Chapter 45

"What, my grandpa broke his leg!"

Runsheng was stunned. Grandpa Shan had found him by the river. Although the two of them often lived hand-to-mouth, they starved together, so their bond was truly deep and sincere.

Tan Wenbin's eyebrows twitched with excitement. He wished he could do a ballet pirouette on one foot, as he finally had a chance to see a Death Collapse!

Li Zhuiyuan felt a pang of guilt. Calculating the time, it was around when he went to Xiting Town to gamble and win money. Grandpa Shan had taken half of his winnings back then.

Alas, as expected, ill-gotten gains are hard to spend.

"What are you waiting for!" Li Sanjiang shouted at Runsheng, "Hurry up and get your gear ready, we're leaving!"

"Oh, okay." Runsheng immediately went into the house to get things. This time, he wasn't just going back to see his grandpa, he had to do the job.

"Uncle Li, I want to go too, take me with you."

Tan Wenbin practically clung to Li Sanjiang, afraid of being left behind again.

"Alright, alright, I'll take you."

Li Sanjiang agreed readily because the person on the phone had said the Death Collapse was drifting in a certain stretch of the river. Several villagers had seen it, but when they gathered people to search, it disappeared.

This kind of Death Collapse wasn't dangerous, it just took effort to find. Bringing an extra person was appropriate.

"Great Grandfather."

"What is it, Little Yuanhou?"

"I want to visit Grandpa Shan."

"That's right, let's go together."

Runsheng, eager to see his grandpa, pedaled the three-wheeled vehicle as fast as he could.

The three people sitting behind him clutched the sides of the vehicle somewhat awkwardly.

This was because the middle area of the vehicle was occupied by three bundles of things.

Li Sanjiang's gear, Li Zhuiyuan's gear, plus Runsheng's own gear – Runsheng had packed it all.

"I say, Runsheng Hou, why did you bring so much stuff? We're here to retrieve a Death Collapse, not to build a house for you."

Runsheng didn't reply. He was riding too fast, the wind whistling past, and he couldn't hear the complaints from behind.

Li Sanjiang couldn't be bothered to argue further. He took out his compass from his pocket and began to calibrate it seriously.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the Purple Compass from his bag and also began to calibrate it. Since they were going to find a Death Collapse, they definitely had to use this.

As for the one in his Great Grandfather's hand, it couldn't find Death Collapses. Its only use was to lead everyone to the South Pole to find penguins.

As he arrived outside Grandpa Shan's House, Li Sanjiang could see Grandpa Shan sitting alone in the courtyard through the half-collapsed wall. His leg, encased in a cast, was propped up on a stool. He was peeling and eating a sweet potato in his hand, his false teeth set aside.

Li Sanjiang got out of the car, his voice preceding him.

"I say, Shan Pao, even if your teeth aren't what they used to be, you shouldn't be drinking thin gruel!"

The sweet potato in Grandpa Shan's hand dropped to the ground. Knowing that old man knew about his fall into the latrine, his old face immediately turned red. He quickly grabbed the walking stick beside him, intending to jump back into the house and close the door.

But in his haste, he lost his balance and fell directly onto the ground.

By then, footsteps were already approaching from behind.

Grandpa Shan, furious, pounded the ground with his fists, biting his lip tightly!

Li Sanjiang reached out and helped him up, letting him sit down, then patted the dirt off his body.

Grandpa Shan said indignantly, "Who asked you to come!"

Li Sanjiang ignored his outburst and smiled, "Shan Pao, if something happens, you should send someone to inform me. We've been old buddies for so many years, honestly, don't just leave without a word, I'll be lonely."

His words were sincere, and Grandpa Shan's expression softened:

"Runsheng Hou..."

"Even if you were going to die, you shouldn't die in a latrine. It's good if someone found you early. If you had soaked in there all night, when I came to hold the memorial service and fast, I'd still have to endure the stench while changing your burial clothes. How disgusting!"

Grandpa Shan: "..."

Li Sanjiang pulled out two cigarettes, put one in his mouth, and stuffed the other into Grandpa Shan's mouth. Then, his eyes flickered, and he called out:

"Zhuang Zhuang."

"Coming!"

Tan Wenbin took out a matchbox, struck a match, and lit the cigarettes for Li Sanjiang and Grandpa Shan in turn.

