Chapter One: He Might Want to Dig My Grave
As dusk approached, light snow fell from the sky in Tangcheng.
A man in a military coat stood under the iconic Horse-Riding-Yan statue in the city square, his eyes showing signs of distress as he glanced nervously around, fists caked with bl**d and mud tightly clenched.
Three minutes later, the man finally hailed a taxi, leaving the city square and heading towards Peach Blossom Road Antique Street.
The driver, evidently familiar with the area, turned the car around while holding a half-smoked cigarette, and struck up a conversation. “Came from out of town? Looking to find something?”
The man remained silent.
“The antique street on Peach Blossom Road is pretty much done for, didn’t you know? If you want to find something, it’s better to go to Green Leaf Road.”
The man continued to not speak, and the driver wisely fell silent, driving all the way to the destination.
Tangcheng has been around for some years, with a recorded history that can be traced back to the pre-Qin era, a primary settlement of the ancient Dongyi people.
While it may not be like the tales of Chang’an, where one could dig a grave every hundred meters, there’s certainly something nearby every five hundred.
During the war decades ago, this area was crawling with country bumpkins, and with people increasingly involved in grave robbing, the antique business naturally prospered.
The Peach Blossom Road Antique Street was established in such a context and once enjoyed its heyday.
But nowadays, firstly, grave robbing is illegal; secondly, as the nights became longer, urban legends proliferated, making it hard to profit from the dead business; and thirdly, with the development of the Peach Source scenic area, local management became centralized and standardized, leading to its inevitable decline.
However, it is said that on certain days, before dawn, there’s a ghost market on the antique street where merchants would simply spread newspapers or draw circles on the ground with chalk to set up stalls.
Today isn’t one of those days; the timing is wrong, and there is no ghost market. The man paid the fare upon arrival and walked along the cobbled old street, reaching the end, then ducked into an alley, winding around for a while until he stopped in front of a small building surrounded by greenery, full of ancient charm.
In front of the building hung a peach wood plaque with the words “Chunfeng Residence” written in large characters.
After the antique street gradually declined, special shops like Chunfeng Residence slowly emerged among the residences around the ancient street, generally requiring a connection to find. The man, evidently knowing the ropes, was able to locate this place.
“Creak!”
“Ding-ding-ding!”
He pushed open the large door, and the wind chime swayed, a faint fragrance wafting over. Walking past a moss-covered wall, he could see the counter in the main hall.
Beside the counter sat an elegantly styled golden nanmu chaise lounge, where a young woman leaned back, her eyebrows carrying a hint of peach blossom-like charm.
She was tall, about 175 cm, with long hair slightly tinged green, wearing a qipao embroidered with peacock-green blossoms, complemented by a white fur collar, the hem of her dress accentuating her slender legs.
As the man entered, she was holding a long, ivory-inlaid silver pipe in one hand, exhaling smoke while fiddling with a SWITCH in the other, lazily cursing as she voiced her opinions.
“What is this? Now any crappy game can make it onto the platform? Tsk, it’s as bad as it gets, not even as fun as those games that brat Lu sent me.”
As she spoke, she tossed the SWITCH aside and sat up, noticing the man who had been standing at the door for a while.
Seeing her glance his way, the man stepped forward and asked, “Can you help appraise something here?”
His voice was deep and hoarse, like he had phlegm stuck in his throat.
Upon hearing this, the young woman sized up the man, who looked quite distressed, missing an earlobe on his right side, filthy as if he hadn’t bathed in over half a month. From afar, the weak spirit energy emanating from him indicated he might not be a quality customer.
“Appraisal? But our fees are quite high!” the young woman replied dismissively.
Meaning, if you don’t have money, then leave, don’t waste my time while I’m trying to play games.
Business owners shouldn’t really select customers, but these days, the people who brought items for appraisal were often completely unaware of their worth. They’d pull out things like “Han Xin Cycling Under the Moon” scrolls, “Cyberpunk 1077” rubbings, and porcelain bowls marked “MADE IN VIETNAM” … anything and everything, really.
