A single divination predicts life and death; the entire internet begs me to start a live stream.

The Qin family's old residence is located in the western suburbs of Haicheng.

As the car drove out of the city, the streetlights became fewer and fewer.

As night fell, the mountains appeared as a black wall.

Qin Ruoxue sat in the back seat, clutching the old photograph tightly in her hand.

The edges of the photo were already wrinkled from her pinching.

She never imagined that one day she would rush back to the Qin family's old house overnight because of a coffin.

She never imagined that her grandfather had been dead for three years.

But the coffin will suddenly crack open tonight.

The driver gripped the steering wheel, glancing at her in the rearview mirror every now and then.

"President Qin, the old house is calling again."

"What did you say?"

Qin Ruoxue felt her mind was in complete chaos.

The driver swallowed hard.

"They say there have been noises coming from inside the ancestral hall."

"Several elders from the clan have arrived."

"They say... it's because the old man isn't resting in peace in the afterlife."

Qin Ruoxue's face looked as if the last layer of warmth had been ripped away.

"Tell them not to move."

She had just finished speaking when Chen Bufan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly spoke up.

"It's already started moving."

Qin Ruoxue suddenly looked up.

"What do you mean?"

Chen Bufan looked out the car window.

In the darkness of night, in the direction of the Qin family's old residence in the distance, there was a dark cloud of mist.

It won't end.

It doesn't float.

It looks like a black pot turned upside down on the ground.

"Inside the ancestral hall, some people were burning incense, some were burning paper money, and some were even touching the offering table in front of the coffin."

Qin Ruoxue immediately dialed Uncle Fu's number.

As soon as the call connected, she asked:

"Who gave you permission to move things in the ancestral hall?"

On the other end of the phone, the old housekeeper, Uncle Fu, spoke with a trembling voice.

"Miss, it wasn't me..."

"It's the Second Grandfather and the others."

"They said the old man's coffin cracked because the ancestors were displeased and they wanted to make offerings to his spirit again."

Qin Ruoxue's tone was very serious.

"Tell them that if anyone touches it again, I'll kick them out of the Qin family when I get back."

Uncle Fu's voice became even more urgent.

"Miss, they won't listen."

"The ancestral hall is full of people now."

"Some people even said they wanted to open the old man's coffin and take a look..."

Qin Ruoxue felt uneasy.

Chen Bufan said directly:

"The coffin cannot be opened."

Qin Ruoxue immediately said to the person on the other end of the phone:

"Do not open the coffin!"

Her voice was low, yet carried the oppressive weight of someone long accustomed to a position of power. She asked Uncle Fu to turn on speakerphone.

"Before I arrive, anyone who dares to open a shop will be removed from the Qin family genealogy and kicked out of the Qin family forever."

The noisy sounds on the other end of the phone suddenly quieted down.

Uncle Fu quickly said:

"Yes, yes, Miss, I'll go stop them right away."

The phone hangs up.

The car became quiet, with only a slight wind noise from the high-speed driving.

Qin Ruoxue looked at Chen Bufan.

"Why can't the coffin be opened?"

Chen Bufan said:

"A cracked coffin doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem inside."

Qin Ruoxue frowned.

"What is that?"

Chen Bufan glanced at the old photos in her hand.

"Someone outside is urging us on."

Qin Ruoxue's heart sank.

"Collecting debts?"

Chen Bufan didn't say anything more.

The car continued driving forward.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Qin family's old residence.

The old house is a typical Jiangnan-style mansion.

White walls and black tiles.

The gate tower is very tall.

Two lanterns hung at the entrance, their red light swaying in the night breeze.

It usually looks impressive.

Tonight, however, feels strangely like a funeral parlor.

There were many cars parked in the yard.

Almost half of the Qin family members came.

Someone arrived wearing only pajamas and a coat.

Someone was standing in the yard smoking.

Someone whispered.

Many others stared palely in the direction of the ancestral hall.

As soon as Qin Ruoxue got out of the car, the noise in the courtyard immediately subsided.

"Ruoxue is here."

"Why did she bring outsiders along?"

"I heard it's this young man who said the Qin family owes him a life debt."

"Nonsense! The Qin family's business success over the years has relied on the old man's abilities. What do you mean by 'borrowing a life's debt'?"

