Chapter 238

“I haven't even asked you yet, how serious are your injuries?” Li Sanjiang asked, looking at Tan Yunlong with concern. “Where were you hurt?”

Tan Yunlong first pointed to the location of his wound, then smiled and said, “It's all healed up, nothing serious.”

“You still need to take care of yourself,” Li Sanjiang said, taking out a cigarette pack. He paused for a moment while pulling out a cigarette.

Tan Yunlong readily reached out and took it, then took the matchbox from Li Sanjiang and lit both his and Li Sanjiang's cigarettes.

Exhaling a smoke ring, Tan Yunlong lowered his voice and said, “I've been holding this in for ages. My wife keeps a close eye on me and won't let me smoke right now.”

Li Sanjiang replied, “Ah, that's my fault then.”

Tan Yunlong said, “Not at all, I'm enjoying this thanks to you.”

Zheng Fang was originally playing mahjong with Liu Yumei and Liu Jinxia. It was her turn to sit out, so she stood behind Liu Yumei, watching. She naturally noticed her husband's subtle actions but, out of respect for Li Sanjiang, pretended not to see anything.

Li Sanjiang said, “I've known for a long time that you're a good police officer.”

Tan Yunlong humbly waved his hand, just about to offer a self-deprecating remark, when Li Sanjiang added, “I could tell from Zhuangzhuang; he's a good kid, so his dad couldn't be bad either.”

Tan Yunlong was at a loss for words.

Li Sanjiang flicked his cigarette ash. “By the way, before you came back from Jinling, did you ask Zhuangzhuang when he'd be back?”

Tan Yunlong replied, “The kids are busy; we don't know where they're interning right now.”

Li Sanjiang said, “That's true. I don't know where my Xiao Yuanhou and the others are either. They're so busy even before graduation. What about after they graduate and start working officially? Will they only come home twice a year?”

Tan Yunlong said, “Young people prioritize their careers; that's how it should be.”

Li Sanjiang said, “I don't want my children to suffer so much, but I also know that without suffering, you don't truly appreciate happiness.”

At the card table, Liu Jinxia won, clapping her hands happily.

Li Juxiang and Aunt Liu were sitting together sorting vegetables. Seeing her mother so delighted, like a child, Li Juxiang couldn't help but smile, “My mom only gets like this when she plays cards with your elderly lady.”

Ordinarily, Liu Jinxia had to instinctively maintain her composure and dignified image.

Aunt Liu replied, “Isn't it the same for our elderly lady?”

In the past, Aunt Liu couldn't have imagined that their future mistress would genuinely enjoy playing cards with a group of elderly village women, and not just for show—she was truly engaged and happy.

Just then, Aunt Liu paused her work and looked towards the road ahead. Three young people were walking towards them together.

The elderly lady's hand, touching a card, also paused slightly. After glancing over, she continued to draw her card. They weren't surprised that Xiao Yuan had returned, but rather that they only noticed the children when they were already so close. This meant the children had matured and improved significantly.

“Brother Yuanhou is back!” Cui Cui ran onto the patio first to announce.

Immediately after, Li Zhuiyuan walked up, holding A Li's hand.

Zheng Fang had rarely visited Li Sanjiang's house before, and A Li was practically a stranger to her. Seeing the two walk together today, her face couldn't help but melt with a tender expression. There was no denying it; they looked so handsome and perfectly matched. Just holding hands and walking together seemed to radiate beauty.

After a good while, Zheng Fang came back to her senses. If Xiao Yuan was back, didn't that mean her own son was back too?

Li Zhuiyuan greeted everyone on the patio one by one. Instead of hurrying upstairs with A Li, he found a stool and sat down next to his great-grandpa.

Li Sanjiang proactively asked, “Xiao Yuanhou, where are Zhuangzhuang and Runshenghou?”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Only A You, Mengmeng, and I came back first. Brother Zhuangzhuang and Brother Runsheng still need to stay behind to monitor the project progress for a while longer.”

“Oh, I see,” Li Sanjiang said.

Zheng Fang, who had already walked over, felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing that her son hadn't returned. When she first learned that her husband had been transferred to Jinling, she had thought she would get to see her son frequently. Little did she know, he would become elusive, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail.

Zheng Fang asked, “Xiao Yuan, are your internships tough?”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Aunt Zheng, conditions are much better now than before. It's just a bit monotonous; life isn't that hard.”

