Blade - Unbound

Lu San pointed deeper into the cave and spoke in his usual dull tone, "It's here."

Following his finger, Li Yan saw two earthen graves in the center of the cavern, one larger than the other. There were no tombstones, and the graves were extremely simple.

The cave was lit by torches, and was hidden within the cliff face of the eastern mountain. Its location was so secluded that without Lu San guiding them, they would never have found it.

Li Yan nodded and stepped forward to respectfully cup his fists and bow. Then, he lit incense and burned some spirit money before turning away to carry a torch to a corner of the cave.

As the torchlight swept across the walls, traces of human excavation became visible.

"A cliff tomb!" Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up. Stroking his beard, he said, "I was already wondering about that. I could feel the flow of life energy even entering this cave. There isn't any decayed or gloomy yin qi here.

"Most likely some wealthy family began carving out this tomb but encountered an unexpected disaster halfway through, leaving it abandoned. I never expected Brother Lu to understand fengshui and geomancy as well."

Lu San shook his head. "I don't understand fengshui. A bird told me about this place."

"Then that explains it." Wang Daoxuan smiled. "This is where the surrounding earth energy converges. After being opened and left unsealed, the earth energy and life energy became connected. Naturally, it became an excellent location for burial."

He looked around and nodded in approval. "Excellent. We'll choose this place for the burial site, since I doubt I'll find a better one anywhere nearby."

Li Yan agreed. "Let's follow Daoist Wang’s judgment."

Wu Laosi's entire family was gone. The reason Li Yan had escorted the coffin thousands of miles was simply to fulfill his promise. Cliff tombs were luxuries only wealthy families could afford. Whether it was hiring geomancers to locate an auspicious site or craftsmen to excavate the cliff itself, both required considerable expense.

Burying Wu Laosi in a place like that showed that they weren’t fulfilling their last promise to him for the sake of doing it.

***

Just as the two prepared to leave, the silent Lu San suddenly spoke. "Daoist, I want to ask something."

Wang Daoxuan froze briefly before immediately understanding. "Go ahead."

Lu San looked at the cave for a moment before asking, "Can more people be buried here?"

Wang Daoxuan sighed softly. "Of course. This tomb is quite spacious. It could even serve as an entire family cemetery. However..."

He hesitated before he continued, "The ancestral graves of the Wu Family Gully have already been destroyed. The remains of their ancestors have been exposed to sunlight. Even if they're reburied here, much of the damage can never truly be undone."

Lu San didn't seem to care, and simply nodded. "That's enough. I'll collect the bones."

With that, he turned and left the cave. Climbing up the mountain using a rope, he quickly disappeared without another word.

Watching him leave, Li Yan shook his head helplessly. "There's definitely something wrong with that kid's head."

Wang Daoxuan sighed. "He's a bit like a dog."

Li Yan laughed. "Daoist, he may be difficult to deal with, but there's no need to insult him. Facing vengeance alone is courage. Never forgetting kindness is righteousness. I actually admire him."

"I'm not insulting him." Wang Daoxuan shook his head. "While traveling through Shandong, I once saw a mountain village destroyed by an earthquake. All the villagers moved away and only an old dog remained.

"It guarded its master's corpse until it was eventually torn apart by wild dogs. The locals immortalized the loyal dog and even built a shrine in its honor."

He looked toward the mountain path where Lu San had disappeared and muttered, "That boy is exactly the same."

***

That night, inside the abandoned ancestral hall of Wu Family Gully, Wang Daoxuan explained what had happened, and finished solemnly, "Everyone, I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you. Originally, I had intended to spend some silver and hire additional help from Fengyang County. But under the circumstances, we can't make this funeral too public."

The lead porter, Scarry Yue, nodded. "We'll follow Daoist's lead."

He cursed angrily, "Forcing an entire village to abandon their homeland, and then digging up their ancestral graves? I've never seen anything so vile. Just tell us what to do! We may not be capable of much, but we can certainly provide some labor."

Wang Daoxuan cupped his fists gratefully. "Everyone is truly righteous. Senior Wu once saved my life, and although circumstances force us to simplify things, we still cannot neglect the proper funeral rites. At the very least, let me fulfill some of my obligations."

He continued, "Tomorrow is the first day of the tenth month, and the Hanyi Festival[1].

“It is a day for the dead; however, it is only suitable for worship but unsuitable for burial. Families will all be heading into the mountains to burn offerings, so complications are inevitable. Therefore, the burial will take place on the second day of the tenth month. It’s an auspicious day for it."

He then turned to Sha Lifei. "Brother Sha."

The other man looked up. "Yeah?"

Wang Daoxuan laid out, "I'll need you to make another trip to Fengyang tomorrow. Buy bamboo sticks, white paper, spirit paper, paper effigies, soul-summoning banners, and the like. I'll make the ritual items myself to avoid drawing suspicion. We'll also need incense, candles, spirit ingots, and other offerings. Actually, you may have to make several trips."

Sha Lifei nodded. "No problem, leave it to me."

