Chapter 161

In a small town convenience store, an old man was staring blankly at an abacus on the counter. The abacus had broken, its beads scattering across the floor. He picked them up one by one and meticulously repaired it. Although his craftsmanship was exquisite, leaving no trace of the repair, he could deceive outsiders but not himself. Some things, once broken, remain shattered in the heart.

At the old man's feet lay a small incense burner, densely packed with various types of incense sticks. Without exception, every stick extinguished after burning for less than a quarter of its length. This was known as "severed incense" in the art of fortune-telling. Interrupted incense signified a blocked destiny. If every stick was like this, it indicated a complete absence of vitality. The old man's face was terrifyingly grim.

In his youth, even when lighting incense for condemned prisoners on their way to execution, one out of ten sticks would burn completely. This didn't mean there was a sliver of hope; rather, the path of destiny was inherently jealous and sought imbalance. But now, whether he lit incense for himself, his wife, his daughter-in-law, or his two grandsons, every stick was severed. When he lit incense for his son, who had left home, he even coughed up three mouthfuls of blood and nearly fainted. This indicated that the life force of everyone in his family had suddenly plummeted to a level far worse than that of a condemned prisoner. Before execution, a condemned prisoner could still hope for a last-minute reprieve. For his entire family, even such a sliver of hope was a luxurious fantasy.

The old man muttered, "Who exactly did the main family provoke this time?" When the main family broke their seal and summoned members from the branch families, it was naturally to carry out a major undertaking. Since he was old, his son had gone in his stead. Now it seemed the endeavor had not only failed but also triggered a terrifying karmic backlash. Judging by the incense, the old man had lost all will to flee or hide, as it was pointless. There was no escaping, and certainly no time.

"What are you staring at? The rolling door is broken, hurry up and fix it." His wife walked over, holding a rag.

The old man nodded numbly, stood up, and went upstairs to the second floor to get his tools. His wife called after him, "How much longer until our son returns from visiting relatives? I miss him."

The old man replied, "No rush, we'll all be together very soon."

Along the street in the town, the first floor was a shop, the second floor was a residence, and the third floor was an illegal extension built by their family. Previously, only the old man and his son could enter there; it was always kept locked with an iron padlock. Recently, the old man had started taking his two grandsons in occasionally, teaching them to recognize talismans and recite spells.

To outsiders, their family seemed to have a modest amount of wealth, far from being rich or noble. But some things couldn't be bought with any amount of money. For instance, their family's destiny. Before his daughter-in-law married in, her fate had been calculated: she was capable of bearing sons, and her destiny was harmonious, promising good fortune and peace. Although his two grandsons had just "started their studies," they were extremely talented in this art and would be able to inherit the legacy. However, according to the "main family" tradition, once the grandsons came of age, they would have to split off and go their separate ways, never to interact again in their lifetime.

For ordinary families, whether for funerals or weddings, consulting a fortune-teller was merely a formality for peace of mind. Truly believing in it often seemed a bit foolish. But for their family, it genuinely manifested in reality: modest prosperity, protection, freedom from illness and disaster, passed down through generations.

As the old man ascended the stairs, he heard the sound of a ceiling fan turning in the living room on the second floor. It was already winter; who would turn on a fan? Reaching the doorway on the second floor, he saw his daughter-in-law and two grandsons all hanging in the living room. The rotating electric fan stirred their hair. Their faces were purplish-blue, tongues protruding, and rigor mortis had already set in. They had just eaten breakfast together. How much time had passed for this to happen?

The old man wiped his eyes, picked up his tools from the corner of the living room, and walked downstairs. The rolling door of the first-floor shop was already closed. His wife, who had just been speaking to him, was pressed flat against it, shriveled, as if her flesh and blood had been drained, turning her into a paper effigy. Terror showed in his wife's eyes; she seemed to have witnessed something horrifying.

The old man put down his tools and took a deep breath. He knew it would be his turn next. He closed his eyes. Immediately, spectral figures appeared beside him. Some could be found in local historical records, while others resembled statues worshipped in nearby temples. The old man's body began to twist and fold, bones fracturing and flesh tearing. He grimaced in pain, wanting to scream but unable to utter a sound. And the process was agonizingly slow, as if the local specters deliberately prolonged the torture.

