It was evening now. In fact, Licheng had been buzzing since morning.
"They dug up an Ancient Coffin in the north of the city. Its surface is covered in densely packed talismans, each Dao Talisman traced with over a hundred strokes. They're peerless sacred talismans."
"What? Talismans of that caliber?"
"Was the coffin covered in ancient talisman paper because they knew the corpse inside would undergo Corpse Transformation, but didn't want to burn it—or couldn't—so they plastered it with talismans in advance to suppress it and keep it from breaking out of the earth one day and wreaking havoc in the Human World? Whose coffin is it?"
As soon as the news got out, it sparked heated discussion in the streets and alleys, teahouses, and inns of the north side of the city.
"The coffin is ancient, and there's a huge hole in the front. When the authorities carried it away, I caught a glimpse inside. The creature's head was intact, its features still vivid, and even its hair glimmered faintly. It looked like a Daoist priest wearing a bright red robe."
Someone who had been there told the story firsthand.
Those who heard this felt their hearts tighten.
A coffin that old, yet the flesh hadn't decayed?
That was frightening.
Then an elder who had once worked as a petty clerk at the local government office suddenly recalled something. His face changed dramatically.
"A Daoist priest in a red robe?"
"It must be the Purple Sun Dao Sect, which was established on the site of Licheng three thousand years ago. The corpse is likely one of their former Sect Masters."
"That should be it. I once studied Licheng's gazetteer in depth."
Legend had it that Licheng hadn't existed three thousand years ago.
The site of Licheng had once been