Rise to God with Life Skill Professions-Chapter 370 - 359: Empty Coffin

Upon hearing these words, the sadness on the faces of the Qian family disciples deepened.

Qin An and Liu Yi exchanged glances, both furrowing their brows simultaneously.

Having just arrived here, the patriarch of the Qian family had passed away, which seemed too coincidental.

Liu Yi lightly parted her vermilion lips: "Has this matter been reported to the Evil Extermination Bureau?"

A Qian family disciple shook his head and said, "We just sent someone over, but they probably haven’t reached the Evil Extermination Bureau yet."

After all, the deceased patriarch was an expert in the Outer Elixir Realm, and naturally, his passing needed to be made known to the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Liu Yi gave Qin An a look, signaling to go in and have a look.

During the exchange between Liu Yi and Qin An, Qin An also learned that the exact location of the burial was known only to a few members of the Qian family.

Now that the patriarch of the Qian family had passed, it might be necessary to ask other members of the Qian family.

Qin An stepped forward and said, "We would like to go in and take a look."

A hint of hesitation flashed in the Qian family disciple’s eyes as he blurted out, "No."

But as soon as he said these words, the Qian family disciple came to his senses, wishing he could slap himself and quickly extended his hand to lead the way.

"Please, sirs, follow me."

These two were Mountain Patrol Silver Generals; even the governor of Tiannan Prefecture would have to address them with respect.

He was actually hesitating at this moment.

If they decided to teach him a lesson, no one would dare to intervene.

Fortunately, Qin An and Liu Yi were not ones to bully the weak. Seeing the disciple leading the way, the two quietly followed.

...

The once noisy Qian mansion was now shrouded in a deathly silence.

All the passing servants were dressed in mourning clothes, their faces etched with sorrow.

Through the courtyard, the disciple led the two into the main hall.

Just after sitting down, the Qian family disciple bowed and said,

"Madam is managing the funeral rites. I’ll go invite her to come and meet you."

Qin An waved his hand and said, "Very well."

The Qian family disciple said no more and quietly left the room.

Soon, only Qin An and Liu Yi were left in the room.

Noticing Liu Yi lost in thought, Qin An asked, "Do you think there’s something suspicious about this?"

Liu Yi shook her head and said, "It’s hard to say right now; we’ll evaluate once the person in charge arrives."

They had come for the Celestial Dao Insights and the burial grounds.

Upon their arrival, a death had occurred, making it unavoidable for Qin An not to think otherwise.

But as Liu Yi mentioned, it was better to watch and see how events would unfold.

They said no more, lifting their teacups to take a few sips.

About the time of one incense stick later, a middle-aged woman entered the room.

The middle-aged woman’s appearance was beautiful, her figure graceful, dressed in silk and satin, with a white cloth on her left arm.

The sadness and pain in her eyes were like a lake, ready to overflow at any moment.

Qin An’s eyes flickered: "Vein Condensation Realm, or even the Realm of Perfection, that’s quite impressive cultivation."

While thinking this, the middle-aged woman had already approached, bowing gracefully.

"This humble woman is Qian Wangshi, greeting the two esteemed sirs."

Without needing more information, just from the name, Qin An knew her identity — the deceased Qian patriarch’s wife.

Qin An gestured to a seat beside him and said lightly, "Please have a seat, Madam."

Madam Qian nodded slightly and sat back in the chair.

As soon as she sat down, Qin An spoke.

"Upon coming here, we did not expect the Qian family to encounter such misfortune. However, we are here on a mission for the Evil Extermination Bureau, so we do not wish to waste time."

Madam Qian quickly asked, "What do the two esteemed sirs require of the Qian family? Whatever the Qian family can do, we will do our utmost without the slightest hesitation."

Liu Yi smiled warmly, "We wish to know the location of the ancestral burial site of the Qian family."

Upon hearing this, Madam Qian’s grip on her teacup slightly loosened.

The teacup fell to the ground, splashing water.

Qin An raised an eyebrow, tapping his fingers on the table, feeling puzzled by Madam Qian’s reaction.

