Chapter 83: Joyful Wedding, Mourning Cry 14
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While the members of the production team and the audience were enjoying the leisurely moment in the natural scenery, there were also people taking action in places not visible to others.
After the official in charge confirmed that the local situation in Family Tomb Village was indeed as Yang Tu had described, with the Yang clan having control from top to bottom, he immediately applied for provincial-level authorization from his superiors, preparing to cross levels for management.
His superiors questioned whether it was necessary to make such a big fuss over just a suicide by hanging. Cross-level intervention was usually reserved for serious cases with existing evidence, as mishandling the situation could lead to local discontent and even affect their own prospects.
However, the official in charge did not hesitate and gave a firm answer.
“I know this might offend people, but the department I work for doesn’t fear even ghosts, so why should we fear people? The Special Department deals with special cases that no one else can handle, so let us handle it.”
The official in charge had a serious expression as he continued, “I’ve faced life and death so many times; what’s my life worth anyway?”
“And I have a premonition that if we don’t intervene, this matter will only get worse. By the time we realize it, it may be beyond control. While Bian Que* is skilled in medicine, he can’t cure a disease that has already progressed.”
Note: Bian Que refers to a famous skilled doctor in Chinese history.
The official in charge spoke with determination, not hiding his resolve at all. “Right now, we’ve only seen one body, and we believe it to be a suicide. But what if it’s not? What if there’s more than just one body? If the local authorities don’t manage this, then during the years when the Yang clan has been in control of the area, have similar incidents occurred? How were those incidents handled? Were there any innocent deaths, souls turned into ghosts, denied justice in the process?”
“Please understand, I work in this department, and for decades, I’ve seen too many restless spirits and malevolent ghosts. They say that hospitals are where human nature is tested the most, and the same goes for my line of work. Those who become ghosts after death often carry lingering attachment and resentment. Each and every one of these cases is a reflection of human failings in the mortal realm.”
The official in charge appeared somewhat sorrowful. “I once heard a sir named Yan Shixun say, ‘Justice should be dispensed in the mortal realm, not the netherworld.’ He said that if every matter in the mortal realm received justice, there might be fewer lingering spirits in our world. I want justice to come from the mortal realm, I want fewer wronged souls, to be even fewer.”
The other side remained silent for a while, heaved a long sigh, and no longer opposed it. They approved the operational orders.
However, before setting off for Family Tomb Village, the official in charge took advantage of the pre-operation coordination time to visit the Haiyun Temple.
Although it was already autumn, the temperature in Binhai City remained high, and the bright sun was causing the trees in the Taoist temple to appear somewhat dried out. Even in the shade, there was a bright glimmer, and everywhere was filled with light.
When the official in charge entered the Haiyun Taoist Temple, the old Taoist was taking a nap.
The old Taoist, disturbed from his nap, had a dark expression and looked like he was about to attack any moment.
The official quickly explained his purpose and provided the old Taoist with a detailed account of the situation in Family Tomb Village.
The old Taoist hesitated for a moment, picking up the nearby ceremonial sword before putting it back in place. “Family Tomb Village? Has this name been changed?”
The official, relieved that the old Taoist had abandoned the idea of violence, asked with curiosity, “This village was called Wangzi Village decades ago but changed its name later. However, how did you know that Family Tomb Village had changed its name? Is it because of the word ‘Tomb’? But there are many place names with ‘Tomb’ in them.”
Upon hearing the village’s name, the old Taoist frowned and began calculating something in his mind.
“Family Tomb Village, ‘family’ on a ‘tomb’ ‘descendants’ in a ‘tomb.’ How could that be good? Have you seen any aristocrats burying their dead in an unfavorable Feng Shui location? Other places with ‘Tomb’ in their names, like Princess Tomb or General Tomb may contain the word ‘Tomb,’ but the prestigious title directly suppresses the negative connotations of the ‘Tomb.’ Those places were genuinely associated with princesses, generals, and the like in the past and have continued to be called that way, already harmonizing with the local terrain. Besides, have you ever seen any influential figure buried in an unfavorable Feng Shui location?”
The old Taoist let out a snort and said, “But this name is wrong. It carries too much negative energy, and it has already departed from the realm of humans, leaning toward the ghostly side. If you say this name hasn’t been changed before, that would be strange.”
“However, it used to be called Wangzi Village, and now it’s changed to Family Tomb Village… It’s gone from being human to becoming like a ghost.”
The old Taoist didn’t display the same fiery temper as when the official in charge saw him before. Instead, he appeared somewhat puzzled, repeatedly pinching his fingers, muttering something under his breath.