The worst was the bronze statue of Ultraman Tiga; how could that possibly be an antique? Were those ancient collectibles from the land of light?
She thought to herself that this was a high-end antique trading house and not a scrap collection station; not everything could be appraised here, could it?
Confronted with her dismissive attitude, the man calmly replied, “Money is not an issue, as long as you truly know your antiques.”
“Ha!” The young woman laughed at his words, sitting cross-legged on the chaise lounge, and beckoned to him, “Bring it out!”
How amusing; did he think there was something in this world she couldn’t appraise?
“I’ve lived longer than antiques!”
That’s right; I’m not targeting anyone; I just want to say, you lot are all trash.
Seeing that the young woman agreed, the man hesitated for a moment, then reached into his coat, rummaging around, and pulled out a bronze object covered in green rust, handing it to her.
“Then I’ll trouble you to help me take a look.”
The bronze object was roughly one foot tall and about sixteen and a half inches wide, square-shaped with a slight curve, resembling a Dan Shu Tie Juan, or the rumored deathless gold token.
But this Dan Shu Tie Juan, which originated in the Han dynasty, could be made of gold, silver, or iron, yet he’d never heard of one made of bronze.
If it’s counterfeit, it hasn’t even put in any effort; it’s probably another item unearthed last week… the young woman thought as she carefully examined the bronze token, noting the intricate carvings of Dongyi script on it, nearly a thousand characters narrating the story of a hunter who discovered a divine tree in a cavern deep in the mountains, hanging with “sunlight.”
However, the story abruptly ceased at the moment the hunter found the divine tree, as if a part were missing.
Noticing the young woman’s fixation on the bronze token, the man furrowed his brow and called out softly, “Miss? Have you finished looking?”
The young woman, her mind returning to the present, slowly handed the bronze token back and replied, “I’m done. This item is indeed old, probably from the early Han dynasty, and it could be worth quite a bit. If you’re looking to sell, I can buy it.”
Upon hearing this, the man frowned slightly, seeming displeased with the outcome, his distressed expression growing more pained, like he was about to cry.
“Apart from its age, didn’t you see anything else? Like what’s written on it? I’ve been searching so long to find you; everyone says this is the best place in Tangcheng for appraisal.”
“It’s true I can recognize some antiques, but I don’t know Dongyi script!” the young woman shrugged. “If I had that ability, I wouldn’t be fiddling with antiques here. I’d be better off steering a research institute.”
At this, the man’s expression darkened as he swiftly shoved the bronze token back into the lining of his military coat.
“Don’t put it away!” The young woman quickly pressed down on his hand. “You haven’t said if you’re selling or not! I guarantee I’ll give you the highest price in Tangcheng.”
The man shook his head, freeing his hand from hers. “Not selling.”
He turned to leave.
“Hey! Wait a minute, don’t go!”
“I’m not selling!” the man said coldly, quickening his pace once more.
The young woman narrowed her eyes angrily. “Who asked if you were selling? You haven’t even given me any money yet!”
Just as her words fell, she seemed to teleport, appearing in front of the man and blocking his path. A terrifying surge of spirit energy enveloped him like a massive weight pressing down, making it impossible for him to take another step.
Want to get a freebie? You better check who’s the most formidable in Peach Blossom Road!
The man twitched at the corner of his mouth, his pace faltering as he noticed a slender hand, pale and delicate, reaching towards him, forming an internationally recognized gesture, rubbing thumb and forefinger together.
“…”
Silent, the man pulled out a gold bar from his pocket, forcefully placing it in the young woman’s hand.
The young woman accepted the gold bar, bringing it to her lips, biting down gently to verify its authenticity, then waved her hand dismissively. “You can go!”
With that, the spirit energy dissipated, and the man shot a glance at the young woman, snorting coldly as he quickly left Chunfeng Residence.
The young woman watched him go until his figure disappeared from view, then her cold expression melted away, blossoming into a smile.
