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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 150: Coffin Mystery
The High-Quality Imitation White Jade Urn was temporarily forgotten as I called the Eight Great Warriors to come closer and pry open the Coffin Lid with a lever or other tools.
“Master Ma, what’s going on with Chi Ruiqiang? The Urn has no ashes, and the coffin has a hidden compartment!”
Before I could respond, someone exclaimed, “Look, the Crow has flown away.”
While the others were working on the hidden compartment, I shaded my eyes and looked up. The black vortex had long since vanished without a trace. The Huanglian Mountain Cemetery was still gloomy and vast; not a single person could be seen for miles. The winding mountain paths were lined with newly developed cemetery plots.
The dead were expanding their territory, and the city of the dead was consuming the last remaining space for humanity. The sound of clanging echoed in my ears as my thoughts lingered on the Crow. Earlier on our way here, the Crow had crashed into a car window, which felt like an omen. An omen that something would happen today, but I never imagined it would be this.
To humans, seeing a Crow is often considered a bad omen, signaling that something unfortunate is about to occur. However, this large group of Crows didn’t seem to be heralding anything; rather, they appeared to be causing destruction.
“Master Ma, look.”
The hidden compartment of the coffin opened, revealing a curled-up body that lay motionless within my line of sight.
What was utterly unexpected was that this person was Chi Xinrong, who had been missing for over a week.
Without hesitation, I rushed over and picked her up from the compartment where she lay like a corpse.
The Eight Great Warriors brought water.
Chi Xinrong was ice-cold all over; her hands and feet were similarly frigid, her lips dark purple, and her complexion deathly pale. I grasped her hand, kneading it while calling out, “Rongrong, Rongrong…” Then disregarding the others watching, I leaned down to listen for her breath and proceeded to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
I was performing artificial respiration on Chi Xinrong when I overheard their discussions: "What is Chi Ruiqiang doing, burying his own niece?"
"It can't be; there's definitely something suspicious going on."
"This girl seems to have offended her uncle; otherwise, how could it have come to this?"
Ignoring their chatter, I continued with one breath, two breaths, three breaths—I'd never give up as long as there was a glimmer of hope.
"Come on... Rongrong, wake up."
I gently patted her face, anxiously watching her, hoping she would suddenly open her eyes and tell me it was all a joke, that it had nothing to do with her uncle.
"Master Ma, should we try again?"
I didn't respond but leaned down to give it another go. Just as I did, I heard a strange gurgling sound from her throat. Her fingers twitched, and her eyelids fluttered. Someone shouted excitedly, "She’s awake!"
She really was awake, staring blankly at me with a pale face that revealed no emotion.
"Rongrong, are you okay?" I brought water to her lips. She slightly lowered her head and took a small sip before lifting her gaze slowly to the ceiling, which appeared dark and gloomy. Her eyes were hollow, her body weak, and the way she looked at me felt off.
Forgive my lack of skill; I couldn't tell what was wrong. In any case, it was a great relief that Chi Xinrong had awakened. I disregarded everything else and prepared to take her to the hospital for a thorough check-up and then report the incident to the police.
The Eight Great Warriors were frustrated; they had taken the risk during Ghost Month Taboos hoping to make some extra money, only for things to turn out like this. Looking at the disarray around me and the coffin that had been dismantled beyond recognition, an idea struck me: "You all need to reorder the coffin. The bread will definitely be there, and the money will be intact."
“Master Ma, as long as this trip isn’t in vain, we’ll do whatever it takes,” the Eight Great Warriors and the Money-Sprinkling Old Man said in unison.
Among them were a few relatives of Chi Ruiqiang, who looked pale with fear. They didn’t say much, but were curiously watching Chi Xinrong in my arms.
I turned to one of the older men who had arrived in a private car and asked, “Sir, do you know her?”
“Yes, yes, she’s Dean Chi’s niece, isn’t she?”
“And you are?”
“I’m one of his subordinates…”
Chi Ruiqiang held a high position at the hospital, and these subordinates had come to curry favor with him by helping transport the coffin to Huang Lian Mountain.
It was no wonder; Chiang had died young and under tragic circumstances. None of the relatives wanted to risk bad luck by attending the funeral. Those present had no familial ties to Chi Ruiqiang; they were merely individuals connected through professional interests.
Among them was also a pharmaceutical sales representative who had come to join the crowd.
What had happened could not be undone. I believed that Chi Ruiqiang was currently at home waiting for good news. Therefore, every word spoken by those present was crucial, especially for those whose interests were tied to him.
Clearing my throat, I adopted a serious demeanor and scanned the group before speaking loudly, “Dean Chi is waiting for good news. Are you prepared to bring him bad news or good news? Bad news would be detrimental for both him and you because you’ve witnessed things you shouldn’t have seen. Once he learns of this bad news, we all know how it will end—everything will fall apart, and not only will there be no benefits left for you, but you may also face repercussions. You understand the risks better than I do.”
The older man pondered for a moment before raising his hand to speak. "So, what is the good news?"
I absentmindedly scratched my nose and smiled. "The good news is that it benefits all of us. You continue to maintain your profit chain, and I will keep doing my job as a Mortician."
"Then we choose the good news," several subordinates of Chi Ruiqiang agreed in unison. This was the effect I wanted. I then instructed the Eight Great Warriors to quickly restore the coffin to its original state, placing the High-Quality Imitation White Jade Urn back inside.
This special funeral procession set off once again, carrying the coffin all the way to the cemetery.
Under my care, Chi Xinrong was no longer as weak as before, but when I spoke to her, her demeanor was concerning.
She didn’t utter a word, her vacant gaze and perpetually pale face showed no signs of color. Moreover, her body remained icy cold, as if she had just been dragged out of a freezer; no one dared to approach her.
"Master Ma, burying an empty grave is inauspicious."
"If I'm not mistaken, this is not an empty grave. Just follow my instructions," I said confidently, calmly directing them to bury the empty coffin along with the High-Quality Imitation White Jade Urn.
"What do you want us to do next, Master Ma?"
"Less talk, more action."
The group, including those directly connected to Chi Ruiqiang's interests, tacitly left the grave marked as Chiang's beloved son’s resting place, leaving behind a scattering of Joss Paper.
"You all go back and do what you need to do. If asked, just act like you know nothing," I advised them one last time, still feeling a bit uneasy.
"Okay."
Before heading back, I called the Fat Guy to let him know I would be late returning to the Funeral Home.
He informed me over the phone that the money had arrived, his voice filled with excitement.
This guy, his eyes must have turned into dollar signs.
On the way back in the hearse, I slipped him some extra cash to keep him quiet and avoid any trouble.
I was riding back to the city in one of the beneficiaries' cars, dropping Chi Xinrong off at the hospital. I quietly sat on a bench and tried to contact Han Mi.
Han Mi's phone was constantly unreachable, which was quite frustrating. I had wanted to tell her about Chi Xinrong to cheer her up a bit. But with no luck getting through, I hung up and decided to wait for the test results instead.
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