Liu Dashao said, “My talismans are still somewhat effective for now. Do you have any other important relatives you’d like to see the old man before he’s buried? If not, I’ll burn his body tomorrow after he’s placed in the coffin, so that everything can proceed peacefully.”
Luo Gu Chen asked, “Why wait until he’s placed in the coffin to burn it? Once he’s inside, how can you burn him without burning the coffin as well?”
Liu Dashao said, “My talisman is still somewhat effective for now. Do you have any important relatives who wish to see the old master one last time? If not, after the coffin is sealed tomorrow, I will cremate the old master’s body to ensure peace and safety.”
Luo Gu Chen asked, “Why wait until after the coffin is sealed to cremate? Once inside the coffin, how can it be burned? Do you mean to burn the coffin along with it?”
Liu Dashao nodded, “The old master’s life soul has already been taken by the underworld, and his earth soul has gone to the Peach Garden. Only his heaven soul remains within his body. The heaven soul will guard his body until it is destroyed, and only then will it disappear. We must absolutely prevent the heaven soul from reuniting with the life soul. Given the old master’s condition, his heaven soul has been tainted by evil energy within his body, and he might emerge prematurely, entering the Luo family’s ancestral shrine. The earth soul will come to take the heaven soul forty-two days after the soul-returning night. Before the earth soul arrives, the life soul will also be brought by the underworld messengers for a final farewell to the Luo family. At that time, if the heaven soul sees the life soul, it will surely attach itself. If the underworld envoys are responsible, all will be well. But if they are not, and the life soul reunites with the heaven soul, heh, they will no longer be wandering spirits but true ghosts! Wild ghosts, unlike ordinary ghosts, which consist of the earth soul and heaven soul, these will be composed of the life soul and heaven soul. Such ghosts are easily bewitched by evil energy, turning into malevolent spirits that kill without a trace! Yet, they are still part of the underworld, which will not intervene. Only those like Zhong Kui, known as the underworld officials, can deal with them. They hunt down these unaffiliated malevolent spirits, maintaining order between the realms of the living and the dead. They will never allow malevolent spirits to exist, so the ultimate fate of such ghosts is complete annihilation. As a master of yin and yang, I will never allow such a thing to happen under my watch. I must first send the old master’s heaven soul away. Through the Luo family’s ancestral shrine, it can find the earth soul and reunite with it in the Peach Garden, awaiting the summoning of the life soul. Generally, only before entering the next cycle of reincarnation will the life soul come to summon them, to embark on a new life, a new cycle.”
The twenty or so people listened in confusion. Liu Dashao realized he had spoken at length and paused, turning to Luo Ping’an, “Uncle Luo, tell the carpenters to make a ten-centimeter square opening at the bottom of the coffin tomorrow. I have a use for it.”
Luo Ping’an acknowledged and then asked, “Young master, is everything settled now?”
Liu Dashao feigned seriousness, “Settled? Only temporarily. If any cats or dogs cross the old master’s body again, I won’t be able to do anything. So, make sure everyone stays vigilant until the coffin is sealed. Don’t be careless!” His words were so stern that he realized he had gone too far. Though there was no real danger, he had made it sound so grave that everyone insisted he stay and keep watch with them.
Unable to leave, Liu Dashao found a comfortable spot to sit. Once settled, he noticed someone had been following him—Luo Siyu. Liu Dashao looked at her and asked, “Are you scared?”
Luo Siyu replied, “Of course! I’ve read the comics. Zombies like to bite their own relatives!”
Liu Dashao laughed heartily, “That’s just a story! Ordinary zombies only have a heaven soul; they can’t distinguish between relatives and strangers. But it’s true that zombies suck blood. Zombies are dead people sustained by a single breath. They hate living things—not just humans, but all animals. They despise the sound of a heartbeat. Only by draining the blood will the heartbeat stop. So, the zombie’s sole goal is to suck blood.”
Luo Siyu turned pale, “Is that true? I’m so scared!” She wasn’t the only one; several others gathered around, listening intently.
One of them asked, “Brother, is what you’re saying true? Will Old Master Luo rise and attack us?”
Liu Dashao replied, “As long as what I warned against doesn’t happen, everything will be fine. So, everyone, stay alert!”
