C20 Stabbing the Evil Coffin

Third Uncle nodded. "Are all the coffins the same size?"

Old Wai shook his head. "There were eight coffins: one large and seven small. The smaller ones were moved without incident. But when we got to the large one, which was unearthed while digging the foundation for the main building at Tianyou Square, there was an accident."

Third Uncle inquired, "What kind of accident?"

Old Wai spoke softly, "The seven smaller coffins were somewhat deteriorated, but the large one was in pristine condition when we found it, as if it had been buried only a short time. Carrying that coffin out, we encountered something bizarre. Initially, six men with ropes tried to lift it, but it was as if the coffin was rooted to the ground, immovable. Then another six joined in, prying and pulling with no success. Eventually, we resorted to using a crane..."

Interrupting, I exclaimed, "You're kidding, right? Even a crane couldn't move it? That's just too far-fetched."

Old Wai shook his head. "No, it's not that. As we were about to hoist the coffin with the crane, a sound came from inside... It was eerie, like a mix of sobbing and the wail of an animal, accompanied by a scratching noise, as if something was clawing at the coffin's interior. It frightened the onlookers so much that most of them fled. The crane operator was too scared to proceed. Wu Tianyou, the head of Tianyou Group, was present. Perhaps to impress the boss, one of his bodyguards, who was actually more of a show-off, volunteered to go down with a crowbar. He struck the coffin three times."

At this point, Third Uncle and I were all ears, and Old Wai himself seemed tense. He took another sip of his wine before continuing, "Guess what happened next?"

Impatiently, I said, "Old Wai, stop beating around the bush and just tell us."

A bit sheepish, Old Wai hurriedly continued, "That bodyguard was a strong, burly man, wielding a crowbar as thick as a child's arm. He hit the coffin three times, yet it remained intact. But on the third strike, the crowbar snapped in half, sending the broken piece soaring into the air. As the bodyguard looked up, the half came crashing down, striking him right in the temple. He died instantly, and from the coffin, a faint black mist continued to seep out."

The recent events had frightened away more than half of the onlookers, leaving only Wu Tianyou with his men, some construction company executives, and the invited Taoist priest at the scene.

The Taoist priest, possessing some spiritual prowess, discerned that the coffin owner's malevolent aura had been released. He knew of only one method to temporarily quell this aura: to counter ferocity with ferocity. He could inscribe a talisman to suppress the coffin, but it required the blood of someone with a spiritual essence.

Unexpectedly, Wu Tianyou, who had been quietly observing, suddenly drew a knife and plunged it into his right leg.

Before anyone could process what had happened, he struck himself twice more. After three slashes, blood gushed out, splattering the coffin.

The blood hissed as it made contact with the wood.

The Taoist priest sprang into action, quickly drawing a talisman with a cinnabar brush dipped in Wu Tianyou's blood. Once completed, he affixed the talisman to the coffin.

Curiously, as the yellow paper touched the coffin's surface, the emanating dark mist vanished.

"Quick, lift the coffin now, and be swift about it!" the Taoist urged.

Tianyou Group hastily organized a crew to hoist the coffin with a crane. Its final destination for appraisal remained unknown, but rumors later circulated that the coffin was crafted from the exceedingly rare Golden Silk Nanmu. The fate of the body inside was a mystery to outsiders. Following that episode, construction at Tianyou Square was halted for two months before resuming. It was rumored that the Taoist had devised a solution, and from that point on, the site saw no further mishaps until the completion of the eight buildings.

Initially, Tianyou Square was a bustling hub, significantly boosting the local economy and the hotel's revenue. But as fate would have it, within a few years, the square's business plummeted, and several incidents of people leaping to their deaths occurred, leaving the number of merchants woefully low.

While discussing this, Third Uncle inquired about the suicides with Old Wai. Old Wai knew little, but he shared a poignant detail: those who had leapt were former merchants of the square, choosing to end their lives in the dead of night after the mall had closed. Furthermore, haunting flute music was reportedly heard from the rooftop before their tragic falls.

Third Uncle was taken aback. "A flute melody? What flute melody?"

Old Wai shook his head. "I'm not well-educated, so I don't know which flute melody you're talking about. I've never heard it either. It was Old Hsiao, the night watchman in the square, who mentioned it to me."

With that, Old Wai had shared all he knew about Tianyou Square.

I pondered for a moment before asking, "I noticed Wu Tianyou is still limping. Could that be an injury from back then?"

Old Wai replied, "Exactly. It must be. To keep that malevolent coffin in check, there's bound to be a price to pay, right?"

