Chapter 42

When Secretary Jin sang this song on stage yesterday, her Cantonese was standard and her performance professional, yet the boy didn't care for it much.

The current Secretary Jin, though her Cantonese isn't standard, sings with a natural flow, like river water finding its way into a pre-dug channel after a sluice gate opens. Indeed, voices are truly miraculous; one can recognize them even with a covered face, or after a change of 'skin'. When Secretary Jin had placed her hands on his shoulders earlier, the familiar sensation had already revealed her true identity to Li Zhuiyuan.

By the same token, if nothing unexpected occurs, the true orchestrator of last night's horrifying and bloody scene must be the entity beneath Ding Dalin's human skin. It is the real dominant force here. This meant his own danger here hadn't been averted, as even Little Oriole held only a secondary position beside it. That group of 'water monkeys' must have unearthed... it. Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized that he, Little Oriole, and the water monkeys, all part of his original plan, had become mere supporting characters—no, worse than supporting characters, purely background elements. Whether he and his grand-uncle could keep their 'skins' now depended on its will. Thus, the current song and the previous gestures were all Little Oriole's subtle hints to him.

In an instant, the vigilance that had slightly relaxed with Little Oriole's appearance was sharply heightened again. Li Zhuiyuan suddenly realized something: if 'it' could control Secretary Jin to use signal lights to lure the six water monkeys from the outer observation post for a mass 'skinning' last night, how could it not have detected him and Run Sheng on the rooftop? Had he and Run Sheng truly escaped home intact simply because they ran fast?

Apart from Ding Dalin, all the water monkeys were outsiders. The only person Ding Dalin knew in the village, with whom he had already connected and whose name he had used to buy a house, was Li Sanjiang. If it wanted to fill the fish pond and plant peach trees on this contracted land, it would need to go through Li Sanjiang. It turned out that it was still his own grand-uncle who had been painstakingly propping up the situation, preventing its collapse.

Secretary Jin finished her song. Li Zhuiyuan led the applause, and Tan Wenbin, seeing this, followed suit, repeatedly exclaiming, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" Li Sanjiang reached out to touch the sound system and said, "Alright, it's pretty good. I'll have the mule take this back with the tables, chairs, and dinnerware later."

"Haha, as long as you're satisfied."

Li Zhuiyuan asked with an innocent expression, "Old Man Ding, how much does this cost?"

Li Sanjiang frowned slightly. This was meant to be a freebie; he was simply taking it. Why ask about the price? Was this child foolish? But then, Li Sanjiang's brow relaxed. "Excellent," he thought, "this child is honest and sincere, truly unlike those ingrates."

Li Zhuiyuan had asked on purpose. After everything he had experienced, he vaguely touched upon the laws of 'causality and destiny,' especially when dealing with entities from the shadowy side. Their possessions were not easily acquired. It was better to hear their demands first.

"Exactly, Lin Hou, how much did you pay the opera troupe for it? Come, I'll give you the money. I can use this; renting it for half a year would already break even."

"Between you and me, discussing such things would hurt our feelings."

Li Sanjiang wrapped an arm around Ding Dalin's arm and shook it vigorously. "Alright, I misjudged you when you first returned. You, Lin Hou, are truly an honest person. I'm not as good as you."

When they first met, Li Sanjiang had thought Ding Dalin was deliberately putting on airs and showing off his wealth. But since the other party was giving away a house, land, and a sound system, it was hard for that impression not to change. After all, they were giving too much.

"Actually, Sanjiang Hou, I also have something I'd like your help with."

Seeing the other party take the bait, Li Sanjiang instinctively picked his ear with his pinky finger.

"No problem, no problem. You can come to me if you need anything in the future."

Li Zhuiyuan spoke up and asked, "Old Man Ding, whatever you need, you can say it directly now." He couldn't afford to procrastinate like his grand-uncle. If he couldn't meet its demands, he and his grand-uncle might not have a future.

Li Sanjiang pouted. He couldn't get angry with young Li Zhuiyuan, so he could only echo the child's words. "Yes, Lin Hou, speak."

