The Complete Collection of Yellow River Ghost Coffins

Chapter 34

Professor Sun said, "Could you please explain in more detail?"

The old man said, "To know the exact location, you have to go to the Yellow River. You can't tell anything from here. I've heard people say that your ancestor once said, 'How could it be here?' In other words, the thing in the Yellow River's eye is in an unusual position."

The old man added that he wasn't with his ancestor when he disappeared; he only went to investigate afterward. There were many villagers near the Yellow River's eye at the time, and he asked many of them about it, but few were willing to talk about it. The ordinary villagers were very superstitious and knew that the ancestral artifacts couldn't be touched; they believed the old man must have been eaten by a dragon.

But the old man's investigation yielded some clues. It turned out that their ancestor hadn't been looking at the dragon coffin on the stone platform, but rather at the surrounding mountains. He then muttered to himself, "How could this be?"

I once lived near the Yellow River when I was a child, and I had heard this story before. But more than ten years have passed, and my grandmother who told me the story has long since passed away. I was too young then to really listen to it as a story, and I never imagined that one day I would come into contact with the dragon coffin on this stone platform, nor did I ever imagine that my life and death would be connected with the dragon coffin at the eye of the Yellow River.

Professor Sun, quite the opportunist, eagerly offered to take the old man to the Yellow River with a fawning smile. But the old man replied, "We must see the Yellow River Eye. But before we do, we must first examine the inscription on the bottom of the Yellow River Dragon Coffin."

I think the old man is right about the true face of the Yellow River Dragon Coffin. Since we're all involved, at least let us see it. Even if we die, we'll at least know the truth.

The girl standing next to me gently tugged at my sleeve. I was startled and looked at her. I saw that, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, she had already taken a thick stack of documents into her hands, flipped to the photo from before, and pointed with one finger to a word after the small print that the old man had said was hard to read.

When I took a look, I was stunned. The other characters were indeed very blurry, after all, this thing had been submerged in water for thousands of years and had long been corroded, but this character was still clearly discernible. It was clearly the character "姬" (Ji). The girl had mentioned that Professor Wang had taught her about it before.

The character “姬” appears again and again. What secret was the Western Zhou emperor up to?

I lowered my head in deep thought, repeatedly pondering the history of the Western Zhou Dynasty, hoping to find even the slightest clue. The old man and Professor Sun had already begun discussing the Yellow River Eye, but I had no interest in listening. Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Huang Zhihua walked in carrying a stack of photos.

"Old Sun, come quick! Another person has died. Does anyone know this person? Could it be that he also came into contact with that stuff?" Huang Zhihua was panting heavily, clearly having run all the way here.

His words made our hearts skip a beat. After all, everyone present had some connection to the Yellow River Dragon Coffin, so we all gathered around.

The photos were freshly developed and taken by professionals from the Public Security Bureau; they're very clear. Huang Zhihua explained that just an hour earlier, the Public Security Bureau received a report of a body found at the entrance of Nangong Gate. They initially dismissed it as a routine case and didn't pay much attention. However, upon closer inspection, the short, stout man who was specifically in charge of the Yellow River Dragon Coffin case had naturally seen other people's deaths and was immediately stunned upon seeing the corpse. That狰狞怪怪笑脸 (狰狞怪怪笑脸 is a phrase that doesn't translate directly but implies a grotesque and sinister smile) was characteristic of someone who had come into contact with the Yellow River Dragon Coffin and died under its curse.

They immediately ordered people to carry the body back, and at the same time took photos, which they then had Huang Zhihua bring over to show us.

The young master took a photograph from Huang Zhihua. After just one glance, he couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "Wang Quansheng? He's dead too?"

My legs suddenly went weak, and I almost couldn't stand up. I only glanced at the photo in the young master's hand, but I recognized the person in the photo as Wang Quansheng. The young master only knew that he had sold antiques to me, but he didn't know that Wang Quansheng had died half a year ago. At that time, I even borrowed his tricycle to dispose of the body, but the body disappeared on the way.

