Chapter 29

Li Zhuiyuan slept very soundly that night. He had no dreams, didn’t wake up to use the restroom, and didn’t even change his sleeping position. He simply closed his eyes and then opened them again, and the long night was over.

He habitually turned his head, and as expected, the girl was sitting in the chair near the door.

But Li Zhuiyuan quickly noticed something was wrong, because the girl hadn't changed her clothes.

She was still wearing yesterday's black training uniform, and the stains from rushed work were still clearly visible.

This meant the girl hadn't returned to the east room to sleep last night; she had stayed here, sitting up for an entire night.

Li Zhuiyuan roughly guessed why the girl would do this: because he had been so exhausted the day before, she was worried he might suddenly die in his sleep.

This reason, which outsiders would find difficult to understand, was the girl’s purest and simplest thought.

Although she hadn't spoken in front of him since their first meeting, Li Zhuiyuan found himself understanding her more and more.

He got out of bed and walked over to the girl.

The girl's face was still delicate, showing no trace of fatigue.

Perhaps she often stayed up like this in the past; in her world, the concept of day and night had long been blurred.

Otherwise, Liu Yumei wouldn't constantly remind him to coax A-Li back to the east room to sleep every night.

The girl looked up, meeting his gaze.

In her eyes, Li Zhuiyuan saw a nearly complete reflection of himself.

He had analyzed why the girl was uniquely different with him.

It all stemmed from the night the cat demon matriarch arrived; the girl stood in the courtyard, looked up, and gazed at him standing on the second-floor balcony.

He must have been the first person to enter her dream.

This was certainly no sweet dream, for her eyes could see the terrifying underside of this world.

A ten-year-old… No, it must have been earlier, when she was even younger, that she was already like this.

It was hard to imagine how a babbling toddler could face such an environment, surrounded by endless ugliness and malevolence.

She must have cried, feared, and screamed, but the world didn’t change because of her emotions. In the end, she chose to change herself, completely sealing herself off.

Autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mutism—these symptoms were merely external manifestations. The true underlying cause was her rejection of all contact with the outside world.

Though he blushed, it was true: his appearance that night was like a sudden beam of light in her long-standing darkness.

He was like a glass-enclosed balcony; she stood on it, carefully reaching out to perceive the world through him.

Perhaps, he was merely, at that exact moment, the temporary vessel for all her passion and expectation for this world.

But at the same time, wasn’t she the same for him?

His mother already disliked him, and his father could no longer endure this family. Neither Grandpa Nan nor Grandpa Bei had only him as a grandson.

But at least in the eyes of this girl before him, he was everything.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out, wanting to tidy A-Li’s slightly messy hair by her ear, but the girl reached out first, wrapped her arms around his neck, and then rested her head against his chest.

Ever since she saw him make this gesture to Li Sanjiang that day, she had remembered it and grown fond of it.

She had been secretly imitating it, clumsily yet adorably.

Li Zhuiyuan could only pat her head, repeating the line:

“A-Li, I’ll buy you whatever you want. I have money, plenty of it.”

Although the line was a bit out of place, the girl was very pleased.

She moved away from the boy’s chest, her eyes bright as she looked at him.

Li Zhuiyuan knew she had just been expressing joy, celebrating his "recovery from a serious illness."

Yes, his extreme exhaustion from staying up all night was considered an illness in her eyes.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled at A-Li, thinking to himself:

"Actually, we're both quite ill."

He woke up later than usual today; everyone else had already eaten breakfast.

As Li Zhuiyuan led A-Li downstairs, Liu Yumei was in the courtyard, her head bowed, sipping tea.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't dare scrutinize Grandma Liu's expression; it wouldn't be very pleasant.

Aunt Liu set out breakfast, then came over, her gaze full of subtle implication.

Li Zhuiyuan understood and told A-Li, "Go wash up and bathe with Aunt Liu. If you're sleepy, go to sleep."

A-Li obediently turned and walked towards the east room. Aunt Liu followed, closing the door.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down and began to eat breakfast.

While he was eating, Li Sanjiang returned from the outhouse behind the house. He came over, bent down, looked at him carefully, and said, "Little Zhuiyuan, your complexion is much better today than yesterday."

