Chapter 48

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is the product of my limited knowledge of Chinese characters as I attempt to learn the language. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 48

The sky was getting darker and there were no lights in the mountains. On the second night of the new year, the moon was a thin line, as if the sky had been cut through a slit, leaking thin moonlight. The date palm trees were standing with forked arms and legs, like monsters in the darkness of the night.

The mountain forest was silent. Occasionally you can hear the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves, and a mountain owl hiding somewhere, calling out in long and short bursts.

Not far outside the mausoleum area, three people in black clothes were squatting in the flush high barren grass eating bread.

“You guys are sure… there won’t be wolves here, right?” Yin Zhou poked Lin Yan nervously. “Pass me a bottle of water. I’m dying of thirst.”

“Save the last bottle. We didn’t bring enough food when we came out.” Lin Yan handed over half of the remaining mineral water bottle. He stared at the orange light of the plywood house from a distance. The construction workers and the guardians of the mausoleum who had ended their busy day were gathering inside to drink and play cards.

“Had I known I would have to starve all night, I would have sweet-talked into getting some of those knife-cut noodles that the eldest brother invited us to in the afternoon…” Yin Zhou complained.

The lights went out again as they spoke.

“This was a mistake. We should have bought some knockout drugs and put them into their meals instead of just blindly waiting.” Yin Zhou continued to mutter and slapped his arm. “The fucking revolution wasn’t even this bad. I’m going to be bitten to death by mosquitoes.”

They were surrounded by wormwood grass and tall wild sorghum, and a cold wind was blowing.

“Have you never heard of it? Whether it’s hard or not, think of the Long March of 25,000 Miles*.” Lin Yan broke off a piece of bread and stuffed it into Yin Zhou’s mouth.

*(T/N: 长征两万五 - The Long March of 25,000 Miles was a military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People’s Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the National Army of the Chinese Nationalist Party. The march lasted just over one year and began the ascent to power of Mao Zedong, whose leadership during the retreat gained him the support of the members of the party.)

“Ah, I hear you. I’m a terrible person.” Yin Zhou muttered that his legs were numb, and he couldn’t stabilize his balance while he stood up. He landed on his ass in the grass, making a loud thud sound.

The little Daoist turned back and made a gesture of silence. He pointed to the bungalow in the distance. There was only one lamp left. The night tinted his pale face with a layer of deep blue, and his calm eyes resembled a bobcat on the hunt.

“Okay, that was the practice run.” Yin Zhou was lying side by side with him, a little surprised.

Lin Yan rolled over and sat up, stuffed the remaining half of the bread into his backpack, and narrowed his eyes: “Everyone fell asleep. Pack up, let’s go in half an hour.”

“Turn off the flashlight. Use mine first, and keep yours for spare.” Lin Yan glanced at his watch, the luminous dial glowing green in the dark.

“S-Someone’s coming.” The little Daoist whispered.

The yellow light of a flashlight swayed over. He saw that he was the middle-aged man who had received three people during the day. He was wearing a coat. He coughed and closed the big iron gate of the mausoleum area. He wrapped the chain around the gate three times. It locked with a bang, and then paced back.

The moon moved up a little.

The three of them catwalked to the front door. They couldn’t help being a little excited and nervous. They stepped on each other’s feet and bumped into the backs of the person in front of them, trying to hold back laughter.

“Your guys’ skills are definitely better than those of the Red Army’s underground party back then, but unfortunately, heroes are useless when they aren’t born at the right time…” Before Yin Zhou could finish speaking, Lin Yan smacked his forehead, so he had to shut up.

The gate was very high. The openwork railing had a place to land, so not difficult to climb.

Lin Yan and Yin Zhou grew up playing together, and they had a very tacit understanding of climbing over walls and houses. A few attempts of an assisted run and they leapt up. The iron door rattled with the weight of two people falling. The two men looked at each other first and then slowly climbed down. After waiting for a while after landing, there was no movement at the construction site before the little Daoist priest came over.

A-Yan was thin and weak. He was okay to climb up, but when he was going down, he held the railing tightly, and his already white face looked even more bloodless.

“It’s alright. You won’t fall, I’ll catch you.” Lin Yan stretched out his arms. A-Yan cautiously moved down a few more steps. He jumped down, and fell into Lin Yan’s arms just in time, almost taking him down with him.

The little Daoist priest wrapped his arms around Lin Yan’s neck, and his face turned red.

