Volume Three: The Fox Immortal’s Tomb - Chapter Thirty-Six: Anomalies in the Graveyard

Not long after, Da Gou walked over carrying a cloth bag filled with various offerings. "Master, let's go," he said to me. "The path to the village isn't easy to navigate; it will take us about half an hour to get there."

I nodded, though my mind was occupied by what Li Kun had just told me. Da Gou was shrouded in a thick, dark aura. If my intuition was correct, he had been marked by that headless ghost. I wondered when the spirit would strike; if my assessment was right, it would likely happen within the next two days, leaving Da Gou’s life hanging by a thread. I decided to keep him close for the next few days—if necessary, I would even take him with us into the Fox Immortal’s tomb.

The mountain path was just as treacherous as Da Gou had described. It was choked with withered trees and weeds, with only a narrow, winding trail carved out by the villagers that snaked through desolate wasteland. After about thirty minutes of walking, our group of four finally reached the foot of Mount Goutou.

Standing at the base, we looked up. Three orderly mountains stood before us. The peaks on either side were of similar height, while the central one was notably taller. The flat area in front of us rested at the mountainside; it was no prime location of geomancy, but it was sufficient for burying ordinary people. I scanned the surroundings. There was nothing unusual at the foot of the mountain, so if I wanted to investigate, I would have to head up to that flat stretch at the halfway point.

I nodded to the others, and the four of us set off directly toward the plateau. Upon reaching it, I saw that the area was quite expansive, and I immediately understood why this spot existed. It appeared to have once been a smaller hill that had been leveled—likely by human hands—and it now sat nestled against the taller mountain ahead.

"That is where our village’s ancestral graves are located," Da Gou said, pointing to the left.

Li Kun, Xu Tian, and I looked in that direction. To our left lay a forest where we could clearly see a few grave mounds, though they were sparse.

"Let's go take a look," I said.

As we walked through the barren land toward the graveyard, I observed the topography. There was no significant geomantic structure here; it was entirely ordinary. If there were a truly auspicious burial site in this area, it would have been at the base of the taller mountain to the left, where a crystal-clear stream flowed—likely fed by a mountain spring. The slow, steady current of that stream would have been considered a minor blessing. Furthermore, with three peaks guarding the right and three to the left, that location would have been a top-tier choice. It seemed the village had never consulted a professional geomancer; they had likely just chosen a relatively spacious area in haste.

After walking for another five or six minutes, we caught sight of the graveyard and stopped in our tracks, stunned. There must have been nearly a thousand graves, a dense carpet of mounds stretching across the hills.

"Da Gou," Li Kun asked, "how many generations has your village been here for? There are so many graves."

Da Gou shook his head. "I don't know for sure, but probably dozens of generations. Our village is quite remote, and most people here rarely leave."

As soon as we arrived, I felt a wave of dizziness, as if something were pressing down on my head. I turned to Xu Tian. "Old Xu, do you feel a heaviness in your head?"

Xu Tian nodded. "I thought I was the only one. I was just about to ask you."

I turned to Li Kun. "Old Li, take a close look. Is there anything unusual here?"

Li Kun nodded. Da Gou watched in shock as Li Kun’s eyes suddenly turned a deep, blood-red. Startled, Da Gou took a step back. Li Kun looked out over the graveyard, and at the first glance, a cold sweat broke out across his back. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "There... why are there so many ghosts here? Damn it."

Xu Tian and I were confused, but Li Kun stepped back, wiping sweat from his forehead as his eyes returned to normal. Terrified, he slumped to the ground. We rushed to his side and grabbed his arms. "Old Li, what’s wrong? What’s in the graveyard that scared you like this?"

Still trembling, Li Kun looked toward the graves with a mixture of fear and shock. After a few seconds, he managed to speak. "The graveyard is full of ghosts—thousands of them, all floating in the air."

Xu Tian and I exchanged a glance. "Thousands of ghosts?" Xu Tian whispered. "Old Liu, how is that possible?"

"Let's open our Heaven's Eyes and see," I said.

I pulled the Soul-Suppressing Bell from my robes. I held it before Xu Tian’s face, and after he closed his eyes, I recited the incantation: "The mysteries of Yin and Yang are endless; the two solstices return to the nine palaces. If one understands the principles of Yin and Yang, the heavens and earth are within one's palm. Heaven’s Eye, open!"

I then repeated the ritual for myself. When we both looked toward the graveyard, we were struck by the sight. The sky above the graves was thick with heavy black ghost-mist, and thousands of spirits floated in the air, each wearing colorful burial shrouds. The sky was completely blotted out by the mass of spirits.

Xu Tian swallowed hard. "No wonder Old Li closed his blood-eyes. Old Liu, can we turn these off? My legs are turning to jelly; I can't bear to look."

"I can't," I replied. "The ghost-eyes won't fade for another two hours. We’ll have to endure it."

I finally understood why the villagers felt dizzy and fell ill after visiting this place. With so many spirits present, even a contemporary Grandmaster would be in grave danger. If these ghosts were to attack, even a master would be overwhelmed, let alone ordinary people.

"Old Liu," Xu Tian asked, "do we really have to go in there?"

I nodded and pointed at the floating spirits. "Old Xu, look closely. These ghosts are different from that skin-peeling spirit we encountered earlier."

Xu Tian looked up. "Their bodies are perfectly still, and their eyes are vacant. It’s as if they have souls but no consciousness."

"Exactly," I said, frowning. "It’s not right. By rights, after death, people are taken by the underworld messengers to the afterlife, to be reincarnated or sent to the various hells. How is it that not only have they not been taken, but they have all remained here?"

"It seems we have no choice but to go in and see," Xu Tian said.

Da Gou stood by, bewildered by our conversation. He looked into the graveyard but saw nothing unusual, so he simply stood aside, listening. However, as we spoke, the hair on his arms stood up, and he began to shiver as he stared at the empty, haunted field.

I patted Li Kun on the shoulder. "Come on, Old Li. These aren't like the skin-peeling ghost. They have no consciousness; they won't hurt you. Don't worry."

Li Kun looked at the graveyard, still skeptical. "Old Liu, you aren't pulling my leg, are you? If they all attacked at once, we wouldn't have enough lives to lose."

I pointed to his eyes. "Old Li, when did you become such a coward? I recall someone saying that as long as Master Li could see it, he could beat it to a pulp."