Chapter 323

A-Ping went to cook.

Lin Shuyou went to help.

Li Zhuiyuan sat on the well cover, holding paper and pen, sketching and drawing.

With someone from the Li family present, Zhao Yi was too lazy to think, so he shrank back in his wheelchair and squinted, basking in the sun.

From the kitchen, A-Ping and Lin Shuyou's laughter could be heard intermittently.

In fact, after more interaction, it's no wonder A-You still hadn't noticed A-Ping's mental state.

Many people become like old children after they get old.

At A-Ping's age, her willingness to talk and laugh with young people, coupled with her neat and refined appearance, easily led people to believe she was being accommodating and wise.

The meal was ready. It was home-style cooking, not particularly elaborate, but delicious in color, aroma, and taste. Extra rice had been steamed.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down next to him, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and began to eat.

Zhao Yi turned his body slightly towards the young man and asked, "Is everything designed?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Design what?"

Zhao Yi: "I saw you sitting there just now, writing as if inspired. It shouldn't be difficult for you."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Before I get a complete and systematic understanding of how the Jin family suppresses the black Jiao skin, I can't do any preliminary design."

Zhao Yi: "I don't believe it."

This task was indeed difficult, but Zhao Yi felt he could handle it himself, so he didn't believe the young man couldn't.

Li Zhuiyuan: "If it's just about taking the Jiao skin and the remnant spirit, then it's not difficult."

Zhao Yi: "That's still a challenge, isn't it? Take it easy, take your time, I'm not in a hurry."

Li Zhuiyuan finished the rice in his bowl, scooped half a bowl of soup for himself, and slowly drank it.

Zhao Yi ate little and was the first to put down his chopsticks. His hands were clasped over his stomach, and he appeared somewhat gloomy.

"Xiao Yuan, you've worked hard. Please think everything through carefully; this family has it rough."

Li Zhuiyuan was noncommittal.

Then, as if remembering something, Zhao Yi asked, "What were you doing sitting on that well cover earlier?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Drawing."

Zhao Yi shrugged: "Alright then."

A-Ping refilled Lin Shuyou's bowl with a large helping of rice, then brought out a wooden tray from the kitchen with a bowl of medicine and a bowl of porridge on it.

On the porridge were two chopsticks' worth of small midday dishes, a very small amount, just for taste.

Holding the tray in her left hand, she entered the main room, carrying a wooden bucket in her right hand. The bucket contained half a bucket of water, and two towels hung from its side.

Lin Shuyou cleared the food from the table, finished eating, put down his chopsticks, stretched, and said contentedly, "Ah... I'm so full."

Zhao Yi: "Go wash the dishes."

"Alright."

Lin Shuyou collected the bowls and chopsticks and went into the kitchen to wash them.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while longer, Li Zhuiyuan got up and went into the house with a stack of papers.

The old man had recovered.

After feeding the old man his meal and medicine, A-Ping helped him wipe his body clean and was now tidying the bed.

As she did these things, a smile was on A-Ping's face.

Every day, she had to make and sell crispy candy, buy groceries, clean the house and courtyard, and also care for the old man.

She didn't feel her life was hard; she was very happy.

When she was a child, Jin Xingshan personally made her osmanthus crispy candy because she loved it; her habit of wetting the bed lasted for a long time, and Jin Xingshan always smiled as he helped her clean, change bedding, and wash quilts.

In her mind, there weren't many scattered thoughts; she simply believed that since Jin Xingshan had treated her that way, it was only natural for her to treat him the same way now, even though she herself was already quite old.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the bedside. The old man's eyes were open, watching the young man.

After A-Ping left the bedroom, the old man used silk threads to support his body and sat up.

The young man placed the drawings in front of the old man, who, with trembling hands, turned them over one by one.

The drawings featured Liu Jinxia, Li Juxiang, and Li Cuicui. In addition to frontal portraits, they also included various scenes.

For example, Li Juxiang sitting on the dam sorting vegetables, Cuicui happily spinning in circles on a field path, and Liu Jinxia sitting with three other old women playing long cards.

Li Zhuiyuan deliberately highlighted Liu Jinxia's personality at the card table: she was domineering, except when dealing with Liu Yumei, when she was a gentle younger sister, Xia Hou. With others, she was overwhelming.

