Opening the Coffin

In a villa temporarily requisitioned a kilometer from the hotel.

The mayor of Linjiang City sat on a leather sofa, pinching a cigarette between his fingers, his brow tightly furrowed.

"The riverbank has been sealed, but how are we supposed to calculate the losses? After a flood like this, this year's targets will all be affected."

He exhaled a ring of smoke, his tone full of irritation.

Wei Wushuang, seated opposite him, leaned forward slightly and offered reassurance. "Natural disasters are inherently unpredictable. The people have been properly relocated, the rat infestation is being cleared, and reconstruction can follow gradually. There shouldn't be any major problems."

The mayor shook his head. "That may be true, but when accountability comes down from above, there has to be an explanation!"

Even if the imperial court was corrupt, it still had to concern itself with matters it was supposed to oversee.

The Big Stone County project had been undertaken during his term of office, and now something had gone wrong.

He would be the first person the higher-ups questioned.

The mayor let out a long breath, his face clouded with worry.

Knock, knock, knock—

The secretary pushed open the door, urgency in his voice. "Mayor, we've received news from the Demon Suppression Bureau. They caught two suspicious people who seem to be connected to this flood."

The two men in the room were both taken aback.

The mayor glanced at Wei Wushuang.

Wei Wushuang came to his senses and hurriedly said, "Bring them in!"

Before long, Captain Jiang entered with his men. The two captives were bound tightly, their faces bruised as they were shoved inside and staggered forward a couple of steps.

"Mayor, Lieutenant Wei!"

Captain Jiang clasped his fists and bowed to the two superiors.

"Mm." Lieutenant Wei nodded. "What is the situation with these two?"

"It seems they caused the flood." Captain Jiang straightened his chest, then kicked the two captives again. "The mayor is right here. Confess truthfully at once!"

"My loyalty to the organization is beyond anything you can imagine! Don't even think about getting anything from us!"

The fatter of the two captives, Chen Jian, said disdainfully.

"Go eat dog shit!"

The thinner captive, Bai Zhen, roared as well.

Though the mayor looked displeased, inwardly, he was ecstatic.

What had originally been a natural disaster could now be explained as a man-made calamity. He would be able to get past the higher-ups afterward.

"Impudent!"

Wei Wushuang flew into a rage beside him. "You're at death's door, yet you still refuse to repent!"

"It is not too late to tell the truth. Otherwise, if you implicate your families, everything will be over!"

The aura of a peak Dragon Extreme Realm expert erupted, crashing down on the two men's heads like a massive hammer.

The two men groaned and slammed onto the ground, moaning in pain. Beads of sweat streamed down their faces, soaking the backs of their clothes.

The two Demon Suppression Bureau agents showed no mercy. Their fingers clamped down on the captives' shoulders, twisting their arms like ropes.

"Are you talking or not?! Are you talking or not?! Do you still want your arms?!"

Agonizing pain screamed through their minds. The two captives opened their mouths and wailed, their eyes trembling as tears welled up uncontrollably.

Chen Jian's voice was nearly distorted. Fearfully glancing around at the important figures surrounding him, he wailed, "Fine... I'll talk... I'll talk..."

The two Demon Suppression Bureau agents sneered and gradually eased their grip.

Chen Jian went limp all over. Clutching his own arm, he said weakly, "I was originally just a follower of the Sinking Cult... I was ordered to come here and excavate an ancient tomb."

"The Sinking Cult?"

Wei Wushuang froze. Not long ago, he had raided a cult hideout, and that cult had been called the Sinking Cult.

"The organization arranged for me to dig up the tomb, then bring the things inside it back to report."

Chen Jian did not notice Wei Wushuang's expression and continued on his own.

"What is inside the tomb?"

The mayor quickly asked.

"I don't know. I'm only a lowly follower."

Chen Jian said quietly.

"Who else from your organization came here?"

Lieutenant Wei asked again.

"A hideout was wiped out by the Demon Suppression Bureau a few days ago." Chen Jian cast a strange glance at the Demon Suppression Bureau personnel before lowering his voice. "As for everyone else, they only contact me through separate channels."

The mayor fell silent for a while, then asked about the tomb's location.

Once he had gotten a clear answer, he gestured for the men to drag Chen Jian away.

"Mr. Mayor," Lieutenant Wei said, looking toward the mayor, "since we have discovered the Sinking Cult causing trouble again, we should report to the province and explain the truth behind this flood. Also, we should excavate the ancient tomb the Sinking Cult covets as soon as possible."

"Correct." The mayor nodded, a flicker of joy appearing on his face.

With the Sinking Cult taking the blame, he would have an explanation for the higher-ups.

"Prepare the manpower immediately. Excavation begins tomorrow!"

The mayor said energetically, then shifted his gaze toward the Demon Suppression Bureau personnel.

"You've done excellent work. Jiangbei City owes you a great deal. Where did you find these two Sinking Cult scoundrels?"

"You flatter us, Mr. Mayor. It is only our duty." Captain Jiang bent at the waist and smiled.

"As for how we found them..."

His expression became somewhat hesitant and strange, but he still stepped aside and revealed the silent young man behind him.

"It was Mei Ye from our team."

"After he accidentally discovered the two cult scoundrels plotting in secret, he held them back long enough for the Demon Suppression Bureau to arrive and subdue them."

