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    Fake Funeral: Volume 1
    Fake Funeral: Volume 1
    Fake Funeral: Volume 1
    Ebook760 pages11 hours

    Fake Funeral: Volume 1

    By Xi XiFuSi

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    About this ebook

    We have a very secret ritual around here. It's called a fake burial.Fake burial, as the name implies, was a fake funeral.The old man at home was ill and wanted to find the patient's old clothes and make a dummy of him. It's called Regeneration.After the "Regeneration" was done, the old man's next of kin would carry it on his back and bury it on the mountain. This process was called burial sickness.That day, it was my turn to carry the "Regeneration". As a result, something strange happened.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFunstory
    Release dateSep 30, 2019
    ISBN9781646772452
    Fake Funeral: Volume 1

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      Book preview

      Fake Funeral - Xi XiFuSi

      CONTENTS

      CHAPTER 1 - REGENERATION

      CHAPTER 2 - GHOST SEAL

      CHAPTER 3 - EXTORTION

      CHAPTER 4 - RECLINING BED

      CHAPTER 5 - REGENERATION

      CHAPTER 6 - SHITANG VILLAGE

      CHAPTER 7 - OIL LAMP

      CHAPTER 8 - MASTER XUE

      CHAPTER 9 - MUD MAN

      CHAPTER 10 - BUDDHA

      CHAPTER 11 - FUNERAL

      CHAPTER 12 - KILLING NIGHT

      CHAPTER 13 - UPPER BODY GHOST

      CHAPTER 14 - SUMMER HEART

      CHAPTER 15 - GHOST HUNTING

      CHAPTER 16 - KILLED

      CHAPTER 17 - GUESSING FIST

      CHAPTER 18 - BEGGAR

      CHAPTER 19 - ALL DEAD

      CHAPTER 20 - GINSENG OF THE RIVER STYX

      CHAPTER 21 - WHO IS THE LIVING CORPSE

      CHAPTER 22 - TENANT

      CHAPTER 23 - NINTH DAY

      CHAPTER 24 - SURROGATE

      CHAPTER 25 - DREAM MIRROR

      CHAPTER 26 - SHIELD

      CHAPTER 27 - SARCOPHAGUS

      CHAPTER 28 - CLANDESTINE BIRTH

      CHAPTER 29 - LOSE THE BODY

      CHAPTER 30 - IDENTIFY

      CHAPTER 31 - FUNERAL PARLOUR

      CHAPTER 32 - MORGUE

      CHAPTER 33 - QUICK STORAGE

      CHAPTER 34 - JAILER

      CHAPTER 35 - WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON IN THE DAYTIME?!

      CHAPTER 36 - GLOVES

      CHAPTER 37 - SUPPLY AND MARKETING AGENCY

      CHAPTER 38 - TOMB ROBBER

      CHAPTER 39 - NETHER SHOE

      CHAPTER 40 - DEAL OF THE DEAD

      CHAPTER 41 - AGITATOR

      CHAPTER 42 - BLIND PERSON

      CHAPTER 43 - MA KE

      CHAPTER 44 - RAIN

      CHAPTER 45 - [WHAT THE HELL!]

      CHAPTER 46 - HUANGQUAN ROAD

      CHAPTER 47 - BUSINESS

      CHAPTER 48 - MIRROR

      CHAPTER 49 - DRINKING RAINWATER

      CHAPTER 50 - CHEATED

      CHAPTER 51 - CONTROL OF SOUL

      CHAPTER 52 - LAME

      CHAPTER 53 - ANCIENT TOMB

      CHAPTER 54 - MESSENGERS

      CHAPTER 55 - SWINDLER

      CHAPTER 56 - PAPER MAN

      CHAPTER 57 - RETURN TO EARTH

      CHAPTER 58 - HADES' MONEY

      CHAPTER 59 - REQUIEM TEMPLE

      CHAPTER 60 - BUDDHA NIRVANA

      CHAPTER 61 - OLD PEOPLE'S VILLAGE

      CHAPTER 62 - SOUL SUMMONING

      CHAPTER 63 - ASKED EIGHT WORDS

      CHAPTER 64 - BODY LOSS

      CHAPTER 65 - THE CONTRARY WORLD

      CHAPTER 66 - GHOST CATCHER

      CHAPTER 67 - ASKING FOR PHANTOM

      CHAPTER 68 - PAST

      CHAPTER 69 - FACE ON GLASS

      CHAPTER 70 - WHERE AM I

      CHAPTER 71 - GRAND LADY

      CHAPTER 72 - PHANTOM

      CHAPTER 73 - STRANGE LETTER

      CHAPTER 74 - WARD

      CHAPTER 75 - TRAPPED

      CHAPTER 76 - THREE LIARS

      CHAPTER 77 - MURDEROUS HEART

      CHAPTER 78 - CORPSE LANGUAGE

      CHAPTER 79 - A MOUNTAIN

      CHAPTER 80 - SECONDARY PALACE

      CHAPTER 81 - TOMB SEARCHING

      CHAPTER 82 - FIND A SCOUNDREL

      CHAPTER 83 - USURY

      CHAPTER 84 - BLACK-AND-WHITE RADIOGRAPHY

      CHAPTER 85 - FLORAL ARM

      CHAPTER 86 - GUIDE BOY

      CHAPTER 87 - TEN TECHNIQUES OF CONTROLLING PHANTOM

      CHAPTER 88 - A DYING MAN

      CHAPTER 89 - ENEMIES HAVE A NARROW ROAD

      CHAPTER 90 - DIGGING THE GRAVE

      CHAPTER 91 - TWO COFFINS

      CHAPTER 92 - SKY-DODGING SOLDIER

      CHAPTER 93 - ECSTASY

      CHAPTER 94 - NIGHTMARE

      CHAPTER 95 - PAPYRUS

      CHAPTER 96 - GHOST PRISONERS

      CHAPTER 97 - PSEUDO-YELLOW SPRING

      CHAPTER 98 - STARRY SKY

      CHAPTER 99 - YELLOW SPRINGS

      CHAPTER 100 - WATER SKY

      CHAPTER 1 - REGENERATION

      In the more remote rural areas, there are often some hidden taboos and customs. Once touched, it would lead to disaster.

