Chapter 134

Chapter 130

Jiang Shui's hint naturally wasn't that simple; simple was Li Zhuiyuan himself.

Because in life, the people and things that could truly concern Li Zhuiyuan were few and far between.

This was his weakness; he found it difficult to personally trigger causality. Therefore, he needed Tan Wenbin and others to help him make connections.

This was also his strength; he could view clues from a third-person perspective, summarizing and concluding, exploring the rules.

However, the current Professor Zhu was a special case.

Li Zhuiyuan had long discovered that he had higher acceptance and tolerance for certain specific groups of people.

Professor Zhu had gained Li Zhuiyuan's recognition, and the young man was willing to interact with him.

While others had to sift through dozens, hundreds, or even more causal clues daily, the young man's number was extremely limited. He had finally accepted this particular lead recently, and it had turned out to be problematic.

Unless Jiang Shui's drop of water hadn't splashed on him, but as long as it had splashed on him, even just a single drop, from Li Zhuiyuan's perspective,

Professor Zhu... was already completely wet.

"So we just go now?"

"Okay."

:

One: When signs of causal clues appear, the early stage danger coefficient is generally relatively low.

Two: Newly appearing causal clues should be cherished. Follow their trajectory as much as possible without disrupting their development to obtain more information.

Therefore, Li Zhuiyuan didn't make Professor Zhu wait for him to gather a companion.

The person being invited was only him, and the person's wife, who was seriously ill, only wanted to see him. If he brought someone else, the original course of events might change.

Professor Zhu's residential complex was not on campus, but in an old staff community outside the school.

The community environment was pleasant, with an artificial river in front. Professor Zhu's home was on the first floor of the building facing the river.

The small yard on the first floor was filled with flowers, showing signs of careful trimming and care.

Pushing open the door and entering the house, there was a scent of traditional Chinese medicine mixed with a faint orchid fragrance. It wasn't overly pleasant, but compared to ordinary families with sick members, the smell was quite good.

"Xiao Yuan, would you like something to drink?"

"Professor, water is fine."

"Water? Okay."

Professor Zhu poured a cup of tea for Li Zhuiyuan. As he handed it over, Li Zhuiyuan stood up from the sofa and took it with both hands.

Afterward, Professor Zhu pointed to the bedroom, indicating to Li Zhuiyuan to excuse him. He was seen gently knocking on the door first, calling out twice, and only after receiving a weak response from inside did he open the door and enter.

Li Zhuiyuan sat on the sofa, observing the living room environment.

There were many books in the living room, not merely for decoration. Each stack of books was placed in a position convenient for reading.

In a corner, there was an easel covered with a white cloth. On both sides were stacks of drawing paper, some sketches, some oil paintings.

The house wasn't large, and with many things placed around, it seemed a bit cluttered, but the overall atmosphere was very comfortable.

On the way here, Professor Zhu had briefly introduced his family situation. Due to his wife's health, the elderly couple had no children and had supported each other to this day.

Li Zhuiyuan put down his teacup and leaned back slightly on the sofa. He sensed something falling on one side and reached out to catch it. It was a photo frame.

The photo frame was originally wrapped in oil paper, but it had been opened. However, when it was placed, the opened side was deliberately facing inward, as if to prevent others from seeing it.

When it fell, more than half of the contents inside the photo frame slid out.

The photo frame was entirely black, with patterns carved along the edges. Combined with the black and white photo in the center, it was clear that this was a posthumous photo.

The woman inside was elderly, but her eyebrows were still gentle. Even the dense wrinkles on her face couldn't conceal her dignified and generous appearance.

This must have been taken knowing her health was failing, a posthumous photo taken in advance.

Many elderly people would do this. One reason was to be prepared, so their family wouldn't be in a rush after they were gone. Another reason was that people who died from illness generally didn't look good in their final moments, so it was necessary to take a photo while they were still in a relatively good state to ensure a decent appearance at the funeral.

It was just that the patterns on this photo frame... seemed a bit too professional.

Not only did they bear a simple resemblance, but when stroked with a fingertip, one could clearly feel the intricate branches within each pattern. This was standard Earth Scripture engraving.

Someone with this craftsmanship could go make ancestral tablets for Grandma Liu's family.

In other words, this handmade photo frame was very expensive. And sometimes, it wasn't just about the price; it also required favors.

Furthermore, there was another detail. Whether it was the skill of the photographer or the makeup artist, this black and white posthumous photo of the old lady actually conveyed a delicate, rosy feeling.

This was a very strange contrast, as it was originally impossible to achieve this effect.

Li Zhuiyuan tilted his body, wanting to see if the photo frame's glass had anything special, but after checking, he didn't find any abnormalities.

However, upon re-examining the posthumous photo, there seemed to be a subtle change. She seemed to have moved, and the perspective of the figure inside also seemed to have shifted.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a piece of his own drawn 'test paper' from his pocket and pasted it. The talisman paper showed no reaction.

