Chapter 63: The Soul-Guiding Maiden

  After a long time, the whole world finally fell silent. When the coffin was opened, I saw a woman pounce on the old man's body in the coffin. Under the scorching sun, the woman's entire body was steaming, just like water vapor.

  Those gases floated towards us, and I saw that my clothes were instantly corroded like rotting away the moment they came into contact with those gases. Without thinking, I quickly pulled the young man back behind me.

  At this time, the misty air had already submerged the coffin, the old man and woman's corpses, as well as that blood-red coffin. The air was pink in color, like fog. And within that pink fog, sounds of struggling kept coming. I wanted to go up and help, but didn't move, only silently watching.

  Because I recalled what happened in that village, this world is full of malice.

  After a long time, the sound of struggling grew smaller and smaller. I looked at the pink mist and felt that the hope for the old coffin to survive was slim, so I couldn't help but sigh.

  But who would have known, I had just let out two breaths, and that coffin suddenly walked out of the red mist. In his hand, he was actually holding a withered woman's head.

  At this moment, the old coffin maker was like a demon god. He walked in front of me, turned his head and took a look at the young man, then said: "Female corpse, I've taken care of it, you can handle the body now, and rest assured to give your father a proper burial."

  The old man opposite the coffin, the young man shook his whole body with force, and his face turned white.

  At this time, the old coffin maker turned his face to me again, nodded, but didn't speak. Then he turned around and walked towards the outside of the house. I couldn't help but take a look at the pink mist, only to see that on the ground lay a withered corpse. Under the scorching sun, the corpse was shrinking bit by bit.

  I came back to myself and followed the old man's footsteps, leaving the young man's house directly. Afterwards, we returned all the way back to the coffin shop.

  After going to the coffin shop, the old man disappeared for a whole half month. Half a month later, when it was time to pay wages, the old man reappeared. With a small bottle of wine and some snacks, he placed them on the coffin board and started drinking with a gurgling sound.

  After a few drinks, even the coffin maker started to get confused. When people are confused, they tend to talk more.

  The old man poured wine into his cup while mumbling to himself, but his voice was very indistinct and I couldn't make out what he was saying. As he spoke, the old man suddenly began to sob.

  I was a bit curious, so I took a bite of the snack and stared at the coffin. Seeing him sobbing, I leaned my ear in to listen carefully. I heard the old man muttering to himself: "What is this life all about? In my younger years, I had a great reputation on the road, but now I'm hiding in this coffin shop, afraid to go out and see people."

  I silently stared at him, continuing to listen. Coffin Old Man said again: "It's better to be an ordinary person, if only being an ordinary person would be good, no worries, carefree and leisurely."

  "I couldn't help but ask: 'What did you mean by saying you hid in a coffin shop and didn't dare to see anyone?'"

  "I used to have some reputation in the mystic door, but the water was too deep and people's hearts were too treacherous. In the end, because of some things, I hid and retreated to this small town, opening this coffin shop."

  "What's wrong?"

  The old man took a deep breath and let out a mouthful of wine, then continued: "I was forced to kill my own wife and children."

  As he said this, the old coffin maker poured a bottle of wine into his mouth and gulped it down. Seeing him like this, I didn't stop him. After drinking half the bottle in one breath, the old coffin maker finally spoke: "And my wife and child were killed by my own hands. I cut my wife's throat, and she stared at me with eyes full of pleading. But I was driven to desperation, and in the end, I watched as she slowly lost her last breath."

  "My son was drowned by me in the water. That day, I told my son let's go swimming. My son said okay, and I took him to the riverbank. Finally, I pressed my son into the water, and he shouted loudly, 'Dad, it hurts so much.'"

  I couldn't bear to listen anymore, and when I heard this, I almost pulled out the soul-cutting knife and stabbed it into the coffin. I really didn't expect that someone who usually looks so gentle would have done such a ruthless thing.

  But I didn't make a move, and continued watching as Coffin Old's intoxication grew stronger, his words becoming even more incoherent.

  "The path of the mystic is fraught with danger, many things are beyond one's control, and it's easy to fall into the five flaws and three deficiencies. In the end, no one has a good outcome. You're still young, why did you choose this path?"

  The last sentence is the key point, this old man had me accompany him for a drink today, and he probably just wanted to express this sentence.

  After finishing the sentence, Coffin Old fell asleep. I opened a coffin and put Coffin Old in it, then leaned against the coffin and started thinking deeply.

  I suddenly seemed to understand everything, no wonder that day when the old man in the coffin was poisoned by a snake, he would say those strange words. He killed his own wife and children, probably wanted to atone for his sins, so he said it was his fate, his life was supposed to be like this.

  I thought of my family, and then I thought of Wu Xianyi, and then I thought of the old man who hanged himself. These people are all from the mysterious gate. The old man who hanged himself raised a lifetime of corpse monsters, only to become one himself in the end. Wu Xianyi spent his whole life treating illnesses for others, but in the end couldn't cure his own illness, and almost died, having no choice but to seek a way to save himself within a short period of time.

