Chapter 55: The Drought Demon! (7)

“Everyone, please stand still and form the Seven Star Seal with your hands, pointing the tips toward the Big Dipper in the north, and keep your palms pressed tightly against your foreheads. Once I begin the ritual, absolutely do not open your eyes, or you might see something unclean,” Master Wang instructed the Li family. Once everyone was ready, Master Wang prepared to begin the ritual.

“Begin! By the decree of the Supreme Sage, I summon your lonely souls. May all spirits and ghosts, all beings of the four realms, receive blessings… Xiao Long, bring the chicken blood.”

“Master, here’s the chicken blood.”

Master Wang took a yellow talisman from a tray, uttered a sharp command, and the talisman burst into flames. He immediately tossed it into the bowl of chicken blood, then formed the Ten Thousand Character Seal, picked up the bowl, took a sip, and slowly walked to the grave, spraying the blood toward Li Yang’s two “old limbs.” Soon, Li Yang’s two limbs gradually lowered.

“End the ritual!” At Master Wang’s command, everyone opened their eyes. Seeing that the arms had lowered, they all sighed in relief.

“Master, you truly are amazing! Thank you, thank you so much!” Old Master Li immediately said to Master Wang.

“Not at all, not at all… you flatter me too much, Old Master Li!” Master Wang replied politely, though inwardly he was secretly relieved that the technique had worked. Otherwise…

“Old Master Li, the young master has already departed peacefully. Please call a few people to tidy up the grave and fill it in. Let’s go back now! Liu Xi, later you should go upstream to the stream and fetch two buckets of clean water. Once you return, immediately cover the buckets. Then place the ‘shroud’ into the water and thoroughly wet it before covering the grave. Once that’s done, invite the ‘Water Spirit’ at the east side of the grave. Remember, don’t mess this up.”

“Yes, Master!”

After Master Wang and Old Master Li returned, it was already the hour of the rat. Su Xiaolong had just returned from the stream.

Following Master Wang’s instructions, he placed the “shroud” on Li Yang’s grave and invited the “Water Spirit.” Actually, inviting the “Water Spirit” meant digging a half-foot-deep pit in the southeast corner of the grave, pouring water into the pit until it overflowed, then immediately covering it with a “Ink Cover” until all the water had seeped in. Finally, three sticks of incense were placed in front of the pit. Inviting the “Water Spirit” was to help Li Yang find his way in the underworld. The “Ink Cover” was a yellow talisman umbrella, so named because it had been marked with ink. After finishing all of this, Su Xiaolong hurried to where his younger brother’s body was lying.

“Little brother, I’m so sorry… you… you can rest in peace. That scoundrel Li Yang has already been dealt with by Master. Rest easy, brother! Oh, you always loved eating corn when you were alive. On my way here, I passed by a cornfield and secretly picked some for you to eat on your journey. Brother… I’m so sorry!” Su Xiaolong wept over his younger brother’s corpse.

“Brother, may your journey be safe!” Su Xiaolong said as he lit a torch. This was something Master Wang had instructed him to do—cremate the body. In truth, Su Xiaolong didn’t want to, but Master Wang had said that there was a possibility of the corpse becoming a zombie.

Watching the fire gradually die down, Su Xiaolong wiped the tears from his eyes and returned to help repair Li Yang’s grave. In fact, by the time Su Xiaolong arrived, the grave was almost completely repaired, with only the final cleaning left. Su Xiaolong took the broom and began sweeping energetically in front of the grave. He was still immersed in the pain of losing his only remaining family in the world—his younger brother. As he swept, he unknowingly approached the grave’s head.

Just as he was concentrating on sweeping, there was a sudden “Bang!” that startled Su Xiaolong. He turned in the direction of the sound and nearly soiled himself in fear.

Li Yang’s hands had once again emerged from the grave, wildly waving his two “old limbs.” As Su Xiaolong tried to run, Li Yang suddenly grabbed his ankle with one of the limbs.

