For three consecutive days, Zhang Dabiao's home was bustling with activity, the small courtyard completely packed with artisans of various trades.
During this hard-earned break, I took the opportunity to fully recover my Xuan Yang True Qi. These three days were not idle either; I retrieved the "Burial Treatise" I carried with me and studied it anew.
The recent events made me realize my many shortcomings. It wasn't that my theoretical foundation was weak, but rather that my response to various unexpected situations always seemed clumsy and inadequate.
Although my master had guided me to anticipate many potential emergencies, in reality, many things were unpredictable.
Take, for instance, dealing with Old Huang's daughter-in-law. I had initially thought she was just an ordinary water ghost, even if she had a history of harming people, there would be limits. Moreover, based on the characteristics of water ghosts, once they came ashore, they could barely exert three-tenths of their strength. However, the reality was not as I had predicted.
While her strength had diminished, she was still not someone I could easily handle. And I had forgotten one crucial point: it wasn't just her who had died in the water, but also her husband, father-in-law, and mother-in-law...
"How is it? Have you decided on a day for the relocation? I'm almost ready on my end, with the coffin, paper figures, paper oxen, paper horses... all I need is for you to pick an auspicious day," Zhang Dabiao said, panting as he sat down on the low table and gulped down a cup of tea.
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow is a good day, auspicious for relocation and ancestral worship... By the way, have you found people to carry the coffin? They must have strong eight-character birth charts."
Zhang Dabiao put down his teacup and confirmed he had found them. They were coffin bearers from Zhangjia Village next door. Their ancestors had been coffin bearers, and the coffins were also made by them. He assured me they were all strong young men and there would be no problem.
"That's good. If everything is ready, have them come tonight. After the Zi hour, we'll depart for the relocation."
"Alright, I'll call them to come over shortly."
As dusk began to fall, a van stopped at Zhang Dabiao's doorstep. The door opened, and a burly man jumped out, followed by over a dozen equally robust men.
Zhang Dabiao whispered in my ear that these were the coffin bearers. The leader was his childhood friend, having attended the same schools from elementary to middle school. Their relationship was so close they could "wear the same pair of pants."
The leader of the coffin bearers was a man in his forties, short in stature but with thick arms and legs, his arms almost as thick as my thighs. His laughter preceded him.
"Haha... Old Zhang, I thought you'd never ask me for a favor in your life. This time, I'm definitely going to fleece you properly. Haha..."
Zhang Dabiao chuckled at the man's teasing. "No one thinks you're mute until you speak. Have you brought everyone? No roosters or monkeys, and they must be over thirty..."
The man directly interrupted Zhang Dabiao's rambling, stating, "How could I not take your instructions seriously? Rest assured, these are all carefully selected from the village. I can forgo my own payment, but you can't shortchange them, or I'll lose face. Haha..."
Zhang Dabiao rolled his eyes and assured him that the money would not be lacking. Five thousand for each person after the relocation, and payment would be immediate.
"Heh heh... It's really not easy to fleece you." After an enthusiastic embrace, the man turned his gaze towards me.
"And this gentleman is..."
"I forgot to introduce you. This is my new brother, Song Qingyun. He works in the Yin Gua profession."
"Yin Gua? Zhang Danian? The one from Taiping Village?"
Zhang Dabiao nodded and confirmed.
"Oh, then we're truly family. We must get to know each other better. You search for corpses, and I prepare to carry them. We're practically family! Haha..."
The man, Zhang Cheng, had ancestors who had been coffin bearers for three generations. However, with the increasing prevalence of cremation in recent years, their profession had declined. After all, without corpses, who needed coffin bearers?
But their existence was justified. They typically carried "fierce corpses." While Zhang's father might not have been a fierce corpse, his insistence on being buried in a desolate place certainly had its reasons. Therefore, finding them was a relatively safe choice.
Tonight was a night with a large moon, the moon appearing almost as bright as the sun. The pure white moonlight cast a cool sensation on the ground. Zhang Cheng nudged me lightly and asked, "Brother, are you sure about relocating at the Zi hour?"
I looked back at him. "What, are you scared?"
Zhang Cheng patted his chest vigorously. "What am I afraid of! It's just that the Zi hour is when Yin energy is at its peak. Relocating Yin at this time might cause some unnecessary trouble!"
"Put your mind at ease. I guarantee nothing will happen. You just focus on carrying the coffin; I'll handle everything else."
"Alright, with you saying that, it's settled."
We arrived at Zhang Dabiao's father's grave precisely at midnight. A dark cloud had drifted in at some point, covering half of the moonlight. The surrounding leaves rustled, as if whispering something to us.
After placing the offerings, Zhang Dabiao kowtowed three times to his father and then began digging.
Before long, the coffin was unearthed. It was made of pine wood, and after ten years, it was almost rotted away. After clearing the soil and securing the coffin, I asked Zhang Cheng's men to step back a distance.
The moment the coffin was opened, my pupils contracted to the size of needle points.
Ten years. Let alone a corpse, even steel buried in the earth would have decayed. Yet, Zhang Dabiao's father's body had not decomposed. Even the black burial clothes showed little change, as if he had just been interred.
Zhang Dabiao cried out "Dad" and then knelt on the ground in anguish. "Your unfilial son has disturbed you, old father, but for the sake of the Zhang family's continuation, I must ask you to relocate. Please do not blame your son..."
I understood Zhang Dabiao's feelings. Understanding was one thing, but now was not the time for grief. Moreover, Zhang Dabiao's father's body should have long since rotted into bones; it was impossible for it to be preserved so intact.
I pulled Zhang Dabiao aside and said, "Brother Zhang, stop crying. Your father's body is in such a state, it's best to place him in another coffin."
Zhang Dabiao wiped away his tears and said, "I understand."
He then called Zhang Cheng over, and together with three others, they placed the pre-prepared corpse-carrying frame near the coffin. With a heave, they lifted him out of the coffin.
Just as the body was about to leave the coffin, countless fine white hairs sprouted on Zhang Dabiao's father's face, and his facial skin began to shrink rapidly, shriveling at a visible rate.
"He... he opened his eyes?"