The painting deliberately depicted Liu Jinxia standing on tiptoes, leaning close to Old Woman Hua, poking at the cards in front of her to help her recalculate the score.

Old Woman Hua, feeling indignant and certain she couldn't have miscalculated, sat there, hands on her hips, glaring back at Liu Jinxia indignantly.

"Heh heh... heh heh... heh heh..."

Laughter emanated from the zither strings.

No matter how old children get, they are always little kids in their parents' eyes.

Although Liu Jinxia in the painting was already a grandmother, in Jin Xingshan's eyes, she was just a child serious about playing games with her friends.

The next painting left the old man stunned.

In the painting, Liu Jinxia sat behind a table, her expression solemn. On the table were a compass, a calculation book, and talismans, and behind her hung various banners with magical patterns.

Ordinary people are often extremely curious about ghosts and deities, but only after entering the Xuanmen and experiencing the consequences of forbidden practices do they realize how terrifying it truly is.

The old man did not want his daughter to walk this path either.

Li Zhuiyuan: "This makes quick money and high income. Don't worry, she can't even be considered to have entered the true path. Even when she offers psychic readings for illnesses, she repeatedly reminds clients to continue going to the hospital and taking their medicine."

The old man nodded.

He turned to the last painting.

The scene in the painting appeared to be in the kitchen of a rural bungalow, with a small boy lying on a door plank. Liu Jinxia sat beside him, holding a brush, drawing talismans and chanting incantations.

A thread was tied to the young boy's body, the other end attached to Li Juxiang, who was writhing in pain on the ground.

The old man remained silent for a long time.

He didn't ask if the small boy in the painting was the young man before him; instead, with reddened eyes, he said:

"An unquiet spirit!"

Relying on their strong fate to transfer evil spirits was the ultimate trick up Liu Jinxia and her daughter's sleeves.

For normal clients, the mother and daughter wouldn't perform this unless offered an irresistible price.

Liu Jinxia had helped Li Zhuiyuan transfer the evil spirit in this manner, out of consideration for Li Weihan, who had cared for her and her daughter.

This strong fate indeed came from their ancestors; the Jin family's fate was inherently special. However, this "inheritance" also contained a curse from the black Jiao.

Jin Xingshan believed that by sending his daughter away, he could protect her safety. His idea was not wrong and had indeed been realized.

But the black Jiao's curse was not so easily escaped, especially after the black Jiao skin gave birth to a remnant spirit, which was filled with hatred for the Jin family.

As Jin Xingshan grew increasingly powerless in suppressing it, it became more solidified, and its retribution grew heavier.

This is also why, despite having the same strong fate, there was a clear progression among Liu Jinxia, Li Juxiang, and Cuicui.

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Tell me completely how your Jin family suppresses this black Jiao skin. I will resolve this matter thoroughly."

The old man had always been wary of Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi, especially when Li Zhuiyuan brought up his descendants, the old man instinctively began to play dumb.

Similar incidents in the Jianghu were incredibly common; sometimes, a family, due to the characteristics of their bloodline or fate, would be suppressed and targeted, with the entire family, including future descendants, ending up as tools. This was not uncommon.

However, after the young man showed him these drawings, the old man's last shred of doubt was dispelled.

He now fully believed that the young man had a past connection with his daughter's family.

The old man: "There are no written records left. There used to be, but I destroyed them myself."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You can just tell me."

The old man: "Then I'll try to speak slowly. If there's anything you don't understand, you can just..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Please speak as quickly as possible."

The old man: "Uh... okay."

Next, the old man began to recount the Jin family's methods and history of suppressing the black Jiao skin.

Consistent with Li Zhuiyuan's earlier conjecture, the Jin family inherently possessed a special fate; one could say, they were naturally destined for the Xuanmen path.

Perhaps Zhao Wuyang had also seen this point in the Jin family ancestors.

Historically, the Jin family's suppression of the black Jiao skin involved using their own fate as a medium to forcibly neutralize the lingering resentment on the black Jiao skin.

