Chapter 294

The conversation in the room abruptly ceased, and an unseen force surged forth from within.

Li Zhuiyuan instinctively tried to resist this force, but the moment he encountered it, he gave up, allowing himself to be tossed about like a small boat in the surging waves.

The scene before him overlapped, and an additional layer of imagery appeared in his vision.

On one side, reality remained unchanged; on the other, it rewound rapidly, light and shadow reversing.

First, he stepped backward, descended the stairs, retreated to the doorway, then stepped backward over the white dog, and finally, with Zhao Yi, returned to the train tracks outside the guesthouse entrance.

Immediately after, the rewinding perspective fast-forwarded again. The two entered the guesthouse, greeted the security guard inside, made eye contact with people coming and going, nodded to some acquaintances at the building entrance, and finally returned to the room door, resuming normalcy.

Everything seemed unchanged, yet the creases had been smoothed out.

Li Zhuiyuan did not rush to push the door open. Instead, he remained standing at the entrance, savoring the way They had eliminated causality.

The existence of Beings at Their level made every appearance in reality extremely sensitive. However, Their methods for dealing with the natural order were equally worth Li Zhuiyuan's understanding and study.

Once his thoughts were in order, Li Zhuiyuan pushed the door open.

Inside the room, Old Zhai sat behind a desk, wearing glasses and intently reading a document.

Turning his head, Old Zhai smiled, took off his glasses, and said, "Xiao Yuan is here."

Evidently, Old Zhai had no recollection of what had just transpired.

Li Zhuiyuan was not only unsurprised by this 'norm,' he didn't even attempt any probing.

He simply visited Old Zhai's room as usual, sat and chatted, playing the role of a junior and a student, then took his leave at an appropriate moment.

Back in his own room, Li Zhuiyuan placed a talisman on the doorknob. Ordinary people couldn't enter, and those who could, upon sensing the talisman, wouldn't force their way in.

The young man walked to the mirror on the room wall, closed his eyes, and stood still.

His right palm opened, and red threads emerged, circling above, forming a knot, then descending to wrap around his left hand.

Slowly opening his eyes, the young man's pupils seemed to flow with dynamic red threads.

Through the mirror, Li Zhuiyuan saw a cloud of mist appear behind him.

The more cultivation techniques one learned and inheritances one grasped, the more karmic entanglements naturally accumulated in that regard.

His gaze roamed, parting the mist, and finally, beneath a tumultuous swirl of deep black, revealed the figure Li Zhuiyuan sought.

The ceremonial crown was solemn, the figure dignified, yet even so, it remained with eyes closed, subtly blurred, unchanged, and no different from before.

The red threads retracted, and the young man closed his eyes again, his body swaying slightly before he stumbled backward to sit on the edge of the bed.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, propping his forehead with his hand.

This kind of self-introspection was highly taboo; Li Zhuiyuan wouldn't normally do it, but this time, he had to see clearly beforehand.

After a moment of adjustment, Li Zhuiyuan stood up, removed the talisman, and opened the door.

Zhao Yi stood at the doorway and said, "Yin Meng's grandfather came by. He took down the stick and absorbed the curse from Yin Meng. Do you want to go take a look?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "How are they?"

Zhao Yi: "They're in good condition, still unconscious. I also gave them medicine. Sigh, only two pills left."

Li Zhuiyuan: "A newly changed name?"

Zhao Yi: "Honestly."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'll go see them in a bit."

"And now?"

Zhao Yi's eyes showed vigilance, a posture that clearly said, 'Don't even think about leaving me out of any benefits.'

"I'm going to find Brother Liangliang to discuss some professional matters. Are you coming?"

"It's definitely not professional matters, but I'm not going," Zhao Yi said, poking his ear with a finger. "Walls have ears. I'm not going to be that medium anymore."

Li Zhuiyuan went to the third floor. Noticing no movement in Xue Liangliang's room, he headed downstairs.

After inquiring, he found Xue Liangliang in a small conference hall.

The formal meeting was scheduled for tomorrow, but that was merely a confirmation process. Many attendees needed to communicate and consult privately.

