Chapter 217

Li Zhuiyuan remembered A-li had come in a white nightgown last night. Her current red dress showed she had specifically returned to the East Room to change and get ready. Her willingness to leave meant she knew he was back. She also knew what the young man would need when he woke up.

Many of their shared habits, though naturally formed, had always been carefully nurtured and maintained. They were like birds in a misty forest, cherishing every mark left on a tree, and these marks included each other.

Li Zhuiyuan got out of bed and walked up to the girl. He slowly lowered his head, searching for something. The young man and the girl met each other's gaze, then gently touched foreheads. In the girl's eyes, Li Zhuiyuan saw himself. Sometimes, even he would lose himself, unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, and even confused about his own identity. But all the answers could be found in her eyes. Only at this moment did Li Zhuiyuan confirm his success, shedding the last bit of apprehension in his heart.

The young man picked up the washbasin, preparing to wash. As he passed the wardrobe, he paused and looked into the mirror. There was no hidden meaning; he was genuinely looking in the mirror. Three faint, almost imperceptible lines appeared on his forehead. Deep in the corners of his eyes were streaks of black and red blood vessels, unnoticeable unless he widened his eyes. He took half a step back, suppressing the backlash, and quickly glimpsed his own facial features.

"Cough, cough..." The young man's chest tightened, and he coughed several times. This facial reading indicated a life afflicted by severe illness.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his right hand, attempting to conjure a simple formation. Although the formation successfully materialized, his vital energy was somewhat agitated, proving his mind was still in a turbulent state and not yet calm. These were all signs of qi deviation and inner demon possession. He would need a few days to recover and adjust, after which they would disappear. After all, no matter what, he was currently in a state where his inner demon identity was suppressing his true self.

It was not surprising for those in the Xuanmen (Mystic Arts) who suffered from qi deviation or backlash from inner demons to become mentally unstable in mild cases, or undergo significant personality changes, turning into bloodthirsty fiends in severe cases. His ability to achieve such a smooth transition was already extremely difficult. Unfortunately, no one would be so idle as to summarize and write a book from the perspective of an "inner demon." This field was also too obscure. Otherwise, Li Zhuiyuan's experience could be considered the most classic case of an inner demon devouring its host, earning him the title of "Inner Demon Paragon."

Admittedly, willingly degrading himself into an inner demon and ceding his true identity to "him" was a demotion. However, Li Zhuiyuan had no regrets about this; instead, he felt he had gained a great deal. The previous state, where they were indistinguishable and shared a single "self," was truly problematic, making treatment impossible to even begin. Now, the situation had become more difficult, but precisely because of this, a method had emerged. He only needed to follow the path of the "inner demon," either by finding or creating techniques to continuously suppress "him." This idea was "provided" by the Tantric high monk who had once attacked him. He truly needed to find time to visit and thank him properly.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at his desk. He would also write down this treatment method in his book. Sometimes, it was a tragedy that fellow sufferers were not born in the same era. Li Zhuiyuan truly wished he could exchange notes on healing with Wei Zhengdao. As he reached the door, the young man suddenly stopped. He recalled Wei Zhengdao's self-sealing and suicide, and the Wei Zhengdao he encountered in the Dream Demon wave was likely not his true self, but rather a clone. Given Wei Zhengdao's abilities, creating a clone was not difficult, but what was his purpose in doing so? Why would someone committed to suicide also create a clone? Li Zhuiyuan suspected that Wei Zhengdao might have also chosen this treatment method, actively splitting himself. Did he ultimately succeed with this method? It would be very difficult.

Li Zhuiyuan recalled last night, when "he" intended to use means to suppress "his" inner demon back. The same treatment plan might not suit all patients, or even different stages of the same patient's condition. His current hope for success was due to his youth. Wei Zhengdao's difficulty lay in the fact that by the time he realized he needed treatment and sought suicide, he was already too powerful.

The broken old water缸 on the second-floor terrace had been replaced with a new one by Uncle Qin. Li Zhuiyuan stood in his usual spot and began to wash. Just as he finished washing and was wiping his face with a towel, he saw Li Sanjiang come out of his room, twisting his neck and shaking his legs. Li Zhuiyuan remembered that by the wellhead in last night's dream, Grand-Elder, who should have already left the dream, suddenly returned and actively helped him lure away all the surrounding zombies. Those zombies would, of course, not have been a problem for him; even if Grand-Elder hadn't reappeared, he could have easily handled them. But Grand-Elder's appearance was very valuable; it showed him that even in a fleeting dream, there were still people who, purely by subconscious instinct, were willing to protect him at all costs.

