After autumn set in, the nights got chillier, and in places like hospitals, the temperature felt even lower.
Earlier in the hallway, it was fine since there was no wind, but now that he stepped out and the evening breeze hit, Li Zhiyuan took a thin jacket from his backpack and put it on.
Everyone’s bag contained specific supplies and gear. Even during the summer, after wading through water, it didn’t feel too cold, so that thin jacket had always been stashed at the bottom, unused.
When he tried to zip it, he discovered it was broken, no amount of tugging could zip it up.
If he were at home, Grandmaster would have brought out a candle to rub on it.
The old man just stood there watching a young man struggling with a zipper, as he walked step by step towards him.
Earlier, he was proud and arrogant, maintaining a certain aloofness, but now *he only felt his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.*
The curse caster made a living from this, so naturally, his sensitivity in this area was sharper.
Actually, even without that layer, given the current scenario, it was most likely down to only two possibilities:
Either the young man before him was a madman, or his earlier actions were something only a madman would do.
The old man swallowed hard, waving the stick in his hand backward three times.
The girl who had just slipped into the ward stopped there, standing face to face with Tan Wenbin, who had connected to the Underworld and was holding talisman paper in both hands.
The old man inserted the stick into his waist, raising one hand to support it, and with his right hand in a fist and thumb gently pointing forward:
"Divining the yin-yang fortune and calamity, West Mountain Shun Yao Shizhuo Zhao.
I wonder, young friend, which path you come from."
Li Zhiyuan gave up the struggle with the zipper.
He raised his head, looking at the old man trying to understand him, "I’m Li Zhiyuan from Nantong Haohe Pier, Corpse Recovery Li."
"Young friend, don’t joke around, the matters of Jianghu are something this old fellow has heard of, yet I’ve never heard of this Nantong Corpse Recovery Li."
"Hmm, that’s normal."
"Could it be your master’s sect is hidden in Nantong?"
"Because I made it up today."
The old man’s gaze turned sharp, *even a clay figure would have some temper.* Being mocked by a young man repeatedly, *his anger was becoming hard to suppress.*
The stick was pulled out again by the old man, he intended to take action, yet he was very apprehensive, because he knew once this stick came down, there would be no room for turning back.
Li Zhiyuan stood with his hands in the pockets of his jacket, calmly watching him, saying:
"Stop dreaming, there’s no room for turning back."
The old man’s chest heaved, if today it was an adult or another old man who came with a Yellow River Shovel on their back like him, he considered he could still act as he wished.
But this young man’s appearance, his aura and demeanor, had him breaking into a cold sweat on his forehead.
"Young friend, since it’s a minor misunderstanding among juniors, why not talk it out, is it necessary to completely tear our faces? It’s not worth it, don’t you agree?"
Li Zhiyuan said, "You have no face in front of me."
The old man gritted his teeth, leaning forward. His originally frail body suddenly burst with a rapid force, and in a blink, he was a meter away from Li Zhiyuan, raising the stick in his hand, wanting to strike the young man’s head horizontally.
Li Zhiyuan’s lips curved into a smile.
The reason he had stood there provoking the old man to make the first move was to make the situation irreparable.
Because what he wanted to do was not just kill the old man and the curse caster Zhao Mengyao, he wanted to wipe out the entire family of Shizhuo Zhao.
He didn’t know how many people were in the Shizhuo Zhao family, whether it was a small family or a big clan, so to be safe, he wanted to set the stage carefully.
To let the Heavenly Dao see clearly: Look, it was them who made the first move repeatedly; I was forced to wipe out the whole family.
It was merely extra effort—reducing the family’s luck due to causal effects truly wasn’t worth it.
A trident blocked the stick.
Lin Shuyou, whose face was hidden, showed an exaggerated smile, glancing at the old man.
The old man recognized the official, although this faction hadn’t been around long, they were known for their exceptionally fierce style.
Lin Shuyou raised an arm, making the old man retreat several steps.
Then, Lin Shuyou stood in front of Li Zhiyuan, slightly turning his head, looking at the young man behind him, "Heh, weren’t you afraid I would be too late?"
Li Zhiyuan said, "You’re split personality, not mentally challenged."
"You know, I really dislike your superior tone of speech."
"If you’re dissatisfied, deal with it."
Two wisps of white vapor escaped from Lin Shuyou’s nose.
Lin Shuyou, with his face not revealed, was someone Li Zhiyuan was willing to speak more to, extending a bit more patience. But once his face was revealed, he became a stubborn mule; the nicer you are, the more he acts pretentious.
The old man flicked the stick towards the bamboo basket, giving it a forward swing. A small stick from a rattle drum hooked onto it, the shaking of which produced a crisp sound.
A wisp of black smoke rose from the front, and a little girl wearing Lotus Treasure Clothing appeared, her whole body was blue and purple. Squatting on the ground, she looked up with a smile, revealing tiger teeth in barbed hooks sticking out from her lips.
Lin Shuyou stepped over with one leg, lifting the trident high with his right hand and brushing through the air with his left hand before his face.
"Exorcise evil and protect the way, just kill, don’t redeem~"
In an instant, Lin Shuyou’s entire aura changed; White Crane Child descended.
The trident flipped, with its tip aimed at Li Zhiyuan behind.
White Crane Child tilted its head slightly, murder intent evident.
Li Zhiyuan had grudges with White Crane Child.