Chapter 47

“Oh, you chose this yourself. Don’t regret it.”

“How could I regret it? I won’t!”

There was once an opportunity to leave, but he didn’t cherish it. Now, Tan Wenbin genuinely regretted it. He also realized that to make Zhou Yong “open up” and communicate, and to uncover the truth behind the matter, they needed to drink this alcohol properly.

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan again, seeing Brother Xiaoyuan lightly tapping the rim of his bowl with chopsticks, head bowed, appearing childlike. Then he looked at Rùnsheng. This time, Rùnsheng didn’t avoid his gaze; instead, he looked directly at him. A wave of warmth immediately surged within him; after all, they were roommates who had slept on makeshift beds together last night.

“Brother Xiaoyuan, Rùnsheng, if something happens to me after drinking this, remember to tell my dad I wasn’t a coward.”

With his mental preparation complete, Tan Wenbin reached for the wine bowl with both hands. Just then, Rùnsheng stood up and took the wine bowl from in front of Tan Wenbin. Then, he held the bowl and shook it in front of Zhou Yong, tilted his head back, and downed it in one go. That wasn’t the end of it; Rùnsheng also picked up and drank the two remaining wine bowls in front of Zhou Yong, one after another.

Tan Wenbin was so moved that tears streamed down his face. Li Zhuiyuan merely glanced sideways, then continued to lower his head, playing with his chopsticks and bowl. He wasn’t surprised by Rùnsheng’s action. But it was tough on Brother Rùnsheng. He knew that if given the choice, Rùnsheng preferred “marinated” proper meat. The dishes on the table and the wine in the bowl, though dirty, weren’t thoroughly so. To Brother Rùnsheng, the deceased spirits were like pork, beef, or lamb, but liking meat didn’t mean he liked offal.

Rùnsheng’s boldness quickly pleased Zhou Yong, who began to continuously pour wine for Rùnsheng and invite him to clink glasses. During this time, he also pointed to the dishes on the table, reminding Rùnsheng not to forget to eat some food to offset the alcohol. Rùnsheng, too, completely cast aside his inhibitions, picking up the dishes from the table and putting them directly into his mouth, chewing with a “clattering” sound. Then, wiping his mouth, he lifted his bowl to clink with Zhou Yong again. That’s how it was at the table: those who drank sat together, and once they started, they disregarded everyone else. Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin were thus no longer pressured, and the two could quietly sit there, acting as if they weren’t there.

Finally, there wasn’t much food left on the table, and they had drunk their fill of wine. Li Zhuiyuan stuck his chopsticks into his rice bowl. Rùnsheng put down his wine bowl and tapped on the table. Zhou Yong also put down his wine bowl, returning to his original sitting posture. His mouth began to open and close rapidly, emitting sounds similar to chants made by funeral ceremony groups, with a discernible tune but very unclear articulation.

The tune made Li Zhuiyuan feel a bit drowsy. He couldn’t help but yawn, forcing himself to shake off the drowsiness. Then, he looked at Zhou Yong with some displeasure, feeling that Zhou Yong wasn’t genuinely communicating. But when he turned his head, he saw Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin on either side of him, both with their eyes closed, their bodies swaying slightly from side to side. They had entered a dream state. Clearly, Zhou Yong was communicating with them. And the drowsiness he had just felt was, in fact, Zhou Yong’s “invitation.” This invitation, however, had been rejected by his instincts.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected it might be due to his frequent “shadow-walking” recently, leading to some kind of resistance. But sometimes, a vicious cycle is unavoidable, as was the case now. With his left elbow on the table and his left hand supporting his chin, Li Zhuiyuan’s eyelids were slightly closed. He picked up a chopstick with his right hand and tapped it against the rim of his bowl: “Ding!”