"Grand-Elder, did you not sleep well last night?"

"Hmm, I got a crick in my neck," Li Sanjiang mumbled, too embarrassed to mention his recurring nightmares and falling out of bed. He casually asked, "How did you sleep, Little Young Master?"

"I didn't sleep too well either; I had nightmares."

"That's good, that's good... wait?"

"Grand-Elder, I met a professor in college who's good at health preservation. He taught me a remedy. I'll brew it, and we can drink it together for a few days; it calms the mind and soothes the spirit."

"Alright, drink it."

Li Sanjiang walked over, scooped water from the jar, then brought over the bag of laundry detergent. He intended to wash his hair to clear his head.

"Grand-Elder, it's not warm enough yet. Washing your hair in the morning and catching a breeze can easily make you catch a cold. Also, the shampoo is downstairs, and washing your hair with laundry detergent will damage your scalp."

"Grand-Elder, I always use... alright, I'll wash it at noon then, with shampoo."

Li Zhuiyuan carried his washbasin back to his room. Li Sanjiang, who was brushing his teeth, looked repeatedly in the direction his great-grandson had left. He felt something was different but couldn't pinpoint what had changed.

"A-li, let's play chess."

A-li shook her head. She believed the young man needed quiet rest and shouldn't exert his mind.

"Then let's go downstairs."

Holding A-li's hand, he went downstairs to the first floor. Li Zhuiyuan sniffed lightly, detecting the lingering scent of dead fiends. Seeing that Grand-Elder hadn't come downstairs yet, Li Zhuiyuan took out a demon-breaking talisman from his pocket. He flicked it forward, and the paper talisman burned upon landing, a puff of green smoke rising sharply before immediately dissipating, neutralizing the lingering aura. As for the paper figures, tables, chairs, and benches, they had already been restored to their original places. It was likely Xiao Yingying had tidied up before she left. She could tidy up other things but had no way to deal with her own lingering aura. After all, she couldn't suppress herself.

On the courtyard, Liu Yumei sat by a small table. Seeing the young man and her granddaughter emerge, she waved, "Come here and help Grandma make tea."

Li Zhuiyuan stopped by the table, but A-li didn't pause, heading straight back into the house.

"Grandma, it's almost time for breakfast. Are you still drinking tea?"

"I've been drinking tea my whole life; it makes no difference."

The young man's tea-making movements were skilled and natural, a pleasure to behold.

Liu Yumei: "These are newly delivered tea leaves. Have a taste."

"Okay."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the teacup and took a sip. It felt like drinking wine, with the tea aroma going straight to his head, yet without any uncomfortable aftertaste; instead, it mellowed and spread. He hadn't rested well last night, and this sip of tea brought a pleasant sense of calm and relaxation to his mind. The young man closed his eyes, savoring the afterglow. Liu Yumei watched him with interest. In the past, this child had often joined her for tea, and had tasted many fine teas. Each time, he would take a sip and then offer a precise evaluation, as if following a fixed procedure. But today, he truly tasted it, truly savored it.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes and took another sip. The second sip wasn't as astonishing as the first, much like the first taste of Jianlibao is always the best. A-li emerged from the house, holding a small medicine box. She opened the boy's right hand, unwound the old gauze, supported his palm, blew on it gently, then re-applied medication and re-bandaged it.

Liu Yumei had initially glanced casually, but after seeing the deeply embedded wounds on the boy's right hand, she instinctively looked at her granddaughter's fingernails. Did the two children argue last night? The old woman felt a pang of distress, thinking, "Oh dear, how could my granddaughter pinch him so hard?" Liu Yumei didn't know exactly what happened last night. Her granddaughter had come down, but not to ask for help, rather to ask for assistance with her makeup. So, she could only guess based on past events. She remembered that for some unknown reason on another evening, the boy had angered her granddaughter, who ignored him for days. In the end, the boy brought the dead fiend to apologize through the "walking the underworld" ritual, and only then did their relationship mend. Could last night also have been an apology? But there hadn't been any conflict between them before, and seeing her granddaughter carefully bandaging him... Never mind. Even if they argued, they were reconciled now. Liu Yumei understood less and less about the affairs of young people, and she was too lazy to interfere.

