Lao Li had never seen such a bloody scene before and wanted to run away the moment he laid eyes on it. However, he feared that any sudden movement might provoke the zombie to attack him too. Wang Banxian seemed to sense Lao Li’s anxiety. Leaning close to his ear, he whispered, “Old Master Li, follow my instructions carefully. Both of us will pick up a stone from the ground—remember, very quietly. Once we have them, watch my signal. We’ll throw them simultaneously into the river beside the grave. The sound of the water will attract the zombie, and then we’ll run down the mountain.”
“Can’t you subdue this zombie?” Lao Li’s eyelids trembled involuntarily, his voice quivering like his shaking legs. At that moment, Li Yang was pinning down a half-dead worker, his teeth grinding noisily as his mouth nearly burrowed into the man’s neck. Thick, warm blood dripped from his gums, staining his chin and chest, accompanied occasionally by low, excited growls. The heavy stench made Lao Li gag repeatedly.
“Zombies have no souls, so my spells are useless against him. The only way to destroy him is to burn him, but ordinary fire won’t work—it has to be the eternal flame from the temple. That’s why we must go retrieve it now. Otherwise, once he finishes off these people, he’ll head to the village and kill others. Anyone whose life essence he drains might undergo another transformation within days, turning into another zombie. Who knows how many more lives could be lost then!” Covering his nose, Wang Banxian grimaced in disgust.
“Is there really no other way? Can’t we just wait until daylight? Don’t zombies fear light?”
Old Man Li had never seen such a gruesome scene before and had long wanted to flee, but he feared that if he moved, the zombie would charge at him. Master Wang seemed to read Old Man Li’s mind and whispered in his ear, “Old Man Li, do as I say now. We’ll each pick up a stone from the ground, but remember to do it gently. After picking it up, watch my signal, and we’ll throw the stones into the river by the grave at the same time. The sound of the water will lure the zombie there, and then we’ll run down the mountain.”
“Can’t you control this zombie?” Old Man Li’s eyelids twitched involuntarily, his voice trembling, much like his shaky legs. At that moment, Li Yang was pinning down a half-dead worker, his teeth grinding loudly, his mouth almost embedded in the man’s neck. Thick, warm blood continuously dripped from Li Yang’s gums, staining his chin and chest, accompanied by occasional excited growls. The heavy stench made Old Man Li gag uncontrollably.
“Zombies have no souls; my spells are useless against them. The only way to destroy a zombie is to burn it, but ordinary fire won’t work. We need the eternal flame from the temple, so we must go fetch it now. Otherwise, once he finishes these people, he’ll go to the village to kill others. And anyone whose essence and blood he drains will likely turn into a zombie within days. Then, who knows how many will die!” Master Wang covered his nose, his face contorted.
“Is there no other way? Can’t we wait until dawn? Don’t zombies fear light?” Old Man Li was terrified, fearing that if he moved, he would be pounced on by his own son, just like the workers.
“No, no!” Master Wang shook his head helplessly. “He’s a black zombie, not an ordinary reanimated corpse. Black zombies can move around during the day. Just follow my plan, quickly! Otherwise, it’ll be too late.”
Old Man Li had no choice, so the two of them bent down gently to pick up stones. After exchanging glances, Old Man Li nodded at Master Wang.
“Plop!” The sound of the stone hitting the water was particularly loud in the quiet night.
Sure enough, Li Yang’s shoulders jerked violently, and he dropped his “prey.” His green eyes gleamed with a beastly greed. His stiff, log-like body sprang up from the ground, his arms extended forward, his waist and legs unmoving, as he hopped toward the riverbank, his “old sticks” flailing wildly. Clearly, he was one who, while eating from his bowl, still kept an eye on the pot, unwilling to miss any “hunting” opportunity.
Seeing that Li Yang had been lured away, Master Wang immediately pulled Old Man Li toward the Lingguan Temple. After running for a while, Old Man Li suddenly stopped and said, “My son, my son’s soul hasn’t been retrieved yet. That ‘urn,’ I need to go back and get it.”
“Oh, my goodness, Old Man Li, why bring this up now? Going back now is almost certain death. Besides, what’s more important than human lives? As for the ‘urn’…” Master Wang hesitated for a moment, then offered a compromise: “Let’s wait until we’ve burned this zombie, then come back for it!”
“No, I can’t leave my son there. I can’t…” Old Man Li was adamant.
“This…” Master Wang drew out his words, hesitating. Although the phrase “the customer is always right” hadn’t been coined yet, he, Wang, was still very professional. Despite some minor flaws, he was diligent and honest, a model among charlatans. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, since I, Wang Weizhen, have taken on this job, I’ll see it through to the end. I’ll go retrieve the soul, and you go to the Lingguan Temple in the village to fetch the flame. Old Man Li, remember this! Once you have the flame, go home and use it to light a white candle, then pour oil in front of your door. Don’t let the flame go out. Wait for me to lure the big zombie back. If I haven’t returned in an hour, prepare a few big drums in front of your house and beat them as hard as you can! By then, it should be almost dawn, and the zombie should be lured over. Once he gets close, light the fire and burn him to death!”
‘Going alone would be suicide, but Master Wang has a better chance. Now, I can only follow his plan,’ Old Man Li thought to himself.
“Then be careful and take care!” Old Man Li agreed. Master Wang nodded and turned back. Old Man Li continued his hurried steps toward the Lingguan Temple. When Master Wang returned to Li Yang’s grave, the big zombie was still feasting on his prey. The urn was placed in front of the donkey cart, and to retrieve it, he had to bypass Li Yang. Master Wang repeated his trick, picking up another stone and throwing it into the clear stream. Zombies are zombies; they don’t think. Master Wang easily lured the foolish Li Yang away again. Taking advantage of Li Yang’s absence, he crouched and quietly crept to the back of the donkey cart, using the wooden fence as cover.
Just as he was about to reach the cart, he saw Liu Dashao hiding by the grave. It turned out that before Master Wang arrived, Liu Dashao and Granny Fan had already been there. Seeing Li Yang devouring the workers’ bodies, they immediately hid by the grave and remained silent. They had been hiding there ever since, while Li Yang continued his “meal.” Granny Fan, having experienced many storms, was somewhat prepared for this scene, but Liu Dashao, still a minor, almost fainted at the sight.
“Li Yang’s birth element is earth, and earth overcomes water, so he lacks water. Now, the ash marble under the tombstone has blocked the underground water source, and the double dragons playing with a pearl on the tombstone’s head make it worse. The dragons absorb water, drying it all up. Where can he get water? These are just external factors. The real trouble is that this tombstone acts like a gate, completely blocking the water vapor from miles around, creating a drought. No wonder he turned into a black zombie,” Granny Fan muttered to herself.
“Huh? Did I hear something?”
“Never mind that, retrieving the ‘urn’ is more important,” Master Wang muttered to himself. Finally, he managed to climb onto the cart, just as Li Yang returned to his dining spot. Seeing that he hadn’t been discovered, Master Wang gently picked up the urn, opened its lid, and placed Li Yang’s soul into a soul-locking chain for easier handling. Now, to lure Li Yang to the Li family residence, Master Wang had already thought of a good plan. He took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, folded it with his fingers, and with a thought, the talisman transformed into a lifelike lark, somewhat similar to the paper crane Granny Fan had handed to Liu Dashao earlier. Master Wang spoke to the lark, “Lark, lark, it’s all up to you now. Lure that beast to the Li family.”
Upon hearing Master Wang’s words, the yellow talisman lark flew toward Li Yang, chirping as it went. Zombies can only perceive sound, and Master Wang used the lark’s chirping to slowly lure Li Yang to the Li family residence—a clever move. Sure enough, Li Yang chased after the sound.
“Is that Master Wang? Is he here to subdue this monster? Where has he been? More than ten people have already died. Only now does he show up!” Liu Dashao cursed softly.
“What’s he hiding for? Why doesn’t he just subdue it? Granny, should we call him?” Liu Dashao nudged the old woman beside him.
“Shh, he’s already turned into a black zombie. Ordinary Taoist methods won’t work on him. The only way is to burn him, and ordinary fire won’t do. We need the eternal flame from the temple. Zombies can only perceive external sounds. Master Wang is trying to lure Li Yang somewhere,” Granny Fan whispered in response. However, she nodded slightly in her heart, thinking that over the years, Master Wang had made some progress.
“Lure him somewhere? That direction is…”
“Probably the Li family!”
“Don’t act rashly now. Wait until they leave. Then we’ll smash the tombstone, and the zombie’s yin energy will dissipate, making it easier to deal with,” Granny Fan said.
When Master Wang arrived, Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had already seen him, but for some reason, they didn’t call out to him. Finally, both Master Wang and Li Yang disappeared into the night. The two immediately got up and walked to Li Yang’s tombstone. Granny Fan reached out and touched the dry, alkaline soil beneath the tombstone, sighing, “I’ve only been gone for a few days, and such a big incident has happened in the village, with so many deaths. If this zombie turns into a drought demon, it will be truly beyond salvation.”
“Child, let’s do it!”
“Leave it to me!” Liu Dashao decisively picked up a large hammer and without hesitation smashed Li Yang’s tombstone. “Bang!” The tombstone shattered into pieces, the small fragments glaringly obvious on the ground.
Meanwhile, Master Wang, relying on the transformed lark, had lured Li Yang for quite a distance when suddenly, Li Yang fell to the ground and stopped moving. Master Wang watched from afar, not daring to approach.
‘Has the lark stopped chirping? That doesn’t make sense! The bird was chirping just fine. But…’
Master Wang pondered. At that moment, the sound of drums came from the direction of the Li family. It had taken Master Wang quite some time to retrieve the urn, and before he could lure the zombie to the Li family, it was already the fourth watch.
“Damn it, get up and move! Ah, I wonder how long Old Man Li’s white candle can last. What’s going on?” Master Wang angrily cursed as he saw Li Yang lying motionless. “We can’t just wait like this.” Master Wang cautiously approached Li Yang and noticed that his eyes were closed, no longer open as before.
“Huh? That’s strange,” Master Wang muttered to himself. He kicked Li Yang lightly, but there was still no reaction. Li Yang had reverted to a lifeless corpse because the tombstone that had caused his reanimation, which was incompatible with his birth element, had been smashed. With the tombstone destroyed, the corpse curse was broken.
