Chapter 88

Lin Shuyou likely intended to let out a sneer. He felt the young man before him was mocking him, but his laugh turned into a cough due to his injuries, and he spat out two more mouthfuls of blood.

Runsheng picked up the Yellow River Shovel and walked over, swinging the shovel head near the back of Lin Shuyou's head, mimicking a golf swing from a Hong Kong TV drama. He was just waiting for Xiaoyuan's command, ready to smash the man's head with a shovel and then find a pit to bury him.

Li Zhuiyuan shifted his gaze to Tan Wenbin: "Binbin, take him to the basement of the shop first."

"Alright!" Tan Wenbin jogged over, bent down, and carefully hoisted Lin Shuyou onto his back.

Runsheng: "Xiaoyuan, let's go to the basement to deal with the body."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "Let's talk first."

Runsheng didn't understand but nodded in compliance.

Li Zhuiyuan was about to turn and follow him into the shop, but he paused and explained: "Brother Runsheng, our goal is to eliminate danger, but physical elimination isn't the only way to do it. With a clear objective, there can be various methods."

"Oh." Runsheng scratched his head with a simple smile. He was quite surprised that Xiaoyuan would specifically explain something to him; the old Xiaoyuan wouldn't have wasted time like that.

Xue Liangliang would never have dreamed that the shop he gave to everyone now resembled a bandit stronghold located within the campus. Especially the shop's basement, it was an excellent place for kidnapping and detention.

After carrying the man into the shop, Tan Wenbin first grabbed several drinks from the shelves before heading to the basement. He placed the man on Runsheng's bed. The little black dog came out of its cage, circled the bed once, and then returned to its cage.

Tan Wenbin opened a bottle of soda and offered it to Lin Shuyou: "Here, have something sweet." He had noticed that Xiaoyuan always drank beverages after a fight, which was why he specifically brought them.

Lin Shuyou pressed his lips together, not speaking.

"You're not drinking?"

"Cough, cough... It's carbonated."

"Oh, sorry." Tan Wenbin took a sip himself, burped, then opened another milk-flavored drink, inserted a straw, and offered it to Lin Shuyou. Lin Shuyou took the straw and drank in small sips. Sugary water was inherently a highly cost-effective "tonic."

After Lin Shuyou finished a bottle, Tan Wenbin asked, "Want more?"

"No, thank you."

"Don't be shy, there's more if you want."

Lin Shuyou looked at Tan Wenbin suspiciously: "Are you taking care of me?"

Tan Wenbin shrugged: "Just returning the favor for you taking care of my little brother earlier." Earlier, that shovel strike from the White Crane Disciple, just a few more centimeters forward, and his little brother would surely have been gone. Tan Wenbin could tell that those few missing centimeters weren't due to his own luck but because the other party had deliberately held back. Even during the subsequent fight, the White Crane Disciple clearly didn't apply the same level of force to him as he did to Runsheng and Yin Meng; otherwise, Tan Wenbin wouldn't be able to bounce back like this.

"So, he recognized me a long time ago."

"Brother Xiaoyuan is smart; you'll get used to it."

"How do you plan to deal with me?"

"Since we brought you here, Brother Xiaoyuan definitely intends to talk with you. If there's any misunderstanding... you'd better start by getting your attitude straight."

"What if I don't?"

"Then when Runsheng buries you, I'll add a bit more dirt on top."

"Hehe..."

"Cut the act, you're fooling no one."

Lin Shuyou: "..."

"Yes, just maintain that expression. At this point, don't even think about putting on airs."

"He raises ghosts..."

"So what if he does?"

"This is an evil path..."

"Do you have any last wishes? If I can help, I will."

"Tell my master for me that I died trying to eliminate..."

"Next one. How could we possibly inform your master? Kill a small one, then attract an old one? Don't worry, Brother Xiaoyuan will definitely arrange a very normal cause of death for you, or attribute your death to someone else. Even if your master and his people come looking, they'll probably have to ask us for help to avenge you. They'll even thank us."

