Chapter 126

Chapter 126

As I examined the body in the coffin, I explained, “Ghost poison is exactly what the name suggests: poison carried by ghosts.

“Most people don’t know that ghosts in the broad sense–including disembodied spirits, corpse-fiends, and evil entities–are all toxic.

“Their poisons take different forms and cause different harm. Corpse poison is relatively tangible. It can contaminate water and soil, while direct contact may make living flesh ulcerate.

“The poison of a spiritual ghost directly corrodes the mind and soul. When people return listless or gravely ill after visiting an unclean place, ghost poison may be responsible.

“It’s a mysterious subject ordinary people know almost nothing about.”

Xia Sanjin and Xia Degui finally understood. Both looked anxiously at the rotting body.

“Young Mr. Wu, what did you mean when you said that vicious ghost wanted to create a servant?” Xia Sanjin asked.

Having finished my examination, I straightened.

“It murdered Fifth Elder Xia deliberately. Fear first destabilized his soul, then it injected ghost poison and killed him. Ordinary ghost poison can’t kill instantly, but an elderly person already weak and terrified is vulnerable.

“Those who die from ghost poison easily become servants controlled by the vicious ghost and harm others. Fifth Elder Xia’s body already shows signs of corpse transformation.

“By tomorrow night at the latest, it will climb from this coffin and wander through the village.”

Both men sucked in sharp breaths and stepped backward before remembering it was broad daylight. A middle schooler stood calmly beside the coffin while two grown men cowered, leaving them embarrassed.

“Thank heavens you came,” Xia Sanjin said. “Otherwise, two ghosts might have terrorized the village tonight.”

The image of two reeking entities roaming the silent mountain village and entering homes made his scalp prickle.

Xia Degui felt both terror and guilt. The vicious entity that killed Fifth Uncle Xia had been left by his daughter, and his wife bore some responsibility. Even without knowledge of the esoteric arts, he guessed that Xia Dong’s secret burial had caused the transformation. Xia Mi had died in an accident without resentment toward the living; normally, she should never have become evil.

Xia Sanjin sighed and clapped his shoulder.

I said calmly, “Uncle Degui, don’t blame yourself. This began as an accident. We’ll learn the full truth after I resolve it.

“Fifth Elder Xia’s body can’t remain or receive a normal burial. We must burn it immediately, before anything changes.”

I looked at Xia Sanjin. Fifth Elder Xia had no children to object, but I had been hired to protect this village, so its Party secretary needed to decide.

He understood instantly and nodded. “We’ll do exactly as you say. Burn it now. If Fifth Elder Xia’s spirit knows anything, he wouldn’t want a vicious ghost to turn him into another monster that harms people.”

As Party secretary, Xia Sanjin had authority over the affairs of an elderly villager without family.
His decisiveness pleased me. The worst clients asked for help, then created endless complications.

“Secretary Xia, Uncle Degui, step back.”

I rolled up my sleeves.

Xia Sanjin blinked. “Aren’t we burning the body? Don’t we need firewood?”

I smiled. “For a normal body, yes. Not for one infected with ghost poison and about to transform.”

I joined my hands in a seal and thrust them forward.

Whoosh!

A breeze scattered some of the dense black corpse aura around the coffin, though the men behind me couldn’t see it.

I drew a talisman from my pocket and flicked my wrist.

“Go!”

The paper flew into the coffin and landed on the rotting body.

“Burn!”

Boom!

Flames three feet high erupted, engulfing the coffin as they hissed like water striking hot oil.

The two men jumped and stared at me with awe. I couldn’t deny that their admiration felt wonderful.

In reality, the feat wasn’t as impressive as they imagined. I was young and hadn’t cultivated long. Under normal circumstances, a Burning Talisman could ignite only small pieces of dry wood.

But talisman fire violently conflicted with corpse aura, ghost poison, and other sinister energies, producing explosive combustion. The corrupted body then fed the flames.

Against an ordinary living person or object, it would be far weaker. With my current qi, I could do little more than frighten someone or singe their hair and eyebrows.

Still, there was no reason to explain that. Master had said it was important for ordinary people to think highly of us, and I agreed.

We watched the coffin burn. Within minutes, Fifth Elder Xia’s body became ash, while the coffin remained intact.

Talisman fire burned evil things; ordinary objects were less easily damaged.

“Amazing. Truly amazing!” Xia Sanjin exclaimed, probably feeling that the three thousand yuan was money well spent.

That was the fee he had negotiated with Wujia Village’s chief for Master’s help. It was neither too much nor too little.

The men relaxed as though everything were over, but I shook my head inwardly.

This was only the beginning. We hadn’t even met the true culprit. Everything so far had merely been preparation.

Judging from its behavior, the vicious entity was far from simple.

I still couldn’t determine whether it was a disembodied ghost or a physical corpse-fiend. Most signs suggested a corporeal corpse-fiend, yet some of its actions and abilities resembled a spiritual ghost.

The contradiction puzzled and unsettled me.

There was no point telling Xia Sanjin or Xia Degui. It would only frighten them.

Perhaps the truth would become clear once I visited the place where Xia Dong had secretly buried her daughter.

I had a powerful premonition that everything was connected to that place.