If it hadn't been for the body of the Heavenly Fiend Corpse Puppet, Yan Shouyi would have had two fingers bitten off by Zhu Shanzao today. Coupled with Zhu Shanzao's actions during this period, Yan Shouyi decided to teach this wild boar demon a good lesson.
So he picked up Zhu Shanzao's hammer and smashed it hard on Zhu Shanzao's back, causing Zhu Shanzao to yelp in pain.
Zhu Shanzao dodged and retreated, while Yan Shouyi pressed forward step by step, fighting with cold-blooded ruthlessness.
"Little mountain god, right?"
"Wild boar demon, right?"
"Zhu Shanzao, right?"
"Still going to pretend?"
Zhu Shanzao was covered in blood, his head held high, begging for mercy: "I won't pretend anymore, I won't pretend anymore! You are the boss, you are magnanimous, just treat me like a fart and let me go!"
"Let you go, and then you'll come back to harm the Liu family when I'm not here?" Yan Shouyi sneered.
Zhu Shanzao quickly shook his head: "I dare not. I would never dare to bully the Liu family again! Not only will I not bully them, but I will come to greet Liu Mingzhi every day and protect them on Gul Ling. If that's not enough, I'll bring them some game every day to supplement their bodies..."
Seeing Zhu Shanzao's understanding, Yan Shouyi finally stopped.
He glanced at the bloody hammer in his hand and asked, "Who gave this to you?"
Zhu Shanzao glanced weakly at Yan Shouyi, wanting to speak but hesitating, clearly having concerns.
Yan Shouyi now was even more powerful than last time. Zhu Shanzao couldn't figure out how a living person could have such a recovery ability.
Of course, he didn't know that Yan Shouyi now possessed the body of the Heavenly Fiend Corpse Puppet, and healing injuries was just a basic operation for him.
Yan Shouyi snorted coldly and weighed the hammer in his hand. This movement instantly frightened Zhu Shanzao.
The wild boar demon quickly knelt down and said glibly: "After you left that day, all the Liu family members fell ill with a strange disease, and drunken flower pavilion was also frequently haunted. Later, everyone thought it was revenge from my godfather, so they demanded that the Liu family release me. At first, that old scoundrel Liu Mingzhi was unwilling, but later he had no choice but to release me. I was confused when I came out and suddenly met a strange guy..."
"Strange guy?" Yan Shouyi frowned. This matter was indeed not that simple.
"Yes, a very strange guy. He wore coarse cloth clothes, wore a mask on his face, and carried a paper figure on his back!" Zhu Shanzao said, "He called himself Agong, saying he could help me get revenge on the Liu family, and then he gave me this hammer. I didn't dare to come to the Liu family at first, but that Agong said the Liu family's luck was exhausted and could be bullied at will, so I returned to the Liu family... you know what happened later."
Listening to Zhu Shanzao's description, the mysterious person was indeed a strange fellow. And based on the characteristics Zhu Shanzao mentioned, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but think of a folk sect with the same origin as corpse handlers – paper figurine makers.
In ancient times, there were five major evil sects: corpse handlers, paper figurine makers, coroners, puppeteers, and executioners.
These five types of people, who came into contact with death and funerals from childhood, naturally absorbed death energy. They were either ugly or had defects in their lives, and were even lonelier than the descendants of Lu Ban.
Among them, paper figurine makers, in terms of their mysterious aura, were even more spectacular than the descendants of Lu Ban.
Legend had it that skilled paper figurine makers could endow paper figures with life. The paper figures they made could not only walk and move, but could even play chess, make tea, and chat with people.
All paper figures made by paper figurine makers would not easily have their eyes dotted, because the paper figures they made were too lifelike. Once their eyes were dotted, they would be considered soulless bodies by nearby lonely souls and ghosts, and thus possessed, making the paper figurine makers "come alive."
And if a paper figurine maker wanted to make those paper figures come alive and obedient, they would use needles to pierce holes in the mouths, eyes, noses, and ears of the finished paper figures, so that they could control these paper figures.
In short, paper figurine makers were actually the same as the Lu Ban school. Both were schools originating from and serving the folk. The techniques they knew were all short-term methods, the same as the Lu Ban school.
This Agong mentioned by Zhu Shanzao should be a paper figurine maker.
Yan Shouyi thought to himself: I traveled all over the country with my grandfather in the past, and I have seen many paper figurine makers. Seeing that we were descendants of Lu Ban, they mostly gave us some face... I haven't heard of the name Agong. If I meet him, I wonder if he will give us descendants of Lu Ban face.
