Chapter 307

Such was the Dragon King's grand vision.

Zhao Yi's transformation stemmed from his ancestor's notes, combined with insights gained from his own experiences on the river and Old Lady Liu's guidance. This allowed him to progressively understand his ancestor's state of mind.

To outsiders, his next move would be nothing short of the greatest rebellion in the Zhao family's history.

But to Zhao Yi, if his ancestor Zhao Wuyang were to be resurrected, the first one to act against Jiujiang Zhao would be the ancestor himself, not even Zhao Yi.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up the copper coins one by one from the ground.

Zhao Yi rose from the meditation cushion, his expression shifting from grave solemnity to deep confusion and doubt.

The divination indicated great fortune.

In reality, no matter what the divination specifically pointed to, it wouldn't alter the outcome of their journey.

Li Zhuiyuan was skilled in divination, but the more one understood it, the less one would blindly believe in it.

This divination was performed merely as a formality.

They never even considered that Zhao Wuyang would actually "manifest his spirit."

However, what was supposed to be a simple formality had now gone awry.

The ancestral tablet had just moved.

Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi both felt it. This was certainly not due to nearby construction or an earthquake, because the identity tablets of Li the Corpse Fisher from Nantong, placed next to the offering table, remained completely still.

Zhao Yi spoke, "I recall you saying, when the three incense sticks burned down, that after that, I would no longer be able to sense my ancestor's spirit."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "Yes, you certainly shouldn't have felt it."

When the three incense sticks burned down, Zhao Yi was cursed by the Book of Life and Death. To save him, Li Zhuiyuan used the copper coin sword given by Zhao Wuyang as a medium, activated the Zhao family's fundamental techniques he had mastered, and then simulated Zhao Wuyang's aura with geomancy. Only then did he manage to pull Zhao Yi back from the brink of death, from what should have been a cursed demise.

The copper coin sword turned to dust, and along with it, the "ancestral blessing" that should have been present on Zhao Yi also vanished.

Therefore, theoretically, even if Zhao Yi were to knock his head against the ancestral tablet until it bled, or even crushed his brains out, it wouldn't evoke the slightest response from his ancestor.

But just now, there was a response.

Zhao Yi: "Is it possible that response wasn't for me, but for you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No."

Zhao Yi: "Are you sure?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Certain."

Zhao Yi: "Then, that's strange."

Li Zhuiyuan extended his right hand, and threads of blood spread out.

Zhao Yi couldn't see the blood threads, but he could sense something being released. At the same time, the young man before him had a depth in his eyes that Zhao Yi couldn't fathom.

The threads of blood coiled around the tablet inscribed with "Ancestor Zhao Wuyang," using it as the first node. They continued to extend, falling behind the offering table, where a pair of footprints seemed to appear.

In fact, the "red threads" were a materialization of Li Zhuiyuan's own understanding, and so were the footprints.

An invisible spirit couldn't possess the movements of a normal person, but it indicated that Zhao Wuyang's spirit had touched this place.

A spirit is not a ghost; it represents a state. Even though both terms contain the character 'ling', there's a world of difference between them.

Traditional "walking the underworld" involves making intangible things visible. Li Zhuiyuan's red threads, however, were on a higher level, creating tangible traces of the indescribable.

The red threads continued to extend forward, constantly forming footprints on the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan followed the footprints, with Zhao Yi walking behind him.

The two walked out of the small partitioned room and into the open.

The footprints continued onward.

On the embankment, four old ladies were playing cards.

It was Wang Lian's turn to sit out this round, and she was peeling peanuts for the others at the table.

Her life's destiny wheel was twisted and disjointed, signifying a life of hardship. However, the wheel had formed, surpassing that of many ordinary people, indicating that if she persevered, a day would come when her suffering would turn to joy.

Although she wouldn't personally taste that joy, her heart's long-held wish should be fulfilled.

Granny Hua's destiny wheel was unformed, scattered and sparse, indicating what folk wisdom called a short life and shallow blessings. However, a faint, soft glow encircled its edges, supporting it.

Liu Jinxia, on the other hand, was defined by her toughness.

Li Zhuiyuan had witnessed this firsthand before.

