Chapter 48

Li Zhuiyuan sat on the ground, gently massaging his temples with both hands.

It was his first time controlling Death Collapse, and he was a little tired. He needed to relax and soothe himself quickly, as he still had many things to do next.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would face his biggest overdraft yet.

This overdraft would likely cause significant damage to his body.

He knew this clearly, but he still decided to do it.

Because he was angry.

An emotion that was very precious to him.

At this moment, the girl and the woman knelt down together in front of him.

Seeing this, Li Zhuiyuan waved his hand, but it had no effect.

He had already released his control over them. Logically, they should be standing still now, or one should return to the rice bin and the other to the bed.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up helplessly, and the mother and daughter also stood up.

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the table and sat down in his original spot.

The girl and the woman also got up and followed him, then sat down to his right.

Originally, Tan Wenbin had been sleeping there.

Now, he was sandwiched tightly between them, one on his left and one on his right.

Li Zhuiyuan was too lazy to adjust this. At least this way, he could ensure that the sleeping Bin Bin wouldn't fall.

However, as they sat down, the expressions and movements on their faces began to twist slightly, seemingly indicating some loss of control.

Although Li Zhuiyuan didn't understand the principle behind it, he had a general idea of how to deal with it:

"Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised you.

Now, please bear with me for a little longer. Zhou Yong is just a blade wielded by someone else. You don't want to let go of the real culprit who caused you to suffer like this, do you?"

Hearing this, the girl and the woman quieted down again.

"Brother Run Sheng, control and pack Zhou Yong first. Call me when you're done. I'm going to take a nap."

"Alright, don't worry, Little Yuan."

At this moment, Zhou Yong was cornered by Run Sheng. The Yellow River Shovel was fixed at his neck, physically restraining him.

He was already very weak. Although he was still trying to push the shovel away with his hands, his strength was too little to resist.

Run Sheng walked to the side of the sack, took out the Soul Returning Basket and Homecoming Net, and spread them on the ground.

He took out his own ink pad, pressed his fingers down one by one, and performed hand gestures according to a specific procedure. He then grasped different positions of the Homecoming Net. Finally, he clasped his fingers together on the net ropes, put his hands together in prayer, and clapped them down hard. This way, the red markings were evenly and symmetrically smeared onto the Homecoming Net, ensuring its efficacy.

The entire process was very smooth, ritualistic, and visually appealing, but lacked practicality.

After all, not every Death Collapse would stand still, giving you ample time to prepare your tools.

Of course, Run Sheng also wished he could be like Little Yuan, just smearing a bit of red mud with his fingertips and casually applying it to the tools to "consecrate" them.

He had tried before, but without success. Little Yuan's simple and casual method was based on calculation. Little Yuan knew where to apply it and how much to apply. Little Yuan had even taught him, but he couldn't calculate it.

After completing the preparation work on the Soul Returning Basket and Homecoming Net in sequence, Run Sheng placed the Soul Returning Basket on Zhou Yong's head and pulled it down, enveloping him entirely. Then, he wrapped the Homecoming Net around him, practically wrapping Zhou Yong like a zongzi.

Finally, Run Sheng took out the Talisman Papers personally drawn by Little Yuan and stuck them onto Zhou Yong's forehead.

One was stuck, and it changed color. He tore it off and stuck on a new one, which also changed color. After continuously tearing off and sticking on seven sheets, Run Sheng finally stopped, having completed the final ritual step.

Even Zhou Yong's cloudy eyes seemed to show a hint of confusion and doubt at this action.

Li Zhuiyuan had told Run Sheng that the Talisman Papers he drew were useless, but Run Sheng didn't believe him. He thought Little Yuan was being modest.

After packing up, Run Sheng turned his back and carried Zhou Yong on his back, in the manner of carrying a corpse.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin woke up.

He felt extremely exhausted, as if his body had been hollowed out.

He groggily raised his head, opened his eyes, looked at the girl stuck to his left, then turned his head and looked at the woman stuck to his right.

He felt like he hadn't woken up yet and was still dreaming, so he closed his eyes and slumped back down.

Soon, he opened his eyes again, looked to the left, then looked to the right.

He swallowed.

He suddenly sat up and was about to scream when Run Sheng covered his mouth with his hand.

"Mmmph mmmph mmmph..."

"Shh."

Tan Wenbin nodded.

Run Sheng removed his hand.

Tan Wenbin turned his head and happened to see Run Sheng leaning sideways to gently push Li Zhuiyuan. Zhou Yong on Run Sheng's back was now face-to-face with Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhuiyuan woke up. Seeing that Run Sheng was ready, he also stood up, but still asked with concern:

"Bin Bin Ge, are you okay?"

"Me... what's wrong with me? Oh, I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Go back to Grandpa Shan's house and sleep."

"No, I can still do it, I can still help." Tan Wenbin stood up unsteadily, finally free from his restraints, then bent over and began to pant heavily.

