Chapter 321

At four in the morning, the streets were very quiet.

Lin Shuyou pushed a wheelchair, with Zhao Yi seated in it.

In the old streets and narrow alleys, streetlights were sparse. Occasionally, a bright bulb at an alley entrance would cast their shadows long, stretching them out again and again.

"How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine."

"Is everything packed up?"

"It's all loaded in the car. We can drive back to Nantong anytime."

"There's no rush to go back to Nantong. It's not often we come to Jiujiang; we should enjoy ourselves. Let me play the host."

Lin Shuyou looked at Zhao Yi, who was in front of him.

Three-Eyes' words sounded strange, 'play the host'... but the landlord's family was no more.

"Jiujiang has many wonderful places to visit and admire. I've already told Li that I'll take you all on a tour."

"Brother Xiaoyuan agreed?"

"Yes. Is that strange?"

"I thought Brother Xiaoyuan would be eager to return to Nantong quickly."

"His business isn't finished yet. How could he go back now?"

"Oh, right, indeed."

"So tell me, what else is there?"

"There's also..."

"Hahahaha."

"Three-Eyes, why haven't you returned to the Zhao family yet? I mean the outer residence."

"No rush. The house isn't clean yet. How could I invite your Brother Xiaoyuan over?"

Lin Shuyou stopped. At the alley entrance ahead, several rows of people stood.

Upon seeing Zhao Yi in the wheelchair, they immediately approached, knelt on one knee, and said in unison:

"Young Master."

Zhao Yi waved his hand and said:

"Alright, no need to kneel. From today onwards, our Zhao family will no longer observe those old customs."

The crowd exchanged glances, but no one dared to stand.

Zhao Yi took a stack of papers from his pocket.

"Here, take them."

The few people kneeling in the front row stood up, each took a sheet, and then knelt back down.

Zhao Yi: "Don't worry about the consequences. My demand is to eliminate the people on this list as quickly as possible. After it's done, there will be a reward."

"Yes, Young Master!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

These people quickly stood up and left.

Lin Shuyou: "Is that it?"

Zhao Yi: "Yes."

Lin Shuyou: "Shall we go back then?"

Zhao Yi: "Oh, no, since we're out, let's grab some breakfast. It's just up ahead. You remember that place from last time, right?"

"I remember." Lin Shuyou continued pushing Zhao Yi forward. "Are they all Zhao family members too?"

"Yes, collateral branches, and born into the household – those who latched onto me and placed their bets early."

"Who are you having them kill?"

"Didn't I write a new 'Family Register'? I circled everyone with dirty business, and I'm having them help me clean up. I'll tell you a secret: some of the people from that group just now are also on my list, but the list is held by the person next to them, hehe."

The breakfast shop was already open for business.

When Zhao Yi was pushed over, the proprietress, thinking new customers had arrived, wiped her hands on her apron and came out. Upon seeing Zhao Yi, she trembled with fright.

The owner inside, noticing the commotion outside, came out shakily. His face was tightly wrapped in cloth, with only his eyes visible.

The owner leaned on the wall and knelt before Zhao Yi.

The proprietress looked up at the children's room window on the second floor, then also knelt down.

Zhao Yi: "Alright, no need to kneel. Our debts are settled. One small bowl of beef noodles, six large bowls, and a platter of braised bones. We're hungry."

The noodles and braised bones were served quickly.

Zhao Yi looked at the chili oil in his small bowl, shook his head, and said to the proprietress:

"Could I have clear broth instead?"

He now only had one lung, so food had to go down smoothly. A splash of chili oil, ugh, that would be too irritating.

The proprietress immediately picked up the bowl.

"Put it down; let him eat it."

The proprietress put the bowl down and went back into the kitchen to cook new noodles.

Lin Shuyou single-handedly devoured six bowls of beef noodles and a platter of bones, eating heartily.

After Zhao Yi's bowl of clear broth noodles arrived, he ate only a small portion before putting down his chopsticks.

Lin Shuyou asked, still gnawing on a bone, "Is that all you're eating?"

Zhao Yi joked, "Yeah, half my stomach was removed too."

As he spoke, Zhao Yi took out a makeup palette and began touching up his makeup.

Just then, a customer wearing a hat came in, ordered alcohol and braised bones.

