Chapter 107

The temple lay quiet and secluded. In the courtyard stood an ancient well covered by a bluestone slab, and over the slab was draped a dharani scripture blanket. Four chains stretched from the edge of the well to the hands of Arhat stone statues at the four corners.

An old monk with a white beard sat cross-legged in meditation before the well.

This area had never been open to visitors, and in recent days the abbot had even strictly forbidden the monks from approaching it.

As the sun slanted westward, the old monk’s shadow stretched longer and longer, until another figure stepped onto it.

The old monk opened his eyes and let out a breath. “Benefactor Liu, you’ve finally come.”

Aunt Liu tossed the large bag in her hand onto the ground, walked to one of the stone Arhat statues, grabbed one of the chains, and pulled it backward.

With a clattering rattle, the other three chains moved in tandem, and the four stones bracing the center of the well mouth were pulled aside.

Aunt Liu walked to the edge of the well, lifted off the dharani scripture blanket, casually threw it to the ground, then raised her foot and, with a bang, kicked over the top bluestone slab.

The old monk said nothing. He only silently picked up the scripture blanket.

Aunt Liu did not hurry down into the well. Instead, she looked at the old monk and asked, “Why are you still standing here?”

The old monk replied, “Since Benefactor Liu stored it here, this poor monk should naturally keep watch over it himself.”

“Busybody.”

“Benefactor Liu, this is this temple’s well.”

“Back in the Qianlong era, my Liu family ancestors used this very well to suppress a corpse demon. Later, they ordered its attendants to build a temple here to guard it. If you count it up carefully, old monk, the temple’s first abbot, your own grandmaster, worshipped my Liu family’s Dragon King back then.

So tell me, shouldn’t this temple belong to my Liu family?”

The old monk said, “Benefactor Liu speaks truly.”

“Heh. I thought an old monk like you would give me some line about times changing.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” the old monk said calmly. “I have not yet finished cultivating away the dust of the mortal world. I have no face to meet the Buddha.”

“Move aside.”

The old monk raised a hand. “Benefactor Liu, please put that thing away first.”

Aunt Liu flicked her hand. A black shadow shot out from some unknown corner nearby, crawled up from her feet, reached her palm, and with a backhanded motion, she put it away and it vanished.

The old monk finally let out a long breath, rose, and left holding the scripture blanket.

He had been here to watch over something, but not what was below the well. He had been watching the thing placed beside it.

If that thing ever lost control and caused trouble, then the entire temple would probably turn pitch-black all over and collectively head west to worship the Buddha.

After the old monk left, Aunt Liu jumped into the well and soon hauled Yin Meng out, naked from head to toe.

Once they landed by the well mouth, Aunt Liu lightly scraped her nail, releasing a strange fragrance that drifted to Yin Meng’s nose.

Yin Meng opened her eyes.

“Master…”

“From this moment on, go back to calling me what you used to.”

“Aunt Liu.”

Aunt Liu nodded. Her fingers slid across Yin Meng’s skin, sensing its pale softness, and she smiled.

“Now this is what a girl from Sichuan and Chongqing ought to look like.”

Yin Meng asked, “Aunt Liu, didn’t you say I was supposed to soak for a full day and night?”

No girl could resist the temptation of better skin.

“Someone asked me to fish you out early.”

Yin Meng immediately nodded. “Then that makes sense.”

“I brought you a few outfits. Pick one to put on first, and take the rest with you. Your old clothes were too shabby. Even old village aunties dress better than you.”

Yin Meng picked out a set of clothes from the bag and put them on. Then she straightened up and swept her wet hair back with both hands. There was a youthful, easy grace to her. She had been very young to begin with.

“Aunt Liu, thank you.”

Her grandfather was a man, and her parents had left her life very early. In Aunt Liu, Yin Meng had found something of a mother’s presence.

“No need to thank me. This is what I should do.”

Aunt Liu stretched lazily. She did not feel much reluctance at all. What she felt instead was boundless relief. These past days had truly worn her out.

“Mengmeng, remember this. When you look for a partner in the future, find one who can cook.”

“Mm.”

“And if you ever meet the wrong man, then cook him a meal yourself.”

…

When Yin Meng returned to the Liu family home, she pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in to see Li Zhuiyuan and Ah Li sitting beneath the flower trellis. The boy and girl both had their heads raised, treating the starry sky like a chessboard.

Li Zhuiyuan shifted his gaze, looked at Yin Meng once, then withdrew his eyes and continued playing chess, though he still offered a two-word assessment:

“You’re fairer.”

Yin Meng smiled and asked, “Have you eaten?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “That question sounds kind of terrifying.”

Yin Meng hurriedly waved her hands. “No, no. Aunt Liu went to buy groceries. She’ll be back to cook in a bit.”

“That’s for the old lady and Ah Li. We probably won’t make it back in time to eat.” As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan looked toward the distant path, where Tan Wenbin was running over.