When all was done, a group of mischievous children ran by outside. One of them took an incense stick, lit a small firecracker, and, as if possessed, tossed it high into the air. It landed inside the second-floor window.

"Pop!"

The firecracker went off. Fearing the homeowners would come out and scold them, the children immediately scattered like birds.

But fire erupted, starting on the second floor and spreading to the first and third floors. Neighbors and people from nearby shops rushed to extinguish the flames upon seeing the fire. But for some reason, the rolling door, which they had heard the family's woman mention was broken just days before, could not be forced open no matter how much they kicked or smashed it. They could only gather some water and try to douse the fire from below. The fire raged, fire snakes spitting out of the windows, a terrifying sight. Yet the fire was remarkably strange; it burned only in that one building. Neighbors on either side, who had expected to be engulfed, were astonished to find that the fire did not spread to their properties at all.

After the fire truck arrived, the fire was extinguished, and the rolling door collapsed. But inside, everything was burnt beyond recognition. On the first floor, there were two figures; on the second, three. Only faint human outlines could be discerned. Even experienced firefighters were shocked by the bizarre fire. Normally, a fire in an ordinary residence, not a factory storing special materials, would not burn things so thoroughly. Onlookers debated amongst themselves; such a story would likely circulate among the locals for ten, twenty years, or even longer, as a chilling tale of an annihilated family.

Only the elderly, gathering together, murmured: "What kind of karmic debt did this family incur?"

"Can it really be effective?"

"I didn't believe it either, but Old Qiu said he brought his mother here and spoke with her. You know Old Qiu; he's very shrewd, not easily fooled. So that old woman of the family must really have some power."

"Then let's try it."

A couple, carrying gifts and with red envelopes in their pockets, followed a village path to the home of a local shamaness. Upon entering the courtyard, they found the house's doors and windows tightly shut, with no one in sight.

"Is anyone home?"

"Hello, excuse me, is anyone home?"

The couple called out for a long time but received no response. The husband pressed his face against the living room door, peering through the dark glass window in the center. At that sight, his eyes immediately widened. The living room was filled with the dismembered bodies of the family. The information his eyes received was too shocking; his mind hadn't even processed it yet. As his gaze moved upwards, he saw a shamaness in a large red robe sitting on the long cabinet altar in the living room, digging out her own intestines and stuffing them into her mouth to gnaw on.

"Ah!!"

"Don't mind me, run, run!" The man, tears in his eyes, abandoned his cousin, whose waist had been severed by an iron plate, and began to run out of the tomb. They had originally come deep into the mountains today merely to find an ancient tomb and gather some materials. Prior calculations indicated this trip would be smooth. But who knew that the team would first encounter sudden mountain miasma, and their compass needles would malfunction? Fortunately, they were not ordinary individuals. After overcoming these difficulties, they finally found the burial site. The tomb was not dangerous; it was just a small landlord's tomb from the Qing Dynasty. With their setup, such a tomb should have been easily handled.

But who knew that after descending, the passageway would first become extremely long, encountering a spectral illusion, then they heard ghost wails, followed by a rapid succession of unbelievable crises. They had only come to "borrow" a few things from a small landlord's tomb, but the situations they encountered were even more perilous than those in grand mausoleums! The group, despite being highly skilled, perished one after another inside. When the last person ran out crying, just climbing out of the tomb entrance, he saw dense, eerie figures standing all around the opening. He despaired.

At the doorway of the old house, the old woman who was sewing shoe soles sat on a small reclining chair, dead. Her eyeballs had been gouged out with a needle and placed in her sewing box. Everyone in her family, from old to young, male to female, who approached and called out to her, silently sat beside her, took the needle from her hand, gouged out their own eyeballs, and placed them in the sewing box. By nightfall, the sewing box was overflowing with eyeballs, which spilled out. The entire family sat gathered around the old woman, enjoying themselves under the moonlight.

The old man, who fished with a straight hook, saw all the koi in his pond floating dead, belly-up. His face ashen, he rushed back to his old house. His family was not skilled in direct combat. Their foundation lay in deduction and calculation, combined with their ability to hide, avoid karma, and practice family dispersion, which allowed them to evade disasters, mitigate misfortune, and ensure their lineage's continuity. Conversely, if their hidden haven were found by an enemy, their fate would undoubtedly be extremely tragic. In the shadows, they were formidable, but once exposed to daylight, they were quite weak. Now, the main family's location had been discovered. Could the branch families still escape harm?

