Chapter 104

Chapter 104

◎ Old Grudges ◎

A dead cat isn’t scary, but one near a grave is downright terrifying. As evening approached, the dim sky and the mountain wind sent chills down everyone’s spines, leaving them in a cold sweat.

One of the braver ones, hearing the terrified screams, thought they’d unearthed something extraordinary, but seeing it was just a dead cat, they scoffed, "What’s so scary about a dead cat? Let’s just finish digging and get out of here."

The villagers digging the grave saw someone take charge, and with everyone else around, the mood shifted. If someone acted unfazed, it made the whole thing seem less scary, so they gathered their courage and kept digging.

Lin Chengyi turned to Wu Yang and the others, her face uneasy. "Is this just a coincidence?"

Wu Yang shook his head. "This isn’t a coincidence. There could be more than one cat."

As if on cue, another scream pierced the air as a black cat’s corpse was unearthed.

The first one might’ve been a coincidence, but the second one was downright eerie. It’s weird for them to die in such a cluster on someone else’s grave.

Some were too spooked to keep digging and started to leave.

Lin Chengyi quickly interjected, "Wait! I’ll double the pay! We’re here to relocate the grave and handle this problem. These two are the Taoists I brought in to fix this. Don’t worry, you’re just here to help. Whatever happens with the grave won’t affect you!"

Some hesitated, though the Lin family was already paying generously. Doubling the pay meant 20,000 yuan each. Working in the city, after covering food and housing, saving 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a year was already a decent sum.

Now, with the promise of more money, some who were desperate couldn’t help but ask, "How much more?"

Lin Chengyi blurted out, "Double it again—40,000 yuan each. But no matter what you find, you’ve got to help me dig all the way through. I promise you, this is strictly the Lin family’s business. Someone’s messed with our ancestral grave to curse our family—that’s why all this is happening. You don’t have to worry about digging up something that’ll drag you into this."

Hearing this, some reluctantly picked up their shovels and kept digging. 40,000 yuan for just one night’s work, and the cash would be theirs as soon as they finished. Where else could they make money this easily?

Seeing some stay, a few villagers also found their courage, figuring if everyone stayed, any trouble would be shared.

Those who were more superstitious and less brave thought it over and decided they couldn’t handle it, so they left and headed down the mountain.

Seeing the work resume, Lin Chengyi didn’t just stand by. She handed a shovel to her brother and pulled him to start digging together.

Xiao Ye asked Wu Yang, "What’s the deal with these dead cats?"

Wu Yang: "Why don’t you ask Ji Nanxing?"

It was Ji Nanxing who suggested digging the soil first. Although he wasn’t on-site, he probably knew more than they did.

Xiao Ye sighed: "He’s having dinner with his master."

With his master, whom he hadn’t seen in a year, present, Xiao Ye, as just an ordinary classmate and roommate, had to take a back seat.

Wu Yang chuckled and said, "Cats are inherently spiritual animals. Some highly spiritual cats can naturally ward off evil. So, cat corpses are easily used for mischief, especially in a grave with ruined feng shui. These cats were likely abused to death, and the evil energy in their bodies hasn’t dissipated. If we hadn’t found these cat corpses and opened the grave directly, once the grave’s Yin Energy rose, it would trigger the evil energy in the cat corpses. At best, people here would fall seriously ill; at worst, they would die. The person behind this has calculated everything. If the ghost nails in the coffin succeeded, the Lin family would die. If the ghost nails were exposed and the grave was opened to save them, the Lin family would still die."

Previously, everyone’s focus was on the ghost nails in the coffin, knowing someone wanted to use them to kill for profit. Upon arrival, they would naturally head straight to the grave to open the coffin and remove the nails.

Just like they did earlier, they didn’t think about other things nearby. Once the coffin was opened, those with spiritual abilities could resist some of the resentment and evil energy from the cat corpses. Xiao Ye, with his strong Yang Energy and carrying talismans, wouldn’t be harmed by the things here.

But the Lin siblings would likely die, and even those helping to dig the grave would perish.

Alternatively, if the Lin siblings had informed their family first and didn’t bring people to handle it, the Lin family would definitely be present when the coffin was opened, including Old Mr. Lin. At his age, he might die on the spot.

This plan seemed simple to thwart—just dig out the cat corpses—but it was extremely dangerous. They almost fell for it.

The Lin family’s graves weren’t just one. There were six graves in total, including those of great-grandparents, great-granduncles, and great-grandaunts, all buried together.

Even their grandmother is buried here in a coffin. Old Mr. Lin had previously said that when he dies, he wants the younger generation to bring him here to be buried alongside his wife.

The three-zhang area around the cemetery is said to be only ten meters in radius, but it’s still quite large. As they dug deeper, they uncovered more and more cat corpses buried around.

