Lost in the Otherworld

The five trailed at the rear of the crowd, following the pallbearers westward, crossing a field and climbing through a wooded hill, until they arrived at what was called the graveyard.

The hillside was dotted with graves, some fortified with cement, encircled by small railings, with a couple of cedar trees planted before them, offerings of incense smoldering. Most were mere mounds of earth, overgrown with weeds and long forgotten.

The pallbearers carried the coffin to a freshly dug grave. A priest performed his rituals once more, while the bereaved wailed amidst the clash of gongs and the crack of firecrackers. Four men lowered the coffin into the ground and swiftly began to bury it with shovels.

After watching for a while, the villagers dispersed, heading back to their homes. Only four burial workers and an old man overseeing the proceedings remained. This was none other than Master Wu, who had earlier collected the tribute money.

He barked orders from the side, “Hurry up, make sure it’s done before eight, and pack the soil tight.”

Officer Huang gestured to his companions, and the five walked over.

Leading the effort, Officer Huang grabbed an extra shovel and started helping. Recognizing him, Master Wu approached and offered him a cigarette. Huang accepted it and tucked it behind his ear.

“Officer Huang, don’t hold it against me,” Master Wu sighed. “I want this case solved quickly too, but Huazi’s funeral couldn’t be delayed. If we had waited until everyone lost interest, I couldn’t have gathered the villagers again. Then, Huazi’s family would truly have become wandering souls.”

“I understand,” Officer Huang continued shoveling. “The autopsy report’s come in, so burying him won’t affect the investigation.”

“Good, good,” Master Wu nodded repeatedly.

As the burial progressed, Officer Huang covertly handed his shovel to Qing Ling when Master Wu wasn’t looking. With a slight movement of her hand, the shovel shot into a nearby tree and vanished from sight.

In less than twenty minutes, a new grave had been completed.

During this time, neither Gao Yang nor Officer Huang had gleaned any particularly useful information. In the end, they followed Master Wu and the four men back to the village entrance, where they parted ways.

Feigning departure, the five returned to the grove to devise a plan.

“Why did you ask me to hide the shovel earlier?” Qing Ling asked Officer Huang.

“To dig up the grave,” Gao Yang blurted out, as he and Officer Huang had already discussed it in private.

“Dig up the grave?!” Fat Jun was horrified.

Officer Huang chuckled, pulling out the cigarette Master Wu had given him. He sniffed it but didn’t dare light it. “We’ll wait until dark, avoid attention, and then dig it up.”

“Is this really necessary?” Fat Jun’s face showed his reluctance.

“One way or another, we need closure today,” Officer Huang said, casting a glance at everyone. “Here’s the plan that Gao Yang and I came up with. For now, let’s rest and conserve our energy. Once it’s dark, we’ll start by digging up the grave and seeing if we can uncover any clues.”

Leaning against a tree, Officer Huang continued, “If we find something, great. If not, we’ll stick to the original plan and strike. We don’t stand a chance fighting the whole village head-on, so we’ll conduct ambushes, sneaking through each household in the dead of night. Let’s see if we can flush out the mastermind behind this.”

“Ambushes?!” Wang Zikai’s disappointment was clear. He had been hoping for a grand battle. “That’s hardly honorable!”

“Wang Zikai, not all men are made the same,” Gao Yang immediately began spinning a tale. “You’re the chosen one, blessed with innate strength far beyond ours. Of course, you’d be fine, but we’re weakened and facing real danger. You can’t fight and protect us at the same time, can you? You wouldn’t want to be the only victor while your teammates are left for dead, right?”

The flattery worked, and Wang Zikai, clearly pleased, waved his hand. “Ah, I can’t stay mad at you guys. Fine, we’ll ambush. Just make sure the final boss is mine.”

“But of course.”

Officer Huang and Fat Jun exchanged admiring glances at Gao Yang—he was truly a master at handling people!