Chapter 31

The sound of a police siren instantly doused Runsheng's fervent ambition. He pulled out an incense stick, lit it with a match, held the other end between his lips, puffed out his cheeks, and took a deep drag, exhaling a sense of desolation.

Li Zhuiyuan watched curiously, wondering if Runsheng could really blow smoke rings.

The next moment, wisps of light smoke curled out from Runsheng's nostrils.

He was smoking it.

For a moment, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder if this was the correct way to use incense.

He understood why Runsheng felt disheartened. Runsheng virtually hogged the TV at home, and the local county television station enjoyed airing gangster movies on a loop.

When he went out in the evening for convenience, he would always hear the sounds of hacking and gunfire coming from the first floor.

Runsheng had clearly absorbed too much and was influenced by it.

In truth, most people at this age have such fantasies and impulses; the difference was that Runsheng's physique and strength gave him an exceptionally strong capacity for action.

After initially learning to read faces and tell fortunes, he had calculated the destinies of his great-grandfather and himself. Since then, Li Zhuiyuan had intentionally avoided doing such readings for those close to him.

A person's destiny chart was like the most private of their privacy; casually prying into it seemed highly unethical and also affected daily interactions.

However, even without using algorithms, Li Zhuiyuan could discern things just by glancing at Runsheng's face because his facial features were classic, the kind that could be used as an example in a textbook.

Runsheng possessed the standard "Seven Killings chart," also known as the "Partial Officer chart," indicating drive, perseverance, ambition, and courage, like a caged tiger – highly fierce.

However, a Seven Killings chart could also transform, turning ominous into auspicious, depending mainly on whom the person followed and by whom they were influenced.

“Brother Runsheng, just watch those movies on TV for entertainment. Don't take them too seriously or try to imitate them.”

“Huh?” Runsheng, still immersed in his disappointment, was so startled that the incense stick in his hand almost dropped. “I can't watch TV anymore?”

“That's not what I mean. You can watch any TV you want at home, but don't completely immerse yourself. Brother Liangliang said that society will only become more orderly and stable in the future. Fighting and killing have no future.”

In ancient times, many generals had a destiny like Runsheng's, but in this era of peace, people with such destinies often went astray.

“Oh, okay, I'll listen to you.”

Runsheng scratched his head. As long as he wasn't forbidden from watching TV, it was fine. Frightened, he quickly took another drag from the incense stick to calm himself.

Several police cars drove up to the Jiang family's entrance. Tan Yunlong led the team. Before he could even present his documents explaining their purpose, someone from inside the Jiang residence proactively opened the door and welcomed the police in.

This surprised Tan Yunlong. Real-life situations weren't like TV shows where everyone was a hidden smiling tiger, especially in rural towns. Nouveau riche individuals often liked to act tough in front of the police, even when there was no profit to be gained or if it meant acting foolishly, just to project an aura of being powerful.

Once inside, Tan Yunlong heard the Jiang family members asking each other who had called the police. After he explained their purpose, Tan Yunlong was informed that three days prior, Jiang Dongping, the family patriarch who had built their fortune, had gone missing.

Initially, the family hadn't found it unusual. After all, the Jiang family owned several entertainment businesses in town, and it was common for Jiang Dongping to go out for social engagements. It wasn't surprising if he didn't return at night, likely staying at one of his mistresses' homes, which his wife understood.

However, yesterday was the day for the Jiang family's ancestral worship, specifically honoring the grandfather who had personally raised Jiang Dongping, yet Jiang Dongping had still not returned.

They had searched all day yesterday and were still searching today. Seeing the police arrive, they assumed someone in the family had reported him missing.

Tan Yunlong frowned slightly. His first reaction was that Jiang Dongping had fled to avoid arrest, but the Jiang family's reaction didn't suggest that at all. Moreover, if he were fleeing, why wouldn't he have arranged his assets beforehand?

Nevertheless, he kept his purpose for being there in mind. He ordered some officers to seal off the pond and sent others to borrow a water pump from a nearby construction site.

