Chapter 61: Fleeting Beauty

  The coffin of Tian Shi was opened, revealing half of Liu Weimin's face.

  This face links up many fragments in my mind. I finally figured out a problem.

  Wherever Liu Weimin goes, he is always in a sneaky and fearful state, afraid of being seen by others.

  I used to think he was avoiding the deputy village chief, but now I finally understand. He is avoiding everyone, so as not to be treated as a resurrected old ancestor.

  But things were still strange that night when the temple was on fire. Liu Weimin had communicated with the old man of the Ji family in front of almost all the villagers, but no one shouted out. Wasn't the half corpse in the coffin not the old ancestor?

  Except for Lao Zong Gong, who else would leave behind a half-exposed corpse wearing official robes?

  Liu Weimin threw my body open. He walked over with big strides, and I hurriedly struggled to get up, keeping a safe distance from him. First, he pounced on his own body. But then he didn't know what to do next, so he went to check Yu Wu's injuries instead.

  He kept spitting out bloody foam, already in a semi-comatose state. When I supported him, he also tried to get up with that strength, but couldn't keep his balance, like a drunk person, stumbling and falling back again, still muttering: "Run quickly, this old man is not a good thing."

  There are no two people in the world who have had a fatal friendship from the beginning, all of which are polished from ordinary friendships. Before coming to Guan Cun, Yu Wu and I were good friends, but now I regard him as an indispensable brother of life and death.

  I hesitated and looked at my own body, but still didn't choose to take it with me. Firstly, I couldn't carry it, and secondly, I wasn't sure what kind of monster this guy was. Even if it was really my body, with a knife wound on the chest, it's uncertain whether it could be used or not. Besides, these past few days without him, I felt pretty normal!

  He stumbled a few steps, and a faint rustling sound came from behind. Liu Weimin jumped over, grabbed my hair and dragged me towards the coffin, saying in a cold voice: "You're leaving, who am I supposed to feed the coffin?"

  I was thrown to the ground, and Liu Weimin punched and kicked me. He didn't care at all. As he passed by my body, he easily pulled out the dagger inserted in his chest, aimed it at my throat, grabbed my hair, pressed my head against the coffin lid that had been opened on one side, and said coldly: "Read."

  Just now, I didn't notice that on the coffin lid, two lines of small characters were engraved vertically, and there was a strange face on the edge, which was similar to the pattern carved by Liu Weimin on my chest. The simple lines outlined an expression that could not possibly appear on a living person's face, as if crying but not crying, as if smiling but not smiling, looking very eerie.

  Those two lines of words are Chinese characters. Although I don't know why Liu Weimin didn't read them himself, as long as he still has use for me, I couldn't let him have his way easily and had to state my conditions.

  I told you to release Yu Wu first, and I'll give you this life. Do whatever you want with me, I won't resist at all.

  Liu Weimin said, however, that he had Wen Jing in his grasp and would listen to his command.

  I said it's different, I can risk my life for Wen Jing but I won't sacrifice my brother again. Anyway, I must protect these two people, whether he agrees or not, just let him watch and see.

  Liu Weimin thought for a moment and said, "Even if I let him go now, he can't escape within three miles. You'd better behave yourself and read your books. I promise you, I won't make things difficult for Yu Mo."

  He's a ruthless man, but I'm not sure about his credibility. All I can do is take a gamble, just like he said - if he's determined to get rid of Yu Wu, even if it takes him ten days or half a month, Liu Weimin will be able to catch up with him.

  He pushed his hand away, and Liu Weimin retreated a step, allowing me to carefully examine the two lines of characters. His solemn expression made me suspect that Liu Weimin probably hadn't received much education.

  With the moonlight shining brightly, I recited: "Ascending to the ninth rank is great freedom, it's also great perplexity; transcending the corpse and becoming an immortal is great tribulation, it's also great liberation!"

  After I finished reading, I looked at Liu Weimin, and he was also staring at me, dazedly saying: "Finished?"

  I'm done speaking.

  Liu Weimin was furious, and grabbed my hair, pressing it against the coffin lid. He roared: "There are hundreds of ghostly characters densely inscribed on here, you think reciting 24 words will save you? Believe me or not, I'll make sure you can't even become a ghost!"

  Originally, there were water characters carved on the coffin. I hastily called out: "Aren't you able to read water characters? You take a look yourself, it really only has twenty-four characters!"

  Liu Weimin's eyes were about to spew fire, and he said gloomily: "If I knew the Water Book, would I still be mixed with you little beasts? Wang Zhen, you'd better honestly read it all out for me. Otherwise, I'll make Wen Jing wish she was dead."

  I was anxious and shouted: "Really only twenty-four words, don't believe me find a ghost to see... right, right, right, there is also a pattern."

  Liu Weimin let go of my hair, threw the dagger into the ground and said coldly: "Draw for me."

  I didn't pick up the dagger, I dragged my own body to the coffin and carefully compared it. Pointing at my chest, I said: "It's like this, but the strange face on the coffin is more delicate than what you carved out, looking as if it would hook souls in a sinister way."

  Liu Weimin was skeptical, he squatted beside my body, using a dagger to write and draw on the ground, muttering those two sentences non-stop in his mouth, beads of sweat gradually seeping out from his forehead, he was so suffocated that his face turned red, as if he had been possessed by an evil spirit.

