Chapter 331

Tan Wenbin led Xu Ming and Chen Jing up the mountain.

Although he knew "Little Yuan" wouldn't do anything he wasn't sure about, and Zhao Yi had also given reassurance over the phone, Tan Wenbin still didn't dare to delay for a moment on the way.

Xu Ming and Chen Jing, however, were even more proactive than Tan Wenbin. They kept Zhao Yi's instructions in mind: to seize the opportunity and perform well.

But even rushing as fast as they could, the three of them still arrived late.

Along the path from the first platform to the main hall, many dismembered corpses of various shapes were hanging; not a single one was whole.

This was because during the previous battle, the Yin gods had inhabited stone statues. The statues were burly, with large, rough fists, so the outcome of their fight was bound to be gruesome.

Runsheng had a headless lion slung over his shoulder and was carrying a large bamboo basket he found on the mountain. He was rummaging through the body parts, tossing animal corpses into the basket.

Chen Jing: "Brother Runsheng!"

Runsheng looked up at him and directly handed the basket of animal corpses to Chen Jing:

"You eat."

Chen Jing swallowed, momentarily forgetting to reach out and take it.

Runsheng: "Don't know how to eat it?"

Chen Jing: "Brother Yi taught me how to extract essence blood from demonic beast corpses."

However, in previous experiments, they would collect a little blood from pets left by Sun Yan, make a small bowl, place it in front of Chen Jing, and then Chen Jing would extract and absorb it.

Until now, he had never truly extracted anything from a demonic beast corpse, let alone from this bamboo basket where most of the bodies weren't in their original beast form, and some were even indistinguishably mixed.

Xu Ming walked over, took a look, and said, "This is a bit difficult for Ah Jing. He needs to differentiate them first, then clean them, and then categorize them..."

Xu Ming hadn't participated in the previous two waves either, having been assigned by Zhao Yi to care for and train Chen Jing. Naturally, he had a clear understanding of Chen Jing's current state and abilities.

Runsheng handed the bamboo basket to Xu Ming, who took it. Then Runsheng tossed the lion onto Xu Ming, who braced it with his head, his head emerging perfectly from the broken lion's body at the neck, as if he had put on a lion costume from an amusement park, though it was a bit too bloody.

Shaking off the bloodstains from his hands, Runsheng looked at Chen Jing but said nothing.

The prey had been served, yet they were complaining it was too dirty, too messy, and unappetizing.

Runsheng, who had learned to value food from a young age, disliked such behavior.

Tan Wenbin walked over, glanced at the lion "outfit" on Xu Ming, and asked:

"Where's the head?"

Runsheng: "Smashed."

Tan Wenbin: "What a shame."

Runsheng: "It's not a monkey; you can't make monkey brains."

Tan Wenbin: "You could make 'Lion's Head' (meatballs), though. Absolutely authentic."

Runsheng paused, then nodded: "Right, I forgot."

Xu Ming sniffed the lion on him, first looking surprised,

then showing delight, exclaiming excitedly: "This lion is extraordinary..."

Tan Wenbin patted Xu Ming's shoulder: "Then you should help Ah Jing absorb it quickly. You can be aggressive; don't worry about problems. Even if the external team isn't here, the main team is."

Xu Ming didn't refute, simply saying: "Okay."

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng walked further inside together.

"Runsheng, did everything go smoothly?"

"Yeah, they weren't much of a fight."

Tan Wenbin could tell that Runsheng felt a bit unfulfilled.

The young man sat on the steps below the main hall, holding a can of Jianlibao.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, Xu Ming is already helping Chen Jing 'eat'."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, pointing to the main hall behind him: "Brother Binbin, you've worked hard."

"Heh!" Tan Wenbin rubbed his hands excitedly. "This is my favorite part."

Tan Wenbin walked past the young man, approaching the threshold of the main hall.

First, he straightened his clothes, then his eyes narrowed, revealing serpent pupils, an aura of authority emanating from him. With every movement, tendrils of azure ox energy flowed, making him stand with solemn dignity.

