Chapter 156: The Corpse on the Road

Five pale faces, devoid of any trace of blood, suddenly turned in this direction! I jolted sharply, but fortunately my composure held, and I made no sound. Had they discovered us? What on earth were these ghosts, and why were they here? What did they intend to do?

The five eerie faces faced us without expression, their eyes devoid of any emotion, like the faces of the dead. Yet their gaze did not focus on us. I watched them anxiously, my heart pounding. Although I had no idea what these ghosts were about, Old Ma’s warning was deeply etched in my mind. My instincts told me that if these ghosts found us, the situation would be dire.

The ghosts remained motionless, and my nerves tightened further, but they stayed still. After a long while, as if having found nothing, they finally turned, hoisting the coffin and heading off. The ringing of bells followed them, gradually fading into the distance.

I stared in the direction they left, holding my breath to the limit but still too afraid to breathe, waiting for Tu’e’s reaction. He remained utterly still and silent for a long time. I was already dizzy and my chest ached from holding my breath. I thought to myself, were those five ghosts really that formidable? They had vanished without a trace; could they really come back?

I couldn’t hold it any longer. Even if they did return, even if I was no match for their master, I couldn’t bear it. If I didn’t breathe soon, I’d suffocate all by myself, without them lifting a finger! I leaned toward Tu’e, intending to ask if he was safe, when suddenly I sensed a faint breath!

Damn! He was breathing all along! Why the hell didn’t he say so? I immediately released my grip and gasped for air, the breath flooding my lungs with a comforting warmth. This was what it meant to be alive! I nearly suffocated because of this guy! If I didn’t know him, I’d have thought he was doing it on purpose!

I wanted to say something but saw that although he was breathing, he still showed no other sign of movement. So I swallowed my irritation and lowered my voice: “Have those ghosts gone?”

“They have,” he said calmly in a normal tone.

Damn! If they were gone, why didn’t he say so earlier? Don’t tell me it was only safe to talk when I asked the question! What the hell! Did he like lurking in the bushes or what? No reaction even when there was no danger! So if I hadn’t asked, was he planning to stay hidden here until dawn?

I stood and stepped out of the bushes; Tu’e followed openly. It really was safe now. I had underestimated this guy’s brain; I’d have to stay alert from now on. Those five ghosts appearing here was highly unusual. I had to hurry and inform Old Ma.

As I walked back to the village, I asked Tu’e, “Can you make out what those ghosts are about? They were carrying a coffin?”

Though his mind wasn’t sharp, he knew a lot about these matters. He understood many things and was quite capable—in theory, at least—but his intelligence was typical of someone with high IQ but low emotional intelligence, skilled but lacking practical experience. Like someone who’s studied English for years and aces tests but freezes when facing a native speaker.

“The five ghosts carrying a coffin are souls of the dead on their journey. If they sense the living’s presence, they drain their energy,” he explained.

“Why would they appear here?” I asked.

“Don’t know. Usually, they’re sent by someone,” he answered honestly.

Sent by someone? Then this wasn’t a coincidence. They were definitely here for us!

Back in the village, the firecrackers had stopped. Children ran around excitedly, using flashlights to hunt for unexploded firecrackers on the ground, some holding lit incense sticks to ignite the ones they found. I used to enjoy playing like that as a child, but after moving to the city, I lost the chance to set off firecrackers.

“Brother Luo, want to play with us?” two middle schoolers holding a handful of firecrackers and a lit incense stick asked me eagerly.

Because I had them write my apologies for me, the kids treated me like a benefactor and had gotten quite close.

“I’m not playing. You guys go ahead,” I said; I had no mood for games now.

The two kids hesitated, then added, “Do you still need our help?”

That was the real reason!

“Of course I do. I’ll come find you later. You guys enjoy playing,” I said. Half of the million words I needed to write were done, but I still needed their help.

The two kids cheered and ran off to continue collecting firecrackers.

Back at the mud house, Old Ma was already home, smelling strongly of alcohol—he must have drunk a lot. But he was still sitting in the living room, not gone to bed. I wondered if he had just returned.

“Where have you been? I need to talk to you about something,” Old Ma said, a little annoyed.

From his tone, he seemed to have been back for a while and was deliberately waiting for me.

“I have something important to tell you too!”

Old Ma looked at me suspiciously.

I told him in detail about the five ghosts carrying the coffin. His face darkened immediately, and his expression grew extremely serious.

“Hmph! The five ghosts carrying a coffin, the souls of the dead on their journey—they’ve come here after all. Looks like the quiet days are over; it’s time to get moving,” Old Ma said coldly.

“What exactly are these five ghosts carrying a coffin?” I asked.

Old Ma sneered, “They’re called five ghosts carrying a coffin, but the real danger lies in the corpse inside the coffin. Those five ghosts are just paper figures brought to life!”

So that explained why the five ghosts looked almost identical!

Old Ma continued, “Even if they’re paper figures, don’t underestimate them. Only extraordinary paper figures can carry such a coffin!”

“The corpse inside the coffin is that powerful?”

Old Ma glanced at me, “That corpse wasn’t made by humans; it’s an evil corpse formed after a violent death, buried in cursed ground, whose soul never dissipated. After hundreds of years, it became a malignant entity. Do you know why it’s sealed in a coffin carried by five paper figures? Because even those controlling it cannot truly command it!”

So it was a self-formed entity controlled by others, not a man-made creation!

Old Ma went on, “The bell hanging before the coffin is called the guiding bell. The paper figures’ movements depend entirely on that bell. If you encounter them again and they attack, remember to destroy the bell. Without it, the figures lose their way. But that only works before the coffin is opened and the evil corpse emerges. Once the corpse is out, destroying the bell won’t help. So it’s best to avoid them altogether.”

I nodded and asked, “Master, do you know who’s behind all this?”