  Taking this opportunity, I quietly went to see You Wu. He had recovered a bit and although still very weak, he could barely say a few words. Half of his face was ground by sand and stones, with blood flowing all over, possibly disfigured.

  Wen Jing is still in danger, I couldn't run, so I asked You Wu if he had the strength, it's best to take advantage of Liu Weimin's distraction and slip away quickly. But he looked around, his eyes flashing with worry and hope, and asked me if Shifu Xiao Bai had appeared.

  I don't know how two completely different gazes can appear in a person's eyes at the same time. All I can say is that she didn't come.

  He let out a soft sigh, and his expression changed to a complex mix of relief and despair. I was just about to shout at him to hurry up when Liu Weimin suddenly stood up from the other side, hunching over with his back no longer as straight and proud as before. He slowly turned his head, and on that old face were two lines of tears, but the corners of his mouth were curled up in a strange smile.

  It's both laughable and tearful, just like the ghostly expression on the coffin lid, only lacking a bit of divine charm, without making people feel eerie at first glance.

  Liu Weimin sighed in a low voice: "So that's how it was, the key had been in my hands all along, but I chased for many years and even killed Jin Bai with my own hands. Hmph, this move of yours is really clever, can't help but admire!"

  He started going crazy again, and I supported You Wu, shouting from a distance: "Hey, can we leave now?"

  At this time, Liu Weimin looked much older. He didn't answer, but shook his head and pointed to the coffin behind him, saying: "Ask him!"

  At some point, on the surface of the golden coffin inside the golden coffin, a very seductive red color seeped out, just like the red ink dripping on rice paper, spreading at a speed visible to the naked eye. When we looked over, it was already as big as a face basin, faintly reflecting the outline of an emaciated face, with furrowed eyebrows, sorrowful eyes, but with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, still coldly smiling.

  That face was alive, like a malevolent spirit crawling out of hell, and when its gaze fell on me, it was as if a basin of icy water had been poured over my head, making me shiver involuntarily.

  Gradually becoming clear, as if the corpse in the coffin was desperately trying to drill out and swallow me.

  Liu Weimin walked up to us, patted my head, and said with a calm that seemed to see through the mundane: "Great sorrow has no tears, great enlightenment has no words, great laughter has no sound. This is the secret of this nine-dragon coffin. Now you've seen it too - do you think I'd want any of the things inside?"

  The strange face was about to crawl out, but Liu Weimin didn't care at all. Since he didn't say a word, I didn't dare run away and could only anxiously watch. However, You Wu, who was being held in my arms, moved.

  His face was numb, he pushed away my hand and struggled to get up, as if wearing high heels walking, every step would lift his toes high, bouncing towards the coffin. Liu Weimin's hand pressed tightly on my head, not only couldn't I get up, but also felt like being pressed into the ground. I was sweating profusely, shouting for him to wake up, don't be buried alive.

  Liu Weimin remained unmoved, watching with wide eyes as You Wu walked step by step towards the abyss. The ghost face on the coffin lid laughed even more coldly, its brow furrowed even tighter.

  Just then, two shouts came from the mountain road behind us. The first was a woman's urgent scream: "Yu Wu, wake up quickly, you can't go on like this."

  We turned our heads to look, and five figures rushed over like flying, the one in front was a woman with long hair fluttering, slender figure, she wore a yellow skirt, which was particularly conspicuous under the black night sky, as if a fairy descended to the world, the hem of her skirt was flying high, but only tears streaming down, written on her face were anxiety and worry, making people can't help but feel worried for her.

  The second shout was from a man who was tens of meters behind her, yelling: "Don't be afraid, disciple! Your master is here to save you!"

  The woman in the yellow skirt recklessly passed by us, and Liu Weimin suddenly swung his whip and struck her back, instantly leaving a blood-red scar. The woman stumbled a few steps, spewing out a sky of bloody mist, but didn't even turn her head, still rushing towards You Wu.

  Yu didn't leave the coffin, still four or five meters away. The woman was about to rush up behind him, I got excited and was just about to shout "Add oil" to her. A half corpse that had been squeezed in the gap between two coffins suddenly opened its eyes.

  A dull, lifeless eye stared at me, making my heart skip a beat. The next moment, he shot out like an arrow, appearing in front of Youmo with one step, raising his hand to grab her. But the woman let out a sharp cry and rushed over, knocking Youmo aside, and the hand that was meant to grab Youmo instead wrapped around her neck. The half-corpse stomped its foot again, and in an instant, it crashed into the coffin, letting out a chilling "hee-hee" laugh that sent shivers down one's spine. But the sound was cut off by the coffin lid being closed once more.

  At that moment when they were about to part, I saw a very beautiful face reveal an expression of despair and reluctance, gazing deeply at Youmo.

  The coffin was knocked into the grave by the force of the corpse, and the yellow earth on both sides quickly filled in.

  Those four men in Taoist robes also rushed up, they were Xu Qi and three others I didn't know. They didn't care about the coffin, but instead looked at the corpses lying around with a look of horror on their faces. Xu Qi's face showed a mournful expression, then they surrounded me and Liu Wei Min, Xu Qi was furious like a wild beast, he yelled: "Let go of him for Master Tao, come over to take your death!"