Gou Zai, a corpse sewn into a spirit in a mortuary during the Republic of China era, became a spirit

Although Xie An had not been in charge of the mortuary for long, he held immense authority. At his command, almost everyone went back to their rooms to pack their belongings without hesitation.

Xie An stepped forward and helped Xie Bingxiang up. "Father, you should go back to your room and pack your things before heading into the mountains."

Xie Bingxiang looked his son over, then glanced reluctantly at the surrounding estate. He wanted to speak several times, but each time he swallowed his words. Finally, he nodded and said, "Alright. You should also go back and pack your things quickly, then come to the main house to meet us."

Xie An nodded in agreement, then hurriedly returned to the west courtyard to "pack".

In fact, he had already packed his luggage: several changes of clothes, a booklet on Hunyuan Zhuang (a type of martial arts), and four or five packets of medicine.

He only made a symbolic trip back to the West Courtyard to avoid being exposed.

Packing always takes time... so he stood under the eaves with his bundle slung over his shoulder, using the time to review the day's events:

First, Roberta successfully completed her mission, but was shot twice by Ding Si while escaping.

One shot hit his chest, piercing a rib; another shot hit his pelvis, breaking a small piece of bone.

However, this did not affect the overall ability of the radish.

After all, Radish isn't human, and her way of sustaining life is... different from that of ordinary people.

Judging from the radish's feedback... it didn't feel pain at all. It was only distressed that two of its bones had been broken, and it even turned back to glare at Ding Si from afar, secretly vowing to kill him...

"I had Roberta carry the coffin directly to the place where I dumped the body last time. That place is near the foot of Laojun Mountain, and there is a very large snake there... It's an excellent spot."

"Now it all depends on how much importance Shen Molan attaches to this coffin and the corpse. The more importance she attaches to it, the greater my chances will be."

Xie An had a complete plan for the whole affair...

In truth, Xie An didn't have an inherent love for adventure, but he was clear-headed enough to know exactly what he should do and what he was capable of doing.

Whether this trip into the mountains will be successful or not... Xie An was not entirely certain.

But he had to do it.

Otherwise, it would be a matter of waiting to die, or placing one's hopes for survival on Shen Molan's mercy... This would undoubtedly be the most foolish decision.

"In the end, it's because my strength is too weak. If I had Uncle Fu's strength... this wouldn't be a problem at all." Xie An still can't forget the scene of Zhou Fu taking action that day.

He did consider asking Uncle Fu for help, but Uncle Fu also had a wife and children, and they were not related to him at all. How could he risk offending a warlord?

In everything, you still have to rely on yourself.

Just as Xie An was in a daze, Li Erniu rushed over carrying large and small packages: "Young Master, shall we go?"

Xie An regained his senses and said, "Let's go."

He carried his bundle to the door of the main house and saw that everyone had arrived with their luggage.

The glow of the gas lamps illuminated bewildered faces; no one felt at ease. The atmosphere was as heavy as a thick, waterlogged cloth, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

Holding the luggage, Liu Hu was the first to speak, his voice muffled, "Young Master, what will happen to the estate if we leave?"

Zhou Xuli, his back hunched and his hands tucked into his sleeves, sighed, "Although the coffin was stolen from the skeleton, it was still lost in our village, and the soldiers guarding the back gate died in our village as well. We can't escape the blame for our dereliction of duty. That Commander Shen is a man from the Governor's Mansion."

"Those of us who deal with the dead, in the eyes of those gun-wielding lords, life...is already worth very little. And now we're stuck with this kind of thing..."

Li Erniu gripped the bundle's straps tighter and tighter, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Brother Hu, Uncle Zhou, if we just go into the mountains and retrieve that coffin, we can atone for our sins, right?"

Everyone nodded, clearly believing that as long as they went into the mountains to retrieve the coffin, there was still a chance of survival.

Xu Chun and Zhang Da, two veteran workers, squatted in the corner, puffing on their pipes without saying a word. They were old and experienced, and they understood better than anyone that trying to reason with gunmen, government officials, or those big shots was the most useless thing in the world.

Finally, Zhang Da sighed, "Even if we find the coffin, it might not be completely safe. After all, a soldier died... Does the young master have a foolproof plan?"

All eyes finally fell on Xie An.

Looking at the bewildered and anxious group, Xie An said, "I have no foolproof solution. Staying means certain death. Going into the mountains is a dangerous path. I cannot guarantee everyone's safety, nor can I persuade Commander Shen to listen to my reasoning."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each familiar face, then spoke slowly and earnestly, word by word:

"I can only promise everyone that since I'm the one leading this path, I, Xie An, will be at the forefront. If anything happens, I'll be the first to step up. If there's food or drink, we'll share it."

