Translator: CinderTL
The old man sighed, waving his hand to signal the villagers who had gathered around to disperse. He then spoke, "This matter should not be disclosed to outsiders. If you insist on asking, young hero, it may bring misfortune rather than blessings. I am not telling you for your own good."
Xu Sanyan chuckled upon hearing this, "Haha... What, if I know, I won't be able to leave?"
The old man hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding, "Young hero, you may not believe it, but if you know about this, you truly won't be able to leave."
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Is there such a thing?"
He had never heard of such a bizarre situation—knowing about it meant being involved?
What kind of logic is that?
The old man shook his head, "Every word I speak is true. If you leave now, young hero, you will be fine. Besides..."
"It's almost dark..."
Xu Sanyan glanced at the sky; the sun would set behind the mountains in at most half an hour.
"What does it matter if it's dark?"
Seeing that Xu Sanyan was fearless and ignorant, the old man sighed inwardly. It's hard to persuade someone who is determined to court death. Since he insisted on knowing, the old man stopped trying to dissuade him and turned to point at the village, "Young hero, do you know the name of this village?"
Xu Sanyan shook his head. How would he know?
"This village is called 'Coffin Guard Village.' It originally belonged to the Great Liang Dynasty, under the jurisdiction of Shangyang County. The villagers have lived here for generations, spanning eight hundred years."
Xu Sanyan looked surprised, "Eight hundred years?"
This small mountain village had only about a hundred households, with a population of six to seven hundred at most. How could it have been passed down so peacefully for so many years?
The old man nodded, "I am forty-two years old this year and have lived here for most of my life. Two years ago, everything was still normal. This place has always been blessed with favorable weather, avoiding natural disasters and human calamities. It is a rare treasure of a place."
Xu Sanyan's expression shifted slightly. Forty-two?
Judging by his appearance, the old man looked to be in his sixties or seventies. Even if he appeared older than his age, this was still quite old.
"Young hero, do you know why this place is called 'Coffin Guard Village'?" The old man posed a small riddle.
Xu Sanyan guessed based on the literal meaning, "Could it be... you are here to guard someone's coffin?"
The old man nodded, "Correct. It is said that over eight hundred years ago, the only daughter of the first emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, the 'Martial Emperor,' passed away at a young age. This daughter was deeply loved by the Martial Emperor, who was overwhelmed with grief and found it hard to accept."
The old man gazed at the setting sun, his expression sorrowful, "At that time, an Immortal Master happened to hear the news and claimed to have a way to save her. The Martial Emperor was overjoyed and declared that if she were revived, he would make the Immortal Master the national preceptor."
Xu Sanyan asked curiously, "Did he fail to save her?"
The old man slowly shook his head, "He succeeded."
"He succeeded?"
Xu Sanyan was astonished. He had reached the Peak Stage of Foundation Establishment and knew he was incapable of bringing the dead back to life. Yet, that national preceptor had such abilities?
This was resurrection from death, a truly divine skill.
Then Xu Sanyan realized, "If he succeeded, then why..."
As he spoke, he pointed at Coffin Guard Village, wondering why there was a subsequent story.
The old man smiled bitterly, "But he only extended her life for three years. After three years, the princess died again."
Xu Sanyan understood, already having some guesses in his mind.
The old man continued, "The Martial Emperor ordered the national preceptor to continue saving her, but the preceptor claimed that the princess's fate had run its course, and he was powerless to change it."
"The Martial Emperor refused to accept this and issued an imperial decree: if the preceptor could not revive her, he would be charged with the crime of deceiving the emperor. The preceptor had no choice but to perform the 'Life-Borrowing Soul-Returning Technique.'"
Xu Sanyan nodded slowly, speculating that the "Life Borrowing and Soul Returning Technique" might have some connection with corpse refinement.
The old man said, "As for the specifics of the 'Life Borrowing and Soul Returning Technique,' I do not know. I only learned from ancient texts that it seems to involve transferring the life force of others to the recipient."