The Jiang family members were confused by this. Some tried to intervene but were stopped by the officers.

Tan Yunlong made a mental note of those who had tried to interfere.

The ornamental pond, dug just two days prior, wasn't very deep. After only a short time of pumping, only a shallow puddle remained, revealing large areas of mud.

In the very center was a large water vat.

Tan Yunlong approached. The vat was full of water, containing a large mass of yellowish-white flocculent material that looked somewhat like glue or the jelly his son liked to eat.

“Come, help me move this.”

The vat was very heavy, its bottom stuck to the mud. It took the combined effort of Tan Yunlong and several police officers to move it. Then he took a shovel and pointed downwards:

“Dig!”

They dug less than a meter down when a hand was exposed.

The surrounding officers grew excited. Without needing instructions, they immediately began securing the entire Jiang residence, temporarily preventing anyone inside from leaving.

Only Tan Yunlong's gaze showed doubt, because the hand looked too fresh, not as if it had been buried for a long time.

Moreover, a gold watch was on the wrist, glinting in the sunlight. Why wouldn't the person who buried him have simply taken it?

Still, at least they had indeed dug up a person, and a dead one at that.

Although only one hand had appeared, it already revealed the tragic circumstances before death, as the hand was reaching vertically upwards, implying the main torso was actually deeper down.

The fingertips were severely damaged, and the fingernails badly detached. Although the blood had long since been diluted by the wet mud, one could still discern the fierce struggle for survival.

He must have been buried alive while conscious.

But…

Tan Yunlong handed the shovel to a nearby police officer and stepped back, stopping at the edge of the pond. He began carefully observing the surroundings of the pond and the water vat that had been moved.

This pond clearly showed no signs of recent excavation. So, how had this fresh corpse been buried alive inside it?

When they moved the water vat earlier, the moss and vegetation at its base were clearly integrated with the pond's bottom environment, a formation that would take many years. Could someone have moved it and then deliberately restored the area?

Tan Yunlong had heard of restoring artifacts, but restoring *this*... Going to such lengths just to kill someone and hide the body? It would be easier to just throw it into a nearby sand quarry and have it ground to pieces.

“Except for those digging up the body, no one else should enter the pond. Be careful to preserve the scene.”

After giving the orders, Tan Yunlong walked to a corner, crouched down, and pulled out his cigarette pack.

In his mind, the conversation he had earlier with the child named Li Zhuiyuan came back to him.

The conversation had been brief; the child had finished reporting the case in almost a single sentence. What truly surprised Tan Yunlong was when he asked why the child had specifically sought him out to report it.

The child had said: “Because I know you won't cause trouble for my life.”

“Heh.”

Tan Yunlong blew out a smoke ring. Ordinary suspects sitting before him would deliberately avoid his gaze, yet that child could calmly meet his eyes and even dared to take the initiative in their conversation.

“Team Leader Tan, there's a problem.”

“What is it?”

“This body is hard to dig. It's sinking.”

Tan Yunlong immediately extinguished his cigarette, tossed it outside the wall, and then walked into the pond to observe the situation with the body.

They had dug another meter down from the initial point, but the only part of the body visible was still that one hand.

Tan Yunlong took the shovel again and personally joined the excavation.

As they dug, indeed, the body kept sinking, as if there were a drain beneath it.

But that shouldn't be the case. This pond was dug only recently. If this were the situation underneath, how would it normally hold water? There wasn't a pump constantly refilling it at the pond's edge.

“Use a rope.”

A loop was made with the rope, cast downwards, and slipped around the corpse's wrist. When pulled upwards, it tightened immediately. Tan Yunlong called another officer to help him pull, but they couldn't budge it.

It was as if there was a force below also pulling the body, competing against them.

If they continued to apply more force, it might damage the corpse.

“Team Leader Tan, let's call for an excavator.”

“That would completely ruin the crime scene,” Tan Yunlong immediately shook his head and rejected. “Besides, the body is so deep that digging with a machine would inevitably damage it. Keep digging and see.”

