Chapter 247: Strange Happening In The Village

For ordinary people building a house, the beam-raising ceremony was the most important part. Once the main beam was raised, the house was considered essentially complete. The ceremony was usually performed in full, with firecrackers going off all around. Wealthier families would even invite the neighbors to a banquet.

Such rituals were generally carried out by carpenters. Of course, most of them were not members of the mystic sects. They were simply following customs passed down by word of mouth, all for the sake of good fortune and celebration. No one had expected something truly strange to happen.

"T-This..."

The carpenter's ink line dropped from his hand as he staggered backward in fright.

The homeowner collapsed onto the ground, his face deathly pale as he trembled. "How can this happen?! The beam is bleeding!"

"It's an ill omen..."

The surrounding villagers cried out as well, all of them staring in shock.

Guan Peide had originally been puzzled as to why Li Yan and the others had stopped. The moment he saw that something had happened, he hurriedly barked, "Everyone, move aside!"

Then he turned around and asked uneasily, "Young Hero Li, what is going on?"

The matter of the headless rider had yet to be resolved, and now another ominous sign had appeared inside the village. His unease only deepened.

Li Yan stepped forward to inspect the beam. Its color was dark and aged, clearly having been around for many years. When he caught the corpse-like odor wafting from within it, he already had a guess in mind.

He turned and asked, "Where did you get this thing?"

"This..." The homeowner's eyes shifted. "I cut it down from the mountain."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "This came from a tomb. Its nature is quite sinister. Trouble has already appeared, so you had better stop hiding things from us."

"Wu Laosi!" Guan Peide immediately flew into a rage. "Even now, you still dare conceal the truth? I was wondering how you suddenly found enough money to build a house. So you've been robbing graves!"

The surrounding villagers began cursing as well.

"Well, well, Wu Laosi! You actually became a grave robber!"

"I knew a lazy bastard like you couldn't have suddenly gotten rich for no reason!"

"Seize him and send him to the courthouse!"

Guan Family Village was not far from Lord Guan's Mausoleum, and everyone in the village regarded themselves as guardians of the tomb. They were reluctant even to let anyone damage the trees near the mausoleum, much less tolerate grave robbery.

"No, no! I didn't!" The homeowner was scared half to death by the fury of his neighbors, and hurriedly explained, "I found all of these things!"

"Found them?" Anger rose in Guan Peide's eyes. "You expect me to believe that?"

What should have been a joyous occasion had turned into a disaster. As the people around him cursed, the man's wife and children rushed over and began wailing.

"I really found them!" The homeowner was trembling all over. He dropped to his knees, crying and sniffling as he explained what had happened. "A few days ago, I finished some work and got paid. I happened to run into Cripple Liu in town, so we got together and drank ourselves senseless. By the time we left the city, it was already dark.

"We'd both had too much to drink. Half-conscious, we were making our way home when we suddenly heard someone speaking behind us. But when we turned around, there was no one there. The voice said it wanted us to do it a favor, and afterward it would give us a fortune!

"We were frightened and tried to run, but no matter what we did, we couldn't get out of the mountain road. We knew we'd run into a ghost wall, so we had no choice but to obey."

"Oh?" Wang Daoxuan revealed a thoughtful look. "What did that thing ask you to do?"

Wu Laosi said miserably, "Even now, the whole thing feels hazy. We just followed the voice. After walking for a while, we arrived at a temple. It was a huge place, with lots of people inside. Every one of them wore yellow clothes; their faces looked like corpses; and none of them spoke. They just stared straight at us.

"We were terrified and didn't dare ask anything. Following the voice's instructions, we pulled out several flags outside the temple. Then everything became hazy again, and when we came to, we were back on the mountain road.

"This time, we managed to leave. But not long afterward, we found a lot of dead bodies. They looked like they'd been mauled by some wild beast. Cripple Liu said this was the fortune the mountain immortal had given us, so the two of us searched the corpses and found quite a lot of silver. We split it evenly, then hurried away from the mountain road.

"Those people had also been transporting several logs. I saw that one looked pretty good and thought it would make a fine main beam, so I went back, carried it home, and used it for the house."