This method was exhausting, difficult, and extremely painful. The Jin family persisted until the Zhao family took Zhao Wuyang's head from beneath the Suojiang Tower. When the unprotected Jin family continued to suppress the black Jiao skin in this manner, their fate began to be contaminated by the black Jiao.

The Jiao itself is a very special existence. So many legends about Jiao transforming into dragons actually illustrate the awkwardness of its existence at this stage.

In physiognomy and fate theories, all descriptions related to "Jiao" imply imperfection or hidden dangers.

Li Zhuiyuan listened while sketching and drawing on paper. This time, he wasn't just drawing; he was beginning to design.

As he wrote, the young man's pen paused slightly.

He discovered a problem.

In the early days, the Jin family did indeed use their own fate in conjunction with professional methods to wear down the Jiao skin's resentment. But later, due to the changes caused by the Zhao family, and after the Jin family's fate was contaminated by the black Jiao...

This suppression had, instead, become a form of "ritualistic feeding."

It could be said that the Jin family's efforts were "indispensable" in helping the black Jiao skin give birth to its remnant spirit.

This was a cruel truth.

Jin Xingshan must have been caught in the situation, and since his grandfathers and fathers had all followed this path, he wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.

As soon as Li Zhuiyuan entered the courtyard and had "greeted" the black Jiao's remnant spirit beneath the well, he felt a doubt.

If there was a powerful presence inside the house, it could make the remnant spirit behave, even without ropes.

But Jin Xingshan, who was inside the house, was already in such a state that if the black Jiao's remnant spirit wanted to escape, he would be completely powerless to stop it.

This also meant that the relationship between the Jin family and the black Jiao skin had transformed from early one-sided suppressors to feeders.

Indeed, objectively, this was also a "suppression method," like cutting flesh to feed a tiger, allowing the black Jiao's remnant spirit to remain here and not harm ordinary people.

However, the black Jiao's remnant spirit was also thinking about its own future. Seeing that Jin Xingshan was nearing the end of his life, it had to actively seek out new Jin family members.

Liu Jinxia, Li Juxiang, and Cuicui were the future caretakers the remnant spirit had long prepared for itself.

The old man: "I'm done explaining. Is there anything else you need me to..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's fine, I understand."

The old man: "I..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Leave the rest to me."

The old man still found it somewhat difficult to adapt to this way of communicating with the young man.

He was willing to impart all of the Jin family's heritage to the young man without reservation, but many key points that he himself found difficult to understand, and wished to elaborate on, were simply asked by the young man to be skipped.

It felt as if the Jin family's profound knowledge was nothing in the young man's eyes.

Although the young man's attitude was somewhat cold, he was still very polite, so the old man didn't think he was deliberately mocking the Jin family's unique skills.

Idle Fish ID: Calm and Collected Little Genius

The old man: "How long do you need to prepare... How do you plan to do this?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "This afternoon. I'll try to finish everything before evening."

The old man: "..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Since it considers your Jin family as..."

The young man paused, then rephrased:

"Since I've discovered the patterns and essence of it, I plan to resolve it in the most direct way."

The old man: "Do not... act rashly."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Helping you is what I should do; it's one of the reasons I came to Jiujiang this time. But helping your daughter is what I am willing to do. For them, I must eliminate all hidden dangers.

You also saw in that painting that your daughter and granddaughter once helped me."

The old man: "This is her... immense blessing. Heaven has been kind to my Jin family."

Suddenly, the old man seemed to realize something, and he said, shocked:

"Do you mean that she, and her children, have also been..."

Li Zhuiyuan interrupted the old man: "I will solve it, and quickly."

All previous doubts vanished at that moment. The old man used silk threads to pull his neck, making him nod as vigorously as possible.

Because he knew he was already powerless. If his daughter and her descendants still couldn't escape entanglement with the black Jiao, the only one who could help them remove the calamity was the young man before him. He had to believe, believe that this young man would surely succeed.

Li Zhuiyuan changed the subject and asked:

"Would you like to see her, or rather, see them?"

Intense longing instantly appeared in the old man's eyes. How could he not want to see her? For his daughter, he had even forsaken ancestral teachings. It could be said that for so many years, he had almost constantly endured the pain of longing.

Fortunately, he had an adopted daughter, and he had placed all his love for his biological daughter onto A-Ping.

