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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
In Dagu Village, I initially did not recognize Yang Kuan as one of the thugs who assaulted Zhou Manman. It was because he had contorted his face, making it nearly unrecognizable. The reason I felt a sense of familiarity was not because we had played together in the past, but because I had seen him on the bus before!
I was puzzled about how someone I hadn’t seen in over a decade could leave such a deep impression on me. However, as I pieced together the details, a chill ran down my spine.
But how did Guo the Blind know all this? He wasn’t on the bus; could it be that one of those thugs was a relative of his, and he had been informed about what happened?
What intrigued me most was Yang Kuan's death. Anyone could tell that he had strangled himself. I had a vague feeling that I shouldn’t get involved in this matter and dared not linger any longer.
I often heard my mother talk about strange occurrences in the deep mountains, so after paying my respects, I quickly returned to the village. It seemed like Guo the Blind had come specifically to warn me; was he implying that this incident would somehow involve me?
I turned to look at Guo the Blind, only to find that he had disappeared without me noticing.
Once home, I recounted what I had witnessed to my mother. Zhou Manman, who was nearby, also heard my words and turned pale with fright.
“Don’t be afraid, dear. These strange things happen in the mountains. If someone attracts Evil Energy, it’s just their bad luck. Our village has a Feng Shui Master; ghosts don’t dare come here; it’s very clean,” my mother said, comforting Zhou Manman as she held her hand. Then she looked at me. “You mustn’t provoke these matters.”
“Where would I even provoke them?” I replied irritably. “There are no ghosts around to scare Manman.”
I had intended to tell my mother about how Guo the Blind seemed possessed today, but seeing her take everything so seriously made me hesitate.
For decades, Futu Ridge has been peaceful. Aside from some rumors about ghosts stirred up by workers who went into the mountains to build roads years ago, nothing much has happened since.
Yang Kuan's death wouldn’t cause much of a stir in Futu Ridge; there’s an old saying that ghostly matters are common in mountain villages, and rumors would die down quickly. I wanted to inform Zhou Manman that Yang Kuan was one of those thugs from the bus incident, but now that she had indirectly acknowledged being my girlfriend, I feared bringing up her terrifying experience again would only upset her.
Little did I know that the next day, something even more horrifying occurred—another person died in Futu Ridge.
This person was a villager from our Bright Moon Village.
Previously, after I transferred from Futu Ridge's township school to a middle school in the county city, I rarely returned home. As a result, most of those who grew up alongside me in childhood were now strangers, including some peers from our village.
The person who died this time was someone named Dazhuang.
I remember Dazhuang was two grades above me and used to bully me when we were in school. He had a fiery temper and would often resort to violence. However, he dropped out in fifth grade due to fighting.
Back then, in our village, he was known for being handsome and tall. He was also stronger than others when it came to farming work, which led many parents to compare their children to Dazhuang: "Look at Dazhuang, tall and strong, capable of hard work. And look at you! You don't even resemble a child!"
Dazhuang's mother had even said that the girls from Futu Ridge could choose him freely, but now he was dead.
I had a vague feeling that something was amiss. In the mountain village, it wasn't unusual for one or two people to die, but two young people dying in quick succession felt abnormal.
When my mother returned from Dazhuang's house, her face was pale. She told me, "Dazhuang's death is just like Yang Kuan's."
"Did he also strangle himself? His eyes couldn't close?" I asked fearfully.
My mother nodded with certainty. "It's quite frightening."
"I want to go see," I said as I started walking toward the front of the village. My mother called out to stop me, worried that I might bring bad luck. But thinking about what Guo the Blind had said made me uneasy. I wondered if Dazhuang was one of the thugs on the bus!
As I passed by the gossiping villagers and saw Dazhuang lying dead on the straw mat, my suspicions were confirmed, and panic surged within me.
The second person to strangle himself was also one of the thugs who had harassed Zhou Manman on the bus!
At that moment, Dazhuang lay sprawled in the courtyard, his fierce appearance deterring anyone from approaching him.
Dazhuang was already a large man; everyone knew that big people had big hands and feet. His massive hands were tightly gripping his own neck as if he were holding a rope, his fingers stiff and unable to loosen.
His head was tilted to one side, and it seemed his throat had been crushed. His eyes were completely bloodshot, and his tongue hung out halfway.
Dazhuang's face was utterly distorted, with blood froth seeping from his nose and ears. Yet I still recognized that face.
Dazhuang's mother cried uncontrollably, held back by several women from the Village who wouldn’t let her approach. In Futu Ridge customs, a body cannot be covered with a white cloth after death, except when it is being placed on the cremation cart.
