Chapter 7: The Soul-Sealing Diagram

Zhong Xu didn’t want to alarm them, so he quickly waved his hand and said, “It’s nothing, I must have been mistaken.” Afterward, he turned to the First Madam and politely excused himself. “Madam, I will give you my reply in a couple of days regarding your request. Please do not worry. I shall take my leave now.”

“Very well. Everything is entrusted to you, Master Daoist Zhong. Allow me to see you out,” the First Madam replied, stepping forward.

The little boy glanced at her and slowly followed behind, sniffing the air with his hands clasped behind his back. He then remarked indifferently, “Her body carries the scent of desire.”

“Desire?” Di Jiang couldn’t help but chuckle softly, thinking to herself, “You’ve been in the underworld for so long, and yet you still know what human desire smells like?”

Di Jiang’s laughter caught the attention of the First Madam, who turned around and gave her a strange look.

Under her gaze, Di Jiang suddenly remembered something and decided to seize the opportunity. “Madam, I wish to examine the corpse.”

“Examine the corpse?” The First Madam stopped in her tracks and frowned. “Miss Di knows how to conduct an autopsy?”

“Not to deceive you, Madam, I grew up in a charity mortuary and am quite skilled in this area,” Di Jiang declared confidently. However, both Zhong Xu and the little boy looked skeptical.

Especially Zhong Xu, whose worried expression made the First Madam begin to doubt as well.

“Is Miss Di serious about this?”

“Of course!”

“In that case, excellent. I was just wondering where to find an examiner who wouldn’t alert the authorities and could provide the answers I seek. Since Miss Di is so bold and skilled, I’ll lead you there.”

With a smile on her face, Di Jiang followed the First Madam toward the backyard.

Zhong Xu knew Di Jiang had many ideas, so he didn’t stop her. Without making it obvious, he approached the little boy, walking alongside him and occasionally glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

Zhong Xu slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike, but was stopped by a single glance from the little boy.

The cold and sharp gaze froze Zhong Xu in place.

“Who are you?” Zhong Xu asked calmly.

The little boy smirked and didn’t answer. After withdrawing his warning glare, his eyes remained fixed on Di Jiang.

Zhong Xu realized this child was no ordinary being and couldn’t be treated like a mischievous ghost with threats or intimidation. His demeanor showed no disrespect; instead, it was filled with utmost respect.

“Doctor Di may act freely, but her heart is pure. If you intend to harm her, I will not allow it,” Zhong Xu whispered lowly.

The little boy withdrew his gaze and chuckled softly before turning his head with a sneer. “What can you do to me?”

“Even at the cost of my life, I will not hesitate.”

The little boy pondered for a moment and shook his head repeatedly. “You cannot die...” His expression remained very calm, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

Zhong Xu couldn’t gauge his abilities and dared not make a move rashly.

As Zhong Xu contemplated, the little boy suddenly turned his head and grinned at him. “For now, I’ll let you off. But next time, you won’t be so lucky.”

In the blink of an eye, the little boy vanished into thin air.

Witnessing this scene, Zhong Xu was utterly shocked and remained dazed for a long while.

When Di Jiang passed the corner and saw Zhong Xu standing in the corridor, as if his soul had been taken away, she stopped and called out to him repeatedly. “Master, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing...” Zhong Xu snapped out of his trance and hurriedly caught up with the two.

After this incident, his mood became even heavier, feeling that this situation was more severe than any previous one.

He began to doubt whether he had the ability to protect others...

Up ahead, Di Jiang was unaware of Zhong Xu’s thoughts. If she knew he was doubting himself because of the Lord of Ghosts, she would surely laugh her head off.

The Lord of Ghosts was not omnipotent, but his authority was supreme.

How could a mere mortal compete with the Lord of Ghosts?

What a needless worry...

Di Jiang originally wanted to use this excuse to investigate the hidden room in the northwest corner, but the First Madam didn’t lead them there.

After exiting through the back door, they were brought to a Buddhist hall embedded in the mountainside.

The First Madam opened the doors of the Buddhist hall and led Di Jiang inside, with Zhong Xu following behind. After observing for a moment at the entrance, he also entered.