"Grandpa, please sit. I have something to tell you. I was too tired yesterday to say it."

"Need more pocket money?" Li Sanjiang reached into his pocket, pulled out a banknote (an unusually large denomination for village kids' pocket money), and placed it beside Li Zhuiyuan's porridge bowl. "If you need money, just tell your grandpa. I have plenty."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't immediately take the money but said:

"Grandpa, the night before last, at Old Zhao's banquet, you weren't drinking alone. You were drinking with two people. One was Brother Bao, the video store owner the police investigated the day before yesterday; he's dead. The other was Zhao Xing, whom you didn't notice right under your nose; he's Old Zhao's son, and his funeral was held the day before yesterday. They weren't living people; they were drinking with you to ask for your help..."

"Wait, wait!"

Li Sanjiang cut off Li Zhuiyuan, placed his hand on his forehead, then compared the temperature to his own, asking in confusion:

"Oh dear, it seems you have a bit of a fever. You're talking nonsense."

"Grandpa, I'm serious. They were drinking with you to ask you to go to a man named Old Jiang's house in Shigang Town and deal with a *tai sui* (flesh fungus) kept in a pond's water vat. If you don't agree, they'll come back to bother you. You'd better be careful lately."

"Little Zhuiyuan, do you mean that night, your grandpa was drinking with two..." Li Sanjiang suddenly lowered his voice, "drinking with two dead people until midnight?"

"Yes."

"Ah, it's Grandpa's fault. Grandpa shouldn't have told you about that dream yesterday. It gave you nightmares. What you think about during the day, you dream about at night."

"No, Grandpa, I'm telling the truth. I've already prepared some useful items that can help you deal with it..."

"Alright, alright, Grandpa believes you. Come on, after breakfast, Grandpa will take you to Zheng Da Tong's to get your temperature checked and and a shot."

Li Zhuiyuan smiled: "Grandpa, you weren't even scared by the story I made up. You're amazing."

"Heh, you little sparrow, you think you can scare your grandpa? Would I not know if I drank with people until midnight? Even Runsheng didn't see it, only you? The story has too many loopholes; it doesn't stand up to scrutiny."

"Okay, I'll make up a better one next time."

"Spend more time on your studies and less on this superstitious stuff. Oh, and starting tonight, Grandpa will continue to transfer your fortune."

Li Sanjiang patted the boy's shoulder, dropped the topic of going to the clinic for a shot, and instead went inside and upstairs. He wanted to catch up on sleep during the day and build up his energy.

What if he dreamt tonight that he had to lead a zombie exercise routine in the Forbidden City again?

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, picked up the salted duck egg he had half-eaten, turning it as he watched, muttering:

"That shouldn't be right. Why can't I make sense of it?"

"It's supposed to not make sense."

It was Liu Yumei's voice.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up and walked over: "Grandma Liu, what did you just say?"

"The tea's cold. Brew another pot, with less tea leaves. My mouth feels plain today."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded and started brewing tea. He understood Liu Yumei's implied meaning: in this household, when discussing certain sensitive matters, one should speak vaguely and not be explicit.

It was like playing charades where they both understood.

Liu Yumei leaned back slightly in her chair, looked at the boy, and said:

"Do you feel like your grandpa can be a bit foolish sometimes, that he just doesn't see some things clearly, or doesn't listen to certain words?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

"Child, that's perfectly normal. People get like that when they get old.

At your age, you're full of vitality, with an instinctive curiosity for new things. But normal people in middle age start to resist new things; they naturally become conservative.

And when they're old, most just stick to one principle: follow their old habits, like rolling a hoop, and keep rolling until they roll into their coffin.

They often become very stubborn and obstinate. If you tell them they're wrong, they'll think you're young. If you tell them they shouldn't do something, they'll retort that they've lived to this age doing exactly that.

Right and wrong don't matter to them. Being able to live to old age is itself the best proof and a skill. Do you understand?"

"I kind of understand, but I'd like to hear more."

"Heh." Liu Yumei picked up her teacup, sipped, and asked, "Have you read Tang Yin's 'Song of Peach Blossom Temple'?"

"Yes."

"The last two lines."

