Xiang Yin was a place of rumors, filled with tales of corpse-carrying, witchcraft, and voodoo.
While some of these stories were undoubtedly exaggerated, the practices themselves were undeniably real.
Let’s not talk about witchcraft for now, let’s focus on corpse-carrying.
In Xiang Yin, it was as common as dirt.
Corpse-carrying originated from the Taoist sects, and there were two prominent ones in the area.
They were the Hu Family Thunder Altar and the Jin Family Thunder Altar.
Luo Lao Wai, a man of humble origins, had learned the corpse-carrying techniques of the Jin Family Thunder Altar from an old man named Jin.
He was an expert in all the intricacies of the craft.
To put it simply, the climate in Xiang Yin differed greatly from other regions.
Traveling merchants, unaccustomed to the local conditions, often succumbed to illness and died far from home.
Their remains needed to be returned to their homeland for proper burial, achieving peace in death.
But the mountainous terrain of Xiang Yin made the journey treacherous.
It would often take a corpse-carrying practitioner over a month to complete a single trip.
If a body was left exposed for too long, it would begin to decompose prematurely.
Therefore, preservation was necessary.
Using secret medicinal concoctions, the bodies were embalmed and transformed into zombies, which were then transported back to their hometowns under the watchful eye of the corpse-carrying practitioner, ensuring they rested in peace.
Superstitions were widespread in those days.
The practice of corpse-carrying, in particular, was governed by a multitude of rules.
During the transportation of corpses, the Yin Qi (negative energy) would rise, and if it clashed with the Earth Qi of the mountain ranges, strange events often occurred.
Thus, corpse-carrying has always had its own secret techniques, passed down through generations.
These techniques were intended to prevent the corpses from reanimating and protect the practitioners from harm.
Luo Lao Wai had spent years as a corpse-carrying practitioner.
But despite his experience, he had only mastered a fraction of the true art.
His knowledge, however, far surpassed that of any outsider.
Later, he exploited the corpse-carrying business to engage in opium trade.
He amassed a significant fortune through this endeavor.
This paved the way for his rise to become a warlord in the Three Xiang region.
His recounting of these tales, delivered with ease and familiarity, broadened the horizons of those present.
Even someone of Chen Yu Lou’s stature, with his extensive knowledge, wasn’t entirely familiar with the various secrets of corpse-carrying.
Observing the captivated audience, Luo Lao Wai felt a surge of pride.
However, when his gaze fell upon the young man standing beside Hong Gu Niang, his expression darkened.
The youth seemed uninterested in his tales, his entire focus fixated on Hong Gu Niang.
Luo Lao Wai’s brows furrowed, his mood souring.
Hua Ma Gui, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but compliment Luo Shuai on his vast knowledge.
Despite his inner satisfaction, Luo Lao Wai couldn’t afford to boast too much in front of the leader of the Dismounting Gang.
As Chen Yu Lou listened intently, a sense of unease grew within him.
From the moment he entered, he had sensed something amiss in the mortuary.
Although the wine was starting to take effect, his keen observation skills detected a subtle dissonance in his surroundings.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out of place.
At that precise moment, he noticed two sets of footprints near the entrance.
Outside, thunder roared, and a heavy downpour had begun.
But they had arrived before the rain started.
How could these footprints have appeared inside the room?
His alarm intensified.
Yet, as the leader of the Dismounting Gang, he was no ordinary individual.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his nerves and listened intently.
He distinctly heard a movement above, coming from the ceiling beams.
Raising his head, he saw an elderly woman in white robes perched on the beam, looking down at them.
Startled, Chen Yu Lou acted instinctively. With a flick of his wrist, his treasured sword shot out.
A sharp "do" reverberated through the room as the blade plunged into the woman’s body.
The others gasped in shock.
Witnessing his sudden move, they realized the situation was serious.
They instantly sprang into action.
Some pressed themselves against the wall, clutching their blades.
Others positioned themselves to block any possible escape route, wielding their spears.
