Corpse-Raising Ground, Mirror Lake Villa

"Thank you, Granny Sha." Grandpa breathed a sigh of relief when Chen Shi woke up.

The old woman put down the peculiar musical instrument in her hand and chuckled, "Old Man Chen, we're all family, no need for formalities! If it weren't for your Water-Fire Tempering, my soul-summoning technique alone might not have been able to bring Little Ten back from the underworld. Even if I could summon him back, his body would likely have rotted by then."

Grandpa dispersed the ball of water and fire above his head and looked at Chen Shi, asking, "Little Ten, how are you feeling? Does your chest still hurt?"

Chen Shi wanted to speak, but his throat was hoarse, and no sound came out.

"He was dead for seven days, his body was cold to the touch. It's good enough that we brought him back on his seventh day."

Granny Sha leaned in front of Chen Shi, opened his mouth to look inside, and said with a smile, "The muscles in his throat have relaxed; he can't speak yet. Once he gradually warms up and gets used to his body again, he'll be able to talk."

"It's his body, not a corpse," Grandpa corrected her.

"No difference, no difference."

Granny Sha's eyes crinkled into slits as she smiled. "Old Man Chen, your methods aren't bad. This Water-Fire Tempering is truly enviable. You used the tool for cultivating a corpse-release immortal on Little Ten, hehe... Now that I've saved your grandson, will you teach me the Water-Fire Tempering?"

Grandpa became alert and shook his head. "I paid you to help. However, my days are numbered. If Granny Sha agrees to my request and becomes Little Ten's godmother, I will teach you the Water-Fire Tempering wholeheartedly."

"Become Little Ten's godmother?"

Granny Sha's expression changed instantly. She glanced at Chen Shi lying on the bed and hesitated, "Become his godmother? I fear my life isn't that strong... Should we gamble? Hehehe... I don't dare!"

She said with a tearful voice, "Old Man Chen, are you trying to pass this hot potato on before you die? You're scared too, aren't you? I dare not accept this fortune! I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it and will become a sinner..."

As she spoke, her emotions got the better of her, and she started crying.

Chen Shi, lying on the bed, was confused. "Why is the old woman crying? Why does she say she'll become a sinner?"

After some time, Chen Shi could speak and asked for water.

Granny Sha gave him water, then started ushering them out. As Grandpa moved the still immobile Chen Shi onto the wooden cart, something seemed to trigger her, and she began crying again.

"Old Man Chen, you can't take the Water-Fire Tempering to your grave when you die!"

She cried, "Teach it to me, and I'll wear mourning clothes and act as your daughter!"

Grandpa didn't look up. "You become Little Ten's godmother."

"No!"

Granny Sha refused outright. "Then take the Water-Fire Tempering to your grave. I'll dig it up later!"

The Jia Ma Talisman gradually circulated, and the wooden cart slowly started moving.

Black Pot trotted ahead of the cart with light steps. Chen Shi lay on the cart, bouncing with each bump, his body swaying from side to side. The wooden cart left Granny Sha's village.

Chen Shi strained to look outside. The village was unfamiliar; he hadn't come here during the Moon Festival.

"Grandpa and Granny Sha are very familiar with each other, and Granny Sha called me Little Ten, knowing my childhood nickname."

Chen Shi blinked. He must have been here before, but he didn't remember.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Grandpa called the dog on the cart. The dog looked back, puzzled, at the wooden cart that had taken a different path, then happily ran over.

"We're not going to Huangpo Village; we're going somewhere else," Grandpa said to the dog. "Little Ten's body is too cold, and his blood circulation is poor. We need to go to a Yin-heavy corpse-raising ground for a couple of days."

Black Pot nodded solemnly and ran ahead of the wooden cart to lead the way.

Chen Shi's voice was weak as he tried to speak loudly, "Black Pot, thank you."

The dog paused for a moment and wagged its tail.