Guan Peide said coldly, "This whole thing was obviously strange. Why didn't you report it to the authorities immediately?"

Wu Laosi said miserably, "Cripple Liu is an old bachelor, and he also has connections with gangs in the city. He threatened me and said I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, or he would come after me."

Guan Peide frowned deeply. "Wu Laosi, you're still not telling the truth! I’ve grown up in Guan Family Village and have been all around the area. Aside from Lord Guan's Mausoleum, when has there ever been a temple like that nearby? What exactly happened?"

"Every word I said is true!" Wu Laosi grew anxious and immediately began swearing an oath. "If I've spoken even half a false word, may the heavens strike me with five bolts of thunder. It's just that those corpses disappeared afterward, so the authorities never learned about it.

"Oh, right. After the headless rider appeared, Cripple Liu came looking for me again. He had gambled away all the silver he got and asked to borrow more from me. He also asked whether I remembered the route we took that night.

"Once he got the money, he left in a hurry. He hasn't been around at all lately. Maybe he went back to look for that mountain immortal..."

The surrounding villagers were dumbfounded by the story.

Eventually, an elderly man shook his head. "You two really have some nerve. That thing might have been some mountain demon or evil spirit. You even dared take money from dead men. Weren't you afraid of bringing disaster upon your families?"

Guan Peide's expression was grim as he turned to look at the wooden beam again. The beam had stopped bleeding, but it still radiated a sinister yin aura. Merely standing beside it made people uncomfortable.

He cupped his hands toward Li Yan. "Young Hero Li, how should this thing be dealt with?"

Li Yan had no idea, so he immediately looked toward Wang Daoxuan.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and said, "This object is what is known as a Tomb Blood Beam. Originally, its yin-baleful qi was withdrawn and concealed. It was only because the yang qi in the rooster's comb blood came into contact with it that the yin killing qi was drawn out.

"Now that its yin killing qi has been exposed, if nothing is done, wandering ghosts will inevitably be attracted here tonight and cause trouble. First, find some chicken blood and splash it over the beam. Once it stops bleeding, pile peachwood around it and burn it. Afterward, collect the dried ashes and scatter them in a complete circle around the village. No one should leave their homes tonight. If nothing happens over the next three days, then it will be safe."

After hearing Wang Daoxuan, Guan Peide no longer dared delay.

"We'll do exactly as the Daoist says. There's no time to lose! Get moving!"

He immediately led the villagers in catching large roosters from every household and gathering dry peachwood. The ancestors of the Chu people revered the phoenix and believed chickens possessed the Five Virtues, regarding them as miniature phoenixes. As a result, every household raised chickens, killed chickens, and ate chickens. Even many local shamanic customs and folk rituals involved chickens.

Peachwood, meanwhile, was known for warding off evil, but there were taboos surrounding where it could be planted. All the peach trees were grown on the slopes outside the village, in accordance with the saying: No mulberry before the house, no willow behind it, and no executioner within the courtyard.

The executioner here referred to peachwood. Neither of these things was scarce in the village, and they were quickly gathered. When chicken blood was splashed over the beam, it began bleeding again. This time, everyone could smell a nauseating stench of corpses.

As he watched, Wang Daoxuan's expression also became solemn. They had to splash the beam more than a dozen times before it finally stopped bleeding.

The villagers then piled up peachwood and set the beam ablaze. Thick smoke immediately billowed into the air, while a harsh, foul odor spread throughout the entire village. They worked until the afternoon before the thing was finally burned completely to ash.

Guan Peide personally called his sons and other clan members, gathered up the ashes, and slowly scattered them around the entire village in a continuous circle.

Only after finishing all of this did he ask anxiously, "Is that enough?"

"It is." Wang Daoxuan inspected the area once more. Only after seeing Li Yan nod, confirming that the yin killing qi within the wood had already dispersed, did he say, "Tell the villagers not to leave the village tonight. Hang peachwood talismans at their doors, and no matter what sounds they hear, they must not leave their courtyards."

There was no need for him to say more. None of the villagers dared take the matter lightly. After all, something this strange had frightened everyone badly.

