Chapter 304

Ignoring the mournful wails of the four spiritual beasts, the youth slightly tightened his left hand, intensifying the karmic fire that enveloped them.

Rather than paving the way for the chains to penetrate and bind their spiritual bodies, it was more like the youth was deliberately torturing and tormenting them, making them deeply experience what it felt like to live a life worse than death, and what a feast of spiritual torture truly was.

In this regard, Fengdu was always the most professional.

Li Zhuiyuan hoped this memory would be etched forever into their spiritual recollections, becoming an unshakeable nightmare for them.

The penetration of the chains now became even more rapid and frenzied.

They moved like enormous needles, flying up and down, piercing the spiritual beasts' bodies repeatedly, then turning back to strike again.

The four spiritual beasts were like the soles of cloth shoes, stitched exceptionally tightly and durably.

Since they were to be treated as dogs, their leashes had to be secured firmly, leaving no gaps, and denying them even a sliver of hope.

This was good for Tan Wenbin, and even better for them.

The youth held the formation flag in his right hand and slowly raised it.

All four chains pulled upwards, and the bodies of the four spiritual beasts were cruelly bound with a mournful cry, like four marionettes or items displayed on a store shelf.

"Tan Wenbin."

"Here!"

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Tan Wenbin, who held out his hands.

"It'll still hurt a bit."

Tan Wenbin nodded vigorously, clenching his teeth as he said:

"Understood."

The formation flag in Li Zhuiyuan's right palm dispersed into a bloody mist, then quickly re-formed into a pillar shape, its carved patterns becoming visibly clearer.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that this blood pillar was identical to the two pillars deep within the river at Fengdu Pier, merely scaled down proportionally.

The actual two pillars had stood before the Ghost Gate for countless ages, solely responsible for confining the ghosts who came to pay respects to Fengdu. The heavy, mountain-like shackles beneath the pillars recounted their history.

Now, Li Zhuiyuan had "moved" one of them over, solely to forge exclusive shackles for these four spiritual beasts.

The blood-red pillar was placed by the youth into Tan Wenbin's palms.

The flesh on Tan Wenbin's hands rapidly split open, his very blood seeming to churn and boil like water.

However, because of the previous pain from soul division, this time the pain was greatly diminished, making it bearable.

Soon, however, Tan Wenbin realized he had overestimated the situation.

If it were truly that simple, Brother Xiaoyuan wouldn't have given him a special reminder.

"Clank... clank..."

Chains dragged and rapidly recoiled, pulling the spiritual bodies of the centipede and green ox back with irresistible speed, crashing them into Tan Wenbin's body.

"Hiss... Aah!!!"

Tan Wenbin fell to his knees again, the pain now doubling that of the previous soul division.

Fortunately, no matter how violently his body trembled or how grotesquely his expression twisted, Tan Wenbin maintained the posture of hands spread before him, continuing the finalization process.

Li Zhuiyuan, standing nearby, meticulously observed Tan Wenbin's condition.

If Tan Wenbin couldn't hold on, the youth would have to interrupt the process.

To outsiders, both the initial Oath of Five Senses and the current act of taking the leashes appeared to be Li Zhuiyuan personally giving Tan Wenbin special training and artificial elevation.

It could even be traced back to when he first sealed the two vengeful infants within Tan Wenbin and specially developed the art of ghost manipulation for him.

In reality, not everyone was qualified to bear such things. Just like the same study methods, they worked for Tan Wenbin but not for Yingzi.

To be elevated, one must first possess the fundamental conditions to be elevated.

For a long time, Tan Wenbin had kept his two adopted sons on his shoulders, nurturing them. Even in a state of imbalance, he was willing to endure terrible daily suffering in a wheelchair just to carry the two children further, which forged the resilience of Tan Wenbin's own soul.

Tan Wenbin's talent wasn't top-tier in the team, but each time, he could keep up and adjust his state promptly, meeting all conditions when Li Zhuiyuan wanted to give him a boost.

This, in fact, was also a talent: always being prepared to be pulled up.