"'The world laughs at my madness, I laugh that they can't see through. Remember the tombs of the heroes of Wuling, without wine or flowers, they were tilled as fields.'"

"That's right. You laugh that he doesn't understand, he laughs that you don't understand how to live."

"Grandma Liu, do you mean my grandpa is deliberately feigning deafness, pretending not to hear?"

"No, your grandpa isn't as good an actor as you, little one."

"Grandma, you're joking."

"What do you think of your grandpa?"

"Grandpa has many stories. Sometimes I feel I understand, other times I feel lost."

"You're overthinking it. Keep things simple, don't complicate them with too many twists and turns."

"Grandma Liu, you're confusing me again."

"Your grandpa is just your grandpa. There's nothing particularly special about him. The only difference between him and others is probably that he's quite rich—no, he's *too* rich."

"Too rich?" Li Zhuiyuan began to ponder what "money" referred to here.

"When people have too much money, they tend to get arrogant, become self-important, and stop listening to others.

But there's nothing you can do about it, isn't that right, if they have money?

Sometimes, having money really does mean you can do whatever you want. Many problems can be smoothed over with money.

But using money to pull strings is, after all, something done in the shadows. Sometimes, the person themselves doesn't even know where the money went. It just happens that at a certain point or stage, the problem gets inexplicably resolved, and the person might even feel like they got through the difficulty in a muddled way.

And those around him, time and again, realize what's happening, and they resent him bitterly.

It's not true hatred, just an inability to stand it coupled with helplessness. In the end, they become numb and accept it."

Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Grandma Liu, does that mean if you live with a rich person, you can also pick up money and get rich?"

Liu Yumei looked at the boy before her with deep meaning. She knew the boy understood.

"Oh, how could there possibly be money scattered everywhere for you to pick up? At best, you might occasionally scrape a few cents from a nook or cranny in the courtyard. Who knows how long it would take to save enough to buy A-Li a piece of candy."

Li Zhuiyuan took out the banknote his grandpa just gave him and asked: "So Grandpa doesn't even know he has so much money?"

"He probably just thinks he has a little bit of money, but he never realized he was so incredibly, overflowing rich."

"Can Grandpa actively spend this money himself?"

"Hehehe..." Liu Yumei covered her mouth and laughed, "That's a rather naive question. If he doesn't even know he has so much money, how can he actively spend it?"

"But this money is still being used, right?"

"That's right, it's being used."

Li Zhuiyuan drained his cup of tea. The doubts about his grandpa that had been lingering in his mind were finally resolved.

The "money" mentioned in their conversation referred to luck and fortune.

People with abundant fortune often overcome adversity and experience a turn for the better.

According to Grandma Liu, if one simplified things, Grandpa was just Grandpa, a very ordinary person in Siyuan Village.

In some ways, Uncle Shan even seemed more professional than Grandpa in his line of work.

Therefore, when good fortune acted upon Grandpa, it appeared very strange.

Because Grandpa himself didn't actually know much, and his tools were mostly useless props. Without enough substance to bear it, his so-called good luck became difficult to rationalize when it manifested, growing increasingly excessive and absurd.

For instance, during the last memorial ritual at the Niu family's, Blind Liu and Uncle Shan were both charmed and ended up in a sorry state, yet Grandpa simply slept there, completely unaffected.

Another example is the drinking session the night before last: Grandpa conveniently threw up and then fell asleep, waking up the next day believing it was just a dream.

Most recently, just now, when he formally recounted the events at the dinner table the night before last, Grandpa didn't listen at all, thinking he was telling mischievous lies.

This already seemed highly illogical; no matter what, he shouldn't have been so dismissive.

Once in a while is understandable, but every time it happens, it's more than just a coincidence.

So, was he avoiding it?

No, *it* was influencing Grandpa to avoid it, to seek the safest transition.

Grandpa wasn't foolish, nor was he feigning foolishness. Rather, there was an invisible hand, operating in the unseen, that manipulated him at specific times, making his behavior seem a bit foolish.

With this logic, tracing back previous events seemed to explain everything.

Why he sometimes found Grandpa unfathomable and other times unreliable, why Blind Liu and Uncle Shan always showed that resentful yet helpless attitude towards Grandpa—they've known Grandpa for decades, and perhaps, as Liu Yumei said, they've become numb and accepted it.