"Sanjiang Hou, it's like this: I originally planned to live here long-term, but I've received news from 'over there' that I need to go back and handle something. So, I'll have to ask you to look after this house for me."

"You're leaving? For how long?"

"Hard to say. If things go smoothly, I might be back in half a year. If not, at my age, I could leave at any time; I might never return."

"Well, you'd better come back alive soon then."

"What, you'll miss me?"

"It's not that I'll miss you, but you've acquired so many things in my name. If you don't come back, I'd feel too embarrassed to claim all this stuff."

"I do want to come back. I truly want to spend my twilight years peacefully here."

"And I truly want to see you off when your time comes. If I go first, then young Li Zhuiyuan can handle it for you. Otherwise, you'll feel uneasy keeping these things."

"Sanjiang Hou, when the village contract is finalized, I'll pay the lease fee first and leave some money. Please help me organize people to level this fish pond and plant the peach trees, so it doesn't delay anything."

Li Sanjiang rubbed his forehead. Planting trees was indeed arduous work. This wasn't just about money anymore; as the homeowner, it would also require effort and care.

"Alright, Old Man Ding, don't worry. Go handle your affairs. When you return, you'll be able to enjoy the peach blossoms."

Li Sanjiang nodded. "Don't worry, Lin Hou, I'll take care of this." It wasn't really coercion from his great-grandson. When someone gives you a gift, it's hard to refuse a request. Li Sanjiang knew that since the other party had made a request, he couldn't refuse, and he certainly wasn't willing to return the house and land registered under his name.

Li Zhuiyuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't afraid of its demands; he was afraid of it having no demands. Just planting trees was nothing; besides, the land was leased, and money would be left.

"That's good then. Thank you, Sanjiang Hou."

"Look at you, what's there to thank? It's all as it should be. Now then... Zhuang Zhuang!"

"Yes!"

"Run back and call Run Sheng. Tell him to bring the cart so we can load everything up."

Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan and Li Sanjiang with some apprehension. He didn't want to leave. Although he wasn't as strong a fighter as his father, when facing water monkeys, wouldn't an extra person mean extra strength?

"Binbin, go home and ask Run Sheng to come help move the things." Nearly twenty water monkeys met that fate last night. In the current situation, one more person would just be one more shrimp to peel.

"Alright, then."

Binbin left.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, I've noticed something: it's one thing for the mule at home to listen to you, but why does Zhuang Zhuang also listen to you?"

"Huh, does he?" Li Zhuiyuan feigned confusion.

"Heh, that's good." Li Sanjiang patted the boy's head. "This shows that my young Li Zhuiyuan is born to be a leader." With the will already made, his grand-uncle's perception of his great-grandson had shifted from being extremely biased to being biased by divine right.

Ding Dalin said, "This shows the child has organizational skills, truly suited for officialdom."

Li Sanjiang adjusted his waistband. "Lin Hou, is there any paper by the latrine?"

"In the basket."

"Then I'll go use the latrine."

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to follow, but after just two steps, Ding Dalin called out, "Young Li Zhuiyuan." He hesitated, not daring to pretend he hadn't heard and get away with it, and stopped.

"Huh?" Li Zhuiyuan turned to Ding Dalin. "What is it, Old Man Ding?"

"Your grand-uncle didn't misjudge you; you are indeed a warm-hearted good child."

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, displaying a shy smile. The reason he didn't offer his usual shy gaze, his specialty, was because the skin at Ding Dalin's glabella had come undone. It looked like a piece of clothing that had burst open but not fully torn, with a noticeable discontinuity in color. This 'play' was clearly nearing its end, and he needed to avoid any performance mishaps.

Ding Dalin reached up to touch his glabella. Secretary Jin walked over, intending to help, but he instructed her, "Bring a basin of water. I want to wash my face thoroughly."

"Alright."

Secretary Jin brought a basin of hot water with a towel draped over the side. She simply stood there holding it, acting as a human stand. Ding Dalin walked to the basin, bent down, and lowered his face, his fingers constantly tapping lightly across it. The scene strikingly resembled a city woman touching up her makeup with a compact mirror.

