Chapter 322

In an instant, it was as if everyone else in the courtyard had vanished, leaving only the young man and the well before him.

From the bottom of the well, something shot straight up, as if intending to burst forth with furious speed.

All the oppressive power and momentum it carried converged on the young man in that very moment.

An ordinary person would be utterly incapable of withstanding such a focused assault; their mind and spirit would instantly shatter, leaving them a madman forever trapped in fear.

Li Zhuiyuan's eyes slowly widened. Not only was the young man unafraid, but he was also bewildered that "the other party" dared to challenge him.

If you were the same as you were back then, that ferocious black jiao that stirred up winds and rains and wreaked havoc on both banks of the Jiujiang River, then I would, out of recognition of your absolute power, adopt a different approach.

But now, you are merely a residual spirit, without a physical body, or even a semblance of a soul. And yet, you dare to cause trouble in my presence?

In terms of strength and status, you are beneath me.

So,

Who gave you such confidence and courage?

The invisible clash of their imposing auras occurred.

"Roar!"

An angry roar erupted from beneath the well opening, but gradually, the sound grew weaker, while the sharpness in the young man's eyes intensified.

How could someone who carries the burden of two Dragon King lineages be intimidated by a residual black jiao spirit?

Even true dragons were fully arrayed on the ancestral altar in his family's east room.

"Creak, creak..." The sound of friction against the well walls echoed again, but this time it was descending, not ascending.

It retreated, sinking into the well water and settling at the bottom.

Li Zhuiyuan's surroundings returned to normal, and the young man withdrew his hand from the well cover.

Lin Shuyou stood rubbing his eyes; they had been itching intensely, his vertical pupils fluctuating between opening and closing in confusion.

He sensed danger but couldn't pinpoint its source, so in his confusion and tension, he instinctively moved closer to Brother Xiaoyuan.

Zhao Yi, in his wheelchair, asked, "What was in there? Quite audacious."

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "If I'm not mistaken, it's likely a remnant left behind after your ancestor suppressed the jiao in Jiujiang back then."

Lin Shuyou asked, "Are other remains of Dragon King Zhao in the well?"

Zhao Yi rolled his eyes at Lin Shuyou. "He's talking about the jiao's remnants."

"Oh," Lin Shuyou scratched his head sheepishly, then pointed at the well and asked, "So, a black jiao is suppressed in this well?"

Zhao Yi replied, "Barely... you could say that."

Lin Shuyou said, "But when I came in earlier, I didn't see any traces of a seal in this courtyard, and even now, the well cover doesn't seem special."

Zhao Yi explained, "Suppression doesn't necessarily require a seal."

Li Zhuiyuan observed, "The coughing inside the house has stopped."

Zhao Yi instructed, "A-you, go inside and check."

Lin Shuyou didn't move.

Li Zhuiyuan commanded, "Go in."

Lin Shuyou went inside.

Inside the house, a strong aroma of traditional Chinese medicine permeated the air. Lin Shuyou slowly approached the bedroom and pulled aside the cloth curtain.

Suddenly, he felt a wave of dizziness.

Lin Shuyou immediately activated his vertical pupils, revealing his True Lord aura, which suppressed the blurring sense of spatial disorientation.

He then peered inside, finding the bedroom utterly dark.

Lin Shuyou knew he hadn't fully overcome the strange environment within the room.

The next moment, the floor began to tilt, the ceiling gradually warped, and the surrounding walls spun.

Anger flashed in Lin Shuyou's vertical pupils. He clenched his fists, gathering his strength, and facing this increasingly complex situation, he decided to try to break through with brute force.

Just then, Brother Xiaoyuan's figure entered from outside.

As the young man walked, he waved his right hand to both sides, and soon, the room's arrangement "settled" down.

Li Zhuiyuan looked towards the bedroom and said, "We didn't come with absolute malice. Of course, if you wish to continue playing, I can oblige."

"Whoosh..." The bedroom curtain seemed to be half-blown open by a gust of wind, as if someone were inviting them in by lifting the drape.

Lin Shuyou still stepped in first, but the curtain pressed down, indicating an obstruction.

The inhabitant inside meant for only Li Zhuiyuan to enter.

Li Zhuiyuan spread his right hand, and a blood mist permeated his palm, preparing to forcibly seize control of the room.

Sensing the young man's actions, the curtain lifted again.

