Chen Ruolian lowered her head, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.
From the time Chen Ruolian could remember, the villagers had always said her maternal grandparents had died years ago. However, in Chen Ruolian's eyes, her maternal grandparents were very much alive.
What was strange, though, was that they rarely left their room. Except for every night at midnight when Chen Qingshui would set up many candles in the main hall, and then her grandparents would come out to kneel and worship, her grandparents basically never left their room at other times.
When Chen Ruolian was ten years old, Chen Qingshui took her to several spots in the back mountain to plant Kui trees. He instructed Chen Ruolian to water them periodically. After giving these instructions, Chen Qingshui climbed into a coffin and lay down, never to wake up again, and it had been this way until now.
Er Hu glanced at Yang Ergou behind him. It seemed his guess was correct; Chen Qing Shui was likely responsible for the deaths of Chen Xiaobao and his wife.
"By the way, Ruolian, why are you only looking for your father now?" Er Hu continued to ask.
Chen Ruolian took a yellowed piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Er Hu. "My mother said to find my father at this address on the date written on it."
Er Hu took the paper and touched it. The degree of cracking suggested it wasn't fake. He looked at the contents, which besides a date and a number, also contained the address of Liu Zhonghe's company.
Er Hu suddenly understood. This explained everything. A coffin made of Kui wood would take at least one to two years to cause a corpse to mutate. Chen Qingshui had precisely calculated when this mutation would occur, which was why he had Chen Ruolian call Liu Zhonghe back to collect the body. To be safe, he had also planted Kui trees on all the Huasha graves.
Chen Ruolian asked, "Master, are you looking for a Huasha grave?"
Er Hu looked at Chen Ruolian with some confusion. How did this young girl know?
Chen Ruolian explained, "Last night, I overheard some masters mentioning Huasha graves. I thought it might be related to those Kui trees."
Er Hu nodded, not hiding anything. "That's right. If Kui trees are planted on a Huasha grave, then that Huasha grave is ruined."
It seemed there were no more Huasha graves in the back mountain.
Chen Ruolian shook her head. "When I used to plant Kui trees, there was one spot where the Kui trees didn't survive."
Er Hu and Yang Ergou's hearts leaped with joy. Er Hu quickly asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
Chen Ruolian nodded. "Yes, I'll take you to see."
As they spoke, the two began walking towards a certain direction. Er Hu looked at Yang Ergou behind him and said, "Call Master Yu and tell him the Huasha grave has been found."
Yang Ergou nodded, took out his phone, and called Yu Daochen.
On the other side, Yu Daochen, who was searching for a Huasha grave, received the news that Yang Ergou had found one.
"How did you find it?" Yu Daochen asked.
Yang Ergou on the phone briefly explained.
After listening to Yang Ergou's explanation, Yu Daochen furrowed his brow. Wasn't this a bit too coincidental?
Yu Daochen put away his compass and returned the way he came.
Er Hu and Yang Ergou followed Chen Ruolian as they walked towards a location.
The place Chen Ruolian led Er Hu and Yang Ergou to was very easy to walk on, remarkably so. Four people could walk side by side and still feel it was spacious.
Yang Ergou looked at the Kui trees and willow trees on both sides of the path, his expression grim. "Second Uncle, look at what trees are planted on both sides."
Er Hu's brow furrowed as he looked at the surrounding Kui trees and willow trees. As they walked, why were there almost exclusively Kui trees and willow trees on both sides?
After walking for nearly a hundred meters, the sides finally began to be bamboo forests. After another twenty meters, they saw an open space ahead.
Yang Ergou took out his compass, and the needle pointed directly at the open space ahead.
The three arrived at the open space. Yang Ergou scooped up some soil and placed it on the compass. The compass needle spun around once.
Yang Ergou's heart rejoiced. This Huasha grave had more Yang energy than ordinary Huasha graves; it was a good location.
Yang Ergou nodded to Er Hu beside him. "Second Uncle, the Yang energy here is extremely strong; it's a top-grade Huasha grave."
Er Hu was thoughtful. This place was indeed a superior Huasha grave, but it felt too coincidental.
Although many Kui trees and willow trees were planted in front, that bamboo forest effectively isolated the Yin energy from the Kui trees and willow trees.
After thinking for a moment, Er Hu decided on this spot. According to Chen Ruolian, all other Huasha graves on this mountain had likely been planted with Kui trees. Chen Qingshui had to be buried today, so this was the only option.
"Get your tools and start digging," Er Hu nodded and said.
Yang Ergou put down the shovel he was carrying and prepared to dig. "Second Uncle, are we digging a vertical burial pit?"
Er Hu nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "It seems your master didn't teach you in vain. That's right, we are indeed digging a vertical burial pit."
The so-called vertical burial pit is a burial in a vertical position. Ordinary horizontal burials seek many descendants and great fortune, while vertical burials focus on dispelling malevolence. As the saying goes, people have three vital fires on their bodies, and vertical burial uses the strong Yang energy to gather these three vital fires to dispel the malevolent energy from the corpse.
Although dispelling malevolence with vital fires is slow, it can prevent corpse mutation. The body will be exhumed and reburied elsewhere after three years.
Although Yang Ergou had not been in this line of work for long, he had great strength, and digging the pit was fast. With Er Hu's help, the vertical burial pit was dug in about three hours.
After digging the vertical burial pit, the two took Chen Ruolian and hurried down the mountain.
At the entrance to the mountain path, Yu Daochen sat on a small mound.
Seeing the three descend, Yu Daochen stood up and asked, "How is the Huasha grave?"
Er Hu nodded. "It's all sorted. We'll move the coffin back immediately."
He then mentioned that some Kui trees and willow trees were planted in front of the Huasha grave and asked Yu Daochen to be extra careful when moving the coffin.
Yu Daochen nodded, glancing at Chen Ruolian following behind with a complex expression.