"Bin Bin Ge, eat more good food lately, to replenish yourself."

"Mhm, I will. I didn't expect my body to be so weak before."

"Run Sheng Ge, let's go."

The three left the house and walked down the small dam.

Immediately, the sound of the door being locked came from inside the house, followed by the lights going out. Under the moonlight, figures flickered past in the kitchen and bedroom.

Because Zhou Yong had left the vicinity of the house, the girls and women could only return to their previous positions and wait for Zhou Yong to come home.

This was the life Zhou Yong wanted to maintain.

Li Zhuiyuan turned back and stared at the well on the dam.

"Run Sheng Ge, you stay here."

"Okay."

"Bin Bin Ge, do you still have strength?"

Tan Wenbin nodded vigorously: "I still do."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Little Yuan Ge, it's nothing, trust me."

Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin walked back onto the small dam. Since Run Sheng was still outside with Zhou Yong on his back and hadn't come in, the girls and women inside the house were not drawn out to move.

He lifted the bamboo hat covering the well cover, picked up the rope from the nearby bucket, tied it around himself, and then Li Zhuiyuan threw the other end of the rope to Tan Wenbin.

"Hold on tight."

"Okay." To be safe, Tan Wenbin wrapped the rope around himself twice and made a "done" gesture.

Li Zhuiyuan, holding a flashlight in his left hand and his slightly smaller Yellow River Shovel in his right, descended into the well, lowering himself bit by bit until he stopped about half a meter from the water surface.

At the edge of the well, Tan Wenbin propped himself in place. His arms were weak now, so he could only use his body as a brace.

Under the flashlight's beam, Li Zhuiyuan saw carved patterns on the well wall.

A disturbance came from the water beneath his feet. He shone the flashlight down, and could see a thick water snake swimming beneath the surface.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't worried about the snake, as it was trapped underwater and couldn't escape the surface.

Picking up the Yellow River Shovel, Li Zhuiyuan began to alter the patterns here.

It was cold in the well, but he was sweating from exertion.

Altering patterns left by others was far more difficult than setting up his own, and required much more deduction.

But there was no choice. Firstly, time was not on his side. Secondly, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't easily gather the materials needed for his own setup at the moment.

Most importantly, by preserving the original layout, it would be easier to lure and kill the opponent.

An hour later, Li Zhuiyuan tugged on the rope.

Above, Tan Wenbin, who had been stuck but had rested somewhat despite the pain from the rope, began to exert force and slowly pull the rope out.

As Li Zhuiyuan ascended, he looked down at the water surface beneath his feet.

The water snake was still there, but it wasn't as lively as before. Under the flashlight's beam, the snake's body beneath the water showed vibrant and varied colors.

A smile appeared on Li Zhuiyuan's face. This was more like it. Things like Mirror Flower Water Moon were too low-level.

He emerged from the well and breathed in the fresh air. Li Zhuiyuan wiped the sweat from his face. He felt a sticky sensation on the back of his hand. He shone the flashlight on it. Red.

"Little Yuan, you have a nosebleed," Tan Wenbin said, searching his pockets for paper.

"Mm," Li Zhuiyuan replied. He looked up, took the wadded-up paper, stuffed it into his nose, and then untied the rope around himself.

"Little Yuan, are you too tired?"

"I'm alright, it's nothing," Li Zhuiyuan said dismissively. This was just the beginning.

After carefully checking the ground to ensure no blood had dripped, he replaced the bamboo hat to cover the well opening, restoring everything to its original state.

Walking down the small embankment, Li Zhuiyuan signaled to Run Sheng that they could go.

Arriving by the small river, Li Zhuiyuan led the way, holding his compass. He muttered the Liu Clan's Qi Gazing Art while pointing out spots for Run Sheng to dig and fill.

When they reached the bridge, Li Zhuiyuan collapsed onto the ground, tilting his head back. "Brother Run Sheng, did you remember everything just now?"

"Don't worry, Little Yuan, I remembered it all," Run Sheng replied.

"Hurry up and start the work."

"Okay!"

Run Sheng put down Zhou Yong, who was on his back, picked up the Yellow River Shovel, and began digging and filling.

"Little Yuan Ge, should I go help?"

"No need, Bin Bin Ge. Stay here and help me with my nosebleed. It's not stopping."

"Oh. Okay."

Run Sheng has great strength, and the Yellow River Shovel is suitable for this environment. If he does it alone, his efficiency will be higher, and there will be fewer mistakes.

Meanwhile, Tan Wenbin finally managed to stop Little Yuan's nosebleed again and asked with concern:

"Little Yuan, are you really okay?"

"I'm fine."

"So, what exactly are we doing here?"

"Someone set a trap for us and almost got us all killed. Now I'm setting up a counterattack."

"Okay, I understand."

Behind them on the ground, Zhou Yong was still wriggling.

Tan Wenbin looked at him, still feeling a lingering fear. Even though they had sat at the same table earlier, he was still afraid of Death Collapse.