“Ahh! Help! Help!” Su Xiaolong cried out in terror. The workers resting nearby heard the shouts and rushed over to see what was happening. Not seeing was better than seeing—what they saw left them all stunned. Two limbs were gripping Su Xiaolong’s foot, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

“Quick! Go call Master! Hurry…” Su Xiaolong desperately shouted at the workers. Upon hearing his cries, the workers snapped out of their shock and scattered in panic, leaving Su Xiaolong and Li Yang alone at the grave.

“Hey! Don’t all run off! At least leave one to help me, help me!” Su Xiaolong cried out in anguish. Not a single person turned back, let alone stayed.

“You cowards who refuse to save a life will suffer retribution! Li Yang, you beast! What did I do to you in a past life? Fine! If you want to kill me so badly, come on! Brother, I’m coming to join you!”

Su Xiaolong continued to struggle desperately. Unexpectedly, this time Li Yang’s head also emerged from the grave! But this was no longer a human head. It was a “dry wooden head,” with the facial skin tightly stuck to the skull like the skin of an old luffa gourd. The left side of the head was caved in, with sparse strands of hair remaining on both sides of the top. Most horrifying of all, there was a large hole in his throat, exposing his Adam’s apple. With every “Huh… huh” sound he made, the Adam’s apple moved up and down. Seeing Li Yang’s terrifying appearance, Su Xiaolong’s stomach churned violently. He continued to scream for help. But who would be here now? Before Su Xiaolong could finish calling out, Li Yang’s two “old limbs” grabbed his neck and pulled him toward his mouth. Su Xiaolong didn’t even have time to scream “Ah!” before he was bitten to death by Li Yang.

Li Yang seemed extremely “thirsty,” sucking hard at Su Xiaolong’s neck. Blood flowed from the corners of Li Yang’s mouth and through the hole in his throat, dripping onto the ground and staining a large area red. Yet Li Yang continued to suck, as if he would never be satisfied. Soon, Su Xiaolong became a dried-up corpse, and Li Yang discarded the body and let out a loud roar to the sky.

The people who had fled back were gasping for breath as they explained what had just happened.

“One at a time! Let each of you speak!” Master Wang waved his hand.

“Master, the grave… the young master has risen again. He’s a zombie…” one of the workers said nervously.

“That’s impossible! I used the Soul Reunion Formation to send his soul into the underworld. How could he…?” Master Wang said doubtfully.

“Master, what’s going on here? You charged me a hundred coins to bury my son, and now someone says he’s risen as a zombie. You… you said my son would rest in peace. What exactly is going on? You must explain this to me!” Old Master Li angrily said to Master Wang.

“Son, son. My son is not dead, he’s not dead. Where is he? I want to see him, I want to see him.” Madam Li said excitedly. Her longing for her son had driven her to madness.

“There, there, my dear. Go back to your room and rest first. I’ll take you to see him later,” Old Master Li patted Madam Li gently.

“Old Master Li, don’t worry. It was just a small accident. I’ll handle it properly,” Master Wang said with a forced smile.

“It had better be this way, or I’ll ruin your reputation!”

“Did you see clearly? By the way, where is my apprentice?” Master Wang asked the worker.

“Your apprentice was grabbed by the zombie. He’s probably… we all saw it with our own eyes.”

“My disciples… Xiao Long!” Master Wang murmured sadly. Although these two apprentices were lazy and gluttonous, they had been with him for several years, and he was truly heartbroken.

How could this happen? Master Wang was deeply puzzled. As he was thinking, a “Bang!” came from the door, and two “old limbs” appeared on the red lacquered gate.

“Li Yang has come. He’s turned into a zombie,” Master Wang cried out in alarm.

“How could this happen? How could this happen! My son!” Old Master Li shouted in despair.

Everyone inside the house was so frightened that they scattered in all directions as Li Yang tried to break through the door.

“Everyone, don’t panic! Hide in the rooms! I’ll deal with him!” Master Wang shouted loudly, and everyone calmed down and ran into the rooms. At that moment, the door was knocked down, and Li Yang rushed in, making a “Huh… huh” sound from his mouth.

“My son! You’ve come back. Old man, quickly prepare some food. My son hasn’t eaten yet,” Madam Li said as she walked toward Li Yang instead of running away.

