each person individually.

Li Zhuiyuan finished speaking, picked up his cup, and took two sips of water. Tan Wenbin also put down his notebook and painting, nodding, "I understand, Xiaoyuan Ge. Are we going to actively create karma?" "Yes. Before, the river water always pushed karmic lines towards us. Even if we discovered them in advance and followed the clues, it was always after they had already been established. Even if we went earlier, the stage had already been set. This time, we'll try a different approach. I want to test whether the river water will acknowledge karma we create ourselves." "Understood, so we need to create reasons. That's why you just said, Xiaoyuan Ge, that Luo Mingzhu's new adventure team could be utilized. For example, this time, the Jie family, Zhangjiajie. We need to actively create a reason for us to go to Zhangjiajie first." "Yes, that's what I mean." "If I join Luo Mingzhu's adventure team and then subtly suggest she go to Zhangjiajie, then our reason for going to Zhangjiajie would be established?" "I said it's feasible in terms of method, but it doesn't have to be Luo Mingzhu." Tan Wenbin carefully pondered the meaning of this sentence, then realized that Xiaoyuan Ge was merely using Luo Mingzhu's adventure team as an example, not actually intending to use that method. "Xiaoyuan Ge, it's because this method has a flaw..." Tan Wenbin made a motion like digging a ditch with a shovel. "We would be digging the ditch in advance when there's no water, but afterward, water is bound to flow into that ditch." Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "Involving ordinary innocent people can easily create secondary trouble." These people are very likely to suffer karmic backlash.

Tan Wenbin suddenly clapped his hands and said, "That's easy! If we don't involve innocent people, then we involve guilty ones." Then, Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan and said, "Xiaoyuan Ge, you already thought of this, didn't you?" "Mhm, but the specific implementation measures need your help to design." "That's easy. I'll go to my dad's bureau first. There are plenty of wanted criminals there, and many requests for investigative assistance. I'll find a fugitive who is either on the run or potentially hiding in Zhangjiajie. As an outstanding youth recognized with a commendation from the police bureau, I definitely have to contribute to social harmony and stability, right? With a wanted poster, I can go to Zhangjiajie." Li Zhuiyuan: "One line isn't enough; it's easily broken and hard to continue." Before, when they reverse-engineered, they always used several lines together. For example, the last time they went to Min'an Town, they reverse-engineered with three lines simultaneously.

Tan Wenbin pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and disregarding Xiaoyuan Ge's presence, lowered his head to light it, taking a deep drag and slowly exhaling: "Got it, let's add another line. Have Yin Meng or A-You—one a girl, the other looking young—carry some money in their pockets and a treasure map showing gold bricks buried somewhere in their hometown of Zhangjiajie, and deliberately flaunt it in front of some social scum. Let those scoundrels try to rob them. That money is to boost their confidence and give them travel expenses, so they'll leave for Zhangjiajie first. If our people get robbed, we definitely have to retaliate and get the money back. That gives us another reason to go to Zhangjiajie." River Walking was originally about suppressing evil and accumulating great merit to bring peace to the world. Using these human scumbags as bait would be "purity upon purity." Li Zhuiyuan: "Hmm, good. The first line, the wanted criminal, offers a lot of freedom. As long as we haven't found him, we'll have a reason to move around Zhangjiajie. For the second line, we can also guide them: while chasing the robbers, we'll leave clues and hints for them, making them follow our rhythm. Wherever we want to go, we'll direct them there." Tan Wenbin: "Could the third line also follow suit..." Li Zhuiyuan: "No. Two 'guilty' lines are enough, both with a dark tone. The third line should ideally have a more normal tone; that's what suits the river water's aesthetic." Tan Wenbin puffed hard on his cigarette, his right hand continuously scratching the back of his head: "This one's tough..." "Since we want to avoid involving innocent people and causing secondary trouble, then we remove that category of people from this scope. Who wouldn't care about being entangled in karma? Those with extremely strong objectives who are actively willing to pay the price, and those who don't care about the price or for whom the price has little impact." Tan Wenbin followed Li Zhuiyuan's train of thought: "The former is hard to find, relying on luck. The latter is easier to find, to give a simple example, like the last wishes of a deceased elder, or the dying wish of someone with a terminal illness." These two types of people: one is already dead, and the other no longer cares about anything else. Li Zhuiyuan: "Actually, the difficulty lies right here. Precisely because the first two lines are easy to design, and the third line requires luck, this third line is the most crucial foundation." Tan Wenbin: "Understood." Li Zhuiyuan: "The third wave just passed, so we have plenty of time. No rush, we can search slowly and think it through carefully. Maybe we'll come up with other, better methods." "Okay, Xiaoyuan Ge. Then I'll go to my dad's bureau first to pick out a suitable wanted criminal. After that, I'll visit Runsheng and Yin Meng at the hospital and tell them all this. I'll take these materials and the painting with me for now." "Good."

