The man looked familiar, yet Zhou Huan couldn't place him, turning the thought over and over in his mind.

The oblivious Dongzi erupted from behind, shouting, "Your old man's grandson, who the hell is talking nonsense! When has it been your turn to butt in when my brother is handling things?" Dongzi muttered, closing the distance to the speaker in just a few strides. He reached out a massive hand and seized the man by the neck. "Turn around, let Grandpa see how handsome you are."

Dongzi's grip was indeed formidable. The speaker strained, clutching Dongzi's hand, yet couldn't wrench his head free. Dongzi raised his hand to strike, but as he got a clear look at the man, he seemed to remember something. "Oh! It's you, kid. Haven't you had enough beatings from my brother yet? Well, Grandpa's gonna flatten you again today!" With that, Dongzi’s hand began to descend.

Zhou Huan was fast enough. He covered the distance to Dongzi in just a few steps. "Stop it! Don't resort to hitting people at the drop of a hat." Zhou Huan glanced again at the man about to speak. The man looked back at Zhou Huan, and suddenly his expression shifted, a look of burgeoning terror replacing whatever was there before. As Zhou Huan studied him more closely, he, too, finally recognized the individual. "Well, look at you, you scoundrel! You good-for-nothing!"

"Big Brother, Big Brother! I didn't know it was you, please don't grab me! I'm completely reformed now, I swear!" The speaker turned out to be the fellow Zhou Huan had restrained a few days prior in the backyard of Fushou Hall—the one dealing in stolen antiquities. Although he had been moving the relics, the police investigation cleared him; it turned out he had been entirely deceived and manipulated. Consequently, he was only fined and detained for three days before being released.

"Your surname is Sun?" Zhou Huan inquired sharply of the man.

The fellow’s demeanor immediately turned exceedingly compliant. He straightened up, bowed deeply, and spoke obsequiously, "My surname is indeed Sun. My name is Sun Zhi. I am a distant nephew of Elder Sun. I only discovered this after digging through the family genealogy. Today, I was just roped into helping carry the coffin!"

"Sun Zhi, Sun's idiot! Hahaha!" Dongzi found this terribly amusing and let out a loud burst of laughter, which drew chuckles from the bystanders nearby.

Zhou Huan shot Dongzi a stern look. "Shut up. Go stand over there. You have no business here." Then, turning to Sun Zhi, Zhou Huan stated, "The Rite of Lamentation requires genuine grief. After all, Elder Sun was your distant uncle. If you don't weep today, don't blame me if I call Elder Sun out here to make you cry!" Zhou Huan inwardly chuckled at his own words, turned, and returned to the memorial platform to resume presiding over the rites.

Hearing Zhou Huan’s threat, Sun Zhi was thoroughly terrified. Though he had no idea who Zhou Huan really was or what methods he possessed, he had certainly heard whispers about summoning spirits. If he failed to comply, he might actually suffer for it. Thus, Sun Zhi swallowed hard, a slight tremor in his voice, and began to concentrate on how to produce a proper wail.

After the Rite of Lamentation concluded, they burned the large sheets of spirit money and set off firecrackers. Since Elder Sun had lived past eighty, the burial was considered a 'joyful passing,' meaning mere firecrackers wouldn't suffice. Xiang Jiao had specifically prepared twenty ceremonial cannons for Elder Sun and the Old Master, which began to erupt with sharp cracks.

The ceremony presided over by Zhou Huan proceeded smoothly, quickly leading up to the time for lowering the coffin into the earth. Zhou Huan stood before the coffin, hands clasped behind his back, observing the several men Xiang Jiao had procured, mentally assessing who possessed the strength to lift it.

"Master Zhou, you don't need to pick them. These are all strong men from their family; you can call out any one of them, and they can lift this coffin," Xiang Jiao said to Zhou Huan, a hint of mockery in her tone. Since someone had dared to speak out of turn against Zhou Huan earlier, she felt quite pleased and placed absolute trust in the laborers she had selected.

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "Miss Xiang Jiao, shouldn't you take one last look at your esteemed father? If you don't look now, I'll have them hammer in the final nail."

Xiang Jiao’s expression snapped tight, as if the mere mention of her father brought forth overwhelming dread. "Oh, there’s no need. It’s just a pile of white bones now. Master Zhou, you select the men!"

A single sentence from Zhou Huan had effectively silenced the arrogant Miss Xiang Jiao. He then chose six men from the crowd, one of whom was Sun Zhi.

Zhou Huan addressed the six men. "You all remember this: the coffin you are carrying this time is critically important. Not a single speck of excess soil can touch it. You must carry it straight into the Plum Blossom Grave Plot. This path isn't short, nor is it near; I demand that you do this in one clean motion, placing the coffin perfectly upright within the grave."

"No problem, Master. We’ve all done hard labor before. It’s just this guy we don't recognize," said the man whose exposed skin was dark and whose arms bulged with sinews—clearly a powerhouse. He then turned back to Sun Zhi. "Buddy, what’s your line of work? We’re all Sun family, don't you embarrass the Sun name!"