"Bin Bin Ge, after we go back this time, I'll teach you some ways to deal with Death Collapse."

"Really? That's great!"

Then, both of them said in unison:

"Keep it a secret from your dad."

"Keep it a secret from my dad!"

After speaking, both of them laughed.

Run Sheng alone couldn't do the work of two people. He really needed another helper. The previous situation was like the game of taking sheep and wolves across a river. He and Run Sheng had to have one person stay put to watch Zhou Yong and prevent any accidents.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes to rest. He was very sleepy.

Just as he was sleeping soundly, he was shaken awake: "Little Yuan, Little Yuan."

Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes, his eyes full of bloodshot veins.

Run Sheng felt a pang of heartache but didn't try to persuade him. Instead, he asked, "I've done everything according to your instructions. What's next?"

Li Zhuiyuan stood up and walked under the bridge with his compass.

Run Sheng protected him as they went down, afraid that the boy would slip and be washed away by the river if he wasn't careful.

Li Zhuiyuan began to explain the modifications needed under the bridge. No major construction was required, just minor adjustments on the existing foundation, which Run Sheng could handle alone with his tools.

Furthermore, Li Zhuiyuan had also noticed that while Brother Run Sheng wasn't good at calculations, his memory was excellent. Every instruction he gave was remembered clearly, and the work was done without any flaws.

"Did you get all that, Brother Run Sheng?"

"I got it all."

"Good."

After Li Zhuiyuan responded, his body pitched forward.

Run Sheng reacted quickly, catching him and carrying him back to shore. He instructed Tan Wenbin to take good care of Little Yuan before grabbing his tools and climbing onto the bridge from the side.

Tan Wenbin had already prepared clean water and paper balls, but this time, Li Zhuiyuan, in his semi-conscious state, didn't have a nosebleed. Instead, blood was seeping from the corners of his eyes.

"This..."

He first tried to wash it away with water, but after wiping it clean, the blood from his eyes quickly reappeared. Since his eyes weren't like his nostrils, he didn't know how to stop the bleeding.

He could only place Li Zhuiyuan's head on his lap and gently massage the boy's temples with his hands, hoping to alleviate his fatigue.

"Little Yuan, Little Yuan..."

Li Zhuiyuan was called awake again. Upon opening his eyes, he asked:

"Brother Run Sheng, why are you covered in blood..."

"Little Yuan, I'm fine. Your eyes are bleeding."

"Oh." Only then did Li Zhuiyuan realize his vision was entirely crimson.

He struggled to stand up, squatted by the riverbank, and scooped up water to rinse his eyes.

Although he could still see blood dripping, his vision had at least cleared up considerably.

Turning back to look at Run Sheng, he saw that Run Sheng was covered in dirt and lime, with his hands and feet scraped in multiple places, oozing blood.

"Little Yuan, check it."

"Okay."

"Here, I'll carry you into the river."

Run Sheng carried Li Zhuiyuan into the river. Li Zhuiyuan looked up. He didn't inspect the "construction details" but directly examined the Feng Shui Pattern.

After wiping his eyes three times to clear the bloodstains, he confirmed it: the Feng Shui Pattern here had been altered by him.

"Brother Run Sheng, you did a great job."

"What do you need me to do next?"

"Brother Run Sheng, you can rest now."

"Then let's go back to my grandfather's house to sleep. I think you really can't hold on any longer."

"No, I still have one last, and most important, thing to do."

"I'll do it."

Li Zhuiyuan fell silent.

Run Sheng understood.

"Then, can you hold on?"

"I have to, whether I can or not. We don't have much time. They'll come as early as tomorrow night."

Feng Shui Patterns are divided into two types: one is natural phenomena, and the other is man-made formations.

Natural phenomena are long-lasting. Unless there's a sudden, large-scale change in topography, the only thing that can alter natural phenomena is Cang Hai Sang Tian.

Therefore, ancient people would usually choose burial sites here, borrowing the longevity of these natural phenomena.

Man-made formations are like netting off a section of a river to raise fish. If not regularly maintained and repaired, the fishing net will inevitably break after a while, and the fish will return to the river.

The formations in these small river basins are simple and fragile. When Li Zhuiyuan checked them during the day, he found that deviations had already appeared. It was time for the other party to come and repair them.

Of course, the other party could choose not to repair them, but they would at least have to come and check the results of the "practice problems."

So, Zhou Yong was completely deceived. What he thought was long-lasting actually had a periodic shelf life. If the other party didn't come to maintain it, he would quickly rot in the river or his home, along with his wife and daughter.

In short, this matter couldn't be delayed. He had to complete everything before dawn, and then he could rest well... and recover from his injuries.

Returning to the shore, Li Zhuiyuan sat down in front of Zhou Yong.

Entering Yin.

Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin, who were beside him, had disappeared. Only Zhou Yong remained. He was now extremely weak, like a fish that had been out of water for too long.

