Chapter 178

At dawn, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes.

There were few things in this world more pleasant than waking up after a good night’s sleep.

If there was one, it was opening your eyes, then turning your head after waking.

The morning sun had not yet risen, but a strand of warm light had already entered his bedroom first.

Ah Li had not disturbed the boy’s sleep. She stood before the painting desk, painting.

Today, the girl wore a white dress with green patterns, soft and hazy in feel.

Yesterday, she had changed clothes at the last minute because they were going fishing. Today’s outfit was not the same as yesterday’s, but it was of a similar style.

This was how Granny Liu expressed her own particular stubbornness.

Li Zhuiyuan woke up, then continued lying in bed, turned on his side and watched.

As Ah Li dipped her brush, she turned slightly and looked this way.

The girl’s bright eyes met the boy’s.

Li Zhuiyuan felt too embarrassed to keep lazing in bed.

He got up and washed.

Under normal circumstances, the boy would next play chess with the girl and wait for breakfast.

But today there was an accident, and more than one.

Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs.

Two coffins sat on the first floor. Whenever Tan Wenbin and Runsheng came back, those two coffins served as their beds.

At that moment, Runsheng was standing by one coffin, looking at the situation in the next one.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over.

The moment he drew near, he sensed the intense resentment coming from inside the coffin.

It was condensed without dispersing, held back without erupting, like the food cover villagers put over dishes on the table to keep flies off.

Inside, Tan Wenbin’s face was white as if powdered, yet his lips were especially vivid red.

In ordinary circumstances, he would already be ready to be carried out and buried.

Li Zhuiyuan reached into the coffin and lightly tapped Tan Wenbin’s brow a few times with his fingertip. The touch was icy cold.

Then he moved downward and felt for his breathing. It was faint as a thread.

The situation was terrible and serious, but not dangerous.

Because when Li Zhuiyuan touched him, he sensed the trembling presence of two resentful infants.

Like children at home who had made a mistake, cowering in a corner and waiting in fear for their parents’ harsh punishment.

The two resentful infants had likely awakened from their overstuffed, half-digested state.

Last night, while sleeping, Tan Wenbin had sensed their consciousness reviving.

Then he had actively made mental contact with them.

From the perspective of an “old father,” that was perfectly normal. It was like opening the door to welcome your boarding-school sons home, arms spread, wanting to hug them the way you always did.

The problem was that after eating their fill and digesting it, the two resentful infants had grown bigger, and therefore heavier.

But neither they nor Tan Wenbin himself had realized that yet, or rather, they had not sensed it clearly enough.

Tan Wenbin’s decision to make contact with them was like picking them up on purpose and then... throwing his back out hard.

His current state was a kind of suspended death caused by his body being temporarily unable to bear the shock of such dense resentment and ghostly yin energy.

If some other evil thing had influenced him, Tan Wenbin would already be in grave danger. Fortunately, the two resentful infants knew they had caused a disaster and were already desperately restraining their own resentment.

Tan Wenbin only needed to lie there and sleep for a few days. His vital signs would gradually recover.

Though he had not meant to, this still counted as a baptism in resentment for himself.

His two godsons had eaten their fill, and as their godfather, he had gone up and licked the plate too.

After this, once Tan Wenbin woke up, his constitution would lean more toward the yin-spirit type, the sort naturally suited to becoming a blind fortune-teller.

In the future, his sensitivity to evil things, his use of certain techniques, and even the most basic shade-walking would all go more smoothly, since his body would be better suited to it.

So this counted as a blessing in disguise.

Still, no one would dare copy it, because if those two resentful infants had even the slightest stray thought or any other intention, Tan Wenbin would be dead for sure.

Right now, all they needed to do was crook a finger lightly to carry out a Borrowing a Corpse to Return to Life on Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhuiyuan did not interfere.

He could have forcibly stripped the two resentful infants off Tan Wenbin right now to ensure absolute safety.

But he knew Tan Wenbin would never agree. He truly trusted the two godsons he had spent so long with, and he was genuinely good to them.

Every time Li Zhuiyuan read the Evil Book, he did so with extreme caution. In daily life, he tried his best to avoid every possible risk in any reckless act. Yet somehow every one of his teammates was fearless to the point of madness.

Put nicely, they were bold and enterprising, eager to push ahead.

Put less nicely, they were ignorant and fearless, clueless, and beyond caring.

