The scene depicted in The Coffin Mountain Immortal Encounter Scroll centers on the inner chamber of the Wuyang King’s ancient tomb, with the tomb passage and countless ritual objects being moved by thieves in theatrical costumes lining the bottom of the scroll. The inner chamber, however, presents an entirely different, breathtaking spectacle.

The stone sarcophagus in the chamber lies wide open, six tomb robbers sprawled dead around it, each massacred in a gruesome, blood-soaked manner. Two of the dead bore the Guanshan waist tokens, suggesting they were sworn brothers or disciples of Feng Shigu. Only one figure, a middle-aged man cloaked in black robes, remained alive. Judging by his bearing and aura in the painting, he was truly “A single black robe wrapping cloud brocade, two cold eyes shooting starlight, a three-foot Qingfeng Sword held aloft, more striking than Dongbin ascending the Eight Immortals,” possessing an air of distinction far above the common grave robbers. This must be Feng Shigu, the Earthly Immortal depicted in The Coffin Mountain Immortal Encounter Scroll.

From the stone coffin, its lid removed, a golden-headed zombie thrust half its body out. The painting clearly shows a ligature mark around the ancient corpse’s neck, indicating that it was not wearing a golden mask, but rather that the zombie was headless, fitted instead with a ferocious golden head. Given the setting within the Wuyang King’s tomb chamber, it is certain that this headless zombie emerging from the sarcophagus is none other than the headless Wuling King.

The body of the Golden-Headed Wuyang King was robust and powerfully built, far exceeding that of a normal man, with extraordinarily long fingernails dripping crimson blood and clinging shreds of flesh. It is likely that the robbers who died before the sarcophagus were all slain by the creature the moment they lifted the coffin lid, killed instantly.

The survivor, Feng Shigu, made no move to alert his accomplices in the passage, but instead charged forward, grappling with both the sarcophagus and the corpse caught in the act.

I stared at the painting, utterly astonished. The scene captured in The Coffin Mountain Immortal Encounter Scroll was almost unbelievable. Zombies attacking others are often attributed to biological static electricity. An ancient zombie, an uncorrupted dead object, might undergo rapid decomposition upon contact with a living thing, leading to terrifying phenomena like spontaneous rising. However, one fundamental truth holds: as the progenitor of all limbs and veins, it is absolutely impossible for a headless corpse to suddenly rise and cause harm. The situation shown here is indeed a rarity in all of history.

My grandfather, a man from the old society, often recounted strange tales from his youth; he was something of a partial heir to the Mojin tradition, yet I never once heard him mention the possibility of such an event, nor did he ever allude to it. This suggests that from ancient times to the present, the tomb robbers of Faqiu, Mojin, Banshan, and Xieling had never encountered the strange incident of a headless corpse rising.

Furthermore, what made it even more perplexing was the name itself—The Coffin Mountain Immortal Encounter Scroll. Looking over the depiction, where were any Immortals to be found? It would be far more fittingly titled The Coffin Mountain Tomb Robbery Scroll or The Coffin Mountain Corpse Subjugation Scroll. As the saying goes, “A name is given for a reason,” yet the scene seemed imbued with hidden complexities, defying any rational inference based on common knowledge. What possible connection could The Coffin Mountain Immortal Encounter Scroll have with the preceding scrolls, The Coffin Mountain House Selection Scroll and The Candlelight Night Journey Scroll?

It turned out that since the days of the self-proclaimed King Li, the Guanshan Taibao had consistently enjoyed imperial favor and followed the court’s service. However, all things in the world are subject to cycles of rise and decline. By the reign of the Wanli Emperor, the dynasty was plagued by internal and external woes: the Jurchens gathered strength beyond the passes to attack the Ming, corrupt officials embezzled public wealth, leading to incessant peasant uprisings; internal factional struggles consumed the court. The foundation established by Emperors Taizu and Chengzu showed clear signs of imminent collapse.

Worse still, the reigning Emperor was dim-witted and foolish, harboring a particular obsession with elixirs and alchemy, recruiting many reclusive scholars solely to concoct various longevity tonics for him. He frequently questioned Feng Shigu about achieving immortality.