Zheng Fang continued, “Xiao Yuan, you must keep a close eye on our Binbin. Don't let him make any mistakes.”

Li Zhuiyuan reassured her, “Don't worry, Auntie, Brother Binbin won't.”

Tan Yunlong just smoked silently, saying nothing. It wasn't that he was deliberately acting like a stern, uncaring father, but he vaguely sensed that his son must have returned, but it wasn't convenient for them to see him yet. He probably was injured.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Uncle Tan, Brother Binbin will be back in a while.”

Tan Yunlong felt a sense of relief and said, “Good, that's good.”

After chatting for a while, two more figures appeared walking side-by-side on the road ahead. One was Zhou Yunyun, pushing a bicycle, and the other was Lin Shuyou, carrying several large bags.

Zhou Yunyun had returned to Nantong with Tan Yunlong and Zheng Fang for the holidays, but she was going to her own home. There was no prior arrangement for them to meet here today. However, Tan Wenbin had been staying with Li Sanjiang, and Grandpa Li was very kind to both Binbin and her, so it felt natural to visit as relatives. She had asked her parents to prepare some gifts and cycled over from Shigang, intending to pay her respects. Who would have thought that Tan Yunlong and Zheng Fang would also be there?

As for Lin Shuyou, he had returned after his gua sha session with Yin Meng. He met Zhou Yunyun cycling on the village road, and seeing her with many gifts, he offered to help carry them.

Zheng Fang, smiling, walked down the patio to greet Zhou Yunyun. “If I had known you were coming, I would have had Uncle Tan pick you up from your house. What a coincidence!”

After Zhou Yunyun came onto the patio, she greeted everyone, appearing very graceful.

Li Sanjiang said, “Perfect, no one needs to leave. Stay and have dinner with us; it will be lively.”

After dinner, the guests left. Tan Yunlong was concerned about Zhou Yunyun cycling home alone at night, so he tied her bicycle to the back of his car and drove her home first, then returned to pick up Zheng Fang.

After showering, Li Zhuiyuan went to the balcony. A Li had also just finished her shower and emerged from the east room, dressed in a goose-yellow ruqun.

Liu Yumei waved to the young man upstairs. “Come down for some tea.”

Li Zhuiyuan came down and first poured tea for Liu Yumei.

Liu Yumei asked, “Are Zhuangzhuang and Runsheng seriously hurt?” It was common to get some injuries after a "river journey," and Liu Yumei had clearly noticed that Lin Shuyou also had significant injuries.

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Manageable.”

“Hmm, that's good. By the way, you seem to have much more vitality...” Liu Yumei scrutinized the young man's face and smiled, “Why do you have such a Buddhist-like aura about you?”

Li Zhuiyuan explained, “I've consumed something, but I haven't fully digested it yet. It should become less noticeable in a while.”

Liu Yumei only asked a couple of brief questions. Seeing that there was indeed nothing serious, she took a sip of tea and said, “All right, go play.”

Li Zhuiyuan and A Li went upstairs. The wind was blowing that night, and it was a bit chilly. Li Zhuiyuan took the quilt from his bed and covered both his and A Li's legs.

Then, the two lay head-to-head on two lounge chairs pushed together, gazing at the starry sky, playing chess while the young man recounted his tale.

A Li laughed when she heard how the Bodhisattva was tricked into giving up the first wave of lotus petals. When he described obtaining the second wave of lotus petals, the girl frowned slightly. The original body also gained the power of the Green Lotus, which meant the newly acquired advantage had been nullified again. As for the original body finally teaming up with the young man to disperse the consciousness of True Lord Pudu, making him mentally disordered, the girl wasn't surprised. She had seen the original body; he would undoubtedly make the calmest and most suitable choices.

After the narration, the three chess games for the third round were also drawing to a close. Li Zhuiyuan had already lost two games, but in one game, he managed to win at the end. This didn't mean the young man had made any new breakthroughs in his chess skills; it was purely because his mental energy was more abundant now, allowing him to deduce and calculate more than before, even without conscious effort.

After playing chess for so long, finally winning his first game, Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel particularly excited. In contrast, A Li, who lost, seemed happier.

“If I'm not home in the future, you can go out more with Cui Cui.”

A Li nodded.