One of the men chuckled, “Brother, you’re quite young but very brave. Your magic seems impressive. Are you taking apprentices? I’d like to learn from you.”
Liu Dashao shook his head, “I’m not qualified to take apprentices. Besides, this requires natural talent. And let’s be honest, this line of work doesn’t make you rich. Most people wouldn’t touch it even if they were dying. Are you sure you want to learn?”
The group laughed, “Well, maybe not. I heard there are many taboos in this field.”
Liu Dashao sighed, “Yes, there are many things you can’t do once you learn this. I even regret it a bit now. But the old man insisted I take over his legacy, so I had no choice. Enough of that. Let’s all stay vigilant.” He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
He drifted off to sleep, while the dozen or so people in the room remained on high alert. When dawn broke, Liu Dashao woke up to find Luo Siyu asleep in his arms, and the others also dozing off. After a tense night, they relaxed at the sound of the rooster’s crow and fell asleep. However, Liu Dashao noticed they were merely dozing, not deeply asleep, as the events of the night weighed heavily on their minds.
Seeing this, Liu Dashao had a mischievous idea. He shouted, “Oh no! The old master is gone!”
“Ah! Ah!” Screams erupted as everyone immediately turned to the altar. Realizing they had been tricked, they glared at Liu Dashao, who was about to laugh when a sharp pain shot through his waist. Luo Siyu had pinched him hard, causing him to yelp in pain instead of laughing. The group’s angry expressions turned to ones of ‘you had it coming.’
As dawn broke, the dozen or so night watchers stayed, eager to see how the body would be burned inside the coffin. By morning, more people arrived, and the night’s events quickly spread. By noon, Luo Ping’an’s house was packed. Liu Dashao was startled by the crowd. He wasn’t sure if his magic would work, and if it failed, he would be humiliated. He stepped forward and addressed the crowd, “I assume you’re all here to see my magic. Honestly, this is my first time performing it, and I’m not sure if it will work. The ritual must be performed at high noon. If you have other things to do, please don’t let me waste your time.”
The villagers, seeing a teenager, were surprised. Though they had heard the master was young, they hadn’t expected someone so youthful. Many left, but others stayed. It was winter, with a foot of snow on the ground, and they had nothing better to do. They were eager to see the spectacle. Most didn’t know when high noon was, but seeing others stay, they remained as well.
As high noon approached, the coffin was ready. At Liu Dashao’s request, a square opening had been made in the center of the coffin’s base. Though no one knew its purpose, they followed the master’s instructions without question. With the help of several people, Luo Ping’an placed Old Master Luo into the coffin. Liu Dashao didn’t arrange anything unusual; everything was done conventionally. Unless one knew beforehand, they wouldn’t notice the opening in the coffin’s base. The coffin was prepared as usual, with padding and covers.
Everything proceeded smoothly, but a tense atmosphere grew. Once the old master’s body was placed in the coffin, the focus shifted to how the young master would cremate it. The crowd gathered in the main room and at the doorway, every visible spot filled with people. They seemed to forget one thing—the so-called master wasn’t inside. Perhaps they were just vying for a better view.
People are like that, especially when idle. Any novel or curious event draws them in. Those who had left returned, and nearly the entire village, from the elderly in their sixties and seventies to children of six or seven, men and women, young and old, all came. Fortunately, Luo Ping’an’s front yard was spacious; otherwise, it would have been chaos.
As high noon approached, Liu Dashao finally appeared, holding a bundle of cedar wood blocks, each thirty centimeters long, three centimeters wide, and one centimeter thick. He had instructed the carpenters to make these for him. The three carpenters were happy to assist, as it allowed them to be close to the action. Suona Wang and Luo Gu Chen naturally had front-row seats, especially Luo Siyu, who had once despised the yin-yang master. She stayed close to Liu Dashao, as if afraid to miss anything.
More than twenty people listened in confusion. Only then did Liu Dashao realize he had spoken too much, so he stopped and said to Luo Ping’an, “Uncle Xiang, ask the carpenters to cut a ten-centimeter square opening on the bottom of the coffin tomorrow. I have a use for it.”
Luo Ping’an agreed and then asked, “Master Xiao, is everything okay now?”