“It seems he… Never mind, it’s better that he’s not moving. Now, let’s go fetch the flame and burn him.” Master Wang took off his Taoist robe, covered Li Yang’s body, and ran toward the Li family.
After smashing the tombstone, Granny Fan and Liu Dashao immediately went after Master Wang. Halfway there, they saw the body covered by Master Wang’s Taoist robe.
“Granny, that’s Li Yang’s body! Smashing the tombstone really stopped him. You’re amazing!” Liu Dashao couldn’t help but praise Granny Fan, seeing that the dangerous thing was finally dealt with.
“Not at all, I just did what I had to do,” Granny Fan smiled.
“Modest! Oh, where did Master Wang go?”
“He probably went to fetch the eternal flame. We can’t let him burn the body!”
“Why?” Liu Dashao asked.
“If a wrongfully deceased person is cremated, they will inevitably enter the animal realm during reincarnation. Because their physical body was cremated, the underworld judge will assume that the person despised human life and thus sentence them to the animal realm. Although Li Yang’s soul has been retrieved, this body still belongs to him. Burning it now would be harming him.”
“What should we do then?” Liu Dashao asked again.
“Move the soul back into this body, choose an auspicious time for reburial, and erect a new tombstone,” Granny Fan replied.
“Erect a tombstone?”
“Erecting a tombstone means carving a new one for the deceased, but it must be a eulogy tombstone, with an inscription. The ancients had a saying, ‘The deceased rests in a blessed land, bringing eternal fortune to their descendants.’ However, this saying only applies to those who died naturally or of old age. For those who died wrongfully, we must carve a eulogy tombstone to help them transcend. The inscription for a wrongfully deceased person should briefly describe their main life experiences and the significance of the tombstone, while also expressing sorrow for their unfortunate passing. Never write about their merits, because wrongfully deceased people are repaying debts from their past lives. Writing about their merits would deceive the underworld judge, and Li Yang’s next life would be even more tragic. So, writing the inscription is the most challenging part,” Granny Fan explained.
“Writing the inscription? That’s easy, leave it to me,” Liu Dashao said, patting his head.
“That’s perfect. Remember what I said about how to write it,” Granny Fan reminded him.
When Master Wang arrived at the Li family, Old Man Li was still vigorously beating the drum. Seeing a figure approaching, Old Man Li shouted, “You guys, light the fire!”
“Wait! Wait! It’s me! Old Man Li, it’s me!” Master Wang hurriedly called out.
“It’s you! I thought you had been… Is the zombie behind you?” Old Man Li asked anxiously upon seeing Master Wang.
Master Wang recounted what had just happened to Old Man Li.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go burn him!” Old Man Li said.
“No!”
“Granny… Granny Fan, it’s you! Where have you been these past few days? I’ve been searching for you everywhere!” Old Man Li was overjoyed. Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had hurried all the way and finally caught up with Master Wang and Old Man Li just as they were about to set off.
“I had some matters to attend to, so I disappeared for a few days, hehe!” Granny Fan smiled.
“Since you’re here, everything can be discussed. Now, we’re going to destroy that zombie. Why not?” Old Man Li asked cautiously.
“Burning him now would harm your son…” Liu Dashao repeated what Granny Fan had told him earlier to Old Man Li. Hearing this, Old Man Li was deeply shaken.
“Master Wang, should we burn him or not?” Old Man Li, afraid of making another mistake, sought Master Wang’s advice.
“Let’s do as she says! I don’t have a better solution. Keeping the body is better than burning it.”
Master Wang hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. As soon as he saw Granny Fan, he immediately changed, like a frostbitten eggplant, wilting. “Alright, Granny Fan, with you two immortals here, I can rest assured. After this is done, I’ll thank you properly,” Old Man Li said to Granny Fan with a smile.
Since finishing his earlier words, Master Wang had been staring at Granny Fan, as if he had something to say. Liu Dashao found it all very strange.
By the time of the fifth watch, the sky was already showing signs of dawn. Liu Dashao, Granny Fan, Master Wang, Old Man Li, and the others reappeared at Li Yang’s burial site.
Now, this place was no longer just Li Yang’s burial site; it also held the graves of the more than ten workers he had killed and two of Master Wang’s disciples. Their tombstones were all personally carved by Granny Fan, and since they were made of peach wood, they didn’t take much time to complete.
“Granny, why are their tombstones all made of peach wood?” Liu Dashao asked.
“They were all wrongfully deceased; they don’t need permanent tombstones as ‘passports’ to the underworld. A wooden one is enough for the judge to see,” Granny Fan replied with a smile.
After paying their respects to the deceased, everyone left, leaving behind the more than ten graves of various sizes to keep each other company.
“Everyone, what happened last night was entirely an accident. I, Li, apologize to the families of the deceased. This money is for compensation,” Old Man Li said to the more than ten women in the living room. However, they just kept crying, and nothing he said could console them.
“Sir, please help me persuade them!” Old Man Li said to Master Wang. Master Wang had no choice but to try to console them.
“These workers were all wrongfully deceased. We just managed to perform the rites to help them pass on peacefully. If you keep crying like this, they might not be able to let go and come back to haunt you. So please, stop crying!” Master Wang said in a strange tone. It worked; the women quieted down.
“The sir is right. Now, please take the compensation and go home,” Old Man Li hurriedly said as the women calmed down. After seeing them off, Old Man Li noticed that Granny Fan was also gone.
“Huh? Where are Granny Fan and Liu’s boy?” Old Man Li asked.
“She said she had something to do and went back,” Master Wang replied.
“Why did she leave? I still wanted to thank her!”
“Old Man Li, now that everything is settled, why don’t I go find Granny Fan? I happen to have something to ask her!” Master Wang said to Old Man Li.
“Alright, take this two hundred yuan with you and give it to her as a token of my gratitude.”
Master Wang took the money and headed to Granny Fan’s only residence in the village. However, when he arrived, he found the house empty, the door locked, and no response when he knocked. He guessed that the two might have gone to the mass grave. So, with a try-it attitude, he left the village.
“Child, I initially had some doubts about the words the snake spirit left behind before departing, but in just a few short days, so many strange things have happened in our village. Now, I completely believe it. Sigh! Unusual events must have a cause. What could have stirred up such a storm…” Master Wang walked for a while and saw Granny Fan and Liu Dashao sitting among the weeds. As he approached, he overheard Granny Fan’s words.
“Senior Sister is here!”
“What are you doing here?” Granny Fan’s voice immediately turned cold upon seeing Master Wang.
“I know I was a bit harsh last time. I’m here to apologize,” Master Wang said. Although Granny Fan and Master Wang were like fire and water, they were actually from the same sect over twenty years ago, disciples of the old Taoist master, a highly respected and decisive figure who was the village’s pillar and leader. While the old master was alive, Master Wang was naturally obedient and diligently learned some skills, doing a few commendable things, and the relationship between the two senior and junior siblings was quite harmonious. But after the old master’s death, Master Wang completely changed. Without anyone to restrain him, many of his previously hidden bad habits surfaced. Granny Fan tried to advise him, but he responded with sarcasm and even turned against her. This ultimately led to the breakdown of their relationship. Master Wang was a very ambitious and arrogant person, but now he was humbly apologizing to her. Granny Fan thought that after all these years of trials, he had truly reformed, and her anger subsided.
“Forget it, I’m not that petty,” Granny Fan said, giving him a sidelong glance.
“I knew you wouldn’t be so narrow-minded, hehe. Uh… May I ask, didn’t you return to the town? Why did you suddenly appear here?” Master Wang pointed at the grave mounds and asked.
“What, not welcome?” Granny Fan retorted, then sneered, “If I hadn’t dealt with that zombie, you’d be in trouble now!”
“I know, I know, Senior Sister is superior!” Master Wang asked cautiously.
With no other choice, the two men silently bent down and picked up stones. After exchanging glances, Lao Li nodded slightly at Wang Banxian.
“Plunk!” The sound of the stones hitting the water echoed loudly in the quiet night.
Sure enough, Li Yang’s shoulders twitched violently. He dropped his ‘meal’ instantly, his eyes flashing with greenish greed. His stiff body, like a wooden log, sprang upright in a flash. Arms stretched straight forward, he hopped forward without bending his waist or knees, thumping heavily with each jump toward the river. His bony hands waved wildly, clearly still hungry and unwilling to miss any opportunity to feed.
Seeing Li Yang distracted, Wang Banxian immediately pulled Lao Li toward the Lingguan Temple. After running for a while, Lao Li suddenly stopped and said, “Wait! I haven’t retrieved my son’s soul yet. That ‘tan chong’—I must go back for it!”
“Oh dear, Old Master Li, are you deliberately bringing up the wrong topic at the wrong time? Going back now would almost certainly mean certain death. Besides, what use is that silly ‘tan chong’ compared to a human life? As for the tan chong…” Wang Banxian hesitated for a moment before offering a compromise: “Let’s burn this zombie first, then we can come back for it!”
“No! I can’t leave my son behind. I can’t…” Lao Li stubbornly refused.
“This…” Wang Banxian dragged out the word, clearly conflicted. Although the concept of “the customer is always right” hadn’t been invented yet, he still took his duties seriously. Despite his minor flaws, he worked diligently and never betrayed his ancestors’ teachings. Finally, he clenched his teeth and said, “Fine. Since I accepted your commission, I’ll see it through to the end. I’ll go retrieve your son’s soul, and you go to the Lingguan Temple to get the eternal flame. Lao Li, remember this: once you get the flame, return home immediately and use it to light a white candle. Then pour oil all around your door—don’t let the flame die under any circumstances. Wait for me to bring the zombie back. If I haven’t returned after an hour, prepare several large drums and start pounding them furiously. By then it’ll be nearly the fourth watch of the night, and the noise should attract the zombie. Once it gets close, light the fire and burn it to death!”
‘Going myself would be suicide, but Wang Banxian has a slight chance. I have no choice but to follow his plan,’ Lao Li reasoned internally.
“Then take care, and be safe!” Lao Li finally agreed. Wang Banxian nodded and turned back the way they came, while Lao Li resumed his small, hurried steps toward the temple.
When Wang Banxian returned to Li Yang’s grave, the big zombie was still feasting on his prey. The tan chong sat in front of the donkey cart. To retrieve it, he would have to sneak past Li Yang. Wang Banxian repeated his earlier trick, picking up another stone and throwing it into the stream. Zombies, after all, couldn’t think. It was easy for Wang Banxian to distract the foolish Li Yang again.
