Chapter 21: The Village in an Uproar over the Corpse

  The old Chinese doctor's notes mentioned Liu Weimin, which was something we could never have imagined. The little Xiang on the other end of the phone urged us to hurry back and try to find a way to save our lives with Liu Weimin, but she said that the old Chinese doctor had never told her how to contact Liu Weimin.

  I exchanged a glance with You Wu, and he let Xiao Mei continue reading her notes, without worrying about anything else.

  There are only four articles in total, and the fourth one is separated from the previous one by a full five days. We don't know what happened during this period, so that the first sentence already reveals a hint of madness.

  "Haha, they're all dead, everyone involved is dead, especially you, little friend. You can't imagine the nightmares I've had these past few days. The whole thing was like a festering wound that once you touched it, you couldn't escape."

  I didn't guess wrong, this time I'm destined to be among the ones who will die. Last night's nightmare was happening in my own home. I don't know why it had to be like this, why from being a witness of tragedy I became one of the dead. Maybe the price for witnessing this strange event is my life!

  I sit alone in the study, a sharp dagger serving as a saw blade, slowly, bit by bit, cutting open my own throat. My face wears a comforting smile, fresh blood gushing out. I slowly lift my head, looking up at the ceiling with eyes that hold onto life, gradually fading away...

  This is a scene in my dream, especially for you, little friend, you will never be able to experience the feeling of watching yourself die. In the dream, I was very scared, but when I woke up, I had a kind of expectation. Why did I show that relieved smile and commit suicide? Is it because before I died, I would know some secrets, so I would willingly take my own life?

  I've already started looking forward to it, this feeling is very strong, to be honest, I want to know the secret, but don't want to die!

  There is another sentence on this page, but it's just a note written in a hurry.

  "Who could be knocking at my door at one o'clock in the morning? It must be someone who is going to reveal a secret or a ghost, I don't want to hear it, I want to live for a few more years!"

  The last one was written down last night, because the old Chinese doctor was often busy until late at night, and it wasn't until 7 o'clock this morning that his partner found his body. His right hand was clutching a dagger, his throat had been slit open, and the blood had already dried up. There was still a smile on his face, a joyful expression from deep within. Additionally, since there were no other people seen in the surveillance footage, the police concluded it was a suicide.

  Because of the suicide, Xiao Mei didn't think much at first, until the old Chinese doctor's partner insisted that he had no reason to commit suicide. Xiao Mei felt that the unreasonable suicide was indeed very mysterious, as the old Chinese doctor had said. So she called You Wu to vent her emotions and found the notebook in the place where the old Chinese doctor had left it.

  Four notes, each one more shocking than the last.

  Don't let Xiaomei be too heartbroken, promise to visit her in the future. Hang up the phone and discuss with me what this note means.

  We always thought that there was only one male ghost haunting Wenjing, but the old Chinese doctor saw four of them, and even found another one in the house. All these vengeful spirits must have been killed by someone, so if you say that Wenjing unintentionally harmed or actually murdered someone, I can choose to believe it, but for her to kill five people, this is impossible!

  Liu Weimin also appears in the notes.

  From start to finish, he never mentioned the old Chinese doctor. Perhaps he thought it was not necessary to mention, yet he specifically said that he came after Huang Jinbai, which is obviously a deliberate concealment.

  It's even more unlikely that Liu Weimin was originally going to come here, and the old Chinese doctor happened to ask for help at this time. Or maybe the old Chinese doctor thought of the big bridge through a nightmare, investigated and found Huang Yunliang here, and then informed Liu Weimin as a condition to save his life.

  It's possible that he didn't say it, I thought carefully and asked You Wu if Liu Weimin had ever told him about the old Chinese doctor who treated Wen Jing.

  Because Liu Weimin appeared, I had already determined that it was a ghost entanglement, and there was no need to mention the old Chinese doctor again. Yu also thought about it and said that he hadn't told Liu Weimin either.

  He didn't know that we had met the old Chinese doctor. It wasn't that he decided to hide it from us after discussing with the old Chinese doctor, but rather he never planned to tell us from the start. But why did he do this?

  He didn't analyze it, the note read, finally got in touch with an old friend, also said that Lao Zhongyi and Liu Weimin had no contact, maybe just acquaintances, maybe haven't seen each other for a long time, the way he said to get in touch, should be after Liu Weimin arrived here, will tell Xiaomei his address, but Xiaomei didn't know, would it be that Liu Weimin came, but didn't see Lao Zhongyi, because he had no intention of saving him, so he concealed this relationship, lest others say he was unwilling to save a life.

  It sounds reasonable, but Liu Weimin has always given us the feeling of being a kind-hearted old man. If he was pretending to be kind, he wouldn't have brought us along with him to save Wenjing with such good intentions.

  "In the end, Yu Wu couldn't help but say: 'Actually, you've always suspected him, yet you still followed him? One day without evidence to prove he's lying, we can only follow along, unless you don't want to save Wen Jing. Since he has something hidden from us, in the future we'll also hide things from him, and not say anything!'"

  There's no other way, I can only take a gamble, but what really gets on my nerves is those dead people in the notes, not to mention the first old man who nobody recognizes, and yet he's still kicking, but the order of the nightmares doesn't necessarily follow the order of their deaths in reality. The old doctor's prediction of death may be due to his mental breakdown, or maybe it's something that will happen in the future.

  Don't let me worry, what's meant to be will be, can't escape, if that day really comes, his family will entrust him to me.

  After smoking two cigarettes, we pretended to be nonchalant and returned to the train compartment. Liu Weimin sat cross-legged on the bed, meditating, and told us that the train was about to depart.

