Chapter 82

“Just casually provide a clue, for fun…”

Outside the windows, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng exchanged disbelieving glances.

How could something like this be casual? How could it be considered "just for fun"? Did they not realize that doing so could ruin a peer's entire life?

Tan Wenbin recalled a scene from Wu Xinhui's memories, a conversation that occurred during their confrontation:“Why did you frame me? Why did you frame me? Why?!”“It’ll be fine if you die. It’ll be fine if you die. If you die, no one will know.”

So, Wu Xinhui bravely pursued the fleeing Zhao Junfeng with a dagger, not because he was the murderer, but to see this "joke" through to the end?

How did such absurd behavior and motives even come about?

Tan Wenbin whispered, “I don’t understand…”

From inside the room, Mao Chang’an’s sinister laughter rang out:“Hahahahahahaha!”

Clearly, he was the one who found it most incomprehensible and unacceptable now. He had painstakingly planned everything step by step, pretending not to know while constantly monitoring the progress, even sacrificing his own son for it. And in the end, this was the outcome.

“Please, let us go. We’ll give you anything you want.”“Yes, yes, please let us go. We won’t say anything about what happened today. We’ll keep it a secret.”

Mao Chang’an’s laughter ceased. He now wished he could torture and torment these two people to the extreme, but unfortunately, Wu Xinhui had died too quickly, letting him off easy. However, just as Mao Chang’an raised his hand and silver needles reappeared at his fingertips, he stopped.

Outside the window, Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze sharpened slightly as he noticed this detail. The old man was a ruthless character. Even with his plan collapsing and his anger reaching this point, he still suppressed his impulse and refrained from acting, clearly wary of heavenly retribution. He truly loved himself.

At this moment, the blood incense had burned out. The bright array patterns originally drawn on the hall’s floor tiles instantly transformed into old, peeling paint. Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin, standing side-by-side, began to sway. Wisps of liquid continuously seeped from their bodies, and due to the damage to the puppets, they were becoming uncontrollable.

Mao Chang’an waved his hand and said earnestly, “You are innocent. Run, and be careful.”“Thank you, thank you!”“Thank you, thank you!”

Zhu Hongyu and Liu Xinya, as if granted a great pardon, stood up and began to flee. However, the bewilderment array Mao Zhushan had set up when he was alive was still active. The two women spun in circles for a long time but still couldn’t get out of the hall’s main door.

Mao Chang’an could easily break this simple small array, but he didn’t. Instead, he covered his face, sobbing and lamenting his dead son and the tragedy that had unfolded, while walking out of the hall. He then knelt down with a “thump,” continuing to repent to the heavens. Clearly, he wouldn’t let those two women go, but he didn’t want to dirty his own hands.

Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin stopped swaying. A strong aura of the "dead puppet" emanated from them; Zhao Junfeng’s was more intense, while Qiu Minmin’s seemed weaker, likely because she had recently suffered a severe blow. The two dead puppets instinctively looked at the two women still running inside and walked towards them step by step.

Zhu Hongyu and Liu Xinya screamed and backed away, their backs almost pressed against the door, very close to where Li Zhuiyuan and his two companions were hidden, peering in. A slight change appeared on Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng’s faces, as they could now save these two people just by showing themselves. But the two clearly weren’t willing to do so. Not only did neither try to ask for "Little Yuan’s" opinion behind them, but one averted his face while the other simply lowered her head.

Tan Wenbin whispered, “Did you see two dead puppet murderers about to kill someone?”Yin Meng understood and immediately replied, “Didn’t see anything.”Tan Wenbin hesitated, thinking this statement wasn’t good, and rephrased his question:“Did you just see Zhu Hongyu and Liu Xinya run out of the hall?”“Yes, I saw them. They just ran out!”“That’s great. They escaped and are safe.”“Indeed, I’m truly glad for them.”

When people do things that go against "public order and good morals," they often find ways to justify it to themselves. The purpose of this is to avoid internal burden and mental exhaustion. Many people died inside tonight. They watched the entire show from outside. If they had intervened earlier, most of those inside might not have died, but why should they have intervened? Ran Qiuping and Sun Hongxia had attacked them before, and Runsheng was still recovering in bed; Mao Zhushan deserved his death, and even his own father and master didn’t care; as for Wu Xinhui and the other two… it was as if anyone could pretend to be blind. With this rationalization, both Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng sighed in relief, their thoughts now clear. Even the two consecutive screams from inside the room didn't make them feel unbearable or guilty.

