Chapter 44: Opening the Coffin

The five of them trailed at the back of the crowd, following the coffin bearers to the west. They passed through a field and climbed a mountain forest, finally arriving at the so-called "Grave Mountain."

On the mountain, there were numerous scattered graves. A few were enclosed in cement with small railings and had two cypress trees planted in front, with incense burning. Most were simple mounds of earth, overgrown with weeds, and abandoned.

The coffin bearers placed the coffin in front of a pre-dug grave pit. The Taoist priest began performing rites again, while the "family members" continued to mourn loudly. Amid the sound of drums, gongs, and fireworks, the four men lifted the coffin into the pit, and swiftly began covering it with dirt.

The villagers watched for a while before dispersing and heading home, leaving behind the four burial workers and an elderly man in charge of the proceedings—Mr. Wu, who had earlier been collecting the funeral contributions.

He gave instructions from the side: "Hurry up and bury it, don't let it be after eight. The soil needs to be packed tightly."

Officer Huang made a gesture, and the five of them walked over.

Officer Huang took the extra shovel and started shoveling dirt. Mr. Wu recognized him and approached to hand him a cigarette. Officer Huang accepted it, tucking it behind his ear.

"Officer Huang, don't blame me," Mr. Wu sighed. "I wish the case would be solved quickly, but Hua Zi's family can't be delayed. If we wait too long, the villagers won't have the time, and as the village chief, I won't be able to command them. At that point, Hua Zi's family will truly become wandering souls."

"I understand," Officer Huang continued to shovel dirt. "The autopsy report has come out. The burial doesn't affect the investigation."

"That's good, that's good," Mr. Wu nodded repeatedly.

During the burial, Officer Huang, while Mr. Wu wasn't paying attention, secretly handed his shovel to Qingling. Qingling raised her hand slightly, and the shovel quickly flew behind a tree, disappearing from sight.

In less than twenty minutes, the grave was completed.

During this time, Gao Yang and Officer Huang didn't gather any particularly useful information, so they followed Mr. Wu and the four men back and said their goodbyes at the village entrance.

The five of them pretended to leave the village, then returned to the small forest to strategize.

"Why did you have me hide the shovel earlier?" Qingling asked Officer Huang.

"Digging up the grave," Gao Yang blurted out. He had already discussed this plan with Officer Huang in private.

"Digging up the grave?!" Fat Jun was startled.

Officer Huang smiled, taking out the cigarette Mr. Wu had given him and sniffing it, though he didn't dare to smoke it. "Wait until it gets dark, avoid being seen, and we'll dig up the grave."

"Is it really necessary?" Fat Jun looked conflicted.

"We have to wrap this up today, no matter what."

Officer Huang glanced at everyone. "Here's the plan between Gao Yang and me. For now, we'll rest in place and conserve our energy as much as possible. Once it gets dark, we'll head to the grave and see if we can find any clues."

Officer Huang sat down leaning against a tree. "If we find something, great, but if not, we'll stick to the original plan and take the initiative. We can't win in a direct confrontation with all the beasts in the village, so we'll go one by one, in the dark, and see if we can force out the mastermind."

"Surprise attack?!" Wang Zikai looked disappointed, still hoping for a big battle. "This isn't fair play!"

"Wang Zikai, not everyone's built the same way," Gao Yang immediately started flattering. "You're the chosen one, born with divine strength, stronger than the rest of us, so you'll have no problem. But right now, we're in a weakened state, facing great danger... and you won't be able to protect us in battle. You don't want to win on your own while your teammates end up as casualties, right?"

This flattery made Wang Zikai feel great. He waved his hand generously. "Alright, fine! But the final boss is definitely mine."

"Of course."

Officer Huang and Fat Jun looked at Gao Yang with admiration: Truly a "tamer of beasts"!

...

Around 7 p.m., it got dark. Officer Huang woke the four who were resting, and in the darkness, they stealthily headed toward the Grave Mountain on the west side of the village.

By day, it seemed unremarkable, but at night, the cemetery felt foreboding. Fat Jun, being easily scared, looked pale and trembled. He stayed in the middle of the group, constantly on edge, jumping at the slightest sound.

Qingling raised her hand, and the shovel flew back to her from the treetop. "Who's coming?"

"I'll do it!" Wang Zikai grabbed the shovel and walked to Hua Zi's grave, starting to dig.

The other four stood watch, ready for anything. If any villagers showed up, they would have no choice but to eliminate them.

Luckily, no one came.

Wang Zikai, with his divine strength, quickly finished the job. Sweating profusely, he tossed the shovel aside. "Done!"

They gathered around the pit. The moonlight was eerie, and the coffin, covered in dirt, gave off a chilling, ghostly vibe. They all hesitated, none daring to open the coffin.

"Why's everyone so scared?" Wang Zikai stepped forward eagerly. "Move aside! I'll do it!"

"No need." Gao Yang stopped him. Unsure of what might be inside the coffin, he decided to play it safe. He picked up the shovel and slid it into the gap in the coffin lid, then quickly stepped back, looking at Qingling. "Can you do it?"

"It's too heavy, but I'll try."

Qingling extended both hands. "Metal!"

The shovel inserted into the coffin lid began to tremble slightly, and an invisible force began to pry it open. At this moment, Officer Huang pulled out his gun, and Gao Yang drew his knife, ready for any danger.

"Clang!" The coffin lid was finally pried open.

They instinctively took two steps back, their hearts racing.

After a few seconds of silence, the expected danger didn't materialize. The coffin in the pit was eerily quiet, and there was no foul smell of decay.

They exchanged looks and slowly approached the pit to peer inside. They were all stunned.

The coffin wasn't empty, but there was nothing supernatural. The bodies of Hua Zi's family were inside, but... they had all turned to white bones.

Gao Yang shined his flashlight inside, counting the skulls—there were only four. It seemed the bride's head was still missing.

"Is that it?" Wang Zikai said disappointedly. "I thought it would be more exciting!"

"Didn't Hua Zi's family only die less than ten days ago?" Qingling asked. "Why have they all turned to bones?"

"The police should have sent the bodies back three days ago," Officer Huang frowned. "It's only April, and even if the bodies decayed quickly, it's impossible for them to turn into bones this fast."

"Could it be... someone ate the bodies?" Fat Jun guessed boldly.

Gao Yang shook his head. "This doesn't look like the remains of something eaten."

"Hm, it looks like..." Officer Huang paused. "They've been dead for a long time."

A cold wind blew, the tree leaves rustling, and Gao Yang felt a chill run down his spine!

"We need to leave," Gao Yang said.

"What's going on?" Qingling looked at him.

"Let's leave first," Gao Yang's face was grim. "I think... I know what's going on."

"What do we do now? Should we restore the body?" Officer Huang asked.

"Forget it," Gao Yang wanted to leave immediately.

The group didn't dare linger and quickly left the Grave Mountain.

Around 8 p.m., several homes in the ancient village still had their lights on. The group cautiously avoided the villagers and sneaked into Hua Zi's house. Gao Yang immediately blocked the doors and windows, and this time, they didn't even dare to turn on their flashlights.

"Bro, what's going on? Stop keeping us in suspense!" Wang Zikai was anxious.

"Let's cut to the chase," Gao Yang said in a deep voice. "We didn't travel back to Ancient Village thirty years ago, nor did we enter another world or a dream world."

In the darkness, everyone held their breath, waiting for more.

Gao Yang took a deep breath. "This... is the Ancient Village from back then."