      What I want to talk about is a very secretive ceremony in our part of the world. Almost every family has participated in this ceremony, but it has never reached the ears of outsiders.

      The ceremony was called a fake burial.

      Fake burial, as the name implies, was a fake funeral.

      If the family has a serious illness, it will take a long time for it to improve. He had to find the patient's old clothes and fill them with straw to make them into a dummy. The dummy has a special name for us.

      After the Regeneration was done, he would choose a day when there was no moon and the old man's family would carry it on their backs and bury it on the mountain. This process was called burial sickness.

      This custom seemed very ignorant, and outsiders would probably scold it as feudal superstition. However, those who had experienced it all knew that it was extremely effective. Many old people would slowly recover after impersonating a grave.

      However, this ceremony had to be carried out with extreme care. One must not make even the slightest mistake in the middle. If one made the slightest mistake, it would bring about trouble.

      I had a family uncle who carried the Regeneration on his back when he was young and called the old man by the wrong name. Fortunately, he was still young at the time. After lying in bed for seven days, he was finally able to survive. However, he had a problem with his mouth from then on.

      When I was a kid, he used to tell us about his experiences in the cemetery. What the hell? What the fuck? What the hell? We couldn't sleep all night.

      The incident of the fake burial left me with a great deal of psychological trauma. For a long time, when I thought of my hometown, my mind was filled with fake burial, graves, mountains, and the Regeneration of old clothes.

      Then I went to school, determined to stay in the city to work, not without the intention of running away from home.

      But sometimes, fate was something that couldn't be escaped from. Finally, it was my turn to take the Regeneration.

      On Friday, I received a call from my hometown saying that foster-grandpa was very ill and might not be able to hold on for much longer. Startled, I dropped the phone and hurried back. When I got home, I found him lying unconscious in bed.

      The Old Village Chief brought a few people to guard him. When he saw me return, he told me about the situation in foster-grandpa. The meaning was that with his current state, acupuncture and medicine were no longer effective. It was best to prepare for the future as soon as possible, in case he got flustered and made a fool of himself.

      I asked the village chief for a cigarette, squatted by the door, took a few long puffs, stood up and said, Let me go to the funeral.

      The old village chief was stunned for a while, then patted my shoulder and said, If you were willing to help him fake his grave, your foster-grandpa would not have supported you for all these years.

      Actually, foster-grandpa and I aren't blood related, he hasn't married in his entire life. I was his adopted child. According to his age, he belongs to my grandfather's generation, so I kept calling him foster-grandpa.

      To tell the truth, I was afraid of the fake burial, but I couldn't stand by and watch him die.

      After confirming that I had agreed to a fake burial, the old chief called me to a small hut and told me what I needed to pay attention to during the fake burial.

      Only after I finished listening did I realize that the true fake burial was even more mysterious and scary than what my clan's uncle told me back then.

      When I came out of the cabin, the Regeneration was done. The straw was tied very securely, and on top of it, there was the jacket that foster-grandpa usually wore.

      The old village chief gave me a few more instructions and then patted me on the shoulder, telling me to be careful along the way.

      I looked at foster-grandpa who was lying on the bed. He has been unconscious for many days. I must finish the fake burial as soon as possible.

      Therefore, I didn't say much. Carrying the Regeneration on my back, I walked out of the house.

      I looked up at the sky. It was a cloudy night, and there was no moon. This was the kind of day that a fake grave should be buried on. It was said that it was to cover up the ghost servant's eyes, making it impossible for them to tell if the person buried was a real person or a fake person.

      When I reached the village entrance, there were two people waiting for me.

      One of them was a playmate of mine from my childhood. His name was Hu Dali, and he looked big and strong, but there was a problem with his intelligence.

      The other was his clan uncle. Uncle didn't say anything, he only patted my shoulder and sighed before moving to the side.

      I nodded to them and headed for the cemetery outside the village. They did not follow. This was because the rules of the fake burial had to be completed by one person.

      A few minutes later I was standing at the foot of the hill.

      The Tomb Mountain used to be a small hill, but I don't know when it started, but everyone who died in our village would be buried on it. Over time, there would be burial mounds everywhere, and its name would become burial mounds.

      I took a deep breath and carried the Regeneration up the mountain. The grass and trees on the grave hill grew so wild that I stumbled, the Regeneration behind me bouncing up and down.

      As I breathed in the smell of the smoke, I vaguely felt that it was another foster-grandpa on my back. It made my hair stand on end.

      I took a deep breath to calm my pounding heart, but the smell of paper money made me even more nervous.

      I walked up and down the hill, burning three pieces of paper money for every grave I came across. These three pieces of paper money were just money to buy a road.

      After I buy the way, the dead will let me pass safely, otherwise, I will be in the dark to make things difficult for the fake burial.

      I counted them very carefully, three for each person, no more, no less. The paper money burned in front of the grave, turning into a ball of sparks. A cold wind blew, carrying the paper money with it as it floated over the grave. It was said that this process was called counting money.

      Three infinite, six infinite. These numbers are too many to count, so they'll keep counting, not caring about me. If I gave it wrong, I gave it two or four. When they finished counting, they would probably catch up and ask for money along the way.

      Fortunately, nothing strange happened along the way. About fifteen minutes later I was on the shady side of the Cemetery Hill.

      The grave was on the sun side of the grave hill, as everyone knew. However, only those who had fake buried before would know that on the dark side of the mountain, there was a Golden Toad Temple.

      I had to carry the Regeneration to worship the Golden Toad Temple, then I could bury the Regeneration on the grave mountain. After completing this whole ceremony, the fake burial would finally be over.

      I've never been here, so I'm a little scared looking at the dark temple door.

      Squeak... A gust of cold wind blew, and a crack appeared in the temple door, as if there was something inside that invited me in.

      Trembling, I went to the door, turned sideways, and squeezed through the crack.

      Clang! The temple door slammed shut, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

      I took matches and candles from my bosom and lit them on the floor.

      The Golden Toad Temple sounded impressive, but it was actually just a small hut. There was no altar, no statue, just four empty walls.

