Chapter 149

Li Zhuiyuan fell into a deep sleep.

Considering his experience and strength, Runsheng was undoubtedly the team's second-in-command. However, Runsheng disliked managing affairs, and he knew he wasn't good at it.

Therefore, the team's temporary command naturally fell to Tan Wenbin.

The General had already gone up.

Tan Wenbin, on the other hand, was the "Eight Thousand Years" of this place.

So, at this moment, Binbin was truly the principal authority in the entire underground environment.

Tan Wenbin instructed Runsheng to remain where they were, still carrying Xiaoyuan. Meanwhile, he, Lin Shuyou, and Yin Meng explored the palace, led by Godfather and Little Eunuch Wang.

Their stated purpose was to gather more background information for the "Zhuiyuan Secret Scroll."

Their real goal, however, was to deliberately stall for time.

Xiaoyuan's words before falling into a coma were essentially spoken specifically to the Dao of Heaven.

Driving wolves to devour tigers was inherently a taboo act. The scene above was likely extremely bloody by now, so there was no need to rush up and step in blood.

However, there was truly nothing much to see in this palace.

Its very existence was to suppress the General; even the Grand Eunuch had been buried so hastily that no elaborate burial goods could have been left behind. Even if there had been any, they would have been completely destroyed during several disturbances.

Tan Wenbin took out a camera from his bag and casually took some photos.

Anyway, since they were already there.

Tan Wenbin simply motioned for Lin Shuyou and Yin Meng to find good backgrounds to pose for souvenir photos.

Lin Shuyou could only foolishly make peace signs, with a standard wide grin.

Yin Meng, on the other hand, knew how to pose; surprisingly, she was quite photogenic.

Although her role this time was irreplaceable—after all, without her, the banquet wouldn't have happened—she actually didn't suffer much throughout.

Her good condition and already fair skin, combined with the dim and dilapidated surroundings, made it look like a shoot for "Tomb Shadows."

He handed the camera to Ayou and asked him to take a few photos of him as well.

In one photo, Tan Wenbin specifically asked Godfather to stand in the middle, while he and Little Eunuch Wang stood on either side of Godfather.

The Grand Eunuch and Little Eunuch Wang mimicked Lin Shuyou, making peace signs.

Lin Shuyou raised the camera, then lowered it, raised it again, and lowered it again.

The camera lens simply couldn't see the Grand Eunuch and Little Eunuch Wang.

Tan Wenbin urged, "Hurry up and take the picture, we're all waiting."

"But, Brother Bin..."

"Just take it when I tell you to." Tan Wenbin said with a smile to the Grand Eunuch beside him, "Ah, my little brother here, he's had no common sense since he was a child."

The Grand Eunuch nodded and said, "Indeed, he's not suited to be an eunuch in the palace; Little Bin, you're more fitting."

Lin Shuyou seemed to understand something, so he raised the camera again and began to direct:

"A bit more to the side, yes, yes, yes, Brother Bin, your hand up a little more, and a bit to the side, yes, yes, yes, just like that, hold it, one, two, three!"

"Click!"

When this photo was developed, it was destined to show only Tan Wenbin.

But the meaning of the photo lay precisely in this: it captured a single moment, yet in one's mind, the dynamic scene of that time could resurface.

Later, whenever he saw this photo, the two people beside him would appear in his mind.

However, if he put this photo at home and his mother saw it, she might think he had snuck into the Old Summer Palace in Beijing at night without a ticket.

After taking the photos, this impromptu outing came to an end.

As he put the camera away, Tan Wenbin began to understand the meaning of learning to paint: a paintbrush could depict things beyond reality.

Too bad he didn't have Xiaoyuan's artistic skill; otherwise, he could have personally painted a portrait, at least for Godfather and Little Eunuch Wang, serving as their posthumous portraits.

Back at the edge of the giant pit, Runsheng sat there, with Xiaoyuan still on his back; he was uneasy about putting him down and reluctant to do so.

Tan Wenbin stopped, took out the camera again, and snapped a photo of them.

After taking the picture, Binbin waved his hand and softly called out, "Let's go, it's time to head up."

The exit was behind the banquet hall, so everyone ascended the slope again, passed through the hall, and arrived at the waterfall behind it.

To their surprise, Xiong Shan and Lihua, the couple, had been waiting there all along.

Perhaps they also felt there was no point in going up early; once up there, would they help the three rival families fight the General, or help the General fight the rivals?

Tan Wenbin licked his lips. Ever since Xiaoyuan suggested sending the child to an orphanage, the couple, having lost their opportunity to seek death, seemed to have been drained of most of their vitality, looking as if they had lost their life's purpose.

"What do you plan to do next?"

Xiong Shan: "First, we'll light the lamp a second time and withdraw from the jianghu."

Although Xiong Shan didn't say what they would do afterward, Tan Wenbin understood.

The main members of the three families were likely all here this time, but there would certainly be remnants at their homes. The couple would still have to visit each household to exact revenge for their second and third children.

As for whether they would go to extremes, Tan Wenbin didn't bother to ask.

Jianghu conflicts have followed this rhythm for thousands of years: if you kill my people, I will certainly kill yours in return.

Lihua cautiously asked, "The address of 'Corpse-Fishing Li' from Nantong?"

Tan Wenbin looked at her.

Lihua smiled and whispered, "That person, they promised."

"I'll give you my pager number. After you've finished your business, you can contact me first. Remember, don't secretly go to Nantong on your own to look for Corpse-Fishing Li."

Lihua reached out, took the slip of paper with the pager number written on it, and tucked it into the baby's swaddling clothes in her arms.

Xiong Shan: "Of course. How could we be so ill-mannered?"

It wasn't a matter of manners; Tan Wenbin thought that even if the couple went to Nantong, they probably wouldn't be able to find Old Man Li's house.

And if they really did find it, they would actually be in big trouble.

Xiong Shan then asked, "Can we leave now?"

Tan Wenbin: "We're preparing to leave."

Above, it was probably almost over.

"Alright then, let's go, Lihua."

"Mm-hmm."

Xiong Shan and Lihua, with their child, directly leaped down the waterfall, plunging into the pool below.

As Tan Wenbin was about to jump, the Grand Eunuch reached out and rotated a nearby stone; to some extent, he could control objects.

As the stone rotated, the smooth cliff face beside it receded, revealing a downward stone staircase.

The Grand Eunuch said, "Just follow it all the way out. Don't jump into the water; you'll get soaked and easily catch a cold."

"Thank you, Godfather, we're leaving."

"Little Bin, have a good journey."

"Brother Tan, farewell."

Runsheng, Yin Meng, and Lin Shuyou walked ahead, with Tan Wenbin at the rear. He turned and waved to the Grand Eunuch and Little Eunuch Wang who stood at the cave entrance.

As he waved, the two figures began to weather, then dissipated completely like dust.

Above, everything had completely ended.

Tan Wenbin sighed, no longer lingering, and quickly caught up with his companions ahead.

Xiong Shan and Lihua emerged from the lake water. Just as they reached the shore, they saw Tan Wenbin and the others, who had arrived at the bank, completely dry.

Tan Wenbin: "You jumped too soon. There was actually a shortcut."

Xiong Shan and Lihua exchanged a bitter smile.

After everyone regrouped, they continued walking along the bank.

Soon, they saw numerous corpses with distorted postures and terrified expressions.

Before dying, they must have endured tor