As the gravestone fell and the servants began to dig, Zhong Bai also slightly furrowed his brows.
The reason was very simple: with the servants digging downward, the baleful qi in the treasure lair, where wealth had originally gathered, began to slowly surge upward!
This was not a good omen.
This indicated that the accumulating baleful qi was driving the wealth upward.
If the next burial site of the Seven Stars Treasure Lair was not situated above this one, the Yang family would go downhill from here on out.
Moreover, the gathering of the Three Baleful Qi made it very easy for corpses to undergo Corpse Transformation.
The corpse they were currently digging up did not matter; centuries had passed, and long ago only bones remained, leaving no possibility of Corpse Transformation.
Yet... the Yang family had buried their successive generations nearby, and goodness knows whether any corpses buried over the past decades had been eroded by the baleful qi and turned into stiff corpses.
Seeing that the tragedy of Old Master Ren from Ren Family Town had the potential to repeat itself, at this moment, Zhong Bai did not know whether he should be happy or... happy.
Old Family Head Yang also clearly noticed the strange look on Zhong Bai's expression at that moment.
Ceasing to stare at the servants moving the graves, he instead came over to Zhong Bai to inquire.
"Taoist master, have you spotted a problem?"
Hearing this, Zhong Bai did not hide it.
"Indeed, something is amiss. Although this place is the location of the Seven Stars Gathering Wealth Treasure Lair, as the baleful qi intensifies, the wealth will shift upward.
Just now, while the tomb was being excavated, this poor Taoist used the Qi Observation Technique and found that this treasure lair has already been eroded by baleful qi.
Old Family Head Yang, there is actually no problem with your ancestor's tomb.
However, the Yang family members buried nearby within the last sixty years are very likely to be eroded by baleful qi and turn into stiff corpses.
Although this sounds harsh, what this poor Taoist has said is not half false."
Upon hearing what Zhong Bai had to say, Old Family Head Yang's expression changed drastically, and he let out a heavy sigh.
"That feng shui master said centuries ago that the baleful qi had the potential to surge upward, and there is no free lunch in this world.
If my Yang family wants wealth and prosperity, we must bear the risks.
Fortunately, the Taoist master pointed out the problem today.
Otherwise, I shudder to think what would become of my Yang family and the people of Jiuquan Town if a corpse truly emerged in the future!"
With a hardened heart, Old Family Head Yang made his decision!
"Taoist master, since you say there is the possibility of them turning into stiff corpses, if we check all the Yang family members buried within the last sixty years, will we know for sure?"
Uh...
Zhong Bai was somewhat dumbfounded; this Old Family Head Yang seemingly possessed more than a little boldness.
"That's right!"
"Sooner is better than later. If we can check the people of the Yang family buried within the last sixty years right now and rebury them at a higher spot, although it won't compare to the Seven Stars Gathering Wealth Treasure Lair, it can still capture wealth.
More importantly, it avoids the turmoil that might plague the Yang family in the future!"
Zhong Bai was not blowing smoke with these words; in a matter like this, resolving it as early as possible while he was still in Jiuquan Town was the absolute truth. If they waited until he was no longer in Jiuquan Town for a stiff corpse to break out of its coffin, the Yang family would probably be wiped out to the last chicken and dog.
Old Family Head Yang was also decisive.
After getting the answer he wanted to hear, he immediately called the servants down the mountain to gather manpower.
Half an hour later, a dozen strong men arrived with tools. Old Family Head Yang pointed to several tombs not far behind the ancestral graves and said, "Those are the ancestors of the Yang family buried within the last sixty years. Among them are my uncles and father, my older and younger paternal cousins, and my grandfather and grand-uncles!"
He took a deep breath and continued, "There are seven tombs in total. Dig them up right now!"
When the group heard this, they were instantly stunned.
What was the old family head of the Yang family trying to do?
However, they were merely hired hands; despite their confusion, they did not voice any objections, but instead worked conscientiously, diligently, and sweatily.
Seeing the crowd begin to excavate the tombs, Old Family Head Yang turned somewhat pale in the face, constantly muttering to himself, "Grandfather, grand-uncle, father, uncles, older and younger cousins, do not blame me for being ruthless; for the smooth and prosperous future of the Yang family's descendants, I have no other choice..."
Subsequently, Old Family Head Yang looked toward Zhong Bai again.
"Taoist master, these seven tombs all hold Yang family members buried within the last sixty years. Among them, my grandfather was buried sixty-two years ago; although it exceeds sixty years, it's safer to check him as well.
I will have to trouble the Taoist master shortly!"