The old house was large, but sparsely populated, feeling eerily quiet inside. He ran into the ancestral hall and saw a middle-aged man kneeling on a prayer mat. That was his son. After he grew old, he had passed on the position of family head to him. His other two sons had all branched out, settling in other provinces, changing their surnames, and continuing their lineage. They were not to return home during their lifetimes.

"What did you unseal last time to summon the branch family for? What was it for?!" The old man yelled hoarsely, but his son showed no reaction.

"Clatter... clatter..."

Looking up again, the old man was horrified to see all the ancestral tablets on the altar had fallen to the floor. The old man's son leaned forward, wisps of black energy rising from his body.

"Grandpa, it hurts!"

"Grandpa, I'm in pain!"

Cries came from the courtyard. The old man immediately ran out of the ancestral hall and saw his grandchildren, who were normally as delicate as porcelain dolls, their faces distorted and grotesque, writhing eerily on the ground.

"Who are you, who are you? What grudge does my family have against you? Why would you go to such lengths, why?!" The old man stepped forward, intending to exorcise his grandchildren, but just as he was about to act, they suddenly sprang up as if possessed by malevolent spirits, biting at his chest and neck. Seeing his grandchildren with dark purple foreheads and entirely white eyes, the old man knew they were completely beyond saving, unrecoverable. This was the work of terrifying vengeful spirits, who would sacrifice their own cultivation to forcefully possess someone, only then able to shatter a person's soul and consciousness in such a short time.

Two lines of clear tears streamed down the old man's cheeks. He wailed unwillingly: "Even with the greatest hatred, why would you target children? How could you harm children!"

Fengdu, Ghost Street.

For most of the time, this county town was peaceful and serene. Although the number of outside tourists had gradually increased in recent years, the town truly bustled during holidays or temple fairs. On an ordinary day, the weather forecast had predicted several consecutive days of sunshine, but in reality, there had been several continuous days of heavy overcast skies. Fortunately, the locals were long accustomed to this. They didn't even criticize the meteorological station for being inaccurate or incompetent, because a saying had always circulated locally: "Fengdu's weather depends on the mood of the Great Emperor."

Finally, the rainbow faded and the rain cleared. The sun finally appeared, and a few people emerged onto Ghost Street, which had been subdued for several days. Gradually, people noticed that many ghost statues and carvings outside shops had developed cracks, and many deities' statues in the scenic area were also cracking. In the center of the county town, there was a sculpture, topped with a ghost's head, serving as a landmark. This ghost head had, at some unknown point, fallen from its high position to the ground. It didn't hit anyone, nor did it make any sound. When a construction team brought tools and a crane to reposition it, as soon as it was touched, fresh red blood began to gush from the ghost head. After forming a large pool, it flowed into the nearby stream, turning the downstream section red.

Young people merely found it curious, treating it as gossip for casual conversation. Those with elderly family members, however, rushed to place braziers outside their homes, lighting candles and burning spirit money. As they burned and kowtowed, they also chastised the disdainful young people nearby: "You ignorant brats know nothing! The Great Emperor is angry, he's angry!"

A Li was playing the zither. But today, her music was repeatedly interrupted by disturbances. These disturbances didn't come from within her. In fact, ever since the young man forcibly extracted a being's spirit using the Twelve Edicts of Fengdu, her heart had been eerily quiet these past two days. Even when she entered that dream at night, there was no movement beyond the threshold. Not even whispers could be heard; the silence was so profound that a pin drop would be audible, which made her feel a little unaccustomed.

One disturbance came from the second floor: every so often, a wisp of murderous intent would emanate from her grandmother. Another came from the kitchen. The kitchen door was sealed with a prohibition talisman, and Aunt Liu would meticulously unseal and reseal it every time she entered or exited. Originally, there had been one in the courtyard too, but Uncle Qin had left home yesterday. The loudest disturbance came from the third floor. The door to the room where ancestral tablets were originally enshrined was locked. The first time A Li wanted to go up and get some tablets for materials, she didn't receive her grandmother's permission. A Li didn't insist and went back downstairs, because at the time, she could sense that many terrifying things had appeared behind the door. Her grandmother had instructed Uncle Qin to move those special items from the old Qin and Liu family residences.

