Le Banquet des Cent Fantômes

Chapitre 58

“Alright, regarding the ‘Nong’an Insect People,’ the fewer people who know about it, the better. I suggest that Director Wen take the lead, assemble key police officers from the public security department, and organize a secret, professional insect-catching team. They must be politically reliable, preferably Communist Party members, and immediately launch a top-secret operation to capture the ‘Worm-Headed Barbarians,’” County Magistrate Shangguan glanced at Secretary Xing, and after receiving his nod of approval, continued, “This operation needs a code name. What do you suggest?”

The organization minister was the first to suggest, "How about calling it 'Operation Number One'?"

“This is a bit too abstract. In my opinion, since it was first discovered in Yaowopu Village, Kaoshan Township, how about calling it the ‘Yaowopu Project’?” the propaganda minister said enthusiastically.

County Magistrate Shangguan looked up at Director Wen and said kindly, "Old Wen, what do you think would be a more appropriate name for him?"

"Let the leaders decide," Director Wen said modestly.

"Hey, let's hear the opinions of those working at the grassroots level," County Chief Shangguan insisted.

"Alright, I originally came up with an immature name, 'Spring Crackdown Campaign,' I hope the leaders will forgive me," Director Wen said shyly.

"Good, this name is good. It not only conforms to the national policy of comprehensive social security management, but it can also mislead outsiders. Moreover, it is very fitting. For pests like 'Wormhead Barbarians' that endanger the lives of the people, we must severely crack down on them. At the same time, capturing them is beneficial to the country's scientific research. Even if the people see the 'humanoid Wormhead Barbarians' who have been arrested, they will mistake them for ordinary criminals and will not pay too much attention. Secretary Xing, what do you think?" County Magistrate Shangguan turned to ask Secretary Xing for instructions.

Secretary Xing nodded and said, "Let's call it 'Spring Crackdown Operation,' but all the captured 'Wormhead Barbarians' must be detained in a secret location, isolated from the outside world."

"There's a bay on the banks of the Yitong River in Kaoshan Township called 'Yan Erbizi.' It's surrounded by a large area of swamp. There are several empty cement houses left over from the Japanese occupation period in the bay. With a little cleaning, we can imprison those 'rough barbarians,'" Director Wen explained.

"Very good, let's decide on that location for detention. Director Wen, make sure to keep it confidential," Secretary Xing approved.

"Yes, please rest assured, leader, I guarantee the mission will be completed," Director Wen said loudly, standing up.

In the guesthouse, the Hakka old woman said to Shen Caihua, "Caihua, your master needs to cooperate with the government to capture a few 'wriggling barbarians.' Once this is over, we will leave immediately."

"Why don't we leave right away?" Shen Caihua asked, puzzled.

After pondering for a while, the Hakka old woman said, "Li Dihuo invited Master to meet at Fengling Temple in Hedong, and then went into the 'Earth's Navel. This fierce battle is inevitable. Now let's catch a few fully formed 'Worm-Headed Barbarians' to study and find their common weaknesses. This way we will be more confident in dealing with Li Dihuo. 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'"

"Why must we go inside the 'earth's navel'?" Shen Caihua asked with concern, recalling Lao Cuihua's warning.

The Hakka woman pondered for a long time before saying softly, "My husband has kept this a secret for decades. If I don't understand it, it will always be a burden on my heart, and I will die with regrets."

"Is it a ghost pot?" Shen Caihua thought for a moment and asked.

"Yes, what exactly is this 'ghost pot'?" the Hakka old woman muttered to herself thoughtfully.

"Maybe it's a chamber pot," Shen Caihua guessed from the side.

“I…I guess it’s also a urinal…” Dudu whispered in agreement from the side.

"Knock knock knock..." Someone is knocking on the door.

"Please come in," the Hakka woman called out loudly.

Officer Qi pushed open the door and came in, saying hurriedly, "Sister-in-law Li, the 'Spring Crackdown Operation' will begin at 10 p.m. tonight. I'll come pick you up then."

The Hakka woman nodded and smiled, "This old lady is waiting."

