The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

Lin Jiu sighed and said, "No wonder this feng shui master would target your Ren family."

He took a few steps forward and pointed to some white lime that had been dug out, saying, "He told you to cover this 'dragonfly skimming water' hole with cement, which is called 'snowflakes covering the top,' but there's no water at the bottom of your coffin; it's sealed off with cement. What kind of 'dragonfly skimming water' is that?"

Ren Fa turned to look at Ren Fa and continued, "This feng shui master still has some conscience. He reminded you to exhume and rebury the body in twenty years. This will only harm you for twenty years, not for a lifetime."

"If the old man's coffin remains buried here, not only you, but even your descendants will suffer terribly!"

As Uncle Nine explained, Ren Fa's face grew increasingly grim, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Just then, a servant working on the construction site suddenly shouted, "The coffins are all exposed!"

Lin Jiu hurriedly walked towards the grave, while Ren Tingting grabbed Li Xiao's arm and followed to check.

A group of servants quickly placed the scaffolding they had prepared on top of the coffin, then tied hemp ropes to it and pulled the pulleys on top, gradually pulling the heavy solid wood coffin out of the soil.

The coffin of Old Master Ren, covered in mud, was finally carried out and placed on the flat ground in front of the grave. The moment the heavy wooden coffin was placed, the surrounding wind seemed to freeze.

Lin Jiu looked up at the sky; the midday sun was dazzling and intense.

His gaze darkened slightly as he swept over the crowd present, and he spoke in a deep voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, today the might of Lord Ren has once again been revealed. All those aged thirty-six, twenty-two, thirty-five, and forty-eight, as well as those born in the years of the Rooster and the Ox, turn around, carry your coffins, and retreat!"

As soon as the words were spoken, seven or eight people in the crowd immediately responded, turning their backs to the coffin and not daring to peek at it again.

Lin Jiu, his expression solemn, spoke again: "Please tidy your clothes and respectfully invite the deceased to open the coffin!!"

At his command, four burly and strong servants immediately stepped forward and exerted their strength together.

With a dull and grating creaking sound of wooden axles rubbing together, the heavy coffin lid was slowly pried open.

The moment the coffin was opened, the entire silent cemetery suddenly underwent a strange change.

A sudden, shrill, and eerie cawing of crows broke the midday silence from the surrounding woods.

A flock of dark crows suddenly took flight from the old trees in the forest, flapping their wings and flying hastily towards the distant dense forest. This scene made Lin Jiu's expression even more serious.

The coffin lid was lifted, and a thick, cold aura mixed with the smell of decay rushed out.

Li Xiao followed closely behind Lin Jiu and stepped forward to examine the body. He saw a male corpse dressed in Manchu official robes lying quietly inside.

The deceased was none other than Old Master Ren, Ren Weiyong. Twenty years had passed, yet his body showed no signs of decay or rotting. Only his face was withered and black, his skin stiff and taut, exuding a chilling aura of death. Under the sunlight, it appeared extremely eerie, inspiring fear in all who beheld it.

Just then, a heart-wrenching cry rang out beside him: "Father!"

Hearing the sound, Li Xiao turned his head and saw Ren Fa with a sorrowful face, red eyes, and weak legs. He knelt heavily in front of the coffin with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly to Ren Weiyong's body.

Ren Tingting, who was standing to the side, also released her grip on Li Xiao's arm, softly called out "Grandpa," and knelt down beside her father to kowtow and pay her respects.

"I have disturbed your rest today, and I am truly unfilial."

Ren Fa's voice choked with emotion as he bent down and kowtowed three times earnestly to the corpse in the coffin.

After the ceremony, Ren Fa slowly stood up, wiped his eyes, and turned to look at Lin Jiu beside him, asking with a hint of trepidation, "Uncle Jiu, is this tomb still usable?"

Lin Jiu's gaze was deep as he looked at the coffin and the tomb. He shook his head slightly and said, "It's like a dragonfly skimming the water, touching it again and again. Auspicious burial sites never repeat themselves. This burial site is now useless."

Upon hearing this, Ren Fa's expression instantly turned anxious. He quickly asked, "Then what should we do? Isn't there any other way?"

Lin Jiu looked at Ren Fa with a serious expression and said, "In my opinion, it would be best to cremate Old Master Ren's body on the spot to prevent future troubles."

Cremation? No way! Absolutely not!

Upon hearing this, Ren Fa's expression changed drastically, and he waved his hands and shook his head repeatedly: "My late father was most afraid of fire, I absolutely cannot let him end up like that!"

"Master Ren, are you aware of the risks involved?"

Lin Jiu stepped forward, his gaze grave, and said, "Your father's body has remained incorrupt for twenty years, with intact flesh and a lingering death aura, which is a sign that he is about to become a zombie."

"In my experience, if you don't cremate him in time, it will definitely bring disaster to your Ren family in the future!"

But Ren Fa was determined. Even though he heard about the danger, he still refused to budge: "Uncle Jiu, you can use any method you want, just don't cremate me! Please, Uncle Jiu, think of another safe way."

Seeing that Ren Fa wouldn't listen to advice, Lin Jiu sighed helplessly, a hint of resignation flashing across his brows, and said, "Since that's the case, then let's temporarily place Old Master Ren's coffin at my mortuary. I'll find an auspicious burial site for him in a few days!"

With the cemetery matters settled for the time being, Ren Fa did not linger any longer and planned to return home with his daughter.

Ren Tingting hesitated, her gaze fixed on Li Xiao, her eyes filled with reluctance, and she was unwilling to move.

Seeing his daughter's reluctant expression, Ren Fa felt as if his little cabbage was about to be stolen. He grabbed Ren Tingting's arm and led her directly towards the bamboo sedan chair parked nearby.

With the footsteps of the servants rising and falling, the bamboo sedan chair was slowly lifted and headed down the mountain.

Ren Tingting turned her head and looked at Li Xiao, who was standing there, with reluctance. Seeing this, Li Xiao raised his hand and waved to Ren Tingting, signaling her to leave in peace.

Li Xiao turned to Lin Jiu beside him and said sincerely, "Uncle Jiu, may I accompany you to the mortuary? I would like to take this opportunity to learn more about Taoist metaphysics from you."

Lin Jiu smiled and nodded, then turned to Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng behind him and instructed, "You two stay by the tomb and set up a plum blossom incense array. Guard it carefully, and tell me immediately how the incense array burns in the end."

"Yes, Master!" Wencai and Qiusheng bowed in unison, their attitude respectful.

Lin Jiu was still worried and solemnly instructed again, "Remember, you must offer incense at each grave one by one; do not miss a single one!"

After explaining everything, Lin Jiu said no more, turned to Li Xiao and raised his hand to gesture for him to leave.

The two turned around and slowly walked down the mountain path.