Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Breaking the Stalemate

A few younger guys quickly climbed up the nearby trees.The others were instructed to use black dog's blood to completely circle the tomb, about a meter away from the grave mound. Before long, the woodcutters had cut off all the branches that blocked the sunlight. The black dog's blood was spread around the tomb as well.Seeing the sunlight fully illuminate the grave mound, I finally told everyone to start digging the grave.They removed the grave bricks on top of the tomb, and soon exposed the soil layer inside.After more than ten minutes, the pitch-black coffin finally appeared.I told the diggers to put on the masks and gloves we had prepared in advance, and instructed those standing around the grave pit to step back at least ten meters.Tang Tianhai looked puzzled, but obediently stepped back.I put on a mask, stood at the edge of the pit, looked down, and signaled to open the coffin. Several young men started inserting sticks into the coffin's seams and prying it open with force.The coffin had been buried in the soil for nearly half a year. After a burst of prying, we soon heard a cracking sound — the coffin was finally opened.As the coffin was pried open, a faint wisp of green mist drifted out from the seams.The men who pried it open were visibly frightened and hastily jumped out of the pit. I signaled for them to retreat further; this stuff is no joke if inhaled. After the green mist dispersed, I called them back to continue opening the coffin.Tang Tianhai also put on a mask and stood at the edge of the pit, his expression very grim. He wanted to ask something but couldn't bring himself to.With a creaking sound, the coffin lid was fully opened, revealing an old man with eyes wide open in anger, mouth agape, and skin a bluish-green color. It was chilling to see.Tang Tianhai's eyelids twitched wildly; veins bulged on his forehead and cold sweat appeared. His father had died earlier this year; half a year later, the body shouldn't be so decomposed or abnormal. Clearly, something was very wrong."Master Chen, you must save my entire family," Tang Tianhai said with earnest belief in his voice, given the scene before him. He sounded desperate.I waved my hand, "Don't worry. Since I've promised, I will see this through."I took out eight thumb-thick peachwood sticks about three inches long from my bag. These sticks looked plain but weren't ordinary — I had secretly taken them from a century-old peach tree behind the Taoist temple with my master. All of them faced south toward the rising sun. While they might not be effective against evil ghosts, they were more than enough to deal with common restless spirits. Taking out eight at once still made me feel a bit reluctant.I planted the eight peachwood sticks around the grave pit according to the eight trigrams' directions, then told everyone to step back.I sat cross-legged on the ground, formed a hand seal, and began chanting spells. As the incantations flowed from my mouth, the grave pit emitted scratching sounds, as if something was clawing at the coffin boards. My heart trembled; this was harder to deal with than I'd expected. I silently cursed and formed another Taoist hand seal.With my chant speeding up, green smoke poured out from the pit. Sweat beaded on my forehead; lacking experience and practice, I had underestimated this Yin evil feng shui curse, and it was mentally exhausting.We standoffed like this for more than ten minutes; the green smoke finally thinned. Just when I thought the matter was nearly resolved, a sharp, piercing scream came out — like a child crying.I thought to myself, this was the cry of a cat. Cats have nine lives and belong to the Yin nature. Even a corpse without grudges can be affected by cats borrowing their lives.Meanwhile, corpses heavy with resentment attract cats, who feed on the corpse's Yin energy to prolong their own life. If the green-haired restless corpse inside the coffin borrows life from the cats, it would immediately become a zombie. I might not even have the power to subdue it then.I stood up abruptly, squinting at the surroundings. At that moment, I became very serious.Somehow, numerous wild cats had appeared around us. Some stared at us with round eyes from behind nearby tombstones, others arched their backs on tree trunks, all fixated on us."Where did all these wild cats come from?" Tang Tianhai also noticed and furrowed his brows deeper, muttering.I didn't answer but told him to have his men guard the site carefully and make sure no cats come near the grave pit.Tang Tianhai knew the urgency and didn't ask further. He ordered his men to face outward, forming a circle.The Tang family men were all young and vigorous, so the cats probably wouldn't dare act rashly for now.With that thought, I sat cross-legged again.About a minute or two later, a shrill, mournful cry echoed, followed by a series of similar cries that sounded like they were right beside my ears.Then sounds of fighting came from behind — the wild cats had begun attacking.I steadied my mind, forcing myself to stay calm. The more critical the moment, the more I couldn't panic. Once the feng shui curse in the grave broke, the cats