Chapter 58 Burial [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Erlangjun rises from the dead.

A quarter of an hour later, the Xu family learned the cause of Xu Luchuan's death from the entourage. Before everyone could recover, Shang Youhu began urging them to send the coffin to the cemetery for burial.

Chen Xiang was dissatisfied with the hasty arrangement and confronted Shang Youhu in front of the mansion gate. She demanded that the iron chains on the coffin be removed and that the burial be postponed to an auspicious time.

But Shang Youhu had no patience for idle talk. With just a glance, the fierce Southern army surrounded them. He spoke: "Grandma, my patience has its limits. Get this done quickly, or I'll have you all buried with him today."

"You—" Upon hearing this, Chen Xiang raised her hand and pointed directly at Shang Youhu. She was about to retort when Chen Wanlian stopped her, "Aunt, Aunt. Don't be impulsive. Let's do as he says, but we mustn't anger him. Anyway, Erlang will be buried sooner or later, so what's the difference?"

As she spoke, Chen Wanlian gently pressed down on Chen Xiang's arm and loudly ordered the servants behind her, "What are you all standing there for! Hurry up and do as this official says, so that the Second Young Master can be laid to rest as soon as possible."

After saying this, Chen Xiang turned around, snorted coldly, and left.

"Aunt, Erlang is about to be buried. Where are you going?" Chen Wanlian turned around and asked from behind, but Chen Xiang walked towards the inner courtyard without turning back.

Chen Wanlian watched helplessly as the people walked away. Judging from the scale of Xu Luchuan's burial ceremony, Chen Xiang probably wouldn't attend. Turning around again, she quickly pulled Xu Qinhua along and led Shang Youhu and the funeral procession to the cemetery.

She didn't want to lose her life for nothing because of Xu Luchuan.

...

At 1:00 PM, the group arrived at the cemetery on the back mountain.

Chen Wanlian gestured, and the servants of the Xu family picked up shovels and began working in the designated open spaces.

Thus, it took more than half an hour for the servants to dig open the grave. Then the sandalwood coffin fell heavily, and You Hu watched as the yellow earth gradually buried the coffin. He felt that everything should be settled now.

Only when all that remained before him was a high mound of earth did Shang Youhu turn around and give the order: "The second son of the Grand Master of Ceremonies has been safely buried. The Marquis's orders have been fulfilled. You may all depart and return to the capital."

"Yes," the Southern Army responded in unison.

Shang Youhu arrogantly mounted his brown horse and said to Chen Wanlian, who was still pretending to weep at the grave, "Alright, Madam, please accept my condolences. I will take my leave now."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanlian wiped her dry eyes and said politely, "Thank you, sir. Please take care."

After saying this, Shang Youhu spurred his horse and rode away at full speed, with the Southern Army escorting the people who had come from Jinling to pay their respects following behind.

Gui Hai mingled among the group, looking around. He needed to find a way to escape safely. If things dragged on any longer, he would miss the time for Xu Luchuan to take the antidote, and Gui Hai feared he would truly die. If that happened, everything he had done would be in vain.

Unexpectedly, Shang Youhu and his men had just left Liyang when they inexplicably stopped in front of a secluded lake on their way back to Beijing.

Gui Hai was suddenly pushed towards the lake.

He was extremely vigilant and would act immediately if anything went wrong.

Tiger squinted at the terrified crowd standing by the lake, then waved his hand expressionlessly and said, "Release the arrows."

It seems that Shang Youhu had planned this all along; he had no intention of letting these people return alive. And this lakeside will be their final resting place.

Gui Hai didn't make any rash moves; he thought this might be the best time to escape. Then, a series of agonizing cries rang out around them. Before they could even beg for mercy, they were wounded by countless vicious arrows and involuntarily fell into the lake.

But Guihai's body, which had been pierced by thirty-three swords from the Bodhi Sect, would not be afraid of this small arrow.

He calmly closed his eyes and fell backward.

The calm water was suddenly rippled. Some struggled in their death throes, others refused to leave. Yet, they sank into the sea, merging into the cold lakebed. The crimson hue spread across the lake, but was eventually diluted by the water. In less than a moment, everything returned to calm.

Shang Youhu stared indifferently at the now-cease churning water, feeling no remorse whatsoever.

He simply reined in his horse, turned around, and said, "Back to the capital."

...

A biting wind howled, and Guihai felt the piercing cold brought to him by the lake water.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he climbed ashore with the two arrow wounds on his chest, only to find that Shang Youhu and the others had already disappeared.

Gui Hai stood up, forcefully pulled out the arrowhead, and threw it aside. He then quickly tore off his robe and tied it to his chest. He looked up and saw that the woods were silent. Without pausing for a moment, he headed back towards Liyang.

However, Guihai did not head straight for the back mountain, but instead secretly sneaked into the Xu family's residence to seek help.

Inside the ancestral hall, Chen Xiang had been kneeling before the ancestors ever since he stormed off. No matter how the servants tried to persuade him, he refused to leave.

The servants had already been dismissed by Chen Xiang. She was just turning the beaded string in her hand when she suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice behind her.

"Madam."

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Xiang stopped holding the beaded string in his palm and turned around in surprise.