Li Zhuiyuan wanted to leave the room, but Secretary Jin was positioned right in front of the door. So, to avoid seeing anything he shouldn't, Li Zhuiyuan turned to face the sound system and reached out to touch its cover.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, did you just learn the local dialect?"

"Yes, I did. I don't speak it very well yet." Li Zhuiyuan picked up the microphone and fiddled with it.

"Where did you live before?"

"In the capital." Li Zhuiyuan blew into the microphone, then said, "Hello, hello."

"Jiankang?"

The boy's hand holding the microphone trembled. Jiankang? Li Zhuiyuan knew Jiankang was the ancient name for Nanjing, the capital during the Six Dynasties period: Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Liu Song, Southern Qi, Southern Liang, Southern Chen... So, from which period was it?

"Oh, so you're from the capital, haha. I didn't quite catch that just now; I misheard you." Ding Dalin laughed, as if glossing over his earlier slip of the tongue.

Li Zhuiyuan's mind was complex. Even if it was from the Southern Chen period, that was almost 1,500 years ago. Did that also mean the tomb in the fish pond was that old? He wondered if those water monkeys were lucky or unlucky to have found such a peculiar water-burial tomb. However, it seemed he was the more unfortunate one. He had only just started reading his books, still in the phase of learning, practicing, and reading simultaneously. In popular wuxia novels and martial arts films, protagonists, after rigorous solitary training, typically encountered local ruffians harassing innocent girls as their first test upon descending the mountain. But for him, he hadn't even finished learning how to 'descend the mountain.' He had merely pushed open his front door, hoping to catch some sun, only to find: "Hey, the East Chamber is right next door."

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, you promised Grandpa you'd help him plant the peach trees, didn't you?"

"Yes, I will."

"Louder, Grandpa's hard of hearing."

"Don't worry, Grandpa."

"Turn around and tell Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan turned around. Facing him was a raw, red face, completely devoid of skin!

After a moment of shock and thought, Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and opened his mouth, about to let out a scream, when the face suddenly pressed close to his own.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, you're a step too slow."

Li Zhuiyuan's expression froze, his hand paused halfway up, his mouth open, but he dared not scream.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, were you just wondering if you should scream in fear?"

Li Zhuiyuan didn't know how to answer.

"My child, why do you look as if you don't recognize me?" Ding Dalin had said a similar thing this morning when he and his grand-uncle went for a walk and encountered him. It had indeed seen him and Run Sheng on the rooftop last night.

"I will help you plant the trees."

"Hehehe..." Its hand caressed the boy's face, patting it gently. "You act so well, it makes me a little confused. Between you and me, who is actually wearing human skin?"

Bzzzt!— The static jolted Li Zhuiyuan awake. He lowered his head, looking at the microphone in his hand.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, turn off the microphone. Grandpa's ears hurt."

Li Zhuiyuan turned off the microphone. The static disappeared. He turned around to look at Ding Dalin. Ding Dalin had his head tilted back, a hot towel covering his entire face. His voice came from beneath the towel.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, did you just learn the local dialect?"

The same question. Li Zhuiyuan was puzzled. Was the previous scene just his imagination?

"Yes, I just learned it."

"Where did you live before?"

"Youzhou."

"Hehehe..." Ding Dalin chuckled, removed the towel from his face, revealing a normal face, slightly flushed after the hot compress. "What a clever child you are."

Ding Dalin walked up to Li Zhuiyuan, and his hand once again touched the boy's face.

"Grandpa, I'm quite fond of you."

"I also really like the red envelopes and gifts Grandpa gave me."

Ding Dalin's hand moved down, grasping the boy's right hand and spreading it open. On Li Zhuiyuan's right palm, there was a burn mark and five scabs. Ignoring the five scabs, Ding Dalin pressed his fingertip against the burn mark and feigned surprise.

"Look here, did your skin almost get burned through?"

"I was playing around and did it by accident."

