Chapter 174 Using Blood as a Catalyst to Summon Kinship
After Feng Jin and Ma Mian disappeared, the room returned to silence.
Shen Yuepo stood still, her fingertips unconsciously tracing her lips, where the unique scent of Feng Jin still seemed to linger.
“Feng Jin…birthday?” she murmured to herself, recalling the “Emperor’s birthday” that Horse-Face had mentioned.
She took out her phone and checked the corresponding time in the human world: the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the Double Ninth Festival.
This day...
Shen Yuepo frowned slightly.
On the Double Ninth Festival, people climb to high places to enjoy the view. The yang energy is at its peak, but it also implies the turning point from yang to yin.
For the Emperor of Fengdu, who rules the underworld, this birthday is quite fitting, but... it also seems to carry a hint of loneliness.
Shen Yuepo held his phone, lost in thought.
What kind of birthday gift should I give him? Worldly gold and silver treasures mean nothing to him.
Magical artifacts and talismans? He probably wouldn't even look at the ones she uses herself.
Thinking of Feng Jin's accusatory words before he left, "Some people have never acknowledged my existence and that I 'cannot see ghosts'," a sudden inspiration struck Shen Yuepo.
A smile crept onto her lips. Since he cares so much, then she'd give him that gift!
She made up her mind and put her phone away.
Two days later, at the Xiao family ancestral tomb.
As the sun rises, its golden rays pierce the clouds and spill onto the back mountain of Zhuxi Village, dispelling the morning mist.
The rising sun is an auspicious time, a time of transition between yin and yang, and the ascent of pure energy.
Beside Xiao Zhenshan's tomb, a small coffin made of top-grade golden nanmu wood rests quietly.
The coffin was lined with pure white silk, on which were neatly arranged two of Xiao Zhenshan's most cherished possessions:
A pocket watch and a pipe that has been used for many years.
These items all bear the scent of his life.
Shen Yuepo stood solemnly before the grave.
The members of the Xiao family stood solemnly to one side.
The five burly men from yesterday were also present, standing by.
"The auspicious time has arrived; let the soul rest in peace!" Shen Yuepo's clear voice echoed through the mountains.
Holding a willow branch, Shen Yuepo dipped it into the rootless water collected in the early morning and sprinkled it inside the tomb to purify any remaining filth caused by the previous evil influence.
She then sprinkled a mixture of cinnabar and incense ash in five colors onto the bottom of the tomb, forming a three-inch-thick layer of auspicious soil.
Shen Yuepo gestured to five strong men to carefully lift the small coffin made of Phoebe zhennan wood into the tomb and place it on the prepared burial platform.
The coffin was placed down without making any noise.
Shen Yuepo walked up to Xiao Zhengqing.
He had already washed his hands.
Shen Yuepo used a silver needle to prick the tip of his left middle finger, took three drops of blood from the fingertip, and dripped them into a small jade bowl containing clear wine.
"Using blood as a bond, let's connect through kinship!"
"May your soul return and rest in peace here!"
She slowly poured the sake, mixed with the essence of the Xiao family's direct bloodline, onto the ground around the coffin.
A powerful force, drawing people together by blood, instantly spread out.
Shen Yuepo took out three yellow talismans that he had prepared beforehand.
She chanted a soothing incantation and firmly affixed the first talisman to the top of the coffin, representing the deceased's forehead.
The second talisman was placed in the middle of the coffin, representing the deceased's chest and abdomen.
The third talisman is pasted at the foot of the coffin, representing the deceased's feet.
The three talismans form a stable triangle, radiating a gentle, calming power.
It invisibly soothes and gathers the earth spirits or lingering thoughts that may have been scattered nearby due to the theft of the remains.
Shen Yuepo formed a hand seal and drew a talisman in the air above the open coffin. A golden light entered the coffin.
Then, she declared clearly: "May the soul be at peace and the spirit settled; by imperial decree, the coffin shall be sealed!"
The two strong men standing by the tomb immediately stepped forward and carefully covered the coffin, making sure it was completely sealed.
"Fill it with soil!" Shen Yuepo ordered.