All of them looked up.
The woman in white, perched on the beam, was shimmering, almost like a sheet of paper, an eerie sight.
The beam wasn't particularly high.
But the oil lamp wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the figure clearly.
They couldn’t make out the details, only perceiving the figure’s unsettling appearance.
With so many people present, eventually, someone noticed a clue.
Hong Gu Niang, holding a small lantern, approached the figure and shone the light upon it.
Upon closer inspection, they realized it was an ancient painting.
The paper was yellowed and damp, bearing the marks of time.
Chen Yu Lou uttered a surprised “Hmm.”
A sudden flash of insight struck him.
He understood what the painting depicted.
This place had once been a mountain god temple.
It had been converted into a mortuary many years ago.
This painting must have been the image of the mountain god that was worshipped in the temple.
However, he was unsure which deity this white-robed woman represented.
Moreover, the woman in the painting was dressed in mourning attire, her face etched with wrinkles, radiating an unsettling aura, unlike a benevolent god.
She seemed more like a malevolent entity.
Her appearance was repulsive.
Chen Yu Lou’s treasured blade remained embedded in the ceiling beam.
Seeing the eerie painting, he ordered the mute, Kunlun Mole, and Hua Ma Gui to retrieve the painting and his sword.
The two men, following his instructions, formed a human ladder to reach the painting.
But as they approached, a mangy old cat emerged nonchalantly from behind the painting.
The cat appeared to be quite old.
It was significantly larger than a normal wild cat.
One of its legs seemed to be dragging, making it a limping cat.
However, the old cat wasn’t afraid of people.
It sauntered out from behind the painting, its gaze fixed on the rat-faced woman.
Wild cats were common in these mountains and fields.
Chen Yu Lou had encountered them many times.
He knew it was normal for wild cats to enter homes in search of food.
The others, seeing a mere wild cat, didn’t give it a second thought.
They were hardened individuals, accustomed to danger, and wouldn’t concern themselves with a cat.
The old cat roamed the beam, seemingly oblivious to the people in the room.
Its eyes remained locked on the female corpse.
The woman had been dead for several days.
There wasn’t a single grain of food in the room.
Driven by hunger, the old cat didn’t care if it was human or not.
Moreover, the rat-faced woman’s visage resembled a rodent.
At first glance, the mangy old cat mistook her for a giant rat.
It leaped onto the woman’s corpse, snapping at her face.
This mangy old cat had lived for countless years.
Despite its limp, it moved with ghost-like speed.
And since everyone was distracted, no one noticed its actions.
Zhang Chen felt goosebumps rise on his skin.
He was different from the others.
They might not have known what was about to happen.
But Zhang Chen had anticipated it.
However…
Reading about something and witnessing it firsthand were two completely different experiences.
Even though he had known about the rat-faced woman’s appearance, he was still startled when he saw her in person.
The sight of the old cat gnawing on the corpse’s face was even more disturbing.
His goosebumps multiplied.
Chen Yu Lou and Luo Lao Wai ignored the cat.
The mute, Kunlun Mole, was carrying Hua Ma Gui on his shoulders, heading towards the painting and the sword.
Chen Yu Lou was focused on the ceiling beam.
Suddenly, Hong Gu Niang yelled, “You thieving cat, have some shame!”
Everyone turned their heads in unison.
They saw that the cat had already reached the woman’s corpse.
The old cat’s reflexes were lightning fast.
By the time everyone turned to look, they saw that the cat had torn a piece of flesh from the woman’s face.
In those days, people valued a complete corpse in death.
The face being disfigured was one thing.
It was already a rat-like face, so it wasn’t a major issue.
But the cat didn’t stop at eating the flesh.
Seeing everyone staring at it, it darted to the other side.
It bit off the woman’s ear and ran off.
Chen Yu Lou was furious.
He was proud and arrogant, how could he tolerate being mocked by a wild cat in front of everyone?
It was an insult to his dignity.
Moreover…
With the ear gone, the corpse was incomplete.