Cui Cui had called her today, saying there was an injured bird lying there, looking very pitiful. A Li went, not so much out of pity for the bird, but rather out of “pity” for Cui Cui. After all, from A Li's perspective, that injured bird didn't look pitiful at all. The girl understood that she needed to actively try to go out more so that she would have the opportunity to help him in the future.

“A Li, do me a favor. This 'river journey' accumulated a lot of redundant and useless emotions for me. I need to sort them out and get rid of them so they don't take up space.”

The girl closed her eyes. Their hands were already clasped. After closing their eyes together, "Zou Yin" (spiritual journey) began. There was no hysteria, no violent clashes, not even the slightest suppression or resistance.

It was the exact same illusion that True Lord Pudu had set for himself, also Great-grandpa's house. Here, too, it was night. The excessively overlapping and consistent environment gave Li Zhuiyuan the sensation that he had merely opened and closed his eyes.

He got up, pushed open the door to his room. It was pitch black inside, with only a faint glow from the desk lamp, vaguely revealing a figure sitting there.

Previously, they were intertwined, “you in me, I in you.” However, ever since Li Zhuiyuan voluntarily degraded himself to a heart demon, they had been completely separated. The separation was of their soul consciousness, not their physical body. Therefore, theoretically, Li Zhuiyuan consuming the lotus petals also benefited the original body, and conversely, the original body consuming the power of the Green Lotus also benefited Li Zhuiyuan.

The reason Li Zhuiyuan had to deliberately draw the Feng Shui energy close to him to conceal his aura when he returned home was not only because he was consuming the lotus petals, but also because another surge of energy from the original body's digestion progress had caused him to... have an overflow of vitality. He had to deliberately perform some wasteful actions to expend this excess energy, otherwise, he would uncontrollably appear overly excited.

Li Zhuiyuan, standing at the doorway, said to the original body sitting at the desk: “So diligent?”

Besides their bodies, they also shared memories. The book the original body was reading was actually one Li Zhuiyuan had read. The young man had an extremely strong memory, able to recall almost every book he had read. He moved books to read in his great-grandpa's basement, while the original body moved books to read within his own memory.

The original body didn't even turn his head, saying, “Spending time on meaningless things seems too low-level.” In the original body's view, one should seize every moment and utilize all available resources to constantly plan and strengthen oneself, rather than spending precious time chatting or playing chess with a girl. Even considering the potential benefits the girl could bring, it was already more than enough. The girl's eyes were filled with him, and she was willing to do almost anything for him. A pot of boiling soup only needs a little more firewood to keep boiling, but Li Zhuiyuan was still feeding the fish he had already caught.

Li Zhuiyuan retorted, “That's why I can stand outside while you're trapped inside. Also, your 'low-level' and 'high-level' sound a bit childish to me.” Once, Li Lan also liked to use such terms. She rejected any human-related aspect, viewing herself as a spiritual, even species-level, deity.

The original body said, “Suit yourself. Just dump your trash here; I'll digest it when I have time.”

It was in this very bedroom that Li Zhuiyuan and the original body had confronted each other once. Li Zhuiyuan won, the original body lost, and from then on, the heart demon gained control over the original body. However, what sounds like a perilous event was, in reality, just a half-night process. Liu Yumei, who lived in the east room, only noticed some characteristics displayed by the young man in the morning that made her realize something had changed within him. The disturbance was minimal because neither side intended to make a big fuss. Many people, when affected by a heart demon, go insane, killing family, friends, or innocent people, which is common. But these two didn't. The original body, confirming he had no chance that night, simply left a few warnings and retreated. Even when dealing with True Lord Pudu, after the original body and Li Zhuiyuan worked together to achieve their goal, he walked back through the door himself.

Both of them were too rational. The original body was an advanced form of Li Zhuiyuan's rationality, knowing when to engage in internal conflict and how to control its extent. True Lord Pudu was astonished by this relationship between the heart demon and the original body. In fact, this was indeed the most harmonious example of a heart demon and original body throughout history.

Li Zhuiyuan poured out the miscellaneous emotions he had accumulated from using the secret technique. Although the original body didn't actively receive them, it didn't resist at all, so Li Zhuiyuan successfully dumped the “trash.” These emotional “wastes” were useless to the original body; it didn't cling to any emotions and wouldn't leave a trace. However, they had a significant impact on Li Zhuiyuan, as the young man didn't want to follow in the Peach Blossom Immortal's footsteps.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, “Changed your approach?”

