Chapter 146

To resolve the curse power issue here, we must first gain control over it, even if only nominally. Therefore, Xie Shun'an, in particular, must be dealt with first; he holds a command flag that can guide the flow of curse power. Furthermore, his status here is quite unique. He's very similar to Yin Meng; both are outwardly treated as honored guests of the General. However, judging by his interactions with the ancestors of the four Old Heaven Gate families, his unrestricted access to the banquet hall, and how the surrounding maids and eunuchs ignore his actions, I suspect Xie Shun'an possesses partial control over this place.

Li Zhuiyuan recalled the corpse-herding Daoist from the Xie family he had seen in A-Li's dream. Normally, only malevolent spirits personally suppressed by the Dragon King could trace the karmic origin back to A-Li. Therefore, the young man surmised that the so-called blood sacrifice forming the seal was merely the first step. Beyond that, there should be something akin to a life-and-death seal that forcibly merges and binds him with the General. Since he still possesses consciousness, to some extent, this environment can also be considered partially belonging to the Xie family. It's not surprising, then, that Xie Shun'an, as a member of the Xie family, would have partial control.

Li Zhuiyuan continued, "Although the General was once powerful, he is now weakened. Even if Xie Shun'an has some tricks, they shouldn't be too exaggerated. We actually have a chance against them. The most crucial factor, however, is the unseeable ones. Unless we gouge out our own eyes like Xie Shun'an, we temporarily lack the ability to confront them, and we certainly can't provoke them. Brother Binbin, you and your team previously moved those unseeable ones. You said they are usually kept in one place, right?"

Tan Wenbin replied, "Yes, in a relatively well-preserved grand hall. When we blended in with the corpse-herders to retrieve them, we were always at the hall's entrance. The corpse-herders would line up one by one, squat down at the entrance, lower their poles, and then the unseeable ones would emerge from inside the hall, one by one, and get onto the poles. It was the same when we returned them: we'd carry them back to the hall entrance, squat down, lower the poles, and they would slide off by themselves back into the hall."

Li Zhuiyuan adopted a serious tone. "Tan Wenbin."

Tan Wenbin immediately straightened his expression. "Present."

"Xiong Shan."

Xiong Shan hesitated, pressing his lips together. He was also a team leader, accustomed to giving orders, and this was his first time being assigned a task by someone else. However, ever since he'd met Li Zhuiyuan, the young man had repeatedly displayed a mysterious aura. If it was just about ability before, then the young man's recent analysis of his predicament in the martial world truly made him feel as if he had encountered an elder. Moreover, at this point, he had no choice; if the situation here wasn't handled properly, his entire family would face karmic retribution.

Xiong Shan responded, "Present!"

Li Zhuiyuan continued, "You and Tan Wenbin will form a team, with you as the leader. Your team has two tasks. First, search for Yin Meng. Once found, she will automatically join your team. This task is not a priority; as an honored guest of the General, Yin Meng should not be in mortal danger. Your second task, which must be completed, is to prevent the unseeable ones in that palace from emerging, creating an environment for us to deal with Xie Shun'an."

Xiong Shan affirmed, "Understood."

Li Zhuiyuan went on, "I have two pieces of advice for you: try to avoid direct confrontation; use indirect strategies. Xiong Shan, your expertise with Chenzhou talismans offers excellent disguise here; make good use of that. Secondly, since it's confirmed that the maids and eunuchs here can be bribed, cultivate that relationship."

Tan Wenbin immediately looked at Runsheng. "Runsheng, give me all the incense."

Runsheng promptly took out two tin boxes from his bag. One contained thin incense sticks, his usual everyday chew. The other, a smaller, more elaborate box, held thick, cigar-like incense, which Runsheng rationed daily when away from home. After keeping one thick stick for himself, Runsheng handed both boxes to Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin weighed them in his hand. Most of the thin incense was gone. While the thick incense was indeed thick, there weren't many. It would be awkward to tell someone you're bribing, "Excuse me, Eunuch, would you mind sharing a stick with this maid?"

Tan Wenbin asked, "Runsheng, is there any more?"

Runsheng shook his head. "That's all that's left."

"Alright then." Tan Wenbin nodded, understanding that although everyone's backpacks were large, they needed to hold corpse-lifter tools, food, water, and various other supplies, leaving limited space for personal items.