I don't understand how Wang Quansheng's body could inexplicably reappear at the entrance of Nangong Gate after disappearing for six months. Moreover, judging from the photos, his body shows no signs of decomposition, unlike someone who has been dead for six months. Back then, I was certain he was dead; I can distinguish between the dead and the living. So, his body appearing at the entrance of Nangong Gate now can only mean one thing—a zombie resurrection!

-Part Two Complete-

Yellow River Ghost Coffin 3,000-year-old tomb

Chapter One: Nightmare

Ever since I saw the photos of Wang Quansheng after his death, I've been in a daze. I'm afraid of ghosts—and naturally I'm afraid of Wang Quansheng, who has already turned into a zombie—but I'm even more afraid that people will find out the cause of his death. You see, he died in my room, and I borrowed the young master's tricycle to throw his body out. Now, if the police investigate even a little about the time and place this person was last seen, the blame will soon point directly at me.

In a daze, I don't know how I got back to the room the police station had prepared for me. The police station was quite polite to us; the room was slightly better than the young master's guesthouse, at least there were no rat droppings on the blankets.

Back in my room, I felt extremely tired. I don't know what's wrong with me lately, but since returning from the Guangchuan Royal Mausoleum, I think one of my previously tense nerves has relaxed, and I've been feeling particularly sleepy. I often fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed, but to make matters worse, I have nightmares that are all over my head, which makes me feel terrible.

I lay on the bed, recalling the photo I'd seen in the conference room earlier—Wang Quansheng had been dead for over half a year, so why hadn't his body decomposed? Why was it at the entrance of Nangong? What was he trying to do?

The discovery of the professor's body in the Guangchuan Royal Mausoleum was already unbelievable to me, and I've been trying to understand why for days. Now, Wang Quansheng's body has reappeared, it's simply...

This is a huge blow to me. Does it mean that anyone who comes into contact with the dragon coffin will be cursed to die and will turn into a corpse after death?

I lay awake until midnight before finally drifting off to sleep. Thankfully, I didn't dream at all that night. When I woke up in the morning, the clear light shone through the window into the room. I rubbed my still sleepy eyes and instinctively got out of bed. Then—out of the corner of my eye, I instinctively caught sight of something.

The room was a good sixteen square meters. Besides a large bed, there was an eight-immortal table and two chairs, taking up a lot of space. However, in the southeast corner of this small room, a figure was now crouching indistinctly...

Curious, I wondered why he was squatting in my room so early in the morning instead of staying in bed. I went over and gently patted his shoulder: "Sir, why are you patting me like this..."

Before I could finish speaking, I suddenly realized something was wrong. This scene and the way it looked were all too familiar! Wasn't this the same place where Wang Quansheng died?

And this person—the more I look at him, the more familiar he seems.

Just as I was momentarily stunned, the person who had been crouching in the corner suddenly turned around, and upon seeing him, I was instantly terrified.

This person was none other than the already dead Wang Quansheng. His lewd face was etched with a ferocious and terrifying smile. My heart sank lower and lower... and I staggered backward.

Wang Quansheng's neck was twisted at an unbelievable angle, one eye was fixed on me, and then, I watched as he extended a pair of long fingernails...

Damn it! Just as Wang Quansheng's fingers were about to choke my neck, I don't know where the strength came from, but I turned around and ran away. However, something caught on my back, and I couldn't break free no matter how hard I tried. I struggled with all my might...

And so, I couldn't help but recall the time I visited the Yellow River Eye. The young master had run away, and I thought he was doomed. I even tried to slit my own throat, but he didn't die. All of this flashed through my mind like lightning. If I hadn't met Wang Quansheng at the South Palace Gate, if I hadn't gone to the Yellow River Eye, perhaps none of this would have happened.

