Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I fell straight to the ground, my throat itching before I spat out a mouthful of foul-smelling black blood.

At that moment, the crushing pressure on my back vanished.

I grabbed the Soul-Whip and, cursing under my breath, stomped toward the stone coffin in the corner.

When I reached it, however, I realized it wasn’t a stone coffin at all.

It was just a rectangular stone trough without a lid. It looked like something used to store items back when the mine was active; I had no idea how I’d mistaken it for a coffin.

Just then, I heard Wei Zhang calling for me from outside. I’d probably been down there too long, and he was worried something had happened to me. Though his voice was still frantic and fearful, it no longer sounded weak and drained like before.

Finally, I dug an iron box out of the soft red earth near the stone trough. I climbed back up the cliff with the box and opened it with Wei Zhang.

Inside was a sheet of yellow ritual paper, covered in dense writing detailing Wei Zhang’s life. It mostly listed the good deeds he had done over the years and the people he had helped.

There was also a sealed transparent bag filled with a thick, deep-red liquid. We turned it over a few times and saw a piece of emerald jade soaking in the fluid.

Wei Zhang and I drove back to the city. On the way, he mentioned that the pain in his body had subsided significantly, though he felt exhausted. He said he would find someone to ask about the significance of the jade and would let me know later. As for who wrote the yellow paper, he said he had a good idea; there were very few people who knew his life story in such detail.

On our way back, we passed the district specialized in making coffins and paper offerings. Most of the small factories there had already gone bust, but old slogans remained on the mottled roadside walls.

I happened to spot a few lines: “Accumulate virtue in this life to hold a Mouth Jade; enjoy blessings in the next as a man above men.”

Suddenly, it clicked why so many businesses dealing with the dead were gathered at the foot of Dongling Peak. It likely had everything to do with that old jade mine. However, while a Mouth Jade was easy enough to find, accumulating true virtue was not something just anyone could achieve.

I received a payment of eighty thousand yuan for Wei Zhang’s job. Aside from paying off my own debts, I had to support Kong Yi and my Master’s Wife. Fortunately, Kong Liang’s creditors hadn’t come knocking lately; I didn’t know if he’d managed to pay them off himself.

Because of my injuries, I didn’t dare go home right away. The kids were still small, and I didn’t want to scare them, so I spent a few days recovering at a friend’s house.

Soon, the Third Seventh for my Master arrived.

This time, Kong Liang actually kept his word and showed up, though he looked as shiftless as ever. Seeing me still driving my old freight truck, he gave a look of pure disdain. “My dad used to praise you all the time, and this is the pathetic state you’re in?”

I didn’t bother responding to him. Master’s Wife and the others had already prepared the Soul Summoning Banner, Joss Paper, gold ingots, and my Master’s Spirit Tablet. I found a place to secure them in the truck. Master’s Wife had also boiled five large lunch boxes worth of dumplings for us.

It was just like when I used to drive long-haul with Master. Because of my huge appetite, Master’s Wife would boil a hundred dumplings at a time, stuffing every container to the brim.

“Changdong, you must be careful on the road,” Master’s Wife urged, clutching my hand. “If things don’t feel right, just forget it. Safety is the most important thing. Old Kong won’t blame us; his biggest fear was always something happening to you kids.”

“I know. Don’t worry, Master’s Wife.”

After reassuring Master’s Wife and Kong Yi, I took Kong Liang and set out on the road.