Burial by the Rules

Not long after Ren Tingting left Qiusheng's side, the whole procession soon came to a halt.

Just as Ren Wei had said, they had arrived at their destination in no time.

Once they got there, Uncle Nine smoothly took charge from Master Ren and began instructing everyone to prepare to open the coffin.

Qiusheng and Wencai helped their master set up the incense altar and ritual table.

Opening a coffin was a serious matter. Every necessary precaution had to be taken to ensure nothing went wrong. Otherwise, if they disturbed the corpse inside and it rose as a zombie, things could get ugly.

When the incense altar and ritual table were ready, Uncle Nine instructed everyone present to offer a stick of incense to Old Master Ren.

"Everyone, remember: when you offer incense, you must do so with sincerity."

After saying this, Uncle Nine was the first to hold up his incense and bow. Then he stepped aside and watched everyone else pay their respects one by one.

Before long, everyone had finished offering incense.

Among them, Qiusheng spotted an unexpected guest.

It was his Uncle Four Eyes, who had been at odds with his master these past few days. To his surprise, he had secretly followed the rest of the group here.

Qiusheng naturally didn't pretend not to see his uncle.

He went over with a smile and asked, "Uncle, what brings you here?"

"Hey, I've been eating and drinking for free at your public mortuary lately, so I figured I should come along and see if there's anything I can help with."

Hearing his uncle's answer, Qiusheng only grinned silently. Then he returned to his master's side and said quietly, "Master, Uncle's here too."

"I know. I saw him just now. Ignore him."

Uncle Nine shot his junior brother a sidelong glance, then spoke directly to Qiusheng.

"Uncle Nine, the feng shui master said this burial ground was hard to find. It's a fine plot."

While Qiusheng and Uncle Nine were talking, Master Ren came over with Ren Wei and Ren Tingting.

"That's right. This is indeed a fine plot, known as the Dragonfly Skimming Water Grave."

"The grave is three zhang and four chi long, but only four chi of it can be used. It's one zhang and three chi wide, but only three chi of it are suitable."

"So the coffin can't be laid flat. It must be buried upright."

Master Ren seemed to be testing Uncle Nine by bringing up the Dragonfly Skimming Water Grave before them. Uncle Nine took the opportunity to show off a little, explaining the grave's origins in detail.

As soon as he finished, Master Ren gave him an impressed thumbs-up.

"Well done, Uncle Nine. You're truly remarkable. What you said was exactly the same as what that feng shui master told us back then."

"Master, what does 'buried by the rules' mean?"

Wencai, who had been standing beside Uncle Nine, suddenly asked. Then he answered his own question: "Does it mean a French-style funeral?"

As soon as Wencai finished speaking, Uncle Nine shot him a sharp look.

"Hmph. Stop talking nonsense. If you don't know anything, don't speak."

He shut Wencai down so thoroughly that the boy was left speechless. Then Uncle Nine walked off.

"Uncle Nine, we've finished paying our respects. Can we start digging and opening the coffin now?"

A group of young men suddenly came over and asked him while he was still examining the burial ground.

"Go ahead. Be careful."

"Got it, Uncle Nine. Come on, boys, let's get to work!"

With Uncle Nine's permission, the young men rushed to Old Master Ren's grave like a pack of wolves. One of them kicked the tombstone, and they began their rough demolition.

Master Ren, Ren Tingting, and Uncle Nine stood at a distance, watching the young men at work.

Just then, Ren Wei, who had been standing to Master Ren's right, suddenly squeezed in beside Qiusheng, separating him from Ren Tingting.

Qiusheng didn't think much of Ren Wei's move. He simply shifted aside a little and let him crowd in. But Uncle Nine, who had been standing to the side, couldn't stand by and watch.

Uncle Nine leaned into Ren Wei and rammed him, sending him stumbling away to the side.

Ren Tingting moved back beside Qiusheng and naturally tugged at his sleeve. In a quiet voice, she asked, "Brother Sheng, what exactly did Uncle Nine mean by 'buried by the rules'?"

Seeing how curious she looked, Qiusheng exchanged a glance with his master.

When Uncle Nine saw the confidence in his eldest disciple's eyes, he gave a slight nod, letting him have the chance to show off.

Qiusheng saw his master nod and returned the gesture before answering, "Burial by the rules means placing the coffin upright in the grave. Master Ren, am I right?"

With a smile, Qiusheng led Ren Tingting over to Master Ren and spoke softly.

"That's right. The feng shui master who chose the site for my late father said that if the ancestors were buried upright, their descendants would prosper."

Uncle Nine was pleased with Qiusheng's answer. Once Master Ren had confirmed it, he asked, "And did it work?"

But as soon as Uncle Nine asked, Master Ren gave a rueful smile.

"Alas, our family's business has been getting worse and worse over the past twenty years. I don't know why."

"I'd say that feng shui master held a grudge against your family."

Seeing how baffled Master Ren looked, Uncle Nine couldn't help but give him a hint.

"A grudge?"

Master Ren looked confused by Uncle Nine's question.

"That's right. Tell me, did your father have some sort of feud with that feng shui master when he was alive?"

Instead of answering Uncle Nine's question, Master Ren slowly explained, "This land originally belonged to the feng shui master. He planned to use it for his own burial after he died."

"But my late father found out, so he paid a great deal of money to buy it."

At Master Ren's words, a strange expression appeared on Uncle Nine's face. He continued, "Did he only tempt him with money? He didn't use any other means?"

As soon as Uncle Nine asked, Master Ren's face turned awkward. He didn't say anything, only giving a bitter smile.

"Oh. Then it must have been coercion."

"That explains it. No wonder the feng shui master wanted to harm your family."

"He even told you to cover the entire Dragonfly Skimming Water Grave with concrete."

Uncle Nine pointed at the grave and shook his head.