Chapter 179

Chapter 174Thud!

Xue Liangliang jumped into the lake like a fish entering water, disappearing into the depths.His entering posture wasn't the most standard, but it was the most suitable for him.His legs swung continuously, his body immediately dived to the bottom, vanishing without a trace.The lake bottom environment, no matter how complex, was still not as dangerous as the deep undercurrents at the mouth of the Chang Jiang. The dead bodies inside, no matter how many, were not as eerie and mysterious as the Bai family women sitting at the doorway in Bai Family Town.This was professionalism.

Li Zhuoyuan lay on the shore, looking at the starry night sky above.There wasn't much ease in the boy's heart.Because this crisis had almost drained everyone, including himself. Even Xue Liangliang, who wasn't even considered an auxiliary member, participated in the final cleanup.In previous waves, it wasn't that no one had been seriously injured, but they had never been injured so uniformly.Lin Shuyou used the demon-exorcising talisman needle, Yin Meng was severely poisoned, Tan Wenbin used the ghost-controlling technique, Run Sheng's Qi gate fully opened, and he himself had lost too much blood.Like a wet towel wrung hard, squeezing out the last drop of water inside, just a little more force and the towel would break.Perhaps for other jianghu walkers, solving a crisis with nine lives and one death, and the team with no one truly dying, was already a rare "grace."But for Li Zhuoyuan, this kind of pyrrhic victory could be called the worst result since walking the jianghu.

In the night sky, a bird circled alone.Li Zhuoyuan watched it for a long time.He had always suspected that the intensity of this wave was a bit too great, even somewhat over the limit.Now, his view was further solidified.But if he changed perspectives,Perhaps,It wasn't this wave that was over the limit, but himself and his team.

Lin Shuyou, Yin Meng, Tan Wenbin, and Run Sheng were brought out one by one.Xue Liangliang not only didn't show much tiredness but also washed the mud off his body by the lake after saving them.This endurance, this persistence, was indeed cultivated over a long time.Everyone was moved onto the tractor by Xue Liangliang. Li Zhuoyuan was placed in the driver's seat."Xiao Yuan, lean on me and sit.""Okay."

Xue Liangliang drove the tractor, carrying all the seriously injured members, back to the village.When the sky was just dimly lit, they arrived at the village.After entering the village and just arriving at the outer perimeter of the tulou, Li Zhuoyuan discovered that the formation he had set up before leaving was artificially destroyed."Brother Liangliang, outsiders have entered the house."Xue Liangliang was about to turn off the engine, but upon hearing this, he immediately withdrew his hand and planned to drive directly past the tulou and leave.Li Zhuoyuan: "They've already found us."The boy raised his head; the bird above had followed and circled until now.This wave might not have ended, because the real crisis had followed and reappeared.Sometimes, people could be more dangerous than evil spirits.But escaping was pointless.On the mountain road, the tractor definitely couldn't run faster than the bird.Moreover, excessive actions would instead force the other side to adopt excessive methods.Xue Liangliang: "Then what do we do?""Watch and handle," Li Zhuoyuan turned his head to look at Xue Liangliang, "Zhuge Liang's Empty City Strategem.""Xiao Yuan, don't worry, I'll cooperate well with you.""Brother Liangliang.""Hmm?""I'm cooperating with you.""Hmm... hmm?""Don't be afraid, the other side is also afraid of us."When the old witch completely died, the lake's surface must have shown feng shui weather changes, sending a bird to investigate, showing their caution.The formation he set up to trap Cui Hao and Li Ren from running around was very simple and low-level, yet the other side still chose to forcibly break it. This was also a manifestation of caution.Because the other side could have cleverly resolved it and kept the formation as much as possible, trying not to let him notice.But the other side didn't do so, completely breaking the formation was also to avoid causing his misunderstanding, which could be considered an open and aboveboard action.

"Xiao Yuan, I want to...""Pretend to be an expert.""How high?""Brother Liangliang, give it your all.""What if the pretense fails?""No problem, at most we'll die together."

