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A few days later, Wei Ning learned that he had already been persuaded to withdraw from school by the institution. His mother had completed the withdrawal procedures for him. Wei Ning had long since lost interest in studying, especially after the incident with the Hengyang Sorcerer. He spent his days doing farm work at home, leading a simple life. Occasionally, Ding Ying and Liu Linglang would come to keep him company at night, so he didn't feel lonely. One day, however, his mother suddenly called him back from outside.
When Wei Ning returned home, he saw his mother standing before the ancestral shrine. Without turning around, Wei Mother said, "Come here and light incense for your ancestors."
Wei Ning responded with an "oh," took three sticks of incense from his mother's hand, and respectfully bowed three times in front of the ancestral tablet before placing the incense in the burner. Only then did Wei Mother slowly say, "You've been back for half a month now, haven't you?"
Wei Ning nodded.
Wei Mother lit three more sticks of incense, bowed three times again, and placed them in the burner. The fragrant scent of sandalwood began to waft through the ancestral home, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Wei Mother said lightly, "Fortunately, nothing major has happened. In another half month, the five-year Corpse Driving Conference will be held in Yuanling. Your grandfather used to attend these meetings. After the last one, our Wei Family has been absent. You should represent the Wei Family this time; we can't let others think our family has completely died out. It will also help calm those ambitious sects who might have other intentions."
"The Corpse Driving Conference," Wei Ning thought to himself. "Why haven't I heard of it before?"
Wei Mother explained, "The Corpse Driving Conference is one of the most important annual gatherings for our Zhu You community. Almost all Corpse Driver families will be present at this meeting. Our Wei Family has always held a prominent position within the Corpse Driving Clan and has led the Zhu You School for many years. Although we've declined somewhat over the years, we are not so weak that anyone can bully us. As a woman, it's best if I don't get involved in these matters; you should go on behalf of the Wei Family and make sure we don't lose face."
Wei Ning nodded and asked, "When do I leave?"
Wei Mother replied, "The Corpse Driving Conference is held every five years on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the Lunar Calendar when the Ghost Gate opens in Yuanling. The date is approaching quickly; you should pack up tonight and leave tomorrow."
As previously mentioned, the Xiangxi Corpse Driving Sect's distribution shows that the Wei Family is a lineage that has passed down as Corpse Drivers for over a thousand years. They are known as 'the family that serves as Corpse Drivers,' acting as Ghost Messengers left behind by the Underworld to guide those who died far from home to their final resting places. Over time, four branches emerged from the Wei Family: Wei, Wang, Fang, and Wu families. Each family possesses its own unique Corpse Driver artifacts—Wei Family uses banners, Wang Family uses bells, Fang Family uses gongs, and Wu Family uses staffs. Each family's Corpse Driver techniques has its own specialties but all originated from the Wei Family; thus they are respected as the ancestral family.
However, since the late Qing Dynasty, due to political turmoil and continuous wars leading to an increase in people dying away from home, demand for Corpse Drivers grew while recruitment became stricter among the four families. Consequently, they agreed to expand their ranks out of compassion for those who died far from home so they could be buried properly. After rigorous selection processes among various minor sects, Peng Bai's unauthorized learning from the Bai Family was one such example.
Once this precedent was set, countless individuals flocked to become Corpse Drivers. Given the chaotic times and that being a Corpse Driver was indeed a lucrative profession—whether for survival or to learn Exorcism Techniques—many joined this line of work during the Republic Era when Xiangxi's Corpse Drivers thrived significantly.
However, as the number of people increased, it was inevitable that some unscrupulous individuals began to infiltrate the Zhu You School. Whether it was using the Corpse Driver to deceive others, trafficking drugs, stealing corpses, or even engaging in necrophilia, these miscreants emerged. In order to cleanse the sect, the Wei Family convened the annual Corpse Driving Conference, requiring all factions of the Corpse Driving Sect to participate in order to exert control over these sects.
However, due to issues within the Wei Family itself, their authority within the Corpse Driver lineage began to decline. Some started to find the annual event too cumbersome and later changed it to once every five years. The nature of the conference also shifted from a gathering for auditing sects and eliminating the unscrupulous to a battleground where various factions showcased their strength and prowess.
The Corpse Driving Conference, organized by the Wei Family, is held once every five years and serves as a grand event for the Corpse Driving World. Each time this year arrives, the younger generation from various factions begins to prepare eagerly, hoping to make a remarkable impression at the conference and gain recognition from other major sects.
Of course, this also serves as a covert power struggle among the four major factions of Corpse Drivers. Since the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Wei Family has been gradually declining, while the other four factions have been continuously growing stronger. Among them, the Wang Family has shown the most promise; at its peak, it became the largest faction within the Corpse Driver lineage, far surpassing the Wei Family in influence. However, due to certain events that led to the sudden death of all members of the Wang Family overnight, they became virtually extinct. Meanwhile, after the Changde Campaign, the Wei Family was also plagued by curses and dwindling numbers. If it weren't for a few lethal techniques that kept these factions in check, no one would pay attention to this so-called "ancestral family." In previous conferences, Wei Qiuxi managed to hold things together single-handedly. However, after Wei Qiuxi went missing and with their absence from the last Corpse Driving Conference, doubts about the Wei Family's status as an ancestral family resurfaced in the Corpse Driving World. One of the main topics of this conference was questioning the Wei Family's position, with the Wu Family likely being the most eager to take their place.
The Fang Family has always been considered the weakest among the four factions. Their approach has traditionally emphasized moderation and avoiding prominence. Gradually shifting their focus towards operating Corpse Driver Inns in Xiangxi—where half of the ten inns are run by them—including Fang Qiqi's Guan Zhuang Corpse Driver Inn—if not for their ownership of these inns, they would be so low-key that people might almost forget about them. In contrast, since the late Republican Era, taking advantage of the Wang Family's downfall and the Wei Family's decline, the Wu Family has risen dramatically and has now become a dominant force within the Corpse Driver lineage. Over these years, they have continued to grow stronger; in Xiangxi, Wu Family Corpse Drivers have become a household name for business dealings. With their growing power, it has become increasingly clear that they intend to replace the Wei Family. The last time Wei Family was absent from a conference, Wu Family expressed extreme dissatisfaction; had it not been for many daughters from Wu Family marrying into Wei Family, they might have already claimed their position as leaders.
Thus, Wei Ning bore not only the responsibility of presiding over this Corpse Driving Conference but also had to announce to everyone:
If you want to seize power, you better wake up!
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