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墨書 Inktalez
"Am I seeing things?" I couldn't help but mutter.
Guan Zengbin, though equally frightened, firmly declared, "I am a staunch atheist. There are no ghosts or monsters in this world. Although I don't understand why a dead person can still open their mouth and sing, we must get to the bottom of this."
The matter of a dead person being carried in a sedan chair undoubtedly relates to Ghost Marriage. This aligns perfectly with our purpose for coming here, so we naturally need to investigate thoroughly. However, rushing in would surely alert the enemy, so we need an identity. This is also a significant reason why I insisted on bringing Wang Er Gou along; he can provide us with an identity.
In the realm of Grave Robbers, there are different factions. Although there are many branches, they essentially split into two main schools: the Northern School and the Southern School. The Northern School is known as Tomb Raiding, while the Southern School is referred to as Earth Digging.
If you encounter a Grave Robber, you can discern the differences between the Northern and Southern Schools based on their methods.
The Northern School excels in "clever strength." For instance, knowing where to strike for the Tomb Entrance is akin to how Li Yazi from Luoyang uses his Luoyang shovel effectively.
The Southern School relies on "clever techniques," employing four methods known as "Observation, Listening, Inquiry, and Pulse Diagnosis," which are adept at locating Tombs.
In reality, this distinction arises from the vastness of our country.
The North experiences less rainfall and has more clayey soil; many Tombs lack bricks and consist entirely of earthen structures. Thus, when you dig with a Luoyang shovel, you can determine how deep the Tomb lies underground and where to strike for the Tomb Entrance. This is clever strength—hitting directly on the coffin lid to retrieve treasures before retreating.
Conversely, the South receives more rain, causing the soil in Tombs to erode over time and often leading to collapsed graves. Therefore, Southern Tombs are typically built with blue bricks. If you dig with a Luoyang shovel and hit a brick, it serves little purpose. Hence, the Southern School rarely uses Luoyang shovels and focuses more on technique.
Wang Er Gou is a Grave Robber from the Northern School, but regardless of whether one belongs to the Southern or Northern School, certain rules must be followed.
In every profession, there are established norms.
Grave Robbers are no exception.
Since I was disguising myself as a Grave Robber upon arriving in Baijia County, it was only natural that I pay my respects according to local customs. This would not only clarify my identity but also indicate that I was here to earn a living.
The sedan chair carrying the dead had already moved farther away, and in the blink of an eye, it was out of sight.
"Enough."
I sat by the roadside and took out three Tea Bowls from my backpack. The bowls were empty, containing only tea leaves.
I arranged the three Tea Bowls in a row in front of me.
"What are you doing?" Guan Zengbin asked, looking at me with confusion.
I glanced around; there wasn't a single passerby on the road at that moment.
"Don't make a sound in a bit. Remember your identity; try to act a little more convincingly," I said. "Got it?"
At noon, the sun hung directly overhead, making people feel a bit drowsy. Guan Zengbin sat in the shade under a tree to escape the sunlight, while Wang Er Gou lay beside me, panting with his tongue out.
Occasionally, pedestrians passed by, curiously watching me, some even taking photos with their phones.
However, I ignored them and simply sat quietly.
As time passed, more and more people gathered around.
"Hey man, what are you doing? Acting all mysterious," someone asked.
I didn’t respond.
Someone else answered for me: "This must be performance art; he probably came from some big city."
"Why are you here in Baijia County?" someone asked. "You’re not here for a Ghost Marriage, are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," another person immediately interrupted.
I frowned.
Finally, a middle-aged man squatted down in front of me.
"The tea isn't good, but the bowls are nice," he said, not looking at me but instead focusing on the three Tea Bowls in front of me.
A crowd laughed. "These Tea Bowls are all chipped. What’s so nice about them?"
The middle-aged man was the one I was looking for.
I observed him closely; he wore ordinary casual clothes and cloth shoes, his skin dark from years of exposure to the elements.
"The bowls are good, the tea is good, but unfortunately, there's no water," I said slowly.
The middle-aged man nodded and handed ten yuan to a nearby child. "Help me buy a bottle of mineral water; the rest is yours."
The child happily accepted the money, and before long, a bottle of mineral water appeared in the middle-aged man's hand.
"Let me add some water," he said as he opened the bottle and prepared to pour it into the first Tea Bowl on my left.
I grabbed his hand to stop him from pouring. With my other hand, I turned over the leftmost Tea Bowl and placed it on the ground. "I can't afford to drink from that Tea Bowl, so don't pour it."
Seeing this, the middle-aged man's expression relaxed slightly, and he smiled. "Then I suppose you want to drink from the rightmost Tea Bowl. Naturally, go ahead."
I shook my head and similarly flipped over the Tea Bowls on the right side.
Only one Tea Bowl remained in the center, and the middle-aged man had stopped pouring water at that moment.
"Dog, tell him," I gently patted Wang Er Gou beside me.
