Ghost Corpse and Mysterious Trace: Volume 1

By Fei Tiandunde

There are more and more dead people in the village, but I realised that this is just the beginning …

• Language: English
• Publisher: Funstory
• Release date: Dec 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781647819811

Book preview

DIE

CHAPTER 1 - RIVERSIDE WOMAN

There's a river in the village I live in, and some people say it's like a lake, and they say there's been a lot of murders there.

The cold wind blew fiercely against the level surface of the dark lake, causing ripples to form. Third Uncle and I were rowing an old and broken boat on the surface of the lake.

A cold wind blew across my body, covering my entire body. I shivered as I wrapped up the coat around my body. I raised my head to look at Third Uncle who was standing at the bow, preparing to scatter the fishing net in his hands.

The reason why we chose to fish at night was to avoid the patrolling men, and the entire river belonged to the village.

If it was daytime, those patrolling people in the village would definitely discover our presence. That way, our whereabouts would be exposed.

Thus, under such circumstances, Third Uncle and I could only choose to fish at night and try our best to get as many fish as possible.

The whole boat stopped in the middle of the water. Apart from the pitch-black darkness, the only thing that accompanied us was the deathly silence.

Third Uncle threw the fish net, and then he suddenly froze in place.

Following the direction where Third Uncle was looking, I fixed my gaze at the other side of the river. At some point, a woman had appeared.

Even though my line of sight was incomparably dark, I was still able to clearly see the appearance of the girl. She was around twenty years old or so.

As the woman stood motionless on the other side of the river, I felt a little curious. Blinking my eyelids, I focused my eyes on her once again and sucked in a breath of cold air.

The woman was dressed in red. To be exact, it was a red bridal gown.

I felt my scalp go numb and a layer of sweat appeared on my forehead. Third Uncle was standing at the bow of the ship, muttering something.

The woman who had suddenly appeared was wearing a red bridal gown. Under such a terrible situation, if one were to think about it carefully, he would definitely feel terrified.

The woman who suddenly appeared was most likely not a human. This was the first sentence that flashed through my mind, and also the first reaction that I had in my mind!

Third Uncle had no time to catch any more fish. He wanted to retrieve the fishing net, but he didn't expect that something would drag the entire net into the water.

Seeing this scene, Third Uncle paused for a moment, then slapped the cigarette in his hand away. A flame rose into the air, then fell into the water.

Suddenly, a giggle could be heard in my ears. Following the direction of the laughter, I looked over and saw that the lady on the other side of the river had disappeared.

Third Uncle turned around and suddenly said, Don't move while you're at the stern. We're going back now. Remember, no matter what you hear or see, don't look back!

After hearing what Third Uncle said, I nodded. He picked up the oar and quickly headed back home.

The small boat continued to move forward slowly on the calm surface of the water. I remembered that it wasn't too far away, but I noticed that Third Uncle's back was already covered in a layer of cold sweat.

Third Uncle was standing at the bow of the boat and rowing with all his might. I sat at the stern of the boat and didn't even dare to breathe.

As time slowly passed, no one knew how much time had passed. In short, when Third Uncle was out of breath, fortunately, we had finally reached the shore.

Third Uncle found a thick hemp rope and tied the boat to a tree. Afterwards, he pulled my hand and quickly walked towards the village.

Third Uncle was worried that I had forgotten what I had just said, so he reminded me once again, Hold my hand, and don't let go. No matter what you hear or see later, do not look back. Do you hear me?!

Third Uncle's tone was just like an order. I nodded my head heavily once again as I firmly engraved these words into my heart.

Walking up the shore and through the dense forest, one could see the village. Previously, he didn't feel too depressed, but this time was different.

At this moment, Third Uncle was holding my hand and shuttling rapidly through the forest. I had heard the elders say before that ghosts were usually afraid of the light, and that one would be able to see the lights of the village through the forest. In that case, the woman who suddenly appeared should have completely disappeared.

Just as I was thinking about this, I suddenly heard a heavy wheezing sound close to the back of my neck. It felt like someone was blowing on the back of my neck.

Suddenly, I felt my legs start to spin, and my entire body started to tremble uncontrollably.

I wanted to tell him what was behind me, but I remembered what he had said to me.

