Chapter 330: The Breaking of the Prison Lamp Ritual

Once the corpse has left the coffin, it must naturally be re-enshrouded.

Such matters are usually handled by the filial sons and grandsons.

Although the eldest son of the Shen family, Shen Jingyu, had already passed away, he left behind a seven-year-old child. Together with Shen Jinghong and the help of servants, they cleaned the deceased with clear water.

Of course, this was merely symbolic—wiping the face, limbs, chest, and abdomen—a practice known as the "Five Blessings and Six Longevities."

At the same time, they had to murmur: "The old man loved cleanliness all his life; your son is helping you wipe clean..."

Shen Jinghong's mood had initially calmed, but upon seeing the rows of stitched knife scars on his father's body, his tears immediately began to flow again.

Following this, the corpse was lifted into the coffin.

The poor place straw beneath the body and put rice and tea in the mouth. But the Shen family was naturally different; the bottom of the coffin was first lined with wood ash, followed by a thick quilt.

A gilded bronze key was placed in the hand,

and a pearl had to be placed in the corpse's mouth.

And finishing all this was only the beginning.

After all, the corpse had just been a "corpse-riser"; if not handled in time, it would sooner or later cause trouble again. Therefore, Wang Daoxuan could not afford to rest and set up an altar to perform the ritual immediately.

Nine lotus lamps were placed in a circle in front of the coffin, with a roof tile resting on two bricks in the center.

This is called the Nine Prisons Divine Lamp, performing the Breaking of the Prison Lamp Ritual, intended to liberate the wandering spirits, eliminate the resentment of the deceased, and perform the salvation rite.

Wang Daoxuan sprayed water from his mouth to open the altar, shook the Soul-Suppressing Bell, then applied a yellow talisman, held a Golden Coin Sword, stepped out the ritual paces, and chanted incessantly.

"... The dead soul enters the evil path, when will it gaze upon the Great Purity? Alas, the suffering of the dead, how dark is the hill and forest. Today I liberate the deceased, only wishing for a better next life..."

Whoosh—

As the incantations were chanted, yin winds arose throughout the courtyard.

In the ceramic basin where spirit paper was burning before the coffin, paper ash actually wrapped around the firelight to form a whirlwind that persisted for a long time.

This sight and scene filled the Shen family members with awe.

Li Yan stood in the distance with his arms crossed, smiling inwardly.

He was no longer a novice; he knew the tricks of the trade.

The difficulty of this "Breaking of the Prison Lamp Ritual" lies in two points: first, to eliminate the resentment of the deceased, and second, to borrow the power of the patriarchs to send them into the Nine Netherworlds.

But as the saying goes, the expert watches the technique, while the layman watches the spectacle.

The process within could only be perceived by those in the Mystic Sect.

The whirlwind formed by the flames looked spectacular, but in reality, it was formed by borrowing the yin-sha energy of the altar, entirely for the sake of creating an impressive display.

If they didn't do this, how would the host know they had done their work?

Of course, not everyone had to be busy.

He was here to guard the dharma, while Sha Lifei, Lu San, and the wild man Wu Ba were led by the butler to an empty courtyard to put down their luggage, wash up, and eat.

This ritual lasted until the second half of the night.

The Shen family members nearby were all somewhat drowsy.

Crack!

Just at this moment, the roof tile suddenly shattered.

In an instant, the yin winds in the courtyard ceased, and the fire basin returned to normal.

Only then did Wang Daoxuan wipe the sweat from his forehead, pack up his ritual implements, and say to Shen Jinghong: "Young Master Shen, your father's wandering soul is now at peace. From here on, follow the normal steps; there is no need for further concealment."

"Many thanks, Daoist."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jinghong immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He had already asked the butler earlier; the Shen family's situation was truly dire.

The losses at the kiln site were one thing—after all, the land was still there, and as long as they managed it slowly, there would eventually be an improvement—but the troubles were coming one after another.

