Chapter 663

"Currently holding a funeral?"

Li Yan's eyes narrowed, "Tell me about this person's situation."

To be honest, he already suspected this kid.

That pattern is used by the Huangquan organization to mark, similar to a thief stepping on a territory; outsiders can't understand it, and once they succeed, they will quickly erase the traces.

Since they are holding a funeral, why would the mark still be left behind?

In addition, the speed at which this kid discovered it was too fast.

These brokers are accustomed to cheating and swindling.

It's also possible that he drew a mark himself to trick him into going there for money...

"Grandpa, how would I dare to deceive you!"

Seeming to see Li Yan's suspicion, Liang Biaozi hurriedly cried out, "I won't hide this from you; I recruited some beggars, providing them with hot sesame seed cakes, to help me run errands and scout for information."

"As long as it's something in Jinmen, I can always get some wind of it. I wasn't at ease with the place they found, so I specifically ran a lap, asked about the background of that family, and it really is a bit strange."

"Oh, tell me about it, how is it strange?"

"That family's surname is Wang, and the head of the family is named Wang Chaoyi. He was originally an old bamboo weaver, and the whole family huddled in a muddy alley, so poor that even rats could starve to death. The whole family had only one pair of cotton trousers; whoever went out in winter wore them."

"But five years ago, this Wang Chaoyi fell seriously ill and died. He was an old man of seventy-five, so it was considered a happy funeral, and the family got a cheap coffin to bury him."

"Who knew, just as the children were crying, the old man slowly came back to life. The Wang family was poor and couldn't take care of him, but they were afraid of neighbors saying they were unfilial, so naturally, they didn't have a good face."

"But after the old man woke up, the Wang family seemed to have turned their luck around. In just half a year, they became rich, eating well and drinking well, bought a large mansion in the South City, and lasted until a few days ago when he suddenly died violently..."

It's someone who returned to life!

Li Yan heard this and was certain in his heart.

This Liang Biaozi is just a chatterbox who likes to add fuel to the fire.

But inadvertently, he revealed important information.

Ordinary people who go to the Netherworld Yin-Department, even if they remember nothing, will awaken supernatural powers similar to cursing people or communicating with ghosts and gods because their souls are invaded by evil spirits.

But this power must have a price.

The soul is invaded by evil spirits and will gradually become bloodthirsty, turning into an evil thing.

Sometimes, the Living Yin Messenger doesn't need to take action, and they will be discovered and beheaded by sorcerers because of their evil deeds.

"Let's go, take me to see..."

…………

Twilight fell, and the city was floating with the scent of reeds from the Sanchahe mouth.

Li Yan followed Liang Biaozi into the South Gate Main Street.

On both sides of the blue-brick-paved alley, rows of small shops built in the early years of the Great Xuan were crowded together, with faded words like "Dunren Lane" and "Shude Ward" remaining on the lintels.

"Jinmen has a large population, and the wealthy and noble all live in the Beicheng."

Liang Biaozi introduced while walking: "We have an old saying in Jinmen, 'Hai River water, flowing around the city, eight great families in the north of the city, wealth does not last three generations.' It means that Jinmen's time is short, and the eight richest families in the north of the city are almost all salt merchants and grain merchants, but they rise and fall, and none have been rich for three generations."

"But there are many people in Jinmen, and ordinary people can't afford large, quiet mansions. If they are just slightly wealthy, they can only squeeze together with the shops on the street..."

"Here we are, that's the family!"

His words were indeed correct; the Wang family mansion was sandwiched between a pawnshop and a mutton shop.

It was already evening, there were fewer people on the street, and the surrounding shops were closing.

Under the porch of the Wang family, the white gauze lantern hanging there was spun by the draft, revealing the newly painted vermilion lacquer on the door panels.

This is an old custom; Jinmen people are particular about using "pure red thick material" to repaint door panels from the Sanyi Public Paint Shop when holding a funeral.

Li Yan glanced at the old tree outside the Wang family mansion.