Under normal circumstances, a Vein Condensation Realm expert would not lose composure like this.

Now, for her to lose composure, there certainly was something.

"If there’s anything to say, do not hesitate." Qin An’s gaze was sharp.

Madam Qian pulled herself together, called a maid to clean up the broken teacup, and only after the maid left, she managed a bitter smile.

"Esteemed sirs, I do not know the location of the burial site either."

"Then why were you so flustered just now?" Qin An asked again.

Madam Qian wiped her tears, "A few days ago, a traveler from the martial world visited, also inquiring about the burial site. My husband did not respond. After that person left, my husband said if he were ever beset by misfortune, he would take this secret to the underworld. But who would have thought, just a few days later, he and I would be separated by life and death."

As she spoke, tears appeared at the corners of Madam Qian’s eyes, which she gently wiped away with a white handkerchief.

"Do you know the identity of that person?" Qin An squinted slightly, speaking seriously.

At this time, for someone to inquire about the burial grounds, and it seemed like the patriarch had long been aware of it, even foreseeing his death.

This was indeed peculiar.

Madam Qian shook her head: "I don’t know the identity of that person; I only know that he was cloaked, hiding his features, and everything else is unknown."

Qin An’s frowned deepened.

Liu Yi suddenly spoke, "Did you not know what they were discussing?"

Madam Qian shook her head again: "I do not know, only that he came to ask my husband about the burial site."

Upon hearing this, the scene sank into silence.

Neither Qin An nor Liu Yi spoke again.

It wasn’t until half an incense stick had passed that Madam Qian broke the silence first.

"Esteemed sirs, the burial grounds are known only to my husband; apart from him, no one else knows. If you are also here for the burial grounds, I’m afraid you’ll leave disappointed."

Qin An suddenly said, "How about we stay at the Qian family residence for a night?"

Liu Yi’s eyes glittered as she agreed, "That is my idea as well. We’ll stay for a while to see if there are any other clues. If not, we two shall take our leave."

Madam Qian was slightly taken aback, but quickly regained her composure: "I will arrange for disciples to come and escort you to the best guest rooms."

"Much appreciated." Qin An rose and cupped his hands: "Please arrange our accommodations now."

Without saying more, Madam Qian led Qin An and Liu Yi out of the room.

Logically speaking, the Qian family is currently holding a funeral and would not keep outsiders here.

But Qin An and Liu Yi’s status is vastly different, so Madam Qian dared not disobey at all.

Soon, a disciple of the Qian family stepped forward to welcome Qin An, heading towards a quaint courtyard in the Qian family estate.

Madam Qian watched the disappearing figures of Qin An and Liu Yi, lost in thought, but quickly collected herself, returning to her mournful demeanor, and left quietly.

...

The Qian family is large and is considered the most luxurious family in the whole Tian Nan Prefecture, hence the buildings it constructed are filled with a sense of opulence.

The Qian family disciple led Qin An and Liu Yi to the doors of the rooms, then bowed and retreated.

Qin An pondered for a moment, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

Just as he sat down, Liu Yi closed the door with a flick of her hand.

"Madam Qian is suspicious." Liu Yi sat next to Qin An, poured a cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp.

Qin An nodded slightly: "Not only suspicious, but the issue is significant; when interacting with them earlier, she seemed flawless, but actually revealed her slip."

If Patriarch Qian really died due to the tomb, Madam Qian would know something about it, there’s no way she would be entirely unaware.

So the conclusion is clear, Madam Qian is lying.

As for why she’s lying, Qin An and Liu Yi were unsure.

Precisely because of this uncertainty, they decided to stay here to see if they could find anything.

Liu Yi played with the teacup with her fair fingertips, suddenly said: "The Qian family should be keeping vigil today, why not take advantage of the night and see what really happened."

Qin An nodded: "You and I had the same thought."

If they are to investigate what happened at the Qian family, they should start with the deceased Patriarch Qian.

Patriarch Qian’s body is still at the Qian family, but according to the custom, it’s improper for Qin An and Liu Yi to look at it now.

