Daniel had witnessed everything clearly and stepped closer, lighting incense to see what was happening. To his surprise, the incense flew straight out of his hand.
Curious and unnerved, he tried to open the coffin to investigate. The moment the lid lifted, a skeletal hand shot out and clamped onto his wrist, making him yelp and pull back in panic.
Determined, he rushed to the other end of the coffin, ready to try again. Suddenly, another hand shot out, grabbing his arm and pulling with all its strength. Daniel braced his feet against the stool supporting the coffin and yanked with all his might, finally breaking free.
He landed on the floor and saw a corpse dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes leap from the coffin. Daniel scrambled to grab a Bagua mirror from the wall, keeping alert. He began checking the zombies brought by the Four-Eyed Patriarch to see if any were missing.
At that moment, the door behind him creaked open, and a clawing zombie emerged, starting to tussle with him at the offering table. In the scuffle, the table's oil lamp was knocked over and extinguished.
In the corner, Daniel noticed that one of the zombie's false teeth had fallen out.
"It's over, don't be scared. It's just me," said Evan with a mischievous grin.
"You little brat," Daniel exclaimed, terrified, and instinctively recoiled.
Evan laughed, shaking his head. "See how frightened you are? I told you it's me."
Then Evan noticed shadows hopping along the wall. Turning his head, he realized all the zombies had come alive.
At first, the two of them tried to subdue the zombies using their rudimentary control spells, but their efforts failed. Evan even attempted to fight them, but the sheer number of zombies overwhelmed them. It was their first encounter with so many.
Evan shouted, and both he and Daniel ran for the door, shouting for help as they fled.
"Master, help!"
The three in the living room heard the cries and rushed out.
Ethan felt a strange sense of familiarity. Seeing Evan, pale and dressed as a zombie, pinned down by Master Lin and the others, he realized the scene mirrored the opening of a movie.
"The plot is starting," Ethan thought with a grin.
Swiftly, he unleashed his agile moves, maneuvering between the zombies with ease and freezing them in place.
The Four-Eyed Patriarch watched in amazement. "Impressive skills."
Then he noticed something. "Wait, my clients! You two rascals, why are you messing with my clients?"
Evan and Daniel sheepishly began gathering the zombies. Finally, the patriarch, wearing a yellow Taoist robe, stood at the doorway, shaking his head in exasperation.
Although Master Lin urged him to stay a few more days, the patriarch left with his group of zombies. One stubborn zombie couldn't clear the threshold, so Daniel helped push it out. Once all the zombies were gone, Daniel closed the main door.
He turned to see Master Lin's somber expression. Daniel immediately knew he had caused trouble and lowered his head, avoiding eye contact.
Ethan quietly marveled at the world's self-correcting logic, wondering how the events still unfolded according to the original plot, despite Evan and Daniel's antics.
Master Lin called the three to the living room. After scolding Evan and Daniel, he reminded them about the next day's visit to the Ren family estate.
"Ethan, have you ever had foreign tea?"
Over the past few years, the three had visited several nearby towns. Young people tended to adapt quickly, so Master Lin wanted to check if Ethan had tried it before taking him along, to avoid embarrassment.
"I've had it once, though it wasn't very good," Ethan replied.
Master Lin smiled. "Good. Tomorrow we'll go together to try some foreign tea and discuss matters with Mr. Ren."
Daniel quickly chimed in. "Master, can I come too? I haven't tried it yet."
Despite Daniel's eager expression, Master Lin firmly refused, fearing Daniel might make a scene. Evan was busy with his aunt's makeup shop, so he wasn't asked either. After a few reminders, Evan rode off on his bicycle.
The next morning, Ethan and Master Lin walked through Ren Town's main street, neatly dressed. People greeted them warmly.
"Good morning, Master Lin! Good morning, Little Taoist Ethan!"
Since Ethan had first arrived in Ren Town at age ten with Master Lin, locals had always called him Little Taoist Ethan. Even now at eighteen, the nickname remained a term of endearment.
"Good morning," Ethan and Master Lin replied in turn.
They wore simple, neat clothing, not the custom-made suits Ethan had ordered. Overdressing would have seemed unnecessary and pretentious.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of a Western-style café. The doorman opened the door, and a middle-aged man in a black suit approached, speaking calmly.
"Do you have a reservation?"
Master Lin hesitated. To avoid embarrassment, Ethan stepped forward.
"Mr. Ren invited us here," he said.
"Oh! Mr. Ren! Right this way, please."
Inside, a well-dressed middle-aged man rose to greet them with a smile. Ethan recognized him instantly; he looked exactly like the character from the movie. They all sat down together.
Master Lin asked, "I heard Mr. Ren's daughter has returned from the provincial capital. Why isn't she here?"
Mr. Ren chuckled. "That girl just learned how to put on makeup. The moment she returned, she was showing everyone her skills." He gestured behind them. "Here she comes now."
Ethan turned to see her. She was beautiful, though having come from the 21st century, he was accustomed to all kinds of attractive women. Her makeup was elegant, placing her among the top tier.
She approached Mr. Ren and gently called, "Father."
Mr. Ren introduced Ethan and Master Lin. "This is Master Lin, and this is Little Taoist Ethan."
The young woman greeted them politely, "Master Lin, Little Taoist Ethan."
Ethan found the title amusing. He and the young woman exchanged polite smiles, nothing dramatic, unlike a typical soap opera romance.
The waiter handed them menus. The young woman ordered coffee, while her father said, "Coffee," in English.
Master Lin looked lost at the English menu, so Ethan suggested, "Master, how about a latte?"
Master Lin relaxed, realizing Ethan was easing his embarrassment. "Good, then two lattes, please."
The young woman looked surprised. "Little Taoist Ethan, you speak English?"
Ethan replied calmly, "Everyday conversation is fine."
In his previous life, Ethan's English was already solid. In this world, he had met foreign merchants, so Master Lin was aware of his proficiency and had been impressed at how quickly he picked it up.
The young woman's impression of Ethan improved instantly. She had assumed all Taoists were tricksters, but Ethan's English skills disproved her bias.
She wanted to chat further, but Ethan smiled and shook his head. Let's wait, Miss Ren. There's business to attend to first.
Mr. Ren's smile widened, pleased with Ethan's composure. Having grown up in Ren Town, Ethan's character and skills were well known. If he were to marry his daughter, it would be ideal.
Sensing the moment, Master Lin quickly spoke up. "Mr. Ren, let's discuss your father's affairs first."
Mr. Ren's expression turned serious. "Master Lin, have you chosen an auspicious date for my late father's exhumation and reburial?"