Рай — это берег праха смертных

Глава 59

"Huang Dongsheng, 19 years old, a sent-down youth from Woniushi Mountain, a collective educated youth of Changchun No. 68 Middle School, died in the autumn of 1973, the cause of death was the same." Captain Qi muttered to himself as he read the record in the confidential manual, while ordering his men to start digging immediately.

The solitary grave sits in a willow grove. It is said that in the first few years after the child's death, relatives came to pay their respects during the Qingming Festival, but after that, no one came anymore.

"Captain!" a police officer shouted, his voice trembling.

Captain Qi and the Hakka nanny rushed over, knowing that something must have happened this time.

Under the moonlight, in the open coffin, lay a handsome young man with his eyes closed, his chest bulging, peaceful as if asleep. His skin was pale and thin as paper, and his neck was short, just like a normal person's. There was no strange smell from the corpse in the coffin.

"It's been nine years since 1973, and the body hasn't decomposed at all. That's abnormal," Captain Qi said, crouching down and examining the body closely by the moonlight, while simultaneously reaching out to pry open the corpse's eyelids...

A gentle breeze swept across the corpse, and its neck twitched slightly before it slowly opened its eyes...

"Be careful!" the Hakka woman hurriedly warned.

Captain Qi was startled and quickly withdrew his finger.

The child's eyes were slightly triangular, but his pupils were very bright, though somewhat dull. His eyes slowly moved, glancing at the people around the grave. Suddenly, he cried out, "Wah..." a sound like an infant's, eerily loud in the night. He seemed frightened, twisting his body and hiding in the corner of the coffin...

Everyone was speechless with astonishment. After a long while, a policeman murmured, "My God, this person is alive..."

“No! There’s no oxygen in the coffin. Even a living person would suffocate. Besides, Huang Dongsheng was 19 when he died, but now he’s crying like a baby. He must be dead. Don’t let him fool us…” Captain Qi said bravely, but his voice lacked conviction.

The Hakka woman squatted down, excitedly examining the adult "Worm-Headed Barbarian" named Huang Dongsheng. She reached out and touched his legs and arms, finding the muscles quite firm.

"Is this the 'Humanoid Wriggling Barbarian'?" Captain Qi asked nervously.

"Of course, this is the adult insect. It has just matured, but its intelligence is only equivalent to that of an infant..." the Hakka nanny explained.

"Is there any danger?" Captain Qi asked, still worried.

"There doesn't seem to be much danger yet, just be careful not to let it bite you," the Hakka woman replied.

"Alright, comrades, we've finally caught our first 'Nong'an Insect Man'! Go get the sack!" Captain Qi ordered happily.

A policeman hurriedly brought over an extra-large sack and a carrying pole rope, all prepared in advance to hold the 'human-shaped wriggling barbarian'.

"Come on, stuff his mouth with a towel first, then we won't have to worry about him biting anyone," Captain Qi instructed enthusiastically.

The crowd first gagged the "human-shaped wriggling barbarian," then dragged it out of the coffin, stuffed it into a sack, tied the sack shut, tied a rope around it, and carried it back to the prison cart with iron bars that had followed them.

All the police officers were incredibly excited. It was their first time carrying out such an unbelievable mission, and it was extremely thrilling.

“Let’s continue, next one…” Captain Qi pulled out the confidential manual again.

Chapter 86 of the main text

"Xiong Dahai, 28 years old, died in the summer of 1970. He was from Dongpaimu Village, Kaoshan Township. He was a well-known Tongbei boxing master in the area," Captain Qi said, looking at the notebook in his hand. "He has been dead for 12 years. I don't know if he's still in his grave..."

Xiong Dahai's tomb is about four or five miles from the bank of the Yitong River, in a sunny little mountain hollow. It has a backing and protective sand on both sides. In the distance, the Yitong River looks like a jade belt flowing around it under the moonlight.

“The feng shui here is good; the ‘Rubbish Barbarians’ should develop faster,” the Hakka grandmother said with a sigh, standing on the hilltop and gazing at the surrounding scenery.

"Then let's get to work." Captain Qi ordered his men to start digging immediately.

Two policemen, carrying hoes and shovels, walked to the grave, then suddenly stopped and listened intently. They sensed something moving beneath the mound...

"Crack..." The sound from underground grew louder and louder, and finally the soil on the surface of the grave mound slowly loosened and cracked.

Under the pale moonlight, a large, strong hand gently reached out from a crack in the soil...

"My God, it's a zombie!" The two policemen, pale-faced, looked at each other and backed away, while quickly gesturing to Captain Qi and the Hakka nanny.

Captain Qi knew something was wrong and rushed over with the old woman. At that moment, two long arms emerged from the grave...

Captain Qi quickly waved his hand, and the police officers all took out their weapons and surrounded the grave. There were pistols, Type 51 pistols and two Japanese Mauser C96 pistols. At that time, the county bureau was equipped with some miscellaneous guns.

With a loud crash, clods of earth collapsed, and a burly man over 1.8 meters tall emerged from the tomb...