On the verge of terror, I found myself incredibly strong. I don't know how I managed to break free from my restraints, and I ran towards the door in a few strides, trying to open it and seek help from outside. After all, this was a police station; there should be officers on duty...

However, to my utter surprise, my door was tightly shut. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't open it. Clearly, the door was locked from the outside.

Obviously, the door was locked from the outside, so how did Wang Quansheng get in?

There was no time for me to think. A sudden chill ran down my neck, as if something was gripping it. Out of sheer instinct, I turned around. Behind me, Wang Quansheng's rough hands were tightly gripping my neck, a ferocious and terrifying smile on his face, his eyes gleaming with a murderous light that was not human...

Like a vengeful demon from hell, it grins menacingly at its prey that can no longer escape.

"Ah..." I almost don't know how I let out a desperate scream, suddenly waking up from my dream.

Was it all just a dream? The old folks always say that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night, and there's always been some truth to that. Wang Quansheng's death has become a real worry for me. That damned guy, why did he have to die in my room of all places?

Recalling the scene from my dream again, it felt so real, everything was so vivid in my mind. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and realized that my blanket was also soaked with sweat.

It was already daylight, and the clear light streamed into the room through the window. Feeling a bit uncomfortable in the sweat-soaked bed, I turned over to get up. Almost instinctively, my gaze fell on the southeast corner of the room.

In the dim light of dawn, it was hard to see clearly, but a figure could be seen crouching in the southeast corner...

This time, I screamed it out completely, letting out the fear, helplessness, and confusion in my heart.

The person in the southeast corner slowly turned around, gave me a "ferocious" smile, and said: "Old Xu, why are you shouting so loudly? You're not a little girl, do you think I'm going to rape you?"

Young Master? It's actually that young master guy? I calmed myself down, wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, and asked: Why are you here so early in the morning instead of sleeping?

The young master had already stood up from the corner, walked over to me, gently touched my forehead, and said curiously, "Old Xu, are you confused? Didn't I sleep with you last night? We can't all have our own rooms and take over the police officer's dormitory, can we?"

Then I remembered that it was true. Last night, the young master told Huang Zhihua that he was moving in with me so that he wouldn't be taking up their dormitory space, which was not good!

Anyway, Huang Zhihua's only goal was for us not to leave. After all, we weren't vicious murderers on the run; we were just a group of illegal antique dealers and antique plate dealers. And with our status, we wouldn't cause any big trouble. If it weren't for the Yellow River Dragon Coffin incident, they probably wouldn't have even bothered to look at us. So they naturally agreed to the young master's request.

Why is the young master squatting in the corner so early in the morning instead of sleeping? The young master explained that he woke up early and didn't wake me up since I was still sleeping soundly. Just then, he suddenly heard a sound in the corner. He got up and saw that two little mice were fighting. He was about to catch the mice when I woke up and shouted loudly, which scared the mice away.

I listened with a mixture of belief and doubt, not because I suspected the young master was lying, but because—this was too much of a coincidence. Why did he have to catch mice right when I was having a nightmare?

The young master asked me what nightmare I had that scared me so much. I didn't hide anything and told him directly that I dreamed about Wang Quansheng.

The young master said, "Why is Wang Quansheng in Nangong again? Did he bring back bronze artifacts again?" As he spoke, he deliberately leaned close to me and whispered, "Old Xu, you can't make money all by yourself. This time, you have to take me with you no matter what."

All I could do was shake my head and smile bitterly. Little did the young master know, Wang Quansheng had never returned to his hometown. He had died in Taiyuan, and in a bizarre way, in my room. If the young master knew that I had borrowed his tricycle to cover up the crime, I wonder if he would come after me.

The young master and I chatted for a few more minutes. As dawn broke outside, the unique brightness of the sunlight shone into the room, offering me, a person trapped in terror, some comfort. Then, the maid knocked on the door, inviting us to have breakfast together.