Runsheng added, "Mengmeng has another set of thin and thick incense in her bag. She brought it for me, in case I didn't have enough."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Raise the priority for retrieving Mengmeng."

Tan Wenbin chuckled, "Of course."

"The rest of you, come with me to find Xie Shun'an." Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Wenbin and Xiong Shan again. "Remember, until we give the signal of success, not a single unseeable one in the palace can be released."

Tan Wenbin responded, "Understood!"

Xiong Shan patted his chest, stating solemnly, "Don't worry."

The groups split. The original straw poles were still usable. After Xiong Shan made some minor repairs, both teams departed, carrying their respective scarecrows. Li Zhuiyuan didn't know Xie Shun'an's exact location, but it didn't matter. He could head to the most central area first, where the General's true body was located. If Xie Shun'an happened to be there, perfect. If not, he could still communicate with that Xie family ancestor, who, after all, had actively sought him out to bring him here.

Although the palace was severely damaged, many restrictions and traps still remained. Lihua, assigned to Li Zhuiyuan's group, couldn't help but warn him, "My husband has been in here; there are many mechanisms inside, so be careful."

"Understood," Li Zhuiyuan simply replied. He then picked up a stone and threw it at the damaged stone slab path ahead.

*Crack.*

*Splash...*

The path ahead collapsed, and foul-smelling sewage quickly filled the cavity, spreading outwards like a fountain. This sewage should have been highly corrosive, but over time, its corrosiveness had faded. However, being in such a resentful environment, it had become tainted with another layer of toxicity.

Li Zhuiyuan tugged Runsheng's clothes downwards. Runsheng, understanding, squatted down while still holding the straw poles. Lin Shuyou and Lihua, behind him, also squatted. They waited for a long time.

Lihua, worried that her husband's team might already be engaged in stopping the unseeable ones, couldn't resist gently nudging Lin Shuyou in front of her. "Why aren't we moving?"

Lin Shuyou turned around and shushed her.

Lihua asked again, "Are you doing something?"

Lin Shuyou frowned, thinking: *Was I really that annoying when I used to talk a lot?*

Finally, Li Zhuiyuan stood up, moved to the front of the group, and pulled Runsheng's clothes, signaling that he was leading the way. At the same time, he warned aloud, "Those behind, pay attention to where the person in front steps. Try not to make a mistake."

Lihua replied, "Understood."

Lin Shuyou affirmed, "Got it!"

Next, the team officially entered the palace. Although sometimes even a straight path required detours, they generally maintained a relatively fast pace and proceeded safely. This greatly surprised Lihua. Her husband had said the palace was extremely dangerous and he barely made it out. But where was the danger? Had the young man simply avoided all of it?

Li Zhuiyuan had read the *Qi Clan Spring and Autumn Annals*; the Qi family ancestors were leading figures in tomb mechanism design. This General's tomb used a standard layout, a template. There were two difficulties: first, ordinary tomb mechanisms targeted external grave robbers, whereas these primarily targeted those *inside*; second, the subsequent changes caused by severe damage—mechanisms would deform or even alter their nature, and in this ghostly environment, something originally non-toxic could become poisonous. Once he had determined the approach to solving the puzzles, Li Zhuiyuan led the way while simultaneously deactivating them. This demonstrated how quickly his mind worked; an ordinary person, even with similar knowledge, would have to walk a bit, then stop to think and verify before daring to proceed.

As they continued, they reached the deepest and most central area of the palace. Lihua sighed with relief. She genuinely regretted that her husband couldn't experience this—what it felt like to have someone treat a place he called dangerous as if it were level ground. However, she felt her husband had probably anticipated this, which was why he had proactively requested to visit the Nantong Li family. The Lifter Lis truly seemed to be a reclusive family. Lihua looked down at the child in her arms: *Son, this might be your opportunity! This young man is still small; grow up quickly. Perhaps when he starts 'walking the river' in the martial world, you can go with him!* Every mother sees her child through a filter. A superficial manifestation is believing a very ordinary-looking child is incredibly beautiful; a deeper one is fantasizing that their child is destined for greatness, born for a special purpose.