“Great! Such a hefty chunk of gold, let’s buy ten wells to start!”
Without a doubt, at that moment, she was happy, even jumping up and kicking off her embroidered shoes.
However, just as her words fell, a hand covered in wrinkles suddenly shot out, gripping the gold bar and snatching it away.
“East Master, I’ll take this gold for you.”
The young woman’s expression froze, and she spun around to see the hunchbacked old man who had appeared out of nowhere, her face instantly falling into despair.
Her joy vanished.
“Yuan Ye, you’re taking this too? That’s cold-hearted!”
The old man glanced at her sideways, stating languidly, “East Master, I was born cold-blooded.”
“Besides, winter has already arrived, the scenic area’s mountain roads need to be repaired, lest when the new year opens, and tourists flood in, there’s no time to fix it!”
Hearing the old man say that the gold would be used for repairing the mountain roads, the young woman stopped arguing, rolling her eyes and walking back into the building.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered with becoming a tourist attraction—so expensive and troublesome!”
The old man tucked the gold into his pocket and followed her inside, saying, “If you don’t run the scenic area, the Siye Society will, and besides, the scenic area makes quite a bit every year.”
“Plenty to earn, yet I’ve never seen it in my pocket!” The young woman wriggled in her chaise lounge, pouting as she retorted, “The king of urban legends for eight hundred miles, and I don’t even have the right to spend—even letting it out would be a joke!”
“I know it’s not easy for you…” The old man comforted her gently, slowly turning to look in the direction the man had left, squinting slightly. “Speaking of which, what exactly did that guy bring? Even you didn’t recognize it?”
The young woman narrowed her eyes and sat up straight. “It’s not that I didn’t recognize it, I just pretended not to, and also to prevent him from wanting to dig a grave.”
“Oh?” The old man asked, puzzled. “Whose grave does he want to dig?”
While it’s true that the cemeteries within eight hundred miles of Tangcheng were almost all seen by the young woman as she built them, the old man, having accompanied her for so many years, had never seen her take a grave so seriously.
Even during the war years, when locals were short of food and clothing, she led the charge in digging others’ graves to help them survive.
Why did she care so much this time?
“……” The young woman remained silent for a long time before taking a puff on her pipe, exhaling smoke slowly. Her eyes, tinged with coldness, pierced through the dissipating mist as she lightly remarked, “My grave.”
With that, the old man’s expression changed dramatically. He quickly glanced around, taking a couple of steps forward, lowering his voice to ask, “Could he be with that gang of thieves from before?”
“Even if he is, so what?” The young woman shot him a cold glance, her words carrying a hint of lethality.
“When they came before, two thousand of them died. Now that one person comes, does he not deserve to d*e?”
The old man stared at the young woman’s profile, somewhat entranced. It was only at times like this that he would suddenly recall that she had killed more people and monsters than there were peach blossoms that fell during spring in the past eight hundred miles.
“By the way, Yuan Ye, I want to ask you something important…”
The old man turned around and saluted her, “East Master, I’m here.”
“How much new year money are you planning to give me this year? Can I get an advance? I want to buy ten wells; that lousy game—if I don’t buy… Hey, Yuan Ye, don’t go! Just one deal! That’ll suffice!”
———
Night had fallen deep in Huacheng, where a taxi drove along Huacheng Avenue No. 2 towards the western district.
Inside the car, the taxi driver chatted enthusiastically with his phone camera.
“Family, I’m going to be busy soon here! Once I get back, I’ll continue telling you the story of the River God’s marriage.”
“What? Don’t stream while driving, be careful?”
“No worries, no worries. I’ll tell you, at this late hour, there’s not a person on the street, not even a ghost. Even if I run into one, I…”
“Creak—!”
The shrill sound of brakes pierced the vacant street, tires skidding, leaving black marks behind.
Zhang Shan swallowed hard, beads of sweat pouring down him in the cold weather.
The figure standing in the way reflected a crimson light under the car headlights, all wrapped in pallid bandages. One arm swayed stiffly, chasing a loose end of the bandaged white cloth, looking as if waving a soul-ferrying flag.