Lin Shuyou walked in, followed by Li Zhuiyuan.

Zhao Yi pushed his own wheelchair. He was already breathless from exertion as soon as he entered the main hall, but he continued to push himself forward with effort.

When the wheelchair reached the curtain, there was a "thud" as it collided.

The normally soft curtain remained perfectly still, while Zhao Yi, along with his wheelchair, was jolted backward.

At that moment, the curtain was lifted from the inside, and Lin Shuyou emerged. He went behind Zhao Yi, helped him push his wheelchair, and then held the curtain open to let Zhao Yi through.

Afterward, Lin Shuyou didn't re-enter, but instead walked to the doorway and stood with his arms crossed.

Zhao Yi knew that, given Li's style, he would only let his "bodyguard" out after confirming there was nothing in the bedroom that could pose an uncontrollable threat to him.

The bedroom was very large, seemingly an amalgamation of three normal rooms.

The furnishings inside were antique; there was a study with bookshelves full of ancient texts, a music room with zithers and stringed instruments arranged, and a bed—an old-fashioned, finely carved wooden bed with a palpable sense of age.

"Creak... creak..." Strands of silk extended from the bed, binding and wrapping around various parts of the room.

Amidst these creaking sounds, an old man slowly sat up in the bed.

All the silk strands were wrapped around him.

The old man was very aged, having long lost the ability to move freely, relying solely on these silk strands to manipulate his body.

When he "sat up," his gaze met that of the young man standing at the foot of the bed.

"Rustle... rustle..." The old man's fingertips trembled slightly, and through the silk strands, they connected to the music room, plucking the zither strings to produce friction. Listening carefully, one could discern "speech."

"I was unaware of your esteemed presence and failed to greet you properly; please forgive my oversight."

The old man's posture was very humble. This was not only because the young man had previously been able to contend with him for control of the room, but also because the young man had just agitated the black jiao's residual spirit in the courtyard.

This residual spirit wouldn't have been disturbed for no reason; it must have sensed a fate that interested it, wanting to compete and test its mettle.

Even more alarming, the black jiao's residual spirit eventually conceded defeat and retreated on its own.

This was far more effective than any formal introduction; it was the ultimate touchstone.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "I was abrupt in my visit, and rude first, but I have something to ask, and I hope you will tell me."

The old man replied, "I will tell you everything I know, holding nothing back."

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Why is the black jiao's residual spirit here?"

The old man said, "Ah, that's a long story. If young friend... no, esteemed guest, you are willing to listen to this old man's rambling, please take a seat. Unfortunately, A-ping has gone out to buy groceries, and there's no one here to offer you tea, so please forgive the poor hospitality."

Li Zhuiyuan pulled a nearby chair and sat down. "Please tell me," he said.

Zhao Yi gently pushed his wheelchair, listening while looking around the room.

What interested him most were the ancient texts on the bookshelves.

He had hoped for some unexpected discovery, but he was disappointed, as these ancient texts held great literary value but no Xuanmen value.

Nearby, there were many painting tubes filled with scrolls, which Zhao Yi also reached out to sift through.

The old man began his narration:

"Does your esteemed self know of the Zhao clan of Jiujiang?"

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Zhao Yi and replied, "I do."

Zhao Yi lowered his head and rubbed his nose. He had a premonition that this would likely uncover more misdeeds committed by his own Zhao ancestors.

"The ancestor of the Jiujiang Zhao clan, Dragon King Zhao Wuyang, once suppressed an entire generation of the Jianghu world.

When the Dragon King's lifespan was nearing its end, he came to Jiujiang and suppressed a black jiao, marking his own curtain call.

My ancestors were devout followers of Dragon King Zhao."

Zhao Yi asked, "May I inquire your esteemed surname?"

The old man replied, "My surname is Jin, Jin Xingshan."

Zhao Yi said, "But there was no one with the surname Jin by Dragon King Zhao's side."

Zhao Yi had read his ancestor's notes and knew that his ancestor hadn't traveled the rivers alone back then. Two individuals who revered him accompanied him until he achieved the Dragon King status.

Later, one of them retired from the Jianghu world, living a carefree life; the other established his own sect, but this sect wasn't as "skilled" in management as the Zhao clan and quickly vanished into the long river of the Jianghu.

One was named An, and the other Sun; there was no one named Jin.

