"So that's how it is," Zhang Wei nodded.
He knew Wunian was trying to comfort him. After all, fate was an ethereal concept, and who knew what kind of fate could break his death tribulation.
Zhang Chao shared Zhang Wei's thoughts.
He waved his hand and said, "Whether it's those Taoist priests or you bald monks, you all love to talk about fate, fate, fate."
"Damn it, you can't touch or see this thing, how can it be so easy to find?"
"I think it would be better if Wunian, you did more work for the Wei Dao Division and applied for some powerful magical artifacts from the higher-ups to protect yourself. That might be more useful."
"If you can borrow a national artifact, then forget about surviving your tribulation; you can make your tribulation as festive as the Spring Festival."
"Am I right, Zhang Wei?"
Zhang Wei nodded noncommittally, "Indeed, compared to what Buddhism and Taoism say about fate, I think things are more practical."
"Like money. Money is an external possession, but without money, you can't do anything."
Zhang Chao nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Hey, Zhang Wei, I love hearing you say that. Zhang Wei, I feel like you must have been my brother in your past life. We're so compatible."
"Yeah, I think so too. In our past lives, we were either brothers or father and son. I was the father, and you were the son, so I know you inside and out."
"Damn it, you're taking advantage of me! I'll give you a wedgie!"
Zhang Chao lunged at Zhang Wei with a "Thousand Year Kill."
Zhang Wei twisted his body, easily dodging it.
Wunian watched the two bicker, clasped his hands together, and smiled.
He knew.
This was Zhang Wei trying to lighten the mood, not wanting them to feel depressed because of this so-called death tribulation.
The three of them, chatting and laughing, playfully shoving each other, arrived at the construction site.
...
At this moment.
It was 4 AM, and the sky had not yet brightened.
Because Zhang Wei had exorcised ghosts that night, Yu Weihong had sent all the workers away. The vast construction site was empty, so quiet that even the slightest rustle of wind could be heard clearly.
If a thief were to enter the construction site to steal something at this time, they would definitely have a field day.
However, Yu Weihong wasn't worried.
Thieves could steal things, but they could also be scared to death. After all, in the construction site's shed, there was still a coffin lying there, along with a zombie.
Zhang Wei led Zhang Chao and the other to the shed.
Upon seeing the zombie.
Zhang Chao's eyes widened:
"Holy crap, Zhang Wei, what did you do to the zombie? Did it owe you virtual currency, or did it suck your family's blood? Why did you beat it to this state?"
As he spoke.
He lifted the zombie's dead left arm and shook his head.
The entire left arm was limp like a strip of cloth, swaying back and forth.
Clearly.
The zombie's left arm bones were broken.
Looking at the zombie's body, besides some corpse spots, there were also some bruises, which had clearly formed not long ago.
"Nothing much, just punched it a few times and kicked it a few times."
Zhang Wei grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
"..." Zhang Chao, Wunian.
You didn't just kick and punch it a few times; you treated the zombie like a punching bag.
"Amitabha, Benefactor Zhang Wei, the strength of your physical cultivation is already comparable to our Buddhist golden body."
Wunian glanced at the zombie.
He recited a Buddhist sutra for transcendence.
Zhang Wei waved his hand, "Brother Wunian, you flatter me. I just exercise regularly; I'm not as strong as you say. Oh, and stop calling me Benefactor Zhang Wei; just call me Zhang Wei."
Afterward.
He inspected the zombie and the iron coffin.
Zhang Chao furrowed his brow:
"Wunian, can you tell which school of practitioners refined this zombie?"
His gaze fell on the ink lines drawn on the iron coffin.
"Although this is a technique from Maoshan, the ink lines used are not Maoshan ink lines."
"The person who refined the iron coffin zombie is likely not from the Maoshan sect."
There were many professions for ghost exorcists.
Besides the more well-known professions like Taoists, monks, and spirit mediums, there were also other professions.
For example, Maoshan sorcerers, peddlers who sold knives, sorcerers who used蛊 (gu), geomancers, and so on.
Additionally.
These professions were further divided into various categories.
For instance, Maoshan sorcerers were further divided, such as orthodox Maoshan Taoists, like Uncle-Master Jiu in the movies starring Lin Zhengying, who was a Maoshan Taoist. There were also fringe sects, like the Xiangxi corpse herders, also known as 'corpse drivers.'
However, there was also a saying that the Xiangxi corpse herding sect did not originate from Maoshan techniques but was a self-contained school, considered witchcraft.
In short.
There were various schools and sects for ghost exorcism.
And each school and sect had its own characteristics and features.
The Wei Dao Division captured harmful ghost exorcists precisely by these characteristics and features to identify the practitioner's profession, for the purpose of investigation and response.
Zhang Chao hailed from the Maoshan sect.
Now, after his inspection, he found that the work on the iron coffin was not from Maoshan techniques.
He could only seek help from the knowledgeable Wunian beside him.
"Amitabha."
Wunian, who had squatted down to examine the coffin, patted the dust off his clothes and stood up, saying,
"In my humble opinion."
"This person who refined the zombie likely does not belong to a major sect but comes from a fringe or minor sect, possibly a corpse stitcher, a puppeteer, or a paper craftsman."
"However, it's also possible they are from overseas."
"I recall that sorcerers from Southeast Asia also have similar corpse refining methods, and they might have imitated the ink lines to use."
Zhang Chao rested his chin on his hand, contemplating.
Combining Wunian's words.
He mused,
"The possibility of a 'second craftsman' is very high. I was wondering why these ink lines looked so strange. Perhaps they even mixed in the corpse stitching threads used by the 'second craftsmen'."
The 'second craftsman' he mentioned.
Was precisely what Wunian referred to as a corpse stitcher.
'Second craftsman,' also known as corpse stitcher, or 'thread connector.'
In ancient China, the most feared fate was to be dismembered, unable to return to one's roots, and there was also the saying of the soul returning home.
And in ancient times, many people died dismembered, especially during times of war and chaos.
Therefore, when people died dismembered in ancient times, their families would seek to have them made whole.
Corpse stitchers were those who pieced together incomplete bodies with thread to form a complete person.
Using various means, they would find dismembered corpses and reassemble them by connecting the parts, and this was the work of a corpse stitcher.
Legend had it that 'corpse stitchers not only connected the various parts of a person's body but, more importantly, also connected the person's soul,' so that a person would be truly whole and could return to their roots.
To put it bluntly.
The eerie methods of corpse stitchers were definitely no less than Maoshan techniques or the practices of spirit mediums.
Just then.
Zhang Wei, who was sitting aside playing King of Glory and not disturbing Zhang Chao and Wunian's investigation, looked up and spoke.
"So, besides this iron coffin, there should be other iron coffin zombies, right?"
"The corpse stitching method of refining corpses involves piecing together bodies, and using the iron coffin zombies to piece together a corpse..."
As he spoke.
Even Wunian and Zhang Chao's expressions sank, becoming solemn.
...