Love was mutual; A-Ping had also noticed the old man constantly gazing at objects, perhaps sensing his worsening physical condition, which was why she secretly copied the painting hanging above his bed and posted it on the missing persons board.

Normally, her hand-drawn poster, with no specific information or even contact details or addresses, would never have received a response. But it happened to be seen by Li Zhuiyuan, who was touring below Suojiang Tower that morning.

Of course, this "touring" was not aimless from the start; it could even be said to be driven by a utilitarian purpose.

Just as Zhao Yi had encountered that fugitive while having an early drink last night, Li Zhuiyuan agreed to go downstairs and visit the sights this morning, thinking he should be proactive and "receive this flowing water."

Although everything is destined, if you simply stay cooped up at home, you undoubtedly make it harder for destiny to come to you.

The old man: "Let's not meet."

Li Zhuiyuan: "As I said, I will handle things here properly."

The old man: "She's so old now, and she even has a granddaughter. There's no need for her to know she was adopted."

Li Zhuiyuan: "She already knows."

All of this was due to Liu Jinxia's uncle, who only cared about his own gratification before he died.

The old man: "Then she wouldn't be interested in coming all this way to see me, would she?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "As one gets older, it's true that it's easier to be open-minded, but if there's a chance, I think she would also want to come and see you."

The old man: "I..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Even though you actively allowed her to be taken away, regardless, from a father's perspective, you are very competent."

The old man: "Really... is it possible?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I can arrange it."

The old man: "Thank you... thank you!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Later, you'll need to be carried into the courtyard for a bit."

The old man: "I will cooperate with everything. Whatever you ask me to do, even if it's my worthless life."

Li Zhuiyuan: "It won't come to that. Even if you're on your deathbed now, I have a way to make you last a few more days, until you see her before you die."

The old man: "That's wonderful..."

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the bedroom.

The old man: "I still haven't dared to ask... your esteemed identity?"

Li Zhuiyuan pushed aside the curtain and replied as he left: "Her neighbor."

Zhao Yi, with effort once more, pushed his wheelchair into the main room.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan emerge, he immediately asked:

"How is it?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "It can be resolved quickly; it involves fate."

Zhao Yi: "Fate, resolved quickly... Li, are you planning to clash your own fate with the black Jiao?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Isn't this the best way to deal with a remnant spirit?"

Zhao Yi: "But this method can damage one's spiritual consciousness if you're not careful. Isn't what you're doing too risky?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'll also need to use this method when I stitch your skin."

Zhao Yi: "That's great. You can try your hand at it now, and next time when you stitch the Jiao skin for me, you'll be even more proficient."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Furthermore, doing it this way can also clean up the lingering resentment in the Jiao skin, saving the trouble of dealing with it after it's peeled off."

Zhao Yi: "Why does that sound like cleaning a large intestine?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "The principle is similar."

Zhao Yi: "I prefer a bit of the original flavor. If it's washed too clean, it loses its taste."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi: "You don't think I'd be affected by that thing's resentment, do you?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Good."

Zhao Yi: "Thanks."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You're idle anyway, help me contact Tan Wenbin and have him figure out a way to arrange for Liu Jinxia's family to come here and meet Jin Xingshan."

Zhao Yi: "No need to trouble Chief Tan."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You can handle it?"

Zhao Yi: "Just leave it to me."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. Zhao Yi had a very strong compensatory feeling towards the Jin family.

Earlier, Jin Xingshan had mistaken him for Liu Jinxia's grandson, and Zhao Yi had unhesitatingly accepted this "grandmother."

Li Zhuiyuan: "I don't think Old Tian's matter is likely to succeed."

Zhao Yi: "Whether Old Tian succeeds or not, it won't affect me going back to acknowledge her as my adopted grandmother. My Zhao family has committed so many sins; it's only right that someone named Zhao should be her grandson."

In the bedroom.

Jin Xingshan continued to look at the drawings. This was the first time in many years that he had learned about his daughter's situation.

He especially liked the painting of the card game, rubbing his fingertips over it for a long time.

But at that moment, the portrait seemed to catch fire, and a section turned yellowish from smoke.

