A Standing Corpse

It was said that on that night, Bai Dabiao gathered a group of cousins from the Bai family to keep vigil. While everyone was playing cards next to the coffin.

Thud, thud! A knocking sound came from nowhere. At first, everyone thought it was just a village dog gnawing on bones nearby, so no one paid any attention.

Later, someone felt that a dog chewing bones didn’t sound like this. Moreover, no dog could be seen around, so they listened carefully.

They heard intermittent knocking sounds coming right from inside the coffin. They could even hear a scratching noise, like fingernails scraping the coffin board, and a few scattered words: “Give… me… back… my… life.”

“A corpse reanimation! The dead man is speaking!” someone shouted in panic.

The people playing cards were instantly dumbfounded. Everyone pricked up their ears to listen. At this moment, the knocking inside the coffin grew faster and denser.

Who could endure this? In an instant, everyone was scared away.

Only Bai Dabiao was left, thoroughly shaken, looking at Master Cai in front of him.

Bai Dabiao’s face was frightfully pale. Forcing himself to calm down, he quickly asked, “Master Cai, what do we do? Will my uncle really run out of the coffin?”

“No matter. I have learned the Lu Ban Yin-Yang arts and also know some methods to suppress corpses. Your uncle just has some unfinished wishes and un-dissipated resentment, which is why he is making some noise. I have ways to deal with it. Since you invited me here, just set your mind at ease,” Master Cai said confidently, stroking the large mole on his chin.

Bai Dabiao felt slightly relieved and quickly said, “My uncle can’t withstand your harsh methods, Master, please go easy on him!”

Master Cai took out his Lu Ban ruler, tapped it against the black-lacquered coffin, and then left the ruler resting on top of it.

After a moment, Master Cai said, “Your uncle’s resentment is very heavy. Only by fulfilling his wish can this resentment be calmed. Otherwise, if the resentment does not dissipate, it will affect his closest relatives. Your entire family will suffer, and it might even lead to the ruin of your household and the separation of your family.”

Bai Dabiao thought for a moment and said, “My uncle’s grievance is easy to solve. Either make Chen Gousheng from the Chen family pay with his life, or take over the Chen family’s ancestral grave and bury my uncle there.”

Master Cai smiled. “We cannot do things like killing people.”

Bai Dabiao then said, “The second matter is more feasible. Before my uncle died, he often muttered to me that the best feng shui spot on Qinglong Mountain was taken by the Chen family. He should be laid to rest there so he can bless the Bai family.”

Master Cai’s eyes instantly lit up, and he said, “Then let’s try the second method.”

With this thought in mind, Bai Dabiao actually approached my father the next day to negotiate.

The Bai family had a large number of people in Chen Village, so Bai Dabiao had plenty of confidence. After barking a series of harsh threats, he stared directly at my father: “Either have your son buried with him! Or hand over your ancestral grave. You are a smart man, you should know what to do!”

Master Cai stroked the hairs on his mole and chimed in from the side, saying, “A feng shui treasure land is usually occupied by those with virtue. The Chen family ancestors lacked virtue, which is why a monster was born and haunted by evil entities. Dig out the coffins from your ancestral grave and let Old Mr. Bai be buried there. Your son can also keep his life, and both sides will live in peace. Otherwise, when the evil ghost claims his life, everyone will lose more than they gain.”

After hearing this, my father did not speak. He took two steps back, raised his wood-chopping knife, and hacked off a corner of the long bench supporting Old Bai Gan’s coffin. He cursed, “Old Bai Gan, if you dare to claim my son’s life, I can make you die a second time. If you have the ability, stand up from the coffin yourself, go to Qinglong Mountain, and find the location of the Chen family’s ancestral grave.”

He then glared back at Master Cai and said, “I have heard that if you place a new body into an old burial spot, the household will only meet disaster instead of blessings. As a yin-yang master, offering such a wicked idea will bring you retribution. If you want to try it, go ahead. I see you are harboring evil intentions, and you won’t meet a good end.”

My father knew that Old Bai Gan wanted to occupy that “Green Dragon Holding a Pearl” feng shui land. But in reality, he didn’t know where it was either.

Even if he did know, he would never give up the Chen family’s ancestral grave.

My father was prepared to fight them to the death. After saying those words, he held the knife across his chest.

Bai Dabiao had also gathered many Bai family youngsters, and some had already picked up bricks.

Seeing that a fight with a massive disparity in strength was about to break out.

Just then, Master Cai felt something tap his back. His entire right shoulder suddenly couldn’t lift up, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. He had no choice but to state that he would choose another burial ground for Old Bai Gan. He also advised Bai Dabiao to value peace, as there was no need for both sides to tear each other’s faces apart. He claimed he had ways to dissolve Old Bai Gan’s resentment.

Since ancient times, the ruthless have always feared those who don’t care about their lives. Bai Dabiao noticed my father’s desperate stance and used Master Cai’s words as an excuse to back down.

Finally, Bai Dabiao made one demand.

On the day of Old Bai Gan’s funeral, when the coffin passed by the mountain road in front of my house on the way to Qinglong Mountain.

I had to kowtow three times at the doorway.

Since the matter had been negotiated to this point.

My father had no reason to refuse either. After all, respect should be given to the deceased, so he agreed.

Master Cai also let out a sigh of relief, and his right shoulder slowly returned to normal.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the funeral arrived three days later. When the funeral procession passed by my house, it was around four o’clock in the afternoon.

The weather suddenly changed. It had been cloudless in the morning, but in a turn of an eye, the clouds pressed very low, and a heavy rain was about to fall.

My mother prepared a straw mat at our courtyard entrance and said softly, “Gousheng, our family doesn’t have many people. You bow to Old Bai Gan, and let this matter pass. It saves your father from fighting them to the death.”

I nodded, just about to kneel down.

Suddenly, a wild gale whipped up, flipping the coffin straight onto the ground and causing it to roll down the slope.

Unluckily, right below the slope was a lake formed by a dam.

Thud, thud, thud. The coffin smashed against a rock in the middle of the slope, and the lid burst wide open. The lime inside used for preservation scattered all over the ground.

Old Bai Gan, wearing a black and red shroud, rolled a few times along with the momentum and fell into the water.

Old Bai’s corpse shook a few times, and then his entire body stood upright straight inside the reservoir. With half of his body exposed above the water, he became a standing corpse.

His hair became soaked with water, streaming down his yellowish, shriveled face. The lime on his face also ran down, making his entire face look unspeakably sinister and terrifying.

The sky was gloomy, and the wild wind howled, making this scene incredibly frightening.

Even more terrifying was that, at some point, Old Bai Gan’s eyeballs had actually opened, and he was staring right in the direction of our courtyard.

The eight pallbearers and the relatives in the funeral procession were all completely terrified and frozen.

Even Master Cai’s face turned white with fear. He fell flat on his buttocks on the ground, cold sweat pouring frantically from his forehead.

The coffin hit the ground, and the dead corpse opened its eyes.

This was a highly ominous sign.

Once a coffin starts moving for a funeral, it must not touch the ground until it is buried. Even if it stops, it must be placed on long benches; otherwise, it brings bad luck.

Old Bai Gan had fallen into the water, turned into a standing corpse, and opened his eyes. This proved his resentment was extremely deep, and he had died with his eyes wide open.

In an instant, the atmosphere became exceptionally eerie.