All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

In Fu Ze's original world, in some rural areas where wooden coffin burial is still preserved, "Eight Immortals" mainly refers to a group of people who handle funerals, carrying coffins and burying the dead; they are commonly known as coffin bearers.

At funerals, the "Eight Immortals" are usually eight people, enough to fill an eight-immortal table.

Therefore, the "Eight Immortals" of the coffin bearers can refer to either a single person or the group.

Fu Ze's great-grandfather was in this line of work when he was young.

As times change, cities are generally promoting cremation or direct burial in public cemeteries. The ancient profession of coffin bearer, a trade associated with the dead, is becoming increasingly rare.

Even in rural areas, it's difficult to gather eight truly experienced and qualified coffin bearers.

Often, they can only find some strong and healthy people to "fill the gaps".

Of course, because the spiritual energy of the world in Fu Ze's original world had declined to a terrible state, and there was also the mysterious influence of modern technological civilization, the probability of the birth of evil things was much smaller.

Originally, the so-called coffin-carrying ceremony was just a folk custom to go through the motions.

But now, Fu Ze could tell at a glance that the eight coffin bearers hired by this family were all genuine veterans!

However, considering the historical context of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, it doesn't seem like anything to be surprised about.

"Never mind, I'm too hungry. Let's go in and see what's going on first."

With these thoughts in mind, Fu Ze walked into the mourning hall.

At this moment, everyone turned to look at him.

After all, this is an era of transition between the old and the new.

Large cities have emerged, and mechanical civilizations such as electric lights, telephones, newspapers, and trains have appeared, accelerating the flow of people.

However, rural villages remain relatively isolated, with villagers knowing each other and few outsiders.

Upon closer inspection, Fu Ze realized that they were clearly not locals.

An elderly villager with gray hair stood up.

"Young man, who are you? What brings you here?"

Fu Ze's gaze was open and honest as he clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"My name is Fu Ze. I happened to be passing through your village and I was so hungry that I came to ask for a meal."

The old man frowned, still somewhat doubtful.

In those days, the outside world was in chaos, with warlords fighting each other, bandits everywhere, and all sorts of evil deeds rampant.

A fair-skinned, refined young man, resembling a wealthy young master, was traveling alone in the wilderness at night without any servants...

Moreover, he seemed quite composed, and there wasn't even any dirt on his clothes, which was a bit odd.

He said in a deep voice.

"Young man, do you know this is a funeral? The daughter of the village chief of Fengjia Village has drowned in an accident, and the funeral will be held tonight."

The implication is, aren't you afraid of bringing bad luck?

Fu Zedao.

"The mourning hall has already been set up, I understand. If the family doesn't mind, I can also help with some crying during the funeral procession."

The custom of "funeral mourners" has existed since ancient times. In some places, there are even professional funeral mourners who help with wailing during vigils and funeral processions.

When Fu Ze was a child, his grandfather took him to be a "mourner" at several funerals.

A middle-aged man next to him leaned close to the old man's ear and whispered something.

"Third Uncle, this man is definitely not telling the truth."

"I know. But everyone has secrets, right? Our village isn't some big family, and Xiaoqi's death didn't involve any outside interests, so it's unlikely that anyone would come here specifically to cause trouble."

The old man looked at Fu Ze.

"Since you don't mind, Brother Fu, please take a seat."

He thought for a moment, then added another sentence.

"Sit next to me."

Thank you.

Fu Ze thanked him and sat down. He was hungry, and his stomach was rumbling like a frog.

This indicates excessive stomach qi, which is about to become uncontrollable.

Those who practice martial arts cannot tolerate hunger, which can be considered a minor drawback before mastering their martial arts skills.

He ignored the formalities and the strange looks from the villagers at the table and started eating right away!

Chicken, duck, fish, and meat were all eaten.

Rice, noodles, vegetables, and fruits—we welcome all comers.

Like the wind sweeping away the remaining clouds.

Ah this!

The third uncle and the villagers at the same table were dumbfounded.

"My goodness! They can eat so much!"

"Yes, he looks refined and fair-skinned, dressed like a young master from the city. He eats more than those who do manual labor."

"Such a big braised pork knuckle, and it was gone in just a few bites."

Fu Ze could hear the villagers' discussions, but he couldn't care less about that now.

The person lying in the coffin in the mourning hall was clearly not a kind person.

He won't eat his fill, he'll stay in peak condition, so he can deal with whatever happens later.

Although the "Eight Immortals" are here to keep things in order, one must still be strong oneself to succeed.

So, Fu Ze ate heartily, he had to eat his fill quickly!