The old man was startled and somewhat at a loss. Fortunately, the yellowing did not spread and did not affect the area of his daughter; it only completely obscured one of the "old women" playing cards at the same table.

Jin Xingshan's mouth opened, and fear appeared in his eyes, then the fear layered, gradually transforming into awe.

He probably guessed the identity of the young man.

The preparation was simple, requiring only an offering table.

A-Ping saw Lin Shuyou preparing, and she swiftly and deftly set up the offering table.

After lighting the candles, she deliberately kept her distance from the offering table, standing under the eaves, not daring to enter the courtyard.

She must have often helped Jin Xingshan prepare for ancestor worship in the past, but every time the ritual began, Jin Xingshan would tell her to stay as far away as possible.

It wasn't because her adopted daughter status made her unworthy of worshipping the Jin ancestors, but because Jin Xingshan didn't want any negative impact on her, even if she wasn't of Jin family blood; with such matters, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Lin Shuyou carried Jin Xingshan out and placed him on a platform made of several long benches behind the offering table.

Jin Xingshan flicked his fingertip, and a silk thread flew out, wrapping around the well cover, with the other end tied to his wrist.

This scene was indeed very similar to the method Liu Jinxia had devised on her own.

One could only say that Grandma Liu still possessed "family talent."

Li Zhuiyuan stood beside Jin Xingshan, drew another silk thread from the old man, and instead of tying it to his own hand immediately, he wrapped it around a nail.

"We can begin now."

Jin Xingshan's eyes showed determination, and a cryptic, incomprehensible sound came from his throat.

Soon, a faint scratching sound also came from below the wellhead.

The remnant spirit awoke.

The silk thread trembled, Jin Xingshan closed his eyes, and the scaly skin on his back instantly became active, appearing ferocious and terrifying.

"Buzz."

The well cover trembled, and the black Jiao's remnant spirit was coming up to feed.

Li Zhuiyuan initiated "walking in the netherworld," seeing Jin Xingshan's already scarce vital energy begin to reverse flow, then turn black.

The old man's body had reached its limit; he would most likely not be able to withstand this round of "suppression."

The main reason was that in the past, when the Jin family performed this ritual, there were many accompanying arrangements, but this time, Li Zhuiyuan had prepared nothing except the offering table.

This was tantamount to making Jin Xingshan directly face the black Jiao's remnant spirit, and the black Jiao's remnant spirit also sensed the peculiarity of the day, thus becoming exceptionally excited.

Li Zhuiyuan flicked the nail away and wrapped the silk thread around his middle finger.

The next moment, just like his experience upon first entering the courtyard, all surrounding people and objects vanished, as if his vision contained only himself and the well.

Oh, and Jin Xingshan.

He knelt there, appearing incredibly small and almost transparent.

The young man experienced the environment here; this was the spiritual consciousness level, which could also be understood as a dream, like the one created by the Dream Ghost back then.

As long as you have sufficiently profound spiritual power as a foundation, here you can be very "free," able to manifest things that cannot be materialized in reality.

Li Zhuiyuan walked in front of Jin Xingshan.

Jin Xingshan could speak here.

"You've seen me at my weakest..."

The disparity in spiritual power was incredibly clear at this moment.

Although Jin Xingshan was now on his last legs, even when he first took over the suppression of the black Jiao skin from his father in his youth, he was nowhere near as imposing or solid as the young man before him.

Earlier, upon seeing the young man in front of him, Jin Xingshan had momentarily thought he hadn't "entered" and was still in reality.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Do you need me to help you leave?"

Jin Xingshan only served as an initial catalyst; only through him could one enter this place.

Now that he was in, Jin Xingshan was no longer needed.

Jin Xingshan: "I want to witness its end. This has been the goal of many generations of my Jin family."

But then, on second thought, Jin Xingshan spoke again: "I should leave..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Then stay here."

Jin Xingshan: "Will I become a burden to you..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "No."

In fact, there was another sentence Jin Xingshan didn't say, feeling embarrassed to: he worried that he might be caught in the crossfire, his spirit annihilated, and if he died, he wouldn't be able to see his daughter.

He was a very conflicted person, constantly wavering between ancestral teachings and his daughter, yet he was also a perfectly normal human being.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I promised you that you would see your daughter."

"Bang!"