As for Liu Yumei... Li Zhuiyuan deliberately bypassed this old lady as he followed the red threads.

Wang Lian, peeling peanuts, curiously watched Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi walk past their card table.

The elder followed closely behind the younger, step by step, with the younger one's hand extended forward, as if playing a game of mimicking a blind person walking.

Liu Jinxia and Granny Hua also saw them. They were about to make a playful remark when their attention was completely drawn away by Liu Yumei's shout of "Hu!" (a winning call in mahjong).

The main reason was that Liu Yumei usually lost money playing cards and rarely won big. This time, her big win genuinely surprised her cardmates.

Liu Yumei chuckled, reached out, and grabbed a handful of shelled peanuts from Wang Lian. She blew away the husks, popped a few into her mouth, and laughed, "My luck is good today. It feels like something good is coming our way."

Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi crossed the entire embankment and entered the east house.

The footprints stopped in front of the offering table in the east house, which was filled with ancestral tablets.

A single, slender red thread passed through each tablet from top to bottom, missing none.

It was as if someone had stood there, their gaze sweeping down from top to bottom across all the tablets.

However, on a few tablets clustered together, the red threads were densely intertwined, completely wrapping them.

This indicated that they had been looked at, and perhaps even touched.

Of course, these actions weren't physically real; they were all products of Li Zhuiyuan's imagination.

The ancestral tablets of the Qin and Liu families were initially arranged on the left and right sides, with their vertical order determined by seniority within each family.

Later, after Ah Li started carving wood shavings from ancestral tablets, a continuous supply of replacement tablets became necessary. This led to the offering table keepers becoming too lazy to separate the two families, so they simply arranged all tablets, whether Qin or Liu, chronologically from beginning to end.

To some extent, this contributed to the great reconciliation and integration of the Qin and Liu families throughout history.

Historically, the two families harbored deep animosity due to their rivalry for the Dragon King title. Almost every Qin family Dragon King had killed members of the Liu family, and every Liu family Dragon King had shed the blood of Qin family members.

All these grievances and feuds ultimately drifted away, transforming into wood shavings in the hands of their shared descendant, the little granddaughter.

Zhao Yi: "Those few, judging by their era, are very close to my ancestor."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Indeed."

Standing before the tablets, looking forward, one saw the stories of previous Dragon Kings that one had heard; looking backward, one saw one's own future glory as a Dragon King.

During this time, there might also be a mix of sentiment and high spirits.

Even someone of humble origins like himself could powerfully seize and carve out his own era within the domain of the Dragon King lineage.

Unfortunately, the spirits of the Qin and Liu ancestors were no longer present. Otherwise, the sense of interaction would have been much stronger, not just a one-sided impression.

They stepped out of the east house and back into the sunlight.

Zhao Yi raised a hand to shield his forehead, a pained expression on his face. What he found distasteful was not merely the sunlight.

"Li, it seems things have gotten a bit out of hand."

"Indeed."

"If that's truly the case, then it's no wonder my Zhao family hasn't produced another Dragon King since our ancestor, and has barely produced any Zhao family members on the river capable of vying for the title."

Li Zhuiyuan looked down at the thick book Zhao Yi had given him: "The Zhao Family Annihilation Guide."

"The Zhao family might be infinitely dirtier than you, young master Zhao, know."

Ah Li was drawing, with a picture book Cui Cui had brought laid out in front of her.

The picture book was a reduced print; its smaller size blurred many details and prevented the full scope from being appreciated.

Ah Li held a paintbrush. She appeared to be copying, but in reality, she was only taking the general form and reinterpreting it.

Cui Cui also held a paintbrush, but she had no paper in front of her, nor any paint on the brush tip. She just watched intently, moving her wrist along with Ah Li.

Ah Li was not a good teacher; in this regard, she was like Li Zhuiyuan.

The more proficient one became in a field, the harder it was to teach students, because what they subconsciously considered fundamental might be the students' ceiling.

However, Cui Cui was a good student. She appreciated the overall artistic conception Ah Li conveyed in her drawing, but most of the time, her eyes were fixed on Ah Li's wrist and brush tip, watching how she rendered each small scene and object.

Being able to grasp these techniques and barely reproduce a little of them would be enough to excel in a school art club.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in.