The officers dug for a while longer, but it was still no use. For every meter they dug around the body, it would sink another meter into the mud layer below. Even though the surrounding mud layer was already relatively dry, the body continued to recede downwards.

At the same time, the officers digging below were also in danger; they might lose their footing at any moment and be swallowed by the surrounding mud.

At this moment, an older police officer quietly walked up to Tan Yunlong and whispered, “Team Leader Tan, this is a bit eerie.”

“Brother Sun, do you have any ideas?”

“How about we find a body retrieval expert to try? They might have their own methods to bring up the body while ensuring its preservation.”

“Do you have anyone to recommend?”

“In Siyuan Village, Shinan, there's a rather famous one, surnamed Li.”

“Call someone from the station, tell them not to wear uniforms, and go invite him over. Also, inform him beforehand and ask if he can keep the ceremony low-key.”

“Understood.”

“Never mind, I'll make the call.”

“Okay, Team Leader Tan.” The old police officer felt relieved. This matter had a bad image, and he was merely offering a suggestion, not wanting to take responsibility himself.

Tan Yunlong patted his shoulder, walked to the police car, took out his walkie-talkie, and repeated the request. After speaking, he leaned against the car door and lit another cigarette:

“Sigh, we can only wait.”

“Xiaoyuan, how much longer do we have to wait?”

“I don't know.”

“Why is it so slow? They've been digging for a long time.”

The tricycle was parked on a small earthen slope, offering a slight vantage point. Moreover, the Jiang family's courtyard wall was made of iron railings, which didn't obstruct the view. So, even though they were a bit far, they could generally see what was happening inside.

“They must have run into some trouble.”

A “grumbling” sound came from beside him.

Li Zhuiyuan looked over; Runsheng lowered his head sheepishly. He was hungry.

Although he had been sporadically eating incense, to him, incense was merely like green onions used to enhance a meal; no one ever heard of someone getting full just by eating green onions every day.

Li Zhuiyuan took out the money his great-grandfather had given him that morning and handed it to Runsheng: “Brother, there's a small store by the roadside ahead. Go buy something to eat there.”

“Ah, that's such a waste,” Runsheng shook his head. “Those things are just for tasting, how can they really be eaten as a meal?”

“Just buy a little first, to tide you over.”

“Then should I ride the bike to the town market restaurant to buy some food?”

“That's too far. We have to stay here; you never know when those two things might come over... or leave.”

“Right, then I'll go buy some things and come back. Xiaoyuan, what do you want to eat?”

“Anything is fine; just buy what you like.”

“Then wait for me here. I'll be right back.”

Runsheng took the money, didn't ride the bike, and simply sprinted off.

Not long after, Runsheng returned, carrying several bags of instant noodles and biscuits.

“Here, Xiaoyuan, your change.”

“Why didn't you buy more?”

“I didn't want to. With this amount, you could buy a lot more rice and flour.”

Li Zhuiyuan only ate a few biscuits. He had eaten breakfast late and wasn't too hungry yet. Runsheng had been working in the fields that morning, so he should be prioritized to eat first.

After all, Runsheng was his greatest reliance. It wouldn't do to have excellent tools ready, but the person using them be unable to perform due to hunger.

After finishing everything, Runsheng gathered all the seasoning packets from the instant noodles.

Li Zhuiyuan had previously wondered why Runsheng didn't put the seasoning in. Although conditions didn't allow for boiling or soaking now, wouldn't it be more flavorful to pour in the seasoning, crush the noodles, and shake them for a dry snack?

But Runsheng hadn't used them; instead, he had eaten the instant noodles as a whole block.

Now, Runsheng tore open a seasoning packet, poured the powder into his palm, and then stuck out his tongue to lick a small bit from his palm.

Then, while licking, he continued to pour more seasoning, his face full of satisfaction. He clearly enjoyed eating it this way.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan watching him, Runsheng asked with a smile, “Xiaoyuan, do you want some too? It's delicious!”

“Oh, okay.”

Li Zhuiyuan held out his hand, allowing Runsheng to pour some into his palm. He then lightly licked his palm, carefully savoring the taste.