Li Zhuiyuan, of course, had no time to ponder what the woman behind him was thinking, for upon seeing the giant pit ahead, he also spotted Xie Shun'an setting up an altar by its edge. Good, he was here.

Xie Shun'an was conducting a ritual. Two already tall white candles burned fiercely, their flames leaping high, yet the candles didn't melt or shrink; instead, they grew taller. For ordinary people, setting up an altar for ancestors during festivals was an offering, providing tangible sacrifices in exchange for the ancestors' peace and... blessings, if given. But Li Zhuiyuan recognized at a glance that Xie Shun'an was not performing a traditional ancestral worship. He was forcibly borrowing life from his ancestors.

"How filial," Li Zhuiyuan remarked ironically.

This was a semi-dark art. The 'semi' came from its widespread existence and its typically voluntary nature. For example, if a child in a family was born with a weak constitution and constantly fell ill, their parents or grandparents would perform this ritual, borrowing good fortune and lifespan to help the child overcome difficulties. If the family members were unwilling or affluent, they would resort to another method: a 'happy marriage' to ward off bad luck. A fortune teller would be asked to find an unmarried man or woman with a good fate and poor family circumstances. If the ill person in the family was too critical to participate in a ceremony, the woman would carry a rooster, or the man would lead a paper figure draped in a red headscar, to perform the wedding ritual.

What Xie Shun'an was doing now was precisely this: forcibly drawing out his great-grandfather's lifespan for himself. His goal might not have been to gain good fortune or longevity, but purely to hasten his great-grandfather's demise. From this, Li Zhuiyuan inferred that the Xie family ancestor was likely struggling to maintain the General's existence, understanding what catastrophe would ensue if the General completely perished. He truly was pitiful. Back then, he had sacrificed himself to suppress the General, enduring centuries of sealing torment, only to eventually perish with the General and rid the world of this great menace. Yet, just as his mission was nearing completion and he was about to find liberation, his descendant's actions forced him to stubbornly continue sustaining the General's existence.

Xie Shun'an put away his peach wood sword and faced Li Zhuiyuan. Although he couldn't see, he seemed to have developed a new form of perception. "Who goes there?"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the command flag tucked into Xie Shun'an's waist and said, "Give me the flag. I promise you, once I've resolved the issues here, I can help you get your revenge."

"Heheheh..." Xie Shun'an chuckled, reaching out to touch the command flag at his waist, then retorted, "You can solve it?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I have a certain degree of confidence."

"What a pity. If only I had met you twenty years ago, before I went to the old beast from the Wang family's birthday banquet, on my grandma's orders."

"Apologies, I hadn't been born yet."

"Hahaha... too late. Back then, I thought I was formidable, able to escape their pursuit from the Wang family's banquet. But that very night, they followed my path back home. My grandma, who always advised me that it's better to resolve enmity than to deepen it, and to let bygones be bygones, immolated herself in the old house to stop them, protecting me. That night, the fire burned fiercely; our old house was built with excellent timber."

Li Zhuiyuan said, "That's why I'm not telling you to let go of your hatred; I said I can help you get revenge, and I can even design many plans that will add to the pleasure of your vengeance. I'm serious."

Xie Shun'an countered, "Are you suggesting that those three families deserve my revenge and their demise, but the ordinary people in this area are innocent and shouldn't be implicated? Judging by your voice, you must be very young, right? I didn't expect someone so young to possess such a compassionate heart, showing sympathy for all suffering."

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Thank you for the compliment."

"Haha, do you really think I'm praising you?"

"Yes."

"Your accent isn't from around here. Get out, the farther the better. What happens here has nothing to do with you. If you want to show compassion and kindness, don't do it here!"

"I'm not doing something out of kindness; I'm just doing what's right." Li Zhuiyuan did a self-assessment. He didn't truly care about many people; his inner circle barely filled one hand, but two hands were more than enough. When it came to ruthlessness, Xie Shun'an genuinely couldn't compare to him; at least Xie Shun'an still held boundless hatred, and hatred was still an emotion. However, he had suddenly bestowed so many titles upon him. From the perspective of a patient, such sarcastic words sounded like "Get well soon."

Xie Shun'an pointed to his eyes and asked, "Do you see?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I see. You're blind."

Xie Shun'an stated, "I can no longer see this world."

"Mhm."