“Brother Zhuiyuan, I’ve arranged everything.”

“Thanks for the hard work, Binbin.”

Li Zhuiyuan turned to Ah Li. “I’m heading out. I’ll bring you back a gift.”

Ah Li nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the bone ring on the ring finger of his left hand. He liked the ring very much. Unfortunately, his body would keep growing, and sooner or later it would stop fitting.

But that did not matter. He could always pick another one out of a Dead Sinker’s ashes.

As the boy walked out through the courtyard gate, he paused and looked back. The girl beneath the flower trellis was still watching him.

Li Zhuiyuan raised a hand and touched the skin of his face.

He was already mentally prepared. During the time ahead, the human skin on his body would tighten once again.

Then the boy strode forward.

Behind him, Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng exchanged a glance. Each understood what the other was thinking:

Brother Zhuiyuan is going to be away from Ah Li for a while. We have to be careful not to make mistakes, especially stupid ones.

Tan Wenbin’s arrangements had been very thoughtful.

He had set the sparring ground on the open riverside patch outside the school infirmary.

What was more, he had ordered food in advance from Old Sichuan and even brought chairs.

When Li Zhuiyuan and the others arrived, someone was already sitting there, had lit the alcohol block under the grilled fish tray, opened all the food containers, and was eating with great gusto.

Tan Wenbin said, “Hey, Shuyou, why’d you start eating by yourself?”

“How was I supposed to know when you’d finally get here? You’re way too slow.”

Under the moonlight, Lin Shuyou lifted his head. He had already painted his face.

Then he looked at Li Zhuiyuan, pointed at Runsheng, and asked,

“Hey, if I beat him, then I won’t be able to get the secret method from you, right? So should I go easy on purpose and lose to him? Heh.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Lin Shuyou in the same calm way. “Repeat what you just said.”

Lin Shuyou hesitated.

Before and after painting his face, his personality changed drastically. At present, it was already very close to a split-personality condition.

And the more obedient Lin Shuyou was before painting his face, the more unruly he became afterward.

The two “selves” only moved toward opposite extremes.

But even after painting his face, he still retained complete memories, so he understood perfectly well who Li Zhuiyuan was and what stood behind him in the Dragon King’s clan.

His own background was far inferior, and he still needed that precious secret method from them. He truly was not in any position to be so arrogant in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

Lin Shuyou said, “How about this? Give me the secret method, and I’ll listen to you.”

Tan Wenbin stepped forward and smacked the back of Lin Shuyou’s head. “You’ve really grown bold, huh? Bargaining now?”

Lin Shuyou had clung to them every day lately. Sure, it was annoying, but he had finally managed to build up a little goodwill with Brother Zhuiyuan, and now he’d squandered it all in a few careless moves.

Like a reflex, Lin Shuyou whipped his head around to glare at Tan Wenbin. There was anger in his eyes, though not too much. Even after painting his face, his attitude toward Tan Wenbin still carried a certain special note.

Tan Wenbin said, “What are you looking at? Speak properly!”

Lin Shuyou looked back at Li Zhuiyuan and said, “Fine. I’ll listen to you.”

That was what he said, but with that tone, that look, and that painted face, he still gave off the air of a street thug craning his neck in stubborn defiance, outwardly submitting while inwardly unconvinced.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Use your full strength against Runsheng.”

Then he looked at Runsheng. “Don’t use killing moves.”

Runsheng nodded. “Mm.”

Lin Shuyou shot to his feet as if he were a firecracker being lit. He felt insulted and said angrily,

“I said I’d listen to you. I’ll go all out.”

Then he left his seat and walked into the open space.

Runsheng followed him over.

Tan Wenbin returned to Li Zhuiyuan’s side and asked in a low voice, “Brother Zhuiyuan, Shuyou’s getting more and more outrageous like this. Is there any way to cure this kind of split personality?”

“Binbin.”

“Hm?”

“Why do you think I know how to treat that?”

“I… in my heart, Brother Zhuiyuan, you can do anything. Hahaha.”

“That personality influence comes from White Crane Child, so treating only him won’t work. You’d have to treat the Child.”

“But why does it feel like his master and his grandfather aren’t nearly this extreme?”

“He was born with unusually sharp spiritual sensitivity, so he’s more able to sense the Officers of the Command Banner. Naturally, that also makes him more vulnerable to being influenced by them.

And right now he can only invite the Child. Later, when he can invite the two generals Zeng and Sun, the personality effects will become even more obvious.”

“Brother Zhuiyuan, is there any way to treat them?”

Li Zhuiyuan did not answer.

Tan Wenbin assumed Brother Zhuiyuan simply could not be bothered with that kind of thing.

In truth, Tan Wenbin’s words had given Li Zhuiyuan an idea, and he was thinking it through.