This was good, because Li Zhuiyuan was also very tired now.

The frequency of their weakness now matched well, and they quickly achieved synchronization.

This also led Li Zhuiyuan to a new discovery: when a Death Collapse is pushed to the brink of death, it's easier to complete the steps in the Black Book to control it.

However, there's a paradox here: if the Death Collapse could be easily resolved by other means, why would he bother trying to control it?

Currently, maintaining a Death Collapse is difficult. You need to create a suitable environment for its existence, maintain it regularly, and constantly guard against its betrayal.

The very existence of Death Collapse dictates that it will inevitably resist.

The mother and daughter pair from before showed signs of losing control quickly when he didn't directly kill Zhou Yong.

The only exception now is the Little Yellow Oriole.

However, the Little Yellow Oriole gained a longer existence due to "it" in the fish pond, and currently, Li Zhuiyuan doesn't know where the Little Yellow Oriole went. Perhaps... it was taken underground by that "it" as well.

In the Black Book, Wei Zhengdao himself stated that this was a powerful method for dealing with Death Collapse, not a "taming manual."

Because you can't expect something that is constantly suffering and tormented to remain loyal to you for a long time.

Wei Zhengdao understood this point clearly, but his friend did not. He succeeded in raising it, but the price was turning himself into a Death Collapse as well.

This is why Li Zhuiyuan thought that guy was incredibly stupid. What beast tamer's goal is to lock themselves in a cage?

"Come, Zhou Yong, let me see your memories."

Li Zhuiyuan placed his hand on Zhou Yong's forehead.

He was very tired now, so he didn't intend to dwell on the tragic and sorrowful scenes of Zhou Yong after his wife and daughter fell ill. He quickly skipped through them, only pausing at a few key moments.

The first was when Zhou Yong was crying by his wife's bedside after her death, and words came from outside the window.

Zhou Yong ran out, but he couldn't find anyone. The person only left a letter.

The letter said that they could help him keep his wife and daughter by his side.

After his daughter died, that voice appeared again. Zhou Yong went out again but still couldn't find anyone. He received another letter with the exact same content.

One night, after both his wife and daughter had died, Zhou Yong sat alone in his house, drinking heavily. The voice appeared again. He still didn't see anyone. He picked up the letter left outside and opened it, finding that it described the specific method.

Li Zhuiyuan sighed. He had to admit, the other party was very clean-handed.

They were doing evil deeds, yet they left no trace or clue. This modus operandi was very similar to Grandma Liu and her group.

This wasn't to say Liu Yumei was evil, but rather that these two groups were always wary of something, afraid of getting involved.

Take this group, for instance. They were clearly committing extremely disgusting acts, yet they didn't get their own hands dirty.

Even if it was highly probable that they were the ones who killed the girl and the woman, for those who were already bedridden, death at that time was actually a release, similar to euthanasia in the West.

When they were killed, they wouldn't harbor resentment; instead, they would feel grateful.

Of course, this was because they didn't know what awaited them after death... In reality, if he hadn't told them, their hatred would have been directed solely at Zhou Yong.

Their hands were too clean.

Was this reverence for some kind of taboo?

This was also why, when he proposed a plan to Black Cat, Black Cat was astonished: "Can you righteous people really do this?"

It turned out there really was such a rule among the righteous.

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn't have any thoughts of backing down because of this.

To him, the worst that could happen was that after finishing the job, he would go home and hug his Great Grandfather more.

This Zhou Yong was truly interesting. With just three letters, he actually took out his entire fortune to build bridges and set up formations.

But thinking about the image of Jesus displayed in his house, it was understandable. This man was superstitious about such things and was the easily fooled type.

He would rather live frugally at home than give money to those charlatans who performed rituals, all while thinking he was smart and wise, believing that everyone else was drunk while he alone was sober.

Li Zhuiyuan forced himself to cheer up and, from Zhou Yong's perspective, spoke:

"Now, I'll speak, you watch, and I'll tell you... the truth."

Wei Zhengdao's Black Book, Step Three: Deceive!

Zhou Yong's perspective was rewound, back to before Zhou Yong returned home and discovered his wife's death. As Zhou Yong approached his courtyard, he heard voices from behind the house:

"Alright, I've already dealt with his wife."

"Good that she's dead. Her being alive was really holding things up."

"This way, when he comes back and sees it, he'll die of grief, making it easier for us to proceed with the next step."

"Are the letters ready?"

"They are, but we're not implementing the specific actions now?"

"Not yet. His daughter isn't dead yet."

Li Zhuiyuan forced himself to stay alert and continued to manipulate the perspective, moving it to the scene before Zhou Yong discovered his daughter's death.

The same scene, the same eavesdropping, even with only minor changes to the dialogue.

It wasn't that Li Zhuiyuan didn't want to be more meticulous, but he was already at his limit.

He knew very well that this kind of forceful and crude memory alteration would cause chaos in Zhou Yong's original memory chain.

