Volume Two: The Secret Burial in the Cliff Valley — Chapter 120: Where Did Third Uncle Go?

Seeing that familiar face, I nearly shouted out the name "Old Ma."

But I quickly realized that Ma Su’s expression was vacant, his movements were mechanical, and his joints seemed stiff. It was clear he no longer possessed any autonomous consciousness.

It seemed that events were unfolding exactly as Old Tantou had described. We had been trapped by the mist in the village, and it was then that the cliff burial procession appeared. Except for me, the other three had been drawn in by the soul-guiding banner and joined the ranks of the dead.

Seeing Old Ma at this moment left me both shocked and overjoyed, though I did not know if the method Old Tantou had taught me would be effective.

Old Ma soon reached me. Suppressing the agitation in my heart, I followed the plan meticulously, adhering to the routine I had been instructed to perform.

Old Ma’s expression remained unchanged. Unlike the corpses, he twitched his nose, though he did not inhale the smoke rising from the incense. After pausing for only a moment, he walked toward the flag I had planted on my left.

That flag was inscribed with the words: "Service to Heaven: Bone Collection."

According to Old Tantou’s design, the right side was for the walking corpses, and the left side was for those to be retrieved. Seeing Old Ma head to the left, I let out a sigh of relief; it seemed the method was working.

I snuck a glance at the banner-bearer. He made no unusual movements, continuing to ring his copper bell every ten seconds or so. However, his gaze remained sharp, and I dared not meet his eyes, quickly shifting my attention to the next person approaching.

The next was Liang Yue.

Only a few hours had passed since we were separated in the village. Compared to Ma Su, the change in Liang Yue was even more pronounced. Her hair was disheveled, her spirit exhausted, and her expression blank. Her once-pretty face now looked gaunt and haggard, almost unrecognizable.

My heart ached for her. Although Liang Yue and I frequently bickered, after surviving several dangerous houses together, we had effectively been through life and death. She was sharp-tongued but deeply caring; otherwise, she would never have volunteered to join us. I felt terrible that she had suffered so much because of this journey.

Like Ma Su, Liang Yue approached, twitched her nose, and walked expressionlessly to the left. Ma Su, who had passed earlier, had not walked past the flag like the corpses; instead, he stood rigidly behind it. After Liang Yue walked over, she also took her place by the flag.

Seeing them standing there safe and sound, I felt more at ease. Although they still lacked consciousness, I trusted that Old Tantou would have a way to help them. If I could just rescue my Third Uncle, my mission would be complete. I looked back at the place where the procession had stood, hoping to see if my Third Uncle was the next in line.

As I focused my gaze, however, I found that under the moonlight, the space was now empty, save for the banner-bearer standing to the side.

What was going on? Why wasn't Third Uncle with them? Had he escaped? Or had he gone somewhere else?

I looked left and right, but the surroundings were pitch black; there was no sign of Third Uncle at all.

I was stunned. I had considered several possibilities: that the three of them weren't in the procession at all, or that they were, but I wouldn't be able to save them. But I had never imagined that Third Uncle would be separated from Ma Su and the others. This situation was completely beyond my expectations, and I had no idea how to handle it.

Once everyone had passed, the banner-bearer moved toward me. It was only then that I saw his mode of movement up close.

Because of his strange physique—a short torso and long legs—his gait was exceptionally odd. At first, I thought his legs were just naturally long, but now I saw clearly that he was stepping on two long poles.

The poles were roughly two feet long. In other words, he was walking on stilts, similar to the stilt-walking performances popular in northern China. Seeing this, I was even more convinced that this banner-bearer was the "Mountain Ghost." Because the Mountain Ghost was short, he used stilts to appear as tall as a normal person.

The banner-bearer, on his stilts, didn't even glance at me. He walked past on the side of the walking corpses, continuing to shake his copper bell as he caught up with the procession.

In this operation, I had only managed to save Ma Su and Liang Yue; the absence of Third Uncle left my heart hanging in the balance.

Watching the banner-bearer move further away, I looked at the still, standing figures of Ma Su and Liang Yue and tentatively asked, "Can you hear me?"

Both remained as they were, showing no reaction, not even a blink.

Old Tantou had only told me how to save them, not how to break the spell afterward. Ma Su and Liang Yue were like wooden stakes; I couldn't exactly carry them both on my back, could I? I was anxious to reach the cliff top to see if Old Tantou was waiting there as promised, but I couldn't leave them behind. If they were devoured by mountain dogs or something else, the guilt would be unbearable.

As I paced in circles, I caught sight of the two flags flapping in the wind and had a flash of inspiration. I pulled them out of the ground.

The moment I pulled out the "Service to Heaven: Bone Collection" flag, Ma Su and Liang Yue’s bodies moved simultaneously. I mimicked Old Tantou and tucked the flag into my belt; as I turned the flag’s direction, Ma Su and Liang Yue turned as well.

I took a few steps forward, and they followed in sync. This discovery thrilled me; now I could lead them to find Old Tantou.

The banner-bearer and the corpses were no longer visible in the darkness ahead. Daring not to delay, I hurried down the path.

After running for about five or six minutes, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps from the darkness ahead, and a figure emerged. The person was running quickly, heading straight toward me.

I stopped and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

"It’s me," the person replied. It was Old Tantou’s voice.

He reached me quickly, panting heavily. Without waiting to catch his breath, he looked at the two people behind me and asked urgently, "Li Yang, did you get them out?"

I nodded. "I saved two, but my Third Uncle... he wasn't in the procession."

"He wasn't in there?" Old Tantou’s eyes darted around, then he said firmly, "Impossible. Did you miss him?"

I smiled bitterly. "Tantou, do you think I wouldn't recognize my own uncle? He definitely wasn't in the line."