A refined and righteous voice came, "Friend Jiang is absolutely right. Therefore, tonight we need to disguise ourselves and cover our faces with paper masks to conceal our identities."

Yuan Shanyuan smiled and looked over. This old fellow looked quite old, but he was unexpectedly sharp of hearing and sight, able to hear their conversation clearly from such a distance.

"Also, this coffin is no ordinary object. If I'm not mistaken, it also came from that Blood Corpse Tomb, and its rank is even higher than the burial coffin used to collect the remains of the young master."

"Although this coffin is eerie, in a sense, it is also a rare treasure."

Hearing Yuan Shanyuan's words, Li Bai, who was standing next to the coffin, seemed to realize the seriousness of the matter. She bent down and examined the edge of the coffin inch by inch. Sure enough, she found some inconspicuous scratches, like those left by repeated rope friction.

Luo Tianhe squinted his eyes and couldn't help but nod in praise. "Miss Li Bai is indeed remarkable. I haven't seen many people with such insight among the younger generation. You're right, this is indeed a Diao Shou coffin."

The words "Diao Shou coffin" (hanging longevity coffin) had just been spoken when Fatty suddenly felt a palpitation. He clearly sensed that something had changed nearby, but he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Diao Shou coffin..."

Whether intentionally showing off or having already dug a pit and waiting for Jiang Cheng and the others to jump in, Luo Tianhe actually kindly explained the origin of this Diao Shou coffin to everyone.

"The method of making Diao Shou coffins has long been lost. I have only heard about it. Legend has it that once this type of coffin is made, it cannot touch the ground. It needs to be hung high with ropes or supported by special objects placed at the four corners to isolate it from the qi of life. This process is also called 'nourishing the coffin.'"

"This is a long process. Only a coffin that has been nourished can be called a true Diao Shou coffin, and its abilities are very strange."

After a pause, Luo Tianhe's voice became serious. "It can hold onto the last breath of a dying person. If the opportunity arises, it can even eliminate disasters, ward off diseases, and bring the dead back to life."

"And that's why it has another name..."

"Life-locking coffin."

Luo Tianhe looked at Li Bai's pale face, not caring that she had interrupted him. He simply nodded, indicating that both of them were quite wary of this so-called Diao Shou coffin.

"According to legend, an elderly person approaching their lifespan would have the Diao Shou coffin brought out on that night. Then, relatives would place the elderly person inside the coffin, leaving the lid ajar. The Eight Immortals, in full costume, would wait beside it, carrying the coffin to a tomb that had been chosen for the elderly person in advance."

"As long as they could successfully carry the elderly person to the tomb, guard it for two hours, and then carry it back smoothly before dawn, this tribulation would be safely passed."

"The moment the coffin re-entered the house, it symbolized the elderly person's rebirth."

"It is said that this whole process is to use the yin qi cultivated by the Diao Shou coffin over the years to conceal the elderly person's remaining yang qi, in order to deceive the heavens and create the illusion that the elderly person has already died."

"But this thing has been parked in the Wu mansion for more than a day or two. Doesn't Master Wu know about it? Or...or is this what Master Wu prepared himself, for himself!"

The more Fatty spoke, the more certain he became. A person of Master Wu's nature would not fail to leave a way out for himself. Once he reached the end of his lifespan, this Diao Shou coffin would come in handy.

Yuan Shanyuan gestured with his eyes for Fatty to look at the coffin in front of him, seemingly with deep meaning. "Friend Wang, look, wouldn't you say that we have also fulfilled Master Wu's wishes by collecting his remains in this Diao Shou coffin?"

Suddenly, a chill rose from the ground, instantly piercing Fatty's feet, then traveling up his legs all the way to the top of his head, as if his blood vessels were filled with ice shards. He felt like he was caught in a huge vortex, and although he had gone through many hardships, he was still being swept deeper and deeper. The center of the vortex was this Master Wu, who had been dead for a long time.

It seemed that the other party had foreseen his death long ago. Now, everything in the Wu family was like a game, a game deliberately set up by Master Wu to wait for this day, to use them, these outsiders, to resurrect himself.

Even…even he had prepared this Diao Shou coffin for them in advance.

The more Fatty thought about it, the more terrified he became. This feeling of being played by a dead man was the most despairing. Compared to this Master Wu, their so-called calculations were like a child's game.

It wasn't until a hand landed on his shoulder and the doctor's voice rang out, "Don't overthink it. Old Mr. Yuan was just joking with you. Master Wu isn't that divine."

"Even if this Diao Shou coffin can really bring people back to life, the one who comes back to life won't be Master Wu, but only a vengeful ghost borrowing Master Wu's body."

"Am I right, Old Mr. Yuan?"

Yuan Shanyuan smiled without saying a word. He had only said it casually, with the intention of leading everyone into a state of inexplicable fear, which would then facilitate his next actions. He couldn't produce any evidence even if asked.

It was true that Master Wu had some tricks up his sleeve, but at the end of the day, he was just a wealthy merchant in town. Relying on some knowledge of yin-yang techniques, and having somehow obtained some burial items from the Blood Corpse Tomb, he had pieced together a technique to plant an infant, prolonging his life for 20 years. But to say that he could orchestrate his own feigned death, plan his own rebirth after death, and even calculate that they, these "outsiders," would come here and, by a twist of fate, help him, that would be overestimating him.

While Jiang Cheng and Yuan Shanyuan were fighting, Luo Tianhe and Li Bai had already finalized the items that needed to be prepared for tonight with Lai Fu. "Our Wu mansion has paper masks in the warehouse. They were left behind by the group who performed the sacrificial opera before. See if you masters can use them."

After speaking, Lai Fu ran off. Not long after, he ran back, followed by several panting young men, each carrying a large box.

There were a total of seven boxes. After opening them one by one, they were filled with a jumble of things, all related to performing rituals. Not only were there masks, but also various bizarre costumes that were hard to name, as well as several sticks tied with feathers and women's hair, which looked not only undignified but also somewhat eerie.

After confirming that there were no problems with the boxes, everyone immediately began to look for masks. Although the masks were painted strangely, one could still distinguish between male and female from the eyebrows and eyes. Tonight, they would be playing the Eight Immortals carrying the coffin, so naturally they had to wear male masks.

Fearing that there wouldn't be enough masks, Fatty acted quickly, first grabbing a male mask for the doctor, then grabbing one for himself, and then not forgetting Yao, Shun, Yu, and Li Bai.

But after Fatty rummaged through the boxes and grabbed enough masks for four people, before he could catch his breath, a suppressed voice came from behind him.

"Tonight, we dress as women and invert the coffin."