      I looked around and, finding nothing out of the ordinary, placed the lit candle in the center of the room.

      Then I carried Regeneration around the room, circling the candle. At the same time, he muttered to himself, Great deity, please bless my foster-grandpa Hu Mancang, I will die from a hundred diseases, and live for a hundred years …

      Kneeling in three steps, kowtowing in nine steps, all the way until he had forty-nine rotations.

      I was afraid of mispronouncing a single word and taking a wrong step, so I became nervous and concentrated.

      Who knew that the more nervous I got, the more mistakes I would make. I stumbled and fell to the ground. I got up in a hurry and continued to walk in circles.

      Who knows what to fear, I soon fell again.

      I was going crazy, so I gave my legs a hard thump and kept walking. Who would have thought that the matter with the devil would come? Even though it was a flat ground, I still kept falling, as if someone was deliberately tripping over me.

      Thinking of this, my heart thumped. I knew that something had happened.

      This is called Ghost Catch.

      When I was young, I heard my uncle talk about the Ghost Catcher. It wasn't that they couldn't fall during the fake burial, but they definitely couldn't fall more than seven times. Otherwise, it would be hard for the immortals to save them.

      At this thought, I became even more afraid. Gritting my teeth, I stood up on my hands and knees and slowly took a step forward. When my step was firm, I took a second step.

      It's slow, but I'd rather be steady.

      Just as I was about to reach the forty-ninth lap, I heaved a sigh of relief. But right at this moment, Hu Dali's anxious shout came from outside.

      He shouted with all his might: Hu Chujiu, your foster-grandpa is dead, there's no need to bury him, quickly come back.

      What? I screamed. Then I felt someone push me, and I hit the ground hard.

      I got up in a panic, and then my scalp went numb: the candle had turned a pale green, and the whole room was ghostly.

      Giggle! A weird sound rang in my ear. Like a seriously ill old man laughing.

      CHAPTER 2 - GHOST SEAL

      I was so scared that my body went stiff. I quickly ran to the door.

      But as soon as I took a step, I felt my back sink and I fell to my knees. My knee hit the floor hard and I grimaced in pain.

      I remembered now that I was carrying Regeneration. The originally light Regeneration was now as heavy as a corpse.

      I threw the Regeneration onto the ground in panic. I overexerted myself and knocked over the candle, causing the entire Golden Toad Temple to fall into darkness.

      Cluck, cluck … The voice came again.

      My cold sweat flowed unceasingly as I opened the door of the temple while trembling in fear. I didn't even turn my head back as I ran outside.

      As for the Regeneration that was left in the temple, I did not care. Since the foster-grandpa was gone, there was no need for this substitute. It's too weird tonight. I think I should escape first.

      From beginning to end, I didn't see what had made the sound. But I knew it was following me.

      Because when I was running away, there was always a faintly discernible cold wind behind me. It was like someone was blowing cold air into my neck.

      I ran out of the shadow of the cemetery and onto the sun. This place was filled with high and low tombs, causing one's hair to stand on end.

      No offense, no offense. I ran all the way.

      But something strange happened. A whirlwind rose up from the grave and wrapped me in it. The whirlwind carried the grave with it, sending sand and stone flying, blowing me so hard that I couldn't open my eyes.

      As soon as I slowed down, I could feel the Miasma closing in on me again. I could even hear the creepy gurgling again.

      Fearful and anxious, I groped my way down the hill and stumbled a few times, knocking my forehead against the tombstone and making my vision darken.

      After one such collision, I actually understood what was going on.

      It was to buy money.

      When they came, each of them had three pieces of paper, which they bought along the way. Now that he was going back, he had to give him money.

      I am being chased by the things in the Golden Toad Temple, how can I have the time to count paper money?

      I took out all the paper money and lit it up with my lighter. With a flick of my hand, the flames scattered in all directions and the whirlwinds became more and more urgent, whistling as they rolled towards the lit paper money.

      I took the opportunity to run down the mountain. He was about to go down the mountain. Suddenly my ankle felt cold, as if a hand had grabbed my foot. I stumbled and fell into a nearby grave.

      I fell so hard my bones broke that I couldn't get up for five or six seconds in the grave.

      I know this grave belongs to the foster-grandpa. The Old Village Chief told me that when foster-grandpa was very ill, he had already sent people to dig this pit. If I am willing to fake the burial, I will bury the Regeneration here. If I don't agree, I will bury the foster-grandpa here.

      I shook my head and forced myself to my feet. Suddenly I froze, too frightened to move. There was another person in the grave, lying beside me.

      Right at this moment, a burning ball of paper money fell down, landing right beside that person.

      I caught a glimpse of it in the firelight and nearly fainted. Isn't this the foster-grandpa's Regeneration? I clearly threw it at the Golden Toad Temple, why did it come here?

      I didn't dare to think too much about it. I crawled out of the grave pit on my hands and knees and quickly went down the hill.

      Fortunately, that strand of cold wind didn't catch up to me. After a few more steps, I reached the village entrance.

      Hu Dali was waiting there. Seeing that I had returned, he waved his hand towards me and told me that everyone in the village was waiting for me. He wanted to help scrub foster-grandpa's body and put on his birthday suit.

      When I heard Hu Dali's words, my tears immediately started to fall. I had temporarily forgotten those evil things from the cemetery, my mind was filled with the grief of the death of foster-grandpa.

      When I asked Hu Dali where his clan uncle had gone to, he couldn't explain it either.

      After walking around the village for a bit, I noticed that Hu Dali was looking at me strangely. There was confusion in his eyes, as well as a hint of fear.

      I was scared out of my wits by his stare, so I asked him what he was looking at.

      Hu Dali suddenly stopped and stared at me: Ninth day, how did you put on your Regeneration clothes?

      My heart skipped a beat. I looked down and found that foster-grandpa's jacket was draped over my body. The thick smell of smoke kept on seeping into my nose.

      I screamed and tore off my jacket with my fingers. Several of my buttons were broken, and I threw my jacket to the side of the road.

      Hu Dali was shocked by my actions, and kept on asking me what was wrong. I didn't have the heart to explain, so I hurried home with him.

      When I arrived at the gate of my house, I saw that the Spirit Flag had been hung up and the yard was lit up.