Just then, Aunt Liu began bringing out breakfast, and Li Zhuiyuan got up to help. As he walked into the kitchen to carry the porridge, Aunt Liu's voice suddenly came from behind him: "Xiao Yuan, wait a moment, let me look at you." With that, Aunt Liu walked up to the young man, examined his forehead, lifted his eyelids, and finally placed her left palm on his forehead while taking his pulse with her right hand. Soon, a look of confusion appeared on Aunt Liu's face, and she asked, "Xiao Yuan, are you practicing some unfamiliar cultivation technique lately?" Aunt Liu spoke very tactfully. Li Zhuiyuan knew she had figured it out.

"Yes, I've been pondering a secret technique recently, and I just found a new approach last night, so I tried it out."

"Are there any other discomforts?"

"It's nothing serious. I just need a few days to recuperate. Thank you for your concern, Aunt Liu."

Aunt Liu released his hand, watching the young man leave with the bowl of porridge.

After breakfast, when Li Zhuiyuan accompanied Grand-Elder for a walk, Aunt Liu approached Liu Yumei and whispered, "Old Madam, I observed Xiao Yuan..."

Liu Yumei: "Since when did you start beating around the bush?"

Aunt Liu: "Xiao Yuan shows signs of qi deviation and inner demon backlash. Although very slight, they are remarkably precise."

Liu Yumei: "Are you certain?"

Each art has its specialists. Qin Li and Liu Ting's skills were personally taught by the Old Madam, but she only provided early guidance based on each person's talent and specialty. Their further development relied on individual comprehension and practice; anyway, there were plenty of relevant secret manuals in the ancestral home. Therefore, Aunt Liu's medical and poison mastery surpassed Liu Yumei's.

Aunt Liu: "I'm... certain."

Liu Yumei: "Xiao Yuan, would he suffer qi deviation, or even inner demon backlash?"

They had personally witnessed how talented this child was. Could someone who understood the fundamental techniques of the Qin and Liu families more deeply and thoroughly than their own members make such a basic mistake? Qi deviation and inner demon backlash referred to a resulting state. A normal person would instinctively stop themselves upon sensing something amiss, let alone him. Aunt Liu also felt her diagnostic conclusion was somewhat absurd, but she reiterated, "Perhaps my knowledge is limited, but this is the result I've observed." If the young man hadn't been Li Zhuiyuan, but someone else, Aunt Liu would probably have forcibly subdued him by now. There was no other way; someone afflicted by an inner demon backlash was simply too unstable and dangerous. No one could predict what he would do next.

Just then, A-li came out of the East Room, carrying two spirit tablets of different materials. Liu Yumei raised her hand and called, "A-li." A-li stopped and looked at her grandmother.

Liu Yumei: "Never mind. It's nothing. Go about your business."

A-li continued upstairs with the spirit tablets.

Aunt Liu: "Old Madam..."

Liu Yumei lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and calmly said, "It's nothing."

Aunt Liu: "What I mean is, should we do a more detailed examination? After all, Xiao Yuan is..."

Liu Yumei shook her head: "No need. Xiao Yuan is still Xiao Yuan. If he had changed, even if he could fool others, he couldn't fool A-li."

Aunt Liu paused, then nodded: "Indeed."

Liu Yumei: "Everyone has their own secrets, and Xiao Yuan has even more. I believe he can handle it."

Aunt Liu: "I understand. I'll prepare some calming herbal soup for him then."

Liu Yumei: "Okay."

Aunt Liu: "One more thing. Didn't A-li say the other day that he went to handle the funeral for that family in Xigou Village?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"I find it strange why Xiao Yuan was so cautious and restrained."

"Not just this time. The last time the one under the peach grove stirred in their slumber, it was probably the same."

"Just a few lives... they deserved it anyway. I didn't think such trouble and caution were necessary."

"A-Ting, you haven't 'crossed the river'."

"No, I haven't."