Li Zhuiyuan found it hard to imagine someone's good fortune could be so profound.

He suddenly remembered the fate he had calculated for Grandpa. It was his first attempt, using face reading and deduction, and the result was a completely inverted reading for Grandpa.

That time had truly been a blow, his first experience of academic frustration. But what if he hadn't actually miscalculated?

After all, his subsequent readings for Xue Liangliang, Zhao Hequan, and others were quickly proven correct.

But if he hadn't miscalculated Grandpa's fate, how profound must Grandpa's fortune be to completely cover... even invert that fate?

Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Has Grandpa himself never suspected anything?"

Liu Yumei picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and replied:

"Who would actively suspect something is wrong with themselves just because they've lived a lifetime free of illness and disaster, walking by the river without ever getting their shoes wet? And why would they dig and reflect on the reason their life has been so smooth? And after unearthing this secret, what then? Change it back? Is he sick?"

Li Zhuiyuan realized he had indeed asked a very foolish question. Who would think good luck was an illness?

However, he quickly thought of something else: "So, will this 'money' be used on other people?"

"What do you mean? You want to pick up money too?"

"No, I'm just giving an example. For instance, will the effect of this 'money' influence me?"

Liu Yumei pursed her lips, her eyes flickering. She seemed to want to avoid the question.

Li Zhuiyuan continued: "Several times, when I picked up 'dirty money,' my first reaction was to hide it from Grandpa, not tell him the truth. It was only after a while that I realized I shouldn't hide it from him. But when I actually told him about the 'dirty money,' Grandpa never believed me.

Grandpa not believing me, I can understand now; but what about the change in my initial reaction? Was there an influence there?"

"Do you want me to tell you?"

"Yes, Grandma Liu."

"But I'm afraid you'll regret knowing."

"How could I?"

Liu Yumei gently rubbed her fingertips along the rim of the teacup, her gaze falling on the banknote the boy had just taken out:

"Some things have long been marked with a price and completed their transaction in the dark."

Li Zhuiyuan's mind instantly jolted. He looked at Liu Yumei in disbelief.

Liu Yumei continued: "Tell me, since your grandpa brought you to live here, what's the difference between you and Runsheng's grandpa?"

Li Zhuiyuan stared blankly at the ground, his mind rapidly connecting various past events.

Grandpa, despite his injuries, insisted on going to the Niu family to earn money. In the end, it was he who communicated with the cat-faced matriarch, helped her design a revenge plan, and made her "die" by Grandpa's peach wood sword.

Grandpa was invited to Jiuyi Port to exorcise evil spirits from Yingzi's grandparents. He, on the other hand, went to the river workers, then got infected with spots along with Xue Liangliang, and finally met Grandpa at the People's Hospital.

Next, the two key figures who truly dealt with the Baijia Town incident, Xue Liangliang and Uncle Qin, were both found by him, while Grandpa simply went home and slept.

The night before last, Grandpa drank with those two non-human entities until late at night. In the end, Grandpa thought it was a dream. Runsheng didn't see it. Only he witnessed the whole thing, and then, without resting, he worked through the night making tools, preparing for a counterattack.

These three incidents were directly related to Grandpa, but the final resolution seemed to fall to him?

In that case, there really wasn't any difference between him and Uncle Shan.

"I know, you kid, you seem to be able to see 'dirty money.' Tell Grandma, when did this start?"

Li Zhuiyuan recalled it started after meeting Little Yellow Oriole... No, more accurately, it became more pronounced and intense after Grandpa led him to guide Little Yellow Oriole along the Yin (underworld) path.

In "Records of Righteous Demon Subjugation," this characteristic he displayed was very similar to "walking the Yin."

When a living person is exposed to too much Yin energy, the Yang (mortal) path and Yin path can easily become mixed up or diverged, leading them to see things they shouldn't. The book specifically noted: "Especially severe for those with deep thoughts."

Li Zhuiyuan looked up at Liu Yumei, not answering her previous question, but asking: "So, that's why Uncle Qin had to return to his hometown and leave here?"