Taking advantage of Li Yang’s distraction, Wang Banxian crouched low and crept behind the cart, using the wooden fence for cover.
As he approached the cart, he spotted Liu Dashao hiding near the grave. It turned out that Liu Dashao and Old Madam Fan had arrived before Wang Banxian. Seeing Li Yang devouring the workers’ corpses, they immediately hid behind the grave and kept silent. They remained hidden there while Li Yang continued his gruesome feast. Madam Fan, having experienced many hardships in her life, was somewhat prepared for such a sight. But Liu Dashao, still young, nearly fainted at the horror before him.
Old Man Li was seeing such a bloody scene for the first time and had long wanted to flee, but he feared that if he moved, the zombie would charge at him. Wang the Mystic seemed to read Old Man Li’s thoughts and whispered into his ear, “Old Man Li, do as I say now. We’ll each pick up a stone from the ground, remember to do it gently. After picking it up, watch for my signal, and we’ll throw them into the river by the grave at the same time. The sound of the water will lure the zombie over, and then we’ll run down the mountain.”
“Can’t you control this zombie?” Old Man Li’s eyelids twitched involuntarily, his voice trembling, much like his shaky legs. At that moment, Li Yang was pinning down a half-dead worker, his teeth grinding with a clicking sound, his mouth almost embedded in the man’s neck. Thick, warm blood continuously dripped from Li Yang’s gums, staining his chin and chest, accompanied by occasional excited growls. The heavy stench made Old Man Li retch uncontrollably.
“Zombies have no soul; my spells are useless against them. The only way to destroy a zombie is to burn it, but ordinary fire won’t do. We need the eternal flame from the temple, so we must go fetch it now. Otherwise, once he finishes these people, he’ll go to the village to kill others. And anyone whose essence and blood he drains might turn into a zombie within days. Then, who knows how many will die!” Wang the Mystic covered his nostrils, his face twitching.
“Is there no other way? Can’t we wait until dawn? Don’t zombies fear light?” Old Man Li was terrified, afraid that if he moved, he would be pounced on by his son, just like the workers, without any reason.
“No, no!” Wang the Mystic shook his head helplessly. “He’s a black zombie, not an ordinary reanimated corpse. Black zombies can move around during the day. Let’s stick to my plan, quickly! Otherwise, it’ll be too late.”
Old Man Li had no choice, so the two of them bent down gently to pick up stones. After exchanging glances, Old Man Li nodded at Wang the Mystic.
“Plop!” The sound of the stone hitting the water was particularly loud in the quiet night.
Sure enough, Li Yang’s shoulders jerked violently, and he dropped his ‘prey.’ His green eyes revealed a greedy, beastly nature. His stiff, log-like body sprang up from the ground, his arms parallel in front, his waist and legs unmoving, as he hopped towards the riverbank. His ‘old sticks’ flailed wildly, clearly unwilling to give up any ‘hunting’ opportunity.
Seeing that Li Yang had been lured away, Wang the Mystic immediately pulled Old Man Li towards the Lingguan Temple. After running for a while, Old Man Li suddenly stopped and said, “My son, my son’s soul hasn’t been retrieved yet. That ‘urn,’ I need to go back and get it.”
“Oh my goodness, Old Man Li, why bring this up now? Going back now is almost certain death. Besides, what’s more important than human life? As for the ‘urn’…” Wang the Mystic hesitated for a moment, then came up with a compromise. “Let’s burn the zombie first, then come back for it!”
“No, I can’t leave my son there. I can’t…” Old Man Li was adamant.
“This…” Wang the Mystic drew out his words, hesitating. Although the phrase “the customer is God” hadn’t been coined yet, he, Wang, was still very professional. Despite some minor flaws, he was diligent and didn’t deceive his ancestors, making him a model among charlatans. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, since I, Wang Weizhen, have taken on this job, I’ll see it through to the end. I’ll go retrieve the soul, and you go to the Lingguan Temple in the village to fetch the flame. Old Man Li, remember this! Once you get the flame, go home and use it to light a white candle, then pour oil in front of your door. Don’t let the flame go out. Wait for me to lure the big zombie back. If I’m not back in an hour, prepare a few big drums in front of your house and beat them as hard as you can! By then, it should be around the fourth watch, and the zombie should be lured over. Once he gets close, light the fire and burn him to death!”
‘Going myself would be certain death, but Wang the Mystic has a better chance. Now, I can only follow his plan,’ Old Man Li thought to himself.
“Be careful, take care!” Old Man Li agreed. Wang the Mystic nodded and turned back. Old Man Li continued his hurried steps towards the Lingguan Temple. When Wang the Mystic returned to Li Yang’s grave, the big zombie was still enjoying his prey. The urn was placed in front of the donkey cart, and to retrieve it, he had to bypass Li Yang. Wang the Mystic repeated his trick, picking up another stone and throwing it into the clear stream. Zombies are zombies; they don’t think. Wang the Mystic easily lured the foolish Li Yang away again. Taking advantage of Li Yang’s absence, he crouched and quietly made his way to the back of the donkey cart, using the wooden railing to shield himself.
Just as he was about to reach the donkey cart, he saw Liu Dashao hiding by the grave. It turned out that before Wang the Mystic arrived, Liu Dashao and Granny Fan had already been there. Seeing Li Yang feasting on the workers’ corpses, they immediately hid by the grave and remained silent. They had been hiding there all along while Li Yang continued his ‘meal.’ Granny Fan, having experienced many storms, was somewhat prepared for the scene, but Liu Dashao, still a minor, almost fainted at the sight.
“Li Yang’s birth element is earth, and earth overcomes water, so he lacks water. Now, the limestone under the tombstone blocks the underground water source, and the double dragons playing with a pearl on the tombstone’s top make it worse. The divine dragons absorb water, drying it all up. Where can he get water? These are external factors, but the real trouble is that this tombstone acts like a gate, completely blocking the water vapor from miles around, creating a drought. No wonder he turned into a black zombie,” Granny Fan muttered to herself.
“Huh, did you hear something?”
“Never mind that, retrieving the ‘urn’ is crucial,” Wang the Mystic muttered. Finally, he managed to climb onto the cart, and Li Yang returned to his dining spot. Seeing that he hadn’t been discovered, Wang the Mystic gently picked up the urn, opened the lid, and collected Li Yang’s soul in a soul-locking chain for easy carrying. Now, to lure Li Yang to the Li family residence, Wang the Mystic had already thought of a good plan. He took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, folded it with his fingers, and with a thought, the talisman transformed into a lifelike lark, somewhat similar to the paper crane Granny Fan had handed to Liu Dashao. Wang the Mystic said to the lark, “Lark, lark, it’s all up to you now. Lure that beast to the Li family.”
Upon hearing Wang the Mystic’s words, the yellow talisman lark flew towards Li Yang, chirping as it went. Zombies can only perceive sound, and Wang the Mystic used the lark’s chirping to slowly lure Li Yang to the Li family residence. It was a clever move. Sure enough, Li Yang heard the sound and chased after it.
“It’s Wang the Mystic. Is he here to subdue this monster? Where was he earlier? More than ten people have already died. Only now does he show up!” Liu Dashao whispered angrily.
“What’s he hiding for? Why doesn’t he go and subdue it? Granny, should we call him?” Liu Dashao nudged the old woman beside him.
“Shh, he’s already turned into a black zombie. Ordinary Taoist spells are useless against him. The only way is to burn him, and ordinary fire won’t do. We need the eternal flame from the temple to burn him. Zombies can only perceive external sounds. Wang is trying to lure Li Yang somewhere,” Granny Fan whispered in response. However, she nodded slightly in her heart, thinking that over the years, Wang the Charlatan had made some progress.
“Lure him somewhere? That direction is…”
“It must be the Li family!”
“Don’t act rashly now. Wait for them to leave. Then we’ll smash the tombstone, and the zombie will lose its yin energy, making it easier to deal with,” Granny Fan said.
Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had seen Wang the Mystic when he arrived, but for some reason, they didn’t call out to him. Finally, both Wang the Mystic and Li Yang disappeared into the night. The two immediately got up and walked to Li Yang’s tombstone. Granny Fan reached out and touched the dry, alkaline soil under the tombstone, sighing, “I’ve only been gone for a dozen days, and such a big incident has happened in the village, with so many deaths. If this zombie turns into a drought demon, it would be truly irredeemable.”
“Child, let’s do it!”
“Watch me!” Liu Dashao decisively picked up a large hammer and without hesitation smashed Li Yang’s tombstone. “Boom!” The tombstone shattered into pieces, the small fragments glaring on the ground.
Meanwhile, Wang the Mystic, relying on the transformed lark, had lured Li Yang for quite a distance when suddenly, Li Yang fell to the ground and stopped moving. Wang the Mystic watched from afar, not daring to approach.
‘Did the lark stop chirping? That doesn’t make sense! The bird was chirping just fine. But…’
Wang the Mystic thought to himself. At that moment, the sound of drums came from the direction of the Li family. It had taken Wang the Mystic quite some time to retrieve the urn, and before he could lure the zombie to the Li family, it was already the fourth watch.
“Damn it, get up and move! Ah, I wonder how long Old Man Li’s white candle can last. What’s going on?” Wang the Mystic angrily cursed as he saw Li Yang lying motionless. “Can’t just wait like this.” Wang the Mystic cautiously approached Li Yang and noticed that his eyes were closed, unlike before when they were open.
“Huh? That’s strange,” Wang the Mystic muttered to himself. He kicked Li Yang lightly, but there was still no reaction. Li Yang had turned back into a corpse because the tombstone that caused his reanimation, which was incompatible with his birth element, had been smashed. With the tombstone broken, the corpse curse was also broken.
“It seems he… never mind, it’s better if he’s not moving. Let’s go get the flame and burn him now.” So, he took off his Taoist robe, covered Li Yang’s body, and ran towards the Li family.
After smashing the tombstone, Granny Fan and Liu Dashao immediately went after Wang the Mystic. Halfway there, they saw the body covered by Wang the Mystic’s robe.
“Granny, that’s Li Yang’s body! Smashing the tombstone really stopped him. You’re amazing!” Liu Dashao couldn’t help but praise Granny Fan, seeing that the harmful creature was finally done for.
