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Chapter 465 Possessed by Evil Spirits, Water and Land Assembly

"Not only that……"

Chen Xu'an swallowed hard, his voice filled with barely suppressed terror:
"His wrinkles have lessened considerably, and he looks several years younger than I remember."

“I almost didn’t recognize him at all, and thought there was a different person in the coffin.”

"The feeling was as if the person lying inside wasn't a corpse at all."

"But it is... a monster undergoing reverse aging while it is asleep!"

Chen Xu'an recounted the bizarre and outlandish events in detail, sending chills down the spines of the listeners.

Bai Ling couldn't help but rub her arms, as if a chill was creeping up her spine, giving her goosebumps all over.

Lin Chuqiao sat across the table, her eyebrows furrowed, lost in thought.

After listening to Chen Xu'an's story, Fang Cheng glanced at Pan Wendi beside him.

When this guy infiltrated the Black Building to investigate, he confidently declared that the corpse in the basement was not breathing and did not resemble a living person at all.

Pan Wendi noticed his gaze, gave an awkward smile, shrugged, and mouthed silently, "How would I know?"

Fang Cheng silently withdrew his gaze and stared at Chen Xu'an, whose face was deathly pale:

"So, you believe that the corpse lying in the coffin suddenly came back to life and killed the Chen family and other outsiders?"

"When things go wrong, there must be a monster."

Chen Xu'an exhaled a breath of stale air and said in a deep voice:
"Although I did not witness the murder firsthand, the only abnormal building in the entire Chen family manor is that black building."

"If it's not that corpse causing the trouble, what else could it be?!"

"That's right!"

Bai Ling nodded vigorously, clearly convinced by Chen Xu'an's description.

Fang Cheng did not immediately express his opinion.

Previously, when people were discussing it privately, they had speculated that the murderer was probably someone from the Chen family.

If what Chen Xu'an said is true, it was the old man of the Chen family who was resurrected through a body.

That does explain why the other party could come and go freely in the house, and also explains why the bodies of the victims in the Black Building mysteriously disappeared.

As for whether a corpse that has been dead for three years can rise from its coffin and commit murder...

Having witnessed the existence of a ghoul king like Jiang Chen, this kind of thing wasn't strange to Fang Cheng.

The only thing that puzzled him was how those silent, deadly spells were actually cast.

Imagine a zombie sitting in a coffin, casting a spell on someone from afar—it just doesn't feel right.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered to himself.

Perhaps there's another accomplice hiding behind this?
Furthermore, why would the old man of the Chen family commit such a heinous act against his own relatives?

Could it be that after lying in the coffin for three years, he completely lost his mind and turned into a monster that only knows how to kill?

"Mr. Chen."

After pondering for a long time, Lin Chuqiao broke the silence in the lounge:

"Didn't you tell the rest of the Chen family about this? What was their reaction?"

"I said that."

A hint of helplessness appeared on Chen Xu'an's face:

"After I ran out of the dark building, I immediately told my grandmother what I had seen."

"But she didn't seem surprised at all, and just said calmly that this is a normal phenomenon of the Chen family's bloodline ability."

"She also said that my grandfather was exceptionally gifted, so his appearance was preserved after his death. She told me not to be alarmed and that once the period of mourning was over, he would be moved to a secret burial site for a proper burial."

"The Chen family's bloodline ability?"

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow, keenly grasping this crucial information.

Chen Xu'an hesitated for a moment, seemingly weighing whether or not he should speak.

In the end, he sighed and, in order to find out the truth as soon as possible and resolve the family crisis, chose to tell the truth:

"Besides the 'Spiritual Eye' that we, the Chen family, possess bloodline abilities that are publicly known, we actually have another characteristic that few people know about, called 'Solidification'."

"When this ability is activated, the body's hardness can become as indestructible as jade in a short period of time."

"Moreover, this characteristic even affects the body after death, making the corpses of our people decompose much more slowly than those of ordinary people."

"But... but even if it's slow, it's impossible for it to grow backwards like that, which defies common sense."

"This is no longer strange, it's terrifying!"

As he spoke, Chen Xu'an's voice suddenly rose, and he became agitated again, clenching his fists.

"I even suspect that the person lying in the coffin isn't my grandfather at all!"

Lin Chuqiao ignored his excited behavior, instead lowering her eyes and gently tracing the table with her slender fingers, as if sorting through a jumble of information.