This was truly strange. Could it be his illusion?

Although he had come here to find information and clues, the young man truly hadn't expected to get stuck just by touching a posthumous photo upon entering.

Even he himself was caught in a triangular relationship of science, art, or metaphysics, unable to grasp it.

Footsteps of two people came from the bedroom. Li Zhuiyuan put the posthumous photo back, tucking it behind him, preparing to let it fall again when he stood up to take the opportunity to ask about it.

Professor Zhu supported his wife out.

The elderly couple shared the same surname, both named Zhu.

Madam Zhu should have simply combed her hair and dressed up after being called, but her face still showed her sickly state.

She was truly in her twilight years. Perhaps not in age, but her body had approached a critical point.

"Hello, Grandma Zhu."

Li Zhuiyuan stood up to greet her, and the posthumous photo behind him fell again.

Madam Zhu looked at Li Zhuiyuan with a smile, lightly patted her husband's hand, and said:

"You were right, this child is indeed handsome and has that scholarly air about him that makes people like him."

Everyone had their own aesthetics. Looking at the furnishings inside and outside the house, and considering Madam Zhu's profession before retirement, one could see her interests and preferences.

However, this was the first time Li Zhuiyuan had been called scholarly.

Thinking about it, those who had died at Li Zhuiyuan's hands, the deceased and the evil spirits, probably wouldn't open their mouths to object.

"Child, sit."

"Okay, Grandma."

As Li Zhuiyuan sat down, he touched the posthumous photo frame. He reached out to straighten it.

Madam Zhu was not at all bothered by this and instead took the initiative to ask, "Wasn't it taken well?"

Professor Zhu stood up to put away the posthumous photo frame. He was a bit displeased with his wife asking a child this, but he only smiled indulgently. He knew his wife didn't like those constraints.

"It was taken well," Li Zhuiyuan said to Madam Zhu while handing the photo frame to Professor Zhu, "It feels even better than how you look in person now."

"Hehehe." Madam Zhu covered her mouth and laughed. This time, she wasn't subtle and reserved; she was genuinely happy.

If someone else said her photo looked better than she did in person, she probably wouldn't be happy, but Madam Zhu sought this effect. Being praised and acknowledged made her heart at ease.

"My body isn't well, so I just wanted to take a good photo. That way, even if I'm not here, when our Mr. Zhu is sitting at home thinking of me and looks at my photo, he won't feel too bored."

Professor Zhu echoed, "Yes, yes, yes, very beautiful, very beautiful. At night, I won't put it on the altar table; I'll hug it to bed and sleep."

Madam Zhu's face reddened and she spat, "Bah, the child is here, what nonsense are you saying?"

Afraid the topic would drift, Li Zhuiyuan quickly asked, "Where was the photo taken? A photo studio? My brother is planning to take artistic photos with his girlfriend and is worried about which one to choose."

Madam Zhu said, "At the crossroads of Zhengyang Street, Pingju Photo Studio."

"Oh, okay, I'll remember that."

"Although the boss is young, his technique is extremely good, very meticulous and responsible," Madam Zhu added, "The price is also not expensive. You can recommend your brother take his girlfriend to try it."

"Then was this photo frame also matched by the photo studio?"

"Of course. This photo frame is exquisite, and I really like the patterns. The price is also not expensive, but your brother definitely won't choose this one. There are other styles."

A rehired professor and a retired professor, their living and eating were naturally not a concern, but they weren't wealthy either. Their professions also made it difficult to earn extra money.

Things they considered cheap would definitely not be expensive.

Selling expensive items at a low price indicated that the photo studio had a problem.

Next, Madam Zhu asked Li Zhuiyuan what books he had read. Li Zhuiyuan naturally wouldn't bring out Wei Zhengdao.

Sensing the old lady's preferences, he mentioned some books. Madam Zhu also asked a few questions, and Li Zhuiyuan answered them all.

Madam Zhu was very surprised and signaled Li Zhuiyuan to follow her into the study, where she tested the young man's calligraphy and painting.

Professor Zhu pushed the door and said, "Lunch is ready, how are you two?"

Madam Zhu smiled bitterly, "I originally thought about giving some advice to the child, but this child's calligraphy and painting skills are better than mine. If my health weren't poor and I didn't have the energy now, I would even want to take this child as my master."

Li Zhuiyuan's calligraphy was originally very good. When Li Lan worked in the study at a very young age, the ground was piled with rubbings of inscriptions, and he would crawl on them.

As for painting, he learned that from A Li.

The young man was proficient in both calligraphy and painting, but far from being a master. However, Madam Zhu was also a person with wide-ranging hobbies, knowing a bit of everything but not excelling in anything, which instead highlighted the young man's professionalism.

Li Zhuiyuan supported Madam Zhu out of the study and sat down to eat.

Two vegetable dishes, one meat dish, and one soup. The dishes were simple and the taste was light.