Wang Daoxuan then turned toward Scarry Yue. "Brother Yue, you and Little Brother Yan will head up the mountain tomorrow. We need ropes prepared for lowering the coffin as well as earth and stones ready for sealing the grave. Everything must be prepared beforehand so we don't miss the proper hour."

Having officiated countless funerals, Wang Daoxuan was extremely experienced. Before long, every task had been assigned. Since the following day would be filled with work from dawn until dusk, everyone rested early. Li Yan, who hadn't slept properly for two days, performed a brief session of Spirit Visualization before immediately falling asleep.

***

On the southwestern mountain, under the moonlight, the sound of digging never ceased at the ancestral cemetery of Wu Family Gully. Lu San bent over, gathering scattered bones one by one as sweat dripped from his forehead.

All the while, he muttered to himself, "Old Uncle Wu, you were kind enough to want me as your grandson. Even though Big Brother Wu opposed it, I never forgot.

“Aunt Liu, you always spoke harshly, but the winter coat you gave me was warm. It was the first new set of clothes I ever owned.

“Third Brother Wu, you died young but I heard it was you who stood up to those village thugs who bullied me and Master.

"Sixth Uncle Wu, you were such a rascal, always tricking me into foolish games.

"All of you are gone, and the village too. I'm the only one left..."

***

The Hanyi Festival, also known as the Netherworld Festival, was one of the three great ghost festivals alongside Qingming and the Ghost Festival. It fell on the first day of the tenth lunar month, the first day after the arrival of winter.

In ancient times, women prepared warm clothing and sent it to relatives serving on distant frontiers or performing labor service. Those garments were winter clothing, or called “Hanyi.” Later, the custom expanded to include ancestors and the deceased.

Of course, they didn’t send actual clothing. Instead, colorful paper garments were cut and burned as offerings to departed loved ones.

Thus, early that morning, Fengyang County was crowded with people. Families carried offerings as children accompanied elders. Bundles of paper clothing were carried out of the city toward nearby mountains, where ancestral rites would be performed.

The affairs of a nation lay in warfare and sacrifice, thus no one dared neglect ancestor worship. Even the poor scraped together enough money to buy some spirit paper and fold it into clothing. Otherwise, how could their deceased relatives stay warm in the underworld?

As for the wealthy, their displays were extravagant. Take Qiao Sanhu, the so-called Tiger of Fengyang. His procession alone included ten large wagons filled with paper servants. The offerings were even more excessive, with roast pigs, whole roasted sheep, and countless other sacrifices.

Daoists and monks chanting scriptures marched in front, followed by groups of burly men. THe men were heavily tattooed with dragons and phoenixes. Even while dressed in mourning clothes, they barked at pedestrians and forced them aside. They were then followed by several luxurious carriages carrying Qiao Sanhu's wives, concubines, and children.

The number of servants was even greater.

When such a massive procession passed through, the entire street fell silent as commoners hurried out of the way. Even local jianghu figures kept their mouths shut. After all, Qiao Sanhu's backing was far stronger than that of Yuan Qu or Zheng Heibei.

Though his cousin Yue Fachong forbade him from settling in the dangerous waters of Chang'an, fearing he would cause trouble there, within the tiny Fengyang County, Qiao Sanhu ruled like an emperor.

Only after the procession departed did the townspeople finally relax and the streets gradually regained their liveliness.

"Pah!" In the crowd, Sha Lifei spat on the ground before entering a nearby incense shop. "Shopkeeper, bring me some white paper, colored paper, and bamboo sticks."

"Oh, honored customer. You're planning to make them yourself? It’s too late for that! Why not buy some ready-made pieces? Our craftsmanship is excellent..."

Sha Lifei interrupted, "Less talking, just get them. Oh, and some incense and candles too. Follow this list."

He threw the sheet Wang Daoxuan gave him over the counter. Funeral processions required many items like soul-guiding banners. Who knew whether Qiao Sanhu had informants in these shops? Buying everything directly might attract unwanted attention.

***

Not long after the enormous ritual procession left the city, a deep voice sounded from one of the luxurious carriages.

"Zhao Kui."

A bearded man hurried forward. "My lord."

His name was Zhao Kui, the head constable of Fengyang County.

Thanks to Qiao Sanhu's power and influence, nearly every important position in the county had been filled with his own people. Successive magistrates had effectively become figureheads.

Zhao Kui himself had once been nothing more than a local thug. But because he possessed impressive blade skills, Qiao Sanhu had recruited him as a loyal lackey. He had served diligently at Qiao Sanhu’s side. Any dirty task or any cruel task that was assigned to him would be carried out without hesitation.

Privately, the people of Fengyang called him a Tiger Assisting Ghost. In essence he was a ghost servant.

The carriage curtain slowly lifted, revealing a broad-faced man. He had a wide forehead, narrow eyes, one of which was larger than the other, and a broad mouth with thick lips. Despite his appearance, he carried an imposing presence. According to physiognomy texts, what he had was known as the White Tiger Face. He was ambitious, bold, and ruthless.