Third Uncle and I had walked through this forest who knew how many times before, and in a few minutes, we would be able to walk out. However, this time, it felt as if we had walked for a century.

A cold wind blew. A few leaves were scattered on the dry branches. They slowly floated down from the sky.

Third Uncle and I rapidly moved forward. The rustling sounds that came from the sand beneath my feet deeply stung every nerve in my body. However, I knew that the girl definitely wouldn't suddenly disappear for no reason.

Thus, at this point, I boldly guessed that Third Uncle and I had probably met a ghost on this terrifying night.

Finally, the moment he stood at the village entrance, Third Uncle let out a long sigh of relief. Even so, he didn't stop moving.

Third Uncle and I finally returned home after running for so long. My aunt had already fallen asleep. At this moment, I felt that my body was about to fall apart.

I went straight back to my room, lay down on my bed, and fell asleep.

In a daze, my mind constantly buzzed over the scenes of the night before, especially the last words that Third Uncle said. Suddenly, a sharp hissing sound entered my brain.

Suddenly, I hastily sat up from my bed. When I had just entered the village, Third Uncle seemed to have called out my name once.

Under the urge of extreme curiosity, I couldn't help but turn around to take a glance, but I realized that there was nothing behind me …

CHAPTER 2 - YOU ARE MY THIRD UNCLE

My parents died early. Since I was young, I have always lived in Third Uncle's house. Third Uncle and Aunt were like my reborn parents.

When the first ray of dawn shines across the land, a gentle ray of light shines on me. It feels warm.

In the midst of the haze, I opened my eyes and comfortably stretched.

From beginning to end, including until now, my mind has been replaying the terrible events of last night.

Third Uncle was not at home. Not only that, my aunt had also disappeared. I felt somewhat puzzled.

Just as he was thinking about that, he suddenly heard noisy footsteps.

Following the direction of the voice, I hastily ran out. I was unable to believe that almost all of the villagers had gathered here from all directions. They were rushing towards the entrance of the village together.

Seeing me appear, the Village Head had a complicated expression on his face. He walked over and moved his lips as if he wanted to say something to me.

For a brief moment, I seemed to realize something, but I wasn't sure. It was an extremely uneasy factor.

After a long time, the village chief seemed to have made a big decision. He raised his head and looked at me, saying word by word, Your third uncle died. He died in the river last night!

Buzz! * It was as though a bolt from the blue had struck my heart. I was so scared that my entire body couldn't help but tremble. My entire body was going numb.

When I opened my eyes in the early morning, the village chief had already made a joke like this. I found it hard to bear and asked in disbelief, My third uncle died? Impossible, we came back together last night!

I don't know why, but after hearing my words, the village chief sneered. He turned his head and quickly ran towards the river.

Suddenly, I realized that the Village Chief was not joking with me. The solemn expression on his face just now was enough to explain everything.

All the villagers rushed towards the river bank one after another. In the blink of an eye, the entire village had become deathly silent.

I didn't think too much and also ran towards the river. However, I still didn't understand how Third Uncle could have died.

The moment I stood by the river, I stopped in my tracks. A few villagers swam to the middle of the river. They carried a bloated corpse and slowly walked over.

Immediately, a heart-wrenching cry came out, and I could tell it was my aunt.

I pushed my way through the crowd and stood in front of the corpse. Due to soaking in the water for too long, I couldn't see its original appearance. However, based on its facial features, I was certain that it was Third Uncle!

In that instant, an ice-cold chill spread rapidly from the bottom of my feet. This was an extremely deep chill and fear that completely covered my entire body!

This is definitely third uncle's body, he died in the water, the village head used to study medicine, he told us, the time of third uncle's death was last night at midnight.

Hearing the Village Head's words, I felt extremely blank in my mind. How could Third Uncle die last night at midnight?

However, I clearly remember that last night at around 2 in the morning, it was Third Uncle who pulled me by the hand and arrived at my home without even looking back.

I remember that when we returned home, Third Uncle and I were lying on our respective beds. But now, I felt that something was wrong. The repressed atmosphere seemed to be mixed with a strange smell.

Third Uncle's corpse was lying on the ground, crying bitterly. Her body began to violently twitch. A few villagers could not bear to watch this scene unfold. They turned their heads away and silently shed tears.