Captain Qi hurriedly explained the situation: "Sister-in-law Li, we've selected the first batch of targets to excavate from the sealed old case files. These are all old graves from the Japanese occupation period, concentrated in a mass grave on the banks of the Yitong River. It's said that the custom at the time was that those who died violently were not allowed to be buried in the ancestral graveyard. We've found out that the first victim was a blacksmith named Sun the Cripple. The case file records that his death was horrific, with his chest collapsed, bones sunken, and eyeballs bulging out—a violent death, hence he was buried in the mass grave. Over the next ten years, more than twenty men who died similarly were buried there one after another. Decades have passed, and those old graves have long been neglected. We've considered that starting with these old graves would be much easier, as there are no objections from the deceased's families."

“Hmm, these are old graves from fifty years ago. The ‘wriggling barbarians’ are probably fully grown by now. I hope they’re still there,” the Hakka woman said thoughtfully. “Captain Qi, there are many graves in the mass grave. How can we identify them if there are no tombstones?”

"We have asked a local man in his seventies to come forward and identify the graves. He is an old veterinarian who was present when those people were buried in the mass grave. He is a party to the incident. Fortunately, he is still mentally sound and says he knows the exact location of those graves," Captain Qi explained.

The Hakka woman nodded, saying that the mainland police were much more meticulous than the Taiwanese police.

That night, the bright moon hung high in the sky, its light as clear as water, and the earth was bathed in its pure light.

The Hakka grandmother took Shen Caihua and his pets with her to hunt down the "Worm-headed Barbarians." This was a practical learning opportunity, and these experiences would be invaluable for the children when they ventured out into the world.

At 10 p.m., the fully armed action team filled two vans and left Nong'an County, speeding towards Yitonghe in Kaoshan Township.

The moonlight was pale and eerie, the graveyard was overgrown with weeds, a cold wind gently brushed against my face, making my hair stand on end... Several crows perched on the tall poplar trees, silently watching below.

The old veterinarian was a thin, gaunt old man who was blind in one eye. It was said that when he was young, he touched the wrong spot while delivering a foal, and the mare kicked him in anger, blinding him.

"This is where Sun the Cripple's grave is," the old veterinarian said, panting, pointing to a small mound.

Captain Qi looked at the slightly raised mound and asked for confirmation, "Sir, are you sure this is the place?"

"Of course! On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of the year 'September 18th,' it was snowing heavily and freezing cold. Sun the Cripple died such a tragic death. His chest was sunken, and his eyeballs were drooping out. I had to stuff them back into their sockets myself," the old veterinarian replied indignantly.

Captain Qi waved his hand and ordered his men, "Start digging."

Under the moonlight, the policemen raised their hoes and began to dig. "Caw..." The crows on the treetops cawed a few times.

The Hakka grandmother carefully observed the newly dug soil, her brows gradually furrowing.

Captain Qi noticed the old woman's expression and asked, "Sister-in-law Li, is there a problem?"

The Hakka woman slowly said, "I was thinking that the 'Worm Head Barbarian' is a very spiritual creature that can attract 'Yin Corpse Mole Crickets' to protect it. But looking at the soil, I didn't find any mole cricket eggs or droppings. It's probably because it's been too long and the adult insects have already molted into human form and broken out of the coffin."

Captain Qi remained silent. If what Sister-in-law Li said was true, and the humanoid 'wriggling barbarian' broke out of the coffin...

"Is the humanoid 'Wriggling Barbarian' just like Section Chief Hu's younger brother, all fair and chubby?" Captain Qi asked.

“Once fully transformed and matured, not only will the appearance be exactly the same as the original host, but the accent, memories, and lifestyle will also be identical,” the Hakka grandmother replied.

"Is there any way to identify it immediately?" Captain Qi asked worriedly.

The Hakka woman shook her head and said, "I can't tell them apart at all, including parents, wife, children, and friends."

"Captain, there's a coffin..." A policeman put down his hoe and called to Captain Qi to hurry over.