And every single time, he was the one who had to clean up after them.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Runsheng.

Runsheng understood what Little Yuan meant. He turned around, lit incense, and ate it.

“Brother Runsheng, help me find seven candles, then set up a small offering table here by the head of the coffin.”

“Got it!”

Runsheng immediately prepared everything.

Li Zhuiyuan first pressed his fingers into cinnabar paste and drew patterns on the coffin lid, then placed the seven candles in their matching positions.

With a sweep of his arm over the candles, all seven lit themselves.

This was the Seven-Star Soul-Returning Lamp formation.

It would steady Tan Wenbin’s soul and mind and help him wake and recover sooner.

Li Zhuiyuan tapped the coffin lid lightly with his fingertip and said, “Put the lid on. No need to leave him exposed and scare people.”

“Alright.”

Runsheng first carefully pushed at the coffin lid. Once he saw the seven candles on top did not budge, he applied more force and let Tan Wenbin rest in peace and sleep on.

Just then, Li Sanjiang came downstairs yawning, getting ready for breakfast.

Seeing this setup, he asked in confusion, “Why are you lighting so many candles?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Binbin heard of this method. Doing this is like warming up the room. That way, when he moves in a hundred years from now, it’ll be more comfortable.”

Li Sanjiang said, “Where’d that custom come from?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “In the countryside around Jinling, wealthy old folks all do this.”

Li Sanjiang nodded. “Good. Very good.”

Of the two longevity coffins, the one Tan Wenbin slept in belonged to Li Sanjiang, and the one Runsheng slept in belonged to Grandpa Shan.

Li Sanjiang said, “Huh? Where’s Zhuangzhuang?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Brother Zhuangzhuang went to Shigang to see his grandparents. He said he’d stay there a few days. He just left.”

“Oh, that’s only right.” Li Sanjiang lit himself a cigarette, then seemed to remember something and hurriedly said to Runsheng, “Marquis of Runsheng, light candles on your coffin too. Let’s warm Shanpao’s room as well.”

“Alrighty.”

“Marquis of Runsheng, tell me, what kind of man am I, Li Daye? I always remember Shanpao whenever there’s anything good.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

“Knowing me is the greatest blessing Shanpao had in this life.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Li Sanjiang held his cigarette between his fingers and beckoned to Li Zhuiyuan. “Little Yuanhou, come here.”

Li Zhuiyuan followed Li Sanjiang outside.

Runsheng first covered his own coffin as well, then set seven candles on it.

He tried imitating what Little Yuan had just done, sweeping his hand over the seven candles once, then again.

Then he silently took out a box of matches and lit the seven candles one by one.

Next, he brought over a small brazier and fetched some spirit money from the pile in the corner.

At the time, notes from the Bank of Heaven and Earth were still relatively precious and not much used in the countryside, so inflation had not yet set in.

Their denominations were still one hundred, fifty, and ten. There were none of those absurd strings of zeros yet.

Runsheng found a small stool, sat down, and began burning paper money for Zhuangzhuang.

...

Out in the yard, Li Sanjiang said to Li Zhuiyuan, “Little Yuanhou, your Taigong is going to Shigang Town this morning. Do you... do you need anything? I can buy it and bring it back for you.”

“Taigong, I don’t need anything. We have food and drink at home.”

“Oh. Mm.”

Li Sanjiang had originally wanted to take Li Zhuiyuan with him to Shigang Town to try his luck at the prize scratchers. There was an event there this morning.

But after thinking it over, he felt he should not bring a child to do something with a gambling element.

By Li Sanjiang’s creed, money spent on wine and meat that went into your belly was real. Money spent on gambling was no different from burning it.

Still, he really could not hold himself back. He wanted to buy a scratch ticket. In his dream last night, he had dreamt he won one, and he felt that was a good omen, a sign.

Trying your luck with nothing to go on was gambling.

Trying your luck after a clear sign in a dream—that was called stocking up.

Near breakfast time, Uncle Qin came back carrying a hoe.

Back then, when Uncle Qin had left because of what happened in Baijia Town, Taigong had regretted it for a long time, because Uncle Qin was simply too capable.

Even ordinary farming households would not head to the fields that early.

Uncle Qin usually finished the fieldwork in the morning and evening, then spent the middle part of the day making deliveries.

Li Sanjiang liked a beast of burden that knew how to manage its own time this well more than words could say.

