With Alan's body finally interred, the strange affair gripping the village seemed to have concluded. Initially, the villagers remained skittish, avoiding the outdoors after dark, bolting their doors tight, terrified that Alan’s corpse might stage a ghastly return, no longer content with the organs of fowl and livestock, but now craving human hearts and livers. Yet, their apprehension proved needless. After several days of nervous observation confirmed no more local animals were vanishing or turning up dead, the heavy weight lifted from the community's shoulders.

However, a minor coda to the main event followed: Li Yang fell gravely ill upon returning home. His face grew deathly pale, turning a sickly white-green. Doctors were summoned, but none could offer a cure; the consensus was that he wouldn't last long. True to their word, a few days later, Li Yang drew his last breath, his feet kicking out in finality. Li Yang himself was the Party Branch Secretary, and with relatives holding influential positions in the county government, his household was certainly not modest; by local standards, they ranked among the most prominent families in the vicinity. Thus, by any measure, his funeral could not be treated lightly.

Soon after, the Li family arranged the send-off according to custom. To grant his son a final, magnificent farewell, Old Man Li spared no expense, hiring more than a dozen craftsmen just to excavate the grave. Beyond that, he procured vast amounts of paper money made to resemble gold and silver, including an exquisite mahogany coffin. Of course, a proper master to officiate the rites was indispensable. Since Granny Fan lived too far and could not be reached quickly, and the funeral could not be delayed, Old Man Li personally invited Wang Banxian from Xiushan Village to preside. Speaking of Wang Banxian—whose full name was Wang Weizhen—while perhaps lacking a truly ethereal aura upon casual inspection, he certainly possessed a demeanor suggesting spiritual cultivation and did possess some genuine skill; otherwise, he wouldn't have managed to sustain a living in the notoriously haunted Northeast. He claimed to have once been a Taoist priest in the Quanzhen Sect before leaving the religious life to become a master. Nevertheless, in recent years, his reputation had waned slightly compared to Granny Fan, whose fame as an "old fossil" outshone his own. When Old Man Li extended the invitation, Wang Banxian was naturally ecstatic, practically bursting with eagerness. He gathered his two apprentices and rushed over that very night.

At the head of the funeral procession walked the path-clearers, setting up "road flags"—small triangular flags made of five-colored or white paper—to guide the deceased's wandering spirit, scattering paper money along the route to appease any lurking ghosts. Following them came a paper effigy of a child. Since a dutiful son must lead the procession holding the mourning staff, and Li Yang had no direct heir, a paper child stood in his stead, carried by Li Yang's uncle. After the effigy came those bearing the 'Dragon Staff,' upon which rested a coffin of red fir wood. Behind it walked the Li family mourners, each wailing pitifully. Whenever the procession reached a crowded area or a major intersection, they would halt for a road rite, and the drums and music would cease.

Once outside the village boundary, the accompanying crowd stopped, allowing the deceased's "son" to perform the 'Gratitude Rite.' Li Yang's uncle, carrying the paper child, bowed three times toward Li Yang's coffin. Following this 'Gratitude Rite,' the outer coverings were removed, the ceremonial instruments paused, and only the immediate Li family, along with the paper effigy and offerings, continued toward the burial ground.

The location was a depression in the hills northwest of the village. The funeral entourage proceeded along the embankment, with the front ranks beating gongs and drums, and those on the sides tossing rings of white paper. Following the course of the river, the procession arrived at Li Yang's designated resting place. Now it was time to "strike the aperture"—to dig the grave pit. First came the rite to consecrate the earth; the stand-in son would light incense and candles to perform the earth-opening ceremony. Li Yang's uncle, holding the paper child, offered three sticks of incense and two large red candles facing the eastern side of the hill. Next, Wang Banxian would draw the 'Tai Sui' diagram, as digging the grave during the proper time required avoiding the direction ruled by the Tai Sui, lest they be "disturbing the head of Tai Sui," which would bring calamity upon the household.

After drawing the 'Tai Sui,' Wang Banxian directed men to drive wooden stakes into the hill at the 'Zi,' 'Shen,' 'Mao,' and 'Chen' positions. Then, Wang Shi, still carrying the paper child, used a hoe to make three shallow digs within the staked area—a specific rite within Northeast funeral customs. Following this, the 'Eight Immortals' arrived to excavate the pit. The 'Eight Immortals' were eight individuals whose birth characters did not conflict with the deceased's, and after the pit was dug, the drawing of the Tai Sui was burned. Once all this was complete, Old Man Li ordered lime and charcoal to be spread at the bottom of the pit, a precaution taken to delay the decay of both the coffin and the body.