The old man explained, "That's a misunderstanding on your part. My ancestor didn't follow Dragon King Zhao on his travels. Instead, when Dragon King Zhao arrived in Jiujiang, my ancestor received the Dragon King's command, met with the Dragon King, and accompanied him in suppressing the black jiao.

It was my inaccurate description that caused your esteemed self to misunderstand."

Zhao Yi said, "It was my slip of the tongue; I apologize for the offense."

The old man continued, "To be able to serve the Dragon King's command was an honor in itself. Furthermore, my family, the Jin clan, had rooted itself in Jiujiang much earlier. Compared to the Dragon King, who only arrived in Jiujiang in his later years, my Jin family is more truly indigenous to Jiujiang.

Therefore, assisting the Dragon King in suppressing the black jiao was also a beneficial act for our homeland, a responsibility we naturally couldn't shirk."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhuiyuan recalled the Four Families of the Old Heavenly Gate in his mind.

Back then, in Zhangjiajie, a general, whose malevolence was at its peak, intended to break out of his tomb and lead ghost soldiers to conquer the world once more.

Ultimately, Dragon King Qin Kan of the Qin family arrived in Zhangjiajie and issued the Dragon King's command, prompting the Four Families of the Old Heavenly Gate to deploy their entire clans to assist the Dragon King in suppressing the general.

The old man stated, "According to my family's records, that black jiao was in a stage of new transformation back then, extremely tyrannical and fierce, with boundless vitality. Fortunately, Dragon King Zhao's divine bravery was unparalleled, battling it until the river surface churned into a red tide.

Alas, the Dragon King was already old, no longer in his prime. Though he defeated it, he couldn't utterly eradicate the malevolent creature. He could only leave behind arrangements in Jiujiang, using the passage of time to wear down the malevolent thoughts that remained after the jiao's death, preventing its reappearance.

My ancestor was one of the guardians of these arrangements."

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "What kind of arrangements?"

The old man explained, "After the Dragon King defeated the black jiao, he beheaded it, extracted its tendons, severed its bones, and flayed its skin.

The jiao's head was the most difficult and dangerous to suppress, entrusted by the old Dragon King to a direct descendant of the Zhao clan for personal suppression.

It is said that the old Dragon King once declared his own end was near, and to leave his body to build a temple or tomb would bring shame to previous Dragon Kings and make him a laughingstock for future ones.

Therefore..."

The old man's words were filled with reverence for Zhao Wuyang. Or rather, his family, for generations, had worshipped Dragon King Zhao.

Though not of the Zhao bloodline, they considered their own ancestors' ability to suppress the black jiao alongside the Dragon King an immense source of pride.

Li Zhuiyuan stated directly, "The old Dragon King used his own head to suppress the black jiao's head."

The old man confirmed, "That's right. It was enshrined deep within the Suojiang Tower back then."

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "So, besides your Jin family and the Zhao clan, there were two other families involved?"

The old man replied, "Yes. However, the jiao's head, tendons, and bones have long since been suppressed and dissipated. Only the black jiao's skin remains... it carried the greatest resentment from the jiao before its death, making it the most difficult to suppress and purify, thus requiring the longest time.

My family, for successive generations, has silently been suppressing it.

Logically, even if my family's ancestors were less capable, not as exceptional as the one who gained the Dragon King's approval, it wouldn't be as absurd as this.

Even if it took two more generations, this matter should have been concluded, making it utterly impossible for the black jiao to reappear in the human world.

The problem is, for some unknown reason, generation after generation continued the suppression, yet they could never completely purify this black jiao skin. This allowed it to persist until now, and even give birth to a residual spirit once more."

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Are you truly unaware of the reason?"

The old man fell silent.

Li Zhuiyuan pressed, "Or do you actually know the reason, but dare not speak it?"

The old man used the silk strands to pull at his facial skin and the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless smile. He said, "Esteemed guest, do not forget, this is Jiujiang."

Li Zhuiyuan stated, "The Zhao clan members, on their own initiative, moved the head of Dragon King Zhao from deep within the Suojiang Tower."

Astonishment appeared in the old man's eyes.

To know such a thing was already astounding, and for the other party to state it so casually was even more remarkable.

It was as if he didn't regard the illustrious Jiujiang Zhao clan with any particular importance.

Zhao Yi sighed inwardly. Sure enough, it was another misdeed committed by his own ancestors.

