The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 131 - 108 Cold Clothes Festival

Chapter 131: Chapter 108 Cold Clothes Festival

Sigh~

In the cave, torches blazed fiercely.

"It’s here."

Lv San pointed ahead, his voice muffled.

Li Yan followed the direction he pointed and saw two mounds of earth, one large and one small, buried in the center of the cave, without any tombstones, quite rudimentary.

This cave was on the cliff of East Mountain and hidden in a location that they couldn’t have found without Lv San’s guidance.

Li Yan nodded, stepped forward respectfully with clasped fists and bowed. After lighting incense and burning some paper money, he turned and walked to the corner of the cave with the torch.

With a shine of the torch, traces of human excavation appeared above.

"It’s a cliff tomb!"

Wang Daoxuan’s eyes lit up, as he stroked his beard, "The poor Daoist found it strange that upon entering this cave there was a flow of qi, without the air of decay and gloom."

"It is likely some rich family began the excavation and then abandoned it due to some sudden mishap. I didn’t expect Brother Lv to also be skilled in Fengshui and geomancy."

Lv San shook his head, "I don’t understand Fengshui, I only came here because birds told me about this place."

"Then there’s no mistake."

Wang Daoxuan smiled, "This is where the local qi converges, and since it was opened without sealing off the earth, qi and life force communicate, naturally it’s a good spot."

Saying so, he looked around and nodded, "Indeed, this auspicious burial site is the best I could find around here."

Li Yan also highly agreed, "Let’s follow the Daoist’s words."

The Wu family was completely gone, and the reason he transported the coffin for thousands of miles was to fulfill a previous promise.

This cliff tomb, normally a privilege of the affluent, required significant costs both to find the auspice point and for the craftsmen to excavate.

Burying them here wouldn’t disgrace Old Wu.

Just as the two were preparing to leave, the usually silent Lv San suddenly spoke, "Daoist, I would like to ask if more people can be buried here?"

Wang Daoxuan was slightly startled but understood his meaning and sighed, "Of course, this tomb is not small and could serve as a family burial ground."

"However, to speak plainly, the desecration of the Wu family’s ancestral graves and exposure of the ancestors’ remains in sunlight, burying them here might not alleviate that."

Lv San seemed not to care, nodding and speaking in a low voice, "That will do, I’ll gather the remains."

With that, he left the cave, climbing up the mountain using the rope, not speaking to the others, and quickly left alone.

Watching his departing figure, Li Yan was somewhat speechless, "That boy’s head, is probably a bit off."

Wang Daoxuan sighed, "He’s a bit like a dog."

Li Yan laughed, "Daoist, even though he is difficult to deal with, there’s no need for name-calling."

"One who seeks revenge alone is called brave, not forgetting old favors is called righteous, I actually admire him."

"How could the poor Daoist curse someone?"

Wang Daoxuan shook his head, "When the poor Daoist was traveling in Qi and Lu, I saw a village destroyed because the earth dragon turned, all the villagers moved away, only an old dog stayed, later to guard his master’s bones, and was killed by other wild dogs."

"Local people called it a loyal dog and built a temple to commemorate it."

"He’s really like that boy..."

...

Night, in the abandoned temple of Wu Family Gully.

"Gentlemen, it might be tough."

Wang Daoxuan spoke gravely, "The situation is like this, I intended to spend some silver to hire people from Fengyang County, but it seems this matter can’t be handled openly."

"We’ll follow the Daoist’s lead!"

The leader of the porters, Yue Scar, cursed, "Forcing the whole village to leave their homes and even digging up our ancestral graves, I’ve never seen such vile acts."

"Whatever arrangement you have, Daoist, just say it. We may not be skilled, but we are strong enough."

Wang Daoxuan nodded and clasped his hands, "Gentlemanly and righteous!"

"Old Wu had once saved my life, though it’s urgent and we can’t have a grand funeral, the necessary rituals must still be observed, this is also a bit of my sincerity."

"Tomorrow, the first day of October is Cold Clothes Festival, appropriate for offerings but not burial, and everyone will be ascending the mountains to burn cold clothes, which could be problematic, so the burial is set for the second of October, very suitable for breaking ground and burial."

"Brother Sha."

"Yes."

"It troubles you to take another trip to Fengyang County tomorrow, to buy bamboo sticks, white paper, fire paper, paper effigies, and a Soul Summoning Banner, which I will personally make to avoid suspicion, and also incense and paper ingots, you may have to make several trips."

"Alright, leave it to me."

"Brother Yue, tomorrow you and Brother Yan go up the mountain, the ropes for lowering the coffin, and the soil and stones for sealing it must be prepared in advance to avoid missing the hour..."

Wang Daoxuan often handled funerals and was extremely proficient in these matters, quickly organizing everything neatly.

As they would be busy all day tomorrow, everyone went to bed early. Li Yan had not slept for two days and quickly fell into sleep after a brief Storing God.

On the southwest mountain, at the Wu family ancestral graves.

Under the moonlight, the sound of digging continued.

Lv San bent over, picking up bones, sweat dripping from his forehead, and he muttered to himself:

"Old Mr. Wu, it was your kind heart that wanted to adopt me as your grandson, although Big Brother Wu didn’t allow it, your intention I still remember..."

"Old Lady Liu, you spoke harshly, but the cotton clothes you sent in winter were warm, it was my first time wearing new clothes..."

"Brother Wu San, you died early, but I heard when the village ruffians bullied me and my master, you stood up for us..."

"Uncle Wu Liu, you really are a rascal, always tricking me to play..."

"Everyone’s gone, the home is gone, only I am left..."

...

Cold Clothes Festival, also known as "Ghost Festival," "Autumn Sacrifice," along with Qingming and Ghost Festival, forms the three major ghost festivals.

This day is the first of October, the first day after entering the cold winter.

In ancient times, on this day, women prepared warm clothes in advance to send to their distant relatives serving at borders or performing labor duties, called cold clothing.