Engineer Luo and a group of elders sat at one end of the hall, giving a presentation, while Xue Liangliang was at the other end, surrounded by middle-aged men in administrative jackets.

Upon seeing Li Zhuiyuan at the door, Xue Liangliang immediately excused himself from those around him and walked over.

Xue Liangliang wanted to take Li Zhuiyuan to a quiet corner upfront, but Li Zhuiyuan, unwilling to delay his work, simply stood where he was and said:

"Brother Liangliang, I need your help with something."

Xue Liangliang pulled out his wallet with his right hand from his pocket and took a pen from his chest pocket with his left.

The meaning was clear: did he want money or an approval slip?

Xue Liangliang was a man of principle, but when it came to the young man, he had no principles, for he knew that Xiao Yuan was also a man of strict principles.

"Do you remember that regret from back then?"

"Huh?"

Xue Liangliang couldn't immediately recall what regret he meant. He quickly shifted his thinking, searching for the opposite of 'regret,' and soon understood what Xiao Yuan was referring to, nodding as he said:

"Hmm."

"Brother Liangliang, this time, learn from the lesson and hold on a bit longer."

"Okay."

"Brother Liangliang, you're busy."

"You stay safe."

Watching the young man walk away, Xue Liangliang's brow furrowed slightly, then smoothed out. He didn't yet know what Xiao Yuan wanted him to do, but he felt he would soon find out.

Li Zhuiyuan went to Yin Meng and Run Sheng's room, checking their bodies. Their conditions were poor, but it wouldn't prevent them from waking up tonight.

Lin Shuyou suggested from beside him, "Brother Xiao Yuan, should we move them to Ghost Street now?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "No, we'll take them with us when we all go."

After the young man left, Lin Shuyou curiously asked Tan Wenbin, "Uh, didn't Brother Xiao Yuan say earlier that everyone, regardless of their condition, should be taken to Ghost Street tonight?"

Tan Wenbin: "Are you sure the Ghost Street you're going to now is the same as the Ghost Street tonight?"

Lin Shuyou: "Oh, I see."

When Li Zhuiyuan returned to his room, he found Zhao Yi lying on another bed, with professional books and engineering drawings—where he got them from, Li Zhuiyuan didn't know—spread out before him, as he circled and drew with a pen.

"Hey Li, do you think it's still not too late for me to cram now?"

"Cram for what?"

"Cram for ghosts."

"It's never too late to pick up a book."

"Don't say it, it's actually quite interesting. I'm not lying to you, I'll really go to college after the River Journey ends."

"Aren't you supposed to revitalize the Zhao family?"

"You group of university students haven't stayed cooped up in school either, have you?"

Li Zhuiyuan went to shower. After finishing, he came out and lay down on the bed.

Zhao Yi asked, "It's still early. What are we doing next? What other preparations do we need to make?"

"Sleep."

"I see. I mean, what do we do after we wake up from the nap?"

"Sleep until that time."

"Nice."

Zhao Yi closed his book.

"You can keep reading."

"What, Li, do you also think I'm a prodigy in this field?"

"The sound of turning pages and flipping through blueprints helps me sleep."

"Heh."

Li Zhuiyuan fell asleep.

On one hand, he genuinely needed to conserve enough energy to face the inevitable overdraft of his reserves.

On the other hand, this kind of 'relaxation' before a major event made one cherish it all the more.

In any case, the quality of this sleep was surprisingly good.

When he awoke, it was already dark outside the window.

Zhao Yi lay with his head propped on his left hand, holding a cigarette in his right. Concerned the smoke would disturb the young man's sleep, he only inhaled, not exhaling the smoke from his mouth.

Seeing the young man awake, he stopped being polite. He patted his chest, and the long-suppressed smoke 'gurgled' out from his chest, like an old steam train.

"If you didn't wake up soon, I was going to call you. It's eleven o'clock."

"Tell everyone, we can leave."

Everyone had their own way of de-stressing. Tan Wenbin sat on the balcony, drinking tea and gazing at the scenery. He drank so much that he made several trips to the restroom throughout the afternoon.

