Volume One: The Eight Coffins Corpse Field Chapter 44: The Record of the Haunted House

I reached out to grab that leather-like object, but my third uncle slapped my hand away.

"Be careful! Don't be so reckless. This thing is worth a fortune," he scolded, then personally unfolded the layers of leather.

Only then did I see clearly that there were over a dozen pieces of leather, each covered in writing. They were bound together with string, looking very much like a book.

This must have been something my third uncle acquired recently, as I'd never seen him bring it out before. And knowing his personality, if he'd had such a treasure earlier, he would have boasted about it to me long ago.

"What is this thing? Where did it come from?"

I didn't know exactly what it was, but judging by my third uncle's reaction, it was clearly more enticing to him than half a million in cash.

He flipped to the first page, which looked like a cover, with four characters written in ancient seal script. Though I'd never studied it, I could tell by the shapes that it said "Record of Haunted Houses."

"'Record of Haunted Houses'? So it's a book?" I asked.

He nodded approvingly. "Not bad, you actually recognized it. It's a handwritten record, the cover in seal script, and the inside mixes seal and clerical scripts. My guess is it's been passed down from the Qin or Han dynasties."

I questioned, "But didn't they use bamboo slips back then?"

That stumped him for a moment. He blinked and waved his hand. "Maybe it was originally a bamboo slip, and someone later copied it onto this leather. In any case, it's an ancient book. The era isn't so important—what matters is the content. This leather feels like sheepskin. For us, this sheepskin scroll is a rare treasure."

The scroll seemed specially treated, the leather soft to the touch. My third uncle opened it and began to explain the contents.

The opening of the "Record of Haunted Houses" featured a full-page map, marked with many points. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, some details had been lost to damage.

The following sections listed many examples of haunted houses, ranging from palaces to humble dwellings. It explained the types and causes of hauntings, as well as methods to resolve and purify them. There were even instructions on crafting and using special ritual tools.

My third uncle pointed at the sheepskin scroll. "See? This could be the life's work of an ancient feng shui master—someone who spent his entire life resolving hauntings and recorded each case for future generations to study."

"So, this person is our predecessor?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Our motives are different. This master was likely a noble soul, helping people out of compassion, while we're just in it for the money, to be honest."

"Does the knowledge in this scroll really help with haunted houses? Those cases are centuries old," I said.

He waved his hand. "You don't understand, nephew. Some things improve with time, but feng shui is different. Our ancestors had a deeper grasp of it. These days, who still studies feng shui? Most of the methods here are old, practical techniques, tailored to each kind of haunting. To be honest, I'm a Taoist priest, so I know my rituals, but when it comes to feng shui, I'm self-taught. Simple cases I can handle, but anything more complicated..."

I pointed at him, grumbling, "So you finally admit it. When you convinced me to join your haunted house business, you talked as if you were invincible. Turns out you've been bluffing me all along..."

He replied earnestly, "Nephew, remember what I said? That together, our fates align and we can accomplish great things. Didn't we just make half a million? Now, with this scroll, no haunted house will be too difficult. Study it well and you'll benefit immensely."

"Yeah right, you just like stringing me along. I was worried sick when you pretended to be trapped by the flute. We're a team; couldn't you have warned me first? What if something happened?"

My third uncle's face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, nephew. That was my mistake. It won't happen again."

I shrugged. "You're still my uncle, what can I do? But where did you get this 'Record of Haunted Houses'?"

He smiled mysteriously. "It was quite dramatic. You remember the monkey from the tomb? I found something odd about its corpse. On its back, there was a sewn pocket, bulging as if something was inside. I cut it open, and there it was."

"On the monkey? Was it left by Wu Baozhang?" I asked.

He nodded. "That's most likely. I suspect Wu Baozhang was a famous feng shui master. Otherwise, how could he have found such a dragon-vein site? This book was probably copied by him personally."

I nodded. "So the affair at Tianyou Plaza is over, but I still have questions. That was Wu Baozhang's tomb, but inside the tortoise coffin lay Wu Tianze. Where did Wu Baozhang go? And Wu Tianxiong didn't seem to know feng shui; who taught him to use the black mandrake resurrection and control corpses with a flute?"

My uncle replied, "I've wondered that too. I suspect Wu Baozhang's body was eaten by that tomb monkey."

"What? Eaten by the tomb monkey?"

He nodded. "Is that what it's called?"

"That's what Professor Strange called it," I said.

"Then my guess makes sense. Wu Baozhang was likely a feng shui master, skilled at gathering and replenishing vital energy. After his death, his corpse became the monkey's food. But Wu Baozhang must have foreseen this; I believe he arranged it himself."

"What? He arranged for the monkey to eat him?"

"Exactly. I think he wanted to find a worthy successor for the 'Record of Haunted Houses.' If he left it in the tomb, it would just be looted by grave robbers. But hiding it on the tomb monkey—who would ever think of that?"

"Is this 'Record of Haunted Houses' really so important? Worth all that trouble from Wu Baozhang?"

(End of this chapter)