Some villagers gradually led away curious children who had come to watch; even the adults dared not look at Dazhuang’s lifeless form, let alone the children.
"I heard a young man of similar age from Dagu Village died just yesterday. They say he strangled himself. How could Dazhuang die like this? It must be that our Futu Ridge is haunted!" one Villager exclaimed.
"This isn't just haunting; everyone knows about the ghost stories from decades ago in the mountains. Those of us who are older remember well. Hurry and call Guo the Blind to take a look!" said a thin old man.
I remembered this old man well; his surname was Wang, and everyone called him Old Man Wang. He belonged to my grandfather's generation, but he was known for his loose tongue and loud voice, so I always referred to him as Old Man Wang like everyone else.
Old Man Wang's words made some of the older folks nod in agreement, and everyone decided to find Guo the Blind.
Moments later, Guo the Blind arrived at Dazhuang's home. As he passed through the crowd and saw Dazhuang’s tragic state, his expression suddenly changed dramatically.
"Uncle Guo, can you tell us what happened to our Dazhuang?" Dazhuang's father asked anxiously.
Guo the Blind frowned deeply and remained silent. Seeing this, Old Man Wang shouted, "Old Blind Man, stop keeping us in suspense! Dazhuang’s death is too shocking; just tell us what happened!"
"Yes, Old Guo, please see what’s going on. I heard another young man from the neighboring village died too; it’s all about hauntings. People are getting anxious. You’re the scholar of our Village; you need to clarify this matter," an elderly man added.
The crowd clamored with questions for Guo the Blind, but he remained silent for a while before finally saying, "I’m afraid to scare you all, but Dazhuang has attracted some unclean evil spirit."
"Is there really a ghost?" Old Man Wang asked excitedly upon hearing Guo the Blind.
Guo the Blind raised an eyebrow. "I never said there was a ghost; he simply attracted an evil spirit. There are many kinds of evil spirits—Evil Energy, Yin Wind, Ghost Fire, Wraiths—they're all considered evil spirits but not necessarily ghosts. I'm a Feng Shui Master, not a deity; how could I tell exactly what he attracted?"
"Our Dazhuang usually just works in the fields or goes to the county town for fun; he hasn’t been anywhere else in the mountains. How could he attract an evil spirit?" Dazhuang's mother cried out.
Guo the Blind looked troubled as well. He said, "After the reform and opening up, our village's Ancestral Grave was moved to the old forest at the east end of the village where the Feng Shui is good. Even if we went there, we wouldn’t attract any evil spirits. The other burial mounds have long been flattened unless some careless person dug up a coffin from a cursed burial ground."
"Who dug up the bones of the ancestors?" Old Man Wang exclaimed. "We need to find out quickly!"
Guo the Blind said, "No need. I heard a child from Dagu Village killed himself yesterday, which made me suspect that something evil has entered the mountains. However, after investigating, it turned out that wasn't the case. Feng Shui matters are complex; after decades in this line of work, I still can't determine the situation at a glance. Even doctors need to observe and inquire before diagnosing. Let me check this child first."
With that, Guo the Blind squatted down and grasped Dazhuang's wrist. Surprisingly, without much effort, Dazhuang's stiff fingers slowly loosened from around his neck.
Guo the Blind's method astonished some onlookers. The few who had carried the body had received money from Dazhuang's father to remove his hand from his neck, but Dazhuang's rigid fingers felt as if they were welded on, completely immovable. They never expected that Guo the Blind could free Dazhuang's hand so easily.
After loosening Dazhuang's grip, Guo the Blind pressed a few times on Dazhuang's jaw, and his protruding tongue gradually retracted into his mouth. However, his eyes remained wide open. Guo the Blind covered Dazhuang's discolored face with paper money. Later, I learned that this action had no real effect; he simply couldn't bear to look into those glaring eyes.
Guo the Blind fiddled with various parts of Dazhuang's body for a while but couldn't figure out what was wrong. His brows furrowed tighter. Seeing this, Dazhuang's father asked, "Uncle Guo, what do you think caused Dazhuang's death?"
Guo the Blind murmured in confusion, "The joints and acupoints that could be affected by Evil Energy are all normal; there's not a trace of Corpse Qi on him—it's not man-made. Could it be that he saw something terrifying and lost his senses, ultimately choking himself to death?"
Guo the Blind had learned fortune-telling decades ago and had some knowledge of bone reading. However, after being criticized during a period of upheaval, he stopped practicing these unorthodox methods.
Just when everyone was puzzled, Guo the Blind suddenly tore open Dazhuang's pants.
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