Petrified Corpse, the Price of Wealth

As the tombstone fell and the servants began to dig, Zhong Bai's brows furrowed slightly.

The reason was simple: the treasure lair, originally brimming with Wealth Qi, began to slowly emit Sha Qi as the servants dug deeper!

This was not a good sign.

It indicated that the increase in Sha Qi was pushing the Wealth Qi upwards.

If the next point in the Seven Stars Gathering Wealth Treasure Lair wasn't located above, then the Yang family would face a decline from now on.

Moreover, the accumulation of Three Baleful Qi could easily lead to a Corpse Transformation.

The body being dug up now was not a concern; after several centuries, only bones remained, making Corpse Transformation impossible.

However… the Yang family had always been buried nearby. Who knew if any bodies buried in the past few decades had been corrupted by Sha Qi and turned into Zombies?

Witnessing the potential replay of Old Master Ren's tragedy in Ren Family Town, at this moment, Zhong Bai wasn't sure if he should be happy or happy...

Old Family Head Yang clearly noticed the change in Zhong Bai's expression.

He stopped staring at the servants relocating the grave and instead approached Zhong Bai to inquire.

"Taoist priest, have you noticed a problem?"

Hearing this, Zhong Bai did not hide anything.

"Indeed, something is amiss. Although this place is the Seven Stars Gathering Wealth Treasure Lair, as the Sha Qi intensifies, the Wealth Qi will move upwards.

When the grave was being dug earlier, I used the Qi Observation Technique and discovered that this treasure lair has already been corrupted by Sha Qi.

Old Family Head Yang, your ancestor's tomb itself has no issues.

However, it's highly possible that Yang family members buried nearby within the last sixty years have been corrupted by Sha Qi and turned into Zombies.

While these words may be unpleasant, there is not a shred of falsehood in what I've said."

After listening to Zhong Bai, Old Family Head Yang's expression changed dramatically, and he sighed heavily.

"The geomancer centuries ago said that Sha Qi might surge upwards; there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

For my Yang family to prosper, we must bear the risks.

Fortunately, today a Taoist priest pointed out the problem.

Otherwise, I can't imagine what my Yang family and the people of Jiuquan Town would do if Zombies appeared in the future!"

With a decisive resolve, Old Family Head Yang made a decision!

"Taoist priest, you said there's a possibility of Corpse Transformation into Zombies. Can we find out by examining all Yang family members buried within the last sixty years?"

Uh...

Zhong Bai was a little dumbfounded. This Old Family Head Yang seemed to possess more than a little courage.

"Exactly!

It's better sooner than later. If you can examine everyone buried in the Yang family within the last sixty years now, and then bury them at a higher elevation, while it won't be as good as the Seven Stars Gathering Wealth Treasure Lair, you can still acquire Wealth Qi.

More importantly, it will prevent potential calamities for the Yang family in the future!"

Zhong Bai wasn't just spouting nonsense. For this kind of situation, it was best to resolve it as soon as possible while he was still in Jiuquan Town. If he waited until he left Jiuquan Town and Zombies emerged from their coffins, the Yang family would likely be wiped out.

Old Family Head Yang was also decisive.

After getting the answer he wanted, he immediately summoned his servants to go down the mountain and gather people.

Half an hour later, over a dozen men arrived with tools. Old Family Head Yang pointed to several graves not far behind the ancestral tomb and said, "Those are Yang family ancestors buried within the last sixty years, including my old uncles, father, cousins, and my grandfather and granduncles!"

He took a deep breath and continued, "There are seven graves in total. Dig them all up now!"

The group was stunned when they heard this.

What was this Old Family Head Yang trying to do?

However, they were just workers. Though they were puzzled, they didn't voice their concerns. Instead, they diligently and conscientiously worked, drenched in sweat.

Seeing everyone begin to dig the graves, Old Family Head Yang's face turned somewhat pale. He kept muttering, "Grandpa, granduncle, father, uncles, cousins, don't blame me for being heartless. For the prosperity of the Yang family's future generations, I can only do this…"

Then, Old Family Head Yang looked at Zhong Bai again.

"Taoist priest, these seven graves belong to Yang family members buried within the last sixty years. Among them, my old grandfather was buried sixty-two years ago. Although it's past sixty years, it's still safer to check.

Later, I'll trouble the Taoist priest!"

When Zhong Bai heard "sixty-two years," he clicked his tongue. As expected of someone old and shrewd. Indeed, the elderly handle things meticulously!