Behind them, the well cover exploded open, and a roar echoed out.

Earlier, Li Zhuiyuan had "greeted" it, and it had retreated then. But this time, upon sensing Li Zhuiyuan's presence, its ferocity was once again roused.

Jin Xingshan looked behind the young man: "It... it's coming..."

Li Zhuiyuan turned around, facing the black Jiao.

It wasn't particularly massive; its form resembled a giant python, but it was thicker and more imposing than a python, and the horn on its head gave it a unique majesty.

Its physical body was long gone, now only a small piece of skin remained, but the newly born spirit had, at least on a spiritual level, completed itself.

"Roar!"

Facing the young man, it opened its mouth wide, issuing a challenge.

Li Zhuiyuan took a step forward, once again confronting the black Jiao's remnant spirit.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit lunged forward.

With a "boom," it failed to touch the young man, instead being blocked by an invisible barrier in front of him.

The phantom of an offering table appeared behind Li Zhuiyuan. All the spirit tablets on the table were cracked, showing a sense of decay.

Yet, even so, it still firmly withstood this round of strangulation by the black Jiao's remnant spirit for the young man.

On either side of the offering table hung green gilded banners, embroidered with lifelike golden dragons.

Even though the spirits of the successive Dragon Kings of the Liu family were gone, the Dragon King's lineage remained the Dragon King's lineage.

Seeing this scene, the old man lowered his head again and knelt down to prostrate himself.

The rows of spirit tablets made his heart pound.

In the eyes of his ancestors, Zhao Wuyang was a supreme being, and in his eyes, the Zhao family of Jiujiang was a formidable power here.

And only the Dragon King's family in this world could display so many spirit tablets.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit continued to roar furiously, its body striking with force.

Theoretically, this should have been the black Jiao's home ground, the depths of its consciousness, and it possessed the ability to devour fates. But this one before it was too tough... it truly couldn't bite through.

Even using corrosive methods, though its body was massive, in terms of solidity, it still couldn't compare to the young man before it.

If this continued, who knew who would give in first.

After venting its frustration, the black Jiao's remnant spirit turned around, preparing to return to the well.

It knew that with the young man present today, it couldn't consume the offerings. If the young man was still there next time, it planned to leave this place.

However, as it returned the way it came and was about to approach the well,

"Boom!"

Another invisible barrier appeared, blocking the black Jiao's remnant spirit.

The phantom of another offering table descended, perfectly covering the wellhead. All the spirit tablets on it were also cracked, but the red gilded patterns on either side silently proclaimed its majesty.

Jin Xingshan looked at the offering table in front of him, then at the second one that appeared in the distance.

The Jin family had been in decline for a long time, and Jin Xingshan didn't pay much attention to matters of the martial world. These two offering tables left him bewildered.

Because, judging by the current situation, it indicated that this young man possessed the inheritances of two Dragon King lineages.

But how could this be possible... this didn't conform to principles of dharma.

Even if a Dragon King's family member married into another Dragon King's family, legally, he should only represent one family.

However, the young man's ability to manifest two solemn and majestic offering tables here indicated that he was absolutely legally justified; otherwise, they wouldn't appear, and such an action would instead bring karmic backlash.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit once again launched an assault on the Qin family's offering table, but it still couldn't break through.

Its body spun, and the black Jiao's remnant spirit once again faced Li Zhuiyuan's direction, letting out a roar, but this time, it clearly lacked vigor.

In fact, when Li Zhuiyuan arrived and the black Jiao's remnant spirit emerged from the well, the simple outcome was already clear.

But what Li Zhuiyuan wanted was not merely to defeat it, but to control it.

To capture it alive would require paying a greater price and employing more methods.

Ideally, he would crush the remnant spirit on a spiritual level, making it fear him at sight and never dare to act impudently again.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and extended it forward.

Spiritual power rapidly depleted, and a majestic figure appeared before the young man: this was the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

The Emperor's phantom made the same motion as the young man, raising its hand, then together with the young man, extended it forward.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit began to evade; it was afraid.

But the Emperor's palm still seized it.

The young man's fingers closed, forming a fist, clenching tightly.

The Emperor's fingers closed, forming a fist, clenching tightly.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit let out a shrill wail.