She couldn't play the zither anymore; with so much "noise," she couldn't focus on anything. In the past, she wouldn't have been bothered by such disturbances; she was already accustomed to them. Now, having gradually grown used to peace and quiet, she found it hard to go back.

A Li stood up, left the zither table, exited the study, and happened to meet Aunt Liu, who had just finished applying the sealing talisman to the kitchen door. Aunt Liu gave A Li a faint smile, and A Li, looking at her, smiled too. Aunt Liu suddenly felt a pang in her heart. A Li was becoming more obedient and normal. How wonderful it would be if such peaceful days could continue indefinitely. Aunt Liu knew that the old woman likely regretted it too.

In fact, Aunt Liu misunderstood. A Li's smile wasn't for Aunt Liu herself, but for their actions. The girl knew what they were worried about and what they were preparing, but from her perspective, it was all meaningless. How could he fail, or how could he lose?

She returned to her bedroom, took out her sketchbook from under the bed, placed it in front of her, and turned the page. There were only four pages in total, but she looked at each one with great relish. When she turned to the blank fifth page, she began to anticipate, what should she draw on this next picture?

Aunt Liu came to the second floor. It was winter, and the old woman's rattan chair was covered with a blanket. Aunt Liu's gaze fell on the subtle, elongated bulge beneath the blanket on the right armrest. She knew it was a sword. The old woman had long sealed this sword in the old Liu family residence. The last time it was taken out was when Ali failed his "Go River" attempt. Ali was severely wounded, his life hanging by a thread, lying inside and receiving urgent medical treatment from her. The old woman laid the sword across her knees and sat by the door all night. In the early morning, Ali was out of danger, his life saved. The old woman then sealed the sword back in the old residence. After that night, the former Miss Liu died; she had fully transformed into the matriarch of both families. A young lady could throw tantrums and be reckless, but a matriarch had to swallow her pride for the sake of the family.

Today, this sword had been brought back again. Some things, in fact, didn't require much hesitation; it was clear from the beginning whether they would happen. For instance, this time the sword wasn't placed on her lap, but on her right side, in a position where she could draw it and rise at any moment.

Aunt Liu walked over and made tea for the old woman. The old woman didn't drink. She just sat there, gently rocking in her rattan chair. Two days had passed, and Xiao Yuan still hadn't returned. This time, they hadn't gone to another province. Logically, no matter how big the matter, excluding travel and preparation, two days should have been enough time for results. The old woman had personally said that since the child hadn't explicitly told them, they shouldn't interfere. But that didn't mean if something truly happened to the child, they would again hold their noses and accept it.

Aunt Liu said nothing. After brewing tea and adding some snacks, she left, went to the third floor, and checked the seals in the room there. After confirming they were intact, Aunt Liu came down, unsealed the kitchen again, and entered. A suppressive atmosphere persisted in the house.

Until nightfall. Aunt Liu went out, then returned, rushing upstairs to the second floor with a stack of items, her eyes full of disbelief and shock. By then, the old woman's murderous aura had condensed into an oppressive pressure, obscuring other presences. She no longer cared if it affected her granddaughter's zither playing or drawing, because she simply couldn't control herself. Thus, it wasn't until Aunt Liu reached the second floor that she realized Ali had already returned. There had been an incident outside, and Ali had been summoned away. Ali hadn't wanted to go, but the old woman merely lowered her eyelids and said faintly, "You go." Ali had left reluctantly, sharpening his knives at home. When the old woman was feeling so stifled, as her adopted son and the only adult male in the family, he should have been on the front lines. Aunt Liu had originally thought Ali's departure this time would be like usual, at least ten days to half a month. She hadn't expected him to return in less than two days.