After a moment, she raised her head and slowly spoke:
"As far as I know, there are only two kinds of monsters in this world that can achieve something like 'resurrection' and 'reverse aging' after death—ghouls and vampires."

"Coincidentally, both of these monsters like to feed on human flesh and blood to replenish their energy."

"The more blood they consume, the younger their bodies appear, and the greater their strength becomes."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an was taken aback.

"You mean... my grandfather mutated into one of those man-eating monsters?"

His mouth was slightly open, his eyes wide, clearly in disbelief.

"Yes."

Lin Chuqiao nodded slightly, her tone unchanged:

"Although the mental state of members of aristocratic families is more stable than that of ordinary superhumans, it is not entirely impossible for them to mutate into monsters."

"However, this situation is rare and usually only occurs during periods when the family line is broken or the family is in decline."

She paused, then decided to be blunt:
"Because of the lack of purification from the inheritance secret realm, the negative consciousness and power accumulated over a long period of time could not be channeled, which eventually caused the members of the aristocratic family to go insane, become completely crazy, and turn into monsters who only know how to kill."

Fang Cheng's heart stirred upon hearing this.

Suddenly, I remembered that I had talked with Cheng Jiashu about aristocratic families and mutations in the "chat room".

What Lin Chuqiao said was almost identical to Cheng Jiashu's viewpoint.

Looking at Chen Xu'an's solemn expression, Lin Chuqiao's eyes flickered, and she continued:
"As far as I know, your Chen family has only been established for a little over a hundred years and is at its peak. Logically speaking, this situation should not have occurred."

"Unless... something has happened to your family's ancestral secret realm, causing its purification ability to weaken or fail..."

At this point, she deliberately paused, staring intently at Chen Xu'an, observing his reaction.

Seeing that Chen Xu'an's expression tightened, he then changed the subject and softened his tone:
"Of course, there is another possibility."

"Based on your grandmother's previous nightmares, we might be able to infer that your grandfather had suffered some kind of vicious mental attack before his death, which led to his sudden illness and death."

"Moreover, he did not find peace even after death. That evil force took advantage of his vulnerability, devoured his original soul, and usurped his place."

"In other words, the 'he' who is now lying in the coffin and able to move is just a shell being possessed and used by an evil spirit!"

"Possessed by an evil spirit?!"

Chen Xu'an's face turned even paler. This explanation was even more terrifying to him than the fact that his grandfather had turned into a monster.

Monsters might have mutated due to bloodline issues.

Possession by an evil spirit clearly means that a hidden, powerful enemy is watching the Chen family and plotting to harm its members step by step.

Pan Wendi and Bai Ling were equally stunned as they listened.

They clearly didn't expect things to take an even more terrifying and dangerous turn.

Fang Cheng's face remained calm, but many thoughts flashed through his mind.

Clues to the strange events surrounding the Chen family are slowly coming together, and the truth seems to be gradually emerging.

Lin Chuqiao's gaze swept over everyone, and she continued clearly:

"The cause of this incident is that the Chen family was suspected of being harmed by sorcerers. Among the sorcerer schools in Southeast Asia, there is a very special sect called 'spirit sorcery'."

“Unlike traditional ‘medicine spells’ and ‘poison spells’, the practitioners of ‘spirit spells’ focus on cultivating their own spiritual power.”

“A basic form of ‘spirit possession’ can use one’s willpower to remotely influence the victim’s emotions, causing them to hallucinate and lose their mind.”

"And a Spirit Summoner who has cultivated to a higher level can even separate their soul from their body, silently infiltrate the dreams of others, cast spells, and kill people invisibly."

"There's even more."

She paused, then added, emphasizing her words:
“There is a kind of evil magic called ‘Flying Head Curse’. Once mastered, the sorcerer’s head can detach from the body at night, fly on its own, and suck the life essence of living people.”

"And their souls, because of their long-term practice of evil arts and the consumption of the essence and blood of living people, can exist in the form of spirits for a long time even after their physical bodies die. In some special spiritual realms, they can even maintain their self-awareness for decades."

"What if... the murderer really is such an evil spirit whose consciousness lingers even after death?"

Lin Chuqiao made her guesses, but her tone became increasingly certain:

"Then, many of the doubts in this case of murder by black magic can be explained."

"It is invisible and formless, and can secretly cast spells, causing people to fall victim to it without their knowledge, and leaving no trace afterward."

"It can even influence and manipulate the consciousness of the Chen family members, making someone become its accomplice and provide convenience to it without the person even realizing it!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng felt a sudden sense of clarity.