"Do not commit evil just because it is small. Do you think that saying is meant for the weak being protected? It's like playing Go; every stone must be 'meticulously placed.' Careless moves might unexpectedly become a weak point. Furthermore, doesn't restraint and caution imply bigger plans and ambitions?"

Aunt Liu: "It seems that without 'crossing the river,' some things cannot be deeply felt. It is, after all, a regret."

Liu Yumei: "No one's stopping you. You can light the lamp now; it's not too late."

Aunt Liu: "How could I? If I 'crossed the river,' who would cook for you?"

Liu Yumei gently patted her mouth: "It's my mouth's fault for delaying the birth of a Dragon King in my Liu family."

Li Sanjiang's morning stroll went a bit far, mainly because after his body loosened up, not only did the lingering discomfort from last night's sleep disappear, but he also became increasingly energetic. Li Zhuiyuan knew that the dream had been brought back by him, and good fortune was beginning to mend and restore Grand-Elder's body. Once people truly reached old age, their bodies gradually transitioned from science to metaphysics. Those in good health could suddenly pass away, while those plagued by illnesses might continue to endure.

Feeling invigorated from his walk, Li Sanjiang realized he had indeed gone far, even out of the village. He bought a bottle of soda at the convenience store in the neighboring village, handing it to Xiao Yuan, while he himself asked for a bowl of water to drink. His face was recognized in the neighboring village too. The owner was polite, not only refusing payment for the soda but also specially brewing him a bowl of brown sugar water. Li Sanjiang sat on a stone stool outside the convenience store, holding his bowl, with Xiao Yuan sitting beside him. The grandfather and grandson drank while watching the constant flow of people and vehicles on the village road.

After finishing their drinks, Li Sanjiang handed Li Zhuiyuan a banknote: "Go, buy Grand-Elder a pack of cigarettes." Li Zhuiyuan took the bowl from Grand-Elder's hand, along with his empty soda bottle, and returned them to the convenience store counter. After buying the cigarettes, he jingled the remaining change in his hand at Grand-Elder, then naturally slipped it into his own pocket.

"Hahahaha!" For some reason, a genuine sense of joy welled up in Li Sanjiang's heart. He bent down and said, "Come on, Little Young Master, Grand-Elder will carry you back." Li Zhuiyuan got onto Li Sanjiang's back. Although the old man was aged, his back was still sturdy and straight like a pine, unlike Uncle Shan, whose back had already begun to shrink. Li Sanjiang hummed a segment from a storytelling performance, a passage from *Water Margin* he had heard on the radio. Whenever Li Sanjiang stumbled, Li Zhuiyuan on his back would timely prompt him, helping him continue. They walked on like this until they saw their home.

On the village road ahead, a familiar figure was also walking.

"Grandpa Li, Brother Xiao Yuan!" Lin Shuyou, carrying a hiking backpack and holding bags full of local specialties in both hands, started running when he saw them. After only a few steps, a bag ripped, scattering its contents. He was so excited that he didn't notice at first, running a good distance before his hands felt lighter. Only then did he exclaim, "Ah!" and run back to squat down and gather everything.

Li Sanjiang: "I understand how Zhuangzhuang got into college; I remember he really studied hard that year. But how this Youhou fellow also became a university student, I still can't wrap my head around it. However, Youhou is indeed a good person, serious and reliable. If his hometown wasn't Fujian, too far away, I would have already tried to set him up. Zhuangzhuang is already seeing someone. Oh, right, what kind of girl does Youhou like?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "He likes the Zhou Yunyun type." In the last wave, A-You was repeatedly manipulated by Zhao Yi. Although A-You always capitulated immediately after Zhao Yi said only half a sentence, Li Zhuiyuan's good hearing caught everything, and he naturally figured it out.

"Then Grand-Elder misjudged him; this Youhou isn't as serious and reliable as I thought."

Li Zhuiyuan got off Grand-Elder's back, and the two went to help Lin Shuyou gather his scattered items before heading home.

"Grandpa Li, this is some wine I prepared for you, and cigarettes from our area. Try them and see if they suit your taste. I'll have my grandfather send more."

"That's too much," Li Sanjiang said, dividing some of the items. "Zhuangzhuang isn't home right now, so take some of these to his girlfriend's family for him."

"Oh, okay."