Li Zhuiyuan witnessed their entire internal struggle from behind. In any case, apart from the "Heavenly Way explanation," he himself wouldn’t go through such a process internally.

Everyone inside the room was dead. Mao Chang’an stood up and walked into the room, wiping away tears. His expression first showed shock, then unbearable sorrow, and finally anger:“You two abominations, how dare you harm living beings right under my nose!”

Tan Wenbin couldn't help but exclaim, “Truly a veteran actor.”Yin Meng echoed, “So dedicated.”Li Zhuiyuan gave a class summary: “Remember to study, and give the class notes to Runsheng so he doesn’t fall behind on his work.”

Every adventure they shared was a valuable experience. Yin Meng was slightly less cooperative than Tan Wenbin, and always spoke inappropriate nonsense. This was because things had been smooth for her since she joined the team and came to Nantong, lacking the team-building experience. Earlier, when Tan Wenbin first joined, he talked far more nonsense than she did.

Mao Chang’an was ready to clear the scene. His plan had failed, his son and apprentice were dead, but life had to go on. Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin walked towards him, clearly instinctively wanting to attack him. He bent down, picked up the two damaged puppets from the ground, and faced the approaching dead puppets without any panic, quickly re-threading the needles.

Li Zhuiyuan turned, walked out of their hiding place, and went straight to the doorway. Looking at Mao Chang’an, he said:“Good evening.”

Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng didn’t understand why Little Yuan chose to appear at this moment. Wouldn’t it be better to let Mao Chang’an deal with the two dead puppets first, and then the three of them could come out to deal with the old man? This would also better fit their previous plan, which had shifted from dealing with the old man first to only having the old man left to deal with. Despite their confusion, the two quickly came to Li Zhuiyuan’s side, holding their Yellow River shovels, guarding him on the left and right.

Mao Chang’an held the two newly repaired puppets, and with a slight flick of his fingers, the two dead puppets immediately stopped. With another gentle adjustment of his fingertips, they turned to face the doorway. Immediately, Mao Chang’an extended three fingers on his left hand, rotated his right arm, crossed them over, and finally stacked them one above the other:“Mao Chang’an, my ancestors were based at the Qinhuai River dock in Jinling. May I ask which dock you are from, young man?”

When colleagues meet, the first feeling is usually apprehension. Sounding each other out is also to avoid conflict as much as possible. There’s no helping it; everyone in this line of work has a few tricks up their sleeves. If they were to constantly fall out and plot against each other, no one would have an easy time. At this point, bringing up something like "being from Haoriver Dock" would be intentionally trying to be funny or provocative.

Li Zhuiyuan stood with his hands in his pockets, not bothering to return the gesture, and said bluntly:“I’m not from a dock. I worship the Dragon King of the Liu family.”

Mao Chang’an’s expression froze, and visible panic spread across his face. He even stumbled back several steps, explaining anxiously:“I failed in raising my son, causing him to go astray and leading to this tragedy. I have now, for the sake of justice, dealt with my own kin and cleaned up the mess. I beg you to understand!”

He was very scared. But his fear was different from Yin Fuhai’s shock when he announced his family name on the ghost street in Fengdu. Yin Fuhai had lived in a small county town for generations and only knew about river matters through rumors and hearsay. Mao Chang’an, however, had the means to acquire a "Cultural Relic Protection Unit" plaque to hang on his front door. What he feared was clearly not the past prestige of the Liu family, but their current influence! This made Li Zhuiyuan recall Yu Shu, the storyteller who had visited Nantong. It seemed that even during their walk after the Ding family dinner in Shancheng, Grandma Liu had kept something from him. She hadn’t lied, but she hadn’t told him the whole truth either.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the two puppets Mao Chang’an was holding and asked, “Could you throw one over for me to see?”Mao Chang’an hesitated.Oh, he might actually throw it to him?

Li Zhuiyuan continued, “Give it up. We have people surrounding the place.”Although he knew very well that unless Runsheng was discharged with an IV drip, there couldn’t possibly be anyone else outside. But Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng still calmly puffed out their chests, especially Tan Wenbin, who even had a hint of disdainful smile on his lips.

