The original speculation seemed to be further corroborated upon seeing the bowl in front of Li Sanjiang on the ground, because not only did the bowl contain water, it also floated two patchouli leaves.
If Li Sanjiang wanted to drink water himself, he could have placed it on a table next to him, rather than on the muddy ground.
This was more like a respectful gesture:
"Please enjoy your tea and take a rest, the other matters, just raise your hand and don’t bother with them."
Li Zhiyuan approached curiously, thinking: Could it be that the Grandmaster was feigning sleep?
But if the Grandmaster truly didn’t want to deal with the matter, why would he come to preside over the ritual?
If it was just for the money, why involve Liu Jinxia and Mr. Shan?
For such a miserable end just to exchange for some money, Mr. Shan, who might be struggling to make ends meet, might agree, but Liu Jinxia’s family was well-off; why would she agree?
The contradictions in the logic of their actions made Li Zhiyuan for the first time waver a little in his established impression of his own Grandmaster.
"Li Sanjiang! Li Sanjiang!"
Behind him came the roar of Mr. Shan, his mouth smeared with blood, holding a handful of old teeth in his hand, his expression extremely twisted and fierce.
Li Sanjiang was startled awake, his body trembled, nearly falling off his chair. He then looked around somewhat dazedly, his gaze landing on Mr. Shan’s face:
"Hey, how did you end up looking like a ghost?"
"Li Sanjiang, you beast, beast!"
Mr. Shan was so angry that his chest heaved. He had been peed on and had a row of teeth knocked out. When he turned his head, he found that Li Sanjiang was still sound asleep, having slept till there was eye gunk, nearly suffocating himself in anger.
Li Sanjiang then turned to look at Liu Jinxia, seeing her face swollen like two pleated meat buns, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he almost laughed:
"Liu Xiazi, what happened to you?"
Liu Jinxia closed her eyes and didn’t speak; it hurt even to talk now.
She was angry too, but after all, she was from the same village. She had long noticed Li Sanjiang’s "abilities" and, although it felt unfair, she knew it made sense.
"Hey, where are the Niu family members, why don’t I see them?"
Li Sanjiang was now anxious, where were the people from the main family?
At this point, Mr. Shan had no choice but to forcibly calm himself down. He wanted to grit his teeth, but he couldn’t find them, so he bit his lip and said:
"At past eight o’clock, Liu Xiazi told me it got cold, and only then did I notice a draft was coming from my spot; it was Old Mrs. Niu who had come back."
"What, it’s been half a year, can she still come back as a ghost?"
"She’s not a ghost, she’s a Water Corpse!"
"Water Corpse? Are you kidding me! A person who has been dead and buried for half a year can turn into a Water Corpse?"
"She is a Water Corpse. Her shoe soles were damp and left watery footsteps; I fought with her, and she smelled like the water corpses I used to handle; my eyes are not blind, and my nose is still here, I’ve been retrieving corpses all my life, I could not mistake a Water Corpse!"
"Why aren’t you speaking, didn’t you deal with her?"
"If I could be ten years younger..."
Mr. Shan didn’t continue, for he hadn’t done anything to Old Mrs. Niu but had been outwitted by her, which was really shameful.
Now, he finally started to accept his age.
If it weren’t for Liu Xiazi’s warning tonight, he probably would have been duped, and the entire "fight" could have been omitted.
"I’m asking about the Niu family, where are they?"
Li Sanjiang asked again; this was no longer about money. If their ritual caused the entire main family to perish, then their reputation in the area would be ruined. Who would dare to hire them for rituals again?
Run Sheng: "Niu Lian is digging a hole at her mother’s grave."
"Why didn’t you go save her?"
Run Sheng glanced at Li Zhiyuan standing there and said, "There was no time, I brought Xiao Yuan here first to wake you all up."
"Let’s go, to the graveyard!" Li Sanjiang slapped the stool and then looked at Mr. Shan and Liu Jinxia, "You two... stay here and rest for a while."
His gaze had a hint of ’how could you both be so unreliable’.
Mr. Shan’s chest began to heave again, his newly settled emotions stirred up once more.
Liu Jinxia looked calm, even with a slight scorn as she glanced at Mr. Shan: After partnering with him for so many years, after suffering so much in silence, you’re still taking the hits.
Li Sanjiang, along with Run Sheng and Li Zhiyuan, rushed towards the graveyard. Just as they reached the edge of the fields, they heard a voice:
"Mom, I’m hungry, Mom, I’m hungry, Mom, is the food ready!"
A figure in hemp clothes ran out from ahead—it was Niu Rui, arms spread as if searching for his mother’s embrace, looking exceptionally innocent despite being over fifty.
Li Sanjiang directed Run Sheng, who moved left while he moved right, blocking Niu Rui’s path, then they pounced together, finally pinning Niu Rui down.
"Let me go, let me go, I want to find Mom, I want to find my Mom!"
Niu Rui struggled, but couldn’t break free.
"Mom, it’s Fu Hou, Mom, it’s Fu Hou!"
Just as they subdued Niu Rui, the figure of Niu Fu appeared in the distance, spinning in circles while crying miserably, his voice more piercing and emotional than during the daytime funeral.
Li Sanjiang, holding down Niu Rui, said to Run Sheng, "Go, catch Niu Fu!"
"Elder, can you handle it?" Run Sheng looked at Niu Rui, still struggling beneath them.
"No worries, I still have some strength left." Despite his injuries, Li Sanjiang was confident; he had carried corpses all his life, and he knew exactly how to immobilize people by their joints.