Lin Chengyi laid out a piece of cloth on the ground and placed all the cat corpses she found on it.

The cats looked like they’d been dead for about a month, their bodies partially decayed with maggots wriggling inside. Just one look was enough to make your skin crawl.

As it grew dark, the assistant arrived with more people and tools, driving up the hill.

Seeing the row of cat corpses, the assistant and his team were startled: "What’s going on here?"

Lin Chengyi was also digging with a shovel. Even though she exercises regularly, the repetitive bending was exhausting. Seeing the assistant, Lin Chengyi straightened up, holding her waist: "First, set up the tent, then get the lights up."

The assistant quickly obeyed, steering clear of the cat corpses. The bodies were horrifying and disgusting.

Xiao Ye snapped a photo of the cat corpses and sent it to Ji Nanxing: "This is terrifying."

Ji Nanxing, dining with his master and the bureau officials, opened the photo while chewing on meat, zooming in for a closer look.

Ji Yuanting tapped the back of his head: "We’re eating—why are you looking at that gross stuff?"

Ji Nanxing handed the photo to Ji Yuanting, who saw a pile of cat corpses, the sheer number making his scalp crawl.

"What’s going on? Did a pet’s vengeful spirit come after its killer?"

"Otherwise, why would so many dead cats be dug up for no reason?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "It’s a ghost nail coffin. Someone buried cat corpses next to it."

Before Yan Beisheng could speak, several bureau officials took his phone, frowning in pity: "How vicious, using such an evil method. Some Taoists today will do anything for money."

Yan Beisheng asked Ji Nanxing: "How do we resolve the ghost nail coffin?"

Ji Nanxing: "At the hour of Hai, surround the coffin with fire, wrap the ghost nail with a rope soaked in black dog’s blood, and pull it out. The hour of Hai is strong in water, and the coffin is already buried. Using fire to seal it maximizes the suppression of the coffin’s yin energy. The ghost nail should be wrapped in a yin-suppressing talisman, placed in a wooden box filled with positive yang talismans, and sealed with a thunder talisman before removal."

Several senior Taoists at the table nodded in agreement. Nowadays, few Taoists have encountered a ghost nail coffin, as most bodies are cremated, and coffins are rare. For someone as young as Ji Nanxing to directly explain the method of resolving the ghost nail coffin is truly rare.

If you don’t know how to resolve the ghost nail coffin and try to pull out the nail, even a skilled Taoist would be invaded by yin energy, shortening their lifespan. This is even harder to resolve than being contaminated with corpse poison.

Ji Nanxing had already explained how to resolve the ghost nail coffin to Xiao Ye in a video call, so he assumed they were prepared. He wasn’t worried about that, but the number of cat corpses seemed excessive, which felt off.

Yan Beisheng asked: "Why bury cat corpses in the graveyard?"

Ji Nanxing instinctively replied: "To attract evil. Once the coffin is opened, the evil energy hidden in the cat corpses will surge into the sky. Anyone standing near the buried cat corpses would be struck by this evil energy, either falling seriously ill or dying."

Yan Beisheng: "Does attracting evil require so many cat corpses?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "No, just guarding the four directions is enough. Within the four directions, the area is filled with the surging evil energy of the cat corpses."

After saying this, Ji Nanxing paused, then looked at his master: "Cat corpses as substitutes for life?"

Yan Beisheng smiled and picked up a duck leg to start eating: "I don’t know, whatever you say it is."

Ji Nanxing quickly got up with his phone: "Sorry, excuse me for a moment."

As Ji Nanxing left to make a call, Deputy Director Dai remarked: "Your disciple is quite knowledgeable."

Although it was clearly Yan Beisheng guiding him to think, without sufficient knowledge, no amount of guidance would be useful.

Yan Beisheng boasted, "Of course, just look at whose disciple he is!"

Deputy Director Dai rolled his eyes at him, thinking, "Two good disciples, huh? Big deal! Who’s jealous? Not me!"

Ji Nanxing’s call was answered immediately by Xiao Ye, "Naonao, you done eating?"

Ji Nanxing went straight to the point, "How many dead cats have you found so far?"

Xiao Ye replied, "Twelve so far. We dug up two more after sending you the photo. Who knows who’s behind this? They’re downright vicious."

Ji Nanxing said, "Ask the Lin family how many Lins there are."

Xiao Ye walked over to Lin Chengyi with the phone, "How many people in your family have the surname Lin?"

Lin Chengyi didn’t ask why he wanted to know and started counting directly. After a while, she said, "If we only count the Lins, excluding mothers and in-laws, there are fourteen."

Xiao Ye relayed this back to Ji Nanxing.

Ji Nanxing said, "Keep an eye on the cats. There should be fourteen."

Xiao Ye looked at the pile of cat corpses, "Fourteen? Do these cats match the Lin family members?"