Hearing this, Zhong Bai thought, sixty-two years—tsk tsk tsk, he truly is an old fox. Don't say it, old folks really do leave no loose ends when doing things!
Many hands make light work; this saying was vividly embodied at that moment.
With a dozen strong men setting to work, before long, the grave of Old Family Head Yang's grandfather was dug up first.
"Taoist master, let's go take a look first."
Zhong Bai followed Old Family Head Yang to the coffin. Without even looking, Zhong Bai smelled that thick corpse qi in the air.
"Old Family Head Yang, your grandfather has probably already turned into a stiff corpse. Sixty years have passed, yet he remains unrotted and undecayed.
If Old Family Head Yang has doubts, you can have someone open the coffin on the spot to find out."
"What is the Taoist master saying? You hail from the orthodox Mount Mao school and would certainly never deceive this old man. Since the Taoist master says so, my grandfather has likely truly transformed into a corpse.
However, the coffin must be opened after all, just to let others take a look and prevent these people from whispering behind my back down the mountain about what I've done today."
Dealing with old men was truly troublesome, always beating around the bush. Hmph, just saying he wanted to confirm it for himself would have sufficed; honestly.
"Open the coffin!"
Old Family Head Yang gave a faint command, and several strong men nearby prepared to push the coffin lid open.
Yet, even after exerting all their might, they still could not budge the coffin lid by even a fraction.
"Old Family Head Yang, tell them to stop. The corpse qi has locked the lid down; ordinary people can hardly open it."
With those words, Zhong Bai stepped forward. As the vital energy surged within his body, his full strength gathered in his right hand. Veins bulged violently, and Old Family Head Yang, standing close to Zhong Bai, even felt the heat radiating in the air.
With a sharp snap!
Zhong Bai directly pried the coffin lid open. After gently lowering the hundred-pound lid with a single hand, everyone was finally able to clearly see the condition of the corpse inside the coffin.
They saw that inside the coffin, the corpse was undecayed, with faint black smoke lingering around it without dispersing.
The moment Old Family Head Yang saw this sight, even a fool would have known there was a problem.
When his ancestor's tomb had been excavated earlier, it had just been a matter of gathering some bones and wrapping them up, and it was over.
Yet his own grandfather had been dead for sixty-two years, and his corpse was actually still unrotted. At this point, even if Zhong Bai told him it wasn't a corpse, he wouldn't believe it.
"Old Family Head Yang, you saw it for yourself: dead yet un-stiff, stiff yet un-rotted, with sharp teeth and claws.
These are all proofs of transformation into a stiff corpse."
"Sigh! The Yang family has fallen to this end today, and it is only fitting. To enjoy wealth and prosperity, how could it be so simple?"
Old Family Head Yang took it quite well.
The men continued digging, and before long, the grave of Old Family Head Yang's father was also unearthed.
The same steps: open the coffin, then determine its nature.
An hour later, a full seven coffins quietly stood before the crowd, all of them dead yet un-stiff.
At that moment, Old Family Head Yang's gaze carried a hint of helplessness.
"Taoist master Qianhe, I wonder how these uncles and father of mine should be dealt with?"
Hearing this, Zhong Bai immediately perked up.
"Old Family Head Yang, although these relatives of yours have already turned into stiff corpses, they are still only flesh and blood.
This poor Taoist can burn them into ashes before burying them."
At that moment, Zhong Bai felt a bit tempted.
The corpses had not yet risen.
Zhong Bai did not know what stage these corpses, which had been eroded by baleful qi for decades, could reach once they completed their transformation.
Incinerating and killing them right now seemingly did not maximize the profit.
However... never mind. These were someone else's relatives, and his desire to keep them for cultivation before killing them was somewhat fanciful...
Thinking of this, Zhong Bai continued, "Incinerating them right now is the best timing.
Of course, if Old Family Head Yang cannot bear to part with them or does not believe it, you can also bring them back to this poor Taoist's temple and wait for nightfall for them to rise.
Slaying them then is also an option.
How to choose is entirely up to Old Family Head Yang."
Frowning slightly, Old Family Head Yang shook his head.
"No need. This old man trusts you, Taoist master. Waiting for them to rise carries risks; incinerate them right now!
I'll have to trouble the Taoist master with this matter."
At this, Zhong Bai actually felt a tiny ripple of disappointment inside. Ah, well, he admitted it—he was just too greedy for Exorcism Points.
Heh, he really wanted to take the seven transformed corpses back, then secretly draw some blood from the Yang family's relatives to feed them before killing them. Tsk, his Exorcism Points would increase a bit more. Oh well, the Yang family weren't fools; it was only Ren Family Town where people dared to drag a corpse that had remained unrotted for twenty years back into the town...
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