“Shadow-walking” successful. He had entered, yet it felt as if he hadn’t. In his vision, he saw Rùnsheng, Tan Wenbin, and Zhou Yong talking, but a layer of flowing gel-like substance separated this scene from him. Li Zhuiyuan tried to reach out and touch it, feeling a resistance. When he continued to exert force, trying to push it aside and enter, Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin both showed signs of pain within the distorted image. Seeing this, Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to give up. Although he had become quite proficient in “shadow-walking,” he didn’t know how to actively enter a “dream” that someone else had already formed. A-Li could do it. This made Li Zhuiyuan mistakenly believe that he should also be able to, or rather, he hadn’t even considered this would be an issue. He could only attribute it to the drawbacks of self-study.

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t choose to wake up yet. Since this situation had arisen and he couldn’t participate, he might as well take the opportunity to observe carefully. Getting up from his seat, he noticed that the table now formed a self-contained unit, with an invisible gel-like substance enveloping the three of them. Li Zhuiyuan walked around the table. He felt there must be a specific method for him to merge into it. For example, the second step in Wei Zhengdao’s black book for controlling deceased spirits stated that he only needed to adjust his consciousness waves to the same frequency as the spirit to enter. But here, it wasn’t just Zhou Yong; there were also Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin. How should he adjust the frequency for one deceased spirit and two living people? Or had they perhaps already blended into a single frequency? Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and gently patted the gel-like substance in front of him. In the distorted image, Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin again looked distressed. Never mind, now wasn’t the right time for detailed experiments.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan felt a hand gently pulling him. He looked down and saw the girl. The girl was squatting on the ground, her shoulders shaking; she was crying. He had “shadow-walked” once just after entering the house and sitting down, but at that time, the girl and her mother were in the kitchen, not the living room. From his current perspective, the white “rice grains” on the girl’s body began to writhe. No, these were not rice grains at all; they were countless white maggots burrowing in and out of her body. The girl raised her head and looked at Li Zhuiyuan. She opened her mouth, as if letting out a silent scream. The white maggots covering her eye sockets quickly dispersed, and bloody tears seeped from her dark, hollow eyes. She was telling him that she was in great pain, suffering immensely, and longed for release.

The black cat had once told Li Zhuiyuan that the more a deceased spirit possessed the ability to think, the more profound the torment it endured. Deceased spirits were collections of resentment themselves, and what sustained them against torment was an even deeper resentment. But what about people who inherently lacked such resentment? And at the same time, had to maintain clear cognitive abilities? That would be equivalent to throwing oneself directly into a sea of fire, undergoing sheer, torturous agony. On the girl, the boy perceived no resentment, only an extremely intense suffering. Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Zhou Yong, enveloped in the gel. Some things, even without verbal communication, could be understood by sight alone. The girl had clearly been forcibly kept here, and the one with the obsession to keep her, or rather, the one who bore immense resentment over her departure... could only be Zhou Yong.

In the kitchen, the firelight still flickered. According to dining customs, the last dish should be soup. Li Zhuiyuan entered the kitchen but didn’t see the woman. He walked to the side of the pot and saw black soup boiling within. Just then, the bellows sounded again. Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head and saw a hand reaching out from behind the stove, pulling the handle of the bellows. Walking further back, behind the stove, he followed the hand but didn’t see the woman sitting there. This was because the arm was reaching out from inside the stove. Li Zhuiyuan squatted down, level with the stove opening. The woman inside also raised her head and smiled at Li Zhuiyuan.

This stove wasn’t burning firewood, but the woman herself. She had crawled into the narrow stove, and flames burned on her body, fueling the continuous boiling of the soup in the pot. Yet, a comfortable expression appeared on her face. Perhaps, by being consumed by fire, she could alleviate the terrible pain she already endured. Li Zhuiyuan had recently engaged in self-harm, so he understood this feeling well. Zhou Yong wanted to maintain the integrity of his family, so... he dragged his wife and daughter into hell with him.

Perhaps, at first, Zhou Yong didn’t know things would turn out this way. But now, claiming he was unaware would be a bit preposterous. He knew, but he selfishly chose to deceive himself. However, one thing was certain: the person who taught Zhou Yong this method must have known the consequences. So, what was their purpose in doing so? Initially, one might assume it was a kind person who felt pity for Zhou Yong, having lost his wife and daughter, and used this method to “help” him. From the current perspective, this assumption was untenable. Someone capable of such an act fundamentally had little to do with “kindness.”