Guan Peide was furious as well. He started to curse, "Wu Laosi, your greed has brought disaster upon the village. This matter cannot be treated lightly. Tomorrow morning, go to the county courthouse and explain everything clearly.

“After that, report to the ancestral hall and accept punishment. You must also hand over that money. I will add some more and use it to repair the Earth God Temple. Do you accept your punishment?"

"I accept, I accept!" Wu Laosi hurriedly nodded, not daring to argue.

Li Yan and the others saw this but said nothing. In this era, imperial authority did not extend directly into the countryside, while county courthouses had limited manpower. Local areas were generally governed either by clan rules or by village regulations and customary agreements. There were certainly plenty of landlords and powerful local clans who used the rules to oppress others.

But such rules were also indispensable. Just like what had happened at Zhu Clan's Fort in the past, when the village head was too lazy to govern properly, the local atmosphere would deteriorate. The younger generation had eventually become river bandits, bringing death upon themselves and ultimately disaster upon the entire village.

If matters like this were not handled strictly, others would inevitably be tempted. In the end, everyone would follow suit, and the entire local order would collapse.

After dealing with the matter, Guan Peide finally said gratefully, "You gentlemen have worked hard. You haven't even entered my home yet, and I've already had to trouble you. Please, come to the house. I have already ordered a banquet prepared to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

With that, he led them away from Wu Laosi's house.

Guan Family Village was a typical clan settlement in Ezhou. It had been built outward from an old ancestral residence, with the clan ancestral hall established there and successive generations expanding their homes around it. Naturally, no houses were allowed to be built directly in front of the ancestral hall.

They had not gone far when they saw a massive ceremonial archway.

The upper couplet read: Righteous courage handed down through the family, praised for a thousand autumns. The complementing lower couplet read: Loyal spirits protect the world, revered for ten thousand generations.

Across the top were the words: Legacy of the Guan Clan.

The traveling merchants had called the Guan Clan one of Dangyang's great local households, and clearly that was no exaggeration. Their estate was built on an impressive scale. There were more than a dozen courtyards alone, over fifty main rooms and side chambers in total, as well as a family shrine, clan school, stables, grinding house, and other structures.

Of course, the entire compound did not belong to a single household. Several branches of the Guan Clan's direct line each occupied different sections of the estate.

Word of Li Yan and the others had already spread, and they had even resolved a dangerous matter immediately upon entering the village. Naturally, the household spared no effort in entertaining them.

Even the arrangement of the banquet dishes followed particular traditions.

"Gentlemen, this is Dangyang's first dish..."

Although Old Master Guan Peide also practiced martial arts, he moved primarily within scholarly circles. The younger members of his household all studied the Spring and Autumn Annals, and his manner of speaking and handling affairs carried the air of a scholar. He could even explain the origins of every banquet dish in considerable detail.

The first dish he spoke of was called Three Yangs Bring Prosperity, and consisted of a meat cake, egg rolls, and meatballs. Eight pearl meatballs were placed in the center, surrounded by a ring of sliced egg rolls. Beneath that was another ring of sliced meat cake, accompanied by shredded lean pork, wood ear mushrooms, daylily buds, and other ingredients.

Everything was arranged neatly and looked quite refined. There was also the custom of the Four Large and Six Small Dishes.

The four large bowls were meat cake and meatballs, stir-fried pork with magnolia slices, braised pork, and clear-braised pork shoulder. The six smaller dishes were roast chicken, braised fish, pork liver, lean pork, beef or mutton, and pork tripe.

Li Yan and the others had not eaten anything that morning and had been busy all day. They were already so hungry their stomachs felt hollow. Thus, they had no interest in ceremony and ate until sweat covered their foreheads.

Guan Peide was patient. Seeing them eat, he merely urged them to drink and did not say much else. When he noticed that Sha Lifei particularly liked the roast chicken, he even had two more brought over. Only after they had eaten and drunk their fill and begun sipping tea did they finally feel comfortable again.

Guan Peide poured another round of tea before sighing. "Young Hero Li, you gentlemen truly possess real ability. This matter has left me unable to eat or sleep properly day or night. I hope..."