      As soon as I entered the room, I began to shed tears. I kowtowed in front of the spiritual bed, then put on my mourning clothes and knelt down to guard it.

      The old elder helped me up and said that our family only had a grandfather-grandson pair and that we had too few manpower. We didn't need to guard the spirit for now. Let's keep the funeral for a while.

      I agreed and busied myself with preparing the food and cutting the paper money.

      The Old Village Chief did not ask me about the fake burial. Since foster-grandpa is dead, he could guess that the fake burial would not have any effect. I saw that he was very busy, so I didn't say anything about what had happened on the grave.

      foster-grandpa laid on the spirit bed with a piece of yellow paper covering his face. I had not seen him for the last time when he died, and now I wanted to see his face again.

      I walked over to the bed and reached for the yellow paper.

      Don't, don't move. The old Village Head shouted at me and staggered over. The Dark Paper can't move. If it gets angry, it's going to turn into a corpse.

      Startled, I quickly withdrew my hand.

      The old elder also knew that I had been studying outside for the past few years, so he didn't understand much about mourning matters. He patted me on the shoulder and comforted me with a few words.

      Then he said with a serious tone, "Why don't you go find your uncle? When your foster-grandpa died, I saw that his expression wasn't right and hastily left. Just now, I sent someone to look for him. I've searched the entire village, and without his shadow, nothing bad can happen to him.

      I immediately brought a few people and went to look for uncle.

      The clan uncle had experienced a fake burial, and had also encountered some things on the mountain of tombs. I suspect that his face just now was a mess because of something inside the Golden Toad Temple.

      There was no uncle in the village, so I found my way to the outside of the village.

      Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe there was some kind of power behind it. I looked around and found that I was at the foot of the grave again.

      As soon as I saw the grave, my legs trembled and I turned to leave. Who would have thought that Hu Dali would shout out, Ninth day, my clan uncle is sleeping here.

      Who can sleep at the foot of a grave? Hu Dali's brain wasn't working, so he didn't think too much into it. When I heard this, I knew something was wrong. Something must have happened to my uncle.

      I couldn't care less about my fear as I hastily ran over. I saw my clan uncle lying down under a big tree with a posture similar to that of a foster-grandpa on a spiritual bed.

      Uncle … uncle … I patted his face.

      The clan uncle let out a stuffy snort, then opened his eyes.

      The way he opened his eyes was very scary. First, his eyes were full of white. Then, his eyeballs rolled in his eye sockets. Only then did his black eyes appear.

      Uncle clan, are you alright? I asked nervously.

      My uncle didn't answer me. Instead, he grabbed my ankle and pulled up my pants.

      I was startled. Uncle Clan, what are you doing?

      Then my eyes fell on my calf and I was stunned.

      There were seven or eight fingerprints there, black on my skin.

      What's going on? The clan uncle raised his head and asked me with a hoarse voice.

      My throat was a little dry. I coughed and said nervously, I fell and fell in Golden Toad Temple.

      When the clan uncle heard this, his face immediately became deathly pale.

      It's over. He muttered in despair.

      My head buzzed as I remembered something my uncle had said before: If you fall seven times in a row, the immortals will not be able to save you.

      But I still said unwillingly, Uncle Cong, what's over? Don't scare me like that.

      My uncle slowly raised his head and grabbed my shoulders with both hands.

      He looked into my eyes and didn't say anything for a long time. Suddenly, his lips curled up into a very strange smile.

      I was terrified when I saw this. At this moment, the clan uncle opened his mouth and chuckled. Of course it's your end.

      My heart thumped as I realized that something was wrong with my uncle. I reached out to push him away. At this moment, my uncle suddenly exhaled towards me.

      It was the Yin Qi from the Golden Toad Temple.

      I could only feel the Miasma seep into my orifices, and then my head buzzed.

      Cluck, cluck … This time, the scream came from my body.

      CHAPTER 3 - EXTORTION

      It's over. There was only one thought in my head. I looked at my uncle and wanted to run away, but my hands and feet were sore and couldn't move at all. His hands were like pincers as they tightly grabbed onto my shoulders.

      Uncle … Uncle … I called out. But uncle just looked at me fixedly, as if he didn't know me.

      I pinched my trembling leg and started to struggle. There was a crackling sound. It was the sound of clothes being torn apart.

      Ninth day, what are you doing? A hand slapped me from behind.

      I was startled by the sound and broke out in a cold sweat. With the mountain breeze blowing again, his mind became much clearer. I turned around and saw the old village chief standing behind me.

      I was on the verge of tears. Old Village Head, help me. I don't know why Uncle is holding onto me so tightly.

      The old elder's expression changed as he looked around and asked in a low voice, What kind of uncle?

      I pointed to the front of my body. Isn't this …

      Halfway through my sentence, I was stunned. Where do I have a clan uncle in front of me? There was only one small tree. My clothes were wrapped around it, and in the process of struggling, I had already torn the string.

      I looked around, and the Hu Dali who brought me here was also gone.

      The old village chief saw that I was in a trance, so he reached out to help me up. She pulled me along and said, Don't talk too much. Let's go.

      My legs were so weak that they were practically dragged back by the old elder.

      In the distance, we could see the village, dark in the night. I don't know why, but I always think of the burial mound on the hill.

      When the old village chief saw the village, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He said to me in a low voice, Today is your foster-grandpa's grand day. The village may not be peaceful. Let's calm down and not run around. Don't speak carelessly about anything you encounter. There are some things, the more you talk about it, the more it will pester you, understand?

      I nodded and said I knew.

      I followed the village head into the village. On the way home, the village head told me that my clan uncle had yet to find him. As for Hu Dali, after looking around the village, he went to eat, he had never left the village before.

      When I heard this, I began to mutter to myself. I clearly saw Uncle Clan and Hu Dali outside the village. Am I dreaming? Was the black air that my uncle breathed out real or an illusion?

      As soon as I thought of that, I heard a rattle. It did come from my body.

      My head spun and I almost fell to the ground.

      The village chief obviously heard it too. He stopped walking and turned around to glance at me with a strange expression.

      I stammered, The village... Village Head, what's wrong?