Walking to the kitchen doorway, seeing that the conversation hadn’t ended yet, Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze fell on the girl again, and he beckoned to her. The girl crawled over. During the meal earlier, she had been forced to play the role of a “daughter,” and the woman had been forced to play the role of a “wife.” Strictly speaking, they were actually Zhou Yong’s *chang gui*. It was just that Zhou Yong didn’t possess that kind of power; he was completely incomparable to the Tai Sui deceased spirit Li Zhuiyuan encountered in the graveyard last time. That copper coin was still buried in the graveyard; Li Zhuiyuan still didn’t dare to retrieve it.

The girl crawled in front of Li Zhuiyuan. She was trapped here, constantly enduring torment, and the boy before her was the only outsider who had recently appeared “here.” What compelled her to approach the boy was her instinct to seek death. Li Zhuiyuan placed his hand on the girl’s head. He could feel a dense, wriggling sensation beneath her hair; he knew what was there. But at this moment, he had to ignore it. Following the method in the black book, he began to adjust his consciousness waves. He wanted to use the girl’s perspective to see what the person who helped Zhou Yong set all this up actually looked like.

It was very simple; he succeeded because the girl not only didn’t resist but actively cooperated. In Li Zhuiyuan’s vision, a blue mosquito net appeared. He was lying on a small bed, only able to weakly turn his head. He didn’t even have the strength to sit up now. Someone was crying. He turned his head and saw that the person weeping by the edge of the large bed was Zhou Yong. A woman lay on the large bed; she was already dead. Zhou Yong held his wife’s hand, weeping sorrowfully. After crying for a while, he began to pound the ground and curse, largely questioning why life and fate had treated him this way, why they were so cruel to him. Just then, a voice came: “I can reunite your family.” The speaker wasn’t inside the house but outside; the voice was conveyed through the window. What surprised Li Zhuiyuan was that the tone and manner of speech seemed familiar—no, it was more intimate, as if it belonged to someone very close to him. But for a moment, even after mentally listing his entire network of acquaintances, he couldn’t find anyone whose voice matched. Zhou Yong lifted his head in bewilderment and rushed towards the window, seemingly wanting to ask who was speaking.

Next, there should have been further communication and developments, such as how the owner of the voice made Zhou Yong believe him, and how he convinced Zhou Yong to donate and set up the bridge as instructed. However, Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t see the aftermath because the girl was too weak, and she closed her eyes. Earlier, she wouldn’t have even woken up if her father hadn’t been crying so loudly.

Long darkness. Li Zhuiyuan waited patiently, sensing that there would be more scenes before the girl died. Indeed, the darkness began to loosen. Light began to filter in again. When the girl opened her eyes again, Zhou Yong was standing by the bed. At this point, Zhou Yong’s face no longer held an expression of pain; instead, it showed a heartfelt joy. “Lingling, don’t be afraid. Daddy has found a way for our family to continue living together. Lingling, don’t be afraid; Daddy and Mommy will always be with you.”

The girl closed her eyes. There should be nothing more after this; she was likely about to die. But just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to disengage, he suddenly felt unable to breathe, followed by a searing sensation in his lungs. What was happening? If she were simply dying of illness in bed, such an intense reaction shouldn’t occur. Li Zhuiyuan felt a terrible suffocation. He had experienced this feeling before, the first time he fell into the water and met Little Oriole, and he didn’t want to experience it a second time.

He disengaged from the connection. However, though the contact was broken, the girl’s sense of pain remained and was intensifying, as if he was gradually becoming her, simultaneously receiving all her emotions. This was, quite literally, empathy. Her torment, her grievances, her despair, all boiled within him, like a kettle lid being lifted by boiling water. Li Zhuiyuan thought of the “it” in the fish pond, whose body was covered with the faces of deceased spirits. He hadn’t expected that the method taught in the black book would produce such a strong side effect the very first time he successfully used it. Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but wonder: “Are you an idiot? Wei Zhengdao taught you this method, and this situation occurred the first time you used it, yet you still continued to use this method to control deceased spirits? Was it because you worshipped and trusted Wei Zhengdao too much, or was it your own greed and obstinacy, believing that you were the special one who could find a way to resolve this side effect? If the hidden dangers slowly emerged afterwards, that could be explained and understood. But the symptoms were so clear and direct... Heh. You truly have no right to hate Wei Zhengdao.”