"You must be careful then. If the skin breaks, it's hard to mend. Even if you find new skin, it's never as good as the original, don't you agree?"

"Yes, Grandpa is right."

Ding Dalin smiled, raised his left hand, and slowly clenched his fist. Even A Li had been able to tell that this burn mark was self-inflicted by Li Zhuiyuan, let alone 'it'? But Li Zhuiyuan still couldn't fathom its nature. Logically, since he had already persuaded his grand-uncle to agree to plant the trees for it, this matter should have concluded. Yet, it seemed to want further interaction with him. Li Zhuiyuan began to envy Tan Wenbin. Sometimes, knowing too much was pointless; it was better to be blissfully ignorant.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through him. Li Zhuiyuan looked down to see the healed burn scar on his palm had actually reopened, the flesh in that area splitting apart. His heart began to race. The sensation of watching his own flesh split open was utterly terrifying. It felt as if, in the next moment, it would spread, his entire skin would be peeled off, and he would step out, bloody and raw.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Secretary Jin from the corner of his eye. She still stood there holding the basin, unmoving, not looking his way.

Ding Dalin stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. There was a struggle in his eyes. Immediately, his neck began jerking right and left, and his facial expression continually shifted, from benevolent to calm, then to grim, and finally to greedy.

Finally, he abruptly tilted his head back.

"Beast, you've deceived me terribly."

Thud! The microphone fell to the floor.

Li Zhuiyuan swallowed. He turned around and saw Ding Dalin washing his face. He watched as Ding Dalin cupped water in his hands, splashed it on his face, rubbed it, and then wiped it with a towel. This was the third time. This time, however, Ding Dalin didn't ask about his accent again; he said nothing.

The door was pushed open, hitting Secretary Jin's back. The door bounced back, but Secretary Jin remained motionless.

"Huh?" From outside the door, Li Sanjiang's voice came.

Li Zhuiyuan knew that those recent moments weren't hallucinations, because his grand-uncle couldn't have finished his business so quickly. A period of time had indeed been 'borrowed'.

Secretary Jin moved aside, and the door opened. Li Sanjiang said to Ding Dalin, "My mule has arrived, so I'll start loading things."

"Alright."

Li Sanjiang turned and went out again, not calling Li Zhuiyuan to join him. He certainly didn't want young Li Zhuiyuan to do any work. This meant Li Zhuiyuan was once again left in the room.

However,

Bang! The door was pushed open again, this time with great force. Run Sheng stood in the doorway, his face tense, a shovel in his hand. It was clear he was terrified; his tense expression was his protective coloration. But he had still come; he was here to rescue someone.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Sanjiang's voice came. "Move the tables and chairs first, then the sound system last."

Run Sheng looked at Li Zhuiyuan, waiting for a signal. As soon as he received the look, he would not hesitate to raise the shovel and strike at the two people in front of him. In short, either their flesh would be torn, or his own skin would be split.

Ding Dalin extended his hand to Li Zhuiyuan. "Come, follow me to the second floor. I have some snacks I brought back from abroad in my room. You can take them all."

In reality, there was no choice. Li Zhuiyuan grasped Ding Dalin's hand. The two, one in front and one behind, walked past Run Sheng and ascended the stairs. Downstairs, Li Sanjiang slapped Run Sheng on the back of the head and scolded him, "What are you standing there for, stunned? Young Li Zhuiyuan is getting his things; you should be doing your job and moving these things!" Run Sheng was conflicted, but since it was Li Zhuiyuan's choice, he put down the shovel and began moving the tables and chairs. However, the courage he had mustered earlier couldn't last forever. Scenes from last night began replaying in his mind, and as he moved things, his body started to tremble.

Seeing this, Li Sanjiang quickly walked over and asked, "Are you still feeling unwell?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. You sit and rest there; I'll move them."

Upon reaching the second floor, Ding Dalin was still holding his hand. Li Zhuiyuan felt a sticky sensation in his grip and was afraid that when he let go, he might tear off a piece of the other party's 'skin'. And indeed, that's what happened. As they entered the room, Ding Dalin voluntarily released his hand. His 'skin' simply stuck to the boy's hand, and as it was pulled, it stretched taut, finally...