"'Dirty money' always has to be spent somewhere. Either you bury your head and pretend to be an ordinary person, or you wait to be inexplicably pushed out to bear the brunt of disaster.

I know what books you've been reading lately, kid. You're quite obsessed with this 'dirty money' business."

"Grandma Liu, why are you specifically telling me all this today?"

"Because you, kid, have a good head on your shoulders. Even without a master, you learn incredibly fast just by reading books. I'm afraid if I don't warn you, it might not be long before you figure out how to break your grandpa's 'thing'."

"But why would I do that?"

"That's not my concern. I just know that you might soon gain the ability to do it, and I still need to keep living here with A-Li. I don't want you to ruin the atmosphere of this place."

"Can it be broken?"

"Yes." Liu Yumei affirmed, "No matter how rich someone is, if they encounter a truly tough opponent, money becomes useless. Li Sanjiang's money is only enough to make a show in this small town. That's one thing."

After a pause, Liu Yumei continued: "When old people get old, they live according to their own habits and rhythms. If someone disrupts that rhythm, the old person themselves becomes disoriented, and they might end up with little time left to live, even if they could have lived longer. That's the second thing."

"Then I just..."

"Your grandpa is truly a rare case of 'deliberate confusion within genuine confusion.' Yet you, kid, are trying to wake him up, to forcibly straighten him out. This inherently disrupts his way of life, it's just that you haven't succeeded yet.

If you learn more knowledge, master more abilities, and show a higher level of skill, no longer just talking about it, then you really could straighten him out.

So, you know what to do now, right?

'Old children, old children,' old people are just like kids. Just humor him more. Isn't that what you're best at?"

Li Zhuiyuan covered his face with his hands, slowly rubbing it.

Liu Yumei watched the boy's reaction while sipping her tea. When the boy removed his hands from his face, what she saw was once again a clean, lovable face with an innocent smile.

It made her want to reach out and pinch his cheek, but emotion and reason were in clear conflict at that moment.

"Grandma Liu, where's Brother Runsheng?"

"He went to tend to the peanuts in the fields early this morning. He should be back soon. What do you need?"

"I ordered some things, and I need Brother Runsheng to come with me to pick them up."

"And then?"

"Then, of course, I'll do what I need to do."

Liu Yumei sat up, leaned closer to the boy, and stared intently into his eyes: "You're going to keep doing it?"

"Why not?"

"Don't you feel sad, wronged, or afraid?"

"No, I just know that Grandpa truly loves me."

Even if he seemed to be taking on calamities for Grandpa.

But, first, this path was his own choice; second, it was always his own initiative to care for Grandpa, a voluntary decision, no one was forcing him.

Most importantly, Grandpa himself didn't understand these things; he truly cherished his great-grandson beyond measure.

So what if everything was priced and the transaction completed?

Li Zhuiyuan was willing.

Li Sanjiang was still Li Sanjiang. Even after knowing these things, Li Zhuiyuan's attitude and perception of his grandpa remained unchanged—no, there was a slight change: he could now humor him with a clear conscience, a child humoring an old child.

Liu Yumei observed carefully, wanting to see even a hint of extra emotion on the boy's face, but she failed.

But how... how was this possible?

Even between biological parents and children, when such matters are involved, even if they don't immediately turn hostile, there will inevitably be discomfort.

Yet the boy before her, in an instant, only retained the simplest logical points, completely extinguishing any unnecessary emotions.

This was too frightening. Did this child lack emotion at his core?

"There's something I want to ask you, Grandma. That time when all the paper effigies at home were ruined by the rain, wasn't your grandpa badly injured? What did he do before that?"

Li Zhuiyuan blinked his clear, large eyes and shook the teapot:

"Grandma, the tea's all gone."

"Then brew another pot."

"I can't drink anymore, I'm already full."

Li Zhuiyuan lightly patted his stomach, stood up, and started tidying the tea set.

Just then, Runsheng returned, carrying a hoe.

"Brother Runsheng, come with me to Old Carpenter's house to pick up some things."

"Alright!"

Runsheng went to the well, drew a bucket of water to rinse his feet, then pushed the cart and followed Li Zhuiyuan to Old Carpenter's house.

The old carpenter had been waiting, and the items were all ready.