Ah Li paused her drawing. She could tell from the young man's footsteps that he had something on his mind.

However, after a brief pause, the girl immediately resumed her drawing.

It was normal for things to happen. Since the young man hadn't called for her, it meant he didn't need her help with this matter.

Li Zhuiyuan's room served as their activity space. They had long since developed a tacit understanding regarding the allocation of their time together.

The period from waking up in the morning until Aunt Liu called "breakfast" was their traditional leisure time, usually spent sitting outside on rattan chairs watching the sunrise and playing chess.

In the afternoon, there would be a period for reading. Sometimes Ah Li would read with the young man, and sometimes she would simply accompany him.

Other than that, for most of the time, although they were in the same room, one was at a study desk and the other at an art desk, each doing their own thing.

"Brother Xiao Yuan, have some of this. I brought it."

Cui Cui walked over with a bag containing puffed rice, not popcorn made from corn, but from plump, pearly white rice.

Li Zhuiyuan took a handful and put it in his mouth. It was fragrant and slightly sweet.

Many families in the village specially made this as a snack for children.

Sensing that the young man had something on his mind, Cui Cui returned to Ah Li's side to continue learning to draw after delivering the puffed rice.

Li Zhuiyuan first took out a blank notebook, pulled a fountain pen from the pen holder, then spread open "River Walking Conduct" and turned to the chapter on "Dream Ghosts."

The cap of the fountain pen remained on; he merely rubbed the tip gently against a blank page of the notebook.

A formalized divination had changed the nature of things.

It had added a major variable to what should have been a simple and smooth "procurement trip."

Currently, it was hard to say whether the large truck he planned to drive to Jiujiang would be able to bring back the necessary items.

Being accustomed to "river walking" often led to a certain mindset, underestimating risks beyond the immediate currents. This was especially apparent for Li Zhuiyuan's team, who were targeted by the Way of Heaven.

In reality, this "Jianghu" was inherently perilous. It could make a person, but it could also swallow them whole, leaving not even a trace.

Placing the Zhao family archives given by Zhao Yi on his lap, Li Zhuiyuan leaned back slightly against the chair, his eyes half-closed.

His mind was threefold, simultaneously reviewing his preparatory work for the "Dream Ghost" wave, reading the Zhao family archives, and planning the next course of action.

The young man didn't feel he was making a mountain out of a molehill, because the most unassuming ditch was often the easiest place to capsize.

Meanwhile, by the path leading from Li Sanjiang's house to the village road, Zhao Yi leaned alone against a tree, watching the small river flow by, with geese and ducks passing in turns, making "uh-uh" and "quack-quack" sounds.

Some were thinking, others were enjoying life.

Lin Shuyou was running along a field path, flying a kite.

The kite was a gift from a village carpenter to Li Sanjiang. When Li Zhuiyuan first made tools like the Yellow River shovel, he had to ask for the carpenter's help because his family didn't have the necessary tools ready.

After learning of Li Sanjiang's illness, the old carpenter started making it at home. It was a Nantong specialty—a whistle kite.

The kite flew in the sky, emitting crisp whistling sounds, symbolizing prayers for blessings and the dispersion of illness.

Lin Shuyou was having a great time, with a group of village children following him, running, shouting, and praising alongside him.

When he got tired of flying the kite, Lin Shuyou put it away and led his little cheerleading squad, who had been with him for a long time, to Aunt Zhang's small store to treat them to soda.

Such things happened frequently in the past, and Aunt Zhang was used to it, only thinking that this young man was like a child who would never grow up, and enjoyed playing with little kids.

In truth, although Lin Shuyou used to attend school normally, most of his free time was spent training to become a spirit medium, leaving him with few opportunities to play and run with friends.

Many people, once they grow up and have the means, intentionally do things to make up for shortcomings in their childhood.

As he carried the kite back, Lin Shuyou saw Zhao Yi sitting by the river, a look of "despair greater than death" on his face.

His appearance and the scene suggested that at any moment, Zhao Yi might lose heart and throw himself into the river to commit suicide.

Although he knew this was impossible and that the small river couldn't drown him, Lin Shuyou, out of basic human concern, called out to Zhao Yi: "Hey, Three Eyes!"