Lin Shuyou pulled out two long, dark strips of cured meat and ran towards Runsheng: "Runsheng, look what I brought for you." Runsheng took the cured meat, sniffed it, and immediately smiled: "A specialty from your area?" Lin Shuyou's expression turned awkward. What family's specialty cured meat was smoked with incense ash? It was just that his temple had a lot of fresh incense ash, so he specifically asked the temple staff to "cure" the preserved meat for him. Runsheng took a bite, chewed, swallowed. Eating this, there was no need to light incense sticks.

Lin Shuyou then picked up a bag of cosmetics and handed it to Yin Meng: "Mengmeng, these are for you." Yin Meng said in surprise, "So many brands?" Lin Shuyou: "Yes, our region has well-developed waterways." A-You brought the most gifts for Binbin, all items for kidney and virility enhancement. One jar even contained the reproductive organs of a protected animal.

"A-You, come with me."

"Coming, Brother Xiao Yuan."

At Li Zhuiyuan's silent signal, Runsheng and Yin Meng also followed. Next to the kitchen was a small room, its walls adorned with various deities by Grand-Elder. The central painting was still Confucius, whom Grand-Elder mistakenly believed to be Laozi. The last time he was home, Li Zhuiyuan had cleared out a specific area and had A-li help him make name plaques for everyone in his team. The front had their names, and the back had their birth dates and times (Ba Zi). In the center sat a delicate small incense burner, retrieved by Runsheng from underwater after dealing with the dead fiends at the construction site. It was originally an excellent tool for scent-based positioning, but now that Li Zhuiyuan had a better compass, he used it as a ritual censer here. The space was small and cramped, but "the depth of water is not important, if there's a dragon, it's sacred."

However, as soon as Li Zhuiyuan entered, he noticed incense sticks in the censer, already burned down to their ends. Grand-Elder must have placed them, as he had a habit of coming in to pay respects every morning. Even more interestingly, among their five name plaques was a rough wooden board with "Li Sanjiang" written on it in brush. Li Zhuiyuan recalled Grand-Elder once asking him what was the use of placing name plaques inside. Li Zhuiyuan had explained they were for praying for blessings, and placing them in temples required incense money, which was expensive and also needed periodic renewal. Grand-Elder must have found it very reasonable, so he wrote his own name and placed it there, lighting incense for himself, Little Young Master, and all the other "mules" every morning to pray for blessings.

Lin Shuyou: "Why is Grandpa Li's name in there too?"

Runsheng: "Afraid of missing out?"

Lin Shuyou: "No way, he's getting a huge bargain, a really big bargain."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let's just leave Grand-Elder's name here. After all, he's Li, the Corpse Retriever of Nantong." In the young man's view, his Grand-Elder was more suited to the title "Li, the Corpse Retriever of Nantong" than himself. If there were a lineage order, Grand-Elder truly should come before him.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The temple register and divine almanac."

"Here, here," Lin Shuyou quickly took out the temple register and the divine almanac he had personally written. Li Zhuiyuan took the items, stacked them on top, then held incense in his left hand and yellow paper in his right, his eyes slightly narrowed, his demeanor solemn. Lin Shuyou then began to channel; the next moment, his vertical pupils opened.

Li Zhuiyuan: "White Crane Boy!"

Lin Shuyou: "Present."

"Today, I shall move you into this spiritual hall. Do you have any objections?"

"Slaying demons and guarding the righteous path is my duty; I have no objections!"

Li Zhuiyuan inserted the incense stick. The yellow paper in his hand ignited, and the ashes scattered onto the temple register and divine almanac.

Next, the White Crane Boy took out his own divine statue. This place was too small; statues like those in Guanjiangshou temples definitely couldn't be moved in. Besides, Lin Shuyou couldn't have brought it on a plane. Therefore, the statue could only be symbolic for now. But this symbolism was... a bit too symbolic. The White Crane Boy looked at the wooden figure his medium had prepared for him. Lin Shuyou had carved it himself; the craftsmanship was incredibly rough, and the coloring was very uneven. After all, Lin Shuyou was only skilled at drawing faces through practice; he wasn't a sculptor or a painter. The White Crane Boy eventually placed the wooden figure on the altar, but his vertical pupils were somewhat distorted. Those who knew would understand it was his "divine statue." Those who didn't might think it was a crude puppet used by deviant sects for cursing people.