Madam Zhu only ate a few bites and drank half a bowl of soup before putting down her chopsticks.

Professor Zhu enthusiastically urged Li Zhuiyuan to continue eating.

After the meal, Madam Zhu signaled Li Zhuiyuan to support her into the bedroom. From the bookcase below, she took out a set of finely bound collected works as a gift for Li Zhuiyuan.

Although not antiques, they were still valuable. For an ordinary family, this was already considered a generous gift.

Li Zhuiyuan accepted it and sincerely thanked her.

Madam Zhu was very happy and held Li Zhuiyuan's hand for a while longer, chatting.

Because he needed to hurry to the photo studio to take a look, Li Zhuiyuan excused himself by saying he had class in the afternoon and needed to return to school.

This surprised Madam Zhu, who quickly called Professor Zhu to ask, "Is Xiao Yuan a student?"

"Ah?" Professor Zhu was also puzzled, "He must be studying."

"You're confused, I don't mean that." Madam Zhu looked at Li Zhuiyuan, "Are you a university student?"

"Um, yes."

Professor Zhu slapped his forehead, "Yes, yes, it was mentioned long ago that the school early-admitted a child prodigy. Is that you, Xiao Yuan?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Not necessarily me."

"Still the top scorer in the college entrance exam?"

"That should be me."

"Hehe." Professor Zhu laughed, "I thought you were the child of some faculty member who liked to attend my class. I didn't expect you were actually a student of the school."

Madam Zhu again reached out to touch Li Zhuiyuan's face, "Oh, so you're our top scorer. No wonder you're so capable."

Bidding farewell to the two elderly people, Li Zhuiyuan left the community and took a taxi to Zhengyang Street.

If Madam Zhu's health problems were due to some evil spirit, he would have conveniently helped to resolve it, but she wasn't.

She was truly approaching the end of her life. The only way to extend her life was through evil techniques.

Wei Zhengdao had severely and thoroughly criticized these kinds of evil techniques. Li Zhuiyuan had inherited this criticism and had also studied them in detail.

But there was really no need to use them. Throughout history, using evil techniques to extend life had never truly achieved the expected good ending.

The two elderly people themselves had already come to terms with it and could face this temporary separation calmly.

The only thing he could probably do was bring Runsheng and Binbin to help at the funeral, as they had no offspring.

This counted as a very peaceful transition of clues. The only clue guiding him from Professor Zhu's home was that photo studio.

But here, there was a timeline problem.

He had actively attended many of Professor Zhu's classes, which had only recently attracted his attention. Professor Zhu had then gone home and told his wife, and Madam Zhu had then become curious and wanted to see him. Her deteriorating health had accelerated this process.

If one were to forcibly extend backward, he should have discovered the special nature of this posthumous photo at Madam Zhu's funeral. That timeline could have moved back considerably.

But this logic didn't hold.

He was only invited to visit because he had attended Professor Zhu's classes. If he hadn't attended Professor Zhu's classes... the two probably wouldn't have had any interaction, and it would have been impossible for him to attend Madam Zhu's later funeral.

So, if it was confirmed next that the wave he received was real, then this time, he didn't have the same good luck as the Yuxuzi big fish incident last time, solving the problem far in advance.

That is to say, this time, he had no first-mover advantage.

Li Zhuiyuan turned his head, looking at the constantly passing street scenes outside the car window.

Was it because his actions of entering the examination room in advance last time were too exaggerated... so the Heavenly Dao specifically targeted him to fix this loophole?

If this were truly the case, he would have to consider revising the .

Because with the updated version, the norms would have compatibility issues.

Secondly, he would have to seriously consider controlling his score.

Otherwise, if he researched and used the rules on the front foot, and the Heavenly Dao followed up to repair the rules on the back foot, wouldn't he be building walls to block his own future path?

"Zhengyang Street arrived, where to get off?"

"Master, get off at the crossroads ahead."

"Okay."

The taxi pulled over, Li Zhuiyuan got off, turned, and just saw the Pingju Photo Studio.

The photo studio wasn't large, and the decoration was very warm. When Li Zhuiyuan walked in, he saw the boss sweeping the floor.

The boss was very young, under thirty years old, not tall, wearing a thin windbreaker and a brown beret. He looked very energetic.

"Taking photos or picking up photos?"

"Taking photos."

"ID photo?"

"Um."

"How many inches?"

"Two inches."

"Okay, follow me upstairs."

Li Zhuiyuan followed the boss upstairs. The stairs were very narrow, with many turns.

After reaching the second floor, the space widened considerably. Li Zhuiyuan sat in front of the blue background cloth.

The boss didn't rush to fiddle with the camera but held a comb in his right hand and walked over. He first used the comb to comb, then used his right hand to grasp and adjust.

"You'll definitely be a handsome guy when you grow up. Um, actually, you already are now, a little handsome guy."

Li Zhuiyuan replied with a shy smile.

