Chapter 6, Resurrection

"Did you hear her wailing? It sounds very much like a cat, doesn't it? It seems she has been possessed by some kind of cat spirit. We should go back and search carefully to see if there is a black cat near the coffin," said Old Man Li.

Liu Shisan let out a cold laugh twice and instructed, "You stay here and keep watch; I will go take a look." After saying this, he leaped into the air, and the previously staggering appearance vanished, his figure floating away in a graceful manner, swaying and then disappearing from sight

Now, Madam Liao has been dead for more than ten days. In this area, burial is permitted in the mountains. After a period of discussion, the villagers have finally reached a consensus, and tomorrow they will carry her to a nearby mountain for burial

At that moment, a long, mournful cry echoed from the village, resembling that of a cat yet not quite a cat, sounding particularly eerie and terrifying in the dead of night. The lights in the villagers' homes gradually flickered on, and people rushed towards the home of Old Man Li by the mountainside.

"It is a kind of demonic aura, with a hint of cat's musk," Liu Shisan said with a chuckle

Professor Sun, with a blank expression, lifted the coffin lid. A faint beam of moonlight fell upon the heavily wrinkled face of Liao Shenpo, revealing the terror she experienced before her death. The coffin emitted a strong scent of Sichuan pepper, a local practice to prevent the decay and spoilage of corpses. Sprinkling Sichuan pepper also serves to eliminate the negative energy associated with the deceased.

Li Er Ya wandered around during this time, and finally stopped in front of a new grave, collapsing onto the mound and remaining motionless.

He crouched down, using the moonlight to clearly see the inscription on the tombstone: "Tomb of my beloved father, Li Jizu," with the signature "Daughter Li Erya erected," dated one month ago

As Liang Zheng was contemplating whether to follow, another figure appeared in his line of sight. Under the moonlight, the lenses on that person's face reflected a faint glow, revealing Professor Sun Yifeng, who had taken leave to go out. He was quietly trailing behind Li Erya.

Liu Shisan pondered for a moment and said: "Since Sun Yifeng has followed us here, it seems that there must be something unusual about this tomb"

Yang shook his head

She pressed her ear against the door and listened, then tried to push the door with her hand, but it was already bolted from the inside. Seeing that she could not enter through the door, she slipped along the wall to the window, gently pulled it open, and with a twist of her body, she slipped inside, as agile as a cat.

***

Local people are aware that when a person dies and the coffin is still, if a black cat jumps over the corpse, it will cause a "resurrection".

Suddenly, several dogs sprang out from behind the houses on both sides, barking furiously. Professor Sun immediately made a peculiar gesture, and those local dogs obediently fell silent.

As the noise gradually faded away, Bai Shu felt no trace of drowsiness beneath the cypress tree; he opened his right eye wide and stared at the village below.

He stood up and followed far behind.

Hurry and bring some firewood to burn this old woman quickly, to prevent her from resurrecting again, shouted Old Man Li, as someone swiftly brought over some dry branches and firewood

Those native dogs are the natural enemies of cats; they pull and bite with fearless determination. Liao Shenpo fell to the ground, convulsed a couple of times, and then lay still.

Upon returning to the Purple Cypress Forest, I did not see your figure; the backpack remained. Knowing that something must have happened, I set out to search for you. What exactly is going on

He stepped forward and nudged Li Er Ya, trying to wake her up. However, no matter how he shook her, she remained unresponsive. With no other option, he sat down beside her. It did not seem right to leave her alone, after all, having followed the old monk for several years in the Buddhist community, he understood the importance of helping those in need and doing good deeds

After crossing the mountain pass, a graveyard appeared ahead, with disordered mounds scattered among the weeds. At a glance, there were at least several hundred graves, with tombstones leaning haphazardly, appearing eerie and terrifying under the moonlight

"She is not suffering from somnambulism; she has been tampered with. Let me take a look," Liu Shisan said with a cold smile as he leaned down, sniffing her face closely, and then added, "She has been angered."

Liang has recounted his observations.

Madam Liao, enveloped in the scent of Sichuan pepper, fled towards the outskirts of the village, while the villagers pursued her relentlessly from behind. However, they could not keep up with her nimble steps, and the distance between them continued to widen.

Back in the Li family's courtyard, a keen-eyed individual discovered a black dead kitten inside the coffin. Strangely, two silver needles were inserted into the kitten's head

He went straight to the entrance of Old Man Li's yard, standing there attentively listening. Once he confirmed that everyone inside was sound asleep, he gently pushed open the fence gate and entered.

"Someone is casting spells in secret..." Old Man Li was taken aback, and then he shivered, turning around to run into the house

At that moment, the first villagers to rush out of their homes saw her, and immediately grabbed hoes, wooden sticks, sickles, and other tools to charge forward, all the while shouting: "It's a zombie, it's a zombie..."

At the moment that terrifying scream rang out, Old Man Li was startled awake and immediately threw on his clothes to go outside. "Er Ya, don't come out!" he shouted.

In the moonlight, the deceased Liao Shenzi stood in the courtyard. Upon seeing Old Man Li come out, she cracked a smile and then exited the courtyard, leisurely running along the village path. Old Man Li and the bookish man grabbed the iron shovel leaning against the door and recklessly chased after her.

This is the home of Old Man Li. Not long ago, his son Li Jizu, who was working in the capital, unfortunately passed away due to a gas leak explosion. Now, only he and his granddaughter remain to tend to the few acres of rapeseed fields, barely making ends meet.