Under the pale moonlight, the man was dressed in rags, with a head shaped like a bucket, a full beard, bright eyes, and bulging muscles. He was staring in surprise at the armed police officers around him.

"Don't shoot, capture him alive!" Captain Qi shouted urgently.

The police officers had never seen anything like this before. They were all trembling with fear, and no one dared to step forward.

"We're from the county public security bureau, don't move!" A young policeman, holding a shovel, tentatively waved it a couple of times in a threatening manner.

"Haha, you want to arrest me? No way!" The burly man suddenly roared, leaping forward, his arm growing longer, snatching the shovel from his hand, and swiftly swinging it towards the policeman's neck...

Everyone was stunned and at a loss for what to do.

"It's over, it's all over..." Dudu closed her eyes in fright.

No sooner said than done, the Hakka woman had already leaped into the air, her finger flashing as she aimed for the burly man's Ren meridian acupoint under his jaw, expecting to easily subdue him with a single move. Unexpectedly, as her finger struck his skin, the man's neck suddenly twisted 360 degrees, his head facing backward, effortlessly shaking off the Hakka woman's finger…

The police officer turned ashen-faced and collapsed to the ground.

The old woman was shocked to see this; it was simply impossible... In her haste, she slapped the back of the burly man's head, but unfortunately, the head turned around and came back, opening its mouth wide and biting down with a "crack".

The Hakka woman shook her head and sighed. In the nick of time, she suddenly sprang up and leaped out of the circle. It's true that in the world of martial arts, one can never be careless under any circumstances.

The old woman beckoned Shen Caihua to come forward and said softly, "Caihua, this is a rare opportunity for real combat. Use the 'Ghost Wall' technique that your master taught you to spar with him."

Shen Caihua nodded, put the suction tube at his feet, and the big parrot Dudu flew into the air to watch the battle.

He stepped forward, stood calmly before the burly man, raised his arms, and bowed slightly...

The burly man looked down at the tiny boy in surprise, then returned the greeting with clasped hands, for the rules of the martial world could not be disregarded.

"I am Shen Caihua, who are you?" Shen Caihua asked, raising her small face.

“I am Xiong Dahai from Kaoshantun,” the burly man replied.

"Are you 'Worm-Headed Barbarian'?" Shen Caihua then asked.

Xiong Dahai's expression changed drastically, and he asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

“Hehena, shajie tingtingpo…” Shen Caihua didn’t answer, but just kept reciting the first move of “Pig Fat Divine Skill”, “Ghost Wall”.

The burly Xiong Dahai crossed his arms and looked at Shen Caihua with a puzzled expression, thinking to himself, "This kid is probably possessed."

"Ghost Wall" refers to the technique of creating an invisible magnetic field wall around oneself when defending against an enemy's attack. This wall blocks and disintegrates the nerve signals within the advancing opponent's limbs, causing them to become numb and weak the moment they enter the magnetic field. However, it is completely ineffective if the opponent has not yet launched an attack.

At this moment, Xiong Dahai was pondering the child in front of him. He was likely mentally challenged, so he had no intention of forcibly entering the energy barrier. Therefore, his mysterious and unpredictable "ghost wall" technique was useless.

The Hakka nanny watched this unfold and couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. This child had never actually faced an enemy head-on in real combat, so he didn't know what "making a timely move" meant.

A giggling sound came from mid-air; it was Dudu, who had also noticed the signs.

"Kid, are you chanting scriptures? I don't have time to play with you. Goodbye." With that, he turned and left.

"Cockroaches..." Seeing the strong man about to leave, Shen Caihua panicked and started reciting the third move, "Walking Corpse," extending his left and right ring fingers and pointing at Xiong Dahai.

Xiong Dahai suddenly stopped and slowly turned around, staring blankly at Shen Caihua with a look of confusion on his face.

"Walking Dead" is the third form of the Zhuyou Divine Skill. The incantation and limb dance power emitted can temporarily block the logical thinking of the other party's brain, make them lose their ability to distinguish, and make them act according to the caster's wishes. Compared with "Ghost Wall", which only targets the nerve conduction of the hands and feet, it is much more advanced.

The Hakka nanny was immediately full of praise. This child could flexibly apply the two techniques of Zhuyou Divine Skill he had learned according to the actual situation on the battlefield. He was extremely adaptable. So far, she had only taught the child these two techniques.

Xiong Dahai was an adult worm that had just broken out of its coffin. It was not a human, but when Guo Pu created the "Zhu You Divine Skill," it was aimed at humans, animals, and evil spirits. Therefore, he was also subject to the restrictions of the divine skill and stood respectfully in front of Shen Caihua, bowing his head to show his obedience.

Captain Qi and the other police officers stared in astonishment at the scene. A child reciting some scriptures could so easily subdue this "humanoid worm-headed barbarian." They found it all unbelievable and incomprehensible.

The Hakka woman was very proud of her apprentice. She glanced at Captain Qi and thought to herself, "How about that? This little child that old woman is taking care of is stronger than that whole group of police officers..."

"Captain Qi, you should prepare sacks to pack the 'Wriggling Barbarians'," she said.

