Chương 281: Sweeping the Tombs

Giant Willow Village, Cemetery. Although it had been a long time since he last visited, the cemetery area housing Song Que's parents, along with Li Tie's grave not far away, still looked extremely clean and tidy. Particularly the resting place of 'Immortal Song's' biological parents—it could be described as wreathed in thick, swirling incense smoke. Whenever the villagers encountered even the slightest trouble, they would come out here to burn a stick of incense and pray.

It truly looked as if they were trying to elevate these two to the altar of gods. Seeing all this, Master Song also felt his heart warm. Upon arriving, he didn't even need to do anything. The two sisters, Yang Mi and Yang Zi, nimbly stepped forward and began unpacking the items and arranging the sacrificial offerings.

Having nothing to do, he leisurely stood to the side and listened to Zuo Mu, this divine swindler, open his mouth and start spouting a torrent of nonsense:"Young Master, the terrain where the Old Master and Madam are resting is truly excellent. With the Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger bowing on the right, backed by an embracing mountain range and flourishing, lush trees, this is genuinely an auspicious tomb!"

"Unfortunately, the front of this place lacks Water Qi. Among the four geomantic elements of dragon veins, acupoints, sand, and water, this place possesses three but lacks the water. Thus, it isn't a viable long-term plan." Gesturing a few times with his newly bought feather fan, Old Zuo continued in satisfaction:"Young Master, with your wealth, why not dig a lake right in front of the cemetery? It would be best to divert a stream of clear water from the mountains into it.

If you can achieve this, it will create a formation of the Vermilion Bird in the front and the Black Tortoise in the back."

"With the Four Divine Beasts guarding the four directions, this is a layout fit for the construction of imperial mausoleums! In the future, the descendants of the Song family will be blessed by the ancestors' fortune, enduring for generations without decline!" Hearing him speak so miraculously, Zhong Kui, who had been following the group, stepped forward curiously:"May I know who this Mister is?"

"Uncle Zhong, this is Zuo Mu, also known by his Daoist title Tianji Zi. He is an extremely renowned master of metaphysics in the Jianghu!" Since the guy was his subordinate anyway, Master Song casually hyped up his reputation a bit. Needless to say, looking at 'Mister Zhuge Zuo Mu's' transcendent, immortal-like demeanor, and hearing his incredibly arrogant Daoist title, Old Zhong immediately treated him with the reverence of seeing a heavenly being. He stepped forward enthusiastically:"Grandmaster Zuo, I wonder...

if we dig a lake here according to your words, will the people in the village also receive a share of this blessing?"

"Naturally!" Zuo Mu gracefully fluttered his feather fan, stroking his beard as he smiled and nodded:"At that time, this place will become a small dragon vein. If you villagers bury your parents and grandparents here, they will also be tainted by a trace of dragon Qi. Naturally, your descendants will be blessed by their ancestors in the future."

"However, you must be careful when burying them. Checking the astrological alignment and the orientation is also a science. You need to be extremely cautious, otherwise, it might backfire. In that case, it turning into an ominous dwelling that plagues your descendants is not a rare occurrence!"

"This... it's actually that dangerous?" Old Zhong was slightly frightened.

"There's no need to be overly worried. As long as you choose an orientation with its back against the mountain and facing the lake, generally speaking, no major problems will occur." Hearing Zuo Mu's guarantee, Zhong Kui finally breathed a sigh of relief. Joyfully cupping his hands in thanks, he turned to ask Song Que:"Que, I see it's currently the slow farming season. Why don't I go back and mobilize the young, strong villagers to come out here and dig a lake?

Everyone benefits from this matter, so I'm sure everyone will be more than willing!"

"There's no need for it to be so troublesome. If we're going to do it, we should do it properly. I'll have people go into town and bring a team of masons over to dig the earth, build stone embankments for the lake shores, lay down bricks, and conveniently renovate the cemetery to look beautiful." If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Since they were going through the effort anyway, and he wasn't lacking in money, building it a bit grander wasn't an issue. He would have Zuo Mu review the Feng Shui layout and construct an imposing, majestic mausoleum so that Father and Mother Song could feel gratified in the underworld. Master Song happily made the decision just like that. Old Zhong also insisted to the death on mobilizing a group of villagers to contribute their labor. Unable to sway him, Song Que simply let the old man have his way.

By this time, the Yang sisters had finished preparing everything. The group stopped chatting and stepped forward to pay their respects to Song Que's parents, then lit a stick of incense for the neighboring graves of their fellow villagers before everyone separated and headed home....... Mirror Lake. The place hadn't changed much since Song Que left it. If there was any difference, it was only that the surrounding bamboo forest had grown even more lush, almost completely isolating the villa from the outside world.

It was the middle of spring, and the myriad of blooming flowers in the garden added a dazzling array of colors to the space.

