Sha Lifei whispered, "Brother Yan, listening to that old monk, it seems the tomb is not simple. Should we go take a look?"
Li Yan shook his head and said, "Since it is not simple, there will definitely be danger inside. Besides, even if there are any valuables, they will surely belong to Baotong Zen Temple. We need not join the crowd."
Saying this, he stood up, walked to the bed, and took out a piece of at covered with white fur from his package, "This is the ’mangyus’ at. Please have soone from the Shen Family send a ssage to Mr. Lin at Wenjin Academy to let his family co retrieve it."
With the Dragon Boat Festival over, Mr. Lin had already returned to Wenjin Academy with his disciples. The place was a bit far, and it was already fortunate that they had found the item, there was no need to run back and forth.
"That’s true."
Sha Lifei nodded in agreent.
...
In the following days, everything was calm.
Near Baihe Bay, the official road was all under martial law by the soldiers of the court guard, forbidding outsiders to enter. What happened inside, no one knew.
Unknowingly, the day of the burial arrived.
It was not yet dawn, and the Shen Family was already brightly lit.
From top to bottom, the Shen Family all wore white mourning clothes and tied hemp ropes around their waists. Under the direction of Wang Daoxuan, they prepared for the burial.
In front of the coffin in the mourning hall, Wang Daoxuan, dressed in a Yin Yang Taoist robe, swung his horsetail whisk and cried out, "Filial sons and grandsons, see the deceased."
This was done before sealing the coffin to allow the relatives a final farewell.
Even though they had beco accustod to these days, at this mont, Shen Jinghong and the relatives still felt the grief rising from their hearts, crying and weeping bitterly.
Inside the coffin, the face of old Master Shen and Shen’s eldest son were both covered with a layer of white paper, only revealing the eyes and nostrils, resembling a mask.
This was a local custom, intended to prevent other wandering ghosts in the underworld from recognizing the deceased due to past grievances.
As they grieved, several n with coffin nails stepped forward, trying to push the relatives away, while Shen Jinghong and the others wailed loudly in resistance.
After a struggle, they were finally restrained by the servants.
The n then covered the coffin, took out long coffin nails, and swung their hamrs, thudding down.
"Dad, eldest brother, dodge a bit!"
"Father, grandpa, dodge a bit!"
The relatives’ tears flowed as they kept crying out.
This was the custom; it ant nothing to outsiders, but for the family, each strike felt like it hit their own hearts, marking a complete separation between the living and the dead.
The porters were already prepared; first, children and won were invited to sit on the carrying poles to "suppress the dragon poles," followed by eight strong n pressing down together.
Eight people, also known as the Eight Immortals carrying the poles.
Wang Daoxuan took out a pre-prepared death register, read it for a while, and then burned a "path paper," swung his horsetail whisk and cried out, "The deceased are on their way!"
Sixteen porters roared lowly, and the two coffins, one before the other, were lifted from the mourning hall and carried toward the outside of the Shen Family mansion.
The Shen Family’s servants set off firecrackers with a crackling noise, arranging fire paper in a well pattern along the way, anchored by charcoal.
anwhile, Shen Jinghong and other relatives followed, mourning loudly, "Dad, eldest brother, you’re going out, don’t be afraid..."
After leaving the house, the procession changed again.
Shen Jinghong carried a white flag leading the way; the son of Shen’s eldest son held the incense burner, while the others carried mourning sticks, with the altar tent accompanying.
Wang Daoxuan walked at the forefront, scattering Paper Money while crying out, "The sun rises in Fusang and turns in the east, the remains are gathered in a treasure box, eight vajra join forces, gently sending it to the Five Spirits Palace..."
Every ti he scattered, the accompanying drums and gongs sounded, singly, not doubly.
The people of Shen Family Plain ca out to see them off, so rembering the goodness of old Master Shen during his life, couldn’t help but quietly wipe their tears.
The funeral procession scattered Paper Money all the way, placing "road sacrifices" at each corner, stopping and starting, until they reached the hills behind.
The Fengshui of the Shen Family burial site was quite favorable, sitting high with a view overlooking the landscape of Shen Family Plain.
The grave pit had already been dug. Wang Daoxuan jumped down, scattered cereals, and threw down a large amount of Paper Money to burn, which was called "warming the well."
Next, Wang Daoxuan took out a copy of the land deed, pinched a talisman, and chanted.
This was a copy of the burial site’s deed, signifying that henceforth the place had an owner, and wandering ghosts were not allowed to disturb it.