Third Uncle remained noncommittal, simply gesturing with his hand, "Old Wai, go ahead and eat. Once you're done, you should head back to rest."

Old Wai glanced at the table laden with food and hesitated, "You guys... aren't you going to eat...?"

Before we could respond, he added, "If you're not going to eat, could I... could I take some home to my wife?"

Third Uncle and I exchanged a smile.

I gestured, "We're not hungry. Ask the waiter to pack it up. We're heading upstairs."

Old Wai's face lit up with a grateful smile as he nodded his thanks. His contentment made me reflect on how easily those at the bottom of society find satisfaction. There's truth to the saying, 'contentment brings happiness.' How many people strive for that? Even for me, this was a first-time dining experience in a five-star hotel restaurant. Old Wai was content, but what about me?

Back in our room, Third Uncle glanced at me and remarked, "You're quite the philanthropist, letting Old Wai take all the food without us having a bite."

I grinned, "Isn't it all charged to the room? Just order another serving to eat here."

Third Uncle dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand, "No need. We have instant noodles, right? Let's just settle for that. Director Wu should be arriving soon."

We were eating instant noodles when, sure enough, Wu Tianyou arrived with Liang Yue shortly thereafter.

Upon seeing us, Wu Tianyou furrowed his brow and asked, "Why are you eating this?" He glanced back at Liang Yue, clearly displeased.

I hurriedly explained, "Director Wu, we've already eaten at the restaurant downstairs. We're just having a bowl of instant noodles to tide us over."

My attempt to smooth things over for Liang Yue fell flat due to the weak excuse, and she didn't seem grateful. In fact, she cast a disdainful look at Third Uncle and me.

Wu Tianyou suggested, "You don't need to settle for this; we could order some desserts or something..."

Third Uncle dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand, "No, no, that won't be necessary. We're fine with this. Director Wu, let's just have a quick chat."

Wu Tianyou nodded, took a seat, and set his cane aside.

Catching a glimpse of the cane, Third Uncle inquired, "Director Wu, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your leg?"

With a wry smile, Wu Tianyou shared his story, echoing much of what Old Wai had told us, though without the same level of detail or vividness. He downplayed the incident with his leg, mentioning it only in passing.

Third Uncle nodded and probed further, "That's a fine cane you have there, Director Wu. It must have a story behind it?"

Wu Tianyou chuckled, "My good-for-nothing brother, Wu Tianxiong, gave it to me when he saw I was having trouble with my legs. Tianxiong never really settled into a proper career, but at least he thought of me. I've held onto it ever since."

"And your leg... has it always been like this?" Third Uncle asked.

Shaking his head, Wu Tianyou replied, "No, it wasn't always this bad. At first, I could walk just fine. But over the past couple of years, it's deteriorated. Now, without this cane, I can hardly walk at all."

Our conversation with Wu Tianyou lasted less than an hour in his room, as he was incredibly busy with one phone call after another. Since we couldn't glean any useful information, we decided to wrap up our talk.

As Wu Tianyou stood and gestured for us to leave, Liang Yue placed a small leather bag on the table. Unzipping it revealed two thick stacks of cash.

Director Wu stated, "Consider this two hundred thousand as a token of appreciation for your hard work. Whether the endeavor is successful or not, it's rightfully yours. Should you succeed, I'll have an additional reward for you."

Third Uncle's eyes sparkled with excitement. He made a show of reluctance before gladly accepting the money.

Director Wu had arranged for Liang Yue to assist us, and he was the first to depart from the hotel.

"It's getting late," Liang Yue remarked. "You should get some rest. I'm staying in the room next door, so if you need anything, just give me a shout."

As she turned to leave, Third Uncle called out to her, "Assistant Liang, do you happen to have the key to the main building of the mall?"

"When do you need it?" inquired Liang Yue.

"It's hard to say," he replied. "I might need to check on something at a moment's notice, so having a key would be more convenient."

Liang Yue gestured dismissively, "I don't have the key, but I can arrange to have the door opened for you. Just let me know when you're heading over."

Third Uncle hesitated, "That might not work for us. We're likely to need the key at night. As I've mentioned before, that place has a malevolent air, and for a young woman like yourself..."

Liang Yue's expression soured. "What's wrong with being a young woman? As if you being men makes you any more capable. I'd like to see what special skills you actually possess. It's decided then. Without me, you won't be getting into that building."

With a toss of her head, Liang Yue strode out of the room with an air of confidence.

Third Uncle, visibly frustrated, threw up his hands and turned to me, "I truly had her best interests at heart."