CHAPTER 608: CHAPTER 112

"Brother Runsheng, let’s eat and rest."

"Okay."

Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng sat down on a long strip of stone. Run Sheng opened his backpack, took out food and drinks, and laid them out in front of them, then waved towards the fool in front and shouted:

"Come eat!"

The fool turned his head, grinning and mimicking the small swallow, running left and then right, finally settling down opposite Li Zhiyuan and sitting down.

Throughout the journey, the fool was very happy and excited, singing and dancing incessantly, not feeling tired at all.

Run Sheng lit a "Cigar," then took out some compressed biscuits and started eating.

The fool watched Run Sheng hungrily with curiosity, staring until he drooled.

Run Sheng handed him the cigar he was holding and asked, "Want a bite?"

The fool took it, and mimicking Run Sheng, bit the unlit end. He chewed twice, his face turned bitter, and he didn’t giggle.

"Ptui, ptui, ptui!"

The fool spit and retched.

Run Sheng handed him a bottle of water, the fool took a sip, tilted his head back, started rinsing his mouth, then forgot to spit it out and swallowed it instead.

This made his face turn even more pained.

However, he had his own solution. He took out some candy from his pocket, peeled two and put them in his mouth, and his sweet smile reappeared.

Run Sheng suddenly felt sentimental and asked, "Xiao Yuan, if I hadn’t been picked up by my grandfather back then, do you think I would end up like him, becoming a village guardian?"

Actually, Li Zhiyuan had long been suspicious about Run Sheng’s true origins, but firstly, Mr. Shan planned to take the secret to his grave, and secondly, Li Zhiyuan felt that pursuing this truth was as meaningless as studying chess solely to win against Alii.

"Brother Runsheng, you wouldn’t become a village guardian," Li Zhiyuan drank some water, "you would become the leader of your village."

"Ah..." Run Sheng said, somewhat embarrassedly scratching his head.

Seeing this, the fool mimicked Run Sheng and scratched his own messy hair on top of his head.

Li Zhiyuan closed his eyes and began to nap; it was already afternoon. Estimating that after a bit more walking, they should be close to Zhengmen Village, since it’s a village under Min’an Town’s jurisdiction, the site couldn’t be too exaggeratedly far.

Run Sheng focused on eating, he knew this rest was a chance Xiao Yuan specifically left for him to replenish, and he needed to fill his stomach quickly.

The fool saw Run Sheng eating so much and so quickly, as if it were a competition, and he also kept stuffing his mouth.

Finally, Run Sheng finished eating, and the fool’s belly was round and full, uncomfortably sitting on the ground.

But seeing Li Zhiyuan and Run Sheng pack up and stand, he immediately got up and continued to lead the way, but he wasn’t bouncing around anymore.

They continued on, and fog appeared ahead. The fool led them into the fog.

Run Sheng noticed that the fool seemed to be circling in the fog, not walking in a straight line, but seeing Xiao Yuan didn’t say anything, he didn’t ask.

While walking, the sound of trickling water could be heard ahead. Although the visibility was very low at this moment, they could still see a river blocking their path.

The fool went into the river. The river wasn’t deep, only reaching the fool’s chest.

Run Sheng squatted down, carrying Li Zhiyuan on his back, and then lifted both of their bags above his head to follow the fool across the river.

But as they waded through, Run Sheng noticed the fool ahead, his head plunged into the river, his body leaning forward, floating motionless, like a floating corpse.

Run Sheng stopped, and Li Zhiyuan’s voice came from beside:

"Don’t mind him, keep going."

Run Sheng proceeded.

The river wasn’t very wide, and they soon reached the shore, where the fog also became less dense. Standing on the bank and looking into the river, the fool’s floating figure was intermittently visible through the mist.

On another direction lay a river valley, as if one could hear the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs.

There, it should be Zhengmen Village.

However, Li Zhiyuan had no intention of moving ahead to explore or inspect, but instead turned to Run Sheng and said:

"Brother Runsheng, bring out the sleeping bag."

"Okay."

Run Sheng took out a sleeping bag, spread it on the ground, and Li Zhiyuan crawled inside and closed his eyes.

Like Run Sheng had to maintain his fullness, he also needed to seize the time to make himself as energetic as possible.

Run Sheng sat down beside Li Zhiyuan, with the Yellow River Shovel on his lap, candies, cigars, and compressed biscuits in front of him, continuously looking around while also nibbling on some snacks.

The fool just floated there in the river, motionless.

As the sky gradually darkened, Run Sheng saw a flickering and swaying vague light above the river valley, not from electric lights, but like bonfires.

"Splash... Splash..."

Noises came from the river.

Run Sheng grabbed the Yellow River Shovel, stood up, and quietly said: "Xiao Yuan."

Li Zhiyuan opened his eyes from sleep, turned over inside the sleeping bag, looked towards the river, and instead of hurrying up, he closed his eyes again.

Despite the night falling, the fog did not disperse but added a thick layer on top of the night curtain.

The sound of splashing water got closer, Run Sheng held a flashlight and shone it.

Suddenly, he saw the fool, who had remained motionless for a half a day, disappear into the mist.

Then, the fool reappeared, still floating, but this time followed by two people and a bag.

Run Sheng recognized one of the people; it was Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhiyuan blinked, got out of the sleeping bag, "Brother Runsheng, go meet them."

"Xiao Yuan, be careful on the shore."

Run Sheng entered the river, the flashlight’s lanyard gripped in his mouth. Arriving in the middle of the river, he saw the fool, who originally pulled the two people across, slowly sink.

Run Sheng instinctively wanted to pull him, but then remembered Xiao Yuan’s previous words: "Don’t interfere with him."