Chapter 440: Open Coffin (2/2)

Song Jie interjected, ”The villagers are all buried here. If you go up further, you’ll see the grave of our ancestors. Are you going to desecrate Song Ci's tomb?”

”Bold little girl, be careful! You might get struck by lightning for running your mouth off!” chided Song Xingchen.

Song Jie laughed, ”Hehe, I'll just hide behind you! If I’m getting struck by lightning, then so are you!”

Naturally, I wasn’t in the mood to joke around. I sat on one of the graves, thinking, Did I miss something?

Some time later, Song Jie waved her hand in front of my eyes, ”Aren’t you cold?”

”I’m going back to get some tools. I’ll need to open the coffins and perform autopsies!”

”Haven’t you checked all the graves?” asked Song Jie. “Why are you thinking of opening the coffins now?”

”Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. There’s definitely one body missing from these graves. I am sure of that!”

Song Xingchen and Song Jie exchanged a meaningful look. ”Song Yang, you have to think twice before you do this,” advised Song Xingchen. “If the villagers see their ancestral graves desecrated, you won’t be able to keep investigating...”

”Don't worry. A Traditional Coroner knows how to open a coffin without being found. We’re even more experienced than grave robbers,” I assured. “Besides, I only need to dig up three graves.”

“What makes you say that?” queried Song Jie.

”It’s just a guess at present. I’ll share it with you once I verify the truth.”

”Geez, you really like whetting our appetites and leaving us hanging!” grumbled Song Jie.

By the time we reached home, Song Heting and her husband had already fallen asleep. In order not to disturb them, Song Xingchen jumped up the wall and threw over a pick and a shovel from the backyard. Without much effort, Song Jie caught the tools in her hand and waited for Song Xingchen to climb back from the other side.

Back on the hill, I turned to Song Jie, ”The people here practice the tradition of the bone-seeking burial. Show me which graves have been removed for the ritual.”

Song Jie pointed to one, but instead of digging into the grave at once, I shoveled at the soil from the back, carefully making a hole. In order not to destroy the shape of the grave, I took extra precaution and time–almost half an hour–just to create a squarish hole into which I could reach.

In the dead of the night, the graveyard was desolate and the forest behind was shrouded in fog. There were strange movements and sounds coming from within. Frightened, Song Jie tugged Song Xingchen's sleeve, ”Thank goodness I’m not one of the civil Songs. I wouldn’t want to do this sort of thing.”

”What’s there to be scared of? Compared to the living, at least the dead are honest,” I smiled.

”You’ve got the courage of a lion!” commended Song Jie.

I knelt down and slipped my hand into the hole, much to Song Jie’s shock. She quickly hid behind Song Xingchen and poked her head out. ”Song Yang-gege, aren't you afraid a hand will suddenly grab yours?” she whispered.

I wasn’t afraid of some ghost’s hand, but a slippery snake would terrify me. Generally speaking, however, snakes only hid themselves in the winter.

Something fluffy grazed my hand and whatever it was escaped with a squeak. Much to my relief, it was a vole. The presence of voles meant there would be no snakes.

Finally, I felt something hard. Sliding my other hand in, I slowly pulled out an earthen jar.

Then, I unsealed the jar, poured the bones onto the ground, and crouched down as I began to piece the bones together.

Song Jie turned to Song Xingchen, ”Does he always behave so strangely?”