It was approaching the You hour, the designated time for burial; the coffin had to be lowered into the earth precisely as the sun set. Finally, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the 'Eight Immortals' immediately grasped the hemp ropes and slowly lowered the coffin. Once it settled perfectly level, the Li relatives began tossing handfuls of earth onto the box. After the coffin was fully lowered, Wang Banxian instructed the 'Eight Immortals' to cover the lid with a thin layer of soil, then scatter the earth swept from the grave pit on top of that. Next, a bowl was placed there—this was called the 'rice bowl of sustenance.' This was done to ensure that if the grave needed exhumation in the future, the process would be gentler, preventing disturbance of the spirit and averting misfortune.

"Old Man Li, the deceased is now interred. But I still require your cooperation!" Wang Banxian said to him.

Old Man Li remained pale, uttering not a word, the profound grief of losing his son evident in his silence. Only when Wang Banxian addressed him did he snap back to attention.

"Master, what is it? Tell me!"

"The soul of a person, immediately after death, can easily slip out of the grave and follow the living home. Therefore, I ask that you, Old Man Li, your family, and everyone who helped with the burial circle the grave three times. Furthermore, on the way home, it is strictly forbidden to look back. Otherwise, seeing any trace of the deceased's soul in the underworld would be detrimental to both parties." Wang Banxian explained with professional authority. In truth, this was also a method of easing grief; otherwise, relatives would keep turning back, unwilling to leave, making it impossible to persuade them to depart later.

Old Man Li looked at his wife, patted her hand, and sighed, "Very well."

"Also, when you return home, you must wash your hands immediately to dispel any lingering miasma. Tonight, a ceremony will be held at the Li residence to honor the spirit tablet of the deceased. If there is nothing else, everyone may depart. Old Man Li, Madam Li, you should return as well!"

"No... let me see my son one last time. Just one more look, son...!" Madam Li shrieked.

"Madam Li, have you forgotten what I said? Please, return! Doing this will prevent Young Master Li from resting peacefully," Wang Banxian hastily interjected, stopping her.

"Old companion, let's go back! Our son wouldn't want to see you like this! Come on! Old compa..." Old Man Li tried to persuade her.

Finally, Madam Li was dragged and pulled away by her husband back to the house. Wang Banxian finished his final duties, leaving his two apprentices to guard the grave, and then set off toward the Li residence.

By now, it was the Xu hour. The darkness was absolute. The Li family mansion had been transformed into a wake hall, dominated by Li Yang's black-and-white portrait. Below sat the relatives, and Wang Banxian presided over the ritual. All that could be heard was his chanting: "Celestial timing suddenly descends and shifts; earthly timing divides and tightly binds. The departed must take their road; the living offer escort. In the parting of the red dust, remember the hearts of those left behind..."

Xiushui Village was profoundly quiet in the night, broken only by the croaking of frogs and the whisper of the wind.

The wind gradually intensified, soon turning into rain. But it wasn't heavy; it was a typical, fine drizzle.

"Damn it, what torture! If it weren't for that five dollars, I’d be home sleeping right now. Now, standing guard in the rain, it's so cold! What kind of wicked weather is this, damn it all!" one of Wang Banxian's apprentices cursed, pulling his coat tighter around himself.

"Stop complaining. Aren't I here too? Once dawn breaks, that money will be jingling in our pockets. Here, take a swig of this, then go to sleep."

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Brother. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The two finished their drink and lay down under their makeshift thatched shelter. The rain continued to fall, yet inexplicably, the ground around Li Yang's grave remained strangely dry. The rain that touched the mound seemed to vanish instantly, as if evaporated into thin air.

"Cough... cough..." an involuntary cough startled a few crows nearby.

"Huk... huk..."

"Huk...!!"

"Brother! Did you hear that, Brother! Wake up! Brother!"

"Ah, what's all the noise? Don't you want to sleep?"

"No, listen!"

"Listen to what? Go to sleep."

"Just listen, listen!"

"What the—"

"My god almighty!"

A voice that certainly didn't belong to either of them echoed right beside their ears. Startled, both apprentices looked toward Li Yang's grave. But it was too dark, and there was no moon. However, as apprentices of Wang Banxian, they had witnessed enough strange occurrences to keep their composure. Grabbing their torches, the two made their way toward Li Yang's burial mound.