Seeing that Tan Wenbin could hold steady, Li Zhuiyuan was relieved. With the centipede and green ox still integrating, Li Zhuiyuan walked over to the blood ape.

The blood ape, which had been incredibly arrogant and craved freedom just moments before, now had exceptionally clear and bright eyes. Its blinking gaze seemed to convey the most innocent plea to the youth.

This was not a pretense... it was genuine.

This monkey was very mischievous. Its change in attitude towards you depended solely on whether you had whipped it.

Monkeys were indeed the most restless and unruly creatures.

This reminded Li Zhuiyuan of the monkey Sun Baishen kept.

Wei Zhengdao had once bluntly told Sun Baishen: "Animals are animals, after all."

Li Zhuiyuan would not make a similar mistake.

However, when the Five Senses Diagram first materialized, the four beasts' attitudes had been truly sincere. Even later, when they encountered crises on the road, they had consciously and actively protected Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhuiyuan truly had no reason... to shackle them prematurely.

Now, their coercive and oath-breaking actions had provided a justification, and Li Zhuiyuan felt a sense of relief.

The centipede and green ox were fully integrated, and the blood ape was dragged by chains into Tan Wenbin's body.

Tan Wenbin's trembling continued.

Li Zhuiyuan, meanwhile, walked behind Tan Wenbin and looked at the two-headed python.

Deng Chen was dead, but in the youth's eyes, the python still bore Deng Chen's likeness.

"You, you disappoint me greatly."

Intense regret flickered in the two-headed python's serpentine eyes.

It was definitely the smartest of the four spiritual beasts, and because it hadn't been shattered into a phantom during the Pig Head wave, it had more opportunities to interact with Li Zhuiyuan.

It could have become a being superior to the other three beasts, simply by choosing to openly defy them and stand firmly with Tan Wenbin.

At the very least... it shouldn't have let Tan Wenbin put on those reading glasses.

It knew it couldn't win; it was aware of how terrifying the power behind the youth was. Yet, it still harbored a sliver of hope, believing it could vie for more benefits within a controllable conflict.

It truly hadn't expected the youth to disregard negotiation demands and directly suppress with thunderous force.

"Never mind. I shouldn't have held out hope for you in the first place."

Li Zhuiyuan turned around. The blood ape had finished integrating.

Just as the two-headed python was being pulled up by the chains, the youth raised his arm, and the chains halted.

A spark of hope reignited in the two-headed python's serpentine eyes. It excitedly swayed its tail, believing it still had a chance.

It had misinterpreted.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand to stop, partly to give Tan Wenbin more time to rest and breathe, and partly to use the two-headed python to "cleanse" the land of Baijia Town.

The nominal owner of Baijia Town was someone from Brother Liangliang's family.

He had indeed come today to use the unique environment of Baijia Town for suppression, and the previous commotion was also meant to intimidate the entire town.

The youth didn't mind "writing" this deterrence more clearly; after all, he was already here.

Li Zhuiyuan clenched his left hand, and the two-headed python's body began to rapidly compress, as if it would burst at any moment.

The youth loosened his grip, and the two-headed python instinctively darted out with a shriek. As a spiritual entity, it didn't need to worry about damaging Baijia Town's buildings, but its continuous mournful wails and roars were enough to shake all the Baijia Town mistresses in their residences.

And so, the two-headed python darted from one end of the town to the other, roaming from the center to its outskirts.

Each time it was about to stop, Li Zhuiyuan would gently clench his hand, increasing its speed and amplifying its cries.

The Baijia Town mistress, her lower abdomen slightly swollen, sat inside the red coffin deep within the ancestral hall. Her back rested against the coffin wall, one hand gently stroking her belly, the other lightly pressing down on the corners of her lips, which she couldn't help but let curl into a smile.

She understood the youth's intention; he was endorsing her in this manner.

Baijia Town's power structure was primarily based on the town's rules, and even she found it difficult to break free from those constraints. Moreover, her strength had declined after becoming pregnant, leading to an inevitable continuous drop in her authority.

It was no exaggeration to say that since her pregnancy, most of her status had been supported by her relationship with that youth.