The proprietress said a new pot of bones wasn't ready yet and asked him to wait.

The customer sat inside the shop and waited.

By the time Lin Shuyou finished eating, the new pot of bones was finally ready. The proprietress picked out a portion and brought it to the customer's table.

Lin Shuyou patted his stomach and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Want more?"

"I'm full."

"Then let's head back."

"Okay."

Zhao Yi took money from his pocket, counted it out – a mix of small and large denominations – and placed it under the bowl.

Lin Shuyou stood up and began pushing Zhao Yi's wheelchair.

As soon as they turned into the alley ahead, Lin Shuyou spotted a familiar figure.

It was Tan Yunlong in plain clothes, accompanied by another person, who was likely also a police officer.

Lin Shuyou turned sideways, trying to avoid Tan Yunlong's gaze. He felt it would be better for Brother Bin to handle some matters directly, to avoid saying the wrong thing again himself.

But Tan Yunlong's eyesight was too good; he recognized them instantly from behind.

"Classmate Lin Shuyou?"

Lin Shuyou had no choice but to turn around: "Uncle Tan."

Tan Yunlong: "You..."

Zhao Yi: "A-You, the person eating at that breakfast shop behind us was strange. They wore a hat out at night, had sunglasses in their pocket, and seemed to take off a beard while eating bones."

Tan Yunlong's eyes narrowed. He immediately waved his hand, signaling the young police officer behind him to follow, and charged forward.

A moment later, sounds of overturning tables and chairs came from that direction. Then, the customer ran towards them, a dagger in hand.

Seeing this, Lin Shuyou instinctively stepped forward, intending to block him.

"Bang."

Tan Yunlong delivered a flying kick first, knocking the man to the ground. He then pressed his knee heavily onto him, pulled out handcuffs, and cuffed the man.

"Whew..."

Only after subduing the suspect did Tan Yunlong have the presence of mind to look down at his arm, which had been grazed by the dagger.

When he looked up again to find the two figures, he realized both the people and the wheelchair were gone.

"So, that guy just now was the criminal Uncle Tan has been looking for?"

"Yes."

"You knew that person was suspicious, why didn't you tell me earlier? I could have apprehended him in the shop."

"Is that your job?"

"Wandering the jianghu, eliminating violence and bringing peace..."

"Is that your 'water channel'?"

"Ah... oh, right. You knew Uncle Tan was nearby?"

"No, I didn't."

"Then you..."

"Don't mention it, Li's theory is quite interesting; the more you think about it, the more profound it gets."

Back in front of the building where they first stayed, Tan Wenbin had just finished a call on his 'big brother' phone.

Seeing Lin Shuyou pushing Zhao Yi back, Tan Wenbin asked with a smile, "Out for a stroll so early in the morning?"

Zhao Yi: "We were hungry, so we went for breakfast."

Tan Wenbin looked at the building behind them, then at the two in front. "Was breakfast smooth?"

Zhao Yi: "Quite smooth. We even helped Officer Uncle identify a fugitive."

Tan Wenbin pointed at his phone: "Officer Uncle has been paging and calling me, saying he got stabbed in the chest during the arrest and telling me to hurry to the hospital to see him."

Zhao Yi: "His arm was grazed by the knife. The cut is wide, but not deep."

Tan Wenbin: "I know. I gathered that from the call with my dad."

Zhao Yi: "Perhaps, missing his son is also like a knife."

Tan Wenbin: "He doesn't miss me; he wants me to go over there to be questioned. Sigh, so early in the morning, I have to go there and reiterate the good relationship between police and citizens, just to tie things up."

Zhao Yi: "Deputy Captain, you're working hard."

Tan Wenbin: "It's the external team who are working hard. In their condition, they can still go fix water channels."

Zhao Yi: "It's what they should do."

Tan Wenbin: "Alright, I'll be going now."

Zhao Yi: "The jeep's key is on the tire."

"Okay."

Tan Wenbin drove off.

At that moment, the door on the third floor opened, and Li Zhuiyuan walked out onto the balcony. The young man's routine was always very consistent.

"Li, the weather's good today. Shall I take you out to see some sights?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded and came downstairs.

Runsheng didn't follow them out. After all, the comatose Liang sisters were still in the building and needed someone to watch over them.