Even the largest flame will quickly extinguish if fuel is not continuously supplied. Here, the fuel was his own emotions. Unfortunately, Li Zhuiyuan had none. The fire extinguished. Yet, Li Zhuiyuan felt a hint of sadness and discomfort. Because this was akin to someone tearing open his scar in front of him again, pointing at him and telling him, “You’re a monster in human skin.” Yes, this was his side effect. He wouldn’t end up with so many faces on his body like the “it” in the fish pond. However, this also opened up a new line of thought for Li Zhuiyuan. The little girl wouldn’t work, but what if he tried a more powerful deceased spirit? If he controlled and manipulated it properly, could he then retain genuine emotions that wouldn’t extinguish? Unfortunately, now was not the time to ponder these things; he still needed to finish the main task.

In his sight, the girl was still prostrate on the ground, sobbing in great pain. Li Zhuiyuan withdrew his hand. The girl before him seemed not to have died of illness, but rather... by murder. His gaze fell on Zhou Yong again. “Did you kill her?” Zhou Yong certainly had the motive. He had received the method, and his daughter’s early death would facilitate its implementation. But there was also another possibility. Unfortunately, the girl’s perspective provided too little information; he now needed more perspectives.

Li Zhuiyuan walked behind the stove, squatting down again, and made eye contact with the woman being roasted in the flames. He knew that the person had only first contacted Zhou Yong after the woman’s death. From the woman’s perspective, he certainly wouldn’t see that person. But he just wanted to see if the woman had truly died purely from illness. After making eye contact, he began to adjust the frequency. Like the girl, the woman offered no resistance and instead actively cooperated, which undoubtedly reduced the difficulty significantly. Li Zhuiyuan’s vision changed again, very similar to the previous one: a larger bed, a larger blue mosquito net.

Li Zhuiyuan began to actively skip irrelevant scenes from the perspective, but as he did, he felt a slight doubt. That is, from his current sensory experience, the woman seemed to be quite a distance from death. Had her condition suddenly worsened? Or perhaps, the woman’s death was also not natural. If anything abnormal occurred here, it certainly had nothing to do with Zhou Yong. At this point in time, Zhou Yong was still desperately trying to find a way to save the lives of his wife and daughter. Just then, Li Zhuiyuan heard a distinct set of footsteps. He immediately stopped fast-forwarding and began to fully immerse himself in perception. These footsteps weren’t from cloth shoes; they sounded more like the friction of some kind of plastic sole. The footsteps weren’t heavy, and the rubbing sounds were very short, meaning the owner of the footsteps likely had small soles... a child?

The woman’s eyes were open. She seemed to want to turn her head to look, but lying there, her limbs simply wouldn’t obey. She, like her daughter, likely suffered from a hereditary illness. Just like himself and Li Lan. A hand holding a white towel appeared in his sight. This hand was very fair and tender, and very small—indeed, a child’s hand. The towel covered the woman’s mouth and nose, and the sensation of suffocation grew intense. Immediately after, a face entered his vision. Li Zhuiyuan was completely stunned, because this face was his own! “Himself” was staring at the woman with a cold expression. Since he was viewing from the woman’s perspective, it was now as if he was making eye contact with “himself.”

In an instant, Li Zhuiyuan recalled why the voice he heard from outside the window, from the girl’s perspective earlier, had felt so intensely familiar in its tone. This was because the sound one hears when speaking oneself is different from one’s voice played back on a recorder. He had been “blind under the lamp” – attributing the voice to everyone else but failing to consider it might be his own. But it was indeed his usual speaking tone and manner.