Sun Zhi flinched, feeling a tightness in his chest. He inherently disliked strenuous labor. Now, Zhou Huan was clearly setting him up, and that Dongzi character was threatening physical violence and worse. Sun Zhi felt deep reluctance to participate. He hesitated, then stammered out, "Do you think... my physique... is adequate for this?"

"It’s fine, who says it isn't? I see people nowadays only respect money. I, Xiang Jiao, will decide here and now: every man who helps carry the coffin gets ten thousand yuan!" Xiang Jiao's declaration instantly ignited a buzz, and many people rushed forward, eager to take the job.

Sun Zhi, who had been ready to back out, heard the promised sum. He suddenly stopped caring about whether he could lift it; this was a one-time thing, and ten thousand yuan would keep him comfortable for a long time. Hesitation vanished. Regardless of who tried to snatch the wooden pole from his grasp, Sun Zhi clung to it with all his might, refusing to let go.

Zhou Huan glanced at Xiang Jiao; her face still held that look of contemptuous arrogance. Then, Zhou Huan added, "You all remember this: this ten thousand yuan won't be easy to earn. If anyone allows even a speck of dirt to touch this coffin, not only will you forfeit the ten thousand, but I will also beat you half to death."

"Understood, understood!" The six men gripping the poles nodded repeatedly. All they could think about was Xiang Jiao's ten thousand yuan; they dismissed the threats of a beating entirely, exclaiming, "Master Zhou, tell us what to do! When do we lift?"

Zhou Huan smiled. "Wait a moment. Let me cleanse you first!"

Zhou Huan retrieved some sulfur powder from his bag, took a handful, and dropped it into a water bottle he had brought. The bottle contained less than a full measure of water. After shaking it, Zhou Huan lightly dipped a peach branch into the water and began sprinkling it over the men one by one, chanting as he went, "Cast off the dust, welcome the new life!"

After sprinkling the water, Zhou Huan also cast some onto himself. Then, he slowly and loudly commanded, "The deceased enters the coffin, step forward to the earth. Everyone, move out!"

"Lift!" The six pallbearers shouted in unison. The heavy coffin rose with a deep, drawn-out sound, hovering only about thirty centimeters above the ground. Chanting their work song, the six men proceeded step by step up the hill toward the Plum Blossom Grave.

Zhou Huan followed behind. Xiang Jiao, supported by the lean man, trudged laboriously up the slope. The assembled mourners followed her, moving slowly toward the hillside.

This coffin was exceptionally heavy. The Dragon Pond wood used was inherently denser than other lumber, and to that, they added five solid gold basins inside, genuine gold by weight, pressing the coffin down until it was as massive as a boulder.

The six men hadn't gone halfway before some were drenched in sweat. Watching Sun Zhi, it was clear he was on the verge of collapse, but driven solely by sheer willpower, he endured, keeping pace with the others as they gradually approached the Plum Blossom Grave Plot.

Upon arrival, Zhou Huan instructed his four disciples to stand at each petal of the plum blossom formation, while he stood at the large central circle. Each began chanting the Rebirth Sutra. The five of them recited it dozens of times. Finally, the last person lit a Reincarnation Talisman and placed it into the pit where he stood.

Then, Zhou Huan and the others climbed out of the pit. Zhou Huan told the pallbearers, "The six of you circle the petals and then lower the coffin slowly. Only after the coffin has settled on the ground can you withdraw the wooden poles, and then you pull out the hemp ropes. Remember this?"

The man who had spoken earlier replied, "Don't worry, Master. We don't want to get beaten."

At this moment, however, Sun Zhi’s face had turned ashen. He was straining so hard his face was bright red, and the muscles in his body trembled slightly. His clothes were completely soaked through.

"Alright, lower the coffin!" Zhou Huan commanded. The men simultaneously began to lower the coffin. It descended smoothly and settled steadily. Following Zhou Huan’s precise instructions, the men successfully pulled out both the poles and the ropes.

Xiang Jiao had just managed to climb up and saw the men setting the coffin into the grave plot.

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "Miss Xiang Jiao, time to pay up. They still need to backfill the soil later!"

Xiang Jiao gasped for breath, drenched in sweat, speaking in ragged gasps. "Okay... Monkey, take the money and distribute it to them!" Fortunately, Xiang Jiao kept her word. As soon as she promised payment, she delivered; the laborers happily took their money and tucked it away.

"All right, you finish piling the dirt, and we will conclude things for today," Zhou Huan said, sounding as if he were playing a trick, knowing Xiang Jiao had just arrived yet pushing her to leave the mountain before she had recovered.

Thankfully, the morning burial had concluded relatively smoothly. Finally, Zhou Huan instructed Xiang Jiao, "This grave site needs to be bordered with marble slabs, but the most critical part is done. All that remains is erecting the stele and finishing the mausoleum structure."

"Is there anything else we need to watch out for?" Xiang Jiao asked Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan replied, "Nothing at all. Just remember not to touch the coffin."

As the final rites concluded, the assembly of people drove away. Zhou Huan and his entourage also departed the scene, returning to Fushou Hall.

Late into the night, the area around Elder Sun's grave became intensely quiet, so still that the rustling of a tiny insect could be heard clearly. At that moment, the sound of ** soft footsteps broke the rare silence.