The face hidden beneath Old Man Sun’s gas mask was not a human face at all. His facial muscles were constricted and purplish, and gnarled veins and blood vessels bulged beneath his skin. His lifeless eyes were crisscrossed with bloodshot capillaries, resembling a pair of dim, crimson ghost fires.

Corpse transformation! The thought flashed through my mind, and I quickly retreated a step, drawing my entrenching tool into my hand while simultaneously gripping the haversack at my waist, ready to pull out the Guixu Ancient Mirror in case of unforeseen trouble.

Just as I was about to step forward and engage, I noticed that Old Man Sun remained seated on that intricately carved huanghuali [Note: Retaining the Chinese term for the specific wood, as per instruction] bed, utterly motionless, like a soulless husk that had long since lost its vital spark. He exuded no sign of life, nor did he lurch up to attack; he simply sat quietly by the head of the bed.

Everyone present felt a chill, utterly bewildered. None of us knew what had happened to Old Man Sun. Earlier, he had claimed he was already dead, and all the signs pointing toward some accident befalling him only deepened the mystery. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss—how could a genuine walking corpse exist? There had to be another explanation. But the Professor Sun before me was undeniably a reanimated corpse; a living man’s face could never be so ferocious and terrifying.

In the pitch-black, silent room, I could almost hear the frantic thumping of my own heart. I thought that this stalemate could not last. Whether Old Man Sun was a man or a ghost, we needed to see clearly. I handed the Guixu Bronze Mirror to Shirley Yang beside me, telling her and Yaomei’er to provide backup from behind.

Fatty and I each gripped an entrenching tool and slowly approached the wooden bed. Just then, we suddenly heard Old Man Sun cough violently. Immediately, he rose unsteadily to his feet. The protruding veins on his face and his bloodshot eyes slowly returned to normal. Seeing us wielding our tools with hostile expressions, he spoke, asking, "What? Were you truly planning to bury me?"

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unable to voice a word. I took the Guixu Ancient Mirror again and waved it in front of Old Man Sun. Perhaps the bronze surface was too worn, or maybe a divination mirror couldn't suppress a corpse—regardless, Old Man Sun showed no reaction before the mirror, nor was his reflection visible in it.

Finally, Shirley Yang broke the silence, asking, "Professor, what—what just happened to you?" Professor Sun replied, "Nothing. Just some frights from being in the tomb passage continuously. It’s not serious now."

I couldn't help but interject, "Ninth Master, your complexion just now when you were sitting on the [Note: Blank space retained as in original], it was quite alarming. You looked exactly like a zongzi from an ancient tomb coming back to life. Did you not even notice yourself?"

Professor Sun paused upon hearing this, murmuring to himself, "Notice what? What was wrong with my face?" He then touched his cheek, seemingly completely unaware of what had just occurred. He told me that his mind had gone blank just then, and he had no idea what had happened, which he feared was not a good omen. "If I truly turned into a walking corpse, you don't need to hold back," he added.

I nodded. "That's all we needed you to say. Are you alright now? It seems we can maintain a state of internal contradiction between us for the time being."

Professor Sun gave a wry smile. "As you say, let's just hope it doesn't escalate to an enemy relationship..." He paused, then continued, "I previously thought coming into Coffin Mountain alone would be dangerous. I owe it to you all for coming along. My time is likely running out; we must hurry to the Feng Family Ancestral Home to find the Earth Immortal Feng Shigou."

I suspected the final answer to all our mysteries lay hidden within the Feng Family Ancestral Home in the Immortal Village, and I was inclined to act swiftly, so I stopped pressing Old Man Sun. Just as I was about to rally the group to move, I heard Shirley Yang ask Professor Sun, "Aren't you and the Earth Immortal Feng Shigou from the same lineage? Are you truly going to dig up your own ancestral grave?"

A thought struck me: "Shirley Yang's question is perfectly placed. It's what I've wanted to ask but couldn't voice. I wonder how Old Man Sun will answer."

Professor Sun let out a long sigh and said, "Think of our Guanshan Feng family, conferred titles by the Emperors for generations—how glorious we once were! If Feng Shigou hadn't been obsessed with seeking immortality and violating ancestral precepts, he wouldn't have buried such a vast estate inside Coffin Mountain, leading to the dwindling population of the Feng clan. Furthermore, his intentions were impure; he misguided countless commoners to perform funeral rites for him. What do we Chinese value most? We value our ancestors above all. I have no children; by my generation, the incense of the Guanshan Feng family is about to be extinguished. That is why, even if it means my utter destruction, I must find Feng Shigou in Coffin Mountain, to bring solace to the spirits of our ancestors."

Shirley Yang commented, "The entirety of Coffin Mountain feels deathly still, not like a place inhabited by the living. Feng Shigou likely died hundreds of years ago, leaving behind only the desolate ancient tomb and village. We might not even find the physical remains of those ancient people now. How can the talk of achieving immortality through cultivation be taken as truth?"