“Please.”

Mao Chang’an threw the female puppet towards Li Zhuiyuan. It was covered in needles. Li Zhuiyuan didn’t catch it. Yin Meng, with a graceful hand movement, first deflected its force, then caught it smoothly and handed it to Li Zhuiyuan.

Mao Chang’an said, “I can fully explain what happened here. It’s truly…”Li Zhuiyuan nodded while examining the puppet: “Don’t worry, we won’t wrong a good person, nor will we let a bad person go.”

The young man confirmed that the old man in front of him was treating him like Yu Shu. It seemed that after Uncle Qin left the Great-Grandmaster’s house, he hadn’t chosen a place to retire, but had things to do. After inspecting it, Li Zhuiyuan casually tossed the female puppet onto the ground. As it landed, the needles were touched, and Qiu Minmin made several strange poses in succession.

Mao Chang’an asked in confusion, “Are you…?”Li Zhuiyuan pointed at Zhao Junfeng: “He’s actually not controlled by your puppet. He’s been faking it the whole time.”

Mao Chang’an exclaimed in surprise, “What? How is that possible?”“Believe it or not, if I hadn’t come out just now, weren’t you planning to use these puppets to have them eliminate each other, to complete the final step of destroying the evidence? You would have died. He was actually waiting for this opportunity.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Junfeng lunged violently at Mao Chang’an. Mao Chang’an executed a clumsy side roll, narrowly dodging. He quickly manipulated the male puppet in his hand with his fingertips, but it had no effect. Zhao Junfeng’s body spun in mid-air and lunged again, opening his mouth to spew out a mist of blood. Seeing this, Mao Chang’an had no choice but to throw the puppet away and dodge again. But this time, his right arm was grazed by the red mist, not only tearing his clothes but also burning a layer of his skin.

“Why is this happening?”

Not only Mao Chang’an was confused, but Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng were as well. However, the two continued to keep straight faces. No matter how puzzled Tan Wenbin was, he still forced out an expression that said, "See, this is how it is."

At this moment, Qiu Minmin, covered in a layer of mud, lunged at Mao Chang’an from behind. Mao Chang’an dodged sideways again, extended a silver needle from his hand, stabbed Qiu Minmin, and then pulled on the thread, bringing them closer before kicking her sideways.

“Bang!”

Qiu Minmin, already greatly weakened, was kicked to the ground. Just as Mao Chang’an was about to get on top of her and use silver threads to cut off Qiu Minmin’s head, Zhao Junfeng appeared. Mao Chang’an had no choice but to abandon his attempt and quickly retreat. As he retreated, he shouted, “Please help me subdue these dead puppets!”

Li Zhuiyuan clapped his hands: “You two carry on. We won’t disturb you.”

After saying this, he retreated.

“You…”

Mao Chang’an’s eyes nearly burst. In that instant, he finally realized, “You’re not from the Dragon King’s family!”

Li Zhuiyuan ignored him and continued to retreat. Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin also followed, and after the three had withdrawn to a safe distance, they stopped to watch the show.

Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but ask again, “Little Yuan Ge?”“That night in the dance studio, I tried to control Qiu Minmin, but I found she was controlled by another consciousness, a chang ghost. Earlier, when I saw Mao Zhushan using that puppet to control these two dead puppets, I felt confused. It’s not that this evil art can’t control dead puppets. Rather, I didn’t think I couldn’t even compete with a puppet.”

That night, Li Zhuiyuan was just one step away from fully controlling Qiu Minmin, but the consciousness within Qiu Minmin was exceptionally tenacious, fiercely resisting him. But a puppet is an inanimate object; where would it get a resistant consciousness from? Therefore, what was controlling Qiu Minmin was definitely another entity. Mao Zhushan and Mao Chang’an both practiced from that evil book and used puppets to control corpses, which means the true controller of Qiu Minmin was not them, father and son. Almost everyone in the room was dead. If you use the elimination method, no matter how impossible it seems, that’s just the final answer. The one who had been controlling Qiu Minmin all along was Zhao Junfeng.