Liu Dashao pretended to be serious, “Okay? Just temporarily. If any cats or dogs jump over the old man’s body again, I won’t be able to help. So you tell everyone to be careful until he’s placed in the coffin. Don’t be careless again!” His words were too serious, but he finally realized that playing pranks on others would eventually backfire on himself. Originally, everything was fine, but he deliberately made it sound so serious that everyone present unanimously requested him to stay and keep watch together.
With no way to escape, Liu Dashao could only find a good place to sit down. After settling down, he noticed someone had been following him all along—Luo Siyu. Liu Dashao looked at her and said, “You’re really scared, aren’t you?”
Luo Siyu replied, “Of course I am! I’ve read the comics where zombies like to bite their own family members!”
Liu Dashao laughed loudly, “That’s just stories. Ordinary zombies only have a Tian Hun. How could they possibly tell the difference between family and strangers? However, it’s true that zombies drink blood. When a person dies and becomes a zombie, they’re only kept going by a single breath. They hate living things—not just people, but all animals too. They hate the sound of heartbeats. Only by draining their blood can their heartbeats stop, so the sole purpose of zombies is to drink blood.”
Luo Siyu turned pale, “Is that really true? I’m so scared?”
She wasn’t the only one scared—several people nearby were listening too!
They also asked, “Brother, what you’re saying—is it really true? The old man won’t get up and do something to all of us, will he?”
Liu Dashao said, “As long as the things I mentioned don’t happen, everything will be fine. So now, everyone needs to stay alert!”
One of them laughed and said, “Brother, you’re not very old, but you’ve got guts! Your magic seems pretty good. Do you take apprentices? I’ll follow you and learn.”
Liu Dashao shook his head, “How could I have the qualifications to take apprentices? Besides, this also requires talent. Moreover, working in our profession won’t make you rich. Others would rather die than learn it. Do you still want to learn?”
They joked around and said, “Forget it then. I heard there are a lot of taboos in learning this!”
Liu Dashao said, “Yes, there are many things you can’t do after learning this. I’m starting to regret it a bit now! Sigh, but the old man insisted I take over his legacy, so I had no choice. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Everyone, let’s keep a good watch.” Saying that, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
Liu Dashao said, “My talisman is still somewhat effective for now. Do you have any important relatives who wish to see the old master one last time? If not, after the coffin is sealed tomorrow, I will cremate the old master’s body to ensure peace and safety.”
Luogu Chen asked, “Why wait until after the coffin is sealed to cremate? How can you burn the body once it’s inside the coffin? Are you planning to burn the coffin along with it?”
Liu Dashao nodded, “The old master’s life soul has already been taken by the underworld, and his earth soul has gone to the Peach Garden. Only his heaven soul remains in his body, guarding his flesh until it is destroyed. We must never allow the heaven soul to reunite with the life soul. Given the old master’s condition, his heaven soul has been tainted by evil energy within him, and he might emerge prematurely, entering the Luo family’s ancestral shrine. The earth soul will come to take the heaven soul forty-two days after the soul-returning night. Before the earth soul arrives, the life soul will also be brought by the underworld messengers for a final farewell to the Luo family. If the heaven soul sees the life soul, it will surely attach itself. If the underworld officials handle it properly, all is well. But if they don’t, and the life soul reunites with the heaven soul, they will no longer be wandering spirits but true ghosts—wild ghosts. These ghosts are different from ordinary ones because they consist of the life soul and heaven soul together, not the earth soul and heaven soul. Such ghosts are easily bewitched by evil energy, turning into malevolent spirits that kill without a trace. Yet, they are still part of the underworld, which won’t intervene. Only Zhong Kui and his ilk, known as yin officials, can deal with them. They hunt down these unaffiliated malevolent spirits, maintaining order between the realms of the living and the dead. They will never allow such spirits to exist, so the ultimate fate of a malevolent ghost is complete annihilation. As a yin-yang master, I will never allow such a thing to happen under my watch. I must first send the old master’s heaven soul away. Through the Luo family’s ancestral shrine, it can find the earth soul and reunite with it in the Peach Garden, awaiting the summoning of the life soul. Generally, the life soul only comes to summon them before the next reincarnation, to embark on a new life and a new cycle.”
The twenty or so people listened in confusion. Realizing he had spoken at length, Liu Dashao paused and turned to Luo Ping’an, “Uncle Luo, tell the carpenters to cut a ten-centimeter square hole at the bottom of the coffin tomorrow. I’ll need it.”