Now, “Himself” in front of him also began to speak: “You’re dying too slowly; you’re delaying my practice rhythm.” This sentence was like a trigger. As soon as the words fell, an intense sense of distortion swept over him. In that instant, his self-awareness began to be stripped away, plunging him directly into a whirlpool of “who am I?” But this scene was also very familiar to Li Zhuiyuan, because every time he had an episode, he would experience this loss of self-identity, his heart filled with a chilling coldness. The only difference was that previously, this feeling originated from within him, whereas this time, it entered from outside, and its potency was much weaker. Having become a “doctor from long illness,” he didn’t even need to repeatedly call out many names. He could cope simply by calling out A-Li’s name over and over again and thinking of A-Li’s appearance. Of course, during this time, he also silently recited “Grand-uncle” twice for good measure. Immediately after, this sensation slowly dissipated. It was a very mild episode, leaving him with an uncomfortable feeling akin to it ending before he even broke a sweat. His vision was completely dark because the woman had died.

Li Zhuiyuan broke contact. He was still squatting in front of the stove, and the woman inside the stove was still burning. The firelight reflected on Li Zhuiyuan’s face, causing his expression to flicker between light and shadow. In fact, Li Zhuiyuan’s expression was indeed grim at that moment. Because he felt personally offended. It certainly wasn’t him who killed the girl and the woman, nor was it him who taught Zhou Yong this method. There was no self-doubt whatsoever, nor any internal conflict or confusion. He knew it wasn’t him, because it was a trap. The Feng Shui arrangement on the stone slab bridge, the “mirror flowers and moon in the water” illusion on the small dam... this series of techniques, though skillfully executed, seemed somewhat rudimentary in Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes. Yet within these rudimentary methods, a pitfall was dug.

This feeling was like walking through a thicket of thorns: troublesome, yes, but not overly complicated or difficult if you just used a stick to push them aside. But who knew that near the end, a landmine would be buried? Setting aside the extremely low probability that the person behind it simply had such a perverse sense of humor, it was highly likely that after that person helped Zhou Yong set all this up, another highly skilled individual intervened and laid a trap. A trap specifically prepared for those in the same line of work. Although the person wasn’t him, what he said should be true; he mentioned “practice rhythm.” Coincidentally, Li Zhuiyuan himself was currently in a “training” phase. Someone new to this path, practicing Feng Shui arrangements, with an elder or teacher beside them, feared things might leak out, so they added a finishing touch to this practice assignment. Zhou Yong, selfish and oblivious to his wife’s and daughter’s suffering, might still be grateful to the person who taught him the method, unaware that his entire family was merely practice material for that individual.

Li Zhuiyuan slowly raised his head and murmured: “Alright, so this is how you want to play?”

But the next moment, his expression sharply changed. The other party clearly couldn’t have known the methods in Wei Zhengdao’s black book, nor known that he was reading memories. Therefore, the previous distortion of self-awareness... was not intentionally left there to target him. Was it meant for the woman? No, not her either. She and her daughter were merely *chang gui*; their state of existence depended entirely on Zhou Yong. Therefore, this trap of distorted identity recognition was targeted at Zhou Yong.

This isn’t good, Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin are in danger!

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and slapped himself directly on the right cheek. “Slap!”

He woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin still in their dream state. But Zhou Yong had already stood up, brought his face close to Tan Wenbin, and was continuously inhaling. Wisps of white vapor emanated from Tan Wenbin’s nostrils and mouth, being drawn into Zhou Yong. Tan Wenbin’s face had already turned ashen from being drained. Li Zhuiyuan’s act of opening his eyes startled Zhou Yong, who slowly, at an extremely sluggish pace, turned his head to look at Li Zhuiyuan. Originally, his eyes were filled with white mucus. Now, the mucus was gone, replaced by a streak of blood-red.