From this day forward, her status would be completely solidified, even surpassing what it was before her pregnancy.

When the timing was right, Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand, and the two-headed python was pulled back, integrating into Tan Wenbin's body.

Tan Wenbin remained kneeling there, the pillar in his outstretched hands having already merged into his flesh and blood.

From then on, he would completely control the abilities of these four spiritual beasts, no longer merely asking for their assistance, but commanding and mastering them.

Lifting his head, Tan Wenbin let out a long breath, gritted his teeth, and stood up again.

He actually felt a little apprehensive. If he had a choice, he would rather return to a harmonious relationship with the beasts inside him, where everyone got along and treated each other like friends or brothers.

But even in reality, most brothers who stuck together in their youth would eventually drift apart.

The phantoms of the four spiritual beasts appeared one by one behind Tan Wenbin, each tightly bound by chains. The aura that emanated caused Baijia Town to tremble four times consecutively.

His sensory perception was rapidly returning, and Tan Wenbin's entire demeanor changed with it.

From unremarkable, to incredibly sharp, then to reclusive brilliance.

His blood-soaked hands were still dripping, yet Tan Wenbin made a circle with his fingers, held it to his eye, turned, and looked at Lin Shuyou:

"A-You, now I don't even need to read books; I can just 'photograph' cheat sheets with my eyes!"

Lin Shuyou, who had been happy about Brother Bin's resurgence, heard this and his smile immediately froze on his face. He stammered for a long time before exclaiming:

"Brother Bin, that's cheating!"

Tan Wenbin: "So, by your logic, if Brother Xiaoyuan doesn't lower his IQ to the average level when taking exams, that's also cheating."

Lin Shuyou: "That's different! Brother Xiaoyuan comes with his own, but you're getting yours from outside!"

In the current situation, the two of them were actually debating about university final exams, and they seemed to enjoy it immensely.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't disturb them, letting them argue to their heart's content.

Finally, Lin Shuyou conceded. He stepped forward and grabbed Tan Wenbin's arm:

"Brother Bin, I beg you, you can't do this. What's the point of me studying and reviewing then?"

"I can pass you cheat sheets."

"That's cheating!"

"Brother Xiaoyuan will also take the exam with us, and we'll most likely be in the same exam room. If we get Brother Xiaoyuan to 'pull some strings' for us, the invigilator definitely won't notice."

"But I've already got 'strings pulled' with Brother Xiaoyuan... why would I still need you to pass me answers?"

"That's a good point."

"No, that's not right! Brother Bin, let's just take the exam normally, please!"

"Just kidding with you. I've already studied well; why would I need to cheat?"

Tan Wenbin walked up to Li Zhuiyuan, raised his arm, and flexed his bicep: "Brother Xiaoyuan, I feel full of power now. Once we're on shore, I can definitely beat Runsheng down."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Alright. After I help Runsheng clear his blocked energy points, I'll let him have a good fight with you."

Tan Wenbin blinked and said, "I meant Runsheng *as he is now*."

Only a fool would challenge Runsheng once his energy points were cleared.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lin Shuyou and asked, "Are you ready?"

Lin Shuyou answered loudly, "I'm ready!"

Li Zhuiyuan paused for a moment, then pointed to Tan Wenbin's previous spot, gesturing for A-You to stand there.

Anyway, the venue had already been rented, so it would be a waste not to use it.

However, Li Zhuiyuan also considered that it wouldn't be feasible to come down to the river whenever something happened in the future; it was too inconvenient. Moreover, Baijia Town couldn't provide certain arrangements, and he certainly couldn't help them construct formations here.

He needed to consider establishing a dedicated formation area in Siyuan Village.

Its exterior must not reveal any clues to ordinary people, while its internal structure needed to be stable and convenient in all aspects.

Technically, there were no difficulties; the problem still lay with the materials.

The issue wasn't prominent in the early stages of river travel, but as the journey progressed, the awkwardness of initiating river travel empty-handed became increasingly clear.