The faint smell of traditional Chinese medicine rushed to his face, and something hard hit his chest. Lin Yan supported him and smiled, “What are you wearing? It hurts.” He tugged out a black rope around his neck. The little Daoist couldn’t dodge him. He pulled out a small wooden sculpture and it was actually a lifelike figurine of Lin Yan.

A-Yan’s face turned even redder. He hurriedly stuffed the woodcarving back, stumbling to explain: “When you first came to my house, you s-said you wanted it, but I never, I didn’t dare give it to you…”

Xiao Yu went straight in through the middle of the railing, with a gloomy expression on his face, and passed by the two of them.

Lin Yan was a little embarrassed. He turned around to chase after Xiao Yu as if nothing had happened. While he wondered if he should talk to A-Yan, A-Yan was a step ahead of him. His voice was low and trembling: “I know, you don’t have to worry about me.”

His face looked paler because of the little flush that had not faded from his cheeks.

The mineral lamps on both sides of the tomb passage were extinguished. The darkness was so deep that the yellow light of the flashlight was useless. The light couldn’t shine for more than a few meters before being swallowed up in the thick blackness that smelt of dampness and decay.

Fortunately, the elevator was still in use. The small green light flickering in the darkness was like an eye. As they descended deeper and deeper into the earth, the surroundings got colder and colder, piercing straight to their bones.

The muffled sound of metal hitting the ground reverberated through the underground palace. The three of them lightened their steps and tiptoed through the last corridor. Every slightest sound was amplified by the echoes, making their hearts race. In front of them was a lofty tomb door, specially made to meet the tourists, not the original one, dripping with cold red paint.

The flashlight beam swept around the tomb, and the thin yellow light appeared dim and sparse in the darkness.

At midnight when no one was disturbing it, the ancient tomb showed its original appearance. The ancient green bricks, half-destroyed dome, the memories lost to time, a decaying relic of fleeting life. A trembling sound and the door shaft opened. Darkness rushed toward them, like a heavy mouth, trying to swallow everyone up.

There was nothing heavier than a cemetery. Everyone has been rushing here non-stop since birth. Prosperity was just a transition, and death was warm and eternal. The three stood side by side. No one dared to enter first. It was actually Xiao Yu, who walked out without expression, and took the lead to slowly slide into his century-old scene.

Lin Yan suddenly panicked, afraid of being left behind by him so he took a few steps to follow. Yin Zhou suddenly took a breath behind him, pointed at Xiao Yu’s back, and exclaimed, “What’s that?”

“I saw a white shadow in front of us. There are evil things here. Lin, come back quickly!”

Lin Yan turned around and smiled bitterly: “He’s Xiao Yu, the ghost who has been following us.”

“In the place with the most yin, the ghost will appear.” A-Yan stared ahead, his brows furrowed.

Yin Zhou’s breathing became heavy, and Lin Yan patted him on the shoulder: “Relax, he won’t hurt anyone. It’s fine.”

“Holy shit, how are you so calm? He’s a ghost. This is the first time I’ve seen a real ghost…” He spoke incoherently. Lin Yan interrupted him irritably: “Come on, you’re not at a zoo to see monkeys.”

Xiao Yu treated the three of them as if they weren’t there, and paid them no mind. He was too familiar with this place. This cold and silent ancient tomb had held him in seclusion for a hundred years like a prison. He walked eagerly, straight through the dark chamber, from the main chamber on this side of the security door side through the wall, out of sight.

Yin Zhou was dumbfounded. Only the little Daoist priest remained calm. The flashlight beam swept across each of the tomb walls. There was a button on one. When pressed, a section of the tomb was lit up with dim lights, which were wall lamps. In the shadow of the light, they could faintly see that the bricks were polished extremely smooth. Not even a needle could be slid between them.

The display case was decorated with all kinds of burial relics. Black lacquer painted flower cups, silver chopsticks and silver spoons, blue and white porcelain, vegetable jade ornaments, a volume of smoky yellow books, pens and ink. The preparation was meticulous and careful. A large glass cabinet against the wall, side by side with three sets of clothes propped up on shelves, decayed beyond recognition like they had been baked in a fire.

“What is this?” Yin Zhou pointed to a showcase. Lin Yan leaned over to look, and said softly, “Wooden figurines are all wrapped in wax. These were often used for burial after the abolition of human sacrifice. There are servants, as well as carriages and horses. They’re well-prepared. The owner of the tomb should have been well clothed and fed during his lifetime. Although the location of this tomb is fishy, the specifications are definitely a generous burial.”