The boss walked behind the camera, "Alright, let's get ready. Just like this, don't move. One, two, three!"

"Click!"

The moment the shutter pressed, Li Zhuiyuan felt his vision go black, and "gurgle gurgle" sounds came from around him.

The young man maintained his original sitting posture, not moving at all, not even his eyelids twitching. But at the same time, on this basis, he activated soul walking.

In soul walking perspective, the camera turned into a huge eyeball.

The eyeball was covered with dense blood vessels and kept turning, meticulously examining him up, down, left, and right.

Gradually, on the large eyeball, Li Zhuiyuan saw his own face, going from blurry to clear, even appearing somewhat three-dimensional.

It saw him, it remembered him.

"Okay."

The boss's voice rang out, the big eyeball retracted into the camera, and Li Zhuiyuan also ended the soul walking state. Everything returned to normal.

"Do you want it now or come back tomorrow to pick it up?"

"I want it now."

"Then wait a moment, I'll go develop it for you."

"Thank you, sorry to trouble you."

"You're welcome."

The boss went downstairs. Li Zhuiyuan stood up and followed him out, but when he passed the camera placed there, he still turned back to look at it once.

White pus seemed to be left on the lens facing the user, accumulating to a certain extent.

"Pa."

It dripped onto the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan went downstairs.

"You sit for a while, there are candies, have a candy."

"Okay, thank you, boss."

The boss lifted the curtain, opened the inner door, and walked in.

Li Zhuiyuan took a candy from the tea table plate and held it in his hand, then walked to the cabinet.

The most abundant items in the photo studio were photos. There were children's, young people's, and elderly people's, each age group representing different photo styles.

Children and young people used ordinary frames, but the elderly people's posthumous photo frames had patterns.

There were price tags below, all not expensive, prices that ordinary people could normally afford.

Were there some special twists and turns here that he hadn't noticed?

But earlier at Professor Zhu's home, he had carefully examined Madam Zhu's posthumous photo and hadn't found any abnormality.

And the posthumous photo frames placed here also didn't show any specific weakness.

This store, of course, had problems. He had already seen that big eyeball when the boss was taking his photo.

But the problem was, harming people... you always needed a harmful action, right?

In ancient times, patterns were details that officials and nobles could pursue for funerals. People had lowered it to a civilian price.

Besides being too delicate and realistic and having a certain dynamic visual sense, the posthumous photo itself was not harmful. Regardless of whether special means were used to take it, from a consumer's perspective... it was simply that the boss's technique was good.

Madam Zhu's health was naturally declining, not due to evil spirits entering her body.

So, what exactly was it plotting?

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan could have taken action when he was taking photos.

Even for safety, he could now call to gather people and directly storm this photo studio.

But he endured.

The less first-mover advantage he had, the more he couldn't be impatient, because if he made a wrong move, he might not have time to remedy it.

In the pitch-black inner room, the boss stood in front of the chemical tank, motionless.

"Gudong... gudong..."

Impact sounds came from the tank.

The boss stretched his hand in, took out two round objects, and pressed them into his eyes respectively.

"Kedeng!" "Kedeng!"

The boss blinked his eyes and reached into the tank to take out the photo.

He turned and walked out, but stopped at the door.

He touched under his eyes, and red greasy liquid was dripping. It was blood.

He walked to the sink, dug out the two eyeballs again, then picked up a water pipe, connecting one end to the faucet and inserting the other end into his eye socket.

Leaning forward, he turned on the faucet, and water began to flush his eye sockets.

Water flowed into the left eye socket and out of the right eye socket.

"Hua la la..."

After flushing for a while, he pulled out the pipe, switched to insert it into the right eye socket, and continued flushing.

After confirming they were clean, he turned off the faucet and pressed the two eyeballs back in.

"Baji!" "Baji!"

Picking up a dry towel, he began to wipe his face, focusing on wiping the eye area.

He walked to the door again, stopped, waited, raised his hand to touch, and after confirming there was no problem, pushed open the door.

"Zhi ya..."

The boss came out. He walked to the counter, skillfully cut and trimmed the photos, and finally took out a small envelope and put the photos inside.

"Here you go."

The small envelope was thick.

The boss didn't ask how many he wanted, but this thickness was definitely not the lowest version.

"How much?"

"Store rule, taking photos for a little handsome guy is free."

"But this doesn't fit my habit."

"You've already paid. When I was taking your photo, I enjoyed it. We owe each other nothing."

The boss crossed his hands and waved.

"I still need to buy a photo frame."

"Buy a photo frame? Which kind?"

"This one." Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the black one, "Just this size."

"Choose another one. This is for posthumous photos."

"I just want this one. I like this style."

The boss showed difficulty, thought for a while, and finally nodded. He took out the photo frame, wrapped in oil paper.

There was a price below the photo frame. Li Zhuiyuan paid, and the boss didn't say anything more, accepting the money.

"Goodbye, boss."

"Take care, little handsome guy."