Luo Ping’an acknowledged and then asked, “Master Liu, is everything settled now?”
Liu Dashao feigned seriousness, “Settled? Only temporarily. If any cats or dogs cross the old master’s body again, I won’t be able to help. So, make sure everyone stays vigilant until the coffin is sealed. Don’t let your guard down!” His tone was so grave that everyone insisted he stay and keep watch with them.
Unable to leave, Liu Dashao found a comfortable spot to sit. Once settled, he noticed someone had been following him—Luo Siyu. He asked her, “Are you scared?”
Luo Siyu replied, “Of course! I’ve read the comics—zombies like to bite their own relatives!”
Liu Dashao burst into laughter, “That’s just a story! Ordinary zombies only have a heaven soul; they can’t distinguish between relatives and strangers. But it’s true that zombies suck blood. Zombies are dead people sustained by a single breath. They hate living things—not just humans, but all animals. They despise the sound of a heartbeat. Only by draining the blood and stopping the heartbeat can they be satisfied. So, their sole goal is to suck blood.”
Luo Siyu turned pale, “Is that true? I’m so scared!” She wasn’t the only one; several others were listening intently.
One of them asked, “Brother, is what you’re saying true? Will Old Master Luo rise and do something to us?”
Liu Dashao replied, “As long as what I warned against doesn’t happen, everything will be fine. So, everyone, stay alert!”
One of the men chuckled, “Brother, you’re young but quite bold. Your skills seem impressive. Do you take apprentices? I’d like to learn from you.”
Liu Dashao shook his head, “I’m not qualified to take apprentices. Besides, this line of work requires innate talent, and it’s not lucrative. Most people wouldn’t touch it even if they were dying. Are you sure you want to learn?”
The group laughed, “Well, maybe not. I’ve heard there are many taboos in this field.”
Liu Dashao sighed, “Yes, there are many restrictions. I even regret it a bit now. But the old man insisted I inherit his legacy, so I had no choice. Enough of that—let’s all stay vigilant.” With that, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.
He drifted off to sleep, while the dozen or so people in the room remained on high alert. By dawn, Liu Dashao woke up to find Luo Siyu asleep in his arms, and the others had also dozed off. After a tense night, they relaxed at the third crow of the rooster and fell asleep. However, Liu Dashao noticed they were merely dozing, not deeply asleep, given the circumstances.
Seeing this, Liu Dashao had a mischievous idea. He shouted, “Oh no! The old master is gone!”
“Ah! Ah!” A chorus of screams erupted as everyone immediately turned to the altar. Realizing they’d been tricked, they glared at Liu Dashao, who was about to laugh when a sharp pain shot through his waist. Luo Siyu had pinched him hard, and instead of laughing, he yelped in pain. The group’s angry expressions turned to smug satisfaction.
By morning, the dozen or so night watchers stayed, eager to see how the body would be burned in the coffin. As the day broke, more people arrived, and the night’s events quickly spread. By noon, Luo Ping’an’s house was packed. Liu Dashao was startled by the crowd. He wasn’t sure if his spell would work, and if it failed, he’d be humiliated. So, he addressed the crowd, “I assume you’re here to see my spell. Honestly, this is my first time performing it, and I’m not sure if it’ll work. The spell can only be performed at high noon. If you have other things to do, please go ahead. I don’t want to waste your time.”
The villagers, seeing a teenager, were surprised. Though they’d heard the master was young, they hadn’t expected someone this young. Many left, but plenty stayed. It was winter, with a foot of snow on the ground—what else was there to do? They weren’t about to miss the spectacle. Most didn’t know when high noon was, but seeing others stay, they followed suit.
As noon approached, the coffin was ready. At Liu Dashao’s request, a square hole had been cut in the center of the bottom. No one knew its purpose, but they followed the master’s instructions without question. With the help of a few people, Luo Ping’an placed the old master in the coffin. Liu Dashao didn’t arrange anything unusual; everything was done conventionally. Unless one knew beforehand, they wouldn’t notice the hole in the coffin’s bottom. The coffin was padded and covered as usual.