As he stepped over the threshold, a gentle yet reserved smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Inside the main hall, the weak flames of numerous lamps flickered in sync with Tan Wenbin's footsteps.

They had already pledged allegiance, and their previous "turncoat attack" could be considered a form of a pledge of loyalty.

But the new order and operating system for the Guanjiang Shou still needed to be proclaimed.

This concerned everyone's future development, and no Yin god could afford to ignore it.

Tan Wenbin didn't rush to greet the Yin gods. Instead, he walked directly to the golden statue of the Bodhisattva.

This Bodhisattva had a solemn and benevolent appearance, but there was something a bit "Sun Boshu-ish" about it.

Tan Wenbin knew that Little Yuan hadn't communicated with Sun Boshen beforehand, but there was a natural understanding between them.

To be more precise, it perfectly aligned with their mutual interests.

Tan Wenbin took out incense sticks, lit them, broke them, bowed three times, and finally inserted the three broken incense sticks into the censer in front of the golden statue.

Then, Tan Wenbin turned around and looked at the statues hanging before him.

"Everyone..."

Instantly, silence fell in the main hall. Numerous invisible gazes collectively landed on Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin took a folded notebook from his embrace:

"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. I will emphasize the areas that need change, and reiterate those that can remain the same.

Logically, once the new charter is established, we should immediately find a few typical offenders and punish them severely.

I'm not looking to be unconventional; I will definitely try to find fault where there is none.

I hope you all are careful.

Alright, now I will go through the new charter with you, item by item.

If everyone agrees on an item, we'll quickly move to the next;

If any item raises doubts, please do not hide them. Please bring them up boldly, and we will brainstorm and revise.

And then, those who raise objections, can...

...die."

Tan Wenbin flicked his hand, and the folded notebook opened, clattering as it hit the ground, then continued to extend forward, stretching very, very long.

This proclamation continued until dusk.

The rules were numerous and detailed. Although Tan Wenbin personally compiled them, they also distilled Lin Shuyou's wisdom.

However, as long as the overall distribution of merit increased, these Yin gods didn't mind the increase in rules.

Moreover, after proclaiming the rules, Tan Wenbin added a "future outlook" session.

This wasn't empty talk or vague promises. The Yin gods present were ancient beings; they knew that if the current new model continued to develop without being forcibly interrupted by external forces, the next few decades would be a period of booming growth for the Guanjiang Shou.

Immediate benefits combined with long-term prospects—this combination was enough to win over these Yin gods.

No matter which faction they pledged allegiance to, none could offer such enticing conditions.

This was because Li Zhuiyuan had no intention of extracting benefits from here. Instead,

he helped them overthrow the former Bodhisattva and replaced it with a "new Bodhisattva" who believed merit should not be surrendered.

The young man intervened to reorganize the Guanjiang Shou for two main reasons:

First, he needed the Two Generals of Increase and Decrease to work part-time for him,

and second, to reward Lin Shuyou, who had always been diligent.

Of course, two more subtle reasons could be added:

One was to strike at the Bodhisattva's influence, which aligned with the interests of the Heavenly Dao and the Great Emperor, especially since that Bodhisattva had once schemed against him;

The other was that Li Zhuiyuan had disliked from the start the phenomenon of Yin gods not treating their spirit mediums as human beings.

Tan Wenbin folded the notebook, clapped it into his palm with a "slap," and to everyone's surprise, it produced the resonant sound of a gavel.

He took the opportunity to crack a joke:

"Alright, court dismissed."

"Thump, thump, thump."

"Thump, thump, thump!"

The statues collectively made synchronized sounds.

They had already realized that the young man was an existence not to be defied, and the person before them was the one who actually controlled their future fates.

Thus, it was unclear which Yin god, with excessive memories of a past life, started the chant, but then all the Yin gods followed suit:

"Mighty!"

"Mighty!"

Tan Wenbin smiled.