After yesterday, Huang Zhihua was noticeably more polite to us. Moreover, he didn't treat us with the same strict surveillance as prisoners. He just wanted us to make it clear that we couldn't go out unless necessary, and that we had to inform him first if we wanted to go out. Neither the young master nor I objected to Huang Zhihua's request. After all, we had food and lodging here, and it was relatively safe.

Following behind the girl, the three of us went to the police station's canteen. We ordered a bowl of porridge and some pickled radish, and while eating, we talked about what had happened since we parted ways.

It was from the girl that I learned that the treasures we had painstakingly retrieved from the Guangchuan King's tomb had all fallen into the hands of the police, making our efforts futile. That was fine, but I was reluctant to part with the bronze sword. What saddened me most was that the epitaph of the Guangchuan King had also fallen into Professor Sun's hands.

What exactly was recorded inside, we will never know the truth. Although Professor Sun said that there was nothing recorded in the Guangchuan Royal Tomb, the more he said that, the less I believed it.

Before I could even finish my bowl of porridge, Huang Zhihua rushed over to Kulai in a panic. His eyes swept across the crowd, then landed on the three of us, and he strode over to us.

Mr. Huang, have breakfast... I noticed that Huang Zhihua's face was not good, in fact, he was a bit furious. I was puzzled. Could it be that someone else had died?

Huang Zhihua didn't answer, stared at me fiercely for a moment, then looked at the young master and maid, before lowering his voice and saying: "Which of you three left the room last night?"

The three of us shook our heads blankly. Huang Zhihua didn't need to ask us this question; he could find out with a simple investigation. We were being held in the police station's staff dormitory, with people specifically guarding us. Trying to sneak out at night would definitely not be an easy task.

The young master asked, "Mr. Huang, what happened?" The maid also stared at Huang Zhihua with her big, bright eyes.

Huang Zhihua took a breath and said: I know it's impossible that you did this, but it's just too bizarre.

I hurriedly pressed him to tell me what had happened. Huang Zhihua looked around at the police officers who were all listening intently, frowned, and told us to come to his office to talk.

Upon arriving at Huang Zhihua's office, before he could even sit down, Huang went straight to the point: "Wang Quansheng's body has disappeared..."

"What?" I jumped up immediately upon hearing this. Recalling my dream last night, I broke out in a cold sweat. A chill ran down my spine, and I couldn't help but tremble slightly.

The young master's expression changed, and he stammered, "Wh...what happened?"

The girl gasped and instinctively huddled closer to me, terrified. Fortunately, she didn't know Wang Quansheng or how he died, so although it sounded bizarre and filled her with dread, she was much better off than I was.

Huang Zhihua explained that they brought Wang Quansheng's body back yesterday. Since he was also someone who had been in contact with the Yellow River Dragon Coffin, I honestly told him yesterday that we had met Wang Quansheng, bought bronze artifacts from him, and learned about the Yellow River Dragon Coffin from him. Therefore, after bringing back Wang Quansheng's body, Huang Zhihua and his team did not perform an autopsy to investigate the specific cause of death. Instead, they sent it directly to the funeral home, intending to contact his family before proceeding with further action.

But early this morning, the funeral home staff called to say that a body had gone missing; Wang Quansheng's body had vanished.

These days, it seems like anything can get lost, but—losing a corpse is just too absurd. Besides, Wang Quansheng was just an ordinary Yellow River water ghost, someone who made a living by scavenging garbage in the Yellow River all day. If he had any money, it would only be the five thousand yuan he lost, which is still in my hands. Who would steal a corpse like this?

If Wang Quansheng's body wasn't stolen by someone else, then there's only one possibility left—he went out for some fresh air himself.

The corpse walked out on its own? This is even more absurd than the corpse being lost. I slumped into the chair opposite Huang Zhihua, leaning back, and closed my eyes. All I could see was Wang Quansheng's pale face, with a ferocious smile, staring at me menacingly.