Lin Shuyou, on the other hand, had single-handedly scrubbed Yongzi's truck, inside and out, from top to bottom.

When everyone gathered in front of the truck, it looked as if it had just been bathed.

Yin Meng and Run Sheng hadn't woken up yet, but their eyelids were twitching slightly, indicating they were close to naturally waking up, so no one bothered to rouse them prematurely.

Zhao Yi still drove, with Li Zhuiyuan in the passenger seat.

The car had just driven down the mountain and hadn't been heading towards Ghost Street for long when fog appeared ahead.

Zhao Yi pulled the car over, took a stack of talismans from his pocket, and called out to Lin Shuyou in the back:

"A-You, get out and put a talisman on each tire."

"Okay."

Once Lin Shuyou had placed them, Zhao Yi started the car again and drove into the fog.

Initially, there were still a few pedestrians and lit shops and residences around. Gradually, the aura of living beings seemed to be completely erased. By the time the truck actually reached the vicinity of Ghost Street, it was utterly desolate and quiet, with no one in sight.

This was Ghost Street, and yet it wasn't. Aside from the ghost shops that remained open tonight, the normal businesses inside were empty.

This 'subtle' change was likely unbeknownst even to the owners of these ghost shops.

The tailor shop door was still open.

Logically, he should have rested after getting injured today, but instead, he insisted on opening for business, bandages and all.

Zhang Chi's bad luck seemed to strike without fail, every single time.

Yin Meng opened her eyes and woke up.

Perhaps she sensed the atmosphere of home.

The truck hadn't driven inside, so Yin Meng was currently lying on a stretcher. As soon as she sat up, she heard a 'giggle' from behind her.

The sound made Yin Meng shiver in fright. Then she saw Lin Shuyou hand her a can of Jianlibao, asking with concern:

"You're awake?"

Yin Meng took the drink. A-You then placed jerky and preserved fruits nearby to help the recently awakened Yin Meng quickly regain her strength.

"This is..."

"Your home."

Yin Meng looked at the shop diagonally in front of them, where lights were on.

"Where's Brother Xiao Yuan..."

"He's with Brother Bin, inspecting the shop," Lin Shuyou smiled. "Later, this place will still be a coffin shop."

Condition for transferring the shop: help cure this strange illness.

Doctor: Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi, already accustomed to this, leaned against the door panel smoking, too lazy to ask why Li was doing favors for his subordinates that required his own efforts.

Zhang Xiuxiu was overjoyed when she heard this condition.

Her brother was also ecstatic, but he forcibly suppressed it, saying with a trembling body:

"Is... is... is that the only condition?"

Li Zhuiyuan said nothing.

Tan Wenbin also said nothing.

Zhao Yi blew out a smoke ring and said, "Then don't transfer it. Just take it tomorrow when the shop is empty; you'll save a transfer fee."

Threats sounded most authentic when uttered by a true young master.

"Thud!"

Zhang Chi was so scared he fell off his wheelchair, almost wailing:

"I'll transfer, I'll transfer it."

The transfer contract was signed. Tan Wenbin, on Yin Meng's behalf, left a fingerprint and signed his name. The shop belonged to the street, so after everything was settled, they would just go to the street office to complete the procedures and sign a new lease.

Zhao Yi flicked his cigarette butt away, walked in, and stood before Zhang Xiuxiu.

He extended his hand, his fingertips gently lifting Zhang Xiuxiu's chin.

Zhang Xiuxiu swallowed hard, not daring to resist. Zhang Chi, nearby, didn't understand Zhao Yi's intention.

Zhao Yi smiled slightly and said, "The strange illness on you is almost beyond suppression; it will surely flare up within half a year. However, I only promised to cure one person. How about this: you two siblings decide who gets cured."

Zhang Chi's expression changed.

Zhang Xiuxiu, without hesitation, looked at her brother.

Zhao Yi picked up the tea from the counter, poured some out to wash his fingertips, then walked out of the shop and came to the young man's side.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Fun?"