If not, then we can only settle it with our hands and compete based on our own strength.
Yan Shouyi tapped the ground with the hammer, reminding Zhu Shanzao to listen carefully to his questions: "Where is this Agong you mentioned?"
Zhu Shanzao shook his head and replied honestly: "I don't know either. After he gave me this hammer, he went into the deep mountains. I haven't seen him since."
"Alright, I'll believe you for now."
Yan Shouyi paused and asked again: "You said the Liu family fell ill the day I left? So their illness has nothing to do with you?"
"Of course it has nothing to do with me! If you don't believe me, you can ask Liu Mingzhi! Although I, Zhu Shanzao, bully people, I dare to do what I do. If I didn't do it, I didn't do it!" Zhu Shanzao explained.
His tone was a little anxious, as if he was really scared by Yan Shouyi's beating and afraid that Yan Shouyi would misunderstand him and beat him again.
Yan Shouyi had a pair of discerning eyes that could tell if someone was lying. Judging from Zhu Shanzao's reaction, he didn't seem to be lying.
So he tapped Zhu Shanzao's head again and said, "Come with me to see Old Master Liu. You look like this, I'm afraid you'll scare him. Change into a presentable form."
Zhu Shanzao no longer had the appearance of a wild boar demon. He was like a well-behaved pet pig. He immediately transformed into the pink little fragrant pig appearance he had before.
However, this little fragrant pig was covered in injuries, bruised and swollen, and missing an eye. He looked both pathetic and disheveled.
Seeing Zhu Shanzao's miserable state, Yan Shouyi reflected on whether he had been too heavy-handed. But thinking that Zhu Shanzao had threatened to eat people, he felt that these were nothing.
He picked up Zhu Shanzao with one hand and turned to Uncle Zhong, saying:
"Uncle Zhong, take me to see Old Master Liu."
Uncle Zhong quickly led the way: "Yes! Yes! Mr. Yan, please follow me, this way!"
Zhu Shanzao falling into Yan Shouyi's hands for the second time made Uncle Zhong even more aware of how profound Yan Shouyi's cultivation was. If anyone in Rongcheng could cure the sick Liu family, Uncle Zhong would first think of Yan Shouyi.
Only Yan Shouyi could save the Liu family!
Led by Uncle Zhong, Yan Shouyi, carrying Zhu Shanzao, arrived outside Liu Mingzhi's room.
In fact, the Liu family servants had already informed Liu Mingzhi and other members of the Liu family that Yan Shouyi had arrived. Unfortunately, all the Liu family members were bedridden, unable to even stand steadily, let alone go out to greet Yan Shouyi.
Uncle Zhong knocked on the door and called out, "Master, Mr. Yan is here!"
A weak voice came from inside the room: "Quick... quickly invite him in..."
Yan Shouyi pushed the door open and saw Liu Mingzhi lying on the bed, his face pale.
It's worth noting that when Yan Shouyi first saw Liu Mingzhi half a month ago, the old man could still take the bus by himself. Now, his appearance was as if he had one foot in the grave.
Seeing Liu Mingzhi like this, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
He knew very well that the Liu family couldn't have fallen ill overnight. Clearly, someone was behind it.
If he found out who was behind it, he would definitely make them pay the price!
"Old Master Liu, how are you feeling?" Yan Shouyi walked to the bedside and said apologetically, "It's all my fault for not coming up the mountain to see you sooner."
After all, Liu Mingzhi and his grandfather were old acquaintances. Just for the sake of the hand-rolled tobacco pipe in Liu Mingzhi's hand, Yan Shouyi had to treat Liu Mingzhi as an elder.
Liu Mingzhi shook his head and coughed for a long time. Yan Shouyi quickly helped him calm down.
After finally catching his breath, Liu Mingzhi said, "Shouyi, don't blame yourself. This might be the tribulation of our Liu family..."
"You are wrong. I have already calculated that the Liu family's luck is not exhausted. They can prosper for at least another hundred years. Someone must be behind it."
As Yan Shouyi spoke, he brought out Zhu Shanzao: "This Zhu Shanzao has been subdued by me, and I will definitely find the cause of your illness."
Liu Mingzhi was slightly relieved, as Zhu Shanzao had been living rampantly in the Liu family, which had caused suffering to everyone in the Liu family.
"Old Master Liu, what happened to the Liu family after I left that day?" Yan Shouyi asked sternly. "Tell me carefully, perhaps we can find some clues."