“Wife! The young master is already dead! Come back quickly, or you’ll be bitten to death!” Master Wang shouted at Madam Li.

“Dear, come back! Come back!”

Seeing that Madam Li showed no reaction, Master Wang immediately grabbed a stool and charged at Li Yang.

“Old Master Li, quickly pull your wife away!” Master Wang shouted urgently. He then swung the stool at Li Yang. The stool shattered, and Master Wang’s palm was numb from the impact, but Li Yang showed no reaction at all.

“Damn! He’s so strong!” Master Wang couldn’t help exclaiming. Suddenly, Li Yang lunged at Master Wang. Master Wang quickly tore a strip of cloth from his Taoist robe and, using Li Yang’s momentum, turned around and circled behind him, covering Li Yang’s eyes with the cloth. At that moment, Li Yang suddenly stopped moving.

Seeing Li Yang stop, Master Wang let out a sigh of relief.

Everyone else also felt relieved when they saw Li Yang was motionless.

“Master Wang, you must explain everything clearly today. What exactly happened to my son? How did he become like this!” Old Master Li shouted at Master Wang.

“After everyone is in position, please form the Seven Stars Hand Seal, with the fingertips pointing north and the base of the fingers pressed firmly against your forehead. Once I begin the ritual, do not open your eyes, lest you see something unclean,” instructed Master Wang to the Li family. Once everyone was ready, Master Wang prepared to commence the ritual.

“Begin! By the decree of the Supreme, I release your lonely soul. All spirits and demons, may the four realms be blessed… Xiao Long, bring the chicken blood.”

“Master, the chicken blood.”

Master Wang took a yellow talisman from the tray, and with a shout, the paper ignited. He immediately threw the talisman into the chicken blood, then formed the Swastika Hand Seal, took a sip from the bowl of chicken blood, and slowly approached the grave, spraying it onto Li Yang’s two ‘old sticks.’ Soon after, Li Yang’s two ‘old sticks’ gradually lowered.

“End the ritual!” At Master Wang’s command, everyone opened their eyes. Seeing that the hands at the grave had lowered, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

“Master, you are truly remarkable, thank you! Thank you!” Old Man Li immediately expressed his gratitude to Master Wang.

“Not at all, not at all… Old Man Li, you flatter me!” Master Wang replied modestly, though inwardly he was relieved that his method had worked. Otherwise…

“Old Man Li, the secretary has peacefully departed. Please call a few people to tidy up and repair the grave. Let’s head back! Liu Xi, you go fetch two buckets of clean water from the upstream of the stream, cover them immediately after fetching, and then soak the ‘shroud’ in the buckets and place it over the grave. Once done, invite the ‘Water God’ at the east side of the grave. Remember, don’t mess it up.”

“Yes, Master!”

After Master Wang and Old Man Li returned, it was already midnight, and Su Xiao Long had just returned from the stream.

He followed Master Wang’s instructions, placing the ‘shroud’ on Li Yang’s grave and inviting the ‘Water God.’ Inviting the ‘Water God’ involved digging a half-foot deep hole at the southeast corner of the grave, filling it with water until it overflowed, then immediately covering it with the ‘Ink Cover’ until the water had completely seeped in, after which three incense sticks were lit in front of the hole. Inviting the ‘Water God’ was to help Li Yang find his way in the underworld. The ‘Ink Cover’ was a yellow talisman umbrella, named so because it was splattered with ink. After completing these tasks, Su Xiao Long hurried to where his brother’s body was placed.

“Brother, I’m sorry. You… you can rest in peace. That scoundrel Li Yang has been dealt with by Master. You can go peacefully! By the way, you loved eating corn when you were alive. On my way here, I passed a cornfield and secretly picked a few ears for you to eat on your journey. I… I’m sorry!” Su Xiao Long wept bitterly in front of his brother’s body.

“Brother, may you rest in peace!” Su Xiao Long said as he lit the torch. This was what Master Wang had instructed him to do—to cremate the body. Su Xiao Long didn’t want to do it, but Master Wang said it might prevent the body from turning into a zombie.