Just then, the Boy suddenly heard the young man beside him say, "The conditions are humble; I apologize for putting you in such a modest place." The Boy's distorted vertical pupils immediately straightened in fright! His first reaction was that the young man was angry and was sarcastically reprimanding him. Although he certainly wouldn't have gone to humble temples before, as small Guanjiangshou temples meant lower quality mediums, fewer tasks, less merit, and thus less power he could exert. But this place was an exception. The more modest and simple it was, the more warmth the Boy felt, because it truly resembled a grassroots establishment. This was about getting in early and securing a position, giving him a sense of belonging. He was truly just complaining that the "divine statue" his medium carved for him was too ugly. Perhaps it would have been better not to carve a human figure at all, and just use a name plaque with his name on it.

The White Crane Boy turned to face the young man, ready to apologize and explain. He certainly didn't want to be dismissed on his first day of employment just because his superior misinterpreted his reaction as showing displeasure. For someone changing jobs, the most terrifying thing was for their old company to announce their departure, only for them to ultimately fail to make the jump. Unexpectedly, before the Boy could speak, the young man continued: "I'll have A-li carve a beautiful new one for you." The Boy's nervousness, still unspoken, was instantly replaced by profound trepidation and deference. As an Yin God, his senses were inherently extremely keen. Additionally, he had been thoroughly "managed" by the young man before. Thus, he now had a very clear feeling: the young man... seemed a bit different.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Alright, proceed with the incense offering." Runsheng and Yin Meng each held an incense stick, bowed to the censer, and then placed them in. As they left, Li Zhuiyuan, who was walking ahead, said, "A-You, please make a bit more effort and carve two wooden figures for the Generals of Gain and Loss too." At this moment, the vertical pupils in A-You's eyes had not yet faded, meaning it was still the White Crane Boy inhabiting him. The White Crane Boy, who was bringing up the rear, heard this and grinned so widely that his mouth twisted unbecomingly. After he left, Lin Shuyou couldn't help but cover the corners of his mouth; he had practically split his skin from smiling so hard.

Li Sanjiang: "Young Master Runsheng, Young Master You, come with me to deliver goods in the next town!" Uncle Qin and Xiong Shan were busy in the fields. Since the new "mules" were back, there was no need to call them. Runsheng went to get the cart and load the goods, while Lin Shuyou, licking the corners of his mouth, naturally blended in. Anyone who came to Grandpa Li's house had to work, but no one ever complained about working for the old man.

Li Zhuiyuan went upstairs, pushed open his room door, and saw A-li sitting there, holding tools, disassembling ancestor tablets. The ancestor tablets now had different materials and specifications, so the materials needed to be sorted before use.

"A-li, I need to trouble you to carve a White Crane Boy for me."

A-li nodded. Li Zhuiyuan walked to the drawing table, picked up a brush, and began to sketch the image of the White Crane Boy. Without focusing on emotion, simply sketching, the image of the White Crane Boy quickly sprang to life on the paper. A-li carefully examined it, then sat down, picked up a new ancestor tablet, and began to carve.

Li Zhuiyuan wondered if using this material might be a bit too extravagant. But seeing A-li already start carving, he didn't stop her. Never mind. As Grand-Elder said, "If you want a mule to work well, good fodder is essential."

Li Zhuiyuan walked to his desk, sat down, and first opened the wordless book. When he gently touched the painting with his fingertips, the look of horror on the skeleton's face in the painting receded, replaced by a surprising expression of joy. The *Evil Book* could feel that the original young man had returned. In everything, comparison is the most feared. The *Evil Book* had originally thought falling into this young man's hands was already hell, but who knew there were eighteen more layers below!

"For these three days, I can't exhaust my mind; I need to rest well," Li Zhuiyuan said. "For these three days, I won't touch you. Rest well, and in three days, you'll have to make up the deficient amount in one go." Upon hearing this, the skeleton in the painting not only didn't show despair but instead felt a sense of lightness: "How wonderful, he's actually willing to consult with me."

Just then, Li Zhuiyuan heard the frequency of the carving knife behind him change. Li Zhuiyuan said, "I'll be angry." The carving knife's frequency returned to normal. Last night, although "he" couldn't say the word "blood," A-li understood his meaning: this wordless book needed her blood to function effectively. She was currently carving, so she could conveniently nick her finger and let the blood flow out.