Zhao Yi still needed some time to recover from his injuries, and he also needed to deal with the matters in Nantong. Once both sides were settled, they could go to Jiujiang.

Li Zhuiyuan looked down on the foundations of ordinary families, and it would be difficult to gather the things the youth needed from them. But Jiujiang Zhao would definitely be fine, as that family was exceptionally good at management.

However, normally, taking action against a family of this caliber to raid their treasury during breaks from river travel would be extremely risky. Even with Li Zhuiyuan's current team strength, it would be easy to attempt to steal chickens only to lose the rice, and even if they managed to retreat unscathed, it would inevitably disrupt their river travel rhythm.

Unfortunately, the old Zhao family had a major traitor.

Gathering his thoughts, Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lin Shuyou.

Lin Shuyou stood ramrod straight, as if in military training.

He continuously swallowed saliva, his Adam's apple bobbing.

No wonder; after witnessing Brother Bin's previous misery firsthand, he now felt like a child about to get an injection.

However, Li Zhuiyuan neither reformed the formation flag nor reopened the Ghost Gate. The methods previously used against the four spiritual beasts were not replicated.

Because the White Crane Boy was different from those four.

The original Boy had once been arrogant and proud, but the current Boy could be considered integrated.

Tan Wenbin's perception had been degrading in Fengdu and had only just recovered.

Lin Shuyou's alternating hot and cold sensations had only occurred briefly in Fengdu and hadn't recurred since.

This indicated that the Boy preferred to remain suppressed rather than forcefully assert himself and trigger Lin Shuyou's pain.

Ever since the Boy descended from the altar and inhabited Lin Shuyou's body, the two had chattered privately for so long that they had truly developed genuine affection.

Li Zhuiyuan's fingertips moved rapidly, then his index and middle fingers joined, pointing towards Lin Shuyou's glabella:

"Open!"

Lin Shuyou felt that Brother Xiaoyuan in front of him and Brother Bin behind him were rapidly distancing themselves from him. His consciousness twisted for a moment, as if a barrier within his body had been weakened into a thin membrane.

The Ghost Marshal's mark emerged on Lin Shuyou's forehead.

The pain of alternating hot and cold began to rise, but this time, it was very mild, feeling somewhat like a fever.

Li Zhuiyuan spoke:

"A-You, your current situation is a bit complicated. I can give you a brief description.

The position of Ghost Marshal was personally conferred by Emperor Fengdu. My authority only allows me to re-confer, not revoke it.

There's a systemic conflict between the Ghost Marshal position and your True Lord body; they are fundamentally incompatible.

This contradiction within you not only prevents you from exerting your full power, but as time passes, the current balance is destined to break, and your risk of bodily explosion will increase.

There are two solutions:

One is for me to abolish your True Lord position, retaining only your Ghost Marshal identity.

I can do this because Sun Baishen should grant me that favor."

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan's unspoken meaning was: Sun Baishen was not as difficult to deal with as the Great Emperor.

Moreover, most True Lords were currently sealed with Sun Baishen at the bottom of the sea. Even if this sole remaining True Lord outside were gone, Sun Baishen wouldn't care much, as he didn't derive merit from True Lords anyway.

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Xiaoyuan, what will happen to the Boy if the True Lord position is abolished?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The Boy's divine soul will be annihilated, becoming nourishment within your body and eventually absorbed by you."

Lin Shuyou: "I choose the second option."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The second option is for me to transfer the Ghost Marshal position to the Boy, and you, in turn, will be conferred as a Ghost General under the Boy.

You will be unable to defy the Boy's will, and your life and death will be entirely at the Boy's whim.

Do you still choose the second option?"

Lin Shuyou replied with almost no hesitation, "I choose the second option."

After choosing, as if afraid the youth might misunderstand, Lin Shuyou scratched his head and explained:

"Anyway, this way, my strength won't be lost, I can still help you, Brother Xiaoyuan, and besides, the Boy listens to you very well."

In any case, I don't want the Boy to die.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze deepened, and he said:

"Think about it again, and answer me properly."