At this moment, I was unable to suppress the grief in my heart any longer and kneeled on the floor.

I've let down my Third Uncle and my aunt even more, but I don't know what's going on.

Third Uncle really did hold my hand all the way home last night. I just couldn't understand why a person who was originally fine would suddenly turn into an incomparably cold corpse.

I knelt in front of Third Uncle's corpse and kowtowed non-stop. The Village Chief silently sighed and walked to my side, supporting me up.

My aunt fainted and fell to the ground. I felt as if she had aged a lot. Several villagers walked over and carefully carried her back home.

It was only now that I was convinced that my third uncle had indeed died, and that he had died at the spot where we had left the boat on the water last night.

The more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt, and the more scared I felt. A strong intuition assaulted my brain at this moment, I was afraid that third uncle's death was definitely not as simple as it seemed!

According to the customs here, if a person dies, they must be buried that night, or there will be some unmanageable situation. Not only that, the time of burial must not exceed midnight.

A few villagers lifted Third Uncle's corpse into the air, supporting it with their hands. I saw Third Uncle's head droop down all of a sudden.

Unconsciously, I shot a glance at him. I don't know if it was due to natural phenomena or my body's instinctive reaction, but Third Uncle's eyelids immediately flipped up. A pair of blood-red eyes were staring straight at me.

When I saw this scene, I sucked in a breath of cold air. Third Uncle's current appearance was as though he had seen something terrifying before he died, but also as if he died with grievances.

Buzz! *

It was as if a sharp scream had traveled into my brain. I only felt my head sink, my vision blurred, and my entire body fainted on the floor.

Just before my consciousness was about to disappear, I could clearly see a faint smile appearing on Third Uncle's face from his instinctive reaction …

CHAPTER 3 - UNACCEPTABLE REALITY

In the darkness, he walked forward alone, not knowing where he was going.

On both sides of the road, dried up trees were baring their fangs and claws, just like a grim reaper in the night. It was as if they were smiling malevolently at me.

Countless dried branches blotted out the sky and blotted out the sun. In this darkness, it was like a huge net.

In a trance, I stopped in my tracks. An unfamiliar woman appeared in front of me. She stood there quietly, like a motionless wooden stake.

At this close distance, I couldn't see the woman's face or even her feet.

The woman was dressed in white, just like the prisoners from ancient times. It seemed a little out of place with her surroundings.

The woman's hair was long enough to cover her face, so I couldn't tell if she was facing me or with her back to me.

Doubtful, a few crows flew by. They stopped on top of a dried branch and stared at me with their heads lowered.

In that short instant, when I blinked my eyes once more, I found it hard to believe that the lady who suddenly appeared had vanished from my sight.

At this moment, his heart trembled violently. This was an extremely ominous sign.

Without much time to think, I wanted to turn around, but with a hum, a cold breeze blew by. Soon after, I smelt an extremely rotten smell!

The lady suddenly appeared in front of me and raised her head. Her pale white human face immediately slid down. Immediately, countless thin and long white maggots crazily entered my mouth.

Extreme fear, accompanied by a rotting smell, made me feel as if the woman was a death god in the night. She opened her bloody mouth, exposing her two scarlet fangs to the air.

Before I could clearly see what had happened, the girl frantically laid on top of my body. Her fangs had deeply pierced into my carotid artery.

As time passed, I felt my face grow paler and paler, as if all the strength in my body had been sucked out of me.

The girl laid on top of my body and crazily absorbed the fresh blood in my body. The warm blood slid down her throat.

White maggots drilled into my mouth and slowly rolled out of my nose. They were like countless leeches that crazily sucked up the last bit of my strength.

The girl stood up. Her human skin had long since disappeared from sight. She greedily stuck out a blood-red tongue, as if she was not satisfied with what she had just seen.

My eyes gradually widened. This is a sign of death. The lady chuckled and extended a sharp claw. A blood-red fingernail pierced into my eyes at lightning speed!

Ah!

I woke up from my nightmare and looked over to see that Third Uncle's house was filled with villagers.

My aunt was lying on a worn out bed. Even now, she still hadn't woken up from her coma. Looking at her made my heart ache.

His aunt's breathing was faint and faint, as if she could die at any moment.

These two elders, who had lived together for half a lifetime, were now separated by Yin and Yang. No one was able to experience that sort of pain.

