Volume One: The Rise of the Useless—Blazing Demon-Slaying Chapter Sixty-One: The Coffin Holds Secrets, Array Set to Slay the Corpse

Lu Qichang had not yet returned; the woods on that side were quite distant and would likely take some time. Yang Chengzi instructed Chang Yu to stand aside while he pressed close to the coffins, studying them intently. This time, he examined every detail, leaving no crack uninspected. He scrutinized every part except the bottom and the interior of the coffins.

He had found the two coffins peculiar, though he didn’t want to meddle in others’ business. The cawing of the crows might not even be related to these coffins. Only after performing the ritual and divination could he know for certain. With Lu Qichang still absent, he decided to take a closer look—and indeed, he discovered something unusual. At first glance, the coffins appeared black, like any other, coated with dark lacquer. Yet upon closer inspection, faint patterns showed through the lacquer. Drawing on his experience, Yang Chengzi concluded that the coffins had been inscribed with talismans before being painted. As for what type of talisman, he couldn’t tell at once, but talismans inscribed on coffins were typically used to suppress corpses; other types would be rare.

Having spotted a clue, Yang Chengzi’s curiosity grew. He circled the coffins, inspecting the nails. Ordinarily, coffin nails could be bought at the coffin shop, and anyone who could afford a coffin wouldn’t skimp on nails. The nails were all forged by the blacksmith in the usual style, with little variation. At a glance, these nails looked much the same.

After several rounds, he noticed each coffin had two rows of seven nails—fourteen in total. The fourth nail in each row was darker than the others; four nails in all, each distinctly deeper in color. Normally, coffin nails forged in the same batch should be identical in appearance. The difference here was unlikely to be coincidence. Wiping away the dust and mud, he found these four nails were made of different material than the rest. Yang Chengzi pondered this silently.

Just then, Lu Qichang came running from afar, panting, “Senior brother, my apologies for the wait. About seven or eight miles into the woods, there’s a small hill with water nearby—a place with auspicious geomancy, an excellent spot. Have you found a suitable location?”

“I have, but I fear neither of our chosen spots is fit to bury these two coffins,” Yang Chengzi replied.

Lu Qichang was puzzled. “Why do you say that, senior brother? Is there something wrong with these coffins?”

Yang Chengzi frowned, “I keep feeling these two coffins are unusual. I made several rounds before, saw nothing amiss. But while you were gone, I examined them closely—pressed up against them. Do you know what I found?”

Lu Qichang glanced at the coffins and shook his head.

“Beneath the lacquer, there are talismans drawn on the coffins,” Yang Chengzi said.

Lu Qichang was startled. “Talismans? You mean the coffins were inscribed with talismans before being painted?”

“I don’t yet know exactly which talismans, but there are only a few types typically drawn on coffins.”

Lu Qichang was somewhat at a loss. Though an outer disciple, he had handled many interments. Aside from the skills he learned at Maoshan, such as geomancy and divination, he had also studied the art of talisman-making. Based on ancient texts and various records, he had learned the kinds of talismans that might be drawn on coffins—usually to ward off corpses or dispel evil. Regardless of type, ordinary bodies generally didn’t require such measures. He swallowed nervously.

Yang Chengzi continued, “It’s not just the talismans. The coffin nails are problematic too—the fourth nail in each row is made of a different material, likely not ordinary iron.”

Lu Qichang grew anxious, gripping Yang Chengzi’s hand. “Senior brother, are we about to dig up something dreadful?”

Yang Chengzi only frowned at him, not answering. Seeing his expression, Lu Qichang knew the matter was far from simple. He recalled the incessant cawing of crows earlier, and his heart sank. It seemed there was no need for further divination; trouble was almost certainly connected to these coffins—or to the corpses within.

On the spot, Lu Qichang suggested, “Why not, while the sun is high, pile up some firewood and burn them—end it once and for all?”

Yang Chengzi shook his head, somewhat helpless. “We don’t know the condition of the remains inside. If there’s a serious problem, a fire might not solve it. Worse still, burning the coffins would destroy the talismans that suppress the corpses. Though these beings fear sunlight, they can’t be dispatched so easily. If they escape and harm people, the situation could quickly spiral out of control.”

At this, Lu Qichang dared not think further; his hands began to tremble. He knew all too well what Yang Chengzi meant by ‘spiral out of control.’

The two villagers keeping watch over the coffins were so frightened they tried to flee, only to be called back by Lu Qichang.

Chang Yu, anxious at the side, said, “Why not just bury them again right here? They were fine before, so re-burying them shouldn’t cause any trouble, right?”

Yang Chengzi shook his head, sighing. “Now that the coffins have been exposed to the sun, the corpses charged with yin energy will react. Corpse energy will grip the coffin lid tightly—even if you pry up the nails, the lid won’t open. In other words, the corpses may already be reacting; even if we bury them deep tonight, they may still escape.”

He sighed again. “Such is fate. Of all the vast wasteland, why dig right here? It seems Heaven wants us to resolve this, lest they harm people in the future.”

Lu Qichang, anxious, asked, “Senior brother, what should we do now?”

Yang Chengzi looked up at the sun. “Two hours until noon. Fortunately, there’s enough time. We must deal with these coffins properly while daylight lasts. It’s a deserted area—if it were near the village, it’d be much harder. You and the villagers must guard the coffins; no one is to touch them. We’ll return for our tools. To deal with these corpses, yellow talismans and ink lines are best. I’ll consult with the master to see if there’s a simpler method.”