“Not at all, I just did what I had to do,” Granny Fan smiled.
“Modest! Oh, where did Wang the Mystic go?”
“He probably went to get the eternal flame. We can’t let him burn the body!”
“Why?” Liu Dashao asked.
“If a wrongfully deceased person is cremated, they will inevitably enter the animal realm in the six paths of reincarnation. Because the body from the previous life was cremated, the underworld judge will consider this person to have despised human life and sentence them to the animal realm. Although Li Yang’s soul has been retrieved, this body still belongs to him. Burning it now would be harming him.”
“Then what should we do?” Liu Dashao asked again.
“Move the soul back into this body, choose an auspicious time for reburial, and erect a new tombstone,” Granny Fan replied.
“Erect a new tombstone?”
“Erecting a new tombstone means carving a new one for the deceased, but it must be a eulogy tombstone, with an inscription. The ancients had a saying, ‘The deceased sleeps in a blessed land, bringing eternal fortune to future generations.’ But this saying only applies to those who died naturally or had reached the end of their lifespan. For those who died wrongfully, a eulogy tombstone must be carved to help them transcend. The inscription for a wrongfully deceased person should briefly introduce the main life experiences of the deceased and the significance of the tombstone, while also expressing sorrow for their unfortunate passing. Never write about their merits, because those who died wrongfully are repaying debts from their previous life. Writing about their merits would deceive the underworld judge, and Li Yang’s next life would be even more tragic. So, writing the inscription is the most challenging part,” Granny Fan explained.
“Writing the inscription? That’s easy, leave it to me,” Liu Dashao said, patting his head.
“That’s perfect. Remember what I said about the writing,” Granny Fan reminded him.
When Wang the Mystic arrived at the Li family, Old Man Li was still vigorously beating the drum. When Old Man Li saw a figure approaching, he shouted, “You guys, light the fire!”
“Wait! Wait! It’s me! Old Man Li, it’s me!” Wang the Mystic hurriedly called out.
“It’s you, you’re back. I thought you were… Is the zombie behind you?” Old Man Li asked anxiously upon seeing Wang the Mystic.
Wang the Mystic told Old Man Li what had just happened.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go burn him now!” Old Man Li said.
“No!”
“Granny… Granny Fan, it’s you! Where have you been these past few days? I’ve been searching for you everywhere!” Old Man Li was overjoyed. Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had hurried all the way and finally caught up just as Wang the Mystic and Old Man Li were about to set off.
“I had some matters to attend to, so I disappeared for a few days, hehe!” Granny Fan smiled.
“Since you’re here, everything can be discussed. Now we’re going to destroy that zombie, why not?” Old Man Li asked cautiously.
“Burning him now would be harming your son…” Liu Dashao repeated what Granny Fan had told him to Old Man Li. Hearing this, Old Man Li felt a shock in his heart.
“Wang the Mystic, should we burn him or not?” Old Man Li, afraid of making another mistake, sought Wang the Mystic’s advice.
“Let’s do as she says! I don’t have a better plan. Keeping the body is better than burning it.”
The tombstone didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. As soon as Wang the Mystic saw Granny Fan, his demeanor changed completely, like a frostbitten eggplant, wilting. “Alright, Granny Fan, with you two immortals here, I can rest assured. After this is done, I’ll properly thank you,” Old Man Li said to Granny Fan with a smile.
From the moment he finished speaking, Wang the Mystic had been staring at Granny Fan, as if he had something to say. Liu Dashao found it all very strange.
By the time of the fifth watch, the sky was beginning to lighten. Liu Dashao, Granny Fan, Wang the Mystic, Old Man Li, and the others reappeared at Li Yang’s burial site.
Now, this place was no longer just Li Yang’s burial site; it also held the graves of the more than ten workers he had killed and Wang the Mystic’s two disciples. Their tombstones were all carved by Granny Fan herself, and since they were made of peach wood, they didn’t take much time to complete.
“Granny, why are their tombstones all made of peach wood?” Liu Dashao asked.
“They all died wrongfully; they don’t need a permanent ‘underworld’ pass like a stone tombstone. A wooden one is enough for the judge to see,” Granny Fan replied with a smile.
After everyone paid their respects to the deceased, they all returned, leaving behind the more than ten graves of various sizes to keep each other company.
“Everyone, what happened last night was entirely an accident. I, Li, apologize to the families of the deceased. This money is compensation,” Old Man Li said to the more than ten women in the living room. But they just kept crying, and nothing he said could console them.
“Sir, please help persuade them!” Old Man Li said to Wang the Mystic. Wang the Mystic had no choice but to try to console them.
“These workers all died wrongfully. We just managed to perform the rites to help them move on peacefully. If you keep crying like this, they might not be able to let go and come back to find you. So please, stop crying!” Wang the Mystic said in a strange tone. It worked; the women quieted down.
“Sir is right. Now, please take the compensation and go home,” Old Man Li said hurriedly after the women calmed down. After seeing them off, Old Man Li noticed that Granny Fan was also gone.
“Huh, where are Granny Fan and Liu’s boy?” Old Man Li asked.
“She said she had something to do and went back,” Wang the Mystic replied.
“Why did she leave? I still want to thank her!”
“Old Man Li, now that things are settled, let me go find Granny Fan. I happen to have something to ask her!” Wang the Mystic said to Old Man Li.
“Alright, take this two hundred yuan with you and give it to her as a token of my gratitude.”
Wang the Mystic took the money and headed to Granny Fan’s only residence in the village. But when he arrived, he found the house empty, the door locked, and no response when he knocked. So he guessed that the two might have gone to the mass grave. He decided to try his luck and left the village.
“Child, I was a bit skeptical about what the snake spirit said before it left, but in just a few short days, so many strange things have happened in our village. Now, I fully believe it. Sigh! Unusual events must have a cause. What could have stirred up such a storm…” Wang the Mystic walked for a while and saw Granny Fan and Liu Dashao sitting among the weeds. As he approached, he overheard Granny Fan’s words.
“Senior sister is here!”
“What are you doing here?” Granny Fan’s voice turned cold as soon as she saw Wang the Mystic.
“I know I was a bit harsh last time. I’m here to apologize,” Wang the Mystic said. Although Granny Fan and Wang the Mystic were like fire and water, they were actually from the same sect over twenty years ago, disciples of the old Taoist master, a highly respected and decisive figure who was the village’s pillar and leader. While the old master was alive, Wang the Mystic was obedient and learned some skills diligently, doing a few commendable things, and the relationship between the two senior and junior disciples was quite harmonious. But after the old master’s death, Wang the Mystic completely changed. Without anyone to restrain him, many of his hidden bad habits surfaced. Granny Fan tried to advise him, but Wang the Mystic mocked and bit back, leading to a complete breakdown in their relationship. Wang the Mystic was a very ambitious and arrogant person, but now he was humbly apologizing to Granny Fan, who thought he had reformed after all these years, and her anger subsided a bit.
“Forget it, I’m not that petty,” Granny Fan said, giving him a sidelong glance.
“I knew you wouldn’t be so small-minded, hehe. Um… may I ask, didn’t you return to the town? Why did you suddenly appear here?” Wang the Mystic pointed to the graves and asked.
“What, not welcome?” Granny Fan retorted, then sneered, “If I hadn’t outsmarted that zombie, you’d be in trouble now!”
“I know, I know, senior sister is superior!” Wang the Mystic asked cautiously.
“Huh, did you hear something?”
“Never mind that now. I must retrieve the tan chong first!” Wang Banxian muttered. He finally managed to sneak onto the cart just as Li Yang returned to his feeding spot. Seeing that he hadn’t been noticed, Wang Banxian carefully picked up the tan chong, opened its lid, and captured Li Yang’s soul into a soul-locking chain for easier transport.
Now he needed to lure Li Yang to the Li family estate. Wang Banxian had already devised a clever plan. He pulled out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, his fingers deftly folding it into a lifelike cloud sparrow, much like the paper crane Madam Fan had once given to Liu Dashao. Wang Banxian whispered to the sparrow, “Cloud sparrow, this time it’s all up to you. Lead that monster to the Li family estate.”
The talisman sparrow flew toward Li Yang, chirping as it went. Zombies can only sense sound, so Wang Banxian cleverly used the sparrow’s chirps to lure Li Yang slowly toward the Li estate. Sure enough, Li Yang heard the sound and began chasing after it.
“It’s Wang Banxian! Has he come to subdue this monster? Where was he earlier? More than ten people have already died!” Liu Dashao whispered angrily.
“What’s he hiding for? Why doesn’t he just subdue it? Madam, should we call him?” Liu Dashao nudged the old woman beside him.
Old Man Li, seeing the gruesome scene for the first time, had long wanted to flee, but he feared that any movement might provoke the zombie to attack him. Master Wang, seemingly reading Old Man Li’s thoughts, leaned in and whispered, “Old Man Li, do as I say now. Each of us will pick up a stone from the ground, but remember to do it gently. After picking it up, watch for my signal. We’ll throw them simultaneously into the river by the grave. The sound of the water will lure the zombie there, and then we’ll run down the mountain.”
“Can’t you control this zombie?” Old Man Li’s eyelids twitched involuntarily, his voice trembling like his shaky legs. At that moment, Li Yang was pressing down on a half-dead worker, his teeth grinding audibly, his mouth almost embedded in the man’s neck. Thick, warm blood dripped continuously from Li Yang’s gums, staining his chin and chest, accompanied by occasional low growls of excitement. The heavy stench made Old Man Li retch uncontrollably.
“Zombies have no souls; my spells are useless against them. The only way to destroy a zombie is to burn it, but ordinary fire won’t do. We need the eternal flame from the temple, so we must go fetch it now. Otherwise, once he finishes these people, he’ll head to the village to kill others. And anyone whose essence he drains might turn into a zombie within days. Then, who knows how many will die!” Master Wang covered his nostrils, his face contorted.
“Is there no other way? Can’t we wait until dawn? Don’t zombies fear light?” Old Man Li was terrified, fearing that any movement might lead to his own demise, just like the workers, at the hands of his own son.
“No, no!” Master Wang shook his head helplessly. “He’s a black zombie, not an ordinary one. Black zombies can move around during the day. Let’s stick to my plan, quickly! Otherwise, it’ll be too late.”