As the fire gradually died down, Su Xiao Long wiped the tears from his eyes and returned to Li Yang’s grave to help repair it. By the time he arrived, most of the work was already done, leaving only the final sweeping. Su Xiao Long took the broom and began sweeping vigorously at the grave. He was still immersed in the pain of losing his brother, his only remaining family. As he swept, he reached the head of the grave without realizing it.

While he was still focused on sweeping, a “bang” startled him. He looked towards the sound and nearly wet himself in fear.

Li Yang’s hands had emerged from the grave again, the two ‘old sticks’ flailing wildly. Just as Su Xiao Long tried to run, Li Yang grabbed his ankle with one of the ‘old sticks.’

“Ah, help! Help!” Su Xiao Long screamed in terror. The grave diggers resting nearby heard the cries and rushed over. What they saw horrified them—the two ‘old sticks’ had grabbed Su Xiao Long’s foot, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

“Quick, go get Master. Hurry…” Su Xiao Long shouted desperately at the grave diggers. The workers, hearing his cries, snapped out of their shock and scattered, leaving Su Xiao Long alone with Li Yang in the graveyard.

“Hey, don’t all leave! Stay and help me, help me!” Su Xiao Long cried out in agony. No one turned back, let alone stayed.

“You’ll be cursed for abandoning me. Li Yang! You beast! Did I wrong you in a past life? Fine, if you want to kill me so badly, come on! Brother, I’m coming to join you.”

Su Xiao Long continued to struggle desperately, but then Li Yang’s head emerged from the grave! It could hardly be called a head anymore—it was more like a ‘dried log,’ with the face tightly ‘stuck’ to the skull, the skin resembling the peel of an old loofah. The left side of the head was sunken, and a few sparse hairs remained on the top. Most horrifying was the large hole in his throat, with the Adam’s apple protruding. As he made a “ho… ho” sound, the Adam’s apple moved up and down. Seeing Li Yang’s terrifying ‘appearance,’ Su Xiao Long’s stomach churned. He continued to scream for help. But who would be there now? Before he could finish his cry, Li Yang’s ‘old sticks’ grabbed his neck and pulled him towards his mouth. Su Xiao Long didn’t even have time to scream before Li Yang bit him to death.

Li Yang seemed ‘thirsty,’ sucking vigorously at Su Xiao Long’s neck. Blood flowed from Li Yang’s mouth and the hole in his throat, staining the ground red. But Li Yang kept sucking, as if he could never get enough. Soon, Su Xiao Long was reduced to a dried-up corpse, and Li Yang threw the body aside, howling at the sky.

Meanwhile, those who had fled back were gasping for breath as they explained what had just happened.

“One at a time!” Master Wang waved his hand and said.

“Master, the grave… the young master has risen again. It’s a zombie…” one of the grave diggers said nervously.

“Impossible, I used the Soul Return Array to send his soul to the underworld. How could he…” Master Wang found this hard to believe and said with confusion.

“Master, what is going on? Explain it to me clearly. I paid you a hundred dollars to bury my son, and now someone says he’s a zombie. You… you said my son would rest in peace. What’s going on? You owe me an explanation!” Old Man Li angrily said to Master Wang.

“Son, son. My son isn’t dead, he’s not dead. Where is he? I want to see him, I want to see him,” Mrs. Li said excitedly. Her longing for her son had driven her to the brink of madness.

“Yes, dear. Go back to your room and rest, I’ll take you to see him later,” Old Man Li patted Mrs. Li and said.

“Old Man Li, don’t worry. It’s just a minor mishap. I’ll handle it,” Master Wang forced a smile and said to Old Man Li.

“Better be, or I’ll ruin your reputation!”

“Did you see clearly? By the way, where’s my disciple?” Master Wang asked the grave digger.

“Your disciple was caught by the zombie, now he’s probably… we saw it with our own eyes, it’s true.”

“Xiao Hu… Xiao Long!” Master Wang muttered in grief. Although these two disciples were lazy and gluttonous, they had been with him for years, and Master Wang was deeply saddened.