When you become increasingly powerful, you'll find that everyone you meet, even gods, are amiable.

This scene, combined with the arrogant, nose-in-the-air demeanor of the mediums when the Guanjiang Shou were first encountered, made him suddenly realize how far everyone had come with Little Yuan.

He turned, walked down the stairs, and arrived below the main hall.

Earlier, Tan Wenbin had deliberately not released the "loyal and brave generals" imprisoned there. After all, things had to be arranged in stages.

Those imprisoned there sensed a drastic change above them. They waited a long time and finally saw the appearance of the new "spokesperson."

Tan Wenbin brought a chair, sat down, and continued to converse with them, keeping them in their "prisoner" status.

The old temple would subsequently remove its influence over the secular Guanjiang Shou temples, being demoted from its original status as an "ancestral hall" to a Guanjiang Shou Children's Palace, specifically responsible for training young spirit mediums.

Additionally, the Lin family would move into the old temple, taking control and becoming its core.

This was essentially the "Lin Family Temple" joining a larger lineage as a minor branch. The "Lin Family Temple" would not be dismantled; Chen Shoumen would represent the secular Guanjiang Shou lineage, while the Lin family would represent the ancestral hall lineage, but both ultimately belonged to the Nantong School.

Tan Wenbin also showed great favor to those imprisoned here. Those willing to continue managing the old temple could stay; if not, they were free to go down the mountain and establish their own temples in the secular world, without any obstruction.

Ultimately, most people chose to remain in the old temple, while a small portion decided to descend the mountain.

There were no instances of people vowing to resist to the death, because the Bodhisattva was still the Bodhisattva, and Guanjiang Shou was still Guanjiang Shou. As long as the superficial facade remained, these "loyal and brave generals" could console themselves.

This was the advantage of holding righteousness: the ability to convert and absorb the opposing force with maximum efficiency.

Unlike that fool, Di Ting, who insisted on forcing everyone to acknowledge a beast as their leader.

After opening the cages and releasing the prisoners, Tan Wenbin went outside the hall.

With matters here settled, he still had to go to the Lin family temple and make further arrangements.

The Dragon King shouted from the bow of the boat; wasn't this precisely what needed to be done?

There was a sleeping bag outside, so Little Yuan must have slept here, but he wasn't there now.

Chen Jing had encountered problems while eating the "hodgepodge."

The malevolence of the demonic beasts before their agonizing deaths remained in their blood. Combined with such a mixed consumption, and the presence of that powerful lion, it was no surprise that Chen Jing suffered qi deviation when extracting and absorbing the essence blood.

Xu Ming placed his hands on Chen Jing's shoulders, and tendrils of vines emerged, binding and suppressing him.

Li Zhuiyuan brought his index and middle fingers together, pressing them against Chen Jing's brow.

However, that unconscious ferocity was insignificant compared to the personality influences Li Zhuiyuan had endured before.

At the Zhao family's ancestral home, after Li Zhuiyuan successfully reversed the Black Leather Book's secret technique, he had thoroughly opened up this path.

Chen Jing's current situation appeared extremely perilous to others, but to the young man, it was just like a depleted fish pond after its last use—an opportunity to gather more feed and throw it in.

Soon, Chen Jing's eyes regained clarity.

"Thank you... Brother Yuan."

"It's fine, keep eating."

Standing behind them, Xu Ming's face showed unconcealed shock. When did something as dangerous and tricky as qi deviation become solvable with such effortless ease?

Chen Jing continued to absorb the demonic essence blood. With Brother Yuan by his side this time, he no longer held back.

Subsequently, whenever Chen Jing showed signs of qi deviation, Li Zhuiyuan would intervene and take away that "feed."

Incidentally, he also observed Chen Jing.

It was clear that Zhao Yi was truly good to this child, and truly willing to invest heavily.

Zhao Yi had fashioned Chen Jing into a sturdy reservoir, waiting for the wave from the Yu family to swallow a large one and fill this reservoir directly.

By then, Zhao Yi would have a team cornerstone directly comparable to Runsheng.