Tan Wenbin turned away, avoiding Lin Shuyou's gaze, and pulled out cigarettes from his pocket, only to find them damp.

At that moment, Tan Wenbin noticed an exquisitely crafted water pipe under the eaves of a residence across the way.

Tan Wenbin walked over, picked up the water pipe, and examined it; the tobacco leaves inside were well-packed.

As he was about to take a puff, he found his lighter wouldn't spark due to water damage.

"Clink..."

A silver-cased fire starter was tossed out of the window.

Tan Wenbin picked it up, uncapped it, blew on it, and a red spark ignited.

This pair was truly a perfect match; outside, it would definitely be considered a work of art.

Tan Wenbin walked to the window. These windows were high-set, serving for ventilation and sunlight, and ordinary people outside couldn't see inside, providing good privacy.

Grabbing the edge, his palms reddened. Propelled by the blood ape's power, Tan Wenbin lifted himself up to the window and looked inside the room.

Actually, Tan Wenbin was being a bit over-sensitive. He wanted to smoke the water pipe but was worried its owner might find it hard to accept.

After all, in real rural areas, most people who still smoked water pipes were elderly grandfathers and grandmothers. Of course, there wouldn't be any grandfathers here.

If the Baijia Town mistress in the room had a face so wrinkled and sagging she looked ancient, he truly couldn't bring himself to use a water pipe she had used.

He would just have to thank her and say he planned to quit smoking.

Inside the dimly lit room, there was a stool, and the Baijia Town mistress was sitting on it.

Earlier, Brother Liang's wife had given orders to close doors and windows, forbidding peeking. Logically, this window should have been closed, but it seemed to be broken or detached, so she couldn't close it.

Therefore, she was sitting inside the room with her back to the outside, facing inwards, trying to compensate as much as possible.

From her back, she looked very young, about the same age as Brother Xiaoyuan, with two pigtails that made her seem rather cute.

Tsk, that's why kids shouldn't learn to smoke. See, you die so early.

If calculated by actual age, that seemingly young Baijia Town mistress inside should be older than his own grandmother.

Tan Wenbin released his grip and dropped down. He felt in his pocket, pulled out a Peace of Mind Talisman, and tossed it through the window as a return gift.

Whether the Peace of Mind Talisman was useful or not was beside the point; the gesture itself was a display of attitude, which would at least ensure she received some preferential treatment in town.

He used the fire starter to light the water pipe, took a puff, and exhaled a smoke ring. Tan Wenbin looked at A-You over there, and he could no longer suppress the smile on his lips.

Facing Brother Xiaoyuan's second question, A-You began to "perform" thinking again.

In fact, the answer was still the same.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Answer me."

Lin Shuyou took a deep breath: "Brother Xiaoyuan... I still choose the second option."

After answering, Lin Shuyou prepared himself for Brother Xiaoyuan's rebuke.

Li Zhuiyuan did not rebuke him, but instead pointed at A-You's glabella once more.

Lin Shuyou felt a swelling and soreness in his left eye. Immediately after, a vertical pupil, which hadn't appeared for a long time, opened in his left eye.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Boy, you heard that."

The Boy: "I heard it."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You're inside him; you should know he's not lying or acting."

The Boy: "He doesn't have that kind of acting skill."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The third option is for A-You to retain his True Lord position while being formally conferred as a Ghost Marshal. You will become his subordinate Ghost General. You will be unable to defy A-You's will, and your life and death will also be at A-You's whim."

Previously, when Li Zhuiyuan was dealing with the spiritual beasts within Tan Wenbin, he had told Lin Shuyou to "watch carefully."

Lin Shuyou's "understood" was loud and firm.

But this reminder wasn't for Lin Shuyou; it was for the Boy inside A-You.

There was a red line Li Zhuiyuan would not allow to be crossed. He could not accept A-You being completely controlled by the Boy.

Therefore, in essence, the so-called choices didn't exist.

The Boy could only choose this one path Li Zhuiyuan had planned.

The reason for letting Lin Shuyou choose beforehand was to make the Boy feel more at ease.