Still, in the past, Xiong Shan always came over with Uncle Qin for breakfast every morning.

Since Uncle Qin went to the fields that early, Xiong Shan would have been too embarrassed to sleep in, and did not dare to sleep in either.

But this morning, Xiong Shan was nowhere to be seen.

Uncle Qin said, “Tingting, I’m not eating breakfast. I need to go out for a bit.”

After saying that, Uncle Qin rode off on his bicycle.

Since Liu Yumei lived here, some of her usual pastries, tea, and custom-made clothes all had to be picked up by Uncle Qin or Aunt Liu.

Not long after Uncle Qin left, Xiong Shan came jogging over, as if something had happened.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over and listened as he reported softly:

“Little Yuanhou, something happened to Lin Shuyou.”

“What happened to him?”

“He’s not feeling too well...” After a pause, Xiong Shan added, “My fault.”

Lin Shuyou had originally had a bed here too, also a coffin, but that coffin had just been sold the day before yesterday, so now he had no bed.

Before Yin Meng made a new coffin for him, he had to stay temporarily at Big Beard’s house, sleeping alone in a spacious room with a big bed.

Li Zhuiyuan followed Xiong Shan to Big Beard’s house.

They went upstairs, pushed open the door, and saw Lin Shuyou clutching his stomach and leaning against the bed, cold sweat pouring down his face.

The moment he saw Li Zhuiyuan come in, Lin Shuyou shrank his neck, looking as though he was afraid of being scolded.

Before sleeping last night, he had been sitting downstairs chatting with Xiong Shan, and casually asked him for a few Chenzhou talismans, wanting to stick them on himself and see how effective they were.

He had not been so boldly confident as to think he could improve the Officers of the Command Banner system like Little Yuanhou. He had only wondered whether Chenzhou talismans could be used together with Spirit-writing to increase his fighting power.

He had never expected that once he stuck one on and performed Spirit-writing, the child spirit would descend quickly, then leave just as quickly.

The Chenzhou talisman stuck to his body burned away as well. His whole body jerked upward and downward with a thump, his head spinning, and then for the rest of the night he started vomiting and having diarrhea.

It had nearly drained a strong martial artist like him dry.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to Lin Shuyou and said, “Lie down.”

Lin Shuyou obediently lay down.

Li Zhuiyuan placed his fingers on Lin Shuyou’s brow.

Standing nearby, Xiong Shan whispered, “My learning is too shallow. I checked him several times, but I still couldn’t find any lingering talisman aura.”

Xiong Shan thought the Chenzhou talisman’s effects had gone awry and damaged Lin Shuyou’s body.

Li Zhuiyuan moved his hand from Lin Shuyou’s forehead to his abdomen.

“Does it hurt here?”

“No.”

“Does it hurt here?”

“Yes.”

“Did it start hurting here last night?”

“No. It seems like the pain moved. It was lower down during the night.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Seeing that, Xiong Shan let out a long breath, then instinctively asked, “The talisman’s lingering effect is here?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “No.”

Xiong Shan said, “Then what is it...?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Take him to the town clinic right now.”

Xiong Shan said in surprise, “To the clinic?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Mm. It’s acute appendicitis.”

The trigger, however, was not entirely natural.

First, Chenzhou talismans formed their own system, different from the talismans Li Zhuiyuan had used on Lin Shuyou before.

Second, Lin Shuyou had forgotten that this was not Li Sanjiang’s house but Big Beard’s house. He had actually dared perform Spirit-writing facing the peach grove.

That put White Crane Child in a very awkward position.

Because of Li Zhuiyuan’s previous warning and oath-bound reprimand, White Crane Child neither dared come down nor dared not come down.

So after discovering that Li Zhuiyuan himself was not here and there was no real danger nearby, the child spirit did a “quick down, quick up.”

It came down, then left almost immediately.

That way, Lin Shuyou could not go complain to the boy that it had failed to descend.

That one descent and one ascent, combined with the special effects of the Chenzhou talisman, was equivalent to violently shaking up all of Lin Shuyou’s internal organs.

His body was indeed tough and durable, but it still shook something loose and triggered acute appendicitis.

Xiong Shan carried Lin Shuyou downstairs on his back and ran out the house, hurrying off early in the morning to get Ah You’s appendix cut out.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan return, Aunt Liu called out, “Breakfast!”

Ah Li was already sitting there waiting for him. Li Zhuiyuan sat down beside the girl.

