466: Chapter 466 There are signs of demonic activity in this place.

At dusk, the sky gradually darkened, and the sunlight was no longer very intense.

The "corpse" lying in the coffin showed no movement at all, and it did not spontaneously combust when exposed to sunlight as depicted in movies.

But even so, it still exuded a disturbing and eerie aura.

This coffin was pitch black throughout, heavy and archaic.

Both the inside and outer walls of the coffin were carved with intricate patterns.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that those patterns were actually tiny incantations, written in ancient, arcane scripts that twisted and intertwined.

There were still some dark red traces lingering within the lines, like an invisible net sealing the object inside the coffin.

Taiwan Novel Network provides a great experience, twkan.com is awesome.

Old Master Chen Hongye, the deceased head of the Chen Family, lay quietly in this coffin.

That was a man with a thin, refined face and deeply outlined facial features.

His full head of white hair was mixed with quite a few pitch-black strands, exuding a bright luster as if they had just grown out of his scalp.

There were pathetically few wrinkles on his face, with only a few yellowish-brown spots scattered on both sides of his cheekbones, making it impossible to tell whether they were corpse spots or age spots.

Furthermore, his skin presented an unnatural ruddy hue, forming a sharp contrast with corpses that never see the light of day year-round.

It was as if Old Master Chen Hongye was merely sleeping deeply inside the outer coffin.

Most terrifyingly, the hands hanging by his sides had nails that were sharp and long, emitting a dark cyan cold light.

That vibrant appearance made it seem as though the next second he would curl his fingertips and grab at the Chen Family servants guarding the side.

Judging solely by appearance, Old Master Chen Hongye was indeed much younger than his recorded age in the files, looking nothing like a man in his seventies.

Fang Cheng gazed at the corpse in the coffin, a faint red glow flashing deep within his pupils.

Within the special perspective of the Scavengers Eye, no abnormal traces worthy of deep investigation were captured.

But he could clearly sense an indescribably filthy aura emanating from this shell.

It was like the decaying aura wrapped around an aged corpse, mixed with a hint of a vibrant scent that did not belong to the dead.

The two auras intertwined together, exuding an indescribable eeriness.

Relying on his extraordinary perception with a spiritual attribute as high as 70 points, Fang Cheng investigated it repeatedly several times.

Still, he failed to find a shred of spiritual body fluctuation within this "corpse".

There was neither the chill of an evil spirit lingering nor the weak consciousness left by a remnant soul.

Its interior was completely hollow, appearing unusually "clean".

It was just like a hollowed-out pouch, or like a black hole capable of devouring all spiritual energy.

However,

the shell itself displayed obvious anomalies; the vibrant vitality revealed by the skin and muscles could be seen by ordinary people with the naked eye.

This sense of anomaly caused Fang Cheng's brows to slightly knit together.

Could it be that the evil spirit had not completely possessed this shell?

Or rather, had it long since detected that its tracks were exposed, choosing to temporarily detach and hide in advance?

Fang Cheng's brows could not help tightening even more.

Neither of these two outcomes was what he expected.

You must know that his true goal was to catch that evil spirit on the spot, force out his uncle's whereabouts, or obtain some valuable clues.

Thoughts spun rapidly through his mind, and Fang Cheng turned his head to look at Pan Wendi, who was also staring at the coffin beside him:

"Is this the corpse without any living person's aura that you mentioned earlier?"

A trace of an awkward smile appeared on Pan Wendi's face as he lowered his voice to defend himself:

"Brother, I really didn't feel this old man breathing at the time."

"The basement was pitch black at that time, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. You couldn't possibly expect me to open the coffin to examine the corpse and touch it with my bare hands, right?"

"Damn, that would be too terrifying!"

As he spoke, his imaginative mind seemed to have already sketched out the picture, and he couldn't help rubbing his arms with both hands, breaking out in goosebumps.

Bailing listened from the side and let out a chuckle of "pfft", covering her mouth as she said:

"Brother Wendi, I think you're quite brave, so how come your gut is as small as mine?"

Lin Chuqiao showed a helpless expression and helped explain:

"My cousin just experienced Awakening of his abilities not long ago, and his spiritual perception is slightly weaker. It is normal for him to be fooled by the mixed appearance of vitality and Death Qi."

Fang Cheng smiled and shook his head, no longer pursuing the matter.

Beside them, the Chen Family servants were busy arranging offerings and handing incense candles to the ritual altar.

Not far away, monks holding Magical Artifacts chanted preparatory scriptures in low voices, checking the ritual procedures.

The preparations for the Dharma assembly were still progressing methodically.