Li Zhuiyuan put away the wordless book, then wrote down his treatment plan for this instance on the "case file." After doing this, the young man got up and walked over to the girl. He first helped her clean the tool table and sweep the scraps from the floor, then sat down beside her, handing her tools and assisting with the auxiliary work of handling scraps. Li Zhuiyuan remembered the first time he made a Yellow River Shovel as a tool according to the records in "Chronicles of Jianghu Monsters"; the girl had spent two days helping him. At that time, the girl hadn't really done much handiwork. He had to demonstrate and explain the steps and tools first. Now, just watching the girl's hand with the carving knife moving up and down, it was incredibly nimble. Wherever she could help him, she constantly pushed herself to do her best. In this world, something more precious than mountains of gold and silver is giving one's all.

The White Crane Boy was carved. Although not yet colored, it was already lifelike, an exceptionally exquisite work of art. Most importantly, A-li had also captured the White Crane Boy's defiant charm. Li Zhuiyuan looked up at his previous drawing and noticed that he hadn't intentionally emphasized this defiant temperament of the Boy; this was A-li's own artistic embellishment. Li Zhuiyuan began to help mix colors, and A-li started painting. Once completely finished, the White Crane Boy seemed to come alive. The girl placed the Boy on the table and looked at the young man. Li Zhuiyuan picked up a damp cloth and wiped her hands. The girl's eyes lowered, and the faint joy on her face receded. Just as Li Zhuiyuan had known what she was about to do when he sat at his desk with his back to her earlier, she now knew what the young man was about to tell her. She had thought the young man would forget, but to her surprise, he had genuinely remembered all this time, waiting for her to finish what she was doing.

"A-li, I am now an inner demon. So, what you need to do is help me solidify this inner demon. You are my window; through you, I can see how I differ from 'him'." Once, he had pulled her out of the darkness. Now, it was her turn to pull him out of the swamp. The girl reached out, one arm embracing the young man's head, the other patting his back. A-li had money, plenty of it.

Just as Li Zhuiyuan placed the White Crane Boy on the altar and emerged from the small room, he heard Aunt Zhang from the convenience store singing: "Young Master Xiao Yuan, you have a call!"

Li Zhuiyuan went to answer the phone. The receiver was left off the hook, not hung up. Given this extravagance, Li Zhuiyuan knew it must be Xue Liangliang calling.

"Hello, Brother Liangliang."

"Xiao Yuan, you're home, right? I wanted to ask you to help..."

"I already delivered it, into the river."

"You went yourself?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that's too much. Binbin could have just gone. For you to go personally... she'd have to kowtow and bow to you. What if it caused a miscarriage?"

"Brother Binbin isn't in Nantong right now."

"Oh, I see, haha. Well, there's another thing. I wonder if you're free. The school is organizing an exchange conference in Beijing, and there are student slots. Would you all like to go? Consider it a publicly funded trip as a reward for outstanding students."

"Are we... considered outstanding students?" Students so outstanding they didn't even attend school. Tan Wenbin was the class monitor, yet he didn't even have the nerve to arrange a scholarship for himself, even though his last-minute cramming results were top-notch, and his usual scores in all subjects were overflowing.

"According to the judging criteria, you, Tan Wenbin, and Lin Shuyou all count, because you've already entered the internship phase early."

"Never mind, we won't take up this spot."

"This time you can bring family members, one each. That means Runsheng and Yin Meng can also come along. I'll make the arrangements."

"Brother Liangliang?" Li Zhuiyuan felt something was off. Xue Liangliang strongly disliked taking advantage of public resources; he was always very strict with himself in this regard.

"Oh, to be honest with you, I'm the sponsor for this school event."

"Oh, no wonder."

"Well then, think about it again. If you're free, why not come for a visit? I have ulterior motives. I've already selected a group of students for Engineer Luo, and they're currently in the assessment and screening phase. I hope you, or Binbin, could spare some time to share work experience encountering 'those things' in engineering, um, you know what I mean. Besides, weren't you raised in Beijing? Don't you want to go home and see it?"

"No."

"Then..."