Snap! The sound was loud, so loud that Li Zhuiyuan was startled and momentarily dazed. When he recovered, he found the room was dim; it had turned dark. All the furnishings were still in the room, but Ding Dalin was nowhere to be seen.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, trying to find that floating sensation. He found it, feeling himself begin to drift upwards. He immediately opened his eyes, interrupting the awakening. Yes, he had 'entered the yin world,' but not on his own initiative; he had been pulled in by Ding Dalin. Given this, actively waking up now would be disrespectful.

Walking out of the room onto the balcony, Li Zhuiyuan wanted to find Ding Dalin. Since it had pulled him in, it surely had a purpose. In the pitch-black night sky, a moon hung, somewhat larger than usual, its craters even visible. Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell to the ground ahead, then he blinked hard. The fish pond, which had been restored in reality, had now reverted to its appearance after the water monkeys' work last night: water drained, a deep pit dug. He probably knew where to find Ding Dalin.

Going downstairs, the scene below was still as it had been after last night's banquet: tables were still there, uncleaned. As he walked out of the main hall, Li Zhuiyuan first paused, then took two steps back and looked up. He saw Little Oriole hanging from the ceiling of the main hall. Because of her long hair hanging down, one had to walk into a specific narrow area to see her face through the veil of hair. Her eyes were closed, her expression indifferent. Li Zhuiyuan didn't know if she had been hidden here since last night, or if she simply was here now. Little Oriole didn't open her eyes or give any reaction.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't linger. He walked out of the hall, down the embankment, jumped into the fish pond, and reached the edge of the pit. Only at close range could he truly grasp how deep the pit was. Li Zhuiyuan turned his head, looking at the roof of Old Man Big Beard's house behind him, where he had hidden and observed last night. He bent down, carefully sliding along the pit's slope, descending a considerable distance before reaching the bottom. In front of him was the unearthed spire of a tower. A dark, gaping maw lay open.

Li Zhuiyuan gripped the wall, slowly moving inward. As he advanced, lights ignited one by one. Because the tower was tilted, the lights inside also appeared slanted. The surrounding walls had no murals, appearing quite monotonous. It seemed the tomb's occupant had no intention of continuing to cultivate their taste in the underworld after death. Or perhaps, this tomb was constructed during the occupant's lifetime, because if others had built it, they would inevitably have left behind writings or images depicting the life story. Fortunately, the tower had tilted, creating a walkable path. If one had to enter vertically from above, it would likely be no different from jumping into a well.

The deeper he went, the colder the light's color became, gradually changing from the bright yellow of the outermost section to green. Finally, Li Zhuiyuan reached the bottom. He saw a massive stone coffin, fixed to the base of the tower. It now looked as if it were simply stuck to the wall. Around the stone coffin were some furnishings, also fixed like the coffin, so they hadn't scattered. They were not only inlaid with gold and silver but also shimmered with the brilliance of jade and jewels. All good items, no wonder the two water monkeys who went down last night were so excited when they came up. He also understood why they came up empty-handed, claiming they couldn't move anything.

However, even at the very bottom, there was still no sign of Ding Dalin. Li Zhuiyuan's gaze fell on the stone coffin again. Could it be that... it was still inside the coffin? Chains were bound around the stone coffin, and runes were drawn around the sarcophagus, fitting the characteristics of a temple-tomb: sealing evil spirits.

Clank... clank... clank... The chains began to rattle. Whatever was inside seemed eager to emerge. Li Zhuiyuan stood still. Although he wasn't sure if opening a coffin while 'in the yin world' would cause any chain reactions in reality, he wasn't going to take that risk. It wasn't out of concern for his own safety. This was, after all, Siyuan Village, and heaven knew what consequences releasing the contents of this coffin would bring. He had come here step by step under threat of life, but even under extreme threat, he would not open the coffin.