Zhao Yi leaned the back of his head against the tree trunk behind him and sighed.

Some things, though passed and seemingly normal at the time, once a critical point was revealed, would immediately take on a different appearance when looked back upon.

Lin Shuyou walked towards the river.

Zhao Yi turned his head, looked at him, and said, "You certainly have a lot of leisure time."

Lin Shuyou: "Exactly! Brother Bin has gone to his future in-laws' place, so I can play without worries."

Zhao Yi: "He's going to his mother-in-law's house, why are you so happy? Where does such strong empathy come from?"

Lin Shuyou: "He won't be able to read, so I won't feel pressured and can play for a while."

Zhao Yi: "Impossible to read? Is he going to his mother-in-law's house to do farm work?"

Lin Shuyou was startled.

In his memory, it seemed Brother Bin only went to his mother-in-law's place to eat and drink, like a privileged master.

And speaking of farm work, Brother Bin seemed never to have touched a hoe, whereas he himself had once helped Zhou Yunyun's family with a full day's work.

In that instant, a huge wave of panic washed over him: "Brother Bin isn't studying at his mother-in-law's house, is he?"

Zhao Yi: "Perhaps his father-in-law is preparing to kill chickens and fish for dinner, and his mother-in-law has cut him a fruit platter, placed it next to his desk, and urged him not to work so hard and to take care of his health."

Hearing this, Lin Shuyou turned his head to look at the kite on his shoulder, then spun around, intending to go home, and secretly decided he wouldn't sleep tonight.

"Hey, hey, hey, you have time to fly a kite, but no time to chat with me for a bit, right?"

Lin Shuyou stopped and looked at Zhao Yi. "Three Eyes, what's wrong with you?"

"Sigh, I'm feeling a bit unsettled. Come, sit over here, I'll tell you something to cheer you up."

Lin Shuyou hesitated, but finally sat down next to Zhao Yi, whispering, "I don't want to hear you make fun of yourself."

"You know, I originally thought my family was a bit dirty and needed a cleanup. Now I realize my family might... just be a bit clean."

"So are you clean or dirty?"

Zhao Yi looked at Lin Shuyou with some surprise, and mused, "I finally understand why so many famous dialogues left by great sages in ancient texts are conversations with young children."

Lin Shuyou: "That doesn't sound like a compliment?"

Zhao Yi: "Whether I'm dirty or clean, it no longer matters."

Lin Shuyou: "It depends on what you do, specifically?"

Zhao Yi: "Ah You."

Lin Shuyou: "Yes?"

Zhao Yi: "Do you... have inside information?"

Lin Shuyou: "No."

Zhao Yi: "No means yes."

Lin Shuyou: "You..."

Zhao Yi put his hand on the ground, stood up, and straightened his clothes. "You're right, it really depends on what I decide to do."

Lin Shuyou, who had just sat down, had no choice but to stand up with him, pick up his kite, and follow Zhao Yi home.

As they approached the embankment, they saw that the old ladies' card game had already ended.

Lin Shuyou: "Why did they break up so early today? Usually, they play until just before dinner is called."

At this moment, Liu Jinxia and Granny Hua were gone, presumably having returned home. Wang Lian was sweeping with a broom, and Aunt Liu walked over with a bag: "Aunt Lian, we just fried some tiger-skin pork and cured spare ribs at home. Take them back for the children to try."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly take these. You should keep them for yourselves; you have more people in your family."

"It's precisely because none of them like to eat it."

Wang Lian took it, a little embarrassed. In this day and age, who could possibly dislike meat?

When Old Lady Liu wasn't playing cards, Zhao Yi was supposed to greet her. But as soon as he started walking towards her, Liu Yumei picked up her teacup and gestured, indicating he could skip the formality.

Zhao Yi smiled and nodded, then went straight up to the second floor.

On the terrace, Li Zhuiyuan stood before a brazier where a thick book was burning.

On the washstand built with cement slabs nearby, there was an old-fashioned mobile phone.

Zhao Yi: "You read that quickly."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you made up your mind?"

Zhao Yi: "I have, which is why I came to compare notes with you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go on."

Zhao Yi pointed to two rattan chairs in the corner: "Let's sit over there and talk."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, looking at the brazier in front of him: "The book hasn't finished burning yet."

