101-102

Chapter 101: The Auction

"Master Lin, you must help me this time."

In London, on the way to the hotel.

A man in the driver's seat pleaded earnestly with Lin Jiuying, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. "No matter what, you have to help me bring my ancestor back. Otherwise, how can I face the Deng clan back in Hong Kong?"

"Why don’t you just go directly to the auction organizers and tell them that the corpse belongs to your ancestor?"

Sitting in the backseat, Ah Hao couldn’t help but chime in when he overheard the conversation between the descendant of the Deng clan and his master.

"Do you think I haven’t tried that? But they didn’t believe me at all. These foreigners are heartless; all they care about is money. For the sake of creating a spectacle, they’ve even put up our Deng clan ancestor for auction."

The thought of having to pay to buy back his ancestor filled the Deng descendant, Ah Sen, with indignation.

"By the way," Lin Jiuying asked curiously, glancing at the furious Ah Sen in the driver’s seat, "Why is your ancestor buried in London in the first place?"

"Well…"

Ah Sen’s anger quickly turned into an awkward expression as he stammered, "According to the elders in the Deng clan, this ancestor served as an official during the Qing dynasty. He had a good relationship with the British at the time. Later, when war broke out and the situation became dire, he used his connections to flee to Britain, eventually settling in London."

"So, to put it bluntly, your ancestor was a traitor," Ah Hao scoffed, unimpressed by the explanation.

"Ah Hao!"

Frowning, Lin Jiuying rebuked his disrespectful disciple with a low voice. He then turned to Ah Sen with an apologetic expression. "I’m sorry, Ah Hao didn’t mean it."

"It’s fine, Master Lin," Ah Sen replied with a helpless shake of his head. "No matter what, he is still our ancestor. Master, I beg you to help me bring him back to Hong Kong."

"Don’t worry. Since I’ve agreed to help, I’ll make sure it’s done," Lin Jiuying assured him with a nod. "Besides, who would even compete with you for a corpse?"

In Lin Jiuying’s view, corpses were generally associated with bad luck.

"Master, normal people wouldn’t do such a thing, but this is an auction. There are plenty of eccentric foreigners out there. We can’t rule out the possibility that someone with peculiar tastes might try to compete with me for the body."

Ah Hao exclaimed, "You’re kidding—people actually fight over ancestors?"

Ah Sen sighed, "They might not want my ancestor specifically. They might just want the corpse itself."

Ah Hao grimaced, "That’s… disturbing."

Ah Sen shrugged, "That’s why they’re called foreigners…"

---

The next morning, at a hotel in London.

"Master, the bed here is so soft and comfortable! It really lives up to being the best five-star hotel in London," Ah Hao remarked as he reluctantly stepped out of his room.

"Don’t make a fuss," Lin Jiuying said sternly.

However, his serious expression softened as he muttered under his breath, "Still, the bed was indeed quite comfortable."

"Master, you’re up!"

Downstairs in the hotel lobby, Ah Sen—dressed in a sharp suit but unable to hide his dark circles—greeted them eagerly.

"The auction is about to begin," he said solemnly, "I’m counting on you, Master Lin."

Lin Jiuying straightened his expression and nodded seriously. "Don’t worry, I’ll bring your ancestor back."

---

Arriving at the auction house.

"So, this is where they’re auctioning off your ancestor?"

Ah Hao marveled at the grand and ornate building in front of them.

"Sotheby’s is one of the largest auction houses in London. Only they would dare to handle the sale of my ancestor," Ah Sen said bitterly, clenching his teeth.

If this had happened in the past, such a grave insult would have led to endless retaliation. But with thousands of miles and jurisdictional barriers separating them, the Deng clan had no choice but to enlist Lin Jiuying and his disciple to retrieve their ancestor.

"It’s time to go in, Master Lin," Ah Sen said, taking a deep breath as he handed over the entrance pass to the staff and received a bidding paddle.

"Master, is something wrong?" Ah Hao noticed Lin Jiuying frowning and asked curiously.

"It’s nothing," Lin Jiuying replied, shaking his head. "I just felt something strange for a moment."

He had sensed a faint trace of yin energy in the crowd, but it was too brief to confirm whether it was real or just his imagination.

"Master, everything’s ready. Let’s head inside."

Ah Sen’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he set aside his unease as they entered the auction hall.

Moments later, a pale man with a lifeless expression appeared at the entrance. Moving stiffly, he handed over his ticket and spoke in a monotone voice, "One person."

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 102: The Corpse of Yin

*Bang! Bang!*

"One million three hundred fifty thousand pounds! Going once, going twice, sold!"

London, Sotheby's Auction House.

"Master, why are there so many of our vases being auctioned by these foreigners?"

Ah Hao stared at yet another antique vase being sold and couldn't help but ask his master, Lin Yingjiu, sitting beside him.

"Some were taken out during the turbulent times over the past century—wars and chaos. Others, unfortunately, were stolen or sold by unscrupulous descendants or ancestors, seeking personal gain and wealth…"

As Lin Yingjiu spoke, his gaze instinctively shifted toward Ah Sen, seated next to him. If he was right, Ah Sen’s ancestor was among those unscrupulous people. The irony? Even now, Ah Sen himself had become someone else’s wealth.