“We don’t have much time. We have to get out before dawn. Let’s get to work.”

“We’ll remove the security measures. You see if there’s anything special in these exhibits.” Yin Zhou instructed.

Yin Zhou and A-Yan both got busy. One had screwdrivers and needle-nose pliers all over the floor, and the other took out various tools from his bag to carefully pry open the door. Lin Yan was uneasy and pretended to inspect the funeral objects with a flashlight. Covering his chest with one hand, his body felt numb in shock.

Since entering the tomb, he’s been trembling for no reason. His dreams are scattered and erratic. Everything was play pieces, like the sound of the ancient lute and the moon, trying to wake up a trace of memory in the void. He couldn’t say why, it just felt familiar.

The Shangyuan Lantern Festival, everyone hanging colourful lanterns everywhere, guessing lantern riddles. A pear flower case, also the same kind of black lacquer painted gold bowl. All kinds of fine dishes were placed. There were a lot of people downstairs. It was very lively. There were stalls, people carrying carts, and those who sell wine. The market is as bright as day and full of visitors.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door…

With a splitting headache, he staggered back, gasping for breath.

Knock, knock.

There was a small hissing sound. The wall lamp went out instantly, and the entire tomb was plunged into darkness to the point that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Then two dim flashlights lit up. Yin Zhou threw down the screwdriver: “It’s done. I cut off the power to the sensor on the door of whichever display case you want open. The rest is up to you, Daoist priest.”

A-Yan answered and sat cross-legged in front of the security door. He pulled out the latch horizontally and used a thin metal strip to hold the spring in the lock hole and experimented with it repeatedly. This type of security door had seven locks attached to it. One wrong move could cause the spring to jam. He had to use a small hammer to remove the door, so he was very focused. He wiped the sweat on his hands on his pants from time to time. He wiped his forehead and continue the operation.

After being startled at first, Lin Yan’s heart was beating wildly. He couldn’t wait to escape from this ancient tomb engraved with ancient memories, but he restrained himself and went searching for Xiao Yu. The ghost went into the underground burial chamber alone, leaving him alone outside.

“It’s d-done.” The little Daoist wiped the sweat from his forehead. He twisted the door handle and pushed it in.

Yin Zhou stepped over with a single stride. Just as he was about to enter the door, he suddenly bounced back as if he had been electrocuted. His voice trembled: “There… there are… dead people inside, right?”

Lin Yan didn’t answer. He pushed him away, took a deep breath, and dashed into the tomb.

The ink-like darkness was suffocating as if he had stepped into the underworld. Lin Yan couldn’t deny that he was nervous. His throat was dry, and he was unable to speak even after swallowing several times. The flashlight beam swayed, sweeping along the stone walls in a circle.

Everything remained almost unchanged from the last time he had come. The burial chamber was long and narrow. A stone platform two feet tall and more than ten square metres large was built against the wall. It was called the coffin bed. After such a long time, the black lacquer on the wooden coffin that was more than half a person tall had long since fallen off, revealing the hard and brittle wood. It was as if one touch would shatter the coffin into pieces. The coffin head was enshrined with a dry and ever-bright lamp. The wordless wooden tablet was dark and dreary, solemn and sad.

In order to prevent the body from being oxidized, the tomb couldn’t be ventilated, and the strong rotten smell that had accumulated for many years was chokingly pungent. Lin Yan and the little Daoist were fine. Yin Zhou was already coughing as soon as he stepped in, covering his nose, his expression twisted like he wanted to vomit.

Xiao Yu stood in front of the coffin, dressed in plain white brocade, and quietly looked at Lin Yan.

Lin Yan walked over and grabbed his hand. He said softly: “We want to open the coffin. Are you okay with that?”

Xiao Yu didn’t speak. His hands were shaking, holding Lin Yan’s in a death grip, his nails digging into his flesh. it was extremely painful.

“Don’t be like this. I’m the one who’s scared, scared to death. I’ve seen so many corpses, but I never thought that the person in the coffin has anything to do with me…” Lin Yan gritted his teeth, his palms constantly sweating. “I just told myself that I’m helping you, and I’ll endure everything.”

Lin Yan squeezed out a smile: “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as you agreeing.”

Xiao Yu was silent for a while, then nodded.