“Brother Binbin, do you remember the memory scenes we saw when we journeyed into the underworld?”“I remember…”“Did you notice that Wu Xinhui’s memory scenes were very misleading?”“Ah, yes. Wu Xinhui clearly wasn’t the murderer, but that part gave the impression that he was the killer specifically there to silence witnesses.”“It could have easily shown the truth by adjusting the memory scenes further back, for instance, showing that Wu Xinhui and the other two hadn’t actually seen the murderer. But that particular segment was deliberately omitted. Also, there were many doors there. Three were closed, one could be opened, revealing Qiu Minmin’s face, and the other two couldn’t be opened. If Qiu Minmin’s was there, Zhao Junfeng’s should have been too, but Zhao Junfeng’s memory was closed off.”“What about the other door?”“I originally thought it was Mao Chang’an’s, since he wasn’t dead and was part of this scheme. Now I think it might not be… It should be something deeper residing within Zhao Junfeng, perhaps that book his father and he mentioned.”“Can a book really do something to this extent?”“Some things are very evil. Did Runsheng tell you that at the tomb in Shigang, there’s a copper coin buried there? I didn’t take it even when I left home for college. It’s not that I forgot, but that I genuinely don’t have the confidence to touch it now.” If you hold that thing carelessly, you’ll develop 'taishui' on your body, like an infectious disease.

“So, it seems Mao Chang’an wasn’t the oriole either?”“No, it’s a praying mantis stalks the cicada, with a whole food chain following behind.”“Little Yuan Ge, did you intentionally go out just now to make them fight each other first?”“What else? We’re here to clean up. The old man is the mastermind, and he needs to be dealt with. Since it’s proven that Zhao Junfeng, not the puppet, was truly controlling Qiu Minmin, then Zhao Junfeng also has a grudge against us. They both need to be handled, so why let the old man die from a sneak attack? It saves us trouble if they weaken each other first, doesn’t it?”

Tan Wenbin: “Brother, if your mind ever feels heavy and tired, I can take over being the smart one for a bit.”Yin Meng then asked, “What exactly is the ultimate goal of all this?”“Yin-Yang Accompanying Dead Puppets. How could they be so easily refined? According to Wei Zhengdao, only renowned orthodox sects would have the foundation to even attempt creating such a thing. Two corpse fishers, and dock-based ones at that, how could they possibly create such a grand setup?”

Yin Meng’s expression became a little sorrowful. Her family was also dock-based. No, after her grandfather died and she came to Nantong, her Yin family didn’t even have a dock anymore.

“I suspect the records in the book they obtained are problematic. It’s probably like your Yin family’s Twelve Gates of Magic, a simplified version, making people think it’s easy to master.”Yin Meng felt another blow to her chest.“As for the ultimate goal, although it sounds a bit absurd, I suspect it’s quite limited. It wants to possess a host and regain its freedom.”

Tan Wenbin: “It looks like the old man is losing.”

Inside, Mao Chang’an tried to escape several times but was intercepted by Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin, who seemed determined to keep him there at all costs.“Zhao Junfeng, since you’re conscious and not controlled, you should know that even if you kill me, you’ll still have to face those three people outside later! Those three people probably arrived much earlier. They haven’t left yet because they want us to fight to the death so they can clean up the mess. If you want to leave with Qiu Minmin, I won’t stop you. Go now, and whether you poison living beings to vent your resentment or escape into the river or sea, it’s up to you! Zhao Junfeng, let’s team up first, deal with the three outsiders, and then we can fight to the death. That way, no one else will get an easy win!”

Tan Wenbin: “The old man is dropping his act a bit.”Yin Meng pouted, “How shameless.”Tan Wenbin: “But Zhao Junfeng and Qiu Minmin seem fixated on him, determined to kill him. Is their hatred that deep?”

A dead puppet is not the person they were in life. Zhao Junfeng, being able to control himself and Qiu Minmin, killed Ran Qiuping and Sun Hongxia, proving he had long since broken free from his original identity and relationships. Given this premise, if he truly possessed intelligence, he should seemingly consider the old man’s proposal.

Li Zhuiyuan: “The book is on the old man.”

Mao Chang’an was truly cornered. He had multiple bleeding wounds on his body. If he didn't get serious, his life would truly be lost here. He then pricked the nails of both thumbs into his palms, opening bleeding wounds, and from within them, drew out two red threads. The red threads tautened, and with a thrust of his waist, he flicked them forward. Just then, Zhao Junfeng lunged, spewing red mist again from his mouth. But when the red mist hit the flicked-out red threads, it made a "sizzling" sound, not only dispersing itself but also failing to obstruct the threads at all. The red threads bounced off Zhao Junfeng, leaving a red mark on his chest like an ink line, then quickly melted away.