"Old Master Guan, don't worry!" Sha Lifei interrupted, slapping his chest, "That villain must have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard to dare tarnish Lord Guan's reputation. We definitely won't let them off!"

"Good, good." Joy appeared on Guan Peide's face.

However, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan were not nearly so optimistic.

Li Yan pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm afraid this matter isn't so simple. There were too many people around earlier, so I didn't dare say much for fear of frightening the villagers. Whatever Wu Laosi encountered was definitely no ordinary thing!"

"Oh?" Guan Peide's heart tightened. "What do you mean?"

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard. "According to what you said, there is no temple anywhere nearby. Yet Wu Laosi saw one with his own eyes. He was clearly caught in an illusion. Perhaps he had actually wandered into some mountain cave or burial pit. However, only mountain spirits or monsters with considerable cultivation could employ such a method.

"There are fox demons that have strayed onto evil paths. They enchant travelers, making them believe they have entered the estate of a wealthy household and are enjoying every earthly pleasure. Even as they die, they never realize they have been lying inside a burial pit the entire time.

"The demon Wu Laosi encountered manifested an entire temple, which means its cultivation was even more extraordinary. Those people in yellow may well have been ghosts under its control. On the other hand, the headless rider impersonating Sage Emperor Guan may be the work of an entirely different group."

Cold sweat appeared on Guan Peide's forehead. "T-This... When did so many demons and monsters appear in Dangyang County? What are they trying to accomplish by causing all this trouble?"

"That is precisely the problem." Li Yan said gravely, "Those dead bodies Wu Laosi encountered were most likely connected to this matter. The beam he brought back had clearly been taken from a tomb. The flags surrounding that demon's temple had obviously been placed there as part of some restriction.

“It tempted Wu Laosi and the others into removing them, then killed those people afterward. If we can identify those dead people, the truth of this matter may become clear. Unfortunately, Wu Laosi concealed what happened, and the bodies have since vanished without a trace.

"Then there is Lord Guan's Mausoleum, which has repeatedly been struck by lightning. If that is truly connected to these people, then their methods are definitely no small matter!"

Guan Peide listened in stunned silence. He had assumed that this was merely some ordinary jianghu villain causing trouble, trying to smear Sage Emperor Guan's reputation and create difficulties for the Guan Clan. That was why he had been so anxious. Now it seemed the matter might be far larger than he had imagined.

He immediately became anxious and asked, "What should we do?"

Li Yan slowly got to his feet. "Old Master Guan, don't panic. That rice-divination spirit medium probably discovered something and was harmed because of it. As long as we can wake her up, we can ask her what happened."

"Good, good. Please follow me." Guan Peide hurriedly stood and led them to a small courtyard.

Inside a side room lay an elderly woman dressed in black. Her eyes were tightly shut, her jaw clenched, and her withered fists were balled tightly. Fortunately, she had very few teeth left. A maidservant was holding a bamboo tube, taking a mouthful of thin porridge and then blowing it through the tube into the old woman's mouth.

Seeing this, Wang Daoxuan could not help nodding in approval. "Old Master Guan, you've been very considerate."

Guan Peide sighed. "Although our Guan Clan mainly values farming and scholarship, we would never dare forget the righteousness of the jianghu. How could we simply abandon someone like this? But we invited several physicians, and none could wake her. We can only use this method to keep her alive."

Wang Daoxuan nodded, then took out a coin used for warding off evil and invoking blessings and placed it on the old woman's forehead. He also took out a yellow paper talisman, circled it around her three times, then burned it and mixed the ashes into talisman water. He formed a hand seal with his left hand, dipped a finger of his right hand into the talisman water, then placed it in his mouth and tasted it carefully. Only then did he frown.

"As expected. Her soul is missing. Old Master Guan, help me find a chicken. Tonight, I'll summon this fellow practitioner's soul back. If we can retrieve it, this matter will be much easier to handle."

Sha Lifei asked curiously, "What if you can't bring it back?"

Li Yan stated coldly, "Then I'll be taking it back from whatever’s holding it. By force, if necessary."