Chapter 144

After all, their ancestors were truly formidable.

When members of the Yin family traveled, they only needed to utter, "Our ancestor, Yin Changsheng."

More often than not, the response would be a warm, "Please take the honored seat."

This was also why Li Zhuiyuan found himself engrossed in the travelogues interspersed within the Yin family's genealogy. While seemingly mundane, these accounts often detailed how Yin ancestors found their way into high-end banquets, offering unexpected glimpses of grandeur amidst otherwise plain narratives.

However, Li Zhuiyuan noticed something unusual: Yin Meng's eyes were closed, her lips bitten, and her body was trembling continuously, as if she were in immense pain.

Shortly after, Yin Meng opened her eyes, exhaled, and looked utterly exhausted, as if her spirit had been completely depleted.

What was wrong with her?

Meanwhile, they had to keep moving forward, guided by the phantom figures of maids and eunuchs who seemed to be ushering them to their places.

Li Zhuiyuan and the two others carried the straw stretcher to the first row beneath the main stage. The phantom maids and eunuchs promptly gestured for them to be seated.

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng looked bewildered. They knew they were "fakes," and actually putting down the straw stretcher and sitting would expose their deception.

Noticing their hesitation, the nearby phantom maids and eunuchs began to converge on them, and even those further afield slowly turned their heads to watch.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The general's armor on the main stage seemed to subtly turn, its gaze about to sweep over them.

The corpse-driver team that had followed Li Zhuiyuan earlier reached the second row behind them. The person at the front of the stretcher squatted, tilting their body to one side.

"Thump..."

A crisp, muffled thud, as if something had slid into place.

The stretcher-bearer then stood up, their gait noticeably lighter. They turned, pivoted, and the front of their line became the back, as they began to depart.

Li Zhuiyuan, with his keen hearing, couldn't see, but he could listen. He mentally reconstructed the series of actions.

The "foot-off-the-ground" individual from the corpse-driver team had been placed behind the table, presumably kneeling in the row directly behind them.

So, this was how it worked.

However, what they were carrying was a straw effigy.

Still, given the circumstances, there was no better alternative.

"Squat down," Li Zhuiyuan instructed.

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng immediately squatted. The young man took the straw effigy from the stretcher and then, holding it, sat down behind the table.

"You two follow the other corpse-drivers out. Be extremely careful and don't reveal any flaws."

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng nodded immediately, lifted the straw stretcher, turned, and followed the corpse-driver team that had just disembarked their "passenger."

"Young man."

Xiong Shan's voice reached him. Li Zhuiyuan turned his head.

Just behind the table to his left, there was another straw effigy, topped with a swaddled infant sleeping soundly.

"Please, take care of him."

After speaking, Xiong Shan and Lihua, mimicking Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, turned and rejoined the departing group.

When one attempts to slip through unnoticed in disguise, and unfortunately the spotlight lands squarely on them, the only option is to continue playing the part according to the established protocols.

As expected, they, along with Runsheng, would now have to receive other "individuals," who were very likely "unlookable" entities, posing an extreme risk.

In comparison, leaving the child here was actually safer.

Xiong Shan's intent to withdraw was evident; thus, given any choice, he would avoid open conflict here.

After seeing Yin Meng in a place of honor and Lin Shuyou seated below, the immediate urgency for conflict dissipated for Li Zhuiyuan.

At least for now, it hadn't reached the point where they were forced to take desperate measures at all costs.

Even if it had to be resolved later, they could still investigate the situation further, at least to understand the true nature and origin of these "unlookable" entities.

With these beings present, they'd already lost more than half the battle before it even began. If you couldn't even look at them, how could you possibly fight?

After settling down with the straw effigy, Li Zhuiyuan tried to gaze in Lin Shuyou's direction. Unfortunately, both were seated in the first row, close to the main stage but on opposite sides, which effectively blocked their view of each other.

Li Zhuiyuan attempted to slowly stand up, still holding the straw effigy.

However, as he did so, the nearby phantom maids and eunuchs turned to look, and then, just as before, those further away also shifted their gaze and began to approach him.

It was as if they were offering zealous service, coming to inquire about the distinguished guest's needs.

Helpless, Li Zhuiyuan could only sit back down.

Still, it was clear that as long as he remained seated and refrained from any unusual actions, he would be safe here.

Unable to see Lin Shuyou, he could only focus on Yin Meng on the main stage.

Fortunately, Yin Meng was seated directly opposite him, meaning from her vantage point, she only needed to look forward to see him.

Unfortunately, because he was holding a straw effigy with a Chenzhou talisman affixed, Yin Meng was completely unaware of his presence.