Zhao Yi reached out, disregarded the flames, and flipped the pages to make them burn more thoroughly and quickly.

"When I finished writing this book, I was full of confidence, believing I had thoroughly understood and analyzed the entire Zhao family. Only now do I realize that's not the case.

Some secrets, only the current family head – haha, no, my grandfather probably didn't know either. If he did, I would definitely have noticed.

Even the family head couldn't know; only a select few among the family elders were aware.

For instance, that great elder of my Zhao family who once helped me deliver a marriage proposal invitation.

At the time, I just thought he was old and foolish, dreaming wildly, a toad wanting to eat swan meat..."

As he spoke, Zhao Yi extended a finger and poked his own forehead, "Smart people like us easily make one mistake: we think others are too stupid."

Zhao Yi paused his words, looking at Li Zhuiyuan as if waiting.

After a long while, Li Zhuiyuan finally responded with: "Hmm."

Zhao Yi smiled.

"But the truth is, no matter how dilapidated a Dragon King family becomes, it's still a Dragon King family, not something my Jiujiang Zhao can easily challenge or exploit. Yet that great elder dared to do so.

So, he wasn't just muddled in the head; he genuinely had confidence.

The Zhao family in his eyes was different from the Zhao family in mine."

Li Zhuiyuan: "He thought they were a good match."

Just then, Cui Cui walked out of the room and waved goodbye to Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi: "Brother Xiaoyuan, I'm going home! Acrobat brother, goodbye!"

Running down to the embankment, Cui Cui looked around, then asked Liu Yumei in confusion, "Granny Liu, where's my grandma?"

Usually, when Cui Cui came to play with Sister Ah Li, she would go home with her grandmother after the card game ended.

"The general store called, asking your grandma to answer. After she took the call, she had someone from the store come tell us that there was trouble at a relative's house and she had to go, so she couldn't play cards. That's why we broke up the game."

"Oh, a relative of ours?"

Cui Cui genuinely didn't know of any relatives her family still kept in touch with. Since she could remember, there had been virtually no interaction with relatives.

As her own grandmother put it: "When we were poor, nobody helped us; everyone avoided and feared us. Now that our family is doing well, they all shamelessly come asking for money!"

"Granny Liu, then I'm going home."

"Okay. If your mom isn't home, come back here and have dinner while you wait for your family to pick you up."

"Okay, hehe."

Ah Li also walked out of the room and stood at the edge of the terrace, watching Cui Cui skip away.

The sun and twilight had battled with drinks all day, finally giving way, thoroughly drunk. Twilight's eyes were blurred, its face like the evening glow.

For beautiful people, there's no need to specially seek out a scenic backdrop; wherever she stands, a perfect picture can be taken.

Zhao Yi glanced at Ah Li's back, then shifted his gaze, scoffing to himself, "Ultimately, it's still just a toad's delusion."

Li Zhuiyuan looked up at the sky: "At least the secrecy was indeed very well done. Unfortunately, it couldn't escape the eye above."

Zhao Yi: "Yes, it's no wonder my Zhao family hasn't produced another Dragon King since our ancestor, and even those who made a prominent name for themselves in the Jianghu are few."

In the Jianghu, the Jiujiang Zhao family was perceived as skilled in business, but it was genuinely difficult to name any representative figures other than Zhao Wuyang.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Now, aren't you here?"

Zhao Yi: "So, the strange illness I was born with... it turns out Heaven wanted me dead!"

Li Zhuiyuan made no comment.

Uncle Qin returned from the fields, carrying a hoe.

Runsheng, who was temporarily unable to do heavy labor, walked over and took the farm tools, then fetched water to help Uncle Qin wash up.

Zhao Yi: "Thinking back now, the first 'wave' I encountered after lighting the lamp was actually a person like that. It truly felt like it was aiming to kill me!"

He passed that first wave only by using his fierce "three cuts, six holes" method to make Uncle Qin show mercy.

But the intensity of that wave was truly excessive, even terrifying. Life and death were entirely at the other party's whim; you had no control over your own fate.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Actually, even earlier, when you encountered me at Stone Table Zhao, that was also your deadly tribulation."