Five strong men immediately got to work, using brand-new shovels to fill the grave with the five-colored fresh soil that had been prepared nearby.
Shen Yuepo supervised from the side to ensure that the filling process was smooth and without any impact.
When the grave was filled in, forming a new mound slightly higher than the ground, Shen Yuepo walked to the grave, lit three specially made incense sticks for calming the soul, and placed them in the incense burner.
The smoke from the three sticks of incense rose straight up, lingering in the golden glow of the rising sun.
A peaceful and tranquil atmosphere emanated from the new grave, slowly blending with the surrounding mountains and rivers.
Shen Yuepo gestured for Xiao Zhengqing to step forward.
Xiao Zhengqing held a cup of sake in both hands and respectfully poured it before the new grave, his voice clear:
"Grandpa, your unworthy son Zhengqing has brought the whole family to see you. We are sorry to have frightened you. Now we are building a new resting place for you. Please let your soul return here and protect the descendants of the Xiao family."
Xiao Yizhou and other family members also stepped forward one by one to offer libations and pay their respects.
Finally, Shen Yuepo took out nine copper coins engraved with talismans to ward off evil.
Centered on the new grave, these copper coins were buried deep underground around the grave according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.
After burying it, she formed hand seals and drew talismans in the air, instantly creating an invisible feng shui barrier.
Enveloping the entire tomb within it isolates it from external evil spirits and stabilizes the earth's energy.
The ceremony is complete!
As the sun fully rose above the horizon, its golden rays bathed the mountains and fields, and warmly illuminated Xiao Zhenshan's new grave.
The previous eerie and sinister atmosphere had vanished, replaced by an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
The heavy weight in the hearts of the Xiao family members was finally lifted.
Shen Yuepo looked at the relieved Xiao family members and calmly said:
"The ceremony is complete, Mr. Xiao's spirit has been put to rest, and the Xiao family's fortune has been stabilized."
Xiao Zhengqing bowed deeply, his gratitude overflowing: "Master Shen, I can't thank you enough! The Xiao family will never forget your kindness!"
"No need to be so polite." Shen Yuepo couldn't help but add, "In the future... don't make any more vows of eternal life."
Xiao Zhengqing was stunned when he heard this, thinking that his grandfather's bones were stolen because of this sentence.
Xiao Zhengqing: "..."
Seeing his father's discomfiture, Xiao Yizhou suppressed a laugh and stepped forward to ask with concern, "Yuepo, are you planning to return to the capital today, or stay another night?"
"I'm going back today," Shen Yuepo answered decisively. "I have some things to take care of when I get back."
“Okay, then I’ll have the driver take you back.” Xiao Yizhou didn’t ask any more questions and said considerately, “We’ll be staying here for a few more days. Relatives from other branches of the Xiao family will also be coming to pay their respects to our great-grandfather.”
"Okay, thank you." Shen Yuepo nodded.
The car sped away from Zhuxi Village and returned to the capital in the afternoon.
Shen Yuepo did not go straight home, but instead had her driver take her to the Zhusha Huangfu Street.
She skillfully navigated into several time-honored shops and carefully selected a few items.
Afterwards, I returned home, and it was already dinnertime.
She had just put down her things and was about to take out her phone to order takeout when a gust of cold wind swept through the room, and the figure of Horse-Face appeared inside.
Horse-face scratched his head, his tone a little aggrieved: "Sir, you change places so often, it makes it hard for me to find you."
Seeing that Shen Yuepo's table was empty, he immediately placed an exquisite multi-tiered food box on the table. "My lord, your dinner."
Shen Yuepo looked at the food box, then at the diligent horse-faced man in front of her, and felt a rare sense of embarrassment.
Previously, Ma Mian only provided breakfast, but now they're even including dinner.
Before she could speak, Horse-Face seemed to suddenly remember something and tentatively asked:
"Sir, how about... you add me on WeChat? I can ask where you are before delivering food in the future, so I don't have to run around aimlessly."
Then, he scratched his head sheepishly and said, "If it's inconvenient, then forget it."
Shen Yuepo found the suggestion useful, so she took out her phone and said, "Okay."
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