Xue Liangliang turned off the tractor, sat in the driver's seat, continuously taking deep breaths.He originally thought he was just a "guide," being able to participate in the cleanup was already very involved. He didn't expect that in the later stages of the matter, he would actually have such an important role."Xiao Yuan, I'm ready.""Hmm."Li Zhuoyuan had great confidence in Xue Liangliang.In the same scene, Tan Wenbin could also pretend, and would pretend better, but his created air would be heavy.Xue Liangliang was different; he himself had that unique temperament.Not only in his work, loved and promoted by leaders, but also in life, recognized by the Bai family women.Even Li Zhuoyuan, whenever something involved Xue Liangliang, would willingly run errands, even help them mediate marital conflicts.

Xue Liangliang carried Li Zhuoyuan on his back and pushed open the door.In the courtyard sat a pair of men and women wearing Miao clothing.Li Zhuoyuan saw the totem patterns on their sleeves at first glance.The Miao border's inheritance is ancient, and the Miao Gu inheritance is also divided into many factions. The vast majority of factions' methods looked a bit scary but were relatively peaceful, but there were inevitably extreme factions.The clothing patterns of these two indicated they were from the famous Corpse Gu faction in the Miao border.Although they used mountain-specific spices to cover the corpse stench on their bodies, this kind of fragrance was also recorded by Wei Zhengdao in "Jianghu Strange Records" and could be considered a stereotypical feature under cover.Wei Zhengdao in the book also detailedly introduced the methods of the Miao border Corpse Gu faction, using a string of negative adjectives to criticize, and finally concluding with: quite interesting.Placed in the Central Plains, these two were outright evil cultivators.Even if placed in the Miao border, whoever's village people practiced their Gu techniques or had dealings with them would be attacked en masse by the nearby Miao villages.

On the edge of the roof sat a young woman wearing a floral skirt. The woman swung her feet below, wearing underwear, not exposing.Beside the woman, several birds surrounded and flew around her, very intimate.At the entrance of the second-floor staircase, there was a middle-aged burly man with crossed arms, leaning on the pillar.The burly man had coarse pores and sinewy muscles; with every breath, his whole body's muscles followed and pulled.The two Corpse Gu faction members downstairs and the ones upstairs were clearly not in the same group. Although in the same tulou, they were mutually vigilant.

At this moment, a door to a second-floor room was pushed open, and an old man walked out. The old man held a pipe in his hand, his face full of red light.He seemed to have heard the sound of the tulou gate being pushed open and came out to check the situation. Just this one look, the old man's face color immediately changed greatly.The old man recognized Li Zhuoyuan, and Li Zhuoyuan also recognized him.Old Man Tian.Since he was here, it meant that Zhao Yi had come.

"Young master, young master!"Old Man Tian could no longer care about smoking and immediately turned back to walk into the room.Li Zhuoyuan knew he was acting.That bird was released by the girl on the roof. That girl should be Zhao Yi's subordinate.So, they had long known he was here.Next, Zhao Yi would appear to perform.

Zhao Yi came out.His emotional changes were very complex and very gradual.But Li Zhuoyuan was a natural performing artist, and just now had also commented on his eight-year-old self's performance, so Zhao Yi's acting was a bit exaggerated.

"Brother Yuan."Zhao Yi hurried downstairs.The faces of the two Corpse Gu faction members sitting in the courtyard suddenly became a bit solemn.In their view, although their side had fewer people, it was evenly matched, but the other side suddenly came with external aid, and now the situation was hard to control.Zhao Yi came to Li Zhuoyuan's front.Li Zhuoyuan lightly patted Xue Liangliang's shoulder.Xue Liangliang turned around facing Zhao Yi, adjusted the boy on his back; this was to hand over the injured.Zhao Yi very naturally stretched out his hand and carried Li Zhuoyuan on his back.

"You're injured?""Hmm, lost too much blood, no strength.""I have high-quality medicine here to replenish Qi and blood.""Give me to eat.""Okay."