The strength in numbers was vividly displayed at this moment.

With over a dozen men working, it wasn't long before Old Family Head Yang's grandfather's grave was the first to be dug up.

"Taoist priest, let's go. Let's take a look first."

Zhong Bai followed Old Family Head Yang to the coffin. He didn't even need to look; Zhong Bai could smell the strong Corpse Qi in the air.

"Old Family Head Yang, your grandfather has likely already turned into a Zombie. After sixty years, he remains uncorrupted.

If Old Family Head Yang has any doubts, you can have someone open the coffin on site to investigate."

"What are you saying, Taoist priest? You come from the orthodox Maoshan sect; you would never deceive an old man like me. Since the Taoist priest says so, then my old grandfather has probably truly turned into a Zombie."

"Still, we have to open the coffin. It's better to let others see, so these people won't gossip about what this old man did today after they go down the mountain."

It's always a hassle talking to old men; they beat around the bush. Tsk, why can't he just say he wants to confirm it himself? Seriously.

"Open the coffin!"

Old Family Head Yang's calm command sent a few strong men to open the coffin.

But no matter how hard they tried, even with all their might, they couldn't budge the coffin lid an inch.

"Old Family Head Yang, tell them to stop. The Corpse Qi has sealed the lid; it's very difficult for an ordinary person to open."

With that, Zhong Bai stepped forward. His blood and qi surged, and all his strength gathered in his right hand, making his veins bulge. Old Family Head Yang, standing close to Zhong Bai, could even feel the heat in the air.

CRACK!

Zhong Bai directly ripped the coffin lid open. After he gently set the hundred-pound lid down with one hand, everyone finally got a clear look at the corpse inside the coffin.

Inside the coffin, the corpse was perfectly preserved, and faint black smoke swirled around it, refusing to dissipate.

At this sight, even an idiot would know something was wrong.

His ancestor's grave, when it was dug up earlier, was just a matter of collecting some bones and that was it.

Yet, his own grandfather, who had been dead for sixty-two years, was still perfectly preserved. Even if Zhong Bai said it wasn't a Zombie now, he wouldn't believe it.

"Old Family Head Yang, you've seen it, right? Undecayed but not stiff, stiff but not transformed, with sharp teeth and nails.

These are all signs of Corpse Transformation."

"Sigh! The Yang family's current predicament is well-deserved. How could enjoying wealth and prosperity be so simple?"

Old Family Head Yang was quite philosophical about it.

The men continued digging, and before long, Old Family Head Yang's father's grave was also unearthed.

The same steps: open the coffin, then make a judgment.

An hour later, seven coffins lay silently before everyone, all perfectly preserved but not stiff.

Old Family Head Yang's gaze held a hint of helplessness.

"Taoist Qianhe, how should I deal with these uncles and my father?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Bai suddenly felt energized.

"Old Family Head Yang, although your relatives have undergone Corpse Transformation, they are merely physical bodies.

This humble Taoist can burn them to ash, and then you can rebury them."

At this moment, Zhong Bai was somewhat moved.

The corpses had not yet risen.

Zhong Bai didn't know what stage these corpses, corrupted by Sha Qi for decades, could reach after Corpse Transformation.

Burning them now didn't seem to maximize the benefits.

However… never mind. These are his relatives. Wanting to keep them to cultivate and then kill them seems a bit far-fetched…

Thinking this, Zhong Bai continued, "Now is the best time to burn them.

Of course, if Old Family Head Yang can't bear to or doesn't believe, you can also bring them back to this humble Taoist's temple and wait for them to rise when night falls.

They can be slain then too.

The choice is entirely up to Old Family Head Yang."

Frowning, Old Family Head Yang shook his head.

"No need, Taoist. This old man trusts you. Waiting for them to rise carries risks. Let's burn them now!

Thank you for your trouble, Taoist."

To this, Zhong Bai actually felt a tiny bit of disappointment inside. Uh, well, he admitted he was too greedy for Exorcism Points.

Heh heh, he really wanted to take the seven Corpse Transformed bodies back, then secretly feed them a little blood from the Yang family relatives before killing them. Tsk, that would yield more Exorcism Points. Oh well, the Yang family isn't stupid. Only the Ren family dared to bring a corpse that hadn't decayed for twenty years into the town…

Cough cough, thank you, dear readers, for your support. I continue to look forward to your monthly votes, collections, investments, tips, and continued reading. Thank you! Thank you!