"Since I can't see it anyway, this world has no meaning anymore."

"Oh."

"I want my ancestors to see how utterly foolish their sacrifice to seal away the evil spirits was! Why couldn't they have thought more about themselves, and about us, their descendants? I want them to regret it; I want to turn their sacrifice and their self-righteous greatness into a huge joke. I want to destroy everything they deemed valuable and meaningful! The Yan family, the Xie family, the Wang family, the Bu family... these three families, how could they ever be enough? I want more people, the more the better, as many as possible, to be buried alive with me, with my Xie family!"

"Alright, I understand."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand and waved forward. Runsheng, wielding his Yellow River Shovel, charged ahead. His energy gates opened, and his momentum was like a rainbow, each step causing tremors and echoes near the giant pit. Xie Shun'an swallowed, instantly realizing he was no match for this opponent, at least not in close-quarters combat; he stood no chance against the one charging towards him.

Therefore, he made a decisive move, dropping his peach wood sword. He swung both arms, and two sections of bamboo pole extended from his sleeves. With a subsequent flick, the poles rapidly elongated. Just like the Yellow River Shovel used by corpse-lifters, these bamboo poles were standard equipment for corpse-herders. Xie Shun'an swung his arms, and the two long bamboo poles, after rising into the air, then lowered and stretched towards the giant pit.

As Runsheng neared him, Xie Shun'an pivoted his body, using himself as an axis, and swung the bamboo poles while retracting his hands, causing the poles to retract as well. The corpse-herding Daoist, originally lying in a coffin within the giant pit, was lifted by the bamboo poles, removed from the pit, and placed before Runsheng. Xie Shun'an manipulated the bamboo poles, and the corpse-herding Daoist immediately began to move. It raised its hand and threw a punch at Runsheng. This was the Xie family ancestor, and also the General; even a dead tiger retains its power, let alone two. In his prime, the General was immensely powerful, able to contend directly with the Dragon King. Even if his sorcery couldn't be used now, his controlled body still possessed terrifying might. The punch delivered immense pressure, causing a rush of air. Runsheng dared not be slow. The Yellow River Shovel, originally poised for an attack, was immediately turned sideways for a block.

*Bang!*

With one punch, the corpse-herding Daoist remained motionless, while Runsheng slid backward rapidly, his feet scraping the ground for dozens of meters. His high-bottomed hiking boots not only emitted white smoke but also melted by half. Had it not been for this newly custom-made Yellow River Shovel, his old one would have surely shattered upon contact with that fist. Runsheng was utterly shocked by the terrifying strength of the opponent's body. It brought him back to the feeling he had during special training, when his master, Uncle Qin, used to spar with him. At that time, he felt like he was facing an unmovable mountain. He also knew very well that Uncle Qin hadn't used his full strength then. However, the corpse-herding Daoist before him was being controlled by Xie Shun'an, so its full power wasn't unleashed either. Runsheng twisted his neck, forcibly calming the turbulent energy and blood within him. His energy gates rapidly opened and closed, and he charged again.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed Xie Shun'an throwing a talisman. As soon as it hit the ground, it instantly burned to ashes. He was likely summoning the unseeable ones. Even if just one arrived and stood by Xie Shun'an's side, this fight would become truly difficult.

Runsheng's second assault clearly bypassed the corpse-herding Daoist in front. Halfway through his charge, he began to circle, intending to directly attack Xie Shun'an. However, with a slight flick of Xie Shun'an's arm, the corpse-herding Daoist immediately moved, closely following Runsheng's every step, like a game of 'eagle catching chickens.'

Just then, Xie Shun'an suddenly looked puzzled. "What's that sound?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "A-You."

Lin Shuyou opened his left hand, clenched his right fist, and began to attempt channeling. He didn't apply his facial painting because he knew 'Little Brother Yuan' disliked his annoying self after the facial painting. Also, in this environment, any disobedience could lead to terrible consequences. However, this also reduced the success rate of channeling. But it didn't matter; if he tried multiple times, just like lighting a lighter at high altitude, he was sure it would eventually ignite!