"I already informed my master about what happened here."

"Liar." Tan Wenbin sighed. "If you really told him, you wouldn't be saying it now, would you? Isn't this just a warning for us to prepare?"

"You..."

Tan Wenbin looked down at Lin Shuyou's left calf, which was swollen and bleeding continuously.

"A-You, if you don't treat this leg, it'll be crippled, won't it?"

"Mm..."

"Listen to me, if Brother Xiaoyuan didn't want to give you a chance, he wouldn't have made me carry you here, nor would he have let me be alone with you for a while to work on your mindset. He probably also saw that you went easy on me below the belt."

Just then, footsteps were heard outside. Tan Wenbin moved away from the bed, picked up a soda, and started drinking.

Li Zhuiyuan pushed the door open and walked in, sitting on the chair opposite the bed. The young man also held a can of Jianlibao, drinking silently. A period of silence settled in the room.

Finally, Lin Shuyou broke the silence: "What do you want to ask me?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "Actually, there's nothing I particularly want to ask you."

"You don't want to ask anything... and you brought me here?"

"I just wanted to observe if you're still harmful. And also, to take a closer look at the side effects of spirit possession."

"Side effects? Don't you also perform spirit possession?"

"I don't. I was just faking it."

"How is that possible?"

"Nothing's impossible. Your level as a spirit medium is too low; you can only summon a guiding child spirit. I knew I could easily fool you by pretending."

Upon hearing this, Lin Shuyou's chest began to heave, and blood continuously seeped from the corner of his mouth. Anyone whose pride was dismissed so lightly would be furious. What was even more infuriating was that the other person didn't seem to be showing off at all, merely stating facts.

Different regions and factions had their own spirit-summoning techniques, with varying names and targets. The spirit tablets in A-Li's memory were actually a form of spirit-summoning technique used by both the Qin and Liu families, and they were of a very high caliber. They could have protected A-Li, but due to special circumstances, all their spiritual power was lost. Li Zhuiyuan had known for a long time that he had difficulty summoning spirits.

"You... why do you keep ghosts?"

"For guarding the door."

"Keeping ghosts harms natural harmony; it's a practice of evil ways."

"Oh, alright, I'll just release her in a bit and let her play with a few university students until they die."

"I... I didn't mean that."

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Tan Wenbin, then lowered his head to drink his beverage.

Tan Wenbin said, "You and Lu Yi are roommates. To be honest with you, those high heels initially targeted Lu Yi. If Brother Xiaoyuan and I hadn't happened to intervene, it's hard to say what state Lu Yi would be in now."

Upon hearing this explanation, Lin Shuyou's gaze softened. Clearly, he had a very good relationship with his senior roommate, the second-year student from the Northeast.

"But you... shouldn't use ghosts to do things."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't answer.

Tan Wenbin continued, "Brother Xiaoyuan has made a pact with her. Before we leave campus, we will help her find her remains and offer salvation."

"But, no matter what... controlling ghosts is wrong." Lin Shuyou's voice was already very faint.

"See, you broke into our dorm tonight, and the high heels came in handy, didn't they? Besides, we've been quite busy lately and haven't had time to offer her salvation." Tan Wenbin deliberately twisted the logic and continued: "By the way, why were you there that night? My dad almost shot you dead."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah, didn't you know?"

"No."

"Damn, if you knew, would you have come for me first to get revenge?"

"I just couldn't be bothered to stay and be interrogated. As a police officer, it was his right to shoot me. Why would I seek revenge on you?"

"Uh..." Tan Wenbin smacked his lips. "Why are you answering so straightforwardly? I don't have a gold star to give you."

"I heard about that case from Lu Yi, my senior, in the dorm, so I thought I'd go to the crime scene that night to take a look."

"You've got too much time on your hands." Tan Wenbin glared at him dismissively.

"Your dad... his aim is pretty good."