However, he wouldn't have to agonize for long. Because with a series of sharp snaps, all the chains on the stone coffin fell away. Following that, a dull grinding sound emerged, and the stone coffin lid slowly slid open. It didn't need any help; it could get out on its own. Li Zhuiyuan held his breath, fully focused, waiting for the occupant of the coffin to sit up. But after a long wait, it didn't. The scene fell into a strange silence.

Gradually, a wind began to stir inside the tower. At first, it was weak, just making the lights flicker. Then, the wind grew stronger, creating a whistling sound within the tower. The whistling slowly became more refined, eventually forming a human voice, very hoarse, like an old, poorly maintained phonograph.

"Aren't you curious?"

Li Zhuiyuan replied, "I am very curious."

"Then why don't you dare to approach?"

"I'm afraid."

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes, fear is an instinct, just like pain."

"Let's just get to the point, without these human skins."

"What does that mean?"

"Take off this skin you're wearing. I don't want to talk to a child."

"No, I am me. This is me now."

"Heh, some people wear their skin on their bodies, while others wear it in their hearts."

Li Zhuiyuan knew the other party was mocking him, but he didn't care. All his efforts were to preserve this 'skin,' both for himself and for A Li.

"Even if you don't want to shed your skin, don't speak to me in a child's tone."

"I am just a child. Alright, I'll try my best."

"Do you know where this is?"

"A kind of... temple-tomb."

"Yes, a temple-tomb. And do you know who suppressed me here?"

"You yourself."

The wind seemed to pause for a moment. But soon, it whistled again, forming words.

"Did you guess?"

"I don't even know who you are specifically, or what era you're from. Since you asked me this question, the only answer within my selectable range would be you."

"You truly resemble someone. When he was young, he was just like you, impossibly clever."

"Can you tell me his name?" Li Zhuiyuan probed, "That way, when I'm planting trees later, I can look him up."

"You won't find his human name."

"Oh."

"He was a beast."

"Was it he who deceived you?"

"It was I who trusted him too much. Although he and I were nearly the same age, I had always looked up to him as a role model. I was to him as those two people beside you are to you."

Li Zhuiyuan knew it was referring to Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin, as those were its only limited options.

"Being deceived by someone you trust is indeed infuriating."

"He didn't just deceive me; he deceived all of us, those who followed him."

"He's truly detestable."

"He's just like you, very good at disguising himself."

Li Zhuiyuan tried to calm his emotions. The greatest harm to a mentally ill person was to repeatedly remind them of their illness. This conversation with the entity in the stone coffin seemed to transport the boy back to that night when he spoke on the phone with Li Lan.

"Disguise is your instinct; you seem to be born with it."

"Do you have any instructions?" Li Zhuiyuan actively interrupted the topic. If he continued discussing it, he worried his cold emotions might be triggered.

"Fill the fish pond, plant it full of peach trees."

"Don't worry, we'll do it."

"Actually, I should have left a long time ago."

"Where to?"

"You can guess, yet you still ask. Indeed, just like him, hypocrisy is your instinct."

"Can you stop describing him in such detail, or stop linking me to him in your descriptions? I only came here obediently because I fear death."

"And then?"

"But some things, I would rather die than give up."

"He also said—"

The wind quieted again. After a long silence, the wind picked up once more.

"Good."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I originally intended to call you here to be buried with me."

"Thank you for your original intention."

Seeing the other party fall silent again, but with the wind still blowing, Li Zhuiyuan, out of respect for the 'original intention,' proactively offered a question.

"How did he deceive you?"

"He taught me a method to control 'dead entities'." Li Zhuiyuan's heart trembled. The books he had read contained countless methods for dealing with 'dead entities,' but none mentioned that 'dead entities' could be controlled.

"I was very happy and excited. I was so convinced and respectful of him, so I learned it."

"And did you learn it?"

The wind continued to blow, and at that moment, a movement came from within the stone coffin. A man sat up from inside the coffin. Because the coffin was suspended on its base, the man was facing Li Zhuiyuan. He had long hair, a serene face, and an ethereal, otherworldly demeanor. However, his eyes were closed, and the subsequent voice still emanated through the wind, not from his own mouth.

