Young Master Liu stated, "My talisman still holds some use for now. Do you have any other important relatives who wish to see the Old Master one last time? If not, I will cremate the Old Master's physical body tomorrow after he is placed in the coffin; only then can we ensure peace."

Gonggu Chen asked, "Why wait until he's in the coffin to burn it? How can you burn him once he's inside? Do you mean you have to burn the coffin along with him?"

Young Master Liu nodded. "The Old Master's Minghun [Life Soul] has already been taken by the Underworld, and his Dihun [Earth Soul] has gone to the Peach Garden. His Tianhun [Heavenly Soul] remains within his body. The Tianhun will guard the physical form until the body is destroyed; only then will it vanish. It is absolutely crucial that the Tianhun and Minghun do not reunite. Given the Old Master's condition, his Tianhun has been tainted by the sinister energy within him. He might emerge early and enter the Luo family's ancestral tablet. As for the Dihun, it will only return to retrieve the Tianhun forty-two days after the soul's return night. Before the Dihun arrives, the Minghun will also be brought back by the Underworld emissaries for the Luo family's final farewell. At that time, if the Tianhun sees the Minghun, it will certainly attach itself. If an Underworld official is present, it’s manageable. But if not, and the Minghun and Tianhun reunite—heh heh—they will no longer be mere wandering spirits; they will truly become ghosts! They will become Yeguai [Feral Ghosts]. Such ghosts are different from ordinary ones because regular ghosts have both their Dihun and Tianhun present. But this one would have the Minghun and Tianhun joined. These ghosts are easily misled by evil energy and transform into Ligui [Vengeful Ghosts] that can kill invisibly! However, since they are a part of the Underworld's domain, the Underworld will not intervene. The only ones who can manage them are those connected to Zhong Kui—they call themselves the Yin Officials. Such Ligui without a proper portal or anchor are precisely their targets. They are the guardians of order between the mortal and spirit realms and absolutely will not permit the existence of Ligui. Therefore, a Ligui's final destination is only one thing: complete annihilation! As an Yin-Yang Master, I absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen right under my nose. I must first send the Old Master's Tianhun away. Via the Luo family's ancestral tablet, it can find the Dihun and remain with it in the Peach Garden, awaiting the Minghun's summons. Generally, the Minghun only calls for them to complete a new life, a new cycle of reincarnation, just before the next cycle begins."

The twenty-odd people listened, utterly confused. Young Master Liu then realized he had spoken too much and paused, turning to Luo Ping’an. "Uncle Xiang, tell the carpenters to carve a ten-centimeter square opening at the bottom of the coffin tomorrow; I have a use for it."

Luo Ping’an acknowledged him, then asked, "Young Master, is everything safe now?"

Young Master Liu feigned seriousness. "Safe? No, only temporarily. If any more cats or dogs cross the Old Master’s remains, I can do nothing more. So, tell everyone to guard carefully until he is placed in the coffin; don't be careless again!" Though he spoke with grave seriousness, he finally realized that messing with people often ends up messing with oneself. Things were already fine, yet he deliberately made it sound severe, resulting in everyone present unanimously demanding he stay and guard with them.

Unable to slip away, Young Master Liu could only find a comfortable place to sit. Once settled, he noticed someone had been following him persistently: Luo Siyu. Young Master Liu looked at her and asked, "You're quite frightened, aren't you?"

Luo Siyu replied, "Of course! I’ve read the comic strips too; vampires love to bite their own relatives!"

Young Master Liu burst into laughter. "That's just a story. A common Jiangshi [Vampire/Zombie] only possesses one Tianhun. How could it distinguish between kin and outsider? But the part about them draining blood is true. A Jiangshi is someone kept barely alive by a final breath. They hate anything that lives—not just people, all animals alike. They hate that sound of a heartbeat. Only by draining the blood completely will that heartbeat cease. So, the Jiangshi's only objective is one thing: sucking blood."

Luo Siyu’s face turned pale. "Is that really true? I’m so scared!" She wasn't the only one afraid; several people gathered nearby were listening intently.

Those people also asked, "Brother, are you telling the truth? Old Master Xiang won't rise up and... do something to us, will he?"

Young Master Liu declared, "As long as what I mentioned doesn't happen, everything will be fine. So, everyone, keep your spirits up now!"

Those people chuckled, and one of them spoke up, "Brother, you’re not old, but you’re quite bold. Your magic seems good; are you taking disciples? I’d like to learn from you."