The original body replied, “With her helping you, you'll definitely be able to successfully dump this trash on me. Therefore, meaningless struggle is unnecessary.” Li Zhuiyuan had originally planned to use force with A Li's help, not expecting the other party to show no resistance. Of course, Li Zhuiyuan also knew what the original body's new approach was. It was learning.

Whatever spells, formations, or Feng Shui knowledge he observed or learned, it could ruminate and improve upon. All his experiences, it could further summarize and categorize. Because it didn't need to sleep or do anything, just staying deep within the soul, it wouldn't feel monotonous, bored, or vexed. It could dedicate all its time to what it deemed profitable. Their bodies and memories were shared, but their personal insights and thoughts were separate. Li Zhuiyuan was certain that in due time, the original body would inevitably surpass him in all aspects. This was actually a kind of “parasitism,” but it didn't extract nutrients from the host. Yet, the effect of this parasitism was even more powerful and terrifying.

The original body turned a page of the book and asked, “What, are you scared?”

Li Zhuiyuan admitted, “A little.”

The original body said, “If I were out here and you were in there, you wouldn't be happy either.”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “True.”

The original body continued, “Don't worry, for a short while, I'm not interested in contending with you for the definition of 'Li Zhuiyuan.' You've memorized too many books, and many of them you understand but haven't truly refined or researched, including this...” The original body gestured, and Li Zhuiyuan saw a chessboard on a stool next to the desk, covered with black and white pieces. The original body continued, “You've played chess for so long, yet your skill is still so poor. The only reason you won one game out of your three rounds and nine games today is because your mental energy was too abundant, allowing you to maintain optimal condition, and you just got lucky.”

Li Zhuiyuan asked, “But what's the point of winning against A Li in chess?”

The original body fell silent.

Li Zhuiyuan continued, “Don't you think being serious about such things seems very low-level?”

The original body clarified, “I'm just using this as an example for you.”

“Okay,” Li Zhuiyuan said.

The original body warned, “When I truly decide to master things and am ready to come out, you will no longer be able to stop me.”

Li Zhuiyuan retorted, “But what you consider meaningless things I do are the very iron bars that keep you trapped here.”

The original body scoffed, “What's effective now might not be effective later. You should know that in the face of absolute power, any opportunism is futile.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Then you keep learning. I'm leaving.”

The original body added, “Runsheng's injuries can be treated, but there's no need to restore his consciousness. Anyway, even if he forgets who he is, he'll always remember you and won't do anything to harm you. Then, you can keep him restrained with chains and seals for daily use, leading him on 'river journeys' to unleash stronger combat power. If you restore Runsheng's consciousness and he loses that unconscious madness, his combat effectiveness will definitely be greatly diminished.”

Li Zhuiyuan countered, “I don't object to what you and Li Lan say about not wanting to be human, but why do you both aim to become like beasts?”

The original body continued, “The resentful infants on Tan Wenbin's shoulders are very weak now. Before Tan Wenbin wakes up, you should refine those two resentful infants and completely integrate them into Tan Wenbin's body. This way, his strength can advance further, and if he maintains this state, the only cost is enduring continuous freezing cold torment for the rest of his life. He'll get used to it.”

Li Zhuiyuan scoffed, “Are you done dreaming?”

The original body persisted, “For Runsheng's matter, you can lie to others, saying you're willing but unable. For Tan Wenbin's matter, you can lie to him, saying those two resentful infants sacrificed themselves to save you. You have too many ways to completely remove yourself from the whirlpool of suspicion. Your image in their hearts hasn't changed; you're still their trusted and admired Brother Xiao Yuan.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “See you next time I dump trash.”

The young man walked out of the room and closed the door. His eyes slowly closed, then opened, returning to reality. A Li's eyes were very close to his, their faces almost touching. There was some confusion in the girl's eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan explained, “It's very cooperative.”

Worry appeared in the girl's eyes.

“No need to be afraid; the more it acts like this, the less you need to worry.”

During the “river journey,” what Li Zhuiyuan truly feared was the Yu family girl he encountered in Lijiang. She was so foolish that her next move was almost impossible to predict. The original body was too rational; choosing the optimal solution was its instinct, even its very logic of existence. Therefore, he, who could endure pain to resist this behavioral logic, gained a huge advantage in this regard. “You can keep reading, keep learning, and surpass me if you wish.” “Do you think something like what happened with True Lord Pudu will only happen this once?” Absolute rationality, at times, was also a weakness.