"what?"

As Fu Ze ate, he discovered that a wisp of spiritual energy had appeared in his [Niwan Palace] acupoint.

"My spiritual energy is actually replenishing itself? My acupoints are actually absorbing spiritual energy on their own? How is this possible!"

Fu Ze was extremely shocked.

It should be understood that, even if a cultivator's meridians and acupoints were perfectly fine, let alone if he had congenital damage, it would be impossible for his body's acupoints to absorb spiritual energy on their own without actively using his cultivation techniques!

In the world where Fu Ze originally lived, absorbing spiritual energy required finding specific time, bathing and burning incense, calming the mind and concentrating, and practicing cultivation techniques before one could obtain it from the world.

Extremely difficult!

Moreover, because of his congenital defect, he faced even greater difficulties.

But now, having transmigrated to this other world, I don't need to do anything; the spiritual energy within my body is replenishing itself...

It's a world of difference!

He hadn't noticed because his mind was in a state of confusion, but now that he was carefully sensing it, he realized that the spiritual energy in this world was more than a hundred times richer than that in his hometown!

"A tremendous opportunity! Truly an incredible opportunity!"

Fu Ze was in a great mood and ate even faster.

He devoured braised lion's head meatballs one after another, his mouth stuffed full...

Although the "Eight Immortals" are commonly referred to as coffin bearers, in a funeral procession, only the leader is called a coffin bearer, while the other seven are called coffin bearers.

Among the eight people who came to Fengjia Village to carry the coffin this time, the leader of the coffin bearers was named Feng Wencai.

His name doesn't sound like that of someone in the business of exorcising spirits, but he is a well-known coffin bearer in the surrounding area.

As long as he carried the coffin and carried the burial, the family would generally live in peace and tranquility.

Even if the deceased had some issues, they could be properly resolved.

Feng Wencai had a buzz cut, a pipe dangling from his mouth, and was muscular with sharp eyes. At that moment, he was also sizing up Fu Ze and talking to the other coffin bearers.

"This young man is quite remarkable."

"Boss Feng, what did you say?"

The other coffin bearers looked at him curiously.

Feng Wencai said with a laugh as he puffed out a cigarette.

"I can't explain the specifics, but the unusual nature of the situation is what makes it extraordinary."

"It's unusual for a fair-skinned young man with delicate features to travel alone in the wilderness. It's also unusual for him to not be afraid or hide from a funeral procession. It's even more unusual for him to be tall and thin, yet eat far more than us."

"Therefore, given these numerous unusual occurrences, this person is certainly extraordinary. If there's time later, we can have a chat; perhaps we can..."

Meow!

Feng Wencai hadn't finished speaking.

A sharp, piercing meow suddenly rang out in the mourning hall.

Because the countryside is usually quiet at night, and everyone in the mourning hall was keeping to themselves and talking quietly, a sudden meow was heard clearly by everyone.

Fu Ze had just put down his rice bowl and wiped his mouth contentedly when he heard the cat meow. He immediately frowned.

"A cat got into the funeral hall? That's a very bad omen!"

Sure enough, everyone looked somewhat flustered.

Upon hearing this voice, the eight coffin bearers immediately became uneasy.

Feng Wencai put down the long-stemmed pipe from his mouth, his expression serious.

"Brothers, hurry and stand guard by the coffin. Make sure this wild cat doesn't touch it! Otherwise, the one inside is already quite restless, and tonight they might be in big trouble."

The rest of the "coffin bearers" quickly got up and rushed towards the coffin placed in the back of the center of the mourning hall.

They weren't far from the coffin, only five or six meters away, which should have been just a few steps away.

But to everyone's surprise, the wild cat that appeared out of nowhere was even faster!

Meow...

With an even more mournful meow, a shadow appeared on the roof of the mourning hall.

"Look! A stray cat is up there."

"Be careful, whatever you do, don't let it get near the coffin."

The people carrying the coffin were even more nervous.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Meow...

Bang!

The stray cat leaped off the roof and landed directly on the coffin lid.

It was a black cat!

He was very thin, with a triangular face, yellow eyes, and a fierce look in his eyes.

Meow, howl...

The black wildcat stood on the coffin lid, its fur bristling, and emitted a low, chilling growl from its throat.

Upon seeing this, Fu Ze's expression turned serious.

The coffin bearer, Feng Wencai, also exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh no! This is really going to be a big problem!"

There has been a folk saying since ancient times that "cats can frighten corpses" because cats have a strong yin energy, and people believe that they can connect the yin and yang worlds.

