A voice not belonging to them rang in their ears, so the two instinctively turned their gaze toward Li Yang’s tomb. However, it was pitch black outside, with no moonlight to help. Nevertheless, having seen many strange things as apprentices of Master Wang, the half-immortal, they were not easily frightened. Holding torches, they approached the grave.
At that moment, they noticed something shocking: Li Yang’s hands had actually emerged from the grave, standing upright! Yet the two brothers were not terrified.
“It’s a zombie! Our master once told us that after death, a person might still have a last breath of qi stuck in their throat. If this qi doesn’t dissipate quickly, it can cause the corpse to rise. Brother, you go check it out.”
“What? Why me? Why don’t you go?”
“You… fine, we’ll go together!”
Holding their torches, the two approached the grave. As they drew closer, they realized that Li Yang’s hands no longer looked like hands at all—they were as dry as old firewood.
“What the hell is this? Are these even hands anymore? When we buried him, they were perfectly fine. This… this can’t be right.” As he spoke, the younger apprentice instinctively leaned his head closer to the hands to get a better look, trying to determine whether they were real hands or just two sticks someone had planted there as a prank.
“Let’s go. We need to tell the master. This is a big deal!” said the older apprentice.
Before he could finish speaking, the two “sticks” suddenly shot out and grabbed the younger apprentice’s head. He hadn’t even had time to cry for help when his head was torn clean off by the “sticks.” Blood splattered everywhere. The younger apprentice’s head rolled down from the grave and stopped right at the older apprentice’s feet.
Then came a sound—“He… he…”—but this time, it was deeper and heavier than before.
The older apprentice, witnessing everything, was stunned with terror. He didn’t even dare to breathe loudly, his legs trembling, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. A foul, warm liquid gushed from his crotch like the Qiantang River gates had just been opened. He wanted to run, of course he did, but his legs had turned to jelly. All he could do was pray that Li Yang wouldn’t crawl out of the tomb. Finally, when Li Yang made no more sound, the apprentice slowly backed away. Once he was about ten meters from the grave, he turned and ran like mad, shouting as he fled.
“Help! Someone, please! It’s a zombie!”
The night grew deeper, and the rain continued to fall. It seemed that even the relatively peaceful Xiushui Village, in the midst of unrest, would soon be disturbed.
The senior apprentice of Master Wang stumbled and scrambled all the way to the Li family’s estate. At that moment, the funeral rites in the main hall had reached the most critical stage—praying to heaven and guiding the soul. Li Qingshu, holding the paper effigy of a mourning son, was about to bow to King Yama when the apprentice burst in, unable to stop himself, knocking everything over. The paper figure scattered.
“Su Xiaolong! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve overturned the mourning effigy and ruined the ritual! This will bring misfortune to everyone in this room! What’s the rush? Weren’t you supposed to be guarding the grave? Why did you run all the way here?” Master Wang shouted furiously.
“Master, it’s terrible!” Su Xiaolong didn’t care about his master’s anger. Right now, he just wanted his master to deal with what had happened. The Li family members in the mourning hall grew tense.
“Master, will there be any consequences?” Old Master Li anxiously asked Master Wang.
“No worries, sir. I, Master Wang, will ensure that Secretary Li passes on peacefully.”
“Su Xiaolong, come out with me.”
After stepping outside, Su Xiaolong told Master Wang everything that had happened.
“What? Xiao Hu is dead!” Master Wang cried out in shock.
“Yes! My poor younger brother… he died such a tragic death!” Su Xiaolong sobbed.
“Li Yang became a zombie? Impossible! The spot where he was buried is right near the dam, the best water source in all of Xiushui Village. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made them carry the coffin all that way. Li Yang’s birth element is earth, so he lacked water. Burying him near water should have ensured a smooth reincarnation. How could this happen…” Master Wang stroked his half-goat beard, deep in thought, wondering if he had made a mistake during the burial.
“Master, what’s wrong?” Old Master Li, uneasy, followed them out to ask.
“Nothing serious, sir. It’s just that your son died unjustly, his life not yet complete when he entered the underworld. That’s why there’s a bit of a ‘false revival.’ My apprentice told me that the young master’s hands emerged from the grave. I’ll perform the soul-returning ritual soon to send him on his way,” Master Wang calmly replied. He had no choice but to say this. He couldn’t let his hard-earned reputation be ruined now, or how would he survive in the future?
“I see. Master, then I must trouble you,” Old Master Li bowed respectfully.
After Old Master Li returned inside, Master Wang immediately turned to Su Xiaolong.
“Xiaolong, go to the grave right away and retrieve your brother’s body. Clean up the grave site and leave no trace. Also, go back to my house and get my tools.”
“But Master… what about Li Yang’s…?” Su Xiaolong asked hesitantly.
“You two have followed me all these years, and all you’ve learned is how to count money. Now that something’s happened, you come running to me.” Master Wang took out a copper coin from his robe, placed it in his left hand, bit his right finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the coin. He wrapped it in yellow paper, formed a Daoist mudra with his fingers, and drew a few strokes on the paper before handing it to Su Xiaolong.
“When you reach the grave, tie the copper coin with red thread through its hole, then bind the other ends of the thread to Li Yang’s hands. This will prevent him from transforming until dawn. Remember what I told you—Master’s reputation depends on you,” Master Wang patted Su Xiaolong on the shoulder.
“Yes, Master. Don’t worry, I’ll do it well.”
“Hurry! I’ll come with everyone else in an hour to send Li Yang off. Go!”
After sending Su Xiaolong off, Master Wang returned to the mourning hall to continue the ritual.
It was now the Hai hour, the night even deeper, and the rain gradually stopped, leaving only the soaked earth behind.
Soon, the Li family’s funeral rites were completed, and Master Wang led the family members back to Li Yang’s grave. When they arrived, everyone was horrified at the sight of Li Yang’s hands. Some even fainted, and even Old Master Li turned pale. Only Madam Li showed no reaction, silently staring at the hands.
“Master, I’ve done it,” Su Xiaolong whispered to Master Wang.
“Good. Well done.”
At that moment, Old Master Li approached Master Wang.
“Master, please begin the ritual. Oh, where is your other apprentice?”
“Oh, he went home. Xiaolong told me his mother suddenly fell ill, so he sent his younger brother back first to check on her. Right, Xiaolong?”
“Yes, yes, exactly!”
Old Master Li accepted the explanation without further questions. Master Wang instructed Su Xiaolong to set up the incense table and ordered him to slaughter a male rooster.
“Now I will perform the soul-returning ritual. Everyone must cooperate. First, those over fifty years old and those born in the Year of the Dog must step back and cover their eyes with willow leaves. Then, those born in the Year of the Dragon must stand in a cross formation in front of the grave, excluding those over fifty.”
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