105-106

Chapter 105: Taking Advantage of Chaos

Ding-ling~  

The crisp sound of the Soul-Calming Bell echoed as Lin Jiuying shook it gently in his hand. Behind him, the stiff-bodied ancestral corpse of the Deng clan hopped along in jerky movements, following closely behind.

“Oh my God!”

“Is this some kind of movie?”

At the Sotheby’s auction.

The crowd stared at Lin Jiuying and the animated corpse in utter shock. A few sharp-eyed Britons recognized the hopping corpse as the very one auctioned off earlier at the event, and their shock quickly turned to panic.

“Oh my God, is this some kind of evil sorcery that brings the dead back to life?”

“Ah Hao, what are these foreigners shouting about?”

Walking behind his master, Ah Hao noticed the stunned expressions of the people at the auction. Fixating on one particularly agitated man, he turned to Ah Sen, standing beside him, and asked.

While speaking, he nervously watched the corpse—dead for over a hundred years—now eerily "lively" once more.

Hearing Ah Hao’s question, Ah Sen casually translated what the others were saying.

“Evil sorcery? My master uses the authentic Maoshan Daoist techniques!”

Upon hearing the translation, Ah Hao’s face filled with indignation. He grabbed Ah Sen’s arm. “Translate for me. Tell these ignorant foreigners this is orthodox corpse-driving Daoism, not some evil sorcery.”

Following Ah Hao’s instructions, Ah Sen conveyed his words to the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t be afraid. This is a genuine…”

However, unsurprisingly, no matter how much the two tried to explain, the Britons were more inclined to believe their own eyes. Any magic that could make a corpse move on its own was sorcery to them.

“Stop!”

Ding-ling!  

Unaware of his disciples’ actions behind him, Lin Jiuying led the Deng clan’s animated ancestral corpse to the exit of the auction house. As he stepped into the doorway, he shook the bell again, halting the corpse in its tracks.

“What’s wrong, Master Lin?”

Seeing Lin Jiuying and the ancestral corpse stop suddenly, Ah Sen hurriedly approached, his face full of concern.

“It’s still daytime. The sunlight is too strong and unsuitable for the corpse to venture out.”

Lin Jiuying glanced at the sunlight illuminating the doorway and frowned as he responded to Ah Sen.

“Then what should we do, Master?”

Ah Sen’s face immediately turned anxious upon hearing Lin Jiuying’s explanation.

“If we delay any longer, we’ll miss the flight we’ve arranged to send the ancestor back to Hong Kong.”

Ah Sen had specially arranged for a cargo flight to transport the Deng clan’s ancestor directly to Hong Kong, ensuring it would be returned as soon as possible to avoid complications.

“How about we cover it with some cloth?”

Scanning the auction hall in desperation, Ah Sen’s eyes landed on a piece of fabric. He suggested the idea tentatively.

“There’s no need for such trouble.”

Unlike Ah Sen’s panic, Lin Jiuying remained calm.

Raising a hand to stop Ah Sen, Lin Jiuying turned to look at the motionless corpse behind him. He reached into the seam of his hat, pulling out a talisman folded into a triangular shape. Chanting softly, he gestured over the talisman before tossing it into the air. The paper spontaneously ignited, scattering ashes onto the corpse.

“The Shadow-Shielding Spell will protect the corpse’s yin energy for a while. It’ll be enough to get your ancestor onto the plane.”

With that, Lin Jiuying turned back and shook the Soul-Calming Bell once more.

“Rise!”

At the clear chime of the bell, the previously stationary corpse raised its arms and began hopping forward again.

Once outside, the sunlight caused the corpse to hesitate for a moment. However, faint red light emanating from its body quickly shielded it from the sun’s harm, and it continued moving.

...

“Why? Didn’t we already agree on this price earlier?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but given the unique nature of this shipment, the airline has decided to increase the transport cost. We cannot guarantee the safety of such an item, especially since you did not inform us of its significant historical value…”

“Don’t call it an item! This is my ancestor!”