The old woman was still reclining in her chair, holding a stack of photographs, flipping through them one by one. Each photo documented a gruesome death scene, and without exception, all were aimed at wiping out entire families. Family annihilation cases were not uncommon in society, but even such common occurrences had a fixed number: how many last year, how many this year, and how many to project for next year. It wasn't a time of war and chaos; there wouldn't suddenly be so many cases. There must be a special reason. Furthermore, although some were due to fires, drownings, or various other accidents, there were indeed some overtly abnormal and bizarre elements mixed in that were obvious at a glance. From Liu Yumei's perspective, every photo, even those depicting so-called accidents, hinted at something amiss.

Liu Yumei asked, "Are you certain it's that family?"

Uncle Qin replied, "Some divination and fortune-telling items were found at several scenes."

Liu Yumei nodded, "That family is best at scattering and hiding, feigning death and playing dumb during disasters, then immediately jumping out to reap the benefits once the crisis passes. Heh, well, they've grown fat and prosperous, and now they're spitting it all back out twofold."

Liu Yumei put down the photos, gently massaged her temples, and asked, "Do you know who did it?"

Uncle Qin: "No."

Liu Yumei closed her eyes and said, "It's normal not to know. The constables in the yamen are naturally not as well-informed as those in the Jianghu."

Uncle Qin: "Logically, for something this significant, there should have been rumors in the Jianghu before it happened."

In the normal Jianghu, there would definitely be no rumors. But among the top powers in the Jianghu, there should still be some communication. Because although this family was not suited to operate openly, their ability to stir up trouble behind the scenes was genuinely something no one dared to ignore. Although not a top-tier power, they were capable of standing by the table and watching others play cards. Anyone capable of acting against them with such swift and annihilating force could certainly not be a Jianghu rogue. It could only be one of those seated at the Jianghu card table.

Although the Qin and Liu families had declined, and Liu Yumei didn't pay much attention to Jianghu matters, they still had a special background. At the very least, they should have been informed.

Liu Yumei: "It doesn't really seem like something any single family did in secret. A single family might be able to crush a portion of them, but not uproot them completely. And if several families collaborated, there's no way there wouldn't be rumors. Even if several families worked together, they definitely wouldn't just aim to kill and wipe out the family. The most valuable assets of that family are those who can divine and calculate, aren't they? They are treasures. Why kill them? It would be better to keep them for their own use. So, there are only two possibilities. Either a new, ruthless power has risen in the Jianghu, seeking to establish its authority and reputation this way. We'll know this by seeing if anyone publicly claims responsibility later. Or, this family somehow angered an entity capable of overturning the entire game table. Such entities do exist in this world, but they usually wouldn't risk acting, and such a grand action would cause significant self-harm, making it not worthwhile. But thinking it over, only these two points fit the criteria. If it's the first possibility, when they begin to boast and seek recognition, we could send a formal invitation on behalf of our two families. We ask for nothing else, only to pave the way for our child. Although our two families are not as prominent as before, our reputation remains. Helping them gain momentum and earn a favor is a beneficial and effortless matter."

Aunt Liu suddenly chuckled, "Grandmother, you wouldn't have thought of arranging such things before."

The old woman sighed, "Times have changed. It's harder for a declining family like ours to rise again than for a new power to emerge. Essentially, we are in the same trench. If we can't give the child anything else, helping him leverage more power is something we elders should do. If it's the second possibility, then there's nothing to do. If such an entity truly emerges for some unknown reason, it's not something we need to consider; it's unrelated to us."

Liu Yumei turned, used her left hand to pick up a cup of cool tea, and drank while watching the leaves outside the window sway in the wind.

Aunt Liu chuckled again, "Perhaps, it really might be related to our family."

The tea in the old woman's cup spilled. She turned her head to look at Aunt Liu, her eyes first showing astonishment, then shock, then relief, and finally... fury! Aunt Liu had grown up by the old woman's side; she naturally knew the girl wouldn't speak aimlessly at such a moment. And if it was related to their family, it could only be the one person who wasn't currently in the house. Considering what that person was currently experiencing, and the anger and worry she had accumulated over the past few days, could the annihilation of that family truly be related? The old woman had previously never suspected that this matter would have anything to do with Xiao Yuan. Regardless, how could a boy who had only just begun his River Walker trials and experienced a few waves cause the downfall of such a major power? She knew the young man's talent was exceptional, almost demonic, but even a demon wouldn't be capable of such an outrageous feat. But if he truly did it, regardless of the method or whether such methods could be replicated, as long as it originated from him, it would mean something extremely terrifying. What she had just said, a new, ruthless power rising in the Jianghu... could it be her own family?