Indeed…

It was the strong taste of instant noodle seasoning.

“Hehe, it's great. Before, everyone had to share one packet and take turns licking it. Now I get to eat it all by myself.”

During this period, children had limited access to snacks, so this way of eating seasoning packets gradually spread; it was both flavorful and fun.

Li Zhuiyuan felt the change Runsheng had given him earlier in his pocket. Although the old carpenter hadn't asked for processing fees, this had consumed his great-grandfather's goodwill and connections, meaning it could only be used once like this.

Furthermore, subsequent material and experimental costs, including potential future wear and tear... pocket money would be far from enough to cover them.

It seemed he needed to find a way to get some money.

“Brother Runsheng, do you know where people play cards?”

“Play cards? My grandpa plays. He likes to play 'Three Card Poker.' There are several regular card games in the village; you can join a table right away.”

“How does Grandpa Shan play?”

Hearing this question, Runsheng suddenly became a bit embarrassed and whispered:

“Originally, we could have had a proper meal for dinner, but once he starts playing cards, my grandpa and I can't even afford a watery porridge to fill ourselves at night.”

Li Zhuiyuan recalled that his great-grandfather seemed to have mentioned that Grandpa Shan always lost money playing cards.

“Brother Runsheng, do you want to go back and see Grandpa Shan?”

“Yes.”

“Then tomorrow, I'll go with you to Xiting to visit Grandpa Shan.”

“Alright!”

Runsheng happily stood up, stretching and looking around. Soon, his smile vanished, and he pointed towards a motorcycle approaching in the distance:

“Hey, Xiaoyuan, doesn't that person on the back of the motorcycle look like your great-grandfather?”

“That is great-grandfather.”

Li Sanjiang sat on the back seat of the motorcycle, with one package tucked between him and the driver, another tied to the back of the bike, and one in each hand.

The howling wind blew, and his arms were trembling from exhaustion.

If the authorities sent someone to invite him, he had to go, or else he wouldn't have the confidence to carry the plaque next time.

Unfortunately, his mule had gone out for a stroll today, and even more unfortunately, the mule had also taken the tricycle.

“Comrade, stop, stop.”

The motorcycle stopped. Li Sanjiang looked at Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng standing by the roadside and asked in surprise:

“What are you two doing here?”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “Just like you, Great-Grandpa, we were also called here.”

“What?” Li Sanjiang paused, didn't think much more, handed the items in his hands to Runsheng, and said, “Let's go.”

Li Zhuiyuan hadn't expected to be able to enter the Jiang family courtyard right now.

As soon as he entered, he felt Tan Yunlong's gaze and deliberately avoided it.

To his surprise, Tan Yunlong actually walked over, bent down, and put his arm around him, pretending to pat a child, and whispered in his ear:

“Did you report the case to get work for yourself?”

“Then this money is earned too hard.”

“Hehehe.” Tan Yunlong chuckled, patted Li Zhuiyuan's head, and looked at Li Sanjiang, “Elder, thank you for making the effort to come. Don't worry, I'll cover the service fee.”

“Oh, no, no,” Li Sanjiang quickly waved his hand. “That's too formal. This is what I should do. It's about police and public relations, like fish and water.”

“How can that be? We are already very grateful that you're willing to cooperate with our work.”

“Is the person in the pond?”

“Yes, please take a look first.” Tan Yunlong accompanied Li Sanjiang towards the pond, whispering, “Elder, when you do your work later, please keep the scale of the ritual a bit small.”

“The comrade who brought me here has already mentioned it. Don't worry, I understand.”

“Please understand.”

“Understood, understood.”

He naturally knew why. After all, it wasn't good for police officers in uniform to be too closely associated with feudal superstition. The last time he retrieved the Bearded Man and his son from their fish pond, the police who arrived had also waited by their patrol cars on the road.

Everyone cooperated when they should and paid attention to discretion when necessary.

Li Sanjiang called out to Runsheng, “Runsheng Hou, grab the tools!”

Runsheng hesitated, not moving, then turned to look at Li Zhuiyuan, who had secretly moved to the edge of the pit and was looking down.