Third Uncle was lying on the other bed. His bloated corpse was dehydrated, and the muddy water flowing out of his body dripped slowly along the bed legs onto the cold ground.

There were a few experts in making coffins in the village. Within a short period of time, they had created a huge black coffin.

By sunset, the third uncle's corpse had already shriveled up. Several villagers carried the coffin into the room and placed it in the center.

I slowly stood up. My brain felt a little dizzy, a kind of splitting headache, like a brain about to explode. In addition, my shoulders felt heavy, as if I were carrying something on my back.

The Village Chief stood in the crowd with a complicated expression on his face. Seeing me wake up, he slowly shook his head and sighed.

I knew that the Village Head was extremely angry at his death, because I remembered that before he died, he was sworn brothers with the Village Head.

When Third Uncle was alive, he had a very good relationship with the people in the village. It was also because of this that the Village Head became sworn brothers with him.

Death cannot be reborn, this is the cruel reality, we can't change it, we can only calmly face it, calmly accept it.

Third Uncle's death dealt a huge blow to me, especially to my aunt. Until now, she was still unconscious, so it is still unknown whether she will be able to wake up.

Just as I was thinking about this, two tall figures walked out from the crowd. I know them. They are the only two coffin bearers in the village.

One of them was called Ping Hai, the other was called Fang Zhe. Their bodies were very powerful. Without enough strength, it was impossible to carry that black coffin.

At this time, Ping Hai and Fang Zhe walked up to the bed. The village chief also walked over. He found a black shroud and put it on his third uncle.

For a brief moment, I noticed that the village chief had a burning tear trickling from the corner of his eye. His hands were also shaking, and the pain in his eyes was obvious.

Ping Hai and Fang Zhe gently carried his body and carefully put it inside the coffin. Afterwards, the village head lit a lamp and put it on top of the coffin.

This lamp will continue to burn until the moment the soul of the deceased disappears. All of a sudden, I discovered that there seemed to be a strange green light radiating from the wick of the lamp.

The huge coffin lid was erected in a corner. Ping Hai and Fang Zhe walked over and struggled to lift the coffin lid and put it on top of the coffin.

Peng!

As the two of them exert their strength together, the lid of the entire coffin closes tightly on top. However, I was already frozen in place.

The instant the lid of the coffin was placed on top, in that short instant, I clearly saw a strange smile appear on Third Uncle's face, who had originally been dead …

CHAPTER 4 - HE IS DEAD

When dusk faded, the night came again. Third Uncle's house was filled with villagers. Everyone had a heavy expression and the surroundings were very quiet. However, this silence was like death to me.

The atmosphere was stifling, and I didn't even want to stay here a second longer if conditions didn't allow it.

After thinking about it, it was indeed unreasonable. After all, the one who died was my Third Uncle. Not only that, Aunt was lying on the old bed, with less than half of her life remaining.

I've lived in Third Uncle's house since I was young. If I were to leave at this time, it would indeed be a bit heartless.

Just as I was thinking about this, the Village Head walked up behind me and patted me on the shoulder. Finally, he handed me a stack of burning paper.

At this moment, the village chief bent down and lowered his voice, Burn some paper money for your uncle. Remember, you must burn every piece of paper into a pile of ashes before you can burn the second one!

Hearing the Village Head's words, I nodded my head heavily. Although I didn't understand what he meant for a moment, I remembered the words that the seniors of the previous generation had told me …

If a person dies, they have to burn paper non-stop. Only when they turn into ashes can they turn into underworld money that humans cannot see. And these so-called burning paper, is also known as guiding money.

This meant that if a person died, his soul would wander back and forth in the underworld, and only this money could let them know where he was.

After thinking about it, I found a brazier in another room. There was still about an hour before the funeral, but before that, I needed to give money to Third Uncle to lead the way.

At this moment, in the brazier, a piece of paper was lit up and as I looked at the blazing flames, I couldn't help but think of the lamp that was just placed in the coffin.

Countless flames flew into the air. Vaguely, I didn't know if there was something wrong with my vision, but I noticed that after these flames flew into the air, they seemed to emit a strange cyan light.

Instinctively, I remembered the lamp that was placed in the coffin a moment ago. Its flame was also emitting a strange green light, just like the burning of paper.

