"That ans we’ll have to wait for Run Sheng’s injuries to heal a bit more, because according to what Brother Xiao Yuan described, Yin ng and I might not be a match for that old corpse recovery diver."
"But, I don’t want to wait too long. I’m afraid of inevitable complications." Li Zhiyuan turned to look at the "security asures" he had set up, "Even if it’s true you’re no match for him, it’s not like I want you to take him on in an open challenge."
"Ah, right." Tan Wenbin understood Xiao Yuan’s point, "Then we don’t have to worry about being unmatched."
At this mont, Tan Wenbin’s pager beeped. He ran out to find a place to return the call, and quickly ca back,
"Brother Xiao Yuan, Brother Liang said he and Mr. Luo are coming back tonight and invited us to dinner at Lijing Restaurant in the city at seven. Are we going?"
"Yes, we are. It’s not like we’re taking action tonight. I still have to draft the array diagrams..."
"But you sketch diagrams quickly."
"Then you all still need to morize them."
"Oh, right, that does take ti, especially Yin ng, she’s so slow-witted."
"You should take a break. You didn’t sleep all night."
"I’m fine."
"You’ll need to perform well tonight, so rest up. Life, studies, corpse recovery, there’s no need to deliberately give any up. We can afford to be more leisurely."
"Alright, I understand."
Tan Wenbin knew what Xiao Yuan ant. Mr. Luo had only officially taken on Xue Liangliang and Xiao Yuan as students. He hadn’t officially accepted him yet, and gaining Mr. Luo’s favor could make his studies easier in the future.
At the very least, it wouldn’t be awkward if Xiao Yuan and the others followed Mr. Luo on field trips to other provinces while he was left alone at school busy with final exams.
Tan Wenbin went to bed while Li Zhiyuan sat at his desk, sketching two array diagrams.
*If the Qi family ancestors knew that their ancestral secret techniques ant for imperial tombs were simplified to be used in fistfights, they’d crawl out of their coffins in anger.*
*However, the temporary arrays simplified for brawls had obvious weaknesses: short duration and lack of differentiation between friend and foe.*
*That’s why Tan Wenbin and Yin ng had to morize the "positions" beforehand; otherwise, when they resorted to fighting and suffered the sa negative effects as their enemies, what would be the point of the array?*
After finishing the draft, Li Zhiyuan sketched out positioning diagrams. Once done, he jotted down rhyming chants for easy morization.
In this respect, Run Sheng was the most cooperative.
There was actually a more direct thod, which was to "borrow" the corpse under the General’s likeness, but this option was too risky. Without first determining the identity of the corpse, Li Zhiyuan dared not enlist such aid.
*If any chain reaction ensued from this, the Heavenly Dao would surely take it out on him.*
By noon, Tan Wenbin had awoken.
"Brother Xiao Yuan, how long did I sleep?"
"A few hours. You can sleep so more."
"No need, it’s enough. I snuck in a few naps last night, so I’m not that tired." Tan Wenbin got out of bed, "I’m going to the store to grab so food and check on Sun Hongxia."
"Sun Hongxia can be released."
"Huh? Won’t she report us to the police for illegally detaining her?"
"Then we can tell the police that she committed theft in our store and shifted the bla onto us."
"A good reason." Tan Wenbin thought it over and found it flawless.
"She won’t report us. If she intended to, she would have done so after seeing the ghost for the first ti." Li Zhiyuan pointed to his forehead, "She may appear normal, but her mind is already troubled."
"Oh, so that’s how it is."
"Also, tell her that her son’s case likely has hidden truths."
"Brother Xiao Yuan, you’re still kind-hearted."
Li Zhiyuan, "..."
After Tan Wenbin left, Li Zhiyuan picked up a kettle and poured himself a cup of hot water. As he blew into the cup, he muttered to himself,
"She will go mad."
Tan Wenbin entered the store and headed straight to the basent. He unlocked the door to find Sun Hongxia bound inside, with Xiao Hei watching her in the room.
Sun Hongxia appeared lifeless; after Tan Wenbin untied her, she numbly went to the washroom, ate, drank water, and then knelt by the bed, waiting to be bound and gagged again.
"You can leave."
Sun Hongxia raised her head in disbelief, looking at Tan Wenbin.
"We’ve investigated and found that your son’s case likely has hidden truths."
Sun Hongxia was stunned.
*Ordinary people’s worldviews can be complex at tis, yet sotis so simple. Sun Hongxia initially stayed at the school with a mindset of expiation. After encountering ’Qiu Minmin’s’ ghostly shadow and hearing Ran Qiuping’s account, she beca even more resolute in her expiatory role.*
*But in Sun Hongxia’s eyes, this group of people capable of wrestling with ’ghosts’ without losing were obviously not ordinary either.*
*Though they detained, intimidated, and interrogated her, she believed their words.*
*Is there hidden truth in my son’s case?*
*Does that an my son was wronged?*
Sun Hongxia’s gaze slowly drifted to the small stool where the young man’s morial photo was placed.
"No, no, no, how can this be, how can this be!"
Sun Hongxia scread, clutching her son’s photo to her chest.
Watching this scene, Tan Wenbin suddenly realized he spoke too soon when he said, "Brother Xiao Yuan, you’re truly kind-hearted."
"My son was wronged, my son was wronged!"
*The mindset of fervent penitents was inherently unstable. The longer it had been suppressed, the more willing they were to climb up at any cost when a lifeline finally descended.*
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