Zhao Yi carried Li Zhuoyuan up to the second floor. On the way up, he still specially turned back to look at Xue Liangliang standing at the door downstairs.There was a room that was separately cleaned, with just two mattresses inside. One should be Zhao Yi's, and the other was Old Man Tian's.Zhao Yi placed the boy on his own mattress.Old Man Tian came over and asked very caringly, "Are you okay?"Li Zhuoyuan counter-asked, "Do I look okay now?"Old Man Tian showed an embarrassed expression.Zhao Yi pushed away Old Man Tian and said to him, "Go get our Qi-Returning Pill.""Ai, okay young master."Old Man Tian took out a jade bottle from his bag and handed it over.Zhao Yi opened the stopper and poured out a pill.As soon as this pill came out, it immediately emitted a refreshing medicinal fragrance.Zhao Yi brought the pill to the boy's mouth; the boy opened his mouth."No good," Zhao Yi withdrew the pill and handed it to Old Man Tian, "My Brother Yuan is too weak now. The medicinal properties of this medicine are too strong and easily overwhelm the weak. Go add water and boil it, boil it into three bowls and take one bowl to give him to drink.""Okay, young master."

Old Man Tian, holding the pill, left the room.Just at that moment, downstairs, Xue Liangliang pointed at the burly man Xu Ming standing on the second floor: "Hey, what are you doing standing there foolishly, come down and help me move the injured up. What's the use of growing so big if your eyes don't work at all?"Xu Ming frowned, seeming not to know how to respond.Seeing Old Man Tian come out, Xu Ming looked over with inquiring eyes.Old Man Tian nodded to him.Xu Ming went down, carried the four completely unconscious seriously injured members from the tractor to another bedroom on the second floor.Xue Liangliang walked to the second floor where Old Man Tian was decocting medicine and patted his shoulder: "Old man, do you understand medical skills?"Old Man Tian smiled somewhat awkwardly and said: "I'm just dissolving the pill.""Modest.""Really not modest, my medical skills are very shallow.""Then conveniently, help me take care of those four as well. Even if you're shallow, at least you know some. I completely don't understand. Saving people is not my strong point.""That is of course, all old acquaintances, have had connections, no need for you to instruct, we will do so.""Hmm, hard work."

After throwing everyone to the second floor, Xue Liangliang walked down alone.Old Man Tian looked at Xue Liangliang's back, his gaze revealing contemplation.The others, they had initially all seen at the stone table at the Zhao family's place. Only this one in front was the first time seeing.He seemed to be in the other side's team, but looking at his behavior, again not quite like it.At the same time, the inexplicable affinity produced when contacting the other side made him feel panicked.

Xue Liangliang walked to the front of the two Corpse Gu faction disciples, sat down very casually, and reached out to uncover their pot in front. Inside was boiling meat porridge."I'm hungry."The two Corpse Gu faction disciples just looked at him without speaking."Can you give me a bowl of hot porridge to eat? I've been soaked in water for so long, just want to eat something hot."The two exchanged glances.This was the first time someone dared to come and eat their things.If you say he was an outsider and knew nothing, then it could be forgiven. But this person obviously knew the group on the second floor, so it was impossible for him to be outside the circle.Moreover, the Zhao Yi group had already made them very afraid, and just now he had directly commanded the Zhao Yi group.As for the crowd of unconscious injured brought in earlier... he should have saved them back alone.