"Speak." The old woman took a great effort to say this word steadily; one more word would have made her voice tremble.

Aunt Liu took out the items she had brought back. The formal invitations and letters inside were not only diverse in form but also sent through extremely bizarre methods. Normally, these items wouldn't be delivered directly here. Instead, she would collect them periodically and bring them back for the old woman to see. Of course, there were occasional exceptions, when many arrived all at once, usually indicating a major event in the Jianghu. For many years, the old woman hadn't been keen on hearing about such troublesome matters. So, as a rule, Aunt Liu would read them herself and only mention the important ones to the old woman. Most invitations and letters didn't require a reply; the Qin and Liu families had that confidence. For the few that did need a response, Aunt Liu would reply on behalf of the old woman.

"These are letters from various families inquiring about this matter."

"These are analyses of the event from various families."

"These are joint proposals inviting you to, while that family is in trouble, cast a net and see what spoils can be gained. Several families are already preparing to do so. No matter how cleanly it was done, there should still be remnants. Even if the direct lineage is extinguished, there should be collateral branches, disciples, and ancestral grounds." This is commonly known as "kicking someone when they're down." Even if your whole family is dead, it doesn't matter. First, they'll ransack your remaining possessions, then pay a visit to your ancestral graves and ancestors, letting your ancestors collectively see the light of day and get some air.

Survival of the fittest has always been the unchanging essence of the Jianghu. Being able to sit peacefully and discuss matters or even argue is only possible if your fists are hard enough to earn your seat. Otherwise, since ancient times, there wouldn't have been so many small families, minor factions, or Jianghu wanderers dreaming of seeking refuge with powerful noble houses. They understand a simple truth: their current safety and freedom aren't because the major powers suddenly became benevolent, but merely because they currently lack the appetite or are too lazy to pick a fight with them.

"This is a letter from the Yu family." Aunt Liu singled out one envelope and unfolded it. In the past, the Yu family was a Dragon King family, on par with Dragon King Liu and Dragon King Qin, with their ancestral home in Luoyang. Luoyang, historically a place of excellent feng shui, having established a powerful presence there and being called a Dragon King family, was a testament to their strength. However, the Yu family had an incident seventy years ago, which led to their sealing their gates for sixty years. They had only unsealed them ten years ago, and news of their disciples traveling the Jianghu had just begun to spread. The Yu family specialized in raising beasts and cultivating demons, so Jianghu rumors at the time suggested that the Yu family had likely experienced a demonic disturbance. But since they had sealed their gates early, no one knew exactly what happened. Given the Dragon King family's foundation, no one dared to foolishly test them, unlike the Qin and Liu families, whose near total demise was no secret among the top echelons.

Liu Yumei: "Legend has it that family's ancestral home is also in the Luoyang region." With branch families hidden everywhere, the main family naturally couldn't be high-profile. That family, generation after generation, preferred to hide themselves, but the Dragon King families still had some general information about them.

Aunt Liu said, "The Yu family specifically sent a letter to all families and sects, informing them that when they sensed something happened at that family's ancestral home, they dispatched clan members to investigate. Some clan members observed dense, pure ghostly energy, and this energy came from the southwest, Fengdu!"

When the name Fengdu appeared, Liu Yumei and Uncle Qin both fell silent. It was a place name, but it also represented a person's name, and even a myth. Aunt Liu's reason for concluding that this matter might be related to their family was... the sole descendant of the Yin family worshipped their own Dragon King. There was a behind-the-scenes power scheming against their River Walker. A major power that preferred to hide in the dark had been uprooted. The entity that triggered this family annihilation also had a connection with their River Walker. When these three things happened at the same time, to say it had no connection to their own family member would be truly foolish.

"Hehe... Hahahahaha!" Liu Yumei laughed out loud, unable to stop slapping the armrest of her chair as she did. The armrest was fine, but the outgoing shockwaves not only shattered all the teapots and dishes on the coffee table but also cracked all the porcelain and jade artifacts displayed in the room. The few trees outside the window, which had been making their last stand against the cold wind in winter, were also shaken, their dry leaves scattering, leaving only bare branches. The old woman naturally felt no regret for these items, no matter how valuable a single one of them might be on the market. If Miss Liu of the Liu family was happy, what did it matter if a few bowls, dishes, or jade pieces were smashed? She had held this breath ever since Ali failed his River Walker trial, and today, it was finally released.