"So that's how it was."

The mayor came to a realization. His gaze rested on the remarkable Mei Ye, and he smiled. "Ah, Lieutenant Wei, this newcomer of yours is truly an impressive young man. I'm quite envious."

"Haha," Lieutenant Wei laughed. "Under Mr. Mayor's leadership, countless talents come to Linjiang City every year. The Demon Suppression Bureau merely benefits from your good fortune as well."

The two exchanged polite pleasantries. Wei Wushuang played along, and after a few flattering remarks, the mayor was beaming.

Mei Ye stood to one side, knowing that he had now made an impression before these important figures.

Still, although he envied the benefits enjoyed by high-ranking officials, he had no interest in currying favor.

For a martial artist, improving one's cultivation and increasing one's strength was more substantial than anything else.

The next day, on a stretch of riverbank along Frog River.

A large excavator requisitioned by the government sat in the mud, its roar making the soles of their feet tingle. Demon Suppression Bureau personnel had set up a cordon around the perimeter and stood guard in every direction.

The mayor and the Demon Suppression Bureau lieutenant stood atop a raised platform, smoking as they watched the excavation.

The workers drove the excavators, digging massive clumps of earth from the muddy ground.

A towering mound of dirt quickly formed, rising as high as a two-story building.

When a deep pit had been dug underground,

the excavator struck something hard, and its mechanical arm began moving sluggishly.

"There's something down there!"

The Demon Suppression Bureau agents observing by the riverbank reported upward.

The excavator could not dig any deeper. A hard structure below had blocked it.

The mayor was overjoyed and ordered them to continue.

The Demon Suppression Bureau personnel changed into mudproof clothing, swords at their waists and iron shovels in hand, then lined up and jumped into the pit.

Captain Jiang took the lead. Rolling up his sleeves, he shouted, "Brothers, start digging!"

The men lowered their heads and dug hard. Soil was flung in every direction, and the sealed object buried beneath the earth soon emerged.

It was a stone coffin, with a length-to-width ratio of 0.68 and ornate patterns covering its surface.

"Judging by the soil and the style of the coffin, this is a coffin from three hundred years ago."

The highly educated mayor gazed into the distance, taking in the coffin.

"What is the origin of the coffin the Sinking Cult wanted to excavate?"

The mayor frowned. The Sinking Cult was an evil cult harshly targeted by Justice Under Heaven and deeply connected to the Southern Evil Alliance. Their arrival in Linjiang City could only mean trouble.

"Open the coffin."

The mayor spoke in a deep voice.

Whatever it was, they would know once they dug it out.

With a Palace Storage Realm powerhouse like him here, nothing could go wrong.

The Demon Suppression Bureau men gathered around the coffin, shoved iron shovels into the gaps around its lid, and pressed down hard, prying the lid open.

A thick, rotten stench instantly gushed from the coffin.

Green gas sprayed outward, making the Demon Suppression Bureau personnel's expressions change.

"Hold your breath!"

Captain Jiang was shocked and hurriedly covered his mouth and nose.

But the next moment, the coffin shook violently, as if something inside were thrashing about.

Soon after, the coffin lid was flung aside, and a black figure leaped out.

Seeing this, the Demon Suppression Bureau personnel sprang forward, drawing their blades and slashing at the shadow from every side.

The black figure that had emerged was the coffin's owner. After being sealed away for countless years, this body had finally seen daylight again.

He wore a decayed Qing Dynasty official's uniform. His skin was rotten, fangs protruded from his mouth, and his eyes glowed red. His beastlike appearance was terrifying.

As the Demon Suppression Bureau agents drew their blades and attacked him, the zombie's invulnerable body suddenly shoved forward, knocking all the agents back.

Captain Jiang immediately leaped forward and drew his sword to strike, but his martial arts were no match for the zombie. The zombie seized his weapon and bent it, then slapped him hard with one enormous hand, sending him flying.

The Demon Suppression Bureau agents rushed forward again, surrounding the zombie completely. Yet though it had just been released, its strength could not be underestimated. Their blades could not break through its defense at all.

"Hmph! So it's a remnant of the Qing Dynasty!"

Watching from the raised platform, the mayor's face turned stern. He leaped down directly, true qi surging around him, and threw a punch that blasted the zombie into the mud.

The zombie rolled several times, staining its Qing Dynasty official's robe with dirt. Just as it tried to rise, the mayor grabbed it by the head and smashed its chest apart with savage force.

Under the overwhelming strength of the Palace Storage Realm, the zombie's breastbone shattered and its chest caved in as disgusting green fluid sprayed out.

The zombie's eyes turned blood-red in agony, as though its soul were being burned alive.

The mayor grabbed the zombie again, then leaped into the air and kicked. The zombie's body was instantly smashed apart and hurled into a wall. Dirt fell from the wall, burying most of its body.

The zombie was also at death's door, leaving only beastlike growls.

"Mayor, you are mighty!"

The Demon Suppression Bureau agents shouted in admiration.

The mayor stood with his hands at his sides, calm and composed.

"Keep digging! Take this coffin back to the city for research. As for this zombie, once I understand what happened, I'll memorialize the imperial court and have this Qing Dynasty remnant burned!"