Wang Er Gou lay on the ground, lazily saying, "Wang Mazi is here, Qingcheng."
The middle-aged man glanced at Wang Er Gou, hesitated for a moment, and finally made a decision. He poured mineral water into my bowl and then picked it up.
Seeing this, I felt a surge of joy.
The middle-aged man took a sip of tea and then set the bowl down on the ground. "Good, good tea. It seems one cannot judge a person by their appearance. Since we both appreciate tea, why don't we find a place to have a good chat?"
I stood up, called out to Guan Zengbin, and then followed the middle-aged man.
"Wow, this is really performance art. Look at that person; he looks like a dog!" someone said from behind.
"Yeah, but what about these Tea Bowls and the tea? What kind of tea is this?" another person chimed in.
In truth, I wasn't performing art; this was simply the custom of paying respects.
I had set out three bowls, each filled with tea but lacking water. This clearly indicated my identity as a Grave Robber, meaning I had come here as a Grave Robber because I heard there were other Grave Robbers in this place. Thus, I paid my respects to avoid breaking any rules when robbing graves here in the future.
The middle-aged man must have recognized my identity as a Grave Robber the moment he arrived.
Our conversation was in code.
"Is the tea good tea? Is the bowl a good bowl?"
The bowl represents the Grave Robber, and the tea represents me.
What this means is that the Grave Robber's meal is delicious, but I shouldn't be here. His unspoken words tell me that I am not welcome.
"The bowl is good, the tea is good, but unfortunately, there's no water."
What I mean by this is that the Grave Robber's meal is tasty, and I am a capable Grave Robber; I just happen to be new here and unfamiliar with the surroundings.
So, this middle-aged man fetched some water to pour into my Tea Bowls.
The three Tea Bowls each represent different meanings.
The bowl on the left signifies that from now on, this place is under my control. All you other Grave Robbers must listen to me, or get lost. This is clearly a provocation; if he adds water to this bowl, it will inevitably lead to conflicts in the future, even fights over corpses are not out of the question.
But I turned the bowl upside down, indicating that this was not my intention.
The middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to pour water into the right Tea Bowl.
The right Tea Bowl signifies that I am merely passing through this place, just taking a look around and will leave without causing trouble for the local peers.
However, I also turned this bowl upside down.
Only the middle bowl remained, indicating that I hope to have some interaction with the local Grave Robbers. I have come here in distress, seeking help.
The middle-aged man was at a loss.
If he added water, it meant he agreed to help. If he turned and left without adding water, it meant he would not assist me.
So I asked Wang Er Gou where he had learned his skills, indicating that if he were to rise again one day, he would surely repay the favor.
The middle-aged man added water, signifying his willingness to help me.
We continued along the road.
The middle-aged man glanced at me and said, "On the road, they call me Wei Erge. If you don't mind, you can call me that too."
I nodded and replied, "Just call me Wu. This is my wife, and the one crawling on the ground is Ergou."
Wei Erge looked at Wang Er Gou with curiosity and asked, "What happened to this brother Ergou? Why is he crawling on the ground like a dog?"
I chuckled and explained, "He's my junior brother. During a tomb raiding expedition, he got trapped for three days and was rescued by a dog. Ever since then, he's been like this. Our master thought he was useless and kicked him out. I couldn't bear to leave him behind, so after I became independent, I've been taking care of him."
"Don't let his appearance fool you," I added with a smile. "His sense of smell is exceptional. If we go tomb raiding, he can be quite useful. Our master didn't realize he was throwing away a cash cow. Right, good dog?"
Wang Er Gou nodded and licked my hand before saying, "Yes, I'm the most amazing dog in the world."
Seeing Wang Er Gou's demeanor, Wei Erge couldn't help but sigh deeply. "I didn't expect Brother Wu to be such a loyal person. I've heard of Qingcheng and Wang Mazi; however, I heard from the elders that they passed away years ago."
I nodded and said, "That's right. After Old Wang died, I went solo."
As Wei Erge led me forward, he asked, "But I wonder why Brother Wu has fallen into such misfortune?"
I sighed heavily and took a moment before responding. "It's a long story. In short, I lost my shovel in Qingcheng and can't return for now. I heard from Old Zhang that someone here could help me, so I came."
“Old Zhang?” Wei Erge paused, turned back to look at me, and said, “Zhang Xueyou?”
I nodded.
“What’s your relationship with Zhang Xueyou?” Wei Erge led me into a narrow alley.
I glanced around and replied, “Not very familiar. I’ve been introduced a few times.”
Wei Erge nodded, and by then we had arrived at a large iron gate.
He knocked in a unique pattern: one long knock followed by three short ones.
After a while, the door was opened from the inside.
“Brother Erge is back?” a staff member asked.
“Yeah, come in.” Wei Erge looked at the entrance of the alley and said, “Let me introduce you to Wu Brother and the others.”
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