If it were any normal Death Collapse victim, you couldn't do this. After a moment of dizziness, they would quickly dismiss the false memory as a dream from the previous night and forget it.

But Li Zhuiyuan trusted Zhou Yong, because he was truly easy to fool.

Moreover, he was "adapting" based on facts, which was consistent with the internal logic of the memory chain.

He continued to manipulate the scene, returning to the image of Zhou Yong sitting in his house drinking alone after his wife and daughter's deaths.

Outside, dialogue could be heard:

"Alright, we've killed his wife and children. Now we can proceed with the next step of the plan."

"Mhm. He's so stupid. I've already left the letter here. He'll grab onto it like a life-saving straw and do as we instructed in the letter."

"You can leave it. He's coming out soon."

"Mhm."

Li Zhuiyuan had originally intended to flesh out that last bit of dialogue further, but he couldn't hold on any longer. The Yin Walking state was difficult to maintain, and his perspective was becoming unstable and fragmented.

Still, it should be enough.

Li Zhuiyuan let go of all his strength and closed his eyes.

When he tried to open his eyes again, he found he couldn't. His eyes felt as if they were blocked.

He knew his Yin Walking had ended because he heard Run Sheng and Tan Wenbin's voices by his ears.

"Run Sheng, this bleeding won't stop. It's too scary."

"Keep wiping it. I'll go get some more clean water."

"Bin Bin Ge."

"Little Yuan, you're awake. Don't worry, we're trying to stop the bleeding."

"Bin Bin Ge, take a look at Zhou Yong and tell me how he is right now."

"He... he's shaking his head non-stop, like he's having a seizure. But don't worry, he can't break free from the basket and net."

"Keep watching him and tell me his changes. I can't see right now."

Run Sheng returned. Soon, Li Zhuiyuan felt a cool sensation flow over his eyes.

Now, he could open his eyes, but his field of vision was completely black. He couldn't see anything.

"Little Yuan, your eyes have no spirit at all. Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

Right now, he was afraid that even Liu Jinxia, who had cataracts, could boast about her eyesight in front of him.

He was no different from being blind.

"Little Yuan, are your eyes going to be alright?"

"Little Yuan Ge, don't scare me!"

"Don't worry, I just overexerted myself. I can't see right now, but I'm not truly blind. After resting and recuperating, I'll slowly recover."

In The Righteous Path to Subdue Demons, there are similar records: "Eyes blind, recovered in Xun Yue, then learned restraint."

Wei Zhengdao had overexerted himself like this before, but he eventually recovered.

It's just that "Xun Yue" here is difficult to interpret. It could mean one month, ten months, or ten days to a month.

Li Zhuiyuan felt the third interpretation was the most fitting. If he had truly been blind for a whole ten months, Wei Zhengdao's tone when writing this passage would have been much heavier and more fearful, not just "learned restraint," but "terrified to death" or "as if reborn."

"Little Yuan, the mucus in Zhou Yong's eyes has receded, and his eyes have turned red again. He looks very angry."

"Is he staring at the three of us?"

"No, he's not. He's not looking at us."

"Okay, done. It's successful."

The hatred had been transferred.

"Brother Run Sheng, take off the net and basket, and put Zhou Yong in the water."

"Okay!"

Although the request was highly irregular, Run Sheng never asked why.

He lifted Zhou Yong to the riverbank, took away the net and basket, and then looked at the man still flailing on the bank like a dead fish. He raised his foot and kicked him back into the river.

As soon as he hit the water, the half-dead Zhou Yong became active, diving to the bottom of the river.

"Little Yuan, let's go to the hospital," Tan Wenbin said.

"Brother Bin Bin, please bear with it a little longer and ride the tricycle to take me home.

Brother Run Sheng, you stay here and take care of Grandpa Shan and my Great Grandfather.

Starting tomorrow, go to Zhou Yong's Family's Dam once in the morning and once in the evening to check the situation. If you don't see that mother and daughter waving at you from the dam, come to this river to search. You should be able to find dead fish."

"Little Yuan, is there anything else I need to pay attention to?"

"Remember to settle the money with the Village Chief again."

"Okay." Run Sheng agreed and turned to Tan Wenbin, "Can you still ride the bike?"

"No problem."

Run Sheng asked with sincere concern, "You look very tired. Do you want me to slap you to wake you up?"

"No, no need. I'll slap myself when I'm riding."

"Be careful and don't let Little Yuan get hurt."

"Of course, don't worry."

Run Sheng packed up his things and personally carried Li Zhuiyuan home on his back.

Inside the house, the two drunken old men snored like thunder.

This time, he had helped Great Grandfather solve another problem.

However, the boy didn't mind helping Great Grandfather resolve these disasters. Because by staying by Great Grandfather's side, he could act more freely. Great Grandfather's usual logic was already at odds with the so-called righteous path.

Of course, it was also possible that the current righteous path was fake and wrong, and Great Grandfather's way of doing things was the true righteous path.