The atmosphere grew tense as the old master’s body was laid in the coffin, and everyone waited to see how the young master would cremate it. The room and doorway were packed with people, all eager for a better view. They seemed to forget one thing—the so-called master wasn’t inside. Perhaps they were just jostling for a better vantage point.
People are like that, especially when idle. Any novel or curious event draws them in. Those who had left earlier returned, and soon, almost the entire village—from elders in their sixties and seventies to children of six or seven—had gathered. Fortunately, Luo Ping’an’s courtyard was large enough to accommodate the crowd.
As high noon approached, Liu Dashao finally appeared, holding a bundle of cedar blocks, each thirty centimeters long, three centimeters wide, and one centimeter thick. These had been prepared by the carpenters, who were happy to assist, as it allowed them to watch up close. Suona Wang and Luogu Chen naturally had front-row seats, and Luo Siyu, who had once despised yin-yang masters, stayed close to Liu Dashao, as if afraid to miss anything.
Seeing this scene, a mischievous idea flashed through Liu Dashao’s mind, and he shouted loudly, “Oh no! The old man is gone!”
“Ahh! Ahh!…” A series of screams immediately erupted, and everyone looked toward the mourning hall at once. When they realized they had been tricked, they all turned their angry eyes toward Liu Dashao. Just as Liu Dashao was about to laugh, a sharp pain shot through his waist—Luo Siyu’s hand had already tightly pinched him. So instead of laughing, Liu Dashao could only cry out in pain. The dozen or so people, their faces filled with anger, now wore expressions that clearly said, “Serves you right, kid.”
Daylight came, and the dozen or so people who had kept watch all night didn’t go home, because they all wanted to see how the body would be burned inside the coffin. As soon as the sun rose, more people came, and those dozen became the center of attention. The events of the previous night spread quickly, and by noon, the crowd at Luo Ping’an’s house was so thick you couldn’t squeeze through. Seeing this, Liu Dashao was also quite startled. He couldn’t guarantee whether his magic would work or not. If it failed, he would suffer a huge loss of face. So he stepped forward and said to everyone, “Everyone must be here to see my magic. To be honest, this is my first time performing it—I don’t even know if it will work. Moreover, this magic can only be performed at the third watch of the noon hour. If you have something important to do, please go ahead. I’m afraid I might waste your time.”
When the villagers saw that he was just a teenager, although they had heard that the master today was young, they still didn’t expect him to be this young. So many of them dispersed, but quite a few remained. It was midwinter, and there was a foot of snow on the ground—there was nothing urgent for them to do. They wouldn’t miss such a spectacle. Most didn’t know exactly when the third watch of the noon hour was, but seeing each other not leaving, most of them stayed.
As the time approached the third watch of the noon hour, the coffin was completed. At Liu Dashao’s request, the carpenters left a square opening in the exact center of the bottom board. Although no one knew the purpose of the opening, they simply followed the master’s instructions and didn’t ask too many questions. With the help of several people, Luo Ping’an placed the old man into the coffin. Liu Dashao didn’t arrange anything else; he followed the usual procedures. If they didn’t know beforehand, they wouldn’t realize there was an opening beneath the coffin. Inside the coffin, everything was lined and covered as usual.
Everything proceeded like this, but a tense atmosphere grew thicker. After the old man’s body was placed, it was up to the young master to burn the corpse. Everyone crowded around the hall and the doorway, filling every visible spot. They seemed to have forgotten one thing—the so-called master wasn’t even inside. Perhaps it was just to compete for a better viewing position.
People are like that, especially when they have nothing to do. Whenever there’s something new and curious, no one wants to miss out. Those who had already left returned, and almost the entire village came—people from seventy-year-olds to six- or seven-year-old children, men and women, old and young. Fortunately, Luo Ping’an’s courtyard was large enough; otherwise, no one could imagine what the scene would have been like.
As the third watch of the noon hour approached, Liu Dashao finally appeared. He held a bundle of evenly cut Chinese fir wood pieces, each thirty centimeters long, three centimeters wide, and one centimeter thick—exactly as he had instructed the carpenters to make. The three carpenters were happy to help, as this made them assistants to Liu Dashao, allowing them a close-up view. Of course, Suona Wang and Luo Gu Chen were naturally among the close observers. Especially Luo Siyu, who had previously disliked the Yin Yang master, now followed closely behind Liu Dashao, as if afraid to miss anything.
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