"Actually, my dad's whip technique is even more impressive, and his leg work is extraordinary. Have you heard of the Tan Family's Thirty-Six Springing Kicks?"

"I've heard much about it..."

"Heh, I personally taught him those moves."

Li Zhuiyuan observed Lin Shuyou's micro-expressions. Although his face paint hadn't been removed, it was still clear that he wasn't lying. Actually, given Li Zhuiyuan's usual methods, he should have buried this guy long ago. But the problem was, firstly, he hadn't actively ambushed him and Tan Yunlong that night; secondly, he had entered their dorm empty-handed tonight; and thirdly, during the fight, he had clearly held back against Tan Wenbin. If Li Zhuiyuan hadn't set up the ambush, forcing Lin Shuyou into a spirit possession that made him lose absolute control, Lin Shuyou would likely have intended to capture him and interrogate him in a similar location.

If it could be confirmed that this guy was just an upright young man, then keeping him... would be better than burying him. It would be like adding another layer of "justice insurance" on the same floor. Moreover, in the future, when encountering certain situations, he could be prompted to act under the pretense of "harming humanity and eradicating evil to protect the righteous path." His great-grandfather, for instance, particularly liked stubborn mules like that.

However, Li Zhuiyuan had no intention of recruiting him into his group, because Lin Shuyou had too much integrity. Unlike Runsheng, who completely revolved around him, or Tan Wenbin, who had flexible moral boundaries. As for Yin Meng, she could be considered to have joined the team with "capital" due to Yin Fuhai. Mentally, Yin Meng was of the "marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog" mindset. It wasn't a marital state, but rather that she considered herself the new head of the Yin family. In short, Li Zhuiyuan didn't like having someone too principled inserted into his team.

Unbeknownst to Lin Shuyou, who was still distracted by Tan Wenbin's rambling, the young man sitting opposite him had already assigned him the role of a mere tool.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at Tan Wenbin again, who immediately changed the subject: "By the way, where exactly are you from?"

"Huzhou."

"Oh, Zhejiang."

Li Zhuiyuan prompted: "Fuzhou?"

Lin Shuyou: "Yes, Fuzhou."

Tan Wenbin: "So, who taught you your skills?"

"My maternal grandfather and my master..." At this prompt, Lin Shuyou finally understood what to do. He looked at Li Zhuiyuan with a serious expression, and though still panting, he spoke as coherently as possible: "Three incense sticks on the head, a temple built on Shizhu Peak, an altar at Longjiang Estuary, gazing at clouds and wind. May I ask, honored sir, which pier do you belong to?"

Tan Wenbin: "Huh, how did you know we were corpse salvagers?"

Lin Shuyou: "I recognized the Yellow River Shovel."

Li Zhuiyuan remained seated and replied: "The Liu Family of the River."

Lin Shuyou asked in shock: "Dragon King Liu?"

"Mm."

"You worship the Dragon King?"

Li Zhuiyuan pondered for a moment. Previously, it was normal to say he worshipped the Dragon King, but now that he was about to formally enter the sect, it wasn't appropriate. This was because, like at the Ding family banquet in Shancheng last time, those nominally affiliated with the Liu family could also claim to worship the Dragon King.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I'm from the inner circle."

Ignoring his injuries, Lin Shuyou propped himself up on the bed, looking at Li Zhuiyuan: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Why didn't you ask earlier?"

"I... when I was little, my maternal grandfather told me stories about the Dragon King Liu family. My grandfather greatly admired and respected the Liu family. So, you, you really aren't lying to me?"

"What would I gain by lying to someone I could bury anytime?"

Enduring the severe pain, Lin Shuyou placed his hands in front of him and began to bow. Seeing this, Li Zhuiyuan also had to stand up and formally return the bow.

"Phew..." After the ritual was complete, Lin Shuyou lay on the bed, for a moment taking in less air than he exhaled. Tan Wenbin quickly propped him up with a quilt, then rubbed his chest, finally helping him catch his breath.

"What are you doing? Trying to kill yourself and blame us? Looking for a staged accident?"