The one who removed the ancestor's head from the Suojiang Tower was Zhao Luhai.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, walked to the music room, and helped adjust the silk strands.

The old man likely hadn't "spoken" this much in a long time; his voice became increasingly blurred and distorted towards the end.

The entire sequence of events was simple. Zhao Wuyang came to Jiujiang in his old age to suppress the black jiao. After slaying it, however, he lacked the strength to continue wearing it down.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected this might also be due to Zhao Wuyang's personal lack of skill in formations.

Each generation of Dragon Kings had their own distinct characteristics; having weaknesses was quite normal.

A Dragon King who rose from obscurity indeed had disadvantages in this regard, though, of course, their advantages were also incomparable to others.

The Dragon King himself was not skilled in formations, which is why he needed to issue the Dragon King's command to borrow the power of the local Xuanmen.

Zhao Wuyang himself certainly didn't want to leave behind future troubles, but he truly had no better method, and besides, he was nearing his demise at that time.

And this precisely gave later generations an opportunity for devious thoughts, because the authority for suppressing the black jiao was decentralized from the beginning.

The Jiujiang Jin family's suppression of the jiao skin was originally the most time-consuming part, and the Jin family was mentally prepared for this.

The other families should have completed their suppression long ago; otherwise, even if Zhao Luhai were a fool, he wouldn't dare leave the black jiao's head there while taking his own ancestor's head back.

In Zhao Luhai's view at the time, the black jiao had long since completely vanished, and leaving his ancestor's head under the Suojiang Tower was a waste. It would be better to bring it home to bless his descendants.

However, it was precisely this act that destroyed the integrity of the entire arrangement. Zhao Wuyang's head, placed under the Suojiang Tower, could have maintained the continuous suppression of the black jiao's remnants in the Jiujiang region.

This is somewhat similar to the peach grove in Nantong now, except Qing'an isn't dead yet.

In short, the Jin family, responsible for suppressing the jiao skin, suffered greatly due to Zhao Luhai's actions back then.

What was originally a long task with a visible end was forcibly transformed into an eternal burden.

For as many years as the Zhao ancestors enjoyed "posthumous" blessings beneath their ancestral home, the Jin family members endured suffering while alive.

Li Zhuiyuan walked back to the bed and asked, "You didn't even dare to ask the Zhao clan why they did this?"

The old man seemed to have made a decision and spoke openly: "Only a Zhao family member could retrieve the Dragon King's head from beneath that tower. My ancestor of that generation not only didn't dare to ask but immediately arranged a scenario of family 'decline,' effectively... vanishing in Jiujiang."

The Zhao clan could commit such an impious act, but if anyone dared to question them, they would immediately silence that person.

That Jin ancestor was indeed wise. The Zhao clan believed that the suppression of the black jiao had concluded.

But if the Zhao clan knew that the Jin family hadn't finished yet and still possessed parts of the black jiao skin, it would be a case of "blame due to possession of a treasure."

Certainly, the Jin family could have offered the black jiao skin to anyone who wanted it, but they didn't. They chose to continue fulfilling their ancestors' and the Dragon King's promise, to continue bearing the responsibility.

Such righteousness and resolve stood in stark contrast to that group of despicable Zhao elders.

The old man continued, "But ever since then, my Jin family members have begun to develop..."

With the silk strands winding, the old man's body turned, exposing his back to the two.

His back was covered in black and white scales, which seemed to possess a certain vitality, constantly shifting.

Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward and placed his palm on the scales, a blood mist slowly spreading as he conducted his examination.

These scales weren't just superficial, like psoriasis; in fact, the old man's entire body was riddled with them.

One could say that the old man was constantly enduring this torture.

The old man explained, "I am like this, my father was like this, and every single member of the Jin bloodline becomes like this. After reaching adulthood, these scales begin to grow, worsening progressively until life becomes worse than death."

Li Zhuiyuan stated, "This is an infestation by an evil entity."

It could also be understood as a curse from that black jiao.

Originally, such a thing wouldn't have happened. Zhao Wuyang's arrangements included protection for the Jin family, but once that protection disappeared, the Jin family's continued suppression of the jiao skin meant they were battling the jiao's malevolent intent alone.

Zhao Yi, in his wheelchair, had already turned his head away.

Zhao Yi's sense of morality had always been more fluid than Li Zhuiyuan's; Li Zhuiyuan adhered to a clear set of rules, whereas Zhao Yi leaned more towards personal conviction.