Under the moonlight, there was a layer of white lime paste in the soil of the tomb. It was formed by lime powder absorbing the moisture in the soil and condensing. Underneath it was an old elm coffin. Because the burial site was high and the soil was relatively dry, and with the anti-corrosion effect of the lime, the coffin board was still basically intact, although it had decayed a bit over the years. However, there was a hole the size of a basin in the coffin lid, which was filled with a lot of soil.

"Pry it open," Captain Qi ordered.

With a forceful pry of the hoe, the already rotten cover immediately shattered into several pieces. Under the beam of a flashlight, the police used the hoe to dig through the accumulated soil, but found no remains.

“Sir, this is an empty coffin,” Captain Qi said calmly to the old veterinarian.

“Impossible! I was there the whole time on the day of the burial,” the old veterinarian exclaimed in confusion, but then thought for a moment and asked doubtfully, “Hmm, could it have been a grave robber… but he was penniless, and apart from an old set of clothes, he had nothing else.”

The Hakka woman jumped into the grave, reached out and touched the large hole in the broken coffin lid, murmuring, "He's gone..."

Chapter 85 of the main text

Captain Qi shone his flashlight on the yellow-covered confidential manual in his hand, which contained information about one hundred headless tombs to be excavated during the "Spring Crackdown" campaign, including the names, ages, villages, and relatives of the deceased.

“Next, Jin Jue, a Manchu, from Xiao Lama Yingzi, died in Showa 6, which is 1932,” Captain Qi read in a low voice.

“I know this person too. He’s a schoolteacher. Come with me, he’s at the top of the hill.” The old veterinarian beckoned the police officers to walk up the hill.

It was already past midnight. A cool breeze was blowing, and occasionally a dog barked from the distant village. It was pitch black all around, and everyone was fast asleep.

Led by the old veterinarian, Jin Jue's grave was found without much effort. The small mound rose slightly from the ground, and if the old veterinarian hadn't pointed it out, no one would have thought there would be a grave underground.

The tomb was quickly dug open, revealing a thin coffin with a round hole in the surface filled with soil.

"Sigh...it broke out of the coffin too." The Hakka nanny sighed helplessly.

The coffin was turned upside down, and as expected, there were no remains, but they did find a burial item: a flat oil paper package sealed with wax.

"It's money, isn't it?" one of the police officers guessed.

"No way, the goldsmith is dirt poor, where would he get the money?" The old veterinarian shook his head and answered contemptuously.

Captain Qi carefully removed the wax seal and gently unfolded the oil paper package. Inside was a yellow and white silk fabric, with yellow silk on both sides and a raised dragon and phoenix pattern on white silk in the center. When unfolded, it was about one meter long and thirty centimeters wide. Although the color was faded and slightly water-stained, the ink was still clearly legible. It was written in Manchu, Han, and Mongolian scripts. The Han script was in traditional characters, which Captain Qi couldn't recognize, so he simply handed it to the Hakka woman, knowing that Taiwanese people used traditional characters.

The Hakka nanny softly recited: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: On the first day of the first month of the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu's reign, the General Aisin Gioro, who was stationed in Hedong, is hereby secretly appointed..."

The two wars of Jiawu and Gengzi have left the land devastated, and many vagrants have turned to banditry. East of the Yellow River in Shanxi, scattered soldiers have not been able to return home. With railway construction underway, vagrants have flocked to the area, and tomb raiding has become increasingly rampant, damaging the dignity of our Great Qing Dynasty. Although troops have been increased to suppress them, the banditry has not subsided. Considering the current situation, only by eliminating banditry can the people be at peace; there is no other way to eradicate it at its source. Therefore, I hereby order you to swiftly and secretly investigate the truth of the rumors about the "earth navel" and report back to the Emperor for approval as soon as possible.

So be it.

Below is a square seal with the inscription "Imperial Decree for Making the Treasure" in seal script, made of cinnabar.

"This is a secret edict issued by Emperor Guangxu to General Zeng Guang, who was stationed in Hedong. It's an imperial decree," the Hakka woman explained.

"How could this schoolteacher surnamed Jin have such a thing?" Captain Qi asked in surprise.

