Chapter 24 – Humble Apology (3)

Chapter 24 – Humble Apology (3)

After lighting the incense, the bustling "crowd" on the streets dispersed as if they were frightened. The street was filled with plumes of white mist. Among the mist, one could hear footsteps approaching.

Grandpa focused his eyes and saw that rather than a person, it was a line of paper people walking in the mist. The paper people led a paper horse, which pulled a paper carriage.

This scene was completely identical to the paper people he'd seen on the street earlier!

But this line of people with a horse and carriage was even creepier!

Grandpa held his breath, watching the procession approach. When they got closer, the craftsman hefted up the scarlet coffin and placed it on the carriage. He nodded at Old Blindman. "Go on."

"Gengchen, remember what I said. Wait for me to return." Old Blindman patted Grandpa's shoulder and went over to the paper carriage. The paper driver hit the paper horse's behind. The horse turned and they disappeared in the white mist.

Cold sweat trickled down Grandpa's forehead.

These paper people and horses were usually sacrifices that people burned for their loved ones. How come the paper people in this town were like living people? How come the paper horse could travel like an actual horse?

Old Blindman said that he wasn't going down an average path for the living.

Could this procession be taking Old Blindman to the world of the dead?

Grandpa was completely dazed. He couldn't figure out any of these dreamlike experiences.

The story ended here.

Grandpa knocked the copper pipe. "Baqian, do you believe what I said?"

"Yes, I believe everything Grandpa says," I said. "So, this means that Old Blindman is the 'Blind Liu from Jiangnan' that Chinese Tunic mentioned? What happened after that? Did he come back? Did that ugly guy give you trouble?"

"No," Grandpa said. "I was too scared to even breathe. Thankfully, the craftsman never talked. He prepared meals for me every day and the food was actually quite normal. It was just that there was nowhere to sleep at night except a coffin, but I didn't dare to complain!

"During the day, I would watch him create coffins. At night, I would sleep in a coffin. After sleeping there for four months, Old Blindman came back and took me away. I didn't look back until after we left. Then I discovered that the town I'd lived in for a few months was actually a mass burial land."

"Mass burial land?" I yelped.

"Yes. It was a mass of random graves. When I saw that, I was immediately covered in cold sweat and asked Old Blindman what exactly happened, but he didn't let me ask. Knowing too much about this craftsman wasn't good for me. Thinking of how I'd spent so many days in a burial ground and interacted with that ugly craftsman, I got chills too and didn't dare to keep asking.

"You know what happened afterward. I journeyed with Old Blindman. After he died, I buried him and came to live in Green Dragon Mountain."