Chapter 13: The Copper Coin’s Path

  "What the—! Is this some kind of magic?" Tiger's eyes widened in shock, finding it hard to believe.

  Lu Fei hadn't pulled the red string; the coin had stood up on its own.

  "This isn't magic. It's more of an instinct. Just like how a person knows their way home, this copper coin can find its way back to its tomb. We just need to follow it."

  As soon as he spoke, the coin began rolling forward like a small wheel.

  "Let's keep up!"

  Lu Fei held onto the red string, following the coin's path.

  Tiger, too surprised to speak, hurried after him, carrying the two chickens.

  The coin rolled along a narrow, overgrown path lined with fallen leaves, heading in a steady direction.

  Lu Fei eyed the path ahead, suddenly stopping, puzzled.

  "What's going on? Why is it leading us back toward the village? Could the tomb be inside the village?"

  "That can't be, right? Who would build a tomb in their own village? Maybe it's just beyond the village?" Tiger suggested.

  "Let's try from another direction."

  Lu Fei picked up the coin and started from the opposite side of the village, but the coin still rolled straight back toward it.

  He tried two more directions, and each time, the coin rolled firmly toward the village without hesitation.

  "It seems the tomb really is in the village," Lu Fei said, frowning.

  "That's just strange. Who would put a tomb in their village? Isn't that bad luck? Lu Fei, could we be mistaken?" Tiger asked, bewildered.

  "Do you ever get your own home's location wrong?"

  "No."

  "Neither would this."

  Lu Fei put away the coin and gestured for Tiger to follow.

  "Let's go into the village and take a look."

  As they approached the village, the roosters in the sack began to struggle violently, clucking anxiously and making it nearly impossible for Tiger to hold onto them.

  "What's going on? Are they scared they'll be eaten?"

  Lu Fei thought for a moment and had Tiger open the sack. He then plucked three black tail feathers from each rooster.

  "Lu Fei, what are you doing plucking chicken feathers?" Tiger asked, confused.

  "There's an old saying: 'When a rooster crows, the world brightens.' In ancient times, roosters were believed to be yang birds, capable of driving away darkness. So, rooster tail feathers can ward off evil." Lu Fei handed the feathers to Tiger.

  Strangely enough, as soon as he plucked the feathers, the roosters calmed down, almost as if their vitality had been drained.

  "I think there's something strange about this village. The roosters must have sensed it, so take these feathers as a precaution."

  "I thought only items blessed by a master could ward off evil! Turns out rooster feathers work, too!" Tiger gave him a thumbs-up, feeling the two hundred yuan was well-spent.

  Getting a talisman from a master would've cost him at least a thousand yuan.

  With the rooster feathers in their pockets and the quieted roosters in tow, they entered the eerie, ancient mountain village.

  The trees around the village were dense, making it significantly darker than the outside.

  The village was small, with few houses, all made of mud brick. Through the narrow windows, a few pairs of cloudy eyes cautiously watched the two outsiders.

  "Who are you?"

  With a raspy voice, a few frail, gaunt elders slowly emerged, blocking their path.

  Lu Fei and Tiger exchanged glances, both feeling a rising sense of caution.

  Despite their varying heights and builds, all the elders shared the same distinguishing feature—dark spots covering their faces, necks, and even the backs of their hands, giving them a particularly eerie appearance.

  "Sir, we're here looking for someone," Lu Fei said with a friendly smile, suppressing his surprise.

  "Who are you looking for?" The man leading the group was an older gentleman in a faded Zhongshan suit, hands behind his back, exuding an air of authority.

  "We're looking for an elderly man who mentioned selling antiques to us. He told us to come here to pick them up."

  Lu Fei gave Tiger a signal, and Tiger quickly offered the two roosters to the villagers.

  "We came in a hurry and didn't bring much, so we brought this as a small token of respect."

  The elders' eyes lit up when they saw the roosters, and their attitudes softened.

  "Oh, so you're here on business. Forgive our manners—please, come in."

  The lead elder, who turned out to be the village chief, warmly welcomed Lu Fei and Tiger into his home, even instructing someone to boil water for tea.

  Lu Fei glanced around, noting that although there were dozens of villagers, they were all elderly.

  Each one was thin, with sallow skin and those strange dark spots, giving them a frail yet sinister look.

  Lu Fei found it odd; he'd never seen such symptoms before.

  "So, what kind of antiques are you looking for?" The chief eyed the young men kindly.

  Lu Fei probed, "We heard there's an ancient tomb nearby with some valuable items."

  "Those are just rumors. We're just a humble village with nothing but some heirlooms passed down from our ancestors." The chief waved dismissively.

  "As long as they're genuine, we'd still be interested in old heirlooms," Lu Fei replied, subtly reaching into his pocket to hold onto the coin.

  Strangely, the coin had been silent since they entered the village.

  "Apologies, young man. We've never considered selling our family's heirlooms," the chief replied with a polite smile. "Who told you we were selling antiques?"

  Tiger jumped in, "An older gentleman in a black cloth outfit, with a large dark spot on his neck."

  He looked around, but he hadn't seen the old man who'd sold him the coin.

  "Sounds like old Si? But that's impossible," the chief exchanged glances with the others, looking puzzled.

  "Old Si passed away half a month ago…"

  "What? I saw him just last week! It couldn't have been him who died!" Tiger shook his head in shock.

  Hearing this, the chief and the other elders looked at each other in confusion. "We all have these spots, but only Old Si had one on his neck. His portrait's still here. Shall I show you?"

  "Yes, please."

  Lu Fei and Tiger followed the chief to Old Si's house.

  In the dim, mud-walled room, a black-and-white portrait rested atop a cabinet.

  Tiger took a closer look, seeing a gaunt, stern-looking old man with a large dark spot on his neck.

  "That's him!"

  Tiger's pupils shrank as a cold chill ran down his spine.

  A dead man had sold him something?

  Had he been talking to a ghost? In broad daylight, no less!

  The elders exchanged uneasy glances, speechless.

  After a while, the chief sighed. "Old Si must have had unfinished business. Even in life, he often mentioned wanting to sell the family's relics, but I wouldn't allow it. Who'd have thought…"

  He turned to Lu Fei and Tiger, apologizing.

  "I'm truly sorry. We never expected he'd be restless even after passing."

  Tiger looked helplessly at Lu Fei, his face full of uncertainty. "What do we do now?"

  Lu Fei felt a hint of dread himself. After a moment's thought, he spoke up. "Chief, would it be alright if we paid our respects at his grave? We can offer incense and ask him to rest in peace, hoping he won't disturb us again."