      The village chief replied, It's fine, your laughter just now was similar to your foster-grandpa.

      The Village Chief spoke in a very casual tone, but I was even more scared. I just saw my clan uncle … I said to the Village Head.

      The old village chief glared at me. Don't talk nonsense.

      I was stunned for a moment before I understood what he meant. The understatement he made earlier was all an act. He was acting because he was afraid of getting entangled with something.

      The old village chief wouldn't let me speak, so I followed him back nervously. On the way, I laughed two or three more times. Now I understood that the gurgling sound had indeed come from my throat.

      The village chief must have heard my voice, but he pretended not to hear me and did not react at all. But I noticed that his face was growing paler.

      The old Village Head heaved a sigh of relief after entering my house. The lights were on in the house, and a few of the watchmen were cutting paper money. Although the awning in the middle of the courtyard was quite frightening, it still gave off a bit of a living aura when compared to the outside of the village.

      I saw Hu Dali squatting on the ground, holding a big bowl in his hands, eating until it fell apart. I asked Hu Dali: Didn't Clan Uncle find it?

      Hu Dali swallowed the rice in his mouth and said to me, I didn't find it. I've searched through all the villages. I opened everything but the coffin.

      Hu Dali pointed his chopsticks at my foster-grandpa's coffin, then buried his head back into his food.

      He was in a muddle because of his mental handicap, but I was frightened by it. His eyes couldn't help but look at the coffin.

      Now, the foster-grandpa was lying on the spirit bed, and had not entered the coffin. This coffin just happened to fit a person …

      There are too many unorthodox things happening tonight. I feel more and more that my uncle might really be in the coffin.

      Somehow, I got up and walked over to the coffin.

      It was a three-inch coffin, painted black, and my hand felt the coolness of it.

      Startled, the old village chief grabbed me and asked me what I wanted to do.

      I said find uncle. He had searched every inch of the place, and only the coffin was left.

      The village chief was so angry that he directly stomped his feet. He scolded me for being stupid, saying that opening a coffin in front of a dead person was too unlucky. If the foster-grandpa were to cause a ruckus, everyone in the courtyard would be at a disadvantage.

      Hearing the old Village Head say this, I hesitated a little, but my uncle mysteriously disappeared.

      The old village chief saw that I was walking around the coffin and was unwilling to give up. He sighed and said, Child, you are too loyal. Sooner or later, you will suffer a loss here.

      I smiled at him in a way that was uglier than crying. If my foster-grandpa wasn't loyal, I would have died on the side of the road twenty years ago.

      It was probably due to this sentence that moved the Village Head. He waved his hand at the others. You may leave first.

      The watchers retreated.

      The village chief took a bowl of rice from the serving table and placed another pot of incense on the rice. Then he placed the rice in front of the coffin.

      He squatted down to burn two pieces of paper and mumbled something incomprehensible.

      Having done this, he stood up and said to me, On the ninth day of the new year, when you opened the coffin, look at the Soul Lamp. If the lamp is extinguished, it means that the dead do not agree, then you must not open the coffin. Even if your uncle is lying in the coffin, don't move. At that time, even if we can't save him, we'll just be throwing our lives in your face. It's not worth it.

      The Soul Lamp was the oil lamp that was lit in front of the spiritual bed, meaning to light up the soul of the foster-grandpa, so that he would not be unable to find his way home.

      I looked at the oil lamp, hesitated for a moment, then nodded my head in agreement.

      The old village chief nodded at me and hurriedly left the courtyard.

      Now there's only Hu Dali and I in the courtyard. I asked him, Why don't you go out?

      Hu Dali chuckled: You're afraid, I'm not afraid.

      It was a random statement, but I understood it. He meant that if I opened the coffin in front of the dead, I might be afraid that he would stay and give me courage.

      I was a little touched and sighed in my heart. Energetic intelligence is a bit lacking, but very loyal.

      I told Hu Dali to stand a little further away, then placed his hand on the coffin lid.

      My heart was beating rapidly. After all, I was going to open the coffin. Who knew what kind of strange things would happen? I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and gave it a hard shake.

      With a creak, the coffin opened up a crack. Suddenly, there was a whirlwind in the yard and with a crash, the bowl of rice in front of the coffin fell.

      Startled, I let go and slammed the lid back on the coffin.

      I nervously looked at the Soul Lamp. Luckily, it was still lit.

      Hu Dali walked over and asked me: Is there anyone inside?

      I fearfully wiped off my cold sweat as I shook my head and said, I didn't see it clearly. I have to see it again.

      I muttered in my heart: foster-grandpa, you were kind when you were alive. Even if you died, you wouldn't harm anyone. I trust you.

      Then I lifted the lid. This time the wind was calm, and I put my eyes to the coffin and looked through the crack. It was dark inside, and I couldn't see anything. I could only feel a cold wind coming from the crevices of the coffin.

      The cold wind was bone-piercing, making people shiver.

      I said to Hu Dali, Light it up.

      Hu Dali agreed and took the Soul Lamp from his. I was startled. How did you do that?

      Hu Dali scratched his head: Didn't you want to see the light? Then I'll put it back.

      I shook my head. Forget it, I've already picked it up. Let's just use it.

      The light of the Soul Lamp was originally bright yellow, but as it neared the coffin, it immediately turned green. The flame shrunk to the size of a mung bean, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, and it could be extinguished at any time.

      Hu Dali looked at me nervously. Ninth day, your foster-grandpa doesn't agree.

      I was scared and anxious, and my forehead was covered in sweat.

      foster-grandpa doesn't agree, what should I do? Give up just like that? If the clan uncle was really in that coffin, then he deserved to die in there?

      I heavily stomped my feet and said towards the spirit bed, foster-grandpa, I was unable to save you after going to Golden Toad Temple. If you're angry, come at me. I don't blame you. This has nothing to do with Uncle, just let him go.

      Then I jerked the lid back.

      At the same time, the light of the Soul Lamp flared up to a height of more than a foot. I looked at it from within the firelight. The coffin was empty. There was no one inside.

      I was at a loss. Where is he? It's not in the coffin?