“Bang!”

Zhao Junfeng was sent flying, his body twisted. From the parts of his body touched by the red threads, bits of flesh began to fall off. Qiu Minmin appeared behind Mao Chang’an, her arms thrust forward. Mao Chang’an flinched, not choosing to dodge, but instead leaned back, his shoulder slamming hard into Qiu Minmin. As Qiu Minmin reeled back, the mud on her body rapidly adhered to Mao Chang’an, surging frantically into his wounds.

“Ah!!!”

Mao Chang’an let out a terrible scream, but his arms still wrapped around, the red threads encircling Qiu Minmin’s neck, and then he pulled with all his might to sever it!

“Thud…”

Qiu Minmin’s head was severed. The headless corpse stumbled back a few steps, arms spread wide. Pus oozed from the neck wound, black mist spilled out, and resentment began to dissipate.

“Holy cow, the old man is strong,” Tan Wenbin unconsciously swallowed. “Without Little Yuan Ge’s backup plan, Yin Meng and I really couldn’t have taken him. How did those red threads come out of his body?”Yin Meng: “He cultivated them within his body, using them as sinews.”“How ruthless, Mengmeng, can you do that?”“No, I just heard my grandfather mention it in stories when I was little.”“This set of techniques doesn’t look like anything from an orthodox path at all.”

Hearing this, Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but recall the bloody fish gills that appeared on Uncle Qin before he entered the river. In reality, the orthodox path was inherently quite bloody.

After dealing with Qiu Minmin, Mao Chang’an used the red threads to continuously force Zhao Junfeng back. But every time he tried to seize the opportunity to escape, Zhao Junfeng would stick to him again like a maggot on a bone. But this also gave Mao Chang’an an opportunity. He again pretended to leave the hall, and when Zhao Junfeng lunged at him once more, he kicked off the ground, sprang backward, and landed directly on Zhao Junfeng. He pressed his arms down, pulling the red threads towards Zhao Junfeng’s neck. Zhao Junfeng raised both arms, stabbing Mao Chang’an’s thigh, while simultaneously opening his mouth and furiously spewing red mist.

“Die! Die! Die!”

Mao Chang’an disregarded everything, staking his all.

“Thud…”

Zhao Junfeng’s head was also severed, rolling several times on the ground.

“Gasp… gasp… gasp…”

Mao Chang’an, covered in blood like a blood-soaked figure, limped towards the main door. Facing the three people standing outside, he smiled. Against the backdrop of the bloodstains, his teeth appeared remarkably white. The red threads in his hands had broken. From his face to his arms and legs, his skin and flesh had noticeably sagged, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant. But he still didn’t give up. Knowing he had no strength left to fight, he spoke:“Name your terms. I only ask for a way out.”

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: “You have to die.”“Why? I have no grudge against you.”Li Zhuiyuan replied earnestly, “If we don’t kill you, it’ll look like the three of us did nothing tonight and are very foolish.”Mao Chang’an: “…”

Tan Wenbin echoed, “Exactly, exactly. Coming out late at night, the show was indeed brilliant and exciting, but we need to do something to feel involved.”Mao Chang’an: “Every action I took was in accordance with the rules. Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution if you kill me?”Tan Wenbin pointed at the three of them: “It’s fine. If the three of us share it, there shouldn’t be much left on average.”Li Zhuiyuan: “Without my earlier warning, you would have died from Zhao Junfeng’s sneak attack. So, your life inherently belongs to me.”Yin Meng looked at Tan Wenbin: “The difference in brains.”

With a “thump,” Mao Chang’an slumped to the ground. He pulled out a talisman from his hand, gently brushed it with his fingertips, and the talisman ignited. He could barely walk now, and further blood loss would lead to his death, so he knew very well that escape was impossible. Selfish people are not only extremely afraid of death, but even more afraid of others taking advantage of them. The talisman he had just ignited was the "key" to his home. The moment the talisman burned, the air in the temple changed its scent. The original yin-yang balanced layout began to clash and rub against each other. Waves of dense yin energy spilled out from the bronze door beneath the general’s statue. Clusters of eerie green ghost flames ascended into the air, and lines of fire appeared on the ground.