The old veterinarian thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Jin Shujiang's ancestors were officials in the Qing Dynasty. I wonder why his family fell into decline later? Also, Aisin Gioro is a royal family of the Qing Dynasty. In the early years of the Republic of China, many members of the royal family in our area changed their surname to Jin."

"Never mind that for now, everyone hurry up and get to the point," Captain Qi instructed the police officers, putting away the secret edict.

Before dawn, more than twenty old graves from the Japanese occupation period on the mass grave site had been dug up, but still no remains were found.

They've all left...

The phrase "earth's navel" even appeared on Emperor Guangxu's secret edict, which made the Hakka woman even more suspicious of her husband, Li Dishui. What unspeakable secret was hidden in this "earth's navel"? She couldn't figure it out.

As dawn broke, the sounds of cattle and horses neighing could be heard from the nearby village. The villagers had gotten up early, harnessed their carts, and were preparing to go to the fields to plant corn.

"That's enough for today. Everyone, make the most of your time to get some sleep and rest. We'll continue tonight," Captain Qi ordered.

The group got into the van and drove back to the county town.

At the start of the workday, the members of the county party committee gathered in the conference room to hear a report from the "Spring Crackdown" task force. Director Wen, along with Captain Qi and a Hakka nanny, arrived at the conference room ahead of time.

The meeting began, and County Magistrate Shangguan spoke first: "Director Wen, I heard that the operation last night did not find any trace of the 'humanoid worm-headed barbarian'?"

"Yes," Director Wen cleared his throat and reported, "The task force excavated about twenty old graves from the Japanese occupation period and found that they were all empty coffins with no bones found. This shows that these fully formed 'wriggling barbarians' had already broken out of their coffins long ago."

County Magistrate Shangguan pondered for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "Where could they have gone? Didn't their relatives in the area or the people in the village notice?"

“If these people return to their original social circles, it will definitely cause a sensation. I think they must have left Nong’an overnight,” Director Wen replied.

"So, how many years does it take in total from development to becoming a 'humanoid wriggling barbarian'?" the Organization Minister asked.

The Hakka woman continued, "Generally speaking, it takes ten to several decades for a 'wriggling barbarian' to mature. Of course, some mutations may be faster. If the earth's energy is abundant, it may only take a few years." She thought of Li Di Huo, who developed inside the 'earth's navel,' so perhaps it would take even less time.

“This is troublesome. If these ‘humanoid worm-headed barbarians’ conceal their history, do not contact their families, and fly away on their own, they will be very difficult to find,” said Magistrate Shangguan with difficulty.

"The September 18 Incident occurred in 1931. During the War of Resistance against Japan and the Civil War, there was a lot of movement of people. Maybe they fled to the interior of China? Of course, it is also possible that they joined the revolution and stayed in big cities or even the capital after liberation, some even holding high-ranking leadership positions..." The Organization Minister said casually.

"What are you saying?" Secretary Xing's stern gaze stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Secretary Xing, I misspoke..." The Organization Minister realized that he had gone too far and quickly apologized.

"What are your plans for next?" County Magistrate Shangguan glanced at Director Wen and asked seriously.

"Tonight, we plan to continue excavating several old graves from the Kuomintang era and graves from after liberation. I believe we should soon find the 'wriggling barbarians' that are not yet fully developed," Director Wen replied confidently.

"Alright, comrades, we, the Standing Committee members, eagerly await your good news and wish you success!" County Chief Shangguan turned to look at Secretary Xing and said loudly.

After the meeting, the Hakka woman left the county government and returned to the guesthouse, where Shen Caihua was still waiting in the room.

“There will definitely be adult ‘worm-headed’ insects appearing tonight,” the Hakka nanny said confidently.

"Does that thing also spit out big bubbles?" Shen Caihua recalled the terrifying giant corpse bubbles that Li Dihuo had spat out from his long neck and said with lingering fear.

The Hakka woman smiled and said, "It shouldn't be. Old Master Li is their queen, while these are just newbies..."

That night, the "Spring Crackdown" mobilized all police officers and divided them into several groups to start digging up graves along the Yitong River. Captain Qi led a group of six or seven police officers to dig up newer graves from recent years.