Among those present, only Lin Zitong knew what Yan Shouyi's father's letter contained.
The others, though curious, seemed to have no right to inquire.
Old Jin steadied himself, glancing around at the few people present, and suddenly had a realization.
Luo Ning, the inheritor of corpse driving, Lin Zitong, the inheritor of the Lü Shan sect, and himself, Old Jin, the inheritor of ancient medicine from the Qihuang sect—the three of them appearing here seemed no coincidence.
To resurrect Yan Shouyi, the techniques of the corpse driver and the Lü Shan sect had to be combined, and Old Jin, as an ancient medicine inheritor, might also offer some assistance. The simultaneous appearance of the three at this time seemed like a predetermined fate, as if someone had deliberately caused Yan Shouyi's death, yet was also destined to revive him.
The first person Old Jin thought of who could accomplish this was Yan Shouyi's father, Yan Chou. Yan Chou was also a Lu Ban inheritor, and his fortune-telling skills were surely masterful; perhaps he had foreseen all of this long ago.
But what father would allow his child to endure the pain of life and death?
If Yan Chou was the man behind the scenes, then Yan Chou's plan could not possibly end at this stage. He must have had subsequent plans.
What exactly was this plan?
Did Lin Zitong know?
If everyone present today had a role to play, what role did this female police officer named Xia Zhi play?
Despite Old Jin's disheveled appearance, he was actually meticulous beneath his rough exterior. In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
While Luo Ning and Lin Zitong were preparing to refine the corpse, Old Jin attempted to strike up a conversation with Xia Zhi. However, Xia Zhi was entirely focused on Yan Shouyi, responding to Old Jin's questions with monosyllables. Feeling rebuffed, Old Jin gave up.
He then turned to Zhong Qi, who was at death's door, with only half a life left.
"Tsk, tsk, a corpse driver?" Old Jin taunted, examining Zhong Qi's injuries.
From his perspective as an ancient physician, Zhong Qi had no hope of recovery; he was too severely injured.
Zhong Qi's face was as pale as paper. Upon realizing his plan had failed and he had been betrayed by Luo Ning, he had already lost all will to live, simply lying there waiting to die, with no desire to engage with Old Jin.
Old Jin shamelessly said, "You killed Yan Shouyi, didn't you? If Yan Shouyi hadn't had a chance of resurrection, I would have stabbed you twice while you still had breath!"
Yan Shouyi was Old Jin's benefactor.
However, whether it was the Lu Ban inheritors, the corpse drivers, or the Qihuang sect inheritors, all originated from the folk traditions. Old Jin felt a sense of kinship with both.
That was why Old Jin was willing to exchange a few words with Zhong Qi.
Zhong Qi said coldly, "Even if Yan Shouyi is revived... he will be an incomplete person..."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Old Jin asked.
Perhaps it was the wisdom of the dying, Zhong Qi had nothing left to hide. "The lungs govern Qi and respiration, the heart stores the spirit and governs the blood... "
"The lungs govern Qi and respiration, the heart stores the spirit and governs the blood, the spleen ascends the clear and governs transformation, the liver stores blood and governs free flow, and the kidneys store essence and govern Qi transformation," Old Jin continued, picking up the thread. "What you're saying precisely describes the tenets of our Qihuang sect."
This was why folk sects were like one family. Corpse drivers studied corpses, and the Qihuang sect also studied corpses. The two were even somewhat rooted in the same origin. The former studied to control corpses, while the latter studied to treat illnesses and save lives.
Zhong Qi said, "In life, the body, mind, and spirit are all indispensable. My disciple refined Yan Shouyi into a corpse puppet, retaining only his body. The girl from the Lü Shan sect can only preserve Yan Shouyi's spirit, but Yan Shouyi's heart is missing... cough cough... Even if he is revived, without a heart, he will still be a soulless automaton... No, he will become even more terrifying than an automaton. He will have no emotions, be unrestrained, possess immense strength, and know a hundred skills! Hahahaha! Yan Shouyi's father isn't trying to save a person; he's trying to create a monster!"