"This is Gangzi Village, north of the mountains. Granny Sha is a good person. After you were born, she even came to hold you and examine your bone structure, praising how exceptionally good it was. Later, when you ranked first in the county examination out of fifty provinces, she came to congratulate you. When you died..."

Grandpa seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps to Chen Shi. "After you were injured, she was also very angry and ran around for you, trying every means to summon your soul. If I die in the future, I'll leave you a copy of the Water-Fire Tempering Art. Take it to her to repay her kindness."

He paused. "She is a person of great loyalty and righteousness. If you give her the Water-Fire Tempering Art, she will remember your kindness and try her best to repay this favor. Although she dares not be your godmother, she will undoubtedly do everything in her power to protect you."

Chen Shi lay on the cart, listening to the rumbling of the wheels, and said in a low voice, "Grandpa won't die."

"Heh."

Grandpa chuckled and stroked his head. "Silly child, who can live forever? I can't stay here. When the moon rises, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist my hunger..."

He fell silent.

Chen Shi quickly changed the subject. "Grandpa, is Black Pot a normal dog? Why could it enter the underworld to save me?"

"You suspect it too?"

Grandpa's gaze fell on Black Pot, his expression grim. "I've suspected it for a long time, but I haven't been able to catch it."

The dog sensed the eyes of the grandfather and grandson on it and involuntarily shivered.

Making a living in the Chen family is too difficult.

Why is its dog life so full of hardships?

It just wanted to be an ordinary dog.

Black Pot led the way, and the wooden cart followed the dog into the mountains, traveling further and further along the rugged mountain path.

Some mountain paths were dilapidated and steep, difficult even for humans to climb, yet the wooden cart rumbled along as if on flat ground.

After a long time, they arrived at a place of beautiful mountains and clear waters. The surroundings were low peaks, with a valley in the middle. In the center was a deep pool, its water pure and incredibly clear. Looking down from above, it resembled a dark eye with a clear exterior.

Beside the pool stood an ancient villa. Tall trees blocked all sunlight, and the inside of the villa was dark. One needed time to adjust their vision to see clearly after entering.

Black Pot sneezed several times. It was too cold here, making it shiver uncontrollably.

It stopped outside the gate and did not enter the villa.

Above the villa's gate, the words "Mirror Lake" were inscribed.

Mirror Lake Villa.

Chen Shi found it strange. There were no insects in the villa. He was lying there, unable to move, so logically, he should have been bitten by insects long ago, yet not a single one was present.

Not only were there no insects, but there were no bird calls either. Everything was quiet, so quiet it sent a shiver down one's spine.

A large tree caught Chen Shi's eye. It was thick, its bark like dragon scales, growing upside down with a straight trunk that would take three to five people to embrace.

Beneath the tree stood a coffin, dark and upright, leaning against the trunk.

Chen Shi rolled his eyes, wanting to get a better look. Then, the second dragon-scale tree and upright coffin came into view.

Next was the third tree and the third black coffin.

The wooden cart was parked under a dragon-scale tree in the center of the villa. This tree also had an upright black coffin beneath it. The coffin was small, not meant for an adult.

Grandpa lifted the coffin lid and placed Chen Shi inside, then closed the lid.

Strangely, though it was unusually cold here, as Chen Shi lay in the coffin, his body gradually grew warmer.

His heart began to beat, growing stronger and stronger.

What was even stranger was that lying in the coffin, he felt completely at peace, his heart incredibly tranquil, as if he were very familiar with this place.

He even fell into a comfortable sleep, only waking when Grandpa opened the coffin.

Grandpa touched his hand. His palm was warm, and his heart was beating strongly.

Chen Shi walked out of the upright coffin and stretched his limbs. He felt his body had recovered completely, but he was full of questions.

"Grandpa, have I been here before?"

"Yes."

"Was I lying in this small coffin before?"

"Yes."

"Was I like this the last time I was here?"

"It was more serious then. Last time, you... were seriously injured."