Before walking out of the photo studio, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept over the business license posted in the corner of the wall. Below the name... Deng Chen.

Out of the store, he walked to the opposite road.

Li Zhuiyuan turned and looked at the photo studio again.

The boss was standing behind the glass window. On the shelf at the height of his face, there was a black and white posthumous photo of an old lady on the left and a posthumous photo of an old man on the right.

He stood in the middle, just watching the young man like this.

Their gazes met.

Suddenly, the posthumous photos of the old man and old lady on the left and right seemed to both smile.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, then reopened them. The two posthumous photos returned to normal.

But this time, the smile transferred to the boss's face. He grinned, showing two rows of large white teeth.

His body seemed to be shaking.

Li Zhuiyuan pretended to step forward, as if to cross the road back. In the window, the amplitude of the boss's body shaking increased, and his smile became more and more forced.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't continue forward but reached out, hailed a passing taxi, and got in.

The boss's body relaxed, as if sighing in relief.

"Master, Haihe University."

After stating the destination, Li Zhuiyuan no longer turned to look out the window but closed his eyes as if resting.

He had a feeling,

This time's question type had changed.

...

In the library by the window, the sunlight was just right.

Zhou Yunyun was reading a book. The soft light spread over her, creating a clear and pure beauty.

The shadow of the poisoning incident had dissipated. After Zhao Mengyao left the "confession letter and poison," she simply disappeared. The subsequent investigation also involved her college entrance exam identity impersonation scandal...

In a look/p>

The school controlled public opinion, and Zhou Yunyun obtained the recommendation qualification for graduate study.

However, these were not the most important things to her.

She lifted her head and shifted her gaze from the book to the young man sitting opposite her.

There were couples in the library. Some were whispering intimately, some were exchanging glances, some were seriously reading at a distance and complementing each other, and there were also those like the one in front of her... sleeping and snoring.

He wasn't snoring, but she could hear his breathing. He was sleeping soundly.

Um, he looked very cute when he slept.

However, there was a girl who was originally sitting diagonally opposite, who should be a senior, and who had been continuously looking here since earlier.

Now, she even took the initiative to walk over, stood next to him, and carefully examined his sleeping face.

Zhou Yunyun shook her pen tip, making an inquiring expression.

The senior gathered her courage and reached out to push Tan Wenbin.

Zhou Yunyun hadn't expected the other person to be so direct.

Moreover, after Tan Wenbin was pushed awake, the senior seemed to confirm something and hugged the just-sat-up Tan Wenbin.

The most important thing was, Tan Wenbin was groggy and had just woken up. He even thought it was Zhou Yunyun hugging him, and he reached out to touch the other person's head.

As he touched, he suddenly realized that the girl sitting opposite him looked like his girlfriend.

Then...

"Bang!"

The senior was pushed away, hit a nearby table, and fell to the ground.

The attention of the nearby students was immediately drawn here. Seeing the scene of one man, two women, and one woman sitting on the ground, even the most dedicated students at this moment didn't feel disturbed.

Because this combination was truly too classic.

Tan Wenbin could confirm that it was this woman who had taken the initiative to hug him.

He looked at Zhou Yunyun, his gaze asking what had happened. Zhou Yunyun shook her head and shrugged, indicating that she also didn't understand.

Tan Wenbin stood up and signaled Zhou Yunyun to pack their things.

Zhou Yunyun nodded, quickly put her books and stationery into her bag, and then followed Tan Wenbin out of the library.

As soon as they stepped out, there were sounds of chasing behind them. It was still that senior.

"Is it you, is it you, is it you?"

"My dad?"

"Yes, it's definitely you, I remember you!" The senior gestured to pounce on Tan Wenbin again.

Fortunately, this time Tan Wenbin was prepared. He reached out in advance and pressed her shoulder, keeping her at arm's length.

"It's you, I remember you, I saw you!" The senior was anxious and her eyes reddened, her voice filled with tears, showing true emotion.

Her emotion was so sincere that Tan Wenbin even began to suspect whether he had had a drunken one-night stand.

Instead, Zhou Yunyun just calmly watched this scene, and at the same time asked, "Hello classmate, can you explain clearly? There might be a misunderstanding here."

Tan Wenbin felt quite touched in his heart. His girlfriend believed him more than he believed himself.

The senior said, "Did you go to Zhengmen Village, Zhengmen Village, you went, right, right?"

Hearing the keyword "Zhengmen Village," Tan Wenbin finally remembered who the girl in front of him was.

She was from that university student adventure team that had gone to Zhengmen Village. This woman was one of them.

The reason he hadn't recognized her earlier was simple: at that time, these university students were all dirty, turned into manipulated puppets. After they were rescued, they were dragged and moved on boards, all with bruised noses and swollen faces.

Now the girl's injuries had healed, she had cleaned herself, and most importantly, she had even put on makeup.

If he could recognize her at a glance like this, that would truly be seeing ghosts.