Ji Nanxing hummed in agreement, "The cats can’t be buried—they need to be cremated. Inside each cat’s belly, there should be a wooden plaque with a Lin family member’s name. Take the plaques to the temple to ward off the curse, or the cats’ spirits will haunt those named."

Wu Yang, who was also listening, roughly understood what was going on as soon as Ji Nanxing mentioned it. Looking at the pile of cats on the ground, he couldn’t help but say, "Whoever’s behind this is pure evil."

Ji Nanxing reminded them to be careful, to make sure to retrieve the plaques before cremating the cats, and to pay close attention to the surroundings. After confirming there was nothing else to add, he hung up the phone.

Lin Chengyi, who had been listening in, rubbed her arms, "This is brutal—one thing after another. Sister, who could be so ruthless? Do we have enemies this ruthless in business?"

Lin Chengyi shook her head. Although there are competitors in the business field, few are this cruel. Stealing deals or sabotaging rivals is bad enough. But to go as far as murder? Unless there’s a deep grudge, who’d do that?

But in their business field, while they may not be overly friendly, they certainly haven’t pushed anyone to the brink, making someone hate them enough to want to wipe out their entire family.

Xiao Ye said, "If it’s not business, is it a family grudge?"

Lin Chengyi frowned and thought for a while, then shook her head. But this matter obviously couldn’t be kept secret. She turned around and called her father, explaining the situation, "The grave has to be moved. We’re not sure if we can resolve this quietly. Tell Grandpa. Do we have enemies who’d want to wipe out the whole Lin family?"

Her father was silent for a moment, then said, "Watch the grave. I’ll talk to Grandpa."

Old Mr. Lin was still with the Xiao family. They planned to return to the old house tomorrow. Since reconnecting with the Xiao family, they had been visiting the ancestral graves together.

When Lin’s dad showed up late, Old Mr. Lin was caught off guard. After hearing what he had to say, his expression turned grim.

Seeing his father silent, Lin’s father said, "Here are the photos. We’ve dug up a lot of cats and are dealing with them now. We haven’t opened the grave yet. Chengyi’s not lying. Dad, could it be him?"

"Who’s coming back?"

The Lin father and son looked up to see Old Mr. Xiao standing at the door, not knowing when he had arrived.

Old Mr. Xiao pushed the door open, "The servant said Lin Er was here. I figured it was urgent, so I came down."

Old Mr. Lin sighed, "My sister’s child. Do you still remember that child?"

Old Mr. Xiao remembered a skinny, small kid with big black eyes, staring blankly—it was eerie.

Back then, he was just a teen, not yet in the army, running wild with Lin Jian'an, annoying everyone—even the dogs.

It was a summer day, unbearably hot, with cicadas in the trees making everyone irritable. In those days, not only were there no air conditioners, but even electric fans were scarce.

Back then, they didn’t mind the heat. Even in the heat of noon, they’d head to the river to catch fish. The path home from the fish pond had little shade, and the sun was blazing down on them. By the time they got home, their faces were flushed red from the heat.

That noon, he and Lin Jian’an were walking home, laughing and joking as they carried their fish. Just as they reached the entrance of the compound, they heard a fierce argument inside.

Lin Jian’an’s father was roaring, telling someone to get out, saying that the Lin family would never accept a daughter like her.

They lived in the same compound and knew each other well, but they had no idea the Lin family had a daughter. The Lin family had always only had three sons, and Lin Jian’an was the youngest.

They were young then, and when adults got angry, they were intimidated. Not knowing what was going on, they didn’t dare move closer. Instead, they climbed up a tree in the compound and sat on a thick branch, looking inside. They saw a woman dressed in rags kneeling at the doorstep of the Lin house, with a little boy about five or six years old standing beside her.

They watched from the tree for a while before realizing that the woman was actually Lin Jian’an’s sister. She had been estranged from the family for some reason, and now that her husband had passed away, she wanted to return to her parents’ home with her child.

Those were chaotic times. The country had just stabilized internally, but war was still raging abroad. Hunger and poverty were widespread across the war-ravaged land, and life was hard for everyone.

Lin Jian’an’s father didn’t let the woman in. Instead, he threw out a broken bowl from inside, and the shards of the broken bowl flew up, cutting the woman’s face.

Years have passed since then, but Old Mr. Xiao still remembers the red mark on the woman’s cheek and the little boy, only four or five years old, standing beside her.

The little boy’s pitch-black eyes were fixed on the people inside the house. There was no childlike innocence or fear of the adults’ anger in his gaze—only a bone-chilling coldness.

Later, Lin Jian’an’s sister left, holding the little boy’s hand. She walked away with a hunched back, and the boy’s backward glance at them was something that still sends a chill down Old Mr. Xiao’s spine when he remembers it.