How could this happen? Master Wang was puzzled. Just as he was thinking, there was a “bang” at the door, and two ‘old sticks’ appeared on the red-painted gate.

“Li Yang is here, he’s turned into a zombie,” Master Wang exclaimed.

“How could this happen, how could this happen! My son!” Old Man Li cried out in pain.

Everyone in the house was terrified and scattered in all directions as Li Yang tried to break through the door.

“Don’t panic, everyone hide in the rooms. I’ll deal with him!” Master Wang shouted, and everyone quieted down and fled to the rooms. At that moment, the door was knocked down by Li Yang, and he charged in, making a “ho… ho” sound.

“My son, you’re back. Old man, go prepare some food, our son hasn’t eaten yet,” Mrs. Li, upon seeing Li Yang like this, didn’t run but instead walked towards him.

“Madam, the young master is already dead! Come back, or you’ll be bitten to death!” Master Wang shouted at Mrs. Li.

“Dear, come back! Come back!”

Seeing that Mrs. Li showed no reaction, Master Wang immediately grabbed a stool and charged at Li Yang.

“Old Man Li, quickly take Madam away!” Master Wang urgently shouted. After saying this, he swung the stool at Li Yang. The stool shattered, and Master Wang’s palm went numb from the impact. But Li Yang showed no reaction.

“Damn! He’s so strong!” Master Wang couldn’t help but exclaim. Suddenly, Li Yang lunged at Master Wang, who immediately tore a strip of cloth from his robe, took advantage of Li Yang’s momentum, turned around to get behind him, and covered Li Yang’s eyes with the cloth. At that moment, Li Yang stopped moving.

Seeing that Li Yang had stopped, Master Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone, seeing that Li Yang had stopped, also calmed down.

“Master Wang, what exactly is going on? You must explain it to me today. My son… how did he become like this!” Old Man Li shouted at Master Wang.

“My son, what are you standing there for? Come, come to your mother. Be good!” Mrs. Li said, staring at Li Yang with a dazed expression.

“Dear, our son hasn’t returned yet. That’s just a piece of wood, go back to your room and rest. Qing Shu, quickly take my wife inside,” Old Man Li coaxed his wife with a smile. But his smile was more painful than a cry. His son had died young, and now his wife had lost her mind. Old Man Li didn’t know what sin he had committed to suffer such misfortune in his sixties.

“Old Man Li, I think the reason the secretary turned into a zombie might be because there’s something unclean at the burial site. I want to go back to the grave and take a look,” Master Wang said. In truth, he didn’t know what was going on or why this had happened. He was asking himself the same question and decided to investigate Li Yang’s burial site once more.

“I’m telling you for the last time, if this isn’t resolved properly, don’t even think about working in this area anymore. I, Li, may not have many skills, but if I lift a finger, this town will tremble!” Old Man Li said in a low voice, not even looking at Master Wang.

“Yes, Old Man Li,” Master Wang replied, then turned to the grave diggers.

“I just covered his eyes with a cloth strip to prevent him from sensing life energy. But I can’t guarantee he won’t move again, so I’ll use my blood seal to immobilize him for now. You all go prepare a donkey cart, sprinkle water all over it, and get a large yellow cloth, also soaked in water. Hurry!”

“What’s all this for?” Old Man Li asked Master Wang.

“We need to transport the secretary’s body back to the grave. The water and yellow cloth are necessary due to the young master’s astrological signs,” Master Wang explained. The grave diggers, hearing that they had to transport the body back, were too scared to move.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll immobilize him now!” Master Wang took out a seal from his robe, which was brown and the size of a finger. He bit his own finger, smeared the blood on the seal, formed a Taoist hand seal, drew a few strokes in front of the seal, then pressed it against Li Yang’s forehead. A red “command” character appeared on Li Yang’s forehead. His hands, which had been extended, now lowered. Seeing this, the grave diggers finally gathered around Master Wang. Master Wang gently removed the cloth strip, and Li Yang’s eyes were now closed, as if he were asleep. When the grave diggers approached Master Wang, they saw Li Yang’s appearance clearly and couldn’t help but feel their stomachs churn.