“Gulp—!”
Zhang Shan swallowed heavily, his hands trembling as he picked up his phone, whispering, “Family, I’ve encountered a ghost; what should I do? I’m waiting online, it’s urgent.”
He then raised his phone to aim out the window.
Internet King 800: “Looks like a female from her figure; I’d suggest confronting her!”
[Internet King 800 has been muted for 365 days]
Not asking for a team buddy: “Wow! An mummy? Is the host doing international gigs today?”
I Come from the Mausoleum of the First Emperor: “Is this the Egyptian emperor’s figurine? It’s a bit lackluster compared to my Qin dynasty’s figurines. Although it’s the first time I’ve seen a living one, I’m still amazed.”
I Come from the Mausoleum of the First Emperor sent a super rocket x5
Internet King 800: “Surprised, huh? I’ve returned! There are thousands of online trolls, so what if one is silenced?”
Water Boiled Mermaid: “Host, aren’t you supposed to be unafraid of encountering ghosts?”
Zhang Shan looked at the barrage of delight from the audience, his lips twitching, weakly saying, “When did I say that? What I meant was, if I run into a ghost, I wouldn’t dare to pull the brakes!”
Moreover, the last time I came across one, she was quite pretty and had a pleasant voice; she wasn’t really scary, Zhang Shan thought.
Just then, he heard the slight sound of a car door closing behind him. Peering into the rearview mirror, he was suddenly startled.
The “mummy” seemed to have grown impatient and had climbed into the car herself.
Following that, a slightly raspy voice came from the back seat. “Driver, go…”
“Where… where to?” Zhang Shan stammered.
The “mummy” rolled her eyes, seemingly reluctant to speak, only uttering two words coolly. “Home.”
Zhang Shan felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth, weakly replying, “But I don’t know the way to Egypt!”
Hearing this, the “mummy” paused, lowered her head to observe herself, and briefly clarified, “I’m not going to Egypt…”
“Then, are you an Inca mountain mummy? But that’s in South America! My little broken car can’t go there!” Zhang Shan exclaimed.
“……”
The “mummy” was silent for a while, then impatiently replied, “I’m heading to University City, Jingyi Apartment Complex.”
Upon hearing that familiar address, Zhang Shan’s eyes lit up. “Wow! I know that place very well; I go there often…”
“Wait, you aren’t…?”
In the back seat, Luxianbei nodded, really not wanting to talk. If she spoke, it would tug at her wound, and each tug would hurt her mouth.
The merciless BB Ji, at that moment, was left with nothing but her name.
Zhang Shan was taken aback, finally noticing that the “mummy” was carrying a silver-black metal box on her back, which at first glance he thought was her coffin.
“Hmm?!” Zhang Shan suddenly came to his senses, his eyes widening.
He recognized that shape!
“Hmm.” Luxianbei nodded in affirmation.
“Wait, how did this happen?”
Luxianbei squinted her eyes. “Want to know?”
“Uh-huh!” Zhang Shan nodded repeatedly; it was a rare opportunity to gather material, particularly with an exotic flavor, and he certainly couldn’t pass it up.
“Then you don’t have any fare left.” Luxianbei said blandly.
Though she was unwilling to speak, she realized that aside from her Ling Tai Purification, everything she had carried was destroyed by the giant’s punch, leaving her without any known currency to pay Zhang Shan.
Today, if she hadn’t run into Zhang Shan, with her condition of “movement equals pain,” she could only resort to hijacking passing vehicles to get home.
“The fare doesn’t matter.” Zhang Shan replied casually.
As if he was going to get something from you anyway.
“Then…” Luxianbei opened her mouth, suddenly noticing Zhang Shan’s phone. “Wait a minute, you’re live-streaming? Please help me with a beauty filter.”
Zhang Shan glanced in the rearview mirror at Luxianbei’s face, which was tightly wrapped in bandages and completely concealed.
“???”