      I looked at the Soul Lamp. It had returned to normal. I closed the lid of the coffin and carried the Soul Lamp back to the spirit bed and placed it beside foster-grandpa's corpse. Then he knelt down and kowtowed three times.

      Sigh … I heard a long sigh.

      My hair stood on end.

      When I was young, I did something wrong. foster-grandpa rarely hit me, but he would sigh like this. I still remember the look of disappointment on his face.

      Now I heard that familiar sigh again.

      I anxiously looked towards foster-grandpa, only to realize that the black paper that was stuck on his face had floated up before slowly falling down and covering his face again.

      That feeling... It was as if he had just blown the dark paper up.

      I asked Hu Dali in a low voice: Just now … Is there a wind? My voice was hoarse with tension.

      Hu Dali said with certainty: I do.

      I breathed a sigh of relief. There was a wind.

      Who knew that he would immediately explain, Didn't you see your foster-grandpa's paper blow up? There must be wind.

      Just as he finished his sentence, I heard a thump... Dong … Dong. A loud sound rang out. The voice was right in front of me, within a meter.

      I suddenly realized that someone was knocking on the bed board, knocking on the bed board.

      When I looked at foster-grandpa who was lying on the ground, all of my hairs immediately stood up.

      CHAPTER 4 - RECLINING BED

      Shit, a dead body.

      With a buzz in my head, I jumped up from the ground and took a step back.

      I've heard about it since I was a kid. It is said that some corpses died in our village. The corpse made a ruckus for the entire night, and only collapsed at daybreak.

      The family would have been buried for three days. In the end, something like this happened and he no longer had the mood to carry out the funeral. He hastily burned the corpse and placed the ashes inside the grave. He didn't even dare to erect the grave.

      That night, the ones who helped press the corpse were several strong guys in their twenties. One of them accidentally got scratched by the corpse. The next day, he felt that something was wrong. He couldn't eat, nor could he sleep well. He was listless all day. In just a month, he had lost forty pounds and lost all his looks. In half a year's time, she died.

      The villagers all said that this young man had been infected by the corpse aura. This type of thing was extremely evil and poisonous. It was useless taking medicine, so he could only pray for good fortune.

      I broke out in a cold sweat as I thought of the legends. My first thought was to close the courtyard door, so that foster-grandpa wouldn't run out and hurt the innocent.

      I just took two steps forward and saw Hu Dali still standing in the middle of the courtyard in a daze, I don't know what he's thinking about.

      I tugged at him. What are you looking at? Fool, let's go."

      Hu Dali scratched his head: I'm faking my corpse, why aren't I moving?

      I was stunned for a moment, and then realized that something was wrong.

      The reason the swindlers were so scary was because the corpses were making a ruckus. They bared their fangs and brandished their claws, chasing after the living according to the aura. It was absolutely impossible for them to lie quietly on the bed like this.

      After thinking about it, I calmed down and looked at the foster-grandpa carefully. There didn't seem to be much change to him, to the point that I started to suspect that I had heard wrongly when he knocked on the spirit bed.

      However, just as I was thinking about this, a sound came from the quiet night: Dong... Dong … Dong …

      This time, I heard it loud and clear. There was indeed someone knocking on the spiritual bed.

      I wiped the cold sweat on my forehead and braced myself to ask, foster-grandpa, did you wake up?

      No one answered me. However, the sound of him knocking on the bed came again: Dong... Dong … Dong …

      Hu Dali was also afraid, he said to me: Ninth day, this is too scary, let's go call the village chief.

      As soon as he took hold of my arm, I couldn't help but laugh out of my throat: Heh heh heh heh...

      Hu Dali was so scared that his face turned pale. He retreated a few steps and tripped over the brazier on the ground.

      Be careful. I cried.

      Fortunately, Hu Dali knew that he could not touch the corpse, so he twisted his body and fell onto the ground beside the bed. However, when he pulled, a corner of the blanket covering the corpse fell off.

      Hu Dali crawled up in panic and said in a sobbing tone, I didn't do it on purpose. Then he fumbled as if to cover the body with a quilt.

      Suddenly, his body shook violently and stopped moving.

      Startled, I quickly went over and asked, What's wrong?

      Hu Dali slowly turned around and said to me: Ninth day, you really tricked a corpse. Your foster-grandpa has one extra foot.

      How can a dead man have feet?

      I dragged Hu Dali to the side and stuck my head out to look. Sure enough, three legs were revealed under the blanket.

      A light flashed in my head and I suddenly had an idea. I boldly grabbed the blanket and abruptly lifted it up, exposing the person on the spiritual bed.

      One of them was his uncle who was lying there, while the other was his uncle who was hiding under the blanket.

      The village uncle's face was deathly pale. He clenched his teeth and lay upright on the spiritual bed, as if he couldn't move at all. I touched his body. It was cold and hard, like a corpse. But his eyes were open, and they were trying to move, gesturing for me to help him up.

      I took his arm and held him on the ground.

      The clan uncle opened his mouth, but was unable to say anything. He could only emit some vague words.

      Hu Dali heaved a sigh of relief at the side, and then, he started to complain about his clan uncle: Uncle, if you're tired, go home and sleep, why are you lying down when you see a bed? I was almost scared to death just now."

      The clan uncle tried his best to open his mouth wide and say something to Hu Dali.

      Hu Dali scratched his head, bringing his ear closer: What did you say?

      The clan uncle struggled to utter a string of syllables, Gu … Ancient... Guo... F * ck off.

      I whispered to my clan uncle, What happened?

      Uncle's already pale face became even paler as he tried to say, Go back … Go Back... At home.

      Yes, I said, and helped him out.

      At the beginning, my uncle's legs were like two wooden sticks, straight and stiff, unable to exert any strength. It was almost as if I was dragging him away. By the time he reached the entrance to the courtyard, it seemed as if his blood vessels had cleared a little and he could now walk slowly.

      The village chief didn't go far and was waiting nearby. When he saw me helping my clan uncle out, his eyes widened. He stared at me. Did you really find it in the coffin?

      I smiled bitterly and said vaguely, No.

      The clan's uncle was over forty years old and was still unmarried. He was about to be single. If people knew that he had done such an unlucky thing, it would be even less likely for him to get a wife.

