Ren Tingting had intended to walk up the hill with Ethan and the others, but halfway there, she became out of breath and had to be carried in a two-person sedan chair.
It did not take long for the group to arrive at the gravesite of Ren Weiyong. The area was dotted with dozens of graves of various sizes, some long neglected and no longer tended.
They stopped before Ren Weiyong's grave. Master Lin stood solemnly in front of the altar, holding the sacred text Declaration to Heaven, Earth, and Spirits. He placed it carefully on the ritual platform, murmuring arcane, difficult-to-understand incantations under his breath. With the peachwood sword in his hand, he touched the yellow ritual paper on the altar. Immediately, the paper, covered with inscriptions, ignited.
After a moment, Master Lin inserted three incense sticks into the censer and gestured for the others to pay their respects. Under Mr. Ren's guidance, Ren Tingting, the security captain Awey, and numerous servants each bowed and offered incense.
Ethan and his two fellow disciples went last. Mr. Ren, smiling, approached Master Lin.
"Master Lin, the feng shui expert back then said this gravesite would be hard to find. It's a remarkable spot."
Master Lin nodded.
"Yes, indeed. This is called the Dragonfly Touching Water formation. The grave is three zhang four in length, but only four feet are usable. Its width is one zhang three, but only three feet are effective. That is why the coffin cannot be buried horizontally; it must be buried according to the ritual."
Mr. Ren's expression was full of admiration.
"Extraordinary, Master Lin."
Standing nearby were Awey, still puzzled, and Ethan with his two younger brothers, their expressions calm but alert. Under Ethan's strict supervision and encouragement, Daniel and the other disciple were no longer clumsy in their practice. They had absorbed this foundational knowledge thoroughly. Only Awey remained confused. Observing that everyone seemed to understand what he did not, he could not hold back.
"Master Lin, what exactly is a 'ritual burial'? Is it… a French-style funeral?"
Everyone froze, exchanging incredulous glances. Mr. Ren, standing beside Awey, looked like he might burst. Such a comment was wholly inappropriate, especially in this solemn setting.
Awey, oblivious to Mr. Ren's expression, noticed the disdain and incredulous looks on Ethan and his disciples' faces. His brow furrowed, and just as he was about to protest, Mr. Ren barked sharply.
"You have no place to speak here. Keep your mouth shut!"
Awey shrank back like a startled quail, nervously glancing around. He could not understand how he had spoken so inappropriately at such a moment.
Ethan remained calm, though inwardly he was amused. He had not expected the classic misunderstanding to come from Awey instead of Daniel.
At that moment, one of the laborers stepped forward.
"Master Lin, the offerings have been made. May we begin digging?"
"Yes, it's time," Master Lin replied and moved toward the altar with the others. The workers removed the flower beds and censer in front of the tombstone and kicked it over with a single forceful motion. In this profession, such displays of resolve were customary; failure to show vigor could invite lingering spirits to trouble them.
They lined up in a row. Ren Tingting quietly moved to stand beside Ethan. Awey attempted to shove Ethan aside, sneaking a push into his shoulder. The group heard a grunt, then saw Awey sprawled on the ground, all four limbs flailing.
Mr. Ren shook his head with a sigh, then looked on as the scene settled.
Ren Tingting, having overheard the conversation, whispered to Ethan, "Ethan, what is a ritual burial exactly?"
She had started calling him Ethan in the past few days after becoming familiar with him. Although it felt a bit strange, Ethan allowed it. This caused Awey, who was getting up at the edge, to feel a pang of jealousy.
Master Lin smiled at Ethan, fully aware of the strength of his senior disciple's foundation. Mr. Ren's expression mirrored quiet expectation.
"A ritual burial is an upright burial," Ethan explained. "Mr. Ren, does that make sense to you?"
Ren Tingting's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Mr. Ren nodded with a smile. "Ethan is correct."
Then Mr. Ren's expression suddenly darkened as he turned to Master Lin.
"The feng shui expert said that if our ancestor is buried upright, the descendants will prosper."
"Is it reliable?" Master Lin asked calmly.
Mr. Ren shook his head with a bitter smile. "For twenty years, the Ren family business has been declining. I can't figure out why."
Master Lin's expression hinted at amusement. "Perhaps that feng shui master had a grudge against your family."
"A grudge?" Mr. Ren asked, puzzled. "Did my father have any conflict with him?"
He thought for a moment. "That land originally belonged to the feng shui master. Father recognized it as a valuable spot and purchased it from him."
Master Lin's gaze was teasing. "Was it purely bribery, or was there coercion as well?"
Mr. Ren laughed awkwardly. Master Lin understood.
"I suspect there was coercion, or else he wouldn't have caused you so much trouble."
By now, the group had reached the tomb. Master Lin gestured to Ethan, signaling him to reveal the truth.
Ethan approached Mr. Ren.
"Please look here," he said, pointing to the grave.
"Concrete covers the entire site. For a Dragonfly Touching Water formation to work, the top must be covered by snow. Now, the coffin's top can't even touch water. How can it still be called Dragonfly Touching Water?"
Mr. Ren nodded, deep in thought.
"Furthermore, with the concrete sealing the top, our late ancestor suffered from the heat above the coffin and the cold below. He endured twenty years of torment."
Mr. Ren's eyes widened in shock. This revelation made him realize his father had not been properly buried and had suffered for decades. It was almost too much to comprehend.
"That feng shui master had some conscience," Ethan continued. "He told you to exhume and rebury after twenty years. He caused you hardship, but not lifelong. He harmed one generation, not eighteen."
Mr. Ren's frown deepened as he gazed at the grave.
"Mr. Ren, I believe your family should have male descendants. Based on your appearance, you should have had a son. Now, you understand the full reason for what happened."
Ren Tingting looked puzzled and worried; she had been unaware of these details.
Mr. Ren recalled his several sons who had died in infancy and the wives who had passed due to childbirth complications. None of the children had survived.
Master Lin quietly sighed beside him. "It is now revealed."
A shout from the workers broke the silence. The coffin was lifted from the grave. Wooden supports were placed beneath, stabilizing it in front of the group.
"Untie the ropes, remove the nails."
After the command, Master Lin straightened, hands behind his back, and addressed the group.
"Today, we allow Ren Weiyong to see the sun once more. Those aged thirty-six, twenty-two, thirty-five, and forty-eight, born in the Year of the Rooster or Ox, must turn away."
Everyone complied. Even the four workers responsible for opening the coffin had to avert their eyes according to ritual.
Master Lin then faced the coffin solemnly.
"Those turning away, adjust your garments. The coffin may now be opened."
Just as the workers prepared to lift the lid, several crows flew out from the nearby woods. Master Lin's gaze sharpened.
"Master, the late Ren seems… unusual, perhaps already " Ethan whispered beside him, leaving the sentence unfinished. Both understood the implication.
Evan and his fellow disciple moved to Ethan's side.
"Master, Senior Brother, the coffin is exuding such heavy yin energy. Even during the day, it can scare away birds and animals."
Mr. Ren, hearing this, still clung to a sliver of hope.
The four workers opened the coffin. A dense, black aura rose from it under the sunlight before quickly dissipating. Inside, Ren Weiyong's skin was grayish-blue, shriveled and dry.
Seeing this, Mr. Ren knelt with Ren Tingting, murmuring apologies to his father. However, once they stood again, their expressions returned to normal, masking the earlier shock.