The foreshadowing laid by that person was right here! The previous Zhou Yong was indeed the true Zhou Yong. He was selfish, but not insane towards outsiders. At least, his selfishness was only directed at his obsession with his wife, daughter, and family, not at killing outsiders. Otherwise, he would have long since attacked the villagers who saw him, nor would he have accepted Li Zhuiyuan’s “communication” conditions. He genuinely wanted to bring the guests into his home and entertain them with “good wine and good food.” Because only this way could he demonstrate the feeling of his family still being reunited, something he eagerly wanted to show. And when faced with such a deceased spirit – one that didn’t harm people, was easy to communicate with, and was willing to bring you home to explain the situation – most people would generally feel sympathy and understanding, thus letting down their guard. However, during the crucial period of his narration, the embedded trap would be triggered. The filth in Zhou Yong’s eyes would recede, his cognition would be distorted, revealing the deceased spirit’s most primitive and instinctual side.

This trap was very subtle, not only in its technique but also in how it manipulated human psychology. If Li Zhuiyuan had also been successfully pulled into the dream for a heartfelt chat at that time, now all three of them would be sitting there blankly, waiting to be drained one by one. Of course, most importantly, Zhou Yong was far inferior to that Tai Sui deceased spirit. His main strength needed to be focused on maintaining the dream so that Rùnsheng and Tan Wenbin wouldn’t wake up. Only the small amount of remaining power could then drive his physical body to start killing. This was why his movements were so slow, and precisely this slowness gave Li Zhuiyuan time to react.

Li Zhuiyuan moved. He didn’t rush to save Tan Wenbin, who was in critical danger. Instead, he directly picked up the bowl in front of him and smashed it towards Rùnsheng’s face! “Smash!” The bowl shattered, and Rùnsheng’s forehead bled from the impact, but Rùnsheng also opened his eyes because of it. He immediately understood the situation before him, picked up the Yellow River shovel he had deliberately placed by his feet during the meal, and swung it directly at Zhou Yong’s head! “Thud!” Zhou Yong was knocked to the ground. The dream he had maintained also collapsed. Tan Wenbin landed with a “thud,” face down, hitting the tabletop. After Li Zhuiyuan went to check, he sighed in relief. Tan Wenbin wasn’t dead; he was still breathing. Grand-uncle had agreed to bring Tan Wenbin, thinking that an extra person meant an extra helper. It was fortunate he had brought Tan Wenbin this time, as it gave Zhou Yong an additional target to drain. Binbin had entered the trap willingly, buying time for everyone. If he himself or Rùnsheng had been the first to be drained, the situation would have been truly difficult to manage.

Rùnsheng and Zhou Yong’s struggle continued. Logically, deceased spirits are very strong, but Zhou Yong himself relied on going to the Feng Shui array by the river every day to absorb malevolent energy, then returning home to use his own power to create the illusion of a reunited family. Moreover, today he had created a dream to ensnare the two. Although he had replenished some energy from Tan Wenbin, he was still operating at a deficit. As for Rùnsheng, regardless of what the food was like earlier, he had eaten! At this moment, Rùnsheng had Zhou Yong pinned beneath him. No matter how Zhou Yong struggled, he couldn’t get up. However, the Yellow River shovel was gripped by Zhou Yong’s hands and could no longer be used for attack. Rùnsheng had no choice but to use his left hand to also hold the shovel, maintaining the stalemate, while his right hand was free. He clenched his fist and continuously punched Zhou Yong’s chest, blow after blow. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Each punch landed solidly, and with every strike, a wisp of black energy would dissipate from Zhou Yong’s body.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the side of the sack, took out the black canvas, reached into his pocket to open the ink pad box, quickly pressed his five fingers onto it, then took them out and drew five long red marks on the black canvas. Previous practical experience had shown that the black canvas was currently the most lethal item among all equipment against deceased spirits. The one he held now was newly repaired, and its power would certainly be greater because the wooden scrolls inside were carved by A-Li from his family’s ancestral tablets.

However, just as Li Zhuiyuan was about to step forward and use the black canvas to suppress Zhou Yong, Zhou Yong suddenly opened his mouth and let out a sharp shriek. Two shadows, one large and one small, darted out quickly. They were the girl and the woman. They both pounced on Rùnsheng. The woman scratched Rùnsheng’s back with her nails, drawing bloody gashes, while the girl bit Rùnsheng’s neck, hanging onto him completely. “Hiss!” Under such an attack, Rùnsheng instantly lost his strength. He not only tumbled off Zhou Yong but was also pinned down by the mother and daughter, one on each side. Zhou Yong stood up and immediately pinned Rùnsheng down again, the crimson swirling in his eyes revealing his ferocity at that moment.