Once inside, Di Jiang discovered that the interior was vast and magnificent.

All 108 Buddha statues were gilded, and even the pedestals beneath the statues were carved from agarwood. The entire room exuded tranquility and etherealness. As Di Jiang walked through the hall, basking in the surrounding fragrance, she felt her body and mind relax.

The First Madam stepped forward, lit incense in front of the central Shakyamuni Buddha statue, and bowed devoutly three times.

“The Yangchun residence is truly wealthy; it’s enviable,” Di Jiang praised sincerely.

However, the First Madam shook her head and said, “What you see is merely an empty shell. Since Old Master Meng passed away, the Yangchun residence has been declining. The present Yangchun residence is no longer as prosperous as it once was. Servants have come and gone in waves, and we can no longer afford basic offerings.”

Di Jiang was shocked as she looked at the room full of Buddha statues, now noticing that their golden surfaces were covered in dust, indicating they hadn’t been cleaned for a long time.

Could it be that this vast Yangchun residence couldn’t even afford to hire servants to clean?

Di Jiang shook her head and asked, “May I ask, Madam, where is the body now?”

“Follow me.”

The First Madam stood up and led the two deeper inside.

After passing the large Buddha statue, they found a small door behind the Buddhist hall. Entering through the door, the hidden room was about ten meters square. Due to poor ventilation between the mountains, there was only a small window near the ceiling, adding to the gloominess of the room.

At the far end of the room lay two coffins containing Liu Si and Zhang Siyao. Di Jiang opened the left coffin, revealing Liu Si’s face frozen in death with eyes wide open.

“Amitabha, forgive any disturbances,” Di Jiang murmured before starting her examination of his body.

Liu Si’s body had already stiffened, with spots appearing on his skin, which combined with his menacing grin, made him even more horrifying. Upon closer inspection, Di Jiang found no other wounds on his body, confirming he had indeed died from suffocation.

As Di Jiang meticulously examined him, a drizzling rain began to fall outside, causing Zhong Xu to glance anxiously out the window.

Noticing this, Di Jiang prompted him, “Master, you have an appointment tonight with the head of the Chang Le Workshop. Shouldn’t you get going?”

“Chang Le Workshop?” Zhong Xu looked puzzled.

“Yes,” Di Jiang winked, “Don’t let him wait too long in the rain.”

Upon hearing “rain,” Zhong Xu understood Di Jiang’s implication. He nodded and said, “I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright,” Di Jiang replied with a smile.

Before leaving, Zhong Xu remembered something and turned back to remind her, “Be careful while you’re alone.”

“Master, don’t worry. With Madam here, I’m safe. Go ahead,” Di Jiang urged him.

“Alright, everything is entrusted to you, Madam.” After bowing farewell to the First Madam, Zhong Xu turned and left the room.

Di Jiang knew Zhong Xu was worried that Old Master Meng might get wet in the heavy rain and was anxious to move him to a safer location. Seeing the First Madam’s reaction, it seemed Zhong Xu hadn’t yet informed her about Old Master Meng regaining consciousness. Di Jiang felt somewhat reassured that Zhong Xu wasn’t completely clueless.

After finishing her examination of Liu Si’s body without finding anything unusual, Di Jiang moved to the other coffin. Upon opening the lid, she found another layer of white cloth covering the body. Slowly lifting the cloth, a face similar to Liu Si’s gradually came into view.

Zhang Siyao’s expression was grotesque, her eyeballs bulging, tongue hanging out, and mouth wide open. Although Di Jiang had mentally prepared herself, seeing it still made her uncomfortable.

Though Zhang Siyao was now a cold corpse, Di Jiang could tell that her skin had been extremely delicate and smooth when alive, with refined features. She should have been a charming new bride, but her posthumous expression resembled that of a man-eating demon.

“My child—” The First Madam’s tears flowed uncontrollably as she fearlessly collapsed onto Zhang Siyao, wailing loudly.

Di Jiang sighed inwardly, thinking, “No matter how dignified the First Madam appears in public, when overcome by emotion, she’s just an ordinary woman unable to suppress her sorrow.”

