Volume Two: An Eventful Autumn, A Series of Twists and Turns. Chapter 126: Opening the Coffin with a Yellow Talisman, A Pit of Corpses at the Tomb's Base.

Under the moonlight, Yang Chengzi and Chen San had waited all afternoon. Night finally fell, and the streets grew quiet. It didn't strictly matter how many people were about, but Chen Xin’s point was well-taken: Yang Chengzi wasn't sure what they would find in the old man's grave, and since it was close to town, it was safer to work when fewer people were around in case something went wrong.

Carrying their bundles and two iron shovels, the pair headed toward the grave. Chang Yu had wanted to come along, but Yang Chengzi was firm in refusing to let her get involved, and the two girls ultimately stayed behind.

Both men felt an inexplicable sense of unease. A lingering premonition that something was about to happen kept them tossing and turning in their beds earlier that day.

After pushing aside the tombstone and digging for a while, a sharp "thud" echoed as Chen San’s shovel struck the coffin lid, nearly startling him into dropping his tool. Yang Chengzi gestured for him to wait, carefully scraping the soil off the lid with his shovel before they both stepped back.

Chen San swallowed hard, his heart racing. A layer of blood-red baleful energy swirled above the coffin lid like steam rising from a bun.

Yang Chengzi tapped Chen San’s arm. "Go on, look and see if the baleful energy is spilling out. If I’m not mistaken, this old man has turned into a baleful spirit."

"A baleful spirit? You—you’re not trying to scare me, are you? Should I try a spirit-summoning incantation? I—I don’t know how to fight those things!"

"Can you be any more cowardly? I’m right here, aren't I? What are you rushing for? Just take a look first."

Chen San peered timidly at the coffin. "It’s there, it’s there! It’s rising just like steam from a bun."

"Why are you always thinking about food? Even when digging up a coffin, you think of steamed buns. I..."

"Forget about me! What do we do now? Should we set up a protective formation? I don’t think we should open the coffin; I’m afraid I can’t handle it."

"I have the Qian-Tian Formation. If it’s a physical corpse-man, it won’t be much trouble. If it really is a baleful spirit, I’ll just cut it down with my Shangqing sword."

"Then—then you open the coffin! I won’t do it. You talk big, but if I open it and you run away, who am I supposed to complain to?"

"Look at your lack of backbone. When have you ever seen me run?"

"People change! Regardless, you open it. I don’t have a Qian-Tian Formation. If you can’t handle it, I’ll consider the spirit-summoning incantation."

"Fine, fine. I know what you’re like. I wasn't planning on having you open it anyway. I brought equipment."

Yang Chengzi pulled a stack of yellow talismans from his bundle. Chen San leaned in, but in the moonlight, the crooked, squiggly scripts meant nothing to him; he was just staring blankly.

"What are you taking those out for? You’re not trying to grant him salvation, are you?"

"Taoists from Maoshan and Longhushan can control talismans once they reach the Great Achievement stage, though the formations differ. Maoshan’s yellow talismans can be used to pry open a coffin."

"Opening a coffin with yellow talismans? Who are you trying to fool? If you used enough of them to burn the coffin to ash, I might believe you."

"I love how you act so ignorant. Keep your eyes peeled and watch closely. Get back so you don’t get hit by the baleful energy."

Before Yang Chengzi could finish, Chen San had already ducked behind a large tree, poking his head out to watch the spectacle. Yang Chengzi shook his head in disgust, thinking that the fellow was truly afraid of death. He couldn't blame him, though; without the cultivation of arts or movement techniques, even a brave man would feel out of his depth in such a situation.

Yang Chengzi knelt before the coffin, sensing the soil and the wood with his palm. Just as Chen San had said, baleful energy was continuously leaking out.

Feeling more confident, he stood up and cast the yellow talismans into the air. As they fluttered and danced against the sky, Yang Chengzi closed his eyes. In that moment, he sensed all thirty-two "Spirit-Breaking Talismans" within his consciousness. Not one was out of place. His body glowed with golden light as he channeled his soul energy through his fingers.

*Thump, thump, thump.* A series of sounds erupted, and Chen San witnessed an incredible sight. The yellow talismans, flying through the air like hidden weapons, struck the coffin with such force that they pierced through the thick wood as if it were paper.

Yang Chengzi opened his eyes, staring at the coffin in confusion, silent for a long time. Seeing him motionless, Chen San approached, craning his neck to look at the riddled coffin.