After seeing the hand below, Li Zhuiyuan's eyes showed confusion. Why was this hand so fresh?

According to Brother Bao, he had helped Jiang Dongping bury the body here initially. That had been quite some time ago, even several years ago.

This was also the bottom of a pond, naturally damp; the bones should have decayed quickly. How could clear flesh still be visible?

Either this body wasn't Old Zhou, the one who was killed, or there was something wrong with the current Old Zhou.

“Runsheng Hou, why are you just standing there blankly? Grab the tools!”

Li Zhuiyuan snapped back to reality and looked at Runsheng: “Brother Runsheng, get the tools ready.”

To be safe, it was better to use his own.

“Aye!”

Runsheng responded, immediately uncovered the plastic sheet on the tricycle, and brought over the new set of tools.

Li Sanjiang looked at these new tools, which looked similar but weren't his, with some confusion. But with police officers watching, it wasn't convenient for him to ask anything further. Anyway, new or old, they were all the same to him.

“Great-Grandpa, let Brother Runsheng try first. If Brother Runsheng can't retrieve it, it means Grandpa Shan isn't skilled enough to teach apprentices. Then you can step in and properly teach him.”

“Hmm, alright.”

Li Sanjiang felt that Xiaoyuan Hou made sense.

Runsheng took the tools, arranged them by the edge of the pit, his face full of eagerness.

Li Sanjiang, meanwhile, found a small wooden stool, set out simple offerings, and even brought two white candles that were almost burned down.

He had indeed listened to the police officer's request not to make a big spectacle, so everything was kept small.

Lighting candles and burning paper, Li Sanjiang mumbled incantations and began circling the pit.

Around them, the younger police officers watched curiously, while the older ones quietly moved back a bit.

Tan Yunlong looked around. The old Jiang family mansion was large and naturally quite secluded, with few residential homes nearby. Coupled with the Jiang family's local influence, not many villagers dared to come watch the commotion at their house at this time. Outside the wall, only a dozen or so scattered people stood, half of whom had just been passing by, saw the police cars, and stopped to watch.

As for the Jiang family members, Tan Yunlong had already instructed them to be taken inside for questioning.

The surroundings were still relatively quiet, not likely to attract too much gossip.

After completing the ritual, Li Sanjiang took two beer bottles, corked with cloth strips and containing reddish liquid, from a bundle.

Seeing this, Tan Yunlong immediately stepped forward to stop him: “Elder, what are you going to do?”

“Black dog blood. It's to ward off evil. This thing can't be dug out and keeps retracting, which means there's a strong grievance.”

“Can you not pour it?”

“Not pour it?”

“If you pour that, the body will be ruined for examination.”

“Then I'll try. Runsheng, you can start. Let's see if Shanao taught you any real skills.”

Saying this, Li Sanjiang placed the two bottles of mixed pig blood he was holding on the ground.

To emphasize his status as a master, he deliberately walked a few steps away, took out a cigarette, and tried to light one, just to put on airs.

A police officer nearby reminded him, “Elder, you need to smoke a bit further away. We'll still need to conduct a physical evidence search here later.”

“Oh, okay.” Li Sanjiang hesitated, but since he had put on airs, he had no choice but to take the cigarette to a corner. However, when he checked his pocket, he realized he had rushed out without matches and had to find someone to borrow from.

Thus, at this moment, the only ones truly standing at the edge of the pit were Li Zhuiyuan, Runsheng, and Tan Yunlong.

“Officer Tan, is the body retracting downwards?”

“Yes, it is. The more we dig, the further it sinks.”

“Officer Tan, can you have someone move that vat containing the 'Tai Sui'?”

“That's important evidence; it needs to be taken back to the station for examination.”

“I'm not asking you to throw it away. Just have someone move it outside the gate, not within the confines of this house.”

“Is there some taboo?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.” Tan Yunlong immediately ordered the peripheral police officers to move the vat outside the gate.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. In this way, the karmic connection between himself, Brother Bao, and Zhao Xing would be fulfilled. Next, it would simply be time to settle accounts.