Aunt Liu and Uncle Qin exchanged glances, then continued to silently watch the old woman's joy. Although there were still many questions and mysteries, at least the situation hadn't worsened. Moreover, they also clearly understood that if Xiao Yuan was truly responsible for this incident, then in the future... who would dare to secretly target the River Walkers of the Qin and Liu families again? Indeed, even the prestige of the Qin and Liu families would be refreshed because of this. A family's plaque, after all, was meant to be wiped clean with blood.

The old woman laughed for a long time, finally stopping. But she clearly wasn't done enjoying herself. So, the old woman looked at Uncle Qin, who stood beside her, and deliberately said in a lazy tone: "Look at them, then look at you."

Uncle Qin knelt down and lowered his head. He realized he was somewhat used to this now. Moreover, he hadn't expected that at his age, he would still have to endure repeated "look at other people's children" comparisons. Fortunately, Xiao Yuan wasn't someone else's child; he was their own. This time, Uncle Qin knelt without any real guilt in his heart, simply treating it as something the old woman enjoyed and he was helping to lighten her mood.

The old woman lowered her head and glanced at him, then lifted her foot and gently kicked Uncle Qin several times, scolding, "When did you learn from A Ting and become so cunning?"

Uncle Qin, kneeling on the ground, also chuckled.

Then, the old woman's face darkened, and she said coldly: "Didn't they say they wanted to team up and take advantage of the family's demise? You two go for me. All collateral descendants, everyone involved, if any survived, wipe them clean. As for that family's ancestral home and ancestral graves, plow them three times over, cleanse them thrice. Since their family dared to lay hands on my child, then I will completely erase their lineage!"

Uncle Qin propped up one knee, Aunt Liu knelt on one knee, and they both said in unison: "We obey your command!"

On the way back, Yin Meng was driving. There was no other way. Tan Wenbin had fractured his tailbone and couldn't sit, so he had to lie in the back of the car with Lin Shuyou and Run Sheng. Li Zhuiyuan could drive, but they would be passing through crowded urban areas and might encounter traffic police. Yin Meng, while driving, occasionally stole glances at Brother Xiao Yuan in the passenger seat. She felt a bit awkward, and had no experience to draw upon regarding how to handle a conflict between her nearly two-thousand-year-old ancestor and her own boss. But one thing was certain: she felt no affection for that ancestor; she was definitely on her boss's side. If she couldn't understand this clearly, she wouldn't have gotten to where she was today.

Li Zhuiyuan, meanwhile, was pondering where exactly he had offended the Great Emperor of Fengdu. To think that a dignified Great Emperor would resort to tricking him into going to Fengdu under the pretext of "returning home for ancestral worship"? If he had foolishly accompanied Yin Meng for ancestral worship, he himself might very well have become the sacrifice on the altar. Logically, it shouldn't be this way. He not only had no feud with the Great Emperor of Fengdu, but as a successor of the Twelve Edicts of Fengdu and through his connection with Yin Meng, he could even be considered a half-relative. So, in this lost period of memory, what exactly did he do to anger the Great Emperor of Fengdu?

Li Zhuiyuan could sense that some changes had occurred within him, certainly not limited to the spell from Wei Zhengdao's black leather book. But what specific changes had occurred, and whether he could retrieve any lost memories, he would need to slowly discover and experience in the dead of night.

When they returned to school, it was already dark, and dorms were closed and lights out. Lu Yi hadn't returned to the dorm for days, sleeping at the shop instead. Hearing the familiar sound of the pickup truck, he immediately opened the shop door and came out, helping to move the three patients into the basement room. Li Zhuiyuan told Yin Meng to find a doctor to examine them, then left. He had to report his safe return. This time, it wasn't just A Li waiting for him; the old woman and the others should have been the most anxious.