wouldn't be so terrifying anymore.With that in mind, I sped up my chanting and kept forming hand seals continuously.Just as I was about to form a new seal, a black cat suddenly lunged forward, aiming directly for the grave pit. I was startled, sensing trouble.Without hesitation, I reached out and grabbed the black cat's hind leg. The cat's forward leap stopped immediately.The black cat was quick to react; it turned its head and looked at me.When its green-glowing eyes met mine, the cat snapped at my hand. I wasn't defenseless; just before its teeth reached me, I swung hard and threw it about seven or eight meters away. The cat's head hit a tombstone and split open.The other cats had been charging forward, but seeing the black cat's gruesome fate, they all stopped and scattered. Soon, peace returned.The Tang family men panted heavily; some had scratches on their faces and arms from cat claws.Tang Tianhai and Old Tang's clothes were torn, looking quite battered."Master Chen, these cats are too fierce — like they're mad," Tang Tianhai said, catching his breath."Looks like that Jin Shunhai has some real skill," I snorted coldly.I told the Tang men to keep guard around the grave; the cats had left for now, but they might come back anytime, so vigilance was essential.I jumped down into the grave pit. The green mist inside had thinned but something still resisted.I circled the coffin and carefully inspected it, finding nothing unusual. As I prepared to get out, my foot hit something. I dug with my foot and realized what it was — a small iron figurine, about the size of a pinky finger, unremarkable and buried in the soil. If I hadn't stepped on it by chance, I wouldn't have noticed it.I bent down to pick it up, but as I lifted it, the coffin suddenly shook violently, as if someone was shaking it.I cursed internally, quickly slapped a talisman onto the coffin, then took out the wooden bowl that the old Taoist who cooked for me had given me and pressed it down over the iron figurine.As soon as the bowl covered the figurine, black smoke rose from underneath, along with agonized cries. The previously shaking coffin stopped moving.Peace quickly returned. At that moment, the dark clouds above dispersed, and the sun's harsh rays spread across the earth.I lifted the bowl — the iron figurine under it had turned into a simple iron lump."When the old Taoist gave me this bowl, I knew it was a treasure; I didn't expect it to be so powerful," I thought, and then teased myself, "This old man is way more generous than my stingy master."I put away the bowl and climbed out of the grave pit.The scorching sun shone directly into Tang family patriarch's grave pit. Under the blazing heat, green smoke and black smoke continued to seep from the pit.After about ten minutes, the corpse energy inside the coffin completely evaporated, and the smoke stopped.Only then did everyone follow me to the edge of the grave pit. The Tang patriarch's body inside the coffin had been charred to a crisp, his features unrecognizable.I finally breathed a long sigh of relief and told Tang Tianhai to cover the coffin and refill the grave mound.Tang Tianhai asked if we needed to relocate the grave. I told him it was not time yet — we needed to wait three years.After the Tang family filled the grave pit, I pointed to several spots around the tomb and told Tang Tianhai to plant trees there. If the trees survive, the grave could be relocated after three years; if not, other methods would be needed. I also told him to find a monk skilled in Taoist rites to perform a proper soul release ceremony for the Tang patriarch.Tang Tianhai nodded and spoke a few words to Old Tang.By the time we came down the mountain, it was getting dark. We'd been busy almost all day without eating. Tang Tianhai generously booked a banquet at the county's best hotel.I've never been picky about food — as long as I'm full, the quality doesn't matter to me.After eating, Tang Tianhai handed me a thick envelope and a square wooden box."Master Chen, this is just a small token. Please don't think it's too little."I smiled, opened the envelope, and saw five stacks of cash inside. I put the envelope back on the table and said, "I've told Old Tang that I have the fate of a scatterer of wealth — money is more a curse than a blessing to me. Please donate this money to charity."Tang Tianhai's expression faltered for a moment, then he laughed and said, "Master Chen, you are a high man; wealth is nothing to you. But please accept this." He pushed the wooden box toward me.Though I hadn't opened the box, I already sensed a strong spiritual aura. Clearly, this was no ordinary item.Opening the box, I was immediately attracted. Inside was a small, ancient-looking compass with four layers. Both its design and material were exquisite and top quality.I felt tempted. Had I had this compass today, breaking the Yin evil feng shui curse wouldn't have been so troublesome.Seeing my interest, Tang Tianhai smiled and said, "A sword is presented to the hero. This item is wasted on me. It belongs with you. To help the Tang family, I lost some spiritual power in the ordeal, as well as eight century-old peachwood sticks. This is our compensation."Without refusing, I accepted it.