Professor Sun countered, "I am an atheist, but it is true that some worldly affairs cannot be judged by common sense. Moreover, Feng Shigou left a saying—that one day he would return to the world to save people. Though I never met him, I often heard my father and elders mention him, stories passed down through generations. They all said Feng Shigou was no ordinary person; whatever he did was often unexpected. Until I incinerate his remains to ash, I will not believe he is truly dead."

I interjected, "Seeing is believing; hearing is unreliable. Even words passed down directly from Feng family ancestors can become distorted over time. As for believing in concepts like ascension to immortality or refinement into celestial beings, these were very common phenomena in primitive and feudal societies. Ancient people pursued these goals generation after generation, seeking only an illusory final reward. In the process, they undoubtedly performed actions modern people can hardly imagine. If we hadn't witnessed it firsthand, we would never understand the truth of it. I suspect that Earth Immortal Feng Shigou violated taboos by secretly excavating the Tomb of King Wuyang. What he encountered in that tomb remains unknown, but that incident was certainly the key motivation for him building the Immortal Village. This Coffin Mountain, buried deep underground, must conceal many ancient secrets. Furthermore, I sense an pervasive evil aura everywhere here, and who knows what mysteries are hidden within the Feng Family Ancestral Home. In any case, since we are already here, there is no use worrying. We should cast aside our caution, search the place top to bottom, and then we will know the truth of that centuries-old legend."

Fatty chimed in, "That’s right. Whether Feng Shigou is a corpse, an Earth Immortal, or a Celestial Immortal, if he has golden elixirs or rare artifacts, even if he were just a toad, Fatty would squeeze the urine out of it."

Professor Sun agreed with my assessment. Coffin Mountain was shrouded in fog; only by first locating where Feng Shigou hid himself could they plan further. He disapproved of Fatty’s remarks, believing Wang Fatty to be nothing more than a speculator who cared only for money. "Everything in the Immortal Village belongs to the Fengs; no one outside the old Feng family is allowed to touch anything."

I made an excuse for Fatty. "Actually, this comrade's essence is good. Although he once got caught up chasing wealth in the tide of reform and opening up and lost his direction in the struggle, after rolling around in practice a few times, he no longer takes making a fortune too seriously. It's just that... he's still quite keen on the process of grave robbing and prying out artifacts."

Fatty agreed, "That’s right, Old Hu understands me best. Money is a bastard, is money! Am I the kind of person who forgets his roots? My background of being dirt poor will never change. My dad was so poor his butt showed before he joined the Red Army, yet he still headed north to fight the Japanese devils. So, we aren't afraid of poverty; poverty is glorious! It's Old Man Sun’s character that seems questionable—which of his actions looks like that of an old cadre who has been tested?"

I concluded, "Whether Old Man Sun has undergone a quantitative or qualitative change cannot be determined by surface appearances alone. We need to continue observing and avoid drawing hasty conclusions." I checked my watch. We hadn't been delayed long in the underground netherworld residence, so there was no need for rest. I ordered everyone to set off immediately for the Feng Family Ancestral Home.

Thus, everyone shook off their weariness and immediately left the room. Looking around, we were at the entrance to the ancient town, with the bombed-out Temple of the God of War not far off. The pink-walled, red-tiled buildings of the Immortal Village looked like frozen white specters standing guard in the darkness.

Walking deeper down the street, every household was unnervingly quiet, like a ghost dwelling, utterly lacking any sign of human life or cooking smoke. If the ancient town of Qingxi on the surface was characterized by ruin and abandonment, this Immortal Village hidden deep in Coffin Mountain gave off the distinct feeling of hell money—as if it were entirely constructed from spirit money used for offerings to the dead in the underworld, a ghost residence meant only for incineration. From inside out, everything was shrouded in a bizarre and inauspicious atmosphere. Perhaps it was because Coffin Mountain was so dark, but everything our eyes perceived seemed hazy and unreal.

As we passed each dwelling, we peered inside, but we found not a single coffin or skeleton in any of the yang zhai (houses for the living). The furnishings in every room were perfectly intact, covered in a thick layer of dust, suggesting that no living person had ever occupied them since they were built.

The doubts in everyone's minds deepened, yet we found no answers, so we stopped checking the individual residences and headed straight for the Feng Family Ancestral Home, located at the core of the Immortal Village.

After walking for a long time, a high wall blocked our path. We saw no grand vermilion gates or ancient ceremonial archways, but this courtyard wall was exceptionally broad and high, possessing an air of immense significance. In the entire Immortal Village, where else could such a massive residence be found besides the Feng Family Ancestral Home?

We paused briefly before the wall, and understanding dawned: "We've probably reached the outer wall of the Feng family's back compound." Fatty prepared to follow the wall to find a side entrance. I stopped him: "Why go through the back door? That's improper conduct. My grandfather told me that the mansions of great families in ancient times often set up Ye Long (Night Dragons) between the front and rear gates and corner gates, specifically to defend against highly mounted highway robbers."

Yaomei’er also confirmed that such things existed in the past. The Ye Long was a type of weaponry related to the Fengwoshan area, similar to crossbow traps or fire arrows like the Woyi Feng; they were usually hidden beneath eaves of gatehouses. Running into one was no trifling matter, so it was best to climb over the wall.

