Chapter 1665 - 303

A family graveyard, if it really were just a place to bury departed ancestors, that'd be one thing. But among those few old undeads of the Zhao family, aside from the one in the treasury, the rest are basically all lying in the ancestral tombs.

Even if Li Zhiyuan didn't bring it up, once they got to the Zhao family estate and finished counting the treasury, Zhao Yi would still find a way to invite that Li guy to stroll around his family graves, ideally getting him to personally stick incense in and pay respects.

Young Master Zhao was absolutely going to pull this "open the door and welcome the thief in" stunt!

"Li, you called me over—there's no way it's just for this, right?"

"Mm." Li Zhiyuan took a step back and pointed at the crisscrossing ink bucket lines that intersected all over Run Sheng's body. "Use the Gate of Life and Death's seam to take a look for me."

Zhao Yi stepped forward and looked at Run Sheng, his gaze tightening slightly.

He didn't believe Li just wanted him to look at ink marks. Very quickly, from the gradations in the ink's depth and the faint specks scattered to either side, he picked out a deeper pattern and the real intent.

Zhao Yi lifted his head, speaking in disbelief:

"Li, are you planning to excavate the Grand Canal on Run Sheng's body?"

Li Zhiyuan: "That was literally my major in college."

Zhao Yi: "You bullying me for never having gone to university?"

Li Zhiyuan reached out and patted Run Sheng's arm. "Brother Runsheng, you can get up now and wash the ink off."

"Okay."

Run Sheng got off the table. A group of old ladies were playing cards at a table in the courtyard, so instead of going to the well to fetch water, he went straight down into the little river beside the house.

Li Zhiyuan went to the well, pressed the pump to draw water. There were clumps of hardened detergent residue on the rim; once his hands were wet he could grab a bit and use it to scrub.

Zhao Yi followed him out, bent down, and lowered his voice:

"I don't buy that you can't think of a safer way to deal with what's on Run Sheng. From what I saw, the issues on Ah You and Zhuangzhuang have already been handled really well by you, haven't they?"

Li Zhiyuan flicked the water off his hands. "The risk is indeed huge, that's exactly why I asked you to come take a look."

Zhao Yi: "We're already beyond 'pretty big problem'. Just from a rough glance, I've already spotted thirty‑six death acupoints."

Li Zhiyuan: "Thirty‑six, huh?"

Zhao Yi: "What, you starting to get scared now?"

Li Zhiyuan: "I counted forty‑two."

Zhao Yi: "I only skimmed it."

Li Zhiyuan: "You've already memorized the ink marks in your head, so I need you to put in a bit of work: do a full sorting, and the death points you find have to be more than forty‑two at minimum. Then put together a set of solutions and get it to me as soon as possible."

Zhao Yi: "Hey, hey, hey, we're not even pretending to be discreet anymore, huh? You really taking me for that 'off‑the‑books captain' Tan Wenbin keeps talking about?"

As he straightened up, Li Zhiyuan nodded. "You don't count as one of us?"

Zhao Yi pressed his lips together. "Li, you're treating me the same way you treated that guy under the Peach Forest."

Yet the moment he heard himself say that, Zhao Yi actually felt pretty good inside—comfortably so, with a faint, floaty lightness.

Li Zhiyuan: "Time's tight. Hurry up. Once Run Sheng's problem is dealt with, I still have to head back to Jinling."

Zhao Yi: "Some big event about to happen in Jinling?"

Li Zhiyuan: "Me, Brother Binbin, and Ah You have to go back to campus for our final exams."

Zhao Yi's mouth twitched. "Yeah, that really is earth‑shattering."

He paused for a beat, then asked again: "Li, are you planning to do the carving yourself?"

Li Zhiyuan shook his head. "No. My carving skills aren't there."

Zhao Yi: "Didn't think there was anything you couldn't do."

Li Zhiyuan: "Time and energy are limited. Who can possibly learn everything and learn it well? 'Barely enough to use' is fine."

Zhao Yi: "Then I'm curious—who are you planning to get to do the carving? This carving isn't just on the body; it has to reach his soul. Even if your plan has all the death points identified and resolved on paper, when it comes down to actual work, you wouldn't even need shaking hands—just one little lapse in focus, and Run Sheng's soul will shatter and he'll drop dead on the spot."

Li Zhiyuan: "You'll know when the time comes."

Zhao Yi: "I genuinely don't get it—how can your people be so devoted to you when you're this ruthless toward them?"

Li Zhiyuan: "This wasn't how I planned to do it at first."

Zhao Yi: "Mm‑hmm?"

Li Zhiyuan: "After Brother Runsheng came back from Fengdu, he started talking a lot less."

Hearing that, Zhao Yi froze for a moment.

By the time he snapped out of it, the boy had already gone back inside and up the stairs.

Zhao Yi rubbed his own chin, then turned and walked out.

He happened to run right into Run Sheng, who had just finished bathing in the river and come up, dripping wet, leaving a footprint with each step.

Zhao Yi: "Thanks for last time—you saved both of them."

Run Sheng: "I'll pay you back now."

Zhao Yi: "I will."

Back at Big Beard's house, Xiao Yingying was sitting in the courtyard working on paper crafts.

Zhao Yi squatted down beside her, grabbed some materials on the spot, his fingertips moving quickly. A paperman started taking shape.

Xiao Yingying stopped what she was doing and watched closely.

A very tall paperman Puppet was "pinched" into existence by Zhao Yi. Even without any coloring or shading, its sheer size alone gave Xiao Yingying a sense of déjà vu.

Zhao Yi: "Want to learn?"

Xiao Yingying: "I can't learn this."

Zhao Yi stood up, hefted the "blank‑sheet Run Sheng" onto his shoulder, took it inside and upstairs to the room that had been arranged for him.

He set the paperman down in front of him, spread clean paper out, and, brush in hand, began tracing lines on the paperman's body while simultaneously making notes on the paper.

Old Tian came in carrying a plate of sliced fruit, toothpicks stuck in each piece.

"Young Master, have some fruit."

"Just leave it there."

"Young Master, what are you working on?"

"Humoring that Li lunatic—doing something that's practically impossible to pull off."

"Heh‑heh, Young Master, you say that, but in my eyes, when you and that one join forces, it's like there's nothing in this world you two can't do."