As Zhong Qi spoke, he seemed to have come to a realization himself. With only a few breaths left, he let out a few laughs and almost passed away.
Old Jin knew that keeping Zhong Qi alive was still useful, so he quickly acted to suppress Zhong Qi's last breath and prolong his life.
"Are you not deceiving me?" Old Jin asked.
Zhong Qi weakly twitched the corner of his mouth. "What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Old Jin fell silent. Things were indeed not as simple as he had imagined.
He turned and relayed this to Lin Zitong. Lin Zitong replied, "Uncle Yan mentioned this in his letter, and there is a solution. It will require your assistance, Old Jin."
Old Jin's heart tightened. "My assistance?"
All of this was indeed Yan Chou's doing. The letter sent to him was not a coincidence but a premeditated act.
Old Jin's respect for Yan Shouyi's father increased.
Lin Zitong took off the wooden watch Yan Shouyi had given her. Upon dismantling it from the back, she discovered a small piece of wood preserved inside.
This piece of wood was no larger than a fingernail but was golden yellow, emitting light even in the darkness. A closer inspection revealed that the wooden watch was powered by this very piece of wood.
How could such a small piece of wood, not a battery, release energy and even make the watch hands turn?
Old Jin asked doubtfully, "What is this...?"
"Have you heard of the Fusang Tree?" Lin Zitong asked.
"Fusang Tree?! You... you don't mean to tell me this thing is Fusang wood!"
Old Jin's face changed dramatically, his expression filled with disbelief.
Legend had it that the Fusang Tree grew in the eastern sea, composed of two supporting trees. It was a divine tree that existed only in myths, and even the sun rose from the Fusang Tree.
In ancient myths, the human, divine, and underworld realms were interconnected. It was when Hou Yi shot down the suns that he stepped on and broke the Fusang Tree, causing the three realms to be permanently separated!
Of course, these were all myths, and Old Jin couldn't verify their truth, but they were enough to prove the value and wonder of Fusang wood!
Lin Zitong said, "Uncle Yan said in his letter that if the great idiot is revived without a heart, he will be merely an emotionless automaton. The Fusang wood in the watch is a divine object that communicates with the three realms and can replace his heart!"
"If that is true... perhaps Yan Shouyi can truly be fully resurrected..."
Old Jin was profoundly shocked, muttering to himself.
As an ancient physician of the Qihuang sect, he had never heard of a piece of wood being used as a human heart.
But he then realized that Yan Shouyi's body was no longer that of a living person, but a corpse puppet. The true function of the Fusang wood was not to act as a literal "heart," but as the "heart" in a metaphysical sense.
"When the corpse puppet is refined, and I return the great idiot's soul to his body, I will need you, Old Jin, to place the Fusang wood into the great idiot's body," Lin Zitong paused and said. "However, Uncle Yan did not specify where the Fusang wood should be placed."
Old Jin was taken aback. "If he doesn't say, does he expect me to guess?"
This was a matter of life and death. Even as an inheritor of ancient medicine, Old Jin had never used Fusang wood to save someone.
Lin Zitong said, "Uncle Yan only said to study the Tai Shi Tian Yuan Ce more."
"I... alright, I... I'll study it! But let me be clear upfront, I am truly unsure if I have the ability!" Old Jin said. "Why don't you refine the corpse a bit slower and give me more time to think?"
Luo Ning, busy setting up the formation, chimed in, "Two hours. You only have two hours to think. Otherwise, even if our corpse puppet is refined, once the time passes, Yan Shouyi's corpse will reject the soul, and Yan Shouyi's soul will not be able to return!"
Luo Ning's words made Old Jin even more anxious. "Good heavens, I left the house wearing slippers, who knew I'd have such a big task today!"
Lin Zitong comforted him, "I believe Uncle Yan wouldn't joke about his own son's life. Elder Old Jin, you can definitely do it."