"Young Master, is this your former home? It's so beautiful! Even more beautiful than Plum Manor!" Yang Zi exclaimed in delight. Song Que merely chuckled and patted her small head. Aside from the lake and the endless green mountains and forests surrounding it, the scenery and architecture of Mirror Lake were far inferior to Plum Manor. Furthermore, he had randomly constructed so many new buildings at Plum Manor that it had become a chaotic mess. Originally, it had been incredibly beautiful as well.

Not giving Yang Zi the chance to run around and explore, Yang Mi had already dragged her into the house to start cleaning and unpacking. They would be staying here for a few days. Returning to its old turf, Meng Meng joyfully jumped down from the carriage. Taking a few nimble steps, it climbed onto the long chair in the courtyard and lay down with its eyes closed in pure comfort. The Husky and Wukong weren't any less energetic; they were already running around everywhere, throwing their legs in the air.

The quiet Mirror Lake was instantly filled with boundless vitality.

"The terrain here is truly bizarre." The divine swindler, Zuo Mu, who hadn't said a word since stepping inside and had merely been observing with furrowed brows, suddenly spoke up. Hearing this, Grandee Song raised an eyebrow:"Bizarre how?"

"Young Master, do you feel that the temperature here is noticeably lower than outside?" Without waiting for Song Que to answer, Old Zuo continued:"The reason is that there is an extremely heavy current of Yin Qi beneath that lake! According to Feng Shui, the terrain here can be considered a Land of Yin Malice! It is truly not a good place to build a house. Conversely, it is extremely suitable for those demonic cult evildoers to refine corpses and nourish souls."

"Of course, to us martial artists, this bit of Yin Qi is nothing. But regardless, it's still not very good. It would be best if you didn't let ordinary people stay here long-term." Hearing Zuo Mu's words, Song Que immediately fell into deep thought. It was exactly as this guy said. The air at the Mirror Lake villa was always extremely cool. Previously, he had assumed it was just because the house was near the lake and surrounded by forests and mountains. But now he knew that wasn't the case.

Song Que suddenly saw the light! No wonder a Water Ghost appeared here in the past! It must have been nourished by that Yin Malice Qi over a long period! Old Zuo's eyes are really sharp! Master Song was extremely satisfied. Turning to his newly recruited little brother, Song Que smiled amiably and nodded:"You are not wrong, Zuo Mu. Previously, this place was occupied by a Water Ghost for a long time. None of the villagers dared to come near, and any brave souls who came to investigate were all eaten by it."

"It wasn't until later, when I came here and slayed that ghost, building these houses to suppress the evil, that Giant Willow Village was finally freed from that disaster." He spoke of it lightly and casually, but the others could imagine the extreme danger involved. Everyone stood in solemn awe:"The Young Master is truly righteous!"

"Haha, it was just a small matter!" Inwardly feeling exceptionally smug, Scumbag Song still maintained an expression as calm as floating clouds and waved his hand dismissively. Only after enjoying enough of everyone's worshipping gazes did he turn and ask:"Old Zuo, point out to me where the source of the Yin Qi is."

"Understood, Young Master!" Picking up a small stone, he found a spot near the center of the lake and threw it in for everyone to see. Song Que secretly memorized the location, then nodded in satisfaction and walked into the house....... That evening, a grand feast was naturally in order. With seven people from Master Song's group, plus three from the Li family and Zhong Kui, Song Que and Wukong rolled up their sleeves and prepared a massive spread for everyone.

Braised fish with pickled greens, roasted chicken, wild game meat... over ten signature dishes were brought out. Having not tasted such delicacies for a long time, Old Zhong was so moved that hot tears welled up in his eyes. Even 'Mister Zhuge Zuo Mu,' who had just started rekindling his thoughts of running away, completely surrendered once more. After eating and drinking his fill, he tossed the matter entirely to the back of his mind.

His resolve to cling to Master Song's thigh until he was beaten off grew even firmer! For no other reason than the fact that if he could eat and drink this deliciously every day, even dying would be worth it! Old Zuo happily made his decision just like that. After instructing Li Xin to escort the completely drunk Old Zhong home on his way, Master Song and his group, having endured a long day of travel, headed to their rooms to rest early. There were only three bedrooms here.

Therefore, Xiong Ba and the other three retainers paired up, taking two rooms. The remaining room went to Song Que and the Yang sisters to share. As for the 'big shots' like Meng Meng, they had to be slightly inconvenienced today. The kitchen, the storage room, or the thousand-star hotel out in the courtyard—they could pick whichever they pleased. Meanwhile, their owner, Master Song, was currently locked in a fierce battle between his heavenly conscience and mortal desires. To strike or not to strike?

That is the question. Looking at the twin sisters, Yang Mi and Yang Zi, who looked like delicate porcelain dolls before him. The two were wearing nothing but small bellybands (dudou), their little faces flushed with shyness as they hid on the bed, half-covered and half-exposed, peeking at him. Master Song's bestial blood had long since begun to boil. To be a beast, or to be worse than a beast? This dilemma has never been an easy one to answer.