Chapter 17
It's not easy to wait outside the coffin shop; there aren't many businesses around, and it's not convenient to just go in and stay there.
The three of them searched the area but couldn't find anywhere to hide.
The notice outside the coffin shop recruiting apprentices made Shi Yunzhou stop in his tracks. He gestured for Zhou Xuanzhi to look at the requirements.
"Want to give it a try?"
The notice stated that three apprentices were being recruited, with room and board provided, and a monthly salary of 300 coins.
Zhou Xuanzhi's gaze lingered on the notice for a long time. "You can give it a try."
The coffin shop owner, Huang Zhang, had barely posted his notice recruiting apprentices when three people came to apply. Looking at these three well-dressed men standing in front of him, he was a little skeptical; these three didn't seem like the kind of people who should be here.
"What are your names?" Since you're all here, we should at least give you a bite to eat.
"Xiao... Xiao Ji".
Without even blinking, Shi Yunzhou said, "Shi Zhouyun."
Sensing the unfriendly gazes directed at him by the two men, and knowing that Huang Zhang was also looking at him, he paused and said, "Master... Xuan."
Huang Zhang had been doing business here for many years and had met quite a few people. Apart from their clothes being covered in patches, these three people didn't look like they came from poor families. They were either educated or their families had fallen on hard times.
Most people consider this coffin shop unlucky, so it's a good thing if anyone comes. He suppressed his doubts for the time being, saying, "Since you're here, work hard and learn some skills. I won't let you starve."
The three nodded.
The three of them had a good time at the coffin shop for the past two days. Seeing how quickly they worked, the owner had no more suspicions and became quite friendly towards them.
On this day, the three of them were doing some cleaning work in the backyard when a worker suddenly appeared in front of them for some reason, looking around for a place to hide, as if he was hiding from someone.
A short while later, a young man dressed in plain clothes, looking like a scholar, barged in, followed by several henchmen. Clearly, these men couldn't stop him.
When he got to the backyard, he started searching everywhere, but then he saw three people holding brooms. He rushed up to them without hesitation, grabbed Zhou Xuanzhi's arm, and asked, "Brother, have you ever seen a girl this tall?" He gestured with his hands.
"She was about shoulder-high, with big, beautiful eyes."
Zhou Xuanzhi glanced at the men behind the man; they were giving him meaningful looks and waving. Zhou Xuanzhi shook his head and said, "No."
"I've never seen you before." The man seemed to realize something, as if he was suppressing his anger.
"I haven't been here long."
Not only was Zhou Xuanzhi confused, but Shi Yunzhou and Xiao Mu were the same. They looked at the scholar-like man in front of them, full of question marks. Why would they ask someone to come to the coffin shop?
Seeing the expressions on the faces of the men present, Zhou Xuanzhi suddenly realized that this man must be the key to solving the ghost marriage case.
The man froze upon hearing this. Seeing his stunned expression, the surrounding men seized the opportunity to grab him and drag him out the door. The man who had been hiding finally emerged, watching the men's retreating figures and letting out a long sigh of relief.
"Third Brother, what's wrong?" Xiao Mu asked the shopkeeper.
The waiter looked at the three men, sighed, and gestured for them to sit on the stone steps to the side. He looked around and, seeing no one, lowered his voice and said, "This man is a scholar. He lost both his parents halfway through his studies, and his family fell into poverty. Fortunately, his family had arranged a marriage for him, and he was taken home by the woman's family so he could continue his studies."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mu asked, "Why was he taken to the woman's house?"
“He was only eleven or twelve years old at the time. How could he survive on his own? The woman’s family was very kind. Even in such a time, they still accepted him as their son-in-law and paid for him to continue his studies. He worked hard and passed the imperial examination two years ago. He originally planned to continue taking the exam, but then something happened to the woman’s family.”
He looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "His fiancée suddenly disappeared, neither alive nor dead. Her parents searched for more than half a year before giving up, but this scholar is still searching." He pointed to his head and said, "Nothing's normal here."
"You have to say this scholar is incredibly lucky. Even with the woman's family in such dire straits, they're still taking care of him."
Zhou Xuanzhi asked, "Why did you come here to look for it?"
At this point, the man got angry. "He heard it from someone, that he'd seen his fiancée around here. He's been looking for her for almost a year. At first, we sympathized with his situation, but nobody can stand it for long. Besides, we really haven't seen his fiancée."
"Didn't you talk to him properly?" Xiao Mu asked.
"Of course we have! We even helped him look for her. We kept explaining that we'd never seen her, but he wouldn't believe us," the man said helplessly.
"He's a pitiful person too," Xiao Mu sighed.
"Who can argue with that?"
I don't know when it happened, but the fog has returned, though this time it doesn't seem as thick. A thin layer of fog seems to have veiled the world.
The scholar's fiancée disappeared a year ago, and this strange fog also appeared a year ago. Could there be some connection between them?
"What's this scholar's name?" Zhou Xuanzhi asked.
The third brother thought for a long time before he remembered, "It seems to be called Su... Su Qiwen."
Although the fog wasn't heavy today, it lasted a long time, and even late at night, it showed no sign of dissipating. The three of them were currently staying in the backyard of the coffin shop, and since they were the only three left in the entire shop, they didn't bother to hide their identities when speaking.