"Shan Pao, come stay at my place until your leg heals, then you can come back."

"No, I just broke a leg. I can still eat and drink by myself, it's not a big deal."

"Then let Runsheng come back to look after you?"

Grandpa Shan mumbled for a while, then shook his head, "No need. Runsheng is doing well living at your place. He eats well, sleeps well, and he's gotten stronger. The child is having a good life, why should I hold him back."

These words sounded touching, but Li Sanjiang waved his hand and said, "Runsheng Hou, go check the Rice Jar and Oil Can in the house."

Runsheng ran into the house and quickly ran back out, surprised, "Grandpa, you really sold the rice, flour, and oil I bought for you last time?"

Those things had to be scraped out of the jars and sold in small quantities. How desperate must he have been to do that.

Grandpa Shan exhaled a smoke ring, hoping to hide his embarrassed face:

"I don't know what was wrong those two days. I kept getting good hands but kept losing, and kept seeing hope even while losing. It was downright bizarre."

"Heh, so you're not letting Run Sheng come back because you're afraid Run Sheng will come back and you won't even have enough sweet potatoes to eat?"

Grandpa Shan turned his head, not speaking.

"I'm telling you, old Shan Pao, you're a grandfather. I'm not saying you should leave something for your grandson, but don't be so wasteful. In a few years, when Runsheng Hou wants to find a partner, look at your dilapidated house. What kind of girl would agree to marry him?

Look at me, how I'm saving up a dowry for my Little Yuanhou. I don't know about the city, but in the countryside, within ten miles, my Little Yuanhou can pick any girl he wants?"

Grandpa Shan immediately grasped the key point and asked, "What's wrong? Little Yuanhou can't return to the capital?"

Li Sanjiang's expression changed, and he took a deep, silent drag of his cigarette.

"What did you do? You even lost the child's household registration in the capital?"

"You shut up!"

"You stop talking about me, and I'll shut up. Otherwise, I'll have a good talk with you about the benefits of household registration."

Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Grandpa Shan and asked, "Grandpa Shan, is your leg seriously injured?"

"Not serious, not serious, it'll heal with rest." Grandpa Shan waved his hand somewhat sheepishly.

He hadn't known when he took the money last time. It was only later, back at the card table, that he heard clearly. It turned out the main player was the child, not the older one. His own Run Sheng had just run errands, but the principal was Little Yuanhou. Yet he, Grandpa Shan, had actually taken half the money.

But that money was already lost and couldn't be repaid. Thinking about what he had done, he felt utterly ashamed.

"Runsheng Hou," Grandpa Shan looked at Run Sheng, "You must listen to Little Yuanhou from now on."

If he couldn't repay the money, he could only offer a person.

Run Sheng nodded, "Grandpa, I understand."

"Are we there yet? I say, are we there yet?" The local Village Chief's voice could be heard from outside. He was the one who had made the phone call earlier.

Grandpa Shan didn't know what was happening and asked, "What is it?"

Li Sanjiang said impatiently, "If it weren't for the Death Collapse here, we wouldn't have known your leg was broken."

"Then you should go quickly and get the work done."

"Okay."

Just as Li Sanjiang was about to stand up, he heard his great-grandson say, "Great Grandfather, you stay here and chat with Grandpa Shan. Run Sheng can go."

Grandpa Shan said with concern, "Run Sheng is still not steady, is he?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Grandpa Shan, Brother Run Sheng wasn't reliable before, but he's different after following my Great Grandfather. Just you wait and see."

Grandpa Shan pouted: "You little Yuanhou."

Li Sanjiang was happy to hear this, patting his knees:

"Alright, let Runsheng Hou go find that Death Collapse first. If there are any problems, come back and call me immediately."

Having successfully coaxed his Great Grandfather into staying home, Li Zhuiyuan immediately beckoned to Runsheng.

Runsheng understood. He shouldered a set of corpse-retrieval tools, then tossed Li Yuan's set to Tan Wenbin.

The three then followed the Village Chief to a section of the river. The river wasn't very wide, but both banks were lined with trees, and reeds grew thick along the shore, severely obstructing their view.

"It's this stretch. Many people have told me they've seen dead bodies floating here these past few days. I brought people over a few times, but we couldn't find anything. It's truly strange.