"What is Zhengmen Village? I don't know, and I haven't been there. Classmate, I think you must have recognized the wrong person."

"No, I remember you. You put your face close to me, and you even touched me!"

I did that to confirm if you were all still alive!

"Classmate, I think you need more rest."

Tan Wenbin gestured at his temple with his fingers.

Then, he pulled Zhou Yunyun's hand and continued to walk out.

That senior kept following behind them.

Tan Wenbin and Zhou Yunyun both walked out of the school gate, and she also followed out of the school gate.

"I said, classmate, I've already said, I don't know you, you've recognized the wrong person, so can you please not follow us anymore?"

The senior nodded, "You don't have to admit it, but I want to invite you... invite you all for a meal. I want to express my gratitude, is that okay?"

"Really, there's no need."

"Then I'll continue to follow you."

"I'm not from your school."

"Then I'll follow her." The senior pointed to Zhou Yunyun, "She's from our school, right?"

Tan Wenbin was silent, sticking out his tongue and licking his lips.

The senior fearfully retreated two steps, kept waving her hands, and lowered her voice, "I'm not trying to threaten you. I don't mean that. I really just want to express my gratitude.

They all say we inhaled toxic miasma and had hallucinations, saying we didn't actually enter Zhengmen Village at all, but they don't remember. I still remember some scenes.

These days, I often dream about it at night.

I am truly, from the bottom of my heart, grateful. Even if you're not him, even if I recognized the wrong person, I still want to invite you for a meal.

Sorry..."

The senior bowed to Tan Wenbin,

"Even if you refuse, I won't bother her. Sorry, I was too emotional just now."

Tan Wenbin looked at Zhou Yunyun. Zhou Yunyun nodded.

"Okay, where do you want to eat?"

"How about... my family's restaurant?"

"No."

"Then I'll choose one nearby?"

"Okay."

She said nearby, but they walked for a while, finally arriving at a community store by a side gate of a community. The signboard read 'Jianghu Fried Dishes'.

Although the location wasn't good, the business was very good. At this time, it was close to mealtime, and the place was already full. There were still people queuing outside.

Tan Wenbin said, "Since it's full, then let's forget it."

"Don't, it's fine, I'll take care of it." The senior walked into the store to communicate, then immediately turned and waved, signaling Tan Wenbin and Zhou Yunyun to come in.

Zhou Yunyun: "The business here is so good, it means the dishes must be very delicious."

Tan Wenbin: "I'm telling you, she really recognized the wrong person."

Zhou Yunyun: "Whatever you say, I believe."

"Then okay, let's go taste the dishes in this store. If they're delicious, we can come here often later."

This store had a small door leading into the community. A small shed was also built inside, although it was also full. However, opposite the kitchen, a small table with three small stools was temporarily set up.

The senior went to order dishes first, then went to get drinks. After sitting down, she took out tissues to wipe the table.

Tan Wenbin's gaze looked towards the kitchen. Inside, a bald master, nearly fifty years old, was frying dishes. He controlled several woks by himself, his movements flowing like water, and as if deliberately showing a kind of composure, he actually fried with his eyes closed.

Impressive.

Zhou Yunyun took the initiative to communicate with the senior at this time. Until now, they only knew each other's names.

The senior's surname was Luo, named Luo Mingzhu, in the same department as Zhou Yunyun, in her third year.

Luo Mingzhu introduced her interests and hobbies, specifically mentioning "love of adventure."

Hearing this, Tan Wenbin, who was drinking soda, almost sprayed it out of his nose.

What was "love of adventure"? It was clearly "love of courting death."

This table must have been specially arranged, as the dishes came very quickly.

Tan Wenbin picked up his chopsticks to taste. The taste was indeed very good, the kind that showed skill.

Next time, he would bring A You to eat.

The soup was also served quickly, and the small table was already full.

The nearby waiting guests complained, shouting why this table was served so quickly, clearly they had come first.

The waitress aunt explained that this was the family of the people who had come to eat, so they would definitely be served first.

Hearing this reason, several tables of guests nearby didn't argue either.

Zhou Yunyun asked, "Is this your family's restaurant?"

Luo Mingzhu shook her head, "No, my fourth uncle opened it. My fourth uncle was originally a chef in my family's store. Later, he saw my parents cutting corners and using substandard ingredients as good, so he left in a fit of anger to open this store himself."

Tan Wenbin took the initiative to ask, "Quickly tell me the name of your family's restaurant, so I can avoid it later."

Luo Mingzhu: "Mingzhu Grand Restaurant on Yushan Street."

Zhou Yunyun: "Your parents used your name to open it?"

Luo Mingzhu: "I was originally called Luo Mingyu. Later, my parents changed my name to Luo Mingzhu. I'm piggybacking on my family's restaurant's name."

"Hahaha!" Tan Wenbin was amused.

Luo Mingzhu saw Tan Wenbin laughing, so she also laughed.