Since that’s the case, they will wait until night to act.

Having made up their minds, they stopped thinking about it further. Then, they took this leisure time to circulate their True Essence and adjust their state to the best.

...

As Qin An and Liu Yi adjusted their states, the Qian family was bustling in all areas.

Time slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, night descended.

The streets all extinguished their lights, except for every room in the Qian family being lit by oil lamps, illuminating the estate brightly.

In the mourning hall, a pitch-black coffin lay quietly.

In front of the coffin was a large group of Qian family disciples guarding it closely.

Madam Qian knelt before the coffin, holding a roll of yellow paper, occasionally tossing it into the copper basin in front.

A fierce fire burned in the copper basin, and the yellow paper, burned to ashes, floated into the sky with the wind.

Several sons and daughters of Patriarch Qian also stayed nearby, wiping away tears from their faces from time to time.

An extremely sorrowful atmosphere enveloped the mourning hall.

Just then, the eyes of one of the Qian family disciples guarding outside suddenly froze.

He noticed two figures in dark robes approaching in the night, their expressions instantly becoming rigid.

After pondering for a moment, the Qian family disciple stepped forward, blocking the path.

"Esteemed ones, today is the day of vigil for the Patriarch. Outsiders cannot be allowed inside temporarily."

Daqian has many rules, and different places have varying customs.

There may be a different rule in a neighboring city.

The customs in Tian Nan Prefecture require family members alone to guard the vigil for the first few days, without outside disturbances.

Qin An stood with hands behind: "The Evil Extermination Bureau handles cases, not adhering to mundane rituals."

The expression of difficulty on the Qian family disciple’s face grew more intense.

At this moment, Liu Yi suddenly stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with blod-thirst.

"The Evil Extermination Bureau never follows rules in handling matters, so are you going to teach the Mountain Patrol Silver General to follow rules?"

The Qian family disciple looked horrified, quickly waving his hands in denial and turned to notify Madam Qian inside the mourning hall.

Just then the sound of light footsteps was heard.

Madam Qian emerged upon hearing, saying: "Esteemed ones, my husband has just passed away, the customs of Tian Nan Prefecture do not allow disturbance, even the prefecture has not intervened, why do you wish to tarnish the Qian family’s reputation?"

Qin An raised his brows: "It seems you are trying to pressure me with the prefecture, how about you call Tian Nan Prefecture’s prefecture chief over to see his stance against us?"

Madam Qian’s face changed, bowing her head in silence.

But her fists hidden in her sleeves clenched tightly.

Liu Yi stepped forward aggressively, filled with murderous aura: "Originally, at first, it was just suspicion, but now I am somewhat convinced, what kind of secret are you hiding to deceive two Mountain Patrol Silver Generals? Now, if you don’t clarify, I will break your bones."

As a disciple of Green Vines, Liu Yi was inherently ruthless.

Countless heretics had died at her hands.

Only facing Qin An does she show a peaceful side.

At this moment, Liu Yi released her murderous aura to the fullest, making everyone present feel as if facing a terrifying killing deity.

Qin An did not stop her, instead, patiently awaited the development.

Just as Liu Yi said, now it was clear that Madam Qian had issues.

Madam Qian gritted her teeth, her face extremely pale, suddenly deflated like a balloon, she bowed her head: "Everyone else, leave."

Surprised, the people present hesitated.

"Leave!" Madam Qian turned her head and shouted.

And so the absent-minded crowd finally reacted, quietly departing.

The mourning hall instantly became empty.

Madam Qian turned and stepped into the hall: "If you two wish to know the truth, then come in."

Qin An and Liu Yi exchanged a look, approaching the pitch-black coffin.

Madam Qian raised a hand and pressed on the coffin lid.

The lid opened.

"Everything you wish to know is inside this coffin."

Qin An looked down into the coffin, his brows furrowed slightly: "Why is this coffin empty?"

The coffin was empty except for a set of funeral clothing, with no sign of Patriarch Qian.