Old Man Li had no choice. The two men bent down gently to pick up stones, exchanged glances, and Old Man Li nodded at Master Wang.
“Plop!” The sound of the stone hitting the water was unusually loud in the quiet night.
Sure enough, Li Yang’s shoulders jerked violently, and he dropped his ‘prey.’ His green eyes gleamed with a beastly greed. His stiff, log-like body sprang up from the ground, his arms extended forward, his waist and legs unmoving, as he hopped rhythmically toward the river, his ‘old sticks’ flailing wildly. Clearly, he was one who, while eating from his bowl, still eyed the pot, unwilling to miss any ‘hunting’ opportunity.
Seeing Li Yang distracted, Master Wang immediately pulled Old Man Li toward the Lingguan Temple. After running for a while, Old Man Li suddenly stopped and said, “My son, my son’s soul hasn’t been retrieved yet. That ‘soul jar,’ I need to go back for it.”
“Oh my goodness, Old Man Li, why bring this up now? Going back now is almost certain death. Besides, what’s more important than human lives? As for the ‘soul jar’…” Master Wang hesitated for a moment, then offered a compromise: “Let’s burn the zombie first, then come back for it!”
“No, I can’t leave my son there. I can’t…” Old Man Li was adamant.
“This…” Master Wang drew out the word, hesitating. Although the phrase “the customer is always right” hadn’t been coined yet, he, Wang, was quite professional. Despite some minor flaws, he was diligent and didn’t deceive his ancestors, making him a model among charlatans. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, since I, Wang Weizhen, have taken on this job, I’ll see it through to the end. I’ll go retrieve the soul, and you go to the Lingguan Temple in the village to fetch the eternal flame. Old Man Li, remember this! Once you have the flame, go home and use it to light a white candle, then pour oil all over the front door. Don’t let the flame go out. Wait for me to lure the zombie back. If I haven’t returned in an hour, prepare some big drums at your doorstep and beat them as hard as you can! By then, it should be around the fourth watch, and the zombie should be lured over. Once he’s close, light the fire and burn him!”
‘Going myself would be suicide, but Master Wang has a better chance. I’ll just have to follow his plan,’ Old Man Li thought to himself.
“Be careful, take care!” Old Man Li finally agreed. Master Wang nodded and turned back. Old Man Li continued his hurried steps toward the Lingguan Temple. When Master Wang returned to Li Yang’s grave, the zombie was still savoring his prey. The soul jar was placed in front of the donkey cart, and to retrieve it, he had to bypass Li Yang. Master Wang repeated his trick, picking up another stone and throwing it into the clear stream. Zombies being zombies, they don’t think, and Master Wang easily distracted the foolish Li Yang again. Taking advantage of Li Yang’s absence, he crouched and quietly made his way to the back of the donkey cart, using the wooden railing as cover.
Just as he was about to reach the cart, he saw Liu Dashao hiding by the grave. It turned out that before Master Wang arrived, Liu Dashao and Granny Fan had already been there. Seeing Li Yang feasting on the workers’ corpses, they immediately hid by the grave and remained silent. They had been hiding there ever since, while Li Yang continued his ‘meal.’ Granny Fan, having experienced many storms, was somewhat prepared for the scene, but Liu Dashao, still a minor, almost fainted at the sight.
“Li Yang’s birth element is earth, and earth overcomes water, so he lacks water. Now, the marble base beneath the tombstone blocks the underground water source, and the double dragons playing with a pearl on the tombstone’s top make it worse. The dragons absorb water, drying it all up. Where would he get water? These are just external factors. The real trouble is that this tombstone acts like a gate, completely blocking the water vapor from miles around, creating a drought. No wonder he turned into a black zombie,” Granny Fan muttered to herself.
“Huh, did you hear something?”
“Never mind that, retrieving the ‘soul jar’ is crucial,” Master Wang muttered. He finally managed to climb onto the cart, just as Li Yang returned to his dining spot. Seeing that he hadn’t been noticed, Master Wang gently picked up the ‘soul jar,’ opened its lid, and collected Li Yang’s soul in a soul-locking chain for easier handling. Now, to lure Li Yang to the Li family residence, Master Wang had already thought of a clever plan. He took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, folded it with his fingers, and with a thought, the talisman transformed into a lifelike lark, somewhat similar to the paper crane Granny Fan had once handed to Liu Dashao. Master Wang spoke to the lark, “Lark, it’s all up to you now. Lure that beast to the Li family.”
Upon hearing Master Wang’s words, the yellow talisman lark flew toward Li Yang, chirping as it went. Zombies can only perceive sound, and Master Wang used the lark’s chirping to slowly guide Li Yang to the Li family residence—a brilliant move. Sure enough, Li Yang chased after the sound.
“It’s Master Wang. Is he here to subdue this monster? Where was he earlier? Over ten people have already died. Only now does he show up!” Liu Dashao whispered angrily.
“What’s he hiding for? Why doesn’t he just capture it? Granny, should we call him?” Liu Dashao nudged the old woman beside him.
“Shh, he’s already turned into a black zombie. Ordinary Taoist methods won’t work on him. The only way is to burn him, and ordinary fire won’t do. We need the eternal flame from the temple. Zombies can only perceive external sounds. Master Wang is trying to lure Li Yang somewhere,” Granny Fan whispered in response. However, she nodded slightly in her heart, thinking that over the years, Master Wang had made some progress.
“Lure him somewhere? That direction is…”
“Probably the Li family!”
“Let’s not act rashly now. Wait until they leave. Then we’ll smash the tombstone, and the zombie will lose its yin energy, making it easier to deal with,” Granny Fan said.
Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had seen Master Wang when he arrived, but for some reason, they hadn’t called out to him. Finally, both Master Wang and Li Yang disappeared into the night. The two immediately got up and walked to Li Yang’s tombstone. Granny Fan reached out and touched the dry, alkaline soil beneath the tombstone, sighing, “I’ve only been gone for a few days, and such a big incident has occurred in the village, with so many deaths. If this zombie turns into a drought demon, it’ll be truly beyond salvation.”
“Child, let’s do it!”
“Watch me!” Liu Dashao decisively picked up a large sledgehammer and without hesitation smashed Li Yang’s tombstone. “Boom!” The tombstone shattered into pieces, the small fragments glaringly obvious on the ground.
Meanwhile, Master Wang, relying on the transformed lark, had led Li Yang for quite a distance when suddenly, Li Yang fell to the ground and stopped moving. Master Wang watched from afar, not daring to approach.
‘Did the lark stop chirping? That doesn’t make sense! The bird was chirping just fine, but…’
Master Wang pondered. At that moment, the sound of drums came from the direction of the Li family. It had taken Master Wang quite some time to retrieve the soul jar, and before he could lure the zombie to the Li family, it was already the fourth watch.
“Damn it, get up and move! Ah, I wonder how long Old Man Li’s white candle can last. What’s going on?” Master Wang cursed angrily as he saw Li Yang lying motionless. “We can’t just wait like this.” Master Wang cautiously approached Li Yang and noticed that his eyes were now closed, unlike before when they were wide open.
“Huh? That’s strange,” Master Wang muttered to himself. He kicked Li Yang lightly, but there was still no reaction. Li Yang had reverted to a lifeless corpse because the tombstone, which was incompatible with his birth chart, had been smashed, breaking the corpse curse.
“It seems he… never mind, it’s better if he doesn’t move. Let’s go get the eternal flame and burn him.” Master Wang then took off his Taoist robe, covered Li Yang’s body, and ran toward the Li family.
After smashing the tombstone, Granny Fan and Liu Dashao immediately chased after Master Wang. Halfway there, they saw the corpse covered by Master Wang’s robe.
“Granny, that’s Li Yang’s corpse! Smashing the tombstone really stopped him. You’re amazing!” Liu Dashao couldn’t help but praise Granny Fan, seeing that the harmful creature was finally finished.
“Not at all, I just did what I had to do,” Granny Fan smiled.
“Modest! Oh, where did Master Wang go?”
“He probably went to get the eternal flame. We can’t let him burn the corpse!”
“Why?” Liu Dashao asked.
“If a wrongfully deceased person is cremated, they will inevitably enter the animal realm during reincarnation. Because their physical body was cremated, the underworld judge will consider this person to have despised human life and sentence them to the animal realm. Although Li Yang’s soul has been extracted, this body still belongs to him. Burning him now would be harming him.”
“Then what should we do?” Liu Dashao asked again.
“Move the soul back into this body, choose an auspicious time for reburial, and erect a new tombstone,” Granny Fan replied.
“Erect a new tombstone?”
“Erecting a new tombstone means carving a new one for the deceased, but it must be a eulogy tombstone, with an inscription. The ancients had a saying, ‘The deceased rests in a blessed land, bringing eternal fortune to future generations.’ But this saying only applies to those who died naturally or after a full lifespan. For those who died wrongfully, we must carve a eulogy tombstone to help them transcend. The inscription for a wrongfully deceased person should briefly describe their main life experiences and the significance of the tombstone, while also expressing sorrow for their unfortunate death. We must never write about their merits because those who died wrongfully are repaying debts from past lives. Writing about their merits would deceive the underworld judge, making Li Yang’s next life even more tragic. So, writing the inscription is the most challenging part,” Granny Fan explained.
“Writing the inscription? That’s easy, leave it to me,” Liu Dashao said, patting his head.
“That would be best. Remember what I said about how to write it,” Granny Fan reminded him.
When Master Wang arrived at the Li family, Old Man Li was still vigorously beating the drum. Seeing a figure approaching, Old Man Li shouted, “You guys, light the fire!”
“Wait! Wait! It’s me! Old Man Li, it’s me!” Master Wang hurriedly called out.
“You’re back! I thought you were… Is the zombie behind you?” Old Man Li asked anxiously upon seeing Master Wang.
Master Wang recounted what had just happened.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go burn him!” Old Man Li said.
“No!”
“Granny… Granny Fan, it’s you! Where have you been these past few days? I’ve been searching for you everywhere!” Old Man Li was overjoyed. Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had hurried all the way and finally caught up with Master Wang and Old Man Li before they set off.
“I had some matters to attend to, so I disappeared for a few days, hehe!” Granny Fan chuckled.
“Since you’re here, everything will be easier to discuss. Now we’re going to destroy that zombie, why not?” Old Man Li asked cautiously.
