Corpse Retriever

Back when Ah Li carved flower rolls from wood for herself, Li Zhuiyuan used to feel bad for her, thinking it was too complicated and exhausting for a little girl.

But ever since he learned yesterday that Ah Li was constantly surrounded by those things, he realized that for her, having something she could pour her full attention into—completely focused and undistracted—might actually be a kind of ease and happiness.

Ah Li sat down, spread out a sheet of paper, picked up a pen, and began designing a seal.

The tip of the pen danced lively and cheerfully on the paper, reflecting her inner state.

Li Zhuiyuan pulled the curtains open, letting the sunlight pour in.

In the courtyard outside, Runsheng had already begun his morning boxing practice.

His movements were faster and more fluid than yesterday. Clearly, he was adapting.

Sensing someone watching him, Runsheng turned his head mid-punch and smiled toward the direction of the youth.

Then, he suddenly smacked the back of his own head with his right hand. His just-slowed movements sped up again.

Runsheng no longer needed Uncle Qin to kick pebbles at him to help him snap out of it. He could spur himself on now.In the corner of the courtyard, Uncle Qin was squatting, a pebble in his left hand and a trowel in his right, carefully repairing the cobblestone path he had damaged yesterday.

“Breakfast is ready.”

Aunt Liu’s voice was clearly hoarse.

Li Zhuiyuan rolled up the scroll and joined Ah Li at the dining table.

Yin Meng was already sitting there, head bowed, completely still.

“Yin Meng?” Li Zhuiyuan called gently.

Yin Meng looked up. “Xiaoyuan-ge.”

Her eyes were entirely black. When her pupils shifted, only a faint glimmer of light could be seen.

“Your eyes?”

“It’s fine. Once I finish detoxing at noon, I’ll be able to see again.”

“Oh.” Li Zhuiyuan nodded and said no more.

When Liu Yumei came down the stairs and sat at the table, she asked, “Where’s Zhuangzhuang?”

“Grandma, Zhuangzhuang had something to do this morning.”

“No matter how busy he is, he should come by at least once a day.”

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll remind him.”

Mainly, everyone in the household had tasks to handle. If Zhuangzhuang didn’t show up, Liu Yumei would appear idle by comparison—and she couldn’t cook, either.

“Xiaoyuan, the books you wanted will be delivered tomorrow. There’s quite a lot, so I had them placed in the old house. Go pick them up yourself when you need them.”

“Grandma, I’d rather select a batch I find useful first, and move those to the shop basement.”

That way, the causal connections could be cut into smaller segments.

“Fine, up to you.” Liu Yumei pushed the soup bowl in front of her over to the youth. “Military training must be wrapping up soon? Classes are about to start officially. You’ll be busy—remember to take care of yourself.”

That kind of conversation instantly brought back memories of the clever wordplay they used to share at Great-grandpa’s house.

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ve already previewed the material. If I don’t understand something, I’ll ask the teacher in advance.”

Liu Yumei smiled lovingly.

But inwardly, she thought: Why didn’t I catch the hidden meaning in this kid’s words?

…

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan left for the dormitory.

At the sink area, he ran into Lin Shuyou, who was doing laundry—washing theatrical costumes, and new ones at that.

When Lin Shuyou saw Li Zhuiyuan, his reaction was dramatic. He shrank back instinctively.

This wasn’t an act.

Back when he and Tan Wenbin had showered together by the sink, the way he had called Li Zhuiyuan “Big Brother” had also seemed entirely genuine.

Binbin once said this guy might have a split personality.

“Hello,” Li Zhuiyuan greeted him.

“Hello… Li Zhui… Xiaoyuan’s Big Brother.”

Since getting beaten into the infirmary that time, Lin Shuyou had mostly stayed in the dorm recovering, so he and Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t run into each other again until now.

He wasn’t wearing a mask now… no, even when he had been, facing this youth always felt suffocating.

“Lin Shuyou.”

“Here!”

Suddenly being called by his full name startled Lin Shuyou into snapping into full military posture.

“I just did a reading. Judging from the hexagram, there may be malevolent spirits stirring soon. Stay alert.”

“Yes, understood.” Lin Shuyou nodded vigorously.

“If you sense anything wrong, tell me right away. We’ve had our disagreements, but we share the same goal of guarding the righteous path.

So don’t hesitate. If you need help, speak up.”

“Thank you.” Lin Shuyou nodded again, this time his eyes slightly reddening.

This kind of turning-swords-to-plowshares scene always struck a chord—especially for the one on the receiving end of the “sword.” It helped reclaim some dignity.

Seeing Lin Shuyou react like that, Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t surprised. No wonder Binbin had talked him into calling him “Big Brother.” When this guy wasn’t putting on a face, he really was easy to handle.

Given that Runsheng and Yin Meng were both in special training, and Li Zhuiyuan had also deliberately fanned the flames today…

He had no idea when those flames might ignite. If Runsheng and Yin Meng were still in training when it happened, he’d have no one to rely on.

He was confident Binbin would step in without hesitation—but Binbin was fragile.

Lin Shuyou was just right.

And since this guy was more of a tool… if he broke, it wouldn’t hurt.

Li Zhuiyuan shook the water off his hands and turned to leave. Lin Shuyou gathered his courage and called out:

“Yuan-ge.”

“Hmm?”

“If anything comes up… please let me know. Eliminating demons and protecting the Dao is our duty.”

That’s exactly what I was waiting for.

“You’re overthinking it. I don’t need you.”

Leaving those words behind, Li Zhuiyuan returned to his dorm room.

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