"Grandpa, regarding the payment, my grandpa said he'd come settle it later."

"Payment, my foot! This is my advance offering for Uncle Sanjiang's *zuo zhai*."

"Then you'd best write it down in a notebook, lest you forget after a long time. May you live a hundred years."

With that, Li Zhuiyuan bowed seriously to the old carpenter.

"Heh heh, you little sprout, where did you learn all these tricks? Your tongue is quite sweet."

The old carpenter took out a prepared red envelope from his pocket and handed it to Li Zhuiyuan: "Here, take it and buy some candy."

"I haven't paid you yet; how can I accept money from you?"

"One thing at a time. You came so suddenly last time, Grandpa didn't have time to prepare. It's proper to give something when a junior visits for the first time. It's the rule."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan accepted the red envelope. Meanwhile, Runsheng had already loaded the items onto the cart.

Back home, Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng carried the items upstairs to the second floor.

To Li Zhuiyuan's surprise, A-Li, having bathed and changed clothes, was waiting in his room.

Once the prepared items were brought in, she naturally began assembling them.

"Little Yuan, what are these things? They look familiar, like objects from our 'line of work'."

Runsheng, after moving the items, squatted near the door. He couldn't get too close to A-Li.

"Yes, they're things from our 'line of work'," Li Zhuiyuan replied. "Brother Runsheng, you can go downstairs, watch some TV, eat some snacks, and rest. I'll need your help for another outing later."

"Alright, just call me when you need me."

After Runsheng left, Li Zhuiyuan and A-Li began assembling the items together. This was the simplest task and the most satisfying part.

Soon, everything was assembled.

A-Li gently intertwined her hands, looking at the things she and the boy had made together, then looked up at the desk, where many blank blueprints remained.

"I'll keep drawing in the future, and then I'll need A-Li to help me make them. My hands are clumsy; I really couldn't do it without A-Li's help."

The girl's eyes sparkled as if they held stars.

He gave the girl two bottles of Jianlibao and told her to rest. Li Zhuiyuan, meanwhile, began tidying up his set of tools.

There were a total of six large items, plus four smaller ones.

The Luosheng Umbrella, entirely black, which the book said could repel miasma when opened.

The Yellow River Shovel, with multiple interchangeable uses. When he first saw the design, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but think of the Luoyang Shovel, but their primary functions differed; the Yellow River Shovel was mainly for underwater and wet, muddy areas by the water's edge.

The Seven-Star Hook, which could extend seven sections, used to retrieve corpses from water. But each section had a special design, subtly hinting at the Big Dipper, allowing for countermeasures against different states of the deceased.

Next were the Soul-Returning Basket and the Homesick Net. These two, along with the Seven-Star Hook, were actually similar to items Grandpa owned, but their internal workings were completely different from Grandpa's set.

Grandpa's tools could only retrieve stationary floating bodies; genuinely active "dead entities" could not be restrained by them.

The last item was the Three Pure Ones Fan, a grand name. Following the book's instructions, Li Zhuiyuan carved runes on each fan blade, and then, at the bottom of the embedded grooves, added various prepared materials.

The main purpose of this item was to hit himself.

When encountering deceased entities skilled at charming people, like the cat-faced matriarch, he would use the fan to slap his face or head, and then, if necessary, open a hidden clasp to release special powdered mist, helping him quickly regain consciousness from illusion.

The four smaller items were specially made black dog blood ink pad, black canvas, a Bagua compass, and a stack of talismans Li Zhuiyuan had drawn himself.

The black canvas had a hidden layer filled with wooden flower scrolls. Each wooden scroll had special textures, carved one by one by A-Li with a small carving knife. When dealing with deceased entities, he could wrap it around himself for protective warding or try to cover the entity's head for offensive damage; at least, that's what the book said.

The Bagua compass was quite crude, made of wood with no fancy decorations, looking far from sophisticated. The needle inside was sharpened by Li Zhuiyuan himself. He tested it, and it was inaccurate.

But it was consistently inaccurate, so Li Zhuiyuan only needed to mentally correct it.

As for the stack of talismans, Li Zhuiyuan had the least confidence in them. It was his first attempt at drawing them, so they were likely useless.