At that time, Feng Shigu was the head of the Guanshan Taibao lineage and entirely loyal to the Emperor. However, Feng Shigu did not genuinely believe in the arts of the crucible. He reasoned that since antiquity, no one had ever achieved true immortality, just as no tomb remained unplundered forever. All men faced birth, aging, sickness, and death, and every mausoleum would eventually be dug open. Since no tomb was impenetrable, who robbed the contents made little difference to him. Thus, while overseeing the construction of imperial mausoleums, he secretly dispatched men across various regions to rob tombs, primarily seeking ancient scriptures and texts, especially fond of collecting ancient texts on esoteric arts inscribed on bones, shells, or bamboo slips—a pursuit he never tired of, a glorious tradition inherited from his ancestors. Feng Shigu regarded Emperor Wanli’s fondness for ingesting pills with disdain; the art of the furnace had historically caused no end of harm. It was said that ancient Immortals left behind methods of refinement for universal salvation, but who had actually witnessed such a thing from ancient times to the present? Those seeking immortality through ingestion were often misled by potions; one need only recall the numerous true dragons who met their end pursuing this very thing across successive dynasties. Yet, the human heart is easily captivated by folly, failing to grasp the mechanism of heavenly decree and creation.

Irly Yang also found it puzzling and asked me and Professor Sun how we viewed the scroll. Sun Jiuye gazed fixedly at The Coffin Mountain Immortal Encounter Scroll for a long time, his expression growing increasingly grim. He told us, “If the scene depicted in the painting is true… given the appearance of the first three accompanying scrolls, this Immortal Encounter Scroll is likely not a mere fabrication. But from the drawing, there is no encounter with an Immortal, unless the Wuyang King with the golden head is not a zombie.”

I exclaimed, “What else could he be if not a zombie? A celestial being? If he were a true Immortal, why would he be dead inside a sarcophagus?” Sun Jiuye’s expression turned solemn, and he slowly stated, “He is certainly not a zombie. When the Guanshan Taibao lifted the lid in the chamber, the Wuyang King must have still been alive.”

I disagreed, suspecting Sun Jiuye had lost his senses, and retorted, “The Wuyang King doesn't even have a head; how could he possibly have been alive when the coffin was opened? Moreover, if the Wuling King were alive, he couldn't possibly have been placed in a stone sarcophagus thousands of years ago. He doesn't look like he was violently sealed alive for tyranny, because that golden head is exquisitely luxurious and could not have been hastily fashioned.”

Sun Jiuye countered, “You speak truly, but look closely at the painting: exactly where Feng Shigu’s sword strikes the Wuling King, blood is clearly seen flowing down the blade. A thousand-year-old zombie, though undecayed, would not exude fresh blood; even if it bled, it would be black, putrid blood. This detail proves he was identical to a living person when he emerged from the stone coffin.”

For this reason, he repeatedly memorialized Emperor Wanli, stating that the matter of immortal medicine was ultimately illusory and unattainable, impossible to force. He also advised the Emperor to relocate the ancestral tombs in Anhui. This angered the Emperor, who felt the Feng family of Guanshan lacked true ability, and consequently, he began to hold Feng Shigu in lower regard. Furthermore, there was another incident: Feng Shigu had his men excavate the tomb of a noblewoman from the Liu family near the capital. This Liu family was quite significant, descendants of the eccentric numerologist Liu Bingzhong. The tomb was riddled with complex mechanisms and devices, along with various texts on esoteric numerology, thus drawing the attention of the Guanshan Taibao, who secretly emptied the entire burial site. However, the capital, the seat of the Son of Heaven, is a confluence of all regions. Although the Guanshan Taibao acted discreetly, there were times when their activities were leaked to outsiders. The descendants of the Liu family, who also held official posts in court, were enraged upon hearing the news, but lacking direct evidence of Feng Shigu’s involvement, they could only secretly frame the Guanshan Taibao.

Feng Shigu was an exceedingly shrewd man, also well-versed in metaphysics, naturally discerning the path to self-preservation. A desire for retreat began to form in his mind. He selected a date and summoned his clan brothers for a discussion. He told them, “It has always been said that accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. Now, the dynasty’s fate is clearly nearing its end, the world is disordered and perilous, and fields lie fallow. Why not return home while we can still withdraw whole? We should manage the salt mine properties left by our ancestors and live out our days in quiet seclusion, rather than spending every day in fear serving the King.”