Why don't you search first? If you find something and need more people, just call me back at the village. I have some urgent matters to attend to."

Runsheng nodded: "Okay, Village Chief. You go ahead and be busy."

The Village Chief took out a cigarette and offered it to Runsheng, who declined. Little Yuan was too young, so Tan Wenbin took one and tucked it behind his ear.

After the Village Chief left, Li Zhuiyuan held his compass and stood by the river.

The reason the Village Chief left was probably because he didn't hold much hope of finding the floating corpse today. He had likely organized people to search this stretch of river before, all to no avail. Bringing in corpse-retrieval specialists was a last resort, a way to give the villagers some explanation.

Tan Wenbin was fully in character, asking seriously: "Little Yuan Ge, should Runsheng and I split up and walk along the river to look?"

"Bin Bin Ge, you go ahead. Runsheng Ge will stay with me."

"Is it because my perception is stronger than his?"

"It's because I'm afraid something will happen to me if Runsheng Ge isn't by my side."

"Then... then I'll stay by your side and protect you too."

Li Zhuiyuan knew he was being a bit overly cautious. No strange incidents had occurred in the village, and the villagers who claimed to have seen the Death Collapse had left safely. This proved the Death Collapse was most likely just an ordinary floating corpse.

However, since Siyuan Village had evidence of water burials from the Southern Liang period, he really didn't dare to be too confident now. It was better to act with caution.

Holding his compass, he walked slowly along the riverbank. After a considerable distance, he found no anomalies in the Feng Shui Meteorology, nor did he find the Death Collapse.

Tan Wenbin asked: "Could it have drifted into another river basin?"

"It's possible," Li Zhuiyuan pointed at the water surface. "Or perhaps there's a leak somewhere beneath the river that sucked the body down."

"There's such a thing?"

"Like the plug at the bottom of a bathtub."

"Doesn't that mean we have to dive to find it? I say, you brought so much stuff, why didn't you think of getting some oxygen tanks?"

Run Sheng: "These tools are specifically for those moving Death Collapses."

"Oh, good stuff." Tan Wenbin patted the sack on his back.

Unknowingly, they had already reached the bend in the river, with a newly built bridge ahead.

Li Zhuiyuan stopped. They had walked through the entire stretch of river described by the Village Chief, still with no success.

Tan Wenbin nudged Run Sheng's arm and asked, "Um, have you ever encountered a situation like this before, where you went to retrieve a Death Collapse but couldn't find it?"

"I have. I remember back then my Grandpa and Great Grandfather would set up an offering table and perform a ritual to 'call' it, to make it float up on its own."

Upon hearing this, Tan Wenbin leaned closer to Li Zhuiyuan and asked, "Little Yuan Ge, can you do that?"

Li Zhuiyuan frowned slightly.

Tan Wenbin immediately said, "It's okay, it doesn't matter if you can't. You're still the most amazing in my heart, bro."

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. He could do it.

The writings of Wei Zhengdao and the Qin Liu Families actually contained many methods for "calling people."

But the problem was, his Great Grandfather and Grandpa Shan might have just been going through the motions. If it worked, it was due to their profound skill; if it failed, it was because the Death Collapse was unusual. It was mostly about luck.

But he, he could truly select a location and set up an altar based on Feng Shui Meteorology to induce it. He truly knew how.

However, the more he truly knew, the more he dared not use it carelessly. What if this Death Collapse had already drifted away and wasn't here? Besides, there were quite a few graves nearby, and the situation in the river was unclear. If he really set up an altar, what if it didn't summon the Death Collapse but instead attracted something inexplicable?

"Let's cross the bridge. We'll walk back from the other side."

Li Zhuiyuan stepped onto the bridge. It was a cement slab bridge, without railings, three slabs wide.

When they reached the middle of the bridge, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt the surrounding atmosphere change. He looked down and saw the compass needle also fluctuating.

He silently recited the Liu Clan's Qi Gazing Art while turning in a circle on the spot, then stopped, looking at the needle within the large and small circles on the compass to calculate.

Run Sheng stood by silently. Tan Wenbin curiously craned his neck to peek. He thought Li Zhuiyuan looked incredibly dashing when he was spinning with the compass just now. It was a pity he was still so young. If he were older, with such bearing and temperament, what small factory owner wouldn't invite him to their opening ceremony?