Ahead of them, Lin Shuyou entered spirit-medium state.

His vertical pupils opened, and his whole temperament changed abruptly.

But White Crane Child’s first glance was not toward Runsheng, who was about to fight him. Instead, it turned toward Tan Wenbin.

Tan Wenbin immediately felt a killing intent strike at him. His back turned cold at once. Ever since he had learned to walk the shade, he had become extremely sensitive to this sort of thing.

“What the hell? Why does he want to come after me?”

“Because last time, you stabbed him.”

“Yin gods can hold grudges too?”

“You said it yourself. They’re Yin gods. Before that, they were all ghost kings and ghost generals.”

Runsheng pointed to himself. “Your opponent right now is me.”

White Crane Child’s gaze darkened. He lunged forward, and phantoms appeared beneath his Three-Step Praise. In an instant he was before Runsheng, swinging a fist straight at his face.

Smack!

Runsheng raised his right hand and blocked the punch in front of him.

When Tan Wenbin had arranged the fight earlier, he had specifically told Lin Shuyou not to bring that trident. The unpainted Lin Shuyou had been quite obedient.

Of course, Runsheng had not brought the Yellow River Spade either. Both of them were fighting barehanded.

For the moment, the two sides fell into a deadlock.

Blood-colored light began to flow in White Crane Child’s vertical pupils. He was enraged. An ordinary person had actually blocked his punch, and with apparent ease.

He began steadily pouring on more strength. The sandy riverside ground beneath his feet slowly sank, and the same happened beneath Runsheng’s feet. At the same time, a faint sound of wind began to rise around Runsheng’s right arm and shoulder.

White Crane Child lifted his leg, and Runsheng lifted his as well.

Bang! Bang!

Each of them kicked the other.

Because their hands were still tightly locked together, the result of the mutual kick was that both were launched up and then both crashed facedown onto the ground.

Even then, neither released their grip.

The next moment, White Crane Child and Runsheng both sprang up and lunged forward, each trying to get above the other and seize the advantage. In the end, it only became a vicious shoulder slam between them.

Bang!

After the collision, each used the other free hand to grab the other’s far shoulder, then both turned their heads and pinned the other’s arm.

The two of them began rolling on the ground, tumbling all the way into the river.

The first to break the surface was White Crane Child, but the instant he emerged, Runsheng slammed him back underwater.

Their struggle beneath the surface sent up great sprays of water. Runsheng, who was clearly more at home in the water, gradually began to gain the upper hand.

But White Crane Child’s vertical pupils began to shift.

Runsheng suddenly felt dizzy and light-headed. He could still resist it, but his punches and kicks slowed slightly because of it.

Li Zhuiyuan made a note of it inwardly. This was the first time he had actually seen an Officer of the Command Banner use one of its methods.

After taking several punches from White Crane Child in a row, Runsheng let out a low roar. His eyes reddened, the effect of the vertical pupils was dispelled, and his punches and kicks recovered, allowing him to seize the momentum again.

Because both of them were fighting at close quarters and had chosen to compete in raw strength, it was hard for the moves to look graceful. More than anything, the scene resembled underwater wrestling.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Brother Runsheng has won.”

White Crane Child’s fighting habit was to bring out all the strength of the spirit-medium body from the very start, never holding back and never sparing it.

Runsheng, on the other hand, had only activated local qi seas in different parts of his body during the fight and had not fully opened them all together. That meant he was still holding something back.

Maybe using that move would overdraw him too badly, and with a mission coming up, he needed to keep his condition stable. But because he still had that trump card in reserve, the winner had effectively already been decided.

What remained to be tested was Runsheng’s stamina.

White Crane Child had not chosen to leave the unfavorable water battlefield right away, but under sustained pressure, he had no choice in the end. After taking a punch from Runsheng, his body flew backward out of the water and landed back on shore.

This delayed reaction was not because White Crane Child did not know how to fight, but because of his arrogance.

Runsheng followed him out and kept fighting on land.

The three onlookers could hear nothing but the booming impacts of fists and feet colliding.

Gradually, White Crane Child’s momentum began to decline, and his vertical pupils became harder and harder to maintain.

“Brother Runsheng.”

Li Zhuiyuan called out. Runsheng stopped, stepped back a few paces, and began taking deep breaths.

With every deep inhalation, his clothes were sucked tight against his body before puffing outward again.

He was deliberately giving White Crane Child a chance to light the guiding incense.

Three sticks of guiding incense were lit and inserted atop the crane crown. White Crane Child’s aura recovered, and he attacked again.

Runsheng stopped taking deep breaths and met him head-on once more.

Punch after punch, kick after kick, shoulder after shoulder, collision after collision, the two fought with the most direct methods possible, waging the most primitive contest of strength and endurance.

Tan Wenbin clicked his tongue. “Damn, Runsheng’s improved a ton.”

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