Hearing the conversation between master and apprentice, Ah Sen squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, pretending not to have heard.

As a descendant of the Deng clan, he had no control over who his ancestors were. How could he have foreseen being saddled with such bad luck? An ancestor who not only died in London but had also been dug up and put up for sale.

"Now, we move on to the next auction item!"

As Ah Sen fidgeted awkwardly, the focus of the auction finally shifted to the key target of their trip.

"The next item for auction is the body of an East Asian man, remarkably well-preserved and showing no signs of decay. According to our evaluation, the corpse is nearly a century old and yet appears lifelike. Despite expert examination, no embalming techniques, like those used in mummification, were detected. This corpse, whether for collection or research, holds immense value…"

"It’s a Yin Corpse, just as I suspected," Lin Yingjiu muttered.

The auctioneer enthusiastically introduced the mysterious corpse to the attendees, while Lin Yingjiu observed the scene, his expression confirming his earlier suspicions.

"Master Lin, what exactly is a Yin Corpse?"

This time, Ah Sen couldn’t feign ignorance. His curiosity got the better of him.

"A Yin Corpse, also known as a Nourished Corpse, refers to a body that, even after decades—sometimes even a century like your ancestor’s—does not decompose. There are two types of Yin Corpses: Dry Corpses and Wet Corpses. Dry Corpses arise from negative resentment, while Wet Corpses stem from malevolent water energy…"

Before Lin Yingjiu could explain further, Ah Hao interjected, eager to show off his knowledge.

"Yin Dry Corpses are like desiccated bodies with open mouths, dangerous enough to harm lives—especially descendants. Wet Corpses, on the other hand, draw strength from their family’s prosperity to sustain themselves…"

However, as Ah Hao continued, his voice trailed off. He could feel his master’s disapproving gaze on him.

Every time Master looked at him like that, it spelled trouble.

"Why did you stop? Keep going," Lin Yingjiu said flatly.

"Master, I think it’s best if you explain. Everything I know is what you taught me."

Satisfied with his pupil’s humility, Lin Yingjiu nodded and continued.

"As the saying goes: ‘The heavens possess divine energy, while mountains and rivers hold a spiritual essence. Bones are the remnants of life, yet they lack a soul. A disturbed corpse brings calamity to descendants.’ When a corpse turns into a Yin Corpse, its family is doomed to misfortune—at best, financial ruin; at worst, death, divorce, and devastation."

Hearing this, Ah Sen recalled the Deng family’s gradual decline over the years—the constant accidents, the bad luck. What once seemed like typical family troubles now appeared deeply tied to his ancestor. He quickly turned to Lin Yingjiu, pleading, "Master Lin, you must save our Deng family!"

"Don’t worry. The situation hasn’t reached its worst yet," Lin Yingjiu reassured him, briefly glancing at the auctioned corpse.

Examining the hair and nails, he confirmed, "Ah Hao wasn’t entirely wrong. Yin Corpses do fall into two categories: Dry Corpses, drained of moisture and dangerous to lives, and Wet Corpses, nourished by malevolent energy. This one, with its intact hair and growing nails, is undoubtedly a Wet Corpse, drawing prosperity from its descendants to sustain itself. Eventually, though…"

"Eventually what?" Ah Sen asked, his voice trembling.

"Eventually, it transforms into a Jiangshi," Ah Hao interjected, mimicking a hopping motion.

"You mean a zombie?"

"A zombie? What’s that? A new type of Jiangshi?" Ah Hao looked to his master, confused.

"Don’t look at me. I’ve never heard of zombies either," Lin Yingjiu replied.

Seeing their puzzled faces, Ah Sen explained, "Master Lin, zombies are monsters from Western horror and sci-fi stories. They’re reanimated corpses infected by some virus or mutation. They walk upright but behave erratically, losing all reason. They attack humans and animals, spreading the infection endlessly. Zombies form hordes, destroying everything in their path."

After a pause, he added, "The word ‘zombie’ is said to originate from Haitian Vodou culture, where sorcerers reanimate the dead, calling them Zombies."

"Hmm… from your description, they do resemble legends of Green Jiangshi," Lin Yingjiu mused thoughtfully.

"But remember, zombies are fictional, while Jiangshi are real. My Maoshan ancestors documented encounters with Jiangshi as recently as the early 20th century. Unfortunately, as the spiritual world declined, sightings dwindled. Your ancestor’s situation led me to suspect a Yin Corpse might be involved, and that’s why I came here. I never expected to find an untransformed Yin Corpse in London."

Looking at the corpse on stage, Lin Yingjiu sighed.

"Master Lin, this is no time for admiration," Ah Sen said, nearly in tears.

"My ancestor’s body being auctioned is bad enough, but to top it off, he’s a Yin Corpse!"

"Rest assured, preventing its transformation isn’t too difficult. Once we acquire the body, we can reinter it properly or cremate it. That will stop the corpse from progressing further and restore balance to your family’s fortune."

---

(End of Chapter)