"However, this technique cannot be completed overnight. It requires selecting a geomantic treasure site. The Imperial Preceptor spent a long time and eventually chose this place."
A trace of fear was deeply buried in the old man's eyes. "Eight hundred years passed in a flash. The Martial Emperor has long since died, and the Imperial Preceptor has also disappeared without a trace. But two years ago... that princess came back to life..."
Xu Sanyan was startled, feeling greatly surprised. "She came back to life? Was it a true resurrection, or did she turn into a zombie? Is her body stiff? Is her face lifelike? Can she speak?"
These were the key distinctions between a human and a zombie. Zombies generally have stiff limbs, rigid faces, cannot speak, and have pale complexions.
The old man's expression was inscrutable. "I don't know about the rest, but I do know... she can speak!"
Xu Sanyan's heart tightened, and he quickly pressed, "Did the Great Liang Dynasty send anyone to investigate?"
The old man answered one by one, "The court sent people to investigate, and it is said that an Immortal Master also came along, but..."
"What happened?"
The old man shook his head. "I don't know. After that, there was no more news. The court stopped paying attention, and the people who came to investigate never returned. It's just that every night, a large number of zombies roam around the village. They don't attack the village, and by dawn, they disappear without a trace."
"Then why don't you leave during the day?" Xu Sanyan asked.
The old man smiled bitterly. "We can't leave. That princess won't let us go. I don't know what method she uses to monitor us, but if we venture more than ten miles from the village, we will die."
This was the first time Xu Sanyan had heard of someone being able to come back to life and even speak!
The fact that she could speak proved that she wasn't just a zombie; some kind of mutation must have occurred.
Xu Sanyan lowered his head and asked, "Where is that princess buried?"
"In these mountains," the old man pointed to the forest Xu Sanyan had passed through on his way here.
Xu Sanyan turned around, squinting slightly as he carefully examined the area. After looking for a long time, he found nothing unusual.
The old man looked up at the sky. "Young hero, it's getting dark. Let's hurry into the village. I'll arrange a place for you to stay. Coincidentally, a few houses were vacated recently. You can stay here without worry, and we can discuss matters further tomorrow."
The old man seemed certain that Xu Sanyan wouldn't be able to leave and would become a new member of the village.
Xu Sanyan thought for a moment and didn't refuse. "Thank you, old man."
"No need to be polite."
The old man led the group back to the village, and the villagers returned to their homes, closing their doors and windows tightly.
The old man pointed to a thatched cottage in the corner of the village. "Young hero, you can stay here from now on. Remember not to go out at night, and don't pay attention to any sounds outside. Although the zombies won't actively attack the houses, if they see a living person, they might become aggressive."
Xu Sanyan nodded. "Don't worry, old man."
The old man nodded and left.
Xu Sanyan watched the old man's retreating figure, narrowing his eyes. He had a feeling that the old man was hiding something. Tonight, he would investigate and see what was going on with the zombies. Tomorrow, he would question the old man further.
Xu Sanyan entered the house and glanced around. The interior was very simple, with only a stove, a bed, a set of tables and chairs, and some miscellaneous items.
Xu Sanyan sat on the bed, waiting for night to fall.
The Blood Demon stood motionless in the corner, a pale face peeking out from beneath the cloak.
This face was none other than that of Emperor Qi.
Since the Life Coffin Technique required the aura of an official, and who could possess a greater official aura than an emperor, he was naturally the first choice.
From then on, the two were inseparable day and night, with Xu Sanyan taking him wherever he went.
To be honest, their family had suffered greatly. Their daughter married Xu Sanyan only to have her life essence drained by her own father, her mother was discarded like a worn-out shoe after Xu Sanyan grew tired of her, and finally, her father was killed and turned into a puppet.
But upon closer examination, one couldn't blame Xu Sanyan for everything. It was all Emperor Qi's own doing.
What fault did Xu Sanyan have?
None at all!
(End of the Chapter)
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