Stranger Danger

Chapter 339: Death Knell

Chapter 339: Death Knell

All four coffin hauliers sighed in relief when the coffin stopped shaking completely. One of them turned toward the group and saluted them deeply. Thank you so much for saving our lives, warriors.

Youre welcome. Ye Qing returned the salute.

Wheres your head? Chu Nianjiu asked.

The four coffin hauliers immediately stared at him with unfriendly, suspicious eyes.

It takes five coffin hauliers at minimum to Carry the King of Corpsesfour people to carry the coffin, and one head to scout the route ahead. Chu Nianjiu said slowly, I thought your head was scouting ahead of you, but obviously that isnt the case.

If they really had a fifth member, the coffin hauliers would not have entered such a dangerous location.

The coffin hauliers didnt respond to his question. Their gazes were also growing increasingly hostile.

Haha, calm down, brothers. Were not bad people. Chu Nianjiu chuckled before crossing his fingers together with his thumbs pointing toward the ground. It looked like he was about to kowtow to the coffin hauliers.

Oh, a friend. The coffin haulier let out an obvious sigh of relief before crossing his fingers in the opposite way, and his thumbs were pointed toward the sky[1]. It looked like he was praying to the heavens.

These three are my friends. Theyre good people. Chu Nianjiu smiled. My name is Chu Nianjiu.

The hand gesture he performed earlier was a common greeting between coffin hauliers. A body belonged to the earth, so one must pray to the earth before putting the body in a coffin. That was what his hand gesture symbolized. But a coffin haulier relied on the heavens to grant them safe passage while they carried a body to its destination, so they must pray to the heavens before departing on their journey.

These hand signals were generally known to coffin hauliers only. That was why very few people knew about it.

The coffin haulier introduced themselves, My name is Peng Hu, and these three are my brothers. Theyre Peng Lin, Peng Shan and Peng Chuan.

Youre all Pengs? Would you happen to hail from the Peng Clan of Jian Nan? Chu Nianjiu asked curiously.

You heard of my clan, brother? Peng Hu exclaimed in surprise.

Although the Peng Clan was considered a major martial clan in Jian Nan, few people knew about their ancestral profession.

Chu Nianjiu smiled. Three years ago, I made the acquaintance of a disciple of the Peng Clan.

May I know who that person is? Peng Hu asked.

His name is Peng Feipao, Chu Nianjiu answered. He claimed to be the firstborn of the Peng family, and that it was the biggest misfortune of his life. It was because he had to take care of two useless younger brothers all day and night.

Hahaha! Youre speaking of Young Master Feipao! Peng Hus smile widened. It would seem that he had tweaked some details of the truth though. For starters, hes not the oldest of our three young masters. He is the youngest.

Moreover, both of his older brothers are far more capable than Young Master Feipao. They have been slowly taking over the family business and calling the shots in recent years. Young Master Feipao is the one whos an idler with no notable achievements under his belt. He was kicked out of the clan a few years ago, so it was probably around that time where you ran into our young master.

He was expelled from the clan? Chu Nianjiu exclaimed with surprise before chuckling. Everything makes sense now. I wondered why the young master of the Peng Clan looked worse than a beggar.

The first time I encountered him, he had been starving for three days. He was so desperate he tried to swindle a little girl into giving him her cotton candy, heh

Later, when I treated him to a drink, he boasted to me how much of a genius he was and how he was the highest authority in the Peng Clan save for his father. He even promised to treat me at Jian Nans best brothels such as the Qiqi Brothel, Orchids Shape and more. I guess it was all a lie!

Hahaha Young Master Feipao is a little Peng Hu scratched his head awkwardly. Even he felt second-hand embarrassment on behalf of Peng Feipao.

He no longer suspected Chu Nianjiu of foul play though. Only an acquaintance of Peng Feipao would be able to point out his true character and behavior.

Anyway, lets get serious, shall we? Chu Nianjius gaze turned serious. Can you tell me what happened to your head?

Peng Hu hesitated for a second before admitting, To be honest with you, our head died some time ago.

Hes dead? Chu Nianjiu was stunned. The head of the coffin hauliers was normally the strongest and most experienced of them all. These four coffin hauliers were middle-stage Astral Refiners, so their head had to be a late-stage Astral Refiner or even a Spirit Purifier.

Then why are you still Carrying the King of Corpses? Dont you know thats plain suicide? Chu Nianjius voice grew harsh.

Peng Hu didnt take offense with his tone, however. He let out a bitter chuckle and explained, Thats because the body is one of our clan elders. We had to bring him back to the clan no matter what.

A member of the Peng Clan must be put to rest where their roots are.

The body is an elder of your clan? Chu Nianjiu looked even more confused. How did your elder perish in a foreign land and turn into this?

The horror contained within the coffin was no joke. They had all experienced its power.

Peng Hu took a moment to organize his answer. To be honest, were not very sure ourselves. Our elder went to Tian Yong to help out a friend, but several days later, we received word that he had died in an uninhabited mountain. His cause of death was unknown. Later, the patriarch ordered us to bring the body back to the family.

We started the journey with nine people: eight coffin hauliers and one head. The journey to our destination was smooth, and the clan elders body looked perfectly normal when we placed him in the coffin. We thought it would be an easy job and carried on with our duties as per standard procedure.

However, we heard strange noises from the coffin not long after we began our return journey. One of our brothers suddenly turned into a charred corpse, but no signs of fire could be seen around him. We had no idea what happened to him.