Li Zhuiyuan saw A Li back to the east room, then came back upstairs, ready to rest. To solve the problem of insomnia caused by excessive energy, Li Zhuiyuan specifically took out the "Wordless Book" before going to bed. He continued to deduce the red threads, which were already sufficient, and also "drained" the "Evil Book" on the first page for the day. The monkey on the second page of the "Wordless Book" was still there. At the same time, a single bar appeared at the bottom of the second page. This bar appeared abruptly; it should have extended from the first page. Clearly, the "Evil Book" was restless; it was testing him. Li Zhuiyuan didn't stop it, pretending not to notice. This monkey was already useless, and the "Evil Book" wanted to invade the second page from the first. Li Zhuiyuan decided to let it. After a successful invasion and annexation, the daily deduction amount would increase again. With constant daily "draining," Li Zhuiyuan felt he should give the "Evil Book" some hope, letting it live on as if quenching its thirst by looking at plums.

He got into bed, folded the quilt, lay down, and placed the quilt over his stomach. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. Waking up, he had just opened his eyes when he felt that feeling of excessive energy return. This phenomenon would continue until he and the original body had fully digested everything.

Turning his head, he saw A Li already standing at the drawing table, painting. Every time one “wave” ended, it was A Li's busiest time. She had to paint new works, replenish talismans, repair tools, and sometimes when new items were needed, they relied on A Li's craftsmanship.

After getting up, Li Zhuiyuan stood by A Li for a while. Although the painting had just begun, the composition was complete. The layout showed Li Zhuiyuan standing in the middle at the bottom of the painting, True Lord Pudu on the left, and Sun Baishen sitting on a lotus platform on the right. Li Zhuiyuan was looking up, meeting a pair of faint yet majestic eyes above him. This painting depicted all the key elements of the previous “wave.”

After washing up, Li Zhuiyuan returned to his room and sat down at his desk to write “Zhuiyuan's Secret Scroll,” documenting this “wave.” After finishing, he took out the “River Journey Conduct Rules.” There weren't many changes needed, just a few insights to add, emphasizing whether the difficulty of the next “wave” would decrease if Runsheng and Tan Wenbin's conditions didn't improve in time, leading to a loss of combat power. He stopped writing and massaged his hand; he had written too fast, and it was a little sore.

He opened the "Wordless Book." On the second page, the monkey's cage was still in the center of the page, and five bars had appeared at the bottom. "You're really persistent."

Aunt Liu's voice called out, “Breakfast is ready!”

Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs hand-in-hand with A Li. Yingzi had arrived, bringing a bag of salted duck eggs and a large bowl of pickled vegetables locally called “caowutou.”

Li Sanjiang looked at the salted duck eggs and asked, “Did you steal these from home?”

Yingzi shook her head. “My mom told me to bring them. Xiao Yuanhou... isn't he back?” Yingzi still didn't tell Li Sanjiang about Xiao Yuan having Hu Zi and Shi Tou bring her malted milk.

Li Sanjiang said, “Sit down and eat breakfast with us.”

“No, I've eaten at home. I'm going to school now.”

After Yingzi left, Li Zhuiyuan proactively told Li Sanjiang, “Yesterday, I had Hu Zi and the others help me bring some nutritional supplements to Yingzi.”

Li Sanjiang said, “Hmm, Yinghou is taking her college entrance exam soon; she really needs to boost her brainpower.” No matter what Li Zhuiyuan did, Great-grandpa would express understanding and support, never getting angry.

“Caowutou” was first pickled, then steamed. Oil had to be added before steaming. The raw material was alfalfa sprouts. It tasted both savory and fragrant, making it excellent with porridge.

After breakfast, A Li went upstairs to continue painting, while Li Zhuiyuan accompanied Great-grandpa for a walk, then went to Big Beard's house to check on Runsheng and Tan Wenbin's conditions.

The “peach blossoms” in Runsheng's pit were still “abundant,” indicating that the one beneath the peach grove hadn't forgotten to replenish them. However, the water level in the pit was lower. This meant that the enthusiasm of the being under the peach grove was slowly fading. Of course, it had already done more than enough.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan went into the house to visit Tan Wenbin. As soon as he reached the second floor, he saw Lin Shuyou sitting there, stripped down to only his boxer briefs, undergoing a new type of gua sha.