The official in charge was perplexed, “Taoist Li, when the production team was choosing the location for this episode a few days ago, we also mentioned Family Tomb Village to Haiyun Temple. But at that time, Taoist Song didn’t think there was any problem.”
With a sudden squeeze of his hand in calculation, the old Taoist immediately became calm, shouted loudly with full breath, “Song Yi, come over here!”
This shout was so powerful that it seemed as if a high-powered amplifier had been used. Almost everyone in the quite spacious Haiyun Temple could hear it. The official in charge, sitting across from the old Taoist, even felt his ears buzzing, as if he were at a concert sitting next to a loudspeaker.
Song Yi, who had been called out by his full name by his master, immediately jumped out of bed from his nap, hurriedly put on his shoes, and rushed over. When he entered the room, he hadn’t even had time to straighten out his clothes.
“Master?”
Although Taoist Song Yi, a middle-aged man, had a high standing both inside and outside of Haiyun Temple, and many dignitaries and nobles vied to invite him to perform rituals at their homes, they had to wait in line for his availability. However, in front of his master, he still felt anxious like a child who had just entered school.
At that moment, when Taoist Song Yi, who had just poked his head in, heard the stern snort from the old Taoist, he froze in place, his mind racing to figure out what he had done wrong.
“I’m asking you, did you calculate the location for Gou Dan’s disciple’s show before it started?” The old Taoist furrowed his brows and had an imposing posture that suggested he might grab the sword next to him and charge over if Taoist Song Yi gave a wrong answer.
Taoist Song hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. “The destination was Family Tomb Village. Although the village name is quite yin, it’s believed that things tend to reverse when they reach the extreme, which should ensure safety for the production team. The divination also showed favorable signs, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
The old Taoist immediately followed up with another question, “Do you know if this village changed its name? Its previous name was Wangzi Village.”
“Ah?” Taoist Song looked somewhat bewildered and instinctively glanced at the official in charge beside him. “Director Zhang Wubing didn’t mention this to me, and I haven’t heard anyone from the production team talk about it… It changed its name?”
The old Taoist couldn’t contain his frustration and scolded, “Your divination skills are utterly useless! Just like your disciple! You can’t even figure out that the village changed its name? Don’t mention me as your master when you go out in the future; I find it embarrassing.”
Taoist Song hung his head in shame, silently standing by the door without uttering a word.
However, he couldn’t help but exclaim with a surprised tone.
“This divination… it’s…”
The official in charge hurriedly asked, “Is there a problem?”
Taoist Song didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he furrowed his brows, muttered something under his breath, and hesitated for a while. Then he looked at the old Taoist and said, “My divination skills are not up to par. I can only see a chaotic situation, as if our vision is obscured by mist.”
“No indication of good or bad,” the old Taoist added calmly. “This time, it’s not your fault, but the divination reveals an ambiguous situation.”
The official in charge had been dealing with Haiyun Temple for many years since he was a young man, and he was well aware of the abilities of the Taoist masters at the temple. He rarely witnessed a situation where the old Taoist couldn’t interpret a divination.
Hearing this, he anxiously recounted the discovery of the hanging corpse in Family Tomb Village and explained his department’s concerns and plans regarding the incident.
The official in charge inquired, “Taoist Li, due to the unusual circumstances of this operation, I came here to find out if there are any supernatural elements involved in the Family Tomb Village incident. Should we be concerned about it, or is it a straightforward case of suicide that doesn’t require our department’s attention?”
It was only at this moment that the old Taoist learned about the unexpected situation the TV program crew had encountered. He turned his questioning gaze to Taoist Song Yi.
Taoist Song tensed up, and he said involuntarily, “Before the program’s departure, I conducted a divination, and the divination indicated no issues. Additionally, because I had my disciple accompanied them, Haiyun Temple didn’t assign anyone specifically to watch the program…..”
The old Taoist let out a deep hum, cutting off Taoist Song before he could finish his sentence, which startled him.
“You’re just like your disciple, lacking in diligence with his studies and not paying attention to everyday matters,” the old Taoist master scolded Taoist Song Yi. “I really wonder how you picked such a disciple. I’m tempted to pick one myself; anyone would be better than you!”
Taoist Song Yi, aware of his shortcomings, retreated in embarrassment to the side.
After quickly reviewing the documents and screenshots in the hands of the official in charge, the old Taoist contemplated for a while and decided to have Taoist Song Yi accompany him on the trip.
Although nothing could be discerned from the pictures alone, and divination readings were hazy, there should be no problem according to common sense.