“No one, none of you, will get my things… none of you…”

Flames began to erupt, igniting everywhere without blind spots, quickly leaping up from all corners.

Yin Meng: “Little Yuan Ge, I’ll go kill him, and then we’ll leave.”“Let’s go.”

Li Zhuiyuan turned and ran directly outside. Yin Meng was a little confused. Didn’t he say not killing someone would make them look foolish? And though the fire had started, it wasn’t yet critically dangerous; there would still be time to kill someone and escape. Tan Wenbin had already caught up. Seeing this, Yin Meng cast one last glance at Mao Chang’an, who was sitting there, and then ran out with them.

“Heh heh…”

Watching the three figures leave, Mao Chang’an chuckled. Then, looking at the flames rising around him, his face showed desolation. He reached into his embrace and pulled out a book with a white cover and black background. Lowering his head to look at the book’s cover, hatred surfaced in his eyes. He knew that if it weren’t for this book, he and his son would still be living peaceful lives, upholding family traditions, maintaining peace in the region, preventing dead puppets from harming people, and not shaming their ancestors. It was precisely because of this book that everything changed; it was all its fault.

But soon, greed and attachment reappeared in Mao Chang’an’s eyes. He loved this book, loved it to his core. "If one learns the truth in the morning, one can die in the evening without regret." Where would ordinary dock-based corpse fishers get true profound inheritance? It was this book that showed him true wonder, that this world could have such possibilities. Zhushan, my good son, my good apprentice, you must have felt the same way I did. What did it matter to lose one’s life just to catch a glimpse of that world’s scenery? We just failed; we didn’t succeed. How many have truly succeeded throughout history? In the end, my son and I will have seen more than others, more than our ancestors…

A cold gust of wind blew, turning the first page. It was blank. Mao Chang’an froze. He quickly turned to the second page—blank. Then the third page—blank. He kept flipping, and they were all blank! The book was real; he remembered the feel of the paper. But the methods for refining Yin-Yang Accompanying Dead Puppets and controlling corpses with needle puppets, originally recorded in the book—how had they all disappeared?

“No, no, no, no!!!”

Mao Chang’an frantically flipped through the pages. He could accept failure, he could accept his own son as the price of failure, but he could not accept that this, from beginning to end, had merely been a hoax! The method for refining Yin-Yang Accompanying Dead Puppets that it provided was never real. This book had toyed with him and his son; they, father and son, had become nothing but playthings for this book!

“It can’t be like this, it can’t be like this! Please, please, let the words reappear, let the words reappear! Even if they’re wrong, even if they’re fake, please, just give me some words, some words…”

Suddenly, the headless Zhao Junfeng inside the hall slowly stood up. Mao Chang’an heard the movement and looked back. Zhao Junfeng’s clothes fell away. The shredded flesh on his chest, damaged earlier by the red threads, had also fallen off in large amounts. But deep within the bloody mess, a woman’s face slowly writhed. It was Qiu Minmin’s face.

The headless Zhao Junfeng walked up to Mao Chang’an, reached out, grabbed Mao Chang’an’s head, and continuously applied force.

“Ahhh…”“Bang!”

His head exploded, splattering red and white matter everywhere. Zhao Junfeng bent down and picked up the book with the white cover and black background. The filth that had splattered onto it instantly disappeared as if absorbed. The woman’s face on his chest opened its mouth, and the book was bitten by the woman. A puddle of mud appeared around Zhao Junfeng, enveloping him. Before the fire reached this spot, he moved out along the ground.

Escaping the scorching inferno and leaving the General’s Temple, he headed straight for the nearest river, like a fish regaining its freedom and returning to water. However, as the fish swam on, the fire from the General’s Temple below remained clearly visible. Finally, the fish stopped. The mud slowly receded, and Zhao Junfeng looked around. The woman’s eyes on his chest constantly peered about. He was trapped.

“Heh heh heh.”

Tan Wenbin slowly stood up, holding a Seven-Star Hook in his left hand and a Rashomon Umbrella in his right. In an emergency, the Yellow River shovel was most suitable, but when true coordination was needed, with ample conditions and complete equipment, then one had to clearly define their role. Beside him, Yin Meng held a Yellow River shovel. With Runsheng absent, she would take the main attack.