Guihai immediately knelt down and said to her, "Please, Madam, save him. Second Young Master is still alive."

From the moment Guihai first saw Chen Xiang today, he felt that she seemed different from the other members of the Xu family. Although she wasn't the one who cried the loudest about Xu Luchuan's "death," Guihai could tell that she was the most grief-stricken.

With Guihai currently injured, it would likely be futile for him to rush to the cemetery to rescue people on his own.

Therefore, the first person he thought of who could help them was Chen Xiang.

Chen Xiang was not alarmed by Gui Hai's arrival. She calmly examined the man before her, and only spoke when she saw the wound on his chest: "Aren't you the one who carried Erlang's coffin? Why are you so badly injured? Also, what do you mean by saying that Erlang is still alive?"

I didn't expect Chen Xiang to still remember him.

Seeing that she showed no intention of leaving, Guihai quickly told her what had happened.

"So that's how it is!"

Chen Xiang usually maintained a calm demeanor. However, after Gui Hai finished speaking, she hurriedly stood up. This matter not only concerned Xu Luchuan but also Shao Yuan. Chen Xiang didn't bother to investigate the truth or falsehood; she simply strode out of the ancestral hall and said to Gui Hai, "Come with me quickly."

Gui Hai immediately followed, and the two walked together out of the mansion.

To their surprise, when they arrived at the gate of the mansion, they ran into Chen Wanlian and Xu Qinhua, who were leisurely leading their servants back home.

"Aunt, what's the rush? Oh? And who is this?" Chen Wanlian, seeing Chen Xiang from afar, still wore her usual obsequious expression. Chen Xiang strode across the door, then glared at the crowd. "Second brother, prepare the carriage. Have these people follow me; I'm going to the cemetery."

"Oh? Aunt, what are you up to now? We just got back from the cemetery."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanlian looked away in silence.

She had finally managed to get back from the cemetery, and now she had to go back to that wretched place. With dusk approaching, she was extremely unwilling. In a flash, she clutched her stomach and leaned against Xu Qinhua, softly saying, "Oh dear, my lord, why does my stomach suddenly feel so uncomfortable?"

Chen Xiang knew perfectly well that Chen Wanlian was putting on an act. She didn't have time to rehearse with her right now. She simply glanced back at Chen Wanlian and said loudly, "Second Master and Second Madam, stay. The rest of you, come with me to the cemetery."

After speaking, Chen Xiang nimbly descended the steps and boarded the prepared carriage.

And so, the group returned to the cemetery in a grand procession.

...

Inside the cemetery, Chen Xiang stood before Xu Luchuan's grave and said in a sinister voice, "Dig up the grave."

Everyone was terrified upon hearing this, and some even tried to dissuade her: "Madam, you mustn't! The Second Young Master has just been buried; how can you dig up his grave now! Madam, please think it over; this will surely disturb the spirit of the deceased."

Seeing this, Chen Xiang gave another order: "I say, dig!"

Seeing that the old lady was determined to do so, although everyone harbored resentment, they dared not disobey their master. Before starting the work, everyone paid their respects at the grave, seeking forgiveness from the deceased's spirit. Only after getting up did they nervously pick up their shovels and begin moving the soil on the grave.

As the sun sets at dusk, the sky grows increasingly dark.

Those accompanying Chen Xiang immediately lit torches to illuminate the burial ground. Gui Hai, clutching the antidote hidden deep within his clothing, anxiously awaited the appearance of the coffin.

About a quarter of an hour later, the heavy sandalwood suddenly appeared before them.

Gui Hai hurriedly snatched the shovel from the servant and jumped into the tomb. With a single stroke, he easily cleaved the iron chains sealing the coffin. Everyone was stunned, including Chen Xiang. Then, angrily, he lifted the coffin lid and deftly took out the antidote, feeding it to Xu Luchuan.

Three quarters of an hour, just three quarters of an hour short. The poison in that breath-holding pill would have sent Xu Luchuan to his death. Luckily, he made it in time.

Gui Hai looked at Xu Luchuan, who had already swallowed the antidote, and finally felt relieved.

Chen Xiang witnessed everything, her clenched hands betraying her anxiety. She asked nervously, "Didn't you say the antidote would work immediately? Why hasn't Erlang woken up yet?"

Gui Hai turned to look, about to answer, when he saw Xu Luchuan slowly open his eyes and then forcefully sit up from the coffin.

But his sudden movement filled everyone present with instant terror. Immediately, someone shouted, "Good heavens! A ghost! Erlangjun has risen from the dead!"

Only Chen Xiang, with tears in her eyes, slowly approached the edge of the pit. Only after seeing that Xu Luchuan was safe and sound did she break into a smile through her tears. Gazing at the "troublemaker" she had watched grow up, Chen Xiang said in a feigned indignation, "You brat, you're really tough."

Below the pit, Xu Luchuan leaned weakly against the coffin, looked at Chen Xiang's familiar face, and suddenly smiled, "Old woman, don't worry, with you here, I won't die."

[Author's Note]

The grandfather and grandson were joking; it's not that our little green is being impolite!

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 21:06:09 on January 12, 2023 and 20:06:12 on January 13, 2023!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Si Shi Er Mian (9 bottles);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!