Runsheng came out. He had just deposited more than a hundred thousand for Tan Wenbin in advance down below.

But once he came out, Runsheng looked around. “Where’s Mengmeng?”

In the past, Yin Meng always woke up early every day.

After all, she could not cook, but if she was not on time for eating, it looked bad, especially when the one cooking every day was her own master.

Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze shifted toward the west room, whose doors and windows were all shut tight.

He thought to himself: There’s one more little troublemaker?

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, walked to the west room door, and paused. Seeing Aunt Liu still carrying porridge out, he knew the room was safe and the door could be opened.

In fact, Yin Meng should be safe too.

Back when they lived at Taigong’s house, Aunt Liu and Uncle Qin had already been very cautious, afraid of suffering backlash from Taigong’s good fortune. Now there was also him, a river walker...

And yesterday, when he had spoken to the memorial tablet, Aunt Liu seemed to have been hurt by it.

So now they could only be even more careful.

Unless absolutely necessary, they would not reveal extraordinary methods of dealing with things.

But Aunt Liu definitely would not sit by and watch Yin Meng die under her nose.

Without knocking, Li Zhuiyuan pushed the door open and went straight in.

Inside, Yin Meng was unconscious. Dense rows of jars and bottles filled the space around her so thoroughly that Li Zhuiyuan did not even know where to step for a moment.

Runsheng came to the doorway, but Li Zhuiyuan raised a hand to signal him not to come in yet.

Then Li Zhuiyuan bent down and very carefully put away those bottles of poison.

Only after clearing the space around her did he go to Yin Meng’s side and check her condition. He found it very similar to the last time she had passed out from poisoning.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over to a small basket. Inside were a few antidote bottles, their number, compared with the poison bottles filling the whole room, no more than a drop in the sea.

Yin Meng seemed to enjoy studying poisons and be too lazy to bother with antidotes.

Li Zhuiyuan found the same antidote bottle from last time, the one that induced vomiting, and handed it to Runsheng. He told him to mix it with hot water and feed it to Yin Meng three times a day. He also told Runsheng to make a trip to the clinic and bring Lin Shuyou some clean clothes.

After finishing all this, Li Zhuiyuan left the west room, went to the well, squatted down, picked up a bar of soap, and began washing his hands over and over.

Li Sanjiang asked with concern, “What happened to Menghou?”

“She caught a cold. It’s nothing serious. Runsheng already gave her medicine.”

“Oh. This season really does make it easy to catch a chill.”

Even after washing several times, Li Zhuiyuan still did not feel fully at ease, so he simply went upstairs and took a bath first thing in the morning.

A person like him could have just finished killing a Dead Sinker and still sit down calmly to eat afterward without finding it inauspicious.

But Yin Meng’s poison was different.

After he came back down from bathing, Aunt Liu brought over the porridge after reheating it.

As Li Zhuiyuan took the bowl, he asked, “What’s the downside of cold porridge?”

Aunt Liu smiled. “It won’t kill you, anyway.”

Li Zhuiyuan felt reassured.

Ah Li handed him a salted duck egg she had already peeled.

She had probably had nothing to do while waiting for him earlier, so she had simply peeled the shell off cleanly.

Li Zhuiyuan took a bite and felt both amused and speechless inside.

In a single day, his entire team had nearly wiped itself out.

This was actually inevitable. Their strength and progress had already reached a certain level, and if they wanted rapid improvement in a short time, greater risk was bound to come with it.

Still, he really could not keep letting them fool around like this. Freedom had limits.

He needed to set some rules. They could be allowed to have their own ideas, but before trying anything, they had to report to him first and let him review it.

Good thing they were currently in a lull just after one wave had passed, with nothing pressing for the moment.

As Li Zhuiyuan was eating, he noticed Taigong preparing to head out.

But just as Taigong reached the edge of the yard, he saw a young man in his early twenties riding over on a bicycle.

“Li Daye! Li Daye!”

“You are?”

“I’m from Sanxin Village. I’m... I’m Wu Jia Sanhou from Sanxin Village!”

Sanhou meant the young man ranked third in his family.

“Oh, Sanhou. What is it? Something happened?”

Li Sanjiang did not know him.

Generally, whenever someone he did not know came looking for him, it was for that kind of matter.

“Someone in the family passed away. We’d like to ask Li Daye to come with us.”

Business had come to the door.