This Damned Thirst for Survival
chapter-39

Jiang Luo leaned back, hugging his arms and looking at Qi Ye, “You said that before the second level too.”

Qi Ye’s expression faltered and his handsome face fell, “But I’ll be first in the third level.”

“There are no more tips for the top three at the third level,” Qi Ye said seriously, “we’re at the same starting point, Jiang Luo, and I won’t lose to you.”

Jiang Luo smiled and said, “But I want to be number one too.”

Qi Ye smiled in satisfaction at the words, “Are you finally going to get serious?”

Lu Youyi in the front row turned around and asked curiously, ” Qi Ye , did you transfer here especially for Jiang Luo?”

Qi Ye’s face flashed with discomfort, “I just wanted to come and experience what it’s like to go to school.”

Jiang Luo raised an eyebrow, “You’ve never been to school before?”

“I went to a normal university, not majoring in natural sciences and social studies,” Qi Ye said, looking at Jiang Luo’s face, his gaze wandering, “and I used to learn all this at home.”

Lu Youyi was delighted, “So you could be bottom of the table?”

“How is it possible,” Ye Xun said venomously, “Lu Youyi , Qi Ye is better than you.”

Lu Youyi said, “But I’m ranked above Qi Ye in both levels.”

Qi Ye : “……”

He took a deep breath, feeling aggrieved, but unable to argue with Lu Youyi, because what he said was true.

Wen Renlian smiled, “Let’s go for a meal together tonight.”

Classes ended at 6pm, and the group went to the restaurant for dinner. Wen Renlian and Jiang Luo walked last, and Wen Renlian whispered, “Qi Ye is well protected by the Qi family.”

Jiang Luo nodded, “He seemed quick-tempered but quite simple.”

“Good talent too,” Wen Renlian’s Yu Guang glanced ahead at Qi Ye and smiled, “and good looks.”

They were walking past a basketball court when a basketball flew towards them, heading straight for Jiang Luo. Qi Ye took two steps back to catch the basketball in time, his brow furrowed and he cursed loudly, “Playing with the ball without looking at the person?”

He kicked the basketball back, straight to the other end of the basketball court.

Only when he saw the basketball was far away did Qi Ye look back at Jiang Luo, “Are you alright?”

Jiang Luo laughed, “The basketball didn’t even touch me.”

Wen Renlian’s gaze swept over them and his smile deepened. He took two quick steps to Zhuo Zhongqiu’s side, “What do you think of Qi Ye?”

Zhuo Zhongqiu glanced behind him and said critically, “It’s not bad, not very good-tempered.”

Wen Renlian said without haste, “Then consider him as an alternative.”

If Jiang Luo’s new love interest is to be considered, Qi Ye fits the bill.

But if you compare Qi Ye to Chi You, there is still a gap. They weren’t sure Jiang Luo would like Qi Ye’s type, after all Chi You was a gentleman.

As soon as he sat down, the others looked directly at him and he winced, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ye Xun asked, ” Qi Ye , are you in a relationship?”

Qi Ye said with a stern face, “No, not interested.”

“So what kind of people do you like?” Ge Zhu was curious.

Qi Ye frowned, “Why are you asking this?”

Jiang Luo smiled sideways at Qi Ye, his dark hair falling over his shoulders as he pointed out carelessly, “You have to satisfy their curiosity before they will let you go.”

Qi Ye looked at Jiang Luo like this and instantly remembered the scene where the dark haired youth jumped from the tree to put Spider Man to death, his throat tickled and he hastily withdrew his gaze, “I don’t know what kind of person I would like.”

Seeing that Qi Ye was getting annoyed, the others stopped asking questions.

After the meal, Jiang Luo and the boys went their separate ways to Tian Shifu. He will be staying at Tian Shifu until the tournament arrives.

In Tian Shifu, Feng Li was not there. Jiang Luo went to his study alone to read a book, and only when the moon was up did Feng Li return with two of his first disciples.

Feng Li called Jiang Luo to him, took a sip of tea and then slowly asked, “How many books have you read today?”

Jiang Luo answered each of them.

Feng Li nodded and took a Fu Lu book out of the cupboard and gave it to him, “When you’ve finished reading those books, take this one and practice.”

Jiang Luo took it and saw that the books were all old and uncirculated Fu Lu. He put it away in his hand and asked, “Master, where have you been today?”

Feng Li glanced up at him, “Went to the pool house.”

Jiang Luo : “The Chi family?”