Yin Zhou raised his flashlight and approached the coffin. The coffin lid had opened a gap during the previous excavation. When he pushed it, the wood clattered, and woodchips fell. Lin Yan saw it out of the corner of his eye, and his face suddenly changed. He turned his head and yelled: “Don’t touch!”

Yin Zhou was startled and quickly retracted his hand.

“He doesn’t like others touching him.” Lin Yan said tiredly. “He’s got a cleanliness obsession.”

“Are you kidding me? He’s a skeleton, how clean can it be?”

Lin Yan shook his head: “You don’t understand.”

Two months ago, he walked into the underground palace uneasy, and a whole room of people was waiting for him in the front hall. At that time, it was not as neat as it was now. Broken pieces of porcelain were scattered on the floor, the jars and bottles covered with mud, and there were all over the place. But everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw him entering the door and watched him enter the burial chamber. He was the one who opened the coffin, and he had handled the corpse himself. People who are used to cleaniness, even if they are turned into corpses, would rarely let anyone mess with him…

Confused for a minute, Lin Yan waved his hand to tell the two of them to get out of the way and turned towards the coffin bed. Using a fine brush to clear the debris, the action was gentle, like how you’d treat a sleeping lover, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Xiao Yu appeared behind him at some point, his gaze sad. Lin Yan turned around and touched his face with the back of his hand. He said softly, “Be good, go and wait.”

Yin Zhou was surprised and wanted to say something, but was pulled back by the young Daoist priest.

The heavy coffin lid was removed inch by inch. When the head and neck of the deceased were barely exposed in the gap, a hand reached out to block Lin Yan’s eyes and refused to let go.

“Don’t look.” Xiao Yu said.

Lin Yan broke away from his hand. He turned his head and gave Xiao Yu a vicious look: “Are you afraid that I’ll dislike you?”

Xiao Yu’s eyes flickered and he stood in front of him: “Leave it.”

Lin Yan wrapped his arms around his neck and said tiredly, “When we weren’t together, did you ever resent me when I masturbated at home watching GV while talking about getting married?”

“… How you were was fine.”

“That’s right. It’s not just about the bones. Next time I go to the hospital to take an X-ray, it’ll be the same. I’ll show you, would that make us even?” Lin Yan teased him, “I think you’re real now. Real and very good-looking.”

Xiao Yu squeezed his face and went around to the end of the coffin. The two of them removed the coffin lid together. In the light of the flashlight, a complete skeleton lay on layers of embroidery, with its head slightly tilted to one side, as if sleeping. Hundreds of years of time and the humid environment made the corpse calcify. It was covered in yellowy black mould, ligaments decayed, joints falling off. Its hand bones and phalanges were scattered piece by piece. Part of its hair was still intact, and it snaked around the skull all the way to the waist.

The outermost layers of the burial outfit were well preserved. They were stripped out during the first excavation and hung in a glass box in the front hall for people to visit. Lin Yan didn’t dare to move the lining, for fear of damaging the bones, which had rotted and stuck to the corpse over time into a large, dark mass. The shape of the ribs were vaguely outlined.

He was so handsome before his death, and after his death, it was shocking for no reason.

It wasn’t that it wasn’t uncomfortable to see but he gritted his teeth and endured it, refusing to let him see a little bit of what he was feeling.

The fingernails digging into his palm turned the skin red.

When Yin Zhou and A Yan came in, Lin Yan was sitting on the coffin bed resting. A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. Mixing with the cold air, it was cold and sticky and uncomfortable. Seeing the two entering the room, Lin Yan squeezed out a weak smile, pointing at the coffin: “Go and see, but don’t touch anything.”

The ghost knew that the others were afraid of him, so he consciously retreated to the other side of the tomb, leaning against the wall. A blurry white shadow in the dim light, like a horror movie clip out of the shot.

Yin Zhou looked down at Lin Yan. After a moment of silence, he fished out a cigarette from his pocket and threw it to him: “Go out and smoke. There’s a fire alarm inside.” After speaking, he turned around and strode towards Xiao Yu.

“Hello.” The geek scratched his hair, feeling a little at a loss. “This is our first time meeting. My name is Yin Zhou, a friend who grew up with Lin Yan.”

“I can see that Lin likes you. Treat him well. If you’re not good to him, whether you’re a human or a ghost, I’ll definitely beat you up for him.”

Lin Yan was stunned. Looking at Yin Zhou’s stunned expression and Xiao Yu’s astonishment, he couldn’t help turning his head and snicker. He smiled and his eyes were covered by a layer of water mist.