In the same situation, if it were anyone else besides Li Zhuiyuan, after annihilating a branch family, how could they possibly let the main family members live?

Zhao Yi: "But after that, all my waves became normal, and I could clearly feel that the intensity of my subsequent waves was simply not comparable to yours."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Because you got through it. When you were born, you survived and overcame that hurdle, and after that, things were generally smooth sailing for you.

When you first lit the lamp and started 'river walking,' you also overcame the challenge with Uncle Qin, and after that, your 'waves' became normal.

Lighting the lamp meant you re-entered its sight."

Zhao Yi: "Oh, listening to this, I really haven't had it easy. If it weren't for you, who is constantly being watched, standing here in front of me, I should be the most special one with the greatest potential."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You're getting off topic."

Zhao Yi: "No, I'm not getting off topic. Li, you really shouldn't go to Jiujiang just yet. Give me some more time; I'll go back home and investigate thoroughly.

It's not that I can't bear to part with the few things in the treasury and ancestral grave; it's that I don't want to harm you."

After a Dragon King's death, their past deeds and beliefs from life could transform into spirits, drifting among mountains, rivers, and swamps.

Zhao Yi's previous ritual, theoretically, should not have resulted in an ancestor's spirit manifesting, yet it truly did.

This points to one possibility: the ancestor's spirit could re-coalesce, and the loophole and opportunity Zhao Yi had used up were replenished.

In other words, the Jiujiang Zhao family was secretly keeping Zhao Wuyang alive through a special method!

Li Zhuiyuan: "For a Dragon King, that would be a disgrace."

Given the magnanimity and spirit Zhao Wuyang once displayed, his pride would never have allowed him to choose a pathetic existence. He should have, like Yu Tiannan of the Yu family, made a final blaze at the end of his life, sealing a terrifying evil spirit, thus bringing his life to a close.

Zhao Yi: "This certainly wasn't our ancestor's choice; it could only be unfilial descendants."

If the Jiujiang Zhao family had maintained Zhao Wuyang in another special way, then the strange developments of the Jiujiang Zhao family over the years could be completely explained.

This also explained why, when the Jiujiang Zhao family painstakingly produced another genius with the potential to contend for the Dragon King title, that genius was born envied by Heaven.

The Way of Heaven had always disdained the Zhao family.

Zhao Yi: "When I go back, I'll make the final confirmation."

Li Zhuiyuan: "What method do you have to make that final confirmation?"

Zhao Yi: "If I think hard enough, there'll always be a way."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I have a method here."

Zhao Yi: "What method?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "We can let the river water flow past. If the river water can pass through, then we can be certain that Zhao Wuyang is indeed still with the Zhao family."

Zhao Yi: "River water? Flow past? I know all the words, but I don't understand what you're saying?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Our last 'wave,' wasn't it initiated by the Bodhisattva?"

Zhao Yi: "And then you learned how?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "How could I possibly have the power of a Bodhisattva? But by breaking down the complex into simple parts, even if we can't personally push the river water, we can dig canals in advance and see if the river water flows along the path we've dug."

Zhao Yi looked astonished, pointed above his head, and said in disbelief, "Li, is your relationship with that one (Heaven) that good?"

Doesn't the Way of Heaven dislike you? This doesn't look like dislike at all!

Li Zhuiyuan: "Under the premise of aligned goals, there's a possibility of cooperation. I've told you before, a knife should also have its own will."

Zhao Yi: "But we've just finished one 'wave'; it's far from time for the next one to start."

Li Zhuiyuan: "When your knife doesn't want to rest and actively floats up, wanting to cut someone you dislike, would you still force it to rest?"

Zhao Yi: "Is there really a chance of success?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I've succeeded before."

Zhao Yi: "Why haven't I heard you mention it?"

Li Zhuiyuan was about to speak.

Zhao Yi: "Hahaha, it's because I didn't ask!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Actually, there's one more point you didn't mention just now, and it's also strong supporting evidence."

Zhao Yi: "The lazy dog?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes, the Great Emperor isn't a petty person; his exasperation is deliberately feigned.

Yet the Great Emperor suppresses himself, suppresses ten thousand ghosts, suppresses Fengdu, suppresses Bodhisattvas, and even left behind a hidden tether, binding a thread to me, to suppress me in the future.

