Chapter 330: Worldly Ways and Human Hearts

Once a corpse has left its coffin, it must naturally be re-enshrined.

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

Although the eldest of the Shen family, Shen Jingyu, had already passed away, he left behind a seven-year-old child. Together with Shen 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 ritual known as "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 Shen Jinghong's emotions had initially calmed, but upon seeing the rows of stitched knife scars on his father's body, his tears flowed once more.

Following this came the lifting of the corpse into the coffin.

For the poor, straw is placed beneath the body, with rice and tea in the mouth. But the Shen family was naturally different; the bottom of the coffin was first lined with grass-wood ash, followed by thick quilts.

A gilded copper key was placed in his hand.

A pearl also had to be placed in the corpse's mouth.

Yet, completing all this was only the beginning.

After all, the corpse had just "faked death"; if not handled in time, it would sooner or later cause trouble again. Thus, Wang Wang Daoxuan could not afford to rest and immediately set up an altar to perform rites.

Nine lotus lamps were placed in a circle before the coffin, with a tile resting upon two bricks in the center.

This was the "Nine Prisons Divine Lamp," a ritual to break the prison of the underworld, intended to liberate the wandering soul, eliminate the deceased's resentment, and perform salvation.

Wang Wang Daoxuan sprayed water from his mouth to open the altar, shook the soul-suppressing bell, then applied yellow talismans, held a golden coin sword, paced the ritual steps, and chanted incessantly.

"... Dead souls enter the evil path, when will they see the Great Clarity? Alas, the suffering of the dead, the hills are so dark and deep. Today I liberate the departed, wishing only for a better next life..."

Whoosh~

As the incantations were chanted, sinister winds rose throughout the courtyard.

In the ceramic basin where paper money burned before the coffin, paper ash wrapped in flames formed a whirlwind that persisted for a long time.

This 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 "Prison-Breaking Lamp Ritual" lay in two points: first, to eliminate the deceased's resentment, and second, to borrow the power of the ancestors 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 itself could only be perceived by those within 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, purely to create a grand impression.

If they didn't do this, how would the host know they had actually worked?

Of course, not everyone had to be busy.

He was here to stand guard, while Sha Sha Li Fei, Lu San, and the savage Wu Ba were led by the steward to an empty courtyard to drop off their luggage, wash up, and eat.

This ritual lasted until the latter half of the night.

The Shen family members nearby were all drowsy.

Crack!

Just then, the tile suddenly shattered.

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

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

"Many thanks, Daoist."

Hearing this, Shen Shen Jinghong let out a sigh of relief.

He had just asked the steward, and 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 with slow management, it would eventually improve—but troubles were coming one after another.

As for the officials, seeing that Master Shen had passed, the county magistrate had offered some words of comfort, but those cunning petty clerks were using the excuse of "investigating the case" to come and extort them time and again...

The villagers in the village received no compensation, and those who died were the pillars of their families. Gou Dan's mother, having a weak temperament, had jumped into the river in despair, already stirring 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 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, and win back their hearts, showing others that his family had not fallen into chaos.

Only then would he seek help from his father's friends in the Chamber of Commerce, and have the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce step in to pressure the Jiangxia County Yamen...

Thinking of this, Shen 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 steward hurriedly raised his hand: "The two of you, please come this way."

Although the old steward 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 Wang Daoxuan returned to the small courtyard, where Sha Sha Li Fei and Lu San had just dozed off for a short while and were now awake, their spirits reasonably high.

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

Li Yan didn't bother with them, instead looking at Wang Wang Daoxuan: "Daoist, was today's matter a bit troublesome?"

Such rituals usually didn't take this long.

Wang Wang Daoxuan shook his head: "This Squire Shen's obsession was too deep, and coupled with the fact that the corpse had previously 'faked death,' I had to scatter the soul before it 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; if Young Master Shen could see it, he couldn't have failed to think of it."

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

"That goes without saying!"

Sha Sha Li Fei became interested: "It must be related to that treasure. With so many people fighting for it, it must be a treasure that shocks the world! How did that line in the *Book of Jin* go? I can't quite remember."

"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, shaped like large carts, covered by white cloth curtains, flying across the night sky...

He really couldn't imagine what it could be.

Sha Sha Li Fei whispered: "Why don't 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 found nothing. Even if it's still there, it won't be easy to find."

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

"Brother Lu, keep an eye on the surroundings."

"Got it!"

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

For them, this place was relatively much more relaxed.

Unlike the three cities of Near 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 pouch, moving swiftly as they 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 grown a bit fat, they were still agile. With a few *whoosh* sounds, 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. The Shen family kept several tabby cats, which were quite fierce and immediately scared the rats into scurrying everywhere.

Lu San was helpless and had to call out a few times before the tabby cats hesitated and stopped hunting the rats.