Lin Chuqiao's deduction is undoubtedly the closest to the truth.

Perhaps, the uncle and professor traveled all the way to Tiannan Province to track down this elusive, ghost-like enemy.

Because the other party has no physical form, it has always been hiding in some unknown spiritual realm.

Therefore, they also chose to hide in the shadows, observe the situation, and wait for the turmoil in the Chen family to reach its peak and for the enemy to reveal their true colors.

If this is the case……

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow, looked up at Chen Xu'an who was also deep in thought, and said:

"Young Master Chen, we can believe your story for now. Now that the murderer's whereabouts have been revealed, how do you plan to handle this matter?"

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at Chen Xu'an.

After all, the haunting corpse was the former head of the Chen family and Chen Xu'an's grandfather, so outsiders shouldn't interfere directly.

Ultimately, it is up to the man in front of us, the current acting head of the Chen family, to make the decision.

Chen Xu'an's expression changed several times, from shock to fear, and then to anger.

In the end, all the emotions transformed into a resolute and ruthless determination.

"I want to burn it and end it all!"

He raised his head and said, word by word:

"I believe that the thing lying in the coffin is no longer my grandfather!"

"Because, if he were still my grandfather, he would never have lost his mind and treated his own family so cruelly!"

As he spoke, Chen Xu'an was almost gritting his teeth, with a hint of anger burning in his eyes.

Lin Chuqiao turned her head, glanced at Fang Cheng who seemed to be deep in thought, and then took the initiative to speak:
“Mr. Chen, as the investigators in this case, we have an obligation to thoroughly investigate the truth. If you need our help, we will do our best to assist you.”

"Thank you everyone!"

Chen Xu'an seemed to have found his pillar of support, and his spirits lifted:
"According to Miss Chu, the spirit possessing my grandfather is an extremely ferocious evil spirit. We, the Chen family, probably can't handle it with the remaining members."

"With the help of all these experts, I am confident that everything will go smoothly!"

After the morning's incident involving acupuncture and divination, the Chen family is severely lacking in available resources.

The addition of Fang Cheng and others is nothing short of a powerful new force.

"Then let's leave now?"

Bai Ling was already impatient and wanted to get rid of this sinister and terrifying pervert as soon as possible.

"That's right!"

Pan Wendi also got excited and slapped his thigh:
"It's noon now, the time when the yang energy is at its peak."

"All the movies I've watched say that vampires and zombies are most afraid of sunlight. We should strike while the iron is hot and kill them!"

"Please don't rush, everyone."

Chen Xu'an shook his head and said solemnly:

"Before that, I need to go to Cuicheng Temple to invite the eminent monks there to prepare a Water and Land Dharma Assembly for my grandfather."

He paused, his eyes suddenly sharpening, and his right hand clenched into a fist.

"It's both to help his soul find peace and to... suppress that evil spirit!"

....................................

The setting sun casts its rays.

The golden afterglow filtered through the dense treetops of the Chen Family Manor, casting dappled shadows on the neatly trimmed lawn.

In the backyard of the manor, a spacious open space, the originally tranquil atmosphere was replaced by a solemn and dignified one.

A dozen servants in gray uniforms bustled about, setting up a temporary altar according to Chen Xu'an's instructions.

The incense table, offerings, prayer flags, and soul-guiding banners were all placed in their positions.

The air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, mixed with the smell of ashes left after the paper money had burned.

Before the Dharma assembly officially began, the sounds of bells and cymbals being tested could be heard from all around, clanging and jingling.

Chen Xu'an personally supervised from the side, occasionally talking with an old monk wearing a kasaya and with a solemn appearance.

The old monk, with white hair and a youthful face, held a nine-ringed staff. He was a highly respected monk specially invited from Cuicheng Temple, whose Dharma name was "Yuanjue".

From rushing from the hospital to Cuicheng Temple in the suburbs, and then to inviting the eminent monk back to the manor to hold a Dharma assembly.

The round trip, plus the preparations for the ceremony, took until after 4 p.m.

Fang Cheng, Lin Chuqiao, Pan Wendi, and Bai Ling stood aside, watching the commotion.

In front of the altar, the large black lacquered coffin that Pan Wendi had previously discovered in the basement was now being carried out by four strong servants and placed in broad daylight.

The coffin lid had been opened, revealing the "corpse" inside, which was being exposed to the scorching sun.

(End of this chapter)