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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
I felt an invisible net gradually enveloping me, woven by unseen hands. No matter what those behind me intended, I was determined to uncover the truth.
Following the Old Man, I had come to understand his character and way of life. He was neither afraid of death nor of trouble. I remembered him telling me about the heroes in the Three Kingdoms; he believed that the only perfect person in that story was Zhao Zilong—bold and responsible. Every man should aspire to be like him.
The hardships of life had not defeated him; he proved himself over the years. A man who fears nothing, who bravely admits his past mistakes, would never choose suicide out of a so-called sense of guilt.
The reason he discussed his affairs with me last night must have been because he sensed something.
I knocked loudly on the door of Guo the Blind's house, and it was none other than Guo Huaiyi who opened it.
Guo Huaiyi greeted me with a faint smile and asked, "Brother Yang Hao, you nearly knocked down Mr. Guo's door. Is there something urgent?"
I grabbed Guo Huaiyi by the collar and said, "The Old Man is dead. What did you say to him? What did you do?"
Upon hearing the news of the Old Man's death, a flicker of surprise crossed Guo Huaiyi's face. He patted my hand and replied, "I am deeply sorry to hear about the Old Man's passing. However, I just arrived in your village yesterday, and coincidentally, an elder passed away. Is it really appropriate for you to come here and hold me accountable?"
I released my grip on Guo Huaiyi's collar and retorted, "What’s inappropriate is you being an outsider in this village, asking questions that shouldn't be asked. What are your true intentions?"
"What intentions could I possibly have? I merely found the events that occurred in the mountains years ago quite incredible. After hearing Mr. Guo speak about them, I impulsively asked a few questions. Brother Yang was present at the time; do you think a few words could cause a centenarian to simply pass away?" Guo Huaiyi questioned.
I replied, "Some history should be known without needing to pry into a victim's wounds to satisfy your curiosity. You have shown excessive concern for matters that do not concern you."
Guo Huaiyi said, "If my inquiries led to the Old Man's death, I would feel deeply guilty. But I wonder how Brother Yang intends to deal with me—call the police or burn this outsider on a Wind Stabilizer?"
"You better not be connected to the Old Man's death; otherwise, I won't let you off," I warned, pointing at Guo Huaiyi.
Huzi pulled me toward the edge of the village and said, "By confronting Guo Huaiyi like this, we’ve made an enemy of him. Investigating the cause of the Old Man's death will likely become even more difficult."
"I have a plan; we can act tonight. As long as we obtain the Zhou Compass from Guo the Blind, I will definitely uncover the truth behind the Old Man's death."
"What should we do?" Huzi asked.
I replied, "Old Man's funeral is a joyous occasion, and the whole village will follow the coffin to the Ancestral Grave three miles east of the village. Guo the Blind, as the village's Feng Shui Master, will definitely be invited to find the burial spot. At that time, we can join the funeral procession. Guo the Blind never wears the yellow robe of a Feng Shui Master, and whether he carries the Zhou Compass will be obvious. However, I believe Guo the Blind won't have the compass with him because your grandfather is not an ordinary person. That Zhou Compass is a Daoist Sacred Artifact, and Guo the Blind will certainly consider that it could be recognized."
"What happens next?" Huzi inquired.
"Next, it depends on you. With everyone in the village attending Old Man's funeral, only Guo Huaiyi will be left in the village. You must persuade him to go to the Ancestral Grave. Meanwhile, I will take this opportunity to find the Zhou Compass at Guo the Blind's house. Once I get it this time, I won't return it."
Huzi thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "You must be careful. After what happened last time, Guo the Blind will definitely have taken precautions."
Soon it grew dark, and under the bright moonlight, I wore a white mourning hat sewn by the village aunties and followed behind the funeral procession alongside Huzi. My mother walked in the middle of the group with some other women, draped in White Silk.
Old Man's funeral was perhaps the most grand event in Bright Moon Village's history. The entire village attended; after nightfall, they began walking around the village. Eight strong men carried Old Man's coffin draped in joyous red cloth, with a black-and-white photo of him placed on top.
If anyone happened to pass by and saw this scene, they would either be terrified or suffer from anxiety.
The person carrying the fire basin and wailing was a professional Crier from the town's Funeral Troupe. The funeral procession was filled with noise; sometimes there were children's cries mixed in. I couldn't understand what he was shouting about from behind, but his wailing rose and fell like singing.
Although I despised such funerals and felt it was disrespectful to the deceased elder, these old customs that had persisted for thousands of years in human society were not something I could change on my own.
Following behind the Crier were several elderly villagers who were also descendants of Old Man. They held crying sticks made from willow branches and wailed along the way. The crying sticks were made from willow branches trimmed neatly on both ends and wrapped with shredded white paper; they served no specific purpose but were an ancient custom symbolizing that a grieving child must hold a stick to continue walking due to their sorrow.
