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墨書 Inktalez
Wang Er Gou's sharp eyes immediately caught sight of it, and in an instant, his soul felt scattered, his courage as fragile as a cicada's. His mouth opened but did not close, nor did he utter a single word.
"What’s wrong, Er Gou?" Second asked. Cold sweat had already seeped from Wang Er Gou's forehead as he clenched his fists and said, "The coffin... the coffin just moved."
Despite being someone who had seen the world, Wang Er Gou still trembled in fear. As the saying goes, humans and ghosts are on different paths; no matter how powerful one is, they still fear ghosts.
Upon hearing Wang Er Gou's words, the others immediately turned their gaze to the Bronze Coffin lying on the ground. In the dim light, it remained still.
"Is everything alright? Er Gou," Second continued, "the coffin hasn't moved at all."
Wang Er Gou snapped back to reality and focused his gaze on the coffin. Indeed, it lay motionless on the ground. Was I really seeing things? Wang Er Gou questioned himself.
He shook his head and said to Second, "It's nothing. I guess I really was seeing things just now."
"Ergou Master, you don’t need to be too nervous," Seven said. Third stared intently at the Bronze Coffin, which lay elegantly on the ground, its surface covered in a layer of dust that made it look chaotic. There were indeed no signs that the Bronze Coffin had moved.
Wang Er Gou suppressed his anxiety. He recalled a story: " Er Gou, what happened when the corpse came back to life?" Taking a deep breath, he said, "After the coffin was opened, something dead inside actually came back to life—a ferocious ghost jumped out of the coffin, and everyone present met a terrible fate. Even the priest who performed the exorcism was bitten on the neck and died. Fortunately, my master wasn’t there that night."
"The locals were so frightened that no one dared to go out at night. Later, my master invited an old Taoist from Qiping Mountain to re-bury the coffin when the sun was at its peak; only then did this matter come to an end."
As Wang Er Gou spoke, he kept glancing at the Bronze Coffin. Thankfully, it remained still. He instinctively let out a sigh of relief.
After finishing his story, Wang Er Gou twisted open a bottle cap and took a sip of water.
The others listened in amazement as Wang Er Gou recounted his tale; it was astonishing that corpses could come back to life like that. Those who dug up graves must have suffered greatly.
Second whispered, "We definitely won’t encounter such things," perhaps feeling that his voice was too quiet for comfort. He raised his volume and added, "Rest assured, Er Gou."
"Don't worry, this coffin won't have any corpse tricks," Third said.
Seven asked, "Ergou Master, about your mention of the 'Yin Hall' earlier. What date is it today?"
"What date is it?" Although the others didn't really believe that the Myriad Ghosts were gathering, they echoed, "What date is it?" Second also inquired. Third replied, "It's June 10th." Upon hearing this, everyone felt a sense of relief.
"Oh, oh, oh," Seven exclaimed three times. White Python lay on the ground, remaining still. "Let's not worry about that for now; we should focus on getting out," Second shouted.
Wang Er Gou wiped his forehead and scanned the surroundings, silently praying that this place was not the 'Yin Hall.'
Third stepped toward the coffin. No longer hesitating, he too had his concerns; perhaps this really was the 'Yin Hall' that Wang Er Gou spoke of.
The Ming Hall could not tolerate the existence of the dead, and naturally, the Yin Hall could not accommodate the living unless one wished to die. Third placed his hands on the edge of the coffin; this Bronze Coffin had no nails sealing it shut because it was extremely heavy.
Second approached and said, "Third, should we just lift it directly or...?" His words trailed off. After a moment, Third replied in a low voice, "Let's just open it!"
The two exerted their strength, but surprisingly, the coffin lid did not budge; previously, Third had managed to lift it slightly by himself.
"What’s going on?" Seven watched as the two struggled without success and stepped forward to join them. The three of them lined up and pushed up against the coffin lid with all their might. Still, there was no movement.
Wang Er Gou called from behind, "Could it be nailed shut?" The other two looked skeptically at the edge of the coffin but saw no gaps and couldn't tell if it was sealed.
Only Third knew that this Bronze Coffin had no nails. White Python seemed to sense their predicament but remained crouched and motionless.
The three tried again to lift the coffin but to no avail. "I can't do it anymore," Second shouted. "We haven't eaten in so long; I've exhausted all my strength. This Bronze Coffin is most likely sealed."
Seven also let go and sat down on the ground to rest. Third's hand still hadn't left the coffin, his vacant eyes staring at the wall behind it. He was now certain that Wang Er Gou hadn't been mistaken; the coffin had definitely moved.
Third glanced at White Python again. The others were resting. He squatted down in front of White Python's massive head and whispered, "Why is this happening?"
White Python's deep blue eyes seemed to weave a vast net. It shook its head from side to side on the ground, stirring up dust that floated and settled. Third sighed and continued, "Can you open it?"