With a "bang!", the black Jiao's body broke into two halves.

The head section moved forward, the tail section moved backward, then circled to connect head to tail, with the head opening its mouth and swallowing the tail.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit became whole, but compared to before, its size had shrunk by almost half, it was less solid, and began to appear somewhat translucent.

Li Zhuiyuan continued forward, intentionally stepping out of the protection range of the Liu family's offering table, and even passed through the middle of the Great Emperor's phantom.

After a moment of hesitation, the black Jiao's remnant spirit's ferocity overwhelmed its thoughts. Believing it was a good opportunity, it charged towards the young man again.

Li Zhuiyuan pressed his palms together and circulated the Sutra of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

The young man never considered himself an inheritor of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, but it was an undeniable fact that probably few people in this world had received a more comprehensive inheritance from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva than he had.

Moreover, he had even absorbed the Bodhisattva's lotus pedestal.

In short, using spiritual power as an expenditure and employing Feng Shui methods, Li Zhuiyuan successfully manifested a statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in front of him.

It wasn't large, only half the size of the Great Emperor of Fengdu's phantom behind it, but the black Jiao's remnant spirit had also shrunk significantly compared to before. Well, it was enough.

"Boom!"

The black Jiao's remnant spirit crashed into the Bodhisattva statue, and golden flames ignited on the Jiao's body. Area after area of its body continuously turned into nothingness.

It immediately retreated in terror.

Although it was a new spirit born from the black Jiao's skin and hadn't inherited the original Jiao's complete memories, it understood that what had appeared here now was extremely abnormal!

Unlike the black Jiao's remnant spirit's terror and panic, Li Zhuiyuan was becoming increasingly proficient with this environment.

This confrontation increasingly resembled a game between formation masters, just set in a special venue.

Back then, during the Dream Ghost's "wave," he could only draw on the river water to transition the Dream Ghost from a "false wave" to a "true wave," because at that time, he was far from as powerful and calm as he was now.

If he could return to that wave, even without the karmic intervention of Wei Zhengdao, the Emperor, or the Turtle, he could still have a good fight with that Dream Ghost.

To put it plainly, his only weakness now was a lack of martial arts training, but his improvements in other areas, honed through wave after wave of tempering, were quite astonishing.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit's rapid flapping finally extinguished the flames on its body, but its form began to turn semi-transparent.

It was now in despair: it couldn't win a fight, couldn't outlast its opponent, and when it wanted to flee home, its way was blocked.

Therefore, as Li Zhuiyuan continued to step forward, the black Jiao dared not attack proactively. Instead, it deliberately flew upward, attempting to maximize the distance between itself and the young man.

But frankly, this place was only so big, and because the black Jiao's remnant spirit had been repeatedly injured, the scope of its "dream" was gradually shrinking.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up at the black Jiao's remnant spirit, which was curled up above, terrified by him.

The young man hesitated, a rare occurrence for him.

In fact, he could also "shape" that one, but the young man worried that once shaped, it might become uncontrollable.

Ultimately, Li Zhuiyuan decided to manifest him. In terms of status, that person was also a Dragon King, but a very incompetent one.

Wei Zhengdao's figure appeared above the black Jiao's head; he was of normal human size.

The next moment,

Wei Zhengdao raised his foot and stomped down on the black Jiao's head!

"Boom!"

Li Zhuiyuan felt a sudden dizziness in his brain; this was because his spiritual power was being frantically drained!

Sure enough, it was out of control.

Even though he was a "dummy" created by himself through the karma of inheritance, once he appeared, he instinctively started causing trouble.

Li Zhuiyuan had intended to slowly roast the black Jiao's remnant spirit, peeling it away layer by layer like an onion, leaving only the purest essence.

Therefore, he had previously been controlling the force of his attacks.

But Wei Zhengdao's kick directly shattered the black Jiao's remnant spirit, turning it into a cloud of mist!

Li Zhuiyuan retreated while enduring the dizziness in his head, all the while keeping an eye on what was above, worried that Wei Zhengdao's kick might actually kill the remnant spirit.

Fortunately, a python-sized entity fell from the black mist.

It wasn't dead yet; its vitality was quite tenacious.

