44. The Conspiracy Within the Empty Coffin

“A week before his death, Old Master Qin was still practicing his martial arts in the courtyard,” said Fat Dragon with a laugh.

When Xie Wuji heard this, his heart sank sharply. He had long harbored suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the old master’s death. The words carved on the bed board had clearly been inscribed long ago, back when the old master was still in good health. There was no mention of illness, which only deepened his doubts.

Prompted by Fat Dragon and Skinny Tiger’s remarks, even someone as irreverent as Xie Wuji began to question the events concerning Old Master Qin. Both the Sutra Pavilion and the Treasure Vault were overseen by the Grand Elder, who openly despised the Undying Immortal Sect. If that was the case, why would he benevolently appoint the old master as the gatekeeper? It was a plum post, with a monthly stipend of spirit stones from the sect and an independent little courtyard to live in. What could be the reason for such generosity?

All these clues, strung together, suggested that the Grand Elder had an ulterior motive for assigning Old Master Qin to guard the gate. But what was it? And how did it connect to the old master’s death?

Xie Wuji felt his scalp prickle. Just then, a waft of fragrant air heralded the arrival of Dongmen Qianyun. Seeing the three gathered, she feigned annoyance. “You’re eating and drinking here without inviting me!”

“But Second Miss, you don’t drink wine…” Fat Dragon protested with a hint of grievance.

Dongmen Qianyun laughed. “But I do drink tea! Junior brother, fetch us a pot of hot tea!”

“Right away!”

In no time, a steaming pot of tea was ready.

“So, what were you all discussing?” Dongmen Qianyun asked.

“Big Brother Xie isn’t in good spirits… We’d better not trouble him,” Fat Dragon replied.

“Oh, come on—what’s going on? Are you going to tell me or not?” Dongmen Qianyun squinted her eyes and raised a dainty fist.

Fat Dragon immediately covered his teeth, saying, “I… I really have no choice, this matter…”

He recounted what had happened, surprising Dongmen Qianyun. “I’ve heard my father mention Old Master Qin’s case, but it seemed he, too, was reluctant to look into it deeply.”

Xie Wuji suddenly sprang to his feet, startling everyone.

“I must go back!” he declared.

“What?” The group was bewildered.

“Back where? To do what?” Dongmen Qianyun asked.

“Dig up the grave. Exhume the body!” Xie Wuji enunciated each word clearly.

Dongmen Qianyun and Fat Dragon, Skinny Tiger, were stunned. Fat Dragon exclaimed, “Isn’t that too bold? If no one else comes to dig it up, you’d actually dig up your own family’s ancestral grave? Wait for me, I’m coming too!”

They made their way to the small wooden hut near the burial ground. Without hesitation, Xie Wuji grabbed a shovel and began digging into Qin Shou’s grave.

Dongmen Qianyun watched in shock. “Digging up an ancestor’s grave is a grave disrespect. This is really too much…”

“I found it!” Xie Wuji exclaimed, having unearthed the coffin. With the help of Fat Dragon and Skinny Tiger, they dragged it up together. The three men gathered around, and with a heave, pried open the coffin lid. Inside lay another coffin, surrounded by burial clothes and other personal effects from the old master’s life.

Xie Wuji’s heart pounded with anxiety. Fat Dragon suggested, “Big brother, maybe we should leave it at this. Opening the inner casket is a terrible act of disrespect!”

“Regardless of disrespect, I owe my grand-uncle an explanation!” Xie Wuji retorted. He jumped atop the coffin, gripped the lid, and pulled. The cover came away.

Instead of hidden treasures, what met their eyes were large, black rocks! Aside from these, there was almost nothing else.

Xie Wuji’s eyes widened in disbelief. Dongmen Qianyun and Fat Dragon, Skinny Tiger, hurried over. Dongmen Qianyun cried, “Heavens! Where’s the old master’s body?”

“Could it be a corpse transformation…?” Fat Dragon muttered.