"But the old man's coffin really cracked."

"Don't talk nonsense, it's bad luck!"

Qin Ruoxue's expression remained unchanged upon hearing these words.

She was used to it long ago.

When it comes to dividing money, the members of the Qin family are all incredibly eager.

When something really happens, everyone panics.

She led Chen Bufan toward the ancestral hall.

As soon as she reached the door, an elderly man in his sixties stopped her.

The old man was wearing a gray Tang suit, leaning on a cane, and had a somber expression.

"Ruoxue".

"Ancestral hall, an important place."

"Isn't it inappropriate for you to bring an outsider in?"

Qin Ruoxue looked at him.

"Third Grandfather".

"Who was it that said they wanted to open my grandfather's coffin?"

The old man's face stiffened.

"We just wanted to see if there was a problem inside."

Qin Ruoxue raised her voice a few decibels.

My grandfather has been dead for three years.

"Now that we're opening the coffin, what would you like to see?"

A middle-aged woman nearby couldn't help but speak up:

"Ruoxue, you can't say that."

"The old man's coffin has cracked; this is a very bad omen."

"If the old man really has grievances in the afterlife, we must find a way to appease him."

Qin Ruoxue gave a soft snort.

"appease?"

"You don't even know what the problem is, yet you dare to move the coffin? Can you take responsibility if something goes wrong again?"

The woman's face turned pale after being choked by her words.

The old man glanced at Chen Bufan, his tone unfriendly.

"Did he know?"

"A young man in his early twenties."

"Just because you've been trending online for a few days, you think you're some kind of master?"

Chen Bufan ignored them.

His gaze had already passed over the crowd and landed deep inside the ancestral hall.

In the center of the ancestral hall, there is a black coffin.

The coffin was very heavy.

It is made of the finest ebony.

Logically speaking, this kind of wood shouldn't crack even after decades.

But now, a crack has appeared in the center of the coffin lid.

The crack wasn't long.

But it is very deep.

It looked like someone was slowly prying it open from the inside with their fingernails.

Even more strangely, all three incense sticks in the incense burner in front of the coffin were broken.

The incense ash did not fall out.

Instead, they were piled straight up in the incense burner, forming three small black tips.

Chen Bufan had just walked in.

The Qin family members were immediately dissatisfied and began to discuss the matter.

"Who let him in?"

"Is it permissible for outsiders to enter the ancestral hall?"

"Ruoxue, you're becoming more and more outrageous!"

Qin Ruoxue didn't say much:

"Mr. Chen is a distinguished guest whom I invited."

"Anyone who disagrees, get out."

As soon as these words were spoken, the murmurs in the ancestral hall immediately subsided.

Qin Ruoxue has just eliminated Qin Yuanshan and officially taken control of the Qin family.

Now, no one in the Qin family dares to go head-to-head with her.

Chen Bufan walked to the coffin.

He did not offer incense.

There was no bowing.

He just looked down at the crack.

The third grandfather of the Qin family looked even worse.

"Young man, you can't even show respect to the deceased?"

Chen Bufan said calmly:

"He can't afford it."

These words caused an uproar in the ancestral hall.

"What did you say?"

"Who are you cursing?"

"That's Old Master Qin!"

"Ruoxue, listen to this! Is this the person you invited?"

Qin Ruoxue also frowned slightly.

But she didn't interrupt.

Chen Bufan looked at the coffin, his voice remaining calm.

"Three years after his death, his soul did not return to his ancestral home, and his coffin remained uneasy."

"It's not that he didn't want to accept it."

"It's because he doesn't dare to accept it."

The ancestral hall fell silent instantly, even the murmurs of conversation ceased abruptly.

It was Qin Ruoxue who asked the question.

"You dare not?"

Chen Bufan looked at the memorial tablet in front of the coffin.

The inscription on the memorial tablet reads:

The memorial tablet of Duke Qin, whose personal name was Chengde.

The handwriting is neat and legible.

The gold paint has not faded.

However, there is a thin black mark at the bottom of the memorial tablet.

It looked like it had been scorched by fire.

It also looked like something was crawling down from below.

"Qin Chengde borrowed things he shouldn't have before his death."