As long as I, Xie An, have a breath left, I will never abandon any of you. We entered the mountains together, and I will do my best to ensure that none of us are missing when we leave. If you wish to leave and escape now, I will not stop you.

There were no grand pronouncements, no empty promises.

There was only one weighty "acceptance," imbued with passion and responsibility.

But it was precisely this undisguised honesty that calmed everyone's anxious hearts a little.

At least everyone understood that although the young master didn't make any definitive statements, he took on the responsibilities he was supposed to bear.

Liu Hu let out a heavy sigh, bent down to pick up his bundle: "Alright! Young master, with your words, I, Liu Hu, will gamble my life on you!"

Li Erniu nodded vigorously, wiping his face haphazardly: "Yes! Follow the young master!"

Zhou Xuli and Xie Bingxiang exchanged a glance, both seeing a complex mix of relief in each other's eyes. Xu Chun and Zhang Da also silently stood up and slung their bags over their shoulders.

"Since no one is leaving, let's go into the mountains."

Xie An said no more, shouldered his bundle, and left first. The others looked at each other, tightened their packs, and followed him one by one, silently and resolutely.

The night was still deep, and the road was still treacherous.

But the group of people finally had a vague yet solid direction, and a simple promise from their leader.

Li Erniu was still praying, "May God bless us and let us find that coffin. That damned skeleton... it's a menace."

Xie An did not answer.

He won't tell everyone... that his trip into the mountains wasn't to retrieve any coffin at all.

He was the only one present who knew about Shen Molan's plan, so he naturally knew that finding the coffin was useless.

What he wanted was... to send Shen Molan and everyone else... to hell in the mountains!

……

Meanwhile, Ding Si rode his old-fashioned bicycle swiftly away from the village, heading straight for Binjiang Road in Yongning County.

Although it was already late at night, Binjiang Road, as the most prosperous street in Yongning County, was brightly lit, with gambling dens and dance halls on both sides of the street bustling with activity.

Ding Si dared not delay, and pedaled his old bicycle through the hustle and bustle until he stopped at the entrance of a grand mansion at the end of the road.

The iron gate of the mansion bears three large characters: Shen Mansion.

This is the residence of Shen Wanglu, the richest man in Yongning County.

Ding Si stepped forward, trembling, and knocked on the door forcefully.

A small door on the side opened silently, and a middle-aged doorman in a gray cloth robe poked his head out, giving Ding Si a calm and indifferent look. "Who are you looking for?"

"I am Ding Si, a soldier under Commander Shen Molan of the Governor's Mansion. I have an extremely urgent military matter to report to Commander Shen!" Ding Si shouted urgently.

Upon hearing the names "Governor's Mansion" and "Shen Molan," the gatekeeper's eyes flickered slightly. He glanced at Ding Si again and said calmly, "Come with me."

Ding Si abandoned his bicycle and quickly went inside.

Passing through several moon gates, one finds oneself on a smooth, mirror-like bluestone path, flanked by winding corridors and balustrades. Artificial hills and bonsai are arranged in a pleasing, staggered manner, and the night breeze carries the faint scents of grass, trees, and sandalwood. The occasional passing maids and servants are all dressed neatly, their steps light and their eyes fixed straight ahead, and the entire mansion is utterly silent.

Soon they arrived at an elegantly furnished flower hall, where three people sat around a round table made of huanghuali wood in the center.

At the head of the table was Shen Wanglu. He was not wearing his glasses at the moment, and was dressed in a casual silk jacket. He was intently flipping through a thick account book under a bright electric lamp.

To the left sat a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a light blue Hangzhou silk cheongsam. She had a slender figure, beautiful features, and a quiet demeanor. Her jet-black hair was tied in a simple bun at the back of her head, secured with a single jade hairpin.

She was Shen Wanglu's only daughter, Shen Yuling.

Sitting on the right is Shen Molan, dressed in military uniform; she is Shen Wanglu's niece.

Upon seeing Shen Molan, Ding Si saluted: "Commander Shen, something terrible has happened."

Shen Molan bowed to Shen Wanglu, then rose and left the flower hall, leading Ding Si to a secluded corner: "What is it?"

Ding Si recounted everything he had seen and heard in detail, and finally slapped himself hard across the face: "It's all my fault for being incompetent..."

Shen Molan didn't criticize anything; instead, her eyes gleamed with an unprecedented sharpness as she thought to herself: "Skulls...aren't they afraid of bullets? Isn't this more effective than...Chen Daquan?"