And even if they worked, would he have to run up to a deceased entity, stand on tiptoes, and jump to stick them on its forehead?

Li Zhuiyuan's fingertip pressed on a talisman, then swiped it outwards. The talisman floated about a meter away, then drifted back, landing on the ground behind him.

This effect was worse than a playing card.

He should first test if his talismans had any effect. If there was even a tiny effect, then next time he'd draw them on something like playing card material.

But regardless, this set of tools and small items was now complete.

Next was to test their effectiveness.

Li Zhuiyuan went out to call Runsheng back upstairs. He planned to give Runsheng a few of the items to use, such as the Seven-Star Hook and Yellow River Shovel. Only a strong person could truly utilize them, and even if they had no special additional effects, Runsheng could still use them to strike at deceased entities.

A-Li, left in the room, bent down and picked up the talisman from the floor.

She placed the talisman in her right palm, pressed her left index finger onto it, and swiped her fingertip.

"Whoosh!"

The talisman flew out and stuck perfectly in the center of the door frame.

Just then, Li Zhuiyuan led Runsheng in. To maintain distance from Runsheng, A-Li simply took off her shoes and got onto the bed.

The girl sat with her knees hugged at the corner of the bed, watching the boy explain the functions and uses of the tools to Runsheng.

After listening to the explanation and trying them out, Runsheng exclaimed in shock: "Little Yuan, many of these things are similar to what my grandpa has, but there's a huge difference despite the resemblance."

"Mine should be the most professional."

"I can feel it. Good stuff, truly good stuff."

Runsheng had experience retrieving bodies and had genuinely fought "dead entities." If he found something handy, it was certainly credible.

"Let's go, Brother Runsheng. Let's find a place to test them."

"Alright!"

Putting other matters aside, those two, Brother Bao and Zhao Xing, had become *chang* (ghostly minions) and dared to overtly threaten them. So he would go find them and settle the score first.

Runsheng went downstairs with the items first. They were in parts and hard to carry at once before assembly; now he could carry all the tools by himself.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the bedside and told A-Li: "I'm going out for a bit. Be a good girl, A-Li, and go back to your room to sleep well, okay?"

After instructing her, Li Zhuiyuan left the bedroom.

After the boy left, A-Li lay down on the bed and obediently began to sleep soundly.

As Li Zhuiyuan passed Li Sanjiang's bedroom, the door happened to open. Grandpa was rubbing his eyes, having just woken from a nap, and was about to use the restroom before going back to sleep.

"Little Zhuiyuan, are you going out?"

"Yes, Grandpa, Brother Runsheng and I are going out to play."

"Oh, going out to play." Li Sanjiang habitually reached into his pocket again. Although he always prioritized the child's studies, he could never bear to refuse a child's request to play.

"Grandpa, you already gave me pocket money this morning."

"Then take some more." Li Sanjiang pulled out the loose change from his pocket. Villagers usually didn't carry large bills in their pockets, as it was inconvenient to break them.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"Heh, why so formal?"

Before Li Sanjiang could finish speaking, he found his waist being hugged. The boy's face was pressed against his stomach, eyes closed.

Li Sanjiang reached out and patted the boy's head, asking confusedly: "What's wrong?"

"Grandpa, you're so good to me."

"Heh heh, alright, alright, Grandpa will go get you some more big bills from inside."

"No need, Grandpa, this is enough. I'm going out to play now."

"Remember not to come back too late. We still have to transfer fortune tonight."

"Got it, Grandpa."

Waving goodbye to Li Sanjiang, Li Zhuiyuan's expression returned to calm as he descended the stairs.

He hadn't lied to Liu Yumei earlier that morning, because he only needed to know that Grandpa genuinely cared for him; everything else was irrelevant.

Frankly, if he truly cared about that, what fundamental difference would there be between him and the Niu family siblings?

Furthermore, there was one thing Li Zhuiyuan deliberately kept from Liu Yumei.

Grandma Liu lived here, describing herself as picking up coins in nooks and crannies. If Grandpa transferred fortune to him, wouldn't that be equivalent to a large wire transfer?

If this old lady found out, she'd probably be furious to death.

People, especially as they age, cherish their lives more and fear death more.

