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墨書 Inktalez
I asked, "What's wrong?" Fat Ma's round face suddenly showed a hint of urgency.
Fat Ma said, "Logically, there should be two Ear Chambers on either side of the Tomb. Even if there’s only one, that would be enough."
I asked him what an 'Ear Chamber' was.
Fat Ma explained, "It's the place where burial goods are stored." I finally understood why Fat Ma was running around in a panic. I said, "Could it be that the customs for Tombs vary by dynasty?"
My words seemed to awaken Fat Ma from his stupor. He nodded in agreement and praised me, saying, "Old Sun, you have great talent, but don’t be arrogant. Just keep it up, and your future achievements will surely surpass mine."
I retorted, "Stop talking nonsense."
Fat Ma chuckled with his chubby face. I couldn't be bothered to respond.
Fat Ma continued, "Since there are no burial goods, we can only open the coffin." As he said this, I instinctively felt a chill.
Fat Ma also seemed a bit off. Professionals in tomb raiding usually wouldn’t open someone else's coffin; they typically just take a few Mingqi and leave.
However, Fat Ma clearly belonged to this category of people, yet it didn’t rule out the possibility that they would open coffins under certain circumstances—like in this case, where they were not allowed to return empty-handed.
Opening a coffin is also a skilled task.
According to tradition, we first needed to light four candles at the corners of the coffin. If the candles wouldn’t light, it meant our operation might have to be canceled.
If they did light, it would indicate that the old man inside the coffin permitted us to take a few Mingqi. Fat Ma had said all this in one breath.
I focused on the key point and said, "So what are we waiting for? Hurry up and light them!"
I watched him arrange four candles around the coffin. He then took out incense and paper money. Afterward, he handed me some Glutinous Rice (which could harm Zongzi). This was to prevent any incidents later involving Zongzi or zombies.
Generally speaking, the chances of encountering ghosts are much lower than those of encountering Zongzi.
This is because wandering spirits are usually taken by the underworld and cannot exist in the mortal realm. Zongzi, however, are different; they arise from corpses transforming. Therefore, if any mistakes occur during burial, it could lead to such transformations.
While Fat Ma was setting things up, he shared all this information with me.
I listened carefully.
"Fat Ma said, 'If we encounter a Zongzi this time, then we have to return home.'"
I replied to Fat Ma, "Don't scare me. I'm not easily frightened; I've heard about these things before."
Seeing my serious expression, Fat Ma stopped trying to frighten me.
He straightened his face and asked, "Old Sun, are you ready? I'm about to open the coffin."
I nodded to indicate that I was prepared.
Fat Ma lit the candles at the four corners of the coffin with a match when suddenly...
"Is there a breeze?" I asked, noticing the candle flames starting to flicker.
After hearing my words, Fat Ma glanced at the candles and casually replied, "It's just air movement, Old Sun. Don't overreact."
I found his explanation reasonable and calmed down.
Fat Ma continued with his work. He said, "After the offerings, we'll get started." I didn't respond.
The incense and joss paper had already been ignited. Fat Ma muttered something towards the coffin that I didn't pay much attention to, but I caught him saying, "Old Ghost, please don't take offense."
I scoffed, "Fat Ma, you're opening someone else's coffin and telling them not to take offense? That's quite something."
Fat Ma quickly replied, "Old Sun, you don't understand. This is a matter of courtesy. You wouldn't get it."
I swallowed my retort and held my tongue.
Then Fat Ma turned to me and said, "Old Sun, you should come over and say something too."
At first, I was reluctant. Fat Ma insisted, "It's an old tradition in our line of work; before we start, we need to chat with this Old Ghost."
I didn't understand any of this either, but seeing Fat Ma speak so seriously, I just rambled on.
Fat Ma laughed and said, "Old Sun, now you're really tied to this Old Ghost."
I replied, "Fat Ma, don't say such nonsense."
Fat Ma chuckled again, "You've talked so much with it; it must remember you now."
Damn! I almost cursed. I should have known that Fat Ma had bad intentions; he was full of tricks. I couldn't be bothered to argue with him and said, "Let's get on with it and finish up quickly."
At that moment, Fat Ma stopped joking around.
The coffin had rotted away over countless years and looked like it could crumble at a touch.
Fat Ma boldly patted the coffin and said, "We've paid our respects and talked enough; it's time to act."
He gripped the edge of the coffin with both hands, his feet firmly planted in a stance, ready to exert force. Suddenly, all four candles at the corners of the coffin extinguished simultaneously.
I was left alone with my solitary flashlight. At the same time, I felt a chill breeze sweep through. My back went cold, and I almost couldn't move.
Fat Ma was frozen in place as well, not daring to budge.
I whispered, "Fat Ma, is something wrong?"
Fat Ma still hadn't let go of the coffin's edge and replied, "I don't know; we might really be in for something big this time."
At that moment, Fat Ma felt a chill in his heart. Being so close to the coffin made him feel as if his heart and lungs were being twisted together.
Seeing that Fat Ma wasn't moving, I said to him, "You come over here first." After saying that, I unconsciously took a few steps back myself.
Fat Ma sensed my presence and felt reassured. He released his grip on the coffin and hurriedly stepped back to stand beside me. I told him, "Don't panic."
The faint wind continued to blow, but now it felt like it was coming from deep within. In reality, the wind might have been just as strong as when we first entered; however, due to our mental state, we perceived it more acutely now.
We stood in place for a few minutes, and then Fat Ma couldn't hold it in any longer. He exclaimed, "Damn it, no matter what, even if it's a Zombie, I'm going to take it down."
With that, he took a bold step forward, but suddenly, a sound echoed out.
Both Fat Ma and I felt a chill run down our spines. "Damn it, I can't believe I might have actually predicted this," Fat Ma's voice trailed off, losing its bravado.
I said, "Fatty, don't be reckless."
Before I could finish my warning, Fat Ma froze in place, his voice fading into silence.
After a few more tense minutes of holding our breath and daring not to make any sudden movements, Fat Ma finally spoke up. "Is it Old Ghost? Please don’t be angry; I’m your great-nephew."
I couldn't help but burst into laughter at Fat Ma's sudden nonsensical remark. I nearly fell to the ground from laughing so hard.
Fat Ma's face turned red as he turned to me and said, "Old Sun, what are you laughing at? I'm just trying to ensure our safety here."
Hearing that made me stop laughing, and I felt it wouldn't be right to tease him further. However, my earlier laughter had eased the tension a bit, and both Fat Ma and I managed to calm down.
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