**Corpse Disposal and Relocation**
The entire process proceeded as usual.
The four corpses lay obediently inside their sleeping bags, quietly awaiting cremation.
In addition to the bodies, everyone was also concerned about the strange locust tree in the backyard. Burning it along with the corpses would have been ideal, but the risk of a fire in the backyard was too high.
Even if they managed to burn it from a distance, any explosion or spreading flames could engulf the entire mountain in a wildfire.
At that point, they would be forced to evacuate, which would mean leaving the Practice Area and failing the task.
For now, they could only burn the corpses and consider dealing with the tree later—perhaps cutting it down with a chainsaw or an axe, both of which seemed feasible.
---
**[Outside the Mansion]**
On a relatively flat piece of ground,
The tasks of digging a pit and collecting firewood were divided into pairs to proceed simultaneously.
Gao Yuxuan stared at the four body bags, his mind already recalling lessons from cultural studies.
"I'll handle the firewood. For burning these 'Corpses of Yin,' the best choice is wood with the strongest Yang energy—'lychee wood.' I saw plenty of it when we climbed the mountain earlier."
The class monitor, Wu Wen, patted Luo Di on the shoulder. "You two boys can handle the woodcutting. Luo Di has a chainsaw, so it should be quick. Leave the digging to us girls.
"If the corpses show any signs of movement, we'll call for help. Don't wander too far while cutting wood."
Anna rummaged through the mansion and found two rusty shovels. She also lent her tactical axe to Gao Yuxuan for woodcutting.
With tasks assigned,
Under Gao Yuxuan's guidance, they quickly located the so-called lychee wood. Thanks to the modern efficiency of Luo Di's chainsaw, they easily felled a tree that would have required two people to wrap their arms around.
All that remained was to drag the tree back and cut it into thin strips for burning.
---
On their way back, dragging the tree behind them,
Luo Di broke the silence, eager to probe Gao Yuxuan, the top student in cultural studies, for insights related to their fieldwork.
"Vice monitor, have you figured something out?"
"More or less. A traditional Chinese mansion, a locust tree, and Corpses of Yin... If we leave these bodies alone, they'll likely transform into [Jiangshi] tonight. Four at once. Even if this is a simulated anomaly, they'd be tough to handle.
"Plus, we might get infected with corpse poison, which would mess up both our lives and studies. Burning them is the best option. And as for that locust tree in the backyard, it’s better to..."
"Cut it down," Luo Di interjected.
"Exactly. Burn them first, then deal with the tree."
The two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding.
---
When they returned to the open space in front of the mansion,
The girls were still digging.
Their short sleeves were drenched with sweat, adding a unique summer charm to the scene.
But Luo Di's focus was not on them—it was on their actions.
Both girls were strong, especially Anna, who seemed to have untapped brute strength. However, their efficiency with the shovels was low; it was clear that their usual training did not include digging.
Luo Di stepped forward and asked, "Do we have another shovel?"
"Just these two."
"Let me take over."
Taking the shovel from Anna, Luo Di joined the task. Gao Yuxuan, lacking any digging experience, stood aside.
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---
Half an hour later,
They had dug a pit large enough to fit all four bodies, with room to spare.
The class monitor gave Luo Di a thumbs-up. He had dug nearly two-thirds of the pit himself, showcasing his skilled and precise technique.
The monitor even picked up a few tips, thinking she might use them someday.
Meanwhile,
Anna hadn’t been idle. After being relieved of digging duties, she had chopped the tree into burnable strips.
Everyone quickly filled the pit with the wood strips, using lighters, tissues, and other flammable materials to ignite the fire.
Once the flames grew strong enough, they placed the four corpses into the pit one by one. The fire, fueled by lychee wood, rapidly consumed the long-dead Corpses of Yin.
Crackle, crackle—
A nauseating stench wafted from the pit.
---
Just as everyone thought the cremation was proceeding smoothly,
Plop!
A single raindrop landed on Luo Di's face.
Without warning, a torrential downpour began.
"Quick!"
Though they reacted swiftly, rushing back to grab a tarp and setting it up over the pit as fast as they could, the rain was relentless. Water pooled on the ground and flowed into the pit, extinguishing the flames.
The heavy rain snuffed out the fire in no time.
The only silver lining was that the fire had burned for nearly an hour before the rain started. While it hadn’t reached the duration of a full cremation, most of the flesh should have been incinerated, leaving only charred remains and bones.
---
Using flashlights, the group inspected the pit.
Among the blackened bones, one corpse stood out.
It remained mostly intact, barely affected by the flames.
"This is... the old man who was hanging at the top," someone murmured.
After confirming that the other three bodies had been reduced to bones, they worked together to lift the old man's corpse out of the pit.
His clothes and skin were burned away, and his flesh was charred black. Some areas were damaged, but the overall structure remained intact.
A foul, sticky liquid seeped from the scorched flesh, seemingly the reason the fire had failed to consume him.
This corpse was clearly abnormal. How should they handle it?
---
The rain showed no signs of stopping.
Looking at the ominous clouds above, it seemed likely to last all day. A second cremation would have to be done indoors.
However, given the corpse’s fire-resistant nature, even half a day of burning might not be enough.
The mansion, being made of wood, posed a high risk. If they lost control of the fire, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Gao Yuxuan stared at the eerie old man's corpse and muttered, "If we leave it, it’ll definitely transform tonight. We need to deal with it—either burn it again or..."
The class monitor’s eyes lit up as she thought of a bold idea. Just as she was about to speak,
Luo Di crouched beside the corpse, tying its hands to a leftover wooden stick with rope.
"I’ll handle this one. Vice monitor, come with me. You two go back to the house and change clothes. I’ll take care of it quickly."
The class monitor hesitated, eyeing the strange corpse. "Shouldn’t we stick together? This one seems... off."
Luo Di’s tone was firm. "It’s fine. The two of us are enough. We’ll be back soon."
The class monitor didn’t insist. She and Anna were soaked to the skin and needed to change. "Turn on your wristband locator. If you’re not back in fifteen minutes, we’ll come find you."
"Got it."
---
Luo Di dragged the old man’s corpse to a steep slope,
With Gao Yuxuan following behind, puzzled. "Are you planning to toss the body down the slope and hope it rolls to the bottom? That won’t work. The dense forest will stop it after a short distance.
"Besides, it’s already showing signs of transformation. Even if you throw it down, it’ll climb back up tonight. At best, you’ll buy us half an hour."
"No."
"Then what’s your plan..."
Crack!
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky,
Interrupting Gao Yuxuan’s question.
The flash of light highlighted the silver chainsaw in Luo Di’s hand, its blade already spinning at high speed.
"You!"
Gao Yuxuan immediately understood everything—and why Luo Di had refused to let the girls come along.
Luo Di’s expression hardened, becoming both resolute and terrifying.
"When I’m done, throw the pieces as far as you can."
"Got it."
Gao Yuxuan swallowed hard, suppressing his nausea. He kept his eyes fixed on Luo Di.
He had never imagined that the quiet, top-performing athlete in their class could come up with such a grim plan.
But he had to admit—it was the best, fastest, and safest solution.
---
**Research Institute**
Everyone watched the events unfold on the screen.
A supervisor in charge of psychological assessments approached Director Qin. "Are you sure this person’s psychological report is accurate?"
Director Qin, who carried their reports with her at all times, pulled them out on the spot.
Luo Di’s report showed no abnormalities, except for a label: [Introverted].
"This is the best course of action under the circumstances. His initiative should be praised, not questioned."
"Agreed. If his psychological state is truly sound, this young man is worth keeping an eye on."
```