The solemn atmosphere at the scene was slightly eased by the few people's relaxed banter.

Just as they were talking, a noisy sound came from the direction of the main mansion.

Hearing the sound, Fang Cheng immediately turned his head to look.

He saw a large group of people hurrying towards the Dharma assembly site.

Leading the way in front was unexpectedly the butler Li Tiansheng, followed by more than a dozen people, both men and women, who all seemed to be members of the Chen Family.

Most of these Family members were elderly and dressed in traditional attire; at this moment, every single one of them had an ashen face and an angry expression, as if they had witnessed some rebellious and outrageous act.

"Second Young Master Chen Xuan! What on earth are you trying to do?!"

An elderly man with white hair and beard and a thin figure strode forward, pointing at the opened coffin in the center of the open space and sternly questioning.

This person was precisely Chen Dehai, the Elder with the highest seniority in the Chen Family.

"You actually want to carry out your grandfather's outer coffin to be exposed to the sun, and even want to burn it? This is utterly rebellious and a desecration of your ancestors!"

Chen Dehai was furious, his accusations hammering towards Second Young Master Chen Xuan like a string of firecrackers.

"That is right, Second Young Master Chen Xuan, quickly stop! If you anger the ancestral spirits, our Chen Family will suffer retribution!"

"That is your own grandfather's remains, how can you do such an unfilial thing?"

Other Family members followed suit and chimed in, glaring angrily.

Voices of dissatisfaction and reproach rose one after another, stirring the Dharma assembly site like a pot of freshly boiling water.

Second Young Master Chen Xuan's face sank, and seeing Li Tiansheng's cautious expression, he instantly understood something.

Butler Li had indeed gone to leak the news.

Previously, when inviting eminent monks from Cuicheng Temple back to the manor to prepare for the Dharma assembly, Li Tiansheng had tried to dissuade him earnestly upon learning that he was going to take action against his grandfather's corpse in the black building.

But Second Young Master Chen Xuan's mind was made up at the time and he did not listen to the persuasion.

Presumably, the old butler had no other choice and could only run to the Legacy Secret Realm to invite out the older generation of the Family who were in seclusion to Cultivate inside.

Hearing that he actually intended to burn his grandfather's corpse, these Family members hurriedly rushed to Chen Family Manor.

Second Young Master Chen Xuan took a deep breath, and facing everyone's questioning, he tried hard to remain calm:

"Senior Elders, it is not that I insist on desecrating the ancestors, but rather that my grandfather's corpse is truly too bizarre; I'm afraid it has already been possessed by an evil spirit..."

Afterwards, he patiently and concisely recounted the ins and outs of the whole matter clearly.

This included the bizarre phenomenon of Old Master Chen Hongye's corpse not decaying for three years and even becoming younger, as well as the events of Family members encountering misfortune one after another.

The entire narration process incorporated the previous speculations of Fang Cheng, Lin Chuqiao, and others.

"... Now the situation is getting worse and worse, and more and more people are being victimized. Even my grandmother and nephew have been hit by vicious Needle Sorcery, lying in the hospital with their lives hanging by a thread."

"We have reason to suspect that the source of all this lies right inside grandfather's outer coffin—it is that corpse making trouble!"

Second Young Master Chen Xuan's voice gradually rose higher, a burning sense of resolve blazing in his eyes.

"For the peace of the Chen Family and to prevent the tragedy from continuing to happen, I am willing to bear all consequences!"

"If my judgment is wrong and the ancestral spirits want to send down punishment, then all blame and retribution shall be borne by me alone!"

These words resounded with force, carrying a tragic heroism of fighting with one's life on the line, actually stunning Chen Dehai and the other Family members.

They looked at each other in dismay, their faces showing looks of hesitation.

Seeing this, Lin Chuqiao also stepped forward and added in a clear voice:

"Senior members of the Chen Family, what Young Master Chen said is not false."

"According to my research, this phenomenon where the body does not decay after death, or even grows in reverse, is very likely caused by some kind of evil spirit possessing and dwelling within it."

"If this continues for long, not only will more victims appear, but I'm afraid it will also deplete the Luck of the Chen Family's ancestral spirits. By then, the Family Foundation will be damaged, and it will be too late to remedy it!"

Bailing also nodded vigorously, her face full of seriousness:

"Yeah, we saw with our own eyes that there was something wicked in that building, and we almost got killed by the monsters inside..."

She exaggeratedly recounted her "personal experience", and when she uttered the word "monsters", she lowered her voice extremely low, adding a bit more creepiness.

Hearing this, the anger on the faces of the Chen Family members faded significantly, replaced by a deep sense of bewilderment.