"Ritual... cannot be abandoned."

Tan Wenbin immediately felt a headache coming on. He couldn't help but sneak a glance at Xiaoyuan standing nearby. If it weren't inappropriate, he would truly want to advise Brother Xiaoyuan never to take in someone like this; this guy was truly rigid in his beliefs.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Lin Shuyou, has the misunderstanding between us been resolved?"

"Even if you are from the Liu family, you still shouldn't control ghosts. At most... at most, I'll pretend not to see it in the future, but don't let it happen again."

Tan Wenbin wanted to give him a sharp flick on the head, but considering his current condition, he was genuinely afraid of accidentally killing him. So he just pointed at him and cursed: "I'm telling you, why is your ego so big?"

"I've already violated my principles..."

"So, should we thank you for it?"

Li Zhuiyuan said, "Binbin, take him to the infirmary."

"Alright, good. I'll just say he was so engrossed peeking into the girls' dorms from the balcony that he fell."

"You..."

"Shut up."

Tan Wenbin hoisted Lin Shuyou onto his back and carried him away.

Li Zhuiyuan returned to the shop upstairs. Runsheng was sitting on a stool, shirtless, while Yin Meng was applying medicine to his back.

"Brother Runsheng, how are your injuries?"

"Just superficial wounds, nothing serious."

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Yin Meng: "And you?"

"Mine are also superficial, I'm fine. Brother Xiaoyuan, you should go back to your dorm and rest."

"Okay." Li Zhuiyuan picked up the bag containing the high heels and left the shop.

Yin Meng sighed with relief: "Honestly, I was a little unaccustomed to it just now. He showed concern for me, and I felt a bit flustered."

"It's good. It's getting late, we should soon..." Runsheng responded simply, putting on his clothes. "Let's take inventory soon."

Upon returning to the dorm, Li Zhuiyuan placed the high heels on his desk and gently patted the top of the shoes. The girl's figure emerged, kneeling and trembling, clearly not yet recovered from the awe-inspiring presence of the Marshal. She was an evil spirit; when illuminated by the vertical pupils of the White Crane Disciple, it was like encountering a natural predator.

Li Zhuiyuan lit a candle, then held a piece of yellow paper between his fingertips, lit it, and offered it to the girl. The girl remained unresponsive. Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to reach out again, open her mouth, and stuff the yellow paper in. The girl's scattered consciousness finally began to recover.

Li Zhuiyuan took out his compass and pointed. The girl shook her head; she couldn't inhabit anything other than the high heels. Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand. The girl's figure vanished, and the high heels trembled slightly, indicating her return.

This evil spirit was too stupid. Yu Shu entering the dorm last time, and Lin Shuyou's incident this time, forced Li Zhuiyuan to reconsider the necessity of having this thing guard the house. He didn't have the righteous aversion to ghost-keeping; he found this thing quite useful. It was just that the high heels' utility was clearly somewhat limited. Keeping such a stupid and weak evil spirit was clearly not cost-effective and made him prone to exposure. But the problem was, how easy was it to subdue powerful evil spirits? Even if suppressed, he wouldn't dare keep them at home.

Looking around the dorm, Li Zhuiyuan felt he shouldn't be lazy anymore. He might as well draw up a design to set up a complete formation throughout the entire dorm. As for the high heels, he would find time later to locate her remains and offer her salvation.

Li Zhuiyuan formed hand seals, reapplying the seal he had previously removed. Then he picked up the high heels and placed them back under the windowsill. His gaze fell upon the spherical object in the corner, thoroughly wrapped in talismans. Inside, suppressed, was the evil book.

Li Zhuiyuan picked it up, walked back to his desk, placed the new canvas A-Li had made for him nearby, then reached out to remove the talismans, unbound the demon-expelling whip wrapped around it, and finally, opened the thin layer of old canvas. If not for having things to deal with for two consecutive nights, Li Zhuiyuan would have looked at it much sooner. Now, with dawn not far off, he couldn't be bothered to sleep; primarily, he was genuinely impatient.