“Go prepare quickly!” Master Wang urged. The workers, seeing that Li Yang had been immobilized, regained their courage and said, “We’ll be ready soon.”

“Old Man Li, what did the secretary love most in life?” Master Wang asked.

“My son loved watching operas. He was a big fan, nothing else.”

“Good, that’s all I need to know. Old Man Li, do you have any red cloth?”

“Of course! How much do you need?”

“Seven feet will suffice.”

“Here, you, go get it!”

“What do you need this for?” Old Man Li asked.

“Old Man Li, you just told me the secretary loved watching operas. Now, the secretary might be controlled by a vengeful spirit. The best way to resolve this is to lure his soul out. I’ll cut three ‘cloth figures’ from the red cloth, perform a ritual to transfer the souls of three opera performers into the ‘cloth figures,’ and when the ‘cloth figures’ perform at the grave, the young master will see them. His soul will then be lured out. Once it’s out, we can perform the ritual to guide him to reincarnation, then cremate the body.”

“Cremate! Cremate… is there no other way?” Old Man Li was shocked to hear that his son’s body would be cremated and asked Master Wang helplessly.

“Old Man Li, this is the best way. Otherwise… you don’t want the young master to harm others, do you?”

After a long pause, Old Man Li finally replied, “Fine, cremate him!”

The foreman, Ma Tie Zhu, was helping prepare the donkey cart and the yellow cloth. With his small courage, he had been terrified upon seeing Li Yang. He just wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. He didn’t even care about the two dollars’ wages anymore. He had a wife and children, and if something happened to him, how would they survive?

As they thought about it, the group had already reached the grave. Master Wang instructed the workers to park the donkey cart in front of the grave, remove the yellow cloth, and spread a layer of lime in front of the grave. Then he took out the pre-cut ‘cloth figures’ and placed them around the donkey cart. From his ritual box, he took out three urns and placed them behind the three ‘cloth figures.’ These were the ashes of the three opera performers. Master Wang held a soul-summoning bell in one hand and walked in a very peculiar manner. After a while, he stopped in front of the middle ‘cloth figure,’ and the bell in his hand rang faster and faster. Suddenly, Master Wang shouted, and the urns exploded. The ashes from the three urns fell precisely onto the corresponding ‘cloth figures.’ Once the ashes settled, the ‘cloth figures’ began to move in sync with the bell’s ringing. The workers behind Master Wang were amazed, completely engrossed in the spectacle. Master Wang put down the bell, took out three yellow talismans, and muttered incantations. After finishing, he stuck the talismans on the backs of the ‘cloth figures.’ Then, the ‘cloth figures’ began to perform an opera, their movements just like real people. Although the singing was soft, it sounded incredibly real. The workers found this even more astonishing.

Master Wang closely observed Li Yang’s body. The ‘cloth figures’ performed for a long time, but there was still no movement. “Could it be useless?” Master Wang thought to himself. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, footprints finally appeared on the lime in front of the grave. Master Wang immediately took out a ‘ritual jar,’ opened the lid, and shouted towards the footprints, “Li Yang!” The footprints, which had been appearing continuously, suddenly stopped, and Master Wang closed the lid. The people behind Master Wang held their breath, watching this strange event unfold.

“Old Man Li, I’ve captured the secretary’s soul in this ‘ritual jar.’ Now we can cremate the body.”

“Good! You, you, you, and you, prepare the firewood and light the fire!” Old Man Li, finally regaining his composure, instructed the workers beside him.

“Yes, sir!” The workers, still shaken, took torches and approached Li Yang.

“This time, there won’t be any problems, right?” Old Man Li asked.

“Of…”

“Of what? Why aren’t you saying anything!” Old Man Li asked again.

“I don’t know, because…”

“You don’t know! Because? Because of what…”

“Because I captured his soul, but he’s still moving…” Master Wang stared straight at the donkey cart. As soon as he finished speaking, screams came from the direction of the donkey cart. Old Man Li looked towards the sound and saw Li Yang grabbing a worker by the neck, ‘eating’ voraciously. The other three workers had fallen to the ground, their chests pierced by Li Yang’s two ‘old sticks’! Blood was everywhere! Master Wang, Old Man Li, and the workers behind them dared not make a sound. Master Wang then noticed that the “command” character on Li Yang’s forehead had melted away. It seemed Li Yang had turned into a ‘zombie,’ a mindless corpse that only sought to bite.