After a person dies, their vitality vanishes, their life force dissipates, and they return to the heavens and earth.

However, there is still a residual "qi" stuck in the body cavity from the chest to the throat, which is called "corpse qi" or "death qi".

Under normal circumstances, this corpse-like aura will dissipate on its own after accumulating in the chest of the deceased for seven days. It will have no effect whatsoever.

However, if it is suddenly activated by an external force before it has dissipated, it may cause the corpse to turn into a zombie!

Wild cats are the easiest thing to trigger the residual life force in a dead person's chest cavity. Once they get close to a corpse, it can easily lead to the corpse rising from the dead or turning into a zombie.

Black wildcats are the most yin-like of all colors of wildcats.

In some rural areas, black cats are even said to be kept by "ghost messengers" from the underworld!

Sure enough, the black cat let out a mournful howl on the coffin...

boom! ! !

Inside the coffin, something seemed to move suddenly and forcefully. Even the coffin itself shook slightly.

At this, all the guests in the mourning hall were frightened and stepped back, and the originally quiet scene suddenly became noisy and chaotic.

Third Uncle remained calm and said in a deep voice.

"Don't panic. We're all family, and the Eight Immortals who carried the coffin are here. Everything will be alright."

His classmates and the nearby villagers calmed down a bit after hearing what he said.

In front of the coffin, Feng Wencai roared at the top of his lungs.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and chase this stray cat away!"

He took the lead, grabbed a carrying pole, and swung it at the black cat on the coffin lid.

Swish!

Meow……

The black cat moved with incredible speed, leaping off the coffin lid like lightning, landing on the ground, and disappearing through a gap in the iron fence of the yard.

Feng Wencai wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"The black cat didn't stay long; it shouldn't have completely disturbed the people inside the coffin, otherwise..."

Crunch, crunch!

Before Feng Baxian could finish speaking, a sound like someone scratching the coffin wall with their fingernails immediately came from inside the coffin.

It is sharper and more piercing than a cat's meow, causing ear pain.

If you look closely, you can also see faint wisps of black smoke drifting out from the gaps in the coffin lid.

He immediately tensed up.

"Ganlin's mother! The creature inside the coffin is about to rise from the dead. A cat entering the mourning hall is indeed a very bad omen."

The other "Eight Immortals" standing nearby were also somewhat nervous at this moment.

"What should we do? This... without a mage here, it will probably be very difficult for the few of us to handle this."

"Sigh, the host has invited all eight of us immortals, but how come even the sorcerer brother wasn't included?"

"If what's in the coffin really comes out, we'll just have to bite the bullet and go for it. We've taken the money, so we have to do the job. That's the rule! With Boss Feng around, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry too much. We've teamed up so many times, this isn't the first time we've encountered a zombie apocalypse."

Just as the "Eight Immortals" were tense and worried, and the guests were panicked and fearful.

A hand suddenly reached out from the side.

With a snap!

Long, slender fingers held a yellow talisman and stuck it on the coffin.

The sound of fingernails scratching the wooden planks inside the coffin stopped immediately.

The black smoke that was seeping out from the cracks in the coffin lid also retreated.

Silence returned.

It's as if what just happened was just an illusion.

But Feng Wencai and the other "Eight Immortals" knew that the situation just now was extremely dangerous.

All the eyes of the "Eight Immortals" turned to look.

A young man with clear and bright features stood beside the coffin.

It was Fu Ze!

It turned out that he had seen the corpse in the coffin was about to "rise," so he rushed from the courtyard gate into the mourning hall. Fortunately, he managed to suppress the leaking corpse energy with a talisman at the last moment, restoring the coffin to calm.

Fu Ze chuckled softly to himself.

"The spiritual energy I had just recovered a little has been drained again. The last talisman I had on me has also been used up. Oh dear, I'm completely out of resources."

Upon hearing this, Feng Wencai realized that this young man was indeed no ordinary person, and quickly bowed.

"Thank you for your help, young man!"

The other eight immortals also smiled and flattered Fu Ze.

"Young man, you're so talented at such a young age!"

"If it weren't for the young master, we would probably be in big trouble."

At this moment, the elderly man who looked like a local gentry who had been next to the coffin also came over with a middle-aged couple.

He must be the deceased's grandfather, the village chief mentioned by the "Third Uncle".

The old man asked.

"Feng Baxian, who was that just now?"

Feng Wencai replied.

"Village chief, just now a stray cat wandered into the mourning hall, causing the body... and causing your granddaughter... to have some problems. Fortunately, this young gentleman appeared in time and calmed the coffin, otherwise things would have been very troublesome."