But from another perspective, if he hadn't come, Great Grandfather might not have encountered this matter.

Because without him, Great Grandfather wouldn't have been able to find Zhou Yong's house with that Compass.

Dawn was breaking.

Completely exhausted, Li Zhuiyuan, sitting on the tricycle and feeling the cool morning breeze, found himself without any sleepiness.

Although his eyes were dark and he couldn't see anything, he was in a very good mood, even humming a children's song, Let Us Row the Oars.

All his previous achievements had come too easily. In the art of "corpse retrieval," he had experienced the feeling of being a poor student for the first time.

I'm working hard and hoping for a little progress, but you dare to slander me while cheating!

Why?

Then I'll kill you.

Tan Wenbin slapped his own face as he rode the tricycle, but when he heard the singing from behind, he couldn't help but smile.

The boy sitting behind him had given him a sense of terrifying maturity beyond his apparent age since they first met. Many times, he felt that his father was suppressed in front of the boy.

Therefore, the "brother" he called out wasn't just flattery; the boy was indeed smarter and more mature than him.

Now, hearing the boy sing, he felt happy for him. This was what a child should be like.

"You're very happy, Little Yuan?"

"Yes, very happy."

The tricycle safely pulled onto the family's courtyard. Tan Wenbin, who was riding it, had his face almost swollen from slapping himself.

Upon arrival, he dizzily applied the brakes, then collapsed on the ground and fell asleep.

This day and night, he was busy without stopping. Not only was he frequently startled, but Death Collapse also sucked away his yang energy. To be able to hold on until now was a miracle for a normal person.

Liu Yumei and Aunt Liu were eating breakfast. Seeing this, they both dropped their chopsticks and rushed over.

Li Zhuiyuan's left and right hands were grabbed by Liu Yumei and Liu Ting respectively. Immediately, the two exchanged a glance.

Aunt Liu let go, dragged Tan Wenbin back to his seat at the dining table on the first floor, and then went back into the house to get medicine.

Liu Yumei, with a grim expression, stared at Li Zhuiyuan and sighed.

Li Zhuiyuan liked this quiet atmosphere. There was no unnecessary concern or questioning. Everyone could see clearly.

Even because he couldn't see now, everyone no longer needed to manage their expressions.

This world suddenly became much simpler.

Until his hand was held by a pair of soft, warm hands.

The monotonous world immediately became rich and full again.

"A Li, come here. I have a secret to tell you."

A Li came closer and pressed herself against the boy.

Li Zhuiyuan sensed his lips touching the girl's hair. She was pressing her ear close.

"I'm telling you, there's a group of people who want to scheme against me. I'm very angry. I've already made arrangements, and I'll definitely be able to kill them."

Liu Yumei, of course, heard this whispered conversation.

She originally thought her granddaughter would be angry that the boy had caused her to be in this state. But who would have thought that after the boy finished speaking, her granddaughter's face would reveal two clear dimples.

"A Li, I can't see now. Take me back to the room."

Li Zhuiyuan sensed the girl holding his hand and leading him forward with one hand, while the other hand supported his arm.

In the past, it was always he who led the girl.

They entered the house, went upstairs step by step, returned to his room, and sat on the bed.

Li Zhuiyuan lay down and reached out to touch the quilt, but his hand met empty air.

But soon, the quilt was placed over his stomach, even folded in the way he was used to.

The girl left. Li Zhuiyuan heard the sound of the door opening.

After a while, the sound of the door opening rang out again. The girl returned, and then Li Zhuiyuan felt a wet towel wiping his face.

He wiped for a while, folded it, and continued wiping, just as he used to wipe her.

It turned out she had been learning all along.

The room door opened again, revealing the footsteps of an adult.

"Little Yuan, you lie still. Auntie will put medicine on you."

"Thank you, Aunt Liu."

Ointment was applied to his eyes, and then a cloth strip was tied around the back of his head.

A comfortable sensation spread around his eye sockets, followed by a deep weariness.

Forcing himself not to sleep, Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Aunt Liu, how long until my eyes are better?"

"A month."

Li Zhuiyuan: "..."

Aunt Liu chuckled, "Heh heh, a month. You can finally calm down a bit."

Li Zhuiyuan also smiled.

"You brat, how can you still smile?"

"A month is just enough to finish the summer vacation, it won't delay the start of school."

During the day, Li Sanjiang woke up. Upon learning that Little Yuan and Zhuang Zhuang had already returned, he didn't pay it much mind. Instead, he grabbed his tools and led Runsheng along the riverbank for several more laps.

Runsheng had intended to just pass the time with Li Sanjiang, going through the motions.

Then, he saw Li Sanjiang take out that compass.

The compass pointed south, so he followed Li Sanjiang to the bridge.

Under the bridge, Li Sanjiang unbuckled his belt and urinated.

When men urinate, they often don't stare downwards but scan their surroundings, as if "sweeping clouds and raising mists."