The gu worms were crawling on Lin Shuyou's back, biting and sucking out the waste within. Although it still hurt, the pain was temporary, and he wouldn't suffer sleepless nights. It seemed that after the gu worms swallowed that firefly, they had transformed, and Yin Meng was already experimenting with them in practice.

Entering Tan Wenbin's room, the temperature inside was much lower than outside. Even Xiao Yingying's first-floor room wasn't as heavily filled with yin energy as Tan Wenbin's. If this situation continued, Tan Wenbin's plan to buy an air conditioner in the summer could be put on hold, as he could cool things down more effectively than an air conditioner.

“Hiss... oh... hiss...” When Li Zhuiyuan entered, Tan Wenbin was curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in multiple layers of blankets. Yin Meng had even thoughtfully placed a charcoal basin in front of the bed for him. These measures were merely for psychological comfort, offering little practical effect. Previously, Tan Wenbin had also become cold and fallen unconscious after using ghost-controlling techniques, but never like this, completely unable to bear it.

“Brother Binbin.” “Xiao Yuan.” When Tan Wenbin spoke, white mist escaped his mouth. Li Zhuiyuan asked, “Are you uncomfortable?” Tan Wenbin replied, “Yes.” If he could grit his teeth and endure, Tan Wenbin would never admit it.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “I have a way to relieve your pain.” Tan Wenbin nodded vigorously. Li Zhuiyuan continued, “That is to separate these two children from you.” Hearing this, Tan Wenbin was stunned. Li Zhuiyuan added, “I've already asked Deng Chen to bring the three others over. After these two children are separated from you, you can choose one or two from the four, and I'll help you seal them into your body.”

Tan Wenbin asked, “Xiao Yuan, can these two be reincarnated now?”

Li Zhuiyuan explained, “Almost, just a little bit more. We'll detain them first, then offer them at a separate incense altar for a few years to nurture them, and then they can be sent for reincarnation.” Ever since the two resentful infants started following Tan Wenbin, they had accumulated a lot of merit. However, as curses in their former lives, they were originally excluded from reincarnation, despised and rejected by heaven and earth. Therefore, regaining the right to reincarnate was equivalent to defying fate, and the difficulty and cost were considerable. Now, their merit was basically full, just lacking that final small amount, which could be fulfilled after a few years of offerings at the incense altar. Because Tan Wenbin's consciousness was carefully protected by the two children during the previous battle with the monkey at the bottom of the sea, Tan Wenbin was awake now, but the two children were still in a deep sleep.

Tan Wenbin turned his head to look at his left and right sides and asked, “Xiao Yuan, if there's enough or even excess merit, will they be able to have a better reincarnation in their next life?”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Theoretically, yes, but fate isn't entirely determined by reincarnation.”

Tan Wenbin argued, “But if they're reincarnated into a family with good conditions or a harmonious one, life will be easier and happier, won't it?”

“Yes,” Li Zhuiyuan affirmed.

“Then let's wait until after the next 'wave' to send them for reincarnation. Let's accumulate more merit.” “You can't even stand it now, and this is while they're still asleep. When they wake up from their slumber, you'll be even more uncomfortable. You won't be able to bear it.” “No, I can,” Tan Wenbin immediately threw off the blankets and got out of bed. Shivering from the cold, he tried to spread his arms wide. “See, Xiao Yuan, it's not a big... a big... a big deal.”

Stepping out from under the covers and standing on the floor, Tan Wenbin's emaciated skin and bones were even more apparent. He looked utterly pallid and sickly, like a consumptive ghost—only elderly people who had been bedridden with severe illness for many years would appear so gaunt.

Lin Shuyou's “gua sha” session ended, and he immediately walked into the room. Seeing Tan Wenbin standing there, looking like he could be blown over by a gust of wind, his eyes welled up. Even though he blinked hard, tears threatened to spill.

Tan Wenbin raised a finger at Lin Shuyou. “Stop, no need to be sentimental right now.”

Then, Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan and said, “Xiao Yuan, I want to properly send these two children off one last time. After all, they've really helped me a lot, even with a useless godfather like me.”