Finally, someone regained their senses and shouted, “Run, run!” Master Wang tried to stop them, but it was too late. Since the ‘zombie’ had no consciousness, the only thing it could sense was sound. As long as you didn’t make noise, you were generally safe. Hearing the workers’ shouts, Li Yang threw aside his ‘meal,’ leaped up, and flew over Master Wang and Old Man Li’s heads, landing in front of the workers. The lead worker didn’t even know what was happening before Li Yang pierced his chest. The workers tried to run back, but how could they outrun Li Yang? In just a moment, without even a scream, five living men fell dead.

“Dear, our son hasn’t come back yet. That’s just a piece of wood. Go back to your room and rest first,” Old Master Li said with a smile, trying to coax his wife. But his smile was more painful than crying. His son had died young, and now his wife had lost her mind. Old Master Li didn’t know what sins he had committed to suffer such misfortune in his sixties.

“Old Master Li, I think the reason why the young master turned into a zombie might be because something unclean at the burial site was causing it. I’d like to go back to the grave to check it out.” In truth, Master Wang himself didn’t know why this had happened. He was asking himself the same question and decided to go back to Li Yang’s burial site to investigate.

“I’ll tell you this one last time—if you can’t resolve this properly this time, you won’t be able to work in this area anymore. I, Old Master Li, may not have many other skills, but if I so much as shake my foot, this town will tremble three times!” Old Master Li said coldly without even looking at Master Wang.

“Yes, Old Master Li.” Master Wang replied and then turned to the workers.

“I just used a cloth to cover his eyes, which prevents him from sensing the living. But I can’t guarantee he won’t move again, so now I’m going to use my blood seal to immobilize him. You all need to go get a donkey cart and pour water all over it. Also, prepare a large yellow cloth and wet it thoroughly. Hurry!”

“What do we need these for?” Old Master Li asked Master Wang.

“We need to transport the young master’s body back to the grave. The water and the yellow cloth are needed due to the young master’s birth chart,” Master Wang explained. When the workers heard that the body needed to be transported back, they were all reluctant to come forward.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll immobilize him right away!” Master Wang took a brown seal from his robe, about the size of a finger. He bit his finger, smeared the blood on the seal, formed a Taoist seal with his hand, and drew a few strokes in front of the seal. Then he pressed it against Li Yang’s forehead, leaving a vermilion “Command” character there. Li Yang’s arms, which had been raised, now dropped down. Seeing this, the workers finally approached Master Wang. Master Wang gently removed the cloth covering Li Yang’s eyes, and Li Yang’s eyes were now closed, looking as if he were asleep. When the workers reached Master Wang, they finally got a clear look at Li Yang’s appearance and felt their stomachs churn.

“Hurry up and prepare everything!” Master Wang urged. Seeing that Li Yang had been immobilized, the workers gathered their courage and said, “Right away.”

“Old Master Li, what did the young master like most when he was alive?” Master Wang asked.

“My son loved watching operas the most. He was an opera enthusiast. Nothing else really interested him.”

“Good, that’s useful to know. Old Master Li, do you have any red cloth?”

“Of course! How much do you need?”

“Seven feet will be enough.”

“Come, you, go get it!”

“Why do you need this?” Old Master Li asked.

“Old Master Li, you just told me that the young master loved watching operas. Now, the young master might be controlled by a vengeful spirit. The best way to resolve this is to summon the young master’s soul. I will cut three ‘cloth figures’ from the red cloth, then perform a ritual to transfer the souls of three opera performers into the ‘cloth figures.’ When the ‘cloth figures’ perform an opera in front of the grave, the young master will be able to see them. At that time, his soul will surely be drawn out. Once it’s drawn out, I will immediately perform a ritual to guide his soul into reincarnation and then cremate the body.”