Indeed, if this creature were so easy to kill, Zhao Wuyang wouldn't have needed to dismember and suppress it after defeating it.

Even though what Li Zhuiyuan faced now wasn't the black Jiao from back then, its inherent nature had been preserved.

Nevertheless, even so, the black Jiao was now on the verge of collapse.

Its eyes were bloodshot, and extreme terror brought its spiritual consciousness to the brink of collapse. Yet, whether human or beast, at such a moment, it was often most prone to agitation.

It looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

"Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!"

Li Zhuiyuan was still retreating, as if drained too heavily by Wei Zhengdao's appearance. With his spiritual power depleted, the phantoms of the Bodhisattva, the Great Emperor, and the Liu family's offering table behind him all dissipated.

Finally, the young man even stumbled and sat down, directly in front of Jin Xingshan.

Jin Xingshan immediately stood before the young man, his left hand resting on his right, the Jin family's secret method flowing.

In the past, Jin Xingshan could "suppress" the black Jiao because the black Jiao needed him to feed it.

But now, the black Jiao's eyes were filled with terror for the young man and a desire to kill him. It disdained Jin Xingshan's meager flesh, and it knew even more clearly that if the young man were allowed to leave, and then returned refreshed to deal with it next time, it would be utterly helpless.

Living people recover energy simply by eating well and sleeping well, but a remnant spirit like it requires accumulation over time, nourished by generations of feeding; there's no comparison.

The black Jiao's remnant spirit completely gambled everything, charging towards Li Zhuiyuan.

"Ah!!!"

Jin Xingshan let out a loud cry and, to protect the young man, also charged towards the black Jiao.

In fact, if the black Jiao's consciousness were clearer, it would have noticed that all the phantoms the young man had manifested earlier had dissipated, but only the Qin family's offering table at the wellhead... still stood.

This was a flaw, meaning the young man had not reached his limits and was still blocking its escape route home.

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan, in a state of exhaustion, changed from sitting to cross-legged.

Jin Xingshan was still mid-charge. His decision to send his daughter away made his image less tragic, yet, regardless, he had dedicated his entire life to suppressing the black Jiao, which could be called sacrificing oneself for righteousness.

Only his ancestors would have the right to comment, but even if his ancestors manifested and saw how their descendants lived generation after generation, it would likely be difficult for them to voice any words of blame.

Li Zhuiyuan intertwined his fingers, forming a mudra.

At the Zhao family's ancestral home, he had obtained a wisp of white light.

In fact, Zhao Yi calling him "Ancestor" now wasn't entirely a jest. Li Zhuiyuan:

"Your junior, Li Zhuiyuan, requests the Zhao family Dragon King... to suppress the Jiao!"

Jin Xingshan, mid-charge, felt his peripheral vision blur, and then a majestic figure appeared.

Limitless excitement surged within Jin Xingshan. Zhao Wuyang was not just the Zhao family's ancestor, but also his Jin family's spiritual totem.

Moreover, truly speaking, the Jin family were the rightful inheritors of Zhao Wuyang's legacy.

Jin Xingshan, with tears streaming down his face, felt that after countless generations and across vast stretches of time, the Jin family had finally once again stood beside Zhao Wuyang, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Dragon King.

The most provoked was actually the black Jiao. When Zhao Wuyang's phantom appeared, memories of being brutally killed by this elderly Dragon King resurfaced.

Zhao Wuyang was this black Jiao's greatest nightmare.

It could be said that at this moment, the black Jiao's remnant spirit's consciousness had collapsed.

Even this platform began to continuously vibrate and crack.

Li Zhuiyuan, sitting cross-legged, raised his right hand and clenched his fist.

Zhao Wuyang raised his right hand, clenching his fist.

Li Zhuiyuan swung his fist forward.

Zhao Wuyang swung his fist.

"Boom!"

The black Jiao began to melt, falling to the ground.

Soon, only a handful of black skin remained.

Jin Xingshan bent down and spread open the Jiao skin. Inside was a worm-like creature wriggling, devoid of any malevolence or impurities. Upon sensing the aging Jin Xingshan, it curled up into a tight mosquito coil in fright.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, walked over, and took the red worm into his hand.

Jin Xings