"The debts were not cleared after death."

"You're offering him incense, not to appease him."

"They're pressing the creditors for repayment."

Qin's third grandfather slammed his hand on the tea table angrily and shouted:

"Nonsense!"

"The old man lived a clean life and built the Qin family business on his own merits."

"What right do you, an outsider, have to say he's in debt?"

Chen Bufan only glanced at him.

"clean?"

He reached out and pointed to the ground of the ancestral hall.

"Would an innocent person bury something under the ancestral hall?"

Third Grandfather's face twitched.

"What do you mean?"

Chen Bufan did not answer.

He looked down at a point three feet in front of the coffin.

The floor tiles there were a slightly darker color than the surrounding area.

Very subtle.

Ordinary people wouldn't be able to tell at all.

But Chen Bufan could see clearly that wisps of black smoke were rising from beneath the floor tile.

Black mist clung to the base of the coffin.

Then they went around to the base of the memorial tablet.

Finally, like an invisible rope, it tightly bound the entire coffin.

"Open this brick."

There was another explosion in the ancestral hall.

"No!"

"How can you just move the floor tiles in the ancestral hall like that?"

"This is beneath the feet of our ancestors!"

"Ruoxue, are you really going to let him do whatever he wants?"

Qin Ruoxue stared at the floor tile.

She also didn't want to touch the ancestral hall.

But what happened tonight cannot be explained by simply saying "ominous".

She looked at Uncle Fu.

"Find the tools."

Third Grandfather slammed his cane down heavily.

"Qin Ruoxue!"

"You dare!"

Qin Ruoxue turned her head and looked at him.

"Third Grandfather".

Then, she swept her gaze over everyone in the ancestral hall and said loudly:

"If there is nothing underground, I will apologize to all members of the Qin family."

"If there's something..."

There was a pause. Everyone felt their hearts leap into their throats.

"Whoever obstructs this tonight will bear full responsibility."

After those words were spoken, no one spoke again.

Uncle Fu quickly brought over the tools.

The two workers from the old house who were brought along squatted down and carefully pried open the floor tiles.

The first time, it didn't move.

The second time, the edge of the floor tile cracked a little.

The third time.

Click.

The entire floor tile was pried up.

The instant the floor tiles lifted off the ground, all the candles in the ancestral hall flickered simultaneously.

A cold wind rushed up from underground.

Despite it being a summer night, everyone shivered at the same time.

"What does it taste like?"

Someone covered their nose.

fishy.

腐。

It also had a smell like rotten paper money soaked in muddy water.

The worker's face turned pale, and he trembled, too afraid to move.

Qin Ruoxue looked at Chen Bufan.

Chen Bufan squatted down and looked at the soil under the floor tiles.

The soil is black.

And it's very wet.

Like mud that has never seen the light of day.

Seeing that the workers dared not move, he took the tools and removed the top layer of soil.

Soon, the tool hit a hard object.

thump.

The sound was muffled.

Like tapping on pottery.

Uncle Fu said in a trembling voice:

"There...there really is something?"

The expressions on the faces of several clansmen changed.

Third Grandfather's originally ashen face gradually turned white, becoming a patchwork of blue and white, twisted together.

Chen Bufan continued to clear away the soil.

A black earthenware jar slowly came into view.

The earthenware jar is not large.

It is roughly the size of an adult man's arms when he hugs it.

It is completely black.

The mouth of the jar was sealed with yellow mud.

It was wrapped with a red rope.

There were also seven copper coins pressed on the red rope.

Each copper coin was rusted black.

Qin Ruoxue's breath caught in her throat for a moment.

Because she saw a word written in cinnabar on the front of the pottery jar.

debt.

The word "debt" is written in blood red.

Even after more than 20 years, it is still dazzlingly red.

The ancestral hall was deathly silent.

All the members of the Qin family stared at the pottery jar, and no one dared to speak.

Chen Bufan stared at the red rope around the mouth of the jar, put down his tools, and patted the dust off his sleeves.

"Found it."

Qin Ruoxue's voice was strained.

"What is this?"

Chen Bufan looked up and glanced at the cracked coffin.

Then he looked at the black pottery jar.

"The Qin family's money-borrowing jar."