The small "misunderstanding and resentment" between the two earlier was completely dissipated at this moment.

In fact, this senior had a quite outgoing personality. Her adventure ability was poor, but she also had special qualities. Others had basically forgotten the experience in Zhengmen Village, but she could still remember some scenes.

Tan Wenbin knew that such people were born with significantly higher spiritual awareness than ordinary people and were more sensitive.

Everyone was eating and chatting. Luo Mingzhu no longer strongly insisted that Tan Wenbin admit to the Zhengmen Village matter. Instead, she turned and chatted with Zhou Yunyun more and more speculatively. The two even exchanged dormitory numbers.

Tan Wenbin quietly ate the dishes. He knew that the senior was using a roundabout attack.

His own silly class monitor actually accepted it, but she might also be retreating to advance.

He was also clear that he shouldn't be deceived by the seemingly intimate relationship between the two women.

Mealtime passed, and the peak period ended.

The frying boss could finally rest and walked out of the kitchen, wiping sweat with a wet towel while taking the initiative to stand behind Luo Mingzhu:

"Zhuzhu, are these your classmates and friends?"

"Um, yes, let me introduce you. This is Zhou Yunyun, and this is Tan Wenbin."

Zhou Yunyun: "Uncle, hello, your cooked dishes are really delicious."

Tan Wenbin then looked doubtfully. He discovered that this fourth uncle was still closing his eyes.

"Hehe, thank you. Since they are Zhuzhu's friends, if you want to eat later, just come in and say hello. No need to wait."

Fourth uncle took out a cigarette pack from his pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin stood up to take it and asked, "Uncle, were your eyes injured?"

"Hehe, didn't Zhuzhu tell you?"

Luo Mingzhu said, "My fourth uncle has been blind since childhood, but his cooking skills, my dad and other uncles, are all inferior to my fourth uncle, far behind."

"Hahaha." Fourth uncle laughed very happily. He was very satisfied with his niece's praise and recognition, "My eyes can't see but I can cook. Using my ears is fine. How's the heat, how much seasoning to add, I can hear it clearly."

"This is real skill, impressive."

Tan Wenbin sincerely praised him.

The last person he had seen with great hearing was his own Xiao Yuan bro.

Xiao Yuan bro's hearing was so good that he could hear you whispering from far away.

Tan Wenbin's mind immediately conjured the image of Xiao Yuan bro closing his eyes and flipping the wok, puff...

While laughing, Tan Wenbin took out his lighter to light a cigarette for fourth uncle. No matter what, he had tasted such good craftsmanship from others.

"Oh, okay, thank you."

Fourth uncle bit the cigarette, lowered his head, and accurately brought the cigarette end to the flame.

Out of politeness, fourth uncle held Tan Wenbin's hand holding the lighter with both hands.

As their hands just touched.

Tan Wenbin's shoulders instantly became cold, and the sounds of two infants crying instantly rang out!

Under this stimulation, he instantly entered soul walking.

After soul walking, in his vision, fourth uncle's ears had turned into two coiled centipedes.

These two centipedes also seemed to feel the prying and turned their bodies, looking towards Tan Wenbin, poised to pounce.

Tan Wenbin immediately let go, and the soul walking state was lifted.

The cigarette in fourth uncle's mouth also fell to the ground.

As soon as he thought of the dishes on this table being made by this guy, Tan Wenbin seemed to recall the first time he went to Uncle Li's home and ate the roasted pork skin and boiled shrimp in a daze.

He immediately reached out to pull Zhou Yunyun. Fourth uncle was standing at the exit, so he pulled Zhou Yunyun towards the back community and ran.

"Hey, what happened, what happened?" Luo Mingzhu was a bit confused.

Fourth uncle reached out and placed his hand on Luo Mingzhu's head. With a "Bang," Luo Mingzhu immediately fainted on the ground, knocking over the small table and smashing the bowls and dishes.

But several tables of guests nearby seemed to see nothing and continued eating and drinking.

Fourth uncle's face was grim. He walked into the kitchen, came out with two kitchen knives in his hands, and chased directly into the community.

...

Li Zhuiyuan got off at the school gate and walked into the school.

He came to the residential area and entered the convenience store.

Lu Yi was sitting behind the store counter and greeted Li Zhuiyuan, "Hey, child prodigy bro."

He had been calling Li Zhuiyuan this from the beginning. Later, he saw Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng also call Li Zhuiyuan "bro," so he continued this title.

"Where's Meng Meng?"

Lu Yi: "Runsheng suggested this morning that Meng Meng go shopping with her bestie. They'll probably be back in the evening."

"Then where's Brother Runsheng?"

"Runsheng was originally here, but today that fellow villager, called Sun Hua, Runsheng calls him Hua Marquis, he was unlucky today. This morning, when he came walking here..."

Lu Yi leaned forward and pointed to the steps outside.