“My apologies, sir, but the airline has decided to charge additional fees to cover the necessary disinfection and cleaning after this transport.”

At the airport cargo area.

“Master, what do we do with the corpse once we bring it back to Hong Kong?”

Ah Hao glanced at the hopping corpse behind them and couldn’t help but ask.

“We’ll follow the Deng clan’s wishes and bury it again properly.”

Sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, Lin Jiuying replied without looking up.

“Ah, that’s it? This is such a rare corpse. Isn’t it a waste to just hand it back to them like that?”

Ah Hao’s face showed disappointment at his master’s calm response.

“Remember this, Ah Hao.”

Sensing the regret in his disciple’s tone, Lin Jiuying opened his eyes and looked at him sternly.

“I don’t expect you to achieve greatness with Maoshan Daoism, but there is one thing you must never forget: never use these techniques for evil or selfish purposes. Especially now, as spiritual practices decline and cultivation becomes harder…”

“I’ve seen too many people over the years fall into darkness, unable to resist temptation, becoming neither human nor ghost in the end. I don’t want you to be one of them. If that happens, don’t blame me for taking action to rid the world of you.”

Feeling the gravity of his master’s words, Ah Hao shrank back nervously and quickly explained, “Master, I was just speaking offhandedly. Why would I want to mess around with a corpse for no reason?”

Seeing Ah Hao’s genuine reaction, Lin Jiuying nodded in relief.

Turning back to the corpse, his mind drifted to the peculiar white man he had encountered at the auction.

“Master Lin, we have a problem.”

Just as Lin Jiuying was reflecting on the oddities of the man, Ah Sen returned from his unpleasant negotiation with the airline staff, looking exasperated.

“Those foreigners are taking advantage of the situation. I don’t have enough money to send the ancestor onto the plane.”

Had this happened before the auction, Ah Sen might not have cared too much about the airline’s demands.

However, after spending so much money at the auction, Ah Sen now found himself unable to meet their excessive charges.

“It seems we’ll have to stay another night in London. I’ll contact the Deng clan back in Hong Kong tomorrow to raise the money we need.”

“What? Stay another night? That’s just…”

At the cargo area of the airport, Ah Hao’s face lit up with excitement, and he was about to cheer when he caught his master’s sharp gaze.

Driven by a strong sense of self-preservation, he quickly suppressed his enthusiasm and feigned disappointment. “...such a shame. I was really looking forward to getting back to Hong Kong.”

“Suit yourself.”

Turning his attention back to Ah Sen, Lin Jiuying shook his head and said calmly, “If we’ve hit a snag, then so be it.”

---

Chapter 106: A Stay in London

*Ding Dong—*

London. Hotel.

Disguised as tourists, Lin Jiuying and the ancestral corpse of the Deng clan stepped into the elevator.

Lin Jiuying awkwardly smiled at the other elevator passengers and gave a slight shake of the Soul-Calming Bell in his hand, guiding the corpse to move closer to the corner.

A few minutes later, as the last passenger exited, Lin Jiuying breathed a sigh of relief and led the corpse to his hotel floor.

“Master, why are you so late?”

As the elevator doors opened, Lin Jiuying was greeted by his apprentice, Ah Hao, who was holding several large bags.

“I’ve been waiting forever.”

“I had to avoid causing unnecessary panic in the hotel because of the corpse,” Lin Jiuying replied.

Unlike at the auction, where the chaos could have been dismissed as inconsequential, now they had to stay the night in London. Lin Jiuying had to be extra cautious to ensure the true nature of the corpse wasn’t exposed and risk being thrown out of the hotel.

In a foreign city like London, if they ended up on the streets, they might not even find their way back to Hong Kong.

“Master Lin.”

As they spoke near the elevator, the doors reopened, and a slightly apologetic Ah Sen stepped out.

“I must trouble you to stay in London for one more night,” he said. “I still need to contact our elders back in Hong Kong to finalize the arrangements for transporting our ancestor home.”