“Burning him now would harm your son…” Liu Dashao repeated what Granny Fan had told him to Old Man Li. Hearing this, Old Man Li felt a shock in his heart.
“Master Wang, should we burn him or not?” Old Man Li, afraid of making another mistake, sought Master Wang’s advice.
“Let’s do as she says! I don’t have a better plan. Keeping the body is better than burning it.”
Master Wang hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Upon seeing Granny Fan, he immediately changed, like a frostbitten eggplant, wilting. “Alright, Granny Fan, with you two immortals here, I can rest assured. After this is done, I’ll properly thank you,” Old Man Li said with a smile to Granny Fan.
Since finishing his earlier words, Master Wang had been staring at Granny Fan, as if he had something to say. Liu Dashao found it quite strange.
By the time of the fifth watch, the sky was beginning to lighten. Liu Dashao, Granny Fan, Master Wang, Old Man Li, and the others reappeared at Li Yang’s burial site.
Now, this place was no longer just Li Yang’s burial site; it also held the graves of the over ten workers he had killed and two of Master Wang’s disciples. Their tombstones were all personally carved by Granny Fan, and since they were made of peach wood, they didn’t take much time to complete.
“Granny, why are their tombstones all made of peach wood?” Liu Dashao asked.
“They all died wrongfully; they don’t need permanent ‘underworld’ passes like stone tombstones. A wooden one for the judge to see is enough,” Granny Fan replied with a smile.
After paying their respects to the deceased, everyone returned, leaving behind the dozen or so graves of various sizes to keep each other company.
“Everyone, what happened last night was entirely an accident. I, Li, apologize to the families of the deceased. This money is compensation,” Old Man Li said to the dozen or so women in the living room. But they just kept crying, and nothing he said could console them.
“Master, please help me persuade them!” Old Man Li said to Master Wang. Master Wang had no choice but to try.
“These workers all died wrongfully. We just managed to perform the rites to help them pass on peacefully. But if you keep crying like this, their unsettled spirits might return to haunt you. So please, stop crying!” Master Wang said in a strange tone. It worked; the women quieted down.
“The master is right. Now, please take the compensation and go home,” Old Man Li hurriedly said, seeing the women calm down. After sending them off, Old Man Li noticed that Granny Fan was also missing.
“Huh, where are Granny Fan and the Liu boy?” Old Man Li asked.
“She said she had something to do and went back,” Master Wang replied.
“Why did she leave? I still wanted to thank her!”
“Old Man Li, since the matter is settled, why don’t I go find Granny Fan? I happen to have something to ask her!” Master Wang said to Old Man Li.
“Alright, take this two hundred yuan to her as a token of my gratitude.”
Master Wang took the money and headed to Granny Fan’s only residence in the village. But when he arrived, he found the house empty, the door locked, and no response to his knocking. He guessed that the two might have gone to the mass grave. So, he decided to try his luck and left the village.
“Child, I initially had some doubts about the snake spirit’s final words before it left, but in just a few short days, so many strange things have happened in our village. Now, I fully believe it. Sigh! Unusual events must have a cause. What could have stirred up such a storm…” Master Wang walked for a while and saw Granny Fan and Liu Dashao sitting among the weeds. As he approached, he overheard Granny Fan’s words.
“Senior sister is here after all!”
“What are you doing here?” Granny Fan’s voice turned cold the moment she saw Master Wang.
“I know my tone was harsh last time. I came to apologize,” Master Wang said. Granny Fan and Master Wang, though incompatible, were actually from the same sect over twenty years ago, disciples of the old Taoist master, a highly respected and decisive figure, the village’s pillar and leader. While the old master was alive, Master Wang was naturally obedient and diligently learned some skills, accomplishing several commendable deeds. The relationship between the two senior and junior disciples was quite harmonious. But after the old master’s death, Master Wang completely changed. Without anyone to restrain him, many of his previously hidden bad habits surfaced. Granny Fan tried to advise him but was met with sarcasm and backbiting, leading to a complete breakdown in their relationship. Master Wang was quite ambitious and arrogant, but now he was humbly apologizing. Granny Fan thought that after all these years, he had truly reformed, and her anger subsided.
“Forget it, I’m not that petty,” Granny Fan said, giving him a sidelong glance.
“I knew you wouldn’t be so small-minded, hehe. Um… may I ask, didn’t you return to town? Why did you suddenly appear here?” Master Wang pointed to the graves.
“What, not welcome?” Granny Fan retorted, then sneered, “If I hadn’t dealt with that zombie, you’d be in trouble now!”
“I know, I know, senior sister is superior!” Master Wang asked cautiously.
“Lure him somewhere? In that direction?”
“It must be the Li family estate!”
“Don’t act rashly now. Wait until they’re gone. Then we’ll smash the gravestone. Once the zombie loses its negative energy, it’ll be easier to deal with,” Madam Fan advised.
Although Madam Fan and Liu Dashao had seen Wang Banxian arrive, they had refrained from calling out to him for their own reasons. Finally, both Wang Banxian and Li Yang disappeared into the night. The two immediately stood up and approached Li Yang’s gravestone. Madam Fan touched the dry, alkaline soil beneath the stone and sighed, “It’s only been a little over ten days since I left, and look at the disaster that’s befallen the village—so many lives lost. If this zombie turns into a drought demon, it’ll be beyond salvation.”
“Son, let’s do it!”
“Leave it to me!” Liu Dashao decisively grabbed a large sledgehammer and smashed the gravestone without hesitation. “Boom!” The stone shattered into pieces, the tiny fragments scattered on the ground glaringly obvious.
Meanwhile, Wang Banxian had been leading Li Yang with the cloud sparrow for quite some time when suddenly, Li Yang collapsed on the ground motionless. Wang Banxian watched from a distance, too afraid to approach.
‘Could it be that the sparrow stopped chirping? That doesn’t make sense! Isn’t the bird still chirping just fine? But…’
Wang Banxian pondered. At that moment, drumbeats came from the Li family’s direction. Wang Banxian had spent considerable time retrieving the tan chong, and before he could lead the zombie to the Li estate, it had already reached the fourth watch of the night.
“Damn it! Get up and keep moving! Oh, I wonder how much longer Li Lao’s candle will burn. What’s going on here?” Wang Banxian angrily cursed as Li Yang remained still. “I can’t just wait around like this.”
Carefully approaching Li Yang, Wang Banxian discovered that the zombie’s eyes were closed, unlike before when they had been wide open.
“Huh? That’s strange,” Wang muttered. He kicked Li Yang lightly with his foot, but there was no reaction. At this moment, Li Yang had reverted to a corpse once more, because the gravestone that had caused his transformation had been smashed, breaking the curse.
“It seems he’s… well, motionless is better. Now I’ll go get the eternal flame and burn him.”
Wang Banxian took off his Taoist robe, covered Li Yang’s corpse with it, and ran toward the Li family estate.
After smashing the gravestone, Madam Fan and Liu Dashao immediately pursued Wang Banxian. On the way, they spotted the corpse covered by Wang Banxian’s Taoist robe.
“Madam, that’s Li Yang’s corpse! Breaking the gravestone really stopped him. You’re amazing!” Liu Dashao exclaimed, happy that the monster had finally been defeated.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I only did what I had to do,” Madam Fan smiled modestly.
“Pfft, modesty! Hey, where did Wang Banxian go?”
“He’s probably gone to retrieve the eternal flame. We mustn’t let him burn the corpse!”
“Why not?” Liu Dashao asked.
“If a wrongfully deceased person is cremated, they will definitely be reborn as an animal in their next life. Because their physical body was burned, the judge of the underworld will assume they hated the human world, thus sentencing them to the animal realm. Although Li Yang’s soul has been removed, this body still belongs to him. Burning it now would be harming him.”
“Then what should we do?” Liu Dashao asked again.
“We must return the soul to this body, rebury it at an auspicious time, and erect a new gravestone,” Madam Fan replied.
“Erect a new gravestone?”
“Erecting a new gravestone means creating a new gravestone for the deceased, but it must be a eulogistic stone, inscribed with a commemorative inscription. There’s an ancient saying: ‘When the departed rest in a blessed place, future generations will enjoy eternal fortune.’ But this saying only applies to those who die naturally or have completed their lifespan. Those who die unjustly must have a eulogistic stone erected to help them transcend. When writing an inscription for an unjustly deceased person, it should briefly introduce their main life experiences and the purpose of erecting the stone, while expressing mourning for their unfortunate passing. Never include any mention of their virtues, for unjustly deceased souls are still paying off debts from their previous life. Including virtues would deceive the underworld’s judge, and Li Yang’s next life would be even more tragic. Therefore, writing this inscription is the most difficult part,” Madam Fan explained.
“Writing an inscription? That’s easy, leave it to me!” Liu Dashao smacked his head and said.
“Perfect! Just remember the way I told you to write it,” Madam Fan reminded him.
When Wang Banxian arrived at the Li estate, Lao Li was still pounding the drums furiously. When Lao Li saw a figure approaching, he shouted, “You lot, light the fire!”
“Wait! Wait! It’s me! Old Master Li, it’s me!” Wang Banxian hurriedly shouted to stop them.
“You’re back! I thought you were… Is the zombie behind you?” Lao Li asked anxiously upon recognizing Wang Banxian.
Wang Banxian then recounted everything that had happened.
“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go burn him now!” Lao Li said.
“No!”
“Fan… Fan Xianggu! Where have you been these past few days? I’ve been searching high and low for you!” Lao Li exclaimed joyfully. Madam Fan and Liu Dashao had hurried all the way and finally caught up just as Wang Banxian and Lao Li were about to set off.
“I had some matters to attend to, so I disappeared for a few days, hehe!” Madam Fan smiled.
“Now that you’re here, everything can be discussed. We’re going to destroy that zombie now—why not?” Lao Li asked cautiously.
“Burning him now would be harming your son…” Liu Dashao repeated what Madam Fan had told him to Lao Li. Hearing this, Lao Li felt a chill run through his heart.
“Wang Banxian, do you think we should burn him or not?” Lao Li, afraid of making another mistake, turned to Wang Banxian for advice.
“Just follow her advice! I don’t have a better idea. Keeping the body is better than burning it.”