On the official side, seeing that Master Shen had passed away, the county magistrate had said some words of comfort, but those cunning petty officials were using the excuse of investigating the case to come knocking repeatedly to extort money...

The villagers couldn't get compensation, and those who died were the pillars of their families. Gou Dan's mother had a weak temperament and, in despair, jumped into the river, which had already bred resentment among the villagers of Shenjiaba...

With Master Shen's funeral being held behind closed doors, rumors were flying everywhere...

Now that this matter was resolved, the rest would be easier to handle.

Shen Jinghong even had a plan in mind.

As the saying goes, "the donkey falls but the frame remains." Tomorrow, he would hold a grand funeral, compensate the villagers to win their hearts, and let others see that his family was not in chaos.

Only then would he seek help from his father's friends in the Chamber of Commerce; the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce would naturally step up for them and pressure the Jiangxia County Yamen...

Thinking of this, Shen Jinghong hurriedly said: "Daoist, you have worked hard. Uncle Shen, take the Daoist and Young Hero Li to wash up and eat."

"Yes, Young Master."

The old butler hurriedly raised his hand: "The two of you, please come this way."

Although the old butler was equally exhausted, seeing the Second Young Master handling matters in an orderly fashion and beginning to take charge of the household filled him with relief.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan returned to the small courtyard; Sha Lifei and Lu San had just dozed off for a short while and were now awake, their spirits still quite high.

As for the wild man Wu Ba, he was snoring like thunder.

Li Yan couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them and instead looked at Wang Daoxuan: "Daoist, was today's matter a bit troublesome?"

Such rituals usually wouldn't take this long.

Wang Daoxuan shook his head: "This Squire Shen had an obsession that was too strong, and combined with the fact that he had risen as a corpse earlier, I had to scatter his 'po' soul first before his 'hun' soul could enter the Netherworld."

"This obsession is truly rare."

Li Yan said thoughtfully: "The Black Cloud Long Sword secret technique is not something an ordinary person can possess. Squire Shen built such a large family business; what Young Master Shen can see, he couldn't possibly have failed to think of."

"To be so persistent, perhaps there is some other hidden story..."

"That goes without saying!"

Sha Lifei became interested: "It must be related to that treasure! So many people are fighting for it; it must be a treasure that shocks the world! What was that line in the 'Book of Jin'? I can't remember clearly."

"There were several torches, emerging from the city walls, shaped like large carts..."

Li Yan repeated it, feeling inexplicably strange in his heart.

If viewed from the perspective of his past life, the description would certainly be considered an unidentified flying object, but in this world, there was clearly another reason.

Flying fireballs, looking like large carts, covered with white cloth curtains, flying across the night sky...

He really couldn't imagine what kind of thing it could be.

Sha Lifei whispered: "Shall we look for it while we're at it?"

Li Yan pondered for a moment and shook his head: "Squire Shen spent half his life searching and never found anything. Even if it's still there, it won't be that easy to find."

"Let's prioritize finding the 'Tanyan'. Next, the Shen residence will be holding a funeral. Uncle Sha, you stay and protect the Daoist, and while you're at it, gather information from the villagers. I will take Brother Lu and Wu Ba to investigate in secret."

"Brother Lu, keep an eye on the movements around us."

"Got it!"

After making the arrangements, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan returned to their respective rooms, practiced some mental cultivation, and then went straight to sleep.

For them, this place was relatively much more relaxed.

Unlike the three cities of Wuchang, this was the countryside; let alone experts, even people from the Mystic Sect were rarely seen.

Lu San whistled, and Rat One and Rat Two immediately crawled out of the leather bag, moving swiftly, and climbed into the small courtyard outside.

After all, they were demonic creatures; although their cultivation was average and they weren't good at fighting, and they had eaten until they were a bit fat, their movements were still agile. With a few swooshes, they scrambled onto the roof and squeaked a few times.

Soon, the rats in the Shen courtyard all poked their heads out.

"Meow!"