“Alright, senior brother. The yellow talismans and ink lines are on the table in the inner room. Rooster blood is in the bamboo tube; there’s plenty left from the last ritual. We don’t have glutinous rice at home; the village chief will have to fetch some.”

“The talismans and ink lines will suffice. Glutinous rice isn’t much use here. For now, things should remain quiet. Calm the villagers; we’ll prepare and return shortly.”

Yang Chengzi and Chang Yu headed towards Lu Qichang’s home. On the way, Chang Yu asked, “Will the corpses in those coffins really jump out?”

Yang Chengzi didn’t answer directly. “You shouldn’t come with us later. Stay home and help the master look after Chen San. We’ll be back soon.”

Chang Yu pouted, dissatisfied, but still asked curiously, “If they knew the corpses might be trouble, why didn’t they just burn them? Why bury them, leaving problems for future generations?”

Yang Chengzi shook his head, helpless. “Things in this world don’t go as we wish. Take those bodies—everyone knows trouble may arise, yet they’re still buried. Though decades have passed, fate has led us to them. For villagers, burning a corpse means destroying its soul, leaving it unable to reincarnate. Even if that’s only their belief, as long as they think so, they’ll never burn the bodies. That’s why there are Daoists like us—to handle matters bridging life and death.”

Chang Yu was a bit frustrated. Indeed, she’d never heard of burning the dead; every family mourned and buried their loved ones.

“So how do you plan to solve this? Are you sure nothing will happen? I worry about you.” Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head.

Yang Chengzi looked at Chang Yu’s rosy face. “The two of us shouldn’t encounter much danger; don’t worry. If the villagers hadn’t sought our help, the real trouble would have begun.”

Soon, they arrived at Lu Qichang’s house. The master monk was seated cross-legged on a round stool without a back, meditating. Chen San had not yet awakened, and the young men were still absent.

Yang Chengzi explained the situation with the coffins. The master fingered his string of prayer beads, discussing how to deal with the bodies. Ultimately, Yang Chengzi decided to surround the coffins with a Bagua Qimen formation, preventing anything inside from escaping during the ritual.

With the Bagua Qimen formation, he could temporarily confine the threat. At noon, he would use talisman arrays to probe the first coffin. If the corpse had indeed absorbed yin energy and become a zombie, it could not be allowed to remain. He would use yellow talismans and the Shangqing sword to destroy it. If not, the bodies would be properly re-interred in the auspicious burial ground, bringing blessings to their descendants.

The master had wanted to accompany them, but the path was remote, his injured leg had not yet healed, and Chen San was still unconscious, requiring vigilance against evildoers. Thus, he stayed behind. Chang Yu, reluctant, was also left at home, muttering and grumbling, hugging Yang Chengzi tightly before letting go after a few comforting words.

The master watched, shaking his head in puzzlement at Yang Chengzi’s thoughts.

Yang Chengzi entered the inner room to check on Chen San, who was still sleeping like a dead pig. At least, he wasn’t foaming at the mouth, and his complexion had improved. Sensing no activity from the demon, and knowing the little fox and Wan’er had enough spiritual energy to maintain the seal, he went to the table to find Lu Qichang’s yellow talismans. He found a stack of talismans and, dipping a brush in rooster blood, began drawing talismans to dispel evil and pacify souls—both specifically effective against zombies. Regardless of necessity, he prepared as many as possible.

He then mixed rooster blood and ink, pouring it into the ink line box for use in arranging the formation. On the way, Yang Chengzi had noticed several wild peach trees near Lu Qichang’s house, still bearing fruit. He cut two peach wood sticks the size of his arm, sharpening one end for emergencies. Having finished his preparations, he set out for Lu Qichang’s place.

Upon arrival, Yang Chengzi gave everyone two bamboo tubes of water. Once refreshed, he and Lu Qichang began arranging the Bagua Qimen formation around the coffins.

The area was barren; building the formation required cutting trees. The two villagers soon brought ten or so young men, each with an axe, who chopped down twelve tree trunks from the north and carried them back. By then, Yang Chengzi had already burned the grass around the coffins. Using his compass to calculate directions, he pointed out spots for the villagers to dig and insert the trunks. Within the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, all twelve trunks had been placed around the coffins, covering a substantial area.

The Bagua Qimen formation comprised twelve great arrays, shifting according to the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. Yang Chengzi laid the Qian-Kun Ji-Hai array, which invoked the force of the heavens and earth, capable of breaking through mountains and rivers. For a corpse charged with yin energy, its body was resilient as stone, but this array could exert immense power against it.

Though only twelve trunks were visible in the array, the Qimen and Earthly Branches made it seem endless; only someone who knew the exit could break the formation. The corpses inside the coffins had no intelligence, being mere animated flesh, so breaking the formation was impossible. To prevent them from accidentally stumbling out, Yang Chengzi tied ink lines at the exit point.

These ink lines were particularly effective against zombies. Rooster blood was taken from a male rooster; the black ink was made from soot collected from burning pine branches—a practice followed by all Daoists. It was not enough to use ordinary chicken blood; doing so would bring misfortune, even danger. Both substances contained the essence of the sun, pure yang, which strongly counteracted the corpse’s extreme yin energy. While these items could not destroy zombies, they sufficed to keep them contained.