The result: once, twice, thrice, four times... Lin Shuyou made the gestures many times, stomping his feet repeatedly, but still failed to succeed. A-You continued his channeling attempts while secretly glancing at 'Little Brother Yuan' standing beside him. He felt deeply ashamed and embarrassed. Before meeting 'Little Brother Yuan,' he had worshipped the Yin Gods, believing them to be supreme and omnipotent. Since meeting 'Little Brother Yuan,' his preconceived notions about the Yin Gods, formed since childhood, were slowly cracking.

Perhaps the dense curse power in this area deterred the White Crane Boy from getting involved, or perhaps even though the General was weakened, his former rank was still significant. In any case, the Boy was unwilling to descend.

Li Zhuiyuan said nothing. He raised his left hand and waved it forward. "You go."

Lihua prepared to hand her son to Li Zhuiyuan, but he didn't take him. Lihua then tried to hand him to Lin Shuyou; she remembered Lin Shuyou had cheerfully held her son when they slipped into the hollow earlier, but Lin Shuyou was still stomping and punching, clearly busy. With no other option, Lihua placed her son on the ground and drew two short axes from her swaddling clothes.

Li Zhuiyuan reminded her, "Feint an attack on Xie Shun'an."

"Understood!"

Lihua charged forward. Her speed was even greater than Runsheng's. Once she entered the battlefield, she moved like a thrown axe, then turned with remarkable fluidity, attacking Xie Shun'an. Runsheng took the opportunity to press his attack simultaneously, not wanting to allow the corpse-herding Daoist to defend.

Xie Shun'an looked anxious.

Li Zhuiyuan immediately shouted, "He's faking it!"

Runsheng instantly switched from offense to defense. Lihua's coordination was a bit off, but her intention was a feint anyway, so she also halted her forward momentum.

Xie Shun'an violently pulled his arms back, and the bamboo poles retracted again. In an instant, Xie Shun'an and the corpse-herding Daoist fully converged, becoming like one. The corpse-herding Daoist lifted its leg and kicked Runsheng. The force of the kick generated a shockwave that threatened to tear eardrums.

*Bang!*

Runsheng blocked with the Yellow River Shovel again, sliding backward once more. Immediately after, the corpse-herding Daoist turned sideways and threw a punch at Lihua. Lihua didn't even dare to block, directly retreating. Yet, the force of the punch still brushed past her, sending her flying backward. Upon landing, Lihua spat out a mouthful of blood. She immediately turned her head to look at the young man in the distance. This thing's physique was too terrifying; did they really have to keep fighting head-on? Usually, when faced with such a tough opponent, her husband would seek a breakthrough in spells and talismans, but the young man just stood there, showing no intention of setting anything up.

In truth, Xie Shun'an was not without weaknesses; his weakness lay in his movement speed. He seemed capable only of small, rapid movements, unable to perform long-distance dashes. However, here, simply by playing defense and waiting for the unseeable ones to arrive, he could win by leveraging his blindness.

Li Zhuiyuan's ears twitched slightly; he heard Xie Shun'an's breathing. Controlling a 'corpse' of that caliber was indeed physically demanding and undoubtedly exhausting.

Xie Shun'an again looked puzzled. Pressed close to the corpse-herding Daoist, he wondered aloud, "Who's talking?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Continue."

Runsheng let out a low roar and charged forward again. Lihua gritted her teeth and quickly circled. This time, the corpse-herding Daoist didn't actively throw punches; it simply rose onto its toes and spun in place. It seemed confident that the opponents wouldn't truly attack, and even if they did press forward, they would immediately switch from offense to defense, posing no real threat. At this rate, it was hard to say who would wear down whom.

Under duress, Runsheng initiated an attack this time, swinging his Yellow River Shovel at the corpse-herding Daoist's head. The corpse-herding Daoist didn't dodge, taking the blow directly with its head. Its Daoist coronet was knocked flying, but what followed was a metallic clang and a forceful rebound that left Runsheng's wrist tingling. The corpse-herding Daoist seized the opportunity to punch Runsheng. Having attacked first, Runsheng had left himself exposed. This punch was incredibly fast, making it difficult to block or dodge. Runsheng only managed to raise his Yellow River Shovel, aiming its edge to strike the opponent's body, hoping to offset some of the momentum, then braced his elbow across his front. In the past, he loved to trade blows, but this time, he dared not.

*Bang!*

His elbow was driven back, slamming hard into his own body.