Officer Tan turned around and saw the boy take out a crude wooden compass. Tan Yunlong thought that even street vendors selling cheap toys wouldn't stock something like that; it was too ugly and simply wouldn't sell.

The boy first adjusted his standing direction, then, staring at the compass in his hand, spun in a circle on the spot. After stopping, he silently recited some numbers.

Tan Yunlong listened carefully, originally expecting to hear some incantation, but all he heard were numbers.

After the mental calculation and calibration were complete,

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, looked into the pit, and pointed to Runsheng beside him: “Use the Yellow River shovel here, here, and here... In these six positions, first dig a small, downward-sloping pit in each.”

“Okay!”

Runsheng took the Yellow River shovel and went into the pit. Without even looking at the hand's location, he first dug six pits on the surrounding side walls as Li Zhuiyuan instructed.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. These six pits were actually meant to break through miasma, disrupting the corpse's “sense of direction” so that when it was startled and tried to escape, it would lose its bearings.

The "Records of Jianghu Legends" described this type of corpse, stating they possessed an ability similar to razor clams to burrow through soil and sand.

But strictly speaking, this type of corpse wasn't considered a "deadfall" (a reanimated corpse). Wei Zhengdao had specifically noted: “There must be something unusual near this corpse.”

Li Zhuiyuan took out an inkpad box, pressed his index finger firmly onto it, then ran the Seven Star Hook across it. Each time a section of the hook extended, he sequentially added a red mark until all seven sections were open before dropping the Seven Star Hook into the pit.

“Brother Runsheng, place the hook between you and the corpse, block the path!”

“Understood!”

Runsheng caught the hook and, as instructed, inserted the Seven Star Hook between himself and the hand.

Soon, only the top end of the Seven Star Hook remained outside. Runsheng placed his palm on it and began to turn, and immediately a “clanking and clattering” sound came from underground.

So far, because it hadn't touched the hand, the corpse hadn't continued to burrow downwards.

Li Zhuiyuan pressed all five fingers onto the inkpad, quickly grasped the soul-retrieval basket and the homecoming net, and then threw them both into the pit.

“Place the basket in front, deploy the net behind.”

“Okay!” Runsheng had just received the items, then was momentarily confused and asked, “Xiaoyuan, which is the front of the corpse?”

“The direction the palm is facing is the front.”

“Understood!”

Runsheng placed the soul-retrieval basket in front of the palm. At first glance, the basket's opening looked very narrow and shallow, but once the buckles were undone, both the opening and depth could be adjusted, and it was extremely resilient.

As for the homecoming net, Runsheng placed it over the back of the hand. The net was very large, almost covering even that side of the pit wall.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the Rashomon umbrella and said to Runsheng, “Brother Runsheng, catch me.”

After saying that, he leaped into the pit. Tan Yunlong, standing nearby, had no time to stop him.

Runsheng caught him steadily. Once Li Zhuiyuan had found his footing, he first bent down to examine the hand closely. Then, he pulled out a talisman he had drawn himself from his pocket.

The preparation was complete. He now wanted to conduct a personal test, for example, with the talisman he had drawn.

The "Record of Righteous Demon Suppression" didn't contain many specific descriptions of talismans; it only listed a few prerequisites, similar to needing to master certain course knowledge points before learning a particular subject.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't meet any of those strict conditions. He had simply concentrated his energy and drawn the talisman according to the patterns in the book.

Although he knew it likely wouldn't be useful, what if...?

The distance was just right. Above the palm, Li Zhuiyuan released the talisman. It slowly descended, and just as it was about to touch the hand, the hand's fingers suddenly splayed open and powerfully snatched the talisman!

The talisman instantly turned black.

“Xiaoyuan!” This sudden change made Runsheng immediately shield Xiaoyuan behind him.

Li Zhuiyuan was a bit helpless. The opponent had not only ignored the threat of his talisman but had actively provoked him.

“Brother Runsheng, pry it out.”

“Okay!”

Runsheng gripped one end of the Seven Star Hook