Tan Wenbin left. Li Zhuiyuan sat alone in the dorm room for a while, then got up, first turning the bronze mirror to face the dorm door, preventing any potential external interference. Then he walked to the corner, picked up the evil book that had been bundled into a ball, placed it on his desk, and unpeeled it to take out the book. Li Zhuiyuan picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and casually drew a simple, broken formation. After he finished writing, the ink disappeared, and new characters emerged, completing the simple formation. The boy did this merely to test whether the "ink" of the book had automatically replenished itself. Indeed, it was so: the ink that appeared was very dark and clear. This meant that its previous "out of ink" state was a deliberate threat; it didn't want to be used for free and sought some compensation. But Li Zhuiyuan didn't indulge it. After resealing it, he simply ignored it, as he had said he would. It got scared and conceded. And it even came up with its own excuse, with a new line of text appearing on a blank page: "I'm well-rested." Well-rested? Then I'll give it a try.

Li Zhuiyuan took out his paint palette, mixed the colors, and began to paint on a blank page of the evil book. He was painting the corpse-driving Taoist. Since this evil book could identify cultivation techniques and repair formations... could it also recognize people? Ideally, as soon as he finished drawing a person, it would reveal that person's life record. Of course, Li Zhuiyuan knew this possibility was very low, almost impossible. So, he was painting this picture in the book to verify something else. This painting was drawn by his own hand. The corpse-driving Taoist in the painting was his chosen target for the fourth wave. One could say it was imbued with his "River Walking" karma. Although the matter was still in the planning and initial stages, the boy wanted to see if it had already touched upon "heavenly secrets." Heavenly secrets must not be divulged, but they can be sensed. Zhao Yi from the Jiujiang Zhao family, with the "gate of life and death" on his forehead, had a similar effect, helping him seek good fortune and avoid disaster. But if you were to truly discuss who could best sense heavenly secrets and avoid misfortune... it would be evil entities. The very existence of such things was a defiance of the Heavenly Dao. If they couldn't sense heavenly secrets, they wouldn't have survived until now; they would have long since perished in the river of history. This evil book was terrifyingly sinister. Li Zhuiyuan was always extremely careful when using it, and because of this, he was very confident in the book's keen perception. As long as it showed some reaction, even a faint one, it would indirectly prove that this attempt he was making, this path he was taking, had a chance of success! In truth, only the boy would be willing to use such a valuable item as a consumable to test heavenly secrets. If it were anyone else, even a righteous person who wouldn't touch this evil book, they still wouldn't bear to burn it like firewood just to see a flicker of light—that would be a true waste of a precious resource.

Initially, when Li Zhuiyuan started drawing, as if knowing the boy was painting a person, the evil book would even help add a few strokes, saving the boy effort. When the boy began coloring, the evil book could quickly fill and render on its own. Sometimes, if it helped incorrectly, Li Zhuiyuan only needed to pause the tip of his brush slightly on the page, and the evil book would erase the parts it had mistakenly added, allowing Li Zhuiyuan to draw himself. But even as the drawing was nearly finished, with the paper money already drawn, the evil book remained completely calm and unconcerned. Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder: Was he truly just amusing himself? However, since he had started, he should finish it completely, paying attention to details.

Li Zhuiyuan began to write the characters on the paper money, for which he switched to a fine-tipped brush. The first paper money: "Spirits travel, mortals make way." As soon as Li Zhuiyuan wrote the first character "Yin" of these eight characters, the evil book thoughtfully mimicked his handwriting and automatically filled in the remaining seven characters. Li Zhuiyuan nodded, then picked up his brush and wrote the character "Jie" on the other piece of paper money in the painting. As soon as this character appeared, the evil book did not fill in the subsequent characters. The rest should have been: "Jie Family's bestowal, minor imps pay respects." Not only that, Li Zhuiyuan sensed the evil book trembling. It was afraid, extremely fearful. It was certainly not just the Jie family that could make it so terrified. Because Li Zhuiyuan had once used it to test an advanced version of the "Liu Family Aura-Observing Art," and it had frankly revealed which cultivation technique it was. No matter how powerful or terrifying the Jie family was, they couldn't compare to the true Dragon King's family. So, it wasn't afraid of the Jie family; it was afraid of...

"Bang!" A puff of flame rose, and the book caught fire.