“The Chi family’s direct descendants are gone, and the Chi family’s side line has invited us to their door to witness the side line take over the Chi family,” Feng Li said coldly, “and the evil spirit that is haunting you is the last of the Chi family’s direct line.”

“I hurt him yesterday but let him escape at the last minute,” Feng Li leaned back, ” Chi You is worthy of being the strongest of the Chi family’s direct descendants, even if he died, he still has such strength. Compared to him, those sidekicks are no match.”

The Chi family holds the Puppet Soul Refining Technique, which is ancient and powerful. Such a technique in the hands of people would have made others uneasy in their hearts, fearing that one day they would become a puppet in the hands of the Chi family, and that when they died they would still have their souls refined by the Chi family. According to the normal development, the Chi family should have been besieged by the people until the puppet soul refining technique was destroyed.

Anything too powerful will only lead to disaster.

However, the Chi family has developed peacefully until now for two reasons. One is that the technique of puppet soul refinement is extremely difficult to master, and from the past to the present, only the first line of the Chi family has been able to master this technique. The second is that although every member of the Chi family is a genius, none of them can live beyond the age of 30.

When it was Chi You’s turn, there was one more item to add. Chi You was a kind and gentle man, and although he had mastered the art of Puppet Soul Refinement, he rarely used it, instead he made good friends with people in the occult community.

Jiang Luo listened quietly, powerful but not living past thirty, it sounded like a curse.

Jiang Luo : “Master, can the art of puppet soul refinement only be mastered by the direct lineage?”

Feng Li : “At least until now, no collateral line has been able to master it.”

Jiang Luo: “So with Chi You dead and the direct line broken, is there no one left to truly master the art of puppet soul-making?”

Feng Li said coldly, “But the Chi family is still not to be underestimated. Even if they only mastered one or two of the puppet soul refining techniques, they would still be great.”

But by the look on his face, it was clear that he didn’t see the Chi family’s sidekick as a big deal.

Jiang Luo pondered, “Master, what exactly is Yuan Tianzhu?”

Feng Li glanced at him, “When you get it, you’ll naturally know.”

“As my disciple, if you don’t get Yuan Tianzhu ,” Feng Li’s tone was unruffled, “then you don’t have to come back from Xiangxi.”

Jiang Luo : “……”

Jiang Luo stayed up late in the study again to get back from Xiangxi. After ten days, Jiang Luo had finally finished reading a shelf of books.

After the book was finished, Feng Li stared at him again and practised Fu Lu. Jiang Luo saw Sifu Qiao a few times during this period, but he seemed to have returned to normal and Jiang Luo never saw a trace of Chi You in him again.

A month passed in a flash and it was time for the third level of the competition.

Jiang Luo came downstairs early in the morning with his school bag on his back. Feng Li was waiting for him in the hall, where there were brushes and vermilion on a long wooden table.

Jiang Luo walks over.

Feng Li said, “Sit down.”

After Jiang Luo sat down as instructed, Feng Li took a brush and dipped it into a bowl of water, then suddenly raised his hand and flung it at Jiang Luo.

Jiang Luo subconsciously closed his eyes and water fell on him in twos and threes. Feng Li then dabbed a brush with vermilion and stepped in front of Jiang Luo.

The dark-haired youth’s eyelids twitched and Feng Li said, “Do not move.”

Jiang Luo then did not open his eyes again.

Feng Li turned the brush in his hand, reversing the front and back. Long, slender fingers clutch the slender black brush and gently tug at the collar of Jiang Luo’s shirt.

The neck is exposed, the collarbone is revealed. Feng Li’s pale eyes reflect the dark-haired young man’s appearance as he nudges Jiang Luo’s shoulders twice, and two small figures, already folded, jump up to tug Jiang Luo’s clothes for him.

Feng Li has just put pen to paper.

Red vermilion coils around Jiang Luo’s neck and even his heart, forming an intricate Fu Lu, like a coiled vine. Feng Li paints without haste, and when the last stroke is completed, Fu Lu Jin Guang flickers and disappears from Jiang Luo’s body.

Feng Li put away his brush, looked down at the youth and said, “There.”

Jiang Luo opened his eyes to look at himself, but saw nothing, “Master, what have you drawn?”

“A life preserver,” Feng Li said to Jiang Luo as he sent his disciples forward to gather their things, “the third level is different from the first two, so be careful and cautious first.”

Every word the judge said could be a prompt, and Jiang Luo took it to heart, “I got it.”

Feng Li nodded, “Go ahead.”

Jiang Luo packed his clothes, grabbed his backpack and left Tian Shifu to meet his classmates at school.

The group got on a plane and arrived in Xiangxi three hours later.