I said, "Earth Immortal Feng Shigou is no easy mark. Whether this residence has Ye Long installed is uncertain. It's better to believe in the possibility than to dismiss it. Let's bypass the main entrance and go directly into the inner compound through the back wall." Despite saying this, the five of us didn't possess the skill to scale high walls like spectral acrobats. So, Shirley Yang took out her Flying Tiger Claws, shook them a couple of times, and threw them over the eaves. Being light-bodied, she and Yaomei’er climbed the wall first.

I cursed inwardly—what a landlord scoundrel, putting on airs even more than an emperor! If it weren't for digging up so many grand tombs, where would these precious treasures come from? The magnificent trees and jade-like flora in this garden were likely all exquisite artifacts plundered from ancient graves.

Fatty also leaned over the wall, his eyes wide with greed: "My lord, we've truly hit the jackpot this time." He didn't care about the height or the steepness of the wall anymore; relying on his thick skin, he tumbled directly over the top.

I quickly signaled for everyone to get down from the wall. I jumped into the courtyard and hurried to Fatty’s side, grabbing him: "It's fine to take ill-gotten gains, but everything has its priorities. Finding Earth Immortal Feng Shigou is the most urgent matter now. Commander Wang, you are a man who claims to understand righteousness; don't stoop to the short-sighted actions of petty households."

Fatty put on a shameless grin. "In these times, whoever mentions 'understanding righteousness,' without a doubt, they are someone who deceives the public for their own gain. Let's not get involved with them..."

Just then, Shirley Yang seemed to have spotted something. She interrupted our argument and said to everyone, "There’s something over there that looks strange. I’ll go check it out first." With that, she engaged her Vajra Umbrella and walked through the grove of trees toward the depths of the courtyard.

Worried she might meet with trouble, I quickly called the other three to follow closely behind her. After only a few meters, we saw a large, dark shadow in the garden. Approaching it, we realized it was a mound built like a Feng tree—a burial mound. The arc-shaped top of the grave featured a small, decorative pavilion built of jade, about half a meter high, too small for anyone to enter.

I was already perplexed, but now I was utterly bewildered. This Immortal Village in Coffin Mountain could truly be called a mountain within the earth, a residence within the mountain, and a grave within the residence. I had never encountered such nested netherworld structures in my life. The feng shui secrets I knew were all useless here. I couldn't help but recall the words of Chen Xiazi, the leader of the Xieling Raiders: What the Guanshan Taibao does, even immortals cannot fathom. What exactly was Feng Shigou plotting?

Although Old Man Sun knew a great deal about Coffin Mountain, he was completely ignorant about the Feng Family Ancestral Home in the Immortal Village and the secrets of Feng Shigou. He was also extremely surprised by the presence of this grave mound in the courtyard. We walked around the mound but found no inscribed stele, nor was any part of the grave exposed above ground.

However, behind this bizarre tomb, a three-story, two-eaved pavilion caught everyone's attention. The main structure of this building was wood, featuring green tiles and vermilion doors, carved beams, and painted rafters from top to bottom. The pavilion's main entrance faced directly opposite the layout of the courtyard, looking toward the giant mound in the rear yard. Five characters were horizontally inscribed above the door: "Guanshan Bone Repository Pavilion."

Old Man Sun said, "This building shouldn't have existed in the former Feng Family Ancestral Home. I never heard the elders mention it. Could the true body of the Earth Immortal be hidden inside this pavilion?"

I prepared to enter the pavilion for a look. To be safe, I took out the Guixu Ancient Mirror in my hand and asked Old Man Sun, "If Feng Shigou truly became a Corpse Immortal, he certainly won't be comparable to an ordinary stiff. Can this mirror of ours suppress him? After all, if the Dao is one foot high, the Demon is ten feet tall."

Old Man Sun replied, "That is the saying, but that is not the logic here. Evil cannot overcome righteousness is not about scale or length; the Dao, that one foot, will ultimately press down on the Demon's ten feet. The Guixu Ancient Mirror is a legendary bronze secret artifact. With this in hand, there's no need to worry about any accidents, but we must guard against hidden mechanisms inside the building setting traps."

I never believed in Corpse Immortals to begin with. Furthermore, the Guixu Bronze Mirror was a divination mirror; although the back could be used for observation by candlelight, the mirror surface was already too worn out to be useful for defense against something that refused to die. My earlier question was merely an attempt to probe Old Man Sun’s depths further. After getting his answer, I nodded, contemplating dividing the group into two teams: one to enter the pavilion to search for Earth Immortal Feng Shigou, and the other to remain outside to provide support.

Just as I was about to make the temporary deployment, I looked up and saw that black liquid was suddenly seeping out of the grave mound in front of the Guanshan Pavilion. I quickly walked closer to examine it. The gaps between the grave bricks were filled with foul blood, the stench attacking the senses and causing nausea.

I prodded it with my Emei Thorn and examined the residue on the tip—it was indeed blood.

Shirley Yang asked strangely, "Why is blood flowing from the grave?" I covered my nose and replied, "This is corpse blood, not fresh blood."