Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The coffin was hauled up at an angle. The front half looked normal enough, but from the very bottom, black water was dripping in a steady patter.

As the black liquid hit the ground, a thick, pungent stench spread through the air. Everyone covered their noses and took several steps back.

I stared at the bottom of the coffin, where the wood showed signs of rot, and frowned hard.

“A coffin is made of wood, and wood gives rise to yang fire, which is what suppresses corpse qi. But now the coffin is producing corpse water. Too much water makes wood float, and water suppresses fire. The yin energy in that body is surging to the heavens. I’m afraid it may transform.”

I fanned the air in front of me a few times and gave Liu Nengshan an order.

“Have them get the coffin up here quickly. You go prepare to open it.”

But Liu Nengshan stood frozen where he was, his eyes staring blankly ahead, his face ashen. He was muttering under his breath.

“It’s actually like this again. It can’t still be the same as before-”

I didn’t understand.

“What do you mean, like this, like before?”

Liu Nengshan looked away and stopped talking. Several men pulled on the ropes, and the coffin landed steadily on the ground. Everyone crowded around it and pried out the five-inch coffin nails from the four corners.

Liu Nengshan turned his head and glanced at Jiang Haoyan, his eyes full of wariness.

“Master Jiang, I’m going to open the coffin.”

Jiang Haoyan nodded.

“Wait. Anyone born in the Year of the Pig, Monkey, or Tiger clashes with the deceased. Step back a few paces and turn around with your backs to the coffin.”

Two men in the group were visibly relieved. They couldn’t wait to walk far off, where they stood under a towering bamboo and chatted in low voices.

Jiang Haoyan said, “The deceased’s granddaughters, come here. Have the umbrella ready and stand in front of the coffin.”

This was a rule of bone-picking burial. The dead belonged to yin, and yin could not face yang, so an umbrella had to be held over the deceased. It also had to be done by a female descendant, to keep sunlight from shining on the body.

“A quarter past the Hour of the Dragon. The auspicious time has arrived. Filial son, open the coffin!”

At Jiang Haoyan’s command, Liu Nengshan let out a deep breath and pushed the coffin lid with all his strength. His two daughters hurriedly opened black umbrellas and held them over the coffin.

According to custom, once the umbrella ritual was done, the bone collector was supposed to begin collecting the bones. The first thing to pick up was the deceased’s hand bones, symbolizing an invitation for the dead to rise.

But Jiang Haoyan just stared blankly into the coffin and did not move for a long while.

“What-what is this-”

A gust of wind blew past, and an even stronger fishy reek filled the air. I nearly vomited and quickly added another layer to my mask.

Liu Nengshan braced himself against the coffin, his face livid.

“It really is Yinshen again! This is trouble!

“Master Jiang, what do you think we should do?”

His words were polite, but half his shoulder was blocking Jiang Haoyan, and his face was full of caution. His two daughters also stood beside him like his left and right guardians. The three of them formed a line, shielding Jiang Haoyan behind them.

Song Feifei pinched her nose and stood on tiptoe to look into the coffin.

“Is Yinshen the same as a shadowy corpse? Has it transformed?”

“Not the same. After a coffin is opened, if the corpse hasn’t decomposed, the Hakka call it Yinshen. In their eyes, this kind of Yinshen will ‘shelter the dead soul’ and harm the descendants, bringing disaster and misfortune to the family. That’s why it has to be dealt with immediately.

“According to the rules of bone collection, the bones of deceased minors under sixteen are not collected. Those under thirty are collected five years after burial. Those under forty-five are collected six years after burial. Those over sixty are only collected eight, ten, or twelve years after burial.”

I took out my phone and glanced at it.

“Look at what Old Zhou sent me yesterday. Liu Nengshan’s mother was already in her seventies when she died. They say the flesh falls away in three years and the bones separate in seven. It’s been ten years. Logically speaking, even the bones should be showing some signs of decay by now.

“How could it still be Yinshen-”

As I spoke, I approached the coffin and casually glanced inside. I was instantly scared out of my wits.

“Holy shit! What the hell is that?”

The female corpse in the coffin could no longer be called human.

Her entire body was pale and bloated, soaking in pitch-black corpse water. Her eyes were set extremely far apart, and her face was densely covered in fish scales. Her cheeks had already begun to rot, revealing several rows of fan-shaped, decaying red flesh inside. White, fine teeth were mixed into the flesh, making them look disturbingly like fish gills.

“What do you mean, what the hell? That’s my mother! Watch your mouth!”

Liu Nengshan glared fiercely at me.

“You women, step farther back. Stop getting in the way!”

Liu Nengshan’s daughters were just as indignant.

“Exactly! What’s wrong with you people? Show some respect for our grandma!”