119. The Forbidden Grounds of the Inner Hall

"Master, where will they go?" Bian Yihe asked as he watched the souls transform into wisps of smoke.

"To be reborn!" Zhou You replied, sounding somewhat irritable.

"Reborn? I don't understand." Bian Yihe scratched his small head, completely baffled. He turned to his senior brother and asked, "Brother, what does it mean to be reborn?"

"Reborn... uh... it means... starting life over as a human," Bian Yiyuan said, rubbing his chin in thought.

Li Xintian, observing the two brothers, interjected, "Although Daoist Zhou has helped them on their path to rebirth, they must still face judgment for any wrongs committed during their lives. They may not necessarily be reincarnated as humans; they could very well end up as livestock."

"How do you know that? Have you been to the underworld?" Bian Yihe asked, staring at Li Xintian in astonishment.

"Young Master Li is correct. Therefore, one must live with a kind heart and accumulate merit; one must never commit evil deeds!" Zhou You nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, at the place where the corpses were being transported, a rotting body suddenly spoke: "You are all so fortunate. Even in death, someone transports you home for burial. And me? It is so difficult for me to find a place to rest. I was tossed into a potter's field. I truly wish to find a place for a proper burial and be reincarnated as a human. If only I could reach paradise as easily as you all, how wonderful that would be."

The rotting corpse grew increasingly agitated as it spoke, accidentally pushing against the transported bodies. All the corpses toppled over, and the yellow paper talismans on their foreheads fell off.

"I've caused trouble!" Realizing his mistake, the rotting corpse hid away.

Outside, both Li Xintian and Zhou You heard the commotion.

"Let's go inside and see." Zhou You cut the conversation short and hurried into the mortuary, only to find the corpses jumping about in chaos.

"Yihe, wait outside. Young Master Li, please refrain from using your righteous energy, or they will be unable to reincarnate." Zhou You needed Li Xintian’s assistance.

"Very well." Li Xintian nodded.

As they spoke, the walking corpses lunged toward them, hands outstretched toward Li Xintian's chest. Li Xintian kicked one of the corpses, and it flew backward as if struck by a speeding truck, crashing into several others like a bowling ball.

Zhou You’s eyes widened in dismay; he was heartbroken, fearing his "customers" were about to fall apart. Bian Yiyuan and Bian Yihe watched in stunned silence.

"Young Master Li, please look after my young apprentice. Let me and Yiyuan handle the rest," Zhou You said, quickly stopping Li Xintian before he could strike again. His attacks were too heavy; he feared he would have to compensate the families of the deceased.

"Understood. Be careful; they have no humanity left," Li Xintian replied, realizing his own strength was too great to continue.

Zhou You took several talismans from his bag and charged into the fray, dispatching the corpses with precise, single strikes. Bian Yiyuan, however, was not as adept. Surrounded by three corpses, he was defenseless. He braced his feet against two of them while hanging onto the third, using his shoulder to keep its jaws from reaching him.

"Master!" Bian Yiyuan gritted his teeth, holding on.

Seeing his apprentice in trouble, Zhou You sighed. After all, he couldn't just let him die. He drew three more talismans, channeled his energy, and threw them with precision, causing the three corpses to freeze instantly. Bian Yiyuan tumbled heavily to the ground.

"Ouch, my backside!" Bian Yiyuan landed on a small stone and began to howl.

"I tell you to practice, but you don't take it seriously, always slacking off and wasting time," Zhou You said, not bothering to help him up. He was furious and embarrassed. Li Xintian struggled to suppress a laugh, while Bian Yihe was already clutching his stomach in hysterics.

***

A stray corpse, seeing an opening, turned and headed toward Li Xintian.

"Young Master Li, leave this one to me." Seeing Li Xintian ready to strike again, Zhou You flashed forward and applied a talisman.

"Get up." Li Xintian smiled at Zhou You. Seeing the effort it took for Li Xintian to stifle his laughter, Zhou You felt deeply awkward. He walked over to help Bian Yiyuan up, joined by Bian Yihe.