But facing such a situation, one couldn't comfort or deceive oneself, much less dismiss it.

The old man concluded, "So, my Jin family's decline isn't a pretense; it's genuine."

Any family whose bloodline consistently develops such an ailment will inevitably thin out.

Moreover, the Jin family had not abandoned their vows to their ancestors and the Dragon King.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the study, stopped at the desk, and picked up a brush. "She doesn't have it on her."

"Are you referring to A-ping, esteemed guest?"

"Yes."

"A-ping is a child I found in winter. In the area beneath the Suojiang Tower, A-ping was abandoned by her parents in a basket. When I went over and uncovered the blanket, A-ping's face was purple from the cold.

She is not of my bloodline, so naturally, she isn't affected by this affliction.

Also, while A-ping can manage her daily life, her mind isn't fully developed. Don't let her advanced age fool you; she's old enough to be a grandmother in other families, but her mental age will always be eight."

"Eight years old?"

Zhao Yi blinked. Why hadn't A-you noticed this, even though he had interacted with and chatted with the old woman?

But on second thought, it was quite normal for A-you not to have noticed.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Is this adopted daughter your only family now?"

The old man affirmed, "Yes."

Li Zhuiyuan pressed, "No one else?"

The old man replied, "No. It's just A-ping and me in this house."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

The old man said, "I have failed my ancestors."

Li Zhuiyuan stated, "Your Jin family has already sacrificed enough for this. It is the Zhao clan that has failed you."

The old man confessed, "But I ultimately retreated. It was too painful, and the burden too heavy. I don't want my descendants to continue suffering the same torment, a torment without end."

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Can A-ping draw and write?"

The old man replied, "She can. Our A-ping has been a prodigy since childhood."

On the desk were calligraphy practice sheets and painting scrolls, many of them newly written and drawn.

Given the old man's condition, it was naturally impossible for him to have the leisure to write or paint, so these must be A-ping's works.

It seemed the old man had indeed poured immense love into his adopted daughter.

When the old woman was a child, the old man must have dedicated even more effort and patience to teach her how to live, how to keep herself presentable, and how to write and draw.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the drawing he had just completed, blew on it, walked to the bedside, and presented it to the old man.

The old man merely glanced at it, and immediately, a harsh scraping sound emanated from the zither strings.

What Li Zhuiyuan had drawn was the picture the old woman had posted on the notice board for the missing person advertisement.

The old man stammered, "This... this is?"

Li Zhuiyuan explained, "A-ping sells crispy candy beneath the Suojiang Tower, and she's the one who posted this drawing on the notice board."

No wonder the drawing was so good, and the handwriting so neat, yet the description below it was vague, and even the most crucial contact information was omitted.

Considering A-ping's mental age is only eight, her oversight of such crucial information becomes understandable.

"Creak... creak... creak..." All the silk strands in the room began to tremble.

A deep wariness emerged in the old man's gaze as he looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

Moreover, he prepared to take action against Li Zhuiyuan.

Zhao Yi knew the old man had misunderstood, so he spoke up: "The Zhao family's ancestral residence has been completely burned down, and the outer compound will be disbanded in a couple of days. In short, the Zhao clan has fallen."

Shock reappeared in the old man's eyes.

Only the Xuanmen practitioners of the Jiujiang region truly understood the terror of the Jiujiang Zhao clan; it was a family that had produced a Dragon King.

The old man stammered, "Who... who acted against the Zhao clan?"

Zhao Yi glanced at the young man and replied, "I did."

The old man stammered, "Esteemed guest... are you?"

Zhao Yi said, "My surname is Zhao."

"Buzz... buzz... buzz..." The zither strings elongated their hum. After a long pause, they reassembled into speech:

"Which... Zhao?"

"The Zhao of Jiujiang Zhao. I've sent all my ancestors above my head to the netherworld."

"Buzz! Buzz. Buzz! Buzz!" A tempest raged within the old man's heart, but his sense of wariness vanished.

Li Zhuiyuan then asked, "Why would A-ping draw this picture?"

The old man didn't reply.

Li Zhuiyuan observed, "A person with the mental age of eight shouldn't be able to draw something they haven't seen."

The old man said, "A-ping drew her own childhood."

Li Zhuiyuan raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. "Snap!"

The old man felt a tremor in his fingertips as a silk strand pulled uncontrollably. Above his head, on the bed's canopy, a painting unfolded.