Li Zhuiyuan stomped his foot. He hadn't felt it while walking by the river, but after getting on the bridge, he realized its position was exactly at the Dragon Constricting Position.

Although it was a small river, and this dragon was the smallest of dragons, the pattern was complete.

Looking at the surrounding environment, it was rare to see a bridge built at a river bend; they were usually built on straight stretches of the river.

However, even being at the Dragon Constricting Position, there was nothing special about it, let alone being a malevolent position.

But what if he wanted to utilize it, and deliberately turned this place into a malevolent position...

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his head, looking at the cement slab beneath his feet, and said, "Brother Run Sheng, go check under the bridge by the river, right where I'm standing."

"I'll go!"

Tan Wenbin put down his things and quickly ran down the bridge. When he reached the riverbank, he couldn't see clearly. Without a word, he walked into the river.

Although this was a small river, it was quite deep in the middle. If there were any sinkholes or depressions, it could easily swallow an adult whole.

Run Sheng squatted by the bridge and reminded him, "Be careful. Don't make us have to fish you out later."

"The mud under the river is so deep. I've only just reached the riverbank." Tan Wenbin cautiously stepped forward. His mindset was that he had finally bought a ticket to the amusement park, so he had to take the initiative to get his money's worth.

Finally, he dared not go any further. Although there was still some distance, he could see under the bridge clearly. He looked up, his eyes widened, and then he took a few steps back, shouting to the people above:

"Little Yuan Ge, there are big iron nails, nailed to the back of the bridge, right below your feet."

"Are there seven of them?"

"Huh?" Tan Wenbin took two more steps forward, maintaining his balance as he looked up and counted, "Yes, seven."

"Is the area around the nails red?"

"Yes, it's red, like it's been painted red."

As expected.

What was originally an ordinary Dragon Constricting Position had been modified into Dragon Bleeding.

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and looked towards the bend in the river. The vital energy of this section of the river flowed out here, while the malevolent energy was intercepted. It was equivalent to using the natural environment to create a Feng Shui Bureau here.

But why hadn't he sensed anything unusual when he walked here earlier?

Li Zhuiyuan immediately thought of a possibility: the malevolent energy was being sucked away by the Death Collapse!

With interception and suction, it formed a dynamic cycle here.

No wonder some villagers saw the Death Collapse and then it disappeared. It surfaced when it absorbed malevolent energy and sank after it was done.

Therefore, this was not a simple matter of salvaging a floating body. Someone was setting up a Corpse Raising formation here!

Li Zhuiyuan realized that by putting himself in an evil mindset and working backward from the results, the success rate seemed quite high.

But he wasn't happy. Instead, he felt troubled. Why could he so easily identify with the opposing side?

Also, this Feng Shui Bureau was set up too pettily.

To use his Great Grandfather's words from the dinner table: "What? You're only draining this little bit? Are you raising fish?"

If he were to set it up, he would work on a few more locations, at least drawing in the malevolent energy from outside to create a confrontation. That would truly be considered catalyzing Corpse Raising. Your current method is only good for Corpse Preservation.

"It seems the books you've been reading aren't very good."

Li Zhuiyuan reached up and patted his forehead. What on earth am I thinking?

No, this isn't my fault. It's Wei Zhengdao's fault.

Before, he'd only read the concepts and hadn't felt much. But now that he was actually putting them into practice, the wrongness had appeared. Wei Zhengdao's books were all "orthodox content." He only taught how to represent the orthodox path and suppress the Death Collapse.

But the way Wei Zhengdao narrated and structured his content, many parts could be reversed. Many righteous taboos and mistakes, if you used them in reverse, would lead to the opposite extreme.

This guy was clearly using the banner of the orthodox path to practice the unorthodox path.

"Little Yuan, are you alright?" Run Sheng asked with concern.

"Brother Run Sheng, I'm fine. This place has been set up by someone..."

"Wait for me, wait for me! We can talk when we get there!"

Tan Wenbin yelled as he ran over, waving his hands frantically, afraid of missing this scene.

However, his shoes and pants were already wet. Running fast made him stumble, and when he reached Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng, he lost his balance.

If Run Sheng hadn't been strong enough to grab him, they might have all been knocked into the river by him.

"Hehehe, sorry, sorry." Tan Wenbin squatted down, wringing out his pants, and said, "You can talk now."