This clearly shows the Great Emperor's desire for merit.

If he wasn't truly angry at that lazy dog couple, then what was the true purpose behind his 'bestowal of nobility on the entire Zhao family'?"

Zhao Yi: "It's likely the Great Emperor saw that my Zhao family was disdained by the Way of Heaven. In fact, the Great Emperor might have seen the true nature of it long ago. His 'bestowal of nobility on the entire family' was essentially to 'act on behalf of Heaven' and accumulate great merit."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hmm, if we reverse-engineer from the result to the conditions, it's indeed very logical. Moreover, only if Zhao Wuyang still exists within the Zhao family would it be worthwhile for the Great Emperor to specially leave such a contingency."

The old-fashioned mobile phone rang at that moment, and Li Zhuiyuan walked over to answer it.

"Hello, Brother Xiao Yuan, it's me."

From the other end of the phone came the sound of someone flipping through a book while eating an apple.

And also the affectionate, caring voice of a middle-aged woman calling out, "Binbin, your uncle is making you fish soup tonight to nourish your brain. Look at how hard you're studying; you must pay attention to your nutrition. You're still young, don't neglect your health."

"Okay, Mom, please thank Dad for me."

"Oh, hehehehehe!"

That single "Mom" made Zhou Yunyun's mother so happy she practically crowed with laughter.

Tan Wenbin held the old-fashioned mobile phone and continued to report:

"Brother Xiao Yuan, the matter you asked me to inquire about has a result. My dad just called me back.

What a coincidence, my dad couldn't go to Changzhou for a trip with my mom this time because he was tied up with a case.

Last week, a group of people robbed a jewelry store. The identity of the ringleader is now clear; their household registration is in Jiujiang. Now my dad's side is forming a joint task force with the Jiujiang police. They're going to Jiujiang to set up surveillance and see if they can catch the ringleader."

"Brother Binbin, ask Uncle to send..."

"My dad has already faxed it. I'll go to the police station to pick it up and bring it back later."

Upon hearing his son calling to inquire about a case, Comrade Tan Yunlong didn't even need Tan Wenbin to ask; he himself immediately said he would fax the case files over.

On one hand, Tan Yunlong's original rule was that he didn't particularly like following rules.

On the other hand, his son had repeatedly proven, with actual results in this area, that he could help solve cases.

For an atheist, if praying to a deity ensures the desired outcome, then the act of praying itself becomes scientific.

"Hmm."

"Also, I told my dad that if we see the crime leader, we will definitely call the police immediately. After all, cooperating with police in solving cases is a basic duty of every citizen. I also reiterated the 'police-people unity' sentiment to my dad."

Although he didn't know what had happened, his old habits remained. Tan Wenbin instinctively completed a full set of actions.

This left Tan Yunlong on the other end of the line utterly bewildered.

Nowadays, even leaders' speeches in meetings weren't as filled with official jargon and clichés as his son's.

Nevertheless, after his son finished speaking, Tan Yunlong also responded.

In a very formal and grand manner, like how he used to give interviews to television stations.

In short, after hanging up, both father and son felt a bit unwell.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, I'll be right back."

"Brother Binbin, no need to rush. Come back after you've had dinner."

"Understood."

Tan Wenbin hung up the phone, used a toothpick to pick up a piece of apple and put it in his mouth, while his pen continuously moved across the book.

How did this feeling seem familiar?

"Could it be that Brother Xiao Yuan is digging canals again?"

Li Zhuiyuan put the old-fashioned mobile phone down and said to Zhao Yi, "The first canal has been dug."

Zhao Yi felt in his pocket and pulled out a small notebook, but had no pen.

He instinctively realized that what he was experiencing at that moment was critically important. Once he fully grasped it, it would make his future "river walking" much more efficient.

Before he could scratch his finger with his nail, Zhao Yi stopped. He immediately ran to the edge of the terrace and shouted down, "Ah You, throw me a pen!"

Lin Shuyou was sitting under a light bulb by the embankment, working on problems. He looked up at Zhao Yi, then at the pen in his hand.