      The Village Chief heaved a sigh of relief. That's good. That's really bad luck.

      Hu Dali said, Even if you said it, you wouldn't be able to guess. We found him on the spirit bed.

      The clan uncle's face became red again, and he scolded Hu Dali: Scram. This time he spoke more fluently.

      The Village Chief looked at the three of us in astonishment, but he quickly reacted and told me to send my uncle home to have a good rest. As for the matter of the guardian, he would arrange for people to do it, so I don't have to worry.

      I thanked him and supported my uncle out of the courtyard in a hurry.

      Halfway there, the clan uncle had already recovered. However, he refused to say anything and appeared to be preoccupied.

      When we got home, the clan uncle sat on a chair and drank four or five cups of hot tea before asking me, What exactly did you encounter in the cemetery?

      I told him everything I saw.

      After hearing that, my uncle pulled up my pants and looked at the palm print on my leg. His expression became even more unsightly.

      I asked my clan uncle, Did I get entangled by something from the Golden Toad Temple?

      The uncle nodded.

      I asked, Any answers?

      The reaction of the clan uncle was very strange. His expression was a bit awkward and a bit conflicted. After a long while, he finally bit his teeth and nodded. There is a solution.

      I asked uneasily, How?

      The clan uncle did not answer me, but said something unrelated instead, I saw your foster-grandpa.

      I stared. What do you mean?

      The clan uncle sat on the chair and stared at the ceiling for a while before slowly saying, Your foster-grandpa asked me to lie on the spirit bed.

      I was so nervous that I didn't dare to breathe out. I held my breath as I waited for him to speak.

      According to my clan uncle, after I carried the Regeneration onto the mountain, he went back to my home with Hu Dali. They and the village chief are guarding my foster-grandpa.

      When he came out, he saw foster-grandpa waiting outside for him.

      The clan uncle was both surprised and happy as he asked, You're okay? Is the burial good enough?

      foster-grandpa did not speak, with a thump, he kneeled on the ground.

      The clan uncle was shocked. He extended his hand to pull foster-grandpa up, but he missed. foster-grandpa was like a shadow, he could not grab onto anything.

      When he turned back again, the foster-grandpa was already gone. Soon after, the sound of sobbing came from inside the house, and Hu Dali's loud shout came from the outside, Hu Chujiu, your foster-grandpa is dead, there's no need to bury him, quickly come back.

      His heart was in a mess, he anxiously walked into the house and saw foster-grandpa lying on the bed, his eyes already closed.

      Just then, someone tugged at the corner of his clothes. Clan Uncle turned around and saw foster-grandpa kneeling behind him.

      The clan uncle was so scared that his legs went limp, and he immediately moved out of the way.

      foster-grandpa just raised his head and looked at him with teary eyes.

      The clan uncle trembled and said, Fifth Uncle, we... We are all relatives. When you were alive, I did not forget to show you respect, so don't pester me.

      foster-grandpa knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily.

      The uncle collapsed onto the ground, crying as he said, Fifth Uncle, don't be like this. I'm scared, I'm scared of death.

      When foster-grandpa heard this, he stood up and grabbed him by the collar, pressing him down onto the spirit bed.

      At that moment, he clearly felt that his heart had stopped beating, and his body had turned cold as well. His entire person was no different from a dead person.

      He lay on the spiritual bed for a long time, surrounded by people who couldn't see him. Then he heard me come back, heard me open the coffin. Hearing me say, If you didn't care, you would have died twenty years ago.

      The clan uncle's heart suddenly softened as he muttered to himself, So this is what death is like. That's all.

      With this thought, his fingers suddenly moved, and he knocked on the bed. and I discovered it.

      After my uncle finished speaking, I was confused and looked at him strangely. Are you saying that you have seen the soul of my foster-grandpa? And he even kneeled down to you?

      The clan uncle laughed bitterly, I don't know if I'm dreaming, or if I actually saw it. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, since there's been a lot of weird things happening tonight.

      I was even more confused: My foster-grandpa has no enmity with you, why would we let you lie on a spiritual bed for no reason? Also, he's older than you, why would he kneel to you?"

      The clan uncle became silent. He rubbed his wrist back and forth, and after a long while, he finally said: Your foster-grandpa wants me to save you.

      I asked in surprise, Uncle, you can save me?

      But the uncle's face was full of tears. Hm, I can.

      CHAPTER 5 - REGENERATION

      When I heard my uncle say he could save me, I relaxed.

      I'd been in a state of high tension ever since I'd come back from the cemetery, and now I just wanted to get some sleep, and when I woke up, everything was back to normal.

      Hu Dali who was at the side walked around his clan uncle's house and interrupted: Uncle, you can save ninth day, is that not a good thing? Why are you always crying?

      The clan uncle roared at him, I told you to scram a long time ago, why are you still at my house?

      This was Hu Dali, to be scolded in such a way and still laugh, the others had already been angered. He looked at his clan uncle with a grin and said, Come, come. In the future, even if you beg me, I won't come.

      Then he took two steamed buns from the pot and left without looking back.

      At this time, the sky was still dark, and the clan uncle was sitting in his chair in a daze. There were a few times when I wanted to ask him when he would help me expel the evil spirits, but when I saw him so distracted, I didn't know what to say.

      Cluck, cluck … There was a laugh in my throat. I frantically covered my mouth.

      The clan uncle glanced at me and said with a strange expression, That's enough. Don't rush me.

      I hastily explained, Uncle, I didn't say anything just now. It was my throat. I don't know why …

      The clan uncle acknowledged: I know, it was your foster-grandpa's voice just now.

      My eyes widened. What? My foster-grandpa? "

      The clan uncle nodded: Something happened to you in Golden Toad Temple. That thing will come to you in the village soon. If your foster-grandpa hides on your body, you will become half human, half ghost. That thing is only interested in finding living people, so it's most likely that it will pass you by.

      When I heard this, I suddenly understood that the clan uncle I saw at the foot of the grave was very likely to be from my foster-grandpa. That is to say, that lump of black aura is actually my foster-grandpa? He wants to hide on me to save me?

      I touched my throat, a little scared. Although the foster-grandpa is my blood relative, it feels weird to have a ghost hiding on your body.