In the dark part of the tree branches, the mark of the Huangquan organization was clearly drawn with ink.

Crooked and intersecting with the tree's texture.

If one didn't pay attention, one wouldn't be able to discover it at all.

"Grandpa Li, there must be a problem with this family!"

Liang Biaozi glanced at it a few more times and said very affirmatively.

"How so?" Li Yan inquired.

"Simple, look at that."

Liang Biaozi pointed to a water channel outside the Wang family door, "Although I don't understand Feng Shui, I often help people find houses and act as a middleman, so I know some taboos."

"The spirit shed shouldn't face the water ditch; Jinmen elders taboo this 'evil spirit rushing from the dark ditch' the most."

The two hid by the official ditch stone at the corner of the alley across the street, just able to see the Wang family gate.

Through the crack in the gate, they could see the reed mat shed temporarily built in the Wang family courtyard.

The shed was facing the opening of the dark channel built with blue stone strips.

Li Yan could even smell a salty, fishy smell of river water rising up.

"Thank you!"

Li Yan nodded and casually threw out a few taels of silver.

"Alas, this..."

Liang Biaozi was full of joy; he had already been given a reward before, but he didn't expect there to be a bonus.

"Then Grandpa, you go ahead, I'll leave first."

He was very sensible, knowing that Li Yan giving money meant he wanted him to leave.

Anyway, this job was easy and paid well, and he didn't want to cause more trouble.

As for whether Li Yan was robbing or killing, he would pretend to be confused afterward.

After he left, Li Yan flashed into the dark alley to wait peacefully.

This time, he was the only one who came out.

After all, Tianjin Guard has a large population, so being alone is more convenient.

Not long after, the sky turned completely dark.

Except for a wine shop that was still lit, the rest of the street was closed.

Li Yan hid in the dark alley, pinched the seal with his left hand, flicked his little finger, and several paper dolls flew out from his waist, circling him. Following the chanting of the "Northern Emperor Mysterious Water Escape" spell, a cold wind suddenly rose around him, and his figure quickly disappeared.

A gust of wind blew through the night, and Li Yan was already standing on the Wang family wall.

He lowered his body and looked down.

Although this Wang family is not a wealthy family, it is a regular courtyard house with three courtyards.

The blue-tiled gatehouse was carved with the four characters "Harmonious Neighborhood," and a blue and white fish tank was placed in front of the shadow wall, with a few red lion-head fish swimming happily inside, showing a bit of elegance.

The spirit hall was set up in the front courtyard, and the coffin was covered with a brocade quilt with the "Wan" character.

Three children wearing hemp and filial piety knelt on the cushions. There was a filial son burning paper money in the fire basin, and beside him, a monk was invited, knocking on a wooden fish, eyes slightly closed, chanting scriptures.

It looked no different from an ordinary family holding a funeral.

However, Li Yan could clearly find the problem.

In front of the coffin, three golden-lacquered chopsticks were inserted into the inverted rice on the Eight Immortals table.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan had handled no shortage of funerals, and they also understood many rules.

This is a common custom in funerals, the so-called "Incense and candle offerings for the dead soul, grain storage and funeral basin. The Five Emperors bestow the inverted rice, three pillars stand in the middle."

Three chopsticks inserted into the inverted rice represent the three talents of heaven, earth, and man, symbolizing that the food in the world of the living is exhausted.

But usually, the chopsticks on the inverted rice should be wrapped with cotton.

The taboo of this thing is "Three sticks of incense at the head, chopsticks do not touch gold."

Anyone who knows a little bit wouldn't do this.

And the layout of this coffin and the Eight Immortals table doesn't look like a spirit hall, but rather like a woodblock print of the Yin-Department judging a case.

And those filial sons and grandsons had no sadness on their faces, only fear and worry.

"Big brother, do you think this matter is over?"

"How would I know? The old man is already dead, and those people should stop."

"I'm afraid they won't keep their word."