When it came time to bury the coffin, everyone had to throw their crying sticks into the grave pit. Willows have strong growth capabilities; unrotted willow wood can take root and sprout from beneath the grave soil. This is why it's common to see one or several willow trees growing on old Ancestral Graves in rural areas.
Upon arriving at the old Ancestral Grave, Li Fugui and Captain Liu were already waiting outside with a group of villagers, each holding a digging shovel.
Not far away, Guo the Blind held a compass as he measured the Feng Shui Acupoint for burying the coffin. After a moment, Guo the Blind marked out a digging spot with willow stakes and approached the villagers carrying the coffin, instructing them: "The coffin cannot touch the ground. If you get tired, switch places. Only when they finish digging and place the coffin inside can you rest; otherwise, it's bad luck."
"Guo Xiansheng, what kind of Feng Shui Treasure Land are you finding for Old Man?" one villager asked.
"Treasure Spring Eye," Guo the Blind said, "if Old Man had descendants, there would be a Scholar in the family."
"Oh, isn't that just like our old Ancestral Grave puffing out green smoke back in the day?" one Villager remarked.
The crowd burst into laughter, and another Villager chimed in, "Your Ancestral Grave didn't puff out smoke properly; otherwise, your son wouldn't have dropped out of high school to work."
"Your child isn't working outside! You're so annoying."
Huzi and I stood at the back of the crowd, carefully watching the compass in Guo the Blind's hand. It wasn't a Copper Inlaid Jade Zhou Compass; it was just an ordinary feng shui measuring tool.
"Should I go get Guo Huaiyi now?" Huzi whispered in my ear.
I replied, "It's still early. We'll probably be busy until late tonight. Let's wait a bit longer to act; by then, everyone will be too tired to notice us leaving."
The villagers sat on the grass waiting, while some children began to doze off in their parents' arms. After some time, a shout suddenly came from the Ancestral Grave area: "We've really dug up spring water! What is this thing!"
Hearing that something incredible had been unearthed, the villagers rushed over to see for themselves. Guo the Blind signaled for the eight strong men carrying the coffin to follow him, and Huzi and I curiously ran over to see what this so-called Treasure Spring Eye was all about.
To our astonishment, clear water was bubbling up from the square coffin pit below, and swimming in the water were two Golden Koi.
The villagers gasped in amazement. According to ancient legends, strange phenomena often occurred at feng shui burial sites—such as blood bubbling up from underground or unearthing Tai Sui or weasel graves—all considered bad omens. However, finding koi was a good sign, and these two golden koi made this feng shui treasure even more precious!
"I didn't expect there were two golden dragons hidden beneath Treasure Spring Eye. If we buried our old Ancestral Grave here, wouldn't descendants either become emperors or prime ministers?" someone exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned envious; it seemed a waste for Old Man to be buried in such a treasure without heirs.
Old Man Wang said, "I knew Old Blind Man wasn't someone who held grudges; he actually found such a Feng Shui Treasure Land for Old Man!"
Everyone began to praise Guo the Blind. Only a few of the older generation knew about how Guo the Blind had once sought help from Old Man. Over the years, whenever Guo the Blind saw Old Man, he would turn and walk away without giving him any face. Who would have thought that after a century, he would overlook past grievances and find such a Feng Shui Treasure Land for Old Man's eternal rest?
"How I wish Leader Guo could see this amazing scene here; it would surely leave a better impression of our village," Huzi suddenly remarked.
"By the way, it's surprising that Leader Guo didn't come to our village to investigate the local customs," Old Man Wang said.
"Then I'll go back and invite Leader Guo to come take a look," Guo the Blind replied.
"I'll go bring him! My house is the closest, and I have a motorcycle. It will be easier for me to bring him here. City folks are delicate; we wouldn't want our leader to tire himself out," Huzi volunteered eagerly.
With that, Huzi headed towards Bright Moon Village. Guo the Blind hesitated, wanting to say something but ultimately holding back.
Half an hour later, Guo Huaiyi arrived at Old Ancestral Grave with Huzi. He got out of the car, greeted everyone, and then looked at the two golden koi swimming in the newly dug puddle, his face filled with astonishment as he praised Futu Ridge for its remarkable people and rich resources.
Seeing Guo Huaiyi so happy, Guo the Blind also revealed a faint smile.
In the crowd, Huzi glanced at me and winked; since Guo the Blind hadn't brought Zhou Compass, it was even less likely that Guo Huaiyi would have it.
I quietly distanced myself from the crowd, gradually disappearing into the darkness.
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