The person in the painting was the one A-ping had drawn, but the old man's artistry was superior. Though both depicted the same person, the one on the old man's bed canopy was clearly more lifelike.

This painting was not only ancient but also mottled with varying shades at its corners, clear signs of being repeatedly dampened by tears.

The old man raised his head and said, "Our A-ping... she was pretty when she was little, wasn't she?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Yes, it's hard to tell that's her childhood self."

The old man argued, "How can you not tell? Even now, when our A-ping goes out, she's still neat and clean, completely unlike other old women her age."

Li Zhuiyuan retorted, "Well, it's hard to look good when you're constantly playing tricks and acting senile."

The old man said, "What?"

Li Zhuiyuan continued, "However, her daughter is very beautiful, because she worked hard to earn money so her daughter wouldn't have to toil in the fields."

The old man asked, "Are you talking about..."

Li Zhuiyuan went on, "And her granddaughter is even prettier. She loves wearing green dresses. Although she had fewer friends before, she lives quite carefree, and now that she's skipped a grade, she has more classmates and friends."

The old man asked, "You know her?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "Yes."

The old man looked at Li Zhuiyuan in disbelief and asked, "Is she... your grandmother?"

Zhao Yi interjected, "My grandmother."

The old man was stunned.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "You don't need to be wary of us or conceal anything. We have no interest in exploiting your bloodline."

Zhao Yi added, "Let's be direct. As you can see, with our strength, if we wanted to do anything to you or the Jin family, we wouldn't need to waste so many words here."

The old man began, "I had a daughter... The moment she was born and I saw her for the first time, I had the thought of betraying my family's ancestral teachings.

I am a selfish person. I couldn't imagine my daughter enduring such suffering.

Ultimately, I made a decision: I would send her away."

"You gave her to a human trafficker?"

"Yes, because I couldn't know where she was being trafficked, but my daughter's destiny was strong; she wasn't fated for an early death. My Jin family, for generations, has been very long-lived.

The more suffering, the longer the life. I believe this is its retribution."

Zhao Yi remarked, "Still not secure enough."

The old man added, "When the human trafficker returned to Jiujiang, I killed him, burying the secret of my daughter's whereabouts completely."

Zhao Yi said, "That's good, secure now."

The old man continued, "I could still get out of bed back then. I was afraid that one day I wouldn't be able to bear the longing and would go look for her. But if I brought her back and kept her in this house, I... she...

Is she doing well now? You... no, you just said she has a daughter and a granddaughter? She must be... doing alright, right?"

"Life was quite difficult at first, as her husband passed away early, and her son-in-law did too. But now, in the village, her life is in a league of its own."

Two years ago, when I first returned to Nantong, Cui Cui's room already had a television, and there were plenty of snacks and sodas.

The old man whispered, "She suffered... my daughter... *chuckles*..."

Li Zhuiyuan noted, "I see the scales on your back are becoming agitated. Please calm yourself for a moment, and we can speak more later."

Such matters required the old man to compose himself. Li Zhuiyuan worried that he might become too agitated and pass away.

Li Zhuiyuan pushed the wheelchair, and he and Zhao Yi left the bedroom.

Upon reaching the main hall entrance, they saw A-ping had returned.

Lin Shuyou was calling A-ping "Grandma" one after another, chatting with her on a bench in the courtyard. The scene was perfectly normal, not out of place at all.

Both Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi's gazes fell upon the well.

Zhao Yi said, "My skin, I've found it, Brother Xiaoyuan."

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Mm, the skin is yours."

Zhao Yi continued, "I feel that residual spirit is also connected to me and would suit me well. What do you think, Big Brother Xiaoyuan?"

In terms of value, the black jiao's residual spirit would undoubtedly be more precious.

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "Mm, that's yours too."

Zhao Yi asked, "Really, ancestor?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Yes. As for the skin, you can have the Liang sisters help you mend and fuse it. Their craftsmanship is surely more exquisite."

Attaching the jiao skin to oneself isn't merely a matter of needlework; it involves fusion and rejection, with a very low success rate. Failure means death.

Not to mention the Liang sisters don't even have that ability... and even if they did, they're currently unconscious, and there's no telling when they'll wake up.

"Heh heh, Xiaoyuan, I was just kidding."

"Me too."

"Of course the residual spirit is yours, Li."