Seeing how smoothly things had gone, Wang Banxian immediately changed his demeanor upon seeing Madam Fan, like a withered eggplant wilting further. “Alright, Madam Fan, with you two immortals here, I can rest easy. Once this is done, I’ll make sure to thank you properly,” Lao Li smiled at Madam Fan.
Ever since their conversation, Wang Banxian had been staring at Madam Fan, as if he wanted to say something. Liu Dashao felt something strange about the situation.
By the time the fifth watch of the night arrived, dawn had begun to break. Liu Dashao, Madam Fan, Wang Banxian, and Lao Li all reappeared at Li Yang’s burial site.
This place was no longer just Li Yang’s burial ground—it now included the graves of over a dozen workers he had killed, as well as Wang Banxian’s two apprentices. Madam Fan had personally carved their gravestones, and since they were made of peach wood, they didn’t take long to complete.
“Madam, why are their gravestones made of peach wood?” Liu Dashao asked.
“They were all unjustly deceased souls. They don’t need permanent stone gravestones as ‘passes’ to the underworld. A wooden one is enough for the judge to see,” Madam Fan smiled in reply.
After paying respects and offering prayers at the graves, everyone returned home, leaving behind a cluster of graves silently watching over one another.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what happened last night was entirely an accident. On behalf of my family, I sincerely apologize to the families of the deceased. Please accept this money as compensation,” Lao Li addressed the dozen or so women gathered in the hall. But they continued crying, unmoved by his words.
“Master, please help me persuade them!” Lao Li turned to Wang Banxian. Wang Banxian had no choice but to try.
“These workers died unjustly, and we’ve just finished performing the rites to help them pass on peacefully. If you keep crying like this, they might return to find you again,” Wang Banxian said in an odd tone. Surprisingly, it worked—these women quieted down immediately.
“Master speaks wisely. Now please take the compensation money and go home,” Lao Li hurriedly said upon seeing the women calm down. After sending them away, Lao Li noticed that Madam Fan was also gone.
“Hey, where did Madam Fan and young Liu go?” Lao Li asked.
“She said she had something to attend to and left,” Wang Banxian replied.
“Why did she leave? I wanted to thank her!”
“Old Master Li, since everything has been resolved, may I go find Madam Fan? I have something I’d like to ask her,” Wang Banxian said.
“Alright, and by the way, please give her these two hundred yuan from me as a token of my appreciation.”
Old Man Li had never seen such a bloody scene before and had long wanted to flee, but he feared that if he moved, the zombie would charge at him. Master Wang seemed to read Old Man Li’s mind and whispered in his ear, “Old Man Li, do as I say now. Let’s each pick up a stone from the ground, but remember to do it gently. After picking it up, watch my signal, and we’ll throw them into the river by the grave at the same time. The sound of the water will lure the zombie over, and then we’ll run down the mountain.”
“Can’t you control this zombie?” Old Man Li’s eyelids twitched involuntarily, his voice trembling, much like his shaky legs. At that moment, Li Yang was pressing down on a half-dead worker, his teeth grinding loudly, his mouth almost embedded in the man’s neck. Thick, warm blood continuously dripped from Li Yang’s gums, staining his chin and chest, accompanied by occasional excited growls. The heavy stench made Old Man Li retch uncontrollably.
“Zombies have no souls; my spells are useless against them. The only way to destroy a zombie is to burn it, but ordinary fire won’t work. We need the eternal flame from the temple, so we must go fetch it now. Otherwise, once he finishes these people, he’ll go to the village and kill others. And anyone whose essence and blood he drains might turn into a zombie within days. Then, who knows how many will die!” Master Wang covered his nose, his face twitching.
“Is there no other way? Can’t we wait until dawn? Don’t zombies fear light?” Old Man Li was terrified, afraid that if he moved, he would be killed indiscriminately by his own son, just like the workers.
“No, no!” Master Wang shook his head helplessly. “He’s a black zombie, not an ordinary one. Black zombies can move around during the day. Let’s stick to my plan, quickly! Otherwise, it’ll be too late.”
Old Man Li had no choice, so the two of them bent down gently to pick up stones. After exchanging glances, Old Man Li nodded at Master Wang.
“Plop!” The sound of the stone hitting the water was unusually loud in the quiet night.
Sure enough, Li Yang’s shoulders jerked violently, and he dropped his “prey.” His green eyes gleamed with a beastly greed. His stiff, log-like body sprang up from the ground, his arms stretched forward, his waist and legs unmoving, as he hopped toward the river. His “old sticks” flailed wildly, clearly unwilling to give up any “hunting” opportunity.
Seeing that Li Yang had been lured away, Master Wang immediately pulled Old Man Li toward the Lingguan Temple. After running for a while, Old Man Li suddenly stopped and said, “My son, my son’s soul hasn’t been retrieved yet. That ‘urn,’ I need to go back and get it.”
“Oh my goodness, Old Man Li, why bring that up now? Going back now is almost certain death. Besides, what’s more important than human life? As for the ‘urn’…” Master Wang hesitated for a moment, then offered a compromise: “Let’s burn the zombie first, then come back for it!”
“No, I can’t leave my son there. I can’t…” Old Man Li was adamant.
“This…” Master Wang drew out the word, hesitating. Although the phrase “the customer is God” hadn’t been coined yet, he, Wang, was still very professional. Despite some minor flaws, he was diligent and honest, a model among charlatans. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, since I, Wang Weizhen, have taken on this job, I’ll see it through to the end. I’ll go retrieve the soul, and you go to the Lingguan Temple in the village to fetch the flame. Old Man Li, remember this! Once you get the flame, go home and use it to light a white candle, then pour oil in front of your door. Don’t let the flame go out. Wait for me to lure the zombie back. If I haven’t returned in an hour, prepare a few drums and beat them as hard as you can in front of your house! By then, it’ll be almost the fourth watch, and the zombie should be lured over. Once he gets close, light the fire and burn him!”
‘Going myself would be suicide, but Master Wang has a better chance. I’ll just have to follow his plan,’ Old Man Li thought to himself.
“Take care of yourself, and be careful!” Old Man Li finally agreed. Master Wang nodded and turned back. Old Man Li continued his hurried steps toward the Lingguan Temple. When Master Wang returned to Li Yang’s grave, the zombie was still feasting on his prey. The urn was placed in front of the donkey cart, and to retrieve it, he had to bypass Li Yang. Master Wang repeated his trick, picking up another stone and throwing it into the clear stream. Zombies are zombies; they don’t think. Master Wang easily lured the foolish Li Yang away again. Taking advantage of Li Yang’s absence, he crouched and quietly made his way to the back of the donkey cart, using the wooden fence as cover.
Just as he was about to reach the cart, he saw Liu Dashao hiding by the grave. It turned out that before Master Wang arrived, Liu Dashao and Granny Fan had already been there. Seeing Li Yang devouring the workers’ corpses, they immediately hid by the grave and stayed silent. They had been hiding there ever since, while Li Yang continued his “meal.” Granny Fan, having experienced many storms, was somewhat prepared for the scene, but Liu Dashao, still a minor, almost fainted at the sight.
“Li Yang’s birth element is earth, and earth overcomes water, so he lacks water. Now, the marble base under the tombstone has cut off the groundwater source, and the double dragons playing with a pearl on the tombstone’s top make it worse. The dragons absorb water, drying it all up. Where can he get water? These are just external factors. The real trouble is that this tombstone acts like a gate, completely blocking the moisture from miles around, creating a drought. No wonder he turned into a black zombie,” Granny Fan muttered to herself.
“Huh? Did I hear something?”
“Never mind that, getting the ‘urn’ is more important,” Master Wang muttered. He finally managed to climb onto the cart, just as Li Yang returned to his feeding spot. Seeing that he hadn’t been noticed, Master Wang gently picked up the urn, opened its lid, and collected Li Yang’s soul in a soul-locking chain for easier handling. Now, to lure Li Yang to the Li family residence, Master Wang had already thought of a clever plan. He took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve, folded it with his fingers, and with a thought, it transformed into a lifelike lark, somewhat similar to the paper crane Granny Fan had once handed to Liu Dashao. Master Wang said to the lark, “Lark, lark, it’s all up to you now. Lure that beast to the Li family.”
The talisman lark, hearing Master Wang’s words, flew toward Li Yang, chirping as it went. Zombies can only perceive sound, and Master Wang used the lark’s chirping to slowly lure Li Yang to the Li family residence—a brilliant move. Sure enough, Li Yang chased after the sound.
“It’s Master Wang. Is he here to subdue this monster? Where was he earlier? Over a dozen people have already died. Only now does he show up!” Liu Dashao cursed softly.
“What’s he doing hiding there? Why doesn’t he just capture it? Granny, should we call him?” Liu Dashao nudged the old woman beside him.
“Shh, he’s already turned into a black zombie. Ordinary Taoist methods won’t work on him. The only way is to burn him, and ordinary fire won’t do. We need the eternal flame from the temple. Zombies can only perceive external sounds. Master Wang is trying to lure Li Yang somewhere,” Granny Fan whispered in response. However, she nodded slightly in her heart, thinking that over the years, Master Wang had made some progress.
“Lure him somewhere? That direction is…”
“Probably the Li family!”
“Don’t act rashly now. Wait until they’re gone. Then we’ll smash the tombstone, and the zombie will lose its yin energy. Dealing with it will be much easier then,” Granny Fan said.
Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had seen Master Wang when he arrived, but for some reason, they didn’t call out to him. Finally, both Master Wang and Li Yang disappeared into the night. The two immediately got up and walked to Li Yang’s tombstone. Granny Fan reached out and touched the dry, alkaline soil beneath the tombstone, sighing, “I’ve only been gone for a little over ten days, and such a big incident has happened in the village, with so many deaths. If this zombie turns into a drought demon, it’ll be truly irredeemable.”
“Child, let’s do it!”
“Watch me!” Liu Dashao decisively picked up a large hammer and without hesitation smashed Li Yang’s tombstone. “Boom!” The tombstone shattered into pieces, the small fragments glaringly obvious on the ground.
Meanwhile, Master Wang, relying on the transformed lark, had lured Li Yang for quite a distance when suddenly, Li Yang fell to the ground and stopped moving. Master Wang watched from afar, not daring to approach.
‘Did the lark stop chirping? That doesn’t make sense! The bird was chirping just fine. But…’
Master Wang pondered. At that moment, the sound of drums came from the direction of the Li family. Master Wang had taken quite some time to retrieve the urn and hadn’t yet lured the zombie to the Li family when the fourth watch arrived.