      My clan uncle said to me: I am not sure how your foster-grandpa managed to do it either. In any case, your life has been temporarily saved. So, you should be more quick-witted, and live for a few more years; don't let him waste his time.

      Who doesn't want to live? I nodded vigorously.

      The uncle stood up, sighed and said, That's enough, then I'll tell you how to save him.

      He turned off the light and squatted down in the dark and began to knock on the green brick beneath his feet. I looked at him dumbfoundedly, not knowing what he meant.

      To build a house in the countryside, you have to dig sticky clay first, make soil, dry it and build a house. Then he would put a layer of green brick on the outside. If there were any remaining bricks, they would be spread out on the ground, flat and clean.

      The floor of Uncle's house was covered with this layer of green brick. He knocked on a dozen bricks, suddenly stopped, took out his knife, and dug out the brick.

      In the moonlight that leaked in, I saw an oiled paper packet under the green brick. It was opened, revealing a yellow key.

      The clan uncle took this key, opened a metal box, and took out a small wooden box.

      Seeing how meticulously he kept them, I guessed that they were some kind of treasure, so I leaned over to take a closer look. As a result, the wood box seed opened it up. It looked like a ball of leaves, but also like a dried mushroom.

      I asked him, Uncle, what treasure is this?

      The uncle said, This is my placenta.

      I almost puked.

      But Uncle didn't even look at my reaction. He opened the cabinet again and pulled out a bigger box. He opened the box and there was a doll man inside.

      The cloth doll was about the same size as a real person. Its face was painted with facial features, and if one looked closely, this doll looked very similar to a clan uncle.

      I suddenly felt a chill on my body. My uncle was busy in the darkness, and the more I looked at him, the stranger he felt.

      I was a little scared, so I slowly moved towards the door. In case something strange happened later, I could react in time and leave this place.

      The clan uncle had his back facing me, but it was as if he saw my movements. He faintly said, After leaving this door, if I die, don't blame me.

      I didn't dare move.

      My uncle brought the doll forward and pointed it at me. I saw the doll sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding a small iron basin in its hand. Something was burning inside, flickering.

      Borrowing the light of the fire, I saw that the Puppeteer was looking at me with a smile.

      I trembled and asked, Uncle, what are you trying to do?

      Without even looking at me, he said to me, This thing is the fruit of my life. Do you think it looks like me?

      I was stunned, thinking: You're not sick, why are you preparing this at home? Don't you find it unlucky?

      The clan uncle said in a faint voice, I told you before, when I was young, I went to the mountain of graves to recite the wrong name. Seven days and seven nights in bed, right?

      I nodded.

      My uncle said: Originally, I was about to die, but later it was your foster-grandpa, my fifth uncle, who told me a way to save me. But from then on I was remembered by the things on the mountain. If this method is not revealed, I can continue to hide. However, once it is revealed, it will definitely try to take my life.

      When I heard this, I suddenly understood why my uncle had a crying face. He was using his own life in exchange for mine.

      I blurted out, Uncle, then don't say anymore.

      Too late. I heard the clan uncle's bitter smile.

      Soon after, a gust of wind rose up in the courtyard. The sound of the wind caused the door to sway back and forth. In the darkness of the night, it was extremely frightening.

      I felt suddenly uneasy, as if something were approaching our house. I looked back nervously. The courtyard was empty, with nothing in sight, but I felt like someone was standing there, looking at us with a tilted head.

      Uncle, do you feel it? I asked my uncle.

      My uncle doesn't answer me. Only the doll was grinning at me.

      Then I heard footsteps, coming from the yard.

      My heart was beating rapidly. I shrank to the side of the door and looked outside, trembling. One step, two steps, three steps … He was getting closer and closer to the door.

      I couldn't bear it any longer, so I shouted and slammed the door shut. I don't know if that thing was locked by me outside the door, but I started to pant heavily.

      After panting for a while, I looked out through the crack in the door. The yard was quiet, as if the thing had gone.

      At this moment, there was a muffled boom behind me. I turned my head around and saw that the cloth doll had started to burn. The flames were blazing and quickly spread to its entire body, turning it into a human made of fire.

      His uncle sat next to the puppet, not moving at all. I was afraid he'd get burned, so I ran to him and tried to pull him up. Who knew that my uncle gave me a hard wink and mouthed a word: cry.

      I was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, I understood what he meant.

      With a plop, I knelt on the ground and wailed, Uncle, how did you get burned to death?

      The clan uncle nodded his head in approval.

      In just two or three minutes, the Puppeteer was burnt to ashes. At this moment, the door creaked as if it had been blown open by the wind.

      After that, I felt my body loosen as the oppressive feeling disappeared.

      I sat down on the floor and realized I was sweating profusely.

      The clan uncle lightly coughed, and with a hoarse voice, he said, Okay, that thing is gone.

      I asked my clan uncle, Is it something from the Golden Toad Temple?

      The uncle nodded, This Regeneration is my substitute. I've been raising it for almost twenty years, eating and sleeping with it, and letting it hold my placenta and burn it. I've finally managed to fool the things in the Golden Toad Temple.

      When I thought about how my uncle stayed with a doll all day, I felt scared. At the same time, I rejoiced, Alright, I finally escaped this calamity.

      The clan uncle sat on the ground and said with relief, That's right. Stretching his head, it was a blade. Stretching his head, it was also a blade. I felt a lot more relaxed after being cut by this knife today. Ninth day, go back and take a nap. After you recover, I will bring you to dispel the evil spirits.

      I agreed and left my clan uncle's house. I have been tormenting myself for almost an entire night, I should go back and check on the foster-grandpa's funeral.

      Who knew that the moment I stepped out of the clan uncle's house, that feeling came back to me? It was as if someone was standing behind me, staring at me.

      I cringed and jerked my head back. He could see nothing behind him.

      My heart sank, We're finished, the things in Golden Toad Temple have not left yet. clan uncle has never lied to it?

      Then I realized, No, if he came looking for my uncle, he should come into the yard. Why are you staring at me on the street? Could it be … Is it looking for me?

      At the thought of this, I shivered violently. I quickened my pace and almost trotted

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