Chapter 112: Ghosts and Cats

Bang...

A thud echoed from the direction of the coffin.

"..."

The funeral hall fell silent for two seconds.

"Ah..."

"A ghost!"

Led by the women, screams erupted, and a group of people scrambled out of the hall.

Some remained behind—five men and four women, Chen Jin among them. He recognized the others: Zhang Junbao’s parents, his uncle, his sister, two cousins, and two Taoist priests hired for the funeral arrangements.

The two cousins were so terrified they had lost control of their bowels, their noses running with snot; they were completely paralyzed by fear. Zhang Junbao’s sister fared slightly better, her legs merely turning to jelly. Fortunately, supported by her parents, she did not collapse to the floor.

As for Zhang Junbao’s parents and uncle, they stood pale, staring at the coffin. While they were physically capable of running, they chose to stay.

The two Taoist priests watched the coffin with grim expressions. One held a peach-wood sword while the other formed a hand seal, appearing as though they were about to perform a ritual.

However, Chen Jin knew clearly that these two possessed no cultivation; they were charlatans. The person inside the coffin was not a reanimated corpse, and there was no malevolent aura in the hall. Beyond a slight chill, there was nothing supernatural about the place.

Therefore, Chen Jin concluded that someone was playing a trick, not that a ghost had appeared.

His primary suspects were the two priests. They lacked real ability yet showed no genuine fear, which was telling. Of course, the possibility of a real ghost could not be entirely dismissed. If a spirit were truly present and had managed to elude Chen Jin’s perception, he would be as good as dead; such an entity would be vastly superior to him. But the probability of that was one in a hundred million.

Though he had his theories, Chen Jin remained as motionless as a mountain. He wanted to see what kind of charade these priests would stage to frighten the others. If they actually conjured something dangerous, he would intervene.

"Mother, Mother! Are you... are you unhappy? If there is something that displeases you, please tell us... we will surely do it for you," Zhang Junbao’s uncle stammered, falling to his knees and trembling.

***

Very well, Chen Jin’s second suspect had arrived.

Though Chen Jin could not yet tell if the uncle was acting or sincere, he sensed something fishy. Under these circumstances, saying such things suggested he might be trying to gain some benefit through the voice of the dead. Perhaps he was even in league with the priests.

However, Chen Jin saw no signs of collusion; they seemed like strangers. This could either mean they were excellent actors or that they truly did not know each other.

Bang... bang... bang...

The coffin offered no reply, only the rhythmic knocking. Perhaps the person inside just wanted some air.

Chen Jin released his primordial energy, blanketing the funeral hall and seeping into the coffin. His spirit was infused within this energy, allowing him to perceive everything. He immediately discovered that there was more than just the body of the old Lady Zhang inside; a living person was hiding there. Beneath the corpse, separated by a wooden board, this person was the one striking the coffin.

Seeing this, Chen Jin confirmed the two priests were the culprits.

"Zhang family member, say no more. This spirit is not your mother, but a wandering ghost causing mischief. It has seized your mother's body, preventing her from resting in peace. Quickly, go prepare a pound of gold foil and bring a large black dog so that my junior brother and I may perform a ritual to reclaim her body and lay her to rest," the older-looking priest, whose beard hung to his chest, suddenly shouted.

"My brother and I will go at once. Please, Taoist masters, watch over our mother’s remains," Zhang Junbao’s uncle said, immediately dragging his brother out of the hall to follow the priests' instructions.

Zhang Junbao’s father, lacking any real resolve, allowed himself to be led away. Seeing this, Zhang Junbao’s mother grabbed her daughter and Chen Jin, intending to flee as well. As for the two cousins, she naturally prioritized her own children.

"We leave it to you, Taoist masters," she said as she left.

Chen Jin knew the priests were villains, but he didn't expose them; he wanted to see their performance through to the end. However, he couldn't leave the two cousins behind with these men and the person hiding in the coffin. Fearing they might turn into lecherous scoundrels, Chen Jin stood up, took three steps, reached the cousins, and hoisted them up, one in each hand.

***

Enduring the stench of their soiled garments, Chen Jin carried them out of the hall, following Zhang Junbao’s mother. Although he had left, his primordial energy remained behind, unnoticed by the commoners.

Once everyone else had gone, the two priests dropped their poses, standing in a relaxed manner.

Bang, bang, bang...

The older priest walked to the coffin and knocked three times.

A voice came from within: "Big brother, is it done? Let me out quickly, it’s so stuffy in here, and it stinks..."

"Be patient. I'll let you out after the ritual. When I knock on the coffin later, don’t make a sound. Don't give us away," the priest warned.

"Understood. It’s not my first time; I’m used to it," the man inside replied.

"This time is different. That immortal master is watching. We cannot afford a single mistake. Whether we can learn immortal arts depends on this. Do you hear me?" the priest instructed.

"I know, I know. But brother... do you think Lady Zhang will... actually come back to life?" the man in the coffin asked nervously.

"No. The immortal master said it wouldn't happen, so it won't. Even if she does, I have the talisman the master gave me; we’ll just slap it on. Besides, if she really does reanimate, it only proves we have true skill! The Zhang family is wealthy; we might even swindle more money out of them," the priest mused.

"Indeed, indeed. Wealth, glory, and immortal arts... heh, wonderful. We might even live better than the Emperor," the other priest chimed in.

"Hehe, once I learn the immortal arts, I'll go swindle the Emperor and steal his throne, hehehe..." the man in the coffin added.

Meow...

A cat’s cry suddenly rang out in the hall, interrupting their conversation. A black cat appeared atop the coffin lid.

"..."