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Wei Mother seemed a bit confused and shook her head.
The old man said, "Actually, I couldn't understand it back then either. But over the years, I've spent my time in the Wei Family's Ancestral Tomb, experiencing the taste of loneliness. Gradually, I began to comprehend Wei Xian Gui's mindset. Just as you are not an immortal Blood Corpse, perhaps you envy his immortality, wishing to live forever. But have you ever considered that he doesn't want to be immortal? He longs to marry and have children like a mortal, to experience life, aging, illness, and death, and to enjoy the joys of human relationships."
Wei Mother asked, "So you mean Wei Xian Gui doesn't actually want to come back to life?"
"Perhaps he was happy when he first revived, but as time passed, he realized that this world does not belong to him, nor does he belong to this world. Living on makes him feel like a monster. The longer he lives, the more lonely he feels, and the more meaningless it becomes. He wishes for death but finds that he doesn't even have the right to die... This might be why he hates Peng Bai so much. Peng Bai is determined to take Wei Xian Gui's life, completely unaware that keeping him alive is the greatest punishment of all. It's ironic—Peng Bai, who is wise for a lifetime, is foolish for a moment."
"I understand," Wei Mother recalled what Wei Xian Gui had said during his time on the back mountain of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "He nurtured Wei Ning because Wei Ning is the only one who can end his 'living' immortality! His goal is self-destruction!"
"Perhaps," the old man nodded. "Maybe back then he intended to create someone like Wei Ning, but unfortunately, he failed. Now, Wei Ning is his only hope. That's why he's been so diligent lately, frequently appearing and busying himself for Wei Ning. It's laughable that everything he's done is aimed at allowing himself to 'die.' Wei Xian Gui, oh how pitiful you are."
Wei Mother said, "Then should we adjust our strategy and let him continue suffering like this?"
The old man shook his head. "That won't do. Our overall strategy shouldn't change; otherwise, he'll always be a ticking time bomb! You know what kind of insane things he might do to our Wei Family. Only by killing him can we restore our family to normalcy; otherwise, we will never find peace."
Wei Mother asked, "Father, do you really think you're right? Is Wei Xian Gui seeking death?"
The old man pondered for a moment before replying, "Wei Xian Gui has eaten more salt than we have rice. He has lived for so many years and is an immortal Blood Corpse. I can only speculate using common sense, but I believe after being a Blood Corpse for so long, his character has changed significantly. We cannot judge him by ordinary standards; there may be even greater and crazier schemes hidden behind him—it's just that I can't guess what they are."
Wei Mother nodded in agreement and fell into deep thought like the old man. What exactly did Wei Xian Gui want? What were his intentions toward Wei Ning and the Wei Family? Everything felt like a puzzle that gave her a headache.
Finally, the sun rose high in the sky. The old man shielded his eyes with his hand and said, "It's getting late; I should head back now. After spending so many years in darkness, suddenly seeing sunlight feels quite unfamiliar. Also, I need to hurry and find what our ancestor left behind. When our ancestors created the Thirteen Blood Corpses, they left behind a restriction; only that thing can control Wei Xian Gui. Otherwise, all efforts would be in vain. I'm going back now; take good care of Wei Ning."
The old man finished speaking and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, hurriedly left the Village Entrance. Wei Mother stood there, staring blankly at the spot where Wei Ning had disappeared, "Wei Ning, all the hopes of the Wei Family rest on you. You really need to grow up." With a soft sigh, Wei Mother turned and walked away.
The Corpse Driving Conference hosted by the Wei Family was usually held in remote areas like Mass Graves in deep mountains and forests to avoid attracting too much attention. As a result, these places were seldom visited, and no vehicles could access them. Wei Ning traveled by car until reaching a secluded mountain village in Yuanling, where no further vehicles could go. Thus, Wei Ning had to continue on foot into the mountains.
Yuanling was already an economically underdeveloped area in the central region, with villages relying on ancestral lands for sustenance. Most able-bodied men had gone out to work, leaving behind only the elderly, women, and children. The population had dwindled significantly. As Wei Ning walked along, he encountered very few decent households. Fortunately, he was accustomed to such conditions. In order to save time, he chose less traveled paths and endured hardships along the way. Unbeknownst to him, he had walked for two days in the mountains. Noticing that it was getting late, he spotted a dilapidated thatched cottage ahead that would suffice for a night's rest.
Upon entering, Wei Ning found a dry spot to tidy up and started a fire. He then ventured into the woods to hunt for some game like deer. As night fell, Liu Linglang and Ding Ying appeared as if drawn by the aroma of cooking. The two of them feasted heartily on a deer they had divided among themselves, leaving Wei Ning astonished at their impressive eating skills. Despite it being late at night, Wei Ning felt compelled to venture back into the mountains to gather offerings for his ancestors.
Suddenly, a series of urgent bell chimes caught his attention. Curiosity piqued, Wei Ning listened intently and quickly followed the sound.
Not far away in the woods, he saw a group of people approaching slowly. At the front was a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She wore traditional Miao Region attire adorned with colorful embroidery depicting clouds and crescent moons at her collar, cuffs, and pant hems. A bright red jade ribbon bound her hair, which was topped with a translucent gem. In her hand was a bell embroidered with phoenix designs; when she shook it, it produced a sound reminiscent of wind chimes swaying gently in the breeze—very pleasant to hear.
In the moonlight, the woman’s figure was graceful; her long black hair danced in the night wind. Following her was a long line of people wearing black hats that obscured their faces with long black veils. They were dressed in white clothes and pants that resembled funeral garments and were strung together by a piece of hemp rope. Their movements were peculiar—stiff arms and legs as they followed closely behind the woman.
As she scattered paper money and rang her bell, she recited: "Under Phoenix Mountain lies Phoenix City; within Phoenix City resides Phoenix Deity; from Phoenix Deity comes Phoenix Tree; hidden within Phoenix Tree is Phoenix Heart."
Phoenix Maiden? Wei Ning thought to himself in surprise at encountering the legendary Phoenix Maiden and Corpse Driver in this place—what an eye-opener.
In the Corpse Driving World, Gravekeepers were typically men; women rarely took on roles as Corpse Drivers. However, there were exceptions—there had been female Corpse Drivers before, such as Maid Granny who once undertook such tasks.
Female Corpse Drivers were different from their male counterparts; most were Gu Masters from the Miao Region who fed Gu Worms into corpses' organs to control them with bells and lead them back home. These Gu Masters were distinct from Qiqi and seldom appeared publicly or participated in Baiyue activities; they were considered outliers even among Gu Masters. However, their skills were so formidable that even other Gu Masters rarely dared provoke them. Most lived atop Phoenix Mountain and worshipped Phoenix Deity; many were orphans (as few ordinary women would choose to become Gu Masters), which is why they often went unnamed collectively referred to as Phoenix Maidens.
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