"Regarding the exchange conference, I'll think about it and give you an answer later."

"Alright, let me know anytime once you've considered it."

Li Zhuiyuan hung up the phone and bought another pack of cigarettes from Aunt Zhang for Grand-Elder as payment for her singing. Tan Wenbin had gone to Wuxin Island to find Qiu Zhuang. The transportation there wasn't very convenient, so he likely had just arrived and hadn't had time to report yet. Going to Beijing wasn't impossible; he had originally intended to find time to have a good talk with that Tantric high monk. Li Zhuiyuan was now wondering, would going to Beijing also count as a "wave" (a supernatural event/mission)? But if so, wouldn't it conflict with Qiu Zhuang's path? No matter what, two waves couldn't hit at once. So, which one was real, and which was fake? Or rather, would they come one after another?

Upon returning home, he found that Grand-Elder, Runsheng, and Lin Shuyou had already returned from their delivery. To Li Zhuiyuan's surprise, Grand-Elder was actually holding a lottery ticket. It was just that the last "wave" had ended too recently, and it wasn't time for the next one to normally arrive. Otherwise, Li Zhuiyuan would have suspected that the "river water" (a metaphor for supernatural influence or fate) was using the same method twice, and in such a direct manner. Lin Shuyou excitedly called out to Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Xiao Yuan, Grandpa Li won the lottery again!"

On his way to deliver goods, Li Sanjiang once again passed by the raffle site, and it was still the same team from last time. The host, holding a microphone on stage, was enthusiastically rousing the crowd. From afar, he spotted Li Sanjiang and his group, so he warmly invited Li Sanjiang up and loudly proclaimed: "Friends, this is the venerable gentleman who won our first prize last time: a luxury five-person trip to Yunnan!" The host's intention was to use an undeniable fact to warm up the crowd. He then took out a lottery box and invited Li Sanjiang to draw another ticket for free. Unable to refuse such enthusiasm, Li Sanjiang drew another ticket. The result, once scratched, left the host dumbfounded: another first prize, a luxury solo trip to Beijing. Now, the warm-up was too successful. The organizers didn't even bother to switch their shill, and the crowd below collectively shouted, "Rigged! Rigged!"

Li Zhuiyuan took the lottery ticket from Grand-Elder's hand. If Grand-Elder had won a five-person luxury trip this time, like last time, it would almost explicitly suggest that a "wave" had arrived. But since it was only a luxury solo trip, it indicated this was Grand-Elder's own good luck. Another point was that the "river water" would not push clues in the same direction twice in a row. Therefore, Xue Liangliang's invitation should be an unexpected event, or perhaps understood as a karma that belonged to Li Zhuiyuan himself, outside of his "river-crossing" missions. Thus, the Beijing lead could temporarily be ruled out. The likelihood of the Qiu Zhuang lead, however, was continuously increasing. He would just have to wait for Tan Wenbin to send back the preliminary investigation results.

Aunt Liu: "Dinner time!"

As if remembering something, Lin Shuyou pulled two wooden puppets he had carved in his spare time during deliveries from his pocket and placed them in the small room. It wasn't that he hadn't carved them carefully; it was just that no matter how hard he tried, his carving skill was limited to that level.

"Wow!"

After seeing the lifelike White Crane Boy statue, Lin Shuyou couldn't help but marvel at Miss A-li's exquisite craftsmanship. However, he didn't bother to admire it further and immediately ran out to have dinner. After he closed the door and left, the White Crane Boy statue began to tremble slightly. Yin Gods could descend upon their divine statues, and which one they chose was entirely up to their will. This was a major reason why many temples sought to create golden statues: to increase their appeal. The White Crane Boy's statue trembled more and more intensely. He was excited! He was not only excited by the sculpted image but also surprised by the material used. How could this be considered humble or simple? What Guanjiangshou temple could afford to make a statue for themselves using this kind of material? The Boy was overjoyed, excitedly rocking "splish-splash" from south to north on the altar in the empty small room. Along the way, he spotted the two hideous statues of the Generals of Gain and Loss, deliberately knocking them over, then "splish-splash" rocked from west to east.

Outside on the courtyard, everyone was having dinner. Lin Shuyou said to Li Sanjiang: "Grandpa Li, this time you can go to Beijing and have a great time at the Forbidden