Zhao Yi had not overlooked the hidden dangers here. Any method of rapidly gaining power would come with extremely terrifying side effects.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected that Zhao Yi had factored in his own intervention.

That fellow had long wanted him to clean up after his "masterpiece."

Li Zhuiyuan was not angered by this.

He disliked overly superficial relationships. The true foundation of a stable relationship was continuous mutual utility.

Chen Jing finished absorbing, drenched in sweat.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Xu Ming and said, "Alright, take him back. Let Zhao Yi be responsible for teaching him how to master his new power."

Xu Ming: "Okay. Um... do you need my help to repair the damaged areas here?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "No need."

Xu Ming: "Oh, then I'll take Ah Jing back."

Chen Jing was carried on Xu Ming's back.

He had come in a hurry and left in a hurry; he genuinely wished he could have taken away something more substantial.

Li Zhuiyuan: "When we return to Nantong, I will give a health cultivation scripture to Old Tian, and then let Old Tian pass it on to you. That scripture is very suitable for you. After practicing it effectively, your vines will gain an additional effect of strengthening your foundation and invigorating your vitality."

Xu Ming paused, then his face lit up with great joy.

His position in the team was already awkward; otherwise, Zhao Yi wouldn't have assigned him to look after a child. Once Chen Jing rose to prominence, he would completely lose his place.

Now that Old Tian couldn't follow the team, if Xu Ming could change his role to have both a certain defensive capability and the ability to provide some healing to his companions, then his team status would become stable again.

"Thank you, thank you, Young Master Li, thank you, Brother Xiaoyuan."

In the martial arts world, imparting knowledge and skills was a great favor; kneeling and kowtowing in gratitude would not be an exaggeration.

In fact, Xu Ming had intended to put Chen Jing down and then do so himself.

But seeing the impatience in the young man's eyes, he immediately stopped, carried Chen Jing on his back, and ran down the mountain.

Tan Wenbin: "The external team will be grinning from ear to ear this time."

Li Zhuiyuan: "This is preparation for our upcoming visit to the Yu family."

Both Chen Jing's and Xu Ming's advancements would become new accumulated advantages for their side in the upcoming 'wave' involving the Yu family.

The moment he thought of the Yu family, that hand reappeared in the young man's mind.

Grandma Liu had told him that the top forces in the martial arts world were already preparing to act against the Yu family, and the Heavenly Dao was repeatedly building up momentum towards them.

Even the Two Generals of Increase and Decrease knew that pledging allegiance to the Yu family... would lead nowhere.

Yet, for some unknown reason, the young man felt a faint palpitation in his heart because of that hand.

He had a premonition that the 'wave' involving the Yu family wouldn't be so simple.

Tan Wenbin: "Brother Xiaoyuan, everything here is handled. Next, we should go to the Lin family temple."

Li Zhuiyuan:

"Hmm, to A-You's home."

The Lin Family Temple had undergone tremendous changes due to Lin Shuyou's return: a new spirit medium system, the Lin surname versus other surnames, the merging of the three small temples, the wooing of other temples, and so on—every single one of these matters weighed heavily on Lin Fu'an and Chen Shoumen.

Lin Fu'an was alright; ever since kowtowing to his grandson... True Lord, his injuries had significantly alleviated, and he could still manage.

Chen Shoumen, as the temple master, was already gravely injured and bedridden. After all this busyness, he vomited blood several more times.

But soon, another major event appeared before Lin Fu'an and Chen Shoumen. Compared to this, all other matters temporarily seemed

insignificant.

Lin Shuyou relayed the message: That person would be coming to the temple.

Lin Fu'an sat on a chair, and Chen Shoumen leaned against the bed. The two stared at each other, wide-eyed, neither speaking.

Lin Shuyou sat in another spot by the bed, already asleep and snoring.

There was nothing he could do. His grandfather and master had invited him to discuss matters, but then they just sat there in silence. Lin Shuyou simply couldn't stay awake any longer.