Most likely, in her eyes, he was just another "unremarkable" figure.

No, not only that, she was deliberately avoiding looking in his direction, aware that he was among the "unlookable."

Lin Shuyou, with his vertical pupils, might offer some hope for communication, but Yin Meng hadn't even mastered the "yin-walking" technique yet.

Yin-walking?

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly remembered Yin Meng's earlier strange behavior. Was she perhaps attempting yin-walking just now?

To undertake it with such pain and struggle, for such a brief period, yet be left utterly drained.

Her ancestor was the Great Emperor of Fengdu, who, with the Twelve Edicts, commanded myriad spirits. Yet, for a long time, Yin Meng, a direct descendant, hadn't even possessed the ability to see ghosts, which was frankly a disgrace to her lineage.

Now, she had finally learned.

When did she learn it?

Had she learned it while traveling, bored in a train's hard sleeper compartment? Or perhaps when supervising the three Hu brothers, with no accounts to tally or Zheng Jiayi to shop with, she reluctantly practiced yin-walking again and finally had a breakthrough?

The corpse-driver team at the bottom of Peach Blossom Village Lake operated in two divisions. Whenever they emerged, one part would patrol nearby, like a bus, picking up the dying or already deceased.

The other division would travel further afield, to places like the city, to randomly select a "lucky" individual from the Xie, Wang, or Bu families to serve as lamp oil—an act of revenge.

Something must have gone awry—perhaps his artificial conduit, the three Hu brothers, began to experience "waves" of change, accelerating events, or it was simply a coincidence—but ultimately, Yin Meng's lineage was revealed to the corpse-driver team.

Consequently, their group was forcibly brought here as distinguished guests.

Judging by Lin Shuyou's demeanor, it appeared he had been inadvertently dragged into this by Yin Meng.

He wasn't confident he could contend with this corpse-driver team, particularly with the terrifying "foot-off-the-ground" individual among them. It was an impossible situation. Fearing Yin Meng would be taken and harmed, he could only harden his resolve and join the team himself.

Lin Shuyou had no choice. The corpse-driver team was fleeting, leaving him no time to call for instructions. Furthermore, as a new member, abandoning Yin Meng to be taken while he remained alone would have put him in an incredibly awkward and difficult position.

For now, these were the only inferences he could make.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head. The table before him was empty.

This general was quite stingy; inviting guests to a banquet without even offering fruit or cold appetizers.

He wouldn't dare eat anything, but at least he could examine things to pass the time.

Most likely, the "jade plates and exotic delicacies" would only become visible in the yin-walking state once the banquet officially commenced.

Just then, the child woke and began to babble.

Since they were both holding the same type of straw effigy, they could perceive each other's "true forms."

The child's soft sounds gradually drew the attention of the nearest phantom maid.

From the maid's perspective, this "distinguished guest" was likely expressing dissatisfaction or making a request.

Frankly, if this child were to cry out loudly now, or wave his arms and kick his legs, causing himself to roll off the straw effigy, the consequences would be dire.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at him, placed his index finger to his lips, and made a "shush" gesture.

The child saw him, smiled, ceased babbling, and then, surprisingly, closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Even Li Zhuiyuan, who generally disliked children, found this infant remarkably well-behaved.

Truly a child blessed with merit; he wouldn't inexplicably bring about his own doom.

Another corpse-driver team entered.

Li Zhuiyuan cautiously turned his head. An "unlookable" entity was seated behind him, so he had to avert his gaze and keep his eyes lowered.

He saw Runsheng leading, still carrying the straw stretcher with someone on it.

He closed his eyes, counted silently, then opened them, skipping the figure in the middle, and saw Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin turned his head, saw Li Zhuiyuan, cleared his throat, and almost called out, but fearing the noise would cause a disturbance, he merely mouthed words:

"So many people... so, so many..."

Li Zhuiyuan understood.

Runsheng, guided by the phantom maids and eunuchs, prepared to set down their charge.

It was, after all, their first time genuinely transporting a corpse. Though they squatted together, they failed to properly control the stretcher's tilt, causing their charge to tumble off.

"Thud... thud..."

Li Zhuiyuan could only deduce the actions from the sounds. A moment later, there were continuous scraping noises, indicating the fallen entity had somehow returned to its place behind the table on its own.

Not bad. The service quality might be lacking, but it seemed there were no customer complaints here.

Runsheng and Tan Wenbin likely felt a sense of relief.

Li Zhuiyuan also spotted Xiong Shan and Lihua. The couple was also carrying someone, and as expected of a husband and wife, they worked in perfect sync, like seasoned corpse-drivers, safely seating their "guest."