"Should we investigate this?" Xiao Mu asked.
We've been here for many days, but we haven't gone to the cemetery to check on the women. Judging from the fog today, they must be up to something again. Although they died unjustly, if things continue like this, even if they are rescued, they won't be able to reincarnate because of the heavy resentment and anger they carry.
To be honest, the fog was indeed uncomfortable. Even a cultivator like Xiao Mu felt a chill, and he wondered how the people here endured it. The moonlight seemed unable to penetrate the thin fog. If the situation here wasn't resolved, the people in this town would likely not have a good ending.
Xiao Mu felt increasingly uncomfortable the more he thought about it.
Zhou Xuanzhi thought of the scholar who had come during the day and said, "Do you remember that scholar?"
Shi Yunzhou nodded: "I suspect his fiancée is dead."
“We’ll split into two groups. I’ll go check out the cemetery, and you and Junior Brother Xiao will go investigate Su Qiwen,” Zhou Xuanzhi said to Shi Yunzhou.
Seeing Shi Yunzhou's unfriendly expression, Xiao Mu stood up and said, "Su Qiwen's matter is easy to handle; I can go alone. The cemetery is probably dangerous, so you two senior brothers should come together!"
After he finished speaking, he looked at Shi Yunzhou. Sure enough, these words had struck a chord with him, and his expression softened considerably. Seeing Zhou Xuanzhi's hesitation, he turned and left, saying, "I'll go first. Be careful, senior brothers."
As he left, he was relieved that Shi Yunzhou hadn't followed him. With that look on his face, forget about checking information; even a child would be terrified. He wouldn't even have time to ask a question before Shi Yunzhou became wary.
Shi Yunzhou developed a liking for Xiao Mu, who was very good at reading people's expressions, and created an opportunity for himself and his senior brother to investigate matters related to their master.
Shi Yunzhou didn't intend to hide his little scheme from Zhou Xuanzhi, and this blatant approach gave Zhou Xuanzhi a real headache. He said helplessly, "Can't you just listen to me?"
"What's wrong with me?" Shi Yunzhou asked. "Can't I just investigate things that interest me?"
Indeed, the purpose of coming here was to investigate the clues provided by Fang Xiashen, but unexpectedly, all his energy was consumed by the matter of the ghost marriage. Zhou Xuanzhi had nothing to say about this, and he lowered his head guiltily: "Let's go!"
The cemeteries of the people of Jianye Town are mostly in this large area, which is very desolate and rarely visited. This made it easier for the two brothers to explore each cemetery.
People who die tragically often harbor a great deal of resentment, so there are few animals around. Instead, it attracts some monsters that feed on resentment, so the two of them are very careful.
After all that commotion, Shi Yunzhou, whose mind wasn't on the ghost marriage, was ready to curse. There were at least fifty or sixty women who had died unjustly here, and even some young boys. He hadn't seen any monsters, but the wickedness of human nature made him nauseous.
"So many people, aren't they afraid?" Zhou Xuanzhi suppressed his anger, but so many people had been brutally murdered; the people of Jianye Town must have gone mad.
Just then, a sound came from afar; someone was coming to pay respects to a loved one. The two concealed themselves and then went to their relative's tombstone. It was rare to see someone come to pay respects to a loved one in the middle of the night. The two exchanged a glance but remained silent, continuing to observe.
An innocent person is also buried here, and she harbored a great deal of resentment.
Mother arranged the offerings, and Father lit the incense with a tinderbox, but the wind kept blowing the flame out. After several attempts, the old father sighed and, with his back to the wind, lit the incense again.
It was the woman who blew out the fire, and the father had just taken a step back. That one step prevented the woman from getting any closer. It seems this soul-binding formation left her with very little room to maneuver.
The woman also felt a gaze fixed on her. Her eyes, filled with murderous intent yet seemingly empty, turned to look at the two brothers. Normally, anyone who could see themselves would be terrified by their own frightening appearance; this tactic seemed to have no effect on these two men.
She had been there the whole time and had seen the two men searching for something at the graves. The whispers of her sisters told her that the two men were monks, and their arrival was definitely not a good thing; they could very well cause her and her sisters to be annihilated.
Zhou Xuanzhi stared at the female ghost, his hands clenching into fists. She was clearly a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, and it was obvious she must have been very beautiful before the incident. And yet, she was buried alive with the dead. Even the current emperor wouldn't dare to have someone buried with him; what right did the people of Jianye Town have to do this?
The female ghost used some unknown means, and a chilling aura surrounded Zhou Xuanzhi. He looked at the eager female ghost, unable to bear the thought that she wouldn't be reincarnated because of the sins she had committed. Just then, Shi Yunzhou silently set up an array, and spiritual energy purified the entire cemetery.
Although the female ghost was not very knowledgeable, she could still recognize spiritual energy. She stopped making things difficult for her parents and instead struggled to break free from the restrictions imposed on her by the soul-binding array.
Why can those people kill me and still live a carefree life, while I have to stay here and be a lonely ghost!
But at that moment, the man who had set up the formation held up a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.
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