Li Zhuiyuan already knew A-You's answer before he even asked.

Now, A-You would rather be controlled by you than see you annihilated, so what more resentment could you possibly harbor?

The problem with Lin Shuyou was very similar to Tan Wenbin's. The Great Emperor had deliberately raised the power of the spiritual entity to increase asymmetric conflict.

In the past, A-You and the Boy could coexist relatively equally under the True Lord system, but the current reality was that a primary and secondary role had to be decided, and a choice made.

The point of conflict between the True Lord position and the Ghost Marshal position was actually the Boy himself. The two could coexist, but only if one was dominant and the other was subordinate.

The Boy's tone was calm as he replied, "I choose the third option."

There was only one option, yet an answer still had to be selected.

After a pause, the Boy said to the youth before him, "Thank you."

It was indeed a compulsion, but the experience didn't leave the Boy feeling resentful.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I can promise you that when my power is sufficient in the future, I can help you undo this Ghost General's restraint and grant you freedom."

The Boy: "There's no need for that. What I mean is, I don't really care."

With any other medium, the Boy wouldn't have said such a thing, but he trusted Lin Shuyou's character.

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to A-You, pulled out a piece of yellow paper, and with a flick, the paper spontaneously combusted, scattering into tiny sparks of light.

The youth pressed his right hand forward in the air and said, "Lin Shuyou, kneel and receive your conferment!"

The phantom of the Ghost Gate appeared behind the youth once more.

But this time, it wasn't for a suppressive effect; it merely served as a backdrop for the ritual.

Lin Shuyou faced Li Zhuiyuan and knelt on one knee.

His mind was a bit muddled, as if he were in a hazy state of sleep.

The youth's left hand was open, making an invisible lifting gesture:

"By Fengdu's decree, Lin Shuyou is hereby conferred as Fengdu's Underworld Ghost Marshal."

Li Zhuiyuan kept all formalities simple here. Conferring titles upon his own team members behind closed doors didn't require any elaborate show.

Lin Shuyou, still dazed, said:

"I receive the decree!"

The Ghost Marshal's mark, which had already appeared on Lin Shuyou's glabella, stopped flashing and rotating, becoming fixed.

Conversely, the True Lord's mark began to fluctuate, showing a tendency to grow increasingly restless.

"By Fengdu's decree, the White Crane Boy is hereby conferred as Lin Shuyou's subordinate Ghost General!"

The Boy's voice resounded:

"I receive the decree!"

The True Lord's mark stabilized.

The two marks not only stopped conflicting but began to show a tendency to merge with each other.

"Ah..."

In an instant, Lin Shuyou felt completely at ease. His former power had not only returned but had also received a significant boost.

The poisoned sugar coating given by the Great Emperor had been stripped away, and the "sugar" itself was consumed.

"Whoa!"

Lin Shuyou stood up. The Ghost Marshal patterns on his face faded, replaced by the True Lord patterns of old, displaying the traditional image and wildness of the White Crane Boy.

This was his own decision on precedence; he still preferred to be the White Crane True Lord, and as for the Ghost Marshal... he'd just consider it an extra attachment.

A terrifying pressure radiated outwards from Lin Shuyou, spreading throughout Baijia Town.

The True Lord's vertical pupil was tinged with eerie depth, bringing an even more terrifying pressure.

Theoretically, everyone in Baijia Town could be classified as an evil spirit.

This was equivalent to all the Baijia Town mistresses in town having just been "inspected" by the White Crane True Lord, like a judicial officer touring prisoners.

This was an unspoken deterrent.

If Baijia Town were to misbehave again, the White Crane would arrive on patrol, either standing on shore or diving underwater, hunting mice for food.

"Whoosh..."

His aura receded, and Lin Shuyou, too, began to emulate Brother Bin, practicing restraint.

But he was, after all, a youth of pure character. Having regained greater power, he said the same words as Tan Wenbin had just moments ago, but with more sincerity and confidence:

"Brother Xiaoyuan, after you help Runsheng clear his energy points, I want to have a good fight with him!"

"You two arrange it yourselves."