"Thank you, Master. How did they start moving on their own?" Bian Yiyuan asked, rubbing his backside with tears of pain in his eyes.

"Did you two check that all the talismans were properly secured?" Zhou You lamented having such troublesome apprentices.

"We checked!" they both insisted.

"Wait, there’s a smell of rot—it smells like a corpse," Li Xintian said, covering his nose. He scanned the room and spotted a trembling foot.

"Come out!" Zhou You shouted, having noticed it too.

"So it was you, you monster, causing trouble! Master, destroy him!" Bian Yiyuan saw the creature—a small, withered, rotting corpse with a pitted face and wriggling maggots. It was repulsive. Zhou You raised a hand to stop him.

"Daoist, please, have mercy on this old spirit," the creature pleaded, kneeling before Zhou You, knowing the Daoist wouldn't destroy his soul.

"Go," Zhou You said after a moment, waving his hand.

"Thank you, Daoist! Thank you!" the creature said as he scurried away.

"Clean this up. Prepare them for the coffins," Zhou You commanded.

"Yes, Master." The brothers complied.

"Daoist Zhou, why not banish that old spirit? It would have been an act of merit," Li Xintian asked as he helped reattach the limbs of the fallen corpses.

"Many with deep cultivation know what happens in the underworld. For a wandering soul like that, sending him off might actually harm him. Although he suffers in the potter's field, it is still better than the underworld," Zhou You explained, sighing. "Young Master Li, do you wish to stay and watch the rest?"

"Certainly." Li Xintian, perhaps oblivious to Zhou You’s desire for him to leave, played dumb.

"Very well, then we shall proceed." Zhou You realized Li Xintian was deeply interested in Daoist arts and said no more. He channeled his energy, and with a graceful spin, the corpses were guided smoothly into their coffins.

The next morning, Li Xintian accompanied Zhou You to the ancestral hall in Chen Village.

"Daoist Zhou, please, come in," said the village head, greeting them with great enthusiasm.

They entered the hall, which was built into a cavern.

"Daoist Zhou, these are the ancestral tablets. Please, help us dispel our misfortunes," the village head said after paying his respects.

"This is a 'Dragon-Seeking' site," Zhou You remarked, observing with his compass. "The dragon comes from the left and rests on the right; the position returns to the head. The dragon comes from the right and rests on the left; the shape hides like a turning millstone."

"It is like a dragon flying in the heavens, appearing in the fields, battling in the wild. No wonder the feng shui of Chen Village is so unique. I presume it has produced many notable figures over the generations?"

"Daoist Zhou is truly a master; you saw it at a glance," the village head admitted.

"The site is indeed extraordinary. One can tell just by the inscriptions on these stone walls," Zhou You noted, observing the dozen or so carvings. Suddenly, he glanced toward a side door. "What is this place?"

"Daoist Zhou, that is the inner sanctum. It is forbidden to anyone outside the village," the village head said, his expression shifting slightly.

Li Xintian, however, felt as though some demonic entity were gestating within, waiting to be born.

"I see. Then we shall discuss it another time," Zhou You said, deciding not to press the issue.

"That would be best. This way, Daoist Zhou." The village head let out a sigh of relief and signaled the village guards as they left.

"Keep a close watch on the inner sanctum. If there is even the slightest disturbance, kill whoever is responsible!" the village head ordered ruthlessly.

"Daoist Zhou, I feel that the inner sanctum is very wrong. There is a concentration of demonic energy. I fear some monster is being nurtured inside," Li Xintian said as they walked away.

"I agree. There is something truly ominous in that place," Zhou You nodded.

"Shall we go in tonight and see? If it is a demon, we can eliminate it," Li Xintian suggested.

"No. If we alarm the entity in that sanctum, the entire village could suffer. We must observe for now," Zhou You refused.

"Very well," Li Xintian agreed.