"Old Huang is of course no ordinary dog."
The dog Daoist smiled mysteriously, then paused for a full five seconds, building anticipation before he said, "Old Huang is the dog I, the dog Daoist, raised!"
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong were speechless.
The Chan Master Miao Ji sneered, "Amitabha, was there a moment you truly believed his dog mouth could spout ivory?"
"Hey, what kind of talk is that!" The dog Daoist shot Miao Ji a look but didn't escalate the confrontation, seeming unlikely to win a physical fight against him.
Jiang Wusheng was dead, Lin Zitong's poison was cured, and the crisis in Chenjia Village was entirely resolved.
Everyone finally felt at ease.
Wen Yuxian floated before Yan Shouyi, saying with kindness and relief, "Shouyi, in my memory, you were just a crying infant. Now you are a young man capable of handling things on your own."
She was, of course, proud of Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then, remembering something, quickly pulled Lin Zitong over:
"Grandma, this is Lin Zitong. She is my... wife."
Lin Zitong was also very shy, her voice soft and sweet as she greeted Grandma.
Wen Yuxian was taken aback, seemingly surprised that Yan Shouyi was already married. She had just praised him as a young man, unaware he was already the pillar of a family.
"Good girl, come here and let Grandma have a good look!"
Wen Yuxian beckoned Lin Zitong closer, placing her hands on her shoulders, examining her constantly. A smile never left her lips.
"So beautiful, so beautiful! Good girl, for our Shouyi to marry a媳妇儿 like you is truly a blessing from a past life!" Wen Yuxian praised Lin Zitong profusely.
Yan Shouyi chuckled inwardly. It was indeed a blessing from a past life; without the love-hate entanglement of General Qing Jiang and Princess Yu Shu in their past lives, he and Lin Zitong might not have found each other in this one.
Lin Zitong blushed and said, "Grandma, you flatter me. Da Shazi, he... cough, I mean Shouyi, he's also very good."
Wen Yuxian looked Lin Zitong over and then asked, "Good girl, where are you from? How many people are in your family? I see you have cultivation, may I ask whose lineage you follow?"
Old women, it seemed, couldn't resist gossip. Lin Zitong didn't mind and answered truthfully:
"I am from Lizhou City, Jian Province. The closest family I have is my father; my mother passed away early... My master is Lü Jingsheng of the Lüshan Sect."
Hearing of Lin Zitong's mother's passing, Wen Yuxian offered a few soft words of comfort, then added, "Lü Jingsheng... Is he still alive?"
Yan Shouyi chuckled, unable to help himself. "Grandma, Sect Leader Lü is alive and well!"
"Lü Jingsheng has become the Sect Leader?" Wen Yuxian sighed. "The last time I saw him was at the Luotian Grand Ceremony on Longhu Mountain. Over twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he's actually become the Sect Leader of the Lüshan Sect."
In fact, Lü Jingsheng had not only become the Sect Leader but had also retired.
However, it was clear that Wen Yuxian was no ordinary person; twenty years ago, she had likely been an active figure in the Xuanmen and Daoist circles.
This made Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong curious.
Because his grandmother's death was a painful memory for his grandfather and father, Yan Shouyi had rarely heard them mention her.
Naturally, he didn't know who his grandmother was or what earth-shattering deeds she might have performed in her youth.
Yan Chou, seeing their endless chatter, interjected:
"Mom, Shouyi has just been through a battle and there are many things that need to be sorted out."
Wen Yuxian glared at Yan Chou, "Jiang Wusheng is already dead, what are you worried about? What's wrong with me chatting with my grandson and granddaughter-in-law? Are you implying I'm old and rambling?"
Yan Chou: "..."
Mom, I didn't mean that!
And, in front of everyone, could you give me some face???
The dog Daoist and Master Miao Ji, these two scoundrel friends, had already turned their backs and were secretly chuckling.
It seemed they too were often bossed around by Yan Chou, and seeing Yan Chou now being bossed around by Wen Yuxian brought them immeasurable joy.
Yan Chou regained his usual indifferent expression and said to Wen Yuxian, "Mom, it's getting late. At least let's return to the village and report that we are safe."
"Fine, I'll do as you say. Since Mom is dead anyway, my words don't matter anymore," Wen Yuxian said dejectedly.
Yan Chou had no choice but to coax Wen Yuxian forward, while the others kept their distance from Yan Chou, following behind and laughing.
The battle with Jiang Wusheng had left the surroundings somewhat ravaged. Yan Shouyi tidied up a little and didn't forget to offer incense at his grandfather's grave.
Only then did he sling the Zanpakuto over his shoulder again and catch up with the group.
In the group, the Ma siblings approached Yan Shouyi. Ma Xingping praised, "Brother Yan, tonight's battle truly opened our eyes!"
Yan Shouyi clasped his fists in humility, "The successor of Lu Ban and the Mojin Xiaowei each have their strengths; there is no comparison."
"Brother Yan is truly humble."