"I succeeded. I can also control dead entities now."

"Then where did he deceive you?"

"Where did he deceive me?"

The man turned his head. The wind lifted his sideburns, revealing a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth—a human face—beneath. The man turned further, revealing his back. The wind swept up his long hair, and the entire back of his head was another woman's face. A chilling sight: such a handsome man, yet so many faces had sprouted from him. No, Li Zhuiyuan realized he was in the 'yin world,' so what he saw wasn't necessarily real. These materialized faces might represent the man's inner turmoil.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... The wind intensified further, blowing up the man's long robe. Wherever skin was exposed—his arms, chest—it was covered with dense, countless human faces. Li Zhuiyuan instinctively took two steps back. Seeing this sight, he already felt an itching sensation all over his own body. He unconsciously glanced down at his own arms, terrified that unfamiliar faces might sprout there too.

"He didn't tell me that while I could control them, they could also control me."

Li Zhuiyuan shifted his gaze. Only after the wind quieted somewhat did he look back. The man returned to his original posture, his clothes and hair falling back into place.

"He said he wanted to eradicate all evil spirits in the world and restore peace to the realm. I believed him and followed him. But the result was, the more 'dead entities' I dealt with, the more I myself became like a 'dead entity'. By the time I realized this, there was no turning back. So, I built this tower, and I sealed myself within it. I intended to use time to wear them down, and at the same time, wear myself down too. Those you just saw, their eyes were closed. In truth, they should originally have been open, weeping, howling, roaring, wailing every day... Now, they are all gone. I succeeded. Originally, in a few more years, I should have been able to wear myself down to death as well. But who knew, a group of monkeys arrived."

"So, you want this place filled in and planted with peach trees because you want to continue suppressing yourself?"

"It needs to be quick, because I am no longer the person I once was. The me of then, to avoid harming the common people, personally suppressed myself. The me of now, inwardly yearns to keep you here and be buried with me. The true me is already dead, or perhaps, I can no longer distinguish which 'skin' hides the real me."

"I understand. I'll arrange it immediately, while you still retain your clarity."

"You are mistaken. I am not clear-headed. I don't go out because I have entered an irreversible terminal stage; leaving would only lead to swift demise. I wish to maintain some dignity. Actually, when I was 'skinning' those water monkeys, I was very happy. Nothing is more amusing than playing with monkeys. If there had just been a few more of them, allowing me to savor this pleasure a bit longer, I truly would have emerged. If there had been just two more last night, only two; I wouldn't be speaking to you here in this manner right now."

Li Zhuiyuan thought to himself, 'That was a close call,' because two of the water monkeys were currently in the hospital. Their companions had originally intended to retrieve them from the hospital. Given their modus operandi, even injured comrades would be brought here, if only to stand guard with a flashlight. Fortunately, he had called the police in time. By an unexpected turn of events, it had also saved his life.

"And the reason I changed my mind about dragging you to be buried with me was not out of pity for you. It was because I discovered another, more amusing method."

"What method?"

The wind's sound became even more delicate then, like a tempting whisper in his ear. "How about I tell you the method he taught me?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "You learned that, and look how you've become. With a ready-made counter-example right in front of me, how could I possibly learn it?" Seeing the other party remain silent, Li Zhuiyuan added, "You said you're about to dissipate. If I fill the fish pond and plant it with peach trees, you won't know if I've learned it or not, and you won't be able to come up to find me again, right?"

"Heh heh, you will learn it. And after you learn it, you won't be able to resist using it. When I 'saw' you lying on the rooftop peeking, I was certain of it."

Li Zhuiyuan fell silent.

"The item is in the first drawer of the dressing table. Whether you take it or not is up to you." With that, the man lay back down into the stone coffin.

A method to control 'dead entities'...

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the dressing table and placed his hand on the handle of the first drawer. The sound of wind returned.

"Now, do you have anything else to say?"

Li Zhuiyuan pursed his lips and said, "You're truly a good judge of character."