Its not unusual for a coffin haulier to lose a man or two during the journey back, and since we couldnt find what had killed him, we decided that the faster we make it back to the clan, the safer we would be. But the next day, another one of one brothers died a strange and inexplicable death. His body was bloated and discolored, and both his nose and his mouth were covered in soil. It was like he had drowned underground.

A tremor entered Peng Hus voice when he said this, By now, we realized that this wasnt going to be an easy job. Odd noises were coming from the coffin more frequently as well. Our head immediately declared a Carrying the King of Corpses and took the necessary measures.

It was peaceful for two days. Then, the anomalies resumed.

First, one brother suddenly shattered into a million pieces while carrying the coffin. Then, someone got caught in a quicksand and died.

Worse, the thing inside the coffin is growing stronger with each death. At some point, our head had to nail four Corpse Suppressing Nails into the coffin to finally suppress it. It proved to be a temporary measure, however.

Peng Hus eyes started darting around when he said this. He was also shivering a little.

Ye Qing frowned. Why didnt you open the coffin and check out whats going on inside?

Peng Hu shook his head. One of our rules states that a coffin cannot be opened the moment the body is on its way toward its final resting place. It is unlucky to break this taboo.

Chu Nianjiu helpfully added, Hes right. While the coffin is being delivered, it cannot be opened barring exceptional circumstances. For one, it is considered disrespectful toward the dead, and two, such an ill-fated act would draw evils and Strangers.

Ye Qing rolled his eyes mentally. Who gives a shit about the rules when youre dropping like flies?

Chu Nianjiu asked, What happened to your head?

Peng Hu said sorrowfully, He passed away last night. We were passing through a forest, and he was scouting ahead like usual. Suddenly, the coffin made a strange noise, and he slipped and fell into a valley like he was possessed. He was skewered by a bunch of branches and killed.

Now only four of us are left.

Chu Nianjiu was silent for a moment. To tell you the truth, the chance that the four of you are going to complete your job is very slim. Its far more likely that youre going to die on the job. Personally, I would advise you to seal the coffin temporarily and message the Peng Clan to send reinforcements.

But Peng Hu shook his head stubbornly. Unacceptable. The Peng Clan had already prepared the altar and selected the best time and date to bury the body. We must take the body back on time.

You are Lin Yuhuai wanted to say something, but in the end he was unable to find the words to describe his exact feelings.

I know you mean well, but the Peng Clan has its own rules and principles. Peng Hu looked at them with unwavering determination. Im sorry, but well have to decline your suggestion.

In that case, I wont try to change your mind. Chu Nianjiu sighed before asking, Oh right, do you know where the closest settlement is from here, Brother Peng? To tell you the truth, were lost!

Peng Hu answered, Ah, there is a small village named Auspicious Phoenix Market about ten or so kilometers from here. Head south from there, and youll reach Qing He[2].

Thanks for the directions. Chu Nianjiu saluted Peng Hu before adding, It looks like youre planning to rest and resupply at Auspicious Phoenix Market as well. If you dont mind, can you lead us there?

That was what he said, but everyone knew he really wanted to protect the coffin hauliers. He didnt make the decision on his own, however. He looked at his companions and asked, Are you all okay with that?

I have no opinion, Lin Yuhuai replied.

Same here, Qi Xuanyun hurriedly answered.

Sorry to inconvenience you, Brother Peng! Ye Qing saluted Peng Hu.

Thats

Peng Hu knew what they were planning and wanted to turn them down, but Chu Nianjiu cut him off with a smile and said, Feipao is my friend, you know. Surely I can do him a favor?

Very well! Peng Hu chuckled bitterly and accepted the offer. Please give me a moment.

Peng Hu walked up to the coffin and pulled it out of its hole. Then, he commanded his companions, Get the ropes!

Two coffin hauliers immediately pulled out a pair of ropes that were drenched in a black dogs blood. They tied the two ends of the coffin firmly.

Like carrying a mountain

After the coffin was firmly secured, they went under the Mahogany Poles and grabbed it firmly.

Protect us, gods and Buddhas. Taboos are nothing to us!

Raise!

With that, the four men strained their muscles and lifted the coffin into the air. After they gave Ye Qing and the others a nod, they started running forward at a blistering pace.

Keep up, everyone! Chu Nianjiu yelled and raced after the coffin hauliers.

Caw! Caw!

Crows cawing at the dead of the night? This is a little inauspicious, isnt it? Ye Qing remarked unhappily when he heard the caws.

Theyre just crows, dude. Superstitious much? Chu Nianjiu scoffed.

Qi Xuanyun corrected him immediately from on top of his paper horse, You are wrong, Brother Chu. If you saw a black dog digging a grave, a crow cawing during the second half of the night, a stray cat laughing, a cock flinching, an incense stick that is conspicuously long compared to the other two incense sticks[3], or using a pair of chopsticks upside down during a meal, then you must have encountered some sort of evil. Thats what my master told me.

What Qi Xuanyun said was, in fact, fairly common taboos and gathas. If a black dog pawed at a grave, it meant that a corpse was coming to life. If a crow cawed during midnight, even gods and ghosts would stay out of an area, much less a human. If a stray cat was smiling, it was the screech of a deity or a ghost. If a cock was flinching, then the ghost that scared it must be incredibly scary. If an incense stick was conspicuously longer than the other two incense sticks, then the human who saw it didnt have much longer to live.

And finally, only a ghost would eat with the butt end of a pair of chopsticks.

Were these taboos and gatha true? Not necessarily. But in this world, it was better to be safe than sorry.

1. There are only two ways to cross your fingers. Chu Nianjiu did it the normal way where the fingers are folded over the back of his hands, while these guys have their fingers hanging downward like roots.

2. A commandery.

3. Theyre usually served in three.