“I’ll leave the matter of how to handle the corpse to the Deng clan,” Lin Jiuying replied, his gaze falling on the motionless ancestral corpse before him.

“The most important question tonight is, who will keep watch over this corpse?”

Lin Jiuying’s words made Ah Sen’s expression freeze.

Even though he knew this was the ancestor of the Deng clan, the mere thought of watching over the corpse sent a chill down his spine.

“Well, Master Lin,” Ah Sen stammered, “I have so many pressing matters to handle—especially with the airline—so I’ll be busy all night and won’t have time to watch over the ancestor.”

Ah Sen’s excuse was reasonable enough that Lin Jiuying nodded in agreement.

Turning to Ah Hao, who was standing nearby with a gloating expression, Lin Jiuying’s gaze sharpened.

Ah Hao, initially confident that the task would fall to Ah Sen as the ancestor’s descendant, saw his master’s look and immediately panicked.

“Master, you don’t mean me, do you?”

“Who else? Or do you think I’ll do it myself?” Lin Jiuying replied.

“But, Master, I—”

Ah Hao looked between his master, the apologetic Ah Sen, and the lifeless corpse before finally accepting his fate. Sighing, he said, “Fine, Master, I’ll take care of it.”

“Didn’t you worry earlier that I might not be able to resist temptation? Why trust me now?” Ah Hao asked hopefully, referencing their earlier conversation at the airport.

“I believe in you,” Lin Jiuying said dryly. “Besides, with your level of cultivation, even if you wanted to do something, you wouldn’t accomplish it in just one night.”

Crushed by his master’s blunt words, Ah Hao took the Soul-Calming Bell and led the corpse toward his room, looking utterly defeated.

“Master Lin, is this really okay?” Ah Sen asked hesitantly as he watched them leave.

“Don’t worry, I know my apprentice well. He won’t be that easily discouraged,” Lin Jiuying replied confidently.

---

*Boom—*

“I see you. I see you. You cannot hide, for the world is under the gaze of the great BonDie. Nothing escapes His watchful eyes…”

In an unknown church in London, Voodoo practitioner Narcisse danced frantically around a ritual flame. The fire in the brazier flickered erratically with his movements.

“I’ve found it—the offering!” Narcisse suddenly stopped dancing, his wide eyes gleaming under his hood as he muttered to himself.

---

*Jingle!*

“You’re such an idiot,” Ah Hao muttered, shaking the Soul-Calming Bell as he entered his room.

He glanced back to find the corpse blocked by his arm, unable to enter the room. Sighing, he adjusted the corpse’s arm and guided it inside.

Looking at the corpse’s lifeless face, Ah Hao’s frustration deepened.

“Why do I have such bad luck?”

Forced to stay in a room with a corpse instead of exploring London, Ah Hao felt increasingly miserable.

He shivered as his gaze met the corpse’s clouded, lifeless eyes.

“Turn around. Don’t look at me.”

With a shudder, Ah Hao used the bell to turn the corpse around. The oppressive feeling lightened slightly as he stared at its back.

However, standing by the window and gazing at London’s bustling nightlife, Ah Hao felt a pang of resentment. Looking back at the motionless corpse, the contrast in his situation hit hard.

Down at the hotel pool, a group of blonde, blue-eyed tourists was laughing and splashing around.

Seeing this, Ah Hao’s frustration boiled over.

“You’re their ancestor, not mine. Why should I treat you like a shrine?” he muttered, justifying his thoughts.

He rang the bell and moved the corpse into the bathroom.

“Stay here and don’t move,” he instructed before placing the Soul-Calming Bell on the nightstand and leaving the room in a hurry.

*Bang!*

As the door closed, the lights in the room dimmed.

In the bathroom, the corpse stood silently in front of the bathtub, unmoving.

---

*Ding Dong!*

“Here I come, London!”

By the elevator, Ah Hao cheered as he stepped inside.

The moment his elevator doors closed, the elevator next to his opened.

Inside stood a stiff, pale white man.

(End of Chapter)