"While raising his hand and shouting 'Runsheng Marquis,' his foot slipped, and with a 'bang,' the back of his head hit the steps, and a lot of blood flowed out.

After Runsheng bandaged him up, he borrowed the cafeteria tricycle and took him to the hospital. He hasn't come back yet.

The blood on the ground, I wiped it clean."

"Is the person okay?"

"Should be no big problem, except for the blood loss, but you can never be sure with head injuries. It's better to send him to the hospital for examination and treatment to be safe."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Runsheng didn't send the person to the school infirmary but to the big hospital outside, because Runsheng was very clear that Fan Shenyi could only treat him and Lin Shuyou, people with special constitutions.

If ordinary people had major problems and were sent to Fan Shulin for rescue, it would not only harm the patient but also ruin the divine doctor.

It was just that this accident came a bit too coincidental.

Especially at the time he confirmed receiving the Jiang Shui wave, things also happened to his companions around him.

"Lu Yi bro, help me call them. Meng Meng, Tan Wenbin, Runsheng, call them all once and tell them to return to school now."

The remaining money from buying the car last time was used to equip the remaining people with pagers.

Li Zhuiyuan's backpack also had one.

"Okay, I'll help you call."

Lu Yi picked up the microphone and called the pager station.

Li Zhuiyuan walked back to the dormitory, pushed open the room door, and saw Lin Shuyou sitting at the desk memorizing the "oral formula table."

Every time Tan Wenbin went to find Zhou Yunyun, Lin Shuyou would be temporarily released by Tan Wenbin.

So, Tan Wenbin had also gone out.

This wasn't necessarily wrong. Letting everyone maintain normal social interactions to find signs of causal clues was the established strategy.

"Xiao Yuan bro, you're back, have you eaten?"

"I've eaten." Li Zhuiyuan paused, "How is your memorization?"

"Okay... combining the oral formula and movements, I'm trying hard."

"Keep trying."

Lin Shuyou: "Got it! Understand!"

"Also, don't leave this room for now."

Lin Shuyou: "Understand! Got it!"

Li Zhuiyuan closed the dormitory door and walked out.

His steps downstairs clearly sped up. He came to the convenience store again and stood at the door, pointing to Lu Yi's phone.

Lu Yi shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he had called everyone but still no one had called back.

Either there was no phone booth nearby and they were looking for one, or they were temporarily unable to call back, or perhaps they couldn't even receive the message.

Li Zhuiyuan's mind suddenly echoed the words that it had conveyed Wei Zhengdao saying under the peach tree:

"He suspected that the endless blasphemy against the Heavenly Dao would ultimately incur the true disgust of the Heavenly Dao."

Li Zhuiyuan came to Liu Yumei's home.

He pushed open the yard gate and pulled open the floor-to-ceiling window. A Li was sitting on the bed.

Although after he appeared, the girl immediately turned her head and looked towards him, her eyes showing brightness.

But earlier, she was clearly in a daze.

Li Zhuiyuan stretched out his hand to A Li, but this time, A Li didn't actively hand over hers.

"A Li, give me your hand."

The girl shook her head.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled, "You don't believe me?"

A Li hesitated.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand, spreading it open to A Li, and pointed with his left index finger on his right palm.

The burn had long healed, leaving no scars.

But A Li obviously knew what this meant.

The girl seemed to make a decision. Finally, she stretched out her hand.

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed her hand and closed his eyes.

He reopened them.

The familiar flat house. Behind the altar table, it was full of damaged tablets.

Outside the threshold, the white fog that had retreated to the periphery after consecutively experiencing the Yu Granny and big fish incidents had now approached the threshold again, stopping one zhang outside.

Within the white fog, various sounds of laughter, curses, and mockery came, creating a suffocating pressure.

Li Zhuiyuan took a step and walked out of the threshold.

The sounds in the white fog suddenly quieted.

They were, after all, still afraid.

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and pulled out the white lantern inserted in the wall seam.

Let me see,

This time,

Exactly what thing!

Li Zhuiyuan grabbed the lantern stick and flung the lantern into the white fog in front.

Soon, a tight gripping force came.

It grabbed. The force was very strong, with obvious provocation, and this force was continuously strengthening, layer by layer, progressively increasing.

Li Zhuiyuan's feet were actually dragged forward, sliding.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan deliberately released his force, and the lantern loosened forward. The next moment, Li Zhuiyuan exerted force again, fiercely flinging it backward.

This time, the opponent's force was much smaller. They obviously hadn't expected him to do this.

The thing in the white fog was pulled out by Li Zhuiyuan.

One, two, three...

Looking at this long string that was pulled out, Li Zhuiyuan's gaze also grew solemn.

Because,

This wave,

Actually came in five!

———

This month, the first seven days are double monthly ticket days, so the result of this month's monthly ticket competition will only be determined by this first week.

Nothing else to say, let's start fighting!

Tomorrow, a burst of 20,000 words!

Please everyone, vote for your monthly tickets now!

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