Chapter 84.4

The girl tried to hold him tighter, but the boy pushed her away. He stood up and backed away, step by step, until he was pressed into a corner.

Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. He didn’t know why he was crying—only that the world around him was spinning wildly. He felt anxious, unsettled. He wanted to run.

Almost instinctively, he clenched his left hand into a fist and brought it to his mouth. He opened his teeth and bit down hard.

Pain shot through him. But he cried out and quickly pulled his hand away, afraid he’d draw blood in front of the girl.

She stood up, about to move toward him—but his reaction grew even more intense, so she stopped.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

Li Zhuiyuan held his head, eyes lowered. Right now, he looked like a student sitting down to an exam—only to realize he had forgotten everything. He was anxious. Lost. Helpless.

All around him, the other students’ pens scratched across the paper. They seemed so confident, the questions so easy. But he couldn’t answer a single one. The answers might be nearby—but they were too far to see, and too distant to copy.

Then, Li Lan’s voice echoed in his mind:

"Li Zhuiyuan, you and I are both monsters in human skin."

Thunk!

His head slammed back hard against the wall. But the impact calmed him.

Moments ago, he’d been drowning. Now, he had crawled ashore—soaked to the bone, exhausted… yet somehow elated.

He had worked so hard to keep his human mask from falling off. But now that it was growing in naturally, he had no idea what to do.

Turns out, he was just like Zhuangzhuang—afraid of the real thing he claimed to love.

“Hehehe… hehehe… hahahaha…”

Li Zhuiyuan began to laugh.

Alí walked over and crouched beside him.

He looked at her. Their gazes locked, and in each other’s eyes, they saw themselves reflected.

“Alí, do you think… once I’m initiated… my memorial tablet could sit on the altar in your dreams?”

…

“That was no Yin Clan’s Twelve Techniques.”

“It wasn’t?”

“I noticed right away when that girl Yin Meng arrived in Nantong—dull as a brick. She probably can’t even walk the shade, let alone teach that brat any technique.”

“He said it was from a book she brought—”

“There’s no such book,” Liu Yumei said with certainty. “If a complete copy really existed, the Yin clan would have vanished long ago. They couldn’t have held on till now. That book, in its original form, was impossible for their descendants to learn.”

She paused, then added, “Our Qin and Liu families may be dwindling in numbers, but at least we still have you, and Alí, and the others…

Even Alí, if she weren’t ill, her talent would be exceptional. Because only those with the highest natural gifts tend to catch such a condition.

Ordinary children? They’re invisible to malevolent spirits—those things won’t even bother to take revenge.

The Qin and Liu lines weren’t lost—they were broken.”

“So, Atíng,

You’ve never seen what truly ruined family legacies look like. The descendants? Lining up to compete with pigs over who’s more idiotic!”

“But if there’s no book, how did Xiaoyuan learn it?”

“Two possibilities. One: Li Sanjiang’s basement really had something special. Even in our eyes, it might still count.”

“But can you really learn a family legacy just by reading books?”

Aunt Liu couldn’t help but picture the boy, sitting in a wicker chair on the balcony, flipping pages like a picture book.

“Right? It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?

The essence of every family’s legacy lies in the person. If books alone could pass it on, all the secrets would’ve been public long ago.

How could someone that clever exist?”

“But you just said—”

“Because the second possibility is even harder to believe. That Yin Meng girl brought something meant for pigs—

And that boy reverse-engineered it… into something for humans. And offered it to the Great Emp—”

Liu Yumei stopped herself. She raised a hand instinctively and murmured:

“Four Ghosts Bearing the Coffin.”

No wind, no sound—but she could feel it. Aunt Liu had told her everything.

There was no third explanation. For a whole year, they had lived under the same roof—no one could have taught him in secret.

“Xiaoyuan reverse-engineered it…” Aunt Liu’s eyes widened. “If that’s true, then give him any family’s secret scroll, and he could learn it?”

“If I hadn’t feared fortune backlash back at Li Sanjiang’s house, I should’ve peeked at what he was reading every day.”

Aunt Liu added, “Alí might know. But she still can’t speak.”

“Hmph.” Liu Yumei sighed. “Even if she could—do you think she’d tell you?”

“Why are you snapping at me now? Alí’s your own granddaughter!”

Liu Yumei looked away, a touch helpless.

She didn’t want to admit it—but the truth was clear.

She, Liu Yumei, who had lived a life of wealth and elegance… had raised a granddaughter whose elbow didn’t just turn outward—

It had never even pointed home.

Seeing how frustrated she was, Aunt Liu gently soothed her, “Maybe Xiaoyuan just gave Alí some kind of love potion.”

Liu Yumei snorted, “Hmph. Can’t it just be that our Alí has good taste? Sharp judgment?”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right!”

Arms folded, lips curled, Liu Yumei beamed. “Alí takes after me. Her taste in men is bound to be excellent.”

“Exactly! Takes after you. Your very own granddaughter.”

“Hehehe.”

Liu Yumei laughed.

Aunt Liu teased, “So, what now? Sounding like you’ve changed your mind—ready to welcome this dragon across the river?”

“They’re still just kids. Don’t talk nonsense. It’s improper.”

“Of course, of course. You’re right about everything.”

“Enough, Atíng. We misjudged him. Even if he just learned it from books, he’s already an extraordinary genius.

Think about it—if back then, I had only thrown books at you and Alì, told you to teach yourselves, where would you be now? Probably still digging mud eels in some ditch.”

“True enough! Alì and I are slow as rocks. How could we compare to the grandson-in-law you picked? Tsk tsk, old lady, the ink isn’t even dry on that marriage talk, and you’re already looking down on us!”

“Don’t talk rubbish. One more word and I’ll slap your mouth.”

“I’m sorry.” Aunt Liu gave herself two light slaps. Then added, “Better hurry, then—or else he’ll end up offering incense at Fengdu.”

“Silly girl. Didn’t you see? That boy doesn’t care about Fengdu. He’s just pushing this old woman to speak first—so he can negotiate from strength.”

…

Li Zhuiyuan came downstairs and saw Liu Yumei and Aunt Liu standing in the courtyard.

“Granny Liu.”

“Three days from now, we move. According to custom, you should come for a meal.”

“Sure. Should I bring a gift?”

“You’re a child. Come empty-handed. According to tradition, I’m the one who should give you a gift for entering the family.”

“What kind of gift?”

“Whatever you want. Tell Grandma—and it’s yours.”

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