"You eat.""Thanks."Xue Liangliang served himself a large bowl."That, do you have chopsticks?"The woman took out a pair of chopsticks from her sleeve. The chopsticks were gray, and she looked at Xue Liangliang with a seemingly smiling but not smiling expression.Xue Liangliang reached out to take it without hesitation, stirred the meat porridge in the bowl, and started eating directly.Regardless of whether it was poisonous or not, he had no choice.However, the taste of this porridge was really good.Xue Liangliang asked: "What kind of meat is this? So fresh and delicious."The man was about to answer but was interrupted by Xue Liangliang himself:"Forget it, pretend I didn't ask, I don't want to affect my appetite.""Want to drink?" the woman asked.Xue Liangliang shook his head: "Drinking easily messes things up."Woman: "Self-brewed wine, very low alcohol content, not intoxicating.""Then I can try."The woman placed both hands on her knees. A third hand probed out from her clothes, holding a gourd, and handed it to Xue Liangliang's front.This hand was extremely pale, with obvious corpse spots, fingernails embedded with yellow mud, like a block of ice, still emitting some white gas.Xue Liangliang put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand, took the gourd with his left hand, and also grabbed this hand with his right hand, opened its palm, looked at the lines, then touched along the wrist to the arm."Heh, not good, why isn't it even a bit warm?"This reaction of his made the man sit up straight.The woman then showed doubt: "Warm?"Xue Liangliang pulled out the gourd stopper, drank a mouthful of the wine inside. It was sweet, a bit greasy, but very suitable for drinking in the winter mountains."At least need a bit of warmth, like a living person's appearance."The woman counter-asked: "Can dead also become alive?"Xue Liangliang: "Very difficult?"Woman shook her head: "I don't know how to do it."Xue Liangliang: "Think with your own brain."After thinking, the woman made a guess: "Living limb grafting?"Xue Liangliang almost sprayed out the wine in his mouth. He tried his best to restrain himself to avoid exposing himself, but at this time, the more he restrained, the more he couldn't hold back."Cough cough... cough cough..."To avoid being seen by the other side, he covered his mouth, lifted his head, and coughed up.The woman also lifted her head to look at the sky; this was a taboo that couldn't be known by heaven.She immediately stood up, bowed to Xue Liangliang, and sincerely said: "Many thanks for your guidance, how can I thank you?"Xue Liangliang finished coughing, put down the gourd, picked up the half bowl of porridge left at his feet, and said:"All in the wine, also all in the porridge."The woman looked at the man, and the man also looked at the woman. The two now had a feeling that sitting was inappropriate.The man crossed his hands in front of his body and asked: "Honored one, perhaps you don't know our two identities?"Xue Liangliang: "You guess whether I know or not?"The man asked again: "Since honored one knows our two identities, why still point and help us?"Xue Liangliang pondered for a bit and said:"When looking at problems, you can't just look at the surface. You need to look at problems with a developmental perspective, especially when viewing regional problems. You need to respect historical, geographical, customs and other objective reasons, and cannot treat them with a one-size-fits-all approach. You need to, on the basis of in-depth understanding, add guidance, in hopes of forming a joint force in the future."

Indiscriminate teaching?The two both once again tensed their bodies.After Xue Liangliang finished this bowl of porridge, the woman took the bowl on her own initiative and helped Xue Liangliang continue to serve porridge. The man then bent down to add firewood. In short, both were busy and no longer sat back.The second bowl of porridge quickly went down. Xue Liangliang began to quietly wait for the poison to take effect.If the porridge was poisonous, he would inevitably die.He looked around, not knowing what to say, but also couldn't let the atmosphere be cold.Seeing this pair of men and women both squatting by the bonfire, he asked: "Why aren't you two sitting?"The man and woman exchanged glances and each answered:"Sat for too long.""The stone is hard.""Indeed," Xue Liangliang nodded, simply moved his butt, and sat on the ground. After pulling closer to the fire, the heat radiating onto his body was even more comfortable, "Right, are you two a pair?"The woman lowered her head.The man opened his mouth: "We can't marry."Xue Liangliang shook his head, casually picked up a small piece of wood and threw it into the bonfire:"Too narrow-minded."The man showed shock, and the woman showed joy.Xue Liangliang thought of her and opened his mouth: "Even if not people, you can still marry."Hearing this, the man and woman's breathing simultaneously became rapid.Xue Liangliang thought of his own unborn child and said:"Not only can you marry, but you can also get pregnant and give birth to children."

Lying needs performance; truth doesn't need acting.Only those who have truly experienced it can show such real emotional texture.As soon as Xue Liangliang's words fell here, the two of them actually simultaneously turned around, in a half-kneeling posture facing Xue Liangliang:"Please, predecessor, teach us."

...