Recently, the Lin family had been very active, and spirit medium sessions were frequent. Lin Shuyou shared a body with the medium boy, and experiencing this kind of "summoning" for the first time, it was inevitable that he felt some discomfort and fatigue.

Finally, after a long silence, Chen Shoumen's chest heaved, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Lin Fu'an was startled and immediately got up to help him regulate his qi and expel the blood.

"Shoumen..."

He wanted to tell his disciple to rest, but the words caught in his throat.

Because only the two of them knew the true secret, and there was no one else they could share the burden with.

Chen Shoumen: "Master, you still need to set the course for this matter."

Lin Fu'an's brows furrowed deeply.

A grand welcome and reception might displease that person;

But if it was too simple, they feared that person would feel slighted.

This was the Dragon King's lineage, an exalted presence the Lin family temple had never dared to dream of before. Moreover, their own family was now completely reliant on that person, who was essentially the "master" of the Lin family temple.

Lin Fu'an: "Shoumen, don't laugh, but even when I treated my own grandfather, I wasn't this apprehensive."

Chen Shoumen: "How can the patriarch be compared to this person?"

Lin Fu'an wasn't angry, but merely nodded awkwardly: "Indeed."

Chen Shoumen: "Master, if we don't make a decision soon, it will be too late to prepare."

Lin Fu'an turned his head, looked at Lin Shuyou, and called out: "A-You!"

"Hm... hmm?"

Lin Shuyou rubbed his eyes and opened them.

Lin Fu'an: "We'll listen to you. Tell us, how should we entertain that person?"

Lin Shuyou: "Grandpa, Master, didn't I say? Treat them like my university classmates coming over to play."

Upon hearing this, both Lin Fu'an and Chen Shoumen's eyelids twitched simultaneously.

Is this something to joke about? If they messed this up, the current favorable situation could be ruined.

Lin Fu'an gritted his teeth and slapped his thigh forcefully:

"We'll do as A-You says!"

Early this morning, before dawn, Lin Fu'an sat by the round entrance of the inner hall, drinking tea.

From early morning through noon to afternoon, he drank pot after pot of tea. Being old, he couldn't hold his bladder for long, and he was afraid that the guest might arrive while he was using the restroom. So, Lin Fu'an had to force himself to hold it every time, and when he absolutely couldn't, he would rush to relieve himself, then quickly jog back to his seat, pick up his teacup, and continue drinking tea.

Lin Fu'an's son, Lin Shuyou's father, was assigned to sweep the inner courtyard.

He had been sweeping for most of the day, but the old man had instructed him to keep sweeping, and not to sweep all the fallen leaves away, so there would always be something to sweep.

Lin's father really wanted to check the old man's forehead for a fever, but facing the sharp gaze of his father holding his bladder, he ultimately didn't have the courage.

Behind the inner hall was the temple room. Chen Shoumen was lying on his side on a divan at the temple room's entrance, with a table in front of him, on which lay scriptures and a fortune-telling cylinder.

He was a bit more comfortable than the old man. After all, he was in the back, able to hold a brush in his left hand, press the fortune-telling cylinder with his right, and doze off with his eyes squinted.

Today, the temple's incense pilgrims were diverted in advance; those entering the main gate would be arranged by temple disciples to take another path for burning incense and offering prayers.

At the temple entrance, Lin's mother stood, holding a full vegetable basket.

As for Lin Shuyou, he was asked to sit at a herbal tea stall opposite the temple gate and drink herbal tea.

Lin Shuyou leaned his elbows on the table, propped his chin in his palm, presenting his back to the temple gate, and then fell asleep.

He had been truly very sleepy lately.

Moreover, he genuinely felt there was no need to treat Brother Xiaoyuan and the others as outsiders.

However, A-You didn't take this matter to heart, but the medium boy was very serious about it.

Upon realizing the guests had arrived, the medium boy directly activated the vertical pupils for A-You.

"Hum!"

"Thud..."