"Hehehe... So, why bury you with me when it's so much more entertaining to watch you become neither human nor ghost, just like me? You could have just planted the trees properly. If there's anyone to blame, blame the fact that you are too much like him. But I can no longer exact revenge on him. I can only transfer this hatred onto you."

Creak... Li Zhuiyuan opened the drawer. It was empty. Immediately, a huge sense of loss washed over him.

"Are you playing a trick on me?"

"Have you forgotten where this is? This place has already been restored. Do you really think you'd need to dig it up again to get something? I've already placed it somewhere you're bound to see it."

Li Zhuiyuan pushed the drawer back in, nodded, and said, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, because in the future, you will hate me, just as I hate him now. Once you learn this, those 'dead entities' you control will enter your mind, twisting and corrupting all your emotions. One day, when you look into a mirror, you will find the person staring back at you to be so unfamiliar."

Li Zhuiyuan remained silent.

The wind sound completely vanished. The chains on the stone coffin retracted again, locking the coffin shut once more. The surrounding lights were also gradually extinguishing. Before Li Zhuiyuan even closed his eyes, a wave-like sensation swept over him. He didn't resist, simply experiencing the feeling of floating upward.

Suddenly, it was bright again. Li Zhuiyuan found himself standing in the room, afternoon sunlight streaming in, bringing a touch of warmth. He saw Ding Dalin again, but this time, Ding Dalin was very thin. He was like a shirt, neatly folded and placed on the floor.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down and picked up the 'shirt'. He couldn't just leave him lying there, could he? Furthermore, although he had never before weighed an adult's skin, he still felt it was somewhat too heavy. He pressed down on it, feeling some hard lumps underneath. He rummaged through it, but couldn't find a tear or opening. Finally, he took a deep breath, reached his hand into Ding Dalin's mouth, groped downwards, and grasped something hard and cold. He pulled it out and looked: it was a large, gleaming gold ingot. This must be the money for leasing the land and planting the trees.

"You're truly surprisingly kind."

From the embankment downstairs, a shout came. "Young Li Zhuiyuan! Young Li Zhuiyuan!"

Li Zhuiyuan, carrying Ding Dalin, walked to the balcony and looked down. Run Sheng stood on the embankment, waving a piece of human skin in his hand. The skin unfolded, and as he waved it, Secretary Jin swayed gracefully in the air.

"You scared me to death, Young Li Zhuiyuan! Thank goodness you're alright. I was so worried you'd turn out like this too."

"Where's Grand-uncle?"

"Old man went back with the cart. What happened here?"

"It's alright, Run Sheng. Come up here for a moment."

"Oh, okay!" Run Sheng quickly ran upstairs, not even bothering to put away Secretary Jin. Presumably, it got caught on a corner somewhere. In any case, when Run Sheng appeared on the balcony, the Secretary Jin in his hand had already torn apart.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, you have one here too. How should we deal with these two 'skin suits'?"

"Put them away for now. Tonight, throw them into the workshop furnace and burn them."

"Alright."

"Run Sheng, get the ladder."

"What for?"

"To go up on the roof."

"Right, I almost forgot, our things are still up there." Run Sheng set up the ladder and climbed up first. As Li Zhuiyuan started to climb, he turned back and pulled him up. The two sacks containing the formation flags and tools were still there, and next to them, on the ground, lay Run Sheng's personal, man-sized Yellow River shovel.

"Young Li Zhuiyuan, I'll move these down."

"Run Sheng, don't touch them yet."

"Oh, okay."

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the sack containing the tools, knelt down, opened the mouth of the sack, and saw an ancient book with a black cover placed inside. This was the... method it had left for him. He took out the book; there was no title on the cover. It hadn't mentioned the word 'book,' only 'method.' So this should be like a handwritten study note. Without hesitation, he turned the page.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan froze. The handwriting was so familiar, impossibly familiar, and beautiful. He immediately flipped through several more pages, and finally confirmed a fact. Holding the book, he stood up and looked down at the fish pond below.

So, the person who deceived you, was his name...

Wei Zhengdao.