However, although the book still had a white cover and black pages, it was noticeably wrinkled, like the folds on a centenarian's face, exuding a fresh sense of ancient vicissitude. As if it had been crudely aged on purpose. Reaching out to touch the thin, old book cover, he could still feel a warmth. This meant that the canvas's effect had always been there, and the evil book was still resisting, albeit extremely weakly. For the first time, Li Zhuiyuan marveled at a book's tenacious vitality.

He turned to the first page—blank. The second page—still blank. He continued flipping, and all pages were blank. "Blank" was merely a descriptive term for its content; in reality, every page was brittle, yellowed, and rough. Even the coarse paper kept in rural outhouses would feel smooth in comparison.

Now, he encountered an awkward problem. If he wanted to minimize the danger and remain unaffected, he had to suppress it with the canvas. But when its risk factor decreased, its activity also decreased. This book was truly difficult to handle. Li Zhuiyuan felt a bit helpless. He could only continue suppressing it for now and later find a way to study it that served both purposes.

But just as he reached out to close the book, crooked characters appeared on the blank page before him. They were very weak and feeble, like an old person on their deathbed, holding a brush and making a final struggle. The book was trying to prove its own worth. The crooked line of text read: "The Twelve Edicts of Fengdu."

Li Zhuiyuan understood. He had just used the Yin family's Twelve Arts to re-seal the high heels, and there must still be faint traces of that energy lingering in the dorm. The book sensed it and then, like presenting a treasure, displayed it to him. He had always thought the name of the Yin family's inherited secret art felt off. So it was originally supposed to be called "The Twelve Edicts of Fengdu." That name fit perfectly, but it was no wonder later generations changed it. When a family lacked the power, it was better not to display such a high-sounding name.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but ponder deeply. He realized that what he had reverse-engineered was a version from the Yin family's ancestors, possibly not the one originally created by Yin Changsheng. Under the name of "Edicts," combined with the unique environment of Fengdu Ghost City, what a grand spectacle that must have been. This proved that "The Yin Family's Twelve Arts" still held immense potential for him to further study and refine. This information was of immense value, equivalent to being "given" a new secret manual.

Li Zhuiyuan asked the book: "Who are you?"

Crooked characters reappeared on the page: "Evil Book."

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze darkened. It certainly wasn't called that, but it was deliberately trying to please him. It was currently in a weakened state, but it was like a hibernating viper, ready to turn on him and bite at any moment.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a brush from his pen holder. He was too lazy to grind ink, so he used bottled ink directly. After dipping the brush, he lifted it and wrote a passage on a blank page. After Li Zhuiyuan stopped writing, the text was absorbed, then reappeared: "The Liu Clan's Qi-Sensing Art."

"You truly are an encyclopedia." But the biggest problem with this book was that if he dared to treat it as an encyclopedia, it would dig traps for him once it gained his trust. Li Zhuiyuan had long suspected that the Mao family father and son's method for refining the Yin-Yang Companion Life-Death Reversal was inherently flawed.

"What do you want?"

Another line of crooked characters appeared on the page: "A good bird chooses its tree to nest."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, then closed the book. Immediately, he wrapped it in new canvas, bound it with the demon-expelling whip, and finally covered it completely with talismans. The entire process was done in one smooth motion, without any hesitation. A mere book dared to play mind games with him. But it wasn't useless. In the future, if he found any fragmented ancient texts, he could deduce information through it, provided he carefully distinguished.

After tidying his desk, dawn was breaking. Tan Wenbin hadn't returned yet, likely still staying with Lin Shuyou at the infirmary. Li Zhuiyuan put "The Liu Clan's Qi-Sensing Art" into his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the dorm.

At the stairwell, he coincidentally saw Lu Yi, also with a backpack, eating two steamed buns held in his left hand and a large cup of freshly drawn hot water in his right.