Because Feng Shigu possessed arcane skills, the Feng family members had always revered him like a deity, never questioning his counsel, so they immediately agreed on a plan of retreat. Feng Shigu then feigned illness, returned to his hometown, and relocated his entire family from the capital back to Qingxi Town.

Upon returning home, Feng Shigu confined himself indoors, dedicating his time to studying various strange and unorthodox esoteric arts. These skills were largely derived from the hanging coffins found in Coffin Gorge. Although much of the content was incomplete, what remained was substantial enough for him to ponder for three to five lifetimes. The more he studied, the more profound and endlessly mysterious those ancient arts seemed.

The Feng clan was large and wealthy, having received imperial recognition. Although their actions were secretive and they were not widely known to the outside world, they commanded great influence locally, attracting countless disciples and followers. They engaged in practices like drawing talismans and swallowing water for blessings, effectively becoming a major sorcerous sect in the Bashan and Shushui regions.

Several of Feng Shigu’s brothers harbored great ambition. Seeing their influence grow unchecked and realizing the government could do nothing to stop them, they urged Feng Shigu to gather followers and rebel, suggesting they emulate the Yellow Turban Rebellion, proclaim themselves the "Great Virtue Celestial Masters," and rally the masses. Even if they couldn't seize full control, they could carve out a territory and divide the land.

Feng Shigu remained unmoved. The current prosperity of the Feng family of Guanshan was largely due to their mastery of illusionary arts—or, to put it plainly, sorcery, entirely composed of deviant and crooked methods. He told them to seriously consider: history records countless rises and falls, but how many rulers achieved dominion through merely scattering beans to form armies or cutting paper to create horses? Since antiquity, those who used demonic arts to deceive the populace into rebellion have never met a good end; such ventures are doomed to fail because rebellion always incurs heavenly retribution, lacking the destiny for a true dynasty. They should not indulge in such foolish dreams, lest they invite utter destruction upon their entire lineage.

People ultimately strive for fame and profit; who can achieve true tranquility and non-action? Although Feng Shigu harbored no ambition for rebellion, his extensive recruitment of disciples had its own motive.

The tomb robbing conducted by the Guanshan Taibao was unlike the usual practices. These men often dressed up in theatrical costumes beforehand, mimicking figures from the underworld such as Zhong Kui, Impermanence officers, Judges, Yama, Ox-Head, and Horse-Face—all attire associated with the netherworld. Their methods included smoke techniques (yan shu), wax-bone practices, moving bodies with paper figures, and commanding corpse-worms, making their operations exceptionally eerie and mysterious.

In reality, the so-called smoke technique was a form of corpse manipulation akin to the Ganshi practice in Western Hunan. The Guanshan Taibao would spray water-infused tobacco smoke into the tomb chamber to hypnotize the corpses within. The smoke, shaped like human figures, would envelop the buried bodies, allowing them to open the tomb owner’s sarcophagus. After removing the ritual objects, the manipulated corpses would collapse, having already triggered any mechanisms or traps inside the burial chamber. Only then would the Guanshan Taibao enter to plunder the contents.

If there were no accompanying corpses in the tomb chamber, they would fold paper figures and use the smoke technique to manipulate snakes and ants to carry the paper figures into the passage—this was a form of transposition technique. From a modern perspective, these so-called demonic arts actually relied on medicinal smoke to attract cold-blooded creatures, such as snakes, ants, and beetles, causing them to coil around the corpses or paper figures to carry out the grave robbing. Moreover, the smoke technique could not last long, or the caster would inevitably lose their soul. Such methods were ancient shamanistic arts, long lost. Inscriptions on bone and shell found in the hanging coffins of Coffin Gorge recorded many of these esoteric techniques, along with methods of astrology and prognostication, which the Feng family consolidated and termed the Coffin Mountain Clue-Revealing Art.

After the Guanshan Taibao plundered numerous ancient tombs, Feng Shigu felt the gains were not substantial. Although he acquired some methods of alchemy and strange arts during this period, they amounted to only a fraction of what was passed down by his ancestors. Finally, he recalled an ancestral instruction mentioning another massive tomb within Coffin Gorge, constructed within a natural cavern, featuring layered fortifications, solemn and magnificent—said to be the mausoleum of the Wuyang King.