He saw the monument under the bridge and sighed, "Runsheng Hou, is this Zhou Yong from your village?"

"Yes, Grandpa."

"Tsk tsk, is he very rich? He donated a bridge all by himself."

"Uh... I don't know the villagers very well."

"You don't know anyone from your own village?"

"Grandpa, you know, my grandpa and I are in this line of work. We don't usually interact much with the villagers."

"That shouldn't be. Don't you have good relationships with the villagers? Who doesn't like a country bumpkin who loses money playing cards?"

"My grandpa usually doesn't have money in his pocket to play cards."

"Oh, right."

Run Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. He felt like he had squeezed every last drop of his intelligence to manage to brush off the matter.

But then, a scene unfolded that made Run Sheng's jaw drop.

Li Sanjiang held the Compass and walked south to under the bridge. Ahead was a bend in the river, and there was no road. So, he went in the opposite direction indicated by the Compass, heading north.

And Zhou Yong's house was located precisely at the northern corner of the village.

Run Sheng followed Li Sanjiang all the way to Zhou Yong's house, his expression one of utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.

His own grandpa always said Grandpa Sanjiang was useless. Is this what useless looks like?

Last night, Little Yuan spent a lot of effort to find Zhou Yong's house, and Grandpa Sanjiang found it while taking a piss!

"Hahaha, hello there!"

Li Sanjiang raised his hand and waved to the mother and daughter sitting on the dam.

Because Run Sheng, a villager, was standing right beside him, he was able to see the mother and daughter.

"Grandpa, we don't need to go further." Run Sheng decided that if Li Sanjiang continued forward, he would carry Li Sanjiang away, even if he had to physically lift him.

"No need to go, no need to go. It's just the mother and daughter at home. What's the point of going? It's boring."

Since the women were at home, it wasn't appropriate for him, a grown man, to approach.

But in Run Sheng's ears, this had a different interpretation. Did Grandpa Sanjiang know at a glance that Zhou Yong wasn't home?

They wandered until the afternoon, and Li Sanjiang returned to Grandpa Shan's house.

The Village Chief was also in the yard, inquiring about the progress. Li Sanjiang patted his chest and said not to worry, they were close to finding him.

After the Village Chief left, there was still a lot of the high-proof white wine left from last night. The Village Chief also brought some small braised snacks in advance.

The two old men sat down and continued drinking.

As they drank, they became more animated.

When it was almost nightfall, Li Sanjiang finally remembered why he had come here. He got up and said he would go out again while it was still light.

Grandpa Shan pulled him back, asking him to continue drinking with him, then urged Run Sheng to go out and wander around again.

Run Sheng answered, grabbed his things, and went out. Little Yuan had already instructed him to visit once every morning and evening.

He ran to Zhou Yong's Family's Dam.

This time, the mother and daughter on the dam did not appear again.

Night.

An adult carried a boy on his shoulders, walking along the riverbank.

At first glance, they looked like a father and son out for a stroll at night.

But the conversation between them was shocking, because the adult man called the boy on his neck... Dad.

"Dad, Blind Liu's family sent someone to return the money to us. What should we do?"

"We'll go again another day. Double the price. I don't believe she won't be tempted."

"Okay. Is their family really that important?"

"Very important. Their whole family has truly tough lives, especially that little granddaughter named Cui Cui."

"Dad, are you interested in her?"

The Dwarf forcefully slapped the head of the man beneath him, and the man let out a pained cry.

"Are you stupid? Marrying someone with such a tough life, are you hoping your dad dies sooner?"

"Dad, if that's not what you meant, why are you thinking about her?"

"What for? It's useful. If we can get involved with their family, we can have them shoulder some things in the future. They have tough lives and can bear burdens. Three people in a family, one dies in exchange for another, how good is that."

"Then why don't we just force them..."

"Force them, my ass! Have you forgotten what I taught you? In our line of work, we most fear getting involved in bad luck. Even if we want to scheme, we have to be careful about our methods and cover our tracks.

Otherwise, who knows when a calamity will descend, and you won't even know how you died.

My son and I, one with Gigantism, the other with Dwarfism, already have a hard time. Not only does heaven look unfavorably upon us, but even the world treats us differently. So we have to be even more careful in our actions, understand?"

"Understood, Dad."

"Right, remember next time we go to Blind Liu's house, remind me to ask about that boy's situation."

"Dad, you still remember that boy? He's just a kid."

"I just feel like that kid saw right through me."

"How is that possible, Dad? Are you overthinking it? Out there, everyone thinks you're my son."

"No mistake, that boy saw right through me. He seemed to see my inner thoughts with just one glance. You were inside then, you don't know. That boy's gaze was too terrifying."

"Could it be that boy has the same illness as you, Dad?"

"I don't know. So next time we go to Siyuan Village, I need to investigate further. It would be best to visit that boy's home. Oh, right. That quiet girl next to the boy, she was really beautiful. Like someone from TV."