"Don't be afraid, I have arrangements. After burying the old man, our family will immediately take a ship to Jiangzhe, stay for a few years, and come back after the wind blows over."

"What about the property in the city..."

"At this time, how can we care about that? Anyway, what the old man left behind is more than just this."

Listening to their conversation, Li Yan was thoughtful.

This Wang family really has a problem; they seem to be targeted?

Thinking of this, Li Yan immediately pinched the Yang-seal.

The smell and ear supernatural powers were activated simultaneously to perceive.

As soon as he smelled it, he frowned.

From inside the coffin came a foul, rotten smell.

This is not a corpse that has been dead for just a few days. Although lime and a large amount of spices were used to cover it up, for him, the smell was still clearly distinguishable, and there was a strong smell of urine.

Only old people who have been bedridden for a long time and have had urinary incontinence for a long time have this smell.

Living dead!

Li Yan immediately understood the reason, and his eyes became cold.

After the old man returned to life, he didn't know what kind of supernatural power he awakened, which brought wealth to the Wang family, but his flesh was old and had long since decayed and died, so he could only use a large amount of preservatives.

This is a desperate pain, watching one's own flesh rot step by step.

Ordinary people would have long since collapsed and committed suicide.

That old man could hold on for five years, which is estimated to be the work of these "filial sons and grandsons."

The question is, who taught them these methods?

Just then, Li Yan frowned and looked outside the wall.

Only to see three men walking down the street in the moonlight, swaying their shoulders.

The short and sturdy man leading them was wrapped in indigo coarse cloth short jacket, his collar crooked, revealing a wave tattoo, a straw rope tied messily around his waist with an ebony opium pipe, and the six-harmony cap he wore had long been soaked yellow by oil and sweat.

Li Yan had seen many on the road; this is the most typical attire of the "Guohuo" in Jinmen.

"Guohuo" is a Jinmen dialect, meaning "eating from the same pot."

The street ruffians and vagrants in Jinmen live and eat together, called "Guohuo."

As a grain transport hub and commercial center, Tianjin Guard has attracted a large number of mobile populations over the years.

Coolies, bankrupt farmers, deserters, etc., are everywhere. Too lazy to suffer and earn those few coppers, they gather to do evil, blackmail, and extort.

Shameless and difficult to deal with, yet fierce and not afraid of death, is the characteristic of this group of people.

Thump!

The three of them kicked open the Wang family gate and walked into the courtyard, swaying.

"What... what are you doing?"

The short and sturdy ruffian stuttered a bit, his neck horizontal as he glared, "Taking... taking a broken string of prayer beads, you dare to eat for free in our Jinghai Gang's territory?!"

The monk was just an ordinary monk and shivered in fright.

He looked toward the back for help, but the Wang family was already pale and retreated repeatedly.

Jinghai Gang? Interesting...

Li Yan's eyes narrowed, seeing the trick.

On the way here, the Cao Gang disciple said that the Jinghai Gang has the greatest power in Jinmen, not only controlling the pier but also subduing all the "Guohuo" in Tianjin Guard.

The opium pipe at the short and sturdy man's waist still carried the smell of opium.

And the Wang family clearly knew these few Guohuo from the Jinghai Gang.

"Get... get out!"

The short and sturdy ruffian slapped the monk away, and his two followers blocked the door frame behind him.

The one with missing teeth on the left picked up the copper chime and weighed it, and the scar-faced one on the right had his short jacket open, revealing three old knife scars like centipedes on his ribs, touching the hilt of the knife at his waist with a malicious look.

The middle-aged man leading the Wang family cupped his hands with a bitter face: "Brother Wu, didn't that Mr. Zhou say that after finishing the matter, we would be even? He..."

Before he finished speaking, he was pushed away by the short and sturdy ruffian.

This person walked up to the coffin, took out the pipe head from his waist, and knocked on the nanmu coffin board with a bang, shaking the candle flame on the altar, and said in a weird tone: "Old Master Wang, this coffin you are lying in was obtained by our gang."

