Chapter Nineteen: Hezi Village (Part Eleven)

Suddenly, I whipped my head around and saw a female corpse dressed in blue gauze emerging from the hole in the coffin, her icy hand clamped tightly around my ankle.

My scalp tingled so fiercely I nearly choked on a mouthful of water, almost drowning then and there. My mind went blank, and my heart hammered as if it would burst through my chest. I kicked desperately with the leg she held, but there was no escaping her grip.

Terror seized me, and I stared into the empty black eyes of the corpse, her tattered garments hanging loose. As my gaze darted over her, I noticed a red cord around her pale neck, though whatever had once hung from it was now missing.

Was she trying to recover something?

She fixed her emotionless, frost-covered face on me. It was clear she wouldn’t let go until I returned whatever she had lost. But what had gone missing? It had been fine in the coffin before—why seize me now?

In the span of a heartbeat, I twisted my head to see Wu Xiaomei, who hadn’t swum far and was looking at me with bewildered eyes, silently asking what was happening.

There was no time to think underwater. I gestured frantically at Wu Xiaomei, then pointed to the corpse’s neck.

Wu Xiaomei, seeing this, recoiled in terror, instinctively backing away.

Panic surged in me. Unable to speak, I waved my arms wildly, hoping she’d understand. But Wu Xiaomei didn’t care about me—once she realized what was happening, she dashed off, leaving me struggling behind. I tried to scream after her, but only bubbles escaped as I frantically kicked, teetering on the edge of madness. Yet I couldn’t break free.

Suddenly, I remembered the scene at the ghost market, cradling the head of Niu Erpao, his death-grimace nearly deranged with fear.

Perhaps seeing Wu Xiaomei flee with her treasure, the corpse reached her other hand through the hole in the coffin, seizing my calf and starting to climb out over my body.

At that moment, I recalled what the woman in the shop had warned me before we set off: “Be sure to leave the village before dark.” Now I understood why they’d sent someone else—if I’d known, no amount of payment would have tempted me. But there was no time for regret.

I looked back; the corpse was inching over me, drawing closer. I shrank away, desperate to escape. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of cold light inside the broken coffin—gone in an instant.

Chaos reigned. I bit my tongue hard to stay lucid, refusing to surrender to terror. When the cold gleam shimmered again in the rippling water, I twisted underwater in a carp’s leap, dragging the corpse with me back toward the black coffin.

No one who grew up on the Hai River’s banks didn’t know how to swim. My childhood summers were spent diving with neighbors in the river. Even so, fear and panic were nearly suffocating me.

I crashed headlong against the black coffin, reaching out to feel for the source of the white glimmer. My palm was suddenly sliced open—I gripped it tight and realized it was the short dagger I’d lost.

I grabbed the hilt, yanked it free, and slashed across the corpse’s neck. A deep gash opened, and dark red blood swirled through the water, blurring my vision.

Instantly, her grip loosened. I kicked her away and swam forward. Along the way, I glimpsed numerous black coffins sunk in the mud, just as Professor Gu had described. None seemed as large or sinister as the one I’d just escaped. Dozens of coffins lay quietly on the riverbed, their mere presence a staggering shock to the senses.

I swam away from the black coffin, the eerie green glow fading behind me. My vision blurred; I couldn’t tell where the shore was. Several times I surfaced, only to bump into something unseen. The more I struggled, the more lost I became. My lungs burned for air—I realized, with dread, that I was finished.

I was going to die here. Tomorrow, when they dragged my body from downstream, my face would wear this same expression.

That thought flashed through my mind as I unwillingly turned to look back. No corpse pursued me, but I saw a cluster of green lights gathering around a figure, moving steadily toward me.

The lights resembled glowing fish, encircling the figure and gliding rapidly in my direction. Floating, exhausted, I could only watch as the figure drew closer—illuminated by the green glow, I realized it was a female corpse clad in a brilliant red robe.

I froze—she seemed familiar, but she wasn’t one of those in the black coffin. Her robe was as vivid as a wedding dress, trailing in the current as she appeared before me.

Her movement churned up silt from the riverbed, clouding my eyes. Her face was a blur of mud, but I could feel her gaze—chilling and ghostly.

Yet she made no move, merely hovered face to face with me. The last of my air escaped in a stream of bubbles, and I couldn’t help but open my mouth, letting the murky river water flood in. My mind went numb.

In the haze, I felt someone grab my hand, pressing a smooth, warm object into my palm. The warmth spread through me, as comforting as a hot drink on a cold morning, coursing gently through my body.

The river was icy, my limbs chilled to the bone after so long amid the corpses. But now, with warmth in my grip, I was reluctant to let go. I clung to it tightly as a gentle force lifted me up, pushing me toward the surface.

My head broke through the water. The night was silent, the rush of water loud in my ears. When I opened my eyes, I saw a ball of green light darting away beneath the surface—just like what I’d seen in the river, startling me into action. I gulped two deep breaths and dove after the glow.

I remembered the corpse that had saved me. As I drifted toward unconsciousness, she’d opened her mouth and seemed to ask me to do something for her.

I was sure I was making the right decision. My mind was still fuzzy from lack of oxygen, but the green glow moved downstream ahead of me, and I forced myself to keep up. As I swam, I thought I heard someone calling my name from the riverbank behind me.

At first, I thought it was Professor Gu or Wu Xiaomeng, but the voice wasn’t right—it drifted to me in broken fragments. I was curious, but fear kept me from looking back.

As a child, the elders always warned: in the mountains at night, if you hear someone call your name, never look back—it’s a soul-reaping ghost. If you turn, the two protective flames on your shoulders will be snuffed out, and your soul will be claimed.

I’d never believed it before, but after all I’d witnessed tonight, I could no longer doubt. As I hesitated, I felt a hand settle on my shoulder from behind.

Too much had happened in one night; I had no time to think. I tilted my head to see the hand on my shoulder—rough, wrinkled, reminding me of the old boatman who’d ferried me across earlier that day.

Could it be him?

Stiffly, I turned my head. Before I could see who was behind me, I caught a glimpse of a dark blue shirt soaked by the river, and then two icy hands seized my ankles, pulling me under in an instant.

Caught off guard, I gulped down mouthfuls of water as my head was dragged below. Glancing down, I saw a deathly pale woman’s face at the riverbed, her hands clutching my ankles, pulling me deeper.

I lost all control of my body, thrashing desperately but unable to break the iron grip on my legs, which dragged me straight to the bottom.

Underwater, the corpse’s cold, indifferent face twisted into a mask of rage. I saw her pale skin begin to crack, fissures spreading like shattered jade across her cheeks and forehead. She released my ankles and seized my throat instead. I tried to push her away, but as my vision faded, I could only feebly struggle before everything went utterly silent.