"This bridge has a Feng Shui Bureau set up by someone. That Death Collapse probably wasn't a drowning victim. It was placed here by him. He's using this small river to practice Corpse Raising."

"Corpse Raising?" Tan Wenbin's mouth fell open. "Wow, that sounds really exciting."

Run Sheng asked, "Then Little Yuan, what do we do?"

"There are two options. One, I break the setup, and the Death Collapse will float up. The other is to go directly to his house."

Run Sheng was about to ask how to find him, but he stopped himself.

Bin Bin couldn't hold back and asked, "How do we find him?"

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the monument at the bridge pier. "It lists the names of those who donated to build the bridge."

Tan Wenbin rubbed his head. "Right. Damn it, why do I feel so stupid?"

Run Sheng let out a hum.

Building bridges and paving roads had always been acts of accumulating virtue. Especially in villages, where government funding was insufficient, roads and bridges often had to be funded partially by the villagers themselves. If the main portion was funded by a single donor, their name would usually be carved on a monument.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the monument. It only listed one name, proving that this bridge was built with money from a single person... Zhou Yong.

"Let's go ask the Village Chief. This person probably lives in the village. He wouldn't dump a corpse here and then go on a long trip."

"I know where his house is," Run Sheng pointed in a direction. "His house is at the North Corner of the Village."

Tan Wenbin: "Is his family very rich?"

Run Sheng shook his head: "There aren't many families in the village living a harder life than ours. His family is one of them."

Li Zhuiyuan pondered for a moment: "Then let's go to his house. We'll explain things clearly, so we don't get things sorted out here only for him to dump more."

Tan Wenbin blinked and muttered in a low voice, "This isn't fish fry, it's a corpse."

Run Sheng said: "Little Yuan means that if we only deal with the corpse and not the living person, it might cause future trouble."

Led by Run Sheng, the three walked towards the North Corner of the Village.

Along the way, Tan Wenbin asked: "Um, should I call my dad over too?"

Run Sheng: "Do you want your dad to know you're staying at Grandpa Shan's House not to study, but to fish for Death Collapses?"

Tan Wenbin's voice lowered immediately: "Isn't this a murder case? Doesn't it fall under the police's jurisdiction?"

"Bin Bin Ge, this isn't necessarily a murder case. He's Corpse Raising. You can think of it as using a Feng Shui Pattern to preserve the corpse. If he killed someone, there's no reason to go to this much trouble."

"Oh, I see. Understood."

"Brother Run Sheng, be ready later. If there are any special circumstances, take action directly to ensure our safety."

"Okay, don't worry, Little Yuan. I know."

Liu Yumei and Uncle Qin were considered "family," so this was the first time Li Zhuiyuan had encountered a peer outside. He was still a little nervous.

Zhou Yong's house was even more dilapidated than Grandpa Shan's House. Grandpa Shan's House at least had a broken yard, but Zhou Yong's house didn't even have a fence. They were actually living in a mud house.

Currently, villagers in the countryside were all working hard to build two-story houses. Those who didn't even have a brick or tile house and were still living in mud houses were truly at the bottom of the village's living standards.

Tan Wenbin asked in confusion: "Someone like this, and he fully funded the construction of a bridge?"

Run Sheng said: "He used to be a worker at the Xingren Agricultural Machinery Factory. Later, his wife and child both got sick, so he couldn't go to work and stayed home to farm and take care of them."

Tan Wenbin: "Are his wife and child still alive?"

"They are. The last time I rode my bike past his house, I saw his wife and child sitting by the door basking in the sun."

As he spoke, Run Sheng also turned to look at Li Zhuiyuan: "It was when Little Yuan was waiting for me at home, and I went to the town market to buy rice and flour for Great Grandfather. I passed by his house and saw them."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

The three walked onto the Small Plaza. On the plaza, a well was covered by a large bamboo hat. It was swept quite clean, though of course, there wasn't much there.

The house door was closed. Tan Wenbin licked his lips and stepped forward to push it. It didn't open. He pushed again and heard the "ding-ding-dang-dang" sound of a lock being jiggled from inside.

He looked back at Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng, shrugged, and said, "Looks like we came at the wrong time. The person must have gone out, and the door is locked from the inside."