This time it was still Mr. Wan who led the group. After Mr. Wan had handed over to the staff, Jiang Luo and his group were on the bus for another four hours.

When they finally got off the bus, there were several people in the group who had thrown up.

When they had vomited all they needed to, they went into the resting place sickly.

The tournament doesn’t start until tomorrow and they will be staying overnight in a rest house, but the room prepared for them by the tournament organisers is extremely basic, as if it had been improvised, with the red bricks still unpainted in white. Twenty-two futons were laid out from end to end against the two walls, a large bunk.

Lu Youyi dropped the luggage in his hand and opened his mouth wide, “This is where we live?”

The staff laughed and said, “Having fun? How lively you young people are staying together at night.”

“Is there a place to take a bath?” Zhuo Zhongqiu asks.

The staff took them to see the bathing room and the toilet, which was a plastic shed with a few plastic basins and foot soaking buckets. As for the bathroom, it was the traditional rural style.

The group, unable to speak, returned to the large bunkhouse and resigned themselves to finding nine bunks.

Zhuo Zhongqiu was a girl, so they let her sleep against the wall, while the others lined up, so that nine people took up almost half of the mattress in no time.

Jiang Luo counted the number of beds, “No, why are there only twenty-two beds?”

At the end of the second level, it was clear that thirty people had successfully progressed.

“Eight people dropped out,” regretted the staff, “five actually ate mushrooms at Yun Nan and went back to the hospital and were still in bed for a month.”

Jiang Luo, a group of people: “……”

Sigh.

The people from Bai Hua University were the first to arrive; they had travelled all day, had only eaten Chinese food on the plane, thrown up after getting off the plane, and after packing up their beds, a few of them were so hungry that they found the staff and were only given a box of instant noodles, a box of soda and nine ham sausages.

Even Ge Zhu, who is a hard worker, turned slightly pale, “This is too harsh for the tournament.”

Jiang Luo sighed and, being the only one in the group who could cook, he asked the staff for an iron pot and sent his companions to collect firewood and some forest vegetables and set it up on the spot.

Wen Renlian crouched by curiously and told Kuang Zheng, who had gone to look for the vegetables, “Don’t make a mistake.”

Otherwise they would have missed out on the game as well as the five guys who ate the mushrooms and were in hospital.

Kuang Zheng’s family is used to hard times and he knows better than Wen Renlian what vegetables look like when they can be eaten. But he nods earnestly and helps Jiang Luo set up the cooker before heading into the forest.

Half an hour later, Kuang Zheng returned with not only a handful of vegetables, but also a long-eared rabbit that had been treated for its fur.

Jiang Luo has already built a fire and a group of curious people are gathered around. When they saw the rabbit in Kuang Zheng’s hand, their eyes lit up, “Roast rabbit for dinner?”

Jiang Luo rubbed his chin, “Yes.”

In less than ten minutes, the water in the iron pot boils and Jiang Luo puts 18 packets of noodles into it.

Probably because this line of work consumes the body and requires more food to replenish energy, each one of them, male or female, can eat terribly. On the surface, they look so gentle, but they can eat three bowls of rice in one sitting without feeling full.

After putting the noodles on, Jiang Luo added two tomatoes sliced by Wen Renlian from the staff to the pan and seasoned them generously, leaving some for the roasted rabbit.

The vegetables were put in at the end, and the red soup tumbled between the waves of kimchi noodles sandwiched between the green vegetables and ham sausages, the tomato and kimchi aromas intertwined, arousing cravings and gulping noises one after another.

The eyes of the exhausted day crowd were about to turn red as they stared at the iron pot.

Lu Youyi wipes his saliva and runs to borrow dishes from the staff.

Qi Ye wondered for the umpteenth time, “I can’t believe you can cook.”

“It’s just a bubble noodle, isn’t it a piece of cake?” Jiang Luo cleanly roasted the rabbit on the fire and cocked his lips sideways at him, “What, you think I’m too good to steal first place from me?”

Qi Ye whispered, “It’s still up for grabs.”

Probably because he was embarrassed to say such things after eating someone else’s cooking, his voice was as low as a mosquito.

Jiang Luo was amused.

The aroma of tomato noodles spread throughout the resting place, and Mr. Wan also came to have a meal and said happily, “This noodles, cooked and soaked are really two kinds of taste.”

When Jiang Luo said it was ready, ten pairs of chopsticks darted into the iron pot and the noodles were half gone in a flash.

Jiang Luo was the first to be served a bowl of noodles by Lu Youyi, and as he shivered comfortably and sipped the tomato soup, he heard the sound of an approaching luggage pulley rolling.