As time slowly passed, the clock on the wall silently ticked past midnight. The crowd seemed to have exploded, and everyone seemed to be whispering something to each other. If I'm not wrong, the time for burial is almost here.

The amount of burning paper that the village chief passed to me was pretty much gone, so I simply threw all the rest into the brazier.

Seeing this, the village chief glared at me. Perhaps it was because there were too many people around, but he didn't say anything to me. However, I knew that he must hate me to the core.

From the beginning till now, I didn't understand what the Village Head's words meant. Why did he say that I was the one who killed my third uncle?

I slowly shook my head and silently sighed. It was not the time to be thinking about such things.

Right now, the most important thing for him to do was to bury Third Uncle underground. That way, his soul would be able to rest in peace.

It's already past midnight and all the villagers have their eyes on the two coffin bearers. I still remember their names, one of them is called Ping Hai, the other is called Fang Zhe.

As Fang Zhe walked to the end of the coffin, Ping Hai turned around to look at the clock on the wall. Then he took a deep breath and took out a thick piece of wood from the side and a thick hemp rope from the side.

Ping Hai stretched out the front end of the piece of wood into Fang Zhe's hand, and then he fixed the end of the piece of wood onto the surface of the coffin.

At this moment, the two of them tied the thick hemp rope to the piece of wood and secured the entire piece of wood to the surface of the coffin. This way, the piece of wood would be inlaid onto the coffin.

The reason they did this was because they used the binding power of the wood to make the coffin stronger. Everyone looked at it silently, including me. They didn't even dare to breathe.

Ping Hai stood at the back of the coffin while Fang Zhe stood at the front. The two of them put the whole thick piece of wood on their shoulders. Finally, they both took a deep breath at the same time.

In the next second, under our astonished gazes, as the two of us exerted our strength together, Third Uncle's coffin was slowly lifted up.

Third Uncle's house was not very spacious in the first place, but now that it was filled with villagers, it became much narrower.

Seeing this scene, the Village Chief walked out. He came to the entrance and called the villagers out.

As people began to move out one by one, in the blink of an eye, the room became empty again. At the same time, I quickly ran out and stood beside the Village Head, but I didn't dare to look him in the eye.

From start to finish, the Village Head's expression had always been unsightly. His expression of self-confidence, even though he wasn't angry, always made me feel a little fearful.

For some reason, I suddenly thought of that strange woman I saw that night and the words that Third Uncle said to me before he came home. I always felt that Third Uncle's death was very strange and not as simple as I imagined.

Just as everyone was puzzled, there was a loud bang. Before they could clearly see what had happened, Third Uncle's coffin had heavily landed in front of the door.

Immediately, Ping Hai and Fang Zhe knelt on the ground at the same time. Not only that, I found that their faces became extremely pale all of a sudden.

CHAPTER 5 - BURYING

We have a terrible saying here, that when carrying a coffin, a coffin must not fall on the ground. When a coffin lands on the ground, it is the first taboo, and it will portend the occurrence of an unlucky event.

But now, the coffin had fallen to the ground with a loud thud, causing a violent shockwave that deeply pierced the nerves of everyone present.

Ping Hai and Fang Zhe's faces turned pale. They were breathing heavily. For everyone, this was an incredible scene.

The Village Chief was the Village Chief after all. He hurried over and helped Ping Hai and Fang Zhe up. When I saw them, I couldn't help but shiver.

The Village Chief looked at the two of them, then looked at the wood inlaid on the surface of the coffin. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Third Uncle's coffin.

As the leader of a village, he had seen a lot of things like this. Then, the village chief walked up to Fang Zhe and whispered something into his ear. I could only see Fang Zhe nodding his head.

After the Village Chief said this, he seemed to be a little worried. At this time, he turned around and walked to the side of Ping Hai. Similarly, he stood beside the platform, his lips moving. It was unknown what he said in a low voice.

After the village chief said this, he arrived in front of his third uncle's coffin. He slowly extended a hand and patted it a few times.

At this time, Ping Hai and Fang Zhe put the piece of wood back on their shoulders. Then, the village chief walked to the door and nodded, signaling the two of them to lift Third Uncle's coffin again.

At this moment, not a single person present, including me, dared to make any unnecessary sounds.