  I told him, no matter what dangers or difficulties we might face, we must defeat the old tyrant Huang and rescue Princess Wenjing. Liu Weimin smiled and didn't say much more, suggesting that we get a good rest as we would be taking an eight-hour train ride and then transferring to a long-distance bus in Jingdezhen...

  I was anxious as soon as I heard it and asked him why he didn't take a plane.

  Liu Weimin suddenly opened his eyes and said: "I am afraid of heights."

  After eight hours, I slept for three or four times, tossing and turning. Liu Weimin woke us up, saying that we had arrived in Jingdezhen. This old man was meditating all the way, without a hint of fatigue on his face. On the other hand, You Wu and I were so tired after sleeping all the way that we were almost dead.

  It was my first time in Jiangxi, but I didn't have a chance to appreciate the scenery. When we got out of the station, we took a quick look at the Chinese Human Body Exhibition and then rushed to the bus station. Liu Weimin bought three tickets with ease and we still had half an hour before departure. Liu Weimin asked us to squat down by the wheels and told us some things about Guan Cun Village.

  The name "Guān Xì" has two meanings: one is the heavenly official granting blessings, and the other is the superior official granting a foothold. It wasn't until Liu spoke up that we came to know this small village had quite a history.

  China's largest family is not Li richest, He gambled king, nor the eight aristocratic families that dominate the imperial capital. These wealthy and noble families have no historical heritage, those with history only have a few decades or hundreds of years, were defeated by Zhang Nan and Kong Bei in seconds.

  Bei Kong is a descendant of Confucius, and has held the honorable position of Yansheng Gong throughout the ages. Nan Zhang is a descendant of Zhang Daoling, the Heavenly Master of Mount Longhu, and was also honored by emperors in every dynasty. The current Heavenly Master Zhang is the 65th generation successor, while the origin of Guanxi Village is related to the 46th generation Heavenly Master Zhang Yuanji.

  Liu Weimin said that when Zhang Yuangui was born, a large pillar at the bottom of a grand hall in Longhushan Mountain grew a lingzhi mushroom, accompanied by a spiritual object from the immortal family. All members of the Zhang family had high expectations for Zhang Yuanji, and he did not disappoint them. By his thirties, he had shaken up half of the imperial court.

  Some suggested beheading him, while others recommended death by a thousand cuts.

  Actually, Zhang Yuangui didn't do anything particularly absurd, he was just too greedy, and in passing, he committed murder, arson, robbery of civilians, and extermination of families. The officials of the imperial court were all Confucian scholars, so they naturally wanted to strike a blow at this Taoist leader without mercy, no need to frame him, just uphold justice and law was enough.

  However, Emperor Ming of the Song Dynasty did not sentence him to death at that time, but only gave him a hundred sticks and exiled him to Suizhou. On the way of exile, there were still many disciples of Men Sheng accompanying him, all wearing Taoist robes and swords, with cold faces. Which official dared to give Zhang Yuangui a look? The attendants served comfortably, and it was simply a tour.

  The criminal who was to be flogged arrived at the place and was supposed to be beaten with a killing stick, but who dared to beat him? Not to mention those disciples wearing swords, even the military men did not dare to offend Zhang Yuanji's sacred identity. They lightly patted his buttocks and got away with it. As a result, Zhang Tian Shi loudly claimed that his buttocks were injured and was granted bail for medical treatment, and directly returned home.

  At that time, he had already been demoted to a commoner and the position of Heavenly Master had been taken over by someone else. So after returning to Dragon Tiger Mountain, he always felt uneasy and brought his trusted disciples to live in seclusion in Guan Cun Village. The name of Guan Cun Village was given by him. Later, it is not clear which minister deliberately made things difficult for him and sent people to give this name, that is to say, the Heavenly Official worshipped by Zhang Yuanji was the big masters of the imperial court.

  Liu Weimin told us this to illustrate a point: Guanxi Village and Longhushan have a deep connection, so it's not good to provoke them. Moreover, the villagers are particularly united. Huang Jinbai is hiding here, and if you want to take him away openly, you'll need to mobilize a large number of troops or police to surround the village; otherwise, as soon as you enter the village from the front, someone will escort Huang Jinbai out from the back.

  It's the same principle, if I've done something wrong and hide back in my hometown, the villagers will gather together to help me deal with it, we're the most troublesome kind of people.

  Liu Weimin said, Old Man Huang would definitely not dare to live openly in the ancestral house, otherwise he would really be surrounded by the villagers. So we need to sneak into the village quietly, no shooting, first find an excuse to stay, and then ask around about Old Man Huang's hiding place. If possible, it would be best to rescue Wenjing first, if not, then tie him up at night and take him away.

  What excuse did he use?

  Liu Wei Min smiled slightly and asked in return: "What is Jingdezhen most famous for?"

  "Porcelain? Antique?"

  "It's wrong, it's a fake antique. We don't need to make excuses at all. As long as we keep a low profile, we'll be mistaken for dealers of fake antiques and they'll pass from one family to another. We're sure to find him!"

  The car is about to start, we hurriedly get on, Liu Weimin asked us to rest first, and he will wake us up when we arrive. I said, "You don't need to sleep, do you?" Liu Weimin smiled but didn't say anything. I was thinking, why not ask him to teach me some skills? Just then, a big sister in the back row whispered, "Li Ge, are you also coming back for that matter?"

  A man replied in a rough tone: "Isn't that so? If you don't come back, the wife and child will be eaten by zombies."

  "Alas, how could such a thing happen? I heard my father say that our village's ancestors were the Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain, and they had even been granted blessings by the gods. How could we have zombies?! My father said that the village is preparing to use the soul of a dead girl to deal with the zombie, but who knows if it's true or not? Luckily I gave birth to a son!"