"Don't worry, your Brother Bin isn't studying. He's helping his mother-in-law's family carry manure!"

Lin Shuyou threw the pen up, responding at the same time, "Three Eyes, you're lying to me!"

After catching the pen, Zhao Yi had just turned around when he saw Li Zhuiyuan also walking towards him.

Li Zhuiyuan: "The contents of the brazier have finished burning."

Zhao Yi: "I now think it might be better to spread this information widely in the Jianghu."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The divination result today, 'This journey must be taken, great fortune,' can be considered the second canal."

"To be safe, we should get three, right?"

"Yes, three is the minimum."

"Then, if I invite you to my house as a guest, does that count as one?"

"You are a person of the river; the karma of river people doesn't count."

"Then what do we do? Where do we get this third one now?"

"There's a way."

"Brother Xiaoyuan, tell me, what way?"

"You perform the second lighting of the lamp, go down to the river, and then come ashore."

Li Juxiang rode a tricycle, carrying her mother to Sixiang Town. After stopping at the entrance of a house, her mother, without waiting for assistance, got off the tricycle herself and hurried inside.

Liu Jinxia's parents died when she was young, and she lived with her uncle for a period. Later, it was this same uncle who arranged her marriage, moving her from Sixiang Town to Siyuan Village in Shinan Town.

After her husband left and Liu Jinxia struggled to raise her daughter alone, she had also sought help from this uncle, as the house and land left by her parents had eventually been transferred to his name.

The uncle didn't help; he wouldn't part with a single penny and even cursed her, calling her shameless for a married daughter to come back and demand her maiden family's land.

Later, her uncle's son, Liu Jinxia's cousin, who was already a grandfather himself, got into trouble. During an argument over whose turn it was to irrigate with a canal, he resorted to violence, hitting someone's head with a hoe and rendering them a vegetative state.

Her uncle shamelessly came to Liu Jinxia's house to borrow money for compensation, but Liu Jinxia took a large scooping ladle, scooped out manure water from her own ceramic vat, and splattered it all over him.

Her cousin, unable to pay compensation, went to prison just like that, and was only released last year.

The two families had long ceased contact and didn't outwardly acknowledge this familial connection.

However, when she received a call from Aunt Zhang, learning that her uncle was on his deathbed and wished to see her, Liu Jinxia immediately stopped playing cards and rushed to Sixiang Town.

The past grievances hadn't been let go, and the initial knot in her heart hadn't been untied.

Liu Jinxia came because, at her age, this was the only close blood relative of an elder generation she had left.

Rather than saying she came to see her uncle one last time, it was more like she came to bid farewell to a chapter of her own life.

"Sister Xia came." Her cousin, just released from prison last year, smiled at Liu Jinxia. His face no longer showed his former brazenness, but rather much awkwardness; the prison's reform had greatly impacted him.

"Hmm."

Liu Jinxia responded indifferently.

In the living room, several women of the family were already cutting white cloth and black gauze. This was preparing for the funeral in advance, to avoid a rush after the person passed away.

Liu Jinxia entered the small room. The smell of traditional Chinese medicine and old age was strong, mixed with the odor of death.

Her uncle, lying in bed, was so emaciated he was just skin and bones.

He saw Liu Jinxia arrive and with difficulty raised a hand, mumbling, "Xia Hou, little Xia Hou, the person I've wronged most in my life is you..."

Liu Jinxia was not moved. A dying person's words are not necessarily good. It was just that what he couldn't let go of or give up before now held no meaning, allowing him to say pleasant things.

Sitting by the bed, Liu Jinxia looked at her uncle. She thought of her long-deceased parents and the hardships she had endured throughout her life.

As she thought, she genuinely became emotional, her eyes reddening. Her sorrow was for herself, completely unrelated to the uncle who was about to pass away.

However, to outsiders, the uncle and niece, at least at this moment, seemed to have reconciled their past grievances.

However, her uncle's next words made Liu Jinxia's eyes widen.

"Little Xia Hou, you're actually not your parents' biological child..."

Liu Jinxia was both angry and anxious, almost shrieking, "You're almost dead and still spouting nonsense! Then tell me, where did I come from? Tell me!"

"Little Xia Hou, you were brought here from Jiujiang by human traffickers."