Ping Hai and Fang Zhe lifted up their third uncle's coffin again, and then they started to walk towards the outside step by step.

The village chief walked at the front, behind him was Fang Zhe, the sea, and Uncle's huge black coffin. At the back stood all the villagers, including me.

However, I still felt a bit apprehensive. The fact that Third Uncle's coffin fell on the ground just now was an ominous sign.

Fortunately, in the following period of time, nothing strange happened. Third Uncle's tomb was located in the east side, which was a dense forest.

Ping Hai and Fang Zhe put Third Uncle's coffin on the ground. They came under a tree and sat down next to each other.

Even now, I discovered that their faces were still as pale as ever, as pale as wax, as if all the blood in them had been sucked out. They sat there panting heavily, as though they were still in a state of shock.

The village chief paced back and forth for a few steps before pointing to an open area. He turned around and said to everyone, Let's bury him here!

The few villagers walked over to where the Village Chief had been standing a moment ago. They pulled out their shovels and pouches …

Time passed silently, and slowly, as time went by, the villagers were already exhausted to the point of being out of breath, and their backs were covered in a layer of sweat.

When I focused my eyes, a small hole appeared in the ground. The space in the hole was just large enough to hold a coffin. If I'm not wrong, the village head wanted to place Third Uncle's coffin in this hole.

At this time, Ping Hai and Fang Zhe, who had almost rested, slowly stood up from the ground. Once again, they arrived in front of Third Uncle's coffin, put the wood on their shoulders, and walked toward the pit together.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but I could feel a strange smell drifting in the air. It was an indescribable feeling, and in short, I felt that tonight was a bit strange, and I couldn't tell what was going on.

After Ping Hai and Fang Zhe climbed out of the pit, the villagers went back to the coffin. They swung their shovels and covered the rest of Third Uncle's coffin again bit by bit.

In a blink of an eye, a small grave was formed. Beside the grave was a gravestone with the words Third Uncle's Name and his Birthday written on it.

And I knew that beneath this grave, buried under it, was the cold body of Third Uncle.

The Village Chief walked up to the tombstone and knelt down, kowtowing heavily a few times. I don't know what he was mumbling about, but I could roughly guess that it was comforting.

A man cannot be revived. This is the cruel reality. The one who died was my third uncle after all. Even so, I still felt a dull ache in my heart.

Even worse, my aunt was lying in her bed at home, with less than half her life left, and I didn't know if she would live through the night.

I think that at this moment, Third Uncle's soul should be able to rest in peace.

Although his death was somewhat strange, no matter what, at this very moment, his Third Uncle's body was lying under this three foot layer of loess.

The village chief knelt in front of his third uncle's grave and kowtowed several times before slowly standing up. After that, he saluted once more and slowly left.

Ping Hai and Fang Zhe had already left. From start to finish, including till now, I noticed that their faces were still as pale as wax. Perhaps the moment Third Uncle's coffin fell on the ground, they were really shocked.

I don't think the two pallbearers have ever seen anything like this.

The villagers also returned to their homes one after another. Looking at their backs as they walked into the distance, my heart was filled with mixed feelings.

The Village Chief walked to my side and lightly patted me, causing me to jump in fright.

For some reason, when I raised my head, I saw a complex expression in the Village Head's eyes. At this moment, he said word by word, Go back and accompany your wife properly.

I nodded and turned around. Just like the Village Head, I knelt in front of Uncle's grave and kowtowed three times.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and I felt as if my whole body was being weighed down by a powerful force.

Seeing this scene, the Village Chief hurriedly walked over and used all his strength to support me up from the ground.

I slowly shook my head. I thought that it was just my imagination. I turned around and didn't turn my head back to take another look. Instead, I headed towards the direction of my third uncle's house. Step by step, I walked back.

I don't know why, but when I turned the corner, I felt a voice calling me. Curious, I turned around to take a look.

However, what happened next caused a loud bang, as if something had ruthlessly struck the back of my head.

Immediately afterwards, I only felt my vision go black, my head sank, and I fell to the ground all of a sudden …

CHAPTER 6 - HARD TEETH

At around one in the morning, I woke up from my daze and saw a familiar figure. It was the village chief.

He was sitting at the head of the bed with a complicated expression in his eyes. He was staring at me.

I