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at him and retorted, "Doesn't it strike you as strange that the door is locked from the inside?"

"What's strange about that? My door is also locked from the inside... Oh, right. How could that be?"

The way village wooden doors were locked was different from the key locks on apartment buildings.

"Bin Bin Ge, call out again."

"Sure thing." Tan Wenbin patted the door while shouting, "Hey, is anyone home? Is anyone home?"

There was no response from inside.

Run Sheng sniffed then spread his hands, "Bin Bin, be quiet for a moment."

Seeing this, Li Zhuiyuan immediately stepped back a few paces.

He knew Run Sheng's nose was the most sensitive for smelling things.

"Little Yuan, there's a smell of decay, very faint."

Tan Wenbin asked eagerly, "Is it Death Collapse?"

Run Sheng shook his head, "Hard to say. The smell is too faint. It could also be something else."

Tan Wenbin guessed, "Could it be that after locking the door from the inside, the person inside committed suicide?"

Immediately, the two looked at Li Zhuiyuan together.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the nearby window, "Let's go in and take a look. If we find a body, we'll call the police. If not, we'll apologize and pay."

Tan Wenbin walked to the wooden window and pulled it, "It's locked too."

Run Sheng walked over, squeezed past him, grabbed the window frame, and with a heave, the entire window was removed.

Then, Run Sheng squeezed himself inside.

Seeing this, Tan Wenbin gritted his teeth and followed.

"Creak!"

The lock inside the wooden door was opened, and the door was pushed open. Run Sheng stood behind it.

"Little Yuan, the key is on the table. I'll just unlock it directly."

"Run Sheng, what are you doing? If there really is a body here, you're tampering with the scene. How will we explain ourselves as witnesses?"

Li Zhuiyuan walked in through the front door and said, "It's fine. Your dad will help us explain."

"But this isn't my dad's jurisdiction."

"You were playing cards in the village, and your dad took leave to come to the village in plain clothes to catch you, and then he stumbled upon this house. He was the first witness."

Tan Wenbin swallowed: "That's reasonable."

The space in the house wasn't small, but the ground was full of small mud pits, not paved with bricks.

And many of the wooden beams were very low; adults had to be careful not to hit their heads when walking in.

It was a standard housing layout. The easternmost side was the kitchen with a stove, the middle was the living room, with a cabinet against the wall. On top of the cabinet was an altar with a statue. The westernmost side was the bedroom.

There were many things in the house. Many items were clearly very old but hadn't been discarded, yet they were neatly organized.

Tan Wenbin and Run Sheng went to the east and west ends respectively. Li Zhuiyuan stood in the hall, looking at the statues hanging above.

On the far left was Guanyin Bodhisattva, on the far right was the Jade Emperor, and in the center was Jesus.

It was understandable for villagers to hang any statues. Mixing Buddhist and Taoist deities was common, and even Confucianism could be represented; for example, Great Grandfather hung a statue of Confucius at home.

But hanging Jesus here was a bit incongruous. The style and form were clearly different from the other two, and anyone with discernment could see it was inappropriate.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the cabinet and found that the incense burners in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Jade Emperor hadn't been used for a long time, accumulating thick dust instead of incense ash.

However, the incense burner in front of Jesus was full of incense ash, indicating it was frequently used.

But does Jesus accept incense?

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, wanting to open the cabinet. This type of cabinet was designed much like a coffin, where one could only lift the lid to see inside.

Each section of the lid had a groove design, fitting together like a puzzle. It usually required opening one section at a time. It could be used to store miscellaneous items or food.

But the hand he raised eventually lowered. For safety's sake, it was better to wait for Run Sheng.

Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin returned.

"No one in the bedroom."

"No one in the kitchen either."

Li Zhuiyuan asked: "Brother Run Sheng, can you tell where the smell of decay is coming from?"

Run Sheng shook his head: "After coming in, I couldn't distinguish it anymore. There's this faint smell everywhere."

Tan Wenbin scoffed upon hearing this: "Are you saying there's a corpse living and moving around in this house, leaving its scent everywhere? Is that too ridiculous?"

"Brother Bin Bin, are you like Ye Gong Hao Long?"

"Huh?" Tan Wenbin immediately remembered why he was here. The image of a corpse moving and living in this house flashed in his mind, and he immediately felt a chill and shivered.