Chen Shi thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Was it the time I scored first in the provincial child scholar exam? How long did I sleep here?"

"Yes, a very long time," Grandpa replied gruffly.

He tidied up the wooden cart and looked over.

Chen Shi solemnly closed the coffin lid, treating his other "home" with great care, afraid of damaging it.

The grandfather and grandson got onto the wooden cart. Chen Shi looked at the other upright coffins in the villa. There were eight upright coffins in total. The other seven black upright coffins were distributed under ancient trees. He saw no ghosts or spirits and didn't know if people were slumbering within them.

However, he could faintly sense an extremely powerful oppressive force emanating from several of the upright coffins. As his gaze swept over them, the oppressive feeling grew stronger!

Clearly, there was something inside the coffins, something extraordinary!

"This corpse-raising ground was found by me and a few friends," Grandpa said, controlling the compass as the wooden cart drove out. "I can't really call them friends, just acquaintances. We knew each other, spoke a few words. They were afraid of death, just like me, so we gathered together and built this villa. If the physical body is placed here, there's no need to worry about it spoiling or decaying. Some old guys couldn't wait any longer and moved in. But everyone who moves in must follow a few unwritten rules."

He paused and continued, "You cannot inquire about others' origins, you cannot ask who the residents are, you must not reveal this place to outsiders, and each visit must not exceed two people. If these rules are violated, we will all attack them. Heh heh, it would be terrifying if they rose from their coffins."

Chen Shi chuckled, "No wonder Doggy didn't follow us in."

The wooden cart drove out of the villa. Black Pot quickly scurried over. Not far from Doggy, a carriage was parked, looking very luxurious.

Unlike Grandpa's rustic wooden cart, this carriage had a wooden frame, bronze embellishments, gold accents, and pearl decorations. Its roof was covered by a canopy, and four fine horses pulled it. Even the horses were clad in gold and silver armor.

A coachman sat on the carriage shaft, holding a whip.

Inside the carriage sat a noble figure, clad in snow-white robes, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. He was handsome and possessed an elegant demeanor.

Seeing the grandfather and grandson emerge, the man in white robes stood up and gracefully alighted from the carriage.

He wore a long sword at his waist. The scabbard was lacquered black with diamond-shaped patterns, narrower in the middle like a woman's cinched waist. The hilt and pommel were carved and polished from tortoiseshell, making it very beautiful and eye-catching.

The man in white wore his sword hilt-down, his posture tall and his steps leisurely.

After he left the carriage, the four horses in front of it rapidly turned to stone, becoming four stone horses!

The coachman also transformed into a terracotta figurine, still holding the reins as if to control the horses.

Chen Shi was astonished. The man in white had already arrived beside the grandfather and grandson and bowed to them.

Grandpa also bowed in return.

"It's been a long time, Master Chen. Your demeanor remains unchanged."

"You flatter me. Prince Xiao, your bearing is elegant; I am far from your equal."

The two exchanged pleasantries.

Prince Xiao's gaze fell upon Chen Shi's face. He looked at him deeply and praised, "Water-Fire Tempering is indeed extraordinary."

Grandpa's pupils contracted slightly.

Chen Shi felt a prickle of unease, as if he were being stared at by a wounded leopard again. He wondered, Why is Grandpa feeling murderous again?

Prince Xiao also sensed the killing intent. Without another word, he said, "My apologies." With that, he walked into the manor.

Chen Shi looked back and saw Prince Xiao approach a standing coffin. The coffin resembled a small house, twelve feet high and eighteen feet long. Its surface was covered in extremely ornate talismans, with dazzling runes that made one's eyes swim.

The coffin lid automatically lifted and flew out. Then, a golden coffin board flew out from the coffin, followed by a silver coffin board, then a golden coffin board, and finally, a jade board, roughly the same size as a normal coffin lid.

Prince Xiao walked into the coffin. Layer upon layer of coffin boards flew into the coffin, sealing him within.