This topic was taboo in the Lin family. Old Mr. Xiao remembers asking Lin Jian’an later why his family had driven his sister away.

Lin Jian’an said he didn’t dare to ask. In those days, a hot-tempered father was the ultimate authority in the household, and no one dared to provoke him.

As for Lin Jian’an’s mother, he’d seen her secretly crying more than once.

Thinking about those times, Lin Jian’an, now the head of the Lin family, still chokes up: “Later, my mother cried so much that she went blind. She passed away not long after. My father outlasted the famine and enjoyed a few good years before he died. I asked my father later why I had a sister I’d never seen, and why they drove her away when she came back.”

Old Mr. Xiao: “Your father didn’t say anything?”

Old Mr. Lin shook his head: “No, he’d fly into a rage every time it was mentioned. He said the Lin family only had three brothers, no daughters.”

Old Mr. Xiao looked at Lin Er: “That was so many years ago. How do you know? You weren’t even born then.”

Lin Chengyi’s father said: “Later, when the Lin family’s business started to thrive, my father wanted me to try and find my aunt. So he told me some of what happened back then.”

Old Mr. Xiao: “So what do you mean by saying he’s back now?”

Old Mr. Lin handed him the photos of the cat corpses: “Someone is messing with the Lin family’s ancestral grave. There’s talk of ghost nails, cat corpses, and other dark rituals. They’re tampering with the ancestral grave, trying to wipe out the Lin family.”

Old Mr. Xiao believed in these things. Although he was born during a time when anti-feudalism was at its strictest, it was also the most chaotic period. Matters of life and death require respect; you can’t just dismiss them with a word.

But he noticed a corner of the photo and couldn’t help but say: “What’s my kid doing there too?”

He had wondered why he hadn’t seen that wild boy all day, thinking he’d gone off to find Xingxing. Turns out he had gone to the ancestral grave.

Lin Chengyi’s father said: “It was Xiao Ye who first noticed something wrong with Chengyi. He even helped them find a Taoist to deal with it. But we didn’t expect it to be more serious than we initially thought, so he called me to tell me about it.”

Old Mr. Lin sighed: “Your grandson’s been dragged into this too. You’d better call Xiao Ye back. Don’t let him get involved.”

Old Mr. Xiao, though he believed in letting his descendants grow freely, couldn’t ignore their safety. Knowing Xiao Ye was there, he immediately called him.

At the gravesite, they were digging into the cats’ bellies to retrieve the wooden plaques. The villagers and those helping with the digging were too scared to touch the dead cats. This wasn’t part of the original agreement, and even with extra pay, they refused to do it.

Lin Chengyi was screaming in fear, too scared to get close. Lin Chengyi rolled her eyes at her useless brother, shoved him aside, and got to work herself.

If she doesn’t take action, the wooden plaque can’t be retrieved, and the whole family will suffer.

Xiao Ye answered the phone, covering his ears to block his grandfather’s roar, and then said, “When something like this happens, we can’t just sit back and do nothing, right? Isn’t Grandpa Lin also your brother?”

Grandpa Xiao: “What are you going to do to help? Come back here, don’t get in the way over there!”

Xiao Ye was immediately displeased: “How am I getting in the way? Grandpa, you can’t underestimate people. Even the Taoist priest who helped them handle the matter was found by me. Don’t worry, the person I found has real skills and is employed by the state. Grandpa, you know the state has this kind of position, right?”

Given his status, Grandpa Xiao certainly knew about the existence of the Management Bureau. During the big earthquake, he hadn’t retired yet and had even cooperated with the Management Bureau. He just didn’t expect that his grandson would actually know someone from the Management Bureau, which surprised him quite a bit.

Realizing his grandson had some sense, he said, “Then don’t meddle, don’t get in the way, you know? I’ll be there tomorrow, you wait at the old house.”

Before hanging up, Xiao Ye asked his grandfather if he knew about the Lin family’s situation. Unexpectedly, his grandfather really did know and briefly explained the previous generation’s events before hanging up.

Noticing the look Xiao Ye gave her after hanging up the phone, Lin Chengyi (female), muffled by her mask, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Ye: “My grandfather said it might be your great-aunt’s child returning, wanting your whole family dead, because back then your great-aunt was in trouble and asked to come home but was driven away, and then there was no more news.”

Lin Chengyi looked at his sister: “We have a great-aunt in our family?”

Lin Chengyi threw another retrieved wooden plaque on the ground, her expression cold and murderous: “No matter who it is, we’ll handle it with our own skills!”

They shouldn’t have to bear the grudges and hatred of their ancestors, right? Should she just die, her brother just die, and her cousins, who have never done anything wrong in their lives, just die because of their ancestors’ deeds?

Why!

Since they struck first, they’ll face the backlash of breaking the curse.