“Heh heh ha ha ha…”

Tan Wenbin’s laughter was incessant. Yin Meng couldn’t help but glance at him and said, “You sound like a villain from a TV show.” Tan Wenbin suppressed his laughter and licked his lips: “Don’t say it, it really is fun being a villain.” After a pause, Tan Wenbin asked again, “Little Yuan Ge, how did you guess there was an ‘extra question’?”

Li Zhuiyuan sat on a stone and said calmly:“It’s not an extra question. The total score just didn’t add up; a face was missing.”

Then, the young man propped his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands:“Don’t delay. Before the fire attracts people, deal with it.”

Tan Wenbin pursed his lips at Yin Meng: See who truly looks like the villain. Yin Meng didn’t retort. The two mumbled, “Three threes make life, four fours enter Qian, two eights divine, three nines connect…” Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but raise a hand to cover his eyes. This scene was like someone reciting multiplication tables while entering an exam, too foolish to watch.

The Seven-Star Hook in Tan Wenbin’s hand extended, hooking towards Zhao Junfeng. Zhao Junfeng tried to dodge, but though he was clearly moving backward, he quickly moved forward instead, caught by the hook. Yin Meng stepped forward and delivered a heavy strike with her shovel. By the time Zhao Junfeng reacted and tried to resist, Tan Wenbin had opened his umbrella, blocking all the splashing mud. Then, at the opportune moment, he withdrew the umbrella, and Yin Meng delivered another heavy strike with her shovel. Zhao Junfeng couldn’t escape, couldn’t dodge, his attacks were neutralized every time, and he took every single hit without fail.

His condition had already been significantly weakened by Mao Chang’an; he had sought escape through a form of feigned death. In this weakened state, encountering a meticulously pre-arranged formation that suppressed him, he truly had no room to maneuver. And the extremely rigid coordinated attacks of Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng completely extinguished any possibility of a reversal or miracle. It just made the fight a bit boring.

Li Zhuiyuan sighed. If Runsheng were here, with Runsheng’s strength, it would have ended much earlier. Yin Meng’s pure strength was still too lacking; she was better suited for Tan Wenbin’s current position, and Tan Wenbin was better suited for his own current position. Under the young man’s feet, there were many remaining formation flags. When the formation showed any signs of loosening or breaking, he would need to use a flag to mend it. But in this smooth situation, the formation was very stable and could last until its effects naturally dissipated, so he simply had nothing to do. This was also why he couldn’t accept Runsheng’s previous mistake; there was clearly a more rational team choice, yet in that instant, he was swayed by emotion.

Li Zhuiyuan’s attention was more focused on the book held in the woman’s mouth. The copper coin left in Shigang was quiet if you didn’t touch it, but this book likely possessed some kind of activity; it might even actively bewitch people. Never mind. To end this quickly, I’ll add some fuel to the fire.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up and shouted, “Remember, later you are not allowed to look at that book. That book is mine!”

Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng’s inner thoughts upon hearing this shout were: *Uh, does he need to shout? Whose else would it be if not yours? Even if the book was placed in front of them, they wouldn’t dare to flip through it!*

Just then, the woman’s mouth opened, spitting out the book, which landed on the ground. Then, Zhao Junfeng stood still, unmoving, allowing himself to be killed. Even so, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng maintained their steady, old rhythm, alternating between attack and defense, until Yin Meng completely smashed the face on Zhao Junfeng’s chest. Finally, with a “thump,” Zhao Junfeng fell backward onto the ground. Pockets of pus emerged, and black mist rapidly dissipated.

Done!

“Phew…” Yin Meng sighed in relief. Both her arms were exhausted, and her palms were bleeding from friction. Tan Wenbin, meanwhile, propped his Rashomon Umbrella on the ground and rubbed his waist. In truth, during the final period, they knew they could have been more unrestrained; the dead puppet had already given up resisting. But there was nothing they could do; they were still reciting their incantations mentally, afraid of making a mistake, and thus naturally had to continue acting meticulously.

“Close your eyes.”