Jiang Luo looked up and saw a pale participant walking slowly.

The man coughs three steps at a time, his features are fine, but his body is as thin as if he were sick, his face is bloodless, even the hand that pulls the suitcase is pale and slender, the blue blood veins are clearly visible.

The contestants also saw them and gave them a weak smile as they slowly walked over, “Hello there.”

“Hello,” Jiang Luo smiled kindly as he withdrew his measuring gaze, “and you are?”

The colour of the lips is tinged with a reddish hue from the red soup.

“My name is Liao Si,” Liao Si coughed lowly, “are you eating?”

The man seemed to have run out of steam in the space of two words, but the glance Yu Guang glanced at the iron pot out of the corner of his eye conveyed his meaning in a subtle and euphemistic way.

Jiang Luo said politely, “Do you want to eat together?”

Liao Si smiled: “Thank you.”

He puts his luggage aside and sits down slowly next to Jiang Luo, taking the bowl of chopsticks Lu Youyi hands him and gently serving a bowl of noodles from the iron pot.

“Delicious,” Liao Si exhaled softly and whispered sideways to Jiang Luo, “this journey almost killed me.”

He looked very sickly, and in his condition, he had made it this far. Jiang Luo asked, “Where did you come from?”

Liao Si smiled apologetically, “I’m just a native of Xiangxi.”

Jiang Luo : “…… hard work.”

Liao Si smiled bitterly and said, “I’m not as fit as you have been, and I don’t look as energetic as you.”

Jiang Luo laughed, “Do you know where we are from?”

Liao Si smiled faintly, “The only participants in the third level that will have so many people gathered together are Shanhai University and Bai Hua University. Besides, I watched the live video on the website, and if I don’t recognise the others, I will always recognise you as the first place winner.”

Mr. Wan suddenly let out a “Huh”, “Your name is Liao Si, and you’re local to western Hunan, so you’re a descendant of the old Liao family of corpse hunters in western Hunan?”

The group instantly looked to Liao Si who smiled calmly and nodded, “Yes.”

“The descendants of the old Liao family have all grown up,” Mr. Wan was overcome with emotion, “How is your father’s health?”

“My father is in good health,” Liao Si seemed uncomfortable talking about it as he glanced at the rabbit and slowly reminded, “Is the rabbit ready to be roasted?”

Jiang Luo looked down and saw that the rabbit had been roasted to a honey colour, with layers of oil sliding down the skin; it was indeed ready.

He removed the rabbit and distributed it to the crowd with a dagger, giving Kuang Zheng a leg in particular.

Liao Si was also given a tender piece of meat, which he tasted and then exclaimed with a sigh of relief that it was delicious.

The pot of tomato noodles was devoured and the sweet and sour soup was at the bottom of the pot, so the group took a break and took Liao Si back to her room.

Liao Si has chosen a bed next to Bai Hua University, to Jiang Luo’s left.

There was no mobile phone reception in the dense forest. Luckily Lu Youyi had brought two decks of cards with him, and while they were playing, the rest of the participants arrived one by one.

Twenty-two people, not a single one missing, crammed into the large bunkhouse.

As Liao Si said, the majority of the twenty-two participants were from Shanhai and Bai Hua Universities. The rest were scattered and came alone.

The contestants had some conscience and did not ask them to boil their own hot water, but provided it. After everyone had finished washing up in the humble surroundings, the judges and staff came into their rooms.

Feng Li is at the front of the six judges. Feng Li is indifferent, not a trace of dust on his body from the bumpy road, and the staff member standing beside him is holding a tray with yellow paper, vermilion, black dog’s blood and a pile of Fu Lu already written on it.

The staff said, “In view of the incident of Bai Yefeng, who was possessed by an evil spirit during the last level of the competition, we now need to check the physical condition of all participants, so please cooperate.”

Jiang Luo raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help but smile, “An unexpected pleasure.”

Even if Chi You were hiding in the crowd, they would have been picked up.

Liao Si, sitting next to him with her hair spread gently across her forehead, looked at the judges who had already started to test the contestants from the tail end and said warmly, “This is the first time I’ve seen all six teachers together.”

Soon, the judges arrived at Bai Hua University.

The six teachers on the jury were all different, but each had their own characteristics. Among them was a bald monk, who looked at Jiang Luo with a smile, “These are all teachers’ acquaintances.”

Finally, his gaze settled on Ge Zhu, who was sitting cross-legged with his back straight, but with his head bowed and his expression unreadable.