At the school infirmary, in the on-duty office. Doctor Fan Shulin, highly regarded by the leadership, continued his night shift. There weren't many patients, and nothing much happened at night, so he sat leisurely reading an explicit magazine, studying human anatomy. This was a rare moment of comfort and relaxation for a single young man, indulging in fantasies while reading, occasionally changing his cross-legged sitting posture. These magazines were actually gifts from Tan Wenbin. It was a pity, though, that Tan Wenbin hadn't sent any patients his way recently, and their friendship had somewhat faded.

The door suddenly pushed open. Fan Shulin looked up and saw a young girl with fair skin, beautiful features, and long legs standing in the hallway light at the doorway.

"You are..."

"Tan Wenbin sent me to find you. Please come with me."

"Okay, wait for me to wake up my colleague to cover my shift." Fan Shulin hid the magazine, called his colleague, packed some instruments, and left with Yin Meng. Yin Meng had a red envelope in her pocket and had prepared many persuasive words, knowing that Doctor Fan was usually difficult to persuade. But she hadn't expected him to be so accommodating. Fan Shulin walked ahead, even looking back to urge: "Let's walk faster, saving lives is important."

"Okay, thank you."

"No need to thank me. As a doctor, saving lives and helping the injured is my duty. This is what I should do."

"Mhm."

"What's your name?"

Li Zhuiyuan arrived at Grandmother Liu's home. As he pushed open the courtyard gate, the first-floor French window opened, and A Li, wearing white silk pajamas and barefoot, stood there waiting for him. She simply offered a faint smile, with little worry etched on her face. Li Zhuiyuan also smiled. Ever since he began his River Walker trials, returning home to see A Li after each wave had been his most relaxing moment.

This time, however, Liu Yumei's figure appeared at the second-floor window.

"Xiao Yuan."

"Grandma."

"Come up for a moment."

"Okay, Grandma."

Li Zhuiyuan first put his backpack in A Li's room, then went up to the second floor. In the open area on the second floor, the originally small coffee table had been replaced by a large round table today. It was laden with all sorts of pastries and food, so much that it overflowed, even requiring two small square tables next to it to be pushed together. There were several sets of tea ware, and an even greater abundance of tea leaves. This clearly looked like a setup for a large tea party.

"Xiao Yuan, sit."

"Okay, Grandma. When I just came in, I didn't see Aunt Liu or Uncle Qin?" Uncle Qin occasionally went out, but Aunt Liu usually stayed at home.

"Oh, the land behind the old residence has become overgrown with weeds. I sent them back to turn it over."

"I see."

Liu Yumei stood up to prepare tea.

"Grandma, please sit. I'll do it."

"Alright." Liu Yumei didn't insist. Instead, she picked up a pair of silver chopsticks and placed several pieces of pastry onto the plate in front of the young man. "Have a taste. These pastries were specially sought out. There aren't many old masters who still make them now; they're hard to come by."

"Okay, Grandma."

The old woman and the young man sat opposite each other, drinking tea and eating pastries. Liu Yumei picked up a silk handkerchief beside her and wiped the corners of her mouth. Li Zhuiyuan also picked up a cup of tea, washing down the remaining food in his mouth. Actually, tea and pastries weren't meant to be eaten this way; typically, a small piece of pastry would be accompanied by a pot of tea, and one would sit for an entire afternoon. Eating too much consecutively would easily become cloying, but he was truly hungry. On the return journey, it was only by checking the time and date displayed on everyone's pagers that he realized he had lost a full two days of memories. Fortunately, they had eaten and drunk their fill before leaving. Two days of unconsciousness, followed by immediately entering the amusement park and encountering unforeseen events, meant the excitement and tension truly masked any hunger. If he had been unconscious for a few more days, he might genuinely have been too weak to fight from starvation.

Liu Yumei had specially arranged so much tea and pastries precisely to accompany the story. This incident held extraordinary significance for her. Therefore, she didn't want the story to be told poorly.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Grandmother Liu sitting opposite him, blinking. Liu Yumei smiled faintly, "Alright, child, you can start talking." As she spoke, Liu Yumei propped her elbows on the table, leaning slightly to the side, preparing to listen intently and enjoy the story.

Li Zhuiyuan pursed his lips and began, a little awkwardly: "Grandmother Liu."

"Hmm?"

"I don't know."