One by one, they couldn't help but turn their heads to look at the corpse lying in the coffin.

Looking at the former Family head, Old Master Chen Hongye, who looked significantly younger, undisguised fear leaked from their eyes.

Some even quietly pulled their feet back, clearly spooked by words like "evil spirit" and "monster".

"Amitabha, esteemed donors."

Just as the atmosphere reached an impasse, Great Master Yuanjue, an eminent monk from Cuicheng Temple, spoke up at the opportune moment, solemnly chanting a Buddhist proclamation with a dignified air.

He first glanced at the coffin, then looked at the crowd, speaking in a scholarly tone:

"The Yin Qi here is heavy, and the resentment pierces the heavens. There are indeed signs of a Prodigy making trouble."

"This old monk was invited by Donor Chen to help transcend the departed soul of Old Master Chen and suppress the evil specters, which is a magnificent Karma."

Great Master Yuanjue's voice was resonant, carrying a steady Buddhist bearing:

"As for whether to cremate the corpse, that is an internal decision of the Chen Family, and this old monk is not in a position to intervene."

"However, if we can cooperate with the ritual of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and purify the evil specters with extreme Yang fire, perhaps it can allow the Chen Family to escape this sea of suffering once and for all, remaining free from disasters and troubles."

After speaking, he once again pressed his palms together, chanted a Buddhist proclamation, and a sharp glint quietly flashed deep within his eyes.

Clearly, Great Master Yuanjue did not want to miss this lucrative grand ritual either.

If these Family members ruined it, all his efforts would be in vain.

Chen Dehai and the other Family members were all full of hesitation.

The eminent monk's words, Second Young Master Chen Xuan's resoluteness, coupled with the corroboration from the investigators dispatched by Naihe Bridge—

made it difficult for them to maintain their initial stance of opposition for the moment.

After all, Old Master Chen Hongye's corpse was indeed bizarre, and coupled with the Family's recent string of disasters, anxiety had long filled their hearts.

In the end, Chen Dehai let out a long sigh and slowly nodded, his tone sounding as if he were trying to convince himself while also informing the crowd:

"Fine, fine... In a little over a month, it will have been three full years since Hongye's body was placed in the mortuary hall. Burning it now and relocating it to be buried in the Family Secret Realm can barely be considered compliant with the rules."

Hearing this, Second Young Master Chen Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang Cheng and the others also let down their guard, exchanging glances with one another.

This standoff finally had a result.

However, Li Tiansheng suddenly grew anxious at this moment.

"Second Young Master, absolutely not!"

His face was pale as he shouted loudly, almost pouncing in front of Second Young Master Chen Xuan:

"Old Madame gave her repeated instructions that the old master's remains must never be moved lightly!"

"This will anger the ancestral spirits, bring down punishment from our ancestors, and might even incur heavenly lightning, plunging the Chen Family into eternal damnation!"

The more he spoke, the more alarmist he became, attempting to use Family rules and ghost stories to deter the crowd.

Hearing this, some of the weak-willed Family members changed expressions, and their originally compromised attitudes began to waver again.

Seeing this, Lin Chuqiao reached out and poked Pan Wendi's arm, signaling with her eyes.

Pan Wendi immediately understood and quietly slipped behind Li Tiansheng.

At this moment, Li Tiansheng was still dissuading them hoarsely. Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, Pan Wendi executed a precise Knife-hand chop to the back of his neck.

"Thud!"

Li Tiansheng let out a muffled grunt, his entire body going limp as he collapsed to the ground and passed out instantly.

The Chen Family members immediately broke into an uproar, casting astonished gazes over.

Pan Wendi shrugged and explained with an innocent look:

"Steward Li has evil Qi entering his body and his mind is muddled. At a glance, he is clearly bewitched by an evil spirit and intentionally came to obstruct the ritual."

"Fortunately, I acted in time to temporarily rid him of the evil Qi."

As he spoke, Pan Wendi swept his gaze across those uncertain Chen Family members, raising his voice to instigate:

"Everyone, the more the enemy opposes us, the more it proves that what we are doing is right."

"Right now is not the time to sit back and await our doom. Everyone must pull themselves together, overcome the difficulties together, and resolve this crisis of the Chen Family!"

"Come! Shout along with me! Chen Family might! Evil spirits disperse!"

With that, he raised his arm high, waved it twice, and shouted a few times in succession.

The crowd only looked at him with eccentric gazes, and no one echoed him.

Yet because of this clownish act, they didn't blame him for his rashness just now.