Professor Sun tiptoed to the grave, carefully examining the inscriptions on the stone tablet. He circled around the freshly sprouted green grass on the mound, pondered for a moment, and then retraced his steps back.

Before long, he caught sight of a shadow quietly making its way up the mountain. Judging by the figure, it appeared to be a woman, heading towards another mountain path. In the moonlight, a stir of conscience arose within him, and he clearly recognized that it was Li Er Ya.

You Liang was taken aback, as it turned out that this old blind man possessed such agile skills

At the beginning of the hour of the rat, with the moon bright and stars sparse, a person walked along the narrow path in the village. He had a slender figure, wore a pair of black-framed glasses, and carried a grass-green backpack, on which were embroidered the words "Serve the People" in a cursive style. This person was none other than Professor Sun Yifeng

Before long, a roaring fire was ignited, and the crowd threw the corpse of Liao Shenpo onto it, releasing a foul, charred odor. It was only at this moment that everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief

Li Er Ya was sleeping soundly on the kang, while Liao Shen Po leaned down to examine her carefully for a moment. Then, she opened her mouth and blew air into Er Ya's nostrils. After a short while, she stood up with satisfaction and swiftly darted out of the window, standing in the courtyard, gazing at the bright moon and taking deep breaths of the moonlight.

"The soul of this Liao Shenzi has already been killed by the old beggar at Foyasi, so how could it possibly rise from the dead?" someone questioned

Li Er Ya's somnambulism is quite severe; no matter what, she cannot be awakened

Li Er Ya was no longer seen on the kang in the room filled with books

"Are there any unusual circumstances?" Liu Shisan woke up and asked as he climbed up.

The passage is perplexing and difficult to comprehend.

Gazing at Li Er Ya's beautiful face as she sleeps, I realize that I have not spent time alone with a member of the opposite sex for many years. At this moment, I feel a bit restless, sigh, if only she were here.

Er Ya was anxious for her father, so Old Man Li invited the well-known Liao Shenzi to perform a séance. Unexpectedly, as soon as she began her ritual, Liao Shenzi collapsed and died. The county police came to examine the body and stated that she had died suddenly from a heart attack. Although the incident was not directly related to the Li family, the act of inviting a spirit medium was considered engaging in feudal superstition, and thus they were required to pay for a coffin as a form of punishment. Liao Shenzi was a solitary woman without children or relatives, wandering in the Liuba area for many years, without even a fixed residence. Although the incident was not directly related to the Li family, the act of inviting a spirit medium was considered engaging in feudal superstition, and thus they were required to pay for a coffin as a form of punishment. Liao Shenzi was a solitary woman without children or relatives, wandering in the Liuba area for many years, without even a fixed residence

In the midst of my wandering thoughts, I suddenly caught sight of a shadow under the moonlight swiftly approaching this way. In a moment, it arrived before me; it turned out to be Liu Shisan.

Professor Sun opened his backpack and pulled out a trembling black kitten, holding several silver needles in his hand. He first inserted two needles into the kitten's head, then pierced the remaining needles into the left and right ghost caves and the ghost palace acupoint of Liao Shenpo. The last long needle was inserted into the ghost hiding acupoint at the perineum, and then he tossed the unconscious little black cat into the coffin, gently closing the coffin lid.

In the valley, a cool breeze gently blows, and Liang, leaning against the cypress tree, cannot help but tighten his clothes, mustering his spirit to gaze intently at the small village below the mountain

Liang was quietly observing from the woods, thinking that so many tombs must belong to the ancestral graves of the Li family. He wondered what she was doing here

Under the moonlight, Professor Sun revealed a faintly eerie smile before turning and leaving

After he walked far away, Liang Zuan emerged from the woods and went straight to the grave, where Li Er Ya was lying there fast asleep, emitting even breaths.

At this moment, most of the villagers in Lijiagou have fallen into a deep sleep. In the courtyard of a family close to the mountains, a cypress coffin is parked, appearing somewhat eerie under the moonlight. The village children, having heard that it contains the ugly Liao Shenzi, are too frightened to venture outside as soon as night falls

Master, what brings you here

The night at Zibaishan is cool and tranquil, with a bright moon and sparse stars. The crickets in the grass occasionally chirp a few times, and Liang does not dare to approach too closely, only following at a leisurely pace within sight.

About half an hour later, a faint "creaking" sound emerged from the tranquil courtyard, as the coffin lid slowly moved aside. A withered, pale hand reached out, and then Liao Shenpo sat up and crawled out of the coffin. After glancing around, she headed straight for the main door of the hall.

So this is the grave of Er Ya's father. Why come to pay respects in the middle of the night? Her expression and the way she walks clearly indicate that she is sleepwalking. What could Professor Sun possibly want by coming all the way from Beijing to Li Jiagou? It's hard to fathom. However, being here in this remote mountain at such an hour, it would be troublesome if a wild beast were to come by.

Woof woof ... ... A dozen or so village mutts chased after her, quickly surrounding Liao Shenpo and all pouncing on her to bite.

Logically, given that a sudden incident has just occurred in the village and people are in a state of panic, Li Er Ya, however, appears to be unperturbed as she enters the mountains late at night. Where could she possibly be going?

At this moment, the witch Liao, with disheveled hair and a fierce expression, let out a strange cry of "meow," followed by a series of hissing sounds meant to intimidate.

Li Er Ya appeared dazed, walking with mechanical steps, as if she were in a state of somnambulism