"Brother Run Sheng, open the lid and see what's inside."

"Alright."

Run Sheng knew how to open this kind of latch. He grabbed one side, pushed it inward, and then lifted it.

Li Zhuiyuan stood on tiptoe to look inside. He found rice bags stored there. There was a slightly pungent smell, likely from fumigation to prevent the rice from molding.

It seemed there was nothing in the hall, as this cabinet was the only place that could hide things.

Li Zhuiyuan walked towards the kitchen, with Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin following him.

The kitchen was a standard rural earthen stove kitchen layout. Behind the stove, quite a bit of dry grass and firewood were piled up.

Tan Wenbin pointed over there and said, "I already checked there. There's nothing among the firewood."

Li Zhuiyuan lifted the lids of the water vat and rice jar one by one. The water vat was full of water, and the rice jar was full of rice.

Tan Wenbin added, "I also lifted these to check earlier. Didn't find anything wrong. But no matter how poor this family is, their rice jar is fuller than Run Sheng's."

Li Zhuiyuan stepped back a few paces again, coming to stand behind Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin.

He pointed at the rice jar and said, "A family of three lives here, yet they use such a large rice jar, and it's filled to the brim."

City families would go out to buy rice when they ran out. Rural families did have stored grain, but most of it was kept in storage. Only a small portion was put into the kitchen rice jar for daily use. When the rice jar was nearly empty, they would take a little more from storage to refill it.

Run Sheng looked at Tan Wenbin, then at the rice jar, as if asking, "You go, or should I?"

Tan Wenbin's body was trembling, but he gritted his teeth and nodded. He walked to the rice jar, reached in, and parted the rice in the middle.

As he parted the rice, Tan Wenbin suddenly let out a scream:

"Ah!!!"

Then he collapsed onto the ground, crawling backward with his hands and feet.

Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng walked forward to look. In the sunken area in the center of the rice jar, a clump of black hair appeared.

In the rice jar... there was a person!

No wonder Tan Wenbin was so terrified. Anyone would be scared by this scene, right?

Especially when you could imagine the posture of this person, curled up inside, beneath the rice.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, then quickly opened them. He calmed his emotions and said, "Brother Run Sheng, confirm it again."

"Okay."

Run Sheng didn't hesitate. He reached forward and continued to part the rice. Finally, the forehead above the hair appeared. It was indeed a person, a girl.

He continued to dig, and the girl's eyes became visible.

Her eyes were open.

The girl's eyes were completely stuffed with grains of rice.

Tan Wenbin had just stood up and leaned in again. After a glance, he was so scared that he retreated repeatedly.

Li Zhuiyuan averted his gaze. This time, he couldn't blame Bin Bin for being timid; he himself could barely stand to look at those eyes.

"Little Yuan, we can't dig any further unless we scoop out the rice or try to lift her out."

"No need, leave it like this for now."

"Alright."

Li Zhuiyuan sniffed. He smelled a cloying scent.

"Brother Run Sheng, do you smell that?"

"Uh, no, it's still that faint smell of decay. Little Yuan, what do you smell?"

"Why do I smell a hint of fragrance?"

"Fragrance?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head and looked at the water vat. The water in this vat hadn't been changed for a long time. Coupled with the dimness of the room, the water was not clear but rather murky.

"Bin Bin Ge."

Tan Wenbin immediately shook his head frantically and called out to Run Sheng, "Brother Run Sheng."

Run Sheng didn't hesitate. He was wearing a vest, so he didn't even need to roll up his sleeves. He directly put his entire arm into the water vat and began to stir and search.

Finally, he pulled out his wet arm and shook it. "There's nothing inside."

Tan Wenbin suggested, "Then, shall we go out first?"

Run Sheng glanced at him. "You were the one clamoring to come, and you're the one who's terrified now that you've seen it."

Tan Wenbin: "Isn't this just a normal person's reaction?"

Li Zhuiyuan walked towards the bedroom. Run Sheng followed. Tan Wenbin glanced at the pair of eyes in the rice jar again...

Then he immediately turned around and, lifting his legs high, chased after them.

There were two beds in the bedroom, one large and one small, both with blue mosquito nets. Sleeping mats were laid on the beds.

A neatly folded quilt was placed on the big bed, and a blanket was on the small bed.