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

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

"Squeak squeak!"

Soon, Rat One began to squeak. "Someone is leaving?"

Lu San frowned and shook his head: "Don't bother with it, as long as no one breaks in at night."

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

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

Of course, one magazine could only fire one shot.

But compared to before, it was already lightning fast...

In the side courtyard of the Shen residence, by the wall next to the woodshed.

There was a side gate here, mainly used by servants, as transporting firewood, pork, and other sundries through the main gate was inconvenient.

*Creak~*

The side gate slowly opened, and a figure crept out, locked the gate, and quickly left the Shen mansion.

At this moment, the moon was dark and the wind was high. The village was not completely plunged into darkness; a few families still had bonfires burning, as 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 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 ran lightly toward the outside of the village.

Woof woof!

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

Shen Shen Jingcan walked hurriedly. After leaving the village, he opened his stride 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 one main hall, two side rooms, and surrounded by low walls.

This was a Water God Temple.

Within Ezhou, there were many rivers and lakes, so Water God Temples were the most common, mostly worshipping General Yang Si, though many were local water gods.

This particular Water God Temple was the Dragon Lady Temple.

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

But the little Dragon Lady violated heavenly laws and was eventually turned back into fish form by the Dragon King and exiled to the Yangtze River. The fisherman never remarried, and after he died, people scattered his ashes into the lake, and thus this Dragon Lady Water God Temple was built.

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

*Swish! *

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

"Master, it's me!"

Shen Shen Jingcan dared not move again and hurriedly called out.

With a creak, the wooden door of the side room opened, and an old man walked out. His figure was hunched, his face charred black, and he wore a patch-covered Daoist robe, looking just like a down-and-out temple keeper.

Looking at Shen Shen Jingcan, the old man frowned and said in a deep voice, "Didn't I tell you not to come looking for me unless there's something important? It's the middle of the night, what kind of madness is this?"

"Master, I have an urgent matter to report!"

Shen Shen Jingcan was full of excitement and couldn't help but take a few steps forward to cup his hands.

"Oh, then come in."

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

Soon, an oil lamp was lit inside.

"Master, there is treasure!"

Shen 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 anticipation.

"The Black Cloud Army, the Hall Army..."

The old man was lost in thought, then looked at Shen Shen Jingcan and said indifferently, "If there really is treasure, it belongs to your Shen family. Telling your master like this, aren't you afraid of being resented?"

"Hmph!"

Shen Shen Jingcan snorted, gritted his teeth, and said, "I realized long ago that once Shen Shen Jinghong returned, those people would all back him up. In the end, they treat us like outsiders."

"Besides, I know my father's temperament well enough. Never mind me, an illegitimate son, he doesn't even care about my eldest brother. Once he gets the money, he'll surely squander it on gambling again."

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 much more, he had already started crying.

"Sigh~"

The old man sighed and helped him up, "It's rare for you to have such filial piety; your master understands."

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

"Good, this disciple will listen to Master!"

Shen Shen Jingcan nodded hurriedly, stood up, and cupped his hands, "The family is still holding funeral rites, so I cannot stay away for too long. I will find an opportunity to trace it once I return."

"Go, be careful on the road."

The old man waved his hand, watching Shen Shen Jingcan climb over the courtyard wall.

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

After saying that, he ran toward Shenjiaba.

And after he left, the kind expression on the old man's face vanished. Carrying the oil lamp, he came to the main hall of the Water God Temple.

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

The old man went behind the curtain of the statue, and with a clatter, lifted the wooden floorboard to reveal a secret passage.

He jumped into the secret passage holding the oil lamp. Not long after, faint firelight appeared ahead, revealing a fairly large cave.

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

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

The old man bowed respectfully and said, "Incense Master, there is a lead."

After saying that, he recounted the matter.

"What kind of lead is this!"

The leading old man shook his head and said, "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, looked at the Buddha statue, and a ghostly light flickered in his eyes, "News came a few days ago that Zhao Zhao Changsheng really does have a problem; he is the reincarnation of the Great Song Ghost Sect leader."

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

"The Southwest is in chaos, and the world is difficult; this is the time for us to spread our teachings..."

…………

Before dawn, the Shen residence became lively.

The main gate of the Shen residence opened, and numerous servants swarmed out, setting up stoves outside and placing large iron pots on them to start cooking.

At the same time, the old steward also led people to knock on doors house by house.

"The Second Young Master has returned to handle the funeral for the Master. There is food from the large pots outside the residence. Anyone who goes to help these days will be fed until full..."

"The Second Young Master is benevolent and says the Shen family cannot do without all of you. Rest assured, the compensation for your family members will not be a single copper short, and the kiln 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 everything arranged, the village immediately gained vitality.

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

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

The second update will be later.

(End of chapter)