"Oh, Brother Prodigy, here." Lu Yi enthusiastically offered one of his steamed buns.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head: "I'm going out to eat something good."

"Oh, I see. Then I shouldn't fill my stomach for nothing." Lu Yi retracted his hand, took another bite, then blew on the rim of his cup, carefully sipping. "Brother Prodigy, I got up this early because the family I tutor in the morning lives quite far. Why are you up so early?"

"Tutoring."

Li Zhuiyuan arrived earlier than usual today. Aunt Liu hadn't prepared breakfast yet, and Liu Yumei was sitting in the living room, helping A-Li comb her hair. Normally, a girl's grooming was a private matter, but Liu Yumei didn't avoid the young man. Instead, she said: "If you want to watch, come closer."

Li Zhuiyuan stepped closer. A-Li sat there gracefully, her eyes on Li Zhuiyuan, and the young man looked back at her. The girl extended her hand and tapped in front of her. Li Zhuiyuan understood and began playing chess with her. Liu Yumei smiled. This was her first time participating closely in her granddaughter's game, and she could feel A-Li's joy at that moment. Glancing at the "game" they were playing, she couldn't help but sigh with emotion: other girls were easily deceived when young, naive, and inexperienced, but her own A-Li was the opposite. With just this kind of game, even when A-Li grew up, it would be hard for her to find someone who could play with her. This young man was probably the same. The old lady had always disliked the notion of childhood sweethearts because she herself wasn't one, but now, she had to re-evaluate it. Having tasted the best and seen the most beautiful scenery too early, anything else later on would easily seem bland and uninteresting.

Her hair was done. Liu Yumei picked up an accessory and helped A-Li put it on. Then she withdrew her hands, leaned back slightly, and admired her granddaughter, who was also her work of art. She felt pity for the child's illness but had never harbored any resentment or dissatisfaction about having such a granddaughter, because A-Li had already given her immense joy and contentment.

"Breakfast is ready." Everyone took their seats. Breakfast was still exquisite and abundant.

Liu Yumei put down her chopsticks early, and while wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, she said, "Xiaoyuan, come to the study after you've finished eating."

"Okay, Grandma."

A-Li looked up and glanced at Liu Yumei. Liu Yumei's old face flushed slightly, she stood up and walked into the study.

After eating, Li Zhuiyuan first escorted A-Li upstairs, then came back down and entered the study. This time, Liu Yumei wasn't sitting upright like a strict teacher awaiting a student. Instead, she was lying on her side on the divan, gently fanning herself with a cattail leaf fan.

Li Zhuiyuan sat down, opened his backpack, and took out the book. At that moment, he noticed three items on the coffee table. On the far left was a piece of paper with handwriting as illegible as ghost scratchings, but Li Zhuiyuan immediately recognized it as the opening sentence of the first volume of "The Liu Clan's Qi-Sensing Art" in the "book thief" version, written in a scrawling hand. The old lady was truly remarkable; she had also figured out this method of inscription. Indeed, for her, it might have just been a matter of a thin barrier; once understood, it became clear. In the middle, there was blank paper and a writing brush. To the right, similar to how "The Liu Clan's Qi-Sensing Art" was previously placed casually, lay a copy of "The Qin Clan's Dragon-Observation Method." Li Zhuiyuan somewhat understood the old lady's intention.

"Xiaoyuan, Grandma isn't as young as I used to be. After eating, I need to digest first. If there's anything you don't understand, just write it down."

"Okay, Grandma."

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the brush and began writing the second volume in the crude style. As he wrote, he said, "Grandma, Runsheng is in good health; it would be a shame if he didn't practice some martial arts."

"Your Uncle Qin will be back the day after tomorrow; let him teach Runsheng."

"Grandma, there's a volume in the Qi-Sensing Art that I don't quite understand. It seems to talk about 'qi' having a tangible form, and colors and flavors clashing. What exactly does that refer to?"

"The human body inherently forms its own cosmic circulation. Each person's body is a manifestation of 'qi.' This is the art of healing, also known as the art of poison."