Under the sleeping mats of both beds, several layers of thick quilts were spread as mattresses, making them softer and more comfortable to sleep on.

Run Sheng pointed to the space under the beds and the surrounding wardrobes and cabinets: "Little Yuan, I've checked these places, and there's nothing unusual."

Tan Wenbin pointed at the quilt and shouted: "A quilt, a quilt, why would you use such a thick quilt in the middle of summer?"

Run Sheng walked forward, lifted the mosquito net, pulled the quilt over, and unfolded it. It was indeed just a thick quilt.

Tan Wenbin: "Uh..."

"Brother Run Sheng, lift the sleeping mats from both beds."

"Okay."

Run Sheng first lifted the sleeping mat from the little bed. Underneath were several layers of cotton batting.

When Run Sheng was about to lift the sleeping mat from the big bed, Tan Wenbin rushed forward and lifted it. Then, still holding one corner of the sleeping mat with one hand, he stood on his tiptoes and began to tremble as he spun in a circle.

This was... a convulsion from being scared.

Under the sleeping mat of the big bed, there was also thick cotton batting.

But in the middle of this cotton batting, a person was sandwiched – an adult woman, very thin.

Most of the woman's body was covered by the cotton batting, with only her face, stomach, and feet exposed.

The woman's eyes were also open, completely filled with cotton batting, so full that they looked a bit swollen.

Moreover, the cotton batting around her eyes bulged upwards, as if new cotton had grown there.

"Put it down, Bin Bin Ge."

"Okay."

Bin Bin released his grip, and the sleeping mat fell, covering the cotton batting and the woman inside again.

Immediately, Tan Wenbin walked towards Li Zhuiyuan. Li Zhuiyuan dodged, so Tan Wenbin could only walk towards Run Sheng and hug him. He needed a hug right now.

He was on the verge of tears; in fact, tears were already welling up in his eyes.

He asked in a trembling voice, tinged with tears: "Little Yuan, what do we do next?"

"Bin Bin Ge, don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid..." Tan Wenbin took a deep breath stubbornly, but the next moment, Run Sheng pushed him away.

Not having his balance, he stumbled backward and fell onto the sleeping mat of the big bed.

"Ah!"

The moment he thought about what was below, Tan Wenbin shot up like a spring.

"I'm scared, I'm scared!"

Li Zhuiyuan patted Tan Wenbin's arm, "Don't be scared, Bin Bin Ge, we'll call your dad."

"Dad..."

To be fair, when Tan Yunlong's image appeared in his mind, Tan Wenbin's fear truly subsided a lot. Even if his dad were to take off his belt in front of him right now, he would still feel it as a scorching, warm, and intimate gesture.

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the Mud House first. Runsheng picked up the window he had removed earlier and intended to put it back, but he heard Tan Wenbin inside call out to wait.

Then, with a "click," he relocked the wooden door from the inside.

Immediately after, he climbed out of the window himself, letting Runsheng re-install the window.

"Hehe, Little Yuan Ge, I locked the door, and I wiped the key and the lock. That way, Runsheng's fingerprints won't be left on it when he opens the lock, and it saves us trouble."

Tan Wenbin thought his move was very professional.

"When your dad comes, he can also have Runsheng Ge open the lock. Also, you didn't just wipe Runsheng Ge's fingerprints, you wiped all the fingerprints on it."

"This..." Tan Wenbin realized he had done a useless, foolish thing.

"Let's go, we'll call your dad."

Logically, someone should have stayed behind to watch, but it wasn't suitable for any of them to stay. In the end, all three of them walked out together.

After walking a considerable distance, they heard someone calling from behind, "Hey, Runsheng Hou! Runsheng Hou!"

The three turned around and saw the Village Chief riding a bicycle on the road they had come from. He waved at them from afar, "Runsheng Hou, did you get it? Did you get it!"

Runsheng raised his hand and shouted back, "Not yet!"

At this moment, within the three's line of sight, the Village Chief, who was riding over, suddenly made a motion to turn left and wave hello, saying something and smiling.

This was usually a response used on the road to greet people in houses by the roadside.

And that location, that direction, was Zhou Yong's house.

The three of them shifted their gaze together, looking towards Zhou Yong's house.

Although it was far away, they could still vaguely see a mother and daughter sitting on the Small Plaza.