Saying that, he scooped off a piece of lacquer skin and crushed it in his hand,

"The rosewood material, the Sanyi Public paint, haven't been settled yet!"

His words were pure nonsense, but the middle-aged man leading the Wang family understood immediately and hurriedly ran into the room, bringing out a small black box. After opening it, it was ten ingots of gleaming white silver.

"Brother Wu, I'll settle it for you right now."

"Yo, the Wang... Wang family is indeed rich and imposing..."

The short and sturdy ruffian nodded with satisfaction and gave a wink, letting his subordinates collect the things.

However, after extorting a sum of money, he didn't rush to leave, but slapped the middle-aged man's face with his palm, saying: "I... I heard you found a ship and want to leave?"

The middle-aged Wang man shivered and didn't dare to speak.

"Tsk tsk."

The short and sturdy ruffian slapped the middle-aged man's face until it was red, and sneered: "This... this Tianjin Guard is so good, don't... don't leave, be careful of feeding... feeding the turtles on the way!"

The middle-aged man was full of grief and indignation, and couldn't help saying: "Mr. Zhou promised..."

Slap!

Before he finished speaking, he was slapped fiercely.

"Scaring... scaring me?!"

The short and sturdy ruffian glared, "Truth... truth be told, that guy surnamed Zhou is already dead!"

Having said that, he led his subordinates away triumphantly.

When leaving, the scar-faced Guohuo suddenly turned around and revealed a ferocious smile: "We'll come again tomorrow. You Wang family are not short of money. From now on, the brothers' meals will trouble you to take care of, hahaha..."

After the three left, the Wang family all sat on the ground, pale and lost.

"Big brother, how did they know?"

"Needless to say, we were sold..."

"Then what should we do?"

Before the words were finished, everyone widened their eyes.

Only to see mist surging in the courtyard, revealing a figure, it was Li Yan.

Clang!

A woman just wanted to scream, but was pressed against the throat by Li Yan's blade.

"I ask, you answer. If anyone dares to hide half a word, none of you will live!"

Li Yan's murderous intent was like substance, and the Wang family didn't dare to hide anything, telling the whole story one by one.

It turned out that after their old man returned to life, he probably awakened the intent supernatural power, often dreaming of turning into a fish swimming in the Sanchahe.

Grain transport in Jinmen is developed and there are often floods, so I don't know how many shipwrecks there are. The old man relied on this ability to control fish to find gold and silver jewelry from shipwrecks, and the Wang family was also good at management, bought a storefront, and gradually became rich.

However, the old man also became more and more strange.

He feared light and didn't see people, his body was foul-smelling, and he liked to eat raw flesh and blood.

The Wang family was afraid, so they wanted to find a sorcerer to drive away the evil.

Who knew that the sorcerer surnamed Zhou didn't take action after coming to the door, but taught them a secret method to refine corpse oil to help the old man preserve his body, and then made a mark on the tree branch at the door.

They didn't know what happened in between.

They only knew that since then, Mr. Zhou had been living in their house, and people from the Jinghai Gang had been coming and going, ambushing nearby, not knowing who they were dealing with.

"Oh, right!"

The eldest son of the Wang family suddenly said: "Just a few days ago, Mr. Zhou caught an old fortune-teller and locked him in the woodshed, forcing the old man to write a letter to Cangzhou. The old man refused, but was tortured by him for several days before he wrote the letter."

"Since then, Mr. Zhou left our house, saying it was the last time."

Listening to these words, Li Yan understood the reason instantly.

This is a trap aimed at the Huangquan organization!

The Huangquan organization has fallen apart, and its members are scattered all over the place.

Such an obvious target can naturally attract many Living Yin Messengers.

Thinking of this, Li Yan could no longer hide his murderous intent.

"Do you know who he wrote the letter to in Cangzhou?"

"I haven't seen it, but I vaguely heard them say it was someone surnamed 'Wu'..."

(End of chapter)