Grandpa, at such an advanced age, was willing to sacrifice years of his life to transfer fortune to him. This alone was enough for Li Zhuiyuan to willingly do anything for him as a junior.

He was never forced into this; every time it was his own initiative, so there was no resentment.

As he reached the last step of the stairs, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly paused. He remembered the "Jing Sha Luo Wen Jing" he had seen in Grandpa's bedroom.

He had noticed that Grandpa's drawn array diagrams always differed somewhat from those in the book.

So, if Grandpa's skill was exquisite, and he drew them precisely, maximizing the array's effect, and directly transferred fortune to him in that manner, with Grandpa's fortune so abundant it could even change his own fate... wouldn't he burst?

Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

Was that the backlash of fortune that even the Qin family avoided and feared provoking?

"Phew... that was close."

But then again, hadn't he also benefited from Grandpa's good luck? If he hadn't lived with Grandpa, how would he have discovered so many good books in the basement, and how would he have met A-Li?

Since becoming close with A-Li, that cold, detached feeling deep within him had appeared less and less frequently.

"Misfortune, alas, is what fortune leans on; fortune, alas, is where misfortune hides."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. He decided not to think about these things anymore. It was enough to be happy with himself.

When he reached the courtyard, Runsheng had already gotten on the tricycle. All the tools were placed on the cart, covered with a plastic tarp.

"Ding-ding-ding!"

Runsheng rang the bell. He never used to think anything was wrong with his tools, but now that he'd seen good ones, he felt an urgent desire to try them out, like a wild boar craving fine feed.

Li Zhuiyuan got on the tricycle.

Liu Yumei and Aunt Liu stood at the courtyard entrance.

"Little Yuan, don't mind Grandma for talking too much, but I just want to give you one last reminder: Think carefully. Once you go, there's no turning back."

Li Zhuiyuan patted Runsheng's back:

"Brother Runsheng, let's go! Don't look back, ride forward!"

"Alright, hold on tight!"

"Little Yuan, weren't we going to Shigang? Why did you tell me to ride here first?"

"Brother Runsheng, wait for me at the entrance. I'm going in to find someone."

Li Zhuiyuan got off the tricycle, entered the police station, and after asking around, found Tan Yunlong's office.

At this moment, Tan Yunlong was leaning back in his office chair, eyes closed, dozing. His face was shiny, indicating he had also been staying up late.

However, as Li Zhuiyuan walked in, he immediately opened his eyes, and that familiar hawk-like gaze returned.

"It's you, kid?"

"Yes."

"How did you find my office?"

"I asked people."

"Do you know my name?"

"I asked where the police uncle with the long, thick, slightly slanted eyebrows, who looks scary when he glares, was. They all understood."

"Hahahaha..." Tan Yunlong laughed. "Alright, kid, do you need something?"

"Yes, I'm here to report a case."

Just outside the police station gate, Li Zhuiyuan turned around and faced the signboard.

Then, he spread his arms, walked forward, and hugged the signboard tightly.

The window of the guardhouse opened, and an elderly auxiliary police officer poked his head out, asking: "Kid, what are you doing?"

"I want to be a police officer when I grow up too."

"Good, good! Being a police officer is good, hehe, good kid."

The old auxiliary police officer said nothing more, lit a cigarette, and quietly watched the boy continue to hug the signboard.

After hugging for a long time, Li Zhuiyuan reluctantly let go.

Should be enough dust, right?

He looked down; his clothes and pants were covered in a thick layer of signboard dust.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Zhuiyuan decided not to brush it off. He'd keep it.

Then, he got onto Runsheng's tricycle.

Old Jiang's house was easy to find: a five-story self-built villa on the edge of town, with a large walled courtyard outside, complete with a pond and rockery.

In that era, it could be considered quite luxurious.

Runsheng picked up the Yellow River Shovel and said, "Little Yuan, let's go, let's charge in!"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Runsheng with some confusion. Seeing he wasn't joking, he quickly grabbed Runsheng's wrist:

"No, Brother Runsheng. Like attending a banquet, we don't go with the first batch. We wait for the second batch, because what we're dealing with isn't human."

"Then who goes with the first batch? Who will deal with those people?"

Just as he spoke,

In the distance,

Police sirens sounded.