” Ge Zhu,” the bald monk sighed vaguely, his voice lowering, “aren’t you going to come back yet?”

Jiang Luo looked sideways at Ge Zhu, who pursed the corners of his mouth, “Master Chengde, I have entered the Tao.”

Master Chengde smiled bitterly and shook his head to stop talking about it.

Feng Li walked up to Jiang Luo, “Raise your hands.”

Jiang Luo withdrew his eyes and lifted his hand as he had been told.

At his side, Liao Si is being examined by Zhuo Zhengyu. First, black dog’s blood was dabbed on his eyebrows, if there was no reaction to the black dog’s blood, then Fu Lu was applied.

As if that wasn’t enough, the judges would also write a Fu Lu on the students’ bodies to prevent them from being invaded by evil spirits during the competition.

By the time Jiang Luo had finished, the others were almost ready. Feng Li took one last look at him and followed the judges to the next group.

Liao Si looked at the incantation on the back of his hand and smiled as if it were nothing, “The teachers are so skilled that even after so many incantations, there is not a single stagnation.”

Jiang Luo said, “After all, it’s the Sixth Estate.”

He got up and walked over to Wen Renlian and patted him , ” Wen Ren , which one of those six men is from the Chi family?”

Wen Renlian said, “The second from the left is.”

Jiang Luo looks to the second left and sees a middle-aged man with a serious face. He is writing a talisman for a student, his face unchanged, but beads of sweat are gradually coming out of his forehead.

“That’s Chi You’s paternal uncle,” Wen Renlian laughed coldly for a moment, “an incompetent and incompetent piece of shit.”

Jiang Luo laughed, “I’ve rarely heard you say something like that.”

“Because what he did was disgusting,” Lu Youyi also snorted, “More than ten years ago, he was asked to perform a puja, and he almost killed the family because he was careless, and when it became a big deal, he blamed it on the young Chi You brother, saying that the puja was done by Chi You brother secretly on his behalf without his permission. He then blamed it on his younger brother Chi You, saying that Chi You had secretly performed the puja on his behalf without his permission.”

” Chi You brother was so good-tempered that he actually took the blame for this, and was scolded for years,” Lu Youyi clenched his fist, “During these years, Chi You brother didn’t know how much blackmail he had taken for the side line of the Chi family… …It was only when Chi You had more friends and became well liked that people realised that Chi You was such a good natured person and not someone who would do those evil things, thus clearing Chi You’s name.”

Jiang Luo almost thought he had misheard.

Let Chi You take the blame?

He almost laughed out loud, was this serious?

Chi You was asked to take the blame, and Chi You did, and not only did he do it, but the person who asked him to take the blame is still alive and well?

“What happened to those Chi You family members who made Chi You take the fall?” He asked with interest; while this clan uncle was still alive, the others weren’t so sure.

Wen Renlian said coldly, “Apart from taking the blame, they are still alive and well.”

Jiang Luo was stunned.

How is it possible.

With Chi You’s vengeful, ruthless and cruel nature, how could you let someone bully you and not retaliate?

Jiang Luo frowned, sensing a vague sense of oddity.

“Hasn’t anyone in the Chi family died over the years,” he asked, “in the side lines?”

Another voice came from behind him, “In all the years of the Chi family, the first line has died out, but none of the side line has ever been in trouble.”

Liao Si slowly sat down next to Jiang Luo, smiled at him and said, “Would you say it’s strange?”

Strange.

Weird as hell.

Chi You is a man who would never let anyone get in his way.

It is only logical that the people who dared Chi You to take the blame should have been retaliated by Chi You.

Jiang Luo wanted to ask more, but the six judges had already finished checking all the students and the staff smiled and said, “Sleep early, everyone.”

Before lying down, he suddenly looked up at Liao Si, who was slowly arranging his pillows, “How do you know about the Chi family?”

“Because I was curious,” Liao Si smiled imploringly, “I am in the line of corpse hunters and wanted to see Chi You’s body when I knew he had died, but I was not well and by the time I arrived at Chi You’s house in a hurry, Chi You’s funeral was already over. ”

“Staying at the pool house for those few days told me quite a lot.”

Jiang Luo didn’t find anything suspicious, he nodded and lay back under the covers.

Jiang Luo breathes in the cold evening air and drowsiness sets in.

But he was about to fall asleep when his scalp ached and his whole body was instantly awake from sleep.

Jiang Luo rubbed his brow and lowered his voice, “Liao Si, you’re pressing on my hair.”

Liao Si lifted her arm and apologised, “Sorry.”