However, the old Taoist held a deep reverence for the unpredictability of the heavens and the earth. He knew that all things were cyclical, with nothing set in stone, only constant change. Even though the chaotic divination symbols prevented him from accurately determining the specific situation in Family Tomb Village, the mere change in the village’s name from yang to yin was enough to pique his interest.
So, the official in charge, Taoist Song Yi, and the old Taoist left Haiyun Temple together to handle the situation of the hanged corpse in the mountains surrounding Family Tomb Village.
Before departing, the middle-aged Taoist Song Yi was pulled aside by the old Taoist, who offered stern advice and urged him to be more careful in observing the situation in Family Tomb Village, warning him not to be careless.
“Don’t be like your disciple, whose eyes are as useful as decorations. Even though he also went along, but why didn’t he notice anything? When he returns, double his workload.”
The old Taoist appeared as though he wanted to scold Taoist Song Yi thoroughly, to make him more aware of his responsibilities. However, he spared Taoist Song Yi from a harsher reprimand because others were present, to save him some face.
Taoist Song Yi: Lu, Xing, Xing! Master has suffered enough because of you.
……
The official in charge’s massive cross-level operation was carried out without any leaks.
Whether online or in real life, everything was peaceful, and the audience was still enjoying the relaxation brought by the show.
For instance, the popular variety show Vlogger, Brother Goose, finally realized the original meaning of his earliest made username – being able to watch the show while having lunch.
Brother Goose lowered his head to look at the rice in his bowl, then glanced at the screen where the guests were curiously and laboriously searching for ingredients in the mountains. He was so moved that he almost cried.
@AFanofBrotherYanBrotherGoose: Who still remembers that I used to be called ‘LiketoWatchVarietyShowWhileEatingBrotherGoose’? Since watching this show, I’ve turned into Brother Goose who gets scared and can’t sleep, Brother Goose who curls up into a ball, and Brother Goose who’s too afraid to get up to go to the bathroom. Sigh, it’s really touching! Today, I finally gathered the courage to watch this variety show for a good meal!
Brother Goose’s post prompted his fans to tease him mercilessly, calling him a scaredy-cat.
However, some of them, while teasing, also admitted they were scared.
“To be honest, before watching a few episodes of this show, I couldn’t eat either… I had to hide under the blanket to watch, let alone watching it while eating. Can it really help with weight loss?”
“Yeah, I’m the same. When I watch this show during meals, I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat a single grain of rice.”
“I was shivering after watching the first episode with Gui Mountain. I couldn’t eat meat for several days, and I even refrained from my favorite grape juice for a while because it looked like blood.”
“…I was just making fun of it earlier, and now I see this scaredy-cat. Oh, it turns out it’s me.”
The audience of this show also felt relieved. They finally saw the relaxation and travel journey mentioned in the show’s introduction. They didn’t pay much attention to it before, but after experiencing the thrilling first two episodes, they realized how precious this slow pace was.
The guests also had a rare and enjoyable experience as they hiked to the base of Moon Mountain with Yang Tu, listening to him introduce the plants and wild fruits they encountered along the way and telling them where to find firewood for cooking.
As An Nanyuan turned around, he saw the entire view of the Family Tomb Village from top to bottom.
The houses in the village were closely packed together until they gradually became sparse as they approached the Moon Creek. It seemed that the key area in the village was far away from the Moon Creek.
When An Nanyuan asked curiously, although Yang Tu was from Jia Village, he knew a lot about Family Tomb Village. He pointed to the densely populated area below and said, “Because the ancestral hall is over there, so the people with high status in the village, like the clan leader and the elders, all live closer to the ancestral hall. People like Yang Yun here are considered to be ‘exiled to the border.'”
An Nanyuan was puzzled, “Isn’t it better to live closer to the creek? It would be more convenient for fetching water or doing laundry.”
“Moon Creek won’t do.”
Yang Tu shook his head. “People who used to live near Moon Creek had bad luck. They either fell into poverty, met with accidents, or mysteriously fell ill with painful limbs. Moreover, during the summer flood season, Moon Creek easily overflowed, causing problems for those living nearby. My father told me that decades ago, people living near Moon Creek died in such a way.”
An Nanyuan listened in astonishment, repeatedly expressing his amazement.
As the conversation turned to Moonlight Creek, Yang Tu invited the guests to join him in visiting the creek, saying, “Let’s go, I’ll teach you how to catch fish.”
The others cheered and became excited.
However, An Nanyuan hesitated, saying, “Wasn’t Moonlight Creek where people drowned before…”
Yang Tu laughed, “That was all decades ago, what are you afraid of now?”
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