Captain Qi nodded in admiration, and the police quickly brought over sacks and ropes, preparing to capture the worm alive.

Xiong Dahai turned around and went back to the grave. He stretched lazily, then lay down on the mound and dug into the soil with both hands, headfirst, back into the tomb...

Following Shen Caihua's suggestion, Xiong Dahai crawled back into the tomb. Only when his feet were still sticking out of the grave did Captain Qi suddenly realize what was happening. He rushed forward, grabbing the "Worm-Headed Barbarian's" thick, sturdy ankles with both hands, shouting for help. The police officers swarmed in, some digging and others pulling, dragging Xiong Dahai out of the tomb bit by bit. Taking advantage of his dazed state, they pinned him to the ground, quickly covered him with a burlap sack, and tied it tightly, successfully capturing the strong, ferocious adult "Humanoid Wriggler."

"Great, this is the most valuable one." Captain Qi wiped the sweat from his face and said excitedly.

Sigh, children's thoughts are always a bit childish. The Hakka nanny looked at Chen Caihua with a wry smile and pondered.

As the team was leaving at dawn, Captain Qi captured two more immature "shrews," whose intelligence was equivalent to that of kindergarten children. They were stuffed into sacks and carried to the prison van, crying and sobbing.

The other teams also captured one or two animals each, ranging in intelligence from infants to adults, including an elderly man in his seventies. After gathering them all together, they were taken to the secret stronghold at "Yan Erbizi" bay on the Yitong River, where they were heavily guarded.

"Sister-in-law Li, don't the 'Wormhead Barbarians' only prey on young and strong men? How come there are old guys here too?" Captain Qi asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps it was inconvenient for others to make a move that night," the Hakka woman speculated, though she herself was unsure.

After imprisoning the "Ruotou Man," Captain Qi deployed heavily armed guards and then drove back to the county town with the Hakka woman to report the victory.

In the county party committee meeting room, Secretary Xing and County Head Shangguan were waiting.

"Did you really capture the 'humanoid wriggling barbarian'?" Magistrate Shangguan said happily.

"Yes, under the correct deployment and personal leadership of the county party committee, the county government, Secretary Xing, and County Head Shangguan, our county's public security organs have carried forward the fearless revolutionary spirit of 'not being afraid of hardship or death,' and have captured ten 'human-shaped slugs' in one fell swoop. What the Japanese couldn't do back then, what the Kuomintang couldn't do, we, the people's police, have now accomplished. The long-standing unsolved case has finally been solved..." Director Wen reported excitedly.

Secretary Xing stood up and said seriously, “Good, comrades, you’ve worked hard… Director Wen, I hope you will continue your efforts and wipe out all the ‘human worms’ in one fell swoop! All the police officers who participated in the ‘Spring Crackdown’ will be commended and rewarded. But remember, absolutely do not leak a single word to the outside world, do not take photos or videos, and follow the further instructions of the county party committee.”

"Yes," Director Wen replied, straightening his posture.

After Director Wen and the others left, County Magistrate Shangguan said, "Old Xing, do you think we should go to the provincial capital immediately to report on the 'Nong'an Insect Man' situation in person?"

"No rush. After all the graves are excavated and the 'Worm-Headed Barbarians' are registered by tomorrow or the day after, we can take the lead and examine these once-in-a-millennium monsters. Think about it, if we report to the provincial authorities now, they will definitely take over immediately, and even we will be excluded. Our achievements will be greatly diminished." Secretary Xing patted County Magistrate Shangguan on the shoulder and answered steadily.

County Magistrate Shangguan nodded and said with admiration, "Not bad, you, Old Xing, have considered everything thoroughly."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Chapter 87 of the main text

"Shangguan, as the local officials of Nong'an County, we should also go and see those 'Nong'an insect people' under our jurisdiction," Secretary Xing said with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll call the Standing Committee members, and we won’t bring any secretaries. Please have Director Wen send a car. The government will try to minimize the number of people who know about this,” County Magistrate Shangguan enthusiastically agreed.

Soon after, Director Wen sent a van and personally accompanied several leaders from the county party committee and county government to secretly inspect the newly captured "human-shaped barbarians." After leaving the city, the car headed north, passing Kaoshantun and then bumping along the dirt road beside the Yitong River for about two hours before finally arriving at "Yan Erbizi" bay. In the distance, they saw a few lonely empty houses left over from the Japanese occupation period, where the "barbarians" were being held.

When the police officers on guard saw the bureau chief arrive with county leaders, they hurriedly unlocked the door.

The "Ruotou barbarians" were all handcuffed and locked up in a large room. They leaned against the cement wall, their tense and terrified eyes staring at the door. Several young "Ruotou barbarians" still had tear stains on their faces and occasionally sobbed softly, emitting a high-pitched cry like a baby.

"They all seem to be human..." County Magistrate Shangguan couldn't help but ask.

"County Magistrate Shangguan, they just look like humans..." Director Wen quickly explained.

The Standing Committee members started discussing it amongst themselves, offering various opinions but reaching no consensus.

“Since they are ‘Nong’an insect people,’ there must be something different about them, right?” the propaganda minister said, frowning.