If Professor Wang's body and Old Bian's body could go to the Guangchuan King's Mausoleum, then it's perfectly normal for Wang Quansheng's body to go out for some fresh air. Besides, Wang Quansheng's body only appeared more than half a year after he died, so there's definitely something strange about this.

Just as I was lost in thought, the phone on my desk suddenly rang sharply, startling me again. Lately, I've been feeling paranoid, like every little thing is a threat. If this continues, I'll either die or go insane sooner or later.

Huang Zhihua reached out and answered the phone. He didn't know what someone said on the other end, but his expression immediately changed, and he hurriedly said, "I'm coming."

After hanging up the phone, he asked the young master, "You own that guesthouse near the entrance of Nangong?"

The young master was puzzled and nodded in agreement. That's where Huang Zhihua "invited" us. Huang Zhihua had naturally investigated our ancestors for eighteen generations. How could he not understand that the guesthouse at the entrance of Nangong was the young master's property?

"There's been a murder case at your place. A guest died in his room today, and Wang Quansheng's body was also found at the crime scene..." Huang Zhihua's face was very grim.

What? I simply couldn't believe it. After Wang Quansheng died, he actually went to the young master's guesthouse again. What was he doing there? Then I thought about it and realized that if there really was such a thing as a "lingering ghost," then Wang Quansheng must have gone to the guesthouse to find me.

Are you here to take my life, or do you want his five thousand yuan back?

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of my mouth, forcing me to open my mouth wide to breathe.

Huang Zhihua glanced at the three of us, seemingly having made up his mind, and asked, "How about this, let's go and take a look together. All three of you are somewhat involved in this matter."

The murder occurred at the young master's guesthouse, but only I knew about Wang Quansheng's death. I really wanted to see what Wang Quansheng, who had been dead for more than half a year, looked like. Although I was very scared, I still nodded in agreement. I got into Huang Zhihua's SUV, and the siren blared arrogantly as we sped towards the entrance of Nangong.

I got out of the car in front of the young master's guesthouse. Usually, the entrance to the guesthouse would be the quietest place at this time of day, but now it was bustling with activity. Many curious people, having heard about the murder case, couldn't help but peek over, eager to find out what was going on and have some gossip to share. However, the entrance to the guesthouse was completely surrounded by police officers, and no one could easily enter.

As soon as Huang Zhihua got out of the car, to be honest, since he was a military officer, these police officers were quite eager to flatter him. So, a young police officer quickly ran over, gave a standard military salute, and reported that the scene was still quiet and they were waiting for him.

Huang Zhihua gave a noncommittal reply, and the three of us got out of the car one after another, following behind him. The young master lowered his voice and whispered in my ear, "Thank goodness, I just happened to get a free meal at the police station this time, which cleared me of suspicion. Otherwise, wouldn't this have been a huge problem?"

The girl rolled her eyes at the young master. I knew he was right, but he had hit a nerve, so I couldn't help but give him a big eye roll too.

Led by a junior police officer, Huang Zhihua quickly walked into the inner room.

"Is this it?" Huang Zhihua asked as he saw the young police officer stop in front of a room.

I looked up at the room and couldn't help but tremble. Every time I came to Taiyuan, I would always stay at the young master's guesthouse. Moreover, after a while, I became familiar with the young master, and he knew that I liked this room facing south. Whenever this room was empty, he would definitely arrange it for me.

And this room is the same room where Wang Quansheng died.

Huang Zhihua had already stepped inside, and the young master and maid hurriedly followed, leaving me still hesitating at the door. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead again, my palms were icy cold and uncomfortable, and my back felt like it was on fire. Instinctively, I didn't want to see Wang Quansheng, nor did I want to see another dead person. I wanted to run away, but the world was so vast, where could I run to escape that curse from ancient times?

With a heavy heart, I went into the room. The crime scene was exactly as it had been. Almost immediately, I saw a figure... no, a ghostly figure, crouching there in the corner next to the TV cabinet, exactly the same as it had been six months ago...