This was Qiao Sanhu.

Slowly stroking his mustache, he said calmly, "Take some men and visit the ancestral cemetery of Wu Family Gully."

Zhao Kui blinked. "My lord, rest assured, we already dug up those peasants' graves."

"Idiot." Qiao Sanhu shot him a cold glance. "What use is digging up a few graves? What I want is to lure Lu San out. That boy awakened a divine ability and can control beasts. Even the Canal Gang treats him with respect. I can't do anything to him for now.

"But if I leave him alone, he'll become a threat sooner or later. Today is the Hanyi Festival. He might return to pay respects. Take some men and investigate. If you discover any trace of him, report back immediately."

Zhao Kui bowed. "Understood, my lord."

Just as he was about to leave, Qiao Sanhu called him back. "Wait. Bring Mister Lu with you. Lu San knows how to use some spells. I don't want you failing to capture him."

Zhao Kui bowed again. "Yes, my lord."

He headed toward the rear of the procession. Stopping before another carriage, he cupped his fists respectfully. "Mister Lu, my lord requests that you accompany us just to keep things under control."

A hoarse voice answered. "What a nuisance..."

A man dressed entirely in black lifted the curtain and stepped down. He carried a long object wrapped in black cloth. Unkempt hair and a scraggly beard framed his unnaturally pale face. It was almost gray, like the skin of a corpse.

Zhao Kui instinctively shrank back, and didn't dare say another word.

This man had joined Qiao Sanhu's faction several years ago, but rarely left his residence. Most days, he stayed indoors, working on who knew what. Most disturbing of all, a rotten corpse smell constantly emanated from him.

Zhao Kui had long believed one thing.

This person isn't human.

***

Rustle...

Lu San's face was pale as he hoisted the final bundle of bones onto his back. After one last glance at the ancestral cemetery of Wu Family Gully, he turned and headed down the mountain. After descending, he made straight for the cliff tomb.

He had spent the night collecting every exposed bone and every set of remains from the damaged graves. Some graves were so old that they had already collapsed naturally. Even the mounds themselves had vanished.

Lu San left those untouched. He didn't understand funeral customs, but he knew those bones couldn't simply be placed directly into the cliff tomb. When Wu Laosi was buried, the remains would be moved in together. At least then there would be some semblance of proper ceremony.

As always, Lu San worked alone. He never asked for help and never relied on anyone.

***

An hour after Lu San left, Zhao Kui arrived from the opposite side of the mountain with his men. The moment he saw the missing bones and the freshly leveled ground, his eyes lit up.

"My lord truly saw through everything!"

However, his excitement soon turned into frustration. "Damn it! Looks like he's already gone. If we had just camped here for the last couple of days, we would've caught him for sure!"

He cautiously turned toward the corpse-faced man beside him. "Mister Lu, do you happen to have a method to..."

Mister Lu cut him off with a glance. "I only know killing techniques. I'm not good at tracking."

Left with no choice, Zhao Kui ordered his men to search the area. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about investigation. His expertise lay only in bullying others under Qiao Sanhu's protection.

His subordinates were no better. Unable to find any clues, they began descending the mountain.

Halfway down, one of the men suddenly pointed ahead. "Constable Zhao! Look!"

From their position, they could see the abandoned village of Wu Family Gully in the distance. When they had arrived earlier, they bypassed the village entirely and headed straight for the mountain.

An abandoned village wasn't worth their attention. Yet now, a thin plume of smoke rose from the center of the village.

There was only one, but from where they were, it was unmistakable.

Zhao Kui's eyes widened with excitement. "Quick, let's get down there!"

"Why rush?" Mister Lu suddenly interrupted. "I've never fought Lu San personally, but I know he can communicate with birds and beasts. You'll probably be discovered before you even get close."

"Right!" Zhao Kui slapped his forehead. "That brat is slippery as an eel."

He immediately cupped his fists to ask, "What do you suggest, Mister Lu?"

Mister Lu replied coldly, "Return and gather more men. Seal every exit from the village. When night falls, I'll perform a ritual and eliminate him."

"Brilliant!"

Though Zhao Kui secretly disliked the idea because it meant sharing credit, he knew Qiao Sanhu valued Mister Lu highly. Offending him wasn't an option.

One of the men scratched his head. "Constable, shouldn't we at least send someone to take a look first? It could just be travelers staying overnight."

Zhao Kui immediately slapped him. "When did anyone ask for your opinion? If they're travelers, then they're unlucky. We'll arrest them as bandits and throw them in the county jail."

Mister Lu remained silent. As he continued to walk at the rear of the group, he gently touched a rotten scar on his chest as excitement flickered in his eyes.

"The Summoning Writ! It’s the Summoning Writ! Junior Brother Wu, I’ve waited long enough for you!"

1. together with Tomb-sweeping Day and Hungry Ghost Festival, are the days for people to offer sacrifice to their ancestors in China. The Winter Clothes Day falls on the first day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar ☜