Even just by sensing their auras, one could clearly perceive the enormous changes in Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou. The transformation in their strengths could no longer be described as simply doubling.

This wave in Chengdu presented an extraordinary advantage: astonishing gains.

But the prerequisite was still that Li Zhuiyuan had secretly changed the lock.

If the lock on the Ghost Gate hadn't been successfully changed, and Li Zhuiyuan hadn't gained authority with the Great Emperor's approval, then instead of marveling at the team's significant increase in strength, the team would be on the verge of exploding.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Wenbin: "Get ready to go, Brother Binbin. Go say your goodbyes."

"Understood."

Tan Wenbin walked along the town path towards the center. When he reached the ancestral hall's main gate, it automatically opened.

The Bai family sister-in-law stood behind the door, ready to greet him.

Tan Wenbin nodded to her and walked with her into the center of the ancestral hall.

He glanced at the red coffin set up there, feeling as if he had accidentally stumbled into Brother Liang's wedding chamber.

Dispelling distractions, Tan Wenbin walked to the incense altar.

The Baijia Town mistress offered him an incense stick.

Tan Wenbin took the incense stick with one hand and snapped off the bottom half with a flick of his middle finger.

Only the upper half remained, which Tan Wenbin inserted into the incense burner.

He didn't bow before offering the incense, nor did he make any extra gestures after inserting it, simply nodding briefly to the person beside him.

This implied that he was not there to worship the Bai family; Baijia Town was not worthy of worship from the Dragon King's family.

Offering only half an incense stick was a gesture of respect for an individual, and it also repaid the favor of being lent the venue.

There were many rules and customs in the jianghu, and the higher one went, the more serious these rules became. It wasn't about adhering to so-called rules to assert status, but rather that failing to understand them could easily lead to unnecessary karma.

For example, if he foolishly bowed and offered incense on behalf of Brother Xiaoyuan, wouldn't that directly acknowledge an almost equal relationship between Baijia Town and the Dragon King's family, allowing them to gain leverage? Or would it mean he was actively taking on responsibility for Baijia Town?

It was only Tan Wenbin who understood these rules, thanks to frequently spending time with the old lady, who had intentionally groomed him for the role of shouting commands from the Dragon King's boat bow.

When Tan Wenbin emerged, he saw Brother Xiaoyuan and A-You already waiting for him outside the archway. He raised a hand in acknowledgment, then returned the water pipe and fire starter to their original places.

The Bai family sister-in-law followed behind him. Seeing this, she deliberately covered her mouth and teased:

"Xiao Yu is still young. If you need a maid, you could take her; it would be her good fortune."

Her tone and expression closely resembled a conversation between a local fortress lord and a guarding eunuch. She was also subtly leaning into her "sister-in-law" identity, playfully teasing her brother-in-law.

After all, she was someone who had lived so long and could preside over this generation of the Bai family. Except for her passionate impulse regarding Xue Liangliang, she was calm and knew her boundaries at all other times.

"Young, you say? What year was she born?"

"Her age just passed sixty."

"Forget it then. Taking her back would be like bringing my grandma an old girlfriend."

The woman didn't press the matter further; she already knew he wouldn't take her.

"After a while, I'll come and bring you some baby supplies."

"I thank you for your favor."

Baby supplies were already almost filling a room, yet the pregnancy had only just begun to show.

No one knew how long this pregnancy would last, not even the mother herself, because her experience was unprecedented in Baijia Town's history.

"Alright, don't see us off. We're leaving."

"Yes."

Tan Wenbin ran out of the archway, met up with Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou, and together they walked away.

The woman bowed to their departing figures. On both sides, house doors opened, and the Baijia Town mistresses emerged with lanterns, standing on either side of the street and collectively kneeling to see them off.

Back on shore, all three began to deal with their wet clothes.

Lin Shuyou: "I should have left my clothes on shore before going down."

Tan Wenbin smacked the back of Lin Shuyou's head: "What are you thinking? You want the three of us men to go naked to Baijia Town? That's Baijia Town, not the Women's Kingdom."