  My grandfather, as Wu Xianyi said, my grandfather was also a ghost doctor. However, my grandfather died so tragically, his body was buried at home after death, and his soul was divided into five corpses, attached to five trees.

  I thought of myself, and for a moment I was confused. If I give up everything now, don't ask about Grandpa's death anymore, work peacefully in this coffin shop, and open a pharmacy by the way, I can completely become an ordinary person, living a very ordinary life.

  To be honest, I've started to feel disgusted with this kind of life. When I think about those corpses, I only feel a wave of hatred in my heart.

  At this moment, I am hesitating, and I am making a choice.

  As I sat in contemplation, I dozed off into a daze. The next day, I woke up in a coffin shop. In the instant I opened my eyes, I suddenly felt a wave of panic. Yes, it was panic, as if I had lost something.

  I know what I've lost because at this moment, deep down inside, I also yearn for an ordinary person's life. However, if I really became an ordinary person, I would have to put aside my persistence.

  My five-year appointment with Wu Xianyi was also completely abandoned. I can no longer see Wu Xianyi, and I can never return to that village again. I can no longer see my parents.

  I find that I can no longer be an ordinary person. My fate has begun, and there is no sign of it ending. So, I am not likely to become an ordinary person again.

  Is this fate?

  I slowly got up and suddenly clenched my fists. I had already made a decision in my heart, since I had decided to move forward, no matter how treacherous the road ahead was, I must keep going.

  The mysterious gate is perilous, or human hearts are sinister. If I am blocked by these obstacles, then it is cowardice.

  When I woke up, the coffin had already disappeared, leaving only some money on me. And with this disappearance, it was another half a month. During this half-month period, I began to study my ghost doctor skills diligently and often caught small animals around me for experimentation.

  That night, I lay in my own bed and suddenly thought of Coffin Old's face. Although Coffin Old had done evil deeds, he knew how to repent, so he shouldn't be considered too bad.

  I have been holding a grudge against someone in my heart, that is the Water Ghost Granny. I feel that if I don't eliminate this person, I will be unable to eat or sleep at ease. I think it's time now, this old hag has lived half a year longer than she should have, and that's already being lenient with her.

  The people of that village, although they betrayed me, had also taken me in and were kind to me. If I don't avenge their enmity, then I would truly be a coward.

  Time flies, and several days have passed. Old Zhao finally shows up at the coffin shop to check on business. He brings a jug of good wine and some snacks to go with it.

  He tossed the wine and snacks onto the coffin board, and the coffin old man drank with relish: "Kid, you've got a good eye for this shop, from now on just work here."

  I looked at him and didn't respond. I thought of the Water Ghost Granny in my heart, so I asked Coffin Old Man: "You told me last time that you are familiar with both the yin and yang realms around here, I'd like to ask you about someone."

  The old man's eyebrows furrowed and his face looked a bit unsightly. I could tell he seemed to want to refuse, but after a while, he nodded: "Who are you asking about?"

  I said: "Do you know the Hanging Corpse Old Man?"

  I didn't mean to mention the Water Ghost Granny, I just wanted to test the Coffin Old Man. The Coffin Old Man listened and thought for a moment, then said: "The Hanging Corpse Old Man? Of course, I know him. This old fellow used to have dealings with me, but later his temperament changed greatly and he started harming people, so we didn't have much contact anymore."

  The coffin maker sighed constantly: "What a pity, the old corpse was very famous when he was young. With his skill in corpse refining, he could dominate the surrounding area. But in the end, he fell in love with a woman he shouldn't have loved, and was foolishly betrayed by her, disfigured, and poisoned with a deadly corpse poison, making him neither human nor ghost."

  Listening to him speaking so smoothly, I had no more doubts in my heart. However, when it came to the point, I couldn't help but ask: "Then do you know the woman who killed the old man with the hanging corpse?"

  The coffin maker sighed again: "Of course I know her. How could I not? This woman is quite famous in the surrounding villages."

  I suddenly became inexplicably excited: "Who is it? Where is this woman?"

  The coffin maker looked at me with a strange expression: "What, you're inquiring about her? I'll tell you, this woman is not someone to be trifled with. If you're thinking of going after her, I'd advise you to give up on that idea."

  I gritted my teeth and roared at Coffin, "Cut the crap, tell me quickly, who is this woman?"

  The coffin maker raised an eyebrow, nodded and said: "Alright, since you want to know, I'll tell you. It doesn't matter what you do with the information, it's none of my business. The person's name is Qian Hun Niang Niang, she lives in Xiao Gui Shan, you can find her there."

  When the old man finished speaking, I was so excited that my whole body was trembling. I thought of the face of the hanged old man and the last scene I saw when I left the mountain.

  Then I clenched my fist and said to the coffin: "There will be that day."

  "Muttering to himself: 'The old man's corpse can rest in peace. His enemy is mine now.'"