“Cremate! You want to cremate… is there no other way?” Old Master Li was shocked at the idea of cremating his son’s body and reluctantly asked Master Wang.

“Old Master Li, this is the best way. Otherwise… you wouldn’t want your son to harm others, would you?”

After a long silence, Old Master Li finally replied, “Fine, cremate!”

Ma Tiezhu, the foreman, was helping to prepare the donkey cart and yellow cloth. He had a small heart to begin with, and seeing Li Yang had already scared him half to death. He just wanted to finish things quickly and go home. He didn’t even care about the wages for the two jobs anymore—he still had a wife and children to take care of. If something happened to him, how would his family survive?

Thinking about this, the group had already arrived at the grave. Master Wang told the workers to stop the donkey cart in front of the grave, remove the yellow cloth, and spread a layer of lime in front of the grave. Then he took out the already cut ‘cloth figures’ and placed them around the donkey cart. From his ritual case, he took out three urns and placed them behind the three cloth figures—obviously, these were the ashes of three opera performers. Master Wang held a soul-summoning bell in one hand and walked in a very strange pattern. After a while, he stopped in front of the middle cloth figure, shaking the bell faster and faster. Suddenly, Master Wang shouted “Huh!” and the urns exploded. The ashes from the three urns landed precisely on the corresponding cloth figures. As the ashes settled, the cloth figures began to move in rhythm with Master Wang’s bell. The workers behind Master Wang were all amazed and watched in fascination. Master Wang put down the soul-summoning bell, took out three yellow talismans, and began chanting softly. After finishing, he pasted the talismans on the backs of the cloth figures. At that moment, the cloth figures actually began to sing opera, their movements just like real people. Their singing was not loud, but it sounded incredibly realistic. The workers found this even more astonishing.

Master Wang closely watched Li Yang’s corpse. The cloth figures sang for a long time, but there was no sign of movement. “Could this not work?” Master Wang thought to himself. About the time it would take to burn an incense stick, footprints finally appeared on the lime in front of the grave. Immediately, Master Wang took out a “soul jar,” opened the lid, and shouted toward the direction of the footprints: “Li Yang!” The footprints, which had been continuously appearing, suddenly stopped, and Master Wang quickly covered the jar. Everyone behind Master Wang held their breath, watching this strange phenomenon unfold.

“Old Master Li, I have already captured the young master’s soul in this ‘soul jar.’ Now we can cremate the body.”

“Good! You, you, and you—prepare the firewood and light it!” Old Master Li finally regained his senses and said to the workers around him.

“Yes, sir!” The workers were still shaken, but they took torches and approached Li Yang.

“Is everything okay now?” Old Master Li asked.

“When…”

“When what? Why did you stop speaking!” Old Master Li asked again.

“I don’t know, because…”

“You don’t know! Because? Because what…”

“Because I captured his soul, yet he is still moving…” Master Wang stared straight at the direction of the donkey cart. As soon as Master Wang finished speaking, several screams came from the donkey cart. Old Master Li turned in the direction of the sound and saw Li Yang grabbing a worker’s neck and “eating” him hungrily. The other three were already on the ground, their chests pierced through by Li Yang’s two “old limbs”! Blood flowed all over the ground! Master Wang, Old Master Li, and the workers behind them dared not make a sound. At that moment, Master Wang noticed that the “Command” character on Li Yang’s forehead had already faded. It seemed Li Yang had become a “zombie,” a mindless living corpse that only knew how to bite people.

Finally, someone snapped out of it and shouted, “Run! Run quickly!” Master Wang wanted to stop them but was already too late. Because a “zombie” has no consciousness at all—it can only sense external sounds. When facing a “zombie,” as long as you don’t make a sound, you’re generally safe. Hearing the worker’s shout, Li Yang threw away his “food,” leaped into the air, and in one jump, soared over Master Wang and Old Master Li, landing directly in front of the workers. The leader of the workers didn’t even have time to understand what was happening before Li Yang pierced through his chest and killed him. The workers wanted to run back, but how could they possibly be faster than Li Yang? In just a short moment, without even a scream, five healthy men had fallen to the ground, dead.