"How many people have died in total?"
At my question, Manager Xue seemed to recall something, his face turning pale as he stated that twenty-one people had died.
Receiving this answer, I frowned. There were seven coffins and twenty-one deaths, three times the number of coffins. Such a multiple was a great omen of malevolence.
Generally, family tombs would not exceed nine, as few families could last nine generations without decline. Seven was a common number. It was coincidental that their construction site dug up seven coffins, and they were not severely decayed. Why did I feel something was not quite right?
"Manager Xue, do you have any photos of those coffins?"
"Yes, I do. I took many photos for reporting purposes." He took out his phone, flipped through his album, and handed it to me.
The first photo showed a coffin whose original color was almost indistinguishable, but after being washed by the rain, one could still see the red paint. The side of the coffin had some inconspicuous grooves, and a small section of gold thread left on it suggested how dignified and grand the coffin was when buried.
"The gold thread on it?"
"The workers stole it all..."
"..."
Then came the second coffin, half of which had rotted. The seams were blurry, and one could only see a dark void inside...
The third, fourth, and up to the ninth photo, my pupils contracted. It wasn't that a horrifying scene appeared, but rather a view of the coffins from outside the excavation pit. The picture showed seven pits, with workers busy around them.
"Manager Xue, when was this photo taken?"
Manager Xue took back his phone, fiddled with it for a moment, and said, "It was taken when all the coffins were unearthed. The government required photos as proof for reporting. Is there something wrong with this photo?"
I shook my head and remained silent. From the photo, it was evident that the burial location of the coffins was problematic. I had seen this layout in the "Zang Lun" (On Burial); it was called the Seven Orifices Communion Burial.
The so-called Seven Orifices Communion Burial might not be understood by many. This burial method was based on a person's seven orifices, supplemented by six empty cavities as spiritual conduits, gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in one place. The purpose was to enable descendants to clearly perceive the dangers of the world and to ensure the family line continued uninterrupted.
However, this tomb had a drawback: regardless of whether there were male heirs in the family, incense offerings were required during the Qingming and Hanshi festivals. Otherwise, the seven orifices would open one by one, starting with the eyes, then the ears, and finally the mouth, to devour the descendants of the clan until the entire clan perished. Although this burial method seemed vicious, it was not without its merits. As long as the clan's lineage continued for seven generations, future descendants would enjoy eternal prosperity and wealth.
Perhaps it was due to the photo's poor quality or the surrounding lighting, but at this moment, the two burial pits located at the eye positions were gleaming, appearing like a pair of eyes gazing upwards. The drooping corners of the eyes seemed to be smiling.
If it were just a blurred human face, it would be one thing. But my first impression was that it didn't look like a human face at all. It resembled a sinister fox grinning maliciously at the photographer.
My heart sank. Could it be this uncanny? Had the Hu family's revenge arrived so quickly? I rubbed my eyes and looked again. The smiling face had disappeared. The eye positions, due to the water, only appeared to be shining under the light.
I casually handed the phone to Zhang Dabiao, asking him to see if there was anything amiss. He glanced at it twice and said he didn't see anything special in the photos. It was necessary to inspect the site in person to decide whether to take the job.
I agreed. The money offered was substantial, but one had to be alive to spend it. Otherwise, what use would billions be? Some things were not clear in photos, like the sinister smiling face I thought I saw earlier.
If it was indeed a Seven Orifices Communion Burial that had opened its eyes, then I had nothing more to say. I should just run away quickly. This job was beyond my capabilities. The spiritual power of seven generations gathered together, suddenly losing its connection, would immediately seek revenge.
Judging by the photo, it had just opened its eyes, indicating that the tomb's descendants should have died recently, otherwise, there would be no signs of its eyes opening.
As for those workers who died due to greed, and some so-called experts, they brought it upon themselves. Taking without permission is theft. Did they really think any coffin could be opened casually? If they encountered someone who had prepared defenses, the outcome would be only one: whoever opened it would die.
Many people believe that the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum could not be excavated due to the large amount of mercury within the tomb, but that was only a superficial issue. With modern scientific technology, mercury could not prevent excavation. The real reason was that the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum housed tens of thousands of Qin soldiers, not terracotta warriors, but corpses refined by alchemists using special techniques.
These were not ordinary zombies, but all blood fiends. If they were to escape, the entire world would fall into chaos, and perhaps only divine intervention could stop them.
On the way to the construction site, Manager Xue received a phone call, and his entire face turned white. After hanging up, he told me that the gatekeeper had also died. The police had notified him to handle the body and explain the situation.
When we arrived at the construction site by car, several police cars were already parked in front, along with an ambulance. Two medical personnel in white coats were carrying a body into the vehicle, while a woman was weeping hysterically, lying on the corpse.
"Old Xue, what exactly is going on? Didn't you say you'd resolve it quickly? Now someone else has died. Are you not planning to let me retire?"
A man in his fifties, with only hair on the sides of his head, a slightly greenish complexion, a protruding belly, rushed up to Manager Xue as he got out of the car. Grabbing his collar, he glared at him and said.
Manager Xue's face was ashen. He managed a slight smile and said, "How could I not want you to retire? I've invited a master to handle this. Don't worry, I'll definitely resolve this matter in the next few days." As he spoke, he subtly took out a bank card from his pocket and then wiggled his thumb and pinky finger a few times.
After the bank card was pocketed, the man's expression softened. "He had a heart attack and called his wife before he died. She didn't make it in time, and he passed away." The man patted Manager Xue's shoulder, then turned and yelled at the two people carrying the body to quickly take the person away, as if things weren't chaotic enough.
Manager Xue also took this opportunity to walk over to the woman and whisper something to her. Then, the woman nodded and got into the ambulance. It was clear that everything was being settled with money.