Ma Xingping paused, then suddenly produced two miniature Flying Tiger Claws from his robe: "Brother Yan, you've dealt with Jiang Wusheng, and my sister and I need to take the Flesh Ganoderma back to save our father. We don't know when we'll meet again after today. Consider these two sets of Flying Tiger Claws a memento for us both!"
These miniature Flying Tiger Claws could be hidden directly in the sleeves, invisible to outsiders. They had no killing power but could basically meet basic needs for grabbing and grappling.
The difference between them and the full-sized Flying Tiger Claws was only the size of the claws and the barbs on them. The full-sized Flying Tiger Claws were offensive, while the miniature ones were not.
Flying Tiger Claws were the signature tools of the Mojin Xiaowei, and Yan Shouyi had personally experienced their convenience and usefulness over the past two days, so he naturally accepted them.
Actually, the structure of the Flying Tiger Claws was not difficult to understand, and Yan Shouyi could also make them out of wood. However, the only thing he couldn't replicate was the fine steel of the Flying Tiger Claws; this was a closely guarded secret of the Mojin Xiaowei. If the Flying Tiger Claws were too soft, they would deform; if they were too hard, they would easily break. If they failed at a critical moment, it could cost one's life.
Therefore, only Flying Tiger Claws produced by the Mojin Xiaowei were truly effective.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong each received a Flying Tiger Claw and tied them to their wrists immediately, letting their sleeves cover them so they were completely invisible.
Yan Shouyi expressed his gratitude, "Brother Ma, thank you."
"We should be thanking you," Ma Xingping said. "Chenjia Village doesn't welcome us, and we're leaving now. We'll have to trouble you to say goodbye to Brother Long for us."
"Of course, no problem," Yan Shouyi smiled. "But Xiao Long also has something he wanted me to tell you."
"What is it?" Ma Xingping was taken aback.
"He said, he hopes you'll stop calling him Brother Long, it sounds like breast augmentation."
"..."
Ma Jinxuan shook her head, helpless and amused. "This guy!"
Ma Xingping laughed, "Haha, got it. Next time we'll call him Xiao Long too!"
"That's fine."
The two parties stood still, clasped their fists in a farewell gesture.
Then, under Yan Shouyi's gaze, the Ma siblings used their Flying Tiger Claws and quickly disappeared into the bamboo forest.
"They seem to be in a hurry," Lin Zitong remarked.
"They're rushing to save someone, of course they're in a hurry," Yan Shouyi said with a smile.
...
The group returned to Chenjia Village.
Dawn was breaking, the sky turning a pale white, outlining the silhouettes of the Ten Thousand Mountains like a landscape painting.
At this time of day, the diligent villagers of Chenjia Village would usually be awake and working.
But today was different. Without the crowing of roosters, they dared not step out of their homes.
It wasn't until the village chief saw Yan Shouyi and the others safely returning through the window that he started shouting.
"Shouyi and the others are back!!"
"We're safe now!!"
"Everyone come out quickly!!"
Because Chenjia Village was small, a shout from one end of the village could be heard clearly at the other.
As soon as the village chief finished shouting, every household opened their windows, looking out curiously.
The village chief asked Yan Shouyi, "Shouyi, did you deal with those demons and monsters?"
Yan Shouyi replied with a smile, "Village Chief Grandpa, please rest assured, they have been eliminated. Chenjia Village is at peace."
"That's truly wonderful!" the village chief said happily.
Yan Chou had planned to go directly to his own courtyard, but he suddenly remembered something and walked straight to the village chief's window, asking:
"Village Chief Uncle, is the item my father entrusted to you for safekeeping still here?"
Yan Shouyi, standing behind him, looked surprised.
What item did his grandfather need to entrust to the village chief for safekeeping?
If he had anything valuable, wouldn't he hide it under his bed? Moreover, he would use the unique techniques of the Lu Ban sect to create "password boxes" that outsiders couldn't open.
The village chief looked thoughtful, as if his old age was making him forgetful.
Seeing this, Yan Chou became a little anxious, "Please, please remember."
The village chief asked uncertainly, "Did Old Yan give me a tattered book?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Yan Chou breathed a sigh of relief; the village chief had finally remembered.
The village chief called out, "Come in, I'll get it for you."
As everyone entered the village chief's house, they saw him emerging slowly, leaning on his walking stick.
When he reached the main hall, he bent down and took out a tattered book from under the leg of the mahjong table.
"Is this it?" the village chief asked.
Yan Chou's eye twitched, "For all these years, you've used this book to prop up a table leg?"
"Of course not!" the village chief declared righteously. "This mahjong table was bought by the village last month."
Yan Chou: "..."
He quickly checked the book; fortunately, there were no issues. Only then did he turn back to thank the village chief.
The village chief smiled, his mouth missing a good many teeth.
After bidding farewell, Yan Chou walked back, carrying the ancient book. Yan Shouyi couldn't help but chase after him and ask:
"Dad, what book is this? Why did Grandpa want it entrusted to the village chief?"
Yan Chou flipped through the book's contents without looking up and said, "The legendary Lower Volume of the Lu Ban Book."