Lin Shuyou crushed the table beneath him and fell to the ground, the bowls and plates that were on it shattering into pieces with a "crash."

Tan Wenbin: "Is this a Fuzhou custom, a welcoming ceremony where 'shattering brings peace'?"

Lin Shuyou squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, the vertical pupils were gone.

"Brother Bin, Brother Runsheng, Brother Xiaoyuan!"

Tan Wenbin was carrying a large cake, and Runsheng, following behind him, held two large bags of incense and candles.

The cake was for the old man's birthday, and the incense and candles were for the temple.

Tan Wenbin scolded crossly: "I thought you'd matured! You concocted an excuse with Old Man Li saying it was your grandpa's 80th birthday, and it turns out it actually is your grandpa's 80th birthday!"

Lin Shuyou: "My grandpa just happened to be born at a convenient time."

Tan Wenbin looked at the cake in his hand: "It was too late to make one from scratch, so I had them put one together for me, with peaches wrapped inside.

If you had told me earlier, I could have brought some Nantong specialties when we set off."

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, no one in my family ate the Nantong specialties I brought back home last Chinese New Year."

Tan Wenbin: "It's the thought that counts. Say, why don't you go home now, sneak out those specialties, and I'll carry them in?"

Lin Shuyou: "Can't sneak them out anymore."

Tan Wenbin: "What happened?"

Lin Shuyou: "My grandpa and the others are worshipping them now."

Tan Wenbin: "Alright, alright, let's go inside. Runsheng and I are hungry. Is there food?"

Lin Shuyou: "Yes, my mom went to buy groceries before dawn."

Tan Wenbin: "Oh, it's so embarrassing to have you prepare food so early and wait for us."

Lin Shuyou: "The food isn't made yet. My mom is still holding her vegetable basket, pacing in place inside the temple gate."

The four entered the temple gate.

Just as they stepped in, they saw a woman carrying a vegetable basket walk past them.

Lin's mother: "A-You, who are they?"

Lin Shuyou: "Mom, they are my classmates."

Lin's mother: "Oh, your classmates are here! What a coincidence! I just got back from buying groceries this morning... no, noon... no, this afternoon.

You take your classmates to play for a bit, I'll go make dinner right away and call you when it's ready."

Lin Shuyou: "Okay, Mom."

Tan Wenbin: "Sorry for the trouble, Auntie."

"No trouble at all, haha, no trouble."

Lin's mother smiled and walked towards the kitchen. After a few steps, her body swayed; her legs had gone numb, but she still braced herself, steadying her posture, and shuffled forward step by step.

The others could only pretend not to notice.

Led by A-You, the group continued further inside.

Upon reaching the round gate, Lin's father spoke: "A-You, they are..."

Lin Shuyou: "Dad, they are my classmates."

Lin's father: "Oh, classmates are here! Hahaha, good... Ouch!"

Lin's father tried to straighten his back but found he couldn't, so he had to maintain his sweeping posture, like a seasoned hunchback.

Stepping through the round gate, they saw Lin Fu'an holding a teacup and drinking tea.

"Ah, delightful."

He savored his tea with contentment, then slowly shifted his gaze forward, then gradually turned it, as if just noticing them.

"A-You, who are they?"

"Grandpa, they are my classmates."

"Good, distant classmates are guests. You must entertain them well."

"Okay, Grandpa."

Tan Wenbin, holding the cake: "Grandpa, I wish you blessings as vast as the East Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains!"

Lin Fu'an: "Hehe, alright, alright, alright!"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Hello, Old Man."

Lin Fu'an's body went limp. Fortunately, one hand propped against the tea table and the other gripped the armrest of the chair tightly, preventing him from collapsing to his knees.

"Young student... hello."

Continuing further inside, as they passed the temple room entrance, Chen Shoumen opened his eyes, rolled the fortune-telling cylinder, and with a "clatter," a top-tier fortune stick flew out of the door.

Chen Shoumen: "Good fortune ahead, auspicious stars shining bright, immense blessings, a boundless future!"

