When Zhao Yi initially built this place, he not only considered attracting subordinates in the future but also thoughtfully addressed the circulation issues for his subordinates.

To avoid the awkwardness of future residents moving into a deceased person's house, many small courtyards were planned here, and the soundproofing was done very well.

Therefore, it wasn't until after Sun Yan died, when the animals in her house lost control, crashed through doors and windows and ran around wildly, that Xu Ming and Chen Jing realized something was wrong with Sun Yan.

The two first entered Sun Yan's room, then went to the backyard, where they saw the corpse of the rainbow python and Sun Yan with her head against the ground, motionless.

"Sister Yan!"

Chen Jing shouted, wanting to approach to check the situation, but Xu Ming held him back.

"Don't go!"

"But Sister Yan, she..."

"She's dead!"

Chen Jing closed his mouth and stopped struggling. After Xu Ming let go of his arms, the boy stood still, dazed.

Though he had been through a significant life change, he had just entered the team and hadn't yet experienced a complete wave, so expecting him to suddenly accept the sudden death of "brothers and sisters" in the team was unrealistic.

Xu Ming glanced at Chen Jing; the force of the boy pushing against his arm was real. If he hadn't stopped him, he truly would have rushed to Sun Yan's body.

This kid isn't stupid. A dumb kid couldn't have achieved a sudden enlightenment in practice so quickly. He knew there was danger, but his first reaction was still to do this.

From the team's standpoint, having such a "rash" person in the team isn't ideal; however, from a personal standpoint, having such a companion can make one feel quite secure in their back.

Xu Ming: "Don't get close to her; there's danger. She didn't exit the array but died within it, indicating the attacker has the ability to kill at the edge of the array."

Chen Jing: "Could they have already come in?"

Xu Ming: "No, Sun Yan was killed in one hit. If the attacker could fully enter here, they would certainly strike at us right after killing Sun Yan, not wait until we discovered the situation here to raise our guard."

Chen Jing: "It's my fault; I didn't convey Brother Yi's instructions well to Sister Yan."

Xu Ming glanced at the rainbow python's head next to Sun Yan's body and shook his head, saying, "No, it's not related to you. It was her own… negligence."

Everyone in the team is constantly working hard for their position, and Xu Ming knows how important this rainbow python is to Sun Yan.

Especially after Chen Jing was brought into the team by the young master, Sun Yan's sense of crisis about her position intensified because Chen Jing, once grown, could not only control beasts with his demon blood but also fight well, perfectly replacing Sun Yan.

"Let's go, we'll stay in the young master's room."

Zhao Yi's room is at the center, currently the safest place.

Pushing the door open, the two walked in.

The interior decor is simple, with few personal items; in daily life, Zhao Yi is quite frugal.

After Xu Ming sat on the floor, he looked at the still somewhat disoriented Chen Jing and comforted him:

"You need to learn to adapt and become accustomed."

"I…"

"We could all die, even the young master."

"Is this what walking the river means..."

"The young master said: 'Without the blood of the dead, where would the river waves come from.'"

...

Li Sanjiang started performing a ritual at home.

It was impromptu, without warning, and no notice given; he himself moved his tools, lit candles, burned yellow paper, and then wielded his most cherished peach wood sword from the furniture factory, beginning to wave it.

Tan Wenbin stepped forward to ask for whom the ritual was being conducted, Li Sanjiang didn't respond and refused their assistance, insisting on completing it himself.

Li Zhiyuan sat on the second-floor terrace, intently watching Grandmaster in the courtyard below.

He knew that Grandmaster didn't actually possess any skill; when it came to true prowess, Mr. Shan and Liu Jinxia were both much tougher than Grandmaster.

Grandmaster himself was aware of this; he knew that after taking the master family's money, what he could do was provide reassurance to the master family.

Today, devoid of the master family, Grandmaster's heart was indeed unsettled.

Pray to the Earth God, the earth collapses; bow to the grave, the gravestone sinks; the lips speak "peace and safety," but the heart has long been "thudding" with anxious trepidation.

Therefore, he conducted this ritual with extreme earnestness, even with incorrect motions and chaotic steps, he performed them meticulously.

The heavy costume isn't suitable to wear for so long in the current heat; once the ritual concluded and the clothes were removed, sweat flowed as if it were pouring out.

Tan Wenbin, Run Sheng, and Lin Shuyou immediately stepped up to care, fanning him, offering water, and wiping sweat.

It was arduous, but if there was even the slightest effect, it wouldn't result in no reflection.

Li Zhiyuan went to the kitchen and fetched two bottles of hot water, preparing for Grandmaster to bathe.

Since Alii was still on the terrace, when Li Sanjiang came upstairs, even with clothes soaked and clinging to his body, he still maintained his composure.

Seeing Li Zhiyuan approach, Li Sanjiang waved his hand and said: "Little Yuanhou, Grandmaster wants to take a cold shower."

After sweating in the heat, taking a cold shower, even for a young adult, could easily lead to illness.

However, Grandmaster is an exception; at his age, he indeed has the privilege to be willful.

Li Zhiyuan glanced at Alii, who understood and picked up the book, heading downstairs to sit at the entrance of the East Room.

Only then did Li Sanjiang remove all his clothes, leaving just a pair of blue flat-bottomed pants with holes.

They had patches, crookedly sewn, by Grandmaster himself with needle and thread.

Garments such as outerwear, Aunt Liu would mend, but pants and underwear, Grandmaster wouldn't allow.

It's not poverty to the extent of having to wear clothes with holes, but in Grandmaster's view, he'd rather take a few more hefty gulps of wine and a large chunk of pork head than spend money on parts that outsiders can't see and can still be worn adequately.