After burning the land deed and waiting for the flas in the pit to extinguish, a group of bearers carefully placed the coffin into the grave.
Next was the sealing of the grave.
As the coffin was slowly buried, Shen Jinghong and the relatives cried as though their lives depended on it.
After the burial rites had concluded, there followed another round of burning Paper Money, paper figurines, and paper horses, with wreaths and funerary staffs and guiding flags—all were reduced to ashes in the flas.
According to the local customs, new graves wouldn’t bear a stele until a year had passed, markers would be added in the second year, and a stele would be erected in the third year.
Given the financial capability of the Shen Family, there would undoubtedly be a stele with visible dates and hidden fortunes.
After the hustle, the sun had just begun to rise in the distance.
The funeral procession departed slowly, leaving only the drifting dust and paper ashes.
Upon returning to the Shen Family’s large estate, the servants had already prepared a feast, inviting those who had helped to dine.
Shen Jinghong, pale-faced, had toasted a few cups of wine before retreating to the main hall, staring at the empty hall, thinking of the departed and realizing that from now on, he alone must shoulder the burden of the family, and was secretly heartbroken.
As for Li Yan, Sha Lifei, and others, they continued to feast.
They had already attended several such funerals with Wang Daoxuan and were accustod to the partings of life and death, drinking wine when they should drink, and eating at when they should eat.
But in the midst of the al, Li Yan hurriedly stood up.
He saw in the distance at the road junction, a group of about a dozen people approaching led by Cheng Jue, with Mr. Lin and two old Confucian Scholars by his side.
Behind them were entirely soldiers from the garrison.
"Greetings to Master Cheng Jue."
Li Yan bowed his hands, then looked towards the side, "Mr. Lin, you could have sent a servant, why did you co in person?"
It was not surprising for Cheng Jue to co, as there were certainly matters he needed to inquire about, but what was Mr. Lin doing here with a group of Confucian Scholars?
"There are too many prying eyes, let’s talk inside."
Mr. Lin’s eyes were full of excitent, yet he said no more.
Once inside, Shen Jinghong hurriedly ca out to pay his respects.
Though he was a local magnate, he never had the chance to curry favor with esteed figures like the old masters from the Wenjin Academy or the monks from the Baotong Zen Temple, who held much higher statuses than him.
Of course, he knew they must have important matters to discuss, and after ushering them into a large room, he prepared to leave.
"Are you Young Master Shen?"
Cheng Jue suddenly called out to him with a grave tone, "I have co to inform you of another matter, your uncles and male relatives have all been murdered by demons."
"To prevent any further mischief, their bodies must be cremated, and soone will deliver the ashes to your house later."
"What?!"
Shen Jinghong stood in shock as if struck by lightning.
He had only wanted to chase away the mbers of the second and third branches to prevent the downfall of the entire family, but he had never intended them to lose their lives.
Upon seeing this, Li Yan knew what he was thinking and shook his head seriously, "This matter is not related to you, that Shen Jingcan had already conspired in secret with the Maitreya Sect, they would have taken those things from you either way."
"Ensnared by greed, they could not escape this calamity!"
Shen Jinghong, his face deathly pale, clenched his teeth and bowed, "I ask that this matter be kept secret for now, my grandmother cannot bear it, and neither can my family."
"Alright."
Li Yan nodded, agreeing imdiately.
Shen Jinghong was indeed clever; revealing this news would strike another blow to the Shen Family since, after all, the mbers of the second and third branches were still family.
An entire generation passing away under mysterious circumstances would inevitably stir up idle gossip.
Returning to his room, Li Yan imdiately took out the "Mizuchi" at and said to Mr. Lin with a smile, "Master, I have not dishonored your trust. However, whether it will work remains uncertain."
"Thank you, Young Hero Li!"
Mr. Lin quickly stood up, respectfully bowed his hands, and then, hands trembling, took the "Mizuchi" at, recalling the difficult years, and his old tears flowed freely.
He was advanced in years, and his only concern was for his younger son; with this substance, the illness could be cured, at the very least allowing him to live as an ordinary man.
"Hahaha, what wonderful news, why such emotion, Brother Lin."
One of the old Confucian Scholars chuckled and stroked his beard.
Li Yan then turned to Cheng Jue and asked lowly, "Master Cheng Jue, did those people succeed?"
Cheng Jue’s eyes were solemn as he nodded his head.
Li Yan felt a chill rise within him, "How is that possible, didn’t you stop them?"
Cheng Jue shook his head, "We only found the altar, everyone was dead, the true arrival of those forces was not within the tomb..."
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