Zhao Yi: "Very interesting."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then next, you'll be the first."

Zhao Yi: "How can that be? Our A-You definitely goes first."

The simple setup was complete: an empty offering table, with only two candles on it, and not even a prayer mat beneath.

Behind them were two stretchers. Yin Meng sat there, while Run Sheng was still asleep, snoring much louder than before.

In front of the stretchers were two open hiking backpacks, filled entirely with water and drinks. To an outsider, this setup might have looked like they were here for camping.

Zhang Xiuxiu brought out some steaming rice porridge and steamed buns. After setting them down, she walked to Zhao Yi's side and said quietly but firmly:

"We've decided. Please help cure my brother."

"Oh."

Zhang Xiuxiu smoothed a wisp of hair and turned to leave.

Zhao Yi: "Close the door, hide inside, and don't come out tonight."

"Yes, thank you."

Zhang Xiuxiu returned to the shop, put all the door panels back in place, and soon, the lights inside the shop went out.

Zhao Yi picked up a steamed bun, sniffed it, then took a bite. It was a braised pork bun, and it tasted quite good.

The two sisters sitting nearby witnessed the entire scene.

Liang Yan: "Sigh, we're disfigured now."

Liang Li: "And we've aged."

Zhao Yi shot them a warning glance and said, "Just keep being foolish, really."

He didn't like people trying to scheme against him, unless that person could suppress him as thoroughly as Li did.

Zhang Xiuxiu was indeed smarter than her brother.

Tonight, there were no stars or moon in the sky. It didn't seem obscured, but rather stripped away.

Time slowly passed. Then, the clocks in several shops on the street began to chime midnight, one after another.

In the waters near the dock below, waves surged in response, and this movement continued to extend outwards.

Buddhist chants quietly began, solemn and majestic, yet instead of cleansing the gloom, they made the place even more oppressive.

Li Zhuiyuan stood behind the offering table, surrounded by geomantic power, creating an aura akin to that of Emperor Fengdu.

Then, the young man held a talisman and slapped it down.

As the talisman spontaneously ignited, the flames of the two candles on the offering table turned black.

"Silence!"

No sooner had the young man spoken than orange-yellow lanterns lit up on both sides of the street, then steadily ascended, like eyes looking down, simultaneously suppressing the Buddhist chants.

Deep beneath the water, at the two pillars, figures in official robes appeared on the empty seats. Each possessed an aura of majesty. They were following a process, approving foreign ghosts who could come ashore to worship Fengdu.

However, while their inward-facing sides appeared as underworld officials, their outward-facing sides showed traces of Buddhist kasayas.

Groups of solitary ghosts and wild spirits, bound by shackles, advanced from the bottom of the water.

They had just set out; there was still a long way to go before they officially came ashore.

But this didn't prevent the vanguard from going first.

"Clang-clang... clang-clang..."

Three figures surfaced first. With their blue and red faces, eyes like lightning, and ferocious fangs, they were none other than the Two Generals of Gain and Loss!

These two, at all times, were at the forefront, serving as vanguards.

Logically, there should have been a guiding immortal child even further ahead.

Well, the immortal child was there this time too, just a bit early.

The Two Generals of Gain and Loss, three figures in total, immediately upon reaching shore, bound themselves with the chains they had held.

Immediately after, the three of them simultaneously raised their weapons, and three incense sticks ignited above their heads, drawing forth plumes of meritorious purple smoke from behind them.

With three steps of praise, their figures flickered continuously from their original positions, appearing at the next location, rapidly closing the distance.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Lin Shuyou."

Lin Shuyou walked to the offering table, with his twin maces in hand, his profile sharp, and his back straight.

He had experienced his nervousness, and settled his unease. Now, his mindset aligned with the immortal child's, leaving only the urge for a grand battle.

Red threads extended from Li Zhuiyuan's palm, forming a bond with Lin Shuyou in front of him.

The Two Generals of Gain and Loss bound themselves with chains to continuously replenish the divine essence depleted after their manifestation in the mortal realm.

