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墨書 Inktalez
Early the next morning, before dawn, I was shaken awake by Sun Er Pangzi. Rubbing my eyes in confusion, I asked, "What’s going on? Is a ghost daring to come out in broad daylight?"
“Something big has happened! Lao Wei was found collapsed in the Ancestral Graveyard this morning,” Sun Er Pangzi exclaimed, jumping up and down in a panic.
“Is he alright?” I yawned while getting dressed.
“He's fine. But this Li Gui doesn’t even spare his own people; how could he let anyone from our village off the hook?” Sun Er Pangzi replied.
I chuckled and waved my hand dismissively. “In the eyes of ghosts, there’s no distinction between kin and strangers. So you don’t need to worry.”
Sun Er Pangzi sighed in relief at my words, but as he processed their meaning, he hurriedly asked, “Master, does that mean this ghost is inhumane and would kill anyone?”
I took a sip of thin porridge and said, “You’re already a ghost; where’s the humanity left?”
“Let’s go check out the grave where Lao Wei had his incident, then we can visit his home,” I said, grabbing a steamed bun and heading outside.
The Ancestral Graveyard of Qianjin Village is located on the hillside to the north of the village, dotted with numerous Tomb Mounds—there must be several hundred of them. Some were overgrown with wild grass, while others were shaped like houses made of cement bricks. Some had tombstones erected, while others didn’t even have wooden stakes.
I looked around and noticed two flower wreaths placed in front of one grave, so I walked straight over.
“Master, you’re amazing! I hadn’t even pointed the way yet you found it yourself,” Sun Er Pangzi praised.
I pointed at the new wreath and said, “Please don’t add ‘Master’ before my name; just look at me.”
Sun Er Pangzi chuckled. “This way it shows you’re young and accomplished! Back when I was your age…”
As Sun Er Pangzi rambled on about his youthful days, I carefully observed the grave. It consisted of just two mounds of earth. Even though it was morning and the sun wasn’t at its peak yet, I could still feel a thick aura of yin energy as I approached the grave.
I circled around the grave a few times and finally discovered a hole in the thicket connecting two tombs. While it's common for animals like weasels, hedgehogs, and rabbits to dig holes in rural cemeteries, my intuition told me that this hole was definitely not made by any creature.
Unable to resist my curiosity, I leaned in closer to observe it. Suddenly, I stumbled and fell to the ground, my eyes directly facing a hole slightly larger than my fist.
Out of the dark hole, a pair of ghastly white eyes suddenly appeared, staring straight at me.
Even with my courage, I was startled by those eyes that were nothing but white. Forgetting to maintain my composed demeanor in front of others, I let out a panicked cry and scrambled to my feet.
Feeling the warmth of sunlight on my face helped me regain some composure, though my back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Master, what's going on?" Sun Er Pangzi asked anxiously upon seeing my distress.
I took a deep breath and waved my hand dismissively. "It's nothing, nothing."
Sun Er Pangzi moved closer, likely noticing my pale complexion. He questioned suspiciously, "Is this really nothing?"
I struggled to maintain my composure and walked past him, saying, "Things might not be as simple as I thought. Come with me to Lao Wei's house to find out more. I'll come back tonight."
Seeing my serious demeanor, Sun Er Pangzi followed along, his eyes wide with surprise. "You're coming back at night?"
"Am I supposed to look for a ghost during the day? Of course, I have to come back at night," I retorted.
Sun Er Pangzi rubbed his hands together nervously. "Look at me—I'm just an ordinary man with a couple hundred pounds of flesh; I have nothing else. Besides, I have a wife. You know this road well enough. I won't accompany you tonight."
Looking at Sun Er Pangzi's expression, I couldn't help but laugh. "What do you need to come for at night? If I have to keep an eye on you too, that would be counterproductive."
Lao Wei's house was a single-story building, with remnants of firecrackers and yellow paper scattered in front of the door, and a white silk banner still hanging above the entrance.
When Sun Erpang and I arrived, Lao Wei was sitting on a wooden stool, smoking. Through the haze of smoke, I saw a face resembling the bark of a pine tree—dark and deeply wrinkled. If it weren't for Sun Erpang, I would have hardly believed that Lao Wei was not much older than sixty. The pressures and blows of life had transformed him into this state.
This was the first time I faced the harsh realities of life so directly. My eyes grew warm as I thought of my father back home. When I wasn't there, he might be sitting just like Lao Wei, smoking his pipe.
"Wei Shu, this is a master from the mountains. Don’t be fooled by his age; he has great skills," Sun Erpang said as he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Lao Wei.
Lao Wei glanced at me with eyes devoid of any spark and said, "Kid, just ask what you want."
I pressed my palms together and murmured "Amitabha." "Wei Shu, before your daughter-in-law committed suicide, did she exhibit any unusual behavior? Please think carefully and tell me everything in detail."
Lao Wei sighed and replied, "There wasn't anything particularly special. After my son died, my daughter-in-law seemed a bit dazed. So I hiked for dozens of miles to find a Taoist priest to come and exorcise the house. For the first few days after the exorcism, she seemed normal again; she did household chores and everything. But gradually, she started to shut herself in her room, drawing the curtains. She would mumble incoherently."
I felt a nagging doubt in my heart—Taoist priest? Suicide? Something felt off, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"Wei Shu, may I go inside and take a look?" I asked cautiously, afraid of reopening old wounds for the elderly man.
Lao Wei nodded numbly and pointed toward one of the rooms. Perhaps to him, his heart had already turned to ashes.
As I pushed open the door, a wave of metallic scent hit me. The dimly lit room had no light at all; the window was covered by a crimson quilt.
I sniffed the air; there seemed to be another scent lingering—something not of this world. Though faint, I was certain of its presence.
As I bid farewell to Lao Wei, I finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Wei Shu, if possible, I would like you to take us to see your grandson's grave."
I knew that saying such things might hurt the old man's feelings, but for the sake of the entire village's lives, I had no choice. Sun Erpang tugged at my sleeve and complained, "Master, what are you doing? It's like you're using a knife to dig out someone's heart!"
"I have my reasons," I said earnestly, looking into Lao Wei's eyes. "You'll understand once you see it for yourself."
After a long pause, Lao Wei brushed off the ash from his clothes and took a few bundles of incense and some yellow paper from the house, saying, "Come with me."
Lao Wei walked ahead. Although he was not yet sixty, his body was slightly hunched, and he walked slowly. Sun Erpang and I wisely fell silent and quietly followed behind.
We arrived at a shaded area on a hillside when suddenly, Lao Wei dropped what he was holding onto the ground.
I felt a sense of dread and quickly moved around Lao Wei to see what had happened. The spot where the Infant Corpse had been buried appeared to have been disturbed; the earth was piled up around it, revealing an empty coffin inside.
The body was gone!
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