However, the sound of a cat also rang out. It turned out the Shen family kept a few civet cats, which were very fierce and immediately scared the rats into fleeing in all directions.

Lu San was helpless and had to call out a few more times before the civet cats hesitated and stopped catching the rats.

Although there weren't many rats nearby, it counted as a layer of vigilance, guarding every corner. Once something happened, Rat One and Rat Two would give a warning.

In Wuchang City, Lu San was already very familiar with this method.

"Squeak squeak!"

Soon, Rat One called out. "Someone is leaving?"

Lu San frowned and shook his head: "No need to pay attention to it, as long as no one breaks in in the middle of the night."

Having said that, he began to fiddle with his own mace.

This mace had been rebuilt, its power raised to another level. It also carried a dozen magazines, but they were cylindrical; as long as you unscrewed the mace and inserted them inside, you could pull the trigger to fire.

Of course, one magazine could only fire one shot.

But compared to before, it was already god-like speed...

Shen family side courtyard, wall next to the woodshed.

There was a side door here, mainly used by servants; after all, when transporting firewood, pork, and other sundries, it wasn't good to go through the main gate.

Creak~

The side door slowly opened, and a figure tiptoed out, locked the door, and quickly left the Shen family mansion.

At this moment, the moon was dark and the wind was high. The village was not completely plunged into darkness; there were still a few households with bonfires burning, where villagers were keeping vigil.

!.

In the darkness, this figure raised his head. He was tall and thin, with triangular eyes and fan-like ears. It was Shen Jingcan, the son of the Shen family's Second Master.

He looked around vigilantly, tucked the hem of his long gown into his waistband, and tiptoed toward the outside of the village.

Woof woof!

The old dogs in the village heard the movement and barked a few times.

Shen Jingcan walked hurriedly. After leaving the village, he opened his legs and ran wildly, panting heavily, his eyes full of excitement.

After about the time it takes to burn three sticks of incense, he arrived at a small temple built by the lake. It was not large, with only a main hall, two side rooms, and surrounded by low walls.

This was a Water God Temple.

In Ezhou, there were many rivers and lakes, so the most common were Water God Temples, mostly dedicated to General Yang Si, but there were also many local water gods.

Like this Water God Temple, it was a Dragon Lady Temple.

Legend has it that the daughter of the East Sea Dragon King left the Dragon Palace without permission and came to the human world, where she met a fisherman at Liangzi Lake and they became husband and wife.

But the Little Dragon Lady violated heavenly law and was eventually turned back into a fish form by the Dragon King and exiled to the Yangtze River. The fisherman never remarried for the rest of his life, and after he died, people scattered his ashes into the lake. Since then, this Dragon Lady Water God Temple has existed.

The temple was pitch black, and Shen Jingcan climbed over the wall and entered.

Swish!

As soon as he landed, a flying dart whistled over and nailed directly into the ground in front of him, half of it buried in the soil.

"Master, it's me!"

Shen Jingcan dared not move again and hurriedly called out.

Only then did he hear a creak as the wooden door of the side room opened, and an old man walked out. He was hunched over, his face was charred black, and he wore a Daoist robe full of patches, looking like a somewhat down-and-out temple keeper.

Looking at Shen Jingcan, the old man frowned and said in a deep voice: "Didn't I tell you, don't come looking for me if there's nothing wrong? In the middle of the night, what kind of madness are you having?"

"Master, disciple has an important matter to report!"

Shen Jingcan's face was full of excitement, and he couldn't help but step forward a few paces and bow.

"Oh, then come in."

The old man narrowed his eyes and turned to enter the room.

Soon, an oil lamp was lit in the room.

"Master, there is treasure!"

Shen Jingcan did not hesitate and told the old man everything he had heard at the Shen residence.

Afterward, he looked at the old man with eager eyes.

"Black Cloud Capital, Hall Capital..."

The old man was thoughtful, then looked at Shen Jingcan and said indifferently: "If there really is treasure, it belongs to your Shen family. To tell me just like that, aren't you afraid of being resented by others?"