Upon hearing this, White Python immediately moved to the side of the Bronze Coffin. It nudged the coffin lid with its large head, but the lid remained completely still. White Python lowered itself and blinked at Third, its eyes reflecting confusion. Third then asked, "Do we really have to open this Bronze Coffin to get out?"
White Python shook its head. Third patted White Python's head and said, "I understand now. Let's put it up!" White Python slithered closer to the wall and pressed a switch. The Bronze Coffin slowly lifted off the ground, hanging suspended in the air once more.
The other three watched as the Bronze Coffin rose without saying a word, until it vanished into the darkness. They all appeared dejected.
Third kept his gaze fixed on the coffin until it disappeared into the shadows. Once his eyes fell to the ground, he said, "We can leave soon."
The three sprang up from their spots, all looking at Third. White Python's expression darkened slightly. Third stated, "It can take us out."
"Can we really trust this creature?" Second remarked. "Damn it, if it could take us out, it would have done so already."
"It can," Third insisted. White Python wriggled its body slightly. Seven looked at Second and said, "Listening to Third is not a bad idea."
Second fell silent. Wang Er Gou also shifted his gaze toward White Python.
White Python lay on the ground, still restlessly wriggling its body. Finally, as if making a decision, it nudged Third's knee with its head.
Before Third could respond, it crawled toward a wall and slammed its head against it, causing blood to flow from its forehead. The others were stunned by White Python's actions, momentarily unable to react. In a few quick steps, Third caught up with White Python and grabbed its tail.
The White Python felt someone tugging at its tail from behind. Instinctively, it stretched its head forward to meet Third's gaze. The two stared at each other, with no fear in Third's eyes, and none of the White Python's ferocity reflected back.
The massive head of the White Python was stained red. The other three had caught up as well. Third shook his head at the White Python, who seemed to understand the meaning behind the gesture.
Gradually, it lowered its body, no longer standing upright but instead crawling on the ground.
Third immediately began to stop the bleeding and bandage the White Python. Second, standing nearby, remarked, "Stupid snake, why do you seek death?" Upon hearing this, the White Python's emotions visibly fluctuated.
"This snake has reached a certain level of 'spiritual communication' and can fully comprehend human speech," Wang Er Gou sighed.
Seven approached the wall that the White Python had just crashed into. There were clear cracks appearing on it, stained with the blood of the White Python. The cracks radiated outwards from a central point.
Seven could tell at a glance that this wall was made of a material not inferior to granite; it was a mixture of cement. Its hardness was evident.
Looking at the cracks in the wall, Seven thought that one would have to be seeking death to do something so foolish. He touched the wall and exclaimed, "Hmm!" There was something wrong with this wall. Knocking on it revealed a hollow sound, especially where it had cracked.
Seven continued to knock around the area but found that beyond a certain range, the sound became solid. It seemed this was an exit. Confirming his suspicion, Seven shouted, "I found an exit!"
Upon hearing this, Second immediately walked over, followed by Wang Er Gou. Third remained still, tending to the White Python's wounds.
As the other three examined the wall, Third murmured, "White Python, do you want to come with us this time?"
The White Python shook its head but surprisingly stood upright and turned to glance at where the Bronze Coffin had risen earlier.
"Are you reluctant to leave?" Third pressed further. He understood that the White Python must have been cared for by someone inside that coffin; it was clear that there were feelings involved. Not wanting to force it, Third eventually let out a sigh after a moment of silence.
The White Python lay quietly on the ground while the other three were busy hammering at the wall. As the saying goes, "A small crack can ruin everything. Once a tiny hole is made, the entire wall can no longer hold up. It all comes crashing down."
"It's a hidden stone door," Seven said. The group covered their mouths and noses until the dust settled before they finally relaxed. A dark passage appeared before them, stirring a wave of excitement within each of them.
Second ran over and called out to Third, "We can go now."
Third was with White Python. White Python lifted its head and glanced at Second, who felt an unexpected sense of melancholy wash over him. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, swallowing back what he wanted to say.
Third understood that White Python's friendliness and willingness to show them the exit stemmed from the fact that the person in the coffin looked just like him.
Taking advantage of Third's moment of distraction, White Python slipped away into this so-called 'Mingtang' or 'Yin Hall.' By the time Third regained his senses, all he could see was the tail of White Python disappearing.
With a long sigh, Third felt a sense of relief wash over him as he stood up.
The wall had been completely smashed apart. An opening appeared, matching the size of the previous Stone Path. Seven was nowhere to be seen, nor was Wang Er Gou.
The two were busy stuffing their bags with boxes filled with gold, silver, and jewels, chatting as they worked. "I forgot to bring a big bag," one of them said.
Second also walked over; who wouldn't want money? As long as it didn't harm anyone, Second joined in as well. Eventually, they realized they couldn't possibly carry out so much treasure.
After some discussion, they reluctantly decided to leave some behind. In the end, they learned an important lesson: wealth is merely an external possession; it sure is heavy!
"Let's go!" Third urged. The others responded in agreement, hurriedly closing the wooden boxes before following in Third's footsteps.
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