The small car had been driven away by Tan Wenbin, and a large car wasn't suitable, so they simply walked.

They strolled slowly along the riverside. As they walked, their footsteps seemed a little loud, gradually awakening the city from its slumber.

Zhao Yi briefly recounted the morning's events.

"Li, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Want to grab something over there?"

"I ate biscuits after I woke up."

"When you're out traveling, why eat biscuits? You're ruining your stomach."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't retort. Instead, he focused more on the beautiful misty river scene before him.

Along the way, there were many mottled painted walls and propaganda stands with a strong sense of history. Even older were the poems inscribed on them. Walking and reading the poems created an ambiance of being accompanied by ancient people, blurring the lines of time and today.

When they emerged from this contemplative state, a tall pagoda became visible ahead.

"Is this the Suojianglou Pagoda?"

"Yes. I'll take you for a visit."

Unfortunately, the pagoda was under renovation and could not be entered.

A quick inquiry revealed that the pagoda had suddenly swayed the day before yesterday, causing damage to multiple structural points.

Lin Shuyou: "Could it be related to us?"

Zhao Yi retorted, "What do you think?"

Although they couldn't enter the pagoda, the small plaza beneath it was still crowded with people.

Many small vendors had set up their stalls early, mainly selling souvenirs and snacks.

Li Zhuiyuan went to the railing. The morning breeze was very pleasant on the skin. Soon, when the sun came out, this comfort would disappear.

Zhao Yi: "There are many cultural attractions in the city. Several ancient temples and Taoist monasteries are well worth a visit. I'll just take you to see them all today. Once we're done with the cultural sites, I'll take you to Mount Lu to see the waterfall, and to the observation deck at my new home."

Li Zhuiyuan: "How much longer will it take to deal with your ancestral home's affairs?"

Zhao Yi: "It's being handled. I can't do it myself, so it's naturally slower."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Let my people help you."

Zhao Yi: "Thank you very much, but why use an ox-slaying knife to kill a chicken?"

Li's subordinates aren't skilled at settling family matters; their expertise has always been erasing individuals from existence.

Zhao Yi couldn't afford them, nor would he dare to use them.

"Here, A-You, take some money. Go see what's fun, and eat whatever you like."

Zhao Yi took out money and handed it to Lin Shuyou.

"I have money." Lin Shuyou didn't take the money. Instead, he looked at Brother Xiaoyuan, intending to stay by his side for protection.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Go on and have fun. It's close by, you'll be fine."

"Okay, Brother Xiaoyuan."

Lin Shuyou went off to explore.

As a young martial artist, despite having eaten a large breakfast, he still had an appetite.

Zhao Yi looked at Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you want to learn my 'doppelgänger' technique?"

"I can't learn it."

"Even if you don't have the life-and-death gate, or the easy-possession trait left by Su Luo, I believe, with your mind, you can certainly figure out an alternative method."

"There's no point in learning that. I have no interest in disassembling myself for fun."

"Oh, I forgot. You don't practice martial arts, so it really wouldn't be convenient to disassemble yourself. You'd be gone if you did."

As he spoke, Zhao Yi took out his makeup again, and like a woman, began touching up his face.

"It's good not to disassemble yourself. After I did, I didn't even know how to put myself back together."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Zhao Yi and said:

"You can definitely put yourself back together."

"I'll take that as a good omen."

"It's not my good omen, but rather, what you're doing, it definitely likes."

"Heh, you make it sound like I'm doing this just to please it."

"That's not contradictory. Opposing yourself is equivalent to proving your firm stance to it."

"Honestly, Li, after your analysis, I'm starting to wonder if I'm being cunning and calculating."

"It can only be said that Zhao Luhai's original intention was bad, but the high-sounding excuse he found has actually worked out."

"Li, could you lend me our team's internal reference materials?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

"Are you saying I'm poor? Are you saying I can't afford it?"

"Yes."

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and leaned on the railing, gazing at the scenery.

Facing Li Zhuiyuan's back, Zhao Yi's lips moved rapidly, silently speaking.

As he cursed, he accidentally ate some of his "lip paper."

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

A white-haired old woman, carrying a carrying pole, came to sell goods. She didn't push into the busiest center but settled on the outer edge. She placed two small display cabinets in front of her, then put a small stool wrapped in cloth behind them and sat down.