"Yin Meng, on the other hand, is quite suited to learn this." Medical skills were useful. It wasn't convenient to send people to the infirmary every time, and modern medicine truly had no way to treat many special injuries. As for the art of poison, it was truly well-suited for Yin Meng. She definitely had a talent for it; she could achieve a poisoning effect simply by cooking normally.

"Just have Aunt Liu teach her."

"Grandma, what should Tan Wenbin be taught?" This was a genuine question from Li Zhuiyuan; he hoped Liu Yumei could offer advice from her perspective as an experienced elder.

"Let him learn whatever he wants. You always need someone to shout commands at the bow of your boat. The fact that he can amuse your great-grandfather is a skill in itself. Don't let your great-grandfather's constant cheerfulness fool you; he's quite discerning when it comes to people. Besides, you, young man, are actually even more discerning than your great-grandfather."

"Shout commands?"

"Don't misunderstand; that's not just a gatekeeper. Regardless of whether I want to urge you or not, with your ambition, you are destined to navigate the river in the future. If you're navigating the river, then naturally you need someone at the bow to shout commands, to manage all sorts of spirits and entities both on and beneath the river for you. The Dragon King doesn't easily change locations, so wherever he goes, it's as good as presenting the Dragon King's authority. Tell him to come and sit with me whenever he's free in the future. I'll personally tell him about the old ways, since you, young man, are too lazy to listen to this old woman's rambling."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"However, there's one condition: once you formally join, they must perform a bowing ritual to you. Only then can they learn the Qin and Liu families' arts, and later, when they go out, they can also say they worship the Dragon King of the Qin and Liu families."

"Bowing ritual..."

"In the past, rules were strict. Worshipping the Dragon King was like selling oneself into servitude; those who dared to defy would be chained and drowned in the river. I don't know if other families still uphold this, but I personally think these are old traditions. This bowing ritual, you can just treat it like becoming sworn brothers; it's just a formality."

"Okay, Grandma. The second volume is written."

"Just write this much for now. I'll take a look when I have time."

"Thank you for your trouble, Grandma."

Li Zhuiyuan understood what Liu Yumei intended to do. For the sake of tradition, she had to retranslate the concepts into common language. So, when he returned, he might as well finish writing all the remaining volumes.

Putting down the brush, Li Zhuiyuan naturally picked up "The Qin Clan's Dragon-Observation Method" and placed it in his backpack. Liu Yumei's lips curved into a smile.

"Grandma, I'm going upstairs to find A-Li."

"Go ahead."

Li Zhuiyuan left the study. Previously, it wasn't exactly a transaction. Liu Yumei had promised that she would agree to any request he made. However, even when a child asks their parents for a toy, there's a certain attitude and strategy involved. Agreeing to something and actively helping to make it happen are two different concepts. The old lady was actually quite easy to appease; she just liked to save face.

Meanwhile, let's turn our attention to another scene.

Tan Wenbin obtained a sick leave slip from the infirmary and sought leave from his instructor. He was also specially approved to stay as a caregiver. Tan Wenbin was quite happy with the leisure, so he grabbed a textbook from his dorm and headed back to the infirmary. Lin Shuyou was on an IV drip, sleeping, while Tan Wenbin sat by the bedside, reading.

Just then, two girls carrying drawing boards walked past the infirmary window, chatting and laughing. One girl wore a white dress, the other a blue one, and both were tall and slender. Tan Wenbin briefly averted his attention from his book and looked at them: "These are the artistic senior girls from university." After they walked past the room, Tan Wenbin lowered his head. The eye candy session was over, and he continued reading.

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and turned his head to look at the adjacent bed. He found that Lin Shuyou, who had been sleeping, was now awake.

"You rascal, so badly injured and you still have the mind to look at pretty girls? Hurry up and recover so you can chase after them yourself..." Tan Wenbin's words caught in his throat as he was astonished to see that Lin Shuyou's eyes were now... vertically slitted pupils!