“Damn it, get up and move! Ah, I wonder how long Old Man Li’s white candle can last. What’s going on?” Master Wang cursed angrily as he saw Li Yang lying motionless. “Can’t just wait like this.” Master Wang cautiously approached Li Yang and noticed that his eyes were now closed, unlike before when they were wide open.
“Huh? That’s strange,” Master Wang muttered to himself. He kicked Li Yang lightly, but there was still no reaction. Li Yang had reverted to a corpse because the tombstone that caused his transformation, which was incompatible with his birth element, had been smashed. With the tombstone destroyed, the corpse curse was broken.
“It seems he… never mind, it’s better if he doesn’t move. Let’s go get the flame and burn him.” Master Wang then took off his Taoist robe, covered Li Yang’s body, and ran toward the Li family.
Granny Fan and Liu Dashao, after smashing the tombstone, immediately chased after Master Wang. Halfway there, they saw the body covered by Master Wang’s robe.
“Granny, that’s Li Yang’s body! Smashing the tombstone really stopped him. You’re amazing!” Liu Dashao couldn’t help but praise Granny Fan, seeing that the harmful creature was finally finished.
“Not at all, I just did what I had to do,” Granny Fan smiled.
“Modest! Oh, where did Master Wang go?”
“He probably went to get the eternal flame. We can’t let him burn the body!”
“Why?” Liu Dashao asked.
“If a wrongfully deceased person is cremated, they will inevitably enter the animal realm during reincarnation. Because their physical body was cremated, the underworld judge will assume that this person despised human life and thus sentence them to the animal realm. Although Li Yang’s soul has been extracted, this body still belongs to him. Burning it now would be harming him.”
“Then what should we do?” Liu Dashao asked again.
“Move the soul back into this body, choose an auspicious time for reburial, and erect a new tombstone,” Granny Fan replied.
“Erect a new tombstone?”
“Erecting a new tombstone means carving a new one for the deceased, but it must be a eulogy tombstone with an inscription. The ancients had a saying, ‘A person buried in a blessed land brings eternal fortune to their descendants.’ However, this saying only applies to those who died naturally or whose lifespan had ended. For those who died wrongfully, a eulogy tombstone must be carved to help them transcend. The inscription for a wrongfully deceased person should briefly introduce the deceased’s main life experiences and the significance of the tombstone, while also expressing condolences for their unfortunate death. Never write about their merits, because those who died wrongfully are repaying debts from their past lives. Writing about their merits would deceive the underworld judge, and Li Yang’s next life would be even more tragic. So, writing the inscription is the most challenging part,” Granny Fan explained.
“Writing the inscription? That’s easy, leave it to me,” Liu Dashao said, patting his head.
“That’s perfect. Remember what I said about how to write it,” Granny Fan reminded him.
When Master Wang arrived at the Li family, Old Man Li was still vigorously beating the drum. When Old Man Li saw a figure approaching, he shouted, “You guys, light the fire!”
“Wait! Wait! It’s me! Old Man Li, it’s me!” Master Wang hurriedly called out.
“It’s you! I thought you were… Is the zombie behind you?” Old Man Li asked anxiously upon seeing Master Wang.
Master Wang explained what had just happened to Old Man Li.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go burn him!” Old Man Li said.
“No!”
“Granny… Granny Fan! You’re Granny Fan! Where have you been these past few days? I’ve been searching for you everywhere!” Old Man Li was overjoyed. Granny Fan and Liu Dashao had rushed over and finally caught up with Master Wang and Old Man Li just as they were about to set out.
“I had some matters to attend to, so I disappeared for a few days, hehe!” Granny Fan smiled.
“Since you’re here, everything can be discussed. Now we’re going to destroy that zombie. Why not?” Old Man Li asked cautiously.
“Burning him now would be harming your son…” Liu Dashao repeated what Granny Fan had told him to Old Man Li. Hearing this, Old Man Li felt a pang in his heart.
“Master Wang, should we burn him or not?” Old Man Li, afraid of making another mistake, sought Master Wang’s advice.
“Let’s do as she says! I don’t have a better plan. Keeping the body is better than burning it.”
Master Wang hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Upon seeing Granny Fan, he immediately changed, like a frostbitten eggplant, wilting. “Alright, Granny Fan, with you two immortals here, I can rest assured. After this is done, I’ll properly thank you,” Old Man Li said to Granny Fan with a smile.
Since finishing his earlier words, Master Wang had been staring at Granny Fan, as if he had something to say. Liu Dashao found it all very strange.
By the time of the fifth watch, the sky was beginning to lighten. Liu Dashao, Granny Fan, Master Wang, Old Man Li, and the others reappeared at Li Yang’s burial site.
Now, this place was no longer just Li Yang’s burial site; it also held the graves of the dozen or so workers he had killed, as well as two of Master Wang’s disciples. Their tombstones were all carved by Granny Fan herself, and since they were made of peach wood, they didn’t take much time to complete.
“Granny, why are their tombstones all made of peach wood?” Liu Dashao asked.
“They all died wrongfully, so they don’t need permanent ‘underworld’ passes like stone tombstones. A wooden one for the judge to see is enough,” Granny Fan replied with a smile.
After everyone paid their respects to the deceased, they all left, leaving behind the dozen or so graves of varying sizes to keep each other company.
“Everyone, what happened last night was entirely an accident. I, Li, hereby express my condolences to the families of the deceased. This money is for compensation,” Old Man Li said to the dozen or so women in the living room. However, they just kept crying, and nothing he said could console them.
“Master, please help me persuade them!” Old Man Li said to Master Wang. Master Wang had no choice but to try to comfort them.
“These workers all died wrongfully. We just managed to perform the rites to help them move on peacefully. If you keep crying like this, they might not be able to let go and could come back to haunt you. So please, stop crying!” Master Wang said in a strange tone. It worked; the women quieted down.
“The master is right. Now, please take the compensation and go home,” Old Man Li said hurriedly as the women calmed down. After seeing them off, Old Man Li noticed that Granny Fan was also gone.
“Huh? Where are Granny Fan and Liu Dashao?” Old Man Li asked.
“She said she had something to do and went back,” Master Wang replied.
“Why did she leave? I still wanted to thank her!”
“Old Man Li, since the matter is settled, why don’t I go find Granny Fan? I happen to have something to ask her!” Master Wang said to Old Man Li.
“Alright, take this two hundred yuan to her and say it’s a token of my gratitude.”
Master Wang took the money and headed to Granny Fan’s only residence in the village. However, when he arrived, he found the house empty, the door locked, and no response when he knocked. He then speculated that the two might have gone to the mass grave. So, he decided to try his luck and left the village.
“Child, I initially had some doubts about what the snake spirit said before it left, but in just a few short days, so many strange things have happened in our village. Now, I fully believe it. Sigh! Unusual events must have a cause. What could have stirred up such a storm…” Master Wang walked for a while and saw Granny Fan and Liu Dashao sitting among the weeds. As he approached, he overheard Granny Fan’s words.
“Senior Sister is here!”
“What are you doing here?” Granny Fan’s voice turned cold the moment she saw Master Wang.
“I know I spoke harshly last time. I’m here to apologize,” Master Wang said. Although Granny Fan and Master Wang were like fire and water, they had actually been fellow disciples over twenty years ago, under the teachings of the old Taoist master, a highly respected and decisive figure who was the village’s pillar and leader. While the old master was alive, Master Wang had been obedient and had diligently learned some skills, accomplishing several commendable deeds. The relationship between the two senior and junior disciples had been quite harmonious. However, after the old master’s death, Master Wang had completely changed. Without anyone to restrain him, many of his previously hidden bad habits surfaced. When Granny Fan tried to advise him, she was met with sarcasm and accusations. This ultimately led to a complete breakdown in their relationship. Master Wang was a very ambitious and arrogant person, but now he was humbly apologizing to her. Granny Fan thought that after all these years of hardship, he had truly reformed, and her anger subsided.
“Forget it, I’m not that petty,” Granny Fan said, giving him a sidelong glance.
“I knew you wouldn’t be so petty, hehe. Um… May I ask, didn’t you return to the town? Why did you suddenly appear here?” Master Wang pointed at the graves and asked.
“What, not welcome?” Granny Fan retorted, then sneered, “If I hadn’t dealt with that zombie, you’d be in trouble now!”
“I know, I know, Senior Sister is superior!” Master Wang asked cautiously.
“Child, back when the snake spirit left, I originally had some doubts about her words. But in just these few dozen days, so many strange things have happened in our village. Now I truly believe her, sigh! When something unusual happens, there must be some evil force behind it. But what could cause such a huge disturbance…” As Wang Banxian walked for a while, he saw Madam Fan and Liu Dashao sitting among the weeds. As he approached, he overheard Madam Fan saying these words.
“Senior sister is indeed here!”
“What do you want?” Madam Fan’s voice turned cold the moment she saw Wang Banxian.
“I know I was a bit harsh last time. I came to apologize,” Wang Banxian said. Although Madam Fan and Wang Banxian had always been like oil and water, twenty years ago they had been fellow apprentices under the same master, Old Dao Gong—a highly respected and strict figure who was the village’s pillar and leader. While he was alive, Wang Banxian had been obedient and diligent, learning some skills and doing several commendable deeds, getting along well with his fellow apprentices. But after Old Dao Gong’s death, Wang Banxian completely changed. Without supervision, his previously hidden vices surfaced one by one. When Madam Fan tried to advise him, he mocked and even accused her in return, eventually leading to a complete rift. After all, Wang Banxian was a man of great ambition and pride, so now he was humbly apologizing to her. Madam Fan thought that perhaps after all these years, he had truly reformed, and her anger eased somewhat.
“Alright, I’m not that petty,” Madam Fan said with a dismissive glance.
“I knew you wouldn’t be so narrow-minded, hehe. Um… May I ask, weren’t you back in town? Why did you suddenly appear here?” Wang Banxian pointed toward the grave mounds.
“What, you’re not happy to see me?” Madam Fan retorted, then sneered coldly, “If I hadn’t interfered with that zombie, you probably wouldn’t have had a good outcome either!”
“I know, I know, Senior Sister is the superior one!” Wang Banxian carefully replied.
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