As for Lin Shuyou, the moment the red threads bonded, he instantly felt the world before him become incredibly clear, as if the normally cold Ghost Street was actively showing him favor.

Li Zhuiyuan had not set up any array in advance here, because the entire Ghost City was an array in itself.

As long as the Great Emperor silently approved, he could continue to 'borrow the fox's might' here.

However, Zhao Yi, who had been standing behind Li Zhuiyuan, always ready to lend his mind, noticed that the young man's fingertips beneath the offering table occasionally trembled slightly, and the cluster of orange-yellow lanterns above their heads intermittently blinked.

At this point, Li, what are you playing at?

Zhao Yi looked up, beginning to deduce in his mind.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Stop calculating; save me some brainpower."

Zhao Yi displayed a polite smile, stopped his deductions internally, and instead began to curse Li in his mind.

Lin Shuyou had been waiting for Brother Xiao Yuan's voice to sound from within his heart, preparing to listen to his battle arrangements.

He waited for it.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Fight with everything you have, even if it means death."

Immortal Child: "This..."

Lin Shuyou: "Immortal Child, Brother Xiao Yuan means we have no retreat; we can only go all out. Even if we die, we must stop them!"

Before the immortal child could voice any more doubts, Lin Shuyou, with absolute dominance, completely took over his own body.

Vertical pupils opened, stripes appeared, and the True Lord's aura burst forth.

True Lord White Crane raised both arms, his two golden maces reflecting a sharp glint under the lanterns' light.

The next moment, True Lord White Crane charged towards the Two Generals of Gain and Loss.

Although now in different factions, seeing their former colleague actively challenge them sent a shock through the Two Generals of Gain and Loss. Their blood surged, and they resolved to fight a good battle tonight!

However, just as they prepared to meet him, they saw that True Lord White Crane, mid-charge, had his glabella mark spinning, and milky white flames burning on his body.

The Two Generals of Gain and Loss collectively halted, their eyes wide with astonishment.

They had expected a fierce battle and knew no one would hold back, but they had never anticipated that the immortal child would, from the very beginning, actively burn his own divine soul!

For countless years, these underworld deities had continuously descended upon spirit mediums to exorcise demons and monsters, wasn't it precisely to gain that precious merit to strengthen their divine souls?

How could he bear to do it?

The moment Lin Shuyou's divine soul ignited, Zhao Yi's internal cursing of Li Zhuiyuan immediately ceased, transforming into an open-mouthed, direct outburst:

"Li, didn't you ever consider what if you bet wrong, damn it?"

"You can leave."

Zhao Yi's eyes reddened, and he swore, "You're a lunatic! How dare you? Aren't you afraid at all?"

Before coming, he thought it would be a tragic, heroic drama. But who would have thought that as soon as the curtain rose, Li would tell everyone to give up their lives first?

Li Zhuiyuan: "You should have guessed already."

Zhao Yi: "Guessed what?"

"You can admit defeat, that's why you're afraid to lose. I can't afford to lose, so I'm not afraid anymore."

"Smack!"

Zhao Yi slapped himself hard across the face.

As a bright red handprint appeared on his face, his smile turned ingratiating:

"Li, I just lost a little control of my emotions."

Li Zhuiyuan ignored him.

"Brother Xiao Yuan, I just wanted to vent a little."

The young man remained silent.

"Ancestor, let me go next."

"Okay."

The burning of his divine soul brought a significant increase in True Lord White Crane's power. Coupled with the additional blessing from Ghost Street, when he 'thumped' down between the Two Generals of Gain and Loss, neither dared to meet him head-on, retreating instead to temporarily avoid his might.

General Gain: "White Crane, are you insane?"

General Loss: "White Crane, what are you doing this for?"

True Lord White Crane's vertical pupils glared contemptuously at the Two Generals of Gain and Loss, an arrogant expression appearing on his face.

At this moment, he completely overpowered his formerly superior colleagues in terms of aura, like a proud white crane truly soaring through the sky, looking down upon those below.

True Lord White Crane let out a long, melodious chant from his throat:

"Tonight, evil spirits will only be slain, not delivered!"