To enter the basement, one had to pass through Simazi's room. Whether intentionally or not, A Wu accidentally stepped on a wooden stick as he passed the window, the creaking sound particularly jarring in the quiet night.
Jiang Nuo immediately turned around and heard the sound of someone turning over inside. She leaned against the window and cast a spell. Simazi, who had just heard the sound but hadn't opened his eyes yet, fell into a deep sleep again and remained unconscious.
He glanced at A Wu, his eyes carrying a warning.
A Wu avoided eye contact, feeling guilty, and hurried forward, listening to his heart pounding faster with nervousness.
To Jiang Nuo and the other two's surprise, the entrance to the basement wasn't inside the house, but next to the sign painted in red paint.
The moonlight was dim and the night was desolate.
Four people gathered around the sign, digging away the top layer of soil to reveal a wooden plank underneath. After opening the plank, they discovered a bottomless hole that could be jumped into.
Under the pressure of the three men's gazes, A Wu had no choice but to jump down to prove that there was no problem.
The basement was also filled with coffins, but upon closer inspection, they were different from those placed above; the heads were divided into yin and yang, and their structures had been altered.
Si Yan frowned and looked them over; several of them were like that.
"This is Yin-Gathering Coffin."
The basement was filled with dust. He wore a mask and spoke in a muffled voice, which echoed in the empty cave walls, sounding eerie.
A Wu shrank back, not knowing what a Yin-Gathering Coffin was. He only knew that if his father found out he had brought outsiders in tomorrow, he would definitely get a beating.
Song Zheng looked over curiously, "What is Yin-Gathering Coffin? What is it used for?"
Jiang Nuo had already gone ahead to investigate, and upon hearing this, she also looked at Si Yan, but she already had a guess in her heart.
Si Yan stepped forward to catch up with Jiang Nuo and explained, "The original structure has been altered, and with the addition of the Yin-Gathering Talisman, the Corpse Qi can be preserved and nurtured into a ghost."
"So that means..." Song Zheng quickly moved a few steps away from the coffins, "These coffins are all filled with ghosts?!"
Jiang Nuo revealed a sinister smile. "Perhaps."
A Wu was also startled, but then, as if remembering something, he quickly denied it, "It can't be a ghost! Dad said that everything here is good for our family!"
"Is this a conflict?" Jiang Nuo asked him.
A Wu: "..."
Jiang Nuo chose a coffin that looked like it had been there the longest and had the strongest yin energy. She raised her hand and placed it at the yin end. She could feel the overwhelming Corpse Qi inside without even opening the coffin lid.
Song Zheng came over to help, and together they pushed open the coffin lid.
The stench of a corpse filled the air.
Song Zheng choked, covered his mouth and coughed, almost bringing tears to his eyes. Jiang Nuo tossed him a mask.
The coffin contained a corpse whose year of death was unknown. Its skin was covered with dense wrinkles and remained unchanged after being exposed to air, clearly indicating that it had begun to decompose.
"Just one last step to become a ghost," Jiang Nuo murmured. "What's Simazi doing keeping so many corpses in the basement?"
A Wu stood behind them and also saw the corpse in the coffin. His eyes flashed with surprise and fear.
Si Yan took in his expression, her gaze returning to the bruises on A Wu's face. "You recognize the corpse inside."
This reminded the three of the rumors circulating in the ancient town that whenever a coffin shop was replaced, someone would die in the town.
A Wu was slightly startled and took a few steps back. Under triple pressure, he dared not lie, "... He, he is my uncle."
"Ah?"
Jiang Nuo was surprised, and then pushed open the lid of another coffin. Inside lay a female corpse, which had also turned into a zombie.
"And what about this person?"
A Wu's expression grew increasingly terrified, his breathing became labored, and his whole body trembled. "Grandma... it's Grandma."
"How so..."
Jiang Nuo let out an "oh," and thoughtfully took out her phone. "How about I take a family photo for you?"
A Wu paused for a moment, then turned completely ashen-faced.
Song Zheng's lips twitched; he was quite impressed by this person's ability to infuriate others at any moment.
A Wu was still in a state of extreme fright and did not see Si Yan's increasingly probing gaze until he heard Leng-You's voice from behind him. Only then did he realize that Si Yan had come over at some point, and he was so frightened that he took several steps back.
"What are you trying to do!" A Wu yelled at him.
Si Yan looked at him calmly, "Since we're all family, why is it only you who has a blue birthmark on your face?"
Jiang Nuo leaned closer, waiting for an answer.
A Wu instinctively covered his face, "I don't know."
"My dad used to have that too... but he said he faked it because he didn't want me to feel inferior when I was little."
He really didn't want to hear anyone talk about it, like what the people in town said, that he might not be his father's biological son, but someone he'd picked up from the mountains.
Jiang Nuo glanced at him, recalling Simazi's attitude towards them today, which was no different from his attitude towards A Wu.
I don't think he's the kind of father who would fake bruises just to prevent his son from feeling inferior.
Thinking to himself, he asked Si Yan, "Since it's a curse from an evil spirit, does the disappearance of the Azure Ghost Face prove that the curse has taken effect?"
Si Yan's voice softened instantly, "Another possibility is that they have already completed the task given by the evil spirit's curse."
"The association has investigated similar cases before. The evil spirits bestowed curses and missions upon the victims, which could not be escaped even by suicide. They would immediately turn into ghosts and continue their missions."
As he spoke, he looked at the corpse in the coffin again, "So I'm more inclined to believe that everyone lying here has completed their mission, including the Simazi who disappeared with the Azure Ghost Face."