Just as Li Zhuiyuan, holding the black canvas, was about to make a move, Zhou Yong and the mother-daughter pair all simultaneously raised their heads and stared at him. This instantly prevented Li Zhuiyuan from taking his next step, because while the black canvas was powerful, its conditions for use were very restricted; it was generally used for a finishing blow after controlling the deceased spirit. If he were to just throw it at them directly, firstly, they would dodge, and secondly, even if it managed to cover them, they would throw it off or even tear it apart in their agony. The three of them now appeared to be working together to suppress Rùnsheng, but if he dared to approach or make any other move, one of them would swiftly rush towards him.

“Xiaoyuan, hurry and go! Don’t worry about Binbin!” No matter how fierce Rùnsheng was, he couldn’t fight three against one. He had now decided to desperately hold back these three, creating an escape opportunity for Xiaoyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t leave. Instead, he half-closed his eyes, his eyelashes began to flutter rapidly, and his body trembled accordingly. “Listen to me, I can help you escape this pain.” “Listen to me, I can help you end this torment.” “Listen to me, I can help you break free from his control!” Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes snapped open. He raised his hand and pointed at Zhou Yong. Almost simultaneously, the girl and the woman both released Rùnsheng and pounced on Zhou Yong instead, knocking him to the ground. And Rùnsheng, who had just been fighting three against one, suddenly experienced the joy of having three on his side. Without delay, he sprang up, picked up the Yellow River shovel, wedged it around Zhou Yong’s neck, and completely pinned him down. As he did this, Rùnsheng’s eyes were filled with shock. No wonder his grandfather had always told him to listen to Xiaoyuan, even repeating it to him specifically earlier in the day. Xiaoyuan was truly amazing; now even deceased spirits listened to him!

Li Zhuiyuan, holding the black canvas, walked over. He was still in a state of control, walking somewhat unsteadily as if drunk. This was very similar to Zhou Yong earlier; while maintaining the dream, his movements in reality became very slow. Finally, Li Zhuiyuan reached Zhou Yong, squatted down, and placed the black canvas over Zhou Yong’s face. “Ahhhhh!!!” Screams erupted, but there was no need to worry about disturbing others. Firstly, Zhou Yong’s house was already quite secluded in the village, and secondly, the “mirror flowers and moon in the water” arrangement outside was still in place. It was just that the black canvas’s power was indeed several times stronger than last time, and the surging mist that burst forth was like a breach in a great dike. This forced Li Zhuiyuan to remove the black canvas.

At this moment, Zhou Yong’s aura was weak, and his struggles became very, very feeble. Moreover, the blood-red color in his eyes faded, replaced once again by white mucus, which meant the trap’s effect had been dispelled, and he had reverted to his original self. Rùnsheng was confused by this. Why didn’t Xiaoyuan continue to cover him with the black canvas and finish him off completely? Earlier, they had said that as long as they communicated well and revealed the person behind it, then everyone would go their separate ways and live in peace. But clearly, this guy had broken the rules, so naturally, they shouldn’t have any more qualms and should just suppress and kill him. Soon, Rùnsheng seemed to understand, and excitement gleamed in his eyes: “Xiaoyuan, thank you. I’ll make sure to eat him properly!”

Just as Rùnsheng opened his mouth to bite down, he heard a cold voice: “Brother Rùnsheng, don’t eat him. Since someone has already schemed against us...” Rùnsheng looked up. He saw Xiaoyuan smiling in front of him, but this smile lacked its usual warmth and gentleness. Instead, it reminded him of the young man crouching by the stream after hanging up the phone that night. Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, looked at Zhou Yong beneath him, extended a hand, and gently patted Zhou Yong’s pockmarked, repulsive, and greasy-looking face: “Then I’ll return the favor with something big.”