Lin Shuyou: "We could wear boxers."

Tan Wenbin: "That's not dignified. What kind of impression would we make standing in front of Brother Xiaoyuan wearing just boxers? If the old lady found out back home, we'd be beaten to death!"

Lin Shuyou rubbed his head, as if something had occurred to him, and asked: "Brother Bin, do you think the Women's Kingdom that Tang Sanzang visited during his pilgrimage was just like Baijia Town?"

After experiencing the previous wave, myths and legends took on new interpretations in everyone's eyes.

Tan Wenbin: "Hmph, no wonder Tang Sanzang could remain unmoved by beauty. With a Baijia Town mistress in his lap, who could possibly get excited?"

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Liang?"

Tan Wenbin: "If Brother Liang ever gets his appendix removed, let's try to get it from the doctor. Maybe eating it will grant immortality."

Lin Shuyou: "How would you season an appendix? Like large intestine?"

Tan Wenbin: "No, are you serious about eating it?"

"Burp!"

Beside the tricycle, Runsheng burped.

Tan Wenbin asked curiously, "Runsheng, did you take a moment to buy something to eat outside?"

"No."

Runsheng moved aside, revealing a small red coffin behind him.

Lin Shuyou: "Runsheng, did you catch a Baijia Town mistress for a snack?"

Runsheng shook his head and said:

"Not long after you went down, a large white rat pushed this coffin to the shore. The coffin was filled with dishes, and they tasted very good.

I couldn't resist eating them all. Sorry."

Tan Wenbin waved his hand: "It's fine. We probably wouldn't be used to the delicacies you find tasty."

Li Zhuiyuan said: "Let's take the yellow pickup truck back. The other vehicles can be left here for Baijia Town to look after."

Tan Wenbin: "Let's go, home!"

On the distant river surface, a rat wearing an apron, holding a spoon in its left hand and a shovel in its right, was swimming vigorously.

It was going to swim across the Yangtze River and land on the Shanghai Bund!

Unfortunately, when it was still some distance from Nantong's territory, a coffin emerged from underwater. A Baijia Town mistress reached out, grabbed the rat's tail, and mercilessly dragged it back.

The white rat was powerless to resist and could only cry out indignantly:

"Is there any justice left? Any law? I just boiled a pot of wontons and now I'm being dragged all the way to Nantong!"

Benben covered his crotch, looking resentfully at Zhao Yi.

"Hahahahaha!"

Zhao Yi was laughing when he noticed Xiao Yingying standing behind him.

Even knowing the other party's extraordinary status and power, Xiao Yingying still clearly expressed her anger.

Here, she truly didn't need to fear anyone.

"Just playing a joke with the kid; I'm fond of him too."

Old Tiantou chimed in from the side: "Young Master, children born to oneself are the most fun."

Zhao Yi: "Old Tiantou."

"Yes, Young Master."

"I made some inquiries for you. There's a widowed old woman in this village."

"Huh?"

"In her youth, she was considered one of the prettiest women for miles around."

"Young Master, no, no, no..."

"She's quite good. She has a daughter, and then a granddaughter, but no sons. If you go live with her, there will be less resistance. Oh, and by the way, the old woman's name is Liu Jinxia."

"Young Master, can we not joke about me?"

"You joked about me first."

"How was that a joke? Young Master, you're in your prime, the perfect age for sowing seeds."

"Hmm, if I find women outside to have children with, the two from the Liang family would hold a grudge and stab me in the back to take me down with them. Or if I get them pregnant, and then travel the river with two pregnant women.

I can't do it, and even that guy named Li probably doesn't have the ability either."

Old Tiantou pointed at Benben in the crib: "Young Master, isn't he a ready-made example?"

Zhao Yi: "If his parents hadn't met that guy named Li, and hadn't been rescued and quickly 'relit their lamps' to leave the jianghu, their family of three would have long since sunk into the river."

Xiong Shan and his wife's actions could only be called good luck; simple people stumbled upon simple blessings.

"Three-Eyes!"

Lin Shuyou's voice called out.

Zhao Yi