Chapter 006: Last Words

At the moment when they lifted the lid of the coffin, my heart pounded anxiously. Although I was certain I hadn’t made a mistake, I still feared something unexpected might happen.

“Wei!”
“Wei!!”
Uncle Wang and Uncle Li set aside the coffin lid and simultaneously called out to me, gesturing toward the opened coffin.

“I see it!” I exhaled deeply, my expression serious.
I was right.

There were no remains in the coffin. Only a set of burial clothes lay neatly inside.

Nowadays, after death, the body must be cremated before burial. But in our region, the custom of placing the dead in a coffin and burying them is still preserved. Even after cremation, the ashes are placed in a coffin before being interred. Furthermore, during cremation, one can request the funeral home to preserve the bones. That is to say, after cremation, the bones remain intact and are not reduced entirely to ash.

“What… what is going on here?”
“This isn’t right! We were the ones who placed Mr. Zhang’s ashes in this coffin that day! How… how could they be gone?”
Uncle Wang and Uncle Li looked at each other in bewilderment, both faces filled with disbelief.

So, they hadn’t known the coffin was empty when it was buried.

“Wei, you can ask others—there were many people watching during the cremation and the encoffining. I swear we put Mr. Zhang’s ashes in here,” Uncle Wang said nervously.

Uncle Wang and Uncle Li didn’t understand the art of geomancy, but the master often called on them for help with his affairs. They had received many kindnesses from him and held him in high regard. They would never have disrespected his remains.

“I believe you! But… where are the master’s bones? Where could they have gone?” I asked.

“Well…” Uncle Li stammered, uneasy. “We really don’t know! After we put Mr. Zhang’s bones in, we sealed the coffin. When we buried it, we noticed nothing amiss…”

I let out a long breath, lost in thought.

I was sure they weren’t lying; there would be no point in such a deception, since I could easily ask others and get the whole truth.

“Wei… now… what should we do?” Uncle Wang seemed utterly at a loss.

Faced with his question, I pressed my lips together and frowned.
Because I had no idea what to do, either.

The master had died, was cremated, and his remains were placed in the coffin, nailed shut, and buried in this grave. But now, after opening the coffin, there was nothing inside but a set of burial clothes.

I didn’t know where the problem lay.
At this moment, I even doubted whether the master was truly dead.

If he wasn’t, that would be a blessing beyond measure.
But if he was, then where were his bones? Where had the remains gone after cremation?

Uncle Li, seeing my silence, said again, “Wei, we really didn’t deceive you! We really…”

Before he could finish, I raised my hand to interrupt him. “Uncle Li, I do believe you! I’m just wondering if the master really died.”

Uncle Wang, hearing my words, thought for a moment and said, “Well… Wei, I saw Mr. Zhang take his last breath myself. And when we sent him to be cremated, many people viewed his remains and watched him be sent in for cremation!”

I glanced at the burial clothes in the coffin, bent down, and picked them up, holding them to my nose for a sniff. Yes, these were clothes worn by the dead. I could smell the lingering scent of death on them.

I put them down and carefully examined the inside of the coffin.

After a thorough check, I exhaled helplessly and shook my head.
Aside from the burial clothes with the faint aura of death, there was nothing useful to be found.

“Bury it again,” I said, returning the clothes to the coffin.

“What? Just bury it like this?” Uncle Wang asked in surprise.

“I don’t know what happened either. Let’s just bury it for now and investigate slowly,” I replied.

Hearing my words, Uncle Wang and the others sighed repeatedly, then replaced the lid on the coffin.

After we reburied the grave, we left the cemetery.

Back at the hospital, I couldn’t calm down.
Everything was so bizarre, so inexplicable.

After a night’s rest, I asked Uncle Wang to take me back home.

Once there, I suddenly remembered the master had mentioned he’d written something for me and left it in his study drawer. I’d been away from home and had forgotten all about it.

Remembering this, I went straight to the study.

Sure enough, in the drawer, I found a thick stack of letter paper, every sheet filled with writing in the master’s hand.

The first few pages were his final words to me.

“Wei, by the time you see these, I am already gone…”

I read every word slowly.

In his letter, he explained in even greater detail about the poison and evil energy afflicting me. He also told me he had left several methods for resolving it, but that I would have to attempt them myself.

I leafed through the rest of the notes. The master had indeed written down several ways to dispel the Six Divine Calamity. I glanced over them; each was extremely complex, filled with references I had never even heard of.

Setting those notes aside, I continued reading the master’s last words.

“…I know that once you visit my grave, you will discover it is empty. That’s right, my bones are not there, only a piece of clothing I wore.”

“You don’t need to worry where my remains have gone, as it was all arranged by me. I had someone take them away. As for where they went, there’s no need for you to pursue it. Why I did this, I believe one day you’ll understand! You needn’t tell Uncle Wang and the others; they know nothing about it.”

“What you must do now is live well and work to resolve the evil energy within you. If one day you see my remains, bow to me a few times—that will suffice as an act of filial piety.”

“I hope that day comes, for it will mean you have mastered, maybe even overcome, the poison and evil energy.”

Looking at the master’s final words, my heart was in turmoil, a mixture of emotions I could not name.

“There is half of a jade pendant in the drawer. Keep it safe. If you ever see the other half, the person holding it is your kin. Through them, you can find your parents!”

Reading this, I hurriedly opened the drawer.

Sure enough, there was half a jade pendant inside.

The jade felt cool in my palm, smooth and delicate. Its shape was odd—it looked like a fish, severed in the middle, leaving only the tail.

My parents are still alive?
Wasn’t I an orphan?
If my parents are alive, why did they send me to an orphanage?

I hurriedly returned to the master’s letter, searching for more.

But about my parents, there was nothing further.

Staring at the half jade pendant in my hand, I wavered. To be honest, I didn’t care who my biological parents were; in my mind, they didn’t exist at all.

If I had to choose, I would rather never meet my parents, but see the master’s remains instead. I would bow to him with utmost respect, grateful for his kindness in raising me, teaching me, and saving my life.

“That’s all I have to say. Live well and use what I’ve taught you to survive. When you finally see my bones, give me a few respectful bows! That’s it! I’ll be waiting for you!”

Finishing the master’s words, my feelings were all over the place. He had arranged for his bones to be taken away. And I… I wasn’t an orphan—I still had parents.

But for what reason had my parents abandoned me in an orphanage?

I sat quietly in the study, gazing at its furnishings, images of the master surfacing again and again in my mind.

After a long while, I stood up.

From today, there are two things I must accomplish.

First, find a way to resolve the Six Divine Calamity within me.
Second, find the master’s remains.

To achieve these, I must first recover from my injuries!

“Wei! Wei!” With hurried footsteps, Uncle Wang burst into the study.

“Uncle Wang, what’s wrong?” I asked, seeing the anxious look on his face.

“You… Uncle Li is in trouble!” Uncle Wang cried out.