The two immediately closed their eyes obediently. Li Zhuiyuan also walked down with his eyes closed. He could remember the positions below, so he walked steadily, stopping in front of the book. There was no wind, yet he heard the sound of pages turning. Li Zhuiyuan loved reading, but this was the first time he had encountered a book actively trying to charm him. Unfortunately, this wink could only be cast at a blind man.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a piece of canvas. The carved wooden pieces inside the canvas were still purple; each piece had been personally carved by A’li from an ancestral tablet. A’li then personally carved the patterns, placed them inside the cloth, and sewed it shut. Its only issue was that it wasn’t as convenient to use as the demon-expelling whip, but without a doubt, the canvas had always been the strongest artifact in his possession for harming evil spirits.

Li Zhuiyuan covered the book with the canvas.

“Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…”

In an instant, it was as if water had been poured into a boiling oil pot, and his nose caught the smell of burning smoke.

“Sigh…”

Li Zhuiyuan sighed. He didn’t know when he’d see A’li again, and if this thing broke, there was no way to repair it. Soon, the young man realized this line of thinking was wrong; A’li wasn’t his tool. So, he quickly corrected himself internally: *A’li isn’t by my side. This is something A’li left with me as a memento. If it breaks, how will I look at it and remember her?* This line of thinking was clearly much more appropriate. Li Zhuiyuan enjoyed this feeling, because only when A’li was involved would his inner thoughts become more active, no longer solely weighing pros and cons and motives.

The “sizzling” sound gradually subsided, and he didn’t know if the canvas had been burnt through or if it had finally suppressed the thing. Li Zhuiyuan bent down and cautiously reached out to feel along the edge. Close call, it hadn’t burned through, but the canvas had become very thin, meaning most of the purple carved wood inside had turned black. Fortunately, the book was indeed suppressed. Li Zhuiyuan took out the purple demon-expelling whip. He first wrapped the book with the canvas, then bound it tightly with the whip, tying a dead knot.

After doing all this, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes and looked at the cloth-wrapped package held by the leather whip in his hand. He absolutely couldn’t let Grandma Liu see this, couldn’t let her know that the ancestors of both the Qin and Liu families were used by him as book covers. Even at this stage, the young man still felt it wasn’t safe enough. Unlike the copper coin, which acted unconsciously, this thing had its own consciousness. Earlier, when he called for it, it had actively “surrendered.” Therefore, burying it in a pit wasn’t suitable. If it ever got out, after he had tormented it like that, it might well find a new body to seek revenge. He still had to take it back to the dorm and watch it himself.

He took out a talisman he had drawn, pasted it onto the package. The talisman didn’t change color and remained stable.

“Brother Binbin, do you still have talismans?”“Yes, my bag is full of them.”“You can open your eyes now.” With that, Li Zhuiyuan tossed the cloth package to Tan Wenbin, “Cover it with talismans.”“Got it!”

In just that short time, Zhao Junfeng’s body had already turned into pus, and the raging fire in the General’s Temple below was destined to burn everything to ashes. This saved them the trouble of post-incident cleanup. If it was just a missing persons case or an arson case, it wouldn’t alert people like Yu Shu. Li Zhuiyuan didn’t really want to deal with them now, because if he kept engaging, he might easily run into Li Lan. He had his own path to follow, just like now, with his own team, his trusted companions—though the most trusted one was absent today due to illness.

“Pack up, let’s head back to school.”

General Mountain was quite remote, and taxis were almost nonexistent at night. For safety, the three purposely walked a considerable distance away from the area before finding a private car and paying the driver to take them to school. It was still dark when they entered the school. Fearing they might leave an impression on the security guards at the main gate, the three didn’t use the entrance but chose to climb over the wall instead.

Walking along the chilly, tree-lined path on campus, Tan Wenbin self-mockingly said, “The car fare was so expensive today. If we didn’t have money, we really couldn’t exorcise demons or uphold justice.”Yin Meng said, “After school starts, the shop will make money. Once we save up more, we can buy our own delivery car, which will make things easier later. Prices in Jinling are really high.”Tan Wenbin: “Right? Our little Nantong is better.”Yin Meng: “Prices are similar to Jinling, but wages are even lower.”

Tan Wenbin coughed twice and changed the subject: “Anyway, Little Yuan Ge, do we really need to be this cautious, even climbing over the wall to get in? Even if the school finds out Wu Xinhui and the other two are missing, they wouldn’t suspect us, right?”“It’s five.”