Chapter Thirty-Six: Sleeping Beside the Corpse

The corpse looked as if it had just been hauled from the water, its face twisted in a grimace, lips turned outward, the body swollen a size larger than usual, the skin pale and waxy, like that of a dead pig scalded in boiling water. At the sight, Tong Xiaomeng covered her mouth and widened her eyes—yet, she managed not to cry out, her nerves holding steady.

The old water ghost regarded me and said, “For the next two days, you’ll need to sleep in the same coffin as this dead body. Let your fate influence his corpse’s destiny. When the female corpses from the river can no longer distinguish between you and him, your life will be safe.”

Sleep with a corpse?

I forced a bitter smile and asked, “What about Tong Xiaomeng? Even if the female corpses don’t come for me, what if they target her instead?”

The old water ghost cast a glance at Tong Xiaomeng. “The anger in this girl dissipates much more slowly than yours. Once your troubles are resolved, hers will be as well—no need for separate measures.”

“What should I do during this time?” Tong Xiaomeng asked.

The old water ghost nodded, bent down, and retrieved a pitch-black oil lamp from beneath the jade coffin. He studied it briefly, then handed it to Tong Xiaomeng.

“Each night, before the Bai family boy enters the coffin, you must light this river lamp and return it to its place. Guard it until the rooster crows at dawn or the black dog howls. Then you may rest.”

Tong Xiaomeng’s face tensed as she cradled the lamp. The old water ghost chuckled, “The river lamp opens the way; water spirits and evil things will naturally retreat. It’s simply another layer of protection for Bai during these six days. Don’t be too anxious—with me watching over the courtyard, no one will enter this house.”

Hearing this, both Tong Xiaomeng and I let out a sigh of relief. Yet, seeing the old man’s age and knowing he would keep vigil for six nights, I couldn’t help worrying about his health.

He laughed off our concerns, waving a hand. “The Lord of the Yellow River said he’ll take me to serve him when I turn eighty. That’s eighteen years away—I won’t die yet.”

After a few more instructions, the old man and I lifted the corpse and tossed it into the coffin. Once he left, Tong Xiaomeng, clutching the lamp, nervously asked, “Should we rest now?”

I glanced at the time—just past nine in the evening. In the village, people retire early, but I’m used to staying up late, so I suggested we wait until ten to sleep. Otherwise, lying in the coffin, I’d have no idea how long it would take for sleep to come.

We sat together in the room. In such surroundings, for the first time, we found ourselves calmly chatting about inconsequential things.

I sensed that Tong Xiaomeng was deliberately trying to help me relax, telling tales of her travels with Professor Gu, recounting strange and wondrous stories. After a while, though, she seemed to lose interest and fell silent, staring at me without moving.

Feeling uneasy under her gaze, I asked, “What are you looking at?”

“Are you not afraid?” Tong Xiaomeng’s eyes flickered toward the jade coffin.

I sighed. To say I wasn’t afraid would be a lie. Desperate times call for desperate measures; whether the old water ghost’s method worked, I couldn’t yet tell. Fortunately, I’d already had experience sharing a coffin with a female corpse in Hezi Village, so perhaps I could muster some courage to face this.

Unconsciously, my hand reached for the blood jade at my chest.

It still radiated a faint warmth, stimulating my nerves and keeping me alert. The red-robed female corpse had left me this item, but I still couldn’t discern its purpose. Remembering this, I slapped my forehead—I’d forgotten to mention her to the old water ghost.

But he’d warned before leaving that, after his departure, no one but him should open the door. If I did, whatever I saw, he wouldn’t be responsible.

After some hesitation, my composure unravelled. I called out a few times toward the door, but the night outside was silent—no response.

Had the old water ghost left?

I shook my head, refusing to entertain the thought, not wanting to burden myself further. Checking the clock, it was past ten. I asked Tong Xiaomeng to light the river lamp so we could sleep early.

Tong Xiaomeng took the lighter, her hands trembling. It took several tries before she managed to ignite it, then set the flame to the lamp’s blackened wick. As soon as they touched, a pale green flame rose from the oil lamp, eerie and flickering.

At that moment, had I not caught Tong Xiaomeng’s wrist, she likely would have dropped the river lamp.

Supporting her, I placed the lamp beneath the coffin, telling her not to be nervous. “If I, who has to sleep with the corpse, am not nervous, you shouldn’t be either. If you’re bored, play with your phone, listen to music, whatever you like.”

Tong Xiaomeng nodded, telling me to be careful.

I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but her words unsettled me.

Earlier, when we carried the corpse into the coffin, I noticed the jade coffin’s surface was colder than the room’s temperature. It was as cold and smooth as ice, with a chilling aura inside—I wondered if it was some modified, electrified ice coffin. The moment I lay down, my bones felt frozen.

The corpse, placed earlier, was limp; leaning against it was like pressing into freshly dried cotton. Yet, there was nothing comfortable about it. Still, I didn’t dare show discomfort—after all, Tong Xiaomeng was even more nervous outside, and at times like this, a man must act the part, even though fear had seeped deep into my bones.

Lying in the jade coffin, staring at the dim bulb overhead, I clutched the blood jade in my palm. My anxiety calmed a little.

I never imagined I’d be forced to this point. I’d thought I could quietly maintain Old Zhai Hall and live in peace, but now I was entangled in such affairs. Where had it all gone wrong?

When I was seven, my father took me to Da Bei Temple to have my fortune read. The old monk said I had the fate of a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river—after thirty, I should mind my own business, or I’d help others but be unable to save myself.

But I’m only twenty-eight this year—did my father lie about my age, subtract two years?

As my thoughts wandered, I recalled the old treasure hunter.

My peaceful life began to change the night he arrived. The strange toad, the peculiar old book, the ghost market’s human head, the master thief, the female corpse in Hezi Village, and now the Lady of the Yellow River…

He was like a fuse, igniting all these matters that ought not have involved me, making them impossible to escape.

Lost in thought, I heard Tong Xiaomeng softly call out, asking if I’d fallen asleep.

Startled, I quickly replied, “No. What is it?”

“Nothing, just wanted to ask,” she whispered.

I forced a smile. “I’m not sleepy now. Tell me more about your travels with Professor Gu—I like hearing those stories.”

Listening to her quietly recount more tales, I don’t know when I drifted off. By the time I woke the next morning, daylight was already streaming in. Tong Xiaomeng was still asleep, slumped over the table. The old water ghost brought a bowl of hot noodle soup and called me up.

We sat in the courtyard, eating steaming bread and noodle soup. The old water ghost smiled and asked how I felt. I told him, apart from feeling cold, everything was fine.

He nodded. “This jade coffin once suppressed the Corpse King of the Yellow River. Not only can it restrain the Corpse King’s evil aura, it also dispels resentment. It’s immensely beneficial for body and mind.”

I gulped down some porridge and asked, “If that’s so, how could the Corpse King still wreak havoc and slaughter villagers after leaving the coffin?”

The old water ghost sighed. “It was someone’s intentional doing—the night the coffin was opened…”

As if realizing he’d said too much, he chuckled and didn’t pursue the topic further. I wasn’t interested in probing, so I switched back to my own concerns. “Though I sleep in the jade coffin at night, I’m still outside during the day. Won’t those female corpses recognize me then?”

The old water ghost laughed. “If these things dared to cause mischief under the bright sun, the world would have long since descended into chaos.”