"I saw her too. Is her fate not strong?"

"Can't tell. Probably not strong."

"Then she can be my wife in the future?"

"Heh, you're the son. Do you know the rules? You're not the first in line."

"Dad, you're not being a good father."

"Alright, enough nonsense. We're here. Go down to the river and call out that idiot. Let's see how the results are from you handling it yourself last time. Let Dad also inspect your performance."

"Don't worry, Dad, no problem."

The man, carrying the Dwarf on his shoulder, descended into the river. Just as he was about to take out something to summon, bubbles suddenly appeared before him.

His back was revealed, then it slowly flipped over, finally revealing Zhou Yong's figure.

"Dad, look. My Death Collapse is so smart. I didn't even need to summon it, it came out on its own."

"Indeed, it's good. Son, I told you, in this line of work, I've truly never seen anyone with more talent than you."

"That's right."

"Roar!"

Suddenly, the mucus in Zhou Yong's eyes receded, turning crimson, and he lunged directly at the man.

"Dad!" the man screamed.

The Dwarf on his head, however, took out a Talisman Paper and promptly stuck it to Zhou Yong's forehead. Zhou Yong immediately stopped moving.

"Dad, that was so scary. What just happened?"

"Death Collapse losing control happens often. No need to worr..."

A cold wind swept over the bridgehead, and the malevolent energy in the river instantly boiled.

The Talisman Papers on Zhou Yong's forehead instantly burned.

"Roar!"

Zhou Yong's hands pierced through the man's chest, then he opened his mouth and bit down on the man's neck.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The sound of bones breaking was high-frequency and crisp.

The man was suddenly knocked down, falling into the river.

"How could this happen, how could this happen, no, this is impossible!"

The Dwarf thrashed in the water, unable to believe what was happening before his eyes. Why had things developed this way?

In the river, blood and scattered body parts appeared. Zhou Yong continued to lunge at the Dwarf.

"You deserve to die, you deserve to die, give me back my son!"

The Dwarf's face was contorted, no longer resembling a child at all.

A spiked rope appeared in his hand. He moved like a fish in the water, nimbly circling behind Zhou Yong. The rope was thrown around Zhou Yong's neck and tightened with great force.

"Ahhh!!!"

Zhou Yong let out a howl, his neck rapidly melting.

However, the moment Zhou Yong had let out that roar, the lid of the well on his dam had slid off.

The colorful water snake at the bottom of the well opened its mouth and let out a silent hiss upwards, then its body burst, turning into pus.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The windows of the house's bedroom and kitchen were directly blown out. After two women, one large and one small, jumped out, they moved towards the river at extreme speed.

Run Sheng was also running towards the river when he suddenly saw two figures flash past him. He recognized who they were, but he didn't understand why the mother and daughter were sliding on the ground as they moved, like two rapidly moving snakes.

Then, they both jumped into the river, leaving only two rapidly rising ripples on the water's surface.

"You deserve to die, you killed my son, he was my son!!!"

With the rope in his hand, the Dwarf had almost cut Zhou Yong's neck in half. Zhou Yong's aura was rapidly weakening, and his killing intent was quickly dissipating.

This kind of ominous Feng Shui Pattern was inherently short-lived.

But just then, Zhou Yong suddenly extended his arms and grabbed the Dwarf's two feet.

The Dwarf didn't care at all. He only knew that this Death Collapse was about to be cut to death by him.

But just then, he turned his head to the side. Under the water, there seemed to be something.

Suddenly, two figures shot out from under the water, one on the left and one on the right. They grabbed the Dwarf and began to tear at him ferociously.

Their eyes were like snake eyes. Every bite they took caused the blood flowing from the Dwarf's wounds to be black, not red.

"Ah!!!"

The Dwarf let out a scream. He wanted to shake them off, but the three Death Collapses were clinging to him at close range, leaving him no room to maneuver, no matter how agile his movements were.

Finally, with a face that turned ashen gray from poisoning, he lost all signs of life and slowly sank into the river along with the three Death Collapses.

After Li Zhuiyuan altered his memories, Zhou Yong's resentment transformed from his obsession with his wife and daughter continuing to accompany him to a desire for revenge for his broken family.

When the enemy died, his revenge was complete, and his resentment began to dissipate.

Even if there were unforeseen circumstances, there was another layer of protection: Li Zhuiyuan had altered the river's feng shui to counteract the malevolent energy. This would ignite the malevolent energy in the area for a short period, creating a boiling effect, naturally including the Death Collapses.

In short, Zhou Yong had completely perished.

As he ended, the Vengeful Spirit wife and daughter, who existed because of him, were finally freed.

After they all sank into the water in a cluster, they slowly dispersed and floated up again. Only the mother and daughter remained clinging to each other.

When Run Sheng ran to the riverbank, he couldn't help but be startled by the scene before him. There were so many floating corpses on the river surface.

"Little Yuan, you were right. Fish, so many dead fish!"