"Hmph!"

Shen Jingcan snorted and gritted his teeth: "I saw it long ago. Once Shen Jinghong returned, those people all came to support him, ultimately treating us as outsiders."

"Besides, what kind of temperament my father has, don't I know? Let alone me, this illegitimate son, even my eldest brother, he doesn't take to heart. If he got the money, he would definitely just squander it on gambling."

As he spoke, he suddenly knelt on the ground and said sorrowfully: "In this world, only Master is good to me, disciple... wuwu..."

Before he could say a few words, he was already crying.

"Sigh~"

The old man sighed and helped him up: "It's rare for you to have such filial piety; Master knows."

"Find an opportunity to copy the location on that map and give it to me, and Master will pass on the secret technique to you. If we can find the treasure, our master and disciple will leave this broken place, fly far away, and become wealthy men!"

"Good, disciple will listen to Master!"

Shen Jingcan hurriedly nodded, stood up, and bowed: "The family is still holding a funeral, disciple cannot stay away for too long. I will find an opportunity to copy it after I go back."

"Go, be careful on the road."

The old man waved his hand and watched Shen Jingcan climb over the courtyard wall.

Not long after leaving the Water God Temple, Shen Jingcan wiped away his tears, changed his expression, and cursed in a low voice: "Damn it, old thing, really doesn't scatter the eagle until he sees the rabbit."

Having said that, he ran toward Shenjiaba.

And after he left, the old man's face no longer had a kind expression. He carried the oil lamp and went to the main hall of the Water God Temple.

In the hall, the statue of the Dragon Lady was dignified and majestic, but it, along with the offering table, was covered in dust, clearly not having been cleaned for a long time.

The old man went behind the curtain of the statue, and with a clatter, lifted the wooden floor, revealing a secret passage.

He jumped into the secret passage holding the oil lamp. Not long after walking, firelight appeared faintly ahead, revealing a mountain cave of considerable size.

There was standing water on the floor of the cave, and a small pond ahead.

And on a dry stone platform on the other side of the cave stood a Buddha statue, with several old men meditating beside it.

The old man bowed respectfully: "Incense Master, there are clues."

Having said that, he recounted the matter.

"What kind of clue is this!"

The leading old man shook his head: "What the Shen family knows, we also know. The key is the method to enter the Ghost City!"

Another old man advised: "Incense Master, it is a hope after all. Perhaps the locations the Shen family knows can lead to clues."

"Hmm."

The old man nodded and looked at the Buddha statue, his eyes flickering with ghostly light: "News came a few days ago that Zhao Changsheng really has a problem; he is the reincarnation of the leader of the Great Song Ghost Sect."

"He caused our Maitreya Sect to suffer heavy losses, and this grudge must be avenged sooner or later, but we cannot be impulsive right now; we must lurk and accumulate strength."

"The Southwest is in chaos, and the world is difficult; it is the time for us to preach..."

Before dawn, the Shen residence became lively.

The gates of the Shen mansion opened, and many servants swarmed out, setting up stoves outside, placing iron pots as large as tables, and starting to light fires to cook.

At the same time, the old butler also took people to knock on doors from house to house.

"The Second Young Master is back to handle the funeral for the Master. There is food in the big pots outside the mansion. Those who go to help these days will be fed..."

"The Second Young Master is benevolent and says the Shen family cannot do without you all. Rest assured, the compensation for your families will not be short of a single copper coin, and the kiln site will continue to recruit people; men, women, old, and young can all go..."

"Also, the Young Master has sent people to Jiangxia to invite a theater troupe. Everyone come to listen to the opera tonight..."

With one thing after another arranged, the village immediately came to life.

If nothing else, just the food provided these few days would save the villagers a lot, and the compensation issued would also support them for a period of time.

After all, many times, what the common people fear is not the difficulty of the world, but the complete loss of hope...

Second update later.

(End of chapter)