"Your talismans are truly impressive! They pierced such thick wood. I’m impressed, truly. But you’ve turned the old man’s house into a sieve—aren't you afraid he’ll come looking for you tonight?"

"I am afraid. But not that he’ll come looking for me—I’m afraid he won't."

"What does that mean?"

"The coffin is already full of white bones. There’s no baleful spirit here!"

"None? Then what was that blood-red mist I saw?"

"That was baleful energy. I sensed it with my hand just now—it is indeed baleful energy, but it’s not coming from inside the coffin."

Chen San’s eyes widened, and he stammered, "You—you didn't make a mistake, did you? If it’s not in the coffin, then—then it must be underneath it. Should—should we go back to sleep? I didn't sleep well last night, and I’m feeling a bit tired."

"I wish I were wrong, but the Spirit-Breaking Talismans had no reaction inside the coffin. It’s definitely not from within. It’s strange—what exactly is beneath this coffin?"

"Who cares what it is? As long as the old man is fine, let's just cover it with dirt, have them make a new tombstone tomorrow, and be done with it. Why bother with all this?"

"Someone asked for my help, and since I agreed, I must see it through. Besides, I suspect that apart from the Maoshan and Longhushan sects, other practitioners wouldn't be able to handle this."

"You... fine, fine. So what’s the plan?"

"We need to lift the coffin out first."

"Lift it out? Are you crazy? How are two people supposed to lift it?"

"We can’t do it alone, but there is someone who can!"

"Who? The Spirit Tiger? You think it won't crush the old man if it paws at it? Stop joking."

"Wan'er! Don't you remember the spirit stone she has? The one that allows her to control wood!"

"Oh, right, right! That makes sense. And then?"

"Is your brain made of pig iron? Just have Wan'er use the tree roots beneath the coffin to hoist it up!"

The realization struck Chen San, and he nodded with a fawning smile. "Sister Wan'er... could you perhaps lend us a hand and lift the coffin out?"

"I will try."

The sudden, gentle voice behind Chen San startled him, and he looked at Chen Wan'er with a bit of embarrassment. She drifted in front of him, focusing intently on the coffin.

A creaking sound filled the air as the coffin began to rise. Thick tree roots, moving like massive serpents, forced their way up, lifting the coffin before depositing it to the side with a heavy thud. The roots then retreated back into the earth.

Just as Chen San was about to offer some flattery, Chen Wan'er said coldly, "There seem to be many bones underneath. The roots crushed quite a few as they came up."

"Bones?" Chen San and Yang Chengzi asked in unison.

"I am not certain, but it is highly likely."

Yang Chengzi frowned. "If there are many bones, this might be a mass grave."

Chen San looked at him, surprised. "What is a mass grave? Isn't a graveyard just a place where you bury the dead?"

"That’s true, but the mass grave I’m talking about is not the same thing."

"I don't understand. Explain."

"The mass grave I mean is a place where many, many people died and were tossed into a giant pit together."

"A giant pit? Buried together?"

"Yes. There are records of this happening in past dynasties, and who knows how many more went unrecorded."

"Did so many people die from a plague?"

"Not necessarily. Natural disasters, man-made calamities, the cruelty of tyrants, or demonic interference—any of those could be the cause."

"So—so what’s the situation here?"

"After we removed the coffin, the baleful energy beneath the ground only increased. If this were demonic interference, the souls would likely have been scattered, leaving no baleful energy behind. This is likely the result of man-made calamity or a tyrant’s rule. To know for sure, we have to see what kind of 'big guy' is buried down there."

"A 'big guy'? How do you know it’s something big?"

"Use your head. What use are bones? They can't become spirits on their own. There’s either baleful energy or a corpse-man down there. If it were a spirit, it would have come out already—this grave mound couldn't contain it. It’s most likely a corpse-man, and since it has absorbed so much baleful energy, it’s probably on the verge of becoming a Corpse-Demon."

"You—you aren't planning on going down there to find it, are you?"

"I’d like to, but I can't. I’ll have to ask Wan'er to use the roots to drag it up so I can deal with it."

"Forget it! It’s underground—what does it have to do with you? Can't you just relocate the old man's grave and be done with it? Do you really have to dig that thing out?"

"I could have ignored it, but this area seems to have few Taoists. A mere charm-demon has been plaguing this place for decades. If this thing truly turns into a Corpse-Demon and breaks free, this town will be doomed. Since I happened to stumble upon this, do you really think I can just look away?"