Di Jiang had some suspicions about her, but seeing her cry so bitterly, her doubts wavered. She consoled, “Madam, the deceased has passed. Please grieve in moderation.”

“My child died so tragically!” The First Madam sobbed heartbrokenly, ignoring Di Jiang’s attempts to comfort her. She continued to wail over Zhang Siyao’s body, preventing Di Jiang from examining the corpse.

After a while, the steward suddenly entered. He glanced at Di Jiang and then directly helped the First Madam up, saying, “Madam, please restrain your grief. Great Grandmother has an urgent matter and requests your presence.”

Great Grandmother?

This surprised Di Jiang; she didn’t know there was also a Great Grandmother in the Yangchun residence.

“I understand. I’ll go immediately.” The First Madam, who had been weeping moments ago, abruptly stopped her tears. Though her face still bore traces of tears, her eyes no longer showed any sign of mourning.

Di Jiang couldn’t help but admire her silently.

In front of others, the First Madam always appeared stern-hearted. Perhaps this was the demeanor of a wealthy household matriarch. While holding up half the sky for her family, she had to suppress all her negative emotions, not allowing them to affect anyone else.

“Miss Di, you are alone here...” The First Madam hesitated to speak further.

“Madam, don’t worry. I am accustomed to such scenes and am not afraid,” Di Jiang interrupted.

“That’s good... It seems I’ve worried unnecessarily. Let’s go.” After speaking, the First Madam, supported by the steward, left the room.

Left alone in the room, Di Jiang felt at ease. Immediately, she placed her left hand below her right, forming a nine-multiplying lotus wish seal with her middle fingers.

“Zhang Siyao, born on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Xin You year at midnight, may your soul return.” As Di Jiang finished speaking, a gentle breeze blew, lifting a few feathers off the ground. The feathers fluttered twice and fell back down, restoring calm to the room.

For a moment, there was no change at all.

Di Jiang was astonished. She intended to summon their souls for questioning but found she couldn’t call forth their spirits. She then tried several more lotus seals, but both bodies remained unresponsive.

“Could it be... their souls have been taken away? But the seventh day hasn’t passed yet, it shouldn’t be possible...” Di Jiang furrowed her brows and thoroughly examined both bodies from head to toe. Finally, she discovered a blackish-green mark on each of their foreheads—a swastika pattern.

Di Jiang recognized it: it was a simple soul-sealing diagram.

“Why seal their souls?” Di Jiang was horrified. She quickly jotted down this discovery in her notebook before sinking into deep thought.

She couldn’t think of any reason why someone would imprison a person’s soul after death.

Unless... it was to prevent revenge.

Even so, sooner or later, the Book of Life and Death would reveal inconsistencies. When the ghost officials received orders but couldn’t find the souls, it would surely cause significant trouble.

Just then, Di Jiang suddenly heard a few “creaking” sounds from beneath the floor, like metal plates rubbing against each other. Before she could figure out what was happening, a loud “bang” echoed, and the floor beneath her feet opened downward.

Caught off guard, Di Jiang slid down the tunnel, landing hard in the cellar below.

Another loud “bang” resounded as she looked up in panic to see the metal panel above her violently reseal itself, cutting off the light. Now, not a single ray of light penetrated the darkness around her.

Enduring the pain, Di Jiang straightened up. She raised her hand and conjured a flame, illuminating the surroundings.

Only then did she realize that the spot where she had fallen faced a half-rotten human head!

The skull still had bits of decaying flesh attached, and its empty eye sockets were crawling with maggots.

“Ah—” Di Jiang screamed, the sound echoing endlessly in the basement.

After a long while, Di Jiang finally calmed down. Looking around, she discovered countless corpses of various sizes and conditions, filling the entire room. The scene resembled a hellish battlefield.

Such a nauseating sight was something Di Jiang hadn’t seen in a very long time.

From the positions of these corpses, some had starved to death here, while others had been thrown down after death. Their decomposition levels varied, as did the years of their deaths.

Only then did she realize that even in times of peace, such a multitude of corpses could exist.

Who could have done this?

The malevolence of this person was simply inhuman.