Young Master Liu shook his head. "How could I be qualified to take any disciples? Besides, this requires natural talent, and people in our line of work don't get rich. Others wouldn't learn this even if their lives depended on it. Are you still interested in learning?"

The group laughed cheerfully. "Then forget it. I heard learning this involves avoiding many taboos!"

Young Master Liu sighed. "Indeed, once you learn this, there are many things you cannot do. I’m starting to regret it a little myself! Alas, but the old man insisted I accept his inheritance, so I have no choice. Let’s not talk about this anymore; everyone concentrate on guarding." Saying this, he leaned against the wooden partition and closed his eyes.

He drifted off to sleep unknowingly, while the dozen or so people in the main hall dared not relax like him, maintaining their vigilance at full strength. Dawn broke before Young Master Liu awoke leisurely to find Luo Siyu asleep in his arms, and everyone else present had also fallen asleep. Having tensed up all night because Young Master Liu had only said they had to hold out until morning, they all relaxed after the rooster crowed three times. As soon as they relaxed, they all succumbed to sleep. However, observing them, Young Master Liu could tell they were merely dozing, not truly asleep, as no one could rest easy with such events weighing on their minds.

Seeing this scene, a mischievous thought flashed through Young Master Liu’s mind. He shouted loudly, "Oh no! The Old Master is gone!"

"Ah! Ah!..." A chorus of shrieks erupted instantly, and everyone looked toward the mourning hall simultaneously. Realizing they had been tricked, they all turned to look at Young Master Liu. Just as he was about to laugh, a sharp pain shot through his waist—Luo Siyu had dug her fingers in deeply. He didn't even have time to laugh, only managing a pained cry. The furious expressions on the faces of the dozen people morphed into looks that clearly said, Serves you right, kid.

Daylight arrived, but the dozen people on watch didn't leave, as they all wanted to see how the body would be burned inside the coffin. As soon as the sun rose, more people arrived. Those dozen became the focus of attention; the events of the night spread—one story became ten, ten became a hundred. By noon, the area in front of Luo Ping’an’s house was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Young Master Liu was startled by the sight. He couldn't guarantee his magic would work; if it failed, he would suffer immense humiliation. So, he stepped out and addressed the crowd. "Everyone is here, I presume, to witness my spell. To be honest, this is my first time performing this rite, and I don't even know if it will succeed! Moreover, this ritual can only be performed at the Wushi San Ke [around 1:15 PM]. If you have urgent tasks, please feel free to leave; I fear I might waste your time."

The villagers saw a teenager, and while they had heard the master of ceremonies would be young, they hadn't expected someone so young. Many dispersed, but a large number remained. It was the dead of winter, with a foot of snow on the ground; they certainly didn't have pressing errands. They wouldn't leave if there was a spectacle to watch. Most didn't know precisely when Wushi San Ke was, but seeing others stay, they decided to wait it out.

As time crept toward Wushi San Ke, the coffin was ready. As requested by Young Master Liu, the bottom board had a square opening cut precisely in the center. Although no one knew the opening's purpose, they fulfilled the master's request without much questioning. With a few helping hands, Luo Ping’an placed Old Master Xiang inside the coffin. Young Master Liu made no other special arrangements; everything proceeded conventionally. If one hadn't known beforehand, they wouldn't have noticed the opening beneath the coffin; the inside was prepared as usual—incense offered and the lid ready to be sealed.

Everything proceeded this way, yet a palpable tension began to build, for once the Old Master’s body was settled, it was time for the young master to perform the cremation. Everyone crowded the main hall and the doorway, filling every visible space. They seemed to have forgotten one thing: the so-called master was not inside. Perhaps they were all just vying for the clearest vantage point.

Humans are like that; especially when idle, if there’s something novel and curious, no one wants to miss it. Those who had left returned; it was nearly the entire village, from the sixty- and seventy-year-old elders down to the six- and seven-year-old children—men, women, old, and young, all gathered. Luckily, the courtyard in front of Luo Ping’an’s house was large enough, or the scene would have become chaotic.

Wushi San Ke was fast approaching when Young Master Liu finally appeared. He held a bundle of fir wood blocks, uniformly sized: thirty centimeters long, three centimeters wide, and one centimeter thick—these were what he had instructed the carpenters to make for him. The three carpenters were glad to assist, as this allowed them to become Young Master Liu’s aides and observe up close. The Suona King and Gonggu Chen naturally secured spots for close viewing. Especially Luo Siyu, who once openly despised Yin-Yang Masters, followed Young Master Liu closely, as if afraid to miss a single detail.