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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
I was stunned for a few seconds, as it felt like a long time since I had heard that name. Brother Li had likely committed the heinous act of assaulting a minor to collect the purest Yin Qi to sustain his body, hoping to slow down his aging process. However, it seemed that in the end, it did not have much effect.
I asked Zhang Xun if he was going.
Zhang Xun replied that he wouldn’t go, as our paths had diverged. I didn’t insist on him coming along.
I went with Gao Ling. Since Gao Ling wasn’t familiar with Li Qiang, he didn’t enter. In the end, it was just Fu Yan and me who went to the prison. Fu Yan said that in a few days, Li Qiang would be executed, and the last person he wanted to see was me.
I understood.
When I met Li Qiang, despite being mentally prepared, the emotional gap was still significant upon seeing him. He looked like a middle-aged man in his forties now, with many wrinkles on his face.
Others might think that he had suffered greatly in prison to look this way.
It was just Fu Yan and me who entered. Time was short, so I needed to speak quickly; I understood.
At that moment, Li Qiang and I sat across from each other, communicating only through the phone. I called out to him as Brother Li, and he responded. He said to me, “Chen Fei, my time is limited; just listen to me.”
I acknowledged him with a sound as he began to speak. Li Qiang said, “Chen Fei, this time I truly made a mistake. I accept my fate now, but you need to understand that I’m not the only one who has erred. You must be careful; I hope you can make it to the end.”
I listened without interrupting. Li Qiang sighed and continued, “Chen Fei, if you don’t recognize the characters on the secret scroll, find someone named Hu Qingming. Remember, only you can know about this person. There are too many variables now; I’m afraid something might happen if you can’t find Hu Qingming. So don’t tell anyone else, including Zhang Xun and Nian Chen.”
I looked at Li Qiang; his eyes reflected more acceptance than fear at that moment.
Although Li Qiang's gaze dimmed, he said, "I have ultimately reached this point. Chen Fei, I'm done. You should go." At that moment, Li Qiang stood up, and a prison guard approached to take him away.
I sat there in a daze, watching Li Qiang's retreating figure. Suddenly, I began to wonder what had actually happened. What was everyone trying to protect? What secret were we all guarding together? What could possibly be worth risking our lives for?
I felt a moment of confusion, but that feeling quickly faded away.
A prison guard reminded me that I could leave. I got up and walked out, glancing back to see the empty space behind me. Zhang Pangzi and Li Qiang were both gone; now only Zhang Xun and another person who had yet to appear remained.
What did Jiang Changsheng's Five Coffins signify—survival or death?
And what kind of person was Hu Qingming? Did he know the contents of the secret scroll? I silently noted the name Hu Qingming in my mind. After leaving the prison, Fu Yan asked me how it went. I shook my head and replied, "Nothing much, just sorting out my affairs."
Fu Yan didn't press further and handed me a cigarette. I got into Fu Yan's car and we drove away. In the car, Fu Yan said, "Chen Fei, do you remember our last encounter with Du Feng?"
I glanced at Fu Yan and nodded. He continued, "After that meeting, I specifically looked into this person. Since the name is quite common, I managed to gather information about everyone named Du Feng in the city."
Fu Yan handed me a stack of documents. There were hundreds of them. Judging by Du Feng's voice, he was definitely a young man, so I eliminated all entries for those over fifty years old. In the end, I narrowed it down to those between twenty and thirty years old—still several dozen left.
When we arrived at the police station, Gao Ling was waiting for me. Fu Yan said, "Get out now. Take this home and review it carefully. Remember to destroy it after you're done; don't share it with anyone."
I agreed and got into Gao Ling's car. We quickly reviewed the documents together. After going through several dozen pages, I kept one: Du Feng, age 25, whose family ran a traditional Chinese medicine shop. He seemed to fit the description best.
I destroyed all the other documents once I got home. Since real-name registration was now enforced on mobile phones, there was a phone number included in the documents. I borrowed a phone from Gao Ling and dialed the number. Not long after, someone answered with a "Hello" and asked who I was. Upon hearing this, I hung up immediately.
Hearing that voice, I knew it was him without a doubt.
However, I wasn't worried about finding him; if he had something to discuss, he would definitely reach out to me.
After returning home, Zhang Xun wasn't around either. I took a nap, and when I woke up, it was already dark. Glancing at the time, it was nearly eight in the evening. The Taoist priest still hadn't called me.
Lin Xue also hadn't shown up. I thought to myself that whoever was in Dead Man's Cave couldn't be Lin Xue.
Around eight-thirty, my phone rang. The Taoist priest told me to come downstairs. I stepped out the door, intending to call Zhang Xun, but there was no sign of him in the room or the living room. When I tried calling his phone, no one answered. Meanwhile, from Gao Ling's room came the sound of him cursing about some idiot who had gone jungle during a team fight. Damn it, that bastard had messed things up for me again. Gao Ling was inside slamming his keyboard.
I opened the door and stepped outside; it was a bit dark downstairs. I spotted the Taoist priest, who was wearing a black robe this time, giving off an air of someone skilled in the ways of Taoism. I looked around, trying to find any trace of that ghost but saw nothing.
The Taoist asked me what I was looking at. I shook my head and said I wasn't looking at anything. I suggested we get going, and he nodded in agreement.
If my Yin Marriage with Lin Xue had truly been arranged by the Taoist priest, then he must have intended to harm me. I glanced at him; he looked to be about my age.
The Taoist didn't tell me where we were headed but expertly hailed two taxis once we left the old district. After we got in the car, he remained silent. Du Feng had asked me for a call, but I didn't make one.
Compared to Du Feng, I found myself trusting the Taoist more. Du Feng was someone I'd never even met in person; his credibility was quite low!
Even so, not informing Du Feng about this wouldn't matter much; if anything unexpected happened later on, with Zhang Xun around, it should be manageable. My mind was clear regarding these matters. The Taoist told me we were just going to see a coffin.
Once we got out of the car, the Taoist began speaking. "Chen Fei," he said, "I'm only taking you to see a wild grave; there's no need to be too nervous."
I wasn't nervous. I turned to the Taoist and asked, "Taoist, is there a person buried in this coffin?"
The Taoist replied, "Yes, there is a person buried here, and it's a good friend of mine. I brought you here because I need your help."
"Help?"
The Taoist continued, "Now that I'm better, I can't let my old friend continue lying in the coffin. I asked what he meant, and he said, 'Chen Fei, don't worry. I won't let you help me for free. I'll reward you for your assistance.'"
"A reward? What can you give me?" I asked the Taoist. He responded, "What kind of reward do you want?" At that moment, we had stopped in a desolate area, with a full moon hanging above us, casting a gentle light.
The Taoist said to me, "How about I help you break the Yin Marriage with the female ghost?"
I stared at the Taoist as his words began to erode my trust in him. For him to say such things meant he had been plotting against me from the start. Taking a deep breath, I replied, "Wasn't it said that the Yin Marriage couldn't be broken?"
The Taoist chuckled and said, "That was before. Back then, only one soul's power hadn't recovered. Now it's different; my abilities have nearly returned. Helping you break this Yin Marriage shouldn't be a problem."
I fell silent as I looked at the Taoist. Soon enough, we arrived at a wild grave. Why was it a wild grave? Because the mound was overgrown with grass and lacked a tombstone; it was merely a dirt pile.
The Taoist pointed and said, "This is the place." I nodded in response. The Taoist quickly took out a Yuanbao Candle. Just as he inserted three incense sticks, an unusual scene unfolded before us: several weasels suddenly appeared in front of the grave. Once they arrived, they knelt before the mound and remained motionless.
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