Coffin Gorge housed no less than a hundred thousand hanging coffins, forming a vast ancient burial complex. The Wuyang King’s tomb lay at the very end of the deep, sheer mountain ravine. According to local legend, the Wuyang King was a devout follower of witchcraft, extremely cruel and harsh, yet he also achieved some merit by dredging waterways and sinking wells for salt, possessing a mixed reputation. He was eventually killed, his head removed, forcing him to be buried with a golden head.

The ancestors of the Feng family discovered the exact location of the Wuyang King’s tomb from the bone and shell inscriptions in Coffin Gorge, but they simultaneously learned that the tomb chamber was filled with curses: disturbing the eternal silence of the underground palace would demand a price of rivers of blood and mountains of corpses.

The ancestors of the Feng family who first excavated the hanging coffins knew that Coffin Gorge indeed concealed boundless secrets and had always been a place of inscrutable mystery where strange phenomena frequently occurred. They naturally dared not violate this ancient taboo, so they left instructions warning all future generations of the Feng family never to enter that specific tomb, lest it bring about the annihilation of their entire clan. Anyone who violated this ancestral instruction would be deemed the ultimate unfilial traitor who had betrayed his lineage. In the traditional mindset of ancient China, where “a thousand evils are surpassed by the crime of not adhering to the Way, but filial piety is the foremost of all virtues,” no one dared to bear such a brand. The descendants of the Guanshan family strictly obeyed this command, and the very thought of entering Coffin Mountain to rob graves was something they wouldn't dare entertain under normal circumstances. But Feng Shigu, confident in his supreme skills and believing the Wuyang King’s palace must hold many strange and profound objects, harbored an innate compulsion for tomb peering. Once this thought arose, he could no longer suppress it. He summoned his disciples, apprentices, brothers, and nephews before him, claiming that after observing the heavens that night, he saw a malevolent star afflicting the dominant position, signaling a great upheaval across the land. To ensure the safety of his family line, they must enter Coffin Gorge to rob the tomb; the Celestial Hexagram Map within the Wuyang King’s tomb held profound secrets that could guide them toward a peaceful, secluded retreat.

In truth, there was no Hexagram Map in Coffin Gorge; Feng Shigu merely used this as an excuse to persuade the others to enter the mountain and rob the tomb. The Guanshan Taibao traversed mountains and cleaved through ridges, employing all manner of techniques for more than a day before finally digging open the inner chamber.

The stone sarcophagus in the chamber was colossal, leading the bandits to speculate it held immense treasures. But unexpectedly, as the lid was lifted, a gust of cold wind blew out from within, extinguishing all the lanterns and torches instantly. Feng Shigu possessed a luminous pearl and quickly brought it out to illuminate the scene, discovering that several men gathered before the giant sarcophagus lay dead on the ground, while a gleaming, ferocious human skull shone forth from the coffin.

Feng Shigu had weathered many storms and possessed great arcane abilities; he was no ordinary man. He unfurled his corpse-binding rope and struck out with his sword, piercing the Wuyang King’s zombie straight through. To his surprise, the Golden-Headed Wuyang King’s body reacted like that of a living person, splashing fresh blood where the sword struck.

Feng Shigu was knowledgeable and recalled tales from early times about corpses achieving immortality, but he dared not believe such a bizarre event was real. Being in such a perilous situation, he had no time for measured contemplation. He immediately dismembered the Wuyang King into eight pieces. Seeing numerous ancient artifacts within the chamber, he hid the corpse in a large bronze tripod with beast-face handles and twin ears, sealing it securely, and removed all the precious ritual objects from the stone sarcophagus.

Only then did Feng Shigu summon his accomplices from the passage to retrieve the bodies of the Guanshan Taibao who had died near the entrance. During this tomb raid, the Guanshan bandits not only plundered all the ritual objects and antiques but also took the wall paintings from the chamber.

The ritual objects were secretly transported to Feng Shigu’s grand residence in Qingxi Town. Feng Shigu then remained secluded day and night, meticulously examining the strange encounter he had in the chamber, which convinced him that corpse Immortals did indeed exist. At this point, he no longer cared about violating any major taboos. He exhausted all his ingenuity, desperately seeking the ancient secret of immortality hidden within Coffin Gorge. This secret, he believed, might be concealed within the golden head of the Wuyang King's corpse.