Li Zhuiyuan warned, “Be mentally prepared; the worst pain is yet to come.” The previous “wave” had only recently ended, and there would be a long time until the next one. Moreover, completing the next “wave” would also take time. This meant that for a long period, Tan Wenbin would have to endure this torment constantly.

Tan Wenbin asked, “Will I die?” Li Zhuiyuan replied, “You won't die.” Tan Wenbin said, “Since I can't die, then what's the big deal...” Li Zhuiyuan interjected, “It will be worse than death.” Tan Wenbin insisted, “It's... fine!”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, agreeing for now, but still said, “If you change your mind, tell me anytime. Those two children will understand.” Tan Wenbin replied, “The thought that if I just suffer for a bit longer, the two children can have an easier and more comfortable life in their next one, makes me unable to understand abandoning this.” Li Zhuiyuan said, “Then let's leave it at that for now. Let's drag it out. A You, prepare a wheelchair for Brother Binbin in advance.”

Lin Shuyou asked, “That serious?”

Li Zhuiyuan explained, “When those two children wake up, he won't be able to walk.”

Tan Wenbin immediately said, “But I feel a very strong ghost energy inside me right now. Even if I'm in a wheelchair, it won't affect my ability to use those techniques.” The premise of being willful was not to affect the team's interests, and Tan Wenbin understood this well.

“That's true,” Li Zhuiyuan confirmed.

Tan Wenbin let out a sigh of relief.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the room to help Yin Meng examine the mutated gu worm.

Lin Shuyou stepped forward to help Tan Wenbin. “Brother Bin, since you like children so much, why don't you have one with Zhou Yunyun first?”

“What?” Tan Wenbin asked.

Lin Shuyou continued, “Like Xiong Shan and them, taking a child on the 'river journey' isn't bad either.”

Tan Wenbin said, “Kids are noisy. I don't like children right now.”

“But you...”

“My own future children might not be filial to me, but these two kids truly risked their lives for me. I felt it when I was unconscious. Without their protection, I wouldn't have woken up at all, perhaps never.”

“Oh, I understand,” Lin Shuyou said.

“Did Deng Chen come to Nantong?” “Yes.” “Call him over. Help me and the two kids take a picture. I want to keep it as a memento.” “Isn't it still too early?” “Who knows what comes first, future or accident? Besides, what if Deng Chen isn't available before the two kids reincarnate? If we take it now, I'll be at ease.”

Lin Shuyou specifically went to the hotel in Shigang Town to pick up Deng Chen. He explained the situation on the way. To Lin Shuyou's surprise, Deng Chen showed no signs of disappointment or dissatisfaction; instead, he seemed incredibly happy. While missing out on a “wave” of merit was a regret and a loss, today Tan Wenbin showed affection and loyalty to the two resentful infants, and he would treat them the same way in the future.

When Deng Chen arrived, Li Zhuiyuan had just finished analyzing the mutated gu worm's characteristics for Yin Meng. He turned to Lin Shuyou and Deng Chen and said, “The peach grove is a good spot for photos. Let's take them there.”

“Understood.” “Alright... understood!”

Soon, Tan Wenbin, dressed in loose clothes to conceal his emaciated body, was arranged to lean against a peach tree.

“Good, good, try to relax as much as possible, yes, yes, exactly, very good, very heartwarming.”

From Deng Chen's “perspective,” Tan Wenbin, leaning against the tree, appeared very languid. On his shoulders, the two children were sleeping soundly, and the entire scene was filled with warmth.

While the photos were being taken, Li Zhuiyuan also entered the peach grove, intentionally standing further inside.

“Click!” As the shutter clicked, Deng Chen's eyes also flashed once. In the peach grove, a slight yin wind arose.

Deng Chen, holding the camera with some confusion, wanted to look deeper into the peach grove, but Lin Shuyou, who had prior experience, quickly covered his eyes. “Don't look where you shouldn't.”

In Li Zhuiyuan's ear, its voice appeared: “What is this? It feels familiar.”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “The Five Organs Sealing Diagram. One pig was killed by me; the remaining four submitted to me.”

“Five Organs Diagram?” “Yes, Wei Zhengdao once used it for self-sealing. He didn't want immortality; he was always trying to commit suicide.”

“Heh... hehe... hehehe... hahahaha!” During the laughter, the water in Runsheng's pit filled to overflowing.