Li Zhuiyuan bent down, picked up the stick, and placed it back on the table.

Chen Shoumen's body began to tremble, and a hint of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He was enduring it, afraid it would gush out.

Li Zhuiyuan placed the index finger of his right hand against Chen Shoumen's brow and spoke:

"Calm your mind and focus your spirit."

Chen Shoumen's body trembled, then he responded:

"Yes."

When the young man withdrew his finger, Chen Shoumen felt all the stagnant qi and restlessness caused by his injuries and anxiety subside, and his entire being felt much lighter.

Li Zhuiyuan: "If you overexert yourself further, you'll harm your foundation and shorten your lifespan."

Chen Shoumen: "Thank you..."

Li Zhuiyuan didn't wait for Chen Shoumen to continue speaking and turned to walk out of the temple room.

The group arrived at Lin Shuyou's room.

While pouring tea for everyone, Lin Shuyou said, "Today, I truly feel like everyone in my family has turned into puppets."

Tan Wenbin: "A-You, you have to understand them. It's not easy for any of them."

Dinner was prepared very quickly, with astonishing efficiency, indicating that someone must have been on standby in the kitchen.

During dinner, Lin Fu'an came in, had a bite of cake, drank a glass of wine offered by Tan Wenbin, and then said he didn't want to disrupt their classmates' gathering atmosphere, so he left.

Noticing that the old man was still injured, Li Zhuiyuan didn't make any further gestures, focusing instead on eating the lychee pork in front of him.

After dinner, Tan Wenbin lit a cigarette and went outside alone.

Tan Wenbin didn't return until it was time for late-night snacks.

Tan Wenbin: "A-You, how long do you plan to stay at home?"

Lin Shuyou: "Brother Bin, I just told Brother Xiaoyuan that I want to go back to Nantong soon."

Tan Wenbin: "Hmm, our being here is making your family uncomfortable."

Lin Shuyou: "Actually, I was already a bit uncomfortable even before you arrived."

"Isn't this the feeling you've always dreamed of?"

"Dreams and reality are different, after all."

"Alright then, we'll go back tomorrow."

"Brother Bin, have you finished talking with my grandpa and master?"

"Long finished. Your grandpa and your master are both very clever."

"If you finished long ago, why are you only just back?"

"Oh, I talked to them about your romantic prospect."

Shinan Town, Siyuan Village.

Liu Yumei sat before the altar table in the east room, looking down at the letter Liu Yi had just delivered to her. Liu Yi spoke:

"Madam, they are already impatient."

"Yes, everyone wants a taste of the Dragon King's lineage, and other lineages are no exception."

"The turmoil caused this time will certainly not be small."

Liu Yumei tossed the letter aside, gently rubbed her brow, and said:

"Reply to those fellows once more and tell them that our family is not interested in the Yu family's affairs and will not intervene."

"Madam, I'm concerned that this disturbance might provoke Jiang... Such instances were not uncommon in the past."

"Are you worried that Xiaoyuan and the others might get involved?"

"Yes."

"It's fine. We make our statement, and Xiaoyuan does his part. Our family's 'River Walkers' have come this far, and the martial arts world remains quiet."

"That's true. I've been diligently collecting rumors and secret information from the martial arts world, but I still haven't found any trace of our Xiaoyuan."

"Has the Qin family ancestral home been peaceful lately?"

"Yes, it's peaceful. It was restless for a while, but Ah Li took some time to go back, and everything quieted down."

"Then you should also find time to go back and check on the Liu family ancestral home."

"Yes."

Liu Yumei waved her hand, and Liu Yi exited the east room.

"Heh..."

The old woman raised her head and looked at the perfectly new array of ancestral tablets on the altar table.

"Don't mention it, I'm actually quite curious to see how much foundation the Yu family still has left. But even if it's little, it'll be enough to cause a stir in the martial arts world."

Just then, Li Sanjiang's hearty laughter came from the dam outside:

"Hahahahaha, the mules are all back!"