Volume One: The Field of Eight Coffins - Chapter 28: A Twist in the Tale

To my surprise, Liang Yue shook her head firmly after hearing my words. “No. I’m going with you.”

She was so insistent that I had no choice but to nod and, flashlight in hand, slowly step out of the surveillance room with her.

Cautiously, I approached the two corpses outside and couldn’t help but steal a glance. Both of them were as rigid as wooden stakes—no expressions, no movement at all. This, in fact, was how they should be. How could a corpse have expressions or move? Yet, recalling what had just happened, they had seemed to come alive, attacking us, tracking our steps. Subconsciously, I hadn’t treated them as corpses at all.

Strangely, their attack had suddenly ceased, and they reverted to the state befitting the dead.

I had no mind to study them further; my thoughts were with the third figure. Was that person really my third uncle? And if so, was he alive or dead?

As I drew near the third figure, a sense of foreboding crept over me. It was the same unsettling feeling I’d had beside the other two corpses—a sensation impossible to describe. There was no trace of life, as if I faced a being entirely different from myself, a living person. Simply put: I was alive, but the figure before me… was dead.

Could it be that my third uncle had also…

Cold sweat beaded and trickled down my body, and as the thought struck me, I began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Uncle… Uncle…” I called softly twice.

There was still no response. My trembling flashlight finally illuminated his face. It was indeed my third uncle standing there, but his face, just as I’d sensed, was utterly lifeless. Not as ashen as those other corpses, but bloodless—an eerie pallor, devoid of expression.

What separates humans from animals is emotion, and the most direct expression of emotion is on the face. When a person’s face is utterly blank, it becomes truly frightening.

That was how my uncle appeared now.

Just as I was about to step closer for a better look, that eerie flute melody once again echoed through the underground parking lot.

As the sound arose, I watched in horror as my uncle slowly turned and started walking in another direction. His legs moved like stiff wooden poles, just like the other two corpses, his knees unbending and movements grotesquely rigid.

I clapped a hand over my mouth, barely suppressing a scream.

Though I’d never held much belief in my uncle’s so-called mystical arts, I always felt, deep down, that he was different from me. On the rooftop, for example, both Liang Yue and I had fallen under the flute’s spell, while my uncle remained unscathed. I never imagined something would happen to him.

Fearing I was hallucinating, I turned back toward Liang Yue, hoping she could confirm what I’d seen.

But as I turned, a scene even more terrifying unfolded.

Liang Yue, tall and close behind me, was right in my line of sight as I turned. Instinctively, I recoiled, flashing my light on her.

She’d been perfectly fine when we left the surveillance room, but in these few moments, she had become exactly like my uncle. Her complexion was dreadful, the tension in her body suddenly slackened, and she looked every bit a walking corpse.

Especially her eyes—once lively, beautiful, and brimming with expression, they were now dull and lifeless, like the eyes of a dead fish.

“Liang Yue, don’t… don’t scare me…” I stood there dumbfounded, unable to believe my eyes. Two living people had, in an instant, become like this. I still clung to a faint hope—maybe they were just playing a trick on me. But who could joke in this place? You’d need nerves of steel just to consider it.

Liang Yue seemed not to hear me, her vacant eyes staring into the darkness ahead, her body moving stiffly forward, just like my uncle.

Soon, those two standing corpses began to move as well, following behind Liang Yue.

The four of them formed a single file, marching rigidly forward under the guidance of the flute.

My mind was blank; I had not prepared for anything like this. Before entering, I’d imagined all sorts of dangers and challenges, but nothing like this. Everything was now far beyond my control.

Watching my uncle and Liang Yue move away, I wasted no time and hurried after them. For some reason, I was the only one left with a clear mind. Of course, I couldn’t abandon them. I wanted to follow and see what was really happening. If I kept up, perhaps I could find the source of the flute’s sinister melody.

Imitating their stiff gait, I moved my legs awkwardly forward. After a few steps, my knees ached, my legs felt uncooperative, as if they didn’t belong to me.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I switched off my flashlight to avoid drawing attention, enduring the discomfort and mechanically following at the rear of the line.

The flute’s melody now was a gentle, flowing tune with a touch of ancient style. But in this setting, all I felt was a chilling eeriness, no beauty.