She sat very upright, her hands folded on her lap. Her white hair was meticulously styled, and her clothes, though not new, were immaculately clean, even refined.

A horizontal paper strip on the display cabinet read: Osmanthus Crisp Candy.

Perhaps due to her remarkably good demeanor, which indirectly made people feel her goods were cleaner, many tourists stopped as they passed by. She had just set up her stall and already had customers.

Lin Shuyou was also drawn over, looking at the exceedingly attractive crisp candy, pondering how much to buy to share with everyone.

Brother Xiaoyuan didn't like sweets, Runsheng didn't like clean food, and Three-Eyes couldn't eat sticky food now, for fear of it sticking to his heart and lungs.

Hmm, it seemed he didn't need to consider others; only he himself liked sweets.

He chose two pieces and paid.

The old woman smiled and wrapped them in oil paper, also giving Lin Shuyou an extra flavor as a gift.

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Here, take it."

After a full circle of browsing, Lin Shuyou returned to Li Zhuiyuan's side. Feeling they had lingered enough, Zhao Yi suggested moving on to the next attraction.

As they pushed the wheelchair out, they passed the old woman's stall again, and Lin Shuyou waved goodbye to her.

The old woman waved back at A-You, her face beaming with a kind smile.

At the entrance to the plaza, there was a large notice board, with one section specifically dedicated to missing children's information.

At this moment, a new notice had appeared on it, one that wasn't there when they first arrived.

Moreover, it was very noticeable because others had posted photographs of missing children with a text description below.

But the newly posted one was a drawing.

The artistry was exquisite.

The drawing depicted a very young girl.

Zhao Yi: "Li, I think this drawing looks a little familiar."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Cui Cui."

The small girl in the drawing resembled Cui Cui, whom he had first met upon arriving in Nantong, in her eyebrows and general appearance, though the girl in the drawing appeared several years younger than Cui Cui at that time.

Below the drawing was a short text description, broadly stating a search for a young girl abducted by human traffickers years ago. The exact year was vague, and there wasn't even a contact address.

The calligraphy, written with a brush, was also very beautiful.

Zhao Yi: "This handwriting..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Osmanthus Crisp Candy."

The old woman's business was thriving. Additionally, since her crisp candy was handmade and she didn't stock much, she quickly sold out.

She packed up her stall, hoisted her carrying pole, and headed home.

Her home was large, an old courtyard with a distinct sense of history.

After pushing the gate open and entering, she soon emerged carrying a vegetable basket.

Zhao Yi: "She's just an ordinary person, an ordinary person whose family used to be very well-off."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Mmm."

If the old woman's identity was suspicious, it couldn't escape the notice of both Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi.

However, the destinies of Liu Jinxia, her daughter, and granddaughter were clearly quite special. If this old woman were a relative of Liu Jinxia, she shouldn't be so ordinary; at the very least, her destiny should show some indication.

For this reason, Li Zhuiyuan did not go directly to the old woman who posted the missing person notice. Furthermore, that notice itself was quite strange, which is why he first followed the old woman to her home.

"A-You, open the door."

Lin Shuyou stepped forward, pushed open the house door, and went inside, finding nothing unusual.

Li Zhuiyuan pushed Zhao Yi inside.

Zhao Yi: "Li, I have to say, you're quite strong."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's because you're significantly diminished."

The courtyard was spacious, with ordinary furnishings and layout. From the inner room came the occasional sound of an old man coughing.

Li Zhuiyuan intended to go inside and look around, signaling Lin Shuyou to continue walking forward.

As he passed the well in the courtyard, the young man slowed his steps.

The well was covered with a metal sheet. He had initially thought it was just for dust protection, but upon closer inspection, he realized the way the sheet was secured meant it couldn't be opened at all.

On top, there was a sliding latch that could turn in an arc, about the size of a child's palm.

Li Zhuiyuan placed his hand on it; there was nothing special.

But just as the young man prepared to turn the arc, he heard the water below the well begin to churn. Then came the sound of scales rubbing against the well wall, mixed with the scraping of sharp, hard edges, continuously moving upwards.

Based on the sounds, the young man quickly envisioned the creature:

Long-bodied, scaly, horned...

A flood dragon in the well!