Before leaving, both husband and wife glanced at their son, who remained seated there.

Round after round, the corpse-driver teams ceaselessly brought more "unlookable" entities into the hall.

As these entities multiplied, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't even turn his head anymore and had to keep his gaze lowered.

There was no alternative; a single glance back would reveal only forbidden sights.

While simply sitting there was manageable for him, Runsheng and Tan Wenbin, who were transporting the others in the back, found it increasingly challenging. The phantom maids and eunuchs' guidance was impossible to look at, and even by simply looking down at their feet while walking, "unlookable" entities sat beneath them.

They eventually threw caution to the wind. Upon entering the banquet hall, they simply squatted down, flipped the straw stretcher, and "unloaded" their respective "lords."

Those "lords" would then crawl to their designated spots, guided by the phantom maids and eunuchs.

Observing that their actions had no adverse effect, Xiong Shan and his wife mimicked their method.

Subsequently, with each new batch of "guests" brought by the corpse-drivers, Li Zhuiyuan would hear two distinct "ding-dong" sounds from the entrance. Others were dropping off guests; their two teams were, effectively, "unloading cement."

He lost count of the trips, but eventually, the transporting was complete.

The banquet hall was now entirely full.

The grand doors closed. The banquet was about to commence.

Outside, in a narrow space beside the road, all the corpse-driver teams stood neatly, still holding their stretchers.

They had completed their task and were now waiting there.

The vast majority here were deceased: some were dressed in vibrant Taoist robes, while others wore tattered clothes and showed signs of decay.

However, these corpse-drivers functioned much like sedan chair bearers and could, under normal circumstances, be replenished by taking individuals from the outside.

At the entrance to the crevice stood a phantom eunuch, his back to them, utterly motionless—likely the overseer.

"Damn, I'm utterly exhausted," Tan Wenbin grumbled. "I didn't realize there would be so many 'lords' to transport."

Runsheng nodded in agreement.

They had just been to the pick-up location. Though they dared not look at the sheer numbers, as soon as their stretcher was set down, an "individual" immediately climbed aboard.

Xiong Shan said, "Once the banquet inside concludes, remember to transport everyone else back first. Our respective people will be collected last. When everyone else has departed, we can use the waterfall behind the banquet hall to return to the lake surface and leave this place."

"But what if other corpse-driver teams go to pick up our people?" Tan Wenbin countered. "They're all dead; literally stubborn."

Xiong Shan replied, "They're seated deepest inside, so the collection should begin from the outside. If we coordinate well and adapt as needed, it won't be difficult."

Of course, you're speaking idly; you only need to pick up one, while we need to pick up three.

"Brother Xiong," Tan Wenbin asked, "are you truly not going to get involved with what happens here?"

Xiong Shan replied, "Those three families killed my brother. This general has a vendetta against them. I'd be glad if the general could break free and help me wipe out those three families."

"If the general breaks free," Tan Wenbin countered, "the impact wouldn't be limited to those three families; it would likely lead to widespread devastation."

"As long as we get our revenge," Lihua began, "what does widespread devastation mean to us..."

"Lihua!" Xiong Shan cut her off.

Lihua fell silent.

Tan Wenbin glanced around, noting the phantom eunuch was far off and unresponsive to their conversation. He then pulled out a cigarette pack and lit one.

Noticing Xiong Shan watching him, he tossed a cigarette to him.

Smoking a cigarette wasn't out of line; this place was essentially a parking lot where everyone "stored their vehicles."

Seeing them light up, Runsheng took out an incense stick and had just lit it.

The eunuch at the very front turned and began walking toward them.

Cigarettes were allowed here, but not incense. Runsheng was about to extinguish his stick when Tan Wenbin stopped him:

"Hold on," he said, "give one to our old eunuch too."

Runsheng then stuck the burning incense stick into the ground.

When the eunuch approached, he did nothing but squat before the incense stick on the ground, inhaling deeply with an expression of pure enjoyment.

Tan Wenbin even quipped, "Eunuch, fancy a 'Little Su' cigarette?"

The eunuch ignored him, continuing to intently inhale the incense.

Tan Wenbin looked at Xiong Shan and asked, "Is that a real ghost? Can it actually consume incense offerings?"

Xiong Shan replied, "It's likely buried here as a funerary object, having become the general's familiar spirit."

Immediately afterward, Xiong Shan asked, "Well? Isn't this place eerie?"

Tan Wenbin shrugged. "Brother Xiong, if you want to talk, speak to my boss. Don't try to trick information out of me, heh."

Xiong Shan chuckled. "I'm merely curious about your group, particularly your boss."

Tan Wenbin exhaled a smoke ring