My uncle led the way, and though darkness still shrouded everything, he moved unfalteringly, as if he could see perfectly, guided by the flute.

I became increasingly aware of the flute’s power—clearly, all of this was its doing. If I could find its source, perhaps everything would resolve itself.

As I trudged along behind the group, I suddenly sensed something was off.

I distinctly remembered I was last in the line, yet as I walked, faint footsteps echoed behind me.

A chill ran down my spine. Was another corpse now following me?

I held my breath, not daring to turn, but straining to listen.

The footsteps were light, as if intentionally subdued. Even stranger, I heard breathing—soft, controlled breathing.

At first, I thought it was my imagination, but holding my breath made it all the more obvious.

My heart pounded wildly. Unconsciously, I slowed down, putting some distance between myself and the group until I stopped altogether.

Sure enough, as I stopped, so did the footsteps behind me.

I felt a cool breath on the back of my neck. Someone was standing right there, exhaling against my skin.

Who was behind me—human or ghost? Living or dead?

An overwhelming fear surged within me. I couldn’t help but want to scream.

Just as I opened my mouth, a hand suddenly reached from behind and clamped tightly over my lips.

Terror shot through me; I struggled, but then a low voice came from behind, “If you want to live, don’t move.”

The voice was unfamiliar, but its human tone brought a measure of relief. At least, it wasn’t one of those walking corpses. Judging by his actions, he seemed to be trying to save me.

I hesitated, and the stranger pulled me aside, dragging me away at a run.

I watched in agony as my uncle and Liang Yue receded into the darkness, but there was nothing I could do.

The stranger also carried a flashlight and led me through a door—to my surprise, it was a stairwell leading up. I realized it was the very stairwell Liang Yue had shown me earlier.

Back then, though, the door had been locked. This person had managed to open it.

I whispered, “Who are you?”

The man didn’t answer, only hurried along, as if every second counted.

I stopped and demanded, “Who are you, really? Stop playing games. If you don’t speak, I won’t be polite!”

He sighed at last and replied, “I’m Old Xiao. Hurry and follow me.”

“Old Xiao? Who’s that?” My mind was a mess; after a moment, I remembered—Old Xiao was the gatekeeper, the night watchman, the one Liang Yue had called Uncle Xiao.

“Uncle Xiao?”

“Don’t talk. Come with me.” He gestured impatiently, crouching as he climbed the stairs.

I glanced back—no one was following. I hesitated, torn between trusting Uncle Xiao or going back to search for my uncle and Liang Yue, and the source of the flute.

After a few steps, realizing I hadn’t followed, Uncle Xiao sighed again and said in a low voice, “If you want to save them, come with me. If you want to die, go back down.”

With that, he hurried up the stairs and soon vanished from sight.

After a moment’s thought, I realized I had no other choice but to trust him. When I first arrived, I’d found his shifty eyes suspicious and doubted his character.

Never would I have imagined the three of our fates would be tied to him.

I quickly chased up the stairs after Uncle Xiao, who led me straight into his tiny room. A single oil lamp flickered inside—not as bright as an electric light, but enough to create a sense of safety, like leaving hell and entering the world of the living. Yet the room was filled with an unpleasant odor, the same one I’d noticed on Uncle Xiao when we first arrived.

“Uncle Xiao… what about them…” I pointed downward, wanting to explain, but he waved me off.

“Enough talk. Leave here now. Come find me tomorrow morning at nine, at Number 4, Peace Alley.”

“But what about them…?”

“They won’t die—at least not within three days. Go back and stick to the main roads. Stay out of the shadows.”

He gave these instructions and made to close the door.

Seeing he was serious about sending me off, I had no choice but to leave reluctantly. Uncle Xiao saw me out of the main building, and the iron gate slammed shut behind me.

Outside, the fresh air was invigorating; I took several greedy breaths.

Following Uncle Xiao’s advice, I stuck to the brightly lit streets and made my way back to the hotel lobby. Sitting under the dazzling lights, I felt as if I’d just woken from a dream.

But after the dream, what now?

With my uncle gone, it was up to me to choose my path…

(End of this chapter)