Pan Wendi gave an awkward laugh, scratched his head, and crestfallenly retreated back to Fang Cheng and the others' side.

Bailing nudged him with her elbow and teased quietly:

"Brother Wendi, it's such a waste of talent that you aren't doing pyramid schemes."

"If I went to do pyramid schemes, I would bring you along."

Pan Wendi tossed his head and said triumphantly:

"With your imitation ability matched with my eloquence, when the time comes, our combined swords will be invincible!"

The two of them muttered back and forth.

Over there, Second Young Master Chen Xuan had already recovered his wits and immediately instructed the servants to help the unconscious Li Tiansheng aside.

He looked up to observe the sky for a moment, then turned to Great Master Yuanjue and asked respectfully:

"Great Master, the sun is about to set. I wonder if the ritual can begin?"

Great Master Yuanjue raised his wrist, glanced at the Rolex luxury watch gleaming with golden light under the setting sun, and nodded.

"In ten minutes, it will be a quarter past the Hour of You. This is the time when Yin and Yang alternate and demons and monsters breed, as well as the best hour to summon departed souls and suppress evil specters."

His voice was resonant, carrying an inherent sentiment of compassion for all living beings:

"This old monk will now begin to set up the altar and perform the rites, respectfully inviting all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to protect and support us, chant scriptures to guide the departed soul, and use the power of the Dharma to suppress the evil specters here, protecting the peace of the Chen Family."

In the courtyard open space in front of the black building, the ritual site had already been properly arranged.

Above the ritual altar, incense smoke curled, and a golden Buddha statue was enshrined high up.

Great Master Yuanjue led several monks who had come along from Cuicheng Temple. Draped in yellow cassocks, they sat cross-legged, chanting Buddhist scriptures in low voices.

The sound of the wooden fish went "du, du", and the copper cymbals subsequently emitted a clear and resonant "hum".

The low Sanskrit chanting mixed with the scripture recitation echoed slowly in the dusk, casting a solemn yet eerie atmosphere over this manor.

At the same time, more than a dozen Chen Family servants were busy piling bundles of dry firewood in front of the ritual altar.

Soon, a firewood pile taller than a person took shape.

Several robust servants stepped forward together, carefully lifting the black-lacquered coffin and placing it steadily on top of the firewood pile.

Old Master Chen Hongye's expression inside the coffin was still vibrant, appearing increasingly bizarre in the dim light.

After a recitation of the Rebirth Mantra was finished, Great Master Yuanjue pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist proclamation.

Subsequently, Second Young Master Chen Xuan holding a lit torch walked in front of the coffin and raised it high.

The flames illuminated his slightly tense face.

Great Master Yuanjue slowly raised his hand, his voice steady:

"Donor, please."

Second Young Master Chen Xuan took a sharp breath, his hands trembling slightly as he cast the torch into the firewood pile.

"Boom!"

The firewood pile, splashed with gasoline, was instantly ignited.

The dry firewood emitted a crackling sound of "pop, pop".

The tongues of flame were like living creatures, instantly shooting up, greedily licking the black-lacquered coffin and completely enveloping it in the blink of an eye.

Thick smoke, carrying fine ash from the burning firewood, billowed up into the sky.

At this time, the sun was setting behind the western mountains, and the evening glow was like fire.

The firelight and glow at the ritual site intertwined, turning the surrounding prayer flags red and also flushing the faces of the Chen Family members standing in front of the bonfire.

Their expressions were complex, harboring both hidden worries about desecrating their ancestors and expectations of the evil specters being burned to ashes.

Fang Cheng, Lin Chuqiao, Bailing, and Pan Wendi were also standing on the outer fringe of the crowd, their gazes fixed tightly on the roaring flames.

"Will the evil spirit really show up?"

Bailing asked quietly, looking a bit nervous.

"By burning the corpse it inhabits and ruining its good deeds, it naturally won't be able to help jumping out."

Lin Chuqiao spoke with a definitive tone, the dancing flames reflected in her eyes.

At this time, Second Young Master Chen Xuan walked toward the four of them.

Having successfully completed the task of cremating the corpse, his expression softened noticeably, and his tone carried a trace of gratitude and relief:

"If it weren't for the help of you few, I wouldn't have been able to make such a big determination. Thank you all for giving me this confidence."

In his words, the expression on his face was exceptionally solemn; clearly, he spoke from the heart.

Fang Cheng smiled slightly and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Lin Chuqiao beside him immediately took over the conversation:

"Young Master Chen, you are too polite..."

Before her words fell, a sudden cry of exclamation came from among the Chen Family members in front of the firewood pile.

"Eh, this corpse... why won't it burn?!"