“Nonsense!” Xie Wuji snapped. “Corpse transformations occur in places of heavy yin energy. Danxia Sect is a place of good fortune—how could a corpse transform here? I think the coffin was empty when it was buried. My grand-uncle had no family or friends here, no one to mourn him, no one to dress his body. In other words, no one would have opened the coffin to check!”

Xie Wuji felt his scalp crawl. The Seventh Protector did not die a natural death—he had been murdered. If that was the case, was his own life now in danger? In any case, he owed Protector Seven justice!

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Dongmen Qianyun spoke up. “As far as I know, in the days before Old Master Qin’s death, it was Ding Desheng who arranged everything. He has many skilled alchemists under him, capable of solving all kinds of ailments with ease.”

Xie Wuji closed the coffin and returned it to the grave. By now, he had formed a theory. It seemed Old Master Qin’s death was indeed linked to Ding Desheng.

“No matter what, I must find my grand-uncle’s body. As his kin, I must ensure he is properly buried,” Xie Wuji said.

“I’ll go investigate the Alchemy Hall. After all, that’s where your grand-uncle received treatment,” Dongmen Qianyun offered.

Xie Wuji nodded in agreement, but in truth, he had already made up his mind. When midnight came, he donned his night clothes, preparing to infiltrate the Alchemy Hall alone.

His plan was risky, but Xie Wuji could not let Qin Shou’s death go unavenged. As a Protector of the Undying Immortal Sect, it was his duty to seek justice.

A bright moon hung high in the sky—but in this world, there were two moons: the Bright Moon and the Dark Moon, unlike Earth’s single satellite. The legend went that if the Dark Moon were ever to shine, catastrophe would strike. Yet for countless centuries, the Dark Moon remained dim and invisible; only the keen-eyed could even spot the second moon.

It was the dead of night—about two in the morning by earthly hours—when Xie Wuji, clad in dark clothes, slipped into the Alchemy Hall. Few disciples were about at this hour.

The seven great halls of Danxia Sect were each ruled by an elder and guarded by many disciples. But at night, most lounged or dozed, few actually keeping watch. It was no surprise; the sect had not been disturbed for ages, so vigilance had slackened.

Approaching the Alchemy Hall, Xie Wuji suddenly heard a clucking sound. Curious, he peered over and saw a straw hut nearby, where a flock of chickens was kept.

These chickens had tail feathers as red as flames, glowing even in the dark! Clearly, these were the Fire-Tail Chickens Bai Li Yan’er had mentioned—the descendants of the Phoenix Beast, born when the beast’s spirit was high and it mated with hens. Their bodies brimmed with fire-elemental spirit energy.

At the sight of them, Xie Wuji felt the Phoenix Beast spirit within him stir restlessly. He quickly suppressed it. Something was amiss—the Phoenix Beast’s spirit had long since been absorbed and tamed by him, so why was it acting up now?

The answer was simple: the fire aura in the chickens resonated with the Phoenix Beast spirit. Drawn by this, Xie Wuji stepped into the chicken pen. The Fire-Tail Chickens, sensing his warm Phoenix aura, greeted him like a king, clucking incessantly.

A faint halo shimmered around Xie Wuji. He thought, I came here to investigate Old Master Qin’s death—how did I get waylaid by chickens? But on second thought, these chickens, as the Phoenix Beast’s descendants, were the Undying Immortal Sect’s property, yet the Grand Elder shamelessly claimed them for himself! Such behavior was outrageous. Could the fate of Protector Seven be connected to these chickens?

He quickly dismissed the idea. If these chickens were the cause, there would have been no need for murder. There must have been a deeper secret of the old master’s that Elder Ding wanted to uncover.

But that was not the pressing issue now. Gazing at the Fire-Tail Chickens, Xie Wuji let out a strange laugh. “Well, well, your father misses you all dearly. Perhaps it’s time for a family reunion? After all, you are all members of the Undying Immortal Sect…”

As he approached, the Fire-Tail Chickens, soothed by the warmth of the Phoenix aura, showed no sign of resistance.