On the second floor, Xu Ming no longer crossed his arms or leaned on the pillar, but looked at the three people in the courtyard below with a very serious gaze.On the roof, Sun Yan also no longer swung her legs. Moreover, she let the birds beside her move away slightly, gazing downwards.These two Corpse Gu faction people were their team's clue for this wave. The historical Miao border legendary saintess they investigated came from this faction.They certainly were not afraid of these two, but they were also never relaxed in their vigilance against them.Old Man Tian also gazed at the scene below. After serving a bowl of medicinal juice, he carefully held it into the room.The two Corpse Gu faction people downstairs were unclear about the boy's group identity, but Zhao Yi's group knew.Even if the Dragon King family had declined, that was still the Dragon King family, and it was two families merged. Even if the population was sparse, the remnants left were not to be provoked.Just like that one last time, their own young master apologized with three knives and six holes in front of him and did not dare to be vague, not even daring to ask the family to intercede.

"Young master, the medicine is decocted.""Hmm, give it to me."Old Man Tian wanted to bend down and whisper in Zhao Yi's ear.Zhao Yi raised his hand: "Say what you have to say directly. My Brother Yuan is not some outsider."Zhao Yi: This stupid old man, could it be he forgot that this fellow's hearing is extremely good? No matter how softly you whisper to me, in this boy's ear, it's like playing a loudspeaker.Old Man Tian's old face was tangled. He didn't know how to say it. In the end, he could only suppress a sentence:"I'm afraid the medicine is bitter. Do you want to get some sugar cubes?"Zhao Yi glanced at him and said again: "What did you just want to say? Say it directly, don't hide it."Old Man Tian got the clear order and opened his mouth: "That person who brought them in seems very extraordinary. Those two from the Corpse Gu faction are already kneeling in front of him.""Oh, I know," Zhao Yi waved his hand.Old Man Tian wiped sweat as he left the room.Zhao Yi picked up the spoon and fed medicine to Li Zhuoyuan. Li Zhuoyuan drank cooperatively.After drinking, Li Zhuoyuan laughed.He thought of the scene of A Li feeding him medicine initially.At that time, because he was overexerted and blind, every morning, A Li would carry the medicine decocted by Aunt Liu, come to his bedside to feed him, and accidentally poured the whole bowl of medicine on his head.

"Brother Yuan, what are you laughing at?""Thinking of some happy things from before.""Thinking of the person who once fed you medicine?""Hmm."

Zhao Yi stood up, walked to the basin, washed his hands, then picked up a towel and wiped his hands while walking back."When I came over, I heard cries for help from inside the tulou. I was being nosy and broke the formation. Those two told me that the village was full of ghosts and then escaped up the mountain."Li Zhuoyuan nodded upon hearing this.Zhao Yi had intentionally let them leave. He should have followed them, found the Zhao Jun Temple on the mountain, and also discovered that cracked but empty stone tablet."Brother Yuan, it was my negligence. I really didn't think you would set up such a simple formation. If the formation were a bit more complex, I wouldn't have dared to break it directly.""Hmm.""But Brother Yuan, I truly admire you. I followed the clues and rushed slowly here, but in the end, I was still a step late. This wave should have been completed jointly by you and me, but in fact, it was you, Brother Yuan, who led the team and completed it alone.It makes me now only able to applaud for Brother Yuan.I didn't even get to drink the soup, and I still have to worry quickly about the next wave."

Li Zhuoyuan looked at Zhao Yi, and Zhao Yi also looked at Li Zhuoyuan.Immediately, Zhao Yi squatted down, brought his face close, and said to Li Zhuoyuan:"The Corpse Gu faction likes to hunt strange corpses. Although they have a main gate, they have no mountain gate, and they are competitive with each other. Mutual scheming and killing is the norm.Having no mountain gate means no worries behind them; they are a group of lunatics who dare to do anything and fear nothing.Brother Yuan, what do you say happens next if I take my people and leave directly, leaving those two behind?Whatever those two do may have nothing to do with me, oh."Saying this, Zhao Yi brought his face even closer, almost to Li Zhuoyuan's ear, and softly said:"I bet the one downstairs is just pretending to be an expert."Li Zhuoyuan's expression remained calm and he said faintly:"Buy and leave hands. You only have one betting opportunity."

---Don't panic, there is still one chapter during the daytime to supplement today's word count.()